TEXT: By Stan!
  A Short Urban Arcana Adventure for Four 9th-Level Characters
  THE PETERSEN 
  COUNTERSTRIKE
  The world is an unsafe place. We all know it. With the
  rise of modern terrorist tactics, it seems like no place
  is safe—anything can happen to anyone, anywhere, at
  any time. We all feel more secure and comfortable in
  our own homes than elsewhere, but in reality, home
  offers little more protection than the office, the mall,
  or any other public place. In fact, for those involved
  in high-security work, home is sometimes the weak-
  est link in the chain of personal protection.
  In The Petersen Counterstrike, a terrorist organiza-
  tion strikes at Department-7 by targeting the home of
  one of its employees.
  LEVELS
  You, the Game Master (GM), need a copy of the d20
  MODERN Roleplaying Game to run this adventure. To
  get started, print out the adventure (including the
  map) and read it through. Familiarize yourself with
  the various GM characters and their individual
  motives and abilities. Then make sure you are familiar
  with the rules for combat, movement, and cover from
  Chapter 5 of the d20 MODERN Roleplaying Game.
  The Petersen Counterstrike is a short scenario for
  four 9th-level heroes. With slight modifications, you
  can make it suitable for heroes at other levels (or
  groups as large or small as you’re comfortable adjudi-
  cating). See the Scaling the Adventure sidebar for
  guidelines on adapting it for other groups. 
  The text that appears in shaded boxes should be
  read aloud or paraphrased for the players. Opponents’
  statistics are provided in abbreviated form.
  This adventure can be set in any large city. A map
  showing the major encounter areas is provided. With
  a little work, the locations presented in the adventure
  could be adapted for any locale.
  
  d20MODERN
  2
  BACKGROUND
  No matter how you choose to depict Department-7 in your
  campaign, it is an organization with vast resources. Among its
  holdings are many items that could be described as works of
  art, collector pieces, and even museum-quality artifacts. To
  keep track of these items and insure their proper care,
  Department-7 employs an entire department of archivists
  and antiquarians. The head of this department is Professor
  Grant Petersen.
  Professor Petersen
  Grant Petersen is an expert in the identification, reclamation,
  and preservation of relics and curios. He has earned nearly a
  dozen advanced degrees from the most prestigious universi-
  ties in the Western Hemisphere, and he is considered among
  the most knowledgeable people on the planet in areas rang-
  ing from antiquarian books to xenobiological models. At
  present, he is the curator of Department-7’s property
  archives.
  Although Professor Petersen has an office, extensive stor-
  age facilities, and a state-of-the-art laboratory at one of
  Department-7’s high-security facilities, his work generally
  does not require such precautions. In fact, he performs the
  lion’s share of his research via the Internet from an office in
  his penthouse home.
  In recognition of his many contributions, Department-7
  has allowed the professor to decorate his home and office
  with various items from the archives. He is quite circumspect
  in the use of this privilege, taking care to select pieces that,
  while interesting and aesthetically pleasing, have no particu-
  lar monetary, occult, or historical value.
  Due to an error in archiving, however, two of his most
  recent acquisitions do have considerable value—albeit to a
  rather limited audience. The professor’s home office cur-
  rently contains a matched pair of 4th-century occult totems
  that were mislabeled as a set of 19th-century replicas. The
  only person who knows about the error is the professor’s
  wife, Audrey—and she has her own reasons for not revealing
  the truth.
  Audrey Petersen
  Audrey Petersen is more than what she seems. On the sur-
  face, she is a well-educated, urbane woman—the perfect life
  mate for the professor. She and Grant did their undergradu-
  ate and masters studies together, then got married the sum-
  mer before they planned to begin work on their Ph.D.
  degrees. Throughout their college days, Audrey had always
  been Grant’s intellectual equal and academic peer. That’s why
  it came as such a surprise to everyone when Audrey with-
  drew from the Ph.D. program shortly after the wedding.
  She told friends and colleagues that supporting her hus-
  band was more important to her than “pushing on to get one
  more sheepskin.” Some people considered her action a lov-
  ing gesture; others saw it as horribly old-fashioned. Everyone,
  however, was convinced that it was a choice Audrey had
  made happily. To this day, no one—not even Grant Petersen—
  knows how wrong that supposition is.
  In fact, Audrey had always seen Grant as competition—
  someone to be beaten in the cutthroat world of academia.
  But beating him was difficult, since he was her equal in every
  way—indeed, he was better at the political maneuvering that
  is so important in academic circles than she was. Clearly, he
  would always come out on top, and that thought gnawed at
  Audrey. In the end, she decided she would rather give up her
  work altogether than forever play second-fiddle to her rival.
  The ironic aspect of the situation is that over the years,
  Audrey has become better at playing politics than Grant ever
  was. She has been a supporter of every academic department
  he has ever belonged to, and she has been serving as his pri-
  mary research assistant for many years, though she has yet to
  receive any credit for her work. This lack of recognition has
  preyed on her mind, gradually twisting her into a bitter, spite-
  ful woman. Though she has never showed any outward sign
  of dissatisfaction, she has been longing to find a way to
  upstage Grant and take her rightful place in the spotlight.
  None of Audrey’s friends or relatives has ever guessed the
  extent of the jealousy that she has been hiding all these
  years. No one has ever known the secret dreams she har-
  bored—no one, that is, except Nicholas St. Andrew.
  Nicholas St. Andrew
  Nicholas St. Andrew considers himself one of the world’s
  leading experts on the occult and pagan folklore. Most
  recognized authorities, however, consider him a charismatic
  THE PETERSON COUNTERSTRIKE 
  Scaling the Adventure
  The situations described in this adventure are suitable
  for heroes of any level. All you need do to make it suit-
  able for your game is modify the levels of the hostage
  takers so that the Encounter Levels are appropriate for
  your heroes. Alternatively, you can gain the same effect
  by increasing or decreasing the number of antagonists.
  Just the Beginning
  The Petersen Counterstrike can be used as a stand-alone
  adventure. You can place it in your campaign anywhere
  you see fit—particularly if you used the information in
  the Scaling the Adventure sidebar to modify the oppo-
  nents for your campaign. The scenario requires neither
  previous knowledge on the part of the heroes, nor any
  understanding of a larger plot on your part. 
  However, The Petersen Counterstrike is also the first in
  a series of five adventures that, when strung together,
  constitute a more complex and detailed tale of decep-
  tion, murder, and lust for power that is entitled Heartless.
  While The Petersen Counterstrike is completely mun-
  dane, featuring no magical components, the series will
  become more fantastic as it continues. If your campaign
  precludes the existence of monsters, spellcasting, and
  other occult elements, you can use this opening chapter
  with little or no modification, but you may have to make
  adjustments to later chapters of Heartless. Indeed, you
  may wish to wait until all five chapters have been
  released before deciding whether to use the storyline as
  it is presented or adapt it into something that better
  suits your campaign.
  
  d20MODERN
  3
  confidence artist and an accomplished thief. A few also know
  that he is the leader of a cult known as the Children of Chaos.
  For years, Nicholas has passed himself off as a legitimate
  scholar engaged in research on various ancient mysteries.
  Most of his rich, gullible patrons believe that he is working
  on recovering Noah’s ark, locating Solomon’s mines, or chas-
  ing some other archeological pipe dream. In truth, he has
  been using their generous donations to bankroll the theft of
  various occult artifacts. Nicholas now possesses an extensive
  collection of sacrificial daggers, several stone and ivory
  altars, and a library full of scrolls and tomes.
  In the course of his research, he stumbled onto what he
  believes is a method of gaining godlike powers.
  Unfortunately, two of the items necessary to perform this
  ritual are in the private archive of Department-7. 
  The Plot
  Nicholas met Audrey Petersen while he was investigating her
  husband’s work. He immediately recognized her as a kindred
  spirit—a fellow expert in the arts of subterfuge and subtle
  manipulation.
  Nicholas first approached Audrey as a fellow scholar, ask-
  ing her for help with one of his projects. Over a period of
  months, he played to her ego, praising her talents while
  slowly acquainting her with his true ambitions. Eventually, he
  revealed that only the acquisition of a particular pair of arti-
  facts currently in Department-7’s custody stood between the
  two of them and incredible power. As a woman of science,
  Audrey didn’t really believe that anyone could receive mystic
  powers from the rituals that Nicholas described. But she did
  realize that losing these items would make her husband look
  foolish in the eyes of his employer and the world—particu-
  larly if the loss could be made painfully public.
  Using Audrey’s desire to discredit her husband, Nicholas
  drew her inexorably into his scheme. Eventually, she was
  completely committed to his plan, even though she
  remained utterly unconvinced of the mystic power that
  Nicholas knew they would eventually wield. 
  It was Audrey who completed Phase One of the plan. She
  purposely mislabeled the two artifacts, knowing that her
  husband would never think to question her judgment, or
  even look closely at the totems. She then convinced Grant
  that the two objects would be marvelous additions to their
  home collection.
  Nicholas and Audrey didn’t initially agree about how Phase
  Two of the plan would proceed. Nicholas wanted Audrey to
  simply remove the items from her home and claim they had
  been stolen when the loss was noticed. But Audrey knew
  that too much could go wrong with such a plan when
  Department-7 was involved. Besides, she wanted a method
  that would discredit Grant as well as acquire the desired
  items. So the two developed a complex scheme involving a
  smokescreen of hostages and ransom demands.
  As the adventure opens, Phase Two of the plan is about to
  commence. A group of commandos loyal to the Children of
  Chaos will break into the Petersen home, take hostages
  (including Audrey and Grant), and demand money and an
  entirely different artifact (a German occult book) as ransom
  from Department-7. Nicholas will alert the media to the sit-
  uation to ensure that the incident receives maximum media
  coverage—thus ensuring that Professor Petersen’s reputation
  is impugned.
  In the confusion, Audrey will slip the 4th-century totems
  into her pockets. She and Nicholas presume that whatever
  operatives Department-7 sends to handle the situation can
  defeat the commandos and “rescue” Audrey, enabling her to
  bring the totems out and hand them over to Nicholas when
  the time is right. The commandos know that their number-
  one objective is to ensure that whoever opposes them man-
  ages to rescue Audrey alive. Their secondary goal is to wreck
  the place enough so that it will be difficult to tell whether
  anything is missing.
  If all goes according to plan, it should be days or even
  weeks before anyone notices that the totems are gone. At
  that point, thanks to Audrey’s judicious mislabeling, no one
  will be particularly anxious to retrieve two worthless repro-
  ductions. Department-7 already knows about Nicholas’s
  involvement with the Children of Chaos, and that he has a
  reputation as a deranged villain as well as an egomaniac. If, as
  he hopes, Department-7’s investigators focus their inquiries
  on him, they are much less likely to look for deeper motiva-
  tions or unknown accomplices. And even should the
  Department-7 operatives manage to figure out that Audrey
  was working with the hostage-takers, they will still think that
  the book was the goal. With so many red herrings to confuse
  the issue, Nicholas hopes that Department-7 will never be
  able to figure out what the Children of Chaos are really up
  to—until ultimate power is his.
  SYNOPSIS
  The adventure begins when a videocassette arrives at the
  local Department-7 offices. The tape contains a message from
  one of the commandos claiming that the Children of Chaos
  have broken into the home of Professor Grant Petersen during
  a rather large dinner party and taken everyone hostage. The
  commando claims that he and his associates will kill one per-
  son every 2 hours if Department-7 does not give them $10 mil-
  lion, a particular occult artifact, and a means of escape.
  It’s clear from the tape that the intruders are organized,
  well equipped, and highly trained. They patrol the penthouse
  regularly but keep themselves and the hostages well away
  from the exterior walls. 
  Before plans can be made for any rescue attempt, how-
  ever, television and radio broadcasts are interrupted with
  news of the situation. St. Andrew has alerted the media in an
  effort to ensure that Professor Petersen’s dilemma is made as
  public as possible.
  Department-7 immediately seizes control of the situation,
  sending in its own forces (the heroes) to rescue the hostages
  and ensure the safety of the artifacts in the house. Since
  Department-7 does not want mundane law enforcement
  agents to know its business, officials within the organization
  pull strings to have the heroes put in charge of the situation.
  When play begins, the heroes have 90 minutes before the
  scheduled death of the first hostage—Grant Petersen himself.
  Character Hooks
  As GM, you know best how to involve your players and their
  characters in an adventure. This scenario is constructed
  THE PETERSON COUNTERSTRIKE 
  
  d20MODERN
  4
  specifically for heroes employed by Department-7. Since
  there are no magical or other fantastic elements, it should fit
  well with whatever incarnation Department-7 takes in your
  campaign.
  If the heroes are not employees of Department-7, a simi-
  lar organization, or an appropriate peacekeeping agency, you
  can use the following adventure hooks to spur your imagina-
  tion, modifying them as necessary to make them appropriate
  for the characters’ interests.
  •
  The heroes are well acquainted with Professor Petersen,
  having met him in previous adventures. When they hear
  the news about the hostage situation, they can attempt
  to become personally involved in any convenient manner.
  •
  A friend or relative of one of the heroes was in atten-
  dance at the Petersen’s dinner and is now a hostage.
  •
  In Grant Petersen’s collection is an item that the heroes
  desperately need for some other mission or adventure.
  Perhaps they were planning to break in and steal it them-
  selves, but Nicholas St. Andrew and his thugs struck first.
  BEGINNING THE ADVENTURE
  The Petersen Counterstrike is a freeform adventure that takes
  place in a single site—the Petersens’ penthouse. The site is
  described in encounter A below, but the locations are not
  keyed to the map. After the heroes’ initial briefing, you can
  run the encounters in any order you wish, depending upon
  the actions of the heroes.
  The adventure begins when the heroes are called into a
  briefing room at Department-7 early one evening. At the
  head of the room, a senior officer of the department stands
  stiffly next to a cart bearing a large television and a VCR. As
  soon as all the heroes are in the room and the door is closed,
  he tells them that a very serious situation has just come to
  his attention. Using a remote control, he turns off the lights
  and starts a tape playing in the VCR.
  Read aloud or paraphrase the following.
  Each hero may attempt a Spot check (DC 10) after the video
  ends. Success means the hero noticed that the two portions
  of the tape had clearly been shot in different locations. 
  Each hero may also attempt a Knowledge (arcane lore)
  check (DC 20) to realize that Die Handgeheimnisse is an infa-
  mous 14th-century book on conjuration and diablerie.
  (Anyone who is fluent in German knows that the title means
  “Secrets of the Hand.”) By all accounts, its only value is as a
  curiosity—the information it contains has no basis in reality.
  (In fact, the book is worthless. The request for it is merely
  Nicholas’s way of ensuring that Department-7 does not
  deduce his real reason for this assault.)
  The senior officer can confirm that the man being grap-
  pled is actually Professor Petersen. In fact, he is confident
  that that portion of the video was shot in the professor’s
  foyer. If the heroes do not know who Grant Petersen is, the
  officer explains that the professor is the curator of
  Department-7’s archives and a specialist in antiquities tied to
  purported occult practices.
  The senior officer also tells the heroes that Department-7
  has identified the man making the threats as Peter Jayson, a
  member of an occult group known as the Children of Chaos.
  Its leader is Nicholas St. Andrew, a known con artist with a
  talent for skirting the law. St. Andrew has been charged with
  more than a dozen counts of fraud, petty theft, and forgery,
  but he has been convicted in only about half the cases. In the
  past, he has taken money and property primarily from
  wealthy individuals who have shown an inclination to work
  around the borders of the law—the sort who use question-
  able tax practices, run sweatshops, and have other reasons
  for not maintaining strong ties to law enforcement agencies.
  This time, however, it seems that St. Andrew and his cult have
  purposely targeted a member of Department-7.
  The time is approximately 7:30, which gives the heroes 90
  minutes until the hostage takers carry out their threat to kill
  Grant Petersen. The senior official says that Department-7 will
  not acquiesce to the cult’s demands, and that he will person-
  ally see to it that the heroes are given all possible support. It
  is up to you as GM to determine exactly what support is
  to identify the genuine article. Third, and finally, a fully
  fueled Bell model 212 helicopter. Instruct the pilot to
  land on the roof, leave the engine idling, disembark, and
  take the stairs down to the ground floor. We will not be
  needing his services for departure.
  “I urge you to treat this matter with the utmost grav-
  ity. Our terms are quite non-negotiable, and my associ-
  ates understand their assignment perfectly.
  “Good evening.”
  The screen flickers momentarily, then the image cuts
  to two men in a large, marble-floored room that looks
  like an opulent foyer. One of them, a middle-aged gen-
  tleman dressed in a jacket and tie, is being held in a
  headlock by another man dressed like the one who
  delivered the demands.
  “Help,” the grappled man says. His voice is hoarse and
  strained, as though he’s having trouble breathing through
  the other’s grip. “They’re serious. They haven’t. . . .”
  The tape ends abruptly.
  The image on the screen shows the head and shoulders of
  a heavyset young man in green fatigues, a black ski mask,
  and gloves. It is unclear where the video was shot, but it
  was clearly done indoors under fluorescent lighting. 
  “Gentleman and ladies,” the man begins. “At approxi-
  mately 7:00 this evening, armed associates of mine forcibly
  entered the residence of Professor Grant Petersen, taking
  him, his wife, and a house full of dinner guests hostage.
  “If you have not met all of our demands by 9:00, my
  associates will shoot Professor Petersen. At the stroke of
  every hour thereafter that our demands go unmet, they
  will shoot another hostage. I hope I make myself clear.
  “Our demands are that you deliver the following to
  the Petersen residence. First, a black nylon backpack
  containing $10 million in unmarked, nonsequential one-
  hundred-dollar bills. Second, an identical black nylon
  backpack containing the original manuscript of Die
  Handgeheimnisse. Please do not think to substitute a
  forgery or reproduction. My associates and I know how 
  THE PETERSON COUNTERSTRIKE 
  
  d20MODERN
  5
  available and how long it will take to arrange. If reminded that
  the book demanded is worthless, the official relents on that
  point but remains adamant that the $10 million and the heli-
  copter are not to be used as negotiating tools.
  We Interrupt This Crisis . . .
  Shortly after the heroes begin to assess the situation and
  make plans, read aloud or paraphrase the following.
  Every local channel is carrying a similar report. Since Audrey
  wanted the incident made as public as possible, Nicholas St.
  Andrew has alerted all the media to the situation. Every news
  agency in the city is now watching the unfolding crisis, and
  the heroes’ every move will be scrutinized. Whether they
  succeed or fail, their exploits will be carried live on every sta-
  tion in the city.
  Department-7’s press secretary can keep the reporters
  away from the heroes while they try to resolve the situation,
  and its officials can get them authority to take charge of the
  situation in lieu of the police. However, they cannot clear the
  area completely. Throughout the rest of the adventure, heli-
  copters will circle the sky around the penthouse, and
  reporters will gather in the street surrounding the building.
  Some may even sit in apartments or rooftops facing the
  Howard Arms. Police will try to keep the area clear of inno-
  cents and gawkers, but the officers at the site are not author-
  ized to provide any other aid.
  A. INVESTIGATION
  If the heroes want information about the opponents or the
  site before departing, they can obtain the following through
  Department-7.
  Nicholas and the Cult
  The information revealed in the briefing is all that is known
  about the Children of Chaos. A picture of Nicholas St.
  Andrew is available through the Department-7 computers.
  He is a thin man who appears to be in his mid- to late-forties,
  with thinning black hair and a beard trimmed so as to appear
  squared off at the chin. He has large ears, squinty eyes, and a
  crooked, smirking grin.
  The Howard Arms
  Through Department-7 and the local police, the characters
  can get the blueprints for the penthouse, photos of the inte-
  rior, and live reports on activities there.
  The Petersen Penthouse
  Grant Petersen’s penthouse occupies the entire top floor of
  the Howard Arms apartment building. From the outside, the
  only visible difference between this floor and the others is
  that the penthouse has a small balcony running along parts
  of the south and east walls, while the lower floors have only
  fire escapes.
  By the time observers tried to look at the apartment, the
  captors had already pulled the blinds and curtains on every
  window. No one has been seen coming out onto the balcony.
  If the heroes ask for (and you wish to allow) thermal imag-
  ing equipment, Department-7 can provide it. Using such a
  device, the heroes can get images through the walls of the
  apartment building. Unfortunately, the building is so large that
  they can get reliable data only on areas that are within 20 feet
  of an exterior wall, and there is no sign of the hostages in any
  such location. Scans can confirm only that there are at least
  three people in the penthouse, and all of them appear to be
  attired and equipped like the men in the video. Once every 15
  minutes, one of these figures walks from room to room in the
  penthouse carrying a longarm of some kind (actually an AK-47).
  Elevator and Stairs
  Although the Howard Arms has three elevators, only the center
  one goes up to the penthouse. It opens onto a building-wide
  hallway directly across from the main entrance to the Petersen
  residence—a large set of oak double doors, each equipped with
  a peephole and an ornate, wrought-iron knocker.
  At either end of the hallway, a staircase leads down to the
  ground floor. Each stairwell also features a locked door that
  safeguards stairs leading up to the roof.
  Across from each stairwell is another locked oak door. The
  eastern one bears a placard reading “Petersen Consulting.”
  This door has no peephole, but there is a doorbell to its right.
  Beyond this door lies Grant Petersen’s home office. The west-
  ern door has a peephole and doorbell, but no markings. (Each
  of the two doorbells rings a different set of chimes so that
  those inside know to which door a visitor has come.)
  Oak Door: Hardness 5, 20 hp, Break DC 23.
  Petersen Consulting
  The Petersen Consulting section of the penthouse is a com-
  fortable space in which the professor can do low-security
  research and make presentations to visiting officials. It con-
  sists of a reception area, two small offices (one belonging to
  Audrey Petersen and one for use by visitors or temporary
  help), two meeting rooms—one with no windows and one
  with a view of the skyline—and Grant’s large office, which
  provides access to the balcony.
  All of these rooms are decorated with art, relics, and
  mementos from Department-7’s archives. When describing
  them to the players, feel free to add any details that fit your
  interpretation of Department-7.
  One of the office support staff bursts into the meeting
  room. “Put on the TV,” he says breathlessly.
  The senior official presses a button on his remote
  control. “What channel?” he asks.
  “It doesn’t matter,” replies the staffer. “It’s everywhere.”
  When the picture comes on, the image is that of the
  commando from the video just played in this room.
  Commentary from a somber newscaster follows the end
  of the message.
  “This tape was delivered to our studios mere
  moments ago. Allegedly, it is a duplicate of one sent to a
  local investigative agency. Professor Grant Petersen
  resides in the penthouse of the Howard Arms apartment
  building. We take you now to the News 5 helicopter,
  which is circling the structure. Local police are on the
  scene assessing the situation.”
  THE PETERSON COUNTERSTRIKE 
  
  d20MODERN
  6
  Doors: Hardness 5, 10 hp, Break DC 13. 
  Walls: Hardness 2, 10 hp, Break DC 20. 
  Windows: Hardness 1, 3 hp, Break DC 12.
  Residence
  Grant and Audrey spared no expense in decorating their
  home, so the living space in the penthouse is quite opulent.
  Most of the art and decorations belong to the Petersens, but
  some of the more avant-garde pieces are actually items bor-
  rowed from the Department-7 archives.
  The marble-floored foyer is occasionally used to host
  cocktail parties, and the kitchen rivals those of most
  three-star restaurants. A dining room with a banquet table
  that seats thirty gives mute testimony to the Petersens’
  love of dinner parties. A parlor furnished with plush chairs
  and a handsome sideboard allows for entertaining smaller
  groups of visitors. Rare and unusual books fill the book-
  cases lining the study, and the master suite is a vision of
  opulent comfort. A small balcony runs along the outer
  wall past the study, the master suite, and Grant’s office.
  Doors: Hardness 5, 10 hp, Break DC 13. 
  Walls*: Hardness 2, 10 hp, Break DC 20.
  Windows: Hardness 1, 3 hp, Break DC 12.
  *Except the walls surrounding the safe room; see below.
  THE PETERSON COUNTERSTRIKE 
  
  d20MODERN
  7
  Safe Room
  The residence also has a safe room—a space designed to pro-
  vide protection from any prowlers that might invade the
  premises. (Nicholas’s thugs struck too quickly for this feature
  to do any good.)
  The first set of blueprints the heroes receive does not
  show the safe room. Any hero who examines them, however,
  may attempt a Spot check (DC 20) to notice that they are
  marked as “Version B.” A hero with 5 or more ranks in Craft
  (structural) gets a +5 insight bonus on this check.
  Department-7 can supply the heroes with “Version A” if
  they request it. This set of blueprints is identical to Version
  B except that it also shows the details of the safe room.
  This chamber is completely self-contained, with running
  water and its own dedicated phone line. If the heroes or
  police try calling the phone in the safe room, there is no
  answer.
  Door: Hardness 10, 120 hp, Break DC 35.
  Walls: Hardness 10, 120 hp, Break DC 35.
  B. NEGOTIATION
  Any attempts the heroes make to negotiate with the intrud-
  ers do them no good. Although the lead commando answers
  any phone except the one in the safe room, he refuses to
  negotiate in any way.  The only other person he allows to
  speak on the phone is Audrey Petersen, who does her best to
  play the part of a frightened hostage.
  Any hero who makes a Sense Motive check while talking
  to the lead commando can learn the following information,
  depending on the check result.
  SENSE MOTIVE CHECK
  CHECK RESULT
  INFORMATION GAINED
  10
  He is probably taking orders and does
  not feel empowered to negotiate
  terms.
  15
  He considers this a suicide mission
  and does not think he will survive.
  20
  He has such fanatical devotion to
  whoever issued his orders that he
  probably volunteered for this suicide
  mission.
  Any hero who makes a Sense Motive check while talking to
  Audrey Petersen can learn the following information,
  depending on the check result.
  SENSE MOTIVE
  CHECK RESULT
  INFORMATION GAINED
  15
  She is terrified.
  20
  She is a brave woman. Despite her
  panic, she is lucid and relatively calm.
  25
  She isn’t as scared as she’s pretending
  to be.
  35
  She isn’t scared at all. She knows
  something that makes her feel safe.
  C. COUNTERSTRIKE
  It should become clear to the heroes in short order that they
  must either make a counterstrike against the hostage takers
  or allow one captive to be shot each hour.
  Six commandos currently have control of the penthouse.
  One stays in the foyer guarding Audrey (who is tied to a
  chair), one is in the safe room disguised as one of the
  hostages, and the other four are in the master suite’s bath-
  room waiting to ambush the heroes.
  The heroes and commandos can encounter one another in a
  number of ways, but the four most likely situations and locations
  are described below. You are free to alter the commandos’ tac-
  tics if a different situation arises, as long as they remain focused
  on their primary goal of getting Audrey Petersen out alive. 
  C1. Sentry (EL 10)
  Once every 15 minutes, one of the soldiers in the bathroom
  walks from room to room in the penthouse, making sure that
  no one has managed to sneak in. This process takes 5 minutes.
  GM Character: The only GM character directly involved
  in this encounter is one of the commandos. His gun does not
  have a suppressor, so if the heroes get into a firefight with
  him, everyone in the penthouse will know about it. The sen-
  try’s comrades will not come to his aid, but it will be nearly
  impossible to take them by surprise.
  Commando (Strong Hero 5/Soldier 5): CR 10; Medium-
  size human; HD 5d8+10 plus 5d10+10; hp 69; Mas 14; Init +2;
  Spd 25 ft.; Defense 24, touch 18, flat-footed 22; BAB +8; Grap
  +11; Atk +11 melee (1d4+5/19–20, unarmed attack) or +11
  ranged (2d8+2/19–20, AKM/AK-47) or +10 ranged (2d6,
  Beretta 92F); Full Atk +11/+6 melee (1d4+5/19–20, unarmed
  attack) or +11/+6 ranged (2d8+2/19–20, AKM/AK-47) or
  +10/+5 ranged (2d6, Beretta 92F); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.;
  AL Children of Chaos; SV Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +2; AP 11; Rep
  +2; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 8.
  Occupation: Military (class skills: Hide, Move Silently).
  Skills: Climb +8, Hide +10, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (tac-
  tics) +14, Listen +7, Move Silently +10, Spot +7.
  Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Armor Proficiency
  (medium), Combat Martial Arts, Dead Aim, Far Shot,
  Improved Combat Martial Arts, Personal Firearms Proficiency,
  Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Simple Weapons Proficiency.
  Talents: Extreme Effort, Improved Critical (AKM/AK-47),
  Improved Melee Smash, Melee Smash, Tactical Aid, Weapon
  Focus (AKM/AK-47), Weapon Specialization (AKM/AK-47).
  Equipment: AKM/AK-47, Beretta 92F, tactical vest.
  Tactics: If the heroes enter the penthouse at the wrong
  time, or take too long bringing a plan to fruition, this sentry
  might interrupt them. On the other hand, thermal imaging
  devices can detect the sentry throughout most of his route,
  so heroes equipped with such devices could arrange to take
  him unawares when he passes near one of the doors.
  If the commando on sentry duty hears a firefight begin in
  any other part of the penthouse, he rushes back to the pri-
  vate bathroom and either joins his partners there or takes a
  flanking position and engages any heroes who are fighting
  them. He does not go to the aid of the commando in the
  foyer because doing so might result in crossfire occurring in
  the room where Audrey Petersen is tied to a chair.
  THE PETERSON COUNTERSTRIKE 
  
  d20MODERN
  8
  C2. Foyer (EL 10)
  One commando waits in the foyer guarding Audrey Petersen,
  who is tied to a chair and gagged. If he sees or hears anyone
  other than his partners moving about on this floor, he stands
  directly behind Audrey (thus gaining up to one-half cover,
  depending on where his opponents are) and places the muz-
  zle of his revolver against her temple. Then he shouts, “Come
  out and put down your weapons or I’ll blow her brains out!”
  This tactic, of course, is a complete bluff. The commando’s
  job is to ensure that the heroes rescue Audrey, and he knows
  that he will have to be shot at least once to make that res-
  cue convincing. In fact, he fully intends to die in the course
  of this encounter, and he is proud to do so to advance the
  agenda of the Children of Chaos. Of course, he also hopes to
  take a few of the heroes out with him.
  GM Characters: This situation involves one commando
  and one hostage (Audrey Petersen). 
  Audrey Petersen: If you need statistics for Audrey, use
  the High-Level Dilettante (Fast Ordinary 5/Charismatic
  Ordinary 5) from Chapter 8: Friends and Foes in the d20
  MODERN Roleplaying Game.
  Commando (Strong Hero 5/Soldier 5): CR 10; Medium-
  size human; HD 5d8+10 plus 5d10+10; hp 69; Mas 14; Init +2;
  Spd 25 ft.; Defense 24, touch 18, flat-footed 22; BAB +8; 
  THE PETERSON COUNTERSTRIKE 
  
  d20MODERN
  9
  THE PETERSON COUNTERSTRIKE 
  Grap +11; Atk +11 melee (1d4+5/19–20, unarmed attack) or +11
  ranged (2d8+2/19–20, AKM/AK-47) or +10 ranged (2d6,
  Beretta 92F); Full Atk +11/+6 melee (1d4+5/19–20, unarmed
  attack) or +11/+6 ranged (2d8+2/19–20, AKM/AK-47) or
  +10/+5 ranged (2d6, Beretta 92F); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.;
  AL Children of Chaos; SV Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +2; AP 11; Rep
  +2; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 8.
  Occupation: Military (class skills: Hide, Move Silently).
  Skills: Climb +8, Hide +10, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (tac-
  tics) +14, Listen +7, Move Silently +10, Spot +7.
  Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Armor Proficiency
  (medium), Combat Martial Arts, Dead Aim, Far Shot,
  Improved Combat Martial Arts, Personal Firearms Proficiency,
  Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Simple Weapons Proficiency.
  Talents: Extreme Effort, Improved Critical (AKM/AK-47),
  Improved Melee Smash, Melee Smash, Tactical Aid, Weapon
  Focus (AKM/AK-47), Weapon Specialization (AKM/AK-47).
  Equipment: AKM/AK-47, Beretta 92F, tactical vest.
  Tactics: As soon as the commando sees anyone he can
  identify as an opponent, he yells out information loudly
  enough that his partners near the safe room can hear. He
  concentrates on imparting such details as the number of
  heroes, their apparent armament, where they are, and what
  their tactics seem to be.
  The hidden commandos do not come to their partner’s aid
  because the last thing they want is a big firefight in the room
  where Audrey is tied helplessly to a chair. But they listen
  intently and shout back remarks such as, “We’re coming,
  Charlie. Just hold on!” 
  Development: If the heroes beat the commando who is
  “guarding” Audrey, they can free her. She thanks them pro-
  fusely and tells them what an awful ordeal she has been
  through. She freely answers questions about the number of
  commandos and the number and names of the hostages. For
  information beyond that, however, she claims that she can
  only guess. If asked about the location of the other hostages,
  she guesses that they must be in the safe room.
  While questioning Audrey, any hero who attempts a Sense
  Motive check regarding her state of mind gets results as
  described in encounter B.
  After a while, Audrey says she is feeling lightheaded and
  asks whether it is safe for her to leave. The heroes may want
  to escort her to one of the stairwells and turn her over to the
  team of paramedics that Department-7 has stationed a few
  floors below.
  C3. Private Bathroom (EL 12)
  The safe room is accessible through a secret door in the mas-
  ter suite’s bathroom. If the heroes have already encountered
  a commando on patrol, there are three more in the bath-
  room; if not, there are four here.
  These commandos have been assigned to ambush the
  heroes as soon as they come into range. Their position gives
  them up to nine-tenths cover, depending on how they take
  advantage of it.
  GM Characters: There are three or four commandos in
  this room.
  Commandos (3 or 4) (Strong Hero 5/Soldier 5): CR 10;
  Medium-size human; HD 5d8+10 plus 5d10+10; hp 69; Mas 14;
  Init +2; Spd 25 ft.; Defense 24, touch 18, flat-footed 22; BAB
  +8; Grap +11; Atk +11 melee (1d4+5/19–20, unarmed attack) or
  +11 ranged (2d8+2/19–20, AKM/AK-47) or +10 ranged (2d6,
  Beretta 92F); Full Atk +11/+6 melee (1d4+5/19–20, unarmed
  attack) or +11/+6 ranged (2d8+2/19–20, AKM/AK-47) or
  +10/+5 ranged (2d6, Beretta 92F); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.;
  AL Children of Chaos; SV Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +2; AP 11; Rep
  +2; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 8.
  Occupation: Military (class skills: Hide, Move Silently).
  Skills: Climb +8, Hide +10, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (tac-
  tics) +14, Listen +7, Move Silently +10, Spot +7.
  Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Armor Proficiency
  (medium), Combat Martial Arts, Dead Aim, Far Shot,
  Improved Combat Martial Arts, Personal Firearms Proficiency,
  Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Simple Weapons Proficiency.
  Talents: Extreme Effort, Improved Critical (AKM/AK-47),
  Improved Melee Smash, Melee Smash, Tactical Aid, Weapon
  Focus (AKM/AK-47), Weapon Specialization (AKM/AK-47).
  Equipment: AKM/AK-47, Beretta 92F, tactical vest.
  Tactics: Chances are that the heroes have already rescued
  Audrey by the time they reach this area. If this is the case, the
  commandos will do their level best to kill the heroes,
  employing any tactics that seem appropriate. If they can still
  hear their partner in the foyer, though, they know that the
  primary mission has not yet been accomplished. In that case,
  they spend a lot of time and ammunition keeping the heroes
  at bay, hoping to drive them back to the foyer and force them
  to deal with that situation first.
  If these commandos ever get close to running out of
  ammunition, they use the last of their ordinance to make a
  mad dash for the balcony, then leap off, intending to use
  their short-fall parachutes to escape. These commandos are
  more than committed enough to die in the name of the
  Children of Chaos but, unlike their partner in the foyer, they
  are not resigned to that fate.
  C4. Safe Room (EL 10)
  When the heroes get to the safe room, read aloud or para-
  phrase the following.
  Any hero with the appropriate skill may attempt a DC 10
  Knowledge (technology) or Craft (electronic) check. Success
  reveals that opening this door should have been a relatively
  easy task. (Although the heroes wouldn’t know this specifi-
  cally, opening this lock requires a DC 15 Disable Device check,
  but the shunt provides a +5 equipment bonus.) In point of
  fact, the commandos seem to have bungled the job so badly
  that the door can no longer be opened from the inside at all.
  The heroes must disable the mechanism from the outside.
  The door to the safe room was obviously built to blend
  into the wall and look like an ordinary part of the decor.
  However, the intruders’ efforts to get the door open
  have destroyed this illusion completely.
  Yellow spray paint now marks the doorframe, and a
  section of the particleboard has been pulled away to
  reveal an electronic lock. Wires have been disconnected
  from the lock and patched into a shunt of the sort that
  skilled burglars might use to force such a door open.
  
  d20MODERN
  10
  This realization does not automatically provide the heroes
  with any insights, but it does not require a particularly great
  leap of logic to conclude that the commandos were not
  really trying to get into the safe room. The question is why.
  When the heroes manage to open the door to the safe
  room, read aloud or paraphrase the following.
  As the hostages leave the safe room, the heroes can attempt
  several checks.
  First, anyone who succeeds at a DC 15 Sense Motive check
  notices that the hostages do not seem relieved at their res-
  cue. In fact, they appear to be certain that their lives are in
  immediate danger. If asked about their attitude, they deny
  any such assertion and simply ask to be taken out of the
  building.
  Next, any hero who succeeds on a DC 20 Spot check
  notices that one of the male hostages is acting differently
  than the rest. While everyone else is milling around in a state
  of confusion, he remains calm and composed and stays very
  carefully in the middle of the group. This individual is actu-
  ally a commando disguised as a hostage. While locked in the
  safe room, he warned the hostages that he would instantly
  kill anyone who revealed his secret to their rescuers. To
  emphasize his point, he showed them the Beretta 92F that he
  has hidden on his person.
  Anyone who succeeded at the Spot check may now
  attempt two more checks. A successful Sense Motive check
  (opposed by the commando’s Bluff check result) reveals that
  the man does not seem traumatized at all. In fact, he is try-
  ing to maneuver the whole group closer to the exit. Another
  successful Spot check (opposed by the commando’s Sleight
  of Hand check result) reveals that he is carrying a gun.
  GM Characters: This room contains nine hostages and
  one commando disguised as a hostage.
  Commando (Strong Hero 5/Soldier 5): CR 10; Medium-
  size human; HD 5d8+10 plus 5d10+10; hp 69; Mas 14; Init +2;
  Spd 25 ft.; Defense 21, touch 18, flat-footed 19; BAB +8; Grap
  +11; Atk +11 melee (1d4+5/19–20, unarmed attack) or +10
  ranged (2d6, Beretta 92F); Full Atk +11/+6 melee
  (1d4+5/19–20, unarmed attack) or +10/+5 ranged (2d6,
  Beretta 92F); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; AL Children of Chaos;
  SV Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +2; AP 11; Rep +2; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14,
  Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 8.
  Occupation: Military (class skills: Hide, Move Silently).
  Skills: Climb +11, Hide +13, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (tac-
  tics) +14, Listen +7, Move Silently +13, Spot +7.
  Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Armor Proficiency
  (medium), Combat Martial Arts, Dead Aim, Far Shot,
  Improved Combat Martial Arts, Personal Firearms Proficiency,
  Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Simple Weapons Proficiency.
  Talents: Extreme Effort, Improved Critical (AKM/AK-47),
  Improved Melee Smash, Melee Smash, Tactical Aid, Weapon
  Focus (AKM/AK-47), Weapon Specialization (AKM/AK-47).
  Equipment: Beretta 92F, undercover vest.
  Hostages (9): If you need statistics for the hostages, use
  the Low-Level Dilettante (Fast Ordinary 1/Charismatic
  Ordinary 1) from Chapter 8: Friends and Foes in the d20
  MODERN Roleplaying Game.
  Tactics: If their suspicions are aroused, the heroes must
  decide whether to confront the commando here or try to
  maneuver him into a more contained (and less volatile) posi-
  tion. If the commando thinks his identity has been compro-
  mised, he shoots one of the hostages and grabs another as a
  human shield, then tries to make his escape. Otherwise, if the
  group makes it to the ground floor, the man immediately
  bolts, attempting to hide in the crowd of emergency service
  personnel, reporters, and onlookers.
  D. RESOLUTION
  If all goes well, the heroes can free all the hostages and take
  some or all of the commandos into custody. If the rescue
  went sour and hostages were injured or killed, the heroes
  have much to answer for at Department-7.
  Interrogation
  Upon interrogation, the commandos say that they are sol-
  diers for the Children of Chaos, that a new era is coming in
  which all nonbelievers will suffer horribly, and that Nicholas
  St. Andrew has shown them the truth. Beyond that, it is dif-
  ficult to get anything useful from them. If your campaign
  includes psionics, the heroes may be able to have the com-
  mandos’ minds read, but the truth is that these guys don’t
  know very much. They can reveal their orders, which were as
  described above, and that Audrey Petersen is a “believer”
  who must not be harmed. They also know that the whole
  hostage situation was really a front that allowed Audrey to
  perform some other mission for Nicholas.
  The Ones Who Got Away
  Any of the commandos who managed to escape head back
  to their headquarters (a private warehouse somewhere near
  the city docks) to await further word from Nicholas St.
  Andrew. But this word never comes—St. Andrew has decided
  to sever his ties with the commandos now that they’ve been
  involved in such a high-profile caper. If the heroes follow
  them, set up the warehouse as you wish and allow the heroes
  the opportunity to make up for their earlier failure.
  Audrey Petersen
  Audrey Petersen is a different problem. The heroes may reach
  this point without knowing anything of her involvement with
  the commandos and Nicholas St. Andrew. What’s more, they
  may have been unwitting accomplices in her theft of two
  priceless artifacts. 
  If you’re not planning to play the entire Heartless cam-
  paign, you should decide whether this information is actually
  important to your campaign. If it is, you can design a follow-
  up adventure around it (see Continuing the Adventure,
  below). If rescuing the hostages was all you wanted the
  heroes to accomplish in The Petersen Counterstrike, you can
  choose to ignore the connection between Audrey and
  Nicholas.
  With a loud hiss, the lock disengages and the door pops
  open. From inside the room, ten pairs of eyes gape in
  anticipated horror at the open door. Even upon realizing
  that they have been rescued, the hostages still seem
  uncertain and nervous.
  THE PETERSON COUNTERSTRIKE 
  
  d20MODERN
  11
  THE PETERSON COUNTERSTRIKE 
  Whatever occurs with Audrey, the heroes have succeeded
  in this adventure if they managed to defeat the commandos
  and rescue all of the hostages.
  Heartless Resolution
  If you plan to continue with the next installment of the
  Heartless campaign, you must ensure that the two artifacts
  somehow land in Nicholas St. Andrew’s hands. If the heroes’
  intervention has resulted in Audrey Petersen being “rescued”
  and sent down to the emergency services personnel, it
  should be easy for her to complete her mission.
  If the heroes are still trying to overcome the rest of the
  commandos when they part with Audrey, she simply disap-
  pears. If the medics are questioned later, one of them claims
  to have treated her for superficial wounds, but reports that
  as soon as he turned around, she simply left. No one has seen
  her since. (In this case, Audrey will return in a later chapter of
  Heartless.)
  If, on the other hand, the heroes insist on taking her down
  to the medics personally, she complains of chest pains upon
  reaching the emergency station, and the medic on duty
  insists that she be sent to the hospital immediately. Once
  there, she disappears without a trace as soon as the heroes’
  backs are turned.
  If Audrey is somehow killed in the crossfire, her remains
  and possessions are treated as criminal evidence. The arti-
  facts in her pockets, however, mysteriously disappear from
  the police lockup after they have been catalogued and put in
  storage.
  REWARDS
  Aside from the standard experience and wealth awards, the
  heroes gain a significant amount of publicity from their
  exploits. The Petersen hostage situation was covered live by
  every major news service, and the reporters identified the
  heroes as the officials in charge.
  This publicity could result in one or more characters
  becoming media celebrities, an increase in the amount of
  work (or rate of pay) that they receive, or—if things went
  badly—in public vilification. 
  CONTINUING THE ADVENTURE
  Regardless of how this adventure is resolved, Nicholas St.
  Andrew is still on the loose. Although he was the mastermind
  behind the hostage situation, he played no physical part in
  the execution of the mission. He truly believes that the arti-
  facts Audrey is stealing have mystical powers, and if you
  decide to play through the Heartless campaign, he turns out
  to be correct.
  If you are not playing the rest of Heartless, then it is up to
  you to decide whether or not the artifacts have true mystical
  powers. If you wish to continue using Nicholas St. Andrew as
  a villain, he can offer many interesting possibilities. He
  believes in arcane powers and other fantastic phenomena,
  and so do all his followers. Nicholas’s plans always involve
  gaining more money or power for himself, and he is more than
  willing to sacrifice the lives of his followers to reach his goals.
  Continuing Heartless
  The Heartless campaign will continue next month with the
  free online adventure Blood Sugar.
  ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  Stan! has been publishing fiction, cartoons, and games pro-
  fessionally since 1982. He has served as a graphic designer
  and line editor for West End Games, an editor and designer
  for TSR, Inc., and an author, senior designer, and creative
  director for Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Stan! is currently the
  Creative Vice President for The Game Mechanics, Inc.
  <http://www.thegamemechanics.com>. His recent projects
  include the URBAN ARCANA Campaign Setting for Wizards of
  the Coast and the Modern Player’s Companion for Green
  Ronin. In what he laughingly refers to as his spare time,
  Stan! writes and illustrates the Bolt & Quiver and Table Talk
  comic strips.
  Stan! lives in Renton, WA, where he eats nothing but meat
  and cheese. Visit him online at <http://www.stannex.com>.
  Credits
  Design:
  Stan!
  Editing:
  Penny Williams
  Typesetting:
  Nancy Walker
  Cartography:
  Rob Lazzaretti
  Creative Direction:
  Christopher Perkins
  Web Production: 
  Julia Martin
  Web Development: 
  Mark A. Jindra
  Graphic Design:
  Cynthia Fliege, Sean Glenn
  This d20™System game uses mechanics developed for the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®
  game by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, and Peter Adkison.
  This game also uses mechanics developed for the Psionics Handbook by Bruce R.
  Cordell, the Call of Cthulhu® Roleplaying Game by Monte Cook and John Tynes, and
  the Star Wars® Roleplaying Game by Bill Slavicsek, Andy Collins, and JD Wiker.
  d20 MODERN, D&D and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS are registered trademarks, and d20 and
  the d20 System logo are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary
  of Hasbro, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses
  thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America.
  Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is
  prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations,
  places, or events is purely coincidental.
  This Wizards of the Coast game product contains no Open Game Content. No
  portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission. To
  learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 System License, please visit 
  <www.wizards.com/d20>.
  ©2003 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  All rights reserved.  Made in the U.S.A.
  Visit our website at
  <www.wizards.com/d20modern>
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/d20 Modern/Heartless - The Peterson Counterstrike.pdf