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149Chapter 09 Equipment & Vehicles

Item Name Cost Legality Other

Tent 150 Legal

Backpack 75 Legal

Holster (Shoulder/Ankle) 30 Legal

Holster (Belt) 20 Legal

Goggles/Mask 60 Legal

Handcuffs/Manacles 75 Legal

Zip-ties 10 Legal

Lockpicks (Basic) 50 Restricted

Lockpicks (Electronic) 150 Restricted

Lockpicks (Lockpick gun) 400 Restricted

Cable (50 feet) 40 Legal

Rope (50 feet) 15 Legal

Chain (50 feet) 25 Legal

Survival Gear 150 Legal

Bluetooth Headset 60 Legal

Walkie Talkie 45 Legal

Gloves 10 Legal

GPS Tracking Unit 200 Legal

GPS Tracer Unit (5) 50 Legal

Tool Kit (Basic) 150 Legal

Tool Kit (Mechanic’s) 600 Legal

Leatherman Tool 25 Legal

Swiss Army Knife 20 Legal

TV (Standard) 200 Legal

TV (Flat-Panel) 500 Legal

Video Game System 300 Legal

Gas Mask 60 Legal

Rebreather 6000 Legal

Climbing Equipment 1500 Legal

Grapnel Gun (20 yard range) 250 Restricted



Services/Consumables Cost Legality Other

Cab Fare 0.5 Legal per mile.

Air Fare 1.5 Legal per mile.

Bus Fare 1 Legal per mile.

Cheap Meal (Fast Food) 10 Legal

Average Meal (Restaurant) 20 Legal

Expensive Meal (Restaurant) 40 Legal

Escort 200 Restricted/Illegal per night.

Street Drugs 40 Illegal Toxin--Marijuana, Ecstacy, Crystal Meth

Hard Drugs 100 Illegal Toxin--Cocaine, Heroin, Opiates

Performance Ticket (Basic) 60 Legal Concert, Sports, Theater, etc.

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Services/Consumables Cost Legality Other

Performance Ticket (VIP) 500 Restricted Concert, Sports, Theater, etc.

Hotel (Cheap) 100 Legal per night.

Hotel (Luxury) 350 Legal per night.

Clinic/Urgent Care Visit 75 Legal

Hospital Stay (Uninsured) 300 Legal per day.

Painkillers (OTC) 30 Legal per bottle of 100.

Painkillers (Prescription) 150 Restricted/Illegal per bottle of 100.



Custom Ammunition Legality Other

Incindiary Ammunition Illegal Target must test Agility (3) or be caught on fire.

GPS Tracer Restricted Deals no damage. Successful hit only adheres Tracer to target.

Line Arrow Restricted Only usable with Bow/Crossbow;

“Screamer” Ammunition Restricted Deals 1/2 damage. Causes intense noise which can Intimidate.

EMP Ammunition Illegal Automatically shuts down electronics in a 5 yard radius on a
successful hit.


Flechette Ammunition Illegal Releases barbs into target’s flesh; Causes 4 dice of Strain to
remove, unless removed via a Scientific (11) test.


Flare/Smoke Ammunition Illegal Deals 1/2 damage. Releases smoke as per a smoke grenade.

Explosive Ammunition Illegal Deals normal damage. Explodes on impact for 6 Explosive
Damage in a 3 yard radius.


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VEHICLES

If jumping from rooftop to rooftop doesn’t suit your Hero, they may prefer to get
themself a vehicle to use as a form of transportation. Vehicles can be modified in
various ways, including adding weapons. This chapter provides a list of the avail-
able vehicles as well as the weapons and alterations available for them. In order
to modify a vehicle themself, the Hero must have the Weaponsmith Mastery.

READING A VEHICLE ENTRY

Name: The type of vehicle.
Crew/Passengers: The number of people required to pilot the vehicle, as well

as how many passengers the vehicle can hold.
Skill: Denotes the Skill required to pilot the vehicle.
Acceleration: The rate at which the vehicle may speed up or slow down with

the Accelerate or Decelerate action.
Top Speed: The maximum speed of the vehicle.
Cruising Speed: The typical operating speed of the vehicle.
Physical Strain/Breaking Point: How much Physical Strain each section of the

vehicle may endure, and at which point that section stops functioning.
Legality (weapons): States whether the weapon is legal, restricted, or illegal.
Cost: The cost and purchase Difficulty of the vehicle or modification.

SPECIAL VEHICLE NOTES

Gliders cannot be launched individually and must be towed by another aircraft.
Airboats can skim across ice and water; often used in the arctic and bayou.
Helicopters are complex to pilot and require at least two crew at all times.

DAMAGING A VEHICLE

Most weapons deal negligible damage to vehicles—crossbow bolts and .22s
might shatter the glass and hit the driver, but they don’t have enough power to
hinder the vehicle. Explosive weapons and heavy firearms, certain Powers (like
Blast), and melee attacks from characters with a Force Rating of 7 or higher all
deal normal damage to vehicles. Weapons like crossbow bolts and light pistols
deal negligible damage to a vehicle: they don’t have enough power to have
any effect. However, they can still be used to make Called Shots against tires,
windows, and people inside the vehicles.

Because vehicles are much larger than most targets, Called Shots made
against them have lower penalties on attack tests. Called Shots against vehicles
can be made at any one of six targets:

Target Penalty

Quarter panels/doors -0 dice

Tires/treads/rotors -4 dice

Crew/passengers -4 dice (considered to have at least 50% cover)

Drivetrain -6 dice

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153Chapter 09 Equipment & Vehicles

Just like Heroes and NPCs, vehicles have a Breaking Point. When a vehicle drops
to or below its Breaking Point, it suffers an appropriate breakdown, which re-
quires significant amounts of time and cash, as well as a number of Mechanics
tests, to repair. No matter what breakdown the vehicle suffers, the pilot must
make a Driving or Piloting test or lose control of the vehicle. If they fail, it crash-
es (see rules for crashing on the following page).

Blown Tire: Vehicle’s Pace is reduced by half. All Driving/Piloting tests are made
at -4 dice.

Steering Damaged: Driving/Piloting tests made at -4 dice.
Brake Damage: Driving/Piloting tests made at -2 dice, cannot stop or decelerate.
Engine Fire: Driving/Piloting tests made at -3 dice. Roll 1d10 each round dur-

ing which the fire continues. On a 10, the fire goes out. On a 1, the vehicle
explodes, dealing 20 Physical Strain to the occupants and everything within
5 yards of the vehicle.
Broken Windshield: All characters in the vehicle suffer 10 Physical Strain. Char-
acters make Agility tests to negate some of this Strain, as with any explosive.
Broken Axle/Drivetrain: Vehicle cannot turn or change course.
Transmission Blown: Vehicle is unusable.

THE CHASE SCENE—VEHICLES IN ACTION

Normally, characters are not required to make a Driving or Piloting test to op-
erate a vehicle. But when they attempt to perform a maneuver or enter into
adverse conditions like combat or severe weather, they will need to make Tests
to maintain control. During a chase scene, the characters also need to make
Driving or Piloting tests, and the scale and order of events alters slightly.

During a vehicular chase, all distances are rounded to the nearest 100
yards. Vehicle Initiative is determined by the driver, and any other characters
act on their own Initiative. During a foot chase, all distances are rounded to the
nearest 10 yards, and Initiatives are resolved as normal. A chase continues as
long as the pursuer is within fifteen increments of their target and has line of
sight to them. If the target is able to outrun the pursuer or break their line of
sight for three rounds, the chase ends.

During a chase, the driver devotes their entire turn to operating the vehi-
cle: they cannot take any of their normal Actions, but they may use the vehicle
to take any of the Actions listed below:

Accelerate: The driver makes a Driving/Piloting test with a Difficulty of 7. On
a success, the vehicle speeds up by a value equal to its Acceleration. On a
Total Success, it can move up to twice its Acceleration. A failure means the
vehicle stays at its current speed.

Maintain Speed: The vehicle continues moving at its current speed. The driver
may add +2 dice to next their Driving/Piloting test.

Decelerate: As Accelerate, but used to slow down the vehicle. This can be used
to bring the vehicle to a complete stop.

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Fire Vehicle Weapon: The driver makes a Vehicle Combat test to fire a weapon
mounted on the vehicle. This Test is typically made against the target’s De-
fensive Value, unless the weapon is an explosive (see page 120 for explosive
weapon rules).

Maneuver: The driver makes an intricate maneuver: a hard turn, a jump, side-
swiping an opponent, or anything not covered by another Action. The Dif-
ficulty of any maneuver is determined by the GM and is modified by any
environmental factors.

Hard Brake: The driver slams on the brakes with the intent of dropping behind
an opponent. Pulling a Hard Brake requires a Driving/Piloting test with a
Difficulty of 5 + 1 per 10 mph dropped. On a failure, the vehicle loses con-
trol and crashes.

If the chases is on foot, obviously none of these actions are applicable. Rather,
the characters make Athletics and Stealth tests to pursue and evade one an-
other. Characters in a chase follow the normal rules for sprinting, as listed on
page 113.

CRASHES AND OTHER INTERESTING WAYS TO DIE

If a character ever loses control of their vehicle and crashes, the vehicle and
anyone inside automatically take 5 Physical Strain for every 20 mph the vehicle
was moving. If the characters are restrained by seatbelts, they only take half
this damage. If not restrained, the passengers and crew take the same amount
of damage as the vehicle itself. If the crash is the result of two vehicles collid-
ing, add their speed together and use their total speed to resolve damage as
normal. If a crash deals enough Physical Strain to bring a vehicle’s Strain score
down to zero, repairing it may be out of the question.

If the character wants to attempt to jump out of the vehicle prior to the
crash, they must make an Agility test, opposed by the driver’s Agility Rating. On
a success, they leap out of the vehicle and only take one quarter of the damage
they would otherwise take (rounded down). A character can only jump from a
vehicle if they are not restrained.

DAMAGING INANIMATE OBJECTS

In the pursuit of justice, Heroes tend to cause a lot of collateral damage. Doors
get kicked in, windows get smashed, and some buildings might not survive a
showdown between two metahumans.

Like Heroes, objects have a Strain Threshold and Physical Breaking Point.
The Strain Threshold of an object varies based on the material the object is
made of and its density. If affected by an explosion, the object incurs damage
normally. The table below details a few examples; these are meant to provide
guidelines for item durability—nothing more.

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Object Strain Threshold Breaking Point

Glass Window 2 1

Restaurant Table 10 4

Bar Stool 6 2

Hollow Core Door 9 3

Exterior Door (fiberglass) 15 5

Car Door (aluminum) 15 5

Steel Security Door 45 15

Vehicle Crew(Pass.) Skill Accel.C ruise (Top) P.S. B.P. Legality Cost

Sedan 1 (4) Driving 20 60 (120) 40 15 Legal $15,000

Sports Car 1 (2) Driving 30 80(180) 35 15 Legal $40,000

Station Wagon 1 (5) Driving 20 60(120) 50 20 Legal $20,000

Pickup Truck 1 (2 ) Driving 15 50(100) 60 20 Legal $30,000

SUV 1 (5) Driving 20 50(100) 50 15 Legal $30,000

Van 1 (6) Driving 15 50(100) 75 25 Legal $25,000

Armored Car 1 (3) Driving 15 45(90) 100 25 Restricted $140,000

Tank 2 (4) Driving 10 30(60) 200 40 Illegal $6.21 Million

Light Motorcycle 1 (1) Driving 25 75(200) 25 10 Legal $6,000

Heavy Motorcycle 1 (1) Driving 20 60(140) 35 15 Legal $8,000



Jet-Ski 1 (1) Piloting 10 30(70) 35 15 Legal $8,000

Airboat 1 (6) Piloting 10 40(60) 50 20 Legal $20,000

Touring Boat 1 (10) Piloting 10 30(55) 80 25 Legal $75,000

Speedboat 1 (6) Piloting 15 50(90) 90 30 Legal $100,000

Sailboat 3 (10) Piloting 5 10(20) 125 60 Legal $300,000

Houseboat 2 (12) Piloting 10 15(40) 300 100 Legal $250,000

Yacht 5 (50+) Piloting 10 15(30) 500 125 Restricted $1.5 Million



Glider 1 (1) Piloting 15 90(125) 75 25 Restricted $40,000

Single-Eng. Plane 1 (4) Piloting 40 200(450) 80 30 Restricted $275,000

Light Helicopter 2 (4) Piloting 25 125(200) 75 25 Restricted $375,000

Military Helicopter 2 (6) Piloting 20 120(180) 100 25 Illegal $18 Million

Fighter Jet 1 (1) Piloting 300 650(1400) 80 20 Illegal $19 Million

Jumbo Jet 4 (100) Piloting 200 50(900) 300 100 Restricted $228 Million



Armor Plating n/a n/a n/a -10(-20) 50 10 Restricted $25,000

Firearm Mount n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Restricted $10000+weapon

Caltrop/Oil Dispenser n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Illegal $5,000

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chapter10 MEMORIES,
MOTIVATIONS, &STANCES

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157Chapter 10 Memories, Motivations, & Stances

MEMORIES, MOTIVATIONS,&STANCES—AN ORIGIN IN THE MAKING

A Hero’s Memories, Motivations, and Stances represent their most important as-
pects: their personality, their guiding principles, and why they took on their alter-
nate persona in the first place. These elements are critically important for both the
players and the GM. They help create character outlines for the players to use in
roleplaying their Heroes, and they give the GM opportunities for rewarding play-
ers with Vigilance dice (see page 159 for rules on the Vigilance pool). Each Hero
should start with at least two Memories, two Motivations, and three Stances.

A SAMPLE HERO’S PHILOSOPHY

Manifesto (whose stats are listed in Chapter 14, along with write-ups on several
other ready-to-play Heroes) is the result of a Soviet super-soldier experiment
during the 1980s. Will, Manifesto’s player, has decided that Manifesto ran away
to the United States following a botched mission in Afghanistan. Manifesto was
assigned the mission along with his brother, another Soviet super-soldier, who
alienated Manifesto and made a name for himself there by tyrannizing and
extorting the locals. The mission makes for a good Memory, as it’s in the past
and references Manifesto’s Nemesis Flaw. Will lists “Failed Afghanistan mission”
as one of Manifesto’s Memories. Will also figures that Manifesto’s arrival in the
United States was greeted with great hardship, as Manifesto was homeless for
a time. Will adds “Months living on the streets of New Corinth” as his second
Memory.

Will sees the botched mission as a culmination of the frustrations Mani-
festo had with the corrupt Soviet government. Will debates putting “Lenin’s
dream, deferred…” as a Memory, but decides to work it in as a Motivation in-
stead. Will thinks that Manifesto would fight for a better life for the “forgotten
people.” He then lists “Warrior for the workers of the world” as a Motivation.

Will decides that Manifesto killed countless people as a Soviet soldier, but
that since he left that life behind him, he has been hesitant to throw away a
life in the pursuit of justice; he adds “Killing a man teaches him nothing” as a
Stance. Manifesto also fully believes in the dream of Lenin’s socialist republic,
so Will adds “Fight for the working man” as a Stance as well. Will wants to clarify
this, so he adds a third Stance: “Show the greedy capitalists the error of their
ways...by force if necessary.”

This provides plenty of material for Will to roleplay out as his character and
even more opportunities for the GM to come up with situations that will chal-
lenge Manifesto. Since the GM knows Manifesto’s Motivations and Memories,
he starts working up a greedy, corporate fat-cat to serve as a recurring villain—
who eventually may hire Manifesto’s brother to do his dirty work.

MEMORIES—A HERO’S PAST

A Hero’s past has as much of an effect on them as any current events. Every ex-
perienced Hero knows that their past has a way of coming back to haunt them.

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In Cold Steel Wardens, Memories are elements of a Hero’s past that were critical
to the Hero’s development: momentous, sometimes tragic events that have
influenced the Hero’s Motivations and Stances. The Hero may have Memories
of important places, people who influenced them, significant events—even an
object may have a significant Memory attached to it.

SOME EXAMPLE MEMORIES:

The accident that gave the Hero their metahuman Power.
The death of a family member or mentor.
The first case a Hero solved on their own.
The first time a Hero met a fellow vigilante or a major villain.
A character-defining moment with family or friends.
Meeting (or losing) their romantic interest.

MOTIVATIONS—WHAT MOVES A HERO?

Where Memories reflect a Hero’s past, Motivations represent their current de-
sires and goals. Why do they continue to fight? What are they trying to achieve?
Motivations can be entirely altruistic, or wholly selfish; the important part is
that they help to explain who your Hero is and why they take the actions they
do. Motivations may be linked to particular Memories, or they may be overarch-
ing goals that the Hero has as a vigilante.

SOME EXAMPLE MOTIVATIONS:

Avenging the death of a family member or friend.
Bringing an organization to justice.
Defeating a recurring villain.
Bettering the lives of a group of people.
Confronting and removing the corruption within the government/police force/etc.
Avenging the innocent…(whatever an “innocent” might be).
Cleaning up a certain neighborhood or area.
Defending against a specific type of threat (mystic, psionic, metahuman, etc.)

STANCES—SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN

A Hero’s Stances are their hard-line beliefs: their philosophies and “rules” re-
garding crime-fighting and life in general. Stances often reflect a character’s
Memories and Motivations, and influence their actions. Stances should always
be written down as quotes—as something the Hero would actually say, like
“The police are just as corrupt as the gangs” or “Killing a criminal is just as bad
as killing an innocent man.”

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In creating Stances, it may be helpful to consider what your Hero might feel about:
Killing in the name of justice.
Taking money or evidence from crime scenes.
Allying with thugs or underworld contacts to take down a greater threat.
Harming police officers or other law enforcement agents.
How criminals and villains should be turned in to the police, if at all.
Using guns, or any kind of lethal force.

Throughout a campaign, the GM may come up with any number of moral
quandaries and situations with which to continually challenge and confront
both players and their Heroes. For example:
The Heroes track an illegal arms trafficking ring to the CEO of a major corpora-
tion. But taking down the CEO would cause the company to go under, costing
thousands of people their jobs.
The Heroes have recaptured a serial killer who has escaped from the local sani-
tarium four times already. He swears that when he gets loose again, he’ll kill
twice as many people.
The Heroes’headquarters are raided by ATF agents as part of an ongoing investiga-
tion. Will the Heroes harm government workers who are simply doing their job?
A known mob informant comes to the PCs, offering information on his crime fam-
ily and resources to take them down, if they can smuggle him out of the country.

Stances reflect philosophical choices made entirely real for the Hero. While
most of us never have to worry about the morality of vigilantism, Heroes regu-
larly test their moral fiber. The different Stances a party of Heroes has will most
likely conflict with one another. Doubt, moral quandaries, and corruption are all
hallmarks of Iron Age storylines—it’s all part of the game. However, the players
and GM should remember to maintain a level of civility; there’s no need to let
fictional conflict bleed over onto the gaming table.

VIGILANCE AND NARRATIVE CONTROL

Vigilance represents the collective grit, ingenuity, and bad-assery the group
brings to the table as they fight to bring criminals to justice. It’s what gives the
Heroes an edge against the gangs, corruption, and utter depravity of the city.
The party’s Vigilance is a pool of dice, usually placed at the center of the gam-
ing area within reach of the GM and the players. The pool starts with a number
of d10s equal to twice the number of players. As a session progresses, players
pull dice from the pool to add narrative elements that give them an advantage.
Vigilance is a finite resource that everyone at the table contributes to, so when-
ever a player wants to use it, everyone at the table must agree to it—even the
GM. Usually, the Vigilance pool is refreshed at the beginning of every session,
but if the GM chooses, they can have the pool carry over as long as necessary.

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UTILIZING VIGILANCE

Pulling dice from the Vigilance pool grants Heroes several benefits:

The Player may add to a Test they are about to make by pulling a number
of Vigilance dice from the pool. This may be any Test: Vitals, Skill, Power, or
dealing damage. The dice may even be used to make a Test that would
normally be an untrained Skill test into a regular Skill test, where the char-
acter rolls the Vigilance dice they pull and adds the associated Vital to the
total hits. Everyone at the table must agree to this use, and to the number
of dice the player pulls.

A player may completely reroll a Test they just made at the cost of 3 Vigi-
lance dice. This may be any Test, and the results of the rerolled Test com-
pletely override the results of the first.

A player may pull Vigilance dice to negotiate narrative control of the scenic
elements with the GM. This allows players to add, remove, and alter elements
of a scene during an investigation. Using Vigilance in this manner is only lim-
ited by the player’s creativity and the GM’s permission. The cost varies, de-
pending on how much the player is changing the scene. Subtle changes that
give the Heroes a minor benefit have a lower cost, while pervasive changes
that might alter the course of the entire scenario cost more dice from the
pool. If the change would be completely out of place or would alter the
course of the investigation too much, the GM is free to veto it.

The following is a set of examples that illustrate they types of changes players
could make with narrative control:

Scenario: The Heroes are staking out a warehouse they know is being used as a

meth lab. Vinny Legs, a known distributor and high-ranking mafioso, is there, or-

dering around workers who are packing up a shipment.

# of Vigilance dice Narrative change

1 die There are several canisters of flammable chemicals on

a nearby workbench.

2 dice Two of the henchmen decide to take a cigarette break

and head toward the back door.

3 dice Vinny Legs is loudly arguing with one of his hench

men, distracting them both.

4 dice One of the henchmen drops a vial of caustic chemicals,

spilling it all over both his clothes and the floor. The

others drop what they’re doing to help clean up.

5 dice Not only is Vinny Legs arguing with one of his hench

men, but that henchman pulls a knife on him.

Anything more beneficial than the last of the above examples is likely to be
vetoed by a GM, as it would probably allow the Heroes to walk right through
this section of their investigation.

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Chapter 10 Memories, Motivations, & Stances 161

THE LIMITS OF VIGILANCE

In all uses of Vigilance dice, there must be consensus between all of the players
and the GameMaster on the number of dice pulled and the way they are used. If
the GM or even one player objects to the way the Vigilance is being used, the dice
return to the pool and the action proceeds as it would have before the Vigilance
dice were pulled. As one might imagine, when Heroes have drastically different
viewpoints and philosophies regarding crime-fighting, this can happen quite of-
ten. Also, the GM can suggest that the players pull Vigilance dice if they are stuck
during an investigation, though GMs can never take dice out themselves.

REFRESHING VIGILANCE

As mentioned earlier, it is the GM’s responsibility to refresh the pool of Vigilance
dice. The question is, then, when should they reward the players by adding to
their Vigilance?

The answer lies in the Heroes’ Memories, Motivations, Stances, and Flaws.
When the GM takes advantage of a Hero’s nature, presenting challenges that
relate to a Memory, Motivation, Stance, or Flaw, it compels the Hero to act in ways
that either reinforce their character, or go against it. When a Hero overcomes
such obstacles, the players are rewarded with additional Vigilance dice. Similarly,
if a player roleplays their Hero’s Stances particularly well, or puts their Hero at a
disadvantage due to their Flaws or Motivations, the GM should reward them with
additional Vigilance dice equal to twice what the GM might have paid out had
the GM challenged the player themselves. This encourages players to seek out
challenges on their own and to roleplay through their Heroes’ struggles.

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162 Cold Steel Wardens Here are a few scenarios for which the GM would
add to the pool:
GMS: “THAT GUY”
2 dice The Hero is slightly inconvenienced by
Vigilance is meant to be used at 3 dice a Flaw or is tempted by an easy way
moments of dramatic necessity, 4 dice out that’s morally wrong. A loved one
furthering a collaborative story expresses disappointment in how the
at the table and simulating the 5 dice Hero has been acting.
grit, fortitude, and grim determi- The Hero experiences some difficulty
nation of Iron Age Heroes. As due to their past, or is confronted by a
such, the GM is able to decline minor rival. The Hero’s Stances are chal-
the players’ use of Vigilance if lenged in a minor way.
they feel it’s a frivolous use of The Hero experiences an ongoing dif-
the pool or if it’s not dramati- ficulty that challenges one of their
cally appropriate. And because Motivations. An important NPC repre-
Vigilance is a finite resource, sentative of a Memory or Motivation is
all of the players get a say as to put in danger. The Hero’s Stances are
whether it is used or not as well. challenged, and the Hero may be faced
with difficult decisions in the near fu-
Occasionally, GMs will encoun- ture.
ter a player who tries to hoard With life-altering choices on deck, the
Vigilance for their own Hero’s Hero’s world is set to turn upside down.
glory or tries to save all of it for This may involve the death of a major
the boss fight and thus continu- NPC, the death of a fellow Hero, in-
ally declines other players’ use carceration, loss of powers, or worse.
of Vigilance. It’s the GM’s duty These situations should arise sparingly
to call out such players on their and should be important to the pro-
behavior, especially if it is pre- gression of the overarching story.
venting anyone else at the table
from enjoying the game. RPGs
are a social experience, with an
unspoken contract between the
players to play by a set of rules.
If any of the players abuse these
rules, the onus falls to the GM
to lead the others in rectifying
the situation. In doing so, GMs
should be as open, communica-
tive, and fair as possible.

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chapter11 CREATING
INVESTIGATIONS

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165Chapter 11 Creating Investigations

CREATING INVESTIGATIONS—JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY

Heroes are not made just by beating up thugs in warehouses; Heroes have to
burrow deep into the investigative side of crime if they hope to begin shining
light on the city’s dark underbelly. Heroes will never discover the culprits or
their motives without thorough evidence and investigation. A lucky group of
Heroes might be able to unseat the local Mafia don, but without enough evi-
dence to achieve a conviction, he will never truly face justice.

Investigations in Cold Steel Wardens focus on the use of Skills to accent
player ingenuity and deductive reasoning. The GameMaster is responsible not
only for establishing the setting and tone of the world inhabited by the Heroes,
but also for organizing and running the storyline by building investigations.
The following section details three different forms of investigation, as well as
how to use these forms in building your own investigation.

THREE METHODS FOR BUILDING AN INVESTIGATION

GMs can use any number of ways to outline an investigation for a Cold Steel
Wardens game. An investigation can take place in a single game session, or may
stretch for months at a time. However, if you are just starting out, having a tem-
plate to follow can help immensely. This section demonstrates three primary
methods for outlining an investigation, and includes examples for each, which
can serve as a pattern as you create your own.

Pyramidal: In this investigation style, each element or clue is represented by
a block in a pyramid. When blocks of information are “mortared” together,
the Heroes build access to leads, witnesses, and information that was pre-
viously inaccessible. Heroes eventually reach the apex of the pyramid: the
culmination of all of their clues and information, resulting in the discovery
of a key figure or the evidence necessary to put a wrongdoer in prison.
Pyramidal investigations tend to work best when there is a large amount of
physical evidence. (For more information about a pyramidal investigation,
see page 166.)

Concept Map: In this Investigation style, characters and clues are linked to-
gether through a web that fleshes out the fundamental relationship de-
tails between those elements. This investigation structure tends to work
best with adventures involving multiple witnesses whose testimonies and
statements do not align or add up properly. (For more information about a
concept map investigation, see page 169.)

Event Based: In this investigation style, the case is built around specific plot
points, arranged in a timeline, that the Heroes’actions may alter or prevent.
This approach tends to work best when the Heroes have conflicting aims or
multiple objectives that must be fulfilled in order to complete the investi-
gation successfully. (For more information about an event based investiga-
tion, see page 171.)

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166 Cold Steel Wardens While all three methods are viable, certain tech-
niques are more helpful for specific types of cas-
GMS: “WE’RE STUMPED!” es. Remember that this is not a complete list and
that there are numerous ways for a GameMaster
Occasionally, players simply run to prepare their plots. Experiment with each, and
out of ideas. The caffeine high at see what works best with your GMing style and
the game table fades, frustration your players.
sets in, and players stare at you
like you’ve sprouted tentacles PYRAMIDAL INVESTIGATIONS
from your eye sockets.
Pyramidal investigations tend to work best for
At this point, a responsive GM scenarios in which the Heroes must piece togeth-
finds a way to revitalize the He- er seemingly unrelated clues. Players can surely
roes and keep the investigation use their Heroes’ Skills, though their own deduc-
exciting. The classic “two men tive reasoning is key in solving crimes and finding
with guns burst into the room” key pieces of information.
is occasionally suitable, but is
not fitting for all investigations. The pyramid itself comes into play in terms
However, a fresh lead or previ- of the “level” of the deductions that the Heroes
ously undiscovered clue can make. At the bottom layer of the pyramid are
shock new life into a stagnant the most basic clues, most likely gathered from
case. a crime scene or other preliminary locations. By
combining or analyzing the clues, the Heroes
One way for players to obtain climb to the next level of the pyramid, accessing
untapped clues is through their information that was either nonsensical or veiled
previously established contacts; previously. As the Heroes continue to gather in-
perhaps they know someone in formation and uncover new leads, they are able
law enforcement, private investi- to move higher and higher on the pyramid. The
gation, or bounty hunting. Skills apex of the pyramid represents the Heroes’ goal:
like Canvass and Reputation can discovering the puppet master behind a crime,
assist Heroes in finding impor- the location of a villain’s hideout, or the critical
tant contacts in this manner. piece of evidence necessary to put away a vicious
mobster.
Alternatively, you can nudge the
Heroes back toward an avenue SAMPLE PYRAMIDAL INVESTIGATION OUTLINE
that they have not thoroughly
explored. Perhaps while they Let’s examine the pyramidal investigation to the
tested a bloodstain for DNA, right:
they neglected to run a full
chemical analysis on it, which Scenario: An ally of the Heroes, Dr. Marion DuCh-
would have revealed that the amp, has been assaulted in her home. While
victim was poisoned with a she survived the attack, Marion is currently
specific toxin. Examination plays comatose. The Heroes must track down her
a key role here, potentially pro- attackers and bring them to justice before
viding additional information on they can finish the job.
seemingly meaningless pieces of
evidence. Even a second trip to a Apex: The Heroes must find the location of An-
crime scene might turn up clues thony Murzo, an embittered ex-con whom
previously missed.

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167Chapter 11 Creating Investigations

DuChamp treated for serious injuries. Murzo’s arm required amputation,
though he was later fitted with a cybernetic prosthesis, which was financed
by the Genoveses. Murzo believes DuChamp botched the surgery, leading
to the amputation. Since then, Murzo has been holed up in a warehouse
near his former workplace, the New Corinth Pipe Works.
Investigating the Clues: If the Heroes find the trail of sewage leading from
DuChamp’s home, they may start searching nearby sewage plants for
the culprit. However, if the Heroes first find the torn business card in her
front yard (listing, of course, an address near the New Corinth Pipe Works),
they will find themselves prowling through the middle of a series of run-
down warehouses, a sewage treatment plant, and the aforementioned
Pipe Works. Finally, should the Heroes find partial fingerprints on both the
pipe/weapon and on DuChamp’s kitchen counter, the Heroes can uncover
perpetrator’s true identity. With a Total Success, they may even divulge the
cause of the partial prints—Murzo’s mechanical arm.
The key, however, is in how the clues combine. Each individual clue might pro-
vide degrees of information, but by combining clues, the Heroes can narrow
down potential leads and find their way to the truth.

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168 Cold Steel Wardens USING THE PYRAMIDAL INVESTIGATIVE
STRUCTURE
GMS: “WE’RE STUMPED!” (CONT.)
At its core, the pyramidal investigative structure is
If all else fails, you may wish to comparable to a jigsaw puzzle. Heroes discover a
give the Heroes a not-so-gentle set number of clues that may not make sense until
nudge in the right direction. those clues are properly arranged and the big pic-
However, direct assistance should ture comes to light. As a result, pyramidal struc-
never come without penalty; tures work particularly well for conspiracy-style
“GameMaster intervention” adventures, as the Heroes may take a significant
should come at a price, and amount of time to deduce the true motives and
that cost in Cold Steel Wardens perpetrators behind a series of events. When ex-
is assessed in Vigilance. When panded over the course of several game sessions,
giving assistance in this manner, a pyramidal investigation can last an entire cam-
remove one Vigilance die per paign, as the Heroes seek out the final pieces of
player. While the Heroes might be evidence linking a Mafia don to his crimes, or ex-
somewhat weaker for this, they’ll posing the loathsome secrets of an insidious cult.
be back on the trail in no time…
Pyramidal outlining works well for numerous
types of session-length investigations as well. In
a “missing object/person” case, the Heroes must
ascertain someone’s identity or the location of an
object or person. Pyramidal investigations also
work well for cases in which the evidence appears
disconnected. The recent Sherlock Holmes films,
which starred Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law,
featured this sort of investigation in Sherlock’s at-
tempts to piece together the seemingly unrelated
incidents that resulted in the deaths of the mem-
bers of The Temple of Four.

Moreso than the concept map or event based
investigations, the pyramidal structure revolves
around manipulation of physical evidence and
use of the Investigative and Knowledge Skills.
When planning a pyramidal investigation, ensure
that at least one of your Heroes is talented in In-
vestigative Skills. While Social Skills are somewhat
useful in a pyramidal investigation, primarily by
helping a character gain access to restricted ar-
eas or confiscated evidence, the majority of He-
roes’ interactions occur with inanimate objects.
As such, Social Skills definitely take a back seat to
the Investigative and Knowledge Skills.

Remember that any new clue should always
be linked to at least one other piece of evidence

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169Chapter 11 Creating Investigations

in some meaningful way when added to a pyramidal investigation. Players may
not always establish the relationships between clues that you originally envi-
sion, so flexibility is important. One way to build in flexibility is to keep the
two “end” spaces at the base of the your pyramid outline open. These “open
clues” allow the Heroes to explore routes of their own devising, but they are
still connected to the pyramid as a whole, allowing them access to higher lev-
els. Also, remember—an outline is just that, and most certainly shouldn’t be
“set in stone.” Narrate flexibly and allow your players to surprise you with their
ingenuity.

CONCEPT MAP INVESTIGATIONS

A concept map is a graphic organizer meant to show relationships between
items or individuals. Each component is listed, with lines indicating the nature
of the relationship between any two components joining those linked compo-
nents together.
The concept map investigation structure tends to work best when dealing with
multiple interrelated witnesses or testimonies. This is especially true when wit-
nesses are being deceitful, are unavailable, or are purposely withholding ele-
ments of the truth. It may seem that physical evidence does not have a place
in a concept map investigation; however, while the evidence may not fit onto
the map, it can come into play during the corroboration or refutation of a wit-
ness’s testimony.
Some players prefer concept map investigations, as they enable Heroes to act
at their own discretion in a non-sequential order. Heroes are able to seek out
potential leads and evidence in any order they please, often revisiting witness-
es to gather further information. However, this additional freedom can tend to
lead to “stuck” Heroes; check the GM Sidebar titled “We’re Stumped” on page
166 for ideas on how to move your players along, should they fall into a rut.

SAMPLE CONCEPT MAP INVESTIGATION OUTLINE

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Scenario: The streets are beginning to erupt with gang wars, and a lieuten-
ant in the Genovese crime family—Vincent“Vinny Legs”Moretti—has been
found dead. The rounds in Moretti’s chest are from a Kalashnikov rifle,
which leads the Genoveses to confront The White Russian and his enforc-
ers. Moretti was a known womanizer and was believed to have been seeing
the same woman as Ivan Petrovich, one of The White Russian’s men. Her
name: Veronica Guerrant-Torres.

Real Scenario: The White Russian did not have Moretti killed. Rather, Moretti
was killed by Jamie Portsmouth, a scorned bar owner. Portsmouth’s partner,
Frank Summers, was beaten savagely by Moretti and his men after refus-
ing to pay them protection money. Because of the long hours Portsmouth
had to put in during Summers’s hospital stay, Jamie’s wife, Vicki, sought
attention elsewhere, becoming entangled in a series of romances leading
back to Moretti. When Vicki Portsmouth came clean to her husband, he
grew irate, purchased a used Kalashnikov, and used it to kill Moretti. Jamie
attempted to pin the crime on Francesco Torres, the man with whom his
wife was sleeping, but the police were too wrapped up with the gang war
to investigate Torres.

Investigating the Clues: The Heroes will have to rely primarily on their Social
Skills to succeed in this investigation, as the physical evidence would lead
them in the obvious but inaccurate direction—The White Russian. Likely,
the Heroes will start by investigating Moretti’s lover, Veronica Guerrant-
Torres, which will eventually lead them back to Portsmouth. Alternatively,
the Heroes might look into Moretti’s activities, which include a Genovese-
run protection racket. The Heroes would then be able to find their way to
Portsmouth through discovering the link between Moretti and Summers.

Challenging Stances: This particular investigation echoes the themes of the
Iron Age of Comics in terms of moral quandary and difficult choices. At his
core, Jamie Portsmouth should be played as a good man pushed too far.
Between his wife’s infidelity and the injustice done to his partner by Moretti,
Portsmouth ought be portrayed as a foil to the Heroes; he’s a man who’s
taken justice into his own hands. When confronting him, the Heroes will face
a difficult decision—do they turn over an honest, hardworking man to the
authorities for killing a vicious mafioso, or do they protect Portsmouth and
let the gangs fight it out, knowing that innocents will die in the crossfire?

USING A CONCEPT MAP INVESTIGATIVE OUTLINE

While a pyramidal investigation has similarities to a jigsaw puzzle, a concept
map investigation is more reminiscent of a labyrinth. However, in place of the
traditional corridors, twists, and turns, a concept map investigation examines
individuals and their maze-like motives, deceptions, and betrayals. While a con-
cept map investigation might seem to take less time than a pyramidal investi-
gation, playtime truly relies on the number of links in the concept map. Further,

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playtime lengthens as Heroes make additional visits to major NPCs, confront-
ing them with new information or approaching them with different tactics.
Concept map investigations are of particular use as ongoing, campaign-length
structures within which the Heroes may attempt to piece together relation-
ships between various groups in hopes of exposing a larger web of conspiracy.
Concept map investigations focus heavily on the Social Skills above all oth-
ers. Being able to navigate through the various social situations intrinsic to the
concept map structure relies primarily on Social Skills, particularly Persuasion,
Intimidation, and Deception. Investigative and Knowledge Skills, while still
vital, play second fiddle. One thing to remember: nothing in a concept map
investigation should be as it seems. When designing such an investigation,
significant clues and connections should always be obscured by at least one
“step”or intermediary. This allows the Heroes to still exercise their investigative
acumen, while keeping things simple enough to be viable at the game table.

EVENT BASED INVESTIGATIONS

Event based investigations fill a niche that neither the pyramidal nor the con-
cept map investigations provide. An event based game focuses on a particular
balance of give and take between the GameMaster and the players as the He-
roes react to major incidents, collect evidence, and attempt to piece together
the truth before further misdeeds occur.

Where pyramidal and concept map investigations focus primarily on physi-
cal and anecdotal evidence, respectively, event based investigations utilize a
near-even split of both evidence types. Event based investigations are typi-
cally written along a timeline that extends until the Heroes manage to stop
or alter the sequence of events. Mind you, the timeline should not continue
ad infinitum; rather, outline your investigation up until the point where you
could reasonably expect your Heroes to succeed. If they haven’t managed to
complete the investigation by that point, follow your best instincts to facilitate
what happens next. Likely, you’ll find that this requires very little additional
preparation once your preliminary timeline is in order.

A sample timeline for such an investigation—created prior to any influence
by the Heroes—might look something like this:

SAMPLE EVENT BASED INVESTIGATION TIMELINE

7:00pm: Grand cotillion parade. Doors open.
7:15pm: Wealthy socialite Samantha LaDue and her fiancé, Jeff Troutman, are

seen having a heated argument in the parking lot. The pair is among
the last to enter the cotillion.
7:45pm: Parade ends and dinner begins. Garland makes his yearly address.
8:15pm: LaDue gets up angrily from the table, while Troutman heads to the
bar. There are numerous witnesses to his time spent at the bar, ef-
fectively providing him an alibi.

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8:25pm: LaDue spends several tear-stained minutes speaking to her best
friend, Susan Webb, in Garland’s library. The pair embrace, then part
ways.

8:35pm: Luciano Bagarella is seen speaking with a group of men outside of his
normal entourage. These men work for The White Russian and are led
by a short, jovial fellow named Zamir.

8:55pm: A young couple finds LaDue’s body in Garland’s pool and calls the
police.

9:10pm: Police cars begin screaming up the drive, drawing several peoples’
attention to the main entrance. Bagarella and Zamir are not among
the gathered crowd. Garland implores his guests not to leave as the
police begin their investigation.

9:25pm: Zamir and Bagarella begin some backroom dealing in one of Gar-
land’s conservatories. The police start setting up a crime scene en-
closure around the pool.

9:30pm: A noticeably drunk Troutman first hears of his fiancée’s death. In a
rage, he attempts to confront Garland, who is providing a statement
to the police. Officers detain Troutman.

9:45pm: Bagarella and Zamir emerge and attempt to head to the parking
area. The lot is cordoned off, leading Bagarella to get into a shouting
match with police.

10:10pm: LaDue’s best friend and confidante, Susan Webb, begins growing ner-
vous, eventually approaching Zamir and his men for protection.

10:30pm: A long, bloodstained kitchen knife—missing from Garland’s kitchen—
is found in the conservatory, where Zamir and Bagarella met previously.
Suspicion is cast on them, though they vehemently deny the charge.

10:50pm: Webb abandons Zamir and his men after getting into an argument
with one of them. She attempts to leave, but returns to the ballroom,
forced to wait out the investigation.

11:25pm: Bagarella is arrested for the murder of Samantha LaDue, and is held
on $2 million bond. Troutman, still furious and extremely drunk, gets
into his car and rams the police cruiser that holds Bagarella. He, too,
is arrested.

11:40pm: The cotillion breaks up and the murderer—Susan Webb—gets off
scot-free.

When writing an event based investigation, start by isolating a few key mo-
ments in the overarching case. In the sample investigation above, our Heroes
have secured an invitation to Edward Garland’s summer cotillion in North Ar-
lington and hope to gather information on the various debutantes and crimi-
nal personalities at the soiree. Key events of the evening include the death
of noted socialite Samantha LaDue; the disappearance of LaDue’s best friend,
Susan Webb; and a meeting between Luciano Bagarella and one of The White
Russian’s key lieutenants, Zamir.

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173Chapter 11 Creating Investigations

An important note: when running an event based investigation, the Heroes will
absolutely interrupt your timeline. The timeline is meant to provide a set series of
events that would occur, provided that the Heroes did not interfere: essentially,
what would happen if the Heroes were not involved.

Don’t fear getting “off the rails”—that’s precisely what your Heroes should do.
The primary advantage to an event based investigation is that it allows you, as the
GM, to frame the adventure around the Heroes’decisions and actions. Because ma-
jor NPCs are already assigned locations and goings-on, you are able to concentrate

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on the Heroes’ explorations and interactions as they affect the plot. Think of this
interaction as a call-and-response between the GM and players. As the players alter
the timeline, the GM calls back to them with the scene’s reaction to their actions.
As previously discussed, event based investigations utilize a combination of both
physical and anecdotal evidence, which allows Heroes to play to their strengths.
Perhaps a Hero with high Examination could convince a police officer to allow
them to get a closer look at the murder weapon, which, a successful roll might
show, has glitter on the handle that matches the glitter on Webb’s dress. A more
Socially apt hero might be able to ascertain Webb’s lack of an alibi or even her on-
going“friendly rivalry”with LaDue, based on ongoing discussions with Troutman
and other socialites at the cotillion. Essentially, the evidence itself is up to you as
the GM, but the event based model allows Heroes to play to their strengths while
simultaneously providing the GM a malleable timeline in which to present events.

RANDOM INVESTIGATION GENERATOR

Use the below tables to generate random investigation elements by simply rolling
a few d10s! The archetypes in Chapter 14—Rogues’ Gallery may help you flesh
out character details, or you may wish to create your own characters. Roll as many
times on each table as needed. Note that a concept map investigation may require
more NPCs, while a pyramidal investigation might require more physical evidence.

Major NPCs
1 Another vigilante, unaffiliated with the Heroes
2 A metahuman
3 An average citizen of New Corinth
4 A gang member
5 A New Corinth socialite
6 A mafioso, affiliated with one of the major organized crime families
7 A major political figure
8 A homeless or otherwise disadvantaged person
9 A business owner
10 A religious or cult-affiliated fanatic

Evidence
1 Hard evidence, long-lasting
2 Hard evidence, fades over time (e.g., footprints, blood spatter)
3 Hard evidence, currently held by police or other authority
4 Hard evidence, hard to spot/analyze (e.g., bullet hole, shell casing, fingerprints)
5 Eyewitness, currently being pursued
6 Eyewitness, currently in hiding
7 Eyewitness, eager to testify or come forward
8 Circumstantial evidence, useful (e.g., character witness, leads to evidence)
9 Circumstantial evidence, non-useful
10 Red herring (evidence is false or misleading)

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175Chapter 11 Creating Investigations

Motives
1 Love
2 Anger/Rage
3 Grief
4 Greed
5 Power
6 Revenge
7 Amusement/Pleasure
8 Psychosis
9 Obligation
10 Heroism
Complications
1 Police raid
2 Kidnapping
3 Gang fight
4 Other party holds evidence
5 Other party racing to get evidence before Heroes
6 Natural disaster (e.g., fire, flood, storm, etc.)
7 Hostage situation
8 Government intervention (e.g., top-secret elements)
9 Witnesses/public area
10 Personal vendetta

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177Chapter 12 GameMastering

GAMEMASTERING—PULLING STRINGS BEHIND THE SCENES

GameMastering is challenging, but when done well, you and your players can
weave intricate stories laden with pulse-pounding combat, tense investiga-
tions, and crushing moral choices. This chapter will help you to better under-
stand the nuances of the MAFIANAP mechanics, how to use those mechanics
to facilitate storytelling, and how to provide meaningful challenges for your
players session after session.

VITALS BENCHMARKS

Vitals provide a method for a player or GameMaster to communicate, on a base
1 to 10 scale, how effective a Hero is in a given action. Generally speaking, the
average human is considered to have a 3 in any given Vital, with at least 10 dice
in Skills relating to their profession.

One Vital in particular requires special attention. Force governs lifting and
carrying items, as it is a measure of raw brute strength and comes up frequently
in comics. If a Hero attempts to lift or carry a heavy item, consult the following
chart:

Force Lift without Force Test Carry at Full Pace Carry at Half Pace
1 < 30 lbs < 20 lbs < 30 lbs
2 60 lbs 40 lbs 60 lbs
3 90 lbs 60 lbs 90 lbs
4 120 lbs 80 lbs 120 lbs
5 150 lbs 100 lbs 150 lbs
6 200 lbs 140 lbs 200 lbs
7 300 lbs 200 lbs 300 lbs
8 500 lbs 350 lbs 500 lbs
9 750 lbs 500 lbs 750 lbs
10 > 1000 lbs > 650 lbs
> 1000 lbs

If a Hero attempts to lift or carry an item heavier than that allowed in the chart,
ask the player for a Force test. Each hit on the Force test adds 10% onto the
amount that the Hero can lift. If the Hero achieves no hits, they are simply un-
able to pick up the item. If the hits extend a Hero’s “weight limit” such that it
exceeds the weight of the item, they may pick it up.

A player can hold up a lifted item a number of rounds equal to their Nerve,
after which they must begin making Nerve tests (Difficulty = 2 + number of
rounds held) or drop the item.

DIFFICULTIES AND TESTS

As a general rule, the GameMaster determines the Difficulty of any Test that the
Heroes make, whether a Vitals, Skill, or Power test. When assigning Difficulty to
a task, look at the raw base task itself, without any environmental or circum-

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stantial factors—those are accounted for via bonus or penalty dice. Take a look
at the charts below for examples—first for Vitals, then for Skills:

VITALS TESTS

Difficulties Relative Ease Sample Tasks (Associated Vital)

1–2 Simple Flag down a waiter (Magnetism)

3–4 Average Thread a needle on the first try (Accuracy)

5–6 Difficult Walk a tightrope without falling (Agility)

7–8 Complex Solve a calculus problem in your head (Intellect)

9+ Impossible Tightrope walk a raised fishing line (Agility)

SKILL TESTS

Difficulties Relative Ease Sample Tasks (Associated Skill)

5 or less Simple Cartwheel through a room (Athletics)

List the 50 states (Historical)

dv Shoot a target from 10 yards away (Armed Ranged)

6–8 Average Impress bikers by popping a wheelie (Driving)

Identify a major, well-known mafioso (Criminal)

op Bluff an average poker player (Deception)

9–11 Difficult Rebuild a car’s engine block (Mechanics)

Track down a witness to a recent arson (Canvass)

dv Punch a gang member (Unarmed Combat)

12–15 Complex Discern a professional poker player’s lie (Intuition)

Identify a series of partial fingerprints (Examination)

op Spot a skilled ninja attempting an ambush (Notice)

16+ Impossible Design a working cold fusion reactor (Scientific)
Recall the true name of the Prince of Lies (Esoteric)
Win a quiz show ten consecutive times (Cultural)



Some Tests are marked“OP,”while others are marked“DV.”A mark of“DV”simply
means that the Difficulty for the Test is the target’s Defensive Value. Combat
Skills (Armed Ranged, Armed Melee, and Unarmed Combat) almost always use
Defensive Value for Difficulty. “OP,” however, refers to the fact that most actions
of the indicated sort will be opposed by a Test made by an NPC. Stealth, for in-
stance, is almost always an Opposed test made against another character’s No-
tice. Deception, similarly, is nearly always opposed by Intuition. In these cases,
the Difficulty for the Test is simply the result of the opposing Test.

EXAMPLE OF AN OPPOSED TEST:

Lionel’s Hero, the cat-burglar-turned-vigilante Lockshanks, is attempting to sneak
into a highly guarded Benson and Hedges Holdings warehouse, where a metahu-

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179Chapter 12 GameMastering

man friend of his is being held. The GameMaster GMS: ENCUMBRANCE?
asks Lionel to make a Stealth test as Lockshanks
moves around the facility. Many games devote an exor-
bitant amount of content to
Lockshanks is fairly sneaky, with 6 dice in carrying capacity, encumbrance,
Stealth and the Move Silently Specialty, which the and other rules detailing how
GM allows him to use for this roll. Rolling 7 dice, much a character can carry at
Lockshanks gets 4 hits, to which he adds to his a given time. Within Cold Steel
Agility of 6 for a total value of 10. Rolling an Op- Wardens, encumbrance is left to
posed test for the guards, the GM tosses 3 dice (the the GM’s sensibilities. Make fair
guards’ Notice rating) plus an additional die for judgments, and base your guide-
their Spot Hidden Specialty. He gets 4 hits on the 3 lines on reality. Even a massively
dice, and then adds their Awareness of 3, for a total strong character should have
of 7. Lockshanks remains unnoticed, and the GM trouble juggling three rifles, two
continues narrating as if nothing has happened. sawed-off shotguns, and a rocket
launcher.
BONUSES AND PENALTIES
If a Hero is carrying a larger-
All bonuses and penalties in Cold Steel Wardens than-average amount of gear,
are measured in dice, not in static values. De- or gear that is particularly bulky,
pending on the circumstances, the GameMaster is assess them a -2 dice penalty to
within their rights to declare bonuses or penalties any Vitals or Skill tests involv-
for any Test, whether a Vitals, Power, or Skill test. ing movement. If players insist
on carrying absurd amounts of
A small, circumstantial bonus might add gear or lugging particularly large
a single die. A substantial benefit or drawback items, resolve this by reducing
might add or remove two or three dice. If you their Pace by half or ruling that
provide a Hero with a bonus of four or more dice, the Hero cannot walk or move un-
consider skipping the Test and ruling that the til they drop some of their items.
Hero has automatically succeeded, unless there a
major drawback for failure on the Test. Penalties
of 4 or more dice are possible, though you should
allow the Hero an opportunity to rethink their ac-
tion in the face of such adversity.

If a Hero is penalized a number of dice that
exceeds the number they would roll for a Skill or
Power test, the Test then becomes an Untrained
Skill test (see page 36). The excess penalty dice
then apply to the subsequent Vitals test. This can
be negated by using Vigilance dice, as found on
page 159. If a Hero is ever penalized a number
of dice exceeding their total dice on a Vitals test,
then the Action is simply impossible—the Hero
automatically fails if they attempt the Action.
For clarity, let’s continue the earlier example:

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After eluding the guards, Lockshanks is attempting
to sneak onto the roof of Benton and Hedges Hold-
ings building by firing a line from his grapnel gun,
then shimmying across the rope between the build-
ing and another nearby warehouse.

Lockshanks is a pretty nimble Hero (Agility Vital
of 6), but the GameMaster thinks that the Athletics
Skill (perhaps with the Acrobatics Specialty, which
Lockshanks has) fits the Action best. Lockshanks
tests his Athletics, rolling 6 dice, plus an additional
die for his Acrobatics Specialty. Lockshanks gets 5
hits, and the GM tells him to use Agility, rather than
Force (the typical Associated Vital for Athletics), as
his Associated Vital, which gives Lockshanks a result
of 11.

If it were raining, the GameMaster might rule
that the cable from Lockshanks’s grapnel is slick and
impose a -1 die penalty. If it’s a particularly strong,
windy storm, the GM might enforce a -2 or even a
-3 dice penalty. If Lockshanks tries to do so in the
midst of a hurricane, the GM may simply say that
the Action is simply beyond Lockshanks’s skill. If
Lockshanks still wants to continue the attempt de-
spite the warning, the GM should feel free to impose
a huge (4 or more dice) penalty.

If, instead of firing his grapnel, Lockshanks finds
a narrow landing leading between buildings, the
GM may give our Hero a +1 die bonus since this is
a wider, steadier platform. However, if Lockshanks
had passed his Notice test earlier in the investiga-
tion, he might have seen the broad skywalk leading
from his current building to the Benton and Hedges
office parking garage: an automatic success to sim-
ply walk across.

COMMON BONUSES AND PENALTIES

Use these bonuses and penalties as a guide in
your own game. These should be treated as sug-
gestions: no more, no less. If it’s dramatically ap-
propriate that the pitch-blackness of a darkened
subway station inflicts a -6 penalty, rather than -4,
then go for it!

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181Chapter 12 GameMastering

+1: Foe is slightly distracted. Player specifically pieces together a set of clues
when confronting a suspect.

+2: Foe is attempting a task requiring delicate focus. Hero spends a turn assess-
ing a foe prior to Action.

+3: Hero has a significant tactical advantage. Foe is heavily encumbered or
otherwise bodily engaged.

+4: Player combines multiple clues to extrapolate information. Target actively
refuses to fight.

-1: Hero is sweaty and jumpy, perhaps due to Mental Strain. Light rain or snow.
-2: Dim lighting. Steady rain. Using off-hand in a situation in which it matters.
-3: Multiple minor factors deter a Hero’s actions.
-4: Complete darkness. Major storm. Hero is handcuffed or bound.

PACING AT THE TABLE

One of the most important duties of a GameMaster is to establish flow and
pacing at the table. It’s the GameMaster’s responsibility to keep a high tempo
when action is called for, and to maintain undercurrents of tension and mystery
during investigations.

A common pacing problem for investigative adventures occurs due to lack
of clues or information. The pace slows, and players begin to lose interest. Since
all information that the players discover is filtered through the GameMaster, the
onus falls on the GM to provide fresh clues or alternate perspectives to keep
players lively and engaged.

Those fresh clues, however, should always come at a cost, whether me-
chanically (through spending Vigilance dice or the like) or through in-game
actions, investigating a certain area or seeking out new leads. The cost may
simply be a matter of target—shaking down some Genovese smugglers might
provide information on a seemingly unrelated operation, but in actuality may
be critically vital. Heroes may even wish to ally with one group on a temporary
basis to weaken another. While some Heroes may object to such skullduggery
based on their Stances, such is the nature of heroics in a setting like Cold Steel
Wardens.

Another route would be to take the timeless advice of author Raymond
Chandler, “When in doubt, have a man come through a door with a gun in his
hand.” A preemptive attack by some force, particularly one that is linked to the
ongoing plot, can give the players a distinct feeling of “We’re getting close…
we’ve got to keep looking!,” which can accelerate the pace phenomenally.

Sometimes, pacing can become a problem when investigations become
“too easy” or simply are moving too quickly. Particularly astute Heroes may rip
through an investigation in no time, stumbling across every clue you have clev-
erly concealed and tracking down the mastermind behind a crime spree before
it’s time for the criminal to step out from behind the curtain.

One trick to thwarting this phenomenon is to retroactively turn a clue

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182 Cold Steel Wardens into a red herring. That “critical” connection that
the Heroes have made may actually be based on
GMS: PACING, TONE, &VIGILANCE incomplete or erroneous information. Witnesses
lie. Informants pass the blame. Evidence is occa-
One direct way that the GM can sionally stolen or tampered with. Admittedly, this
adjust both the pacing and tone method of pacing adjustment essentially pulls the
of an investigation is through the rug out from under your players and should not
inclusion of additional Vigilance be used often, but it can be an effective tool in
dice. Usually, Heroes only receive prolonging an investigation in danger of running
Vigilance through encountering its course too soon.
challenges to their Memories, Mo-
tivations, or Stances, or through Make sure to impress upon your players the
roleplaying their Flaws. However, importance of evidence. It’s all well and good
a GameMaster may toss in a few to burst into The White Russian’s office, beat his
dice as a reward for clever think- goons unconscious, and capture Piotr. However,
ing, innovative roleplaying, or without the appropriate evidence to provide a
other positive table behaviors. conviction (or even an arrest), he’ll go free. For
that matter, the Heroes will gain powerful en-
Be mindful: the more Vigilance emies if they don’t follow through with gathering
dice the players have available, information in an investigation. While the Heroes
the more risks those players are may be able to deduce a mastermind’s involve-
likely to take and the more poten- ment, it is meaningless without hard evidence.
tial narrative control lies in the Note, however, this caveat: some Heroes may be
players’ hands. This adjusts the willing to kill to obtain evidence for a conviction
tone of the game, making it more or to achieve “justice” in its absence. In these cir-
“cinematic” and less “gritty.” cumstances, impress upon them the need for ex-
There’s nothing wrong with treme caution—an angry gang out for vengeance
achieving a more cinematic feel, makes a formidable enemy, to say nothing of the
particularly when the Heroes are police, other law enforcement agencies, or even
experienced and taking on less other, more principled vigilantes.
powerful foes than themselves.
However, doing so undermines Additionally, consider featuring multiple si-
some of the core themes of the multaneous investigations for your Heroes. Crime
Iron Age; cinematic interludes doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Each action has re-
should be the exception, not the percussions throughout the whole criminal and
norm. metahuman community. If the Warren Group
has a Genovese warehouse condemned through
their political contacts, the Genoveses may hire a
group from The Numbers Gang to go rob a War-
ren Group bank. If Mr. Kisses begins abducting the
children of political candidates, The White Russian
may put out a bounty on the serial rapist’s head,
causing vigilantes like Razor’s Edge to take to the
street in force.

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183Chapter 12 GameMastering

DESCRIPTION AND DESTRUCTION—FILLING IN THE BLANKS

In addition to playing the NPCs; creating investigations; and establishing tone,
mood, and pace, a quality GameMaster must also verbally create a Hero’s sur-
roundings well enough for the player to interact creatively and intelligently
with the setting, despite never actually seeing it.

Imagine a warehouse. Pretty straightforward, right? Now, put yourself in
the place of a player, whose cherished vigilante is making their way through
that warehouse. Would you rather hear this from a GM:

It’s a large warehouse. There are some boxes and crates and stuff all around. There’s
a catwalk up above with some windows around it. In the corner, there’s an office.
It’s pretty dark.

Or, something like this?

The lights overhead flicker and hum. Most of the bulbs are burnt out, so it’s very dim
inside. Piles of broken crates are tossed haphazardly throughout the main room,
making it hard to get a visual across the whole warehouse, but you figure that it’s
probably 50 feet across by 200 feet long. A few of the boxes appear to be charred
and burnt, but they’re not arranged into a firepit. Some creaky rusted stairs in the
corner lead up to a mesh catwalk—it looks sturdy, but pretty old. Beneath the far
corner of the catwalk is a partitioned area that looks like it might be an office or a
storage area, but it’s difficult to be sure.

Obviously, players will be more engaged by the evocative, more descriptive
version of the warehouse. While it can be difficult to come up with explanations
like this on the fly, there are a few tricks to enhance verbal descriptions.

Firstly, try to provide at least one unique feature about every major ele-
ment in a room. In the above example, the stairs to the catwalk are rusting
away, some of the crates are burned, and the office area is totally dark. While
these may not seem like particularly major elements, they provide cues for the
players to act upon: the Heroes will need light sources to search the office, they
may shy away from the catwalk if they think it’s about to collapse, and they may
try to discern some order to the arrangement of crates.

If a Hero inquires about whether a feature in the room is there, do your best
to say “yes,” unless reason dictates otherwise. If the above warehouse catches
fire and a Hero asks about a fire extinguisher, put one in. If they ask about a
sprinkler system (but you still want the warehouse to burn down), tell them
that it’s there, but it’s not working for some reason, which will spur that player
to want to find out why. But again, temper your decisions with reason. If the
warehouse is long-abandoned, there’s no reason to have an operating forklift
there, much less a tank. In such a case, provide an alternative: perhaps there are
tracks leading away or spare parts where a forklift was being fixed. Be flexible
with details, and let your players do the work for you. Further, don’t be afraid
to negotiate, using Vigilance dice. If the Heroes really want that forklift to be

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present, suggest a “price” for it. If the Heroes want it badly enough, they’ll pay
the price.

If you’re still at a loss when describing an area, start with a single element of
the setting. Focus on describing that element in great detail, and then build the
rest of the room around that element. This trick works particularly well when
the players are in“set-piece”areas. Perhaps, when the Heroes are about to meet
a major criminal figure for the first time, that mob boss has a huge mahogany
desk in his office. Or maybe an office floor that the Heroes have infiltrated is
full of cubicles, arranged in row after row. By starting with a singular element,
you provide a foundation upon which the rest of the area can be built, through
narration by both you and your players.

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185Chapter 12 GameMastering

Be sure to avoid exposing actual clues or investigative details through pure
narration. The players and their Heroes have the duty to actually find the clues
necessary to complete an investigation; don’t just hand them the information
they need. But, keep in mind that players are not mind-readers. They can’t find
a clue if they don’t know where to start looking, which is where your narration
and descriptive ability comes in. Provide opportunities for investigation by cre-
ating “hooks” for your players.

In the above example, the Heroes can easily tell that some boxes are
charred, but that doesn’t provide any concrete information. However, if the He-
roes look closer, they may notice a repeated spray pattern. If they analyze the
residual chemicals on the burnt wood, they’ll note that the burns were made
by a type of Russian flamethrower that uses a very particular kind of fuel…but
that’s only after they’ve done the legwork!

DOLING OUT STRAIN

One major question that many GMs new to Cold Steel Wardens ask is “When
should I deal my players Strain?,” particularly with regard to Mental Strain.
Physical action causes exhaustion and fatigue. Free running and swinging
across the city or fighting a series of gangers wears out any Hero. If a Hero en-
gages in such activity, ask for a Nerve test with a Difficulty based on the activ-
ity’s timespan and the level of exertion experienced. A long stretch of jogging
or free running might incur 2 to 4 Strain, while an extended, drawn-out fight
might incur Nerve tests every other round, following a set number—5 rounds,
or whatever works for your group.

Mental Strain, though, is often more difficult to assess. Use the examples
listed in the examples below as a baseline for Psyche tests. The more horrific or
straining the game scene, the more difficult the subsequent Psyche test should
be and, with it, the more Mental Strain potentially inflicted. Viewing the results
of a crime scene with a little blood splatter should incur much less Strain than
watching the hideous ritualistic torture of a loved one.
A few examples follow:

Difficulties Strain Loss Sample Cause

1–2 2-4 View the cadaver of an murdered person (Mental)

Run or jog for half an hour straight (Physical)

3–4 4-6 Read a file detailing horrific serial killings (Mental)

Engage in a lengthy melee brawl (Physical)

5–6 6-8 Watch a murder, perhaps by an ally (Mental)

Bear an hour of violent interrigation (Physical)

7–8 9-10 Witness brutal death of loved one or ally (Mental)

Undergo a few days of forced hard labor (Physical)

9+ 11+ Witness the Apocalypse (Mental)

Suffer rigorous, potentially lethal torture (Physical)

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In both cases, the number of hits on a Hero’s Nerve or Psyche test reduces the
overall amount of Strain. If a Hero attempts a Complex Psyche test to avoid
9 Mental Strain and gets 4 hits, the total Strain taken is reduced to 5. Heroes
may only reduce Strain in this manner when dealt from an outside, inanimate
source. Strain lost through attacks or Powers cannot be reduced in this man-
ner; these are typically resisted via Defensive Value or another target number.

Always remember that Physical (and Mental) Actions have significant con-
sequences. Ignoring those consequences reduces the level of threat that your
Heroes experience and takes away from the core tone and mood of the Iron
Age. While you should rarely inflict either type of Strain on a Hero without a
Vitals test to eliminate or reduce it, the Strain mechanics are in place to dem-
onstrate more than just damage. Exhaustion, fatigue, stress, and more all con-
tribute to both Mental and Physical Strain.

BEING AN EVIL GAMEMASTER

As a GM, it’s your job to be evil. You take on the roles of every villain, mafioso,
killer, psycho, and ganger that your players’ Heroes confront. As such, your role
necessitates at least some degree of adversarial thoughts. While it’s important
for you to adjudicate the rules fairly and treat your players with respect, that
doesn’t mean you should shy away from challenging them and testing their
limits as both players and as Heroes.

Firstly, keep a close eye on your Heroes’ Memories, Motivations, Stances,
and Flaws. Each of these items is a goldmine of ideas for character-driven plot-
lines and motivating forces for your players. A Hero with the Merciful Flaw can
be challenged with a villain who is brutally violent. A Hero with an Obligation
Flaw should leap to action when their beloved group or individual is threat-
ened. If a Hero was created to be a cybernetic corporate spy, the Hero’s found-
ing corporation certainly will confront them sooner or later. Use a Hero’s back-
ground in ways that continue to challenge them in the present, and you’ll have
fodder for investigations for years to come. Further, the more Flaws a Hero has,
the more that those Flaws should appear in a game context.

Secondly, know the combat rules and use them well. Are your Mooks hav-
ing trouble hitting or damaging the Heroes? Revisit the burst fire rules or gang
up on one or two Heroes to maximize attack efficiency. Get to know your play-
ers’ tactics as well. If a Hero is more suited to melee attacks, have a sniper or
other ranged combatant target that Hero. Does your Hero rely on Powers that
must be sustained? Focused fire on that Hero can take down their Powers, mak-
ing them a more suitable target. Is a Hero particularly weapons-based? Try dis-
arming them or breaking their weapon. Are the Heroes using mobility to their
advantage? Attempt to entangle them. Does one have a cybernetic limb? Try a
Called Shot to disable that advantage. Use every trick that the players have at
their disposal when playing as their adversaries.

That said, play criminals and their henchmen to their relative Intellects and
dispositions. A villainous crime lord with a metahuman-level Intellect should

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187Chapter 12 GameMastering

have contingency after contingency in place, con- GMS: HIDDEN STRAIN TRACK
stantly eluding capture. A mob lieutenant who’s
been in law school should know of legal loopholes One particularly nasty method
and inconsistencies that allow him to evade arrest of incorporating a gritty, visceral
or detention almost indefinitely. A martial arts mas- feel to combat is hiding the spe-
ter will do his best to engage individual foes, us- cifics of Strain from the players.
ing combat maneuvers and separating adversaries Rather than telling a character
through stealth and guile, picking them off one by that they’ve taken 8 points of
one. A high-school dropout ganger, on the other Physical Strain from a knee to
hand, simply doesn’t have that level of expertise the stomach, tell your player, “…
and often settles for the “direct” approach—shoot- the thug’s knee slips past your
ing until out of bullets then moving into melee. block and straight into your
stomach. The air flies out of your
Don’t be afraid to inflict and take advantage lungs in one long “whoof,” and
of Injuries and Psychoses as well. If a Hero is out you’re having trouble catching
fighting crime on a sprained ankle, foes will notice your breath.”
that and target the injured leg. With a solid hit,
the villain can aggravate that Injury, turning what Narration should always accom-
would be a quick recovery into an urgent hospi- pany combat—that’s what takes
tal visit. Similarly, if a foe knows of a Hero’s overly a brawl from being an exercise
in dice-rolling and transforms it
into a pulse-pounding cinematic
encounter. However, when us-
ing this option, the narration
replaces the mechanical aspect
of combat.

This form of gaming is particu-
larly strenuous on the Game-
Master, as the responsibility falls
on you to track each Hero’s dam-
age. However, using a hidden
Strain track can breed a dark,
cautious tone where combat has
a genuine sense of danger. As
always, check with your group
before instituting this or any
other rule.

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188 Cold Steel Wardens

aggressive nature (perhaps through the Brash Flaw or a Psychosis involving
aggression), goading that Hero into unfavorable situations can prove to be an
incredibly satisfying tactic.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is to simply be fair. Use the rules for
Cold Steel Wardens as a guideline for your decisions so that your Heroes always
have a fighting chance. Never stack the odds against your Heroes or place them
into a situation that’s entirely hopeless. Provide cues when the Heroes are in
over their heads. Both players and their Heroes should remember that running
away is always an option. Going down in a hail of gunfire from heavily armed
gun-runners isn’t going out in a blaze of glory—it’s a pointless death, with a
quick burial in an abandoned lot.

BREAK THE RULES

If you’re reading this section, you’re either already a GameMaster, you aim to
become a GameMaster, or you’re a player with enough curiosity to consider
becoming a GameMaster. In light of this comes a secret truth:

The rules don’t apply to you when you’re the GameMaster.
You are the arbiter of the rules for Cold Steel Wardens at your game table.
If you don’t like a rule, you don’t have abide by it or enforce it. If you want to
change it, do so. If you want to add in additional rules, that’s fine too. You are,
in every sense of the word, the executive of this game. Without a GameMaster,
Cold Steel Wardens is just a book on a shelf.
As a GameMaster you’re permitted, encouraged, and exhorted to utterly
shatter and disregard the rules that bind players and their Heroes. If in your
game a crime lord has built exo-armor granting them a Force of 15, that’s fine! It
doesn’t matter that Vitals only go up to 10—that applies to Heroes, not NPCs. If
you want a villainous metahuman to have a pile of Powers and Skills, then give
it to them. If your Heroes have mopped the floor with the last few groups of
gangers they’ve taken on, fudge an Unarmed Combat test and let one of those
Mooks get in a lucky shot.
One thing to remember, though, is to be fair. Just because the rules don’t
necessary apply to you as you create NPCs and settings, that doesn’t mean
that you shouldn’t abide by them anyway. If all of your Mafia-Mooks have the
Toughness Power and can fire heat rays from their hands, then you’ve not only
made things unfair and not very fun for your players, but you’ve lost the core
concept of low-powered, gritty Iron Age comics. If every Mafia don or corporate
executive has a “secret escape hatch” somewhere in their office, your players
will swiftly become frustrated with their efforts going for naught, rather than
engaged with a recurring villain.
Challenge your players, but know their limits. Maim, traumatize, even kill
their Heroes, but do so in a manner that is fair and (at least to all outward ap-
pearances) consistent. And always give them the chance to get back into the
game and stand up for justice.
There are no rules for you. Cheat anyway.

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189Chapter 12 GameMastering

A HERO’S DEMISE

Everyone dies. Masked vigilantes and wanna-be superheroes have an incred-
ibly low life expectancy. Typically, there are two types of death in Cold Steel
Wardens: the rough, pointless death found in a violent street fight, and the
rough, pointless fury of a last-ditch heroic action.

The death of a Hero in Cold Steel Wardens, as with many other role-playing
games, should not be taken lightly. Players grow attached to their characters,
and killing of one of the group’s Heroes means downtime while a new Hero is
built from the ground up. Further, it’s more work for the GameMaster, as you
now have to adjust any future plotlines that involved the now-dead Hero, as
well as find a reasonable method for introducing this new vigilante.

Killing a Hero is time-consuming and laborious, and makes things difficult
for all the players at the table. Truth be told, there are better ways to maintain
threat against the Heroes: Flaws, Memories, and Stances all provide ripe targets
for making your Heroes miserable.. Further, using these gives the Heroes tools
to overcome obstacles, as the Heroes should be repaid with Vigilance dice.

Nevertheless, the best-laid plans of men and Heroes tend to go astray, and
in the Iron Age of Comics one rogue bullet could be all it takes to bring down a
would-be vigilante. When a Hero dies (or is about to die), keep in mind the dra-
matic weight of the scene. While Heroes in Cold Steel Wardens are intentionally
fragile, death is still grim. The gravity of any character’s death, even a nameless
ganger or Mafia thug, should resonate deeply with your players. Part of this
load comes through description and narration: describe a ganger’s gurgled last
gasping breaths through collapsed lungs, or the crack of bone beneath a Hero’s
incredibly strong fist.

Another way to emphasize the significance of death, especially for a Hero,
is to give them a dying action or monologue as they begin to close their eyes
for the last time. Taking one final shot at a villain, or delivering some vital infor-
mation just prior to death, can provide a Hero’s player with some consolation
for losing their beloved character.

Through the last few paragraphs, you may have noticed a few paradoxical
statements. Death and violence are pointless and trivial, yet must also be given
gravity and weight. Contradictory though it might sound, this was exactly the
sentiment of the Iron Age. Look back to Frank Miller’s A Dame to Kill For—a
selection from his Sin City stories—for inspiration here. Marv kills countless
people in increasingly grotesque ways, throwing away lives left and right, as
he quests for vengeance for Goldie, a prostitute. Goldie’s death is made to feel
important and relevant, even as Marv washes the streets in the blood of those
responsible.

Achieving this contradictory balance can be difficult, though it lies at the
core of the Iron Age. Even as Heroes resort to increasingly violent methods,
each death should have substance. When a beloved Hero dies, it’s got to have
meaning, even if the actual act of dying was without reason or merit.

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REPRESENTING THE IRON AGE

The depth and complexity of the Iron Age of Comics make it particularly dif-
ficult to fully emulate, though there are several key themes and concepts to
keep in mind when writing an Iron Age–style investigation. Each time you sit
down to prepare an investigation, try to focus on building in some of these
major themes:

Moral Dilemmas: Heroes in an Iron Age comic never have it easy. Even the
most just and resolute comic book heroes face intense doubt and moral
questions throughout each issue or story arc. The “Stance” mechanic built
into Cold Steel Wardens provides a springboard for GameMasters as they
attempt to challenge their players’ Heroes on moral grounds. Iron Age
comics commonly used to establish moral dilemma is by including foils or
dark reflections of already-established heroes, while raising a Machiavel-
lian question—do the ends justify the means? A character like Venom, for
all intents and purposes, is identical to Spider-Man, with the exception of
his self-serving attitude and affinity for violence. The Punisher is no differ-
ent than the smugglers and mobsters he kills, outside of his fundamental
purpose, which is nominally just. Confronting these sorts of characters
means confronting a Hero’s own weaknesses and Flaws. In each session of
Cold Steel Wardens, challenge at least one Hero’s Stances in some manner.
Doing so keeps Heroes’Vigilance dice refreshed, but it also provides memo-
rable game sessions for your players that will keep them talking for years.

Symbolism: Iron Age comics were rife with symbology and deconstructed
archetypal ideas. Characters, items, and actions represented deeper el-
ements of our own world. When structuring a Cold Steel Wardens game,
try building in symbols to reflect an overarching theme to touch on every
few sessions. This could be something as simple as emphasizing the smog
and smoke of New Corinth to exploring a theme like “environmentalism
vs. industry.” You might utilize a backdrop of ongoing protests toexamine
the question, “freedom for whom?”Vigilantism itself can become a theme,
reflected through NPCs who serve as foils to the Heroes. You may try to
build such themes into the core of an ongoing campaign as a continually
addressed subject, or include them as the focus for a single game session
or investigation.

In Watchmen, Alan Moore wrote the chapter “Fearful Symmetry” to in-
clude references to William Blake’s poetic work, “The Tyger.” However, that
chapter is also written symmetrically, with the individual panels mirroring
one another throughout the chapter, creating a literal Rorschach mask
within the reading experience. Obviously, Moore’s masterwork stands as a
paragon of excellence in the Iron Age, but any attempt to touch upon this
sort of complexity can make your game deeper. Using symbols and refer-
ences in this manner provides an additional degree of depth and nuance
to your game.

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191Chapter 12 GameMastering

Mysticism and Eastern Ideas: Mysticism features prominently in Iron Age
comics. Occult-themed heroes like John Constantine, exploring various av-
enues of spiritual lore and beliefs, became incredibly popular. Neil Gaiman
ascended to fame through his occult classic series The Sandman, while
Grant Morrison built elements of the Tarot into Arkham Asylum: A Serious
House on Serious Earth. Even in an era featuring high technology and urban
sprawl, elements of the occult and the supernatural are subtly pervasive.
In the provided setting in Chapter 13, look for these elements in groups
like the Cult of Zalgo, the gang known as The Shades, and the Morningstar
Assembly of Illumination.

However, elements of mysticism were not limited to Western culture,
as the Iron Age saw a rise in interest in Eastern-styled themes, particularly
martial arts and Zen Buddhism. During Denny O’Neil’s run on The Question,
the titular vigilante found himself confronting Chinese philosophy just as
often as he punched out Kung-Fu trained Mooks. For inspiration and ideas,
check out some of the classic Eastern philosophical texts: The Art of War,
the Bhagavad Gita, and Confucius’s Analects. Try using a Confucian classic
saying as the hook for an investigation, or perhaps include a villain who kills
his victims by cutting along the various chakra lines.

If zombies are the Modern Era’s cannon fodder, certainly the Iron Age’s
were ninjas. Nearly every hero in the Iron Age seemed to have some sort of
eastern weapon, with throwing stars, katanas, and nunchuku proving the
most popular. Don’t be afraid to re-skin some pre-existing weapons as their
eastern analogues to create a different environment. Daggers become sais,
swords become katanas, and throwing knives become shuriken.

Keep It Real: At their core, the greatest Iron Age storylines injected a dose
of realism into a wholly surreal universe. In a world where men can fly,
shoot lasers from their eyes, and punch through steel doors, what would
life actually look like? In light of this, consider using storylines and topics
ripped straight from the headlines. If a natural disaster hits the city in your
game, consider looking to recent disasters in Tokyo and New Orleans for
the government’s reaction and for crimes running through those areas. If
your campaign features political maneuverings and mafioso conspiracy, re-
search real-life crime organizations for inspiration. If you include elements
of scientific conspiracy, reference real-life events such as the despicable
Tuskegee experiment, or the depraved Nazi research into eugenics. Doing
a little bit of research can pay massive dividends at the table.

Sex and Violence: Realism in the Iron Age is not limited to subject matter.
Violence became true-to-life as heroes took on more radical means to de-
feat criminals. But, when a Hero who can punch through a solid steel door
punches an average human, bones break, blood spatters, and people die.
This inborn violence appears through the Injury and Psychoses mechan-
ics, listed in Chapter 08. As a GameMaster, don’t pull your punches in this

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respect, as risky maneuvers and foolhardy planning should meet with a
messy demise. A single lucky shot from a firearm can take out even a highly
experienced, well-prepared Hero. Impress upon your players the danger
they face when attempting to confront arms dealers or other criminals with
heavy weapons. Accosting a man with a gun is not without serious conse-
quence.
Sexuality also came to the forefront of the Iron Age, but it appeared
as double-edged sword. The “free-love” movement in the late 1960s and
early 70s, coupled with the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, gave rise to the
LGBT rights movement and led directly to many of the anti-discriminatory
actions being taken today. However, a general lackadaisical attitude toward
protected sex, coupled with the use of unsanitary needles, particularly for
the abuse of cocaine and heroin, led to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.
The LGBT community was unfairly scapegoated for the spread of the dis-
ease, though fears and prejudicial paranoia still remain. In comics, LGBT
characters such as Batwoman Kathy Kane and Renee Montoya appeared.
At the same time, other types of sexual content became much more com-
monplace as well.
Before you include such topics in-game, be sure to discuss with your
game group their overall comfort level with these themes. Issues like sexual
abuse, rape, and other sex-based crimes can be incredibly uncomfortable,
even when Heroes are placed in scenarios to prevent and eliminate these
abhorrent crimes. An “understood social contract” often isn’t enough in
these cases: make sure to actually talk to your group, perhaps even on an
individual basis, before assessing their comfort level.
In the end, do what works best for your group, and be sensitive to your
players’ discomforts. If you decide to include sexual themes, sex crimes, or
graphic violence in your game, be judicious in your level of detail and con-
scientious of your group’s needs and comfort. It’s a much better trade off to
have a fun but less graphic game if your other option is one that’s“accurate”
but causes player distress or discomfort.

Cynicism and Control: The Iron Age of Comics was very much a product of
its generation. Jaded and frustrated by fear and paranoia, Iron Age authors
used comics to portray a caricature of their own daily lives, controlled by cor-
rupt bureaucrats, ruled by faceless and uncaring corporations, and standing
by while watching unjust living conditions for the poor and mistreated. Iron
Age Heroes seek to make a difference by screaming into a wind of injustice
and hoping to create some tiny bit of lasting change. While things may look
grim, persevering Heroes try their best to change the world, little by little.
A GM should build in seemingly “impossible odds,” with the Heroes being
actively hunted by their nemeses. No place should feel safe for the Heroes,
as government agents, Mafia lieutenants, and gangers all try to make a name
for themselves by taking out a wanna-be “Hero.”

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193Chapter 12 GameMastering

A Hero’s triumph is strongest when that victory comes with cost and
sacrifices. Keep that in mind as you challenge your Heroes and their players.
Make them work for it, and they’ll come back for more.

50 IRON AGE INVESTIGATION/ADVENTURE HOOKS

1. Someone begins assassinating former vigilantes and costumed
Heroes.

2. An occultist Hero begins assembling a team to take out a dire threat.
3. A close friend of the Heroes has been forced into life as a sex worker.
4. A new dominant gang aims to kill the police commissioner.
5. Two occult beings race to stop a CEO.
6. A technology-based Hero finds that their unique designs have been

stolen.
7. A known masked Hero begins acting more violently and even sadistically.
8. An incarcerated serial killer gains superpowers and breaks out of pris-

on.
9. The Heroes must ally with their apparent adversaries to take down a

horrific outside threat.
10. A vigilante stands against a specific political party, attempting to ex-

pose their past.
11. A sadistic rapist returns to pursue the “one that got away.”
12. A vigilante appears, wielding the same powers and theme as one of

the Heroes.
13. The accidental killing of a police officer sets off a brutal crackdown on

crime.
14. A metahuman’s lover is killed, setting off a bloody path of revenge.
15. A psychotic metahuman attempts to drive a “normal man” insane.
16. A crippled Hero recruits another to carry on his work.
17. A natural disaster strikes, leading to the city being quarantined.
18. Well-meaning yet imbecilic occult “experts” attempt to capture Death.
19. A Hero’s ally returns from the grave under mysterious circumstances.
20. Grief drives a Hero into nihilistic madness, turning their powers against

the people.
21. In an alternate timeline, a centuries-old metahuman rules over all.
22. The mob begins finding ways to create metahumans using occult

pacts.
23. A demonic being grants a chance at revenge to a combat-trained ex-

Marine.
24. An ally of the Heroes struggles with addiction.
25. An arms ring springs up, defying the current“order”of organized crime.
26. Drug peddlers begin selling amphetamines rumored to grant metahu-

man powers.
27. Prostitutes begin vanishing, and the police are unwilling or unable to

help.

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194 Cold Steel Wardens

28. A known mafioso begins supporting various political candidates openly.
29. A well-respected company begins dumping waste into a local river or

wetland.
30. A right-wing extremist preacher begins a religiously driven political

crusade.
31. The federal government offers amnesty to metahumans who reveal

their identities.
32. A “reformed” metahuman villain becomes an important government

liaison.
33. A breakout at a penitentiary overwhelms the local police.
34. A low-level mobster begins blurring the lines between criminal activity

and religion.
35. A hostile takeover results in uproar within local corporate circles.
36. The mob has the next election in their pocket, thanks to politically cor-

rupt candidates.
37. An old associate appears to return from the dead, with vengeance in

mind.
38. Illicit experiments at a local medical facility are being released into the

city slums.
39. A shapechanger replaces a friendly Hero, and has an ulterior motive.
40. The CIA attempts to track down a psychic Hero whom they empow-

ered.
41. The Heroes split along ideological lines, but must rejoin against a cata-

clysmic threat.
42. A cult threatens to release nerve gas in the city’s subway system.
43. After a notable metahuman’s death and burial, his body goes missing.
44. A family dispute in a noted crime family results in open gang war.
45. A mysterious killer begins targeting high-ranking mobsters.
46. One of the Heroes is invited to a secret cabal of powerful metahumans.
47. Heroes infiltrate a mob family in hopes of taking them down from the

inside out.
48. City officials decide to wall off slum sections of the city to control crime.
49. A known psychotic threatens to reveal the Heroes’ identities.
50. The Heroes must get another vigilante “under control” after collateral

damage levels an important area.

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195Chapter 12 GameMastering

GMS: CONTROVERSIAL SUBJECTS

Iron Age comics are not child-
friendly. The themes and material
discussed within this game and
the comics that inspired it are de-
signed for adults who are willing
and able to discern reality from
fantasy.

That said, comfort levels differ
from group to group. Some groups
may have no problem displaying
sexual content in their games,
while for others such themes are
verboten. In some groups, depict-
ing graphic violence is the norm,
while others cut away from the
gore to focus on other themes.

It bears repeating here that while
“mature”concepts are one of the
themes of the Iron Age, they are
certainly not the only theme. That
sort of thinking gave rise to the
most exaggerated, ridiculous com-
ics of the Iron Age, and led directly
to its collapse in the mid-1990s.
Certain writers and artists fixated
more on the guns and skimpy out-
fits instead of the nuanced, com-
plex storytelling that truly made
the Iron Age great. The symbolism,
the moral questioning, and the
mystic angle presented in the Iron
Age are much more integral to it
than any amount of violence or
sexual content.

Talk to your players. Find out what
works for them and what does
not. A single 10-minute conversa-
tion can go a long way toward
establishing a social contract at
the table, making the game more
enjoyable for everyone involved.

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chapter13NEW CORINTH

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197Chapter 13 New Corinth

NEW CORINTH—SMOKE CITY

New Corinth is a fully realized setting, ready and waiting for your Heroes to en-
ter. New Corinth was inspired in part by the real-life Rust Belt cities of Dayton,
Pittsburgh, and Detroit as well as by depictions of Hub City in The Question,
Gotham City in the numerous Batman series, and New York City in Alan Moore’s
Watchmen.

Organizationally, this chapter on New Corinth is split into five primary cat-
egories, which correspond with the five Knowledge Skills. In the order they are
discussed, the categories are:
Historical: The city’s geographical, historical, and population data, as well as

information on New Corinth’s political players and political system.
Cultural: The various districts and groups within the city as well as major insti-

tutions of learning, parks, and cultural centers.
Scientific: The city’s various corporations and businesses, major scientific ad-

vancements, and health centers.
Criminal: Details on various organized crime families, “lone gunmen,” and

gangs; major operations within these organizations; and information on
New Corinth’s criminal justice system.
Esoteric: Details on metahumans and vigilantes, various cults, strange occur-
rences, and occult information.

Throughout this chapter, many NPCs will be referenced. Some of these are de-
tailed in Chapter 14: Rogues’ Gallery, while others are left to your imagination
and creativity. Feel free to adjust and alter the setting in any way you see fit.

Occasionally, you may notice a sidebar titled “The Lights Go Out…” These
sidebars are not considered to be “canon” for the setting, but instead provide
dread possibilities for a GameMaster to take their game to a darker place.

NEW CORINTH—THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

New Corinth was founded in 1786 as a fur trading post along the Miatanka
River. Former Prussian lieutenant Joseph Danielewicz established the trading
post and began fortifying it following the Revolutionary War. The town swiftly
grew, and it was viewed as a safe haven from local Indian and bandit attacks.

Danielewicz was elected the first mayor of New Corinth and served for
four years as the town’s sheriff. Though his administration was fruitful, it was
brief; Joseph contracted a virulent disease within two years of being installed
as mayor and died in office in 1797. In 1800, New Corinth reached a total of
15,000 citizens, most of whom farmed the rolling hills surrounding the city or
toiled in the nearby coal and iron mines.

As the 1800s dawned, New Corinth was nearly overwhelmed with immi-
grants and out-of-towners seeking work. Located near the Grey’s Ridge Moun-

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198 Cold Steel Wardens

tains, New Corinth quickly became known for its iron ore and coal deposits
and boomed as a hub of manufacturing throughout the Industrial Revolution.
This was especially true during the Civil War as the demand for steel and coal
reached a fever pitch.

Demand grew to its apex during World War II. With the American war ma-
chine rolling across Europe and the Pacific, New Corinth’s numerous factories
pumped out munitions and weapons for the Allied forces. After the war, New
Corinth was revealed to be #6 on Adolf Hitler’s long-range targeting list due
to the city’s massive manufacturing capability. This had prompted several at-
tempts by Axis spies to establish safe houses within the city, as well as incidents
of industrial sabotage and covert information gathering.

Unfortunately, year after year of coal smoke and refinery pollution took
its toll on New Corinth. Numerous stone buildings—many of which had been
standing since the early days of the fledgling America—were stained and
blackened from the constant smog. After World War II, New Corinth was of-
ten derisively referred to as “Blacksburg” or “Smoke City.” Further, the influx of
former GIs back into New Corinth during the 1950s led to a massive economic
backslide. With demand for iron and steel products dropping, compounded by
the much larger number of people seeking work, unemployment spiked and
many went hungry. This problem only swelled as the 60s and 70s rolled on and
plastics became more popular. Though the medical field has begun to flourish,
New Corinth seems trapped in a downward spiral.

THE LIGHTS GO OUT...A LEGACY OF VIRUS

The plague that killed New Corinth’s founding father and mayor, Joseph Daniele-
wicz, was no simple typhus or smallpox. Rather, Danielewicz was the first of numer-
ous luminaries of New Corinth to fall prey to a malady that has festered in the city
since its very origins.

Danielewicz, like many early colonial leaders, was a highly ranked Mason,
and he had a deep-running belief in Masonic magic and ritual. Danielewicz and
his closest compatriots believed that the ground upon which New Corinth lay was
infested with occult forces and great corruption. Danielewicz led a ritual described
in an ancient Persian tome, conjuring forth the corrupting influence, which was
referred to only as a “walking maggot”.

The creature summoned was a spirit of pestilential foulness. From beneath its
waxy mask, it laughed at the foolish beings that hoped to control it. The creature
turned back the ritual’s effects with ease, shattering the health and sanity of many
of Danielewicz’s men. Danielewicz himself fled.

Despite his attempts to escape, Danielewicz found himself bedridden within
weeks, his flesh rotting from the inside out from an unknown affliction. Since that
time, the creature has visited New Corinth’s most elite once a generation, spreading
disease and foulness in its wake.

Austin Adams (order #7154603)