TEXT: The Modern Dispatch
  aliens among us
  Page 1
  Alien observers quickly recognized humanity’s 
  tolerance, and even desire, for other animals within 
  their living space. They developed gray cats to 
  take advantage of the cat’s natural stealth and near-
  invisible status in society. With their telepathic link 
  to their masters, gray cats are like biological remote-
  controlled vehicles.
  Gray cats appear similar to normal house cats 
  but have several important advantages. They have 
  enhanced sensory organs and their paws are covered 
  with tiny hooks that allow the creature to cling to 
  almost any surface. They can even hang upside down. 
  A gray cat’s bite delivers a dose of deadly poison that 
  causes symptoms easily confused with a heart attack. 
  Gray cats have an innate psionic link to their masters. 
  This link allows the aliens to perceive what the gray cat 
  perceives and command the creature with ease. Lastly, 
  because they are artiﬁcial creations, the lifespan of 
  a gray cat can be predetermined at creation to range 
  from a few hours to several months.
  A gray cat’s alien creators often send the creature 
  on surveillance missions, tasks for which it is well 
  adapted. However, because of the creature’s fatal bite, 
  it occasionally serves as a silent assassin.
  Aliens Among Us
  by Neal Hyde
  When it comes to aliens, everyone looks to the stars. But where they should be looking is right behind 
  them. No alien worth his little gray pajamas is going to conquer Earth, abduct isolated hicks for anal 
  probes, or even make friendly contact without doing a little reconnaissance ﬁrst. Their advanced 
  technology and skill at genetic manipulation makes the task of inﬁltrating human society easier, but by 
  no means effortless.
  Presented here are three alien intelligences that secretly perform missions here on Earth. They move 
  about quietly, lurking on the periphery of our lives, quietly moving forward the alien machinations of 
  their masters. Their ultimate motivations are mysterious; possibly they themselves do not know their 
  ultimate goal. But their creators know, and that’s enough—for now.
  Gray Cat
  “Howdy” from 12 to Midnight
  In case you are not familiar with us, 12 to Midnight 
  is a Texas-based RPG publisher specializing in 
  modern horror. You might not normally think “Texas” 
  and “horror” go together, but we are pretty sure you 
  will change your mind after spending some time in 
  Pinebox. 
  Pinebox, Texas, that is—a nice little rural community 
  smack-dab in East Texas. There is a university nearby, 
  a pine forest called the Big Thicket, and a mess of 
  beautiful wildﬂowers every spring. Unfortunately, it is 
  also the epicenter of a whole lot of bad mojo. We’re 
  talking dark magic, serial killers, haunted buildings—
  the whole ball of wax.
  If you want to learn more about Pinebox, just visit 
  our Web site at 12tomidnight.com. You can start using 
  the free campaign setting on our site right now, then 
  watch it continue to grow right here in the pages of 
  Modern Dispatch. Of course, Pinebox is our setting, 
  but all the material in these pages can just as easily be 
  dropped into yours.
  If you have any ideas for future issues, 
  or if you want to comment on what you 
  read here, please drop by the forums on 
  our website.
  Requires the use of the d20 Modern Roleplaying 
  Game, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  #106
  d20 Modern and Wizards of the Coast are trademarks 
  of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the United States and 
  other countries and are used with permission. ‘d20 
  System’ and the ‘d20 System’ logo are trademarks of 
  Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and are used according to the 
  terms of the d20 System License version 6.0.  A copy of 
  this License can be found at www.wizards.com/d20.
  Author: Neal.Hyde
  layout: Preston.dubose
  lead editor: Trey.Gorden
  Mechanics editor: Mark.Gedak
  
  The Modern Dispatch
  aliens among us
  Page 2
  Gray Cat
  Creature Statistics
  Tiny animal (CR 1/2); HD ½ d8
  Defense: 14; touch 14; ﬂat-footed 12
  Initiative
  +2
  BAB
  +0
  STR
  3 (−4)
  Hit Points
  2
  Melee
  +4
  DEX
  15 (+2)
  Save Fort
  +2
  Ranged
  –
  CON
  10 (0)
  Save Ref 
  +4
  Grapple
  −12
  INT
  2 (−4)
  Save Will
  –1
  Dmg Threshold
  10
  WIS
  12 (+1)
   
  Action Points
  0
  CHA
  7 (–2)
  Attack: claw: Atk +4; Dmg 1d2−4
  Full Attack:2 claws: Atk +4; Dmg 1d2−4  
  bite: Atk −1; Dmg 1d3−4 plus poison (DC 10)
  Speed: 30 ft
  Facing/Reach: 2½ ft by 2½ ft / 0 ft
  Skills: Balance +14; Climb +6; Hide +14 (+18 in tall 
  grass or heavy undergrowth); Jump +6; Listen +4; 
  Move Silently +9; Search -2; Spot +4
  Feats/Talents: Blind-Fight; Weapon Finesse (bite); 
  Weapon Finesse (claw)
  Special Qualities: feline prowess (Ex); hypersensitivity 
  (Ex); limited lifespan (Ex); low-light vision (Ex); 
  mindslave (Ex); venomous bite (Ex); wall crawler 
  (Ex)
  Wealth: +0
  Reputation & Allegiances: +0; aliens
  Special Qualities
  Feline prowess (Ex): Gray cats receive a +8 species 
  bonus on Balance checks and a +4 species bonus on 
  Hide and Move Silently checks. In areas of tall grass 
  or heavy undergrowth, the gray cat’s Hide bonus 
  increases to +8. Gray cats use their Dexterity modiﬁer 
  for Climb checks. A gray cat gains the bonus feats 
  Weapon Finesse (bite) and Weapon Finesse (claw).
  Hypersensitivity (Ex): +2 to Listen, Search, and 
  Spot. Gray cats automatically receive the Blind-Fight 
  feat.
  Limited life span (Ex): A gray cat’s life span is 
  determined by its creator, who can set it for a period 
  lasting from a few hours to a few months.
  Low-light vision (Ex): The gray cat’s eyes are so 
  sensitive to light that the creature can see twice as far 
  as normal in dim light. Low-light vision preserves the 
  gray cat’s natural, limited color perception. The gray 
  cat can see outdoors on a moonlit night as well as a 
  human can during the day.
  Mindslave (Ex): Because the creature’s mind is 
  in thrall to another being, it receives a −2 to all Will 
  saves.
  Venomous bite (Ex): Any creature bitten by a gray 
  cat must make a successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ 
  gray cat’s HD + Constitution modiﬁer) to negate the 
  effects of the venom. Those who fail the saving throw 
  receive 1d4 points of initial Constitution damage as 
  well as 1d4 points of secondary Constitution damage.
  Wall crawler (Ex): A gray cat can walk on walls 
  and ceilings with equal ease. The creature receives a 
  +4 bonus to Climb and Balance checks.
  Gray Cat Adventure Outline
  Abel Cartwright kept the door barricaded but 
  had no doubt that his life was about to end. It 
  was out there, somewhere on the other side of the 
  thin wood paneling that separated his bedroom 
  from the rest of the house. He had tried to keep 
  it out of his home, but that had been a fool’s 
  errand.
  Something scratched on the other side of the 
  door. Abel took a shot at it and punched a neat 
  hole in the wood. The scratching stopped and a 
  pathetic yowling began. He doubted if he had 
  hit the thing. It was just a clumsy trick to try to 
  get him to open the door. They were unnaturally 
  smart, all right, but not that smart.
  A weight fell on to his neck and back, and 
  sharp pain shot through him like electricity. Abel 
  lashed out and managed to grab his attacker by 
  its tail, but even as he pulled it from his body, he 
  knew that it was too late. The creature landed 
  gracefully on his bed and turned to stare at him 
  with its unblinking black eyes—eyes he’d seen 
  before, a long time ago. The pistol fell from his 
  numb ﬁngers, and Abel followed it to the ﬂoor as 
  his knees gave out.
  In the autumn of 1979, the government obtained four 
  alien bodies for analysis. The men and women who 
  conducted the autopsies and further research never 
  knew how the subjects were obtained, only that they 
  had died of trauma. After concluding their studies, the 
  group was sworn to secrecy and disbanded. Some of 
  them secretly maintained contact and so became aware 
  when other members of the group began to die.
  The aliens were actually killed by a rogue intelligence 
  agency, which then had the bodies examined in the 
  hope of ﬁnding a weakness to exploit in case of a 
  war between aliens and humans. The aliens only 
  recently uncovered this plot and are in the end stages 
  of exacting revenge and tying up “loose ends.” Abel 
  Cartwright, a biologist who assisted in the research, is 
  one such loose end.
  However, the heroes are not the only people interested 
  in Cartwright’s mysterious death. The same rogue 
  intelligence agency that hired him to autopsy the alien 
  bodies sent a team to Cartwright’s house to remove 
  any incriminating evidence. They have completed 
  their task but may return if the heroes’ activities raise 
  too many questions better left unasked.
  Also, the daughter of a woman scientist from the 
  alien autopsy group has learned that Cartwright and 
  her mother worked together on the secret project (she 
  doesn’t know what it was, only that it was secret). 
  
  The Modern Dispatch
  aliens among us
  Page 3
  The woman scientist was killed one month previous 
  to Cartwright’s death and now her daughter (use 
  the Low-Level Private Eye from the d20 Modern 
  Roleplaying Game) is in Pinebox looking for answers. 
  When the heroes enter the house, she is in the kitchen 
  and escapes over the back fence.
  Plot Hook: Death in the Family
  Della Webster, a middle-aged woman (use the low-level 
  politician from the D20 Modern Roleplaying Game), 
  asks the heroes to investigate the death of her brother, 
  Abel Cartwright. He was found dead in his home in 
  Pinebox, Texas, one week ago, the apparent victim 
  of a heart attack. However, the retired biologist had 
  barricaded his home, stockpiled ﬁrearms, and had been 
  shooting inside the house. The police have dismissed 
  the death as having been the result of natural causes, 
  and they believe that Cartwright was mentally unstable. 
  Webster claims that she had a telephone conversation 
  with her brother just hours before his death, and that 
  he was paranoid but otherwise feeling ﬁne. Although 
  he was never speciﬁc, he was clearly frightened of a 
  government agency or some other power that he said 
  wanted to harm him. He also mentioned that others 
  had been harmed in the past, and that he was one of the 
  remaining few people of a select group.
  Alternate Plot Hook 1
  One of the heroes is a neighbor of Cartwright’s and 
  is suspicious of the “detectives” that keep returning 
  to the old man’s house after his death. When the 
  heroes investigate, they become the target of the rogue 
  intelligence agency.
  Alternate Plot Hook 2
  A UFO researcher poses as Della Webster and hires the 
  heroes to investigate Cartwright’s death. If caught, she 
  admits her lies, but offers to double the money paid to 
  the heroes if they continue to investigate.
  Research
  If the heroes conduct Research (DC 10), they learn the 
  following:
  • Abel Carwright was a retired biologist who 
  specialized in the anatomies of unusual creatures, 
  such as those living near thermal vents deep in the 
  ocean.
  • On the night of Cartwright’s death, neighbors heard 
  shots ﬁred from within the house and called police. 
  When sheriff’s deputies arrived, they found the house 
  barricaded. Cartwright did not respond to repeated 
  calls. After several hours, they broke through the 
  barricade and found him dead in his bedroom.
  • Deputies found a handgun near his body, as well as 
  bullet holes in the walls, ceiling, and ﬂoor.
  • The coroner who conducted the autopsy listed the 
  cause of death as a heart attack. He also found small 
  scratches and bites on the victim’s back and neck, 
  but disregarded these as unrelated to the cause of 
  death.
  If the heroes attempt to gain access to Cartwright’s 
  telephone records, they ﬁnd that the records have been 
  lost due to a freak computer glitch.
  If the heroes speak to Cartwright’s neighbors, they 
  can make a Gather Information roll (DC 12) to learn 
  the following:
  • The old man had been acting strangely the previous 
  weeks. He had complained about a neighbor’s dog 
  getting into his trash and neighborhood kids peeking 
  through his windows at night.
  • Detectives from the city have been to the house 
  several times in the week since Cartwright’s death. 
  If the heroes contact the sheriff’s ofﬁce, they learn 
  that no detectives have been assigned to the case.
  The House
  Della Webster, as executor of the estate, arranges for 
  the heroes to have access to Cartwright’s home, a 
  bungalow-style house on Pinebox’s west side. When 
  the heroes arrive, they ﬁnd that the door, which should 
  be locked, is not. When they enter, they hear the back 
  door slam. Heroes who make a successful Spot check 
  (DC 20) catch a glimpse of someone climbing over the 
  back fence and disappearing into the neighbor’s yard. 
  The mysterious ﬁgure races away before the heroes 
  can catch up.
  If the heroes successfully Search the house (DC 10), 
  they ﬁnd the following:
  • There are bullet holes in the walls and ceiling. 
  Apparently, Cartwright ﬁred a gun inside the house. 
  The bedroom door also has a bullet hole in it, near 
  the bottom, with a corresponding hole in the ﬂoor 
  outside the door.
  • All of the doors and windows are covered with 
  sheets of ½-inch plywood nailed to the walls.
  • A desk in what is apparently a home ofﬁce has been 
  thoroughly searched. Marks on the desk indicate 
  where a computer had been, but it is now missing, as 
  are any disks, CDs, and papers.
  If the heroes exceeded the Search DC by 5, they also 
  ﬁnd the following:
  • A dryer vent leading from the basement to the 
  outside has been tampered with. The connecting 
  hose (approximately four inches in diameter) lies 
  on the ﬂoor of the basement. Gray hairs protrude 
  from around the edge of the metal vent. If the heroes 
  analyze the hairs by making an Investigate roll (DC 
  20), they ﬁnd them to be cat hair.
  • A bookcase in the living room, containing several 
  photo albums, shows dust streaks from missing 
  albums. The other albums are dated and contain an 
  odd mix of photos of family, friends, and biology 
  specimens. The missing years are 1978 through 
  1983.
  If the heroes exceeded the Search DC by 10, they 
  ﬁnd a hidden compartment beneath a steppingstone 
  in the back yard. In the compartment is a small, 
  handwritten journal wrapped in plastic and containing 
  notes Cartwright kept to himself about the alien 
  
  The Modern Dispatch
  aliens among us
  Page 4
  investigation. The journal includes illustrations of 
  small, gray-skinned aliens with large, black eyes, as 
  well as Cartwright’s own belief that the aliens were 
  not killed in a crash, but were murdered.
  The heroes are not the only ones doing a little 
  investigation. The gray cat responsible for Cartwright’s 
  death has remained in the area and takes note of any 
  activity. While the heroes are busy looking over the 
  house, the gray cat remains outside. It attempts to sneak 
  aboard one of the heroes’ vehicles, either through an 
  open window or by climbing up under the engine. The 
  heroes may notice the gray cat on a successful Spot 
  (DC 20). If seen, the gray cat runs away. If the gray cat 
  cannot get aboard a vehicle, it follows the heroes and 
  shows up at one of their homes later.
  Back Home
  The night the heroes return home, the gray cat attempts 
  to enter one of their homes and learn whether they 
  have discovered anything unusual. It enters covertly, 
  possibly by ripping through a window screen or 
  sliding in behind a hero entering from outside. The 
  cat attempts to get as close as possible without being 
  noticed.
  If the heroes notice the cat inside with them, it 
  attempts to ﬂee. If the heroes corner the animal, 
  it attacks the nearest hero and attempts to inﬂict a 
  potentially fatal bite. If the heroes observe the gray 
  cat walking on walls or ceilings, inﬂicting a poisonous 
  bite, or otherwise exhibiting behavior that leads them 
  to believe that it is not a normal animal, they must 
  make a Will save (DC 10) or be panicked for 1d4 
  rounds. Alternatively, if you are using the Fear Effects 
  horror rules (see sidebar), this is a medium shock.
  If the heroes capture the gray cat, the aliens cause its 
  heart to stop and it dies. A second gray cat, an identical 
  gray cat, arrives in 1d3 days to observe the heroes and 
  possibly deliver a fatal repayment.
  How the adventure concludes is up to the GM. The 
  heroes could ﬁnd themselves facing a small army of 
  gray cats (a threat they are not likely to get much help 
  with from the local sheriff’s ofﬁce), and possibly the 
  rogue intelligence agents as well. Alternatively, the 
  woman investigating the death of her mother could 
  contact the heroes and offer to help them, sharing 
  what little knowledge she has with them. Lastly, the 
  aliens could intervene directly, abducting the heroes to 
  remove the evidence of their existence and subjecting 
  them to experiments.
  Xenocreeper
  The Xenocreeper is amorphous ooze that evolved 
  on another planet and is imported to Earth to spy on 
  human electronics. Its ability to absorb and regurgitate, 
  on command, magnetic and electrical impulses makes 
  the xenocreeper a near-perfect recorder of electronic 
  data and radio signals. Xenocreepers are often placed 
  near a location where they can absorb the many signals 
  generated by a modern facility and are later retrieved 
  for a “data dump.” 
  Xenocreepers are not predatory, nor do they “hunt” 
  living things, because they feed on energy emissions. 
  However, they are capable of defending themselves by 
  draining living organisms of their bioelectrical energies. 
  Victims are found paralyzed and with their hearts 
  stopped. Those who escape death are usually partially 
  paralyzed for long periods of time. Xenocreepers can 
  also defend themselves by emitting a sudden burst of 
  recorded electromagnetic energy that causes damage 
  to living creatures within the immediate area.
  Mature xenocreepers weigh between 100 and 125 lbs 
  and resemble a transparent bag of water. No obvious 
  sensory organs or internal structures are apparent, and 
  the “skin” is rubbery and self-sealing. Although it 
  can take nearly any form, when in a relaxed state the 
  xenocreeper usually forms an oval shape with tentacle-
  like appendages. When moving, the xenocreeper takes 
  the shape best suited to the terrain.
  As an ooze, the xenocreeper is immune to critical 
  hits or massive damage. If a xenocreeper is reduced to 
  0 hit points, it emits a sudden surge of electromagnetic 
  energy and loses cohesion, bursting in a ﬂood of slimy 
  water. Analysis of the residue reveals nothing more 
  than seawater with traces of heavy metals.
  What is Fear Effects?
  Fear Effects is 12 to Midnight’s own set of add-
  on horror rules. These rules do not 
  require the use of a sanity score. 
  Instead, they rely on a saving 
  throw called a Horror check. 
  You will see references to three 
  different kinds of Horror checks mentioned in 
  this adventure: minor spooks, medium shocks, 
  and great frights.
  If you aren’t using Fear Effects, be sure to 
  check it out. It makes any mediocre game great, 
  and any great game (such as those by 12 to 
  Midnight) even better. However, if you still are 
  not convinced to run this adventure using the 
  Fear Effects rules, then just ignore comments 
  in the adventure about minor spooks, medium 
  shocks, or great frights.
  
  The Modern Dispatch
  aliens among us
  Page 5
  Xenocreeper
  Creature Statistics
  Medium ooze (CR 4); HD 4d10+10
  Defense: 10; touch 10; ﬂat-footed 10
  Initiative
  +0
  BAB
  +3
  STR
  12 (+1)
  Hit Points
  32 
  Melee
  +4
  DEX
  11 (0)
  Save Fort
  +1
  Ranged
  –
  CON
  13 (+1)
  Save Ref 
  +1
  Grapple
  +3
  INT
  –
  Save Will
  −2
  Dmg Threshold
  –
  WIS
  6 (–2)
  Action Points
  0
  CHA
  1 (–5)
  Attack: slam: Atk +4 Dmg 1d6+1 plus energy drain 
  (DC 13)
  Full Attack: slam: Atk +4; Dmg 1d6+1 plus energy 
  drain (DC 13)
  Speed: 25 ft
  Facing/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft / 5 ft
  Skills: Hide +4 (when moving, +8 when motionless)
  Feats/Talents: none
  Special Qualities: blindsight (Ex); energy absorption 
  (Ex); energy burst (Su); energy drain (Su); 
  immunities; ooze traits, transparent (Ex)
  Wealth: +0
  Reputation & Allegiances: +0; alien master
  Special Qualities
  Blindsight (Ex): Xenocreepers have blindsight 
  with a range of 60 feet. However, the creatures detect 
  electromagnetic signals to a range of 180 feet.
  Energy Absorption (Ex): As an attack action 
  the xenocreeper is able to disrupt the workings 
  of all electronic devices within 60 ft. as per the 
  electromagnetic pulse spell (see Arcana SRD).
  Energy Burst (Su): Xenocreepers can emit a 
  sudden burst of energy, causing damage to nearby 
  living creatures. Creatures within 20 feet take 1d6 
  points of damage, and creatures within 5 feet take 2d6 
  points of damage. A successful Fortitude save (DC 13) 
  reduces damage by ½.
  Energy Drain (Su): Xenocreepers can make an 
  energy drain attack on a victim (see “Common Special 
  Qualities,” D20 Modern Roleplaying Game).
  Immunities: Xenocreepers are immune to mind-
  affecting effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, 
  gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack 
  forms that rely on sight. As oozes, they are not subject 
  to critical hits, ﬂanking, or the effects of massive 
  damage.
  Ooze: Xenocreepers can change shape and form at 
  will, but not their basic mass. 
  Transparent (Ex): Xenocreepers gain a bonus of +8 
  to Hide rolls when motionless and +4 when moving.
  Xenocreeper Adventure 
  Outline
  Marty Lamont looked up at the telephone pole 
  he was supposed to climb and decided that, 
  for the world to be fair, he’d have to break his 
  back. Here he was busting his hump for East 
  Texas Electrical, and his idiot brother-in-law, 
  Buck, was drawing a check to ﬁsh and drink 
  beer. He was on easy street just because he had 
  a goldmine of a back injury, or so he told the 
  insurance sucker. If fat, stupid Buck could pull 
  off a scam like that, Marty was sure he could.
  But how to do it? Marty didn’t reckon there was 
  much point in getting workman’s comp if he really 
  got hurt. But, he’d have to have a real injury to get 
  past the doctors, and getting just a little bit hurt 
  when working on power lines wasn’t something 
  that happened very often. It wouldn’t be easy, not 
  if he was gonna do it right.
  Marty looked around. No matter what he did, 
  he sure wouldn’t do it here, out in the middle of 
  nowhere. With his luck, he’d wind up forgotten by 
  the dispatcher and dead. So, he hiked up his pants, 
  wrapped his safety harness around the pole, and 
  dug in his spikes.
  When he reached the top of the pole, he looked 
  up at the transformer. Something above him 
  moved.
  “What the—“
  It was wet and ropy and it wrapped around 
  his neck. Wherever it touched his skin, his body 
  became numb and heavy. Marty opened his mouth 
  to yell, but he couldn’t move the air from his body. 
  His head rolled back and, for a moment, he saw 
  something gelatinous and transparent. And then 
  he saw nothing.
  The military discovered and captured a xenocreeper 
  near black-ops installation. While transporting the 
  creature to a research facility using a secret government 
  railroad, the train derailed and the creature escaped. 
  It traveled to a nearby ﬁeld and drained several cattle 
  before it found a power line. It has since followed 
  the power line toward a substation where it can 
  consume as much power as it wants. Along the way, 
  it encountered the utility lineman, who the heroes 
  ﬁnd. When the heroes ﬁnally encounter the creature, it 
  regurgitates the captured coded radio signals in a burst 
  of electromagnetic energy.
  Plot Hook: Cattle Call
  After a powerful electrical storm that caused power 
  failures around the county, local rancher Ben Sheridan 
  contacts the heroes and claims that aliens have 
  killed several of his animals in “an episode of cattle 
  mutilation.” He asks the heroes to use their skills to 
  help him prove that the cattle did not die of natural 
  causes. Sheridan agrees to meet the heroes at the ﬁeld 
  in question, and he provides directions to a pasture 
  deep in a rural area.
  
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  aliens among us
  Page 6
  If the heroes conduct Research (DC 12) on Sheridan, 
  they learn the following: 
  • Sheridan is the author of several articles in various 
  small UFO-conspiracy magazines.
  • Sheridan has several lawsuits on ﬁle with his 
  neighbors and is well known to local law-enforcement 
  ofﬁcers as a nuisance.
  Alternate Plot Hook 1
  The heroes are camping in the woods near the old 
  railroad tracks and hear the train crash. They investigate 
  and ﬁnd the site of the derailment, as well as the trail 
  leading to the cattle. They pick up the adventure from 
  there.
  Alternate Plot Hook 2
  The heroes are workers at the utility and are 
  investigating why the lineman, Marty Lamont, is not 
  responding to radio contact.
  Field Work
  Sheridan is waiting for the heroes in the ﬁeld when 
  they arrive at the scene. The ﬁeld is several acres of 
  low grass dotted with the carcasses of a half-dozen 
  dead beef cattle. All are on their sides and some have 
  begun to bloat with decomposition gasses. Much of the 
  grass in the area is ﬂattened and turning an ugly shade 
  of brown. Heroes that see the dead animals in the ﬁeld 
  must make a Will save (DC 10) or be panicked for 1 
  round. Alternatively, if you are using the Fear Effects 
  horror rules (see sidebar), this is a minor spook.
  A successful Investigate (DC 12) roll shows that 
  the animals have not been “mutilated” in any way. 
  They appear to have simply dropped dead where they 
  stood.
  A Search (DC 10) of the area reveals that several 
  lightning strikes occurred here, probably from the 
  previous night. Small (1-foot diameter) patches of 
  burned grass and fused, glassy soil dot the ﬁeld, but 
  not near any of the dead cattle.
  A Spot (DC 15) reveals a pathway of bent, drying 
  grass outside the ﬁeld, leading into a heavily wooded 
  area. The pathway has no footprints, but the heroes 
  may see that something has pushed down the grass and 
  possibly killed it. The path leads to a utility pole with 
  power lines overhead.
  Into the Woods
  If the heroes follow the trail into the woods, a man 
  wearing military-style fatigues and carrying a sidearm 
  confronts them. A Spot roll (DC 5) lets the hero see 
  a shoulder patch bearing the name and shield of the 
  Department of Energy. The man refuses to identify 
  himself except as a “federal agent” and tells the heroes 
  that the area is a crime scene and that they must leave. 
  If the heroes refuse to leave, or if they attack the agent, 
  he calls for backup, and agents armed with assault 
  riﬂes and tasers arrive and attempt to arrest the heroes. 
  If arrested, the heroes are taken to the sheriff’s ofﬁce, 
  where they are held overnight and then released but 
  never charged with a crime. 
  If the heroes leave and then sneak back into the area 
  later, by succeeding in a Move Silently roll (DC 17), 
  they ﬁnd a train wreck on a section of supposedly 
  unused tracks. A khaki-painted train engine, a ﬂatbed 
  car, and a passenger car lie on their sides in the mud as 
  men and women in military-style fatigues attempt to 
  get the train upright and clean up the mess.
  On a successful Spot roll (DC 10), the heroes notice 
  a large, heavily insulated barrel-like object on its side 
  next to the ﬂatbed car. A lid with a complex locking 
  mechanism lies in the mud nearby.
  If the heroes attempt to leave, another Move Silently 
  roll (DC 17) is required, or the guards ﬁnd and arrest 
  them. If arrested, the heroes spend the night in the 
  county lockup before being released, just as above.
  On the Line
  If the heroes successfully leave the train-wreck site, 
  they have the following encounter as they leave the 
  area. If the heroes are captured, they have this encounter 
  after Sheridan ﬁnds more “mutilated” cows in the same 
  approximate area and asks them to investigate.
  While driving along the dirt road, the heroes might 
  Spot (DC 10) a utility lineman hanging limp in a 
  climbing harness near a transformer at the top of a 
  telephone pole. A utility truck is parked below the pole 
  (if the heroes attempt to use the lineman’s radio, either 
  his portable one or the one in his truck, they ﬁnd that 
  both are drained of power and useless).
  A successful Climb check (DC 10) allows the heroes 
  to rescue the man, and a successful Treat Injury roll 
  (DC 12) revives him. His heartbeat is erratic and he is 
  in shock. The man is paralyzed, but slowly recovers 
  and can speak to the heroes after a few minutes. 
  The lineman, Martin Lamont, tells the heroes that he 
  was checking out a malfunctioning transformer when 
  something on top of the pole attacked him. He describes 
  the creature as a transparent squid or octopus, and he 
  says that it immediately paralyzed him and knocked 
  him unconscious.
  The Substation
  The heroes should be able to make a clear leap of logic 
  that whatever was in the insulated container on the 
  train is responsible for the cattle deaths and the attack 
  on the lineman. They should also recognize that it is 
  now moving about via the power lines. A successful 
  Knowledge (streetwise) check (DC 10) reveals that a 
  power substation is located a couple of miles down the 
  road (a Search [DC 5] of the lineman reveals a map 
  showing the substation location, as well).
  As the heroes move to the power substation, the 
  weather worsens unnaturally quickly. Lightning 
  ﬂashes and thunder booms overhead as a heavy rain 
  falls. Depending on the characters’ speed, the GM 
  may require Driving checks. In addition, all electrical 
  devices, such as cell phones, radios, or night-vision 
  goggles, begin to malfunction. Those that produce a 
  sound sputter with static, regardless of whether they 
  are on or off.
  
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  aliens among us
  Page 7
  At the power substation, the heroes ﬁnd the gate 
  open and a truck parked inside the fenced lot. Another 
  utility lineman lies unconscious in the mud, the door 
  to his truck still open (the vehicle has been drained 
  of power). If the encounter occurs at night, the lights 
  ﬂicker and dim ominously.
  The xenocreeper is nestled between two of the 
  transformers, and the heroes must make a Spot check 
  (DC 15) to see it. If the heroes see the xenocreeper, 
  they must make a Will save (DC 10) or be panicked 
  for 1d4 rounds. Alternatively, if you are using the Fear 
  Effects horror rules, this is a medium shock.
  If the heroes come within ﬁve feet of the creature, 
  it attacks them. If the creature is wounded, it emits a 
  powerful burst of energy.
  How the adventure concludes is up to the GM. 
  Suggested endings include: 
  • The xenocreeper dissolves into gooey seawater after 
  it sends out its burst of data, leaving the heroes with 
  no proof of its existence.
  • The xenocreeper becomes docile after it sends out its 
  burst of data and is easily captured by the heroes.
  • The “federal agents” burst onto the scene in a 
  sudden show of helicopters and armed soldiers and 
  recover the xenocreeper. They hold the heroes in 
  an undisclosed facility and eventually release them 
  with a warning not to tell anyone of what happened. 
  Alternatively, they may recruit the heroes into the 
  agency.
  • The heroes capture the xenocreeper, but a sudden 
  burst of light overwhelms them. They wake to 
  ﬁnd that they have “lost” several minutes and the 
  xenocreeper is gone.
  Alien Brute
  Larger aliens, who are clearly subservient, often 
  accompany the small “gray” aliens encountered by 
  human beings. These larger “grays” are a subspecies 
  bred by the aliens and used as bodyguards, shock 
  troops, and for heavy labor. Alien brutes are generally 
  taller than humans and much more muscular. Their 
  smooth, hairless skin is dark  gray-green when not 
  camouﬂaged. The alien brute’s head is large and 
  bulbous with two large, dark, lidless eyes and only a 
  thin slit for a mouth. These creatures are entirely mute 
  and communicate with each other through rapid and 
  complex changes in skin color. They attack with their 
  powerful arms and claws, as well as with a poisonous 
  breath weapon. 
  Alien Brute
  Creature Statistics
  Medium monstrous humanoid (CR 4); 
   HD 5d8+15
  Defense: 15; touch 11; ﬂat-footed 14
  Initiative
  +5
  BAB
  +5
  STR
  15 (+2)
  Hit Points
  37
  Melee
  +7
  DEX
  13 (+1)
  Save Fort
  +4
  Ranged
  +6
  CON
  17 (+3)
  Save Ref 
  +4
  Grapple
  +7
  INT
  10 (0)
  Save Will
  +3
  Dmg Threshold
  17
  WIS
  10 (0)
  Action Points
  0
  CHA
  3 (−4)
  Attack:  Claw: Atk +7; Dmg 1d6+2
  Full Attack: 2 claws: Atk +7; Dmg 1d6+2
  Speed: 30 ft
  Facing/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft / 5 ft
  Skills: Climb +9; Escape Artist +2; Hide +10 (if 
  moving, +14 if motionless); Jump +10; Listen +5; 
  Move Silently +4; Search +3; Spot +4
  Feats/Talents: Combat Reﬂexes; Improved Initiative; 
  Power Attack
  Special Qualities: breath weapon (Su); chameleon 
  (Ex); darkvision (Ex); fast healing (Ex); jump 
  (Ex); unnatural speed (Ex); weaknesses
  Wealth: +0
  Reputation & Allegiances: +0; alien master
  Special Qualities
  Breath weapon (Su): The creature exhales a toxic 
  gas that causes one victim (in an adjacent square) to 
  make a Fortitude save (DC 15). A successful save 
  results in the victim being stunned for 1d4 rounds. A 
  failed save indicates that the victim falls unconscious 
  for 1d6 minutes. 
  Chameleon (Ex): Chromatophores in the creature’s 
  skin allow it to change colors at will. The changes are 
  instant and can be complex, giving the creature a +6 to 
  its Hide skill if moving and +10 if motionless. 
  Darkvision (Ex): The creature can see in total 
  darkness to 60 feet.
  Fast healing (Ex): The creature regains 1 hit point 
  per round.
  Jump (Ex): The creature can jump abnormally long 
  distances and heights, giving it a +6 to its Jump skill.
  Unnatural Speed (Ex): Alien brutes possess 
  Improved Initiative as a bonus feat.
  Weaknesses: The creature takes x2 damage from 
  acid, electrical, and ﬁre attacks.
  Alien Brute Adventure Outline
  Hazel Mead ﬁnally had one.
  After all these years, all the ridicule, all the time 
  spent chasing phantoms, she ﬁnally had one.
  It hadn’t been easy. The trap had been elaborate 
  and cost a pretty penny to build. And, since she 
  was the bait, if it had failed there would have been 
  
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  aliens among us
  Page 8
  a different price to pay. Of course, she’d been 
  taken before, so this was payback for her.
  Below her feet, chains rattled. 
  “Shawdup, ya black-eyed monster!” she yelled 
  and stomped on the ﬂoor. The clanking stopped.
  A heavy thump came from the roof, followed 
  by a scrambling sound of claws on the asphalt 
  shingles. It was too heavy to be a raccoon and 
  it moved too fast. Another thump on the roof 
  coincided with something heavy hitting the door. 
  She grabbed her shotgun, but her ﬁngers were 
  numb and cold on the metal barrel.
  Hazel realized too late that two traps had been 
  set that night.
  Hazel Mead, a female hermit who lives on the 
  outskirts of Pinebox, has spent a lifetime at the mercy 
  of the aliens, and she’s mad as hell and not going to 
  take it anymore. As an abductee, she receives regular 
  alien visits; and she has found alien tracks around her 
  remote farmhouse where they were observing her. 
  After a particularly abusive abduction and probing, 
  she decided that it was time to turn the tables on the 
  little varmints. She carefully crafted an elaborate trap 
  for the aliens and used herself as bait. To her delight, 
  she managed to capture an alien and chain it to the 
  wall of her basement. She made a ﬂurry of phone calls 
  to everyone she could think of, announcing that she 
  had proof of extraterrestrials and, not coincidentally, 
  she was not as crazy as everyone thought she was. One 
  of those calls was to the heroes.
  However, Mead was not the only one springing a 
  trap. The aliens allowed her to capture one of their 
  own, to see how the hairless apes would react, and 
  as soon as they had seen the results, they decided to 
  end the experiment and reclaim their lost comrade. A 
  full-scale assault on Mead’s home quickly ended her 
  time as a captor. However, the calls have been made 
  and the heroes are coming, so the aliens stick around 
  to see what happens and maybe to collect a few as 
  specimens.
  Plot Hook: A Phone Call
  The heroes receive a phone call from a self-described 
  farmer and UFO hunter named Hazel Mead. She 
  has heard of the heroes’ reputation as hard-nosed 
  investigators (or at least people willing to listen 
  without snickering too loudly). She has decided that 
  they are the ones to help her bring to light her proof 
  of the alien conspiracy. She calls them looking for 
  somebody who can add a little credence to her claims 
  and help her keep the critter locked up. She claims that 
  she’s got a real, live alien chained in the basement of 
  her farmhouse, and she needs somebody to come out 
  and take pictures and “help her get the word out.” She 
  is excited, speaking quickly and loudly and moving 
  from subject to subject. If a hero speaking to her 
  succeeds at a Knowledge (behavioral sciences) check 
  (DC 15), he concludes that she is possibly manic and 
  may be mentally unstable. If a hero speaking to her 
  makes a Sense Motive check (DC 12), he realizes that 
  she is trying to avoid telling everything about herself. 
  If pressed, Mead becomes hesitant and again asks the 
  heroes help, citing the heroes’ reputation for helping 
  folks out in unusual situations.
  Mead proudly states that she captured the alien by 
  building a special trap for the creature, using herself as 
  bait. It is unharmed, except for a bump on its bulbous 
  head, and put up little resistance. It is small, about 
  three and a half feet tall, and gray, except for a pair 
  of dark, unblinking eyes. It has not spoken, but Mead 
  claims that it has tried to communicate with her “in 
  her head.”
  Mead provides the heroes with directions to her 
  farm, which is located in a remote rural area several 
  miles outside of Pinebox. 
  Alternate Hook 1
  Hazel Mead is one of the heroes’ more entertaining 
  (and bizarre) relatives. Because the hero has never 
  treated her like the rest of the family does, she is on 
  good terms with him, and she wants to bring the hero 
  in on what will surely be fame and fortune. 
  Alternate Hook 2
  The heroes are volunteers for one of the more 
  respectable UFO investigation groups and receive a 
  request from headquarters to check out Hazel Mead’s 
  claim. Headquarters warns that she has an extensive 
  record of unsubstantiated claims, such as abductions, 
  probings, implantations, and even harassment by alien 
  juvenile delinquents. However, since she donates 
  generously to the organization, the heroes should be 
  respectful and ﬁle a full report.
  Research
  If the heroes conduct Research (DC 10) on Hazel 
  Mead, they ﬁnd the following:
  • Mead lives alone on a farm several miles outside of 
  Pinebox, Texas.
  • Several small magazines for UFO enthusiasts have 
  published Mead’s “abduction accounts.” She also 
  claims to have found alien tracks on her farm.
  • The local sheriff’s ofﬁce knows Mead well. She has 
  made so many calls complaining of “strange-looking 
  men” and “dark shapes” that they no longer dispatch 
  deputies to her farm.
  If the heroes exceed the Research DC by 5 (DC 15), 
  they ﬁnd the following:
  • Three years ago, Mead attacked a cell-phone tower 
  near her farm with her truck. At the time, she 
  claimed broadcasts from the tower were causing her 
  pain. She was arrested, found guilty, and conﬁned 
  to a mental institution until deemed mentally stable. 
  She was released less than a year ago.
  • At about the same time as her arrest, an otherwise 
  unremarkable poetry journal published a grainy 
  photo of a footprint, taken by Mead. The quality of 
  the photo is poor, and the journal was clearly using 
  it only to create an eerie mood in association with an 
  unremarkable poem called “Footprints,” but it clearly 
  
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  aliens among us
  Page 9
  shows what appears to be a large, four-toed, human-
  like track in loose soil. A hero with the Track feat 
  who makes a Spot roll (DC 20) can only conclude 
  that the creature that made the track is unknown.
  Flat Tire
  On the way to the Mead farm, the heroes pass an older 
  man changing a ﬂat tire on a late-1980s-model pickup 
  truck. He wears faded overalls and rubber boots coated 
  with mud, and the bed of the pickup contains a set of 
  plow blades. If the heroes stop to help the man, or just 
  talk, they learn that his name is Mort Lightfoot and 
  that he owns a farm in the area. If asked, he admits that 
  he knows Hazel Mead, and he advises the heroes to 
  avoid her “because she’s crazy.” Heroes who attempt 
  to Sense Motive (DC 20) while speaking to Lightfoot 
  come to believe he is hiding something but cannot 
  determine what.
  Mort Lightfoot is actually Elliot Donovan, a special 
  agent of the Texas Rangers (use the mid-level police 
  ofﬁcer Ordinary from the D20 Modern Roleplaying 
  Game). His ﬂat tire is actually a ruse to observe the 
  only road leading to the Mead farmstead. Donovan has 
  a tactical radio and a loaded semi-automatic handgun, 
  covered by a newspaper, on the front seat of the pickup 
  truck (Characters must make a Spot roll [DC 17] to 
  notice this).
  If the heroes help “Lightfoot” change the tire, he 
  thanks them and drives away down the road the heroes 
  drove up on. However, he returns a few minutes after 
  the heroes leave and sets up another ﬂat tire.
  Crop Circle
  After the heroes make the turnoff onto the Mead farm’s 
  private road, they pass a ﬁeld of waist-high grain. On 
  a successful Spot roll (DC 15), the heroes notice that 
  there is a circular impression in the grain along the 
  edge of the ﬁeld.
  If the heroes stop and investigate, they ﬁnd a 
  circle roughly forty feet in diameter crushed into the 
  ﬁeld. A hero who succeeds in a Knowledge (arcane 
  lore) or Knowledge (popular culture) check (DC 12) 
  remembers that, in most crop circles, the material is 
  bent over in a swirling pattern, not smashed into the 
  ground, as it is here.
  If the heroes enter the crop circle, they notice a 
  large, red, angular object near the circle’s edge. On 
  inspection, they realize that it is the ﬂattened remains 
  of a pickup truck. If the heroes ﬁnd this, they must 
  make a Will save (DC 10) or be panicked for 1 round. 
  Alternatively, if you using the Fear Effects horror 
  rules, this is a minor spook.
  Radio Signals
  As the heroes approach the Mead farmhouse, any 
  electronic equipment they have suddenly emits a 
  powerful burst of static, and then fades away. This 
  event causes the heroes to make a Will save (DC 10) 
  or be panicked for 1 round. Alternatively, if you using 
  the Fear Effects horror rules, this is a minor spook. If 
  the heroes return to the same place on the road, the 
  same event occurs in the same position. 
  The 
  aliens 
  have 
  established 
  a 
  bubble 
  of 
  electromagnetic energy around the area of the 
  farmhouse that prevents electronic communication 
  outside the area. No radio, cell phone, telephone, or 
  any other signals can penetrate the wall from inside. 
  Stopping and using electronic equipment to identify 
  the size and shape of the bubble requires a Search 
  roll (DC 12) and approximately half an hour (the 
  heroes cannot take ten or twenty). If they do this, the 
  heroes discover that the ﬁeld encompasses the entire 
  area within a radius of several hundred yards of the 
  farmhouse.
  The House
  When the heroes arrive at the Mead farmhouse, they 
  can park in front of the house or closer to the barn. The 
  farm is very quiet, except for a rasping sound coming 
  from the farmhouse. 
  The front door of the farmhouse has been torn from 
  its hinges and lies on the ground. The remains of 
  orange, asphalt shingles from the roof litter the lawn 
  around the house. If the heroes Search (DC 12) the 
  area around the house and barn, they ﬁnd many sets 
  of tracks similar to the one in the grainy photo. If the 
  heroes attempt to follow the tracks, they discover that 
  the tracks disappear into the surrounding ﬁelds.
  The inside of the farmhouse is in chaos. Curtains 
  and blinds are torn from the walls, and furniture is 
  upended or smashed. Some of the walls have damage 
  from shotgun blasts. The windows appear to have 
  been hastily covered with scrap lumber and tall 
  furniture, and some have had glass broken out. In the 
  kitchen, the contents of the pantry, cupboards, and the 
  refrigerator are scattered all over the ﬂoor in a gooey, 
  colorful mess. 
  The rasping sound the heroes heard from outside is 
  coming from an old black-and-white television in the 
  destroyed living room. It lies on its side, the screen 
  cracked, and displays nothing but static.
  If heroes perform a Search (DC 12) of the house, 
  they ﬁnd spent shotgun shells and a ragged, four-
  ﬁngered scratch along one wall. 
  The upstairs is in better shape and contains two 
  rooms. One is messy, but appears to have been Hazel 
  Mead’s bedroom. The other is a storage area ﬁlled with 
  unremarkable junk. Neither shows signs of a struggle, 
  though her taste in décor is stunningly bad.
  The door to the basement is open, and if heroes 
  venture down into the darkness, they ﬁnd that the room 
  is empty except for a pair of handcuffs chained to a 
  wall. Heroes who Investigate (DC 10) the handcuffs 
  discover a dark, ﬂaky substance on the inside of the 
  cuffs that appears to be dried blood.
  Lost Time
  At some point during the investigation of Mead’s 
  farmhouse, preferably when all the heroes are in the 
  basement, the heroes experience a lost time event. 
  
  The Modern Dispatch
  aliens among us
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  A bright ﬂash ﬁlls the area, followed by a sudden 
  disorientation. All the heroes are dazed for 1 round 
  and then shaken for 1d6 rounds. Those who make a 
  Fortitude save (DC 20) cut these times in half. Also, 
  any electronic device within the area is permanently 
  disabled and cannot be repaired. 
  When the heroes emerge from the basement, they 
  ﬁnd that time has shifted and it is now dusk. This event 
  causes the heroes to make a Will save (DC 10) or be 
  panicked for 1d4 rounds. Alternatively, if you using 
  the Fear Effects horror rules, this is a medium shock.
  If the heroes attempt to leave the area in their 
  vehicles, they ﬁnd that they will not start. If the heroes 
  attempt to Repair (DC 10) their vehicles, they can ﬁnd 
  nothing wrong with them, they just will not start. 
  The Siege
  After dark, the heroes come under attack by a group 
  of alien brutes (one for each hero plus 1d4). The 
  creatures’ intent is to push the heroes into the house 
  and then force their way in to engage in melee combat. 
  The aliens are not interested in killing the heroes as 
  much as they are in capturing them and taking them to 
  their spacecraft for tests.
  The ﬁrst attack by the alien brutes causes the heroes 
  to make a Will save (DC 10) or be panicked for 2d4 
  rounds. Alternatively, if you using the Fear Effects 
  horror rules, this is a great fright. Additional attacks 
  do not require a Will save.
  As soon as the heroes are forced into the house, the 
  alien brutes launch a series of frontal assaults on the 
  structure. However, this is a diversion to enable one or 
  two alien brutes to enter the house through an upstairs 
  window. Once inside, the creatures attack the heroes 
  from behind.
  Despite the fact that aliens have already been 
  breached the house in order to abduct Hazel Mead, 
  the structure is not without some defensive beneﬁts. 
  The windows and rear door are still barricaded and 
  relatively strong. If the heroes Search the house (DC 
  12), they ﬁnd a hammer and nails, and a successful 
  Repair roll (DC 15) allows them to nail the front door 
  securely in place.
  The walls of the farmhouse are sturdy and 
  covered with wooden paneling, and the foundation 
  is constructed of cinderblock. The windows and rear 
  door are covered with scrap lumber nailed into the 
  wooden frames and walls.
  Hardness
  Hit Points
  Breakage
  Farmhouse wall
  5
  20
  23
  Foundation
  8
  90
  35
  Windows & doors
  5
  10
  13
  Also in the house are the following items, which the 
  heroes can ﬁnd if they Search (DC 12):
  • A pump-action shotgun (use the Berretta M3P from 
  the D20 Modern Roleplaying Game), loaded with 
  two rounds. If the heroes continue to Search (DC 
  15), they ﬁnd a box containing 10 shells.
  • A bolt-action hunting riﬂe (use the Remington 700 
  from the D20 Modern Roleplaying Game) loaded 
  with ﬁve rounds. If the heroes continue to Search 
  (DC 15), they ﬁnd 2d6 additional bullets.
  • A small revolver (use the Pathﬁnder from the D20 
  Modern Roleplaying Game) loaded with ﬁve rounds. 
  If the heroes continue to Search (DC 15), they ﬁnd a 
  box containing 95 bullets.
  • A medium-sized revolver (use the Colt Python from 
  the D20 Modern Roleplaying Game) loaded with 
  three rounds. If the heroes continue to Search (DC 
  15) they ﬁnd 2d4 additional bullets.
  • A hatchet.
  • Large and small kitchen knives (use the cleaver and 
  knife from the D20 Modern Roleplaying Game). 
  • Gardening tools, including rakes, hoes, pitchforks, 
  and pruning shears.
  • A gasoline can with enough gas to make three 
  Molotov cocktails
  If the aliens kill the heroes, the heroes’ bodies are 
  never recovered. If captured, the heroes vanish for ten 
  days and are found walking in a daze along a rural 
  road. They have no memory of the time they were 
  gone, but they experience nightmares and chronic 
  fatigue. If a hero undergoes x-rays or CAT scans of his 
  head, doctors ﬁnd a small metal cylinder embedded in 
  his sinus cavity.
  A Rescue, Sort Of
  At 11:48 (as time is measured outside the area) a 
  bright light appears over the farm and any besieging 
  aliens vanish into the darkness. The bright light is the 
  spotlight on a black helicopter, which lands outside 
  the house. Six heavily armed men emerge (use the 
  mid-level police ofﬁcer Ordinary from the D20 
  Modern Roleplaying Game), led by Elliot Donovan. 
  They remove the heroes from the farm (by force, if 
  necessary) and take them to an unknown location. 
  After a thorough physical, multiple interviews, and 
  psychological proﬁling, the characters may return to 
  their lives, but Ranger Donovan tells them to keep the 
  events at the Mead farmstead a secret or risk being 
  institutionalized. At no time do the heroes learn the 
  identity of their rescuers.
  If the heroes return to the Mead farmstead, they 
  ﬁnd the farmhouse and barn burned to the ground and 
  no evidence of any aliens. Hazel Mead is never seen 
  again.
  
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  aliens among us
  Page 11
  Open game license
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  15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
  Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, 
  Inc.
  Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002, Wizards 
  of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, 
  Charles Ryan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, 
  Skip Williams, Richard Baker, Peter Adkison, Bruce R. Cordell, 
  John Tynes, Andy Collins, and JD Wiker.
  Modern Dispatch #106 is Copyright 2006, 12 to Midnight, Inc.; 
  Author: Neal Hyde.
  open gaming content
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/3rd Edition (3.x)/3rd Party/d20 Modern/3rd Party/RPG Objects/Modern Dispatch/Modern Dispatch 106 - Aliens Among Us.pdf