Free Content Friday - September 2018

THE PASSAGE - PART 2

Written By: Graphic Design & Layout:
Christopher J. De La Rosa Christopher J. De La Rosa, Alex Huilman

Background
The Characters
CONTINUED FROM PART 1...

H
See “The Passage, Part 1”.
aving found Rob and Francisco, the party discovers that if they are to get
safe passage through the checkpoints, they’ll need Francisco to survive the
Additional characters can
replacement of his pacemaker. No simple task. The characters must find a be introduced here as
pacemaker to replace it and someone skilled enough to do so or find a battery and hope contacts or also as friends
they can rig it properly before the device gives out. of Francisco.
The clock is ticking...

MISSION BRIEF nn 6 1 - End of Part 1.

nn 6 5 - Staying in the hidden warehouse safehouse this long will
This takes place in three main locations: a warehouse, a hospital, and another have an automatic encounter with a patrol of USAMRIID rangers.
stronghold by the shore. It ends in either the hospital or the stronghold, This is a Stealth Encounter and a fight can be avoided if characters
depending on the plans of the characters. are sneaky enough. (note that this will mean that a long rest will
likely not be possible between the end of Part 1 and now.)
The entire session should take about 6 60, so approximately three days. nn 6 20 - There are looters who prowl the streets at dawn.They will
hamper the characters’ progress if they are not careful.
Labor Value(s) nn 6 30 - Looters make their way to a hospital to search for supplies.
Supply Run at Hospital @50 If the characters arrive before the looters, then there is no real
issue. If they arrive after, then the characters will have to avoid
Finding a Surgeon @50 or face the looters as well as whatever is in the hospital.
nn 6 40 - Shockingly, a train is heard going towards the USAMRIID
Surgery (Pacemarker) @25 basecamp. It’s nowhere near the characters, but its noise has
concentrated a lot of Wretches on the general area of where the
Risk Factor(s) characters are. The characters will face an extra Wretch per +
Starting Pool: W 40 spent from an E%.
nn Noise: W 1 Note that these do not need to happen, only that they certainly could
nn Travel at Night: W 1 per 6 1 happen.
nn Travel through USAMRIID Territory: W 1 per 6 1
nn Derail: W d5! Success
Reward: l200
Skill Check(s)
{Navigation%, Search%, Diplomacy-Any%, Advanced nn The G cost of Medical Passports are reduced to G 0
Medicine%*} nn Reduce 6 needed for a Supply Run mission at the named
address by 6 d6.
Special nn Returning Rob’s rifle will grant an additional bonus l50.
Timeline of Events
Failure
The Timeline begins once you have ended Part 1, OR if you have Reward: l150
both of these at the same time and you are just starting, you can
combine both Part 1 and Part 2 into a small campaign module all The item “Medical Passport, Forged” is removed from the Resource
by itself. However for the purposes of this Timeline, it tracks after Catalog.
the events of Part 1 have transpired.

The Passage, Part 2 001

 open the contents of the Glutton’s body. The attacker and all other
OPPONENTS characters in Melee range will count as having been Evacuated
upon. The Glutton can no longer perform Evacuation attacks.
The party will face the following opponents:
Attacks:
Wretch Bash: + – [n n Bl]
Strength: 25
Perception: 20 Evacuation: + + – [One target in Grapple range takes 1 Viral
Empathy:0 and inflicts Squallor], Accuracy
Willpower: 100
Bite: + + & & – [n nn Sl] Inflicts 1 Viral to the target.
Vitality:
Health Points: (1) USAMRIID Marshal
Damage Threshold: + 12 Soldier

Attacks: Strength: 35
Bash: + – [n Bl] Perception: 35
Empathy: 20
Bite: + + & & – [n nn Sl] Inflicts 1 Viral to the target. Willpower: 40

Templates Vitality:
Wretch Upgrades Health Points: (5)
Damage Threshold: + 7
Strength: W 1 – Add +5 to Strength (which, with a starting Strength
of 25 will increase to 30, which will increase + by 1) {Skill Check(s)%}: {Firearms - Pistol 50%, Firearms - Long
Gun 55%, Diplomacy - Command 60%, Brawl 48%, Spot/
Sleepers: W 2 – Deploy closer to opponents. Characters that fail Listen 55%}
{Spot/Listen%} will allow a GM to resolve - as if the character
had failed a {Grapple%} against the Wretch.

Unique/OBM
Glutton
Undead

Strength: 35
Perception: 20
Empathy: 0
Willpower: Special
Speed: n n n

Vitality:
Health Points: (1)
Damage Threshold: + 15
Size: 2

{Skill Check(s)%}: {Balance 30%, Dodge 25%, Grapple

25% [n n Sl], Brawl 30% [n n Bl], Spot/Listen
30%}

Special:
Heavy: Gluttons will generate W 1 per Round with their general
ability to smash through obstacles and their very audible foot-
falls... as well as their forced, bile and meat choked moans. The
Glutton automatically passes {Balance%} Save Throws against
attacks made by Size 1 or smaller attackers.

Resilience: 4 (All)

Squishy: The Glutton has Defense 4 4 4 against [Bl]

damage.

Large: The Glutton will add n to attack any Size 1 targets and
n n to attack any Size 0 targets. Any Melee Attack that deals
n but fails to inflict a Health Point worth of Damage will burst

002 The Passage, Part 2

 of paper, ink and film.
NPCS
Forged Med. Passports
Rob
Friend of PCs {Expression (Lie)%, Diplomacy (Command)%}

Strength: 28 Special
Perception: 30
Empathy: 33
Willpower: 25

Vitality: USAMRIID Checkpoints – These papers are only able to provide their
Health Points: (5) gear bonus to people at USAMRIID Checkpoints and personnel.
Damage Threshold: + 5
Personalized – Due to the nature of the documentation, the passports
Training Values: need to be individualized to each person. So one character can’t
transfer theirs to another.
3 4 Industry Sectors
Apply the following multipliers to the G value of characters selling
Francisco Aguilera such categories of goods.
Artist/Forger
3x 2x 2x
Strength: 15
Perception: 23
Empathy: 39
Willpower: 44

C
ric NPed
Vitality:
Health Points: (5) a gene c
Damage Threshold: + 5 Rob is an be replaPC you
that c y notable Noduced
with analready intrign.
Training Values:

Artist
5 have your campa
in
BARTER RESOURCE CATALOG - FRANCISCO
ITEM COST CAPACITY
Med. Passport, G 100
Forged 8

Handcrafted: Each “Medical Passport, Forged” takes 6 d10+3 to

create.

Capacity: The Capacity is based on the availability of the right kind

The Passage, Part 2 003

 Detailed Timeline
Provided is a more complete look at the individual events that make Gestalt Ability - Orderly
up this mission. Gestalt Level: 2

2.1 FIND A HEART
After having been briefed on the terrible situation, the party begins to plot
what they can do to find a pacemaker for Francisco.The obvious choice is a
hospital…
Note: if players spend too much time deliberating you can run this encoun-
ter automatically.
A character was a staff member of a hospital, an orderly, a janitor or something
to that effect as opposed to medical personnel.
This will make it much faster to locate any crucial supplies.They can
reduce the 6 requirement for Searching a specific hospital or clinic
by 6 2 per + in a {Search%}.
Hazards:

Sweep Team Looter W5

The characters hear voices outside.The terse and short orders betray
that these are likely rangers who have been sent by the USAMRIID.
The secret base of Francisco is well hidden, so unless the characters
seriously blow it, they will remain hidden. If characters wait for the
danger to pass, it will eat into their valuable Time (it will take up
6 d10 for the danger to pass, but they will not know it, nor should
they be told about it).
Travel to Hospital
6 10
{Navigation%}
Each + in the {SC%} will reduce the 6 to reach the Hospital
by 6 1.
The floor the characters are on is in the process of being looted.They
are likely hostile. Allowing them to loot and avoiding them will add
d5! DP to all entries on the Resource Catalog. Only the pacemaker
is exempt from the effects of this Hazard.
Stolen Heart W 20
The looters take some interest in one of the pacemakers and either
they themselves need it (by some coincidence) or they want to take
it as some bizarre trophy. Either way, the Looters will have to be
engaged in order to get it back.
Glutton W 10
Deploy one Glutton

2.2 THE HOSPITAL 2.3 IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?

Characters make their way to the hospital, and they (predictably) find it in
total chaos.
For better immersion, it is best if you model this after a large hos-
pital you and your players are familiar with, both in size and layout.
Supply Run at Hospital
@50
Having located a pacemaker, the next real trial is to find a way to replace
Francisco’s.The procedure is going to be a harrowing one, since it is likely that
characters will be unable to locate both a trained surgeon and an anesthesiol-
ogist… which means that Francisco may not survive the surgery.
This mission requires the characters to either use their own talents
(if they happened to be surgeons) or the talents of others. The latter
being far more likely the characters can deliberate as to how best to
approach this problem.

{Search%} As a scripted scenario, there are obviously going to be clear outs, but if
before discovering a scripted option they uncover a better one, a GM is
Characters that have Tiers in Professions that are medical will have encouraged to roll with it, so long as it is plausible.
a much faster time searching for useful supplies. See “Gestalt Ability
- Orderly” for additional details. Here are a list of potential options for locating and performing the
surgery and any associated costs (if no narrative option is taken):
Any character taking Point in a Formation while searching the hos-
pital will reduce the 6 needed by 6 3 per + in {Search%}. nn Contact - Surgeon – Gestalt Level 3 – Characters can call in a
favor and take a (very reluctant) Francisco on a short journey to
SCAVENGE RESOURCE CATALOG - HOSPITAL a past acquaintance who might be able to help.They may not be
RES. LEVEL ITEM CAPACITY the exact kind of medical professional needed, but they are on
1 First Aid Supplies 8 the periphery (veterinarians or being surgeons but not strictly
speaking one with experience with hearts).
First Aid Supplies 10
2 nn Convoy – Characters have it on good authority that a convoy
Surgical Supplies 7
going from outpost to outpost has a small medical team. They
3 Pacemaker 3 may be persuaded to help… although if they are USAMRIID,

004 The Passage, Part 2

 the identity of Francisco will likely need to be concealed,
as the medical professionals from USAMRIID would be
ADVANCED MEDICINE - PACEMAKER
extremely hostile to the idea of aiding someone who is SURGERY
undoing their work and may have witnessed firsthand the
results of his allowing others to breach medical screening The characters undertake a dangerous, invasive procedure in order to try and
protocol (see “The Moral Gray” from Part 1). save a life. In the context of the Scenario, this will specifically be replacing the
pacemaker of Francisco.
nn DIY – Assuming characters are skilled (or brave and/or
stupid enough) to try, characters are more than welcome Labor Value
to attempt this surgery themselves. It is assumed that this @25
would either be a decent option or literally the last feasi-
ble one, so Francisco will likely not protest unless there is Risk Factor(s)
another clear alternative. Characters need to secure a sterile Starting Pool: none
and quiet place to perform this. Parameters for “Advanced
Medicine - Surgery” missions are provided as its own Mis- Skill Check(s)
sion Brief for reference.
{First Aid%*, Advanced Medicine%, Resist Pain%,
Toughness%}

Special
Treatment Time
In this Scenario, the characters are completely restricted by the battery
of Francisco’s existing pacemaker. See the notes “Battery Life” and
“Piggybacking” for additional details.

If the acting physician does not get enough “Treat Injury” Triggered
Effects in the amount of 6 they have to do so, then the Francisco
will die.

The “Treat Injury” Triggered Effect is most commonly provided by

{Advanced Medicine%} or with multiple + in {First Aid%}.
Both of these Skill Checks will also have Triggered Effects that will count as
having used up 6 1 or more from a character’s available Treatment Time.
So characters beware, attempting those skill checks and failing may cause
the character to run out of 6 much faster.

Very Invasive Surgery

This Mission involves Surgery. What the characters are up against is
highly invasive and highly dangerous.When a surgery is “Very Invasive”
then resolving a - when making {Advanced Medicine%} will
reduce the available 6 by 6 d10.

Call it...
Characters not treated within the proper amount of 6 as described in
the “Treatment Time” special rule must take a {Toughness%, Resist
Pain%} or die en route to or on the operating table.

This Save Throw will need to be made each 6 once the “Treatment
Time” has expired. Additionally, and - on {Advanced Medicine%}
will cause the patient to expire rather than further modify the avail-
able 6

Success
Francisco counts as Treated.

Failure
Francisco will die.

The Passage, Part 2 005


CONCLUSION
Success
Francisco is still mildly sedated but the surgery went well. His recovery will
hopefully be very short. He has promised to make every person in your party
a Medical Passport in gratitude.
Pulling you aside, Rob gives you his thanks and gives one of the party an
address and a combination. He says that the house at this address has a foot
locker that had guns and ammo in it. It belonged to his stepdad and he’d
have taken the guns himself, but it’s too dangerous for him to go alone. He
says if you can reach it, its contents are yours, but if there is a rifle with an
engraved stock, that they should either leave it or bring it back to him.That
was his dad’s gun and Rob wants it back if possible.
nn Returning Rob’s rifle will grant a bonus l50.
Apply results noted in the “Success” entries of the Mission Briefs.
Failure
The sheet is drawn over Francisco, (as appropriate to the reality of the sce-
nario, either) Time ran out on his battery or he died on the operating table
as the pacemaker was being switched out.
Appendix
NOTES
1. Battery Life
Starting from the beginning of this part, the pacemaker bat-
tery has 6 100 left before if gives out entirely. All missions,
including the surgery to replace the pacemaker itself, needs
to be accomplished before then.
2. Stealth
Characters that use the aisles of warehouse materials as a
way to effectively sneak up on the undead or past USAM-
RIID rangers. This will grant a bonus + to any character
attempting a {Stealth%} as part of their Intent.
006 The Passage, Part 2
Choose one based on the events of the scenario or roll on a d3:
1. The medical professionals you found have all disappeared as
you were deliberating as to what to do next. It is clear that
they were sympathetic with the USAMRIID and either killed
him clandestinely or deliberately misrepresented their skill so
they could make his death look like an accident. If you did not
utilize medical professionals, then Rob suspects you for killing
Francisco on purpose and being involved with the USAMRIID
and flees, vowing revenge.
2. Rob disappears, he did not take the death well and assumes
that there was some foul play involved. It is unknown as to
who he’s going to for safety or to possibly get reinforcements.
3. Rob knows you did the best you could. If you had professionals
help you, then everyone is still present to mourn the death.
Rob asks that all of you leave and will join you as an NPC if
you have a Stronghold to return to. The professionals who
may have helped you return to their normal lives. Although
ones from the USAMRIID will need to be persuaded to keep
silent somehow.
Apply results noted in the “Failure” entries of the Mission Briefs.
3. Piggybacking
Unlike the normal parameters for Surgical missions, where
the Treatment 6 window is determined by the extent of
injury, the surgery’s only real Time constraint is the battery
life the Pacemaker itself.This 6 100 is meant for the entire
scenario to use before the battery gives out and Francisco
dies, not just the surgery specifically. So it would be a con-
tinuous countdown instead of a separate Mission with its
own Time requirements.