TEXT: © Palladium Books®
  Chi-Town ‘Burbs
  ™
  Firetown
  ™ & the Tolkeen Crisis
  ™
  By Kevin Siembieda
  Adventure Sourcebook
  ®
  Palladium Books® Presents:
  
  Warning! 
  Violence, War, Magic & the Supernatural 
  The fictional world of Rifts® is violent, deadly and filled with supernatural monsters. Other-dimen­
  sional beings often referred to as "demons," torment, stalk and prey on humans. Other alien life forms, 
  monsters, gods and demigods, as well as magic, insanity, and war are all elements in this book. 
  Some parents may find the violence, magic and supernatural elements of the game inappropriate for 
  young readers/players. We suggest parental discretion. 
  Please note that none of us at Palladium Books® condone or encourage the occult, the practice of 
  magic, the use of drugs, or violence. 
  A Rifts® Adventure Sourcebook. 
  The Chi-Town 'Burb of Firetown & the Tolkeen Crisis 
  1 
  
  Dedication 
  To Wayne Breaux Jr., Kent Buries, Ramon Perez, Scott Johnson, Freddie Williams, Apollo Okamura, John Zeleznik, Dave Dorman 
  and all of Palladium's unsung heroes who work in the realm of art and design. These guys pour their hearts and souls into their work 
  and are often taken for granted by the average reader. They are the artisans who breathe visual life into the authors' words and imprint 
  the images you, the reader, forever envision when you think of a particular character, monster or device. Without these insightful art­
  ists, the Palladium Megaverse would be a bland, even ugly, place to visit. Instead it is full of life, wonder and power. 
  Also for Rifts® •.• 
  Rifts® Adventure Sourcebook: Chi-Town 'Burbs™: Forbidden Knowledge 
  Rifts® Adventure Sourcebook: The Black VauItTM 
  Rifts® Adventure Sourcebook: The Vanguard™ 
  Revised Rifts® Conversion Book One 
  Rifts® Dark Conversions (Nightbane, demons & more). 
  Rifts® Bionics Sourcebook 
  Rifts® Phase World®: Three Galaxies™ 
  Rifts® Phase World®: Anvil GalaxyTM 
  Rifts® Game Master Guide™ 
  Rifts® Book of Magic™ 
  Rifts® Aftermath™ 
  Rifts® Adventure Guide™ 
  Rifts® Coalition Wars® (Tolkeen) #1-6 
  The Rifter® Sourcebook series and more. 
  - Kevin Siembieda, 2003 
  The cover is by digital artist Dan Scott and depicts a pair of rebels from a Retribution Squad charging into the fray. This illustra­
  tion was originally done for the second series in the Rifts® Collectable Card Game, but never saw print because the card manufacturer 
  went out of business. 
  PDF Edition - November 2017 
  No part of this pUblication may be scanned, OCRed or reproduced in any way for electronic pUblication on the web/internet or any other medium. 
  Copyright 2003, 1990 Palladium Books Inc. & Kevin Siembieda 
  All rights reserved, worldwide, under the Universal Copyright Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced in part or whole, in any form or by any means, 
  without permission from the publisher, except for brief quotes for use in reviews. All incidents, situations, institutions, governments and people are fictional and any 
  similarity, without satiric intent, of characters or persons living or dead, is strictly coincidental. 
  Rifts®, The Rifter®, Coalition Wars®, Megaverse®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, After the Bomb®, Phase World®, and Palladium Books® are 
  registered trademarks owned and licensed by Palladium Books Inc. and Kevin Siembieda. 
  Revenge Squad Ragnarok, Firetown, Coalition War Campaign, Coalition Navy, Cyber-Knights, Federation of Magic, Free Quebec, Juicer Uprising, Lone Star, 
  Mindwerks, Mutants in Orbit, Mystic Russia, Psyscape, Rifts® Conversion Book, Rifts® Game Master Guide, Rifts® Book of Magic, Rifts® Mercenaries, Rifts® Un­
  derseas, New West, Spirit West, Splynn Dimensional Market, Triax & the NGR, Vampire Kingdoms, Warlords of Russia, Wormwood, Xiticix Invasion, Coalition 
  States, Chi-Town, Old Chicago, New Waukegan, Little Chi-Town, Old Town 'Burb, New Town 'Burb, 'Burbs, Prosekville, Josephton, Ironforge, Gravel Town, Lazlo, 
  Tolkeen, Freehold, Northern Gun, Manistique Imperium, Iron Heart, Kingsdale, Naruni Enterprises, Triax, Glitter Boy, Skelebots, Xiticix, Dog Boy, Dog Pack, Wolf en, 
  Biomancer, Bio-Wizardry, Ley Line Walker, Mind Melter, Mind Bleeder, Cloudweaver, Conjurer, The Corrupt, Stone Master, T-Man, Tattooed Man, Maxi-Man, 
  Undead Slayer, Techno-Wizard, Temporal Raider, Shifter, Millennium Tree, Retribution Squad, Warlord Scard, Headhunter, Psi-Stalker, Simvan, Cyber-Knight, Mys­
  tic Knight, Mystic Kumya, Burster, Zapper, Psi-Slayer, Psi-Ghost, Mega-Juicer, Titan Juicer, Juicer, Crazy, 'Borg, Bio-Borg, 'Bot, Cyber-Doc, Body Fixer, Operator, 
  Cyber-Snatcher, Body-Chop-Shop, City Rat, Hack Rat, Maze Rat, Pack Rat, Gutter Rat, Bio-Systerns, Bioware, Psynetics, Headjack, Full Conversion Cyborg, E-Clip, 
  Mega-Damage, M.D.C., S.D.C., I.S.P., P.P.E., Emperor Karl Prosek, Joseph Prosek the First, Joseph Prosek II, Erin Tam, Sir Thorpe, Lord Coake, Mitzer, Revenge 
  Squad Ragnarok, Sebastian Shock, Splugorth, Splugorth Slaver, Splynncryth, Splynn, Kittani, Powerlord, MetztJa, Sunaj, Brodkil, Witchling, and other names, titles, 
  character names, character likenesses and slogans are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. 
  Palladium On-Line: www.palladiumbooks.com 
  Rifts® Adventure Sourcebook: Firetown & the Tolkeen Crisis (in the Chi-Town 'Burbs) is published by Palladium Books 
  Inc., 39074 Webb Court, Westland, MI 48185. Printed in the USA. 
  2 
  
  Palladium Books® Presents: 
  ® 
  Chi-Town 'Burbs™ 
  Firetown 
  TM &: the Tolkeen Crisis™ 
  A Rifts® Adventure Sourcebook 
  Written by: Kevin Siembieda 
  Additional text & ideas by: Julius Rosenstein 
  Editors: Alex Marciniszyn 
  Wayne Smith 
  Proofreader: Julius Rosenstein 
  Cover Painting: Dan Scott 
  Interior Artists: Wayne Breaux Jr. 
  Apollo Okamura 
  Brian Manning 
  Brendan Smith 
  Freddie Williams 
  Art Direction & Keylining: Kevin Siembieda 
  Typography: Wayne Smith 
  Special Thanks to Alex, Julius, and Steve for their input on this project; Apollo Okamura, Brendan Smith 
  and Freddie Williams for their artistic contribution, but especially Brian Manning who jumped in to produce the 
  last of the artwork under a short deadline. And, as always, to Palladium's hard working and heroic staff. 
  - Kevin Siembieda, 2003 
  3 
  
  Contents 
  A few words from the author · . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 
  The Tolkeen fallout in the 'Burbs • • . • • • • • • • . • •  7 
  The Price of Victory . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
  . 7 
  Resistance Fighters . . . . . . . . . . . . 
  Sweet Revenge - taking the battle to the CS . 
  The many faces of revenge 
  Smugglers · . . . . .  
  Snipers & Assassins · . . . 
  Tolkeen Terrorists · . . . .  
  · 7 
  · 7  
  8 
  · 8 
  · 8 
  · 9  
  Creatures of Power ·  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 
  Retribution Squads 
  • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •  10 
  Common Urban Warfare Strategies & Tactics . . . . .  12 
  Defilers of Tolkeen . • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • . . • . 14 
  Looters & Thieves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 
  Chi-Town 'Borbs, the epicenter for loot · . . . . . . . .  15 
  Treasure Seekers· • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 16 
  Minions of Splugorth 
  16 
  Federation of Magic . . . . . . . . . 
  17 
  Federation rivalry . . . . . . . . 
  17 
  Insurrectionists & assault teams . 
  17 
  Revenge Squad Ragnarok· • • • • • • • . . . • • . . . . 18 
  Ragnarok Mercenaries . . 
  Complications . . . . . . 
  The Warriors ofRagnarok . 
  Khem, Leader . . . . . .  
  Silvera, Second-in-Command 
  Sigurd, the Dragon . . . . . . 
  Grimsby, Temporal Warrior · 
  Fortune, Wormwood Apok 
  Voudaryi, the Gargoyle . . .  
  Hook, Line & Sinker Adventures . 
  Assassination . . .  
  The Shopping Mall 
  Magic Free-for-All . 
  Mutiny · . . . . . .  
  18 
  19 
  19 
  · 20 
  · 22 
  · 24 
  · 25 
  · 27 
  · 29 
  · 3 1  
  · 3 1  
  · 3 2  
  · 33 
  · 3 4  
  Firetown, Part Two • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • . • • • • 35 
  1-19. V arious Locations · 
  . .  3 5  
  A. Abandoned Buildings 
  Adventure Hooks . .  
  20. Jordot's Fine Foods . 
  Black Marketeers 
  21. The Main Hotel . . . 
  22. Solezny's . . . . . . 
  Transients & men at arms 
  23. Bikes 'n More . . . . . . 
  Secret library for Rogue Scholars 
  24. Skinner's . .  . 
  Sweatshop . .  . 
  25. Firetown Tailor 
  26. The Kennel . . 
  The Dog Trackers 
  · 3 5  
  · 3 5  
  · 3 6  
  · 3 6  
  · 3 6  
  · 37 
  · 37 
  · 3 8  
  · 3 8  
  · 3 8  
  · 3 8  
  · 39 
  · 39 
  · 39 
  4 
  27. Mitzer's, The Cut-Rate Arms Dealer · 
  The Real Story . . 
  Current Inventory 
  TomMitzer . . .  
  Audra Mitzer · . . 
  28. Chi-Town Citizens' Liaison Office · 
  29. Jake's Farm . . . . . . 
  Jake's Garden . . . . .  
  Some possible answers 
  3 0. Collector's Cove . . .  
  Real Curios & Collectables . 
  Mark the Blue & Lisa Tymes 
  The Magic Shop . . . . . . . 
  Adventure Hooks . . . . .  . 
  3 1. Ed's Blacksmith & Repair Shop 
  Adventure Hooks . . . . . . .  . 
  3 2. Edward Wintergreen . . . . .  . 
  33. Abandoned Warehouse & Home of Impala . 
  Adventure Hooks . . . . .  
  Random Impala Encounters 
  Impala, Feral Dog Boy · . . 
  3 4. Momma's Boarding House 
  Map of Firetown . . . . .  
  3 5. The Firetown Theater . 
  3 6. Tillie's Dance Club . . 
  Wayne's All-Night Deli 
  Party Store . . . . . . . 
  37. Gordo's Salvage · . . .  
  Black Market Weapons Dealer 
  3 8. Hot Stuff Escort Service 
  39. Hotel Brimstone · . . . 
  40. Ace Protection Service 
  41. Firebelly Soup Kitchen 
  A front for revenge · 
  Adventure Hooks 
  42. Parking Structure 
  43. General Store . 
  44. Movie Theater · . 
  45. Katz & Jammer . 
  Adventure Hooks 
  46. Prosek Towers . 
  Adventure Hooks 
  D-Bee Brain Eaters (gang) · . 
  Rex Masterson . . . . . . . . 
  Henry "the Reaper" Levandowski . 
  47. Joseph Towers . . . . . . . 
  48. Recent Porge Site . . . . . . . . .  . 
  Rumors for Adventure Hooks . . . . 
  49. Purge Battered Apartment Building 
  · · 40 
  · · 40 
  · . 41 
  · . 41 
  · · 43 
  · 44 
  · 45 
  · 46 
  · 47 
  · 48 
  · 48 
  · 48 
  · 48 
  · 49 
  · 50 
  · 50 
  · 51 
  · 51 
  · 51 
  · 51 
  · 52 
  52 
  · . 53 
  · . 54 
  · . 54 
  · . 54 
  · . 54 
  · 55 
  · 55 
  · 55 
  · 56 
  · . 56 
  · 56 
  · 57 
  · 58 
  · 58 
  · 58 
  · 58 
  · 59 
  · 60 
  · 60 
  · 61 
  · 61 
  · 61 
  · 61 
  · . 61 
  · 61 
  · . 61 
  · . 62 
  The Barnstormers Retribution Squad • • • • . . • • • • 62 
  Key Team Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 
  
  Quick Find 
  Abandoned Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . 
  . 3 5  
  Black Market: Black Marketeers (Jurdot's) 
  . 3 6  
  Black Market: Rex Masterson . . . . . . .  
  . 61 
  Black Market: Weapons Dealer (Gordo's Salvage) 
  55 
  Calgary Kingdom of Monsters . . . . 
  15 
  Coalition Lieutenant Colonel Kelso . 
  3 1  
  Coalition Purge (HLS: Assassination) 
  3 1  
  Colorado Baronies 
  . . . . . . . . . .  
  15 
  Cyber-Snatchers · . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 & 61 
  Dog Boys: Impala . . . . 
  . 51 
  Dog Boys: Dog Trackers . . 
  . 39 
  Firetown, Map of . . . . . . 
  53 
  Gangs (see Prosek Towers) . 
  General Store . . . . . . . . 
  Hotel: Brimstone . . . . . . 
  Hotel: Hot Stuff Escort Service . 
  Hotel: Main Hotel . . . . . . . . 
  Hotel: Momma's Boarding House 
  Kingdom of Kingsdale 
  Map of Firetown 
  New Lazlo . . . . .  . 
  Pecos Empire . . . . 
  Restaurant: Jurdot's . 
  Restaurant: Solezny's . 
  Restaurant: Wayne's Deli (see Tillie's) . 
  Retribution Squads . . . . . . . . . . . 
  Retribution Squad: Barnstormers . . . . 
  61 
  58 
  56 
  55 
  3 6  
  · 52 
  15 
  53 
  15 
  15 
  · 3 6  
  · 37 
  · 54 
  · 10 
  · 62 
  Retribution Squad: Federation of Magic Insurrectionists · . 17 
  Retribution Squad: Sympathizers, Katz & Jammer . 
  . 59 
  Retribution Squad: Sympathizers, Mitzers 
  Retribution Squad: Ragnarok . . . . . . . . 
  Revenge Squad Ragnarok · . . . . . . . . . 
  Revenge Squad Ragnarok: Hot Stuff Escort 
  Tolkeen: Daemonix . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
  Tolkeen: Patriotic Smugglers 
  Tolkeen: Resistance Fighters . . . . . . . . . 
  Tolkeen: Snipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
  Tolkeen: Snipers, least professional (& evil) 
  Tolkeen: Terrorists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
  Warlord Scard ·  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
  Weapons Dealer: Ed's Blacksmith Shop 
  Weapons Dealer: Gordo's Salvage · 
  Weapons Dealer: Mitzer's . . .  
  Wormwood Apok (see Fortune) 
  . .  
  · 40 
  18 
  18 
  55 
  10 
  . 8 
  · 7  
  . 8 
  · 9  
  · 9  
  10 & 3 2  
  · 50 
  · . 55 
  · . 40 
  · · 27 
  5 
  
  A few words from the author 
  I'm glad to report that the idea of doing an ongoing series of 
  small Rifts® Adventure Sourcebooks spotlighting specific 
  places, people and events, accompanied by adventure hooks and 
  fully worked out adventures, has been met with overwhelming 
  enthusiasm. Cool, because we have ideas for a dozen right off 
  the top of our heads, plus we'd like to get feedback from you, 
  our fans, for subjects of future books you would like to see. You 
  can send us your wants and ideas in letters, by e-mail 
  (www.palladiumbooks.com) or in person whenever you track 
  me or one of the Palladium staff down at game and comic con­
  ventions. 
  I'd also like to share a bit of incredibly exciting news with 
  those of you who don't regularly visit Palladium's website or 
  get The Rifter® - Palladium Books has signed a deal with 
  6 
  Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Walt Disney Pictures to develop a 
  live action, blockbuster film based on Rifts®. No, you're not 
  dreaming, it's true! And yes, that should lead to all kinds of dy­
  namic new Rifts® products such as toys, action figures, vehi­
  cles, miniatures, electronic and computer games, and a whole lot 
  more. The Rifter®, our quarterly fan-based sourcebook series 
  and the Palladium website (www.palladiumbooks.com) . will of­
  fer regular updates for those of you looking for the latest news. 
  As you can imagine, all of us at Palladium are thrilled that the 
  Palladium Megaverse® is about to explode into the mainstream. 
  Ah, but you long-time fans and recent newcomers will always 
  know that you were on the cutting edge and discovered it first. 
  Game on and keep those imaginations burning bright. 
  - Kevin Siembieda, May 2003 
  
  The Tolkeen fallout in the 'Burbs 
  During its fmal days, the help the Kingdom of Tolkeen 
  prayed would come in time to rescue them never materialized, 
  leaving the embattled city in its death throes, desperately fight­
  ing a relentless Coalition Army bent on victory at all costs. 
  When it was all but certain that the city could not withstand the 
  Coalition's fmal siege and the Kingdom would fall, many of 
  Tolkeen's defenders took the initiative to do for themselves. 
  Some decided to fight to the bitter end, going out in a blaze 
  of glory while taking as many of their hated enemies with them 
  as possible. Some hoped their last ditch heroics would inspire 
  others to rally around them and, miraculously, turn the tide of 
  the war - only that never happened and they too perished before 
  the superior numbers and firepower of the Coalition Army. 
  Other defenders were unwilling to throw their lives away in a 
  futile gesture of defiance and some were just more pragmatic. 
  They realized that nothing they did would change the outcome 
  of the war, but that the confusion and carnage of the final battle 
  would provide them with their best chance to escape the 
  doomed Kingdom. 
  Thousands of ordinary people from every walk of life had 
  rallied around Tolkeen and fought or worked to defend her. 
  When the Kingdom began to crumble around their ears they just 
  picked up and returned to their old lives. Practitioners of magic, 
  healers, mercenaries, and adventurers to scholars, manual labor­
  ers and farmers sim ply picked up and walked away from the 
  conflict. 
  While it is true that the CS has posted bounties and rewards 
  for Tolkeen's greatest warriors, known leaders and nefarious 
  war criminals, such individuals are comparatively few in num­
  ber, representing barely one or two percent of Tolkeen's surviv­
  ing fighting force. Only the most flamboyant, ruthless, and 
  memorable warriors and mages have earned themselves a 
  bounty and the lasting enmity of the Coalition States. Most 
  Tolkeenites, sorcerers and resistance fighters were faceless cogs 
  in the Tolkeen military machine, enabling them to slip back into 
  the shadows of anonymity from which they came. 
  Of those who laid down their arms and walked away, some 
  would seek to build new lives in other parts of the country, away 
  from the influence of the Coalition States. Thousands of others 
  simply returned to their homes and resumed their old ways of 
  life as if returning from a long trip. A good number of these 
  people live in or near the Coalition States or CS held territory. 
  Many have forsaken the war and returned to peaceful civilian 
  lives, but others, a good third to half, hold a lasting grudge and 
  seek revenge against the States, and the Coalition Army in par­
  ticular. 
  The Price of Victory 
  Though the war is "officially" over, the territory that was 
  once the Kingdom of Tolkeen (Minnesota) remains a hotbed of 
  turmoil and conflict. Rebels, resistance fighters, and monsters 
  continue to harass and fight the Coalition occupation force. 
  Strange beings, demons, mysterious magic artifacts and cre­
  ations of metal and magic are frequently unearthed from the de-
  7 
  bris of the toppled cities or lunge out ofthe shadows (and lakes, 
  and rivers, and the very earth and sky) to wreak deadly havoc or 
  to extract murderous revenge on the troops. Thieves, bands of 
  resistance fighters and refugees regularly attack Coalition Army 
  supply depots, cargo trucks and patrols to steal much needed 
  weapons, ammunition, food and supplies, or to disrupt supply 
  lines or inflict some degree of sabotage. Likewise, lone hunters 
  and 
  small 
  bands 
  of 
  demons, 
  dragons, 
  sorcerers, 
  and 
  shape-changers lure soldiers to their doom, waylay small squads 
  and bushwhack individuals who wander away from their base or 
  comrades 
  in 
  arms. 
  Rampaging 
  monsters 
  (Elementals, 
  Daemonix, Brodkil, Witchlings, Black Faeries, Xiticix, dragons 
  and others) and scavengers are also a constant danger to the oc­
  cupation force. 
  The most organized and dangerous source of danger (exclud­
  ing the unknown level of danger represented by the Xiticix in 
  the north) are the resistance fighters who continue to "wage 
  war on the invaders." They range in size from squads (6-12 
  fighters), platoons (40-60) and companies (160) to brigades and 
  small armies. Squad, platoon and company-sized bands are most 
  common, providing the rebel forces the greatest mobility and 
  flexibility when it comes to movement and evasion. All, regard­
  less of size, use guerilla war, hit and run tactics. Acts of sabo­
  tage, 
  surprise 
  attacks, 
  ambushes, 
  mines, 
  traps, 
  robbery, 
  vandalism, and psychological warfare are all used to harass, if 
  not destroy, the enemy. For many Tolkeen resistance fighters, 
  harassing, confounding and obstructing the progress of the en­
  emy is as much a victory as cutting down an entire platoon or 
  blowing up a supply depot. Note: The difference between resis­
  tance fighters and plain old bandits and murderers is that the re­
  sistance fights for the purpose of hurting, stopping and 
  ultimately driving the Coalition invaders from their land. They 
  remain patriots and live by a military code of conduct with mili­
  tary objectives. Bandits, murderers and similar crooks and kill­
  ers attack the CS for their own personal gain and motives, and 
  ultimately, couldn't care less about what might happen to the 
  fallen Kingdom of Tolkeen or its people. 
  All of this conflict makes Minnesota a wild and uninhabit­
  able no man's zone, unsuitable for colonization by CS settlers or 
  any peace-loving people. Though Emperor Prosek paints a rosy 
  picture of victory and a quick and easy "mop up operation, " the 
  region is likely to stay a savage low-scale battleground for years 
  to come (at least the next 2-6, probably longer) . 
  Sweet Revenge 
  - taking the battle to the CS 
  Not all expatriates are actively fighting in the woods and ru­
  ins of Tolkeen. Many have returned home or gone to the 'Burbs 
  of the great Coalition cities, particularly Chi-Town. Some lick 
  their wounds, talk dirt about the CS, and bide their time, waiting 
  for the next great crusade, uprising or military campaign to join. 
  Others work in the shadows, helping or hiding Tolkeen refugees 
  and any fugitives wanted by the Coalition States. Others engage 
  in petty crimes and little acts of insurrection to undermine the 
  
  Coalition States - vandalism, anti-CS graffiti, supporting or 
  helping Rogue Scholars and Scientists, verbal and physical but 
  seldom lethal attacks on CS authorities (pelting them with gar­
  bage and eggs, or taking a few pot shots at them before running 
  away) , as well as tricks, traps and jokes leveled against CS 
  troops, ISS patrols and authority figures. While these "acts of 
  rebellion" make them feel good about themselves, most actually 
  have little to no impact on the CS, its military force, or its rule, 
  and more than two-thirds of these incidents are ignored, going 
  completely unreported by the authorities. However, there are 
  those driven by patriotism or revenge who have decided to con­
  tinue the fight and carry the war to the Coalition States' own 
  doorstep. What better place to strike at the States' than its capi­
  tal and seat of power, Chi-Town - and where else to lurk, hide, 
  plot and strike than the Chi-Town 'Burbs? 
  The many faces of revenge. These insurrectionists, dissi­
  dents, freedom fighters and Tolkeen Retribution Squads come in 
  all shapes and sizes. They range from humans to D-Bees, to 
  dragons and monsters. Currently, 70% are Tolkeen expatriates 
  hungry for revenge and driven by sorrow or hatred. U nfortu­
  nately, their ire is not limited to just the military and govern­
  ment leaders of the CS, but its citizens as well, leading to acts of 
  terrorism against anyone who calls himself a citizen of the Co­
  alition States or dares to support, endorse or do business with 
  the States. That sometimes includes the inhabitants of the 
  'Burbs where these self-styled "freedom fighters" usually estab­
  lish their bases of operation. Additionally, Coalition defenders 
  are constantly searching for dissidents and terrorists which leads 
  to frequent clashes and gunfights that spill out into the streets of 
  the 'Burbs, injuring and killing innocent people caught in the 
  conflagration. 
  The following are the kinds of anti-Coalition militants oper­
  ating in the 'Burbs. 
  Smugglers. A smuggler is a middle man who specializes in 
  transporting magic, forbidden books, weapons, drugs and other 
  contraband outlawed by the Coalition States from point A to 
  point B. Only a small percentage specialize in smuggling "peo­
  ple" in and out of Coalition held territories, but those who do are 
  enjoying blockbuster business in the days after the fall of 
  Tolkeen. As one might expect, most smugglers are in business 
  for the money. They don't care about causes or the type of con­
  traband or who a fugitive may be or what crimes he may have 
  committed, they only care about the money - half paid up-front, 
  the balance at the end of the job. An unsuccessful "delivery" 
  means both parties lose; the smuggler only keeps the non-re­
  fundable up-front payment and probably loses his agent(s) and 
  property (vehicle, etc.) , maybe even a trade route or hideout, 
  while the client loses the property or person(s) being smuggled. 
  Actually, the smuggler does care, a little, about the cargo being 
  smuggled, but only because the larger the amount or the "hotter" 
  the cargo, the more difficult and dangerous the job and the more 
  he can charge. 
  Tolkeen patriots. Though most professional smugglers don't 
  .. care about cause, country or anything other than making money 
  and not getting caught, a number of Tolkeen expatriates have 
  formed their own smuggling operations. They are part of the un­
  derground Tolkeen resistance force that still opposes the CS. As 
  such, they only smuggle weapons, ammunition, magic, items 
  and people that help their cause, and that cause is revenge 
  against the Coalition Army and toppling the Coalition States. 
  8 
  Consequently, they work to smuggle Tolkeen's leaders, sorcer­
  ers, and warriors to safety, moving them from one location to 
  another for anti-Coalition operations. The entire idea is to pre­
  vent its leaders and fighting forces from being discovered or 
  captured by the CS, with the secondary purpose of maintaining a 
  secret supply line to its resistance fighters. Illegal contraband 
  sold for profit is not a consideration unless it is to help fund re­
  bel operations and then only if it does not compromise their mil­
  itary operations or the underground resistance movement. This 
  is how many assassins, snipers, and Retribution Squads get in 
  and out of Tolkeen, the 'Burbs and other places right under the 
  Coalition's nose. Those they smuggle strike at the CS, inflict as 
  much damage as possible, and when things get too hot, they are 
  smuggled to a safe house or another part of the country to lay 
  low. The most organized and capable smuggling routes for the 
  Resistance are those where retribution or freedom fighting is 
  most intense. That includes routes in and out of the fallen King­
  dom of Tolkeen (with a focus on the tri-city area), parts of Wis­
  consin, and the Chi-Town 'Burbs. The Tolkeen smugglers may 
  also choose to smuggle fugitives and criminals not affiliated 
  with Tolkeen, but wanted by the CS in an effort to hurt, frustrate 
  or undermine the empire. 
  Snipers & Assassins. Some operate as lone gunmen or in 
  pairs of elite snipers or assassins. They are usually ex-military 
  and skilled professionals who scout out the 'Burbs, picking 
  choice spots to strike and then wait for a Coalition target to 
  shoot down from a distance and flee to avoid capture. These 
  professional killers typically limit their targets to CS police, sol­
  diers, city patrols, and notable Coalition leaders in politics, busi­
  ness and society. Collateral damage is usually non-existent, with 
  
  the sniper targeting and hitting only the chosen target(s) . The 
  most organized of these assassins and snipers are extremely well 
  organized, methodical and prepared. They seldom do anything 
  by random chance, preferring to scout out a particular area and 
  observe their target(s) before launching an attack. This means 
  they place their target under surveillance, studying their habits 
  and movements before staking out the best location from which 
  to strike. True pros, they also plot three or more escape routes 
  and move on to their next job when this "hit" is fmished. They 
  are like ghosts or shadows, always on the move and always plot­
  ting some new act of revenge and murder. For them, their meth­
  odology is as much a weapon as the guns they sling. Their 
  patience and planning making these snipers and assassins the 
  most elusive and long-lived of the Tolkeen agents of retribution. 
  They are also the rarest breed of Tolkeen avengers. Note: Half 
  of these types of snipers are complete and total lone wolves. 
  While they may have a favorite bar or hangout and a small net­
  work of acquaintances from whom they glean information or get 
  the occasional favor, these assassins go out into the field alone. 
  The rest of the snipers function in pairs, usually with one mak­
  ing the hit and the other watching his back or positioned to 
  cover his escape. Seldom do these lone wolves work as a trio or 
  as part of a larger team, since they like the independence and 
  mobility of working alone or with one trusted ally. And, by the 
  way, those who work as pairs are steadfast and fiercely loyal to 
  one another. 
  The least professional and most unorganized Tolkeen snipers 
  and assassins are often young and inexperienced (I-4th level) . 
  They lack the self-discipline and patience to make careful plans 
  or to wait for the right moment to strike. Instead, they prowl the 
  streets like hungry tigers looking for easy prey and targets of op­
  portunity. They tend to be hot heads blinded by fanaticism or 
  hot emotions (sometimes to the point of mental instability) , con­
  sumed by grief or hatred. More often than not, their attacks are 
  crimes of passion and opportunity. While they will scout out an 
  area and seek a specific Coalition target, they seldom have a 
  well laid plan or backup contingency, or have given any thought 
  to making good their escape, let alone having two or three alter­
  nate routes. They tend to be reactionary, striking without much 
  forethought other than to fmd and kill Coalition soldiers and cit­
  izens. Likewise, many are easily lured into rash action when a 
  tempting target makes an unexpected appearance. ("Oh my god, 
  that's Colonel Lyboc. And he's alone!") When this killer bumps 
  into a prime Coalition target, he doesn't follow him to see where 
  he goes or to determine a pattern of behavior to exploit at a later 
  time, no, his knee-jerk reaction is to knife, strangle or gun down 
  the louse right then and there, and probably before he realizes 
  the man is accompanied by ID6 Coalition Juicers, Cyborgs, or 
  Commandos. Perhaps needless to say, these emotion driven 
  loose cannons don't usually last very long unless they are ex­
  ceptional at thinking on the fly and getting through life by the 
  seat of their pants. They are also likely to create considerable 
  amounts of "collateral damage" - i.e., wound and kill any num­
  ber of innocent bystanders, destroy property, etc., especially 
  when trying to make good an escape after an ill-considered hit. 
  Note: This variety of assassin may operate as a lone assailant, 
  but more often than not gathers in groups of 2-8 (2D4) other 
  like-minded thugs and killers bent on revenge through murder. 
  They can be virtually any O.C.C. though most are ex-sol­
  diers/grunts, Military Specialists, Headhunters, Bandits, and 
  bushwhacker types. 
  9 
  Tolkeen Terrorists are another breed of militant driven by 
  sorrow and/or anger, hatred and revenge. They are among the 
  most fanatical, cruel and ruthless, willing to kill innocent by­
  standers without hesitation to get at their real target. They also 
  use tactics and attacks that impact an area rather than an individ­
  ual. This means bombs and destructive magic, often with an 
  area affectlblast radius, are their weapons of choice. After all, it 
  is difficult for a target or a group to evade the blast radius of a 
  hand grenade, mini-missile or other incendiary device. Any in­
  nocent people caught in the blast (and there almost always are) 
  are considered "acceptable casualties" sacrificed (by the terror­
  ist) for a greater cause. Terrorists frequently seek to cause mas­
  sive amounts of damage and blow up bridges and mass transit 
  systems, and set buildings on fire or topple them from their 
  foundations. Magic is an especially useful tools for mass de­
  struction, setting blazes and causing panic. Spells like Earth­
  quake, River of Lava, Ten Foot Wheel of Fire, Call Lightning, 
  fIre magic of all kinds, storms, and other spells that inflict dam­
  age or affect an area are favorite weapons in the arsenal of the 
  magic wielding terrorist. So is commanding Elementals, demons 
  and monsters. Thus, rather than target the individual, like the 
  sniper or assassin, the terrorist targets the establishment he en­
  ters, setting ablaze or destroying half to the entire building! 
  Hopefully, catching the intended target (and his guards and as­
  sociates) inside and killing him/them. The use of explosives, 
  fIre, magic and other extreme measures also means the assailant 
  doesn't have to be particularly skilled, experienced or well 
  trained, just willing to do the job at all costs. In some cases, that 
  means sacrificing his own life to accomplish the mission. Note: 
  These brigands and murderers are usually Anarchist or evil 
  • 
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  alignments and willing to die if they think their sacrifice will in­
  spire revolution or hurt the CS even in a small way. 
  Creatures of Power. Ninety-nine percent of all snipers, as­
  sassins, freedom fighters and terrorists are humans or D-Bees, 
  with about 10-25% being some sort of practitioner of magic. 
  The Kingdom of Tolkeen, however, appealed to a great number 
  of creatures other than mere mortals beings, including dragons, 
  Temporal Raiders, Witchlings, Brodkil, Gargoyles, demons and 
  a great many others. Some of these creatures of magic or the su­
  pern atural also seek retribution against the CS. 
  Elementals couldn't care less, and only those under the yoke 
  of a mortal master make an appearance in the streets of the 
  'Burbs. 
  Most demons have deserted the cause of Tolkeen. They, like 
  Elementals, often served mortal masters or served a powerful 
  sorcerer or leader of Tolkeen. With the Kingdom toppled and 
  many of those they once served slain or gone missing, demons 
  either return to the infernal realm from which they were sum­
  moned or do as they please. Only the more intelligent and mis­
  chievous seek revenge of any kind against the Coalition States, 
  or engage in activities to stir the pot and create conflict between 
  the CS and rebels. Likewise, intelligent shape changers with a 
  taste for blood, mischief or revenge continue to trick and waylay 
  Coalition forces in the wilds of Tolkeen and the streets of the 
  'Burbs. 
  The Daemonix are something of an exception. Though a form 
  of archaic demon freed from a hellish prison by the pow­
  ers-that-be in Tolkeen, they remain loyal to the fallen kingdom 
  and regard Earth as their new home. With no place else to go, 
  and being vengeful and evil by nature, the Daemonix seek re­
  venge against the mere mortals who dare defy their will. The 
  vast majority of the Daemonix (70%) remain in the Minne­
  sotalWisconsin area fighting along side their mortal allies or on 
  their own using guerilla tactics, magic and brute strength to rav­
  age the Coalition occupying force. Only about 20% have aban­
  doned Tolkeen outright and gone out in the world to build their 
  own kingdoms or terrorize mortals; a quarter of this number 
  joining the Calgary Kingdom of Monsters or Federation of 
  Magic. The remaining 10% have left the battlefield to follow 
  mortal Tolkeenites into the Coalition States to cause havoc 
  there. However, the giant size and aggressive nature of the 
  Daemonix make it difficult for them to hide or stalk the streets 
  unseen, leaving them as heavy support groups and raiders who 
  strike at civilized communities only to vanish into the wilder­
  ness where most hide until called. 
  Brodkil are found both in Tolkeen and in urban environ­
  ments, however, their warrior nature makes them best suited as 
  guerilla fighters, raiders and bandits away from cities. In fact, 
  those who have left the Tolkeen region have gone off to join the 
  Pecos Empire and Calgary Kingdom of Monsters or created 
  their own bands of outlaws and mercenary companies. Inde­
  pendent and selfish sub-demons, only a few seek revenge on the 
  CS or stalk the streets of the 'Burbs. 
  Most Gargoyles have moved on, either returning to their in­
  fernal dimension or flown off to other parts of the world. 
  Black Faeries are vindictive creatures to begin with, but have 
  no liking for civilization, so they conduct their own, independ­
  ent war of retribution in the forests and ruins of Tolkeen. Nasty 
  1 0  
  and vile fiends, they seldom team up with other creatures, ex­
  cept for the occasional demon, Witchling or evil Faerie Folk. 
  Witchlings are another weird creature who generally hate hu­
  mans and mortal life forms and who have no real sense of loy­
  alty to Tolkeen nor any strong urge for revenge. However, 
  because they dislike humans so much and hate to be bested by 
  them, they also conduct a private war against Coalition forces in 
  Minnesota and Wisconsin. A handful have even gone off to the 
  'Burbs to see what evil they can stir up there. Witchlings usually 
  operate alone or in small groups of fellow Witchlings or equally 
  vile beings, including evil practitioners of magic. They also love 
  to boss and bully lesser beings and may command a small band 
  (2-8 ) of thugs, cutthroats, low level spell casters and monsters 
  willing to submit to their harsh leadership. 
  Neuron-Beasts, Thornhead Demons, Simvan, and most other 
  savage beings once allied to or controlled by the lords of 
  Tolkeen have returned to their old lifestyles, attacking Coalition 
  soldiers only when they are attacked or threatened first (or feel 
  mean that day). 
  Retribution Squads 
  There is one more type of Tolkeen resistance fighter that 
  needs to be addressed, Retribution Squads, the most fanatical, 
  vindictive and bloodthirsty of those sworn to bring down the 
  Coalition States. Not only do these squads target the CS, but 
  also those they see as having betrayed Tolkeen in its hour of 
  need, which happens to include Lord Coake's Cyber-Knights, 
  the Lynn-Srial, Erin Tam, the people of Lazlo and New Lazlo, 
  and any who declined to join the battle against the CS when the 
  call went out. 
  Warlord Scard, driven to the brink of madness by failure and 
  hate, is the man who put out the call for Tolkeen's warriors to 
  keep fighting, not just at home against the CS occupation force, 
  but to take the fight to the enemy's own doorstep: the 'Burbs of 
  Chi-Town, Iron Heart and other great Coalition cities. It is War­
  lord Scard who referred to these fanatical avengers as "engines 
  of retribution" that have since come to call themselves Retribu­
  tion Squads. These bands of warriors and sorcerers have sworn 
  to make the Coalition pay, and pay dearly, for the destruction of 
  Tolkeen. They are composed of men, women, D-Bees, dragons 
  and monsters who have given themselves so completely to ha­
  tred and bloodlust that they strike down man, woman and child 
  with callous glee. Their cries for revenge go beyond an eye for 
  an eye to demand the head of Emperor Prosek, every member of 
  his family, and the death of ten Coalition citizens for every one 
  of Tolkeen's own that fell in the war. They are resolute in their 
  missions of destruction and fight with a terrifying conviction 
  and passion. 
  Retribution Squads can range in size from 4-12 with a mix of 
  O. C. C. s, but at least 20% of every squad is a practitioner or 
  creature of magic. In the forests and ruins of Tolkeen, they at­
  tack and harass CS outposts, base camps, supply trains, patrols, 
  and even full brigades. They use every dirty trick in the book, 
  laying traps and ambushes, calling for demons and monsters, 
  and sending the Coalition's own dead against them. Revenge 
  squads fight to divide and cripple CS operations and to flat out 
  kill as many of the enemy as possible. Prisoners are never taken, 
  
  and soldiers who are wounded or surrender are slaughtered 
  where they stand. Similar tactics are used in the 'Burbs where 
  Coalition Army patrols, police, business people and citizens 
  working or visiting the 'Burbs are sought out and murdered. 
  Ambushes in alleys and from rooftops cut down soldiers and po­
  lice on patrol, and Retribution Squads frequently orchestrate 
  trouble and crime to draw CS authorities out into the open 
  where they can be gunned down in the streets. Likewise, Retri­
  bution Squads may be the source behind all sorts of criminal ac­
  tivity and trouble in the 'Burbs intended to frustrate, discredit, 
  or kill Coalition authorities or to harm CS interests or embarrass 
  their elite fighting force, as well as draw CS agents and their al­
  lies and sympathizers into traps and ambushes. They also en­
  gage in acts of terrorism, extortion, and murder. Food storage 
  facilities, factories, taverns, dens of iniquity, meeting places, 
  shopping malls and countless other places where Coalition sol­
  diers and police are likely to visit are staked out and targeted by 
  Retribution Squads. 
  In addition to targeting obvious Coalition soldiers, police, 
  Dog Boys, and spies, Retribution Squads also target informers 
  and mercenaries employed by the CS as well as known sympa­
  thizers and the misguided multitude who come to the 'Burbs 
  with the dream of becoming CS citizens or are already CS citi­
  zens hoping for a better life inside the fortress city - traitors all. 
  Consequently, these cutthroats attack CS soldiers and police 
  with indifference toward the people around them, for in their 
  eyes, anyone living or working in the 'Burbs is probably guilty 
  of fraternization with the enemy and deserves to die. Their 
  warped way of thinking has many members of Retribution 
  11 
  Squads believing that when enough "innocent" people die, they 
  will give up on the mad dream of joining the Coalition and rise 
  up to topple the CS. The worst of these rebel fanatics deliber­
  ately attack civilians and civilian targets under the precept that 
  they are, after all, Coalition sympathizers and wannabes whose 
  deaths are payment in kind for the hundreds of thousands of in­
  nocent Tolkeenites who died in the war. These attacks can hap­
  pen anywhere in the 'Burbs, but are generally aim ed at those 
  who openly fraternize with Coalition soldiers and police and 
  those who live in the Old Towns and, to a lesser degree, New 
  Towns. Those in the shanty towns are often spared the sword of 
  retribution because this is where the new arrivals, adventurers 
  and poorest people live. 
  Meanwhile, dozens of Retribution Squads search for ways in­
  side the great fortress cities so they can strike directly at Coali­
  tion citizens and hurt or kill hundreds if not thousands of those 
  who believe they are safe behind the city's Mega-Damage walls. 
  So far, they have been unsucessful, so they vent their ire on 
  those around the city and continue to search for ways inside. 
  They can think of no greater revenge than to strike at the heart 
  of the CS where the Emperor and his people think they are un­
  touchable. In fact, many of the schemes involving the assassina­
  tion of Emperor Prosek, members of the Prosek family and top 
  CS officials are the work of Retribution Squads. 
  There is no "typical" resistance fighter. They can be any 
  O. C. C. or R. C. C. , human or D-Bee, dragon or demon, and fight 
  with both magic and advanced weaponry. The typical member 
  of a Retribution Squad is second to fifth level, with the leaders 
  and lone-wolf elite vigilantes (mages, Juicers, dragons, etc. ) 4th 
  
  to 9th level. Of course, some are first and second level and some 
  are higher level, but the majority of resistance fighters who 
  serve as the "engines of retribution" tend to be the more skilled, 
  unique and experienced, falling into the 1 D4+ 1 range. The only 
  thing Tolkeen resistance fighters and avengers share, whether a 
  Rogue Scholar or Headhunter, farmer or spell caster, is their 
  commitment to keep fighting and bringing hurt to the CS. A full 
  half will fight to the death. 
  The ultimate goal of every Retribution Squad is to deal a 
  devastating blow to the Coalition States in general and 
  Chi-Town specifically. That means some sort of attack or sabo­
  tage that kills thousands, kills some top officials or the Emperor 
  himself, or breaches CS security to inflict damage and death di­
  rectly to the citizens inside the fortress city. Many plot and try 
  their best, but, so far, none have succeeded. 
  Common Urban Warfare Strategies and Tactics 
  Note: Applies to combat in Tolkeen before and after the 
  Kingdom's fall, and operations in the 'Burbs. 
  1. Wait for the moment. A common tactic is to watch and 
  follow Coalition patrols, mapping out their schedules, routes 
  and places of rest and recreation, then wait for an opening and 
  strike when least expected. This can include picking off individ­
  uals who fall behind or take too far a lead, or attacking when the 
  squad splits in half or when they pause for a break or foolishly 
  remove a helmet to eat or take a gulp of water or unfIltered air. 
  1 2  
  2. Shadow games. This tactic requires following the enemy 
  closely, without being detected, and then breaking away to go 
  somewhere else, or to follow and gather intelligence, or to avoid 
  being found by the enemy because the rebels are right on top of 
  them, too close to be noticed. This can be a dangerous ploy that 
  ends in disaster if one pushes his luck. 
  3. Running the pattern. First, the enemy is carefully ob­
  served, with keen attention to schedules and troop movement. 
  Human beings are creatures of habit and tend to slip into com­
  fortable patterns and routines. Once a fundamental (sometim es 
  precise) pattern of movement and routine is determined, Retri­
  bution Squads (resistance fighters, crooks, spies and smugglers) 
  can "run the pattern. " This can be used one of two ways: 
  A) To slip through enemy defensive lines by avoiding patrols 
  and taking advantage of weaknesses in the line (blind spots, cof­
  fee breaks, etc. ). This tactic is used to slip in and out of suppos­
  edly secured areas, and avoid routine patrols. 
  B) To hit the enemy at intervals along a specific route or pat­
  tern because the attackers know exactly who will be where, 
  when, how many to anticipate, and so on. The latter can make 
  an extremely devastating attack or raid followed by a clean es­
  cape, provided the timing is just right. 
  4. Take away and deny. Retribution Squads watch and fol­
  low Coalition patrols, from a safe distance, but do not attack 
  even when there is an opportunity to do so. Instead, they wait to 
  see what it is that soldiers are looking for or trying to accom­
  plish. Only when they are about to achieve their objective does 
  
  the Squad strike. The idea is to take away or deny the CS from 
  getting/accomplishing what they want. This may mean rescuing 
  crooks and rebels and otherwise interfering with Coalition oper­
  ations. Take-away means just that. If the CS squad has found a 
  magic item or weapon, the Retribution Squad attacks and tries to 
  steal, take, or destroy it. The battle, in fact, will not be designed 
  to kill, necessarily, but to put them in the position to get the ob­
  ject of the Coalition's desire. This includes people. If the Coali­
  tion squad has captured a scientist, smuggler, rebel leader, or 
  just a refugee family, the Retribution Squad will try to rescue 
  them. They might even help Minions of Splugorth or an old ri­
  val, rather than let them fall into the Coalition's hands. 
  Deny typically falls into the category of, "if we (the Retribu­
  tion Squad/freedom fighters) can't get it, nobody will get it." 
  This often applies to large items, caches of weapons, a research 
  lab, etc., which the rebels cannot actually "take away, " but they 
  can "deny" their enemy from getting by destroying it, or in 
  some cases, allowing some rival faction to get it instead (Feder­
  ation of Magic, Minions of Splugorth, looters, mercenaries, 
  etc.) . As long as the Coalition Army is "denied" the Squad have 
  done their duty. Of course, Retribution Squads being so ruthless, 
  if the opportunity to kill Coalition troops makes itself available, 
  the Squad will do so, even if they have already taken away or 
  denied the enemy. In fact, they may use the item to lure Coali­
  tion forces to their doom. 
  5. Hide and seek, or "peekaboo" tactics. This is often a 
  sniper's game or tag-team in which the attackers pop in and out 
  to harass the enemy. Basically one or two attackers strike from 
  different locations. As the enemy turns to address the attack, the 
  rebel disappears and another one pops up to strike from a differ­
  ent location. This is repeated, over and over again, giving the 
  Coalition forces no clear target or location to strike back at. The 
  tag-team approach usually allows for the initial gunman to do 
  what damage he can, but at some point, he stops shooting to re­
  locate to a different position (or make good his escape) . When 
  those he had pinned down begin to move, or go to investigate 
  the first location, or to relocate themselves, the second and/or 
  third sniper starts shooting, or a group of avengers catch the Co­
  alition soldiers in a crossfire or lure them into a dead end or 
  trap. Moreover, if played out well, a small number of avengers 
  (three or four) may fool their opponents into believing there are 
  twice as many assailants, pinning and neutralizing a much larger 
  enemy force. At least until the soldiers call for SAMAS or Sky 
  Cycle air support, which is time for the "tag-team" to make 
  good its escape or prepare to take out the air support (typically 
  the former). This set up can be repeated time and time again, 
  even at the same location. The hide and seek tactic can also be 
  used to divide and conquer their enemies. 
  6. Prevent defense. Another common tactic is to set up an 
  arbitrary defensive position from which to make a stand. How­
  ever, other than some basic tactical advantages provided by the 
  position, and having a fall back position and at least two escape 
  routes planned, the defensive line has no real strategic value or 
  purpose. It is designed to create a brief, pitched battle in which 
  serious damage can be inflicted on a Coalition squad - ideally 
  wiping it out or pinning it down. Should the soldiers rally or re­
  inforcements arrive to push the Retribution Squad back, the 
  warriors drop to their fall back position, do more damage and 
  before other CS troops arrive, slip out through one of the escape 
  routes and vanish to fight another day. 
  1 3  
  7. Drop and pop. This tactic involves luring Coalition patrol 
  into an alley, basement or some kind of depression or cavity in 
  the ground where their movement is restricted but the attacking 
  force has the advantage. Better yet, to lure them into a "pit trap" 
  where all or most of the Coalition troops have the ground drop 
  out from under them and fall into a pit. While they are recover­
  ing from the fall and are confined in a small area, they are mer­
  cilessly attacked from above (attacking from rooftops can have a 
  similar effect) . If the Coalition soldiers have fallen into the pit 
  or been caught completely by surprise, the attackers automati­
  cally get the initiative and the soldiers lose two melee attacks for 
  the frrst round of combat. Obviously this gives the attackers the 
  advantage, and not only do the CS troops have to fend off an at­
  tack but they are pinned downed in a place open to attack and 
  must expend time and energy trying to climb out and move to a 
  defendable position. The best alley rooftop attacks and pit traps 
  make firing on the soldiers like shooting fish in a barrel. In the 
  alternative, Magic Net and other entangling or incapacitating 
  magic can be used to capture or immobilize the CS squad, or to 
  cover and contain them, or to slaughter them. 
  Many Retribution Squads take this tactic to a new and brutal 
  level. Since most Tolkeen avengers have no regard for innocent 
  bystanders, they often jump Coalition forces on busy streets, 
  opening fire in the middle of thronging crowds, killing anybody 
  who happens to get in the way. This gives the Retribution Squad 
  a huge advantage, for not only are the CS troops usually caught 
  by surprise, but most Coalition soldiers are not as cold-hearted 
  as their opponents, hesitating to shoot when innocent humans 
  are in danger (-3 on initiative, -2 to strike and dodge). Dog 
  Boys, who are incredibly loyal and protective of humans to be­
  gin with, are even more compromised and handicapped (-4 on 
  initiative and -4 to strike and dodge) in this sort of situation. 
  Since the Retribution Squad considers most 'Burbies to be Co­
  alition sympathizers or outright traitors, they don't care how 
  many civilians are cut down and may even use heavy ordnance, 
  and explosives, and set frre to or blast through buildings to cre­
  ate confusion and ground cover, obscure their escape or open an 
  avenue of escape. Such ruthlessness makes Retribution Squads 
  hated by most 'Burbies, heroes and good-hearted adventurers, 
  but always gives the Tolkeen fanatics the element of surprise 
  and means they can strike without warning from out of nowhere. 
  Despite the fact that they are despised, there are so many new 
  faces of refugees, visitors, adventurers and opportunists stream­
  ing into the 'Burbs, Retribution Squads and assassins fmd it 
  easy to hide and lose themselves among the masses. 
  8. A magic mouse trap. A common ploy is to lure Coalition 
  squads and platoons into a death trap. As a rule, magic plays a 
  big role in this. Typically, a band of 4-8 ordinary fighters (hu­
  man and D-Bees) attacks a group of Coalition soldiers. The trick 
  is to make the fight look good, before retreating from the (seem­
  ingly) superior Coalition forces. Then, without warning the trap 
  is sprung. A hail of lightning bolts or fire balls crash down from 
  out of the blue (practitioners of magic hidden away) . Mice scur­
  rying past the soldiers' feet suddenly transform into dragons, or 
  Shadow Beasts lunge from the darkness, or warriors magically 
  made invisible or to meld with their surroundings step forward 
  and start shooting in a crossfire, and so on. Elementals of all 
  kinds are ideal for these situations. Suddenly, one or more Earth 
  Elementals rise out of the debris under the soldiers' feet, or an 
  Air Elemental swoops down from the heavens or a Fire Elemen-
  
  tal steps out from a burning building, or a pool of water con­
  geals into a Water Elemental, all hurling magic spells and using 
  their natural powers. Tectonic Entities, Possessing Entities, ani­
  mated dead and other supernatural creatures can be used to simi­
  lar effect. 
  Illusions, charm s, fear and im mobilizing types of magic can 
  also be deployed to stop, pin, threaten, frighten and chase away 
  CS troops. Blasting and killing is not always the best strategy in 
  war. Sometimes holding a position or demoralizing the enemy is 
  just as effective and sometimes even more powerful. Soldiers 
  expect to be shot at and killed. They become desensitized to it to 
  some degree, but being magically dazed, terrorized, knocked 
  down, held at bay, chased away or humiliated can demoralize, 
  confuse, intimidate and break their spirits. Of course, while Ret­
  ribution Squads love to humiliate their hated enemy, they prefer 
  to obliterate them. 
  9. Deadman's bluff. This is a simple ploy in which a Necro­
  mancer animates and controls a number of corpses or skeletons 
  to shoot (wild) and move about to make it appear as if there are 
  a larger number of defenders than there really are. This bluff is 
  used to make patrols back off and retreat or dig in, or take a dif­
  ferent path, and so on. Animated dead can also be used to lure or 
  mislead enemy troops into traps and as diversions, as well as to 
  allow the living to make good an escape, reposition troops, res­
  cue innocent civilians, and so on. To make the bluff convincing, 
  the dead bodies are dressed in clothes or body armor with 
  face-covering helmets so their adversaries can't tell they are 
  dead. Animated corpses are also used in traps and ambushes. 
  10. Pot shot. Outnumbered and overpowered, sometimes all 
  a resistance fighter can do is take a "pot shot, " run away and 
  hope for the best. This is exactly how it sounds and barely 
  counts as a skirmish. Pot shots are more of an annoyance than 
  harassment of the enemy, but it's something. Unfortunately for 
  civilians, the Retribution Squads' idea of a pot shot is to throw 
  explosive ordnance, missiles, plasma bolts or magical energy 
  blasts, earthquakes and storms at the enemy, inflicting grievous 
  damage and injury to everyone in the radius of the blast/attack. 
  11. Hit and run tactics. Any combat maneuver that involves 
  a limited engagement or surprise attack in which the attackers 
  strike, inflict as much damage as possible and move on before 
  the enemy can rally, counter or call reinforcements. Hit and run 
  engagements are usually very brief, but can be very devastating 
  and lethal. 
  Note: These are just some of the more notable, common and 
  unique tactics used by the Tolkeen resistance, Retribution 
  Squads and other urban fighters. 
  Defilers of Tolkeen 
  Looters & Thieves 
  Not everyone went home after the fall of Tolkeen. As noted 
  previously, some continue to fight in their own way, or seek 
  bloody revenge, but other survivors are self-serving cretins who 
  saw opportunity in the fmal days of the Kingdom and seized it 
  with both hands. They are the cutthroats, looters and thieves 
  who plundered Tolkeen's citizens, military and secret reserves. 
  Some just stole whatever valuables came their way, peeling 
  rings, jewelry and wallets from dead bodies, looting homes and 
  14 
  businesses, and stealing anything that wasn't nailed down. For 
  most of these lowlifes, the looting stopped only when their 
  backpacks and pickup trucks were filled to overflowing, or 
  when the Coalition Invasion Force came too close for comfort. 
  As reprehensible as these vultures may have been, most of them 
  didn't kill to get what they took, but there were those who did. 
  The real jackals used the collapse of Tolkeen as their chance to 
  take what they wanted, killing teammates they disliked, mug­
  ging and killing innocent citizens and fellow freedom fighters 
  for their belongings, and taking, by force and treachery, what­
  ever valuables, weapons and magic items they coveted. If their 
  efforts hurt the war effort or killed some innocent people, so 
  what, the end was near and a dog eat dog, anything goes attitude 
  prevailed. The worst of the lot were the organized gangs who 
  specifically turned on the very Kingdom they were defending, 
  using force and military tactics to raid caches of magic, weapons 
  and treasure, stealing historical artifacts, and killing anyone who 
  stood in their way, including long-tim e allies and heroes of 
  
  Tolkeen. Some even targeted Tolkeen's leaders, warlords and 
  sorcerers to get some of the most valuable, rare and powerful 
  magic weapons, artifacts and secrets for themselves before flee­
  ing into the night. 
  Only now are many of these villains trickling into communi­
  ties to sell and trade their ill-gotten wares. Many are still out in 
  the wild, working to slip past Coalition forces to get to places 
  where they can profit from their booty. Places like Lazlo and 
  New Lazlo in the east, the Colorado Baronies and Arzno in the 
  west, and other law abiding and moral communities are not via­
  ble options. First, most are far away and require days or weeks 
  of traveling through hostile wilderness and past Coalition pa­
  trols. Second, these lawful and honest communities will im­
  pound and attempt to return stolen items (especially magic items 
  and artifacts of repute) to their rightful heirs and owners, or 
  seize the items and turn them over to some higher civil authority 
  for the preservation of history and/or the betterment of their own 
  community. Third, these are places where Tolkeen's magical 
  elite, political and military leaders, and scholars have gone to 
  seek asylum, which means there are a large number of people 
  who can identify stolen goods, antiquities and items from 
  Tolkeen's ravaged archives as well as 1.0. individuals and gangs 
  known as, or suspected of being, looters, thieves, traitors, and 
  murderers. Furthermore, the local authorities are willing to chal­
  lenge claim s of ownership from rogues, siding with those they 
  know and apprehending and prosecuting offenders who looted 
  Tolkeen in her fmal hours. 
  That makes less reputable places like the Federation of 
  Magic, the Calgary Kingdom of Monsters, the Pecos Empire 
  and towns along the Mexican border better places to liquidate 
  stolen goods without questions or the involvement of the law. 
  Only there are problems with these places too. 
  The Federation of Magic is a long way from Tolkeen and 
  the Coalition Army is swarming along the Mississippi River, 
  roads and routes to that part of the country. Even if one success­
  fully evades trouble and makes it to the Magic Zone, the Federa­
  tion is notorious for skullduggery and violence, making it less 
  than ideal. 
  The Calgary Kingdom of Monsters is just that, a kingdom 
  of monsters. Unless one is a demon or monster himself, getting 
  out of town alive, let alone getting a fair deal, seems rather 
  doubtful. Besides, the existence of this kingdom is half rumor at 
  this point, no one knows if it really exists or not, but the area is 
  known to be home to packs of human-hating monsters. 
  The Pecos Empire is as wild and lawless as a territory can 
  be, so one is more likely to get beaten and robbed, or robbed and 
  killed, as he is likely to get a fair deal. That having been said, 
  people with the right connections or dumb luck can fmd numer­
  ous bands of mercenaries and desperadoes (not to mention 
  agents of Bandito Arms) willing to pay fair to good prices 
  (3 0-70% its real value) for quality weapons, arm or, combat ve­
  hicles, equipment and magic items. 
  Communities in and around the Mexican Border are just 
  as dangerous as Calgary or the Pecos Empire and are overrid­
  den with vampires! One tempts his fate trafficking goods in this 
  part of the world, but it is an option. 
  15 
  Chi-Town 'Burbs, 
  the epicenter for loot 
  All of this puts the Kingdom of Kingsdale (effectively cut 
  off by CS patrols trying to intercept war crim inals, D-Bees, 
  Tolkeen freedom fighters and looters on the run from Tolkeen) 
  and the Chi-Town 'Burbs at the top of the list for best places to 
  unload loot. Consequently, the Chi-Town 'Burbs are being inun­
  dated with adventurers, refugees, rebel fighters, looters, and 
  thieves looking to sell or trade items acquired during their time 
  in Tolkeen. This includes magic items, magic components, 
  magic weapons, pre-Rifts artifacts, illegal books, otherworldly 
  items, works of art, and conventional weapons (including CS 
  weapons and armor) , as well as medicine, electronics, clothes, 
  and just about anything that might have value. Only the number 
  of individuals looking to buy exceeds those looking to sell, lead­
  ing to fierce rivalry, bidding wars, theft, trickery and violence. 
  Why Chi-Town of all places? Lots of reasons. 
  1. As realtors are famous for saying, "location, location, loca­
  tion. " Chi-Town is the closest hub of civilization to Tolkeen. 
  Not only is it very close, but the 'Burbs represent a huge popula­
  tion center with tens of thousands of potential buyers; residents, 
  businesses and adventurers. 
  2. It is a no-man's land that exists outside of Coalition law 
  and isn't officially a part of the Coalition States, which means 
  even though the CS has a presence in the 'Burbs, lawlessness, 
  the criminal underground and independent buyers, collectors, 
  adventurers, mercenaries and rebels are all present and eager to 
  purchase contraband. 
  3. The 'Burbs are a mass of humanity with crowded streets, 
  slums, and back alleys filled with independent and self-styled 
  adventurers. Streets where buyers and sellers can easily lose 
  themselves among the masses and interested parties don't ask 
  too many questions. 
  4. It offers individuals, groups and communities with money 
  and connections to the outside world and the ability to circum­
  vent Coalition intervention. 
  5. Communities where the Black Market and other organized 
  crime rings have a powerful influence (some would say stran­
  glehold). 
  6. Communities frequented by mercenaries, adventurers and 
  other interested parties always in the market for weapons, magic 
  and illegal goods. 
  7. Communities with independent and rebellious attitudes 
  and which harbor scores of underground societies, cults, dissi­
  dents, groups, scholars and collectors likely to be interested in 
  loot, magic and collectibles from Tolkeen. 
  8. Communities where outside powers, like the Federation of 
  Magic, Pecos Empire, Lazlo and others (as well as powerful in­
  dividuals) send agents and operatives to quietly acquire certain 
  outlawed, stolen and mystical articles. 
  Even with the Coalition Army and police patrols, undercover 
  agents, random raids and shakedowns, the Chi-Town 'Burbs are 
  the hot spot to sell and buy Tolkeen contraband. And thousands 
  are pouring in to do just that. This makes the 'Burbs both an ex­
  tremely exciting and dangerous place to be right now. Strangers 
  are frequently found dead in the alleys, visitors (and locals) go 
  missing, and the sounds of arguments, gunfire and magic com-
  
  1 6  
  bat ring out from time to time, day and night. Those looking for 
  a deal or the means to power-up can have a field day and make a 
  killing if they are careful, smart and a little lucky. A good half 
  of the louts selling stolen items have no idea what they have or 
  what it is really worth, especially when it comes to magic, so 
  good deals can be had by the truckload. However, these are the 
  types of thugs who won' t take kindly to fmding out they were 
  swindled, and many looters, thieves and killers will seek out the 
  person or group who "wronged them" to extort more money, 
  steal the item back and, very likely, to kill the one(s) who made 
  a fool out of them. Some will even use the scam of selling and 
  stealing the item back over and over again. 
  Player Note: Player characters must remember that they are 
  dealing with the worst scum on Earth. Cutthroats who will just 
  as soon kill them and strip their bodies as give them the time of 
  day, provided the villains think they can get away with it, or feel 
  justified in extracting revenge. Furthen nore, there is no honor 
  among these thieves, so it is possible (even likely) that whatever 
  the player character purchased was stolen from some other band 
  of brigands who are looking to fmd "their" stolen goods and get 
  it back - by any means necessary. And/or one or multiple 
  groups or individuals are all after the stolen item and they don' t 
  care what they have to do or who they have to kill to get it for 
  themselves. Heroes and adventurers should use extreme caution 
  and be prepared for anything. 
  Treasure Seekers 
  Minions of Splugorth 
  Minions of Splugorth are a new player in the Tolkeen situa­
  tion. They stayed out of the war and had no love for either side. 
  They arrived during Tolkeen' s last cataclysmic days, not to 
  help, but to plunder. Splugorth Slavers capture all manner of 
  men and beasts for sale in the Atlantean trans-dim ensional slave 
  market. They are bold enough to challenge squads and platoons 
  (sometimes entire companies) of the Coalition Anny and ven­
  ture into (or send their more human looking warrior slaves into) 
  human and D-Bee cities, including the Chi-Town 'Burbs, in 
  search of valuable quarry, to resupply or just cause trouble. 
  Meanwhile, Kiltani, Overlords, Powerlords, Sunaj, Stone 
  Masters and other minions and slaves search for rare and valu­
  able magic items, artifacts, weapons and secrets of magic. They 
  not only dig through the rubble of the blasted cities, but rob and 
  loot others who may have already acquired that which they seek, 
  including the Coalition Ann y. The Minions of Splugorth are a 
  power to be reckoned with for they understand and use both 
  technology and magic, and seldom act foolishly or rashly. Many 
  are well disciplined combat specialists who use cun ning, subter­
  fuge and treachery as well as brute force. 
  Highly intelligent and ruthless, minions such as the Kittani, 
  Tattooed Men, Blind Warrior Women, and Gargoyles, under the 
  command of a Powerlord, Overlord, High Lord or Conservator, 
  are assigned the task of tracking down and recovering magic 
  items and secrets already removed from Tolkeen. That means 
  they are hunting down looters, adventurers, fugitives and refu­
  gees wherever they may have gone, including the 'Burbs. 
  Though the occasional Minion of Splugorth, especially Tattooed 
  Men and Kittani, have visited the 'Burbs in the past, they have 
  
  never done so in such large numbers or with a specific mission 
  or purpose in mind. Sunaj assassins, Stone Masters, and 
  metamorp hed dragons are also counted among the Minions and 
  independent operatives from Atlantis searching to recover mys­
  tical plun der and secrets of magic by any means necessary. 
  When they can steal them, they do. When they can trick a per­
  son out of them or buy the item for a song, they do. But when 
  they can't win their prize through subterfuge or trickery, they 
  take them by force. Since the Minions are primarily concerned 
  with obtaining items of magic, they attack and fight only to get 
  what they seek, leaving survivors and the wounded alive with­
  out any further consideration. However, Minions of Splugorth 
  have no qualms about killing, and will murder, endanger by­
  standers and raze entire towns or challenge an army to get what 
  they want. For adventurers and thieves, the arrogance of the 
  Minions of Splugorth can sometim es work to their advantage. 
  For one, the Minions frequently leave survivors who can re­
  group and challenge the Minions at a later time in an attempt to 
  recover what was taken or as an act of revenge. For another, the 
  Minions of Splugorth often underestim ate their opponents, and 
  may be forced to retreat, regroup and try another tactic or return 
  with more men, giving the heroes the chance to escape, hide, 
  sell the items or prepare for the inevitable rematch. (G.M. s, both 
  situations are a great opportunity for adventure. ) 
  The fact that the Splugorth of Atlantis are so driven and so 
  brazen as to invade and infiltrate the Coalition's own backyard 
  (i. e., the 'Burbs and the Tolkeen territory) has many scholars, 
  practitioners of magic and military leaders concerned that the 
  Splugorth may be gearing up to invade and conquer North 
  America, or at least plunder its resources (people included) with 
  relative impunity. They certainly have shown little fear of the 
  Coalition Army, even though the CS has successfully destroyed 
  and repelled a number of Atlantean recovery teams, including a 
  few large ones in Tolkeen. 
  Federation of Magic 
  Another malevolent force that has invaded the 'Burbs in 
  search of Tolkeen's lost treasures, magic and secrets is the Fed­
  eration of Magic. Like the Splugorth they have agents arriving 
  at the Chi-Town 'Burbs (and other communities) ever vigilant 
  for rare artifacts, weapons, and secrets of magic. Some are non­
  violent, posing as interested parties looking to purchase magic 
  and Tolkeen treasures. Whenever something of value is offered, 
  the agents of the Federation try to acquire it for as little money 
  as possible. This is easy when dealing with people who don't 
  know what they have or are gullible adventurers and thieves 
  who believe their lies. Others agents of the Federation, however, 
  steal, cheat and kill to get what they want. Some operate as lone 
  individuals, others in pairs or small groups, and a few as large 
  scale operations with hundreds of agents scattered throughout 
  the 'Burbs but working under one group leader. 
  Federation rivalry. Competition is heavy and every dirty 
  trick in the book is being used to acquire magic and artifacts. 
  Not only must Federation agents who serve Lord Dunscon com­
  pete with the Minions of Splugorth, the Coalition Army (out to 
  capture and destroy magic items), independent mages, adven­
  turer groups, mercenaries, dragons, local magic guilds, cults, in­
  dependent mages, dealers in magic, and private collectors, but 
  rival members of the Federation itseltl The Federation of Magic 
  1 7  
  has been divided for generations, and though Lord Dunscon has 
  recently unified a large number of these factions, there are hun­
  dreds (thousands really) who defy or ignore Lord Dunscon and 
  quietly work toward their own agendas. Thus, there are easily 
  hundreds of independent sorcerers, hired agents (adventurers, 
  mercs and thieves), and creatures of magic from the Federation 
  of Magic out for themselves, all outbidding and undermining 
  Federation activity to get a particular item or secret of magic be­
  fore some other member of the Federation. 
  Federation insurrectionists and assault teams. In addition 
  to Federation agents seeking to recover lost treasures and magic 
  from Tolkeen, Lord Dunscon recognizes this as a time his 
  agents can strike at the Coalition States without incurring their 
  wrath by posing as Tolkeen Retribution squads. Tolkeen rebels 
  get the blame and the Federation profits from it. As a result, 
  Federation warriors, assassins and saboteurs are loose on the 
  streets of the 'Burbs causing trouble in the name of Tolkeen and 
  searching for ways into the great fortress city of Chi-Town 
  where they can wreak true havoc. 
  
  Revenge Squad 
  Ragnarok 
  By Julius Rosenstein 
  Additional ideas and text by Kevin Siembieda 
  (G.M.s Note: Ragnarok is a group of adventurers who are 
  currently in the Chi-Town 'Borbs. Depending upon who the 
  player characters are and what they do, the players could end up 
  either joining Ragnarok, not joining but working and/or fighting 
  alongside them, fighting against them, or Ragnarok can simply 
  be used as a catalyst for adventures.) 
  One group of adventurers who have carried the war from the 
  fallen Kingdom of Tolkeen to the Chi-Town 'Borbs is the Re­
  venge Squad Ragnarok. After fighting their way out of Tolkeen, 
  they harried CS forces at every opportunity while gradually 
  working their way toward Chi-Town. During their trek, some­
  one brought up the idea of Ragnarok: The Final Battle of the 
  world according to Norse myth. Several members liked the idea 
  of getting to Chi-Town and bringing about a great revolution 
  that will bring down Chi-Town. They swore a blood oath to that 
  effect and even adopted the name of Ragnarok. 
  Although determined (and somewhat desperate), Revenge 
  Squad Ragnarok knows that they are not strong enough to pene­
  trate the defenses of the Chi-Town fortress city. So, for now, 
  they remain in the 'Borbs, ambushing lone CS soldiers and 
  1 8  
  small CS patrols, while otherwise harassing their foes and at­
  tempting to instigate a revolution (unsuccessfully, so far). 
  Meanwhile, they bide their time and wait for their chance to 
  breach the walls of the great fortress city to strike deep in the 
  heart of the capital. Their motive is simple revenge - payback 
  for the toppling of the Kingdom of Tolkeen, and for their com­
  rades who fell in the war. 
  In addition to their military and guerilla activities, Revenge 
  Squad Ragnarok has also implemented some other tactics to es­
  tablish themselves among the locals and to become better ac­
  quainted with their new surroundings. Among their most 
  cunning deceptions is the establishment of the Firebelly Soup 
  Kitchen (see Firetown # 41), Ace Protection Service (see 
  Firetown # 40) and the Hot Stuff Escort Service (see Firetown 
  #3 8 ) ,  all of which helps to keep the Squad's ears to the ground 
  and hooked into what's happening, as well as working to estab­
  lish a number of seedy contacts, informants and pawns residing 
  in the 'Borbs. 
  Ragnarok Mercenaries 
  The top members of Revenge Squad Ragnarok make most of 
  their money by hiring themselves out as an elite mercenary team 
  (though the prostitution ring through Hot Stuff Escort Service 
  provides an impressive weekly income, most of which goes to­
  ward maintaining the Firebelly Soup Kitchen). For the right 
  price, they will get the job done with few questions asked, and 
  they are especially eager to take any jobs that pit them against or 
  hurt the Coalition Army. The Black Market and some specific 
  individuals, often mages, D-Bees, or other people who either 
  lack the talents and expertise to accomplish their goal or who 
  want to insore that their involvement in whatever is going down 
  does not lead the CS authorities back to them, hire the members 
  of Ragnarok to handle a variety of different tasks. The group has 
  performed so well that the Black Market is becoming a regular 
  client. 
  Khem decides which of these assignments to accept and 
  which squad members (core members and/or recruits) are to 
  handle a particular job. The nature of these jobs can vary, any or 
  all of the Squad Ragnarok may be called upon for their individ­
  ual talents. 
  Unlike the Soup Kitchen and Protection Service (which the 
  Squad regards as charity work), the mercenary assignments are 
  making a good profit and allow Squad Ragnarok to continue to 
  maintain all of their various activities. Currently, the mercenary 
  assignments have put 115, 000 credits in Ragnarok's war chest, 
  put aside specifically for funding their anti-Coalition missions 
  of revenge. That amount should increase by 50% every month. 
  Funds used for basic day to day expenses are provided by the 
  Hot Stuff Escort Service and Protection Service and used to 
  maintain those operations with any surplus funds used like petty 
  cash. Large withdrawals have to be approved by either Khem or 
  Silvera unless it's an emergency situation. If the group wasn't 
  bent on undermining the CS they could become wealthy entre­
  preneors in Firetown, then again, it's their lust for revenge that 
  makes them so driven and successful. 
  Note: Perceptive gamers will notice that the individual mem­
  bers of Squad Ragnarok do not possess a great deal in the way 
  of personal possessions. This might make them wonder, if these 
  
  guys have been adventuring a while, why don't they have a lot 
  more items than what is listed? Well, they lost most of their pos­
  sessions during the Siege on Tolkeen and a lot of what they now 
  have they acquired after reaching the 'Burbs. When one is flee­
  ing from a burning city with a hostile army after him, one is 
  lucky to get away with his life. Anything one manages to bring 
  along is a welcome bonus. The rest of their savings and hard 
  work has gone into establishing their three front businesses. Of 
  course, as their various ventures work out, they could earn and 
  purchase much more, but all their main effort is going into their 
  plans of insurrection and retribution. 
  Although some of the members of Revenge Squad Ragnarok 
  (particularly Sigurd and Voudaryi) feel that some of the sideline 
  activities are a waste of time and resources, the majority of the 
  Squad are hoping that they will pay off in the long run, and each 
  one already is. Even the soup kitchen, the most costly of their 
  endeavors, has earned them plenty of good will and helps pro­
  vide the group with rumors and recruits, as well as a secret hid­
  ing place. Furthermore, although it was unanticipated, these 
  good-will gestures have actually caused a change in attitude 
  among some of the members of the Squad Ragnarok itself. 
  The Squad's original motive for coming to the Chi-Town 
  'Burbs was to seek revenge on the Coalition for destroying 
  Tolkeen. They, like so many Retribution Squads, were filled 
  with hate and desire for revenge. The CS army and government 
  are still hated for what they have done in Tolkeen, but the Squad 
  has come to realize that most of the poor people of the 'Burbs 
  (who are not even officially Coalition citizens) had nothing to 
  do with this tragedy and simply cling to a dream of making a 
  better life for themselves. Many struggle and live hard, desper­
  ate lives under the yoke of Coalition indifference and cruelty. 
  For Squad members who are essentially good, like Khem, 
  Silvera, and even Sigurd (to some extent), it is difficult to feel 
  hatred for these downtrodden folks just trying to survive the best 
  that they can. Indeed, some of the Squad members are feeling 
  good that they can assist the needy of the 'Burbs, regardless of 
  where their loyalties may ultimately lie, and want to postpone 
  their inevitable Ragnarok "Final Battle" for as long as they can. 
  Complications 
  When Revenge Squad Ragnarok was first formed, it's main 
  goal was a simple one: To avenge the deaths of their friends and 
  comrades who died at Tolkeen by hurting Chi-Town deeply. In 
  order to do this, the Squad was to destroy as much of Chi-Town 
  as possible while going out in a blaze of glory. Since then, 
  things are not quite so simple. A number of complications have 
  arisen that may cause the members of Squad Ragnarok to alter 
  their plans, and may even lead to them giving up their idea of an 
  all consuming, suicidal battle in the name of vengeance. Among 
  these are: 
  1. All of the core members of Ragnarok fought in the Sor­
  cerers' Revenge and the fmal days of the Siege on Tolkeen. 
  They (or at least some of them) are known to Coalition soldiers 
  and may be identified as being from Tolkeen's elite fighting 
  force. Some may even have a price put on their heads. At any­
  time, a veteran soldier (or turncoat mercenary or bounty hunter) 
  might show up in the 'Burbs and identify them as enemies of the 
  States. 
  19 
  2. The journey from Tolkeen to the 'Burbs also had its share 
  of combat. Did any of the soldiers they encountered on their 
  journey survive? And, if so, could they show up at the 
  Chi-Town 'Burbs and blow their cover? 
  3. Since arriving at the 'Burbs, Revenge Squad Ragnarok has 
  fought a number of ambushes and skirmishes, managing to kill a 
  dozen Coalition soldiers, injuring a dozen others and foiling two 
  ISS operations to capture fellow fugitives. The name of Revenge 
  Squad Ragnarok is starting to spread and earn the currently 
  faceless members of the group a reputation as a new and poten­
  tially formidable Tolkeen Retribution Squad. If they keep up the 
  pressure, it is only a matter of time before the CS starts a formal 
  investigation on the group and tries to hunt them down. When 
  that happens it will be much more difficult to maintain their 
  double-identities as business people by day and avenging free­
  dom fighters by night. For that matter, are there unknown eye­
  witnesses already lurking around who can identify any of the 
  group's members? Does anyone suspect them as being members 
  of the rebel Squad Ragnarok? 
  4. The blood oath to form Revenge Squad Ragnarok took 
  place at a time when those involved were emotionally drained 
  and lost to sorrow and anger. Back then, death didn't seem so 
  bad and vengeance meant everything. Since that time, the sur­
  viving squad members have had the opportunity to step back a 
  bit and reconsider their position. Anger and hate have cooled 
  and their spirits have been renewed to the point that many are 
  thinking they could do much more good continuing their work 
  in the 'Burbs without sacrificing their lives in the name of a 
  fallen kingdom. 
  5. With all the good that they have accomplished since com­
  ing to the 'Burbs, and so quickly too, some members of the 
  Squad are wondering if they might not make a greater difference 
  helping people than sacrificing their lives in a great Armaged­
  don-like battle. They would still be undermining and confound­
  ing the CS, but helping a lot of good people in the process and 
  could do so for years. Is there truly any glory or merit in fight­
  ing to the death? Couldn't they do more lasting good as heroes 
  rather than suicidal destroyers? And if so, what else can they do 
  to help the people of the 'Burbs and fellow heroes and innocent 
  fugitives? 
  The Warriors 
  of Ragnarok 
  The original group were members of an idealistic mercenary 
  company who fought for the freedom of Tolkeen. All were vol­
  unteers blinded by the ideology of the magic kingdom and 
  fought long and hard for two and a half years. More than 
  two-thirds of the company perished defending the city of 
  Tolkeen in its fmal days. When the King of Tolkeen bid them to 
  flee and save themselves, they obeyed. Their spirits broken, 
  their bodies exhausted, their minds confused, they spent days 
  avoiding CS patrols until they heard of Warlord Scard's call for 
  "avengers." Avengers to carry righteous retribution to the very 
  doorstep of Chi-Town and make them pay in blood. Lord 
  Scard's words gave the group a new mission and they made 
  their way to Chi-Town. Along the way, nine others perished at 
  
  the hands of the Coalition Army. When they arrived, only six 
  members of the original group remained to form the core of 
  "Revenge Squad Ragnarok." They are: Khem Dunotah (True 
  Atlantean Monster Hunter), Silvera Reedhart (an Achilles 
  Neo-Human), John Grimsby (Temporal Warrior), Fortune (a 
  Wormwood Apok), Sigurd (Ice Dragon hatchling), and 
  Voudaryi (Gargoyle). 
  Their need for secrecy (all it takes is one word to the Coali­
  tion authorities and they will be hunted down by every ISS 
  Specter and Dog Boy the CS can muster) has made Squad 
  Ragnarok very careful and deliberate in their recruitment of new 
  members and overall operations in the 'Burbs. Even the candi­
  dates who are selected are only given whatever bits of informa­
  tion Khem and Silvera choose to divulge on an individual basis. 
  Some of the recruits don't even know about Revenge Squad 
  Ragnarok by name or its activities other than using the soup 
  kitchen to fmd recruits and the protection agency to make 
  money. Others know only that their employers are involved in 
  shady dealings but believe them to be nothing more than crooks 
  or opportunists trying to make a dishonest credit. Only a few are 
  active and knowledgeable in Squad Ragnarok's ambushes and 
  attacks against Coalition personnel, or that the group heralds 
  from the shattered kingdom of Tolkeen; none of them are aware 
  of Ragnarok's vow to initiate a fmal titanic battle that brings 
  Chi-Town crashing to its knees. 
  Despite the Squad's reluctance to trust newcomers, there are 
  over a dozen recruits who have joined the actual Revenge Squad 
  Ragnarok in the 'Burbs. This assorted bunch includes a Body 
  Fixer, a Burster, a former CS Commando (who was discharged 
  for insubordination), an Operator, a former Glitter Boy pilot 
  (who would love to get his hands on a new suit of GB armor), a 
  Rogue Scholar, two Juicers (one is a Delphi Juicer), a 
  Safecracker, two City Rats, and five Vagabonds. G.M.'s Note: 
  All of the recruits are levels 2-6. They can run the gamut of 
  alignments, but most are Unprincipled or Anarchist, with one or 
  two Aberrant. Their skills are more or less intact (a few may 
  take penalties ranging from -5% to - 1 5% on certain skills be­
  cause of the booze or drugs or whatever else put them on the 
  skids before being rescued at the Firebelly Soup Kitchen). They 
  are a ragtag crew, and most do not have much in the way of 
  equipment other than what they salvaged and what Squad 
  Ragnarok was able to scrounge up for them. 
  Khem 
  Leader of Revenge Squad Ragnarok 
  Khem Dunotah was born to the Atlantean Clan Skellian in 
  the city of Manoa in South America. The clan elders soon no­
  ticed his potential to become a Monster Hunter and young 
  Khem was trained for that calling. After Khem completed his 
  training, he was assigned to a number of espionage and rescue 
  missions, including a long stint in Atlantis where he actually in­
  filtrated the city of Splynn for a while. After his time in Atlantis, 
  Khem returned to South America and roamed the land aiding 
  those who needed his help and fighting for the cause of justice. 
  During this period, he met Silvera Reedhart and the two became 
  friends and comrades (and lovers for a brief period). 
  20 
  When Lord Protector Temarkhos received reports that the 
  Coalition States were about to go to war with Tolkeen, he de­
  cided to send a few agents to observe the conflict and Khem was 
  one of those selected. Among the people who Khem recruited 
  into his small group of observers was Silvera. Although origi­
  nally sent merely as observers, Khem and his colleagues sympa­
  thized with the Tolkeenites and soon found themselves fighting 
  at their side. When the city was overrun, Khem and Silvera es­
  caped along with several other Tolkeenite defenders (by this 
  time, all of the other companions who had accompanied Khem 
  and Silvera from South America had perished in various skir­
  mishes and battles). Khem Dunotah found himself in the posi­
  tion of leading these survivors who wanted to avenge their 
  fallen comrades. Revenge Squad Ragnarok was formed and 
  Khem led them to the 'Burbs of Chi-Town where they have 
  been ever since, biding their time and awaiting their opportunity 
  for vengeance. 
  True Name: Khem Dunotah. 
  Alignment: Scrupulous. 
  Attributes: I.Q. 17, M.E. 2 1 ,  M.A. 17, P.S. 1 8, P.P. 10, P.E. 22, 
  P.B. 16, Spd. 26 
  M.D.C. : 260 
  Height: 6 feet, 4 inches (1 .93 m). 
  Weight: 250 pounds (1 12 kg). 
  Age: 1 83 (looks to be in late 20's). 
  Species: True Atlantean. 
  Disposition: Khem Dunotah is basically a good guy trying to do 
  the right thing. Unfortunately, thanks to the atrocities that he 
  saw at Tolkeen, Khem is no longer as idealistic as he once 
  
  was. He still tries to aid others but where he once used to ad­
  mire champions such as the Cyber-Knights, he now feels that 
  they and other heroes are fighting a battle they can never win, 
  and are wasting their time in trying to make a positive differ­
  ence in the world. 
  Group Relations: Khem is a natural leader and the obvious 
  choice to lead Squad Ragnarok. He cares about those who 
  follow him and tries to protect them as best as he can. Within 
  Squad Ragnarok, Silvera is his friend and the two would 
  willingly sacrifice themselves for each other in a heartbeat. 
  Khem respects Fortune for his professionalism but does not 
  consider the aloof Apok as a friend. He thinks of Sigurd as a 
  diamond in the rough who just needs guidance to be put on 
  the right track. Grimsby is something of a loose cannon who 
  takes unnecessary chances but who will ultimately do as he is 
  ordered (generally). The main thorn in Khem's side is 
  Voudaryi. The Gargoyle is continually rebellious and insub­
  ordinate and Khem feels it may only be a matter of time be­
  fore one of them is forced to slay the other. 
  Horror Factor: 14 (upon discovering his true nature as a Tat­
  tooed Man). 
  Experience Level: 6th level Monster Hunter. 
  Natural Abilities: Sense vampires (1000 foot/305 m range), 
  sense ley lines 55%, sense nexus points 65%, and sense Rifts 
  and operate dimensional pyramids 65%. Also see Tattoos, 
  below. 
  Skills of Note: Read, write, & speak DragoneselElf, American 
  and Greek, all at 98%, speak Chinese and Spanish 90%, Art 
  60%, Climbing 65/55%, Concealment 55%, Disguise 65%, 
  Intelligence 67%, Lore: Demons & Monsters 65%, Lore: 
  Faerie 60%, Lore: Magic 65%, Mathematics: Basic 75%, Ra­
  dio: Basic 80%, Tracking 60%, Wilderness Survival 70%, 
  W.P. Sword, W.P. Energy Pistol, W.P. Energy Rifle, and 
  W.P. Spear. 
  Combat Skills: Hand to Hand: Martial Arts. 
  Number of Attacks: Six by hand to hand or Tattoo Magic. 
  Bonuses (includes all bonuses): +1 on initiative, +2 to strike, 
  +3 to parry, +3 to dodge, +3 to S.D.C. damage, +3 to roll 
  with punch/fall/impact, +3 to pull punch, Karate-style kick 
  (lD8), jump kick (critical strike), entangle, critical strike on 
  1 8-20, +3 to save vs psychic attack/insanity, 45% to inspire 
  trust/intimidation, +6 to save vs all magicks, +4 to save vs 
  poison, +8 to save vs Horror Factor, +14% vs coma/death, 
  considered to be a supernatural being. 
  Magical Knowledge: None, but see tattoos. P.P.E.: 246. 
  Psionic Powers: Major psionic; powers of Death Trance (1), 
  Detect Psionics (6), Increased Healing (10), Mind Block (4), 
  Psychic Diagnosis (4), and Sense Evil (2). I.S.P.: 62. 
  Magic Equipment: Other than his tattoos, the only magical 
  item that Khem possesses is an Armor of Ithan medallion 
  (140 M.D.C., 3 times per day; lasts two hours per activation 
  or until M.D.C. is used up). 
  Weapons & Equipment: CP-40 Pulse Laser Rifle, Wilk's 320 
  Laser Pistol, Vibro-Sword, silver plated sword (206 S.D.C.), 
  a dozen wooden stakes & mallet, first-aid kit, NG-S2 Basic 
  Survival Pack (Triax & NGR, page 1 0 1 ), duffel bag, winter 
  mittens, 2-man tent, field radio, lock pick, tool kit, sun­
  glasses, shoulder purse (small), canteen, passive night-sight 
  binoculars, belt and extra ammo: 10 E-Clips. 
  21 
  Description: Khem looks like a tall, powerfully built young 
  man with an abundance of tattoos. He is given to wearing 
  baggy clothes and long flowing robes (the better to conceal 
  his tattoos from prying eyes). Khem has brown eyes and 
  brown hair that he generally keeps cut short. He prefers not 
  to wear armor since it will usually inhibit the use of many of 
  his tattoos. 
  Money: 16,000 Universal Credits and 1 8,000 in gems and pre­
  cious metals. 
  Tattoos: Has a total of26 tattoos. They are: 
  Black Sun (Darkness Powers): Gives the user several 
  darkness powers (see Splynn Dimensional Marke{fM, page 
  103). P.P.E. Cost: 40. Duration: 30 minutes. 
  Dolphin: Gives Swim as a Fish (Superior) & Breathe 
  Without Air, equal to the spell (see Rifts® RPG, pages 1 70 & 
  175). P.P.E. Cost: 20. Duration: 3 hours. 
  Eye with Tears: Gives Empathy equal to the psionic 
  power & Empathic Transmission up to once per melee (see 
  Rifts® RPG, pages 121 & 124). P.P.E. Cost: 15. Duration: 12 
  minutes. 
  Heart Pierced by a Wooden Stake: Renders the character 
  invulnerable to the bite and mind control powers of vampires. 
  P.P .E. Cost: 15. Duration: 6 hours. 
  Lightning Bolts: Allows the user to fire lightning bolts 
  (5D6 M.D., 700 feet/21 3  m) from his hands. P.P.E. Cost: 30. 
  Duration: 6 minutes. 
  Skull Engulfed in Flames: Grants several fIre powers, in­
  cluding a fIre aura with 60 M.D.C. and fIre bolts (6D4 M.D., 
  600 feet/1 83 m), P.P.E. Cost: 45. Duration: 30 minutes. 
  Flaming Sword: Creates a magical weapon that inflicts 
  2D4 M.D. P.P.E. Cost: 10. Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes. 
  Bow & Flaming Arrows: Fires Mega-Damage arrows (in­
  flicts 1D6 M.D.). P.P.E. Cost: 20. Duration: 1 hour, 30 min­
  utes. 
  Winged Spear: Allows spear (inflicts ID8 S.D.C.) to be 
  thrown triple usual effective range & automatically returns 
  immediately afterward. P.P.E. Cost: 5. Duration: 1 hour, 30 
  minutes. 
  Monster: Devil Digger: Creates a Devil Digger with 78 
  M.D.C. P.P.E. Cost: 80. Duration: 3 hours. 
  Monster: Owl-Thing: Creates an Owl-Thing with 58 
  M.D.C. P.P.E. Cost: 80. Duration: 3 hours. 
  Shapeshift: Dragon -
  Thunder Lizard: Caster can 
  shape shift into a Thunder Lizard with 520 M.D.C. P.P.E. 
  Cost: 200. Duration: 3 hours. 
  Shapeshift: Emirin: Caster can shapeshift into an Emirin. 
  P.P.E. Cost: 60. Duration: 3 hours. 
  Shapeshift: Minotaur: Caster can shapeshift into a Mino­
  taur. P.P.E. Cost: 60. Duration: 3 hours. 
  Shapeshift: Sphinx: Caster can shapeshift into a Sphinx 
  with 360 M.D.C. P.P.E. Cost: 120. Duration: 3 hours. 
  Simple Weapons (Knife, Staff, Whip): Each counts as a 
  tattoo. Creates an ordinary weapon. P.P.E. Cost: 2. Duration: 
  3 hours. 
  Simple Animals (Grizzly Bear, Boar, Eagle, Fox, Horse, 
  Monkey, Tiger, WoIO: Creates animal-like constructs that 
  are totally loyal to the caster. P.P.E. Cost: 1 5  (Eagle, Fox), 20 
  (Boar, Horse, Monkey, WoIO, 30 (Grizzly Bear, Tiger). Du­
  ratidn: 3 hours. 
  
  Notes: 1. Khem really thinks that Squad Ragnarok's good 
  works (especially the soup kitchen) are making a positive im­
  pact on the people of the 'Burbs and will try to set something 
  up so that it will continue even after Ragnarok is gone. Khem 
  left Tolkeen bitter and depressed (naturally so), but upon see­
  ing how his efforts are actually enriching the lives of people 
  in Firetown and how young Sigurd has perked up and enjoys 
  helping people, he is starting to return to his old idealistic 
  ways. He still has a way to go, but at least this is a step in the 
  right direction. 
  2. Unknown to anyone else in the Squad (he has not even 
  told Silvera), Khem is trying to arrange things so that when 
  the "Final Battle" takes place, Sigurd will not be there. Since 
  dragons have a life span that can last millennia, Khem feels 
  that if Sigurd were to die before having a chance to truly live, 
  it would be a great tragedy. If there is any one comrade 
  whose life Khem intends to save, it is that of the Ice Dragon 
  hatchling. 
  Silvera 
  Second-in-Command 
  Silvera Reedhart was born and raised in the Achilles Repub­
  lic in South America. As a Neo-Human mutant, Silvera was one 
  of the upper class of citizens, though she was never comfortable 
  in her homeland and often felt confmed by her surroundings. As 
  soon as she came of age, Silvera left Achilles to see what the 
  22 
  rest of the world was like. The next several decades were spent 
  traveling and adventuring in most of South America. During this 
  time, Silvera met an adventurer who would play an important 
  part in her life, the Atlantean Monster Hunter, Khem Dunotah. 
  Silvera and Khem became close friends and comrades. They 
  were lovers briefly until Silvera's natural desire for independ­
  ence caused them to break up, but they still remain very good 
  friends who care about each other deeply. 
  After Silvera's journeys had brought her to the city of 
  Manoa, Khem (who had returned to his native city) approached 
  her with an offer. He had been assigned to go to Tolkeen in 
  North America as an observer in a conflict that was looming be­
  tween the Kingdom of Tolkeen and the Coalition States. The 
  Monster Hunter was recruiting a few adventurers to form a 
  small squad for the mission and wanted Silvera to be one of 
  them. Never having been to North America, Silvera eagerly ac­
  cepted the offer. 
  Khem's squad reached Tolkeen with little trouble, but any 
  notions of neutrality soon vanished when they saw the brutality 
  of the CS troops toward non-humans. Khem's squad soon joined 
  the ranks of the Tolkeen defenders and fought creditably 
  throughout the conflict. When Tolkeen had all but lost the war, 
  Khem led the remnants of his squad (along with some assorted 
  defenders they encountered along the way) in an attempt to es­
  cape from the Coalition Invasion Force. Although they lost 
  some members of their group, the survivors (who would ulti­
  mately form Revenge Squad Ragnarok) followed Khem to the 
  'Burbs of Chi-Town. 
  Since arriving at the 'Burbs, Squad Ragnarok has been en­
  gaged ever since in setting up their base of operation as well as 
  acts of sabotage, sedition, and everything they can do to disrupt 
  the Coalition War Machine. Silvera is Khem's closest friend, 
  right-hand woman, and the second-in-command of Squad 
  Ragnarok. 
  Name: Silvera Reedhart. 
  Alignment: Unprincipled. 
  Attributes: I.Q. 20, M.E. 20, M.A. 15, P.S. 22, P.P. 20, P.E. 22, 
  P.B. 20, Spd. 25 
  S.D.C.lHit Points: 242 
  Height: 6 feet, 2 inches (1 .88 m). 
  Weight: 130 pounds (59 kg). 
  Age: 147 (looks to be in early 20's). 
  Horror Factor: 9 when her identity (as a Neo-Human) is re-
  vealed. 
  P.P.E.: 5 
  Species: Achilles Neo-Human. 
  Disposition: Silvera is a somewhat wild child but with a heart 
  of gold. The main reason she left her homeland was to see 
  the world and experience all that life has to offer. Her motto 
  is "Life is too short"; despite her inordinately long life span. 
  To that effect, Silvera sometimes takes risks for the chance to 
  sample a new experience or pleasure. However, such risk 
  taking is personal, Silvera would never knowingly put others 
  (particularly an innocent) at risk. 
  Silvera does enjoy using her abilities to aid others, though 
  she can be very sharp with someone who doesn't seem to ap­
  preciate her efforts. Many of the street people and homeless 
  
  who eat at their soup kitchen have taken to calling Silvera the 
  "Angel of Firetown," a title that she publicly discourages but 
  is secretly very flattered by. 
  Despite her obvious beauty (when she does not deliber­
  ately make herself look frumpy), Silvera is not especially 
  bothered by overly amorous males. This is probably because 
  of her strong, independent, warrior attitude - or in short, she 
  doesn't take garbage from anyone. In addition to the respect 
  she has engendered by her charitable actions, Silvera is more 
  than capable of taking care of herself. After a couple of inci­
  dents where would-be ladies' men put their hands where they 
  did not belong and were promptly laid out flat on their backs 
  by an outraged (but powerful) feminine fist, the word went 
  out that the Angel of Firetown is not a person with whom to 
  take liberties. 
  Group Relations: Silvera takes her position as second-in-com­
  mand within Squad Ragnarok very seriously. Although she 
  would willingly follow Khem through the gates of Hell (for a 
  cause noble enough), she is not blindly obedient and will tell 
  him in no uncertain terms when she thinks that his course of 
  action is wrong or when he is making a jackass out of him­
  self. Silvera respects Khem as a leader and friend, but consid­
  ers their love affair as a thing of the past (a decision which 
  Khem accepts). 
  Silvera acts somewhat like a den mother to the others. 
  Grimsby and Fortune are the brothers she never had: Fortune 
  is the serious one who needs to unbend a bit every now and 
  then and Grimsby is the impulsive partner-in-crime who will 
  follow her anywhere on a dare. 
  Although she knows the Temporal Warrior has a crush on 
  her, she treats him as a platonic friend and chides him when­
  ever he tries to get amorous with her. 
  As for the non-humans, Silvera often treats Sigurd like a 
  favorite nephew (an attitude that bewildered the hatchling at 
  first). Sigurd is now getting used to being Silvera's surrogate 
  child and no longer complains when he takes human form 
  and she inspects him to make sure he is well-groomed (fin­
  gernails cleaned, washed behind the ears, etc.). Even 
  Voudaryi the Gargoyle is accepted (more or less) at face 
  value. Silvera does not realize the extent of the Gargoyle's 
  bloodlust or hatred for humanoids, however, and tries to give 
  him the benefit of the doubt when he threatens to go out of 
  control. On several occasions, Silvera has even acted as me­
  diator between Voudaryi and Khem before they came to 
  blows. 
  Natural Abilities: Supernatural transformation (can convert her 
  S.D.C.lHit Points into M.D.C., Hyper-Telekinesis (2400 
  Ibsll080 kg, range 300 feetl91 .5 m), Telekinetic Flight, 
  Mind-Wave, Touch of Health or Death (complete description 
  of these powers in Rifts® South America 2, pages 150-15 1). 
  Experience Level: 4th level. 
  Psionic Powers: Master Psionic with the following powers (see 
  notes below). Super: Bio-Regeneration (super)(20), Group 
  Mind Block (22), Hypnotic Suggestion (6), Mind Bond (10), 
  Mind Wipe (special), Psi-Shield (30), Radiate Horror Factor 
  (8)*; other: Detect Psionics (6), Ectoplasmic Disguise (12)*, 
  Exorcism (10), Increased Healing (10), Mask I.S.P. & 
  Psionics (7)* , Mind Block (4), Read Dimensional Portal (6)*, 
  Remote Viewing (10)*, Resist Fatigue (4), See Aura (6), See 
  23 
  the Invisible (4), Summon Inner Strength (4), Suppress Fear 
  (8)*, Telepathy (4); I.S.P.: 256. 
  Note: The psionic powers 
  listed with an asterisk are abilities found in Rifts® World 
  Book 12: Psyscape™ or the Rifts® Game Master's Guide. 
  Magic Knowledge: None. 
  Combat: Hand to Hand: Martial Arts. 
  Attacks per Melee: Five by hand to hand or psychic attacks. 
  Bonuses: +5 to strike, +6 to parry, +6 to dodge, +7 S.D.C. 
  damage, +3 to roll with punch/fall/impact, +3 to pull punch, 
  karate-style kick does ID8, +3 vs psionicslinsanity, +4 to 
  save vs magic, +4 to save vs poison, +14% vs. coma/death, 
  50% to charm/impress 
  Skills of Note: Speak, read & write Spanish 98%, speak Ameri­
  can 
  86%, 
  speak DragoneselElf 76%, 
  read & write 
  DragoneselElf 56%, read & write American 48%, Disguise 
  56%, First Aid 7 1 %, Intelligence 60%, Land Navigation 
  69%, Lore: Demons & Monsters 6 1  %, Basic Math 86%, Ra­
  dio: Basic 76%, Wilderness Survival 66%, W.P. Energy Ri­
  fle, W.P. Energy Pistol, and W.P. Knife. 
  Weapons: Lightbringer Laser Rifle, .22 revolver, Triax TX-20 
  Laser Pistol, survival knife, Vibro-Knife; extra ammo: 
  (.22/3 1 rounds, and 6 E-Clips for the laser weapons). 
  Body Armor: Medium body armor: 55 M.D.C. (35 M.D.C. re­
  maining). 
  Magic Item : Silvera has a magic knife that is indestructible and 
  inflicts 3D6 M.D. against mundane foes. It also can create a 
  circle of protection, 10 feet (3 m) in radius, which will keep 
  out supernatural creatures. In order to enter this circle, super­
  natural creatures must save vs magic at a penalty of -3. The 
  knife will double its normal damage against supernatural ad­
  versaries and inflict 6D6 M.D. to such foes that manage to 
  enter the circle. 
  Equipment: Air filter & gas mask, knapsack/backpack, utility 
  belt, lighter, flashlight, canteen, pocket mirror, small silver 
  cross necklace, hand radio, survival kit, bedroll, two weeks 
  food rations, hooded cloak, a few sets of clothing, and some 
  personal items. 
  Appearance: Silvera is a babe! !  Her eyes are brown and unre­
  markable and, when she bundles herself up in clothes that 
  conceal her, she can pass herself off as plain and rather 
  frumpy (thanks to her disguise skills and abilities). However, 
  when Silvera dolls herself up she is a knockout. Her hair is 
  silver, almost metallic, in color and it hangs down behind her 
  like a long glistening veil. She has a shapely, super-model 
  body, long legs and delightful smile. When Silvera strips 
  down to her jogging outfit (shorts, sneakers, T-shirt, and 
  hand radio), she provides a pleasant distraction for every 
  red-blooded humanoid male who catches a glimpse of her. 
  Cybernetics: None. 
  Money: 19,500 in Universal Credits and 7,000 in gems and jew­
  elry, most of it earmarked for group operations should they 
  need it. 
  Note: One of the reasons that Squad Ragnarok remains unde­
  tected by Dog Boy patrols is due to Silvera's formidable 
  psionic powers shielding the group. 
  
  Sigurd, the Dragon 
  Sigurd, an Ice Dragon hatchling, was born in the city of Free­
  hold during the Coalition War on Tolkeen. He was pressed into 
  the defense of the city and saw his frrst action when he was just 
  a few weeks old. When Tolkeen's fall was imminent, Sigurd 
  was prepared to die alongside his comrades in a last stand for 
  his home. Instead, much to his chagrin, he was ordered by an el­
  der dragon to flee the city and carry on the fight elsewhere. Dur­
  ing the chaos of Tolkeen's destruction, Sigurd escaped in the 
  company of some other Tolkeenite defenders (including Khem 
  Dunotah and Silvera Reedhart). Realizing that he could use 
  some allies and also realizing (grudgingly) that he required 
  some leadership and direction, he remained with Khem's group 
  of fighters and has been an important part of Revenge Squad 
  Ragnarok ever since. 
  Although young, Sigurd is already a seasoned veteran who 
  has seen more combat in the last year and a half than many may 
  see in their lifetime. Sigurd tends to think of life as being a con­
  stant state of war because that is all he has ever experienced. 
  Consequently, he has found the chaotic life of the 'Burbs to be a 
  comparatively calm, civil and pleasant new experience. An ex­
  perience he'd like to enjoy more. Sigurd is one of the Squad 
  Ragnarok who is regularly pondering the wisdom of a suicidal 
  action to bring about the end of Chi-Town. He is fascinated by 
  the 'Burbs and has learned much in the short five weeks they 
  have established their operations there. 
  Name: Sigurd - this is the name everybody knows him as, in­
  cluding his teammates. 
  24 
  True Name: Sigurdynn-Dyanne. 
  Alignment: Anarchist with strong leanings toward Unprinci­
  pled. 
  Attributes: I.Q. 20, M.E. 14, M.A. 15, P.S. 23 (Supernatural), 
  P.P. 20, P.E. 13, P.B. 22, Spd. 70 (50 mph/80 km) running 
  and flying. 
  M.D.C.: 200 
  Size: 6 feet, 2 inches (1 .88 m) and 196 pounds (88 kg) in human 
  form. 22 feet (6.7 m) tall and 46 feet (14 m) long in dragon 
  form. 
  Age: 1 year, 7 months. 
  Species: Ice Dragon Hatchling. 
  Disposition: Like many dragon hatchlings, Sigurd often consid­
  ers himself the center of everything he surveys. However, al­
  though Sigurd can be (and often is) a self-centered 
  pain-in-the-butt who wants his own way, at other times he is 
  friendly, compassionate and helpful. Despite losing a number 
  of friends at Tolkeen (including some adult dragons), Sigurd 
  is still surprisingly cocky and does not yet truly realize that 
  he is not invincible. Thus, he will sometimes overestimate his 
  abilities and get himself in over his head. On the other hand, 
  war and loss has taught him to value life much more than 
  most dragon hatchlings his age, making Sigurd uncommonly 
  tolerant, compassionate, and merciful. He has a great appre­
  ciation for beauty, love and honor. Consequently, Sigurd will 
  not attack or do things to endanger anybody he considers to 
  be an innocent bystander, but he does have an ''us versus 
  them" mentality brought on by events he experienced at 
  Tolkeen. This attitude applies primarily to all things Coali­
  tion and authority figures in general. 
  Although not particularly malicious nor vengeful by na­
  ture (for a dragon, anyway), Sigurd does feel that he owes a 
  debt of vengeance to his deceased friends and has adopted a 
  fatalistic philosophy that he is destined to die soon for that 
  purpose. Although Sigurd is willing to fight (and die) for the 
  Revenge Squad Ragnarok, the good deeds the Squad has 
  done and gentler life and love (at least compared to the war 
  besieged Freehold) is causing him to question that destiny 
  and make him wonder if he and the Squad don't share a dif­
  ferent, better destiny in living and helping others. 
  Group Relations: Sigurd gets along well with all his teammates 
  in the Squad. He subconsciously regards Khem and Silvera 
  almost as surrogate parents and, despite a strong streak of 
  stubbornness, will try to avoid disobeying their orders or do­
  ing anything to disappoint them (at least most of the time). 
  Sigurd considers Voudaryi a friend since the Gargoyle is the 
  only one who seems to respect the hatchling as an equal. 
  Grimsby is not unfriendly but has little in common with the 
  dragon, and Fortune, though polite, usually remains aloof. 
  Horror Factor: 10 
  Experience Level: 3rd level Dragon. 
  Natural Abilities (Ice Dragon): Nightvision 90 feet (27.4 m), 
  see the invisible, impervious to cold (no damage), bio-regen­
  erate ID4xl0 M.D. points every five minutes, teleport self 
  28%, and metamorphosis at will for up to six hours. Usually 
  takes on the form of a handsome, blonde human with pale 
  complexion, but can take on any appearance. 
  
  Skills 
  of Note: Literate in DragoneselElven 98%, Speak 
  DragoneselElven 
  98%, 
  speak American, 
  Faerie, 
  and 
  Gobblely, all at 96%, Basic Math 98%, Lore: Demon & 
  Monster 61%, Lore: Faerie 5 1 %, and Sculpting & Whittling 
  (ice) 61%. 
  Combat Skills: Hand to Hand: Basic (equivalent). 
  Number of Attacks: Five physical or three physical and one 
  breath attack, or two by magic and/or psionics. Restrained 
  punch 4D6+8 S.D.C., full strength punch does 2D6 M.D., 
  power punch 4D6 M.D. (counts as two attacks), kick or 
  slashing tail attack 3D6 M.D., bite does 2D6 M.D. 
  Ice Breath (Special): Range 60 feet ( 1 8  m), three feet (0.9 
  m) wide, inflicts 5D6 M.D. and can be used only once per 
  melee round. 
  Bonuses (includes all bonuses): +2 on initiative, +3 to strike, 
  +5 to parry, +5 to dodge, +2 to roll with punch/fall/impact, 
  +2 to pull punch, +4 vs Horror Factor, +2 on all other saving 
  throws, 60% to charm/impress. 
  Magic Knowledge: Full understanding of magic, can intuitively 
  use all types of Techno-Wizardry devices without instruction, 
  can read magic, use scrolls, and recognize magic circles and 
  enchantment. Can also sense ley lines and nexus points and 
  other dragons; range 20 miles (32 km). Spells: Cloud of 
  Smoke (2), Death Trance (1), Globe of Daylight (2), Detect 
  Concealment (6). P.P.E.: 80. 
  Psionic Knowledge: Minor psionic; powers of Clairvoyance 
  (4), Detect Psionics (6), Object Read (6), See Aura (6), Sum­
  mon Inner Strength (4), and Telekinesis (varies). I.S.P.: 60. 
  Weapons: The only weapon that Sigurd carries is his prized 
  possession, a magic staff (see description below) which he 
  wields like a quarterstaff when he is in human form. 
  Armor: Sigurd does not wear any armor. 
  Miscellaneous Equipment: Sigurd prefers to travel light, so 
  apart from his staff, his only other possessions are things that 
  happen to catch his fancy, such as a utility belt, duffel bag, a 
  gyro-compass, and a backgammon set. 
  Description: In human form, Sigurd appears as a handsome 
  youth in his late teens or early 20's, with blond hair and blue 
  eyes and an athletic physique. In dragon form, he is a 
  young-looking azure blue dragon. 
  Money: 13,000 credits (mostly in gems & precious metals). 
  Notes: 1. Sigurd is the member of Ragnarok who gave the 
  group its name. Right before the fmal Battle of Tolkeen, an 
  elder dragon remarked that this was like the Day of 
  Ragnarok. Once the elder explained to Sigurd what Ragnarok 
  was, the hatchling liked the concept so much that he was able 
  to apply it to the goal of the Revenge Squad. 
  2. Sigurd obtained his staff during one of the fmal battles 
  of Tolkeen. The dragon attempted to aid a Mystic who was 
  being overwhelmed by Coalition troops. Although Sigurd 
  polished off the last of the enemy, he was too late to save the 
  mage who had been mortally wounded. With his dying 
  strength, the mage (whose name remains unknown to Sigurd) 
  offered the staff to the dragon with the statement that it was 
  magic but then expired before being able to explain to Sigurd 
  what magic the staff did. Since then, Sigurd (who has sensed 
  the magical ambiance within the staft) has kept it with the in­
  tention of someday fmding out what enchantment it pos-
  25 
  sesses. All the hatchling knows for now is that the staff is 
  formidable (does 4D6 M.D.) as a blunt weapon, appears to be 
  indestructible, and "feels right" when he uses it. 
  Grimsby 
  Temporal Warrior 
  John Grimsby was born in a small village in southern Eng­
  land. When Johnny was 1 1, his village was victimized by mon­
  sters from a nearby Rift. It was highly probable that Johnny's 
  village would have been destroyed and all its inhabitants slain 
  had it not been for the appearance of a wandering Temporal 
  Raider and its retinue. 
  The Raider agreed to protect the village from the monsters in 
  exchange for an undisclosed payment. Desperate and reeling, 
  the villagers agreed. After driving off the monsters, one of the 
  Raider's demands was for two of the village children to serve 
  him. The Temporal Raider happened to notice young Johnny 
  and sensed that the boy had untapped potential for Temporal 
  Magic and adventuring. So Johnny Grimsby was taken on by the 
  alien being as an indentured servant. 
  It was soon determined that the boy had more of an aptitude 
  for combat than for magic, so the Temporal Raider decided 
  young Johnny could best serve him as a Temporal Warrior. 
  John took to his training well and developed into a formidable 
  and deadly fighter and scout. Despite the dangers involved, he 
  thrived and enjoyed his line of work, so much so that when his 
  time of servitude had fmished, he remained with his "master," 
  now his employer and mentor, of his own free will. Eventually, 
  
  the Temporal Raider's travels brought them to the Kingdom of 
  Tolkeen where the creature hired itself and its followers out as 
  mercenaries. John Grimsby was part of that group and fought 
  alongside his master against the invading Coalition forces. 
  Grimsby's master and comrades were slain in the fmal siege, 
  but Grimsby himself managed to escape the doomed city. Dur­
  ing his flight, he fell in with other former Tolkeen defenders, 
  Khem Dunotah and his colleagues. Deciding that joining up 
  with these other warriors might be his best opportunity, John 
  Grimsby became a member of Revenge Squad Ragnarok and 
  has been one of the core members ever since. 
  Name: Grimsby, just Grimsby. 
  True Name: John Allen Grimsby. 
  Alignment: Miscreant evil. 
  Attributes: I.Q. 10, M.E. 1 0, M.A. 4, P.S. 1 8, P.P. 1 1, P.E. 17, 
  P.B. 6, Spd. 25 
  Hit Points: 39, S.D.C.: 70. 
  Weight: 198 pounds (89 kg). 
  Height: 6 feet 1 inch (1 .85 m). 
  Age: 3 1  
  Species: Human. 
  P.P.E.: 170 
  Insanities: Long-term temporal travel can be detrimental to 
  one's mental health. Over the course of his career, Grimsby 
  has developed two obsessions, a desire for power and a love 
  of danger. As a warrior-spell caster, power to him is mystic 
  might. As a result, he wants to attain as much magical power 
  (through knowledge and magic items) as he can attain, and 
  he often takes needless risks that put his life and those of oth­
  ers around him in jeopardy. This has not endeared him to his 
  comrades in Squad Ragnarok, particularly with Khem and 
  Silvera. It has also made the current situation in the 
  Chi-Town 'Burbs a distraction for him - all those magic 
  items pouring into town, just waiting for someone like him to 
  claim them. It has compelled him to try to make extra money 
  on his own to purchase items as well as "take" them from 
  low-life scum and the Coalition Army (his preferred target). 
  Disposition: Grimsby is a ruthless, daredevil risk-taker, espe­
  cially if there is an opportunity to obtain something valuable, 
  particularly magic items. However, his natural risk-taking 
  can be tempered by orders to the contrary. Grimsby is not a 
  leader. Since he was a boy, he always had someone above 
  him to tell him what to do and has gotten accustomed to fol­
  lowing orders. If Grimsby does not have someone in author­
  ity to direct him, the warrior often becomes uncertain and 
  confused. Likewise, the wealth and magic Grimsby seeks to 
  obtain are to make him all the more formidable and powerful 
  on a personal level, he has no desire to control or rule over 
  others (unless, of course, he has been ordered to do so). 
  Group Relations: Despite his obsessions, Grimsby gets along 
  with his comrades surprisingly well. He accepts Khem as 
  group leader and admits he is a natural at it, if a little conser­
  vative for his own tastes. He also accepts and respects Silvera 
  as the group's worthy second-in-command, though he has 
  fantasies of someday becoming romantically involved with 
  the Neo-Human (yeah, right, like that's going to happen). He 
  fmds Fortune intriguing because of the Apok's supernatural 
  nature (for all of Grimsby's travels through the Megaverse, 
  26 
  he has never been to Wormwood), however, the Apok con­
  tinually snubs him. As for the non-humans, Sigurd and 
  Voudaryi, Grimsby keeps them at a distance. Although drag­
  ons are powerful beings to be admired, the Temporal Warrior 
  considers Sigurd still to be a naive child barely worth his 
  time. Voudaryi on the other hand is something of a kindred 
  spirit, and the two grudgingly accept and tolerate each other, 
  but personally despise one another. 
  Experience Level: 6th level Temporal Warrior. 
  Combat: Hand to Hand: Assassin. 
  Attacks per Melee: Six by hand to hand or two by magic. 
  Bonuses (includes all Bonuses): +3 on initiative, +3 to strike, 
  +4 to parry, +3 to dodge, automatic dodge, +7 to S.D.C. dam­
  age, +3 to roll with punch/fall/impact, +3 to pull punch, +2 to 
  entangle, +6 vs Horror Factor, +4 vs possession, + 1 to save 
  vs poison and magic, and +2 to save vs illusion & mind con­
  trol. 
  Special Abilities: Automatically senses the opening, closing, & 
  location of dimensional Rifts within a 20 mile (32 km) area, 
  similar to a Ley Line Walker's power. 
  Skills of Note: Speak American 98%, read & write American 
  55%, speak DragoneselElf and Demongogian, both at 75%, 
  Climb 75/65%, Land Navigation 66%, Basic Math 90%, Pick 
  Locks 65%, Prowl 65%, Swim 85%, Wilderness Survival 
  65%, Sniper, W.P. Battle Axe, W.P. Knife, W.P. Sword, 
  W.P. Revolver, W.P. Automatic & Semi-Auto Rifles, and 
  W.P. Energy Rifle. 
  Psionic Powers: None. 
  Magic Knowledge: Can cast two spells per melee (counts as 3 
  melee actions). Temporal Magic: Attune Object (30), 
  D-Phase (20), D-Shift Two Dimensions (25), Dimensional 
  Envelope (60 or 380), Dimensional Pockets (20 or 140), Re­
  mote Viewing (45), See Dimensional Anomaly (30), Sense 
  Dimensional Anomaly (30), Suspended Animation (10 or 
  30), S-Dep (50), T-Dep (20), Time Capsule (30), Time Warp: 
  Age (45), Time Warp: Fast Forward (70), Time Warp: Send 
  (25), Time Warp: Slow Motion (45+), Wink-Out (20). 
  Spell Magic: Armor of Ithan (10), Befuddle (3), Chame­
  leon (6), Detect Concealment (6), Energy Disruption (12), 
  Escape (8), Fingers of Wind (5), Fool's Gold (10), Globe of 
  Daylight (2), Heal Wounds (10), See the Invisible (4), Sense 
  Magic (4), Shadow Meld (10), Time Slip (20), and Tongues 
  (12). 
  Weapons of Note: Silver knife (ID6 S.D.C.), Vibro-Saber (2D6 
  M.D.), silver short sword (2D4 S.D.C.), silver plated 
  battleaxe (3D6+3 S.D.C.), .38 caliber revolver (3D6 S.D.C.), 
  M16 automatic rifle (5D6 S.D.C.), TX-42 Laser Pulse Rifle, 
  extra ammo: .38 caliber: 64 silver rounds and 120 regular, 
  M16: 67 silver bullets and 144 regular rounds, TX-42: two 
  extra E-Clips. 
  Armor: Branaghan EBA Armor (without the overcoat): black 
  with yellow surcoat and gold cape. M.D.C.: Helmet: 40, 
  Main Body: 75, Arms: 28 each, Legs: 38 each. Weight: 15 
  Ibs (6.8 kg), Mobility Penalties: -1 0% to Climb, and -20% to 
  Prowl. 
  Equipment of Note: Air filter & gas mask, mini-oxygen tank, 
  sunglasses, knapsack, backpack, utility belt and pouches, 
  ammo-belt, laser distancer, night-sight binoculars, multi-op-
  
  tic system, cigarette lighter, pocket flashlight, large flash­
  light, small mirror, pocket knife (lD4 S.D.C.), lock picking 
  kit, 30 feet (9. 1 m) of climbing cord and a grappling hook, 
  two cloves of garlic, small mirror, compass, a lucky charm 
  and some personal items. 
  Magic Items of Note: Despite his desire and craving for magic 
  items, Grimsby currently only has two: 
  1) A Wand of Spells: Casts the following spells: Compul­
  sion, Energy Field, Fire Ball, or Tongues. The wand can cast 
  a total of six spells per 24 period. All are at fourth level po­
  tency. 
  2) A Flask of Endless Water: This ceramic container is 
  amber with black highlights. It is just a little over a pint in 
  size but never runs out of clear, cool, fresh water. Although 
  made of seemingly fragile ceramic, it will take a major effort 
  involving magic and over 100 M.D.C. of damage to break 
  this container. 
  Description: Grimsby is a husky but homely man with grey 
  eyes and an unkempt scraggly beard. He generally keeps his 
  head shaven but when he goes without shaving for a few 
  days (which happens sometimes), his hair is a dingy brown. 
  Money: 30,400 Universal Credits and 20,400 in gems, all ear­
  marked for buying magic items from Tolkeen looters and ref­
  ugees. 
  Cybernetics: None; avoids 'em like the plague. 
  Notes: Grimsby is having strong second thoughts about instigat­
  ing and dying in a Ragnarok-like fmal battle, but is afraid to 
  say anything to his comrades who he believes to be commit­
  ted to the idea. In fact, after he nets himself a dozen magic 
  items in the Chi-Town 'Burbs, Grimsby would not mind re­
  turning to his native England or exploring South America 
  (which he's heard a great deal about) or visiting Atlantis in 
  search of power and thrills. As far as he is concerned, the 
  vow doesn't necessarily mean that he is destined to die and if 
  the Squad pulls off Ragnarok in Chi-Town, he plans to split 
  before his moment of death arrives. After all, he already 
  managed to escape one kingdom being laid to waste, why not 
  another? 
  Fortune 
  The warrior known as Fortune is an Apok from the world of 
  Wormwood. He and some comrades were fighting a group of 
  minions of the Unholy when their battle took them through a 
  temporary Rift leading to Rifts Earth. Although disoriented, the 
  warriors were ultimately able to defeat their foes albeit taking a 
  severe amount of damage themselves. The sounds of their com­
  bat attracted a nearby patrol from Tolkeen who invited the sur­
  viving warriors back to the city to recover. While resting in 
  Tolkeen, many of the symbiotes, crystals and stones possessed 
  by the visitors from Wormwood began to lose their powers and 
  shrivel up. The war was going badly for Tolkeen at the time, 
  and most of their magicks were going into the war effort. As a 
  result, they refused to spend large amounts of vital P.P .E. to 
  open a Rift and send the D-Bees back to Wormwood. However, 
  they made the Apok and his teammates an offer, aid them in the 
  defense of the city, and the Tolkeen mages would send them 
  back home after the enemy was driven off. Furthermore, the sor-
  27 
  cerers of Tolkeen would perform a ritual which, if effective, 
  would restore the magical energies of the now defunct Worm­
  wood magic items. The warriors of Wormwood agreed and the 
  ritual was performed. 
  Overall, the ritual worked and power was restored to the 
  Wormwood symbiotic organisms. However, the secrets of being 
  able to do so have since been lost with the collapse of Tolkeen 
  and there was an unexpected side effect. In order to maintain the 
  Wormwood symbiotes, their user would have to drain P.P.E. in 
  much the same manner as a Psi-Stalker, to keep it alive. Each 
  required at least 50 P.P.E. per week, or the symbiote would be 
  rendered inert. Any symbiote which remained inert for 72 hours 
  would begin to once again shrivel up and die. If this occurred, 
  only another ritual (or a return to Wormwood) would restore the 
  symbiote, mystical crystal, or magic stone back to life again. 
  The Wormwood warriors were initially outraged and felt as if 
  they had been tricked (which they probably were), however, as 
  they got to know the people of Tolkeen and saw the dire straits 
  they were in, the warriors from Wormwood became less grudg­
  ing and chose to fight in the defense of the city. The Apok 
  leader had once been told that a being's True Name was re­
  quired in order to magically gain power over them, so in an ef­
  fort to avoid any other sorcerers from exerting control over him, 
  he refuses to give his true name to anyone. However, upon in­
  forming a Tolkeen sorcerer that he would still fight for them (al­
  beit namelessly), the mage wryly remarked "Well, it seems that 
  Fortune has smiled upon us." A Tolkeen warrior nearby heard 
  this and misinterpreted it as the Apok's name and addressed him 
  as Fortune. Soon, every Tolkeen warrior that encountered the 
  Apok assumed that this was his real name (an error which the 
  Apok has never bothered to correct). 
  Fortune and his comrades fought dutifully, if not enthusiasti­
  cally, for the city of Tolkeen right until the fmal battle. When 
  Tolkeen fell to the onslaught of the Coalition Army, Fortune 
  battled his way to freedom, leading 200 refugees out of the city, 
  and fled to fight another day. He soon encountered the small 
  band of warriors led by Khem Dunotah, joined their group, and 
  has been one of the core members of Revenge Squad Ragnarok. 
  
  Name: Fortune. 
  True Name: Unknown. 
  Alignment: Scrupulous. 
  Attributes: I.Q. 1 1 , M.E. 13, M.A. 1 5, P.S. 19, P.P. 14, P.E. 10, 
  P.B. 13, Spd. 23 
  Hit PointslM.D.C. : 258 
  Height: 6 feet, 3 inches (1 .89 m). 
  Weight: 190 pounds (85.5 kg). 
  Age: 26 
  P.P.E.: 59 
  Horror Factor: 16 when wearing the mask. 
  Disposition: Fortune is a self-reliant, fearless warrior. Though 
  he will come to the aid of many a person who needs his help, 
  he considers himself to be a champion, not a social worker. 
  He will risk his life for total strangers, but will not waste his 
  time with pleasantries or hand-holding. It's not that he does­
  n't care about people, it's just how he was trained from a 
  young age. He sticks to doing what he does best, which is 
  fighting, and leaves the pleasantries and politics to the rest of 
  the group. From Fortune's point of view, some people are 
  caregivers and nurturers, others are fighters and protectors. 
  He is an Apok, a fighter and protector, making him merciless 
  and ruthless in battle and brooding, cold and aloof outside of 
  combat. 
  For example, Fortune feels the soup kitchen is a good 
  thing because it feeds the poor and homeless, but he will not 
  volunteer to work in the kitchen, because it's not a warrior's 
  place. However, if any of these people needed his protection, 
  he would be there in a heartbeat, fighting to the death on their 
  behalf. That's just how he sees his place in the world. 
  More so than any of his comrades (except, perhaps, 
  Voudaryi), Fortune feels his destiny is to die for Ragnarok. 
  There is neither joy nor despair at this, just a simple accep­
  tance to do his duty and die with honor. 
  If any one word were to be used to describe the Apok's 
  fighting ability, it would probably be "focused." When For­
  tune fights, he does so with almost a clinical air. He fights as 
  efficiently as possible, never toying with his opponents. If the 
  Apok is inclined to show mercy to an adversary, he offers it 
  before the fight begins. Once combat is joined, then Fortune 
  will assume that his foe is ready, willing, and able to fight to 
  the death and no further lenience is offered. 
  Fortune still rankles at the thought of the magic on this 
  world, which transformed him into a P.P.E. vampire. Unfor­
  tunately, only the sorcerers who performed the ritual knew 
  how to reverse the magic and they were all killed when 
  Tolkeen fell. The Apok realizes that not feeding on the en­
  ergy of others means his own powers will wane, so he justi­
  fies it because it serves the greater good. Even so, Fortune 
  frrst attempts to get his energy from ley lines or nexus points 
  (the sour taste that ley line energy gives to Psi-Stalkers does 
  not affect Fortune). When those places are not present, he 
  tries to get willing donors and takes just enough P.P.E. to sat­
  isfy his needs without harming the volunteer. Lastly, Fortune 
  has no qualms about draining his enemies dry, and does so 
  whenever the opportunity presents itself. 
  Group Relations: Fortune is the loner of the group. When he is 
  not actively involved in a mission, he keeps to himself. This 
  28 
  is not due to any sort of dislike, per se, the Apok simply feels 
  that there is little point in making friends since, in all likeli­
  hood, he or they are destined to perish soon anyway. Besides, 
  even back on Wormwood, there was an axiom that "to be an 
  Apok is to be alone." Fortune is willing to risk (or even lay 
  down) his life for his comrades, he just doesn't feel the need 
  to socialize with them. 
  Within the squad, Fortune respects Khem as a leader and 
  likes both the Atlantean and Silvera. He feels that if circum­
  stances had been different, the three of them would be 
  friends. The Apok neither likes nor dislikes Sigurd, he simply 
  does not relate to the young dragon. However, Fortune has 
  little use for either Grimsby or Voudaryi. He has sensed the 
  evil within these two and has nothing to do with them beyond 
  what is necessary as comrades in arms. 
  Natural Abilities: Although normally strong willed and confi­
  dent (as are all Apoks), Fortune's estrangement from Worm­
  wood is causing him some uneasiness. He overcompensates 
  for this by a single-minded intensity in whatever task he un­
  dertakes. 
  Experience Level: 4th level Apok. 
  Combat: Hand to Hand: Expert. 
  Attacks per Melee: Six by hand to hand or by magic (spells 
  take three melee actions). 
  Bonuses (all): +1 on initiative, +2 to strike, +3 to parry and to 
  dodge, +4 to damage, +2 to roll with punchlfalVimpact, +2 to 
  pull punch, +2 to save vs magic, +2 to save vs poison & dis­
  ease, impervious to mind control, possession, and Horror 
  Factor. Meditation is the same as a priest. 
  Skills of Note: Speak American, Demongogian, and Gobblely, 
  all at 98%, read & write American 65%, Lore: Demons & 
  Monsters 65%, Lore: Wormwood 40%, Mathematics: Basic 
  90%, Wilderness Survival 65%, W.P. Blunt, W.P. Sword, 
  W.P. Spear, W.P. Grappling Hook, and W.P. Thrown 
  Weapons. 
  Psionic Powers: None. 
  Magic 
  Knowledge: Communion with WormwoodlPriestly 
  magic 
  powers: 
  (See notes 
  below) 
  Close 
  an 
  Open­
  ing*(6, 12, 1 8), Control Temperature* (8), Create an Open­
  ing* (6,12, 18), Create Shelter* (24,48), Heat Point (4), Hell 
  Fire (3D4xl 0  M.D.)(30), Impervious to Symbiotes (auto­
  matic), Invisible to Magic Seeing (50), Locate Places of Evil 
  (6), and Repel Symbiotes (14). Note: Fortune's priestly pow­
  ers that are marked with an asterisk will only work away 
  from Wormwood under certain conditions, and even then 
  with difficulty. The ability requires powerful magical ambi­
  ence such as a ley line nexus or a Rift, and a very strong 
  presence of supernatural evil. Places such as Old Chicago, 
  Old Detroit, the Devil's Gate, the Magic Zone, Atlantis, the 
  Calgary Rift, and most of the Vampire Kingdoms of Mexico 
  would permit the use of these specific powers. Those powers 
  not marked with an asterisk are more inherent to Fortune 
  himself and work anywhere on Rifts Earth. However, the 
  P.P.E. cost for ANY power is double what it would normally 
  cost on Wormwood (the listed P.P.E. costs reflect these in­
  creased amounts). 
  Equipment: Traveling clothes, extra hooded cloak, extra shirt, 
  extra pair of boots, sleeping bag, backpack, blanket, me-
  
  dium-size sack, 4 small pouches, 4 utility belts, 50 feet of 
  rope (15 m; made from angel hair) with a grappling hook at­
  tached, canteen, pocket mirror, comb, and five weeks' worth 
  of food rations. 
  Appearance: With the mask on, the Apok looks like a lightly 
  armored (but formidable) humanoid wearing a demon mask. 
  When he removes the mask, Fortune is a severe-looking, but 
  handsome man with blue eyes and long black hair tied in 
  braids. Note when adventuring or entering into combat, he 
  wears a demonic, M.D.C. face-plate as is the tradition for the 
  Apok. 
  Weapons: A silver cross, mallet and six wooden stakes, a silver 
  plated dagger (lD6 S.D.C.), 4 throwing knives (104 S.D.C. 
  each), silver plated saber (206 S.D.C.), spear (206 S.D.C.), 
  and a war hammer (306 S.D.C. damage). 
  Magic Weapon: Fire Sword: The sword is indestructible, in­
  flicts 406 M.D., and can cast four of the following Elemental 
  spells per day (in any combination): Breathe Fire, Create 
  Heat, Darkness, and See Through Smoke. 
  Other Magic Item : Fortune has a Spell Gem with the following 
  two spells: Invisibility: Simple and Sense Magic. A total of 
  two spells can be cast per 24 hours. These spells are at sec­
  ond level potency. 
  Armor: Light armor: 35 M.D.C.; mainly for show. 
  Money: Despite his nickname, Fortune has never truly grasped 
  the concept of money. Since coming to Rifts Earth, he has 
  learned enough to know to save some for various uses. How­
  ever, most of what he takes in is quickly spent or given to 
  whomever needs it as it strikes his fancy. His current savings 
  comes to 4000 credits. 
  Cybernetics: None. 
  Note: If Fortune had his druthers, he would like to return to 
  Wormwood and continue to fight against the minions of the 
  Unholy. Since the only wizards Fortune knew capable of ac­
  complishing that feat perished at Tolkeen, a return home does 
  not seem to be a viable option. 
  So, fighting here on Rifts Earth against an evil empire (the 
  Coalition States) is not a bad alternative. Still, the irony of 
  his fighting alongside supernatural creatures in a war against 
  humans (albeit evil ones) is not lost on Fortune. 
  Voudaryi, the Gargoyle 
  Voudaryi was a member of the Gargoyle Empire flock in Eu­
  rope. He came to America when a Shifter in Tolkeen activated a 
  circle of summoning and brought in several Gargoyles to fight 
  in the imminent siege. Originally brought against their will, the 
  Tolkeen wizards were generous and offered the Gargoyles 
  plenty of food and the chance to hunt and kill as many of the ac­
  cursed humans as they could. This mollified the Gargoyles and 
  won them over to fight for Tolkeen. 
  Voudaryi and his brethren enjoyed fighting and killing the 
  humans (i.e., the Coalition soldiers) and went about their assign­
  ments with great relish. Eventually, the enemy humans came in 
  greater numbers and succeeded in overcoming the Shifters who 
  summoned them, at which point it became every Gargoyle for 
  himself. 
  29 
  V oudaryi managed to escape the fmal battle and, realizing 
  that he could not long survive in a hostile, unknown land on his 
  own, joined up with a group of accursed humans calling them­
  selves Revenge Squad Ragnarok. The Gargoyle has accompa­
  nied the Squad ever since and has acted as scout, enforcer and 
  air support. 
  Name: Voudaryi 
  True Name: Voudaryitoltarii. 
  Alignment: Diabolic evil. 
  Attributes: I.Q. 12, M.E. 1 7, M.A. 12, P.S. 2S (Supernatural), 
  P.P. 27, P.E. 25, P.B. 3, Spd. 20 (running)/SO (flying). 
  M.D.C.: 600 
  Height: I S  feet, 4 inches (5.59 m), wingspan 20 feet (6 m). 
  Weight: 1620 pounds (729 kg). 
  Horror Factor: 16 
  P.P.E.: S 
  Species: Gargoyle. 
  Disposition: Large, strong, and agile even by Gargoyle stan­
  dards, Voudaryi is essentially a bloodthirsty killer. He feels 
  superior to humans and humanoids, unless they have the 
  power to force him to do their bidding (such as the mages of 
  Tolkeen). Given his current situation, he grudgingly works 
  with the other members of the Squad for his own protection 
  and benefit. Though he has come to kind of appreciate a few 
  of them, Voudaryi won't hesitate to turn on them if it suits 
  his purpose. 
  Voudaryi has appropriated the position of the squad's en­
  forcer. Whenever killing is required for the safety of the 
  team, or any other excuse Voudaryi can come up with that 
  
  Khem will accept, the Gargoyle takes it upon himself to kill 
  the offending party(ies). The character loves to torture and 
  kill, and delights in hurting and eating people. So far he 
  maintains his place in the Revenge Squad Ragnarok because 
  he has learned which humans (CS soldiers) are "acceptable" 
  to kill. Knowing where his bread is buttered, for the moment, 
  Voudaryi has also exhibited a surprising measure of loyalty, 
  though neither Khem nor Fortune are fooled by the monster's 
  self-serving charade. They know the creature is a powder keg 
  of anger, hate and loathing waiting to explode on them. 
  Having a Gargoyle in the team has its share of problems. 
  The human members of Squad Ragnarok can fit in the 'Burbs 
  without much of a problem and even the dragon hatchling 
  can assume human form for several hours each day. How­
  ever, an 1 8  foot (5.5 m) tall Gargoyle stands out like a sore 
  thumb and brings all sorts of unwanted attention from the 
  Coalition authorities. Thus, for the safety of all concerned, 
  Voudaryi is kept hidden at the Squad hideout at the soup 
  kitchen or out at a special place in the woods a few miles 
  away, and called upon as needed. This hiding and waiting 
  does not sit well with the sub-demon and he is becoming in­
  creasingly disheartened by the Squad. The Gargoyle does not 
  like to be confmed or forced to sit on his hands at the best of 
  times, and having to remain under wraps for such long peri­
  ods is driving him up a wall in frustration. He is becoming 
  more agitated with every day that passes, and is chomping at 
  the bit for Ragnarok. If it doesn't come soon, V oudaryi will 
  either fmd new playmates (like the Federation of Magic) or 
  start going out on his own, waylaying adventurers, travelers 
  and farmers around Chi-Town to break the boredom and 
  gather himself some treasure. It is an action the Squad will 
  not take lightly. 
  Group Relations: Voudaryi is pretty much the least favorite 
  member of Squad Ragnarok. Khem neither likes nor trusts 
  the Gargoyle and tries to keep him on a short leash. Fortune 
  considers Voudaryi a monster who is, for now, serving a use­
  ful purpose but would rather slay it than trust it for much lon­
  ger. Grimsby is somewhat of a kindred spirit in that he is 
  wild and self-serving, so he accepts most (but not all) of the 
  Gargoyle's actions and excuses. On the other hand, he 
  wouldn't shed any tears if the Gargoyle disappeared or was 
  slain. In fact, the two dislike each other despite their ofttimes 
  similar attitudes. Even Silvera, who frequently gives 
  Voudaryi the benefit of the doubt, is sometimes appalled by 
  the Gargoyle's ruthlessness andjoy in killing. 
  Voudaryi's only friend in Squad Ragnarok is the gullible 
  and trusting Sigurd. The Gargoyle respects power and has 
  made a point of cultivating the dragon hatchling as an ally 
  against a possible confrontation with the humans. Voudaryi 
  believes that he and the dragon share a common bond as fel­
  low "monsters" and that Sigurd would side with him if the 
  others turned against him. Additionally, Voudaryi believes 
  that since the dragon is young and callow, he can manipulate 
  the hatchling to do his bidding. The Gargoyle is wrong on 
  both counts. 
  The hatchling does regard Voudaryi as a friend, but the 
  depth of respect, friendship, and loyalty that Sigurd feels to­
  ward the Atlantean and other members of the Squad runs 
  much deeper than the Gargoyle realizes. Furthermore, the 
  30 
  dragon is not as gullible as Voudaryi thinks, and does recog­
  nize his attempts to manipulate him, which are not appreci­
  ated. If forced to choose between Khem or the others, and 
  Voudaryi, the dragon would sorrowfully side against the Gar­
  goyle. And ifVoudaryi should ever openly turn on the group, 
  heaven help him against the wrath of Sigurd. 
  Voudaryi arrogantly dismisses his human allies as weak­
  lings and compassionate fools. Despite their special abilities 
  and skills, he still believes they are no match for him in a 
  fight. However, even though he will not admit it to himself, 
  there is something about Fortune that worries him. The Gar­
  goyle fmds the Apok's single-minded intensity in battle un­
  nerving, and senses that this strong, silent human would like 
  nothing more than to end his life. 
  Natural Abilities: Fly, superior nightvision (can see in one 
  tenth the light needed by a human), superior, hawk-like day 
  vision (able to see a footlO.3 m tall target 2 miles/3.2 km 
  away). Tail is not prehensile, but is agile and strong enough 
  to be used like an arm to hit a target. Can leap 100 feet (30.5 
  m), gliding with wings and bio-regenerates 406 M.D. every 
  hour. 
  Experience Level: 5th level Gargoyle R.C.C. 
  Attacks per Melee: Five. 
  Damage: Restrained claw attack inflicts 406+ 13 S.D.C. dam­
  age, full strength claw/punch or kick inflicts 306 M.D., 
  power punch does 606 M.D., tail strike does 206 M.D., bite 
  does 206 M.D., or by weapon. Can also perform a flying 
  tackle that does 206 M.D. and has a 75% chance of knocking 
  the person down (victim loses one attack and initiative), but 
  counts as two attacks. 
  Bonuses (includes all): +2 on initiative, +7 to strike, +8 to 
  parry and dodge, +10 to dodge while in flight, +2 to save vs 
  psionic attacks, +1 to save vs insanity, + 10 to save vs Horror 
  Factor, +5 to save vs poison & magic, and +20% to save vs 
  coma/death. 
  Skills of Note: Speak Gargoyle, DragoneselElf and Gobblely, 
  all at 98%, speak Brodkil and Demongogian, both at 80%, 
  Detect Ambush 60%, Detect Concealment 55%, Escape Art­
  ist 60%, Intelligence 56%, Track Humanoids 55%, Wilder­
  ness Survival 65%, First Aid 70%, Prowl 55%, Climb 
  70/60%, W.P. Sword, W.P. Energy Rifle, W.P. Knife, and 
  W.P. Whip. 
  Psionic Powers: Has the powers of Meditation (0), Mind Block 
  (4), Presence Sense (4), Resist Fatigue (4), Resist Hunger (2), 
  Resist Thirst (6), Sense Magic (3), and Telepathy (4), all at 
  6th level proficiency. I.S.P.: 30. 
  Magic Knowledge: None. 
  Weapons: 1 .  WR-lOO Giant Laser Rifle; Range: 1600 feet (488 
  m), Weight: 20 Ibs (9 kg), Targeting Bonus: +1 to strike, 
  Damage: 306 M.D., Rate of Fire: Standard, Payload: 20 
  shots per energy clip. 
  2. Blaster Neural Whip: Weight: 1 0  Ibs (4.5 kg), Damage: 
  2D4 M.D. 
  3. Giant knife (206 S.D.C. damage). 
  Body Armor: None. 
  Equipment: Voudaryi has very little in the way of personal 
  equipment. Generally, if he sees something he wants, he just 
  takes it. If the current owner is too powerful to be confronted 
  
  directly, then the Gargoyle will try a sneak attack some other 
  time. 
  Appearance: Voudaryi is a large, winged Gargoyle. He has a 
  prominent scar on his snout and a perennial snarl for an ex­
  pression, except when he is killing someone or something 
  and the snarl twists into a smile, though it is difficult to tell 
  which is which. 
  Cybernetics: None. 
  Money: Just over 3,000 credits and the Gargoyle is none too 
  happy about it. He wants more. A lot more. 
  Note: Voudaryi is trouble waiting to happen. He is likely to join 
  forces with some other supernatural beings or powerful prac­
  titioners of magic, or go solo and become a marauding raider 
  himself. He has even thought about starting his own team and 
  leading them into glory against the humans. Fortunately, 
  Khem is smart enough to keep a lot of the inner workings of 
  the Squad from the Gargoyle, and the creature only knows 
  about the soup kitchen where he sometimes hides. 
  Hook, Line, & Sinker™ 
  Adventures for 
  Squad Ragnarok 
  Some of these HLS adventures are specifically geared toward 
  Squad Ragnarok while others are more generic. The ones de­
  signed with Squad Ragnarok can still be adapted for other uses 
  even if the G.M. is not using the NPC group in their campaign. 
  They can be used in any order the G.M. wants. However, the 
  last one presented (HLS: Mutiny) is logically the final one in­
  volving the team. 
  The explanation for HLS adventures: 
  The Hook: The current situation, opening premise, location 
  or setting. 
  The Line: An opportunity for adventure that presents itself 
  to the player characters. One can think of this as the "bait" to 
  lure a party into adventure or trouble. 
  The Sinker: The clincher to the line. The twist or surprise 
  that leads to the fmal conflict or resolution that makes the situa­
  tion a true adventure. 
  Note: Hook, Line, and Sinkers™ were originally created by 
  Jolly Blackburn. 
  Hijack 
  Hook: A shipment of food and medical supplies has been hi­
  jacked. These supplies were intended for the indigent people of 
  one of the local Shanty Towns. 
  Line: The player characters have been hired to recover them. 
  An investigation turns up that the supplies were hijacked by a 
  young hotshot from the Black Market who is trying to establish 
  a reputation. This is a wildcat operation and his future in the 
  Black Market is on the line, so he will not be easy to deal with. 
  Sinker: The supplies were already stolen once before. Their 
  rightful owners are a cartel of well-to-do businessmen from the 
  31 
  Old Town 'Burb of Prosekville who were planning on selling 
  them for a profit. These businessmen can afford the loss of these 
  goods much more easily than the poor people of the Shanty 
  Towns for whom they were originally stolen. If whoever recov­
  ers the cargo does not return it to the cartel, the original owners 
  will contact the authorities and treat the recovery group (i.e. 
  player characters) as thieves. If the ISS or the CS military gets 
  involved in fmding and retrieving the stolen goods, they will ei­
  ther return them to the Prosekville cartel or impound them. Ei­
  ther way, the Shanty Town poor will not get the food and 
  medical supplies that they so desperately need. 
  Squad Ragnarok involvement: The player characters may run 
  into one or more of the good members of Squad Ragnarok who 
  are also trying to recover the medicine for the Shanty Town. 
  They may attack our heroes, mistaking them for the Black Mar­
  ket thieves, or join forces with the player group, or come to their 
  aid/rescue should they need it. 
  Assassination 
  Hook: The latest round of Coalition purges is about to begin. 
  The officer in charge is Lt. Col. Rudolph Kelso, an up and com­
  ing young officer in the CS military. 
  Line: Colonel Kelso is a hero from the Tolkeen campaign. 
  He was decorated because of the "determination" (read: the bru­
  tality) he has shown in suppressing enemies of the States, partic­
  ularly D-Bees and practitioners of magic. Many people, 
  including some members of Squad Ragnarok, would like to see 
  this sadistic monster's career put to an end, or better yet, see Lt. 
  Col. Kelso dead. Word on the street is that some old adversary 
  (possibly a survivor from Tolkeen) plans to kill the Colonel. 
  Sinker: A standard purge of the 'Burbs might entail some ar­
  rests and beatings, a few killings of D-Bees and suspected spies 
  and practitioners of magic, and the bulldozing destruction of a 
  couple of city blocks. Although they are never pleasant, stan­
  dard purges can be survived and, given time and CS indiffer­
  ence, the purged area can be rebuilt within a few months, 
  sometimes in a matter of weeks. 
  However, killing Lt. Col. Kelso is a different story. Though 
  Lt. Col. Kelso is more vicious and cruel than the average run of 
  the mill Coalition officer, this is just a routine assignment for 
  him. He is likely to inflict more beatings, killings and damage 
  on the neighborhood than usual but nothing exceptionally ab­
  horrent. In addition to Kelso being a rising star in the Coalition 
  Army, he is an Academy buddy and personal friend of Joseph 
  Prosek II. If Kelso is killed while in the 'Burbs, the CS will take 
  one third to half of that particular town apart in retribution! 
  (Note: This 'Burb could be Firetown or one of the other New 
  Towns or Shanty Towns.) 
  This is where Khem Dunotah demonstrates why he is the 
  leader of Ragnarok. He can see the "big picture" and the ramifi­
  cations of actions that his comrades miss. As much as he'd like 
  to see Lt. Col. Kelso dead, he knows thousands will suffer and 
  hundreds will die for it. Consequently, he will put aside his per­
  sonal feelings and have Revenge Squad Ragnarok try to prevent 
  Kelso's assassination. That's right, Squad Ragnarok will work 
  behind the scenes to secretly protect and save the vicious Coali­
  tion officer. 
  
  The important questions to be answered are: 1) Who or what 
  is the assassin? 2) How does he (or she, or it) intend to kill Col. 
  Kelso? 3) How far will the Squad go to save this scum bag? And 
  most importantly, what is the player characters' role in all this? 
  The player group could be working on the same premise - hav­
  ing caught wind of the assassination/attack on Kelso they too 
  have decided to save this sadist's life. That means they may be 
  working independent of the Squad Ragnarok and the two may 
  mistake each other as the culprit. After all, word on the street is 
  that Ragnarok is a subversive, anti-Coalition Retribution Squad 
  known to have already launched several attacks on CS forces in 
  the 'Burbs. Certainly (based on reputation) a group like this 
  could be involved in a plot to kill a notorious Coalition Officer. 
  Or the player characters could join forces with Squad Ragnarok 
  to prevent the disaster. Or the player characters (whether they 
  are predominantly evil or unaware of the horrible ramifications 
  Kelso's death will cause) are the assassins! 
  Another possible dramatic twist might be that Warlord Scard 
  is personally leading an elite group of vile Retributionists from 
  32 
  Tolkeen (mostly evil practitioners of magic and monsters) to kill 
  Lt. Col. Kelso. Scard and his men don't care about the repercus­
  sions any of the 'Burbs may suffer because he regards them all 
  as fools and traitors better off dead anyway. Furthennore, he 
  hopes the Coalition Anny will respond with a massive action 
  against the 'Burbs because it will bring more soldiers out in the 
  open where he, his elite squad and a dozen others can engage 
  them in open combat and, he hopes, the battle will inspire insur­
  rection throughout the 'Burbs. If nothing else, the culmination 
  of events will wash the streets of the 'Burbs in blood and send a 
  clear message to Emperor Prosek that the war is far from over. 
  Even if it means taking a stand against Warlord Scard, Revenge 
  Squad Ragnarok will do so to save the lives of hundreds or 
  thousands of 'Burbies. The only exception is the Gargoyle who 
  is likely to betray the group and join Scard. Squad Ragnarok 
  will need all the help it can get to take on Warlord Scard (Le., 
  the player group), but anyone who stands against the insane 
  Warlord and his objectives will earn his lasting enmity - and 
  Scard is a survivor, so he will escape (to be a reoccurring villain 
  and) to extract his retribution against this new set of traitors. 
  The Shopping Mall 
  Hook: A developer in Firetown wants to build a new strip 
  mall in the ruins of a recently purged neighborhood near where 
  Ragnarok currently operates. The land is cheap, and (with the 
  proper bribes and kickbacks) the licenses can be obtained from 
  the local government at bargain rates. A mall in this location has 
  a great profit potential being near the Factory District and low 
  income neighborhoods. 
  Line: Although the developer is primarily interested in mak­
  ing a profit, he has pointed out that the mall will generate in­
  come for the 'Burb. In this, he is correct, a mall will actually 
  bring a measure of prosperity, jobs and benefit to the poorer 
  folks around it. Unfortunately, the shopping mall will also bring 
  with it increased activity by the Coalition in the fonn of CS loy­
  alists and off-duty CS soldiers looking for bargains, which, in 
  turn, may lead to beefed-up patrols and/or Coalition spies hang­
  ing around the neighborhood. This will greatly increase the 
  chances of Squad Ragnarok being discovered and exposed. 
  Even considering the possible good the mall can do for the com­
  munity, should Squad Ragnarok somehow prevent the mall from 
  being built or let it go and hope for the best? 
  Sinker: Someone is sabotaging the mall site. Is it Squad 
  Ragnarok or someone else? Could be a rival or enemy of the de­
  veloper or some unknown third party with their own reasons? 
  Whoever it is, the developer hires a group of adventurers to fmd 
  out and put a stop to it. Is that group the player characters? Will 
  their investigation put them in conflict (or create a friendship) 
  with Squad Ragnarok whether the Squad is responsible for the 
  trouble or not? Could the culprit be the bored and vindictive 
  Gargoyle, Voudaryi? And if so, how does this compromise 
  Squad Ragnarok? Is this the last straw between Khem and 
  Voudaryi? Fortune and Voudaryi? 
  
  Reunion 
  Hook: The Fall of Tolkeen was very chaotic. The members 
  of Squad Ragnarok assume that most of their comrades perished 
  during the war. However, they managed to survive and reach the 
  'Burbs. Isn't is possible that some of their friends may have 
  done the same? 
  Line: A group of adventurers has recently arrived in the 
  'Burbs. After hearing about Squad Ragnarok somewhere, they 
  have been telling people that they are old friends with some of 
  the Ragnarok squad members and have even done a convincing 
  job of describing their "old pals." They would like to see their 
  buddies again and are asking around. It turns out they are, in­
  deed, former comrades in arms with Khem and Silvera. 
  Sinker: This is more than just a random encounter or a 
  friendly reunion. This group has decided that blood money is 
  thicker than water, and is after the bounty that the Coalition has 
  placed on anyone who fought for Tolkeen during the war, par­
  ticularly powerhouse leaders like Khem and Silvera. The mem­
  bers ofRagnarok don't know that their former friends have gone 
  rogue. Will they fmd out before it's too late? The Tolkeen free­
  dom fighters turned bounty hunters aren't stupid, so they have 
  hired the player characters for extra muscle and a fair share of 
  the bounty, 100,000 credits each for Khem and Silvera, 50,000 
  credits for the dragon, and 30,000 credits each for the rest of the 
  Squad members. If the player group knows and likes Squad 
  Ragnarok, they don't learn the identity of their target until they 
  all meet. 
  G.M.'s note: Feel free to set up this pack of bounty hunters 
  as you desire. They can be a group that relies on muscle and 
  firepower or a team that uses subtlety and cunning. Either way, 
  they should have the power to give Squad Ragnarok a run for 
  their money, especially with the player group among their ranks. 
  Magic Free-for-All 
  Hook: The player characters learn about a small group of 
  (3-4) evil sorcerers from Tolkeen, one may even be a Witchling 
  or Black Faerie. They have come to town to hand over a number 
  of (supposedly) powerful magic weapons and items taken from 
  Tolkeen to the Federation of Magic. 
  Line: By chance the player characters find out where this 
  puny but wicked group of villains are hiding. If the heroes raid 
  the evil sorcerers they can kill two birds with one stone: a) pre­
  vent magic items from falling into the hands of the Federation 
  who will certainly do bad things with them, and b) get the magic 
  for themselves and do good with them. If their information is 
  correct, the bad guys should be no match for the player group. 
  Sinker: The group should have no trouble fmding the scoun­
  drels and engage them in battle. Though low level (2-4th), the 
  villains will not surrender their treasure trove and are willing to 
  fight to the death. Just as the skirmish begins to wind to a close 
  (presumably heading in the player characters' favor), Grimsby 
  and Voudaryi arrive on the scene. Grimsby has also learned 
  about the group from Tolkeen and wants to "liberate" the magic 
  items they carry for himself. He's brought the Gargoyle along 
  for backup and has won Voudaryi's support with the promise of 
  one magic item and all other loot. If the player characters per­
  sist, they now have to fight Grimsby and the Gargoyle, neither 
  33 
  of which will show any hesitation in killing them to get what 
  they want. The rest of Squad Ragnarok has no idea this incident 
  is playing out, and should they hear of it, Grimsby will attempt 
  to put a positive spin on it by painting the player group in a bad 
  light. 
  As for the treasure, the rumors were way overblown and the 
  Tolkeen refugees only had one impressive magic weapon 
  (G.M.'s discretion) and two minor magic items (also left to the 
  G.M.). Other valuables are limited to basic travel gear, 
  ID6xl000 credits worth of jewelry and 2D4xlOOO in Universal 
  Credits. 
  An alternate possibility: If the player characters manage to 
  hold off Grimsby and Voudaryi, and snatch the three magic 
  items, the two rogue Ragnarok members may chase after them. 
  Moreover, if the player group backs off and Grimsby gets the 
  three items, he will not be satisfied (believing the rumors that 
  these Tolkeenites had several powerful magic items) and will 
  suspect the group ran off with "the really good stuff' and pursue 
  them. This could turn into a comedy of errors and greed. 
  If the group has already met Grimsby and Voudaryi, the two 
  will join the battle without hesitation, fmish off the scoundrels, 
  probably killing them even if it wasn't necessary, and then de­
  mand the player characters hand over the two best magic items 
  and half of the other loot (credits and gear in the possession) of 
  the vanquished sorcerers. Refusing to do so could lead to threats 
  and possibly combat. Certainly, anything Grimsby or Voudaryi 
  have snatched up first they will hold onto. However, before this 
  situation can escalate, a squad of Coalition soldiers crashes the 
  party. You guessed it, they too heard the rumors and have come 
  for the magic items and to execute rebels. They'll assume every­
  one present are members of a Tolkeen Retribution Squad or the 
  Federation of Magic, so they shoot to kill. The CS team includes 
  two Dog Boys, one Mind Mage from Psi-Battalion, two Coali­
  tion Juicers, two Smiling Jack SAMAS and three Grunts; all are 
  3rd level, with the exception of the Mind Melter who is 5th. 
  Time to exit, stage right? 
  Staff Meeting 
  Hook: A magician has just arrived in the 'Burbs and he is 
  looking for a certain staff. His description fits that of the one be­
  longing to Sigurd the Ice Dragon. 
  Line: The magician will search for Squad Ragnarok until he 
  fmds Sigurd. He will attempt to obtain the staff by a number of 
  methods. First, he offers to buy it. If that doesn't work (and 
  Sigurd has only appeared in human form), he'll threaten Sigurd 
  with dire consequences or even fight Sigurd for it. If Sigurd 
  morphs to dragon form, the magician flees by vanishing and at­
  tempts to steal the staff later. If Sigurd appears in dragon form at 
  any time up to the bargaining stage, the mage will not threaten 
  or menace Sigurd, but will still attempt to steal the staff. 
  Throughout the conversation, the magician is very evasive. At 
  no time will he reveal who he really is, where he's from, what 
  type of magician he is, why he wants the staff so badly, or what 
  powers are possessed by the staff. 
  Sinker: When the above fails, and it should, the magician 
  seeks to hire a group of adventurers to get the staff by any 
  means necessary, even killing Sigurd. He is willing to pay one 
  million credits for the staff and offers 10,000 credits up front as 
  
  a gesture of good will. All that can be learned about the man is 
  he is from the Federation of Magic, Miscreant alignment, a 
  mid-level (6th) spell caster and represents an independent rival 
  to Lord Dunscon. As for the staff, it must be a very powerful 
  magic item or hold some other great significance, though what 
  that may be is unknown. The player characters may take the job, 
  provided they aren't friends of Squad Ragnarok, or may learn 
  that a group of brigands have taken the contract and go to warn 
  or protect Sigurd, or the player group could get drawn into the 
  conflict (and meet Sigurd) when the dragon, in human guise, is 
  outnumbered and attacked by the evil mercenaries. The heroes' 
  sense of fair play is likely to get them to step in when a seem­
  ingly innocent or nice guy like Sigurd, minding his own busi­
  ness or helping some local, is attacked by superior and 
  obviously evil brigands. G.M.'s note: We leave it to you to stat 
  out the magician and the other group, and work up any other 
  subplots around the staff and this practitioner of magic. The 
  same holds true about the magic staff in Sigurd's possession. 
  Comrades 
  Hook: Some new adventurers are in town. They may be new 
  to the player characters and to the members of Squad Ragnarok 
  or they may be former comrades who fought for Tolkeen (if the 
  scenario "Reunion" has already been run, this adventure might 
  prove to be extremely interesting). Sooner or later, they hook up 
  with the player characters and/or Ragnarok. 
  Line: These adventurers are planning to leave the 'Burbs and 
  seek their destiny elsewhere (or, they may have a specific mis­
  sion in mind). To that end, they are recruiting like-minded ad­
  venturers to join them. 
  34 
  Sinker: Unlike the double-crossing group from the Reunion 
  scenario, this bunch is exactly what they seem to be, a group of 
  adventurers out to make a difference or make a profit and have 
  some fun while they are doing it. They are not sworn to ven­
  geance or driven by a hatred to destroy the Coalition Army or 
  States and just crave adventure and fortune. With only the best 
  intentions, they could lure away some members of Ragnarok 
  who are having second thoughts about their blood oath or look­
  ing for power and glory (like Grimsby and Voudaryi). Addi­
  tionally, whatever this group gets involved in could lead to some 
  other adventure or trouble for our heroes at a later time. 
  Mutiny 
  Hook: Voudaryi is leading some disgruntled, secondary 
  members of Squad Ragnarok (recent recruits) against Khem and 
  the others. The Gargoyle is demanding that the Monster Hunter 
  either lead them into the Final Battle that was promised or that 
  Khem steps down as the leader of Ragnarok. 
  Line: Unlike most of Voudaryi's previous rebellions (which 
  did not progress beyond threats and shouting), this time the Gar­
  goyle has garnered some support. He has managed to convince 
  Sigurd as well as some of the recruits that he is in the right this 
  time. G.M.'s note: If the previous HLS scenarios were run, 
  Voudaryi may cite those incidents (depending upon how they 
  were resolved) to support his allegations that Khem is no longer 
  interested in the grand battle that they all swore to (which is ac­
  tually true) and that someone else should take command and 
  force a fight on the Coalition; something Khem has been trying 
  to avoid. 
  Sinker: This will force the Squad to reconsider their oath and 
  decide how they want to progress into the future. Despite his 
  current support of Voudaryi, Sigurd, Silvera and Grimsby will 
  go along with Khem and his decision to forsake annihilation in 
  favor of building something and doing things to make life better, 
  not tear it down. They still hate the CS and may work to imple­
  ment change and even the destruction of the current govern­
  ment, but not mass destruction and certainly not in the name of 
  revenge. Surprisingly, Fortune, though he seems hesitant and 
  uncertain, also sides with Khem, as do half the new recruits. The 
  rest side with Voudaryi and vow to bring havoc and death to 
  Chi-Town and the 'Burbs. Ironically, this division and past re­
  sentment may put Squad Ragnarok and what Voudaryi is calling 
  Ragnarok's Wings (his group) at odds. Could it be the "fmal 
  battle" will be between these two Ragnarok factions over ideol­
  ogy and hope versus vengeance and hate? Could this be the end 
  of Revenge Squad Ragnarok? 
  
  1-19. Various Locations 
  These notable places and people, along with an overview and 
  history of the Chi-Town 'Burbs, are all found in the Rifts® Ad­
  venture Sourcebook (One): Chi-Town 'Burbs, Forbidden 
  Knowledge and include the two orphanages, the Karl's Revenge 
  Tavern, Robert Street, Sebastian Shock, and the Park Gentle­
  men's Club, a hangout for the 'Burbs' wealthy and criminal 
  elite. 
  A. Abandoned Buildings 
  Any structure on the map indicated with an "A" without an 
  accompanying description is an abandoned building - 70% are 
  empty two story warehouses, 10% are empty three story ware­
  houses, 10% are empty two story office buildings and 10% are 
  two to four story condemned apartment buildings (typically the 
  larger buildings). 
  Abandoned or empty warehouse buildings are typically in 
  surprisingly good condition. Most have 1000 to 2000 square feet 
  (93x186 m) of office area (4-10 offices with one or two of good 
  size, or twice as many small ones). The rest of the building is 
  typically divided into one or two huge open areas where stock is 
  stored. If a machine shop, half is where the equipment goes and 
  the rest is where parts/products are kept. An empty building 
  may still hold some working machines and office furniture and 
  the building should be in a good state of repair as it sits idle 
  waiting for its next tenant. Only 1 5% of the buildings with an 
  "A" are empty, most are abandoned. 
  An abandoned building will be stripped of anything of 
  value and may be in good to terrible condition. Most are in need 
  of paint and cleaning, have leaky roofs, ID4x10% of the win­
  dows are broken out and half the doors have been pried or 
  kicked open (maybe even removed completely). These buildings 
  are also likely to be used by criminals, fugitives, refugees and 
  vagabonds as a place to live or hide. Inside are piles of human 
  waste, paper, food wrappers, rags and garbage cover the filthy 
  blood and urine stained floors, and the walls of the frrst floor 
  and stair wells are often covered in graffiti. In addition to the 
  indigents who come to these places for shelter, abandoned 
  buildings are also the meeting places for the exchange of contra­
  band, drugs, and sex, as well as duels, gang fights, vandalism, 
  torture and murder. Bodies are also frequently "tossed" or dis­
  posed of in and around abandoned buildings. Buildings in rea­
  sonable condition or avoided by the CS can hold 200-1 000 
  squatters, vagabonds and homeless people, ID4xl0+15% of 
  which will be D-Bees, though most, under normal circum­
  stances, hold only 50-100 homeless, double that in winter. How­
  ever, with the number of refugees coming out of the fallen 
  kingdom of Tolkeen, 400-1200 could be packed into a single 
  building. That's bad news for the people inside, because these 
  crowded conditions make Coalition military raids, purges and 
  roundups easy, like shooting fish in a barrel. 
  35 
  Abandoned apartment buildings are the worst. They are al­
  most always squalid, rat infested, dilapidated dumps falling 
  apart at the seams. Anywhere from 60-100% of the windows are 
  gone, waste and garbage are everywhere, and so are the 
  gang-bangers, crooks, slavers, weirdos, D-Bees and lunatics. Di­
  vided into 40-140 small apartments, depending on the size of the 
  complex, there could be dozens to hundreds of families (hun­
  dreds to a thousand plus people) living inside. One never knows 
  who or what might be in the room next door or down the hall, 
  nor what kind of illegal, illicit, disgusting or dangerous things 
  are going on at any given moment. Coalition authorities hate go­
  ing into these buildings and doing room to room searches for ex­
  actly the reason that one never knows what waits for them 
  behind the next door or around the next comer. Humanoid and 
  monstrous predators both stalk these places, preying on the in­
  nocent and evil without distinction. They are Hell holes avoided 
  by the local residents as much as possible. 
  The Coalition authorities tend to avoid these places, investi­
  gating and doing shakedowns only under direct command of a 
  superior and that happens only when something serious is going 
  down. Otherwise, these buildings and their residents are left to 
  rot, leaving the inhabitants to suffer whatever fate might befall 
  them. When a place becomes too much of an eyesore, or the 
  genesis of too much trouble or suspected of something terrible, 
  it is "purged" and razed to the ground, usually 70-90% of its in­
  habitants obliterated along with it. 
  Adventure Hooks: Empty and abandoned buildings are 
  great places for adventure and conflict. Fugitives may try to hide 
  in the ruins or establish a secret lair, weapon or treasure cache, 
  or use them as a meeting place. In heavily occupied buildings, a 
  fugitive may try to lose himself among the masses, or prey upon 
  them with impunity. This means not only are abandoned office 
  and apartment buildings home to refugees, fugitives and low life 
  criminals, but they are also visited by Bounty Hunters, merce­
  naries and adventurers looking for specific people. 
  Cults, gangs, drug dealers, Retribution Squads, bands of 
  thugs, bandits and monsters may all make their homes/lairs in 
  such places or do their business at them. Likewise, dissidents 
  and rabble-rousers may venture inside to recruit henchmen for 
  their cause or to stir up trouble that may result in crime sprees, 
  riots or other forms of violence. As noted earlier, demons and 
  monsters may hide and/or hunt inside them as well. 
  Empty and deserted warehouses may also be the meeting 
  places of criminals, informants, cultists, practitioners of magic, 
  Rogue Scholars or Scientists, gang members, drug dealers and 
  users, frightened D-Bees, monsters, fugitives, and refugees, as 
  well as the designated locations for gang wars, duels and grudge 
  matches. 
  They can also be the site for illegal activities like rave 
  dances, gambling operations, boxing matches and gladiatorial 
  games, selling or holding slaves or contraband, vehicle theft 
  
  rings and chop-shops, secret or religious ceremonies, magic ritu­
  als and human sacrifice. 
  All of the above could attract and involve the player charac­
  ters. There are opportunities to exploit, people to meet and cap­
  ture, revenge to be had, treasure or reward to be gained, and 
  clues and intrigue, even romance and redemption to be found. 
  Player characters may tail a villain, monster, criminal or fugitive 
  to such places. Or an innocent person might get kidnaped by one 
  of the unsavory gangs, crooks, lunatics or monsters that live in­
  side an abandoned building, forcing any rescuers to go inside 
  and face the consequences not only from the perpetrator, but 
  other foul villains inside. Or the player characters might need to 
  visit or make a delivery to somebody inside, or find something 
  inside, or rescue somebody inside, and so on. The possibilities 
  and potential are endless. Exploit them. 
  20. Jurdot's Fine Foods 
  Jurdot's is an all night restaurant, open 24 hours, with preten­
  sions to quality far greater than its actual menu or service. Most 
  of the culinary offerings aren't bad, they just aren't anything 
  special or worth the price. The average entree costs 1 8-30 cred­
  its, salads are extra at a cost of 7-10 credits, desserts 5-1 0  credits 
  and alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks 1-4 credits a glass. In 
  fact, it's the good quality and low prices of drinks that keeps 
  many regulars coming back. The milk shakes and selections of 
  beer (both at two and three credits a glass) are excellent. Despite 
  its shortcomings, the restaurant has remained open for business 
  because of the many out of town visitors don't know better and 
  because members of the local Black Market have made Jurdot's 
  a favorite place to conduct business and unwind. 
  Paradoxically, the presence of the Black Market has made 
  Jurdot's one of the most popular and safest eateries in town, 
  though the owner thinks it has to do with his delicious meals. 
  Since the Black Market has staked the restaurant out as "their" 
  domain, the rest of Chi-Town's criminal element tend to see 
  Jurdot and his restaurant as off limits and do business elsewhere. 
  Likewise, no one in the know targets the establishment for rob­
  bery or blatant criminal activity. 
  Although there is frequent turnover, the staff at Jurdot's con­
  sist of Emil Jurdot (the diner's proprietor and namesake), and 
  24-32 other employees (cooks, waiters/waitresses, and dish­
  washers) along with two to three bouncers. Jurdot himself is a 
  fat man of medium height and pallid complexion. Many people 
  compare Jurdot with the food that he serves - bland and greasy. 
  Jurdot fancies himself to be both a great chef and an infonna­
  tion broker. He believes that all sorts of "secret and important" 
  deals are being transacted in his establishment and that it is be­
  cause he is so highly trusted and his food is so good. The portly 
  Jurdot keeps what he considers to be a wary but unobtrusive eye 
  on his clientele. In actuality, subtlety is not Jurdot's forte, and 
  the Black Marketeers that come to dine invariably spot Jurdot's 
  clumsy efforts to eavesdrop with little difficulty. This aspect of 
  the entrepreneur has become something of a joke with the local 
  Black Market clients who sometimes amuse themselves by de­
  liberately leaking false infonnation or saying something shock­
  ing to tantalize Jurdot or make him drop a tray of dishes. That 
  having been said, Jurdot has proven to be able to keep his mouth 
  shut and no one in the Black Market underground worries that 
  36 
  he might say or do anything to hurt them. Of course not, Jurdot 
  makes a fortune in gratuities and enjoys the respect and celeb­
  rity the Black Market underworld figures heap upon him. At 
  least that's how Jurdot sees things, and the crooks and smug­
  glers who frequent his place never let on otherwise (not much, 
  anyway). Jurdot is not a smart man (I.Q. 8), but he is wise 
  enough to stay out of Black Market business. 
  Adventure Hooks: 1. Unknown to Jurdot or his customers, 
  one of the waiters, a quiet, unobtrusive man named Everett, is 
  actually Lt. Alex Bunning of the ISS who is spying on all of 
  them. When the Black Marketeers pull their hoaxes on Jurdot, 
  they sometimes let down their guard more than usual at this es­
  tablishment, allowing Bunning to sift fact from fiction and pass 
  on the infonnation to his superiors. The ISS has received an im­
  pressive amount of infonnation on Black Market activities 
  thanks to their undercover Specter at Jurdot's. 
  2. All kinds of meetings, exchanges of merchandise, money 
  and infonnation between Black Market operatives and other 
  criminals take place at Jurdot's. The player characters with un­
  derworld dealings or connections to the Black Market could eas­
  ily fmd themselves told to meet at the restaurant. Likewise, the 
  Black Market is always looking for freelance muscle, defenders 
  and mules (innocent looking people to carry/smuggle contra­
  band for them), making it a likely employer of mercenaries and 
  adventurers. Infonnation is also exchanged here, so even heroes 
  might meet an underworld figure to buy or trade infonnation. 
  Whatever the reason for stopping in, the characters run the risk 
  of getting fmgered by agent Bunning as Black Marketeers, free­
  lance guns for the Market, rebels, fugitives or troublemakers. 
  This could lead to the ISS investigating or tailing the individual 
  player character or group, or using them as pawns or pieces in a 
  bigger game against crime or rebellion. Of course, the different 
  kinds of trouble and danger one nonnally associates with orga­
  nized crime can also result from meeting at Jurdot's and even 
  from innocently dropping by just to grab something to eat. This 
  establishment could be the launch point for any number of ad­
  ventures. Use it! 
  3. The City Rat orphans from both Camp Fireplace and the 
  Banner Orphanage hang around the joint doing favors and run­
  ning errands for Black Marketeers and ordinary visitors alike in 
  exchange for a modest tip. Good tips, of course, engender good 
  will, reliable work and future services. Insulting tips are likely 
  to provoke a practical joke, vandalism or embarrassing trouble 
  at the hands of a spiteful kid. The orphan City Rats also keep 
  their eyes and ears peeled for valuable infonnation, and a good 
  quarter of the infonnation provided to Robert Street (who rarely 
  comes to Jurdot's himself) from the Fireplace kids comes from 
  this location (another 20-33% from #22. Solezny's). 
  21. The Main Hotel 
  This is the inexpensive alternative to staying at the Parkview 
  Hotel. It is a friendly looking three story hotel with 108 rooms, 
  six suites, an exercise room, and five small conference rooms 
  and one large. There is no onsite restaurant, but there are a few 
  good ones nearby. A handful of small to medium-sized parking 
  lots within walking distance (roughly the equivalent of 2-4 
  blocks) are available to patrons staying at the Main, or they can 
  take their chances parking on the street. The parking structure 
  
  for the Parkview Hotel is just across the street, though it is usu­
  ally full and the operator of the structure refuses admittance to 
  visitors staying at the Main. ("Where, may I ask, are you stay­
  ing?" or "Will you show me your room card key to prove you 
  are staying at the Parkview, please."). An average room costs 45 
  credits a night, a high-end room 80, and a luxury suite 145 cred­
  its (can comfortably accommodate 6-8 guests sleeping over). 
  Workers are cheerful and helpful. Its good service and low 
  prices means the Main has no vacancies 01-77% of the time 
  (roll percentile dice, any roll above 77 means a room is avail­
  able, otherwise look elsewhere). 
  Adventure Hooks: Hotels can be the meeting place and 
  source of all kinds of intrigue. The very nature of a hotel makes 
  it an anonymous meeting place for illicit affairs, sex, prostitu­
  tion, gambling, drug buys, illegal bionic augmentation, abor­
  tions, buying or selling contraband, drop-offs and exchanges of 
  (legal and illegal) goods and services of every conceivable pos­
  sibility, to parties, reunions, business meetings, contract negotia­
  tions, romantic getaways and innocent get-togethers. 
  Guests may include out-of-towners, vacationers, families, 
  teenagers, priests, business people, scholars, the homeless who 
  happened to scrounge enough cash to stay a night or two, refu­
  gees, fugitives, prostitutes, drug dealers, gamblers, smugglers, 
  thieves, killers, weapon dealers, bounty hunters, mercenaries, 
  adventurers, practitioners of magic, monsters, D-Bees, Coalition 
  soldiers, CS spies, CS citizens slumming or on an adventure, 
  and scores of others. Use these diverse people and the anony­
  mous setting as the backdrop of numerous rendezvous, meet­
  ings, intrigue and skullduggery. 
  22. Solezny's 
  Solezny's is a hangout for mercenaries and drifters who fre­
  quent the 'Burbs often. Since these people usually have more 
  money and more self-respect than the normal run of the 'Burb 
  dwellers, it was inevitable that they would fmd a favorite water­
  ing hole to meet at, relax, drink and have fun, and Solezny's is 
  one of those places. 
  Solezny himself is an absentee owner. Nobody is quite sure 
  who Solezny is or where he might keep himself, though rumors 
  abound. Among the most popular are that he was a Necroman­
  cer (or perhaps a Shifter) from Russia who came through a di­
  mensional Rift in Old Chicago and made his way to the 'Burbs, 
  37 
  eventually starting up the saloon. Other rumors concerning his 
  present whereabouts include: Solezny returned to his native 
  Russia and is currently back there fighting demons, or that he 
  infiltrated the New German Republic to assist the Gargoyle Em­
  pire, or that he is really a sorcerer from the Federation of Magic 
  and the bar is just a cover for his seditious activities, and that he 
  often visits his bar but in disguise. The best rumor, however, is 
  that Solezny assassinated Emperor Prosek and has been imper­
  sonating him ever since. 
  No one currently on the staff has ever met the man (they are 
  all hired by the bar manager), nor will any customer own up to 
  having met him either. It is rumored that the staff could contact 
  him in an emergency, but no amount of trouble ever seems to 
  amount to an emergency situation for the bar manager. Accord­
  ing to popular rumor, serious troublemakers at Solezny's end up 
  dead soon afterward or just vanish, so the word has gone out, 
  "Don't cause trouble at Solezny's." The occasional jerk who 
  tests the rumor, coincidentally, usually turns up dead a day or 
  two later or disappears - or so the story goes. Thus, even though 
  the atmosphere in the bar might get loud and rowdy, it is gener­
  ally a safe and peaceable saloon. Serious conflicts are taken out­
  side and usually away from the bar. 
  Solezny's has weathered some tough times, but keeps on run­
  ning. The staff is very efficient where the Coalition authorities 
  are concerned, and, despite more than its fair share of CS raids 
  and sweeps, Solezny's has come up clean every time (or man­
  aged to pay off the right people), allowing them to stay in busi­
  ness. 
  Adventure Hooks: 1. Much like Jurdot's and other places 
  that attract unsavory clientele, warriors and criminals, Solezny's 
  can be used as the launch point for brawls, duels, friendly com­
  petitions, gathering rumors and information, making friends and 
  contacts, fmding mercenary work, and so on. 
  2. The trouble with transients and men at arms. Solezny's at­
  tracts adventurers and warriors, which means many of its pa­
  trons come here with the express purpose of having fun and 
  getting seriously drunk. Many have just gotten paid for a merce­
  nary job or collected on a bounty or sold some loot and have 
  money burning a hole in their pockets and booze burning a hole 
  in their heads. That means they are boisterous, obnoxious and 
  looking for some 
  good, clean (or not so clean) fun 
  roughhousing, gambling, drinking and chasing women. As a re­
  sult, there seems to constantly be 3-6 card games going on, with 
  two or three high-stakes games in the back rooms, as well as 
  wrestling or boxing matches (there's a ring in the middle of the 
  bar), pool games (two tables), dart or knife throwing in the back, 
  arm wrestling, sing-alongs and other types of roughhousing, 
  games, gambling and fun. It also attracts flirtatious women look­
  ing for fun and free drinks as well as ladies of the evening glad 
  to sell their services under the nearest table or in the back alley, 
  along with a few thieves, City Rats, and Bounty Hunters who 
  might victimize a few of the patrons. And let's not forget that 
  after eight or ten drinks, certain patrons get loose lips and reveal 
  recent events, rumors, news and knowledge they might not oth­
  erwise divulge. 
  3. Coalition spies. Because the bar attracts mercenaries, ad­
  venturers and other free lancers and scoundrels, the Coalition 
  Army constantly has one or two spies in place inside the bar. 
  One is Lt. Lance Waterston, a drunken weasel of a man who'd 
  
  sell out his own mother if the price was right. He is a regular 
  who was identified by the staff and regulars two years ago, so 
  they avoid him and warn others they like or trust to keep out of 
  earshot of him. Lt. Waterston enjoys getting wasted (a necessity, 
  he says, to keep a convincing cover) on a CS expense account 
  and makes a habit of blackmailing patrons ("Hey, I heard what 
  you said, and if you don't want CS Commandos breathing down 
  your neck in about 30 seconds, you'll pay me 'X'."). Surpris­
  ingly, the weasel lives up to his end of the bargain and has for­
  gotten more secrets than most people have in twenty lifetimes. 
  Those who don't pay up or who he takes a distinct disliking to, 
  are reported to the Coalition Army or ISS and dealt with accord­
  ingly. Waterston' s superiors are aware of some of his sloth and 
  that his cover is blown with the regulars, but he is so entrenched 
  and accepted at the bar, and gets enough valuable information, 
  that they leave him there to do what business he can. Other 
  "agents" are sent in from time to time (lD4 times a month) to 
  sniff out stuff Waterston can't, but unknown to them, the lieu­
  tenant can usually (86% of the time) pick them out and sells that 
  information to his buddies at the bar (not to help anyone, but to 
  spite his superiors for their lack offaith in his abilities). 
  4. Solezny's greatest current threat seems to be from the 
  mysterious Vanguard, a cult of practitioners of magic who wage 
  a secret war against the enemies of the Coalition States. Though 
  many believe the Vanguard to be nothing more than an urban 
  myth, the folks at Solezny's know otherwise. The Vanguard is 
  suspicious of the bar, thinking of it as meeting place for anti-Co­
  alition spies, rebels, and sorcerers, maybe even a secret rendez­
  vous point for the Federation of Magic. Where they may have 
  gotten this idea is unknown, because it isn't true, and the vast 
  majority of patrons are warriors, not sorcerers. Still, the Van­
  guard keeps an eye on the place and regularly bushwhacks prac­
  titioners of magic and suspected rebels and spies shortly after 
  they leave the bar. Player characters who are wanted by the CS, 
  practitioners of magic and creatures of magic have to be espe­
  cially careful or they might fmd themselves waylaid by the Van­
  guard or tipped off to Coalition authorities. Note: To give the 
  Vanguard's suspicions greater weight, several members of the 
  super secret organization have vanished without a trace after 
  snooping around or causing trouble at the bar. 
  S. Child-City Rats from the Camp Fireplace orphanage (#3) 
  hang around outside and sometimes inside, keeping their ears 
  open for valuable information and doing favors and running er­
  rands for tips, booze or goodies. 
  6. Who the heck is the bar's owner and more importantly, 
  who or what is the hidden protector that makes troublemakers 
  and members of the Vanguard disappear or dead? 
  23. Bikes 'n More 
  One of the most common and least expensive modes of trans­
  portation in the 'Burbs is the bicycle. Bikes 'n More has 100 
  bikes for rent (l0 credits for 8 hours use) as well as for sale and 
  offers men's and ladies versions of mUlti-gear 6, 8, 12 and 20 
  speed bikes for tooling around town, long-distance riding, rac­
  ing, and recreation. Accessories like tires, air pumps, lubricating 
  oil, bike chains and paint are all sold here, and so are used bicy­
  cles (50-60 credits each; new costs two and three times that 
  amount). The shop can also do simple repairs like straightening 
  bent rims, replacing chains, etc. 
  38 
  Adventure Hooks: 1. Beneath Bikes 'n More is a secret li­
  brary. Rogue Scholars and adventurers throughout Firetown 
  have contributed to the library. Many books are mundane and 
  unimportant, about 1 5% are significant or rare. Forty percent are 
  banned by the CS, including the works of Erin Tarn, pre-Rifts 
  comic books, magazines, and books, and other types of contra­
  band reading material. There is a lounge area for reading and 
  meeting with like-minded individuals, three private rooms (each 
  with a small desk, comfortable chair and desk lamp), a lavatory 
  and administrator's office. Only those who have contributed to 
  the library know about its existence and can use the facility and 
  take books that aren't rare or contraband out to read at home. 
  There are currently 32 members in this innocent little secret so­
  ciety of Rogue Scholars and curious citizens. None are rebels 
  nor practitioners of magic. 
  2. With all the loot coming in from Tolkeen, it is possible the 
  library could get a rare and valuable book or two on pre-Rifts 
  history, philosophy or magic. They may or may not realize what 
  they have (probably not), and just having it could put the library 
  and its members in mortal danger. The Coalition States will 
  want books that offer a contrary view of history or teachings, 
  and may go so far as to kill every person who read it. Mean­
  while, a rare book on magic, especially a spell book, could have 
  any number of human and inhuman beings searching for it and 
  willing to do anything, including kill, to get it. Similarly, a 
  magic book might be cursed or have the potential to unwittingly 
  unleash a demon or other terrible force upon the world if used 
  improperly. 
  24. Skinner's 
  A large leather shop that buys animal furs and skins from 
  wilderness folk (Psi-Stalkers, scouts, hunters, trappers, etc.) and 
  turns them into gorgeous coats, jackets, capes, cloaks, arm 
  bands, gloves, hats, belts, boots, moccasins and other articles of 
  clothing. Prices are low, especially considering the high quality 
  (very good to excellent) of workmanship. The shop also offers 
  wool and cotton clothing, jewelry made from animal teeth and 
  bone, and some mass manufactured items from the Old Town 
  'Burbs, as well as bolts of fabric and sheets of hide for people 
  who want to make their own clothes. Skinner's outstanding line 
  of robes, cloaks and capes attract practitioners of magic as well 
  as Wild Psi-Stalkers, Wilderness Scouts, Trapper-Woodsmen, 
  and other adventurers who love the buckskin line of clothing 
  and leather goods. Special modifications can be made by work­
  ers at Skinners, or the tailor nextdoor (#25). 
  Adventure Hooks: 1. The business uses D-Bee laborers in 
  its sweatshops. Coalition soldiers who patrol the 'Burb know it, 
  but get a 60% discount on clothing, plus other favors, so they 
  turn a blind eye to it. The ISS knows about them too, but has 
  deemed the shop to be harmless. The only time the police cause 
  any trouble is when they need to talk to one of the workers or 
  suspect a D-Bee worker of a crime. The owners are always co­
  operative with the CS authorities and quick to give up a sweat­
  shop worker. 
  2. The fact that Skinner's is a D-Bee sweatshop and the 
  self-serving owners kiss the Coalition's backside, has led some 
  to believe the business may be a CS front or at least a loyalist 
  sympathizer who rats out its neighbors and suspicious visitors 
  wanted by the CS. 
  
  3. Trouble with the D-Bees. Maybe the workers riot and at­
  tempt to loot the place and flee, or a band of self-styled heroes 
  tries to liberate them, or one of the D-Bees is discovered slain 
  and in a gutter near Skinner's. Who did it? Why? The police 
  don't care, do the player characters? 
  4. Skinner's is also a place where adventurers can sell animal 
  skins or clothing acquired as booty. In addition, the owner is ru­
  mored to have a passion for pre-Rifts artifacts. Or is that just a 
  cover story to sniff out dealers in contraband for the CS? Word 
  on the street is that he sometimes hires adventurers to acquire 
  specific items for him. Items often in the hands of D-Bees or 
  sorcerers rather than humans, but then Skinner's connections 
  with Psi-Stalkers and disrespect for D-Bees could explain that. 
  25. Firetown Tailor 
  A clothing tailor that is practically part of Skinner's. There's 
  a good reason for that, it is owned and operated by Skinner's 
  cousin. The place does good work at fair prices. They can make 
  anything from custom-made suits and dresses to jackets and the­
  atrical costumes. They too use D-Bees for underpaid labor. 
  Adventure Hooks: This is an up-front operation with noth­
  ing untoward other than the fact that the owner likes to gamble 
  and fmd excitement at places like Karl's Revenge, Solezny's 
  and the Bunker. 
  26. The Kennel 
  The Kennel is a flea bag (no pun intended) of a veterinary 
  hospital that can take care of any type of animal, but specializes 
  in the care and boarding of canines. Dogs are popular in the 
  'Burbs, so this establishment does very well for itself, not that 
  one could tell from its ramshackle appearance. 
  The Kennel is a two-story, shabby-looking building of wood 
  and brick that has seen better days. It can house up to 96 ani­
  mals, has a large waiting room, six small administrative offices, 
  three veterinary examining rooms (and two secret ones for hu­
  manoid mutant canines in a hidden basement), two operating 
  rooms, two recovery rooms, a small kitchen, two lavatories for 
  the human staff and a beauty parlor where ten dogs at a time can 
  get haircuts, manicures, and be shampooed and dried. Although 
  its rooms and decor are nothing out of the ordinary, the estab­
  lishment has a warm, friendly feel to it and is known throughout 
  the 'Burbs, not just Firetown, for its high quality of care and ex­
  pertise. In addition to a capable and gentle staff of human veteri­
  nary doctors and nurses, there is a human Psi-Druid, and seven 
  Psi-Stalkers to care for animals from six in the morning till mid­
  night, with around the clock service in case of emergencies. 
  The Kennel Supply Shop is on the second floor and special­
  izes in canine equipment and merchandise. There are dog collars 
  (both studded and ornate), leashes, harnesses, dog whistles, 
  feeding bowls and water dishes, and a fairly good selection of 
  dog foods, treats and toys. 
  Adventure Hooks: 1. The Kennel is also the de facto, secret 
  headquarters for a group of rogue Dog Boys and Psi-Stalkers 
  calling themselves the Dog Trackers. All are former members of 
  the CS military who have left the Coalition Army the only way 
  a Dog Boy can, desertion. They hire themselves out to track 
  down missing pets and people, as well as sniff out and identify 
  39 
  supernatural trouble, and for a hefty extra fee, deal with the re­
  moval or extermination of said supernatural pest. All are good 
  natured, honest and experienced. 
  A rotund and cheerful human woman fronts for them, but the 
  Dog Boys actually run the show. The human is Benita Ingersol, 
  a retired 8th level Wilderness Scout who is tougher than she 
  looks and who has a deep affection for dogs, both the four­
  legged and two-legged variety. She is completely loyal to her 
  canine employers and considers them to be friends as well as her 
  superiors. She does everything in her power to keep the opera­
  tion under wraps and out of trouble with the Coalition by inter­
  viewing potential clients and telling them that one or more 
  Psi-Stalkers and their "associates" (the Dog Boys) will handle 
  the job. In fact, the runaway Dog Boys often pose as active Co­
  alition Soldiers when on the street, because nobody questions a 
  Dog Boy roaming the 'Burbs as out of the ordinary. Still, most 
  try to do their work under the cover of night. 
  The Dog Trackers are an informal group that essentially runs 
  itself like a Coalition military Dog Pack, except they help the 
  people of the 'Burbs whether they are human or not. Fees for 
  their services are very low and many happy patrons who can af­
  ford to pay it give them large tips equal to 20-60% of the origi­
  nal fee. The Dog Trackers provide a valuable search and 
  recovery service for lost and missing pets, children and adults. 
  Sometimes they also apprehend fugitives and kill monsters, usu­
  ally criminals and creatures who engage in kidnaping, human 
  sacrifice or slavery. 
  The leader of the Dog Trackers is a very large Dog Boy 
  Wolfhound named Calmoth, whose ten levels of experience and 
  natural tracking abilities are among the best in the group. Other 
  notable members include Socks, the Border Collie (7th level, fe­
  male), Rex and King, both 8th level Bloodhounds from the same 
  litter (okay, genetics batch and trained together since birth, so 
  they are like brothers), Mad Dog (not his CS name), a 10th level 
  Pit Bull, Lady, an 8th level German Shepherd, and a 9th level 
  Terrier called Spike who is an expert in reconnaissance and in­
  telligence, his small frame and size allowing him to squeeze 
  through small openings and hide in small places. The remaining 
  members of the "Trackers" are Mitzy, a 3rd level Terrier, Max, a 
  4th level Boxer, Rusty, a boisterous 3rd level German Shepherd, 
  Clancey, a 5th level know-it-all Cocker Spaniel, Shalia, a gentle 
  4th level Retriever, Scarlet, a yappy 4th level Golden Labrador, 
  Bandit, a shy but smart and capable 5th level Black Labrador and 
  Norton, a gentle, intelligent and resourceful 6th level Golden 
  Retriever who is a combination Sergeant-teacher-den mother to 
  the youngsters just listed, and often leads 2-4 of them on jobs. 
  All get along well together, were trained as Dog Boys by the 
  CS, and have alignments ranging from Principled and Scrupu­
  lous to Unprincipled. Norton and Bandit are best friends and al­
  ways watch each other's back. Though they both compete for 
  the affection of Shalia, nothing can damage their life-long 
  friendship. 
  2. Benita and the mutants of the Dog Trackers also keep an 
  eye out for other mutant animals and animal-like D-Bees and try 
  to point them to safe havens and people willing to help 
  nonhumans, but never take them to or tell them anything about 
  The Kennel. (New recruits to the Dog Trackers are enlisted with 
  the utmost care and no new members are currently sought after.) 
  Likewise, these good natured mutant canines may come to the 
  
  aid of adventurers and people with a reputation for being 
  good-hearted folk or heroes. 
  3. Unknown to the Dog Trackers, they have been spotted by 
  a small number of Dog Boys still in the service of the Coalition 
  Army. However, so far these Dog Boys have turned a blind eye 
  and kept their existence a secret. Should these mutants decide to 
  go A WOL themselves, they might turn to the Dog Trackers for 
  help or wish to join their group. Likewise, there are some Dog 
  Boys in the Army who might do things to help the Dog 
  Trackers, provided they don't get themselves in serious trouble 
  with their superiors. All of this is possible only because word on 
  the street is that the Dog Trackers uphold the sanctity and safety 
  of human life above all else and continue to conduct themselves 
  with honor and courage even though they have abandoned the 
  Coalition Army. Should that ever change, they would turn on 
  the Dog Trackers in a heartbeat. 
  27. Mitzer's, 
  The Cut-Rate Arms Dealers 
  By Julius Rosenstein & Kevin Siembieda 
  At frrst glance, the Mitzers seem like an average couple try­
  ing to make a life in the Chi-Town 'Burbs. Husband Tom works 
  at night as a security consultant and his wife, Audra, is a home­
  maker who supplements the family income by taking in and re­
  pairing electrical appliances. Although the Mitzers are fairly 
  new to the 'Burbs (they have only arrived a year ago), Audra is 
  already active in some community affairs. Considering many of 
  the exotic characters running around the 'Burbs, the Mitzers 
  40 
  seem extremely normal and pedestrian. However, appearances 
  can be deceiving. 
  For most ordinary residents in Firetown, the two are known 
  as a quiet couple who keep to themselves. To those with under­
  ground or underworld connections, they are known as a pair of 
  small-time gun dealers with limited stock but very low prices. 
  To the select few who have had dealings with the Mitzers (out­
  side the scope of their public facade), they are budding crime 
  lords. Tom Mitzer is a smuggler and arms dealer. Somehow, ev­
  ery now and again, he manages to obtain a shipment of Coali­
  tion weapons and armor, presumably from contacts at Tolkeen 
  and/or the Pecos Empire or Federation of Magic. These weap­
  ons and gear are almost never new and often scuffed and dented 
  from use in the battlefield, but they are always clean and in good 
  working condition. Those looking for Coalition ordnance are of­
  ten pointed toward the Mitzers. As for their clientele, the couple 
  have convinced them they are pretty ordinary, if a bit eccentric, 
  free lancers selling contraband weapons to make a little extra 
  money on the side. 
  Tom Mitzer sells the weapons at cut-rate prices (40-50% be­
  low standard list prices) with especially good deals (70-80% oft) 
  on the ones that are beaten up or have problems and require 
  some minor repairs. He'll sell to anyone with no questions 
  asked, and claims to forget a face the moment a sale is con­
  cluded. Mitzer also offers additional discounts to buyers who 
  are regular customers or to characters of dubious reputations 
  (i.e. known troublemakers and people who the Coalition dis­
  likes). 
  Audra Mitzer is devoted to her husband, takes care of the 
  house and helps her hubby with sales in the evening. The shop's 
  hours are from nine at night till five-thirty in the morning, when 
  the Coalition patrols are light and nobody is likely to notice late 
  night visitors to a quiet residential neighborhood. Since Audra 
  possesses psychic powers and is not shy about using them, it is 
  difficult to gain the upper hand or take advantage of the Mitzers. 
  Not that anybody usually tries to do so. Furthermore, the pair 
  are well liked among mercenaries, bandits and adventurers be­
  cause they are not your typical greedy gun dealers, but seem to 
  be genuinely sympathetic to people down and out on their luck 
  or persecuted by the Coalition States or working to overthrow 
  its government, giving them steep discounts on top of their al­
  ready low priced stock (prices as low as 70-80% below list price 
  for weapons in good working order). 
  The Real Story: Some 54 years ago, Tom Mitzer was just a 
  farmer trying to eke out a living. His simple lifestyle came to an 
  end after some vampires moved into the area and began stalking 
  the local population. Tom was taken by one of the vampires and, 
  instead of being slain outright, was subjected to the Slow Kill 
  and turned into a vampire himself. 
  For the next 3 1  years, Tom was a member of a vampire pack 
  that roamed the Badlands of the American Southwest, spreading 
  terror wherever they went. Tom became more ruthless and de­
  praved with the passage of time and was subject to the whims of 
  his creator, who was the pack leader. This subjugation ended 
  when the pack ran afoul of some Justice Rangers in Oklahoma. 
  The Rangers were able to track the pack to its lair and then re­
  turned during the daylight and staked every vampire they could 
  fmd. Most of the pack, including the Master Vampire, were de­
  stroyed. The only survivors were a few vampires (including 
  
  Mitzer) who had gone out on a raid and had not managed to 
  made it back to the lair the previous night. 
  Without their master to hold them together, these vampires 
  were free to go their separate ways. Tom Mitzer headed east and 
  fmally reached the Federation of Magic where he remained for 
  some 20 years. When Mitzer heard about the war brewing over 
  at Tolkeen, he saw it as an excellent opportunity to prey on war 
  victims without raising suspicion. He remained neutral for 
  awhile and simply feasted on whatever prey fell into his 
  clutches. When Tolkeen began recruiting any supernatural crea­
  tures willing to fight on their behalf, Tom Mitzer joined up. 
  Though he felt no real allegiance to Tolkeen, he enjoyed combat 
  and the chance to cut loose and feed on humans without pre­
  tense or hiding. When he saved Warlord Scard from an assas­
  sin's blade, Tom was rewarded by a grateful Circle of Twelve 
  for his valor and helping to foil what might have been a devas­
  tating Coalition assault. The prize he chose for his reward was a 
  Coalition prisoner, a female psychic named Audra Cullen, cap­
  tured as a CS spy. 
  Mitzer felt that having a human slave with the power to con­
  trol energy would make an excellent assistant and protector, es­
  pecially while he slept. The vampire wasted no time in using his 
  mind control powers to break Audra's will and turn her into his 
  slave. When the fall of Tolkeen seemed inevitable, Mr. and Mrs. 
  Mitzer took whatever they could scrounge up and fled the city. 
  The Chi-Town 'Burbs seemed as good a place as any to start 
  over, offering plenty of places to hide and ample "food stock." 
  The pair bought a small lodging and established themselves as 
  "a normal couple." This was a year before Tolkeen fell, but the 
  ongoing war and insurrection in the 'Burbs had already in­
  creased the presence of the Coalition Army. This would play 
  into the vampire's hands nicely. To avoid raising suspicion 
  among his neighbors, he chose to feed upon (and kill) primarily 
  Coalition soldiers, police, spies and Coalition hired mercs, sup­
  plementing feeding with the occasional drunk, vagabond or 
  no-name visitor; half of whom he knocked out first, robbed and 
  left alive. Most (99%) never realized they had provided supper 
  for a vampire and went on with their lives in ignorant bliss. By 
  targeting Coalition forces, he knew Tolkeen freedom fighters 
  and local rebels would be blamed for their misfortune. To cover 
  signs of vampirism he would scar the bite wound, often using 
  the arm of his victims rather than the throat and then remove or 
  atomize the limb with an energy weapon, leading those who 
  found the dead body to assume the individual fell prey to rebels, 
  bandits or Cyber-Snatchers. After killing or subduing Coalition 
  soldiers and police, he'd steal their armor, weapons and posses­
  sions. When enough guns and gear had been collected, he would 
  offer them for sale. This (and stolen credits and valuables) is 
  how the Mitzers really support themselves. To avoid getting 
  caught with "the goods," he sells them cheap, turning around in­
  ventories very quickly. Since he sells Coalition weapons more 
  than any other kind, the Mitzers' little underground operation 
  developed a reputation for being a) anti-Coalition, b) friends of 
  rebels and those persecuted by the CS, and c) being a buyer of 
  used weapons and military goods, especially Coalition equip­
  ment. Thus, ever since the Sorcerers' Revenge, the couple has 
  been inundated by scavengers, rebels and adventurers who have 
  collected military ordnance on the field of battle in the hopes of 
  selling it. This has enabled the Mitzers to supplement their mili­
  tary stock substantially, paying only 10-20% of the fair market 
  41 
  price and reselling it for two or three times what they paid. Plus, 
  it has given them additional credibility as gun dealers and smug­
  glers specializing in CS equipment. A win, win situation for ev­
  erybody. 
  The current inventory consists of: 
  Three Neural-Maces. 
  Thirty Vibro-Knives. 
  Four Vibro-Swords. 
  Six C-1 8  Laser Pistols. 
  Twenty-one C-20 Laser Pistols. 
  Two CP-30 Laser Pulse Pistols. 
  Three C-IO Light Assault Rifles. 
  One C-12 Heavy Assault Laser Rifle. 
  Four C-14 Fire Breather Rifles. 
  Two JA-12 Laser Rifles. 
  Eight CP-40 Pulse Laser Rifles. 
  Three CP-50 Dragonfrre Rifles. 
  Two C-27 Light Plasma Cannons (rifles). 
  Five C-29 Hellfrre Heavy Plasma Cannons. 
  One Bandit BigBore Shotgun. 
  One CTT-M20 Missile Rifle. 
  Two CR- l Rocket Launchers (each comes with six rounds). 
  Seventeen CS mini-missiles (7 are High Explosive, 6 are 
  PlasmalNapalm, and 4 are Smoke missiles). 
  Thirteen Fragmentation Grenades (206 M.D.). 
  Six Plasma Grenades (506 M.D.). 
  Twenty-four Smoke Grenades. 
  Four sets of CA-3 Light Dead Boy Armor. 
  Seven sets of CA-4 Standard Dead Boy Armor. 
  Two sets of Old Style Dead Boy Armor (police). 
  Nine sets of DPM DO Dog Boy Riot & Police Armor. 
  Note: The Mitzers do NOT carry power armor, robots, or ve­
  hicles. Most of the items are Coalition issue and anyone not au­
  thorized to have them (such as the Mitzers and their customers) 
  is subject to summary execution! As a result, the Mitzers are 
  very wary regarding possible ISS undercover agents and are ex­
  tremely careful about their customers. They figure that it is 
  much better to lose a possible sale than to be put permanently 
  out of business, or worse, get themselves killed. 
  There's a reason why even the most battered-up CS armor 
  and weapons will not have any trace of blood on them. Tom 
  licks the items clean of blood, until he fmds every last drop. He 
  is very obsessive-compulsive when it comes to cleaning off 
  blood and considers this another perk of his job. However, al­
  though he is willing to sell the armor and weapons at outra­
  geously low prices and even take a loss if he must, Tom Mitzer 
  has no real loyalty to the memory or ideals of Tolkeen or any 
  other cause. Its just convenient to pretend to be a Tolkeen sym­
  pathizer or anti-Coalition. If things go against him, the vampire 
  will cut and run, leaving behind his erstwhile clients, friends, 
  and allies. The only person he honestly cares about is his ser­
  vant-wife. 
  Tom Mitzer Quick Stats 
  True Name: Thomas Nathaniel Mitzer. 
  Species: Secondary Vampire. 
  
  Alignment: Diabolic (originally Unprincipled but his alignment 
  dropped over time). 
  Attributes: I.Q. 1 1, M.E. 2 1 ,  M.A. 17, P.S. 22 (Supernatural), 
  P.P. 14, P.E. 19, P.B. 10, Spd. 21 
  M.D.C./Hit Points: 78 but, as a vampire, he is a supernatural 
  creature who is nearly impervious to all weapons, including 
  Mega-Damage weapons. However, he is vulnerable to magic, 
  silver, wood, running water, sunlight and some other things. 
  A more detailed description of these weaknesses are found in 
  Rifts® World Book One: Vampire Kingdoms, pages 
  26-38. 
  P.P.E.: 20 
  Height: 5 feet, 10 inches (1 .78 m). 
  Weight: 1 80 pounds (8 1 kg). 
  Horror Factor: 13 
  Disposition: Tom Mitzer is self-centered, cruel and somewhat 
  cowardly at heart. He wants to feed on the blood of helpless 
  victims but does not hunt and stalk them until he has taken 
  every precaution he can to protect himself. He regards Audra 
  as a valued slave but is willing to sacrifice her (or anyone 
  close to him) in order to save his own hide. The main reason 
  that Tom Mitzer hunts alone is that he does not want the 
  competition from other vampires and doesn't trust anyone, 
  especially other undead. As far as he knows, he is the only 
  vampire in Firetown, and perhaps all the Chi-Town 'Burbs, 
  and he likes it that way. 
  Natural Abilities: A number of strange supernatural powers, in­
  cluding the ability to create additional vampires, nightvision, 
  metamorphosis, regeneration, and M.D.C. invulnerability. A 
  more detailed description of them are presented in Rifts® 
  World Book One: Vampire Kingdoms, pages 1 8-26. 
  Psionic Powers: As a vampire, Tom is considered a Major psy­
  chic and (with his M.E. bonus) only needs a roll of 9 or 
  higher to save vs psionic attacks. He has the following pow­
  ers: Mind Control vs other Vampires (no I.S.P. expenditure 
  needed), Alter Aura (self; 2), Deaden Pain (4), Death Trance 
  (1), Empathy (4), Hypnotic Suggestion (6), Induce Sleep (4), 
  Mind Block (4), Presence Sense (4), Sense Evil (2), and 
  Super Hypnotic Suggestion (a form of mind control exclu­
  sive to vampires; 20). All of the above powers are equal to a 
  4th level psychic. I.S.P.: 90. 
  Attacks per Melee: Five physical or psionic attacks. Either type 
  can be can be used as long as the combined attacks do not ex­
  ceed five. 
  Combat Damage: Killing Bite: 2D6 M.D.l2D6 H.P.*, Re­
  strained Punch: 3D6+7 S.D.C.l1D4+7 H.P.*, Full Strength 
  Punch: 2D6 M.D.l2D6 H.P.*, Power Punch (counts as two 
  attacks): 4D6 M.D.l4D6 H.P.* Note: Damages with an aster­
  isk are inflicted direct to Hit Points when fighting another 
  vampire. 
  Bonuses: +3 on initiative, +1 to strike, +1 to parry, +7 to S.D.C. 
  damage, +3 to save vs psionic attacks, +3 to save vs insanity, 
  +2 to save vs poison & magic, +8% to save vs coma/death. 
  +3 to save vs Horror Factor, +3 to save vs magic or psionic 
  mind control, +2 vs vampire mind control, 45% to inspire 
  trust/intimidate, impervious to all forms of psionic and magic 
  sleeps and paralysis, as well as most man-made weapons. 
  Experience Level: 8th level Vampire R.C.C. 
  42 
  Magic Knowledge: None. 
  Skills of Note: Speak American 98%, speak Spanish 85%, read 
  & write American 60%, read & write Spanish 30%, Basic 
  Mechanics 50%, Botany 60%, Disguise 25%, Find Contra­
  band, Weapons, & Cybernetics 26%, General Repair & 
  Maintenance 80%, Land Navigation 64%, Pick Locks 45%, 
  Pilot Truck 68%, and Streetwise 20% (see notes below). 
  Weapons: Mitzer prefers using his own supernatural abilities 
  and, as such, has never learned any weapon proficiencies. For 
  the sake of appearances, he does keep a loaded revolver with 
  him. The weapon does 4D6 S.D.C. damage per round. 
  Body Armor: None, again Mitzer prefers to rely on his own 
  abilities. 
  Equipment: Other than some containers (such as coffins) for 
  avoiding sunlight, Mitzer has very little personal need or de­
  sire for material objects. What he does possess allows him to 
  variously track, stalk, capture, torture, or kill his prey. 
  He does have a supply of manacles and an assortment of 
  traps (G.M.'s discretion as to what). The only thing of note is 
  Mitzer's "cyber-goggles" (see below). 
  Appearance: Tom Mitzer is a solid-looking man who appears 
  to be in his mid- to late 30's. He has brown hair and very 
  pale skin which he claims (truthfully) is a result of always 
  working at night. He often wears a set of goggles which ap­
  pear to be cybernetically enhanced and which he claims are 
  needed to compensate for some vision problems. Actually, 
  the goggles are not cybernetic at all (the cyber-attachments 
  are fake and just there for cosmetic value), but they allow 
  him to hide his eyes from the people he deals with. He feels 
  that the eyes are the mirror to the soul and by hiding his own, 
  he hides his true nature. 
  Cybernetics: None. Tom's vampire nature makes cybernetics 
  and bionics useless to him. 
  Money: The weapons business has been good to Tom. He has 
  acquired some 290,000 credits which he hoards away. In ad­
  dition to valuing the wealth for its own sake, the vampire is 
  keeping this money as a war chest both for his current activi­
  ties and as a resource should he suddenly have to pull up 
  stakes (pun intended) and leave town. 
  Notes: 1. Being a vampire, Tom's skills are somewhat haphaz­
  ard with some of his skills originating from his days as a hu­
  man while others are products of his undead existence. Some 
  of Mitzer's skills are frozen at their current levels and can 
  never improve (despite how much he uses them). 
  2. The only times the vampire ever uses the Slow Kill to 
  create another vampire is when the local authorities or vam­
  pire hunters are getting too close to discovering and catching 
  "him." Then, Mitzer creates a new vampire as a decoy and 
  directs the hunters to the pitiful creature via an anonymous 
  tip. This way, he reasons, the authorities will have dealt with 
  their killer and the heat will be offhim. However, the experi­
  enced vampire hunters should realize that in order to make a 
  vampire, there often has to be another one lurking nearby and 
  they should continue their search for the undead. This has 
  never seemed to dissuade Tom from continually pulling this 
  (what he considers to be) brilliant tactic. Despite the auto­
  matic dominance that vampires initially obtain over other 
  vampires they create, Tom Mitzer fears that any vampires he 
  
  might make may someday break free of his control and pose 
  a threat to him. Consequently, Mitzer never makes a new 
  vampire except for the reason presented here. 
  Adventure Hooks: 1. Tom knows the layout of Firetown, every 
  nook and cranny, better than anybody. He has also visited 
  and studied other 'Burbs, though he doesn't know them as 
  well. This can make him a capable guide or advisor if he can 
  be convinced to do so. 
  2. Using the power to turn into a bat, wolf and mist has 
  enabled the vampire to get into places otherwise inaccessible 
  to others. This has made Tom privy to information and 
  knowledge about numerous Firetown residents and criminal 
  operations, including the Bunker Nightclub, the Park Gentle­
  men's Club, Sebastian Shock, and several Black Market op­
  erations, among others. He has considered using this 
  information to blackmail and manipulate others, or even to 
  just break in and rob them, but lacks the stones to do so. Un­
  der the right circumstance, the vampire could make a fortune 
  selling what he knows, but he is too cowardly. 
  3. Even more impressive than #2, above, Tom Mitzer has 
  found a way into the fortress city of Chi-Town, possible only 
  as a mist. He has explored the lower levels and has a good 
  feel for them, and has even victimized a few citizens and ISS 
  officers. The highest he has ever ventured is level 19, and 
  does not know much about the city, overall. This is some­
  thing of a personal triumph for the vampire, but he hasn't fig­
  ured out how to profit from it yet. Nobody knows about this, 
  not even his wife. Admittedly, he has considered mind con­
  trolling Emperor Prosek (assuming he could fmd him and no­
  body would notice the vampire bites) to make himself the de 
  facto ruler of the Coalition States, but, again, Tom is much 
  too cowardly to seriously consider, let alone attempt such a 
  daring move. 
  If some powerful individual, group or being ever found 
  out, they might try to force the vampire into reconnaissance 
  and mapping of the insides of Chi-Town, engaging in assas­
  sination and surgical strikes or sabotage, opening the right 
  doors to let others inside (like an invasion force or raiders), 
  or killing the Emperor and/or his family, or, as the vampire 
  has fantasized about, taking over Emperor Prosek while they 
  pull the vampire's strings. None of this is likely, but the pos­
  sibilities are out there. 
  Audra Mitzer Quick Stats 
  Audra Cullen was originally from the Chi-Town 'Burbs. Her 
  early life was uneventful until her teens when her psionic pow­
  ers manifested. After undergoing the mandatory IC registration, 
  Audra's parents convinced her that the best thing for her was to 
  join the Coalition Army as a psychic. This would, they imag­
  ined, move Audra and her family, up to the top of the CS Citi­
  zenship Waiting List. 
  Despite a number of incidents (usually involving Audra hav­
  ing a problem with being insubordinate), she managed to do rea­
  sonably well in the Coalition Army. Her squad was sent to 
  Tolkeen a year before the Final Siege, and Audra was captured 
  when her unit was overrun during the Sorcerers' Revenge. She 
  was turned over to the vampire, Tom Mitzer as a reward for his 
  services and she has been completely enslaved by him. Ever 
  since then, she has been carrying on the deception of being the 
  43 
  man's wife and partner, while functioning as the vampire's 
  slave and protector. She has very little will of her own and does 
  whatever Tom commands without question, fear or hesitation. 
  She is so completely dominated by her undead master that 
  Audra would never consider hurting or betraying Tom in any 
  fashion and will gladly lay down her life to save his. Sadly, her 
  past life is a dim memory and she is little more than a dedicated 
  slave. 
  Alias: Audra Mitzer. 
  True Name: Audra Cullen. 
  Alignment: Miscreant (originally Anarchist but her alignment 
  dropped since her enslavement). 
  Attributes: I.Q. 12, M.E. 20, M.A. 8, P.S. 1 1, P.P. 12, P.E. 14, 
  P.B. 13, Spd. 24 
  Hit Points: 4 1 ,  S.D.C.: 2 1 .  
  Height: 5 feet, 8 inches ( 1 .7 m). 
  Weight: 125 pounds (56 kg). 
  Age: 24 
  P.P.E.: 10 
  Disposition: Before her enslavement, Audra Cullen was not the 
  easiest person in the world to get along with. She was bossy, 
  opinionated, hot-tempered, and often a bit too quick to utilize 
  her Electrokinesis powers, sometimes when they were neither 
  required nor warranted. However, she was not overtly cruel 
  or destructive. Indeed, when she got her way, she could be 
  friendly and gracious. Since her enslavement by the vampire, 
  Tom Mitzer, Audra exhibits her worst qualities without the 
  gentler ones to act as a brake for her thoughts and actions. 
  
  Audra is totally under Tom Mitzer's control and will not 
  do anything to directly oppose, hurt or defy him. However, 
  her own strong will is starting to reassert itself and, with 
  each day, she is becoming more capable of disobeying the 
  wishes of her master. Audra cannot, herself, fight the vam­
  pire and is compelled to defend him if he directly commands 
  her to do so. However, given the right circumstances, Audra 
  could manipulate things so that she is not present if the vam­
  pire is attacked and cannot be ordered to defend him. Should 
  the vampire be slain, his control over her is broken, but 
  Audra will never be the same, and will remain a cruel, ruth­
  less and violent individual who hates all undead, slavery and 
  mind control. 
  Experience Level: 7th level Zapper psychic trained by the Co­
  alition military. 
  Zap per R.C.c. Abilities: Impervious to Electricity, Sense Elec­
  tricity (160 feetl48.7 m range), Electrical Aura & Radiate 
  Electricity, and Electricity Absorption (140 feetl42 m range). 
  Psionic Powers: Master Psionic with the following powers. 
  Super: Electrokinesis (double normal range, I.S.P. varies), 
  Telekinesis (Super; 1 0+), Telekinetic Force Field (30); 
  Mind-Bleeder: Brain Scan (10), Neuro-Touch (4 to 14), Neu­
  ral Strike (25); Physical: Impervious to Cold (2), Mind Block 
  (4), Telekinetic Acceleration Attack (10-20), Telekinetic 
  Leap (8), and Telekinetic Punch (6). I.S.P.: 148. 
  Magic Knowledge: None. 
  Combat: Hand to Hand: Expert. 
  Attacks per Melee: Five by hand to hand or psychic attacks. 
  Bonuses (all): +2 on initiative, +3 to strike, +3 to parry, +3 to 
  dodge, +3 to roll with punch/fall/impact, +3 to pull punch, 
  kick attack does 106, critical strike on 1 8-20, +3 vs 
  psionics/insanity, +4 vs Horror Factor, and + 1 vs possession. 
  Skills of Note: Speak American 98%, read and write American 
  30%, Basic Electronics 85%, First Aid 60%, Pilot Automo­
  bile 82%, Radio: Basic 76%, Read Sensory Equipment 70%, 
  Streetwise 44%, TraplMine Detection 50%, Wilderness Sur­
  vival 60%, Body Building, Climbing 75/65%, Running, W.P. 
  Energy Rifle, W.P. Blunt, W.P. Knife, and W.P. Paired 
  Weapons. 
  Weapons: C- lO Light Assault Laser Rifle (with 6 extra 
  E-Clips), survival knife, Vibro-Knife. 
  Body Armor: Light body armor: 30 M.D.C. 
  Equipment: Traveling clothes, language translator, air filter & 
  gas mask, distancing binoculars, laser distancer, tinted gog­
  gles, backpack, utility belt, lighter, flashlight, hand radio, 
  survival kit, 4 medium sacks, bedroll, one week's rations (in 
  the advent of a quick getaway). 
  Appearance: Although she is not a raving beauty, Audra is an 
  attractive, fit-looking brunette with hazel eyes. She is partial 
  to coveralls, jumpsuits, or other clothes which allow her free­
  dom of movement. She invariably wears a scarf or other cov­
  ering to hide scars that are on the back of her neck. These 
  scars are located exactly where a Coalition IC tattoo would 
  be imprinted. 
  Cybernetics: None. 
  Money: None to speak of, she gets an allowance of 900 credits 
  each week to handle ordinary day to day matters but can ask 
  44 
  her undead husband for more funds if something unexpected 
  crops up. 
  Notes: 1. Tom considers Audra to be a valuable "commodity" 
  and will try to protect her as long as there is not too great a 
  threat to him. However, if the situation gets too dangerous, 
  he will not hesitate to leave her behind or even sacrifice her 
  in order to make his own escape. After all, he can always cre­
  ate a new slave. 
  2. Despite the resentment and resistence growing inside 
  her against Mitzer, she cannot break the mind control that 
  binds her to him, so it is impossible for her to resist his domi­
  nation or direct commands. If the vampire commands her to 
  kill someone, even someone who has befriended her or is try­
  ing to free her from Mitzer's thrall, she will have no choice 
  but to do so. 
  3. Other than using Mitzer's last name to pretend that she 
  is his wife, Audra's name was never altered. Even though 
  this increases the possibility that some old friend or acquain­
  tance may recognize her (and report her to the Coalition as a 
  deserter), Mitzer is willing to take that chance. Likewise, 
  Audra had an IC bar code on the back of her neck that has 
  obviously been removed. This would prompt the CS to con­
  duct a fmgerprint or DNA scan (both are on file in her mili­
  tary folder), and would immediately identify her to CS 
  authorities. 
  4. If Audra is ever freed of the vampire's domination, she 
  would be forever grateful to the individual(s) responsible. 
  However, this would not preclude her giving them a 
  tongue-lashing if they offend her, for she remains opinion­
  ated and has a shorter fuse than ever. Furthermore, she will 
  remain cold, evil and ruthless, and probably take up a career 
  as a mercenary, thief, spy or assassin. She will also suffer 
  from several insanities. One is an obsessive hatred toward 
  undead (repulsed and angered by them and wants to see them 
  all destroyed). Another is a similar obsessive hatred for slav­
  ery and slavers, as well as those who use mind control to ma­
  nipulate or use others. She feels terribly violated by Tom 
  Mitzer and will fmd it difficult to ever trust another man or 
  be intimate with one. Lastly, she is more angry and volatile 
  than ever, using violence and her psychic abilities to solve all 
  her problems. 
  5. Audra has Coalition military training and is listed as 
  Missing In Action (MIA) from the Tolkeen front. Ironically, 
  if she is recognized for who she really is, or if she should re­
  turn to the Coalition Army, she is likely to be considered to 
  have been AWOL. Confessing her years of service as a mind 
  controlled drone to a vampire who preyed upon Coalition 
  soldiers will get her thrown out of the army, and she and her 
  family will be blacklisted for citizenship, forever. 
  28. Chi-Town Citizens' Liaison Office 
  This is a cruel scam, a con game designed to fleece innocent 
  newcomers and the naive out of their hard earned money, be­
  cause there is no such thing as the Chi-Town Citizens' Liaison 
  Office. 
  Supposedly this group will work toward their clients getting 
  proper placement and faster attention on the Chi-Town Citizens ' 
  Waiting List. In truth, all these crooks do is have their customers 
  
  fill out a bunch of worthless paperwork, chat for 20 minutes and 
  take their money, which goes straight into their pockets. The 
  so-called agent of the CLO doesn't even keep a computer file 
  list of his clients. When someone comes in to inquire about their 
  progress, they get a spiel about the slow turning wheels of 
  Chi-Town bureaucracy. "But have no fear, your CLO agent is 
  right on it, everything is in order, and they are working for your 
  best interest. Now go home and don't call us, we'll call you. Be 
  patient now, ya hear?" 
  It's bad enough that these scum bags fleece people already on 
  the waiting list, but those who hire them to put their name on the 
  list in the first place are in double trouble, because these confi­
  dence artists just take their money and do nothing. That means 
  they don't even take the time to put their "client" on the waiting 
  list. Coalition authorities know about the scam (there's one in 
  every New Town 'Burb), but don't care and ignore it. 
  Adventure Hooks: 1. This is a three-man operation: Bernard 
  "Pappa " Hulstead (Miscreant alignment, age 41, 9th level con 
  artist. I.Q. 14, M.A. 23, M.E. 1 1, P.S. 2 1 ,  P.P. 10, P.E. 9, P.B. 
  10, Spd 8), Uncle Maurice Hulstead (Miscreant, age 52, 8th 
  level con artist. I.Q. 1 1 , M.A. 22, M.E. 12, P.S. 17, P.P. 9, P.E. 
  10, P.B. 8, Spd 10), and cousin Randy Hulstead (Miscreant 
  alignment, age 25, 5th level con artist. I.Q. 12, M.A. 22, M.E. 
  1 1, P.S. 19, P.P. 10, P.E. 1 1, P.B. 13, Spd 12); Pappa's sons 
  Keith and Jason (6th and 4th level, respectively) have their own 
  CLO operation in the New Town 'Burb of Tranquility. All are 
  fast talking, Miscreant cutthroats who don't like being accused 
  of cheating or wrongdoing even when caught red-handed. When 
  accused of any wrongdoing they all react very similarly, first 
  calmly denying it and claiming there must be a misunderstand­
  ing. Then they get a bit agitated, insisting there must be a prob­
  lem on the Coalition's end or a computer error. If a client 
  persists they get indignant, rude and huffy, and beyond that, 
  more than a little crazy and angry, culminating into incensed 
  shouting, screaming, swearing, shoving, and the smashing of 
  chairs and inanimate objects. ("What are you saying? Are you 
  accusing me of not doing my job? Is that it? Huh? I cheated 
  you!?! You son of a . . .  , I bust my @$$ for people like you! I 
  work 12, 1 5  hours a day and you come in here and accuse me ­
  me - of cheating you! ! !  You dare call me a thief, you two bit 
  #$%& ! !  You mutha #@4%! How dare you come in here and . . .  
  I should kick your . . .  
  ") 
  Of course, all the yelling and indignation is for show, de­
  signed to make people back off, and most do. The average per­
  son doesn't like or want conflict and tries to avoid it. 
  Consequently, disgruntled clients usually calm down, apologize 
  (yes, the wronged individual apologizes) and give the Chi-Town 
  Citizens' Liaison Office the benefit of the doubt. The CLO 
  agent then calms down too, may apologize but remains indig­
  nant and self-righteous. ("Okay, okay, I'll look into it. I just 
  don't like it when people call me a cheat, you know?") It's all 
  part of the scam, and a way to defuse and delay problems with 
  their victims. A large number of people won't come back to 
  complain ever again and most others accept one lame excuse 
  and delay after another, stretching into months and years. Less 
  than 3% will force the issue, seek legal representation or 
  threaten revenge of any kind. Those who make a stink usually 
  get one of four responses: 1) Get a full refund and told never to 
  come back. Less than one percent, however, see such a refund. 
  45 
  2) Most are thrown out of the CLO and told to take their busi­
  ness elsewhere; no apology, no refund. 3) Those who threaten 
  the CLO agent are roughed up and threatened right back, often 
  with the CLO agent's threats extending to spouse, children, pets 
  and home. Remember, as the individual's "agent," he and his as­
  sociates know where the client lives and may be privy to infor­
  mation that can be used against that person to silence him. 4) 
  Violence. The CLO con-men are not nice people. They are 
  crooks and will hurt people who threaten them, personally, or 
  who threaten to put them out of business. A visit and beating at 
  the hands of the CLO officer and 2-6 of his largest criminal bud­
  dies is the typical "warning" delivered to clients who refuse to 
  back off. Property damage, fires, threats and even murder may 
  follow depending on the circumstance and individual(s) in­
  volved. This treatment may be extended to lawmen and heroes 
  who butt in where they don't belong. Fortunately, less than half 
  a percent of all disputes are, um, resolved this way. Note: These 
  confidence artists are not part of the Black Market, but may be 
  members of a larger criminal organization or an independent op­
  eration (like this one). 
  2. The lowlifes who run CLO (and similar) scam operations 
  know a lot of people in all walks of life, and may also engage in 
  extortion, robbing houses, kidnaping and selling information to 
  other crooks, criminal organizations, and just about anybody 
  willing to pay for it, including Coalition authorities. There just 
  isn't a fair or honorable bone in their bodies. 
  3. A CLO agent may be looking to hire one or a group of ad­
  venturers to "rough up" someone like a disgruntled client to shut 
  up or back off. Pay is usually cheap (50-100 credits per individ­
  ual) and the job a one time gig. However, if successful, other 
  jobs may materialize in the future. 
  4. A CLO agent may be looking to hire one or a group of ad­
  venturers or thugs to rob a house or mug somebody. Loot is split 
  60/40 with the CLO getting the 60%. 
  5. A CLO agent knows a lot of people and hears a lot of 
  things. He may know about valuable contraband, magic and 
  other valuables, who has 'em and where they can be found. May 
  hire a group of adventurers or thugs to acquire them. The CLO 
  gets first pick of the loot and splits the rest 60/40 with the CLO 
  getting the 60%. 
  6. The player group may be the people he's heard about, 
  compelling the CLO agent to blackmail, manipulate or rob them. 
  Has probably hired some adventurer group or known thugs to do 
  the dirty work. 
  Note: These crooked individuals are always looking for ways 
  to cheat people and make a big score, so they can be the master­
  minds or sponsors of any number of con games, robberies or 
  smuggling operations. They are usually clever enough not to get 
  involved in these scams directly, hiring and directing others (of­
  ten using representatives or aliases) to do the work and slipping 
  back into the shadows when the job is done or when things go 
  wrong. All in all, considered small-time criminals who only 
  sometimes hit it big. 
  29. Jake's Farm 
  Jake is one of the few constants in Firetown. He is a simple 
  fella who has given up on ever being accepted to Chi-Town. He 
  knows he's not Coalition material, but has made a home in the 
  
  'Burbs and has managed to keep it for going on 20 years. An 
  amazing feat when one considers that Firetown got its name 
  from the fact that this section of the 'Burbs has burned down 
  three times in the last 13 years. Yet Jake's has miraculously sur­
  vived each fIre, a dozen purges and several other incidents un­
  scathed. 
  Jake is a friend of the Coalition States. He loves its ideals and 
  thinks it is an admirable institution. "Humans wouldn't have 
  survived at all if not fer Chi-Town." Jake is fond oftelling folks. 
  "The Prosek family is made of saints. All of dem, 'specially 
  Emperor Karl. His boy Joseph seems a good egg too. Mighty 
  fme men in dat family. Dab boy will make a good leader some 
  day, I kin tell. Without any of dem Proseks an' Chi-Town, God 
  only knows where we might all be today. Humanity would prob­
  ably be extinct without dab Coalition States and dab Proseks ta 
  lead us. A body who thinks otherwise is just a gol' dang fool is 
  what I say. Yes sir, a dang fool." 
  Jake doesn't have much use for D-Bees. "If dab Emperor 
  says dey's dangerous an' cain't be trusted den dey cain't. Don't 
  go stinkin' my nose in dere business an' don't want no trouble 
  with dem folks, but I ain't gonna encourage any of dem to be 
  comin' around my place. No siree. In fact, I charge dem double 
  when they come to dab garden, an' make dem wait till humans 
  is all done. Point dem out to dab soldiers too. Yep, dey knows 
  not to be comin' 'round 01' Jake's. Dey know." 
  It's true, D-Bees give Jake's Farm (he calls it his "garden") a 
  wide berth. Not just because of his anti-D-Bee prejudice, but be­
  cause Coalition soldiers and police frequently stop by Jake's to 
  buy fruit and vegetables on a daily basis. Jake sells them pro­
  duce for a third of what it would cost them anywhere else to 
  show them the "respect an' 'preciation dey deserve." And be­
  cause word on the street is that unwanted folks who visit "Jake's 
  Garden," especially people who sneak into the fIelds at night 
  looking for mischief or to pick a few ears of com or snatch 
  some tomatoes or cucumbers, disappear. In this regard, D-Bees 
  and humans (except, maybe Coalition soldiers) are equally vul­
  nerable. So many people are said to have never returned from 
  Jake's Garden that word in the D-Bee community and among 
  locals is that the farm is haunted or inhabited by monsters, and 
  anybody who threatens the farm in any way are killed and eaten, 
  and their bones used as fertilizer. At any rate, that's the popular 
  urban myth about Jake's, making him something of a boo­
  gie-man and his farm cursed and haunted soil. Jake has heard 
  the stories and experienced D-Bee children on the streets run­
  ning from him screaming. All he has to say about it is, "Been 
  livin' here for goin' past twenty odd years, an' I ain't never seen 
  hide nor tail of any dang monsters or spooks. Dem stories is just 
  rubbish made up by D-Bees who don't take kindly to the fact 
  dat I'm so friendly with dab Coalition soldiers an' police is all. 
  Like dab Emperor says, dem D-Bees are vermin dat cain't be 
  trusted. My ruined reputation is an example of dat. Yes siree, it 
  is at dat." 
  Another disturbing rumor is that buried somewhere, deep un­
  der Jake's property, is some kind of mysterious alien magic 
  item. Jake dismisses that one too, pointing out that he's, "been 
  tillin' and diggin' in dat soil fer goin' past twenty years, an' I 
  ain't found a dang alien thingamajig yet." 
  The Coalition authorities know about these and other stories 
  about Jake and his farm, and also dismiss them as rubbish. Jake 
  46 
  is known as a staunch supporter of the Coalition States, and 
  there isn't an evil or treacherous bone in his body. The stories 
  are just urban myths whipped up by the wild imaginations of 
  children and superstitious residents. As for people disappearing 
  after cutting through Jake's farm or going to steal some of his 
  crops, the CS authorities point out that people, especially vaga­
  bonds and drifters, come and go and disappear and die on the 
  streets of the 'Burbs every single day. Those claimed to have 
  disappeared on Jake's farm could have been abducted, taken 
  away, killed anywhere, or snuck off through the crop fields and 
  kept on going. It happens all the time. Besides, Coalition sol­
  diers visit and fly over or walk through the farm all hours of the 
  day and night and have never seen anything unusual. As far as 
  the authorities are concerned, Jake and the farm are A-okay and 
  he is being ridiculed for being such a good friend to the authori­
  ties and supporter of the Coalition States. 
  Jake's Garden: 
  A) Bam for storing straw and grains. Next to it are two grain 
  silos. 
  B) Bam to store equipment and such, as well as vegetables 
  and produce for sale. Next to is a fenced-in chicken coop. 
  C) The farmhouse. It is a big, sturdy two-story house that 
  was once home to Jake's wife, grown children and their fami­
  lies. A few died away from home, in the fIres, but his wife and 
  most of the others perished from an alien plague that ravaged 
  the Firetown 'Burb area 1 1  years ago. Since then Jake lives in 
  the "big house" with his son Joshua (left mentally retarded from 
  the plague) and Joshua's two boys, Jimmy (23 years old, Scru­
  pulous) and Little Jake (17 years old, Unprincipled), the only 
  other survivors of the plague. Miss Jones (a 53 year old widow, 
  Principled), a kindly old friend, moved into the house 10 years 
  ago to help take care of Jake and the boys. She is the house­
  keeper, cook, and lady of the house. She's also secretly in love 
  with Jake, but though he cares about her, he has never shown 
  her the love and affection she longs for. Five men (all human) 
  also work on the farm, and during peak seasons, additional 
  hands may be hired, but all live in homes elsewhere in the 
  'Burbs. 
  Long rows of tables and tent poles line the front lawn, tarps 
  and tent covers pitched as necessary. This is where Jake and the 
  boys set up their farmer's market, and despite the rumors and 
  ghost stories, the residents of Firetown, other 'Burbs and Coali­
  tion soldiers come flocking to purchase the bounty from Jake's 
  Garden. For he offers the largest, tastiest produce in the area, 
  and at half the prices he could get if he really wanted to, but 
  Jake's a good man and refuses to charge people "more den's 
  what's fair." Consequently, Jake's superior produce sells for the 
  same low prices as inferior produce. Nobody, except Coalition 
  soldiers, however, comes after dark. 
  Adventure Hooks: There is absolutely no evidence that 
  Jake or anybody living on the farm is evil, crazy, or a secret 
  practitioner of magic. Yet the children from the Banner Orphan­
  age never go to the farm alone or at night. The more brazen or­
  phans of Camp Fireplace see sneaking onto the farm and 
  snatching some fruit or vegetables or taking a shortcut through 
  its fIelds as a way to prove they are tougher and braver than 
  their sissy rivals at Banner. However, while most of their excur­
  sions to Jake's are short and limited (because they are quite ter­
  rified of the place), and no orphan has vanished or died, some of 
  
  the children from Camp Fireplace claim to have heard, on occa­
  sion, the shouts and screams of people they couldn't see, but as­
  sume were being killed by . . .  whatever it is that haunts Jake's 
  Garden. Others have reported strange sounds and a few have 
  claimed to have been chased by "something" - they don't know 
  what, because they didn't stop or slow down to look back to see 
  what it was. 
  The obvious adventure is solving the mystery of Jake's farm 
  and the possible ramifications that might result from it. 
  Other adventures could involve someone getting caught or 
  captured near the farm or while taking a shortcut through the 
  crop fields. 
  Some possible answers to the mystery of Jake's Garden: 
  Game Masters, pick one or create your own explanation. 
  1 .  Jake's answer is correct, it is all balderdash woven from 
  years of fanciful stories, the imagination of children run wild, 
  rumors and coincidence that have taken on a life of its own. 
  2. There is skullduggery, but it's not supernatural. A criminal 
  organization in the 'Burb takes their victims out into Jake's 
  farm, one of the few open, empty spaces in town away from 
  prying eyes, but with plenty of cover, to torture, beat and even 
  kill people who are holding out on them. That's where the 
  voices, screams and strange noises come from. Likewise, the 
  hoods chase away nosey children and sometimes have to kidnap 
  (sell them into slavery) or kill people who accidentally stumble 
  onto their crime and see or hear too much. In a similar vein, it 
  could be a group of Druids secretly meeting here or Warlocks or 
  other practitioners of magic. 
  3. Monsters live at the bottom of an old, dried up well. They 
  aren't supernatural or magical (which is why no Dog Boys or 
  psychics ever sensed their presence), but must be something 
  from an alien dimension. Jake and his son Joshua found them 
  laying in the field one day. The mother was weak, having just 
  given birth to six young. Before Jake and Josh could figure out 
  what to do, five D-Bees showed up, shouting and hollering and 
  pointing at the mother and babies, then pulled out Vibro-Blades 
  and pistols to kill them. Before Jake knew it, Josh charged the 
  D-Bees with the pitchfork he had in his hands. Jake charged into 
  the fray to help his son as much as anything else. Before Jake 
  knew it, a blur rushed past him and leaped in front of Josh, tak­
  ing a full blast from an Ion pistol. The creature then fmished off 
  three of the D-Bees, Jake and Josh taking care of the other two. 
  When the melee was over, the five D-Bees were dead and so 
  was the thing that saved Josh. As best as they could tell, it was 
  the pappa of the babies. It was in that moment of silence and 
  calm that comes after a battle that Jake and Josh could feel the 
  mother talking to them inside their heads. They could feel her 
  sorrow for the death of her mate, but also the warmth and happi­
  ness that he and they had fought to save her and her children. 
  The she-thing thanked them and said neither she nor her chil­
  dren would ever forget how they risked their lives to save them. 
  And then she asked for one more favor, to help her and her 
  young to the well, drop them inside and to forget all about them, 
  though she vowed they would never forget them. 
  Jake and Josh did as the creature asked, before reporting the 
  battle to the Coalition authorities - leaving out the part about the 
  young and the mother. In fact, they never told anybody, not 
  even the missus. The Army took away the bodies, searched the 
  fields for signs of more intruders and left satisfied Jake would 
  see no more trouble. 
  47 
  Sometimes, in the years since then, Jake wonders if it was 
  real at all, or just a dream. He can't ask Josh, because he's never 
  been right in the head since the plague took his family and does­
  n't talk much either. But once in a while, Jake will fmd his son 
  standing in the middle of the field or near the old well, smiling 
  and looking happy. When he can get Josh to talk about what 
  he's doing out by himself, all Josh says is, "visitin'" or "playin' 
  wit me friends." Jake never saw the creatures after that day, and 
  sometimes thinks about going to the bottom of the old well to 
  see ifhe could fmd the remains of their bodies at the bottom, but 
  then he thinks, what's the point? Maybe it was a dream and 
  maybe it wasn't, what difference does it make? 
  "The difference" is, the creatures have grown, multiplied, 
  and secretly live on Jake's farm! They protect Jake and his fam­
  ily from folks who mean him and his property harm and danger. 
  They never go looking for trouble or wandering far from the lit­
  tle farm, but they are quick to deal with outsiders who come 
  looking for trouble. Problem is, that anybody who, in Jake's 
  own words, "don't belong" - from fugitives, mercenaries, 
  thieves, vandals and D-Bees to moonstruck lovers looking for a 
  quiet place to do some smooching, to kids looking for a little 
  mischief, are targeted, killed and eaten. These creatures (perhaps 
  as many as 2D6+ 12 now) aren't evil, they just don't understand 
  humans or human nature and are overly protective of Jake and 
  his family. They also have some sort of (psionic?) influence 
  over plant life which they exert to make Jake's farm produce the 
  maximum yield and superior food in size and flavor. Note: Ex­
  actly who and what these creatures are, we leave to the G .M. to 
  develop (if they exist at all). Whatever they are, they must be at 
  least minor M.D.C. beings (2D4xlO +P.E. attribute number and 
  2D6 M.D.C. per level of experience), semi-intelligent (smart but 
  alien or animal thought process), well intentioned (probably 
  good or selfish alignments), psionic (with Empathy and Telepa­
  thy, and at least ID6+2 other powers) and exert some control 
  over the Elements (at least EarthlPlants and Fire if they are the 
  ones responsible for saving the farm from the Firetown blazes). 
  4. Faerie Folk. Like #2 above, Jake or his wife or one of his 
  children (or all of the above) were kind to an injured Faerie per­
  son and nursed him or her back to health, or like #2, above, res­
  cued a Faerie Folk (Brownie, Faerie, etc.) from danger. In 
  appreciation and/or for feeling welcomed on the farm, several 
  Faerie Folk have secretly made it their home and help protect 
  the place and their Big Friends (Le., Jake and those close to him, 
  including the CS soldiers who Jake practically worships). See 
  Rifts® Conversion Book One for stats and details about Faerie 
  Folk. I'd suggest the following, but feel free to adjust or change 
  as you see fit: ID4+2 Brownies, 2D6+6 Common or Green 
  Wood Faeries, ID6+6 Night-Elves and/or the same number of 
  Bogies, one or two Grogach, and a Nymph (the latter living in­
  side one of the large, old fruit trees on the property). If you want 
  the farm to be even more dangerous then include one or two 
  Hairy Jacks or Pucks or Toadstools. Jake, his family and work­
  ers are not aware of their friendly (to them) Faerie Folk helpers 
  who secretly pull weeds, kill bugs, tend to the crops and chase 
  away, capture and kill intruders. Only the addled Joshua knows 
  about them and he can't articulate any details about them. 
  5. Some other creature or Elemental being lives on or under 
  the farm (an ancient Indian spirit, perhaps) and guards the prop­
  erty, Jake and his family. 
  
  6. Another possibility is that the ghost of Jake's wife and, 
  perhaps some other family members, do indeed haunt the farm. 
  They share Jake's view of the CS so Coalition authority figures 
  are not molested, but others are chased away or scared to death. 
  Note: Whatever it is that lives on the farm (if anything), 
  it/they like and protect Jake and the farm. Coalition authorities 
  are left untouched because of Jake's high regard for them and 
  the thing(s) takes its lead from Jake and his family. Thus, if Jake 
  or his kin should ever fmd one (or more) chasing or attacking 
  somebody and Jake shouts stop, it/they will listen and obey. 
  30. Collector's Cove 
  The Collector's Cove is a small curio shop owned by the 
  Hansen family and sells all sorts of statues, knicknacks, and 
  oddities. Though the family that runs the place have concocted 
  all sorts of cute, wild and interesting stories about the items sold 
  at the Cove, most are pure malarkey and half the curio items are 
  arts and crafts creations made by Mrs . Hansen, her nine talented 
  children, three married sisters and their eleven children. These 
  "curios" include necklaces and charms made from animal bones 
  and teeth (bought in bulk for pennies on the dollar from Skin­
  ner's) combined with inexpensive colored stones and beads (all 
  very attractive with a North American Indian look and feel), real 
  Indian jewelry and charms (taken on consignment and the sale 
  split 50/50 with the Indian craftsmen who made them), other 
  types of jewelry, pins and charms made from colored twine, 
  beads, feathers and animal teeth, cute and silly statues made 
  from clay and often adorned with feathers or bits of colorful 
  cloth or paint, artistic wall hangings, rock paintings, wood carv­
  ings, Scrimshaw (carved teeth, bone and jewelry, again split 
  with the artisans who consigned them), potholders, ashtrays, 
  clay pottery, dishes, drinking mugs, driftwood, polished stones, 
  crystal stones, Indian-style feather headdresses, scarves, mittens, 
  socks, knit caps, T-shirts and other odds and ends all made by 
  the Hansen family (unless otherwise stated). Many items are 
  classic "vacation" doodads like caps, T-shirts, mugs, ashtrays 
  and wall hangings with slogans like, "I survived the Chi-Town 
  'Burbs," "I luv Chi-Town," "The Coalition Forever," "Firetown 
  is hot," and similar. 
  Other items include a small selection of books, all duly au­
  thorized by the Coalition States, 300 video discs (again all films 
  and documentaries produced or authorized by the CS), and sim­
  ple basic items and supplies like crayons, pencils, pens, markers, 
  string, cigarette lighters, canteens, leather water skins, aspirin, 
  toothpaste, toothbrushes, tinted goggles, sunglasses, air filters, 
  candy, and honey among others. 
  Real curios and collectibles (all legal) include pre-Rifts bot­
  tle caps, tin cans, some old books and magazines, some music 
  and movie disks, battered toys and knicknacks, coins and broken 
  electronics and such. They also offer things that just look cool, 
  odd, mysterious or alien, actually anything that looks like it 
  "could be" alien from machine parts, circuit boards, and twisted 
  chunks of metal to menacing or strange looking teeth, fossils, 
  jewelry, carved stones and thingamajigs all suitable for nothing 
  more than being exotic paperweights. 
  Illegal books and contraband are all turned away and may 
  be reported to the Coalition authorities. If asked about books by 
  Erin Tarn, pre-Rifts manuscripts or other banned articles, the 
  48 
  workers (all family) proudly announce that they would never 
  sell anything the Coalition States has found to be harmful, inap­
  propriate, or untrue, and that the customer shouldn't pollute 
  their minds with such rubbish. And they seem quite sincere and 
  adamant about it, too. 
  Rumors. The Coalition Army and ISS have investigated per­
  sistent rumors that the Collector's Cove is a secret magic shop, 
  but they have come to the conclusion it is a rumor designed to 
  waste their time. Every investigation has not only come up 
  empty, but the people who run the shop have no knowledge of 
  magic, don't collect magic and there is simply no place to hide a 
  magic shop inside. The Coalition Army has not investigated the 
  shop in three years, and the ISS gave it a similar clean bill of 
  health two and a half years ago and haven't been back. 
  Adventure Hooks: The Cove is a front for a magic shop and 
  a very clever one at that. The owners of the magic shop are a 
  husband and wife, Mark the Blue (Anarchist, a 7th level Ley 
  Line Walker, specializing in Ley Line Magic) and Lisa Tymes 
  (Anarchist, 9th level Temporal Wizard, specializing in dimen­
  sional and time magic). Both look to be in their thirties but are 
  probably in their late 40s or 50s. They are said to come from the 
  Magic Zone, but have no affiliations with the Federation of 
  Magic. Supposedly, after years of adventuring, they have de­
  cided to give up "the life" and become dealers in magic. The 
  Chi-Town 'Burbs was chosen because of location and the large 
  number of transient mercenaries, adventurers, and practitioners 
  of magic who are constantly passing through. 
  They are not related to the Hansens in any way, and it was 
  pure chance they met at all. Four years ago, Lisa and Mark res­
  cued three of the Hansen children from a band of Brodkil and 
  Simvan who targeted the 'Burbs for a quick hit and run raid. 
  When a grateful Mr. and Mrs . Hansen said, "if there is anything 
  we can ever do," the sorcerers proposed an unlikely partnership. 
  One that has worked to the best interests of everyone involved 
  for over three years now. The Hansens don't sell or know any­
  thing about magic, but they have let Lisa Tymes create a magi­
  cal doorway to a permanent Time Hole in one of the back 
  closets. It is inside the Time Hole that the magic shop is located, 
  and because the Time Hole is in another dimension, none of the 
  magic items or sorcerers inside radiate as magic in this world. 
  Neither does the door, because it doesn't exist until Lisa or 
  Mark expend P.P .E. to activate and open it! Exactly how Lisa 
  pulled all this off is one of her best kept secrets. 
  At any rate, the Collector's Cove is a perfect cover, because 
  people of all occupations come and go from the shop constantly. 
  Furthermore, part of the deal the two sorcerers have with their 
  clients is that each individual who visits (whether they buy 
  something or not) must purchase a minimum of 50 credits worth 
  of merchandise from the Hansens - "more" would be appreci­
  ated. Consequently, regular clients of the magic shop often 
  spend 100-200 credits in the curio shop each visit. 
  The Magic Shop. Only Lisa and Mark can open the portal 
  to the Time Hole, so they usually meet with clients away from 
  the Collector's Cove and make appointments to meet with one 
  or more clients to take them to visit their store. This is arranged 
  by hanging around at a few specific places where practitioners 
  of magic hang out, and through word of mouth connections (Le., 
  "I know somebody - a friend of a friend - who can get you what 
  you need.") as well as a small network of trusted agents who ap-
  
  proach people they know to be genuine practitioners of magic. 
  The two mages and their agents are super-careful and have, mi­
  raculously, avoided trouble with the Vanguard. Probably be­
  cause Lisa and Mark try to remain neutral, don't say or do any­
  thing to malign or hurt the CS, and generally sell low-end magic 
  items; nothing too rare, unusual or powerful. 
  The Magic Shop buys and sells so the two frequently ap­
  proach, and are approached by, outsiders and adventurers with 
  items to sell, provided said individual has made contact with one 
  of their street agents or friends. The two are out working the 
  streets harder than ever in an attempt to purchase and trade for 
  large amounts of magic streaming in from the fall of Tolkeen. 
  They even hope to land a few strange, rare and unusual items. 
  They are so excited by the potential flood of magic items that 
  they are planning on spending three quarters of their life savings 
  on items, that's approximately 1 13 million credits, and expect to 
  make back 5-10 times that over then next 12-18 months selling 
  it all. 
  Techno-Wizard items: Most basic TW items are available, 
  including E-Clips, batteries, generators, light gear, vampire slay­
  ing TW items (water guns, rain flares, etc.) and many small 
  weapons and items once offered by the Kingdom of Tolkeen. 
  Most weapons produced by the Colorado Baronies are also in 
  stock or can be special ordered and delivered within 2-3 weeks. 
  No vehicles, body armor or anything very large. Note: See 
  pages 3 12-333 of the Rifts® Book of Magic for a comprehen­
  sive collection of Techno-Wizard weapons and items. 
  Atlantis 
  Symbiotes: 
  Only occasionally do they have 
  symbiotes or parasites for sale. 
  49 
  Atlantis Splugorth articles: Until recently, never, but with the 
  increased presence of the Minions of Splugorth, the couple have 
  acquired some magic items of Atlantean manufacture. Their cur­
  rent stock includes 2 Jolt Guns, one Kizh TW Sensor Gauntlet, 
  three TW Slaver's Net Guns, one Splugorth Eylor Jet Pack, one 
  Demon Claw Blade, two Slaver Staves, one Staff of Power (a 
  Powerlord's statI), three Faerie P.P.E. batteries, eight Living 
  Shackles, one Mouth Wrap, and one Strength Neutralizer. Note: 
  See pages 256-267 of the Rifts® Book of Magic for a compre­
  hensive collection of Splugorth Bio-Wizard weapons and items, 
  and pages 267-278 for Rune weapons and magic restraints, with 
  prices. 
  Other magic items: Supply varies greatly and may include 
  the occasional magic wand or staff, rune weapon, Indian charm 
  or talisman, herbs, and other odds and ends. The two have been 
  lucky acquiring items from Tolkeen for the last year, and hope 
  to stockpile a large number of items buying them at low prices 
  from the flood of refugees and looters coming into town. Exact 
  items are left to the discretion of the Game Master, but there is 
  seldom anything too rare or powerful (they keep most of those 
  items for themselves). If the G .M. would like, he may adapt and 
  include magic items from Palladium's Fantasy RPG line, The 
  Rifter® and other Palladium products; modification from S.D.C. 
  to M.D.C. will be required. 
  Adventure Hooks: 1. The couple acquires something rare 
  and/or powerful that the player group and other, less friendly 
  people may want. Who gets it frrst and whether the purchaser 
  can keep the item in their possession (not to mention what they 
  might do with it) is all part of the ensuing adventure. 
  2. The player characters are hired by the couple to track 
  down leads on magic items. That means casing visitors to deter­
  mine if they have magic items that might be for sale. No actual 
  contact. However, this can still lead to the player characters get­
  ting into trouble by snooping around where they aren't wanted, 
  asking the wrong questions of the wrong person, or accidentally 
  uncovering a terrorist plot, murderous plan or dangerous villain 
  involving a Retribution Squad, the Federation of Magic, the 
  Splugorth, the supernatural, etc. Similarly, while following a po­
  tential "client/seller" the group might see the individual(s) get 
  attacked by the CS, rivals, bandits, demons, etc. Do they tum 
  away or jump in to help the one(s) being attacked? And is this 
  person(s) a good guy or a bad guy? Another possibility is one or 
  more of the player characters fmds the opportunity to make a 
  sweet deal for themselves, provided they break their employers' 
  rule and make contact with the individual(s) they've been ob­
  serving. This may lead to the purchase or a trade (goods or ser­
  vice) for a magic item or get them into trouble. 
  3. Someone is out to get the two sorcerers for reasons un­
  known to them. They may have purchased something someone 
  wants without paying for it, or they have some item that incrimi­
  nates a powerful practitioner of magic or Tolkeen leader and 
  he/she/it wants them dead before they realize what they have, or 
  it could be an old enemy or rival out to get them, or maybe one 
  of the items is cursed, they are being stalked by some terrible 
  monster, or maybe the Vanguard is fmally on their tail, or some 
  other reason. At any rate, they have hired the player group to ei­
  ther protect them from the mysterious assailant, or fmd out who 
  it is and put a stop to it (one way or another). 
  
  4. The player characters have something Lisa and Mark want 
  to acquire for themselves or for resale in the shop. It might even 
  be something the group doesn't realize they have. Unfortu­
  nately, a more sinister force overhears the two talking about the 
  item or to the player group, making our heroes targets for trou­
  ble. 
  5. The player group jumps in to save a man and a woman 
  from an attack by Coalition troops, evil sorcerers or a band of 
  brigands. The pair are hopelessly outnumbered and unless some­
  body intercedes they are probably dead meat. After a brief skir­
  mish, the appearance of the heroes sends the villains scurrying 
  off (for the moment). It turns out the couple are a grateful Lisa 
  and Mark, and they are so pleased they want to reward the char­
  acters with a few minor magic items and/or hire them as body­
  guards, to make a delivery or a pick-up, or some other type of 
  work suitable for an adventuring group. Of course, the bad guys 
  that were chased off will strike again. How soon, when and 
  whether or not they'll have reinforcements, depends on circum­
  stance (and the whim of the Game Master). 
  31. Ed's Blacksmith & Repair Shop 
  This is a fairly large facility and much more diverse than the 
  words "blacksmith" and "repair shop" might suggest. The black­
  smith part of the shop is high-tech, with advanced furnaces and 
  precision temperature control. The blacksmiths working here 
  can make horseshoes and shoe horses, create custom-made 
  shoes for exotic animals (takes only 24 hours, 12 for a rush job 
  50 
  at triple the usual price), create and repair conventional metal 
  S.D.C. body armor, repair most types of M.D.C. body armor, 
  and make and repair ancient-style melee weapons, including 
  knives, swords, spears, battle axes, maces, morning stars and 
  hammers. Traditional smith items include nails (variety of 
  sizes), spikes (two sizes), chain (three different sizes and 
  widths), hammers, pliers, nails, pots, pans, shovels and rakes. 
  M.D.C. metals and items are not available, except for a few sec­
  ond-hand items purchased for resale from adventurers. Ed has a 
  keen eye for quality weapons and metal works, and will pay 
  10-33% of the value depending on how nice or rare an item may 
  be. He is also known to buy the occasional M.D.C. weapons in­
  cluding Vibro-Blades, magic items, alien artifacts (including 
  Xiticix weaponry) and other contraband, for both his own col­
  lection and for resale under the table; pays 20-50% of what he 
  thinks it's worth. The "blacksmith" shop can also do basic ve­
  hicular body work, rebuild and replace gears, nuts and bolts, and 
  do spot welding. Six Dwarves and five strong D-Bees work in 
  his shop, along with a crew of 30 humans. 
  Next to the blacksmith facility, which takes up two thirds of 
  the first floor, is a small bike shop that only does repairs, and 
  next to it is the hardware store where the smiths' products are 
  sold. 
  The second floor electronics' shop has five technicians (two 
  of them 2nd and 4th level Techno-Wizards) who can repair and 
  rebuild most conventional (and some magical) electronics and 
  computers. 
  The upstairs also has shower, lounge and lunch areas for its 
  workers and a room with six bunks for employees to crash over­
  night or take a nap when working on special projects and tight 
  deadlines. 
  All prices, for everything from product to repair services, are 
  reasonable and of good to exceptional quality. Which explains 
  why it is always buzzing with business. 
  Ed also buys scrap metal by the ton, paying two credits per 
  1 00 pounds (45 kg) of S.D.C. metal and 10 credits per 100 
  pounds (45 kg) for M.D.C. alloys. Also purchases usable elec­
  tronic parts for pennies on the credit. The smith can melt down 
  and recycle scrap metal, and spare electronics are always useful 
  if they are cheap enough. 
  Adventure Hooks: 1. Ed's taste for the exotic and collection 
  of contraband M.D.C., alien and magic weapons could get him 
  into trouble with the CS, adventurers or practitioners of magic 
  depending on the circumstances. For example, a thief who 
  robbed one of the player characters might resell the stuff to Ed. 
  Even if the wronged character can prove the item is his, Ed re­
  fuses to take a loss (after all, he didn't steal it, he paid good 
  money for it) and insists the aggrieved character pay him 50% 
  more than what he paid for it. This dispute may lead to a brawl 
  or trouble. Trouble for the player character that is, as Ed's em­
  ployees are very loyal to and protective of the boss. 
  2. Ed might hire the player group to get him a particular arti­
  fact, probably a weapon of some kind. This could be in town or 
  an adventure away from the 'Burbs. Ed knows and meets a lot 
  of people and hears a lot of things, including tips and clues 
  about treasure and trouble throughout the country. He'll pay for 
  basic provisions up to 4000 credits and will let the group keep 
  whatever booty they come across except for exotic weapons. 
  
  Other adventures can include those similar to the ones under 
  the Curio Shop (#30). 
  32. Edward Wintergreen 
  This is the home of Edward Wintergreen and his family, wife 
  Ella, his three sons (Jeffrey, Michael and Junior) and two 
  daughters. It is a large, rich, two-story manor that reflects his 
  success and wealth as a businessman, though all his neighbors 
  know he worked hard for every credit. The entire place is an op­
  ulent but homey residence with four fIreplaces, a huge living 
  room, an equally huge dining room, four bath rooms, six bed­
  rooms, a playroom, hot tub and patio. 
  The basement is one giant workroom where Ed putters 
  around on personal projects and work that he takes home. There 
  is a secret room he built himself, where he keeps his collection 
  of oddities and contraband weapons and magic items. Includes 
  every type of V ibro-Blade and almost every type of Coalition 
  Army weapon, a dozen Techno-Wizard weapons (four guns, the 
  rest blades) , every type of Xiticix weapon, a Splugorth Slaver's 
  Staff and a few other oddities from god only knows where. His 
  collection is his pride and joy, and he puts aside 3% of the com­
  pany's gross earnings to spend on it. 
  33. Abandoned Warehouse 
  & Home of Impala 
  The only notable thing about this abandoned warehouse is 
  that it is home to a feral Dog Boy (girl, actually) , named Impala. 
  She is a mixed breed mutant canine, part Pit Bull, part Boxer, 
  who barely made it through military training and washed out of 
  the Coalition Army. She was supposed to be euthanized, but her 
  handler couldn't go through with it and set it up that she could 
  escape into the 'Burbs. For the last eight months, she has 
  roamed the 'Burbs taking odd jobs and stealing food and basic 
  supplies from outsiders and visiting merchants. Coalition indoc­
  trination compels her to mainly target practitioners of magic, 
  psychics, D-Bees and monsters. A bundle of seemingly endless 
  energy, Impala is constantly run ning around the 'Burbs playing 
  and getting into mischief - which is appropriate since she is 
  barely an adult and acts very much like a playful puppy. Impala 
  loves children, however, and is constantly seen running around 
  town with the orphans of Camp Fireplace (her preferred play­
  mates) and Banner's. This also means she has friends and con­
  nections among the City Rat community with whom the orphans 
  are associated. Impala is skittish around strangers, males and her 
  old Coalition comrades, but hates practitioners of magic, drag­
  ons and other creatures of magic, and, especially, supernatural 
  beings. In fact, she was being trained to be a demon hunter and 
  since her arrival in Firetown, Impala has slain two Witchlings, a 
  Brodkil sub-demon, and a Shifter suspected of kidnaping and 
  sacrificing children in rituals of black magic. This has made Im­
  pala a hero to the children of the orphanages (and all children in 
  the area) and endears her to the locals, many of whom leave 
  bowls of milk, water, food and bones out for her. Since scaveng­
  ing for food is no longer a consideration, the half-crazed, wild 
  mutant has more time to run around playing and watching out 
  for the local children. 
  51 
  Adventure Hooks: 1. Impala's old Dog Pack knows she 
  lives in the warehouse, as do other Coalition authorities (subtle 
  and sneaky this dim-witted, noisy and rambunctious beast is 
  not) , but they don't care and leave her be. Why? For one thing, 
  she leaves Coalition troops alone, and for another, she is doing 
  everyone a service by sniffmg out and single-handedly slaying 
  demons and bad guys hiding in Firetown. Impala may be wild, 
  but she's the equivalent of a "ratter" in a rat filled town, so why 
  eliminate a good thing. This is all unofficial, of course. 
  2. The Dog Trackers have tried to bring the rogue hero into 
  their group, but she just barks and plays then runs away. 
  They've given up on Impala, but other groups of vigilantes, ad­
  venturers and crooks regularly try to enlist her aid or manipulate 
  her to do things for them, typically to sic her after a practitioner 
  of magic or suspected supernatural being. Sometimes this is 
  done for the welfare of the community, but more often than not 
  it's to harass a rival or cause a noisy distraction. 
  3. Tom Mitzer has heard about the local hero and had one 
  close call when she cornered him after a CS kill. He escaped by 
  turning into a mist, but didn't appreciate the interference and is 
  considering killing Impala. 
  4. If there is a creature of magic, supernatural being or sor­
  cerer in the player characters' group, he or she may catch the at­
  tention of Impala, especially if the character is treating one of 
  "her" children poorly or making threats toward one of the City 
  Rat orphans. The wild beast is usually satisfied with chasing the 
  bully away, but she may also attack with the intent to kill. She 
  will not, however, fight to the death and runs away, tail between 
  her legs, if the opposition proves to be too powerful for her. 
  Those who escape her jaws should not celebrate too much, be­
  cause she never forgets the face or scent of an enemy who 
  bested her, and Impala will strike again should they ever cross 
  paths. 
  5. Another likely scenario between player characters and the 
  feral Dog Girl is the player group going to investigate a commo­
  tion, probably the sounds of a fight mixed in with savage sound­
  ing growls and barking. Not a complete imbecile (she acts more 
  wild than dumb) , Impala has figured out that if she makes a lot 
  of noise barking and howling, someone will come to investigate 
  whether it be a CS patrol, the ISS, local authorities, curious ad­
  venturers or angry residents. Thus, when she sniffs out more 
  trouble than she can handle, she makes noise. On the other hand, 
  she makes just as much noise playing. 
  Random Impala Encounters 
  01-10% She's begging for food or rum maging through gar­
  bage cans. At the fIrSt sign of anger or violence, the crazy feral 
  Dog Girl runs away. Fights only to defend herself. 
  1 1-30% Lonely and looking for a playmate, Impala charges 
  the first adult to appear on the scene, grabs his coattails or shirt, 
  spins him around, and stands there tempting him to chase her 
  much like a four-legged dog might. In the alternative, she may 
  grab a weapon, wallet, or other obvious valuable and run away 
  with it to get the victim and/or his friends (the player group) to 
  give chase. She paces herself so she never gets completely out 
  of sight and lets pursuers get close before leaping out of range 
  and putting on a burst of speed. When she is done playing, or if 
  her playmates get too rough, Impala will drop the stolen item 
  and run away for real. W hen she really wants to go, she can 
  
  weave through the streets and pour on the speed so that nobody 
  with less than a speed of 60 has any hope of catching her, and 
  even then she can usually lose them in under a minute. 
  3 1-50% Has a human or humanoid pinned against the wall or 
  backed into a comer and acting like she wants to tear him apart. 
  This individual may look human, but odds are he is one of the 
  following: 01-20% a good aligned practitioner of magic or pow­
  erful psychic, 21-40% an evil practitioner of magic, 4 1-60% a 
  dragon disguised through metamorphosis, 6 1-80% an evil shape 
  changer of some kind (mortal or creature of magic or demon), 
  8 1-96% a demon/monster disguised to look ordinary., or 
  97-00% something else entirely (G.M.'s choice or make it one 
  of the previous choices if you don't have any ideas; could be an 
  alien, Archie-3 robot, alien robot or android, Golem, Angel, gi­
  ant mutant insect, a truly savage, feral Coalition Mutant, etc.). 
  The only other possibility (may substitute for any of the above) 
  is someone who was threatening or hurting a child (the child is 
  likely to be hiding nearby). 
  5 1 -70% Has an obvious non-supernatural monster cornered 
  or is locked in combat with one. 
  7 1-90% Has an obvious demon or other supernatural fiend 
  cornered or is locked in combat with one (Splugorth Minion, 
  Loup Garou, etc.). 
  9 1-00% She is under attack by some foul villain who she in­
  terrupted during some nefarious act (probably by accident). 
  Impala, Feral Dog Boy, Quick Stats 
  Alignment: Anarchist. 
  Attributes: I.Q. 8, M.A. 1 5, M.E. 6, P.S. 28, P.P. 20, P.E. 22, 
  P.B. 13, Spd. 64 
  Hit Points: 3 1 ,  S.D.C.: 59. 
  Height: 5 feet, 1 1  inches (1 .78 m). 
  Weight: 225 pounds (101 kg); all muscle. 
  Age: 3, though she looks like a full grown Dog Boy. 
  P.P.E.: 12 
  Species: Mutant humanoid canine created by the CS; ex-Coali­
  tion Dog Pack. 
  Disposition: Wild and undisciplined loner. Though Impala is 
  not the brightest bulb in the pack, she acts dumber than she 
  really is. The mutant canine is a ball of energy always on the 
  go, but skittish and untrusting of most adults regardless of 
  race, even those who leave her food or try to be nice and play 
  with her. She is not likely to ever join a group, though she 
  may tag along from a distance, join in a battle to protect them 
  or fight a common enemy. She may also goof around and 
  play with one or more of the player characters, but never gets 
  too close to them and sooner or later, runs off on her own. 
  She loves children and trusts those she gets to know, includ­
  ing more than four dozen from Camp Fireplace and a dozen 
  or two from the Banner Orphanage. One of the few adults she 
  trusts is Robert Street (#5), only because he is so kind to the 
  children and they trust him completely. Ironically, Street is 
  leery of the big, slobbering mutt. 
  Experience Level: 2nd level Dog Boy. 
  Combat: Hand to Hand: Martial Arts. 
  Attacks per Melee: Five by hand to hand or psychic attacks. 
  52 
  Bonuses (all): +2 on initiative, +6 to strike, +7 to parry and 
  dodge, +3 to roll with punchlfalVimpact, +3 to pull punch, 
  + 13 to S.D.C. damage (not applicable to bite attack), +1 to 
  save vs psionics (needs a 9 or higher), and +4 to save vs 
  magic and poison. 
  Skills of Note: Speak American 90%, Pilot Hovercraft 82%, 
  Radio: Basic 65%, Read Sensory Equipment 50%, Wilder­
  ness Survival 50%, Body Building, Climbing 60150%, Run­
  ning, W.P. Energy Pistol, W.P. Energy Rifle, W.P. Knife, 
  and W.P. Paired Weapons. 
  R.C.C. Abilities: Standard for Dog Boys: A superior sense of 
  smell, track by smell (48%), keen hearing and instinctive 
  hunter, plus great strength and speed. Bite Attack (Special): 
  Impala can substitute a hand to hand attack with a bite attack 
  that does a whopping 4D6+4 S.D.C. damage. 
  Psionic Powers: The usual Dog Boy abilities to sense the super­
  natural, psychic and magic energies, sense supernatural be­
  ings, plus Sense Evil, Sense Magic, Sixth Sense, and 
  Empathy (receiver only). I.S.P.: 56. 
  Magic Knowledge: None. 
  Weapons: Two Vibro-Knives (ID6 M.D. each; one kept in her 
  boot, the other on a hip belt), one Vibro-Sword (2D6 M.D.), 
  one silver plated dagger (106 S.D. C.), C-20 Laser Pistol 
  (2D6 M.D., 2 1  shot clip) and four extra E-Clips, C-12 Heavy 
  Laser Rifle (4D6 M.D., 20 shot clip) and two extra E-Clips, 
  silver plated knuckle spikes (104 S.D.C. +P.S. damage bo­
  nus of 13), canteen, and a few odds and ends. 
  Body Armor: Light Dog Boy Riot Armor: 41 M.D.C. (50 new). 
  Note: Someone, presumably in the Coalition Military, but 
  possibly a local weapons dealer, regularly leaves Impala a 
  new suit of Dog Boy armor whenever her current suit is worn 
  out (under 10 M.D.C.). 
  Equipment: Traveling clothes, language translator, air filter & 
  gas mask, distancing binoculars, laser distancer, tinted gog­
  gles, backpack, utility belt, lighter, flashlight, hand radio, 
  survival kit, 4 medium sacks, bedroll, one week's rations (in 
  the advent of a quick getaway). 
  Appearance: Like a humanoid canine with the features of a Pit 
  Bull. Impala is trained as a Dog Boy, and can talk, but she 
  tends to growl, whimper, bark and howl as much as she 
  speaks. When she does speak, she is typically brief and to the 
  point. 
  Cybernetics: None. 
  Money: Minimal, 5D6xl0 credits at any given time. Tends to 
  live by her wits, stealing food and basic necessities and re­
  ceiving gifts, food and favors from the locals like a stray dog 
  liked by the neighbors. 
  34. Momma's Boarding House 
  A three story patchwork building of wood, aluminum siding, 
  brick and Mega-Damage materials (approximately one third of 
  the building is M.D.C.). Momma Riggatori and her family own 
  and operate this boarding house. Her late husband was a fairly 
  successful Headhunter adventurer and the two sunk most of his 
  earnings into the boarding house so they'd have something 
  when he retired. Mr. Riggatori passed away three years ago out 
  east in a battle against a band of Kittani. All of him that sur-
  
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  vived was his bionic arm, which hangs in a place of honor above 
  the bar. 
  The boarding house caters to adventurers and mercenaries 
  who are always welcomed provided they pay in full upon sign­
  ing in. The boarding house has a lively, friendly atmosphere and 
  seldom has more than ID6 rooms available at any given time. A 
  room costs 50 credits a night plus 10 credits for every individual 
  in a room beyond two - 40 credits plus 5 per extra person for 
  adventurers and mercenaries. If there is some dispute concern­
  ing the occupation, Momma decides whether or not a patron fits 
  that category, and she's right 99% of the time. There are no 
  meeting rooms, luxury suites or swimming pool, but there is a 
  well stocked bar, front lobby lounge (with frreplace, big comfy 
  chairs and a piano), a dining hall and a kitchen. A hearty break­
  fast of a heaping pile of eggs or pancakes with hash brown pota­
  toes, and a side of ham or sausage is offered at the low price of 
  four credits, ten for a slab of steak instead of ham or sausage. 
  Sandwiches and/or soup or stew are usually available through­
  out the day till midnight for 4-6 credits per meal. Drinks at the 
  bar include a variety of beers and hard liquor at a cost of 2-4 
  credits a drink. Workers are cheerful and helpful. 
  Adventure Hooks: All the usual meetings, contraband, 
  brawl scenarios (see #21 for some classic hotel ideas). Since 
  Momma's caters to men at arms and adventurers, there tends to 
  be more in the way of brawls and roughhousing (most of which 
  is taken outside), and it is a good place to meet and make con­
  tact with mercenaries and other fighters. 
  35. The Firetown Theater 
  Live acts, mostly concerts, musicals, dance and plays of ev­
  ery variety, but may also include opera, comedy acts, magic 
  shows, amateur "star search" competitions, and other forms of 
  live entertainment. Despite the fact that it is located on the edge 
  of what starts to become a poorer, shabbier neighborhood, it 
  draws in people from all over town. 
  The price of admittance ranges from as little as 5-10 credits 
  for amateur hour and second-rate comedy acts, to 25-50 credits 
  for most concerts, plays and most professional quality acts. 
  Adventure Hooks: Meetings and handing off contraband, 
  payoffs and similar may all take place here, though little trouble 
  usually comes of it. More likely is a situation where a character 
  is followed to the theater or makes a chance encounter with an 
  old enemy, rival, bounty hunter, spy or the authorities. Whether 
  a fight breaks out right then and there in the theater will depend 
  on the characters involved, the level of animosity, and circum­
  stance. 
  36. Tillie's Dance Club 
  Tillie's is a hugely popular watering hole and dance hall for 
  locals and visitors alike. The frrst floor is mainly a large open 
  hall with a stage in the front and a bar on the side. Patrons come 
  to see musical acts or DJ's spinning music to dance by. There 
  are no chairs, everyone stands, even during concerts when the 
  house is packed and there is no room to dance except in place or 
  in the mosh pit at the front of the stage. 
  The price of admittance is a 10 credit cover charge for local 
  acts, 1 5-25 for "big name" performers and special events. Most 
  54 
  performances and DJ's are of good to outstanding quality. Ama­
  teur Night is every Tuesday. Parking is located around the build­
  ing and next to Wayne's Deli. 
  Upstairs are the facility's offices (off limits to the public), a 
  meeting room, V.I.P. lounge for private parties (complete with a 
  dance floor, place to spin music and small bar), a large bar 
  (open to folks upstairs and down) and a pair of large lavatories. 
  Adventure Hooks: 1. Basically the same as #35 above, 
  though there is the additional chance of an incident on the street, 
  such as a mugging, purse snatching or being jumped by an old 
  enemy, bounty hunter, one or more robbers or the CS authori­
  ties. 
  2. Fight breaks out on the dance floor. The combination of 
  excitement, dancing, booze, beautiful women, their jealous boy­
  friends, D-Bees, bullies, and punks on the dance floor can be a 
  volatile mixture leading to fights and brawls; typically fisticuffs, 
  but sometimes magic, psionics and knives snuck in. Given the 
  level of strength and power 'Borgs and some D-Bees have, even 
  bare knuckle fights can be deadly. A pair of 3rd level Crazies 
  (Anarchist alignments) and a pair of 5th level Vanguard 
  Brawlers (one Anarchist, the other Miscreant) led by a 7th level 
  Quick Flex Alien Gunslinger (armed with a pair of Coalition 
  Neural Maces and silver plated mace as well as a variety of re­
  volvers or pistols depending on the situation; Anarchist align­
  ment) are the "bouncers." 
  3. Street gangs, City Rats and Cyber-Snatchers are also 
  known to haunt this part of town making characters who hang 
  around after a show lets out vulnerable to a random encounter 
  and conflict with one of them. There is also the possibility of 
  walking out into a gangland streetfight, duel or drive-by-shoot­
  ing, and once in a while, a battle between practitioners of magic 
  and another party (any of the above). 
  4. Running afoul of a Retribution Squad is also a possibility 
  since this is a popular public place and it may be targeted by ter­
  rorists and snipers, especially if Coalition soldiers, police, or no­
  table Chi-Town figure(s) are in attendance. Likewise, a 
  Retribution Squad or similar fanatic might target an individual 
  or group (including the player characters) the villains have 
  deemed to be traitors, Coalition sympathizers, or their enemy or 
  rival. More likely than not, the bad guys will wait to strike when 
  their intended targets step outside. 
  S. Wayne's All-Night Deli is across the street. It's a hole-in­
  the-wall eating place open 24 hours a day, and closed only on 
  Mondays. It seats patrons in one of its six four-person booths or 
  at one of the eight long tables where as many as 14 people can 
  be seated, often next to strangers. The Deli makes some of the 
  best soups, sandwiches, bagels, carrot cake and cheese cake in 
  town. Prices range from 4-8 credits per item but every slice, 
  bowl or sandwich is huge and delicious. Alcohol is limited to a 
  local wine and one type of local beer. It is also the hang-out for 
  local street punks, gang members, City Rats and Crazies living 
  in the neighborhood, but they don't usually show up till after 
  midnight. 
  Nextdoor to Wayne's is a tiny 
  Party 
  Store where 
  gangbangers and City Rats buy booze, sell (and use) drugs and 
  hang out. Various members come and go all day long, except 
  morning hours between 6:00 a.m. and noon when most of them 
  are sleeping. 
  
  Note: Coalition authorities rarely concern themselves with 
  any of these three places or the violence that regularly erupts 
  around them. 
  37. Gordo's Salvage 
  A medium-sized three story warehouse. The owner is Gordon 
  Lapazar, a 4th level Headhunter who buys salvage and scrap. 
  Everything from old working electronics and circuit boards to 
  machine parts, bionics, and M.D.C. scrap metal. He typically 
  buys scrap metal by the ton, paying 1 5  credits per 100 pounds 
  (45 kg) for M.D.C. alloys, 20-30 credits for various machine 
  parts and a box of basic electronics, and 10- 1 5% of list value for 
  working machines, electronic devices and bionics. He refuses to 
  buy weapons or magic - at least publicly. 
  Adventure Hook: Gordo's is a front for a Black Market 
  Weapons Dealer, and a big one at that. New customers that 
  Gordo and his henchmen don't know are taken to the "Back 
  Room," an ordinary storage room with a wall that slides away to 
  reveal a rather large showroom (30x20x20/9x6x6 m) with new 
  and used weapons. Roughly 1 5% are used Coalition Army 
  weapons, 35% are Northern Gun and 50% are Black Market 
  "knock-offs" or "used" NG and other brands. The shop may also 
  be able to get other items not shown in 8-24 hours for a 1 0-30% 
  cost above list. Otherwise, prices are reasonable at about 
  20-40% below list price for used and 5-10% off new. The shop 
  will also buy used, working weapons for 10-30% of the list 
  value depending on how powerful and how difficult the item is 
  to come by. If this facility is found by the CS, one particular 
  55 
  batch of employees are set to take the fall for it, allowing Gordo 
  and the rest of his crew (a third are actually innocent laborers) to 
  get off free and clear. 
  Only people known to Gordo, his top salespeople and the 
  Black Market get to see the real operation, and entire secret, 
  concealed subterranean level buried 40 feet (12.2 m) below the 
  Salvage shop and accessible by one of four tunnels. This is a 
  3000 square foot (278.7 sq. m) showroom complete with private 
  office and meeting room, and 14,000 square feet (1300 sq. m) of 
  hidden warehouse. Here one can purchase any Black Market 
  weapon and body armor (including knock-offs of most Northern 
  Gun weapons), illegal cybernetics and bionics, most Bandito 
  Arms weapons and body armor, and a full line of Triax weapons 
  (the latter sold at prices 50% higher than list). Even a few of the 
  rare Naruni Enterprises and Kittani weapons and force field gen­
  erators are available, though at a 200-500% mark up. Likewise, 
  a few Techno-Wizard and Splugorth Bio-Wizard weapons are 
  available from time to time, usually selling for 1 50-200% more 
  than list. Of course, E-Clips and other types of ammo are also 
  available at list price. Special deals, especially in bulk, or in 
  trade for some special service can get a customer a substantial 
  20-40% discount on all common weapons and armor; 10-20% 
  on the rare imports, alien and magic items. 
  This place is known for its quality, reliability and discretion. 
  Any weapons purchased from Gordo are guaranteed to be the 
  genuine article and in top working order. Trouble rarely happens 
  at Gordo's, but the dealer never asks questions and regularly 
  sells to Retribution Squads, the Federation of Magic, rebels, 
  D-Bees, mercenaries, and known criminals. Also buys from 
  Cyber-Snatchers. 
  38. The Hot Stuff Escort Service 
  A front for Revenge Squad Ragnarok who astutely ex­
  ploits the fact that bedroom talk frequently leads to the divul­
  gence of secrets, hints and tips that would otherwise never be 
  revealed except through torture. That so many men get loose 
  lips when involved with a woman, even a professional prosti­
  tute, is just one of those little facts of human (and D-Bee) nature 
  that just can't be ignored. Some males do so because they feel 
  relaxed and safe and may have a burden they want to share with 
  a sympathetic person, even if they are paying for the privilege 
  and don't really know the woman whatsoever. Others need to 
  prove their manhood and importance and like bragging to an at­
  tractive woman. Of course, not all patrons spill their guts, even 
  though all ''the ladies" are encouraged to subtly coax informa­
  tion out of their Johns (the women get a bonus for every bit of 
  useful or impressive information). 
  This is a cheap hotel run by a seedy old crook who turns a 
  blind eye to anything going on in his establishment as long as 
  the right price is paid. Revenge Squad Ragnarok meets that 
  price so the old coot doesn't know or care about what the girls 
  are up to. He assumes, and rightly so, that the women are prosti­
  tutes plying their trade, but he knows absolutely nothing about 
  Revenge Squad Ragnarok or that the women secretly try to learn 
  secrets and information that will help Ragnarok undermine or 
  overthrow the Coalition States. In fact, he'd be shocked and hor­
  rified to fmd out he's in cahoots with insurrectionists from 
  Tolkeen. That will never happen, because even the women don't 
  
  know about Ragnarok or the Squad's plans to hurt the CS, and 
  because each woman pretty much works alone, they don't share 
  information or draw any conclusions. The women assume their 
  sponsors and protectors (i.e. the Squad) uses the information to 
  blackmail and leverage clients when the opportunity presents it­
  self. The women are just happy to be working for such kind and 
  generous . . . um . . . businessmen. Other than setting up the 
  prostitution ring and paying bonuses for useful information, Re­
  venge Squad Ragnarok has no direct involvement with the 
  women. The leaders of Ragnarok only loosely maintain the 
  prostitution operation, with the day to day work falling to 
  Madam Roseanna Lee, an attractive 55 year old oriental woman 
  who looks more like 35. Eleven women work for the Hot Stuff 
  Escort Service and with one or two exceptions, all have an aver­
  age P.B. of 17-24 and/or an M.A. of 14-22; only 3 are D-Bees, 
  the rest are human. 
  39. Hotel Brimstone 
  A ramshackle dive in a bad part of town that smells worse 
  than it looks. This flophouse is the home to the down and out, 
  and those looking to hide among other humanoid garbage. A 
  room costs 20 credits plus five for each individual above three, 
  though nobody ever checks and rooms are often packed with 4-8 
  people. Only 25% of the rooms have a working toilet or hot wa­
  ter, half have a working door lock and a clean bedspread, and all 
  of the walls are thin and the guests noisy. The entire place, ex­
  cept the business wing, stinks of booze, vomit, urine and an ar­
  ray of other unpleasant odors. Walls look like they haven't been 
  painted in 50 years (though the place can't possibly be older 
  than 10 or 12 years) and floors, walls and ceilings are splattered 
  with stains that can only be blood and other bodily fluids. 
  One can rent a room by the hour in the "business wing," at a 
  price of 10 credits. These rooms are comparatively clean, all 
  have thicker walls, working locks and M.D.C. doors (50 
  M.D.C.), but are reserved for hourly use by known local busi­
  ness people in the criminal underworld - i.e., prostitutes, drug 
  dealers, gang members (for meetings with outsiders or doing 
  drugs or dividing loot) and other criminals and criminal activi­
  ties that need an hour or less (one pays more for the special use, 
  cleanliness and extra security). 
  Adventure Hooks: You name the illicit or criminal activity 
  and it probably goes down here a dozen times a day, in some 
  cases a hundred times a day. Player characters might track 
  someone to, or meet with, a gang member, City Rat, lady of the 
  night, or two-bit hood at the Brimstone, as well as snitches, 
  junkies, spies, assassins, drug dealers, fugitives, refugees and 
  lowlifes. What happens once they get there could fall into the 
  realm of information and intrigue, ambush and treachery, to il­
  licit pleasures or life and death combat. This is one of the worst 
  dens of iniquity and evil in Firetown. Only the apartment com­
  plexes across the street (#46 & #47) and some of the abandoned 
  buildings are worse. 
  40. Ace Protection Service 
  A front for Revenge Squad Ragnarok. This service is com­
  posed of a few key members of the Squad and many of their less 
  powerful and recent recruits. It basically hires out "bodyguards 
  and specialists" to accompany and protect wealthy visitors and 
  56 
  newcomers through difficult times in their lives or as escorts 
  through some of the rougher sections of the 'Burbs to see that 
  they arrive home or wherever they are going, safely. Likewise, 
  they might hire an "agent" from Ace to help mediate a business 
  deal (i.e., muscle or a hired gun to enforce payment or make 
  sure violence does doesn't erupt, and if it does, it comes from 
  his hands on behalf of his employer). This operation not only 
  generates revenue and goodwill among some of the local busi­
  ness people and crime lords, but it also provides Ragnarok 
  members a reason to go into certain parts of town and helps 
  them to gather information without looking suspicious or like 
  snoops. 
  Fortune is in charge of the Ace Protection Service and sets 
  up the schedules (Khem is too busy with other tasks to handle 
  the day to day work required by this business). Fortune, Khem, 
  and Grimsby represent the top bodyguards and managers, with 
  Sigurd and Silvera helping out on occasion, and the rest of the 
  work being done by low level members of Squad Ragnarok -
  levels 3-6 on average (104+2) and most are Men-at-Arms and 
  Adventurer O.C.C.s recruited from the Firebelly Soup Kitchen, 
  half after rehab. The main, founding members of Revenge 
  Squad Ragnarok only take the most important and lucrative 
  jobs, leaving the pedestrian ones to their underlings. 
  41. The Firebelly Soup Kitchen 
  This is a medium-sized warehouse that has recently been 
  turned into a soup kitchen and flophouse for the indigent. Any­
  one down and out on their luck is welcomed at no charge, 
  though they may be asked to help with clean-up and a few sim­
  ple chores. According to word on the street, the place is said to 
  have been established by a group of kindhearted, retired adven­
  turers, and mercenaries and adventurers in trouble are received 
  with open arms. As a result, there are numerous wheelchairs and 
  crutches available for veterans who have lost limbs or suffer 
  from chronic pain. 
  A gymnasium is located on the third floor. Actually, the 
  gym is not much more than a huge open area with a basketball 
  court drawn out on the concrete floor, some benches on the side­
  lines, a pair of hoops at either end, an attached shower room and 
  some beat-up, old exercise equipment in the large anteroom 
  nextdoor. Despite its meager offerings, the gym and exercise 
  room seems to be in constant use; so is the roof. 
  The roof is just a flat top, tarred surface broken by a dozen 
  heating and cooling vents and a few smokestacks. Here and 
  there along the edge of the roof are some folding lawn chairs 
  and a card table or crate where regulars and staff come to sit in 
  the cool breeze to watch the city below, chat, play cards, or even 
  sleep out in the open air. Some of the more physically healthy 
  and private individuals come to the roof to walk or exercise, and 
  a basketball hoop is located on one end and a volleyball net at 
  the other. Private conversations can also be had up here, though 
  anybody can gain access to the roof and one must be careful that 
  no eavesdroppers are within earshot. 
  The second floor is one big, open floor filled with cots 
  where the homeless, handicapped and penniless can flop for a 
  good night's sleep. The cots aren't too lumpy and the place is 
  chilly in the winter but a whole lot better than sleeping outdoors 
  in the freezing cold. If one can ignore the coughing, wheezing 
  
  and snoring of the 100-600 people present at any given time, it's 
  a good place to bed down when one is down on his luck. When 
  this floor is filled to capacity, the third floor gymnasium and an­
  teroom can be used as temporary sleeping quarters for the over­
  flow (can hold another 250). A pair of lavatories and showers 
  are located at either end. 
  The first floor is divided into kitchen, huge dining hall filled 
  with long tables and benches, meeting hall, frrst aid clinic (a 
  very basic service), rehabilitation clinic, a sitting room with 
  shabby couches and easy chairs, and eight administrative of­
  fices. The administration offices are where the indigent go to 
  sign in, paperwork is processed (what little there is) and the key 
  members of Revenge Squad Ragnarok can rest, work or hang 
  out. The administrators who handle the day to day duties are 
  mostly volunteers who work for the founders of the soup 
  kitchen (Squad Ragnarok) who come and go freely as they at­
  tend to other business and personal matters. Each of the found­
  ers have their own offices, which are locked and empty most of 
  the time. 
  The dining hall is where food is served, mostly soups, stews, 
  beans and bread, meat and potatoes, and other inexpensive 
  meals that are filling and easy to prepare. The kitchen, of 
  course, is where the meals are prepared and can churn out food 
  for 500 per sitting. When the place is packed to overflowing 
  (700+ people), only breakfast and dinner are served, with two 
  seatings for each. When there are 600 or less people (200-400 is 
  the norm), a breakfast (hot cereal, pancakes, bread and eggs), 
  lunch (sandwiches or soup) and dinner (a hearty meal) are 
  served at 7:00 a.m., noon and 7:00 p.m. respectively. 
  57 
  The rehabilitation clinic is attached to four private rooms and 
  a small ward with 12 beds. Both are reserved for ex-military 
  types suffering from drug and/or alcohol addiction or combat fa­
  tigue, also known as "shell shock" and "post-traumatic syn­
  drome." Sadly, only a few can be helped at a time, and even 
  sadder is the fact that the beds are seldom more than half full be­
  cause most suffering from these maladies refuse help or don't 
  think they have a problem. Among those who are helped 
  through rehab, roughly 10% stay on as volunteers at the soup 
  kitchen or are recruited to join or work for Revenge Squad 
  Ragnarok in one capacity or another, from full combat members 
  to spies, informants and stoolies. 
  A front for revenge. The Firebelly Soup Kitchen is really a 
  front for a Retribution Squad calling itself the Revenge Squad 
  Ragnarok (see the section on this group elsewhere in this book). 
  The soup kitchen not only affords the Squad a legitimate cover 
  for their seditious activities, but it also provides them with a safe 
  place to hide or lose themselves, and allows them to make con­
  tact with the local street people and get the latest rumors about 
  Coalition and illegal activity. Granted, this information usually 
  comes in the form of rumors and gossip which can be unreliable 
  (60% of the time), but there is often some a grain of truth in 
  them to be found, and some are surprisingly accurate. The soup 
  kitchen also lets Squad Ragnarok recruit new candidates into 
  their network. However, this is a by-product of the soup 
  kitchen's charity and is not the main purpose or a priority. Po­
  tential recruits are looked at on an individual basis with any pos­
  sible security threats being eliminated from consideration. 
  Already, several down on their luck adventurers have been reha­
  bilitated and convinced to joined the Squad. 
  
  Although some of the local City Rats consider the soup 
  kitchen to be a naive gesture on the part of some do-gooder, oth­
  ers appreciate the effort to help the locals and several City Rats 
  have donated their time and effort to assist the operation. A few 
  of the Rats who know a little about Ragnarok's darker side and 
  subversive activities have even assisted them in evading the CS 
  authorities by providing valuable infonnation or by misdirecting 
  the Anny and ISS investigators looking into the Squad's activi­
  ties. Except for those allowed into the Squad's inner circle of 
  contacts and allies, nobody suspects the soup kitchen of being 
  connected with them. 
  Silvera runs the soup kitchen assisted by a couple of short-or­
  der cooks and whomever is willing to volunteer (often some of 
  the people who come here are drafted into helping). When in 
  human fonn, Sigurd often helps out for a few hours. For protec­
  tion (not that Silvera can't handle things), Grimsby is regularly 
  on hand, and, occasionally, Fortune is there too (but rarely). 
  Khem shows up every now and then, particularly if he hears 
  about a potential recruit being at the kitchen. Voudaryi never co­
  mes to the kitchen (both by Khem' s order and personal prefer­
  ence). 
  Secret basement. Unknown to everyone but the Revenge 
  Squad Ragnarok, there is a basement area once used to store 
  chemicals and supplies. It is roughly 100x60 feet (30.5x1 8.3 m) 
  with a 1 5  foot (4.6 m) ceiling. It serves as one of the Squad's se­
  cret safe houseslhideouts and supply depots. It contains comfort­
  able housing for twelve individuals (two per private room), two 
  showers and bathrooms, a dining/meeting room, small kitchen, 
  supply room and secret emergency exit that leads to the alley 
  out back as well as a frrst floor entrance/exit in the floor of one 
  of the administrative offices. 
  Adventure Hooks: 1. Besides the obvious, one might track a 
  fugitive, rebel or criminal to the facility. Thugs or villains might 
  try to shakedown or trouble the facility, so might the local au­
  thorities. There could be trouble between humans and D-Bees, 
  different occupations, etc. 
  2. The player characters could get involved with either Re­
  venge Squad Ragnarok or the actual soup kitchen. As adventur­
  ers themselves, they might get mistaken for being members of 
  the Squad, or some other Retribution Squad or troublemakers, or 
  even be framed by Ragnarok or some other group. 
  3. Involvement with this soup kitchen (or another) and its pa­
  trons can lead to all kinds of adventures or clues, rumors and 
  events that lead to adventure. Remember, these kinds of institu­
  tions are filled with people who are lost or want to be lost. Any 
  one to dozens of the indigent, emotionally broken or mentally 
  disturbed individuals staying at or regularly visiting the soup 
  kitchen could have a past that is filled with intrigue. Or one (or 
  more) could know, see or overhear something that leads to ad­
  venture. Or has found or stolen something worth millions of 
  credits or which represents a terrible danger or will unleash a 
  horrible monster or magic. Or one of the indigent who suffers 
  from amnesia is really a famous villain, or war hero, or sorcerer, 
  or rebel or even a Coalition officer or spy. Or one of the indi­
  gent or volunteers is really a fallen Cyber-Knight or hennit, or a 
  vampire, or shape changer, or alien invader, or serial killer, or 
  kidnapper, or evil cultist targeting his next victims or hiding 
  from the Coalition authorities or out to fmd and destroy Re­
  venge Squad Ragnarok or the player characters. Maybe a mon-
  58 
  ster is feeding on, or a slaver kidnaping, members of the soup 
  kitchen. Maybe a City Rat has given one of the indigent a disk 
  or clue with vital infonnation, only the Rat is killed and now 
  that individual must be found. Or maybe a crook hides some­
  thing at the soup kitchen or on one of the people staying there -
  maybe one with the mind of a child or a turnip, or someone evil, 
  and this incident brings back his senses and evil ways, or he gets 
  possessed, and so on. 
  The soup kitchen can be an excellent place where innocent 
  and helpless Non-Player Characters can be introduced to create 
  likeable characters to fall victim to a future crisis or villain. A 
  regular NPC friend or innocents can stumble onto something 
  that helps or endangers the player group or gives them a lead on 
  something. It can also introduce future troublemakers, villains 
  and monsters, as well as ongoing, reoccurring villains like gang 
  members and bullies who victimize the residents and visitors of 
  the soup kitchen. Plus, a relationship with the indigent here can 
  spin into adventures elsewhere. Who would guess that Old 
  Mack knows where someone or something important is hidden, 
  or a secret way into Chi-Town or some other building, etc. Or 
  Old Mack's son, daughter, nephew, old partner, etc., is in trou­
  ble and he turns to the player characters for help. Or he is ar­
  rested for a crime he could never have committed, and on and 
  on. 
  As you can see, the possibilities are many. Think about them 
  and try several. 
  42. Parking Structure 
  A large, six story, Mega-Damage parking structure primarily 
  used by the businesses, hotels, and visitors. The neighboring 
  Factory District has ample street level parking, often fenced in 
  and guarded. It is half to three quarters empty after seven in the 
  evening. 
  Adventure Hooks: Probably what one would expect, the oc­
  casional car theft, mugging, and act of vandalism. Dark and de­
  serted, it can also be a place for an ambush by a bounty hunter, 
  the authorities, rival, or an enemy. Late at night, the parking 
  structure is sometimes used as a meeting place by gang mem­
  bers and street people, and sometimes as a place for gang com­
  bat and duels. 
  43. General Store 
  A general store that sells everything from hardware and 
  clothes to toys and candy. No books though, since most of the 
  clientele is illiterate. Average prices. 
  Adventure Hooks: Other than shoplifting and chance en­
  counters, nothing much exciting happens at this store. Same 
  possibilities for chance encounters and trouble on the street, es­
  pecially at night, as #35 and #36. 
  44. Movie Theater 
  A run-down multiplex with 12 screens and seating for 500 in 
  each. It shows only movies approved by the Coalition States. 
  Adventure Hooks: 1. Basically the same as the live Theater 
  #35. 
  
  2. Unknown to the owner and manager, one of the employ­
  ees has made a duplicate set of keys and opens the theater at 
  night to Rogue Scholars for secret screenings of illegal films 
  and documentaries. As many as sixty people show up some 
  nights. They are always quiet and very careful to cover their 
  trail. If the CS should catch wind of this there could be trouble. 
  Likewise, a rival group or a villain coveting something the 
  scholars have or know, might attack and rob or kill them, per­
  haps committing the crime inside or near the movie theater. 
  45. Katz & Jammer 
  Lenny Katz and Mike "Jammer" Kinsky are a pair of young 
  Techno-Wizard dissidents who supply Retribution Squads, sor­
  cerers, rebels and people with a grudge against the CS with elec­
  tronics and Techno-Wizard devices to use against the Empire. 
  Katz is the weapons and TW energy source specialist while 
  Jammer is the electronics and communications expert. They are 
  always glad to help a fellow dissident and provide their services 
  to repair Techno-Wizard and conventional weapons, communi­
  cations and electronics, as well as help others build bombs, traps 
  and gizmos to attack or thwart the Coalition. The two are well 
  known in the underground rebel and magic communities in 
  Firetown, and are increasingly outspoken against the CS and 
  bold in their work to help overthrow the government. They have 
  become so cocky that they eavesdrop on conversations and walk 
  up and offer their help/services to complete strangers. It is a 
  miracle that the CS has not caught on to these two yet. Katz and 
  Jammer work only as a team and sell their services at the low 
  59 
  cost of parts and a little extra for their time. They only take 
  enough to survive and get their reward from knowing they are 
  either helping innocent people escape the clutches of Coalition 
  oppression or helping rebels to undermine the Coalition govern­
  ment. It doesn't matter that many of their "innocent" clients are 
  liars, thieves and cutthroats or that the rebels are using terrorist 
  tactics and killing innocent 'Burbies while trying to undermine 
  the CS. Nope, to these two, everything is black and white, with 
  the Coalition States and its enforcers (soldiers, police, politi­
  cians, etc.) "evil monsters" and anyone who opposes them, the 
  "good guys." Sadly, this narrow and callous outlook has made 
  Katz and Jammer complicit in a number of criminal and terrorist 
  actions. Should they ever get captured by the CS, they will be 
  executed. 
  Katz is an Aberrant evil, 20 year old, 3rd level Techno-Wiz­
  ard. He has a head of bushy red hair, a scrawny red goatee, and 
  green eyes. He also has some cybernetic implants, namely a 
  headjack, clock calendar, and augmented hearing. Attributes: 
  I.Q. 1 8, M.A. 17, M.E. 1 8, P.S. 14, P.P. 15, P.E. 10, P.B. 12, 
  Spd 2 1 .  
  Jammer is an Anarchist, 1 8  year old, 3rd level Techno-Wiz­
  ard who loves all things electronic. He is a blonde with blue 
  eyes and a small goatee. So far, he has avoided the temptation of 
  cybernetic augmentation, but he's considering a few communi­
  cations devices. Attributes: I.Q. 21, M.A. 9, M.E. 1 1, P.S. 10, 
  P.P. 1 7, P.E. 1 1, P.B. 10, Spd 1 8. 
  Both are armed with a number of common Techno-Wizard 
  weapons and devices, most of their own manufacture. One of 
  their own creations is the K&J Multi-Purpose Weapon Flight 
  
  Pack (seen laying on the floor in the picture). The energy source 
  is a canister worn on the back like a jet pack, and an energy rifle 
  wired to the pack. The backpack enables the wearer to Levitate 
  (up and down) or Fly like the Eagle. The gun can fIre an energy 
  blast that Disrupts Energy (900 foot! 274 m range, six shots; 
  costs 15 P.P.E. to recharge) or shoots bolts o/fire (406 M.D. 
  per blast, 1200 foot!366 m range, the TW battery holds up to 60 
  fIre blasts; costs 8 P.P.E. to recharge a single blast). Another is 
  the Whisper Ear plug, a tiny communications device that lets 
  them transmit any message that is whispered. 
  Adventure Hooks: There are a number of reasons why a 
  player character might want to contact Katz and Jammer. The 
  most obvious is to purchase TW weapons or devices. Another 
  might be to get electronics repaired, and another might be to get 
  information since both guys are well connected with the under­
  world, rebels and Retribution Squads. 
  1. Under the pretense to acquire TW devices (or staking out 
  their lair), the player group might be able to use the two wizards 
  to hunt down a Retribution Squad or other villain they are look­
  ing for. Being used won't sit well with Katz or Jammer, and the 
  two are likely to seek revenge for it and to preserve their reputa­
  tion as reliable. Similarly, associating with the two might get the 
  player group mistakenly branded as a Retribution Squad, 
  Tolkeen refugees, Federation of Magic troublemakers, or crimi­
  nals. Likewise, the two might get the group into trouble by ar­
  ranging a meeting for them with some very bad people. Note: 
  Katz and Jammer have many friends in low places, and anybody 
  who messes with or causes problems for them may fmd them­
  selves hunted by one or more Retribution Squads or a band of 
  Gutter Rats, Crazies, rebels or gangbangers. 
  2. Katz and/or Jammer might approach the group with an of­
  fer: "I couldn't help overhearing your conversation and maybe 
  we can help." Or, "Any enemy of the Coalition is a friend of 
  ours. We can repair your weapon (or communicator or what­
  ever) and maybe show you a few other things to give you a 
  hand." Or, "Sounds like you're in the market for some magic, 
  maybe we can help." Where this leads we leave to you. 
  3. Katz and Jammer might find themselves in a bind and need 
  to hire some protectors or spies to help them out. Or to make a 
  delivery or to acquire some particular magic item or component. 
  4. The player group might fmd out that Katz and Jammer 
  have been supplying villains killing innocent 'Burbies and de­
  cide it's time to put Katz and Jammer out of business. That 
  won't be an easy task, because the two Techno-Wizards are 
  loaded for bear with TW items and have a lot of connections, in­
  cluding Retribution Squads, rebels and practitioners of magic 
  who are glad to come to their aid. 
  46. Prosek Towers 
  Low Rent Apartment High-Rise 
  The Towers is a terrible place to live. The filth, the bugs, the 
  squalor, the crime, the violence are all epidemic. Gangs, one for 
  each floor, live in the nine story construct along with scores of 
  other scurrilous bands of misanthropes and cutthroats. Drug 
  dealers are found inside and out, while residents have to step 
  over the junkies and drunks in the hallways. The toughest and 
  bravest gang members claim the front stoop and lobby area, the 
  rest roam the halls and the streets outside. Most deal in one form 
  60 
  of crime and contraband or another. Life here is very much a 
  concrete jungle with the strong and cruel preying on the weak 
  and poor. Note: Prosek Towers and Joseph Towers across the 
  
  way are the two largest buildings in Firetown. Both were built 
  with the help of Chi-Town in a rare 'Burb urban development 
  project 1 8  years ago. The only thing that has kept them standing 
  is Coalition indifference and that they are built with Mega-Dam­
  age materials. Every floor has been burnt out and rebuilt at some 
  point throughout the building's history. 
  Adventure Hooks: The following are just a few of the most 
  notable inhabitants of Prosek Towers, any of whom could lead 
  to or participate in adventures. 
  1. Any of the scenarios suggested for abandoned apartment 
  buildings work at this location, only there are more people, 
  more misery and more violence. 
  2. A band of Crazies calling themselves the Dirty Boys live 
  and operate out of this complex. There are six total, all Crazies 
  and all insane. Mean, too. Bullies of the highest magnitude, 
  pushing people around, taking what they want and doing as they 
  please. Anybody who complains is beaten or killed. They have 
  already wiped out a rival band called Crazy Clowns and have an 
  ongoing feud with the gang that controls the fifth floor where 
  they live (the Crazies are too small a group to be considered a 
  full-fledged street gang). The Dirty Boys could easily kill the 
  leaders and take over the gang, and maybe half the building, but 
  they don't want to. They're too wild, independent and intolerant 
  of others. They regularly hire themselves as contract killers for 
  crime syndicates (actually anyone who can afford them), some­
  times chase bounties (especially difficult and high paying ones), 
  and engage in other crimes usually for the challenge or fun of it. 
  All are 6th to 8th level, Miscreant or Diabolic and love to intim­
  idate, hurt and kill. 
  3. Three gangs of Cyber-Snatchers reside in Prosek Towers, 
  the Rat Catchers, the Electro-Killers and the Wired Mon­
  keys. All are 1D4+ 2 level and Diabolic, with approximately 
  16-32 members in each gang, though they are usually encoun­
  tered in smaller groups of ID4+6 members. When they aren't 
  out killing people and snatching bionics, they're raising hell, 
  warring with other gangs or getting wasted on booze and/or 
  drugs. 
  4. The D-Bee Brain Eaters (commonly known only as the 
  Brain Eaters) are one of the more notorious of the street gangs 
  in the neighborhood. They are bunch of low level human su­
  premacists who go wandering around the Firetown and the other 
  'Burbs, particularly Shanty Towns, beating, robbing, torturing, 
  raping and killing D-Bees. They are proud to announce that they 
  are responsible for keeping Prosek Towers "pure." Many of 
  their members like to spend time at Karl's Revenge (#2). The 
  majority are 1 D4 level thugs, thieves, bandits or City Rats 
  (mostly Gutter Rats or Roof Rats). Typical alignments are Mis­
  creant and Diabolic. There are reportedly over 1,100 members 
  in this gang throughout the 'Burbs, a third of which are said to 
  live in Firetown, and their leaders in Prosek Towers. They con­
  trol the 4th floor. 
  S. The Highrise Kings are another one of the more notorious 
  gangs based in the Towers and control the 6th floor. They are 
  known for being information brokers and kidnapers, holding 
  victims for ransom and using information to blackmail others. 
  Ten percent of the gang are Gutter Rats, 20% Roof Rats, 1 5% 
  City Rats of other varieties and 4% practitioners of magic and 
  8% psychics. Roughly one quarter are D-Bees, though none re­
  side in the Towers. The rest are professional crooks and killers. 
  61 
  300 members of this gang operate in Firetown with the Towers 
  serving as their headquarters. Most are 1 D4+ 3 level, Anarchist, 
  Miscreant and Aberrant. 
  6. Rex Masterson is an underworld figure said to be rich 
  many times over, but loves the grit and sweat of the "real 
  world," which is why he chooses to live in the Towers, in what 
  he calls the penthouse, of course. According to gang members 
  and crime figures in the neighborhood, Mr. Masterson was once 
  a professional smuggler turned hit man. Now he's semi-retired, 
  but said to do both when the urge strikes him. He is supposedly 
  the criminal mastermind who runs a smuggling ring known as 
  the Shadow Masters, a group that is said to specialize in smug­
  gling the most wanted and most dangerous people and merchan­
  dise in and out of the 'Burbs. He is also suspected of being the 
  boss of the biggest street gang in Firetown, the Shadow Sol­
  diers, of which many top members live on (and rule) the eighth 
  floor of the Towers. 
  7. Henry "the Reaper" Levandowski. The residents call 
  this new arrival "Deadman Hank" because if it really is ''the 
  Reaper" he is a 12th level Necromancer and one of the archi­
  tects behind the Sorcerers ' Revenge, and has a three million 
  credit bounty on his head. One can rest assured the Reaper will 
  have already gathered himself an army of animated dead, and 
  probably has a few inhuman protectors, not that it will stop the 
  Coalition Army. If the Army learns he is here they'll send two 
  companies to bring him down. But why alert the Coalition au­
  thorities when one can claim the bounty for oneself? That might 
  explain the rash of dead bounty hunters found near the Towers. 
  Word from the Tower grapevine is that Deadman Hank was 
  supposed to meet with an ally or partner and escape to the Fed­
  eration of Magic, but something went wrong, he was betrayed, 
  has no money and is, momentarily, stuck at the Towers where 
  he is laying low and trying to formulate a new plan. 
  47. Joseph Towers 
  Low Rent Apartment High-Rise 
  Fundamentally a clone of Prosek Towers, #46, above. Differ­
  ent names, same garbage. The Barnstormer Retribution 
  Squad is said to have members and cohorts living here. 
  48. Recent Purge Site 
  Several city blocks have been leveled by a recent purge by 
  the Coalition Army. Except for the walls of several buildings 
  that remain standing (and #49), the neighborhood is gone. 
  Approximately 200 homeless people have taken up residence 
  among the ruins, finding shelter from standing walls or living in 
  tents or shacks. Hundreds of others come during the day to dig 
  through the rubble in search of what few personal items they can 
  recover and/or the remains of loved ones still missing. Flocks of 
  crows and swarms of flies, rats, and other vermin infest the area, 
  feeding on the remains of the dead. Local kids and desperate 
  people dig for valuables. 
  Rumors for Adventure Hooks: This is word circulating in 
  the neighborhood. All, some or none of them may be true. 
  1 .  What loot or secrets may be buried under the rubble? 
  Who's willing to dig it up? 
  
  2. Rumor says a magic dealer's cache is buried in the rubble 
  somewhere. 
  3. A refugee from Tolkeen who died in the conflagration died 
  clutching a powerful magic or alien artifact . 
  4. Ghouls and monsters that eat the dead have been sighted in 
  the ruins. 
  5. Entities: A half dozen Haunting, a few dozen Poltergeist 
  and 104 Tectonic infest the area. 
  6. Animated dead roaming the ruins and attacking, killing 
  and robbing people in and around the ruins of the purge area. 
  Proof, say some folks, that a treasure of magic is buried in the 
  rubble, and a Necromancer is out to claim it for himself, killing 
  anyone looking for it. 
  7. A Death Cult now operates in the ruins. 
  8. Coalition squads regularly stalk the ruins at night, hunting 
  0-Bees and sorcerers for sport. 
  49. Purge Battered 
  Apartment Building 
  This battered apartment building is in such bad shape it 
  should be condemned. How it survived the purge is a miracle, 
  but since then it has become worse than ever. A lawless oasis of 
  habitation in a sea of ruin and death. It is the equivalent of an 
  abandoned apartment building, filled with impoverished thugs, 
  Tolkeen refugees, D-Bees and god only knows what else that 
  have pushed out half of the original residents. The residents who 
  refuse to leave live in terror. The nearby neighborhood of poor 
  isn't much better. The CS doesn't care about either. 
  Firetown Map Two 
  Space limitations and other cool ideas prevent a full break­
  down and description of notable people and places in the other 
  half of Firetown, so we'll have to save it for the Black Vault™ 
  Adventure Sourcebook scheduled for a June 2003 release. 
  The Barnstormers 
  Retribution Squad 
  The Barnstormers is currently one of the more infamous Ret­
  ribution Squads operating in and around Firetown. They are the 
  epitome of the worst fanaticism and hate can breed. Though 
  their primary targets are Coalition soldiers, spies, undercover 
  agents, police and notorious personalities from Chi-Town, they 
  also target Cyber-Knights, Lazloans, and others who they be­
  lieve betrayed Tolkeen. Surprisingly, many 'Burbies, especially 
  D-Bees, consider the rebels to be heroic champions fighting for 
  Tolkeen. The Barnstormers also make a big show trying to help 
  and protect civilians, particularly D-Bees. However, like all Ret­
  ribution Squads, their methods are extreme and designed to un­
  dermine the CS with little regard for innocent lives. Thus, the 
  secret behind the Barnstormers' success is that they often use 
  the very people they swear they are trying to avenge and protect 
  (i.e., D-Bees) as bait to lure Coalition soldiers out in the open. 
  62 
  
  In fact, they frequently leak infonnation to Coalition authorities 
  (military and ISS) about illegal D-Bee operations, homesteads, 
  sweatshops and meeting places, and then stake out the D-Bees 
  or the location to waylay the Coalition forces when they come to 
  investigate. This secret tactic puts innocent people in danger and 
  has cost dozens of lives, but, ironically, makes the Barnstonners 
  appear all the more heroic, because somehow they always seem 
  to arrive when D-Bees are being attacked by the Coalition to 
  "selflessly fight to protect them." Nobody knows the Barn­
  stonners place D-Bee lives in jeopardy in the first place. Note: 
  Though the group is based in Firetown, they can be found "wag­
  ing war" in any of the Chi-Town 'Burbs, from Shanty Towns to 
  Old Towns. Have recently been staking out the Firetown purge 
  ruins. 
  Goals: Harass and kill Coalition soldiers and Chi-Town po­
  lice, kill ten CS soldiers for every Tolkeenite who perished 
  (that's millions) but ultimately, to strike a blow that will bring 
  Chi-Town to its knees. Ideally, the death of Emperor Karl 
  Prosek and/or his son, Joseph. To that end, they seek a way in­
  side Chi-Town or to get at the Emperor and his family. 
  Tactics: Any and every means of combat, treachery and ter­
  rorism available to them, conventional military, magic and 
  psionic. 
  Network: Loved by many D-Bees who see them as heroes, 
  avengers and saviors. These admirers and supporters may pro­
  vide the Barnstonners with infonnation, help, hiding places, 
  food and even weapons and money to help the cause. 
  Numbers: There are three Barnstonner Squads: Squad Stonn, 
  Squad Death and Strike Squad, each with roughly 9-12 mem­
  bers at any given time. 
  Notable Members of Squad Stonn: 
  Captain Samson Blackmoore: Team: Squad Stonn, Alpha 
  Team; includes many of the original Barnstonner Squad from 
  Tolkeen. Real Name: Rydal Tyrn. Alignment: Aberrant evil. 
  Species: Kremin Cyborg. Team Leader. Attributes: I.Q. 13, 
  M.A. 21, M.E. 1 8, P.S. 26 (Bionic), P.P. 28, P.E. 10, P.B. 10, 
  Spd. 132 (90 mph/144 km). R.C.C. & Experience: Equivalent to 
  a 9th level Coalition Cyborg Soldier. Special Weapons: 
  Matched pair of indestructible, magic swords. Inflict 2D6 M.D. 
  as blade weapons, can each unleash a fiery blast doing 5D6 
  M.D. (1000 ftl305 m range) or ID6xl0 ifboth are fired simulta­
  neously as paired weapons at the same target. Additionally, the 
  blades can be crossed to create a wall of Mega-Damage flame 
  (range: 20 ftl6. 1 m, duration: ID4 minutes, and damage for any 
  vehicle or person to pass through the wall is ID6x1O M.D.). 
  Notes: Capt. Blackmoore is the founder of the Barnstonners and 
  is the commander in chief of the entire outfit, not just Squad 
  Stonn. See page 209 of Coalition War Campaign for complete 
  stats, bonuses and abilities. 
  Lieutenant Stone: Team: Squad Stonn. Real Name: Briltan 
  Nagolo. Alignment: Aberrant evil. Species: Swordfist. Attrib-
  63 
  utes: I.Q. 12, M.A. 1 5, M.E. 1 7, P.S. 3 1  (Supernatural), P.P. 17, 
  P.E. 15, P.B. 3, Spd. 12. R.C.C. & Experience: Equivalent to an 
  8th level Coalition Commando/Assassin. Special Weapons: Su­
  pernatural P.S. and M.D.C. sword hands. Paired weapons. 
  Notes: Stone has fought at Capt. Blackmoore's side throughout 
  the War at Tolkeen and continues to do so in the Chi-Town 
  'Burbs. See page 203 of Coalition War Campaign for complete 
  stats, bonuses and abilities. 
  The rest of Squad Stonn: Zala, a 5th level Thunder Lizard 
  dragon hatchling, Randal, a 5th level Mind Bleeder, a pair of 6th 
  level Wild Psi-Stalkers (Lynn Wind and Sharp Tooth), and three 
  4th level Brodkil. All are Anarchist or Miscreant. 
  Black Able: Team: Squad Death, Beta Team. Leader. Real 
  Name: Able Curtis Holman. Alignment: Diabolic evil. Species: 
  Changeling (a shape changing race from the Palladium Fantasy 
  world; see page 82 of Rifts® Conversion Book One for complete 
  stats on this race). Attributes: I.Q. 14, M.A. 7, M.E. 17, P.S. 12, 
  P.P. 1 5, P.E. 9, P.B. 8, Spd. 9. Appearance: Can make himself 
  appear as any humanoid race, but usually looks like a bald, de­
  monic human with sharp, feline fmgernails, fangs and pointed 
  teeth, and blank eyes. May also take a more demonic appear­
  ance. R.C.C. & Experience: 8th level Ley Line Walker. Spell 
  Magic: Many spells of combat, torture and destruction. Special 
  Weapons: A TW Starfrre pistol and rifle, Scepter of Command, 
  and a Splugorth Enslaver device. Notes: Black Able (effectively 
  a Captain though he never uses the rank) is absolutely blood­
  thirsty and merciless in combat. He delights in the torture and 
  slaughtering of Coalition soldiers and will do anything to get 
  them. Collateral damage caused by Black Able's operations is 
  often horrific. He dreams of destroying the Prosek family. 
  The rest of Death Squad: Leads a team of two 4th level Mys­
  tics, a 5th Level Trimadore Techno-Wizard, two 3rd level Ley 
  Line Walkers, a 5th level Zenith Moon Warper (shape changer), 
  a 6th level Necromancer and a pair of Black Faeries. All are 
  Miscreant or Diabolic. 
  Butcher Barns: Team: Strike Squad, Delta Team. Real 
  Name: N'rrya B'aymn. Alignment: Diabolic evil. Species: 
  N'mbyr Gorilla Man. Attributes: I.Q. 10, M.A. 8, M.E. 9, P.S. 
  30, P.P. 12, P.E. 21, P.B. 7, Spd. 6. R.C.C. & Experience: 
  Equivalent to a CS 7th level Military Specialist; master of de­
  molitions. 
  Special 
  Weapons: 
  Coalition 
  heavy 
  weapons, 
  Vibro-Knife and Vibro-Dagger, as well as a wide variety of gre­
  nades, mini-missiles and explosives. Notes: The group's explo­
  sives expert, trap builder and ambusher. See page 202 of 
  Coalition War Campaign for complete stats, bonuses and abili­
  ties for Gorilla Men. 
  The Rest of Strike Squad: Leads a team of seven other 5th 
  level N'mbyr Gorilla Men (half Grunts, half bandits), one 5th 
  level Nega-Psychic, and a 7th level Grackle Tooth Wilderness 
  Scout. Specialize in bushwhacking and combat. All are Miscre­
  ant or Anarchist. 
  
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  ● Imagine Earth transformed into an alien landscape.
  ● Humans exist – barely. And we are not alone.
  ● Aliens and monsters emerge from the Ri�s – holes torn in the fabric of 
  space and �me, connected to countless worlds and reali�es.
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  Other RPG Worlds from Palladium Books®:
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  Role-Playing Game and Sourcebooks
  ● Four generations of heroes and mecha ● Giant transformable robots ● Alien 
  invaders ● Battle for control of the Earth ● Combat takes to the stars ● All pre-
  sented in a core rule book and dynamic set of epic sourcebooks ● Easy to learn 
  ● Fun to play ● Quick character generation ● Fast combat ● Captures the action 
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  Robotech® “Core Rules” – Shadow Chronicles® RPG Hardcover
  All the rules and informa�on a player needs to start a Robotech® 
  role-playing campaign with Admiral Rick Hunter and the United Earth 
  Expedi�onary Force trekking across the galaxy.
  ● Human mecha: Alphas, Betas, Cyclones & much more.
  ● Five character classes. 25 diﬀerent Military Special�es.
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  ● Quick roll character tables. Make a character in 15 minutes.
  ● A complete, stand-alone RPG.
  ● 224 pages. Cat. No. 550HC. 8½ x 11 size, hardcover.
  Robotech®: The Macross® Saga Sourcebook – Cat. No. 551
  A treasure chest packed with the iconic mecha, vehicles, weapons and 
  characters that made Robotech® famous. Valkyries, Destroids, ground 
  vehicles, aircra�, spacecra�, weapons, Zentraedi soldiers, Zentraedi 
  mecha, alien invaders, heroes, villains, and more.
  ● All the iconic Macross mecha, vehicles, weapons & characters.
  Robotech®: The Masters Saga™ Sourcebook – Cat. No. 552
  Tons of never before seen stats and descrip�ons for the many 
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  ● The Army of the Southern Cross™ – all 15 branches and their mecha!
  Robotech®: New Genera�on™ Sourcebook – Cat. No. 554
  The ba�le for the libera�on of Earth starts here.
  ● Ki
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  ● Invid Hives, world overview, key characters and adventure ideas.
  Robotech®: Genesis Pits™ Sourcebook – Cat. No. 555
  The Invid Genesis Pits, their purpose, func�on.
  ● Inorganics and other war machines of the Invid Regent.
  ● Genesis Pit muta�ons and monsters.
  Robotech®: Expedi�onary Marines Sourcebook – Cat. No. 553
   Join the UEEF (United Earth Expedi�onary Force) led by Admiral Rick 
  Hunter as they travel across the galaxy libera�ng planets from the 
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  Zentraedi Glaug Command™ – Cat. No. 55403
  This diverse pack provides your Zentraedi forces with greater tac�cal 
  capabili�es; three game pieces total. $36.95 retail.
  ● 1 Glaug Oﬃcer’s Ba�lepod – the fast and deadly mecha of Zentraedi 
  ﬁeld leaders.
  ●● 1 Quel-Regult Scout Ba�lepod – the stealthy eyes and ears of your 
  Zentraedi ba�le force; electronic warfare capabili�es.
  ● 1 Quel-Gulnau Recovery Pod – enhances the Glaug’s ability to bring 
  in Ba�lepod reinforcements. Note: This ﬁgure has NEVER before 
  been oﬀered by any company.
  Zentraedi Ar�llery Ba�lepods™ – Cat. No. 55402
  Give your Zentraedi legion greater ﬁrepower with these ar�llery and 
  support Ba�lepods; four game pieces total. $36.95 retail.
  ● 4 Zentraedi Support Ba�lepods, each of which can be made into:
  Gluuhaug-Regult – Light Ar�llery Ba�lepod
  Serauhaug-Regult – Heavy Ar�llery Ba�lepod
  TTelnesta-Regult – Experimental Par�cle Beam Ba�lepod
  Four game pieces total.
  Zentraedi Regult Ba�lepods™ – Cat. No. 55401
  Expand your Zentraedi forces with their main infantry ba�le mecha; 
  six game pieces total. $36.95 retail.
  ● 6 Regult Tac�cal Ba�lepods – the lightning quick Regults, armed with a 
  pair of par�cle cannons and auto-cannons, a�ack in wave a�er wave.
  UEDF Spartan/Phalanx Destroids™ – Cat. No. 55203
  Add some long-range power and up-close punch to your army with 
  these valuable Destroids; four game pieces total. $32.95 retail.
  ● 2 Spartan Destroids – civil defense, riot control and deadly in hand to 
  hand combat.
  ● 2 Phalanx Destroids – a walking, long-range missile ar�llery unit.
  UEDF Tomahawk/Defender Destroids™ – Cat. No. 55202
  Expand your Destroid squad with these formidable walking tanks; 
  four game pieces total. $32.95 retail.
  ● 2 Tomahawk Destroids – the main ba�le tank of Destroids, brimming 
  with powerful par�cle beam cannons for arms, and wielding a 
  ba�ery of missiles and an array of other weapons.
  ●● 2 Defender Destroids – a long-range, an�-aircra� juggernaut capable 
  of shoo�ng down incoming Zentraedi Ba�lepods and Gnerl Fighters.
  UEDF Valkyrie Wing™
  – Cat. No. 55201
  Build your ﬂeet of Earth defenders with the Valkyrie Veritech 
  Fighter; six game pieces total. $36.95 retail.
  ● 2 Valkyries in Fighter mode.
  ● 2 Valkyries in Guardian mode.
  ● 
  ● 2 Valkyries in Ba�loid mode.
  ● Mul�ple heads for making the VF-1A, VF-1J, VF-1R & VF-1S.
  Note: Each product contains plas�c game pieces requiring assembly and pain�ng. Glue not included. This is not a toy. Small parts, not suitable for children under the 
  age of 13. Adult supervision advised. Images shown here are not to scale.
  A fast-paced, strategy ba�le game that captures the speed and ac�on of Robotech®. 
  Play Earth defenders or Zentraedi invaders.
  ● Scalable from small squad skirmishes to mass ba�les.
  ● Turn-based system of play and uses D6. Two or more players.
  ● 34 highly detailed game pieces. 6mm scale.
  ● 112 page color rule book with paint guide and index.
  ● 53 laminated, color game cards.
  ● 24 cu
  ● 24 custom dice, two decal sheets and more.
  ● Assembly and pain�ng required. Glue not included.
  ● $99.95 retail – Cat. No. 55100 – shipping now!
  ● Available in North and South America, the EU, Australia & New Zealand.
  Main Boxed Game – Cat. No. 55100 – Available Now!
  
  www.palladiumbooks.com
  © Copyright 2017 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved. Rifts®, Palladium Books®, Megaverse®, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, Heroes Unlimited and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc.
  Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG        Nightbane® RPG
  Other horror titles from Palladium Books®
  Fear the Reaper™ Sourcebook
   Heroes who, like knights of old, travel the highways fighting zombies 
  and helping survivors.
  ● Comprehensive background on the Road Reapers.
  ● Their code, missions, weapons, strategies and tactics.
  ● The Terror Zombie and more.
  ● $12.95 
  ● $12.95 retail – 48 pages – Cat. No. 234. Available now.
  Graveyard Earth™ Sourcebook
   The Zombie Apocalypse across the globe; provides a world overview 
  and many adventure ideas.
  ● Many tables for settings, encounters and adventure hooks.
  ● Random Safe Havens by region, and Survivor Leaders.
  ● How to get home from abroad, zombie threat levels & more.
  ● $12.95 
  ● $12.95 retail – 64 pages – Cat. No. 235. Available now.
  Hell Followed™ Sourcebook
   This big, 160 page sourcebook begins to redefine the zombie genre. It 
  broadens the field of possibilities and expands upon the modern zombie 
  mythos. It is full of twists and surprises you will not expect.
  ● 11 new types of terrifying zombies.
  ● 7 player characters, plus Masked Lunatics – heroes or madmen?
  ● 21 disasters to complicate survival, and urban survival.
  ● 21 disasters to complicate survival, and urban survival.
  ● Government enclaves, conspiracy theories and more.
  ● $20.95 retail – 160 pages – Cat. No. 236. Available now.
  The Dead Reign® RPG series
  Dead Reign® RPG – “Core Rules.” It is the aftermath of the zombie 
  apocalypse. The dead reign and the living fight against impossible odds. 
  Can you survive? Find out with this fast-paced horror game. Easy to 
  learn. Fast character creation and combat.
  ● Zombie combat and survival rules, vehicles and equipment.
  ● 
  ● 6 iconic Character Classes plus Ordinary People (40+ occupations).
  ● 7 types of zombies, plus the Half-Living.
  ● 101 Random Scenarios, Encounters, Settings and other tables.
  ● $22.95 retail – 224 pages – Cat. No. 230. Available now.
  Civilization Gone™ Sourcebook
  Civilization has crumbled to nothing. There is no army. No govern-
  ment. No help coming. What now?
  ● Madmen, Psychopaths, villains, heroes and protectors.
  ● House, home and survivor camp tables, resources & encounters.
  ● $12.92 retail – 64 pages – Cat. No. 231. Available now.
  Dark Places™ Sourcebook
  Travel the rails and urban underground to move about undetected by 
  zombies.
  ● Worm Meat, Bug Boy, Sewer Crawler & Impersonator Zombies.
  ●● Traveling the rails, sewers and other dark places.
  ● Random encounter tables, boxcar content tables, and much more.
  ● $12.92 retail – 64 pages – Cat. No. 232. Available now.
  Endless Dead™ Sourcebook
  The zombies grow in number and strangeness. Can humankind 
  survive?
  ● Zombie amalgamations, tables and encounters.
  ● New playe
  ● New player characters & timetables for your campaign.
  ● Weaponizing vehicles, vehicle combat rules, and military bases.
  ● Creating survivor caravans, hideouts, Safe Havens & more.
  ● $16.95 retail – 96 pages – Cat. No. 233. Available now.
  Can YOU survive the Zombie Apocalypse?
  
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         552 Robotech® The Masters Saga™ 
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         553 Robotech®: Expeditionary Force 
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         555 Robotech® Genesis Pits Sourcebook – 
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  Robotech® RPG Tactics™  (New!)
         55100 Robotech® RPG Tactics™ – $99.95
         55105 Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Rule-
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         55101 UEDF Dice Pack – $12.00
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         55201 UEDF Valkyrie Wing – $36.95
         55202 UEDF Destroid Pack – $32.95
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         MI8031 Glitter Boy – $20.00
         MI8032 Glitter Boy Pilot – $6.00
         MI8033 Kydian Overlord – $20.00
         MI8034 Dragonsaurus – $10.00
         MI8035 Slaver and Slave (Atlantis) Set – 
  $10.00
         MI8036 Crazy – $6.00
         MI8037 Juicer #1 – $6.00
         MI8038 Juicer #2 – $6.00
         MI8039 Cyborg #1 – $12.00
         MI8040 Cyborg #2 – $12.00
         MI8041 Cyborg #3 – $6.00
         MI8042 Coalition Officer – $6.00
         MI8043 Coalition Grunt #1 – $6.00
         MI8044 Coalition Grunt #2 – $6.00
         MI8045 Coalition Grunt #3 – $6.00
  When placing an order by mail, please 
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         876 Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™ – 
  $24.95
         876HC Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™ 
  Gold Hardcover Edition – $50.00
         877 Rifts® Heroes of the Megaverse® – 
  $16.95
         878 Rifts® Sourcebook: Shemarrian Na-
  tion™ – $16.95
         880 Phase World®: Fleets of the Three 
  Galaxies™ – $16.95
         881 Rifts® WB 31: Triax™ Two – $24.95
         883 Rifts® DB 14: Thundercloud Galaxy™ 
  – $20.95
         884 Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™ – $20.95
         885 Rifts® WB 32: Lemuria™ – $24.95
         886 Rifts® Black Market™ – $24.95
         886HC Rifts® Black Market™ Hardcover 
  Gold Edition – $60.00
         887 Rifts® WB 33: Northern Gun™ One 
  – $24.95
         888 Rifts® WB 34: Northern Gun™ Two 
  – $26.95
         889 Rifts® Sourcebook: Coalition States, 
  Heroes of Humanity™ – $20.95
         890 Rifts® Dimension Book 15: Secrets of 
  the Atlanteans™ – $24.95
         890HC Rifts® DB 15: Secrets of the 
  Atlanteans™ Gold Edition – $50.00
         891 Rifts® World Book: Sovietski™ – 
  $24.95 (coming)
         892 Rifts® Sourcebook: The Disavowed™ 
  – $16.95 (coming)
         893 Rifts® CS: Heroes of Humanity™ 
  Arsenal Sourcebook – $16.95 (coming)
         894 Rifts® Haunted Tech™ – $16.95 (coming)
         895 Rifts® Living Nowhere™ – $16.95 
  (coming)
         2510 Rifts® & The Megaverse® Art Book 
  – $22.95
         2510-HC Rifts® & The Megaverse® Art 
  Book, Hardcover – $50.00
         2510-CML Rifts® & The Megaverse® Art 
  Book, Collector’s Masterwork – $125.00
  Miscellaneous Products
         600 Deluxe Revised RECON® RPG – 
  $22.95
         2537 Gamer Coffee Mug – $10.00
         2545 Dead Reign™ Coffee Mug – $10.00
         2554 Palladium Bookmarks, Set One – $5.00
         2555 Palladium Bookmarks, Set Two – $5.00
         2561 Property of Chi-Town Library Pencil 
  – $0.50 each
         2562 Future Visions™ – The Artistry of 
  Charles Walton II – $13.95
         2566 Glitter Boy Mouse Pad – $9.95
         2567 Old Ones Mouse Pad – $9.95
         2568 Zombie Graveyard Mouse Pad – $9.95
         2575 Rifts Poker Cards 1 (full color) – $11.99
         2576 Rifts Poker Cards 2 (line art) – $11.99
  Note: T-tshirts and other products can be 
  found online: www.palladiumbooks.com
  Rifts® Miniatures
         MI8002 Xiticix Pack – $18.00
         MI8004 Coalition Dog Pack – $18.00
         MI8005 Men of Magic Pack #1 – $18.00
  
  www.palladiumbooks.com
  ®
  Rifts® Adventure Sourcebook Two
  The Chi-Town ‘Burbs™: Firetown™ & the Tolkeen Crisis™
  The second of several Chi-town ‘Burbs sourcebooks fleshing out the world in the shadow of Chi-Town.
  ● Overview and history of the Tolkeen Retribution Squads.
  ● More of Firetown mapped and described.
  ● Key people, places and Retribution Squads in Firetown.
  ●● Adventure ideas by the dozen. Rumors, villains and starting points.
  ● Magic shop, weapon dealer, secret library, feral Dog Boys, vampires and more.
  ● 64 pages by Kevin Siembieda and Julius Rosenstein.
  Rifts®, endless possibilities
  limited only by the imagination!™
  $12.95
  Cat. No. 854
  ISBN-10: 1-57457-085-4
  ISBN-10: 1-57457-085-4
  ISBN-13: 978-1-57457-085-4
  The Rifter®
  An ongoing sourcebook series for the entire Palladium 
  Megaverse. Each issue has optional (sometimes official) 
  material for Rifts® and other Palladium RPGs.
  ● Great source for new ideas and fun.
  ● Optional O.C.C.s, monsters, weapons, and skills. 
  ● Optional magic and/or super abilities. 
  ● Optional magic and/or super abilities. 
  ● Adventures, gaming tips and Q&A.
  ● Rifts® source material & fiction.
  ● HU2, Palladium Fantasy® & Nightbane® typical.
  ● The latest news and sneak previews.
  ● 96 pages.
  Rifts® Game Master Guide
  ● All skills listed & described.
  ● Stats for all weapons & armor to date.
  ● Vehicles, maps, indexes & much more.
  ● Rules clarifications and G.M. tips.
  ● 352 pages.
  Rifts® World Book 10:
  Juicer Uprising™
  ● Jam-packed with ideas and data.
  ● Jam-packed with ideas and data.
  ● 10 different types of Juicers, plus special gear.
  ● Kingsdale, Los Alamo, Fort El Dorado & other places.
  ● A complete adventure scenario plus ideas for more.
  ● 160 pages.
  Join the adventure.
  Explore the Megaverse®
  Also from Palladium Books®
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/RIFTS/Adventures/Rifts - Adventure Sourcebook 02 - Chi - Town Burbs - Firetown and The Tolkeen Crisis - PAL854P.pdf