TEXT: By Stan!
  A Short Adventure for Four 7th-Level Heroes
  A FUNNY THING 
  HAPPENED AT
  CAROUSEL #5
  Not every adventure pits the heroes against malign
  forces bent on world domination. In fact, sometimes
  the most interesting situations occur completely by
  accident. 
  The series of misunderstandings that precipitates
  this adventure can without a doubt be solved quickly,
  quietly, and without any danger to life and limb. But
  considering how most heroes behave in the face of an
  unusual situation, such an outcome seems extremely
  unlikely.
  A Funny Thing Happened At Carousel #5 is a real
  adventure, with real threats and real rewards.
  However, it’s anything but serious, and you as GM
  should plan to run it with tongue firmly in cheek.
  Those who do not like to mix a wisp of comedy with
  their adventures may want to look away before it’s
  too late. 
  The author denies that the following tale has any-
  thing to do with Peter Bogdanovich’s brilliant 1972
  screwball comedy, What’s Up, Doc? Rather, he lays
  the blame solely at the feet of Rosemary Localsi, the
  babysitter who let him stay up and watch the Friday
  Night Movie instead of making him go to bed at 9:00,
  as his parents had instructed.
  PREPARATION
  You, the Game Master (GM), need a copy of the d20
  MODERN Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook to run this
  adventure. To get started, print out the adventure
  (including the map) and read it through. Familiarize
  yourself in particular with the various GM characters
  and their individual motives and abilities. Then make
  sure you are familiar with the rules for combat, move-
  ment, and cover from Chapter 5 of the d20 MODERN
  Roleplaying Game.
  Opponents’ statistics are provided in abbreviated
  form in the areas where they are first discussed. Any
  text in shaded boxes should be read aloud or para-
  phrased for the players.
  
  d20MODERN
  2
  BACKGROUND 
  (A TALE OF SIX BAGS)
  The plot of A Funny Thing Happened at Carousel #5 centers
  around six identical travel bags. Each belongs to a different
  person, all of whom coincidentally appear at the same air-
  port at the same time. Most of these people have no inter-
  est in dealing with the heroes or with each other, but fate
  and a unique style of luggage conspire to bring them
  together.
  The Bags
  Each of the six major GM characters in this adventure has a
  medium-size leather overnight bag with a shoulder strap and
  a pair of handles. Each bag weighs 1 pound when empty, has
  a capacity of 50 pounds, and is identical to bags that may be
  bought at any luggage store (Purchase DC 5). The leather is
  dyed a pale mustard hue, and large patches of pink paisley
  cloth decorate the sides.
  This particular style was not terribly popular with luggage
  customers for reasons that should be obvious. However, each
  of the GM characters chose it specifically for its garish
  design, in hopes that it would stand out from all the other
  bags on a luggage carousel and not be mistakenly claimed by
  some other traveler.
  The Owners
  The motivations, possessions, and temperaments of the six
  major GM characters are described below, along with the
  contents of their travel bags. Feel free to modify this infor-
  mation as needed to make it more appropriate for your cam-
  paign.
  Professor Henry Bogdanovich
  Henry Bogdanovich is the reason the heroes are at the air-
  port. They are under orders to meet the professor and escort
  him and his luggage safely to his final destination.
  Professor Bogdanovich is a research scientist from a small,
  two-year college somewhere in the Midwest. He has devel-
  oped a theory that ordinary objects absorb the sounds made
  near them and, under the right conditions, can be made to
  play back those sounds with amazing clarity. In other words,
  every chair, table, and wall in the world can function as a
  recording device. Bogdanovich has been trying for years to
  prove his theory, and he has recently enjoyed some limited
  success in laboratory experiments. But he needs additional
  funding to develop a portable playback device suitable for
  use in the field.
  Scientists within Department-7 believe that Professor
  Bogdanovich’s theories may prove invaluable to the organi-
  zation’s work. Thus, they have arranged to fly him into town
  so that he can explain his theories and provide a demonstra-
  tion for the funding committee. 
  A slight, unassuming, bespectacled man in his early thir-
  ties, Bogdanovich is very much the stereotypical absent-
  minded professor. He often gets so wrapped up in what he is
  doing that he forgets about everything else—even other peo-
  ple in the same room with him. Worse still, when he is
  absorbed in his work, he sometimes makes what he refers to
  as “suboptimal decisions.”
  His most recent such decision was to check the travel bag
  that contained all his notes and prototype materials instead
  of taking it on the plane as a carry-on bag.
  Henry Bogdanovich (Smart Hero 10): CR 10; Medium-
  size human; HD 10d6; hp 38; Mas 10; Init –1; Spd 30 ft.;
  Defense 12, touch 12, flat-footed 12; BAB +5; Grap +5; Atk +5
  melee (1d3 nonlethal, unarmed strike); Full Atk +5 melee (1d3
  nonlethal, unarmed strike); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; AL sci-
  ence; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +4; AP 5; Rep +7; Str 10, Dex 8,
  Con 10, Int 20, Wis 8, Cha 10.
  Occupation: Academic (class skills: Knowledge [earth and
  life sciences], Knowledge [physical sciences], Knowledge
  [technology]).
  Skills: Computer Use +20, Craft (electronic) +20, Craft
  (mechanical) +30, Craft (writing) +10, Decipher Script +9,
  Demolitions +8, Disable Device +20, Forgery +7, Knowledge
  (behavioral sciences) +20, Knowledge (current events) +20,
  Knowledge (earth and life sciences) +31, Knowledge (history)
  +10, Knowledge (physical sciences) +31, Knowledge (technol-
  ogy) +31, Perform (act) +4, Profession +12, Read/Write
  German, Read/Write Latin, Read/Write Russian, Repair +20,
  Research +20, Search +20.
  Feats: Builder (Craft [electronic], Craft [mechanical]),
  Cautious, Creative (Craft [writing], Perform [act]), Educated
  (Knowledge [behavioral sciences], Knowledge [earth and life
  sciences]), Educated (Knowledge [current events], Knowledge
  [history]), Educated (Knowledge [physical sciences],
  Knowledge [technology]), Gearhead, Meticulous, Renown,
  Simple Weapons Proficiency, Studious.
  Talents: Linguist, savant (Knowledge [behavioral sciences],
  Knowledge [earth and life sciences], Knowledge [physical sci-
  ences], Knowledge [technology]).
  Bogdanovich’s Bag
  The professor’s bag is filled with smaller bags, boxes, and
  containers, all of which are crushproof and waterproof. Some
  hold such mundane items as changes of clothing or toiletries;
  others contain notebooks filled with handwritten diagrams
  and research observations. The largest box houses a complex,
  delicate mechanism that looks like a cross between a phono-
  graph, a vacuum-tube radio, and an erector set. This object is
  the only existing prototype of Professor Bogdanovich’s play-
  back device.
  Bogdanovich overpacked his bag, so it weighs a bit more
  than 50 pounds. Each time it is lifted, the strap stretches and
  creaks, and there is a 10% chance that it will break. If this
  occurs, the bag falls and spills its contents onto the ground
  unless the character lifting it makes a successful Reflex save
  (DC 20) to catch it. (None of the items inside are harmed by
  such a fall, but that fact may not be immediately obvious to
  either the heroes or the professor.) Once the bag is repacked,
  it must be carried by the handles, which immobilizes one arm
  of the person carrying it. Furthermore, the character holding
  the bag must make a successful Strength check (DC 12) each
  minute or be forced to put it down. That character cannot
  lift the bag again for 1 minute thereafter.
  A FUNNY THING
  
  d20MODERN
  3
  Dr. Hugh Fredericks
  Hugh Fredericks is Professor Bogdanovich’s closest rival. Dr.
  Fredericks has been publicly trumpeting a theory of his
  own—that Henry Bogdanovich is a loon who doesn’t know
  what he’s talking about!
  In point of fact, Dr. Fredericks has been secretly working
  on exactly the same theory as Professor Bogdanovich has,
  but without as much success. Fredericks is desperate to dis-
  credit his rival and, if at all possible, to steal his notes and
  materials and pass them off as his own research.
  Hugh is a boastful, arrogant, flamboyant man who revels in
  demonstrating his intellect—usually by making someone else
  appear foolish or ignorant. He has long, wildly unkempt red
  hair, a nose like a hawk’s beak, tiny eyes, and a face constantly
  contorted into a scowl or sneer. Fredericks carries himself
  with the self-importance of a movie star or a maestro, and he
  never misses an opportunity to explain to those around him
  just how brilliant and important he really is.
  By bribing students, janitorial staff, and secretaries at
  Professor Bogdanovich’s school, Dr. Fredericks managed to
  learn the exact description and contents of his rival’s bag. He
  has prepared an exact duplicate, except that all the contain-
  ers inside it are filled with cotton candy (symbolic of the
  “fluff” he has publicly claimed Bogdanovich’s theories to be).
  Hugh’s plan is to take advantage of Bogdanovich’s absent-
  mindedness to switch the bags and make off with everything
  the professor has worked so hard to achieve. If necessary, he
  intends to use his skills at bluff and bluster to throw the pro-
  fessor (and the heroes) off balance. But Fredericks is a cow-
  ard at heart, so he readily backs down if anyone threatens
  him with physical violence.
  Hugh Fredericks (Charismatic Hero 4/Personality 6):
  CR 10; Medium-size human; HD 4d6 plus 6d6; hp 38; Mas 10;
  Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 12, touch 12, flat-footed 12; BAB +5;
  Grap +5; Atk +5 melee (1d3 nonlethal, unarmed strike); Full
  Atk +5 melee (1d3 nonlethal, unarmed strike); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.;
  Reach 5 ft.; AL fame; SV Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +3; AP 5; Rep +9;
  Str 10, Dex 9, Con 10, Int 17, Wis 7, Cha 20.
  Occupation: Academic (class skills: Knowledge [earth and
  life sciences], Knowledge [physical sciences], Knowledge
  [technology]).
  Skills: Bluff +20, Craft (electronics) +13, Craft (mechanical)
  +11, Craft (writing) +16, Diplomacy +20, Disguise +7, Gather
  Information +7, Hide +1, Knowledge (business) +7, Knowledge
  (current events) +10, Knowledge (earth and life sciences) +10,
  Knowledge (physical sciences) +12, Knowledge (technology)
  +12, Move Silently +1, Perform (act) +18, Profession +11, Sleight
  of Hand +2.
  Feats: Deceptive, Educated (Knowledge [physical sci-
  ences], Knowledge [technology]), Improved Initiative, Iron
  Will, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Renown, Run, Simple
  Weapons Proficiency, Stealthy, Trustworthy.
  Talents: Dazzle, fast talk, royalty, unlimited access, win-
  ning smile.
  Fredericks’s Bag
  Like the professor’s bag, this one is filled with crushproof and
  waterproof containers. Because all of them hold cotton
  candy, however, this bag is significantly lighter than
  Bogdanovich’s. The professor is unlikely to notice this fact
  even if he lifts the wrong bag, but any hero can who has seen
  both bags lifted can discern the weight difference with a
  successful Spot check (DC 15). A hero who has held one of
  the bags gets a +5 circumstance bonus on this check, and a
  hero who has held both bags gets a +10 circumstance bonus.
  Eunice van Hoskins
  Eunice van Hoskins is a well-known socialite. Any hero who
  succeeds on a Knowledge (current events) check (DC 10) rec-
  ognizes her as a local philanthropist (founder of and largest
  contributor to the van Hoskins Fund) whose name and face
  have been regularly splashed across the society pages of
  local and national newspapers for years. If the check result
  beats DC 20, the hero also realizes that Eunice has been
  absent from the media for quite a while. If the check result
  beats DC 25, the hero has heard rumors that the U.S. Customs
  Service intends to launch an investigation of Ms. van Hoskins
  and her travels.
  The truth of the matter is that Eunice completely squan-
  dered her family fortune years ago. When she was on the
  verge of destitution, one of her jet-set friends put her in con-
  tact with a less-than-reputable jeweler in Amsterdam. The
  two quickly struck a deal, and Eunice has been smuggling rare
  gemstones into the country ever since. Once she gets them
  past Customs, she fences them, uses the van Hoskins
  Foundation to launder the funds, and then splits the pro-
  ceeds with her European partners.
  Ms. van Hoskins is completely unaware that the federal
  authorities are onto her. As far as she is concerned, this trip
  is just like any other. The gems she is smuggling should keep
  her solvent for the next six or eight months, at which time
  she will take another European vacation.
  Since Eunice succeeded in getting her shipment of gems
  through U.S. Customs on the first leg of her journey, she
  believes her potential troubles on this trip are over. All she
  has to do now is pick them up and take them home. Her
  chauffeur/bodyguard, an ex-Navy SEAL named Simon, is at
  the airport to meet the plane and carry her luggage.
  Eunice van Hoskins (Charismatic Ordinary 5): CR 4;
  Medium-size human; HD 5d6+5; hp 22; Mas 13; Init –1; Spd 30
  ft.; Defense 11, touch 11, flat-footed 11; BAB +2; Grap +3; Atk +3
  melee (1d3+1 electricity, stun gun) or +1 ranged touch (blind-
  ness [Fort DC 15, 1d4 rounds], pepper spray); Full Atk +3 melee
  (1d3+1 electricity, stun gun) or +1 ranged touch (blindness
  [Fort DC 15, 1d4 rounds], pepper spray); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach
  5 ft.; AL society; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +1; AP 0; Rep +6; Str
  12, Dex 8, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 16.
  Occupation: Celebrity (class skill: Bluff).
  Skills: Bluff +14, Diplomacy +13, Disguise +5, Gather
  Information +13, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (civics) +10,
  Knowledge (current events) +10, Knowledge (popular culture)
  +10, Perform (act) +11, Read/Write French, Read/Write
  German, Read/Write Japanese, Read/Write Spanish, Sleight
  of Hand +3, Speak French, Speak German, Speak Japanese,
  Speak Spanish.
  Feats: Deceptive, Renown, Simple Weapons Proficiency,
  Trustworthy.
  Possessions: Pepper spray, stun gun (both restored to her
  by Simon when he meets her in baggage claim).
  A FUNNY THING
  
  d20MODERN
  4
  Simon the Chauffeur (Strong Hero 3/Soldier 5/Tough
  Hero 2): CR 10; Medium-size human; HD 3d8 plus 5d10 plus
  2d10; hp 71; Mas 14; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 18, touch 18,
  flat-footed 17; BAB +7; Grap +10; Atk +10 melee (1d4+4/19–20,
  knife) or +10 melee (1d6+5 nonlethal, sap) or +10 ranged
  (2d6+2/19–20, Colt Python); Full Atk +10/+5 melee
  (1d4+4/19–20, knife) or +10/+5 melee (1d6+5 nonlethal, sap)
  or +10/+5 ranged (2d6+2/19–20, Colt Python); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.;
  Reach 5 ft.; AL employer; SV Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +2; AP 2; Rep
  +1; Str 17, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 8.
  Occupation: Military (class skills: Drive, Move Silently).
  Skills: Climb +11, Demolitions +4, Drive +15, Intimidate +12,
  Jump +9, Knowledge (tactics) +12, Listen +3, Move Silently +7,
  Spot +3, Swim +16.
  Feats: Athletic, Combat Expertise, Combat Martial Arts,
  Combat Reflexes, Defensive Martial Arts, Improved Disarm,
  Improved Trip, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple
  Weapons Proficiency.
  Talents: Improved critical (Colt Python), improved melee
  smash, melee smash, remain conscious, tactical aid, weapon
  focus (Colt Python), weapon specialization (Colt Python).
  Possessions: Knife, sap, Colt Python in a concealed carry
  holster.
  Van Hoskins’s Bag
  Eunice’s bag is filled with the less expensive components of
  her wardrobe, plus toiletries, perfume, and jewelry. The jew-
  elry case contains moderately expensive, tastelessly gaudy
  broaches, rings, and necklaces, but the real prize is hidden in
  a secret compartment at the bottom of the case. Finding the
  compartment requires a successful Search check (DC 20), and
  opening it requires a successful Disable Device check (DC 10).
  Inside is a velvet pouch filled with cut and polished emer-
  alds. Their exact value cannot be determined without the
  proper equipment and sufficient time to examine them
  closely, but anyone with 5 or more ranks in Appraise can esti-
  mate their value at several million dollars. A more accurate
  appraisal takes 4 hours and requires both a jeweler’s lens and
  a successful Appraise check (DC 15). Success places their
  value at $5 million.
  Peter Buck
  Peter Buck is a smalltime gangster with a bigtime problem—
  gambling. While visiting Las Vegas, he made the mistake of
  betting more money than he could afford to lose in a poker
  game with Lenny Petrone, son of mob boss Antonio “Three
  Fingers” Petrone. Peter suspects that the kid was cheating,
  but he can’t prove anything. The Petrones claimed that cards
  just weren’t with Peter that night and gave him three days to
  pay the debt. Peter did the only thing he could think of to
  save his hide—he pulled a major robbery to cover his losses.
  The heist went perfectly, and Peter got away clean. But the
  next day, he learned that the upscale antique store he had
  robbed was actually owned by the Petrones. What’s more,
  the place was a front for a counterfeiting operation, so the
  cash he’d stolen was useless—not only would the mobster
  know it was fake, but he’d also recognize it as his own work.
  With only one day left until his marker came due, Peter
  left Vegas and came here, hoping to exchange enough of the
  funny money to cover his debts. But he has to do so without
  drawing attention to himself, or some wise guy might tip off
  the Petrones that someone is spreading around their stolen
  goods.
  To make matters worse, Peter thinks he’s being followed. A
  thin, middle-aged man in a pinstripe suit arrived at the air-
  port on the same shuttle as Peter and has had a seat exactly
  two rows behind him on every leg of the trip. Peter figures
  that this fellow is either on the Petrones’ payroll or an FBI
  agent. Either way, Buck wants to lose him quickly. He would
  feel better if he had his knife in hand, but that’s in his
  checked bag.
  In fact, the man in the pinstripe suit is Larabee Hosquith
  (see below). He’s been so wrapped up in his own problems
  that he hasn’t even noticed that Peter has been on all of his
  flights. 
  Note: If the campaign is set in Las Vegas (or on a continent
  other than North America), the GM should modify Peter
  Buck’s background to fit the situation. The poker game (and,
  more importantly, the Petrone family) can be placed in
  another city famous for gambling, such as Atlantic City,
  Monte Carlo, Hong Kong, or Sun City.
  Peter Buck (Fast Ordinary 5/Dedicated Ordinary 2):
  CR 6; Medium-size human; HD 5d8 plus 2d6; hp 29; Mas 10;
  Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 18, touch 18, flat-footed 15; BAB +4;
  Grap +5; Atk +7 melee (1d4+1/19–20, knife) or +5 melee (1d3+1
  nonlethal, unarmed strike); Full Atk +7 melee (1d4+1/19–20,
  knife) or +5 melee (1d3+1 nonlethal, unarmed strike); FS 5 ft.
  by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; AL underworld; SV Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +5;
  AP 0; Rep +2; Str 13, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 8.
  Occupation: Criminal (class skills: Gamble, Sleight of
  Hand).
  Skills: Drive +10, Gamble +12, Escape Artist +10, Hide +10,
  Knowledge (current events) +8, Knowledge (streetwise) +10,
  Listen +9, Move Silently +10, Sleight of Hand +11, Spot +9.
  Feats: Alertness, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Simple
  Weapons Proficiency, Weapon Finesse (knife).
  Possessions: Knife (currently packed in his checked bag).
  Buck’s Bag
  This bag holds a small, black-leather satchel wrapped in
  wadded-up hotel towels. The satchel is waterproof, locked
  with an expensive electronic mechanism, and filled to capac-
  ity with neatly wrapped stacks of counterfeit twenty-dollar
  bills. The bag also contains a knife.
  Without the correct nine-digit code, opening the lock
  requires either a successful Disable Device check (DC 15) or a
  successful Knowledge (technology) check (DC 25). The
  satchel may also be sliced open with an appropriate cutting
  implement, but doing so causes the contents to spill out and
  permanently ruins the case.
  Larabee Hosquith
  Larabee Hosquith is an agent of the US Securities and
  Exchange Commission. He is also a highly paid industrial spy.
  To most people, such an arrangement might seem like a
  severe conflict of interest (not to mention a conflict of
  morality), but Larabee has always been able to keep it
  straight in his head. The government pays him to investigate
  A FUNNY THING
  
  d20MODERN
  5
  corrupt corporations that have manipulated the stock market
  to their own advantage. He then sells the information he
  gains in the course of those investigations to other compa-
  nies that were affected by the illegal activities.
  To Larabee’s mind, he is merely leveling the playing field
  and making a little profit along the way. Of course, he knows
  his superiors would feel differently, but he has thus far had
  little cause to worry about them finding out. Not only is he
  one of the best investigators they have, but he is also very
  circumspect in his activities.
  Recently, though, he ran into a real moral quandary. He
  was called upon to investigate a company to which he’d sold
  material in the past, and his name and picture were all over
  their files. The illegal activities of the company in question
  had defrauded thousands of innocent citizens of millions of
  dollars in retirement funds and private investments. But in
  order to shut the company down, he would have to implicate
  himself.
  Unsure what to do, Larabee took all the relevant files and
  boarded a flight bound for Washington, D.C. Unfortunately,
  the bag containing the documents was misrouted in transit
  and wound up in Albuquerque, NM. By the time he flew
  there, it had been inadvertently sent on to Omaha, NE. A
  long series of mishaps later, he and the bag have finally
  arrived in the same place at the same time. But although
  retrieving the bag will put the information safely back into
  his hands, he still isn’t sure what he’s going to do with it.
  Larabee’s gun is in one of his checked bags (not the one
  that resembles the professor’s).
  Larabee Hosquith (Dedicated Hero 4/Investigator 6):
  CR 10; Medium-size human; HD 4d6 plus 6d6; hp 38; Mas 10;
  Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 17, touch 17, flat-footed 16; BAB +7;
  Grap +6; Atk +8 ranged (2d6, Beretta 92f); Full Atk +8/+3
  ranged (2d6, Beretta 92f); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; AL SEC;
  SV Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +10; AP 5; Rep +4; Str 8, Dex 12, Con 10,
  Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 13.
  Occupation: Investigative (class skills: Computer Use,
  Gather Information).
  Skills: Bluff +5, Computer Use +12, Decipher Script +5,
  Diplomacy +3, Forgery +17, Gather Information +17, Investigate
  +20, Knowledge (business) +9, Knowledge (current events) +9,
  Listen +12, Profession +5, Research +17, Search +4, Sense
  Motive +12, Spot +12.
  Feats: Alertness, Attentive, Iron Will, Meticulous, Personal
  Firearms Proficiency, Point Blank Shot, Simple Weapons
  Proficiency, Studious, Trustworthy.
  Talents: Aware, low-level contact, mid-level contact, non-
  lethal force, profile, skill emphasis (Investigate).
  Possessions: Steel handcuffs, SEC ID badge, Beretta 92f in
  a concealed carry holster (packed in checked luggage),
  license for weapon, permit to carry a concealed weapon.
  Hosquith’s Bag
  This bag is stuffed full of manila folders containing business
  records, memos, receipts, dossiers, and even a few CD-ROMs
  from a company called Lubash Securities. A hero who makes
  a successful Knowledge (current events) check (DC 20) recalls
  that Lubash Securities is a stock and futures trading company
  based in Bayonne, NJ. If the check result beats DC 30, the
  hero also knows that Lubash Securities is currently under
  investigation by the SEC. (At your discretion, any hero who is
  intimately involved with the stock market or other aspects
  of securities trading may receive up to a +10 insight bonus on
  this check.)
  Anyone who looks though the contents of the bag may
  attempt a Spot check (DC 25) to notice that several files con-
  tain pictures of Larabee Hosquith. Further perusal of those
  files indicates that Lubash Securities struck several off-the-
  books deals with him.
  Judy Bannister
  Judy Bannister is a young woman who likes to take chances.
  She’s twenty-one years old, comes from a well-to-do family,
  and has led a life that could only be described as privileged.
  But Judy has always eschewed the finer things her family has
  offered her. Although she is a voracious reader and has a keen
  intellect, she was kicked out of all the top-level boarding
  schools, junior colleges, and women’s universities she
  attended because of either failing grades or various offenses
  ranging from underage drinking to wanton destruction of
  property.
  A true bohemian, Judy chooses to live life on her own
  terms. Her forceful, charismatic personality has occasionally
  landed her a job as a personal assistant to some high-pow-
  ered executive, but her mischievous nature has ensured that
  none of these positions ever lasted very long. Between jobs,
  she survives by convincing people to support her. Her serial
  benefactors invariably lend her money (which she never
  returns), allow her to stay in their homes (which she invari-
  ably wrecks in one way or another), and provide her with
  every resource imaginable (which she eventually squanders).
  Judy is a fast-talking, conniving, manipulative, charismatic
  young woman who never seems to be at a loss for something
  clever to say. She incessantly makes up new names for her-
  self and those around her, and she never gives her correct
  name or tells the same story twice about herself, her life his-
  tory, or her motivations. Those who converse with her for a
  lengthy period often think she’s clinically insane, but in truth
  she just likes playing with people’s minds.
  Judy has come to the airport from the home of her most
  recent benefactor, where she left a fresh-baked apple pie and
  a goodbye note in exchange for the travel bag and its con-
  tents. She chose this piece of luggage because she thought it
  looked “ritzy,” and she plans to surreptitiously switch it with
  an identical one at the airport, hopefully walking off with
  more valuable contents in the process. Beyond this stunt, she
  has no plans, although a trip to Paris or Milan would certainly
  be fun at this time of year.
  Judy Bannister (Fast Hero 4/Charismatic Hero
  4/Infiltrator 2): CR 10; Medium-size human; HD 4d8 plus
  4d6 plus 2d8; hp 48; Mas 10; Init +5; Speed 30 ft.; Defense 19,
  touch 19, flat-footed 19; BAB +6; Grap +6; Atk +6 melee (1d3
  nonlethal, unarmed strike); Full Atk +6/+1 melee (1d3 non-
  lethal, unarmed strike); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SV Fort +3,
  Ref +8, Will +4; AP 5; Rep +5; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 17, Wis
  11, Cha 18.
  Occupation: Creative (class skills: Bluff, Disguise, Forgery).
  Skills: Bluff +17, Diplomacy +11, Disguise +17, Escape Artist
  +10, Forgery +12, Gather Information +11, Handle Animal +7,
  Hide +16, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (behavioral sciences) +11,
  A FUNNY THING
  
  d20MODERN
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  Knowledge (current events) +14, Knowledge (streetwise) +14,
  Knowledge (theology and philosophy) +11, Move Silently +15,
  Sleight of Hand +10.
  Feats: Deceptive, Dodge, Educated (Knowledge [current
  events], Knowledge [streetwise]), Improved Initiative, Iron
  Will, Mobility, Nimble, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Spring
  Attack, Stealthy.
  Talents: Charm, evasion, favor, improvised implements,
  sweep, uncanny dodge 1.
  Bannister’s Bag
  This bag contains a random assortment of household items
  that Judy took from her latest benefactor—a podiatrist who
  invited her home after a cocktail party and inadvertently
  wound up hosting her for more than a week. The contents
  include mismatched items of men’s clothing, an African
  hand-carved ashtray, several stainless steel spoons, a ladle, a
  3”x5” framed picture of an elderly woman (Judy has no idea
  who this is), and anything else the GM deems interesting and
  amusing.
  Attached to the shoulder strap is a luggage tag that pro-
  claims this bag to be the property of Achmed al Hasaar, MD.
  Should the heroes decide to contact Dr. al Hasaar, he con-
  firms that Miss Bannister has his permission to be in posses-
  sion of the bag and its contents, and under no circumstances
  are they to return it—or her—to his home.
  SYNOPSIS
  The heroes go to the airport to meet Professor Bogdanovich.
  Also at the airport, hoping to switch carrying cases with the
  professor, is Dr. Fredericks. Eunice van Hoskins, Peter Buck,
  and Larabee Hosquith arrive on the same flight as the pro-
  fessor does.
  As bags start arriving on the luggage carousel, it becomes
  clear that several other people have bags identical to the
  professor’s. Since each has a strong personal reason to claim
  his or her bag immediately, tensions flare as matters become
  more and more confused.
  While the confrontations rage, Judy Bannister runs into
  the area carrying a bag identical to the others. She immedi-
  ately attempts to trade hers with anyone else’s while the
  owner’s attention is distracted.
  The action can be resolved completely in the airport. All
  the heroes have to do to complete their mission is to get the
  professor and his bag out safely. If they fail to get the correct
  bag, the adventure may continue beyond the airport. The
  heroes must try to track down the other GM characters and
  retrieve the professor’s bag, while their quarries (some of
  whom have undoubtedly left the airport with another per-
  son’s belongings) try to exchange luggage before anyone else
  can discover their personal secrets. This process is likely to
  involve lots of hijinx, sneaking around, and even more cases
  of mistaken identity.
  Should the adventure progress to this point, the charac-
  ters and all the GM characters on hand are brought before
  Judge Bannister—Judy’s father—for whatever offenses have
  been committed, which may range from disturbing the peace
  to theft or assault, depending upon what measures they have
  taken to retrieve the professor’s bag. The outcome of this
  encounter should come as a surprise to the heroes (and the
  players).
  Character Hooks
  As GM, you know best how to involve your players and their
  characters in an adventure. You can use the following adven-
  ture hooks to spur your imagination, modifying them as nec-
  essary to make them appropriate for the characters’ interests.
  • The heroes are members of Department-7. Escorting the
  professor and his luggage to a predetermined downtown
  destination is their current assignment.
  • One of the heroes is a friend of the professor’s.
  Bogdanovich has contacted that hero and requested a ride
  from the airport, citing an important scientific break-
  through as the reason for his visit and claiming that he is
  in danger from industrial spies.
  Running This Adventure
  While running this adventure, you should behave as though
  the scenario is a tense tale of corporate and scientific espi-
  onage. This technique preserves the element of surprise for
  the players when they discover that it is actually a farce
  predicated on mistakes and mishaps.
  A Different Sort Of Scenario
  If you’d like to try a very different sort of adventure, you may
  want to consider giving each of the players one of the GM
  characters to run. Each character has a completely different
  set of motivations and expectations, as described above in
  the background section. 
  Using the scenario in this way is not a good idea for a cam-
  paign, but it could make for an interesting one-night event.
  The advantage is that the players can roleplay their charac-
  ters without concern for their continued viability in the
  weeks ahead.
  If you choose to run the adventure this way, you can either
  give the players the full statistics noted here for all the GM
  characters in the adventure, or hand each of the players one
  character background and let him or her generate a character
  to match those requirements. (In this case, all the characters
  should simply be generated as 10th-level heroes.) Then you
  can develop a set of personal victory conditions for each
  character based on his or her specific goals.
  BEGINNING THE ADVENTURE
  A Funny Thing Happened at Carousel #5 is a site-based
  adventure consisting of up to three placed encounters. Only
  the first of these—the one at the airport—is absolutely nec-
  essary, since the heroes can fulfill their mission here. The
  other two encounter areas—the downtown hotel where the
  professor is staying and the courtroom of Judge Bannister—
  provide a way to continue the action if the heroes do not
  succeed in removing the professor and the correct bag from
  the airport.
  The adventure begins when the heroes receive instruc-
  tions to pick up the professor at the airport. The following
  A FUNNY THING
  
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  A FUNNY THING
  
  d20MODERN
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  read-aloud material assumes that the characters are working
  for Department-7. If this is not the case, modify the informa-
  tion appropriately.
  If the heroes press for more information, their supervisor
  gives them a document that essentially paraphrases the
  information given in the Background about the professor’s
  theory and research to date.
  When the heroes are ready to leave, they can reach the
  airport without incident. Go to encounter 1 when they begin
  searching for the professor.
  1. CAROUSEL #5
  The main action in this adventure takes place at a large air-
  port near where the campaign is set. The exact location is
  not important, although if the heroes are based in Las Vegas,
  Peter Buck’s background will require slight modifications, as
  noted above. The map provided can work for any airport, but
  if the players are personally familiar with the airport in ques-
  tion, you may want to adapt it for that specific layout.
  Four of the GM characters described above (Professor
  Bogdanovich, Eunice van Hoskins, Peter Buck, and Larabee
  Hosquith) have arrived on the same flight, and their luggage
  is due to be distributed at carousel #5. Hugh Fredericks has
  arrived at the airport by car and is now standing near
  carousel #4, watching for Dr. Bogdanovich. Judy Bannister has
  just arrived by taxi. She ran out of the cab without paying her
  fare, and the driver is now in hot pursuit. She has not yet
  entered baggage claim.
  Exactly where the heroes begin this encounter is more or
  less up to them. They can be standing in front of the escala-
  tors holding a sign that reads “Dr. H. Bogdanovich,” or spread
  out through the crowd to keep an eye on the whole situa-
  tion, or in any other configuration they like. Let them prepare
  as much or as little as they wish, but you may want to allow
  for the possibility of a traffic snarl that delays their arrival at
  the airport.
  1a. Paging Professor B.
  When passengers from Professor Bogdanovich’s flight start arriv-
  ing at baggage claim via the escalator, each hero can attempt a
  Spot check to try to find the scientist. All these checks fail,
  because he is still back at the gate. Since he had not flown in
  some time, he expected that his ride would meet him there.
  However, the heroes may notice some other interesting things
  while they are searching for him, as given on the table below.
  SPOT CHECK
  RESULT
  SITUATION NOTICED
  15–19
  A husky man in a chauffeur’s uniform is
  meeting a gaudily dressed older
  woman. Either they like to play dress-
  up, or she’s got a ton of money.
  20–24
  There’s a redheaded man with an ugly
  yellow-and-pink travel bag standing by
  carousel #4. He’s watching the arriving
  passengers as though he’s looking for
  someone in particular.
  25–29
  One of the arriving passengers seems
  exceedingly nervous. He keeps looking
  over his shoulder at a guy who is clearly
  either an undercover cop or a Fed. But
  the undercover guy doesn’t seem at all
  interested in the nervous one.
  30+
  There’s some kind of commotion on
  the drive outside the terminal. A cab
  driver just leapt out of his taxi and is
  now running for the entrance to the
  baggage area. He looks pretty upset.
  GM Characters: The gaudily dressed woman is Eunice van
  Hoskins, and her chauffeur is Simon. The redheaded man is
  Hugh Fredericks, who is looking for Professor Bogdanovich.
  The nervous man is Peter Buck, and the supposed Fed is
  Larabee Hosquith. The cab driver is chasing Judy Bannister,
  who has just run off without paying him.
  Development: Allow the heroes to search baggage claim
  in vain for Professor Bogdanovich until they become restless.
  Then read or paraphrase the following aloud.
  From ancient-looking speakers mounted on columns
  and in corners around the terminal, a crackling, barely
  comprehensible message blares out.
  “Will the party here to meet Doctor Henry. . . .”
  A hesitant, slightly nasal voice interrupts. “Umm . . .
  actually, it’s ‘professor,’ not ‘doctor.’”
  “Whatever,” says the first voice, sounding gruff and
  impatient.
  “They work for Department-7,” says the nasal voice.
  “But that might be secret.”
  “Not no more, it ain’t,” says the first voice. “Look,
  whoever’s here to meet Professor Bog- . . . Bogda . . . how
  the heck do you say this? Bohg-da-NO-vich?”
  “Bog-DAN-ovich,” replies the nasal voice. “All together
  . . . really quickly . . . Bogdanovich.”
  “Right,” says the first voice crisply. “Anyone here who
  actually wants Professor B. should pick up a white cour-
  tesy phone before we strangle him.”
  “Sit down,” says your supervisor as you walk into the
  briefing room. “Today’s assignment is pretty simple. You’re
  to pick up a . . . Professor Henry Bogdanovich at the air-
  port and bring him and his luggage to his hotel. He’s a sci-
  entist with some theory that he’s supposed to present to
  the brass today.” She puts her notes aside and looks at
  each of you in turn. “I want this presentation to go off
  without a hitch. This fellow’s discoveries, if they’re valid,
  could usher in a whole new way of gathering information.
  “Now I don’t know Bogdanovich personally, but my
  information says two things. One, he’s a certified genius.
  Two, he’s a complete flake. You’ll not only have to watch
  him carefully to make sure he doesn’t get into trouble or
  wander off, you’ll also need to keep an eye out for indus-
  trial spies who might try to steal his notes and prototypes.
  “Now, is all that clear? You can pick up a dossier on
  your way out that has his flight information and picture.
  You won’t be able to meet him at the gate; you’ll have
  to locate him at baggage claim. We don’t want to call
  attention to his arrival. Just make sure he and his luggage
  get where they’re going safely.”
  A FUNNY THING
  
  d20MODERN
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  A FUNNY THING
  Several white courtesy phones are conveniently placed
  around the area. Any hero who picks one up and asks for
  Professor Bogdanovich is immediately patched through to
  the desk where he is standing. The much-harassed airline
  employee manning the desk immediately turns the phone
  over to Bogdanovich. 
  The hero must then convince the professor that he or she
  has legitimately been sent to pick him up. This process can be
  as easy or difficult as you want to make it. Once the hero
  convinces him that he or she is legitimate and tells him
  where his escort is waiting, he begins making his way to the
  luggage carousels.
  1b. The Disembarkation Mambo
  By the time the professor arrives, bags, suitcases, duffels, and
  boxes have begun to tumble down onto the conveyor and
  lazily circle the carousel, but no bag resembling his has yet
  emerged. Passengers crowd around, waiting for their luggage
  to roll by.
  Connecting with Professor B.
  Once Professor Bogdanovich enters the baggage claim area,
  anyone who has been watching for him can make a Spot
  check (DC 15) to notice him. This check may be repeated once
  per round as long as a character is actively seeking him. 
  GM Character: The professor has already forgotten any-
  thing the characters told him about how to find them—
  indeed, he has forgotten that he has anyone waiting for him
  at all. His attention is focused on the baggage carousel from
  the moment he sees it.
  Development: Should a hero approach Bogdanovich, he
  looks startled, but responds normally to anyone greeting him
  by name. Once the heroes identify themselves, he remem-
  bers who they are and why they are there. He says he’ll be
  ready to go as soon as he collects his bag.
  If the heroes ask any of the following questions,
  Bogdanovich responds as indicated below.
  • What does your bag look like?
  “It’s a yellow and pink thing. You can’t miss it.”
  • Why did you check a bag containing such important
  material instead of carrying it on with you?
  “Because it was heavy. Besides, I was afraid I’d leave it on
  the plane or lying around the airport lounge. I thought it
  would be better to let the airline take care of it. After all,
  they handle luggage every day—they’d never lose it.” 
  • Are you sure the devices inside can survive rough
  handling? 
  “I’m sure I’ll be able to get them working in time for the
  demonstration.”
  Bogdanovich answers any other questions the heroes have
  as best he can, though he is still focused on retrieving his bag.
  Bag Frenzy
  Once the heroes have had a chance to speak with the pro-
  fessor a bit, establish the position of each hero and GM char-
  acter and determine how much of the luggage on the
  carousel each one can see. Have each hero roll for initiative,
  and do so for each GM character, then establish an initiative
  order for actions. Characters must begin acting in initiative
  order as soon as the first of the identical bags emerges.
  Whether the heroes realize it or not, they’re technically “in
  combat” to try to identify and take control of the bag as
  soon as anyone sees it (see encounter 1c, below). The
  carousel is automatically last in initiative order, so it moves
  after everyone has acted for the round.
  There are currently fifty bags on the carousel. Each round,
  1d4–1 new bags roll onto the conveyor and 1d4+4 bags are
  removed from it. On each round that at least one new bag
  appears, there is a 25% chance that the grouping contains one
  of the identical bags. If one appears and it is not the only piece
  of luggage that emerged that round, there is a 20% chance that
  two identical bags have entered the carousel at the same time.
  Continue to roll for the presence of the identical pieces of lug-
  gage until all four of them (those belonging to the four GM
  characters on the plane) have emerged. Each time one of these
  bags appears, roll randomly on 1d4 to determine whose it is
  (rerolling if two bags come up with the same owner), and make
  sure you keep track of that information.
  As soon as one of the identical bags moves into view on
  the carousel, each character who is looking for that kind of
  bag may make a Spot check (DC 10) to notice it (except
  Larabee Hosquith, who automatically notices every bag).
  Anyone who sees the bag may take an action on his or her
  turn—all others remain flat-footed until they succeed at a
  Spot check. Each character must make a separate Spot check
  for each identical bag in his or her field of view.
  1c. Did You Check the Tag?
  As GM, you must identify the owner of each bag when it
  appears and keep track of it throughout the adventure, so
  that you know where each person’s bag actually is. But you
  must do so without giving the heroes any more information
  than they have legitimately gained. Some heroes may be
  aware of only certain bags, while others are aware of differ-
  ent ones. Some may remain completely oblivious to all the
  bags unless actually presented with one. The heroes should
  be more than a bit confused, but you should not be.
  GM Characters: At present, five of the six GM characters
  are on the scene: Professor Bogdanovich, Eunice van Hoskins,
  Peter Buck, Larabee Hosquith, and Hugh Fredericks. 
  Development: Each GM character reacts differently to
  the appearance of one of the identical bags, as given below.
  If Professor Bogdanovich ends up with the wrong bag, go to
  encounter 2, below, when the characters realize the error.
  Professor Bogdanovich
  The professor is willing to follow any instructions the char-
  acters issue. In the absence of orders to the contrary, how-
  ever, he attempts to pick up each bag that resembles his own
  and check the luggage tag. If the tag bears his name, he puts
  the bag at his feet and waits for instructions. Otherwise, he
  puts it back onto the carousel. Oddly, he continues to check
  tags in this manner even after he has identified one bag as his
  own. He’s just so obsessive that he feels a compulsion to
  check every bag.
  
  d20MODERN
  10
  Dr. Fredericks
  Hugh Fredericks waits until he sees Professor Bog-
  danovich alone with a bag of the correct description—
  even if the professor has not yet claimed that bag as his
  own. Fredericks makes his way over to the professor and
  feigns a warm greeting, as though the two were old
  friends. This behavior momentarily rattles the professor
  because the two have always been rivals—though
  Fredericks always took criticism more personally than
  Bogdanovich did.
  Hugh tries to time his approach so that as few of the
  heroes as possible are watching. Ideally, he waits until the
  heroes are wrangling with some of the other GM characters
  over identical bags. When he decides the moment is right, he
  sets his bag down beside the professor’s, offers him some
  flowery compliments, and engages in scientific chitchat.
  While Bogdanovich is distracted, Fredericks attempts to use
  his Sleight of Hand skill (opposed by a single Spot check
  made by one of the heroes at the scene, or by the professor’s
  if no heroes are present) to pick up the other bag. If success-
  ful, Hugh immediately exits the terminal, gets into a taxi, and
  orders the driver to take him to a downtown hotel. Should
  the heroes track Hugh to his hotel later, see encounter 2 and
  Further Adventures, below. 
  If Hugh is caught trying to leave with Bogdanovich’s bag,
  he feigns indignation at any suggestion that he might be try-
  ing to steal the professor’s research, then storms off in a huff.
  Once he is out of sight, he uses his Hide and Move Silently
  skills to try to get close enough for a second attempt. 
  The real sticking point in Hugh’s plan is that since he makes
  his move as quickly as possible, the bag the professor is
  standing beside may not be his own. 
  Eunice van Hoskins
  Eunice stands back while Simon gathers up her eight pieces
  of luggage. The bag that contains the gems is the odd one;
  the other seven pieces are a matched set. Eunice points out
  each piece as it goes by, even though Simon knows perfectly
  well what her luggage looks like.
  If she sees someone else pick up one of the identical bags
  before she has claimed one, she orders Simon to go and
  retrieve it immediately. She refuses to believe that any such
  bag could belong to someone else until she inspects the lug-
  gage tag herself.
  Once she notices that there are several such bags in the
  vicinity, she orders Simon to collect them all so that she may
  personally inspect them and then distribute them to their
  rightful owners.
  Simon follows Eunice’s orders to the letter. He is more
  than willing to start or continue a fistfight to get what she
  wants. Such an event, however, does draw the attention of
  Airport Security (see encounter 1e, below).
  Peter Buck
  Peter Buck is convinced that Larabee Hosquith is following
  him. He is far too nervous about this possibility to notice
  that there are several identical bags in the area. All he wants
  to do is make his escape. Thus, he grabs the first bag he sees
  that resembles his own and tries to flee.
  If he sees Larabee reaching for a bag identical to his own,
  Peter comes completely unglued. He rushes over to Hosquith
  and attempts to bull rush him out of the way. If he is suc-
  cessful, he grabs the bag and runs away as quickly as possible.
  Once outside the terminal, he gets into a taxi and tells the
  driver to take him to a downtown hotel. Buck does not stop
  to determine whether the bag he has snatched is actually his
  own until he is safely checked into his hotel room.
  Larabee Hosquith
  Larabee Hosquith retrieves his other checked bag immedi-
  ately upon reaching the carousel. He takes it into the men’s
  room, removes his gun, and puts it into the concealed carry
  holster he wears before returning to the luggage carousel to
  look for the bag full of documents.
  Larabee is the only character who automatically notices
  each of the identical bags as they come onto the conveyor.
  He also notices the bag that Hugh Fredericks is carrying and
  immediately becomes suspicious of him.
  Hosquith believes that the identical bags are part of some
  complex sting operation that his colleagues at the SEC have
  set up to catch him. He figures that his best chance to escape
  clean is to act professional. Thus, he makes his way over to
  any character who claims one of the identical bags, flashes
  his badge, and asks politely to see the contents. If the bag is
  not his, he thanks the character politely and moves on to the
  next. If the bag the character holds does happen to be
  Larabee’s, he says so firmly and demands to be allowed to
  take possession of it. If he succeeds in getting his own bag,
  Hosquith leaves the building, gets into a taxi, and heads for a
  downtown hotel.
  If anyone tries to leave the terminal with one of the bags
  before Hosquith has found his own, or refuses to let him
  examine a bag, or doesn’t hand over a bag after Hosquith has
  identified it as his, he draws his gun and orders that person
  to surrender the bag. The gun, of course, draws the attention
  of Airport Security (see encounter 1e, below).
  1d. And Then the Trouble Began
  About 2 minutes after the first of the identical bags hits the
  conveyor, read aloud or paraphrase the following.
  GM Characters: Judy Bannister has just arrived on the
  scene, closely followed by Mac the Hack, the taxi driver.
  Anyone who saw Mac run away from his cab in encounter 1a,
  above, immediately recognizes this man as the taxi driver.
  Any hero who does not recognize him may attempt a Sense
  A young woman with shoulder-length brown hair,
  dressed in faded jeans, a belly shirt, and generic sneak-
  ers, breaks into the crowd surrounding carousel #5. She
  is carrying a bag identical to the one Professor
  Bogdanovich is looking for.
  “Help!” she shouts, looking over her shoulder franti-
  cally. “Help! My boyfriend is going to hit me again!”
  About twenty paces behind the young woman runs
  an overweight, greasy-haired man whose face is set in a
  murderous scowl. He is shaking his fist in her general
  direction.
  A FUNNY THING
  
  d20MODERN
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  A FUNNY THING
  Motive check (DC 20) or a Knowledge (behavioral sciences)
  check (DC 25). Success convinces the character that this man
  is not the woman’s boyfriend, and that although he is very
  angry, violence is not his main objective.
  If a hero approaches him calmly, the greasy man explains
  that he is a taxi driver and points to his cab (which is now
  being ticketed by the airport police) outside the terminal
  window. He insists that Judy stiffed him for a $75 fare from
  the city. (Actually, the fare was only $25, but he believes he’s
  owed more now because of all this inconvenience.) The taxi
  driver may be as easy or difficult to scare off as you wish, but
  he does not leave happily unless someone—he doesn’t care
  who—pays him $30 or more. If the situation gets too out of
  hand, two Airport Security officers (see encounter 1e, below)
  arrive to break up the altercation. They pointedly suggest
  that the driver get back to his taxi before it is towed away,
  and he grudgingly obeys.
  Mac the Hack (Tough Ordinary 4): CR 3; Medium-size
  human; HD 4d10; hp 30; Mas 15; Init +5; Speed 30 ft.; Defense
  14, touch 14, flat-footed 13; BAB +3; Grap +5; Atk +5 melee
  (1d3+2 nonlethal, unarmed strike); Full Atk +5 melee (1d3+2
  nonlethal, unarmed strike); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SV Fort
  +4, Ref +2, Will +0; AP 0; Rep +1; Str 15, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 12,
  Wis 8, Cha 10.
  Occupation: Blue Collar (class skills: Drive, Intimidate,
  Repair).
  Skills: Drive +11, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (streetwise) +8,
  Listen +1, Navigate +4, Repair +8, Spot +2.
  Feats: Alertness, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Vehicle
  Dodge, Vehicle Expert.
  Development: While Mac is creating a distraction, Judy
  tries to use her Sleight of Hand skill to switch her bag with
  someone else’s. (If Eunice van Hoskins is nearby, she prefer-
  entially tries for her bag, since Eunice looks rich).
  If people get too upset at Judy, she attempts to befriend a
  male hero with her charm ability. If successful, she tries to
  get that hero to protect her. Depending on the situation, she
  may stick close to her selected hero for safety (wheedling
  her way into the group, if possible), or she may try to pick his
  pocket, switch bags, and disappear into the crowd.
  Judy Bannister is the key to bringing all the groups
  together again, if need be. See encounter 2, below.
  1e. Raising A Ruckus
  The authorities generally frown on any kind of loud distur-
  bance at an airport, and they tend to be especially sensitive
  about violent altercations—particularly those that involve
  firearms.
  GM Characters: If extended shouting matches or raucous
  disagreements over ownership of luggage occurs, 1d6 mem-
  bers of the Airport Security force arrive within 1 round. They
  begin by politely suggesting that everyone calm down. If that
  tactic fails, they begin using nightsticks, stun guns, and hand-
  cuffs to take people into custody. Should they have to use
  force, another 3d6 security personnel appear 1 round later to
  back them up.
  Airport Security Guard (Tough Ordinary 4): CR 3;
  Medium-size human; HD 4d10; hp 34; Mas 15; Init +1; Speed 30
  ft.; Defense 14, touch 14, flat-footed 13; BAB +3; Grap +5; Atk
  +5 melee (1d6+3, nightstick) or +5 melee (1d3+2 electricity,
  stun gun); Full Atk +5 melee (1d6+3, nightstick) or +5 melee
  (1d3+2 electricity, stun gun); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SV
  Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +2; AP 0; Rep +1; Str 15, Dex 13, Con 15, Int
  12, Wis 8, Cha 10.
  Occupation: Law Enforcement (class skills: Diplomacy,
  Listen).
  Skills: Diplomacy +5, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (current
  events) +2, Listen +9, Spot +10.
  Feats: Alertness, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Simple
  Weapons Proficiency.
  Possessions: Nightstick (treat as a club), stun gun, pair of
  steel handcuffs.
  Development: The heroes may attempt to get out of
  trouble with Airport Security by claiming a connection with
  Department-7, or any other organization they work for. This
  tactic may work at first, but if the trouble becomes so seri-
  ous that the guards start arresting people, they arrest the
  heroes as well. They figure that it’s better to end the distur-
  bance first and apologize later.
  Anyone arrested by Airport Security winds up having to
  explain his or her actions in court (see encounter 3, below). 
  2. LOST LUGGAGE
  In all probability, one or more of the identical bags will be
  removed from the airport before the heroes have a chance to
  examine it. As long as Professor Bogdanovich has the correct
  bag with all his equipment, there is no reason why they need
  to pay any attention to the other GM characters and their
  various plots and problems. On the other hand, being heroes,
  they may decide to investigate every shady situation they
  come across.
  If the professor’s bag has been removed from the airport by
  someone else, however, the heroes must to chase down each
  of the other characters until they find the missing satchel.
  Their assignment, after all, was to bring the Bogdanovich and
  his equipment safely to their final destination.
  If desired, you may create suitable locales for each of the
  other GM characters to go to ground. But if time is of the
  essence, then just engineer a serendipitous turn of events that
  brings all the important characters to the same downtown
  hotel at which Department-7 is putting up the professor.
  If All Else Fails
  If putting all the GM characters in the same hotel strains your
  credulity, you can always use Judy Bannister as your tool of
  reunification. You can use any of the following scenarios to
  bring all the necessary parties together again, depending on
  which bag she actually stole.
  • Eunice van Hoskins: Judy left the airport with the bag
  belonging to Eunice van Hoskins. The socialite refuses to
  allow a little strumpet like Judy to ruin her, so she sends
  Simon out to find the girl, retrieve the jewels, and make
  sure that no one ever hears from the thief again. Judy, in
  her blind flight from the murderous chauffeur, runs into
  one or more of the heroes, either in the hotel or else-
  where in town.
  • Larabee Hosquith: The night of the airport incident,
  Judy’s face is all over the evening news. The broadcasts
  
  d20MODERN
  12
  claim that she is a spy and a terrorist from a foreign nation,
  and that a large reward has been offered for her capture.
  (This propaganda is all based on tips from Larabee
  Hosquith.) The heroes should quickly figure out that what-
  ever Judy is, she’s not a spy. Suddenly they hear someone
  nearby yell, “That’s her! That’s the spy! Get her!”
  • Peter Buck: The heroes see Judy checking into the hotel’s
  Presidential Suite and paying for it in cash. But the cash
  she uses is actually Peter Buck’s stolen counterfeit cur-
  rency, and it doesn’t take him (or the police) long to track
  her down.
  2a. A Downtown Hotel
  Professor Bogdanovich is staying at a five-star hotel near the
  Department-7 offices. Even if the heroes and Professor
  Bogdanovich escaped with the correct bag, however, they
  may not have seen the last of the other characters. If you
  plan to continue the adventure beyond the confines of the
  airport, the heroes’ superior assigns them to protect the pro-
  fessor during his stay.
  The action at the airport was very fast-paced and obvi-
  ous—everyone was trying to grab the same bags at the same
  time in a single crowded room. But at the hotel, the action
  becomes much more subtle, and the adventure becomes
  more of a comedic thriller than a slapstick romp. 
  GM Characters: All six GM characters may be present at
  this hotel. 
  Development: Any GM character who has wound up with
  the wrong bag wants to set the matter right, and the only
  way to do so is to track down all the people who partici-
  pated in the altercation at the airport and check their bags—
  surreptitiously, if possible. Thus, the professor (or any other
  character with one of the identical bags) might return to find
  his room ransacked—possibly more than once. The same
  could happen to the heroes’ own offices, if anyone from the
  airport connected them with the professor and his bag.
  Exactly how far to take this portion of the farce is your deci-
  sion. Eventually, the other GM characters should be convinced
  that the professor, at least, does not have their property.
  2b. Thinning the Herd
  The heroes should have no trouble dealing with the various
  individuals from the airport. In fact, the more GM characters
  they manage to have arrested or otherwise eliminated, the
  easier it should be for them to make sense of ongoing events.
  But you can insert additional encounters to muddy the situ-
  ation further, if desired.
  GM Characters: If you want to make things more chal-
  lenging for the heroes, have one of the GM characters call in
  backup of one sort or another. For example, Peter Buck could
  easily get a bunch of local thugs to help him, or Larabee
  Hosquith could convince local authorities to beat someone
  up by promising to let them in on an important bust, or
  Eunice van Hoskins could hire as many assistants as she feels
  as needed.
  Eventually, though, either the heroes should solve all the
  various crimes and injustices, or they themselves should be
  captured for disturbing the peace or some other crime. In the
  latter case, go to encounter 3, below. 
  3. TELL IT TO THE JUDGE
  If the heroes cause too much commotion in the course of
  this adventure, the police may attempt to take them into
  custody. This outcome may result in various longer-term
  campaign effects, such as loss of status in their organization,
  unwanted media notoriety, or other annoyances, as appro-
  priate. As far as the plotline of this adventure is concerned,
  however, this development is just an opportunity to intro-
  duce another twist to the tale.
  No matter what you plan for the heroes as a result of their
  arrest—even if it is basically nothing—they must go before a
  municipal judge for arraignment. Unfortunately for the
  heroes, the district attorney has lumped their case together
  with those of all the other characters arrested over the
  course of the adventure. In other words, the heroes are
  herded into the courtroom along with any GM characters
  who have already been arrested.
  GM Characters: All the GM characters not already elimi-
  nated are here. Presiding over the court is the Honorable John
  Bannister, a man who is long on wisdom but short on
  patience. He has a splitting headache and is flabbergasted to
  see such a huge group of defendants brought before him at
  once. When he asks what is going on, everyone starts talking
  at once. 
  Development: When Judge Bannister requests that one
  person represent the group, Hugh Fredericks, Larabee
  Hosquith, and Eunice van Hoskins all volunteer, and hopefully
  at least one of the heroes does so as well. Each volunteering
  character must make a Charisma check, and you can allow or
  disallow the use of special abilities, talents, and feats to
  modify this check as you see fit. Judge Bannister chooses
  whoever gets the highest check result as the initial
  spokesperson. 
  A GM character who ends up as spokesperson describes
  the situation from his or her own completely biased point of
  view, prompting other characters (including, perhaps, the
  heroes) to interrupt occasionally with corrections. Judge
  Bannister puts up with this situation for a little while, but he
  eventually calls for silence, slamming his gavel down repeat-
  edly. He threatens to have anyone who speaks out of turn
  drawn and quartered, keelhauled, or subjected to any num-
  ber of other colorful punishments. In fact, the most he could
  really do is hold the offender in contempt of court and
  impose a fine requiring a Wealth check (Purchase DC 15) to
  settle. He imposes this punishment on the next character
  who interrupts and chooses a new spokesperson, based on a
  new round of Charisma checks.
  The only character who does not speak up in court is Judy
  Bannister. Anyone who notices her silence may attempt a
  Sense Motive check (DC 10) to determine that she is actually
  hiding at the back of the group, pulling her collar up and
  turning her face away from the judge whenever possible.
  Once the entire tale has been told, Judge Bannister begins
  asking individual characters specific questions about their
  involvement. Eventually he gets around to Judy, who is still
  hiding at the back of the group. At first she just waves him
  off, but when he insists that she say something, she turns
  around, pulls down her collar, smiles weakly, and says, “Hi,
  Daddy.”
  A FUNNY THING
  
  d20MODERN
  13
  A FUNNY THING
  Judge Banister holds his head in his hands and mumbles, “I
  might have known.” Unless actual evidence to the contrary
  has been presented, the judge decides that the entire incident
  is Judy’s fault and releases everyone else. If the heroes can
  present hard evidence implicating any of the GM characters in
  actual crimes, the judge remands those individuals to police
  custody and sets the bail high enough to prevent them from
  gaining easy release until they can be tried in a court of law.
  In either case, he tells Judy that she can choose between a
  jail sentence and enrollment at another boarding school,
  since he’s finally found one willing to accept her. She hangs
  her head and chooses the boarding school, intending to
  make her escape from it as soon as possible.
  REWARDS
  Standard experience point rewards apply for defeating, over-
  coming, or outwitting all the opponents in this adventure. If
  the heroes manage to have Larabee Hosquith, Eunice van
  Hoskins, or Peter Buck arrested for their crimes, appropriate
  Wealth bonus awards also apply.
  Since this adventure is relatively light on combat, you
  might also want to hand out experience point bonuses for
  quick thinking or good roleplaying. Be sure, however, that
  such rewards are for good gamesmanship, not good die rolls.
  FURTHER ADVENTURES
  A Funny Thing Happened At Carousel #5 is largely a self-con-
  tained adventure. Although Professor Bogdanovich and his
  experiment were the hooks that brought the heroes into the
  tale, they have little to do with the outcome.
  The Professor’s Experiments
  If you like the Bogdanovich character, you can devise further
  adventures in which Department-7 assigns the heroes to test
  the professor’s device. Such an adventure series could culmi-
  nate in the heroes acquiring a unique piece of equipment as
  well as a scientific resource and ally in Henry Bogdanovich.
  Although his work thus far has been focused on only one
  area of research, the professor’s skills and abilities make him
  well suited for many different realms of scientific inquiry.
  Dueling Scientists
  If Professor Bogdanovich becomes a permanent part of the
  campaign, then Dr. Hugh Fredericks should as well. He and
  Bogdanovich have been rivals for years, and he is bound to
  resent the heroes for derailing his plot to humiliate the pro-
  fessor.
  Hugh can pop up from time to time in the campaign,
  always trying to steal or undermine Bogdanovich’s work.
  Eventually, he may join (or even found) an organization that
  directly opposes the heroes and Department-7.
  Little Ms. Trouble
  Judy Bannister can also provide fodder for continuing adven-
  tures, particularly if she and one of the heroes actually hit it
  off during the course of this tale. She might decide to relent-
  lessly pursue the hero and convince him that she’s the per-
  fect woman for him, or she might just poke her nose into the
  group’s business at inopportune moments. Even if Judy has no
  interest in the heroes at all, her knack for getting into trou-
  ble makes her a perfect catalyst for other disasters that
  might require the heroes’ intervention.
  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
  involved in freelance writing, game design, and illustration,
  and he is the creative vice president for The Game
  Mechanics, Inc. <www.thegamemechanics.com>. His
  recent projects include URBAN ARCANA, for Wizards of the
  Coast, and the Modern Player’s Companion, Volume 2, for
  The Game Mechanics.
  Stan! lives in Renton, WA, where he eats nothing but meat
  and cheese. Although he is not particularly a Barbara
  Streisand or Ryan O’Neill fan, What’s Up, Doc? is one of his
  all-time favorite films, and he suggests you check it out. Visit
  Stan! online at <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
  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
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