SEEDS FROM OUR PAST
A Clem adventure for After the Bomb 2nd Edition
By: Josh Hilden
Note from the author:
This is an easy to moderately difficult adventure for the After The Bomb 2nd Edition setting, ideally for 1 to 8 players levels 2 to 6, although it is very easy to scale up for a higher level and/or larger group. I believe That Clem is one of the best NPCs in the Palladium Megaverse and that the GM and players should just try and have some fun with him and Betsy.
Player Background:
The manner in which the GM brings the Player Group together is entirely optional, but in playtesting the scenario, I decided that it was easier if the players were approached by Clem as a single group. Although we did run it with Clem gathering the players as individuals, this felt like a lot of lengthy buildups that seemed to drag things on a bit much.
Please read some version of the following to the PC's, paraphrase as needed.
It's a cool autumn day, the sun is shining, and there is barely a cloud in the sky. As you and your party (inapplicable) are traveling toward the town of Red Clover, you here a voice ahead of you.
"Dag nabit, Betsy!" A thick accent voice hollers.
The same voice then spews forth a litany of swear and expletives, followed by.
"Why in tarnation are ya bein so dang stubborn?!?!? We need to get a move on! Dem's pepel be needin our help!"
A series of clicks are audible from the same direction as the frustrated voice. As you approach closer, you see a giant shiny beetle sitting in the middle of the road.
Standing next to the beetle is a medium-sized mutant hound dog. He stands approximately six feet tall and is dressed in coveralls with a straw farmer's hat on his head. Strapped to his back is a double-barreled 12 gauge shotgun. He is tugging relentlessly on a set of reins attached to the front of the giant beetle.
As the party (or character) approaches, Betsy (the beetle) will begin to stamp her large front legs in the direction of the strangers. Upon noticing this, it may take him a few moments, Clem will turn toward them with his "aw shucks" expression glowing on his face.
"Well howdy stranger (strangers)!" Clem will exclaim at the sight of the player characters.
Any characters with the appropriate psionic abilities will sense relief and hope radiating off of Clem.
After introductions are made, Clem will introduce Betsy to the player characters as his best friend in the World, Clem will offer to share his provisions with the group.
"Y'all are in luck, I jus come through Cardania and some merchie was sellin genuine COFFEE, dosin tha just beat all?"
If the player characters seem skeptical of this, Clem will grin, dig through his pack, and produce an ancient plastic container with a heavenly aroma wafting from it.
"Does this here look or smell like chicory parna?" Clem will inquire with mirth evident in his voice.
Clem is indeed holding pure Columbian coffee. Unbeknownst to the player characters or Clem, for that matter, a single independent merchant ship from one of the city-states in northern South America has been putting into port in Cardania on a regular basis for the last year and a half. Clem lucked into this bounty, trading a refurbished Winchester rifle for one pound of the stuff.
When the time seems appropriate, Clem will begin what seems to be a rehearsed speech.
"If'n yall have a few minutes, there is a bit ah bizness I'd like ta discuss with ya." Clem stops for a second, seems to collect his thoughts, and then continues his face rigid with determination.
"Y'all seem like a decent group ah pepel, so I think thisa might interest ya. Little ways from here are some friends of mine. They live in a nice lil town, like something out ah one of the ol humin picture books." Clem looks around to make sure that he has captured the attention of the group before continuing.
"My friends are good pepel, they farm, and they have mine sum o the ruints around there town. But some real bad fellers have been giving them a hard time for the last few weeks."
If he is asked what kind of trouble his friends have been getting, Clem will become somewhat hesitant and try, clumsily, to deflect the questions. If the Player Characters insist and pester Clem, he will admit that he isn't quite sure what the problems are.
"Well ya see, I have a … um … lady friend in the town that is real worried bout whas happnin. Miranda that my friend's name sent me a message with sum Merchies I work fo sometimes. Anywho the message said that her brother had been hurt and the pepel in the town was real scared. So I said to Betsy, I said Betsy, we needs to find sum good folks to help out Miranda and her pepel."
Any characters of good alignment will feel obligated to help out Clem and his friends. If the player characters are of a more self or mercenary bend, Clem will hint heavily that his friends will be able to compensate them for any assistance they would be willing to render.
The Journey
The journey to the town of Three Rivers can be as eventful or uneventful as the Game Master wants it to be. Any number of random encounters can occur during the three to five-day trip that the player characters are talking with their new friend and guide. Below is a table of possible random encounters. The adventures that can take place during the journey to Three Rivers are a useful tool for binding a group of player characters who have never traveled together into a cohesive unit.
20 Random Encounters on the Road:
01-10%: The Player Characters encounter a group of wandering merchants who encounter the group. They are peaceful and just looking to pass through the area. They are well versed in the history and rumors of the region. This is a good opportunity for the group to trade and stock up on provisions. This caravan has not been bushwhacked by the Empire forces in the area, but they have heard the rumors and are concerned.
11-20%: There is a gate strung up across the road and two armed sentries standing guard. They claim to represent a local warlord and are demanding 1000 Cardanian Bucks or the equivalent in trade goods. In reality, they are just two grifters recently run out of Filly who are trying to make a quick buck. They will run if they meet any real resistance. They are both mutant dogs armed with shotguns.
21-30%: The terrain around the road appears to be getting thicker with ruins, suddenly the group realizes that they are in the middle of the remains of a fairly large city, do the player characters want to push on through or do they want to explore? Clem will not want to explore.
31-40%: SINKHOLE! The lead vehicle and /or person is swallowed by a sixty-foot deep sinkhole. The bottom of the sinkhole is three feet of mud, and there are no handholds on the sides to climb up. Any attempt to climb out is penalized with a -25%.
41-50%: Mad Hobo! There is a mad human trapper living in the hills near where the party is traveling. His name is Max Jenkins, and he was 22 years old when the Big Death struck, he had been on the receiving end of some experimental longevity treatments while in college. All of the years of solitary living have left him a little unhinged, but he is on fairly good terms with the people of Three Rivers, and if the group could convince him that they are heading there to help, he might be willing to share his substantial knowledge of the area. Max KNOWS that agents of the Empire of Humanity are behind the troubles.
51-60%: The party sees a flock of flying pigs (1D6+2) in the distance, they seem to be heading into the west. Well, don't that just beat all …?
61-70%: The sounds of gunfire can be heard from behind the next hill. As the party approaches, a mutant fox can clearly be scene shoot a line of targets in the distance. Approaching the fox will reveal that he is still a child and is out here with his father's rifle, without his permission. His name is Ben Bailey, and If the party decides to escort him home, they will find the family farmhouse in flames and the bodies of his mother, father, and two sisters dead on the lawn. The distraught child will be able to tell the party that his aunt and uncle live in Three Rivers.
71-80%: Giant Mutant Mantis, run before it eats you! Actually, the mantis is very docile, and if any party member has the appropriate skills, it would be easy to use the creature as a riding animal. Betsy will not be pleased if the mantis joins the party.
81-90%: Smoke can be smelled in the distance. As the party nears the source of the smell, a voice will yell out for the group to halt, and it will state that they are surrounded. The voice belongs to Deputy Jason Alexander of the Three Rivers Sheriff's office, he and his men are investigating a string of arsons/murders on farms in the countryside. If young Ben is with the group, Deputy Alexander will want to escort him to his aunt and uncles and take his statement.
91-100%: A rumble from behind the party will reveal a modified city bus, now running on tank-style treads, coming up behind them. There appear to be a dozen weapons mounted at strong points on the vehicle. Are they friend or foe?
The Commonwealth of PA
Founded 7 years ago, the Commonwealth of PA is the culmination of the efforts of the peoples of the cities of Three Rivers, Oak Point, and Coalville (especially the Kirkwell family) and, more specifically, the Mayor of Three Rivers. The Commonwealth is centered on the emerging tech city of Three Rivers, and by association, the towns of Oak Point and Coalville, It is one of the up and coming centers of civilization in the eastern half of North America. In the years since its inception, the Commonwealth leaders have managed to establish firm trade ties with the people of the Republic of Cardania, The Free City of Filly, and the independent townships of the Southlands.
Unknown to most people of the East, more and more of the trade from the far side of the continent is being transitioned through the Commonwealth's trade centers. The one nation that seems to have realized this is the Empire of Humanity, the sudden growth of the region, coupled with the new and interesting biotech and weapons originating from the Commonwealth, has brought the full weight of Empire intelligence onto the peoples of the region.
Population:
Three Rivers – 26,000
Coalville – 11,200
Oak Point – 2,700
Other – 5,000 (Farming villages, mining camps, etc.…)
Total – 44,900
Level of Technology: The average level of technology in the Commonwealth of PA stands on par with 1930's America. But the level of biotech production is cutting edge.
Type of Government: The Commonwealth of PA is a new nation, and the structure is rather informal at the moment. In many ways, the PA'ens (as they have slowly begun referring to themselves) are similar to the United States of America in the years between the Revolutionary War and the signing of the Constitution. Each city is an independent political entity that can approve or reject decisions of the Commonwealth government out of hand. The only issues over which the Commonwealth authorities have the final say are defense and foreign relations. In the end, if the nation survives, they will likely adopt a government nearly identical to that of the Republic of Cardania. That is if they don't join the Republic outright.
Economy: Before the current situation reared its head, the Commonwealth was enjoying a time of economic boom. Things have almost ground to a halt in the Commonwealth, with trade to the cities if the East cut off, goods are piling up. Currently, the Commonwealth prints no currency of its own, they instead use the Cardanian Buck and Bit as the primary medium of exchange.
Military Forces: Before the formation of the Commonwealth, the peoples of the region had almost no defense from raiders and bandits. Many at that time were concerned about the devastation that would be leveled on the region when hostilities finally erupted between the Empire of Humanity and the Republic of Cardania. It was, in fact, concerns about defense that was the impetus behind the formation of the Commonwealth.
Militia: All citizens of the Commonwealth between the ages of 16 and 42 are members of the Militia.
Ground Militia – The Army of the Commonwealth, 85% of all militia members, are part of the Ground militia.
Water Militia – If the Commonwealth had access to the sea, the Water Militia would be their navy. But without sea access, the Water Militia is reduced to patrolling the Susquehanna River and its tributaries.
Sky Militia – The Commonwealth has no air forces to speak of, but the Sky Militia operates six hot air balloons that act as spotters and sentries for the Commonwealth. There are also 21 mutant birds that have full flight ability who are members of the Sky Militia. A group of seventeen engineers, supported by Kirkwell Manufacturing, are attempting to restore seven pre-death piston airplanes to operational condition.
Scouts: The Scouts are the elite of the Commonwealth Military apparatus. They are a combination of US Special Forces and nineteenth-century explorers.
Relations with other nations:
The Republic of Cardania – Relations between the Commonwealth of PA and Cardania are cordial if not downright friendly. There is an official Commonwealth presence in the capital city of Cardania, and the Cardanians are considering sending an Ambassador to Three Rivers. It is conceivable that if the Cardanians were to learn of the problems that the Empire of Humanity was causing for the Commonwealth, they would send help.
The Empire of Humanity – There is no contact between the Empire of Humanity and the Commonwealth of PA. When the government and Citizens of the Commonwealth learn of the Empires incursion into their territory, and murder of their citizens, a state of undeclared war will exist.
The Free City of Filly – A great deal of goods and information is moved between the Commonwealth and the City of Filly. More and more of the growing trade from the West and Midwest is moving through the Commonwealth before reaching Filly. This change of Filly's historical dominance in trade may one day lead to a clash between the two nations, but for now, there is more than enough to go around.
The Free Cattle – Raiding parties from the Lands of the Free Cattle, was the primary reason for the formation of the Commonwealth. Clashes with the Free Cattle are escalating in recent months, and an all-out war is likely within the next 36 months.
Gatorland – Trade between the Commonwealth and the independent villages and townships of Gatorland is growing exponentially.
Mexico – There is almost no contact between the Commonwealth of PA and the chaos that is the Post-Death nation of Mexico. But almost none isn't none, Roscoe Coullier has a trade connection with a caravan that heads into Mexico once a year.
The United Towns of New Americorp (UTNA) – Two years ago, an official from the UTNA arrived with a trade caravan in the city of Three Rivers and established diplomatic contact. The contact is being kept quiet, but trade with the west coast has increased 100% since then. The officials of the UTNA want to make contact with the Republic of Cardania but are approaching things with caution.
The Wrigley Alliance – The Wrigley Alliance is dead, and the survivors scattered all over the continent. While the Alliance may be finished and buried, the ideals and fears are alive and well. The Kirkwell family has brought over 100 nonfamily refugees into the Commonwealth and has been facilitating trade and information distribution between survivor communities.
The Member Towns of the Commonwealth
Three Rivers, Capitol of the Commonwealth of PA
Before the Big Death, Three Rivers Pennsylvania (PA) was one of the hundreds of Bio-Tech boomtowns that sprouted up almost overnight across the globe. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, Three Rivers had a population of fewer than fifteen thousand people. By the time of the Big Death, it had swelled to a population of more than fifty thousand. Most of the jobs grew from the establishment of KnuGenics, one of the cutting edge genetics firms that permeated the scientific landscape.
When the Big Death, and its subsidiary disasters, swept the World Three Rivers fared a little better than most mid-sized cities in North America. At first, the death rate in the city was less than twenty percent, and most of the deaths were relatively quick and clean. Six days into the cataclysm, a unit of Pennsylvanian National Guardsmen rolled into Three Rivers, escaping the carnage that was Pittsburg in the west, and were shocked to find the town more or less intact. Lt. Colonel Sam Connors made the decision to stop his troops in Three Rivers and dig in. Word never came from Harrisburg PA, let alone Washington DC, to countermand this decision.
As the months and years passed, the troops and the town's people began to die off from secondary plagues, and their numbers diminished due to extreme sterility. When the human survivors noticed that the animals were evolving at a geometric rate, they accepted them, first as useful resources and eventually as partners and equals. Research continued at a reduced rate at the KnuGenics facility, but twenty years after the Big Death, a massive fire consumed eighty percent of the complex ending all work for the foreseeable future. After the end of the KnuGenics research, the community began to evolve and is now a town of farmers, merchants, and light manufacturing.
Location
Eastern Pennsylvania, North of Harrisburg
Description
Three Rivers is a city that has shaken off the effects of the Big Death and is on the move. For the first decades after the Big Death, Three Rivers maintained a low profile existence of farming and repair. In the years right after civilization collapsed, Three Rivers became a brief center of technological retrofitting in the Mid Atlantic region.
In the here and now, Three Rivers is becoming a major trade center between the east coast and the midwest of North America, and indirectly the west coast and such centers of power as New Americorp. But the town's past as a research and development center for the pre-death biogenics community has not been completely forgotten. In recent years new and interesting products have become available only in the Three Rivers region. Did you ever wonder where all of the new varieties of the "meat potato" came from? Or what about that new antiviral medication that has all but eliminated mega-mange? They were developed at the new Three Rivers Bio Research Center.
The BioResearch Center is built, literally and metaphorically, on the bones of the KnuGenics complex. In the last five years, small portions of the complex have been accessed and brought back online. It has only been a matter of tinkering with existing genetically engineered plants to produce items and species that have been seen since the days of the Big Death.
Of course, this is really the cause of all of their current problems.
Geography
Three Rivers is nestled on the banks of the Susquehanna River. Much of the suburbs that had existed before the Big Death were disassembled for raw materials in the dark years, but the core of the old downtown area has been preserved and even expanded upon. The town is surrounded by farmland, and the remains of well preserved north/south and east/west roadways pass through the town center. The remains of the old KnuGenics Corporation are spread out all around the old city, it was organized more like a university with many buildings decentralized around Three Rivers. The community has reactivated the old agricultural research building near downtown.
Inhabitants: 26,000
13,000 mutant dogs
2,000 mutant cats
8,000 mutant pigs
3,000 Humans (one of the highest concentrations in the East)
Noteworthy Locations
City Hall – Built in the post World War 2 years, the Three Rivers City Hall is built in the Greek revival style. With columns and a broad sweeping walkway leading toward the building, the City Hall would actually be considered a building of interest by some of the academics of the World if it were well known. The City Hall still provides the same function now as it did more than one hundred years ago as the center of administration for the region. It is the place where the City Council and Commonwealth Administrators meet to discuss policy. City Hall is also the headquarters of the Three Rivers Sheriffs office and the City Militia.
Roscoe's Rummage – This shop occupies what was once the Three Rivers Flea Market building right in the middle of downtown. Functioning under one name or another in the same capacity for more than three hundred years, Roscoe's is the place to go to find what you need. Clothes, electronics, weapons, hardware supplies, and even a large selection of trade goods from the west can be found at Roscoe's if you can afford it. Roscoe's also serves as the center of illicit trade for all towns and villages within a fifty-mile radius. Looking for an Empire of Humanity G-9 rifle? For eight hundred Cardanian Bucks, it can be yours at Roscoe's.
Three Rivers Savings and Loan – The primary and only financial institution in Three Rivers. Officially connected with Capitol Savings and Loan based in The Republic of Cardania, Three Rivers S&L offers savings and checking accounts for free to citizens of the Commonwealth and for a small fee for foreigners. Mostly due to its establishment, The Commonwealth of Three Rivers PA uses the Cardanian Buck and Bit as the official currencies.
The Farmers Market – Once the structure that is now home to the Farmers Market was a four-level parking structure in the middle of downtown. From the early spring to the late fall, the market is packed with merchants from all over the region, in the winter the building serves as storage for the merchants that use it the rest of the year. Stall space is available at various rates depending on the level and position in the structure.
The Bazaar – Established in an old pre-death "Super Center," the Bazaar is the technological and dry goods version of the Farmers Market. The Bazaar is secretly owned by Roscoe Coullier. There is a strong presence of the various merchant families of the Free City of Filly in the Bazaar. The Bazaar is also the home of the Three Rivers Creamery, home of the famous Ice Cream makers.
The University – The old campus of the University of Pennsylvania at Three Rivers (established in 2017 AD) is still a going concern in the Commonwealth. Education is primarily agricultural in nature, but there is a well-regarded school of engineering that is affiliated with the University of Cardania and, unknown to most, the University of Sacramento in New Americorp.
KGDA – KGDA is the name of a new business in Three Rivers that has been introducing new varieties of genetically engineered plants and medications (derived from said plants) into the regional market. KGDA stands for the KnuGenics Division of Agriculture. Ten years ago, a group of University students and professors discovered the intact remnants of the KGDA and brought some of its equipment back online. The initial group are now the executives of the growing company, and they are on their way to becoming quite rich, and to bringing Three Rivers onto the World, or at least regional, stage. Current events have made the leaders of the company wonder if they should have been more discreet about what they had discovered.
Kirkwell Manufacturing – Thirty years ago, Russell Kirkwell and his family, mutant cougars, arrived in Three Rivers from the Wrigley Alliance, a place they refuse to discuss until this very day. Many have speculated that they are refugees from a war in the Midwest that ended badly, but nobody has been able to confirm it. When they arrived in Three Rivers, they brought several tons of machine tools and purchased an old warehouse on the outskirts of town. In the years since the arrival of the Kirkwell family, that warehouse has been expanded to a manufacturing complex the size of a small city, producing everything from farm equipment to small arms. While the volume produced by the Kirkwells is small by big-city standards, the quality is excellent, and the capacity is growing.
The Old KnuGenics Ruins – Twenty-five miles northeast of town are the old ruins of the KnuGenics main facility. After the fire that swept the complex, it was first avoided, and then eventually feared by the people of Three Rivers. The old complex is the center of the current problems plaguing the Commonwealth. While it is true that 80% of the above-ground structures were destroyed by the fire that ravaged the area, most of the below-ground portions of the complex are still intact.
Noteworthy Residents
Harold Redclaw – Harold is the Mayor of Three Rivers and Chairman of the Commonwealth Administration. Harold is a mutant rooster approaching fifty years in age. Educated at the university, Harold has spent his entire life trying to build Three Rivers into a nation that can stand on its own two feet, he believes he is on the cusp of succeeding. Harold has formed working relationships with the powers that be in the region and has even corresponded with the president of New Americorp in the west. Harold has established an alliance with Roscoe Coullier and Russell Kirkwell, the result of the Alliance has been the growing strength of the new Commonwealth of PA and formal recognition by the Republic of Cardania. Harold feels responsible for the current problems, it was on his urging that the KGDA was established (he is 35% owner). Harold Redclaw is a good person who only has the good of his people as his motivation.
Roscoe Coullier – Roscoe Coullier, a mutant iguana, is an anomaly. In most major centers of civilization, Roscoe would be considered a petty criminal, a minor figure of crime. Here in Three Rivers, he is the center of all organized crime, he has his fingers in all of the illicit pies in the Commonwealth. Roscoe began his life in the ruins of N'Yak. He was a thief and strongman who crossed some of the wrong people. Roscoe fled the cracked skyscrapers and shattered highways of the coast and headed inland. He arrived in Three Rivers and opened the Rummage using the funds he left N'Yak with. When Harold Redclaw became a member of the city council he approached Roscoe with a proposition, he would provide Harold with information that only Roscoe could gather and Harold would make sure that Roscoe would not be bothered by the law, as long as he kept the worst of his business out of the city. Unknown to Harold, Roscoe has been playing both ends against the middle. Although he has been providing the Commonwealth with intelligence from around the region, he has been providing others, namely agents of the Empire of Humanity, information about the Commonwealth. If anyone is to blame about the current situation, it is Roscoe.
Russell Kirkwell – Very few people can claim to "know" Russell Kirkwell and his extended family. 37 Kirkwells arrived in Three Rivers on cold spring morning thirty years ago, they were well-armed and transporting more machinery than Three Rivers citizens had ever seen in one place and at one time. They were also, unknown to their new neighbors, terrified. The Kirkwell family members were prominent members of the Wrigley Alliance, a group of towns and small cities on the southern shore of Lake Michigan. They had been a prosperous people that had been well on their ways to reclaim some of the old World when everything came to a bloody end. One warm day three years before the Kirkwells arrived in Three Rivers, an army of savages from the north and armed with cutting edge pre-death technology descended upon them. The Alliance fought tenaciously, but in the end, they were destroyed. The survivors fled in a hundred directions, and the Kirkwells slogged their way across the Appalachians and settled in Three Rivers. Russell decided that if they were going to make a stand, this was as good a place as any, but nobody followed them. The Kirkwells have spent the last few decades trying to rebuild some of their old life, and through their Alliance, with Mayor Redclaw and Roscoe, they have transformed Three Rivers into a new manufacturing mecha. Russell still has contacts with other survivors from the Alliance, and they are all on the lookout for signs of the old enemy.
Miranda Fergus – Miranda is a 36-year-old mutant Irish setter. Miranda is Clem's "special lady friend" and his reason for recruiting the player characters to help her people. Miranda is a merchant at the Bazaar, and she specializes in Ice Cream. Miranda is an extremely intelligent and resourceful businesswoman. She was always content to be self-sufficient and alone … and then she met Clem. She contacted Clem two years ago to contract his services to bring supplies in from the west. His down-home charm and honest disposition intrigued Miranda. After several visits in a three-month span, Miranda and Clem were hopelessly enamored with one another. As of late, Miranda has been considering the fact that she is getting older, and the idea of a family is more and more appealing.
Oak Point
Location
Twenty miles northeast of Three Rivers
Population
2,700 (even mix of domestic animals)
561 Humans
Description
The major industry of Oak Point is timber, hundreds of thousands of square feet of lumber passes through the town of Oak Point every year, and the amount is increasing every year. The wood produced in Oak Point is shipped as far away as the villages of Gatorland. Subsidiary businesses such as furniture and cabinet making have also begun to flourish in the town.
Geography
Set on a small hill next to a post-death tributary of the Susquehanna River. Oak Point has existed in form or another since the time of the Big Death. The core of the town is fortified with a brick and mortar palisade.
Coalville
Location
17 miles east of Thee Rivers
Population
11,200 (Mixed domestic animal population)
361 Humans
Description
Coalville is a new town, built on the bones of a small farming village Coalville is the brainchild of the Kirkwell family. When they arrived in the area, they initially settled in the Three Rivers region, but they soon realized that the resources they need would be found in the area where Coalville now sits. This resource was, in a word, coal. A large untapped seam of coal was lying less than a hundred meters under the ground in the hills surrounding Coalville.
The Kirkwell's used the coal to fuel the industrial revolution that they brought to the area from their formers homes in the Midwest. Factories went up, along with two coal-fired power plants, and the population began to swell. The small city continues to grow at a large rate and has begun running power lines to the two other communities of the Commonwealth, the Kirkwell's hope to have the whole country electrified by the end next year.
Geography
A real attempt has been made to keep the area around Coalville as clean as possible, the Kirkwell's remember the clean and more advanced towns they left in the Midwest with sad fondness. But the fact of the matter is they are using early-twentieth-century level technology, and it is messy. Water in the area is still relatively clean, but the forests are being clear cut for material and arable land at an alarming rate.
The Adventure … or, no good deed goes unpunished
The Problems of a New Nation
When the player characters and Clem arrive in Three Rivers, they will be greeted by Miranda Fergus and the Mayor. The residents of Three Rivers are very happy to see the player characters, but the players will soon begin to realize that these happy people are very scared. It will not be long before they become aware of the nature of the problems that are plaguing this new nation.
Several months ago, an expedition of young scientists and adventures from the community set out to explore a set of ruins forty miles to the east. Records in the university and the reclaimed KnuGenics buildings claimed that the ruins were of an independent complex, which was a collaboration between the top executives of KnuGenics and the United States Army. The area was lost soon after the Big Death when the surviving population of the region pulled back to Three Rivers. At first, the explorers had great success in their operations, but when they brought the remnants of the complexes power grid online things began to change.
Almost at once, the mainframe computer that had controlled the facility began broadcasting urgent distress calls to a government that had been dead for more than a century. The broadcasts only lasted for six hours, after which the mainframe was permanently denied access to the command and control functions of the complex.
But the damage was done.
72 hours after the computer was silenced, all contact with the expedition was lost, and three rescue missions were never heard from again. Since that day, all commercial trade with the East has been cut off, and the area is beginning to whither from the denial of critical manufactured goods out of The Republic of Cardania. A few independent traders have managed to make it in and out of the Commonwealth, but they have reported being attacked from the forests and from the air. No Caravans have been able to reach Three Rivers in more than two months, they have all been destroyed or turned away.
The Offer
The Commonwealth leadership has no desire to turn their green Militiamen loose against this unknown foe. Therefore the Player Characters are made the following offer. If the player characters are willing to take on the job, the Commonwealth will pay them each five thousand Cardanian Bucks and would be happy to allow them citizenship in the Commonwealth if they so desired. Characters of good alignment should feel obligated to help this community of decent and hard-working people.
If they accept the job, the player characters are expected to go in first and scout out the situation. Once they have ascertained the problems origin, they are to call in for the Commonwealth's forces to move in and neutralize perpetrators. The Commonwealth will be able to send in two hundred well-armed, if not so well trained, troops to assist the player characters. The Commonwealth will attach a group of scouts to the player character group. The Commonwealth Scout Corp is the only professional and experienced group of warriors available.
Scoping Things Out
Approaching the area of the ruins can be as easy or as difficult as the Game Master wishes. An approach from any direction will be noticed by the Empire of Humanity troops that are concealed at the sight of the old KnuGenics complex. On foot, the journey should take the better part of three days, the road leading to the old complex is a freshly hacked trail movement by vehicles on this road is reduced by 40%.
The Empire Expedition
When the mainframe of the complex began broadcasting its emergency beacon, it was received by one of the few communication systems in North America that were capable of decrypting it, the central computer network at Technoville. What the explorers at the complex did not realize was that once the complex mainframe made contact with the Technoville central computer, it transmitted an encrypted copy of all of its files right to the Empire of Humanity.
Of greatest interest to the scientists in the Empire were the files detailing the accelerated evolution of nonhuman species. Unfortunately for the Empire, many of the files that were transmitted were fragmentary and incomplete, necessitating the physical accessing of the mainframe by Empire technicians. The Emperor has come to believe that this information is critical in the Empires continuing efforts to return all mutant animals to there primitive state.
The Empire has dispatched a scientific expedition backed with a reinforced company of human and canine troops (from New Kennel). The group is co commanded by Dr. Laura Armstrong and Colonel Jared Miller. The scientific portion of the expedition consists of seventeen scientists and technicians, while the military arm is composed of 165 soldiers. Considering the importance of the mission, no expense has been spared, and the troops are outfitted with the newest and most advanced Empire equipment (see below).
Empire Military Compliment
24 Human Soldiers, each equipped with;
1 "Cub" Semi-Automatic Laser Pistol with 2 spare magazines
1 "Badger" Assault Laser Rifle with 4 spare magazines
1 Suit "Spartan" Environmental Body Armor (EBA)
141 Canine Soldiers (page 175 After the Bomb 2nd)
1 Pre-Death 9mm semi-automatic pistol (3D6 Damage, 50 rounds 100 rounds of ammunition)
1 Pre-Death Assault Rifle (5D6 Damage, 100 rounds of ammunition)
1 Pre-Death (Modified) Flak Vest (AR 11, 45 SDC)
Heavy Equipment
4 suits of Type 2xd Robotic Body Armor (page 178 After the Bomb 2nd)
1 suit Type 1 Robot Armor (page 176 After the Bomb 2nd)
2 suits Type 2xj Scout Flying Armor (page 33 Mutants of the Yucatan)
The Ruins
The old Knu-Genics facility is located on a broad field that once had a small river running through it, the river dried up due to geological shifting during the Big Death. Most (75%) of the above-ground elements of the complex were destroyed during the fire and in the years since. But as the expedition from Three Rivers discovered, almost all of the three below-ground levels have survived the intervening years relatively intact.
When the expedition from the university arrived, they hooked a newly refurbished solar power generator to the complexes old power grid. It was, of course, this act that set off the chain of events that lead to the Empire's arrival and the subsequent deaths of the expedition members and the various rescue teams. The Empire team has supplemented the solar generator, and with their own portable nuclear generator, thus they have more than enough power for the machinery in the complex and the gear they brought with them.
Battle
The intensity of the battle is completely dependent on home. The player characters attempt to penetrate the Empire's defensive ring around the complex. Regardless of the skill of the player characters, they will eventually come into direct conflict with the Human forces and their canine allies. Colonel Miller is a skilled tactician and a capable filed commander, he has been expecting a renewed response from the Commonwealth since he dispatched the rescue teams.
By the time the Player characters arrive on the scene, more than 80% of the mainframes data has been cleaned up and retransmitted to the Empire computers in Technoville. But without at least 92% of the data, the Empire will not be able to make use of what they have already received. If the Empire troops are able to keep the player characters and their support troops at bay for more than two and a half hours, they will have sent enough data to accelerate the Empire's genetics program. At that point, Colonel Miller will order his people to withdraw from the area. He will also order a retreat if the player characters manage to stop the transmission and kill or incapacitate fifty percent of his troops (humans or canine).
The Empire has dispatched a flight of eight transport helicopters to extract the expedition. If the helicopters are destroyed, the troops will attempt to withdraw via ground movement.
Clem to the Rescue?
Clem and Betsy have been with Miranda since the group arrived in town, but he will be joining the party if they try to penetrate the old Knu-Genics complex. Clem is an explorer and trader, not really a fighter, but he is a good person to have at your back in a tough situation.
If at any moment during the battle, things seem to be going against the player characters and their allies Clem and Betsy will come charging in to do as much damage to the Empire troops as possible. In my playtesting of the adventure, Clem and Betsy repeatedly wreak havoc on the Imperials, but they also tend to make things much more dangerous for the Player Characters.
But old Clem means well.
Rewards for a Job Well Done … and the Future
Successful completion of at least the appearance of successful completion of the mission will see the player characters treated like superstars. The Commonwealth council will honor all promises made to the by the mayor of Three Rivers. In addition, the council will decorate the player characters, Clem, and the troops with the Commonwealth medal of valor.
When the ensuing festivities are over, the player characters will be approached Selma Kirkwell, of the Kirkwell family, who has a proposition for them.
How would they like to see Lake Michigan and the ruins of Chicago?
New Technology and Equipment
Empire of Humanity
In recent years and after their humiliating meeting with the Ghenesha Elephants, in the wake of the Purityville debacle, the Empire of humanity has decided that it's old "Pre-Death" hardware needed an upgrade. This is by no means a small undertaking, and it isn't going to happen overnight. The Information presented here are some new prototypes that are being field-tested, flaws and all.
"The Grizzly" Laser Rifle
The new AEAR has begun to replace the venerable G-9A rifle. The new rifle represents real technological advancement by the Empire of Humanity. Some military leaders in the Republic of Cardania believe that it is the first piece of post-death equipment that might actually exceed pre-death technology. The only real drawback to this weapon is the production costs. For the cost of one G-12, the Empire could make three G-9's. But the advantages of the G-12 are undeniable. The G-12 and G-12P are the first transition of the Empire to an interchangeable magazine clip system for their energy weapons.
Weapon Title: G-12 Advanced Energy Assault Rifle (AEAR)
Weapon Description: Made from state of the art composite materials, the AEAR is sleek and well designed. The weapon is soldier friendly, meaning that is can take a beating and still function like a Swiss watch.
Weight: 8 pounds
Damage: 1D4X10 per blast, only fires single shots
Rate of Fire: Equals the number of hand to hand attacks of the operator
Effective Range: 1200 feet
Payload: 12 shots per charged removable magazine. Each magazine can be recharged 1D6+5 times before it is unable to hold a charge and must be refurbished.
Bonuses: +2 to strike when taking an aimed shot
"The Badger" Laser Pistol
Like its big brother, the G-12, the G-12P represents s a quantum leap In Empire weapons technology. The G-12P is well on its way to becoming the standard sidearm of the Empire of Humanity.
Weapon Title: G-12P Advanced Energy Pistol (AEP)
Weapon Description: Made from state of the art composite materials, the AEP is sleek and well designed. The weapon is soldier friendly, meaning that is can take a beating and still function like a Swiss watch.
Weight: 4 pounds
Damage: 4D6 per blast, only fires single shots
Rate of Fire: Equals the number of hand to hand attacks of the operator
Effective Range: 200 feet
Payload: 8 shots per charged removable magazine. Each magazine can be recharged 1D6+5 times before it is unable to hold a charge and must be refurbished.
Bonuses: +1 to strike when taking an aimed shot
Spartan Environmental Body Armor (EBA)
The days of the Empire only being able to equip their "Grunts" with a Flack Jacket and a helmet for protection is a thing of the past. An Imperial dig at the former United States Army base of Fort Dix, an act that has severely ratcheted up tensions with the powers that be in Filly, revealed a cache of American Full Environmental Body Armor. After a few months, the techies at Technoville were able to reverse engineer the armor and put them into production. The reaction of the troops equipped with this new armor has been overwhelmingly positive.
Armor Rating (AR): 17
SDC (By Location):
Main Body – 150
Arms – 35
Legs – 45
Head – 50
Hands – 15
Feet – 20
Weight: 45 pounds
Prowl Penalty: -15%
Features: The armor is fully environmental and is suitable for any toxic environment. It can tolerate sea depths up to 1000 feet and would be usable in space. The armor can tolerate temperatures as low as -175 degrees F and as high as +150 degrees F. There are 3 hours of clean air in the armor. The armor has a built-in digital radio communications system and is rigged for Wi-Fi computer access (only applicable in Technoville or another Empire city). The visor of the armor is polarized and has thermal and infrared modes.
Note: Can only be worn by fully humanoid characters
Kirkwell Manufacturing (Armaments Division)
Kirkwell Manufacturing produces replicas of much pre-death low tech weapons (M-16, Colt .45, Tommy gun … just to name a few). But what is presented below are some of the newly designed weapons that the Kirkwell family brought with them out of the Midwest. It is assumed that the names of the weapons confirm or deny that rumor.
"Blackhawk" Assault Rifle
The Blackhawk is the jewel of the new Commonwealth Army. It is the standard weapon of the Commonwealth armed forces and is being issued to the troops in the field as fast as Kirkwell Manufacturing can produce them. Nobody, outside of the Kirkwell inner circle, knows the real story of the Blackhawk. The M-193 was a cutting edge plastic assault rifle that was set to be the new standard infantry weapon of the United States Military in the years preceding the Big Death. When the powers that were of the Wrigley Alliance (including at least one Kirkwell) stumbled upon the prototypes and plans for the weapon in the ruin of Chicago, they found it almost too easy to adapt the design to a wood and steel weapon of superior quality.
Weapon Title: WA M193 Assault Rifle
Weapon Description: Resembling the USA M14 (only with a shorter barrel), the Blackhawk is a high-velocity rifle of superior quality.
Cartridge Type: .40 caliber (rifle)
Weight: 12.5 pounds
Damage: 5D6 per round, 1D6X10 per three-round burst
Effective Range: 1000 feet
Payload: 30 round magazine (10 bursts)
Bonuses: +1 to strike (single shot only)
Market Cost: 800 Cardanian Bucks per rifle, ammunition is 50 bucks per 30 round box of cartridges
"Cub" Pistol
Much like the Blackhawk, the Cub is based on a Pre-Death United States design. The original version was made of plastics, but this version is made of stamped and welded steel.
Weapon Title: WA M208 Semi-Automatic Pistol
Weapon Description: The Cub looks like a .45 Colt pistol with a much thicker muzzle and grip.
Cartridge Type: .50 caliber (pistol)
Weight: 3.5 pounds
Damage: 4D6 per round
Rate of Fire: Equal to the number of hand to hand attacks of the operator
Effective Range: 100 feet
Payload: 10 rounds
Bonuses: +1 to strike
Market Cost: 200 Cardanian Bucks for a new pistol, 40 Bucks for a box of fifty rounds
Non-Player Characters (NPC's)
Clem
Clem is light years from where he began his life, and it has been a long strange trip. Born to a family of academics in the capital city of the Republic of Cardania, his father is a professor of Pre-Death Human History at the University of Cardania, and his mother is the head of the Special Collections Department at the Cardanian National Library. Clem fears that he is a disappointment to his parents, he is unaware that they are very proud of and impressed by their adventurer son. Clem headed out from home at the age of 14 with three friends, they were going to tap the potential of the unexplored countryside. Five weeks later, his friends had returned home to the safety of the city, and Clem had met Betsy and began his new life. Clem tries to get home at least once a year to see his folks, something that makes him uncomfortable and them very happy.
Recently Clem has made the acquaintance of the lovely and intelligent Miranda Fergus. Clem is terrified of the romance that has blossomed between them, he just can't understand what someone like Miranda sees in someone like him. Much like with his parents, he has never considered the possibility that she sees the goodness and honesty in him. Surprisingly to Clem himself, he finds that he is ready to somewhat settle down and maybe have some puppies … who would have thought?
If the situation with the Empire is resolved safely, Clem will ask Miranda to marry him, and she will say yes.
Real Name: Clement Twain O'Samuels Barnett Fogmuller
Race: Mutant Hound Dog
Alignment: Principled
Attributes: IQ 8, ME 15, MA 12, PS 22 (Brute), PP 14, PE 23, PB 11, SPD 10
Age: 26
Sex: Male
Size Level: 11
Weight: 235 lbs (105 kg)
Height: 6 feet, 5 inches (1.98 meters)
Hit Points: 58
SDC: 52
Disposition: Clem may very well be one of the nicest and most dependable people in the World of After the Bomb. Although not very bright, he is far from stupid. Clem more than makes up for his lack of book smarts with a great deal of common sense and good instincts. Clem has a warm heart and a kind temperament, his friends are friends for life.
Human Features: Hands – Full, Biped – Full, Speech – Full, Looks – None
Powers: Advanced Vision, Advanced Smell, Brute Strength, Communication with Insects – This is not exactly a power, nor is it a psionic ability, it's just that Clem really gets along with insects. They like Clem, and Clem likes them, maybe because their IQ's are similar.
Psionics: Mind Block (Special: This is totally involuntary, Clem is just too dense to be affected by psionics)
Level of Experience: 8th
Level of Education: 1st Grade
Occupation: Wilderness Scout and Trader
Natural Weapons: Bite 1D6 Damage
Skills of Note: Hand to Hand – Expert, Land Navigation 68%, Wilderness Survival 70%, Identify Plants and Fruit 65%, Wrestling, Swimming 90%, Running, Climbing 80/70%, General Athletics, WP Rifle, WP Shotgun, WP Revolver, Tracks by Smell
Secondary Skills of Note: Fishing 98%, Cook 70%, Preserve Food 70%, Sew 80%, Skin & Prepare Animal Hides 70%, Boating 92%, Dowsing 50%
Attacks per Melee: 5
Bonuses: Imitative +1, Strike +2, Parry & Dodge +3, Damage +7, Roll with punch or fall +2, Crush/Squeeze 1D6 Damage, Body Block/Tackle 1D6 Damage, Pin/Incapacitate on 17 18 19 or 20
Weapons: 30-06 Hunting Rifle kept in perfect condition, but always short on ammo. Clem has learned to make every shot count. Clem has a +2 with HIS rifle only.
Betsy, the Mutant Beetle
Betsy is Clem's riding mount and best friend. Betsy is … well stupid (her intelligence is equal to that of a hamster), but she is completely loyal to Clem, and recently she has begun to bond with Miranda. Betsy ignores most people and things, but large objects (size 18 or larger) she will attack on sight. Betsy obeys Clem most of the time, but it usually takes 3 to 6 orders for her to obey. Once Betsy starts eating, she will not stop until she is done.
Alignment: Anarchist
Attributes: IQ 3, ME 8, MA 4, PS 32 (beastly), PP 10, PE 15, PB 2, SPD 21
Age: 9
Sex: Female
Size Level: 20
Weight: 2200 pounds (990 kg)
Height: 8 feet (2.4 meters)
Hit Points: 96
Natural Armor Rating (AR): 15
SDC: 190
Disposition: Stubborn, willful, and not too bright, but Clem manages to keep her on track
Powers: Natural Armor, Internal Compass, Advanced Smell, Beastly PS
Psionics: None
Natural Weapons: Pinchers 5D6 Damage, Claws 2D6 Damage, Ram/Body Block 1D6X10 Damage, Can easily flip vehicles.
Attacks per Melee: 3
Bonuses: Strike +2, Parry & Dodge +1, Damage +17, Roll with Fall/Punch/Impact +3