Dark TImes

Combat

inflicting a cerebral haemorrhage.
Either way, Drain damage ignores both

Protection and Damage Resistance.

Falling Damage

If a character falls from a high enough Falling damage maxes out at 10d6+10,
height, they will take damage from the AP All, for a 55 yard fall. You can fall
landing. In general, any fall of 5 yards from higher heights, but you will not
of less is safe as long as there’s take more than 10d6+10 falling
nothing dangerous below. However, damage.
for every 5 yards that a person falls
after that first five, they take +1d6+1 That said, if you are willfully
damage, AP All, to the Legs Hit accelerating towards the ground (or
Location when they land. being accelerated towards the ground
by someone who is slam-dunking you),
If someone intercepts their fall, or if you may take Velocity Damage too.
they deploy glider flaps, wings, or a
parachute, they can avoid this
damage.

Poisons And Diseases

Characters that have been afflicted by determines how many times a person
a poison or disease get to make a has to save against it) and a
Health Save to avoid suffering its consequence (which kicks in every
effects. time a save is failed.) Unless the TN,
Duration, and Consequence are
Poisons and diseases typically have a provided for a specific poison or
TN (which determines how difficult it disease, they are up to the GM to
is to shrug off), a duration (which determine.

Range Modifiers

All Ranged weapons have three range Consult the table below to determine
brackets. The first is the weapon’s the penalty for attacking at a particular
short range, the second is its medium, range.
and the last number is its long range.

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Range Table

Type Short - Medium +2 Long +5
Pistol 0–4 5–50 75–200
SMG 0–10 11–70 71–200
Rifle 0–20 251–1000+
Shotgun 0–8 21–250 51–100
Sawed Off 0–12 9–50 31–50
Bow 0–15 12–30 41–120
Crossbow 0–5 16–40 31–150
Thrown STR 6–30 STR x 5

STR x 2

Bows suffer a +3 TN penalty at Point Sawed Off Shotguns gain a -2 TN
Blank range bonus at Point Blank range

Hit Chart

1–15% Head
16–60% Torso
61–70% Left Arm
71–80% Right Arm
81–90% Left Leg
91–100% Right Leg

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Combat Brain
Eyes
Optional Hit Chart Head
Throat
1–3% Torso
4% Heart
Groin
5–15% Kidney
16–18% Left Arm
19–56% Left Hand
Right Arm
57% Right Hand
58% Left Leg
59–60% Left Foot
61–68% Right Leg
69–70% Right Foot
71–78%
79–80%
81–88%
89–90%
91–98%
99–100%

Combat Modifiers

The following are the most common
bonuses and penalties that can apply
to a roll.

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Combat

Penalties To Hit

Attacker Knocked Down +2 TN
Low Light +3 TN
+6 TN
Complete Darkness +2 TN
Cover (50% covered) +3 TN
Cover (75% covered) +2 TN

Fast Draw +1 TN
Target Used Half Their
Movement On Their Last +3 TN

Turn +3 TN to all Skill Tests and Opposition Rolls
Target Used Full Movement until the start of your next Turn for each extra

On Their Last Turn Action you take
+3 TN
Multiple Actions
See Weapon
Off Hand Penalty +4 TN
Recoil
+3 TN
Two-Weapon Attack
Wounded Attacker
(Attacker is at a quarter of

their HP or less)

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Combat

Bonuses To Hit

Aiming -1 TN for each Action spent aiming, up to a max of -3
TN
Attacking From
Above -1 TN

Attacking From -3 TN
Behind
-4 TN
Surprise -1 TN

Target Intimidated

Note: The bonus from aiming is lost
after you take a shot.

Calling Your Shots

Torso +0 TN
Head +3 TN
Arm or Leg +2 TN
Hand or Foot +4 TN
Brain +5 TN
Eyes +5 TN
Throat +4 TN
Heart +4 TN
Groin or Kidney +4 TN

Velocity Damage

Crashing into someone at high speed First, if you crash into someone and
is a good way to damage both you and they’re standing still, you both take
them. Velocity Damage as appropriate on the
chart.

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Combat

Next, if you crash into someone who’s sum of your speeds. If they’re going
moving away from you, you use the 500 MPH towards you and you’re
difference in your speeds to find the going 500 MPH towards them, you
correct damage on the chart. So if both take 5d10 damage.
you’re running at 40 MPH toward them
and they’re running at 20 MPH away, Velocity damage is generally done to
you collide for 2d6 Velocity Damage. the Torso, although there are two
exceptions listed in the next section.
Finally, if you’re both charging at each
other, you take damage equal to the

MPH or Movement Velocity Damage
0–19 +0
20–50
+2d6
51–150 +2d8
151–250 +3d8
251–500 +5d6
501–750 +4d10
751–1000 +5d10

Attacking During High-Speed Clashes

If you don’t like the idea of simply Velocity Damage instead of the Torso.
running into someone at high speed Furthermore, if you attack the target
and taking a ton of damage, you can with an unarmed strike, the limb you
combine moving fast with an unarmed are striking with takes the Velocity
or melee attack to tip the odds in your Damage instead of your Torso.
favor.
If you are attacking with a melee
You can hit a target with an unarmed weapon while moving at extreme
or melee attack when you crash into speeds, you can choose to let go of the
them as long as you spend an Action weapon as you hit your target. If you
for the attack and succeed on the do this, you do not take any Velocity
Opposition Roll to hit them. This Damage from the collision, but your
allows you to deal damage from your weapon goes flying.
weapon or unarmed strike in addition
to your Velocity Damage. If you target On the flipside, if you swing with an
a particular Hit Location, that Hit unarmed or melee attack during a
Location on the target takes the high-speed clash and miss, you must

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Combat

make a Tough Reflexes Saving Throw Velocity Damage for the speed you’re
(TN 12) with a +1 TN penalty for every moving at.
step up the velocity chart you are from
0 MPH. If you fail this Saving Throw, So, if you are running at 51 MPH and
you bounce off an obstacle (or the you miss an attack, that’s a TN 14
ground) and take the appropriate Reflexes Saving Throw, and you take
2d8 damage if you fail it.

Oversize Damage

Being tackled by an elephant is child would deal -1d4 damage to the
generally worse than being tackled by gorilla, the gorilla would deal 2d6
a golden retriever. If you’re ever in a damage to the child, and then both the
situation where Velocity Damage gets gorilla and the child would add to it
involved and one or more of the Velocity Damage based on the speed
colliding parties is bigger than a of their collision.
typical human, you need to deal with
Oversize Damage as well. Oversize Damage, like Velocity
Damage, is generally done to the
When two characters collide, they each Torso and follows the same rules as
deal damage based on their own size Velocity Damage for attacking during
to the other person. So in the case of a high-speed clashes.
gorilla that collides with a child, the

Relative Size Oversize Damage
Praying Mantis -3d4-2
Squirrel or Rat -2d4-2
Cat or Rabbit -1d4-2
Child or Large Dog -1d4
Adult Human +0
Gorilla or Motorcycle +2d6
Rhinoceros or Car
Wooly Mammoth or Tank +2d6+10
Blue Whale or Sailboat +3d6+20
+4d6+30
Skyscraper +5d6+40

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Grab And Carry

While moving fast enough to deal Opposition Roll using Brawling + STR
Velocity Damage, you can spend an or REF to hit them before you attempt
Action to lift a willing target off their to pick them up.
feet and carry them with you.
Alternately, you can spend an Action
If the target is someone who deals the and make an Opposition Roll using
same amount of Oversize Damage as Brawling + Reflexes vs Brawling +
you do, you need both hands free to Reflexes to knock them over and drag
carry them and you need to make a them, suffering a +2 TN penalty for
Strength Saving Throw TN 10 to pick every step up the Oversize Damage
them up. If they deal more Oversize chart they are from you.
Damage, you must make a Strength
Saving Throw at TN 10, +3 TN for While carrying another character, you
every step up the Oversize Damage are at a +2 TN penalty on all rolls to
Chart they are from you. If they deal maneuver, avoid hazards, or keep from
less, you only need one hand free and getting exhausted. This penalty
no Strength Saving Throw is needed. increases by +2 per step up the
Oversize Damage chart they are from
If you want to lift an unwilling target you, or decreases by -1 TN per step
off their feet, you need to make an down the chart they are from you.

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Hacking

Hacking in Dark Times comes in two things in the system can actually hurt
flavors. There is AR Hacking, which you.
uses a holographic display (or a
mouse and a keyboard if you’re retro) So AR Hacking is relatively safe, but it
and is slow, methodical, and takes time. If you’ve got a few weeks
functionally the same as hacking was to plan a DDoS attack on a website, AR
in 2020. Then there’s Full-Dive Hacking is a good choice.
Hacking, which requires a Neuraltech
device to be installed in your body, but On the other hand, if you need
allows you to engage with the system something from that website right
you’re hacking as if it were a big, multi- now, and you’re okay with risking your
sensory metaphor. In simple terms, it life to get it, there is absolutely no
turns the system into a big, VR substitute for the power and finesse of
dungeon and lets you explore it—with a Full-Dive hack.
the caveat that when you Full-Dive, the

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AR Hacking

AR Hacking is done with a Computer when the Time Cost is up do you get to
Operations + Intelligence Skill Test at roll your Computer Operations + INT,
a Target Number the GM provides. It and if you fail that roll, you have to
does not risk your life, but you cannot start over again from the beginning.
take Programs with you, and you do
not receive bonuses from your AR Hacking Time Chart
Neuraltech when AR Hacking.
If there’s a thing you want to do that is
Worse, AR Hacking takes time. When not on the list, the GM will tell you its
you begin an AR Hacking Task, check Time Cost.
the following chart to determine how
long your hacking project takes. Only

Action Time Cost
Brute-Force a Simple Password 1d4 minutes
Brute-Force a Complex Password 1d6+2 days
Access an Average Citizen’s Social Media Account
Access a Corporate Professional’s Social Media Account 1d4 hours
Shut Down a Personal Website 2d6+1 hours
Gain Control of a Personal Website
Shut Down a Corporate Website 1d6 hours
Gain Control of a Corporate Website 1d4-1 days
1d4 weeks
Falsify a Genetic ID 1d6 months
Invalidate Someone Else’s Genetic ID 2d4 days
Mine Important Data From a Personal Database 1d4 hours
Mine Important Data From a Corporate Database 1d6 days
1d6 weeks

Full-Dive Hacking

Anyone who’s ever dove a hostile Like AR Hacking, Full-Dive Hacking
system will tell you: Full-Dive Hacking tends to use Computer Operations +
is where it’s at. Intelligence for important tasks, but
that’s where the similarity ends.

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For one, Full-Diving requires a robes, each carrying a censer that is
Neuraltech implant. If you do not have bubbling over with white, caustic fog.
one, you cannot Full-Dive.
During a Full-Dive, you can take
When you Full-Dive, you are plunged damage to your Hit Points. Your
into a multisensory abstraction of the Neuraltech processes everything that
digital environment you are trying to happens to you while in a Full-Dive,
intrude in. What this means is that you and if, say, you get hit in the head with
might be trying to hack a Prometheus one of those censers the mouthless
database, but what you find yourself in librarians are carrying, the result is a
is a massive library, its floors carpeted sudden jolt to your nervous system.
with bones, and its walls coated in You can absolutely experience pain
runnels of candlewax. The data you while in a Full-Dive, and you can die. A
are looking for is somewhere inside of dead Full-Dive hacker is usually
that library, on one of its shelves, but it diagnosed by checking the texture and
is guarded by counter-intrusion appearance of their brain, which has
scripts—mouthless librarians in ornate been quite literally cooked inside their
skull.

Logging In

Starting a Full-Dive is as simple as While you are logged in, your body
connecting a cable from your remains in a comfortably neutral pose.
Neuraltech to a device that connects If you were standing, it remains
to the internet, or to a computer standing. If you were sitting, it remains
network. If you have a Beetle, you can sitting. If you were clinging upside-
plug into your Beetle to dive the down to the underside of a steel girder
internet. If you want to access a over a burning building, it will fall off
system that is air-gapped from the the girder and land in the burning
internet (the way most intra-nets in building.
corp research laboratories are), you
have to plug into one of its machines Damage to your body (or people
directly. picking it up and moving it around) is
something you can perceive and even
Plugging in costs an Action and feel while in Full-Dive.
immediately ends your turn.
Any penalties that you had to your
You can begin acting in the Full-Dive waking body (other than things like
starting on your next turn. being tied up, which can only affect
your physical self) carry over into a
Full-Dive.

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Full-Dive Stats

When you Full-Dive, your stats are the unchanged, and—in general—the three
same. You do not have different Full- important stats while you are Full-
Dive Hit Points than your regular Hit Diving will be your Hit Points, your
Points, and when you log out from a Intelligence, and your Initiative.
Full-Dive, any damage that you took
while diving does not simply go away. All characters and Programs have only
one Hit Location while diving: The Self.
Time passes at the same speed while
you are Full-Diving, so your Initiative is

Using Programs

When you Full-Dive a system, you surviving Programs return to full Hit
don’t have to go in completely alone. Points. No Action is needed.
While your skill with computers gives
you an edge, skilled Full-Dive hackers While a Program is evoked, it fulfils a
also take Programs with them. specific function. Usually this costs an
Action (for example, when you attack
Programs are crude AIs, coded by with a Program), but some Programs
engineers in Full-Dive, that obey your have Reflexive or Passive effects that
orders and perform useful functions trigger automatically, just like
while you’re diving. Some Programs Superhuman Abilities.
help you dismantle with counter-
intrusion measures. Others keep you Unlike Superhuman Abilities,
safe from harm. Still others perform Programs have Hit Points. Hazards
useful tricks that make your tasks in- inside the system can damage your
system easier. Programs, and if a Program is reduced
below 0 Hit Points, it is destroyed.
Programs, when you acquire them, are Because of the way Programs are
downloaded through your Neuraltech stored in your brain, when a Program
into your organic brain. Therefore, is destroyed, it causes a tiny amount
using them feels a little like calling up of brain damage, wiping out the
a memory. miniscule spot where it was stored. As
a result, you cannot re-learn a Program
To evoke a Program, you simply need off of the same file that you originally
to spend an Action. You can also store learned it from. You must obtain a new
a program, returning it to your copy of the Program—usually by
memory, by spending another Action. buying it from a vendor.
If you exit a Full-Dive, any Programs
that are with you are automatically You may have as many Programs as
returned to memory and all of your you like loaded into your brain, but
when you Full-Dive, you can only take

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with you a number of Programs equal Storing Programs during a dive does
to your Intelligence. To swap to a not return them to full Hit
different set of Programs, you must Points—although it does prevent them
log out and then log back in. from being targeted with attacks. You
must log out to fully restore damaged
Programs.

Full-Dive Combat

Full-Dive combat works much like you get to the final Level of the
regular combat. Characters roll system—the system itself. On your
Initiative, they take Turns in order, and turn, you may spend Actions to evoke
when the last Turn has finished a new or store Programs, to attack, or to
Round begins. Free-floating enemy command one of your active Programs
Programs act on the system’s to attack. Each Action is one attack, so
Initiative, and each have their own if you have three Broadswords active
Turn. Programs controlled by sys and you spend an Action to attack, you
admins or enemy hackers do not act pick which Broadsword takes the
on their own, and their operator must swing at your enemy.
spend Actions to use them. Combat
lasts until one side has withdrawn—or On their Turns, enemies may target
else failed their Death Saves and been you and your active Programs.
destroyed or incapacitated. Sometimes it will be to their advantage
to try and destroy your Programs first,
Unlike regular combat, most attacks and sometimes it will make more
are done using Programs. Programs sense for them to ignore your
allow you to deal high damage or Programs and simply try to go in for
inflict debilitating effects on your the kill. If they attack one of your
opponent. Attacking with a Program Programs instead of you, you still roll
deals that Program’s damage on a your Computer Operations + INT as
successful hit. Attacking without a part of the Opposition Roll to try and
Program only inflicts 1d6+INT damage prevent the blow from landing.
on a hit.
Multiple Action Penalties do apply in
To attack in Full-Dive, you spend an Full-Dive, and time doesn’t flow any
Action and make an Opposition Roll faster or slower while you’re in a
using Computer Operations + INT system than it does in the outside
against your opponent’s Computer world. If a Full-Dive combat is
Operations + INT. If you succeed, you happening at the same time as a
hit, and follow the usual rules of regular combat, everything happens in
combat from there. one combined Initiative order.

Valid targets in Full-Dive combat are You cannot grapple while in Full-Dive,
any hackers inside the system, any but you can attempt to break away and
Programs that are active, and—once run by making an Average Computer

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Operations + INT Skill Test (TN 7), with succeed, you move one Level towards

a +2 penalty for every enemy that’s the exit or, if you are already at Level 1,

still in the fight against you. If you you log out.

System Exploration

Systems are made up of different changes entirely. A system that has a
security layers, or Levels. When you stark white corporate lab for its first
enter a system, you enter Level 1. The Level can have a slaughterhouse on its
best, most sensitive data is usually at third, or vice versa.
the deepest Level of each system and,
while you can stay on Level 1 the Ascending Levels is much easier. You
entire time you’re in a system, to get to must still spend an Action but no roll is
the good stuff you have to go deeper. required. However there is a cooldown
period afterwards, and each time you
To descend a Level, you must spend ascend a Level you must wait a full
an entire Turn’s worth of Actions and Round before ascending again.
make an Average Skill Test using
Computer Operations + INT (TN 7), You can only log out while you are on
with a penalty that increases by +2 TN Level 1, so if you encounter heavy
for every Level you descend. So, the resistance it may be wise to start
first time you descend you’re rolling backing out of the system, rather than
against a TN 7. The next time you pushing deeper and running the risk of
descend you’re rolling against a TN 9. not being able to escape.
ETC.
Enemy hackers, admins, and Programs
As you go deeper, your surroundings can also change Levels, but like you it
become more ominous and sometimes takes them a Round to do so.
the sensory metaphor around you

Counter-Intrusion

From the moment you enter a system, If you escape a combat, the system
it begins hunting you. will begin looking for you again,
finding you 1d4-1 Rounds later.
Usually this means the system begins
sending Programs at you. Sometimes If you eliminate all enemies currently
an enemy hacker or sys admin might opposing you, no new waves arrive for
join the fray as well. 1d4 Rounds.

1d4-1 Rounds after you’ve entered a If you change Levels during a fight,
system, the first wave of its Programs you immediately run into a new wave
reach you. of Programs on your new level.

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If a system runs out of waves, you are continue to explore it for as long as

no longer in danger and you may you would like.

Extracting Data Or Influencing Systems

To extract data, you must move to the You can also use this same process to
Level where the data is being stored, influence a system, although in this
spend an Action, and then make a case you may only influence a system
Computer Operations + INT Skill Test from its lowest Level.
at a difficulty determined by the data.
If you succeed, you obtain the data. System commands can range from
“turn on all the sprinklers”, to “unlock
Data can include anything from the secure room”, to “send a message
employee records, to specs for a new to the Peacekeeper strike team that’s
piece of Cybertech, to dirt on the boss. en route that they are responding to a
false alarm.”

Crashing a System

Systems, like hackers, have Hit Points. You must then make an Extreme
While inside the deepest Level of a Computer Operations + INT Skill Test
system, you can attack that system. If (TN 14). On a success, you escape
you reduce the system’s Hit Points to back into your own body. On a failure,
zero or lower, it enters a fatal you are dumped back into your own
shutdown. body and you take half of your
maximum Hit Points as damage.

Getting Trapped

If someone pulls your plug, disables roll to escape as normal and you get
your connection, or otherwise dumped back into your body, no
prematurely disconnects you, your matter how far away it is.
consciousness remains in the system.
It can only escape if you are On the other hand, if your
reconnected to the system and consciousness is destroyed while
managed to log out normally, or if the trapped inside of the system, nothing
system gets reduced to zero Hit Points comes back to your body. It is
or lower and gets crashed. If the permanently left in a vegetative state.
system gets crashed, you make your

Exploring the Internet

In the sensory metaphor of Full-Dive sepia-toned city thronging with
hacking, the internet appears as a vast, ghosts. Inside this massive city, other

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Full-Divers appear as well-defined If you’re looking to hack a specific
avatars, making it easy to spot them system and you don’t have physical
when you run into them—although the access that lets you plug in directly, as
odds of running into other people in long as the system you’re looking to
Full-Dive in a place as vast as the hack is connected to the internet, you
internet is somewhat low. can use the internet as a way to reach
it—however this comes with a
The sepia city that makes up the drawback. To access a system this
internet is full of doors, and each one way, you must roll to enter its Level 1.
leads to a specific website, network, or This means that getting from its Level
system. Finding exactly what you’re 1 to its Level 2 is at a +2 TN penalty,
looking for in Full-Dive can take a little and from Level 2 to Level 3 is at a +4
practice, but you can log out from TN penalty, etc.
anywhere in the internet, giving you an
easy out in case you get lost.

Tandem Dives

You can dive a system with another When diving as a group, as long as you
hacker—or with a group of hackers, if and one of your teammates are on the
you wish. The other hackers must same Level, and as long as they allow
have Neuraltech, and all the regular you to do it, you can spend an Action
rules of Full-Dive hacking apply to and make the roll to descend a Level
them, but sometimes diving with a for them—sending them down a Level
group is the best way to make it to the if you succeed. You do not
bottom Level of a truly dangerous automatically descend with them, and
system. you must still spend another Action
and make another roll if you want to
descend as well.

Logging Out

To log out, you must spend a full Turn internet. If you are deep into a system,
attempting to leave your Full-Dive. you must ascend back to Level 1
This costs all of your Actions from that before you can try to log out.
Turn. At the start of your next Turn
after that, you log out and return safely When you log out, all of your surviving
to your body. Programs are returned to full Hit
Points.
When logging out, you must either be
in Level 1 of a system, or in the

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Example Diveable Systems

Here are some examples of places that 3d8, Initiative 1d8+6, Hit Points 35,
can be hacked. Programs: (Bloodhound x2, Clone) 3
waves, 3 Hidden Safes on Level 3, Sys
Low Rent Hotel - 1 Level, Intelligence Admin (Intelligence 4, Computer
3, Computer Operations 3d6, Initiative Operations 3d8, Initiative 1d6+5, Hit
1d6+4, Hit Points 12, Programs: Points 38, Shackles, Foil)
(Bloodhound, Clone, Hidden Safe) 1
wave Corporate Office - 4 Levels,
Intelligence 6, Computer Operations
Moderate Apartment Complex - 2 2d10, Initiative 1d8+6, Hit Points 80,
Levels, Intelligence 3, Computer Programs: (Bloodhound, Foil, Allies x2)
Operations 2d8, Initiative 1d6+4, Hit 5 waves, 4 Hidden Safes and 2 Traps
Points 24, Programs: (Bloodhound, on Level 4, Sys Admin (Intelligence 5,
Clone x2) 2 waves, Hidden Safe on Computer Operations 3d8, Initiative
Level 2 1d8+7, Hit Points 85, Broadsword,
Allies, Shackles, Decoy, Blocker)
City Police Station - 3 Levels,
Intelligence 4, Computer Operations

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Adversaries

Adversaries

It’s hard to have heroes without as the number of Scene Points that
someone for them to thwart. one of those Thugs would have. So, a
Adversaries in Dark Times take all pack of five Thugs with one Scene
sorts of shapes, from gangs to LEC Point each does not have a pool of five
contractors to the Peacekeepers points. It has a pool of one point, and
themselves. However, every Adversary when that point is used up, the whole
falls into one of three distinct pack is out of points.
categories.
In some cases, a Thug who survives
Thugs are foot-soldiers, hired muscle, multiple run-ins with the PCs may be
or other low-level Adversaries. Alone, promoted, playing a bigger role in the
they don’t pose much of a threat—and story as a recurring villain.
they know this. As a result, Thugs
typically work in packs. After Thugs, the next highest rank of
Adversaries is the Lieutenants.
No matter how many Thugs there are Lieutenants have names, histories, and
in a pack, they all share the same pool a little bit more staying power in
of Scene Points. This pool is the same combat. They also have their own

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individual pools of Scene Points. A Mastermind is capable of directing
Lieutenant may be able to call on a multiple packs of Thugs, several
squad of Thugs, and they can typically Lieutenants, and generally has a
go toe-to-toe with the PCs. It is not broad, long-term goal that poses a
unusual for the PCs to face a serious threat to the PCs. Of course, a
Lieutenant at the end of a Mastermind doesn’t get this high in
scenario—although particularly strong rank by being lazy and unskilled, and
machines or creature also count as they are absolute powerhouses in and
Lieutenants and it is not unusual for outside of combat. Like Lieutenants,
the PCs to face multiple Lieutenants in Masterminds have their own dedicated
a single scenario. pools of Scene Points to use as they
see fit.
The last kind of Adversary that the PCs
can encounter is the Mastermind. A

Adversary Hit Points

High-ranking Adversaries are tough to These extra Hit Points are already
kill, just like PCs. This means that factored into the stat blocks here in
Lieutenants have +10 maximum Hit this chapter, but if you are making
Points on top of what they would your own Lieutenants or Masterminds,
normally have, and Masterminds have remember to give them this bonus!
another +10 on top of that, for a hefty
+20 maximum Hit Points.

Adversaries and Scene Points

Like the PCs, the bad guys have Scene While PCs (usually) all start sessions
Points and they can spend them in any with 3 Scene Points, Adversaries tend
of the same situations where a PC to start with different numbers. An
would use one. Adversary’s Scene Points are listed
under the Derived Attributes in its
Unlike PCs, Adversaries get to spend profile.
Scene Points on abilities specific to
their Adversary type, called Adversary Recurring Adversaries recover Scene
Abilities. An Adversary can use any of Points just like PCs do—at the start of
the abilities related to their Adversary each session.
type (Thug, Lieutenant, etc.)—as long
as they’re able to spend the Scene
Points for it.

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Adversary Abilities

Different types of Adversaries may get drama to the PCs’ lives, so the GM
to use different types of special shouldn’t hold back on using them
abilities, but all Adversaries have some either.
way to spend Scene Points.
Each Adversary Ability costs the
The GM does not have to use Adversary that’s using it one Scene
Adversary Abilities in every combat, Point unless the ability specifically
but they are a way of adding more says otherwise.
challenge to the game and more

Any Adversary

All types of Adversaries have access Buying Down Damage
to these abilities.
When an enemy takes damage,
Each ability costs at least one Scene activate this to cut that damage in half
Point. (round up) or spend a second Scene
Point to buy the damage down to zero.
Automatic Hit
Maximum Damage
Got a pack of goons who can’t hit the
broadside of a barn? Activate this and Sometimes you want your players to
an enemy’s attack automatically hate your NPCs. This will accomplish
hits—nothing can prevent it from that nicely. After an Adversary hits
landing. with an attack, you may spend a point
to automatically increase the damage
You may not combine this ability with to its maximum possible value.
Lucky Shot or Maximum Damage and
you cannot use it with a Called Shot You may not combine this ability with
(see Called Shots, Hit Locations, Automatic Hit or Lucky Shot and
Effects, and Shock in the Combat players can still spend their own Scene
section). Points to buy down this damage.

You must declare this ability before
rolling.

Thugs Only

These abilities may only be used by Each ability costs at least one Scene
Thug Adversaries. Point.

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Adversaries

Cockroaches! PCs’ ride during a car chase or a gang
arrives, taking the side of the
Sometimes it’s like you’ve got a room Adversaries.
full of nasty roaches that just won’t
die. When you activate this ability, you Strength in Numbers
add 2d3 new Thugs to an existing
pack. Adding these new Thugs does These Thugs are used to working
not increase the pack’s’ Scene Points. together as a group. By themselves
You may use this ability once per they are rubbish, but in a group, they
Scene. can be deadly.

Evil Jim During combat, on a Thug’s turn,
activate this ability and have the Thug
Among the ranks of the Thugs there is spend an Action to have a group of up
one guy that is bigger and badder than to five Thugs all focus their fire on a
any of his companions. When combat single PC. Each Thug in the group
begins, you may activate this ability to must be able to reach that PC with an
upgrade a regular Thug into this attack.
heavyweight badass.
Next, make a roll for the Thug that is
Evil Jim has twice his original Hit leading the attack. That roll gets a -2
Points and gets a bonus to all of his TN bonus for each additional Thug in
combat Skills equal to his maximum the group (i.e. five thugs would give
Scene Points. So, a Thug with 12 Hit -10 TN). If the attack hits, it deals the
Points and 2 Scene Points would weapon’s normal damage, +3 damage
become a 24 Hit Point Jim that adds a for each extra Thug that participated.
-2 TN bonus on all of his combat Skill
rolls. Why Won’t You Die?!!

Each pack of Thugs may only have one This pack of goons just refuses to lie
Jim. down. At the start of combat, you may
pick a group of Thugs and activate this
Jinx ability. For the rest of combat, each
Thug in the group can take lethal
Bad luck strikes like lightning, setting damage once without dying. Instead,
the PCs’ plans on fire. Once per Scene, they’re left at 1 Hit Point.
you can activate this ability and
introduce an unexpected complication. If that Thug is damaged again, they
For example, a tire blows out on the drop.

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Adversaries

Lieutenants and Masterminds

These abilities may be used by both reasoning on the part of the PCs or by
Lieutenants and Masterminds, but not the villain doing something
by Thugs. unabashedly sinister, but for a
moment this makes the villain look like
Each ability costs at least one Scene they are clearly in the right.
Point.
Devoted Followers
Always Ready
This villain’s followers are willing to
This villain is always looking out for lay down their lives for their leader.
trouble. Activate this ability and they Activate this ability and for the rest of
are suddenly not surprised, they react this Scene any attempt to interrogate
just in time to avoid being ambushed, or turn one of the villain’s minions
or they avoid triggering a trap. They automatically fails. The players can
also somehow have all the equipment still try again, but they will need to wait
that they would bring into a firefight a dramatically significant period of
conveniently at hand. time (as determined by the GM) before
they do.
Bastard!
Alternately, the villain can spend a
Being a jerk is more than just a hobby. point in combat to give their minions a
It is a calling for this villain. Activate -2 TN bonus to hit, +2 damage, and
this ability to get a -3 TN bonus and extra Hit Points equal to half their
deal +5 damage on a single attack. maximum Hit Points for the rest of the
Round.
Boy/Girl Next Door
Driven
This villain can fool anyone with their
innocent looks or their ability to lose Failure is not an option for this villain.
themselves in a crowd. Activate this Activate this ability and for the rest of
ability and the players’ allies will this Round they do not suffer any ill
hesitate, doubting for a moment that effects from taking damage to their Hit
they’re on the right side. At the same Locations or make Death Saves for
time, any bystanders watching the being dropped below zero Hit Points.
confrontation will suddenly take the This ability may only be used once per
villain’s side—either verbally or Scene.
physically.
Hateful Rage
This ability does not make anyone
suicidally willing to defend the villain, The villain is filled with such fury that,
and both bystanders and allies can for a moment, everything in the
have their minds changed by good cosmos seems to line up for them.

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Adversaries

Activate this ability and, for a single combine this ability with Automatic Hit
Round, the PCs may not spend Scene or Maximum Damage.
Points. The GM may not use
Automatic Hit, Lucky Shot, or Rabbit Out of the Hat
Maximum Damage until the next
Round begins. The villain is a planner and—lucky
them—they have just what they need
Honorable to deal with the situation at hand.

This villain has a sense of honor. Once Once per scenario, you may activate
per scenario, at no Scene Point cost, this ability to have a villain produce
they can choose not to do something any one item from the Equipment
terrible and underhanded. If they make section (or another item that it’s
that choice, they may either reasonable for the villain to have) from
immediately heal 15 Hit Points or gain a pocket, the trunk of their car, a stash
a Scene Point. spot, etc. right in time to do some
harm with it.
Juiced Up
Second Wind
The villain may activate this ability
after hitting with an attack to increase Once per Scene, the villain can
all d4s on their damage to 2d6s, all activate this ability to recover 25% of
d6s to d8s, all d8s to d10s, all d10s to their Hit Points and 50% of their
d12s, and all d12s to d12+2s. Damage Energy Points (round up).
from this attack may not be bought
down to zero with Scene Points. Unnerving

Lucky Shot The villain exudes such a powerful
charisma that they are unsettling to be
This villain knows just where to place near. Activate this ability to give a +2
an attack. Activate this ability and an penalty to all Skill Tests and
attack that you have hit with becomes Opposition Rolls made in the villain’s
a Critical Success and the damage presence to oppose the villain until the
from this attack may not be reduced end of the Scene. This ability does not
with Scene Points. You may not stack with itself.

Unusual Stats For Your Adversaries

Because Adversaries fulfill a very If an Adversary’s Hit Points, Scene
different function in the game than the Points, or Initiative is written with a
PCs do, Adversary stat blocks are slash in the middle, the first number is
written a little differently than PC how many Hit Points, Scene Points, or
character sheets. Initiative it has as a Thug, and the

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Adversaries

second number is how much it has as have a piece of gear or power that
a Lieutenant or Mastermind. gives it an Attribute bonus, that bonus
has not been factored into its stat
If an Adversary’s Attribute is ever block yet.
written with two numbers, the second
one in parenthesis, that number in If an Adversary’s Scene Points are
parenthesis is that same Attribute written with a + after the number, that
after bonuses from Superhuman means the Adversary is statted as a
Abilities, equipment, and other sources Lieutenant, and the GM should add
have all been factored in. If a stat 1–2 points to the number if they use
block says that an Adversary might the Adversary as a Mastermind.

Creating New Adversaries

The GM should always feel free to existing ones in order to fit a scenario
create new Adversaries or to modify better. Nothing here is set in stone.

Defeating Adversaries

Lieutenants and Masterminds, like Points or below. Whether they are
PCs, can keep fighting after they’ve killed or merely knocked out is up to
been reduced below 0 Hit Points. whoever dropped them.
However, as most of them do not want
to die, many will surrender or to For more information about characters
attempt to escape long before that. continuing to fight after they’ve been
reduced below 0 Hit Points, see
Thugs, on the other hand, drop the Damage and Death Saves [p. 248].
moment they are reduced to 0 Hit

Using Adversaries As Regular NPCs

It would be a pretty bleak game if To use an Adversary as a regular NPC,
every civilian were secretly an enemy just ignore their Adversary Type. As a
agent, waiting for an opportunity to regular NPC, they can’t spend Scene
bring down the PCs. Luckily, the world Points on Adversary Abilities—but
of Dark Times isn’t quite that dark. that’s okay. They have better things to
Although every entry here is listed as do right now than to try and ruin the
an ‘Adversary’, the same stats can be PCs’ day.
used for these NPCs when they’re not
working against the PCs. In fact, in the NPCs in general aren’t always
case of civilians, that’s more or less friendly—and if the PCs do pick a fight
how you’re expected to treat them. with them, treat them as Adversaries

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Adversaries

during that fight—but mostly they just might break off of combat to deal with
want to pursue their own agendas. their own problems, or to flee, or they
might even try to strike a deal with the
By a similar token, most Adversaries PCs if they think it would be better to
aren’t mindlessly hostile. They usually negotiate.
have an objective that they’re working
towards—even if that objective is just Over time, an Adversary can even
a payday from their boss. Adversaries become a regular NPC—or vice versa.

Adversary List

The following Adversaries can be used
in any game of Dark Times.

Unenhanced

Just because their blood isn’t Willpower 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence
swimming with nanoserum and their 2
genome hasn’t been rearranged to 3. Strength: 4, Health 4, Reflexes 3,
allow for supersonic flight doesn’t Willpower 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence
mean they’re not dangerous. 3
4. Strength: 3, Health 3, Reflexes 5,
Angry Low-Life Willpower 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence
3

Thug Adversary Type Derived Attributes

If you need a random group of 1. Hit Points 24, Move: 12 yards,
dirtbags, look no further than these Damage Bonus: +1d8, Scene Pts: 3
guys.
2. Hit Points 28, Move: 10 yards,
You can use the table below or you Damage Bonus: +1d3, Scene Pts: 3
can use the pre-set to generate as
many nameless mooks as you need 3. Hit Points 30, Move: 11 yards,
for an encounter. Damage Bonus: +1d6, Scene Pts: 2

4. Hit Points 25, Move: 10 yards,
Damage Bonus: +1d3, Scene Pts: 4

Roll 1d4 for each section… Skills

Attributes 1. Athletics 1d6, Pistols 2d8, Rifle 2d6,

1. Strength: 5, Health 3, Reflexes 3, Stealth 2d6, Observation 2d6, Drive

Willpower 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2d6
2 2. Athletics 2d6, Pistols 3d8, Rifle 1d6,
Stealth 2d8, Observation 2d8, Drive
2. Strength: 3, Health 5, Reflexes 4,
2d6

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Adversaries

3. Athletics 1d8, Pistols 2d10, Rifle Derived Attributes
2d8, Stealth 2d6, Observation 1d6, Hit Points: 16, Energy Points: 30,
Drive 1d6 Move: 8, Scene Points: 2, Dam Bonus:
+1d3, Initiative: 1d6+3
4. Athletics 3d6, Pistols 3d6, Rifle 3d8,
Stealth 2d6, Observation 2d8, Drive Adversary Ability
2d8 Cockroaches!, Jinx, Strength In
Numbers
Or take the pre-set…

Attributes Skills
Strength: 3, Health: 3, Reflexes: 3, Athletics 1d8, Blades 1d6, Brawling
Willpower: 2, Charisma: 2, Intelligence: 3d8, Club 1d6, Dodge 1d6, Drive 1d6,
2 Observation 2d8, Pistols 3d8, Rifle 1d6

Derived Attributes Abilities
Hit Points: 16, Move: 8 yards, Dam Cybertech Arm (Arm Strength) OR
Bonus: +1d3, Scene Points: 2 Synaptic Overclock (Minor)

Skills Equipment:
Athletics 1d8, Blades 2d6, Brawling Medium Armored Clothing: +6
3d8, Club 2d6, Dodge 1d8, Drive 2d6, Protection to Arms, Legs, and Torso
Observation 2d6, Pistols 2d8, Rifle
2d6, Stealth 2d6 Attacks:
Medium Pistol (The Mongrel): -1 TN to
Equipment hit, 2d8+1 damage, ROF 2, Recoil +1,
GM’s decision. Usually there’s a Melee Shots: 12 (Hot Load ammo)
weapon or a firearm, but some goons Machete (Short sword): 1d8
prefer to work with just their fists and
maybe a cinder block. Civilians

Aztecs Thug Adversary Type

Thug Adversary Type When someone says ‘the average
person’, this is who they’re talking
A gang with a notable chapter in Steele about.
City, the Aztecs specialize mainly in
protection and gun-running. They can Attributes
be fairly reliable as business partners, Strength: 2, Health: 2, Reflexes: 2,
but they get violent very quickly when Willpower: 2, Charisma: 2, Intelligence:
they think they’ve been crossed. 2

Attributes Derived Attributes
Strength: 3, Health: 3, Reflexes: 3, Hit Points: 10, Move: 6 yards, Dam
Willpower: 2, Charisma: 2, Intelligence: Bonus: -, Scene Points: 1
2

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Adversaries

Adversary Ability Attributes
Cockroaches! Strength: 3, Health: 4, Reflexes: 3,
Skills Willpower: 2, Charisma: 2, Intelligence:
Athletics 1d6, Brawling 1d6, Dodge 2
1d6, Drive 1d6, Observation 1d6,
Stealth 1d6, and a profession-related Derived Attributes
Skill at 2d8 Hit Points: 24 / 48 , Move: 11, Energy
Equipment Points: 32, Scene Points: 1 / 3, Dam
Game Master’s decision. Bonus: +1d3, Initiative: 1d6+3 / 1d8+3
Mercs
Adversary Ability
Thug or Lieutenant Adversary Type Cockroaches! OR Rabbit Out of the Hat
Soldiers in service to the highest
bidder. During periods of low inter- Skills
corporate violence, mercs often sign Athletics 2d8, Blades 2d8 Brawling
on with LECs and work as a more 2d8, Dodge 2d6, Drive 2d8,
steady, less exciting gig as law- Interrogation 2d6, Intimidation 2d8,
enforcement contractors. Observation 2d8, Pilot 2d8, Pistol
3d10, Rifle 2d10, Stealth 2d10

Abilities
(1 or 2 of the following for Thugs. GM
can assign randomly. Lieutenant has
the whole list.)
Basic Neural-Ware, Synaptic Overclock
(Minor), Cyber Arm (Strength +2, Hand
Weapon: Knife), Dermal Armor (+8
Protection)

Equipment:
Heavy Armor (+8 Protection)

Attacks:
Combat Knife: 1d6+2 damage, AP 1
Heavy Pistol: Damage: 2d10, ROF 1,
Shots: 8
Combat Shotgun: (One person in
group) Damage: Slug 3d8+4, ROF 1,
Shots: 7
Assault Rifle: Damage: 2d8, ROF 1/3/
10, Shots 20

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Adversaries

Swarms

Swarms are groups of creatures • Avian: 50 mph flight speed
working together under a single will. • Aquatic: Movement reduced to 5,
They are usually called and controlled
via the Animal Control Hereditary gains 30 mph swim speed, can
Power. breathe underwater, +3 max Hit
Points, +1d4 unarmed damage
5 lbs Swarm • Insects: 20 mph flight speed. When
swarm hits with an attack, target
Thug Adversary Type must make an Average Health
Saving Throw (TN 7) or be
While it might not seem like much at envenomated and suffer a +1 TN
first glance, five pounds is a lot of penalty on all Actions until the end
mosquitoes. of the Scene. This penalty can stack
up to twice.
Attributes • Strays: +6 Movement, +2 max Hit
Strength: 2, Health: 2, Reflexes: 2, Points, -1 TN to hit with unarmed,
Willpower: 2, Charisma: 1, Intelligence: +1d4 unarmed damage
1
20 lbs Swarm

Derived Attributes Thug Adversary Type
Hit Points: 18, Move: 6, Energy Points:
27, Scene Points: 1, Dam Bonus: +0, Rather more pigeons than the average
Initiative: 1d6+2 person wants to fight.

Adversary Ability Attributes
Cockroaches!, Why Won’t You Die?!! Strength: 3, Health: 2, Reflexes: 3,
Willpower: 2, Charisma: 1, Intelligence:
Skills 1
2d8 Athletics , 3d6 Brawling , 2d6
Dodge , 2d8 Observation Derived Attributes
Hit Points: 24, Move: 9, Energy Points:
Complications 29, Scene Points: 1, Dam Bonus: +1d3,
We Are Many: Must make a Initiative: 1d6+3
Challenging Health Saving Throw (TN
9) when hit with an Area of Effect Adversary Ability
attack or else immediately disperse. Cockroaches!, Why Won’t You Die?!!

Attacks Skills
Enswarm: 1d4 damage, -1 TN to hit 3d8 Athletics , 2d8 Brawling , 3d6
Dodge , 2d8 Observation
Swarm Is Made Up Of:
(pick one)

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Complications Adversary Ability
We Are Many: Must make a Cockroaches!, Why Won’t You Die?!!
Challenging Health Saving Throw (TN
9) when hit with an Area of Effect Skills
attack or else immediately disperse. 3d8 Athletics , 3d8 Brawling , 3d6
Dodge , 2d8 Observation
Attacks
Enswarm: 1d6 damage, -1 TN to hit Complications
We Are Many: Must make a
Swarm Is Made Up Of: Challenging Health Saving Throw (TN
(pick one) 9) when hit with an Area of Effect
attack or else immediately disperse.
• Avian: 50 mph flight speed, +1d4 Bulking Up: If the Cockroaches!
unarmed damage Adversary Ability is used on this
swarm, instead of Cockroaches!’s
• Aquatic: Movement reduced to 5, normal effects, the swarm increases
gains 30 mph swim speed, can its current and maximum Hit Points by
breathe underwater, +6 max Hit +30.
Points, +1d4+1 unarmed damage
Attacks
• Insects: 20 mph flight speed. When Enswarm: 1d8 damage, -2 TN to hit
swarm hits with an attack, target
must make a Challenging Health Swarm Is Made Up Of:
Saving Throw (TN 9) or be (pick one)
envenomated and suffer a +1 TN
penalty on all Actions until the end • Avian: 50 mph flight speed, +1d4
of the Scene. This penalty can stack unarmed damage, unarmed damage
up to three times. is AP 4

• Strays: +6 Movement, +4 max Hit • Aquatic: Movement reduced to 7,
Points, -1 TN to hit with unarmed, gains 40 mph swim speed, can
+1d4+1 unarmed damage breathe underwater, +8 max Hit
Points, +2d4+1 unarmed damage
100 lbs Swarm
• Insects: 20 mph flight speed. When
Thug Adversary Type swarm hits with an attack, target
must make a Tough Health Saving
A substantial volume of rats. Throw (TN 12) or be envenomated
and suffer a +1 TN penalty on all
Attributes Actions until the end of the Scene.
Strength: 3, Health: 3, Reflexes: 3, This penalty can stack up to three
Willpower: 3, Charisma: 1, Intelligence: times.
1
• Strays: +6 Movement, +8 max Hit
Derived Attributes Points, -2 TN to hit with unarmed, -1
Hit Points: 32, Energy Points: 29, TN bonus to grapple, +2d4 unarmed
Move: 9, Scene Points: 1, Dam Bonus: damage
+1d3, Initiative: 1d6+3

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Adversaries

1000 lbs Swarm Adversary Ability is used on this
swarm, instead of Cockroaches!’s
Thug Adversary Type normal effects, the swarm increases
its current and maximum Hit Points by
While this could be a truly daunting +30.
quantity of house cats, it can also be
two alligators working together. Attacks
Enswarm: 1d10 damage, -3 TN to hit
Attributes
Strength: 3, Health: 5, Reflexes: 3, Swarm Is Made Up Of:
Willpower: 3, Charisma: 1, Intelligence: (pick one)
1
• Avian: 50 mph flight speed, +1d4
Derived Attributes unarmed damage, unarmed damage
Hit Points: 56, Energy Points: 33, is AP Half
Move: 9, Scene Points: 1, Dam Bonus:
+1d3, Initiative: 1d6+3 • Aquatic: Movement reduced to 7,
gains 40 mph swim speed, can
Adversary Ability breathe underwater, +14 max Hit
Cockroaches!, Why Won’t You Die?!! Points, +3d4+1 unarmed damage

Skills • Insects: 20 mph flight speed. When
3d8 Athletics , 2d10 Brawling , 3d6 swarm hits with an attack, target
Dodge , 2d8 Observation must make an Extreme Health
Saving Throw (TN 14) or be
Complications envenomated and suffer a +1 TN
We Are Many: Must make a penalty on all Actions until the end
Challenging Health Saving Throw (TN of the Scene. This penalty can stack
9) when hit with an Area of Effect up to four times.
attack or else immediately disperse.
Bulking Up: If the Cockroaches! • Strays: +6 Movement, +14 max Hit
Points, -2 TN to hit with unarmed, -3
TN bonus to grapple, +3d4 unarmed
damage

Enhanced

Ever since Dr. Valasakis revealed his You can use the table below or you
work in nanotech, superpowered can use the pre-set to generate as
threats have been the norm. many nameless mutants as you need
for an encounter.
A Ravenous Pack of Mutants
Roll 1d4 for each section…
Thug Adversary Type
Attributes
Newly emerged from the sewer and
hungry for flesh. 1. Strength: 5, Health 3, Reflexes 3,

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Adversaries

Willpower 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2d8, Observation 2d10, Power Use:

2 Any 2d10

2. Strength: 3, Health 5, Reflexes 4,
Willpower 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence Mutations

2 1. Claws, Leaper, Large Skeleton

3. Strength: 4, Health 4, Reflexes 3,
Willpower 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2. Skunk, Gliders, Increased Attribute
3 (Reflexes +3)
3. Claws, Bio-Sense, Displacement
4. Strength: 3, Health 3, Reflexes 5,
Willpower 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 4. Extra Limb (x2), Increased Attribute
3 (Strength +4)

Derived Attributes Or take the pre-set…

1. Hit Points 24, Move: 12 yards, Attributes
Damage Bonus: +1d8, Scene Pts: 3 Strength: 3, Health: 3, Reflexes: 3,
Willpower: 2, Charisma: 2, Intelligence:
2. Hit Points 28, Move: 10 yards, 2
Damage Bonus: +1d3, Scene Pts: 3
Derived Attributes
3. Hit Points 30, Move: 11 yards, Hit Points: 16, Move: 8 yards, Dam
Damage Bonus: +1d6, Scene Pts: 2 Bonus: +1d3, Scene Points: 2

4. Hit Points 25, Move: 10 yards,
Damage Bonus: +1d3, Scene Pts: 4

Skills Skills
Athletics 2d8, Brawling 3d8, Dodge
1. Athletics 1d10, Brawling 2d8, Stealth 1d8, Observation 2d8, Power Use: Any
2d10, Observation 3d6, Power Use: 2d8, Stealth 3d6
Any 2d8
Mutations
2. Athletics 3d6, Brawling 2d10, Stealth Claws, Fur/Hide, Extra Limb (Arm)
3d8, Observation 2d8, Power Use:
Any 3d6 Equipment
GM’s decision. Usually just their fists.
3. Athletics 1d8, Brawling 3d8, Stealth
3d6, Observation 1d10, Power Use: Attacks:
Any 1d10 Claws: 1d4+1d6 damage, AP 2

4. Athletics 3d8, Brawling 2d10, Stealth

Flex (Omar El Haddi)

Lieutenant Adversary Type trouble and left a whole bunch of
bodies in his wake, rumor has it he has
A former bodybuilder, Omar is a rough a contract with Titan Security and
person who hires out his muscle to serves as their black ops muscle. This
anyone. The rougher the job the more has apparently emboldened him
he likes it. While he’s stirred up a lot of enough that he sometimes forgets

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Adversaries

how many corporations he has pissed Equipment:
off and makes a whole new batch of Medium Armored Clothing (+6
enemies. Protection to Arms, Legs, and Torso), 2
Tangle Grenades, 1 White
Attributes Phosphorous Grenade
Strength: 5(9), Health: 3, Reflexes: 4,
Willpower: 3, Charisma: 2, Intelligence: Attacks:
2 Punch: 1d4 damage

Derived Attributes Redline (Miles Jefferson)
Hit Points: 110, Energy Points: 31,
Move: 17, Scene Points: 4, Dam Liuetenant Adversary Type
Bonus: +2d10+8, Initiative: 1d8+4
Miles is a hardline member and
Adversary Ability lieutenant in the E.L.A. (Enhanced
Driven, Hateful Rage Liberation Army). He is also a devout
follower of his leader Medusa.
Skills Unemotional and extremely dedicated
Athletics 3d10, Brawling 3d10 (-6 TN to the mission of the E.L.A., his rigid
from Talents and powers), Dodge 3d8, way of thinking makes him extremely
Intimidation 2d10, Observation 1d10, difficult to negotiate with.
Stealth 2d8, Streetwise 2d8, Throwing
2d10 Attributes
Strength: 2, Health: 4, Reflexes: 5,
Abilities Willpower: 3, Charisma: 3, Intelligence:
Armor (+12 Protection to all Hit 3
Locations), Super Leap (27 yards
horizontal, 12 yards vertical), Super Derived Attributes
Strength (+10,000 lbs carrying ability), Hit Points: 56, Energy Points: 24,
Unarmed Superiority: Hit-Confirm (-3 Move: 10, Scene Points: 5, Dam
TN to hit with unarmed) Bonus: +0, Initiative: 1d8+15

Talents Adversary Ability
Thunderpunch (targets struck in close Bastard!
combat must make a Strength Saving
Throw (TN 7 + 3d6), getting pushed Skills
back 1 yard per point they fail by), Athletics 2d10, Brawling 2d10,
Meat Monkey, Bad Ass, Improved Demolitions 1d8, Dodge 3d10, Fast
Defense (incoming attacks suffer a +2 Talk 2d10, Interrogation 2d8,
TN penalty) Intimidation 1d10, Leadership 1d10,
Observation 3d6, Stealth 2d10,
Complications Streetwise 3d8
Greed
Abilities
Super Speed (Major, +700 mph), Speed

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Attack (one multiple action attack insulation from the people they are
without penalty per Round), Speed paid to oppress.
Defense (+2 TN to incoming attacks),
Unarmed Superiority: Frame Attributes
Advantage (+4 Initiative, duration Strength: 3, Health: 3, Reflexes: 3,
Scene, for 2 EP), Weaponmaster: Willpower: 2, Charisma: 2, Intelligence:
Hardened (+8 Protection to all Hit 3
Locations)
Derived Attributes
Talents Hit Points: 16 / 32, Energy Points: 31,
Can’t Touch This (+2 TN to incoming Move: 9, Scene Points: 1 / 3, Dam
attacks), Sharp Senses, Speeding Fists Bonus: +1d3, Initiative: 1d6+3 / 1d8+3
(make an unarmed attack once per
round when you deal Velocity Adversary Ability
Damage), Rank: Lieutenant with the Cockroaches! and Evil Jim OR Devoted
E.L.A. Followers and Driven

Complications Skills
Obsession: E.L.A. Cause Athletics 2d8, Brawling 2d6, Club 2d6,
Dodge 1d8, Drive 1d10, Interrogation
Equipment: 3d8, Intimidation 1d10, Observation
Armored Clothing (Light): +4 3d8, Pilot 2d8, Pistol 2d8+1, Rifle
Protection to Arms, Legs, Torso 2d10+1, Stealth 2d8

Attacks: Abilities
Punch: 1d4 damage Selective Neural Deadening (-2 TN
bonus to resist pain and also to Death
Prometheus Peacekeepers Saves)

Thug or Lieutenant Adversary Type Equipment:
Power Armor: +15 Protection,
These power-armored heavies serve Respirator, HUD targeting gives -1 TN
as Prometheus Medical’s shock troops to hit with ranged attacks
and Enhanced-suppression corps. It’s
almost impossible to tell the identity of Attacks:
one from behind the polarized glass of Billy Club: 1d8+1 damage
their armor’s faceplate, but Medium Pistol: Damage 2d8 (AP
Prometheus likes it this way. The rounds), shots 12, ROF 2, Recoil +1
armor’s built-in vocal synthesizer, Plasma Pistol: (Leader of squad only),
which renders all their words into the 1d6 per ammo spent—up to 6d6,
same neutral, mechanical-sounding Charges: 30, ROF 1
speech patterns, was not an original Assault Rifle-Street Demon: -1 TN to
feature, and it was added a few years hit, 2d8+2 damage, ROF 1/3/10, Shots
into the Peacekeeper program, giving 18
them an extra layer of anonymity and

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Adversaries

Sewer Zombies Willpower: 2, Charisma: 1, Intelligence:
2
Thug Adversary Type
Derived Attributes
This gang of mutants has found peace Hit Points: 16, Energy Points: 30,
by embracing the negative labels the Move: 8, Scene Points: 1, Dam Bonus:
world heaps on them. While the +1d3, Initiative: 1d6+3
majority of them don’t actually eat
people, they sure dress like they do, Adversary Ability
and the motif of skull-bandoliers and Cockroaches!, Evil Jim, Why Won’t You
trashbag-wrapped clothing has slowly Die?!!
trickled up into a couple of clothing
brands aimed at rebellious, upper- Skills
middle-class children. Athletics 3d8, Blades 2d6, Brawling
3d8, Club 2d6, Dodge 1d6, Observation
Despite the name, the Sewer Zombies 2d8, Stealth 2d10
are usually willing to parlay with
anyone who treats them as people. Abilities
While they are not an especially Claws, GM’s choice of 1 or 2 more
profitable criminal enterprise, most of Mutations shared across the pack
the money they make is off of smash-
and-grab raids on medical centers, and Equipment:
they often have medicine or cybertech GM’s choice. Often nothing.
stashed in their corner of the
underground. Attacks:
Claws: 1d4+1d6 damage, AP 2
Attributes
Strength: 3, Health: 3, Reflexes: 3,

Spider (Marcy Mayweather)

Mastermind Adversary Type Willpower: 3, Charisma: 3, Intelligence:
3
Marcy is a tenacious person who is
totally comfortable in her corporate Derived Attributes
lifestyle. She handles a lot of off- Hit Points: 56, Energy Points: 34,
books work for UCS—usually by hiring Move: 16, Scene Points: 4, Dam
intermediaries. Although she isn’t Bonus: +0, Initiative: 1d8+7
afraid of getting her hands dirty, it’s
simply inefficient for her to do Adversary Ability
everything by herself. Lucky Shot, Rabbit Out of the Hat,
Second Wind, Bastard!
Attributes
Strength: 2, Health: 4, Reflexes: 4, Skills
Athletics 2d8, Brawling 3d10, Dodge ,

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Adversaries

Leadership 2d10, Observation 2d10+1, TN to hit when ambushing), Fleet of
Power Use: Entangle 3d10, Power Use: Foot, Improved Defense (+2 TN to
Venom 2d10, Stealth 2d10, Streetwise incoming attacks), Rank: UCS Field
2d8 Operative,

Abilities Complications
Entangle (Major), Super Leap Hedonist
(Moderate), Venom (Major), Wall
Walking, Weaponmaster: Hardened (+8 Equipment:
Protection to all Hit Locations) Armored Clothing (Light): +4
Protection to Arms, Legs, Torso
Talents
Blindside (deal +4 damage and get -2

Xander Chemicals Enforcers

Thug or Lieutenant Adversary Type Derived Attributes
Hit Points: 12 / 24, Energy Points: 30,
While not as well known as Move: 8, Scene Points: 1 / 3, Dam
Prometheus’ Peacekeepers, the Bonus: +0, Initiative: 1d6+3 / 1d8+3
Enforcers make up for that in pure
viciousness. They are rarely found Adversary Ability
outside of Xander-owned sites unless Strength in Numbers and
they are on a raid, but they perform Cockroaches! OR Juiced Up and
raids at a much higher frequency than Bastard!
the Peacekeepers, abducting citizens
seemingly at random. After the person Skills
disappears into their system, they Athletics 1d8, Blades 2d6, Brawling
usually claim that they had found a 2d6, Dodge 2d8, Drive 2d8,
dangerous mutant. Interrogation 1d6, Intimidation 1d6,
Observation 2d6, Pilot 2d8, Pistol 3d8,
The Enforcers have a surprisingly Rifle 3d8, Stealth 2d8
warm relationship with the gang
known as the Hazmat Killers, and Abilities
some speculate that they use the Artemis Colony Dispersal (Gib, +1d6
Killers as a pool of potential recruits, damage with rifles), Cybertech Eye:
skimming off the best and brightest Infrared
and giving them powered armor, a
needler rifle, and a salary. Equipment:
Armored Clothing (Light): +4
Attributes Protection to Arms, Legs, Torso
Strength: 2, Health: 3, Reflexes: 3,
Willpower: 2, Charisma: 2, Intelligence: Attacks:
2 Short Sword: 1d8 damage
Heavy Pistol: Damage: 2d10, ROF 1,

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Adversaries

Capacity: 8 100
Gauss Needler Pistol: (Leader only) Gauss Needler Rifle: 2d8+2 damage,
2d6+2 damage, AP 3, ROF 3, Capacity: AP 4, ROF 3, Capacity: 200

285



Gaining Experience

Gaining Experience

Whenever the PCs complete a awards for accomplishing especially
scenario, they gain Experience Points. important tasks.
How many Experience Points they get
depends on how well they did as a Depending on the length of the
group. scenario, the Game Master may want
to reward players with experience
A group that worked well together, points at the end of every game
achieved their objectives, and had lots session instead of every scenario.
of good in-character humor or drama
should get 4 points each. PCs keep all their unspent Experience
Points at the end of each session, and
A group that had serious trouble they can spend their Experience Points
working together, failed their at the beginning or end of any game
objectives, and had very little in- session for the following upgrades.
character humor or drama should get
1 point each. Before any Experience Points are
spent, the GM should tell the group
The group should never get less than 1 which Exp Chart they are using. There
point each (they are, after all, showing are three charts listed below, and they
up to play the game and that’s worth range from very slow (Standard
something), and the GM is free to Progression) to quite fast (Quick
assign additional Experience Point Progression) in terms of how rapidly
they let characters grow.

Standard Progression Chart

This is the recommended chart for the Increase a Skill’s Practical Usage
game. Characters using this chart will From 1 to 2 dice costs 10 points
improve very rarely, usually once every From 2 to 3 dice costs 15 points
five or six sessions.
Improve a Skill That’s Already 3d10
Gain a New Skill Adding a +1 bonus costs 25 points
1d6 costs 8 Points
Increase Attribute (To No More Than
Increase a Skill’s Level of Learning 5)
From 1d6 to D8 costs 10 points Adding +1 costs 30 points
From 1d8 to D10 costs 15 points
Buy An Archetype or General Talent
+1 Talent (+2 Max) costs 16 points

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Gaining Experience

Buy A Metahuman Point or Point of -1 Complication (-1 Max) costs 16
TLR points
+1 Point costs 20 points
Buy Scene Points
Buy Off A Complication This does not increase your maximum
You may only do this with the GM’s Scene Points. It increases your current
approval, and it must make sense in Scene Points. You may buy Scene
the game’s story. Furthermore, this Points this way during a game
counts as buying another Talent, so if Session, not just at the beginning or
you do this, you may only buy one end of one, and you may spend those
Talent with Experience Points. If Scene Points right away.
you’ve already bought two Talents
with Experience Points, you may not +1 Scene Point costs 1 point
buy off your Complication.

Flat Progression Chart

Apart from the exceptions listed here, Increase a Skill’s Level of Learning
all other costs are the same as the From 1d6 to D8 costs 11 points
Standard Progression Chart. From 1d8 to D10 costs 11 points

This chart simply flattens out the cost Increase a Skill’s Practical Usage
of improving your Skills. From 1 to 2 dice costs 11 points
From 2 to 3 dice costs 11 points
Gain a New Skill
1D6 costs 11 points

Quick Progression Chart

For a game where the PCs are growing Improve a Skill That’s Already 3d10
a little in power every session or every Add a +1 bonus costs 5 points
other session, use this chart.
Increase Attribute (To No More Than
Gain a New Skill 5)
1D6 cots 2 points Adding +1 costs 6 points

Increase a Skill’s Level of Learning Buy An Archetype or General Talent
From 1d6 to D8 costs 3 points +1 Talent (+2 Max) costs 7 points
From 1d8 to D10 costs 4 points
Buy A Metahuman Point or Point of
Increase a Skill’s Practical Usage TLR
From 1 to 2 dice costs 3 points +1 Point costs 7 points
From 2 to 3 dice costs 4 points

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Gaining Experience

Buy Off A Complication Buy Scene Points
You may only do this with the GM’s This does not increase your maximum
approval, and it must make sense in Scene Points. It increases your current
the game’s story. Furthermore, this Scene Points. You may buy Scene
counts as buying another Talent, so if Points this way during a game
you do this, you may only buy one Session, not just at the beginning or
Talent with Experience Points. If end of one, and you may spend those
you’ve already bought two Talents Scene Points right away.
with Experience Points, you may not
buy off your Complication. +2 Scene Points costs 1 point

-1 Complication (-1 Max) costs 7
points

289

Being A GM

Being A GM

The truth is, this section could easily scenarios to come. You can also
go for a couple hundred pages, but scavenge plotlines from TV shows,
here’s the quick and dirty version: Dark movies, and novels—changing the
Times is a story that you and your details where appropriate.
players tell together.
If you’re worried that your GMing style
The PCs are the main characters in isn’t interesting, ask your players what
that story. You, on the other hand, are they want to see more of in the game
the narrator, the director, the villains, and then give it to them. Put in villains
and the supporting cast. that they’ll really hate, or that they’ll
feel conflicted about. Develop the
Your job as the GM is to shine the supporting cast with personality
spotlight on the PCs, push them into quirks, accents, etc—and don’t be
the action, challenge them, and give afraid to keep bringing back
them each a chance to show what’s characters that the players really react
cool about their specific character. to. If the players enter a Scene that’s
supposed to be really scary, or
Being a GM can be a big job, as you ominous, or violent, take a moment
have to know the game rules, you have and describe what the Scene looks
to hook the PCs into a story, you have like—what the PCs are seeing, hearing,
to challenge them just the right and feeling. You can sometimes get a
amount, and you have to react on the lot of oomph out of lingering on very
fly when the PCs do the unexpected. little details like the slow drip of blood
from the ceiling or the tik tik tik of
Being a GM is not an impossible job, claws on linoleum tiles.
however, and you have a lot of
resources at your disposal. And once you’ve got these things
mastered, don’t be afraid to go the
If you don’t feel 100% solid on the extra mile. Use accents or specific
game rules, try building a character voices for your NPCs. Bring props
and running it through a few different (such as a map of the city where the
challenges. Try a Skill Test, a combat, PCs are located) and pass them out to
and maybe even think about how that the players. Play music to set the tone
character would go about planning a for a Scene. Above all, have fun—and
raid on a corporate lab. make sure your players are having fun
too. That’s why your group’s playing
If you aren’t comfortable writing your this, after all.
own scenarios, there’s a scenario at
the end of this book and there’s more

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Being A GM

Scenario Hooks

Sometimes you need just a piece of a Roll once on each table and combine
story to get started. To help with that, the two for a hook.
we’ve included a story hook generator.

Locations 1d12
1 House or Apartment
2
3 Mall or Store
4 Hospital or Clinic
5 Prison or Gladiatorum
6 Outside of the City
7 Police Station or Morgue
8 Liquor Store or Dispensary
9 Office Building or Govt Office
10 Abandoned Tenement or Facility
11 Right Behind You
12 Sewers or Gangland

Corporate HQ

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Being A GM

Problems 1d6

1 Someone is pressuring the locals, trying to cow them or take
control of the location.

2 Someone has been killed in a way that suggests an Enhanced was
involved.

3 Two or more factions had a fight here. Signs suggest their
disagreement is far from over.

4 Mutants were spotted here. The locals are anxious.

5 What’s happening at the location is just a test. If the test goes
well, it will begin happening elsewhere.

6 An enemy faction wants to parlay. They’re facing a problem that
threatens not just them but people the PCs care about.

Adjusting Gameplay

Part of GMing is tailoring a game In order to make things easier for you,
system to your group. If a particular we’ve included a few suggestions here
rule is making the game unenjoyable, for how you can change the gameplay
you are absolutely within your rights to in Dark Times to better fit your game.
change or remove it.

Balancing Adversaries

A starting group of PCs can expect a situations for combat to take place in.
moderate amount of challenge from an Maybe there are traps. Maybe there
equal number of Thugs and a single are hostages. Maybe there are
Lieutenant. reinforcements that will show up by a
certain turn.
For a more challenging combat, the
GM can add a few more Thugs, a For a particularly tough fight, add a
second Lieutenant, better equipment, Mastermind, and don’t be shy about
or make the circumstances using the enemies’ Adversary Abilities.
surrounding the combat riskier.
If your group is consistently crushing
Fighting a mutant in a sewer maze is everything that comes its way, throw
different than fighting a mutant out in tougher situations at them and use
the open, and an easy way to control harder Adversaries. Make it clear to
difficulty without adding more the players that they’re playing for
enemies is to set up dangerous higher stakes. Find the sweet spot

292

Being A GM

where combat is challenging but non-combat hacker in tow, enemies
doesn’t steamroll anybody, and let the will probably fire on that hacker
bad guys target characters based on last—unless the hacker has just done
how threatening they’re being. If a very something flashy to make it clear that
combat-capable group has a low-hp, they’re the real threat.

What To Do If Everyone Has Too Much Protection

With a little preparation and the right Locations like the heart and throat
Superhuman Abilities, a character can where even a little damage is enough.
pack on a lot of Protection and
Damage Resistance in combat. This If none of this works and the PCs
can let them walk into a hail of seem invincible, the bad guys will
mundane bullets and survive, but it run—only to come back later, with
doesn’t make them invulnerable. better hardware and on their own
terms.
If a party turtles up the moment
combat breaks out, their enemies will We recommend that if the group
start to adapt. Attacks that deal AP encounters problems with Protection
damage, that cause Ignition or and Damage Resistance, the GM limit
Corrosion or Drain, or that apply each character’s total Protection and
poisons, diseases, or other debuffs Damage Resistance to their highest
can threaten characters regardless of single Superhuman Ability and their
how heavily armored they are. highest piece of equipment. This
eliminates almost all stacking of
In a pinch, enemies will grapple targets Protection and Damage Resistance,
that bullets just bounce off of. Or, pressing the point that characters
failing that, they will aim for Hit should try not to get hit in the first
place.

Adjusting Lethality

A lucky shot to the heart or throat can areas, and they may have other
put down even a powerful Enhanced. options available depending on the
situation (such as the Emergency
This can feel a little abrupt, and may Backup Program while they are Full-
not be what everyone wants from their Diving a system).
game—especially from a long
campaign with lots of character However, for groups that want a lot
backstory. more survivability, the entire group can
decide in advance that lethal damage
Players should remember that they knocks PCs out instead of killing them
can use Scene Points to buy down instantly. As long as another character
damage inflicted to these vulnerable can get to the downed PC and

293

Being A GM

administer medical attention, they This is a drastic change to the rules,
might be in really bad shape, but they’ll so it should only be made if everyone
survive. at the table is okay with it. Removing
the risk of death from combat can
Characters that are saved this way make it considerably less exciting.
cannot act again until the end of the
combat, and are at 1 Hit Point when
they revive.

Quick Initiative

In a battle with a lot of participants, Alternately, roll Initiative once, and
rolling Initiative for each person at the then let characters spend an Action on
start of each Round can slow down their turn in order to change their
gameplay. Initiative. If they do, they can reroll
their Initiative at the start of the next
If this is bogging down a game, Round.
consider rolling Initiative just once at
the start of combat.

Adjusting Starting Wealth

It is strongly encouraged that first time Poor: (Intelligence x4) x100 credits,
GMs use Dark Times’ recommended the formula listed in Starting Funds [p.
starting wealth for the PCs. The 78], is Dark Times’ recommended
game’s setting is supposed to feel starting wealth. With this, the average
desperate, resources are supposed to character gets about 500 credits, and
be tight, and the amount of money that a character that aggressively builds to
corporations can move casually from be as rich as possible might get close
account to account is supposed to feel to 12,000 credits. At this level, it’s
like it’s beyond the scope of almost tough to start with good gear, to buy
anything the PCs can imagine. If you additional Cybertech, or to have any
increase the PCs’ starting wealth, they Programs at the start. If a PC decides
can get better gear right from the to play a Full-Dive hacker at this level,
jump, the setting starts to feel a lot the GM may want to consider giving
less desperate, and credits lose some them a starter pack of three Programs.
of their power as a plot hook.
Middle Class: (Int x 4) x100 credits +
With that all in mind, not every group (Cha x 4) x500 credits will give you
wants to start their PCs in poverty. If characters that are noticeably richer.
you want to adjust your group’s The average PC now starts with 3000
starting wealth, you can, and here’s the credits, which lets them afford an
tools to do it. assault rifle and ammo, and maybe
even shell out for a few grenades, but

294

Being A GM

still keeps them very poor. At this kit, and that can buy their way out of
level, a rich character can start with low-level problems with gangs and
around 50,000 credits, which might let bureaucrats. The average PC now
them shell out for extra cybertech, a starts with around 10,000 credits, and
vehicle, or even a single piece of nano a character that is built to be as rich as
during character creation—although possible can get as wealthy as
they’re still restricted on what they can 160,000 starting credits, meaning
have by their Limit Points. Full-Dive luxury vehicles, a few pieces of
hackers can now afford a few nanotech, and a solid reserve of
Programs on their own and don’t need money can be carried into the first
any assistance from the GM, although game session.
the GM might hand out a single
Program if they’re feeling charitable. CEO level is not the intended game
experience, and the GM may need to
CEO: (Int x 4) x100 credits + (Cha x 8) make encounters more challenging to
x500 credits will give you characters provide CEO level PCs with sufficient
that are fully geared from the jump, threat.
that can shell out for some expensive

What A Typical Mission Pays

What a mission pays depends a lot of A mid-level fixer sending you into a
who’s asking you to complete it and very dangerous situation (mutants,
how much of a bind they’re in. Enhanced, automated defenses, etc)
might go as high as 35,000 credits
An average person stuck in a bad total for a job.
situation is likely not going to be able
to pay you in credits for your help, but A high-level fixer sending you into a
will almost certainly be willing to give situation where you are expected to
you a good meal, help you hide from die might promise as much as 50,000
the Peacekeepers, and use any of their credits total to be distributed among
trade skills (including medical care, whichever living beneficiaries you
cybertech installation, or security designate.
work) to make your life a little easier.
A heist that you plan and executive
A gang who hires you to tip the scales yourselves could bring in anywhere
in a minor turf war might shell out 400 from 800 credits to 80,000 credits,
credits per person for driving off their depending on the scale of the target.
competitors. Obviously, getting into the database at
Prometheus Medical’s head office will
A low-level fixer might offer 10,000 be worth more than emptying the
credits total for a job that requires you register at a Burger Bill’s, but you are
to plan, purchase your own gear, and also more likely to be destroyed in the
deal with hostile LECs. process.

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Being A GM

Negotiation can swing the payout for a mission can be done for no financial
job in either direction, and not all jobs reward. Driving off the Peacekeepers,
pay in credits. Use of facilities, shop protecting an old woman from the
discounts, crates of good gear, and Willowwood Murda Squad, or looking
other items or services are commonly after a stray cat isn’t usually going to
bartered around the corporate result in credits. However, if the GM
espionage community. However, when wants to explicitly encourage this kind
items or services are offered, the of good Samaritan behavior, they can
credits payout will generally be lower. give the PCs a few extra Experience
Points when they complete a mission
Finally, there are plenty of for no pay.
opportunities in Dark Times where a

Help, My PCs Are Getting Too Rich

If you run into this problem, remember While you can simply destroy hideouts
that your PCs have expenses. Those or vehicle or expensive gear until the
expenses might be supplies for jobs, PCs are poor again, it is not
they might be food and housing recommended that you run the game
related, or they might involve side this way. If the PCs think that you’re
projects or looking after NPCs that out to destroy their cool stuff, they’ll
your players care about. Either way, lose interest in acquiring more, and
your PCs’ expenses add up, and that in turn robs you of good plot
keeping track of them will keep your hooks and lowers group motivation.
PCs from making money quite as
quickly.

296

Scenario: Down And Dirty

Scenario: Down And Dirty

Premise

The problem with using criminals in entertainment: the Saturday Night
your gladiatorial arena is that, after the Gladiatorum.
first couple wildly successful seasons,
you start to run out of prisoners. And in order for them to stop him?

Titan Security has worked out a way to Well, it’s like the announcer says
fix this. All they need to do is take before each round of the bloodsport.
people into custody, accuse them of a
recent crime, and then sell them from They’ll have to get down and dirty.
their prisons to their Gladiatorum
before they can pay bail. It turns non-
wage-earners into profit, it makes
Titan look tough on crime, and it keeps
the people of the city entertained. It’s
the perfect business model, but for
one little hitch.

Bill Straton, a former Xander
Chemicals research chemist, lost his
wife to one of these raids. When she
died in the arena, he swore he would
make Titan pay.

And, unfortunately for everyone in the
city, he’s finally worked out a way to
do it.

In order for the PCs to catch him,
they’ll have to follow a series of leads
that takes them from the depths of the
sewers to the height of modern

Door to Door

In a tenement building where one of Titan Security “Peacekeepers” led by
the PCs either lives or where they’re Lieutenant Trevor Walker and
visiting on business, a group of 2d4 supported by Thunder and Lightning

297

Scenario: Down And Dirty

starts kicking in doors and dragging If the PC gets into a dust-up with the
people out of their apartments. They “Peacekeepers” during this scene, the
have gotten permission from the “Peacekeepers” tactics won’t change
owner of the building to do a door to significantly, but the PC (if they get
door inspection of the premises and away) will find themselves wanted for
inspect people for unregistered the two murders, in addition to being
abilities. They are looking for a “Gene wanted for assaulting an official Titan
Freak” (i.e. mutant) who is wanted for Security taskforce.
two sets of recent murders, but they
aren’t especially picky about who they If the PC gets overwhelmed and
take in. They’ll spare anyone who both knocked out, the “Peacekeepers” will
a) tests negative for illegal nanotech or take them into custody and bring them
Project Fire Virus modifications, and to the local facility. Meanwhile, the
b) narcs on someone they think might tenement locals will contact the other
test positive, but that’s the extent of PCs and tell them about what
their leniency. happened.

The task force knows that the No matter what happens in this scene,
community might band together, so if the people living in the tenement will
their initial search doesn’t pan out, ask the PCs for help. The safest thing
they will take eight people at semi- for them will be if the PCs find the
random, mostly women and children, murderer and deliver them to the
and say that they are taking them to “Peacekeepers”, since anything else
the local facility for processing and will stir up more trouble on the
deeper testing. However, if any of the doorstep of the tenement, but mostly
locals come forward with the they just want their family members
murderer, within 48 hours the taken back.
people will be released back to their
families.

Finding The “Gene Freak”

If any of the PCs have ties to the The PCs can find and confront Nails
mutants, or if they decide to look into simply by searching the sewers. He’ll
the “Gene Freak” angle, they’ll find that come to them.
the story on the street is that a mutant
with long, hideous claws was spotted If the PCs accuse him—or even sound
near the downtown Gladiatorum arena, like they’re accusing him—Nails will fly
where both batches of murders took off the handle. He won’t attack them
place. Digging deeper will connect unless they draw weapons or make a
those stories to a mutant named Nails, move towards him, but he’ll rant about
who lives in the sewers under how he’s always being accused of this
downtown. stuff, when really it was some

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Scenario: Down And Dirty

Enhanced and a gang of men in parking lot. He’ll describe the killers as
raincoats and then leave. gang members and one Enhanced.

If the PCs fight Nails, he’ll only stay for The gang members that Nails
1d4 Rounds, and then he’ll attempt to describes match the description of the
escape. If caught and interrogated, he Hazmat Killers. The Enhanced doesn’t
doesn’t know much about the motive sound like Rust, one of their
for the crimes, but he can describe lieutenants, but the killings do broadly
seeing one of the victims and her fit his M.O., and there aren’t a lot of
bodyguards get ripped apart in a other Enhanced that pal around with
the Killers.

A Visit From Molly

If any of the PCs have a connection to Gladiatorum exec, and her security
the local police department—that is, staff. They were slowly and
the surviving, unlicensed agency that methodically cut to pieces, and a
used to be known as the local witness that has since vanished had
police—the PCs will be sought out by described some guys in hoods and
Detective Molly Flannagan. Molly is masks with hazmat logos hanging
also working the “Gene Freak” around the parking lot where
murders case, although without the Chambers and her staff were later
resources of an LEC or Peacekeeper butchered.
chapter.
Molly can promise a small contracting
Molly can provide the following fee (500 credits) for assistance with
information on the killings. All of the the case, but she also warns the PCs
deceased from the first group are that her leads have been going cold
family members of Luke Barringer, a whenever Titan Security staff get close
producer for Saturday Night to them. She thinks Titan is interfering
Gladiatorum. They include his wife with the investigation, but she also
Marie, sixteen-year-old son Michael, knows she would be obliterated in the
and his fourteen-year-old daughter courts if she directly accused them of
Lucy. Some of the bodies were carved tampering, even if she had
up and had signs of a hard fight. overwhelming evidence. She’ll
Michael was melted by acid, an MO understand, of course, if the PCs don’t
that matches an Enhanced known as want to help, but there’s a good
Rust. Rust runs with a gang called the chance the “Peacekeepers” will just
Hazmat Killers and Molly believes they keep dragging people out of
are responsible for the crimes, not a tenements until the crimes are solved,
random mutant. and this puts everyone in the slums in
danger.
The second group of bodies consists
of Clare Chambers, a Saturday Night

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