GURPS Silencer

by Stephen Dedman

Art by andi jones

For this adventure, the GM will need the GURPS Basic Set, GURPS Compendium I, and GURPS Martial Arts. It is designed for 250-point Martial Arts characters, but is also suitable for cinematic Espionage or realistic Supers PCs. It is set in the present in a generic large city, and can easily be adapted for any period from Cliffhangers to Cyberpunk.

The city should be large enough to support a number of medium-sized criminal organizations, including the Jinzhi Shisan (Forbidden Thirteen) triad, and Terranova's gang. The Jinzhi Shisan, ruled by the proud and slightly paranoid Soong, will not deal in guns, a specialty of Terranova's; ex-addict Terranova hates the drug trade, a big earner for the triad. Both have always been careful to restrict their activities to their own territory. . . until now.

First Contact

The adventure begins with the PCs walking, as a group, in a low-rent area near the outskirts of Chinatown late at night. The first hint that anything is wrong is a soft thud, -8 to Hearing rolls, from a nearby alley. PCs who hear this should roll IQ to identify the sound as a silenced pistol shot (at -2 if they have no Guns skill), and to locate the source. The next hint, two turns later, is a muffled scream, at -3 to hearing. All of the surrounding businesses are shut for the night, and the nearest public phone is 150 yards away.

Fisher, Terranova, Jorge and one of Terranova's thugs have cornered Dan Jian and Linda Soong in the alley. Jian has already been fatally shot in the head, and lies face-down near Terranova's feet. If the PCs run into the alley on hearing the first shot, they will see Terranova about to shoot Linda, who is handcuffed to the dumpster handle; their arrival will distract him enough so that he shoots Linda through the torso rather than the vitals. If the PCs move when they hear the scream, Linda will be shot through the heart once for 15 points of damage, but they will be in time to prevent a second shot being fired and possibly save her life.

PCs will recognize Terranova on a roll on Streetwise at -3, or Area Knowledge (City) at -5; they will not recognize the others. The four villains are armed but scared of making too much noise; unless the PCs fire first, only Terranova will shoot, and only with the .22 (6 shots remaining). Fisher, a crooked vice cop, will not stick around to fight at all; he'll immediately sprint to the gate, climb over it, and head for his car (parked around a corner 60 yards away), dodging any attacks and eluding any pursuit. It is dark in the alley (-7 to Vision rolls), and improvised weapons (see p.B101) can be found with a Vision roll. Defeating the three remaining villains should be fairly easy; deciding what to do next may be more difficult. (If the villains win, they will place the .22 in the hand of one of the PCs who hasn't been shot and escape, leaving Linda to bleed to death; the PCs will revive in hospital with a police guard and be charged with Jian's and Linda's murders. See "Trial by Ordeal," below.)

If the PCs report the incident to the police and indicate a willingness to testify, this will enable Terranova to trace them quickly and easily, but it will also improve the odds of Terranova being found guilty of Linda's murder. If they don't report it, or report it anonymously, it will take Terranova 1d+1 days to find them (GM may modify for reputation, distinctive appearance, etc.), but the chances of making the murder charge stick will be greatly reduced.

If any of the PCs stay in the alley long enough to attempt first aid (not just bandaging, which may be enough to save Linda's life), the police will arrive before they've finished and demand a statement.

If caught, Terranova, Jorge and the thug will be jointly charged with Jian's murder; Terranova and Jorge will be released on bail two days later, and turn their attention to silencing any witnesses.

If the PCs don't make a statement to the police, go to "An Offer You Can't Refuse."

The Old Curiosity Shop

If the PCs have made a statement, one of them will receive a phone call from Soong three days after the fight. Soong wishes to meet the people who came to his granddaughter's rescue and express his gratitude. If none of the PCs accept this invitation, Soong will try appealing to any well-known weaknesses they may have (he is well-placed to exploit Lecherousness, Greed, Gluttony and most Addictions; he may also try the ruse of inviting the PCs to a martial arts tournament with a $5000 purse). If none of the PCs can be persuaded to meet with him, Soong will assume that this is a deliberate insult or that the PCs are involved in one of many plots against him, and send Ho and two students to fetch one of them for interrogation (see "The Death of a Thousand Cuts," below). If neither carrot nor stick works, go to "An Offer You Can't Refuse."

PCs who roll on Area Knowledge (Chinatown) at -2 will have heard that Soong, owner of Soong's Oriental Imports Emporium, is the secretary of one of Chinatown's largest tongs, a fraternal society of peaceful and mostly law-abiding shopkeepers and restauranteurs. A successful roll on Streetwise at -5 will reveal that Soong also deals extensively in stolen goods. A critical success on either will reveal that Soong is secretly the brains behind the Jinzhi Shisan (Forbidden Thirteen) triad, one of the city's major dealers in heroin, prostitution and illegal gambling.

Soong's Oriental Imports Emporium is a Chinatown junk shop adorned with strange stuffed animals and assorted weapons, as well as Chinese cookware and groceries, imitation Ming vases and terra-cotta warriors, happi coats, kites, cheap toys, costume jewelry, postcards, etc. Weapons available for sale include 1d+1 of every Chinese Weapon and knife listed in the weapons table (p.MA89-92), and a large selection of combat fans, shuriken and tetsubishi. Most are cheap quality, at 75% of list price, though some of the knives are fine or very fine and hideously expensive.

When the PCs visit the Emporium, Soong and Little Ho will be behind the counter. Soong will ask the PCs to tell him what happened and to describe the people who killed Jian. A good description (Bard -3, or Artist -1) will enable Soong to recognize Terranova and Jorge, but not Fisher or the thug. If the PCs speak Mandarin or Cantonese, add +1 to reaction rolls (+2 for a skill of 10+).

If Soong has a Good or better reaction to any of the PCs, he will give them each a gold ingot worth $500 in gratitude for saving his granddaughter, and offer them $10,000 if they can identify the man who ran from the alley. On a Poor to Neutral reaction, he will give only one gold ingot for the party, but the offer will be the same. On a Bad or worse reaction to most of the group, Soong will suspect that the PCs may have been involved in the murder, or are at least holding something back, and will summon the students from the kwoon (2 for every PC). Ho will draw his butterfly swords from beneath the counter, and the PCs Soong dislikes will be firmly discouraged from leaving. If the group decides to stick together, they will all be attacked, unless one defuses the situation with an Influence roll.

If the PCs escape, Soong will order Ho and the students to follow them and try to bring them back. As they probably know the alleys and short-cuts of Chinatown far better than most PCs, the GM may allow them to ambush the PCs in a less restricted area (contest of Area Knowledge skill).

Note: the sidewalk outside Soong's is usually crowded (1d-3 obstructions per hex) and the students will only be able to rush in one or two at a time. The interior of the shop is also filled with shelves, display cases and often fragile merchandise; anyone being thrown might land on a soft stack of T-shirts, or on a glass case full of tetsubishi (DR 2; if it breaks, multiply falling damage by 1.5), and a wild swing with a Heavy Horse-Cutter is more likely to bring down a half-dozen paper lanterns than an opponent. Use lots of onomatopoeias.

The Death of a Thousand Cuts

If Soong and Co. capture any PCs alive, they will tend to their wounds (preventing any bleeding but not restoring any hit points) then carry them through a labyrinth of tunnels to a small, damp space where no-one can hear them scream. Soong will then strip-search them.

If/when the PCs wake up, they will find themselves bound hand and foot (-2 to Escape rolls). The students who've helped carry them down are on their way back to the surface (Soong doesn't want anyone overhearing what the PCs have to say), leaving the PCs alone with Soong and Little Ho.

The only light in the chamber comes from an electric lantern, absentmindedly placed within reach of one PC's feet. If it is turned off or broken (DR 2, HP 1), the chamber will be plunged into absolute darkness, giving an advantage to characters with blind fighting. The light is also the only thing scaring away the rats; if it is turned off or taken away, 1d+1 swarms will creep into the chamber within a minute. Soong will not hesitate to use this as a threat.

Soong will interrogate the PCs for about an hour or until he is satisfied that the PCs have told him everything they know (whichever comes first). He and Ho will then leave the PCs to the mercy of the rats.

If the PCs escape from their bonds and try to blunder through the tunnels in the dark (Absolute Direction will only work for a character who was conscious when being carried down), they will eventually encounter Terranova and two thugs. If they have a light (or some super-sense that works in absolute darkness) they will find a ladder leading to a Chinese laundry where they can buy, borrow or steal some clothes before returning to the streets.

If the PCs can't escape Soong and/or the rats, Terranova and two thugs will arrive in time to save them (having been tipped off by one of the students). Armed with silenced H&K MP5s, and equipped with infrared goggles (as well as heavy flashlights), they will mow down Soong and Ho if they're still present, then loot their bodies. Rather than carry the PCs, however, they will free their legs and have them walk at gunpoint back through the maze of tunnels. Terranova will walk six feet behind the others, a flashlight in his left hand to point the way and deter the rats, an MP5 in his right. Fighting or running in these circumstances will be risky, but not necessarily suicidal; Terranova also wants the PCs alive long enough to question. Go to "Getting Away From It All."

An Offer You Can't Refuse

A week after his arrest, Terranova will attempt to use his one of his contacts in the movie business, Zen Cowan, to lure the PCs into a trap. Cowan started his career importing and dubbing cheap chop-sockey movies from Asia, and became a producer of ridiculously successful action movies, known for big budgets, spectacular fight scenes, attractive starlets, thin skimpy plots, and thinner skimpier costumes. All of the PCs will have heard of him, but none will know that he is deeply in debt to Terranova.

Cowan's secretary (Voice advantage; Diplomacy-14, Savoir-Faire-16, Sex-Appeal-15) will invite all the PCs to a charity premiere of Cowan's new film, Age of the Sword, followed by a lavish party. Cowan, she explains, has signed a contract for a $50m martial arts film, Dark Arena, and wants practitioners of many different styles to perform stunts, train actors, act as consultants, etc. Apart from the possible financial rewards and the chance to rub shoulders with celebrities and other martial arts champions, Cowan's parties are famous for catering to a variety of tastes and addictions. This really is an offer that only paranoid and demophobic PCs should be able to refuse.

Roleplay the party long enough to put the group off their guard. Possible incidents include tournament combat with the PCs' heroes or rivals; demonstrations of karate art or cinematic skills; arm-wrestling contests with Hollywood hunks (or mud-wrestling with starlets, if that's more to the characters' taste); admiring Cowan's collection of weapons; answering stupid questions from journalists and PR flacks; rescuing wannabe actresses from predators with stealthy knee-strikes and finger locks; etc. Meanwhile, Terranova will be watching through hidden cameras, and after an hour or so, will have the caterers dope the PCs' food and/or drinks with knockout drops (treat as a dose of masuizaki powder, p.MA121; IQ -10 to taste, roll HT -3 to stay conscious for another 1d minutes). Any PCs who resist the knockout drugs will be enticed into the gymnasium and knocked unconscious by as many of Terranova's thugs as it takes.

The unconscious PCs will then be driven to Terranova's safe house. Go to "Getting Away From It All," below.

Getting Away From It All

GURPS Silencer Terranova's safe house is a two hour drive from town, on a badly-lit minor road, with no other buildings for half a mile in any direction. If any of the PCs revive before reaching it, they will find themselves in the back of a van with their hands cuffed behind them. The cargo container is completely enclosed (though not airtight), without windows or access to the cabin; -9 to vision rolls for anyone without Night Vision. The only doors are at the back; they are not locked. The handcuffs are -5 to Escape skill, and the chain between them has DR 4 and 8 hit points; Karate/Boxing bonuses do not apply, but Breaking Blow and Power Blow may be used. Failure means thrust damage to each arm; critical failure automatically means two crippled arms.

Also in the back of the van is one Thug for every two PCs (round up), a 50-yard coil of 3/8" rope, and a small green canvas backpack containing 10 US Mk 67 grenades. The Thugs are armed with silenced H&K MP5s (Damage 2d) and wearing infrared goggles. The back of the van is slightly less than 6' wide and 9' long (2 hexes by 3), and footing is bad (-3 to any DX roll or DX-based skill, -1 for Pentjak Silat practitioners). If the PCs manage to surprise or overpower the guards and escape from the van, treat jumping onto the road as an 8-yard fall (for 8d-16). Worse still, the van is being followed by Jorge and another Thug in the Mustang convertible.

Jorge will concentrate on driving, but the Thug will open fire on anyone who opens the back doors of the van. If anyone falls or jumps from the van, Jorge will swerve to try to hit them, doing 12d damage. The only effective defense is a dodge; failing that, Roll with Blow would be extremely useful. The Mustang will stay 20 to 25 yards behind the van, and both are moving at between 40 and 50 mph, so anything dropped from the van will be underneath the Mustang one turn later, 20 yards behind it a turn after that. Throwing a grenade under the car won't work, but throwing one in might; -8 to Throwing skill with Night Vision, -14 without. If successful, roll 1d; on a 1, the grenade has landed in Jorge's lap; on a 3, in the Thug's; on a 2, between them; on a 4-6, in the back seat. If it lands in the front seat, either character may make one DX roll to grab it and throw it out; if it lands in the back, neither will be able to reach it in time. Either way, the blast will wreck the car and kill or K.O. both of its occupants. Shooting at Jorge or the thug is at -13 to skill with Night Vision (range, speed, and partial cover), -19 without.

If the van stops suddenly, characters in the back of the van will have to roll DX -3 to keep their feet. If the van accelerates while the doors are open, characters will have to roll DX +2 to stay standing; on a critical failure, they will be thrown out onto the road.

Climbing on top of the moving van and crawling over the roof (a la Raiders of the Lost Ark) will require two rolls on Climbing -6 or Acrobatics -3. Once on top of the cabin, a variety of attacks are possible. Note: the van has no hood to stand on, and standing on the fender without Immovable Stance or a good grip is extremely hazardous.

If Terranova (sitting in the passenger seat) hears anyone on the roof, he will fire his IMI Eagle through the ceiling (firing blind, -10 to hit; 3d-5 damage). Also in the cabin is a heavy flashlight, a first aid kit, a Remington M870 shotgun, a spare clip for the Eagle, and a large knife.

If the PCs decide to pretend to be unconscious until the van has stopped, they will have to make a contest of Acting or Body Control against the Thugs' IQ. If this succeeds, they will be conscious when they are carried into the safe house and their handcuffs are removed. Go to "Hell House," below.

Hell House

If the heroes don't escape from the van, they will be revived with ammonia inhalant capsules (roll vs. HT to wake up), to find themselves hanging naked from the ceiling in the washroom of the safe house, their hands cuffed around a pipe, their feet tied. The house (use the "indoor" side of the game map from GURPS Basic Set) has been utterly stripped of furniture, and the windows have been boarded up. There is no electricity or running water, though the thugs have a few canteens of water and thermos flasks of terrible coffee, and lighting is provided by an electric lantern and a few heavy flashlights (one for every two thugs). There will be 1.5 thugs (round up) for every PC, plus Terranova and Jorge; one will be armed with an AK-47, another with a Remington M870, Jorge and Terranova carry IMI Eagles and large knives, and the others will have silenced H&K MP5s. Terranova will interrogate his captives thoroughly, beating their feet with a baton if he suspects they're not cooperating; PCs can Dodge, but not Parry.

PCs who are less than 7' tall will not be able to touch the floor with their feet; this turns ordinary breathing into hard work (roll on Breath Control, or take 1 point of fatigue every HT minutes or after every strenuous action). The only attack possible in this position is a kick, and the Thugs will be careful not to come within kicking range unnecessarily (though they may be tricked into it with Sex Appeal, Psychology, or other methods).

After interrogating the prisoners until he is satisfied that he has learned everything they know about the identities of the people they saw in the alley, Terranova will leave them hanging while he returns to the city to follow up any leads. Two Thugs, armed with the shotgun, AK-47, knife, and flashlight will be left on guard, but both will soon fall asleep, giving the PCs a chance to escape before the others return. The front door is unlocked, the boarded-up windows are DR 2 and 5 hit points, and the van is parked behind the building. If the PCs are still there when Terranova returns, their fate will depend on his reaction to them individually; a Good or better reaction will mean a job offer, a poor or worse reaction will mean continued torture or a bullet to the brain.

Trial by Ordeal

If the PCs are charged with the murders of Jian and Linda, they will be imprisoned unless they can raise bail. PCs with comfortable wealth, a Patron or a large Ally group may be able to raise their own bail; a Wealthy character can bail one more party member out; a Very Wealthy character might bail the entire party. Any one left in prison faces the risk of being attacked by 1d-3 other inmates on a bad or worse reaction roll. This attack should be painful, but not fatal. If any party members are in jail when Fisher is captured (see "Runaway"), they will be cornered and attacked by 1d-1 of Terranova's thugs, armed with cheap knives.

A trial by jury is a contest of Law skills. Court-appointed lawyers have a skill of 1d+10, while the prosecution lawyer has Law-16. Better lawyers will be available to characters who can afford to pay them (Terranova's has Law-19). If the PCs are charged with Jian's and Linda's murders, individual characters may be encouraged to give evidence against other PCs in exchange for immunity, a difficult test of group loyalty.

After the trial, the jury will make a reaction roll towards the defendant(s) to determine the verdict, +/- the difference in the contest of Law skills. Modifiers include defendants' status, and possible intolerance or xenophobia on the part of the jury. If Terranova is tried, every PC who testifies against him gives a -1 modifier. If Fisher testifies, that gives another -3.

The jury's reaction is the verdict; a negative reaction means guilty, a positive reaction means not guilty. Neutral reactions go to the side which won the contest of Law, above.

Runaway

Two weeks after the fight in the alley, a PC will see Fisher, alone, in some innocent but crowded setting (a restaurant, a shop, etc.) and recognize him as the man who ran from the scene. Fisher will not notice or recognize the player character unless the PC draws attention to himself. The character will then have to decide whether to confront Fisher in public, or shadow him. Fisher will fight if confronted, and draw his gun if the PC seems to be the better fighter.

If Fisher is shadowed successfully for 30 minutes, he will lead the PC to one of Terranova's seedier nightclubs. Terranova, Jorge (if still alive), and several thugs (including the bouncer and barman) will be inside. The hero can then decide whether to call for back-up and take on the whole gang, or whether to wait in ambush for Fisher and haul him off to the nearest police station, where he can easily be persuaded to testify. A bar brawl is not obligatory, but it might be fun.

If the PCs do take on Terranova in the club, there will be enough Thugs to keep the numbers even. The Thugs will be as heavily armed as the PCs (if the group goes in empty-handed, the Thugs will also be unarmed; otherwise, shotguns, SMGs, etc., will be hidden behind the bar). The lighting inside is poor, -5 without Night Vision. The dancers and any other clients will vanish as soon as a fight starts.

Aftermath

In a best case scenario, the PCs will have rid the city of two crimelords and assorted henchmen, including a corrupt cop. Of course, other crimelords will arise to take their place, so this is only a temporary victory.

In a worst case scenario, some or all of the PCs may spend a few harrowing months in jail before Internal Affairs catches up with Fisher and their convictions are reversed, so this is only a temporary disaster. If this happens, Terranova may escape to another city, where the PCs may encounter him in another adventure.

Cast

Fisher

Late 30s; bushy red-brown hair and moustache, blue eyes; 5'9", 130 lbs.

ST 10, DX 13, IQ 11, HT 11. Move 5

Advantages: Double-Jointed; Law Enforcement Powers (Detective, 10 points); Night Vision; Wealth (Comfortable).

Disadvantages: Greed; Lecherousness; Weak Will/2.

Martial Arts: Police Hand-to-hand; Streetfighting.

Skills: Brawling-14; Climbing-15; Criminology-12; Demolition-11; Driving (Car)-14; Electronics Operation/TL7 (Security Systems)-13; Fast-Draw (Pistol)-13; Fast-Talk-14; First Aid/TL7-12; Guns/TL7 (Pistol)-16, (Shotgun)-15; Holdout-13; Interrogation-12; Judo-14; Law-12; Lockpicking/TL7-13; Mechanic/TL7 (Gasoline engine)-15; Pickpocket-12; Running-14; Sex-Appeal-12; Shadowing-12; Shortsword-14; Stealth-13; Streetwise-14.

Maneuvers: Arm Lock-16; Choke Hold-15; Face Attacks-10; Feint (Brawling)-15; Head Butt-10; Hit Location (Brawling)-12; Kicking-14; Knee Strike-15; Rabbit Punch-12; Retain Weapon (Pistol)-17; Roundhouse Punch-12; Stamp Kick-14.

Equipment: S&W M10 in custom concealed holster; spring-action Tokushu keibo; Swiss army knife; Second Chance Kevlar vest; Leather jacket. Car contains Remington M870, heavy flashlight, first aid kit, police radio, and gun cleaning kit.

Michael Fisher has worked his way up from crooked beat cop to detective. Though a very useful member of Terranova's racket, he has no loyalty to anyone but himself, and will squeal to avoid prison.

Jorge

Mid 20s; prematurely bald, brown skin, black eyes, big ears with 2d rings; 7'8", 258 lbs. Wears black chinos, black muscle shirt, and black cowboy boots.

ST 17, DX 12, IQ 11, HT 14. Move 6

Advantages: Charisma/1; Combat Reflexes; Musical Ability/2; Very Fit.

Disadvantages: Appearance (Unattractive); Dyslexia; Gigantism; Gluttony; Pirate's Code of Honor.

Martial Arts Styles: Capoeira.

Skills: Acrobatics-14; Brawling-15; Carousing-15; Climbing-13; Dancing (Brazilian)-13; Driving (Car)-12; First Aid/TL7-12; Garotte-12; Guns/TL7 (Pistol)-17, (other)-13; Intimidation-13; Judo-16; Jumping-14; Karate-14; Knife-15; Languages (English, Portuguese, Spanish)-11; Leadership-12; Musical Instrument (Drums)-15; Shortsword-13; Singing-15; Spear-13; Stealth-13; Streetwise-14; Survival (Jungle)-12; Throwing-13.

Maneuvers: Feint (Karate)-16; Ground Fighting (Karate)-12; Spin Kick-12; Sweeping Kick-12.

Weapons: Large Knife in boot; Colt .45 ACP Officers' Model in custom concealed holster (Holdout +3).

Jorge Obregon, Terranova's chief enforcer, was born in poverty on a cassava farm in Brazil, and occasionally wishes he'd stayed there. He's fairly even-tempered and prefers using his fists and feet to a gun or knife -- but he's not stupid; if shot at, he'll either shoot back or run.

Little Ho

Late 20s; light golden complexion, black hair, hazel eyes, tough-looking; 6'1", 180 lbs. Wears leather jacket and jeans.

ST 15; DX 13; IQ 10; HT 12. Move 6

Advantages: Fit; High Pain Threshold.

Disadvantages: Bad Temper; Bloodlust; Tong Code of Honor.

Martial Arts Styles: Wing Chun Kung Fu (Cinematic).

Skills: Area Knowledge (Chinatown)-13; Guns (Pistol)-14; Judo-16; Karate-16; Knife-14; Languages (Cantonese, English)-10; Shortsword-17; Two-Handed Sword-13; Philosophy (Zen Buddhism)-13.

Maneuvers: Arm Lock-18; Back Kick-14; Close Combat (Shortsword)-17; Elbow Strike-15; Feint (Shortsword)-18; Knee Strike-16; Off-Hand Weapon (Shortsword)-17; Riposte (Karate)-13; Spin Kick-14; Stamp Kick-14.

Cinematic Skills: Immovable Stance-12; Power Blow-10; Pressure Points-9. Cinematic Maneuvers: Dual-Weapon attack (Shortswords)-17; Enhanced Parry (all weapons); Sticking-15.

Weapons: Butterfly swords.

Little Ho is Soong's great-nephew and chief enforcer, and absolutely loyal. He likes decapitating the Triad's enemies, especially those who irritate him by being taller than he is.

Soong

Looks ancient but spry (actually 77 years old); weather-beaten golden complexion; long white hair, moustache and beard; black eyes; 5'2", 165 lbs. Wears old greenish-black suit over Second Chance Standard vest.

ST 8, DX 15, IQ 13, HT 9. Move 3

Advantages: Charisma/1; Combat Reflexes; Longevity; Reputation (+2 to Chinatown community, always recognized); Wealth (Wealthy); Weapon Master (Knife).

Disadvantages: Appearance (Ugly); Bad Temper; Bully; Eunuch; Fat (-10); Self-Centered; Sense of Duty (Extended Family); Tong Code of Honor.

Quirks: Hates guns; Intolerance (Japanese); Occasional paranoid tendencies.

Martial Arts Styles: An Ch'i; Chin Na.

Skills: Administration-16; Area Knowledge (Chinatown)-17; Armoury/TL4 (Thrown Weapons)-16; Blowpipe-16; Breath Control-13; Detect Lies-14; Fast-Draw (Knife)-18; Fast-Draw (Shuriken)-17; Fast-Talk-16; First Aid/TL7-13; Guns (Pistol)-16; Holdout-17; Interrogation-15; Judo-16; Karate-15; Knife-20; Languages (Cantonese, English, Mandarin, Korean)-13; Meditation-15; Merchant-18; Philosophy (Taoism)-15; Politics-14; Streetwise-16; Throwing-18; Traps-17.

Maneuvers: Arm Lock-19; Choke Hold-15; Feint (Throwing)-19; Finger Lock-17; Head Lock-13; Hit Location (Karate)-15, (Throwing)-17; Spinning Punch-14.

Cinematic Skills: Blind Fighting (Knife)-14; Pressure Points (Knife)-16; Throwing Art (knives only)-18.

Weapons: Large Knife; 2d shuriken and small switchblade knives.

Soong is the brains behind the Jinzhi Shisan (Forbidden Thirteen) triad, the city's main source of heroin. The triad also profits from gambling, protection, loan-sharking, prostitution, and the black market. Soong has hated guns ever since being shot in the groin with a 12-gauge by a business rival, and will not allow his hirelings to use them. He is not unusually greedy, but he is concerned that his family live comfortably -- as long as they obey him. He is as tyrannical and capricious as King Lear with his descendants and underlings, and can hold a grudge for decades.

Students

ST 11; DX 12; IQ 10; HT 11. Move 5.

Advantages: High Pain Threshold.

Disadvantages: Tong Code of Honor.

Martial Arts Styles: Wing Chun Kung Fu.

Skills: Area Knowledge (Chinatown)-13; Languages (Cantonese)-10, (English)-9; Judo-15; Karate-15; Knife-12; Shortsword-14; Two-Handed Sword-12; Philosophy (Zen Buddhism)-11.

Maneuvers: Arm Lock-16; Back Kick-12; Close Combat (Shortsword)-13; Elbow Strike-13; Feint (Karate)-16; Knee Strike-14; Off-Hand Weapon Training (Shortsword)-11; Riposte (Karate)-12; Spin Kick-12; Stamp Kick-13.

Weapons: None (but may use weapons from the Emporium).

Terranova

Early 50s; dark gray hair, blue eyes; 6'1", 190 lbs. Wears dark business suit, sap gloves (treat as brass knuckles), hard-toed shoes (+1 to kicking damage), Second Chance Standard kevlar vest.

ST 13; DX 13; IQ 13; HT 13. Move 6.

Advantages: Attractive Appearance; Charisma/2; Combat Reflexes; High Pain Threshold; Language Talent/1; Wealth (Wealthy); Voice.

Disadvantages: Bad Temper; Greed; Overconfidence; Reputation (-2, cops and underworld, recognized on 10 or less); Sadism; Vow (Has nothing to do with narcotics).

Quirks: Dislikes loud noises; Treats all sex as business.

Martial Arts Styles: Bando (realistic), Military Hand-to-Hand.

Skills: Administration-14; Area Knowledge (City)-14; Armoury/TL7 (Rifles and Handguns)-14; Body Language-13; Boxing-15; Brawling-15; Climbing-14; Detect Lies-12; Diplomacy-12; Driving (Car)-15; Fast-Talk-13; First Aid/TL7-13; Garotte-13; Guns/TL7 (Rifle, Pistol, SMG)-17; Holdout-15; Interrogation-14; Intimidation-15; Judo-15; Karate-16; Knife-16; Languages (English)-14, (Cantonese, Burmese, Italian, Malay, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese)-12; Law-11; Leadership-15; Merchant-14; Philosophy (Buddhism)-14; Politics-13; Savoir-Faire (Dojo, Military)-15; Scrounging-10; Sex-Appeal-16; Shortsword-14; Short Staff-13; Spear-12; Stealth-14; Streetwise-16; Tactics-12; Throwing-13; Whip-13.

Maneuvers: Aggressive Parry-7; Arm Lock-17; Disarming-17; Elbow Strike-15; Head Butt-12; Head Lock-12; Jab-15; Knee Strike-17; Retain Weapon (Rifle)-17; Riposte (Karate)-13; Shin Kick-15; Stamp Kick-14.

Weapons: Small knife in belt buckle; Wire garotte. Owns a large collection of guns, but rarely carries one. Silenced .22 is -8 to hear from 2 blocks away, RoF 1; otherwise, treat as Ruger Standard Model.

After a profitable career as a supply sergeant in Vietnam, Gene "The Silencer" Terranova stayed in Bangkok operating a nightclub-cum-brothel, and is rumored to have trafficked in guns, heroin, and stolen military hardware. He became a heroin addict, but kicked the habit, and returned home in 1991 as a wealthy man. Terranova then used a mix of muscle and money to take over much of the city's sex industry. He's also the mastermind behind the city's largest car theft ring, and still deals in weapons and other black market goods -- but not drugs. He murdered Dan Jian for repeatedly selling heroin in one of his night clubs, not realizing his date was one of Soong's granddaughters.

Terranova's nick-name comes from his preference for silent methods of killing, plus the fact that no-one has ever testified against him.

Thugs

ST 12; DX 11; IQ 9; HT 11. Move 5.

Advantages: Toughness (DR 1).

Disadvantages: Choose one or more from Bad Temper, Bloodlust, Bully, Callous, Greed, or Sadism.

Martial Arts Styles: Jujutsu, Streetfighting.

Skills: Area Knowledge (City)-13; Brawling-14; Climbing-11; Detect Lies-9; Driving (Car)-13; Fast-Talk-10; Guns (Pistol, Shotgun)-14, (Rifle, SMG)-13; Holdout-11; Intimidation-13; Judo-12; Jumping-12; Karate-13; Knife-13; Merchant-11; Running-12; Scrounging-11; Shortsword-14; Stealth-13; Streetwise-13; Survival (Urban)-11.

Maneuvers: Arm Lock-14; Back Kick-13; Disarming-14; Eye-Gouging-6; Feint (Brawling)-15; Head Butt-9; Kicking-14; Knee Strike-15; Neck Snap-9; Rabbit Punch-13; Roundhouse Punch-13; Spin Kick-13; Stamp Kick-14.

Weapons: Brass knuckles. Wear leather jackets and hard-toed boots (+1 to kicking damage). Other weapons as described in adventure.




Article publication date: November 25, 1999


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