Showing posts with label night's black agents. Show all posts
Showing posts with label night's black agents. Show all posts

Monday, July 17, 2023

Random Forest Locations

 

Who doesn't need random locations in a forest? People who don't run awesome games, that's who. Since that isn't you, I've got you covered with Random Forest Locations. Only one location has overt elements of the macabre, but please spice them up as much as you like when you use them. I know I will. . . 


3D6 Result

Random Forest Location

Notes

3

Hunting Lodge

Animal heads, paintings, and old weapons on display on the walls, large fireplace, beds with lots of blankets and quilts, medium wood interior, had working water and electricity at one point

4

Hunting Cabin

Exterior toilet, well water with hand pump, one room containing a couple of military cots, woodburning stove, stack of wood, table and mismatched chairs, maybe a shed nearby

5

Fishing Hut

Exterior fish cleaning table made of thick, heavy wood, no bathrooms on site, one cot, one sleeping bad, one small table, and two chairs

6

Vacation Cabin

3 stories tall, basement, 3 car garage, outdoor games, kayaks, hot tub/jacuzzi, fishing equipment, comfortable furniture all around a particular style (i.e., they all match), had water, electricity, and cable at some point, big screen TVs in several rooms, basement has pool table, bar area

7

Rental Cabin

Often found in D10 quantities, dusty interior with basic needs (beds, table, chairs, gas stove) battery operated camping lights, cupboards

8

Old Campfire

Several logs for chairs, empty cans of beer, food wrappers, beat-up vehicle nearby (dead battery and likely other issues), with nothing of use besides a source of shelter from the weather

9

Campsite

Basic trip-wire security noisemaker set-up, several tents of various sizes, gas stove

10

Mansion 1

Designed to blend in with the environment, likely inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, furniture is slightly off and perhaps not quite Euclidean

11

Mansion 2

Neo-Brutalist villa, concrete exterior with some reflective glass surfaces, interior has mid-century style furniture and not an ounce of personality of the former owner

12

Wall Compound

Several homes, a large pole-barn, a hidden underground bunker, four car garage with three very expensive trucks parked in it, interior of the homes will indicate what type of compound this was (militia, religious, farming, sex, etc.)

13

Recording Studio

Likely converted from an early 20th century home, this building was turned into office space, recording space, and kept the kitchen, bathroom, and one of the bedrooms in place; the recording studio and related rooms could be for audio, short video, or full-length films

14

Farm House

An old home with good bones, a nearby barn for cows or pigs, maybe, another outbuilding for farming or ranching equipment, several sets of human remains scattered amongst the rooms and locations (all in peaceful poses as if they died exactly where they wanted to and not from a violent end); could be a classic “haunted house”

15

Gas Station – Bait Shop

An old affair that should have disintegrated decades ago, two non-working fuel pumps, animals have eaten nearly anything worth eating inside the shop, fishing gear and CB equipment displayed on walls, tobacco products, warm near-beer, a deceased person behind the counter, fly-paper strung up throughout the establishment

16

Fence Line

A wood fence line less than 50 yards in length, there is Christian iconography nailed to the fence every foot to two feet and all of it is facing the same direction

17

Trailer

Jammed between two groups of small trees, rusting, moisture and insects have terrorized the inside of this structure, several dead bodies in various stages of decomposition, rotten food, potentially snakes, hole in the roof has let in water over the years and the nearby floor beds threaten to give way whenever anyone walks near them

18

Burnt Tree

A small section of the forest was burned, in the center of the burned section is a large tree, around the tree are the skeletal remains of three people who were handcuffed together facing outward, and one of the three was shot in the head with a commonly owned bullet caliber



Many of these locations may be found on or near water. The water maybe a river, creek, lake, or large pond. For larger bodies of water, there may be an island in the middle of it. There could be piers for small (less than 20 foot) boats or platforms anchored to the bottom of the lake used for sunbathing away from shore. If the Gas Station – Bait Shop is near water, there may be a fuel pump for diesel, an area for cleaning fish, and a ramp into the water.

The contents of these locations are left to the Zombie Master. More bodies are always appropriate, but so are basement doors that are too tough to break down, requiring the completion of a puzzle to open. Were doors or windows left open? If so, have animals destroyed the interior contents? Has a family of bears moved in? Is someone storing zombies in the building? Why?

You are encouraged to fill these locations with the macabre, with splatter-punk, and with empty souls. What will make them interesting to you, so that you in turn make them interesting to your players? What will set them on edge? Is there a character drawback that will draw them into investigating the location? Is there something behind the characters pushing them towards the location? It could be bad weather, time of day, a badass biker gang looking for scalps to claim, or a small horde of zombies searching for their next meal. Work the location into your game, Massage it until it becomes intertwined with the setting. Smile with your eyes when you describe the location.

But when you’re done with it, make sure the exit is just as creepy, just as violent (or eerily quiet), just as intriguing as when you found it. Why are those crows watching the characters? They weren’t here earlier – or at least, you didn’t notice them here earlier.


Random Forest Locations © 2023 Derek Stoelting


Tuesday, November 9, 2021

The Abyss Group: Enemy Faction

The Abyss Group: Enemy Faction

The Abyss Group is a collection of vigilantes who believe it is their right to kill the supernatural and anyone they deem “evil.” 

The group started as individuals hunting down specific supernatural creatures for revenge. However, they each continued to hunt and kill monsters after completing their initial goals. As they continued on their individual journeys, they eventually met each other and formed a collective. They still operate more like a group of individuals than a team, but they all realize the importance of working together when hunting a foe.

The Abyss Group are not good people. At best, one might consider them anti-heroes, since they fight supernatural creatures and have tragic backgrounds. They are driven by emotions related to anger, hate, and revenge. Their goal is to put a stop to the supernatural creatures in the world and they are willing to use innocents as bait to achieve that goal.     

The Abyss Group takes its time investigating potential targets. They know they are only human and the supernatural creatures they are hunting are far from it. They follow, they stake out, they do their research, and when it is time for a showdown, they do everything they can to exploit their opponents’ weaknesses. 

No tactic is too cruel, no technique is off limits for this group of vigilantes. They have burnt down buildings, exploded gas mains, and flooded cellars to achieve their goals. Their planned attacks use a high amount of lethality to ensure a successful mission. While they do their best to not harm innocents, anyone in the wrong place at the wrong time has a higher than average chance of dying. 

The group survives by taking everything they can use from their targets: money, weapons, food, and even shelter by living in their victims’ homes.

Members

Darren Overmeyer knew his fiance was cheating on him with his best friend, Andrew. One night when Darren was supposed to be at work, he drove by Andrew’s apartment to see if she was there. She was and Darren decided to wait outside the friend's apartment to confront her. 

As Sarah left the apartment, Andrew walked her to the car. A long kiss goodnight drove Darren over the edge. He exited his car, retrieved a replica sword from the trunk, and rushed up on the couple. Sarah heard him and screamed. Andrew turned around just as Darren swung his cheap replica sword. Andrew threw his arms up to protect himself from the sword. The force of the blow knocked Andrew to the ground. As Darren prepared to take another swing at Andrew, Sarah screamed for him to stop. Darren flicked his sword in Sarah’s direction in an attempt to force her back. Instead, the sword slipped from his hand and penetrated one of Sarah’s carotid arteries. 

Darren stood in shock as his fiance began to bleed out in front of him. Andrew yelled for Darren to help him try to save Sarah. Darren, however, was in shock. He realized what he had done. He knew she would not survive. Darren chose to save himself and ran. 

He drove home as quickly as he could manage. He packed everything he could not live without into two backpacks and left town. He eventually ditched the car in a very bad neighborhood of the City.  

The following night, Sarah visited Darren in his dreams. The night after, she began to haunt him. He read everything he could find on ghosts. He networked with ghost hunters. He eventually met Casey Nottingham, a theosophist and learned there may not be an answer for how to drive away the ghost. However, Ryan did introduce him to the rest of the supernatural world. A world that Darren would pillage in his attempt to discover the knowledge needed to rid himself of Sarah’s ghost. He has yet to banish her from the mortal realm. 

Darren is of the opinion that all supernatural creatures are evil and should be destroyed. Since forming the Abyss Group with the others, he has learned how to use firearms and fight with real swords. He should be used as a 10-15 level Survivor. His preferred weapons are heavy caliber pistols, shotguns, and real swords, but is proficient in all civilian firearms. 

Image: approximately 28 years old, stocky male, wire rimmed glasses with small, round lenses, blonde hair, moustache and goatee, blue eyes, 5’10” and 190 pounds, black pants, military boots, and black, long sleeve  shirts. At the time of the death of his fiance, he had long hair in a pony tail and no facial hair. 

Casey Nottingham is mentally not well. He was on several antidepressants before his wife and kid left him. This began a long slide to desperation and degeneration. He immediately switched his prescribed medications to illicit drugs and alcohol. He became violent when out drinking. He lost his driver’s license when he drove his truck into a pond while driving under the influence. He beat to death several drug dealers who were, according to him, “charging too much” for their product. 

It didn’t take long for him to lose his job. His drug use, bad behavior, and finally, fighting on the job helped promote him to customer. He would return to the chemical plant to exact revenge on his employers after closing. He beat and placed two of his superiors in vats of acid. While doing so, a splash of sulfuric acid hit him in the face. He now wears clothing and masks to cover the disfigured half of his face.

Soon after he received the scarring, he began to see dead people. He cranked up his drug use to try and shut them out. When that didn’t work, he changed drugs. When that didn’t work, he tried using drugs to gain a better understanding of his newfound necromantic ability. He eventually reached out to other necromancers and dark warlocks he found online and through bookstores. He learned more about his abilities, himself, and how to grow his power. 

Casey rose in power and fame quickly. He embraced his new life as a Theosophist, or as he prefers to be called, a necromancer. He killed several of the people he trained under in an effort to gain their power, control their souls, or because they owned something he wanted. Along the way, he met Peter Nixon and Darren Overmeyer. They helped him focus his learning on hunting evil creatures for power and artifacts, more so than evil people. When not using his powers to kill, his preferred weapons are a heavy pistol and a dagger with a wavy blade. He knows it is a stereotype and he leans into it.

Casey should be used as a 12-15 level Theosophist. 

Casey’s wife has since divorced him and the legal system has removed all parental rights from him. 

Image: approximately 32 years old, long, blue hair, no facial hair, many body piercings, 6’2” and 160 pounds, black or blue jeans, black high-top shoes, black metal band t-shirts, and aviator sunglasses. 

Peter Nixon’s parents died in a car accident when he was a baby. His paternal grandparents took him and tried to raise them as their own. Before the boy turned three, his grandparents died in an airplane crash. This brought the young man to his maternal grandmother. 

Mamaw Amthor’s husband had died years prior and she lived off his meager pension and governmental aid. While the state did provide her with additional benefits for taking the boy in, their life together was not one of luxury. The electricity was not always on and the water was not always hot. However, they got by and Peter knew no better until he started school. He quickly learned about money and social cliques, being poor and having very few friends.

When Peter started puberty, he also started developing psychic powers. Unbeknownst to Peter, Mamaw Amthor was a psychic, as was her daughter, Peter’s mother. Mamaw was not a strong psychic, but she knew enough to recognize the signs as Peter developed. By his senior year of high school, Peter was a functioning empath and had started down the path of an esper.

Peter moved to the City to attend a liberal arts college with high hopes of earning a teaching degree. He met other psychics at the college, including the woman he would later marry, Dawn Carlyle. His new friends and acquaintances introduced him to more of the supernatural world. He danced at clubs that catered to creatures of the night and made friends with Sages and Theosophists. 

Peter and Dawn volunteered at a soup kitchen near campus. It was there that he met Jacinto Garcia, a psychic gunslinger. Jacinto was living on the street, on the run from Sinaloa Cartel assassins. Peter’s easy going nature and Jacinto’s sarcastic side made the two fast friends. The two began spending time together outside of the soup kitchen, whether sharing information on their supernatural abilities, sharing a meal, or Peter and Dawn buying Jacinto new clothing. Eventually, Jacinto would move into their home. 

Jacinto’s past eventually caught up to him in the City. The assassins found him and the Nixons. They came at night, blasting their way through the home with semi-automatic rifles and grenades. The Nixons and Jacinto were caught unawares, but managed to survive the attack. All three were severely injured, but Dawn’s ability with Bio-Feedback made short work of the injuries.

Jacinto disappeared into the night. The police would have questions and he had zero interest in being deported to Mexico. The Nixons told the police that the hitmen broke into their house to try and kill Jacinto. They didn’t deny the fact that Jacinto shot and killed the assassins. Nor did they deny that they had met him via the soup kitchen and were trying to help him improve his life. They cooperated insofar as they could, without discussing the supernatural aspects of the case or the fact that they knew he was wanted by the Sinaloa Cartel. 

Six months later, Jacinto returned and asked Peter to help with a child trafficking ring that was kidnapping children who ate at the soup kitchen. Soon after, Peter and Dawn disappeared off the grid. 

The Nixons joined the rest of the Abyss Group after busting the child trafficking ring. In addition to their psychic abilities, both of the Nixons typically go armed with medium caliber pistols. After a run in with a pack of werewolves last year, Peter carries a semi-automatic shotgun in the trunk of his sedan. It is loaded with silver flechette rounds. Peter should be used as a 10-15 level Psychic and Dawn as a 8-12 level Psychic.

Dawn does not participate in their activities, but does provide healing when needed. Dawn spends most of her days picking up after the guys, cooking meals, and looking for new places to live. This isn’t the life she wants, but law enforcement officials want her just as much as they want the men. She simply sees no way out of her current life. If there is a weak link in the Abyss Group, it is her.

Image:  Peter is a stocky male with short cropped brown hair, thick glasses or contacts, green eyes, blue jeans, t-shirts, work boots with steel toes, and a beard-moustache combo that would make Dusty Hill proud. He is 5’10” and 210 pounds. Dawn goes about in simple clothes like blue jeans, t-shirts, and tennis shoes. She has short-cropped, black hair, blue eyes, and tattoos. She doesn’t care for Peter’s beard. She stands 5’3” and weighs in at 120 pounds.

Jacinto Francisco Vargas Garcia is an illegal immigrant from Ciudad Juarez. He developed his Psychic Gunslinger abilities in his late teens. At 19, he stood up to the cartel’s local henchmen, refusing to pay them insurance money for his aunt and uncle’s safety. Naturally, this didn’t sit well and Jacinto needed to learn a lesson. The cartel leader sent a posse over to rough him up. Jacinto shot and killed each member of that posse. 

The cartel leader and fifty men came looking for Jacinto. Killing the posse was an affront that could not go unpunished. Jacinto had gone into hiding and when they couldn’t find him, they visited his aunt and uncle. The couple had no idea where their nephew had gone or how he managed to kill the well-armed posse with just a single action revolver. After torturing them for several hours, the leader had them hanged and left as an example.  

Jacinto came out of hiding for revenge. He snuck into the cartel’s local complex and murdered every single person he found on the premises. The next day, he used their fake USA passports to cross the border into the United States. He took one of their cars, brought along their money, and enough bullets to last for some time. Recognizing the vehicle and his fake passport, the corrupt border guards let him into the country without so much as a glance.

Jacinto wandered north, trying to put distance between himself and the hunters he knew would be coming. By the time Jacinto reached the City, he had spent all of the money, shot most of his bullets, and was driving his fourth car since arriving in the country. He eventually found a shelter and soup kitchen. The same one where he would meet John and Dawn Nixon. The same one that brought Jonathan James into his life. 

Jacinto has made it his purpose to pick fights with bad people. Since arriving in the City, he has killed every member of the L Street Bloods, put several prostitution rings out of business, and dusted a master vampire. His bravado will eventually catch up to him. Jacinto should be used as a 10-15 level Pscychic Gunslinger.

Image: approximately 26 years old, 6’1” and 200 pounds, long, black hair pulled back in a pony-tail, black dress pants, white, wrinkled dress shirt, dress shoes, and black trench coat. 

Jonathan James’ wife was killed by a religious fanatic possessed by a djinn. The fanatic targeted a shopping mall in the suburbs where Jonathan’s wife happened to be with friends. More than 30 people, including Jonathan’s wife, were killed in the mass killing. The fanatic was stopped by an off-duty police officer who shot and killed him. 

Jonathan believes he can see the djinn leaving the body of the fanatic in close captioned tv and recorded video from cell phones. Casey Nottingham has stated he sees the soul of the fanatic leave. No one else will confirm they can see the djinn leave the body. 

Jonathan was serving as the leader of a local coven of witches and warlocks when his wife was murdered. Following her death, he took a step back from the leadership role to try and heal from his loss. Her loss proved to be too great and Jonathan turned from a path of light and helpfulness to a path of darkness and selfishness.   

Jonathan has since dedicated his life to exposing the evil side of religious fanaticism. He has ousted money launderers, exposed rapists and drug dealers, and used his spellcasting abilities to destroy those who traffick children. His work requires knowledge not only surrounding the evils of man, but also those creatures who would help man do his worst to others. His favorite targets to hunt are people within religious organizations who hurt children and the demons who benefit from the suffering.

Jonathan met Jacinto Garcia, a Psychic Gunslinger, while investigating the goings on at a soup kitchen. Jacinto was a regular at the kitchen. Teaming up with Jacinto, they were able to identify the local leaders of a child trafficking organization. The organization was kidnapping children who frequented the soup kitchen and trading them to evil creatures for power, money, and supernatural artifacts. The organization was not only active in the City, but also several other metropolitan areas across the country. They had ties to politicians, megachurches, crime syndicates, and social organizations like QANON. Clues found in cell phones and laptop computers suggest they have ties to other countries.

Realizing they would need more firepower, Jacinto brought in Peter and Dawn Nixon to assist them. Jonathan contacted Casey Nottingham for assistance, who then brought Darren Overmeyer. Their combined effort destroyed the trafficking organization, destroyed the careers of several religious leaders, and exposed child exploitation groups. They fought their way through class I and II demons, banishing several class III demons before they were done.  

Prior to this case, Jonathan had stayed out of the sight of law enforcement. He turned over the cell phones and laptops of criminals. He sent in anonymous tips. He worked through social services. He banished demons. This case revealed the true depth to which other men will go for power. He bore witness to acts unimaginable and crimes so heinous, no jail sentence would be enough punishment. He broke during this case. No actions were off the table. He baited criminals, murdered rapists, blatantly stole from the rich, and mentally justified it all. 

His fingerprints were found by the police and there is now an active warrant for his arrest. The others were already sought by the law for their crimes. When he isn’t using magic to stop his enemies, Jonathan has found he likes using a medium submachine gun with silencer (use stats for medium caliber pistol) to encourage people and creatures to change their ways. He isn’t too good with the gun and tends to use too many bullets to accomplish his goals. 

Image: approximately 30 years old, average build, 5’10” and 180 pounds, black eyes, brown hair, beard, and moustache, and wears boring clothes that help him blend in with society




Legal
The Abyss Group: Enemy Faction is copyright 2021 Derek Stoelting

Night Shift: Veterans of the Supernatural Wars is copyright Jason Vey and Elf Lair, LLC 2020 and is used without express permission.

No challenge to the copyright owners' rights is meant or implied.

RPG Organization: Montrose Safeguard of Chicago: a Security Company

Montrose Safeguard of Chicago: a Security Company


Montrose Safeguard started as a private investigation firm in 1975. The company was founded by David Hagger and Samuel Bond in the city of Schiller Park (near O'Hare). Over time, the company grew to include basic security guard details and armed officers. When the supernatural became a full-on topic, company president Emily Watson used her contacts within City Hall to go after a contract with the city of Chicago for that type of work.


For their part, the city of Chicago tried to handle the accepted existence of vampires and shapechangers. To this day, the city still has no idea how to deal with the supernatural creatures. Should they be allowed to vote? What about marriage laws? Shapechangers appear to be human, but vampires are technically dead. Then comes the fact that vampires must consume blood. Does consuming blood from the living count as a criminal offense? Does it matter if the “victim” is willing or unwilling? Is killing or “dusting” a vampire the same as murder if the vampire is technically already dead? Shapechangers do not appear to have separate needs from humans regarding sustenance. However, their ability to control themselves is still vastly not understood. Several cases are pending in the courts where the defendants claim to have not had control while in a changed form.


Aldermen across the city brought the problem to City Hall just as quickly as the local newscasters took the challenges to the television and public at large. The tipping point for the mayor's office was a fight between a gang of vampires and a gang of werewolves. The fight broke out during the annual A Taste of Chicago event. The brawl claimed the lives of two vampires, one werewolf, and five citizens. It also caused a mini-riot shutting down the event for the rest of the week. At this point, the mayor was forced to take action. Enter Emily Watson and Montrose Safeguard.


Emily Watson's parents are friends with the Chief of Police. Emily went to school with the chief's son, dating him their senior year of high school. While the chief's son would go on to study law at UCLA and then start his own practice in San Francisco, Emily joined the US Army and served as an intelligence adviser during the US's invasion of Panama. Emily moved back to the Chicago area once she mustered out from the Army and took a job with Montrose Safeguard. She started in management and worked her way up from there.


Emily Watson made the right telephone call at the right time, lining up a meeting with both the Chief of Police and the mayor. Within a month's time, Montrose Safeguard became the city of Chicago's answer to the supernatural challenges. They would handle all cases related to the supernatural, including the ability to make arrests. Soon after, Montrose Safeguard signed contracts with Cook, Lake, and DuPage Counties plus the State of Illinois for the northern portion of the state. A competitor based in Springfield is working the rest of the state. Montrose Safeguard has two teams of investigators dedicated to supernatural incidents fed to the company via local law enforcement agencies.


Montrose Safeguard has developed several other agents who handle supernatural cases that come to the company via individuals. Most of these are related to “spooks,” ghosts, poltergeists, haunting, etc. At this time, Montrose Safeguard does not engage in the removal of incorporeal denizens.


Montrose Safeguard of Chicago currently operates out of the city of Cicero near the intersection of Cermack (22nd Street) and Cicero (Ill Rte. 50). They have an office building and a fleet of cars.



Game Play Notes:  Montrose Safeguard operates as a tier three organization in my game. The world’s citizens are just beginning to know vampires and werewolves. There are no catalogs of abilities. The company does not have tools or weapons designed to go after these new challenges. They have fewer than 20 security agents dealing with the supernatural case load. Outside of two teams of four, the agents deal with things individually, feeling their way through the cases. Once the organization can compile enough data to become a viable source of information or tools in dealing with supernatural events, the company will become a tier two organization.


The setting has put vampires and werewolves in the public eye. However, mages, fae, ghosts, etc. really have not been accepted in public. They are potentially in the game world, just currently unknown.


Legal
Montrose Safeguard of Chicago is copyright 2021 Derek Stoelting

Night Shift: Veterans of the Supernatural Wars is copyright Jason Vey and Elf Lair, LLC 2020 and is used without express permission.

No challenge to the copyright owners' rights is meant or implied.