Shadowforce Archer - Archer Foundation 4k4h4u

TM

“The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there.” — Anonymous

Writing Scott Gearin and Patrick Kapera

Brand Manager Patrick Kapera

Mechanics Lead Scott Gearin

Additional Assistance

Indexer

Eli Basquez, B.D. Flory

Patrick Kapera

Art Director

Creative Director

jim pinto

Mark Jelfo

Cover Art

Graphic Designer

Veronica V. Jones

Dave Agoston

Interior Art

Chief Executive Officer

Cris Dornaus, Zak Hennessey, Jonathan Hunt, Richard Pollard, Jason Walker, Paul H. Way

John Zinser

Chief of Operations Editors

Maureen Yates

Rob Vaux

Production Manager Mary Valles

Spycraft Created by Patrick Kapera and Kevin Wilson The Spycraft/Shadowforce The Spycraft/Shadowforce Archer Design Team is… Archer Story Team is… Sean Michael Fish, B.D. Flory, Chad Brunner, Shawn Carman, Steve Crow, B.D. Flory, Les Simpson, Steve Wallace

Scott Gearin

Playtesters Dale Adams, William Adley, Ed Alexanian, John Ballew, Jon Bancroft, Steve Barr, Clark Barrett, Matt Birdsall, William Buckley, Bryan Bullock, Cynthia Bullock, Simon Campey, Ryan Carman, Shawn Carman, Brian 'Toby' Carroll, Jim Carroll, Richard Carter, Richard Cattle, Joshua Cremosnik, Ryan Clark, Steve Crow, Christine D'Allaird, Tim D'Allaird, Rob Dake, Lance Day, Mike Drigants, Jay Dunkleburger, Jake Eddington, Tim Elkins, Steve Emmott, Doug Foster, Ron Gephart, Michael Grove, Mike Haggett, Jerry Ham, Paula Hershman, Phil Herthel, Steve Heubusch, Marshall Hitch, Nabil Homsi, Carl Hotchkiss, John Jensen, Darren Johnson, Kalai Kahana, Erick King, Paul Kleiman, Josh Light, Dave Lockman, Eric Machen, M. Leigh Martin, Iain McAllister, Matt McGowan, James Hunter McLamb, James Mherson, Shane Meeks, Clint Menzes, Ken Mills, David Molinar, Jose H. Molinar, J. David Moody, Matt Oliver, Sam Ortiz, Kent Peet, Felicia Peters, James Peters, Michael Petrovich, Bob Pfieffer, John Piziali, Anthony Rainwater, Ben Reid, Dan Reilly, Allen Riley, Rolando Rivero, Hector Rodriguez, Joseph Rutledge, Steven Rutledge, Patrick Rykwalder, Dave Salisbury, Jason Sato, Heath D. Scheiman, Matt Schenck, Bill Schwartz, Richard Shaffstall, Aaron Smalley, Aaron Smith, Mandy Smith, Marshall Smith, Sonya Smith, Catherine Spainhour, Rich Spainhour, John Stapeley, Alasdair Stuart, Adam Thomas, Omar Topete, David Trask, Sean Trevor, Matt Van Kirk, Randy Vaughn, Kris Wagner, James Walker, Sharon Walker, Wayne West, Stephen Wilcoxon, Shaun Witney, Jay Zicht

Special Thanks Patrick Kapera would like to thank Warren Ellis, who reinvented pulp storytelling and continues to challenge comic readers everywhere. Thank you, sir. May your life be filled with as much wonder as you have brought the world. Spycraft, Shadowforce Archer and all related marks are ™ and © 2002 Alderac Entertainment Group, Inc. All rights reserved. All characters, names, places, and text herein is copyrighted by AEG. Reproduction without AEG's written permission is expressly forbidden, except for the purpose of reviews and when permission to photocopy is clearly stated. Vitality points, wounds, Defense, and other rules from the Star Wars™ roleplaying game and other items not covered by the Open Gaming License used with permission from Wizards of the Coast. The mention of or reference to any company or product in this book is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned. This book uses governments, intelligence agencies, and political figures as settings, characters, and themes. All such uses are intended for entertainment purposes only.

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Table of Contents History Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

New Physical Psion Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 New Physical Psion Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 New telepathic Psion Feats . . . . . . . . . . . 63 New Telepathic Psion Skills . . . . . . . . . . 63 New Gadgets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 The Other Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Chapter 1: Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 World Held Hostage, Part One . . . . . . 11 State of the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 World Held Hostage, Part Two . . . . . . 13 In The News Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

The The The The

Unquiet Dead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Fringe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Spirit Realm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Nature of Being . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Fringe Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Fringe Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Spirit Bridges: The Source of Mystic Power . . . . . . 71 Random Spirit Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Creating a Lingering Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Summoning Spirits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Fringe Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 NPC Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 NPC Class Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 NPC Class Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 The Academic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 The Femme Fatale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 The Mercenary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 The Mysterious Stranger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 The Operative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 The Paper Pusher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 The Police Official . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 The Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 The Psi Trainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 The Raider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Assassination in Tokyo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Excavation Controversy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Below the Fold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Aquatica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Black Falls, OK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 The Fine Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Truth of the Matter: World Held Hostage . . . . . . . 15 Truth of the Matter: Assassination in Tokyo . . . . . 18 Truth of the Matter: Excavation Controversy . . . . 19 Truth of the Matter: Aquatica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Truth of the Matter: Black Falls, OK . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Chapter 2: Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Tackling Missions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Style and Demeanor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Mission Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Keeping the Secret . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Mission Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Allied Agencies and their Perks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Local Shadow Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 The Rest of the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Front Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Foundation Information Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Enemies of the Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . 40 The Architects of the Fringe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 The Cult of the Ten Suns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 The Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Other Enemies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Straight Arrow Pest Control . . . . . . . 43 Front Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Method of Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Known Straight Arrow Operatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Tools of the Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Current Plotlines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Chapter 3: New Rules

Chapter 4: Chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Shadow History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Before the Pact The Foundation The Foundation The Foundation The Foundation The Foundation The Foundation

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 in the 1950s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 in the 1960s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 in the 1970s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 in the 1980s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 in the 1990s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 “The Castle” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Who We Are . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Chamber Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 New Feature NPCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Algernon, Dr. Lothario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Cruz, Delicea L. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Valetine, Ace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 New Threats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 The Architects of the Fringe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Club Demetrian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 The Cult of the Ten Suns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Villain X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Hook Sheet: The Memo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Hook Sheet: Tokyo Pile-Up . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Aquatica Encounter Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Canberra Chase Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Aquatica Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Canberra Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Open Gaming License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Open Gaming Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 New Departments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Damage Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Office of Psion Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Training Corps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Base Class: The Sleuth . . . . . . . . . New Prestige Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Field Analyst . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Fringewalker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Hyper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Maxim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Basic Psion Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Mental Psion Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Mental Psion Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

46 46 46 47 49 49 50 52 54 55 57 59 59 59

3

Archer Foundation and unusual size loomed, caked over with decades of dust. Only the center accessways between the towering stacks remained partially free of dust, a thin trail left behind by tire marks and footfalls. “How often do people come here?” Garringer asked, allowing the enormity of the place to sink in. “Often enough,” Parallel answered, stepping into the room behind him. “Are we safe?” Parallel smiled again, stepping past Garringer and into the vastness of the central storage room. “This way, Garringer. You have a job to do…” Garringer fell in line behind the tall, lanky gentleman, noticing now for the first time how he walked — not with the anxious stride of a professional or the submissiveness of the masses, but with a simple, pleasant gait, more accustomed to absorbing his surroundings than moving past them. Garringer had seen the step before, in old film serials. He didn’t have much longer to think about it, as Parallel turned into a narrow alley between the stacks and down through a staircase past a gigantic mechanical computer partially covered with a thick green tarp. The insignia on the tarp was American, but the machine parts were engraved with a serial code Garringer had only seen in books about early British codebreaking equipment. What is this place? he thought to himself, trying to ignore the nausea rising in the pit of his stomach. Who collects such… Garringer’s thought was cut short as he followed Parallel down a spiral staircase into another level of the storehouse, where ten-foot tall bookshelves spanned out as far as he could see in all directions. The room was dark save for compact light fixtures built into the sides of each set of shelves, and upon tables and display cases dotting the chamber, breaking up its otherwise uniform immensity. Garringer could only stand and gawk at the library’s magnitude, a low whistle piercing his lips. “What… What is this place?” Parallel, never missing a step, continued to the floor of the library and into the hallways between the stacks. “A repository for lost knowledge,” he said flatly, as if they were taking a simple stroll through the park. “A place where myth comes to die.” Garringer nodded, still acutely unsure what he’d gotten himself into, and followed Parallel to a lit display case containing three simple volumes laid upon plush blue satin. Each was closed and locked with a complex steel clasp, added after the fact, and looked to be badly aged, battered and stained by fire and worse. “Is this what I came here for?” Garringer asked, studying the volumes. “Indeed,” Parallel answered.

H ISTORY LESSONS The seal along the storeroom’s outer door cracked with a slow, grinding exhale, as fetid air escaped the long-abandoned chamber. The hair on Garringer’s arm stood on end and he felt an odd tug, deep in his gut, like something drawing him into the room beyond — or warning him away. “Wait,” Parallel said through the subcochlear channel as Garringer stepped into the threshold, his hand firmly gripping the young man’s arm. “The physical seal is merely a lure.” “What?” Garringer asked, confused. “There is more here than we can see with the naked eye,” Parallel responded, waving his hand across the doorway. Beneath his palm, a pattern emerged, spread across the door as lines of burning ash, smoldering in mid-air. “This place is protected by fringe wards.” “Fringe what?” Garringer was beginning to think that Parallel’s offer hadn’t been lucrative enough. “Anything, and anyone, which steps through this door without the proper preparations,” Parallel said, drawing a pouch from his jacket pocket, “is history.” Garringer found the wry smile spreading across Parallel’s face most unnerving, and not a little infuriating. The man’s supreme confidence only made him less appealing, and Garringer wondered how he’d ever secured such a high-standing position at the Foundation in the first place. “So what do we do?” Garringer asked, suddenly very aware that he hadn’t uttered anything but questions for some time now. “A moment,” Parallel said, withdrawing a small animal skull and closing his fingers around it. He worked the fist for a few moments and a few grains of light grey dust fell between his knuckles. Then he threw the remains of the skull — now ground into a fine powder — over the pattern. The dust settled onto the smoldering ash and clung to it, smothering the hellish fire. Moments later, the effect spread across the rest of the pattern, until all the fiery life was sucked out of it, leaving only a dull grey web. Parallel was smiling brilliantly now, his eyes fixed and dilated. His breathing was ragged and his chest rose and fell quickly, as if he were out of breath from a long run. He looked to Garringer as a wolf studies its prey, then suddenly kicked out toward the web, shattering it apart. “After you,” he growled, waving an arm in the doorway’s direction. Garringer stepped into the doorway and winced as the fluorescent lights above flickered to life. All around him, crates and tarp-covered objects of immense

4

History Lessons “I… I need to touch them.” Parallel’s hand whipped out and shattered the circular plate of glass above the books, sending glass shards flying in every direction. “Proceed,” he said. Garringer removed his gloves, revealing long, slender fingers, which he flexed instinctually. Then, forcing the lingering doubts and anxious wonder down he reached out and placed them upon the first leathery tome…

Book One: The Novel Upon hearing Allouise’s light footfalls outside the study door, Raymond Archer closed the novel and placed it upon the low table beside his reading chair. The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton. A grand and prophetic vision, old man, Raymond granted as he waited for the familiar knock at his study door. It came only a few seconds later, gentle and non-invasive, followed by a tall and distinguished man in a stark white suit who walked with an unusual steel cane, though he suffered from no apparent injury. “Two!” Raymond called, lifting himself from the chair to greet his protegé. “May I take your cane?” Allouise reached for the visitor’s crutch but was immediately rebuffed. “You may take my coat,” Two dictated, almost without consideration. Allouise accepted his heavy trenchcoat, which was wrinkled and aged in sharp contrast to the rest of his attire, and shrank away. Two waited for the maid to exit the room before speaking again. His voice remained stern, but gained a subtle humility reserved for respected mentors and close friends. “Hello, Raymond.” “I’m sorry to summon you on such short notice,” Raymond said, pouring himself a quarter snifter of brandy. “But the matter is rather pressing. You see,” he said, lifting the glass, “I’m retiring.” Garringer didn’t realize until then that he was mouthing Raymond Archer’s words. That didn’t always happen when he tapped into his psychometric senses. Most of the time, he just saw a random image linked to the object he was touching. Sometimes, he received even less information. “What do you see?” Parallel repeated for the third time, urging Garringer back to the present. “Is anyone about?”

5

Archer Foundation “N… no, no one,” Garringer responded, momentarily stunned by the sudden break in his concentration. “Could you please refrain from asking me questions when I’m sensing? It’s most distracting…” “We have very little time,” Parallel growled, “and none of it to spend on comfort. The second book. Touch the second book.” The sinking feeling that Parallel was courting danger returned to Garringer. But at least if I comply, he thought, we might get out of this creepy warehouse a little sooner. Garringer reached out for the second book…

“The ghost ship,” Roosevelt muttered quietly, catching Stalin’s attention. Then, spotting the Russian’s confusion, he added, “It had no crew.” “No crew?” Stalin was incredulous. “Completely automated,” Churchill finished, shooting a glance of warning to the American President. “One of our captains bested it and they dragged it to port, but we weren’t able to repair it. Whatever the Germans had built into it was beyond us. In any case, Cherwell surmised that this ‘Vodyanoi’ Hess was gibbering about was the same boat, so he asked him to describe it.” “He was correct?” Stalin asked. “Down to the last rivet,” Churchill said. “Needless to say this lent some credibility to his otherwise preposterous claims.” Stalin nodded quietly, the revelations finally sinking in. “Hess led us to Kiel, where the real treasures were kept.” “Like what?” Stalin interjected. “All in good time, my good man,” Churchill onished him. “Before we air much more of Hitler’s dirty laundry, I think you should meet someone.” “Who?” Stalin asked. Churchill wore the smile of a proud father. “Britain’s secret weapon,” he answered. “What do you see?” Parallel repeated, drawing Garringer’s attention again. “Sir,” Garringer exhaled, fed up with Parallel’s continued disregard for the limits of his abilities. “I told you, I can’t sense if you continue to interrupt…”

Book Two: The Diary Thick, weathered fingers pulled open the journal and scrawled another line at the top of a new page as the informant quietly stepped away. The words were quick and simple, a note to return and elaborate later, and a vision of coming storms in the West. Peril in Russia. Stalin — friend or foe? Winston Churchill closed the journal moments before the others arrived — Roosevelt and Stalin — with their personal military attachés. The private talks, away from the press and the public, continued. “You were speaking of Peenemünde,” Stalin reminded, pulling a cigar from his breast pocket and punching a hole in the end with a pencil. “Ah, yes,” Churchill said, “the V-2 rocket. We were warned of that design by Hess when we visited him in prison.” “Rudolf Hess?” Roosevelt asked from his wheelchair. “I was wondering what you did with that lunatic. Only a man would leave Hitler’s inner circle and parachute into Scotland to talk Britain into surrender.” “He has been quite safe, I assure you,” Churchill smiled knowingly. “British hospitality never wavers, even to the incurably demented. Regardless, Peenemünde was never our primary target. We thought the Germans might be correct when they claimed Hess was mad. He arrived speaking of ‘demons in Europe’ and ‘the Devil sitting at Hitler’s right hand.’ As it turned out, some of his ravings struck closer to the mark than we ever could have conceived.” Stalin arched an eyebrow, suddenly quite interested. “How did you know?” he asked, the cigar clenched firmly between his teeth. Churchill was reticent to tip too much of his hand to the Russians, but in the interest of keeping the peace — for the time being, at least — he continued. “Lord Cherwell and the men at the Dream Suite made the connection. Hess kept raving about something called the ‘Vodyanoi.’ He said the Germans had released it, and that we’d captured it. Cherwell rightfully took this to be a U-boat the Royal Marines sunk off the northern coast in ’40.”

“Who’s that?” Churchill raised his voice suddenly. “Who’s there?” Garringer’s blood ran cold. The British Prime Minister was staring directly at him. “What? Are you speaking to… me?” Parallel continued his questions unabated. “Of course I’m speaking to you, Garringer. Now what do you see? Is anyone about? An experiment, perha…” “Shut up, man!” Garringer spat toward Parallel, still focusing his attention on the scene playing back in his mind. Whose body am I sensing through? he wondered. He looked at his hands and found long, slender fingers. His fingers. This was nothing Garringer had ever experienced before. This was new. And it scared him to the very core of his being. Churchill’s glare remained fixed on Garringer. “Who the bloody hell are you?” He pushed into the crowd of startled attachés to stand immediately before him. “A spy? Why are you here? Who sent you? How did you get in here?”

6

History Lessons Garringer’s reply caught in his throat and formed a hard ball of fear. How could this be happening? His mind raced. I can’t interact with them. This is history. It’s immutable. You’re not interacting with them, a voice ripped through Garringer’s mind. They’re interacting with you. What? Garringer mentally asked, still trying to catch up. Parallel? You can read my thoughts? And send my own, Parallel answered. Now listen to me, very carefully. You have to pull away. You have to let go of the book. Garringer tried to lift his hand away from the diary but found he couldn’t move his arms. Trying to shift his weight, he found that he couldn’t move at all. I can’t, he thought. I’m paralyzed. No you’re not, Parallel said. It’s just your mind racing to get away. The effect causes your muscles to freeze for a moment. Try to calm down, and your grip will loosen… Garringer closed his eyes and focused, through Churchill’s flurry of questions… Don’t worry, Parallel assured him, they can’t hurt you. …past Parallel’s own voice, which faded away into the background. He forced everything away from him, out beyond his comfort zone, so that he could relax, and then turned his attention to his breathing, until it slowed and leveled off. Soon, he was back in the shallow end of his conscious mind, his confidence and courage rising.

“Why keep the novel?” Garringer asked, observing the first book, the Chesterton adventure. “I understand the diary. I mean, a living history. It’s a marvelous acquisition! But the novel — without my psychometric powers, it’s just a book. You could purchase it anywhere in the world.” “Nostalgia,” Parallel answered, amused. “It was Raymond Archer’s favorite book.” Garringer smiled, reaching for the third volume. “So what am I looking for? Or rather, who?” He lifted the book, and found the letters on its cover to be written in a strange language he’d never seen before. “Travelers, long lost…”

Book Three: The Fringe Garringer had the sudden and sharp feeling that the world was being pulled away from him, as if everything around him had suddenly and violently shifted several

The SFA Interactive Campaign As introduced in the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook and on the official website (www.shadowforcearcher.com), this game line hosts an interactive campaign that places you in charge of the action, determining both the backstory and outcome of events during play. Getting involved in the SFA Interactive campaign is easy and never interrupts the flow of your game. All you have to do to this remarkable RPG experience is include plot hooks featured throughout any Shadowforce Archer release in your game and/or the current episode (found at the website), a complete serial including all the plot, stats, maps, and details for an exciting evening of play. Run the episode and any number of plot hooks, then report back to us through the website about what happened at your table and we’ll fold the results into the next release (in this case, the Hand of Glory, due in Fall 2002, when a new Episode and more plot hooks will be made available. Plot hooks are found throughout this and most Shadowforce Archer products, though the majority are contained in the Campaign chapter (see page 11), which updates the setting and tracks results from former releases. This book doesn’t include any results, as it’s only the second Episode and much from the Worldbook hasn’t been determined yet. This makes it an excellent time to dive in without the need to ‘catch up’ with the rest of the players. Visit the official Shadowforce Archer website to learn more about this innovative massive multi-player RPG, and dive into the action!

The next moment, Garringer’s senses returned to the hidden library, and his fingers lifted and recoiled from the diary lying upon the blue satin. “What happened?” “You walked the Fringe,” Parallel said flatly. “For a moment, you were part of history.” “But… how?” Garringer reeled. “There is no short explanation…” Parallel began. “That’s unacceptable!” Garringer’s voice rose. “You’re telling me I went back in time?” “No, of course not,” Parallel scoffed. “Time travel is impossible.” “Then what happened?” “For a moment, you were part of a living history, created by Churchill when he wrote down his experiences. You were living his memories.” Despite his own illustrious ventures into the world of the fantastic, Garringer found himself stunned. “Churchill was a mystic?” “An accomplished one,” Parallel added. “One of the most powerful during the Second World War.” “Amazing…” “The world is stranger than we give it credit for, Garringer. Are you ready to sense the third book?” “In a moment. Why the novel?” “What?”

7

Archer Foundation feet, but when he looked up from the third book he found the library unchanged. Everything except Parallel, whose form was insubstantial, transparent. “I can see through you,” Garringer said to him, not sure if he was speaking physically or just saying the words in his head. Excellent, Parallel pressed into Garringer’s mind, his smile replaced by a fierce look of determination, of mad drive. “I don’t understand,” Garringer stammered, glancing around the library. You’ve found them. “Who?” Parallel merely smiled at Garringer’s question, his gaze fixed on their surroundings. The icy sense of dread returned to the pit of Garringer’s stomach once more and he pulled his hand away from the third book. Whatever Parallel was planning, he wasn’t going to be a party to it.

Yet nothing changed. Parallel was still insubstantial and Garringer’s feeling that he was somehow “out of sync” with the library remained. He balled his fingers into a tight fist, fighting a sudden sense of vertigo. “Escaping the Fringe is never easy,” Parallel said, lifting the third book from the blue satin and unlocking it. “It requires incredible stamina and concentration, neither of which are among your strong suits.” The book rose slowly from Parallel’s hand and hovered for a moment over his palm, then started to smolder, then burn. A few seconds into the process, Parallel’s pupils ruptured and bled into the whites of his eyes, the tell-tale sign of a psion. Garringer lunged for the book, somehow knowing it was his only way back to the library, to the real world, but midway toward the pyrokinetic he felt something thin and sharp dig into his ribs beneath the right armpit. He lost his balance, thrown off by the momentum of the weapon he’d been struck with, and slid off course, coming to rest on his good side. Reaching back to the wound, he discovered a thin throwing knife, its blade glistening with an odd smoke-grey hue clearly visible through his blood. A moment later, the dagger shivered then dissolved, like gunmetal mercury between his fingers. The liquid seared his skin, leaving trails of withered, lifeless flesh where it ed. Where it pooled, nothing was left but singed bone scoured free of gristle. Garringer’s screams echoed through the library but he wasn’t sure anyone could hear them. He fell to his knees as figures approached — substantial figures wrapped in heavy cloaks with the hoods pulled low over their faces. They stalked toward him silently, moving as part of the environment as much as through it. In their hands they carried daggers similar to the one he’d pulled from his ribs. Garringer couldn’t see Parallel anymore — just the mirror-library that the book (or his power — which was it?) had delivered him into. He was alone with the figures, which he could only assume were there to kill him, or worse. He searched for a way out, a hole in their closing circle around him or a weaker or smaller opponent. But all he found were dark hoods and gleaming, smoke-colored knives… The last remnants of the book’s cover and spine curled and crisped in the dancing flame hovering over Parallel’s palm. He brought his hands together and ground the now-brittle volume into a thousand fluttering flakes of ash. He dusted his hands and pulled out a kerchief from his lapel, making sure to get the grime beneath his nails and in the crevices between his fingers. “As methodical as ever, I see,” a raspy metallic voice came through the stacks, accompanied by the squeaking of tiny iron wheels under incredible weight.

The Outer Limits In this Chamber Book, we explore the outermost reaches of the Shadowforce Archer setting — including the mystic regions of the Fringe. Some of you may be asking what any of this has to do with a spy game. The answer is two-fold. First, Shadowforce Archer is not your everyday espionage setting. It’s filled with extreme examples of what can be done with the Spycraft base rules set, from chemical monsters to psionics to mystic relics and invocations. These elements set Shadowforce Archer apart from the herd, elevating it to true comicbook heights and offering players a chance to take on the role of much larger than life heroes. Second, much of the material presented in this book — especially the Fringe and the Architects — are our outer boundaries for the setting, the material set farthest away from conventional espionage, that you’ll see in the Shadowforce Archer world setting. We wanted to present this material up front so everyone’s on the same page. Now that we have our boundaries, we can safely work within them without misunderstanding or misrepresentation. Hopefully, you’ll find the Fringe to your liking. If not, don’t panic! Many other flavors of Shadowforce Archer action are on the way in future Chamber and Threat Books, and we’ll show you how to mix and match between them in our adventures and Season books (feature-length campaigns) as well.

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History Lessons Parallel twirled around with the drama of a stage actor, his arms wide in greeting. “Father!” Two burly men labored to wheel in an enormous iron cylinder — an artificial lung — within which the skeletal, corpse-like remains of a man were suspended in pale green fluid. His features were cut deeply from decades of age and his skin and eyes were ravaged by disease, but the similarity was clear: Parallel was his double. “The book is destroyed,” Parallel confirmed. “Good,” the metallic voice answered from the tall iron cylinder, “though it is only a temporary solution. The remainder of the original explorers’ journals have yet to be discovered. Until they are…” “The Architects are in mortal danger,” Parallel finished, only a hint of disrespect in his voice. “Not to worry, Doctor. We’ll find them. We found this one.” “Blind luck,” the Doctor warned him. “And it cost us a specialist. How long before the Foundation discovers your little ‘pocket enterprise’?” “Doctor…” Parallel onished. “We are invisible to them. How can they hunt what they cannot find?” A few moments out of phase, Garringer’s blood-soaked cries echoed futilely towards those in the library as he was dragged away, deeper into the Fringe… For the next chapter in the exciting Shadow-force Archer saga, pick up The Hand of Glory Threat Book, on sale soon! And don’t forget to visit the official website at www.shadowforcearcher.com!

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Archer Foundation new) world, one among them — Dr. Lothario Algernon, the ‘Lord of Superstition’ — has dedicated himself to unraveling its secrets. With the assistance of a littleknown (and less respected) group of visionary adventurers and explorers of the weird called Division Nihil, or ‘the fringewalkers’, Dr. Algernon studies the world’s incredible shadow history, and roots out threats both paranormal and inexplicable. This group is described in detail here, as is a new threat from within the Fringe itself — a power-mad organization of militant occultists called the “Architects”. Chapter One: Campaign updates the Shadowforce Archer setting, moving the timeline forward and merging threads first seen in the core release with new events that have happened since. Mission hooks are provided for most new and lingering story elements, ready to be dropped into any campaign. These mission hooks also represent half of SFA Interactive Episode #2 (see below). Chapter Two: Agent contains everything you need to play an operative of the Archer Foundation, including the roles you may take, the tools at your disposal, and the foes Control is likely to send you up against. New details about the espionage arena in Australia and the world are also included. Chapter Three: New Rules offers three new departments, one new base class (the sleuth), several new prestige classes — including the Lord, fringewalker, and field analyst, and one for each psion family, many new psion feats and skills, new gadgets, and an introduction to the Fringe, its core mechanics, and many Fringe feats for agents sensitive or familiar with the unseen mystic world. The rules for NPC classes are also introduced, as well as ten original NPC classes for use in either Spycraft or Shadowforce Archer. Chapter Four: Chamber contains advanced information about the Foundation itself, from its operations to the people in charge. This chapter offers new details about Shadowforce Archer’s secret “shadow history,” a encounter map for the Foundation’s ocean-floor base Aquatica, a chase map of the exotic city of Canberra, four new feature NPCs, and two springboards for new missions (called “hook sheets”), as well as four new threats (the Architects of the Fringe, The Cult of the Ten Suns, Club Demetrian, and a new mastermind created by the Shop) and instructions for using all the material herein to create any one of several epic seasons of play.

INTRODUCTION The Archer Foundation’s mission is to ensure global peace and security, whether the world wants it or not. The Foundation is the wellspring and guiding force for the rest of the protectorate-conspiracy presented in the Shadowforce Archer setting, and the command center for all their operations. Yet outside the halls of its Canberra front organization (the Archer Institute for Science) and the vast subterranean complex hidden beneath it, little is known about this shadowy conclave of ambitious scientists political theorists, and cautious bureaucrats. They are a mystery — even to the other Chambers. This book lifts the veil from the Archer Foundation, presenting nearly a hundred years of triumph and folly, victory and regret, all stemming from the life-dream of the world’s first physical adept, Conrad Archer. How did the Foundation grow into the multinational spy organization it is today? How have they kept the world from discovering their operations? Who are the mysterious Lords and what are their intentions for the world? What mistakes have they made, and what have they cost us? The answers to all of these questions await you herein. This book also introduces a new facet of the Shadowforce Archer world setting — the Fringe, a mystic place where the power of faith and obsession are real and anything can happen. The Fringe is the border between our world and the places beyond, and is typically invisible to us. But those whose dreams are real enough, whose desires are strong enough, whose beliefs are true enough, often find themselves slipping away into the Fringe. Sometimes, this is voluntary (many seek the Fringe for power or escape); others find themselves trapped there, prisoners of their own frail egos or warped imaginations. Think of the Fringe as the Twilight Zone or the Planetary of the Shadowforce Archer world setting. It’s the origin of all things mystic and unusual (rituals, artifacts, weird events, and the like). It allows GCs to tell stories that would otherwise be unavailable to them, and adds a hint of mystery, suspense, or fantasy to the standard spy genre. Elements of the Archer Foundation have known of the Fringe for some time, and though the ruling Lords lay very little credence in this strange (and seemingly

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July 5, 2002

G LO BA L U P H E AVA L WORLD HELD HOSTAGE!

Jordan Mitchell -Staff Writer The state of the free world changed today as a terrorist organization calling itself “Technology for Tomorrow” seemingly seized control of the world’s internet computer network, threatening to create an information blackout in eight major population and industrial centers around the world unless the associate governments agreed to their demands. Citizens of Beijing, Canberra, Geneva, Jerusalem, Johannesburg, London, Moscow, and Washington D.C. awoke to warnings not to leave their homes and military and local law enforcement barricades around key civic location. Television, cable, and radio stations broadcast the terrorists’ demands, which follow. “People of the world, we live in an age of wonders. We can send probes out of the galaxy, create elaborate effect-laden films with home computers, and live solitary lives of unprecedented luxury. We don’t need to venture out into the world anymore; we can simply close ourselves off from the ailments of others and focus on our own happiness. But these indulgences come with a price. We no longer expect our leaders to improve the world, merely perpetuate it. They have taken advantage of this fact, and are withholding remarkable advancements decades ahead of our current cutting edge — medical breakthroughs that can save lives, more effective methods for energy and food production, and new ways to make and use plastics. All these developments exist, and are being kept from us. Technology for Tomorrow vows to bring these developments to the pubic, and has lobbied for the world leaders to do so for years. “But the governments who protect these secret advancements refuse to hear our docile pleas. Therefore, we have taken drastic measures. We have infiltrated the global information exchange with a powerful virus capable of wresting control of any computer currently linked to the internet. Further, we have targeted eight cities around the world, each a hub for technology or transport in its home territory. Should the governments of the world not comply with our demand to release critical advancements for public use within the

next six hours, we will disrupt all electronic communications within these cities and begin erasing data from all computers located within their borders. “As proof of our claims, we offer you the U.S.S. Millennium, a prototype American deep sea military vessel. This submarine is revolutionary in that it is in constant electronic with the U.S. military networks, presumably one of the most secure databases in the world. The Millennium is currently bound for the southeastern U.S. It should arrive within the hour.” This announcement was followed by a brief list of the cities at risk, and the method by which the technologies requested should be released. Skeptics immediately pounced on the announcement as a fraud but one half hour later, the Millennium suddenly ran aground on the shores of Alice Town, 50 miles east off the Florida coast. Prior radio transmissions to the submarine were not answered, and military HAZ-MAT and recovery teams were sent to the scene to evaluate the cause of the collision and search for survivors. It was soon discovered that the submarine’s onboard computers had been entirely wiped of all data, effectively rendering it blind in the water. Rather than risk hitting another vessel in the crowded area, the crew brought the Millennium to the surface and ran for the nearest shoreline. The vessel came ashore several miles away from the nearest population center and no one was injured. All crew were immediately evacuated and the scene quarantined until the cause of the submarine’s computer failure could be established.

Public outcry was immediate, with parallels drawn between the terrorist group's methods and the infamous “Millennium bug,” thought to have been overcome a year and a half before. World governments and leaders in the electronic information trade immediately re-leased formal responses, ranging from serious consideration to incredulity to outright rage. Summits were scheduled between the affected nations, and talks convened almost immediately with the aid of the United Nations, but little progress toward an agreement was made before the short deadline offered by the terrorists. The nations involved, many of which have long-standing religious or political grievances with one another, found themselves suddenly forced into tense negotiations with all parties holding the others responsible for withholding information that prompted the terrorist action. In an effort to counter the potential terrorist attacks, the leading controllers of internet traffic worked together to isolate the hubs for electronic traffic in the targeted areas. “There are still quite a few isolated satellite systems which aren’t linked to us,” Utopia Designs Head of Development Aesop Kaine said, “but we’re fairly certain that none of those can threaten information security or public safety as broadly as the central hubs.” Kaine gave the Utopia Design team’s actions a 90% chance of countering the terrorist plan. (See WORLD HELD HOSTAGE, page 13, for more.)

In Other News Today… •

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•

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Radicals attack Archer Institute for the Sciences in Canberra, Australia. — See world, page 16 Assassination in Tokyo sparks gang war. — See world, page 13 Controversy over potential excavation site in England. — See culture, page 14 Villain of new Katt Wilde feature revealed. — See entertainment, page 13

Archer Foundation The Campaign chapter of this sourcebook is broken into three sections. The first is a core event that this sourcebook revolves around or which is most important to the setting at the moment. In this case, the core event is the terrorist attack upon eight cities by a group called Technology for Tomorrow. As you’ll see starting on page 15, however, much of the real news about this event is kept from the papers, perhaps known only to the Archer Foundation and their allies. The second section of this chapter — “In the News” — describes events which are in the headlines, but take a back seat to the main event of the moment. Finally, the third section — “Below the Fold” — describes events which agents of the Archer Conspiracy may become embroiled in, but which have not yet garnered mass attention. Each event is described in these sections as a brief news story or blurb, relating what the world knows about it. In the fourth section of this chapter — “The Fine Print” — we present what’s really going on behind the scenes, and introduce plot hooks that offer potential outcomes and causes for each story (which GCs and players may in turn report about on the Shadowforce Archer website). These plot hooks are ready to be dropped into any game, and should not be read by players likely to be sent on the missions described.

S TATE OF THE WORLD This chapter brings the Shadowforce Archer setting current to July 2002, and introduces most of the plot threads featured in Episode #2 of the SFA Interactive storyline (see page 7 and the official website for more). Each event listed herein is accompanied by several possible causes, outcomes, or other variables, each of which puts a new spin on the plot thread. By incorporating these events into your campaigns and reporting the results of your group’s actions (or just your preferences), you can affect the ongoing storyline and change the direction of future sourcebooks and web material. With each release, a submissions page for the book in question can be found on the website. Simply identify yourself by codename (you can sign up for one on-site), and click on your preferences to send us your results and votes. The outcome of each sourcebook’s events will be worked into a future sourcebook as described on the polling webpage. Of course, you can ignore the metagame and simply plug the plot hooks into your games in the traditional manner. We’ve designed the books to fully this option as well, with no space wasted on material useful to only one style of play.

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Campaign The digital invasion, coupled with the appearance of the unidentified terrorist, have sparked a media frenzy, as people around the world speculate about the new global threat that Technology for Tomorrow represents. The Informer, a popular network news program typically devoted to exposés of tawdry love affairs between daytime TV actors and liposuction horror stories, has latched onto these events as their cover story of the week, and are calling the terrorist leader “Villain X,” a name that seems to be catching on with the public. The events of this morning have also sparked fierce controversy and urged many vocal proponents of stronger anti-terrorist defenses to speak out. “We can’t remain at the mercy of anyone with a computer,” said Jeff Barnes, CEO of GlobalTech, one of the world’s leading technological contractors. “It’s time we took a stand against these insurrectionists. Without stronger defenses against them and harsher punishments for their crimes, and yes, military of these efforts, we are all but handing the reins over to them. It is time to act… now.” Elias Graham, founder of the Mozambique-based Janus Committee, responded with, “It is my firm belief that, despite the actions of the select few radicals who have made the front page of the newspapers, people are fundamentally well-intentioned. They seek to bridge their views without threat of violence or destruction. This can only be maintained in a society free of political and military restraints. The kind of world that Mr. Barnes proposes is tantamount to an Orwellian nightmare in which the rights of the people are replaced by the presumed needs of the state. This is a worst-case scenario that we can’t afford. It would unravel decades of hard-won liberty.”

W ORLD H ELD HOSTAGE (continued from the front page) Kaine went on to say, “But of course, we can’t for any redundant systems or other contingencies they might be using. For all we know, they could have traitors on site to fulfill their threat.” Live internet communications went down in each of the eight cities at 11:01 a.m. this morning, and for the next hour, the world sat still, waiting for the stalemate to end. Computer-operated facilities in each city were shut down, including in many cases local power, phone service, and water distribution. Citizens were asked to remain indoors during this period, but reports of miscreants taking advantage of the blackout filtered out of local news services, many accompanied by shocking footage of riots and open violence. By 12 p.m., nothing had come from the international summits and none of the world governments had offered up any remarkable discoveries. Emergency procedures were promised, in case the terrorists’ threats were indeed real. But the deadline came and went, and nothing happened. No computers were ruined, no data was lost, and — except for sporadic rioting and near-violent civil demonstrations in the target cities — the world continued as normal. At 12:12 p.m., electronic communication was restored in each of the eight cities and we learned the reason why. In a digitally recorded press release, U.N. Representative Simon Yearling said, “By the courage of our finest soldiers and the grace of God, we have averted a grave tragedy this day. At 11:37 a.m. this morning, a small multi-national military strike force discovered the location of the Technology for Tomorrow headquarters and, after a quick and efficient insertion, eliminated the terrorist cell.” At this point the broadcast, which was being transmitted to nearly every major news in the world, was interrupted. The image of an enormous armored figure appeared on our screens and offered the following enigmatic statement: “You are victorious this day, but the fight to bring our world into a new age of technological revolution is far from over. I am the next step in our evolution. Soon, all of you will follow me.” The image cut out and returned us to the tail end of Simon Yearling’s announcement, still in progress. An investigation into the event has been launched by the U.N., and early findings reveal that the signal may have been electronically altered by an outside group moments before being ed, though according to Simon Yearling, “Such an invasion of our system would require unprecedented skill and resources.”

ITNODAY THE N EWS … The following events and plotlines have come to the attention of the public in one way or another, making their successful resolution all the more critical to the Archer Foundation. Of course, given the Foundation’s policy of keeping its operations behind the scenes, the public nature of these stories also lends itself to more intrigue, and perhaps more danger as well…

Assassination in Tokyo Murder roamed the streets of Tokyo three days ago as Connie Tokajiro, sister of known Yakuza boss, Tokajiro Musashi, was killed beneath the enormous video screen at Studio Alta in the Shinjuku district. The cause of death, it appears, is a single .50 caliber round to the head, shot from a location facing her. Further details have not yet been released to the public.

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Archer Foundation The suspect for this crime is a woman reported to have been approaching Tokajiro when she was shot. The suspect is described as being in her late 20s, 5´7˝ or 5´8˝, 125 lbs, with black hair and eyes. According to witnesses, she was wearing a dark blue sports bodysuit at the time of the murder. Following the shooting, the suspect fled the scene, vanishing through the Marunouchi subway entrance and west along the underground Metro Promenade to the Shinjuku train station. Police attempted to herd her into a local security post, but were unsuccessful. “We think she crossed the square and entered ‘My City’, then surfaced again,” Police Captain Nuyen Sato stated. “The trains were too busy to easily board.” The Shinjuku train station is the largest and busiest in Japan, servicing more than two million commuters daily. engers must often be physically forced onto trains, crushed together and unable to move. At the time of the murder, a live performance at a popular nightclub in the area had just let out, and the trains were filled to capacity. Police, nervous about the Yakuza’s response to the murder, carefully tracked information in the criminal circuit for news. By dawn the next morning, three Triad Dai Lo were dead; Yakuza hitmen are assumed responsible. The violence has since escalated, resulting in at least two dozen deaths in Japan and mainland China, as well as half as many innocent bystanders killed during high-speed chases and bombings. Nearly three times that many have been hospitalized for severe injuries. Governments of both countries are unsure how to contend with the increasing violence. “We’re dealing with people who refuse to accept our authority,” Sato continued. “We’re caught in a war fought by those outside the law.” The murder suspect, as yet unidentified, remains at large. Her picture is available online at the Tokyo Police Department’s wanted criminal site, and is being displayed during every major newscast in the city.

These wild accusations were televised on the BBC this morning, and soon picked up by CNN and various s. League sponsor, Dr. Hermann Reichstaldt, commented, “The over-exuberant claims of some among us are not to be given much weight. In truth, our efforts here benefit the entire world. We have reason to believe that Inverness was built over land once held by Viking explorers, and that artifacts critical to our historical analysis of their travels can be found here.” The Reinhard Explorer’s League is tracking the movements of one specific tribe of Vikings, reported to have vanished off the northern coast of England over 1,100 years ago. According to the League’s research, the tribe were a band of religious zealots who branched out on their own after a falling out with their Germanic peers. The League contends that this “lost tribe” landed in northern England and managed to carve out a new home for themselves on the site where Inverness was later built. Unexpectedly, the Museum of Natural History in London has recently endorsed the League’s efforts, further splintering the country’s opinion on the matter. Chief Curator of Religious Antiquities Carvel Davies said, “We have been in with the League’s home office and verified their records. Amazingly, it appears that their theory about this ‘new branch’ of Nordic history is accurate. Though we cannot sponsor endeavors that would rob our country of its own history, neither can we ignore the fact that some of us are living on top of an unprecedented find.”

BELOW THE FOLD This section presents or updates a number of plotlines that are going on in the world of Shadowforce Archer at this time but which have not yet captured the public’s attention. As with all the material in this chapter, these can easily be worked into any ongoing Shadowforce Archer campaign, and responses sent to us through the website are factored into the ongoing interactive storyline.

Excavation Controversy Tempers are presently running high in Inverness, England, where a group of archaeologists from the Reinhard Explorer’s League (out of Stuttgart, ) are requesting permission to excavate beneath the historic Cosgrach Family Estate. Inverness officials have thus far refused three petitions from the League, defending the Cosgrach family’s standing wishes for their land not to be disturbed. This denial has only furthered some of the Reinhard League, however, who have resorted to decrying the well-respected Cosgrach family as traitors to the Crown and smugglers of religious artifacts.

Aquatica This plotline first appeared on page 56 of the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook. The Foundation’s latest, greatest achievement is a fully self-contained underwater complex on the floor of the Baltic Sea. All has been quiet since it went operational in 1997, until now. Over the last fourteen months, Aquatica technicians have observed a gradual rise in local water temperature. At first negligible, it is now reaching alarming levels, leading the Foundation to believe that the inhabitants of Aquatica are not alone in the Baltic.

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Campaign geniuses and superspies who broke away from the Archer Foundation in 2001. The Shop never intended to wipe clean the targeted computers, though they certainly would have shut down electronic communication in those areas if Utopia Designs and their business partners hadn’t done it for them. They used the hysteria surrounding the grounding of the U.S.S. Millennium, coupled with the possibility of an impending information blackout, to keep the world’s governments (and much of the Archer Foundation’s resources) from noticing their true intent. Shutting down electronic communications in the eight target cities kept the Shop’s operations from public view, but more importantly, it effectively canceled the Foundation’s ability to coordinate agents in the areas, slowing their response time and hampering their operations. It also apparently allowed Shop agents inside the Foundation to hack into the Archer Conspiracy’s U.N. cover story and leave a calling card from “Villain X”, as described in the news story above. Finally, it isolated the Archer Institute — the Foundation’s front business in Canberra, Australia — long enough for the Shop to launch a successful attack against it. (See page 16 for more on this.) As the world watched and waited to see what would happen at the deadline, the Archer Foundation dispatched their finest to deal with the problem. The fact that the cities targeted by the terrorists were also at or near the headquarters of each of Archer’s core Chambers was not overlooked by Controls around the world, but the pressing deadline allowed them little time to consider the implications. Agent teams scoured each of the cities and called upon dozens of specialists — on the street and in political, military, and business sectors — searching for the terrorist organization’s headquarters. Though far from the only teams involved, the most prominent agents working the mission included:

Black Falls, OK. Three days ago, a mysterious visitor suffering from a severe malady arrived at a presumably covert Company relay station in Wichita, Kansas with a strange story. Simply calling himself “Alfred,” the man demanded to see someone named “Herod.” At first assumed to be a raving homeless person, suffering from heat stroke or an untreated illness, Alfred was turned away. But as he was led out of the building, he began convulsing and then collapsed. An ambulance was summoned to retrieve him, and Alfred began muttering gibberish, gripped by what app-eared to be a severe delirium. One agent on site — Air Force Lt. Daniel Scobel, the relay station’s cryptographer and an avid collector of Archer Conspiracy history — noticed that Alfred’s ravings in fact contained a pattern identical to verbal innuendo codes used by Room 39 during World War II. Lt. Scobel remained by Alfred’s side until he died in a Wichita hospital twelve hours later. He recorded everything the ailing man said, and has since studied the words meticulously. To the best of his ability, he has decrypted Alfred’s comatose words as a distress call, a plea for help sent from a “community” that is “dying.” He has further decrypted a warning — “beware the caretakers” — and has deduced that this problem is most likely local, as Alfred could not possibly have traveled far in his condition. ing this information along to the Foundation, Lt. Scobel now awaits a mission team — hopefully with the assistance of a qualified specialist who can decipher the rest of Alfred’s ramblings.

THE FINE PRINT WARNING! This section reveals the Truth of the Matter and plot hooks for each of the events described earlier in this chapter. Players should stay away if they intend to play in a game featuring this material, and players whose GCs keep their cards close to their vests should check with them to make sure they don’t accidentally ruin a planned serial.

• John Hunter and his Company troops, who moved in with the National Guard and the Army, using the existing military presence to conceal their operations. • Emily Savage, who worked alone but in constant communication with her team elsewhere in London, and followed a lead provided by her estranged father. (The origins of this lead are detailed in “Chrysalis”, the opening fiction for the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook.)

The Truth of the Matter: World Held Hostage Code: Black References: For a mid-level threat dedicated to Villain X and his subordinates within the Shop, see page 128. For the original Shop threat, see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 244. The terrorist group Technology for Tomorrow is in fact a front for the relatively-young criminal organization known as the Shop, a collection of techno-

• Dareka, who maneuvered through the seedy criminal underbelly of Hong Kong and Beijing, searching for relevant clues (and settled a few old grievances along the way). • Dumisani Tepe, who was already on “vacation” outside Johannesburg with the former lover of a criminal mastermind he’d recently bested, and ed his team inside the city limits.

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Archer Foundation • Katt Wilde, who was on tour in Paris, and caught a stealth jet to Geneva, where she met several of Fade’s men, already at work to find the local device.

After the communications network came back up, a secondary facet of the Shop’s plan was revealed. During the information blackout (while Two and many of the Foundation’s best agents were caught in the Canberra deathmaze) a Shop strike team broke into the Archer Institute and seized a cryogenic storage tank from one of their vaults. The tank was later identified as containing the remains of Avery Schillingsfield — the criminal mastermind Helix, who built the island prisonbase in the Comoros now occupied by the African Alliance. Later, when the press release covering up the Shop’s involvement was interrupted by Villain X, the Foundation traced the tampering back to the source, and determined that it must have been done from inside the Foundation. This confirmed their suspicions that Shop traitors still dwell in their ranks. Another news story was leaked to the public, explaining the Shop’s attack upon the Archer Institute as the work of “radical anti-experimentation extremists taking advantage of the situation for their own ends.” All things considered, the Foundation can only call this mission a partial success. Archer’s “Cloak” of secrecy was mostly salvaged (except for the footage of Villain X, whom the public currently assumes to be the latest villain in the popular Wildcat motion picture series). The Shop’s plan to slaughter the Conspiracy’s most noted mission teams was averted, though at the cost of five valuable agents. And though the enemy has now taken a step out of the shadows, they also possess the corpse of perhaps the greatest threat of the 20th Century. Not knowing what use the Shop could have for the body makes this final loss all the more bitter for Archer. Beyond these lingering questions, the operation leaves behind two important clues about what really happened. First, at the heart of each death-maze was found a series of stasis tanks where the semi-organic henchman and his minions rested until activated. The tanks were linked together between all eight cities, as well as to what appears to be a binary receiver. With this discovery (and the presence of hidden surveillance gear throughout the mazes), it became obvious that the mission teams were being observed from a remote location (where the transmitter was likely located), and that the blade-hawks and their battle drones were activated upon the mission teams’ arrival. Given that the drones could have been activated automatically when the mission teams entered (or simply been active already) Foundation field analysts are not yet ready to let things lie, and are picking over the deathmazes for additional clues to the Shop’s intentions. Their best guess at present is that the drones were automated and that last minute programming was ed into all of them by remote according to the compositions of the mission teams they faced.

• Midnight, who waded through the informants and middlemen of Israel, Jordan, and Syria looking for suspects, while the Guardians of the Whispering Knife worked feverishly to keep the tense situation in the Middle East from erupting into open warfare. • Nikolai Petrovich, who — aided by his personal team, the Phantom Brigade — descended on Moscow by 10 a.m. and proceeded to intimidate and interrogate local politicos and low-level P.E.R.I.L. agents for information leading to the terrorists’ operations. • Two, who led the search on the Foundation’s homefront in Australia. With the Lords and Rooks (see page 106), he called on the Chamber’s intricate counterintelligence network to seek out the enemy and utilized loyal elements of the Australian Special Forces to back them up as necessary. (If the GC likes, he may substitute any of these operations with similar missions headed by the players’ agents.) The fruits of Archer’s labors were bountiful, and by the last hour before the deadline each of the mission teams discovered the moles responsible for delivering the virus into the target systems, as well as leads running back to a central terrorist cell in each city. Unknown to the mission teams, however — whose communication with the home office was spotty — the evidence and testimony leading to these locations was all a carefully staged fabrication of the Shop. The bases were high-tech deathtraps, designed by the mad genius Kryptos, to split up and kill off intruders. Each was populated by a cadre of battle drones programmed to destroy the agent teams, led by the Shop’s ‘blade-hawks’ — soldiers wearing a new prototype armor (see page 130). This was to be the opening volley of the Shop’s private war with their former employers, a message of superiority which could not be ignored. But it did not go as planned. As discovered in the debriefing that followed the target computers coming back online, each mission team engaged the battle drones while their leaders (Hunter, Savage, Dareka, Tepe, Wilde, Midnight, Petrovich, and Two) tracked down and fought the controlling blade-hawks. None of the mission team leaders made it through the combats unscathed, but none fell either, and the new Shop threats were put down. All told, the Foundation only lost five agents to the trap: two in Europe, one in the U.S., one in Asia, and another in Australia.

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Campaign Possible Strike Team Patrons:

The second clue was either left or dropped at the Archer Institute for Science when the Shop strike team absconded with Helix’s body — a small clockwork timepiece, in the shape of an hourglass, with innumerable moving parts within the glass. Its design appears to be quite archaic, similar to the legendary work of 15th century artist and engineer, Leonardo da Vinci. The device was carefully scanned for explosives and other destructive agents, but none were found. A thorough examination revealed it to be nothing more than a perpetual motion time piece, powered by its own kinetic energy. “In theory,” the Foundation’s researchers say, “it could go on forever, never speeding up or slowing down. As far as we can tell, it has no other purpose.”

1. U.N. or other “peacekeeping” force. This follows the model presented above. 2. The Gemeinschafft Consortium. The agents must stop a team founded and funded by part of the Archer Conspiracy itself. 3. The strike team is a batch of cold-blooded mercenaries or another terrorist group, who cannot be reasoned with or easily subdued. Likely, they must be put down to avoid a further escalation of the tense situation.

Plot Hook: Counterstrike The agents are part of one or more of the teams that enter the Shop deathmazes around the world, and must deal with armored blade-hawks (see page 130), lifeand-death puzzles, and something… unexpected.

Plot Hook: The Strike Team Independent of the Archer Foundation’s efforts, one or more world organizations have sent in a strike team to deal with the “terrorists”. Needless to say, these men are in over their heads, and must be bailed out by the Conspiracy. The PC agents are sent in — either as imposter mercenaries working with the strike team or as specialists assisting them — with orders to neutralize them before they get themselves killed. Alternately, the agents are to follow the strike team covertly and do the same.

Possible Realizations In The Maze: 1. The Shop has installed several combat gadgets in the maze which may be recovered by the agents. 2. The agents discover a transmitter on site as it is ing data to a Shop home cell. If the agents act fast, and are skilled enough (Computers DC 25), they might

17

Archer Foundation capture important data about the Shop (a revelation about their short-term plans, the specs for a new weapon or master plan, or even the coordinates of another base).

3. The tensions are caused by a media mogul who manipulates the world’s news stories, considering it entertainment. He uses teleprompters which increase emotions and reduce inhibitions, which are also responsible for his legion of loyal fans (unwitting minion combatants in his “game”).

3. The PC agents happen onto a headquarters cell for Technology for Tomorrow, from which the virus is to be released. A pitched battle with the mechanized minions may earn the agents a sample of the virus, which they can deliver into their superiors’ hands.

The Truth of the Matter: Assassination in Tokyo Code: Red (soon to be Black) References: For a low-level threat dedicated to the Cult of the Ten Suns, see page 125. Usually, the Archer Foundation relies on the Yakuza lord Tokajiro Musashi (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 118) for aid in Japan, but this time the shoe is on the other foot. While attempting to contain what appears to be the birth of a new criminal organization in Tokyo (the Cult of the Ten Suns, see page 41), Tokajiro has started a full-scale crime war between his Yakuza family and the vastly superior Lung Triad in China. The reasons for his attacks on the Triad family are clear: he believes Dareka has gone over to the Lungs and was acting on their orders when she murdered Connie Tokajiro. But the Archer Foundation, which has been responsible for Dareka nearly all her life, is unsure whether she is indeed the killer, and if so, whether she is in full control of her actions. Several months ago, Dareka was assigned to ferret out a new criminal group of unknown origin and intent which was advancing on the Canberra-based Archer Institute (see page 121 of the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook and page 41 of this book for more). The mission was her specialty, a long-term deep cover insertion into an enemy organization to discover their strengths and motives. But something went wrong. Three months ago, just as Dareka was about to reveal the group’s identity, her reports ended and she vanished. The PAC assigned a Code: Yellow mission team to search for her but they came up empty-handed — until she surfaced again last week. Avoiding her standard lines of communication, Dareka ed one of their staunchest ers in Japan, Tokajiro Musashi, with a request for immediate extraction to Australia. According to Tokajiro, she was sure that she’d been made, and that she was being hunted by the organization she’d invaded. Tokajiro sent his sister Connie, a reliable agent known to the Foundation, to meet Dareka under the big video screen at Studio Alta. Unfortunately, Connie never came home. Tokajiro, sure that Dareka was turned during her silence and now works for the Lung Triad, has placed several open contracts out on her life amounting to well over ten million yen. Several highend contract killers have arrived from all over the world to track down and kill the PAC agent, and the gang war across Asia is escalating by the day.

Plot Hook: Ground Zero Assigned to assist one of the core teams searching for terrorist cells, the agents find themselves in one of the threatened cities during the communications blackout. They must strive to keep the peace and counter one or more violent elements in the city — all while avoiding the news cameras of the many s covering the incident.

Possible Occurrences During The Blackout: 1. A street gang or mundane criminal organization uses the chaos as a smokescreen and goes on a crime spree throughout the city. The agents find themselves protecting banks, jewelry stores, or something more exotic (“inside” corporate information, defense secrets, an Archer front organization, etc.), if the GC determines that such an asset is present in the city. 2. Someone important (a senator or well-regarded Archer specialist) is trapped in the rioting, and must be safely extracted. 3. Another criminal mastermind takes the opportunity to field-test a new minion type or experimental weapon. He might be behind the rioting or just using it to his advantage.

Plot Hook: Aftermath The debate that begins between Elias Graham and Jeff Barnes explodes into an international joust, with both sides gaining argumentative and vindictive ers. The Foundation believes that something sinister is at fault, however, and the PC agents are sent in to resolve the situation.

Possible Causes For The Spiked Tensions: 1. The tensions are another Shop plot, who are controlling Jeff Barnes and other parties through brainwashing, blackmail, or other means. 2. There is nothing incredible behind the tensions. People are just on edge after the terrorist threat. The tensions must still be quelled, however.

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Campaign Plot Hook: Extraction

Special Note: This plot hook doesn’t include variable options, though two possible plot hooks are included with the Cult of the Ten Suns threat (see page 125). Further, the outcome of your mission to extract Dareka and quell the fighting in Asia may vary. Visit the Shadowforce Archer website to report your results.

The Archer Foundation is confident that Dareka has somehow been framed or is being coerced. But with their greatest er in the area turned against them and a new threat lurking in the area, proving it is another matter altogether. The agents are sent in to find and extract Dareka, who can hopefully identify the new spy organization the Foundation’s dealing with. Calming or ending the gang war is a close second priority, as is throwing public attention off of Dareka (and her link to the Foundation). Unfortunately, the agents must contend with Connie’s true murderer — a mercenary sniper hired by the organization she infiltrated. This assassin is wellknown to the Conspiracy, which has run into him many times over the last ten years. Once spotted and described to Control, he is identified as A.S.P. (Advanced Sniper Prototype), after the suit he wears. Though his identity is a long-hidden secret, the Foundation believes him responsible for several prominent assassinations in the last several years, including a string of third world political figures and a CIA operative held hostage in Bosnia. (This last assignment was rumored to be a black bag job ordered by the CIA to cover their tracks after a questionable operation, but was actually prompted by the local station commander, also a Company agent, since retired.) The A.S.P. suit — a scrapped prototype that Dareka’s suit was later based upon — interfaces directly with the target’s nervous system and primary organs, allowing him greater control of his metabolism. He can slow his breathing and pulse to a crawl, so that he appears dead. (This ability has come in very useful in his new career as a hired assassin — he is able to sit absolutely still for days at a time, without the need for food or sleep, until his prey comes into view.) The A.S.P. suit also offers its wearer immunity to most toxins, allows him to climb walls (by digging into the surface with tiny titanium tendrils that can suspend up to 400 lbs. beyond his weight and that of the suit), and renders him invisible to digital surveillance, including low-light, thermal, and standard cameras. The A.S.P. suit may still trigger physical traps, however. A.S.P.’s employer during the Tokajiro killing is unknown, and likely not discovered during this plot hook. The sniper is also hunting Dareka down when the agents arrive on the scene, seeking the hefty bounty placed on her head by Musashi, and the agents are likely to run into him during their mission to bring the wayward PAC agent home. Once recovered, Dareka reveals the identity of the group she infiltrated (the Cult of the Ten Suns), and details its structure, resources, and personnel. She also fingers Connie’s true killer (A.S.P.).

The Truth of the Matter: Excavation Controversy Code: Yellow References: For a high-level threat dedicated to the Hand of Glory, see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 246. This relatively isolated news story is in fact a lie, scripted and ed by the Hand of Glory and their allies in Europe. Jackboot, fanatic henchman of Eva Kraus (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 247), leads this operation, which is geared toward recovering the “remains” of Matthew Smythe, a Room 39 operative who was entombed in the walls of the Cosgrach Family Estate in 1924. Smythe was one of Room 39’s greatest agents, and not at all human (not for some time before his recruitment, anyway). Smythe was what the Dream Suite called a “PK (psychokinetic) projection”, a ghost. More specifically, he was a poltergeist, capable of manipulating real-world objects though he apparently had no form of his own. Though they never discovered where he came from (Smythe was actually an early fringewalker — see page 92 for more about his past), Room 39 couldn’t question his usefulness. Smythe was effectively invisible and could walk through walls, yet still retained the ability to move objects, open doors and windows, and the like. He was the perfect espionage agent. Smythe bested many early threats to Queen and Country, including Eva Kraus herself, who masterminded a private incursion of relic hunters into the country in 1923. Within the halls of Parliament he was known as “Piquant” (after his demeanor), and was celebrated as “one of the greatest spies who ever lived” (a reputation he is said to have relished the irony of). In early 1924, however, Smythe came up against an evil mystic mastermind while clearing out a nest of flesh-eating mole men beneath Inverness. Pinned by a holding rite while crossing through the wall of the Cosgrach estate, Smythe found himself trapped without any means of alerting his allies in London. So Smythe remained until just under a month ago, when Jackboot, tracing his movements across England, came across the mystic mastermind and “urged” him to reveal the lost agent’s location. Now the Hand of Glory lieutenant hopes to use a variant of the same ritual to capture Smythe once he’s been unearthed, and transport him back to Antarctica.

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Archer Foundation Jackboot is only one of several of Eva’s lieutenants seeking a suitable prize for her. In preparation for what she believes to be the imminent discovery of her god-king companion (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 156–157), Eva has decided to host a challenge to determine which of her male henchmen is worthy of the ultimate privilege — her hand in unholy marriage. The henchman who offers her the greatest “gift” wins.

Plot Hook: The Marriage of the Beast Jackboot is posing as Dr. Reichstaldt (a name he used during his ODESSA days). The Foundation, knowing his face and former alias, dispatch the agents to discover what he’s after and stop him. Once the PCs know of Eva’s challenge, the Foundation is faced with a global threat as her lieutenants — many of whom are far from polite and peaceful in their search — scour the planet for “the perfect gift.” The agents may be sent to neutralize one or more of these lieutenants as they are discovered. Possible plots for these further missions follow (note that agents only have time enough to track one of these operations — the other two must be ed off to other elements of the Archer Conspiracy).

Possible Henchmen Operations: 1. Michael Miloslaw, an ambitious Hand of Glory lieutenant, has tracked down what he believes to be a journal containing many lost truths about the world’s shadow history, but he’s only half right. The journal actually documents part of the Architects’ voyage into the Fringe (see page 99). Its discovery prompts the Architects to send swarms of their minions after Miloslaw in order to stop him before he presents the journal to Eva Kraus. The agents may recover the journal in the process of stopping Miloslaw from returning to his mistress. 2. The former pit-fighter Flashfire seeks Eva’s hand by offering her the ultimate mystic prize — himself. Tracking an elixir drained from the legendary Holy Grail (and presumably sold into the black market by dubious of the Cosgrach family), Flashfire hopes to make himself immortal, the perfect vessel for her god-king companion, once he is found. 3. Sybille Vallentin (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 246) is only interested in Eva’s offer as it pertains to her own explorations of the human psyche. She sets up several false leads to seemingly incredible mystic discoveries — such as the Holy Grail and the Arc of the Covenant — and spreads the word subtly through the ranks. Then she sits back and watches the fireworks. The agents’ entry into the scene is only that much more fascinating to her.

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Campaign vacation spot for those who want to get back to nature and indulge in a few days of mellow relaxation away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. But beneath Black Falls’ simple, pleasing veneer is a disquieting unease. Local farmers are quick to change the subject when the topic of Black Falls is brought up, and most refuse to go anywhere near the town, often driving miles out of their way to pick up supplies in Bartlesville, nearly 20 miles away. No one can a funeral ever happening in Black Falls, or a birth, or a marriage. Children and those bold enough to speak up attribute the town’s poor local reputation to everything from alien occupation to the Devil’s handmaidens. But the truth is far more sinister. Black Falls, Oklahoma was in fact created as an early Foundation black operation, in an attempt to use Fringe science to create a population of human clones. The inhabitants were grown from the cells of various world leaders, important personalities (sports figures, celebrities, etc.), and even the Architects themselves. Bred with matching blood and tissue types, the clone farm was expected to generate organs that could be harvested in the event that one of the donors took ill. Outside the Architects themselves, none of the donors were made aware that the clone farm existed, and the project was kept secret even from the Foundation itself. The Architects promoted themselves as the obvious leaders of the town, relying upon the clones’ underdeveloped sense of paranoia to earn their absolute trust. Still, when the Architects were transported into the Fringe in 1953, the town of Black Falls continued, thought without the stern public leadership of its “founders.” But Black Falls was not without leaders. Deep beneath the surface of its idyllic country streets rests the heart of the original Architect operation: a two story bunker containing the cloning facilities and the living quarters for the town’s “caretakers,” a number of clones whose capacity for problem-solving and loyalty to the Architects exceeded their peers. These clones were “promoted” to caretaker status before the Architects’ departure, and charged with watching over the project. They were to safeguard it from all outside interference, or any internal dissension. The caretakers were responsible for replacing clones as they wore down (end result: none of the original townsfolk grow old or die), but there is no one to replace the caretakers themselves. They have grown old (some have even died), and now the operation of the Black Falls clone farm is breaking down. The illusion the Architects worked so hard to create is breaking down with it, and soon the ugly secret of Black Falls, Oklahoma will be laid bare for the world to see — unless the agents can intercede.

The Truth of the MATTER: Aquatica Code: Yellow The agents are sent to Aquatica and charged with discovering the source of the temperature increase. Unfortunately, the water temperature has risen high enough to attract a small group of oceanographers to the Baltic as well, whose dives may threaten the Aquatica’s secret position. The cause for the temperature increase may further complicate matters.

Possible Causes For The Rise in Temperature: 1. The rise in temperature is caused by the opening of a fissure along the sea’s floor. Within this fissure is located a rare mineral desired by the Shop, who blast onto the scene with their usual lack of subtlety, potentially threatening the civilian divers as well as the agents. If the Shop operatives discover Aquatica, they attempt to infiltrate the base to discover its owners and purpose. 2. The water temperature is being artificially warmed by agents of P.E.R.I.L., who are testing a new (and quite unclean) power source. This power source ruptures during the agents’ investigation, dramatically increasing the ambient water temperature and spewing unidentified chemicals across miles of sea. Those trapped within the chemical cloud during the first several hours, before it spreads too thinly to be effective, are horribly mutated, resulting in a new breed of aquatic chemical monster. Agents within Aquatica when this happens find themselves trapped in an undersea prison as monstrous enemies assault the base. 3. The warmer waters are caused by a group of high-tech treasure hunters who are using a new power drill to unearth a wartime U-Boat said to contain Nazi gold. The treasure hunters are mercenaries (see page 83), with no regard for the lives of others. All they want is the money.

The Truth of the Matter: Black Falls, Ok. Code: Yellow Alfred is a citizen of the small town of Black Falls, Oklahoma, a peaceful mid-western community with a population of 241. Black Falls is situated away from the main roads, and has become an affordable place for seniors to retire in recent years. Its primary attractions include tranquil uncut forests, scenic rivers and lakes, and a robust calendar of performances by washed-up musicians. In all ways, Black Falls seems like the perfect

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Archer Foundation Possible State of Black Falls:

Special Note: This plot hook may take on special importance in a fringewalker campaign. Should Alfred come to the attention of Dr. Algernon (see page 112), he will immediately raise the mission’s threat code to Black and send the agents to trace Alfred’s origins. Dr. Algernon, being part of Operation: SILENT SPECTRE (see page 99) is well aware of what Alfred is, and what he represents. Should an Architect project as demented and far-reaching as a clone farm come to the attention of the Foundation — especially when the Chamber is spread as dangerously thin and under as much pressure as it is now — the results could be disastrous. Dr. Algernon strives to keep Black Falls a secret at all costs, and won’t hesitate to order its destruction, if necessary to keep the truth of the Architects buried.

1. The caretakers have died off, leaving the clones to fend for themselves. When the first of them dies — a sobering event in a town populated by effectively immortal people — Alfred is sent out in a vain effort to find and bring back the founders (the Architects). When the agents arrive, they discover the clone base, as well as the fact that several of the clones have ventured out into the world behind Alfred, each heading in a different direction. The agents and their allies must track them all down, before the secret of Black Falls is uncovered. 2. The caretakers have grown ambitious in their old age, and now rule over Black Falls with an iron grip. The agents must not only discover the secrets of Black Falls but root them out and liberate the inhabitants of the town — and the innocent visitors and retirees being used as genetic material for ever greater grotesqueries.

Plot Hook: The Clone Farm The agents are assigned to trace “Alfred’s” background, learn where he comes from, and where he learned the Room 39 code. Depending on the GC’s preference and the player composition, this might be as easy as adding “Black Falls” to the dying clone’s last words. Other groups may prefer an investigative serial, in which the agents piece together initially cryptic or meaningless word clues or physically track Alfred’s steps back to the waiting clone farm. The interactive elements determined by the GC revolve around the condition of the town when the agents arrive, and what challenges they must face.

3. The caretakers have been overpowered by another Shadowforce Archer threat, an organization of the GC’s design, or a world government that discovered the clone farm when searching for Russian spy bunkers. Now the clone farm is being retooled to create an endless army of physically perfect soldiers.

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“We live in a wilderness of mirrors, Mr. Savinian. They live in a world of glass.” — Lord Reginald Savage, about the Archer Conspiracy

Agent

2

Archer Foundation Style & Demeanor

INTRODUCTION

Agents of the Archer Foundation are considered the “role models” of the Conspiracy, and are consequently held up to a high standard most of the time. This can have a detrimental effect on many agents, who crack under the pressure and either withdraw from service or — in the very worst cases — go rogue. Those who keep it together are typically very cool characters, capable of enduring the most incredible and unexpected situations without blinking twice. Some Foundation agents — particularly those within the Damage Control and Fringewalking departments — swing the other way altogether, taking personal quirks and fetishes to radical extremes. One such example is Dr. Lothario Algernon, current director of the Nihil fringewalker division, whose obsession with the past and all things strange is near-legendary among Conspiracy operatives — especially those trained or stationed at the Foundation. (For more about Lothario Algernon, see page 112.)

This chapter deals with the life and duty of an Archer Foundation agent. It introduces players to the ways that the Archer Foundation tackles assignments, the resources they use, and their most common enemies at this time. Additional sections introduce a new department of the Conspiracy (Damage Control), which often works in concert with a specialist company called Straight Arrow Pest Control, as well as new and more detailed material about the Great Game in Australia and relations between the Archer Foundation and the world. Boxed text throughout this chapter includes NPC s and specialists who can help agents during missions. Most are connected to particular resources, allowing them to be dropped into play whenever the agents call upon said resource. These NPCs have only one level of statistics, since they are static anchors within the Shadowforce Archer setting.

Mission Profiles As discussed on page 106, the modern Foundation is very much a bureaucracy. One of its many flaws is its tendency to overcompartmentalize, resulting in a great many superfluous departments and organizational divisions. Today, the Foundation features hundreds of departments, each a finely sliced departure from the one next door, and each siphoning off another piece of its global resources. The following are each departments within the Foundation, though only three — Damage Control, Psion Affairs, and Training — are dealt with expressly as departmental agent options in Chapter 3.

TMACKLING ISSIONS This brief section serves as a guide for GCs when building missions tailored to his players’ team. Conversely, it might assist players in deg agents appropriate to the Foundation, or their GC’s game.

Bookkeeping Agents assigned to “bookkeeping” duty are responsible for ferreting out leaks in the Foundation’s resource network (not an easy task, given the Conspiracy’s loose structure and global reach). Bookkeeping agents are commonly activated when important people, objects, or other noticeable resources go missing (or when they’re stolen). Money is very rarely the impetus for a bookkeeping operation, since the Found-ation is usually able to obtain more. Only truly amazing losses of monetary funds (well in excess of ten million dollars) are noted

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Agent Whitaker, Silas

by the Foundation’s ants, and even then, they usually just sweep the losses under the rug unless there’s a compelling reason to follow up. Standard bookkeeping operations almost always “piggy-back” along with other missions. For instance, a standard field analysis mission (see page 27) revolving around the review of a mission team with a spotty track record might also include a bookkeeper who will review the team’s current and previous uses of field expenses and requisitioned gear. Bookkeeping is commonly a covert activity, and features a cover mission of some kind to disguise the agents’ true intent. When agents conduct bookkeeping in the open, they are usually there just as much to put the fear of God into the suspects as to determine the source of the problem. “Backwashers”: A handful of bookkeepers are charged with a sensitive task — dealing with the political and financial fallout of field operations before it reaches the Lords. They are responsible for making private restitution to governments, corporations, and the like, under the guise of the Foundation front company, Minuteman Indemnities, and smoothing over any ruffled feathers to ensure that the injured parties don’t seek out the perpetrators. For example, say an agent team is forced to destroy a Tibetan monastery to fake their deaths. The backwashers might first the Tibetan government on behalf of a bogus organization the agents work for and pay them whatever they believe the building was worth, plus 15%. If during an ensuing meeting the backwashers perceived that the Tibetans would settle for nothing less than criminal pursuit of the organization responsible, they might set up a dummy group to take the fall, or even point the victims in the direction of an enemy. Backwashers are widely regarded as heroes of the Conspiracy, though their relationship with field teams is often chilly (as would be expected with colleagues who create such grief). Agent Matches: When selecting agents for bookkeeping operations, the Foundation typically looks for high Intelligence and Wisdom scores, as well as healthy Search, Spot, Listen, Sense Motive, and Forgery skills. Bookkeeping agents are frequently snoops or fixers. Standard Gear: Agents sent on bookkeeping missions are usually assigned non-combat gear more often than weapons, and in particular surveillance items and gadgets, which can directly assist most of their operations. When plugging holes within the Conspiracy, memory flesh is a must (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 211). Approaches: Bookkeeping is a delicate art — most operations in this vein involve guessing and secondguessing presumed allies and potential enemies. Agents assigned to bookkeeping missions should remain alert at all times and GCs should call for Wisdom-based skill

Codename: SCARECROW Archer Identity Number: 12-429891-07 Nationality: Australian Gender: Male Handedness: Right Height: 5'11" Weight: 170 lbs. Eyes: Black Hair: Black Psion Class: Non-latent Place of Birth: Sydney, Australia Date of Birth: 1961.05.02 Distinguishing Characteristics: Clean shaven and neatly pressed.

Background Silas Whitaker is the Foundation’s most innovative bookkeeper, responsible for protecting the Foundation’s cash flow by any means necessary. The monetary assets of all front companies on Australian soil are under his purview, and he has created the illusion that many of them are publicly traded on the stock market by shifting funds back and forth between a small number of loyal public allies. Scarecrow controls the flow these stocks, and of course, none of these allies is ever allowed to gain a deciding share. At this point, the system is more or less automated, though Scarecrow occasionally checks on his pawns to make sure everything is running smoothly. Similarly, Whitaker covers Archer’s financial tracks. While he endeavors to follow the rules and regulations that govern proper business conduct whenever possible, he is nonetheless willing to engage in activities that make insider trading look like bullying a child for his lunch money, when necessary. Whitaker has an almost unlimited budget with which to make financial arrangements required by the Archer Foundation, and he takes advantage of it. Under his guidance, multi-million dollar conglomerates are bought and sold for the sole purpose of laundering Archer funds. Recently, Whitaker has noticed a disturbing stock trend: a bloc of anonymous investors is purchasing controlling shares in former Foundation-owned companies. Though innocuous by itself, these buy-outs are following closer and closer on the heels of the Foundation’s sale of its interests in the companies in question. Whitaker has several times requested a team of agents to investigate the matter, but has thus far been unable to convince the Foundation to assign it a threat code. Silas Whitaker, 2nd-level fixer/4th-level professional (see page 87). CR 6. SZ M; v/wp: 2d8+17 (25)/12; Init +4 (+4 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def +6 (+6 class); Atk: Sig-Sauer P-230 +5 (2d4); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +2; Str 11, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 16, Cha 14; Skills: Appraisal +6, Bluff +10, Bureaucracy +16, Computers +10, Concentration +8, Cryptography +11, Diplomacy +4, Forgery +12, Gather Information +11, Knowledge (Business) +8. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Master Fence), Master Fence, Ordinary Past, Political Favors. Gear: Weapons, laptop (power rating +4). Gadgets and Vehicles: Private unmarked Foundation helicopter.

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Archer Foundation Steele, Madeleine

checks often — especially Sense Motive. Agents should be equally concerned that their cover is blown, since bookkeepers are generally considered the “tattle-tales” of the Conspiracy. A blown bookkeeper is of little use to the Foundation and often transferred to a location where he can do no damage… like a remote listening post in a political wasteland. Game Options: Bookkeeping missions offer a unique opportunity during play — there is a clear problem (“Where has X gone?”) and a clear solution (“Find X”). With the rapidly deteriorating fabric of the Conspiracy, plugging holes can quickly turn into a full-time project. Imagine a season centering around finding the source of several similar internal thefts: your agents must stalk their own allies in this case, adding to the suspicion many already feel about the Foundation.

Codename: SILK Archer Identity Number: 41-090433-27 Nationality: Australian Gender: Female Handedness: Left Height: 5’8” Weight: 120 lbs. Eyes: Black Hair: Black Psion Class: PsiScout/Grade B Place of Birth: Auckland, New Zealand Date of Birth: 1969.10.21 Distinguishing Characteristics: Piercing Stare

Background Aloof and unnerving, few agents look forward to a second encounter with Madeleine Steele. Though classified a field analyst, Steele calls herself a “field profiler” (a term derived from her many years studying the behavioral and psychological sciences). Though difficult to get along with, Steele is eminently capable. Before each assignment, she meticulously reviews the personnel jackets of her assigned team, in order to understand both the psychology of the agents and the team dynamic. She rarely re-examines her first impressions — she rarely has to. Unfortunately, she also has a tendency to make her conclusions known to the team. As she is introduced to each agent, she generally voices her conclusions aloud as she catalogues them mentally, generally in derogatory . Few agent can just sit quietly while being described as “Cautious, perhaps overly so. Obsessed with details.” or “Independent, unreliable. Loose cannon.” Generally detached and seemingly indifferent, Steele is occasionally intrigued by individuals who behave against profile, and usually exhibits her interest by posing odd questions about unusual situations. Sometimes, she forgoes such questions in favor of actually placing the individual into those situations as a sort of “field experiment”. Needless to say, Steele has difficulty forming personal bonds, whether based on friendship or romantic attraction. Steele uses her pleasantly smooth voice as little as possible. Her sentences are concise and to the point, and she betrays little emotion with her terse statements. She never starts a conversation unless she believes she can predict the outcome, and she rarely loses an argument.

Damage Control Damage control officers (or “cleaners”) report for duty when other agents fail. They are responsible for minimizing the fallout from operations that go south, especially those that garner media attention. As with most mission profiles, any agent may be sent, but most belong to a unit dedicated to controlling media coverage of a scene and removing or destroying evidence, such as Straight Arrow Pest Control (see page 43). Agent Matches: Most damage control agents receive their training from the damage control department (see page 46), though some professional spies see the value of a more focused (or just eccentric) agent package. Snoops are excellent when conducting electronic damage control, and facemen are widely utilized as “public relations specialists” whose task it is to discern the truth under commonly tense conditions. Facemen are also sometimes called upon to convince people that their perceptions were “flawed,” or explain away the events the damage control team are trying to cover up. Fixers are relied upon to operate in the shadows while the facemen conduct business with any witnesses, and wheelmen generally act as the get away plan if things get dicey for this second team. Damage Control agents must be quick on their feet, able to come up with believable excuses and reasonable lies at the drop of a hat, and possess the skill and feat base required to pull a mission of this caliber. For these reasons, damage control missions are rarely assigned to agents lower than levels 5-6, before which their inspiration, education, and favor checks, as well as their skill points and feat slots are simply too low to the demands of the operation. Standard Gear: Though gadgets like memory flesh and stealth technology is invaluable to damage control teams, the Foundation more often than not asks these agents to rely on their own skills, taking no equipment that would arouse suspicion among witnesses or the

Madeleine Steele, 5th-level telepath/2nd-level field analyst. Dept: D-0 Home Office. CR 7. SZ M; v/wp: 35/11; Init +8 (+5 class, +3 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; Def +7 (+4 class, +3 Dex); Atk: Ruger P-94 +6 (1d10+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +1, Ref +10, Will +5; Str 9, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 10; Skills: Bluff +6, Bureaucracy +4, Computers +5, Concentration +10, Diplomacy +6, Driver +6, Gather Information +8, Listen +7, Search +6, Sense Motive +8, Spot +8, Surveillance +10. Feats: Alertness, Analyst, Efficient Power (Profile), ESP Basics, Intuition Basics, Jump Up. Psion Skills: Empathy +9, Profile +13. Gear: Weapons. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

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Agent Seaborne, Patricia

media. Even high-end military gear is often refused, as it is often enough to damn the team as “men in black” and prompt accusations of government cover-up (which is, though completely true, not the optimum result of a damage control mission). For the most part, the Foundation trains damage control agents to operate on their wits and skill alone. Approaches: Damage control missions demand absolute concentration and the vision to come up with the impossible — a way to make people forget what they just heard or saw. Only very rarely does this involve liquidation (murder); despite its often wayward interpretation of its own mission statement, the Archer Foundation is ultimately dedicated to saving lives, not taking them. Game Options: Damage control missions are the ultimate test of espionage skill, and not recommended for low-level teams. They can also be one of the most challenging and rewarding types of operations. Here we provide details of one of the Foundation’s closest allies outside the Conspiracy — the cleaners working behind the Straight Arrow Pest Control front company — along with a new department dedicated to the same mission. Straight Arrow will be featured in several plotlines, so we’ve also included two new NPCs for them as well (see page 114).

Codename: TYGER Archer Identity Number: 11-958824-74 Nationality: Australian Gender: Female Handedness: Right Height: 5’5" Weight: 115 lbs. Eyes: Blue Hair: Black, streaked with blonde Psion Class: Non-latent Place of Birth: Melbourne, Australia Date of Birth: 1978.02.27 Distinguishing Characteristics: Irrepressible smile

Background Young and vivacious, Patricia Seabourne is an idealist whose unquestionable dedication to the Foundation’s mission has earned her a high rank with the Chamber’s Knights (see page 108). Seaborne now works as a field analyst for the Foundation, specializing in the evaluation of team performance. Her high standards dictates that most agents don’t measure up, and she always does her best to help them along. Though well-intentioned, this approach is occasionally considered patronizing by agents she works with. Fortunately, Seabourne’s quick smile and sparkling wit usually set her fellow agents at ease, and she quickly acclimates to most situations. She is difficult to anger, and one of the few behaviors that truly irks her is conflict within a team. Considering her dedication to the cause, it isn’t surprising she considers such behavior counterproductive and selfish; in her eyes, the agents are placing personal feelings above the needs of the Archer Foundation — a cardinal sin among operatives of any Chamber in the Conspiracy. Seabourne truly enjoys her work, as it requires a great deal of travel to many exotic locations around the globe. Though most agents are afforded this opportunity, few have the time to enjoy it. The nature of Seabourne’s work, however, requires her to get to know each team before entering the field, as well as the sights of each new team’s locale. Usually, the first thing she does upon arrival (after stating her business) is treat her assigned team to dinner at one of the best restaurants in town, and takes a moment to get to know them.

Field Analysis Field analysts are equally respected and reviled within the ranks of the Archer Conspiracy. Sent along with mission teams during routine operations, they review agent performance, team synergy and composition, efficiency, and a host of other factors. They monitor whether teams are acting in the best interests of the global protectorate and making the best use of their resources. All of this makes field analysts sound rather undesirable, but they can also provide several important benefits to a team they accompany. The home office is usually much more willing to listen to an analysted team when they request field (often resulting in a bonus to favor checks and similar benefits). Field analysts can also help to promote teams with good reviews, resulting in better assignments and more R&R between operations. Finally, field analysts are often assigned to missions that require intelligence or innovation outside the ability of the average specialist. Field analysts are often bountiful wellsprings of obscure knowledge and unexpected talents which can greatly influence the success of a mission. The Foundation’s home office keeps records of their specialties — just as with lower caliber specialists — and frequently calls upon them during missions of global import.

Patricia Seaborne, 5th-level sleuth/3rd-level field analyst (see page 49). CR 8. SZ M; v/wp: 61/14; Init +4 (+4 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def +6 (+6 class); Atk: Glock 17 +5 (1d10+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +7; Str 11, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 14; Skills: Appraisal +7, Bluff +8, Bureaucracy +6, Computers +5, Concentration +7, Cultures +9, Diplomacy +6, Disguise +6, Driver +5, First Aid +3, Gather Information +16, Languages +9, Listen +8, Profession (Teacher) +10, Search +10, Sense Motive +12, Spot +12, Surveillance +15. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (analyst), Alertness, Analyst, Mark, Mobility, World Traveler. Gear: Weapons, professional grade camera and film. Gadgets and Vehicles: Subcochlear implant, Icon Prostar 7.

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Archer Foundation Game Options: Pages 68–75 of this book are devoted to running a pulp-style fringewalking game, in which the Foundation’s agents document events so far over the top that even most Conspiracy agents scoff at them.

Two examples of highly contrasting field analysts are found in the boxes on pages 26 and 27 — Patricia Seaborne and Madeleine Steele. Agent Matches: Field analysts usually possess exceedingly high Intelligence and unwavering loyalty. As with most other Foundation roles, combat classes and physical abilities take a back seat to ingenuity and well-rounded (or exotic) skills. Once recruited, field analysts are offered special training, represented by a new prestige class (see page 49). Standard Gear: The standard gear issued to field analysts varies as much as their duties to the Conspiracy, though as stated above, these agents often receive special consideration when requisitioning gear. Analysts often obtain the latest designs from the remaining loyalists in the Ego Trust, and only infrequently carry experimental gear and gadgets. Game Options: The field analyst role is a doubleedged sword in many respects. Though field analysts enjoy many Foundation privileges and are often privy to special information about missions, they are also mistrusted by many of their colleagues (whether deserved or not) and must often act as team leaders in times of crisis.

Psion Affairs Once fostered by the ground-breaking Dream Suite (Room 39), psionic operations have since shifted permanently into the hands of the Archer Foundation. Today, the Foundation recruits, trains, and fields the strongest psions on the planet, including their own Control, the multi-psion hybrid known as “Two” (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 60). But beyond merely fielding psions trained to use psion powers, the Foundation serves as homefront of psionic research for the new Millennium. New abilities are constantly being discovered and tested, and untapped regions of the human mind are explored. Unfortunately, there’s always a need for subjects to field-test new theories and abilities, a job which lands firmly on the shoulders of volunteer agents. Training methods have improved as well — the advancement of meditation and mental and physical discipline over the dangerous chemical force-awakenings of the first half of the century was largely spearheaded by t efforts between Room 39 and the Archer Foundation, prior to the complete transfer of all psion projects into the Foundation’s hands. Since then, the Foundation’s Office of Psion Affairs has actively sought new and more effective ways to hone psion abilities (and ensure they don’t expand out of the subjects’ control at the same time). Agent Matches: Normally, Foundation psions are recruited for their strong psion potential. All Grade A psions are recommended to the Australian Chamber for training (though they may refuse if they wish), and psions who manifest previously unseen abilities are either transferred or reviewed by a high-ranking member of the Office of Psion Affairs (see page 46). Foundation psions are usually the first to field new abilities — as part of test runs to determine their potential power and utility — but the inherent danger involved demands that all pertinent agents volunteer. Coupled with the fact that only those with psion potential may apply, the number of psion “guinea pigs” is usually quite low at any time — never enough to field test every new invention. Therefore, only the most powerful and potentially dangerous discoveries are handed to field testers; the rest are simply lab-tested and handed down through the ranks for normal field service. Most recently, the Foundation has discovered three new types of psions — energy-controlling “maxims,” temporal masters called “hypers,” and an advanced form of telepath known as a “scanner.” Each of these psion types is represented in Chapter 3 by a new prestige class.

“Fringewalking” The Foundation’s one proprietary mission type is walking the Fringe (see page 68), which encomes all things supernatural, paranormal, and unexplained. Operations determined to be Fringe-related are automatically deferred to the Foundation for review, and by virtue of Dr. Lothario Algernon’s growing information network, at least one of his “fringewalkers” mans all known forays into the world’s often bizarre shadow history. Agent Matches: Fringewalking missions are exclusively the purview of the Foundation’s Nihil division, which recruits agents based on their open-mindedness (Wisdom and like skills) and ability to deal with the unexpected (Charisma and like skills). Most agents assigned to this division eventually receive training in the fringewalker prestige class (see page 50). Standard Gear: Fringewalking missions rarely use “standard issue” equipment (after all, how to you prepare to deal with the unknown?), and gear is thus assigned most often to deal with the mundane surface elements of the operation. For example, an investigation into the disappearance of a political dignitary in a New York subway station might demand forensic gear coupled with the request for a local beat cop (see page 86) or other specialist familiar with the city. Once the disappearances are determined to be the work of earthbound Architects of the Fringe (see page 40), however, or a vindictive lingering spirit (see page 68), the gear required changes significantly — and in many cases becomes unnecessary.

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Agent Recruitment

Standard Gear: PsiTech is likewise field-tested for power and utility, but unlike new psion power developments, most gadgets are no longer assigned to volunteers. Between the current glut of psion developments (precipitated by the psion explosion — see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 55), most gadgets see their first use during missions. Many reckless agents even relish the rush of using a device for the first time, seeking out the newest untested gear during their mission briefings. Game Options: The introduction of psions into an agent team drastically changes the dynamic of play, especially at the prestige class level, where the power scale of disciplines borders on superhuman. But in an age when criminal masterminds are fielding chemical monsters, armies of bound minions, and bioengineered supersoldiers, the need for the psionic edge grows by the day. The Archer Foundation makes fighting such menaces not only a priority but also an obligation, and takes psionic development very seriously. The strongest and fastest physical adepts train at the Australian Chamber, as do the brightest, most unconventional thinkers and the most devastating telepathic prodigies. Eventually, these agents filter through the rest of the Conspiracy, but all of them begin here, at the heart of the Raymond Archer’s vision of global peace.

The European Commonwealth is known for recruiting new espionage operatives into the Conspiracy, but psionic and mystic recruitment falls into the hands of the Archer Foundation. Such recruiting operations generally follow some manifestation of abilities among the civilian ranks of the outside world, and recruiters are often partnered with agents from damage control (see page 26) responsible for covering up the manifestation. An example might be a spirit medium who comes to the attention of the Foundation when a legitimate exorcism is broadcast by a major news agency. In this case, recruitment officers go in to retrieve the medium and offer him the chance to control his gift, while a damage control simultaneously goes to the news agency to offer a reasonable explanation of “what really happened.” PsiScouts: A special branch of the Foundation’s recruitment division focuses on tracking down latent and recently awakened psions. These agents — called PsiScouts — are psions themselves, with the Psionic Sensing skill (see page 62). All PsiScouts are volunteers, and most work alone or in pairs. Occasionally, a PsiScout works with a standard mission team, usually when a target latent is either in mortal danger or hunted by an enemy organization. Some PsiScouts prefer to work as part of a regular team, using their abilities to track enemy psions and other psionic phenomena.

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Archer Foundation Agent Matches: The Foundation looks for sensitive, comionate operatives to its recruitment division, whose Wisdom and Charisma are high and whose personalities do not conflict with any other common “types.” Recruiters must be convincing as well, capable of “selling” the Conspiracy and its benefits — both to the public and to the target himself. Gruff, brash, or impatient agents never work as recruiters. Standard Gear: Gear doesn’t play a vital role in recruitment operations — unless the agent needs a way to quickly convince a target of the impossible, in which case nearly any PsiTech gadget or low-power relic will do the trick. Otherwise, gear is assigned according to the conditions of the recruitment. Game Options: Recruitment missions offer the agents a chance to flex their roleplaying muscles and go on the offensive for once. As with bookkeeping missions, there is usually a clear objective (bringing a target civilian into the fold) and a reasonable path to reaching it. Recruitment missions are most interesting, however, when they feature unexpected challenges. Take, for instance, the latent psion whose manifesting telekinetic abilities have also attracted the Shop. What happens if the target prefers the Shop’s offer? Should the agents try to “save” the psion from the Shop, or use him as a lead back to the mysterious organization?

Agent Matches: Trainers are recruited from all walks of life, but most commonly from the college circuit and ranks of professional technical authors. Both of these careers foster the focused mindset and attention to detail required to train superspies. Though many, if not most, trainers are vastly inferior to their pupils physically, they are almost always mental giants. Only those with the highest Intelligence scores earn this respected position, and scores above 16 often compensate for lower Wisdom and Charisma, resulting in the “hard-ass” professors which agents are so loathe to learn under. Not surprisingly, most trainers begin without a class, never having trained as a spy themselves. Instead, they train spies to have great minds, solve problems quickly and cleanly, and think outside the box. Many trainers eventually “get the itch” though, and opt to learn the ropes in Africa or at one of the other Chambers before returning to earn some field time with the Foundation. Many such agents become the Conspiracy’s finest. Lord Reginald Savage — otherwise known as Argus — is one such individual, having begun his long and illustrious career with Room 39 as a professor of logic and debate. (For more about Argus, see page 152 of the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook.) Standard Gear: Trainers rely mostly on their wits and vast wealth of information to get by, though many are fascinated by PsiTech. Game Options: Playing a trainer — or a team of trainers — can be an interesting distraction from the standard mission pattern. Maybe the agents must work with a team of younger, less experienced pupils in an operation that unexpectedly leaps out of the students’ league (and maybe even out of the trainers’ as well), presenting the agents with the twin responsibilities of solving the problem and protecting their wards at the same time. Industrious agents might even find a few opportunities to continue their students’ training.

Training As discussed under Psion Affairs, above, the Archer Foundation is responsible for much of the Con-spiracy’s training. Agents are routinely assigned to the Lord of Discipline, Nostrum (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 58), who pushes them to their limits in order to prepare them for the worst the world has to offer. More and more frequently, volunteer psions are sent out after they manifest new and untested abilities. The training corps (see page 46) instructs agents in basic espionage knowledge — the application of tradecraft and fieldwork is generally handled at the Lodge in Africa — widening the base of information at their disposal during missions. As with psion testing, skills training often occurs in the field rather than the classroom. There, knowledge can be applied “hands on” and pupils can be evaluated in practice. The Archer Foundation holds field experience higher than nearly any other element of an agent’s background, so many agents venture out into the field in order to improve their positions within the Chamber. Special Note: Many trainers maintain day jobs at the Foundation’s principal front, the Archer Institute for the Sciences. This think tank is a legitimate power in the international scientific community, and often called upon by agencies of world governments such as the Australian CDI (Center for Disease Information), the United Nations, and even SETI (the Search for Extraterrestrial Life) — though the Foundation has yet to uncover any evidence that SETI’s mission will ever succeed.

Keeping the Secret Every Chamber keeps the Conspiracy’s secrets in different ways. The Pan-Asian Collective, for example, protects the Conspiracy through complex deception and mind games. The Company uses brute force, or political leverage. Room 39 identifies leaks and surgically excises them with well-oiled special forces strikes. The Archer Foundation, on the other hand, likes to keep things simple. It relies primarily on the strength of its own agents, avoiding the established government channels that the other Chambers rely upon. They eschew violence, and whenever possible, resort to plausible cover stories. Foundation teams are known to set up several cover identities and all associate paperwork before leaving the home office, each of which is broadly applicable to many situations. Common cover stories include feature article writers for major magazines, cartogra-

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Agent phers for various organizations, traveling scholars, and corporate trouble-shooters (the last of whom are ignored simply because their occupation is boring). Agents of the Archer Foundation rarely use a heavy hand, and don’t request cover stories that demand they do so. Few pose as government agents, for instance, since such blatant power brokering simply draws too much attention for their tastes.

one of its many well-respected national front companies, effectively offering them a form of “legal immunity” within Australian borders. Only once has any police official been introduced to the Conspiracy’s true scope and purpose, with disastrous results. Following a mastermind attack on Perth, the Commissioner of Emergency Services, Samuel Frantz, was brought into the fold. He served the Conspiracy loyally for many years until his capture last year by the Shop. In a failed attempt to create a reliable mole within the Foundation’s back yard, they accidentally wiped Frantz’s mind, leaving him a babbling husk in a mental institution. Since then, all operatives of the Foundation are prohibited from revealing the protectorate to high-profile specialists. Possible Assistance: Foundation agents gain the following benefits when dealing with Australian law enforcement (assuming they can establish their affiliation with one of the Chamber's front companies):

M ISSION RESOURCES The Foundation has many resources at its disposal, from powerful allies to protocols safeguarding agents to amazing discoveries put to practical use for the good of the Conspiracy. The Chamber’s information and personnel network is global in scope and frighteningly versatile. All of this is available to field agents with the right connections. The description of each Foundation resource is followed by a “Possible Assistance” entry, which describes a few ways that agents can call upon the resource during play. This list is far from exhaustive, and players should be encouraged to come up with new and more inventive uses for existing resources. GCs should likewise feel free to create new resources for the Foundation in their own games.

• Weapons restrictions are almost entirely lifted for Foundation agents. When an agent is taken into custody for possession of a firearm, he gains an automatic favor check (DC 10 for pistols and 15 for rifles, SMGs, or shotguns). The agent need not spend an action die to make this favor check, though the check may only be made once. With success, he is released within 1d4 hours and his weapon is returned to him. • Australian police often look the other way when Foundation agents ask politely. This requires a successful favor check (DC 10 if there is only the suspicion of a crime, or 15 if the police are certain of illegal activities). This ability may be activated either before or after a crime is committed. This requires with an ally within the Australian police force, and 1d2 hours to set up if handled before the crime takes place.

Allied Agencies and their Perks The Archer Foundation maintains many allies both inside and outside the borders of its local shadow community, mostly focusing on government bodies and police services. Though agents rarely use these agencies as host cells (preferring not to draw the attention gained for government affiliation), they will call upon them in times of need — especially when they run afoul of local or international laws.

• Foundation agents may perform minor infractions without police response or sanction (no favor check or action die expenditure is required).

Australian Law Enforcement

Australian Security and Intelligence Organization (ASIO)

The Archer Foundation keeps the Australian law enforcement agencies well placated, ensuring that most of its agents can move about freely, unfettered by speeding tickets, jail stays, and other trivial delays. This is especially true in Canberra, where several of the Lords are personal friends with police commissioners, judges, and other of the constabulary. Highranking law enforcement officials receive gifts and special indulgences… and in some cases contraband gained through the Foundation’s black market s, or information about personal or political rivals. Australian law enforcement is not aware of the Foundation’s true purpose, or even its existence. Rather, the Foundation sets its agents up with credentials from

Once sanctioned by its own government, Australia’s counterintelligence organization now owes its near unilateral power to the Archer Conspiracy. In return, the ASIO grants the Foundation and it’s allied Chambers many special favors and allowances on Australian soil and occasionally abroad. NPCs: The ASIO’s current head of electronic security is David McCullough (see page 32). McCullough works as a freelance specialist for the Archer Foundation on occasion. Agents requesting computer-related assistance in Australia may encounter him, and Foundation agents who succeed with an education check (DC 15) know of his exploits and where to find him.

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Archer Foundation Possible Assistance: Foundation agents may call upon the following favors from allied personnel of the ASIO, assuming their good standing with the Conspiracy is confirmed. Each requires with the home office or an ally within the ASIO, and 1d12 hours to set up.

McCullough, David Codename: SPOILER Archer Identity Number: 61-393127-48 Nationality: Australian Gender: Male Handedness: Right Height: 5’11” Weight: 170 lbs. Eyes: Blue Hair: Blonde Psion Class: Non-latent Place of Birth: Sydney, Australia Date of Birth: 1963.10.30 Distinguishing Characteristics: Mole on left cheek.

• Foundation agents may seek out Conspiracy allies within the ASIO to gain dossiers about known criminals, spies, and government figures stationed in or traveling through the Australian Commonwealth. This requires a favor check (DC 5 + the target NPC’s agent level), and with success, provides a record of the NPC’s arrival and departure dates, place(s) of residence in the country, and all known data about their activities (especially if they are known to be involved in crimes of any kind).

Background A brilliant computer specialist, McCullough was one of ASIO’s first recruits once the Foundation arranged for all intelligence gathering restrictions to be lifted (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 54). Renowned among the Australian hacker community for years, McCullough is known as something of a “cyberspace vigilante.” Until his recruitment, he monitored hundreds of hacker message boards, chat rooms, and mailing lists, watching for anyone who bragged about their next target. When he identified someone, he would “piggy-back” into the system behind them, steal what data he liked, and plant evidence to lead the police to the other hacker’s doorstep. McCullough’s activities made him a pariah in the hacker community, but he persevered. By 1999, he was responsible for the apprehension of over thirty hackers, and the entire time the authorities couldn’t even produce his name. Then, in February of 1999, everything changed. One of his marks turned out to be a past victim who had been released from jail. The rival hacker planted a virus that tagged McCullough’s computer, leading the police back to him instead. Caught in his own web, McCullough was arrested and imprisoned pending trial. Shortly after his arrest, however, McCullough was approached by an ASIO recruiter who had heard of his online exploits, and offered a deal: work for the ASIO, doing the same job he’d already done for years, and he could walk. It wasn’t much of a choice. Ironically, McCullough’s first job was to crack ASIO’s own computer system, as a test of ASIO’s own security measures. His superiors gave him a week to complete the task; he did it in a day. He was immediately placed in charge of upgrading ASIO’s systems and tightening electronic security.

• Foundation agents may convince the ASIO to flag a foreign ambassador stationed in Australia or a visiting government official as a potential spy. This effectively relegates complaints from the targeted official into a quagmire of ”things to do,” and greatly slows official government response, allowing the agents to harass the official with near impunity. This requires a favor check (DC equal to the official’s Bureaucracy skill), modified by the official's position and whether the agents request the assistance before or after the harassment ensues: Condition The guest is part of diplomatic staff The guest is a diplomatic aide The guest is a known dignitary* Request for assistance is made before harassment ensues Request for assistance is made after harassment ensues

DC Modifier –2 +0 +5 –2 +5

* This type of guest includes ambassadors and visiting high-ranking government officials. For the purposes of Bureaucracy skill use, treat staffers as low-level management, aides as middle management, and dignitaries as upper management. All normal DCs, modifiers, and effects for these levels of target NPC apply. • The ultimate use of the ASIO is to revoke a target official's diplomatic immunity, allowing for them to be arrested, jailed, and tried as a normal civilian visitor to Australia. This is a very complicated and risky procedure, and often backfires. When an agent team wishes to call in this type of favor, they must succeed with a favor check (DC 20). Failure reveals the ASIO's corrupt actions; to protect the organization and the Foundation, the ASIO operative working with the agents is burned (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 209) and the ASIO refuses to work with the agents for the remainder of the current sea-

David McCullough, 5th-level snoop/6th-level hacker. CR 11. SZ M; v/wp: 53/10; Init +8 (+7 class, +1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; Def +6 (+6 class, +1 Dex); Atk: Beretta Model 92FS +6 (1d10+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +6; Str 12, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 8; Skills: Bluff +8, Bureaucracy +6, Computers +17, Concentration +7, Cryptography +17, Cultures +5, Driver +2, Gather Information +6, Sense Motive +8, Spot +5, Surveillance +12. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Mathematical Genius), Mathematical Genius, Quick Use (Computers). Gear: Weapons, laptop (custom-built system, power rating +6), various software and viruses. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

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Agent son. With a critical failure, an international crisis erupts, and the entire ASIO division working with the agents is burned. All future favor checks the agent team makes with the ASIO suffer a –5 modifier. This modifier is cumulative if the agents are responsible for multiple ASIO divisions being burned (i.e. they suffer critical failures when attempting to lift the diplomatic immunity of multiple foreign officials).

Sterling, Leigh Codename: INK Archer Identity Number: 74-009849-12 Nationality: United States of America Gender: Female Handedness: Right Height: 5’7” Weight: 115 lbs. Eyes: Hazel Hair: Red Psion Class: Non-latent Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.A. Date of Birth: 1973.10.11 Distinguishing Characteristics: Lightly freckled.

For more about the ASIO, see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 54.

Australian Security Intelligence Service (ASIS) The Archer Foundation relies heavily upon the ASIS to its operations abroad, and most of the agent teams it fields, with or without the assistance of the other Chambers, are filtered through the ASIS's global spy network. Within areas where it maintains a presence — the United States, Britain, Europe, and Asia — the ASIS can provide advanced reconnaissance, cover identities, and while on Australian soil, military . Possible Assistance: Foundation agents may call upon the following favors from allied personnel of the ASIS, assuming their good standing with the Conspiracy is confirmed. Each requires with the home office or an ally within the ASIS, and 1d6 hours to set up.

Background After a brief stint as an investigative journalist, Leigh Sterling discovered that while she greatly enjoyed the investigative side of her profession, the journalism wasn’t quite as much fun. That in mind, she resigned her position at the New York Times and went looking for more fulfilling work. Thanks largely to the fact that she had not yet developed a reputation in journalistic circles, yet possessed a keen reporter’s instinct, she was quickly snapped up by IRIS (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, pages 54–55, and page 34 of this book). She quickly distinguished herself as a thorough and competent investigator, and her well-ordered and methodical approach to each assignment has earned many accolades from her superiors. Sterling abhors unanswered questions, and quickly developed a reputation for resolving loose ends among IRIS files — even those that had been hanging for years prior to her employment. This penchant eventually led her to discover IRIS’s many links to the Archer Institute for the Sciences, and persistent digging revealed a part of the global spy network. Fortunately, Sterling was already being considered for recruitment when she learned of the Foundation, and her initiative confirmed her ability, securing a position for her in the protectorate. The Foundation’s promise to her was simple: so long as she kept her position at IRIS, acting as the liaison between the organizations and ferreting information out for them, she would receive access to data she could never hope to obtain otherwise. Sterling quickly agreed, and has worked as a specialist in this capacity for several years now. Despite her almost single-minded pursuit of the truth, Sterling considers her own ethics and morals sacred. She will not commit an illegal act, and pursues her investigations using strictly legal means.

• Foundation agents may request information about a mission area before their arrival. This requires a favor check (DC 15). With success, 1d3 ASIS operatives will scout an area not farther than one hour's drive (80 miles) from their post or the nearest major metropolitan area. These operatives prepare a report for the agents, which may be retrieved in person or highlighted over a phone call (a secure line for this conversation requires special preparation). The report contains a general description of the area, including any obvious personnel, defenses, and unusual external features. The ASIS operatives will not enter an occupied complex or risk an armed confrontation during the recon mission. • Foundation agents may request cover identities to be prepared by the ASIS, either before their arrival in an area with an ASIS presence, or during an operation in such a region. These cover identities are usually created as phantom personnel working on actual ASIS projects in the area, and phone calls, email, and other inquiries about them are rerouted to the central ASIS station in the area (and the Foundation's allies there). In person, the cover identity paperwork stands up against scrutiny according to the rules for Forgery (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 53). The ASIS forgers are assumed to have a skill bonus equal to the team's average agent level. This requires a favor check (DC 15).

Leigh Sterling, 2nd-level snoop/3rd-level sleuth. CR 5. SZ M; v/wp: 40/14; Init +3 (+3 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def +4 (+4 class); Atk: None; Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +8; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 16; Skills: Bluff +8, Computers +4, Cultures +8, Diplomacy +9, Gather Information +10, Intimidate +9, Languages +4, Listen +7, Profession (Journalist) +9, Search +8, Sense Motive +8, Spot +8. Feats: The Look, Persuasive. Gear: PDA, professional-grade camera. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

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Archer Foundation • While in Australia and neighboring nations, Foundation agents may request military from the ASIS, in the form of the Australian SAS (a derivative cousin of the famed British SAS). This requires a favor check (DC 15). With success, the agents gain the of one Australian SAS operative (a 2nd-level mercenary — see page 83), plus one additional operative for every 5 they beat the DC by. (For example, a favor check or 25 would earn the agents a team of three ing SAS operatives). These operatives perform one simple operation (off-screen), which may be no longer than one scene in length; thereafter, they return to their standard missions/posts. The operatives will not break Australian laws or commit murder for the agents (though they will defend themselves with lethal force if necessary to survive an attack). For the purposes of the disposition and morale rules, the operatives are friendly with the agents. Agents should be careful only to activate this ability when absolutely necessary, as it often backfires. Failure with the favor check reveals the “misuse of Australian military resources;” to protect the organization and the Foundation, the ASIS operative working with the agents is burned (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 209) and the ASIS refuses to work with the agents for the remainder of the current season. With a critical failure, an international crisis erupts, and the entire ASIS division working with the agents is burned. All future favor checks the agent team makes with the ASIS suffer a –5 modifier. This modifier is cumulative if the agents are responsible for burning multiple ASIS divisions (i.e. they suffer critical failures when attempting to utilize SAS troops).

Possible Assistance: Foundation agents may call upon the following favors from allied personnel of IRIS, assuming their good standing with the Conspiracy is confirmed. Each requires with the home office or an ally within IRIS. • Foundation agents may request a financial profile of any company, person, or government-contracted business. This requires a favor check (DC 15) and 1d12 hours to set up. With success, the agent receives two critical pieces of information — the target's holdings (including any subsidiary companies or employees) and whether the target serves as a front for another company or person. Additional information about the target my be requested — each question requires an additional favor check (DC 10-20), unless the GC determines that the information desired is part of the original profile. • When in communication with IRIS, a team of Foundation agents may automatically succeed with one Education check of their choice relating to the outside world (i.e., non-Conspiracy, non-shadow community/history, or like enemy information). The information may be FAXed, phoned, or emailed to IRIS, and takes 1d6 hours to generate a response. This ability may only be used once per mission. For more about IRIS, see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, pages 54–55.

INTERPOL With the help of INTERPOL, the Foundation tracks criminal activities worldwide. This usually doesn't assist their efforts to counter criminal masterminds and their inner circle — most of whom operate outside the law — but is a great help in tracking and capturing their minions and public allies. Possible Assistance: If a criminal's current location is known, a Foundation agent may tip off INTERPOL with a phone call. This tip may be placed anonymously, and requires a simple Bluff skill (DC 10). In addition, Foundation agents may call upon the following favors from allied personnel of INTERPOL, assuming their good standing with the Conspiracy is confirmed. Each requires with the home office or an ally within INTERPOL, and unless otherwise stated, 1d2 hours to set up.

For more about the ASIS, see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 54.

International Reporting and Information Service (IRIS) The New York-based data collection hub known as IRIS catalogues world events, political and social cycles, cultural trends, technological developments, financial curves, museum exhibits, and any other data they can get their hands on. This makes them an invaluable mission resource to the Foundation. Early on, only the home office relied upon IRIS, and obtaining information from the service was limited to periods when one of the Conspiracy's few allies were on site and unobserved. Today, however, enough of the IRIS staff is loyal to the Foundation to facilitate most agent requests with ease. NPCs: The current liaison between the Archer Foundation and IRIS is Leigh Sterling (see page 33). Leigh is well aware of the Foundation’s true purpose, and effectively acts as a full-fledged agent operating outside the standard channels of the Conspiracy. Agents utilizing IRIS resources will undoubtedly encounter her.

• Foundation agents may request one criminal's record. This requires a favor check (DC 10). With success, the agent gains a list of every arrest, acquittal, and conviction for the criminal in question, as well as any additional information that is part of his sealed record (e.g. psychological assessments, last known location, and known allies).

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Agent • Foundation agents may modify one criminal's record, adding new crimes, deleting recorded ones, or changing other information. This requires a favor check (DC 1520, as determined by the GC) and 1d12 hours to set up.

Intimidate check (as determined by the GC), which is opposed by the target's Diplomacy, Disguise, Hide, or Intimidate check (as determined by the GC). This opposed skill check is made normally even though the agents and their target may not know each others' location — the totals represent the parties' comparable influence over elements of the local shadow community. Each other agent in the team may cooperate per the standard rules (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 39), as may allies of the target. A physical description of the target must be provided; if it is accompanied by an accurate run-down of the target’s likely activities, the team gains a +2 bonus to its total skill check. This bonus is applied only once, not once per agent involved. Agents may also use this ability to locate an object they believe is in the area — in this case, the team's skill check is opposed by the person or persons in possession of the object.

Local Shadow Communities The Archer Foundation has great sway over the shadow communities through Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, the Malay Peninsula, and all encoming areas. Local spies, smugglers, unaligned groups, and other unseen elements within these areas simply understand that to pierce the Cloak or impede Foundation operations risks retribution from the Chamber. Most neutral shadows try to cooperate with Foundation agents, or stay out of their way. Those who do not risk isolation, harassment, and imprisonment at the very least. Possible Assistance: Foundation agents may call upon the following effects within the Australian shadow community, assuming their affiliation with the Conspiracy is confirmed. Unless otherwise stated, each requires 1d12 hours to set up, during which the agent is negotiating with local spies, informants, and other inhabitants of the Australian espionage circuit.

• Foundation agents may attempt to turn the bulk of the local shadow communities against someone, making it more difficult for him or her to operate in the area. This is a concentrated effort that does not require a favor check; instead, it imposes a –4 circumstance penalty to all of the agent's other favor checks in the area while the ability is in use. During this time, the target suffers a –4 penalty to all of his favor and disposition checks within the local shadow communities. His terrain and overland movement rates are also cut in half (rounding up), representing the constant interference from local

• Foundation agents may put the word out that they're looking for someone they believe to be in the local shadow communities. One agent generates a Diplomacy or

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Archer Foundation shadows and time spent hiding to avoid detection. This ability may only target one person, but this person may be anyone, including a member of the shadow community or a former ally of the agents. The GC may require one or more Diplomacy or Intimidate checks if the target is well-liked within the local shadow communities.

and dimensions (smaller than a standard briefcase), transported within one of these pouches. Only the UN keeps a record of the pouch, and even then its contents are listed as “classified.” Physical documents or items to be transported must be delivered to a UN office, though electronic information may simply be emailed to one of the Foundation's UN s (this is faster, but much less secure, and may result in someone intercepting the email and stealing the information). A diplomatic pouch arrives at its destination within one day (1d20+4 hours), and is assumed to be safe unless the GC determines otherwise (e.g. that the courier is attacked, or happens upon an unexpected situation, such as a plane hijacking or a flash-riot). No favor or skill check is required to activate this ability, but it may only be used once per mission, and the UN s cannot know the contents of the pouch, or the circumstances of its transport.

• Foundation agents may gather “the word on the street” — gossip and rumors — about one particular subject. This requires a Diplomacy or Intimidate check and 1d2 hours to set up. The DC of the agents' skill check is either 10-20 (per the GC, if the subject of the inquiry is not attempting to hide within the community) or opposed by the subject's Diplomacy, Disguise, Hide, or Intimidate check (per the GC, if the subject is applying pressure within the shadow community to keep others from speaking about him). This opposed skill check is made normally even though the agents and their target may not know each others' location — the totals represent the parties' comparable influence over elements of the local shadow community. Each other agent in the team may cooperate per the standard rules (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 39), as may allies of the target.

• Foundation agents may call upon UN allies to arrange clandestine meetings with dignitaries and other political figures. Once per mission the agents may make a favor check (DC equal to the agent level of the person to be met). modified as follows: Condition Low-level diplomat (e.g. governor) Dignitary (e.g. senator) World leader (e.g. President) Topic of meeting is described as something the political figure is intensely interested in Topic of meeting is described as something the political figure is moderately interested in Topic of meeting is described as something the political figure is mildly interested in Agents demand to meet at a place and time of their own choosing* Agents demand that no guards be present Agents demand to bring weapons of their own*

The Rest of the World The Archer Conspiracy’s founders situated their central Chamber in Australia in part to avoid the obvious turmoil growing everywhere else in the world. This decision has protected the Foundation from much of the upheaval that plagues every other Chamber, and allows it to operate unfettered by governmental intrigue in its own back yard. Unfortunately, this has also distanced the Foundation from much of the rest of the world, spreading their connections and resources quite thin.

The United Nations Australia's intelligence organizations have an unfortunate history with UN member nations — particularly the U.S., which has suffered a number of public scandals in the last 20 years when their secrets were leaked by treacherous Australian operatives. But the Foundation, which has no such public connection to the UN, maintains a healthy relationship with the world's diplomatic leaders, and often calls upon them in times of need. Possible Assistance: Foundation agents may call upon the following favors from allied personnel of the United Nations, assuming their good standing with the Conspiracy is confirmed. Each requires with the home office or an ally within the UN, and 1d6 hours to set up.

DC Modifier +0 +4 +8 –2

+0

+2

+5 +5 +5

* If the check succeeds without this modifier, the GC may rule that the political figure agrees to meet with the agents, but only if this condition is lifted. With success, a meeting is arranged within the next three days. The agents' UN s refuse to mediate or be involved in any way other than to set the meeting up. They will not provide protection during the meeting.

• The UN sends hundreds, if not thousands, of diplomatic pouches across the world every month. Foundation agents can arrange to have up to 100 pages or printed material, up to ten CDs, or any object of like thickness

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Agent South America

cause (or to the money and other perks the Foundation can provide). Private jets and cargo planes are kept at all major airports — including all those featured on page 223 of the Spycraft Espionage Handbook and hundreds more) — with pilots and crew on call nearby. personnel (i.e. those who help the plane take off from the ground) are not always available, however — the GC may at any time spend and roll one action die to delay a flight's takeoff by a number of hours equal to the total. Possible Assistance: Foundation agents may call upon the following favors from the Foundation's private airline, assuming their good standing with the Conspiracy is confirmed. Each requires with the home office.

The Foundation's interests in South America are limited to ensuring that no villainous elements take advantage of the weak Conspiracy efforts in the area. They dedicate only a few personnel and resources to this goal, and their ability to assist agents in the area is consequently limited. Still, Foundation agents can expect a degree of here. Possible Assistance: Foundation agents may call upon the following effects while in populated areas of South America, assuming their good standing with the Conspiracy is confirmed. Each requires with the home office or an ally within South America. • The Archer Foundation keeps a number of guides and translators on retainer throughout South America, which agents may call upon for assistance when needed. This requires no favor check, but 1d4 hours must be spent ing the specialist and the agents must pay all costs incurred while with the specialist - including feeding and rooming the specialist himself. Guides are professionals (see page 87) and translators are academics (see page 81). Both have a level equal to half the average agent level of the team (rounded down). Only one guide and one translator may be requested per visit to the South American continent, though the agents may seek out and hire a second or more using traditional channels (i.e. talking to the locals and using local s the agents know personally). Each guide and translator remains with the agents for the duration of the team's stay in South America or one month, whichever comes first, and will not fight for or with them, or otherwise endure undue hardship.

• When in a major city, Foundation agents may arrange to travel to any other major city without cost. This requires 1d2 hours to set up, plus any time the GC adds with his action dice. Actual travel time is calculated as normal (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 223). • When in a major city, Foundation agents may arrange to transport any object or package up to Large size and up to 2 tons in weight to any other major city without cost. This requires 1d2 hours to set up, plus any time the GC adds with his action dice. Actual travel time is calculated as normal (see Spycraft Espionage Handbook,

Foundation Modifiers When Abroad Foundation agents are well liked in some shadow communities around the world, but in others… Apply the following modifiers to all disposition checks made with a shadow of the respective community, so long as the agent is known to work for the Archer Foundation. These modifiers are ignored when dealing with those outside the world’s shadow communities, and with those who don’t know the agent’s true allegiance. Special Note: GCs should apply these modifiers to standard NPCs who work as agents or specialists for the Chambers in each region as well.

• Foundation agents may requisition gear without restriction in South America, and need not make any favor checks to arrange for it to be delivered (or air-dropped) into even the most remote locations on the continent. Gear, gadgets, and vehicles requisitioned near major cities arrive in the standard time (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, pages 24 and 106), but items requisitioned away from major cities arrive in 1 hour per 4 BP or 1 GP spent. When combined with the fixer's procure ability, this speeds up the process even further — the items requisitioned arrive in 1 hour per 5 BP or 2 GP spent.

Region Africa Asia Australia/Iceland Europe (Fade territory) Europe (Gemeinschafft territory) The Middle East The Russian Federation South America The United Kingdom The United States

Front Companies The Archer Foundation hides behind hundreds of front companies, most of which hide behind hundreds more. The following are three of these companies commonly called upon to assist agents in the field.

Private Airline The Foundation keeps this unnamed private shuttling service off the books, relying on pilots, air traffic controllers, and flight and ground crews loyal to the

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Modifier +2 –2 +4 +2 –3 –2 –4 +0 +3 +0

Archer Foundation page 223). The agents must separately arrange for pickup at the other end of the flight, though the airline can store the object for up to 24 hours without chance of detection. Thereafter, the GC should roll 1d20 each day. If the roll is less than the number of days the object has been stored, it is discovered by unaligned personnel at the airport, with results determined by the GC.

Possible Assistance: Foundation agents may call upon the following favors from Safe Haven, assuming their good standing with the Conspiracy is confirmed. Each simply requires that the agents show up at a Safe Haven resort. • Foundation agents may simply show up at any Safe Haven resort — with or without calling ahead — and demand a safe house. The staff immediately sneaks the team into an empty rental without charge or fuss. The GC may spend an action die to rule that all the resort houses are rented, in which case the agents are kept in a staff member's home (which doesn't feature the improved security or luxuries described above). The agents may stay as long as they like, though the GC should keep track of which enemies know of their location, and what they do about it.

Safe Haven Resorts The worldwide five-star Safe Haven Resort hotel chain can be found in every major city in the world. Privately owned by the Vision Enterprises Corporation, which is in turn a front company for Foundation land development projects, Safe Haven is more a series of converted condominiums than hotels. Each Safe Haven unit consists of two to four bedrooms (each with a private bath), a communal living room, patio, dining room, jacuzzi, and atrium, and reinforced walls (hardness 6 with 20 wound points), doors (hardness 7 with 20 wound points and a Break DC of 20), and windows (hardness 3 with 20 wound points and a Break DC of 18). Each resort room stands independently from the rest on a one-half acre plot of land meticulously landscaped for physical beauty as well as excellent concealment from all angles (one-half concealment for those not trying to hide, and one-half to total concealment, per the GC, for those trying to stay out of sight). A private carport is located at the back of each resort house and each Safe Haven resort features a private helipad easily accessed by all houses. With so many spectacular features — and a nightly price tag in the thousands of dollars — only the idle rich and cultural elite can stay here, but Foundation agents may call upon Safe Haven at any time during missions.

• While at a Safe Haven resort house or employee's home, the agents may request medical attention. Within 1d2 hours, a doctor loyal to the Conspiracy arrives with all the supplies and assistance (i.e. nurses and surgeons) needed to treat the team's wounds. This increases healing to triple the normal rate, the same as for hospitalization (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 179). The doctor and nurses remain until the agent is healed or leaves the resort.

Straight Arrow Pest Control (See Page 43) Technically, the cleaner organization that operates behind the Straight Arrow Pest Control front company is a group of loyal specialists, not a division of the Foundation. They were founded outside the Conspiracy and have no obligation to follow the Foundation's orders. They assist the Foundation because their own goals match those of the Conspiracy… for now. Regardless, their current goodwill toward the Foundation offers agents of the Australian Chamber several distinct benefits. Possible Assistance: Foundation agents may call upon the following favors from Straight Arrow Pest Control, assuming their good standing with the Conspiracy is confirmed. Each requires with the home office or Straight Arrow. • Straight Arrow's primary function is “cleaning” (that is, scouring an area free of incriminating evidence and convincing witnesses that they saw some-

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Agent thing different after an operation has been botched). Foundation agents are authorized to activate Straight Arrow if one of their operations goes bad, but each time they do so they must be sure that bringing in more outsiders won't further jeopardize the Cloak. Also, they must be ready to hand the operation off, as Straight Arrow has the right to assume total control over an operation once summoned. When a Foundation agent decides to call in Straight Arrow, he dials an unlisted phone number, gives a (that changes once each day), and describes the situation. He must then make a favor check (DC 5-30, as determined by the GC, with lowest numbers assigned to the worst situations and highest assigned to situations the agents should be taking care of themselves). With success, a Straight Arrow team arrives in 1d2 hours and takes over the mission. The GC should use the rules on page 75 to determine the Straight Arrow team's composition. The agents are relieved and directed to return to the home office for debriefing. Should they stay on, they risk severe reprimand from their superiors unless their subsequent actions benefit everyone involved (including any local civilians). GC Note: The home office may also call in Straight Arrow (without making a favor check) at any time, with the same results described above.

Foundation Information Sources Finally, the Archer Foundation has developed many resources intentionally geared to field operations. Agents may call upon the following sources at any time during their investigations.

The Archive The Foundation's repository for all information collected about the Conspiracy, shadow history, and their enemies resides on a supercomputer located in the bowels of the Archer Institute for the Sciences. The computer is linked to every Foundation terminal in the building, but is not used by anyone other than Foundation operatives seeking information relative to their current assignments (most unaligned civilians working at the facility don't even know it exists). The Archive is also connected to the Internet (so that agents in the field can make use of it), and is protected by powerful firewalls and anti-virus software. The Archive has a power rating of 12, has all available peripherals, and is equipped with all available software (save viruses). Possible Assistance: The Foundation's massive collection of data both mundane and connected to the shadow history can be brought to bear by phoning, emailing, or text messaging to the central archive with a list of nouns and adjectives. 1d6 hours later, every bit of unrestricted information within the Archive related to any of the words (or combinations thereof) is sent back to the agent, either by FAX, email, or text message. The agent determines the method of information delivery during each mission briefing, but a different method may be chosen by adding a keyword to the message sent. When in communication with the Archive, a team of Foundation agents may automatically succeed with one Education check of their choice relating to the Conspiracy, shadow communities/history, and like enemy information. This ability may only be used once per mission.

• Though not entirely their specialty, Straight Arrow may be called upon to extract agents trapped behind enemy lines, within enemy structures, jailed, or otherwise detained. When requesting this type of assistance, the agents must make a favor check (DC 15), modified by the level of opposition Straight Arrow is likely to meet and the chance of exposure: Condition Opposition is light (county jail, lightly populated criminal complex) Opposition is moderate (city jail, well-staffed and well-armed criminal complex) Opposition is heavy (federal penitentiary, criminal complex with well-armed army) Chance of exposure is low (no civilians known to be in the area) Chance of exposure is moderate (few civilians known to be in the area) Chance of exposure is high (many civilians known to be in the area)

DC Modifier –2 +0

+5

The Mysteries Long before the Pact, Conrad Archer traveled to Australia and other parts abroad. Some of these excursions were made as part of Room 39 operations; others were personal, part of Conrad's quest to unravel the secrets of his powers (and avoid losing control to them). During one such journey, he encountered a tribe of aborigines with preternatural understanding of the mystic world. These aborigines demonstrated remarkable ability to dominate Conrad, canceling the effects of his psion abilities and rendering him entirely normal for short periods of time. Conrad remained with the aborigines for many months, and returned to see them several

–2 +0 +5

With success, a Straight Arrow team arrives in 1d2 hours, springs the agents, delivers them to a safe location within 10 miles, and leave.s The GC should use the rules on page 75 to determine the Straight Arrow team's composition. He may also wish to run the scene in which the agents are sprung, using the normal combat rules.

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Archer Foundation Possible Assistance: Foundation agents may call upon the following favors from Overwatch, assuming their good standing with the Conspiracy is confirmed. Each requires with the home office.

times before his disappearance at the end of World War II. He named them “the Mysteries" due to the wealth of information they provided about the nature and origins of psionics and mystic power, and though he never shared much of this information with anyone else, he made provisions for allies to visit the Mysteries for spiritual assistance. Like all elements of the mystic world, the Mysteries are scoffed at by most Foundation personnel (including most Lords), but agents who are believers, or assigned to the Chamber's Nihil division (see page 104) may be inclined to tap them as a potential resource. Possible Assistance: Foundation agents may call upon the following favors from the Mysteries, assuming their good standing with the Conspiracy is confirmed. Each requires direct the Mysteries (who live in a remote part of the Australian Outback).

• Foundation agents may request satellite photos to be taken of a specific location. This requires a favor check (DC 15) and 1d4+1 hours to set up (which includes the time needed to position a satellite or wait for one to fall into the proper alignment). The agents must specify the scale of the shot they desire (10 feet, 100 feet, 1,000 feet, 1 mile, or 10 miles), as well as a landmark within the 10 by 10 foot square at the center of the shot. The shots may be FAXed, emailed, or delivered by hand, per the agents' request. • Foundation agents may request a secure audio or video feed. This requires a favor check (DC 15) and 1d2 hours to set up. The resulting communication line is completely immune to surveillance, and cannot be bugged, traced, or tapped. The agents must provide their own audio or video transmitters, as this favor only provides the broadcast signal.

• The Mysteries are well versed with the lingering spirits of the dead, which they frequently encounter during forays into the Dreamtime (their name for the Fringe). They are immune to the effects of lingering spirits' otherworldly wail and chilling touch abilities (see pages 72–73), and can this immunity on to agents who them in a spiritual dreamwalk (a ceremony in which all participants fall into a deep meditative trance and regain their mystic “center”). This requires a favor check (DC 20) and if successful, 1d4+2 hours to complete, during which time all participants, including the Mys-teries, are helpless. For this reason, alert sentries are generally assigned to protect dreamwalking Mysteries and their guests. The immunity granted by a dreamwalk fades after 2d10+4 hours.

E NEMIES OF THE F OUNDATION The Archer Foundation has many, many enemies, due in part to its position at the center of the global protectorate. This section focuses on external enemies — those foes that agent teams are most likely to contend with during missions. It is also limited to the most pressing enemies known at this time. New enemies are described, while enemies previously presented are updated, including any events that have happened and new information that has been discovered since the first episode of the SFA Interactive campaign (released with the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook). Foundation plans and priorities are also included for each, as well as notes for the GC, detailing our intent with each enemy and the location of ing information.

• For reasons still unknown to the Foundation, the Mysteries' home and hunting grounds are protected from Fringe incursions. No Fringe effects occur in the area except for feats used by the Mysteries themselves, and the Fringe cannot physically manifest there (see page 73), though ghosts can still visit. This makes the tribes' homeland the perfect refuge from the Architects of the Fringe and their schemes. The Mysteries are glad to shelter agents from the Fringe for up to two weeks, but they will not tolerate the agents using their home as a base of operations, or help to combat the Architects or other mystic opponents unless they are attacked themselves (and then only to defend themselves).

The Architects of the Fringe Code: None (Black within the Nihil division — see page 110) The result of an early (and misguided) Conspiracy experiment, the Architects are a distant, brooding enemy unknown to most of the Foundation. The original Conspiracy project — codenamed SILENT SPECTRE — was considered nothing more than an attempt to render the protectorate’s operatives physically invisible (see page 99 for more about this project). Privately, however, the Foundation pioneers behind SILENT SPECTRE

Overwatch Linked to ECHELON, CARNIVORE, and most military, news, and public satellite systems orbiting the Earth, the Archer Conspiracy's Overwatch network can be used in a great many ways during missions. Two of the most popular follow.

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Agent had a different agenda — they were attempting to physically project themselves into the Fringe (see page 68). Delirious with their own arrogant ambition, the cabal of scientists truly believed they could conquer death, tapping untold power for the new global protectorate, and themselves. But SILENT SPECTRE didn’t go as they anticipated. Instead of rendering a small number of test subjects invisible, the first trial seemingly annihilated the entire building within which the experiment was conducted. The Archer Foundation deemed SILENT SPECTRE an abject failure and closed the books on it, splitting up and burying what little hard evidence still existed. No one spoke of the project again, nor was it referred to in any official documents, for nearly fifty years. Today, only one man in the entire Archer Conspiracy knows the truth about what really happened to Project: SILENT SPECTRE — Dr. Lothario Algernon, otherwise known as “Chance” and “the Lord of Superstition,” and head of the Foundation’s private division of paranormal spook hunters. Publicly, Dr. Algernon handles agents assigned to missions no other Chamber save the Guardians are prepared to face — those involving the little-understood mystic world. Privately, he watches for the threat lingering just out of sight — the Architects still trapped in the Fringe by their own experiment. He watches for their incursions into the physical world, waiting for the chance to stop them once and for all. Foundation Plans and Priorities: Formally none, though Dr. Algernon knows the real danger the Architects pose, and will stop at nothing to defeat them. Algernon understands that their control over the Fringe has been growing for nearly fifty years, and that they now dominate many of what laymen term “ghosts.” While he understands that the Architects desire only to control the physical world from the outside, he also knows that they have little compunction with destroying parts of it that don’t fall in line with their bizarre, long-reaching goals. He knows all this because he was once one of them. (For more about Dr. Lothario Algernon and the Architects of the Fringe, see pages 112 and 117). GC Resources: The Architects of the Fringe have been expressly created as a GC “tinker-toy.” Though they appear in the official SFA Interactive campaign, they are largely unconnected to the central plotlines, and their story will never be officially resolved. Nor will they be dealt with extensively outside this book. The Architects are designed as an open-ended storyline with a beginning and an end, but no middle, so that GCs can do with them as they please. We have provided a threat for them in this book (page 117), as well as extensive background and resource material (mostly in Chapter 4) and rules for the Fringe (starting on page 68). GCs are encouraged to use this threat to develop their own masterminds,

henchmen, and minions in the physical world, and may run the storyline to its conclusion with the destruction of the Architects power base currently in the Fringe (by destroying the device mentioned on page 132), without worry that they will upset anything else in the setting. Even after the Architects’ destruction, Division Nihil still offers GCs an excellent route to extreme pulp and paranormal roleplaying in the Shadowforce Archer setting.

The Cult of the Ten Suns Code: Red Chinese legend states that a goddess Xi He (Breath Blend) gave birth to ten suns. One of these suns would rise at dawn of each day of the ancient week, providing nourishment for the people and crops of the Old World. A common doomsday myth relates that one dawn, these ten suns will rise together, threatening to consume the world in eternal flame. Concurrently, Chinese history tells of ten ancient rulers, sons of the original Goddess Mother, each of whom was charged with protecting part of the world from hardship and disaster. These rulers occasionally warred with one another over borders and philosophies, and their conflict is said to be the reason the modern world is flawed. Even centuries after their deaths, the spirits of these rules are said to linger in the world, looking after their dominions. Another doomsday myth states claims that one day, these rulers will war with one another over ultimate dominion of the world, and that they will shatter their prize in the process. The Cult of the Ten Suns is a small but very real threat from within China, centering around a scholar and architect named Tian Qui-Lau, who believes he is plagued by visions of a dark future, and that voices guide him to prevent it. Over the last five years, Qui-Lau has carefully spread the word about his doomsday prophecy, and collected a cult of misguided followers, social deviants, and religious zealots around him, interpreting his words as a dangerous gospel. In Qui-Lau’s visions, he perceives that the final dawn is imminent, and that the suns will rise and fall in ten different parts of the globe, one at a time, over the course of one 24-hour period. The voices in Qui-Lau’s mind direct him to investigate and stop what they refer to as “an elaborate web of secret societies devoted to the

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Archer Foundation ten fallen rulers, absolutely dominated by their commands from beyond the grave.” Qui-Lau believes that the voices in his own mind are those of benign protector spirits, and that only he and his followers can prevent the coming apocalypse. The Cult of the Ten Suns has branches in every corner of the globe, focused at the centers of what they perceive to be the targets for the coming world fires. Normally, their operations are merely probative and the danger they pose is minimal. Unfortunately, one of their investigations in Australia (as described on page 54 of the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook) has sparked a response from the Archer Foundation, who assumed that they were a rival intelligence organization or enemy threat. They dispatched PAC operative Dareka to infiltrate the Cult, but she vanished. In truth, the cult uncovered her presence and took her prisoner — for a time. She has since escaped and is trying to make it back to the home office with word of the new aggressors (see page 18 for more about her current whereabouts, and linked plot hooks). The Cult has identified Dareka as a spy working for a secret society dedicated to one of the fallen rulers, located somewhere in Australia. Whether they know about the Archer Foundation, the Institute in Canberra, or the rest of the Conspiracy remains to be seen, but it is clear the group is reinvigorated now that they have a tangible threat against which to throw their amassed resources. Foundation Plans and Priorities: The Foundation is worried about this situation primarily because they know nothing of the new aggressors, or their motives. Indeed, they don’t even know the group’s name. Worse, they fear that the incursions may be coming from within the Pan-Asian Collective itself. At this time, they want primarily to recover Dareka and bring information about the new threat back to the home office (not to mention determine Dareka’s current loyalties). GC Resources: The Cult of the Ten Suns is designed as a close-ended threat exclusive to this episode of the SFA Interactive campaign. This information, coupled with the plot hooks in Chapter 1 (see page 18) and the threat statistics in Chapter 4 (see page 125) are all a GC needs to kick off one or more serials leading to a final confrontation with Qui-Lau and his closest devotees. Results from this self-encapsulated threat will be folded into future episodes.

least the evident samples agents of the Con-spiracy have come in with — has focused on military and terrorist gear. Weapons, vehicles, and PsiTech of all kinds are being churned out at an unprecedented rate, and the Foundation is hard-pressed to keep up. Worse, fears that the Shop left traitors behind has been confirmed — three Shop agents have been revealed in the last fifteen months. Two were interrogated to no avail (the Foundation’s strongest telepaths confirm that their orders were limited to stymieing Archer research and that they have not ed their superiors since the break) and a third committed suicide with an explosive tooth implant, taking a security team with him. But the Rooks warn that all of this may actually be another smokescreen, a way to keep the Foundation and its peers busy long enough for the Shop to complete its true business — whatever that may be. Agents teams are scouring every corner of the globe, leaving no former safe house unchecked and no informant unquestioned, in an effort to find the truth about the Shop’s plans. Several leads have actually revealed other threats instead (as was the case with SFA Interactive Episode #1 and recent operations in Russia — see P.E.R.I.L., opposite), but nothing directly linked to the Shop has yet arisen. Foundation Plans and Priorities: Until the arrival of Villain X and the discovery of a Shop project to track Conspiracy movements in Europe using isotope markers planted on common currency (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 159), the Foundation was grasping at straws to find information about the Shop. Now, with a high-profile threat to track (Villain X) and the chance to turn the Shop’s currency-tracking scheme against the enemy, the Foundation finally has some semi-firm footing. Still, it’s stepping carefully, lest these leads slip away like so many before. Villain X is a quantifiable threat, and not easily hidden from view. With any luck, one of the dozens of teams currently in operation around the globe will catch up with him. All have orders to capture him alive if at all possible, so that he can be researched further (see page 128 for what the Foundation knows already) and so that he can be properly interrogated. The Shop’s European money-tracing operation is another matter — one that the Foundation is not quite ready to use them. Soon, however. Very soon… GC Resources: The Shop itself is a long-term threat which will be dealt with in an season of the SFA Interactive campaign. As such, it is left open-ended for the moment, for each GC to interpret differently in his own game. In fact, many seemingly unconnected plot hooks throughout sourcebooks (and some not so subtle ones) are geared so that you — the players — determine much of the Shop’s motives and goals from options and concepts we provide, essentially creating

The Shop Code: Black If the Hand of Glory’s sudden return distracted the Foundation, the Shop’s recent activities — unleashing the awesome might of Villain X and stealing the preserved remains of Avery Schillingsfield — have brought them right back into the Foundation’s sights. Each Shop attack is more violent than the last, and it seems that most of the organization’s research since the break — at

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Agent the Shop you want to see in the organization’s Threat book. For now, we present Villain X as a very real, very clear, and very present challenge for agent teams. GC re-sources for running a season dedicated to Villain X are located in Chapter 4. Finally, a new Shop operation is also presented in Chapter 4, unconnected to Villain X or any other plot mentioned here. See page 121 if you want to read about this threat, but players should be warned away lest they discover too much, too early.

are known as “cleaners,” accomplished professionals absolutely dedicated to their mission. They have to be — those who waver either die in the field or are eliminated as “loose ends” by their former colleagues. A few cleaners also adhere to personal codes — ethics, morals, or quirks that define their mission parameters. Like the demands of their employers, these codes are non-negotiable: more important than their own life, or the lives of others. Cleaning is often grueling work, and many operatives in this profession appear devoid of emotion. Feelings are a luxury they cannot afford. When a situation must be “taken to the cleaners," it is a deadly serious affair. Some cleaners come from the Foundation’s own ranks — trained as part of their Damage Control division (see page 26). Most are part of outside specialist services such as Straight Arrow Pest Control (which is itself only one of many such organizations worldwide). Straight Arrow in particular cleans for many clients beyond the Foundation, including governments and wealthy private contractors, but the Archer Foundation prefers to believe that Straight Arrow works only for them, and rarely thinks about what else the group might be sweeping under the rug.

Other Enemies Below are two updates of larger Shadowforce Archer threats, still looming in the distance. The Hand of Glory (Code: Red): The Conspiracy had all but forgotten the Hand of Glory, completely consumed by their mission to track down and put a stop to the menace presented by the Shop, until their old enemy recently exploded onto the scene. The number of active Hand operatives has leapt dramatically of late, and it seems that they have a new purpose: a goal fueled by Eva Kraus’s maniacal dreams of global domination. The nature of this scheme is as yet unknown, but it certainly revolves around the acquisition of information held by NSA Analyst Dr. Ryan Forsythe, sometime Company specialist who was murdered in his home just over two months ago. North America is currently crawling with Hand henchmen and minions, and the Company has been placed on full alert. The U.S. and Australian Chambers have launched a full-scale operation to determine the nature of the Hand’s interest in Dr. Forsythe and Eva’s ultimate intent, though the result of the mission is still pending. (For more about this event, SFA Interactive Episode #1: “Shallow Graves,” or pick up the forthcoming Hand of Glory Threat Book.) P.E.R.I.L. (Code: Yellow): Agents of the Russian Confederacy, led by Nikolai Petrovich’s Phantom Brigade, continue to wage a high-stakes war with the forces of P.E.R.I.L. on the icy tundra of their homeland. Everyone knows that a full-scale confrontation with the enemy occupiers is unavoidable, but for the moment both sides seem content to bide their time, waiting for the chance to strike with minimal losses — to life, property, or innocent civilians (whom both sides have a vested interest in protecting, for different reasons).

Front Company To the outside world, Straight Arrow Pest Control is a highly profitable, multinational extermination service. It has franchises in every major country, and its stock appears on the public exchange in New York, London, and Tokyo. In the twenty-five years since it first appeared, Straight Arrow has outperformed all competitors. Its name has become synonymous with quality and trust, two traits the organization frequently uses to its advantage. Most Straight Arrow employees have no knowledge of their co-workers’ true vocation, and would no doubt disbelieve it if they ever discovered the truth. But behind closed doors in her corporate tower in downtown San Antonio, Texas, current Straight Arrow CEO Delicea Cruz (codenamed Mistress) serves as Control for some of the Conspiracy’s most dedicated specialists. Through the company's many franchise offices, Delicea fields her people to clean up after covert operations that have somehow gone awry. Her operatives are the living cloth of the conspiracy's Cloak, and the definitive edge of its Dagger (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 15).

S TRAIGHT A RROW PEST CONTROL

Method of Operation Every Straight Arrow franchise office has at least one cleaner in its employ. Whenever this cleaner’s skills are needed, he drops everything and rushes to the scene of the disturbance. The extermination service provides a great cover, allowing the agent to quickly clear out any innocent bystanders (who might be injured by the

ALLY OF THE FOUNDATION The Archer Foundation employs special agents to scour an area free of incriminating evidence after failed missions that have gone public, and convince witnesses that what they saw was something… anything other than the truth. Collectively, these hardened operatives

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Archer Foundation “toxins” he uses). After setting up a “safe zone” to work in, the cleaner is free to get down to the business at hand. When devising entry and exit strategy, and dealing with witnesses, cleaners utilize a variation of the Occam's razor principle: the simplest explanation of a phenomenon is most likely to work. Cleaners don’t waste time concocting elaborate lies and schemes; they devise a simple plan and follow it to the letter. Simple plans yield simple results, which the public usually accepts without question. The discreet disposal of bodies constitutes one of the trickiest problems a cleaner faces. None of the solutions are pleasant, and most are downright grisly. The most common technique involves chemical tanks found in Straight Arrow vans, followed by the use of various sanitation tools to restore the incident site. If a predicament is beyond plausible repair, cleaners must often take extreme measures to contain the fallout, including many tactics typically reserved for villains. Cleaners avoid such situations if at all possible, and they are trained to keep innocent casualties and other unfortunate byproducts to a minimum. Cleaners consider themselves above the morally bankrupt individuals that the Conspiracy opposes, and strive to keep their internal comes pointing clearly along the high road. Extraction operations are another cleaner specialty, one which often involves a public diversion or distraction. Again, the extermination service provides a useful cover, but agents have also been known to cause traffic jams, induce power outages, start small fires, and even fake injury or death to accomplish this objective. So long as the public remains unaware of the truth, cleaners are generally allowed to use any tactics they deem necessary.

phones, CD stereos, and heavily tinted windows are standard issue. Once an agent taps a coded sequence into the car alarm and the steering wheel recognizes his fingerprints, the van yields its true secrets. The window tint darkens by fifty percent, a mobile-link computer extends from the glove box, and the interior s of the cargo area slide back to reveal a secret cache of gear, weapons, and lab equipment (and the solid waste disposal tank). Straight Arrow vans can function as mobile command centers if necessary — they are heavily armed, armored, and even submersible. Many feature offensive capabilities such as pivoting flamethrowers and machine-guns, and some even include mini-rocket launchers or other unique devices. Straight Arrow had a close relationship with the Shop, which developed the ultra-effective, environmentally-friendly pesticide they use and drafted schematics for the group's first vans (all of which have since been recalled). The Shop field-tested many of its PsiTech devices through Straight Arrow, including many crowd control devices later deemed “too severe.”

Current Plotlines Straight Arrow Pest Control is generally a re-active organization, but it is prominent enough to involve two important plotlines in the Shadowforce Archer setting.

Shop ‘Til They Drop The Shop's frequent dealings with Straight Arrow give it a clear picture of how cleaners operate, and the rogue technicians use this knowledge to internally sabotage the group. Most recently, remaining Shop loyalists, posing as a legitimate Foundation Control cell, diverted a team of cleaners to eliminate an innocent Archer mission group in Mexico City. Only the timely intervention of Ace Valentine (see page 115) prevented bloodshed and made the organization aware of how vulnerable it really is. Security measures and “mole hunts” have since been at an all-time high.

Known Straight Arrow Operatives Two Straight Arrow agents are detailed as feature NPCs in this book, starting on page 114 — Delicea Cruz, and Ace Valentine. Rumors persist that these three agents are being considered for a new project being mounted by Straight Arrow command — the veracity of these rumors remain to be seen.

Taking Stock Because its shares are publicly traded, Straight Arrow's fortunes are often at the mercy of the world's economy. This fact has not gone unnoticed by a small cabal within the European Commonwealth (believed to be part of the little-known Praetoriat — see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 93). This group has taken it upon itself to perform a little “insider trading,” and is slowly working toward a majority share of the business. Delicea Cruz, a savvy market observer (see page 114), and Silas Whitaker, a Foundation bookkeeper (see page 25), are paying close attention to this trend. When they have enough evidence, they plans to step forward and eradicate the problem.

Tools of the Trade Every challenge the cleaners meet is unique, and they frequently find themselves improvising with the tools at hand. This willingness to experiment has made them the darlings of several Chamber R&D departments. Straight Arrow’s heavily-modified vans form the cleaners’ most invaluable piece of equipment. Externally, each is an innocuous industry vehicle, complete with a painting of the company logo on the side: a cartoon termite lethally pierced with an arrow. The internal design appears completely mundane as well, though car

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“Imagine that all your pawns vanish and half the rest of the pieces turn red. All the rules go out the window then. You’re playing a whole new game!” — Raymond Archer, when asked about his retirement

New Rules

3

Archer Foundation provides training to both psions and those who must contend with them (including many agents without psion abilities).

INTRODUCTION This chapter introduces new rules and agent options to cover all the story elements presented in this book, and more. Three new bundles are included, as are three new departments, one new base class and six new prestige classes, new psion developments for all three families, new gadgets, complete rules for the Fringe and a large Fringe-based feat tree, and ten classes for use when building NPCs.

Special Talents • +2 Constitution, –2 to an ability of the agent’s choice (other than Constitution). • +1 department bonus to all skill checks to notice or identify the use of psion skills, including Spot, Listen, Gather Information, Search, Sense Motive, and other skills as approved by the GC when the object of the check is the evidence or nature of psion skill use. The agent gains an additional +1 department bonus to these checks at 4th level and every four levels thereafter.

N EW DEPARTMENTS

• +1 department bonus to all saving throws required by any psion skill or ability targeting the agent. Psion Affairs agents receive an additional +1 department bonus to these saves at 4th level and every four levels thereafter.

The following departments are common to Foundation agents, but may be chosen by any Shadowforce Archer agent. GCs may wish to make use of them in appropriate Spycraft games as well.

Damage Control

• Bonus Feat: Any psion feat. The agent must still meet any prerequisites for this feat, including minimum ability scores, psion level, and class levels.

The Archer Conspiracy exists to protect the world — in some cases by cleaning up after it. As the hub of the Conspiracy, the Archer Foundation often takes it upon itself to clean up after the Conspiracy as well, a task assigned to agents from this department. Damage control agents specialize in identifying tears in the Cloak and mending them, as well as completing operations that other agents have let slip out of control.

Training Corps The Conspiracy sometimes takes its best and brightest agents out of field service to share their formidable skills with other agents. Stationed at the Lodge or under the Foundation’s irrepressible Nostrum, agents of the Training Corps are among the most valued of the Conspiracy.

• +2 Charisma, –2 Dexterity. • +1 department bonus to Defense. Damage control agents receive an additional +1 bonus to Defense at 4th level and every four levels thereafter.

Special Talents • +2 Intelligence, –2 Constitution.

• +1 department bonus to Bluff and Disguise checks. Damage control agents receive an additional +1 department bonus to Bluff and Disguise checks at 4th level and every four levels thereafter.

• The agent’s maximum rank in three different class skills of his choice is increased by +1. At 4th level and every four levels thereafter the agent may increase his maximum rank in one of his class skills by +1. This bonus stacks with itself if the agent chooses the same skill more than once.

• Bonus Feat: Any basic combat or covert feat. The agent must still meet any prerequisites for this feat, including minimum ability scores, psion level, and class levels.

• The agent may take 10 with one class skill of his choice, even if stress or distraction would normally interfere. The agent may choose an additional class skill that he may take ten with at 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter.

The Office of Psion Affairs Since its inception, the Archer Foundation has been closely linked to the world’s most advanced psion studies. The three families of psionic ability have revolutionized the espionage world, allowing select agents to accomplish missions by means founders of the Archer Pact could hardly imagine, This department is a natural outgrowth of psionic research, establishing protocols for the detection, recruitment, and training of psion and counter-psion assets. The Office of Psion Affairs

• Bonus Feat: Any advanced skill feat. The agent must still meet any prerequisites for the chosen feat, including minimum skill ranks and other feats.

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New Rules Class Features

SLEUTH

The following are class features of the sleuth. Starting Feats: The sleuth begins play with the following feats. Armor Proficiency (Light) Armor Proficiency (Medium)

This is a base class. The Archer Conspiracy’s mandate of global security rests squarely on one pillar: information. The Foundation recruits heavily from fields of expertise that can provide it with the clearest picture of what is going on in the world, from the broad scope provided by orbital satellites to the most questionable dirt from street-side snitches. It is this latter, hands-on approach to information-gathering that interests the sleuth. A sleuth provides his team with solid investigative skills and an intimate understanding of the human mind, and can be the most valuable part of any operation involving HUMINT (human intelligence). Abilities: With his focus on basic detective work, the sleuth requires a high Wisdom to identify clues, followed by Intelligence to determine their significance. Charisma is also helpful when dealing with witnesses and the potential intervention of local authorities. Because sleuths rarely shy away from the confrontations their discoveries often provoke, they must also maintain reasonable physical abilities. Vitality: 1d8 plus Constitution modifier per level.

New Bundles These new bundles supplement those presented on page 106 of the Spycraft Espionage Handbook. All bundles cost 25 BP to requisition or add to an agent's personal gear. Aquatic Operations Kit Reinforced “steamer trunk” (to store bundle) 2 sets average clothes Scuba suit and tanks Mask Flippers Waterproof watch Diving light Dive computer Com 6 underwater flares Waterproof ‘belly’ bag Speargun Waterproof headset radio with encryption

Class Skills The sleuth’s class skills and key abilities are: Class Skill Appraise Bureaucracy Concentration Craft Cultures Demolitions Disguise Driver Escape Artist Forgery Gather information Hide Hobby Innuendo Intimidate Knowledge Languages Listen Open Lock Profession Search Sense Motive Spot Surveillance Use Rope

Key Ability Int Cha Wis Int Wis Int Cha Dex Dex Int Cha Dex Wis Cha Str or Cha Int Wis Wis Dex Wis Int Wis Wis Wis Dex

Investigative Operations Kit Large wheeled suitcase (to store bundle) 1 set average clothes 1 set trendy clothes 2 Evidence kits PDA Cell phone Micro-tape recorder with 5 professional-grade tapes Standard camera with 3 professional-grade rolls of film Flashlight Leatherman Paranormal Operations Oversized canvass shoulder bag (to store bundle) 1 set average clothes 1 set coveralls (average clothes) Night vision goggles Laptop (+3 power rating) with image processing software Chemical analyzer Evidence kit 2 floodlights with wheeled storage boxes Exotic manuals (+2 to one knowledge skill) Calendar Cell phone

Skill Points at 1st level: (8 + Int modifier) × 4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier.

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Archer Foundation Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Pistol) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle)

search, adding his Charisma modifier to the result. This check takes place outside home office channels and does not require approval from the sleuth’s Control. This ability may be used once per session. As the sleuth gains experience, his network grows, and he may use this ability more often — he gains a second use per session at 11th level and a third at 19th level. Human Nature: The sleuth has an intimate understanding of the human mind and the telltale signs of deception. Starting at 3rd level, once per session, the sleuth may re-roll one failed Sense Motive check that targets or opposes a skill check made by any human target. He may not use this ability if he rolled an error with his first attempt. Further, he must abide by the results of the second roll, even if it is another failure. The sleuth may use this ability once more per session at 7th level and every four levels thereafter. This ability may be used more than once per round, but never more than once for any single Sense Motive check. Bonus Feat: At 4th level the sleuth gains an additional feat from either the basic skill or style feat trees. He must still meet all prerequisites for the feat before selecting it, including minimum ability scores and skill rank requirements. The sleuth gains an additional style or basic skill feat at 8th level and every four levels thereafter (at 12th, 16th and 20th levels).

Expert: The sleuth adds his class level to the result of all his education checks (in addition to his agent level). Further, if he spends an action die to add to an education check, he rolls two dice instead of one, adding the result of both. This is the sleuth's core ability. Interview: Much of the sleuth’s work involves talking to people. As witnesses are usually fickle, unresponsive, or simply unobservant, it takes a deft touch to both coax them into conversation and to sort out valuable comments from confused recollections and unimportant hearsay. Through a combination of instinct, psychology, and experience, the sleuth can often elicit information that would escape others. The sleuth receives a +2 to all Gather Information checks so long as there are living witnesses to question. This bonus increases by +1 at 4th level and every four levels thereafter. Sources: The sleuth has access to an entire network of street informants, criminal snitches, journalists, industry professionals, and other sources of information. By spending 1 hour consulting his sources (either in person or by phone) he may make a favor check without spending an action die to perform an information

Table 3.1: The Sleuth Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6

Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3

Ref Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6

Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6

Def Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5

Init Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5

Budg Pts 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

Gadg Pts 0 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4

10 11

+7 +8

+3 +3

+7 +7

+7 +7

+6 +7

+6 +7

20 22

5 5

12

+9

+4

+8

+8

+7

+7

24

6

13 14 15

+9 +10 +11

+4 +4 +5

+8 +9 +9

+8 +9 +9

+8 +8 +9

+8 +8 +9

26 28 30

6 7 7

16 17 18 19

+12 +12 +13 +14

+5 +5 +6 +6

+10 +10 +11 +11

+10 +10 +11 +11

+10 +10 +11 +11

+10 +10 +11 +11

32 34 36 38

8 8 9 9

20

+15

+6

+12

+12

+12

+12

40

10

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Special Expert, interview +2, starting feats Sources 1/session Human nature 1/session Bonus feat, interview +3 Awareness +2 Little details 1/session (+1) Human nature 2/session Bonus feat, interview +4 Awareness +4, little details 2/session (+2) Brilliant (+2 Int) Human nature 3/session, sources 2/session Bonus feat, interview +5, little details 3/session (+3) Awareness +6 Final deduction 1/session Human nature 4/session, little details 4/session (+4) Bonus feat, interview +6 Awareness +8 Little details 5/session (+5) Human nature 5/session, sources 3/session Bonus feat, brilliant (+4 Int), interview +7

New Rules FIELD ANALYST

Awareness: The sleuth is extraordinarily aware of the actions and behavior of others. As such he is rarely taken by surprise. At 5th level he gains a +2 competence bonus with all checks to determine awareness during surprise rounds (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, pg 162). This bonus increases by +2 for every four levels after 5th (to +4 at 9th, +6 at 13th, and +8 at 17th). Little Details: The sleuth’s uncanny awareness of his surroundings allows him to use his environment to maximum advantage in combat. Beginning at 6th level, once per session, the sleuth may make a disarm, feint, strike object, or trip attack as a free action, receiving a +1 to his attack roll. The sleuth may use this ability once more per session at 9th level and every three levels thereafter (twice at 9th level, three times at 12th level, etc.). Further, the attack roll bonus increases by an additional +1 at 9th level and every three levels thereafter (+2 at 9th level, +3 at 12th level, etc.). This ability may not be used more than once in any single round. Brilliant Mind: The sleuth is often counted among the sharpest minds in the world and can reconstruct complex schemes from mere shreds of evidence. At 10th level the sleuth receives a +2 competence bonus to his Intelligence score. At 20th level this bonus increases to +4. In both cases the bonus is applied before the agent calculates his skill points for that level. Final Deduction: At 14th level the sleuth instinctively studies the behavior and appearance of everyone around him. Once per session he may make a special study of one character he has observed for at least 1 round in person or by audio/visual recording. He immediately learns the target’s ability scores. On the second round he learns the character’s highest-level class and on subsequent rounds he learns each next highest level class, until all of the character’s classes are known. Each round the sleuth observes the individual thereafter he learns one of the following, as determined by the GC:

This is a prestige class. All Chambers utilize agents trained to gather audio/visual intelligence and perform evidence analysis, but the Archer Foundation is particularly well-known for this tactic. Given the often perilous nature of Conspiracy missions, field analysts are just as handy with a rifle as with a camera, and are rarely at a loss for how to proceed during an investigation. Abilities: Intelligence and Wisdom are by far the field analyst’s most critical abilities, ing the bulk of his investigative techniques. Dexterity falls a distant third, ing the field analyst’s backup combat skills. Vitality: 1d10 plus Constitution modifier per level.

Requirements Agent Level: 5+. Wisdom: 13+. Bureaucracy: 4 ranks. Gather Information: 6 ranks. Search: 6 ranks. Surveillance: 8 ranks. Feats: Alertness.

Class Skills The field analyst’s class skills and key abilities are: Class Skill Appraise Bluff Boating Bureaucracy Computers Cryptography Cultures Diplomacy Demolitions Driver Gather Information Innuendo Knowledge Languages Listen Pilot Profession Search Sense Motive Spot Surveillance

• One of the character’s skills: These are learned in order from highest to lowest total skill bonus. The sleuth is aware of any ties between skill ranks, but doesn’t learn the target character’s actual class levels or skill ranks (though he may make an educated guess since he learns them in descending order). • One of the character’s backgrounds: These are learned in any order, as determined by the GC. • One of the character’s feats: These are learned in any order, as determined by the GC. If the sleuth’s observation is interrupted (possibly due to working with a short recording or a brief encounter), the sleuth may resume the examination at any time during that session, gaining the information listed above when he has studied the target for the proper length of time.

Key Ability Int Cha Dex Cha Int Int Wis Cha Int Dex Cha Wis Int Int Int Dex Wis Int Wis Wis Wis

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.

49

Archer Foundation Safe House: At 4th level the field analyst receives the Safe House feat. All of the field analyst’s safe houses are equipped with serviceable dark rooms (for the development of film). Leap of Logic: Beginning at 4th level, once per session after failing a Wisdom-based skill check, the field analyst may make an inspiration check without spending an action die. At 8th level the field analyst may use this ability twice per session. Shutterbug: The field analyst collects and uses a wide variety of sensors and detection equipment, including his trusty camera. At 6th level the field analyst and all of his team must only pay half the BP cost for optics and surveillance gear (rounding down). Brainstorm: At 8th level the field analyst is able to solicit ideas from his teammates, quickly identifying promising lines of inquiry. A number of team up to the field analyst’s Wisdom modifier may provide cooperation bonuses to the field analyst’s inspiration checks. Veteran Investigator: The field analyst has finely tuned his perceptions and sense of purpose, providing him with uncanny insight. At 10th level the field analyst gains a +2 bonus to his Wisdom score.

Class Features All of the following are class features of the field analyst. Class Feats: The field analyst gains the following feats at 1st level. Armor Proficiency (Light) Armor Proficiency (Medium) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle) Eye for Detail: When the field analyst spends an action die to increase a Spot or Listen check, the action die’s result is also added to the check cap for the roll (based on media or equipment limitations — see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 127). This is the field analyst’s core ability. Evidence Analysis: The field analyst must be able to come up with the correct conclusions from even the sketchiest data — lives depend on it. At 1st level the field analyst gains a special virtual basic skill feat called “Analyst.” This feat provides a +2 bonus to all Gather Information, Search, and Surveillance checks, and increases his threat range with these skills by 1 (e.g. a threat range of 20 becomes 19-20). At 3rd level the field analyst receives the Advanced Skill Mastery feat for his Analyst feat. At 5th level the agent gains the Grand Skill Mastery feat for his Analyst feat. At 7th level the agent gains the False Start feat linked to his Analyst feat. Finally, at 9th level, the field agent gains the Perfect Skill Mastery feat for his Analyst feat. Favor for a Favor: Beginning at 2nd level, once per session, the field analyst may use his Bureaucracy skill to gain the assistance of someone within an organization who cannot normally be bribed with money. The results and costs are the same as normal (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 43), except that the money that would be spent for the bribe is instead used to assist the target in a way that is favorable to his morals. At 7th level this ability may be used twice per session.

FRINGEWALKER This is a prestige class. Sometimes agents encounter events or phenomena outside their ordinary experience: strange messages from other times, inexplicable coincidences, and disturbing evidence of the paranormal. Most agents turn away from such incidents, chalking them up to hightech special effects or the twisted head games of nefarious masterminds. Some become fascinated, convinced that there is something more — that they have caught a glimpse of a world beyond the ordinary. It is from

Table 3.2: The Field Analyst Lvl 1

Base Att Bon +0

Fort Save +0

Ref Save +2

Will Save +0

Def Bon +1

Init Bon +0

Budg Pts 3

Gadg Pts 0

2 3 4 5 6 7

+1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5

+0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2

+3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5

+0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2

+2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6

+1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3

6 9 12 15 18 21

1 2 3 3 4 5

8 9 10

+6 +6 +7

+2 +3 +3

+6 +6 +7

+2 +3 +3

+6 +7 +8

+3 +4 +4

24 27 30

6 6 7

50

Special Evidence analysis (analyst), eye for detail Favor for a favor 1/session Evidence analysis (advanced) Leap of logic 1/session, safe house Evidence analysis (grand) Shutterbug Evidence analysis (false start), favor for a favor 2/session Brainstorm, leap of logic 2/session Evidence analysis (perfect) Veteran investigator

New Rules Sensitive: The fringewalker is usually called in when a situation defies simple analysis, and must often keep an open mind in the face of truly bizarre circumstances. The fringewalker gains a +1 bonus to all Wisdom skill checks. This is the fringewalker’s core ability. Defiant: Through intense metaphysical training the fringewalker’s body and spirit are fortified against the sudden shock of death. Starting at 2nd level, when the fringewalker is reduced to 0 or fewer wounds, he automatically stabilizes and recovers wounds at the rate of 1 per minute. This continues until the agent reaches 1 wound. The ability may not increase the fringewalker’s wounds above 1. Even with this ability, a fringewalker who is reduced to –10 or fewer wounds dies. At 7th level, the fringewalker recovers wounds at the rate of 2 per minute. Bonus Feat: At 3rd level the fringewalker gains a bonus style or fringe feat. He must still meet all prerequisites for the feat before selecting it, including minimum ability scores and skill rank requirements. The fringewalker gains an additional style or fringe feat at 5th level, 7th level, and 9th level. Dauntless: At 4th level the fringewalker is simply unmoved by his fears. The agent is immune to all negative morale modifiers and fear effects (see page 80). Further, the fringewalker’s teammates receive a +4 morale bonus to saves against fear effects while within his line of sight. Uncanny Dodge: Starting at 4th level, the fringewalker gains the ability to react to danger before his senses are normally alerted to it. He retains his Dexterity bonus to Defense (if any) even when he is flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker (though he still loses his Dexterity bonus to Defense if immobilized). At 8th level the fringewalker may no longer be flanked, since he can react to opponents on opposite sides as easily as he can respond to a single attacker. This denies fixers and others with the sneak attack ability the opportunity to flank or sneak attack the fringewalker unless the attacker is at least four levels higher. This ability is identical to that possessed by the fixer, and a multi-classed agent may combine all levels of all his classes with the uncanny dodge ability to determine the ability’s effectiveness. Soul Survivor: The fringewalker is toughened against even the worst consequences of attacks from beyond. He automatically succeeds with all saves to recover from energy drain effects (see page 73). Shadestrike: At 8th level the fringewalker learns to fight back against even the most elusive elements of the Fringe. By focusing his will, the fringewalker may attack a spectral opponent as if he were also spectral (see page 74). Use of this ability also cancels any effect that potentially causes a successful attack to miss instead (such as the shadespeaker’s cloaked in the Fringe

among these latter agents that the Foundation’s so-called “fringewalkers” are recruited (see page 110 for more about Division Nihil and the fringewalkers). Abilities: Fringewalkers must regularly charge in when others would think more than twice before entering. Charisma provides a fringewalker with the strength of personality to face the otherworldly, while Wisdom offers him vitally strong Will saves and better-thanaverage investigative skill bonuses. Vitality: 1d10 plus Constitution modifier per level.

Requirements Agent Level: 5+. Charisma: 13+. Listen: 6 ranks. Spot: 6 ranks. Feats: Unshakable.

Class Skills The fringewalker’s class skills and key abilities are: Class Skill Appraise Bureaucracy Concentration Craft Cryptography Cultures Driver Gather information Hide Hobby Knowledge Languages Listen Open Lock Profession Read Lips Search Sense Motive Spot Surveillance

Key Ability Int Cha Wis Int Int Wis Dex Cha Dex Wis Int Wis Wis Dex Wis Int Int Wis Wis Wis

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features All of the following are class features of the fringewalker. Class Feats: The fringewalker gains the following feats at 1st level. Armor Proficiency (Light) Armor Proficiency (Medium) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle)

51

Archer Foundation ability or the hyper’s flicker ability). Use of shadestrike must be declared before the fringewalker’s attack roll, and may only be used a number of times per session equal to the fringewalker’s Charisma modifier. Spirit Anchor: The fringewalker’s spirit is incredibly stubborn and refuses to leave the body until it is completely destroyed. When the fringewalker drops to –10 or fewer wounds, his body dies, but his spirit remains and his defiant ability continues to recover wounds until he is revived (at 1 wound) or his body is physically destroyed (at –25 wounds). After being killed, while the fringewalker is between 0 and –25 wounds, he is considered dead and does not lose 1 wound per round as described on page 178 of the Spycraft Espionage Handbook.

Requirements Agent Level: 5+. Psion Level: 5+. Concentration: 6 ranks. Control Metabolism: 6 ranks. Friction Control: 6 ranks. Link Health: 4 ranks. Speed Control: 8 ranks. Feats: Adrenal Basics, Metabolic Basics, Psion Prodigy.

Class Skills The hyper’s class skills and key abilities are: Class Skill Balance Climb Concentration Craft Driver Jump Knowledge Profession Sport Swim

HYPER This is a prestige class. One of the most astonishing discoveries made by the Office of Psion Affairs has been the capacity for certain gifted physical adepts to distort the effects of time over their own bodies, allowing them to move with incredible speed and even teleport short distances. Since this discovery, many adepts have been encouraged to drop more traditional training in favor of developing this rare and frightening talent, though only very few are able to manifest it. Abilities: Teleportation requires enormous physical reserves and intense study, and so a high Constitution is a must. Dexterity is equally important, to allow adequate reaction time to take full advantage of this class’s speed enhancements. Vitality: 1d12 plus Constitution modifier per level.

Key Ability Dex Str Wis Int Dex Str Int Wis Str or Dex Str

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features All of the following are class features of the hyper. Psionic Class: The hyper is a psionic class. Levels gained in this class increase the agent’s psion level. Class Feats: The hyper gains the following feats at 1st level. Armor Proficiency (Light) Armor Proficiency (Medium) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle)

Table 3.3: The Fringewalker Lvl 1 2 3 4

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +2 +3

Fort Save +1 +2 +2 +2

Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1

Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4

Def Bon +1 +2 +3 +3

Init Bon +1 +1 +2 +2

Budg Pts 1 2 3 4

Gadg Pts 0 1 2 3

5 6 7 8

+3 +4 +5 +6

+3 +3 +4 +4

+1 +2 +2 +2

+4 +5 +5 +6

+4 +5 +6 +6

+3 +4 +4 +5

5 6 7 8

3 4 5 6

9 10

+6 +7

+4 +5

+3 +3

+6 +7

+7 +8

+5 +6

9 10

6 7

52

Special Sensitive Defiant Bonus feat Dauntless, uncanny dodge (Dex bonus to Defense) Bonus feat Soul survivor Bonus feat Shadestrike, uncanny dodge (can’t be flanked) Bonus feat Spirit Anchor

New Rules Lightning Fast: Once per round the hyper may spend an action die to make a feint against an opponent as a free action. This is the hyper’s core ability. Surge of Speed: At 1st level the hyper gains the Surge of Speed feat as a bonus feat. Pure Speed: At 2nd level the hyper’s base speed is increased by +10 ft. At 7th level this bonus increases to +20 ft. Flicker: Beginning at 3rd level, once per session, the hyper may enter a state slightly out of phase with the physical world. While in this state the hyper receives several benefits:

feats, skills, abilities, or pressing), he also gains a +4 dodge bonus to his Defense until the start of his first action during the following round. Teleport: Beginning at 4th level, once per session as a full action, the hyper may teleport a short distance. The maximum distance the agent may travel is the same as if he had moved for a full round, given the conditions of his move (running, swimming, climbing, etc.). He must be able to physically make this move at the moment the ability is activated; closed doors cannot be opened or moved past and physical restraints on the agent’s movement — including grappling and pin effects — prevent the agent from using this ability. However, since the agent does not physically travel the distance, he may freely move past other agents without the need for a Tumble roll and does not set off any traps or alarms. The agent need not see the destination from his starting point to use this ability. The agent may only take along inanimate items that he can normally carry (the weight of which may reduce the distance he can travel — see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 106), and those items cannot be in with any other agent or otherwise secured against movement. Finally, the hyper must spend 12 vitality points to teleport. The hyper may use his ability one additional time per session at 6th level and every two levels thereafter. Group Walk: Beginning at 6th level, the hyper may transport teammates with him when he uses his teleport ability. The teammates must be adjacent to the hyper when the teleport ability is activated and they must be connected by use of the pool vitality power of the Link Health skill. The transported teammate appears in an unoccupied square adjacent to the hyper at the end of the teleport. Each transported teammate costs the hyper 12 vitality points above the teleport ability’s standard cost. Time Strider: Beginning at 8th level, the hyper may spend an extra 6 vitality when teleporting to travel to a point he could reach with an additional full round of

• Physical attacks and individually targeted energy and psion attacks have a 50% chance of missing even after a successful hit is scored. If the attacker is able to strike invisible or Fringe opponents this chance is reduced to 20%. If the attacker can target both invisible and Fringe opponents he may ignore this benefit. • There is also a 50% chance that the agent may move past security devices without being detected (separate from any skill check made to avoid detection). • The damage from all weapons with a blast increment is reduced to half (rounded up) before the hyper makes any saves. • Opponents attacked by a flickering agent lose their Dexterity bonus to Defense (if any), unless they are able to perceive invisible or Fringe opponents. There are also several downsides to flickering. The hyper’s attacks and skill checks suffer a –4 penalty while he is flickering, and he must spend 2 vitality points per round to remain in this state. The maximum number of rounds a hyper may flicker is equal to his psion level. The hyper may flicker one additional time per session at 5th level, 7th level, and 9th level. Accelerated Defense: At 4th level, the hyper becomes an expert at using his speed to avoid harm. Any round in which the hyper gains an extra half action (from

Table 3.4: The Hyper Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7

Fort Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Ref Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

Will Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Def Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Init Bon +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7 +8

53

Budg Pts 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

Gadg Pts 0 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5

Special Lightning fast, surge of speed Pure speed (+10 ft.) Flicker 1/session Accelerated Defense, teleport 1/session Flicker 2/session Group walk, teleport 2/session Flicker 3/session, pure speed (+20 ft.) Time slider, teleport 3/session Flicker 4/session Freeze frame teleport 4/session

Archer Foundation Languages Profession Sense Motive Sport

movement. This may be done multiple times; each additional round’s worth of range adds 6 additional vitality points to total cost of this use of the ability. This ability may be combined with the group walk ability at no additional cost. Freeze Frame: The hyper ultimately learns to interact with the world even while moving through accelerated time. Once per session the hyper may take an extra half action. All other characters are considered to be flatfooted during this action.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier.

Class Features All of the following are class features of the Lord. Class Feats: The Lord gains the following feats at 1st level. Armor Proficiency (Light) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun)

LORD

Second Department: The Archer Foundation favors senior agents who are able to work with a wide variety of personnel with a firm understanding of the training and practices of multiple departments. At 1st level, the Lord gains the 1st-level special talents of a second department (though he cannot chose his first department a second time). This does not modify the Lord’s ability scores, and does not include the second department’s bonus feat. The Lord continues to gain bonuses from his second department, counting only his Lord class levels for this purpose.

This is a prestige class. Each of the Chambers has select agents promoted from fieldwork to manage entire divisions or operations. These powerful figures still take to the field at their discretion, bringing with them a wealth of knowledge and from the home office. Within the Archer Foundation, such senior agents are known as Lords (see page 108). Traditionally, the Chamber creates new Lord positions (and others) when a new problem or area of interest is identified. A talented and reliable agent is then matched to this need and becomes a new Lord, with his own unique title (e.g. “The Lord of Invention”). Abilities: Lords are selected chiefly for their expertise with a specific discipline. As such, a high Intelligence is usually a requirement to prosper in this position. Vitality: 1d8 plus Constitution modifier per level.

Example: A Lord chooses D-5: Black Ops as his second department and gains an additional vitality point for every level he gains as a Lord. Example 2: A lord chooses D-3: Computer Espionage as his second department and gains a more powerful laptop and an additional bonus to Computer and Electronics skill checks upon reaching level 4 as a lord.

Requirements Agent Level: 9+. Chamber: Archer Foundation. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery.

This is the Lord’s core ability. Continuity: The new Lord enters his position based on previous merit, but it’s essential that he continue to hone the skills that earned him the promotion. At 1st level, the Lord may choose 10 skills that are class skills for any other class in which he has at least 1 level. These skills are considered class skills for him when he gains levels as a Lord. Delegate: At 2nd level, whenever the Lord is the leader of a cooperative skill check, the bonus received for each successful assistant is increased to +3. At 5th level, this bonus increases to +4.

Class Skills The Lord’s class skills and key abilities are: Class Skill Concentration Craft Diplomacy Driver Intimidate Knowledge

Int Wis Cha Str or Dex

Key Ability Wis Int Cha Dex Str or Cha Int

Table 3.5: The Lord Lvl 1 2 3 4 5

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +2 +3 +3

Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1

Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1

Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4

Def Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3

Init Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2

54

Budg Pts 3 6 9 12 15

Gadg Pts 1 2 3 4 5

Special Continuity, second department Delegate (+3) Grand skill mastery Improved synergy Delegate (+4), Lord’s privilege 1/session

New Rules Grand Skill Mastery: At 3rd level, the Lord receives the Grand Skill Mastery feat. He must still meet all prerequisites for this feat, including the selection of an Advanced Skill Mastery feat to which it is linked. Improved Synergy: At 4th level, the Lord’s ability to apply his skills broadly is second to none. Any time he receives a synergy bonus to a skill roll, that synergy bonus is increased by +2 (e.g. from +1 to +3). Lord’s Privilege: Upon reaching 5th level, once per session, the Lord may use any single feat or class ability he possesses that may be used only a limited number of times per session one additional time per session.

Class Skills The maxim’s class skills and key abilities are: Class Skill Concentration Craft Demolitions Electronics Hobby Intimidate Knowledge Mechanics Pilot Profession Sense Motive Sport Spot Survival Tumble

MAXIM This is a prestige class. The Foundation’s Office of Psion Affairs periodically identify remarkable mentalists with the potential to concentrate all of their effort into one type of energy, mastering attacks and effects far beyond those of generally trained mentalists. These psions are known as maxims. Abilities: By tightly concentrating their psionic energies, maxims are able to produce spectacular attacks. They benefit most from a high Intelligence (for aim) and from whichever attribute is linked to their chosen attack form (increasing both skill checks and damage). Vitality: 1d10 plus Constitution modifier per level.

Key Ability Wis Int Int Int Wis Str or Cha Int Int Dex Wis Wis Str or Dex Wis Wis Dex

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features All of the following are class features of the maxim. Psionic Class: The maxim is a psionic class. Levels gained in this class increase an agent’s psion level. Class Feats: The maxim gains the following feats at 1st level. Armor Proficiency (Light) Armor Proficiency (Medium) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun)

Requirements Agent Level: 5+. Psion Level: 5+. Intelligence: 13+. Concentration: 8 ranks. Feats: Psion Prodigy. Special: Access to mentalist feats and at least one skill capable of producing a psionic attack at 8 ranks or higher (see Key Skill, in the next column, for a list).

Key Skill: The maxim hones his ability with a single specific psionic attack. The agent chooses one mentalist psion skill that can produce an attack to be his “key skill.” Many of the agent’s class abilities are tied to this key skill. Starting at 1st level, each time the agent gains a maxim level, he receives one bonus skill point which must be spent to increase the agent's key skill.

Table 3.6: The Maxim Base Att Bon +0

Fort Save +1

Ref Save +1

Will Save +2

Def Bon +1

Init Bon +0

Budg Pts 1

Gadg Pts 0

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

+1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6

+2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4

+2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4

+3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

+2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6

+1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 3 4 5 6

9 10

+6 +7

+4 +5

+4 +5

+6 +7

+7 +8

+4 +4

9 10

6 7

Lvl 1

55

Special Devastating, instant assault key skill Pulse (d8) Bonus feat Energy spray (double), power sink Bonus feat Energy lance 3/session Bonus feat, pulse (d12) Energy lance 4/session, energy master, energy spray (triple) Bonus feat Energy lance 5/session, sustained attack 1/session

Archer Foundation Possibilities and associated energy types include: Key Skill Cryokinesis (Cha) Photokinesis (Wis) Poltergeist (Dex)

Energy Type Cold Laser Gravity

Pyrokinesis (Cha) Static charge (Dex) Vibrokinesis (Dex)

Heat Electricity Sonic

the appropriate energy type. An error causes the maxim to take 1d4 subdual damage. This attack may be used a number of times per session equal to the maxim’s psion level. At 7th level the damage from the maxim’s pulse increases to 1d12. Bonus Feat: At 3rd level the maxim receives one bonus basic combat or basic psion feat. He must meet all requirements for the feat before selecting it, and if it requires him to choose a psion skill to be linked to the feat, he must choose his key skill. The maxim receives one additional basic combat or basic psion feat with the same conditions at 5th level, a second at 7th level, and a third at 9th level. Power Sink: At 4th level the maxim may redirect, dampen, and absorb his chosen type of energy. This grants him a damage reduction value of –20/— against his key skill’s energy type (falling damage is covered by gravity, but missile and kinetic attacks are not). This protection extends to the maxim’s teammates within 30 feet and in his line of sight, each of whom gains a damage reduction value of –10/— against the maxim’s key skill energy type. Energy Spray: The maxim may widen the path of his key skill energy attacks at the cost of additional vitality. At 4th level the maxim may spend 3 additional

Psion Attack Ice attack Laser attack Gravity-hurled projectile Fire attack Lightning attack Tonal attack

Devastating Psion Skill: Any time the maxim spends an action die to add to an attack or damage roll generated by his key skill, he rolls two dice. This is the maxim’s core ability. Instant Assault: At 1st level the maxim’s intense training allows him to make the skill check to prepare one of his key skill psionic attacks as a free action. Pulse: Starting at 2nd level the maxim may produce small bursts of highly focused power, allowing him to make a minor energy attack without spending vitality. Attacking with a pulse is a standard attack (half action) using the maxim’s base attack bonus plus his Intelligence modifier. A pulse has a range increment of 10, an error range of 1, no threat range, and a maximum range of 5 increments. It does 1d8 normal damage of

56

New Rules SCANNER

points of vitality when preparing one of his key skill psionic attacks to cause the attack to spread. He may either target two opponents in adjacent squares, comparing a single attack roll to each opponent’s Defense, or target a single opponent and increase that target’s save DC to reduce damage by +4. At 8th level the maxim gains the option of spending 6 vitality points when preparing one of his key skill psionic attacks to either target three opponents in adjacent squares, comparing a single attack roll to each opponent’s Defense, or target a single opponent and increase that target’s save DC to reduce damage increased by +8. Energy Lance: At 6th level the maxim may create far more powerful attacks than other mentalists. As a full action he may make one normal key skill psion attack which inflicts maximum damage with a successful hit (no roll is required; the target simply takes the maximum possible damage result). If the maxim suffers a critical failure with his attack roll when using this ability, he suffers the maximum possible backlash damage for his key skill energy attack (generally 8 or 12 points of damage). Creating an energy lance requires that the maxim spend vitality points as if preparing his energy attack. This ability may be used a number of times per session equal to half the maxim’s class level (rounded down) and cannot be combined with the energy spray ability (see opposite). Energy Master: Beginning at 8th level the threat range of the maxim’s key skill psion attacks is increased by 1. Further, he is no longer required to spend action dice to activate a critical with his key skill psion attacks. Sustained Attack: Starting at 10th level, once per session when the maxim prepares one of his key skill psion attacks, he may spend additional vitality equal to the normal cost to activate that power. For the duration of that ability he may make two psionic attacks per round with that power.

This is a prestige class. The scanner is an exceptional telepath trained by the Archer Foundation’s Office of Psion Affairs as a security and counter-insurgent specialist. Abilities: As premier-grade telepaths, it is essential for the scanner to have superior Charisma and Wisdom scores. Solid Intelligence and Constitution scores will also be helpful throughout the agent’s career. Vitality: 1d8 plus Constitution modifier per level

Requirements To become a scanner, an agent must meet all of the following requirements. Agent Level: 5+. Psion Level: 5+. Empathy: 8 ranks. Memory Flash: 6 ranks. Project Thought: 6 ranks. Feats: ESP Basics, Imprint Basics, Psion Prodigy.

Class Skills The scanner’s class skills and key abilities are: Class Skill Bluff Bureaucracy Concentration Craft Cryptography Diplomacy Driver Gather Information Hobby Intimidate Innuendo Knowledge

Key Ability Cha Cha Wis Int Int Cha Dex Cha Wis Str or Cha Wis Int

Table 3.7: The Scanner Base Att Bon +0 +1 +1 +2

Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1

Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1

Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4

Def Bon +1 +1 +2 +2

Init Bon +1 +2 +3 +3

Budg Pts 2 4 6 8

Gadg Pts 1 2 3 4

5 6 7

+2 +3 +3

+1 +2 +2

+1 +2 +2

+4 +5 +5

+3 +4 +4

+4 +5 +6

10 12 14

5 6 7

8

+4

+2

+2

+6

+5

+6

16

8

9 10

+4 +5

+3 +3

+3 +3

+6 +7

+5 +6

+7 +8

18 20

9 10

Lvl 1 2 3 4

57

Special Light touch, mind walker (ESP Mastery) Improved psi mastery Mind walker (Imprint Mastery) Persistent telepathy (duration ×2), tracer (30 ft.) Mind walker (Connection Junction) Gestalt 1/session Improved psi mastery, mind walker (ESP Supremacy) Persistent telepathy (duration ×3), tracer (50 ft.) Mind walker (Imprint Supremacy) Neural loop 1/session

Archer Foundation Languages Listen Profession Read Lips Search Sense Motive Spot Surveillance

Wis Wis Wis Int Int Wis Wis Wis

Tracer: Any person approaching within 30 ft. of the scanner must make a Concentration check or Will save (DC 15). If the check or save fails, the scanner immediately becomes psionically aware of the character’s presence and location (even if they continue to move), so long as he remains within this ability’s radius. Teammates and other allies may willingly fail this save so as to alert the scanner of their location. Unconscious characters automatically succeed with this save. A character who has been detected may attempt to throw off the scanner by stilling his thoughts. Once per round as a half action, the character may make a new Concentration check. With success, the scanner loses track of the character and must make a new Concentration check to recover the link. The scanner may actively check for minds within this ability’s radius by spending 1 vitality point and concentrating for a full round (during which time the scanner is considered flat-footed). This forces all undetected minds to make a new Concentration check or save versus DC 15. With success, they avoid detection. Otherwise, the scanner is aware of their presence. At 8th level, the radius of this ability increases to 50 ft. and the DC of the check or save increases to 20. Gestalt: The scanner may link the minds of his teammates, facilitating an impressive level of coordination and cooperation between them. Once per session as a full action, the scanner may create a gestalt where he and his teammates may converse and offer advice freely without speech. So long as all linked teammates are within the scanner’s line of sight, the scanner and each teammate gains a cooperation bonus from every other character in the gestalt to all applicable skill checks. Providing the cooperative effort is a free action for all assisting agents. This ability lasts for 3 rounds and has a vitality cost equal to the number of agents in the gestalt. Once created, the scanner may pay the vitality cost every three rounds to maintain the gestalt without interruption. Neural Loop: Once per session the scanner may attempt to imprison a mind within an internal fantasy landscape, a conscious dream-state. The target’s own mind provides the walls of this prison. While so trapped the target may not move, speak, or otherwise interact with the outside world, and is considered helpless. To create this prison the scanner must be within 1 mile of the target and spend three rounds in complete concentration (during which the scanner is considered flat-footed). During the first round (at the scanner’s initiative count), the target must make a Will save to resist the intrusion. During the second round (at the scanner’s initiative count), the target must make a Reflex save to resist the scanner’s substitution of a fantasy scenario within his mind. During the third round (at the scanner’s initiative count), the target makes a Fortitude save

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier.

Class Features All of the following are class features of the scanner. Psionic Class: The scanner is a psionic class. Levels gained in this class increase the agent’s psion level. Class Feats: The scanner gains the following feats at 1st level. Armor Proficiency (Light) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Light Touch: The scanner excels in concealing his influence over others. Any time the scanner uses an ESP or imprint skill he may spend an action die to increase the DC of all checks to detect or identify his use of the power (either during or afterward) by twice his scanner level. This is the scanner’s core ability. Mind Walker: The scanner is a master of mental intrusion and telepathic communication. At 1st level, the scanner receives the ESP Mastery feat. At 3rd level, he receives the Imprint Mastery feat. At 5th level, the scanner becomes capable of two-way telepathic communication, gaining the Connection Junction feat. At 7th level, he gains the ESP Supremacy feat. Finally, at 9th level, the scanner’s mindwalking power reaches its zenith and he gains the Imprint Supremacy feat. The agent must still meet all prerequisites for these feats, including minimum psion level and skill ranks. The scanner must meet all prerequisites before he gains any benefit from the feats. Improved Psi Mastery: At 2nd level, the scanner may select an ESP or imprint skill for which he has the improved psi mastery ability, receiving a +4 bonus to all skill checks with that skill. At 7th level, the scanner may select a second ESP or imprint skill for which he has the improved psi mastery ability, gaining the same benefit for the second skill as well. Any improved psi mastery benefit replaces previous bonuses from psi mastery for the same skill. Persistent Telepathy: At 4th level, the scanner’s mental endurance grows exponentially. He may accept a –4 penalty to any ESP or imprint skill check to double the duration of the ability once it is activated. At 8th level, the scanner may accept a –8 penalty to any ESP or imprint skill check to triple the duration of the ability once it is activated.

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New Rules to prevent the scanner from establishing the neural loop within the target’s mind. The DC for each of these saves it equal to 10 + the scanner’s psion level. If any of the saves is successful the attempt fails that round and the target is only stunned for 1d4 rounds. If the target fails all three saves he is rendered helpless for a number of hours equal to his Constitution score, after which he enters a deep sleep for 8 hours (during which he can be awakened as normal). The scanner must spend 8 vitality points each round when using this ability (for a total cost of 24 vitality over all three rounds). If the attempt fails, it cannot be repeated during the same session.

campfire for pyrokinesis, an open meat locker for cryokinesis, a performance stage-sized speaker for vibrokinesis) then you may initiate the attack from that location, determining range penalties from the base energy’s point of origin rather than your location. This potentially eliminates obvious clues about your location, but you may still be seen normally.

Psychoinventive Supremacy You have focused extensively on the super-creative powers of the mind. Prerequisites: Psion level 12+, Psychoinventive Mastery. Benefit: Your psion level is considered 1 higher any time you make a psychoinventive skill check, and the GC (or opposing players) must spend an extra action die to activate a critical failure when you are using those skills. Further, the duration of your mental leap ability is doubled (becoming 20 rounds).

N EW B ASIC PSION FEATS Unless otherwise noted, these feats may be taken by any agent who has an open generic (i.e. non-specified) feat slot.

Psychokinetic Supremacy

Concentrate Energies

Your control over energy is honed to a killing edge. Prerequisites: Psion level 12+, Psychokinetic Mastery. Benefit: Your psion level is considered 1 higher any time you make a psychokinetic skill check, and the GC (or opposing players) must spend an extra action die to activate a critical failure when you are using those skills. Further, if you take an aim action before making a psionic attack, that attack’s treat range is increased by 1 (e.g. from 1–2 to 1–3).

Your energy attacks are amazingly powerful. Prerequisites: Intelligence 13+. Benefit: At the start of your first action during a round you may subtract a number up to your base attack bonus from all of your attacks this round and add the same number to the total of any damage rolls for any physical psion attacks you make this round.

You are able to punish those who intrude upon your mind. Prerequisite: Charisma 15+. Benefit: Any time you successfully make a Will save in response to another agent using a psion feat, skill, or class ability on you, you inflict 2d4 subdual damage on that agent.

Telekinetic Supremacy Through intense study your ability to lift and move objects with the power of your mind is greatly increased. Prerequisites: Psion level 12+, Telekinetic Mastery. Benefit: Your psion level is considered 1 higher any time you make a telekinetic skill check, and the GC (or opposing players) must spend an extra action die to activate a critical failure when you are using those skills. Further, you receive a +2 bonus to the results of all of your telekinetic skill checks.

N EW M ENTAL PSION FEATS You must have a mentalist level of 1 or more to take any feats from this category.

N EW M ENTAL PSION SKILLS

Indirect Assault You are able to make your physical psionic attacks loop and twist and even originate from other places. Prerequisites: Psion level 10+. Benefit: Your physical psionic attacks gain the coil weapon quality (see the Modern Arms Guide, page 14). Further, if there is a concentration of the base energy used for this psionic attack within 30 ft of you (e.g. a

These psion skills allow you to push your mind beyond normal human limitations to create physical changes in the world around you. Psychoinventive, psychokinetic, and telekinetic skills are all considered mental psion skills.

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Archer Foundation Result up to 15 16–20 21–25 26–30 31+

Spatial Comprehension (Int; Trained only) Requires the Psychoinventive Basics feat. Your mind is capable of identifying, cataloguing, and predicting the positions and movements of dozens of objects with precision, even from minimal and outdated input. Check: Use of this skill grants you one of several feat-like abilities for a brief period depending on the result of your Spatial Comprehension check. None of these benefits stack with the equivalent feat, and you may ignore any prerequisites the feat normally requires. Result up to 15 16–20 21–25 26–30 31+

Duration 1 minute 2 minutes 4 minutes 8 minutes 16 minutes

Jam: You may create interference that blocks radio-based communications. This interference acts like an ECM unit with a power rating equal to half of the bonus generated by the Radiokinesis check (rounded down). The same check also determines how long the effect lasts. The range of this effect is 100 ft. per psion level you have attained (though you may willingly reduce it). Receive Signals: You may listen in on radio signals as if you have a normal radio with an ECM power rating equal to onehalf the bonus from your Radiokinesis skill check (rounded down). Transmit Signals: You may manipulate radio waves to create your own broadcasts. This allows you to send communications as if you have a normal radio with a power rating equal to one-half the bonus from your Radiokinesis skill check (rounded down). Vitality Point Cost: 3

Duration 1 round 2 rounds 3 rounds 4 rounds 5 rounds

Avoidance: You may plot the optimal course away from danger, gaining the Lightning Reflexes feat. Incoming: You can anticipate the path of attacks moments before they happen, gaining the Sidestep feat. Combat Track: You may extrapolate the movement and locations of nearby opponents, gaining the Blindsight 5-ft. Radius feat. Trajectory: You may precisely calculate angles of attack, gaining the Farshot feat. Vitality Point Cost: 6

Vibrokinesis (Dex; Trained only) Requires the Telekinetic Basics feat. You may utilize minute fluctuations of telekinetic energy to create or cancel out sounds. Check: A Vibrokinesis check requires a half action (except when activating sonic illusion, which is a free action), and allows you to activate one of the following powers. You may have more than one of these powers active at the same time, but you must pay the vitality point cost for each. Sonic Illusion: You may activate this power as a free action. Once activated, you may create sounds in your vicinity for a number of minutes equal to your psion level. Make a Vibrokinesis check and add the result to the base Listen DC listed below. The total is the

Radiokinesis (Wis; Trained only) Requires the Psychokinetic Basics feat. You are able to sense and redirect electromagnetic waves in the radio portion of the spectrum. With practice you can create and understand the modulations used in modern radio transmissions. Check: The Radiokinesis check determine how long each of the powers lasts. You may have more than one of the following powers active at the same time, but you must pay the vitality point cost for each.

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New Rules N EW P HYSICAL PSION FEATS

DC against which all people within hearing distance make a Listen check to determine if they notice that the mentalist’s sounds are fake. Combining multiple sounds (e.g. several voices in conversation) reduces the total Listen DC by –2 per additional sound (e.g. per voice). The sound’s perceived origin must be within 30 ft. of the mentalist and within his line of sight.

You must have a physical adept level of 1 or more to take any feats from this category.

Adrenal Supremacy Result Specific voice Full orchestra Human speech Simple sounds Simple tone

Base Listen DC 5 8 10 12 15

When you cut loose, the results are astonishing. Prerequisites: Psion level 12+, Adrenal Mastery. Benefit: Your psion level is considered 1 higher any time you make an adrenal skill check, and the GC (or opposing players) must spend an extra action die to activate a critical failure when you are using those skills. Further, the duration of your superhuman ability is doubled (to a maximum of 20 rounds).

Sound Blast: You may activate this power as a half action. While this power is active, you gain the tonal attack ability, described below. The duration of this power depends on the result of your Vibrokinesis check. Result up to 15 16–20 21–25 26–30 31+

Metabolic Supremacy Your control over your metabolism has become incredibly precise and reliable. Prerequisites: Psion level 12+, Metabolic Mastery. Benefit: Your psion level is considered 1 higher any time you make a metabolic skill check, and the GC (or opposing players) must spend an extra action die to activate a critical failure when you are using those skills. Further, each time you recover vitality or wounds the number of points recovered is doubled.

Duration 1 round 2 rounds 3 rounds 4 rounds 5 rounds

Tonal Attack: Once per round as a half action, you may generate a focused blast of sound surrounding an opponent as a psionic ranged touch attack. The range increment of the attack is 20, its error range is 1, and its threat range is 20. You add your Intelligence modifier to your attack roll, and if you hit, you roll 2d4 damage, plus an additional 1d4 for every three psion levels you have, adding your Dexterity modifier to the final result (e.g. if you have a psion level of 3 and a +2 Dexterity modifier, you deal 3d4+2 damage). This damage is treated as sonic and psionic, and the target may make a Reflex save (DC 10 + your psion level) to suffer only half damage, rounded down. A target who fails this save is deafened for 1d6 rounds as described on page 177 of the Spycraft Espionage Handbook. If you suffer a critical miss when using this ability, you suffer 2d4 points of psionic backlash damage (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 183). In addition, your sound blast power immediately ends. Zone of Silence: You may cancel all sounds you make by generating a carefully balanced sound wave of the opposite phase. Make a Vibrokinesis check, adding the resulting bonus to all of your Move Silently checks and all of your opponent’s Listen DCs for one round per psion level you have. Vitality Point Cost: 2 for ventriloquist and zone of silence, 6 for sound blast

Sensory Supremacy Your ability to enhance your senses is unparalleled. Prerequisites: Psion level 12+, Sensory Mastery. Benefit: Your psion level is considered 1 higher any time you make a sensory skill check, and the GC (or opposing players) must spend an extra action die to activate a critical failure when you are using those skills. Further, you receive a +2 bonus to the results of all of your sensory skill checks.

N EW P HYSICAL PSION SKILLS These psion skills allow you to push your body beyond normal human limitations. Adrenal, metabolic, and sensory skills are all considered physical psion skills.

Friction Control (Con; Trained only) Requires the Adrenal Basics feat. You can create a static charge along your skin that drastically alters the bond between your skin and any surface. This field can cause your surface to become

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Archer Foundation nearly frictionless, allowing attacks to slide off of you or permit you to adhere to objects, climb walls more easily, or retain your balance on unsteady ground. Check: A Friction Control check requires a half action and adds a psionic bonus to certain die rolls or values for a number of minutes equal to 5 times your psion level. The result of your Friction Control check determines the bonus (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 177), and the power you choose from the list below determines which die rolls receive the bonus. You may activate more than one of these powers at the same time, but you must pay the vitality point cost for each. Immovability: By adhering to the ground you’re standing on, you gain your Friction Control bonus to Balance checks and when resisting trip attempts. Slippery: By making your skin slick you may become faster in water and difficult to strike or grapple. This adds +5 ft. to your swimming movement and your Friction Control bonus to your Defense against unarmed attacks and grappling attempts. Spider Climb: By adhering to the surface you’re climbing, you gain your Friction Control bonus to Climbing checks. Vitality Point Cost: 2 for immovability or spider climb, 6 for slippery

Example: John Hunter and Dumisani Tepe are linked and Dumisani suffers 8 vitality points of damage. John may choose to suffer some or all of that damage in Dumisani’s place. Wound point damage cannot be shared via the link — the person suffering the wound point damage must suffer the damage himself. If one member of the link is killed, the other must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or be stunned for 1d6 rounds. Twin Recovery: While this power lasts, any Fortitude save that either linked person makes is made by both of the link. If either member succeeds with the save, then the save is successful. Vitality Point Cost: 4

Psionic Sensing (Wis; Trained only) Requires the Sensory Basics feat. You can sense the current or past use of psionic powers in your immediate vicinity. Check: A Psionic Sensing check requires a half action and allows you to activate one of the following powers. Detect Psionics: By opening your senses to psychic energy, you can tell if someone is using psionic powers nearby. This ability lasts for a number of minutes equal to 5 times your psion level. The result of your Psionic Sensing check determines how far away you may sense psionic use.

Link Health (Con; Trained only) Requires the Metabolic Basics feat. You may link your life energy to that of an ally, allowing the two of you to share wounds or to benefit from healing given to the other. This link works across any distance, regardless of obstacles between you. Check: A Link Health check requires a half action and “links” you with one willing individual that you are touching. You then choose one of the powers listed below to activate through the link. The result of the Link Health check determines how long the power lasts. You may activate more than one of these powers at once, but you must pay the vitality point cost for each, and you may only be linked with one individual at a time. Result up to 15 16–20 21–25 26–30 31+

Result up to 15 16–20 21–25 26–30 31+

Range 20 feet 40 feet 80 feet 160 feet 320 feet

Detect Residuals: By altering your sight to detect psionic “residuals” — traces of psychic energy left after mental powers are used in an area — you may look for signs that psionic powers have been used there recently. This power lasts for a number of minutes equal to 5 times your psion level. It takes 5 minutes to scan a 20 ft. × 20 ft. area. The result of the Psionic Sensing check determines how far into the past you may detect psionic use, as well as the information you gain about the power used.

Duration 1 minute 2 minutes 4 minutes 8 minutes 16 minutes

Pool Vitality: For the duration of this power, either or both of the link may suffer vitality point damage dealt to either linked member — the damage may be split evenly between them or divided in whatever fashion both characters agree upon.

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Result up to 15 16–20 21–25

Age of Usage 1 day 2 days 4 days

26–30

8 days

31+

16 days

Info Gained Yes/no Yes/no, feat type Yes/no, feat type, skill used Yes/no, feat type, skill used, power used Yes/no, feat type, skill used, power used, skill result

New Rules N EW T ELEPATHIC PSION SKILLS

Yes/No: You sense whether or not any psionic powers were activated in the area scanned. Feat Type: You sense which psionic feat types have been activated in the area scanned (e.g. “Adrenal” or “Sensory”). Skill Used: You sense which psion skills have been activated in the area scanned (e.g. “Body Sculpting” or “Enhance Senses”). Power Used: You sense which psionic powers have been activated in the area scanned (e.g. “Deft Touch” or “Crushing Blow”). Skill Result: You sense the skill check result that was rolled for any psionic power activated in the area scanned (e.g. you might sense that another psion has used the Deft Touch power and rolled a skill check of 24 in the scanned area). Vitality Point Cost: 2

These psion skills allow you to touch the world in many subtle ways and expand your ordinary senses. ESP, Imprint, and Intuitive skills are all considered telepathic psion skills.

Memory Flash (Int; Trained only) Requires the Imprint Basics feat. You may send large blocks of memory to a willing mind, allowing you to provide quick updates to allies or even loan out skills temporarily. Check: Memory flash requires a full round action and allows you to activate one of the following powers. Memory flash may only be used on a willing target. Tutor: You may choose one of your skills and transfer some of your knowledge about it to a willing mind. The target gains a total number of ranks in the skill equal to the bonus generated by your memory flash skill check, your rank in the skill, or the target’s character level +3, whichever is lowest. This knowledge lasts for a number of minutes equal to the recipient’s Intelligence. Use of tutor does not reduce your skill ranks in any way. Update: You may provide nearly instant explanation and briefings equivalent to half an hour of memories or time spent conversing with the target. This allows you to give a lengthy explanation in a single round, including your memory of names, faces, voices, and other information. The bonus from your memory flash check becomes a bonus to the target’s next inspiration roll if made within one minute of receiving this update. Vitality Point Cost: 6 for tutor, 2 for update

N EW T ELEPATHIC PSION FEATS You must have a telepath level of 1 or more to take any feats from this category.

ESP Supremacy Your extra sensory awareness is extraordinarily accurate and flashes of acute insight are frequent. Prerequisites: Psion level 12+, ESP Mastery. Benefit: Your psion level is considered 1 higher any time you make an ESP skill check, and the GC (or opposing players) must spend an extra action die to activate a critical failure when you are using those skills. Further, the vitality cost of your ESP skills is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 1).

Imprint Supremacy

Profile (Int; Trained only)

You may force your way into other minds with terrifying results. Prerequisites: Psion level 12+, Imprint Mastery. Benefit: Your psion level is considered 1 higher any time you make an imprint skill check, and the GC (or opposing players) must spend an extra action die to activate a critical failure when you are using those skills. Further, when you inflict ability damage with a telepath skill, the damage is increased by +1.

Requires the Intuition Basics feat. By collecting information about an individual you are able to build up an incredibly accurate model of his or her abilities. Likewise, studying a location provides precise insight about recent local events. Mental Model: By reviewing all available information about a person for an hour, you may form a mental picture of the individual. Your profile check determines the completeness and accuracy of this model and what information is gained from it.

Intuition Supremacy Prerequisites: Psion level 12+, Intuition Mastery. Benefit: Your psion level is considered 1 higher any time you make an intuition skill check, and the GC (or opposing players) must spend an extra action die to activate a critical failure when you are using those skills. Further, the duration of your force of will ability is doubled (becoming 20 rounds).

Result up to 10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 31+

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Knowledge Target’s gender and age category Target’s highest and lowest attribute Target’s three highest ranked skills All of the target’s classes Target’s most likely emotional state at this time All of the target’s class levels

Archer Foundation Sensory Tap (Wis; Trained only)

The quality of information available to you provides a modifier for this check: Quality of Information You question the target under controlled circumstances (e.g. interrogation or psychiatric evaluation) You speak one-on-one with the target for several minutes You listen to and observes the target for at least 10 minutes (in person or as a recording) You examine a location that the target lived in for more than 1 day You question a witness about the target You work from written records, photos, or a single crime scene You work from hearsay and rumors

Requires the ESP Basics feat. You may tie your senses together with those of another person so that by concentrating, you experience what they experience. Initially you must touch the target in order to establish a sensory tap (a touch attack is required to link to an unwilling target). Check: Establishing a sensory tap requires a half round action. Unwilling targets receive a Will save with a DC of 10 plus your psion level to prevent the link from forming. Once the link is established, you may maintain it at any distance and view the world through the target’s senses when concentrating. If the target is damaged while you are using his senses, you take an equal amount of subdual damage. If your body is injured while you’re sensory tap, you must make a Concentration check (DC 10 + the damage taken) or the skill use immediately ends. You may maintain more than one link, but may only utilize the senses of one target at a time. You may release a link at any time. The link’s maximum duration is determined by the result of your Sensory Tap check:

Modifier +10

+5 +0

–5 –10 –5 –20

Unless the GC specifies otherwise, these modifiers are not cumulative with one another. The GC determines which modifier is most appropriate for the situation. Check totals above 10 gain not only the knowledge mentioned, but all entries prior (for instance, if use of this ability reveals the target’s three highest skills or classes, it also reveals the target’s age category and gender). Reconstruction: By examining a location for 5 minutes, you may attempt to reconstruct recent events. This reconstruction’s level of detail is determined by your profile check: Result up to 10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 31+

Result up to 15 16–20 21–25 26–30 31+

Knowledge Number of individuals directly involved Time elapsed since event All participants’ genders and age categories Approximate purpose of event Most pivotal attack or skill check during the event Complete list of all attacks and skill checks made during event

Backpedal: As a half action, you may negate all of the target’s concealment bonuses against your attacks until the target takes a 5-ft. step or a move action. Puppet Self: You may move ing information from your target’s senses. While using this power, your speed is reduced by 5 ft. and you suffer a –2 penalty to all Dexterity-based skill checks, ranged attacks, and Reflex saves. These penalties are doubled if the target is aware that you are a telepath and is unwilling to offer his senses to help you. This power allows you to effectively negate blindness or deafness. Tap Senses: You may read any materials the target is reading, listen to any conversations held in the target’s presence, and make Spot and Listen checks from the target’s location using his skill ranks and Wisdom modifier. While using this ability, you are considered flat-footed. Vitality Point Cost: 3 to attempt a link, 2 per 5 minutes the link is maintained, 1 per round spent using someone else’s senses.

Apply the following modifiers to this check: Condition Location has been preserved since event Each hour the location has been occupied (by a new crowd) since the event The event involved combat or aggressive behavior The event was non-combative, or ive

Duration 5 minutes 15 minutes 30 minutes 1 hour 2 hours

Modifier +0 –2 +0 –10

Vitality Point Cost: 5

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New Rules Fluid Breathing System: Originally developed as an aid in medical research, this technology is now available for deep-sea diving operations. Its bulky, oxygenated fluorocarbon emulsion system fills the agent’s lungs with liquid, offering him limited protection from drowning and the rigors of compression. It does not, however, protect him from the bends. Gadget Point Cost: 4 Weight: 75 lbs. Spot DC: Automatic Mechanics: The fluid breathing system grants an agent immunity to pressure damage to a depth of 1500 feet. Beyond that, the agent must make normal pressure damage rolls as if the 1500-ft. mark were the surface. The suit has an air supply of 2 hours, and operates like a bomb squad suit with a DR of 5 when the agent is attacked. Rebreather pen: To use this ordinary-looking pen, the agent flips out two small plastic tabs and bites down onto them, gripping the gadget in his mouth. Gadget Point Cost: 2 Weight: — Spot DC: 20 Mechanics: A rebreather pen holds 10 minutes of air. While drawing upon the pen's air supply an agent is immune to drowning, suffocation, and breathable poison gas effects. A small mechanism allows the agent to refill the pen with compressed air by leaving it in an open area for one hour.

NEW PSITECH The Archer Foundation is a hub for gadget creation, regularly providing new technologies to all Chambers of the Conspiracy. The following are the newest offerings from the Office of Psion Affairs. Many are designed for use underwater, conceived mainly for agents assigned to the Baltic Sea base Aquatica (see page 138).

New diving Equipment Air tooth: The center of this tooth holds compressed air under high pressure. By twisting the crown (typically with the tongue), the agent can draw upon a hidden supply of air that is released by a tiny valve. Gadget Point Cost: 2 each Weight: — Spot DC: 25 (experts only) Mechanics: Each air tooth can hold up to 5 minutes (50 rounds) of air, assuming the agent only opens the valve when needed (about once every 20-30 seconds). If he leaves it open, the tooth’s air supply drops to 2 minutes (20 rounds). While drawing upon the tooth's air supply, an agent is immune to drowning, suffocation, and breathable poison gas effects. After use, each air tooth must be reloaded at a cost of 2 additional GP. An agent may requisition up to 10 air teeth, each adding 5 extra minutes to his compressed air supply.

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Archer Foundation Underwater jet shoes: Compressed air in the soles of these shoes allows the wearer to propel himself underwater at high speed. Gadget Point Cost: +1 (shoe option) Weight: — Spot DC: –5 (show option) Mechanics: When using this gadget, the agent moves double his normal swimming speed. The shoes contain enough compressed air stored for 5 minutes (50 rounds) of acceleration. Underwater lenses: A variation of standard starlight lenses (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 140), these s are designed specifically for underwater use. Gadget Point Cost: 1 Weight: — Spot DC: 25 Mechanics: An agent wearing these lenses is considered to have eye protection when underwater, and doesn’t suffer the normal –1 penalty to attack rolls. and skill checks requiring visual cues. Also, at depths of up to 60 feet, concealment penalties are not applied to the agent’s opponents, so long as there is a source of ambient light in the surrounding water (e.g. sunlight, moonlight, etc.). If the agent is exposed to a bright light

source while wearing these lenses (e.g. a flashlight is pointed at his face), he must make a Reflex save (DC 15) or be blinded for 1d4 rounds. The agent may disable and re-enable underwater lenses with a double-blink. Underwater weapon conversion: This gadget includes one clip of specially modified bullets and the necessary gear and tools to modify any pistol to function underwater. The Office of Psion Affairs has determined that the upward distance that a bullet can travel underwater is low enough not to justify a rifle conversion, though they continue to search for other possibilities. Gadget Point Cost: 2 Weight: — Spot DC: Automatic Mechanics: This gadget may only be used to modify a pistol. The agent may request that a pistol of his choice be modified when the gadget is requisitioned or perform the modification in the field himself with the Craft (Gunsmithing) skill (DC 20). Success allows the pistol to be fired normally underwater, though its range increment is reduced by half (rounded up) and its maximum range is 50 feet. A critical success only reduces the weapon’s range increment by 25% (though its maximum range still remains 50 feet). Failure ruins the gadget, while a critical failure ruins both the gadget and the pistol.

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New Rules Flute gun: This attractive silver flute contains a working blowgun, which may be fired by depressing a precise (and rarely used) combination of valves and playing the note. Assassins often use this device to catch their targets by surprise during concerts, aiming indirectly at the target’s reflection on other instruments, then slip out in the ensuring chaos. Gadget Point Cost: 2 Weight: 1⁄2 lb. Spot DC: 25 Mechanics: This weapon operates like a blowgun with a threat range of 18–20 and a –2 penalty to all attack rolls. The flute gun may only hold one shot at a time, and requires one half action to reload. The cost of any drug or poison for the dart must be requisitioned separately. Magnet knuckles: This variant of brass knuckles can be turned into a powerful magnet by pressing a hidden button. Gadget Point Cost: 2 Weight: 1⁄2 lb. Spot DC: 25 Mechanics: This weapon operates like standard brass knuckles. In addition, by pressing the hidden button as a free action, the knuckles become magnetized and can up to 200 lbs. when connected flatly to a metal surface. Rocket launcher cast: This one-shot rocket launcher is cleverly concealed within a standard cast, worn over an agent’s arm or leg. Gadget Point Cost: 5 Weight: 20 lb. Spot DC: 20 Mechanics: This weapon operates like a rocket launcher loaded with one HE rocket. If the gadget is a leg cast, the agent must lift his leg parallel with the ground to fire the rocket. The agent suffers a –2 penalty to all attack rolls with this weapon.

New Document Gadgets Camera-safe documents: The inks used on this paper cannot be seen by UV flash caused by most cameras, so documents created with it cannot be photographed. Gadget Point Cost: 1 per 10 pages Weight: — Spot DC: 30 Mechanics: When photographed, this paper appears blank. No publicly sold lens filter can counter this effect. Erasure camera: Moments after this camera is used to photograph any standard inked document (including stamped items), all ink vanishes from the page. Gadget Point Cost: 2 Weight: 1 lb. Spot DC: 25 (experts only, super-science) Mechanics: This camera’s gadget effect has no impact on the pictures it takes, and information erased is retained in the picture taken. Laminated and other air-tight documents are immune to this camera’s erasure effect.

Fringe Gadgets The following item is available only to agents of Division Nihil (see page 110). Fringeviewer: This unique device was concocted by Dr. Lothario Algernon (see page 112), as a method for seeing into the Fringe. It appears like a normal camera, but it takes pictures of the same location on the Other Side. Unfortunately, you can’t see the other side through its rangefinder, so all shots are taken blind and unfocused. Special Note: This device is based on a minimalist design by Nikola Tesla, and works from purely fringebased science. It has no operating parts — in fact, it is hollow, as anyone can see if they open it up. The camera is loaded using an old-fashioned tin-type interface (one plate per shot). Gadget Point Cost: 3 Weight: 1 lb. Spot DC: 25 (super-science) Mechanics: This camera may only take shots of the Fringe, and may only take 1 shot before it must be reloaded. It requires 1 full round to load and 1 half action to use. Finally, it has a Surveillance check cap of 20.

An Advisory Like much of the information about the Fringe, the section starting on the next page exists primarily for the GC, and is subject to his approval. (We wanted to give you all the rules and metaphysical background up front.) Some people may find this section too dry or high-minded for their liking. If that’s the case, feel free to limit your games to the mystic effects in the physical world, or simply omit the mystic part of the setting altogether. We’ve left plenty of room for both options, should you wish to pursue them. Even if you include a mystic background in your games, we recommend that no one save a few very powerful mystics understand the reasons for mystic power, and how to manipulate the mystic world. Otherwise, the setting shifts from one of action-espionage with a splash of the unknown to pulp or high fantasy: a radical departure from the intended genre.

New Weapon Options Directional mine: This nasty little device propels hundreds of small projectiles when detonated. It can be remotely operated, trip wire detonated, or timer detonated. Gadget Pick Cost: 1 each Weight: 1 lb. Spot DC: 10 Mechanics: The projectiles have an attack zone of 1 square (5-feet) in the direction that the mine is targeted. Anyone caught in the zone must make a reflex roll (DC 15) or suffer 3d4 damage.

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Archer Foundation THE OTHER SIDE

ic cases, the spirits of humans with a thirst for the mystic world are trapped here, incapable of ing on to their final rest. Some spirits their lives in the physical world, or parts of them. Other spirits acquire a form of amnesia once they leave their bodies, and are therefore unable or unwilling to recall their mortal lives. Such spirits are completely alone, cut off from the comforts they knew in life, and frequently fall into despair, without hope of completing their journey to the other side. The conditions of a spirit’s afterlife greatly affect its appearance. Spirits with a mission in the physical world are usually least affected (for good or ill), and most closely resemble their physical forms. Spirits who have given up, become lost, or fall into insanity are worst affected — their visages become horrific and gnarled, the stuff of nightmares. Spirits naturally view the physical world the same way that the physical world views them — as hollow, partially insubstantial shadows, just out of reach. Within this dull vista, most spirits can only sense living humans who are touched by divine power — mystic power (in mechanics , they sense humans with thirst levels). This effect increases in the Fringe, from which spirits view the physical world as a haze of blurry images, shifting wildly and uncontrollably. Conversely, mystic relics and the use of invocations appear to spirits as blurs of intensely sharp color, branding their vision. The combination of all these elements is not unlike being in the center of a visual maelstrom, with far too much input for the spirits’ eyes and minds to process. Spirits find this input extremely painful, especially while in the physical world. Many wail or moan constantly, giving rise to the “screaming ghost” of folklore. Lingering in the physical world for a prolonged period after death often drives spirits mad, ensuring that they remain, haunting the living until they are destroyed. Lingering spirits, crazed or not, often lash out in a vain attempt to end their pain. All sources of mystic power (including mystics themselves) are a fount of agony for them, and regularly attacked. Mystics with thirst levels are actively hunted. Living humans with no connection to the mystic world are generally left alone. Not only are most ghosts incapable of seeing the untainted, but ghosts of low power are incapable of attacking them at all. This is terribly frustrating for most spirits trapped here in the physical world — invisible, with no way of affecting the world or ceasing their pain (except by attacking other ghosts anchored by the thirst), they languish until they escape into the Fringe or spirit world, or plummet into eternal insanity.

Mystics believe in two worlds — our own physical world and a spirit realm that is invisible to us. The latter is considered the source of all mystic power, where gods and monsters dwell. Mystics call the space between, where the two worlds overlap, “the Fringe.” Humans cannot across the Fringe to the other side (except after they die, as ghosts). The reverse, however, is not true. As a mystic gains power, he attracts the attention of other mystically-inclined beings — in this world and beyond. The mystic world is not meant for humans, who loosely view its natural inhabitants as demons, devils, and unknowable abominations from beyond. In reality, the majority of these beings are merely the spirits of the dead (ghosts), though mystics claim that many horrors lie beyond the physical world — horrors beside which ghosts pale in comparison. All spiritual beings take a keen interest in those who pursue the Fringe, and seek them out — as sustenance, and worse.

The Unquiet Dead Most spirits through the Fringe and into the spirit realm after their bodies die in the physical world. Some, however, remain behind. Confused by their death and new existence without a body, some spirits become forlorn, mentally and spiritually lost within the physical world or the Fringe. Some have unfinished business to attend to, while others are simply too attached to their mortal coil to leave it behind. Finally, in the most trag-

Mercury Shadows Most spirits travel and attack alone or in pairs. Historical anecdotes say that ghosts are notoriously solitary creatures, as lonely as they are dangerous. But recently, mystics have noticed a disturbing trend for lingering spirits to move and fight in packs, like animals trained to hunt. Alarming rumors persist that recently missing influential figures — many of them allies and agents of the Archer Conspiracy and none of them mystics — were carried away in a storm of screaming shadows, some of which brandished unique spectral blades that left trails of mercury fire across seared, ruined flesh. The veracity of these rumors remains a mystery, but the changes among the spirit populations of the physical world and the Fringe are obvious. Something is changing on the Other Side… (For the truth about these rumors, see page 120.)

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New Rules Even lingering spirits who reside in the shifting plane don’t seem to be able to control it. Mystics say the Fringe acts very much like a clouded transparency placed over our own physical world. Every place and event in the Fringe parallels a place or event in the physical world, just shrouded in a constant gloom. The only feature the Fringe doesn’t share with the physical world is its population — disenfranchised spirits wandering a realm three steps out of phase with the rest of reality. Though the Fringe is invisible to those living in the physical world, the reverse is not true. As described above, spirits lingering in the Fringe can always sense the physical world, and it causes them great anguish. The pain is magnified when the Fringe appears in the physical world, and spirits unfortunate enough to be near the junction witness hundreds or thousands of other, newly released spirits flooding across the Fringe, toward their final rest in the spirit realm. A lucky few among them are swept up in the tide and carried across with the flood, never to return. The rest are ed by a host of new spirits who, also anchored by sorrow, confusion, or earthly needs, remain behind after the junction fades.

The Fringe There is a constant and unpredictable ebb and flow between the physical and spirit worlds, like the waves on a beach. Furthering this metaphor, if the beach is the physical world and the sea the spirit realm, then the spongy earth between the low and high tide marks is a place called the Fringe. Of course, waves are always present on beaches — the Fringe, on the other hand, can appear anywhere, at any time, without warning. The Fringe is parallel to the physical world and the spirit realm, a twilight landscape that appears when the two worlds overlap one another and vanishes when they pull apart. There is no known timetable for the Fringe to appear, though it never completely vanishes — it always touches the physical world somewhere. Among mystic circles, the Fringe is commonly associated with strange events, freak accidents, and an eerie sense of things “not being right.” Beside forming the gateway to the land of the dead, the Fringe is the home of the weird, the eccentric, and the first-class bizarre. People who stumble into the Fringe — usually by accident — find themselves in a twilight domain ruled by warped irony and twisted fate. Every Fringe serial has a surprise ending, every Fringe character has a dark and shocking history, and every Fringe location harbors hidden meaning discovered only at the final moments of the last reel. Mystics cite the Fringe as the origin of unexplained mysteries, unsolved disappearances, and unexpected revelations. The Fringe can even be home to the paranormal or aliens if you want it to be, but in the official setting, it’s more subtle: a shadow-parallel of our own world, where events are just a shade out of sync. The lost and the forsaken inhabit this alternate world, lorded over by shadow syndicates and terrorized by mystic cults. Think of the Fringe as a cross between Midnight Nation, Amazing Stories, and The Twilight Zone. There are few rules for creating Fringe stories, save that the obvious is usually a lie and the last thing you’d consider usually conceals one last mind-blowing truth. As you’ll see in sourcebooks, only a few events in Shadowforce Archer’s shadow history are connected to the Fringe, and the otherworldly plot-arc presented in this book (revolving around the Architects of the Fringe — see page 40) will remain open-ended, without a scripted conclusion. This allows for both unlimited design options and easy extraction should GCs not wish to include the Fringe in their games.

Fringescript An intriguing symptom of the Fringe’s presence overlapping the physical world is an ethereal, free-floating, seemingly guided phenomenon called “fringescript.” Fringescript only exists in the physical world, consisting of the errant thoughts, loose memories, and ionate emotions of lingering spirits and the recently dead. It is not permanent, but it is pervasive, drifting about from place to place until it slips away into the void of death. Living humans perceive fringescript as words, though not always in their native tongue (indeed, fringescript is often perceived as alien, or confused graffiti, or illiterate doodles. Fringescript is only noticed by those with a talent for spotting it, and when seen, it’s commonly mistaken for a hallucination, or a trick of the light. Fringescript has many forms, from smoldering letters hovering over a surface or in mid-air to shifting letters on a chalkboard or in a journal (often appearing on the page moments before they are read). Though fringescript can have a variety of effects on those who merely catch a glimpse of it, its true power is unleashed when a person becomes lost in it and allows it infect his spirit and contaminate his mind. Some cursed or fortuned few are even able to control the odd, perilous sensations as fringescript courses through them, hone it into a powerful force of spectral power. These people are the earthbound masters of the Fringe. (For more about their abilities, see Fringe Feats section starting on page 76).

“You Can’t Get There From Here” Many mystics have tried to control the Fringe, or predict when it will appear, and some even claim success, though there is no evidence that they tell the truth.

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Archer Foundation The most controlled application of fringescript is a sigil (today called a “fringeward”). These simple protective seals are intended to do one of two things — keep lingering spirits and other mystic and Fringe-based entities inside a place (a tomb, a building, etc.), or keep them out. Such a sigil was used to confine the entity within Eva Kraus for hundreds if not thousands of years — as well as her long lost god-king companion (see the Hand of Glory Threat Book for more).

real world, even as they move among us — unless they wish to be. Spirits can manifest in the real world, making themselves visible and partially substantial, able to make limited with living humans. This ability is usually used to attack sources of pain or — in the case of better-adjusted spirits — communicate with the living. See the manifestation ability on page 73 for more about this ability and the Shadespeaker prestige class (page 216 of the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook) for more about communicating with the dead. The Fringe: While in the Fringe, spirits operate as living humans do in the physical world — they can see each other and affect one another using the standard Spycraft and Shadowforce Archer rules. This is because all inhabitants of the Fringe — indeed, the whole of the Fringe — are spectral, thus placing all of them on a level playing field. Consequently, the manifestation ability has no effect in the Fringe. Those in the Fringe can also see the parallel physical world (largely the same except for the living people), though only at half their normal line of sight, their view clouded by the ghostly filter through which they witness the physical world. When the Fringe and physical world overlap, the rules for the physical world take precedence (that is, spirits must manifest to be seen and interact with the living under most circumstances). The Spirit Realm: As discussed above, the spirit realm is beyond the scope of the Shadowforce Archer setting. Spirits that beyond are out of play. Should an encounter occur while the Fringe and spirit realm overlap, the rules for the Fringe apply. Following this pattern (the rules for the most physical realm always apply when two or more worlds overlap), encounters while all three realms overlap use the rules for the physical world.

The Spirit Realm The spirit realm lies beyond the comprehension of mortal beings. As far as mystics understand the cosmos, no one in the physical world can sense anything beyond the Fringe, and if anything within the spirit realm can sense the physical world, it’s not eager to communicate. Travel to the spirit realm — what humans refer to as “Heaven,” “Elysium,” “Nirvana,” and “Paradise” — is a one-way ticket. No spirit has ever been known to return — unless, of course, reincarnation is real. (The Guardians claim it is, but the only “proof” they have concerns spirits reincarnated from the Fringe, an aberration — see pages 71 and 112 for more.)

The Nature of Being The two primary types of entities in Shadowforce Archer are living humans and spirits (also called lingering spirits, if they remain behind in the physical world or the Fringe after they die). Though it is rumored that the Fringe contains monstrous non-human entities, the truth of these claims (and the rules for such creatures, if they do exist) are beyond the scope of this book. Living humans follow the rules we understand — they are normally unaware of the Fringe or the spirit realm (unless they have a mystic ability, psion power, or the like), and cannot cross over until they die. Spirits, on the other hand, share several common traits which differentiate them from their earthly counterparts. See page 72 for rules for creating a lingering spirit — here we describe what a spirit can see in each of the three realms, and how they interact with other inhabitants of each. The Physical World: While spirits are in the physical world, they are spectral (see page 74), meaning that they cannot be seen, heard or sensed by anyone in the

The Bridge Between Here and There Spirits may exist in only one of the three realms — the physical world, the spirit realm, or the Fringe — at any given time. Though the Fringe acts as a conduit between the physical world and spirit realm, it is only possible to use the Fringe to move from the physical world to the spirit realm when the two overlap. At all other times, the Fringe remains self-contained, just as we perceive the physical world to be.

Table 3.8: Lingering Spirit Encounters Percentile Roll (%) Less than or equal to Learning/Thirst DC Less than 1⁄2 Learning/Thirst DC Less than 1⁄4 Learning/Thirst DC

Number of Lingering Spirits 1 1d2+1 (2-3) 1d3+3 (4-6)

Lingering Spirit Levels Average agent level +2 Average agent level Average agent level –2

How to Use This Table: Use only the highest number of lingering spirits (e.g. if your roll is less than half the Learning/Thirst DC, only 2-3 lingering spirits are encountered).

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New Rules The Fringe and the Mastermind System

This process for moving between worlds (called “bridging,” after the name of the conduits between worlds — ”bridges”) results in a constant flow of spirits through narrow spiritual channels from the physical world and through the Fringe into the spirit realm. This journey is quick and clean for most spirits. Following their physical death, they are simply attracted to the nearest bridge (spirits can naturally sense when the Fringe overlaps one or both other worlds, though even they can’t predict the bridges), and across. Wherever they are when the bridge dissolves, they remain. If they end a bridging trip in the spirit realm, their journey ends and they on to their final rest. Most often, when all three worlds overlap, the trip is instantaneous. Living humans sense bridges as a brief chill running through the room (the same feeling they get when a spirit is near, only stronger). Humans cannot understand this feeling without a special ability. The frequency and locations of Fringe appearances is left completely up to the Game Control. Being primarily a method to tell different kinds of stories with the Shadowforce Archer setting, there is no need to quantify it. Further, doing so might endanger some of the mystery, suspense, and wonder the Fringe can help conjure. Special Note: With two exceptions (see pages 94 and 112), living humans have never ed over into the Fringe. As far as mystics — and this game line — are concerned, the voyage is impossible until a person dies.

If a GC would like his villains to use Fringe feats and abilities, he may purchase them at a base cost of 5 MP, plus 6 per mastermind created as a lingering spirit and 4 per henchman or minion squad created as lingering spirits. Fringe feats are only allowed if the first cost of 5 MP is paid, but thereafter they may be added to mastermind characters per the standard Spycraft rules. All Fringe elements purchased in this way are known at the start of the season, and may be used as desired by the villain in question. Paying the base cost for Fringe feats also allows the GC to include all natural Fringe effects (see below). The base cost of 5 MP is part of the mastermind’s organization cost, and is only paid once per season, while the cost of specific lingering spirit NPCs is paid for each mastermind, henchman, or minion squad created.

permanent residents of the Fringe, are extremely vulnerable to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma damage, as it can destroy their minds, leaving them nothing more than ravening, angry beasts. 3. When in the Fringe (and while the Fringe overlaps with the physical world), all natives of the physical world lose their initiative bonus and may not take 10 with skill checks. This offers Fringe-dwellers, such as lingering spirits, a decided advantage as living humans find themselves caught off guard by the eerie, offsetting nature of their surroundings.

FRINGE RULES

Spirit Bridges: The Source of Mystic Power

There are five mechanics of importance concerning the Fringe — Fringe basics, spirit bridges, random spirit attacks, creating lingering spirits, and summoning spirits. All of these items are covered here.

Human mystics, who often understand spirit bridges, believe that the conduits are the source of ambient mystic power in the physical world. While the conduits are open between the Fringe and the physical world, mystic power spikes in the local region. A bridge to the spirit realm produces a similar mystic spike, though with far more incredible results. This is one of the reasons for established mystic sites around the world, such as Stonehenge and the plateau at Macchu Picchu. These places have hosted many bridges into the Fringe and spirit realm over the centuries, enough that the Ancients erected worshipful locations where their spirit communities could gather and tap into the well of power. Fringe Bridges: Each time a mystic ability, invocation, or relic is used at the site of a bridge into the Fringe, the agent gains 1 bonus action die which he may spend on any roll using the ability, invocation, or relic within the next day (to a maximum of 3 bonus action dice per bridge opening).

Fringe Basics There are three basic rules for the Fringe that occasionally affect the standard Shadowforce Archer setting. 1. Thirst levels are the only thing that transfers from life to death (because thirst levels are spiritual in nature). For this reason, mystics with a Thirst level of 1 or higher find themselves trapped in the physical world when they die, unable to on to the Fringe or their final rest in the spirit realm. This is the cause of earthbound spirits who hunt a bridge across to the spirit realm, and the ultimate, awful price for seeking the knowledge of the Ancients. 2. When in the Fringe (and while in an area of the physical world overlapped by the Fringe), characters may not recover from ability damage. Lingering spirits, who are

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Archer Foundation Spirit Realm Bridges: Each time a mystic ability, invocation, or relic is used at the site of a bridge across the Fringe and into the spirit realm, the agent gains 2 bonus action dice which he may spend on any roll using the ability, invocation, or relic within the next day (to a maximum of 8 bonus action dice per bridge opening).

Creating a Lingering Spirit “Lingering spirit” is a template added to all persons once they’ve died. After becoming a lingering spirit, the recently deceased (hereafter referred to as the “base person”) is “undead.” The lingering spirit retains all the statistics the base person had in life, except for changes listed here. Vitality/Wound Points: Increase to d12/as base person. Initiative: As base person. Speed: Lingering spirits always move at a speed of 30 feet, and have the same movement limitations as living humans, with one exception — they can through solid objects (see Spectral, page 74). Contrary to myth and classic ghost stories, lingering spirits cannot fly, levitate, or otherwise float. They must walk, run, leap, and crawl around, just like everyone else. Defense: As the base person, but applies only to spectral encounters. When a lingering spirit manifests (see page 73), its Defense applies only to physical encounters. In both cases, unsuccessful attacks simply ineffectively through lingering spirits. Attacks: Lingering spirits may still use the base person’s attacks, though the attacks only affect spectral targets unless the lingering spirit manifests (see page 73), in which case the attacks only affect physical targets. The effects of special attacks are described below. Damage: When the lingering spirit uses one of the base person’s attacks against a target of like substance (spectral or physical), the damage is unchanged. The damage of special attacks are described below. Special Attacks: Lingering spirits keep all the special attacks of the base person, though they may only use them on targets of like substance (spectral or physical). They also gain the following special attacks. Unless otherwise noted, when one of these attacks calls for a save, the DC is equal to 10 + 1⁄2 the lingering spirit’s vitality dice (rounded down) + the lingering spirit’s Charisma modifier. Otherworldly Wail: The tormented moaning of a lingering spirit is discomforting, and can throw the most hardened agent off his game. Each otherworldly wail is a full action, and affects all living creatures (person and animal alike) within 30 feet. Each affected target must make a Will save or suffer a –2 morale penalty to their attack rolls, saves, and skill checks for a number of rounds equal to the difference between the DC and their save total. Those who successfully save against this attack cannot be affected by the same lingering spirit’s wail for 24 hours. Deaf targets and those using earplugs and like defenses are immune to this attack. Most spirits do not use otherworldly wailing in an offensive manner; rather, living humans hear the moaning of spirits pained by the sensory maelstrom around them, and must then save normally. Otherworldly wailing can extend between worlds, heard faintly in the physical world, even while the moaning spirits are in the Fringe.

Random Spirit attacks Each month that a mystic has a thirst level or 1 or higher, and each time that he uses an invocation or relic, there is a chance that lingering spirits of the unquiet dead attack him, seeking to punish the source of their suffering. Thirst Levels: At the start of each month when a mystic has a thirst level of 1 or higher, the GC should roll percentile dice (%). If the roll is equal to or less than the mystic’s thirst level (+1 for every ritual he knows), the mystic becomes hunted by one or more lingering spirits at a random time before month’s end, as determined on Table 3.8 on page 70. Invocations: Each time a mystic begins a ritual, the GC should roll percentile dice (%). If the roll is equal to or less than the invocation’s Learning/Thirst DC, the mystic and his companions are attacked by one or more lingering spirits at a random time before the invocation is completed, as determined on Table 3.8 on page 70. Relics: If the mystic has a relic in his possession, the chance of encountering lingering spirits each month and during each invocation increases by +10% (and the number of spirits encountered increases by 1 as well). If a relic is used at any time during a month, or during an invocation, the chance of encountering lingering spirits is doubled (as is the number of spirits encountered). Relics are a dangerous facet of the mystic world — their use greatly agitates lingering spirits, driving many into a frenzy of violence. When in the presence of a relic, the dispositions of all spirits is worsened by 1 grade, and hostile and adversary spirits attack all living beings and then all spirits within line of sight, until only one spirit is left standing amidst the carnage. Though spirits can sense the use of mystic and Fringe feats, such minor beacons from the physical world rarely drawn them out of their spectral state. Hostile lingering spirits always have a level equal to the team’s average agent level. Consult the lingering spirit template (page 75) to randomly determine class and derive other statistics. GCs may find the unquiet dead a helpful storytelling tool, and are encouraged to use them — and other mystic elements of the Shadowforce Archer setting — to come up with unique action-espionage plotlines.

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New Rules Twenty-four hours after suffering one or more negative levels, the victim makes one Fortitude save for each negative level suffered with a DC of 10 + 1⁄2 the attacking spirit’s vitality dice, rounded down + the attacking spirit’s Charisma modifier, positive or negative). With success, the negative level vanishes and all effects of the negative level are reversed. With failure, the negative level vanishes, but the victim loses 1 agent level permanently, along with any ability score gain, vitality points, skill points, feat slots, base attack bonus, base saves, and special class abilities granted by the level. When one or more levels are permanently lost, the victim’s experience point total is immediately set to halfway through the previous level. If an

Manifestation: Lingering spirits are typically invisible to living humans, and can neither affect nor be affected by the physical world (even while in it). This, along with some other effects, is referred to as being “spectral.” As a full action while in the physical world, a lingering spirit may manifest, becoming visible yet still having no physical body. While manifest, a lingering spirit can attack physical targets with the physical attacks of the base person, as well as its spectral gear, though it can no longer use these attacks against spectral targets. Lingering spirits cannot become physical with this or any other known ability. Chilling Touch: A lingering spirit adds its Dexterity modifier to all unarmed attack and damage rolls. With a successful unarmed hit, lingering spirits inflict 1d8 normal damage. As with all the lingering spirit’s attacks, chilling touch only affects targets of like substance (spectral or physical). If at least 1 point of damage is subtracted from the target’s vitality or wounds (after damage reduction, psion abilities, and all other defenses are taken into ), the target receives one negative level of energy drain (see below). When grappling, the lingering spirit inflicts one negative level each time it inflicts at least one point of damage on the target. Energy Drain: A lingering spirit’s unarmed attacks inflict negative levels. For each negative level inflicted, the victim loses all the benefits of his most recently acquired level — base attack, saves, vitality, etc. All effects of negative levels are cumulative (e.g. with 3 negative levels, the agent loses the benefit of his 3 most recently earned levels).

agent ever gains negative levels equal to his current level, or is drained below 1st level, he is instantly killed (reduced to –11 wound points). Finally, a lingering spirit gains 5 temporary vitality points for every negative level it inflicts on a target (though it does not gain vitality points for negative levels inflicted after a previous negative level has killed a victim). Telekinesis: Spirits have a natural power which duplicates the Poltergeist psion skill (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 188). All skill checks to use this power are made according to the standard rules for using psion skills. Special Qualities: Lingering spirits keep all the special qualities of the base person, though they may only use them on targets of like substance (spectral or physical). They also gain the following special qualities. Undead: Lingering spirits are undead, and therefore immune to poison, disease, paralysis, sleep effects, stun effects, and death effects. Undead are not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, or ability damage. They have no Constitution scores, and therefore suffer no effects which call for a Fortitude save (unless it affects objects).

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Archer Foundation A lingering spirit ignores the effects of massive damage, and is destroyed once it reaches 0 or less wound points. Lingering spirits can see in any condition — even total darkness — up to a range of 60 ft. (or 30 ft. if looking from the Fringe into the physical world). Finally, lingering spirits may be resurrected (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 228), after which they lose all the abilities described as part of this template. Spectral: Spirits are always spectral and therefore invisible, inaudible, and scentless to living humans (unless manifested). They have no physical form (even when manifested), and can only be affected by mystic effects. They cannot be harmed except by other spectral entities, mystic effects, effects caused by mystic relics, and psionic abilities which affect other minds. Spectral entities may through solid objects, but are stymied by barriers of mystic force, mystic relics, and objects affected by invocations or other mystic sources. Their attacks ignore all armor effects, unless mystic in nature (such as relic armor, shields, and the like). Spectral entities always move silently (no sound whatsoever), unless they decide to make noise. Finally, spectral entities have no Strength score, and use their Dexterity modifier for both melee and ranged attacks, as well as melee damage. Unnatural Aura: Whether domesticated or not, animals of all kinds shy away from spirits — even when the spirits are spectral and therefore invisible to the naked eye. Animals can sense spirits at a range of up to 30 feet, and cannot distinguish between well-adjusted spirits and malign ones. Animals will never approach closer to a spirit than 30 feet unless forced, in which case they panic and cannot be soothed by any Handle Animal check. Animals become hysterical and flee any site where the Fringe or spirit realm intersect the physical world. Saves: As the base person. Abilities: As the base person, except that spirits have no Strength or Constitution scores, and their Charisma increases by +4. Skills: As the base person, except that the spirit also gains the Poltergeist skill with a total skill bonus of double its CR (this includes its Dexterity modifier), as well a bonus of +8 to Hide and Move Silently checks. Feats: As the base person, except that the spirit gains the Telekinetic Basics feat (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 183). If the spirit has a CR higher than 12, it also gains the Telekinetics Mastery feat. Challenge Rating: As the base person, +2. Spectral Gear: When a human dies, his spirit forms in the physical world just above the body, complete with the same clothes he was wearing when he died, and every object he carried. The original physical gear still exists on the spirit’s body, divorced from its spectral counterparts. The gear is spectral, and cannot be made physical under any circumstances. The spectral gear ignores anything that happens to the physical gear he

left behind — even if the physical gear is destroyed, the spirit retains his spectral gear. Should the spirit manifest, his spectral gear manifests with him, though this does not make the gear physical and it may not be lost, given away, or traded in the physical world. The spirit may, however, give away, lose, or trade his spectral gear with other spirits as he wishes (once he no longer manifests, of course).

Combat Lingering spirits — particularly those who have slipped into despair and madness — fight like a force of nature. They strike without warning, and always push on to their destruction. Often little more than a blur or shadow, spirits have come to be known as the silent predators of the mystic world: the demons and late night bogeymen that come for careless dabblers in the hours before the sun breaks. Mystics are well advised to ply their craft carefully, and with friends nearby, just in case.

Disposition When dealing with spirits, it’s important to be aware of the pain your every word causes them. Some particularly resilient individuals carve out a decent existence for themselves in the afterlife, capitalizing on their strong sense of character and willpower to retain their memories (and sanity) for decades, if not centuries. These spirits are quite easy to contend with, and shadespeakers develop small numbers of them as mini-information networks among the spectral community. Others, worn down by the daily grind of life before their untimely demise, are impossible to deal with, withdrawing from population centers and attacking any living humans who approach them. Most fall somewhere in between. When dealing with spirits, consult the disposition system (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 269). Spirits may not be seduced. All other disposition rules are unchanged when dealing with spirits, though the disposition definitions and effects vary somewhat. Ally: Spirits may only become allies to living humans with the GC’s permission. Otherwise, this disposition remains unchanged. Helpful: Typically, this is the best possible disposition a spirit may have toward a living human. Otherwise, this disposition remains unchanged. Friendly: This disposition remains unchanged. Neutral: Spirits who have fallen into despair or madness cannot rise above this disposition, either with living humans or other spirits. Neutral spirits who are forlorn or insane simply ignore others unless forced to interact, in which case their disposition immediately changes to Unfriendly. The +2 bonus to intimidate forlorn or insane spirits is ignored. For well-adjusted spirits, this disposition remains unchanged.

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New Rules Unfriendly: Spirits with a Wisdom of 9 or higher begin with this disposition toward all living humans. Otherwise, this disposition remains unchanged. Hostile: Spirits with a Wisdom of 8 or lower begin with this disposition toward all living humans. Further, such spirits may not become Allies to living humans under any circumstances. Otherwise, this disposition remains unchanged. Adversary: Spirits are notoriously single-minded. Once a spirit gains an Adversary disposition, it cannot be reasoned with, only fought until it is destroyed or its enemy is killed. Adversary spirits cannot be reasoned with, so all disposition modifiers are ignored.

NPC Type/Class: Many spirits don’t have a class. In fact, most are only the spirits of standard NPCs. To randomly determine the type of NPC your spirit is based on, roll 1d20 and consult the following table. Roll 1-3 4-8 9-20

If your spirit has a class, roll 1d20 and consult the following table. Roll 1-3 4-6 7-9 10-12 13-15 16-18 19 20

Random Base Persons Generally, spirit encounters should be balanced against the average agent level, feats, special abilities, and gear of the team just as any other challenge. Preferably, the GC should design spirits ahead of time, as he would normal villains or NPCs, but random encounters and summoned spirit invocations often demand immediate statistics. In these cases, follow these guidelines to generate your spirit. Level: The encounter numbers and base person levels listed on Table 3.8: Lingering Spirit Encounters (see page 70) are built for fairly dangerous spirits. If this is what you’re after, pick a number of spirits (1, 1d2+1, or 1d3+3) and use the suggested level to build them. Otherwise, use the following table, which is more forgiving. # of Spirits 1 1d2+1 (2-3) 1d3+3 (4-6)

Class Faceman Fixer Pointman Snoop Soldier Wheelman Multiclassed (roll again for next class) Prestige Class (roll 1d6 to determine base class)*

* Pick a prestige class from this book or an upcom ing sourcebook. New base classes will also be featured in sourcebooks, which you may add to this table if you wish.

Summoning Spirits Many mystics who dabble in the black arts seek to conquer spirits as a means of gaining additional power, or dominating them as followers. This new ritual, Summon Spirit, is their primary conduit to the realms of the unquiet dead.

Spirit Levels Average agent level Average agent level –2 Average agent level –4

Summon Spirit

Department: The vast majority of lingering spirits don’t have a department, nor do they benefit from department bonuses. To randomly determine if one does, roll 1d20. If the roll is a 1, the spirit was trained by one of the Conspiracy’s Chambers. Roll only once, even for a group of spirits. If the roll indicates department training among a group of spirits, only one among the group is an Archer alum. If you would like to randomly choose a department, roll 1d8 and consult the following table. Roll 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

NPC Type/Class Class (consult next table) Special NPC Standard NPC

This ritual summons and dominates a human spirit that has remained close to the physical world (either because it has unfinished business here or because it became lost on the way to the spirit realm). This spirit can be ordered to use its abilities in service to the mystic, or attack the mystic’s enemies. Learning/Thirst DC: 25 Minimum Knowledge (Occult) Skill: 10 Bonded Followers: 20 + 10 per spirit level Complex Check: 350 — 2 hours Effect: A spirit materializes, visible only to the mystic unless he chooses otherwise. The mystic may force the spirit to use any of the abilities described under the Lingering Spirit template on page 72. The GC determines the spirit’s statistics. The spirit’s level is normally equal to the mystic’s agent level, though the mystic may choose to summon a spirit with a lower level if he has fewer bonded followers or wishes to save his bonded followers for another invocation. This decision must be made before the ritual begins.

Department D-0: The Home Office D-1: The Power Brokerage D-2: Military Operations D-3: Computer Espionage D-4: Urban Assault D-5: Black Ops D-6: Wetworks “The Basement”

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Archer Foundation The spirit does the mystic’s bidding until the following dawn. It is completely subjugated, and may not choose to resist the mystic’s orders, and will even kill for him. Following the duration of this ritual, the spirit may do as it chooses, and usually flees as far from the mystic as possible, unless its business on the physical plane demands it remain close. A spirit must be within 1 mile of the mystic in the physical world to be dominated. The GC should assume that a spirit of the highest-possible level the mystic can summon is within range when the ritual is completed, though he may rule that only a lesser spirit is available, based on the circumstances. When more than one spirit of the proper level is nearby at the activation of this ritual, the mystic becomes aware of all of them and may dominate the spirit of his choice. This is why this ritual so often takes place in graveyards and battlefields — particularly just after someone has died, when the spirit has yet to cross over into the spirit realm. Particularly cruel mystics are known to seek out the graves of recently dead enemies to dominate and humiliate their spirits before they can peacefully depart the physical world.

who are connected to it by more than just coincidence. Any Shadowforce Archer agent from the Basement department may choose a Fringe feat as his departmental bonus feat instead of a basic skill feat, if his player so desires.

All or Nothing Win or lose, life is never dull when you’re around. Prerequisites: Agent level 3+, Unshakable. Benefit: Once per session before making a roll, you may increase the threat and error ranges of that roll by 5 (e.g. a roll with a threat range of 19–20 and an error range of 1–2 becomes a roll with a threat range of 14–20 and an error on 1–7). If the roll falls within the error range, the GC (or opposing players) may still activate the error and cause a critical failure, even if the result of the roll would ordinarily be a success. You may not take 10 with a roll affected by this feat.

Black Cat Strange and unfortunate accidents tend to plague your enemies. Benefit: The error range of the highest-level opponent in direct conflict with you (either in combat with you or otherwise an immediate adversary) is increased by 1 for all his attack rolls and skill checks. Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Each additional feat affects the next highest-level opponent.

FRINGE FEATS In addition to serving as a conduit for mystic energies, the Fringe is also the birthplace of countless coincidences and anomalies. Most agents never notice a momentary brush with the Fringe, but there are those

Fringe Tree Diagram

Black Cat

Integral Theory (Mathematical Genius, Advanced Skill Mastery (Mathematical Genius))

Description Theory (Agent level 12+)

Tough Luck (Agent level 6+) Like to Like Jinx (Agent level 12+) Decipher Fringescript Peculiar Dodge (Agent level 12+)

Script Seer (Intelligence 13+) Fringe Scrounge (Wisdom 13+) Fringe Fetch (Agent level 5+) Fringe Stash (Agent level 10+)

Unshakable

(Languages or Cryptography 5+)

Scribble (Languages or Cryptography 10+)

Strange Inscription (Languages or Cryptography 15+)

Strange Verse (Languages or Cryptography 20+)

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All or Nothing (Agent level 3+) Rule of 5 (Agent level 12+) Spoil (Agent level 5+, Unshakable) Curdle (Agent level 10+)

New Rules BP cost of this equipment cannot exceed your Wisdom modifier plus the number of Fringe feats you have (including this one). The error range of this item is increased by 1 and the GC may spend one action die to cause the item to break on any error result. The item automatically breaks at the end of the session. Special: You may take this feat up to three times, each time allowing you to find an item once per session.

Curdle The Fringe tends to thicken and churn around you, disrupting mystic energies. Just your presence aggravates and interrupts invocations. Prerequisites: Agent level 10+, Spoil. Benefit: If you are within line of sight of a mystic performing an invocation, the total of the mystic’s complex skill roll is reduced by 10 at the end of each interval.

Fringe Stash You are able to force normal items into the Fringe, to be recovered later. Prerequisites: Agent level 10+, Fringe Fetch. Benefit: You may place a single item into the Fringe, where you can retrieve it later. The item to be placed must be relatively generic (GC’s discretion, but no famous jewelry or signature items, for example). Unlike items discovered with the Fringe Scrounge feat, items stashed in the Fringe don’t gain increased error ranges or any special tendency to break. You must spend an action die and take one minute to place an item in the Fringe. Afterward, you may retrieve the item at any time as a full round action (even if you’re in a different location). When the item is retrieved, you must roll a d20, adding your Wisdom modifier and a bonus equal to the number of Fringe feats you have. If the result of this roll is equal to or less than the item’s BP cost, it becomes lost in the Fringe. For the purpose of stashing money, each $1,000 cash (or fraction thereof) is consider to be equivalent to 2 BP. The agent may only have one item stashed in the Fringe at any one time.

Decipher FringeScript You are able to pick out bits of fringescript from your environment. Prerequisites: Like to Like, Languages or Cryptography 5+. Benefit: You may make a Language check (DC 20) to read fringescript. If successful, you may identify the contents of a fringe scribble or determine the intentions of a strange inscription or strange verse. Normal: Fringescript appears to be meaningless or random symbols which are frequently entirely overlooked.

Description Theory Your mathematical formulae grant you the ability to alter items and individuals within the Fringe, alterations that persist even after the Fringe has departed. Prerequisites: Agent level 12+, Integral Theory. Benefit: While within the Fringe the agent may select three of the benefits of provided by the Integral Theory feat. When the agent departs the Fringe he may accept a –4 temporary modifier to his Intelligence to retain one of these bonuses outside of the Fringe. This effect immediately ends when the agent next enters the Fringe.

Integral Theory You are a student of exotic mathematics that describe the operation of a theoretical world, mathematics that have a profound impact on the Fringe. Prerequisites: Mathematical Genius, Advanced Skill Mastery (Mathematical Genius). Benefit: You may use mathematical formulas to influence the base workings of the Fringe, providing yourself with one of the following benefits while in an area where the Fringe is present:

Fringe Fetch You are able to pull useful items from the Fringe. Prerequisite: Agent level 5+, Fringe Scrounge. Benefit: You may consciously draw items from the Fringe. This allows you to use your scrounge feat almost instantly without any visible means of having acquired the item. Roll a d20, adding your Wisdom modifier. If the roll exceeds the desired item’s BP cost, you’re able to acquire it in one round. Otherwise, fetching the item takes a number of minutes equal to the difference between the BP cost and the roll. The moment the item is no longer being held or watched it returns to the Fringe.

• +1 to hit and unarmed or melee damage rolls (your choice). • +2 dodge bonus to Defense. • +1 to all saving throws. • –2/— DR against physical attacks.

Fringe Scrounge

• –5 DR against one type of energy (player’s choice).

You are often able to find useful items others have cast away. Prerequisites: Wisdom 13+. Benefit: Once per session you may spend an hour in any urban area to find a weapon or piece of gear. The

• 6 temporary vitality points. Once chosen this bonus remains in effect until you leave the Fringe. The next time you enter the Fringe, a new bonus may be chosen.

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Archer Foundation Benefit: You may make the following Spot check once per session, per Fringe feat you have (including this one): Check (1 minute, DC 25): You seek guidance from the Fringe. With a successful roll you or an ally or teammate of your choice receives a fringe bonus to their next action die roll equal to your Intelligence modifier. This bonus does not affect whether or not the die explodes. Critical Failure: The team member’s next action die suffers a –1 fringe penalty. This doesn’t affect whether the die explodes or not. Special: Knowledge (Fringe) 5+ provides a +2 synergy bonus to this roll. The presence of the Fringe grants a +2 circumstance bonus to this roll.

Jinx You are a walking disaster area… for your enemies. Prerequisites: Agent level 12+, Tough Luck. Benefit: You may activate an opponent’s error without spending an action die a number of times per session equal to the number of Fringe feats you have.

Like to Like You are able to sense when the Fringe has touched an area or person. Benefit: You receive a +5 fringe bonus to notice fringescript. Further, if you within 5 ft of a spirit bridge or character with one or more Fringe feats you immediately sense that the place or character is touched by the Fringe.

Spoil

Peculiar Dodge

You are naturally resistant to the power of the mystic world. Prerequisites: Agent level 5+, Unshakable. Benefit: The DC of all invocations targeting you, and your Defense total against any mystical attack or weapon, are increased by +2 for every fringe feat you possess (including this one).

Sometimes attacks miss you, even when you would have sworn they hit. Prerequisites: Agent level 12+, Tough Luck. Benefit: You may roll a non-exploding action die at the beginning of any round. For a number of rounds equal to the result of your action die plus the number of fringe feats you have, any successful attack against you has a 10% (1-2 on a d20) chance of missing you after all.

Strange Inscription You can create bits of fringescript that influence the minds of others. Prerequisites: Scribble, Languages or Cryptography 15+. Benefits: You may create a piece of fringescript that immediately imposes itself on another agent within your line of sight. Doing so requires 2 full rounds. The target must then make a Will save (DC 10 + your Charisma modifier + the number of Fringe feats you have), or suffer one of the following effects: Blindness: The target is blinded for 2d4 rounds. Confusion: The target suffers 2d4 points of temporary Intelligence damage. This damage recovers at the rate of 1 point per minute. Depression: The target suffers 2d4 points of temporary Charisma damage. This damage recovers at the rate of 1 point per minute. Fear: The target attempts to flee the area at his top speed for 2d4 rounds. Generosity: The target’s disposition toward everyone is improved by two grades for 2d4 minutes. Indecision: The target is stunned for 1d6 rounds. Lethargy: The target loses his dexterity bonus to Defense and may only take one half action per round for 2d4 rounds. Malice: The target’s disposition towards everyone is worsened by two grades for 2d4 minutes. Pain: The target takes 2d8 subdual damage. This damage is recovered at the rate of 2 points per minute.

Rule of 5 Fortune favors the bizarre! Prerequisites: Agent level 12+, All or Nothing. Benefit: Any time you roll a ‘5’ with an action die, the die explodes. This is in addition to exploding on its highest value.

Scribble Your knowledge of fringescript allows you to create self-delivering messages. Prerequisites: Decipher Fringescript, Languages or Cryptography 10+. Benefits: You may write a short fringescript message (one sentence) that makes itself plain to one individual of your choice. The message can move instantly to any desired location up to 5 miles from the point it was created and lingers until the following dawn, or until it is read by the intended recipient, whichever comes first. Creating the scribble requires one full round per word in the message, and you may create one scribble per session for each Fringe feat you possess. For more about fringescript, see page 69.

Script Seer You may attempt to interpret fringescript in your surroundings for clues about your future. Prerequisites: Intelligence 13+, Decipher Fringescript.

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New Rules The target of a strange inscription cannot be affected by another piece of fringescript until this piece has run its full course (all effects comes to an end and all temporary attribute damage is recovered). Each use of this feat counts as a use of your scribble feat (and is thus limited to a number of times per session equal to the number of Fringe feats you have).

NPC Class Notes NPCs of the following classes are always standard unless the GC determines otherwise. When NPC classes are featured in a threat designed with the mastermind system, they should be assigned budget and gadget points according to the threat’s resource and gadget levels. Otherwise, the GC should simply assign each NPC a bundle worth 25 BP and dive into the action.

Strange Verse You can create complex snippets of fringescript with a variety of results. Prerequisites: Strange Inscription, Languages or Cryptography 20+. Benefit: Once per session, you may create a string of fringescript that immediately imposes itself on another agent within line of sight. Creating the string requires four full rounds. The target must then make a Will save (DC 10 + your Charisma modifier + the number of Fringe feats you have) or suffer one of the following effects: Song of…: As any of the Fringe inscription effects except that the number of dice rolled is increased by 1. Song of Blood: The target suffers 1d8 wounds. Song of Death: The target must immediately make a Fortitude save against the same DC as his failed Will save. If the save fails, the target is immediately reduced to –1 wounds and begins dying. Song of Obedience: The target’s disposition toward you becomes “Ally” until the following dawn.

NPC Class Descriptions After a general summary of each NPC class are several pieces of rule information. MP Cost: This is the cost to use this class when creating a minion type for the mastermind system. The minion’s vitality die type has already been factored into this cost. This cost does not include extra points for improved minion ability scores. See the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 244 for a more detailed discussion of creating minion squads. Class Skills: NPC class skills are designated either full skills or half skills: • Full Skills: An NPC of this class has a number of ranks in each of these skills equal to his class level. This may be further modified by class abilities. • Half Skills: An NPC of this class has a number of ranks in each of these skills equal to one half his class level (rounded up).

Tough Luck

Vitality: Each NPC class’s vitality points have already been calculated. The minion’s vitality die type is equal to the minion’s vitality at 1st level. Class Abilities: Like normal agent classes, NPC classes have a variety of special abilities that define them. Due to the much lower level of training (and challenge) in most NPCs’ daily lives, however, they gain these abilities much more slowly than a comparable agent. If an NPC class ability grants a specific feat, all requirements for that feat are waived for that character. If a class ability grants an NPC a choice of feats, he must meet all requirements before choosing that feat. NPC Gear: Minions receive BP based on the organization that they belong to. Other NPCs receive 25 BP to spend on personal gear. NPC Advancement: NPCs generally only gain experience and advance in level at the GC’s discretion. This may reflect a trusted ally gaining skill and experience as season progresses (or even from season to season). Minions never advance in this fashion: their level and abilities are fixed at the time of purchase. Further, characters designed with NPC classes do not gain feats or ability score increases based on their agent level. Only special characters receive these benefits (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 265, for more about special NPCs).

You’re more than just a jinx, you’re a magnet for unlucky breaks. Prerequisites: Agent level 6+, Black Cat. Benefit: Opponents affected by your Black Cat feat(s) must spend an additional action die to activate any threats they roll.

Unshakable You remain calm and collected even in the face of the utterly bizarre. Benefit: You receive a +1 fringe bonus to all Will Saves. Further, you retain your initiative bonus and ability to take 10, even while in (or surrounded by) the Fringe.

NPC CLASSES The following abbreviated classes are intended primarily for NPC specialists and GC threats. They offer the GC a way to populate his world with types of characters that are different from the agents. Because NPC classes are inherently weaker than agent classes, NPCs with such classes should be considered one level lower for the purposes of determining the Challenge Rating (CR) of a threat featuring them.

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Archer Foundation NPC Multiclassing: The GC may create multiclassed agents using NPC classes. All of the rules for multiclassed agents apply to multiclassed NPCs. The MP cost for a multiclassed minion type is determined by the levels the minion has in each class plus the single highest vitality die cost for any of the minion’s classes.

Armor Proficiency (Light) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Specialty: At 1st level, one of the academic’s knowledge skills is increased by 3 ranks. Scholarly: At 2nd level, the academic gains the Scholarly feat. Advanced Skill Mastery: At 6th Level, the academic gains the Advanced Skill Mastery feat linked to his Scholarly feat. Grand Skill Mastery: At 10th level, the academic gains the Grand Skill Mastery feat linked to his Scholarly feat.

Academic It’s not unusual for agents to encounter (or seek out) characters from studious walks of life. Researchers, historians, college students, and scientists can all easily become swept up in the action, providing agents with vital knowledge they require to defeat a specialized foe. MP Cost: 2 per level + 5 (vitality die).

Femme Fatale From the cute but demure girl next door to the proverbial man-eater, the femme fatale is the quintessential “girl trouble” of any action-espionage serial. MP Cost: 3 per level + 15 (vitality die).

Full Skills The academic’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Computers Concentration Knowledge (choose one) Knowledge (choose one) Any one other skill

Key Ability Int Wis Int Int Varies

Full Skills The femme fatale’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Bluff Innuendo

Key Ability Cha Wis

Half Skills Half Skills

The academic’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Bureaucracy Drive Knowledge (choose one) Languages Profession Any one other skill

The femme fatale’s half skills and key abilities are:

Key Ability Cha Dex Int Int Wis Varies

Half Skill Diplomacy Disguise Drive Listen Perform Profession Sense Motive Any one other skill

Class Features All of the following are class features of the academic. Starting Feats: The academic begins play with the following feats.

Key Ability Cha Cha Dex Wis Cha Wis Wis Varies

Table 3.9: The Academic (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vitality Pts 4 6 9 11 14 16 19 21 24 26

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5

Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

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Def Bon +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7 +8

Init Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Special Specialty Scholarly

Advanced skill mastery

Grand skill mastery

New Rules Class Features

Mercenary

All of the following are class features of the femme fatale. Starting Feats: The femme fatale begins play with the following feats. Armor Proficiency (Light) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun)

Soldier of fortune, hired gun, or agent provocateur: the mercenary’s first loyalty is to money. Well-trained, organized and disciplined, mercenary squads tend to form the cream of the crop for combat oriented minions. MP Cost: 4 per level + 20 (vitality die).

Full Skills

Boosted Charisma: At first level, the femme fatale gains a +2 competence bonus to her Charisma score. The Look: At 2nd level, the femme fatale gains The Look feat. Sneak Attack: Starting at 4th level, the femme fatale inflicts extra damage when either flanking a target (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 171) or attacking a target who is currently denied his Dexterity bonus to Defense (such as a character who is flat-footed or immobilized). The extra damage inflicted is +1d6 at 4th level, and an additional +1d6 at 10th level. Ranged attacks normally gain this bonus only if the target is within one range increment. Beyond that, it’s difficult to hit the target’s vitals. The femme fatale may make a sneak attack with any weapon (or unarmed attack), even one that deals subdual damage. However, she cannot use a weapon that deals normal damage to inflict subdual damage during a sneak attack, even by applying the –4 penalty (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 174), nor may she use strafe fire when sneak attacking. Finally, the femme fatale may not sneak attack targets who are immune to critical hits, who have total concealment, or whose vitals are out of reach. Charmer: At 6th level, the femme fatale gains the Charmer feat. Evasion: Starting at 8th level, the femme fatale gains the evasion ability. Whenever she has the opportunity to make a Reflex save in order to suffer half damage from an effect (such as a grenade), she instead suffers no damage with a successful save.

None.

Half Skills The mercenary’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Demolitions Diplomacy Driver Listen Sense Motive Spot Survival Any one other skill

Key Ability Int Cha Dex Wis Wis Wis Wis Varies

Class Features All of the following are class features of the mercenary. Starting Feats: The mercenary begins play with the following feats. Armor Proficiency (Light) Armor Proficiency (Medium) Armor Proficiency (Heavy) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle) Weapon Group Proficiency (Tactical) Heavily Armed: At 1st level, the mercenary gains an additional 10 BP which must be spent on weapons or armor. At 8th level, this bonus increases to +20 BP (total). Point Blank Shot: At 2nd level, the mercenary gains the Point Blank Shot feat.

Table 3.10: The Femme Fatale (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vitality Pts 8 12 17 21 26 30 35 39 44 48

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7

Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Ref Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Will Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

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Def Bon +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7 +8

Init Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Special Boosted charisma The look Sneak attack +1d6 Charmer Evasion Sneak attack +2d6

Archer Foundation Damage Reduction: Starting at 4th level, the mercenary is capable of shrugging off damage from every blow he suffers. Subtract 1 from the damage the mercenary suffers every time he is dealt damage. At 10th level, subtract 2 each time he is dealt damage. This ability cannot reduce the damage from any single hit below 0, but it does stack with the damage reduction provided by any armor or other gear the mercenary is wearing. For more information about damage reduction, see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 178. Improved Initiative: At 6th level, the mercenary gains the Improved Initiative feat.

Half Skills

Mysterious Stranger

All of the following are class features of the mysterious stranger. Starting Feats: The mysterious stranger begins play with the following feats. Armor Proficiency (Light) Armor Proficiency (Medium) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle)

The mysterious stranger’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Drive Hide Listen Move Silently Search Any one other skill

Class Features

The lone wanderer who appears out of nowhere to perform some inexplicable mission before vanishing again is a staple of the pulp-mystery genre, and the mysterious stranger fits the role perfectly in Shadowforce Archer campaigns. MP Cost: 2 per level + 10 (vitality die).

Full Skills

Unshakable: At 1st level, the mysterious stranger gains the Unshakable feat. Black Cat: At 2nd level, the mysterious stranger gains the Black Cat feat.

The mysterious stranger’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Disguise Intimidate Knowledge (choose one)

Key Ability Dex Dex Wis Dex Int Varies

Key Ability Cha Str of Cha Int

Table 3.11: The Mercenary (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vitality Pts 10 15 21 26 32 37 43 48 54 59

Base Att Bon +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10

Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Will Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Def Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Init Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4

Special Heavily armed (+10) Point blank shot Damage reduction –1/— Improved initiative Heavily armed (+20) Damage reduction –2/—

Table 3.12: The Mysterious Stranger (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vitality Pts 6 9 13 16 20 23 27 30 34 37

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7

Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

Ref Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

Will Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

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Def Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Init Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4

Special Unshakable Black cat

Sidestep

Bonus feat

New Rules Sidestep: At 6th level, the mysterious stranger gains the Sidestep feat. Bonus Feat: At 10th level, the mysterious stranger may choose any one Fringe feat.

Armor Proficiency (Medium) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle) Department Training: Choose a department. The operative gains all the special benefits of that department, including its bonus feat. Stealthy: At 2nd level, the operative gains the Stealthy feat. Sneak Attack: Starting at 4th level, the operative inflicts extra damage when either flanking a target (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 171) or attacking a target who is currently denied his Dexterity bonus to Defense (such as a character who is flat-footed or immobilized). The extra damage inflicted is +1d6 at 4th level, and an additional +1d6 at 10th level. Ranged attacks normally gain this bonus only if the target is within one range increment. Beyond that, it’s difficult to hit the target’s vitals. The operative may make a sneak attack with any weapon (or unarmed attack), even one that deals subdual damage. However, he cannot use a weapon that deals normal damage to inflict subdual damage during a sneak attack, even by applying the –4 penalty (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 174), nor may he use strafe fire when sneak attacking. Finally, the operative may not sneak attack targets who are immune to critical hits, who have total concealment, or whose vitals are out of reach. Daredevil: Beginning at 6th level, the operative may use daredevil-only chase maneuvers and augment select other maneuvers during chases, as a wheelman (see Chapter 7 of the Spycraft Espionage Handbook for more about wheelmen and chases). Bonus Feat: The operative may choose any one feat from any feat tree.

Operative Governments and corporations around the world field operatives to investigate and sabotage their enemies. While not on par with the Archer Conspiracy’s superspies, these skilled individuals can still present a formidable obstacle — or a powerful ally — to Foundation mission teams. MP Cost: 4 per level + 10 (vitality die).

Full Skills The operative’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Demolitions Move Silently

Key Ability Int Dex

Half Skills The operative’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Bluff Climb Driver Hide Search Spot Surveillance Tumble

Key Ability Cha Str Dex Dex Int Wis Wis Dex

Class Features All of the following are class features of the operative. Starting Feats: The operative begins play with the following feats. Armor Proficiency (Light)

Table 3.13: The Operative (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vitality Pts 6 9 13 16 20 23 27 30 34 37

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7

Fort Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Ref Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Will Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

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Def Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Init Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Special Department training Stealthy Sneak attack +1d6 Daredevil Sneak attack +2d6 Bonus feat

Archer Foundation Petty Authority: At 2nd level, the cost required to bribe the paper pusher is doubled. Political Favors: At 6th level, the paper pusher’s work provides him with a variety of markers that he can call in to assist his friends, or make his enemies’ lives a red tape-infested nightmare. He gains the Political Favors feat. Real Authority: At 8th level, the paper pusher gains the Personal Staff feat. Minion squads of paper pushers do not benefit from this ability. Persuasive: At 10th level, the paper pusher gains the Persuasive feat.

Paper Pusher An ubiquitous feature of government and business, the bureaucratic paper pusher may hold the key to success or represent one of the most frustrating challenges an agent may ever face. MP Cost: 2 per level + 5 (vitality die).

Full Skills The paper pusher’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Bureaucracy Diplomacy Knowledge (choose one) Search

Key Ability Cha Cha Int Int

Police Official Police officials include border guards, DEA agents, and simple city detectives. Every nation employs thousands of these individuals to uphold the law and ensure domestic tranquility. MP Cost: 3 per level + 10 (vitality die).

Half Skills The paper pusher’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Bluff Computers Concentration Drive Intimidate Languages Profession (choose one) Any one other skill

Key Ability Cha Int Wis Dex Str or Cha Int Wis Varies

Full Skills The police official’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Sense Motive Surveillance

Key Ability Wis Wis

Half Skills The police official’s half skills and key abilities are:

Class Features Half Skill Bluff Bureaucracy Demolitions Drive Gather Information Listen Search Spot

All of the following are class features of the paper pusher. Starting Feats: The academic begins play with the following feats. Armor Proficiency (Light) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Specialty: A 1st level, the paper Bureaucracy skill is increased by 3 ranks.

pusher’s

Key Ability Cha Cha Int Dex Cha Wis Int Wis

Table 3.14: The Paper Pusher (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vitality Pts 4 6 9 11 14 16 19 21 24 26

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5

Fort Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Will Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

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Def Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Init Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4

Special Specialty Petty authority

Political favors Real authority Persuasive

New Rules Class Features

re-roll a failed Sense Motive check that targets or opposes a skill check made by another human being. The police official may not use this ability if he rolled an error with his first attempt and must also abide by the results of the second roll, even if it is worse than the first. Weapon Specialization: At 8th level, the police official chooses one weapon that he is proficient with (such as dagger or shotgun) to specialize in. When wielding that weapon, he inflicts +2 additional damage. If his choice is a ranged weapon, the damage bonus only applies if the soldier is within one range increment.

All of the following are class features of the police official. Starting Feats: The police official begins play with the following feats. Armor Proficiency (Light) Armor Proficiency (Medium) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle) Police Training: At 1st level, the police official gains the Police Training feat. Point Blank Shot: At 2nd level, the police official gains the Point Blank Shot feat. Armor Use: Starting at 4th level, the police official’s total Defense bonus when wearing armor is increased by +1 and the total armor check penalty he suffers from wearing armor is reduced by 1. At 10th level, this Defense bonus increases by an additional +1 and this armor check penalty is further decreased by 1. This ability may not reduce a police official’s armor check penalty below 0. Human Nature: Starting at 6th level, the police official has an intimate understanding of human minds and the telltale signs of deception. Once per session, he may

Professional Ordinary craftsmen, blue collar workers, and idle hobby enthusiasts all have skills to offer an agent team — or its enemies. MP Cost: 2 per level + 5 (vitality die).

Full Skills The professional’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Craft (choose one) Hobby (choose one) Profession (choose one) Any two other skills

Key Ability Int Wis Wis Varies

Table 3.15: The Police Official (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vitality Pts 6 9 13 16 20 23 27 30 34 37

Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vitality Pts 4 6 9 11 14 16 19 21 24 26

Base Att Bon +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10

Fort Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Will Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Def Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4

Init Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Special Police training Point blank shot Armor use (+1) Human nature 1/session Weapon specialization Armor use (+2)

Table 3.16: The Professional (NPC Class) Base Att Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5

Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Ref Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

Will Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

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Def Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Init Bon +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7 +8

Special Specialty Ordinary past Specialty Advanced skill mastery Specialty Grand skill mastery

Archer Foundation Half Skills

a different full skill at 4th level to receive this bonus, and a third at 8th level. Ordinary Past: At 2nd level, the professional gains the Ordinary Past feat. Advanced Skill Mastery: At 6th level, the professional gains the Advanced Skill Mastery feat linked to his Ordinary Past feat. Grand Skill Mastery: At 10th level, the professional gains the Grand Skill Mastery feat linked to his Ordinary Past feat.

The professional’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Concentration Diplomacy Drive Profession (choose one) Spot Any one other skill

Key Ability Wis Cha Dex Wis Wis Varies

Class Features

Psi-trainer

All of the following are class features of the professional. Starting Feats: The professional begins play with the following feats. Armor Proficiency (Light) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun)

Each of the Conspiracy’s Chambers maintains an elite cadre of psions able to aid in the development and training of new psion assets. Unfortunately, a significant number of these trainers left the Conspiracy during the Shop’s defection, and some now branch out as freelancers, selling their services to the highest shadowy bidders. MP Cost: 2 per level + 10 (vitality die).

Specialty: A 1st level, choose one of the professional’s full skills. That skill is increased by 3 ranks. Choose

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New Rules Full Skills

Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun)

The psi-trainer’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Knowledge (psionics) Profession (instructor) Any one other skill

Department Training: At 1st level, the psi-trainer gains all the special benefits of the Office of Psion Affairs department (see page 46), including its bonus feat. Bonus Feat: At 2nd level, the psi-trainer may choose any one “basics” feat from any of the three psion base classes (mentalist, physical adept, or telepath). Psi Mastery: At 6th level, the psi-trainer chooses one psion skill that he has at least 1 rank with. He receives a +2 psionic bonus to all skill checks with that skill. At 10th level, he selects an additional psion skill to receive the same bonus.

Key Ability Int Wis Varies

Half Skills The psi-trainer’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Drive Any two psion skills Any one other skill

Key Ability Dex Varies Varies

Class Features

Raider

All of the following are class features of the psitrainer. Psionic Class: The psi-trainer is a psionic class. Levels gained in this class increase your psion level. Starting Feats: The psi-trainer begins play with the following feats. Armor Proficiency (Light) Armor Proficiency (Medium)

The waters between Southeast Asia and Australia are home to numerous bands of cutthroats and brigands who regularly engage in smuggling and piracy. Over a thousands attacks are reported annually with no end in sight. Agents should be mindful where they sail… MP Cost: 3 per level + 15 (vitality die).

Table 3.17: The Psi-Trainer (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vitality Pts 6 9 13 16 20 23 27 30 34 37

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7

Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Ref Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

Def Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4

Init Bon +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7 +8

Special Department training Bonus feat

Psi mastery

Psi mastery

Table 3.18: The Raider (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vitality Pts 8 12 17 21 26 30 35 39 44 48

Base Att Bon +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10

Fort Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Ref Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Will Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

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Def Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4

Init Bon +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7 +8

Special Limited custom ride (+3 GP) Point blank shot Specialty Limited custom ride (+4) Daredevil Far shot Limited custom ride (+5) Limited familiarity

Archer Foundation Full Skills

Limited Custom Ride: The raider receives 3 GP with which he can purchase a water vehicle or vehicular gadgets for a water vehicle. This bonus is increased by +1 GP at 5th level and +1 more at 9th level. These GP may be pooled by minions within a squad, but each additional minion after the first only adds 2 GP to the pool. Gadget points assigned by a mastermind may be added to this total at no penalty. Point Blank Shot: At 2nd level, the raider gains the Point Blank Shot feat. Specialty: A 4th level, the raider’s Intimidate skill is increased by 3 ranks. Daredevil: Beginning at 6th level, the raider may use daredevil-only chase maneuvers and augment select other maneuvers during chases as a wheelman (see Chapter 4 of the Spycraft Espionage Handbook for more about wheelmen and chases). Limited Familiarity: A 10th level, the raider gains a +1 bonus to Mechanics, Boating and chase maneuver checks when used with the vehicle purchased with the GP from his Limited Custom Ride ability. This same bonus is applied to the raider’s attack roll whenever firing that vehicle’s weapons (if any).

The raider’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Boating

Key Ability Dex

Half Skills The raider’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Balance Drive Intimidate Mechanics Move Silently Spot

Key Ability Dex Dex Str or Cha Int Dex Wis

Class Features All of the following are class features of the raider. Starting Feats: The raider begins play with the following feats. Armor Proficiency (Light) Armor Proficiency (Medium) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle) Weapon Group Proficiency (Tactical)

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“It is a profound and necessary truth that the deep things in science are not found because they are useful; they are found because it was possible to find them.” — J. Robert Oppenheimer

Chamber

4

Archer Foundation The majority of what follows is available through general Foundation Archive searches, or inquiries into the backgrounds of the men and women who helped forge the Archer Pact — especially Conrad Archer and his son, Raymond. Some events precursor important facets of the modern Foundation, their enemies, or the first season threat, the Hand of Glory (see the Threat book for more), and are included to current events. Still other events are important revelations about Foundation projects and moments of general espionage and shadow history importance. Special Note: Some players may worry that reading this information will ruin their enjoyment of the SFA Interactive Campaign. Industrious players may wish to speak with their GC before reading the rest of this section, in case he has something special planned that’s linked to one or more of the events below.

INTRODUCTION This chapter introduces the Archer Foundation from the inside, showing both the Chamber’s internal workings and its tumultuous history. We begin with a detailed look at the events that led up to the establishment of the Foundation in 1950 and then take you through the fifty years since, focusing on major events surrounding the Foundation’s growth and linked to its most astounding operations — as well as events that have helped establish its current position in the world. Each event is linked to or s something that is happening now, or illustrates an aspect of the Foundation by its actions. All of this material can be used as the seeds for serials or campaigns featuring lingering elements of the world’s shadow history. The rest of the chapter focuses on the Archer Foundation’s organization, offering an overview of the Lords (with a few examples of Lords currently among the Chamber’s ruling class) and all those they command — the Rooks who protect the Conspiracy from detection, the Bishops who build the protectorate’s high-tech gear and experiment with cutting edge psionic advancements, and the Knights who venture out into the field. Finally, the chapter provides a number of GC aides, designed for use in any Shadowforce Archer campaign. Boxed text throughout this chapter includes NPC s and specialists who can be of help to agents during missions. Most are part of one or more Chamber divisions, allowing them to be dropped into play whenever the agents them. These NPCs have only one level of statistics, as they are static anchors within the Shadowforce Archer setting.

Before the Pact The Archer Foundation didn’t exist before 1950, but its predecessor, the British psionic research unit known as Room 39, was formed in 1907. For 43 years prior to the Archer Caucus, Room 39 spearheaded the shadow war against world threats, laying the groundwork for what would eventually become the Archer Foundation. The most pivotal event in Room 39’s history was by far the 1911 discovery of Conrad Archer, the man who would lead Room 39 operations in both World Wars and spearhead the global protectorate until his presumed death in 1945. An overview of Conrad Archer’s personal history and work with Room 39 can be found in the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook — this section details lesser known events during this period and items intended to foreshadow events in the SFA Interactive game. 1900s: Throughout the early part of Conrad Archer’s archaeological career, he is plagued by misfortune and poor timing as the credit for many discoveries that should have been his is stolen by rival explorer Cameron Kane. 1903-1904: Sidney Reilly (agent “ST1”) — also known as the “Ace of Spies” — works as a merchant in Port Arthur, a Russian naval base in the Far East, reporting back to British Intelligence about the growing tensions between Russia and Japan. He returns to England following Japan’s sneak attack on Port Arthur early in the Russo-Japanese War (an attack he is believed to have participated in). 1904: Despite his seemingly unsuccessful expedition to the Greek mainland the year before (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 34), Sir Avery Schillingsfield is still seen in the company of his hired help, Conrad Archer. Schillingsfield seemingly takes an interest in “culturing” the socially inexperienced archaeologist, though whether his intentions are honest or he is taking pleasure at Archer’s expense is unknown.

SHADOW HISTORY Most of the following sections are written in timeline format, offering a compartmentalized overview rather than a detailed narrative. This serves two purposes. First, the Foundation’s Archive is spotty before 1950, leading to many discrepancies about early events leading up to the Archer Pact. Second, obscure elements of the shadow history — especially the Fringe and the operations of the Architects and other “behind the scenes” entities — have escaped the Foundation’s notice, been scoured from the records, or were lost in the immense volume of information the Conspiracy collects each year. More importantly, this approach allows GCs to easily develop their own shadow history in and around the events of the official timeline, and even ignore parts of the timeline without losing the whole.

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Chamber During a social visit to Monte Carlo, Conrad Archer encounters the highly desirable “Princess of Monaco,” Nicolette Dupois. Unaware of Nicolette’s high standing in Monaco society, or her family’s connections to the infamous Gemeinschafft Consortium, the smitten Conrad pursues her relentlessly. She soon reciprocates and a dangerous love affair begins. Conrad remains in Monaco for the winter, and Nicolette asks him to remain silent about their relationship for the time being. 1905: Cameron Kane visits Monaco and uncovers Conrad Archer’s affair with Nicolette Dupois. Within 24 hours, the formidable underworld connections wielded by Nicolette’s family become clear as Conrad is “visited” by several unidentified thugs who insist that he leave Monaco, never to return. Upon hearing of the confrontation, Avery Schillingsfield demands that Conrad return with him to England, away from what is bound to be a deadly political scandal. Conrad refuses, and Schillingsfield abandons him in Monaco. Unknown to Conrad, Nicolette uses the substantial leverage she has collected against her family to force them to let her go. Late this year, she flees Monaco with her new lover. 1906: Now safely relocated to Britain, Conrad Archer and Nicolette Dupois are wed. 1907: Russian engineers develop an anti-aircraft weapon that functions on principles of directed electrical energy. Called a “death ray" in a contemporary New York Times article (published in the May 28th, 1907 edition), the weapon so impresses the Commander of Soviet Air Services that he proposes “to curtail the activity of the air fleet, because the invention renders a large air fleet unnecessary for defense." 1908: Soon-to-be-famed inventor Nikola Tesla writes several letters to prominent newspapers and scientific journals, touting the application of directed electrical energy as the future of warfare. Though ordinarily a pacifist, Tesla's mental state is deteriorating due to financial and professional woes. He claims to have developed a weapon many times more powerful than Trotsky's “death ray” (see 1907). As the world watches U.S. Navy Commander Robert Peary's attempt to reach the North Pole, Tesla — now desperate to regain his stature in the eyes of the scientific community — tests his own version of Russia’s death ray. During Peary’s visit to Ellesmere Island — 700 miles from the North Pole — Tesla targets the North Pole, confident that Peary will witness the awesome destructive power of his weapon, even from 700 miles distant. Tesla misses his target by only a few degrees, though he overshoots by thousands of miles. The weapon causes a massive explosion in Tunguska, Siberia, which is heard for over 620 miles from the epicenter of the blast. The cause of this explosion is never confirmed, though it is variously attributed to such events as a UFO explosion or a falling meteor.

In Britain, Raymond Archer is born, inheriting Conrad Archer’s physical adept ability. Conrad does not realize his own powers for another three years. The Archer family lives in rural bliss, away from the problems of the world, during this period. 1909: Britain’s Imperial Security Intelligence Service (a.k.a. the Secret Service Bureau) is established as a bridge between War Office, iralty, and the country’s foreign espionage operatives. The naval branch of this organization comes under the leadership of 50-year old veteran Captain Mansfield Cumming (publicly known only as “C”) while the military branch is assigned to Captain Vernon Kell (“K”). 1910s: The Australian Naval Board sets up its own version of Room 40, Britain’s cryptographic unit. Officials of Room 39, the Dream Suite, ensure that a sister cell of their own organization is also established in Australia. 1912: Herbert Yardley, employed as a telegraph operator for various railroads from 1907 to 1912, s the U.S. State Department as a code clerk. Inspired by the large volume of coded messages he is responsible for transmitting and destroying, Yardley investigates the possibility of the U.S. developing an agency dedicated to cracking the ciphers of other nations. He educates himself on the subject, first decoding State Department messages and then messages from foreign embassies. 1912-1922: Conrad Archer’s involvement with Room 39 grows more intense by the month, while his wife, Nicolette, remains at their home in London. At first, the distance between them seems short, as the two share hundreds of letters a year. But by the end of World War I, their once ionate relationship wanes and they are effectively living separate lives. During this time, Cameron Kane, long enamored with Nicolette, courts her from Monaco with secret letters. Still hopeful that Conrad will come home to her, Nicolette ignores Kane’s advances. 1914: (August) Outbreak of World War I. Control of Britain’s Secret Service Bureau is transferred to the War Office, though its sovereignty is largely protected by Captain Cumming (“C”). Cumming’s foreign branch becomes MI1(c) and is charged with both collecting intelligence abroad and providing counterintelligence services outside the U.K. After operations in Persia and St. Petersburg, Sidney Reilly is handled by MI1(c) agents in New York City. Though working for Russia at the time (a complete turnaround from his activities leading up to the RussoJapanese War), Captain Cumming is confident that Reilly can be trusted to help against . A violent car crash in leaves Captain Mansfield Cumming with one broken leg and the other amputated (he is soon fitted with a wooden replacement). His son is also killed in the crash. Though personally devastated, Cumming continues his work

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Archer Foundation with the Secret Service Bureau. In following years, he would be half-affectionately called “that one-legged bastard” by Sidney Reilly and others. 1915: After privately ferreting out the truth about the Dream Suite, Sidney Reilly is courted to become one of the first “volunteer” psion soldiers (physical adepts created with serums made from Conrad Archer’s blood). 1916: Herbert Yardley compiles a report, “Solution of American Diplomatic Codes,” and turns it over to his superior, David Salmon. Salmon asks if Yardley believes foreign powers may have already solved the American diplomatic code, to which Yardley responds, “I always assume that what is within the power of one man to do is within the power of another.” General Ralph van Deman, Director of Military Intelligence, meets Herbert Yardley for the first time. The following year, with America’s entry into the Great War, Yardley easily demonstrates the need for a code and cipher section of the American military. Sidney Reilly field-tests his new physical adept abilities during a covert raid into German territory, during which he infiltrates the German General Staff. 1917: Yardley is commissioned as an officer in U.S. Military Intelligence, and founds MI-8 (the U.S. Cipher Bureau), later to become known as the “Black Chamber.” Though begun by Yardley and two civilians alone, the Black Chamber quickly grows in both size and importance. Cherished Room 39 agent Matthew Smythe (codenamed Piquant) is killed during an operation behind enemy lines in Austria before he can retreat into Italy with captured battle plans. Two weeks later, the plans inexplicably appear inside Room 39’s offices. Twice this year, Room 39 agents stationed in the U.K. report strange “phantom” events. Both times, agents are saved from injury or death by what appears to be an invisible ally. 1918: Captain Mansfield Cumming sends Sidney Reilly into Russia to help rally anti-Bolsheviks and bring the country back into the war against . Within a year, Reilly reportedly has 60,000 Russian and Latvian soldiers ready to fight the Bolsheviks and has set up a secret government prepared to take over once Lenin and Trotsky are out of the way. In August, Reilly masterminds a near-successful attack on revolutionary leader V. I. Lenin, though he is badly wounded in the process. The event sparks severe retributive action from the Bolsheviks, who murder more than 8,000 suspected enemies. Reilly manages to escape, but is forced to reveal the secret of his physical adept abilities to fellow British spy, Captain George Hill (agent “IK8”). A Guardian investigation of the phantom ally assisting agents throughout the UK reveals that it is none other than Matthew Smythe — or rather, his lingering

spirit (see page 68). After a brief conversation through a shadespeaker, Smythe manifests and offers to continue his work with Room 39 from the Other Side. 1919: Upon his return from Russia, Sidney Reilly is privately debriefed by Captain Cumming, who demands to know the source of the operative’s amazing gifts. Reilly takes Cumming into his confidence and reveals Room 39’s existence to him, on the condition that he remain silent about the project. Cumming is brought into Room 39’s fold and within the year, is offered the psion serum as well. Though not a substitute for his missing leg, Cumming’s new abilities help him to return to the field twice more before his death in 1923 (including the raid on Avery Schillingsfield’s base to recover Conrad Archer’s kidnapped son — see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 37). Britain’s wartime cryptanalysis unit, Room 40, is merged with other cryptographic operations within British Intelligence to become the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS). This division is placed under the command of Captain Mansfield Cumming, Director of the Secret Service Bureau’s foreign operations. 1919: Captain Cumming attends the Treaty of Versailles, along with his new personal advisor, Sidney Reilly. Both are stunned when Conrad Archer offers the physical adept serum to the world. By dawn the following morning, much of Room 39’s operations and several of its most important personnel — including Sidney Reilly — are moved to the Australian branch (now ambiguously renamed The Office for Physical Science (OPS), or just “Ops”). Ties between the OPS and Room 39 are underplayed and in some cases even suppressed to maintain independence from the growing world league of psion-empowered nations. The OPS is Room 39’s “black operation” throughout the 1920s and World War II, from which they mount their most incredible missions and conduct their most private research. Though now a hero outside his home office, Conrad Archer is considered a security risk by his superiors and not informed about the OPS. He remains stationed at Room 39 until his presumed death in 1945. Conversely, Conrad’s son Raymond earns a place in the OPS as a nuclear researcher in 1931. 1921: During the Washington Naval Conference, attended by the U.S., Great Britain, Japan, , and Italy, Yardley’s Black Chamber produces more than 5,000 cipher solutions and translations. Though this accomplishment serves U.S. interests well, Yardley almost suffers a nervous breakdown during its preparation. At the conclusion of the conference, Yardley travels to Arizona to begin a four-month vacation. Many of his subordinates suffer from horrifying nightmares, and one merely babbles incoherently for the remainder of his short life. Yardley is never the same on his return from Arizona, and is described by those that know him as disturbed and more than a little frightening.

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Chamber MI1(c) is moved to Britain’s Foreign Office and renamed the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), with the designation MI6. Captain Cumming remains in charge until his retirement and death in 1923. Sidney Reilly’s latest prediction — that a major antiBolshevik action is imminent — never comes to , and his superiors outside Room 39 begin to suspect he is disloyal to the Crown. Subsequent surveillance by agencies unaware of Room 39’s existence makes the psion division’s job much more difficult throughout the 1920s, and leads to several close calls when the group is nearly uncovered. Nearly all even remotely sensitive operations now fall under the helm of the Australian OPS (see 1919). In , the Abwehr is created as part of the Ministry of Defense. A small office, the Abwehr is designated a counterintelligence unit (Allied demands forbade from conducting active espionage), but its commanders soon turn it toward spying and cipher services. 1922: Raymond Archer manifests physical adept abilities and Conrad takes him to Room 39 for study and training. Nicolette demands to go with her son, but is denied access by British Intelligence. This creates a permanent rift in the rapidly disintegrating Archer family. 1923: Partly from loneliness and partly out of spite, Nicolette Archer answers one of Cameron Kane’s letters. Soon after, they are corresponding weekly. Conrad is oblivious, distracted by Avery Schillingsfield’s kidnapping of their son (which Nicolette never learns about) and the growing threats throughout Europe. Matthew Smythe single-handedly prevents an attempt by Eva Kraus and a group of corrupt relic hunters from pillaging a shipment of artifacts in transit back from the Tutankhamen dig in Egypt. Kraus is stunned at Room 39’s new resource, and vows to capture it as her own — or destroy it. 1924: Operating alone as usual, poltergeist agent Matthew Smythe tracks a missing specialist to the bowels of the Cosgrach Estate, deep beneath the seacoast city of Inverness, England, where he discovers the subterranean base of Sir Edmund Case, a former Royal driven mad with mystic power. Cosgrach is filled with the broken remains of captured drifters subjected to Case’s twisted rituals — a veritable army of monstrous tunnel dwellers feeding on each other and anyone unfortunate enough to stumble into their lair. Smythe is discovered and attempts to flee through the walls of the Cosgrach Estate, but is trapped inside by a holding rite performed by Case and his bound followers. Smythe remains in this predicament to this day. Nicolette Archer quietly leaves the Archer family home during one of Conrad’s missions, leaving no word of her destination. She returns to Monaco, where she reluctantly asks her family to take her back. They agree, on one condition — that she divorce Conrad Archer and

marry Cameron Kane, their choice for “the Prince of Monaco” and someone the Gemeinschafft Consortium has had its eye on for some time. She agrees, divorcing Conrad by wire. 1925: The German Navy buys ENIGMA coding machines, originally invented to protect business secrets. Shortly thereafter, the German Army follows suit. Following German military modifications, ciphers generated by the ENIGMA machine are believed to be unbreakable, and relies upon it almost exclusively to encode military transmissions until the introduction of ENIGMA II (see 1937). British intelligence operative Sidney Reilly is approached by operatives of the Trust, an antiBolshevik movement. Still faithful that a revolutionary campaign is feasible in Russia, he meets with them in Moscow, only to find the Trust is a Soviet disinformation organization established to capture revolutionary agents. Like many before him, Reilly is arrested and forced to write a confession in which he reveals his Moscow s, then executed, his body photographed in the Lubyanka morgue as proof for OGPU records. In truth, however, Reilly fakes his death, slipping out of Moscow with critical information about Stalin’s psion serum research (perverted by pharmacist Genrikh G. Yagoda, who later becomes head of the OGPU in 1934). Though merely comparative data in 1925, the notes about Russian serum tampering offer an ominous view of things to come (see the Russian Confederacy in the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook and the Russian Confederacy Chamber book). Devastated by his wife’s departure and new marriage to a longtime rival, Conrad Archer dedicates himself to working alone, reinforcing his position as one of Room 39’s most valuable operatives. It is during this period that Conrad’s fascination with a “New World Order” dedicated to making the world a more livable, less turbulent place takes shape. Now able to speak openly with government-cleared and funded idealists around the world, his once impossible ideas start to look feasible, even likely within his own lifetime. 1924: Raymond Archer enters Cambridge University early (at age 16) to study biology and physics. He absorbs information at an amazing rate, and rapidly rises to the top of his class. 1925-1930s: Raymond is no longer influenced by his mother (being forbidden from ing her for the duration of his father’s life) and finds himself swept up in his father’s whirlwind career as “Britain’s finest secret agent.” Up to the start of World War II, the Archer men become very close, and Raymond grows to share his father’s vision of global peace and security. Unlike his father’s flamboyant and often reckless decisions, however, Raymond is fast becoming a shrewd intellectual, and develops his own strategies for making the family dream a reality (see 1926, 1930, and 1931, below).

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Archer Foundation 1926: After only two years in college, Raymond Archer graduates with honors and is recruited into the Copenhagen Institute of Theoretical Physic, founded by Niels Bohr, winner of the 1922 Nobel Prize for his accurate deconstruction of the atom. This position introduces Raymond Archer to many remarkable personalities in the scientific community, including his close friend J. Robert Oppenheimer, and primes him as one of the frontrunners of atomic research. 1929: At the behest of Herbert Hoover’s Secretary of State Henry Stimson, the Black Chamber is closed down. Despite the invaluable intelligence provided by Yardley’s operation, Stimson states “Gentlemen do not read each other’s mail.” 1930: Raymond Archer returns to his alma mater, Cambridge University, to assist teams at the Cavendish Laboratory. Within two years, the teams confirm the existence of the neutron, break down the atomic nucleus, and create the first man-made nuclear reaction. This last accomplishment unleashes an incredibly high level of energy, sparking the question of its use as a source of power. (Within the halls of world governments, it sparks the question of its military application as well.) In England, Umbra — acting on orders from her Guardian superiors — requests time with Conrad Archer as part of a long-term assessment of the potential of his physical adept abilities. She claims the assessment will take ten years, though only two of those will require the agent to remain in London. Eager to share the results, Room 39 agrees, asking that Umbra’s discoveries be made known only to her people, British Parliament, and the Australian OPS (see 1919). 1931: Herbert Yardley publishes his memoirs, entitled The American Black Chamber. This book lays bare many national secrets — including the details of the Black Chamber’s 1921 Naval Conference, and the devastating effect of their codebreaking research upon the mental states of Yardley and his coworkers. This constitutes a grievous security breach and Yardley is consequently dismissed from government service. His biography is slandered by government specialists in the science community as “the wild ravings of a man pushed to the edge by overwork.” Impressed by his work in Copenhagen and London, representatives of the OPS approach Raymond Archer and offer him a position in their private Australian laboratories, swearing him to secrecy. Raymond is not even allowed to tell his father of his new position, which he disguises as frequent trips to visit friends “overseas.” 1932: (February) In an attempt to render physically visible the phantom images plaguing his inner mind, Nikola Tesla creates a device that forces lingering spirits to manifest. The device is highly unstable and works for only minutes at a time, but it provides Tesla with all the evidence he needs to continue this line of research.

(May) Nikola Tesla’s research into the realm of the dead produces a device capable of physically propelling him into the Fringe. Upon activating it, however, he finds himself trapped on the Other Side, helpless and at the mercy of an army of angry dead. He destroys the device, transporting himself back to the physical realm. During his slow recovery, one of his doctors is paid by German spies to look the other way and his meticulous notes about the device are stolen and delivered into the hands of a competing inventor — Wilhelm Schrader (see 1935 and page 117). Though Tesla attempts to discover where his notes have gone, he is never successful. Likewise, he never speaks of his ordeal on the Other Side again. 1933: The Demagogue, now Chancellor of , is granted dictatorial powers by the Reichstag (the German Imperial Parliament). Hereafter, the Reichstag are summoned to meet only sporadically, and only to approve important government measures. As one of his first empowered acts, the Demagogue establishes a secret division within the Reich, known as the Abgrund (“The Abyss”), a program ostensibly intended to develop super-soldiers to combat what he sees as “a growing cancer” in the West — the psions of nations he knows he will someday face in war. With close ties to the Schutzstaffel (SS), the Abgrund is under the Demagogue’s command alone and known to no one outside his closest advisors, but it is Eva Kraus’ playground, a fledgling army she hopes to use to rebuild her fallen occult empire. Upon his rise in stature, the ENIGMA cipher is brought to the Demagogue’s attention. The complex machine captures his interest, and draws him to the subject of cryptography. Shortly thereafter, the Demagogue reads The American Black Chamber (see 1931), and is fascinated by the breakdowns suffered by Yardley and his fellow cipher experts in 1921. Despite assurances to the contrary, the Demagogue is concerned that the ENIGMA code might be broken, and orders a seemingly superior code machine to be developed, the ENIGMA II. Still mindful of the American cipher expert’s mental collapse, the Demagogue delivers the ENIGMA II project into the hands of the Abgrund, ordering that the code should cause similar results in any who successfully crack it without the ENIGMA II device. Polish mathematician Marian Rejewski, previously responsible for the cracking of several relatively simple German Navy codes, completes five years of work with the Polish Cipher Bureau to deconstruct the first ENIGMA. Using a combination of mathematics, statistics, computational ability, and inspired guesswork, Rejewski generates a theoretical model of the German Military’s version of the ENIGMA device, and later a physical model of the same.

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Chamber 1935: With increased tensions throughout Europe and the tell-tale signs of military escalation in , Room 39 assigns Conrad Archer and Foreign Office talent spotter and recruiter Charles Howard Ellis, another physical adept, as field operatives (“psi-spies”) in and around Nazi territories and the Regime’s most likely targets. Not yet done with her assessment of Conrad’s potential, the Guardian Umbra is assigned to work beside the physical adepts in the field. “It is not the best arrangement,” Umbra says, “but it will do.” Conrad Archer and Umbra work together as a team until the outbreak of World War II (see 1939). Wilhelm Schrader presents “his” report, entitled “The Nature and Mechanics of Death,” at a private meeting with the Demagogue. Using a term coined in Tesla’s private notes — “The Fringe” — Schrader describes a world of spirits just out sight, and assures the Chancellor that it can be tapped and even controlled to further the glory of Nazi . The Demagogue is so impressed that he inducts Schrader into the Abgrund (see 1933), and orders that the inventor explore this new frontier for possible resources and weapons. The Demagogue has no idea that Schrader is secretly one of Eva Kraus’ many lovers, and that the meeting was arranged to bring Schrader into the fold with his blessing. Schrader trumps them both, however — he holds back all information about Tesla’s trip to the Other Side, planning to use it in a bid for great personal power. 1936: The Abgrund unleash their first significant advancement, merging the sorcerous power of Eva Kraus with the Demagogue’s telepathic abilities — remotely controlled mystic warriors with incredible destructive power. Though they are only fielded in remote areas, these soldiers, codenamed the Hexen, are used with great effectiveness against operatives of Room 39 and the OPS. (For more about the Hexen, see the forthcoming Hand of Glory Threat Book.) 1937: Upon completion, ENIGMA II is physically identical to ENIGMA, though its capabilities are far more insidious. Codes generated by the machine are actually Fringewards (see page 70), impossible to decipher by anyone without mystic ability, and devastating to those without the proper defenses. They are also capable of invoking many mystic effects which topclearance couriers are trained to use with ruthless results in the field. Wilhelm Schrader volunteers for a new phase of Project: GOLDENROD, the Abgrund’s long-standing psion research program. Through advanced (and wildly experimental) surgical procedures, Schrader is imbued with remarkable telepathic powers (placing him among the top five most powerful telepaths on Earth) and s the ranks of the Demagogue’s Übermensch (those the Chancellor considers his divine chosen warriors of

virtue, touched by the Hand of God). The procedure is costly, however — Schrader’s recovery takes nearly a year and his health never fully returns. 1938: Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds transmission is heard across the United States, and later, around the world. The transmission is just what it is later reported to be — a work of fiction — but the resulting panic is very real, and causes numerous Fringe incursions across the globe (especially during its first broadcast) as people’s irrational emotions cause them to stumble into the spirit netherworld. Countless disappearances and several deaths are attributed to the crime spike suffered during the evening the show first airs, and many freak accidents are attributed to the hysteria of the moment. The majority of these strange incidents are in fact the result of lingering spirits lashing out at the mass physical disturbance of their unquiet rest. Agents of the Abgrund link several of the unexplained incidents sparked by the War of the Worlds broadcast with Nikola Tesla’s research notes about the Fringe. Interviews and further research confirm the connection, and Operation: PHANTASM is established to research the nature of ghosts and the truth of life after death. Wilhelm Schrader heads the project, but he plays a delicate game with his superiors, concealing many discoveries about the Other Side and conducting private experiments in an effort to replicate Tesla’s transportation device (see opposite). Room 39 discovers Rejewski’s earlier success at cracking the previously unbreakable ENIGMA code (see 1933) and s the Polish government with a request for an ENIGMA machine. A Polish factory worker helping to produce the ENIGMA machines smuggles one of the devices to Polish intelligence officers, who then — after additional modification by Rejewski to match the business model to the military model — es the machine to a Room 39 representative. The modified machine is returned to Bletchley Park (the headquarters of Britain’s Government Code and Cypher School) where Allied agents plan ways to take advantage of the intelligence windfall. 1939: ENIGMA II secretly enters use among the German armed forces. Within days, no less than a dozen Room 39 code breakers are driven to insanity by the power of the mystic cipher. Further work with the ENIGMA machine is prohibited until the safety — and sanity — of Room 39 operatives can be ensured. Umbra hears of the disaster and, over the fervent objections of Room 39 researchers and Conrad Archer himself, personally examines each of the stricken codebreakers and their work. Surprisingly, she suffers no ill effect, though she does sequester herself in her quarters for three days, itting no one. When she emerges, she claims simply that “ENIGMA is no longer a threat.” At her insistence,

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Archer Foundation Room 39 returns to work on the ENIGMA cipher, and soon discovers that ENIGMA II is a variation of the original ENIGMA code, modified by what can only be classified as a new mystic science. When questioned by Conrad Archer, Umbra says little of what occurred in her quarters over those 72 hours, and it is clear she does not care to discuss the matter. The only statement she makes on the matter is a constant source of worry for Conrad: “Each riddle has a solution,” she says, “but the price is often great.” (November) British naval attaché Captain Hector Boyes receives an offer of German technological secrets from an anonymous source. He accepts. Some time later, he receives the first seven pages of what is now known as the “Oslo Report,” a collection of technical briefs on German technological developments during World War II. The briefs contain information about many German projects, including radio-controlled glider bombs, early warning radar systems, and the infamous V1 and V2 missiles. British intelligence assumes the reports to be fabricated — that no single source could know that much about the German war machine — but Professor R.V. Jones, wartime head of Air Ministry Intelligence, believes otherwise. He continues to gather information from the Oslo informer throughout the war. 1940s: From the London Controlling Station (LCS), a think tank established by Winston Churchill, Conrad Archer, Lord Henry Cherwell, and other Room 39 operatives conceive unorthodox methods for combating the Axis, including a dummy army composed of inflatable tanks and fake parachute troops. These methods are carried out by other agencies, such as the Twenty Committee (the s of the DOUBLE-CROSS system to turn German spies in Britain), MI6, Special Operations Executive (the SOE, a covert action unit), and the Office of Strategic Services (the OSS, a U.S. counterpart to the SOE). Also during this period, Conrad privately recruits soldiers, scientists, and politicians for his great cause, a post-war organization dedicated to protecting the world… from itself. Those recruited include Winston Churchill, European capitalist Bruno Vangeli (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 39), many Guardians, and Dr. Lothario Algernon, a charismatic and idealistic Room 39 operative whose scientific talents are rivaled only by his bright-eyed belief that the world deserves to be saved. Raymond Archer and operatives of the OPS spearhead a private war against the clearest and most present danger the world has ever faced — Eva Kraus, the Demagogue, and their Abgrund (which the OPS refer to as “the Witch House”). Though many of the psion developments and battle plans created for this war are thought up by Raymond and fielded by Conrad, father and son never meet in an official capacity during the

war. Many modern Conspiracy historians believe the distance between them was a cover for some family affair, but the truth is as yet unknown. 1940: Room 39 cipher experts break the ENIGMA II code. The intelligence gained by this accomplishment serves the Allies well for the remainder of the war. Room 39 quietly sweeps mention of the code’s mystic power under the proverbial rug. After a long hiatus from official codebreaking, Australia assigns four academic volunteers from the Sydney University to study foreign ciphers. These men are closely observed by the OPS. The Royal Navy combats a new kind of U-Boat fielded by the Demagogue’s researchers. Though they lose several ships in the process — including the enger liner Athenia — they finally capture the enemy vessel in early autumn, and tow it back to England for study. This boat — later identified by Rudolf Hess as the Vodyanoi — is completely automated, run by spirits dominated by Eva Kraus and her sorcerous Abgrund henchmen. Umbra returns to the Middle East with her report about Conrad Archer’s psion abilities (see 1930). She returns with child and — in a shocking twist — Conrad Archer announces that the baby is his. Researchers of Room 39, the OPS, and all Allied offices send representatives to observe the newborn (named Aurora — see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 110), curious about the results of such a mystic/psion pairing. Their findings are classified, and Conrad, Umbra, and Aurora journey to the Guardian homeland for just over one year following. (Today, it is understood that Aurora’s unnatural lifespan and the Voice she uses to communicate with all Guardians around the world — see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 103 — are byproducts of her parentage, and speculation about further powers is rampant.) (August) With Conrad Archer’s trip to the Middle East, his partner Charles Ellis (see 1935) is reassigned to New York, promoted to colonel, and is made Deputy Head of British Security Coordination (BSC) under William Stephenson (codename INTREPID — see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 38). There he aids William Donovan in creating the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS — see 1940s). 1941: Australia’s four cipher experts are absorbed into the Special Intelligence Bureau, who go on to break Japanese codes used in missions around the country throughout the war. Wilhelm Schrader corresponds with many scientists around the world, including some in enemy countries. Among them is Dr. Lothario Algernon, with whom he speaks about the war’s horrible cost of life and “what it would be like if we could bring them all back.” Algernon continues this correspondence without Room 39’s knowledge until Schrader reveals his German affiliations in 1944.

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Chamber 1944: Eva Kraus’ relationship with the Demagogue finally sours. Reportedly driven mad by the volume of thoughts in his mind and self-assured that his conquest of the world cannot be stopped, the Demagogue makes a bid for sole control of . The Abgrund is torn asunder by the infighting and for a short time, Axis leadership is thrown into turmoil. Curious orders trickle down through the Axis ranks and those in the know start choosing sides. Eva chooses to ally with the Abwehr, whose long-standing friction with the Demagogue and his SS are well-known. Together with Abwehr commander Wilhelm Canaris, Eva arranges several attempts on the Demagogue’s life. Their partnership forges the groundwork for the post-war Hand of Glory (see 1948 and the forthcoming Hand of Glory Threat Book for more). Perhaps sensing ’s imminent downfall, Wilhelm Schrader strikes a deal with long-time correspondent Lothario Algernon. Playing on the scientist’s ego and sense of exploration, Schrader states that his intentions for the Fringe are — contrary to the Oslo Reports — quite benign. He claims that the so-called “Fringe bomb” can be used for great good — namely to

Conrad Archer returns to London with Umbra and both take up their roles with Room 39 once more. Aurora remains with the Guardians in the Middle East, and is not seen again until her appointment as the Chamber’s Control in the 1980s (see page 104). (May) Deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess, the man to whom Hitler dedicated Mein Kampf — crash lands in Scotland on a self-appointed mission of peace. He pleads with the British to end the war, claiming “the Devil sits at Hitler’s right hand” and that demons are gathering in Europe. German officials claim Hess is insane and the British jail him until the Nuremburg trials of 1945-46. Agents of Room 39, however, listen, and learn much about the plans and powers of the god-queen Eva Kraus, as well as many of the Demagogue’s occult and weird science projects. 1942: Testimony from captured Nazi Rudolf Hess (see 1941) leads Room 39 operatives to an Abgrund base in Keil, , where they encounter a cabal of Hexen guarding a motherload of Nazi war treasures (including many mystic relics) and a stockpile of occult knowledge. Though only 40% of the find is recovered before Nazi troops retake the complex, this is a major victory for the Allies. The Manhattan Project is begun in the United States by Brigadier General Leslie R. Groves, a military engineer, and J. Robert Oppenheimer (see 1926). This project involves 100,000 workers, 37 bases, and 12 laboratories over its three-year run. A routine communication from the Oslo informer (see 1939) reveals disturbing details about a new weapon being developed in — something called the “Fringe bomb.” This device, revealed to the Oslo informer in a letter sent by Abgrund inventor Wilhelm Schrader, is reputed to be capable of bridging the vast expanse between life and death, literally bringing the spirit world to the physical world en masse and unleashing an unlimited horde of angry ghosts onto the battlefields of Europe. Though still in the theoretical stage, this device terrifies Room 39, the OPS, and the Guardians, into whose hands the report falls after being summarily cast aside by government officials. Operation: STYX is established to counter the threat, though progress stalls when the Oslo informer’s next report (and all subsequent reports) fail to mention anything about the Fringe bomb program. (In fact, all Oslo reports from this point on come from the Abgrund, after they murder the real Oslo informer.) (Palm Sunday) 300 Luftwaffe bombers strafe Belgrade, killing over 25,000 people and destroying countless buildings, including Nikola Tesla’s laboratory, known as the Tesla Institute. 1943: Nikola Tesla dies in New York at the age of 86. His life’s work — what has not already been stolen by Wilhelm Schrader and other intellectual poachers — is delivered to the state museum in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.

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Archer Foundation establish with the spirits of those lost in the war, reuniting them with their families for a brief time, then ensuring their final rest. Algernon, long-exposed to the Guardians’ candor about death and the natural benevolence of ghosts, warms to Schrader’s proclaimed motives and an agreement is formed between them — Schrader will help topple in exchange for a new home, and a new lab, in Britain. Umbra dies during Operation GODSMASHER, five years to the day after she offers her mysterious assistance on ENIGMA II. 1945-1946: During the trials of the Demagogue’s closest captured underlings in Nuremberg, , Rudolf Hess claims amnesia of his atrocities during the war, and reveals nothing of the strange s he ed to Room 39 operatives four years before. He is sentenced to life in prison, where he dies in 1987. 1945: (July) During the first test of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer realizes the true magnitude of his latest invention. He says, “I am become Death, the shatterer of worlds.” These words are heard several times during the 1950 Archer Caucus as well. 1946: Upon escaping , Wilhelm Schrader finds himself transported not to Britain, but to Australia, where a team of OPS researchers led by Dr. Lothario Algernon await his Fringe work. Algernon has spent the last year convincing the OPS of the importance of this work, and acquired a long-term research grant and facilities from which to develop the device Schrader described two years before. (December) The Office for Physical Science is moved to Canberra and renamed the Archer Institute for Science, with Raymond Archer at the helm. 1947: Based on early work by the Abgrund, Dr. Algernon and Wilhelm Schrader successfully clone several farm animals, including a kangaroo. This paves the way for much more success in this field, though no one attached to the project mentions it outside their circle. Raymond Archer the rest of the OPS are never told of the project’s existence. During the negotiations to establish the UKUSA mutual intelligence agreement between Australia, New Zealand, Britain, and the U.S., Raymond Archer declines personal involvement. Never appreciating politics, Raymond establishes an impersonal atmosphere in his office, a standard which leads to the current “-off” bureaucracy within the Foundation (see page 106). 1949: Dr. Algernon, Wilhelm Schrader, and their team experiment with telepathic psions ing ghosts. The results are disastrous, as first the psion dies (apparently of a brain hemorrhage) and then both his spirit and the spirit originally ed are stripped of their human conscious, attacking anything they sense — including other spirits. The experiments, never given a codename, are closed and never officially renewed.

The Foundation in the 1950s Raymond Archer’s choice to center the new Conspiracy around a home office in Australia proved exceptionally wise, as the new Cold War that erupted throughout the world touched only lightly on the region. Outside the country’s involvement in spying on the Soviet Union, all remained quiet on the Conspiracy’s home front, allowing its founders to operate largely without interference. May 8, 1950 saw the birth of the Archer Foundation, as seven men and women gathered in Australia to discuss the future of the world. Several heroes of World Wars I and II could not be at the caucus — Conrad Archer, Umbra, Winston Churchill, and many more. These fallen were commemorated at the event, which divided the world into seven Chambers (with the Guardians agreeing to watch over all of Africa). The home office was positioned in Australia, hidden behind the fledgling Archer Institute for Science and the ASIO and ASIS intelligence organizations. The Foundation was granted wide authority over the other Conspiracy cells, with Raymond Archer, the son of the man who first conceived the network, at the helm. The meeting established a global force for good, something much needed in light of recent tragedies, but it also paved the way for at least two global forces for evil — the Architects of the Fringe and P.E.R.I.L. 1950: Charles Ellis, wartime partner of Conrad Archer, arrives in Australia as an MI6 advisor to the recently formed Australian Security and Intelligence Organization (ASIO, see page 31). Raymond Archer brings Ellis into the new Conspiracy fold, asking him to establish a safe haven for the Foundation in its home territory. Decrypted portions of transmissions from the Soviet embassy in Canberra to Moscow reveal the presence of two NKGB spies within the Australian government’s External Affairs department. The first spy — Jim Hill (codenamed TOURIST) — is moved to a position with no access to classified information. The second — Ian Milner (codenamed BUR) — flees to Czechoslovakia. (October) Dr. Algernon lobbies with the newly established Foundation Lords to sanction Project: SILENT SPECTRE, an attempt to render Conspiracy operatives invisible. Raymond Archer and others are reluctant, but eventually won over by Algernon’s charm. They are never told the truth — that SILENT SPECTRE actually intends to physically send a group of explorers into the Fringe. The ill-fated project comes to fruition three years later. 1951: Suspicion rises that Charles Ellis (MI6 advisor to the ASIO and ally of the Archer Foundation) may have been either a German or Soviet mole (or both) during the war. For the time being, Ellis keeps his post. The

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Chamber Archer Foundation, well aware of his connections to (Room 39 planted him in the Abwehr) watch the resulting investigation carefully, but remain confident that Ellis is loyal to the Conspiracy. Dr. Algernon, Wilhelm Schrader, and their black unit inside the Foundation continue their work with cloning and other questionable sciences. By the end of 1951, the first clone farm is established on Stewart Island, Australia. Before the disastrous conclusion of Project: SILENT SPECTRE in 1953, at least half a dozen more clone farms are established, in the U.S., Russia, Europe, and elsewhere, all with “misallocated” Foundation resources. Caretaker clones are placed in charge of the farms, each of which is occupied by replicas of important people (including Wilhelm Schrader). Dr. Algernon refuses to be sampled for cloning. 1953: Amidst continuing suspicion (and at the behest of the Foundation), Charles Ellis resigns from MI6, citing health problems. He remains in Australia for two months, then suddenly sails back to Britain with word of Vladamir Petrov’s defection (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 54). Project: SILENT SPECTRE produces a working prototype of Nikola Tesla’s Fringe device. With Dr. Algernon, Wilhelm Schrader, and 112 other scientists and staff present, the device is activated. Everyone within ten miles distant reports a freak lightning storm that erupts without warning, then fades just as quickly within an hour. Fourteen witnesses within line of sight to the Foundation front company — Manes Industrial — are shocked when a lightning-laced tornado not only appears directly over the building but descends on it, apparently consuming it whole. Within minutes, the area is besieged by what appear to be ghosts, forming from within the funnel cloud and slung out toward the witnesses. Eight are killed immediately, as the hungry spirits rip them to shreds. The remaining six are saved from the spirits as a shockwave of concussive force washes out from the crater (a massive telepathic message sent from Schrader to ward off the otherworldly attackers). Three of the remaining six witnesses are killed by the mental blast and two are left babbling incoherently. The last, a latent mystic named Sara Lloyd, spends a decade in a coma (see 1961). The next morning, the electrical charge in the area of the former Manes Industrial building is still so intense that no electrical gear functions. Foundation response teams discover the charred remains of Wilhelm Schrader in the smoking crater, along with Sara Lloyd, and return them to the home office. Schrader is confined to an iron lung for the rest of his life (though he upgrades to a mobile unit in 1979, and manages to get around by virtue of his clones — see 1966 and 1990).

(June) In the final days before their execution, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg — Americans who ed U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviets at the behest of Raymond Archer (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 46) — offer to make a deal. They claim to have details of a secret political coup being staged in Russia, a Stalinist regime that could threaten democracy everywhere. U.S. authorities dismiss their claims, which reach Australia too late for the Foundation to intervene. Four Lords, however, dig deeper into the Rosenbergs’ s, eventually uncovering the seeds of a criminal empire in Russia (which will eventually become the organization known as P.E.R.I.L.). Rather than report the threat, however, the Lords — today known as the Judas Syndicate — foster it in exchange for ruling seats on the criminal council. 1954: While under MI5 and FBI surveillance, Charles Ellis is inexplicably brought back into MI6 and placed in charge of destroying archive files no longer considered important (the vast majority of which indirectly pertain to Room 39’s activities prior to the caucus). By the time he is removed from this post, little if any evidence of Room 39’s existence remains in the MI6 records. 1955: The Archer Foundation privately establishes a program in which they “tag” psions and important personnel with a permanent isotope marker that can be tracked by spy planes, special goggles, specialized psion training, and later satellites. This marker grows incredibly pervasive over the next several years, and eventually all full-time operatives are tagged. This continues until 2001, when the Shop utilizes the tags to track and kill or capture Conspiracy operatives. In one of its first major successes, the Archer Foundation helps to establish lasting peace agreements around the globe. They assist ’s entrance into NATO and arrange for the Austrian State Treaty, ending the occupation of Austria by the ‘Four Powers’ (the U.S., , Great Britain, and the U.S.S.R.). Subsequent talks in Switzerland are upbeat and hopeful, thanks at least in part to political bridges the Foundation has nurtured since the end of World War II. In order to counterbalance NATO, the Foundation and Russian Confederacy tly strive to develop the Warsaw Pact between Albania, Bulgaria, East , Romania, Hungary, Poland, and Czechoslovakia. 1958: Wilhelm Schrader is visited by Dr. Alexander Omen, his most trusted underling in the black Foundation unit (see opposite), who is still on the Other Side. He is told in no uncertain that he will devote his worldly resources to the spirit realm operation, which he now refers to as “the Architects of the Fringe.” If Schrader refuses, the Architects threaten to have him killed and capture his spirit as it crosses to the Other Side. As proof, Omen demonstrates a new use of the

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Archer Foundation Tesla device — he brings a pocket of the Fringe to Earth, overlapping Schrader’s mansion home and causing several of his spirit minions to manifest. They kill Schrader’s manservant, Lyle, and capture his spirit as it leaves his body, dragging it off into the Fringe as the pocket fades. The man’s screams still haunt Schrader to this day.

nations’ in his planned defection. Included with the letter are several classified documents Penkovskiy gathered over the previous year. Later that same year, a meeting is held between SIS representative Howard Shergold and CIA Deputy Director for Plans (neither of whom knows of the Conspiracy), during which it is decided the two agencies will "handle" Penkiovsky tly. is made with Oleg Penkovskiy on December 8, 1960 at Moscow's Shermeteyevo Airport, and results in the CIA and SIS both gaining a valuable conduit for intelligence from the Soviet Union. Penkovskiy is codenamed HERO. In Little Sai Wan, Hong Kong, 140 agents of the Australian Defense Signals Directorate (DSD) spy on Soviet ship movements throughout East Asia — particularly the Russian naval base at Cam Ranh Bay. 1961: Penkovskiy arrives in London as head of a Soviet "trade" delegation whose mission is to acquire Western technologies. Four agents of the CIA and SIS meet with him under tight security, and arrange for further debriefings before his return to Moscow. During these sessions, Penkovskiy provides the Western agents with a plethora of classified Soviet material, including information about Russian missile capabilities and nuclear tests. Unsure of his interviewers’ loyalties, he remains silent about the Archer Conspiracy and the threat it presents — for now. (May 5th) On the eve of Penkovskiy's scheduled return to Moscow, a Foundation agent named Lucas Aimes (GABRIEL) attempts to him. Still under the mistaken belief that the entire Archer Conspiracy has been subverted by an enemy, Penkovskiy evades Aimes, reporting the encounter — and concerns about his safety — to his CIA and SIS handlers. Alarmed, the four agents agree to investigate the matter and in the

The Foundation in the 1960s With the Conspiracy’s groundwork complete, all seven Chambers up and running, and its first stumbling moments (hopefully) behind it, the Foundation devoted the 1960s to doing something with its power. Something good for everyone. Among their efforts were the election of John F. Kennedy (a year-long t operation with the Company that very nearly failed), and relentlessly tracking the Hand of Glory through South America. Unfortunately, the Foundation also came under serious fire this decade as the scandals rocking the Company came very close to shredding the entire Conspiracy’s Cloak. Another threat of exposure — one that wouldn’t flare into open conflict until 1991 — came from Russia, and within the Foundation’s own halls of power. 1960: Oleg Vladimirovich Penkovskiy, an agent of the Russian Confederacy and four times decorated Colonel of the Soviet GRU, discovers two Foundation Lords involved in what he assumes (correctly) to be a criminal organization in Russia. Cut off from the outside world by the rise of the Iron Curtain, Penkovskiy comes to believe that the Russian threat might be merely one arm of the Conspiracy’s true center, a threat far more pervasive and dangerous than anything faced in the last two World Wars. He writes a letter to top government officials in the U.S. and Great Britain, requesting the

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Chamber 1966: Charles Ellis (see 1935) is found to have sold information to the Germans and Soviets during WWII by a Scotland Yard Special Branch review. Though the Australians (and the Foundation) are informed, the FBI is not, and Ellis is allowed to live on a government pension until his death in 1975. 1967: When Denise Darvall’s head and lower body are severely damaged in a car accident, the Archer Foundation sees the opportunity to leak one of its greatest early medical advances — organ transplantation — to the public. They a group of medical specialists led by South African Dr. Christiaan Barnard, who transplant Darvall’s heart into 55-year old Louis Washkansky. Though Washkansky dies 18 days later (from pneumonia), the transplant opens doors for much public research for decades to come. 1968: Telepathic “hounds” are developed to search for latent psions. One person found early on is Sara Lloyd, a wildly sensitive mystic working in New York City as a successful (and quite popular) spirit medium. Now very much in control of her gift, Sara Lloyd makes tens of thousands of dollars a year from shows and private contracts, many of which come from the New York Police Department and U.S. government.

meantime provide Penkovskiy with enough documents on British steel technology to make it appear that he spent his time in London gathering intelligence, rather than disclosing it. Despite his fears, HERO returns safely to Moscow, and continues to produce valuable intelligence for the remainder of the year. (December) Sara Lloyd, comatose since the destruction of the Manes Industrial building in 1953, awakens screaming about ghosts in her hospital room. She breaks free of the orderlies and flees into the night. 1962: Penkovskiy meets with the wife of an SIS operative in Moscow (Janet Chisholm, or ANNE), but soon suspects that either he or ANNE are under surveillance — perhaps both. He thereafter insists that no personal be made, and that information only through dead drops. GABRIEL is captured during a Foundation fact-finding mission in P.E.R.I.L. territory. He eventually breaks under torture, revealing a number of sensitive Archer secrets. Though he doesn’t know HERO's true identity, P.E.R.I.L. makes some educated guesses based on the information provided. GABRIEL's final fate is unknown. (September 5th) Penkovskiy is publicly arrested and jailed by P.E.R.I.L. loyalists. 1963: Penkovskiy is tried and convicted. While P.E.R.I.L. maintains its distance from the proceedings, the GRU provides the Soviet state with more than enough evidence to convict Penkovskiy of espionage. His execution is scheduled for May 16th, 1963, only a week after the sentence is handed down. P.E.R.I.L. makes good use of the intervening week, spiriting Penkovskiy away to a holding facility unknown to even the GRU, where they interrogate him about his spy masters and operations. Even under torture, Penkovskiy doesn’t break; in fact, his tormentors' insistence that he reveal the Foundation’s secrets convinces him for the first time in many years that his suspicions about the Conspiracy are false. Believing the criminal organization in Russia to be a new, isolated threat, the Archer Foundation mounts an assault to rescue their captured operative. One of the Lords sheltering P.E.R.I.L. takes charge of the mission, hoping to arrange Penkovskiy’s death before he can be extracted back to Australia, but he is unsuccessful and stages his own death in order to cover up the Judas Syndicate’s activities in Russia. With Penkovskiy gone, P.E.R.I.L. is forced to substitute one of its own agents (who has fallen out of favor), disguised as the captured spy. In the following months, both the Foundation and P.E.R.I.L. keep their activities as quiet as possible, to let the suspicions about them . (May 17) Penkovskiy, accompanied by the agents responsible for his retrieval, arrives in London for the last time. Loyal to the Conspiracy once more, he is transferred to the Archer Family Sanctuary (in Iceland), where he remains until his death many years later.

The Foundation in the 1970s By 1970, the Foundation had largely run known Hand of Glory operatives out of South America and established a wide specialist and structure in the area (which remains in place today). The Foundation was taking its first true steps out of the nest, into the global village, and Raymond Archer — approaching 60 years of age — was beginning to think he could step back from the front line, perhaps even retire. He couldn’t have been more wrong. 1971: During a standard regional overview of Brisbane, a string of similar reports from local field analysts is discovered by Foundation bookkeeper Harvey Seagle. The common thread between them is, at first, a single phrase, each time with precisely the same wording: “Grey squares only.” Believing the phrase to be a cipher of some kind, Seagle es it along to Room 39 for study. Two months later, he notices the same phrase in a field report from Glasgow, England, and then again in the month after. Following the trail, Seagle traces the phrase to an analyst named Benjamin Poll, stationed in Brisbane at the time of the original reports. He recalls Poll and questions him extensively, but finds him completely unresponsive — almost amnesiac — about his time in Brisbane. Seagle even brings in a telepath to continue the interview, but Poll receives a clean bill of mental health. Throwing himself into the curious puzzle, Seagle isn’t heard from again until Room 39 cryptanalysts eventually return his message, confirming that the phrase is not in any known code.

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Archer Foundation The only response they receive from him follows: “I’ve had to let that go, I’m afraid. It’s grey squares only.” (The truth of this event is still not fully understood, though the phrase “grey squares only” has been unofficially adopted by most Foundation personnel, and some from other Chambers, to mean. “all is well.”) Acting without the of the rest of the Foundation, Andrew Dunnston, the Lord of Nature, takes his mission to a new extreme, helping to establish the Greenpeace protest group. Though initially ed with Foundation funds, the organization quickly gains its own footing, and is today completely und with the Archer Conspiracy. Another medical marvel — the Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) scanner — is introduced to the world through Foundation medical specialists and their allies, allowing doctors of the world to take reliable pictures of soft tissues within patients’ skulls, chests, and abdomens, as well as to quickly and painlessly distinguish between normal and clotted blood. 1974: Three European Commonwealth psions disappear while assisting with a mission in Southeast Asia. The Foundation activates the operatives’ isotope tags (see 1955) and sweeps the area, to no avail. Within six months, eleven more operatives, all psions, vanish as well, none of their isotope tags visible to satellites, spy planes, or hounds. 1975: During the raid on Helix’s stronghold among the Comoro Islands (called the Lodge), Raymond Archer discovers the remains of all fourteen missing psions, their isotope tags disabled (see above). In a private lab eighteen floors below the surface, the psions’ bodies were artificially kept alive to feed oxygen to their brains, which in turn were physically “wired” together

through a complex superscience computer network. The machine’s purpose is still not fully understood, but it’s believed to have been linked to the series of tanks discovered at the base of the Panopticon, one floor above. (For more about the Lodge, see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 65.) Following the raid on the Lodge, Helix’s many labs and all their contents are meticulously catalogued and returned to Australia and other Chamber headquarters for study. Among the contents are a classified number of gene samples, recovered from the room where the psion prodigy named “Two” was found. When it’s discovered that Helix tracked psions using their isotope tags, many agents lobby that the program should be discontinued, but it’s ruled that since the villain is dead, the imminent threat is ed, and the procedure continues. Helix’s method for disabling the tags is never discovered. 1976: In Sevastopol, along the Crimean Peninsula, an 18-year old boy named Marko murders thirty people in his village, including his parents, before he is captured by Ukranian soldiers. When questioned, he claims to be wracked by pain caused by all people and that he must murder them to make the pain stop. Agents of the Commonwealth defer the strange case to the Guardians, who send in a shadespeaker to speak with the boy. During the conversation, Marko demands to be called “Lyle,” alternates between a Ukranian and an Australian accent, and makes specific reference to three of the Guardian’s blood relatives, two of whom have never left the homeland. More Guardians are called in to assist and a careful examination is conducted. Though they refuse to share their findings with anyone outside their Chamber, it’s clear that they are greatly disturbed. Just over a year after his liberation from the Lodge, the only known survivor of Helix’s forced gene structuring program, Two, emerges from quarantine. He is assigned to the Foundation for study, but Raymond Archer takes a personal interest in him, treating him like the son he never had. Though Two cannot leave the Foundation’s Canberra headquarters, he receives every creature comfort, and in addition to his normal training and assessment, is exposed to as much world culture as Raymond can find.

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Chamber 1982: The Argentinean occupation of the Falkland Islands is linked to five independent terrorists, smugglers, and arms dealers known to have harbored, equipped, or assisted the Hand of Glory during their reign in the area. Locally stationed Foundation agents investigate and discover that, while the Hand’s central command structure has certainly relocated, it still maintains a strong presence throughout the South American criminal underground. The Foundation’s job is now much more difficult in the region — they are fighting a guerrilla war with no end in sight. 1983: (August) During a test flight of the Soviet Union’s SS-X-24 multiple warhead missile over Kamchatka, a Korean airliner unwittingly wanders across the target area and is shot down by Russian defense planes. This enrages the West and prompts a NATO exercise codenamed ABLE ARCHER, intended to increase readiness in the event of continued Russian aggression. As part of ABLE ARCHER, NATO communication lines are changed and radio silence is maintained, spiking worry in the Soviet Union of an impending attack from the West. The Russian response is revealed through double agent Oleg Gordievsky: several nuclear-strike air force units are put on alert in East . The escalation continues as the U.S. installs land-based cruise missiles in West , an act the Foundation soon discovers is a t GemeinschafftCompany operation. The Foundation covertly assigns several mission teams to prevent the situation from growing any worse, and within months, they are able to replace several prominent alarmists in the Soviet government and remove the Russian chief of staff. The defense minister dies during this period, but Foundation teams deny involvement. 1984: Richard Ramirez, the “Night Stalker,” terrorizes the Los Angeles basin. Sadrah, the North American Guardian liaison, arranges an interview after Ramirez’s capture. When he sends his report only to the Guardian home office, the Foundation demands to know what its Middle Eastern Chamber is doing. They respond with a private meeting in Canberra, during which they reveal that they believe the spirits of the dead have been reincarnating from the Fringe since the 1960s. “Now reaching adulthood,” the Guardians say, “these people are working in concert toward some greater end. Within a matter of years, we will be facing a full-scale invasion from the Other Side.” The Foundation Lords politely leave the Guardians to it, but privately dismiss their claims as “crazed tribal myths.” 1985: (July) In Auckland Harbour, New Zealand, a strike team composed of special forces personnel from the Action Service (the covert operations arm of Europe’s counterterrorist DGSE organization) attack and destroy the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior, killing photographer Fernando Pereira in the process. Within

Massive Foundation resources are reallocated to the Office of Psion Affairs (see page 28) to fund its research into the newly acquired mentalist and telepath serums. Prior to this, the Conspiracy’s only mentalists and telepaths were latents recruited and trained from the populace. 1977: David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam,” stalks the streets of New York, killing 6 and wounding many more. When captured, he says that his neighbor is a “high demon” who sent orders for him to kill through his pet dog. Within days of his arrest, Guardians arrange a private interrogation. They refuse to reveal their findings. 1979: Wilhelm Schrader (now nearly 95 years of age) hangs onto life by a thread. His doctors are astounded that he’s still alive, and the nurses claim to see a faraway look in his eyes, as if he is watching something… or waiting for it. Night cleaning crews report that he speaks to himself at night, carrying on half of what sounds to them like complete conversations. Everyone expects the old Nazi to die soon. Then, in September, the Brisbane facility that houses Schrader becomes ground zero for one of the worst electrical storms in Australian history. The building is destroyed. Schrader’s remains are never found. A lightly attended funeral is held over an unmarked grave.

The Foundation in the 1980s The 1980s ushered in a new period of espionage, which the Foundation found itself not entirely prepared to face. The Conspiracy had many new tools at its disposal — new psion abilities, new technologies, and even a new Chamber in Africa — but the pieces were only half the equation. It looked like a new plan was in order — a new way of doing things. Raymond Archer took the opportunity to reassess everything, including his own position at the head of the Conspiracy, and began a search for a possible replacement. His choice was a shock to everyone. 1980: An unprecedented number of Foundation Lords venture out into the field in an effort to impress Raymond Archer. For a very short time, the halls of the Canberra home office are not only quiet, but operate somewhat smoothly — “like the old days,” Archer says. 1981: After being chased out of Peru by an angry village mob, serial killer Pedro Alonso Lopez, the “Monster of the Andes,” roams Columbia and Equador, searching for victims. For a time, his targets are assumed to be victims of slavery rings, but flash floods uncover their remains and he is eventually captured. Again, the Guardians arrange an interrogation, and again, they refuse to release their discoveries. This time, however, they increase their liaison forces around the world, and newly fielded Guardians work in every part of the globe. The nature of their assignment is not revealed.

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Archer Foundation days, it becomes obvious that Rainbow Warrior was being primed to lead a flotilla of ships to protest French underground nuclear testing at the Moruroa atoll in the South Pacific, a plan concocted by Andrew Dunnston, the Lord of Nature (see page 102) — without Foundation sanction. Soaking up culture and data at an unprecedented rate, Two also exhibits remarkable psion talents. He is the world’s first (and to date, only) triple psion, capable of using physical, mental, and telepathic abilities with uncharted strength and precision. At one point, he sent a confirmed three-word message to a waiting telepath on the other side of the globe. Most Foundation personnel find him unsettling and keep their distance. Raymond continues to personally train him. 1988: Raymond Archer recalls the Lords home. Though some have performed irably in the field (one is responsible for a seven-year campaign to establish the International Nuclear Forces Treaty between the U.S. and U.S.S.R.), many are becoming reckless, and endangering the Foundation’s mission, or worse. In Armenia, the Lord of Reason sends two agent teams into the lair of a known psychotic mastermind threatening to test a new seismic explosive in the area. Though the mastermind is eliminated, the explosive goes off, killing both agent teams and leveling most of the cities of Leninakan and Spitak. The death toll tops 100,000. One of the returning Lords simply walks into an office occupied by one of the Lords killed during an over-exuberant field mission and sets up shop. No one questions his actions, even though none have seen him before — none, that is, save Raymond Archer, who introduces himself as if they have never met. He gives his name as Dr. Lothario Algernon. (For details about Algernon’s return, see page 112.) 1989: One year after the death of the Guardians’ Control during the final days of the Iran-Iraq war, the Chamber appoints a replacement — Conrad Archer’s daughter, Aurora (Raymond’s half-sister). This development is a shock to everyone, most of all Raymond himself. (New Year’s Eve) Just before midnight, Raymond Archer announces that he will be completing his reorganization of the Foundation within the next decade. Then he will step down, leaving the mantle to his protegé, Two. He states that he is most comfortable leaving the Conspiracy in the hands of someone “uninvolved with the politics of running things.” His decision angers many, and sets a large chunk of the Foundation’s ruling class against its new leader.

wondered if his mind wasn’t so firmly planted on the goal that he missed the milestones. As is the case with such large projects, elements were missed, and others were forgotten; in the end, Two was left with a Foundation that was smaller and more efficient, but still plagued with problems. 1990: Dr. Lothario Algernon uses Fringe abilities to make everyone at the Foundation believe he is “just another face in the halls.” Even Raymond Archer, who knew Algernon during the early glory days (see 19501953), doesn’t question his presence. Keeping out of the way, Algernon quietly sets up a new “phantom” department within the Foundation — Division Nihil — and watches for missions featuring strange or unexplained phenomenon, which he takes on himself. Serial Killer Andrei Romanovich Chikatilo (aka “Citizen X” and “The Ripper of Rostov”) is captured after a string of at least 53 murders. During his confession and subsequent trial, he seemingly breaks down, flying into rages without warning and calling himself “a mistake of nature, a mad beast.” Chikatilo is transported from location to location in a steel cage. As with many serial killers before, the Guardians intervene to conduct an interview and are surprised to find someone else already in session with the killer — Dr. Algernon. Having stumbled onto the Guardians’ 1984 report while scouring the Archive for discarded oddities, Algernon now embraces the Guardians’ claim. During the ensuing meeting, a deal is struck between Algernon’s Nihil Division and the Guardian Chamber, in which they will assist each other to pursue all things mystic and weird. When news of this bargain reaches the Foundation’s home office, most begin referring to Algernon as “the Lord of Superstition.” 1991: ASIO and ASIS budgets are reduced to a point that the Archer Foundation can no longer draw a significant portion of its operating funds from the organizations’ coffers, for fear of crippling their operations. In response, the Foundation releases the technology utilized by shoplifting prevention labels (U.S. Patent 5,337,040) to a private inventor in exchange for a significant share of the profits. Originally developed by the Shop for use in tracing gadgets, this technology allows the Foundation to tag people or items (such as post cards or money), which then set off silent alarms when they through airport security and the like. After selling the technology, the Foundation discontinues its use in the field. 1992: Fade’s European network assembles dossiers on of the International Olympic Committee and submits them to the Archer Foundation for review. Special attention is paid to dossiers for those suspected of improprieties during the selection process for the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan.

The Foundation in the 1990s The final decade of the 20th Century was a time of rebuilding for the Foundation. Raymond Archer threw himself completely into the reorganization, but many

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Chamber 1995: With Sydney named as the host city for the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, the burden of security falls on the ASIO. 1997: The ASIO Olympics Coordination Branch is formed, and the organization receives a (slightly) increased budget. A portion of these monies are siphoned off by the Archer Foundation. The Foundation’s prototype undersea base Aquatica is finished at the deepest point in the Baltic Sea (300 ft. below the surface). Though compact and only useful for staging operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Russia, Aquatica is an unquestioned success and plans commence immediately for a larger installation at a deeper location elsewhere in the world. 1998: Marc Hodler, a member of the IOC executive board, its to bribes and other abuses of the host city selection process dating back to the 1996 Atlanta Games, as well as the 2000 Sydney Games and 2002 Salt Lake City Games. All parties involved deny the allegations, from IOC president to the heads of the various cities’ bid efforts. Raymond Archer retires to the family sanctuary in Iceland, leaving the Foundation, and the bulk of the Conspiracy, to his surrogate son, Two. Comments range from lukewarm to inflammatory. “He’s leaving the fate of the world in the hands of a 23-year old!” is a common remark. 1999: An investigation of the selection process for the Sydney 2000 games reveals that of the Sydney Olympic Committee and the IOC are in “technical violation” of the rules, but that they fall short of corruption. No mention is made of the Archer Foundation in the course of the inquiry, nor does the investigation reveal the Foundation’s interference in the bidding process. One of Two’s first official decisions is heralded as a success. Two years before its break from the Conspiracy, the Shop arranges for a cell of specialists to hack into the Foundation’s central computer core. For two hours, Chamber operatives using Icon ProStar systems are cut off from their home office, and all computer-assisted operations are halted. The reasons for this data blackout are still unknown, though all five specialists involved are currently detained in a Foundation holding cell. They claim to know nothing of their employers’ motives. Division Nihil is stretched to the limit in what they now call “Ash Night” (New Year’s Eve, 1999). Over the course of 12 hours, no less than 200 individual cases are addressed, many of them only by video conference or a phone call. Most are harmless fancy, but a few — including a confrontation between Algernon’s personal unit and Parallel at the top of the Sky Needle in Seattle, Washington — are Architect designs, drawing power from the frenzy surrounding the perceived turn of the Millennium.

Dr. Lothario Algernon ferrets out a potential Architect threat within the Foundation itself. A bookkeeper named Harvey Seagle (see 1971) is spreading a line of fringescript reading “grey squares only” that effectively erases people’s memory of an event or person. (It’s easy for Algernon to spot — he uses a similar process to conceal his presence in the Foundation.) 1993: Raymond Archer enacts the first step of his plan to revitalize ASIO and ASIS budgets, and thus, government resources available to the Archer Foundation. The plan is codenamed Operation: MUNICH. Using leverage gained during the 1992 review, Foundation operatives and their shadow community allies pressure the IOC to name Sydney, Australia as the host city for the 2000 Summer Olympic Games. As part of Raymond Archer’s sweeping reorganization, he shifts Room 39’s remaining psion development responsibilities to the Foundation’s Office of Psion Affairs, making it the only source for psion research within the Conspiracy. The inconspicuous transfer of dozens of personnel, who follow their work to Australia, takes nearly 8 months. During a performance of Madame Butterfly at the Sydney Opera House, Two is propositioned by a woman named Evette Brightman. The two share a torrid night together and, though Two is overwhelmed by Evette’s bold and frank manner, they maintain a ionate stream of correspondence through the next two years. 1994: Lothario Algernon’s Nihil Division has attracted or recruited nearly a dozen operatives, all overzealous truth-seekers or pariahs of their home offices. The divisions’ first large-scale operation is triggered when another piece of fringescript is discovered in Jodhpur, India, this time in cipher. When decoded, it reads: “Eat. Breed. Repeat.” Curious about this strange imperative, the fringewalkers travel to the site, only to find evidence of a complex set of rules written in fringescript throughout the city’s beautiful blue walls. Algernon recognizes the signs immediately: Jodhpur is site of one of the original clone farms (see 1951). After a survey of the city (and two brief run-ins with caretakers programmed to kill interlopers), the fringewalkers discover the farm, located deep beneath the bowels of Maharanghar Fort, which overlooks the city. At the farm’s center, near the clone vats, the fringewalkers come up against an unexpected foe — Wilhelm Schrader, suspended in a mobile fringe science tank filled with life preserving fluid. He is protected by an army of caretakers and a younger clone of himself, a mystic creature he calls “Parallel.” Though the battle is won and the clone farm destroyed, the cost is great — Schrader escapes and one of Algernon’s new recruits is killed. A few clones loyal to the Architects survive and slip into the local population. It is impossible to eliminate them without the risk of killing innocents.

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Archer Foundation Also on New Year’s Eve, Two’s 6-year on-again, offagain relationship with Evette Brightman ends. She is gone before he returns from the Archer Institute in the morning, leaving an empty safe in the study of his townhome and a note reading, “No matter what happens, we will always have Sydney.” (He realizes with horror what has happened two days later, when reading through a report from South America, within which is a picture of Eva Kraus, his Evette. Two never mentions his affair to anyone, not even Raymond Archer.)

Foundation’s mission as seen by the men and women committed to it, and how its day-to-day operations are conducted. Each division’s base function is listed (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook for more), and followed by any other relevant information, including common bundles tailored just for operatives assigned to that division.

Who we are Foundation field agents are generally regarded very highly by their peers — they are creative, quick on their feet, and self-assured. Best of all, they are dissuaded by their Chamber from assuming the leadership role they would otherwise be expected to take (for fear of undermining a mission team’s synergy). This makes them an excellent team resource without stifling team dynamics, and the accolades most Foundation field agents receive for their efforts make them unexpectedly upbeat, unassuming, and social. Conditions are very different at the Foundation’s home office, however. The pace of the world is faster now, and the line between the white and black hats is drawn much less sharply. Routine actions and decisions are complex and draining, and most operatives can’t simply go home at night sure that they’ve done their best, or wake up ready to face another day confident and fresh. Today, the Foundation’s home office is mired in the bureaucratic morass of attending to what are effectively seven “pupil nations.” This has forced it to evolve like a modern corporation rather than the familial structure that Raymond Archer originally envisioned. Home office personnel now perform tasks not because they want to make a difference, but because ignoring such tasks would have severe consequences for the rest of the world. The incredible weight of this responsibility has a negative impact on many home office personnel, especially newcomers. These wide-eyed idealists find their dreams crushed between their own desire to do the best they can and the Conspiracy’s need for them to do it faster, better, and with less concern for the details. Some are fortunate enough to be transferred to field status, where they can deal with a comparatively limited number of variables at any time; the rest languish in home office positions until they crack, or quit, or both.

The Foundation Today After 52 years, the Foundation is still struggling to balance the need for internal renovation with its promise to the world. Under Two’s leadership, it is slowly gaining ground with the second goal — his keen, disionate mind is perfectly suited to orchestrate an enormous web of spies, superspies, specialists, and shadows in dangerous and uncertain times. Unfortunately, his people skills less than ideal, and the Foundation’s personnel are often left to their own devices. So long as they perform their duties, they aren’t closely monitored. This has fostered a top-heavy, overcomplicated bureaucracy with a “keep your head down and your nose clean” ethic.

“THE CASTLE” Raymond Archer learned the game of chess when he was only five, taught by his father. In his time, Raymond was considered quite good, though he fell short of being a Master. He loved the game’s nuances, its intricate, long-term strategy, and its grace. When countering a problem, he often found himself breaking it down in the same way that he considered potential responses to the moves of an opponent, and searching for that one perfect, winning combination of guile, precision, and bold fortune in his everyday life. Thus, when the Pact was established, Raymond turned to his ion for inspiration. He assigned a division to each type of piece on the board, and designated personnel within each division either black (field agents) or white (agents bound to the home office). A third color has been introduced since the Shop’s break — red, indicating suspected traitors. This third designation is never mentioned outside classified personnel files, which are ed to the Lord Inquisitor (in charge of rooting out traitors). The Foundation’s structure, called “the Castle,” remains in place today, and though it has had many face lifts over the years, it is still largely as Raymond conceived it. Likewise, the Castle’s mission and the relationships between the divisions remain the same, though how people use and abuse those relationships has changed dramatically. This section introduces the

The Symptoms of Conspiracy The Foundation is unquestionably the best at its job — istration of all types of intelligence and a global network of spies. But it is also an obese corporate dinosaur, plagued by decades of micromanagement and apathy. To call it it inept is too judgmental, but it suffers from a growing gamut of symptoms that have never been treated, all of which are eating away at its collective heart.

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Chamber First and foremost, home office agents must always work at a snail’s pace. The vast majority of the time, the home office is a reactive entity, forced to respond to something that has already happened — a criminal mastermind who has seized control of a missile silo, a third world dictator who is invading a neighbor, a politician who is searching for a government scapegoat for his misappropriation of funds and latched onto a Conspiracy cell as his target. Not only must the Foundation’s home office be constantly on the watch for any and all such problems (and a thousand more like them), but once they identify one, they must act instantly, often without due consideration. Luckily, the Foundation is at its best during times of crisis — with everyone trained to act on instinct, it’s easy to contend with the unexpected. But without pride in a finished product, many Foundation personnel find themselves cutting corners, taking chances, and generally doing lazy, sloppy work. With the growing number of mistakes made in such an environment, those at the top of the food chain (Two and the Lords) look for someone to take responsibility. More and more, this results in home office agents arranging ahead of time to the blame to someone else, or attaching themselves to new recruits who will take less abuse for their mistakes, or simply inviting so many people into a division that when it fails, the blame spreads into thinner slices. Some of this is subconscious — home office agents simply “do what everyone else does,” perpetuating the poor work ethic until a new, lower standard is set. Others use the system against itself, actively watching for new, favored recruits, stealing their resources and throwing them to the wolves or skirting responsibility for so long that they are forgotten, phantoms walking the halls with no purpose whom others merely assume are doing something important. This happens most commonly when a new problem crops up. The Foundation typically responds by creating a new position to deal with it. Unfortunately, these new positions are often forgotten when the problem goes away, allowing the people assigned to them to slip through the cracks. With no day-to-day responsibility, these phantom personnel can pursue their own agendas — so long as they continue to look burdened. This can be accomplished by duplicity, taking on meaningless tasks that are never double-checked, or simply getting involved in other people’s work, taking a stand for or against something that will be considered a worthwhile contribution (even if it isn’t). Raymond Archer’s recent reorganization of the Foundation (see page 104) was intended to sweep many of these phantom agents out of the woodwork, either forcing them into positions of use or eliminating them. But a good number — those quietly operating under the

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Archer Foundation radar for years or decades — continue to hide within the Foundation’s unnecessarily complex system. Many Lords and Bishops fall into this category, since part of their charter includes private (and often undefined) projects outside normal channels. A specific example is the Lord of Superstition, Dr. Lothario Algernon, and his fringewalker unit. No one ever questions their motives — or even follows up with assignments ed along to their teams. Within the Foundation, the agents of Division Nihil are just as invisible as the ghosts they hunt. If the Foundation were a public organization, it would be just as vulnerable to external manipulation as it is from its own people. As it is, there are a great many who think that the Shop’s departure was only a matter of time — “that it was destined to happen under these circumstances.” They don’t say these things, however, lest they wind up like the others who spoke up before them. Those hapless agents don’t work at the Foundation’s home office anymore — they’ve been “reassigned.” No one’s willing to ask where they’ve really gone.

During his renovation of the Foundation’s internal structure, Raymond Archer attempted to pair Lords off in an attempt to keep them honest about their activities (he called this “checking”). Unfortunately, this often resulted in an adversarial challenge between Lords, or an even stronger alliance than possible with the Lords working alone. Worse, the Lords’ agents were usually trapped in the middle of these affairs, used as bargaining chips and in some cases expendable resources to “one-up” a checked opponent. After several of these private games resulted in agents injured (and in one case killed), the practice of checking was discontinued. Lords make mission assignments, which can be overruled by Two, but rarely are. They usually seize the best tasks for themselves — especially work involving lavish and exotic locations and exciting opportunities with other agencies — leaving the rest for their agent teams. Bundles: Most Lords have individual gear needs based on their private agendas and have no use for bundles, though two bundles are available for common Lord assignments: Training Corp Bundle (White operation) – 10 BP One set of fatigues MREs (7 days) Maps Binoculars Lantern Magnetic com Survival kit

The Lords (Command) Function: Analysis, strategy, private projects. There are hundreds of Lords on the books, though only eleven keep offices at Archer headquarters. Some Lords have certainly died over the years, though no funerals are ever held for them, so no one can be sure how many. Other Lords have retired, quit, or been burned, but none of them are mentioned either. Only the Lords themselves know their actual number, and a few have likely hidden from even their eyes, living in foreign resort cities away from the home office without a care in the world (save that they might be discovered some day). The Lords are a classic Old Boys’ Network, a collection of agents who have graduated or been put in charge of the rest of the Chamber. Oftentimes, the Lords have not performed the tasks they supervise in many years (if at all), leading to inefficient or detrimental policies that agents in their charge must endure. Most of the time, the Lords are too busy with the big picture to pay attention to the details, leaving their agents to deal with them, or ignore them. Most Lords seldom venture out into the field (unless they are permanently stationed there), instead keeping regular office hours and living in and around Australia. Some have offices within the Foundation’s public think tank, but none are required to. Without much pressure from the outside world (at least, none that can’t be ed off to subordinate agents) and few regular duties, most Lords dedicate their time to personal projects (not all of which are endorsed by the Foundation) and “playing the game” (the internal game of politics described under Symptoms of Conspiracy on page 106).

Recruitment Bundle (Black operation) – 10 BP One set of trendy clothes Target dossier (as information favor check, DC 20) $5,000

Knights (Operations) Function: Field analysis and operations (the vast majority of character agents are knights, assuming you’re playing a standard mission team format). Knights suffer the least day-to-day fallout from the Foundation’s bureaucratic engine, but they receive it all at once, at the back-end of every mission. Never stationed at the home office, they are responsible for mountains of paperwork after every mission. Industrious knights often build personal crews of specialists and pawns to do this menial work for them, freeing themselves up to live the superspy life enjoyed by operatives of the African Alliance and other Chambers. Most Knights spend as little time physically at the home office as possible, lest they be cornered in the halls, interrogated by the Rooks, forced to listen to the finest details of the Bishops’ latest creation, or worse, sent on undesirable missions by the Lords. Knights tend to be the most creative people working for the Foundation, and those least susceptible to the pitfalls of routine. While at the home office, they mere-

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Chamber Bishops (Research & Development)

ly spin their wheels, but when in their element — chasing down leads and dodging bullets in the field — they are unstoppable. Their skill and dedication keeps the Foundation on task, despite all the bureaucratic red tape. Knights are never assigned to the public think-tank. Bundles: Knights have the greatest need for a wide variety of gear bundles, as nearly every operation involves a completely new challenge. Two of the most common bundles are:

Function: Psion development and testing, gadget creation, problem solving and brainstorming. Outside the Lords, the Bishops receive the best treatment and resources available at the Foundation. The cornerstone of worldwide psion development, the Bishops have a wide berth to develop ideas as they like, so long as mission teams continue to be adequately equipped. The Bishops operate in relative solitude within their own section of the Canberra installation — three entire floors dedicated just to their operations — which no one outside the Lords and special guests may to visit. They also have the lightest day-to-day workload, and are even allowed to hand many activities (such as field testing and the construction of mundane parts) to other agents. The Lords and their underlings even tackle the Bishops’ istrative duties. Presumably, all this allows for “random bouts of inspiration” to become “genius works of technological art”. Many Bishops double as part of the public thinktank, where their talents are especially useful to outside governments, militaries, and intelligence agencies. Bundles: Bishops are wont to simply “whip up” gadgets when needed, but most must still requisition standard-issue gear:

Field Analysis Bundle (White operation) – 20 BP Foundation knights may take the investigation bundle (see page 47) for only 20 BP instead of the usual 25. Cleaner Bundle (Black operation) – 10 BP Average clothes Sunglasses Flashlight Bleach with spray bottle One-time immunity (as legal favor check, DC 20)

Rooks (Counterintelligence) Function: Physical defenses, protection from enemy espionage, “loyalty testing” (rooting out traitors). Rooks are perhaps the most critical component of the Foundation staff, though they are rarely noticed until there’s a problem. Due to the meticulous nature of their position, rooks are generally buried beneath so much work that they rarely have time to develop new strategies or assignments, let alone personal lives. Rooks almost invariably perform their duties because they are the most qualified people to do it, and take pride in the fact that the Foundation still functions well — without them, it would have all fallen apart long ago. Rooks are never assigned to the public think-tank. Bundles: Of all the Foundation’s divisions, the Rooks require the least regular gear. Most of their function requires nothing more than a keen eye and an able gauge for deception. Still, two types of Rooks typically requisition materials to assist their missions:

Ego Trust Bundle (White operation) – 10 BP Lab coat (average clothes) +1 GP (may only be spent on gadget options) Office of Psion Affairs Bundle (Black operation) – 10 BP One set of average clothes Standard camera with commercial grade film 2 cans of spray paint Evidence kit Hand-held lie detector Knockout drug 1 liquid skin patch

Backwasher Bundle (White operation) – 10 BP Cell phone Laptop (+1 power rating) with image processing software Press credentials $5,000

Pawns () Function: Data collection, world affairs study, mission finance and transportation. Most Pawns do not work directly for the Foundation. Rather, they are drawn from the regular populace for their skills, which are usually scientific, clerical, or otherwise outside the expertise of most superspies. Some Pawns know they work for a global society of spies, but most do not. Only the most trusted may enter the Canberra headquarters, where they are “quarantined” by the Rooks until they (and their backgrounds) muster. They then receive assignments close to home

Bookkeeper Bundle (Black operation) – 10 BP Trendy clothes PDA Hand-held lie detector 2 doses of sodium pentothal

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Archer Foundation Callan, Jack

(usually within the Archer Institute for the Sciences), where they can be monitored for at least a year before they are let out into the field again. Pawns are generally overworked by the Foundation, and usually regarded as little more than means to an end. When their usefulness comes to an end — assuming they haven’t been let into the Conspiracy yet — they are often dropped without a second glance (though the Foundation arranges for decent severance packages and makes sure they carry no undue resentment, just in case they ever want to use them again). Pawns often begin their time with the Foundation without the jaded preconceptions their superiors share. When they work side by side with Foundation personnel for the first time, they are typically taken aback, unable to grasp why career spies are so grim and grumble so often. Bundles: In the rare event that specialists are issued Foundation gear, they generally receive one of the following bundles:

Codename: MARIANIS Aliases: John Patrick Callan, “Honest” John, Jack Callan, Lord of Aquatica Archer Identity Number: 05-433989-017 Nationality: Australian Gender: Male Handedness: Right Height: 6’0” Weight: 210 lbs. Eyes: Baby Blue Hair: Black Psion Class: Non-latent Place of Birth: Perth, Australia Date of Birth: 1957.09.12 Distinguishing Characteristics: None. Background Jack Callan, current control of the Archer Foundation’s Aquatica facility (see page 138), is considered a workaholic even among the Foundation’s Lords. For years, in his role as bookkeeper Lord of Concealment, he was responsible for keeping the Foundation’s activities out of the public eye. His crowning achievement, Operation: MUNICH (see page 105), was also his last as part of that division. Today, Callan is the new Control of Aquatica. He attacks the workload at his new post with relish, and considers the well-being of his operatives to be priority one. He views the recent mystery surrounding Aquatica (see page 14) to be a personal challenge and works long hours in an effort to unravel the conundrum. Affable and earthy, Callan is the poster boy for blue collar workers everywhere. But underneath this rugged exterior is an agile and cunning mind. Usually dressed in a simple laborer’s shirt and denim jeans, Callan seems to revel in defying agents’ preconceived notions of their Control. On one occasion, he slipped into a newly assigned group of agents for two days. The team didn’t discover his ruse until two days later, during their first mission briefing at the Aquatica facility. Though Callan enjoys such ruses, he never lies when asked a direct question (which is how he came by the nickname “Honest” John). Instead, he simply finds creative ways to dodge the question.

Staff Bundle (White operation) — 10 BP Average clothes Road maps Courier pouch Police scanner Disguise kit 2× travel arrangements (as transportation favor check, DC 10) Specialist Bundle (Black operation) — 10 BP Laptop (+2 power rating) with high speed modem Any two manuals (+2 gear bonus to one skill)

Division Nihil Function: Shadow history exploration, dealing with the unknown and the unexplained. When Dr. Lothario Algernon escaped from the Fringe (see his NPC description on page 112 for more), he found it child’s play to manipulate the Foundation’s byzantine political landscape. With the help of his Fringe abilities, he simply set up a new division and made it appear to have been part of the Chamber from the start (or at least for as long as everyone can ). Most Foundation personnel don’t think about Division Nihil very often — most say “it’s not even on the board.” Algernon and his recruits like to think that they’ve set up their own board — with 32 clear pieces. Bundles: Unless otherwise demanded by the mission parameters, most Division Nihil agents requisition the following gear package:

Jack Callan, 7th-level pointman/2nd-level snoop/4th level lord, Department: Training, CR 13. SZ M; v/wp: 74/13; Init: +7 (+6 class, +1 Dex); Speed 30ft.; Def +8 (+7 class +1 dex); Atk: SIG-SAUER P-226 +10 (1d12), speargun +10 (1d6); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +7 Ref +9 Will +13; Str 14, Dex 13, Con 13, Int 17, Wis 12, Cha 13; Skills: Balance +10, Bluff +8, Boating +13, Bureaucracy +6, Climb +14, Computer +7, Concentration +4, Cryptography +7, Demolitions +10, Diplomacy +6, Driver +3, Escape Artist +6, First Aid +6, Hide +10, Listen +7, Move Silent +10, Open Lock +5, Search +11, Sport (Scuba Diving) +20, Spot +9, Survival +6, Swim +20, Tumble +6. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (athletic), Alertness, Athletic, Career Agent, Point Blank Shot, Training, Wave Runner. Gear: Weapons, average clothes, aquatic operations bundle. Gadgets and Vehicles: Diving drone.

Fringewalker Bundle (Black operation) — 20 BP of Division Nihil may acquire the paranormal operations bundle (see page 47) for only 20 BP instead of the usual 25.

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Chamber Company: Foundation operatives once openly scorned the Company for its flagrant disregard of the Cloak. Today, however, Foundation agents have newfound respect for Company men, whom they feel have worked very hard to drag themselves out of the deepest pits of shame. “They’ve done their time,” the Knights say, “and deserve another chance.” European Commonwealth: Despite similar methods (the European Commonwealth’s internal structure is equally complex and conspiratorial), neither of these Chambers has established a lasting bridge with the other. Barring personal history, the relationships between agents of the Foundation and Commonwealth remain entirely disionate. Guardians of the Whispering Knife: The wartime OPS maintained strong ties with the Guardians, first established with its predecessor, Room 39. These bonds continue today, and agents of both Chambers consider their counterparts staunch allies. The strongest ties with the

Chamber Relationships The Foundation micro-manages the other Chambers from time to time, elevating caution to suspicion. This has alienated some parts of the Conspiracy and irritated the rest. “Had the Foundation spent as much time preparing for betrayal from within its own ranks as without,” one African Alliance agent quipped, “the Shop might not be a concern.” Foundation field agents, on the other hand, tend to work well with the rest of the rest of the Conspiracy. The following are some brief notes about their particular views toward each other Chamber. African Alliance: Foundation opinions about their African Alliance counterparts are roughly split between envy (of their exciting jet-set lifestyle) and ridicule (of their devil-may-care approach to missions). Luckily, conflicts are rare between Foundation agents and those from the Alliance, and easily defused.

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Archer Foundation Guardians, however, are owned by Dr. Algernon and Division Nihil, who frequently call upon them for shadespeaker assistance and mystic advice. Pan-Asian Collective: Given the recent rise of the Cult of Ten Suns (see page 41) — which the Foundation still suspects may be a PAC front — agents of the Australian Chamber are extremely reluctant to trust their northern neighbors at the moment. Some even point to the PAC’s PsiTech research facilities as likely Shop safe houses, and privately seek proof of the claim. Room 39: Between the cultural similarities already in place and Raymond Archer’s personal efforts to keep Foundation opinion of Room 39 favorable, these two Chambers have always had very strong ties. Though Room 39 agents find the Foundation’s home office environment stifling at the very least, field agents of both Chambers work together fluidly. Russian Confederacy: Foundation agents find the situation in Russia appalling, and not a little depressing. They genuinely want to help the Confederacy in their uphill struggle, but question the extreme methods which seem to be commonplace on both sides of the conflict. Many find themselves uncertain of even the most reliable operatives of the Russian Chamber. Every bond between these Chambers is a hard-fought victory.

conquer death itself. Dr. Algernon looked forward to this new expedition. He’d spent enough time with the Guardians of the Whispering Knife to know that there was nothing to fear beyond the last, gasping breaths of life, and expected to return with an incredible new understanding of the human soul. But he was wrong. They all were. When they activated the device they’d constructed to transport them into the Fringe (built from notes stolen from Nikola Tesla), it destroyed the entire building housing the experiment, leaving behind a gaping crater, and a crippled ex-Nazi scientist named Wilhelm Schrader (see page 118). None of the explorers were ever seen again — except Dr. Algernon. On the Other Side, a vicious battle erupted between the surviving explorers: about who should lead them, what they should do, where they should go, and most importantly, whether they should destroy the device that had brought them over into the Fringe — the device which still ran in a corner of their shattered Foundation research suite. During the struggle, Algernon slipped away, fleeing deeper into the Fringe. He ran for forty more years before he finally made it home. The survivors of Project: SILENT SPECTRE eventually formed the threat now known as the Architects of the Fringe. Algernon knows the danger these men represent all too well — after all, they hunted him for almost forty years before he found a way back home — and he’s dedicated his remaining life to destroying them, or isolating them on the Other Side forever. Algernon’s master plan revolves around the device constructed from Tesla’s notes, still in the Architects’ possession. So long as it runs, he believes, they remain free and capable of stupendous feats of mystic power (including the ability to temporarily merge the Fringe with a limited area of the physical world and the subjugation of hundreds, if not thousands, of enraged ghosts). Algernon seeks a way to either force the Architects, and the device, to manifest here in the physical world, or to send another team of agents into the Fringe, to destroy it. Either way, with the device destroyed, the Architects’ power will be torn away and their threat neutralized. To fulfill this long-term goal, Algernon has returned to the organization that spawned Project: SILENT SPECTRE, the Archer Foundation, and set up a division ostensibly dedicated to seeking out lost truths of the shadow history which might yield important information about present-day enemies and challenges. At least one person knows the truth about this phantom division and Algernon’s history — the Foundation’s current Control, Two. A telepath of incalculable strength, Two saw through Algernon’s plot with ease, and demanded to know what the man thought he was doing. Two was also able to confirm the veracity of Algernon’s story, and struck a bargain with him —

N EW F EATURE NPCS Four NPCs are presented here for use in your games — the head of Division Nihil and three of the Straight Arrow Pest Control cleaner agency — each with three statistics packages, depending on your agent team’s level of play.

Algernon, Dr. Lothario Codename: CHANCE Aliases: The Lord of Superstition Archer Identity Number: 00-000049-916 Nationality: British Gender: Male Handedness: Right Height: 6'0" Weight: 160 lbs. Eyes: Ice blue Hair: Black (short, cropped) Psion Class: Non-latent Place of Birth: London, England, UK Date of Birth: 1911.09.29 Distinguishing Characteristics: Lanky, thin skin, polarizing stare.

Background Lord of Superstition Dr. Lothario Algernon is one of only two men in history to have ed beyond the veil of death and come back. In 1953, Project: SILENT SPECTRE was mounted by a supremely overconfident cadre of Foundation explorers — men who thought they could

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Chamber Attacks

Algernon could continue his personal quest, so long as it didn’t interfere with Foundation business, and he and the “fringewalkers” of Division Nihil remained on call for assignments involving strange or unexplained phenomena (some of which are real, some of which are imagined, and some of which are largely unconnected to the Foundation or its enemies). Algernon uses his new fringe abilities and enormous personal charisma to convince everyone at the Archer Foundation that “Division Nihil” has always been there, and that it’s merely been quiet until recently (“After all, how much was there for us to do before the abductions started up and Bigfoot came back down from the mountain?”). Two assists when necessary. Only two people other than the Foundation Control know Dr. Algernon’s true origins — Sara Lloyd (the person he first made with from the Other Side, in 1982), and the enigmatic European Commonwealth Control, Fade (who managed to bring Algernon across by luring the Architects to bring the Fringe to Earth and anchoring him here when the Fringe left — for more about this event, see the forthcoming European Commonwealth Chamber Book). Fade and Ms. Lloyd remain two of Dr. Algernon’s closest allies in this new and uncertain age. Algernon’s former colleagues on the Other Side periodically hire assassins of all types (ghostly, human, and other) to end his crusade. None have yet succeeded, thanks largely to the agents of Division Nihil. The Architects also send operatives to foil the activities of Division Nihil, hoping to disable Algernon’s defense structure. Most have been deflected, but the struggle continues without a clear victor in sight.

Colt M1911A1

Common Gadgets: Any

Mid-Level Algernon Chamber: Archer Foundation Department: Training Corp Class: Snoop/Wheelman/Fringewalker Level: 3/2/7 Dexterity: 12 Intelligence: 18 Charisma: 13

Vitality:

Wounds:

103

16

Fort: +9

Ref: +9

Will: +11

Skills: Appraise +10, Bureaucracy +9, Computers +10, Concentration +10, Cryptography +16, Diplomacy +8, Electronics +19, Gather Information +6, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (Occult) +9, Mechanics +6, Professional (Researcher) +8, Read Lips +4, Search +10, Sense Motive +16, Spot +10, Surveillance +16 Feats: Decipher Fringescript, False Start (Grease Monkey), Grease Monkey, Like to Like, Scholarly, Scribble, Spoil, Strange Inscription, Unshakable

Attacks

Strength: 10 Constitution: 16 Wisdom: 13

Dexterity: 11 Intelligence: 18 Charisma: 13

Vitality:

Wounds:

Colt M1911A1

+8

1d12

Gear: Investigative operations and paranormal operations bundles Common Gadgets: Any

High-Level Algernon Chamber: Archer Foundation Department: Training Corp Class: Snoop/Wheelman/Fringewalker Level: 6/2/10

16

Defense: 16 (+6 class) Initiative Bonus: +4 (+4 class) Speed: 30 Ref: +5

Strength: 10 Constitution: 16 Wisdom: 13

Defense: 23 (+12 class, +1 Dex) Initiative Bonus: +10 (+9 class, +1 Dex) Speed: 30

Chamber: Archer Foundation Department: Training Corp Class: Snoop/Wheelman/Fringewalker Level: 3/2/2

Fort: +6

1d12

Gear: Investigative operations and paranormal operations bundles

Low-Level Algernon

60

+4

Will: +7

Skills: Computers +8, Concentration +6, Diplomacy +8, Electronics +16, Gather Information +6, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (Occult) +7, Mechanics +8, Professional (Researcher) +7, Read Lips +4, Search +9, Sense Motive +11, Spot +7, Surveillance +11

Strength: 10 Constitution: 17 Wisdom: 13

Dexterity: 12 Intelligence: 18 Charisma: 13

Vitality:

Wounds:

140

17

Defense: 25 (+14 class, +1 Dex) Initiative Bonus: +12 (+11 class, +1 Dex) Speed: 30

Feats: False Start (Grease Monkey), Grease Monkey, Like to Like, Unshakable

Fort: +10

113

Ref: +10

Will: +12

Archer Foundation Skills: Appraise +16, Bureaucracy +13, Computers +12, Concentration +10, Cryptography +22, Diplomacy +8, Electronics +27, Gather Information +12, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (Occult) +9, Mechanics +8, Open Locks +11, Professional (Researcher) +14, Read Lips +10, Search +13, Sense Motive +22, Spot +13, Surveillance +22

University in Brisbane, Australia and earned an undergraduate degree in Human Resource Management, which she quickly followed with a Masters of Business istration. Her exceptional work and radical business ideas caught the attention of the Archer Foundation and earned her several impressive offers from the private quarter. Cruz has consistently refused these recruitment offers, choosing instead to backpack across Europe and pose as a centerfold model for a popular men's magazine, and most recently ed the Straight Arrow cleaner agency as a field executive. Though this places her in a working relationship with the Archer Conspiracy, she is able to maintain her much valued independence. Delicea’s early assignments involved coordinating the activities of a group of agents posing as international fashion models, yielding results that far sured the Foundation's wildest expectations. Four years later, when the CEO of Straight Arrow Pest Control resigned

Feats: Curdle, Decipher Fringescript, False Start (Grease Monkey), Grease Monkey, Like to Like, Private Identity, Scholarly, Scribble, Spoil, Strange Inscription, Strange Verse, Unshakable

Attacks Colt M1911A1

+13

1d12

Gear: Investigative operations and paranormal operations bundles Common Gadgets: Any

after an apparent emotional breakdown, Cruz was the the organization’s first choice as his replacement. She has since earned a reputation for achieving anything and everything she sets her mind to. Cruz plays as hard as she works, studying pop culture with the same intensity as business reports. In her limited personal time, she frequents dance clubs and concerts that won’t be trendy for at least another month, and often pens erotic poetry and fiction under the name “Satine Amante."

Cruz, Delicea L. Codename: MISTRESS Aliases: “Satine Amante" Archer Identity Number: None Nationality: United States of America Gender: Female Handedness: Right Height: 5'3" Weight: 116 lbs. Eyes: Brown Hair: Black Psion Class: Non-latent Place of Birth: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Date of Birth: 1971.04.01 Distinguishing Characteristics: Small tattoo of Sacred Heart on the small of her back, has a fondness for black leather or latex clothing

Low-Level Cruz Chamber: Archer Foundation Department: Home Office (0) Class: Pointman Level: 7

Background Delicea Cruz was a rough-and-tumble tomboy until the onset of adolescence, at which point she discovered the joys of pitting her feminine wiles against the unsuspecting world. Today, the self-proclaimed "pro-sex feminist" wears these same charms with the brazen confidence earned from dozens of romantic conquests. An accomplished athlete and student, Cruz was head cheerleader, captain of the varsity girls diving team, captain of the speech and debate club, and valedictorian of her high school graduating class. She received a full scholarship to study overseas at Central Queensland

Strength: 10 Constitution: 11 Wisdom: 16

Dexterity: 14 Intelligence: 17 Charisma: 18

Vitality:

Wounds:

44

11

Defense: 15 (+3 class, +2 Dex) Initiative Bonus: +9 (+3 class, +2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative) Speed: 30 Fort: +4

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Ref: +6

Will: +8

Chamber Skills: Bluff +13, Bureaucracy +12, Diplomacy +12, Driver +6, First Aid +7, Hobby (Photography) +7, Innuendo +9, Intimidate + 11, Knowledge (Business istration) +8, Open Lock +6, Profession (Writing) +9, Sense Motive +11

Vitality:

Fort: +9

11

Ref: +10

Will: +16

Skills: Bluff +28, Bureaucracy +26, Computers +10, Diplomacy +28, Driver +7, First Aid +7, Hobby (Photography) +9, Innuendo +11, Intimidate + 17, Knowledge (Business istration) +13, Open Lock +8, Profession (Writing) +13, Sense Motive +24

Attacks +7 +5

Wounds:

Defense: 19 (+7 class, +2 Dex) Initiative Bonus: +13 (+7 class, +2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative) Speed: 30

Feats: Evasion, Improved Initiative, Land Dancer, Martial Arts

H&K SOCOM Boot knife

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1d12 1D4

Gear: Per assignment

Feats: Evasion, Expertise, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lane Dancer, Martial Arts, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot

Common Gadgets: Sub-cochlear implant

Mid-Level Cruz Chamber: Archer Foundation Department: Home Office (0) Class: Pointman Level: 13

Attacks H&K SOCOM Boot knife

Strength: 10 Constitution: 12 Wisdom: 16

Dexterity: 14 Intelligence: 17 Charisma: 19

Vitality:

Wounds:

+15 +13

1d12 1D4

Gear: Per Assignment Common Gadgets: Sub-cochlear implant

Valentine, Ace T. 76

11

Codename: MAGUS Aliases: The “Ace Of Hearts” Archer Identity Number: 11-307624-107 (Retired)* Nationality: United States of America Gender: Male Handedness: Both Height: 5’9” Weight: 160 lbs. Eyes: Light Brown Hair: Dark Brown Psion Class: Non-latent Place of Birth: Big Spring, Texas, USA Date of Birth: 1969.09.26 Distinguishing Characteristics: Leaves an ace of hearts playing card with a single folded corner at incident sites * Ace retired from the Company in 1998.

Defense: 17 (+5 class, +2 Dex) Initiative Bonus: +11 (+5 class, +2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative) Speed: 30 Fort: +7

Ref: +8

Will: +11

Skills: Bluff +22, Bureaucracy +20, Computers +7, Diplomacy +21, Driver +6, First Aid +7, Hobby (Photography) +8, Innuendo +11, Intimidate + 14, Knowledge (Business istration) +10, Open Lock +6, Profession (Writing) +11, Sense Motive +17 Feats: Evasion, Improved Initiative, Lane Danger, Martial Arts, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot

Background Attacks H&K SOCOM Boot knife

+11 +9

When Ace Valentine ed the Company, he deprived Hollywood of possibly the best natural acting talent of his generation. A Rhodes Scholar with degrees in Psychology and English Literature, Ace has only performed in one theatrical production — Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona. Appropriately, he played “Valentine” (reportedly because he fancied the woman playing “Silvia”). Ace's time with the Company was brief but exceptional. He excelled with subterfuge and hand-to-hand combat, making use of a wide variety of everyday items as lethal weapons. Clearly not a pacifist, he still became troubled by what he deemed unnecessary force, and protested loudly to his superiors. A disastrous wetworks mission in El Salvador proved his breaking point; he

1d12 1D4

Gear: Per Assignment Common Gadgets: Sub-cochlear implant

High-Level Cruz Chamber: Archer Foundation Department: Home Office (0) Class: Pointman Level: 18 Strength: 10 Constitution: 12 Wisdom: 16

Dexterity: 14 Intelligence: 17 Charisma: 20

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Archer Foundation Fort: +8

didn't burn any bridges when he resigned, but there were enough sparks to warrant a fire hazard. Ace has been a mask for hire ever since. His services have been enlisted by corporations, governments, and agents of almost every shadow community in the world, though his most frequent source of contracts is the Straight Arrow cleaner agency. He is quite selective about the jobs he accepts, however, only working for the right cause and the right price. Ace frequently imitates his targets or assumes the identity of obscure literary characters while in the field.

Ref: +5

Will: +8

Skills: Appraise +7, Bluff +18, Cultures +9, Disguise +15, Gather Information +10, Hide +11, Innuendo +7, Knowledge (English) +7, Knowledge (Psychology) +7, Move Silently +11, Open Lock +8, Perform (Acting) +18, Sense Motive +10, Spot +9, Use Rope +9 Feats: Holding Basics, Holding Mastery, Martial Arts, Sidestep, Silver Tongue, Stealthy

Attacks

Low-Level Valentine

Fist Garrote Makarov 9mm Remington 870 Wingmaster

Chamber: Archer Foundation Department: Damage Control Class: Faceman Level: 5 Dexterity: 13 Intelligence: 16 Charisma: 17

Vitality:

Wounds:

High-Level Valentine Chamber: Archer Foundation Department: Damage Control Class: Faceman Level: 18

14

Defense: 16 (+2 department, +3 class, +1 Dex) Initiative Bonus: +5 (+4 class, +1 Dex) Speed: 30 Fort: +5

Ref: +2

Will: +5

Skills: Appraise +4, Bluff +6, Cultures +4, Disguise +10, Gather Information +5, Hide +8, Innuendo +4, Knowledge (English) +4, Knowledge (Psychology) +4, Move Silently +6, Open Lock +5, Perform (Acting) +11, Sense Motive +10, Spot +4, Use Rope +4

Vitality:

Wounds:

140

14

Ref: +8

Will: +10

Skills: Appraise +7, Bluff +26, Cultures +9, Disguise +24, Gather Information +15, Hide +19, Innuendo +10, Knowledge (English) +10, Knowledge (Psychology) +11, Move Silently +19, Open Lock +15, Perform (Acting) +26, Sense Motive +15, Spot +10, Use Rope +9

1d6 Special 2d4 4d4+2/2d10+1

Gear: Lockpicking kit, mini-flashlight

Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Mimic), Advanced Skill Mastery (Stealthy), Holding Basics, Holding Mastery, Martial Arts, Sidestep, Silver Tongue, Stealthy

Mid-Level Valentine Chamber: Archer Foundation Department: Damage Control Class: Faceman Level: 12

Attacks

Strength: 10 Constitution: 14 Wisdom: 15

Dexterity: 13 Intelligence: 16 Charisma: 17

Vitality:

Wounds:

80

Dexterity: 14 Intelligence: 16 Charisma: 17

Fort: +10

Attacks +3 +3 +4 +4

Strength: 10 Constitution: 14 Wisdom: 15

Defense: 28 (+5 department, +11 class, +2 Dex) Initiative Bonus: +16 (+14 class, +2 Dex) Speed: 30

Feats: Holding Basics, Martial Arts, Silver Tongue

Fist Garrote Makarov 9mm Remington 870 Wingmaster

1d6 Special 2d4 4d4+2/2d10+1

Gear: Lockpicking kit, mini-flashlight

Strength: 10 Constitution: 14 Wisdom: 14 42

+9 +9 +10 +10

Fist Garrote Makarov 9mm Remington 870 Wingmaster

+13 +13 +15 +15

1d6 Special 2d4 4d4+2/2d10+1

Gear: Lockpicking kit, mini-flashlight Common Gadgets: Sub-cochlear implant, ballistic or memory flesh, disguise enhancer suit

14

Defense: 22 (+4 department, +7 class, +1 Dex) Initiative Bonus: +11 (+10 class, +1 Dex) Speed: 30

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New Threats world developments, and are provided as a unique threat that GCs may tailor to their campaigns without fear of contradicting Shadowforce Archer plotlines.

NEW THREATS

MP Cost: 509 Resources: 2 (28 BP for minions, 43 BP for henchmen and foils, 53 BP for masterminds) Gadgets: 4 (4 gadget points per serial) Loyalty: 7 (+7 to loyalty checks) HQ Personnel: 6 HQ Security: 6

Beside the mounting threats posed by the Shop — here illustrated by the explosive Villain X and a far more subtle danger in the Foundation’s own structure called Club Demetrian — this episode presents two all-new threats, including the misguided doomsday saviors of the Cult of the Ten Suns and a calculating long-term threat from the Foundation’s roots: the masters of freak chance, the Architects of the Fringe. Special Note: Unlike the serials first presented in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook and the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, we’ve included staging notes for one possible use of each threat throughout the following text. Since each threat is presented in reverse order (from the last serial to the first), it might help to read these sections in the correct order (from first serial to last).

Serial Three: Wilhelm Schrader Wilhelm Schrader was one of the brilliant visionaries behind Project: SILENT SPECTRE (see page 99), the Foundation’s clandestine foray into the nature of the Fringe. Considered a hero by the Allies for smuggling information out of during the second World War, Schrader was actually working both sides against the middle, selling secrets to all parties involved. After the end of the war, Schrader was extracted from Europe to Australia and brought into the fold at Room 39’s sister cell, the OPS. Working with Drs. Lothario Algernon and Alexander Omen (see page 119), Schrader brought many projects to completion, including SILENT SPECTRE. Early in the project Schrader realized that Algernon’s theories might unlock a pathway to unbelievable power, and arranged for most of the first (and only) Fringe expedition team to be composed of his own ers and other loyal cronies. In 1953, Wilhelm Schrader was poised to become the most powerful figure in history, but when the Fringe transference device was activated the ex-Nazi found himself left behind, physically mangled (Schrader has since concluded that the super-soldier experiments performed on him by the Abgrund were responsible for his unfortunate fate — see page 95 and 99 for more). Five years later, Schrader received a visit from the survivors of the Fringe expedition, who demanded that he help them build a power base on Earth. Under threat of death — and soul capture — Schrader became the first physical ally of the Architects of the Fringe. Schrader has been the hub of the Architects’ physical organization for nearly 50 years. In that time, and with the Architects’ help, Schrader has developed formidable fringe and psion abilities and mastered the elusive secrets of fringescript as well. His 1953 injuries still haunt him, however; he is confined to a massive life system contained within a slow-moving tank not unlike an iron lung, and must be wheeled from place to place by his minions. Schrader has more than a few powerful allies in the world, including a freelance agent codenamed Parallel. This trustworthy henchman bears a striking resemblance to Schrader, and is in fact his clone (created from research begun in the late 1940s by Schrader and Dr.

The Architects of the Fringe Code: Black (Division Nihil)/None (everyone else) This short-season (3-serial) threat is appropriate for a team of 12th-level agents. This season allows the agents to follow a series of faint clues pointing to the Architects of the Fringe, a vastly powerful splinter group intent on controlling the world from beyond the grave. The Architects are a formidable enemy — they are removed from the normal playing field (now existing physically only on the Other Side), they are effectively immortal (never aging or dying), and they feel no pain because of the physical world (as normal lingering spirits do). Finally, and perhaps most incredibly, the Architects seem to possess some limited power over fate itself. Dr. Algernon has conducted many carefully-constructed studies and all his results agree — many seemingly random events can be linked to the Architects’ desires. From car doors smashing fingers and other minor annoyances to freak accidents and twists of fate that leave dozens dead or mangled (such as an electrical surge that knocks out a traffic light or a million-to-one runaway tractor incident that kills twelve), Algernon believes that all these events are potentially a hallmark of the Architects. (As yet, all of this is conjecture — Dr. Algernon has not been able to conclusively prove that such powers are even possible, let alone that the Architects are capable of them.) Special Note: While the Architects are an official element of the Shadowforce Archer world, their methods and goals are often far removed from the experiences of most agents. The Architects are not closely tied to future

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Archer Foundation Algernon — see page 98 for more). There have been many Parallels, each possessing one or more of Schrader’s fringe and psion abilities (this latest version has also developed pyrokinetic powers). Each serves Schrader as a father and mentor, and performs the mastermind’s most critical tasks, including the Architects’ primary objective on Earth — to find and destroy all mention of them and Nikola Tesla’s original Fringe research (see page 94 for more). This is not an easy task — even the information known by the Conspiracy has been split up over the decades and spread or lost throughout a thousand Archive databases and evidence storage vaults. Staging Notes: At this stage in the season the agents should be off balance but eager to strike back at those responsible for the attacks in Serial Two. The backdrop for this serial is Schrader’s elaborate though somewhat run-down Victorian style-mansion, a slightly out of step leftover from another time that locals keep their children away from (children who insist the site is haunted and dare one another to ring the door bell). Over the course of decades Schrader has installed and refined the building’s defenses, and the place is now a veritable death trap for the uninvited. Neutralizing the house staff and the genuine ghosts that haunt its corridors opens the way to a final battle with Schrader and his “son,” Parallel. Defeating the earthly Architect might leave agents with more questions than answers, and (ironically) Schrader’s personal journal, hinting at the real threat lurking beyond the mortal veil.

Freak Accidents in Play As illustrated by the Fringe feats and abilities presented in Chapter 3, influence over the Other Side can have strange and unexpected effects on the physical world. The Architects, who have lived in the Fringe for nearly 50 years, have honed this influence to a razorsharp weapon. They can, with concentrated effort, have tangible effects on the physical world. These effects are frequently mistaken for ironic twists of fate, freak accidents, and the like, while in reality, there is a conscious mind guiding them behind the scenes. Perhaps the best pop culture example of this control over the Fringe is seen in the movie Final Destination, in which a group of teenagers are hunted by Death after they disembark a plane that explodes moments after liftoff. The teenagers are killed, one by one, by incredible mishaps — one escapes certain death (again) when he flees a car that’s stalled in front of a speeding train, only to be decapitated by one of the car’s hubcaps, flung from the exploding vehicle. These types of remarkable yet totally plausible event chains are an Architect speciality, though the villains use them sparingly for two reasons. First, one or more Architects must be in the parallel Fringe location to the events they wish to cause in the real world, and second, causing such effects is extremely taxing, and often debilitating. When necessary, however, the Fringe-dwellers’ power over chance provides them with an excellent way to neutralize (or eliminate) those enemies who have grown too strong or learned too much. Mechanics: GCs can use this Architect power to really spook their players. After all, how creepy is the idea that you might fall victim to chance at any time, that fate itself wants you dead? When the Architects use this power, the GC should treat it like remote use of the Levitation or Poltergeist psion skills (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 188), with two restrictions. First, each use of either power costs the GC 1 action die (in addition to the vitality cost that the Architect pays). Second, all uses of both powers must follow the laws of physics (e.g. inanimate objects may not move on their own power, nor may objects move in impossible ways, such as sliding up an incline or leaping from a surface). Finally, there is one additional effect of this power. When the Architects are opposing the agents in a serial, the GC may activate any agent’s critical failure, even if no opponents are present when the error is rolled. GCs are encouraged to use this mechanic sparingly, however. Chasing agents around with runaway lawnmowers and out of control helicopters at every turn will rapidly grow both tiresome and ludicrous. As with all aspects of the Fringe, it’s best that chance come into play only very rarely, and when dramatically appropriate.

Wilhelm Schrader, 15th-level telepath (mastermind): CR 15. SZ M; v/wp: 117/14; Init: +8 (+12 class, –4 Dex); Speed 0 ft. (see below); Def 12 (+6 class, –4 Dex); Atk: None; Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +11, Ref +9, Will +14; Str 5, Dex 3, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 18; Skills: Bluff +14, Concentration +18, Gather Information +8, Intimidate +14, Knowledge (Underworld) +12, Languages +8, Profession (Arms Dealer) +13, Sense Motive +13. Feats: Connection Junction, ESP Basics, ESP Mastery, Insinuation Junction, Imprint Basics, Imprint Mastery, Intuition Basics, Intuition Mastery, Persuasive, Premonition Junction. Psion Skills: Catalyst +12, Clairsentience +23, Dominion +21, Empathy +16, Project Thought +19, Synthesis +10, Telempathy +23. Gear: None. Gadgets and Vehicles: Schrader’s life tank provides him with a damage reduction of 8/— and makes him immune to critical hits. A single person (such as one of Schrader’s staff) may move the tank one 5 ft. square per round as a full action. Two people can move the tank 10 ft. as a half action.

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New Threats Parallel 10th-level telepath/3rd-level mentalist (henchman): CR 13. SZ M; v/wp: 73/10; Init: +11 (+10 class, +1 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def 17 (+6 class, +1 Dex); Atk: Flame attack +8 (8d6+5); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +6, Ref +12, Will +13; Str 10, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 16; Skills: Bluff +12, Concentration +12, Diplomacy +6, Gather Information +12, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (Fringe) +10, Sense Motive +5. Feats: Combat Psion, Connection Junction, Deadly Power (Pyrokinesis), ESP Basics, ESP Mastery, Imprint Basics, Imprint Mastery, Psychokinetic Basics, Telekinetic Basics. Psion Skills: Dominion +15, Empathy +15, Kinetic Shield +6, Poltergeist +9, Project Thought +14, Psychometry +18, Pyrokinesis +21, Telempathy +12. Gear: None. Gadgets and Vehicles: 1950s vintage limousine. Schrader’s Staff: A small but capable staff maintains Schrader’s mansion and patrols the surrounding grounds. As with Parallel, these are people the Architects consider loyal and highly skilled, and they’ve been cloned them again and again to insure their eternal service. Schrader’s present staff are copies of copies of copies of those who first tended the estate when he came on (excepting a few who were discharged and never seen again), and all of them radiate a sense of being “not quite right,” jangling the nerves of mystic and sensitive agents (those with high Charisma, or style of fringe feats allowing them to read people).

energy drain, manifestation, otherworldly wail, telekinesis; SQ spectral, undead, unnatural aura; SV Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +7; Str 0, Dex 12, Con 0, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 14; Skills: Hide +15, Move Silently +15. Feats: Improved Initiative, TK Basics. Psion Skills: Poltergeist +24. Gear: None. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

Schrader’s Staff, 10th level mysterious strangers (minions, squads of 6). CR 9. SZ M; v/wp: 57/14; Init: +5 (+4 class, +1 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def 17 (+6 class, +1 Dex); Atk: H&K MP5-N +7 (1d10+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +8; Str 11, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 12; Skills: Disguise +11, Driver+6, Intimidate +11, Hide +6, Knowledge (Etiquette) +5, Listen +7, Move Silently +6, Profession (House Servant) +12, Search +5, Sense Motive +7. Feats: Black Cat, Iron Will, Point Blank Shot, Sidestep, Unshakable. Gear: Weapons, uniforms. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

Serial Two: Dr. Omen During the SILENT SPECTRE project, Dr. Alexander Omen and Wilhelm Schrader were inseparable. Schrader recognized Omen’s true genius and wished to exploit it, while Omen simply wanted to ride Schrader’s coat tails to power. Both of them got what they wanted, though not in the way they expected. In 1958, Alexander Omen was the man who held death over Schrader’s head in order to extort his loyalty, and he has come to relish the role in the 45 years since. Omen always had a twisted sense of humor, but on the Other Side, he has become truly debased. The agents are unlikely to find either sympathy or mercy in his cruel black eyes. Staging Notes: The Architects have only one true fear — their own history. Convinced that the agents have learned the secrets of their past from the journal hidden in the library, one of them moves decisively to eliminate the threat. From the team’s perspective this action is likely to appear as an unprovoked attack as a dapper gentleman in outdated clothes tries repeatedly to kill them — with a relentless army of ghosts!

Mansion Haunts: The locals’ tales of hauntings at Schrader’s estate are no exaggeration. A handful of tormented souls do haunt the mansion (in fact, they’re the reason Schrader chose the site for his headquarters over 40 years ago). With the Architects’ help, Schrader has conditioned the spirits to guard the site against all uninvited guests. Mansion Haunts, 11th level lingering spirits (minions, squads of 1). CR 10. SZ M; v/wp: 77/13; Init: +14 (+9 class, +4 Improved Initiative, +1 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def 15 (+4 class, +1 Dex); Atk: Touch +12 (1d8 + special); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA chilling touch,

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Archer Foundation 12, Con 0, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 14; Skills: Hide +15, Move Silently +15. Feats: Improved Initiative, TK Basics. Psion Skills: Poltergeist +12. Gear: Weapons. Gadgets and Vehicles: None. * May only be used when the gray blade manifests; operates like a survival knife in all ways.

Dr. Omen was never much of a poker player and is a little rattled by the agents — so much so in fact that he gives away far more than he receives in conversation, demanding, “Where is my journal!” and making other revealing comments. Alexander launches attacks on the agents until they find his journals, at which point Wilhelm Schrader becomes involved (as he is mentioned prominently in them). At that point, the attacks cease. Omen always manifests before he encounters the agents, so they may not recognize him as a ghost for some time (or until he uses an ability that tips them to his true nature).

Serial One: Thomas Mordent Thomas Mordent is a respected fence and talented thief who goes by the street handle “Grapple.” Though based in Melbourne, Australia, he is known throughout the Malaysian Peninsula, and many local underworld figures hire him to steal for them or fence their stolen goods. Staging Notes: Grapple is contracted by Schrader to obtain and return a personal journal written by Dr. Alexander Omen (see Serial Two), currently located at the Museum of Theoretical Science in Prague. Schrader hopes to use the documents to convince the Architects that Omen is not to be trusted with secrets (“If he could write down everything about the project, who knows what he wrote down about each of you.”), and so he demands that they be returned intact, or Grapple won’t be paid. Thus, the thief fights to the loss of half his wounds to keep the journal in his possession and safe. When the agents catch up with Grapple, he is holed up the museum, trying to find the book. He has upgraded the museum’s modest security systems with additional cameras and vicious traps from his private arsenal, and his hand-picked team of burglars scour the building, watching for potential interference.

Alexander Omen, 10th-level academic/2nd-level snoop (henchman): CR 14. SZ M; v/wp: 71/16; Init: +8 (+7 class, +1 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def 21 (+10 class, +1 Dex); Atk: Sword cane +5 (1d8–1), touch +7 (1d8 + special); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA chilling touch, energy drain, manifest; SQ spectral, unnatural aura; SV Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +9; Str 9, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 13, Cha 11; Skills: Bureaucracy +5, Computers +14, Concentration +13, Cultures +6, Driver +6, First Aid +7, Knowledge (Fringe) +20, Knowledge (Genetics) +23, Knowledge (History) +13, Hide +11, Languages +9, Move Silently +11, Profession (Doctor) +12, Search +12, Spot +13. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Scholarly), Black Cat (×2), Grand Skill Mastery (Scholarly), Jinx, Like to Like, Scholarly, Tough Luck. Gear: Weapons. Gadgets and Vehicles: None. HQ personnel: 0 HQ security: 0 Gray Blades: The Architects’ power over the Fringe allows them to not only disturb the perceptions of humans by causing the Fringe to manifest in the physical world (see page 70), but also to condition ghosts to do their bidding. Some special few of these are broken, stripped of conscience, morality, and the capacity for distraction, and trained as the Architects’ terrifying personal killers, the Gray Blades. These horrific entities carry curved daggers created through some undisclosed mystic process developed by Alexander Omen (see above). Though forged in the Fringe, these weapons can manifest with the spirits who carry them, and leave burning trails of smoke-gray metal near the physical wounds they make. When thrown or lost, they “melt” into their surroundings, dissolving a permanent channel in whatever surface they land on or wedge into (including human skin).

Grapple, 13th-level fixer (henchman): CR 13. SZ M; v/wp: 88/15; Init: +7 (+5 class +2 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def +12 (+10 class +2 Dex); Atk: Garrote +11 (special), knife +11 (1d4+2); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +8 Ref +10 Will +4; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 13; Skills: Appraise +16, Balance +12, Climb +17, Escape Artist +8, Forgery +13, Gather Information +8, Hide +14, Hobby (Sailing) +3, Knowledge (First Editions) +9, Languages +6, Move Silently +17, Profession (Fence) +12, Search +10, Spot +11, Tumble +12. Feats: Blocking Basics, Break Fall, Hidden Run, Holding Basics, Improved Equilibrium, Master Fence. Gear: Weapons, Bundle B. Gadgets and Vehicles: Standard shoes w/shock-tip and suction features. HQ personnel: 4 HQ security: 5

Gray Blades, 5th level lingering spirits (minions, squads of 6). CR 4. SZ M; v/wp: 38/13; Init: +9 (+4 class, +4 Improved Initiative, +1 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def +3 (+2 class, +1 Dex); Atk: Touch +6 (1d8 + special), large knife* +6 (1d6); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA chilling touch, energy drain, manifestation, otherworldly wail, telekinesis; SQ spectral, undead, unnatural aura; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +3; Str 0, Dex

Exceptional Burglars: These men and women are highly skilled and not a little skittish. Most of them have criminal records and won’t allow themselves to be taken prisoner. On the flip side, any of them might betray the others (including Grapple) to save his own life and remain free from incarceration.

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New Threats Exceptional Burglars, 10th level minions (squads of 2). CR 9. SZ M; v/wp: 47/12; Init: +11 (+8 class, +3 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def +7 (+4 class, +3 Dex); Atk: Glock 31 +12 (3d4+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 10; Skills: Appraise +5, Balance +6, Bluff +5, Climb +8, Electronics +6, Escape Artist +7, Forgery +5, Hide +8, Listen +6, Move Silently +10, Open Lock +6, Search +6, Spot +5, Tumble +8. Feats: Improved Equilibrium, Traceless. Gear: Weapons, Bundle B. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

. Grapple knows as much about the Architects as anyone outside of the Conspiracy, and might be persuaded to exchange (somewhat cryptic) information for his freedom if he is caught.

Hook Sheet: The Memo Hook sheets are a combination of props and plot hook collections, with a sampling of ing statistics, that GCs can use to kick-start their games. For a hook sheet dedicated to the Architects of the Fringe, see page 134.

Club Demetrian Foil (any serial): Dr. Lothario Algernon, The Lord of Superstition

Code: Yellow This is a short-season (3-serial) threat appropriate for a team of 6th-level agents.

See page 112 for a full description of this enigmatic figure in the Archer Conspiracy. While Dr. Algernon is a Foundation agent, largely dedicated to their primary mission, he is also one of very few people who know the truth about the Architects of the Fringe, and the danger they represent. He always strives to keep Conspiracy agents alive, but if he sees a clear chance to take the Architects down (or even just hurt them), he may do it — even at the cost of agent lives. This is where his loyalty roll comes in during this season.

High power spy action often requires high quality relaxation to recuperate, and the Archer Foundation maintains a number of discreet corporate contracts with various leisure and vacation centers around the world. One such facility is the Club Demetrian, located in a cluster of islands at the northern edge of New Zealand’s territorial waters. The Archer Foundation has added a team of psychologists to the staff to help “depressurize” and assess agent teams returning from the field. Unfortunately, while this has had a remarkable effect on agent teams, it has also created an opportunity too good for the Shop to miss.

Plot Hook #1

MP Cost: 305 Resources: 3 (31 BP for minions, 46 BP for henchmen and foils, 56 BP for masterminds) Gadgets: 8 (8 gadget points per serial) Loyalty: 4 (+4 to loyalty checks) HQ Personnel: 5 HQ Security: 2

Grapple and his associates take over the Museum of Theoretical Science in Prague, which Schrader believes is the final resting place for a journal relating part of the Architects’ earthly origins. The thief holds the staff hostage, primarily to keep them out of the way while his team sifts through the historical section to claim the prize. The agents are sent in to discover what Grapple wants and to prevent his escape. How this serial plays out is largely dependent upon Grapple’s actual motives, as follows.

Serial Three: Romeo Amatee An electronics prodigy, Romeo was raised in Guam, where he ed the US Navy to improve his lot in life. Years of service instilled a strong sense of discipline in the young man and offered him an impressive electronics background with many field hours under his belt. After several minor brushes with the world’s shadow communities, Romeo was eventually recruited by the Company and rose steadily through the ranks to become a mid-level electronic intelligence asset and occasional gadget tester. The possibilities of PsiTech became an obsession for the agent and he converted a sterling record of Company service into a post with the R&D department. Then in 2001, Romeo became one of the agents who vanished during the Shop’s defection, and a name high on the Company’s most wanted list. Since Romeo’s defection, Shop researchers have unlocked his hidden potential, awakening him as a mildly potent mentalist. While occasionally capable of

Possibilities 1. Grapple is more loyal to his crew than to the money Schrader offers him. He pulls out at the first sign that his men might be injured or killed. The burglars fight tenaciously, seeking to withdraw, and leave none of their own behind, if possible. 2. Grapple has long since been dominated by the Architects, making him a cold and calculating killer willing to sacrifice anything, including himself, to see the journal recovered. 3. While Grapple takes commissions from Schrader, he is personally curious about the contents of the journal. He has brought equipment with him to duplicate the journal for his own use before handing it over to his

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Archer Foundation Romeo Amatee, 7th-level snoop/2nd-level mentalist, D-2: military ops (mastermind): CR 9. SZ M; v/wp: 52/14; Init: +6 (+5 class +1 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def 18 (+7 class +1 Dex); Atk: Colt M1911A1 +6 (1d12); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +7; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 11; Skills: Bureaucracy +6, Computers +12, Concentration +10, Cryptography +9, Cultures +5, Electronics +22, Gather Information +10, Knowledge (Psychology) +13, Listen +8, Mechanics +16, Search +8, Sense Motive +9, Spot +8. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Grease Monkey), Efficient Power (Spatial Comprehension), Grease Monkey, Psychoinventive Basics, Talented (Electronics), Toughness. Psion Skills: Gadgeteer +14, Spatial Comprehension +12. Gear: Weapons, coveralls and lab coat (average clothes), PDA, Computer terminal (+7 power rating). Gadgets and Vehicles: Match grade .45 service pistol, The Theater (see next).

creating minor gadgets, most of his work relies on a firm grounding in traditional electronic and mechanical principles. Coupled with his strong understanding of biological stressors and conditioning (brainwashing) — illustrated through several ground-breaking research papers while he worked with the Company — Romeo was the perfect candidate to head up the Shop’s infiltration of Club Demetrian. Staging Notes: Romeo’s Demetrian operation is hidden underground within a small, uninhabited island adjacent to the target site (declared off-limits to the public as a bird sanctuary). His underground facility isn’t large, containing only a series of offices, dormitories, prison cells, and the “theater” where Romeo and his assistants perform the dirty work of brainwashing (see below). Limited space and resources make it difficult for Romeo to handle more than two “remotivation candidates” at once, but also limits the number of blind spots in his security system — as well as the number of closets his security personnel have to travel through to reach intruders.

Gadget: The Theater This sinister-looking chamber is dominated by a pseudo-dentist’s chair attached to formidable array of ultra-sound and electrical stimuli equipment used to wear down a captive’s resistance, leaving him vulnerable to the Shop’s subconscious instructions. While not a fundamental improvement over traditional brainwashing techniques of sleep deprivation and isolation (which are also carried out elsewhere in the headquarters), the Theater does break down a target’s willpower at a remarkable rate, allowing the Shop to remove a target agent, turn him, and return him to the club within one night, fast enough to avoid most suspicion. Mechanics: Agents subjected to the Theater’s process lose one point of Will save bonus per hour, to a minimum Will save bonus of –2. The agent’s Will save bonus is recovered at the rate of one point per hour once he is removed from the Theater. The Handlers: Romeo employs a modest staff of guards who help remove patients from their rooms at Club Demetrian, bring them to his island, and return them after the Theater process is complete. Typically, these men are present for each patient’s first treatments as well, to ensure that they don’t break free of

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New Threats The Staff: Heather is assisted by numerous Shop operatives planted in and amongst the resort staff. Like Heather they avoid combat, and instead present themselves as useful and friendly desk clerks, masseurs, and water polo instructors, always eager to help the agents with anything they need. Of course, they’re also regularly close at hand to listen in on any conversations held in less than complete secrecy.

their bonds. After a few treatments, however, most patients’ are mollified and the handlers can return to the challenging task of fighting off boredom in Romeo’s remote island hideaway. Handlers, 5th-level minions (squads of 8): CR 4. SZ M; v/wp: 25/13; Init: +6; Speed 30 ft.; Def 14 (+2 class, +2 Dex); Atk: Club +6 (1d6+1), taser +7 (1d8), NORINCO QBZ-97 +7 (3d6+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10; Skills: Listen +5, Sense Motive +4, Spot +5. Feats: Expertise (Taser), Holding Basics, Improved Disarm. Gear: Weapons, Handcuffs, Headset radios. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

Staff, 4th-level femme fatales (squads of 7): CR 3. SZ M; v/wp: 25/13; Init: +3 (+2 class, +1 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def +4 (+3 class, +1 Dex); Atk: Beretta Cheetah +4 (2d4); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1; Str 10, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 16; Skills: Bluff +7, Diplomacy +5, Disguise +5, Driver +3, Innuendo +5, Listen +3, Perform +5, Profession (various) +3, Read Lips +2, Sense Motive +3. Feats: Mark, The Look. Gear: Weapons, fashionable clothes. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

Serial Two: Heather Gold Working directly in the Club Demetrian compound, Heather is the psychologist provided by the Foundation to help debrief and evaluate visiting agents. She performs this task irably… while identifying agents whose commitment to the Foundation may be fragile or in decline. Her files (organized with a unique but simple personal code) include lists of dozens of candidates for Romeo’s “program.” Heather avoids direct confrontation at all times, and attempts to slip away rather than fight. She has developed a carefully planted web of misdirection pointing to the resort’s chief manager as the most likely suspect in any investigation of the facility, which she hopes to use as a smoke screen if the project goes south. Staging Notes: While Heather arranges transfer of kidnapped agents to the docks area (covering for their brief absence with reports of special individual therapy), she does not know the precise location of the hidden center. Enterprising agents may have to convince her to arrange their kidnapping (or fake their own transfer to the dock personnel) in order to track down the operation’s true heart.

Serial one: Robert “Ogre” Malone The first sign of trouble for the Foundation is a respected agent, codename Ogre, who opted to retire eight months ago after a particularly bloody mission from which he was the only survivor. Ogre was permitted to leave the Conspiracy with honors and established a cover identity in a small apartment in Singapore. Two months ago it became apparent that Ogre hadn’t left the business quite as far behind as the Foundation thought: he’s been running small teams of freelance operatives for an as yet unidentified handler. Staging Notes: When dispatched to investigate the fallout of these operations, the trail leads back to Ogre. From there, the agents are instructed to prepare a nonviolent approach to the decorated agent (whose cover is not to be blown, should this prove to be a misunderstanding) and persuade him to explain his actions. Upon their arrival, the agents are met with unexpected and unrestrained violence, leading to a foot chase through the local nightclub district. Clues to Ogre’s change of heart point to the period of his abrupt retirement. Did he receive a better offer from one of the Foundation’s competitors — possibly during his stay at Club Demetrian?

Heather Gold, 5th/3rd-Level telepath/scanner (henchman): CR 8. SZ M; v/wp: 16/69; Init: +7 (class); Speed 30 ft.; Def +4 (class); Atk: Ruger SP-101 +3 (1d8+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +8; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 14; Skills: Bluff +15, Cryptography +12, Diplomacy +13, Intimidate +8, Gather Information +7, Sense Motive +8. Feats: ESP Basics, ESP Mastery, Imprint Basics, Imprint Mastery, Persuasive, Psion Prodigy, Run. Psion Skills: Empathy +17, Memory Flash +7, Project Thought +7, Sensory Tap +7, Telempathy +9. Gear: Weapons, Bundle A. Gadgets and Vehicles: s with hypnosis lenses, Micro-grenade earrings (×2), Standard watch with garrote and memory cache. HQ Personnel: 3 HQ Security: 1

Robert Malone, 8th-level pointman, D-6: wetworks (henchman): CR 8. SZ M; v/wp: 13/48; Init: +10 (+3 department, +3 class, +4 feat); Speed 30 ft.; Def +3 (+3 class); Atk: Fist +9 (1d6+3), FN FAL +6 (4d4+2), 9mmP M1911A1 +6 (1d12); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +6; Str 17, Dex 11, Con 13, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 14; Skills: Bluff +12, Driver +4, First Aid +4, Hide +10, Innuendo +10, Knowledge (Archer Foundation) +6,

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Archer Foundation Languages +10, Move Silently +8, Profession (Instructor) +8, Profession (Middleman) +6, Sense Motive +10, Tumble +8. Feats: Handler, Improved Initiative, Martial Arts, Undermine. Gear: Weapons, Bundle B. Gadgets and Vehicles: Helicopter. HQ Personnel: 0 HQ Security: 3

Lords wish to confirm this hypothesis and agents are dispatched to investigate. How this mission dovetails into the Shop’s program at Club Demetrian is linked to the reasons for Ogre’s attack on the safe house.

The Trolls: Robert has assembled several teams of operatives to whom he offers his expertise and acts as a control and middleman. These “trolls” have benefited greatly from Ogre’s s and training, and are shaping up into tough, capable covert assets for hire.

1. The Trolls simply aren’t living up to Ogre’s expectations. As a loyal and trusted frontline handler for the Shop, Ogre hopes to gain prestige for himself and his teams by using his old s to give them a leg up during an mission against the Foundation. Now he’s furious that the trolls have lead the Foundation back to him, and he expects them to do anything and everything in their power to cover up his identity and involvement. If that means killing some of his former comrades, so be it.

Possibilities

The Trolls, 5th-level operatives, D-4: urban assault (squads of 5): CR 4. SZ M; v/wp: 30/14; Init: +5 (+3 class, +2 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def +5 (+3 class, +2 Dex); Atk: Thompson M3A1 +4 (1d10+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +4; Str 13, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 10; Skills: Bluff +3, Climb +4, Demolitions +5, Driver +5, Hide +9, Move Silently +9, Search +3, Spot +6, Surveillance +4, Tumble +5. Feats: Point Blank Shot, Stealthy. Gear: Weapons, headset radio. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

2. Ogre’s time in the Theater was part of an even more experimental battery of tests. His response to the remotivation process was exceptional, but the Shop is now worried that it might be a ruse to place a double agent in their midst. Ogre is being held at arm’s length and given risky assignments to gauge his response, and that of his former Foundation masters. At this point the Shop is willing to sacrifice Ogre simply to confirm that he has become a loyal servant, ing the promise of the new treatment process.

Foil: Janice Hapstein (any serial) A stock analyst for an old British banking concern, Miss Hapstein has become a trusted and valued part of her office team and is under consideration for partner. She has taken advantage of her meteoric rise (and accompanying bonuses) to make several trips to Club Demetrian in the last few months, from her home in Singapore. Is this hard-headed young woman Ogre’s controller, a plant at the club, or the next candidate for “motivational therapy” in the Shop’s hidden base?

3. Ogre’s time in the Theater did reduce his loyalties to the Archer Foundation, but now he’s simply gone independent. His new team performs the safe house break-in using knowledge he provides (along with some of his slightly out of date codes). The stolen Archive information is valuable, but doesn’t particularly threaten the Conspiracy. As the agents close in, the Trolls have returned to Singapore (leaving a few clues and planning to fence the knowledge), while Ogre has taken a healthy cut off the top and is in hiding.

Janice Hapstein, 5th-level femme fatale/1st-level snoop (foil): CR 6. SZ M; v/wp: 11/30; Init: +5 (+4 class +1 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def +6 (+5 Class, +1 Dex); Atk: Taser +2 (1d8); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +5; Str 9, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 15; Skills: Bluff +8, Craft (Gardening) +4, Diplomacy +6, Disguise +6, Driver +4, Hobby (Tourist) +6, Innuendo +6, Listen +4, Perform +6, Profession (Stock Broker) +12, Sense Motive +5; Feats: Ordinary Past, The Look. Gear: Weapons, designer clothes, cell phone, PDA. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

Plot Hook #2 A chance encounter by a field agent who knows Robert Malone well enough to recognize his new identity files a report citing that he handed off a substantial amount of money to a Miss Janice Hapstein. A crosscheck of records shows no known source of income that can for the money involved (somewhere near half a million US dollars). The agents are asked to trace the funds and confront Ogre if the results are suspicious. This investigation leads back to Club Demetrian in one of the following ways.

Plot Hook #1 A Foundation safe house in Indonesia is attacked by a covert combat team (actually Ogre and his Trolls). The attack is skillfully disguised as a simple robbery, but a near simultaneous illicit from the Foundation’s Archive suggests the location is used to work around some of the Foundation’s firewalls. The

1. Janice Hapstein’s name is distantly linked to several scandals in the Nikei stock exchange. She is blackmailing Ogre, who agreed to meet her in person only so he could identify his blackmailer. When the agents arrive, Ogre’s apartment is empty, and when they check on the

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New Threats other lead (Ms. Hapstein), they arrive just in time to thwart an assassination attempt by the Trolls. Ogre has fled back to Club Demetrian — and his Shop masters — seeking refuge from the Foundation.

every member, yet he has the utmost confidence in his chosen captains, followers who have proven their dedication and ability. With the cult’s leadership in place, Qui-Lau devoted his time to his true mission: determining the identity of the Ten Suns. Two years ago, the seat of the first was revealed at last: the Archer Institute for the Sciences. At first he thought they could simply bomb the building out of existence, killing the “demon” resting within. But the response of Australian intelligence agencies was remarkably swift, and many operatives moved to protect the Institute. Now the cult is bent on unraveling the strange links between this seemingly harmless think-tank and the Australian government — and discovering a way to prevent the organization from causing the death of hundreds of millions if the visions come to .

2. When spotted, Ogre was in the midst of setting up a secure for distributing money to the Trolls. Business has been good, but the arrival of Archer operatives provokes a more than jittery response from the unstable Ogre, who flees back to Club Demetrian for protection. The Shop orders Ogre back out into the field to lure the agents into a trap. After their capture, the Shop can reprogram them and feed a bogus story back to the Foundation to cover their operation at the resort. 3. The Shop is planning a complex hit and Ogre is acting as a middleman, hiring and paying a new team for the job. When agents appear, he assumes the Foundation knows everything, skips the dialogue, and goes straight for his firepower. Once he is captured or killed, the agents are charged with learning the identity of his secret masters, an investigation which eventually leads back to Club Demetrian.

MP Cost: 325 Resources: 4 (27 BP for minions, 42 BP for henchmen and foils, 52 BP for masterminds) Gadgets: 3 (3 gadget points per serial) Loyalty: 7 (+7 to loyalty checks) HQ Personnel: 3 HQ Security: 5

The Cult of the Ten Suns Code: Red This short-season (4-serial) threat is appropriate for a team of 2nd-level agents.

Serial Four: Tian Qui-Lau Tian Qui-Lau has always been something of a mystic. A scholar of the I Ching and a modestly successful draftsman specializing in traditional feng shui techniques, his life has been forever changed by the plague of visions in his restless mind. Staging Notes: Qui-Lau now resides at the cult’s secret retreat, an abandoned temple recently renovated with cult funds. Only who have been with the cult a year or more are brought to the retreat to meditate with the prophet, and even those few are rarely allowed to know the temple’s true location.

This threat involves the encroaching enemies from Asia first mentioned in the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook (see page 54), as well as potentially rogue feature agent Dareka, whose loyalties remain unknown. Five years ago a young scholar named Tian Qui-Lau was consumed with a dream of coming fire — he saw ten suns (the embodiments of ancient warrior-kings) rising in the east, then setting upon ten different regions of the world, laying waste to each in a great conflagration. When the tenth sun fell, Qui-Lau knew, the fires would die and world would grow cold and dead. He woke from the dream in a cold sweat and knew, with absolute certainty, that this vision held the keys to his destiny. Qui-Lau became something of a prophet, spreading tales of “Time of the Ten Suns.” Unlike most doomsday prophets, however, Qui-Lau saw his vision as a sign of hope — he felt that the suns had been revealed too soon. More visions followed and he grew to believe the suns could be stopped if only he could untangle the meaning of his dreams before it was too late. Tian Qui-Lau soon attracted a surprisingly large following — an accomplishment he credits to the veracity of his vision. In truth, the success of his cult rests squarely on his intense presence — as a speaker he is electric, able to sway even potential enemies to his mission. In the past two years the cult has grown large enough that Qui-Lau can no longer meet and speak with

Tian Qui-Lau, 2nd-level faceman/4th-level fixer (mastermind): CR 6. SZ M; v/wp: 39/13; Init: +5 (+4 class, +1 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def +5 (+4 class, +1 Dex); Atk: Garrote +5 (special), whip +5 (1d6), CZ-75 +4 (1d10+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +6; Str 12, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 18; Skills: Appraise +8, Cultures +8, Diplomacy +9, Escape Artist +5, Hide +8, Innuendo +11, Knowledge (Occult) +7, Knowledge (Feng Shui) +8, Move Silently +8, Profession (Architect) +8, Read Lips +8, Sense Motive +10. Feats: Glimpse, Mystic, Silver Tongue. Gear: Weapons (x2), formal robes. Gadgets and Vehicles: Standard belt with razor’s edge. Sanctum Guardians: The temple’s inner sanctum is staffed by a cadre of hand-picked followers well-versed in both the mystic and the martial arts. These fanatics fight to the death to protect the prophet.

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Archer Foundation Serial Two: Chih Zigong

Sanctum Guardians, 4th-level minions (squads of 4): CR 3. SZ M; v/wp: 24/14; Init: +4 (+3 class, +1 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def +3 (+2 class, +1 Dex); Atk: Fist +4 (1d6), IMI Uzi +3 (1d10+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +2; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10; Skills: Listen +10, Knowledge (Occult) +5, Search +6, Sense Motive +5, Spot +10. Feats: Alertness, Martial Arts. Gear: Weapons, fatigues, headset radios. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

The cult has only recently organized an operations arm to counter the terrible visions of its prophet. Chih Zigong has stepped up to fill the role of “minister of actions,” and hired the assassin who starts the gang war described on page 13 (A.S.P., see Serial One). Staging Notes: Chih’s headquarters is in a warehouse in a run-down dock area. He is not aware of the location or condition of Archer operative Dareka, but can provide the location of his superiors and the cult’s main temple in Hong Kong (see Serial Three).

Serial Three: Liu Chung Chih Zigong, 4th level pointman (henchman): CR 4. SZ M; v/wp: 27/10; Init: +2 (class); Speed 30 ft.; Def +2 (class); Atk: CZ-100 +4 (1d10+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 16; Skills: Bluff +10, Bureaucracy +7, Computers +4, Diplomacy +10, Knowledge (Occult) +5, Knowledge (Underworld) +7, Read Lips +5, Sense Motive +6, Spot +6. Feats: Point Blank Shot, Political Favors. Gear: Weapons. Gadgets and Vehicles: Match grade 9mmP service pistol. HQ Personnel: 3 HQ Security: 2

Many of Qui-Lau’s followers have been moved by his visions, and those who responded to his plea have quickly risen to positions of power within the cult. One such convert is Liu Chung, head of the cult’s central “temple” in Hong Kong. More a fortress (and indoctrination site) than the rickety exterior leads most to believe, it is through this location that Captain Chung directs hundreds of troops loyal to the prophet’s cause. More importantly to the agents, Chung knows the location of the cult’s sacred retreat, where Qui-Lau resides (see Serial Four). Liu Chung, 5th level soldier (henchman): CR 5. SZ M; v/wp: 32/11; Init: +5 (+4 class, +1 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def +3 (+2 class +1 Dex)/+2 (in armor); Atk: Fist +7 (1d6+2), Kalashnikov Saiga 12K +6 (2d12/5d4); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +1; Str 14, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 12; Skills: Bureaucracy +5, Demolitions +9, Driver +6, First Aid +8, Intimidate +10, Sport (Tai-chi) +4, Surveillance +6, Tumble +6. Feats: Martial Arts, Point Blank Shot, Police Training, Precise Shot, Punching Basics. Gear: Weapons, tuxedo liner. Gadgets and Vehicles: SUV. HQ Personnel: 5 HQ Security: 3

Street Toughs: Chih runs a network of cultists disguised as a local street gang, mainly so he can remain in the know about the word on the street. These men are relatively benevolent for a gang, focused more on discovering and destroying the Ten Suns than strongarming their enemies or extorting money. The police generally leave them alone and the locals see them more as a crime watch group than a criminal problem. Street Toughs, 2nd-level soldiers (minions, squads of 4): CR 1. SZ M; v/wp: 13/11; Init: +2 (class); Speed 30 ft.; Def +1 (class); Atk: Club +4 (1d6+2); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +0; Str 14, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10; Skills: Knowledge (Occult) +2, Listen +3, Spot +4. Feats: Power Attack. Gear: Weapons. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

Fanatics: Captain Chung personally trains these promising followers for possible field action, knowing that one day the cult will have to confront enemies far more formidable than the eggheads at the Archer Institute for the Sciences.

Serial One: A.S.P.

Fanatics, 3rd-level minions (squads of 6): CR 2. SZ M; v/wp: 16/12; Init: +4 (+3 class, +1 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def +2 (+1 class, +1 Dex); Atk: Fist +3 (1d6), IMI Uzi +3 (1d10+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +1; Str 11, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10; Skills: Listen +5, Knowledge (Occult) +2, Sense Motive +4, Spot +5. Feats: Martial Arts, Point Blank Shot. Gear: Weapons, fatigues, headset radios. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

The cultists have hired a former agent turned freelance killer known as A.S.P. to plug the leak in their security (i.e. killing the infiltrator, Dareka). Unfortunately, he missed, killing Connie Tokajiro instead. (Whether this was an accident or by intent remains to be seen — see page 18.) Staging Notes: Believing that he fulfilled his contract, A.S.P. returned to his safe house, where he is currently hiding out. While the safe house is secured with a number of electronic devices, A.S.P. doesn’t have any minions or followers to help him when the agents come to call. He prefers ranged combat, and flees to the rooftops if at all possible, counterattacking once he has some distance between himself and his pursuers.

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New Threats Finding A.S.P. is only the first step — agents must also trace his employer, Chih Zigong (see Serial Two).

he decides is the enemy and who he sides with in the end — the Triads, the Cult of Ten Suns, or even the agents — may be determined by his loyalty check or the GC.

A.S.P., 5th-level soldier/1st-level sniper, D-0: home office (henchman): CR 6. SZ M; v/wp: 43/12; Init: +8 (+5 class, +3 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def +6 (+3 class, +3 Dex); Atk: Combat knife +7 (1d6+1), FN Nemesis +9 (2d12+2); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +1; Str 13, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +8, Climb +8, Hide +10, Jump +8, Profession (Assassin) +6, Surveillance +6. Feats: Dodging Basics, Far Shot, Improved Equilibrium, Marksman, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Run, Side Step. Gear: Weapons, smoke grenade (x2). Gadgets and Vehicles: A.S.P. suit (see below), motorcycle. HQ Personnel: 0 HQ Security: 6

Gendo Yoshioka, 2nd-level fixer/3rd-level soldier (foil): CR 5. SZ M; v/wp: 32/11; Init: +5 (+4 class +1 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def +4 (+3 class +1 Dex); Atk: Glock 21 w/silencer +5 (1d12); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +4; Str 12, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 12; Skills: Bluff +7, Gather Information +8, Hide +10, Innuendo +5, Intimidate +9, Listen +5, Move Silently +10, Open Lock +8. Feats: Iron Will, Point Blank Shot, Speed Trigger, Stealthy. Gear: Weapon, fashionable clothes. Gadgets and Vehicles: Luxury car. HQ Personnel: 3 HQ Security: 2 Yakuza Muscle: Gendo leads a horde of Yakuza street muscle to help him meet out the brotherhood’s justice. These thugs are anxious to find someone responsible and make them pay in blood for the “family’s beautiful flower.” Only Gendo’s calm superiority keeps them in check.

New Gadget: A.S.P. Suit This gadget grants the wearer all the effects of a chameleon suit and suction shoes (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, pages 205, and the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 141), without the basic features of gadget-suits or gadget-shoes. Further it grants the wearer a +10 gear bonus with the Control Metabolism psion skill (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 194), and allows him to make all standards checks with this skill even if he is not a psion. The vitality cost for any A.S.P.-granted use of the Control Metabolism skill is doubled, however, and the effect is not considered psionic, nor does it leave psionic traces.

Foil (any serial): Gendo Yoshioka The Yakuza are determined to avenge themselves upon the Triads for the assassination of Connie Tokajiro, and their oyabuns have placed this prominent mid-level street enforcer to take the fight back to the enemy. Fortunately Gendo Yoshioka is a veteran of the Asian underworld, and he’s been paying attention. He’s not convinced the Triads are behind the hit on Tokajirosama’s sister, and has launched his own investigation into the matter. Who

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Archer Foundation Hook Sheet: Tokyo Pile-Up

Yakuza Muscle, 2nd-level mercenaries (minions, squads of 5): CR 1. SZ M; v/wp: 15/10; Init: +1; Speed 30 ft.; Def +1 (class); Atk: Ingram Mac-10 with teflon tips +0 (1d12); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +2; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10; Skills: Demolitions +1, Diplomacy +1, Driver +1, Gather Information +1, Listen +1, Sense Motive +1, Spot +1, Survival +1. Feats: Point Blank Shot. Gear: Weapons, plain clothes. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

Hook sheets are combinations of props and plot hook collections, with a sampling of ing statistics, that GCs can use to kick-start their games. For a hook sheet dedicated to the Cult of the Ten Suns, see page 136.

Villain X Code: Black This short-season (3-serial) threat is appropriate for a team of 9th-level agents.

Plot Hook #1 Villain X is the Shop’s most ambitious project to date — an armored warrior capable of taking the fight against the Archer Foundation to an entirely new level. But he is also potentially their Achilles heel. He’s rash, arrogant, and abuses the power the Shop’s granted him. He’s also susceptible to bouts of infantile and selfaggrandizing behavior, such as his global broadcast shortly after the Shop’s Technology for Tomorrow ruse, an action which the Shop didn’t know about, let alone approve (see Chapter 1 for more information about these events). Still, even with all these flaws, Villain X is an incredible asset. The person within the armor (whose identity — in fact, whose gender — is as yet unknown) is an undisputed master with field leadership and combat training, who has led a number of decisive Shop victories against Archer Conspiracy cells and resources. The Foundation considers Villain X an immediate danger to the entire world and assigns as many agent teams as it can free up to track him down and capture or destroy him. This threat assumes the agents are one such team.

Some time ago, Two assigned one of his finest infiltrators, PAC agent Dareka, to track down the origin of interference with Foundation activities in Southeast Asia (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 54 for more). Shortly thereafter, Dareka abruptly vanished. Now, months later, Dareka is requesting immediate extraction and the Foundation must balance its loyalty to its agent with the possibility that she might be working for one or more enemy forces. Connie Tokajiro’s assassination further complicates matters, throwing Dareka’s loyalties into serious doubt. The agents are sent in to locate Dareka, get her out of the area, and return her to Australia for a complete debriefing. The trail leads to the site of the assassination (Studio Alta, see page 13) and Dareka’s last known location, at Chih Zigong’s headquarters (Serial Two). Dareka has her own agenda, however, as described by the possibilities below. Before they can act on what they learn in those locations, however, A.S.P. receives a new contract from the Cult — eliminate the interlopers.

Possibilities

MP Cost: 408 Resources: 3 (34 BP for minions, 49 BP for henchmen and foils, 59 BP for masterminds) Gadgets: Special — 13 gadget points per serial Loyalty: 6 (+6 to loyalty checks) HQ Personnel: 3 HQ Security: 5

1. Dareka has already fled the region. The agents are left to trace the cult and discover the location of the main temple in Hong Kong without her. 2. Dareka sends the team confusing messages throughout their investigation (possibly keeping the action on track if the agents stray). She is then found imprisoned inside the Tian Qui-Lau’s sacred retreat and after being rescued by the agents returns to the Archer Foundation for a high level debriefing.

Serial Three: Villain X The mysterious Villain X makes his debut in a global video broadcast, accompanied by vague threats and techno-centric rhetoric. In the days and weeks after this event, the Shop’s new “general” attacks Archer facilities and other technology centers almost at random. Not only are his tactics unpredictable, but he freely hops from continent to continent, striking targets across the globe — courtesy of a small fleet of advanced tilt-rotor VTOL aircraft. Game Control Alert: While Villain X appears prominently in the final serial of this season, he also has a pivotal place in the ongoing Shadowforce Archer story. Though he engages the agents in combat (eager to prove

3. Fearful that the Lung Triads plan to kill her, Dareka takes shelter with the Yakuza. Unfortunately they sequester (imprison) her out of sight until Gendo Yoshioka is satisfied that she didn’t set Connie up. If the agents fail to uncover the cult’s influence, Dareka must escape on her own…

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New Threats Gadget: Eagle-Armor

the superiority of his technology and abilities), he should ultimately escape — for now. Villain X attempts to break off combat when the agents reduce him to below 30 vitality. If necessary, his second-in-command, “Backtrack,” stands ready to teleport him to safety (though GCs should use this contrivance only if absolutely necessary). Should it be more appropriate for your game, or should the agents somehow manage to unmask or “kill” Villain X before he can escape, the team finds the enemy’s armor empty (perhaps clearly controlled by remote), and notice a countdown that ends in a titanic explosion (see below). The true Villain X is safe elsewhere. The real prize of this season is the capture (or at least destruction) of Villain X’s fleet of Shop aircraft (his mobile headquarters) and the acquisition of field data about the Shop’s new armor technologies (which the agents can report about first-hand).

Villain X’s armor is a larger and more advanced version than the suits used by his shock troops (see page 130), and provides a variety of benefits, including the effects of a gas mask, sunglasses, headset radio with encryption, NBC suit, and full voice modulation (there’s no chance of identifying the wearer’s true voice pattern). It also features a 3-hour internal air supply. Sensors in the helmet provide Villain X with the Uncanny Dodge ability. Fully retractable talons give him a base damage of 1d8+1 (normal) with unarmed attacks and the boots grant him a +2 gear bonus to Balance checks on slippery terrain, as well as the benefit of combat boots and rock climbing shoes (see the Modern Arms Guide website , page 12). Sadly, the eagle-armor is not fully silent, and Villain X suffers a –3 gear modifier to all Move Silently checks. It is unknown how much of Villain X’s apparent size and strength may be a result of the armor’s augmentation, and attempts to seize the armor for someone else’s use meet with extreme obstacles. First of all, the eaglearmor is customized for Villain X and does not fit anyone else. Further, if the suit is opened without Villain X’s approval (and a specific telepathically-delivered code phrase), an internal self destruct device is activated: after a rising whine for two rounds, the capacitors fuse and the armor explodes, inflicting 4d10+40 normal blast damage with a blast increment of 10 ft. While wearing the armor, Villain X is immune to critical hits from all but armor-piercing and armordefeating attacks and suffers only 1 point of subdual damage when the armor fully absorbs any attack.

Villain X, 2nd-level mentalist/physical adept/telepath and 7th-level >>unknown<<* (mastermind): CR 14. SZ L; v/wp: 120/18; Init +10 (+8 class +2 Dex); Speed 25 ft. (30 ft.. base, –5 ft. for armor): Defense +4 (+2 dex, +2 armor); Atk: Kick +12 (1d6+4), quicksilver axe +12 (1d12+4), talons +12 (1d8+5); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV* Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +14; Str 19*, Dex 15*, Con 18*, Int 13*, Wis 14*, Cha 14*; Skills*: Bluff +6, Climb +6, Computer +8, Concentration +10, Demolitions +6, Diplomacy +5, Driver +6, Escape Artist +6, Gather Information +6, Hide +4, Intimidate +10, Languages +5, Listen +6, Move Silently +4, Open Lock +5, Pilot +7, Search +6, Sense Motive +7, Spot +7. Feats*: Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee), Armor Group Proficiency (Heavy), Power Attack, Sidestep, all psion “basics” feats. Psion Skills: All at +3. Gear: None. Gadgets and Vehicles: Quicksilver axe, “eagle-armor” (see the next column). * based on initial analysis.

Heavy Armor; Defense Bonus: +2; Damage Reduction: 12/—; Maximum Dexterity Bonus: +2; Armor Check Penalty: –4; Speed: –5 ft. Backtrack: A trainer originally assigned to Villain X to assist him grasp his new abilities, Backtrack has become a leading figure in the Shop’s new strike force. Backtrack’s personal loyalty to Villain X is extreme (he places his commander’s interests even over those of the Shop as a whole); he won’t hesitate to risk his life to save that of his charge.

Gadget: Quicksilver Axe This weapon normally appears as a liquid-silver metallic orb always carried by Villain X or close at hand. It may transform almost instantly into a weapon resembling an oversized fire axe on command, granting Villain X the Quick Draw feat when it’s held. The axe provides a +2 gear bonus when attempting to break an object and has the following statistics.

Backtrack, 1st-level wheelman/4th-level physical adept/6th-level hyper (henchman): CR 11. SZ M; v/wp: 106/17; Init +11 (+8 class +3 Dex); Speed 40 ft.; Defense +10 (+7 class +3 Dex); Atk: Fist +9 (1d6+1), Ruger P-97 +11 (1d12); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +8; Str 12, Dex 16, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +10, Concentrat-ion +12, Driver +9, Escape Artist +7, Jump +5, Move Silently +8, Pilot +7, Tumble +8. Feats: Adrenal Basics, Combat Psion, Martial Arts, Metabolic Basics, Psion Prodigy, Punching Basics. Psion Skills: Control Metabolism +12, Friction

Large melee weapon; Damage 1d12 (+STR modifier); Error: 1–3; Threat: 18–20; 2 handed weapon (1– or 2–handed for Villain X due to his size); Hardness: 25.

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Archer Foundation Control +13, Link Health +9, Speed Control +17. Gear: Weapons. Gadgets and Vehicles: Standard suit with chameleon suit enhancement.

+10, Search +4, Spot +5, Surveillance +5, Tumble +6. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Heavy), Advanced Skill Mastery (Stealthy), Improved Initiative, Stealthy. Gear: Weapons, parachutes. Gadgets and Vehicles: Hawk-armor, each squad also has one “Phantom” aircraft (see below).

“Blade-hawks”: Villain X commands a small group of hand-picked Shop operatives well-versed in military tactics. Each of these followers is equipped with the Shop’s newest weapons, including hawk-armor (see the next column). Together with their commander and vehicles the blade-hawks represents the Shop’s prototype for a new method of waging war, and a new path to global dominance. Each squad includes a 3-man crew and 6man landing party for one of the Shop’s new VTOL assault transports (see the next column).

Gadget: Hawk-Armor Each of the blade-hawks wears a suit of the Shop’s state-of-the-art infantry armor. This suit provides the benefits of a gas mask, sunglasses, headset radio with encryption, and NBC suit, and has a 1-hour internal air supply. The suit can augment the wearer’s actions, granting a +2 gear bonus to the wearer’s Strength for one roll, but doing so is exhausting and causes the wearer to suffer one point of normal damage. Each suit is customized for its wearer and doesn’t fit anyone else without considerable modification. Hawk-armor makes a good deal of noise while the wearer is in motion, and he suffers a –5 gear modifier to all Move Silently checks. All hawk-armor is fitted with anti-tampering spoiler devices: if the armor is removed without a special external key (requiring simultaneous Open Lock and Electronics checks, DC 35, to defeat) or if the wearer is killed or dying (reduced to 0 or fewer wounds), a self-destruct device is activated: after a rising whine for two rounds, the capacitors fuse and the armor is incinerated, inflicting 3d10 fire damage for two rounds to anyone touching the armor or in any adjacent square (all within the area of effect may make a Reflex save, DC 22, to suffer half damage, with success indicating that they have leapt into an adjacent square not affected by the heat damage). While wearing hawk-armor, blade-hawk operatives are immune to critical hits from all but armor-piercing and armor-defeating attacks and suffer only 1 point of subdual damage when the armor fully absorbs any attack.

Blade-hawks, 8th level operatives, D-2: military operations (minions, squads of 9): CR 8. SZ M; v/wp: 30/10; Init: +11 (class +5, Dex +2, Improved Initiative +4); Speed 30 ft.; Def +3 (+1 armor +2 Dex); Atk: Amsel Striker 12 +8 (5d4/2d12); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +5; Str 13, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10; Skills: Climb +5, Demolitions +4, Driver +6, Hide +12, Move Silently +13, Pilot

Heavy Armor; Defense Bonus: +1; Damage Reduction: 10/—; Maximum Dexterity Bonus: +2; Armor Check Penalty: –5; Speed: –5 ft.

Vehicle: “Phantom” VTOL Transport The heart of Villain X’s operation are these specialized transport aircraft. Each acts as a mobile headquarters, allowing his teams to penetrate radar cordons and land almost anywhere.

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New Threats +8, Hobby (Gambling) +16, Knowledge (Law) +6, Move Silently +7, Pilot +9, Profession (Business) +16, Profession (Film Production) +10, Spot +7, Surveillance +10. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Ordinary Past), Filthy Rich, Five Star Service, Ordinary Past, Personal Staff, Speed Demon, Traceless. Gear: Weapons, fashionable clothes. Gadgets and Vehicles: Anti-psi grenade, jumbo jet (with onboard casino).

The Phantom is capable of vertical take-off and may hover in place. It features a silent running mode (during which a Listen check with a DC of 12 is required to hear it) and each is painted for nighttime insertion operations (+2 to Pilot and Hide checks made to conceal the vehicle, as appropriate). Other usual refinements include autopilot, black headlights, ejection seats, H.U.D., an ECM package (+8 power rating), and twin miniguns (5.56×45mm SAWs) mounted onto fold-out pintel mounts on each side of the aircraft. Each minigun provides 180 degree nose-to-tail coverage on that side (i.e. both guns may not fire at the same target).

Senior Directors: These important RTM figures are committed to protecting their employer from all outside interference. They delay, misdirect, and ignore most pleas for information and, if necessary, can call in considerable political pressure to shut down the agent team’s investigation.

Gargantuan Vehicle; Handling: +0; Speed 3,000 ft.; MPH: 300/600; Def: 10; WP 100; Hrd: 6.

Senior Directors, 8th level paper pushers (minions, squads of 7): SZ M; v/wp: 21/11; Init: +3 (class); Speed 30 ft.; Def +5 (class); Atk: None; Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +6; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 14; Skills: Bluff +12, Bureaucracy +13, Computers +5, Concentration +5, Diplomacy +10, Driver +4, Innuendo +5, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (Law) +9, Languages +5, Profession (Business) +7, Search +9. Feats: Iron Will, Personal Staff, Political Favors. Gear: Fashionable clothes, PDA; Gadgets and vehicles: None.

Serial Two: Arthur Dartmoor Arthur Dartmoor is CEO of the Round Table Media (RTM) Corporation, the conglomerate which owns the rights to the Wildcat movie series. Dartmoor is also a Shop operative. Following Villain X’s unauthorized global broadcast (see page 13), Dartmoor was ordered to use his film studio and media connections to create plausible deniability for the event. He arranged for the broadcast to be identified as ‘leaked footage’ from a new (and quite bogus) Wildcat feature, an explanation the public seems to have completely accepted. Unfortunately for Dartmoor, this action has also opened him up as the most obvious choice for a Conspiracy mission to discover Villain X’s true nature and whereabouts. In response, Dartmoor has made himself as scarce as possible without abandoning his company. He is constantly in motion, traveling from place to place in RTM’s private jet, and only maintains with his seniormost staff at each of RTM’s twelve international headquarters. RTM has considerable file footage of Villain X locked securely in its New York vaults (under Dartmoor’s personal key). These recordings were used during the spin job the company performed with the Villain X broadcast. While interesting and informative, this footage only becomes useful to the agents when combined with the files in Prism’s possession (see Serial One). When cross referenced for time and location stamps, these files allow the team to track the phantom air fleet.

Serial One: Prism Daniel Giles was recruited into the Archer Conspiracy out of the National University in Canberra, based mainly upon his superior grades and (distant) family connections with the Foundation. He is wellknown around the home office as a practical joker and an expert with computers and night vision equipment. Prism succeeded in making Villain X a household name, but failed to realize the effort to which the Foundation would go to track the new super-villain, and now finds himself swept up in a dangerous game that may cost him his position at the Foundation, and his life. Staging Notes: Presently, Prism is trying to hide in plain sight, maintaining his usual routines. If the agents start to close on him, he bolts. He still has the original disks containing the broadcast data, analysis of which is crucial in identifying Villain X and tracking his movements. Recovering the disks is helpful, but further investigation is required (as illustrated in serial 2). Daniel “Prism” Giles, 7th-level fixer/3rd-level hacker, D-3: computer espionage (henchman): CR 10. SZ M; v/wp: 50/10; Init: +5; Speed 30 ft.; Def +8 (class); Atk: H&K MP5SD +6 (1d8); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +6; Str 10, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 13; Skills: Bluff +11, Boating +8, Computers +22, Cryptography +19, Demolitions +7, Electronics +16, Forgery +13, Hobby (Pranks) +9, Knowledge (Satellites)

Arthur Dartmoor, 5th-level fixer/7th-level professional (henchman): CR 12. SZ M; v/wp: 57/13; Init: +8 (class); Speed 30 ft.; Def +8 (class); Atk: Weighted cane +6 (1d6); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +8; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 14; Skills: Bluff +12, Boating +6, Concentration +7, Craft (Photography) +13, Diplomacy +10, Driver +6, Hide

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Archer Foundation Plot Hook #1

+15, Driver +8, Languages +5, Listen +5, Move Silently +6, Open Lock +10, Search +10, Spot +10. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Mathematical Genius), Flawless Identity, Iron Will, Mathematical Genius, Private Identity, Safehouse, Signature Gear (Night Vision Goggles). Gear: Computer (+6 power rating), night vision goggles, pocket video-camera ×5, superglue. Gadgets and Vehicles: Motorcycle with black headlights, Archer Foundation ring. HQ Personnel: 0 HQ Security: 3

The Archer Foundation instantly elevates the threat presented by Villain X to Code: Black and tasks dozens of operatives to determining his motives and location. Unfortunately, the only clue initially available to the home office is the certainty that a mole exists inside the Foundation — someone who could pirate signals to the Overwatch system from behind the Foundation’s firewalls (see page 16). The agents are assigned to find this mole, and learn what he knows — the difficulty of their task is at least partially defined by the mole’s loyalty.

Moles: The Shop keeps a number of moles inside the Foundation, several of whom have been activated to protect Prism though misdirection and false leads. They fight if cornered, but each is more likely to claim he is the spy responsible for planting the Villain X footage than engage the agents.

Possibilities 1. Prism is just one of the many skilled Foundation programmers still in Shop service, and the video message was another in a long line of assignments for the talented mole. But now he’s coming to realize that the Shop’s new “general” is willing to expend resources that the Shop cannot afford (including him), and is carefully considering his options. What would really happen if he leaked the information he has back to the Foundation? Would the rogue operatives lose anything other than Villain X? Even if that’s all they lost, would it matter? Most importantly, can he risk the chance that he’s being watched by another Shop mole?

Moles, 5th-level minions (squads of 9): CR 4. SZ M; v/wp: 16/11; Init: +3 (class); Speed 30 ft.; Def +5 (class); Atk: Glock 28 +5 (1d8); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +4 Ref +3 Will +1; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 12; Skills: Bluff +9, Computers +9, Electronics +5, Languages +4, Listen +3, Profession (various) +5, Search +6, Sense Motive +4. Feats: Perfect Identity. Gear: Foundation ID. Gadgets and vehicles: None.

2. Prism is a loyal Foundation agent who was simply in need of money when he betrayed them to the Shop. He had no idea what was on the files he ed and now he’s terrified that this “Villain X” is going to track him down, and tie off the loose end.

Hook Sheets Hook sheets are a convenient way for GCs to get the ball rolling at their tables quickly, and with a bang. They’re easy to use: on the front side of each hook sheet is a prop that you can photocopy and hand to your players and on the back side are 2–3 ways you can interpret the prop at your table. As with all Spycraft and Shadowforce Archer plot hooks, only serial starts and possible objectives are provided — mission details and conclusions are up to each individual GC. When statistics are presented on hook sheets, they are always for use against low-level agents (levels 1–3). It should be easy enough to raise the challenge of each stat package for use against higher-level agents, but the reverse is not always true. You may think of many more ways to use the prop, some of which may start serials (as we’ve done here) and some of which may enhance existing games. The choice, as always, is up to you. One or more hook sheets will appear in each of the Chamber Books from here on in, and they may show up in other books as well. See pages 134–137 for the first two hook sheets.

3. Prism is one of the blade-hawks, and acted on direct orders from his commander to feed the famous speech into Overwatch for global broadcast. He has remained in the Foundation only to observe their progress against this threat. He goes to any lengths to escape once he is certain his cover is blown, only to reappear later in full armor and with the rest of his blade-hawk squad to back him up.

Plot Hook #2 When the Conspiracy moved to cover up the Villain X broadcast they found they weren’t the only ones trying. The spin-doctors at Round Table Media came forward to present additional footage of Villain X as a movie character in an summer blockbuster. Movie fans quickly determined the movie had not actually begun shooting (that the footage was supposedly special effects “test shots”), and the combined RTM and Archer cover-up was largely accepted by all. RTM eventually claimed the movie was canceled due to complaints about its novel advertising ploy. Now that the

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New Threats 2. Dartmoor makes a break for it, leading the agents on a round-the-world chase, frequently vanishing only to be betrayed by his need to keep control of his business.

initial crisis seems to be over, the Foundation is determined to find out why RTM worked to discredit Villain X’s debut, and sends the agents in to spy on the media corporation. The progress of this investigation is largely determined by Arthur Dartmoor’s role. Special Note: If this plot hook is used, agents begin with Serial Two, but clues at RTM point back to the mole in the Foundation rather than directly to Villain X (leading the agent’s to Serial One before moving on to Serial Three).

3. Dartmoor is a scapegoat: he knows nothing of Villain X’s connection to RTM or the whitewash that took place many layers lower in his company. If approached carefully, he is more than willing to help the agents investigate RTM, though he refuses to assist in stopping any danger if it threatens his company.

Possibilities 1. Dartmoor realizes his position is badly exposed, and expects to be the next in a string of agents burned by the Shop to cover up Villain X’s exploits. Desperate to salvage his position, he is congenial and friendly if approached directly, but arranges “accidents” and other chance encounters to kill any agents covertly looking into the RTM connection.

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Permission granted to photocopy for personal use.

Hook SHeets The memo on the preceding page was left by Dr. Lothario Algernon, head of the Foundation’s fringewalker unit. The document falls into the agents’ hands either through chance or when sent by the agents’ Control or Algernon himself. Upon inquiry, it is found that Division Nihil is in a state of full alert — Dr. Algernon is missing! Division Nihil staff is light at the home office, as all operatives are out searching for Control. No Division Nihil operatives present know about the memo, and any who discover it in the agents’ hands become both intensely interested and highly defensive. The document reveals something very dangerous about the division, something that even most of the division itself is in the dark about (namely the questionable origins of its founder and some of its potentially scandalous operational goals). All Division Nihil operatives who learn of the document attempt to obtain it (and all copies) and keep it hidden until they can confer with their Control (Dr. Algernon).

Plot Hooks The first hook below is best suited for agents new to the fringewalker unit, or completely unaware of its existence, while the second works best if run with agents of Division Nihil, who may already have a working relationship with Dr. Algernon and Two.

End of the Line? Dr. Algernon has finally been captured by the Architects of the Fringe, and it’s up to the agents to bring him home safely. The 7 digits presented on the prop are actually the coordinates — latitude and longitude — of Algernon’s last known check-in point (San Francisco, CA., as revealed with a successful Knowledge (Geography) or Education check (DC 10), or by inputting the numbers into the location finder of an Icon ProStar 7). Tracking Algernon in San Francisco leads to a conflict with the kidnappers, a rogue group of Division Nihil fringewalkers planning to turn Algernon over to their new masters, the Architects of the Fringe. Bryanna Bane, 4th-level fixer, D-0: home office (henchman): CR 4. SZ M; v/wp: 25/12; Init: +3 (+2 class +1 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def 14 (+3 class +1 Dex); Atk: S&W Model 10 +4 (1d8+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +3; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 14; Skills: Balance +7, Bluff +7, Climb +5, Electronics +4, Escape Artist +7, Hide +6, Innuendo +7, Move Silently +6, Open Lock +6, Sleight of Hand +6, Tumble +6. Feats: Jump Up, Lightning Reflexes, Quick Draw. Gear: Weapons, plain clothes. Gadgets and Vehicles: None. Rogue Fringewalkers, 2nd-level fringewalkers (minions, squads of 2). CR 1. SZ M; v/wp: 15/10; Init: +1 (+1 class); Speed 30 ft.; Def 12 (+2 class); Atk: Sword +1 (1d8); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +4; Str 14, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10; Skills: Concentration +5, Cryptography +5, Cultures +5, Gather Information +5, Listen +5, Spot +5, Surveillance +5. Feats: Combat Instincts. Gear: Weapons, plain clothes. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

Tabula Rasa In this case, the 7-digit code is the designation of a classified Archer project — a doomsday project concocted by Dr. Lothario Algernon and the Foundation’s Control, Two. In 2000, following orders from Two, Dr. Algernon developed a backup plan to stop the Architects — for use in the worst case scenario when all of his plans against the Fringe-dwellers have failed and they become an immediate danger to the entire world. As far as Two is concerned, such a scenario has come to . Dr. Algernon is missing on a critical expedition to discover more about the Architects, and all evidence — a photo taken with Dr. Algernon’s newest invention, the fringeviewer (see page 67) — reveals that Two can only assume is a massive spirit army. The backup plan is simple: 212 telepath volunteers have been physically “wired” into a massive PsiTech battery, which links their abilities together and expands their combined strength. When it’s necessary, Two can simply press a button and unleash a telepathic wave across the Fringe that (if the Algernon’s experiments in 1949 were any indication) will destroy the mind of every lingering spirit within 100 miles of the blast, turning them into mindless animals that will attack and destroy each other. The physical world will be unaffected, save that — according to Algernon’s predictions — no ghosts will be able to move freely there for at least a century, and likely longer. This spectral S-bomb (“spirit bomb”) — codenamed TABULA RASA — is the Foundation’s ultimate weapon against the Architects. It’s useless against the Architects themselves (who aren’t as vulnerable to telepathic communication), but it can stop an incursion if Two or Division Nihil know the location. Currently, this is all that Two knows. After the agents trace the project back to him, Two briefs and dispatches them to discover more, and bring Algernon home, if possible.

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Permission granted to photocopy for personal use.

Hook SHeets The spy satellite photo on the preceding page was taken during the night after Connie Tokajiro’s murder. Given the gang war currently erupting across Asia and the fact that Dareka’s location — as well as the identity the mystery organization she was investigating — are still unknown, the Foundation considers the multi-car collision to be a possible lead, and dispatches the agents to investigate. They arrive by 4:30 a.m. the same night.

Plot Hooks The crash might easily be set up to lead the agents back to the Cult of the Ten Suns, as illustrated with the first hook below. Alternately, it might lead to a completely unrelated mission, as shown with the second hook.

The Second Sun After Dareka disappeared near My City on foot (see page 13), she surfaced again, speeding through New Town’s “nightlife” district (a sleazy all-night strip of flesh-peddlers and other debauchery), pursued by a number of known Yakuza hitmen. Witnesses to the crash claim that she and her pursuers avoided ing cars, and that the crash was caused by a third vehicle which turned into oncoming traffic from a nearby alley, apparently with the intent of catching Dareka and the Yakuza vehicles in the resulting pile-up. Dareka and half the Yakuza vehicles pulled out ahead of the crash, but the remaining Yakuza vehicles and the newcomer were all caught up in the destruction. When the agents arrive on the scene, they find (and may question) the Yakuza hitmen, who have been taken into custody by local police. The newcomer and his vehicle are nowhere to be seen, however, having somehow limped away from the scene in the chaos following the wreck. This plot hook may lead in one of two directions. The agents might follow Dareka and the Yakuza hitmen, who continued their chase south into Akasaka (“Businessman’s Town”), in which case this hook sheet interlocks with the material presented in Chapter 1 (see page 18) the Cult of the Ten Suns threat (see page 125). Alternatively, they might notice that part of the vehicle driven by the newcomer who caused the pile-up — knocked loose in the crash — is gadget-enhanced, leading them to trace the third party back to a building several blocks away. Within this building the agents make a very unexpected find — a cell consisting of former PAC agents who, until the Shop break last year, were part of Operation: BODY DOUBLE (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 120). Six months ago, the BODY DOUBLE cell was discovered by the Cult of the Ten Suns and reported to Tian Qui-Lau. The prophet deliberated for a time and received visions informing him that not only was the cell part of the same cancerous enemy as the Archer Institute for the Sciences, but also that it was the next target — the Second Sun. Plans were immediately set in motion to observe and potentially infiltrate the cell, in the hope of learning more about the enemy’s plans and weaknesses. Of course, with the BODY DOUBLE cell loyal to the Shop, much of the intelligence gained in this operation was contradictory to that gained in Australia, and only served to confuse the Cult, prolonging potential action against the Shop operation. Until tonight, the BODY DOUBLE cell was unaware it had been discovered. However, the vehicle Dareka was driving during the chase was “appropriated” from the cell, sparking the Shop’s expectedly violent reaction — an attempt to reclaim its vehicle, or destroy it. When this failed, the Shop operative driving the third vehicle returned to the cell, where efforts are now underway to pull up stakes and relocate, destroying what can’t be moved quickly. The Shop agents are expecting more intruders, and keep all lights off in their area. They attempt to surprise attack any who approach their location without asking any questions or firing any warning shots. Their only goal is to escape Tokyo intact, leaving as little behind as possible. The discovery of the BODY DOUBLE cell might be a tremendous (and quite unexpected) boon during an otherwise disastrous investigation — assuming the agents survive long enough to report it. Shop agents, 2nd-level soldiers (standard NPCs), D-5: Black Ops. CR 1. SZ M; v/wp: 25/13; Init: +3 (+2 class, +1 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def 12 (+1 Dex, +1 armor); Atk: IMI Galil AR +3 (4d4+2); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +0; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 9; Skills: Balance +5, Climb +4, Demolitions +4, Driver +5, Jump +4, Spot +3, Tumble +4. Feats: Blind-Fight, Point Blank Shot. Gear: Weapons, kevlar vest with insert. Gadgets and Vehicles: micro-burst gel (1 use each).

The Triad Heiress The crash was caused by a group of Yakuza seeking retribution for Connie Tokajiro’s death. Their target was Lung Mi-Hai, heiress to the Lung Triad currently allied with the Pan-Asian Collective, who was in Tokyo visiting family friends. A PAC team dispatched to escort Mi-Hai safely out of Japan was caught in the crossfire, and all but one among them was killed in the crash (and she was wounded). Now Mi-Hai and her wounded protector are hiding somewhere in the surrounding area, looking for a way to evade their Yakuza attackers. Should Mi-Hai be killed, PAC relations with the Lung Triad could be jeopardized, causing a fundamental rift through the whole of the Asian Chamber. The agents are ordered to bring them both out of the area without escalating the gang war further or attracting the attention of the local police and news crews swarming the wreck site. Yakuza Hitmen, 3rd-level mercenaries (standard NPCs). CR 2. SZ M; v/wp: 21/10; Init +2 (+1 class, +1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; Def 13 (+2 class, +1 Dex); Atk: Ingram Mac-10 +2 (1d12); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per class; SQ per class; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +3; Str 10, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 12; Skills: Demolitions +2, Diplomacy +3, Driver +3, Knowledge (Tokyo Shortcuts) +2, Listen +3, Sense Motive +3, Spot +3, Survival +3. Feats: Point Blank Shot. Gear: Weapons. Gadgets and Vehicles: Sports cars (1 each).

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Aquatica Encounter Map Three hundred feet below the surface of the Baltic Sea, just outside the Gulf of Finland, lies the Foundation’s first submerged operations center, Aquatica. Conceived as a covert waystation and base of operations between Europe and the Confederacy’s semi-stable front in western Russia, Aquatica has since grown into a prototype for a new type of Conspiracy cell, more secure from the outside world than any other save perhaps Overwatch and perfect for special research projects (especially those requiring special high-pressure conditions). Aquatica is presented as a small encounter location, and plot hooks connected to it may be found on page 21. Based on early success with the Aquatica project, construction of a much larger submerged installation is already underway at an undisclosed location. (For a concept sketch of Aquatica II, see page 20). Aquatica is built with redundant floorplans, in which each area above the ocean surface also exists below. Locations with vital controls (such as communications/operations and maintenance) may “toggle” those controls back and forth between locations, and control is set to the above-surface location as a default except under emergency conditions (in which case the default shifts to the subterranean chamber). Each of the following locations is designated as “open access” (i.e. anyone may enter) or “restricted access” (i.e. only listed personnel may enter, and only with a confirmed DNA sample, taken when they place their palm on a security ). Defeating restricted access security requires a successful Electronics check (DC 25). 1. istration (command and security only): Offices and executive meeting and planning rooms. All the bookkeeping and backwashing for the Aquatica site occurs here (handled by Jack Callan’s immediate subordinates, the other two of the command crew). Observation Ring (open): This area rounds dome level 1, providing a breathtaking view through a 25-ft. tall concave plexiglass alloy window open onto the sea.

Moonpool Hatch 3 Pillars

Airlock Hatch

4

2. Security (command and security only): Training facilities for the security crew (including a gun range, martial arts dojo, and tanks for submerged combat practice) and half the station’s armory. Each half contains this standard-issue gear (minus any currently assigned to security crews): 5 survival knives, 10 H&K UMP-40A2s (with 500 rounds each of military ball and safety slug ammunition), and 3 kevlar vests. Each armory is locked at all times (Open Lock DC 35 without keys), and has a hardness of 10 with 60 wound points and a Break DC of 30.

12 13 14 Bunker A

5. Research (command, security, and research only): Contains three “test suites” which can be hermetically sealed to create a stable-pressurize, stable-air environment (or a vacuum). Most research crews live here.

10

8

Ocean Floor

Bunker C 5 7

13. Mess Hall (open): Kitchen, dining common, refrigerator and freezer rooms, and two bathrooms.

9

12. Living Quarters (open): Each of these can house 20 people in 10 small 2-person rooms containing a bunk bed, closet, and desk. The top bunk may be folded into the wall, providing the illusion of greater space. Bathrooms, showers, and laundry facilities are located centrally to each block. Currently, the command, security, and research crews live in the dome quarters, while the remaining crews live in the sub-floor block.

Generator Access

Observation Ring

Level 1 1 15

Generator Access (command and research only): The only way into the thermal generator chamber; very closely guarded — with lethal force, if needed.

4. Cargo/Storage (open): This area is only found above the surface. It is a separate dome, linked by a 100-ft. corridor along the ocean floor with three separate emergency bulkheads (one at either end and one in the middle). Cargo is delivered to the dome through a service lift (by the tube station below) or through a docking ring (by submarines).

14. Rec Room/Gym (open): AV/theatre room, two computer workstations (each with monitored access to the web and email), a pool table, dart board, lounge, and full-service gym (including a dozen modern workout machines and an undersized boxing ring).

Level 2

11

7 6

Level 1

12

5

Bunker B 15 2

3. Launching Bay (command and security only): Both of Aquatica’s mini-subs are stored here, as well as 1d4+2 SCUBA suits and 2 fluid breathing systems (see page 65). This gear is normally suspended from a multi-hook pulley system along the ceiling and may be lowered into the water in two full rounds. This location is climatized to outside pressure (9 atmospheres, see page 140), and also hosts a bathroom.

1 15 2 13 14

15. Communications/Operations (command and security only): All day-to-day direction of the facility is handled from this large, open, multi-workstation room. All security camera feeds throughout the base are filtered back here.

Level 2 Moonpool Hatch

Door Access Tunnel

2

11. Maintenance (command, security, and maintenance only): Tools, blueprints, and bulky equipment required to maintain Aquatica’s machinery, as well as waste reclamation and disposal tanks.

Elevator Exterior Hatch

14

3

13 Tunnel Access

Bunker B

Tunnel Access

Bunker C

13 7

6

14 15

2

5 12

Bunker A 7. Medical/Morgue (open access/research only): These count as long-term care for the purposes of healing damage and feature a decompression chamber (which counters the effects of pressure damage, but not the bends) and surgery suite (+4 to First Aid checks made to heal wound damage or stabilize a dying character). There is only one medical facility, located beneath the upper dome research labs, but there are two morgues, the second of which is inside the sub-floor research lab. This second morgue reportedly stores corpses the research crew requires for its work, though it's completely off-limits to all other personnel — including the command crew. This leads to wild speculation about the room’s contents (in fact, it’s merely the location of the hidden entrance to the research team’s top secret project, the rocket bay still under construction (see #9).

6. The “Tube” (command only, or by security clearance): This station links to a fully functional bullet train rail that can deliver up to 20 people in a single car to either Stockholm, Sweden (a 1-hour trip), or St. Petersburg, Russia (a 90-minute trip). At least one security guard is stationed here at all times, equipped with kevlar armor and a bolt-action rifle with both full metal jacket and soft-point ammunition. Any train that approaches within 20 miles of Aquatica is ed with a request for the day’s code — failure to provide this code results in 1d2+1 of the security crew being summoned to the tube station to greet the train. Emergency bulkheads are also lowered halfway so they can be dropped in three half actions if trouble arises.

10. Life (command, security, and maintenance only): Nearly 50 feet below the ocean floor, this area contains the enormous machinery required to keep Aquatica’s pressure, temperature, and air content steady at livable levels. Only the maintenance crew ever visit this cavernous location, which is difficult to navigate (consisting largely of giant pipes and chugging parts, any of which can be deadly if not approached carefully). 9. Rocket Bay (research only): This giant silo is unknown to all save the researchers, who are privately charged with completing it by the end of the year. When finished, the rocket bay should be capable of launching either a manned or automated probe to the Overwatch platform, and receiving it back after splashdown. This is the first step in the Foundation’s long process of developing reliable transatmospheric transport lanes. 8. Power Generator (command, security, and maintenance only): Triple turbines linked to a geo-thermal power generator literally converting the earth’s ambient warmth into usable energy. Security is very serious about guarding this location and has standing orders (from the Lords) to use any force needed to keep it secret.

Canberra Chase Map Acton This area is dominated by the Australian National University. Countless small museums, classrooms, and sidewalk cafes dot the area. Acton is also home to the National Botanical Gardens, a 123-acre expanse of brilliant color behind the University. Small service roads and dense stands of trees make for tight terrain day or night, even on foot. Modifiers: Acton’s park-like terrain and sparse, narrow streets make it likely that most chases will end abruptly. Both the predator maneuvers Box In and Herd provide a +2 circumstance bonus when chosen in this location. Likewise, prey vehicles gain a +2 circumstance bonus when they choose the Barnstorm and Zig-zag maneuvers. Obstacles: Students, small service (gardening) trucks, outdoor and sidewalk dining areas. Special Events: A wide-load cargo truck is moving through the area at very low speeds, delivering a new tree to the gardens. Agents in very low sports cars, on motorcycles, or on foot may attempt to slip under the vehicle without slowing down (DC 22). Failure results in a crash check. Drivers of other vehicles must either make a crash check to swerve tightly around the truck or go around (reducing their lead by 4 lengths if the prey, or increasing their lead by 4 lengths if the predator).

Lake Burley Griffin Canberra’s central lake should not be overlooked as a potential chase location. Surrounded by parks with bicycle paths and jogging trails, it might become an excellent backdrop for a foot chase or motorcycle pursuit (during which it should be considered close terrain). The lake itself is crisis-crossed by small sailboats and a handful of motorcraft (plus several locations). With the high number of craft in the water, the lake’s narrow shape, and several bridges forming ‘choke points’ across its surface, the terrain here is most definitely tight during the day. Cars might even pursue boats within the confines of the lake (though the driver would be facing a —4 modifier each round as he may have to dash back and forth across the bridges to stay close to his waterborne prey).

Parkes This area between the Parliament Circle and Lake Burley Griffin is the heart of Canberra’s museum and historic district. Along its shoreline are the National Library, the High Court of Australia, and the National Gallery flank Questcon, a hands-on-technology museum and part of the National Science and Technology Centre. A large, central park separates the museums from the old Parliament Building (now a historical exhibit). Modifiers: The short streets and sharp corners in this location make it difficult to muster high speeds. The chase speed here are reduced by –10 MPH, and drivers choosing the Gun It, Pull Ahead, Redline, and Vanish maneuvers here suffer a —1 circumstance penalty. Obstacles: Aside from the occasional tourist or native taking a shortcut, this area is fairly forgiving. The DCs of all obstacle checks are reduced by –3 in this district.

Civic/Braddon The hub of the urban area north of Lake Burley Griffin, the locations of Civic and Braddon contain numerous shopping areas and other typical “downtown” features. Interstate busses drop off engers in this area, making it a gathering point for many tourists. A single bridge provides direct access to Capital Hill and other areas on the south side of the lake. The Capital Planning Exhibition is a lakeside pavilion adjacent to the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge filled with numerous models charting the city’s growth and future plans. Modifiers: This area’s many circles and cross-streets favor the clever navigator. The predator gains a +2 circumstance bonus when he chooses the Shortcut Maneuver, while the prey gains the same bonus if he chooses the Set Up maneuver. Civic is also the heart of Canberra’s limited nightlife: this area remains tight terrain even at night. Obstacles: ACTION, the Canberra city bus system, is particularly common in this area, as are tourist groups and lunchtime business crowds.

Acton Civic/ Branddon

Reid/ Campbell

Lake Burley Griffin

Parkes

Yarralumla

Capitol Hill

Reid/Campbell Extending east from Civic, Reid and Campbell are home to much of the city’s military heritage, featuring both the Australian-American WWII Memorial and the Australian War Memorial (recognizing all those who served in Australia’s armed forces). The second memorial features a massive museum of military history (including several tanks and planes on display) and is considered the most popular tourist attraction in the capital. The King’s Avenue Bridge runs past the famous Carillon bell towers and provides access to the south side of the city. The defense department offices and some of the oldest surviving buildings in the city can also be found here. Modifiers: By day this is one of the most crowded regions in Canberra. When checking for obstacles, a result of “2” indicates a large swarm of tourists has overflowed into the street. The DC to avoid these crowds is only 15, but a failed check likely results in injury to bystanders (at the GC’s discretion). The driver may avoid this check entirely by slowing down for the pedestrians (reducing lead by 2 lengths if the prey, or increasing the lead by 2 lengths if the predator). Obstacles: This area is thick with tourists, as described above. They are easily the most likely obstacles in this tight location. Special Events: (Day only) A parade has the streets in this area closed off for blocks. Auto chases become impossible. The prey may switch to foot movement (maintaining the same lead as during the last round of the auto chase), or concede the chase.

Yarralumla A sedate residential area, the tree-lined avenues of Yarralumla radiates money and power. This suburb is the heart of the capital’s “Embassy Row” and includes the homes of the prime minister and governor-general, as well as the esteemed Archer Institute for the Sciences. Modifiers: Due to the low level of traffic and large blocks here, this location is considered close terrain by day or night. Obstacles: Foot traffic is light here but darkly tinted limousines are very common. The heavy use of trees along the street also provides plenty of opportunities for collisions. Special Events: An ambassadorial motorcade is moving through the area. If agents do not slow down (reducing lead by 3 lengths if the prey, or increasing the lead by 3 lengths if the predator), the police are immediately notified and move to end the chase in 3d4 rounds. Further, if any sort of weapon fire is exchanged, the motorcade escorts open fire on all shooters, even if it is not directed at the motorcade. It takes two rounds to maneuver clear of this event. Capital Hill This rising series of park areas and looping roadways surrounds the new Parliament Building, perched on top of Capital Hill. Armed security guards are found in various checkpoints around the central building, but most of the location is wide open, providing a spectacular view of both the domed Parliament Building and the surrounding city. Obstacles: Aside from the occasional tourist or native taking a shortcut, this area is fairly forgiving. The DCs of all obstacle checks are reduced by –3 in this district. Special Events: Any gunfire in this area result in the arrival of 2d4 police vehicles within 1 round, all of which s the chase 8 lengths behind the predator. As long as at least two police vehicles remain in the chase, they automatically succeed in boxing in the offending vehicle on the round after they reach the vehicle’s position (either the same distance as the predator from the prey if they’re chasing the predator, or after reducing the lead to 0 if they’re chasing the prey). If the police are reduced to 1 or fewer vehicles by combat, the army is alerted, though they are unlikely to arrive before the present chase is over.

Archer Foundation fully screened (psychologically and telepathically) for potential weaknesses that might explode into pressure sickness.

AQUATICA

Aquatica Security, 2nd-level soldiers/3rd-level operatives (standard NPCs), D–2: Military Operations. CR 4. SZ M; v/wp: 31/11; Init +8 (+4 class, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft.; Def 13 (+3 class); Atk: H&K UMP-40A2 +4 (1d8+2); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +5; Str 14, Dex 11, Con 11, Int 11, Wis 17, Cha 14; Skills: Bluff +4, Climb +4, Demolitions +3, Driver +2, First Aid +6, Hide +2, Listen +4, Mechanics +2, Move Silently +3, Search +5, Sport (Scuba Diving) +7, Spot +7, Surveillance +4, Survival +7, Swim +8, Tumble +2. Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative, Run, Stealthy. Gear: Weapons, possible armor (see Security, below). Gadgets and Vehicles: Air teeth (×2).

The map on the previous page displays Aquatica's layout with details about each of the base's locations. The following sections deal with base-wide atmosphere, scenery, and security.

Atmosphere Within the upper domes (levels 1 and 2, situated some 30 feet above the ocean floor), the surroundings are generally clean and sharply organized. Commander Jack Callan runs a tight ship and this is reflected in the upper decks, where he spends the majority of his time. Bulkheads and windows are kept spotless and equipment is well-maintained. The environment within the general research and living quarters in the domes underneath levels 1 and 2 (on the ocean floor) is similar. The cargo/storage dome some 100 feet to the northeast differs markedly, however — with few people visiting, this dome’s interior is dimly lit and only cursory cleaning occurs. Outer walls are often heavy with condensation, and cargo is sometimes disorganized or even misplaced. Below the ocean surface, maintenance isn’t always as diligent and Aquatica’s conditions sharply decline. Heat regulation is left unchecked until it’s noticed (at which point significant work is usually required to rectify the problem). Though not cramped, Aquatica’s subterranean areas often feel cloistered, as if the walls are closing in (several of the original crew were reassigned after latent claustrophobia set in) and the fluorescent lighting is considered oppressive by some. Still, rooms and corridors here are clean and heavy plastic siding hides the pipes, wiring, and other necessary organs (except in the service tunnels, life , power generator, and rocket bay areas (see page 138).

The command crews — save Callan, who is detailed on page 110 — can be quickly generated as paper pushers, while the research and medical crews can easily be academics, and the maintenance and cook crews can be designed as professionals. Personnel and supplies are transported to the site through its seafloor “tube” leading to a Commonwealth cell in Stockholm and a Confederacy cell in St. Petersburg, though in an emergency they can simply be tossed off the side of ships ing through the Gulf of Finland. (In this latter case, supplies must be recovered by security teams stationed in the launching bay and personnel must be pressurized in the medical ward — see page 138).

Structure and Security Except for the launching bay, all of Aquatica is maintained at surface pressure, allowing personnel to be easily transported back and forth using the tube without any delay (and allowing for immediate evacuation of one-fifth of the crew at any time without medical danger). The launching bay is maintained at the pressure outside (approximately 9 atmospheres, or 133.63 pounds of pressure), and the two security personnel posted there at any given time must first spend 30 minutes in the airlock separating the bay from the rest of the installation. These agents use deep sea diving gear and gadgets when they leave the launching bay (see below), lest they suffer the effects of pressure damage, euphoria, and the bends (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 231). Scenery: Aquatica’s outer walls (and each of the pillars holding up the central dome) have a hardness of 18 with 700 wound points and a Break DC of 50. Inner walls and doors leading to restricted areas are less resilient, but still extremely hardy, with a hardness of 15, 500 wound points, and a Break DC of 45. Open

Personnel Commander Jack Callan (see page 110) manages a long-term crew of 14 (2 command — his immediate subordinates), 5 security, 1 medical, 3 research (one of whom doubles as a back-up medical), 2 maintenance, and 1 cook). Each of these personnel spends one year at Aquatica, after which they return to the surface and are reviewed by outside medical and psychological s. If approved for further duty, the agents are allowed to return to Aquatica for another year. So far, 7 of the station’s long-term crew (Callan, one of his subordinates, 4 security, and 1 maintenance) have stayed on since the base went operational in 1997. Aquatica security are hand-picked by Two and Nostrum, and are a breed above their peers in the Australian SAS and local shadow communities. All are focused, attentive, and relentlessly dedicated, and care-

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Map Details access doors and the reinforced plexi-glass alloy featured in all “portals” and the observation ring have a hardness of 13 with 300 wound points and a Break DC of 38. Finally, inner walls — the weakest part of the structure Aquatica — have a hardness of 10 with 150 wound points and a Break DC of 20. Security: For the most part, Aquatica’s security is light, the assumption being that the installation’s remote location is enough to protect it from most incursions. Besides simple DNA samplers at the entry points for restricted access areas (see below), the only security consists of a single roving (rotating) electronic eye in each corridor and location save istration, powered research, and the rocket bay. Lifts: All elevators throughout Aquatica may carry up to 6 people and up to 2,000 lbs. at a time, and take 1 full round to rise or drop one level (regardless of the distance traveled — this time includes the doors opening and closing, allowing for agents to get on or off). Lift shafts above the ocean floor are surrounded by 340 degrees of plexi-glass alloy (the remaining 20 degrees consisting of the shaft’s metal superstructure), allowing occupants to view the ocean depths around them. Service Tunnels: Various maintenance tunnels link various parts of Aquatica and allow access to vital life , electrical, and other facilities (as well as the “powered” research location). These service tunnels only allow for Medium-sized or smaller people to crawl, single-file, from location to location. Turning around within them is a very difficult procedure, requiring two full rounds. Emergency Protocols: Every floor of Aquatica may be self-contained. In the event of a breach, emergency bulkheads shut off access to the breached floor (a process which takes three full rounds). These have physical characteristics equal to the installation’s outer walls, and may only be opened from operations, security, or with direct access to the servos and a successful Electronics check (DC 30). Aquatica has no external weapons systems — in the event of an attack, all personnel are evacuated to floors below the ocean surface, which are cut off from the domes by emergency bulkheads. Command personnel relocates to the backup operations area Bunker B and request immediate assistance from allied military units (up to and including destroyers and nuclear submarines).

fully planed and sculpted urban environment. The original design was created by Walter Burley Griffin (a colleague of the famous Frank Lloyd Wright), and the artificial lake that is the city’s centerpiece bears his name. The city is almost obsessively scenic: streets are wide and museums, monuments, and park areas are common. Few buildings exceed a dozen stories and billboards and other “garish” features are prohibited. Nearly two-thirds of Canberra’s inhabitants work directly for the government. Combined with placid, sometimes colorless streets, Canberra has a (somewhat deserved) reputation as a very quiet city with little or no nightlife. Canberra is located in the Australian Capital Territory, a region roughly 50 miles north-south by 19 miles east-west in the foothills of New South Wales. The city is situated in the northeastern portion of the Territory, while national parks dominates the rest of the land area. The region was originally known as “Canberry,” an aborigine word for “meeting place.” Canberra is about three and a half hours (190 miles) from Sydney and over eight hours (410 miles) from Melbourne. A train also heads to Sydney, taking about 41⁄2 hours. While there is a sizable airport (approximately 4 miles east of downtown), service is restricted to national flights, so agents wishing to fly face a layover in one of Australia’s other major cities — typically Sydney for overseas flights.

High Speed Chases in Canberra This section is devoted to providing extra flavor for chases and other espionage activities in Australia’s capital city. Several suburbs are described along with local modifiers the GC may impose to help chases reflect the local terrain. Locations described in this section are identified on the map on page 139 — you may want to refer to it as you read through this section. Each location includes a brief description and possible backdrops to highlight as agents through the area. Modifiers are provided to show the area’s general character, followed by suggestions for possible obstacles to be avoided. Finally, some locations include a description of special events that might be encountered there.

Day and Night Canberra’s high degree of urban planning provides agents with some unusual opportunities during local chases. During the day the typical terrain is tight (with broad swooping streets filled with heavy automobile and foot traffic) and potential obstacles include cars, busses, and swarms of tourists. At night the city “rolls up the sidewalks” and the broad streets actually qualify as merely close, raising the speed of the chase much higher than is common in many cities. This condition applies to the city as a whole.

CANBERRA Canberra, the national capital, is Australia’s largest inland city, a bustling modern metropolis with a population of over 300,000. Conceived in 1901 as a showcase for the nation’s best and brightest, Canberra is a care-

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Archer Foundation INDEX Abgrund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94–96, 97, 98 aborigines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39–40 Abwehr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93, 99 “Ace of Spies” . . . . . . . .see Reilly, Sidney accelerated Defense ability . . . . . . . . . .53 Action Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 iralty, British . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Adrenal Basics feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Adrenal Supremacy feat . . . . . . . . . . . .61 advanced recon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30, 101, 103 African Alliance . . . . . . . . . . .16, 108, 111 Aimes, Lucas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Air Force, U.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Air Ministry Intelligence, British . . . . .96 air tooth gadget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Albania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 “Alfred” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15, 21–22 Algernon, Dr. Lothario . . . . . . .10, 22, 24, 28. 41, 67, 96, 97–99, 104–105, 108, 110, 112–114, 117, 121, 134–135 Alice Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 All or Nothing feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 allies, other agencies . . . . . . . . . . . .31–35 allies, local shadow communities . .35–36 allies, the rest of the world . . . . . . .36–37 Amatee, Romeo . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121–122 American Black Chamber . . . . . . . . . . .94 Analyst feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Aquatica . . . . . .14, 21, 65, 105, 110, 138, 140–141 Aquatica II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138 Archer Conspiracy . . . . . . . . . .12, 15–17, 23, 30, 31, 39, 40, 98–99, 100–103, 105, 110, 111, 119 Archer Family Sanctuary . . . . . . . . . .101 Archer Foundation . . . .15, 16–17, 18–19, 22, 24, 27, 30, 31, 34, 36, 37, 40–43, 49, 90, 98–100, 101–104, 105, 106–112, 113, 114, 122, 124, 128, 132, 137 Archer Institute for the Sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10, 15, 16, 18, 30, 42, 98, 110–111, 125–128, 137 Archer Pact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90, 98, 106 Archer, Conrad . . . . . . . . . .10, 39, 90–97 Archer, Raymond . . . . . . . . . . . .5, 29, 45, 90, 91, 93–94, 96, 98, 99, 102, 103–105, 106–108, 112 Architects . . .see Fringe, Architects of the Archive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39, 104, 119 Argentina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Argus . . . . . . . .see Savage, Lord Reginald Argus, Eyes of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Arizona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Armenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 armor use ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Army, U.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 “Ash Night” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Asia . . . . . . . . . .16, 18, 33, 90, 100, 102, 125, 127, 128, 137 ASIO (Australian Security and Intelligence Organization) . . . . . . .31–33, 98, 104–105 ASIS (Australian Security Intelligence Service) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33–34, 98, 104 A.S.P. (Advanced Sniper Prototype) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19, 126–127, 128 A.S.P. suit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127 Athenia enger liner . . . . . . . . . . . .96 attacks, tonal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Auckland Harbour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 audio/video feeds, secure gadget . . . . .40 Aurora . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96–97, 104 Australia . .16, 24, 25, 35, 42, 43, 96, 98, 99, 101, 102, 105, 114, 117, 120, 125, 128 Australian law enforcement . . . . . . . . .31 Austria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Austrian State Treaty . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 avoidance power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 awareness ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 backpedal power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Backtrack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129–130 Backwasher bundle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 “backwashers” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25, 109 Baltic Sea . . . . . . . . . . . .14, 21, 105, 138 Barnard, Dr. Christiaan . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Barnes, Jeff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13, 18 BBC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Beijing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11, 15 Belgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Berkowitz, David . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Bishops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90, 108, 109 Black Cat ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 Black Cat feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 “Black Chamber” . . . . . . . . . . . . .see MI-8 Black Falls, OK. . . . . . . . . . . . . .15, 21–22 blackmail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 ‘blade-hawks . . . . . . . . . .16–17, 130, 132 Bletchley Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Blindsight 5-ft. Radius feat . . . . . . . . . .60 Bohr, Niels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94 Bolsheviks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92–93 Bookkeeper bundle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 boosted Charisma ability . . . . . . . . . . .82 Bosnia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Boyes, Capt. Hector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 brainstorm ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 brainwashing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Brightman, Evette . . . . . . .see Kraus, Eva brilliant mind ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Brisbane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101, 103, 114 British Intelligence . . . . . . . . . .90, 93, 96 Bulgaria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 bundles, new . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Callan, Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . .110, 138, 140 Cam Ranh Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Cambridge University . . . . . . . . . . .93, 94 camera-safe documents gadget . . . . . . .67 Canaris, Wilhelm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Canberra . . . . . . . . .10, 11, 15–16, 18, 31, 42, 98, 102, 103, 109, 131, 139, 141 “caretakers” . . . . . . . . . . . .21–22, 99, 105 CARNIVORE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Case, Sir Edmund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 “Castle, the” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106–112 CAT scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Cavendish Laboratory . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94 CDI (Center for Disease Information) . .30 chamber relationships . . . . . . . . .111–112 “Chance” . . . . .see Algernon, Dr. Lothario Charmer ability/feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 chemical monsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Cherwell, Lord Henry . . . . . . . . . . . .6, 96 chess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106–112 Chikatilo, Andrei Romanovich . . . . . .104 chilling touch ability . . . . . . . . . . .40, 73 China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14, 41 Chisholm, Janet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 “Chrysalis” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Chung, Liu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126 Churchill, Winston . . . . . . . . . . .6, 96, 98 CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) .19, 100 Cipher Bureau, U.S. . . . . . . . . . . .see MI-8 ‘Citizen X’ . . . . . .see Chikatilo, Andrei Romanovich clandestine meetings, calling . . . . . . . .36 class (base), sleuth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 class (NPC), academic . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 class (NPC), femme fatale . . . . . . . . . . .82 class (NPC), mercenary . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 class (NPC), mysterious stranger . . . . . .84 class (NPC), operative . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 class (NPC), paper pusher . . . . . . . . . . .85 class (NPC), police official . . . . . . . . . .86 class (NPC), professional . . . . . . . . . . . .87 class (NPC), psi-trainer . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 class (NPC), raider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 class (prestige), field analyst . . . . . . . . .49 class (prestige), fringewalker . . . . . . . . .50 class (prestige), hyper . . . . . . . . . . .28, 52 class (prestige), Lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 class (prestige), maxim . . . . . . . . . .28, 55 class (prestige), scanner . . . . . . . . .28, 57 Cleaner bundle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 cleaners . .see Straight Arrow Pest Control cleaners, summoning . . . . . . . . . . .38–39 Cloak . . . . . . .16, 35, 39, 43, 45, 100, 111 cloaked in the Fringe ability . . . . . .51–52 clones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21–22, 98–99 clone farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22, 105 clockworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Club Demetrian . . . . . . . . . .117, 121–125 CNN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 code clerk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 coil weapon quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Cold War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Columbia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 combat drones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

combat tracking power . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Comorro Islands . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16, 102 Company . . . . . . .15, 19, 30, 43, 100, 111, 115, 121 Concentrate Energies feat . . . . . . . . . . .59 Connection Junction feat . . . . . . . . . . .58 continuity ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Control Metabolism skill . . . . . . . . . . .127 Copenhagen Institute of Theoretical Physics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94 Cosgrach Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Cosgrach Estate . . . . . . . . . . . .14, 19, 93 Covenant, Arc of the . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 cover identities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 criminal investigation . . . . . . . .32, 34–35 Crown, British . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Cruz, Delicea . . . . . . . . . .43, 44, 114–115 cryogenic storage tank . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Cult of the Ten Suns . . . . . . . .19, 41–42, 112, 117, 125–128, 136–137 Cumming, Capt. Mansfield . . . . . . .91–93 Curdle feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Czechoslovakia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98, 99 da Vinci, Leonardo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Dagger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 damage reduction ability . . . . . . . . . . .84 Daredevil ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85, 88 Dareka . . . . . . . . . . . . .14, 15–16, 18–19, 42, 125–128, 137 Dartmoor, Arthur . . . . . . . . .131, 132–133 Darvall, Denise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 dauntless ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Davies, Carvel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 “death ray” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 deathmazes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16–17 Decipher Fringescript . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 defiant ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 delegate ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Demagogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94–98 department, Bookkeeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24–26, 30, 101, 109, 110 department, Damage Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24, 26–27, 43–44, 46 department, Field Analysis . . . . . . . . . .27 department, Fringewalkers . . . . . . . . . .24 department, Office of Psion Affairs . . .24, 28–29, 46, 52, 55, 57, 65, 66, 103, 105, 109 department, Recruitment . . . . .29–30, 108 department, Training . . . . .24, 30, 46, 108 department training ability . . . . . . .85, 88 Description Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 detect psionics power . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 detect residuals power . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 devastating psion skill ability . . . . . . . .56 DGSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 diplomatic immunity, ignoring . . . . . . .32 diplomatic pouch, use of . . . . . . . . . . .36 directional mine gadget . . . . . . . . . . . .67 disposition modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 division, black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 division, red . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 division, white . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Division Nihil . . . . . . . .24, 28, 40, 41, 51, 67, 104, 105, 108, 110, 112, 113, 117, 135 Donovan, William . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 doomsday prophecy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Dream Suite . . . . . . . . . . . . .see Room 39 Dreamtime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 dreamwalks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 DSD (Defense Signals Directorate) . . .100 Dunnston, Andrew . . . . . . . . . . .102, 104 Dupois, Nicolette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91, 93 eagle armor gadget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 ECHELON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 education checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34, 39 Ego Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28, 109 Ego Trust bundle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 Egypt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 El Salvador . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115 Ellesmere Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Ellis, Charles Howard . . . .95, 98–99, 101 Elysium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .see spirit realm enemies, Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . .40–43 energy drain ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 energy lance ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 energy master ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 energy spray ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 England . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19, 96 ENIGMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93, 94–96

142

ENIGMA II . . . . . . . . . . . . .93, 94–96, 98 Equador . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 erasure camera gadget . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 ESP Basics feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 ESP Mastery feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 ESP Supremacy feat . . . . . . . . . . . .58, 63 Europe . . . .16, 19, 33, 95, 99, 103, 105, 114, 117 European Commonwealth . . . . . . . . . . . .44, 102, 104, 111, 113, 140 evasion ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 evidence analysis ability . . . . . . . . . . . .50 exit strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 expert ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 extraction, emergency . . . . . . . . . .39, 44 eye for detail ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 facemen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Fade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16, 104, 113 Falkland Islands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Farshot feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 favor checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31–40 favor for a favor ability . . . . . . . . . . . .50 FBI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99, 101 feats, Fringe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76–80 feats, new basic psion . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 feats, new mental psion . . . . . . . . . . . .59 feats, new physical psion . . . . . . . . . . .61 feats, new telepathic psion . . . . . . . . . .63 feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Field Analysis bundle . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 field analysts . . . . . . .16, 26–27, 108, 109 final deduction ability . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 financial profiling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 fixers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25, 26 Flashfire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 fluid breathing system gadget . . . . . . .65 Forsythe, Dr. Ryan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 ‘Four Powers’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Frantz, Samuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 flicker ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51–52, 53 flute gun gadget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 freeze frame ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92, 99, 101, 104 Friction Control skill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Fringe . . . . . .8, 10, 20, 40, 41, 51, 67–80, 90, 92, 95, 97, 98, 99, 103, 105, 110, 112 Fringe, advisory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Fringe, Architects of the . . . . . .8, 10, 20, 21–22, 28, 40–41, 90, 98, 105, 112, 117–121, 134–135 Fringe bomb . . . . . . . . . . . . .see S-Bomb Fringe effects . . . . . . . . .40, 104, 117, 118 Fringe Fetch feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Fringe incursions . . . . . . .69, 94, 95, 113 Fringe opponents . . . . . . . . . . .51–52, 53 Fringe rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70–76 Fringe Scrounge feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Fringe Stash feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Fringe and the Mastermind system . . . .71 fringescript . . . . . . . . . . . . .4, 69, 77, 105 fringeviewer gadget . . . . . . . . . . .66, 135 Fringewalker bundle . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 fringewalkers . . . . .19, 28, 104, 105, 108, 113, 134–135 fringewards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70, 95 front companies . . . . . . . .37–39, see also Archer Institute for Science and Straight Arrow Pest Control gadgets . . . . . . . . . . . . .29, 30, 31, 42, 44, 65–67, 112, 121–122, 127, 129, 130 gadgets, diving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65–66 Garringer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4–9 GC&CS (Government Code and Cipher School) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92, 95 gear, requisitioning in South America .37 Gemeinschafft Consortium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17, 91, 93, 103 Geneva . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11, 16 . . . .91, 92, 93, 95–99, 101, 103 gestalt ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 ghosts . . . . . . . . . . . .see lingering spirits ghosts, screaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Giles, Daniel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131–132 GlobalTech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Gold, Heather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Gordievsky, Oleg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Graham, Elias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13, 18 Great Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Greece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 Gray Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120

“Grey Squares Only” . . . . . . . . . .101, 105 Greenpeace . . . . . . . . . . . . .102, 103–104 group walk ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Groves, Brig. Gen. Leslie R. . . . . . . . . .97 GRU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100–101 Guam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 Guardians of the Whispering Knife . . . . . . . . .16, 41, 70, 92, 94, 96–98, 102, 103, 104, 111–112 guides in South America . . . . . . . . . . .37 Hand of Glory, The . . . . . . .7, 9, 19–20, 43, 90, 100–101, 103 Hapstein, Janice . . . . . . . . . . . . .124–125 hawk armor gadget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130 Heaven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .see spirit realm heavily armed ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 Helix . . . . . . . . .see Schillingsfield, Avery “Herod” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Hess, Rudolf . . . . . . . . . . . . .6, 96, 97, 98 Hexen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95, 97 Hill, Capt. George . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Hill, Jim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Hitler, Adolf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6, 97 Hodler, Mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Holy Grail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 home office . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30, 106–107 Hong Kong . . . . . . . . . .15, 100, 126–128 hook sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . .132, 134–137 human nature ability . . . . . . . . . . .48, 87 HUMINT (human intelligence) . . . . . . . .47 Hungary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Hunter, John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15–16 Iceland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Icon ProStar gadget . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 immovability power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Imperial Security Intelligence Service . . . . . . . . . . . . .see Secret Service Bureau Imprint Basics feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Imprint Mastery feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Imprint Supremacy feat . . . . . . . . .58, 63 Improved Initiative ability/feat . . . . . . .84 improved synergy ability . . . . . . . . . . .55 incoming power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Indirect Assault feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Indonesia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 information services . . . . . . . . . . . .39–40 Informer, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 International Nuclear Forces Treaty . .104 International Olympic Committee . . . .104 INTERPOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 interview ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Intuition Basics feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Inverness, England . . . . . . . . . . . . .14, 93 invisible opponents . .53, 92, 98, 134–135 invocations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Iran-Iraq War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 IRIS (International Reporting and Information Service) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 instant assault ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Integral Theory feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Intuition Supremacy feat . . . . . . . . . . .63 Iron Curtain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 isotope tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42, 99, 102 Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Italy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Jackboot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19–20 jam power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Japan . . . . . . . . . . . . .18, 90, 92, 96, 104 Jerusalem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Jinx feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Jodhpur, India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Johannesburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11, 15 Jones, Prof. R.V. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Jordan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Kaine, Aesop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Kane, Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . .90, 91, 93 Kell, Capt. Vernon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Kennedy, John F. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 key skill ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Kiel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Knights . . . . . . . . . . .27, 90, 108–109, 111 Krause, Eva . . . . . .19–20, 43, 70, 93, 94–97, 105–106 Kryptos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 LCS (London Controlling Station) . . . . .96 leap of logic ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Lenin, V.I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Leninakan and Spitak . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Levitation skill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118 light touch ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Index lightning fast ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Lightning Reflexes feat . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Like to Like feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 limited custom ride ability . . . . . . . . . .88 limited familiarity ability . . . . . . . . . . .88 lingering spirit, creating a . . . . . . .72–75 lingering spirits . . . . . . . . .28, 68–71, 92, 97–98, 99, 119 lingering spirits, attacks from . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68, 70, 72, 74, 99 lingering spirits, dispositions of . . .74–75 lingering spirits, protection vs. . . . . . . .40 lingering spirits, summoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75–76, 94, 99 Link Health skill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53, 62 liquidation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 little details ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Little Sai Wan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Lloyd, Sara . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99, 101, 113 Lodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16, 30, 45, 102 London . . .11, 15, 43, 91, 94, 97, 100–101 Look ability/feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Lopez, Pedro Alonso . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Lords of the Foundation . . .10, 16, 25, 31, 54, 98, 99–101, 103–104, 107, 108, 109 Lord’s privilege ability . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Lord Inquisitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Lord of Concealment . . . .see Callan, Jack Lord of Discipline . . . . . . . . .see Nostrum Lord of Nature . . .see Dunnston, Andrew Lord of Reason . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Lord of Superstition . . . . . . . . . . . .see Lothario, Dr. Algernon Los Angeles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Luftwaffe bombers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Lyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100, 102 McCullough, David . . . . . . . . . . . . .31, 32 Macchu Picchu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Madame Butterfly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 magnet knuckles gadget . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Maharanghar Fort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Malay Peninsula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Malone, Robert “Ogre” . . . . . . . .123–124 Manes Industrial . . . . . . . . . .99, 101, 134 Manhattan Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 manifestation ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Marko . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 medical attention in the field . . . . . . . .38 Mein Kampf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Memory Flash skill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 memory flesh gadget . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 mental model power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 mercury shadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Metabolic Basics feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Metabolic Supremacy feat . . . . . . . . . .61 Mexico City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Mi-Hai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137 MI1(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91, 93 MI5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 MI6 . . . . . . . . . . .93, 96, 98, 99, 100–101 MI-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92, 94 Middle East . . . . . . . . . . .16, 96, 103, 105 Midnight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Military Intelligence, U.S. . . . . . . . . . . .92 military specialist . . . . . . . . . .34 Millennium . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28, 105–106 Millennium Bug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Milner, Ian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Miloslaw, Michael . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 mind walker ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Minuteman Indemnities . . . . . . . . . . . .25 mission profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24–31 mission resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31–40 Monaco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91, 93 Monaco, Princess of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .see Dupois, Nicolette ‘Monster of the Andes’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . .see Lopez, Pedro Alonso Monte Carlo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Mordent, Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . .120–121 Moscow . . . . . . . . . . .11, 16, 93, 100–101 Mururoa atoll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Museum of Natural History . . . . . . . . .14 Museum of Theoretical Science . .120–121 My City District, Japan . . . . . . . . .14, 137 Mysteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39–40 mystic world . . . . . . . .40, 67–80, 99, 112 National Guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 NATO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99, 103 “Nature and Mechanics of Death” . . . .95

Naval Board, Australian . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Navy, German . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Navy, U.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 Nazis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21, 95, 97 negative levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72–73 neural loop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 New York . . . . . . .28, 34, 43, 97, 101, 103 New Zealand . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35, 98, 103 Nihil Division . . . . . . . .see Division Nihil ‘Night Stalker’ . . . . .see Ramirez, Richard Nirvana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .see spirit realm NKGB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 North Pole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Nostrum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30, 45 NPC Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80–81 NSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 nuclear reaction, man-made . . . . . . . . .94 Nuremburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97, 98 Occam’s razor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 ODESSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Office of Psion Affairs bundle . . . . . .108 OGPU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Olympic Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104–105 Omen, Dr. Alexander . . . . . . . . . . . .99, 117, 119–120, 134–135 Operation: ABLE ARCHER . . . . . . . . .103 Operation: BODY DOUBLE . . . . . . . . .137 Operation: DOUBLE–CROSS . . . . . . . . .96 Operation: GODSMASHER . . . . . . . . . .98 Operation: GOLDENROD . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Operation: MUNICH . . . . . . . . . . .105, 110 Operation: PHANTASM . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Operation: SILENT SPECTRE . . . . . . .40–41, 98–99, 112, 117, 134–135 Operation: STYX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Oppenheimer, J. Robert . . . .89, 94, 97–98 OPS (Office for Physical Science) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92–98, 111, 117 Ordinary past ability/feat . . . . . . . . . . .87 Oslo Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96, 97 OSS (Office of Strategic Services) . . . . .96 Other Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .see Fringe otherworldly wail ability . . . . . . . .40, 72 Overwatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40, 132 Pan-Asian Collective . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18–19, 30, 42, 112, 137 Panopticon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Paradise . . . . . . . . . . . . . .see spirit realm Parallel . . . . . . . . . . . . .4–9, 105, 117–119 Paris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Pawns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109–110 Peary, Commander Robert . . . . . . . . . . .91 Peculiar Dodge feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Peenemünde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Penkovskiy, Oleg Vladimirovich .100–101 Pereira, Fernando . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 P.E.R.I.L. . . . . . . . .16, 21, 43, 98, 99, 101 Persia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 persistent telepathy ability . . . . . . . . . .58 Persuasive ability/feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Peru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Petrov, Vladamir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Petrovich, Nikolai . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16, 43 petty authority ability . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 Phantom Brigade . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16, 43 “Phantom” VTOL transport vehicle . . .130 physical adepts . . . . . . . . . .52, 91–92, 95 physical world . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68–71 “Piquant” . . . . . . . .see Smythe, Matthew plot hooks . . . . . . . . . . .7, 12, 17–22, 121 Point Blank Shot ability/feat . .84, 87, 88 Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 police intervention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Police Training ability/feat . . . . . . . . . .87 political espionage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 political favors ability . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 Poll, Benjamin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 poltergeists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Poltergeist skill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73, 118 pool vitality power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Port Arthur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 power sink ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Praetoriat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Prague . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120 Prism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .see Giles, Daniel private airlines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37–38 Profile skill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 “psi-spies” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 psionic research

. . . .28–29, 45, 96, 98, 101, 103, 105, 109 Psionic Sensing skill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 PsiScouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 PsiTech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .see gadgets Psychoinventive Basics feat . . . . . . . . .60 Psychoinventive Supremacy feat . . . . .59 Psychokinetic Supremacy feat . . . . . . .59 psykinetic projection . . . . .see poltergeist Psychometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4–9 pulp roleplaying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 pulse ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 puppet self power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 pure speed ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Qui-Lau, Tian . . . . .41–42, 125–128, 137 quicksilver axe gadget . . . . . . . . . . . .129 R&D (Research & Development) . . . . . .44 Radiokinesis skill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Rainbow Warrior . . . . . . . . . . . . .103–104 Ramirez, Richard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 real authority ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 rebreather pen gadget . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 receive signals power . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 reconstruction power . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Recruitment bundle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 Reichstaldt, Dr. Hermann . . . . . . . .14, 20 Reilly, Sidney . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90, 92–93 Reinhard Explorer’s League . . . . . . . . .14 Rejewski, Marian . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94–95 relics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 ‘Ripper of Rostov’ . . . . . .see Chikatilo, Andrei Romanovich rocket launcher cast gadget . . . . . . . . .67 Romania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Rooks . . . . . . . . . . . .16, 42, 90, 108, 109 Room 39 . . . . . . . . .6, 15, 19, 22, 28, 30, 39, 90, 91–99, 101, 105, 111, 112, 117 Room 40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91, 92 Roosevelt, Theodore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Rosenberg, Julius and Ethel . . . . . . . . .99 Round Table Media (RTM) Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131, 132–133 Royal Navy, British . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Rule of 5 feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Russia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42, 90, 91–93, 98, 99–101, 103, 104, 105 Russian Confederacy . . . . . .100, 112, 140 Russo-Japanese War . . . . . . . . . . . .90, 91 S-Bomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97, 135 Sadrah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Safe Haven Resorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 safe house ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 safe houses, immediate . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 safe zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 St. Petersburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Salmon, David . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 satellite photos, acquiring . . . . . . . . . . .40 Sato, Nuyen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Savage, Emily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15–16 Savage, Lord Reginald . . . . . . . . . .23, 30 Savinian, Boris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Schillingsfield, Sir Avery . . . . . .16–17, 42, 90–91, 92, 93, 99, 102 Scholarly ability/feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Schrader, Wilhelm . . . . . . . . . .9, 94–100, 103, 105, 112, 117–119, 121, 134–135 Scobel, Lt. Daniel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Scribble feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Script Seer feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Seaborne, Patricia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Seagle, Harvey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101, 105 second department ability . . . . . . . . . .54 Secret Service Bureau . . . . . . . . . . .91–92 sensitive ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Sensory Basics feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Sensory Supremacy feat . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Sensory Tap skill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 SETI (the Search for Extraterrestrial Life) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Sevastopol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 SFA Interactive campaign . . . . . . . . . . .7, 10, 12, 40, 41, 42, 43, 90 shadespeakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 shadestrike ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 shadow community search . . . . . . . . . .35 shadow community bias . . . . . . . . . . . .35 shadow history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90–106 shadow history, before the pact . . .90–98 shadow history, 1950s . . . . . . . . . .98–100 shadow history, 1960s . . . . . . . . .100–101 shadow history, 1970s . . . . . . . . .101–103

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shadow history, 1980s . . . . . . . . .103–104 shadow history, 1990s . . . . . . . . .104–106 shadow history, today . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Shergold, Howard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Shermeteyevo Airport . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Shinjuku District, Japan . . . . . . . . .13–14 Shop, The . . . . . . . . . . .15–17, 21, 29, 31, 42–43, 44, 104, 105, 106, 108, 112, 117, 121–125, 128–133 shutterbug ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Sidestep ability/feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 Sidestep feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) . .see MI6 skills, new mental psion . . . . . . . . .59–61 skills, new physical psion . . . . . . . .61–63 skills, new telepathic psion . . . . . . .63–64 Sky Needle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 slippery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Smythe, Matthew . . . . . . . . . . .19, 92, 93 sneak attack ability . . . . . . . . . . . .82, 85 snoops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25, 26 SOE (Special Operations Executive) . . .96 “Solution of American Diplomatic Codes” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 ‘Son of Sam’ . . . . . .see Berkowitz, David sonic illusion power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 soul survivor ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 sound blast power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 sources ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 South America . . . . . . . . . . . .37, 100–101 Spatial Comprehension skill . . . . . . . . .60 Special Forces, Australian . . . . . . . . . . .16 Special Intelligence Bureau . . . . . . . . .96 Specialist bundle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 specialty ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 spectral gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 spectral quality . . . . . . . . . . . . .51, 73, 74 spider climb power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 spirit anchor ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 spirit bridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70–71 spirit realm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68–71, 135 Spoil feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 SS (Schutzstaffel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94, 97 SS-X-24 missile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Stalin, Josef . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6, 93, 99 State Department, U.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 stealth technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Stealthy ability/feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 Steele, Madeleine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Stephenson, William . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Sterling, Leigh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32, 34 Stewart Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Stimson, Henry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94 Stonehenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Straight Arrow Pest Control . . . . . .24, 26–27, 38–39, 43–44, 114–116 Straight Arrow vans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Strange Inscription feat . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Strange Verse feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Studio Alta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13, 18, 128 Stuttgart, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 style and demeanor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Summon Spirit ritual . . . . . . . . . . .75–76 Staff bundle . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 surge of speed ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 sustained attack ability . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Switzerland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Sydney Opera House . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Sydney University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Syndicate, Judas . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99, 101 Syria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Tabula Rasa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135 tap senses power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Technology for Tomorrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11–13, 15, 18, 128 telekinesis ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Telekinetic Basics feat . . . . . . . . . . .60, 74 Telekinetic Mastery feat . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Telekinetic Supremacy feat . . . . . . . . . .59 telepaths . . . . . . . . . . . . .42, 95, 101, 112 teleport ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Ten Suns, Cult of the . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Tepe, Dumisani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15–16 Tesla, Nikola . . . . . . . .67, 91, 94–97, 99, 100, 112, 118 Tesla Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Theatre gadget . . . . . . . . . .122–123, 124 Thirst, the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68, 72, 75 Tibet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

time strider ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Tokajiro, Connie . . . . . . . . . .13–14, 18–19, 127, 128, 137 Tokajiro, Musashi . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13, 18 Tokyo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13, 18, 43 Tough Luck feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 tracer ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Training Corp bundle . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 trajectory power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 transmit signals power . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Triad, Lung . . . . . . .14, 18, 127, 128, 137 Trolls, the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 Trotsky, Leon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91, 92 Trust, the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Tunguska, Siberia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Tutankhamen dig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 tutor power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Twenty Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 twin recovery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5, 16, 28, 102, 104–106, 107, 112–113, 128, 135 U.S.S. Millennium . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11, 15 U-Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6, 21, 96 Übermensch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 UKUSA Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Umbra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94–98 uncanny dodge ability . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 undead quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 underwater jet shoes gadget . . . . . . . . .66 underwater lenses gadget . . . . . . . . . . .66 underwater weapon conversion gadget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 United Kingdom . . . . .33, 90, 91, 92, 94, 98, 99, 100–101 United Nations . . . . . . . . . .11, 15, 17, 36 United States of America . . . . .16, 33, 36, 43, 92, 95, 98, 99, 100, 103, 104 unnatural aura quality . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 unquiet dead . . . . . . .see lingering spirits Unshakable ability/feat . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 Unshakable feat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 update power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Utopia Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11, 15 V1 and V2 missiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Valentine, Ace . . . . . . . . . . . .44, 115–116 Vallentin, Sybille . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 van Deman, General Ralph . . . . . . . . . .92 Vangeli, Bruno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Versailles, Treaty of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 veteran investigator ability . . . . . . . . . .50 Vibrokinesis skill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Villain X . . . . .11, 13, 15–16, 42–43, 117, 128–133 Vikings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 virus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Vision Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Voice, the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Vodyanoi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6, 96 War of the Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 War Office, British . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Warsaw Pact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Washington, D.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Washington Naval Conference . . . .92, 94 Washkansky, Louis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 weapons restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 weapon specialization ability . . . . . . . .87 wheelmen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Whitaker, Silas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25, 44 Wichita, Kansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Wildcat movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16, 131 Wilde, Katherine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 “Witch House” . . . . . . . . . . .see Abgrund “word on the street” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 World Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 World War I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91–92 World War II . . . . .15, 40, 93, 95–96, 117 Yagoda, Genrikh G. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Yakuza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13–14, 18 Yardley, Herbert . . . . . . . . . . . .91–92, 94 Yearling, Simon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Xi He (Breath Blend) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Yakuza . . . . . . . . . .14, 18, 127–128, 137 Yoshioka, Gendo . . . . . . . . . . . . .127, 128 Zigong, Chih . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126, 128 zone of silence power . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Archer Foundation The Open Game License The Open Game Content

The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. 1.

Definitions: (a) “Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b) “Derivative Material” means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) “Distribute” means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d) “Open Game Content” means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) “Product Identity” means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures, characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or ed trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) “Trademark” means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means the licensee in of this agreement.

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The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.

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Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license with the exact of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.

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This printing of the Archer Foundation™ is done under version 1.0a of the Open Game License and the draft version of the d20 System Trademark License, d20 System Trademark Logo Guide and System Reference Document by permission of Wizards of the Coast. Subsequent printings of this book will incorporate final versions of the license, guide and document. AEG’s intention is to open up as much of the Archer Foundation as possible to be used as Open Game Content (OGC), while maintaining Product Identity (PI) to all aspects of the Shadowforce Archer intellectual property. Publishers who wish to use the OGC materials from this book are encouraged to [email protected] if they have any questions or concerns about reproducing material from the Archer Foundation in other OGL works. AEG would appreciate anyone using OGC material from the Archer Foundation in other OGL works to kindly reference the Archer Foundation as the source of that material within the text of their work. Open Game Content may only be used under and in accordance with the of the OGL as fully set forth in the opposite column. DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY: The following items are hereby designated as Product Identity in accordance with section 1(e) of the Open Game License, version 1.0a: Any and all Spycraft and Shadowforce Archer logos and identifying marks and trade dress, including all Spycraft and Shadowforce Archer product and product line names including but not limited to The Spycraft Espionage Handbook, Control Screen, Modern Arms Guide, Faceman/Snoop Class Guide, Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide, Season Book #1, Season Book #2, and subsequent Season books, Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, African Alliance Chamber Book, Archer Foundation Chamber Book, Company Chamber Book, European Commonwealth Chamber Book, Guardians of the Whispering Knife Chamber Book, Pan-Asian Collective Chamber Book, Room 39 Chamber Book, Russian Confederacy Chamber Book, and all subsequent Chamber Books, Hand of Glory Threat Book, P.E.R.I.L. Threat Book, Shop Threat Book, and all subsequent Threat Books, Decade Book: The 1940s, Decade Book: The 1970s, and all subsequent Decade Books, SFA Interactive Episode: Shallow Graves, and all subsequent SFA Interactive Episodes, website materials (including, but not limited to, the audio drama and all future incarnations, website briefings, online community donations, and all free game items), and all Spycraft and Shadowforce Archer logos; any elements of the Spycraft or Shadowforce Archer settings, including but not limited to capitalized names, Conspiracy names, Chamber names, project names, code names, department names, section names, threat names, characters, gadgets (including, but not limited to, the usual refinements and other gadgets), historic events, and organizations; any and all stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, documents within the game world, quotes from characters or documents, and dialogue; and all artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, illustrations, maps and cartography, likenesses, poses, Archer Conspiracy, Chamber, or Threat logos, symbols, or graphic designs, except such elements that already appear in the d20 System Reference Document and are already OGC by virtue of appearing there. The above Product Identity is not Open Game Content. DESIGNATION OF OPEN CONTENT: Subject to the Product Identity designation above, the following portions of the Archer Foundation are designated as Open Gaming Content. Chapter Two: all NPC statistics. Chapter Three: all mechanical agent and NPC options. Chapter Four: all NPC and threat statistics. USE OF MATERIAL AS OPEN GAME CONTENT: It is the clear and expressed intent of Alderac Entertainment Group to add all classes, skills, feats, equipment, prestige classes, and threat and NPC statistics contained in this volume to the canon of Open Game Content for free use pursuant to the Open Game License by future Open Game publishers. Some of the portions of this book which are delineated OGC originate from the System Reference Document and are © 1999, 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The remainder of these OGC portions of this book are hereby added to Open Game Content and if so used, should bear the COPYRIGHT NOTICE: “Spycraft Copyright 2002, Alderac Entertainment Group.” The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned. ‘d20 System’ and the ‘d20 System’ logo are Trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used according to the of the d20 System License version 1.0a. A copy of this License can be found at www.wizards.com. Dungeons & Dragons® and Wizards of the Coast® are ed trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, and are used with permission. All contents of this book, regardless of designation, are copyrighted year 2002 by Alderac Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of review or use consistent with the limited license above.

12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected. 13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License. 14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable. 15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Open Game License v1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Rules Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Star Wars roleplaying game Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast and Lucasfilm Ltd.; Authors Andy Collins, Bill Slavicsek, JD Wiker. Spycraft Espionage Handbook Copyright 2002, Alderac Entertainment Group, Inc.; Authors Patrick Kapera and Kevin Wilson. Spycraft Modern Arms Guide Copyright 2002, Alderac Entertainment Group, Inc. Shadowforce Archer Worldbook Copyright 2002, Alderac Entertainment Group, Inc.; Authors Patrick Kapera and Kevin Wilson.

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