TEXT: Dean Shomshak
  
  Arcane Adversaries
  An Enemies Book for Champions
  Author: Dean Shomshak
  Editing & Development:  Steven S. Long 
  Layout & Graphic Design:  Andy Mathews,  
  Ben Seeman
  Cover Illustration:  Andrew Cremeans
  Interior Illustration:  Brett Barkley, Nate 
  Barnes, Robert Cram, Conley Philpott, Greg 
  Smith, Steve Shepard 
  SPECIAL THANKS
  Special thanks to the Digital Hero playtesters, who’ve 
  worked their own particular form of magic helping us 
  keep our books as error-free and useful as possible.
  Special thanks also to Allen Varney, whose Mystic 
  Masters sourcebook inspired much of what you’ll ﬁnd 
  herein, and who was kind enough to oﬀer his input 
  on Tyrannon, the Vandaleurs, and other aspects of the 
  mystic side of the Champions Universe.
  DEDICATION
  Dedicated to my players, who let me build a Mystic 
  World through the Seattle Sentinels and Keystone 
  Konjurors campaigns. Big thanks to Kurt Dingler, Greg 
  Ewing, James Ganong, Scott Haley, Terje Lockling-
  holm, Corey Ovendale, Jeﬀ Skagen, and Wade Yamau-
  chi. This book could not exist without them (or at least 
  it wouldn’t be as good).
  Hero SystemTM ® is DOJ, Inc.’s trademark for its roleplaying system.
  Hero System © 1984, 1989, 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Champions © 1984, 1989, 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Fantasy Hero © 2003 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Arcane Adversaries © 2004 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Star Hero, Justice Inc., Danger International, Dark Champions, Pulp Hero,  
  Western Hero © 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, 
  electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or computerization, or by 
  any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the 
  Publisher:  DOJ, Inc., 1 Haight Street, Suite A, San Francisco, California 94102.
  Printed in the U.S.A. First printing July 2004
  Produced and distributed by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games.
  Stock Number:  DOJHERO214 • ISBN Number:  1-58366-046-1
  http://www.herogames.com
  
    TABLE OF CONTENTS
  INTRODUCTION ..................................................4
  Chapter One:  Mystic  
  Factions And Organizations
  THE CIRCLE OF THE SCARLET MOON .................6
  Archdruid Airetach .............................................9
  Martika Duquesne ...........................................14
  Roger Duquesne ..............................................16
  Wicker Man .....................................................18
  THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATES ..................................20
  The Demonologist ............................................22
  Golem .............................................................25
  Gyre ................................................................29
  Kapilasa ..........................................................32
  Tartarus ..........................................................35
  Vilsimbra .........................................................37
  THE KINGS OF EDOM .......................................41
  Vulshoth ..........................................................43
  Hand Of Deizzhorath ........................................46
  Other Kings Of Edom .....................................48
  Tappan Arkwright III .........................................49
  Angler .............................................................51
  Mind Thief .......................................................53
  Spawn Of Vulshoth ...........................................54
  Squrm .............................................................56
  THE SYLVESTRI CLAN .......................................58
  Patriarch .........................................................60
  Bocal Mcfarlane ..............................................64
  Astralle ...........................................................67
  Cornelius Liefeld ..............................................70
  THE VANDALEURS ............................................73
  Adrian Vandaleur .............................................76
  Eduard And Anais Vandaleur .............................80
  Chatoyant .......................................................83
  Tobias “The Toad” Vandaleur .............................85
  Chapter Two:   
  Mystic Solo Villains
  Black Fang ......................................................90
  Bromion ..........................................................92
  Doctor Teneber ................................................96
  Evil Eye ...........................................................99
  Frag ..............................................................101
  Harpy ............................................................103
  Hell Rider ......................................................105
  Lamplighter ...................................................108
  Mother Gothel ...............................................111
  Tezcatlipoca ..................................................113
  Nagual Cultist ................................................117
  Witchﬁnder ...................................................119
  Summary Tables ............................................122
  
  4 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  F
  rom super-sorcerers using their spells and 
  powers to threaten a world that thinks 
  magic is a child’s fancy, to extra-dimensional 
  horrors intent on invading Earth’s plane and 
  consuming everyone who lives there, mystically-
  powered characters are a staple of most comic-
  book settings — and thus of most Champions 
  campaigns. The primary Champions villains book, 
  Conquerors, Killers, And Crooks, contains several 
  villains whose powers derive from magic:  Tako-
  fanes the Archlich; the Crowns of Krim; Morning-
  star; and more. But for GMs whose PC teams fea-
  ture a powerful super-mage, or who run all-mystic 
  campaigns, those villains aren’t enough to round 
  out a roster of magical enemies.
  Arcane Adversaries ﬁlls that gap. It contains 
  over ﬁfty villains conceived and designed along 
  mystic lines. No matter what type of arcane villain 
  you’re looking for, you’ll probably ﬁnd him in here. 
  Although these characters are tied to the Champi-
  ons Universe setting (detailed in Champions Uni-
  verse) — speciﬁcally the Mystic World side of it (see 
  below) — you can adapt them to your game in just 
  a few seconds if you’re not using that campaign. 
  Just change a villain’s background, and perhaps the 
  name and special eﬀects of his powers, and voila! 
  — you’ve got a new villain for your game.
  Chapter One, Mystic Villain Organizations, 
  details some of the main groups of evil mystics 
  active in the Champions Universe. The Circle of the 
  Scarlet Moon, the Sylvestri clan, the Kings of Edom, 
  and the Devil’s Advocates are all thoroughly villain-
  ous. The Vandaleur family is a bit more ambiguous, 
  but this sorcerous clan produces a number of mys-
  tical villains.
  Chapter Two Mystic Solo Villains, rounds out 
  the book with a selection of characters who have no 
  particular aﬃliation… as far as they know. In the 
  Mystic World, matters are often not as they seem.
  The villains in this book are designed as Stan-
  dard Superheroic characters, with 200 Base Points. 
  Some of them have the normal 150 points’ worth of 
  Disadvantages, putting them on par with starting 
  superheroes in most Champions campaigns. The 
  rest have more than 350 points (sometimes many 
  more), justiﬁed either with more Disadvantages 
  or Experience Points. Sometimes it’s not possible 
  to deﬁne a villain properly on 350 points, and it’s 
  preferable to build a villain right rather than to 
  follow rigid point restrictions or nebulous concepts 
  of “points eﬃciency.” Villains, after all, aren’t the 
  central focus of the campaign, so you don’t have to 
  worry as much about campaign standards as you 
  do with PCs (who are always on center stage) when 
  creating them.
  As always, you should feel free to re-arrange 
  or revise the villains in this book to suit your cam-
  paign. If you’d rather have Black Fang belong to 
  the Devil’s Advocates instead of Golem, change the 
  group’s lineup. If you need more teams instead of 
  solo villains, group some of the villains from Chap-
  ter Two into a gang. If Tezcatlipoca is too powerful 
  for your game, decrease his Characteristics and the 
  Active Points in his powers. Each character comes 
  with a “Campaign Use” section that includes sug-
  gestions on how to make him stronger or weaker, 
  in case you have to adapt him to the power level of 
  your campaign. After all, each campaign is a little 
  diﬀerent, so not every published character ﬁts every 
  GM’s preferences as-is. The Campaign Use section 
  also discusses possible ways to integrate the char-
  acter into your game, interesting plot hooks associ-
  ated with him, and how he’d function as a Hunted.
  As an enemies book, Arcane Adversaries is 
  designed primarily for use by GMs. If you’re not 
  a GM, you may still ﬁnd it useful as a source of 
  example powers and character ideas, but get the 
  GM’s permission to read it. Some GMs may prefer 
  to keep the information in this book secret until 
  they reveal it during game play, and may not ever 
  want players to read villains’ character sheets.
  THE MYSTIC WORLD
  Arcane Adversaries describes mystic vil-
  lains from the Champions Universe, but it doesn’t 
  describe the context in which they exist to any 
  great extent. That’s the job of The Mystic World, a 
  companion volume for this book. The Mystic World 
  describes the Multiverse of the Champions Uni-
  verse (and who’s who within it), the common thau-
  maturgy spells learned and cast by super-mages, 
  and so on. It’s also got character sheets for three 
  mystic master villains — Tyrannon the Conqueror, 
  Skarn the Shaper, and the Dragon — and their 
  minions.
  CHARACTER SHEET 
  NOTATION
  Generally, the text of 
  the character sheets 
  in this book should be 
  pretty straightforward 
  and easy to understand. 
  Consult the Glossary 
  in the HERO System 
  5th Edition, and the 
  example powers in 
  that book, if you have 
  any questions about 
  abbreviations, terms, or 
  notations. The Writer’s 
  Guidelines, available on 
  the Hero Games website 
  (www.herogames.com), 
  also provide some infor-
  mation about character 
  sheet formatting.
  In a Multipower, a “u” 
  next to the cost indicates 
  a Fixed (or “ultra”) slot, 
  and an “m” a Flexible (or 
  “multi”) slot.
  Under the END column, 
  a number in brack-
  ets indicates Charges 
  (however, the bracketed 
  number next to STR is 
  an END cost).
  INTRODUCTION
  
  chapter one:
  chapter one:
  MYSTIC FACTIONS  
  AND ORGANIZATIONS
  
  6 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  Membership:  Archdruid Airetach, Roger and Martika 
  Duquesne, and others.
  Background/History:  The Circle Of The Scarlet 
  Moon began late in the eighteenth century with a 
  dissolute French nobleman named Viscomte Gildas 
  de Valenois. The Viscomte had money but little 
  real power in the French aristocracy; he sought 
  perverse amusement and a higher status through 
  Satanism and sorcery. In 1783, the Viscomte per-
  suaded several equally degenerate members of the 
  French aristocracy to join him in founding a coven, 
  which they named the Circle Of The Scarlet Moon. 
  The nascent Circle achieved a limited degree of 
  magical power by acquiring relics and grimoires 
  from older, near-defunct covens and occult societ-
  ies. The Viscomte also achieved some greater politi-
  cal inﬂuence by inviting thrillseeking nobles and 
  social-climbing business magnates to the Circle’s 
  orgiastic Sabbats — and then blackmailing the par-
  ticipants. This combination of mystic and secular 
  power characterized the Scarlet Moon forever after.
  The nascent Circle suﬀered its ﬁrst great set-
  back in the French Revolution. The Circle’s leaders 
  remained immune to the revolutionary purge for 
  two years, thanks to abundant bribery and various 
  magical threats and persuasions. Then the Com-
  mittee for Public Safety suddenly arrested and exe-
  cuted half the membership, and the Circle’s limited 
  magic was no use whatsoever. The Viscomte made 
  the mistake of trying to strong-arm a number of 
  Vandaleurs into helping the Circle. That oﬀended 
  the clan’s patriarch Adrian Vandaleur, and the 
  immortal magus used his own magic to counter the 
  Circle’s hold on Committee oﬃcers.
  The survivors ﬂed to safety in the new United 
  States of America... and encountered Eustace 
  Blackmun. This Virginia mystic helped found the 
  Trismegistus Council speciﬁcally to ﬁght the Circle. 
  The battle of bewitchment between the Circle and 
  Council continues to this day, and which side shall 
  rule America’s soul remains unresolved.
  The Scarlet Moon steadily amassed mystical 
  lore and worldly power, but it never achieved the 
  total power its leaders sought. Time and again, the 
  Circle tried to take over governments using mind 
  control, inﬁltration, and subversion. Time and again, 
  the Trismegistus Council blocked each gambit. 
  When the Circle sought allies among archdevils 
  or dark gods, they drew the notice of a far greater 
  enemy:  the Archmage himself intervened to close 
  their Gates, annul their pacts, and, frequently, destroy 
  the Circle member who led the scheme.
  In 1908, the Circle’s leaders gathered their 
  forces to strike at the Archmage himself. The High 
  Coven — the 13 most powerful mystics of the 
  Circle — assembled near the Archmage’s sanctum 
  in the depths of Siberia. They brought the Circle’s 
  most powerful magic weapons and artifacts. 
  Around the world, Scarlet Moon lodges channeled 
  their own power to their leaders.
  The High Coven’s spell worked even better 
  than planned. The mystical and physical shock-
  waves of the sorcerous explosion circled the globe, 
  and the Archmage was never seen again. Neither 
  were most members of the High Coven, and several 
  lodge leaders died in the mystical backlash as well.
  The death of the Archmage enabled the Circle 
  to win several victories over the Trismegistus 
  Council and wheedle gifts of power from spirit 
  allies. A new High Coven of lodge leaders coalesced 
  in 1924. The end of the inﬁghting among lodge 
  leaders allowed the Circle to increase its mundane 
  inﬂuence as well. When Prohibition made boot-
  legging and rum-running vastly proﬁtable, some 
  Circle members used the opportunity to gain a 
  foothold in organized crime.
  Circle members still debate whether 1938 was 
  a gain or loss to their society. The Circle covertly 
  aided Hitler’s super-secret cabal of mystics, the 
  RSvKg, in an attempt to amass magical powers 
  for the occult-minded, anti-rational Third Reich. 
  The “Walpurgisnacht Working” initiated the age 
  of superheroes, who have handed the Circle many 
  defeats — but the Circle’s own mystics have gained 
  greater power as well.
  Today, the Circle Of The Scarlet Moon ﬁnds 
  itself in a strange position. Many other mystics, 
  both heroic and villainous, now boast far greater 
  power than its leaders. On the other hand, the 
  Circle has seldom wielded greater political and 
  ﬁnancial inﬂuence. The High Coven includes bil-
  lionaires and high-ranking politicians of all major 
  parties. The Scarlet Moon wields prodigious inﬂu-
  ence throughout Europe and North America, and 
  reaches out to subvert the Third World. Although 
  horrors like Takofanes and Dark Seraph stalk the 
  Earth, some people in the Mystic World now fear 
  the Scarlet Moon has truly come into its own as the 
  greatest power on the side of Darkness.
  CIRCLE OF THE 
  SCARLET MOON
  MYSTIC  
  ORGANIZATIONS
  Mystic villains join 
  teams as readily as any 
  other supervillains, and 
  for the same reasons. 
  They may also belong 
  to groups within the 
  Mystic World itself, with 
  goals that the everyday 
  world may not under-
  stand. Such factions 
  and organizations may 
  devote great eﬀort to 
  hiding from the rest of 
  humanity. They may 
  not even be human. But 
  when the Mystic World 
  intrudes on the rest of 
  humanity, it may do so 
  with terrifying power.
  This chapter describes 
  ﬁve factions in the 
  Mystic World:
  The Circle Of The  
  Scarlet Moon
  The Devil’s Advocates
  The Kings of Edom
  The Sylvestri Clan
  The Vandaleur Family
  The Secret Masters?
  ‘Really, Jackhammer, show 
  some sense. You know how 
  some supervillains want to rule 
  the world? The Scarlet Moon 
  already does. If they told you to leave the 
  museum alone, you should — oh, you already 
  robbed it? Spend your money quickly, dear. 
  You’re a dead man walking.’
  —Talisman, to the late Jackhammer
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  7 
  Group Relations:  Members of the Scarlet Moon 
  form regional groups called lodges, each led by an 
  archdruid. (The Viscomte de Valenois shared the 
  enthusiasm for druids that swept through France 
  and the British Isles late in the eighteenth cen-
  tury.) Thirteen archdruids form the High Coven, 
  the ruling council of the Scarlet Moon. A lodge 
  includes several covens, each led by a druid. Other 
  members of a coven hold the rank of ovate if they 
  achieve seniority and possess mystical talent, or 
  aspirant if they lack either quality. During coven 
  meetings, Scarlet Moon members wear black velvet 
  masks with eyeslits and a red satin crescent across 
  the left side of the face. Aspirants wear hooded 
  cloaks of dark blue; ovates wear deep crimson; 
  druids, red and black; and archdruids, solid black 
  cloaks and robes.
  The Circle contains between two and three 
  dozen lodges. An exact census is not possible 
  because some lodges secede from the Circle for 
  decades at a time, while other small occult groups 
  take the Scarlet Moon’s name without the High 
  Coven’s permission. The High Coven does not 
  discourage such pretenders, because these groups 
  serve as decoys to distract the Circle’s enemies. If 
  anyone in a group of pretenders shows genuine 
  talent, the High Coven might invite him to join the 
  real Circle.
  Every Circle member takes a “craft name” as 
  his oﬃcial pseudonym within the organization. 
  When covens meet, or members send messages 
  about Scarlet Moon business, they call each other 
  by their craft-names to keep their membership 
  secret. Aspirants and ovates know the identities of 
  the other members in their coven, but not the real 
  names of anyone outside their group. Druids know 
  all the other druids in their lodge, and the archdru-
  ids all know each other’s real names. Craft-names 
  are usually Celtic, Germanic, or from other ancient 
  European cultures.
  Rarely does an archdruid amass enough 
  prestige to set the entire Scarlet Moon working 
  on a project; and since the last two such projects 
  resulted in the 1908 debacle and the ambiguous 
  Walpurgisnacht Working, most archdruids are con-
  tent to leave the Circle unfocused. Individual arch-
  druids, however, often lead their lodges in schemes 
  to gain magical or worldly power. The Circle’s only 
  oﬃcial goals, as set by the High Coven since 1938, 
  are to protect its own existence, destroy its enemies, 
  and gain greater political and economic power. 
  The Scarlet Moon succeeds very well at these goals, 
  so most leaders feel content to operate as hidden 
  puppet-masters.
  The Scarlet Moon has no close allies in the 
  Mystic World, but individual druids and arch-
  druids enjoy moderately good relations with the 
  Devil’s Advocates, various Sylvestris and Vandal-
  eurs, or particular mystical villains. The Circle and 
  DEMON have sniped at each other since Luther 
  Black’s defection, but particular members some-
  times worked together in the past. The High Coven, 
  in a rare display of unanimity, now forbids such 
  cooperation:  the Circle can’t rule the world from 
  the shadows if some Elder God eats it, so the arch-
  druids take every opportunity to weaken DEMON 
  — including covert aid to superheroes on occasion.
  The Trismegistus Council remains the Circle’s 
  most devoted enemy. Other mystics who make 
  conscious commitments to goodness also ﬁght the 
  Circle. Most superheroes reﬂexively oppose the 
  Circle if they learn of its existence:  black magicians 
  who practice human sacriﬁce obviously need to be 
  stopped. Few heroes strike serious blows against the 
  Scarlet Moon, however, and none have yet exposed 
  the Circle to the public.
  The Scarlet Moon maintains pacts with sev-
  eral devils, but discourages members from selling 
  their souls outright. Soul-selling gives easy power, 
  but such pacters serve their infernal master ﬁrst, 
  the Circle second — and the archdruids don’t like 
  that. In this sense, few Circle members are actually 
  Satanists, though the distinction is lost on most 
  people who clash with these occult conspirators.
  Most of the Scarlet Moon’s spiritual allies actu-
  ally dwell in Faerie. The old gods of pre-Christian 
  Europe routinely received human sacriﬁce. Mortal 
  attitudes changed in the last 2,000 years, and not all 
  gods accept that change. The Scarlet Moon invokes 
  pagan gods in their darkest, most fearsome aspects, 
  so that’s how the gods respond. The Circle lacks the 
  power or the interest to summon actual gods. Some 
  archdruids, however, strike bargains with Unseelie 
  faeries, hags, trolls, and other evil creatures from 
  the Land Of Legends.
  Tactics:  The Circle accepts members who practice 
  any sort of magic — except Edomite sorcery, which 
  now carries a death sentence from the High Coven. 
  Most members, however, practice a form of ritual 
  magic drawn from Hermetic ritual magic, demon-
  ology, and a wide range of folk magic. Scarlet Moon 
  witchcraft usually requires lengthy rituals with vari-
  ous magical implements. Typical ritual Foci include 
  Hermetic tools such as cups, daggers, wands, pen-
  tacles, crystals, and magic circles; Satanic elements 
  such as ﬂames, blood sacriﬁce, and perverse sex 
  acts; and implements from folklore such as caul-
  drons, herbs, heads (real or sculpted), drums, cords, 
  idols, and candles. European folklore, especially 
  the grimmest aspects of Celtic, Norse, Slavic, and 
  Greco-Roman myth, supplies much of the Scarlet 
  Moon’s inspiration; but the Circle also borrows ele-
  ments from Voodoo, Native American folklore, or 
  anything else that catches a member’s fancy.
  Circle members may learn a few spells they 
  can perform on short notice, but the Circle’s 
  strength lies in ceremonial magic. Druids and arch-
  druids cast a wide range of spells, but must study 
  each spell beforehand and conduct a complex ritual 
  to work the magic. Members practice ceremonial 
  magic together so they can combine their spells 
  for greater power. In game terms, druids and arch-
  druids all have a small Variable Power Pool. One 
  person involved in casting a spell is the “leader” for 
  that spell. Every participant who makes a Thau-
  maturgy Skill Roll can devote his entire VPP to an 
  Aid to increase the power of the leader’s base spell. 
  (At the GM’s option, each Aid can apply separately, 
  ignoring the rules about two characters using 
  SCARLET MOON 
  PLOT SEEDS
  A dying man gasps, “The 
  governor — They’ve got 
  the governor!” to a PC. 
  He also scrawls a cres-
  cent shape in his own 
  blood:  a scarlet moon. 
  The governor says 
  he’s ﬁne, however. The 
  man’s body disappears 
  shortly after, with no 
  record of its existence. 
  The medical examiner 
  swears he never came 
  to pick up the body. 
  Then the hero sees the 
  dead man on the street, 
  quite alive, and the man 
  swears he never saw the 
  hero before. The Scarlet 
  Moon covers its tracks 
  well. But what did the 
  dying man mean by his 
  warning?
  The heroes receive a 
  request from the FBI 
  to help break up a 
  DEMON cell. After the 
  adventure, however, the 
  team’s FBI liaison dis-
  appears, along with all 
  the books and artifacts 
  seized in the raid. The 
  FBI says the “liaison” 
  doesn’t exist.
  A coven maneuvers a 
  supervillain into ﬁght-
  ing the PCs on a prop-
  erty the Circle wants 
  to acquire. The damage 
  forces the owner to 
  sell the condemned 
  property to a Scarlet 
  Moon-backed buyer. 
  The property holds a 
  potential mystic power 
  site that links two pow-
  erful alignments. Do 
  the heroes ﬁgure out 
  what’s really going on, 
  before the Circle builds 
  its sanctum and musters 
  even greater mystical 
  power for evil?
  
  8 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  separate versions of an Adjustment Power, or the 
  GM can allow one or two members to devote their 
  Pools to increasing the maximum eﬀect of the Aid.)
  Circle members make frequent use of Mind 
  Link to coordinate their spells. For example, one 
  member of a coven Mind Links the other members. 
  Another member casts a Mind Scan to locate a 
  victim. The Mind Link enables other members to 
  target the victim with Mental Powers.
  The BOECV Advantage enables druids and 
  archdruids to link their powers over great dis-
  tances. The participants start by Mind Linking. 
  Next, each member prepares an appropriate Aid 
  or Succor, but with the addition of BOECV. After 
  taking BOECV into account, a member might only 
  have a die or two of Aid to provide — but the Circle 
  member who receives all these donations combines 
  them into one massive Power, for a far greater eﬀect 
  than any member could achieve on his own. Using 
  such methods, the Scarlet Moon often works its will 
  without any member exposing himself in public. 
  Things just happen, and the victim never suspects 
  he was the target of hostile sorcery.
  The Circle uses its magic to acquire political and 
  economic power. Many Circle members are million-
  aires. A few are billionaires. Each coven has Contacts 
  within state and local government, law enforcement, 
  and criminal groups. Archdruids often acquire Con-
  tacts with national political ﬁgures — or they are 
  national political ﬁgures. Money, blackmail informa-
  tion, and the use of magic to inﬂuence police, district 
  attorneys, and judges enables the Circle to commit 
  crimes almost with impunity.
  Now and then, covens may summon a minor 
  demonic minion, or recruit a mythic monster from 
  Faerie. Mystical creatures tend to attract attention, 
  though, which the Circle doesn’t like. They also 
  demand payment, which can range from a ten-leaf 
  clover to a year of servitude from the presiding magi-
  cian. When they compare the dangers of a nosy 
  superhero and a spirit angered by failure to pay a debt, 
  many Circle members take their chances with the 
  superhero.
  Campaign Use:  The Circle Of The Scarlet Moon is an 
  organization of relatively low-powered mystical vil-
  lains. The typical archdruid is built on points compa-
  rable to a starting superhero, but the Variable Power 
  Pool and lots of Perks suck up at least 100 Character 
  Points. Druids are somewhat weaker; and low-rank-
  ing Circle members are (at best) Standard Heroic 
  characters. They may know a few spells of moderate 
  power, but they depend on Perks, secrecy, and their 
  membership in the Circle for their defense.
  In an all-mystic campaign, the Circle can serve 
  as the primary antagonist for occult investigators, 
  vigilante heroes, two-ﬁsted private eyes, and such 
  ilk. Individual members of the Circle are too weak 
  to ﬁght superheroes openly. In groups, however, 
  Scarlet Moon members can attack superheroes at a 
  distance and from hiding.
  Adventures with the Scarlet Moon empha-
  size mystery and conspiracy. To defeat the Scarlet 
  Moon, heroes need mystic powers of their own, or 
  they must succeed at long and diﬃcult investiga-
  tions. Heroes who try to stay within the law ﬁnd 
  the Scarlet Moon an especially diﬃcult foe:  most of 
  the Circle’s villainy is impossible to prove in court. 
  To defeat a Circle member, the heroes must catch 
  him engaged in a mundane crime, with so much 
  evidence that even the Scarlet Moon’s vast inﬂuence 
  and insidious magic can’t make it disappear.
  If the Scarlet Moon isn’t powerful enough 
  to supply a credible threat to the PCs, increase 
  the power of the druids and archdruids by giving 
  them larger Power Pools or magic items that make 
  them more eﬀective combatants. The Circle can 
  also make greater use of supernatural allies and 
  minions, such as minor demons or faerie monsters. 
  If the Circle’s already too tough a foe, reduce the 
  members’ VPPs until they’re at the right level to 
  challenge the PCs.
  The Circle Of The Scarlet Moon is a highly dan-
  gerous Hunter for heroes with DNPCs or who rely 
  on larger institutions. The Circle attacks its enemies 
  through their social connections. A character’s loved 
  ones suﬀer dangerous accidents, or inexplicably turn 
  against him. Heroes ﬁnd their bank accounts drained, 
  their reputations tarnished, and the police and gov-
  ernment turned hostile. A clash with the Circle often 
  becomes a test of resolve, as a lodge systematically 
  wrecks the heroes’ lives. The only way to stay safe 
  from the Circle is to live without any human connec-
  tions... if you can call that living.
  OTHER SCARLET  
  MOON MEMBERS
  In addition to the members listed on page 140 of Cham-
  pions Universe, here are a few of the more politically 
  active or media-savvy members of the Scarlet Moon:
  Doctor Herbert Rush:  This famous pop psychologist and 
  award-winning psychiatrist looked into the paranormal 
  so he could write a book about this fashionable subject, 
  and found the Scarlet Moon. Although just an ovate, he’s 
  one of the circle’s most skilled practitioners of fascina-
  tion (mystical hypnosis, focused through an attention-
  getting trinket). His fame also enables him to discredit 
  a hero’s mental stability. Rush himself indulges various 
  hedonistic addictions and perversions that would get 
  him locked up, if anyone discovered them.
  Ambassador Marcella Latour:  Canada’s ambassador to a 
  French-speaking West African country busies herself by 
  magically subverting the native government, funneling 
  conﬂict diamonds to Circle coﬀers, and studying Afri-
  can folk magic from the source. She enjoys considerable 
  success at the ﬁrst two objectives, rather less in the third.
  Assistant Undersecretary Henrik Van Diericks:  The 
  Circle’s top man in European Union bureaucracy 
  regularly hobnobs with other dignitaries in Brussels 
  and hypnotically plants suggestions for EU policy. He 
  is also one of the Circle’s most devoted Satanists, and 
  uses his magic to protect one of the largest pedophile 
  rings in Europe.
  Clarissa Thorp:  This local news anchor also secretly 
  controls her station’s news department. She’s one of the 
  Circle’s best media warriors, using television to create or 
  ruin reputations. She propitiates the Norse goddess Freya 
  and practices the divinatory art of seidhr; she’s very good 
  at winning scoops and ﬁnding Secret Identities.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  9 
  ARCHDRUID AIRETACH
  Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   10 STR 
  0 
  11- 
  Lift 100 kg; 2d6 [1]
   14 DEX 
  12 
  12- 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   13 CON 
  6 
  12-
   13 BODY 6 
  12-
   18 INT 
  8 
  13- 
  PER Roll 13-
   18 EGO 
  16 
  13- 
  ECV:  6
   20 PRE 
  10 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  4d6
   12 COM 
  1 
  11-
   5 PD 
  3 
   
  Total:  8 PD (3 rPD)
   5 ED 
  2 
   
  Total:  8 ED (3 rED)
   3 SPD 
  6 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   5 REC 
  0
   26 END 
  0
   25 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  70
  Movement: 
  Running:  7”/14”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  37 
  Witchcraft:  Variable Power Pool (Magic 
  Pool), 30 base + 15 control cost; VPP  
  Takes Hours To Change (-¼), Variable  
  Limitations (requires -2 worth of Limita-
  tions; -1), VPP Cannot Have More Than  
  Two Powers Active At Once (-¼) 
  var
  27 
  Spell-Weaving:  Multipower, 87-point  
  reserve; all slots IAF (cords or twigs  
  mystically prepared; -½), Extra Time  
  (1 Minute; -1½), Gestures (-¼)
  3u 
  1)  Compulsion:  Mind Control 10d6,  
  Telepathic (+¼), Trigger (can change  
  each time power is used; +½); IAF (see 
  above; -½), Extra Time (1 Minute; -1½),  
  Gestures (-¼) 
  9
  2u 
  2)  Know Deepest Secrets:  Telepathy 13d6, 
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼); IAF  
  (see above; -½), Extra Time (1 Minute;  
  -1½), Gestures (-¼) 
  3
  2u 
  3)  Lesser Ligature Curse:  Drain  
  Characteristic 2d6, any Characteristic  
  one at a time (+¼), Delayed Return Rate 
  (points return at the rate of 5 per Day;  
  +1½), Ranged (+½); IAF (see above; -½),  
  Extra Time (1 Minute; -1½), Gestures (-¼)  6
  2u 
  4)  Greater Ligature Curse:  Major  
  Transform 4d6 (human being with normal 
  functions to human being with a single 
  paralyzed/incapacitated body part, heals  
  back normally), Improved Results Group  
  (any non-fatal impairment; +¼); IAF (see 
  above; -½), Extra Time (1 Minute; -1½),  
  Gestures (-¼), Limited Target (humans; -¼) 7
  2u 
  5)  Death Geas:  RKA 1d6+1, NND  
  (defense is Regeneration or healing  
  powers; +1), Does BODY (+1), Trigger  
  (performing a forbidden action or not  
  performing a commanded action, which  
  may vary each time the Power is used;  
  +½); IAF (see above; -½), Extra Time  
  (1 Minute; -1½), Gestures (-¼), Geas  
  Dissipates After One Month Or If Target  
  Is Blessed By A Saint Or Like Being (-¼) 
  7
  2u 
  6)  Attract Destruction:  RKA 2d6,  
  Indirect (+¾), Invisible To Forensic  
  Reconstruction (+¼), Time Delay (+¼),  
  Variable Special Eﬀect (any “accident”  
  that could happen to a person, place or  
  thing; +¼); IAF (see above; -½), Extra  
  Time (1 Minute; -1½), Gestures (-¼) 
  7
  5 
  Drowning Dagger of Teutates:  Energy  
  Blast 1d6, NND (defense is Life Support 
  [Self-Contained Breathing] or successful 
  Paramedics Skill Roll; +1), Does BODY  
  (+1), Continuous (+1); IAF (consecrated 
  bone blade; -½), Incantations (-¼),  
  Independent (-2), 6 Continuing Charges  
  lasting 1 Minute each (-0), Restricted  
  Recovery (requires special human  
  sacriﬁce, see text; -¼) 
  [6cc]
  6 
  Prophetic Head:  Precognitive  
  Clairsentience (Sight Group); OAF (-1),  
  Precognition Only (-1), Independent  
  (-2), One Continuing Charge lasting  
  One Minute which Recovers Once per  
  Week (-1½) 
  [1cc]
  6 
  Warded Will:  Mental Defense  
  (10 points total) 
  0
  5 
  Amulet:  Power Defense (7 points);  
  IAF (-½) 
  0
  2 
  Quick Getaway:  Running +1” (7” total) 
  1
   
  Perks
  24 
  Base:  Marburg Manor (see below)
  8 
  Contact:  Senator 13- (useful Skills or 
  resources, access to major institutions,  
  signiﬁcant Contacts of his own)
  8 
  Contact:  Representative 13- (useful Skills  
  or resources, access to major institutions, 
  signiﬁcant Contacts of his own)
  8 
  Contact:  State Governor 13- (useful Skills or 
  resources, access to major institutions, sig-
  niﬁcant Contacts of his own)
  8 
  Contact:  Police Commissioner 13- (useful 
  Skills or resources, access to major institu-
  tions, signiﬁcant Contacts of his own)
  7 
  Contact:  Head of Inﬂuential Think-Tank 
  13- (useful Skills or resources, signiﬁcant 
  Contacts of his own)
  10 
  Followers:  Two 75-point bodyguards (built 
  with 25 Base Points)
  5 
  Fringe Beneﬁt:  Scarlet Moon Lodge Leader
  10 
  Money:  Wealthy
   
  Talents
  6 
  Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED) 
  0
   
  Skills
  3 
  Acting 13-
  3 
  Bribery 13-
  3 
  Bureaucratics 13-
  3 
  Conversation 13-
  3 
  Deduction 13-
  3 
  High Society 13-
  2 
  Language:  Gaelic (ﬂuent conversation) 
  (English is Native)
  2 
  Language:  Latin (ﬂuent conversation)
  9 
  Power:  Thaumaturgy 16-
  3 
  PS: Financier 13-
  
  10 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  2 
  PS: Basketweaving 11-
  2 
  PS: Knot-Tying and Macramé 11-
  3 
  Trading 13-
  3 
  Scholar
  2 
  1)  KS: Business Law 13-
  2 
  2)  KS: Circle Of The Scarlet Moon 13-
  2 
  3)  KS: European Mythology And Folklore 13-
  2 
  4)  KS: Financial World 13-
  2 
  5)  KS: Lore Of Knots and Weaving 13-
  2 
  6)  KS: The Mystic World 13-
  2 
  7)  KS: Radical Right-Wing Politics 13-
  2 
  8)  KS: Scarlet Moon Sorcery 13-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  255
  Total Cost:  325
  75+ Disadvantages
  5 
  Age:  40+
  15 
  DNPC:  Tyler Marburg (vicious playboy son 
  and feckless heir) 11- (Normal)
  20 
  Hunted:  the Trismegistus Council 8- (More 
  Pow, NCI, Kill)
  15 
  Hunted:  Scarlet Moon rivals 11- (As Pow, 
  NCI, Mild [humiliate/rob])
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Ruthless Bastard 
  (Very Common, Strong)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Hates Anyone 
  Asserting Power Over Him (Common)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Secretive 
  (Common)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Eric Mar-
  burg) (Frequently, Major)
  140 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  325
  EXAMPLE POWERS FOR WITCHCRAFT 
  POWER POOL
  Alignments Of Hell:  The Circle used this spell to 
  attack the Archmage. It opens a portal to the Lake 
  of Fire in the Netherworld, so this force of annihi-
  lation can erupt into the mortal world. To achieve 
  truly great destructive power, many covens must 
  cast the spell while on mystical power sites that 
  form lines or geometrical shapes (in game terms, 
  the other covens’ spells Aid this spell). About 20 
  covens, in alignments that spanned the globe, 
  worked together to attack the Archmage’s sanctum. 
  Unfortunately, the Archmage’s sanctum held a 
  device that drew its power directly from Elysium. 
  Matter, meet antimatter. BOOM.
  RKA 1d6, Penetrating (+½) (22 Active Points); 
  OAF (brazier of burning blood, sulfur, and 
  asafoetida; -1), Extra Time (1 Minute; -1½), 
  Incantations (-¼). Total cost:  6 points.
  Cauldron Scrying:  The magician boils certain herbs 
  in a small cauldron, along with a bit of blood and 
  fat. As he stares into the bubbling brew, he sees 
  visions of other places.
  Clairsentience (Sight Group), 4x Range (400”) 
  (30 Active Points); OAF (-1), Concentration (0 
  DCV throughout; -1), Extra Time (5 Minutes 
  to activate; -1). Total cost:  7 points.
  Cords Of The Coven:  Scarlet Moon members each 
  smear a drop of blood on a set of cords, and then 
  one member ties a cord around his own and every 
  other participant’s wrist. This creates a mental link 
  so the participants can coordinate Mental Powers.
  Mind Link, any 4 minds within the Circle (20 
  Active Points); IIF Fragile (blood-smeared 
  cords; -½), Extra Time (1 Minute to activate; 
  -¾). Total cost:  9 points.
  Epona’s Curse:  The magician invokes Epona, the 
  goddess of horses, to visit her wrath upon an 
  enemy of the Scarlet Moon. As the magician recites 
  the name, lineage, and other identifying data of the 
  victim, he knots a horse-hair cord around a cloth 
  packet containing hair, nail clippings, or some other 
  relic of the victim. As the magician recites this 
  curse, the victim turns into a horse. When the curse 
  is complete, the magician slides the cord and packet 
  into a small model of a horse and hides it in a pad-
  dock or stable. Finding and burning the cord and 
  packet breaks the curse.
  Major Transform 1d6 (human into horse, heals 
  back through appropriate countermagic), Con-
  tinuous (+1) (30 Active Points); OAF Fragile 
  Expendable (see text; -1¾), Incantations 
  (throughout; -½), Extra Time (5 Minutes to 
  activate; -1), Limited Target (humans; -½). 
  Total cost:  6 points.
  Norn’s Blessing:  The magician makes a blood oﬀer-
  ing to the Norns, the three Norse goddesses of fate, 
  and to Odin as the Lord of Destiny. In return, he 
  receives a period of incredible luck.
  Luck 6d6 (30 Active Points); OAF Bulky 
  Expendable (animal sacriﬁce; -1¾), Extra 
  Time (5 Minutes to activate; -1), One Continu-
  ing Charge lasting 5 Hours (-0). Total cost:  8 
  points.
  Background/History:  Eric Marburg intended to 
  make it big in business. His plans involved study-
  ing his superiors... either to learn the methods that 
  made them successful, or to gain blackmail infor-
  mation on them. Eric thought he’d found black-
  mail information when he saw his boss practicing 
  bloody occult rituals. Then he found that the rituals 
  really worked.... Eric persuaded his boss to let him 
  in on the secret instead of killing him. Thus did 
  Eric join the Circle Of The Scarlet Moon, taking the 
  craft-name of Airetach.
  Eric’s boss was a mid-ranking member of the 
  Circle. In time, Eric surpassed his mentor in every 
  way. He wheedled or extorted magical secrets from 
  other Circle members and added his own research 
  in folk magic. He became a VP himself. Eventu-
  ally he betrayed his mentor to a rival faction in the 
  Circle to advance his own position (both mystically, 
  and within the company).
  Decades later, Eric’s skill at magic and mur-
  derous intrigue carried him to leadership of a 
  lodge, the highest rank within the Scarlet Moon. 
  He also became CEO of an investment ﬁrm and 
  ARCHDRUID  
  AIRETACH  
  PLOT SEEDS
  Eric’s son Tyler likes to 
  cut his prostitutes, and 
  one night he goes too 
  far. Vigilante heroes 
  who care what happens 
  to dead hookers face 
  a small mystery... that 
  grows larger, stranger, 
  and deadlier, as Eric uses 
  his magic and connec-
  tions to quash the police 
  investigation and silence 
  witnesses — terminally.
  As the heroes take a 
  plane trip in their Secret 
  Identities, a ﬂight atten-
  dant brings them an 
  envelope, and says she 
  was instructed to give 
  this to one of the char-
  acters midway through 
  the ﬂight. Inside is a card 
  that says, “You’re about 
  to die.” Moments later, all 
  the plane’s engines ﬂame 
  out. Can the heroes 
  rescue themselves and 
  the other passengers 
  from 20,000 feet?
  The Archdruid’s minions 
  capture a PC. Instead 
  of killing him, however, 
  Eric binds him with a 
  Death Geas and com-
  mands him to kill one 
  of Eric’s rivals (either in 
  business or in the Mystic 
  World). What’s more, 
  the curse activates if he 
  tells anyone else about 
  it! Can the hero ﬁnd a 
  way to escape the curse 
  before the Archdruid’s 
  time limit expires, or he 
  becomes a murderer?
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  11 
  one of the most highly regarded — and least 
  known to the public — ﬁnanciers in the business 
  world. He became a political player as well, for his 
  support almost guarantees a candidate’s election 
  or re-election.
  Eric’s colleagues in the Circle now often call 
  him the Weaver, for his preferred method of casting 
  spells. This unplanned deception results in the Cir-
  cle’s enemies thinking that the feared lodge leader 
  Airetach is a man named Weaver.
  Personality/Motivation:  The Archdruid is cold, 
  ambitious, and ruthless, but also cautious in his 
  quest for power. Eric knows he could easily mul-
  tiply his millions into billions, but that would also 
  raise his proﬁle. Eric seeks greater magical power 
  so he can crush his rivals and emerge as undisputed 
  leader of the entire Circle Of The Scarlet Moon, but 
  not at the cost of enslaving himself to any god or 
  demon, or risking exposure as a sorcerer and serial 
  killer.
  Politics now occupies much of Eric’s interests. 
  He wants to bring back the Gilded Age of robber-
  baron tycoons. Through money and subtle magic, 
  he promotes politicians who also want to dismantle 
  government’s ability to regulate big business (or at 
  least are willing to do this in return for Eric’s back-
  ing). The Weaver already has a number of high-
  ranking politicians eating out of his hand.
  Quote:  “What an amusing accusation. Try proving 
  it in court.”
  Powers/Tactics:  The Archdruid has about as much 
  magical power as he can hope to achieve without 
  graduating to superheroic (or supervillainous) 
  status. He knows a limited number of spells to 
  curse his enemies with various debilities or make 
  people, places, or things suﬀer damaging accidents. 
  He can force people to act against their will when 
  some event or condition occurs, read their minds 
  to learn their secrets, or curse them to suﬀer deadly 
  agony if they perform a certain act or fail to per-
  form a task that he commands. (The Archdruid 
  must tell his victim what action he forbids or com-
  mands for the latter curse to take eﬀect.) He can 
  also perform a wide variety of ritualistic, low-power 
  spells. He specializes in casting spells by weaving 
  and knotting cords or twigs, though he keeps all the 
  other standard magical tools in his workroom.
  Eric owns two magic items. The ﬁrst is an 
  ivory letter-opener about 6 inches long. Its hilt is 
  carved with a human head, horses, ﬁsh, and waves. 
  This slim dagger doesn’t look dangerous, but it was 
  carved from the bones of a man sacriﬁced to Teu-
  tates, an ancient Celtic sea-god. By pointing it at a 
  victim, Eric can make that person’s lungs ﬁll with 
  water so he drowns on dry land. The letter-opener 
  works six times before it must be re-consecrated by 
  stabbing it into a person’s gut and then throwing 
  the person into water, so he dies two ways at once.
  Second, he owns a severed human head pre-
  served and coated with lime, and enchanted to tell 
  him about the future. The victim was a business 
  rival whom Eric murdered, and once a week Eric 
  commands the head to awaken and tell him about 
  future business trends and world events.
  Most of the Archdruid’s magic shows no vis-
  ible eﬀect, so no one but another mystic could tell 
  he employs magic at all. If a person yells incoherent 
  threats, swings at a police oﬃcer, and is knocked 
  down and arrested, who would connect that to a 
  respectable ﬁnancier playing with a loop of string 
  an hour before? Or why would anyone connect 
  this same ﬁnancier to a building catching ﬁre a few 
  days after he walked by? The Weaver destroys his 
  enemies through freak accidents, mind-controlled 
  dupes, time-release curses, and all the legal harass-
  ment money can buy.
  If Eric knows that enemies want to expose 
  him, he simply stays in public. Let them make wild 
  accusations:  what judge would believe them, espe-
  cially after phone calls from Eric’s political friends? 
  Eric takes enemies who might kill him more seri-
  ously:  he wears his bulletproof vest and keeps 
  other people around to discourage mundane assas-
  sins, but stays near his workroom in case he must 
  defend against long-distance magical attacks. Only 
  an immediate threat would push him to use the 
  Drowning Dagger. As soon as possible, he consults 
  the Prophetic Head to learn when attacks are most 
  likely to occur, and mobilizes his Scarlet Moon 
  allies to track down and kill the attacker.
  Campaign Use:  See the introductory text for gen-
  eral information. Archdruid Airetach is just barely 
  powerful enough to present a threat to superhe-
  roes, especially non-mystical heroes. By himself, 
  he makes a good master villain for Heroic-level 
  
  12 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  campaigns that emphasize conspiracy or street-
  level villainy as well as the mystical. With his lodge 
  behind him, he can threaten a team of superheroes.
  To make the Archdruid more powerful, reduce 
  the Extra Time Limitation on his magic (or elimi-
  nate it entirely, to make him into an outright super-
  villain), or give him a magic weapon or other item. 
  To reduce his power, remove the Drowning Dagger 
  so he relies entirely on conspiracy and low-key 
  magic to attack his foes.
  The Weaver is a dangerous Hunter. He can 
  Hunt characters without ever exposing himself 
  — he harasses them with curses or by mobilizing 
  police and government resources against them, 
  framing them for crimes, or simply hiring super-
  thugs to attack them. He’ll keep the pressure on 
  until the victim breaks, dies, or does what he wants.
  Appearance:  Eric Marburg is a white man in his 
  early 50s, of average height, bald, with a fringe 
  of close-cropped grey hair. He looks very distin-
  guished in his dark grey silk suits, with a plain gold 
  wedding ring and a college fraternity tie tack as his 
  only jewelry. He always carries lengths and loops of 
  twine in his pockets, and ﬁddles with them when 
  he’s bored.
  MARBURG MANOR
   Val Char 
  Cost Notes
   11 Size 
  22 50” x 25”; -11 DCV
   8 BODY 6
   6 DEF 
  12 Total Characteristic Cost:  40
  Abilities & Equipment
  Cost Power 
  END
  5 
  Location:  Suburb (very upscale  
  neighborhood) 
  0
  1 
  Grounds:  2,500” area 
  0
  8 
  Cable, Computers, And More:  HRRP  
  (Radio Group); Aﬀected As Sight And  
  Hearing Group As Well As Radio  
  Group (-½) 
  0
  12 
  Ritual Chamber:  Aid Magic 4d6, any one 
  Magic spell or power one at a time (+¼);  
  OIF Immobile (various magical  
  paraphernalia and sigils; -1½), Others  
  Only (-½), Only Applies To Spells Cast  
  In One Speciﬁc Room (-¼), Variable  
  Limitations (requires -2 worth of  
  Limitations; -1) 
  0
  5 
  Ritual Chamber:  +6 BODY and +3 DEF  
  for a 4”x4” area; Partial Coverage (-2) 
  0
  4 
  Mystic Ward:  Aﬀects Desolidiﬁed (+½)  
  for 6 DEF; IIF Immobile (plaited wire rings 
  hidden in architectural ornaments; -1¼) 
  0
  2 
  Mystic Ward:  Cannot Be Escaped With  
  Teleportation (+¼) for 6 DEF; IIF  
  Immobile (as above; -1¼) 
  0
  15 
  Mystic Ward:  Invisibility to Magic  
  Sense Group, Personal Immunity (+¼), 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); IIF 
  Immobile (as above; -1¼) 
  0
  18 
  Cameras And Mystic Sensors:   
  Clairsentience (Sight Group And Detect 
  Magic), Mobile Perception Point,  
  Multiple Perception Points (up to eight at 
  once); IAF Immobile (concealed cameras 
  with wire plaits around lenses; -1½),  
  Perception Point Cannot Move Through  
  Solid Objects (-0) 
  6
  7 
  Mystic Sensors:  Detect Magic (Magic  
  Sense Group), Range, Sense, Targeting;  
  IAF Immobile (wire plaits around  
  concealed cameras; -1½), Linked (to 
  Clairsentience; -½) 
  0
  2 
  Cameras:  Infrared Perception (Sight  
  Group); IAF Immobile (wire plaits  
  around concealed cameras; -1½), Linked  
  (to Clairsentience; -½) 
  0
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  79
  Total Base Cost:  119
  Value Disadvantages
  None
  Total Disadvantage Points:  0
  Total Cost:  119/5 = 24
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  13 
  Description:  Eric Marburg’s base consists of his 
  house located in a very high-class suburb. Mar-
  burg Mansion is built on a sloping lot so part of 
  the basement ﬂoor is exposed. About half the lot 
  remains covered with trees and bushes. The house 
  itself is a two-story structure of long, intersecting, 
  rectangular blocks with verandas and nearly ﬂat tile 
  roofs. The walls are red brick and white concrete. 
  Along the upper rooﬂines run bands of ornamental 
  brickwork punctuated with concrete squares bear-
  ing circular Japanese mon motifs. The front of the 
  house features both a carport and the entrance to 
  an interior garage. The Marburgs own three vehi-
  cles:  Eric’s Lexus; Tyler’s brand-new Porsche; and a 
  long Mercedes with lots of trunk space. Behind the 
  house is a patio and swimming pool.
  The aboveground ﬂoors have bedrooms for 
  Eric, Tyler, and the two live-in bodyguards, plus 
  a kitchen, dining room, and other normal living 
  areas. The small security room looks superﬁcially 
  normal for the home of a cautious multimillionaire.
  Eric’s home oﬃce, personal library, and work-
  room are all on the second ﬂoor. The library features 
  many books on folklore, anthropology, mythology, 
  and folk art. The library does not count as a “lab” 
  because Eric knows most of what’s in it; he must 
  consult his books only when he prepares a ritual 
  spell for his Witchcraft VPP. Eric’s workroom, with 
  its cords, wire, wicker, and other craft supplies, has 
  everything a sorcerer would need to put the lore 
  from the library into practice — but nothing clearly 
  indicates that Eric does magic. The house contains 
  many macramé ornaments, wicker baskets holding 
  potted plants, and other knicknacks Eric made, none 
  of them bearing the slightest trace of magic.
  In addition to the garage, the basement holds a 
  wine cellar, rumpus room from Tyler’s youth, a utility 
  room, and a lumber room piled with leftover build-
  ing supplies, and a garage annex with various tools 
  for working on the house, the grounds, or the cars.
  The rumpus room holds a well-concealed and 
  locked door to Eric’s ritual chamber, a square vault 
  of reinforced concrete. Light comes from thousands 
  of tiny bulbs that ﬂicker on and oﬀ in sequence, 
  creating a network of moving lines on the ceiling. A 
  circular mosaic with a complex, interlocking design 
  covers most of the ﬂoor. The walls hold several 
  masks of weird, distorted faces made of wicker and 
  multi-colored cords. In the center is a well with a 
  concrete lip raised three feet high, mosaicked in 
  slices of bone with four human skulls facing the 
  cardinal directions. Each corner of the room holds 
  a large, irregular, whitish lump, squatting on a low 
  stone pedestal and surmounted with a golden bra-
  zier. A close examination reveals that the whitish 
  lumps are shriveled human cadavers, bound into 
  fetal position and thickly coated with lime. The 
  pedestals are altar-stones stolen from old churches.
  The well is 6” (40 feet) deep and .5” (about 4 
  feet) wide, with 1.5” (10 feet) of icy water — and 
  below that, 3” (20 feet) packed with slowly decom-
  posing human and animal bodies. The humans all 
  died from a combination of stab wounds, third-
  degree burns, and drowning. A rope runs from a 
  bracket on the far wall, through a pulley over the 
  well, to a set of manacles. Every year, Eric sacriﬁces 
  a virgin (man or woman) to the Celtic gods Esus, 
  Teutates, and Taranis, by all three of their favored 
  methods at once:  ﬁrst stabbing his victim, then 
  immolating him with gasoline, and then lowering 
  him into the well before he can either burn or bleed 
  to death.
  Two doors with combination locks lead to 
  closet-sized chambers oﬀ the ritual chamber. One 
  holds robes and masks for Scarlet Moon ceremo-
  nies, plus a selection of daggers, candles, charcoal, 
  dried herbs, a can of gasoline, and other ritual 
  implements. The other holds two ﬁle cabinets of 
  ﬁnancial records, blackmail information, and data 
  about other Scarlet Moon members. On top of one 
  cabinet rests an attaché case full of CD-ROMs of 
  this documentation, plus a stash of krugerrands, 
  uncut diamonds, and a kilo of pure China White 
  heroin. A shelf holds grimoires of Scarlet Moon 
  magic, including Eric’s own chronicle of his magi-
  cal workings and experiments.
  The Archdruid’s personal coven gathers at 
  the house to conduct Scarlet Moon rituals and 
  cast important spells in the ritual chamber, which 
  Eric has turned into a mystic power site through 
  more than ten years of sacriﬁces. (Building another 
  power site like this would take him several years.) 
  Any mystic can use the ritual chamber and power 
  site to enhance his workings... if he doesn’t mind 
  using magic fueled by murder.
  The house does not radiate magic. The center 
  of each mon along the rooﬂine holds a two-inch 
  ring of plaited wire strung with tiny stone beads. 
  These plaits render the house’s walls impenetrable 
  to teleporters, block Desolidiﬁed entities, and 
  prevent any magic from within the house from 
  being detected outside. Another set of plaited 
  rings, concealed by the grotesque masks, hides 
  the magic of the ritual chamber so an intruder 
  could not sense its magic from within the rest 
  of the house. Any magic performed outside the 
  ritual chamber, however, can be sensed normally 
  by anyone else in the house.
  Small, well-concealed cameras watch the house 
  inside and out. (Eric and Tyler know how to deac-
  tivate the cameras in their bedrooms.) The cameras 
  themselves came from a highly respected security 
  ﬁrm. Eric customized them with loops of plaited 
  wire around their lenses. In addition to register-
  ing normal light and body heat, the cameras detect 
  spells and enchantments. These appear as colored 
  auras on the security viewscreens, but the cameras’ 
  ability to detect magic does not fall within the Sight 
  Group:  A mystic who made himself invisible to the 
  Sight Group, for instance, would show up on screen 
  as a hollow, man-shaped ﬁgure of light. One of 
  Eric’s trusted bodyguards mans the security room 
  whenever he’s home, an ordinary security guard at 
  other times. The rent-a-guards are told only that 
  the cameras use advanced technology that can pen-
  etrate some forms of paranormal concealment.
  
  14 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  MARTIKA DUQUESNE
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   8 STR 
  -2 
  11- 
  Lift 75 kg; 1½d6 [1]
   14 DEX 
  12 
  12- 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   13 CON 
  6 
  12-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   18 INT 
  8 
  13- 
  PER Roll 13-
   18 EGO 
  16 
  13- 
  ECV:  6
   20 PRE 
  10 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  4d6
   16 COM 
  3 
  12-
   4 PD 
  2 
   
  Total:  4 PD (0 rPD)
   4 ED 
  1 
   
  Total:  4 ED (0 rED)
   3 SPD 
  6 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   5 REC 
  0
   26 END 
  0
   21 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  62
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  37 
  Witchcraft:  Variable Power Pool (Magic 
  Pool), 30 base + 15 control cost; VPP  
  Takes Hours To Change (-¼), Variable  
  Limitations (requires -2 worth of Limita-
  tions; -1), VPP Cannot Have More Than  
  Two Powers Active At Once (-¼) 
  var
  16 
  Astral Projection:  Duplication (creates  
  200-point astral form), Altered Duplicate 
  (100%; +1); Original Character Is Incapaci-
  tated And Helpless While Duplicate Exists 
  (-1), Extra Time (must enter trance and 
  meditate to allow astral self to leave its  
  ﬂeshy prison, 1 Hour; -1½), Feedback (-1), 
  Both Characters Die If They Do Not  
  Recombine Within 24 Hours (-½) 
  0
  20 
  Astral Awareness:  Dimensional (Astral 
  Plane) for Sight and Hearing Groups 
  0
   
  Perks
  10 
  Vineyard Apostolic Church:  50 point Base
  15 
  Contact:  City’s Social Elite 12- (useful 
  resources; organization Contact)
  3 
  Membership:  Scarlet Moon druid
  10 
  Money:  Wealthy
   
  Skills
  5 
  Acting 14-
  3 
  Conversation 13-
  3 
  Deduction 13-
  3 
  High Society 13-
  3 
  Interrogation 13-
  2 
  AK:  Astral Plane 11-
  2 
  AK:  Faerie 11-
  1 
  Language:  Latin (basic conversation;  
  English is Native)
  1 
  Language:  Russian (basic conversation)
  4 
  Navigation (Astral) 14-
  5 
  Power:  Thaumaturgy 14-
  3 
  PS:  Hostess 13-
  2 
  PS:  Exotic Dancer 11-
  2 
  PS:  Prostitute 11-
  3 
  Seduction 13-
  3 
  Scholar
  1 
  1)  KS: Candle Magic 11-
  1 
  2)  KS: Circle Of The Scarlet Moon 11-
  2 
  3)  KS: European Folklore 13-
  2 
  4)  KS: Faerie Lore 13-
  2 
  5)  KS: Glitterati 13-
  1 
  6)  KS: The Mystic World 11-
  2 
  7)  KS: Scarlet Moon Sorcery 13-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  167
  Total Cost:  229
  75+ Disadvantages
  5 
  Age:  40+
  20 
  Hunted:   Trismegistus Council 8- (More 
  Pow, NCI, Kill)
  15 
  Hunted:   Scarlet Moon rivals 11- (As Pow, 
  NCI, Mild [humiliate/rob])
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Lust For Power 
  (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Manipulative 
  (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity  
  (Frequently, Major)
  69 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  229
  Background/History:  Martika Sanshin is a second-
  generation member of the Circle Of The Scarlet 
  Moon. Her father joined in Russia; he ﬂed the 
  destruction of his coven when the KGB ﬁgured out 
  that Comrade Sanshin was less loyal to Stalin than 
  he seemed. The Sanshin family made new lives in 
  1950s America and Martika grew up as a super-
  ﬁcially normal American girl. Her father hoped 
  that Martika, with her skill at visiting the world 
  of dreams, would vindicate the family honor:  no 
  American archdruid would let Sanshin pére rise 
  above the rank of Ovate.
  Martika studied diligently. She concentrated 
  on her natural talent for astral projection and 
  became a skilled traveler through the Inner Planes. 
  She also strove to master ritual magic, with herbs 
  and candles as her special ﬁeld of interest.
  To prove herself and explore sin and desire, 
  young Martika left her comfortable home and 
  immersed herself in the sordid demimonde of the 
  sex industry. She met her future husband, Roger 
  Duquesne, while she worked as a dancer at a strip 
  club. When they realized they were both scions of 
  the Scarlet Moon, they knew their union was fate.
  In her astral journeys, Martika met several of 
  the minor dark powers in the Inner Planes. When 
  she conceived a child, she also conceived a bold 
  plan. She would bear a supernatural child, whose 
  magic would overwhelm the enemies of the Scarlet 
  Moon — and elevate her to mastery of the cult. 
  Martika spent forty days engaged in rituals to call 
  three select spirits and implore their blessing. On 
  the fortieth night, she received her answer as she 
  lay in bed.
  First came a succubus, and her smile held all 
  the sweet wickedness for which men have yearned. 
  “It’s a girl,” she said. “She will know all the desires 
  of the human heart, and they shall not master her; 
  but she shall use them to become master of all.” 
  The succubus stroked Martika’s breast, and she 
  trembled with the pleasure of that touch.
  MARTIKA 
  DUQUESNE  
  PLOT SEEDS
  Martika uses magic to 
  change the appearance 
  of her astral body and 
  becomes a “ghost” infor-
  mant to a mystic hero. 
  After giving good infor-
  mation in a few cases, 
  Martika provides a false 
  tip that leads to a trap, 
  such as a deadly astral 
  cyst or a villain who’s 
  ready for the heroes. 
  The ghostly informant is 
  never seen again.
  A hero is invited to a 
  charity event hosted by 
  the Duquesnes. As host-
  ess, Martika naturally 
  spends a lot of time 
  near the heroic guest 
  of honor... watching 
  for chances to collect 
  a stray hair or a glass 
  that touched his lips. 
  A supervillain might 
  attack the event, hoping 
  to steal the money and 
  defeat the hero; if so, 
  Martika magically sug-
  gested the idea to him, 
  for reasons of her own.
  An aging mobster 
  (maybe even a supervil-
  lain) recognizes Mar-
  tika Duquesne, society 
  matron, as Marty Mil-
  lions, the stripper who 
  gave him lap-dances 
  more than 20 years ago. 
  He tries to blackmail 
  her. When the criminal 
  realizes what a mistake 
  he made, he turns to the 
  heroes, but dies before 
  he can tell them what 
  he knows. If the heroes 
  solve his murder, they 
  might ﬁnd a lead on 
  Martika and the Scarlet 
  Moon.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  15 
  After the succubus vanished, Bloody Mary 
  stepped from the mirror, still carrying the body 
  of her child, whom she herself slew. Bloody Mary, 
  herald of death from the shadows of Babylon. “She 
  shall hold power of life and death in her hands,” 
  Bloody Mary said. “And she will not fear to use it.” 
  She touched Martika’s bosom, and left the cold, wet, 
  red print of her hand.
  From the shadows hobbled Mother Gothel, the 
  pockets of her apron full of gingerbread and candy 
  from her faerie house. “Cunning,” croaked Mother 
  Gothel. “And wit, oh yes. What a witch she will 
  be! Now eat, child. You’re eating for two!” Mother 
  Gothel pressed a bit of gingerbread to Martika’s 
  lips, and she lay back, enjoying the warmth of the 
  spices in her mouth.
  And then a fourth ﬁgure stood by her bed. An 
  angel, shedding soft white light over Martika and 
  her sleeping husband. The angel’s smile held gentle 
  pity, but her eyes were not kind at all. “You knew 
  the rules,” the angel whispered. “If you invite three 
  of four, the fourth always comes.” Martika could not 
  move, or even cry out. “I cannot grant any gift you 
  did not ask for,” the angel continued. “And it is not 
  my nature to curse. So... let my sisters’ gifts be dou-
  bled.” She bent over and kissed Martika’s forehead, 
  and Martika knew no more.
  In the morning, Martika told herself that the 
  fourth visitor had been a dream. Soon she believed 
  it. A week later, Martika’s doctor said she would 
  have twins.
  To the subtle senses of the Circle’s leaders, 
  little Bethany and Pamela Duquesne shone with 
  magic from birth. Martika was elevated to druid 
  on the strength of their promise, as well as her own 
  diligence in magic. But her daughters did not make 
  Martika a leader in the Circle — one turned her 
  back on the Circle to seek her own dark path, and 
  the other became one of the Scarlet Moon’s greatest 
  enemies. Some in her lodge whisper that the High 
  Coven ﬁnds her an embarrassment. Unless Martika 
  can redeem herself, either by bringing a daughter 
  back to the Circle or destroying them both, her 
  own life may be forfeit. The sacriﬁce of a witch car-
  ries special power....
  Personality/Motivation:  Martika Duquesne seems 
  like a perfect political wife and society matron. 
  Everyone who’s anyone in the city attends her par-
  ties, and politicians up to the state level ask her help 
  in fundraising, but she always defers to her hus-
  band. They live without any hint of impropriety.
  Martika is a very good actress. She directs 
  attention at Roger to protect herself. Behind her 
  mask of social graces hides a cold schemer who 
  sees the entire world as a stage, on which she is not 
  merely performer, but director. Martika has secretly 
  prepared documents and witnesses for a scandal 
  to explode Roger’s career, and to pin her coven’s 
  crimes upon him. She would regret sacriﬁcing her 
  husband’s life and career, but not enough to risk 
  her own future. Martika currently schemes to ﬁnd 
  some hold on Airetach, so that he will not dare to 
  strike against her. Her daughter Pamela — Talis-
  man — certainly has the power to destroy Airetach, 
  if she can be persuaded to support her mother. Her 
  treacherous daughter Bethany, or Witchcraft is... 
  weak in so many ways, but not in magic. If Bethany 
  and her oaﬁsh friends could be led to destroy the 
  Archdruid... Hmm!
  Quote:  “So glad you could come to the party. Don’t 
  make any unpleasantness; you would only harm 
  yourself. Try the canapés?”
  Powers/Tactics:  Martika Duquesne can perform 
  the Circle’s ritualistic witchcraft. (See Airetach for 
  examples of spells cast using the Witchcraft Magic 
  Pool.) She specializes in casting spells using candles 
  impregnated with herbs, oils, and other substances. 
  Some of her candles can work for anyone who 
  lights them (the Power includes the Advantages of 
  Trigger and Usable By Other.)
  Martika’s only other spell is astral projection, 
  and this takes her an hour of meditation to activate. 
  Martika has considerable experience on the Astral 
  Plane, however. If characters come to her attention, 
  she may spy on them from the Astral Plane. She 
  spies on the other members of her coven this ways, 
  to make sure no one keeps any secrets from her.
  Her coven’s base masquerades as a small, 
  indeterminately Protestant church called Vineyard 
  Apostolic Ministry. The actual services owe more 
  to Dionysus than Christ. The church itself serves as 
  the ritual chamber. The coven lacks a mystic power 
  site, but Martika is working on an actual, supernat-
  ural vineyard — she’s planted cuttings from grape 
  vines in Faerie and fertilizes them with human 
  
  16 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  blood. Employing the magic of the site will involve 
  drinking the wine made from its grapes. The ﬁrst 
  harvest is due in another year or two.
  Campaign Use:  See the introductory text for general 
  information. Heroes with family connections to the 
  Circle could have parents like Roger and Martika 
  Duquesne — just change the names to make them 
  the parents of the PC, instead of Witchcraft. If you 
  use the Champions as part of your campaign, a 
  hero’s connection to Witchcraft can easily draw the 
  team into an encounter with the Duquesnes.
  In a Heroic-level campaign, Martika can func-
  tion as a lieutenant to Archdruid Airetach — a 
  mastermind closer to the heroes’ own level, for 
  them to ﬁght before they are ready to face someone 
  as powerful as Airetach.
  To make Martika more powerful, give her 
  some spells that don’t require a lot of time and 
  paraphernalia to use, or maybe a magic item or two. 
  To make her less powerful, remove her Astral Pro-
  jection power.
  Under no circumstance would Martika Hunt 
  characters directly. She would have Roger do it, 
  and supply him with magical aid while he hires the 
  thugs and directs his blackmailed city oﬃcials.
  Appearance:  Martika Duquesne has red hair like 
  her daughter Bethany, worn curly and shoulder-
  length. Her ﬁgure is more zaftig than her daughter’s, 
  and her face a little plumper, but she and Witchcraft 
  could still pass for sisters instead of mother and 
  daughter, and she still turns heads at parties. Her 
  garb ranges from classical gowns to hemp-chic 
  peasant blouses and trousers. Martika often wears 
  jewelry, but not so much that it seems gaudy.
  ROGER DUQUESNE
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   13 STR 
  3 
  12- 
  Lift 150 kg; 2½d6 [1]
   14 DEX 
  12 
  12- 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   13 CON 
  6 
  12-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   13 INT 
  3 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   14 EGO 
  8 
  12- 
  ECV:  5
   18 PRE 
  8 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  3½d6
   12 COM 
  1 
  11-
   4 PD 
  1 
   
  Total:  4 PD (0 rPD)
   4 ED 
  1 
   
  Total:  4 ED (0 rED)
   3 SPD 
  6 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   6 REC 
  0
   26 END 
  0
   24 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  49
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  5 
  Rune-Axe:  HKA 1d6+1 (2d6 with STR); 
  OAF (-1), Independent (-2) 
  2
  6 
  Rune-Axe:  Indirect (+½),  
  Transdimensional (Astral Plane; +½),  
  and Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼)  
  for HKA; OAF (-1), Incantations (-¼),  
  Independent (-2) 
  2
  6 
  Rune-Axe Astral Awareness:  Dimensional 
  (Astral Plane) for Sight and Hearing  
  Groups; IAF (-½), Independent (-2) 
  0
  2 
  Rune-Axe Magical Beneﬁt:  +3 with  
  Power:  Thaumaturgy Skill; IAF (-½),  
  Independent (-2) 
  0
  7 
  Curse Poppet:  Ego Attack 3d6; OAF  
  Expendable Fragile (doll, pin, and sympa-
  thetic link to victim; -1¾), Extra Time  
  (Extra Phase; -¾), Incantations (-¼), 
  Requires A Thaumaturgy Roll (-½) 
  3
  6 
  Smoke From Sin’s Fire:  Retrocognitive 
  Clairsentience (Sight Group); OAF  
  Expendable Fragile (brazier, dried herbs,  
  and sympathetic link to victim; -1¾),  
  Extra Time (1 Minute to activate; -¾),  
  Incantations (-¼), Only To View The Sins 
  Of Victim (-½), Retrocognition Only (-1), 
  Requires A Thaumaturgy Roll (-½), 1  
  Continuing Charge lasting 1 Minute (-1) [1cc]
   
  Perks
  20 
  Blackmailed City Oﬃcials:  Eight 25-point 
  Followers
  2 
  Fringe Beneﬁt:  City Councilman
  10 
  Money:  Wealthy
   
  Skills
  3 
  Acting 13-
  3 
  Bribery 13-
  3 
  Bureaucratics 13-
  3 
  Conversation 13-
  3 
  High Society 13-
  3 
  Persuasion 13-
  7 
  Power:  Thaumaturgy 14-
  3 
  PS:  Politician 12-
  3 
  Seduction 13-
  2 
  WF: Axes, Maces, Hammers, And Picks; 
  Handguns
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  17 
  3 
  Scholar
  1 
  1)  KS: Circle Of The Scarlet Moon 11-
  2 
  2)  KS: City Politics 12-
  1 
  3)  KS: City Business Community 11-
  1 
  4)  KS: European Folklore 11-
  1 
  5)  KS: The Mystic World 11-
  2 
  6)  KS: Organized Crime 12-
  1 
  7)  KS: Scarlet Moon Sorcery 11-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  109
  Total Cost:  158
  75+ Disadvantages
  5 
  Age:  40+
  20 
  Hunted:   Trismegistus Council 8- (More 
  Pow, NCI, Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:   Scarlet Moon rivals 8- (As Pow, 
  NCI, Mild [humiliate/rob])
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Will Do Anything 
  For Power (Common, Strong)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Always Tries To 
  Charm (Common, Moderate)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity  
  (Frequently, Major)
  8 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  158
  Background/History:  Roger Duquesne can trace 
  his family line back to the Circle’s founders. Quite 
  a few of his cousins are members, too. Money and 
  politics always interested him more than sorcery, 
  so he never became much of a warlock. He met his 
  wife Martika when he trolled the sleazy side of the 
  city, looking for amusement and criminal connec-
  tions that might become useful later on.
  More than twenty years later, Roger Duquesne 
  is an ovate, while his wife leads the coven. Roger 
  owns several valuable properties in the city and 
  is on his fourth term as a city councilman. Party 
  oﬃcials want him to run for an oﬃce in state gov-
  ernment next. Some within his party already say 
  he could reach the governor’s mansion or the U.S. 
  Congress. Roger Duquesne is a mover and a shaker, 
  with friends throughout city government, the 
  police, and the business community.
  He’s also killed more people than Jack the 
  Ripper... but of course, his friends don’t know that.
  Personality/Motivation:  Roger doesn’t care that 
  he’s no good at magic. As he sees it, the Circle 
  couldn’t maintain its power without people like 
  him, who keep their eyes on the prize of power 
  without letting magic become an end in itself. 
  He genuinely likes working with people, bring-
  ing them together to work for a goal, negotiating, 
  schmoozing, and watching them crumple and 
  beg him not to destroy them with their dirty little 
  secrets. Roger can’t be master of his marriage, his 
  two powerful children, or his coven, so he makes 
  himself master of anyone else.
  Quote:  “Defender! Welcome to our fair city, a real 
  honor to meet you, I’ve heard so much about your 
  good works. Why don’t you step into my oﬃce and 
  we’ll have a little talk about my daughter. While we’re 
  at it, maybe I can talk you into making a few per-
  sonal appearances? All in good causes, of course!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Roger Duquesne knows just two 
  spells; in this he is somewhat less competent a 
  mystic than a typical Circle ovate. Smoke From 
  Sin’s Fire involves burning something that came 
  from a person’s body in a brazier of charcoal and 
  dried herbs, and seeing visions in the smoke. Roger 
  uses this to ﬁnd scandals in a person’s past. Roger 
  can also place such body relics in a little cloth doll, 
  and inﬂict ﬁerce pain on the victim by jabbing the 
  doll with a pin. If Roger can do this while a person 
  drives past him, or runs down a ﬂight of steps, the 
  person might suﬀer a serious injury — perhaps a 
  fatal one.
  Roger also owns an enchanted axe inherited 
  from an ancestor. This axe can strike at targets on 
  the Astral Plane, and enables whoever holds it to 
  see such spirits. It also augments a mystic’s skill 
  at working magic; Roger loans the axe to Martika 
  whenever she performs a diﬃcult spell.
  Most importantly, Roger has friends. Between 
  his skill at ﬁnding hidden shames and his wife’s 
  magic, Roger has utterly crushed the spirits of eight 
  city oﬃcials. These include a judge, a high-ranking 
  police oﬃcer, and at least one other member of the 
  city council. Working together, these eight people 
  
  18 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  can make almost any city resident miserable, and 
  perhaps send him to jail on trumped-up charges. 
  Certainly, no one receives much help from the city 
  government if Roger doesn’t want them to. If Roger 
  chooses a more direct approach, his money and 
  knowledge of the criminal world enable him to hire 
  mundane thugs and hit men to attack his enemies.
  Campaign Use:  See the introductory text for gen-
  eral information. Roger Duquesne is an example 
  of the Circle’s backbone — the members with a 
  little magic and a lot of social power. He could 
  be the ﬁrst adversary a hero team faces within 
  the Circle. Roger has enough conspiratorial skills 
  and inﬂuence to give heroes a hard time, but his 
  low rank means the Circle can use him as a fall 
  guy. No doubt, heroes will be shocked to discover 
  that City Councilman Duquesne, everyone’s best 
  friend, is actually a ruthless occult manipulator 
  — and then they discover that the mastermind 
  is himself only a minor lieutenant in a much 
  larger and nastier organization. (Of course, this 
  approach works best if you set him up as a likable 
  NPC whom the heroes get to know and like before 
  they discover his true nature.)
  To make Roger more powerful, increase his 
  Characteristics and give him mightier magic items 
  for attack or defense. To make him less powerful, 
  reduce his Perks and get rid of a few Skills.
  If Martika’s coven Hunts characters, Roger 
  seems to lead the eﬀort. He hires the minions; he 
  coordinates the cover-up and the oﬃcial harassment; 
  he becomes the ﬁrst to suﬀer the characters’ wrath.
  Appearance:  Roger Duquesne is a stocky, Cauca-
  sian man in his late 40s or early 50s. He has short, 
  wavy, grey hair, hazel eyes, and a broad, bright 
  smile. At work, he wears tan suits with colorful ties; 
  at home, he favors casual sportswear. His rune-axe 
  is a double-bitted axe with sigils etched on the 
  head and burned into the oaken shaft. The axe-
  head darkens and the runes glow red when the axe 
  strikes an astral target.
  WICKER MAN
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   20 STR 
  10 
  13- 
  Lift 200 kg; 4d6 [2]
   15 DEX 
  15 
  12- 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   10 CON 
  0 
  11-
   8 BODY -4 
  11-
   8 INT 
  -2 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   0 EGO 
  0 
  — 
  ECV:  N/A
   10 PRE 
  0 
  11- 
  PRE Attack:  2d6
   4 COM 
  -3 
  10-
   10 PD 
  27 
   
  Total:  10 PD (9 rPD)
   10 ED 
  27 
   
  Total:  10 ED (9 rED)
   3 SPD 
  5 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   6 REC 
  0
   0 END 
  -10
   — STUN — 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  65
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  9 
  Immolation:  HKA 1½d6, Continuous  
  (+1), Damage Shield (+½); No STR  
  Bonus (-½), Only Versus Grabbed  
  Foes (-½), Side Eﬀects (destroys Wicker  
  Man, always occurs; -2), 1 Continuing 
  Charge lasting 1 Minute which Never  
  Recovers (-3)  
  [1cc]
  5 
  Frightening Appearance:  +10 PRE; Only  
  For Fear-Based Presence Attacks (-1) 
  0
  60 
  Flexible Twig Body:  Takes No STUN 
  0
  15 
  Flexible Twig Body:  Does Not Bleed 
  0
  10 
  Tireless:  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½)  
  on 20 STR 
  0
  6 
  Tireless:  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½)  
  on Running 
  0
  2 
  Tireless:  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½)  
  on Leaping 
  0
  1 
  Tireless:  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½)  
  on Swimming  
  0
  27 
  Flexible Twig Body:  Damage Resistance  
  (9 PD/9 ED) 
  0
  45 
  Dead Wood:  Life Support:  Total 
  0
  10 
  Relentless Pursuit:  Tracking on Smell/ 
  Taste Group 
  0
  20 
  Relentless Pursuit:  Targeting on Smell/ 
  Taste Group 
  0
  6 
  Relentless Pursuit:  +3 to Smell/ 
  Taste Group PER 
  0
   
  Skills
  6 
  +3 OCV with Grab
  7 
  Stealth 14-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  229
  Total Cost:  294
  ROGER DUQUESNE 
  PLOT SEEDS
  A person who quarreled 
  with a hero is found 
  murdered, and the 
  hero instantly becomes 
  the chief suspect. The 
  police ﬁnd a witness; the 
  medical examiner ﬁnds 
  forensic evidence to 
  back up the accusation; 
  the judge refuses bail; 
  and leaks to the media 
  condemn the hero 
  before the trial even 
  begins. How can the 
  hero defeat the frame-up 
  when Roger Duquesne 
  has subverted or duped 
  the justice system? City 
  Councilman Duquesne 
  says he believes the 
  hero, though, and makes 
  himself part of the hero’s 
  defensive team... so he 
  can block every attempt 
  the hero makes to clear 
  his name.
  Detective heroes ﬁnd 
  that organized crime 
  has extensive ties to 
  city government. Every 
  time the heroes get close 
  to proving an oﬃcial’s 
  guilt, however, he com-
  mits suicide or dies in 
  an accident. Eventually, 
  Roger decides he must 
  strike back against the 
  heroes before they force 
  him to sacriﬁce all his 
  blackmailed Followers.
  A persecuted hero 
  — falsely accused of a 
  crime, a mutant, or just 
  socially controversial 
  — ﬁnds an unexpected 
  friend and defender 
  in City Councilman 
  Duquesne. As the hero’s 
  reputation improves, 
  however, Roger asks the 
  hero to do a few things 
  for, no, not him, for the 
  city, in return. Even if 
  Roger can’t make the 
  hero beholden to him 
  and the Scarlet Moon, 
  at least he acquires 
  useful information on 
  a potential adversary 
  (and maybe some body 
  samples for sympathetic 
  magic).
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  19 
  75+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Physical Limitation:  Mute (All The Time, 
  Greatly Impairing)
  15 
  Physical Limitation:  Fixed Program, Cre-
  ator Cannot Rescind Mission (Infrequently, 
  Totally Limiting)
  15 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x BODY from Area Of 
  Eﬀect/Explosion attacks that do Physical or 
  Energy damage (Very Common)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x BODY from Fire attacks 
  (Common)
  159 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  294
  Description:  Wicker Men are man-sized, man-
  shaped ﬁgures woven from willow twigs and reeds. 
  When animate, they seem to have twisted, leering 
  faces. The druids of ancient Gaul used the Wicker 
  Man as both a form of sacriﬁce and a method of 
  executing criminals:  they made a huge ﬁgure of 
  wood and twigs and burned victims alive within it. 
  If someone greatly oﬀended the druids, they cre-
  ated a smaller, magical Wicker Man to track him 
  down. The Circle partly reconstructed the spell for 
  creating a Wicker Man, but to bring these twiggy 
  ﬁgures to life a druid or archdruid must tie a 
  human heart within it.
  Wicker Men can follow a person’s trail for 
  days, then spring from hiding to wrap around their 
  victim. These magical assassins follow a ﬁxed plan 
  of attack:  Block if the target attacks HTH ﬁrst, then 
  Grab at the ﬁrst opportunity. When a Wicker Man 
  succeeds in Grabbing someone, it actually envel-
  ops them in its twiggy body. Then it bursts into 
  ﬂames. The Wicker Man seems to burn along with 
  its victim but it does not actually become easier to 
  damage or less able to hold its victim. One minute 
  after ignition, however, the Wicker Man collapses 
  into ash.
  A Wicker Man’s single-minded purpose can pro-
  vide the key to its destruction. To reach its intended 
  victim, a Wicker Man will step oﬀ a cliﬀ or into an 
  obvious meat-grinder of waiting attackers. On the 
  other hand, a Wicker Man’s victim had better make 
  sure it really is destroyed:  if the construct has even 
  a single point of BODY left to keep it “alive,” soon it 
  crawls after its victim again, as relentless as Death 
  itself. Even its own creator cannot turn the Wicker 
  Man away from its assigned target.
  CREATE  
  WICKER MAN
  Summon 294-point 
  Wicker Man, Slavishly 
  Loyal (+1) (118 Active 
  Points); OAF Expend-
  able (willow twigs, a 
  human heart, and some-
  thing from the intended 
  victim; -2), Extra Time 
  (1 Day; -4). Total cost:  
  17 points.
  
  20 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  Members:  The Demonologist, Golem, Gyre, Kapilasa, 
  Tartarus, Vilsimbra.
  Background/History:  Behold the Demonologist, a 
  man out to undo ﬁve centuries of history.
  In the Renaissance, European scholars discov-
  ered both the magic and the science of the ancient 
  world. Many scholars pursued both:  Isaac Newton 
  dabbled in alchemy, and the crystal-gazing magus 
  John Dee was also a leading mathematician of his day.
  The rational world-view of science prospered 
  and changed the world. In public, magic degener-
  ated into a mass of nonsensical verbiage, the prov-
  ince of con men and educated fools. The real magic 
  stayed underground, secretly preserved by adepts 
  who knew the world had no room for them.
  In the twentieth century, however, new dis-
  coveries in physics, biology, and psychology turned 
  the old clockwork cosmos upside down. The world 
  had room for magic once more. Soon after the 
  ﬁrst superheroes and villains appeared, adepts like 
  Archimago declared themselves and proclaimed a 
  Dark Renaissance of magic.
  The Demonologist wanted more than a revival 
  of magic. He fought to make the Dark Renaissance 
  a revolution to end the Machine Age forever. He 
  found he couldn’t do it alone, even though he was 
  one of the world’s more formidable living wizards. 
  So he gathered a group of other malcontented 
  mages to help him.
  He read in the newspapers of a criminal who 
  used animated statues to rob museums. He broke 
  Upton Frogge (a.k.a. the Golem) out of jail. Golem 
  was most grateful.
  Sarah Benton’s early dimension-warping experi-
  ments sent mystic shock waves around the world. 
  The Demonologist tracked down the nascent sorcer-
  ess. He had grave doubts about admitting a scientist 
  to his group, but Benton genuinely loved magic and 
  didn’t give a damn about anything else. The Demo-
  nologist decided he could compromise his prin-
  ciples just a little:  surely, no one could sabotage the 
  Machine Age better than someone who understood 
  its principles. Sarah Benton became Gyre.
  The Demonologist received word of a man with 
  powers of death-magic rampaging through India. 
  He investigated and found Kapilasa, whose views on 
  the modern world were so similar to his own that 
  recruiting him was an easy task.
  News reports of a demon rampaging through 
  Marrakech caught the Demonologist’s attention. He 
  found not a demon, but a man fused with a demon. 
  The Demonologist calmed Jos Terhune’s panic 
  and his demonic half’s rage, and returned him to 
  human form. He easily persuaded the grateful but 
  frightened Terhune to join his group as Tartarus, 
  the Fist of Hell.
  The Demonologist didn’t have to ﬁnd Vil-
  simbra; she found him. The dark elf was by turns 
  charming, formidable, and sympathetic. He saw 
  through Vilsimbra’s games to her true motives, but 
  he let her join anyway. Vilsimbra found it novel to 
  interact with other people without a hidden agenda.
  Behold the the Demonologist, a man out to 
  undo ﬁve centuries of history. With his new allies, 
  he just might do it.
  Group Relations:  The Devil’s Advocates are bound 
  together by their common interest in promoting 
  the Dark Renaissance. Except for missions and 
  research, the members don’t associate with each 
  other much. It’s a very professional group — part 
  terrorist cell, part scholarly think-tank. The mem-
  bers also understand the team commands far 
  greater power (and respect in the Mystic World) 
  than any of them could attain on their own.
  The Demonologist needs all his diplomatic 
  skills to keep the group together, though. Under 
  the right circumstances, any recruit could desert 
  the group. Tartarus revels in his demonic power, 
  but lacks the cold abstraction that lets people 
  commit mega-murder. Golem is simply a coward. 
  Gyre would leave if she thought the Demonolo-
  gist’s agenda didn’t leave enough room for her 
  experiments. Kapilasa, with his overconﬁdence 
  and Brahmin pride, represents a potential threat 
  to the Demonologist’s leadership.Vilsimbra can’t 
  stop playing games with the emotions of the other 
  members (Tartarus has almost killed her twice 
  after she triﬂed with his aﬀections). So far, how-
  ever, the tensions within the Devil’s Advocates do 
  not aﬀect their eﬀectiveness in the ﬁeld.
  The Devil’s Advocates can work with any 
  other evil, mystical group that’s willing in turn to 
  work with them. Such team-ups seldom happen, 
  however, because mystics are just too fractious. For 
  instance, the Crowns of Krim are too arrogant in 
  their own power to accept an equal partnership, 
  but the Demonologist would never accept anything 
  less. The Demonologist stays in contact with the 
  Circle Of The Scarlet Moon and sometimes obtains 
  help from its members, making that cult the Advo-
  cates’ most frequent partner. The Advocates seldom 
  work with dimension lords such as Skarn or Tyran-
  non, but it’s not impossible.
  The Advocates quickly made themselves 
  notorious in both mundane society and the Mystic 
  World. In pursuit of their goals, they have terror-
  ized whole cities and caused billions of dollars’ 
  worth of property damage. Superheroes and wor-
  THE DEVIL’S 
  ADVOCATES
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  21 
  ried governments sometimes hide the full truth 
  about the Advocates’ exploits, fearing public panic 
  or rash occult experimentation by the curious. Still, 
  most people know that the Devil’s Advocates do 
  weird, horrible things.
  The Advocates’ creepy reputation extends to 
  most non-mystical villains and criminal agencies. 
  For their part, the Advocates view non-mystical 
  villains as obstacles or dupes.
  Tactics:  Few of the Devil’s Advocates are strong 
  ﬁghters, but they enjoy a virtually limitless range of 
  powers. The Demonologist therefore relies on mis-
  direction, mobility, and multiple lines of attack. He 
  wants victory, not glory:  he tries to reach his goals 
  despite interference and without ﬁghting super-
  heroes directly. If the team cannot avoid combat, 
  Golem, Tartarus, and Kapilasa take the front line; 
  if they aren’t enough or the Demonologist needs 
  these members for other tasks, summoned demons 
  do the ﬁghting.
  Most importantly, the Devil’s Advocates study 
  each other’s magic so they can combine their 
  powers. The Demonologist, Gyre, and Vilsimbra 
  all have Variable Power Pools. Thanks to their 
  intensive training (and the Teamwork Skill and the 
  Usable By Other Advantage), these three can use 
  their VPPs to add Advantages to another member’s 
  powers (or with the GM’s permission, Aid one 
  another’s VPPs for truly massive eﬀects). Victory 
  against such magic often depends on interrupting 
  the spellcasting ritual or otherwise breaking the 
  team’s close coordination.
  Campaign Use:  The Devil’s Advocates provide 
  an excuse for mystical mayhem on a grand scale 
  without bringing in nigh-omnipotent mega-vil-
  lains such as Tyrannon. By combining their powers 
  and investing their Base points in magical “super-
  weapons” (massive spells with hefty Limitations), 
  the Advocates can do neat stuﬀ like summoning 
  demonic armies or faking Armageddon. They per-
  form mere theft and murder with ridiculous ease:  
  the Demonologist calls the group together only for 
  projects that can terrify or transform the world. 
  Smaller groups of Advocates may gather for less 
  grandiose reasons, such as ﬁnding an artifact or 
  breaking teammates out of jail.
  Their ruthlessness, ﬂexibility, and skill at 
  misdirection makes the Devil’s Advocates a dan-
  gerous Hunter, but the Demonologist usually 
  thinks revenge isn’t worth the eﬀort. He doesn’t 
  want to kill fellow mystics, either — mystical 
  heroes assist the Dark Renaissance just by using 
  their powers in public.
  If the Devil’s Advocates are not powerful 
  enough to provide a credible challenge to PCs no 
  matter how clever their tactics, increase the power 
  of individual members or add new members. The 
  Demonologist still seeks mystics who hate moder-
  nity and lack scruples. Almost any mystical villain 
  of comparable power could join the team, or at 
  least ally for one adventure. To weaken the group, 
  reduce the members’ power or leave out some char-
  acters:  not every Devil’s Advocate has to participate 
  in every scheme. In fact, the Demonologist likes to 
  leave at least one member in reserve, to break the 
  others out of jail if necessary. Individual Advocates 
  may also team up with other villains to pursue per-
  sonal goals that have nothing to do with the Dark 
  Renaissance.
  DEVIL’S ADVOCATE  
  PLOT SEEDS
  The Devil’s Advocates possess or impersonate various 
  government oﬃcials. From this power base, they sub-
  vert more government leaders through psionic surgery 
  or demonic possession. Before long, the Advocates can 
  mobilize state resources against heroes, gut scientiﬁc 
  research programs, and shape policy in other ways. 
  By the time the heroes ﬁgure out something’s wrong, 
  the evil mystics have set magical booby-traps to kill 
  enslaved government oﬃcials and wreak other sorts 
  of havoc if anyone dares to ﬁght them. How can the 
  heroes save the nation from this occult coup?
  Vilsimbra tells the Demonologist about the long-ago 
  Turakian and Valdorian Ages, when magic ruled the 
  world. The Devil’s Advocates scour Earth, Babylon, and 
  the Land Of Legends for relics of these ages. Each relic 
  can power a “Time Gate” into the distant past. The Dev-
  il’s Advocates want to raise present-day Earth’s magic 
  level by rescuing sorcerers, mythic creatures, and magi-
  cal artifacts from the cataclysmic ends of the ages of 
  wizardry. The refugees from the past cause all sorts of 
  havoc as they bring their sword-and-sorcery attitudes 
  into the modern world.
  Far worse, however, Takofanes the  Archlich notices 
  the Time Gates — and sees a chance to rescue his past 
  self from defeat and imprisonment. To save history 
  from the Undying King’s eternal rule, the heroes must 
  go back in time and team up with the Turakian Age’s 
  greatest champions to defeat Takofanes. Perhaps they’ll 
  ﬁnd they were the ones who imprisoned Takofanes in 
  the ﬁrst place....
  The Devil’s Advocates create the Technology Interdic-
  tor, a magical superweapon that suppresses all nuclear, 
  electrical, and explosive chemical processes in a vast 
  area. Given time and greater resources, they can expand 
  the area and force the entire world back into the 
  Middle Ages. (They don’t care that most of humanity 
  would die through disease and starvation.) The heroes 
  must travel through hundreds of miles of panic, disas-
  ter, and social collapse to reach the Advocates’ secret 
  base. Then they must ﬁght their way in past demons, 
  mythic monsters, and other guardians to reach the 
  Technology Interdictor and shut it down.
  
  22 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  THE DEMONOLOGIST
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   8 STR 
  -2 
  11- 
  Lift 75 kg; 1½d6 [1]
   17 DEX 
  21 
  12- 
  OCV:  6/DCV:  6
   13 CON 
  6 
  12-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   25 INT 
  15 
  14- 
  PER Roll 14-
   20 EGO 
  20 
  13- 
  ECV:  7
   20 PRE 
  10 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  4d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   3 PD 
  1 
   
  Total:  21 PD (6 rPD)
   3 ED 
  0 
   
  Total:  21 ED (6 rED)
   4 SPD 
  13 
   
  Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12
   5 REC 
  0
   26 END 
  0
   21 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  84
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  15 
  Innate Mystical Might:  Endurance  
  Reserve (100 END, 5 REC) 
  0
  77 
  Improvised Ritual Magic:  Variable Power 
  Pool (Magic Pool), 60 base + 30 control  
  cost; Focus (all slots must have at least  
  -½ worth of this Limitation; -½), Variable 
  Limitations (requires -½ worth of  
  Limitations chosen from Activation Roll,  
  Concentration, Extra Time, Gestures,  
  or Incantations; -¼) 
  var
  37 
  Prepared Ritual Magic:  Variable Power  
  Pool (Magic Pool), +30 base + +15  
  control cost; Focus (all slots must have  
  at least -½ worth of this Limitation; -½), 
  Variable Limitations (requires -½ worth  
  of Limitations chosen from Activation  
  Roll, Concentration, Extra Time, Gestures,  
  or Incantations; -¼), Takes Hours To  
  Change (-¼) 
  var
  29 
  Grand Summoning:  Summon one  
  demon built on up to 650 Character  
  Points, Expanded Class (any demon;  
  +½); OAF Bulky Fragile (numerous  
  consecrated tools; -1¾), Extra Time  
  (5 Minutes; -2), Window Of Opportunity  
  (can only be cast once per Month during 
  an appropriate period lasting 1 Day; -2) 19
  24 
  Infernal Pact:  +60 PRE; Only For  
  Making Presence Attacks Against  
  Infernal Beings (-1½) 
  0
  8 
  Wardcape:  +12 PD; OIF (-½) 
  0
  8 
  Wardcape:  +12 ED; OIF (-½) 
  0
  15 
  Wardcape:  Armor (6 PD/6 ED),  
  Hardened (+¼); OIF (-½) 
  0
  6 
  Innate Strength Of Will:  Mental Defense  
  (10 points total) 
  0
  8 
  Shielding Amulet:  Mental Defense  
  (10 points), Hardened (+¼); OIF (-½) 
  0
  8 
  Shielding Amulet:  Power Defense  
  (10 points), Hardened (+¼); OIF (-½) 
  0
   
  Perks
  20 
  Base:  Contribution to Devil’s Advocates Base
   
  Skills
  20 
  +2 Overall
  3 
  Analyze Magic 14-
  5 
  Cramming
  3 
  Cryptography 14-
  3 
  Deduction 14-
  3 
  Navigation (Astral, Dimensional) 14-
  3 
  Persuasion 13-
  13 
  Spell Research (Inventor) 19-
  2 
  PS: Calligrapher 11-
  2 
  PS: Jeweler 11-
  2 
  PS: Sketch Artist 11-
  3 
  Teamwork 12-
  3 
  Linguist
  2 
  1)  Language: French (completely ﬂuent; 
  English is Native)
  2 
  2)  Language: Greek (completely ﬂuent)
  2 
  3)  Language: Hebrew (completely ﬂuent)
  2 
  4)  Language: Latin (completely ﬂuent)
  3 
  Scholar
  2 
  1)  KS: Demon Lore 14-
  1 
  2)  KS: Inner Planes 11-
  1 
  3)  KS: Magic Styles 11-
  2 
  4)  KS: The Mystic World 14-
  1 
  5)  KS: Outer Planes 11-
  1 
  6)  KS: Past Sorcerers 11-
  2 
  7)  KS: Spirit Lore 14-
  1 
  8)  KS: The Superhuman World 11-
  4 
  9)  KS: Western Ceremonial Magic 16-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  346
  Total Cost:  430
  200+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Hunted:  assorted governments 8- (Mo Pow, 
  NCI, Capture)
  10 
  Hunted:  Witchﬁnder 8- (As Pow, Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:  Abrahamic Churches 8- (Less Pow, 
  NCI, Remove Powers)
  25 
  Psychological Limitation:  Physical Coward 
  (Very Common, Total)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Despises Techno-
  logical Civilization (Common, Strong)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Dislikes Improvi-
  sation (Common, Moderate)
  15 
  Reputation:  terrorist wizard, 11- (Extreme)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Andre de 
  Faussesﬂammes) (Frequently, Major)
  10 
  Social Limitation:  Demon Pacts (Occasion-
  ally, Major [must perform favors for various 
  demon lords to preserve his authority over 
  their vassals and minions])
  100 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points: 430
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  23 
  EXAMPLE POWERS FOR RITUAL MAGIC 
  POWER POOL
  Amulet Of Invisibility:  The lore of Western ceremo-
  nial magic oﬀers several charms and talismans of 
  invisibility. The Demonologist improved one classic 
  amulet so it protects against magical detection as 
  well as sight. Activating the amulet requires a short 
  invocation and a full Phase of preparation; how-
  ever, the Demonologist can prepare such amulets 
  in a Turn or so by drawing the necessary sigils on a 
  scrap of paper.
  Invisibility to Sight Group and Mystic Sense 
  Group, No Fringe, Reduced Endurance (0 END; 
  +½) (60 Active Points); IAF (-½), Extra Time 
  (Full Phase to activate; -¼), Incantations (-¼). 
  Total cost:  30 points.
  Banishing Talisman:  In case a demon turns against 
  him, the Demonologist often carries a prepared 
  talisman to banish them back to the Netherworld.
  Dispel Summon 27d6 (81 Active Points); 
  OAF (-1), Gestures (-¼), Incantations (-¼), 4 
  Charges (-1). Total cost:  23 points.
  Death Curse Talisman:  This talisman is a magical 
  boobytrap. Anyone (except the Demonologist) who 
  touches it triggers a curse that channels Nether-
  world power into his body. This results in agonizing 
  death within minutes. Bringing the victim onto 
  holy ground stops the curse. The Demonologist 
  may palm one of these amulets, then let an enemy 
  grab it away in the heat of battle, or improvise the 
  curse after he’s already expended a few talismans.
  RKA 1d6, NND (defense is Life Support [Lon-
  gevity] or being on holy ground; +1), Does 
  BODY (+1), Continuous (+1), Diﬃcult To 
  Dispel (x2 Active Points; +¼), Reduced Endur-
  ance (0 END; +½), Trigger (touched by anyone 
  but the Demonologist; +¼) (75 Active Points); 
  OAF (-1), Victim Only Takes Damage Once 
  Per Turn (in Segment 1; -1), Incantations (-¼), 
  1 Continuing Charge lasting 5 Minutes (-1). 
  Total cost:  18 points.
  Doppelganger Collar:  The Demonologist also uses 
  magical collars to turn imps or gullibly loyal aco-
  lytes into magic doubles of himself. He acts through 
  these simulacra when he suspects a trap or wants 
  to decoy heroes from his real operations. (This 
  spell requires the GM’s permission, since it involves 
  buying a Special Power in a VPP.)
  Duplication (create 303-point version of self 
  without Grand Summoning, Infernal Pact, 
  or any Perks and Skills; “recombines” by the 
  Demonologist taking oﬀ both collars [or, at the 
  GM’s option, whenever either collar is taken or 
  knocked oﬀ, no matter who does it]) (61 Active 
  Points); IIF (collars worn by the Demonologist 
  and doppleganger; -¼), Extra Time (5 Minutes 
  to activate; -1), Needs Willing Humanoid Being 
  To Become Copy (-½) (total cost: 22 points) 
  plus Mind Link to doppelganger, No LOS 
  Needed (15 Active Points); IIF (collars worn by 
  the Demonologist and doppleganger; -¼) (total 
  cost:  12 points). Total cost:  34 points.
  Getaway Ring:  This ring has a bezel of mercury-
  silver amalgam engraved with a sigil of the planet 
  Mercury. If its wearer loses consciousness, the ring 
  teleports him miles away to a safe location; the 
  wearer can also simply will the ring to carry him 
  oﬀ, or establish other conditions for its activation. 
  Not only can the Demonologist wear the ring, he 
  might loan it to other Devil’s Advocates (hence the 
  Usable By Other).
  Teleportation 10”, MegaScale (1” = 1 km; +¼), 
  Trigger (+½), Usable By Other (+¼) (40 Active 
  Points); OIF (-½), 1 Charge (-2) (total cost:  
  11 points) plus one Floating Fixed Location; 
  OIF (-½) (total cost:  3 points). Total cost:  14 
  points.
  Legions Of The Damned:  Although the Demon-
  ologist cannot equal the necromantic power of 
  Takofanes, he still achieves impressive results by 
  calling on the demon lords Bifrons, Gamygyn, and 
  Nebiros, who command the dead. This ritual reani-
  mates those who died in sin and sets them loose as 
  ravening ghouls. The Demonologist likes the panic 
  and havoc that results — and an army of ghouls 
  makes a ﬁne distraction to keep heroes away from 
  the Devil’s Advocates’ real goal. See page 121 of 
  The HERO System Bestiary for the ghoul character 
  sheet.
  Summon 1,000 147-point Ghouls (79 Active 
  Points); OAF Bulky Expendable Fragile (magic 
  circle, various ritual tools, and an animal sac-
  riﬁce; -2¾), Extra Time (5 Minutes; -2), Incan-
  tations (-¼), Must Have Suﬃcient Number Of 
  Corpses (number of ghouls that the Demonolo-
  gist can Summon is restricted by the amount 
  of corpses he has available; -1). Total cost:  11 
  points.
  Summoning Talisman:  This disk of enameled 
  metal enables the Demonologist to conjure a pack 
  of demon hounds to serve or ﬁght for him. The 
  demon hounds are not especially loyal, but the 
  Demonologist’s pacts with more powerful devils 
  inclines them to do what he wants. The demon 
  hounds’ vicious nature also tends to keep them in a 
  ﬁght. See page 62 of The HERO System Bestiary for 
  the demon hound’s character sheet.
  Summon eight 240-point Demon Hounds, 
  Friendly (+¼) (79 Active Points); OAF (-1), 1 
  Charge (-2). Total cost:  20 points.
  DEMONOLOGIST 
  PLOT SEEDS
  To please his diabolic 
  patrons, the Demonologist 
  kidnaps seven local celeb-
  rities, such as politicians, 
  entertainers, community 
  leaders, and so on. These 
  people embody the Seven 
  Cardinal Virtues of Faith, 
  Hope, Charity, Justice, 
  Prudence, Temperance, 
  and Fortitude. When the 
  Demonologist gathers 
  all seven, he plans to kill 
  them all in a grand oﬀer-
  ing to the Lords of Hell. 
  The heroes must ﬁgure 
  out who’s next in the list 
  of victims and prevent the 
  sacriﬁce.
  The Demonologist pub-
  licly challenges the heroes 
  to stop him from steal-
  ing a certain art treasure 
  on a certain day. The 
  Demonologist starts by 
  raising a Legion Of The 
  Damned to march on the 
  target museum — a feint 
  while a powerful sum-
  moned demon invades 
  the museum, and the 
  Demonologist himself 
  slips in invisibly. But this 
  “Demonologist” is just one 
  of the true Demonologist’s 
  proxies. The real Demon-
  ologist is somewhere else, 
  achieving another goal 
  without any chance of the 
  heroes interfering.
  The Demonologist sells 
  one-shot “magic items” 
  to other supervillains. 
  (These are Triggered, 
  Usable By Other spells 
  on a Focus, like the Get-
  away Ring, rather than 
  true, Independent items.) 
  The heroes encounter 
  several lesser villains who 
  become harder to thwart 
  or capture because of 
  these magical gimmicks. 
  The Demonologist doesn’t 
  just want to undermine 
  law and order and sell 
  supervillains on the power 
  of magic:  his magic items 
  also curse the villains (a 
  Side Eﬀect) so they cannot 
  disobey the Demonolo-
  gist’s commands. He’s 
  building a supervillain 
  army, and the villains 
  don’t know it!
  
  24 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  Background/History:  Andre de Faussesﬂammes 
  came from a long line of occult scholars — all the 
  way back to medieval France, when they intermar-
  ried with the Vandaleurs and de Morphants. More 
  recently, Faussesﬂammes became stalwarts of the 
  Circle Of The Scarlet Moon. When the family 
  moved to America after World War II, the tradition 
  did not die. Andre grew up in a house ﬁlled with 
  grimoires, scarabs, crystal balls, and tribal fetishes. 
  While other teenagers grooved to rock ’n’ roll, he 
  chanted cabalistic liturgies. Naturally, his classmates 
  thought he was a prize weirdo.
  After high school, Andre followed family sto-
  ries to the Circle Of The Scarlet Moon. He quickly 
  established himself as a superior sorcerer — but his 
  unconcern for worldly power left him a mere ovate, 
  with little chance of advancement.
  Then Andre’s father died when traﬃc acci-
  dent hurled a drum of toxic waste from a truck 
  and struck him as he walked nearby. The impact 
  didn’t kill Andre’s father, but the chemicals did. The 
  symbolism was perfect, Andre reﬂected bitterly. 
  His father, who worked as an antique dealer to pre-
  serve what was noble and magical from the past, 
  had been struck down by the garbage of a soulless 
  machine age.
  The police found the driver dead in his home, 
  torn limb from limb. Two days later, the chemical 
  company’s local oﬃce burned to the ground.
  It’s a beginning, Andre thought as he drew the 
  circles and sigils for his greatest summoning yet, 
  but only a beginning. It was 
  high time the ancient forces of 
  magic rose again. Demonol-
  ogy would crush technology 
  and he, the Earth’s greatest 
  living demonologist, was just 
  the person to do it — even if 
  he had to unleash the foul-
  est horrors from Hell and 
  beyond.
  Personality/Motivation:  The 
  Demonologist is a ruthless, 
  cunning strategist. “Mere 
  human” life means little to 
  him:  he might talk of build-
  ing a better world through 
  sorcery, but he doesn’t care 
  how many people die because 
  of his schemes. The Demo-
  nologist never takes rash 
  chances or underestimates an 
  enemy; his conﬁdence comes 
  from careful planning.
  Andre lacks experience, 
  however, at dealing with 
  people in ordinary circum-
  stances. He’s perfectly com-
  fortable discussing arcane 
  matters with other sorcerers. 
  He takes the petty rivalries of 
  his fellow Devil’s Advocates 
  in stride:  power relation-
  ships are the very essence of 
  demonology. He couldn’t make small talk at a party 
  to save his life, however, and doesn’t see any reason 
  why he should want to.
  Quote:  “Evil?  You call me evil? Compared to your 
  computers and factories, my demons are cuddle-
  some. Am I more evil than oil spills, atom bombs, 
  and smog?”
  Powers/Tactics:  The Demonologist has no powers 
  apart from his magic items and summoning ritu-
  als, but these are enormously varied. He specializes 
  in summoning creatures to ﬁght or carry out tasks 
  for him and binding them to talismans for instant 
  use later. With preparation, the Demonologist can 
  summon powerful demons, but he cannot bind 
  these into talismans (they’re eﬀectively free-willed 
  supervillains who may... or may not... do as the 
  Demonologist requests).
  In game terms, the Demonologist has a large 
  Variable Power Pool, but a third of it only applies 
  if he has time to make extensive preparations, per-
  form rituals, and the like. His basic Pool requires 
  1 Turn to 1 Minute to change, so he can’t alter his 
  current allotment of spells in mid-battle, but he can 
  make standard preparations for a mission or a ﬁght 
  fairly quickly. His magical powers all draw oﬀ his 
  Endurance Reserve, not his personal END.
  For his own protection, the Demonologist 
  wears a protective magic cloak and talismans that 
  at least blunt most attacks. These aren’t to let the 
  Demonologist face down superheroes — they’re to 
  keep him from dying and buy time for an escape.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  25 
  Although the Demonologist can set great 
  magic forces in motion, he has no skill at personal 
  combat, and he knows it. He relies on feints and 
  misdirection:  his ﬂashy, obvious attacks usually 
  conceal stealthier action. The Demonologist always 
  keeps at least one alternate plan in reserve.
  Campaign Use:  See the introductory text for 
  general information. Apart from his magic, the 
  Demonologist is no more competent than a decent 
  thug. Heroes learn to hate and fear him because 
  he always seems one step ahead of them and he’s 
  so hard to catch — they can’t defeat him through 
  raw power, because he won’t stand and ﬁght. Mysti-
  cal heroes face a particular challenge, because the 
  Demonologist wins even when he loses to them:  
  the heroes show how much the world needs magic, 
  and so encourage people and governments to study 
  the mystic arts.
  The GM should not increase the Demonolo-
  gist’s physical power to any great degree. At most, 
  increase his defenses, his DEX, or his SPD, so 
  heroes are less likely to prevent him from doing 
  things. His Magic Pool can increase, however, or he 
  could have more powers and abilities outside the 
  VPP. To decrease the Demonologist’s power, reduce 
  his Magic Pool, or eliminate his Grand Summoning 
  and/or Overall Levels.
  If the Demonologist Hunts a character, he does 
  so with the entire Devil’s Advocates team to imple-
  ment his plans. He would Hunt heroes only if they 
  thwart him repeatedly, or they have some mystic 
  artifact or grimoire he wants.
  Appearance:  Andre has the pale skin and habitual 
  stoop common to people who spend most of their 
  time indoors with books. He wears grey or tan 
  slacks and a tan jacket with elbow patches:  He 
  could pass for a college professor or stockbroker. 
  His “costume” consists of nothing more than his 
  grey wardcape, clasped with a garnet brooch, and 
  his rings and talismans. When the Demonolo-
  gist wants to, however, he can fairly crackle with 
  authority.
  GOLEM
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   8 STR 
  -2 
  11- 
  Lift 75 kg; 1½d6 [1]
   15 DEX 
  15 
  12- 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   15 CON 
  10 
  12-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   13 INT 
  3 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   14 EGO 
  8 
  12- 
  ECV:  5
   13 PRE 
  3 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  2½d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   3 PD 
  1 
   
  Total:  3 PD (0 rPD)
   3 ED 
  0 
   
  Total:  3 ED (0 rED)
   3 SPD 
  5 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   5 REC 
  0
   30 END 
  0
   25 STUN 
  3 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  46
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  107 
  Possess Statue:  Summon statue built on  
  up to 483 Character Points (see character 
  sheet below), Slavishly Devoted (+1),  
  Ranged (see text; +½); IIF (talisman; -¼), 
  Frogge Is Incapacitated And Helpless  
  While Statue Is Animate (-1) 
  24
  28 
  Possess Statue:  Reduced Endurance  
  (0 END; +½) for Possess Statue; IIF  
  (talisman; -¼), Only Applies If Golem  
  Can Place A Matching Talisman On  
  Statue (see text; -½) 
  0
  43 
  Object Animation:  Multipower, 75-point 
  reserve; all IIF (talisman; -¼), Gestures  
  (-¼), Incantations (-¼)
  3u 
  1)  Standard Animation:  Summon  
  150-point animated object, Expanded  
  Class (any object; +½), Slavishly Loyal  
  (+1); IIF (talisman; -¼), Gestures (-¼), 
  Incantations (-¼), Summoned Being  
  Must Inhabit Locale (-½)
  4u 
  2)  Animated Matter Lance:  Energy  
  Blast 8d6, Indirect (+¾); IIF  
  (talisman; -¼), Gestures (-¼),  
  Incantations (-¼) 
  7
  3u 
  3)  Animated Matter Warping:  Dispel 
  Object/Device Powers 16d6, any Object/
  Device power one at a time (+¼); IIF  
  (talisman; -¼), Gestures (-¼),  
  Incantations (-¼) 
  6
   
  Perks
  10 
  Base:  Contribution to Devil’s Advocates base
   
  Skills
  9 
  +3 with Object Animation
  3 
  Disguise 12-
  4 
  KS: Animation Magic 13-
  3 
  KS: Kabbalism 12-
  3 
  KS: Western Occultism 12-
  2 
  Language: Hebrew (ﬂuent conversation;  
  English is Native)
  2 
  PS: Kosher Cooking 11-
  2 
  PS: Wax Modeling 11-
  3 
  Sleight Of Hand 12-
  3 
  Stealth 12-
  
  26 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  232
  Total Cost:  278
  200+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Hunted:  assorted governments 8- (Mo Pow, 
  NCI, Capture)
  10 
  Hunted:  Witchﬁnder 8- (As Pow, Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:  Abrahamic Churches 8- (Less Pow, 
  NCI, Remove Powers)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Fear Of Personal 
  Combat (Common, Strong)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Greedy (Common, 
  Moderate)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Hungers For 
  Greater Magic Power (Common, Moderate)
  10 
  Reputation:  Magical super-terrorist 8- 
  (Extreme)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Upton 
  Frogge) (Frequently, Major)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  300
  GOLEM (ANIMATED STATUE)
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   50 STR 
  40 
  19- 
  Lift 25 tons; 10d6 [5]
   20 DEX 
  30 
  13- 
  OCV:  7/DCV:  7
   10 CON 
  0 
  11-
   20 BODY 20 
  13-
   13 INT 
  3 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   0 EGO 
  0 
  — 
  ECV:  N/A
   25 PRE 
  15 
  14- 
  PRE Attack:  5d6
   8 COM 
  -1 
  11-
   10 PD 
  21 
   
  Total:  10 PD (10 rPD)
   10 ED 
  27 
   
  Total:  10 ED (10 rED)
   4 SPD 
  10 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   12 REC 
  0
   0 END 
  -10
   — STUN — 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  155
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
   
  Leaping:  10”/20”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  15 
  Golem’s Body:  Does Not Bleed 
  0
  10 
  Golem’s Body:  No Hit Locations 
  0
  45 
  Golem’s Body:  Takes No STUN 
  0
  25 
  Tireless:  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½)  
  on STR 
  0
  6 
  Tireless:  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½)  
  on Running 
  0
  5 
  Tireless:  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½)  
  on Leaping 
  0
  1 
  Tireless:  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½)  
  on Swimming  
  0
  30 
  Body Of Metal:  Damage Resistance  
  (10 PD/10 ED) 
  0
  90 
  Body Of Metal:  Physical and Energy  
  Damage Reduction, Resistant, 25% 
  0
  36 
  Heavy:  Knockback Resistance -6” 
  0
  50 
  Golem’s Body:  Life Support:  Total  
  (including Longevity:  Immortality) 
  0
   
  Skills
  10 
  +2 Hand-To-Hand
  3 
  Climbing 13-
  2 
  WF:  Common Melee Weapons
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  328
  Total Cost:  483
  200+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Hunted:  assorted governments 8- (Mo Pow, 
  NCI, Capture)
  10 
  Hunted:  Witchﬁnder 8- (As Pow, Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:  Abrahamic Churches 8- (Less Pow, 
  NCI, Remove Powers)
  15 
  Physical Limitation:  Heavy (weighs 750 kg) 
  (Frequently, Greatly Impairing)
  15 
  Physical Limitation:  Mute (Frequently, 
  Greatly Impairing)
  10 
  Physical Limitation:  No Tactile Feedback, 
  must succeed with a DEX Roll for any  
  ﬁne manipulation (Frequently, Slightly 
  Impairing)
  5 
  Physical Limitation:  Lacks The Smell/ 
  Taste Sense Group (Infrequently, Slightly 
  Impairing)
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  27 
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Fear Of Personal 
  Combat (Common, Strong)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Greedy (Common, 
  Moderate)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Hungers For 
  Greater Magic Power (Common, Moderate)
  10 
  Reputation:  Magical super-terrorist 8- 
  (Extreme)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Upton 
  Frogge) (Frequently, Major)
  138 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  483
  Background/History:  Upton Frogge sought magic 
  as a way to salvage his miserable life. Even in Eng-
  land, a name like “Upton Frogge” made childhood 
  a living hell, especially for a fat, weak boy. Young 
  Upton grew up preferring books to people. Most 
  of all he loved books about the occult, with their 
  promise of easy power through secret knowledge. 
  Unfortunately, nothing in the books really worked. 
  His faith did not diminish. Upton knew there had 
  to be real adepts of magic somewhere, hiding their 
  awesome powers from the idly curious. He vowed 
  to ﬁnd them.
  Frogge spent years on his quest, spending most 
  of what he earned from working in his father’s wax 
  museum upon more esoteric books and visits to 
  self-proclaimed psychics and occult experts. Amaz-
  ingly, Upton found his adept, an aged kabbalist who 
  ran a kosher deli in Brooklyn. Although Chaim 
  Rosenthal knew the mysteries of ancient Hebrew 
  sorcery and mysticism, he was no judge of charac-
  ter. He agreed to teach Frogge about real magic.
  To Frogge’s chagrin, tutelage apparently meant 
  working in the deli month after month while learn-
  ing Hebrew. When Frogge asked Rosenthal when 
  he’d learn spells instead of making potato salad, 
  Rosenthal replied that potato salad was as much an 
  aspect of the Mind of God as anything else:  “When 
  you understand potato salad, you understand 
  everything.”
  Now and then, Frogge wheedled Rosenthal 
  into performing a feat of magic. Frogge noticed 
  that Rosenthal always consulted a certain book, a 
  three-ring binder stuﬀed with pages of handwrit-
  ten Hebrew and elaborate diagrams. Frogge studied 
  this book in secret. As he suspected, the binder was 
  Rosenthal’s grimoire. After months of work, Frogge 
  puzzled out a spell to animate statues. He was 
  ecstatic. He knew the secret of making golems, the 
  powerful living statues of Jewish legend — mighty 
  magic indeed! Frogge carefully fashioned the tiny 
  golden talisman for the spell and practiced in 
  secret. One night, Frogge animated a statue from a 
  nearby park and used its tremendous strength to 
  murder the old man.
  Frogge left Brooklyn that morning. Once on 
  the bus, he eagerly opened his stolen book of magic 
  to study more spells — and wept. The pages were 
  fading as he watched, letters disappearing one by 
  one. In an hour every page of the binder was blank.
  Frogge knew he was a hunted man. He had to 
  stay inconspicuous; by ﬂeeing he’d virtually con-
  fessed to Rosenthal’s murder. On the other hand, 
  he could turn any statue into an unstoppable golem 
  he could control from afar. By the end of the day 
  Frogge was smiling. He was a wizard of only one 
  spell — but that spell could make him very rich 
  indeed. He was almost right:  he stole a small for-
  tune before a superhero team ﬁnally tracked him to 
  his lair, a wax museum he’d set up himself. Frogge’s 
  dreams of wealth and power ended in prison.
  The Devil’s Advocates gave Golem a second 
  chance. Frogge thinks that at long last, he can gain 
  the power to satisfy all the thwarted desires of his 
  life, and no one will ever push him around again.
  Personality/Motivation:  Upton Frogge is timid at 
  heart, though he may try to put up a brave front. 
  He acts ruthlessly because he fears that if he doesn’t 
  utterly crush an opponent, the opponent will plot 
  a horrible revenge on him. After all, it’s what he 
  would do. He enjoys the physical power of pos-
  sessed statue bodies, but anxiety over his helpless, 
  comatose body prevents him from staying in statue 
  form for very long.
  Frogge’s desires are all petty. He wants to be 
  rich, feared, handsome, and respected, and have 
  gorgeous women falling madly in love with him. He 
  thinks magic can do it all for him. He may be right 
  about becoming rich, feared, and handsome; with 
  his personality, respect and gorgeous women may 
  be a bit more diﬃcult.
  Quote:  “N-now, gentlemen, please do not attempt 
  any violence on my person. I have a... friend who 
  would take it much amiss.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Golem can possess and animate 
  statues from afar. In game terms, he Summons a 
  “creature” deﬁned as an Automaton (based on the 
  Metal Golem from page 79 of The HERO System 
  Bestiary). However, the Summon is unusual (and 
  thus requires the GM’s permission) because it 
  has the Ranged Advantage — he can possess and 
  animate a statue up to 970” (about 1.2 miles) away 
  from him (and to which he has Line Of Sight at the 
  time of Summoning). When he does this, he leaves 
  his vulnerable, unconscious human body behind. 
  Golem always tries to hide his body in a safe place, 
  but no hiding place is perfect.
  To use his possession power (and other object 
  animation powers), Golem requires a small golden 
  talisman. If possible, before possessing a statue, 
  Golem attaches a matching golden talisman to it. 
  (If possible, he glues the talisman to the statue and 
  conceals it with paint or tinted wax, so it can’t fall 
  oﬀ by accident.) This makes the Summoning pro-
  cess much easier and less tiring on him. If the talis-
  man falls or is knocked oﬀ the statue while Golem’s 
  possessing it, he must immediately pay the full 
  END cost for the Summon. (At the GM’s option, 
  this may also, or alternatively, force Golem out of 
  the statue, causing it to become a normal statue 
  again, or he may have to make a Skill Roll of some 
  sort to prevent being “ejected.”)
  If the statue is “killed,” Frogge’s spirit immedi-
  ately returns to his body and he wakes up, none the 
  worse for wear (though probably frightened and 
  panicky). If he chooses, he may end the possession 
  
  28 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  at any time as a Zero-Phase Action, at which point 
  the statue becomes a normal statue in the location 
  and position it had when he stopped possessing it. 
  (This is the “special eﬀect” of Frogge “telling” the 
  Slavishly Loyal statue to “return to your normal 
  state.”) If Frogge is killed while possessing a statue, 
  the possession ends and the statue immediately 
  returns to normal (or, at the GM’s option, maybe 
  Frogge’s spirit remains trapped in the statue...).
  The character sheet for Golem’s possessed 
  statues is built to be as strong as possible — in 
  other words, it assumes a solid metal statue. If he 
  possesses a statue made of some other substance 
  (stone, wood, plastic, wax, or the like), the GM 
  should adjust the character sheet by reducing its 
  abilities appropriately. As yet, Golem only possesses 
  humanoid statues; he ﬁnds animal-shaped statues 
  too disorienting. Possessed statues can always 
  separate themselves from their pedestals or other 
  supports.
  Although Golem can see and hear when pos-
  sessing a statue, he can’t speak because he has no 
  lungs or vocal chords. 
  In his own body, Golem can also use the talis-
  man headband to animate objects around himself 
  without possessing them. He cannot aﬀect living 
  targets; he must manipulate some object to attack. 
  He uses his control over matter to animate it, giving 
  it “life” so that it can do his bidding. The most 
  common type of object to animate is furniture, 
  since it already has legs to move, but he could also 
  animate a mass of rocks or soil, a ﬁgurine, a tree, 
  or just about anything else. To determine the STR, 
  attacks, and other abilities of animated matter, you 
  can write the object up yourself or use The HERO 
  System Bestiary. Select a creature from the Bestiary 
  who’s as similar to the animated object as possible. 
  For example, for a large wooden table, you might 
  use a Horse or Bear; for a small piece of furniture, 
  perhaps a Dog or Great Cat would do. Then adjust 
  the character sheet to suit. For example, few ani-
  mated objects have claws or fangs, so remove such 
  natural weaponry (perhaps replacing it with a few 
  HA dice to represent the object’s ability to bash 
  and smash). Additionally, many animated objects 
  move fairly slowly, and have little (if any) ability 
  to manipulate objects; you may want to reduce the 
  movement and DEX listed on the animal’s charac-
  ter sheet, impose relevant Physical Limitations, or 
  restrict it in other ways.
  Alternately, Golem can temporarily animate 
  an object for more limited eﬀects. He can cause the 
  matter of an object to warp and “lash out” in the 
  form of a lance, striking his foe from an unexpected 
  angle (the matter usually returns to its normal 
  shape afterward, but not always). He can subtly (or 
  not so subtly) warp devices and objects so that they 
  cannot do what they’re meant to do — for example, 
  he might bend an axe-handle so the axe becomes 
  useless as a weapon.
  Golem’s favorite strategy is to plant a talisman 
  on a statue near his intended target — if possible, 
  a statue in the same building. Then he animates 
  the statue and  uses it to rob the place and deliver 
  the loot to himself or confederates. Golem may 
  even leave the statue in the building, back on its 
  pedestal. The Devil’s Advocates use Golem openly 
  as muscle, but also take advantage of his ability to 
  project himself anywhere they can aﬃx a talisman 
  to a statue.
  For what it’s worth, Frogge also still makes 
  very good potato salad.
  Campaign Use:  See the introductory text for general 
  information. Golem provides muscle for the Devil’s 
  Advocates. Frogge’s simple motivations, more than 
  any limits on his powers, make him more of a thug 
  than any other Devil’s Advocate. He has little incli-
  nation to Hunt superheroes on his own.
  To make Golem more powerful, increase the 
  STR, SPD, and defenses of his statue form, or give 
  him a small Variable Power Pool like the Demon-
  ologist’s so he’s less of a one-trick pony. To make 
  him weaker, reduce his Characteristics.
  Appearance:  Frogge himself stands 5’5” and weighs 
  190 pounds. He has receding brown hair, a walrus-
  like mustache, and watery hazel eyes. He dresses 
  mainly in solid color polyester shirts and slacks. As 
  the Golem, he looks like whatever statue he pos-
  sesses, but he’s working on disguising statues with 
  makeup or the tinted wax he uses to make ﬁgures 
  for the museum. His talismans are little golden 
  squares engraved with a complex diagram and 
  many sigils and Hebrew letters.
  GOLEM PLOT SEEDS
  The Advocates and the 
  PCs both learn about 
  something powerful 
  and valuable held in a 
  secret cavern. A magi-
  cal miasma makes the 
  cavern deadly to any 
  living creature... but 
  Golem can enter. If the 
  heroes cannot ﬁnd a way 
  to enter the cave, Golem 
  will claim the treasure 
  for the Advocates. 
  Maybe they can take the 
  treasure from Golem 
  once he leaves the cave, 
  but can they be sure?
  Golem possesses a statue 
  in a church or temple, 
  such as Hindu god or 
  the ﬁgure of Christ from 
  a large cruciﬁx. Through 
  this blasphemous 
  deception, the Devil’s 
  Advocates instantly gain 
  hundreds — maybe 
  thousands — of awe-
  struck lackeys for one 
  of their schemes. Golem 
  can also possess statues 
  of national heroes for 
  similar eﬀects. Anyone 
  for a battle with George 
  Washington?
  Do the Devil’s Advocates 
  know a hero’s Secret 
  Identity? Golem crafts 
  a wax copy of the char-
  acter’s Secret Identity 
  and uses it to commit 
  a crime while the hero 
  is doing something in 
  his costumed identity. 
  Can the hero escape 
  this frame-up without 
  revealing his double 
  identity?
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  29 
  GYRE
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   10 STR 
  0 
  11- 
  Lift 100 kg; 2d6 [1]
   18 DEX 
  24 
  13- 
  OCV:  6/DCV:  6
   15 CON 
  10 
  12-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   28 INT 
  18 
  15- 
  PER Roll 15-
   16 EGO 
  12 
  12- 
  ECV:  5
   13 PRE 
  3 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  2½d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   6 PD 
  4 
   
  Total:  27 PD (21 rPD)
   6 ED 
  3 
   
  Total:  27 ED (21 rED)
   4 SPD 
  12 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   5 REC 
  0
   30 END 
  0
   23 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  86
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
   
  Flight:  13”/104”
   
  Teleportation:  15”/30”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  15 
  Mystic Energy:  Endurance Reserve  
  (100 END, 5 REC) 
  0
  73 
  Technomancy:  Variable Power Pool  
  (Magic Pool), 60 base + 30 control cost;  
  OAF (-1), Takes Hours To Change (-¼) var
  43 
  Gyres Of Power:  Multipower, 75-point 
  reserve; all OIF (talismanic rings; -½),  
  Incantations (-¼)
  4u 
  1)  Vortex Blast:  Energy Blast 8d6,  
  Double Knockback (+¾); OIF (-½),  
  Incantations (-¼) 
  7
  3u 
  2)  Vortex Trap:  Telekinesis (40 STR), 
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼); OIF  
  (-½), Incantations (-¼), Only To Grab  
  And Spin/Squeeze Target (-½) 
  3
  3u 
  3)  Vortex Warp:  Teleportation 10”,  
  Usable As Attack (defense is Teleportation  
  or other space-warping powers; +1),  
  Ranged (+½); OIF (-½), Incantations (-¼) 5
  3u 
  4)  Force Precession:  Missile Deﬂection  
  and Reﬂection (all Ranged attacks; to  
  any target); OIF (-½), Incantations (-¼) 
  0
  4u 
  5)  Twist Through Space:  Teleportation  
  15”, x2 Increased Mass, Variable  
  Advantage (+½ Advantages; +1); OIF  
  (-½), Incantations (-¼) 
  5
  3u 
  6)  Twist Through Dimensions:  Extra- 
  Dimensional Movement (any physical  
  location in any dimension), x4 Increased 
  Mass; OIF (-½), Incantations (-¼) 
  5
  14 
  Gyres Of Power:  Elemental Control,  
  50-point powers; all OIF (talismanic  
  rings; -½), Incantations (-¼)
  15 
  1)  Vortex Shield:  Force Field (17 PD/ 
  17 ED), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); 
  OIF (-½), Incantations (-¼) 
  0
  17 
  2)  Levitory Vortex:  Flight 13”, x8 Non-
  combat; Reduced Endurance (0 END;  
  +½); OIF (-½), Incantations (-¼) 
  0
  14 
  3)  Redirect Enemy’s Power:  Absorption  
  5d6 (energy, to Endurance Reserve’s  
  END), Can Absorb Maximum Of 60  
  Points’ Worth Of Energy, Delayed Return 
  Rate (points fade at the rate of 5 per  
  Minute; +¼); OIF (-½), Incantations (-¼) 0
  8 
  Mirrored Overcoat:  Armor (4 PD/4 ED),  
  OIF (-½) 
  0
  6 
  Brow Amulet:  Mental Defense  
  (15 points total); OAF (-1) 
  0
  5 
  Heart Amulet:  Power Defense  
  (10 points); OAF (-1) 
  0
  3 
  Weird Magic:  Lack Of Weakness (-3)  
  for Analyze, Spell Research, and other  
  Skills directed at Gyre’s magic 
  0
   
  Talents
  3 
  Absolute Range Sense
  3 
  Bump Of Direction
   
  Skills
  6 
  +2 with Gyres Of Power Multipower
  6 
  +3 OCV with Missile Deﬂection
  3 
  Electronics 15-
  3 
  Mechanics 15-
  2 
  Navigation (Dimensional) 15-
  3 
  Power:  Thaumaturgy 15-
  3 
  Spell Research (Inventor) 15-
  3 
  Teamwork 13-
  3 
  Scholar
  2 
  1)  KS: Dimensional Magic 15-
  2 
  2)  KS: General Occultism 15-
  1 
  3)  KS: Other Dimensions 11-
  1 
  4)  KS: Sacred Geometry 11-
  1 
  5)  KS: Technomancy 11-
  3 
  Scientist
  1 
  1)  SS: Dimensional Physics 11-
  2 
  2)  SS: Physics 15-
  2 
  3)  SS: Mathematics 15-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  286
  Total Cost:  372
  200+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Hunted:  assorted governments 8- (Mo Pow, 
  NCI, Capture)
  10 
  Hunted:  Witchﬁnder 8- (As Pow, Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:  Abrahamic Churches 8- (Less Pow, 
  NCI, Remove Powers)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Complete Disre-
  gard For Humanity (Common, Total)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Obsessed With 
  Magical Research (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Fear Of Close 
  Combat (Very Common)
  10 
  Reputation:  magical super-terrorist, 8- 
  (Extreme)
  5 
  Rivalry:  Professional (with other dimen-
  sional researchers, both scientiﬁc and mysti-
  cal; Rival is More Powerful [multiple people]; 
  Rival is Unaware of Rivalry)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Sarah 
  Benton) (Frequently, Major)
  52 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  372
  
  30 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  EXAMPLE POWERS FOR TECHNOMANCY 
  POWER POOL
  Accelerator Watch:  This talisman began as a stop-
  watch, but Gyre replaced the numbers with mystic 
  glyphs. When Gyre presses the button on the watch, 
  its hands circle rapidly, in opposite directions. For 
  the minute of the watch’s operation, Gyre acts twice 
  as quickly.
  +4 SPD (40 Active Points); OAF (-1), 1 Con-
  tinuing Charge Lasting 1 Minute (-1). Total 
  Cost:  13 points.
  Spacebreaker Grenade:  This ﬁst-sized glass ball is 
  bound in steel rings and bears symbols painted in 
  glowing radium ink. When Gyre recites an equa-
  tion and throws the ball, it ﬂies with great speed to 
  the desired location, teleporting past obstacles, to 
  explode in a burst of warped space that leaves tiny 
  ﬁssures in everything caught in the blast. Gyre uses 
  this to destroy objects in supposedly secure loca-
  tions. Of course, she still needs some way to see her 
  target.
  RKA 1d6, Area Of Eﬀect (5” Radius; +1), 
  Indirect (+½), No Range Modiﬁer (+½), Pen-
  etrating (x2; +1) (60 Active Points); OAF (-1), 
  Incantations (-¼), 4 Charges (-1). Total Cost:  
  18 points.
  Street Gate:  Gyre places batteries and special coils 
  of silver wire around a ﬁve-way intersection, then 
  uses Twist Through Dimensions. The resulting Gate 
  to another dimension stays open for six hours, or 
  until someone disturbs the batteries. The Gate is 
  not very large — just big enough for one person at 
  a time to pass through. Gyre lacks suﬃcient knowl-
  edge of the Multiverse to open these Gates reliably; 
  but she does not much care, as long as she learns 
  something from the experiment.
  Extra-Dimensional Movement (any randomly-
  determined physical location in a speciﬁc ran-
  domly-determined dimension), Continuous 
  (+1), Usable By Other (+¼) (56 Active Points); 
  OAF Fragile (-1¼), Extra Time (5 Minutes to 
  activate; -1), 1 Continuing Charge Lasting 6 
  Hours (-0). Total Cost:  17 points.
  Background/History:  Sarah Benton knew her par-
  ents were diﬀerent, though they wouldn’t admit it. 
  Her father’s study held many leatherbound books 
  in foreign languages. Other daddies didn’t have 
  books like that, or a locked and soundproofed base-
  ment room. Other mommies didn’t plant and har-
  vest herbs by the phases of the moon, or sculpt little 
  clay statues that vanished into the locked room and 
  never came out again. Sarah’s mother told her not 
  to talk about such things, and she would learn all 
  about it when she was older.
  Instead of public high school, Sarah’s parents 
  sent her to a Catholic school that taught Latin and 
  Greek — although the family wasn’t Catholic. As a 
  teenager, Sarah became interested in physics, while 
  her parent’s eccentricities became just one more 
  reason for adolescent embarrassment. When Sarah 
  graduated (a year early) and obtained a full scholar-
  ship to a prominent university, she told her parents 
  they could keep their secrets; she didn’t care.
  Her parents died in a car crash while Sarah 
  worked on her doctoral dissertation. She inherited 
  the house, the key to the locked room, and a letter 
  asking her to carry on their work as ritual magi-
  cians with a group called the “Trismegistus Coun-
  cil.” Clearly, her parents had been complete lunatics.
  Sarah felt enough curiosity to read a few of the 
  old books and her parents’ diaries before she threw 
  them out. She read of planetary spirits and astral 
  inﬂuences, of Hermes Trismegistus and the Kab-
  balah. It made an odd kind of sense... actually, some 
  of this superstition had parallels in math and phys-
  ics... if she used symbolic logic to cut through the 
  archaic jargon and the contradictions....
  A few months later, Sarah abandoned her 
  dissertation. The occult concealed a strange and 
  misunderstood science. If she could lay it bare, 
  she would go down in history with Newton and 
  Einstein! She raided the library for more mystic 
  lore. The spinning of the astral spheres — Penrose’s 
  twistor theory — the I Ching as a binary logic 
  system for computation — Yes, she was close! She 
  cut oﬀ her friends and lived on pizza deliveries and 
  coﬀee. She worked until she collapsed from exhaus-
  tion, then began again when she woke up.
  The veil parted at last. Sarah chanted strange 
  words for hours as she ﬁlled legal pads with dia-
  grams that twisted into the fourth and ﬁfth dimen-
  sions before her blurring eyesight, and for one 
  shining, shattering moment, she knew. She saw the 
  wheels of Ezekiel’s vision, and knew them for the 
  spinning of protons and galaxies. She understood 
  the cycle of creation and destruction, and the path 
  from spirit to matter and back again. She knew 
  God’s own equations for making universes.
  And then the moment passed, and Sarah 
  passed out. When she woke up a day later, she 
  tried to remember that moment of perfect clar-
  ity, and couldn’t. Her notes held mere fragments 
  of theories and procedures. Sarah wept that she 
  had lost God’s equations. After resting further, 
  however, she realized just how much she did 
  remember. Spinning circles and spirals held the 
  key. Power moved in gyres and vortices, in and 
  out and ’round about. Sarah carefully drew a dia-
  gram, said a word, and laughed as a whirlwind 
  of power erupted from the paper and blasted 
  through her ceiling. Her upstairs neighbor was 
  not so happy. He screamed at Sarah, but he didn’t 
  matter. She held up the paper, said the word 
  again, and he went away. By the time the police 
  came, Sarah had gone away too, to look for more 
  books. Sarah claimed not to know what destroyed 
  the apartments, so the police blamed the inci-
  dent on a crazed supervillain, identity unknown. 
  The Demonologist found Sarah two weeks later 
  and persuaded her to join the Devil’s Advocates. 
  She decided to call herself Gyre. Reluctantly, she 
  ﬁnished her dissertation and goes through the 
  motions of post-doc research — but she has more 
  important work to do now.
  GYRE PLOT SEEDS
  Gyre opens a Street 
  Gate in the same city as 
  the heroes. Something 
  dangerous and elusive 
  comes through, and sev-
  eral people are abducted 
  into the other dimen-
  sion. The heroes must 
  catch the menace and 
  rescue the people before 
  the Gate closes.
  Gyre maintains a Secret 
  Identity as a post-doc-
  toral researcher in a uni-
  versity physics depart-
  ment. She even pub-
  lishes a few papers on 
  superstring theory and 
  other esoteric topics. If 
  invaders or castaways 
  from other dimensions 
  appear, or Gates open, 
  Sarah Benton has a 
  good reason to intrude 
  on the case as a scien-
  tiﬁc expert. How much 
  information can she 
  gather before she blows 
  her cover and wrecks 
  her Secret Identity?
  The Earth faces destruc-
  tion (or at least massive 
  havoc) because of an 
  expanding dimensional 
  rip. No one but Gyre 
  could ﬁgure out a way 
  to close the breach. The 
  heroes must convince 
  Gyre to save the world; 
  they might need to 
  break her out of jail, too. 
  Gyre, of course, would 
  rather study the rip than 
  close it.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  31 
  Personality/Motivation:  Gyre seeks to recapture 
  that moment when she seemed to possess absolute 
  knowledge. She does not care what damage her 
  quest may cause — mere human laws and lives 
  mean nothing to her compared to the eternal and 
  inﬁnite truth she seeks. The Devil’s Advocates help 
  Gyre gather data, both from what the other mem-
  bers know and her own experiments.
  The Dark Renaissance doesn’t matter much to 
  Gyre. She loves science and technology, but she and 
  the Demonologist agreed on a compromise:  sci-
  ence and technology could survive the resurgence 
  of magic, but as esoteric arts held by elites, just like 
  sorcery. The masses can remain ignorant — Gyre 
  says the scientiﬁc illiteracy of most people shows 
  that’s what they want anyway.
  Quote:  “I wonder what would happen if....”
  Powers/Tactics:  Gyre has invented several spells 
  based on vortices of space distortion and mysti-
  cal power. She casts these spells using incantatory 
  equations and rings braided from wire and set with 
  gems bearing mystic symbols. These spells can 
  redirect energy to protect Gyre from harm, redirect 
  attacks toward other targets, or move her or other 
  people through space. Her standard attacks are a 
  Vortex Blast of mystical energy and a Vortex Trap 
  that spins targets at high speed, eventually knock-
  ing them out through dizziness. Gyre also reﬂects 
  attacks from one foe to strike another, and teleports 
  enemies into danger (such as teleporting a charac-
  ter who can’t ﬂy straight up in the air, or moving 
  one foe into the path of another enemy’s attack). 
  She wears amulets on her forehead and chest that 
  protect her from mental and mystical attacks, while 
  her overcoat of thin ballistic cloth serves as a last-
  ditch defense against gunﬁre.
  Her unique fusion of occultism and advanced 
  physics makes Gyre one of the rare few practitio-
  ners of technomancy. Sarah combines electrical 
  and mechanical devices with talismanic gems and 
  mystic sigils, for short-lived but diverse magical 
  eﬀects. She also uses the ready-made energies and 
  mystic geometry of city streets, buildings, and 
  utilities in bizarre rituals. As with her basic magic, 
  Gyre’s technomancy specializes in eﬀects that 
  manipulate space and dimension or redirect energy. 
  Her magic is all so strange that attempts to analyze 
  or detect it all suﬀer a -3 penalty (represented by 
  Lack Of Weakness).
  Gyre protects her teammates by (a) deﬂecting 
  ranged attacks and (b) teleporting unconscious 
  teammates away so they have a chance to recover 
  away from the ﬁght. The Devil’s Advocates typically 
  use Gyre’s technomantic gadgets as surprises at the 
  start of combat. Of course, Gyre’s space-warping 
  powers and gadgets are also useful at bypassing 
  guards and defenses so the Advocates can achieve 
  their goals without a ﬁght.
  Campaign Use:  See the introductory text for gen-
  eral information. Gyre’s Faustian thirst for knowl-
  edge endangers the world as much as any other 
  villain’s lust for power. She might open gates to 
  deadly dimensions, release long-imprisoned hor-
  rors, or activate dangerously powerful artifacts, just 
  to see what happens. When using Gyre in an adven-
  ture, the GM should try to play up her complete 
  unconcern for consequences.
  To make Gyre more powerful, increase the 
  powers in her Multipower and Elemental Control 
  (especially her Force Field), or double her Mul-
  tipower reserve so she can use two slots at once. 
  To reduce Gyre’s power, reduce or eliminate her 
  Technomancy Power Pool, or add a Limitation such 
  as Gestures to her magic so opponents can more 
  easily prevent her from casting spells.
  Gyre typically Hunts characters as part of the 
  Devil’s Advocates team. Personal vendettas aren’t 
  worth her time.
  Appearance:  Sarah Benton is a slender white 
  woman of average height, with wavy, brown hair. 
  She’d be pretty if she paid more attention to her 
  appearance and tried to be nice to other people, 
  but she does neither. She wears blue jeans, blouses, 
  and cheap athletic shoes. As Gyre, she adds a silver 
  mask that covers the upper half of her face, and 
  a long, ﬂowing overcoat that she magically gave a 
  silver-mirror ﬁnish. The coat has several pockets, 
  inside and out, where she keeps Foci and tools. She 
  also wears eight talismanic rings over thin white 
  gloves. Her Gyres Of Power look like whirls and 
  spirals of multicolored light.
  
  32 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  KAPILASA
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   30 STR 
  20 
  15- 
  Lift 1,600 kg; 6d6 [3]
   18 DEX 
  24 
  13- 
  OCV:  6/DCV:  6
   20 CON 
  20 
  13-
   15 BODY 10 
  12-
   13 INT 
  3 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   18 EGO 
  16 
  13- 
  ECV:  6
   20 PRE 
  10 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  4d6
   8 COM 
  -1 
  11-
   15 PD 
  9 
   
  Total:  15 PD (0 rPD)
   15 ED 
  11 
   
  Total:  15 ED (0 rED)
   4 SPD 
  12 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   10 REC 
  0
   40 END 
  0
   40 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  134
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  72 
  Mantras Of Mahakala:  Multipower,  
  90-point reserve; all Incantations (-¼)
  4u 
  1)  Mahakala’s Hand:  RKA 1d6+1, NND 
  (defense is Resistant Mental Defense or  
  an EGO Roll at -3; +1), Does BODY (+1), 
  Continuous (+1), Reduced Endurance  
  (½ END; +¼); OAF (skull cup; -1),  
  Incantations (-¼) 
  8
  4u 
  2)  Deny Magic:  Dispel Magic 24d6,  
  any Magic power one at a time (+¼);  
  OAF (skull cup; -1), Incantations (-¼) 
  9
  4u 
  3)  Disintegration Touch:  RKA 3d6,  
  Penetrating (+½), Reduced Endurance  
  (½ END; +¼); Incantations (-¼), No  
  Range (-½) 
  3
  2u 
  4)  Disintegrate Ranged Attacks:  Missile 
  Deﬂect (all physical projectiles), Range  
  (+1); Incantations (-¼) 
  0
  4u 
  5)  Deny Free Will:  Mind Control 9d6; 
  Incantations (-¼) 
  4
  4u 
  6)  Deny The World:  Armor (15 PD/ 
  15 ED); Incantations (-¼) 
  0
  4u 
  7)  Deny  Space:  Teleportation 10”,  
  MegaScale (1” = 10,000 km, can  
  scale down to 1” = 1 km; +1¼);  
  Incantations (-¼) 
  4
  2u 
  8)  Karmic Awareness:  Retrocognitive 
  Clairsentience (Sight Group, Normal  
  Hearing), Retrocognition Only (-1), Can 
  Only View The Past Of One Speciﬁc  
  Person At A Time (see text; -½),  
  Incantations (-¼) 
  4
  1u 
  9)  Take Astral Form:  Extra-Dimensional 
  Movement (any physical location in the 
  Astral Plane corresponding to his physical 
  location in Earth’s dimension); Extra Time  
  (1 Turn; -1¼), Incantations (-¼) 
  2
  67 
  Possession:  Major Transform 6d6 (transfer 
  Kapilasa’s mind to victim’s body; heals  
  back through application of the same  
  power), BOECV (Mental Defense applies; 
  +1), Works Against EGO, Not BODY  
  (+¼); Limited Target (humans; -½), All  
  Or Nothing (-½), Character’s Body Is  
  Helpless And Incapacitated While  
  Character Uses Possession (-1) 
  20
  5 
  Ascetic’s Eyes:  Sight Group Flash Defense  
  (5 points) 
  0
  11 
  Ascetic’s Will:  Mental Defense  
  (15 points total) 
  0
  5 
  Ascetic’s Health:  Power Defense (5 points) 0
  16 
  Ascetic’s Denial:  Life Support (Extended 
  Breathing:  1 END per Turn; Diminished 
  Eating:  need only eat once per week;  
  Diminished Sleep:  need only sleep eight  
  hours per week; Immunity:  all terrestrial  
  diseases and biowarfare agents; Longevity:  
  ages at half normal rate; Safe Environment:  
  Intense Heat) 
  0
  20 
  Astral Awareness:  Dimensional (Astral 
  Plane) for Sight and Hearing Groups 
  0
   
  Skills
  10 
  +2 with DCV
  3 
  Acting 13-
  3 
  Bureaucratics 13-
  3 
  Contortionist 13-
  3 
  Deduction 12-
  3 
  High Society 13-
  3 
  Language:  English (completely ﬂuent; Hindi 
  is Native)
  2 
  Navigation (Astral) 12-
  3 
  PS: Locate Karmically Signiﬁcant Events 12-
  3 
  Stealth 13-
  3 
  Teamwork 13-
  3 
  Scholar
  2 
  1)  KS: Hinduism 12-
  2 
  2)  KS: Aghora Doctrine and Ritual 12-
  1 
  3)  KS: Indian Mystic World 11-
  1 
  4)  KS: Indian Spirit World 11-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  273
  Total Cost:  407
  200+ Disadvantages
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  Solid black eyes, no 
  matter what body (Easily Concealed; Noticed 
  and Recognizable; Major Reaction [fear])
  20 
  Hunted: Assorted Governments 8- (Mo Pow, 
  NCI, Capture)
  10 
  Hunted: Abrahamic Churches 8- (Less Pow, 
  NCI, Remove Powers)
  15 
  Physical Limitation:  Must perform schedule 
  of rituals to maintain powers (Infrequently, 
  Total)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Follows Hindu 
  Dietary Laws And Personal Contact Restric-
  tions (Common, Total)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Overconﬁdence 
  (Very Common, Moderate)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Hatred Of Secular, 
  Egalitarian Society (Common, Strong)
  102 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  407
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  33 
  Background/History:  Sarwan Datta came from a 
  Brahmin family. His ancestors ruled the local vil-
  lage for generations. Governments might pass laws, 
  but the Dattas made the only law that mattered for 
  the people who worked on their land. After inde-
  pendence from Britain, the new government abol-
  ished the caste system that made the Dattas rulers 
  — but the Dattas, like Brahmins throughout India, 
  cunningly evaded or subverted the local govern-
  ment to keep themselves in power.
  After a twenty-year career in government 
  protecting his family’s interests, Sarwan decided to 
  retire from the world. He became a sannyasa, an 
  ascetic hermit; a perfectly respectable course for a 
  middle-aged and widowed Brahmin. In a stroke of 
  luck, Sarwan’s guru was a mystic who knew genuine 
  secrets of magic. Sarwan spent the next seven years 
  meditating and developing his psychic force as he 
  sought transcendence.
  The aspiring mystic seldom saw his old vil-
  lage, but at last his family invited him to visit so 
  he could bless the marriage of his eldest grand-
  daughter. When he returned from his guru’s forest 
  retreat, Sarwan was shocked to learn that his village 
  had just elected a new leader... who didn’t come 
  from his family. No, the man was an Untouchable, 
  a member of the very lowest caste, who’d attended 
  college on a government scholarship and gone 
  into politics. Sarwan hurried home to ask how his 
  family had lost control so badly. His horror increase 
  tenfold when he learned his granddaughter had 
  rejected her arranged marriage to another Brahmin 
  and was marrying the Untouchable!
  Sarwan cursed them all and ran from the 
  house. He wandered in a daze until he came to the 
  burning-ground for corpses. For a moment, Sarwan 
  envied the dead. Then he remembered his guru’s 
  tales of Hinduism’s darkest tradition.
  Instead of purity, an ascetic could seek wisdom 
  through deﬁlement. This path, called aghora, was 
  hard, fast, and dangerous to the soul... but an ascetic 
  who survived it could gain power from Shiva, Kali, 
  and other gods of death and destruction.
  Day and night, Sarwan conducted grisly rites. 
  By day he listened to the sizzle of burning corpses 
  as he meditated, the pop as the brain-pan burst, 
  and used a scorched cranium as his begging-bowl. 
  By night he knelt on a cadaver’s chest as he prayed 
  to a burning wick that ﬂoated in the corpse’s oil-
  ﬁlled mouth. He lived among the dead for a full 
  year. At last a god... or something... responded. 
  The next morning saw Sarwan transformed into a 
  master of magic.
  Sarwan tested his powers by killing the 
  Untouchable mayor and his treacherous, deﬁled 
  granddaughter. He slew many more victims as he 
  struck against Indians who broke the ancient laws 
  of caste. Indian government superheroes tried 
  to stop Sarwan, but his rampage also attracted 
  the Demonologist’s attention. Sarwan found in 
  the Demonologist a man who hated the profane, 
  modern world as much as he did. As Kapilasa, the 
  Skull-Bearer, he gladly joined the Devil’s Advocates.
  Personality/Motivation:  Kapilasa pretends to be a 
  soft-spoken holy man who acts more in sorrowful 
  duty than in anger, but his harsh, rigid pride often 
  shows through. He wants a world where priestly, 
  educated Brahmins rule and everyone else minds 
  his place. Sarwan blames the Western world for the 
  “corruption” of Indian politics and culture, so he 
  takes special joy in attacking people and places he 
  views as symbolic of democracy, capitalism, and 
  secularism. Kapilasa also despises the Abrahamic 
  religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) for 
  seeking converts within India.
  Arguing with Sarwan is pointless. He dismisses 
  any attempt to defend the Western world:  of course 
  people from a culture sunk in deﬁlement cannot 
  appreciate the purity, beauty, and self-evident logic 
  of a theocratic caste system.
  Quote:  “With Shiva at my right hand and Kali at my 
  left, how can I fear the likes of you?”
  Powers/Tactics:  Kapilasa possesses uncanny 
  strength and toughness from his mystical com-
  munion with death. He also wields a set of mystic 
  syllables that invoke Shiva in his role as Mahakala, 
  Great Lord Time, the destroyer of all things. The 
  Mantras Of Mahakala enable Kapilasa to destroy 
  a variety of phenomena, from physical objects to 
  abstractions such as space, magic or the diﬀerence 
  between himself and another person. The most 
  powerful of these eﬀects require the use of his beg-
  ging-bowl, which consists of the top of a human 
  skull scorched from the cremation ﬁre.
  
  34 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  Kapilasa can also look back in time by viewing 
  a person’s karmic cycle (he has to be in this person’s 
  presence, and he cannot view the past of a place). 
  He uses this to discover long-lost secrets for the 
  Devil’s Advocates, or to learn the pivotal events in 
  a person’s life. By looking at a hero’s past, Kapilasa 
  can not only discover secret identities, he can see 
  the character’s friends, enemies, how he gained his 
  powers, and other events that made the charac-
  ter who he is. The Devil’s Advocates may use this 
  information to attack the people close to the char-
  acter, or to play cruel head-games in an attempt to 
  destroy a hero psychologically. People possessed by 
  Kapilasa can be recognized, however, by their dead-
  black eyes, which the Brahmin typically conceals 
  using sunglasses.
  Though Kapilasa wields a number of formida-
  ble combat powers, the Devil’s Advocates especially 
  value his power to merge with another person — to 
  wholly take possession of that person’s mind with 
  his own, in the process shunting the victim’s help-
  less psyche into a tiny, shut-oﬀ corner of the victim’s 
  brain. Kapilasa retains the following:  his own EGO, 
  INT, and PRE Characteristics; all INT-, EGO-, and 
  PRE-based Skills; all Skills which are not necessarily 
  based on INT or EGO but which reﬂect intellectual 
  learning with no physical skills; and all of his mental 
  and psionic powers. He retains none of his physical 
  Characteristics or abilities (including SPD). Instead, 
  he can use all of the host body’s physical Charac-
  teristics and abilities (even superpowers), including 
  physical Skills (such as Climbing, Combat Driving, 
  and most types of Skill Level). In some cases the GM 
  may require Kapilasa to succeed with EGO Rolls to 
  make the host body function properly, at least for the 
  ﬁrst few Turns of use.
  If the possessed body becomes Stunned or 
  Knocked Out, Kapilasa’s mind within it suﬀers 
  the same eﬀect; if for some reason he transfers 
  his mind into a body that’s already Stunned or 
  Knocked Out, he instantly suﬀers the same fate 
  when the transfer succeeds. If the possessed body 
  dies, Kapilasa dies as well. To reverse a posses-
  sion, Kapilasa simply wills it to end. Before the 
  Devil’s Advocates launch a scheme, Kapilasa often 
  possesses some person close to their objective. 
  Heroes who confront the Devil’s Advocates may 
  ﬁnd that a supposed “innocent bystander” is actu-
  ally Kapilasa, ready to strike from surprise with 
  one of the Demonologist’s magic items or some 
  mundane weapon.
  Campaign Use:  See the introductory text for 
  general information. Kapilasa makes the Devil’s 
  Advocates a more ecumenical group. He prac-
  tices a non-Western tradition of magic, and 
  represents a particular rejection of modernity:  a 
  traditional, religious elite losing power to West-
  ern ideas of equality and secularism. (Nor are 
  Hindu Brahmins the only such elite.) Within the 
  Devil’s Advocates, Kapilasa provides both a range 
  of combat and investigative abilities and trust-
  no-one paranoia. After a few encounters with 
  Kapilasa, heroes won’t trust anyone who wears 
  sunglasses.
  Kapilasa could cause problems within the 
  Advocates by challenging the Demonologist for 
  leadership. His Brahmin ancestry and arrogance nat-
  urally make him inclined to lead rather than follow.
  To make Kapilasa more powerful, move his 
  Deny The World Armor out of his Multipower, 
  increase the other powers and the Multipower 
  reserve, and raise his SPD. To make Kapilasa less 
  powerful, reduce his Multipower and physical 
  Characteristics.
  Kapilasa is quite likely to Hunt characters he 
  regards as champions of modern, Western inﬂu-
  ence, whether this be secular humanism, Chris-
  tianity, democracy, business, or military power. 
  He is certainly the most vengeful member of the 
  Devil’s Advocates. He ﬁghts dirty and consid-
  ers property damage and injury to bystanders a 
  bonus:  he’s as likely to collapse a building on a 
  target hero as to attack in the body of some inno-
  cent person.
  Appearance:  Sarwan Datta is a short, skinny, elderly 
  Hindu man with dark skin and a lined face. His 
  eyes are windows into the black void of annihila-
  tion. As Kapilasa he wears a black dhoti or loin-
  cloth, and his body is smeared with grey cremation 
  ash. He’s mostly bald, with the white V-mark of a 
  devotee of Shiva on his forehead, but his remaining 
  fringe of gray hair grows long and matted. During 
  rituals, he sometimes carries a trident (one of 
  Shiva’s symbols), but this is just a prop; it isn’t even 
  a decent mundane weapon.
  KAPILASA  
  PLOT SEEDS
  An Indian superheroine 
  visits the city on a good-
  will tour. The heroine 
  is also an Untouchable 
  who speaks out against 
  caste privilege. The PCs 
  must help the heroine 
  defend herself against 
  Kapilasa’s attempts to 
  kill her.
  Kapilasa possesses a 
  trusted associate of the 
  PCs and uses this iden-
  tity to enter their base. 
  When the heroes leave 
  on a mission, Kapilasa 
  opens the base to the 
  Devil’s Advocates. When 
  the heroes return, they 
  discover the Advocates 
  have stolen all their 
  mystic tomes and arti-
  facts and installed a 
  series of booby-traps in 
  the base.
  Kapilasa starts a massive 
  gang war by possess-
  ing one mobster after 
  another. The heroes 
  must ﬁnd what’s going 
  on and ﬁnd a way to 
  stop the vengeful gang-
  sters before their ﬁght-
  ing destroys the city.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  35 
  TARTARUS
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   50 STR 
  32* 
  19- 
  Lift 25.6 t; 10d6 [5]
   21 DEX 
  26* 
  13- 
  OCV:  7/DCV:  7
   23 CON 
  21* 
  14-
   13 BODY 6 
  12-
   13 INT 
  3 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   11 EGO 
  2 
  11- 
  ECV:  4
   20 PRE 
  8* 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  4d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   30 PD 
  16* 
   
  Total:  30 PD (15 rPD)
   30 ED 
  20* 
   
  Total:  30 ED (15 rED)
   5 SPD 
  15* 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   15 REC 
  0*
   60 END 
  6*
   50 STUN 0* 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  155
  *:  OIHID (-¼)
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
   
  Flight:  17”/136”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  48 
  Infernal Claws And Fangs:  HKA 2d6  
  (4d6 with STR), Penetrating (+½),  
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½);  
  OIHID (-¼) 
  0
  50 
  Demonic Powers:  Multipower, 62-point 
  reserve; all OIHID (-¼)
  5u 
  1)  Hellﬁre Bolt:  RKA 3d6+1, Reduced 
  Endurance (½ END; +¼); OIHID (-¼) 
  2
  5u 
  2)  Soulﬁre Burst:  RKA 2d6, Aﬀects  
  Desolidiﬁed (+½), Area Of Eﬀect (One  
  Hex; +½); OIHID (-¼) 
  6
  5u 
  3)  Torment Of Guilt:  Ego Attack 2d6,  
  Continuous (+1), Uncontrolled (until  
  target makes an EGO Roll at -3, check  
  at each Post-Segment 12 recovery; +½), 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½);  
  OIHID (-¼) 
  0
  5u 
  4)  Object Of Desire:  Major Transform  
  3d6 (create object from nothing, heals  
  back through another application of this 
  power), Improved Results Group (any  
  nonliving object; +¼); OIHID (-¼) 
  6
  3u 
  5)  Dark Passions:  Mind Control 10d6,  
  Telepathic (+¼); OIHID (-¼), Only To 
  Control/Inﬂict Emotions (-½) 
  6
  12 
  Scaled Hide:  Damage Resistance  
  (15 PD/15 ED); OIHID (-¼) 
  0
  8 
  Demonic Mind:  Mental Defense  
  (10 points total) 
  0
  5 
  Mystic Defense:  Power Defense (5 points) 0
  7 
  Demonic Regeneration:   Healing 1d6  
  (Regeneration; 1 BODY per Turn),  
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½),  
  Persistent (+½), Self Only (-½), Extra  
  Time (1 Turn; -1¼) 
  0
  19 
  Infernal Adaptations And Spiritual  
  Immunities:  Life Support (Immunity:   
  all terrestrial diseases and biowarfare  
  agents; Longevity:  Immortality; Safe Envi-
  ronments:  Intense Cold, Intense Heat) 
  0
  29 
  Wings:  Flight 15”, x8 Noncombat,  
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼);  
  OIHID (-¼), Restrainable (-½) 
  2
  4 
  Demonic Eyes:  Infrared Perception (Sight 
  Group); OIHID (-¼) 
  0
   
  Skills
  3 
  Bribery 13-
  3 
  Cryptography 12-
  4 
  Forgery (Art Objects) 13-
  2 
  Language: English (ﬂuent conversation; 
  Dutch is Native)
  2 
  Language:  French (ﬂuent)
  2 
  PS: Antiquities Appraiser 11-
  2 
  SS: Archaeology 11-
  3 
  Streetwise 13-
  3 
  Teamwork 13-
  3 
  Trading 13-
  3 
  Scholar
  4 
  1)  KS: Art History And Styles 14-
  1 
  2)  KS: Art Market 11-
  4 
  3)  KS: Art Techniques 14-
  1 
  4)  KS: Heraldry, Signets, And Hallmarks 11-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  245
  Total Cost:  400
  200+ Disadvantages
  15 
  Accidental Change:  in presence of demons 
  or demonic magic 14- (Uncommon)
  20 
  Hunted:  assorted governments 8- (Mo Pow, 
  NCI, Capture)
  10 
  Hunted:  Witchﬁnder 8- (As Pow, Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:  Abrahamic Churches 8- (Less Pow, 
  NCI, Remove Powers)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Showoﬀ In 
  Combat (Very Common, Strong)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Greedy For Art 
  Treasures (Common)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Protective Of Art 
  Treasures (Uncommon, Strong)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Jos Ter-
  hune) (Frequently, Major)
  20 
  Susceptibility:  to holy water, places, and 
  objects, 1d6 damage per Phase of exposure 
  (Common)
  5 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x STUN from Blessed 
  Attacks/Weapons (Uncommon)
  65 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  400
  Background/History:  Jos Terhune obtained his 
  degrees in Art History and Archaeology before 
  he realized few employers really needed someone 
  who could authenticate ﬁfteenth-century Persian 
  miniatures or Roman frescoes. Eventually he found 
  art collectors who paid him to use his exper-
  tise... though the “dubious provenance” of their 
  art objects often included theft or looting from 
  archaeological digs. Working for the black market 
  beat starving, however, and Jos was too proud to 
  take other work.
  One client brought Jos to a seedy back room in 
  Marrakech, where an equally seedy old man oﬀered 
  an ornate, bone-handled dagger for sale. After an 
  hour, Jos announced it was twelfth-century French 
  work, though of unusual design, and bore the arms 
  of an obscure, long-defunct noble family called de 
  TARTARUS  
  PLOT SEEDS
  Do the heroes need an 
  antiquities dealer to ﬁnd 
  some mystic artifact or old 
  manuscript? Their con-
  tacts could lead them to 
  Terhune, who has a repu-
  tation for honest dealing 
  and conﬁdentiality despite 
  (or because of) his unsa-
  vory clientele. As long as 
  Jos doesn’t know who the 
  characters really are, he 
  helps them to the best of 
  his ability. Once he real-
  izes that the heroes seek a 
  mystical object, he tells the 
  Demonologist, who might 
  want to ﬁnd out more 
  about Jos’s clients.
  The PCs don’t know 
  that Tartarus is anything 
  but a demon when the 
  Trismegistus Council 
  gives them a talisman 
  that binds demons in Hell 
  for a hundred years. The 
  heroes use it on Tarta-
  rus... and right before he 
  vanishes, he changes back 
  into Jos. They just sent a 
  living man to Hell! Do the 
  heroes rescue Jos from 
  Hell, or do they ﬁgure he 
  got what he deserved? A 
  rescue might convince 
  Tartarus to reform, while 
  leaving him in Hell means 
  he eventually comes back 
  (villains always come 
  back), but far more evil 
  and powerful... and deter-
  mined to kill the PCs.
  The magic dagger that 
  turned Jos into Tartarus 
  was one of a pair. Jos 
  ﬁnds this information 
  at about the same time 
  the PCs ﬁnd the other 
  dagger (perhaps used by 
  a DEMON cell or owned 
  by a member of the Circle 
  Of The Scarlet Moon). Jos 
  wants the dagger so he 
  can turn a woman he lusts 
  after into a demon-hybrid 
  like himself. Tartarus tries 
  to steal the dagger from 
  the heroes, perhaps with 
  the help of hired villains 
  or other Advocates. The 
  woman who obsesses 
  Tartarus could be some-
  one close to a PC, whom 
  Jos met in his Secret 
  Identity.
  
  36 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  Morphant. Jos’s client sighed, and began dickering 
  with the old Moroccan. The Arabic argument grew 
  heated.
  Then Jos’ client reached in his jacket — the old 
  man drew a gun — everyone was rolling on the ﬂoor 
  — shots rang out — and Jos held the bloody dagger. 
  His client lay bleeding and unconscious from a gun-
  shot to the stomach, while the Moroccan lay dead 
  with a slit throat. The blood smoked as the dagger 
  glowed, shadows curdled into a grotesque ﬁgure that 
  turned to survey the carnage. Jos lashed out in terror 
  and the burning dagger plunged into the demon’s 
  chest. The dagger and the demon both exploded.
  Flames ﬁlled the room and Jos crashed 
  through the brick wall in his panic. He dropped 
  three stories to the crowded street and people 
  screamed. Jos saw the reﬂection of a huge, ferocious 
  demon in a brass jar — and realized the reﬂection 
  was his own.
  Marrakech suﬀered three days and nights of ﬁre 
  and blood before superheroes came to put a stop to 
  Jos’s madness. The Demonologist came too, and he 
  found Jos ﬁrst. The Demonologist calmed Jos down 
  and bound the raging, uncontrolled demonic ener-
  gies that coursed through his body. Jos could now 
  resume his human form.
  The Demonologist convinced Jos that his des-
  tiny lay with the Devil’s Advocates. Jos’s rampage in 
  Marrakech had already made him a supervillain; 
  and his new, demonic half would demand an outlet 
  for its ferocity. The art expert joined the Devil’s 
  Advocates as Tartarus, the Fist of Hell.
  Personality/Motivation:  Before he became Tarta-
  rus, Jos had no faults greater than petty pride and 
  greed. He has learned to enjoy the violent pas-
  sions of his demonic self, though, especially rage 
  and lust. He also feels great pride in his power, 
  as well as avarice for the precious art objects he 
  studied but could not own before, and a helping 
  of gluttony — he’s developed a taste for gourmet 
  food, but he exercises so his body looks toned in 
  both human and demonic forms.
  Jos no longer fears his demonic form. At ﬁrst, 
  he stayed with the Demonologist so the sorcerer 
  could restrain him if he lost control again. As 
  Jos learned to enjoy acting as Tartarus, however, 
  his berserk rages faded. Tartarus now considers 
  the Demonologist a friend. He believes the Dark 
  Renaissance will bring him public glory as well as 
  wealth, power, and the art treasures he loves.
  Quote:  “BRREAK your BONES and FEEEED  
  on your — Watch out for that vase, you moron!  
  It’s Ming!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Tartarus can lift about 25 tons 
  and is nigh-invulnerable. He can ﬂy, rip through 
  armored walls with his teeth and claws, and project 
  hellﬁre in various ways. Jos can make other people 
  feel violent passions, or torment enemies with over-
  whelming guilt for the memories of their past sins. 
  Most recently, Tartarus learned to create any object 
  that he wants, so he can tempt people with posses-
  sions they desire. Jos’s skills, added to this power, 
  make him a supreme art forger. The Demonologist 
  thinks Jos might be able to evoke the powers of any 
  demon, including the power to buy souls.
  Tartarus often serves as a front-line ﬁghter, 
  but the Advocates have more devious uses for him 
  as well. The Dark Passions power can make people 
  act in ways they wouldn’t normally choose, while 
  Desired Objects let the Advocates recruit people 
  through bribery. The Advocates also value Jos’s 
  skills:  he continues his business as an art appraiser, 
  and uses this as a cover to locate mystic artifacts.
  In his human form, Jos has only a few minor 
  mystic defenses. Changing between forms takes a 
  full Turn of concentration to prepare, though the 
  change itself happens in a second once preparations 
  are complete. Transforming into Tartarus shreds 
  Jos’s clothing, so he does not take his demonic form 
  lightly when in public. Before missions, the Devil’s 
  Advocates stash spare clothing in out-of-sight 
  places so Jos can make his own escape if the team 
  must scatter. Sometimes Jos approaches a target in 
  human form (with a mundane disguise to preserve 
  his Secret Identity), and then changes into Tartarus 
  with a roar to terrify onlookers.
  Tartarus’s may cancel his action to rescue an 
  endangered art object — even Dive For Cover to 
  interpose himself — instead of protecting himself 
  and attacking the heroes. He may also use combat 
  tactics that leave him open to attack or are less than 
  optimum, such as Haymakers or attempting to sub-
  vert a female opponent through Dark Passions, just 
  because they would be so cool if they succeeded.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  37 
  Campaign Use:  See the introductory text for gen-
  eral information. Tartarus provides muscle for the 
  Devil’s Advocates. Although the Demonologist 
  never belittles Jos, his lack of true sorcery leaves 
  him a perpetual lackey in the team.
  If Tartarus lacks suﬃcient power to give 
  the heroes a good ﬁght, increase his STR and his 
  defenses until he can keep up. He could also gain 
  more Multipower slots. To increase his power in 
  a subtler way, give Tartarus a set of Transforms 
  — Physical, Mental, and Spiritual — so he can 
  grant wishes to people who sell him their souls and 
  thereby place themselves in his power. If Tartarus is 
  too powerful for your campaign, reduce his SPD so 
  he attacks less often, or decrease the size of his Mul-
  tipower reserve; most of the Multipower slots easily 
  scale back to 50 Active Points or so.
  The Fist of Hell does not normally Hunt char-
  acters unless the Devil’s Advocates do so as a group. 
  Tartarus would make an exception for a character 
  who, in his opinion, wantonly destroyed a work of 
  art. Tartarus would, indeed, consider himself a hero 
  for punishing the character.
  Appearance:  Jos Terhune is a slender but ﬁt white 
  man in his mid-30s, with short, blonde hair, a 
  narrow face, and round glasses. As Tartarus, he 
  stands 6’3” tall with a massively muscular build. 
  Tartarus has scaled, dark red hide, batlike wings, 
  a long, heavy tail, a fanged muzzle, taloned hands 
  and feet, short, curving horns, and bone spurs 
  on his elbows, knees, ankles, and wing-joints. He 
  wears scarlet trunks with a hole in back for his 
  tail. Tartarus speaks in a growling but resonant 
  bass voice. He often roars and shouts gruesome 
  threats when he ﬁghts, but he doesn’t actually try 
  to eat his opponents.
  VILSIMBRA
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   8 STR 
  -2 
  11- 
  Lift 75 kg; 1½d6 [1]
   20 DEX 
  30 
  13- 
  OCV:  7/DCV:  7
   15 CON 
  10 
  12-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   23 INT 
  13 
  14- 
  PER Roll 14-
   20 EGO 
  20 
  13- 
  ECV:  7
   25 PRE 
  15 
  14- 
  PRE Attack:  5d6
   20 COM 
  5 
  13-
   7 PD 
  5 
   
  Total:  19 PD (6 rPD)
   7 ED 
  4 
   
  Total:  19 ED (6 rED)
   5 SPD 
  20 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   5 REC 
  0
   30 END 
  0
   22 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  120
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  133 
  Illusion Mastery:  Variable Power Pool  
  (Magic Pool), 80 base + 40 control cost, 
  Cosmic (+2); Only For Illusions (-1),  
  Variable Limitations (requires -½ worth  
  of Limitations; -¼) 
  var
  51 
  Faerie Magic:  Variable Power Pool  
  (Magic Pool), 40 base + 20 control cost; 
  Focus (all powers must have at least -½ 
  worth of Focus; -½), Takes Hours To  
  Change (-¼) 
  var
  26 
  Personal Illusions:  Multipower, 32-point 
  reserve; all Will Not Work Against Tradi-
  tional Means Of Seeing Faeries (-¼)
  2u 
  1)  Walk Unseen:  Invisibility to Sight  
  Group, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); 
  Will Not Work Against Traditional Means  
  Of Seeing Faeries (-¼) 
  0
  3u 
  2)  Change Appearance:  Shape Shift  
  (Sight, Hearing and Touch Groups, any 
  humanoid shape), Costs Endurance Only  
  to Change (+¼); Will Not Work Against  
  Traditional Means Of Seeing Faeries (-¼) 3
  9 
  Faerie Dagger:  HKA 1d6, Penetrating  
  (+½); OAF (-1), No STR Bonus (-½) 
  2
  9 
  Faerie Warding Amulet:  Armor  
  (6 PD/6 ED); OAF (-1) 
  0
  3 
  Faerie Warding Amulet:  +6 PD; OAF (-1) 0
  3 
  Faerie Warding Amulet:  +6 ED; OAF (-1) 0
  4 
  Faerie Warding Amulet:  Power Defense  
  (8 points); OAF (-1) 
  0
  11 
  Slippery Mind:  Mental Defense  
  (15 points total) 
  0
  3 
  Iron Will:  Damage Resistance  
  (6 Mental Defense) 
  0
  5 
  Unaging:  Life Support (Longevity:   
  Immortality) 
  0
  12 
  See Through Illusions:  +8 PER with All  
  Sense Groups; Only To Penetrate  
  Illusions, Magical Concealments, And  
  The Like (-1) 
  0
  17 
  Perceive Magic:  Detect Magic 14- (no  
  Sense Group), Discriminatory, Range, Sense 0
  What’s In A Name?
  ‘I already killed a villain 
  called Tartarus. There’s 
  another one? Doesn’t matter, 
  I’ll kill him too.’
  —the vigilante Thunderbird
  
  38 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
   
  Perks
  2 
  Fringe Beneﬁt:  Faerie Lower Nobility
   
  Talents
  8 
  Translation Earring:  Universal Translator 
  14-; IAF (-½), Only Spoken Language (-1)
   
  Skills
  3 
  Acting 14-
  3 
  Concealment 14-
  3 
  Conversation 14-
  3 
  Deduction 14-
  3 
  Disguise 14-
  3 
  High Society 14-
  3 
  AK: Land Of Legends 14-
  2 
  AK: Babylon 11-
  2 
  AK: Netherworld 11-
  3 
  KS: Faerie Magic 14-
  3 
  KS: Inner Plane Entities 14-
  3 
  KS: Mythology 14-
  3 
  Mimicry 14-
  3 
  Persuasion 14-
  3 
  PS: Psychologist 14-
  3 
  Seduction 14-
  3 
  Stealth 13-
  3 
  Teamwork 13-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  353
  Total Cost:  473
  200+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Hunted:  assorted governments 8- (More 
  Pow, NCI, Capture/Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:  Witchﬁnder 8- (As Pow, Capture/
  Kill)
  15 
  Hunted:  Ectolian Prince 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, 
  Mildly Punish [hinder and annoy])
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Fear Of Bright 
  Light (Very Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Vengeful 
  (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Manipulative 
  (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Susceptibility:  to ferrous metal, 1d6 damage 
  per Turn (Common)
  15 
  Susceptibility:  to sunlight, 1d6 damage per 
  Minute (Very Common)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x STUN from ferrous 
  weapons (Common)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x BODY from ferrous 
  weapons (Common)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x Eﬀect from light-based 
  Flash attacks (Common)
  118 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  473
  EXAMPLE POWERS FOR ILLUSION  
  MASTERY POWER POOL
  Blood Moon:  If Vilsimbra wants, she can cast 
  illusions over wide areas. To strike panic on a 
  worldwide scale, she can produce an unscheduled 
  eclipse of the Moon, turning its orb blood-red. This 
  requires her total concentration, however.
  Sight Group Images, -6 to PER Rolls, 1” radius, 
  MegaScale (1” = 10,000 km; +1¼), Reduced 
  Endurance (½ END; +¼) (70 Active Points); 
  Concentration (0 DCV throughout; -1), Set 
  Eﬀect (make the Moon look blood-red; -1). 
  Total cost:  23 points.
  Conceal Peril:  Vilsimbra can create illusions against 
  unusual senses — including magical senses and 
  Danger Sense. This enables the Devil’s Advocates to 
  set traps and ambushes with greater assurance that 
  a foe will not anticipate the attack.
  Mystic Sense Group and Danger Sense Images, 
  -12 to PER Rolls, Increased Area (4” radius, 
  +½) (76 Active Points); Extra Time (1 Turn to 
  activate; -¾), Gestures (-¼), Incantations (-¼), 
  1 Continuing Charge lasting 1 Hour (-¼). Total 
  cost:  30 points.
  Fairy Treasures:  Legend speaks of faerie-folk 
  paying in gold that turns to dead leaves. Modern 
  folk seldom do business in gold coins, so Vilsimbra 
  updates the legend. She can make illusory kru-
  gerrands, but also diamonds, stacks of $100 bills, 
  jars of cocaine, or whatever else a foolish mortal 
  might consider precious. A few hours after the 
  mortal receives his payment, however, his “treasure” 
  becomes trash:  the diamonds are glass, the money 
  is cut newspaper, and the heroin is chalk dust. Use 
  the standard rules on page 153 of the HERO System 
  5th Edition rulebook to determine the value of what 
  she creates. This value disappears when the Trans-
  form reverses, leaving worthless trash behind.
  Major Transform 1d6 (creates seemingly real 
  and valuable “treasures” from nowhere, heals 
  a few hours later), Improved Results Group 
  (whatever someone considers precious; +¼), 
  Invisible To Sight Group (+½) (26 Active 
  Points); IAF (bag or other container Vilsimbra 
  can pull the treasure from, so she doesn’t obvi-
  ously create it from nowhere; -½). Total cost:  
  17 points.
  Friend To Foe:  Vilsimbra makes an opponent see 
  one of his allies as one of his enemies, and the 
  reverse, so he attacks the wrong person. This is a 
  major but not total change to a setting, requiring 
  and EGO +10 eﬀect on the Mental Illusions. Since 
  Gestures, Incantations, or some other “magical” act 
  would defeat the illusion’s purpose, Vilsimbra must 
  fall back on an Activation Roll to cast the spell.
  Mental Illusions 15d6 (75 Active Points); Acti-
  vation Roll 14- (-½). Total cost:  50 points.
  EXAMPLE POWERS FOR FAERIE MAGIC 
  POWER POOL
  Fairy Ring:  Vilsimbra can create portals to and 
  from the Land Of Legends. In additional to the 
  most traditional fairy ring — a circle of mush-
  rooms — Vilsimbra can send vines growing 
  between two nearby trees to form a doorway, or 
  create other symbolic portals as Foci for the magi-
  cal eﬀect. Vilsimbra can only link locations on 
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  39 
  Earth and the Land Of Legends that already look 
  similar, so a person does not immediately know he 
  has entered another world.
  Extra-Dimensional Movement (one physi-
  cal location in the Land Of Legends), Trigger 
  (person enters ring or portal; +¼), Usable By 
  Other (+¼), Invisible To Sight Group (person 
  doesn’t know he’s crossed dimensions, though 
  other people see him disappear; +½) (40 Active 
  Points); IAF Immobile (fairy ring or portal;  
  -1½), 16 Charges (-0). Total cost:  16 points.
  Ivy Bow:  This wooden bow has a few ivy leaves 
  twined about each end. The arrows turn into 
  lengths of living ivy that wrap around Vilsimbra’s 
  target, immobilizing him and perhaps rooting him 
  to the ground.
  Entangle 4d6, 4 DEF (40 Active Points); OAF 
  (-1), 8 Charges (-½). Total cost:  16 points.
  Living Chair:  This wooden chair can sprout wooden 
  hands to restrain a person who sits in it, and walk 
  about on its carved legs.
  Telekinesis (20 STR), Trigger (victim sits in 
  chair; +¼) (37 Active Points); IAF Bulky (-1), 
  Aﬀects Whole Object (-¼), Costs Endurance 
  (to activate; -¼), Only To Hold Victim (-1), 
  1 Continuing Fuel Charge (1 Hour; -0). Total 
  cost:  11 points.
  Background/History:  The immortal faerie-folk con-
  stantly struggle against boredom. Some cultivate 
  art and music to help the centuries pass. Others 
  amuse themselves by playing games. The svartalfar, 
  the subterranean Dark Elves from Norse mythol-
  ogy, are of the latter sort. Their game is power. Each 
  svartalf noble constantly jockeys for prestige and 
  position in their tiny underground principalities.
  Vilsimbra, Contessa-Minore of the Second 
  Ectolian House of the Onyx Kingdom, attempted 
  a coup against her prince. She thought her people 
  wasted their power on their insular little feuds and 
  intrigues, and should look outward to dominate 
  others. In past ages, the svartalfar had wielded 
  great power in the mortal world. They should do so 
  again!
  Vilsimbra’s coup failed, and the Ectolian 
  Prince punished her with perpetual exile — “per-
  petual” meaning until she could ﬁnesse the clan 
  into accepting her back. Most svartalfar would 
  try to build a new power base through alliance 
  with another clan. Vilsimbra did not:  that was just 
  more of the same old game. Not only did she leave 
  the caverns of the Onyx Kingdom, she left Faerie 
  entirely. On Earth, she felt, she would ﬁnd novelty, 
  excitement — and sources of power her stay-at-
  home cousins never imagined. She wouldn’t just 
  win her way back into Clan Ectol, she would return 
  already a queen.
  After a few years spent playing with human-
  ity, Vilsimbra met the Demonologist. He was quite 
  clever, for a human, and saw ways they could help 
  each other. Astoundingly, he wanted the Dark Elves 
  to return to Earth, so Vilsimbra joined his alliance 
  of sorcerers. The Devil’s Advocates could be just 
  the power base she needed; and matching wits and 
  powers against Earth’s heroes was... intense.
  In a stalactite-hung cavern of the Onyx King-
  dom, the Ectolian Prince watched a mirror of black 
  glass. It showed the Demonologist introducing 
  Vilsimbra to the other Devil’s Advocates. She was 
  young, the Prince thought — only a thousand years 
  old, as mortals reckoned such things. He was much 
  older, and remembered the ages when the svartalfar 
  freely meddled with humanity. In time, the errant 
  Contessa-Minore would also learn the futility of 
  playing with shortlifers:  just when you put yourself 
  in a position to push a few of them around, they’d 
  die of old age, the continent would sink, or some-
  thing similarly tedious would spoil everything. 
  It was so hard to build anything enduring. In the 
  meantime, it might be amusing to make sure Vil-
  simbra did not gain too much power. Being mur-
  dered was so inelegant. The Prince smiled, without 
  cruelty or compassion, and blanked the glass.
  Personality/Motivation:  Vilsimbra may feel impa-
  tient with her people’s endless games of power 
  and manipulation, but unconsciously she plays the 
  same games. She constantly tries to psychologi-
  cally dominate others, to be the one in control of 
  
  40 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  the situation. Though her illusion power is useful 
  for keeping people oﬀ balance, she doesn’t rely on 
  it exclusively. She’s very good at “reading” people to 
  ﬁnd sensitive topics and psychological limitations 
  to exploit. If she faces a chivalric male character, 
  her tough, cool exterior cracks under pressure, 
  leading to a tearful plea for help; a character driven 
  by the death of her parents might receive prob-
  ing questions about her family life. Vilsimbra does 
  this even with the other Devil’s Advocates, to their 
  annoyance. Vilsimbra rarely shows her true feelings.
  Quote:  “What rare sport you mortals provide!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Vilsimbra is a skilled sorceress 
  who specializes in illusions. Her ﬁnesse at magical 
  concealment and deception has few equals — she 
  can create illusions that aﬀect any sense imaginable, 
  including exotic or supernatural senses such as 
  Danger Sense or Aura Vision. In addition to Images 
  and Mental Illusions, her illusion pool can produce 
  Darkness, Invisibility, Transform, or other Powers 
  — but the special eﬀect must always be an illusion, 
  with little or no ability to work actual changes to, or 
  otherwise aﬀect, the physical world. Vilsimbra can 
  use her innate magic to make herself invisible or 
  disguise herself, but her true appearance is revealed 
  to people who employ traditional protections 
  against faerie glamour (such as a four-leaf clover or 
  wearing a jacket turned inside-out).
  Vilsimbra can also enchant objects for 
  nearly any purpose. She routinely carries a 
  number of minor magic items. These and her 
  dagger provide her only physical attacks. Vilsim-
  bra’s magic items usually look like finely-made 
  but ordinary objects such as a glove, a chair, a 
  weapon, or an item of jewelry.
  Although Vilsimbra can use her magic in 
  obvious ways to attack or defend, she relies on 
  illusion whenever possible. Her illusions cannot 
  directly harm an enemy, but she is very cunning 
  at creating false threats, hiding existing dangers 
  (such as deep holes, high tension wires, or her 
  teammates), and keeping enemies from know-
  ing the real situation. The Devil’s Advocates fre-
  quently employ her illusions to deceive heroes 
  about their true activities or objectives.
  Campaign Use:  See the introductory text for gen-
  eral information. Vilsimbra serves as the misdi-
  rection specialist for the Devil’s Advocates. Her 
  illusions make her one of the team’s getaway and 
  breakout experts, too.
  More generally, Vilsimbra gives the Devil’s 
  Advocates access to the realm of mythology and 
  fairy tales. Despite the Contessa-Minore’s disgrace, 
  she can pull allies or magic items from the Land Of 
  Legends when it suits the GM’s plot.
  The Ectolian Prince does not hunt Vilsimbra 
  through anything so crude as physical attacks, by 
  himself or by proxy. Instead, he uses his magic to 
  hinder her in subtle ways, such as giving heroes 
  clues in dreams or making things fall at inconve-
  nient moments. The Prince never declares himself 
  openly to heroes, but he unintentionally leaves 
  traces when his spells directly aﬀect characters. For 
  instance, he appears brieﬂy in a dream-sending, 
  or a hero he Aids in a tight moment glimpses his 
  reﬂection in a window.
  The GM can make Vilsimbra more powerful 
  by increasing her Power Pools or giving her more 
  magic items, but she really isn’t meant to face heroes 
  in open combat. If you want to make her less power-
  ful, reduce the size of her Power Pools and/or place 
  more restrictions (Limitations) upon them.
  Vilsimbra’s vengeful streak makes her quite 
  likely to hunt PCs who thwart her. She still avoids 
  direct, physical confrontation, preferring to dupe an 
  enemy into a trap, or into ﬁghting someone else.
  Appearance:  Vilsimbra stands a slender 5’1” tall. 
  She dresses in dark green and purple silk (the Ecto-
  lian clan colors) with a high-collared black cape, 
  accented with silver jewelry and piping. Her protec-
  tive amulet is her cape clasp, a large purple gem in a 
  silver setting. It ﬂashes violet, the same shade as her 
  eyes, whenever she is struck. Vilsimbra’s skin and 
  hair are glossy black. Her face is classically elven:  
  narrow, sharp-featured, with pointed ears and 
  upswept brows.
  VILSIMBRA  
  PLOT SEEDS
  Vilsimbra kidnaps and 
  takes the place of the 
  person a hero loves 
  most, and proceeds to 
  crush his heart and rip 
  his life to shreds — from 
  having an aﬀair with his 
  best friend to revealing 
  his Secret Identity to 
  the world. Why? Just for 
  the fun of it. If the hero 
  doesn’t ﬁgure out what’s 
  going on, Vilsimbra 
  eventually gets bored 
  and returns the loved 
  one, who has no idea 
  what happened.
  Vilsimbra recruits crea-
  tures from Faerie to 
  take over a rural region. 
  The Devil’s Advocates 
  intend this as a beach-
  head for a larger inva-
  sion. No region in the 
  developed world is that 
  remote, however, so sto-
  ries about hags, giants, 
  and other fantastic 
  creatures ﬁlter into the 
  tabloid press (possibly 
  mislabeled as aliens). 
  The longer the heroes 
  ignore these stories, the 
  more villages fall under 
  the Advocates’ control 
  and the harder time they 
  have repelling the faerie 
  invasion.
  The Ectolian Prince uses 
  his illusions to lure the 
  heroes through a nexus 
  to Faerie. Fortunately, a 
  talking owl tells the PCs 
  how to return to Earth. 
  Their quest incidentally 
  leads them to exactly 
  the magic item they 
  need to thwart the next 
  scheme of the Devil’s 
  Advocates... the prince’s 
  true goal, but he won’t 
  help the PCs survive the 
  quest if they break the 
  fairy-tale rules of the 
  Land Of Legends.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  41 
  Membership:  Vulshoth, Deizzhorath, and others; also 
  servants such as Tappan Arkwright III
  Background/History:  Eons before humanity, beings 
  of mind-numbing power roamed the planes. The 
  secret lore of kabbalism obliquely calls these enti-
  ties the Kings of Edom — beings from unstable 
  worlds God created and destroyed before Earth’s 
  cosmos. Parables from cosmic oracles and the rav-
  ings of mystics driven mad by studying the Kings 
  suggest these entities came from dimensions that 
  fell to Oblivion eons ago. Age after age, they moved 
  from one plane to another, becoming more and 
  more powerful. For billions of years no other power 
  could stand against them. Not one in a thousand 
  worlds might suﬀer a King of Edom’s visit in a 
  million years — but where Kings of Edom came, 
  they and their servant creatures brought incredible 
  horror and destruction.
  At last, other powers made alliances across 
  the dimensions. Again, only hints and mysteri-
  ous names survive in mystic lore:  the Fire-Bearer, 
  the Lords of the Jeweled Spider, the Angel of Cold 
  Shadow, and many more. Even together, these 
  mighty beings could not destroy all the Kings of 
  Edom, but the surviving Kings were weakened and 
  bound in hidden, empty prison dimensions and 
  barren worlds.
  Unfortunately, the binding was not complete 
  and the Kings not entirely forgotten. Some servant 
  creatures and artifacts of power escaped destruc-
  tion. Wizards learned to contact the Kings. A few 
  mystics even made pacts with them, pulling out 
  trickles of a King’s power, perhaps receiving a ser-
  vant monster, in exchange for working to free the 
  ancient horrors.
  Usually, these mystics did not intend to honor 
  their pacts. Usually, these mystics also went mad 
  or suﬀered horrible deaths when the Kings lost 
  patience with their treachery:  connections work 
  both ways. Sometimes, however, sorcerers genu-
  inely sought to free the Kings. None succeeded, 
  but they founded mad cults, crafted magic items 
  that gave the Kings more beachheads on reality, 
  and liberated, bred, or became more of the Kings’ 
  monstrous servants. Slowly, the Kings’ power grew 
  and the bindings upon them broke, one by one. On 
  some horror-haunted worlds, cults of the Kings and 
  their hideous minions rule openly.
  Earth was once such a world. Before Atlantis, 
  before the Turakian Age and the reign of Takofanes, 
  before even the Dragon, a race called the Elder 
  Worm ruled the forebears of humanity. The Elder 
  Worm worshipped the Kings of Edom. Perhaps 
  they even understood their monstrous gods. This 
  pre-human civilization met its end when the ﬁrst 
  true humans rebelled against it — aided and taught, 
  perhaps, by the nagas or some of the Kings’ ancient 
  foes. Yet, as with the more ancient purge against the 
  Kings of Edom, the Earth was not entirely cleansed 
  of the Elder Worm. Mighty servants of the Kings 
  remained hidden in dark and secret places of the 
  world, and the Elder Worm’s artifacts and places of 
  power would reappear to menace future ages and 
  lead unwary mortals to madness and doom.
  The entity called the Slug, whom most humans 
  consider a mere supervillain, is one such survival. 
  (See Conquerors, Killers, And Crooks, page 198.) 
  The criminal cult called DEMON (described in 
  Champions Universe and the DEMON:  Servants 
  Of Darkness sourcebook) also serves the Kings 
  of Edom, though with far less understanding of 
  what it serves. For decades, DEMON has collected 
  Edomite artifacts while harvesting power from the 
  Netherworld and seeking mastery over human-
  ity. The members of the Inner Circle of DEMON 
  believe they can rouse the sleeping spawn of the 
  Kings, and their masters shall reward them with 
  dominion over the Earth as gods themselves.
  They could not be more mistaken.
  Despite bargaining with human sorcer-
  ers, Edomite creatures are not demons. Demons 
  embody human evil, with human (if unpleasant) 
  motivations. The Kings are not even gods, or at 
  least they are nothing like the gods of Earth. The 
  Kings of Edom do not need their worshippers. No 
  mystic law binds them to honor pacts. No symbols 
  or True Names can compel them to serve. DEMON 
  and most other servants of the Kings don’t realize 
  that to the Kings of Edom, dickering with humans 
  for power does not diﬀer much from a human lead-
  ing a donkey with a carrot. To the Kings, humans 
  are animals — at best, pets they can train, at worst, 
  food... or vermin, to exterminate once they serve 
  their purpose. If the Kings of Edom broke free and 
  took Earth for their own, the Inner Circle would 
  gain nothing except slavery more hideous than it 
  can imagine.
  Group Relations:  If the Kings suﬀer any disputes 
  among themselves, lesser creatures do not know 
  about it. Knowledgeable dimension lords and 
  cosmic entities warn that if one King escapes bond-
  age, it will surely free its brothers before long.
  Edomite minions are another matter. The 
  most monstrous and inhuman servants of the 
  Kings appear faultless in their loyalty. Humans 
  (and similar creatures), however, often act based 
  on what they think a god should want, without 
  truly understanding the Edomites’ desires. One 
  THE KINGS  
  OF EDOM
  
  42 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  cult might ﬁght another because of personal greed, 
  power-lust, or egotism; or because they hold dif-
  ferent beliefs about the nature of the Kings and 
  what they want. Diﬀerent cults and sorcerers might 
  cooperate if a King commanded it, but Edomites do 
  not understand humans much better than humans 
  understand them.
  For instance, DEMON does not know the 
  sorcerer Tappan Arkwright exists. If it did, it might 
  ask him to join as a Morbane... but would not oﬀer 
  him a place in the Inner Circle. Arkwright, however, 
  would not accept anything less, since he believes 
  DEMON’s leaders do not truly understand the 
  Kings. The Slug, meanwhile, would never work with 
  either Arkwright or DEMON:  to the Elder Worm, 
  they are just more humans to enslave.
  Tactics:  Each King of Edom is a unique creature 
  with its own distinctive appearance.  All of them 
  wield mighty mental and paraphysical powers of 
  some sort, including telepathy that crosses dimen-
  sions. Legends also agree the Kings themselves 
  are enormous creatures, strong and tough enough 
  to wreck cities without using mystical powers. 
  For all practical purposes they are immortal and 
  indestructible, and able to traverse dimensions and 
  interstellar distances at will.
  Edomite powers register faintly to special 
  senses as magic; but they also register as psionic, 
  and as other categories, too. For purposes of detec-
  tion, as well as Vulnerabilities and Susceptibilities, 
  Edomite powers count as Magic, Psionic, Cosmic, 
  and whatever sorts of Exotic Physics (gravitic, 
  transmutative physics, whatever) seems appro-
  priate to the GM... but all attempts to detect or 
  analyze Edomite powers take a -3 penalty, because 
  they don’t ﬁt precisely into any category. Detect-
  ing Edomite powers without a penalty requires an 
  Enhanced Sense specially tailored for that purpose.
  For purposes of Mental Powers, Edomites 
  fall within the Alien class of minds. (Alternately, 
  the GM could make them their own “Edomite 
  class of minds,” and adjust their Mental Powers to 
  add that class.)
  The Kings of Edom rarely aﬀect human aﬀairs. 
  They cannot wield much power in Earth’s dimen-
  sion without the help of magical devices (such as 
  the Scepter of Night, described on page 90 of The 
  Mystic World) or mortals they tempt with power or 
  drive insane through their telepathic sendings. Like 
  the Dragon, these alien gods can sometimes possess 
  a body created by magic — but such vessels carry 
  just a tiny fraction of a King’s power.
  The Kings do not direct their minions in any 
  coherent fashion... or maybe lesser beings just can’t 
  see plans that unfold over thousands of years. In 
  general, though, Kings of Edom merely supply 
  arcane knowledge, then let pacters work out for 
  themselves how to serve them. Edomite forces 
  follow various agendas. Some pacters, cultists, and 
  assorted minions try to rouse sleeping or trapped 
  Edomite monsters. Others try to spread the wor-
  ship of the Kings. Pacters often craft talismans that 
  channel their patron’s power. Such talismans also 
  connect other people to an Edomite’s inhuman 
  intellect and subvert their wills, recruiting more 
  servants for the Kings. The maddest servants of the 
  Kings try to make themselves more like their gods 
  through sorcery, alchemy, or twisted science and 
  surgery. They want to become Edomite monsters 
  themselves... and sometimes they succeed.
  Not all cultists, however, can pursue construc-
  tive goals. Isolated worshippers of the Kings tend to 
  wind up in maximum-security prisons or institu-
  tions for the criminally insane:  they killed to honor 
  their god, the law caught them, and they never 
  achieved the power they sought. Sometimes, a mad 
  worshipper tries to kill himself and as many other 
  people as possible, as a nihilistic sacriﬁce to his 
  demanding but unknowable god.
  For their part, Edomite monsters seldom 
  follow complex strategies. They seem content to 
  assist the plans of mortal pacters and cultists... until 
  their King loses patience and directs them to kill 
  their former ally. On their own, Edomites tend to 
  kill whatever hapless mortals cross their path. Some 
  of them, however, guard ancient fanes of the Elder 
  Worm or other lost civilizations, keeping them 
  ready for the day when the Kings shall rule again. 
  (For whatever reason, the Kings of Edom seem to 
  regard the Elder Worm more “highly” than Human-
  ity... though that may simply be a minor indulgence 
  granted a favored servant for a short while.)
  Campaign Use:  The Kings of Edom exist to help the 
  GM tell horror stories. Most simply, the GM can 
  use the Edomites as hideous, murderous monsters 
  for characters to ﬁght. On the other hand, Edomites’ 
  powers and weaknesses make them good oppo-
  nents for supernatural mysteries. The Kings’ mental 
  inﬂuence also provides a completely non-material 
  horror — of madness, of encountering the wholly 
  alien. Edomite cultists, meanwhile, oﬀer opportu-
  nities for social horrors, such as cult conspiracies 
  within governments, corporations, or other institu-
  tions; or the degradation that results when a com-
  munity abases itself before the unknown.
  Their sheer alien-ness sets Edomites apart 
  from other supernatural opponents. When charac-
  ters (and players) think they know the limits of the 
  Edomites, it’s time to do something completely dif-
  ferent. If the heroes think Edomites are just dumb, 
  rampaging monsters, show them the evil a King 
  can wreak using nothing but dreams. If they think 
  of these creatures as magical, use an Edomite in an 
  adventure of science gone wrong.
  Edomite monsters come in a wide range of 
  power, so the GM can use them in a wide range 
  of campaigns. In a Superheroic campaign, use 
  Edomites with enough power to give heroes a good 
  brawl; adjust the creatures’ attacks and defenses, 
  if necessary. Heroic-level characters can ﬁght 
  Edomite monsters if they plan carefully and take 
  advantage of a creature’s Disadvantages:  Edomites 
  tend to have signiﬁcant (if strange) weaknesses that 
  may provide the key to their defeat. The GM may 
  need to add more such weaknesses, or intensify 
  existing Disadvantages, in lower-power campaigns. 
  In Competent Normal campaigns, the characters’ 
  goal is not so much to ﬁght Edomites as to prevent 
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  43 
  them from appearing in the ﬁrst place. Whatever 
  the power level, the GM should reserve a direct 
  confrontation with a King as a once-in-a campaign 
  special event. A King’s escape loses its apocalyptic 
  terror if the players think, “What, again?”
  The Kings of Edom themselves cannot Hunt 
  characters in any physical sense. Repeated encoun-
  ters with Edomite monsters and magic, however, 
  can sensitize characters to the Kings’ telepathic 
  sendings. The Kings can torment heroes in their 
  dreams, though the visions may supply clues to 
  their bizarre magic and the plans of their minions. 
  Edomite minions may imagine the Kings want 
  them to Hunt characters — or they may decide 
  the heroes are too much a hindrance to their plans 
  to free their dread masters. The Kings themselves 
  probably don’t care:  after spending billions of years 
  trapped, they can wait a century for such annoying 
  vermin to die.
  KINGS OF EDOM  
  PLOT SEEDS
  A dimensional physics experiment accidentally 
  summons an angler. The creature escapes and starts 
  killing. As the heroes hunt the hyper-geometric 
  horror, the scientists try to summon more anglers:  
  the obsessed physicists believe the creatures can 
  lead them to incredible scientiﬁc breakthroughs. As 
  they summon more anglers to study, the creatures 
  start coming to Earth on their own.
  After a battle with Tappan Arkwright or a powerful 
  Edomite monster, the PCs discover the Edomites 
  actually conquered humanity years ago, but con-
  ditioned everyone not to see them and their mon-
  strous works. Humanity is dying out as cultists 
  build new, alien cities for their multiplying, mon-
  strous masters. But the details of this horriﬁc world 
  don’t add up. Actually, the characters are uncon-
  scious, defeated by their foe and sharing a dream 
  of the Kings’ plans for Earth. They must recognize 
  the dream and break out of it before their enemy 
  sacriﬁces them — and they can die or go mad in 
  the dream, as well.
  Archaeologists open a stone jar sealed thousands 
  of years ago and release a swarm of Mind Thieves. 
  The creatures start by possessing the archaeologists, 
  who start reconstructing an Elder Worm shrine. 
  If they aren’t stopped, much worse monsters will 
  invade the region.
  VULSHOTH 
  The Eye Of The Void
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   80 STR 
  70 
  25- 
  Lift 1.6 kt; 16d6 [4]
   21 DEX 
  33 
  13- 
  OCV:  7/DCV:  7
   50 CON 
  80 
  19-
   35 BODY 50 
  16-
   40 INT 
  30 
  17- 
  PER Roll 17-
   40 EGO 
  60 
  17- 
  ECV:  13
   30 PRE 
  20 
  15- 
  PRE Attack:  6d6
   0 COM 
  -5 
  9-
   40 PD 
  24 
   
  Total:  40 PD (40 rPD)
   40 ED 
  30 
   
  Total:  40 ED (40 rED)
   6 SPD 
  29 
   
  Phases:  2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
   30 REC 
  8
   100 END 
  0
   100 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  429
  Movement: 
  Running:  0”/0”
   
  Flight:  15”/30”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  150 
  Awesome Psychic Powers:  Multipower,  
  150-point reserve
  15u 
  1)  Control Mob:  Mind Control 10d6 
  (Human and Alien classes of minds),  
  Telepathic (+¼), Area Of Eﬀect  
  (16” Radius; +1¼) 
  15
  15u 
  2)  Master Of Dreams:  Mental Illusions 
  22d6 (Human and Alien classes of minds), 
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  6
  15u 
  3)  Mind Crush:  Ego Attack 11d6 (Human 
  and Alien classes of minds), Reduced  
  Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  6
  15u 
  4)  Multiversal Communion:  Telepathy  
  10d6 (Human and Alien classes of minds), 
  Indirect (+½), Transdimensional (any 
  dimension; +1) 
  15
  15u 
  5)  Multiversal Dreams:  Mental Illusions 
  10d6 (Human and Alien classes of minds), 
  Indirect (+½), Transdimensional (any 
  dimension; +1) 
  15
  15u 
  6)  Multiversal Search:  Mind Scan 13d6 
  (Human and Alien classes of minds),  
  Transdimensional (any dimension; +1) 
  15
  7u 
  7)  Space-Defying Eye:  Clairsentience  
  (Sight Group and Spatial Awareness),  
  125x Range (19,375”, or about 24 miles), 
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  3
  150 
  Black Tentacles:  Multipower, 150-point 
  reserve
  14u 
  1)  Remote Tentacle:  Telekinesis (36 STR), 
  Fine Manipulation, BOECV (+1), Reduced 
  Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  6
  15u 
  2)  Teleporting Tentacles:  Teleportation 20”, 
  Usable As Attack (defense is Teleportation; 
  +1), Ranged (+½), BOECV (+1), Reduced 
  Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  7
  15u 
  3)  Tentacle Mass:  Entangle 5d6, 5 DEF, 
  Takes No Damage From Attacks (physical; 
  +¼), Area Of Eﬀect (One Hex; +½),  
  Indirect (always originates from Vulshoth, 
  but can strike from any direction; +½),  
  No Range Modiﬁer (+½), Reduced Endur-
  ance (½ END; +¼) 
  7
  
  44 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  10u 
  4)  Tentacle Life Leech:  Drain BODY 4d6, 
  Delayed Return Rate (points return at the 
  rate of 5 per 5 Minutes; +½), Ranged (+½), 
  Area Of Eﬀect (One Hex; +½), Indirect 
  (always originates from Vulshoth, but can 
  strike from any direction; +½), No Range 
  Modiﬁer (+½), Reduced Endurance  
  (½ END; +¼); Only Versus Grabbed Or 
  Entangled Targets (-½) 
  7
  60 
  Edomite Enchantments:  Multipower,  
  150-point reserve; all slots Extra Time  
  (1 Minute; -1½)
  4u 
  1)  Arcano-Geometric Construction:   
  Major Transform 8d6 (create structures  
  with mystic powers), Improved Results 
  Group (any powers; +¼); OAF Bulky  
  (sturdy materials, suitably shaped and  
  assembled; -1½), Extra Time  
  (1 Minute; -1½) 
  15
  4u 
  2)  Call Edomite Monster:  Summon  
  600-point Edomite Monster, Expanded  
  Class (any Edomite being; +¼); OAF 
  Expendable (human sacriﬁces; -2), Extra 
  Time (1 Minute; -1½) 
  15
  3u 
  3)  Edomite Empowerment:  Major  
  Transform 3d6 (grant Edomite powers,  
  heals by SS: Genetics at -10 or success-
  ful Psionic Surgery [Mental Transform]), 
  Improved Results Group (any Edomite  
  form/powers; +¼), Indirect (+½),  
  Transdimensional (any dimension; +1); 
  Extra Time (1 Minute; -1½), Only  
  Works On Willing Targets (-1) 
  15
  5u 
  4)  Enslavement:  Major Transform 8d6 
  (person to insane worshipper, healed by 
  lobotomy or successful Psionic Surgery 
  [Mental Transform]), Works Against EGO, 
  Not BODY (+¼); No Range (-½), Extra  
  Time (1 Minute; -1½) 
  15
  4u 
  5)  Rip Dimensions:  Extra-Dimensional 
  Movement (any physical location in any 
  dimension), x4,000 Increased Mass (400 
  tons); Extra Time (1 Minute; -1½) 
  9
  60 
  Huge Beak:  HKA 4d6 (8d6 with STR) 
  6
  30 
  Horriﬁc Appearance:  +60 PRE; Only For 
  Fear-Based Presence Attacks (-1) 
  0
  47 
  Life Drain:  Drain BODY 2d6, Delayed  
  Return Rate (points return at the rate of  
  5 per 5 Minutes; +½), Continuous (+1), 
  Damage Shield (+½), Reduced Endurance  
  (0 END; +½); Only Versus Grabbed Or  
  Held By Myriad Clutching Tentacles; -½) 
  0
  80 
  Multiple Tentacle Attacks:  Autoﬁre  
  (5 shots; +½) for up to 80 STR, Reduced 
  Endurance (0 END; +1) 
  0
  90 
  Myriad Clutching Tentacles:  Telekinesis  
  (30 STR), Damage Shield (+½), Reduced 
  Endurance (0 END; +½) 
  0
  6 
  Myriad Clutching Tentacles:  Extra Limbs 
  (thousands), Inherent (+¼) 
  0
  75 
  Tentacle Reach:  Stretching 10”, Reduced 
  Endurance (0 END; +½) 
  0
  20 
  Tireless In Combat:  Reduced Endurance  
  (½ END; +¼) on 80 STR 
  0
  20 
  Alien Substance:  Hardened (+¼) for  
  40 PD/40 ED 
  0
  50 
  Alien Substance:  Damage Resistance  
  (40 PD/40 ED), Hardened (+¼) 
  0
  25 
  Alien Substance:  Power Defense  
  (20 points), Hardened (+¼) 
  0
  23 
  Cosmic Mind:  Mental Defense  
  (25 points total), Hardened (+¼) 
  0
  90 
  Cosmic Substance:  Life Support (Total, 
  including full Immunity as described in 
  Galactic Champions and Longevity:   
  Immortality) 
  0
  33 
  Plastic Alien Flesh:  Healing 2d6 (Regen-
  eration; 2 BODY per Turn), Resurrection 
  (others can stop resurrection by placing 
  Vulshoth in a timeless dimensional  
  prison), Reduced Endurance (0 END;  
  +½), Persistent (+½), Inherent (+¼);  
  Self Only (-½), Extra Time (1 Turn; -1¼) 0
  120 
  Vast Bulk:  Physical and Energy Damage 
  Reduction, Resistant, 75% 
  0
  30 
  Vast Bulk:  Knockback Resistance -15” 
  0
  52 
  Levitation:  Flight 15”, Reduced Endurance  
  (0 END; +½), Usable Underwater (+¼) 
  0
  30 
  Span The Stars:  FTL Travel (2 Light- 
  Years/Day) 
  0
  -12 
  Doesn’t Walk:  Running -6” (0” total)
  -2 
  Doesn’t Swim:  Swimming -2” (0” total)
  5 
  Alien Eyes:  Nightvision 
  0
  5 
  Alien Eyes:  Infrared Perception  
  (Sight Group) 
  0
  5 
  Alien Eyes:  Ultraviolet Perception  
  (Sight Group) 
  0
  15 
  Alien Eyes:  +10 versus Range Modiﬁer for 
  Sight Group 
  0
  5 
  Alien Eyes:  Increased Arc of Perception  
  (240 Degrees) for Sight Group 
  0
  27 
  Alien Senses:  Spatial Awareness  
  (no Sense Group), Ranged 
  0
  10 
  Alien Senses:  +10 versus Range Modiﬁer  
  for Spatial Awareness 
  0
  5 
  Alien Senses:  Increased Arc of Perception 
  (360 Degrees) for Spatial Awareness 
  0
  35 
  Psychic Attention:  Mind Link to any one 
  being (Human and Alien classes of minds), 
  any distance, any dimension 
  0
   
  Perks
  10 
  Fringe Beneﬁt:  Master of Edomites
  50 
  Fringe Beneﬁt:  God to various cults
   
  All the Bases it has time to build
   
  All the Followers it has a chance to recruit
   
  Skills
  3 
  KS: Edomite Arcano-Geometry 17-
  3 
  KS: Edomite Lore 17-
  3 
  Persuasion 15-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  1,579
  Total Cost:  2,008
  VULSHOTH  
  PLOT SEEDS
  DEMON ﬁnds a way 
  to force Tesseract (see 
  Conquerors, Killers, And 
  Crooks, page 202) to 
  work for them. She helps 
  steal a nuclear bomb 
  and the materials for 
  a ritual to open a Gate 
  to Vulshoth’s prison 
  dimension, and then 
  guides a strike team 
  through the Black Maze. 
  DEMON hopes to crack 
  Vulshoth’s shell. By the 
  time the heroes ﬁgure 
  out what’s going on, they 
  must ﬁnd their own way 
  through the Black Maze 
  and battle the agents 
  before they can turn 
  the bomb into a nuclear 
  demolition charge and 
  free Vulshoth.
  Vulshoth contacts a 
  drug-addicted DJ and 
  guides him to strange 
  but mesmerizing mixes 
  that open the listener’s 
  minds to the King of 
  Edom’s thoughts. A few 
  people who hear the DJ’s 
  performances go mad or 
  try to kill him, but many 
  clubbers love the new 
  sound. If the characters 
  cannot trace the wave of 
  madness to its source, 
  a club set will end with 
  the distant King of 
  Edom transforming the 
  revelers into a Spawn of 
  Vulshoth.
  Acting under Vulshoth’s 
  inﬂuence, Tappan Ark-
  wright brainwashes the 
  avant-garde architect of 
  a new museum (or con-
  cert hall, or other public 
  building) so it’s more 
  avant-garde than anyone 
  expected. The arcane 
  geometry of the alien-
  looking building collects 
  and ampliﬁes Vulshoth’s 
  mental emanations, so 
  the King of Edom can 
  materialize an avatar 
  of itself. The Spawn of 
  Vulshoth cannot leave 
  the building, but half 
  the glitterati in the city 
  are invited to its open-
  ing, possibly including 
  Continued on next page
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  45 
  200+ Disadvantages
  25 
  Distinctive Features:  giant, sanity-blasting 
  monster (Not Concealable; Cause Horror)
  25 
  Enraged:  Berserk if take BODY (Uncom-
  mon), go 11-, recover 11-
  20 
  Enraged:  Berserk if take STUN (Common), 
  go 8-, recover 14-
  15 
  Enraged:  by attempts to bind it or force its 
  behavior (Common), go 11-, recover 14-
  15 
  Hunted:   mysterious cosmic entities, 11- (As 
  Pow, Capture/Kill)
  20 
  Physical Limitation:  Colossal (125m sphere; 
  -12 DCV, +12 to PER Rolls to perceive) (All 
  The Time, Greatly Impairing)
  25 
  Psychological Limitation:  Utter, Inhuman 
  Evil (Very Common, Total)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Won’t Flee Con-
  frontation (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Fear Of Conﬁne-
  ment (Common, Strong)
  5 
  Reputation:  cosmic abomination, 8- 
  (Extreme, Limited Group [Mystic World])
  10 
  Unluck:  2d6
  10 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x STUN from Heat/Fire 
  attacks (Common)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x BODY from Heat/Fire 
  attacks (Common)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  2 x STUN from Radiation 
  Attacks (Uncommon)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  2 x BODY from Radiation 
  Attacks (Uncommon)
  1,578 Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  2,008
  Background/History:  Vulshoth is one of the more 
  powerful and well-known Kings of Edom. The vic-
  tors in the Edomite purge sealed Vulshoth into an 
  armored shell, warded the shell against every physi-
  cal, mystical, or psychic force imaginable, and hid 
  the shell in a lethal pocket dimension dubbed the 
  Black Maze. The Eye of the Void did not look upon 
  the Multiverse for eons.
  But over billions of years, Vulshoth pushed its 
  thoughts past the wards to contact old minions and 
  recruit new cultists. Its servants found the Black 
  Maze and removed its traps. One by one, the wards 
  on Vulshoth’s prison broke. The Eye of the Void 
  looks upon the Multiverse once more. Soon, very 
  soon, Vulshoth expects to reclaim its... property.
  Personality/Motivation:  Like all Kings of Edom, 
  Vulshoth is domineering, cold, and utterly alien. 
  Power and survival are about the only concepts 
  the Kings of Edom share with humanity.  Vulshoth 
  regards humans, even sorcerers who work to free it, 
  as little more than somewhat useful animals. And 
  animals, of course, must keep their place.
  Quote:  The Kings of Edom do not speak. Instead, 
  Vulshoth communicates by telepathically project-
  ing images directly into other minds. For instance, 
  an oﬀer to grant power in exchange for service 
  might go something like this:
  The great Eye hangs in the void where spiders 
  spin webs to catch the stars. You walk toward it, 
  unafraid. A huge barred gate blocks your path. 
  An axe appears in your hand.  With one blow, you 
  smash the gate.
  You stand then on a mountaintop, the world’s 
  masses kneeling at your feet. As the great ﬂying 
  worms swoop and feed the sky cracks apart and falls. 
  A great black hand descends, bearing a galaxy for 
  your crown, as the nations scream your name.
  Powers/Tactics:  Vulshoth is gigantic, tough, and 
  strong.  Its myriad tentacles can attack anyone who 
  comes near it, and it drains life force by touch.  It’s 
  so hideous that only the strongest personalities can 
  look at the King without going mad.
  On top of this, the Void’s Eye has vast psionic 
  powers:  it can open space warps to grab at enemies 
  from a distance, make clumps of grasping tentacles 
  erupt from the ground or thin air, force deadly 
  waking dreams on individuals or control groups 
  of weak-willed people.  Most grisly of all, it can 
  change captured humans into servant monsters to 
  extend its reign of terror.
  Fortunately, as long as Vulshoth stays impris-
  oned in its shell, it can only use part of its telepathic 
  powers. The Eye of the Void seldom sees people 
  who do not attract its notice through their knowl-
  edge of Edomites. It can read minds and send 
  dreams, but cannot do any more... unless a mad or 
  foolish mortal invites Vulshoth to transform him.
  Unfortunately, the powers listed here represent 
  a Vulshoth still weak from eons of bondage. Once 
  on an inhabited world, the Void’s Eye begins bloody 
  rituals to restore its full power. After a billion 
  the PCs. The evening 
  will end in madness and 
  massacre — or perhaps 
  with the civic leaders 
  worshipping the Void’s 
  Eye — if the characters 
  cannot defeat Tappan 
  Arkwright and destroy 
  the King of Edom’s 
  avatar.
  Continued from last page
  
  46 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  deaths, it sets out to free the other Kings of Edom... 
  and the reign of cosmic horror begins again.
  Campaign Use:  See the introductory text for gen-
  eral information. Most of the time, heroes encoun-
  ter the King of Edom through dreams and other 
  psychic projections, servant monsters and cultists, 
  and people given magical or monstrous powers by 
  the Void’s Eye. In the background, however, lurks 
  the threat of Vulshoth’s release. Preventing the 
  King’s escape could form the climax of a lower-
  powered campaign. Only superheroes, and quite 
  powerful ones at that, can hope to survive a ﬁght 
  with Vulshoth, let alone win and imprison it again.
  If the PCs are so powerful they actually can 
  ﬁght a cosmic abomination like Vulshoth, increase 
  the STR Vulshoth can use with Autoﬁre tentacle 
  attacks, and add a few dice of eﬀect to its mental 
  and tentacle-projecting attacks. The King of Edom’s 
  power should not be reduced. If the PCs cannot 
  survive a confrontation, give Vulshoth a Disad-
  vantage that enables the heroes to re-imprison or 
  destroy the King if they’re willing to sacriﬁce their 
  own lives. For instance, Vulshoth already has a Vul-
  nerability to heat and radiation. If a hero were will-
  ing to ﬂy a nuclear warhead right down Vulshoth’s 
  gullet, that could atomize the Void’s Eye. As it 
  stands, Vulshoth will still regenerate from being 
  vaporized, but the GM could decide that an atomic 
  bomb is enough to kill Vulshoth after all. Heroes 
  could also seek a spell that forces Vulshoth back 
  into its prison, or that summons an entity powerful 
  enough to battle the Eye of the Void.
  Appearance:  Vulshoth consists of ﬁve huge, ruby-
  red eyes around a parrot-like beak, all emerging 
  from a globular mass of slimy, greenish-black ten-
  tacles. It levitates with total disregard for gravity.
  HAND OF DEIZZHORATH
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   20 DEX 
  30 13- 
  OCV:  7/DCV:  7
   20 INT 
  10 13- 
  PER Roll 13-
   20 EGO 
  20 13- 
  ECV:  7
   4 SPD 
  10  
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
    
   
   
  Total Characteristics Cost:  70
  Cost Powers 
  END
  60 
  It Has No Body:  Desolidiﬁcation  
  (aﬀected by magic and as described in  
  the text), Reduced Endurance (0 END;  
  +½), Persistent (+½), Inherent (+¼);  
  Always On (-½) 
  0
  120 
  Deizzhorath’s Touch:  RKA 1d6, NND 
  (defense is Force Field; +1), Does BODY 
  (+1), Area Of Eﬀect (One Hex; +½),  
  Selective (+¼), Aﬀects Physical World 
  (+2), Continuous (+1), Damage Shield 
  (does damage in HTH combat;  
  +¾), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) 
  0
  292 
  Dimensional Transportation:  Extra- 
  Dimensional Movement (any physical  
  location in any dimension), x16 Increased 
  Mass, Aﬀects Physical World (+2), Usable  
  As Attack (defense is Extra-Dimensional 
  Movement; +1), Reduced Endurance  
  (0 END; +½) 
  0
  52 
  Alien Mind:  70 PRE, Damage Shield  
  (mental; +½); Only For Fear-Based  
  Presence Attacks (-1) 
  0
  10 
  Alien Mind:  Mental Defense  
  (14 points total) 
  0
  32 
  Alien Senses:  Spatial Awareness (no  
  Sense Group), Ranged, Increased Arc of  
  Perception (360 Degrees) 
  0
  30 
  Dimensional Interface:  Flight 10”,  
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) 
  0
  -12 
  Dimensional Interface:  Running -6”  
  (0” total)
  -2 
  Dimensional Interface:  Swimming -2”  
  (0” total)
  20 
  Part of Deizzhorath:  Mind Link to  
  Deizzhorath’s main body, Psychic Bond,  
  any distance, any dimension 
  0
   
  Skills
  13 
  AK: Everywhere in Space, Time, and  
  Dimension 23-
  3 
  KS: Cosmic Secrets 13-
  3 
  KS: Edomite Arcano-Geometry 13-
  3 
  KS: Edomite Lore 13-
  8 
  Navigation (Dimensional) 16-
  3 
  SS: Dimensional Science 13-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  635
  Total Cost:  705
  200+ Disadvantages
  25 
  Enraged:  when attacked eﬀectually 
  (Common), go 11-, recover 8-
  25 
  Physical Limitation:  No Physical Manipula-
  tion At All (All The Time, Fully Impairing)
  20 
  Physical Limitation:  Destroyed at 0 EGO 
  (Frequently, Fully Impairing)
  25 
  Psychological Limitation:  Incomprehensibly 
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  47 
  Alien (Very Common, Total)
  15 
  Susceptibility:  to any Transdimensional or 
  Teleportation-based attack, takes 3d6 Drain 
  EGO per attack (Uncommon)
  10 
  Susceptibility:  to any successful Mental 
  Attack, take 1d6 Drain EGO per attack 
  (Common)
  385 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  705
  Background/History:  Deizzhorath the Dissolver, 
  one of the mightiest and most enigmatic Kings 
  of Edom, was placed in a special prison dimen-
  sion. Every point of Deizzhorath’s prison is a Gate 
  to a million other points, all tangled and knotted 
  through space and time. Only such an inﬁnitely 
  complicated and recursive space could restrain a 
  creature made of mathematics and energy rather 
  than matter. The Dissolver is everywhere and 
  nowhere, scattered through all time, all-seeing but 
  unable to focus its attention or its all-destroying 
  touch... at least, not without help.
  Forces that violently twist the fabric of reality 
  may permit Deizzhorath to extrude a few ﬁlaments 
  of its million-dimensioned body into ordinary 
  space and time. Then the Dissolver can touch the 
  realms of matter for an instant and bring its gift 
  of annihilation. Unwary mortals sometimes create 
  miniscule beacons for the Dissolver in particle 
  accelerators, through malfunctioning warp drives, 
  or even through the thoughts of brilliant mathema-
  ticians who ponder inﬁnitely-dimensioned fractal 
  spaces. Deizzhorath’s brief manifestations may 
  be smaller than atoms or large enough to destroy 
  space dreadnoughts in an instant. Through magic, 
  however, the Kings’ servants can summon a bit of 
  Deizzhorath for a longer intrusion. For a few min-
  utes, or hours, the King of Edom can feel the mate-
  rial realm and make bits of it go away.
  Deizzhorath is too arcane and remote an entity 
  to attract cultists. Sorcerers and mystics sometimes 
  propitiate the King of Edom to gain visions of other 
  places, times, and dimensions, and to learn the 
  secrets of the Edomites’ geometrical magic. Deiz-
  zhorath can also send travelers through space, time, 
  and the dimensions. Contact with the Dissolver’s 
  mind is so disorienting, however, that only the fear-
  less or insane attempt it.
  Personality/Motivation:  The Dissolver’s placeless, 
  timeless consciousness is too alien even to describe 
  as evil. Deizzhorath values chances to localize a 
  bit of itself within space and time, and it destroys 
  everything around it (perhaps including its sum-
  moner), but the King shows no special cruelty. It 
  does not deliberately prolong a victim’s pain. Men-
  talists who dare to probe Deizzhorath’s mind do not 
  encounter hate or bloodlust or any comprehensible 
  emotion — just the sheer, mind-blowing inﬁnitude 
  of the Dissolver’s intellect. Deizzhorath might not 
  even be aware of its imprisonment.
  Quote:  None.
  Powers/Tactics:  Deizzhorath itself is indestructible, 
  since an attack could not harm the Dissolver unless 
  it could target every point of the Dissolver’s prison 
  dimension, through every moment of its existence. 
  By the same token, liberating the Dissolver would 
  require destroying its prison dimension everywhere 
  and everywhen at once. Mystics don’t worry about 
  the Million-Dimensioned One escaping in toto, 
  merely about its occasional irruptions into other 
  planes.
  Mystics call these intrusions the “Hands of 
  Deizzhorath.” They have about as much of the 
  King of Edom’s supernal awareness as the tip of 
  a human’s pinkie has of his nervous system — a 
  powerful, strong-willed intellect by human stan-
  dards, but nothing compared to the King itself. In 
  game terms, it’s built as a Computer to represent its 
  bizarre nature.
  A Hand of Deizzhorath has no physical body. 
  It’s just a collection of free-ﬂoating Powers guided 
  by an alien intelligence. Nothing aﬀects a Hand of 
  Deizzhorath except Mental Powers, Adjustment 
  Powers that alter its abilities directly, or attacks with 
  the Aﬀects Desolidiﬁed or Transdimensional Advan-
  tages. Mental and Transdimensional attacks reduce 
  the Hand’s EGO. When a Hand’s EGO drops to 0, 
  Deizzhorath withdraws from reality. Mental attacks 
  upon a Hand involve contact with Deizzhorath’s 
  pan-dimensional consciousness, however, which 
  can stun an unwary mentalist.
  
  48 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  The Dissolver can annihilate anything not 
  protected by a Force Field, or send willing targets to 
  other dimensions. A person would need some way 
  to communicate his desire to the Hand, though. 
  Sorcerers who make pacts with the Kings may learn 
  a special “code” by which they can tell Deizzhorath 
  where they want to go.
  Other Edomites, or mystics who study their 
  lore, can tell a Hand of Deizzhorath to attack 
  certain people or destroy particular objects, such 
  as the wall of a vault or an enemy sorcerer. Every 
  Turn, however, the Dissolver has an 11- chance of 
  losing interest in its task and probing and destroy-
  ing something else, for reasons that make no sense 
  at all. A Hand might pursue a random person, trace 
  elaborate geometrical designs in the street, demol-
  ish a building, anything. An attack that actually 
  harms a Hand has a good chance of attracting its 
  attention, causing it to try to kill the attacker, and 
  then anyone or anything else nearby.
  Campaign Use:  See the introductory text for gen-
  eral information. Edomite sorcerers or monsters 
  might summon a Hand of Deizzhorath to use 
  against an enemy. The Dissolver itself is too discon-
  nected from mortal aﬀairs to reach out from its 
  pan-dimensional prison and deliberately torment 
  a character, but an accidental link with its mind 
  could occur, resulting in both brilliant insight into 
  cosmic mysteries and magic, and utter madness. 
  Deizzhorath embodies the mystery, awe, and terror 
  of the unknown and unknowable.
   To make a Hand of Deizzhorath more pow-
  erful, increase the area of Deizzhorath’s Touch, or 
  increase the attack’s damage. To make a Hand less 
  powerful, remove the Area of Eﬀect on Deizzho-
  rath’s Touch, reduce the Hand’s SPD, or add Disad-
  vantages so the Hand is easier to destroy.
  Appearance:  A Hand of Deizzhorath looks like 
  a swirling globe of colorless ﬁligree fronds that 
  erupt and dissolve from a bright point hanging in 
  space. That point is impossible to localize, though, 
  because the Hand exists in more than three spatial 
  dimensions. Anything touched by a ﬁligree frond 
  dissolves into golden ﬂakes. These ﬂakes occupy 
  space, but have no other physical or chemical 
  properties, and themselves dissolve to nothing a 
  few hours later.
  Mystics who study Edomite lore believe a 
  connection exists between Deizzhorath and the 
  anglers; both are creatures of pure force and multi-
  dimensional geometry. Hands of Deizzhorath, how-
  ever, lack anglers’ peculiar inability to cross curving 
  lines, and Hands themselves display a geometry of 
  curves rather than angles.
  OTHER KINGS OF EDOM
  Many more Kings of Edom besides Vulshoth 
  and Deizzhorath exist. Some of the most prominent 
  or powerful of them include:
  Esleggua:  The Fear-Eater is either a lesser King 
  or a powerful and unique monster. It looks like a 
  huge pillar of fanged mouths and slimy tentacles. 
  Esleggua’s weird howl numbs all emotion, particu-
  larly the fear a person ought to feel as the Edomite 
  snatches victims to devour. Long exposure per-
  manently destroys the capacity for both fear and 
  empathy, turning humans into sociopathic wor-
  shippers of the Kings.
  Mgatrraor:  This lesser King looks like a cone of 
  blue-black jelly with a single huge eye ringed by 
  long, slender tentacles. From its base, Mgatrraor 
  can extrude tentacles with maws full of stone or 
  metal teeth. This Edomite specializes in atomic-
  scale psychokinesis, transmuting and reshaping 
  matter at will. Aside from this power’s combat 
  applications, Mgatrraor can quickly build struc-
  tures whose twisted, non-Euclidean geometry gives 
  them magical powers.
  Orogtha:  This King’s appearance is unknown on 
  Earth, but the scriptures of Edomite cultists call 
  it the Great Spawner and describe it as one of the 
  most powerful Kings. Orogtha specializes in mutat-
  ing and reshaping living creatures. Cultists who 
  want to become monsters often propitiate Orogtha. 
  The Great Spawner’s place or condition of impris-
  onment is not known, but a few sages suspect it 
  might be trapped in a microverse, from where it 
  may act upon other creatures’ genetic codes. On the 
  other hand, some mystic tomes say Orogtha buds 
  Edomite monsters from its own ﬂesh.
  Pthaar:  This King of Edom was buried in the heart 
  of a planet. Somehow, the planet moved into orbit 
  around a crimson star in a dimension much like 
  Earth’s. Over billions of years, life appeared and 
  evolved a race somewhat like humanity. The people 
  of this world, now called Sinnuris, worship Pthaar. 
  Massive, weirdly warped stone fanes allow Pthaar 
  to materialize projections of itself, called Pthaarkin. 
  Pthaar’s mad priests slaughter hundreds of thou-
  sands of Sinnurians every year as sacriﬁces to their 
  alien god, but seem unable to grant any greater 
  freedom to the Master of the Scarlet Sun. Pthaar 
  is also called the Phantast because of its special 
  facility at mind-twisting illusion and materializing 
  quasi-solid minions from psychic force. Pthaarkin 
  normally look like a fusion of snake and toad, with 
  batlike wings and a nest of tentacles around the 
  mouth, but the Phantast can project avatars with 
  any appearance. The Phantast’s relative freedom 
  and planetful of minions makes it once of the most 
  powerful and notorious Kings of Edom. Various 
  dimension lords and races in the Outer Planes have 
  made many attempts to exterminate the Sinnurians, 
  but Pthaar’s sorcerer-priests have foiled them all.
  DEIZZHORATH  
  PLOT SEEDS
  A sorcerer summons 
  a Hand of Deizzho-
  rath to cut open an 
  “impregnable” vault full 
  of mundane or arcane 
  treasures, loses control, 
  and is himself annihi-
  lated. The Hand wanders 
  oﬀ. The characters who 
  arrive in response to 
  the vault’s alarm ﬁnd 
  an apparent robbery 
  with no perpetrator and 
  nothing actually stolen. 
  Do the heroes follow 
  the Hand’s trail of panic 
  and damage, guard the 
  vault from opportunistic 
  robbers, or split their 
  forces?
  A wave of destruction 
  moves through time, 
  annihilating Earth’s his-
  tory. Perhaps Tyrannon 
  caused it with some 
  insane superweapon; 
  perhaps one of Gyre’s 
  experiments went awry. 
  Only one entity in 
  the Multiverse knows 
  enough dimensional sci-
  ence and magic to stop 
  the temporal menace. 
  The heroes can summon 
  a Hand of Deizzhorath, 
  try to glean the informa-
  tion they need from the 
  King of Edom’s mind... 
  and risk madness.
  After an encounter with 
  one of Deizzhorath’s 
  Hands, a mystic receives 
  dreams from the King 
  of Edom. His sleeping 
  mind becomes a portal 
  for other Edomites to 
  enter the world. How 
  can the other characters 
  stop this invasion with-
  out killing their associ-
  ate? Can they succeed 
  before the character 
  goes mad?
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  49 
  EDOMITE SERVANTS  
  AND MONSTERS
  Characters seldom encounter the Kings of 
  Edom themselves. Instead, they ﬁght the Kings’ 
  servants. These range from human sorcerers and 
  cultists to eerie and horrible monsters.
  TAPPAN ARKWRIGHT III
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   8 STR 
  -2 
  11- 
  Lift 75 kg; 1½d6 [1]
   21 DEX 
  26* 
  13- 
  OCV:  7/DCV:  7
   18 CON 
  13* 
  13-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   23 INT 
  10* 
  14- 
  PER Roll 14-
   21 EGO 
  18* 
  13- 
  ECV:  3
   20 PRE 
  8* 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  4d6
   8 COM 
  -1 
  11-
   27 PD 
  20* 
   
  Total:  30 PD (3 rPD)
   27 ED 
  18* 
   
  Total:  30 ED (3 rED)
   4 SPD 
  7* 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   6 REC 
  0*
   36 END 
  0*
   30 STUN 6* 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  123
  *:  OIHID (-¼)
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  60 
  Edomite Magic:  Multipower, 90-point 
  reserve; all OIHID (-¼), Incantations (-¼)
  6u 
  1)  Binding Madness:  Major Transform  
  2½6 (make permanent the eﬀects of an  
  EGO +20 Mind Control, heals back  
  through Psionic Surgery), BOECV (+1), 
  Works Against EGO, Not BODY (+¼); 
  OIHID (-¼), Incantations (-¼) 
  9
  5u 
  2)  Black Tentacles Of Vulshoth:  Entangle 
  4d6, 4 DEF, Entangle And Character Both 
  Take Damage (+¼); OIHID (-¼), Incanta-
  tions (-¼) plus Drain BODY 1d6, Delayed 
  Return Rate (points return at the rate of  
  5 per 5 Minutes; +½), Ranged (+½),  
  Continuous (+1), Uncontrolled (as long as 
  target is Entangled; +½), Reduced  
  Endurance Cost (0 END; +½); OIHID  
  (-¼), Incantations (-¼), Linked (to  
  Entangle; -½) 
  9
  6u 
  3)  Deizzhorath’s Grip:  RKA 1d6+1, NND 
  (defense is Force Field; +1), Does BODY 
  (+1), Continuous (+1), +1 Increased  
  STUN Multiplier (+¼), Reduced  
  Endurance (½ END; +¼); OIHID (-¼), 
  Incantations (-¼) 
  4
  6u 
  4)  Deizzhorath’s Kiss:  RKA 6d6; OIHID  
  (-¼), Incantations (-¼) 
  9
  6u 
  5)  Dominion Of Edom:  Mind Control  
  14d6, Area Of Eﬀect Nonselective (One  
  Hex; +¼); OIHID (-¼), Incantations (-¼) 9
  6u 
  6)  Pthaar’s Reign Of Dreams:  Mental  
  Illusions 18d6; OIHID (-¼),  
  Incantations (-¼) 
  9
  6u 
  7)  Vulshoth’s Grip Of Horror:  Entangle  
  3d6, 4 DEF, BOECV (+1), Takes No  
  Damage From Physical Attacks (+¼),  
  Works Against EGO, Not STR (+¼);  
  OIHID (-¼), Incantations (-¼) 
  9
  5u 
  8)  Between The Spaces We Know:   
  Teleportation 35”, x4 Increased Mass;  
  OIHID (-¼), Incantations (-¼) 
  8
  6u 
  9)  Transpatial Sight:  Clairsentience  
  (Sight Group), 250x Range (37,500”, or  
  about 47 miles), Reduced Endurance (0  
  END; +½); OIHID (-¼), Incantations (-¼) 0
  40 
  Call The Minions Of Edom:  Summon 
  600-point Edomite, Expanded Class (any 
  Edomite being; +¼); OAF (dagger; -1),  
  Extra Time (1 Turn; -1¼), Incantations  
  (-¼), OIHID (-¼) 
  15
  16 
  Awful Energy:  Endurance Reserve  
  (100 END); OIHID (-¼) plus Endurance 
  Reserve (25 REC); Limited Recovery  
  (requires human sacriﬁce; -2), OIHID (-¼) 0
  11 
  Doubled Mind:  Mental Defense  
  (15 points total) 
  0
  7 
  Dark Dreams:  Mind Link to any one  
  King of Edom, Psychic Bond, any  
  dimension; No Conscious Control (-2) 
  0
  10 
  2 Floating Fixed Locations for Between  
  The Spaces We Know 
  0
   
  Perks
  5 
  Fringe Beneﬁt:  Edomite Cult Leader
  10 
  Money:  Wealthy
   
  Talents
  5 
  Insane Fortitude:  Combat Luck  
  (3 PD/3 ED); OIHID (-¼)
   
  Skills
  3 
  Concealment 14-
  3 
  Cryptography 14-
  3 
  KS: Arcano-Geometry 14-
  3 
  KS: Art History 12-
  3 
  KS: Art Nouveau Prints 12-
  3 
  KS: Edomite Lore 14-
  3 
  Oratory 13-
  3 
  Stealth 13-
  3 
  Streetwise 13-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  243
  Total Cost:  366
  200+ Disadvantages
  25 
  Accidental Change:  to civilian identity when 
  Knocked Out 14- (Very Common)
  10 
  Accidental Change:  to villainous identity 
  when Knocked Out or terriﬁed 11- (Uncom-
  mon)
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  double mystic aura, one 
  nasty (Not Concealable; Cause Fear; Detect-
  able Only with Unusual Senses)
  20 
  Hunted:   FBI Special Crimes Unit 8- (Mo 
  Pow, NCI, Capture)
  10 
  Hunted:   Doctor Teneber 8- (As Pow, 
  Capture/Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:   Kings of Edom 11- (Mo Pow, 
  Watching)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Devoted To The 
  Kings of Edom (Common, Total)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Fear Of Killing 
  
  50 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  Attacks (Very Common, Moderate)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Enjoys Killing 
  (Very Common, Moderate)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Fre-
  quently, Major)
  15 
  Susceptibility:  to the displeasure of the 
  Kings of Edom, 3d6 damage when a King of 
  Edom wants (Uncommon)
  10 
  Unluck:  2d6
  Total Disadvantage Points:  375 
  Background/History:  Tappan Arkwright III doesn’t 
  deserve his life. It’s not his fault he seeks to deliver 
  mankind into the monstrous clutches of the Kings 
  of Edom.
  Arkwright comes from one of Boston’s oldest, 
  richest, and most respectable families. Not one 
  ancestor for the last ten generations was not a 
  millionaire; most were other Boston Brahmins. 
  Perhaps a touch of inbreeding caused Arkwright’s 
  curious deformity.
  Arkwright suﬀers a small birth defect. He 
  combs his hair to cover it. The back of Arkwright’s 
  head bears a tiny second face, just two inches 
  across. It cannot breathe or speak, but it can move 
  its lips. It is Arkwright’s twin brother, imperfectly 
  absorbed as a fetus. The twin has a little brain of its 
  own, connected to Arkwright’s.
  The Twin sleeps most of the time, but some-
  how its walnut-sized brain receives mental emana-
  tions from the imprisoned Kings of Edom. When 
  Arkwright sleeps, sometimes the mad dreams of 
  the Edomites leak across.
  And sometimes the Twin wakes. If Arkwright 
  himself is unconscious at the time, the Twin takes 
  control of him, body and brain. This is especially 
  likely to happen if Arkwright goes unconscious 
  from violence or fear. The Twin serves the Kings 
  of Edom, from whom it learns hideous alien lore 
  and the Edomites’ blasphemous magic. Arkwright 
  knows the Twin does terrible deeds; he’s tried to kill 
  himself twice. Both times, the Twin overpowered 
  his will and stopped him. Arkwright hopes that 
  someone can stop the Twin before it frees its dread 
  masters.
  Personality/Motivation:  Arkwright himself is a 
  gentle person whose only expertise is in Art Nou-
  veau prints and engravings — but the Twin is a 
  murderous magician and fanatical worshipper 
  of the Kings of Edom. The Twin despises human 
  beings. The Kings of Edom promise to give it a new, 
  inhuman body of its own when they break free (or 
  at least that’s what the Twin believes). Until then, 
  the Twin enjoys murdering humans — any race, 
  age, or gender — whom it thinks no one will miss 
  too quickly. The Twin covers its tracks well:  the FBI 
  suspects the existence of a serial murderer who kills 
  his victims in ritual fashion, but they do not con-
  nect any of the crimes to Arkwright or to the Twin’s 
  other, patternless killings.
  Quote:  “Now die, and know that your death is... 
  utterly meaningless.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Arkwright, or rather the Twin, 
  learned several powerful spells from the Kings of 
  Edom. Some spells channel trickles of power from 
  particular Kings. These spells draw their energy 
  from a reserve of mystic power. The Twin recharges 
  this reserve through a ritual of human sacriﬁce:  
  Arkwright slashes his helpless victim in several 
  places before stabbing the victim’s brain with an 
  icepick and sucking out the mingled blood and 
  cerebral ﬂuid.
  When controlled by the Twin, Arkwright 
  becomes uncannily resistant to damage. His body 
  is not physically tougher than a normal man’s, but 
  his fanaticism acts like PCP:  he ignores the damage 
  and keeps ﬁghting. Thus, he can survive wounds 
  TAPPAN  
  ARKWRIGHT III 
  PLOT SEEDS
  Tappan Arkwright, or 
  rather the Twin, cuts 
  a murderous swath 
  through the criminal 
  underworld as he seeks 
  the super-geneticist 
  Teleios (see Champions 
  Universe). The Twin 
  believes Teleios can give 
  him permanent custody 
  of Arkwright’s body, 
  or separate him into a 
  powerful and monstrous 
  body of his own. Teleios 
  is crazy enough to do it. 
  Heaven help the world 
  if the Twin gives the evil 
  biologist Edomite tissue 
  to study.
  The Twin tries to 
  destroy a rare, well-
  guarded manuscript. 
  This attracts the atten-
  tion of the heroes, since 
  the Twin’s attempt 
  costs the life of several 
  security guards. The 
  Twin wants to destroy 
  the manuscript because 
  it tells how to cast the 
  Mordant Flame (page 
  57). Heroes can learn 
  the spell from the 
  book... but simply learn-
  ing this much about 
  the Edomites attracts 
  notice from the Kings. 
  The Twin will not stop 
  trying to kill the heroes 
  until they help Ark-
  wright regain control of 
  his body.
  Vulshoth guides the 
  Twin to a long-lost 
  crypt holding a squrm 
  (or some other power-
  ful Edomite monster). 
  The heroes receive a 
  tip about Arkwright’s 
  goal (perhaps from the 
  nagas; see The Mystic 
  World). Arkwright also 
  leaves clues as he buys 
  or steals explosives and 
  other supplies he needs 
  to excavate the crypt.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  51 
  that would incapacitate or kill a normal man.
  If Arkwright expects combat, he summons 
  Edomite monsters to ﬁght for him. Arkwright 
  can Summon a single monster built with up to 
  600 Character Points. Arkwright prefers to let the 
  monster deal with his enemies. Edomite mon-
  sters obey the authority granted by the Kings, but 
  feel no intrinsic loyalty to Arkwright. While the 
  monsters engage Arkwright’s enemies, Arkwright 
  takes the best cover he can ﬁnd and snipes with 
  his own spells.
  Campaign Use:  See the introductory text for 
  general information. Tappan Arkwright III is an 
  unusually pitiable servant of the Kings of Edom, at 
  once villain and victim. The Twin commits appall-
  ing crimes; Arkwright himself is merely weak. 
  Nothing short of lobotomy can stop his crimes, 
  since the Twin can eventually escape any prison or 
  mental institution.
  To make Arkwright more powerful, increase 
  his SPD and the ease with which he casts spells, 
  or give him a few Edomite monsters as per-
  manent Followers. To make him less powerful, 
  reduce his SPD or the damage from his magical 
  attacks, or increase the Limitations on Call The 
  Minions Of Edom.
  The Twin readily Hunts characters who 
  thwart its plans. It prefers to attack using sum-
  moned monsters, but Arkwright might try to 
  strike from surprise with Deizzhorath’s Kiss or 
  some other deadly spell.
  Appearance:  Tappan Arkwright III is a slender, 
  unassuming man in his mid-30s, with a narrow 
  face and ﬁne, dark hair worn artistically long (but 
  less than shoulder length) to conceal the Twin’s 
  face and swept back from his receding hairline. He 
  dresses conservatively, but wears a silk scarf instead 
  of a tie.
  ANGLER
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   15 STR 
  5 
  12- 
  Lift 200 kg; 3d6 [1]
   23 DEX 
  39 
  14- 
  OCV:  8/DCV:  8
   23 CON 
  26 
  14-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   13 INT 
  3 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   11 EGO 
  2 
  11- 
  ECV:  4
   20 PRE 
  10 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  4d6
   4 COM 
  -3 
  10-
   31 PD 
  28 
   
  Total:  31 PD (10 rPD)
   31 ED 
  26 
   
  Total:  31 ED (10 rED)
   4 SPD 
  7 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   8 REC 
  0
   46 END 
  0
   30 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  143
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
   
  Flight:  12”/24”
   
  Teleportation:  15”/30”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  65 
  Slice Between Atoms:  HKA 2d6, NND 
  (defense is Force Field; +1), Does BODY 
  (+1), Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼);  
  No STR Bonus (-½) 
  3
  43 
  Touch It And Get Cut:  HKA 1d6, NND 
  (defense is Force Field; +1), Does BODY 
  (+1), Continuous (+1), Damage Shield  
  (+½), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½),  
  Persistent (+½), Inherent (+¼); Always  
  On (-½), No STR Bonus (-½) 
  0
  30 
  Dimensional Interface:  Multipower,  
  30-point reserve
  2u 
  1)  Slide Along Surfaces:  Flight 12”,  
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼); Only  
  In Contact With A Surface (-¼) 
  1
  2u 
  2)  Angular Translation:  Teleportation 15”; 
  Only Between Angles (see text; -¼) 
  3
  3u 
  3)  Angle Between Dimensions:  Extra-
  Dimensional Movement (any physical  
  location in any dimension holding other 
  anglers) 
  3
  20 
  Incomprehensible Appearance:  +40 PRE; 
  Only For Fear/Incomprehension-Based  
  Presence Attacks (-1) 
  0
  10 
  Nothing To Damage:  Damage Resistance  
  (10 PD/10 ED) 
  0
  50 
  Alien Non-Substance:  Life Support:  Total 
  (including Longevity:  Immortality) 
  0
  10 
  Alien Mind:  Mental Defense (12 points  
  total) 
  0
  5 
  Alien Non-Substance:  Power Defense  
  (5 points) 
  0
  10 
  Splits Attacking Force:  Knockback  
  Resistance -5” 
  0
  27 
  Alien Geometric Sense:  Spatial Awareness 
  (no Sense Group), Ranged 
  0
   
  
  52 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
   
  Skills
  20 
  +4 DCV
  4 
  KS: Edomite Arcano-Geometry 13-
  3 
  Stealth 14-
  3 
  Tracking 12-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  307
  Total Cost:  450
  75+ Disadvantages
  25 
  Distinctive Features:  living hyperdimen-
  sional geometry (Not Concealable; Causes 
  Terror and Utter Confusion)
  10 
  Physical Limitation:  Can’t Move Across 
  Smooth Curves (Infrequently, Greatly 
  Impairing)
  15 
  Physical Limitation:  Can’t Communicate 
  In Humanly Comprehensible Ways (Infre-
  quently, Fully Impairing)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Relentless In Pur-
  suit (Very Common, Strong)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Toys With Victim 
  (Very Common, Strong)
  15 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x STUN from Area- 
  aﬀecting physical and energy attacks  
  (Very Common)
  15 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x BODY from Area- 
  aﬀecting physical and energy attacks  
  (Very Common)
  255 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  450
  Description:  These strange creatures appear as tan-
  gles of zigzagging, shimmering lines extending in 
  more than three dimensions. At any given moment, 
  an angler extends three to six “legs” of interlacing, 
  crooked lines — the closest an angler comes to 
  recognizable limbs or organs. The body is about 
  the size of a large dog. Unlike most Edomites, the 
  Anglers are not grotesquely hideous... just incom-
  prehensible. Human minds cannot make sense of 
  them, and retreat in confusion and fear.
  An angler’s one-dimensional body cuts 
  through anything made of matter, sliding between 
  the very atoms. Anglers cut through any physical 
  object or barrier, including anything that touches 
  them. Most attacks just pass through an angler’s 
  loose, almost massless body.
  These creatures rapidly scuttle along any ﬂat 
  or angled surface regardless of gravity, but cannot 
  cross a curved line or surface. At an angled sur-
  face (such as the corner of a room), an angler can 
  instantly travel to any other angle within range:  
  the angler seems to stretch out like lazy-tongs and 
  re-compress at the other angle in a split second. 
  Anglers can also go to any dimension in which 
  anglers already exist. If the PCs don’t destroy 
  or exorcise an angler quickly, other anglers may 
  appear on their own.
  Angler minds are strange even by Edomite 
  standards. Most Edomites can convey simple ideas 
  to humans if they really want to (a rare event). 
  Anglers cannot communicate even by pointing, 
  because they have such a diﬀerent understand-
  ing of space and direction. An angler’s mind holds 
  nothing a human telepath could interpret, at least 
  not without a deep knowledge of higher mathemat-
  ics and Edomite lore. No one knows how anglers 
  communicate among themselves, or even if they do 
  communicate. Some of the few wizards who study 
  the Edomites speculate there is really only one 
  angler, manifesting “simultaneously” in many places 
  throughout space, time, and dimension.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  53 
  MIND THIEF
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   3 STR 
  -7 
  10- 
  Lift 38 kg;½d6 [1]
   14 DEX 
  12 
  12- 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   13 CON 
  6 
  12-
   5 BODY -10 
  10-
   13 INT 
  3 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   11 EGO 
  2 
  11- 
  ECV:  4
   10 PRE 
  0 
  11- 
  PRE Attack:  2d6
   0 COM 
  -5 
  9-
   9 PD 
  8 
   
  Total:  9 PD (2 rPD)
   9 ED 
  6 
   
  Total:  9 ED (2 rED)
   3 SPD 
  6 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   4 REC 
  0
   20 END 
  -3
   14 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  18
  Movement: 
  Running:  7”/14”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  65 
  Crawl Into Brain:  Major Transform 2d6 
  (person to person with the Psychological 
  Limitation Must Obey Mind Thief [Very 
  Common, Total], heals when Mind Thief 
  leaves victim’s skull), BOECV (Mental 
  Defense applies; +1), Works Against EGO, 
  Not BODY (+¼), NND (defense is EGO 
  Roll at -5 or any defensive Power with the 
  Advantage Aﬀects Desolidiﬁed; +½), Reduced 
  Endurance (0 END; +½); No Range (-½), 
  Side Eﬀects (Mind Thief has no separate 
  existence while victim is possessed; -0) 
  0
  27 
  Eat Victim’s Brain:  RKA 4d6, NND  
  (defense is EGO Roll at -5 or not having  
  an organic brain; +½), Does BODY (+1);  
  No Range (-½), Only On Phase When  
  Leaving Possessed Victim (-2), One  
  Charge (-2)   
  [1]
  20 
  Hideous:  +40 PRE; Only For Fear/
  Incomprehension-Based Presence  
  Attacks (-1) 
  0
  2 
  Chitin:  Damage Resistance (2 PD/2 ED) 
  0
  10 
  Insectile Legs:  Clinging (normal STR) 
  0
  2 
  Scuttling:  Running +1” (7” total) 
  1
  27 
  Alien Senses:  Spatial Awareness (no  
  Sense Group), Range 
  0
  30 
  Commune With Master:  Mind Link, any  
  one victim, King of Edom or designated 
  priest, any distance, any dimension, No 
  LOS Needed 
  0
   
  Skills
  30 
  +6 DCV
  15 
  Concealment 18-
  15 
  Stealth 18-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  243
  Total Cost:  261
  75+ Disadvantages
  25 
  Distinctive Features:  repulsive, slimy bug-
  thing (Not Concealable; Causes Fear and 
  Revulsion)
  10 
  Physical Limitation:  Tiny (0.25 m; +9” KB) 
  (Frequently, Slightly Impairing)
  10 
  Physical Limitation:  Repelled By Special 
  Talismans (Infrequently, Greatly Impairing)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Utterly Loyal To 
  Kings of Edom (Common, Total)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Fears/Hates Sun-
  light (Very Common)
  15 
  Susceptibility:  to intense UV light and the 
  like (see text), takes 1d6 damage per Phase of 
  exposure (Uncommon)
  91 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  261
  Description:  Mind thieves are one of the most insidi-
  ous Edomite horrors. They look a bit like large spiders 
  and a bit like crabs, but have a huge, fanged mouth. 
  Mind thieves are physically weak, but can crawl into a 
  victim’s brain to control him. A mind thief can call on 
  all its victim’s skills, knowledge, and powers, though 
  it isn’t very good at pretending to be a human being. 
  The Transform reverses when the mind thief leaves the 
  victim’s skull.
  Ultraviolet light, X-rays, and other forms of ener-
  getic radiation can harm a mind thief, even if it hides in 
  a victim’s skull. The ultraviolet light in sunlight irritates 
  a mind thief, though it does not cause actual harm. Pos-
  sessed victims wear hats out of doors no matter what 
  the weather, and avoid sunlight whenever possible. 
  Intense UV light or radiation can drive a mind thief 
  out of its victim’s brain, but the treatment had better be 
  quick, strong, and a complete and terrifying surprise 
  to the creature:  Normally, when a mind thief leaves a 
  victim, it takes bites of the victim’s brain along the way, 
  almost always inﬂicting a fatal wound. If a mind thief 
  has the time, the GM can presume it eats the victim’s 
  brain completely, leaving a corpse with no external sign 
  of damage.
  
  54 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  SPAWN OF VULSHOTH
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   35 STR 
  25 
  16- 
  Lift 3,200 kg; 7d6 [3]
   21 DEX 
  33 
  13- 
  OCV:  7/DCV:  7
   20 CON 
  20 
  13-
   17 BODY 14 
  12-
   25 INT 
  15 
  14- 
  PER Roll 14-
   26 EGO 
  32 
  14- 
  ECV:  9
   30 PRE 
  20 
  15- 
  PRE Attack:  6d6
   0 COM 
  -5 
  9-
   30 PD 
  23 
   
  Total:  30 PD (10 rPD)
   30 ED 
  26 
   
  Total:  30 ED (10 rED)
   5 SPD 
  19 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   15 REC 
  8
   40 END 
  0
   45 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  230
  Movement: 
  Running:  0”/0”
   
  Flight:  10”/20”
   
  Teleportation:  25”/400”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  75 
  Edomite Powers:  Multipower, 75-point 
  reserve
  5u 
  1)  Bite:  RKA 4d6, Reduced Endurance  
  (½ END; +¼); No Range (-½) 
  3
  7u 
  2)  Control Mob:  Mind Control 6d6  
  (Human minds), Telepathic (+¼), Area  
  Of Eﬀect (8” Radius; +1¼) 
  7
  7u 
  3)  Mind Crush:  Ego Attack 6½d6  
  (Human and Alien classes of minds) 
  7
  7u 
  4)  Mind Search:  Mind Scan 13d6  
  (Human and Alien classes of minds) 
  7
  7u 
  5)  Mind Warp:  Mental Illusions 13d6 
  (Human and Alien classes of minds) 
  7
  7u 
  6)  Remote Tentacle:  Telekinesis  
  (14 STR), Fine Manipulation, BOECV  
  (+1), Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  3
  7u 
  7)  Space Grab:  Teleportation 10”, Usable  
  As Attack (defense is winning an EGO 
  Versus EGO Contest; +1), BOECV (+1), 
  Ranged (+½), Reduced Endurance  
  (½ END; +¼) 
  3
  7u 
  8)  Space Warp:  Teleportation 25”, x16  
  Noncombat, x2 Increased Mass 
  7
  7u 
  9)  Vampire Tentacles:  RKA ½d6, +3 
  Increased STUN Multiplier (+¾),  
  BOECV (Mental Defense applies; +1),  
  Continuous (+1), NND (defense is winning 
  an EGO Versus EGO Contest; +1), Does 
  BODY (+1), Reduced Endurance (0 END; 
  +½), Uncontrolled (until victim wins 
  EGO Versus EGO Contest, check every 
  Turn; +½) 
  0
  2u 
  10)  Arcano-Geometric Construction:   
  Major Transform 4d6 (create structures  
  with mystic powers), Improved Results  
  Group (any Powers; +¼); OAF Bulky  
  (sturdy materials, suitably shaped and assem-
  bled; -1½), Extra Time (1 Minute; -1½) 
  7
  3u 
  11)  Call Edomites:  Summon 300-point 
  Edomite Monster, Expanded Class  
  (Edomite monsters; +¼); Extra Time  
  (1 Minute; -1½) 
  7
  2u 
  12)  Enslavement:  Major Transform 2d6 
  (person to person with the Psychological 
  Limitation Devout Worshipper Of  
  Vulshoth [Very Common, Total], heals  
  back through lobotomy or Psionic  
  Surgery), BOECV (+1), Works Against  
  EGO, Not BODY (+¼); Extra Time  
  (1 Minute; -1½), No Range (-½) 
  7
  15 
  Hideous:  +30 PRE; Only For Fear/
  Incomprehension-Based Presence  
  Attacks (-1) 
  0
  36 
  Myriad Clutching Tentacles:  Telekinesis  
  (12 STR), Damage Shield (+½), Reduced 
  Endurance (0 END; +½) 
  0
  15 
  Vampiric Grip:  HKA ½d6, Continuous  
  (+1), Damage Shield (+½), Reduced  
  Endurance (0 END; +½); Only Versus Tar-
  gets Grabbed By Many Tentacles Or Myriad 
  Clutching Tentacles (-½), No STR  
  Bonus (-½) 
  0
  12 
  Long Reach:  Stretching 2”, Reduced  
  Endurance (0 END; +½); Limited Body  
  Parts (tentacles; -¼) 
  0
  6 
  Many Tentacles:  Extra Limbs (dozens), 
  Inherent (+¼) 
  0
  10 
  Tough, Slimy Flesh:  Damage Resistance  
  (10 PD/10 ED) 
  0
  10 
  Alien Mind:  Mental Defense (15 points  
  total) 
  0
  21 
  Alien Metabolism:  Life Support (Self- 
  Contained Breathing; Diminished  
  Eating:  Does Not Need To Eat; Longevity:  
  Immortality; Safe Environments:  High  
  Pressure; Low Pressure/Vacuum) 
  0
  7 
  Flesh Flows Together:  Healing BODY  
  1d6 (Regeneration; 1 BODY per Turn), 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½),  
  Persistent (+½); Self Only (-½), Extra  
  Time (1 Turn; -1¼) 
  0
  30 
  Levitation:  Flight 10”, Reduced  
  Endurance (0 END; +½) 
  0
  -12 
  No Legs:  Running -6” (0” total) 
  0
  -2 
  No Legs:  Swimming -2” (0” total) 
  0
  25 
  Communion:  Mind Link to any one mind, 
  Human or Alien classes of minds 
  0
  10 
  Alien Eyes:  N-Ray Perception (Sight  
  Group; blocked by Force Fields) 
  0
  15 
  Alien Eyes:  +10 versus Range Modiﬁer  
  for Sight Group 
  0
   
  Skills
  6 
  +3 with Grab OCV
  3 
  Concealment 14-
  3 
  KS: Edomite Arcano-Geometry 14-
  3 
  KS: Edomite Lore 14-
  3 
  Stealth 13-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  359
  Total Cost:  589
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  55 
  200+ Disadvantages
  25 
  Distinctive Features:  giant, sanity-blasting 
  monster (Not Concealable; Cause Horror 
  [automatic PRE Attack to cause fear])
  20 
  Enraged:  Berserk if takes BODY (Common), 
  go 8-, recover 14-
  20 
  Enraged:  by any attempt to bind it or force 
  its behavior (Common), go 14-, recover 14-
  15 
  Hunted:  mysterious cosmic powers, 8- (Mo 
  Pow, Kill)
  5 
  Physical Limitation:  Large (2m sphere; -2 
  DCV, +2 to PER Rolls to perceive) (Infre-
  quently, Slightly Impairing)
  25 
  Psychological Limitation:  Utter, Inhuman 
  Evil (Very Common, Total)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Won’t Flee Con-
  frontation (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Fear Of Conﬁne-
  ment (Common, Strong)
  5 
  Reputation:  minion of cosmic abominations, 
  8- (Extreme, Limited Group [Mystic World])
  10 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x STUN from Heat/Fire 
  attacks (Common)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x BODY from Heat/Fire 
  attacks (Common)
  5 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x STUN from Radiation 
  attacks (Uncommon)
  5 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x BODY from Radiation 
  attacks (Uncommon)
  214 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  589
  Description:  Vulshoth creates small copies of itself 
  to further its interests. The King of Edom can guide 
  worshippers to build special structures whose 
  warped, non-Euclidean geometry concentrates 
  and ampliﬁes Vulshoth’s psychic emanations so it 
  can materialize a Spawn. In that case, the Spawn of 
  Vulshoth has an additional Disadvantage (a Depen-
  dence on staying within the specially-constructed 
  building; the Spawn can reduce this Dependence 
  by consuming large quantities of blood, but never 
  eliminate it completely).
  The King can also Transform a large number 
  of people so they melt and merge into a Spawn. 
  For this, Vulshoth needs at least a dozen people to 
  surrender their will and let the King act on their 
  bodies, minds, and souls. A Spawn created in this 
  manner can go wherever it pleases, and lives until 
  destroyed.
  Spawn of Vulshoth wield a limited selection of 
  their creator’s psychic and magical powers. These 
  creatures prefer to ﬁght physically rather than psy-
  chically or magically, because that costs less Endur-
  ance. The Vampire Tentacles Power, which makes 
  a clump of tentacles appear around the victim to 
  bite and suck his blood, is a notable exception:  this 
  Power costs no END and may act a long time. A 
  Spawn’s favorite tactic is to Grab opponents one by 
  one, transfer them to its Damage Shield of clutch-
  ing, blood-draining tentacles, and bite them once 
  everyone is captured, incapacitated, or ﬂed. If the 
  Spawn’s foes are too strong to be held or too strong-
  willed to succumb to the horror of its presence, the 
  Spawn falls back on mental attacks.
  A Spawn of Vulshoth’s globular body is six 
  to ten feet in diameter, with ﬁve red eyes spaced 
  around a large, strong beak. Most of the hundreds 
  of tentacles that sheath the Spawn’s body reach no 
  more than three feet, but the creature can extend 
  tentacles further if it wants.
  
  56 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  SQURM
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   25 STR 
  15 
  14- 
  Lift 800 kg; 5d6 [2]
   18 DEX 
  24 
  13- 
  OCV:  6/DCV:  6
   23 CON 
  26 
  14-
   15 BODY 10 
  12-
   13 INT 
  3 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   18 EGO 
  16 
  13- 
  ECV:  6
   20 PRE 
  10 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  4d6
   0 COM 
  -5 
  9-
   31 PD 
  26 
   
  Total:  31 PD (8 rPD)
   31 ED 
  26 
   
  Total:  31 ED (8 rED)
   5 SPD 
  22 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   10 REC 
  0
   46 END 
  0
   40 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  173
  Movement: 
  Running:  1”/2”
   
  Flight:  12”/24”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  62 
  Edomite Magic:  Multipower, 62-point 
  reserve
  6u 
  1)  Apportation:  Teleportation 10”,  
  Armor Piercing (+½), Usable As Attack 
  (defense is Teleportation or dimensional 
  Powers; +1), Ranged (+½) 
  6
  6u 
  2)  Disintegration:  RKA 1d6, +3 Increased 
  STUN Multiplier (+¾), Continuous (+1), 
  Indirect (always originates from squrm,  
  but can strike target from any angle and 
  avoid barriers; +½), Penetrating (+½), 
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  3
  6u 
  3)  Gravity Control:  Telekinesis (32 STR), 
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  2
  6u 
  4)  Hypnotic Illusion:  Mental Illusions  
  10d6 (Human and Alien classes of minds) 6
  6u 
  5)  Hypnotic Suggestion:  Mind Control  
  8d6 (Human and Alien classes of minds), 
  Telepathic (+¼) 
  6
  6u 
  6)  Web of Force:  Entangle 3d6, 3 DEF,  
  Area Of Eﬀect (3” Radius; +1) 
  6
  31 
  Bite:  HKA 1½d6 (3d6+1 with STR),  
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  1
  30 
  Hideous:  +60 PRE; Only For Fear/
  Incomprehension-Based Presence  
  Attacks (-1) 
  0
  12 
  Lots Of Tentacles:  Autoﬁre (5 attacks; +½) 
  for 25 STR, Reduced Endurance (0 END; 
  +1); Only To Grab (-1) 
  0
  6 
  Lots Of Tentacles:  Extra Limbs (7),  
  Inherent (+¼) 
  0
  24 
  Long Tentacles:  Stretching 4”, Reduced 
  Endurance (0 END; +½); Limited Body  
  Parts (tentacles; -¼) 
  0
  50 
  Alien Biology:  Life Support:  Total  
  (including Longevity:  Immortality) 
  0
  5 
  Alien Biology:  Power Defense (5 points) 
  0
  10 
  Alien Mind:  Mental Defense (14 points  
  total) 
  0
  8 
  Rubbery Hide:  Damage Resistance  
  (8 PD/8 ED) 
  0
  20 
  Wings:  Flight 12”, Reduced Endurance  
  (½ END; +¼); Restrainable (-½) 
  1
  -10 
  No Legs:  Running -5” (1” total) 
  1
  15 
  Alien Senses:  Radar (no Sense Group) 
  0
  25 
  Communion:  Mind Link to any single  
  being (Human or Alien classes of minds) 0
   
  Skills
  3 
  KS: Edomite Lore 12-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  327
  Total Cost:  500
  200+ Disadvantages
  25 
  Distinctive Features:  slimy, tentacled horror 
  (Not Concealable; Cause Horror/Madness)
  35 
  Enraged:  Berserk if take BODY (Very 
  Common), go 11-, recover 11-
  10 
  Physical Limitation:  Blind (Infrequently, 
  Greatly Impairing)
  10 
  Physical Limitation:  Repelled By Special 
  Talismans (Infrequently, Greatly Impairing)
  25 
  Psychological Limitation:  Utter, Inhuman 
  Evil (Very Common, Total)
  25 
  Susceptibility:  to wide, ﬂat, smooth surfaces, 
  1d6 damage per Phase of contact (Very 
  Common)
  30 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x STUN and 1½ x BODY 
  from Heat/Fire (Very Common)
  140 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  500
  Description:  These oozing horrors look like huge 
  squids ﬂying on slimy, membranous wings. (Ele-
  mentary physics shows the wings cannot support 
  a creature of the squrm’s bulk, but the squrm is not 
  made of normal matter and its wings push against 
  more than the air.) They’re black, streaked with 
  putrid yellow, green, and brown. They have a single, 
  twin-pupiled eye.
  Squrms never move in straight lines in any 
  way. Despite their bulk, their constant looping, 
  twitching, twirling movement means they’re no 
  easier to hit than man-sized creatures, while their 
  boneless bodies can squeeze through fairly small 
  openings and their weight seldom becomes a prob-
  lem for them.
  These intelligent Edomites have formidable 
  quasi-psychic powers. By waving its tentacles 
  in complex designs, a squrm can move objects 
  through space, make solid matter crumble, create 
  entangling webs from thin air, or hypnotize unfor-
  tunate humans. (The GM should treat the Edomite 
  Magic Multipower as merely a typical sample of 
  Powers for squrms. Individual squrms could have 
  other selections of Powers.) Squrms can also simply 
  Grab people — several at a time — and bite with a 
  parrotlike beak nestled amid the tentacles.
  Since squrms have no legs, on the ground they 
  can only wriggle. They have an entirely rational fear 
  and hatred of anything that can keep them from 
  ﬂying — it’s not a Psychological Limitation, it’s 
  good sense. They also stay away from wide, smooth, 
  ﬂat surfaces such as glass-sheathed skyscrapers or 
  ﬂat, level roads and parking lots:  touching such 
  surfaces pains, and can eventually kill, a squrm.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  57 
  THE OPPOSITION
  Any sane dimension lord, god, or cosmic 
  entity will put aside its rivalries and agendas 
  to prevent the escape of a King of Edom... if it 
  knows they exist and understands the danger. (For 
  instance, Skarn understands the Edomite menace; 
  Tyrannon is too monomaniac to care.) The Kings’ 
  minions are almost as hated and feared as the 
  masters they serve, so mystics who normally try to 
  kill each other might team up to hunt a squrm or 
  a Spawn of Vulshoth. Unfortunately, most mystics 
  on Earth don’t know enough about Edomites to 
  recognize them. The spreading tale that DEMON 
  serves creatures far more vile than anything in the 
  Netherworld may bring greater knowledge of the 
  Edomites to Earth’s mystics.
  The few mystics who study the Edomites 
  wish they knew more about the creatures who 
  imprisoned them. But even with magical means of 
  research, very little information survives. After all, 
  the battle took place before the Earth formed! The 
  enemies of the Edomites remain as mysterious as 
  the Kings themselves.
  The Fire-Bearer:  Some mystics think “Fire-Bearer” 
  is an epithet for a Lord of Artiﬁce who embodies 
  the transition to sentience — the moment when a 
  person, or a species, ﬁrst looks inward and becomes 
  self-aware. The myth of Prometheus giving ﬁre to 
  humanity grew from a dim memory of the Fire-
  Bearer making humanity aware of its slavery to the 
  Elder Worm.
  Some verses from mad poets suggest a grim-
  mer meaning for the Fire-Bearer. These stanzas 
  describe the Fire-Bearer as a bringer of apocalypse 
  who lives in the explosion of supernovas and the 
  death of worlds. The nuclear strategists who imag-
  ined Doomsday Weapons and Mutually Assured 
  Destruction felt the Fire-Bearer’s hand on their 
  souls. Perhaps these two ﬁgures are really one, and 
  the capacity for self-knowledge implies the capac-
  ity for self-destruction.
  The Fire-Bearer is deﬁnitely known to have 
  given early Humanity one weapon during its strug-
  gle against the Elder Worm. The spell called the 
  Mordant Flame (see sidebar) slays several sorts of 
  Edomites over a wide area; it requires a brazier and 
  the brain of an Elder Worm.
  Lords Of The Jeweled Spider:  This race of powerful 
  entities wielded mighty weapons and talismans of 
  crystal. The “Jeweled Spider” refers to a talisman 
  that repels some Edomite monsters the way a holy 
  symbol repels vampires or demons (see sidebar). 
  The Spider Sign consists of a slab cut from a large 
  quartz crystal at a certain angle. An eight-armed 
  symbol is engraved on the slab and inlaid with 
  magnetite and a natural ore of thorium. The Sign is 
  then brieﬂy electriﬁed.
  Strangely, new information about the Lords 
  of the Jeweled Spider comes from extraterrestrials 
  now resident on Earth. The gladiator Ironclad, now 
  in the Champions, recognized the Spider Sign as an 
  ancient Perseid symbol for good luck. His old rival 
  Firewing remembers seeing a crystal Spider Sign 
  in a Malvan museum, where it was described as an 
  artifact of an aloof but nigh-omnipotent crystalline 
  race that lives in the galactic core.
  The Ravens Of Dispersion:  Earth’s mystics know the 
  Ravens as powerful Qliphothic entities who steal 
  energy from other worlds to stave oﬀ their own slide 
  down Quemetiel’s gullet. Their appearance as enemies 
  of the Kings in the ancient battle surprises and dis-
  turbs many mystics:  Qliphothic entities are regarded 
  as entirely malign, and the Ravens are as ancient as the 
  Kings themselves. Even wholly evil entities, however, 
  may want to scotch the competition.
  Thanoro Azoic:  Many mystics believe Earth’s leg-
  endary ﬁrst Archmage fought the Elder Worm; the 
  cosmic entity Luathon taught him the Eleven Lights 
  (see page 57 of The Mystic World) to assist him in 
  this war. But occult legends put Thanoro Azoic in 
  all the lost civilizations and epic struggles of prehis-
  tory, so some mystics aren’t sure what to think.
  Other enemies of the Kings remain nothing 
  but names. No one on Earth, at least, can identify 
  the Angel of Cold Shadow, the Mother of Dust, 
  the Seventh Hand, the Ladies Around The Corner, 
  the Duke of Suns, the Lunar Rose, the Voice of the 
  Golden Imprecations, or the Silver Executioner. 
  Some of these entities are probably long extinct.
  THE MORDANT 
  FLAME
  The eerie lavender light 
  of the Mordant Flame 
  penetrates all barri-
  ers to scorch the ﬂesh 
  of Edomite monsters 
  — those that have ﬂesh, 
  anyway. Casting the 
  Mordant Flame requires 
  building a charcoal ﬁre 
  and adding certain pow-
  dered minerals and the 
  brain of an Elder Worm 
  soaked in turpentine, 
  gasoline, or some other 
  accelerant. Once initi-
  ated, the Mordant Flame 
  burns for 20 minutes.
  RKA 1d6, Area Of 
  Eﬀect (80” Radius; 
  +2), Continuous 
  (+1), Indirect (+½), 
  Penetrating (+½) (75 
  Active Points); OAF 
  Expendable (see text; 
  -2), Extra Time (1 
  Turn to activate; -¾), 
  Incantations (-¼), 
  No Range (-½), Only 
  Aﬀects Corporeal 
  Edomites (-1), 1 Con-
  tinuing Charge last-
  ing 20 Minutes (-½). 
  Total cost:  12 points.
  THE SPIDER SIGN
  This symbol has no 
  Power of its own. Rather, 
  some Edomites suﬀer a 
  Physical Limitation to 
  the glyph. Any rendi-
  tion of the Spider Sign 
  repels certain Edomite 
  creatures, such as mind 
  thieves and squrms:  
  they fear it, but can 
  approach it if they 
  must. (The symbol has 
  no eﬀect on anglers, 
  hands of Deizzhorath, 
  or Vulshoth-spawn.) 
  Such creatures are psy-
  chologically incapable 
  of coming within 2” of 
  a Spider Sign properly 
  inlaid in crystal. Forcing 
  an Edomite any closer 
  may drive it berserk or 
  make it leave for another 
  dimension.
  
  58 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  Membership:  Giacomo Sylvestri, Bocal McFarlane, 
  Astralle, Cornelius Liefeld, and others.
  Background/History:  For three hundred years, the 
  Sylvestri clan has been one of the most powerful 
  and evil factions of the Mystic World. The clan 
  consists of several related, extended families:  the 
  Sylvestris themselves; the McFarlanes; the Liefelds, 
  and a few other minor families. Members of the 
  Sylvestri Clan live on at least three continents.
  The lineage’s involvement in black magic 
  began with Count Giacomo Sylvestri. Unlike most 
  Satanists, Giacomo had the patience and discre-
  tion to learn magic on his own instead of relying 
  on what the Lords of Hell proﬀered. Giacomo went 
  beyond his deal with the Devil to serve the Dragon 
  directly. He has lived for centuries through Satanic 
  power, with no end in sight, and has become one of 
  the Dragon’s most favored servants.
  Giacomo raised his children as Satanists and 
  Dragon-worshippers, and they continued the tradi-
  tion with their own children. The Sylvestris mar-
  ried other black magicians, bringing them into the 
  extended family. By now the far-ﬂung clan includes 
  at least twenty adepts of signiﬁcant power, and 
  dozens of minor mystics. Family members with 
  no talent for magic stay involved as cultists and 
  accomplices. Not all the family members choose 
  to follow this peculiar “family business,” and the 
  Sylvestris suﬀer a high attrition rate, but after three 
  centuries their numbers make them a major power-
  bloc in the Magical World.
  The Sylvestris own several Bases. The three 
  family homelands hold their most important sanc-
  tums. Castello di Sylvestri in the Apennine Moun-
  tains of Italy is the clan’s supreme headquarters. A 
  small town in Scotland hosts McFarlane House. The 
  Liefeld Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt, Ger-
  many forms the chief nexus for the clan’s ﬁnancial 
  web. All these Bases boast extensive defenses, both 
  magical and mundane.
  Group Relations:  Sylvestris work together on mis-
  sions, and any Sylvestri can count on help from the 
  others if he faces danger from outside forces such 
  as churches, governments, or mystic heroes. At 
  the same time, the Sylvestris are selﬁsh amoralists 
  who gladly betray each other when things go well, 
  if they think this could bring them more power. 
  Keeping up with family gossip on who’s doing what 
  with whom (or to whom) is a major preoccupation.
  The Sylvestris agree, however, that family patri-
  arch Giacomo remains the boss, now and forever. 
  Giacomo has the most seniority and experience, 
  and he’s clearly the clan’s most powerful sorcerer. 
  Giacomo has also survived every assassination 
  attempt and killed the would-be assassins. Most 
  importantly, the Dragon says Giacomo is the boss, 
  and most Sylvestris know better than to argue with 
  the Dragon.
  Other senior Sylvestris receive respect and 
  obedience in proportion to their age, power, 
  and favor with Giacomo. The family patriarch 
  appoints an informal council of elders to advise 
  him and oversee family operations. The Sylvestris 
  preach obedience to elders as an important part 
  of Sylvestri etiquette. Actually, respect for elders 
  is a matter of self-preservation:  young snots who 
  mouth oﬀ to their seniors don’t live to become 
  seniors themselves.
  The Sylvestris enjoy cordial relationships with 
  other Satanic and Draconic cults and mystics. 
  DEMON used to have close relations with the 
  Sylvestris. A decade ago, however, the Dragon and 
  the demonic patrons of various family members 
  commanded the clan to break oﬀ the alliance. Most 
  Sylvestris obeyed, and the ones who did not had to 
  throw in their lot with DEMON, once and for all. 
  Of course, all good mystic organizations despise 
  the Sylvestris, with the Trismegistus Council as the 
  clan’s most determined foe.
  Most law enforcement agencies have no idea 
  of the Sylvestris’ dark deeds. The Sylvestris devote 
  great eﬀort to keeping the cops in the dark. It’s not 
  easy, considering how many Sylvestris engage in 
  kidnapping, torture, murder, and other criminal 
  activities. The family is also hip-deep in the inter-
  national drug trade, more for its value as a corroder 
  of social values than for the money (their demonic 
  connections have allowed the Sylvestris to amass 
  total assets worth billions of dollars already). Sev-
  eral are multi-millionaires. A few Sylvestris fall 
  because of their criminal activities, but the family 
  passes them oﬀ as isolated “black sheep” and hides 
  the occult aspects.
  Tactics:  The family’s goals can be summarized as, 
  “Whatever would please the Dragon.” In the long 
  term, this means freeing the Dragon, annihilating 
  civilization as it currently exists, and making the 
  Earth an eternal Hell of misery from which even 
  death gives no escape. In the short term, however, 
  the Sylvestris follow many goals. Typical Sylvestri 
  operations range from creating a magic item to 
  provoking wars, plagues, and famines — if it’s nasty, 
  Sylvestris enjoy doing it. Some Sylvestris hire out 
  to other evil sorcerers and cults as a way of making 
  contacts — and keeping an eye on potential rivals 
  of the clan. Each family member has his own 
  favored magic tactics, making the group a danger-
  ously unpredictable foe.
  THE SYLVESTRI 
  CLAN
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  59 
  Campaign Use:  Most obviously, the Sylvestris pres-
  ent an ongoing threat to the heroes. They make a 
  ﬁne source for new villains, too. If you cannot think 
  of some other origin for an evil sorcerer or magical 
  super-thug, you can make him another Sylvestri. 
  You can also use the Sylvestris as an excuse for all 
  sorts of diﬀerent sorcerers, villains, and monsters to 
  work together.
  The Sylvestris are so widespread and have 
  their ﬁngers in so many pies that players can easily 
  justify them as a hero’s Hunted. Heroes might have 
  thwarted Sylvestri plots in the past, or gained their 
  powers by accident from a Sylvestri magic ritual, 
  and so on. A hero might even be a Sylvestri who 
  “went rogue,” and the family wants him back — or 
  dead. In every generation, a few Sylvestris try to 
  drop out and lead normal lives. If they succeed, 
  their children might inherit a knack for magic. 
  Sylvestris who fail might seek good-guy sorcerers 
  — like the PCs — for help against their relatives.
  Weakening or strengthening the Sylvestris 
  primarily means decreasing or increasing their 
  numbers. You could also make the family less 
  powerful by heightening its internal divisiveness, 
  making it less likely that large numbers of them 
  can work together.
  The Ranks Of The Sylvestris
  Giacomo Sylvestri remains the undisputed 
  leader of the Sylvestri clan. The family includes 
  many other powerful sorcerers, however.
  Bocal McFarlane is one of the more powerful 
  family members. This master of life magic became 
  one of the Patriarch’s trusted lieutenants long ago.
  Perrenon Sylvestri, a.k.a. Astralle, is one of 
  the junior Sylvestris. She gave herself to the Seven 
  Planetary Demons for quick, easy magical power. 
  Unlike most Sylvestris, she favors the “supervillain 
  look,” even to adopting a cool pseudonym.
  Cornelius Liefeld broke with tradition by 
  becoming an alchemist instead of a demon sor-
  cerer. He lacks the raw power of his Satanist kin-
  folk, and prefers to act from hiding, but he’s no less 
  evil and dangerous than other Sylvestris.
  Other family members of note include:
  Matachin:  Dashwood Sylvestri has little magic of 
  his own, but he wields a magic sword charged with 
  deathly Qliphothic energies. As the mercenary 
  Matachin, he sells his services in the Mystic World 
  and gathers information to sell to his kinfolk.
  Fra Diavolo:  Diodoro Sylvestri tried to escape his 
  family by becoming a monk, but the Patriarch 
  eventually corrupted him. He is not only a Satanist 
  (though with little power), he also made himself a 
  crime boss within a major Italian city.
  Erichtho McFarlane:  This daughter of the Patriarch 
  changed her name to that of a witch from Classi-
  cal literature to reﬂect her mastery of necromancy. 
  Erichtho died more than a century ago, but remains 
  active as a ghost. She can possess corpses, create 
  other undead, and cast a variety of necromantic 
  spells while in disembodied, astral form.
  Canidia Liefeld:  Erichtho’s great-granddaughter 
  inherited only a little of her ancestress’s necroman-
  tic skill, but she is a topﬂight lawyer. Canidia looks 
  out for the legal aﬀairs of many of her relatives.
  Georgius Liefeld:  Canidia’s cousin Georgius runs a 
  brokerage house in Hamburg. His only mystic tal-
  ents are astral perception and projection, which he 
  uses to gain information for insider trading.
  Sagana Liefeld:  This Sylvestri scion suﬀered from 
  an ugly and handicapped body until she sold her 
  soul to the archdevil Mulciber, the Netherworld’s 
  greatest artisan. Mulciber gave Sagana an immortal 
  body of living metal, making her drop-dead gor-
  geous but unable to pass for human. Sagana gained 
  great magical power over earth, ﬁre, and metal. She 
  serves Mulciber with utter devotion, and indeed 
  has fallen in love with the demon-smith.
  Velleda McFarlane:  Although she learned a few 
  minor spells, this Sylvestri scion lacked the talent 
  to match her ambition. She appealed to Erichtho 
  for help, and her deceased kinswoman turned her 
  into a vampire. Velleda acts as the Sylvestris’ liaison 
  whenever they need to negotiate with vampires. She 
  enjoys seducing and preying upon the living, espe-
  cially Goth types who think being dead is sexy.
  SYLVESTRI PLOT SEEDS
  A mystic hero ﬁnds his family past is murkier than 
  he thought:  he may be a Sylvestri by blood, perhaps a 
  close descendant of Patriarch himself. When word of 
  this reaches the Mystic World, other mystics turn suspi-
  cious or even hostile, while Satanists and Dragon cult-
  ists say they knew it all along and look forward to the 
  character’s joining their side. Is this an elaborate hoax 
  to isolate the hero? If it’s true, how can the hero regain 
  the trust of his former allies?
  A Sylvestri couple with no magic of their own try 
  defecting to the heroes’ side because the Patriarch 
  wants to take their newborn son. Mystic senses show 
  the child has a powerful but demon-tainted aura:  in 
  fact, he’s a mystical “battery” that can supercharge any 
  sorcerer (Aid Magic 6d6, Others Only). A deeper inves-
  tigation shows the child is Giacomo’s ﬁrst son, Pietro, 
  reborn from Hell. How do the heroes protect the child 
  from the Sylvestris who want to recover him? Should 
  they protect the child? The infant could grow up to 
  become the mightiest black magician since Archimago.
  A group of Sylvestris create a new drug syndicate as a 
  way to bring more people into evil’s grasp. Cornelius 
  Liefeld invents a new designer drug and infuses it with 
  demon ichor. The combination results in one of the 
  Seven Deadly Sins gaining a terrible power over each 
  addict. The Patriarch ﬁnances a lab to mass-produce 
  the drug, while other Sylvestris line up distributors. 
  Bocal McFarlane and Astralle “persuade” any crime 
  bosses who create problems. The Sylvestris hope to 
  saturate a city with the drug so that a wave of sin-
  obsessed addicts drive the city into anarchy.
  
  60 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  PATRIARCH
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   20 STR 
  10 
  13- 
  Lift 400 kg; 4d6 [2]
   23 DEX 
  39 
  14- 
  OCV:  8/DCV:  8
   23 CON 
  26 
  14-
   13 BODY 6 
  12-
   23 INT 
  13 
  14- 
  PER Roll 14-
   23 EGO 
  26 
  14- 
  ECV:  8
   30 PRE 
  20 
  15- 
  PRE Attack:  6d6
   14 COM 
  2 
  12-
   15 PD 
  11 
   
  Total:  15 PD (0 rPD)
   15 ED 
  10 
   
  Total:  15 ED (0 rED)
   5 SPD 
  17 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   10 REC 
  2
   70 END 
  12
   35 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  194
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  115 
  Demonic Theurgy:  Variable Power Pool 
  (Magic Pool), 80 base + 40 control cost,  
  No Skill Roll Requires (+1); Extra Time 
  (requires a minimum of 1 Turn to change 
  Pool allocation; -¾), Variable Limitations 
  (requires -1 worth of Limitations; -½) 
  var
  7 
  Hell Sword:  HKA 1d6 (2d6 with STR with 
  no Advantages used; 1d6+1 with STR when 
  naked Advantages are used);  
  OAF (-1), No Knockback (-¼) 
  1
  27 
  Hell Sword’s Hellﬁre:  Continuous (+1),  
  Penetrating (x2; +1), and Uncontrolled  
  (stops working after 1 Turn; +½) for  
  HKA 1d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END;  
  +½); OAF (-1) 
  0
   
  Martial Arts:  Fencing
   
  Maneuver 
  OCV DCV 
  Notes
  4 
  Froissement 
  -1 
  +1 
  Disarm, 30 STR
  5 
  Lunge 
  +1 
  -2 
  Weapon +4 DC
  4 
  Parry 
  +2 
  +2 
  Block, Abort
  4 
  Strike 
  +0 
  +2 
  Weapon +2 DC
  1 
  Use Art With Clubs
  24 
  Diabolical Fortitude:  Physical and  
  Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant,  
  25%; Only Works If Patriarch Maintains  
  His Ritual Schedule (-¼) 
  0
  23 
  Diabolical Immunities:  Life Support  
  (Self-Contained Breathing; Safe  
  Environments:  Intense Cold, Intense  
  Heat; Longevity:  Immortal; Immunity:  
  all terrestrial diseases and biowarfare  
  agents); Only Works If Patriarch  
  Maintains His Ritual Schedule (-¼) 
  0
  5 
  Mystic Ward:  Power Defense (5 points) 
  0
  10 
  Psychic Ward:  Mental Defense (15 points 
  total) 
  0
  20 
  Astral Awareness:  Dimensional (Astral 
  Plane) for Sight and Hearing Groups
  10 
  See Magic:  Detect Magic 14- (Sight Group), 
  Discriminatory 
  0
  8 
  Wizard’s Wardrobe:  Cosmetic Transform  
  2d6 (change clothing in any way), I 
  mproved Results Group (any clothing;  
  +¼); Limited Target (own clothes; -½) 
  1
  7 
  Diabolical Regeneration:  Healing 1d6  
  (Regeneration; 1 BODY per Turn), Reduced 
  Endurance (0 END; +½), Persistent (+½);  
  Self Only (-½), Extra Time (1 Turn; -1¼),  
  Only Works If Patriarch Maintains His  
  Ritual Schedule (-¼) 
  0
   
  Perks
  40 
  Castello di Sylvestri:  200-point Base
  12 
  Contact:  Cult Of The Red Banner 11- (useful 
  Skills and resources; organization Contact)
  12 
  Contact:  Ouroboros 11- (useful Skills and 
  resources; organization Contact)
  10 
  Money:  Wealthy
   
  Skills
  10 
  +2 with Magical Attacks
  3 
  Acting 15-
  3 
  Analyze Magic 14-
  3 
  Breakfall 14-
  5 
  Cramming
  3 
  Cryptography 14-
  3 
  Deduction 14-
  3 
  High Society 15-
  3 
  Interrogation 15-
  3 
  Navigation (Astral, Dimensional) 14-
  3 
  Oratory 15-
  3 
  Sleight Of Hand 14-
  15 
  Power:  Thaumaturgy 20-
  3 
  Trading 15-
  1 
  WF: Blades
  3 
  Linguist
  3 
  1)  English (idiomatic) (Italian is Native)
  2 
  2)  French (completely ﬂuent)
  2 
  3)  German (completely ﬂuent)
  2 
  4)  Greek (completely ﬂuent)
  2 
  5)  Hebrew (completely ﬂuent)
  2 
  6)  Latin (completely ﬂuent)
  3 
  Scholar
  2 
  1)  KS: Demonology 14-
  2 
  2)  KS: Draconic Cults 14-
  1 
  3)  KS: Fencing 11-
  2 
  4)  KS: Hermetic Theurgy 14-
  1 
  5)  KS: Imaginal Planes 11-
  2 
  6)  KS: The Mystic World 14-
  1 
  7)  KS: Occult History 11-
  2 
  8)  KS: Spirits 14-
  2 
  9)  KS: Western Occultism 14-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  446
  Total Cost:  640
  200+ Disadvantages
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  powerful, tainted magic 
  aura (Not Concealable; Always Noticed; 
  Detectable Only with Unusual Senses)
  15 
  Enraged:  by deﬁance, insult or humiliation 
  (Common), go 11-, recover 14-
  10 
  Hunted:  assorted mystic heroes 8- (As Pow, 
  Capture/Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:  Adrian Vandaleur 8- (As Pow, NCI, 
  Discreetly Thwart)
  10 
  Hunted:  The Dragon 11- (Mo Pow,  
  Watching)
  10 
  Hunted:  The Devil’s Advocates 11- (Mo Pow, 
  Watching)
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  61 
  10 
  Physical Limitation: must perform sacriﬁce 
  rituals to keep physical toughness and magi-
  cal powers (Infrequent, Greatly Impairing)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Devoted To The 
  Dragon (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Vengeful (Very 
  Common, Moderate)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Treacherous 
  (Common, Moderate)
  10 
  Reputation:  the Dragon’s chief disciple, 
  11- (Extreme, Limited Group [the Mystic 
  World])
  30 
  Susceptibility:  to whenever the Dragon 
  wants, 3d6 STUN and BODY damage 
  (Uncommon)
  10 
  Susceptibility:  to holy ground, 1d6 Drain 
  Magic Pool every Turn character is on holy 
  ground (Uncommon)
  265 
  Experience Spent
  Total Disadvantage Points:  640
  EXAMPLE POWERS FOR DEMONIC 
  THEURGY POWER POOL
  Brimstone Spear:  With a word and a pass of his 
  beringed hands, the Patriarch conjures a javelin of 
  ﬁre and brimstone. When it hits its target, the spear 
  explodes in a cloud of choking, stinking smoke.
  Energy Blast 5d6, Area Of Eﬀect (One Hex; 
  +½), NND (defense is Self-Contained Breath-
  ing or Taste/Smell Group Flash Defense; +1) 
  (62 Active Points); OIF (talismanic rings; -½), 
  Gestures (-¼), Incantations (-¼). Total cost:  31 
  points.
  Diabolic Communion:  Once the Patriarch contacts 
  a devil, he oﬀers access to his mind, so they may 
  speak together.
  Mind Link to any one infernal spirit, any dis-
  tance, any dimension (20 Active Points); IAF 
  (sword-cane; -½) Concentration (concentrate 
  to½ DCV throughout; -½). Total cost:  10 points.
  Diabolic Invocation:  Powerful as Giacomo is, he 
  cannot actually force any but the weakest demons 
  to appear. Instead, he sends a mystical beacon to 
  a demon or devil, requesting communion. If the 
  spirit responds (by accepting the Diabolic Com-
  munion, above), Giacomo can invite it to appear. 
  The demon may choose to appear, or not. Tradition 
  and formality call for a grand ceremony, but the 
  Patriarch can make do with chanting an invocation 
  while tracing a circle with his sword-cane.
  Mind Scan 10d6, Transdimensional (Nether-
  world; +½) (75 Active Points); OAF (sword-
  cane; -1), Extra Time (1 Turn; -1¼), Incanta-
  tions (-¼). Total cost:  21 points.
  Eyes Of Asmoday:  Among his other gifts, the arch-
  devil Asmoday grants invisibility. By calling on 
  Asmoday and kissing one of his rings, the Patriarch 
  can gain the power to “see” those who think them-
  selves unseen.
  Detect Invisibility (no Sense Group), Range, 
  Sense, Targeting (22 Active Points); OIF (tal-
  ismanic ring; -½), Gestures (-¼), Incantations 
  (-¼). Total cost:  11 points.
  Hypocrite’s Cloak:  In the Inferno, religious hypo-
  crites — especially those who used their holy 
  oﬃce for ﬁnancial gain — are condemned to wear 
  imprisoning robes of gilded lead. With a wave 
  of his sword-cane, the Patriarch conjures such a 
  robe around a foe. The robe can trap spirits, astral 
  projectors, and other non-solid entities, as well as 
  mortals.
  Entangle 4d6, 4 DEF, Aﬀects Desolidiﬁed (+½) 
  (60 Active Points); OAF (sword-cane; -1). Total 
  cost:  30 points.
  Soul Armor:  The Patriarch summons a phantom 
  suit of mail crafted from gibbering, damned souls. 
  This stops the BODY from most mundane attacks.
  Armor (10 PD/10 ED) (30 Active Points); OIF 
  (talismanic rings; -½), Gestures (-¼), Incanta-
  tions (-¼). Total cost:  15 points.
  Surgat’s Blessing:  The demon Surgat has the power 
  to open any lock. The Patriarch calls on Surgat’s 
  power with a few words and a tap from his cane. 
  One tap suﬃces for most locks, but even bank vault 
  doors open in time.
  Lockpicking 25- (35 Active Points); OAF 
  (sword-cane; -1), Incantations (-¼). Total cost:  
  14 points.
  Background/History:  After twenty years, the Conte 
  Giacomo Sylvestri at last would have a child:  his 
  third wife was pregnant. His ancient line and title 
  would continue. Moreover, the unfruitfulness of his 
  past wives and mistresses was not his fault.
  Giacomo had a brilliant life. He was a success-
  ful army commander; ﬂuent in French, German, 
  Latin, and Greek; a shrewd investor; and a patron 
  of the arts. He succeeded at everything except 
  siring an heir.
  On a business trip to Milan, Giacoma obtained 
  a horoscope from the notorious Pietro Mora, who 
  was rumored to be a sorcerer as well as a doctor 
  and astrologer. His wife’s child was a boy, Mora said, 
  and Giacomo would father more sons than Jacob 
  of Israel. Giacomo returned early from Milan to tell 
  his wife the news. In high heart, he strode to their 
  chamber, threw open the door to greet her — and 
  felt a dagger of ice in his heart.
  His wife was naked on their bed. So was the 
  handsome young guard. They broke their embrace, 
  as surprised as he. Giacomo moved ﬁrst. They 
  barely had time to scream before he slew them both 
  with his sword.
  Giacomo spent the next week drunk, but wine 
  could not erase the horrid clarity of that moment at 
  his chamber door. The child had not been his. Kill-
  ing his wife and her lover did not kill the truth that 
  he could never sire an heir. He was the last Sylves-
  tri. Giacomo laughed, remembering Pietro Mora’s 
  assurance. More sons than Jacob indeed! And so 
  PATRIARCH  
  PLOT SEEDS
  A hero with big busi-
  ness or high society 
  connections encounters 
  Giacomo Sylvestri at a 
  tony social gathering, 
  with lots of innocent 
  bystanders who could be 
  harmed if they fought. 
  The Patriarch intends 
  to deliver a magical gift 
  to one of the guests:  
  its acceptance fulﬁlls 
  a contract and damns 
  the recipient. Can the 
  hero prevent this with-
  out revealing his own 
  powers or endangering 
  the other guests?
  The newspapers say 
  that a new round of 
  Middle East peace 
  negotiations (or some 
  other gathering of 
  international VIPs) is 
  scheduled... to be held 
  at Castello di Sylvestri. 
  How can the heroes 
  stop the Patriarch from 
  placing the dignitaries 
  in his power and plung-
  ing the Middle East 
  into total war?
  The Patriarch tries to 
  copy the Zodiac Work-
  ing of Archimago. He 
  orders various Sylves-
  tris to kidnap twelve 
  women, chosen for their 
  beauty and astrological 
  conditions of their birth, 
  and bring them to a clan 
  stronghold. There Gia-
  como summons twelve 
  archdevils, one by one, 
  to rape and impregnate 
  the women. He plans to 
  keep the women until 
  he can bring the demon-
  children to birth... after 
  which they are just more 
  victims for his sacriﬁcial 
  altar. Can the heroes 
  rescue the women? If 
  the victims are already 
  pregnant, what do they 
  do about the twelve 
  demon-children?
  
  62 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  Giacomo decided to ride back to Milan and kill 
  Mora as well. What was another murder? He did 
  not regret killing his faithless wife any more than 
  he regretted the men he slew on the battleﬁeld.
  Only Mora did not die. When he saw Gia-
  como’s sword, Mora raised his hand and spoke a 
  Word. One of the rings on his ﬁngers ﬂashed red 
  and Giacomo felt ﬁre explode in his head. He stag-
  gered forward, half blind with pain, until a second 
  blast sent him crumpling to the ﬂoor.
  To his surprise, Giacomo woke up again. 
  Mora wanted to know why Giacomo sought his 
  death; this was a strange reaction to good news, 
  was it not? Giacomo told of his wife and why he’d 
  slain her. “Your horoscopes are no better than 
  fart-wind, wizard.”
  Mora frowned, but thoughtfully. “Not my 
  words, but those of my lord and patron, the great 
  Duke Astaroth. He has never been wrong before, 
  but one must consider his words closely. He said 
  the child was a boy. He never said it was yours. The 
  rest of his prophecy may yet come true — if you 
  dare to fulﬁll it. Will you accept damnation to gain 
  an heir?”
  Giacomo laughed bitterly. “God has shown His 
  “love” for me well enough. I am an adulterer and a 
  murderer and do not repent it! Let your devil do 
  his best. If he can make my seed fertile, he shall be 
  my liege as well!”
  So it came to pass. Giacomo sold his soul to 
  the archdevil Astaroth and took another wife. Soon 
  he had a baby daughter, with another child on the 
  way. As Astaroth commanded, he baptised neither. 
  With proof of Hell’s power, Giacomo contacted 
  Mora again. He wanted to learn sorcery himself. 
  Since Milan was becoming too hot for Mora, the 
  Satanic wizard gladly moved to Castle Sylvestri.
  As always, the Conte did well at his chosen 
  task. When Mora left ﬁve years later, Giacomo 
  could summon demons himself... and just in time, 
  for the Pope had allied with a neighbor to conquer 
  and destroy him. Many of Giacomo’s own people 
  welcomed the invader:  Giacomo was as thorough 
  in damnation as everything else, and earned their 
  hatred. The few who remained loyal were not 
  enough, but some minor demons sent among the 
  besiegers at night evened the score. Even as the 
  army retreated from Giacomo’s gates, though, an 
  arquebus shot pierced him. The wound festered 
  into gangrene; mortal medicine was helpless, and 
  so Giacomo invoked the demon called Marbas, 
  a President who cures disease and appears in the 
  form of a lion.
  To Giacomo’s dismay, this time his conjura-
  tions did not cow the demon. His sickness made 
  him too weak. “Payment, son of Adam!” the demon 
  growled as it stalked around Giacomo’s magic 
  circle. “Life and health I give, in return for what else 
  is most precious to thee!”
  “Fiend!” he cried. “My soul is pledged already!”
  The demon bared its fangs, a grin. “That I 
  know... but what did you buy that was worth dam-
  nation? Give it to me, with thy two hands, and per-
  fect health shall be thine for all thy days.”
  What could the demon mean but his eldest 
  son Pietro, his heir? A ﬁne little lad, though Gia-
  como didn’t see much of him; that was the nanny’s 
  job. But then, he had two other sons, one legitimate, 
  and already wise folk did not question his word.... 
  “Agreed, spirit. With my own two hands will I grant 
  thy desire in... a week? If you will assure my life 
  until then?”
  “A week,” Marbas agreed. “I shall know if thy 
  payment is given with less than thy full heart.” And 
  it vanished in a ﬂash of ﬂame.
  In the days to come, Giacomo announced 
  sadly that little Pietro was sick. The nanny did not 
  contradict him. Pietro got all the toys and sweets 
  he wanted. And then Giacomo stood in the circle 
  again, his son sleeping in his arms from an herbal 
  potion. Pietro would not suﬀer, he told himself. 
  Once more the lion Marbas paced outside his circle. 
  Once more it grinned.
  “Come forth and be healed,” the demon said. 
  Steeling his nerve, Giacomo stepped out of the 
  circle, knelt, and laid Pietro on the stone ﬂoor. 
  “Now, let all inﬁrmity depart!” the demon com-
  manded. A wave of sulfurous fumes swirled around 
  Giacomo, making him cough, but he felt the pain 
  and corruption leave his ﬂesh. Pietro coughed as 
  well and opened sleepy eyes.
  “Daddy?” he murmured. Then Pietro shrieked, 
  a thin, brief sound as Marbas leaped upon him and 
  swallowed him whole, knocking Giacomo back into 
  the circle.
  “Thou payest well, son of Adam,” the demon 
  said. It licked its chops and vanished. Giacomo 
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  63 
  regretted his damnation for the ﬁrst time. And the 
  last. Henceforth, no crime was beyond him, and the 
  Lords of Hell were much pleased.
  Over the years Giacomo became a mighty 
  wizard, both from the powers the demon princes 
  gave him and what he learned on his own. In 
  fact, he proved a little too skilled for his demonic 
  patrons. When old age closed in on him, Giacomo 
  contacted the Dragon and made a ﬁnal pact. The 
  Dragon gave Giacomo immortality in exchange for 
  eternal service as its tool for mankind’s destruc-
  tion. As token of their pact, Giacomo must sacriﬁce 
  one of his own blood every year to maintain his 
  immortal life. Giacomo has done this for three 
  hundred years. He has sired dozens of children, as 
  Astaroth foretold, and hundreds of grandchildren 
  and further descendants... and his hands have run 
  red with their blood.
  Personality/Motivation:  Giacomo is haughty, cold, 
  and vicious. He’s an amazingly competent person, 
  and he knows it. He made himself the Dragon’s 
  favorite acolyte in the Quaternion, and he knows 
  that, too. As far as Giacomo is concerned, the Mul-
  tiverse divides into four categories: the Dragon; 
  himself; that which serves the Dragon and himself; 
  and that which should serve the Dragon and him-
  self. In short, he’s a psychopath and a fanatic. He’s 
  good at hiding it in public, though. Giacomo can be 
  quite charming when he wants.
  Quote:  “A moment, please, before you attempt 
  something heroic and foolish. There is something 
  you should know....”
  Powers/Tactics:  The Sylvestri Patriarch practices 
  Hermetic theurgy with a demonic emphasis. The 
  Dragon forbids him to use other sorts of magic. 
  (Giacomo can use alchemical potions since they are 
  actually spells cast by someone else, but the Dragon 
  punishes him for it later.) He prefers to ﬁll his 
  Variable Limitation with his sword-cane (in either 
  sword or cane form) as an OAF. If the Patriarch 
  loses the sword-cane, he uses his talismanic rings 
  (OIF) with Gestures and Incantations (or a 14- 
  Activation Roll). If Giacomo loses use of all Foci, he 
  has to ﬁnd -1 worth of other Limitations (typically 
  Activation Roll, Gestures, and/or Incantations). His 
  complete list of permissible Limitations consists of 
  Activation Roll, Concentration, Extra Time, Focus, 
  Gestures, and Incantations.
  The Patriarch must sacriﬁce a descendant 
  every year. If he does not, he loses the magical 
  toughness and immortality granted by the Dragon 
  (his Damage Reduction, Regeneration and Life 
  Support) and 5 points of STR, DEX, and CON. 
  What’s more, all his magic suﬀers an Activation 
  Roll 14-. (Giacomo practices other rituals to main-
  tain his power as well, but he doesn’t need to follow 
  a strict schedule.)
  Giacomo carries an enchanted sword-cane. 
  The demon-forged Hell Sword in the cane inﬂicts 
  just a little damage when it hits — it’s only a sharp-
  ened épée, after all — but the hellﬁre ﬂickering 
  along the blade can damage virtually anything, and 
  keeps burning for a full Turn. (The sword inﬂicts 
  full damage, with Damage Classes from the Fenc-
  ing maneuvers, when it hits; after that the hellﬁre 
  inﬂicts 1d6 Killing Damage, Penetrating (x2), each 
  Phase for 1 Turn.)
  Campaign Use:  See the introductory text for gen-
  eral information. The Patriarch holds the Sylvestri 
  clan together through sheer terror and the tacit 
  threat of the Dragon’s wrath. Without him, one of 
  the most powerful factions in the Mystic World 
  would fall apart as the various Sylvestris turned on 
  each other or pursued their own schemes.
  Giacomo prefers to delegate oversight to one 
  descendant or another. The Patriarch does not take 
  charge personally unless he must:  not only does 
  Giacomo ensure his own safety by staying in the 
  shadows, he can blame underlings for failure. Thus, 
  heroes usually encounter Giacomo only at his plea-
  sure, when he has lots of backup, deadly pre-cast 
  spells ready to trigger, and a hostage DNPC or two 
  — or when the Sylvestris capture them.
  To make the Patriarch more powerful, increase 
  his Magic Pool, reduce the Limitations on it, or give 
  him greater attacks and defenses outside the VPP. 
  To reduce his power, decrease the size of his Magic 
  Pool, add Limitations to (or remove Advantages 
  from) it, and/or reduce his DEX and SPD.
  Anyone who gains a Sylvestri as an enemy 
  eventually comes to the Patriarch’s attention. If 
  Giacomo considers a hero suﬃciently irritating 
  or dangerous, he mobilizes the family to Hunt the 
  hero. The Patriarch never personally Hunts anyone 
  except rebellious descendants.
  Appearance:  The Patriarch looks like he’s in his 
  mid-40s. The handsome Giacomo has a narrow 
  mustache and just a few streaks of grey in his wavy 
  black hair. When in public, mingling with Italian 
  high society, he wears immaculately-tailored grey 
  silk suits. Only close inspection of his dragon-
  headed sword-cane and rings would hint that Gia-
  como is a sorcerer:  his rings bear demonic sigils, 
  while the gold wire embedded in the rosewood 
  cane twists into runes.
  On formal occasions, Giacomo wears opulent 
  seventeenth-century garb slightly modiﬁed for the 
  demands of ritual sorcery:  trousers and a broad-
  collared jacket of dark, richly embroidered velvet, 
  with lace cuﬀs, a ruﬄed cravat, and leather belt 
  and boots. He adds a black mantle lined with red 
  silk and a golden coronet. The belt, mantle, and 
  coronet all bear mystic characters. Two ensymboled 
  brooches linked by a golden chain hold the mantle 
  across his shoulders. The collar of his jacket is 
  embroidered in gold with a rampant dragon on one 
  side and the Secret Seal of Solomon on the other.
  
  64 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  BOCAL MCFARLANE
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   33 STR 
  23 
  16- 
  Lift 2,400 kg; 6½d6 [3]
   17 DEX 
  21 
  12- 
  OCV:  6/DCV:  6
   23 CON 
  26 
  14-
   16 BODY 12 
  12-
   23 INT 
  13 
  14- 
  PER Roll 14-
   17 EGO 
  14 
  12- 
  ECV:  6
   25 PRE 
  15 
  14- 
  PRE Attack:  5d6
   4 COM 
  -3 
  10-
   23 PD 
  16 
   
  Total:  23 PD (7 rPD)
   23 ED 
  18 
   
  Total:  23 ED (7 rED)
   5 SPD 
  23 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   12 REC 
  0
   46 END 
  0
   45 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  178
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
   
  Flight:  5”/10”
   
  Gliding:  15”/30”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  47 
  Biomancy:  Multipower, 94-point reserve;  
  all slots Activation Roll 14- (-½), Incanta-
  tions (-¼), Side Eﬀects (lose the use of the 
  slot for 1 Minute; -¼)
  4u 
  1)  Melt Flesh:  RKA 1d6, AVLD (defense  
  is Power Defense or an inorganic body; 
  +1½), Does BODY (+1), +4 Increased  
  STUN Multiplier (+1), Continuous (+1), 
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼);  
  Common Limitations described above  
  (-1), Extra Time (Full Phase to activate; -¼) 4
  3u 
  2)  Flesh Sculpting:  Major Transform 3d6 
  (change living tissue, heals back through 
  another application of this power, or a like 
  power), Improved Results Group (any  
  physiological change to any living creature; 
  +1); Common Limitations described above 
  (-1), No Range (-½), Extra Time (Full Phase; 
  -½), Limited Target (living creatures; -¼) 
  9
  3u 
  3)  Prospero’s Curse Of Cramps:  Suppress 
  DEX 6d6, Uncontrolled (CON Roll at  
  every post-12 Recovery to stop; +½),  
  Reduced Endurance (0 END, but only  
  applies to maintenance of eﬀect; +½); 
  Common Limitations described above (-1) 6
  3u 
  4)  Momentary Migraine:  Ego Attack 6d6; 
  Common Limitations described above (-1) 6
  4u 
  5)  Mass Migraine:  Ego Attack 2½d6,  
  Area Of Eﬀect (12” Radius; +1¼), Continu-
  ous (+1), Personal Immunity (+¼),  
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼);  
  Common Limitations described above (-1), 
  Extra Time (Full Phase to activate; -¼) 
  4
  3u 
  6)  Paralyze:  Entangle 3d6, 3 DEF, Based  
  On Ego Combat Value (+1), Takes No 
  Damage From Physical Attacks (+¼),  
  Works Against EGO, Not STR (+¼);  
  Common Limitations described above (-1), 
  Cannot Form Barriers (-¼) 
  7
  3u 
  7)  Twisting Joints:  RKA 1d6+1, NND  
  (defense is Lack of Weakness, Double-Jointed, 
  or succeeding with a Contortionist Roll; +1), 
  Does BODY (+1); Common Limitations 
  described above (-1) 
  6
  3u 
  8)  Induce Astigmatism:  Sight Group  
  Flash 8d6, NND (defense is Power  
  Defense or having innate inorganic sens-
  ing devices; +½); Common Limitations 
  described above (-1) 
  6
  3u 
  9)  Meat Puppets:  Telekinesis (20 STR), 
  BOECV (+1); Common Limitations 
  described above (-1) 
  6
  3u 
  10)  Bladeskin:  RKA 1½d6, Continuous  
  (+1), Damage Shield (+½); Common  
  Limitations described above (-1) 
  6
  3u 
  11)  Domination:  Mind Control 12d6; 
  Common Limitations described above (-1) 6
  1u 
  12)  Disrupting Touch:  Energy Blast 2d6, 
  NND (defense is Lack of Weakness; +1), 
  Does BODY (+1); Common Limitations 
  described above (-1), No Range (-½) 
  3
  1u 
  13)  Kinetic Touch:  HA +6d6, Hand-To-
  Hand Attack (-½); Common Limitations 
  described above (-1) 
  3
  1u 
  14)  Body Toughening:  Force Field  
  (10 PD/10 ED/10 Power Defense);  
  Common Limitations described above (-1) 3
  1u 
  15)  Body Control:  Life Support (Self- 
  Contained Breathing, Diminished Eating:  
  only needs to eat once per week;  
  Diminished Sleep:  only needs eight hours  
  of sleep per week; Safe Environments:   
  High Pressure, Intense Cold, Intense Heat, 
  Low Pressure/Vacuum; Immunity [all poi-
  sons]); Common Limitations described 
  above (-1) 
  0
  1u 
  16)  Augmentation:  Succor Physical  
  Abilities 4d6, any Physical Characteristic  
  one at a time (+¼), Reduced Endurance  
  (½ END; +¼); Common Limitations 
  described above (-1) 
  1
  1u 
  17)  Psychic Sight:  Clairsentience (Sight 
  Group and Detect Magic), Reduced  
  Endurance (½ END; +¼); Common  
  Limitations described above (-1) 
  1
  2u 
  18)  Healing-Spells:  Healing BODY 3d6,  
  Can Heal Limbs; Common Limitations 
  described above (-1) 
  3
  20 
  Claw/Bite:  HKA 1d6+1 (2½d6 with STR) 2
  7 
  Tough, Scaled Hide:  Damage Resistance  
  (7 PD/7 ED) 
  0
  5 
  Tough And Flexible:  Lack of Weakness  
  (-5) for Normal Defenses 
  0
  7 
  Trained Will:  Mental Defense (10 points 
  total) 
  0
  5 
  Inhuman Metabolism:  Power Defense  
  (5 points) 
  0
  3 
  Slow Aging:  Life Support (Longevity:   
  lifespan of 800 years) 
  0
  10 
  Supernatural Health:  Life Support  
  (Immunity:  all terrestrial diseases and  
  biowarfare agents) 
  0
  5 
  Wings:  Flight 5”, Restrainable (-½),  
  Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -½) 2
  10 
  Soaring:  Gliding 15”, Restrainable (-½) 
  0
  15 
  Feel Magic:  Detect Magic 14- (Touch 
  Group), Discriminatory, Ranged 
  0
  11 
  Reptilian Regeneration:  Healing 1d6  
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  65 
  (Regeneration; 1 BODY per Turn), Can  
  Heal Limbs, Reduced Endurance (0 END;  
  +½), Persistent (+½); Self Only (-½), Extra 
  Time (1 Turn; -1¼) 
  0
  5 
  Tail:  Extra Limbs (1), Inherent (+¼);  
  Limited Manipulation (-¼) 
  0
   
  Perks
  3 
  Anonymity
  5 
  Fringe Beneﬁt:  Senior Sylvestri
   
  Talents
  3 
  Simulate Death
   
  Skills
  6 
  +2 with Biomancy Multipower
  3 
  Acting 14-
  3 
  Climbing 12-
  3 
  Concealment 14-
  3 
  Contortionist 12-
  3 
  Cryptography 14-
  3 
  Interrogation 14-
  3 
  Paramedics 14-
  3 
  PS: Flesh Sculpture 14-
  3 
  SS: Biology 14-
  3 
  Spell Research (Inventor) 14-
  3 
  Linguist
  2 
  1)  Language: Gaelic (completely ﬂuent;  
  English is Native)
  2 
  2)  Language:  German (completely ﬂuent)
  2 
  3)  Language: Hindustani (completely ﬂuent)
  2 
  4)  Language: Italian (completely ﬂuent)
  2 
  5)  Language: Latin (completely ﬂuent)
  3 
  Scholar
  1 
  1)  KS: Ayurvedic Medicine 11-
  2 
  2)  KS: Body Magic 14-
  1 
  3)  KS: Demonology 11-
  1 
  4)  KS: Draconic Cults 11-
  2 
  5)  KS: Life Shaping And Augmentation 14-
  1 
  6)  KS: The Lords Carnidine 11-
  1 
  7)  KS: Outer Planes 11-
  2 
  8)  KS: Western Occultism 14-
  1 
  9)  KS: Yoga 11-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  268    
  Total Cost:  446
  200+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Enraged:  if takes BODY (Very Common), go 
  11-, recover 14-
  10 
  Hunted:  Doctor Teneber or selected mystic 
  hero 8- (As Pow, Capture/Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:  The Dragon 11- (Mo Pow, Watch-
  ing)
  5 
  Hunted:  Patriarch 8- (Mo Pow, Watching)
  15 
  Physical Limitation:  Multipower lost if Bocal 
  doesn’t perform monthly sacriﬁcial ritual 
  (Infrequently, Fully Impairing)
  5 
  Physical Limitation:  Large (2” tall/long, 
  weighs 200 kg, -2 DCV, +2 to others’ PER 
  Rolls to perceive him) (Infrequently, Slightly 
  Impairing)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Bloodthirsty And 
  Sadistic (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Ambitious 
  (Common, Moderate)
  10 
  Social Limitation:  Secret (is a mass murderer 
  monster) (Occasionally, Severe [execution or 
  lifetime imprisonment if discovered])
  15 
  Susceptibility:  to eating anything except raw 
  meat, reduce Multipower by 31 points for 
  1d6 hours (Uncommon)
  15 
  Susceptibility:  to holy ground, 1d6 damage 
  per Phase (Uncommon)
  5 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x STUN from Cold attacks 
  (Uncommon)
  5 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x BODY from Cold 
  attacks (Uncommon)
  101 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  446
  Background/History:  “He’s a deep one,” his parents 
  used to say about young Bocal McFarlane. “He’ll 
  go far.” His cousins thought Bocal was just boring. 
  Even as a child, Bocal listened more than he spoke. 
  While his cousins pestered their parents to activate 
  them so they could work deviltry, Bocal kept his 
  nose in a book, studying whatever occult lore his 
  elders permitted.
  The Sylvestris typically initiate their young 
  into Satanism at age 16. To Giacomo Sylvestri’s 
  surprise, Bocal already knew how to summon and 
  control minor demons:  he’d studied more than his 
  parents allowed. The Sylvestris take a practical view. 
  First the Patriarch whipped Bocal within an inch 
  of his life for his disobedience, then initiated him 
  anyway and authorized more advanced training.
  
  66 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  At 18, Bocal said he wanted to learn how 
  certain demon lords changed the forms of mor-
  tals — and he wanted to learn from the demons 
  themselves. Bocal endured ﬁve years of torment in 
  the Netherworld as the slave of the demon Zepar, 
  a Duke in the Cohort of Lust. When he returned, 
  Bocal gave a brief report of what he learned:  “Their 
  way doesn’t work for humans.” Remarkably, how-
  ever, this failure only sharpened Bocal’s interest in 
  body magic. A month later, Bocal left for India to 
  learn the body-control techniques of the fakirs.
  Bocal pursued the rare magic of biomancy 
  for decades. At last, the Library of Babylon told 
  him about the mysterious Lords Carnidine, pow-
  erful servants of Nature dwelling on one of the 
  Outer Planes. A little trading of favors gained him 
  a plane-travel device, and Bocal vanished from 
  human ken for over a decade. To this day, the other 
  Sylvestris do not know Bocal’s adventures in pur-
  suit of the Lords Carnidine, but he returned as a 
  true master of life magic.
  Bocal became one of House Sylvestri’s most 
  eﬀective operatives. The other Sylvestri elders, 
  however, never trusted him:  Bocal had not 
  accepted a permanent pact with either a demon 
  lord or the Dragon.
  That changed several years ago when Bocal 
  announced a new project. He would transform 
  himself into a living avatar for the Dragon to pos-
  sess. To do it right would take many years, but 
  in the end the Dragon would receive a body ﬁt 
  to channel its awesome power. The die was cast 
  — Bocal not only bound himself to the Dragon, he 
  would sacriﬁce himself to become the Dragon. Such 
  loyalty could not go unrewarded. The Patriarch 
  ﬁnally admitted Bocal to the inner circle of Sylves-
  tri councils.
  Now Giacomo trusts Bocal completely. After 
  all, the Dragon would warn Giacomo if Bocal plot-
  ted treachery against him and the family, and after 
  the pact Bocal couldn’t possibly keep secrets from 
  the Dragon, could he?
  Personality/Motivation:  Bocal’s patience and self-
  control wars with his metamorphosing body’s lust 
  for physical combat and bloodshed. He enjoys rip-
  ping enemies to shreds, but does not attack without 
  plenty of backup and an escape plan. He pursues 
  his ambitions slowly, as well. He may not be the 
  smartest Sylvestri (though he’s a genius), but he 
  is one of the most persistent. None of the other 
  Sylvestris know the full extent of Bocal’s plans, and 
  they probably never will. For instance, Giacomo 
  doesn’t know that despite Bocal’s pact with the 
  Dragon, the Dragon cannot harm Bocal at will as 
  it can Giacomo:  Bocal shares Giacomo’s Suscepti-
  bility, but can deactivate it when he pleases. Since 
  Bocal has not yet needed punishment, perhaps 
  the Dragon itself does not know this. The Dragon 
  should know all of Bocal’s plans, as it knows the 
  deep motives of all humans... but is Bocal still 
  human? Quite possibly, he is not. And if anyone in 
  the Sylvestris can cheat the Dragon, it’s him. As his 
  parents said, he’s a deep one.
  Quote:  “Do you know the legend of Prometheus? If 
  you do not tell me where you hid the Tablet of Des-
  tinies, I will rip out your liver and eat it. Then I will 
  heal you. Then I will rip out your liver again... and 
  again... and again....”
  Powers/Tactics:  Bocal’s slow metamorphosis forces 
  him to keep adjusting his spells, making his magic 
  less ﬂexible and reliable than it once was (he used 
  to have a Variable Power Pool). Bocal can still 
  inﬂict many sorts of pain and harm, from muscle 
  cramps to severe astigmatism, though most of 
  his spells do not work against inorganic entities 
  such as ghosts or golems. If Bocal can close with 
  an enemy he may even eschew ranged attacks, put 
  up his Force Field, Succor whatever Characteristic 
  seems most useful, then rip into his enemy with 
  teeth, claws, and his Kinetic and Disrupting Touch 
  spells. Bocal enjoys such rough-and-tumble — if he 
  thinks he will win.
  Bocal is one of House Sylvestri’s top interroga-
  tors. He starts by augmenting the victim’s CON so 
  he stays conscious. Then Bocal rips oﬀ one of the 
  victim’s arms and chews oﬀ the ﬂesh as if it were a 
  drumstick. Before the victim dies from blood loss, 
  Bocal heals him and restores the arm. Then Bocal 
  says he will continue eating and restoring parts 
  of the victim’s body until the victim talks. That’s 
  when Bocal hits the victim with a Mind Control to 
  tell what he wants to know:  at that point, even the 
  strongest-willed person could be forgiven for want-
  ing to spill his secrets instead of his guts.
  Campaign Use:  See the introductory text for gen-
  eral information. Bocal is an example of a senior 
  Sylvestri, someone the Patriarch trusts to oversee a 
  scheme and command less powerful family mem-
  bers. While the Patriarch remains a remote and 
  shadowy ﬁgure of fear, Bocal is the viceroy who 
  actually clashes with heroes — though Bocal him-
  self tends to lead from behind. The Patriarch also 
  trusts Bocal to negotiate with heroes or issue his 
  demands and return from the encounter:  Bocal has 
  too much physical power for purely mystical heroes 
  to overcome him, and enough mystical power to 
  ﬁght regular superheroes.
  To make Bocal more powerful, increase his 
  physical Characteristics and his intrinsic Mental 
  and Power Defense; perhaps add Sight Group Flash 
  Defense, or move his Life Support outside of his 
  Multipower. His Multipower could also take fewer 
  Limitations. To make Bocal less powerful, reduce 
  his Multipower to 62 points (so he cannot use both 
  a 60-point and 30-point spell at once), or reduce his 
  Characteristics.
  If Bocal McFarlane Hunts a character, that 
  person knows he seriously inconvenienced the 
  Sylvestris. Bocal always Hunts by directing junior 
  family members in careful investigations that end 
  in deadly ambushes. He prefers to capture heroes 
  before he kills them, however, so he can learn what-
  ever secrets they hold. This gives heroes a chance 
  to escape... and Bocal might deliberately use a less-
  than-perfect death trap instead of simply executing 
  the heroes. As long as he can blame someone else 
  for the heroes’ escape, he establishes himself as the 
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  67 
  only Sylvestri who can defeat such cunning and 
  resourceful enemies as the PCs.
  Appearance:  Bocal McFarlane’s metamorphosis 
  into a dragon is well underway and continuing. 
  Every year he splits his skin like a reptile and 
  emerges a little larger and a little less human. 
  Armored scales cover Bocal’s massive body; his 
  face pushes forward into a blunt muzzle with long, 
  sharp fangs; he’s grown wings and a tail; his hands 
  and feet are taloned paws.
  Out of combat, Bocal dresses in oversized 
  black formal wear from his Victorian youth, com-
  plete with a top hat and gold headed cane. (Of 
  course this is a calculated absurdity.) In a ﬁght, 
  Bocal lets his clothes rip away, but he may wave 
  the cane as he casts spells in hopes that an oppo-
  nent mistakes it for a Focus. Bocal walks hunched 
  over, and is as comfortable on all fours as stand-
  ing upright.
  BOCAL MCFARLANE 
  PLOT SEEDS
  A doctor of no former prominence opens a spa 
  where very rich people ﬁnd remarkable cures and 
  rejuvenation... but people close to the patients 
  also notice they now act strangely, not like them-
  selves. The medical miracles are really Bocal’s 
  doing, but he also aﬀects the patients’ minds. Can 
  the heroes discover Bocal’s plan before he brings 
  it to fruition? What is his plan? Does it serve the 
  Sylvestris, the Dragon, the Lords Carnidine, or 
  merely Bocal himself?
  Bocal captures known associates of the PCs and 
  replaces them with Sylvestri impostors:  the police 
  chief, the reporter friend, the team’s ﬁnancial man-
  ager, and so on. Then Bocal watches for opportuni-
  ties when he can bring all his impostors together 
  for an ambush on the heroes. If the ambush fails, 
  Bocal can still buy his own release with the lives of 
  his kidnapped hostages.
  A Dragon cult recruits Bocal to turn a few of their 
  members into low-power, reptilian supervillains. 
  The “Dragon Warriors” embark on a spree of rob-
  beries and kidnappings, gathering the materials 
  and sacriﬁces they need to work some baleful feat 
  of magic.
  ASTRALLE
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   10 STR 
  0 
  11- 
  Lift 100 kg; 2d6 [1]
   18 DEX 
  24 
  13- 
  OCV:  6/DCV:  6
   18 CON 
  16 
  13-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   13 INT 
  3 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   18 EGO 
  16 
  13- 
  ECV:  6
   20 PRE 
  10 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  4d6
   18 COM 
  4 
  13-
   8 PD 
  6 
   
  Total:  23 PD (15 rPD)
   8 ED 
  4 
   
  Total:  23 ED (15 rED)
   5 SPD 
  22 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   6 REC 
  0
   36 END 
  0
   24 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  105
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
   
  Flight:  17”/136”
   
  Teleportation:  `5”/30”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  73 
  Favors Of The Planetary Demons:   
  Multipower, 91-point reserve; Variable  
  Limitations (requires -½ worth of Limita-
  tions chosen from OIF [sigil belt],  
  Activation Roll, Concentration, Extra  
  Time, Gestures, and Incantations; -¼)
  3u 
  1)  Och’s Solar Flare:  Sight Group Flash  
  8d6, Area Of Eﬀect (One Hex; +½);  
  Variable Limitations (see above; -¼),  
  8 Charges (-½) 
  [8]
  3u 
  2)  Phantasms Of Phul:  Mental Illusions  
  12d6; Variable Limitations (see above; -¼),  
  8 Charges (-½) 
  [8]
  3u 
  3)  Ophiel’s Forcible Flight:  Flight 12”,  
  Usable As Attack (defense is Flight; +1), 
  Ranged (+½); Variable Limitations (see 
  above; -¼), 8 Charges (-½) 
  [8]
  3u 
  4)  Hagith’s Mental Mastery:  Mind  
  Control 12d6; Variable Limitations  
  (see above; -¼), 8 Charges (-½) 
  [8]
  3u 
  5)  Barsabel’s Flaming Spear:  RKA 2½d6, 
  Armor Piercing (+½); Variable Limitations 
  (see above; -¼), 8 Charges (-½) 
  [8]
  3u 
   6)  Lightning Of Bethor:  Energy Blast  
  12d6; Variable Limitations (see above; -¼),  
  8 Charges (-½) 
  [8]
  3u 
  7)  Aratron’s Leaden Bonds:  Entangle  
  6d6, 6 DEF; Variable Limitations (see  
  above; -¼), 8 Charges (-½) 
  [8]
  2u 
  8)  Och’s Illumination:  Change  
  Environment 16” radius (creates real  
  sunlight), Reduced Endurance (½ END;  
  +¼); Variable Limitations (see above; -¼) 1
  3u 
  9)  Concealment Of Phul:  Invisibility to  
  Sight Group and Mystic Group, Reduced 
  Endurance (½ END; +¼); Variable  
  Limitations (see above; -¼) 
  1
  2u 
  10)  Ophiel’s Instant Transport:   
  Teleportation 15”; Variable Limitations  
  (see above; -¼) 
  3
  
  68 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  1u 
  11)  Hagith’s Attractive Aura:  +25 PRE;  
  Only To Make Persuasive/Seductive  
  Presence Attacks (-1); Variable Limitations  
  (see above; -¼) 
  0
  2u 
  12)  Barsabel’s Iron Shield:  Force Field  
  (8 PD/8 ED/5 Power Defense), Hardened 
  (+¼), Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼); 
  Variable Limitations (see above; -¼) 
  1
  1u 
  13)  Bethor’s Revelations:  Detect Magic  
  12- (Sight Group), Discriminatory; Vari- 
  able Limitations (see above; -¼) 
  0
  2u 
  14)  Aratron’s Subtle Clutch:  Suppress  
  DEX 5d6, Reduced Endurance (½ END;  
  +¼); Variable Limitations (see above; -¼) 1
  2u 
  15)  Astrological Search:  Mind Scan 18d6; 
  Extra Time (1 Hour per attack roll; -3) 
  9
  2u 
  16)  Contact Demon:  Mind Scan 12d6, 
  Transdimensional (Netherworld targets; 
  +½); Variable Limitations (see above; -¼), 
  Extra Time (1 Hour; -3) 
  9
  2u 
  17)  Open The Way:  Extra-Dimensional  
  Movement (to a single location in a single 
  dimension [Astralle’s location on Earth]), 
  Usable By Other (+¼), Indirect (+½),  
  Ranged (+½), Transdimensional  
  (Netherworld targets; +½); Variable  
  Limitations (see above; -¼), Concentration  
  (0 DCV; -½), Increased Endurance Cost  
  (x2 END; -½) 
  10
  26 
  Lesser Gifts Of The Planetary Demons:   
  Multipower, 45-point reserve; OIHID (-¼), 
  Variable Limitations (requires -1 worth of 
  Limitations chosen from OIF [sigil belt], 
  Concentration, Extra Time, Gestures, and 
  Incantations; -½)
  2u 
  1)  Shield Of The Star Demons:  Force  
  Field (15 PD/15 ED/5 Power Defense), 
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼);  
  OIHID (-¼), Variable Limitations (see  
  above; -½) 
  2
  2u 
  2)  Winds Of Asmodeus:  Flight 17”, x8  
  Noncombat; OIHID (-¼), Variable  
  Limitations (see above; -½) 
  3
  1u 
  3)  Astrological Forecast:  Precognitive  
  Clairvoyance (Sight Group); OIHID (-¼), 
  Variable Limitations (see above; -½),  
  Precognition Only (-1) 
  4
  2u 
  4)  Astral Gate:  Extra-Dimensional  
  Movement (any location in the Imaginal 
  Planes), x4 Increased Mass; OIHID (-¼), 
  Variable Limitations (see above; -½) Extra 
  Time (Full Phase; -½), Increased  
  Endurance Cost (x2 END; -½) 
  8
  1u 
  5)  Conjure Imp:  Summon 223-point  
  Imp (see The HERO System Bestiary, page 
  50); OIHID (-¼), Variable Limitations 
  (see above; -½) Extra Time (1 Turn; -1¼), 
  Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -½) 8
  1u 
  6)  Contact Demon:  Mind Link to any 
  one demon, any distance, any dimension; 
  Concentration (0 DCV, must Concentrate 
  throughout; -1), OIHID (-¼), Variable  
  Limitations (see above; -½) 
  0
  5 
  Stars In Her Eyes:  Sight Group Flash  
  Defense (5 points) 
  0
  5 
  Slippery Mind:  Mental Defense (9 points 
  total) 
  0
  10 
  Astral Awareness:  Dimensional (Astral 
  Plane) for Sight Group 
  0
  7 
  Instant Change:  Cosmetic Transform  
  2d6 (clothing to costume; reverses at will); 
  Limited Target (clothes; -½) 
  1
   
  Perks
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁt:  International Driver’s License
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁt:  Library of Babylon Borrow-
  er’s Card
   
  Skills
  9 
  +3 with Favors Of The Planetary Demons 
  Multipower
  16 
  Astrology:  +8 OECV with Mind Scan; 
  OIHID (-¼), Variable Limitations (requires 
  -½ worth of Limitations chosen from OIF 
  [sigil belt], Concentration, Extra Time, 
  Gestures, Incantations; -¼), Requires A PS: 
  Astrology Roll (-½) 
  0
  3 
  Acting 13-
  3 
  Concealment 12-
  3 
  Conversation 13-
  2 
  AK: Babylon 11-
  2 
  AK: Astral Plane 11-
  4 
  Language: English (idiomatic, native accent; 
  Italian is Native)
  1 
  Language: Latin (basic conversation)
  3 
  Navigation (Astral, Dimensional) 12-
  4 
  PS: Astrologer 13-
  3 
  Seduction 13-
  5 
  Shadowing 13-
  3 
  Scholar
  2 
  1)  KS: Astrology 12-
  2 
  2)  KS: Demonology 12-
  1 
  3)  KS: The Mystic World 11-
  1 
  4)  KS: The Superhuman World 11-
  1 
  5)  KS: Western Occultism 11-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  245
  Total Cost:  350
  200+ Disadvantages
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  Demon-tainted aura 
  (Not Concealable; Always Noticed; Detect-
  able Only with Unusual Senses)
  10 
  Hunted:  Senior Sylvestris 11- (Mo Pow, 
  Watching)
  10 
  Hunted:  Planetary Demons 11- (Mo Pow, 
  Watching)
  15 
  Physical Limitation:  Planetary demons can 
  control her main Multipower (Infrequently, 
  Totally Impairing)
  15 
  Physical Limitation:  Planetary demons  
  can Summon her (Infrequently, Totally 
  Impairing)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Terriﬁed Of  
  Capture, Punishment, Or Death (Very 
  Common, Strong)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Greedy For  
  Magical Power (Common, Moderate)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Lecherous 
  (Common, Moderate)
  ASTRALLE  
  PLOT SEEDS
  Astralle arranges for 
  a hero to meet “Perry 
  Wood” in hopes she can 
  seduce him (perhaps 
  with the help of a love 
  potion from her kins-
  man Cornelius Liefeld). 
  As long as the relation-
  ship continues, she can 
  feed information about 
  the team to the other 
  Sylvestris. Astralle ﬂees 
  once the heroes ﬁgure 
  out she’s not who she 
  seems.
  Astralle hooks up with 
  a gang of robbers and 
  helps them plan their 
  heists. The city sees a 
  wave of “perfect crimes” 
  where the robbers seem 
  to anticipate every 
  obstacle. How can the 
  heroes ﬁnd her and stop 
  the spree of robberies 
  when the crooks plan 
  for everything they do?
  Astralle contacts the 
  heroes and says that 
  within a month, a noto-
  rious supervillain will 
  destroy a major city. 
  Not try to destroy a city 
  — will. How does she 
  know? The villain’s iden-
  tity is publicly known, 
  so his time and place of 
  birth are public record. 
  Astralle oﬀers to sell the 
  heroes everything she 
  foresees about the vil-
  lain’s location and activi-
  ties, but she wants a lot 
  in return. Is Astralle’s 
  message actually a con 
  game? Can the heroes 
  take the chance it isn’t?
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  69 
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Perrenon 
  Sylvestri) (Frequently, Major)
  15 
  Susceptibility:  whenever a planetary demon 
  wants, 3d6 damage (Uncommon)
  10 
  Susceptibility:  to holy symbols/ground, 1d6 
  damage/Turn (Uncommon)
  10  
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  350
  Background/History:  Perrenon Sylvestri was eager 
  to leap into the thick of Sylvestri magical operations. 
  She didn’t want to spend years getting some serious 
  power. On the other hand, she didn’t want to sell her 
  soul outright and become a demon lord’s pawn. So 
  she struck a compromise. Perrenon contacted each 
  of the seven planetary demons: Aratron, Barsabel, 
  Bethor, Hagith, Och, Ophiel, and Phul. In exchange 
  for small bequests of magical knowledge and power 
  from the demons, she oﬀered herself as a lover to all 
  seven, with a promise of other favors. Through this, 
  Perrenon quickly gained a wide range of spells. On 
  the rare occasions when she needs a supervillain-
  style pseudonym, she calls herself “Astralle.” When 
  undercover, she calls herself “Perry Wood.”
  Personality/Motivation:  Perrenon is entirely cynical 
  about human motivations. Most people, she believes, 
  have just two desires — lust and greed — and 
  follow these desires blindly. Clever people (like her) 
  manipulate these two desires in others to gain power, 
  which is all that really matters. Men are particularly 
  easy for a beautiful woman like her to control:  just 
  oﬀer them some nooky and they’ll do anything. Hey, 
  look how she got her powers. In a world of stupid 
  sheep, it’s practically a moral duty to be a wolf.
  Perrenon never reﬂects on the possibility that 
  her pursuit of power makes her just as easy to con-
  trol as the “sheep” around her. This wasn’t lost on the 
  Planetary Demons, though.
  Quote:  Undercover: “Hi, what’s your sign?”
  In Combat: “Barsabel, shield me! Aratron, bind him!”
  Powers/Tactics:  The Planetary Demons each gave 
  Perrenon one attack spell and one defensive or mis-
  cellaneous spell she can mix and match any way she 
  wants. She also has a number of other spells based 
  on demonology or astrology. She casts her planetary 
  spells using a belt of enameled plaques bearing the 
  sigils of the seven Planetary Demons and some com-
  bination of Gestures, Incantations, Concentration, 
  Extra Time, or an Activation Roll.
  Astralle’s greatest power is actually her skill 
  at astrological forecasts. By studying the positions 
  of the planets in the Zodiac, Astralle often obtains 
  visions of the future. She’s especially skilled at pre-
  dicting the future actions and circumstances of 
  individuals (the more she knows about a person, the 
  greater her chance of making an accurate forecast; 
  the GM should take this into account when she uses 
  her Precognition). She searches people’s timelines 
  for events she can turn to her advantage — she looks 
  forward to see where they will be; then she goes 
  there at the appointed time... or sends her hirelings.
  Astralle values her own safety above all else. 
  When she can’t get what she wants by working 
  undercover, she tries to get somebody else to do the 
  dirty work or at least back her up in a lightning-
  quick operation. If she encounters unforeseen prob-
  lems, Astralle immediately ﬂees.
  Campaign Use:  See the introductory text for general 
  information. Astralle is a low-ranking Sylvestri. She 
  schemes to gain information about heroes so she can 
  trade her forecasts to other Sylvestris, gaining favors 
  in return. Astralle might try to get close to a hero to 
  learn about him and his comrades. She ﬁghts heroes 
  because they’ve exposed her imposture, or interfered 
  with one of her plans. Other Sylvestris often recruit 
  Astralle to help them Hunt their enemies, but she 
  does not, strictly speaking, ever Hunt characters on 
  her own.
  To make Astralle more powerful, raise her 
  Characteristics to make her a more eﬀective combat-
  ant, or increase her Multipower to 144 points so she 
  can use more Powers at once. To make her less pow-
  erful, reduce her SPD and scale back her Multipower 
  slots to 50-some and 25 Active Points.
  Appearance:  Perrenon Sylvestri is a voluptuous 
  woman with cornsilk-blonde hair. When not under-
  cover as “Perry Wood” she wears ﬂowing costumes of 
  dark blue silk that leave her arms and legs bare, with 
  lots of decolletage, and a blue-lined black satin cape. 
  Around her waist is the belt of dark blue and gold 
  sigil plaques. Her black domino mask is strictly for 
  show; Astralle thinks it makes her look mysterious.
  
  70 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  CORNELIUS LIEFELD
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   8 STR 
  -2 
  11- 
  Lift 75 kg; 1½d6 [1]
   14 DEX 
  12 
  12- 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   18 CON 
  16 
  13-
   12 BODY 4 
  11-
   23 INT 
  13 
  14- 
  PER Roll 14-
   13 EGO 
  6 
  12- 
  ECV:  4
   10 PRE 
  0 
  11- 
  PRE Attack:  2d6
   8 COM 
  -1 
  11-
   6 PD 
  4 
   
  Total:  18 PD (6 rPD)
   6 ED 
  2 
   
  Total:  18 ED (6 rED)
   3 SPD 
  6 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   6 REC 
  0
   36 END 
  0
   25 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  60
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  110 
  Alchemy:  Variable Power Pool (Magic  
  Pool), 96 base + 48 control cost; OAF 
  (potions, pills, powders, and the like; -1), 
  Only For Alchemical Concoctions (-½),  
  Can Only Be Changed In Alchemical  
  Laboratory (-½), All Powers Must Have 
  Charges, But No More Than Four (-½ 
  var
  7 
  Alchemical Rod:  Multipower, 15-point 
  reserve; OAF (-1)
  1u 
  1)  Transmutation:  Minor Transform 1d6 
  (change one physical property), Improved 
  Results Group (any one property of any 
  material substance; +½) 
  1
  1u 
  2)  Alchemical Indicator:  Detect Alchemical 
  Magic (Touch Group), Analyze, Discrimina-
  tory 
  0
  14 
  Alchemically-Treated Suit:  Armor  
  (6 PD/6 ED); IIF (-¼) 
  0
  5 
  Alchemically-Treated Suit:  +6 PD; IIF (-¼) 
  0
  5 
  Alchemically-Treated Suit:  +6 ED; IIF (-¼) 
  0
  6 
  Alchemically-Treated Suit:  Power Defense  
  (8 points); IIF (-¼) 
  0
  5 
  Alchemist’s Tolerance:  Life Support  
  (Immunity:  Metallic Toxins) 
  0
   
  Perks
  15 
  Laboratory:  75 point Base
   
  Talents
  3 
  Simulate Death
   
  Skills
  3 
  Concealment 14-
  3 
  Cryptography 14-
  3 
  Paramedic 14-
  2 
  PS: Apothecary 11-
  2 
  PS: Glassblower 11-
  3 
  Sleight Of Hand 12-
  3 
  Linguist
  1 
  1)  Language: Arabic (ﬂuent conversation; 
  English is Native)
  2 
  2)  Language: German (completely ﬂuent)
  2 
  3)  Language: Greek (completely ﬂuent)
  2 
  4)  Language: Latin (completely ﬂuent)
  3 
  Scholar
  2 
  1)  KS: Alchemy 14-
  1 
  2)  KS: Astrology 11-
  1 
  3)  KS: The Mystic World 11-
  2 
  4)  KS: Occult Natural History 14-
  2 
  5)  KS: Western Occultism 14-
  3 
  Scientist
  1 
  1)  SS: Anatomy 11-
  1 
  2)  SS: Biology 11-
  2 
  3)  SS: Chemistry 14-
  1 
  4)  SS: Metallurgy 11-
  1 
  5)  SS: Mineralogy 11-
  2 
  6)  SS: Pharmacology 14-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  220
  Total Cost:  280
  200+ Disadvantages
  10 
  Dependence:  must consume heavy metal 
  toxins every 6 hours or suﬀer Incompetence 
  (Common, Addiction)
  15 
  Hunted:  Doctor Teneber or selected mystic 
  hero 8- (Mo Pow, Capture/Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:  Senior Sylvestris 11- (Mo Pow, 
  Watching)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Fear Of Combat 
  (Very Common, Strong)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Mercenary 
  (Common, Moderate)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Proud Of His 
  Alchemical Skill (Uncommon, Strong)
  5 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  280
  EXAMPLE POWERS FOR ALCHEMY  
  POWER POOL
  Congealed Frost Elixir:  Cornelius reconstructed this 
  magical weapon from an old Chinese recipe. Smash-
  ing the potion bottle creates a zone of intense cold 
  and driving snow that quickly freezes unprotected 
  people into hypothermic unconsciousness.
  Energy Blast 3d6, Area Of Eﬀect (5” Radius; 
  +1), Continuous (+1), NND (defense is Life 
  Support [Safe Environment:  Intense Cold]; 
  +1), Trigger (open or smash bottle; +¼), Usable 
  By Other (+¼) (67 Active Points); OAF Fragile 
  (potion and bottle; -1¼), 2 Continuing Charges 
  lasting 1 Minute each (stopped by any heat/ﬁre 
  eﬀect with at least a One Hex area; -¾). Total 
  cost:  22 points.
  Invisibility Potion:  Cornelius often carries a dose 
  or two of this potion in case he needs a discreet 
  getaway. He improved upon older recipes in that 
  his Invisibility Potion conceals him from all magi-
  cal senses as well as sight. Striking Cornelius with a 
  magical attack deactivates the potion, however.
  Invisibility to Sight and Mystical Sense 
  Groups, Trigger (open or smash bottle; +¼), 
  Usable By Other (+¼) (45 Active Points); 
  OAF Fragile (potion and bottle; -1¼), 2 
  Continuing Charges lasting 1 Minute each 
  (stopped by striking user with a magical 
  attack; -¾). Total Cost:  15 points.
  CORNELIUS LIEFELD 
  PLOT SEEDS
  If the Sylvestris learn the 
  PCs will go someplace at 
  a certain time — say, a 
  restaurant — Cornelius 
  sets a trap using Wizard 
  Glue and other potions. 
  Sylvestri agents take 
  over the restaurant and 
  disguise themselves as 
  the staﬀ. They show the 
  PCs to their seats. All 
  but one of those seats, 
  however, carry Wizard 
  Glue set to activate a 
  minute after a person 
  sits down. The one 
  person who sits on an 
  untrapped seat receives 
  a drink spiked with a 
  potion that Transforms 
  him into a berserk 
  were-creature two Turns 
  after he drinks, while 
  his comrades are stuck 
  in seats ﬁrmly bolted 
  to the ﬂoor. Cornelius 
  lurks in a booth nearby, 
  watching to be sure it 
  all works. If the trans-
  formed person runs 
  oﬀ before killing his 
  friends, Cornelius has a 
  vial of Congealed Frost 
  Elixir ready to freeze the 
  characters into uncon-
  sciousness.
  A new company prom-
  ises amazing clean-ups 
  of oil spills, toxic waste 
  dumps, and other pol-
  luted sites. Three times, 
  however, monsters 
  appeared near these 
  locations a few weeks 
  later. The company is a 
  front for Cornelius, who 
  uses alchemy to destroy 
  the pollution... but 
  sometimes his potions 
  carry a nasty, delayed 
  side eﬀect.
  Cornelius has a lead on 
  an artifact that extends 
  life. He doesn’t dare 
  search for it himself, but 
  he knows the PCs are 
  powerful, skilled, and 
  resourceful. He lures 
  the heroes into a trap 
  and doses them with an 
  alchemical slow poison. 
  He promises to give 
  them the antidote if 
  they recover the artifact 
  within a week.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  71 
  Oil Of Transparency:  This crystal-clear, oily sub-
  stance has the eﬀect of rendering any opaque 
  object it’s rubbed onto as transparent as glass for 
  one minute. Only the person using the potion 
  can take advantage of the transparency eﬀect 
  — to anyone else, the object remains as opaque as 
  ever. As a result, anyone using the Oil may seem to 
  others as if he’s staring at a wall for no reason!
  Clairsentience (Sight Group), Usable By Other 
  (+¼) (25 Active Points); OAF Fragile (potion 
  and bottle; -1¼), Extra Time (1 Turn to acti-
  vate; -¾), No Range (-½), Only To Create 
  “Transparent Windows” In Solid Objects 
  (-½), 2 Continuing Charges lasting 1 Minute 
  each (stopped by applying appropriate coun-
  ter-agent or if the user looks away from the 
  “window” for more than two Phases; -¾). Total 
  cost:  5 points.
  Smoke Of Concealment:  One of Cornelius’s favorite 
  escape tactics is to use this potion. When he throws 
  it on the ground, it reacts with the air and instantly 
  forms a cloud of smoke so thick, oily, and black that 
  no one can see into or out of it — except him, or 
  the person to whom he gave the potion to use. Then 
  he ﬂees while his foes remain blinded.
  Darkness to Sight Group 5” radius, Personal 
  Immunity (+¼), Usable By Other (+¼) (75 
  Active Points); OAF Fragile (potion and bottle; 
  -1¼), Range Based On STR (-¼), 1 Continu-
  ing Charge lasting 1 Minute (stopped by high 
  winds or rain; -1). Total cost:  30 points.
  Sunburst Elixir:  Another “weapon” favored by 
  Cornelius, this potion creates a ﬁeld of blindingly 
  bright light that remains in place for twelve seconds 
  (or until “snuﬀed”). The light it creates is the equiv-
  alent of normal sunlight for purposes of triggering 
  the Susceptibilities of the undead and similar mon-
  strosities.
  Sight Group Flash 5d6, Area Of Eﬀect (6” 
  Radius; +1), Continuous (+1), Usable By Other 
  (+¼) (94 Active Points); OAF Fragile (potion 
  and bottle; -1¼), Range Based On STR (-¼), 
  1 Continuing Charge lasting 1 Turn (stopped 
  by any type of Darkness to Sight Group; -1¼). 
  Total cost:  25 points.
  Universal Solvent:  This acid-like mystical liquid 
  can eat through nearly anything.
  RKA 1d6, Continuous (+1), Penetrating (x2; 
  +1) (45 Active Points); OAF Fragile (potion 
  and bottle; -1¼), Ranged Based On STR (must 
  throw Solvent or apply it by hand; -¼), 4 Con-
  tinuing Charges lasting 1 Turn each (stopped 
  by applying appropriate counter-agent; -½). 
  Total cost:  15 points.
  Wizard Glue:  This alchemical trap consists of 
  a syrupy liquid and a ﬁne powder. A surface is 
  painted with the liquid, then dusted with the 
  powder. The glue dries almost instantly and invis-
  ibly. The next thing that touches the glued surface 
  triggers the magic, adhering the object. Corne-
  lius can adjust the recipe so the Wizard Glue sets 
  instantly, or delays a short while (a minor adjust-
  ment to the precise Trigger for a batch of the glue). 
  Since the glue gives no obvious sign of the magic 
  activating, the victim might not notice the trap for 
  a while.
  Telekinesis (30 STR), Invisible to Sight Group 
  (+½), Trigger (victim touches object painted 
  with glue; +¼), Usable By Other (+¼) (90 
  Active Points); IAF Fragile (bottle, liquid, 
  and powder; -¾), Extra Time (One Turn to 
  prepare surface; -1¼), Restricted Eﬀect (only 
  immobilizes body parts touching surface; -¼), 
  4 Charges (-1). Total cost:  21 points.
  Background/History:  Cornelius Liefeld was some-
  thing of a rebel in his younger days. How do you 
  shock your parents when you come from a family 
  of Satanic sorcerers? You say you want to become 
  a scientist. Cornelius got a doctorate in chemistry, 
  and studied alchemy on the side as a concession to 
  his parents.
  But like most young rebels, once Cornelius 
  tasted the real world he settled down and became 
  just like his parents. His life had no dramatic turn-
  ing point. He just kept encountering situations in 
  which it was inconvenient to stay a law-abiding 
  industrial chemist. First Cornelius compromised 
  his principles just a little by using some alchemy, 
  but in a few years he was murdering enemies, trad-
  
  72 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  ing favors with other family members, and gener-
  ally behaving like any other Sylvestri. The clan for-
  gives Cornelius’s youthful rebellion, and the other 
  Sylvestris greatly respect his remarkable powers of 
  alchemy.
  Personality/Motivation:  Cornelius is not actively 
  vicious, just completely amoral. He feels no loyalty 
  to anyone; he keeps all relationships strictly busi-
  ness, even with the Sylvestri clan. He wouldn’t save 
  his own mother’s life if someone didn’t pay him 
  for it in money, resources, or a promise of favors 
  in return. His blunt and mercenary ways irritate 
  senior Sylvestris, but not enough for any of them to 
  chastise him. Cornelius would even betray the clan, 
  if he saw enough proﬁt to himself and he thought 
  he could get away with it.
  Cornelius’s pride in his magic, however, can 
  override both his avoidance of danger and his 
  greed. He will not easily let pass any slur on the art 
  of alchemy, his alchemy, especially from other kinds 
  of sorcerers. He might lose his cool and toss an 
  attack potion at the insulting person.
  Quote:  “Who, me? Sir, I have not the faintest idea 
  what you’re talking about. If you don’t leave me 
  alone, I shall call the police.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Cornelius has adapted modern 
  lab techniques to the ancient art of alchemy with 
  spectacular results. He became one of the top 
  alchemists in the world while still in his forties, and 
  can make potions and other alchemical items for 
  nearly any eﬀect he wants. At the moment, Corne-
  lius is researching immortality and invulnerability. 
  So far, he’s succeeded only in giving himself a knack 
  for suspended animation and addicting himself to 
  heavy metal toxins such as mercury.
  His alchemical mastery, however, does not 
  make Cornelius a ﬁghter. For the most part, he 
  supplies alchemical weapons to cultists or agents 
  working for the clan. He might hire some crook 
  with an obscenely high Sleight Of Hand roll to slip 
  a vile magical toxin or potion into an enemy’s food 
  or drink.
  Cornelius often watches from hiding to make 
  sure people use his potions correctly and to gauge 
  their eﬀectiveness, but he won’t join an assault on 
  heroes. He carries potions on his person in case 
  someone notices and attacks him, but these are 
  almost all for defense and escapes. Most oﬀensive 
  potions will be for Flash, Darkness, or other powers 
  to delay or hinder pursuit. Cornelius might carry 
  one Continuous Area Eﬀect attack with which to 
  threaten bystanders as a diversion. If he can’t get 
  away, he surrenders — in a public place, to a police-
  man. He knows he’s safe in government hands and 
  will never spend more than a few days in custody.
  Campaign Use:  See the introductory text for gen-
  eral information. Cornelius Liefeld is a mystical 
  technician who possesses great mystical power but 
  relies on other people to use the weapons he sup-
  plies. He might Hunt characters at the behest of a 
  senior Sylvestri.
  To make Cornelius Liefeld more powerful, 
  give him a potion (outside his Alchemy Pool) that 
  makes him invulnerable, or give him alchemy-
  spawned minions such as homonculi. He could 
  create some of the mythical beings from the The 
  HERO System Bestiary as servant monsters as well. 
  To make him less powerful, reduce his Alchemy 
  Pool so he cannot make such powerful potions.
  Appearance:  Cornelius Liefeld is a fat, middle-aged 
  man and completely bald, without even eyebrows (a 
  side eﬀect of thallium poisoning). His skin is ﬁsh-
  belly pale, except for about an hour after he doses 
  himself with arsenic, when he looks ﬂushed and 
  almost lifelike. Outside the lab he dresses in black 
  business suits with a string tie and porkpie hat. He 
  keeps various potion vials and capsules in pockets 
  inside his jacket and other places hidden about his 
  person. Every few hours he sips mercury from a 
  hip ﬂask or snorts a pinch of a powdered lead and 
  arsenic compound. If he goes a day without a “ﬁx” 
  he gets jittery and nauseous.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  73 
  Membership:  Adrian Vandaleur, Eduard and Anais 
  Vandaleur, Chatoyant, the Toad, and others.
  Background/History:  The Western world’s oldest 
  surviving occult dynasty began with Adrian Van-
  daleur. Mystic historians trace this magus to elev-
  enth-century Constantinople, but his own family 
  background and early life remain mysterious 
  (largely by Adrian’s own design). For three centu-
  ries, Adrian Vandaleur was Europe’s leading master 
  of thaumaturgy. Adrian’s eternal youth also became 
  clear — apparently an innate mystic gift, as no 
  sorcerer or occultist can ﬁnd any reliable evidence 
  of Adrian learning immortality spells or receiving 
  such a gift from a god or dimension lord.
  Adrian relocated to France in the thirteenth 
  century, where the family name reached its current 
  form. In subsequent centuries, however, Adrian 
  retreated from the Mystic World’s rivalries. He 
  taught fewer and fewer pupils, whether family 
  members or not. His interventions in the aﬀairs of 
  other mystics, though occasionally catastrophic (as 
  when he helped fend oﬀ the nascent Circle Of The 
  Scarlet Moon), usually happened because other 
  mystics wouldn’t leave him or his family alone.
  Over the centuries, the Vandaleurs spread 
  throughout the Western world, from Russia to the 
  Americas and Australia. Where wealth and politi-
  cal power collected, the Vandaleurs soon followed, 
  in pursuit of luxury, lore, inﬂuence, and the arts. 
  Adrian gave his family a streak of hedonism and 
  appreciation for high culture along with a knack 
  for magic. But few, if any, Vandaleurs live in India 
  or the Far East:  the powerful mystic forces and 
  factions in those lands discourage penetration by 
  Western mystics.
  No one can guess the total population of Van-
  daleurs. At least a few hundred people consciously 
  consider themselves part of the extended Vandaleur 
  family and know something about its history and 
  traditions. Only half this number uses the Van-
  daleur surname or its regional variants (Vandtler, 
  Vandeloro, and so on). Various cadet branches with 
  other names appear when female Vandaleurs marry 
  outside the extended family. Other Vandaleurs 
  change their name to avoid association with the 
  family, but their children inherit the family’s knack 
  for magic. On the other hand, members of these 
  collateral lineages may change their name back to 
  Vandaleur to claim the prestige the family carries in 
  the Mystic World.
  Only a few dozen Vandaleurs actively practice 
  magic, and fewer wield real power. Other Vandal-
  eurs engage in mundane occupations, but know 
  their kinfolk include occultists, mystics, and full-
  ﬂedged sorcerers. Non-mystical Vandaleurs tend 
  to follow professions that require education and 
  intellect, from doctors and lawyers to artists and 
  newspaper reporters. Family contacts often give 
  Vandaleurs an edge over other mystics in dealing 
  with the mundane world. For instance, a sorcerer 
  who wants to buy a mystically-charged plot of land 
  could obtain ﬁnancing from a cousin in banking, 
  and hire another cousin who’s an architect to build 
  his sanctum, without the need for cover stories or 
  awkward explanations.
  The mystical Vandaleurs practice thaumaturgy 
  more than any other sort of magic, but the family 
  includes a few practicioners of other mystic arts. 
  Not all Vandaleur mystics are evil. They do tend to 
  be self-centered and ruthless about getting their 
  way, however, and in some family members the 
  customary arrogance and hedonism curdle into 
  criminality or monstrous perversity.
  Most Vandaleurs show a strong family resem-
  blance. Knowledgeable mystics easily recognize 
  “the Vandaleur face”:  a broad forehead and heavy 
  brows, Roman nose, thin lips, and a wide jaw. These 
  features tend to be more pronounced in the men. 
  Many Vandaleurs are quite handsome, but in others 
  the Vandaleur features look coarse and thuggish. 
  The degree of resemblance to this archetype gives a 
  loose measure of magical talent, since it often indi-
  cates a close relationship to the clan’s founder. Now 
  and then, Adrian Vandaleur grows infatuated with 
  one of his great-great-(etcetera) granddaughters. 
  The resulting oﬀspring often inherit Adrian’s knack 
  for magic along with his face.
  Group Relations:  Under normal circumstances, 
  the Vandaleurs follow the usual mystics’ practice 
  of breaking into tiny factions. Family inﬁghting 
  seldom escalates to murder because of Adrian 
  Vandaleur’s quelling reputation. Most Vandaleurs 
  want to avoid their patriarch’s attention, because 
  Adrian’s power dwarfs them all. Furthermore, the 
  mystic Vandaleurs often trade favors, and may see 
  an attack on a kinsman as an insult to the family’s 
  reputation. 
  Mystics call Adrian’s powers “The Vandaleur 
  Terror”:  Vandaleurs who clash with their forebear 
  ﬁnd their spells deserting or rebounding upon 
  them. Sometimes Adrian curses an errant descen-
  dant with a hideously or comically altered appear-
  ance, according to his humor at the time. Adrian’s 
  favor, however, brings rewards as great as the 
  punishments from his wrath. Adrian can magnify a 
  descendant’s magic powers for a short time, or bless 
  a Vandaleur with beauty, athletic ability, or other 
  gifts of the body.
  The Sylvestris and the Vandaleurs are arch-
  rivals in the Mystic World. Adrian Vandaleur and 
  THE VANDALEURS
  
  74 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  Giacomo Sylvestri dislike each other personally 
  as well as professionally. Adrian’s unconcern for 
  worldly events doesn’t leave him ready to let the 
  Dragon conquer the mortal world. The two never 
  ﬁght directly, but Vandaleurs and Sylvestris often 
  work to undercut each other’s plans.
  Just as the Vandaleurs lack any coherent goals, 
  other factions in the Mystic World hold no coher-
  ent position about the family. A number of Vandal-
  eurs belong to the Circle Of The Scarlet Moon or 
  the Trismegistus Council, despite Adrian’s historic 
  disdain for both organizations. A few even join 
  DEMON. Takofanes, of course, ignores the Vandal-
  eurs as he ignores all feeble, mortal creatures, and 
  he terriﬁes the Vandaleurs as much as the rest of 
  humanity.
  People outside the Mystic World seldom hear 
  about the Vandaleurs as a family, much less as a 
  mystical faction. A few conspiracy nuts notice this 
  widespread and wealthy family, but such people 
  tend to think of banking, business, and political 
  conspiracies — not sorcery. Superheroes and vil-
  lains with allies in the Mystic World certainly know 
  about the Vandaleurs. Other heroes and villains, 
  however, seldom know about the mystical clan.
  Tactics:  What tactics? Any alliance among Vandal-
  eurs takes place strictly between individuals. How 
  they work together tells nothing about any other 
  Vandaleurs.
  Campaign Use:  The Vandaleurs are not so much 
  an organization as a shared background a GM can 
  attach to heroes or villains. If the family serves 
  some greater goal, it does so unwittingly, as a 
  reserve of magically-potent pawns for Adrian to 
  manipulate.
  Nothing, not even Adrian’s command, could 
  possibly lead the Vandaleurs as a group to Hunt a 
  character. At most, Adrian could turn a signiﬁcant 
  fraction of the family against a character, and most 
  of those Vandaleurs would merely refuse to help 
  the targeted character if they crossed paths.
  As with the Sylvestris, the best way to make 
  the Vandaleurs more powerful is to add to their 
  number — or, more speciﬁcally, give the family more 
  members with mystic talent and the ability and will-
  ingness to use it in combat conditions. Weakening 
  them involves winnowing their numbers, or perhaps 
  decreasing the eﬀects of “the Vandaleur Terror” so 
  that the family’s even more fractious.
  Ranks Of The Vandaleurs
  Adrian Vandaleur remains the most power-
  ful sorcerer among the family, and one of the most 
  feared wizards in the Mystic World.
  Adrian’s twin children Eduard and Anais are the 
  next-most-powerful members of the dynasty. Many 
  Vandaleurs fear the twins, because Eduard and Anais 
  are as cruel and insane as they are powerful.
  Tobias Vandaleur, nicknamed the Toad, wields 
  comparatively little mystic power. He commands a 
  fair bit of inﬂuence in the family, however, because 
  of his encyclopedic occult knowledge. Indeed, 
  the Toad’s erudition is legendary throughout the 
  Mystic World.
  Chatoyant comes from a cadet branch of 
  the Vandaleurs. Her powers now bring her to the 
  notice of family members who ignored her before. 
  She is a true Vandaleur, even though she gained 
  her powers from the god Tezcatlipoca instead of 
  sorcerous training.
  The clan includes many other noteworthy 
  characters, sorcerous and otherwise, than those 
  described here. Other Vandaleurs, whom GMs may 
  develop as they choose, include:
  The Alcedama:  Judas Ahronovitch Vandelorov 
  comes from a Russian branch of the family. He 
  received training from the KGB as well as his 
  relatives, and became one of that agency’s most 
  skilled assassins; his superiors never knew he used 
  magic as well as conventional skills and weapons. 
  He knows only a few spells (the Fourth Light Of 
  Luathon, the Baleful Bonds Of Balthus, the Cerulean 
  Spear, and Teng Wei’s First Translocation), but pos-
  sesses extensive skills at inﬁltration, surveillance, 
  ninjutsu, and gun combat.
  The Alcedama went rogue after the collapse of 
  the Soviet Union, working both for Russian Maﬁa 
  gangs and for ﬁgures in the Mystic World. He also 
  managed the remarkable feat of making himself 
  outcast with much of the extended family by killing 
  one relative at the behest of another. Adrian spread 
  the word that he disinherits Judas, though the two 
  never met.
  Claude and Roderick Van Thaler:  These oaﬁsh 
  brothers are the sons of a Vandaleur who made 
  his money in commodities trading. Their father 
  hired relatives to grant Claude and Rod preternatu-
  ral strength and toughness, in hopes they would 
  become football stars. Unfortunately, their clumsi-
  ness and stupidity often match their brawn.
  Claude and Rod are both infatuated with 
  their cousin Patricia Torrance, and sometimes 
  she uses them as her agents. The twins themselves 
  never learned any magic, but they can wield 
  VANDALEUR PLOT SEEDS
  A Vandaleur PC receives an urgent request for help 
  from a cousin whom he despises. The cousin promises 
  to pay with a copy of a valuable grimoire. Do family 
  loyalty and a bit of greed trump personal dislike? What 
  if the cousin’s enemy turns out to be an ally of the PCs?
  When a superpowered thug robs a wealthy Vandaleur, 
  he invokes family ties to gain revenge and recover his 
  stolen property. Various Vandaleurs respond. They raise 
  havoc throughout the city as they pursue the supervil-
  lain, thus attracting the PCs’ attention. But ultimately, 
  the  lead Vandaleur is in the right — the villain stole his 
  lawful property. How will the PCs resolve the situation?
  Tobias Vandaleur decides he must kill Eduard and 
  Anais before they kill him. He calls in every mystic 
  who owes him a favor, or whom he can blackmail, or 
  who just doesn’t like the twins — the PCs surely fall 
  into at least one of these categories. Can they work 
  with villains like Chatoyant to stop the more dangerous 
  Eduard and Anais? Will the hullaballoo draw Adrian 
  into the open?
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  75 
  magic items and enchantments granted to them 
  by other characters.
  Patricia Torrance:  This Vandaleur scion used 
  magic to make herself stunningly beautiful and 
  ﬁnd a career as a supermodel. It wasn’t her own 
  magic, though:  Patricia owes favors to the Circle 
  Of The Scarlet Moon, making her a “mole” within 
  the Vandaleur family. She uses her beauty, celeb-
  rity, contacts, and family connections to further 
  the Circle’s plans.
  Jacques Yves “Cracker Jack” Vandaleur:  This 
  third cousin of Eduard and Anais has no magi-
  cal talents whatsoever, but he’s a master thief 
  and one of the best safecrackers in the world. He 
  specializes in stealing jewelry and objets-d’art, but 
  his relatives sometimes hire him to steal mystic 
  books and artifacts, or other rare and valuable 
  objects they need for their magic. Sometimes 
  Jacques fences objects through Jos Terhune (a.k.a. 
  Tartarus; see page 35); they do not know of each 
  other’s mystical connections. Usually, however, 
  Jacques works freelance, primarily for organized 
  crime groups (though he is thought to have 
  worked with GRAB for at least one job).
  Julie Rainbow:  One Vandaleur joined a commune 
  in the ’60s and legally changed her name to Rain-
  bow. The Mystic World and the commune terriﬁed 
  her daughter Julie so much that Julie became a 
  born-again preacher. Julie writes ﬁre-and-brim-
  stone tracts against the New Age and anything that 
  smacks of the occult. She believes her own healing 
  powers are a gift from God, rather than a mystical 
  wild talent (and does not accept that the two expla-
  nations do not necessarily contradict). The Mystic 
  World pays little attention to Julie or her tracts, but 
  she can easily raise a mob against a mystic who 
  becomes too public.
  Max Miracle:  Maxim Vandelorov learned a few low-
  powered spells before he realized how dangerous 
  the Mystic World could become. He changed his 
  name to Max Brown to avoid association with the 
  sorcerous clan and became a stage magician and 
  escape artist, using the pseudonym of Max Miracle. 
  Max uses magic to teleport himself and small 
  objects in his act. He plays casinos, dinner theaters, 
  and other minor venues throughout the United 
  States and Canada. He stays away from Las Vegas, 
  where his career could really take oﬀ, because fame 
  might bring him to the notice of dangerous people 
  and creatures.
  Prism:  David Vandtler comes from one of the 
  Vandaleur collateral lines. His grandfather spent 
  decades creating a crystal “Planetary Prism” that 
  enhances magical abilities. The Circle murdered 
  the senior Vandtler, but he successfully passed 
  the Prism to his apprentice David, who used it to 
  become a mystical superhero. As Prism, David casts 
  a variety of astrological spells and has some limited 
  precognitive powers.
  Theodore, Virginia, and Angus Burke:  This elderly 
  brother and sister share a rambling ancestral home 
  in rural Scotland. Theodore did some hush-hush 
  work for the Foreign Oﬃce in his youth, but for 30 
  years the two have live in rural seclusion, without 
  ambition or family strife — without telephones or 
  indoor plumbing, for that matter. The Burkes are 
  moderately powerful but limited sorcerers who 
  know a few spells each; they also have a reputa-
  tion for nigh-Victorian prudery and horror of the 
  modern world. Both are single.
  Thus, it surprised the whole clan when Vir-
  ginia introduced young Angus Burke as her love-
  child by an unnamed father. Theodore conﬁrmed 
  the announcement; he said he helped raise his 
  nephew in secret “to avoid scandal.” A great-great 
  (etcetera) grandfather who intermittently breeds 
  with his descendants leaves most Vandaleurs 
  lost to scandal, but Virginia’s “eccentricity” in 
  this regard was well known. Most Vandaleurs 
  accepted the story.
  The Burkes make occasional, brief visits to 
  some of their relatives to further Angus’s educa-
  tion. Young Angus shows some mystic potential 
  — he can cast a few low-power spells, though not 
  quickly or reliably — and his mother and uncle 
  introduce him to relatives qualiﬁed to train him, 
  when he exhausts the grimoires and lorebooks at 
  home. The Burkes still would not count as impor-
  tant members of the Vandaleur clan, except for 
  their secret:  “Angus Burke” is really Adrian Van-
  daleur in disguise.
  
  76 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  ADRIAN VANDALEUR
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   10 STR 
  0 
  11- 
  Lift 100 kg; 2d6 [1]
   23 DEX 
  39 
  14- 
  OCV:  8/DCV:  8
   50 CON 
  80 
  19-
   20 BODY 20 
  13-
   23 INT 
  13 
  14- 
  PER Roll 14-
   30 EGO 
  40 
  15- 
  ECV:  10
   15 PRE 
  5 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  3d6
   14 COM 
  2 
  12-
   15 PD 
  13 
   
  Total:  15 PD (3 rPD)
   15 ED 
  5 
   
  Total:  15 ED (3 rED)
   5 SPD 
  17 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   15 REC 
  6
   100 END 
  0
   50 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  240
  Movement: 
  Running:  9”/18”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  160 
  Thaumaturgy:  Variable Power Pool  
  (Magic Pool), 80 base + 40 control cost, 
  Cosmic (+2); Cannot Have More Than  
  Two Slots At A Time (-½) 
  var
  75 
  The Vandaleur Terror:  Multipower,  
  150-point reserve; all slots Only Works 
  Against Other Vandaleurs (-1)
  7u 
  1)  Don’t Do That:  Dispel Magic 25d6, any 
  Magic spell or power one at a time (+¼),  
  Personal Immunity (+¼), Reduced  
  Endurance (0 END; +½); Only Works 
  Against Other Vandaleurs (-1) 
  0
  7u 
  2)  Don’t EVER Do That:  Minor  
  Transform 10d6 (strip target of one Magic 
  Power, heals back normally), Improved 
  Results Group (any magic power; +¼),  
  Personal Immunity (+¼); Only Works 
  Against Other Vandaleurs (-1) 
  15
  2u 
  3)  Right Back At You, Sonny I:  Missile 
  Deﬂection and Reﬂection (all Ranged 
  attacks; can Reﬂect at attacker only); Only 
  Works Against Other Vandaleurs (-1), Only 
  Works Against Limited Type Of Attack 
  (magic; -½) 
  0
  3u 
  4)  Right Back At You, Sonny II:   
  Missile Deﬂection and Reﬂection (all Mental  
  attacks; can Reﬂect at attacker only),  
  BOECV (+1); Only Works Against Other 
  Vandaleurs (-1), Only Works Against  
  Limited Type Of Attack (magic; -½) 
  0
  7u 
  5)  Get Out Of My Sight:  Teleportation  
  20”, Safe Blind Teleport (+¼), MegaScale  
  (1” = 100 km; +¾), Usable As Attack  
  (defense is EGO Roll at -3; +1), Ranged  
  (+½), Personal Immunity (+¼); Only  
  Works Against Other Vandaleurs (-1) 
  15
  7u 
  6)  I’ll Fix Your Looks:  Drain COM 5d6, 
  Delayed Return Rate (points fade at the  
  rate of 5 per Week; +1¾), Personal  
  Immunity (+¼); Only Works Against  
  Other Vandaleurs (-1) 
  15
  6u 
  7)  Your Old Man’s Help:  Succor Magic  
  9d6, all Magic spells and powers  
  simultaneously (+2), Reduced Endurance  
  (½ END; +¼); Only Works Against Other 
  Vandaleurs (-1), Others Only (-½) 
  7
  3 
  Infallible Combat Luck:  Damage  
  Resistance (3 PD/3 ED) 
  0
  20 
  Warded Soul:  Mental Defense (26 points 
  total) 
  0
  10 
  Warded Body:  Power Defense (10 points) 0
  24 
  Next To Unkillable:  Healing 2d6  
  (Regeneration; 2 BODY per Day), Can  
  Heal Limbs, Resurrection (others can  
  stop resurrection by reducing the body  
  to ash), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½), 
  Persistent (+½), Inherent (+¼); Self Only  
  (-½), Extra Time + Increased Time Incre-
  ment (2 BODY/Day; -2¾) 
  0
  19 
  Live Forever:  Life Support (Extended  
  Breathing:  1 END per Minute;  
  Diminished Eating:  need only eat once  
  per week; Diminished Sleep:  need only  
  sleep 8 hours per week; Longevity:   
  Immortality; Immunity:  all terrestrial  
  diseases and biowarfare agents) 
  0
  6 
  Quick On His Feet:  Running +3” (9” total) 2
  20 
  Astral Awareness:  Dimensional (Astral 
  Plane) for Sight and Hearing Groups 
  0
  10 
  Smell Magic:  Detect Magic (Smell/Taste 
  Group), Discriminatory 
  0
  45 
  Change Appearance:  Shape Shift (Sight, 
  Hearing, Touch, and Mystical Sense  
  Groups, any human form), Instant Change, 
  Costs END Only To Change Shape (+¼) 
  4
  15 
  Lucky Cuss:  Luck 3d6 
  0
  10 
  Irritating:  +20 PRE; Only To Make Presence 
  Attacks To Annoy Or Distract (-1) 
  0
   
  Perks
  3 
  Access:  Brialic Access
  3 
  Anonymity
  2 
  Deep Cover:  Angus Burke
  10 
  Deep Covers:  ﬁve others of the GM’s choice
  10 
  Money:  Wealthy
  6 
  Reputation:  immortal master wizard (in the 
  Mystic World) 14-, +3/+3d6
  20 
  Well-Connected and 17 points worth of vari-
  ous Contacts
   
  Talents
  27 
  Danger Sense (self only, out of combat, any 
  danger, sense) 14-
  3 
  Lightsleep
   
  Skills
  24 
  +3 with All Combat
  13 
  Acting 17-
  3 
  Analyze Magic 14-
  9 
  Animal Handler (Birds, Camels, Canines, 
  Elephants, Equines, Felines, Raptors, Jack-
  alopes) 12-
  3 
  Bribery 12-
  3 
  Bureaucratics 12-
  3 
  Combat Driving 14-
  3 
  Combat Piloting 14-
  1 
  Computer Programming 8-
  3 
  Concealment 14-
  3 
  Conversation 12-
  3 
  Cryptography 14-
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  77 
  3 
  Disguise 14-
  4 
  Gambling (Card Games, Dice Games) 14-
  3 
  High Society 12-
  3 
  Mechanics 14-
  3 
  Mimicry 14-
  5 
  Navigation (Astral, Dimensional, Land, 
  Marine) 14-
  3 
  Persuasion 12-
  9 
  Power:  Thaumaturgy 17-
  3 
  Riding 14-
  2 
  SS:  Anthropology 11-
  2 
  SS:  Chemistry 11-
  3 
  Seduction 12-
  3 
  Sleight Of Hand 14-
  3 
  Streetwise 12-
  5 
  Survival (Arctic/Subarctic, Deserts,  
  Jungle) 
  14-
  3 
  Trading 12-
  17 
  TF: Riding Animals, Common Motorized 
  Ground Vehicles, Basic Parachuting, Carts 
  & Carriages, Chariots, Flying Carpets, Large 
  Wind-Powered Boats, SCUBA, Sleds, Small 
  Motorized Boats, Small Planes, Small Rowed 
  Boats, Snow Skiing, Two-Wheeled Motorized 
  Ground Vehicles, Two-Wheeled Muscle-
  Powered Ground Vehicles
  15 
  WF: Common Melee Weapons, Common 
  Missile Weapons, Early Firearms, Small 
  Arms, Atlatl, Blowguns, Early Emplaced 
  Weapons, Lances, Staﬀs, Sling, Trebuchet
  18 
  Jack of All Trades and 15 miscellaneous PSs 
  at 11- each
  3 
  Linguist
  1 
  1)  Language: Arabic (ﬂuent conversation; 
  Greek is Native)
  4 
  2)  Language: English (imitate dialects)
  3 
  3)  Language: French (idiomatic)
  3 
  4)  Language: German (idiomatic)
  2 
  5)  Language:  Hindustani (completely 
  ﬂuent)
  3 
  6)  Language: Latin (idiomatic)
  3 
  7)  Language: Portuguese (idiomatic)
  1 
  8)  Language: Swahili (ﬂuent conversation)
  2 
  9)  Language: Turkish (completely ﬂuent)
  3 
  Scholar
  1 
  1)  KS: African Occultism 11-
  1 
  2)  KS: Alcoholic Beverages 11-
  1 
  3)  KS: Demonology 11-
  1 
  4)  KS: Dimension Lords 11-
  2 
  5)  KS: Magical Styles 14-
  2 
  6)  KS: Mundane History 14-
  2 
  7)  KS: Mystic History 14-
  1 
  8)  KS: Mystic Prehistory 11-
  1 
  9)  KS: The Mystic World 11-
  2 
  10)  KS: Mythology 14-
  2 
  11)  KS: Oﬀ-Color Jokes And Stories 14-
  1 
  12)  KS: Outer Planes 11-
  2 
  13)  KS: Thaumaturgy 14-
  1 
  14)  KS: Upper Planes 11-
  1 
  15)  KS: Vandaleur Family 11-
  2 
  16)  KS: Western Occultism 14-
  3 
  Traveler
  1 
  1)  AK: Arctic 11-
  2 
  2)  AK: Eastern Europe 14-
  1 
  3)  AK: Babylon 11-
  1 
  4)  AK: Brialic Planes 11-
  1 
  5)  AK: Central Asia 11-
  2 
  6)  AK: Land Of Legends 14-
  1 
  7)  AK: Loezen 11-
  1 
  8)  AK: Lost Cities And Ancient Ruins 11-
  1 
  9)  AK: Netherworld 11-
  2 
  10)  AK: North America 14-
  2 
  11)  AK: South America 14-
  1 
  12)  AK: Sub-Saharan Africa 11-
  2 
  13)  AK: Western Europe 14-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  790
  Total Cost:  1,030
  200+ Disadvantages
  15 
  Hunted:  assorted powerful people he 
  oﬀended 11- (As Pow, Capture/Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:  Eduard and Anais Vandaleur 8- (As 
  Pow, Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:  at least one cosmic entity of the 
  GM’s choice 11- (Mo Pow, Watching)
  10 
  Hunted:  Trismegistus Council 11- (As Pow, 
  NCI, Watching)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Irresponsible 
  Troublemaker (Very Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Lecherous Hedo-
  nist (Common, Strong)
  10 
  Reputation:  fearsome lord of the 
  Vandaleurs/annoying twit, 11- (Extreme, 
  Limited Group [Mystic world])
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (several,  
  in fact) (Frequently, Major)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x Eﬀect from non- 
  Vandaleur Mind Scan (Common)
  715 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  1,030
  EXAMPLE POWERS FOR THAUMATURGY 
  POWER POOL
  Auras Of Élan:  No one knows who invented this 
  classic spell. It makes glowing auras appear around 
  whatever the sorcerer wants to aﬀect, and the target 
  moves at the caster’s will. Adrian knows all four 
  versions of the Auras. The various forms of Auras 
  are listed as a Multipower to stay consistent with 
  the descriptions in Chapter Three of The Mystic 
  World, but Adrian buys the versions as separate 
  VPP slots — even Adrian can’t place one Power 
  Framework within another!
  61 
  Auras of Élan:  Multipower, 61-point reserve
  6u 
  1)  First Aura:  Telekinesis (40 STR)
  6u 
  2)  Second Aura:  Telekinesis (32 STR), 
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  6u 
  3)  Third Aura:  Telekinesis (24 STR),  
  Fine Manipulation, Reduced Endurance  
  (½ END; +¼) 
  6u 
  4)  Fourth Aura:  Telekinesis (18 STR), Area 
  Of Eﬀect (3” Radius; +1), Selective (+¼)
  Hurling Halo:  Adrian learned this spell on the dying 
  world of Loezen. It creates a ring of light that wraps 
  around a target’s feet and sends him bouncing a 
  great distance. A thaumaturge can use this on him-
  self, or hurl it at a foe for a briefer eﬀect. A person 
  caught by the Hurling Halo can negate the eﬀect 
  
  78 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  if he succeeds at an Acrobatics roll (or a DEX Roll 
  at -3):  he lands feet-ﬁrst and kicks oﬀ, so the spell 
  bounces him back where he began before it fades. 
  (Again, Adrian buys these as separate powers; he 
  can’t create a Multipower with his VPP.)
  45 
  Hurling Halo:  Multipower, 45-point reserve
  3u 
  1) Use On Self:  Leaping +24”, Reduced 
  Endurance (½ END; +¼)
  2u 
  2) Use Against Others:  Telekinesis  
  (30 STR); Only To Throw Target Away  
  From Caster (-1)
  Missile Of Mystic Mastery:  This mystic bolt has little 
  raw power, but the caster can adjust it for almost 
  any purpose. The Variable Advantage enables feats 
  such as selecting an NND to bypass all of a foe’s 
  known defenses; making the Missile Indirect and 
  with No Range Modiﬁer to attack past walls; or 
  attacking everyone in an Area Of Eﬀect.
  Energy Blast 4d6, Variable Advantage (+1 
  Advantages; +2). Total cost:  60 points.
  Razors Of Roku:  This spell, invented by a Japanese 
  sorceress of long ago, evokes a vortex of silver 
  shards that inﬂict a thousand tiny cuts. The Razors 
  seldom kill — but they destroy many Foci, eﬃ-
  ciently disarming mystics who depend on such 
  assistance.
  RKA 1d6, Area Of Eﬀect (One Hex; +½), Pen-
  etrating (+½). Total cost:  30 points.
  Reﬂections Of The Ragnar:  The Ragnar were a coven 
  of thaumaturges who ﬂourished in the lost Thulean 
  civilization. Their most famous defensive spell cre-
  ates a spiral of mirror-bright silver that hurls all 
  ranged attacks back at their source. Adrian is excep-
  tionally proﬁcient with its use.
  Missile Deﬂection and Reﬂection (all Ranged 
  attacks; can Reﬂect at any target), +6 OCV. 
  Total cost:  62 points.
  Spectral Sphere:  Long ago, Adrian discovered a 
  pocket dimension full of iridescent globes of force. 
  He developed a spell to summon one of these 
  bubbles as an attack. The Spectral Sphere sucks in 
  whoever it hits, forcing the target to curl into a ball 
  as the Sphere bobs in the air.
  Entangle 4d6, 4 DEF, Backlash (+½). Total cost:  
  60 points.
  Background/History:  Adrian Vandaleur is at least 
  a thousand years old. No one but him knows how 
  much older; the Vandaleur dynasty provably dates 
  back to the eleventh century A.D. Adrian some-
  times hints he is several thousand years old — but 
  then, Adrian loves to tell whoppers.
  By the eleventh century, however, Adrian was 
  already a powerful thaumaturge (by the standards 
  of those times, anyway). He made a series of daring 
  forays into the Multiverse and met various dimen-
  sion lords and cosmic entities. Over the centuries, 
  he clashed with the Sylvestris, the nascent Circle Of 
  The Scarlet Moon, and a number of other super-
  natural evils; he also killed an angel and wrecked a 
  Trismegistus attempt to create a sorcerous utopia in 
  South America. Along the way, Adrian found time 
  to explore the Americas and Darkest Africa, take 
  the Silk Road to China, and reach the North Pole 
  30 years before Peary.
  More often that not, however, Adrian sat out 
  the great occult conﬂicts over world events. His 
  own inﬂuence seems accidental:  he stumbles into 
  the plans of other mystics, they overreact, and he 
  defends himself. At the start of the twenty-ﬁrst 
  century, Adrian seems determined to keep a low 
  proﬁle, but sightings and tales of his interference 
  proliferate. He’s the Elvis of the Mystic World.
  Adrian does not spend his time in seclusion, 
  though. He has done and seen everything, the best 
  and the worst. He’s been a medical missionary and 
  a death-camp guard, a prince and a slave. Adrian 
  maintains several false identities throughout the 
  world, from a presidential advisor in Brazil to a 
  curio dealer in Sydney, Australia. These identities 
  have nothing in common except a tendency to “dis-
  appear” for long periods while Adrian spends time 
  in other guises. Only one disguise actually matters 
  to him, though:  his newest guise as Angus Burke, 
  which has to fool his sorcerous oﬀspring. He sacri-
  ﬁces other identities without regret.
  Personality/Motivation:  Mystics who meet Adrian 
  Vandaleur may have trouble believing the Mystic 
  World ranks such a jerk as one of Earth’s great-
  est magi. Adrian loves to tell bragging, frequently 
  absurd stories in which he meets (or is) half the 
  famous people in history. He has the libido of a 
  drunken frat boy, with grace and charm to match.
  If you persuade Adrian to speak seriously 
  — well, more seriously than usual — he says time 
  washes away the consequences of any deed. Live 
  in the moment, because the past is dead and the 
  future a dream. Only the people you meet matter... 
  especially the lovely ladies. Adrian attributes his 
  longevity to seeing each day as a fresh opportunity 
  for delight, without much concern for dignity or 
  public morals, and he encourages those around him 
  to share his revelry.
  That’s almost true. Adrian has an agenda — 
  possibly, several agendas. He’s pacted with at least 
  one cosmic entity. Adrian hides his goals behind 
  the façade of a lecherous braggart and numerous 
  false identities. Only the GM knows what Adrian 
  really seeks, though it certainly involves a covert 
  inspection of the clan’s more skillful mystics.
  Quote:  As Angus:  “Och, ye’re a mighty enchantress, 
  Witchcraft! Perhaps ye can help me wi’ my magic 
  wand....”
  As Adrian:  “I’ll give you one chance to beg my 
  pardon; I grow indulgent in my old age, and no 
  longer enjoy punishing impudent children.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Adrian Vandaleur is actually not as 
  powerful as the Mystic World believes. He knows 
  a vast number of thaumaturgical spells, but cannot 
  use all of them at once. At any given time, Adrian 
  can have two spells as slots in his Variable Power 
  Pool. He usually casts 60 Active Point attacks while 
  maintaining a defense or movement spell.
  ADRIAN  
  VANDALEUR  
  PLOT SEEDS
  The Censor:  Adrian 
  prevents supernatural 
  forces from meddling 
  too much in human 
  destiny so that humanity 
  remains its own master. 
  Adrian may covertly 
  help heroes against vil-
  lains like the Devil’s 
  Advocates or Tyrannon. 
  If mystical heroes them-
  selves try to change the 
  world through magic 
  — say, by deposing an 
  odious but mundane 
  tyrant, or ending a 
  famine by magically 
  creating food — Adrian 
  works just as hard to 
  sabotage their eﬀorts.
  The Vampire:  Adrian’s 
  thousandth birthday 
  is coming up. To gain 
  another thousand years 
  of immortality and con-
  tinue his occult dynasty, 
  Adrian must drain the 
  life-force from several 
  mystics of suﬃcient 
  power. One of the PCs 
  ﬁlls his requirements 
  (especially if the PC is a 
  Vandaleur). The heroes 
  must save their comrade 
  from becoming the next 
  in a string of magical 
  murders that terrify the 
  Mystic World.
  The Gamester:  Adrian 
  manipulates heroes, vil-
  lains, governments, and 
  gods to create conﬂicts, 
  from mystic vendet-
  tas to full-scale wars. A 
  disguised Adrian cre-
  ates a vendetta between 
  the heroes and a villain 
  team. Maybe the battles 
  further some greater 
  goal, like toughening up 
  humanity to face Tyran-
  non; or maybe it’s just a 
  sick game Adrian plays 
  with other immortals, 
  making bets on who 
  wins.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  79 
  Adrian’s fearsome reputation depends on the 
  Vandaleur Terror. No one has, or could, duplicate 
  this magical authority over Adrian’s descendants, 
  granted by the same cosmic entity that ﬁxed magic 
  in Vandaleur blood. Adrian can cancel spells cast 
  by his descendants, strip away their magic a spell 
  at a time, bounce spells back on them, or change 
  their appearance through nigh-unbreakable curses. 
  Adrian’s favor, however, can grant any descendant a 
  tremendous boost in power. Other mystics assume 
  that because his descendants fear Adrian so much, 
  he must wield the same power over all sorcerers 
  — a misconception Adrian does not correct.
  Most of the time, Adrian prefers to use his 
  magic quietly, and while disguised. He doesn’t want 
  anyone to guard against his interventions, or rely 
  on him to save the day. If he can achieve his goal by 
  dropping a clue that leads someone else to do his 
  dirty work, that’s even better. Adrian ﬁghts mystical 
  battles when other mages ﬁnd him and attack him, 
  and then he tries to overawe his opponents. Failing 
  that, he prefers to wait until the ﬁght brieﬂy swings 
  in his favor, then say he shall mercifully spare his 
  opponent’s life and vanish to another dimension. If 
  Adrian must ﬁght, he loves using Reﬂections Of The 
  Ragnar to bounce an enemy’s attack at the enemy’s 
  allies or devices.
  Campaign Use:  See the intro-
  ductory text for general infor-
  mation. Adrian Vandaleur is 
  the GM’s wild card. Most of 
  the time, he’s a remote, near-
  mythic ﬁgure whose power 
  is feared but never seen. 
  Occasionally, he may become 
  the goal of a search because 
  heroes want his help or want 
  to stop him from achieving 
  his goals. The PCs should have 
  great diﬃculty ﬁguring out 
  what Adrian wants, however, 
  since he usually hides both his 
  identity and his true objec-
  tives. The Plot Seeds suggest 
  possible agendas for Adrian; 
  they’re not mutually exclusive.
  To make Adrian more 
  powerful, increase his Thau-
  maturgy VPP, remove its 
  Limitations, or give him magi-
  cal defenses outside the VPP. 
  To make him less powerful, 
  decrease the Vandaleur Terror 
  and the VPP.
  Whether Adrian would 
  Hunt a PC depends entirely 
  on what goals the GM assigns 
  to him. If Adrian does Hunt a 
  character, that person might 
  never know it.
  Appearance:  As Angus Burke, 
  Adrian looks 18 years old and pudgy, with curly, 
  cowlicked brown hair and a sparse goatee. He is 
  just barely recognizable as a Vandaleur. He retains 
  his usual ﬂirtatious manner, but speaks in a thick 
  (comic-book) Scottish accent. In his true form, he’s 
  tall, slender, with strong Vandaleur features, and 
  wavy brown hair; he looks about thirty years old.
  
  80 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  EDUARD AND ANAIS VANDALEUR
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   13 STR 
  3 
  12- 
  Lift 150 kg; 2½d6 [1]
   20 DEX 
  30 
  13- 
  OCV:  7/DCV:  7
   18 CON 
  16 
  13-
   14 BODY 8 
  12-
   23 INT 
  13 
  14- 
  PER Roll 14-
   20 EGO 
  20 
  13- 
  ECV:  7
   25 PRE 
  15 
  14- 
  PRE Attack:  5d6
   20 COM 
  5 
  13-
   7 PD 
  4 
   
  Total:  23 PD (16 rPD)
   7 ED 
  3 
   
  Total:  27 ED (20 rED)
   5 SPD 
  20 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   10 REC 
  6
   60 END 
  12
   30 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  155
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
   
  Flight  14”/28”
   
  MegaTeleportation:  10-100 km
  Cost Powers 
  END
  95 
  Thaumaturgy:  Multipower, 95-point  
  reserve
  6u 
  1)  The First Light Of Luathon:  Sight  
  Group Flash 8d6, Area Of Eﬀect (One  
  Hex; +½) 
  6
  6u 
  2)  The Second Light Of Luathon:  Energy 
  Blast 8d6, Area Of Eﬀect (One Hex; +½) 
  6
  6u 
  3)  The Third Light Of Luathon:  Energy  
  Blast 5d6, AVLD (Sight Group Flash  
  Defense; +1½) 
  6
  6u 
  4)  The Fourth Light Of Luathon:   
  RKA 2½d6, Penetrating (+½) 
  6
  6u 
  5)  The Fifth Light Of Luathon:  Dispel  
  Invisibility 21d6 
  6
  6u 
  6)  The Sixth Light Of Luathon:  Dispel  
  Magic Powers 16d6, any Magic power  
  one at a time (+¼) 
  6
  6u 
  7)  The Seventh Light Of Luathon:  Sight 
  Group Images, -6 to PER Rolls, Increased 
  Size (4” radius; +½), Invisible to Mystic  
  Sense Group (+¼), Reduced Endurance  
  (0 END; +½) 
  6
  3u 
  8)  The Eighth Light Of Luathon:   
  Telepathy 6d6 
  3
  3u 
  9)  The Ninth Light Of Luathon:   
  Invisibility to Sight and Mystic Groups  
  (but not including the Tenth Light),  
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  3
  1u 
  10)  The Tenth Light Of Luathon:  Detect 
  Invisibility (Mystic Sense Group), Ranged, 
  Sense, 
  2
  1u 
  11)  The Eleventh Light Of Luathon:  +30 
  PRE; Only For Making Presence Attacks (-1), 
  Visible (dramatic lighting eﬀects; -¼)
  6u 
  12)  Bindings of Bromion:  Mind  
  Control 12d6 
  6
  6u 
  13)  Mental Mirage:  Mental Illusions 12d6 6
  6u 
  14)  Cerulean Spear:  Ego Attack 6d6 
  6
  6u 
  15)  Aura of Élan:  Telekinesis (24 STR),  
  Fine Manipulation, Reduced Endurance  
  (½ END; +¼) 
  2
  3u 
  16)  Illusory Disguise:  Shape Shift (Sight, 
  Hearing, and Mystic Sense Groups; any 
  humanoid form), Costs END Only To 
  Change Shape (+¼) 
  3
  3u 
  17)  Astral Warp:  Extra-Dimensional  
  Movement (any physical location in the 
  Inner Planes) 
  3
  3u 
  18)  Astral Jump:  Teleport 10”, MegaScale  
  (1” = 10 km; +½) 
  2
  15 
  Thaumaturgy:  Elemental Control,  
  30-point powers
  15 
  1)  Mystic Shield:  Force Field (8 PD/ 
  10 ED/6 Power Defense), Reduced  
  Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  1
  15 
  2)  Levitory Locus:  Flight 12”, Reduced 
  Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  1
  5 
  3)  Rending Radiance:  +30 STR; No  
  Figured Characteristics (-½), Only To  
  Break Magical Entangles (-1½) 
  3
  7 
  Sigils Of Linked Power:  Elemental  
  Control, 30-point powers; all slots Only 
  Within 8” Of Twin (-1)
  10 
  1)  Doubled Mystic Shield:  Force Field  
  (8 PD/10 ED/6 Power Defense), Reduced 
  Endurance (0 END; +½); Only Within 8”  
  Of Twin (-1) 
  0
  8 
  2)  Vitality Transfer:  Healing 2d6, any  
  Physical Characteristic one at a time (+¼), 
  Ranged (+½); Self Only (-½), Only Within  
  8” Of Twin (-1) 
  3
  6 
  Doubled Will:  Mental Defense (10 points 
  total) 
  0
  7 
  Twin Link:  Mind Link to twin, any  
  distance, Psychic Bond; Only With  
  Others Who Have Mind Link (-1) 
  0
  20 
  Astral Awareness:  Dimensional on Sight  
  and Hearing Groups 
  0
  46 
  Astral Projection:  Duplication (creates  
  600-point astral form), Altered Duplicate 
  (100%; +1); Costs Endurance (to activate; 
  -¼), Original Character Is Incapacitated  
  And Helpless While Duplicate Exists (-1), 
  Extra Time (must enter trance and  
  meditate to allow astral self to leave its  
  ﬂeshy prison, 1 Hour; -1½), Feedback  
  (-1), Both Characters Die If They Do Not 
  Recombine Within 24 Hours (-½) 
  0
   
  Perks
  20 
  Base:  contribution to sanctum
  12 
  Contacts:  12 points’ worth, among inﬂuen-
  tial degenerates
  6 
  Contact:  the Toad 12- (very useful Skills and 
  resources, signiﬁcant Contacts of his own)
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁt:  International Driver’s License
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁt:  Passport
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁt:  Library of Babylon  
  Borrower’s Card
  5 
  Money: Well Oﬀ
   
  Skills
  6 
  +2 with Thaumaturgy Multipower
  3 
  Acting 14-
  3 
  Bribery 14-
  3 
  Concealment 14-
  3 
  Deduction 14-
  3 
  Disguise 14-
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  81 
  3 
  High Society 14-
  3 
  Language: English (completely ﬂuent; French 
  is Native)
  2 
  Language:  Latin (ﬂuent conversation)
  3 
  Navigation (Astral, Dimensional) 14-
  3 
  Persuasion 14-
  7 
  Power:  Thaumaturgy 16-
  3 
  PS: Perverse Hedonism 14-
  3 
  Seduction 14-
  3 
  Streetwise 14-
  3 
  Teamwork 13-
  3 
  Scholar
  2 
  1)  KS: Multiverse Cosmology 14-
  2 
  2)  KS: The Mystic World 14-
  2 
  3)  KS: Thaumaturgy 14-
  2 
  4)  KS: Vandaleur Family 14-
  2 
  5)  KS: Vice World 14-
  3 
  Traveler
  1 
  1)  AK: Astral Plane 11-
  1 
  2)  AK: Babylon 11-
  1 
  3)  AK: Faerie 11-
  1 
  4)  CK: Hong Kong 11-
  1 
  5)  CK: London 11-
  1 
  6)  CK: Monte Carlo 11-
  1 
  7)  AK: Netherworld 11-
  1 
  8)  AK: Outer Planes 11-
  1 
  9)  AK: Vice Hotspots 11-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  457
  Total Cost:  612
  200+ Disadvantages
  5 
  Distinctive Features:  Tattoos of power 
  (Easily Concealed; Noticed And Recogniz-
  able)
  15 
  Enraged:  when sibling takes BODY 
  (Common), go 11-, recover 14-
  15 
  Enraged:  when taunted (Very Common), go 
  8-, recover 14-
  15 
  Hunted:  Witchﬁnder, or selected mystic hero 
  11- (As Pow, Capture/Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:  other villains they’ve betrayed 8- 
  (As Pow, Kill)
  20 
  Hunted:  Interpol 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture)
  5 
  Hunted:  Adrian Vandaleur 8- (More Pow, 
  Watching)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Utterly Devoted 
  To Each Other (Common, Total)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Treacherous And 
  Mercurial (Very common)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Will Commit Any 
  Evil For Fun (Common, Strong)
  10 
  Reputation:  perverted megalomaniac would-
  be rulers of the Vandaleur family and the 
  world, 11- (Extreme, Limited Group [Mystic 
  World])
  267 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  612
  Background/History:  Eduard and Anais are frater-
  nal twins born to Adrian Vandaleur and one of his 
  French descendants. The twins showed an aptitude 
  for magic at an early age. They also showed a fasci-
  nation with cruelty, sometimes torturing cats and 
  dogs they captured. In their teenage years, they fell 
  in with other children of wealth and privilege, who 
  introduced them to alcohol, sex, and other recre-
  ations. As usual, Eduard and Anais learned quickly.
  When they reached their majority, the twins 
  inherited a trust fund and mystic library from a 
  great-uncle who doted on Anais. They studied 
  deeper and mightier magicks than they were per-
  mitted before, in between debauches with their 
  equally-jaded friends. Sometimes they used their 
  friends as assistants or test subjects for their magi-
  cal experiments.
  On a lark, Eduard and Anais decided to search 
  for the cosmic personiﬁcation of pleasure. They 
  traveled astrally to the Veil of the Temple and 
  attempted to pass. The brilliant but undisciplined, 
  self-indulgent twins found themselves completely 
  unprepared for the Veil’s psychic tests. The Veil 
  hurled them back to their bodies. As they opened 
  their eyes and gazed on each other, the twins real-
  ized they themselves were the most beautiful and 
  perfect creatures in the world, and they found per-
  fect pleasure in each other’s arms.
  After a week of mad, incestuous passion, 
  Eduard and Anais took stock of their desires, abili-
  ties, and the world. Not all pleasures were physical. 
  They already knew the joys of status and wealth, 
  of mastery, and of cruelty... on a small scale. They 
  could achieve so much more. With their power and 
  genius, they could turn the entire world into a play-
  room for their delight. Thus did Eduard and Anais 
  vow to rule the world.
  
  82 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  Personality/Motivation:  The twins were none too 
  stable to begin with, and their botched attempt to 
  cross the Veil left them completely insane. They 
  believe the entire world exists as a stage and audi-
  ence for the wonderful, beautiful drama of their 
  lives. Whatever they desire, they must have; what-
  ever blocks their desire, they must destroy. Human-
  ity can expect nothing better than to slave in their 
  service and praise their glory.
  Eduard and Anais treat other people with 
  sneering disdain when they’re honest, but may 
  aﬀect a ﬂighty amusement, sultry attraction, or 
  other moods if it suits their purpose. Whatever 
  pose they adopt, these two drama queens keep the 
  emotion level high. On rare occasions, they bicker 
  — but these ﬁghts are just a little spice to make 
  their reconciliation all the sweeter.
  The twins discovered that conquering the 
  world was harder than they thought. They soon 
  realized they had to ally with other powers. Eduard 
  and Anais easily betray or abandon their allies in 
  the face of diﬃculties, however, or if something 
  more amusing comes along.
  Quote:  “Dearest ﬂower of the Multiverse, shall we 
  kill these costumed vulgarians?”
  Powers/Tactics:  Eduard and Anais have the same 
  powers. They practice thaumaturgy, though they 
  know a limited number of spells. The twins usu-
  ally work together. Aside from their emotional 
  dependence on each other, some of their magical 
  powers actually increase when they stay within 8” 
  of each other, because of their linked spirits. Part 
  of this linkage involves mystic tattoos that they 
  have. While the tattoos aren’t Foci (removing them 
  would require surgery), if either of the twins takes 
  BODY damage, the GM may want to roll to see if 
  the injury aﬀected the tattoo (which could dimin-
  ish or eliminate their linkage powers for a time, or 
  permanently).
  Eduard and Anais try to stay within 8” of each 
  other. They often coordinate using Teamwork, or 
  stagger their attacks so that an enemy who takes 
  action to avoid one attack leaves himself open to 
  another. For instance, they like to use an Area Of 
  Eﬀect attack on the same Segment as a single-target 
  eﬀect. If the foe Dodges the single-target attack, the 
  Area attack still strikes; and if he Dives For Cover, 
  his DCV drops and he cannot avoid the single-
  target attack. If either twin is near unconsciousness, 
  exhaustion, mortal wounding, or other incapacita-
  tion, he can use Vitality Sharing to Heal himself by 
  drawing on the other’s power.
  If Eduard and Anais ﬁnd themselves over-
  matched, they try to ﬂee. They have no compunc-
  tion about endangering innocents to distract the 
  heroes, and in fact consider that jolly fun.
  Campaign Use:  See the introductory text for gen-
  eral information. The GM can use Eduard and 
  Anais as all-purpose mystical villains. They may 
  amuse themselves by causing havoc, serve a dimen-
  sional conquer or evil god, attempt high-proﬁle 
  robberies, or carry on murderous vendettas. Now 
  and then, they recruit other villains (mystical or 
  otherwise) for especially big heists, attempts to take 
  over a small nation, or similarly grandiose plans.
  To make the twins more powerful, increase 
  their DEX and EGO and move their defenses out-
  side any Power Framework. They could also have 
  small Variable Power Pools of temporary talismans 
  that grant minor powers to help them achieve a 
  plan. To make Edward and Anais less powerful, 
  reduce the size of their Multipowers’ reserves, and 
  remove about half the slots.
  The twins are meant to appall heroes with 
  their perversity and selﬁshness as well as their 
  criminal deeds. The GM should give thought to 
  how much their players can accept as legitimately 
  establishing the madness of Eduard and Anais, and 
  what would go too far into oﬀensive ickiness. To 
  give the twins a more “four-color” feel, simply make 
  them arrogant, rule-the-world psychopaths instead 
  of incestuous degenerates.
  Eduard and Anais are very likely to Hunt 
  characters who thwart them. They want to inﬂict 
  creatively painful deaths on their enemies, but lack 
  the patience for careful planning. Their usual style 
  is to strike from surprise, try to Knock Out a char-
  acter, then place him in a death trap or exile him to 
  a dangerous dimension. They readily team up with 
  other villains who Hunt PCs.
  Appearance:  Eduard and Anais are obviously twins. 
  Eduard stands 5’10” tall, and Anais is just an inch 
  or two shorter. Both are slender but ﬁt, with wavy 
  black hair cut just less than shoulder-length. In 
  them, the Vandaleur features become stunningly 
  though androgynously attractive. They always dress 
  in an openly sexy way — lots of skintight vinyl, 
  ultra-sheer see-through silk, leather straps, and 
  so on. Their outﬁts range from merely risqué to 
  outright bondage-and-discipline fetishism. Mirror-
  image tattoos on their faces and bodies make them 
  look even more ﬂamboyant.
  EDUARD AND  
  ANAIS VANDALEUR  
  PLOT SEEDS
  Let’s play a wargame... 
  with real armies! These 
  two neighboring coun-
  tries have fought several 
  times; let’s murder and 
  replace their leaders, 
  and set them at it again! 
  Grand sport, n’est-ce pas?
  The seal on the crypt 
  says it holds a terror that 
  would ravage the world. 
  If we let it out, perhaps 
  it shall be grateful. Even 
  if it isn’t, how jolly to 
  watch the superheroes 
  ﬁght it! Perhaps we shall 
  ﬁnd a chance to kill a 
  few of them.
  These superhero spoil-
  sports have become 
  most tiresome. Let’s 
  hire someone to make 
  a dozen bombs... but 
  only one is real. We 
  hide them in schools, 
  hospitals, daycare cen-
  ters, and so on, then 
  challenge the heroes 
  to find the real bomb 
  before it explodes. Oh 
  — and disarming a 
  fake bomb sets off the 
  real one! While we’re 
  at it, let’s tell a few of 
  their enemies how busy 
  and visible the heroes 
  shall be.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  83 
  CHATOYANT
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   23 STR 
  10* 
  14- 
  Lift 600 kg; 4½d6 [2]
   23 DEX 
  31* 
  14- 
  OCV:  8/DCV:  8
   25 CON 
  24* 
  14-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   13 INT 
  3 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   13 EGO 
  6 
  12- 
  ECV:  4
   20 PRE 
  10 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  4d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   25 PD 
  16* 
   
  Total:  25 PD (10 rPD)
   25 ED 
  16* 
   
  Total:  25 ED (10 rED)
   5 SPD 
  14* 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   10 REC 
  0
   50 END 
  0
   35 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  130
  * OIHID (-¼)
  Movement: 
  Running:  15”/30”
   
  Gliding:  5”/10”
   
  MegaTeleportation:  1,000-5,000 mi 
  Cost Powers 
  END
  9 
  Astral Jaguar Form Projection:  Extra- 
  Dimensional Movement (any physical  
  location in the Astral Plane corresponding 
  to Chatoyant’s physical location in Earth’s 
  dimension), Reduced Endurance (0 END; 
  +½); Extra Time (1 Minute to activate; -¾), 
  Leaves Helpless Physical Body Beyind And 
  Will Die If Does Not Rejoin It Within 24 
  Hours (-1), Feedback (-1) 
  0
  45 
  Astral Claws And Fangs:  Multipower,  
  56-point reserve, all OIHID (-¼)
  2u 
  1)  Exert Physical Force:  23 STR, Indirect  
  (+½), Transdimensional (Earth’s dimension; 
  +½), Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼); 
  OIHID (-¼), Does Not Add To Base STR  
  (-½), No Figured Characteristics (-½), Can 
  Only Be Used While Chatoyant Uses Her 
  Become Visible And Quasi-Tangible  
  Power (-¼) 
  2
  2u 
  2)  Claw/Bite Astral Targets:  HKA 1½d6  
  (3d6 with STR); OIHID (-¼) 
  2
  4u 
  3)  Claw/Bite Earthly Targets:  HKA  
  1½d6 (2d6+1 with STR), Indirect (+½),  
  Transdimensional (Earth’s dimension;  
  +½), Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼); 
  OIHID (-¼), Can Only Be Used While  
  Chatoyant Uses Her Become Visible And 
  Quasi-Tangible Power (-¼) 
  2
  3u 
  4)  Claw/Bite Spirit:  HA +4d6, AVLD 
  (defense is Mental Defense; +1½),  
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼);  
  OIHID (-¼), Hand-To-Hand Attack (-½) 2
  3u 
  5)  Claw/Bite Earthly Target’s Spirit:  HA 
  +3d6, AVLD (defense is Mental Defense; 
  +1½), Indirect (+½), Transdimensional 
  (Earth’s dimension; +½), Reduced  
  Endurance (½ END; +¼); OIHID (-¼), 
  Hand-To-Hand Attack (-½), Can Only Be 
  Used While Chatoyant Uses Her Become  
  Visible And Quasi-Tangible Power (-¼) 
  2
  29 
  Become Visible And Quasi-Tangible:  Sight 
  Group, Hearing Group, and Touch Group 
  Images, +4 to PER, Indirect (+½),  
  Transdimensional (Earth’s dimension;  
  +½), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); 
  OIHID (-¼), No Range (-½), Set Eﬀect  
  (self in jaguar form; -1) 
  0
  8 
  Spiritual Substance:  Damage Resistance  
  (10 PD/10 ED); OIHID (-¼) 
  0
  12 
  Spiritual Defense:  Mental Defense  
  (15 points total) 
  0
  14 
  Feline Speed:  Running +9” (15” total); 
  OIHID (-¼) 
  3
  4 
  Float Like A Ghost:  Gliding 5”; OIHID (-¼) 0
  11 
  Astral Leap:  Teleportation 5”, MegaScale  
  (1” = 1,000 km; +1); OIHID (-¼),  
  Requires A Navigation (Astral) Roll (-½) 2
  4 
  Feline Senses:  Nightvision; OIHID (-¼) 
  0
  5 
  Feline Senses:  +2 PER with All Sense  
  Groups; OIHID (-¼)
  8 
  Feel Material Objects:  Dimensional  
  (Earth’s dimension) for Touch Group; 
  OIHID (-¼) 
  0
  20 
  Astral Awareness:  Dimensional (Astral 
  Plane) for Sight and Hearing Groups 
  0
  5 
  Psychic Sensitivity:  Mental Awareness 
  0
   
  Skills
  3 
  Acrobatics 14-
  3 
  Climbing 14-
  3 
  Concealment 12-
  2 
  Language:  English (ﬂuent conversation; 
  French is Native)
  2 
  Language:  Spanish (ﬂuent conversation)
  
  84 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  2 
  Navigation (Astral) 12-
  2 
  PS: Public Relations 11-
  3 
  Shadowing 12-
  3 
  Streetwise 13-
  3 
  Scholar
  1 
  1)  KS: Astral Plane 11-
  2 
  2)  KS: Mexican Folk Magic 12-
  1 
  3)  KS: Mystic World 11-
  1 
  4)  KS: Vandaleur Family 11-
  2 
  5)  KS: Western Occultism 12-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  221
  Total Cost:  351
  200+ Disadvantages
  15 
  Hunted:  Edward and Anais 8- (Mo Pow, 
  Enslave/Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:  priest in Trismegistus Council 8- 
  (Less Pow, NCI, Kill/De-Power)
  15 
  Physical Limitation:  Jaguar Form Has No 
  Fine Manipulation (Frequently, Greatly 
  Impairing)
  10 
  Physical Limitation:  No Legs in human 
  identity (Infrequently, Greatly Impairing)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Overconﬁdent In 
  Jaguar Form (Very Common, Moderate)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Desperate To 
  Regain Legs/Increase Mystical Power 
  (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Mariel 
  Ganteaume) (Frequently, Major)
  15 
  Susceptibility:  to traditional charms against 
  naguals, 1d6 damage per Phase spent within 
  1” of such charms (Uncommon)
  41 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  351
  Background/History:  Mariel Ganteaume comes 
  from a cadet branch of the Vandaleurs in Quebec. 
  Mariel ignored family stories about magic:  she was 
  a modern woman, with a good career writing press 
  releases for a large corporation. Then a car accident 
  sheared oﬀ her legs at the knees. Mariel desperately 
  wanted to believe that magic could take her out of 
  her wheelchair. She sought out every relative she 
  could ﬁnd, and questioned other self-proclaimed 
  mystics. No one could heal her, would heal her, or 
  would refer her to someone who could do the deed.
  In time, Mariel’s inquiries shifted to astral 
  projection. If she could not restore her legs, per-
  haps at least she could escape her body. In Mexico, 
  she found a cult that claimed to know the secret 
  of astral projection as naguals, or astral jaguars. 
  Mariel promised them anything if they would teach 
  her. The cult’s high priest refused, but his assistant 
  compromised the cult’s secrecy for her money. The 
  junior priest trained her with the help of the cult’s 
  sacred jaguar talisman. The Vandaleur’s magical 
  blood ran true in Mariel:  not only did she learn 
  to project her spirit as a jaguar; she soon attained 
  greater power than her teacher.
  At that point, Tezcatlipoca (page 113) noticed 
  Mariel. The god did not like the junior priest 
  imparting cult secrets, and killed him. Two cultists 
  then tried to kill Mariel, but she fought them and 
  escaped. To her delight, she found she no longer 
  needed the Jaguar Talisman to project.
  Tezcatlipoca became very angry with his 
  minions. Not only did they fail to kill Mariel, they 
  retrieved the Jaguar Talisman before it bound her 
  to Tezcatlipoca’s service. Perhaps it wasn’t fair to 
  blame them for not failing more completely, but 
  gods do not need to be fair.
  Mariel continues her search for magic, now 
  assisted by her power as a nagual. Her relatives, and 
  other mystics, take her more seriously now. They 
  hire her to perform surveillance missions, assault, 
  and robbery in return for bits of lore about astral 
  projection and sorcery. The Toad dubbed her Cha-
  toyant — from a French word for “catlike.”
  Unfortunately, life as a mystically-powered 
  person is not always enjoyable. Chatoyant has made 
  enemies of Eduard and Anais Vandaleur when she 
  refused to become their slave. She has also killed. 
  She didn’t mean to — only to rough up a target or 
  knock out a guard — but she gains a jaguar’s preda-
  tory instincts along with its appearance on the 
  Astral Plane. Sometimes she loses control, kills an 
  enemy, and feeds on his astral body.
  Personality/Motivation:  Mariel still seeks a way to 
  regain her legs. She does not want to think of her-
  self as a bad person, but her self-pity and desire to 
  walk again overpower her morals. Each homicide 
  also bothers her less than the one before. It’s only 
  a matter of time before she kills for expedience or 
  accepts a contract for assassination.
  Quote:  None — in astral form, Chatoyant can only 
  growl or make other animal sounds.
  Powers/Tactics:  In her human identity, Mariel 
  has no superpowers except for mystical senses. 
  By meditating for one minute, however, Mariel 
  can project her spirit in the form of a jaguar. She 
  becomes stronger and quicker as a nagual, and 
  can attack both astral and corporeal targets. Her 
  character sheet does not include an actual Power 
  for astral projection, because this is just the way 
  Chatoyant assumes her heroic identity — that is, 
  she’s a superbeing whose villainous identity has as 
  its special eﬀect, “I exist on the Astral Plane instead 
  of the physical world.” As yet, her villainous identity 
  cannot leave the Astral Plane, except to return to 
  her body.
  Chatoyant can see, hear, and even feel the 
  physical world from the Astral Plane, but all her 
  sensations are muted, as is usual for astral travelers. 
  Most of the time, she remains unseen to mortals 
  because she exists in another dimension. When she 
  bites and mauls corporeal targets, her feline astral 
  form becomes visible to ordinary people, and her 
  victims feel her attacks. Mundane attacks still pass 
  right through her, but magic can aﬀect her, as can 
  Mental Powers or any attack with the Aﬀects Deso-
  lidiﬁed Power Advantage.
  Chatoyant generally stalks a target for some 
  time. Either she wants to attack when he’s alone, so 
  that no one else sees a jaguar appear from thin air, 
  or she wants to make sure her victim is well away 
  before she tries to steal something. If Chatoyant 
  ﬁnds herself under attack — something that would 
  CHATOYANT  
  PLOT SEEDS
  Another villain hires 
  Chatoyant to steal a 
  small mystic artifact 
  from the heroes. How 
  does she attempt this? 
  Remember, Chatoy-
  ant can aﬀect physical 
  objects — clumsily 
  — but she cannot pull 
  objects onto the Astral 
  Plane. Chatoyant must 
  remain visible as she 
  carries the artifact out of 
  the heroes’ base.
  Chatoyant branches into 
  industrial espionage. She 
  can sit in a boardroom 
  to see and hear all the 
  conﬁdential plans. One 
  of the targeted execu-
  tives, however, knows a 
  PC. He asks the heroes 
  to ﬁnd the spy who baf-
  ﬂes company security.
  Someone is found 
  mauled to death by a 
  large animal... but in a 
  locked room. Maybe 
  Chatoyant killed him; 
  maybe nagual cultists 
  (page 117) did the deed. 
  Whichever party killed 
  the man, the other party 
  comes in search of their 
  enemy, complicating 
  the heroes’ attempt to 
  discover who killed 
  the man, and why. For 
  an extra-devious plot, 
  maybe a third party 
  committed the murder 
  without supernatural 
  means, and both Cha-
  toyant and the naguals 
  are red herrings.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  85 
  greatly surprise her — she retreats into the Astral 
  Plane. She may even attempt an Astral Leap to 
  shake pursuers and return to her body.
  Campaign Use:  See the introductory text for gen-
  eral information. Non-magical superheroes will 
  ﬁnd Chatoyant an exceptionally diﬃcult foe to 
  defeat, since most attacks don’t aﬀect her. Thwarting 
  Chatoyant may require ﬁguring out what she is, and 
  then researching the traditional charms and talis-
  mans that Mexicans use to ward oﬀ naguals. Mys-
  tics ﬁnd her less diﬃcult to ﬁght, but capturing her 
  still may demand some detective-work and occult 
  research. Once characters understand Chatoyant’s 
  power, however, they also know that keeping her 
  from her body will eventually kill her. Whether 
  that ends her career utterly or simply traps her as a 
  jaguar-ghost is anyone’s guess:  Normal naguals just 
  die, but Chatoyant is not a normal nagual. Chatoy-
  ant could also be reformed, but breaking through 
  her selﬁshness would probably be more diﬃcult 
  than restoring her legs.
  If Chatoyant needs to be more powerful, 
  increase her STR, SPD, and Astral Claws And Fangs 
  Multipower. If she is too powerful — most likely 
  because the heroes cannot aﬀect her — deﬁne other 
  powers or special eﬀects that aﬀect her astral form.
  Chatoyant would most likely Hunt a hero 
  because she thought he could restore her legs or 
  increase her power, and she intends to force him 
  to assist her. Mariel’s encounters with the Mystic 
  World give her a jaundiced view of sorcerers:  she 
  doesn’t believe anyone would help her out of altru-
  ism. Chatoyant might also Hunt a hero as the 
  agent of some other mystic villain. At least at ﬁrst, 
  though, she’s more likely stalks a hero to learn his 
  secrets than to kill him.
  Appearance:  Mariel is a Caucasian woman in her 
  late 30s, with straight brown hair in a pageboy cut. 
  She wears a business blouse and a long skirt that 
  doesn’t really hide her missing lower legs, and is in 
  a wheelchair. As Chatoyant, she is a female jaguar.
  TOBIAS “THE TOAD” VANDALEUR
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   8 STR 
  -2 
  11- 
  Lift 75 kg; 1½d6 [1]
   10 DEX 
  0 
  11- 
  OCV:  3/DCV:  3
   10 CON 
  0 
  11-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   23 INT 
  13 
  14- 
  PER Roll 14-
   15 EGO 
  10 
  12- 
  ECV:  5
   15 PRE 
  5 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  3d6
   2 COM 
  -4 
  9-
   2 PD 
  0 
   
  Total:  2 PD (0 rPD)
   2 ED 
  0 
   
  Total:  2 ED (0 rED)
   2 SPD 
  0 
   
  Phases:  6, 12
   4 REC 
  0
   20 END 
  0
   20 STUN 
  1 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  23
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
   
  Teleportation:  10”/20”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  35 
  Thaumaturgic Incantations:  Variable  
  Power Pool (Magic Pool), 30 base + 15  
  control cost; OAF (pen and paper for  
  sigils; -1), Extra Time (1 Minute to  
  activate spells; -¾), Incantations (-¼) 
  var
  15 
  Getaway Ring:  Teleportation 10”, Invisible  
  to Magic Senses (+½), Armor Piercing  
  (+½), Trigger (ring removed or violent 
  unconsciousness; +¼); IIF (-¼), Can  
  Only Teleport To Fixed Locations (-1),  
  1 Charge (-2) plus 1 Fixed Location  
  (panic room); IIF (-¼) 
  [1]
  2 
  Prolonged Life:  Life Support (Longevity:   
  age at one-fourth normal rate) 
  0
   
  Perks
  30 
  Sanctum:  150 point Base
  15 
  Contacts:  Other Vandaleurs 12- (organiza-
  tion Contact)
  20 
  Contacts:  20 points’ worth, among the 
  Mystic World
  5 
  Money:  Wealthy
   
  Talents
  4 
  Speed Reading (x10)
   
  Skills
  3 
  Cryptography 14-
  3 
  Deduction 14-
  7 
  Power:  Thaumaturgy 16-
  3 
  PS: Manuscript Conservator 14-
  3 
  Trading 12-
  3 
  Linguist
  1 
  1)  Language: Arabic (ﬂuent conversation; 
  French is Native)
  2 
  2)  Language: English (idiomatic)
  1 
  3)  Language:  Gaelic (ﬂuent conversation)
  1 
  4)  Language: German (ﬂuent conversation)
  2 
  5)  Language: Greek (completely ﬂuent)
  1 
  6)  Language: Hebrew (ﬂuent conversation)
  1 
  7)  Language:  Italian (ﬂuent conversation)
  1 
  8)  Language:  Japanese (ﬂuent conversation)
  2 
  9)  Language: Latin (completely ﬂuent))
  1 
  10)  Language: Mandarin (ﬂuent conversation)
  1 
  11)  Language:  Persian (ﬂuent conversation)
  
  86 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  1 
  12)  Language: Russian (ﬂuent conversation)
  1 
  13)  Language: Sanskrit (ﬂuent conversation)
  1 
  14)  Language: Spanish (completely ﬂuent)
  1 
  15)  Language:  Sumerian (basic conversation)
  3 
  Scholar
  4 
  1)  KS: Cults 16-
  4 
  2)  KS: Demonology 16-
  1 
  3)  KS: Dimension Lords 11-
  1 
  4)  KS: Famous Mystics 11-
  2 
  5)  KS: Hermetic Theurgy 14-
  1 
  6)  KS: Lost Civilizations 11-
  1 
  7)  KS: Magical Remote Sensing 11-
  2 
  8)  KS: Magical Styles 14-
  1 
  9)  KS: Magic Item Enchantment 11-
  2 
  10)  KS: Mystic History 14-
  2 
  11)  KS: Mystic Legends 14-
  2 
  12)  KS: The Mystic World 14-
  2 
  13)  KS: Mythology 14-
  1 
  14)  KS: Occult Ciphers 11-
  2 
  15)  KS: Sanctum Enchantment 14-
  2 
  16)  KS: Thaumaturgy 14-
  2 
  17)  KS: The Vandaleur Family 14-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  201
  Total Cost:  224
  75+ Disadvantages
  10 
  Age:  60+
  15 
  Distinctive Features:  Face of a toad  
  (Concealable With Diﬃculty; Causes Major 
  Reaction [disgust, fear])
  15 
  Hunted:  Eduard and Anais Vandaleur 11- 
  (Mo Pow, Mild [bully him into helping with 
  their schemes])
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Snivelling Coward 
  (Common, Strong)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Arrogant, Greedy, 
  And Vengeful (Common)
  84 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  224
  EXAMPLE POWERS FOR THAUMATURGIC 
  INCANTATIONS POWER POOL
  Incantatory Imbuement:  Given time, the Toad can 
  infuse thaumaturgical energies into objects by 
  means of long invocations to various gods, demons, 
  and dimension lords. He can’t do this with just any 
  object — an item that’s going to receive magic has 
  to be notable in some way (made of valuable or 
  mystic materials, used for some (in)famous deed, of 
  exceptional quality, or the like). The enchantment 
  slowly fades over time if the Toad doesn’t renew it, 
  and instantly if he wants it to.
  Major Transform 1d6+1 (item to magic item, 
  heals back at the rate of 3 points per day, or 
  instantly if the Toad so wills), Improved Results 
  Group (grant any magic power; +¼) (25 Active 
  Points); OAF (pen and paper for sigils; -1), 
  Extra Time (20 Minutes; -2½), Incantations 
  (-¼), Limited Target (items susceptible to 
  enchantment; -½), No Range (-½), Requires A 
  Thaumaturgy Roll (-½). Total cost:  4 points.
  Voice Of Palamabron:  The Toad’s favorite spell gives his 
  voice unnatural, godlike volume and resonance. He 
  invokes Palamabron, the cosmic entity who personiﬁes 
  the intersection of Artiﬁce and Chaos, to grant him the 
  power to command emotions with his words.
  +30 PRE (30 Active Points); OAF (pen and paper 
  for sigils; -1), Extra Time (1 Minute to activate; 
  -¾), Incantations (-¼). Total cost:  10 points.
  Background/History:  Tobias Vandaleur, Senior made 
  millions in business, spoke 12 languages, knew the 
  secret names of half the spirits in the Quaternion 
  — and still felt scorned by his sorcerous relatives, 
  because he had no skill at actual magic. He drove his 
  son to succeed where he thought he failed. He wanted 
  Tobias, Jr. to know more secrets and spells than the 
  rest of the family, and win some sign of respect from 
  Adrian Vandaleur himself.
  Tobias, Jr. spent decades working toward this 
  goal. Alas, he never became a powerful mystic 
  — merely an extremely learned one. Tobias thought 
  he vindicated his father’s name when other Vandal-
  eurs sought him for his esoteric lore. Indeed, Tobias 
  became quite conceited about his scholarship, and 
  fancied himself one of the greatest men in the mystic 
  world. He didn’t know how his relatives sniggered 
  behind his back and called him “Toad.”
  At last, Tobias’ mighty ancestor paid him a 
  visit... incognito. Tobias treated this unknown cousin 
  haughtily, telling him to go away until he had queries 
  worthy of a master. Adrian didn’t like that. He said, 
  “The others are right. You’re just a pompous little toad 
  of a man, puﬀed up with books and vanity. So that’s 
  how you’ll look from now on!” And Tobias screamed 
  as his face melted and changed.
  After that, Tobias hid from the world. He did 
  not want anyone to see how Adrian cursed him. If 
  anything, however, his drive to know mystic secrets 
  increased. He seeks some power or knowledge to 
  break Adrian’s curse — either directly, or with the 
  help of some other mystic. And maybe, just maybe, 
  if he knows enough, Adrian really will need his help 
  someday, repeal his curse, and proclaim Tobias the 
  greatest and most favored scion of his line.
  Personality/Motivation:  The Toad’s motives are a knot 
  of fear, vanity, hope, and revenge. He hates Adrian 
  and wants to please him. He wants to be the center of 
  attention, yet not be seen. For now, however, fear pre-
  dominates — fear of Eduard and Anais. The terrify-
  ing twins prefer Tobias to conduct the boring occult 
  research their plans sometimes require, and to cast 
  the spells they cannot. They convinced the Toad he 
  would die most painfully if he does not obey them.
  Tobias still wants to learn more. He sells his 
  services as loremaster and spellcaster in large part to 
  buy more information that might help him overcome 
  the Vandaleur Terror. His knowledge is also his only 
  claim to glory in the Mystic World. Failure to answer 
  a question mortiﬁes him.
  The Toad never goes outside his mansion, and 
  no one sees him except his cherubic Chinese man-
  servant, Li Han. Anyone who sees his visage and 
  does not accept binding oaths to preserve his secret 
  prompts the Toad to call in favors from more power-
  TOAD PLOT SEEDS
  The PCs need to ﬁnd 
  some rare substance or 
  artifact. The Toad can 
  locate anything... but 
  sensing how urgently 
  the characters need 
  his help, he demands 
  that in return, the PCs 
  accept a geas to retrieve 
  something for him. (See 
  Archdruid Airetach’s 
  character sheet for a 
  suitable oath-spell.)
  The heroes receive a 
  letter from the Toad, 
  saying he’s found some 
  disturbing information 
  related to a previous 
  query, and could they 
  come to the mansion? 
  It’s a trap set by Eduard 
  and Anais; Tobias didn’t 
  send the letter at all.
  The PCs can remove the 
  curse from the Toad. 
  They just need to ﬁnd 
  Adrian Vandaleur, cap-
  ture him, and twist his 
  arm until he revokes his 
  curse. Oh, and survive 
  Adrian’s wrath after-
  ward. How hard could 
  it be?
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter One 
  87 
  ful relatives, such as Chatoyant or the Alcedama. The 
  Toad is quite willing to kill potential blabbermouths, 
  as long as he does not have to do the deed himself.
  Quote:  “I ﬁnd your question worth my time. Now 
  you must ask yourself how much my time is — 
  What are you doing — Stay back! Back, I command 
  it! Damn you, damn you!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Tobias is an adept’s adept. He pos-
  sesses prodigious mystical knowledge, but little real 
  power. By himself, he can cast an extraordinary 
  range of low-powered spells... but these require at 
  least one minute spent chanting magic words and 
  drawing sigils. Unlike more skilled thaumaturges, 
  the Toad cannot simply trace a ﬁgure in the air to 
  cast his spells.
  The Toad’s house considerably increases his 
  power. In his sanctum, surrounded by his lore-
  books, mystic artifacts, and circles of power inlaid 
  in the ﬂoor, the Toad gains the beneﬁt of a large 
  Aid to his VPP. The house also has a wide variety 
  of mystical defenses. In addition to active magical 
  wards, the Toad outﬁts his home to take advantage 
  of the Susceptibilities or Physical Limitations of 
  every known supernatural creature. Every room 
  contains a pentacle to provide refuge from demons, 
  a cruciﬁx to repel vampires, cold iron to discourage 
  faerie-folk, and so on.
  Tobias really can’t ﬁght, though. If his sanctum 
  cannot protect him, he takes oﬀ his Getaway Ring 
  and instantly re-appears in the “panic room” hidden 
  in a sub-cellar. He hopes this hidden chamber can 
  buy him time to cast a spell to ﬂee (such as a Mega-
  Scaled Teleport) and beg assistance from relatives 
  who owe him favors.
  Campaign Use:  See the introductory text for general 
  information. Heroes may consult the Toad for infor-
  mation, if they can meet his prices. Mystical villains 
  (such as Eduard and Anais) buy or extort the Toad’s 
  help too, in which case he serves as a minion, though 
  he probably does not directly appear in the adventure. 
  If the heroes oﬀend or frighten Tobias, he becomes an 
  active enemy, pulling strings in the Mystic World to 
  hurt (or at least inconvenience) them.
  The Toad himself should never possess great 
  combat power:  He’s an information source, not a 
  ﬁghter, and a Heroic-level character besides. You 
  could, however, give his sanctum more formidable 
  enchantments to defend him and allow him to attack 
  intruders. To make Tobias less powerful, remove his 
  ability to cast spells and reduce him to a Competent 
  Normal person with lots of academic Skills.
  Tobias cannot personally Hunt enemies. He 
  can, however, hire other people to Hunt characters 
  on his behalf. His magic enables him to track char-
  acters and supply his agents with mystical defenses, 
  Triggered spells that exploit a character’s known 
  weaknesses, or other special abilities.
  Meeting The Toad
  When characters visit the Toad’s large, Victo-
  rian mansion, Li Han politely informs them that 
  “the master” does not see anyone. He can, however, 
  relay messages to Tobias, along with <a discreet 
  cough> whatever tokens of esteem the characters 
  wish to oﬀer. If the heroes make their request obse-
  quious enough, with a bribe (money, a rare gri-
  moire, or a mystic object) as an advance fee, Tobias 
  consents to see them in person... in a few days. 
  Before he lets anyone past his vestibule, he wants to 
  learn all he can about their powers and their past.
  If the Toad can easily answer a question, Li Han 
  presents the returning characters with a letter giving 
  the Toad’s response. If a question proves more dif-
  ﬁcult, Li Han ushers them into a shadowy, musty 
  parlor decorated with medieval gargoyles and other 
  grotesque statuary. Stiﬀ, high-backed chairs face a 
  black curtain (a magical Darkness ﬁeld with Personal 
  Immunity, so Tobias can see out). Li Han serves tea. 
  Tobias quizzes the characters further about their 
  conundrum, and dickers for further payment. He uses 
  the Voice Of Palamabron to seem great and powerful.
  The Toad never gives up. If he can’t answer a 
  question within the allotted time, he returns the 
  heroes’ payment (though not the initial gratuity). 
  He keeps researching the puzzle, though, and sends 
  word when he solves it, to preserve his reputation 
  as the greatest loremaster in the world.
  Tobias will not invite anyone past the vestibule 
  and parlor unless they earn his trust through repeat 
  business and ﬂattery. Almost every room is full of 
  books, scrolls, stone tablets, and other mystic texts 
  and artifacts. Tobias still hides his face, however, 
  with a ﬁeld of black mist.
  Appearance:  Tobias Vandaleur is a short, round man. 
  He has the face of a toad framed by long, stringy 
  white hair (he is over 100 years old, though magic 
  retards his aging). He wears Victorian gentleman’s 
  garb, including a black frock-coat and white cravat.
  
  88 ■ Mystic Factions and Organizations 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  
  chapter two:
  chapter two:
  SOLO VILLAINS
  
  90 ■ Mystic Solo Villains 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  BLACK FANG
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   30 STR 
  16* 
  15- 
  Lift 1,600 kg; 6d6 [3]
   29 DEX 
  46* 
  15- 
  OCV: 10/DCV: 10
   23 CON 
  21* 
  14-
   13 BODY 6 
  12-
   13 INT 
  3 
  12- 
  PER Roll 14 
   17 EGO 
  11* 
  12- 
  ECV: 6
   25 PRE 
  12* 
  14- 
  PRE Attack: 5d6
   6 COM  -2* 
  10-
   20 PD 
  11* 
   
  Total: 32 PD (15 rPD)
   20 ED 
  12* 
   
  Total: 28 ED (11 rED)
   7 SPD 
  25* 
   
  Phases: 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12
   20 REC 
  14*
   46 END 
  0
   45 STUN 
  5 
  Total Characteristics Cost: 180
   *:  OIHID (-¼)
  Movement: 
  Running:  16”/32”
  Cost Powers 
  END
   
  Martial Arts:  Karate
   
  Maneuver 
  OCV DCV 
  Notes
  4 
  Block 
  +2 
  +2 
  Block, Abort
  4 
  Disarm 
   -1 
  +1 
  Disarm, +40 
  STR
  4 
  Dodge 
  0 
  +5 
  Dodge all 
  attacks, Abort
  5 
  Kick 
   -2 
  +1 
  10d6 Strike
  4 
  Punch 
  +0 
  +2 
  8d6 Strike
  24 
  Claw/Bite:  HKA 2d6 (4d6 with STR);  
  OIHID (-¼) 
  3
  2 
  Supernatural Toughness:  Damage  
  Resistance (3 PD/3 ED); OIHID (-¼) 
  0
  15 
  Supernatural Toughness:  Armor  
  (12 PD/8 ED); OIHID (-¼), Does Not  
  Work Against Fire Or Silver (-¾) 
  0
  16 
  Lupine Speed:  Running +10” (16” total); 
  OIHID (-¼) 
  2
  18 
  Supernatural Healing:  Healing 3d6  
  (Regeneration; 3 BODY per Turn),  
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½),  
  Persistent (+½); OIHID (-¼), Self Only  
  (-½), Extra Time (1 Turn; -1¼), Does Not 
  Work On Some Damage (that caused by 
  silver weapons; -¼)  
  0
  5 
  Lupine Senses:  +2 PER with All Sense 
  Groups; OIHID (-¼) 
  0
  8 
  Lupine Senses:  Discriminatory for Smell/
  Taste Group; OIHID (-¼) 
  0
  8 
  Lupine Senses:  Tracking for Smell/Taste 
  Group; OIHID (-¼) 
  0
  4 
  Lupine Senses:  Nightvision; OIHID (-¼) 
  0
  2 
  Lupine Senses:  Ultrasonic Perception  
  (Hearing Group); OIHID (-¼) 
  0
  13 
  Cursed Beyond Death:  Healing 1d6  
  (Regeneration; 1 BODY per Hour),  
  Resurrection (others can stop resurrection  
  by inﬂicting a fatal wound with a  
  silver weapon), Reduced Endurance  
  (0 END; +½), Persistent (+½); Self Only  
  (-½), Extra Time (1 BODY/Hour; -2¼),  
  Resurrection Only (-½), Only Works If  
  Black Fang Is Slain In His Human Form (-½) 0
   
  Perks
  4 
  Contact:  Judge Talmadge 11- (very useful 
  Skills or resources)
   
  Skills
  10 
  +2 with HTH Combat
  3 
  Acrobatics 15-
  3 
  Breakfall 15-
  3 
  Climbing 15-
  2 
  KS: Karate 11-
  3 
  Shadowing 12-
  3 
  Stealth 15-
  3 
  Tracking 12-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 170
  Total Cost: 350
  200+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Accidental Change:  always during nights  
  of the full moon (Uncommon)
  10 
  Accidental Change:  when angry, frightened, 
  or in combat 8- (Common)
  20 
  Enraged:  if takes BODY (Common), go 11-, 
  recover 11-
  15 
  Hunted:  himself 14- (Less Pow, Capture/Kill 
  [James tries to restrain Black Fang and end 
  the curse])
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Fear Of Capture 
  (Very Common, Strong)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Hates Leaving 
  Victim Alive (Common, Moderate)
  20 
  Reputation:  werewolves, as a class [legendry 
  is widely known], 14- (Extreme)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (James 
  Talmadge) (Frequently, Major)
  20 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points: 350
  Background/History:  James Talmadge, a nice young 
  man in his second year of college, had plenty of 
  friends and an active social life. He also studied 
  karate, though without great achievement. He still 
  lived with his folks and felt great pride in his father, 
  a successful judge. The Demonologist decided 
  that he wanted a judge serving him, especially to 
  keep those stupid superheroes oﬀ his back. So the 
  Demonologist cursed James with lycanthropy. It 
  was easy. As the old movie put it,
  “Even a man who is pure of heart
  “And says his prayers at night
  “May become a wolf when the wolfsbane 
  blooms
  “And the moon is full and bright.”
  That month, on the three nights of the full 
  moon, the city reeled before an incredible string 
  of “ripper” murders — and the medical examiner 
  found that something had chewed away several 
  pounds of each victim’s ﬂesh. The police found one 
  surviving witness, who could only babble hysteri-
  cally about a black shape with fangs.
  Finding his nightmares written up in the paper 
  upset James a great deal. Within him, however, the 
  beast grinned and found its name.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter Two 
  91 
  James’s father was even more upset when the 
  Demonologist dropped in to give his ultimatum:  
  serve him, or James would slaughter more people each 
  month. As long as the Demonologist was satisﬁed, he 
  would supply a talisman to prevent the change — but 
  just for that month’s full moon. He advised the judge 
  not to seek alternate means of restraining his son. “I 
  have ways of knowing such things... and your situa-
  tion can become worse. Such as if the authorities learn 
  that you are shielding a killer.”
  Judge Talmadge tried chaining James in the 
  basement during the next full moon. The beast broke 
  the chains on the second night, escaped and killed 
  two more people. The Demonologist visited the judge 
  on the next morning, and the judge submitted.
  Before leaving, the Demonologist oﬀered a 
  bit of advice. The curse of the werewolf, he said, 
  was permanent and binding:  James was always a 
  werewolf, not just when the full moon shone, and 
  the beast could slip out in moments of stress. “I 
  suggest,” he said, “you live a quiet life. Or of course 
  you could simply accept what you are.” The sorcerer 
  smiled. “You may even come to like it.”
  James hopes he won’t.
  Personality/Motivation:  James Talmadge is now a 
  timid, nervous wreck. He’s failing all his classes and 
  avoids his friends. Black Fang, in contrast, fears 
  nothing but conﬁnement. The werewolf embodies 
  all the hate, rage, lust, and violence that civiliza-
  tion tries to restrain. He loves stalking his prey 
  and savoring their terror. The werewolf may also 
  act out passions that James restrains. For instance, 
  Black Fang might rape (and then kill) a girl James 
  wants to date, or might hunt and kill someone who 
  hassled James.
  James remembers his actions as Black Fang as 
  a vivid nightmare, which is the most his mind can 
  do to shield itself from his other half’s deeds. Black 
  Fang knows all of James’s skills but has little interest 
  in his memories. The werewolf wants to eliminate 
  the wimpy, moral human personality so he can 
  have James’s body all the time.
  Quote:  (In a low grow) “Hello, little girl. Do you 
  have a basket of goodies?”
  Powers/Tactics:  Black Fang is superhumanly strong 
  and quick. Most injuries, except those caused by 
  silver or ﬁre, heal in less than a second (the special 
  eﬀect of his Armor). Exceptionally severe wounds 
  still heal with great speed: Only a silver weapon or 
  outrageous amounts of damage can kill Black Fang.
  If James dies in human form, the curse slowly 
  heals his wounds and brings him back from death. 
  Once James lives again, the curse changes him to 
  Black Fang, who completes the regeneration. At the 
  GM’s option, this also causes the curse to worsen 
  in some manner. Perhaps James changes into Black 
  Fang every night, or he suﬀers ﬁts of the werewolf’s 
  bloodlust while still in human form.
  Black Fang has James’s knowledge of karate. 
  Untrammeled by human restraint, the beast ﬁghts 
  with great skill and ferocity. A hairy, snarling mon-
  ster doing karate chops and kicks may seem funny... 
  but not when you’re on the receiving end.
  The werewolf prefers to stalk people who are 
  alone. If a group pursues Black Fang, he tries to 
  pick them oﬀ one by one. If possible, he leads the 
  pursuers somewhere they must split up, such as a 
  dark, crowded warehouse. Black Fang is rationally 
  conscious of silver weapons:  people who openly 
  carry guns become his preferred targets, and he 
  tries to take the gun away before any other attacks.
  Black Fang often begins an assault with a Pres-
  ence Attack in hopes of paralyzing his prey with 
  fear. If Black Fang can stalk his victim for a while, 
  making the person already frightened, he can cer-
  tainly gain extra dice of eﬀect when he howls and 
  leaps from the shadows.
  When James accidentally changes into Black 
  Fang, the werewolf normally stays dominant for 
  at least an hour. Each hour after the change, Black 
  Fang and James pit EGO Rolls against each other. If 
  James wins, he resumes human form. If Black Fang 
  wins, he stays in control of their body for another 
  hour. Other characters can force a change using 
  Telepathy or Mind Control:  making Black Fang 
  surrender control to James requires an EGO +30 
  eﬀect against the werewolf, while making James 
  become Black Fang merely requires an EGO +10 
  eﬀect against the human (Black Fang is helping, 
  and has the stronger will.)
  Black Fang is not a “contagious” werewolf:  
  people who survive his bite do not become were-
  wolves in turn. The eﬀects of lycanthropy can 
  vary depending on the method by which a person 
  becomes a werewolf, whether the person chose the 
  state deliberately, and many other possible factors. 
  
  92 ■ Mystic Solo Villains 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  Perhaps the Demonologist simply did not want to 
  inﬂict an epidemic of lycanthropy (at this time).
  Campaign Use:  Although Black Fang is a formi-
  dable combatant, a team of superheroes (magical 
  or otherwise) can defeat him in a straight-up ﬁght 
  without much trouble. The challenge lies in catch-
  ing the werewolf before he kills any more ordinary 
  people... and what do the heroes do with Black 
  Fang once they catch him? Even the Demonologist 
  cannot rescind the curse now that Black Fang has 
  killed, and the most powerful science or sorcery 
  known to mortals can only suppress the curse, not 
  remove it completely.
  If Black Fang isn’t powerful enough to supply 
  a suitable challenge, add Damage Classes, Combat 
  Skill Levels, points of Regeneration, or more DEX 
  and SPD so he can ﬁght nonmagical PCs on their 
  own level. Against mystical heroes, Black Fang may 
  need some Mental Defense or Power Defense — if 
  his sheer speed and high Recovery are not defense 
  enough. If the werewolf is too powerful, reduce his 
  DEX and SPD.
  Black Fang cannot really Hunt characters, 
  since he is active only a few nights a month, and 
  his animal ferocity does not include the capacity to 
  hold a grudge.
  Appearance:  James stands 5’8” tall. He has a slen-
  der build, black hair, and ordinary features. James 
  always seems nervous and jumpy. As Black Fang, 
  James is still 5’8” tall but heavily built, with a 
  shaggy black pelt, shining red eyes, clawed hands 
  and feet, and a wolf’s head and tail.
  BROMION
  Lord Of Order
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   30 STR 
  20 
  15- 
  Lift 1,600 kg; 6d6 [3]
   26 DEX 
  48 
  14- 
  OCV:  9/DCV:  9
   30 CON 
  40 
  15-
   20 BODY 20 
  13-
   23 INT 
  13 
  14- 
  PER Roll 14-
   26 EGO 
  32 
  14- 
  ECV:  9
   30 PRE 
  20 
  15- 
  PRE Attack:  6d6
    8 COM 
  -1 
  11-
   25 PD 
  19 
   
  Total:  25 PD (25 rPD)
   25 ED 
  19 
   
  Total:  25 ED (25 rED)
    5 SPD 
  14 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   15 REC 
  6
   60 END 
  0
   50 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  250
  Movement: 
  Running: 6”/12”
   
  Flight:  20”/40”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  33 
  Minor Divine Power:  Variable Power  
  Pool (Magic Pool), 20 base + 10 control  
  cost, Powers Can Be Changed As A  
  Zero-Phase Action (+1); Only One  
  Power At A Time (-½) 
  var
  106 
  Thaumaturgy:  Multipower, 106-point 
  reserve
  7u 
  1)  Bindings Of Bromion:  Mind Control 
  12d6, Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  3
  8u 
  2)  Bindings Of Bromion:  Telekinesis (24 
  STR), BOECV (PD applies; +1), Reduced 
  Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  3
  7u 
  3)  Bindings Of Bromion:  Entangle 3d6, 3 
  DEF, BOECV (+1), Takes No Damage  
  From Attacks (physical; +¼), Works  
  Against EGO, Not STR (+¼) 
  7
  7u 
  4)  Bromion’s Mental Bolt:  Energy Blast  
  6d6, BOECV (Mental Defense applies;  
  +1), Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  3
  7u 
  5)  Bromion’s Mystic Bolt:  Energy Blast  
  5d6, AVLD (defense is Power Defense;  
  +1½), Personal Immunity (+¼), Reduced 
  Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  3
  10u 
  6)  Cloud Of Unknowing:  Darkness to  
  Sight Group, Mystic Group, and Danger 
  Sense 1” radius, Ranged (+½), Sticky (+½), 
  Usable As Attack (+1); 8 Continuing  
  Charges lasting 1 Turn each (-0) 
  [8cc]
  7u 
  7)  Nimbus Of Nullity:  Dispel Magic  
  20d6, any Magic spell or power one at a  
  time (+¼) 
  7
  7u 
  8)  Silver Circles Of Selestar:  Entangle 6d6,  
  6 DEF, Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) 3
  3u 
  9)  Cosmic Augmentation:  Succor  
  Characteristics 5d6, any Physical  
  Characteristic one at a time (+¼) 
  3
  3u 
  10)  Deﬂecting Disk:  Missile Deﬂection  
  (all Ranged Attacks), +5 OCV 
  0
  3u 
  11)  Mental Shield:  Force Field (10 PD/10 
  ED/5 Mental Defense), Reduced  
  Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  1
  BLACK FANG  
  PLOT SEEDS
  The heroes become 
  the target of restrain-
  ing orders, lawsuits, 
  and other legal and 
  governmental harass-
  ment. Judge Talmadge 
  is behind it all, trying 
  to protect his son by 
  driving the heroes out 
  of town at the Demon-
  ologist’s request. When 
  the heroes confront the 
  judge, they make James 
  angry — and he changes 
  into Black Fang.
  For every month of 
  Judge Talmadge’s “deal” 
  with the Demonologist, 
  the evil sorcerer sends 
  him a talisman to sup-
  press James’s transfor-
  mation. The talisman is 
  delivered by teleporta-
  tion-spell, but can the 
  heroes somehow use it 
  to track the Demonolo-
  gist to his sanctum? 
  Could the talisman have 
  some other purpose 
  besides suppressing the 
  change?
  A mystical sage suggests 
  that lycanthropy is a 
  disease of the soul, and 
  so the heroes could cure 
  James from within his 
  mind. Just ﬁnding a way 
  to enter James’s uncon-
  scious mind could be a 
  quest in itself. The PCs 
  then hunt Black Fang 
  through a mindscape of 
  memories and dream-
  symbols that deﬁne 
  James’s personality. But 
  should they destroy the 
  Black Fang personality, 
  or try to re-integrate 
  it into James’s mind? 
  Either course is fraught 
  with danger for James.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter Two 
  93 
  3u 
  12)  Mystic Shield:  Force Field (10 PD/ 
  10 ED/5 Power Defense), Reduced  
  Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  1
  5u 
  13)  Bromion’s Broad Blast:  Energy Blast  
  6d6, AVLD (defense is Power Defense;  
  +1½), Area Of Eﬀect Nonselective (16”  
  Cone; +¾); Gestures (-¼), No Range (-½) 10
  8u 
  14)  Greater Binding:  Mind Control  
  10d6, Area Of Eﬀect (5” Radius; +1);  
  Gestures (-¼) 
  10
  6u 
  15)  Teleport Gate:  Teleportation 10”, Area  
  Of Eﬀect (One Hex; +½), Continuous (+1), 
  MegaScale (1” = 10,000 km, can scale down 
  to 1” = 1 km; +1½), Reduced Endurance (½ 
  END; +¼), Usable By Other (+¼);  
  Gate (-½) 
  4
  5u 
  16)  Planar Portal:  Extra-Dimensional  
  Movement (any physical location in any 
  dimension), x4 Increased Mass, Reduced 
  Endurance (½ END; +¼), Usable By Other 
  (+¼); Extra Time (Full Phase; -½) 
  4
  3u 
  17)  Cosmic Smithcraft:  Major Transform 
  3d6+1 (any physical change, heals back 
  through another application of this power), 
  Improved Target Group (any physical  
  change; +1); Concentration (concentrate to  
  0 DCV; -½), Extra Time (One Turn; -1¼),  
  Gestures (-¼), No Range (-½) 
  10
  3u 
  18)  Cosmic Smithcraft:  Major Transform 
  2d6 (any mental change, heals back through 
  another application of this power),  
  Improved Target Group (any mental  
  change; +1), BOECV (Mental Defense  
  applies; +1), Works Against EGO, Not  
  BODY (+¼); Concentration (concentrate  
  to 0 DCV; -½), Extra Time (One Turn;  
  -1¼), Gestures (-¼), No Range (-½) 
  10
  3u 
  19)  Cosmic Smithcraft:  Major Transform 
  3d6+1 (any spiritual change, heals back 
  through another application of this power), 
  Improved Target Group (any spiritual  
  change; +1); Concentration (concentrate  
  to 0 DCV; -½), Extra Time (One Turn;  
  -1¼), Gestures (-¼), No Range (-½) 
  10
  3u 
  20)  Repair Millworks:  Healing BODY 5d6, 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); Only 
  Works On The Millworks (-1) 
  0
  12 
  Cosmic Form:  Hardened (+¼) for 25 PD/ 
  25 ED 
  0
  31 
  Cosmic Form:  Damage Resistance  
  (25 PD/25 ED), Hardened (+¼) 
  0
  60 
  Cosmic Form:  Physical and Energy Damage 
  Reduction, Resistant, 50% 
  0
  5 
  Cosmic Form:  Lack Of Weakness (-5) for 
  Normal Defenses 
  0
  90 
  Cosmic Immunity:  Life Support (Total,  
  including full Immunity as described in  
  Galactic Champions and Longevity:   
  Immortality) 
  0
  10 
  Cosmic Eyes:  Sight Group Flash Defense  
  (10 points) 
  0
  10 
  Ordered Mind:  Mental Defense  
  (15 points total) 
  0
  10 
  Ordered Body:  Power Defense (10 points) 
  0
  70 
  Eﬀortless Travel:  Flight 20”, No Turn Mode 
  (+¼), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) 
  0
  20 
  Astral Awareness:  Dimensional (Astral  
  Plane) for Sight and Hearing Groups 
  0
  5 
  Mystical Sight:  Detect Magic 14- (Sight 
  Group) 
  0
   
  Perks
  100 
  The Millworks:  500 point Base
  10 
  Fringe Beneﬁt:  Dimension Lord (Head of 
  State)
   
  Talents
  20 
  Universal Translator 14-
   
  Skills
  3 
  Analyze Magic 14-
  3 
  Breakfall 14-
  3 
  Deduction 14-
  3 
  AK: Outer Planes 14-
  3 
  AK: Upper Planes 14-
  13 
  Power:  Thaumaturgy 19-
  3 
  Spell Research (Inventor) 14-
  3 
  Scholar
  2 
   1)  KS: Cosmic Secrets 14-
  2 
   2)  KS: Dimension Lords And Cosmic Enti-
  ties 14-
  2 
   3)  KS: Magic Smithing 14-
  2 
   4)  KS: Matter Smithing 14-
  2 
   5)  KS: Mind Smithing 14-
  2 
   6)  KS: Spirit Smithing 14-
  2 
   7)  KS: Thaumaturgy 14-
  2 
   8)  KS: Time Magic 14-
  2 
   9)  KS: Urizen’s Law 14-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  749
  Total Cost:  999
  200+ Disadvantages
  10 
  Hunted:   agents of Chaos 8- (As Pow, Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:   Urizen 11- (Mo Pow, Watching)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Won’t Compro-
  mise Or Negotiate (Very Common, Strong)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Hates Disrespect 
  And Disobedience (Very Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Driven to Create 
  And Maintain Order (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Hunting Servants 
  Of Artiﬁce (Common, Strong)
  10 
  Reputation:  order freak who hates free 
  will, 11- (Extreme, Limited Group [Mystic 
  World])
  15 
  Susceptibility:  to areas consecrated to Chaos, 
  take 1d6 damage per Phase when within 
  such areas (Uncommon)
  15 
  Unluck:  3d6
  5 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x STUN from Chaos 
  Magic (Uncommon)
  5 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x BODY from Chaos 
  Magic (Uncommon)
  659 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  999
  
  94 ■ Mystic Solo Villains 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  EXAMPLE POWERS FOR MINOR DIVINE 
  POWER POWER POOL
  Clear Air:  Bromion banishes all foul and corrupt 
  odors from around himself. 
  Change Environment 4” radius (cleanse the 
  air). Total cost:  15 points.
  Eye Of Artiﬁce:  Bromion can see through any-
  thing shaped by intelligence — whether physical or 
  mystical. He cannot see through natural, unshaped, 
  opaque matter. (This ability requires the GM’s per-
  mission, since it involves putting a Special Power in 
  a VPP.) 
  N-Ray Perception (Sight Group) (blocked by 
  natural opaque matter), Telescopic (+6 versus 
  Range Modiﬁer). Total cost:  16 points
  Invincible Shield Of The Ordered Mind:  Bro-
  mion concentrates on the perfect law of Urizen to 
  block even the deadliest mental assaults. 
  Force Field (11 Mental Defense), Hardened 
  (+¼), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½). Total 
  cost:  19 points.
  Perfect Surprise:  The Ordainer forbids reality to 
  give any clue of his intent so that he may strike 
  without anyone anticipating his attack.
  Invisibility to Danger Sense. Total cost:  20 
  points.
  Strike At Imperfections:  Bromion senses the ﬂaws 
  in all merely mortal mystic defenses as he prepares 
  to strike with his mystic bolt. (This ability requires 
  the GM’s permission, since it involves putting a 
  Special Power in a VPP.) 
  Find Weakness 13- with Bromion’s Mystic Bolt. 
  Total cost:  20 points.
  Background/History:  The Ordainer called Bromion 
  didn’t always work for Urizen the Lawgiver. Bro-
  mion was once a great Lord of Artiﬁce, a Son of Los 
  and one of his father’s chief assistants at the forge of 
  worlds. Bromion served as the Prime Avatar of Art’s 
  envoy to Order, personifying the critical faculty. 
  He often worked with Urizen when the Zoas of Art 
  and Order cooperated to create a civilization.
  Bromion came to sympathize too strongly 
  with Urizen’s plans to regiment life throughout the 
  Multiverse. He decided Urizen’s Order was also the 
  highest expression of Art. This led him into conﬂict 
  with other children of Los. The dispute escalated 
  until Bromion raped Oothoon, the soul of sweet 
  delight and Emanation of his brother Theotormon. 
  Outraged, Theotormon captured Bromion and 
  imprisoned him. Bromion escaped, however, by 
  renouncing his status as a Son of Los and cosmic 
  entity. Instead he became one of Urizen’s Ordainers.
  When Bromion fell from Briah into the worlds 
  of Matter, he lost much of his power. With the Mill-
  works as a base of operations, however, Bromion 
  still wields enough power to bring other worlds 
  under Urizen’s sway. He is one of the most devoted 
  and dangerous Lords of Order.
  Personality/Motivation:  Bromion is a fanatic. When 
  he fell from true cosmic status and became a mere 
  Ordainer, his mind shrank as well as his power. The 
  Critic of the Cosmos became a mere shadow of his 
  former self. His love of structure and planning hard-
  ened into a blind hatred of disobedience and “messi-
  ness.” Even most of Urizen’s mortal servants think 
  Bromion is a bit extreme, for he labors to eliminate 
  free will so no one will ever disobey Urizen’s Law.
  The Lord of Order’s impulse to tidiness rivals 
  his drive to capture and “correct” rebellious mortals. 
  An Unluck check mediates the dueling Psychologi-
  cal Limitations:  if Bromion receives even a single 
  point of Unluck, his neatness fetish forces him to 
  break oﬀ combat and repair damage to the Mill-
  works (or other places he’s organized).
  Deep down, Bromion knows his defection was 
  wrong. Servants of Art painfully remind him of his 
  former state. If a mystic dedicated to Artiﬁce shows 
  any sympathy, Bromion tries recruiting him to the 
  side of Order so the mystic’s defection will conﬁrm 
  his own. Bromion makes a special eﬀort to destroy 
  Servants of Art who scorn or mock Order.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter Two 
  95 
  Quote:  “All evil is disobedience and disharmony. 
  Without free will, there can be no evil. Submit!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Bromion no longer commands the 
  incalculable power he once possessed as a concep-
  tual entity, but his magical powers remain vast. His 
  ability to shape thoughts curdled into a set of spells, 
  the Bindings Of Bromion, for brute-force control 
  of others. He also knows several other spells, either 
  generic or developed by other Lords of Order.
  In combat, Bromion typically relies on his 75 
  Active Point spells (that way he can keep a defensive 
  spell active with the rest of his Multipower reserve). 
  He favors spells that prevent opponents from ﬁght-
  ing back, then unleashes spells to inﬂict STUN once 
  he restrains all his foes. Bromion uses his Broad Blast 
  or Area Mind Control only if he loses his temper. 
  He uses his Power Pool to create special senses or 
  defenses; for instance, an Enhanced Sense to see 
  through his own Cloud Of Unknowing, or a special 
  defense to block an NND attack.
  Bromion’s importance to the cohorts of Order 
  rests on his knowledge of magical smithcraft. He 
  can create powerful magic items or completely 
  transform a captive. Bromion can make a person 
  as fanatically devoted to Order as he is, and even 
  give them superpowers. Bromion prefers to work 
  his smithcraft through the Millworks:  once the 
  Ordainer sets the Millworks machinery to a task, 
  it and Bromion’s drone servants can ﬁnish the job 
  with no further supervision. (Obviously, this is 
  something of a “plot device” ability, not a power 
  that you should let PCs have!)
  The Ordainer can do nearly anything a plot 
  demands, if he has time to prepare the Millworks. 
  For instance, Bromion can spy on other dimen-
  sions or look through time if the GM so desires, 
  forcibly transport other beings to the Millworks, 
  create magical superweapons, or assemble special-
  purpose Automaton minions. If Bromion expects 
  an invasion of the Millworks, he re-organizes his 
  Base with lots of traps and other defenses to repel 
  intruders. (In game terms, the Millworks has a large 
  Variable Power Pool for these things.)
  Campaign Use:  Bromion serves as a second-tier 
  dimensional conqueror. He operates more subtly 
  than Skarn or Tyrannon since he lacks their raw 
  power — he typically seeks to convert leaders to 
  his point of view and subvert or destroy mystics 
  who could stop him, rather than launch an open 
  invasion. The Ordainer is also a little less crazy or 
  implacable than mega-villains such as Tyrannon, 
  the Dragon, or the Kings of Edom. He’s a fanatic, 
  but characters might ﬁnd ways to play on his obses-
  sions and so gain short-term help against some 
  greater menace.
  To make Bromion more powerful, increase his 
  SPD and END so he can launch more attacks in a 
  Turn without exhausting himself. You could also 
  increase his spell attacks’ DCs, or make his Divine 
  Power VPP larger. To make him less powerful, 
  reduce his attacks to 60-some Active Points and 
  lower his innate defenses.
  The obsessed Ordainer is extremely likely to 
  Hunt characters who interfere with his plans. Bro-
  mion usually delegates this task to spirits or super-
  powered mortals he captured and brainwashed, but 
  he might set a trap for enemy mystics or engage in 
  more devious schemes to capture a foe. He seldom 
  kills captured enemies; the Lord of Order would 
  rather convert them, whether by reason or soul-
  smithing.
  Appearance:  Bromion’s head and arms look like 
  those of a normal human. He has a narrow face. 
  His lips are usually pursed in disapproval. Swirling, 
  faceted robes cover the rest of his body. He could 
  be thin or fat, tall or short. In addition to his shin-
  ing, pastel robes, Bromion wears a cylindrical white 
  headdress and a large, golden brooch.
  Under his Ordainer’s robes, Bromion is actu-
  ally quite brawny:  pumping bellows and swinging 
  a hammer for a few eternities keeps even a spirit 
  in good shape. But no physical, magical, or mental 
  force can remove Bromion’s robes — they’re part 
  of his self-image and therefore part of Bromion 
  himself.
  The Bindings Of Bromion take the form of 
  rhomboids of colored light. Most of his other spells 
  are generic globes and beams of light. His big repair 
  spell has an especially impressive special eﬀect:  a 
  miles-high phantom image of Bromion appears, 
  and tendrils of white light spread out from its ﬁn-
  gers. As the tendrils move through the Millworks, 
  damage to the machinery disappears.
  BROMION PLOT 
  SEEDS
  Bromion takes over 
  a maximum-security 
  prison and “converts” 
  staﬀ and inmates, 
  including a few low-
  power supervillains. 
  Suddenly, the prison 
  starts paroling lots of 
  convicts, all of whom 
  oﬀer to lead the authori-
  ties (and the heroes) to 
  their former associates 
  — on the condition that 
  all captives await trial 
  at that prison. Do the 
  heroes want law and 
  order at the expense 
  of free will? How long 
  before Bromion turns 
  his growing army to 
  other goals?
  The government 
  announces that from 
  now on, all superhe-
  roes must work for the 
  government or be con-
  sidered criminals. Gov-
  ernment heroes ﬁnd the 
  new procedural rules 
  incredibly extreme; free-
  lance heroes who don’t 
  submit ﬁnd themselves 
  Hunted. When judges 
  and civil libertarians say 
  the new directives are 
  illegal, the authorities 
  order their arrest. Bro-
  mion has taken over the 
  government, or at least 
  key people within it. 
  The PCs must ﬁnd and 
  defeat him to free the 
  nation.
  Bromion launches a raid 
  into the Upper Planes 
  and abducts the concept 
  of “5” from the Plane of 
  Numbers. (Never mind 
  how he does this. He’s 
  a former conceptual 
  entity, he knows about 
  such things.) Nothing 
  can exist in multiples of 
  5 anymore. (Including 
  groups of people:  rig 
  events to the PCs are 
  always in groups of 4 
  or less, or 6 or more.) 
  Bromion holds 5 hos-
  tage until Earth’s gods 
  submit. If they don’t, 
  reality itself will fray. 
  The heroes must invade 
  the Millworks and 
  rescue 5 before either 
  the universe implodes or 
  the major gods become 
  Bromion’s slaves.
  
  96 ■ Mystic Solo Villains 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  DOCTOR TENEBER
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   13 STR 
  3 
  12- 
  Lift 150 kg; 2½d6 [1]
   18 DEX 
  24 
  13- 
  OCV:  6/DCV:  6
   18 CON 
  16 
  13-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   23 INT 
  13 
  14- 
  PER Roll 14-
   18 EGO 
  16 
  13- 
  ECV:  6
   20 PRE 
  10 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  4d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   8 PD 
  5 
   
  Total:  22 PD (14 rPD)
   8 ED 
  4 
   
  Total:  22 ED (14 rED)
   4 SPD 
  12 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   8 REC 
  2
   30 END 
  -3
   30 STUN 
  4 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  106
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
   
  Flight:  13”/52”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  25 
  Mystic Energy:  Endurance Reserve  
  (200 END, 5 REC) 
  0
  25 
  Necromancy:  Multipower, 62-point reserve;  
  all OAF (Cane; -1), Variable Limitations 
  (requires -1 worth of Limitations; -½)
  2u 
  1)  Bone Cage:  Entangle 6d6, 6 DEF; OAF  
  (-1), Variable Limitations (requires -1  
  worth of Limitations; -½) 
  6
  2u 
  2)  Death Bolt:  Energy Blast 12d6; OAF  
  (-1), Variable Limitations (requires -1 worth  
  of Limitations; -½) 
  6
  2u 
  3)  Exorcism:  Dispel Summon 20d6; OAF  
  (-1), Variable Limitations (requires -1  
  worth of Limitations; -½) 
  6
  2u 
  4)  Soul Mastery:  Mind Control 10d6,  
  Telepathic (+¼); OAF (-1), Variable Limita-
  tions (requires -1 worth of Limitations; -½) 6
  2u 
  5)  Spirit Bolt:  Ego Attack 6d6; OAF (-1),  
  Variable Limitations (requires -1 worth of 
  Limitations; -½) 
  6
  2u 
  6)  Visions Of Death:  Mental Illusions  
  12d6; OAF (-1), Variable Limitations  
  (requires -1 worth of Limitations; -½), Only  
  To Create Illusions Of Death/The  
  Afterlife (-½) 
  6
  2u 
  7)  Withering:  RKA 1d6+1, NND (defense  
  is Life Support [Longevity]; +1), Does  
  BODY (+1); OAF (-1), Variable Limitations 
  (requires -1 worth of Limitations; -½) 
  6
  1u 
  8)  Contact Dead:  Mind Scan 7d6,  
  Transdimensional (the afterlife realms;  
  +¾); OAF (-1), Variable Limitations  
  (requires -1 worth of Limitations; -½),  
  Concentration (0 DCV; -½), Extra Time  
  (1 Turn; -1¼), Must Have Sympathetic  
  Link To Target Mind (-1) 
  6
  2u 
  9)  Ghost Form:  Desolidiﬁcation (aﬀected  
  by spirit magic), Reduced Endurance  
  (0 END; +½); OAF (-1), Variable Limitations 
  (requires -1 worth of Limitations; -½) 
  0
  2u 
  10)  Spirit Paths:  Teleportation 11”, x64 Non-
  combat, x4 Increased Mass; OAF (-1),  
  Variable Limitations (requires -1 worth of 
  Limitations; -½) 
  6
  31 
  Lesser Necromancy:  Multipower, 62-point 
  reserve; all IAF (brooch; -½), Variable  
  Limitations (requires -1 worth of  
  Limitations; -½)
  1u 
  1)  Deathly Aura:  +30 PRE; IAF (-½),  
  Only For Fear-Based Presence Attacks (-1), 
  Variable Limitations (requires -1 worth of 
  Limitations; -½) 
  0
  1u 
  2)  Steal Life:  Transfer BODY 1½d6, to any 
  Physical Characteristic one at a time (+¼);  
  IAF (-½), Variable Limitations (requires  
  -1 worth of Limitations; -½) 
  3
  1u 
  3)  Spectral Shield:  Force Field (10 PD/ 
  10 ED), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); 
  IAF (-½), Variable Limitations (requires -1 
  worth of Limitations; -½) 
  0
  1u 
  4)  Walk In Shadow:  Invisibility to Sight  
  Group and Detect Magic, Reduced  
  Endurance (½ END; +¼); IAF (-½),  
  Variable Limitations (requires -1 worth  
  of Limitations; -½) 
  1
  1u 
  5)  Spirit Gate:  Extra-Dimensional  
  Movement (to any physical location in a 
  related group of dimensions [the afterlife 
  realms]); IAF (-½), Variable Limitations 
  (requires -1 worth of Limitations; -½) 
  3
  1u 
  6)  Spirit Levitation:  Flight 13”, x4  
  Noncombat; IAF (-½), Variable Limitations 
  (requires -1 worth of Limitations; -½) 
  3
  1u 
  7)  Speak With Dead:  Mind Link to any one 
  dead person, any distance, any dimension;  
  IAF (-½), Variable Limitations (requires  
  -1 worth of Limitations; -½) 
  0
  24 
  Greatest Necromancy:  Multipower,  
  90-point reserve; all OAF (cane; -1), Extra 
  Time (1 Turn; -1¼), Side Eﬀect (character 
  always suﬀers Drain CON and Reserve  
  END 3d6, points return at the rate of 5 per 
  Hour; -½)
  2u 
  1)  Create Undead:  Summon one undead  
  creature built on up to 300 Character  
  Points, Expanded Class (any type of  
  undead; +¼), Amicable (+¼); Common  
  Limitations (see above; -2¾), x2 Increased 
  Endurance (-½), Limited Power (need  
  sympathetic link to target; -1) 
  18
  2u 
  2)  Resurrection:  Healing BODY 7d6,  
  Resurrection (can stop resurrection by  
  completely destroying deceased’s physical 
  body); Common Limitations (-2¾),  
  Requires Soulless Body (-1) 
  9
  2u 
  3)  Materialize Spirit:  Dispel Desolidiﬁcation 
  20d6, Aﬀects Desolidiﬁed (+½); Common 
  Limitations (see above; -2¾) 
  9
  10 
  Kevlar Coat:  Armor (4 PD/4 ED); IIF (-¼) 0
  6 
  Horror-Hardened Soul:  Mental Defense  
  (10 points total) 
  0
  7 
  Warding Amulet:  Power Defense  
  (10 points); OIF (-½) 
  0
  20 
  Astral Awareness:  Dimensional (Astral  
  Plane) for Sight and Hearing Groups 
  0
  10 
  Mystic Sight:  Detect Magic 14- (Sight  
  Group), Discriminatory 
  0
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter Two 
  97 
   
  Perks
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁt:  Accepted local priest and 
  magician
  10 
  Townhouse Botanica:  50-point Base
   
  Skills
  10 
  +2 with Necromancy Multipower
  3 
  Acting 13-
  3 
  Concealment 14-
  3 
  Deduction 14-
  3 
  Forensic Medicine 14-
  3 
  Interrogation 13-
  2 
  Language: French (ﬂuent conversation; Eng-
  lish is Native)
  2 
  Language: Latin (ﬂuent conversation)
  2 
  Language: Spanish (ﬂuent conversation)
  3 
  Paramedic 14-
  3 
  PS: Surgeon 14-
  2 
  PS: Mayombero 11-
  3 
  SS: Pharmacology 14-
  2 
  SS: Toxicology 11-
  3 
  Sleight Of Hand 13-
  3 
  Stealth 13-
  3 
  Scholar
  1 
   1)  KS: Afro-Caribbean Religion 11-
  2 
   2)  KS: The Afterlife 14-
  1 
   3)  KS: Mystic World 11-
  1 
   4)  KS: Mythology 11-
  2 
   5)  KS: Necromancy 14- 
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  257
  Total Cost:  363
  200+ Disadvantages
  15 
  DNPC:  Current and former patients (only 
  one appears per story) 8- (Normal; Unaware 
  of character’s Social Limitation:  Secret Iden-
  tity)
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  Death-Tainted Aura 
  (Not Concealable; Cause Fear/Revulsion; 
  Detectable Only With Unusual Senses)
  10 
  Hunted:  mystic supervillain (GM’s choice) 
  8- (As Pow, Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:  mystic hero (GM’s choice) 14- (As 
  Pow, Watching)
  15 
  Hunted:  Police 11- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching)
  10 
  Physical Limitation: must perform rituals 
  to keep magical powers (Infrequent, Greatly 
  Impairing)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Ruthless, Manipu-
  lative Bastard (Very Common, Moderate)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Fears Public 
  Notice (Common, Strong)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Driven To Resur-
  rect Good People (Uncommon, Strong)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Seeks Greater 
  Magical Power (Common, Moderate)
  5 
  Reputation:  sorcerous vigilante, probably 
  up to no good, 8- (Extreme, Limited Group 
  [Mystic World])
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Charles 
  Tenover) (Frequently; Major)
  22 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  363
  Background/History:  A car crash killed Dr. 
  Charles Tenover’s wife and children. The drunken 
  teenager who crashed into them lived. Tenover 
  got to watch his family die. This time, his medical 
  skills were in vain.
  The counselors babbled about the grieving 
  process; the priests said God’s will worked in mys-
  terious ways. They had no real answer to the riddle 
  of why people died before their time, and what 
  lay beyond the grave. They could only tell him to 
  accept his helplessness. Hah! He was a surgeon, and 
  a good one. His training — his whole life — was 
  built around intervention, using his knowledge 
  and skills to save lives. He turned his search to the 
  occultists and magicians who promised miracles.
  Just when despair threatened to overwhelm 
  him, Tenover found a mayombero, a practitioner 
  of palo mayombe — a dark and morbid “Voodoo” 
  cult that exploited the spirits of the dead — and 
  the necromancer’s powers were frighteningly 
  real. Tenover, however, was beyond fear. Tenover 
  begged to learn the secrets of palo mayombe. The 
  mayombero’s patron spirits approved, and so the 
  surgeon became a sorcerer’s apprentice.
  Tenover learned quickly. Magic didn’t seem 
  that hard compared to his internship. After a few 
  
  98 ■ Mystic Solo Villains 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  years, though, Tenover realized palo mayombe 
  alone would not restore his family to life. He 
  needed to learn more. He abandoned his master to 
  spend several more years scouring the world for 
  necromantic secrets:  the zombies of Haiti; Tibetan 
  lore of reincarnation; the grim witchcraft of Thes-
  saly; the mortuary magic of ancient Egypt. A 
  Haitian bokor mispronounced Tenover’s name and 
  gave him his magical pseudonym:  Doctor Teneber.
  The former surgeon is now one of the world’s 
  more powerful necromancers. He partly succeeded 
  in his quest:  Doctor Teneber really can raise the 
  dead, under certain circumstances... which, unfor-
  tunately, his long-dead wife and children do not 
  fulﬁll, because he cannot ﬁnd their ghosts.
  Dr. Teneber ﬁnds other consolations. He 
  now runs a botanica — a voodoo/santería supply 
  shop — in what could politely be called a “color-
  ful ethnic neighborhood.” It’s a living. Despite 
  losing his doctor’s license, Tenover also provides 
  mundane health care to his neighborhood. Most 
  importantly, Dr. Teneber secretly uses his powers to 
  bring some order to the vagaries of life and death. 
  If God does not decree that good people live and 
  bad people die, then Dr. Teneber will. He seeks the 
  unquiet spirits of those who died before their time, 
  and living people who seem entirely destructive to 
  those around them. He destroys the living person’s 
  soul and binds the ghost into the victim’s body, for 
  a sort of reincarnation.
  Doctor Teneber also intervenes when super-
  natural forces endanger the innocent. He has 
  helped several mystic heroes — but not a one of 
  them considers him a fellow hero. Apart from his 
  unnerving necromantic magic, the doctor’s arro-
  gant, vigilante-esque decisions of life, death, and 
  resurrection appall most mystics. So far, Dr. Tene-
  ber’s help against undeniable evils outweighs the 
  revulsion and mistrust felt by other heroes. So far.
  Personality/Motivation:  As a transplant surgeon, 
  Charles Tenover routinely chose who lived and 
  who died. He doesn’t consider it playing God to kill 
  one soul to resurrect another — it’s more a sort of 
  preëmptive triage, to preserve the greatest number 
  and quality of lives. Other mystics, he believes, are 
  not tough-minded enough to cope with the evils 
  that threaten the world; and so he must make the 
  hard choices for them.
  Quote:  “Mr. Johnson? I have some good news and 
  some bad news. The bad news is you’re dead. The 
  good news is your condition is reversible....”
  Powers/Tactics:  Doctor Teneber knows a wide 
  range of necromantic spells, both for combat and 
  for investigation. Not only can he cast bolts of 
  deathly energy, trap enemies in bone cages, or bind 
  souls to obedience, he can take on ghostly prop-
  erties such as invisibility, moving through solid 
  objects, or the terror that comes from meeting the 
  dead. He can also contact the souls of the dead to 
  question them, if he has part of the body or some-
  thing else close to the deceased. His strangest attack 
  forces a ghost (or other astral spirit) to materialize, 
  so it can be fought more easily.
  The Doctor of the Dead can create various 
  low-powered undead creatures. He has no particu-
  lar desire to raise ghouls or zombies, but if he needs 
  a diversion and didn’t like the dead person anyway, 
  he might do it.
  Most importantly, Teneber can place the spirit 
  of a dead person in someone else’s body. Since 
  living but soulless bodies are hard to come by, 
  Teneber usually captures a person he believes will 
  never cause anything but evil, kills him to drive the 
  soul from the body, then uses his medical skills to 
  revive the body for its new owner. The murder inci-
  dentally counts as a sacriﬁce to Teneber’s various 
  patron death-gods, who consume the victim’s soul.
  Since Dr. Teneber knows he’s weak in toe-to-
  toe combat, at least compared to most heroes and 
  villains, he prefers to strike from ambush. He may 
  watch a target for days or weeks before making his 
  move. Sometimes he lures enemies into traps. His 
  forensic skills ensure that victims disappear with-
  out a trace.
  Campaign Use:  Doctor Teneber occupies a disturb-
  ing middle ground between heroism and villainy. 
  While his goals are often laudable, his methods 
  are not. Does the end justify the means? Teneber 
  thinks so.
  To make Dr. Teneber more powerful, increase 
  his DEX and SPD, and reduce Limitations on his 
  Necromancy Multipower. You could also raise his 
  defenses. To make him less powerful, reduce the 
  number and power of his spells.
  Doctor Teneber could Hunt a hero if he 
  believed the hero was actually a villain, or if the hero 
  Hunted him ﬁrst. If anyone tries to end Teneber’s 
  life-swapping ways, he certainly ﬁghts back with all 
  his ruthless cunning. Teneber could also Hunt a hero 
  who got on the wrong side of one of the necroman-
  cer’s divine patrons, expecially Baron Samedi.
  Appearance:  Charles Tenover has an unremarkable 
  appearance:  average height, slender build, short, 
  black hair streaked with grey, and a mixed-race 
  complexion that could pass as light-skinned black 
  or swarthy white. As Dr. Teneber, he wears a black 
  suit with plenty of pockets for medical equipment; 
  a black, sleeved cloak with a high collar fastened 
  by a brooch of silver and human bone; and broad-
  brimmed, high-crowned hat that leaves his face in 
  perpetual shadow. He carries a bone cane tipped 
  with a silver ball, with streamers of black rags tied 
  just below the ball. Pale, ﬁreﬂy light swirls around the 
  head of the cane when Teneber casts major spells.
  DOCTOR TENEBER 
  PLOT SEEDS
  A DEMON-Brother 
  uses magic to kill a 
  mugger where a mysti-
  cal PC can sense the 
  magic. The heroes 
  interrogate the cultist. 
  Thanks to this lucky 
  break, the PCs can 
  break up a DEMON 
  cell before it completes 
  an important ritual. 
  Doctor Teneber — who 
  stage-managed the mug-
  ging — uses the heroes’ 
  attack as cover to kill 
  the presiding Morbane 
  and steal a necromantic 
  artifact.
  The heroes unexpect-
  edly ﬁnd a minor villain 
  or evil cult acolyte who 
  dropped out of sight 
  several months ago. This 
  criminal doesn’t recog-
  nize the characters and 
  is terriﬁed and surprised 
  when they confront him. 
  The heroes discover that 
  a diﬀerent person now 
  occupies the criminal’s 
  body, a ghost who 
  received this second 
  life from Dr. Teneber. 
  How do the PCs react 
  when they learn how Dr. 
  Teneber deals in life and 
  death?
  A PC really, truly dies, 
  but leaves a ghost. 
  Doctor Teneber could 
  bring the character 
  back to life... but he 
  needs a soulless body, or 
  someone the PCs don’t 
  mind killing. Do the 
  heroes leave their friend 
  as a ghost, or conspire 
  in a peculiarly subtle 
  murder?
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter Two 
  99 
  EVIL EYE
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   10 STR 
  0 
  11- 
  Lift 100 kg; 2d6 [1]
   18 DEX 
  24 
  13- 
  OCV:  6/DCV:  6
   15 CON 
  10 
  12-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   10 INT 
  0 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   11 EGO 
  2 
  11- 
  ECV:  4
   13 PRE 
  3 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  2½d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   8 PD 
  6 
   
  Total:  38 PD (30 rPD)
   8 ED 
  5 
   
  Total:  38 ED (30 rED)
   5 SPD 
  22 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   5 REC 
  0
   30 END 
  0
   23 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  72
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  45 
  The Evil Eye:  Elemental Control,  
  90-point powers
  45 
  1)  Grasping Tendrils I:  Telekinesis  
  (60 STR) 
  9
  45 
  2)  Grasping Tendrils II:  Telekinesis (40  
  STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) 
  0
  45 
  3)  Grasping Tendrils III:  Telekinesis  
  (24 STR), Area Of Eﬀect (4”; +1), Reduced 
  Endurance (0 END; +½) 
  0
  30 
  4)  Pull Into The Eye:  Extra-Dimensional 
  Movement (a single physical location in a 
  single dimension [the Eye Pocket Dimen-
  sion]), x4 Increased Weight, Usable As  
  Attack (defense is Extra-Dimensional  
  Movement or other dimensional Powers;  
  +1), Ranged (+½), Reduced Endurance  
  (0 END; +½); Only Works Against Targets 
  Grabbed With Telekinesis (-½) 
  0
  45 
  5)  Protective Weave:  Force Field (30 PD/ 
  30 ED), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) 0
  45 
  6)  Mystic Travel:  Teleportation 30”,  
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) 
  0
  35 
  Drain Life Force:  Drain STR and DEX  
  2d6, two Characteristics at once (+½), 
  Ranged (+½), Continuous (+1), Reduced 
  Endurance (0 END; +½); Linked (to  
  Grasping Tendrils II; -½), Only Works 
  Against Targets Grabbed With  
  Telekinesis (-½) 
  0
  5 
  Eye Shield:  Mental Defense (7 points total) 0
  7 
  Eye Shield:  Power Defense (7 points) 
  0
  51 
  Locate Target:  Detect Living Being And 
  Physical Objects 11- (no Sense Group),  
  Discriminatory, Range, Targeting,  
  Telescopic (+16 versus Range Modiﬁer) 
  0
  27 
  Mystic Sight:  Spatial Awareness (no Sense 
  Group), Range 
  0
   
  Skills
  15 
  +5 with Evil Eye Elemental Control
  3 
  Interrogation 12-
  2 
  KS: Missions From Archimago 11-
  3 
  Shadowing 11-
  3 
  Streetwise 12-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  451
  Total Cost:  523
  200+ Disadvantages
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  Shining, Supernatural 
  Eye (Easily Concealed; Causes Major Reac-
  tion [Fear])
  20 
  Hunted:   Trismegistus Council 8- (Mo Pow, 
  NCI, Capture/Remove Powers)
  20 
  Hunted:   FBI 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture/
  Kill)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Eye Has A Mind 
  Of Its Own (Very Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Avoids Confronta-
  tion (Very Common)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Seeks Magic Items 
  And Lorebooks (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Susceptibility:  to attempts at Mind Control, 
  takes 3d6 damage per attempt Instantly 
  (Uncommon)
  15 
  Unluck:  3d6
  193 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  523
  Background/History:  The young toughs who 
  mugged Pat Shorey took her wallet and her watch, 
  and then they had some fun. If the cop car hadn’t 
  driven by with its window down, they might have 
  taken her life. As it was, Pat had broken ribs and 
  lost an eye. The police knew the gang and would 
  have gladly put the Slashers behind bars for life, but 
  ﬁrst the police had to catch them.
  
  100 ■ Mystic Solo Villains 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  A week after she got out of the hospital, Pat 
  received a small package in the mail. It had no return 
  address. Inside, she found a note that read:  I do not 
  know your name, but I know your need. This will help 
  you in many ways. Trust its power.
  Beneath the note, wrapped in cotton, was a glass 
  eye. It almost matched her real eye, but the glass car-
  ried an odd shimmer, the iris was a whirlpool of blue 
  and green, and the pupil — surely it was just a trick 
  of the light, but a faint, cold glow seemed to shine 
  from the back of the eye.
  Pat argued with herself for a week, but in the 
  end she put the eye in her empty socket. It ﬁt just ﬁne, 
  though it tingled oddly. Looking in the mirror, she 
  saw it didn’t look that much like a real eye. Some gift, 
  she thought. Of course, if it wasn’t for those Slashers, 
  she wouldn’t be trying out funny glass eyes...
  The odd, cold glow caught her sight again, and 
  held it. Suddenly she looked over the city. She could 
  still see her bathroom, but overlaid on it was the 
  cityscape. She closed her real eye and then she saw 
  just the city. Her viewpoint soared, moved like it had 
  a mind of its own, dove down and through a tene-
  ment building. Inside, she saw the Slashers passing 
  around a joint. And then the strange vision ended, 
  but she knew exactly where that building stood.
  Amazed at herself, Pat went there. By then, all 
  but two of the Slashers had left. They grinned when 
  they saw her. “Play time,” one of them said as they 
  walked toward her. Then they screamed as bolts of 
  power erupted from the crystal eye, wrapped around 
  them, lifted them into the air. The icy tendrils of 
  force pulled back, still carrying the two punks, pull-
  ing them closer and closer — and then they were 
  gone. Pat still heard them screaming and shouting. 
  Somehow it sounded both like they were inside her 
  head and very far away. After about half an hour, the 
  screaming stopped.
  Pat felt very pleased with her new eye. Over the 
  next month, she found several more of the Slash-
  ers and disposed of them. Once, however, the police 
  showed up the same time she did. When they tried to 
  stop her, the tendrils of power grabbed a policeman. 
  Frantically, she willed the eye to let the policeman go 
  — but the eye did not obey. The policeman disap-
  peared just like the gang members. Pat tried pulling 
  the crystal eye out of her head. It wouldn’t come. 
  Sobbing, she ran from the scene while the remaining 
  policemen issued an APB and a request for backup 
  from any superheroes the department could contact.
  Pat has been on the run ever since. Rather pre-
  dictably, the media dubbed her “the Evil Eye.” She 
  tried not to be a criminal, she even tried to turn her-
  self in, but the eye seems to have a mind of its own. 
  It won’t let her be captured. And once in a while, she 
  ﬁnds herself stealing an ancient relic from a museum 
  or committing some other senseless crime.
  She found out who sent her the eye, at least. 
  Once, she was drawn to steal a notebook from a 
  rich collector’s vault. The handwriting in the note-
  book matched the note with the eye. It was the 
  hand of the villainous master wizard Archimago, 
  dead for more than 20 years.
  Personality/Motivation:  Pat Shorey is scared and 
  remorseful, but she doesn’t call the shots anymore. 
  Sometimes she can stop the eye from swallowing a 
  person, but she can’t stop herself from going on the 
  eye’s enigmatic missions. Though she usually tries 
  to live an otherwise law-abiding life, once in a while 
  she uses the eye to steal food and other things she 
  needs to live. She always hates herself afterwards.
  Quote:  “Please, go away!  I don’t want it to get you 
  too!”
  Powers/Tactics:  The magical eye can detect just 
  about anything at considerable range. Sometimes, 
  the eye lets Pat locate people or things she wants 
  to ﬁnd. More often, the eye simply shows her what 
  it seeks. In combat, the eye shoots out pale, glow-
  ing tendrils of force that grab people or things 
  and cause pain and weakness. If the tendrils pull 
  a victim all the way to Pat, they fall through the 
  eye to a hostile pocket universe. (The exact nature 
  of this tiny realm is left for you to design as an 
  exercise at eerie grotesquery. Make it as weird and 
  horrible as you can imagine. Extra-Dimensional 
  Movement to break into or out of the eye requires 
  a Navigation (Dimensional) roll at -5 because the 
  pocket dimension in the eye is compressed into 
  such a small space in the regular universe.)
  Pat doesn’t really want to hurt anyone or send 
  them into the eye, so she warns away policemen 
  and superheroes. The eye, in contrast, tries grabbing 
  everyone who isn’t an ally. If the eye hasn’t sent 
  Pat on a mission, she can usually limit it to hold-
  ing opponents until they fall unconscious, or even 
  bashing them around a little. Sometimes, however, 
  the eye loses patience and sucks people in anyway. 
  It does whatever it can to keep Pat from being 
  captured, including grabbing innocent bystanders; 
  when it does this, Pat knows to warn heroes to let 
  her go or the bystanders will suﬀer a terrible fate.
  Campaign Use:  The Evil Eye is a victim of the 
  Mystic World. The eye forces Pat Shorey to travel 
  the world, seeking out mystic artifacts, books of 
  lore, and even people for the eye to suck into itself. 
  Some mystics believe Evil Eye gathers materials for 
  a plan Archimago set in motion before his death. 
  Other supervillains sometimes hire Pat to help with 
  mundane robberies, though she does not do this 
  very often.
  To make Evil Eye a more formidable foe, give 
  her a powerful Energy Blast in addition to her 
  other EC slots. To make her less powerful, reduce 
  her SPD and defenses, or remove the Drain from 
  the Grasping Tendrils.
  Pat would Hunt a character if the eye forced 
  her to. This would mean Archimago foresaw the 
  character could threaten his plans.
  Appearance:  Pat is 5’5” and weighs 130 pounds, 
  with straight blonde hair cut shoulder length. She 
  dresses in ordinary clothes, usually jeans and a 
  blouse, with big sunglasses. Her left eye now shim-
  mers with malign power. It shoots out crackling, 
  lashing bolts of pale, blue-green lightning.
  EVIL EYE  
  PLOT SEEDS
  Pat, obeying the dictates 
  of the eye, does every-
  thing she can to prevent 
  a character from taking 
  a certain trip. Why? 
  Who or what awaits the 
  character that could 
  interfere with a dead 
  wizard’s apocalyptic 
  plans?
  A character’s DNPC is 
  present at a clash with 
  Evil Eye, and the eye 
  swallows him. To rescue 
  him (and anyone else 
  taken), the characters 
  must force the eye to 
  admit them. Then they 
  must travel through the 
  surreal and dangerous 
  pocket world of the 
  eye to ﬁnd its control-
  ling intelligence, and 
  force it to let them out 
  again. Perhaps they can 
  also ﬁnd some clue to 
  Archimago’s plans.
  Evil Eye starts making 
  deliveries of her stolen 
  occult treasures. They 
  go to mystic dabblers 
  mad, bitter, or deluded 
  enough to use the gifts 
  of power and knowledge 
  for the most destructive 
  ends, from releasing 
  Edomites to attempted 
  genocide. The characters 
  must catch up with Evil 
  Eye before she ﬁnds a 
  madman willing and 
  able to destroy the 
  world.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter Two 
  101 
  FRAG
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   15 STR 
  5 
  12- 
  Lift 200 kg; 3d6  [1]
   20 DEX 
  30 
  13- 
  OCV:  7/DCV:  7
   23 CON 
  26 
  14-
   15 BODY 10 
  12-
   18 INT 
  8 
  13- 
  PER Roll 13-
   14 EGO 
  8 
  12- 
  ECV:  5
   20 PRE 
  10 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  4d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   23 PD 
  20 
   
  Total:  23 PD (4 rPD)
   23 ED 
  18 
   
  Total:  23 ED (4 rED)
   5 SPD 
  20 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   10 REC 
  4
   46 END 
  0
   35 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  159
  Movement: 
  Running:  7”/14”
   
  Berserk Running:  12”/24”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  62 
  Destruction Powers:  Multipower,  
  62-point reserve
  4u 
  1)  Smashing Punch:  HA +10d6, Reduced 
  Endurance (½ END; +¼); Hand-To-Hand 
  Attack (-½) 
  2
  4u 
  2)  Body Blast:  Energy Blast 7d6, Explosion 
  (+½), Personal Immunity (+¼); No  
  Range (-½) 
  6
  4u 
  3)  Fragmentation Punch:  RKA 2d6, +2 
  Increased STUN Multiplier (+½),  
  Penetrating (+½); No Range (-½) 
  6
  4u 
  4)  Hurling Punch:  HA +7d6, Double  
  Knockback (+¾); Hand-To-Hand  
  Attack (-½) 
  6
  3u 
  5)  Shockwave Stomp:  HA +5d6, Explosion 
  (+½), Double Knockback (+¾), Personal 
  Immunity (+¼); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-½), 
  Only Aﬀects Targets On The Ground (-¼) 
  6
  4u 
  6)  Touch Of Destruction I:  RKA 2d6,  
  Penetrating (+½), Time Delay (+¼),  
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼);  
  No Range (-½) 
  2
  4u 
  7)  Touch Of Destruction II:  RKA 4d6;  
  No Range (-½) 
  6
  2 
  Athletic:  Running +1” (7” total) 
  1
  4 
  Demonic Toughness:  Damage Resistance  
  (4 PD/4 ED) 
  0
  5 
  Visor:  Sight Group Flash Defense  
  (10 points); OAF (-1) 
  0
  2 
  Visor:  Nightvision; OAF (-1) 
  0
  5 
  Visor:  Radio Perception/Transmission 
  (Radio Group); OAF (-1) 
  0
  4 
  Infernal Strength:  +10 STR, No Figured 
  Characteristics (-½), Only While  
  Berserk (-1) 
  +1
  10 
  Infernal Resilience:  +10 REC; Only While 
  Berserk (-1) 
  0
  5 
  Infernal Speed:  Running +5” (12” total);  
  Only While Berserk (-1) 
  2
  10 
  Infernal Toughness:  Physical Damage  
  Reduction, 50%; Only While Berserk (-1) 0
   
  Skills
  9 
  +3 with Destruction Powers Multipower
  3 
  Breakfall 13-
  3 
  Bribery 13-
  3 
  Combat Driving 13-
  3 
  Demolitions 13-
  2 
  KS: Architecture 11-
  3 
  Streetwise 13-
  3 
  Tactics 13-
  3 
  Teamwork 13-
  1 
  TF: Two-Wheeled Motorized Ground Vehiles
  1 
  WF: Pistols
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  170
  Total Cost:  329
  200+ Disadvantages
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  Demonic Aura (Not 
  Concealable; Always Noticed; Detectable 
  Only With Unusual Senses)
  30 
  Enraged:  Berserk when takes BODY (Very 
  Common), go 8-, recover 11-
  20 
  Hunted:   FBI 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Enthusiastically 
  Destructive (Very Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Greedy (Common, 
  Strong)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Lorna 
  Culp) (Frequently, Major)
  
  102 ■ Mystic Solo Villains 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  15 
  Susceptibility:  to holy ground and touching 
  holy symbols, take 1d6 damage per Turn of 
  contact (Common)
  4 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  329
  Background/History:  Lorna Culp discovered she 
  had superpowers as a teenager, when she shoved 
  another girl in an angry moment, and the other girl 
  ﬂew across the street. At ﬁrst Lorna thought she 
  was super-strong, but soon ﬁgured out her punches, 
  shoves, and kicks carried uncanny destructive 
  force. She hadn’t been in any lab accidents; her 
  parents weren’t aliens; in fact, she couldn’t think of 
  any event in her life to explain why she had super-
  powers. Lorna decided she must be a mutant. She 
  already had a juvenile record for vandalism, shop-
  lifting, and rowdy behavior. She had the Devil in 
  her, her parents said.
  Lorna didn’t know that in 1979, the master 
  wizard Archimago abducted her mother as part of 
  the Zodiac Working. The devil Malphas, a President 
  in the descending Hierarchy, raped Lorna’s mother. 
  The grimoires describe Malphas as appearing like a 
  crow, and building or destroying fortiﬁcations; he’s 
  an oﬃcer in the Cohort of Avarice. Lorna’s mother 
  spent most of her imprisonment in a daze, and 
  remembered very little of what happened after a 
  group of heroes rescued her. Lorna’s mother wasn’t 
  pregnant, so the heroes sent her to counseling for 
  her trauma and didn’t think more of the matter. 
  Two years later, Lorna’s mother married, and Lorna 
  came a year after that.
  Lorna decided to become a supervillain. She 
  liked damaging and defacing other people’s prop-
  erty, and she wanted money. She didn’t have to end 
  up a poor, tired woman living in a slum, like her 
  mother. She could get ﬁlthy rich and have a lot of 
  fun doing it.
  Personality/Motivation:  Frag wants to get rich as 
  quickly as possible. She usually acts on her own, or 
  with a small gang of mundane thugs, to rob a bank, 
  jewelry store, or some other place with lots of easily 
  transported valuables. Sometimes she organizes ad-
  hoc teams of other villains for larger robberies. Less 
  often, she works for other villains as part of a team, 
  or as a hired demolitionist.
  Frag’s other great passion is property destruc-
  tion. She loves to leave a mess:  even if she can 
  break into a building by shattering a lock, she 
  prefers to go through the wall. Her tendency to 
  collapse buildings as a distraction to delay pursuit 
  makes her loathed by several heroes she’s encoun-
  tered (not to mention city rescue services; on the 
  other hand, a few unscrupulous members of the 
  construction industry wish she were more active).
  Her demonic heritage also gives Frag a ﬁerce 
  temper. Normally she keeps it under control, but 
  the pain of wounding can provoke an insane, 
  destructive rage in which she lashes out at every-
  thing around her. Frag’s rages always result in mas-
  sive destruction of property.
  Quote:  “And the walls come tumblin’ down!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Frag can project powerfully 
  destructive energy through her touch. She can 
  release bursts of force to crush enemies or send 
  them ﬂying; or she can make an object crumble by 
  stroking it. Frag can even set her destructive ener-
  gies to tear a target apart at some later time:  for 
  example, she can set her Touch Of Destruction on 
  all the support pillars of a building so they crumble 
  together an hour later. With greater eﬀort, Frag can 
  radiate a blast of force, or send shockwaves along 
  sturdy surfaces such as roadways or walls.
  When Frag goes berserk, she becomes stron-
  ger, faster, tougher, and almost tireless. Lorna thinks 
  this is just part of her mutation.
  Campaign Use:  Frag has no clue about her real 
  background. She thinks she’s just another supervil-
  lain, and doesn’t realize she’s part of Archimago’s 
  dark legacy to the world. Frag may well serve a pur-
  pose she doesn’t understand.
  To make Frag a more powerful adversary, 
  increase her Characteristics. Pehaps she can use her 
  Infernal added powers at will, but is likely to go Ber-
  serk when she does so. Frag is not meant to be a very 
  powerful opponent, though. To make her less formi-
  dable, scale back her Multipower to 52 points, remove 
  her Shockwave slots, or remove her Infernal powers.
  Frag would probably never Hunt a character, at 
  least not for long. If a hero group seriously annoyed 
  her, she might take a stroll around their Base and 
  set it to collapse on their heads. Overall, though, 
  Frag thinks vendettas are a distraction from the 
  pursuit of money.
  Appearance:  Lorna Culp is a young black woman 
  standing 5’4” tall, with a slim but athletic build and 
  close-cropped hair. As Frag, she wears a black leather 
  jacket and thigh-length leather boots over scarlet 
  tights. She also wears a high-tech visor and clips fake 
  dreadlocks into her hair as a disguise. Her appear-
  ance changes when she goes Berserk:  she grows 
  several inches taller and becomes more muscular, 
  ripping her tights; scales cover her body; her face 
  warps into that of a bird with a hooked beak, while 
  her hair stiﬀens and rises in a birdlike crest. Her nails 
  also lengthen and thicken into short claws.
   FRAG PLOT SEEDS
  Evil Eye is drawn to 
  Frag. She uses promises 
  of great wealth to gain 
  Frag’s help in break-
  ing into a government 
  vault. Instead of the 
  promised gold, however, 
  the vault holds one of 
  Archimago’s monstrous 
  minions, captured and 
  locked away years ago. 
  The creature slaughters 
  its guards and escapes. 
  Recapturing it may 
  depend on ﬁrst locating 
  Frag:  she and Evil Eye 
  are now the only living 
  people who know what 
  the creature looks like.
  An enemy of the heroes 
  hires Frag to loot their 
  base. Frag subcontracts 
  a few more villains to 
  help her. If the char-
  acters previously con-
  ﬁscated any items of 
  demonic magic — or 
  any magic item made 
  by Archimago — Frag’s 
  proximity might cause 
  something interest-
  ing and dangerous to 
  happen.
  An evil mystical group 
  (such as the Sylvestris, 
  DEMON, or the Scarlet 
  Moon) realizes Frag 
  is a half-devil and a 
  product of the Zodiac 
  Working. They lure her 
  into a trap and use her 
  to mystically locate the 
  other demonic oﬀspring 
  of the Working. Not all 
  the devil-spawn know 
  about their powers yet. 
  The heroes must ﬁnd 
  the devil-spawn before 
  the evil group does. 
  Not only would the 12 
  children of the Working 
  make powerful agents 
  for the group, something 
  very bad might happen 
  if all 12 come together. 
  For instance, their meet-
  ing might enable their 
  diabolical parents to 
  possess them, enabling 
  the devils to act on 
  Earth in deﬁance of the 
  Ban.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter Two 
  103 
  HARPY
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   50 STR 
  40 
  19- 
  Lift 25 tons; 10d6 [5]
   23 DEX 
  39 
  14- 
  OCV:  8/DCV:  8
   25 CON 
  30 
  14-
   16 BODY 12 
  12-
   13 INT 
  3 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   14 EGO 
  8 
  12- 
  ECV:  5
   20 PRE 
  10 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  4d6
   14 COM 
  2 
  12-
   27 PD 
  17 
   
  Total:  27 PD (7 rPD)
   23 ED 
  18 
   
  Total:  23 ED (5 rED)
   5 SPD 
  17 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   15 REC 
  0
   50 END 
  0
   55 STUN 
  1 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  197
  Movement: 
  Running: 6”/12”
   
  Flight:  20”/80”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  12 
  Tireless Strength:  Reduced Endurance  
  (½ END; +¼) on 50 STR 
  0
  30 
  Talons:  HKA 2d6 (4d6 with STR),  
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼);  
  Reduced Penetration (-¼) 
  1
  37 
  Wing Swat:  Energy Blast 6d6, Area Of  
  Eﬀect (One Hex; +½), Penetrating (+½),  
  Personal Immunity (+¼), Reduced  
  Endurance (½ END; +¼); No Range (-½),  
  Restrainable (-½) 
  3
  37 
  Wings:  Flight 20”, x4 Noncombat,  
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼);  
  Restrainable (-½) 
  2
  6 
  Enchanted Toughness:  Damage Resistance  
  (7 PD/5 ED) 
  0
  9 
  Falcon Eyes:  +6 versus Range Modifer  
  for Sight Group 
  0
   
  Skills
  6 
  +3 OCV with Move By
  2 
  KS: Alchemy 11-
  2 
  KS: The Mystic World 11-
  2 
  Navigation (Air) 12-
  3 
  Power:  Strength Tricks 19-
  3 
  Shadowing 12-
  3 
  Streetwise 13-
  1 
  WF: Pistols
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  153
  Total Cost:  350
  200+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Accidental Change:  to Human identity after 
  24 hours (Uncommon, Always)
  15 
  DNPC:  Jennifer (daughter) 8- (Incompe-
  tent)
  15 
  Physical Limitation:  Need Potions To 
  Change Form Controllably (Infrequently; 
  Fully Limiting)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Terriﬁed of Cap-
  ture Or Weakness (Very Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Hates Pimps, Loan 
  Sharks, And Abusers (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Mercenary 
  (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Edwina 
  Baldwin) (Frequently, Major)
  15 
  Susceptibility:  to mildly toxic chemicals, 
  take 1d6 damage per Turn of exposure 
  (Common)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x STUN from Drug/
  Poison Attacks (Common)
  10 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  350
  Background/History:  Edwina Baldwin wanted 
  revenge. She thought she was so lucky — a poor 
  girl from a Blackpool slum getting a rich boyfriend 
  who promised her the moon and the stars. So what 
  if his business wasn’t quite legal? Then she got preg-
  nant and wouldn’t have an abortion. Her boyfriend 
  dumped her. When she threatened to reveal all in 
  a paternity suit, he sent two goons to break her 
  kneecaps. She realized she had never been his lover 
  — only his whore. After that, she didn’t see much 
  point in ﬁghting back. She had her baby, tried not 
  to resent her for her father, and went on the dole. 
  But she could hardly get a good job with a baby, 
  parents who’d disowned her, and one leg that hadn’t 
  healed right.
  Then Edwina saw an ad for “domestic servants” 
  that included the curious proviso, “Applicants must 
  be desperate.” Sinister, yes, but that described her. 
  She applied and found a job as cook for a lady of 
  great eccentricity... and power. The master alche-
  mist Zarrindokht wanted servants who would not 
  talk to outsiders. To obtain discreet and loyal help, 
  a little thing like child care and an alchemical cure 
  for a crippled leg was a small price to pay.
  Edwina proved an eager and loyal servant, 
  always trying to become more useful. She saw Zar-
  rindokht as part employer, part surrogate mother. 
  Zarrindokht noticed Edwina’s diligence and pro-
  moted her to lab assistant. Now she washed bottles, 
  ground minerals, and performed other basic tasks. 
  After four years, Zarrindokht promoted her again 
  — to minion. She enchanted Edwina so she could 
  assume the form of a super-strong bird-woman, a 
  classic harpy. Edwina went on missions through-
  out the Inner Planes, collecting rare materials for 
  Zarrindokht’s alchemy.
  In a rare moment of generosity, Zarrindokht 
  oﬀered to destroy Edwina’s ex-lover as a perk 
  for ﬁve years of good service. Edwina asked if 
  she could do it herself and the alchemist agreed. 
  Edwina spent a week trashing her ex-lover’s little 
  empire of drugs, loansharking, and corruption 
  before dropping him oﬀ the roof of a skyscraper.
  Unfortunately, Edwina attracted the attention 
  of the police and a local superhero. Both located 
  her “home territory” — the neighborhood where 
  Zarrindokht kept her sanctum. Regretfully, the 
  alchemist suggested Edwina leave her employ:  
  she knew Edwina would not want to give up the 
  power she’d tasted, but she’d made herself too vis-
  ible. Eventually the police would follow her to 
  Zarrindokht’s door. As “severance pay,” Zarrindokht 
   HARPY PLOT 
  SEEDS
  Edwina tells non-mys-
  tical employers her 
  transformation potion 
  comes from a secretive 
  super-scientist called Dr. 
  Evolvo. A second-tier 
  mastermind (such as 
  Binder or Holocaust) 
  demands she set up a 
  meeting with Dr. Evolvo, 
  so he can buy super-
  serums of his own... and 
  the villain hints Harpy’s 
  daughter might suﬀer 
  if she doesn’t do this. 
  Harpy secretly contacts 
  the heroes, tells them 
  her situation, and oﬀers 
  to lead the villain into 
  an ambush if they can 
  guarantee her and her 
  daughter’s safety. Once 
  the ambush happens, 
  Edwina tries to escape 
  with the money the 
  villain brought for “Dr. 
  Evolvo.”
  The Harpy will work for 
  heroes as well as villains, 
  if the money’s right and 
  she feels sure it’s not a 
  setup to put her in jail. 
  If a group of mystical 
  heroes needs muscle 
  for a mission, they can 
  put out the word on the 
  Mystic World’s grape-
  vine and hire the Harpy. 
  Then they have to con-
  vince Edwina of their 
  bona ﬁdes and that the 
  job isn’t too dangerous.
  Harpy steals something 
  the heroes know is 
  very dangerous. They 
  must force her to say 
  who hired her before 
  the stolen item wreaks 
  havoc.
  
  104 ■ Mystic Solo Villains 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  taught her how to make the potions she needed to 
  turn into the Harpy and back again. The alchemist 
  also gave Edwina a list of names of other mystics 
  who might oﬀer her work.
  Since then, the Harpy has worked as a merce-
  nary for a number of mystics and assorted super-
  villains and criminal agencies. She doesn’t enjoy 
  crime, but she wants money to support her daugh-
  ter. A lot of money, so her child will never know the 
  privations she endured.
  Personality/Motivation:  Harpy isn’t a bad person, 
  but a hard life left her with little sympathy for 
  others. She believes she must be a supervillain-
  ess to survive and provide for her daughter. She’s 
  also husband-hunting among the supervillains she 
  works with. Edwina only cares about the money:  
  she’ll switch sides if someone oﬀers her more 
  money, and would not be a good person to leave 
  as sole guard for a large heist’s proﬁts. Losing her 
  daughter is her greatest fear, so so she won’t know-
  ingly risk death or capture for the sake of a robbery 
  or another villain.
  Harpy does not hurt anyone more than she 
  has to... except for criminals who take advantage of 
  desperate women, such as pimps and loan sharks. 
  She also hates men who abuse women. She enjoys 
  dropping people like that from great heights.
  Quote:  “Don’t ﬁght, and I won’t hurt you. This is 
  just business.”
  Powers/Tactics:  By drinking a potion (itself car-
  rying only a little magic), Edwina can become the 
  Harpy. She needs a second potion to change back 
  into human form before the normal 24 hours of 
  eﬀect are complete. As Harpy, Edwina is super-
  strong and quick, resistant to small arms ﬁre, and 
  able to ﬂy. (She does not take an OIHID Limitation 
  on her superhuman Characteristics and Powers 
  because there’s no chance she could revert to her 
  much weaker Human identity in the middle of a 
  ﬁght, or ruin her Secret Identity by accidentally 
  changing into Harpy form.)
  The Harpy can not only make normal punches, 
  she can batter opponents with her wings and rake 
  them with her claws. Her favorite tactic is to per-
  form a Grab on a slow-moving opponent and ﬂy up 
  high. Then Harpy drops her victim and ﬂies back to 
  the ﬁght. Squeezing is optional:  when Harpy ﬁghts 
  as part of a group, just getting an opponent out of 
  the ﬁght for a few Phases matters more.
  Campaign Use:  The Harpy is a straightforward vil-
  lainess for hire, given a small mystical twist. Her 
  powers are more physical than most characters in 
  the Mystic World; her chief defense against mysti-
  cal attacks is simply her high STUN. On the other 
  hand, her mystical connections may draw regular 
  superheroes and villains into meetings with the 
  Mystic World. She could easily join GRAB or a 
  similar group of “just in it for the money” super-
  robbers.
  To make Harpy more powerful, increase her 
  SPD and/or expand the scope of her Combat Skill 
  Levels. She could also learn Martial Arts maneuvers 
  such as Martial Grab, Flying Grab, Choke Hold, or 
  Crush, so she can grapple more eﬀectively. To make 
  Harpy a less powerful opponent, reduce her STR 
  and claw damage.
  Edwina only Hunts men who exploit or abuse 
  women. She might Hunt a character she thought 
  had threatened her daughter.
  Appearance:  Edwina Baldwin is a woman in her 
  mid to late 20s, standing 5’3” tall, with fair skin, 
  delicate features, and red-blonde hair. As Harpy, 
  she’s visibly stronger and gains red-blonde feath-
  ered wings and birdlike legs with large talons. Her 
  rather scant costume is metallic golden, with scarlet 
  feathers edging her gloves. When she expects to act 
  as Harpy, she sweeps her hair back into two points 
  with hairspray.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter Two 
  105 
  HELL RIDER
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   25 STR 
  15 
  14- 
  Lift 800 kg; 5d6 [2]
   24 DEX 
  42 
  14- 
  OCV:  8/DCV:  8
   23 CON 
  26 
  14-
   16 BODY 12 
  12-
   13 INT 
  3 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   14 EGO 
  8 
  12- 
  ECV:  5
   20 PRE 
  10 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  4d6
   12 COM 
  1 
  11-
   11 PD 
  6 
   
  Total:  21 PD (10 rPD)
   11 ED 
  6 
   
  Total:  21 ED (10 rED)
   6 SPD 
  26 
   
  Phases:  2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
   10 REC 
  0
   46 END 
  0
   41 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  155
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
   
  Flight:  15”/30”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  34 
  Shifting Weapon:  Multipower, 60-point 
  reserve, OIHID (-¼), Restrainable (-½)
  3u 
  1)  Axe:  HKA 3d6 (4d6+1 with STR), 
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼);  
  OIHID (-¼), Restrainable (-½) 
  2
  3u 
  2)  Sword:  HKA 2d6 (2½d6 with STR),  
  Penetrating (+½), Reduced Endurance  
  (½ END; +¼); OIHID (-¼),  
  Restrainable (-½) 
  2
  3u 
  3)  Mace:  HKA 2d6 (2½d6 with STR),  
  +3 Increased STUN Multiplier (+¾), 
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼);  
  OIHID (-¼), Restrainable (-½) 
  2
  3u 
  4)  Whip:  Drain STR 3d6, Delayed  
  Return Rate (points return at the rate of  
  5 per Minute; +¼), Limited Range (4”;  
  +¼), Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼); 
  OIHID (-¼), Restrainable (-½) 
  2
  3u 
  5)  Space-Cutting Scythe I:  Teleportation  
  19”, No Relative Velocity, Safe Blind Teleport 
  (+¼); OIHID (-¼), Restrainable (-½) 
  6
  3u 
  6)  Space-Cutting Scythe II:  Teleportation 
  10”, No Relative Velocity, Safe Blind  
  Teleport (+¼), MegaScale (1” = 100 km;  
  +¾); OIHID (-¼), Restrainable (-½) 
  6
  3u 
  7)  Brimstone Sling:  Sight Group Flash  
  6d6, Area Of Eﬀect (One Hex; +½),  
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼);  
  OIHID (-¼), Restrainable (-½) 
  2
  34 
  Spiked Gauntlets, Boots, Kneeplates:  HA 
  +6d6, Armor Piercing (+½), Reduced  
  Endurance (0 END; +½); Hand-To-Hand 
  Attack (-½), OIHID (-¼) 
  0
  24 
  Demon Armor:  Armor (10 PD/10 ED); 
  OIHID (-¼) 
  0
  7 
  Forged In Hell:  Armor (0 PD/8 ED);  
  OIHID (-¼), Only Works Against  
  Limited Type Of Attack (ﬁre/heat; -½) 
  0
  26 
  Immolating Armor:  HKA 1d6, Damage 
  Shield (does damage in HTH combat;  
  +¾), Continuous (+1), Reduced Endurance 
  (½ END; +¼); OIHID (-¼), No STR  
  Bonus (-½) 
  1
  7 
  Scary-Looking Armor:  +15 PRE; OIHID  
  (-¼), Only For Fear-Based Presence  
  Attacks (-1) 
  0
  7 
  Guarded Will:  Mental Defense  
  (10 points total) 
  0
  5 
  Guarded Life And Powers:  Power Defense  
  (5 points) 
  0
   
  Perks
  50 
  Brimstone:  Follower (demon steed built on 
  248 Base Points; see character sheet below)
   
  Skills
  12 
  +4 with Shifting Weapon Multipower
  3 
  Breakfall 14-
  3 
  Interrogation 13-
  2 
  KS: Financial World 11-
  3 
  PS: Investment Broker 12-
  3 
  Riding 14-
  3 
  Streetwise 13-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  244
  Total Cost:  399
  200+ Disadvantages
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  Aura of Demonic 
  Magic (Not Concealable; Always Noticed; 
  Only With Unusual Senses)
  15 
  Hunted:   FBI 8- (As Pow, NCI)
  10 
  Hunted:   Mephistopheles 11- (Mo Pow, NCI, 
  Watching)
  15 
  Physical Limitation:  Damned (Infrequently, 
  Totally Impairing)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Hunting The Six 
  (Very Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Distrustful 
  (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Fear Of Capture 
  (Common, Strong)
  20 
  Susceptibility:  to holy water, symbols, or 
  ground, 1d6 damage per Phase of contact 
  (Common)
  10 
  Susceptibility:  to antimagical Adjustment 
  attacks, takes 2d6 damage instantly (Uncom-
  mon)
  69 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  399
  Background/History:  When bad things happen to 
  good people, sometimes they stop being so good. 
  William Wade felt himself deeply wronged. He’d 
  lost his job, property, family, and good name. He 
  had some idea who was responsible, but he couldn’t 
  do a damn thing — the wheels of law need money 
  and inﬂuence to grease them. William Wade had 
  none; the people who ruined him had plenty. And 
  no one would believe anything bad about people 
  who seemed so respectable, who supported the 
  right causes and went to church on Sunday. Just as 
  he went to church, singing praise to a loving God 
  who wouldn’t let him down. Now he was down, 
  down in a dumpster, rooting among the garbage for 
  something halfway edible.
  Nothing. The night would be cold. The shelter 
  closed for good a month before — no money. If 
   HELL RIDER  
  PLOT SEEDS
  One of the Six is a very 
  bad man who would 
  rather face a demonic 
  assassin than risk cos-
  tumed do-gooders dis-
  covering his unsavory 
  activities. This wicked 
  ﬁnancier hires a pair of 
  superpowered enforcers 
  to protect him, while 
  telling the heroes to go 
  away. If the PCs con-
  tinue trying to save his 
  life, the ﬁnancier might 
  send the supervillains 
  after them.
  Mind transfer is always 
  fun. The heroes ﬁght 
  Hell Rider near a magic 
  item that discharges, 
  swapping his mind with 
  that of a hero. The PC 
  now has Hell Rider’s 
  body and powers, while 
  William Wade has the 
  hero’s. Can the hero get 
  his body back before 
  Wade uses it to commit 
  murder? If Hell Rider’s 
  pact comes due, who 
  gets dragged to the 
  Netherworld?
  When the heroes prove 
  to Hell Rider that one 
  of the Six was inno-
  cent, he asks for their 
  help in renouncing the 
  pact. Unfortunately, the 
  pact has no options for 
  premature escape. The 
  heroes must either take 
  Wade’s appeal to God 
  in person, ﬁght Mephis-
  topheles when he comes 
  to collect Wade’s soul, 
  or steal the pact from 
  Mephisto’s palace of 
  Pandemonium. These 
  tasks are all about 
  equally dangerous. If 
  the heroes can save 
  Wade’s soul without 
  costing him his powers, 
  he’d make a ﬁne crime-
  ﬁghter.
  
  106 ■ Mystic Solo Villains 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  Wade didn’t ﬁnd food and a warm corner, soon he’d 
  be down about six feet further.
  Dusk found Wade crossing a long bridge. He 
  stopped halfway across to rest, and looked down at 
  the black water far below. Cars hurtled past, oblivi-
  ous. Freezing, starving, worthless, and hopeless 
  — William Wade lifted his eyes to the grimy clouds, 
  cursed God, and swung a leg up to the concrete 
  railing.
  “You don’t really want to do that,” said the 
  slender man who stood beside him. Slowly, Wade 
  swung his leg back down. “That’s right,” the man 
  said. “You don’t want to die now, accepting defeat. 
  Tell me what you really want.”
  Wade gawped. “Where’d you come from?”
  “Around,” the man said with 
  an airy wave. The cuﬄinks on his 
  maroon silk suit were enormous 
  rubies. “Travelling to and fro over 
  the Earth. Now tell me — so you 
  know it yourself — what you 
  really want, more than life itself, 
  more than your... well, more than 
  anything. Tell me.” And the man’s 
  eyes blazed, brighter and hotter 
  than the rubies.
  Did he want his money back? 
  His family? His old life? A new 
  life? “Revenge!”
  The man smiled, showing 
  very sharp, very white teeth. “Ah. 
  Revenge is one of my specialties. 
  Let’s make a deal.”
  The agreement was simple. 
  The stranger provided certain 
  tools; Wade could use them for a 
  year. If Wade killed the six who 
  wronged and ruined him, the 
  stranger would see that Wade 
  regained everything he had lost, 
  with no further obligation for 
  the rest of his life. If Wade failed, 
  at the end of the year he must 
  recompense the stranger with 
  everything he had. “Everything,” 
  the stranger said. “You know 
  what I mean.” Wade said he did. 
  He signed the contract and they 
  shook hands.
  A derelict walked onto the 
  bridge. The Hell Rider rode oﬀ. 
  Oﬀ to the hunt. The stranger 
  smiled again, thinking of the sport 
  to come.
  Personality/Motivation:  Hell Rider 
  is driven by revenge against the 
  people who ruined his life. He 
  hates them so much he mort-
  gaged his soul to the archdevil 
  Mephistopheles, the Prince of 
  Lies. William Wade wasn’t a ruth-
  less man before, and he cannot 
  yet casually murder people who 
  inconveniently get in his way, but 
  he’s learning. Hell Rider ﬁghts 
  with hysterical fury when he must, preferably from 
  the back of his demonic steed, but if he can think of 
  a way to reach his quarry without ﬁghting along the 
  way, he’ll try it.
  Will Hell Rider lose his remaining scruples 
  and become a cold-blooded killer? Or will he hold 
  onto his conscience, and maybe even renounce his 
  deal with the Devil? That is for time, the GM, and 
  the heroes to decide.
  Quote:  “I don’t want to kill you — but if you try to 
  stop me, I’ll see you in Hell!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Hell Rider’s powers and weapons 
  derive from a demonic gift given to him by Mephis-
  topheles. To invoke them, he must take a Full Phase 
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter Two 
  107 
  Action, make devil-horns with his hands, cross his 
  arms across his chest, and say the words that open 
  the gates of Hell:  “Zazas, Zazas, Nasatanada, Zazas!” 
  This also summons Brimstone, his demonic steed 
  (see below). If heroes knock Hell Rider unconscious, 
  they can take away his weapon and armor, but these 
  vanish from storage as soon as William Wade leaves 
  his Hell Rider identity and reappear with him when 
  Wade becomes Hell Rider again.
  Hell Rider attacks with a shape-shifting, 
  demon-forged weapon. He frequently changes its 
  form and powers in battle, as one form or another 
  seems useful. The scythe form cuts ﬂaming tears in 
  space that he can run or ride through. Enemies can 
  take the weapon from Hell Rider’s hand, but he can 
  summon it back instantly (however, he cannot use 
  it if Entangled, Grabbed, or otherwise restrained). 
  He can also punch or kick with his spiked gaunt-
  lets, boots, or knees. Hell Rider’s armor radiates 
  red heat, and its grotesque styling makes him look 
  more intimidating.
  Hell Rider tries to reach his target as quickly 
  as possible, kill him, then teleport away, evading 
  or bypassing other opponents if possible. Killing 
  Damage and Entangles (or other restraints) make 
  Hell Rider cautious, since capture or long-term 
  incapacity can lose him his bet. He trusts his Space-
  Cutting Scythe to get him out of any other danger 
  once he completes a murder.
  Campaign Use:  Not every villain needs to become 
  a life-long adversary for the heroes. Hell Rider has 
  an expiration date:  either he succeeds in killing his 
  six victims within one year, or he goes to Hell. This 
  also means Hell Rider cannot simply lay low and 
  wait for a better chance to advance his goals. (Of 
  course, you can always extend the deadline if need 
  be.) Once the PCs realize Hell Rider wants to kill 
  certain individuals, they’re under pressure to ﬁnd 
  and save those people. Hell Rider’s victims range 
  from innocent businessmen who had no idea they 
  were part of his ruin, to ﬁnancial predators with 
  their own crimes to hide, which can add a layer of 
  noir-ish moral ambiguity to a story arc.
  If Hell Rider needs to be more powerful 
  — which may be necessary if he’s to take on all the 
  PCs by himself — give him some Damage Reduc-
  tion (and increase his other defenses), increase the 
  strength of his Shifting Weapon Multipower, and 
  boost his SPD by 2. If he’s too powerful, make his 
  Shifting Weapon an actual Focus (so heroes can 
  take it away from him).
  Hell Rider would not Hunt heroes. That would 
  take time from his vengeance and risk losing his bet. 
  If a hero engages in business or ﬁnance in his civilian 
  identity, however, he might be one of the Six.
  If the players enjoy their clashes with Hell 
  Rider, a clever GM can arrange a sequel no matter 
  what happens when William Wade’s pact expires. If 
  Wade kills the Six, perhaps his patron lets him keep 
  his powers:  Wade has damned himself anyway 
  through his murders, and the Prince of Lies ﬁgures 
  he will continue to work evil. If Wade fails, or dies, 
  the archdevil can send Hell Rider back from the 
  Netherworld as a demonic assassin.
  Appearance:  Hell Rider wears spiky, gothically 
  ornate armor of red and golden metal. His helm’s 
  visor covers his upper face but leaves his lower face 
  exposed. The Shifting Weapon seems made of black 
  iron bound in gold; it emits a puﬀ of ﬂame when it 
  hits. When not acting as Hell Rider, William Wade 
  dresses in plain but respectable clothes purchased 
  at thrift shops.
  BRIMSTONE
  Hell Rider’s Demon Steed
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   30 STR 
  20 
  15- 
  Lift 1,600 kg; 6d6 [3]
   20 DEX 
  30 
  13- 
  OCV:  7/DCV:  7
   22 CON 
  24 
  13-
   18 BODY 16 
  13-
   10 INT 
  0 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   20 PRE 
  10 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  4d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   12 PD 
  6 
   
  Total:  12 PD (4 rPD)
   12 ED 
  8 
   
  Total:  12 ED (4 rED)
   6 SPD 
  30 
   
  Phases:  2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
   10 REC 
  0
   44 END 
  0
   44 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  144
  Movement: 
  Running:  13”/26”
   
  Leaping:  8”/16”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  12  
  Bite:  HKA 1d6 (2d6 with STR); Reduced 
  Penetration (-¼) 
  1
  54 
  Fiery Snort:  RKA 3d6, Penetrating (+½); 
  Limited Range (10”; -¼) 
  7
  17 
  Flaming Hooves:  HA +5d6; Hand-To- 
  Hand Attack (-½) 
  2
  4 
  Tough Skin:  Damage Resistance  
  (4 PD/4 ED) 
  0
  30 
  Infernal Shield:  Physical and Energy  
  Damage Reduction, Resistant, 25% 
  0
  5 
  Infernal Form:  Life Support (Longevity:  
  Immortality) 
  0
  8 
  Heavy:  Knockback Resistance -4” 
  0
  14 
  Horse’s Legs:  Running +7” (13” total) 
  1
  2 
  Horse’s Legs:  Leaping +2” (8” forward, 4” 
  upward) 
  1
  26 
  Run On Any Surface:  Flight 13”, No Turn 
  Mode (+¼); Only In Contact With A  
  Surface (-¼) 
  3
  6 
  Sharp-Eared And Keen-Nosed:  +2 PER  
  with all Sense Groups 
  0
   
  Skills
  5 
  +1 HTH
  1 
  Riding 13-; Complementary To Rider’s Skill 
  Only (-1)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  184
  Total Cost:  328
  
  108 ■ Mystic Solo Villains 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  75+ Disadvantages
  5 
  Physical Limitation:  Large (4m; -2 DCV, 
  +2 to PER Rolls to perceive) (Infrequently, 
  Slightly Impairing)
  10 
  Physical Limitation:  Near-Human Intelli-
  gence (Frequently, Slightly Impairing)
  15 
  Physical Limitation:  Very Limited Manipula-
  tion (Frequently, Greatly Impairing)
  25 
  Psychological Limitation:  Utterly Evil (Very 
  Common, Total)
  25 
  Susceptibility:  to holy places and objects, 
  takes 2d6 damage per Phase demon is on 
  holy ground, in a holy place, or within 1” of a 
  holy object (Common)
  173 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  328
  Description:  Brimstone is a coal black stallion with 
  ﬁery eyes. It breathes out wisps of smoke and ﬂame 
  and its hoofprints burn, even on water. Brimstone’s 
  saddle and bridle are of red and golden metal, 
  matching Hell Rider’s armor.
  In combat, Brimstone strikes with its hooves 
  and breathes ﬁre; it always does exactly what Hell 
  Rider wants. It can run on any solid or liquid 
  surface, even straight up a wall, but it cannot pass 
  through spaces too small for a real horse.
  LAMPLIGHTER
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   25 STR 
  15 
  14- 
  Lift 800 kg; 5d6 [2]
   24 DEX 
  42 
  14- 
  OCV:  8/DCV:  8
   25 CON 
  30 
  14-
   14 BODY 8 
  12-
   23 INT 
  13 
  14- 
  PER Roll 14-
   23 EGO 
  26 
  14- 
  ECV:  8
   30 PRE 
  20 
  15- 
  PRE Attack:  6d6
   8 COM 
  -1 
  11-
   25 PD 
  20 
   
  Total:  25 PD (10 rPD)
   25 ED 
  20 
   
  Total:  25 ED (10 rED)
   5 SPD 
  16 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   10 REC 
  0
   50 END 
  0
   40 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  209
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  90 
  Soul Powers:  Multipower, 90-point  
  reserve
  7u 
  1)  Soul-Orb Possession:  Mind Control  
  12d6, Telepathic (+¼), Reduced  
  Endurance (½ END; +¼); Visible (-¼) 
  3
  7u 
  2)  Soul-Orb Barrage:  Ego Attack 7d6, 
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼);  
  Visible (-¼) 
  3
  7u 
  3)  Soul-Orb Swarm:  Ego Attack 3d6,  
  Area Of Eﬀect (20” Radius; +1½),  
  Selective (+¼), Reduced Endurance  
  (½ END; +¼); Visible (-¼) 
  4
  8u 
  4)  Soulform:  Desolidiﬁcation (aﬀected  
  by magic), Reduced Endurance (0 END;  
  +½) plus Invisibility to Sight Group, 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); Linked 
  (-½), Does Not Work Against Persons  
  With Mental Awareness Or Astral  
  Awareness (-¼) 
  0
  60 
  Soul-Orb Searchers:  Mind Scan 12d6 
  6
  24 
  Take Soul:  Major Transform 1d6+1  
  (normal person to person with the  
  Psychological Limitation Utterly Obedient  
  To Lamplighter [Very Common, Total],  
  heals by Knocking Out Lamplighter or  
  his voluntarily relinquishing the soul),  
  BOECV (Mental Defense applies; +1),  
  Works Against EGO, Not BODY (+¼), 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½);  
  Concentration (½ DCV; -¼), Extra Time 
  (Full Phase; -½), No Range (-½) 
  0
  16 
  Soul Light:  Sight Group Images, +2 to 
  PER Rolls, Increased Size (4” radius; +½), 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); Only  
  To Create Light (-1) 
  0
  10 
  Spiritual Shield:  Damage Resistance  
  (10 PD/10 ED) 
  0
  15 
  Impenetrable Evil:  Mental Defense  
  (20 points total) 
  0
  25 
  Spiritual Immunities:  Life Support  
  (Self-Contained Breathing; Immunity:   
  all terrestrial diseases and biowarfare  
  agents; Longevity:  Immortality) 
  0
  20 
  Astral Awareness:  Dimensional (Astral 
  Plane) for Sight and Hearing Groups 
  0
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter Two 
  109 
  20 
  Monitor Minions:  Mind Link, to any 4 of 
  Lamplighter’s soulless slaves 
  0
  27 
  Spiritual Sight:  Detect Souls 14- (no Sense 
  Group), Discriminatory, Sense, Targeting 0
  10 
  Slide Up Walls:  Clinging (normal STR) 
  0
   
  Perks
  3 
  Anonymity
  5 
  Fringe Beneﬁt:  Chief Advisor Who Doesn’t 
  Oﬃcially Exist
   
  Talents
  20 
  Universal Translator 14-
   
  Skills
  6 
  +2 with Soul Powers Multipower
  10 
  +5 OECV with Mind Scan
  3 
  Bribery 15-
  3 
  Bureaucratics 15-
  3 
  Concealment 14-
  3 
  Conversation 15-
  3 
  Interrogation 15-
  3 
  KS: Dictator Psychology 14-
  2 
  KS: The Mercenary/Paramilitary/Terrorist 
  World 11-
  3 
  KS: The Soul 14-
  2 
  KS: World Organized Crime 11-
  3 
  Persuasion 15-
  3 
  Stealth 14-
  3 
  Streetwise 15-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  424
  Total Cost:  633
  200+ Disadvantages
  15 
  Distinctive Features:  Indeﬁnably repulsive 
  old man (Concealable; Cause Dislike)
  20 
  Hunted:   Trismegistus Council 8- (Mo Pow, 
  NCI, Capture/Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:   enemies of current “master” 8- (As 
  Pow, Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:   mystic hero 8- (As Pow, Capture/
  Kill)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Sadistic (Very 
  Common)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Secretive 
  (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Manipulative 
  (Common, Strong)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Hates Mentalists 
  (Common)
  15 
  Susceptibility: to light-based Flash Attacks, 
  takes 2d6 damage, Instant Eﬀect (Common)
  5 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x STUN from Soul Magic 
  (Uncommon)
  5 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x BODY from Soul Magic 
  (Uncommon)
  298 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  633
  Background/History:  Fifteen years was long enough. 
  The creature wanted another dictator. The years 
  with Ceaucescu had been sweet. The executions, the 
  dissidents writhing under the electrode’s kiss, and 
  ah! the delicate souls of children, slowly plucked 
  by careless transfusions of contaminated blood! He 
  had felt like a child in a candy store, its dictator-
  owner inviting him to gorge himself on mortal pain 
  and despair. He kept Ceaucescu in power for years 
  while Romania crumbled, until nothing was left 
  except the machinery of repression. Lampagiu, the 
  secret police called him:  the Lamplighter. The little 
  spies were so upset they could not collect ﬁles on 
  him, until he explained they did not keep ﬁles on 
  their masters. And then it all fell apart.
  Not that he has gone hungry since the dicta-
  tor died. He found other employers to feed him 
  tormented souls. Iraq, Bosnia, Sierra Leone, Congo 
  — ambitious mortals would sanction any atrocity 
  for the sake of power, pride, or wealth. The Lamp-
  lighter gave them what they wanted. And they gave 
  him what he wanted.
  He wearied of petty warlords and bureaucrats, 
  though. He wanted to live in high style again. He 
  wanted to turn an entire nation into one great howl 
  of anguish, and know he owned it all. He wanted a 
  dictator.
  Or someone he could turn into a dictator.
  The Lamplighter smiled to himself and leaned 
  back into his seat as the plane began its descent. 
  Soon, very soon, he would have a new home.
  Personality/Motivation:  This psychic vampire sees 
  all humans as dupes, slaves, or food. Lamplighter’s 
  powers enable him to control people, but he doesn’t 
  try becoming a big boss himself. Instead, he ﬁnds 
  some evil person who already has a strong power 
  
  110 ■ Mystic Solo Villains 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  base. He prefers dictators, but may settle for Third 
  World insurgency commanders, crime lords, evil 
  corporate CEOs, or VIPER Nest Leaders. Lamp-
  lighter becomes that person’s helper and advisor. 
  Then he uses the person’s organization to collect 
  souls, preferably “harvested” in pain or despair. 
  When justice catches up with his sponsor, he cuts 
  and runs.
  Quote:  “I am the Way and the Truth and the Light.... 
  You will see that soon enough.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Lamplighter mystically controls 
  the substance of the human soul. He collects souls 
  taken from people dying in anguish or corrupted 
  by his powers. Normally, these are invisible, impal-
  pable, and undetectable by normal means. But 
  when he uses them, the souls become ﬁst-sized 
  balls of eerie light. He can send soul-orbs crashing 
  into victims, causing pain:  the victim feels all the 
  anguish the soul felt in life. He can ram a soul-orb 
  into a victim’s psyche, forcing the person to do 
  something. Since he wants to corrupt people, he 
  usually tries to make victims think their forced 
  actions were really their own idea.
  Lamplighter can also send swarms of soul-
  orbs to search for people. Soul-orbs travel nearly 
  instantaneously, but he can’t send them more than 
  about 50 miles away without losing them. (This is 
  a plot device restriction to keep him from attack-
  ing heroes from halfway around the world — but 
  it’s not a Limitation, so if necessary you can extend 
  the range of his Mind Scan, perhaps at some cost to 
  Lamplighter [higher END cost, takes more time to 
  use, or the like].)
  Lamplighter can turn a victim into a loyal 
  slave by pulling out his soul, but only if he has a 
  week or so to work on the victim and make him 
  commit several evil deeds. The soulless slaves all 
  have a Mind Link back to Lamplighter. Characters 
  can free slaves by forcing Lamplighter to relinquish 
  the person’s soul. If Lamplighter is Knocked Out, all 
  the souls of still-living slaves ﬂy out of his body and 
  head back to their bodies.
  When he wants, Lamplighter can shift to an 
  invisible, ghost-like form, though magic still aﬀects 
  him. Anyone with mental or spiritual senses can 
  still see Lamplighter (which means anyone with 
  Mental Powers), and he can’t use his soul-orbs to 
  attack without becoming solid and visible again.
  Campaign Use:  Lamplighter functions as a behind-
  the-scenes villain — the cunning, evil power 
  behind the throne. He uses his powers to help his 
  employer, but only so he himself can harvest more 
  souls. If you like to combine political and mysti-
  cal conspiracy, make Lamplighter the advisor to 
  your favorite dictator, evil tycoon, or other socially 
  prominent mastermind. For instance, Lamplighter 
  might turn up next in a country like Awad or Lur-
  ranga, helping his new master run the nation into 
  the ground.
  Lamplighter’s background has been delib-
  erately left vague so you can work him into your 
  campaign in the creepiest, most disturbing fashion 
  possible. Is he a normal person trained in a strange, 
  necromantic art? A “mystic mutant”? A devil 
  escaped from Hell to work his will on Earth? An 
  alien super-mage? An astral creature of some sort? 
  A corrupted angel or psychopomp? Only you can 
  say for sure.
  To make Lamplighter a more powerful foe, 
  increase his defenses, give him more soul-orb 
  attacks, or raise his Mind Scan so he can more 
  easily ﬁnd and attack strong-willed characters. To 
  make him less powerful, scale back his soul-orb 
  attacks.
  Lamplighter is most likely to Hunt characters 
  on behalf of his current employer. He’s an insidious 
  Hunter, wielding both his own spiritual powers and 
  whatever investigative and paramilitary resources 
  his master may possess. For instance, he might 
  use a soul-orb to force a character into a grievous 
  traﬃc accident, then send the police to arrest the 
  character at the hospital. Lamplighter loves to make 
  a hero his slave and collect his corrupted soul; he 
  might Hunt a hero by forcing him into committing 
  evil deeds.
  Appearance:  Lamplighter appears to be an elderly 
  man with magnetic black eyes, silver hair fringing 
  a bald pate, and a mocking expression. He dresses 
  plainly, even shabbily, in dark clothes. He likes to 
  carry a black cane topped with a small, silver skull, 
  but he doesn’t need it either for his powers or to 
  walk. When he doesn’t need to hide his powers, 
  he lets his soul-orbs ﬂow around his body; they’re 
  about as bright as a night-light, making them vis-
  ible (but not spectacularly so) in daylight and quite 
  prominent at night.
  LAMPLIGHTER PLOT 
  SEEDS
  The PCs discover that 
  a local crimelord — a 
  VIPER Nest Leader or 
  the like — has started 
  running a tighter, 
  deadlier operation than 
  usual. He’s swiftly sub-
  jugating all the other 
  gangs. The characters 
  learn the crimelord has 
  a new advisor, feared 
  more than the boss him-
  self:  Lamplighter.
  When a mission takes 
  characters to a country 
  with a nasty regime, 
  they come within Lamp-
  lighter’s reach. The char-
  acters’ own morals cor-
  rode amid the brutality 
  and corruption... with 
  Lamplighter’s help. Can 
  they complete the mis-
  sion and escape before 
  the psychic vampire 
  makes them his soul-
  less thralls in villainy? 
  Do they even ﬁgure out 
  what he’s doing to them?
  A petty dictator hires a 
  mercenary supervillain 
  for short-term work... 
  and two months later, 
  the villain pledges his 
  loyalty as a national 
  super-soldier. This hap-
  pens again, and again. 
  These villains were 
  formerly known for 
  independence, even 
  insubordination or 
  rebelliousness. How 
  does the dictator win 
  their loyalty? Through 
  Lamplighter, that’s how 
  — and if someone can’t 
  stop him,the dictator 
  will threaten his neigh-
  bors (and, eventually, 
  the world) with a shock-
  ingly powerful team of 
  supervillains.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter Two 
  111 
  MOTHER GOTHEL
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   20 STR 
  10 
  13- 
  Lift 400 kg; 4d6 [2]
   23 DEX 
  39 
  14- 
  OCV:  8/DCV:  8
   20 CON 
  20 
  13-
   15 BODY 10 
  12-
   18 INT 
  8 
  13- 
  PER Roll 13-
   18 EGO 
  16 
  13- 
  ECV:  6
   20 PRE 
  10 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  4d6
   6 COM 
  -2 
  10-
   23 PD 
  19 
   
  Total:  23 PD (7 rPD)
   23 ED 
  19 
   
  Total:  23 ED (7 rED)
   5 SPD 
  17 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   10 REC 
  4
   40 END 
  0
   35 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  170
  Movement: 
  Running:  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  41 
  Domestic Witchcraft:  Multipower,  
  62-point reserve; all Restrainable (-½)
  2u 
  1)  Control Household:  Telekinesis  
  (32 STR), Reduced Endurance (½ END;  
  +¼); Restrainable (-½), Only Works In  
  Her Base (-1) 
  2
  4u 
  2)  Create Cleavers And Skewers:  HKA  
  2d6 (2½d6 with STR), Penetrating (+½), 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½);  
  Restrainable (-½) 
  0
  4u 
  3)  Flick Jawbreaker:  Energy Blast 10d6, 
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼);  
  Restrainable (-½), STUN Only (-0) 
  2
  4u 
  4)  Sleepy-Time Sweets:  Ego Attack 5d6,  
  Trigger (victim eats sweets; +¼);  
  Restrainable (-½) 
  6
  4u 
  5)  Tangled Knitting:  Entangle 5d6, 5  
  DEF, Takes No Damage From Physical 
  Attacks (+¼); Restrainable (-½) 
  6
  3u 
  6)  Spice In The Face:  Sight and Smell/ 
  Taste Group Flash 9d6, Reduced  
  Endurance (½ END; +¼); Restrainable  
  (-½), Limited Range (4”; -¼) 
  2
  53 
  Blessings And Curses:  Major Transform  
  6d6 (grant favors, weaknesses, or destinies; 
  healed by whatever fairy-tale methods  
  seem appropriate); Improved Results  
  Group (any blessing, curse, or other  
  change; +1), Trigger (+½); Extra Time  
  (Full Phase; -½), Incantations (-¼), No 
  Range (-½), One Charge (-2) 
  [1]
  7 
  Hard To Kill:  Damage Resistance  
  (7 PD/7 ED) 
  0
  5 
  Deathless As A Good Story:  Life Support 
  (Longevity:  Immortality) 
  0
  10 
  Sensitive Nose:  Targeting for Normal 
  Smell 
  0
   
  Perks
  10 
  Lure For Children:  Base (built on 50 Base 
  Points)
   
  Skills
  3 
  Acting 13-
  3 
  Bribery 13-
  3 
  AK: Faerie 13-
  3 
  KS: Blessings And Curses 13-
  3 
  KS: Children’s Appetites 13-
  3 
  KS: Faerie Enchantments 13-
  3 
  KS: Faerie Who’s Who 13-
  3 
  Persuasion 13-
  3 
  PS: Candymaker 13-
  3 
  Sleight Of Hand 14-
  3 
  Stealth 14-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  180
  Total Cost:  350
  200+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Hunted:   Trismegistus Council 8- (Mo Pow, 
  NCI, Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:   observant children 11- (Less Pow, 
  Capture/Kill)
  10 
  Physical Limitation:  Blind as a bat without 
  her glasses (Frequently, Slightly Impairing)
  10 
  Physical Limitation:  Half DCV to Good 
  Children (Infrequently, Greatly Impairing)
  25 
  Psychological Limitation:  Fairy-Tale Code 
  (Very Common, Total)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Cannibal Glutton 
  (Common, Strong)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Proud Of Culinary 
  Skill (Common)
  15 
  Unluck:  3d6
  15 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x STUN from Ferrous 
  Weapons (Very Common)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  2 x STUN from attacks made 
  by Good Children (Uncommon)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  2 x STR eﬀects from Good 
  Children (Uncommon)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  350
  Background/History:  Mother Gothel is one of the 
  most notorious villains in the world, yet hardly 
  anyone knows her name. Most people also think 
  she’s ﬁctional... but the Brothers Grimm collected a 
  true story. Mother Gothel is the witch from “Hansel 
  and Gretel” and she’s back, as hungry as ever for a 
  sweet, satisfying meal of roast children.
  Personality/Motivation:  A fairy-tale monster like 
  Mother Gothel exists to cause evil for its own sake. 
  A folklore scholar might say she represents child-
  hood anxiety about abusive parents, or serves as 
  a cautionary tale about the dangers of strangers. 
  Mother Gothel would cackle and say what a clever 
  young fellow the folklorist was. Then she’d split his 
  skull and feast on his brains.
  Mother Gothel isn’t just a predator, though. 
  She, like other fairy-tale hags, follows a peculiar 
  code of honor. She must give brave and selﬂess 
  people a chance to defeat her. Thus, if she’s much 
  more powerful than her captive, she cages him 
  to “fatten him up” instead of killing him at once. 
  For all her cunning, the pure of heart can fool her 
  with ease. (This accounts for her Unluck as well.) 
  If someone overpowers her but spares her life, she 
  grants them a boon. For instance, she might give 
  the noble hero a magic item, the knowledge he 
  needs to fulﬁll a quest, or a blessing on his ﬁrst-
  born child. Selﬁsh and wicked people — grown-ups 
  or children — ﬁnd Mother Gothel turning the 
  MOTHER GOTHEL 
  PLOT SEEDS
  A wave of disappearing 
  children outrages the 
  city. The public demands 
  action. The heroes are in 
  for a surprise when they 
  trace the disappearances 
  to a new video arcade 
  — and ﬁnd Mother 
  Gothel behind it all.
  The heroes seek some-
  thing in Faerie. An 
  animal they help tells 
  them Mother Gothel 
  would know how to ﬁnd 
  it. They must be careful 
  not to eat anything she 
  oﬀers them, however, or 
  she will make them her 
  supper. Can the heroes 
  avoid Mother Gothel’s 
  sweet trap and force her 
  to help them, without 
  breaking Faerie’s laws of 
  hospitality or giving her 
  grounds for a curse?
  For a fun one-shot 
  game, the PCs are all 
  children. They discover 
  Mother Gothel living in 
  their neighborhood. The 
  grown-ups don’t believe 
  them, of course. They 
  must save themselves 
  and their unwary play-
  mates from the cannibal 
  witch.
  
  112 ■ Mystic Solo Villains 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  tables on them, with her great roasting-pan already 
  greased.
  Quote:  “What a tough and lean young man you are, 
  Nighthawk. A little tenderizing, I think, then an oil 
  and garlic rub — after you’re butchered!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Mother Gothel is impossibly 
  strong, quick, and tough for a little old lady. She 
  can produce a variety of domestic items from 
  her pockets and use them for magically-potent 
  attacks. For instance, she can pull out a meat 
  cleaver that cuts concrete, or trap someone in a 
  tangle of yarn. Sweets and spices are her specialty, 
  including magical cookies, candy, or gingerbread 
  that put people to sleep.
  As a fairy-tale witch, Mother Gothel has 
  almost unlimited power to bless and curse. She 
  can grant (or impose) almost any physical change, 
  including the creation of magic items. She often 
  delivers blessings by feeding the recipient candy or 
  gingerbread. Changes to a character’s destiny can 
  be represented as a wide range of Disadvantages. 
  For instance, the Sleeping Beauty Curse (“When 
  she is grown, she will prick her ﬁnger on a spindle 
  and die”) can be a Physical Limitation (worth zero 
  points, since it only aﬀects a character once). The 
  variable Trigger lets her enchantments take eﬀect 
  in the future. Don’t sweat the details of the rules 
  unless Mother Gothel attempts a Transform with 
  an immediate combat eﬀect, such as turning a 
  character into a frog — this is a “plot device” power, 
  more or less.
  Children, Mother Gothel’s favored prey, are 
  also her greatest weakness. Good children eﬀec-
  tively have double strength against Mother Gothel, 
  and her DCV is halved against them. This weak-
  ness is entirely mystical, and PCs cannot do “clever” 
  things to exploit it. For instance, a PC would not 
  gain the half DCV and double STUN eﬀect by 
  having a child wrap his hand around the hero’s gun, 
  while the hero actually aimed and ﬁred.
  Mother Gothel prefers to set up a Base designed 
  to attract children. She keeps up with the times:  
  instead of a gingerbread house, she might create a 
  toy store or video arcade. She always keeps sweets 
  around, though. Her Base always includes a dungeon-
  like kitchen, with cages for children... or larger prey.
  Campaign Use:  You can use Mother Gothel as an 
  encounter in Faerie, or bring her to Earth to boggle 
  the characters’ minds when they realize those old 
  nursery tales were true. Mother Gothel also serves 
  as a model for other ogre-witches such as Baba Yaga 
  or the hags from Norse and Anglo-Saxon mythol-
  ogy. These hags do not always act as pure villains:  in 
  Russian fairy tales, for instance, Baba Yaga serves as a 
  “reluctant helper” whom the hero must overcome to 
  gain her aid. As presented here, Mother Gothel can 
  borrow roles from her weird sisters.
  To make Mother Gothel a greater threat, 
  increase her STR:  Norse hags sometimes dropped 
  mountains and islands from their aprons. She 
  could also have a wider range of magic, or a ﬂying 
  broomstick. To make her less powerful, scale back 
  her Multipower to 52 Active Points.
  Mother Gothel would not Hunt a character; 
  that’s not her idiom. If a hero oﬀended her deeply 
  enough, though, she might appear at the birth of 
  his child to lay a fairy-tale curse on the infant.
  Appearance:  Mother Gothel stands just under ﬁve 
  feet tall. She has white hair, either ﬂyaway or pulled 
  in a bun, an incredibly wrinkled face, shrewd black 
  eyes, and a cackle that can break glass. She wears 
  dowdy old clothes and a gingham apron with lots 
  of pockets.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter Two 
  113 
  TEZCATLIPOCA
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   60 STR 
  50 
  21- 
  Lift 102.4 T; 12d6 [6]
   30 DEX 
  60 
  15- 
  OCV:  10/DCV:  10
   30 CON 
  40 
  15-
   25 BODY 30 
  14-
   20 INT 
  10 
  13- 
  PER Roll 13-
   20 EGO 
  20 
  13- 
  ECV:  7
   40 PRE 
  30 
  17- 
  PRE Attack:  8d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   35 PD 
  23 
   
  Total:  35 PD (30 rPD)
   35 ED 
  29 
   
  Total:  35 ED (30 rED)
   6 SPD 
  20 
   
  Phases:  2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
   20 REC 
  4
   60 END 
  0
   70 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  316
  Movement: 
  Running:  17”/24”
   
  Teleportation:  17”/272”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  250 
  Divine Magic:  Variable Power Pool  
  (Magic Pool), 100 base + 50 control  
  cost, Cosmic (+2) 
  var
  108 
  Sacriﬁcial Magic:  Variable Power Pool 
  (Magic Pool), +100 base + +50 control  
  cost; OAF Bulky Expendable (human  
  sacriﬁces and ritual tools; -2), Extra Time  
  (5 Minutes; -2), May Only Create One  
  Power At A Time (-1) 
  var
  80 
  Darkness Powers:  Elemental Control,  
  160-point Powers
  80 
  1)  Turn Day Into Night:  Darkness to  
  Sight Group 8” radius, MegaScale (1” =  
  1 km; +¼), Personal Immunity (+¼),  
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) 
  0
  150 
   2)  Master Of Darkness:  Darkness to  
  Sight Group 4” radius, Aﬀects Physical  
  World (+2), Personal Immunity (+¼), 
  Variable Advantage (+1 Advantages; +2), 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) 
  0
  75 
  Assorted Divine Powers:  Multipower, 75-
  point reserve
  4u 
  1)  Claw, Bite, Or Weapon:  HKA 1½d6 
  (3d6+1 with STR), Variable Special  
  Eﬀects (obsidian weapons, or anything 
  suitable to character’s form; +¼), Reduced 
  Endurance (0 END; +½) 
  0
  7u 
  2)  Slumbrous Touch:  Drain STUN 6d6, 
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  3
  5u 
  3)  Deathly Touch:  Drain BODY 6d6, 
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼);  
  Only Works Once Per Victim Per  
  Combat (-½) 
  3
  2u 
  4)  Inﬂict Wasting Sickness:  Drain BODY 
  1d6, Delayed Return Rate (points  
  return at the rate of 5 per Day; +1½),  
  Ranged (+½), NND (defense is LS:   
  Immunity [to all terrestrial diseases and  
  biowarfare agents]; +1), Does BODY  
  (+1), Continuous (+1), Uncontrolled  
  (until victim makes a CON Roll at -5;  
  +½), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); 
  Gradual Eﬀect (damage accrues only  
  once every 6 hours; -1½) 
  0
  5u 
  5)  Soul Strike:  HA +5d6, AVLD (defense  
  is Mental Defense, +1 ½), Reduced  
  Endurance (½ END; +¼); Hand-to- 
  Hand Attack (-½) 
  3
  7u 
  6)  Know The Minds of Men: Telepathy 15d6 7
  6u 
  7)  Inﬂict Madness:  Major Transform 2d6 
  (person to person with a Psychological  
  Limitation reﬂecting the type of insanity 
  inﬂicted, heals back normally), Improved 
  Results Group (any insanity; +¼), BOECV 
  (Mental Defense applies; +1), Works  
  Against EGO, Not BODY (+¼); Limited 
  Target (sentient beings; -¼) 
  7
  4u 
  8)  Command Jaguars:  Mind Control  
  6d6 (Animal class of minds), Telepathic 
  (+¼), Area Of Eﬀect (5” Radius; +1),  
  MegaScale (1” = 1 km; +¼); Only Aﬀects 
  Jaguars And Undead (-¾) 
  7
  7u 
  9)  Call The Night’s Hunters:  Summon  
  16 152-point Jaguars, Loyal (+½) 
  7
  3u 
  10)  Stalk The Spirit Realms:  Extra- 
  Dimensional Movement (any physical  
  location in the Inner Planes) 
  3
  50 
  Seek Naguals:  Mind Scan 10d6,  
  Transdimensional (Earth’s dimension;  
  +½); Only To Find The Minds Of  
  Believers And People Touched By  
  Tezcatlipoca’s Power (-½) 
  7
  30 
  Divine Invulnerability:  Damage  
  Resistance (30 PD/30 ED) 
  0
  60 
  Divine Toughness:  Physical and Energy 
  Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% 
  0
  10 
  Eyes That Watch The Sun:  Sight Group  
  Flash Defense (10 points)
  10 
  A God Stands His Ground:  Knockback  
  Resistance -5” 
  0
  16 
  No One Attacks A God’s Mind:  Mental 
  Defense (20 points total) 
  0
  20 
  A God Sneers At Mortal Magic:  Power 
  Defense (20 points) 
  0
  50 
  Nothing Harms A God:  Life Support:   
  Total (including Longevity:  Immortality) 0
  22 
  Jaguar’s Speed:  Running +11” (17” total) 
  3
  42 
  Run Through The Air:  Flight 17”, No Turn 
  Mode (+¼) 
  3
  20 
  Astral Awareness:  Dimensional (Astral 
  Plane) for Sight and Hearing Groups 
  0
  5 
  Jaguar’s Eyes:  Nightvision 
  0
  10 
  Jaguar’s Nose:  Tracking for Smell/Taste 
  Group 
  0
  17 
  Sense The Supernatural:  Detect Magic  
  13- (no Sense Group), Discriminatory, 
  Range, Sense 
  0
  64 
  Take Any Form:  Shape Shift (Sight,  
  Hearing, and Touch Groups, any shape),  
  Imitation, Instant Change, Costs  
  Endurance Only to Change Shape (+¼) 
  5
  60 
  Shadow Form:  Desolidiﬁcation (aﬀected  
  by Light powers), Reduced Endurance  
  (0 END; +½) 
  0
  20 
  The God Commands:  Mind Link, any single 
  person touched by the god’s power, any dis-
  tance, any dimension 
  0
  
  114 ■ Mystic Solo Villains 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
   
  Perks
  25 
  Fringe Beneﬁt:  God of a small cult of  
  powerful individuals
  5 
  Fringe Beneﬁt:  Greater god of the Aztec 
  pantheon
   
  Talents
  10 
  Speaks All Languages:  Universal Translator 
  13-; Only Speech (-1)
   
  Skills
  30 
  +3 Overall
  20 
  +10 OECV with Mind Scan
  3 
  Acrobatics 15-
  3 
  Analyze Magic 13-
  3 
  Breakfall 15-
  3 
  Climbing 15-
  3 
  Concealment 13-
  3 
  Deduction 13-
  3 
  AK: Mexico And Central America 13-
  3 
  AK: Faerie 13-
  3 
  KS: Central American Magic 13-
  3 
  KS: Central American Mythic World 13-
  2 
  KS: Other Pantheons 11-
  2 
  Language:  Literacy with Aztec and Mayan 
  writing
  3 
  Mimicry 13-
  3 
  Navigation (Astral, Dimensional) 13-
  3 
  Oratory 17-
  17 
  Power:  Thaumaturgy 20-
  2 
  PS: Poet 11-
  7 
  Shadowing 15-
  3 
  Stealth 15-
  2 
  Survival (Tropical) 13-
  3 
  Tracking 13-
  2 
  WF: Common Central American Weapons
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  1,468
  Total Cost:  1,784
  200+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Enraged:  by insults (Very Common), go 11-, 
  recover 14-
  10 
  Hunted:   Quetzalcoatal and other “good” 
  Aztec gods 8- (As Pow, “Kill”)
  10 
  Hunted:   Central American superheroes 8- 
  (As Pow, “Kill”)
  15 
  Hunted:   various gods of other pantheons 
  11- (As Pow, Capture/Kill)
  20 
  Physical Limitation:  Cannot come to Earth 
  without sacriﬁce (Frequently, Fully Impair-
  ing)
  25 
  Psychological Limitation:  Hatred Of The 
  Modern World (Very Common, Total)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Enthusiastic Killer 
  (Very Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Religious Fanatic 
  (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Reputation:  destructive and murderous 
  “god,” 11- (Extreme)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x STUN from Blessed 
  Objects (Common)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x BODY from Blessed 
  Objects (Common)
  1,414 Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  1,784
  EXAMPLE POWERS FOR DIVINE  
  MAGIC POWER POOL
  Flame Jaguars:  Tezcatlipoca combines his power 
  with that of Huehueteotl, the god of ﬁre, to evoke 
  ﬁve jaguars of magical ﬂame. The jaguars run 
  through an area, leaving a trail of ﬂame behind 
  them and setting ﬁre to whatever they encounter. 
  The eﬀect is a line of ﬂame (representing the jag-
  uar’s movement in a single Phase). The ﬂames burn 
  for one Turn, but anything set on ﬁre may burn 
  indeﬁnitely (hence the Sticky Advantage). The jag-
  uars cannot actually be slain because they are just 
  clots of magical energy, but they can be destroyed 
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter Two 
  115 
  by ﬁlling their terminal hex with water, Halon, or 
  some other ﬁre suppressant.
  RKA 2½d6, Area Of Eﬀect (24” Line; +1), 
  Sticky (+½). Total cost:  100 points
  Hurricane:  Tezcatlipoca calls on the power of 
  Quetzalcoatl, god of wind and weather, to create 
  a hurricane from nowhere. The hurricane lasts a 
  full day and moves to sweep through a wide area 
  before dissipating. Any region in its path can expect 
  at least ﬁve hours of winds strong enough to lift 
  people oﬀ their feet, torrential rain, and ﬂooding.
  Change Environment 4” radius (create storm), 
  +/-5 points of Telekinesis STR, Multiple Combat 
  Eﬀects, Varying Combat Eﬀects, MegaArea (1” 
  = 1 km broad and wide; +¼), 1 Continuing 
  Charge lasting 1 Day (+¼) (75 Active Points); 
  No Range (-½). Total cost:  50 points.
  Empower Divine Avatar:  The Smoking Mirror 
  can grant mortals the powers of other Aztec gods. 
  This enables the other gods to work their will in the 
  mortal world. Mortal avatars retain their free will, 
  but they genuinely believe they are the gods and 
  share their outlooks and goals. Only Tezcatlipoca 
  can oﬀer the other Central American gods this favor, 
  and he uses it to buy access to their powers. Avatars 
  start oﬀ well-disposed to Tezcatlipoca, but in time 
  they may rediscover their former, human personali-
  ties and turn against the Smoking Mirror’s goals.
  Empowerment by Tezcatlipoca is represented 
  as a Summon rather than a Transform because it 
  is not truly reversible and the former person no 
  longer exists. Even a Dispel strong enough to undo 
  the Summon eﬀect merely suppresses the victim’s 
  superpowers and divine personality. Later circum-
  stances may reactivate the avatar’s divine aspect.
  Tezcatlipoca may use this spell to empower a 
  willing mortal servant, but he may also empower 
  a mortal his servants grab at random, or a person 
  whose skills or personality already connect him to a 
  particular god. For instance, Tezcatlipoca might turn a 
  meteorologist into an avatar of the rain-god Tlaloc, or 
  a soldier into an avatar of the war-god Huitzilopochtli.
  Summon one 500-point Divine Avatar; 
  Expanded Class (any Aztec god other than 
  Tezcatlipoca; +¼), Friendly (+¼) (150 Active 
  Points); OAF Bulky Expendable (human 
  sacriﬁces and ritual tools; -2), Extra Time (5 
  Minutes; -2). Total cost:  30 points.
  Restore The Aztec World:  If Tezcatlipoca can 
  remain on Earth for half an hour, and has at least 
  50 human sacriﬁces, he can transform an area eight 
  kilometers wide into a re-creation of Aztec society. 
  A small town would become a complete Aztec com-
  munity; the center of a major city would become 
  an Aztec ritual center, with palaces and pyramid 
  temples. The people caught in the area transform too, 
  so they fully believe they are subjects of the Aztec 
  Empire and worshippers of the Aztec gods.
  From Tezcatlipoca’s point of view, this spell 
  is especially valuable because he can remain on 
  Earth indeﬁnitely, as long as he stays within the 
  Transformed zone. The Transform reverses itself if 
  someone can defeat the Smoking Mirror and force 
  him to retreat to Faerie.
  Major Transform 1½d6 (objects and locations 
  to Aztec analogues), Area Of Eﬀect (8” Radius; 
  +1), Continuous (+1), Indirect (+¾), Mega-
  Scale (1” = 1 km; +¼) (100 Active Points); 
  OAF Bulky Expendable (human sacriﬁces and 
  ritual tools; -2), Extra Time (5 Minutes; -2), No 
  Range (-½) (total cost:  18 points) plus Major 
  Transform 1d6 (contemporary people to Aztec 
  versions of themselves), Area Of Eﬀect (8” 
  Radius; +1¼), Continuous (+1), MegaScale (1” 
  = 1 km; +¼), Indirect (+¾), BOECV (Power 
  Defense applies; +1), Works Against EGO, Not 
  BODY (+¼) (82 Active Points); OAF Bulky 
  Expendable (human sacriﬁces and ritual tools; 
  -2), Extra Time (5 Minutes; -2), No Range (-½) 
  (total cost:  15 points). Total cost:  33 points.
  Background/History:  Tezcatlipoca, whose name 
  means “Smoking Mirror,” was the Central 
  American god of the night, sorcery, and calamity; 
  according to legend, he was also the ﬁrst sun-god. 
  His titles included Master of Wizards and Lord of 
  Misfortune. When the weather-god Quetzalcoatl 
  knocked him out of the sky, the Smoking Mirror 
  turned into a jaguar and devoured all of humanity. 
  Tezcatlipoca became one of the ﬁve most impor-
  tant gods of the Aztecs, his cult notorious for the 
  number of human sacriﬁces the god demanded. 
  Shocked conquistadors found blood caked a foot 
  thick on the walls of Tezcatlipoca’s temple. They 
  destroyed it as a fane of the Devil.
  Like the rest of the Aztec gods, Tezcatlipoca 
  suﬀered a drastic reduction in power after the 
  Spanish conquest. The Spanish ended the sacriﬁces 
  that fed the gods’ power and forcibly converted the 
  Mexicans who survived smallpox and other Old 
  World plagues. Tezcatlipoca retained a small cult in 
  Mexico, however, which continued to murder in the 
  Lord of Misfortune’s name. That trickle of power 
  enabled Tezcatlipoca to become the dominant god 
  of the enervated pantheon.
  For centuries, Tezcatlipoca could not manifest 
  on Earth. The Smoking Mirror depended on his 
  nagual cultists (see below) and a few enchanted relics 
  of his worship to work his will among mortals. Only 
  sacriﬁce could bring him to Earth, and a few slaugh-
  tered mortals did not provide enough power for 
  Tezcatlipoca to manifest for more than a few seconds. 
  When superbeings appeared, however, Tezcatlipoca 
  realized they oﬀered a new source of power. Quetzal-
  coatl sacriﬁced other gods to create the world; Tez-
  catlipoca vowed to sacriﬁce these new, mortal demi-
  gods to create a new world. His world, where the old 
  gods would rule again — and he would rule the gods.
  Personality/Motivation:  The Smoking Mirror loathes 
  the modern world and the Europeans who con-
  quered his people. Tezcatlipoca believes humanity 
  exists to feed the gods through sacriﬁce; the gods’ 
  only obligation is to keep humans alive in suﬃcient 
  numbers to provide lots of sacriﬁces. The Lord of 
  
  116 ■ Mystic Solo Villains 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  Misfortune doesn’t care one way or another about 
  technology or politics. He simply tries to terrify 
  humans into worshipping him (and worshipping 
  the other Aztec gods, to “spread the wealth” among 
  his brethren).
  Tezcatlipoca especially despises Christianity, 
  since it became the dominant faith in Mexico. He 
  does not hate Islam, Buddhism, and the other ethi-
  cal religions quite as much, but only because he 
  knows less about them. The Smoking Mirror thinks 
  big:  he hopes that by restoring the bloody wor-
  ship of the Aztec gods, he can gain enough power 
  to subjugate other pantheons within the Land Of 
  Legends — and ultimately make war upon Elysium, 
  and destroy the ethical religions at their source.
  The Lord of Misfortune typically works only 
  with Native Americans, or creatures from Native 
  American mythology, but he’s pragmatic enough 
  to exploit opportunities that Europeans or people 
  from other parts of the world may oﬀer him. 
  Tezcatlipoca always regards such “foreigners” as 
  expendable dupes, and usually plans to expend 
  them quickly. He seeks worshippers regardless of 
  race, though. Everyone’s blood has the same color.
  Quote:  “You can be my willing food, or my con-
  quered prey.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Not only is Tezcatlipoca tremen-
  dously strong, tough, and quick, he has a wide vari-
  ety of supernatural powers. In combat, he generally 
  attacks with a club edged with razor-sharp obsid-
  ian, or fangs, claws, or whatever other natural weap-
  ons his form provides — for the Lord of Misfortune 
  can assume any shape he pleases. If he prefers not 
  to attack physically, he can use his mystic powers to 
  stun and overwhelm his foes. Furthermore, as a god 
  of darkness, he can blot out the sun and turn day 
  into night over an area miles wide. He can appear 
  and disappear in the night, cast zones of impen-
  etrable darkness, and become a shadow himself.
  Tezcatlipoca ingeniously combines his powers 
  to cover his attacks and confuse his foes. For 
  example, he may wrap shadow around himself while 
  taunting a foe, then teleport away, leaving the dark-
  ness behind as a target. While his enemies waste 
  their attacks, he moves through the ground using 
  Desolidiﬁcation, then rises up to strike from behind. 
  Tezcatlipoca can also apply many diﬀerent Advan-
  tages to his Darkness, such as making it Usable 
  Simultaneously at Range by allies, or giving it Invisi-
  ble Power Eﬀects (those caught within it are blinded, 
  but people outside cannot see what does it).
  The Smoking Mirror also has a variety of 
  miscellaneous powers related to his traditional attri-
  butes, such as cursing victims with madness or wast-
  ing sickness, or calling and commanding his totem 
  animal, the jaguar. As a god, Tezcatlipoca can move 
  through dimensions, understand all languages, and 
  resist just about everything that harms mortals.
  Most importantly, however, Tezcatlipoca wields 
  black magic of incredible power. He can destroy cities 
  and devastate small nations, grant superpowers to 
  mortals, enchant magic items for his followers, or 
  perform any other feat that strikes your fancy. His 
  spells typically manifest not as beams and spheres of 
  colored light, but with a sort of “Aztec” motif:  attack 
  spells might be projected ﬂint knives, razor-sharp 
  winds, or summoned jaguars; a Mental Power might 
  cause a mosaiced mask to appear over Tezcatlipoca’s 
  face; and so on. Fortunately for the world, Tezcatli-
  poca’s most powerful spells always take at least ﬁve 
  minutes to cast and require a suitably consecrates 
  space for the ritual (which involves special tools and 
  at least one sacriﬁcial victim). Tezcatlipoca’s minions 
  typically prepare the ritual implements, area, and sac-
  riﬁce in advance, then call their god just long enough 
  to cast the spell.
  Tezcatlipoca’s greatest limitation is that he 
  cannot stay on Earth for very long. Simply remain-
  ing on earth for ﬁve minutes requires that his nagual 
  priests rip the heart from at least a low-powered 
  superbeing (250 points or so). The sacriﬁce of a 
  superbeing of standard power (at least 350 points) 
  enables the Lord of Misfortune to remain on earth 
  for 20 minutes. Every additional 50 Character Points 
  in the sacriﬁcial victim grants Tezcatlipoca another 
  ﬁve minutes. At the end of that time, he must vanish 
  back to Faerie. (You deﬁne what constitutes a “super-
  being” for purposes of this restriction.)
  Campaign Use:  The Lord of Misfortune makes a 
  good mastermind or arch-nemesis for teams of 
  heroes who lack the power for toe-to-toe battles 
  with Takofanes, Tyrannon, or other mystical master 
  villains. More likely, Tezcatlipoca serves as a threat-
  ened consequence for failure:  the heroes try to stop 
  cultists from summoning the Lord of Misfortune, 
  or strive to ﬁnd and defeat Tezcatlipoca before he 
  can unleash some horrible devastation.
  If you need to make Tezcatlipoca more pow-
  erful to provide a suitably formidable challenge, 
  increase his Characteristics, defenses, or his prin-
  ciple attacks (this means increasing his Multipower 
  reserve). If Tezcatlipoca is too powerful for your 
  campaign, reduce his defenses, STR, and Multip-
  ower attacks. He should be a major challenge, but 
  not one the heroes have no hopes of overcoming.
  Tezcatlipoca cannot Hunt heroes directly. His 
  nagual minions can do so, however, and the god 
  can send taunting, threatening, or deceptive mental 
  messages to anyone who believes he’s a real god 
  (and not merely a powerful but delusional superbe-
  ing like the supervillain Anubis from Conquerors, 
  Killers, And Crooks.)
  Appearance:  Tezcatlipoca’s natural form is that of 
  a young Native American man with jet-black skin, 
  dressed as a warrior and with white stripes painted 
  across his face. He customarily appears as a jaguar, 
  though. The Aztecs also described the Lord of Misfor-
  tune appearing as a cloud of ash, a shrouded corpse, 
  or a beheaded man with his chest and belly split open, 
  but Tezcatlipoca can appear in any form he wants, 
  including impersonating other gods or mortals.
   TEZCATLIPOCA 
  PLOT SEEDS
  Tezcatlipoca’s nagual 
  cultists capture a super-
  criminal, but other 
  crooks see them do it. 
  Most of the city’s other 
  supervillains ﬂee the 
  city, but a few contact 
  the heroes and oﬀer a 
  temporary alliance. They 
  agree to help ﬁnd the 
  cultists before Tezcatli-
  poca comes to destroy 
  the city.
  Tezcatlipoca cannot 
  appear physically with-
  out sacriﬁce, but he 
  travels the Astral Plane 
  without restraint. The 
  Smoking Mirror astrally 
  invades the city and 
  destroys any ghost who 
  does not submit to him. 
  Tezcatlipoca also attacks 
  any hero he catches 
  entering the Astral 
  Plane. Why does the god 
  gather a legion of ghosts, 
  and what does he want 
  the heroes not to see?
  The Lord of Misfor-
  tune hunts and kills 
  demigods from other 
  pantheons to steal their 
  power for the Aztec 
  gods. He cleverly frames 
  a god from a diﬀerent 
  pantheon for his dirty 
  deeds — and starts a 
  war within Faerie. The 
  war soon spills over to 
  Earth, as various gods 
  draft agents and avatars 
  to attack their rivals. 
  Even if none of the 
  heroes are bound to a 
  mythic god, they must 
  cope with the Godwar’s 
  damage and other reper-
  cussions. Tezcatlipoca 
  has further plans as well:  
  the Godwar weakens 
  rival pantheons and 
  leaves them open to 
  surprise attacks by the 
  Aztec gods.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter Two 
  117 
  NAGUAL CULTIST
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   13 STR 
  3 
  12- 
  Lift 150 kg; 2½d6 [1]
   14 DEX 
  12 
  12- 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   15 CON 
  10 
  12-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   10 INT 
  0 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   11 EGO 
  2 
  11- 
  ECV:  4
   15 PRE 
  5 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  3d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   8 PD 
  5 
   
  Total:  8 PD (0 rPD)
   8 ED 
  5 
   
  Total:  8 ED (0 rED)
   3 SPD 
  6 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   6 REC 
  0
   30 END 
  0
   25 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  48
  Movement: 
  Running:  12”/24”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  8 
  Nagual Projection:  Extra-Dimensional 
  Movement (any physical location in the 
  Astral Plane corresponding to cultist’s  
  physical location in Earth’s dimension), 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); Extra 
  Time (5 Minutes to activate; -1), Leaves 
  Helpless Physical Body Behind And Will  
  Die If Does Not Rejoin It Within 24 Hours 
  (-1),  Feedback (-1) 
  0
  29 
  Astral Claws And Fangs:  Multipower,  
  36-point reserve, all OIHID (-¼)
  1u 
  1)  Exert Physical Force:  18 STR, Indirect 
  (+½), Transdimensional (Earth’s  
  dimension; +½); OIHID (-¼), Does Not  
  Add To Base STR (-½), No Figured  
  Characteristics (-½), Can Only Be Used 
  While Cultist Uses His Nagual Apparition 
  Power (-¼) 
  2
  1u 
  2)  Claw/Bite Astral Targets:  HKA 1d6  
  (1½d6 with STR); OIHID (-¼) 
  2
  2u 
  3)  Claw/Bite Earthly Targets:  HKA 1d6 
  (1½d6 with STR), Indirect (+½),  
  Transdimensional (Earth’s dimension;  
  +½); OIHID (-¼), Can Only Be Used  
  While Cultist Uses His Nagual Apparition 
  Power (-¼) 
  2
  24 
  Nagual Apparition:  Sight Group, Hearing 
  Group, and Touch Group Images, +2 to  
  PER, Indirect (+½), Transdimensional 
  (Earth’s dimension; +½), Reduced  
  Endurance (0 END; +½); OIHID (-¼), No 
  Range (-½), Set Eﬀect (nagual form; -1) 
  0
  10 
  Jaguar Speed:  Running +6” (12” total); 
  OIHID (-¼) 
  2
  5 
  Jaguar Senses:  +2 PER with all Sense  
  Groups; OIHID (-¼) 
  0
  4 
  Jaguar Eyes:  Nightvision; OIHID (-¼) 
  0
  20 
  Astral Awareness:  Dimensional (Astral 
  Plane) for Sight and Hearing Groups 
  0
  7 
  Divine Dreams:  Mind Link to  
  Tezcatlipoca, Psychic Bond, any  
  dimension; No Conscious Control (-2) 
  0
   
  Skills
  6 
  +2 with Astral Claws And Fangs Multipower
  3 
  Climbing 12-
  5 
  Concealment 12-
  2 
  Navigation (Astral) 11-
  3 
  Stealth 12-
  2 
  KS: Tezcatlipoca Cult Doctrine And  
  Practices 11-
  3 
  Choose one of the following:  Breakfall, 
  Bribery, Interrogation, Language [English 
  or Native American language], Paramedics, 
  Security Systems, Streetwise, Tactics, Track-
  ing, WF: Blades and Small Arms.
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  135
  Total Cost:  183
  75+ Disadvantages
  10 
  Hunted:   Tezcatlipoca 11- (Mo Pow,  
  Watching)
  15 
  Hunted:   Roman Catholic Church 8- 
  (Mo Pow, NCI, Limited Geographic Area 
  [Mexico], Capture/Kill)
  15 
  Physical Limitation:  Jaguar Form Has No 
  Fine Manipulation (Frequently, Greatly 
  Impairing)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Fanatic Worship-
  per Of Tezcatlipoca (Very Common, Strong)
  15 
  Susceptibility:  to traditional charms against 
  naguals, 1d6 damage per Phase spent within 
  one hex of such charms (Uncommon)
  10 
  Susceptibility:  to Tezcatlipoca’s displeasure, 
  2d6 damage, Instant (Uncommon)
  23 
  Experience Points or additional Disadvan-
  tages speciﬁc to individual cultist  
  Total Disadvantage Points:  183
  Description:  This character sheet represents one of 
  Tezcatlipoca’s cultists. The cultist can project his 
  astral body as a nagual, an animal-shaped spirit 
  that combines aspects of vampire, lycanthrope, 
  ghost, and witch in Mexican folklore. Tezcatlipoca’s 
  naguals manifest in the form of jaguars. They hunt 
  victims from the Astral Plane. Ordinary people can 
  see a nagual only when it attacks, or deliberately 
  chooses to manifest.
  In human form, a nagual cultist has no special 
  powers except the ability to see astral creatures 
  and contact Tezcatlipoca in dreams. However, his 
  nagual astral form has several abilities. Projecting 
  it takes at least ﬁve minutes of meditation. It can 
  only remain separate from the cultist for 24 hours 
  at most; more than that and the cultist dies. The 
  cultist’s body becomes comatose while his nagual is 
  outside it; damage to either the body or the nagual 
  aﬀects the overall character (hence the Feedback 
  Limitation). The OIHID Limitation represents 
  powers only the nagual astral form has.
  Nagual cultists operate most eﬀectively in 
  teams where some cultists stay in mortal form 
  while others operate astrally. The astral cultists 
  can scout and spy on targets, while the corporeal 
  cultists wield mundane weapons and deal with 
  mortal authorities. For instance, if naguals wanted 
  to kidnap a victim from within a locked home, two 
  
  118 ■ Mystic Solo Villains 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  spirit-jaguars would slip inside to knock out the 
  target and open a door (which requires a DEX Roll, 
  because of the lack of ﬁne manipulation), and then 
  two corporeal cultists would carry out the victim 
  and re-lock the door behind them.
  Magic Items
  In addition to sending minions, avatars, and 
  visions, gods can aﬀect Earthly events through 
  magic items. The Jaguar Talisman and the Smoking 
  Mirror are typical examples of divine artifacts. They 
  enable their owners to wield a bit of Tezcatlipoca’s 
  power — at the price of placing themselves within 
  that power.
  Jaguar Talisman:  This magic item consists of a 
  stylized jaguar carved from black jade, 6 inches 
  long by 3 inches high and half an inch thick. Bits 
  of turquoise form the eyes. A person who holds the 
  talisman while meditating can project his astral 
  body as a nagual. (This could happen spontane-
  ously if the person falls asleep while holding the 
  talisman.) Repeated use turns the person into a 
  nagual, so he no longer needs the Talisman — but 
  also taints the user’s soul and warps his mind, 
  making him a loyal servant of Tezcatlipoca. The 
  god’s cult uses the Jaguar Talisman to turn recruits 
  into loyal naguals.
  Duplication (creates 181-point astral jaguar), 
  Easy Recombination (Zero Phase Action at full 
  DCV), Altered Duplicate (100%, +1) (92 Active 
  Points); IAF (-½), Independent (-2), Extra Time 
  (1 Minute to activate; -¾), Side Eﬀects (Major 
  Transform 1d6 to nagual cultist, as above, 
  always occurs; -½), Feedback (-1), Both Char-
  acters Die If They Do Not Recombine Within 
  24 Hours (-½), Corporeal Self Is Comatose and 
  Helpless (-1). Total Cost:  13 points.
  Smoking Mirror:  This disk of carved obsidian 
  enables a mortal to imitate Tezcatlipoca’s power to 
  curse people with bad luck. The foot-wide disk is 
  ﬂat and polished on one side, with a narrow border 
  carved with skulls and jaguars. The other side bears 
  a large carved jaguar surrounded by a border of 
  people who are obviously dying in pain.
  The mirror’s user needs a bit of hair, a nail clip-
  ping, blood, photograph, clothing, or something 
  else that came from his desired victim. He burns 
  the body relic on the Mirror while concentrating 
  upon his hatred for the victim. The Mirror absorbs 
  the smoke, which swirls within the black glass sur-
  face. If the Mirror works properly, the smoke parts 
  at the moment the user names his victim, and the 
  Mirror reﬂects the victim’s image. Sometime within 
  the next 24 hours, the victim suﬀers a potentially 
  deadly episode of bad luck — he has a terrible auto 
  accident, something heavy falls on him, or the like.
  Each murder performed using the Smoking 
  Mirror is a sacriﬁce to Tezcatlipoca, forging a bond 
  between the god and the mortal world. After ﬁve 
  such murders, the Lord of Misfortune can come to 
  Earth and stay as long as he wants — but he must 
  stay within 50 feet (8 hexes) of the Smoking Mirror. 
  Tezcatlipoca vanishes back to the Land Of Legends 
  if he moves beyond that limit.
  Cost Power
  14 
  Locate Victim:  Mind Scan 25d6; OAF (-1), 
  Independent (-2), Extra Time (5 Minutes; 
  -2), Mandatory Eﬀect (user must attempt 
  to achieve +20 “Mind Scan is undetectable 
  by target” eﬀect; -¼), Sympathetic Link 
  Required (see text; -½), 1 Charge (-2)
  7 
  Locate Victim:  +15 OECV with Locate 
  Victim Mind Scan; OAF (-1),  
  Independent (-2)
  21 
  Inﬂict Misfortune:  RKA 3d6, BOECV (PD/
  ED applies; +1), Does BODY (+1), Indirect 
  (+¾), Variable Special Eﬀects (any plausible 
  accident; +¼); OAF (-1), Independent 
  (-2), Extra Time (5 Minutes; -2), Damage Is 
  Inﬂicted At A Random Time Over The Next 
  24 Hours (-0), Sympathetic Link Required 
  (see text; -½), Visible (sensitive people dream 
  of Tezcatlipoca’s coming; -¼), 1 Charge (-2)
  71 
  Summon Tezcatlipoca:  Summon 1,784-point 
  Tezcatlipoca, Speciﬁc Being (+1); OAF (-1), 
  Independent (-2), Extra Time (Five Minutes; 
  -2), Only Works After User Commits Five 
  Murders Using The Mirror As A Sacriﬁcial 
  Altar (-1), Summoner Has No Control Over 
  Tezcatlipoca Whatsoever (-1), 1 Charge (-2)
  Total cost:  113 points.
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter Two 
  119 
  WITCHFINDER
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   20 STR 
  10 
  13- 
  Lift 400 kg; 4d6 [2]
   21 DEX 
  33 
  13- 
  OCV:  7/DCV:  7
   20 CON 
  20 
  13-
   13 BODY 6 
  12-
   18 INT 
  8 
  13- 
  PER Roll 13-
   18 EGO 
  16 
  13- 
  ECV:  6
   18 PRE 
  8 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  3½d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   9 PD 
  5 
   
  Total:  19 PD (10 rPD)
   9 ED 
  5 
   
  Total:  19 ED (10 rED)
   5 SPD 
  19 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   10 REC 
  4
   40 END 
  0
   33 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  134
  Movement: 
  Running:  9”/18”
   
  Swinging:  9”/18”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  50 
  Weapons Harness:  Multipower,  
  75-point reserve; OIF (-½)
  3u 
  1)  Riﬂe With Teﬂon Bullets:  RKA 2½d6, 
  Armor Piercing (+½), +1 Increased  
  STUN Multiplier (+¼); OAF (-1), Beam  
  (-¼), 16 Charges (-0) 
  [16]
  3u 
  2)  SMG:  RKA 2d6, Autoﬁre (5 shots;  
  +½), +1 Increased STUN Multiplier (+¼),  
  4 Clips of 30 Charges each (+½);  
  OAF (-1), Beam (-¼) 
  [30]
  2u 
  3)  Combat Shotgun:  RKA 2½d6, +2 
  Increased STUN Multiplier (+½); OAF  
  (-1), Reduced By Range (-¼), 2 Clips of  
  6 Charges each (-½) 
  [6]
  2u 
  4)  Gas Grenades:  Energy Blast 5d6,  
  NND (defense is Life Support [Self- 
  Contained Breathing or appropriate  
  Immunity]; +1), Area Of Eﬀect (One  
  Hex; +½), Personal Immunity (+¼);  
  OAF (-1), 4 Charges (-1) 
  [4]
  2u 
  5)  Flash/Bang Grenades:  Sight and  
  Hearing Groups Flash 9d6, Explosion  
  (+½); OAF (-1), 4 Charges (-1) 
  [4]
  3u 
  6)  Incendiary Grenades:  RKA 1½d6,  
  Area Of Eﬀect (One Hex; +½),  
  Continuous (+1), Penetrating (+½);  
  OAF (-1), 2 Continuing Charges lasting  
  1 Minute each (stopped by  
  smothering; -¾) 
  [2cc]
  2u 
  7)  Thunderstrips:  Energy Blast 8d6,  
  Explosion (+½), Indirect (slide under  
  doors or through small gaps; +¼); OAF  
  (-1), Limited Range (up to 4”, depending  
  on whether it’s thrown or slid; -¼),  
  2 Charges (-1½) 
  [2]
  1u 
  8)  Plastic Explosive:  RKA 3½d6, Time  
  Delay (countdown timer; +¼); OAF (-1), 
  Extra Time (1 Turn; -1¼), No Range (-½),  
  4 Charges (-1) 
  [4]
  1u 
  9)  Smoke Pellets:  Darkness to Sight  
  Group 2” radius; OAF (-1), Range Based  
  On Strength (-¼), 2 Continuing Charges 
  lasting 2 Phases each (-1¼) 
  [2cc]
  1u 
  10)  Holy Water Grenades:  Change  
  Environment 2” radius (ﬁll area with  
  holy water); OAF (-1), 12 Charges (-¼) [12]
  1u 
  11)  Silver Dagger:  HKA 1d6+1 (2½d6  
  with STR); OAF (-1) 
  2
   
  Martial Arts:  Eclectic Style
   
  Maneuver 
  OCV DCV 
  Notes
  4 
  Choke Hold 
  -2 
  +0 
  20 STR Grab, 
  2d6 NND(2)
  4 
  Disarm 
  -1 
  +1 
  30 STR Disarm
  5 
  Joint Break 
  -2 
  +0 
  HKA ½d6 
  (1d6+1 w/STR)
  3 
  Slam 
  +0 
  +1 
  4d6 + vel/5; 
  Target Falls
  20 
  Armored Costume:  Armor (10 PD/ 
  10 ED); OIF (-½) 
  0
  5 
  Visor Shielding:  Sight Group Flash  
  Defense (10 points); OAF (-1) 
  0
  2 
  Visor Light Enhancement:  Nightvision;  
  OAF (-1) 
  0
  2 
  Visor Thermal Imaging:  Infrared  
  Perception (Sight Group); OAF (-1) 
  0
  3 
  Visor Magniﬁcation:  +4 versus Range  
  Modiﬁer for Sight Group; OAF (-1) 
  0
  10 
  Mystic Bracers:  Missile Deﬂection (all  
  Ranged Attacks); OIF (-½), Only Works 
  Against Limited Type Of Attack (magic; -½) 0
  9 
  Mystic Bracers:  Detect Magic 13-  
  (Sight Group), Discriminatory, Telescopic 
  (+2 versus Range Modiﬁer); OIF (-½) 
  0
  3 
  Mystic Bracers:  Power Defense (5 points); 
  OIF (-½) 
  0
  6 
  Trained Will:  Mental Defense  
  (10 points total) 
  0
  2 
  Fleet Of Foot:  Running +3” (9” total) 
  1
  4 
  Swingline:  Swinging 9”, OAF (-1) 
  1
   
  Talents
  3 
  Lightsleep
   
  Skills
  16 
  +2 with All Combat
  6 
  Range Skill Levels:  +2 versus Range Modiﬁer 
  with All Attacks
  12 
  +6 OCV with Missile Deﬂection
  3 
  Acrobatics 13-
  3 
  Breakfall 13-
  3 
  Bugging 13-
  3 
  Climbing 13-
  3 
  Demolitions 13-
  3 
  Electronics 13-
  3 
  Interrogation 13-
  3 
  Lockpicking 13-
  3 
  Mechanics 13-
  3 
  Paramedic 13-
  3 
  Security Systems 13-
  3 
  Sleight Of Hand 13-
  3 
  Stealth 13-
  2 
  Weaponsmith (Firearms) 13-
  3 
  Scholar
  1 
  1)  KS: Monsters In Human Shape 11-
  1 
  2)  KS: The Mystic World 11-
  1 
  3)  KS: Real Magic 11-
  2 
  4)  KS: Supernatural Creatures 13-
  2 
  5)  KS: Western Occultism 13-
   WITCHFINDER  
  PLOT SEEDS
  The PCs receive a dele-
  gation of night-creatures 
  who pledge to reform 
  if the PCs can stop the 
  Witchﬁnder from kill-
  ing them:  the vampire 
  will buy his blood, the 
  bokor will stop making 
  zombies, and so on. The 
  Witchﬁnder is not easy 
  to ﬁnd, however... and 
  some delegates say their 
  oﬀer to live within the 
  law has a time limit.
  Jeremy Blaine escapes 
  from jail and van-
  ishes. Two days later, 
  a DEMON Morbane 
  spreads the word 
  through the mystic 
  grapevine that he took 
  the Witchﬁnder from 
  jail, has brainwashed 
  him, and will send him 
  against any mystic, 
  occultist, or night-crea-
  ture in the region who 
  does not oﬀer tribute to 
  DEMON — magic items 
  and grimoires preferred, 
  but samples of blood 
  and hair will do. Is it all 
  a bluﬀ?
  The Witchﬁnder shoots 
  a PC, putting the hero in 
  a coma. The other PCs 
  must ﬁnd a way to enter 
  the visionary landscape 
  of the character’s uncon-
  scious mind and memo-
  ries to ﬁnd the victim’s 
  soul and guide him back 
  to consciousness. They 
  must run a gauntlet, 
  however, of villains they 
  fought before. In the 
  world of the mind, the 
  villains are just as pow-
  erful as the characters 
  remember them to be.
  
  120 ■ Mystic Solo Villains 
  Hero System 5th Edition Revised
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  239
  Total Cost:  373
  200+ Disadvantages
  5 
  Distinctive Features:  Mystic Aura tainted 
  by bracers (Not Concealable, Noticed and 
  Recognizable, Detectable Only With Unusual 
  Senses)
  20 
  Hunted:   FBI 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture)
  20 
  Hunted:   DEMON 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:   supernatural creature of GM’s 
  choice 8- (As Pow, Kill)
  25 
  Psychological Limitation:  Utter Hatred Of 
  The Supernatural (Very Common, Total)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Ruthless (Very 
  Common, Moderate)
  10 
  Reputation:  Murderous Lunatic 8- 
  (Extreme)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Jeremy 
  Blaine) (Frequently, Major)
  53 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  373
  Background/History:  One night, little Jeremy 
  Blaine’s comfortable, middle-class childhood came 
  crashing down. He and his parents were caught in 
  Takofanes’s debut march across the United States. 
  The Archlich slew Jeremy’s parents and reanimated 
  them as part of his army of the dead. Perhaps he 
  didn’t see Jeremy cowering behind a dumpster; 
  perhaps he simply didn’t need a small boy zombie. 
  Jeremy didn’t appreciate the favor.
  Jeremy grew up in foster care. He became a 
  top student and star athlete in high school, but he 
  turned down all the oﬀers he received from college 
  recruiters. On his eighteenth birthday, he inherited 
  his parents’ modest savings and used the money for 
  a 5-year trip around the world. He visited private 
  libraries and esoteric sages, martial arts trainers 
  and weaponsmiths. At the end he was ready to 
  begin his life’s work.
  That meeting with Takofanes taught Jeremy 
  that devils walked the night, and the worst of all 
  were the devils in human form who treated with 
  the Dark Powers. He lost his parents to black magic, 
  but he could stop the magicians from claiming any 
  more victims... by killing them all ﬁrst.
  Personality/Motivation:  Jeremy cannot forgive 
  himself for living while his parents died, and his 
  irrational guilt fuels his hatred of all sorcerers and 
  supernatural creatures. He wants to purge all magic 
  from the world — kill the wizards, burn their books 
  and sanctums, and destroy their artifacts — or die 
  in the attempt. He sees all other supernatural crea-
  tures as pawns of the mystics, and tries to destroy 
  them as well. The Witchﬁnder may spare a few 
  
  Arcane Adversaries ■ Chapter Two 
  121 
  magic items if they help him kill mystics, but he 
  plans to destroy them too, once the last sorcerer 
  is dead. If one mystic escapes a few of Jeremy’s 
  ambushes, however, the Witchﬁnder might become 
  so obsessed with that particular character that he 
  would use any magic — even make his own pact 
  with a supernatural being — just to kill his nemesis.
  Quote:  “‘Thou shalt not suﬀer a witch to live’ — so 
  you can suﬀer and die!”
  Powers/Tactics:  The Witchﬁnder owns a pair of 
  ornate bracers that parry spells, glow to point the 
  direction of magic, and grant him limited defense 
  against some mystical forces. Jeremy doesn’t know 
  that Mephistopheles arranged for him to ﬁnd the 
  bracers and can turn them oﬀ whenever he wants. 
  The Witchﬁnder won’t get a chance to kill Mephis-
  to’s most favored servants — just their competition.
  Witchﬁnder is a hyper-competent man with 
  a lot of paramilitary hardware:  guns, grenades, 
  explosives, and the like. He has a weapon that can 
  kill, or at least hurt, just about anything supernatu-
  ral. He even created special holy water grenades to 
  use on vampires and demons. If the Witchﬁnder 
  believes a creature suﬀers a special weakness (such 
  as silver for werewolves or salt for zombies), he 
  creates special ammunition loaded or coated with 
  that substance. He can also create traps, from letter 
  bombs to sunlight-channeling ﬁber optic cables.
  The Witchﬁnder never openly challenges 
  the mystics or creatures he hunts. He stalks them, 
  learning their habits so he can ﬁnd an opportunity 
  to attack with complete surprise. He may settle 
  for shooting a sorcerer through the head from a 
  rooftop, but he prefers to leave a messy corpse as a 
  warning about what other people can expect if they 
  meddle with the Black Arts. If his target doesn’t die 
  quickly, he ﬂees to try again later.
  Campaign Use:  The Witchﬁnder talks a lot about 
  the menace of magic, but he’s quite a menace him-
  self. He’s no heroic but misguided monster-hunter; 
  he’s a maniac who burns down New Age bookstores 
  with the customers locked inside, just to “make a 
  statement.” Mystical PCs not only need to protect 
  themselves from the Witchﬁnder, they need to 
  protect everyone near them, or anyone who simply 
  shows an interest in the supernatural.
  If the Witchﬁnder isn’t powerful enough to 
  threaten the characters, give him more powerful 
  weapons or Targeting Skill Levels so he can reli-
  ably shoot victims in the head or vitals. He may 
  also receive extra Damage Classes with his Jujutsu 
  and higher DEX and defenses. If the Witchﬁnder 
  is too lethal, remove his Combat Skill Levels — but 
  remember, the whole point with this character is to 
  challenge the PCs with a foe who strikes without 
  warning and from a distance.
  The Witchﬁnder Hunts every supernatural 
  creature or mystic. If mystical PCs attract his atten-
  tion, he tries to kill them. If they survive his ﬁrst 
  attack, he tries to kill them again, and again, until 
  he thinks he’s succeeded or the heroes catch him.
  Once the heroes capture the Witchﬁnder, they 
  must decide how much they want to keep him alive. 
  DEMON is only the most prominent group that 
  wants the Witchﬁnder dead because of his attacks 
  on them.
  Appearance:  The Witchﬁnder is a wiry man of 
  middle height, in his late 20s. He has crewcut 
  brown hair, grey eyes, and a brooding expression. 
  He wears a big game hunter-style ammunition vest 
  and belt hung with grenades and tool pouches, over 
  a camo-patterned ﬂak suit. He also wears a military 
  helmet with high-tech goggles. His forearms bear 
  teardrop-shaped bracers enameled with three sigils 
  and a twisty border.
  
  122 
  Hero System 5th Edition
  This summary table provides a quick reference for GMs looking for a particular type of villain for use in 
  a scenario. (Agents and the like are not included.) The table includes two categories of information. The ﬁrst 
  is the archetype or archetypes the character belongs to, using the ones deﬁned on pages 69—80 of Champions 
  (the Patriot archetype is not included; none of the villains in this book ﬁt it, since it’s mostly an archetype for 
  heroes). The second category includes other types of useful information, as follows:
  Alien:  The character is not native to Earth; he comes from another planet or dimension.
  Goal:  The character has a speciﬁc goal, other than those listed elsewhere; see his writeup for information.
  Greedy:  The character is motivated by a desire for wealth, luxuries, and the like.
  Loner:  The character does not get along well with others, and rarely teams up with other villains.
  Master Villain:  The character is powerful enough to threaten entire nations or worlds in the right circumstances.
  Mercenary:  The character is a villain—for—hire; he commits crimes for pay.
  Mutant:  The character’s powers derive from his mutant physiology.
  Powerhungry:  The character lusts for power and control over others.
  Technological:  The character uses, or has powers related to, super—technology.
  Thief:  The character’s primary form of crime is stealing.
  Violent:  The character is prone to violence, bloodshed, and/or destruction.
  Survey:  The character’s typical ranking in the Department of Defense’s Superhuman Survey. From most to 
  least dangerous, the rankings are Omega, Delta, Beta, and Alpha.  
  A character’s ranking may change from year to year, or be debated within the defense community.
  Points:  The total number of Character Points the character is built with.
  MASTER REFERENCE CHART OF VILLAINS
  Angler 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  450
  Archdruid Airetach 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  325
  Arkwright, Tappan 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  366
  Astralle 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  A 
  350
  Black Fang 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  X 
  350
  Bromion 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  999
  Chatoyant 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  A 
  351
  Demonologist 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  D 
  430
  Doctor Teneber 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  B 
  363
  Duquesne, Martika 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  229
  Duquesne, Roger 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  158
  Evil Eye 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  A 
  523
  Frag 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  A 
  329
  Golem 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  A 
  483
  Gyre 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  B 
  372
  Hand Of Deizzorath 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  705
  Harpy 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  A 
  350
  Hell Rider 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  B 
  399
  Kapilasa 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  B 
  407
  Lamplighter 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  633
  Liefeld, Cornelius 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  280
  McFarlane, Bocal 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  X 
  446
  Mind Thief 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  261
  Mother Gothel 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  350
  Nagual Cultist 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  X 
  183
  Patriarch 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  640
  Spawn of Vulshoth 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  589
  Squrm 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  500
  Tartarus 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  B 
  400
  Tezcatlipoca 
  X 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  X 
  1,784
  Vandaleur, Adrian 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  1,030
  Vandaleur, Anais 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  X 
  612
  Vandaleur, Eduard 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  X 
  612
  Vandaleur, Tobias 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  224
  Vilsimbra  
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  B 
  473
  Vulshoth 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  X 
  2,008
  Wicker Man 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  X 
  294
  Witchﬁnder 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  B 
  373
  Alien
  Goal
  Greedy
  Loner
  Master Villain
  Mercenary
  Mutant
  Powerhungry
  Technological
  Thief
  Brick
  Energy Projector
  Gadgeteer
  Martial Artist
  Mentalist
  Metamorph
  Mystic
  Powered Armor
  Speedster
  Weaponmater
  Violent
  Survey
  Points
  
  123 
  Arcane Adversaries
  SUPERVILLAIN SUMMARY TABLE
  Name 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  BODY 
  PRE 
  PD/rPD 
  ED/rED 
  SPD 
  REC 
  STUN 
  OCV 
  DCV 
  MOVE 
  Attacks 
  Page
  Angler 
  15 
  23 
  23 
  10 
  20 
  31/10 
  31/10 
  4 
  8 
  30 
  8 
  8 
  6”, [12”], !15”! 
  HKA 2d6 NND 
  51
  Archdruid Airetach 
  10 
  14 
  13 
  13 
  20 
  8/3 
  8/3 
  3 
  5 
  25 
  5 
  5 
  7” 
  MC 10d6, Drain 2d6, KA 2d6           
  9
  Arkwright, Tappan 
  8 
  21 
  18 
  10 
  20 
  30/3 
  30/3 
  4 
  6 
  30 
  7 
  7 
  6” 
  Ent 4d6, RKA 6d6  
  49
  Astralle 
  10 
  18 
  18 
  10 
  20 
  23/15 
  23/15 
  5 
  6 
  24 
  6 
  6 
  6”, [17”] 
  Flash 8d6, MC 12d6, RKA 2½d6 
  67
  Black Fang 
  30 
  29 
  23 
  13 
  25 
  32/15 
  28/11 
  7 
  20 
  45 
  10 
  10 
  16” 
  HKA 2d6% 
  90
  Brimstone 
  30 
  20 
  22 
  18 
  20 
  12/4 
  12/4 
  6 
  10 
  44 
  7 
  7 
  13”, {8”} 
  HKA 1d6%, RKA 3d6 Pen 
  107
  Bromion 
  30 
  26 
  30 
  20 
  30 
  25/25 
  25/25 
  5 
  15 
  50 
  9 
  9 
  6”, [20”] 
  MC 12d6, Ent 3d6, EB 6d6 BOECV 
  92
  Chatoyant 
  23 
  23 
  25 
  10 
  20 
  25/10 
  25/10 
  5 
  10 
  35 
  8 
  8 
  15”, !5”!, !5K km! 
  HKA 1½d6%, HA +4d6% AVLD 
  83
  Demonologist 
  8 
  17 
  13 
  10 
  20 
  21/6 
  21/6 
  4 
  5 
  21 
  6 
  6 
  6” 
  Magic VPP 
  22
  Doctor Teneber 
  13 
  18 
  18 
  10 
  20 
  30/14 
  30/14 
  4 
  8 
  30 
  6 
  6 
  6”, [13”] 
  Ent 6d6, EB 12d6, MC 10d6 
  96
  Duquesne, Martika 
  8 
  14 
  13 
  10 
  20 
  4/0 
  4/0 
  3 
  5 
  21 
  5 
  5 
  6” 
  Magic VPP 
  14
  Duquesne, Roger 
  13 
  14 
  13 
  10 
  18 
  4/0 
  4/0 
  3 
  6 
  24 
  5 
  5 
  6” 
  HKA 1d6+1%, Ego 3d6 
  16
  Evil Eye 
  10 
  18 
  15 
  10 
  13 
  38/30 
  38/30 
  5 
  5 
  23 
  6 
  6 
  6” 
  Telekinesis (60 STR), Drain 2d6 
  99
  Frag 
  15 
  20 
  23 
  15 
  20 
  23/4 
  23/4 
  5 
  10 
  35 
  7 
  7 
  7”, 12” 
  HA +10d6, EB 7d6, RKA 2d6 
  101
  Golem (statue) 
  50 
  20 
  10 
  20 
  25 
  10/10 
  10/10 
  4 
  12 
  —  
  7 
  7 
  6” 
  10d6 
  26
  Golem (Frogge) 
  8 
  15 
  15 
  10 
  13 
  3/0 
  3/0 
  3 
  5 
  25 
  5 
  5 
  6” 
  Animate statues or objects 
  25
  Gyre 
  10 
  18 
  15 
  10 
  13 
  27/21 
  27/21 
  4 
  5 
  23 
  6 
  6 
  6”, [13”], !15”! 
  Magic VPP, EB 8d6 
  29
  Hand Of Deizzorath 
  —  
  20 
  —  
  —  
  —  
  —  
  —  
  4 
  —  
  —  
  7 
  7 
  0”, [10”] 
  RKA 1d6 NND AE 
  46
  Harpy 
  50 
  23 
  25 
  16 
  20 
  27/7 
  23/5 
  5 
  15 
  55 
  8 
  8 
  6”, [20”] 
  HKA 2d6%, EB 6d6 AE Pen 
  103
  Hell Rider 
  25 
  24 
  23 
  16 
  20 
  21/10 
  21/10 
  6 
  10 
  41 
  8 
  8 
  6”, [15”] 
  HKA 3d6%, HKA 2d6% Pen 
  105
  Kapilasa 
  30 
  18 
  20 
  10 
  20 
  15/0 
  15/0 
  4 
  10 
  40 
  6 
  6 
  6” 
  RKA 1½d6 NND, RKA 3d6 Pen 
  32
  Lamplighter 
  25 
  24 
  25 
  14 
  30 
  25/10 
  25/10 
  5 
  10 
  40 
  8 
  8 
  6” 
  MC 12d6, Ego 7d6, Ego 3d6 AE 
  108
  Liefeld, Cornelius 
  8 
  14 
  18 
  12 
  10 
  18/6 
  18/6 
  3 
  6 
  25 
  5 
  5 
  6” 
  Alchemy VPP 
  70
  McFarlane, Bocal 
  33 
  17 
  23 
  16 
  25 
  23/7 
  23/7 
  5 
  12 
  45 
  6 
  6 
  6”, [5”], !15”! 
  RKA 1d6, AVLD, Transform 3d6 
  64
  Mind Thief 
  3 
  14 
  13 
  5 
  10 
  9/2 
  9/2 
  3 
  4 
  14 
  5 
  5 
  7” 
  RKA 4d6 NND, Transform 2d6 
  53
  Mother Gothel 
  20 
  23 
  20 
  15 
  20 
  23/7 
  23/7 
  5 
  10 
  35 
  8 
  8 
  6” 
  HKA 2d6%, EB 10d6, Ego 5d6 
  111
  Nagual Cultist 
  13 
  14 
  15 
  10 
  15 
  8/0 
  8/0 
  3 
  6 
  25 
  5 
  5 
  12” 
  HKA 1d6% 
  117
  Patriarch 
  20 
  23 
  23 
  13 
  30 
  15/0 
  15/0 
  5 
  10 
  35 
  8 
  8 
  6” 
  Magic VPP, HKA 1d6% 
  60
  Spawn of Vulshoth 
  35 
  21 
  20 
  17 
  30 
  30/10 
  30/10 
  5 
  15 
  45 
  7 
  7 
  0”, [10”], !25”! 
  RKA 4d6, MC 6d6, Ego 6½d6 
  54
  Squrm 
  25 
  18 
  23 
  15 
  20 
  31/8 
  31/8 
  5 
  10 
  40 
  6 
  6 
  1”, [12”] 
  RKA 1d6, MC 8d6 
  56
  Tartarus 
  50 
  21 
  23 
  13 
  20 
  30/15 
  30/15 
  5 
  15 
  50 
  7 
  7 
  6”, [17”] 
  HKA 2d6%, RKA 3d6+1 
  35
  Tezcatlipoca 
  60 
  30 
  30 
  25 
  40 
  35/30 
  35/30 
  6 
  20 
  70 
  10 
  10 
  17”, !17”! 
  Magic VPP, HKA 1½d6% Var Adv 
  113
  Vandaleur, Adrian 
  10 
  23 
  50 
  20 
  15 
  15/3 
  15/3 
  5 
  15 
  50 
  8 
  8 
  9” 
  Magic VPP, Dispel Magic 25d6 
  76
  Vandaleur, Anais 
  13 
  20 
  18 
  14 
  25 
  23/16 
  27/20 
  5 
  10 
  30 
  7 
  7 
  6”, [14”], !100km! 
  Flash 8d6, EB 8d6, RKA 2½d6 Pen 
  80
  Vandaleur, Eduard 
  13 
  20 
  18 
  14 
  25 
  23/16 
  27/20 
  5 
  10 
  30 
  7 
  7 
  6”, [14”], !100km! 
  Flash 8d6, EB 8d6, RKA 2½d6 Pen 
  80
  Vandaleur, Tobias 
  8 
  10 
  10 
  10 
  15 
  2/0 
  2/0 
  2 
  4 
  20 
  3 
  3 
  6”, !10”! 
  Magic VPP 
  85
  Vilsimbra 
  8 
  20 
  15 
  10 
  25 
  19/6 
  19/6 
  5 
  5 
  22 
  7 
  7 
  6” 
  Magic VPPs, HKA 1d6% Pen 
  37
  Vulshoth 
  80 
  21 
  50 
  35 
  30 
  40/40 
  40/40 
  6 
  30 
  100 
  7 
  7 
  0”, [15”] 
  MC 10d6 AE, 16d6, Ent 5d6 
  43
  Wicker Man 
  20 
  15 
  10 
  8 
  10 
  10/9 
  10/9 
  3 
  6 
  —  
  5 
  5 
  6” 
  HKA 1½d6 DS 
  18
  Witchﬁnder 
  20 
  21 
  20 
  13 
  18 
  19/10 
  19/10 
  5 
  10 
  33 
  7 
  7 
  9”, !9”! 
  RKA 2½d6 AP, RKA 2d6 AF 
  119
  SUPERVILLAIN SUMMARY TABLE
  The following table provides basic information about all the villains described in this book for easy reference. All characters are listed in alphabetical order, without regard for which chapter they appear in. The 
  “Attacks” column lists only the character’s most common or prominent attacks, since most villains have too many ways to attack to list them all. See the end of the table for an explanation of the notation used.
  Attacks
  #:  A Normal Damage
  (#):  A Killing Damage 
  AE:  Area Of Eﬀect
  AF:  Autoﬁre
  AP:  Armor Piercing
  BOECV:  Based On Ego 
  Combat Value
  DKB:  Double Knockback
  Drn:  Drain
  DS:  Damage Shield
  Ego:  Ego Attack
  Ent:  Entangle
  EX:  Explosion
  MC:  Mind Control
  MS:  MegaScaled
  NND:  No Normal Defense
  Pen:  Penetrating
  Var Adv:  Variable Advan-
  tages
  %:  Character can increase 
  the attack’s damage with 
  STR
  Movement
  #”:  Running 
  (#”):  Swimming (listed only 
  if character can swim faster 
  than 2”)
  [#”]:  Flight
  {#”}:  Leaping (listed only if 
  character can leap a diﬀer-
  ent distance than indicated 
  by its STR)
  !#”!:  Special mode of  
  movement (e.g., Swinging, 
  Tunneling, Teleportation)
  NOTES
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Hero System/Hero System - Arcane Adversaries.pdf