Hand Of Glory-ogl

TM

"It’s true that Hitler was an unmitigated force of evil… But he had help." – Raymond Archer

Writing Sean Michael Fish, B.D. Flory, Scott Gearin, Patrick Kapera, Joe Unger

Brand Manager Patrick Kapera

Mechanics Lead Scott Gearin

Additional Assistance

Creative Director

Karl Michael Surber

Mark Jelfo

Art Director

Graphic Designers

jim pinto

Dave Agoston, Steve Hough

Cover Art

Chief Executive Officer

Veronica V. Jones

John Zinser

Interior Art

Chief of Operations

Zak Hennessey, Jonathan Hunt

Maureen Yates

Editor

Production Manager

D.J. Trindle

Mary Valles

Spycraft and Shadowforce Archer Created by Patrick Kapera and Kevin Wilson

The Spycraft/Shadowforce Archer Story Team is…

The Spycraft/Shadowforce Archer Design Team is…

Chad Brunner, Steve Crow, B.D. Flory, Heath Scheiman, Les Simpson, Joe Unger

Sean Michael Fish, B.D. Flory, Scott Gearin, Clayton Oliver

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 McPherson, 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

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 A Spider in the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Chapter 1: Campaign

Chapter 3: New Rules

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The Indoctrinated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Old Blood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 New Base Class: The Explorer . . . . . . . 41 New Prestige Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 The Channeler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 The Sage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 The Spiritualist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 The Valkyrie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 New Fringe Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 New Mystic Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 New Invocations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 New Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 New Rituals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Higher Thirst Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 The Wheel of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 New Relics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Eva Kraus Revisited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Fringe Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 NPC Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 NPC Class Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 NPC Class Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 The Degenerate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 The Drug Lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 The Frogman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 The Jäger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 The Occultist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 The Overseerer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 The Schwarzjäger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 The Shocktrooper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 The Thrall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 The Über . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Volcanoes Erupt Around the World, Part One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 State of the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Volcanoes Erupt Around the World, Part Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 In The News Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 German Military Cemetery Vandalized, Robbed . . . 11 Controversial Rock Group Prepares for Final Show 12 Below the Fold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 A Ghost of a Chance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Seeds of Destruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 The Fine Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Truth of the Matter: Volcanoes Erupt Around the World . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Truth of the Matter: German Military Cemetery Vandalized, Robbed . . . 15 Truth of the Matter: Controversial Rock Group . . . 16 Truth of the Matter: A Ghost of a Chance . . . . . . . 16 Truth of the Matter: Seeds of Destruction . . . . . . . 18

Chapter 2: Villain

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Shadow History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Before the Pact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parallels: The Hand of Glory in the 1950s . . . . . . . Prey: The Hand of Glory in the 1960s . . . . . . . . . . Dog Eat Dog: The Hand of Glory in the 1970s . . . Predator: The Hand of Glory in the 1980s . . . . . . Law of the Jungle: The Hand of Glory in the 1990s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Collision: The Hand of Glory Today . . . . . . . . . . . Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Motivations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Demagogue’s Legacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Descent of Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ritual Loyality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dozer Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Myrmidon Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other Divisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Propaganda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Villain Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Australia and New Zealand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . South America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Europe and Great Britain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Middle East . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Russia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enemies of the Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Finnian Collector’s Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Xong Tzu Jen and the Chinese Government . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 New Departments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

20 23 24 25 25 26 26 27 27 27 28 28 28 28 30 32 34 34 34 34 35 35 35 35 35 36 36 36 36 36 37 38

Chapter 4: Challenge

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 New Feature NPCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Bakari, Uchenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anderson, Francis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Threats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Die Spinne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The College of Theological Archaeology Hook Sheet: Having a Blast . . Monolith Encounter Map . . . . . Buenos Aires Chase Map . . . . . . Open Gaming License . . . . . . . . . . Open Gaming Content . . . . . . . . .

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Hand of Glory “Monsters,” Saul corrected, seating himself in the chair opposite his sofa. “It is my sincerest hope that we may one day bring justice to all of your kind.” The intruder removed his hat and set it on his lap, revealing himself. Saul instantly recognized the man’s glittering cold steel eyes and crooked nose. “Perhaps they will, old man,” the intruder continued, “but you? I think not.” Saul stiffened. It wasn’t possible: Heilemann was almost twenty years dead now, sprawled in the Nevada desert. But in his heart, Saul knew that he faced his father’s killer… here, today — the same man he’d killed twenty years before. Fear settled into Saul’s stomach. “How?” he muttered. “Irrelevant.” The Nazi dismissed the question with a wave of his hat and his expression brightened into an almost genuine smile. “It’s good, however, that you remember. It will make this much more satisfying.”

A S PIDER IN THE W EB The chain broke when the intruder threw his shoulder into the heavy wooden door, and Saul’s head snapped back as the oak surface smashed into his face and shattered his nose. The old man staggered back from the entrance into his small apartment, upending a small table at the end of the hallway. Scrambling for purchase, he tripped over a fallen piece of furniture and sprawled backward, landing hard on his tailbone. The wind fled his lungs. The intruder stepped inside, closed the door, and locked it with a quiet click. He was tall — well over six feet — and imposing. A gray trenchcoat concealed his clothing, and an upturned collar and fedora shrouded his features in shadow. Snug leather gloves completed his sinister outfit. Saul struggled to his hands and knees, still gasping for breath. Calmly, the intruder stepped around him and seated himself comfortably on the arm of a nearby sofa. He watched dispassionately as Saul struggled for breath, and smiled wolfishly when he heard Saul inhale with a tremendous gasp. “Good,” he commented with a clipped German accent. “I was afraid you were going to succumb before we could talk.” “Who…?” Saul grunted painfully, then thought better of the question and struggled to his feet, moving toward the door. “Please, Mr. Grossberg, stay.” The intruder emphasized his request by drawing a pistol from his coat: a Luger Mauser, the sidearm of a Nazi officer. Recognition dawned in Saul’s eyes and the intruder smiled with grisly satisfaction. “I see you recognize the model. I’m glad your memory hasn’t faded with your youth.” Finally able to breathe again, Saul wiped the blood from his mouth and spat a fragment of one of his teeth onto the floor. “Of course I recognize it,” he said, a faint lisp slipping past his broken tooth. “A Mauser bullet killed my father in Auschwitz-Birkenau.” Blood ran freely from Saul’s broken nose and he spat again. “I was made to watch.” “A regrettable incident.” “‘Regrettable’? And I suppose Stammlager, Dachau, and Birkenau were merely mistakes?” “Don’t misunderstand, my good man,” the intruder answered derisively. “I don’t regret my cause. But following the war, your compatriots became something of an inconvenience. As did you.” He gestured sharply with the pistol, ordering Saul into the small living room. “Your associates have been responsible for the death of many loyal soldiers.”

1967 “You’re certain?” Saul asked tensely. David nodded. “There’s no mistake. Heilemann fled to the United States in 1951 and was instrumental in die Spinne’s success. He’s helped hundreds of Nazis escape Europe.” Saul’s intensity worried the younger man, but he understood the cause: Heilemann was an officer in the death camp where Saul had spent too many of his childhood years, and the man responsible for the death of Saul’s father. “Are you sure this is wise?” David asked. “No,” Saul answered, steel lacing his voice. “But it’s what I must do.” For the third time that night, Saul carefully examined each bullet in the cylinder of his revolver, then closed the weapon. David regarded his friend and superior silently, then nodded. “I understand.” Saul slid his weapon into his shoulder holster and shook his head slowly. “I don’t think you do, David. This isn’t just revenge — though I’d be a liar if I claimed I was beyond such things. Die Spinne is the largest obstacle to our goal, and Heilemann is the spider lurking at the center of its web. I intend to kill him.” “Please, Saul.” David hesitantly offered his argument one last time. “We aren’t murderers. We should report Heilemann to the authorities.” Saul snorted a bitter, ragged laugh. “You think they’ll arrest him? No. The Americans — the CIA — are complicit in his work. To them, Nazis are nothing more than tools to be exploited.” Saul clutched his friend’s shoulder in a gesture of solidarity. “They aren’t interested in justice.” “And you?” Saul considered his answer carefully. “Without a measure of retribution, justice has no teeth.” Then, holding up a hand to silence David’s response, he added, “He’s coming around.”

4

A Spider in the Web The two men heard a muffled groan from the back seat as Heilemann regained consciousness, and a grunted curse in German as the Nazi realized his dilemma. He was bound tightly at his hands and feet, and wedged face down against the floor in the rear of the car. “You are comfortable?” Saul inquired politely. “No,” Heilemann retorted angrily. “Good.” Saul stepped outside, slamming his door behind him. He opened the rear door, grabbed Heilemann under his armpit, and dragged him out of the car. He threw Heilemann face down on to the cracked earth of the Nevada desert and spat, “You have five minutes to escape those bonds, Nazi. After that, I will shoot you.” He drew the hammer back on his revolver, the mechanism’s cold click punctuating his next words: “Arbeit Macht Frei, butcher… Work frees, remember?” Heilemann sneered at the gunman and struggled to right himself, kicking up a miniature dust storm. Finally, after almost a minute, he was able to flip himself. His face was scratched raw by the gritty desert floor, and his dapper Armani suit now featured innumerable tiny tears. Blood flowed from a myriad of lacerations on his cheeks, chin, forehead, and nose. Flushed from the heat and desert sun, he grated, “Who are you?” from between clenched teeth. “Four minutes, Heilemann,” Saul answered harshly. “I suggest you don’t waste them asking questions.” Heilemann began to struggle again, and Saul leaned comfortably against the car, covering the Nazi with his revolver. “You probably wouldn’t remember me, anyway.”

Heilemann’s efforts subsided once more, and he narrowed his eyes hatefully. “You’d be surprised. I have an excellent memory — and I’ll not forget this.” “I would be very surprised if you did, considering the circumstances,” Saul replied. Slowly, Heilemann nodded. “Yes, I do remember you. Little Saul Grossberg, all grown up. Your father would be proud of you, hmm?” Saul’s posture stiffened. He stepped forward and delivered a short, sharp kick to Heilemann’s jaw, relishing the sound as the Nazi’s jaw bone cracked. Heilemann rolled to absorb the blow as best he could, but still suffered the brunt of the attack. He remained on his side, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth to quickly soak into the dry ground. Carefully, he rolled over to face Saul and slurred, “You were a fine worker, better than your father. And you lived.” Blood collected in Heilemann’s mouth, and before he spoke again, he turned his head to let it drain onto the ground. “As you say: Arbeit Macht Frei.” Flatly, Saul responded, “Two minutes.” Heilemann renewed his efforts to escape his bonds, though half-heartedly. After nearly a minute, he spoke again, more clearly than before despite his broken jaw. “We both know this is a farce, Grossberg. You’d be a fool to let me live after what you’ve done.” Saul didn’t answer. “But then, you were a fool to abduct me. I’m responsible for only a few strands of die Spinne’s web. My death will accomplish nothing, except to guarantee your own…” As Heilemann spoke, David emerged from the passenger side of the car. “…and your friend’s.”

5

Hand of Glory “One minute.” David moved around the car and clutched Saul’s arm. “We can’t do this, Saul. Not like this. We’re not murderers. We’re not like him.” Saul shook off David’s grip and rounded on the younger man. “Don’t you dare compare me to him! You weren’t there, David. You don’t understand.” David snagged Saul’s sleeve, tearing it open and revealing a brand: a string of numbers, only slightly blurred by intervening decades. “His kind gave you this, Saul, and you’re going to give him a bullet. One makes you a victim, the other makes you a murderer.” Saul gazed at him silently and drew back the hammer of the revolver with his thumb. Without taking his eyes off David, he said coldly, “Time’s up.” David released his superior and sadly shook his head. Saul’s cold eyes lingered on the young man for a moment before he turned back to Heilemann, who had not yet responded to Saul’s pronouncement. Heilemann was gone. The bonds lay unraveled on the desert floor, twisting limply like a mangled snake. Hundreds of tiny spiders crawled among the loose coils, and even more lay inert, crushed by Heilemann’s recent struggles. The car shook with a dull thud, drawing Saul’s attention from the macabre scene. He spun just in time to see David slam into the car a second time and tumble limply out of sight. Saul rushed around the trunk and found David lying in the dust, bleeding heavily from a wide gash across his scalp. He crouched and rolled his friend over to take stock of his injuries. As if he’d flipped a rock in a field, spiders of all shapes and sizes squirmed and skittered across the desert sand, desperate to escape the blinding sun. They boiled up from the cracks in the earth and streamed out of David’s clothing: from his sleeves, his collar, and his pant legs issued forth an unholy menagerie of tiny writhing arachnids. Hissing in surprise, Saul dropped his revolver and scrambled back in an awkward crab walk, only to barrel into Heilemann’s legs. Saul lost what little remained of his balance and crashed to the parched earth, but Heilemann didn’t budge an inch. Saul coughed as the dust cloud caused by his sudden movements roiled around him, and blinked rapidly to protect his eyes from the grit. For a moment, he was blind. His vision cleared just in time to see Heilemann’s boot on a collision course with his jaw, and only a split-second reaction saved him from a broken neck. He clumsily rolled with the kick, slumping against the car’s rear tire. His vision danced wildly before him, and he could feel hundreds of tiny vermin crawling across his body. Heilemann cracked his knuckles viciously as Saul shook his head to clear the cobwebs. When he was coherent again, Saul spared a quick glance in David’s

direction, but the young man was still, motionless. Heilemann chuckled quietly — his laugh bordering on a growl. “I assure you, your friend is quite dead,” he said, stepping forward and crouching in front of Saul with an almost amiable smile. “The poison, you see, is most efficient. His suffering was unimaginable, but quite brief. You won’t be so lucky.” The myriad spiders swarmed around Heilemann’s feet, and a few crawled across his shoes to climb inside his pant leg. Heilemann indicated the crowding spiders at Saul’s feet. “Whereas my allies tended to your friend, I’ll be disposing of you personally.” The Nazi straightened, casually donning a pair of leather gloves drawn from his sport coat pocket. Almost as an afterthought, he lifted his booted foot and stamped down on the top of Saul’s knee, relishing the crackle of bone and cartilage even over his target’s scream. Heilemann examined the injury dispassionately. Seemingly satisfied, he turned and took a few steps away, drawing a pack of cigarettes. His tiny legion followed, eager to escape from the harsh sun into the darkness of the Nazi’s wardrobe. Saul gritted his teeth against the fire in his leg and quickly scanned the area for his lost revolver. The tide of pests thinned, revealing the weapon’s textured grip, a landmark of sanity amidst the sea of madness in which he was drowning. Desperately clenching his teeth against the scream he knew was coming, Saul rolled over to reach for the gun. Agony exploded up his leg. Within his torso it transformed into a scream that would leave his throat raw for a week — if he lived that long. Nonetheless, he felt his grip close around the revolver’s comforting butt and his finger slip smoothly into the trigger guard. Heilemann whirled and leapt at Saul, but too late. The gun’s report echoed across the desert as the Nazi collapsed into the ground, a bullet lodged in his brain. Like rats aboard a sinking ship, the spiders scrambled away from the Nazi, seeking shelter underneath the vehicle. It was apparent that without Heilemann’s influence, they were mindless once more. Saul pushed the Nazi away from the car and, grunting in pain, left him lying face down in the sun. “I was going to bury you,” he wheezed, “but nobody’s going to find you this far from civilization.” He chuckled grimly and glanced under the car, where Heilemann’s menagerie was hidden. “Besides, who am I to deny your friends a meal?” 2002 Heilemann’s scream was filled with razor blades and broken glass. The pain was indescribable, almost transcendent, but also transitory. In moments, the new flesh knitted snugly around his exposed organs and he was whole again. “Welcome back,” a familiar voice greeted him. Heilemann coughed twice, then croaked, “Otto?”

6

A Spider in the Web Skorzeny clasped Heilemann’s hand roughly and hauled the Nazi to his feet. “We had the devil’s own time finding you, but what she wants, she gets.” “Who?” Skorzeny waved off the question. “You needn’t worry about it yet. First, we need some of your blood.” Before Heilemann could react, Skorzeny drew a razorsharp blade across his arm, catching some of his blood in a small vial. Skorzeny capped and pocketed the vial and said, “Just to make sure you come home.” “What’s going on?” “You’ll find out soon enough. Just now, it’s time for a few history lessons.” “Saul Grossberg?” Heilemann asked hungrily. “Alive,” Skorzeny sighed. “I will kill him myself,” Heilemann spat. “He’s yours,” Skorzeny continued dispassionately. “You have a week.” “You don’t approve, sir?” Skorzeny shook his head wearily. “First, don’t call me ‘sir.’ The nation and the army that granted my rank are long gone. The Reich survives, but Germany — and the world — has changed. “Second, when I was brought back, I had no vengeance to wreak. I died twenty-seven years ago, in bed. But your circumstances were different. As I said, you have one week to…” he paused, searching for the right word, “…indulge.” “After that, you’re ours.”

Saul felt their tiny pincers stripping the flesh from his gums and stomach, and the horrifying sensation as those skittering across his skin spread quickly across his entire body. He didn’t feel their bites — the venom spread quickly, clouding his vision and making his head spin… Heilemann released his grip and stepped back, admiring his pets’ work. Through the haze, Saul heard Heilemann call his name, but he was powerless to respond. The Nazi leaned in, and his bitter breath washed over the dying man’s face. “Remember this: the web survives despite you. And as long as it remains, Herr Grossberg, there will always be a spider at its heart.” “Always.”

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, costs nothing, and never interrupts the flow of your game. All you have to do to join this remarkable RPG experience is either include plot hooks featured throughout any Shadowforce Archer release in your game, and/or download the current episode (found at the website) — including a complete serial with all the plot, stats, maps, and details for one or more exciting evening of play. Run the episode and any number of plot hooks, then report back to us through the website’s Threat Center about what happened at your table. We’ll fold the results into upcoming Shadowforce Archer releases (in this case, the PanAsian Collective, due in Spring 2003, the European Commonwealth, and beyond), 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 9), which updates the setting and tracks results from previous releases. This book is limited to early results, as it’s only the third episode and many threads from the Worldbook haven’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. Dive into the action today!

Now Saul wiped at his bloody chin with his sleeve. “Why now, Heilemann? If you survived, why did you wait all this time to find me?” “I didn’t survive, any more than your father survived the camps.” The Nazi smiled at the ugly glare the comment elicited from his prisoner. “But the hand of God Himself protects the Reich, and I have returned to see justice done.” As he spoke, first dozens, then hundreds of spiders streamed from his sleeve, just behind his pistol. “My pets survived only a short time in the desert. The nourishment I provided was gone all too quickly, and one by one, they died in my shadow. But they would very much like to thank you for the meal you left them.” Horrified, Saul clumsily staggered to his feet. Like lightning, Heilemann’s free hand was around his throat, pressing him back down into the chair. “They’ve been looking forward to this, Saul. They haven’t eaten in years.” Heilemann loosened his grip enough for Saul to breathe — though not without effort. The Nazi’s strength was incredible. Saul clawed at his hand, but his efforts were fruitless and he went limp in the chair, helpless to stop the army of arachnids from swarming into his mouth, down his throat…

7

Hand of Glory squaring off with the Hand (and with whom Archer operatives can join forces in the field), as well as indepth discussions of the Hand’s methods and motives, and new Hand of Glory NPCs. Chapter Three: New Rules offers two new departments, one new base class (the adventuresome explorer), and four new prestige classes — including the seemingly immortal valkyrie, spirit-communing spiritualist, and the mystic powerhouse known as the channeler — as well as many new feats, gadgets, and vehicles geared specifically for Hand of Glory villains (but available to any character in the game). This chapter also expands upon the mystic powers introduced in the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, presenting new rites, rituals, feats, higher levels of Thirst as powerful mystics spiral into ever greater madness, and even global effects during eight seasons each year! Finally, 10 new villainous NPC classes add tremendous variety to the foes the GC can pit against the agents and allow him to populate his world with an ever more diverse collection of characters. Chapter Four: Challenge presents a number of tools the GC can use to build a Hand of Glory campaign, including two new feature NPCs (the organization’s inner circle), two new threats (as usual, complete with interactive plot hooks), and two locations — Monolith (the Hand’s secret volcanic research center) and Buenos Aires (a hot spot of recent Hand activity). One new hook sheet rounds out the book, allowing GCs to immerse teams in the action quickly and cleanly.

INTRODUCTION Following World War II, hundreds of Nazis fled Allied persecution, slipping into South America through clandestine railroads or brokering their services to serve out life sentences as specialists for the superpowers. But a segment of the Nazi threat escaped all notice, using Germany’s most secret wartime weapons to conceal their flight. The Demagogue’s mission to create a new Aryan empire a proven failure, these refugees abandoned their Nazi ideals in favor of their true goal all along — to serve the insidiously powerful Eva Kraus, one of Shadowforce Archer’s most hated villains. Eva renamed the remnants of the Third Reich the Hand of Glory and directed them toward a new vision, the erection of a modern occult empire, built on the ashes of the mysterious Ancients’ civilization. In over fifty years since, the Hand of Glory has spread worldwide, gathering a stockpile of mystic knowledge and artifacts to rival that of the ageless Guardians of the Whispering Knife, and developing new and unexpected weapons to field against all enemies. One such enemy is the Archer Conspiracy, which has underestimated the Hand in the past. Now aware that the world-spanning organization is close to its ultimate goal of global rebirth, thousands of operatives are being fielded from every Chamber to bring it down. But is it already too late? The Hand of Glory Threat Book presents a complete villain organization, meticulously developed as a living, breathing entity with a unique flavor and countless game play options. Carefully integrated into the official Shadowforce Archer setting with dozens of plot hooks, game options, and character design instructions, this book also features many new villain archetypes, pre-built NPCs, and supporting material for the first climax episode of the SFA Interactive campaign (see page 7).

Hand of Glory Agents Though this is a threat book — and therefore about the villains of the setting — it’s not exclusively for the Game Control. Players can benefit from many of the agent creation options in Chapter 3, as well as the resources presented by the two enemies of the Hand located in Chapter 2 (see page 36). Beyond all this, the Hand’s history and current command structure have been built to allow for recent defectors and rogue operatives from the organization. As usual with Shadowforce Archer sourcebooks, everything required to play any character option presented in the story text is included. All you need is the GC’s approval and you, too, can play one of the bad guys (whether you’re working for the good guys or not). For more information about this option, see pages 27 and 40.

What This Book Contains This Threat Book is divided into four chapters, containing the following information. Chapter One: Campaign updates the Shadowforce Archer setting, advancing the story and developing plots introduced in the first episode (the core release), along with brand new hooks built to interlock with the climax episode of the SFA Interactive campaign but useful on their own. Chapter Two: Villain describes the Hand of Glory as it exists today, outlining the organization’s international scope, history, allies in the world’s villain communities, and the resources it can bring to bear against the agents. Also included are outlines of three new enemies

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October 25, 2002

VO L C A N O E S E R U P T A R O U N D WO R L D ENVIRONMENTALISTS WARN OF DIRE CONSEQUENCES Jordan Mitchell Staff Writer An unprecedented number of volcanic eruptions around the world in the past twentyfour hours has placed thousands of lives in danger and left leading vulcanologists scrambling for an explanation. “Our top minds are reviewing all of the data we’ve collected,” said Dr. Emilia Bell, head of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol, England. “Conclusions will be released as soon as they’re available.” Officials with the Volcano Research Center — Earthquake Research Institute at the Aerial University of Tokyo are searching for answers as well. “It almost seems like a domino effect, with a new eruption in each time zone, exactly one hour apart,” said Dr. Setsuya Watanabe, Professor of Geophysics. “It’s unheard of, but clearly not impossible. We had no prior warning for today’s events, so we must carefully study what has happened and learn from it to make sure we’re prepared in the future. Meticulous scrutiny of this event could yield new insights into our world’s everchanging interior.” Regarding the eruption chain’s consistent one-hour interval and bizarre eastward progression, Bell said, “We have no information as yet to indicate a clear cause or pattern. The circumstances of this momentous geological event are staggering and uncanny, but in time they will be explained. The cause of an event of this magnitude can’t evade us forever.” When asked to confirm that the chain included several volcanoes previously believed to be extinct, Bell declined to comment. Bell’s careful statement was the topic of much debate during last evening’s edition of Common Ground, the latest prime time commentary show dominating the Neilsen ratings. Among the guests were noted vulcanologist Stephen Peters of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, who vehemently discounted non-traditional theories about the eruptions. “Leaping to conclusions at this point would not only be rash but destructive, hindering the scientific thinking needed to determine the truth behind this remarkable event.”

nine hours: Nisyros in Alexandros, Harrat ad Dakhana in Saudi Arabia’s Harrat Hutaymah volcanic field, Barren Island in the Indian Ocean, Baitoushan on the border between China and Korea, Me-Akan in Japan, Zhelotovsky in Kamchatka, Russia, Raoul Island in Kermandee, Mageik in Alaska, and Volcan de las Tres Virgenes in Baja California. “It’s like one of those disaster movies,” said Della Edell, a missionary for the Church of the Divine Word and witness to the eruption at Raoul Island. “We saw a group of tourists making camp in the view of a village outside Baitoushan, area last night and now, this morning, the whole area is following the volcano’s blast. gone. Only God knows what happened to them.” Counter-panelist George Wabashaw, Of the twelve eruptions, the largest by known as “Profundo” among his fledgling far was Baitoushan, with a Volcanic religious sect, “The Armchair Apocalypse,” Explosivity Index (VEI) of 6 and an was predictably reactionary. “This has estimated plume height of more than 25 nothing to do with science!” he declared. kilometers. Only four other volcanoes have “Revelations speaks of the Sixth Seal erupted with more violence in the last unleashing earthquakes and turning the 10,000 years, one of which was sun as black as sackcloth. These are the Baitoushan itself in 1050 AD. The last End Times, friends, and they are beyond eruption to register a 6 on the VEI our understanding or control! We must occurred in 1883, destroying the island of take stock and brace for the liberating fury Krakatau. The second most powerful of Judgment! The Armchair Apocalypse is eruption occurred in Iceland with a VEI of ready to help you through this precarious 5 — the same force of the 1981 Mt. St. time — you can reach us to volunteer your Helens eruption in Washington state. time and money at…” Yesterday’s remaining eruptions each Even the single-minded Informer registered a VEI of 4, the same force of the network news program paused in its Galunggung eruption in 1982 in West unending coverage of Villain X for a few Java, Indonesia. minutes to talk about the eruptions. “Our (See VOLCANOES, page 11, for more) reliable yet unnamed sources claim that the eruptions can only be the result of connected magma chambers,” Informer anchorman Dylan David claimed. “We’ll keep you updated about this remarkable opportunity for geographic discovery as news develops.” The first volcanic eruption was recorded at 6 A.M. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) within the Eldgja Fissure System in Iceland, an explosive force that blasted through part of the Myrdalsjokull ice cap. It was the first eruption there since 935 AD. Exactly one hour later, a second eruption occurred at Montanas del Fuego on Isla de Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. Another eruption followed in the next hour at the Isola Vulcano in the Aeolian archipelago off the coast of Italy. Nine more eruptions occurred over the next

In Other News Today… •

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Nuclear blast in Africa; terrorists blamed — See world, page 93 German military cemetery vandalized, robbed. — See world, page 11 Reports of guerrilla activity throughout South America — See world, page 37 Controversial rock group prepares for final show of tour. — See culture, page 12

Hand of Glory 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 an unprecedented series of volcanic eruptions around the world. As you’ll see starting on page 13, however, much of the real news about this event is kept from the papers, and may be known only to the Archer Foundation and its allies. The second section of this chapter — “In the News” — describes events that 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 at the Shadowforce Archer Threat Center). 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 W ORLD This chapter brings the Shadowforce Archer setting current to October 2002, and introduces most of the plot threads featured in Episode #3 of the SFA Interactive storyline (see page 7 and the official website for more). Each event 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) through the official website’s Threat Center, you can affect the ongoing storyline and change the direction of future sourcebooks and web support material. Each release has a submissions page on the website. Simply 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, website resource, or other upcoming game material, as announced at the Threat Center. Of course, you can ignore the metagame and simply plug the plot hooks into your games in the traditional manner. Shadowforce Archer books fully support this option as well, with no space wasted on material useful to only one style of play.

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Campaign VOLCANOES INNEWS THE TODAY… (continued from the front page) Though no major population centers are yet threatened by these eruptions, scores of rural communities have been destroyed or evacuated, leaving thousands homeless with hundreds or more dead or missing. Damage is conservatively estimated in the millions. Each nation affected by the eruptions is responding in its own fashion. Mageik, Alaska has been declared a federal disaster area, and the Alaskan Governor has called in the Army National Guard to assist relief efforts. Similar overtures have been extended to victims in Kamchatka, but other regions may not fare as well. Unconfirmed reports indicate Chinese and North Korean military forces are deployed along their respective borders to prevent either nation from taking advantage of the Baitoushan eruption. International relief organizations promptly responded to the catastrophes as well, principally coordinated under the United Nations’ Phoenix provision (originally intended to provide global aid in the event of nuclear war). Among the independent entities offering both financial and scientific aid through the UN are the Archer Institute for the Sciences in Canberra, Australia and the Janus Committee out of South Africa. When asked why the noted think-tank was so quick to respond to the global crisis, Archer spokesman Clifford Romero responded, “The worst tragedies can bring out the best in humanity. As a force for world peace, we must always set an example for others to follow.” According to some scientists, many more relief efforts will be needed to help with this tragedy’s aftermath. “Not only must we contend with fires and lava flow, but the huge clouds of ash and water vapor being pumped into the atmosphere will alter weather patterns,” said Richard Davidson, Assistant Administrator for the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS). “Dramatic effects, from torrential rains to fierce lightning storms to showers of mud, are common results of ash particles acting as nuclei for raindrops.” Davidson added that the eruptions might have other ecological effects as well. “We know that small ash and aerosol particles are able to reflect incoming solar radiation, which can cause global cooling. The 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines caused a worldwide cooling of about half a degree Celsius. Such changes in temperature have effects on some large-scale high and low-pressure zones which, of course, affect weather patterns. Unfortunately, at this point, we can only guess at the total future environmental impact.”

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

German Military Cemetery Vandalized, Robbed CRETE — Deutscher Soldaten Friedhof, the German war cemetery overlooking the Maleme airfield, is a crime scene today following a recent outbreak of thefts and defacements. Over half of the cemetery’s 4,000 graves are believed to have been tampered with, and local officials have called upon the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO)-Interpol to aid in determining the culprits and their motive. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” said cemetery caretaker Daphnis Zaharopoulos. “Security has always been light here because everyone has always been respectful. Whoever did this took advantage of decades of peace and good will.” Most of the damage to the graves appears to be the result of digging, though remains were only removed from an estimated fifty Waffen-SS officers’ graves. “Clearly this means the thieves were looking for something in particular,” Interpol Investigative Officer Walter Kidman said. “Whatever they were after, they must have found it. We have officers combing the island and checking with the international collectors’ market. These hoodlums won’t get far.” Historians and archaeologists have been asked to help determine what might have been valuable enough to encourage such an unusual crime. Being the final resting place for Nazi soldiers killed in the 1941 Battle of Crete, the cemetery wasn’t thought to hold anything of significance. “We wouldn’t have buried anything important,” said Bairbre Jacoumis, who was ten years old when the Nazis invaded the small Mediterranean island. “I remember my father and the other men searching all the bodies, taking all the identification papers and weapons. Those grave-robbers were after something else… Unless their goal was merely desecration.” Strangely, cemetery caretakers report that much of the graves’ disturbed earth is apparently missing. “It’s only a guess right now, but we’re looking at as much as several hundred pounds of missing dirt,” said one caretaker who wished to remain anonymous.

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Hand of Glory “What anyone would do with it, let alone how they got it out of here, is beyond me.” The most reasonable explanation thus far points to horticultural uses for the earth. “Grave dirt is rich in minerals and nutrients known to accelerate plant growth,” said Richard Fowls, head of Botanical Research at New York’s Green Thumb Society. The vandals etched strange marks upon various gravestones and the cemetery’s front gate. “We’ve seen similar markings in Austria, Germany, and France,” said Kidman, “sometimes at crime scenes, sometimes as graffiti. We initially believed they were variations of ancient Germanic runes being used as gang signs, but this event changes things. Why would neo-Nazi gangs vandalize the graves of people they admire?” The hill upon which the cemetery rests was vital for the control of the Chania airport in 1941, which has since been replaced by the smaller Maleme airport. A total of 6,580 Germans were killed in the Battle of Crete, along with almost 2,000 Allied soldiers. The Allied cemetery is 6 kilometers away at Souda, one of the most strategically important NATO anchorages in the Mediterranean.

a… good time and forget about their miserable… lives for a little while. Our fans are… lucky we have [a] fearless lawyer who doesn’t put up with that… fascist [oppression].” Adam Powell Chomsky, lawyer for Ragnarock and other musicians on the Grandeur Records label, has become famous in his own right for handling the band’s legal woes. “The biggest problem we face isn’t the lyrics of our music but bad parenting,” Chomsky says. “These parents are naturally distraught when their children become strung out on drugs or commit suicide but, instead of taking the responsibility themselves, they find it easier to blame us. If they would take responsibility to begin with, their children would probably be safe and sound.” Tickets for tomorrow night’s performance sold out in less than twenty minutes when they went on sale three months ago. Some are reportedly being scalped for more than £600 apiece. “Whatever they’re paying, it’s going to be [well] worth it,” assures Ragnarock drummer Konrad Comrade. “This is going to be a show no one will ever… forget!”

Controversial Rock Group Prepares For Final Show Of Tour

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.

LONDON — The popular Swedish heavy metal band Ragnarock ends its six-month European tour at Twickenham Stadium tomorrow night, after which they intend to take a three-week hiatus before embarking on an extended tour of North America. Security at Twickenham Stadium will be tripled in anticipation of riots similar to those at the band’s final concerts in Berlin, Paris, and Barcelona. “It’s just a precautionary measure,” assures Twickenham’s Security Chief Randal McClellan. “We still want everyone to come out and enjoy the show.” Though some have suggested it was actually the security team at Parc des Princes that instigated the riot in Paris, McClellan dismisses the notion as “absolute rubbish.” “Besides,” McClellan is quick to add, “our security is first-rate. That won’t happen here. Not on my watch.” The stadium’s new, top-of-the-line metal detectors and surveillance cameras are just two methods McClellan feels will aid in keeping tomorrow night’s crowd under control. “They almost canceled the… show, man,” says Bjorn Yesterday, lead singer of Ragnarock, whose debut album Odin’s Evil Eye went triple platinum last month. “They said they were [very] concerned about our music’s alleged violent effect on our audience. Well, [forget] that, man. Our music doesn’t make people… violent. What makes people… violent are… uniformed goons pushing them around when they’re just trying to have

A Ghost Of A Chance This plotline builds upon elements appearing on page 19 of the Archer Foundation Chamber Book and the first Shadowforce Archer interactive serial, Shallow Graves. Over the last several weeks, six operatives known to work with the Hand of Glory have been captured by elements of the Archer Conspiracy, justifying the Foundation’s recent pronouncement of ‘silent war’ against its aging enemy (see page 27). All six operatives have been identified as part of the Hand’s jägers (relic hunters — see page 75), and when apprehended had possession of a number of powerful mystic artifacts. Though the precise nature and powers of these artifacts have yet to be determined, their importance has not been underestimated. Representatives of the Guardians, the Foundation’s Division Nihil, and even the Commonwealth’s Gemeinschafft Consortium have offered to study the relics to determine their importance to the Hand of Glory. Until a consensus is reached,

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Campaign the captured operatives and relics remain in the custody of the Chambers where they were seized. Evidence gained during the interrogations continues to yield new leads toward more of the Hand’s jäger network.

global cooling in preparation for a grand mystic ritual gauged to thrust the world into a new ice age. During the Cold War, Eva Kraus subtly encouraged the frantic nuclear arms race. She was sure the opposed Soviet and American forces would eventually destroy one another and thrust the world into decades of icy shadow, recreating the empire enjoyed by the entity nestled within her during the earth’s first Ice Age. As the nuclear weapons stockpile grew, however, Eva realized that a nuclear exchange would leave no life on the planet for her to lord over, and potentially render the world uninhabitable even to her. This unsettling prospect urged her to dedicate her resources to nuclear disarmament — and finding a new way to recreate her fallen empire. In the autumn of 1992, a new possibility presented itself. A popular right-wing American radio personality released a book that skewered various notions the author believed were part of a “liberal agenda.” One opinion championed within the book was that volcanoes posed a larger threat to the environment than human-produced chemicals. Though the scientific community disproved the claim, Eva considered it more carefully. After poring over data from the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines, she knew at last that she’d found the catalyst for her ice age. Through the millennium, Eva deployed agents to uncover lost rituals used by the ancient Hawaiians, Japanese, and Mayans to control volcanic eruptions. Opposition to these excursions was surprisingly light — especially from the Guardians of the Whispering Knife, who rashly assumed victory when companion relics to the stolen knowledge were safely out of the Hand’s possession. Using computer models, Eva determined that to achieve the desired cooling effect, she would need at least 24 volcanic eruptions with a VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index — See page 9) of 4 or more. Further, to ensure the greatest probability of success, the eruptions would need to be arranged within a span of 48 hours. Presently, Eva has managed only twelve eruptions. As the Hand of Glory prepares for the second half of its lengthy ritual (to complete the established pattern), the Guardians of the Whispering Knife have discovered the true threat and alerted the Archer Foundation and other Chambers of the mystic force behind the day’s tragedies. Now it’s a race against time as agents are deployed around the world to prevent Eva Kraus from completing her chilling plan.

Seeds Of Destruction Just over a year ago, an environmental edict created to protect the local environment from encroaching cities, industry, and hunters triggered the forced relocation of more than twenty villages over a 12month period. Despite protests from the Department of Government for Indian Peoples of Chiapas and Iván Azuara, the federal Conafor delegate, six local villages have already been secretly relocated, and several bands of Chiapas rebels have taken up arms to wage a limited guerrilla war against the government. In the midst of this turmoil lies the Iron Seed Corporation’s research facilities, located deep within the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, which for years paid handsomely to operate in the area’s relative obscurity. Iron Seed has felt no government pressure to move its facilities, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by the indigenous population. Last week, the facility reported to its corporate headquarters that rebels had kidnapped its head researcher, Dr. Berowalt Strieber. Shortly thereafter, Iron Seed lost all contact with the facility.

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 their groups to make sure they don’t accidentally ruin a planned serial.

The Truth of the Matter: Volcanoes Erupt Around The World Threat Code: Black References: For two new threats derived from the Hand of Glory’s internal structure, see pages 85 and 89. For the original Hand of Glory threat, see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 246. For rules and guidelines about running scenes near live volcanoes, see the forthcoming Spycraft Season Book, “Gentlemen’s Agreement.” The volcanoes erupting around the world are not an environmental anomaly or accident. The “tourists” Della Edell saw on Raoul Island were Hand of Glory cultists who triggered the eruptions using a combination of ancient mystic rituals and modern technology. The eruptions were carefully choreographed to hasten

Plot Hook: Assault Team After poring over satellite data, the Conspiracy launches strike teams to stop the Hand of Glory’s rituals at volcanoes around the world. Expecting its plan would eventually be uncovered, the Hand of Glory

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Hand of Glory has taken precautions to insure it won’t be disturbed before the ritual is complete. The agents must not only deal with power-mad Hand cultists, but whatever ploys and defenses the villains have concocted.

Possible Hand Defenses: 1. The ritual leader has wired himself with a “dead-man trigger” that initiates the final countdown of a dirty nuke (with increased fallout) if he is killed. The nuke is buried within the volcano, and the agents must somehow either defuse it or manage to capture the ritual leader alive. 2.

Local villagers are dominated and used as a primitive “fire cult” led by Hand operatives. They attempt to sacrifice any interfering outsiders to the “fire goddess” who is about to be reborn in the impending volcanic eruption. The agents may be the only potential victims, or (if they’re having an easy time of it) have to save one or more innocent bystanders swept up in the ritual. 3. Hand of Glory assault troops have dug secure positions and prepared dozens of traps to hold off invaders. They’re armed with everything from landmines to anti-aircraft weapons. Only a small force has any hope of slipping past them and strategically eliminating the ritual leaders before the final eruption.

Plot Hook: Relief Effort The current crisis requires more than just combat. Thousands of innocent lives are in direct danger from the eruptions, and the Archer Foundation deploys the agents to perform one or more rescue missions. Of course, when simultaneously trying to keep the Conspiracy under wraps, this is easier said than done.

Possible Rescue Mission Events: 1. An international news team latches onto the agents and follows them around, documenting their heroic efforts. The agents must invent and successfully depict a false cover or otherwise distract the reporters. 2. The natives don’t trust outsiders and are determined to face the eruption and its aftermath on their own terms. The agents must find a way to convince them to flee, preferably without resorting to force. Perhaps they can appeal to the rational few among them or prove that the eruptions are the warnings of a disgruntled god. Either way, the team must win over and escort the natives to safety before their land is destroyed by the next eruption. 3.

A fleet of rescue crews is stranded by lava flows and other fallout. Not only must the agents mount a successful rescue, but they must strive to contain the volcano’s now-unopposed onslaught.

Plot Hook: Military Standoff The reports of China and North Korea amassing military forces along their borders are, unfortunately, accurate. Each nation is worried the other will use the eruption of Baitoushan as an opportunity to seize land and natural resources. Aircraft patrol the smoky skies under the pretense of looking for victims

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Campaign but secretly monitor the growing number of troops and tanks across the border. Tensions are high, and the agents are tasked with defusing the volatile situation.

The Truth Of The Matter: German Military Cemetery Vandalized, Robbed Threat Code: Red References: Information and stats concerning Hand of Glory golems can be found on page 56.

Possible Diplomatic Obstacles: 1. A general on one side goes rogue, determined to engineer a massive land war for the glory of his country. The agents must find and stop him before he launches his offensive, or contain the resulting chaos.

The graves at Deutscher Soldaten Friedhof have not been vandalized, defaced, or disrespected; quite the contrary. As has been the case with other German war cemeteries through the years, the Hand of Glory is using the soil from Nazi graves as a crucial component in creating golems, infusing their unnatural fabrications with the essence of Nazi heroes. In this particular case, the Hand of Glory has stocked up on the earth so critical to their mystic rites, filling dozens of boxes with dirt from the graves of dedicated soldiers — which is why it appears the “vandals” were searching for something in particular. As for the fifty open SS graves, the Hand of Glory agents took bone and tissue samples for use in other rituals and cloning experimentation (see page 30). Once all of the components were collected, it was simple to deliver them to a cargo plane at the nearby airfield. Examination of the peculiar graffiti on some of the graves and the main gate reveals them to be Hand of Glory wards, a vital clue in tracking down the culprits.

2. The Shop uses the standoff to generate funds by selling psi-tech weapons to both sides, playing them against one another in the hopes of a very long and profitable war. The agents are tipped to the Shop’s actions by angered black marketeers in the area, and must ferret out the exploitive cell of rogue operatives. 3. A team of Peace Corps volunteers is captured by a regiment of paranoid soldiers, accused of being spies, and used as political bargaining chips. Many neighboring nations devote troops to finding and liberating the volunteers, aggravating the situation. The agents must covertly rescue the volunteers and deliver them to the news agencies to prevent an accidental brushfire war from erupting among the volcanic ashes.

Plot Hook: Grand Finale The erupting volcanoes and their environmental and political fallout can dramatically alter the course of any campaign. While GCs are encouraged to resolve the crisis as best suits their style of play, here we provide suggestions for a final serial to bring the crisis to a gripping conclusion.

Plot Hook: Dust To Dust The Hand of Glory (and possibly others — see below) is supplementing its armed forces with a variety of lethal alternatives, from ruthless mercenaries to inhuman golems (see page 56). The disturbance at Deutscher Soldaten Friedhof could lead to the agents’ first encounter with these adversaries, which are involved in numerous covert actions.

Possible End Games: 1. The agents must liberate the details of Eva’s ritual and deliver them to the Guardians of the Whispering Knife for use in a powerful counter-ritual.

Possible Golem Uses:

2. The Fringe unleashes a ferocious backlash against the blatant paranormal tampering with the natural environment, trapping the cultists and those opposing them with equal dispassion. The agents are trapped in the middle of another titanic struggle between the villain organizations and must strive to safeguard both themselves and other innocents endangered by the attack.

1. The College of Theological Archaeology (see page 89) is using golems to provide a formidable defensive force on the mystic island of Thule. Clues at Deutscher Soldaten Friedhof lead the agents to this powerful mystic site, after which the Conspiracy launches a full-blown exploration. The action might be limited to reconciling territory with the College (who may react violently to the Conspiracy’s intrusion) or explode as Hand of Glory strike teams follow the Archer operatives to the island.

3. The Hand of Glory’s rituals release a supernatural force or entity they hadn’t counted on, which interrupts their ritual and scatters or kills most of their soldiers. Trapped on site with a vicious and unpredictable new force of nature, the Hand operatives are forced to team up with the agents for their own survival. But if the agents agree, can the villains be trusted not to capture the new force for their own purposes?

2. The Hand of Glory is selling golems to violent warlords and paramilitary forces around the world, or trading them for needed weapons, artifacts, and supplies. The agents must find the network’s various hubs and shut them down, capturing as many Hand operatives as possible in the process.

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Hand of Glory Plot Hook: Rock ’n’ Roll Rampage

3. As they aren’t alive, golems make excellent burglars, able to bypass security systems that detect traits like body heat or employ countermeasures like gas. A string of high-profile (and unexplained) thefts from military installations around the world leads the agents on a chase across continents to discover the culprit — an amateur thief building a fledgling criminal organization using a golem stolen from a careless Hand of Glory henchman. Unfortunately for him, the henchman wants his golem back, and has brought a small army of minions with him to claim it.

The Hand of Glory is indeed planning to stage a riot at Twickenham Stadium, and it’s up to the agents to discover how and why. Suave and sophisticated agents may find Ragnarock concerts a taxing experience — and a test of the team’s ability to blend in.

Possible Methods and Motives: 1. As with the riot at Parc des Princes in Paris (see page 12), Twickenham security officials are on the Hand of Glory’s payroll, These traitors instigate a riot with random acts of police brutality to mask the abduction of the daughter of a prominent member of Parliament. The Hand of Glory use the hostage to force the politician’s vote in an upcoming election. The agents may enter the action in time to save the daughter or following her abduction.

The Truth Of The Matter: Controversial Rock Group Threat Code: Yellow (soon to be Red) References: The original Green Lucifer plotline first appeared on page 156 of the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook. Ragnarock’s grievously deficient musical talent is more than made up for with its theatrics. Harking back to such elaborate ’70s rock acts as KISS, Pink Floyd, and Alice Cooper, Ragnarock is as much a visual tour de force as an act of pure sonic aggression — which is exactly why their handlers at Grandeur Records (see page 34) have pumped millions of dollars into making the band one of the top acts in the world. Through constant media exposure, the whole process has taken less than six months. The band’s triple-platinum debut album, Odin’s Evil Eye, successfully incorporated the ultrasonic frequency emitted by the Green Lucifer (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 156) into a recorded medium. Each song on the album provoked a different emotion, from lust to rage to sorrow (providing the listener failed a Will check with a DC of 20). Naturally, such a powerful music experience has won Ragnarock accolades as musical geniuses by many critics around the world, and the scorn of just as many others. The incidents of drug addiction and suicide alluded to by Adam Powell Chomsky, the group’s lawyer, are indeed directly related to Ragnarock’s music. Pleased with the results of the album, the Hand of Glory immediately arranged for a European tour in order to cause riots in some of the largest and most important population centers in the world, a perfect diversion for covert Hand operations. The album’s effects couldn’t be reproduced in a live setting, however, and the Hand was forced to use a different tactic. Special Note: The members of Ragnarock might be dedicated servants of the Hand or clueless dupes blinded by stardom as determined by the GC.

2. Band members hurl Green Lucifers crafted into flying discs from the stage. These devices prompt the crowd to take their frustrations to the streets, concealing the Hand’s robbery of a local Natural History Museum. The agents are either sent in tracking the Green Lucifer or Ragnarock angle (possibly per leads first seen in the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 156), or they might follow up after the robbery. 3. Adam Powell Chomsky rigs the speakers with dozens of Green Lucifers, causing audience members to turn on each other in an orgy of violence. He personally insures the band doesn’t survive the riot, hoping to earn more from Ragnarock’s unreleased material and merchandise after their deaths than can be realized while they are still alive. The band’s manager learns of the Hand’s intentions and anonymously alerts local authorities to the possibility of a bomb or chemical attack during the show. The Conspiracy intercepts the alert and sends the agents to investigate.

The Truth Of The Matter: A Ghost Of A Chance Threat Code: Red (may quickly become Black) References: The Architects of the Fringe are featured on page 40 of the Archer Foundation Chamber Book. The first Shadowforce Archer interactive serial, Shallow Graves, is the stimulus for the following events. The skirmish this summer over the Demagogue’s frozen body left Eva Kraus more determined to combat the Architects of the Fringe than ever before. Although the Hand of Glory has clashed with the Architects for years, Eva has spent the last few months studying the nature of the Fringe itself and has devised a method she believes will eradicate the Architects once and for all.

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Campaign Eva Kraus’ research into the background of the Hand’s mortal enemies has revealed the existence of Dr. Lothario Algernon — The Lord of Superstition — and his agents within the Archer Foundation who also seek to end the Architects’ meddling in the mortal world (see page 112 of the Archer Foundation Chamber Book). Eva has set up a squad of her least favorite minions to be captured with artifacts capable of damaging spirits (and the Architects) in their spectral forms. She hopes that Dr. Algernon will procure the relics and employ them in a final, decisive strike against the Architects (thus combating them for her). Eva monitors Algernon’s progress, preparing to eradicate them as well, once they are no longer of use to her. The following plot hook can be incorporated into almost any season, whether the agents assist Dr. Algernon in his crusade or save him from himself.

Plot Hook: Toys In The Attic The specific artifacts Eva intends to let fall into the Archer Foundation’s possession may be chosen from this book (see page 60), the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook (see page 231), or created anew. The minions Eva intends to sacrifice, however, are not likely to fall into Archer custody without a struggle. Some possible reasons why Eva has chosen these particular lackeys to take the fall and where the agents might encounter them follow.

Possible Fall-Guys: 1. Otto von Stapp, aka Jackboot, encountered a group of Archer agents earlier this year, when his neo-Nazi street gang used a Green Lucifer against a group of vigilantes (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 248). Eva hasn’t forgiven her lieutenant for jeopardizing the organization’s security, and sends Jackboot and his minions to liberate a notorious arms dealer from an Archer-monitored prison in Portugal, then leaks his attack to Conspiracy informants. 2. Flashfire continues to draw attention to himself in the underground fighting circuit and is now wanted for manslaughter in 16 different countries (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 247). Fearing he’s become too high-profile to effectively serve her interests, Eva sends the pyromaniac and his foot soldiers to rob and burn down the Jardin de Babylon in Monte Carlo, a casino known to be frequented by vacationing Archer agents.

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Hand of Glory Plot Hook: Gaunt’s Game

3. Ilse Valkenberg (see page 91) has strong-armed the wrong “mark,” a prominent member of La Costa Nostra who collects religious relics dating back to the Holy Crusades. After the mark traces Ilse back to the Hand of Glory and uses his underworld influence to pull several important resources away from Hand operations, Eva sends Ilse on a doomed mission to raid vaults protected by the Gemeinschafft Consortium.

Having raided the databases at the Iron Seed facilities in Argentina and Mexico, Gaunt knows all about the Hand of Glory and its shadow war with the Archer Foundation. Impressed with the resources and political sway each has at its disposal, Gaunt is determined to gain that power for himself and uses the coming crisis at the Chiapas facility to study the two organizations in anticipation of more aggressive action yet to come.

The Truth Of The Matter: Seeds Of Destruction

Possible Crisis Situations:

Threat Code: Yellow (soon to be Red) References: The Iron Seed Corporation and Mr. Gaunt were first featured in the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 156) and pose a major threat in upcoming Shadowforce Archer web entertainment.

1. Hand of Glory scientists used the Chiapas research facility as a testing ground for their own strain of chemical monsters. Applying this volatile technology to his mind-controlled followers, Gaunt sets them loose against their enemies and prepares the Iron Seed facility as a seemingly impregnable fortress within which he can trap unsuspecting Hand and Archer operatives.

Iron Seed’s troubles in Chiapas’ Montes Azules Biosphere are not limited to local rebellion. The Iron Seed facility is suffering attacks from a sister research facility in Argentina’s De Oro Valley, where a brutal criminal known as Mr. Gaunt underwent a battery of cruel experiments and manifested incredible physical adept and telepath traits, then murdered his captors in a daring, bloody escape. Traveling north and leaving death and destruction in his wake, Gaunt arrived in Chiapas and used his telepathic abilities to warp the minds of the local rebels, turning them into mindless puppets eager to carry out his grisly plans. After kidnapping and viciously executing head researcher Dr. Berowalt Strieber, Gaunt led his followers on a rampage against the rest of the facility’s personnel. Though most of the scientists were killed, Gaunt made sure to hold onto a few as bargaining chips. He plans to create a crisis in the area to draw the Hand of Glory and Archer Foundation to his doorstep, for reasons as yet known only to him.

2. Gaunt sabotages the research facility’s nuclear reactor, sending it into immediate meltdown. Nestled deep within the Montes Azules Biosphere, the ecological disaster brings the Archer Foundation to the rescue and the Hand of Glory scrambling to cover its tracks from watchdogs in the media. 3. Gaunt leaks information about the Hand of Glory’s presence in Chiapas to the Archer Foundation, and then tells the Hand of Glory of the Foundation’s interest in the area. While waiting for teams from both factions to arrive, Gaunt rigs the research facility with a maddening array of traps, both physical and emotional, to test the mettle of his future opponents.

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“They were right and wrong, you know. There is a ‘Master Race’. Mine.” — Myrmidon

Villain

2

Hand of Glory Before the Pact

INTRODUCTION

Just as the Archer Foundation’s history is rooted in events that occurred prior to its formation in 1950, the Hand of Glory traces its roots to the early 20th century, and the ancient origins of the sinister entity possessing Eva Kraus. Coincidentally, both the Hand of Glory and the Archer Conspiracy were formalized at nearly the same time — the Hand of Glory in 1948, and the Foundation only two years later. 1901: An ancient parasitic entity is released from a mystic prison beneath the Palace of Knossos on the island of Crete (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 43). Thousands of years ago, this entity plagued the Ancients, feeding off their enlightenment and corrupting legions among them to squander or pervert their discoveries. Now, the entity finds itself weak, disoriented, and vulnerable, and bonds with Evelyn Schillingsfield, wife of explorer Sir Avery Schillingsfield, to survive. Almost immediately thereafter, it enters a long dormant stage, during which Evelyn seemingly falls victim to an unidentified mental illness and is committed to a London asylum. 1903: Dormant two years, the entity within Evelyn Schillingsfield regains control of its faculties — and those of its host. Evelyn disappears and launches a decade-long search for evidence of the Ancients, who bound the entity beneath the site upon which the Palace of Knossos was later built. She also seeks the companion entity to the being within her, knowing that once the twin parasitic powers are reunited, nothing will stop them. Both searches initially prove fruitless, however, and no further record of the Ancients or the companion entity are found during this period. 1912: The Order of Teutons, an occult lodge with radical anti-Semitic inclinations, is founded in Germany by Theodor Fritsch, Phillip Stauff, and Hermann Pohl (who later becomes the order’s chancellor). 1914: Rudolf Blauer, identifying himself as Rudolf Freiherr von Seboottendorf, joins the Order of Teutons. His wealth is a boon to the young order, and he is welcomed with open arms. Accompanying him is Evelyn Schillingsfield, whom he knows as Eva Kraus. As the order grows, Eva spins a web of seduction and deceit over its membership, which now includes prominent members of the German military. Blauer is ignorant of her activities, and continues to provide the order access to his substantial resources. 1915: Through one of her new pawns in the order — a ranking officer in the German Navy — Eva Kraus procures the third Minoan formula. In the process, she is responsible for sinking the RMS Lusitania (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 43). 1918: Rudolf Blauer — now a powerful individual within the Order of Teutons — founds the Thule Society. The society names itself after the legendary island of

The Hand of Glory ultimately exists to serve the will of Eva Kraus and the malevolent entity nestled within her (see “1901” in the next column), and the organization has grown like a hydra: new heads continually spring up to manage different aspects of the Hand’s operations. While all members of the Hand owe allegiance and loyalty to their dark mistress, they owe one another nothing. Covert power struggles within the Hand of Glory have been the norm for decades, a tradition some lieutenants uphold vigorously even today. Still, the Hand presents a unified face to the outside world, and when Eva commands action, an awesome array of minions and resources can be brought to bear. Like agents, the servants of the Hand do not fight alone, but can call on an efficient and capable support network. This chapter describes how this network affects play, as well as the Hand of Glory’s origins and structure, its largest branches, and a sampling of its allies and enemies.

SHADOW HISTORY Despite the Archer Conspiracy’s efforts, the Hand of Glory is a powerful and elusive foe, and the full scope of its activities is as yet unknown. Further, many Hand of Glory operatives — indeed, entire branches of the organization — went underground in the latter half of the 20th century, leaving holes in the Archer Conspiracy’s historical archives. Particularly in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, Hand of Glory operations often appeared to be the work of independent masterminds unaffiliated with Eva Kraus or her sinister organization. Due to this spotty record, agents who treat Foundation intelligence as gospel when confronting the Hand of Glory are liable to find themselves in a great deal of trouble, or dead. Most of the following events are directly relevant to either current or ongoing Hand of Glory operations, or help to define the organization’s character through its history. The Hand’s shadow history is also a bountiful resource for adventuring, providing the GC with numerous mission options, either set in the past or sparking new iterations in the present. Throughout this section, information on Eva Kraus is scarce, as the Archer Foundation has yet to realize her true goals or capabilities and many of her activities over the last century are shrouded in secrecy. For more about her most pressing goal — resurrecting the god-king companion of the entity within her — see the Episode 3 serial of the SFA Interactive storyline, available soon at the Shadowforce Archer website Threat Center.

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Villain

Thule, believed to be the center of the Ancients’ highly advanced civilization. The entity within Eva Kraus knows the Ancients to be those who imprisoned it (and the same who developed and later buried psionic power), and seeks to seize their secret knowledge as a power base for its modern empire. 1919: The Demagogue joins the German Workers’ Party, a semi-public branch of the Thule Society. After an impassioned speech, he is asked by party chairman Anton Drexler to head up advertising and propaganda for the Party. By the end of the year, the Demagogue is inducted into the Thule Society. 1920: The Demagogue rapidly climbs the ranks within both the Thule Society and the German Workers’ Party, and becomes the most prominent personality in the latter, renaming it the National Socialist German Worker’s Party (the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, or ‘Nazis’). 1921: Eva Kraus, eager to take advantage of the Demagogue’s dynamic personality, abandons Rudolf Blauer and arranges a meeting with the Demagogue. By the end of the year, she is his mistress. At her suggestion, Hitler adopts the reversed swastika as the Nazi Party’s symbol. Traditionally thought of as a sign of luck by occultists worldwide, the symbol’s reversal (as depicted on the Nazi flag) evokes chaotic ritual forces, honing the entity’s slowly returning mystic power. 1925: As the Demagogue’s influence grows, so does the power and wealth of the Thule Society and the Nazi Party. Eva Kraus, hoping that the resources now avail-

able to her might aid the entity’s previously abandoned search for its ancient enemies, prompts the Demagogue to direct the Society toward uncovering clues leading to Thule and similar locations of power. Much of this effort is focused in Tibet and the Himalayas, presumably the Ancients’ original earthly residence. 1929: Led by Eva Kraus herself, one of the Demagogue’s Tibetan expeditions encounters an immortal guardian spirit charged by the Ancients with safeguarding a node of mystic power. The spirit wields incredible psion abilities and is at full strength. Though Eva is still very weak and every member of her team is killed, she manages to ritually imprison the creature and interrogates it for nearly a year (the same amount of time she requires to heal following the encounter). She learns that while the Ancients’ civilization collapsed millennia ago, the ruins remain, hidden from the eyes of men and the furious greed of mystics and corrupted spirits. Shortly thereafter, the prisoner escapes its mystic bonds and forces a final confrontation, attempting to destroy Eva before she can once again mature into the monster that plagued the Ancients thousands of years ago. In the end, Eva overwhelms it and consumes the guardian spirit before it can bridge to the spirit realm, seizing its power to complement her own. 1930: Encouraged by her success, Eva resumes her quest with renewed zeal. Her search widens to include many remote and inhospitable locales, though she makes no further progress until the following year.

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Hand of Glory 1931: Eva and a team of explorers discover a maze of caverns on the Antarctic Ronne Ice Shelf. Within the network of passages, the team encounters another ancient guardian spirit. Eva defeats this one as well, though the massive explosion which accompanies its death collapses the surrounding tunnels, killing over half the expedition crew. Before Eva allows the guardian spirit to bridge to the spirit realm, she forces it to reveal the existence of many other Ancient strongholds, including the mystical sites of Avalon, Atlantis, Dekartu, and others. The precise locations of these sites remain hidden from her, however. She also learns that additional clues that might lead to her entity’s eternal companion can be found at the site of her possession: the Palace of Knossos on Crete (see 1901). Flush with power drained from her victim, Eva resurrects several fallen female expedition crew and invests them with a small portion of her power to help her escape the icy tomb. Three years later, these women form the first ranks of the Valkyrie (see 1934). 1933: Pleased with her success, yet mindful that her developing power base is still young, Eva returns to Germany to find the Demagogue granted dictatorial powers by the Reichstag. She rewards him with the third formula, creating the century’s first telepath. His powers of mind control cement his command over Nazi Germany. With the Demagogue’s creation of the Abgrund (a section of the Nazi-controlled military dedicated to developing super-soldiers to combat the evils of the West — see the Archer Foundation, page 94), Eva senses an opportunity to increase her own power, and insinuates herself into the new organization’s chain of command. Eva reveals her true powers to only a chosen few. 1934: Though ostensibly a Demagogue-controlled group, the Abgrund is now almost completely under Eva’s control. To ensure their loyalty, she promises that those who serve her will be rewarded even beyond death: she will resurrect them to serve her for all time. Late in 1934, Eva formally founds the Valkyrie, a formidable division of mystic warriors assigned to the boldest, most dangerous, and most vital of her personal missions. This shock force operates hand in hand with the Abgrund, but their service is known to no one, not even the Demagogue. 1941: Operation: BARBAROSSA — the German invasion of the Soviet Union — commences, during which the Abgrund’s Hexen (telepathically controlled mystic soldiers — see the Archer Foundation sourcebook, page 95) are deployed en masse for the first time. They are withheld from well-populated areas, however, and their presence goes unnoticed by the world at large. 1942: Despite the Hexen’s success in the Russian countryside, Operation: BARBAROSSA stalls. The German advance is turned aside at Stalingrad and the Caucasus Mountains.

1943: Operation: BARBAROSSA faces final defeat at the Battle of Kursk and the tide of battle turns in favor of the Soviets. Despite the campaign’s failure, the Hexen are now a proven, potent battlefield weapon; thanks to their efforts, the operation’s death toll stands at twenty million Russian soldiers against a relatively paltry five million Germans. 34-year-old Otto Skorzeny, a veteran SS officer who participated in the Nazi invasions of Holland, France, the Balkans, and Russia, and a recipient of Germany's Iron Cross, gains the rank of Captain. Upon his promotion, he is named 'Chief of Germany's Special Troops, Existing or to be Created in the Future.’ Distinctive in appearance thanks largely to a prominent facial scar received during a ritual saber duel in his youth, Skorzeny gains similar distinction by his service. The imminent Allied invasion of Italy leads to a rebellion within the nation's Fascist party. King Victor Emmanuel III dismisses Mussolini, and orders him imprisoned. Otto Skorzeny, acting under orders from the Demagogue, tracks Mussolini across half of Italy for nearly six weeks. Finally, Skorzeny's investigation leads him to the Hotle Campo, high in the Gran Sasso Mountains, where Mussolini is imprisoned. On September 8th, German signals intelligence intercepts a coded Italian message that confirms Mussolini's location within the compound. Skorzeny and a small contingent of his soldiers assault Hotle Campo from the air by crashing gliders into the side of the mountain. Once on the ground, Skorzeny and his troopers storm the hotel and capture it without firing a single shot. Mussolini is evacuated and flown to Vienna, where both he and Skorzeny receive a hero’s welcome. 1944: Despite Eva’s insistence that the Demagogue deploy reinforcements to the German-held island of Crete, he focuses on his own agenda (see Operation: GODSMASHER in the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, pages 38 and 106 and the Archer Foundation Chamber Book, page 97). Furious, Eva attempts to seize control of the Nazi party, which is torn apart by her actions. Colluding with Abwehr Commander Wilhelm Canaris, she makes several attempts on the Demagogue’s life, all of which fail. Abandoning these attempts in favor of her original goal, the resurrection of the god-king, she personally leads a small contingent of forces to the island. The Demagogue once again puts Otto Skorzeny's special talents to use as German intelligence discovers that Admiral Nicholas Horthy de Nagybanya — regent of Hungary and ally of Nazi Germany — is negotiating a separate peace with the Soviet Union. Believing the Admiral’s son Miklos to be the driving force behind the negotiations, Skorzeny and his men capture the boy, roll him up in a carpet, and haul him to the nearest airport.

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Villain Admiral Horthy doesn’t respond as predicted, however, declaring in a radio address that Hungary is surrendering to the Soviets, and that Germany's war is lost. Furious, Skorzeny enacts a new plan: he surrounds Horthy's palace with an SS Panzer division, secures the site, and leads a small contingent of men straight into the palace, taking Horthy prisoner. In recognition for this exploit, Skorzeny — by now known as the “Most Dangerous Man in Europe" — is promoted to colonel and awarded the German Gold Cross. 1945: Wilhelm Canaris is executed for his part in Eva Kraus’ disloyalty, and for complicity in plots against the Demagogue as far back as 1938. A number of clandestine operations to evacuate powerful members of the Nazi party launch after the war, among them German ODESSA network, die Spinne (see 1947), and Project: PAPERCLIP (the U.S. operation to acquire Nazi scientists to assist post-war research). Also exfiltrated from Germany is the Demagogue’s body, suspended in frozen animation. Eva has already consumed the Demagogue’s spirit, gaining a fraction of his total power, and continues to use the body as a factory for the telepathic psion serum. After her escape, Eva cements her influence over the ODESSA and die Spinne networks, using them to maintain contact with many powerful Nazis. This lays the groundwork for a worldwide clandestine organization, resurrected from the ashes of the Third Reich, but loyal only to Eva. The Allies mount a massive manhunt for Otto Skorzeny, who eludes capture throughout Europe, only to surrender to an American officer in the heart of a United States bivouac. Shortly thereafter, Skorzeny is tried as a war criminal. Though a trusted subordinate of the Demagogue, Skorzeny himself never committed any war crimes, and is acquitted. Nonetheless, he is held in an Allied prison camp until July 27th, 1948. 1947: Despite his detention by Allied forces, Otto Skorzeny is purportedly the mastermind behind die Spinne (the Spider), a clandestine organization dedicated to assisting Nazis as they escape to Argentina (and into the waiting hands of Eva Kraus, extracted in 1945). Die Spinne is incredibly successful — partially due to millions of dollars Skorzeny looted from the Reichsbank at the end of the war — and develops many useful ties around the world. Evita Peron, actress-cum-first lady of Argentina, visits Europe. Her tour’s ostensible purpose is to strengthen diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties between Argentina and the prominent nations of Europe. While this may be true, she also pursues a second agenda: aiding the extradition of hunted Nazis to her home country. Acting on behalf of her husband, President Juan Peron, Evita Peron meets with many fugitive Nazis

throughout her tour of Europe, including some of Skorzeny's die Spinne lieutenants. Here the groundwork is laid for Otto Skorzeny's own escape to South America the following year. 1948: In July, Otto Skorzeny escapes the Allied detention camp. Though many Nazi-hunting organizations scour Europe for him, Skorzeny seems to disappear. In reality, he simply follows the trail he blazed for so many of his compatriots, boarding a slow boat to Argentina… Skorzeny doesn’t travel to Argentina empty-handed. In his charge are 540 unmarked crates, later identified by the Archer Foundation as part of a vast Nazi treasure hoard. One of these crates houses an item seized by the Reich during the war — a severed human hand preserved in wax. Upon hearing of Skorzeny’s special cargo, Eva Kraus approaches the commando with an offer to purchase the severed hand. Though he doesn’t trust Eva, Skorzeny agrees and sells the seemingly worthless hand for enough to buy a small army in South America (which he does). After careful research, Eva confirms that her most recent acquisition is in fact the mythological “Hand of Glory,” a relic reportedly used by witches and warlocks to subdue entire towns. Secretly, Eva knows the Hand to be the vessel within which is trapped the companion entity she’s sought for so long (see 1903) and prepares for the day she will release it. The villain organization known as the Hand of Glory is formally established, taking its name from the relic. Eva resurrects spymaster Abwehr Wilhelm Canaris and appoints him as second in command of her new organization. Despite Canaris’ cooperation in the final days of World War II, he refuses to help her now: his loyalty was never to Eva or the Demagogue, but to Germany. Having long since tapped into the Demagogue’s powers of mind control, Eva subverts Canaris’ will and forces him to lead her cause. 1949–1952: Die Spinne expands its web to include the Arab world, most prominently Egypt. During these years, literally thousands of Nazis use die Spinne to escape to South America and the Middle East.

Parallels: The Hand of Glory in the 1950s This decade was marked by blatant Hand of Glory operations, as Eva made bold strides with her new organization, sure that she had little to fear from the Archers’ nascent Conspiracy. Like the Foundation, the Hand of Glory remained largely removed from the developing Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union (though Eva would later capitalize on these tensions). While the

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Hand of Glory Foundation made its headquarters in Australia, Eva returned to the Ronne Ice Shelf in Antarctica, where her minions excavated the collapsed network of tunnels and constructed the Hand of Glory’s foremost base of operations. From this base, the organization grew quickly, increasing its numbers with recruits both from assisting groups (such as die Spinne) and captured facilities (including the undersea submarine bases built for use against the Allied Navies during the war). 1950s: Around the world, the Valkyrie engage in a campaign of kidnapping and body snatching to acquire Nazis, chosen by Eva as her new lieutenants. With the exception of Otto Skorzeny, all who are recruited or resurrected are eager to serve. Skorzeny cautiously agrees to continue his command of die Spinne under Hand of Glory supervision. 1950: Though careful to maintain a low profile since his escape from Europe, Otto Skorzeny is nonetheless located by the fledgling Archer Foundation. Determined that such a potent wild card shouldn’t remain at large, Raymond Archer personally orders Skorzeny’s apprehension. The Foundation’s premier field team, ARROW, is sent to extract Skorzeny from Argentina. Wily as ever, the Nazi catches wind of their arrival and disappears from his home before the agents arrive. He eludes Team ARROW for three months before they contact Control with confirmation of his whereabouts. No further transmissions are received from Team ARROW. 1951: Another attempt is made on Skorzeny's life, again without success. Raymond Archer decides that his young organization can risk no more agents against the ex-commando, and elects instead to place Skorzeny under distant — though constant — surveillance. 1952: Skorzeny publicly resurfaces, to little consequence. He emigrates to Spain, where he lives comfortably as an engineering consultant. Though Conspiracy operatives diligently watch Skorzeny, the remainder of his life fails to interest the Foundation. 1953: Die Spinne coordinates its efforts with the Hand of Glory, affording Eva the luxury of an established covert organization and the means to travel anywhere in the world. 1955-1959: With die Spinne’s principal spheres of influence in South America and Northeast Africa, agents of the Hand of Glory appear in these locations with alarming frequency, often in government positions (as in the case of Joachim Däumling, who helps the Egyptian Government create its secret police force). 1957: Eva Kraus launches a gigantic ritual to release the companion entity from its prison in the ancient Hand of Glory relic (see 1948). Staging the Demagogue’s long-frozen body as the companion entity’s earthly vessel, dozens of Hand of Glory mystics and thousands of bonded followers gather on a deserted

atoll outside mainland France and commence the invocation. But an enemy they aren’t prepared for intercedes — a spectral organization led by Archer Foundation explorers lost in the twilight between realms, a group known to some as the Architects of the Fringe (see the Archer Foundation Chamber Book). Not wishing to lose their prize — Earth — to a pair of upstart gods, the Architects replace the Demagogue’s body with a convincing doppleganger grown in one of their secret clone farms. This clone is crippled and unable to move or speak, a state shared by the god-king companion once the ritual is complete. Wielding the awesome power to superimpose the Fringe over a region, the Architects attack and overpower the Hand of Glory mystics, seizing the crippled double. Eva attempts to destroy the clone (and the Architects) — thus releasing the companion entity — by releasing a wave of mystic energy over the entire atoll and out into the sea. But the Architects escape, not to be seen again for many years. (This explosion is mistaken for a French nuclear test, and sparks Allied inquires into post-war nuclear policy that rages for decades.)

Prey: The Hand of Glory in the 1960s During the 1960s, the Archer Conspiracy grew confident enough to take an active part in world affairs and Hand of Glory operatives who previously operated with impunity found themselves hunted worldwide. The situation worsened with the emergence of unaligned ‘Nazi hunters’ focused single-mindedly on the goal of bringing the war-mongers to justice. But while these predators successfully apprehended a number of Hand of Glory operatives in South America (setting back Eva’s plans for the continent by nearly a decade), their triumphs were short-lived — Eva allowed several wellknown Hand leaders to be killed, leading the Conspiracy to believe it had crippled the organization. This gave the Hand the breathing room it needed to retreat and rebuild for a new offensive. 1962: Gerhard Schröder, a former Nazi turned Captain in Egypt’s Secret Police, is abducted by Conspiracy operatives and interrogated at length. Though he doesn’t reveal the true scope of current Hand of Glory’s operations, the Conspiracy learns enough to apprehend a number of Hand of Glory agents in South America and Northeast Africa. 1963-67: Dozens of Hand of Glory operatives are captured by elements of the Archer Conspiracy and independent Nazi hunters. Among those apprehended is Wolfgang Heilemann, an officer once stationed at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp who has taken up the Soldiers’ War (see pages 4–7 for more about Heilemann, including his ultimate fate).

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Villain 1964: During a Hand of Glory archaeological dig in Africa, a group of explorers unleash a swarm of previously unrecorded insects. The expedition’s leader, Dr. Wolfgang Christian, is so stunned by the sudden arrival of these creatures — now known as gouge beetles (see page 69) — that he suffers a massive heart attack, collapsing dead on the spot. Unexpectedly, the beetles burrow into his body and seemingly revive him. It is soon discovered, however, that the beetles have consumed his heart and that his revival is quite unnatural. Dr. Christian returns to the Hand’s Antarctic base with his puzzling pets in tow and spends the rest of his life researching them. (He lives for another 34 years and is revived by the beetles three times during that period.) 1968: The Conspiracy scores its greatest coup yet against the Hand of Glory — the capture of former Abwehr commander Wilhelm Canaris. When found aboard a passenger ship of Argentinian registry, Canaris is almost catatonic. He is detained by the Conspiracy for questioning, but dies of heart failure within weeks. The small Siberian town of Volochok suffers an outbreak of ‘unexplained mass hysteria.’ Everyone within 20 miles suddenly flies into a homicidal rage, murdering their neighbors, friends, and families. Eva Kraus correctly guesses that this is the unconscious work of her kidnapped god-king companion and orders a full division of Hand shocktroopers to secure the town’s smoldering remains. The Architects are already on site when the Hand soldiers arrive and the two organizations square off once again. Though the Hand comes much closer to quashing their rivals this time, the Architects again slip away, taking with them the false Demagogue body containing the dormant companion entity. This elusive prize becomes the catalyst for many more battles in this private war over the next 30 years. 1969: Under orders from Cardinal Michele Pellegrino, the Shroud of Turin is secretly removed from its casket so that a team of experts can study its state of preservation. During this period, the Shroud is spirited away by agents of the Hand of Glory and a convincing fake left in its place. Over the next thirty years, the Shroud’s power greatly enhances the Hand’s mystic arsenal.

1972-1977: Eva Kraus relaxes her personal control of many aspects of the Hand of Glory, intentionally sparking a power struggle within the organization. For nearly five years, this struggle purges the group’s ranks, and by 1977, only a handful of subordinate henchmen emerge as the leaders of a new age, including Francis Andersen (“the Fat Man”), who remains in power today (see pages 83). 1975: Otto Skorzeny dies of natural causes in his bed in Madrid, Spain. Eva orders the Valkyrie to retrieve his body, a task which they accomplish over the bodies of two Conspiracy operatives surveilling the Nazi commando in his twilight years. Eva resurrects Skorzeny and demands that he resume his position as head of die Spinne. Though reluctant, Skorzeny agrees. 1975–1980 (and beyond): Fearing the worst, the Foundation raises the search for Skorzeny’s missing body to Code: Red, but nothing comes of the mission and it eventually falls through the cracks. 1977: With her initial reorganization complete, Eva orders the Valkyrie to step in and end the worst of the Hand infighting, allowing the group’s leadership to settle. Eva remains in command and uses the Valkyrie to enforce her will when necessary. Immediately below her the organization is commanded by six powerful lieutenants, including Francis Andersen. Each of these henchmen commands a number of lesser “controls” with a variety of specialties and power bases, as well as a segment of the Hand’s minion army.

Predator: The Hand of Glory in the 1980s Following Eva’s purge of the Hand of Glory, the organization struck several significant blows against the Conspiracy and the free world. Suspecting that Canaris’ capture had not, in fact, signaled the end of the Hand of Glory threat, the Foundation launched a worldwide manhunt for the villains, and by the 1980s, their worst fear was confirmed — the Hand of Glory was still operational and Eva Kraus was still alive (though her location was unknown). But the Foundation was hard pressed to counter the Hand of Glory’s many agendas, which were both widespread and disconnected by virtue of the organization’s newly stratified structure. To the Conspiracy, it seemed as if each of Eva’s lieutenants pursued his own goals (which was in fact the case). By decade’s end, Eva grew secure in her organization’s security again and resumed her search for the god-king companion (see page 26). 1982: An unidentified submarine is detected “shadowing” the fast-attack sub U.S.S. Dallas through the South Pacific. Subsequent analysis by Company technicians reveals the pursuing vessel is a submarine with an acoustic signature that doesn’t match any model on record. In fact, this bogey is a Hand of Glory

Dog Eat Dog: The Hand of Glory in the 1970s Early in the 1970s, in an effort to produce a more streamlined and effective organization, Eva began to encourage the vicious infighting and realpolitik that characterize the Hand of Glory today. This tactic was wildly successful: by the late 1970s, only the most ruthless leaders remained and the group’s inner circle grew savvy enough to fade into the shadows until the present day. (Battles continued with the Hand’s many tendrils, but the Conspiracy didn’t get close to Eva or her closest underlings until just a few months ago.)

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Hand of Glory 1993: South American drug lords loyal to Eva report the shipment of a large, singed box through the continent’s lowlands, “using the back roads where people go not to be seen.” Assuming at first a mid-power mystic relic, Eva assigns a small cadre of shocktroopers to recover the shipment. Soon, however, the last remaining shocktrooper returns from the field with word of the casket’s true contents — the missing Demagogue clone! A desperate race to track the casket commences, though all the Hand troops are able to glean is that the prey was carried into North America and hasn’t left. As days become weeks and months, the Hand’s hunters prepare for a prolonged stakeout of the region, knowing that the god-king companion’s subconscious ruminations will eventually give away its position. (Shameless plug: Download and play the first episode of the SFA Interactive campaign to not only learn the clone’s current whereabouts and condition but also determine the ultimate outcome of this long chase through history!) 1994: The Hand of Glory launches the first of several operations to retrieve Mjolnir from its reported position at the bottom of the North Sea (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 234). The expedition is lost, but not before Mjolnir’s location is confirmed. 1998: Led by several Guardians, a Conspiracy strike team infiltrates and destroys a secret Hand of Glory staging facility in Egypt. During the raid, the team seizes several relics, including the Shroud of Turin. These relics are turned over the Guardians for safekeeping, and returned to a Guardian safe house in Jerusalem. 1999: A Hand of Glory team discovers Thule in the Norwegian Sea. By the end of the year, Eva assigns a large archaeological team to explore the site, which lies approximately 1,000 feet below sea level.

submarine modified through the organization’s gadgetlike developments (see page 65). 1983: Eva orders the Hand’s augmented navy to sink several U.S. and Soviet fast-attack submarines in an effort to draw out elements of the world’s Chambers. The situation is narrowly defused by several Conspiracy teams working in concert (aided by the fact that no strategic assets were sunk), but 14 Archer operatives are killed in the process. 1985: Team CHECKMATE investigates the disappearance of Australian archaeologist Sandra Keely, who vanished while studying legends about the lost civilization of Thule. Following a trail of clues, CHECKMATE tracks its quarry to the Arctic Circle, where it finds a camouflaged Hand of Glory dig site. After a week’s covert surveillance, during which time it’s determined the Hand of Glory has discovered an Ancients anchor node, CHECKMATE is ordered to storm and capture the site. The operation very nearly fails, thanks largely to a level-headed, steely-eyed Hand of Glory commander with a distinctive scar across his face. During their debriefing, CHECKMATE agents recall a man dressed in the uniform of an SS Colonel, matching the description of the late Otto Skorzeny — not the Skorzeny of a decade ago, but Skorzeny at the height of his prowess, a man no older than 35! The Foundation renews its search for Skorzeny, this time upgrading the mission code to black. Though the target is sighted a dozen times over the following ten years, no Conspiracy teams even come close to capturing him. As far as the Foundation is aware, Otto Skorzeny remains at large today. 1989: Eva travels to Easter Island, where she uncovers and overpowers another of the Ancients’ guardian spirits. Unlike previous encounters (see 1929 and 1931), Eva is now powerful enough to subdue the creature and takes the information she requires by force — including the approximate location of Thule (northeast of the Faroe Islands, in the Norwegian Sea).

Collision: The Hand of Glory Today Eva Kraus is incredibly close to success on a number of vital fronts. The Hand of Glory is more powerful than ever before, and she no longer seems afraid of open conflict with the Conspiracy (as evidenced by the organization’s sudden and explosive return earlier this year — see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, Archer Foundation Chamber Book, and Episode 1 of the SFA Interactive campaign). She’s closer than ever to locating Thule and resurrecting her god-king in the body of one of her many lieutenants. If successful, there may be no force on Earth capable of preventing her ultimate rise to supreme power over a revitalized occult empire. The Conspiracy’s only saving grace seems to be Eva’s impetuous nature. Just four months ago, in a bold move rivaling the most daring of Josef Stalin’s maneuvers, the goddess sparked what can only be described as a full-scale war between her ruling body of 20

Law of the Jungle: The Hand of Glory in the 1990s With the collapse of Communism, the world changed, but not always for the better. The Conspiracy was largely occupied with the the rapidly changing political landscape of the post-Cold War world (and the discovery of P.E.R.I.L.), and found it more and more difficult to pursue the Hand of Glory’s many tendrils throughout the world. Eva took this chance to establish much of the groundwork for her post-millennial power grab, though the Hand’s fractious power structure prevented her from taking full advantage of the Conspiracy’s weaknesses.

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Villain MOTIVATIONS

lieutenants, intentionally reducing their number to a mere two. The details of this bloodbath are still being sorted out by the Conspiracy’s few spies close to Eva’s inner circle, but it is known that the action prompted untold dozens (and perhaps hundreds) of her low-level henchmen and minions to scatter to the four winds. Many of these villainous refugees remember the last time that Eva purged the ranks (see pages 24–25) and are fed up with her erratic behavior. The rest are merely afraid for their lives. Chambers around the world have so far collected as many as 25 of these Hand operatives, a few of whom have even offered to reform and work for the Conspiracy. Special Note: This event allows GCs to incorporate Hand of Glory operatives as assisting specialists or even allied operatives in any campaign. With GC permission, players can even build former Hand of Glory henchmen, shocktroopers, mystics, and other character archtypes using the rules in Chapter 3 and run them as part of a standard Shadowforce Archer team!

The glue that holds the organization together — the reasons that Eva’s myriad followers agree to work toward her goals — are as varied as the organization itself. Some work solely for money, power, political gain, or (in the case of the perverse and the deranged) personal fulfillment. Others — including most within the Hand’s lowest ranks — seek the kind of shared sociopolitical or philosophical belief that drove the Nazi regime during World War II. While they may not share this sentiment, Eva and her inner circle are well aware of the vulnerabilities of the human psyche and offer their masses the precise crutches they crave in the form of twisted ideals and strict rituals and regimens, as described in the following sections. Generally speaking, the Hand of Glory’s rank and file does not know about this manipulation (nor that the Hand’s highest positions of power don’t always share the organization’s proclaimed motivations). Neither does the world at large, including most operatives of the Archer Conspiracy. Two, who shares personal history with Eva Kraus (see the Archer Foundation Chamber Book, page 105), and those who have infiltrated the ice queen’s inner circle, know otherwise.

GOALS Ultimately, the Hand of Glory’s goals are those of Eva Kraus. Her quest to recover and renew the companion entity to her own possessor is foremost on her mind at all times, and therefore most operations she personally leads are driven by or support this outcome. (For more about Eva’s continuing efforts in this direction, see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook and the first and upcoming third episodes of the SFA Interactive campaign.) Secondary to this is rebuilding the occult empire that the twin entities nearly established in the time of the Ancients, a sweeping mystic dictatorship in which the inhuman king and queen would be elevated to the level of godhood they believe is their birthright. This long-range goal is akin to the schemes of many villain organizations which seek global control, though Eva is less interested in dominating the world than transforming it. Also, fewer of Eva’s personal missions are linked to this goal, which requires a broader approach than she is personally able to offer. Instead, the Hand of Glory’s plans for a new world order are managed through her lieutenants (Myrmidon and Dozer — see the Feature NPCs section beginning on page 82) who enforce her will throughout the lower ranks. Tertiary Hand of Glory goals are myriad and take a back seat to (or support) the organization’s two primary aims.

The Demagogue’s Legacy Hand of Glory doctrine can be traced back to the Demagogue’s personal creed, which was shared by (and sometimes forced upon) the bulk of his Nazi supporters. Pivotal within this creed were the fledgling naturalist movements that influenced Germany in the 1920s and 1930s, such as Liebensreform (“life reform”), which claimed to renew ancient methods of living and cited health and lifestyle as the keys to tapping into the mystical forces of the world. It was through these movements that the Third Reich — and eventually the Hand of Glory — gained momentum. Madam Helena Blevatski’s Theosophy — a blend of Hindu mysticism, Jewish cabala, and European hermeticism — lies at the core of the Hand of Glory vision. Blevatski wrote of her journeys to the Himalayas, where ancient mystics shared with her the secrets of the universe. Among these teachings was a prophecy of the rise of an Aryan hope and the rebuilding of the mystical empire of Atlantis. Baron von List, founder of the secret brotherhood known as the Thulian Society, referred to this Atlantean empire as ‘Thule’, which Eva knows to be the center of the civilization known to mystics as the Ancients. Eva has reinforced the tenets of Liebensreform and the search for Thule as fundamental to the Hand of Glory vision for a transformed world, which in turn feeds the heart of every officer, mystic, and shocktrooper heeding the call to Glory.

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Hand of Glory Hand of Glory recruits look upon themselves as true Aryans, the aristocracy of the coming Thulian empire, but they don’t employ the narrow definition of the word “Aryan” adopted by the Nazis during the second World War. Hand of Glory archaeologists have unearthed evidence that the word applies to anyone who has shown mystic aptitude, and it’s by this power that each member of the organization is measured as ‘Aryan,’ power which proves blood ties to Thule and demonstrates the right to take a place in the ruling class of Eva’s grand new empire. The mystic path that Hand of Glory operatives believe they are tracing leads them more often than not to seek occult answers to mundane problems. Because they believe they are destined to wield a mystical rod over the world’s remaining population following Eva’s apotheosis, each of her soldiers hones his mystic ability at every opportunity, and the organization seeks legendary mystic artifacts as part of its day-to-day mission. The motivation to rebuild Eva’s mystic empire is now a belief system shared by all her followers.

rounded by row upon row of attentive soldiers and countless symbols of ancient power. By all accounts, witnesses to these processions — whether they share the Hand’s sentiments or not — find themselves entranced by the spectacle, and several Conspiracy deep cover operatives have been known to surrender themselves to the empress by ritual’s end. Rituals of initiation hold a special place in Hand of Glory training. Every Hand of Glory agent — from the lowest-ranked shocktrooper to Eva’s inner circle — undergoes one of two rituals designed to cement them within the organization and ensure their absolute, unquestioned loyalty. After their training is complete at the army’s Carpathian facilities (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 154), most recruits participate in the Ritual of Blood, during which Hand mystics and psions cleanse their minds of anything that might compromise their loyalty to Eva and her cause. Those recruited or promoted into the inner circle, the organization’s ruling lieutenants, endure a different ritual: der Kuß, or “the kiss.” This intimate ceremony binds the lieutenant’s life force — his spirit — to Eva, granting her unyielding control. Through this bond, Eva is instantly aware when any of her lieutenants lies to her, and may administer mystic punishment upon them from anywhere in the world. Further, each subordinate acts as an anchor node for the purposes of Eva’s invocations (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 226).

The Descent of Man Evolution plays a strong role in Hand dogma. Darwin’s tenet of “survival of the fittest” permeates every level of Eva’s army. Soldiers are encouraged to compete for their officers’ favor and outperform one another in the field. Those who prove themselves are greatly rewarded; failures become examples. The fiercest struggles are amongst the highest ranks of Eva’s lieutenants (in lower echelons, this spirit of competition is rarely disruptive, due to the terrible price failure brings). The urge to excel within sight of their mistress drives each of her immediate underlings not only to produce notable results with his own pet projects but also to undermine those of his competitors. In some cases, Eva actively promotes this internal strife to keep her most trusted at their best. Despite all this back-biting, Eva’s officers answer to her alone and would never consider betraying her.

ORGANIZATION The Hand of Glory is a fractious entity, composed of hundreds of minor despots, powermongers, and deluded visionaries, each drawn to the organization for his own reasons. In order to manage these diverse strata of villainy, Eva Kraus has established a loose organizational structure that encourages personality and even blatant competition. Since the bloodbath earlier this year (which consumed nearly 90% of the Hand’s ruling body), this competition is seen most prevalently between the two rough divisions inside the organization, under the leaderships of the two men who now comprise its inner circle…

Ritual Loyalty Eva demands unquestioning loyalty from all her subordinates. From the highest lieutenant to the lowest footsoldier, each must prove himself worthy of Aryan heritage, the Hand of Glory emblem, and service to Eva. Proof of this loyalty is gained not only through success in the field, but also through carefully choreographed rituals intended to draw out and augment both loyalty to the cause and the mob ferocity so often seen during combats with the organization’s many enemies. Hand of Glory rituals not only renew the mystic energy of the fraternity’s warriors, but also inspire a sense of awe and divinity surrounding Eva. The chief feature of all the Hand’s massive rituals is Eva sur-

Dozer Division Commanded by Francis Andersen (see page 83), this division contains all elements of the Hand of Glory devoted to mystic exploration and relic acquisition, including the organization’s omnipresent goal of conquering the newly located sunken island of Thule, home of the godly Ancients (see page 91). In addition to all non-military Hand units, Dozer Division fields the following dedicated units.

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Villain

Channelers

Golems

These focused mystics are bonded to a single artifact, offering them intimate understanding of its piece of the Ancients’ puzzle. Channelers understand the mystic world on a level others can’t know, but they perceive only a fraction of it, losing the broad perspective of other sensitives. Further, this intimate bond is alien to the human psyche and charges a heavy toll, often blinding channelers or striking them deaf, gradually cutting them off from their native world. Extremely powerful channelers manifest even more violent reactions, from painful vulnerabilities to common elements of the human world (sunlight, plants, other people) to startling disfigurements (burns, skin outbreaks, and mutations). The Hand of Glory trains channelers to unravel the mysteries of the Ancients, bonding one that they can eventually bear to lose with every artifact they determine is closely linked to Thule or the Ancients’ powers. These unfortunates are rarely told of the dangers of their mission, and are segregated in remote locations around the world to ensure that the secret doesn’t get loose. Channelers are almost universally feared and rejected. They're used in the field only to fulfill a specific mission objective or cause fear among enemy troops. Special Note: For more information about channeler abilities, see the channeler prestige class on page 43.

Created from clay and sometimes earth laced with the spiritual residue of fallen heroes or villains, golems are animate constructs of great power, and some of the most frightening weapons at Eva’s disposal. Fearless and immune to pain, these creatures are externally indistinguishable from humans, though they can't speak. Internally, however, they're very different, consisting of a solid block of the material from which they were forged, without blood, muscle, or organs. Without brains, golems are particularly annoying to psions, who find them immune to mind-affecting abilities and many psionic attacks. Golems are unquestioningly loyal to their creators, and crumble into pieces of their base material and dust when destroyed. Special Note: For more information about golems, see the Create Golem invocation on page 55.

Jägers The bulk of Dozer Division consists of jägers (“hunters”), those trained to root out lost mystic artifacts around the globe. These operatives come in two varieties — standard jägers (academics) and schwarzjägers (“black hunters,” or explorers). Those who excel in either of these positions — and those with mystic ability — are promoted into the ranks of meisterjäger (“master hunter”) to command those in the first two groups.

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Hand of Glory Academic Jägers: Individuals recruited into the Hand of Glory as jägers are vastly capable researchers with remarkable intuition and a knack for picking up on clues that others miss. They’re the backbone of Eva’s relic-hunting teams and often venture into the field to counsel them. For more information about academic jägers, see the jäger NPC class on page 75. Schwarzjägers: These thieves, con men, and fences are recruited from black markets and villain communities across the globe (see page 35 for more about the Hand’s involvement with villain communities). Schwarzjägers hone their physical skills toward countering the exotic defenses of the Ancients and other cultures from which many Hand of Glory trophies are stolen, making them adventurers of the highest caliber, akin to the globe-trotting explorers at the turn of the 20th Century. Resourceful, quick-witted, and dangerous, these agents are Dozer Division’s front line — and those most likely to tussle with Archer spies. For more information about schwarzjägers, see the schwarzjäger NPC class on page 77. Meisterjägers: Jägers who prove themselves or show mystic aptitude are quickly transferred to a quiet Hand of Glory program called Operation: STARSIGHT. These pupils are not only developed as field commanders of jäger units, but also as part of Eva’s mystic hierarchy, a group largely untouched by the dog-eat-dog mentality flooding through the Hand’s command structure. The meisterjägers are an elite force all their own, called upon to assist Eva and her most powerful henchmen during invocations and given command of the largest Dozer missions.

the agent team. The GC must immediately make one skill check for the agent team, as appropriate (using Listen, Spot, etc.), applying a circumstance penalty of –4 to the roll. The agents receive no additional chances to notice the trap unless they ask to make a Search or otherwise appropriate skill check or the GC deems that their actions warrant it. Otherwise, all normal rules for discovering and triggering or disabling the trap apply (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 235 for more information about traps). Fast Evac: Dozer units always keep backup transportation nearby, just in case. At any time during play, Dozer Division commanders may make favor checks to request transportation without spending an action die (to a maximum favor check DC of 20). A number of minutes later equal to the favor check DC (between 5 and 20 minutes), the evac crews arrive, consisting of the minimum number of vehicles required to carry the Dozer troops, support personnel, and prisoners present when the commander made the request.

Myrmidon Division Commanded by Bakari Uchenna (see page 82) with assistance from former inner circle henchmen Jackboot and Flashfire (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 247), this division contains all elements of the Hand of Glory devoted to military conquest and repelling the attacks of aggressive opponents such as the Archer Conspiracy. Well-equipped with heavily armed and armored vehicles (see page 67–68) and devastating weapons (up to and in rare cases including nuclear weapons), Myrmidon Division is one of the most formidable militaries in the world — if also one of the most spread out. In addition to all military Hand troops, Myrmidon Division fields the following dedicated units.

Dozer Division Resources The following game mechanics may be applied to or activated by any Dozer unit. Each effect describes when it is used and how it changes play. Cagy: Dozer agents are extremely hard to pin down, slipping away from even the most skilled trackers. The security rating of any Dozer threat (determined during mastermind system construction) is added to the DCs of all Gather Information, Surveillance, and Track checks made against the unit or any of its members. This effect is always in play. Relic Stockpile: Dozer units have access to many artifacts unearthed during Eva’s search for the Ancients. During mastermind system creation of any Dozer threat, relics cost 2 MP each instead of 3. Booby-Trap: Dozer units are well known for their extremely effective pitfalls. At any time when the agents are moving through Dozer territory (including one of their installations), the GC may spend a number of action dice equal to a mechanical trap’s challenge rating (CR) to place the trap anywhere within 50 feet of

Children of Eve The Hand of Glory pursue the ideal ‘perfect soldier’ through many means, but their greatest achievements in this field have come through fringe science (see page 65). Through a project known to the Hand’s highest powers as BEOWULF, a new genetic strain of warrior has emerged from rows of weird science vats located in a small base in the Bolivian jungle. Within these vats percolate the finest genes cultivated from the Hand’s vast army, coupled with samples from the organization’s strongest sorcerers. The resulting creations — more than man but scarcely human — are referred to as the “Children of Eve” (after Avery Schillingsfield’s shortened name for Eva’s original persona). Removed from the vats in their adolescence, the Children of Eve undergo four years of intense physical examination and indoctrination before they are tested on the field. During this time, Eva spends at least one

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Villain McInnes, Dr. Colin

full day with each child, observing their progress and noting individual talents. Eva visits often outside this period, ingratiating herself with the children, whom she sees as the inheritors of a new kingdom after the island of Thule is captured and its secrets stolen. Upon maturation, the Children of Eve (each of which is identified only by a Norse codename) are omnicapable. They’re fast, extremely skilled with weapons of all kinds, and smart enough to challenge any superspy. Further, their training offers them many insights about human culture, allowing them to blend into most areas with ease (though social subtleties and matters of etiquette still leave them flailing). The only feature that distinguishes one of Eva’s chosen from a normal human is its lack of a belly button, though the breed’s greatest disadvantage is its uniform appearance. Thus far, all Children generated through Project: BEOWULF look exactly the same, like identical twins (though there are two genders). For this reason, Children of Eve are always fielded alone or in opposite-gender pairs, to avoid attention. For more information about the Children of Eve, see the Über NPC class on page 80. NPCs: BEOWULF and other eugenic/genetic activities are overseen by Dr. Colin McInnes (see sidebar).

Codename: ALLELE Archer Identity Number: None Nationality: Irish Gender: Male Handedness: Right Height: 5´10˝ Weight: 155 lbs. Eyes: Brown Hair: White, wild Psion Class: Non-latent Place of Birth: Dublin, Ireland Date of Birth: 1927.03.09 Distinguishing Characteristics: Encrusted lab coat.

Background Colin McInnes was among the premier scientists who plunged into genetic research following the discovery of the DNA superstructure in 1953. A fervent proponent of accelerated genetic selection who spearheaded carrier gene research at the University of Glasgow, McInnes eventually departed from the school’s bioethics standards and delved into human experimentation. McInnes sought ways to awaken dormant genes though chemical introduction and later a process that would become known as gene therapy. He hoped to avoid the need for reproduction and forge a new superhuman species. But as the death toll from his gruesome experiments mounted, the British government launched an investigation into his work and the nature of McInnes’ mad intentions were quickly uncovered. Many years later, McInnes was rescued from life imprisonment by Hand of Glory operatives, who offered him a chance to make good on his genetic promise. Under Eva Kraus' direction, McInnes has since worked solely on Project: BEOWULF, which aims to populate the Hand’s forces with genetically superior soldiers. McInnes is known for keeping to himself, never intruding on other projects and never speaking up to object when commands arrive from Eva or the inner circle. Objections and comments from all others, however, are fearfully opposed, as McInnes — now comfortable to pursue his work unabated — has no time for the wants of lesser men.

Lampreys Under the Hand’s finest military supervision and through several generations of seaborne technology and training, the Hand has arrived at what they believe to be the optimal underwater combat unit: the lampreys. Soldiers trained to endure the extreme conditions of undersea combat at nearly any depth, all lampreys are outfitted with flexible and lightweight body armor that protects them from depth pressure, most attacks, and detection by sonar. Coupled with their demolitions proficiency, lamprey soldiers are a clear threat to the Archer Conspiracy and military contenders the world over. See page 40 for a bundle best suited for the lamprey. For lamprey armor, see page 65.

Colin McInnes, 1st-level sleuth/10th-level academic (see the Archer Foundation Chamber Book, page 80). CR 10. SZ M; v/wp: 34/11; Init +7 (+7 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def +9 (+9 class); Atk: Sig-Sauer P-230 +5 (2d4); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +11; Str 11, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 20, Wis 15, Cha 13; Skills: Appraise +9, Bureaucracy +10, Computers +15, Concentration +16, Cultures +5, Drive +5, Forgery +9, Gather Information +5, Hide +4, Hobby (Chess) +5, Intimidate +4/+5, Knowledge (Chemistry) +19, Knowledge (Genetics) +22, Knowledge (Hand of Glory) +14, Languages +14, Listen +5, Profession (Scientist) +7, Search +15, Sense Motive +5, Spot +6, Surveillance +5. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Master Fence), Grand Skill Mastery (Scholarly), Scholarly. Gear: Lab coat, PDA. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

Shocktroopers The Hand of Glory has spent decades perfecting its own army, a blend of cutthroat training and dogged determination mixed with the best soldiers stolen money can hire. Glory shocktroopers are a wide mix of caucasian and mystic lineages from around the world, hidden behind the uncaring visage of the organization’s imposing emblem, displayed proudly on these soldiers’ shoulders and helmets. As part of Myrmidon Division, shocktroopers operate best when fielded en masse, overwhelming the enemy not only with precise regimentation but also sheer numbers. See page 40 for a bundle best suited for the shocktrooper. For shocktrooper armor, see page 65.

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Hand of Glory Thralls

Portable (Minion) Cover: Minions are the backbone of any Myrmidon operation, especially during combat when it always seems like more are coming out of the woodwork every round… So long as at least one minion squad consisting of at least four minions is present in a combat, all Hand of Glory personnel engaged in the combat gain a cover Defense bonus equal to one-half the engaged threat’s personnel rating (rounded down). See the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 246 for more about personnel ratings. Reinforcements: Myrmidon units always travel as part of closely coordinated battalions so they can call upon their nearby allies when they find themselves outnumbered or outgunned. At any time during play, the GC may spend and roll a number of action dice up to the number of players. These action dice explode normally. The GC totals the results of all the action dice together to determine the number of minions that arrive to assist the Myrmidon troops. These reinforcements arrive a number of rounds after they are summoned equal to the number of reinforcing troops divided by 5 (rounded up).

Thralls are soldiers with special affinity for the mystic arts, both as invocation participants and bonded followers. Myrmidon makes use of thralls as mystic fodder to fuel combat-assisting rites and rituals, and in cases of dire need, as sacrificial lambs to speed crucial effects. For more information about thralls, see the Thrall NPC class that begins on page 79.

Valkyrie When trapped beneath the wastes of the Ronne Ice Shelf in 1931, shortly after dispatching one of the Ancients’ powerful mystic guardian spirits, Eva Kraus decided to not only resurrect several of her fallen minions but imbue within them a sliver of her own essence — the power of the godling inside her. This power fused with that of the guardian spirit, creating in the women awakened by Eva’s hand something new… die Valkyrie. Driven by the very forces of nature, the women comprising the ranks of the Valkyrie have been gifted with Eva’s power to raise the dead, but only on a limited scale. Beyond that, they’re terrifying warriors, capable of overpowering even the most skilled marksman with nothing more than a sword and their physical might. In nearly all ways, the Valkyrie are the first realization of Eva’s dream — a legion worthy of her new empire. For more information about the valkyrie, see the Valkyrie NPC class on page 79.

Other Divisions The following divisions operate independently within the Hand of Glory (though they are sometimes assigned to Dozer or Myrmidon missions).

Fragers (Questioners) These faceless men uncover and develop conspiracies for the Hand of Glory, even within the ranks of the organization itself. Their wide-reaching propaganda machine touches all levels of business, government, and society. The fragers are everywhere. The fragers arranged for Antarctica to become a “free zone,” safe from exploitation (so that the Hand of Glory could safely move in). They also ensured the appointment and continued success of the Sixty, the Hand’s business and political powerhouse (see page 33). Masters at conjuring, cultivating, or creating rumors — and the ‘proof’ to back them up — fragers enjoy one of the most respected positions in Eva’s organization. They’re produced from the serum drawn from the Demagogue’s frozen body, making them telepaths of remarkable strength. Fragers are used to interrogate new Hand recruits and brainwash those who attempt to leave the fold. But their primary purpose remains out in the world, where they can manipulate the masses, preparing them for the day that Eva’s rule is made reality. Frager Resources: The following game mechanics may be applied to or activated by any frager. Each effect described when it is used and how it changes play.

Myrmidon Division Resources The following game mechanics may be applied to or activated by any Myrmidon unit. Each effect describes when it is used and how it changes play. Hardware Stockpile: Myrmidon units have access to great stockpiles of military hardware. During mastermind system creation of any Myrmidon threat, minion squads gain an additional 10 BP beyond their standard allotments. Hidden Vehicle: Unlike Dozer Division troops, Myrmidon units aren’t known for calling in fleets of evac vehicles. Rather, they tend to bring their vehicles with them and camouflage them in the local terrain until they’re needed. At any time during play, the GC may spend and roll one action die, which explodes normally. The result is the number of GP he may immediately spend to requisition one vehicle that is hidden in local terrain within 1 mile of the Myrmidon unit’s current base of operations. Though the vehicle is assumed to have always been hidden in this location, all subconscious checks to notice it are assumed to have failed — until now. After the vehicle’s location is determined, it may be spotted and targeted normally.

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Villain Loki

• Fragers can influence a crowd with merely a glance. When the agents confront a frager, the dispositions of all NPCs present (regardless of their affiliation) are reduced by one grade (e.g. friendly NPCs become neutral and neutral NPCs become unfriendly).

Codename: Desert Rose, Mastiff, Le Pecheur. Archer Identity Number: None Nationality: Varies Gender: Varies Handedness: Varies Height: Varies Weight: Varies Eyes: Varies Hair: Varies Psion Class: Non-latent Place of Birth: Varies Date of Birth: Varies Distinguishing Characteristics: Varies

• When needed, fragers can spark hatred, creating a mob of violence they can direct against opponents. At any time, the GC may spend and roll one action die (which explodes as normal). The result is the number of local bystanders within line of sight who form into a single minion squad to attack the agents. These bystanders attack the agents for a number of rounds equal to the frager’s Charisma modifier, only withdrawing after they’ve lost 50% or more of their vitality, suffered even 1 wound, or after this effect has somehow been canceled. While attacking the agents, these minions are assumed to have the following statistics: “1st level standard minions (squad size variable), CR 0. SZ: M; v/wp: 10/10; Init: +1; Spd: 30; Def: 10; Atk: Fist/Punch +1 (1d3); Face: 1 square; Reach: 1 square; SA None; SQ: None; SV Fort: +1, Ref +1, Will +1; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10; Skills: None. Feats: None. Weapons: None. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.” NPCs whose dispositions toward the agents are friendly or better (after the frager’s first ability is applied) are immune to this effect.

Background At meetings of the Sixty, members frequently address questions directly to a figure called 'Loki' and return home to find an answer waiting for them. Unbeknownst to them, Loki is actually three of their peers. Each Loki member painstakingly protects his identity from all others (including the other Loki members) to safeguard the power and fear the Loki façade guarantees. Together, the Loki members plan and execute all Hand of Glory political machinations, utilizing the Sixty — their web of political lobbyists and paid officials — as their pawns. Currently comprising Loki are: Princess Abida Akilah (aka Desert Rose), the controlling interest of the Syrian oil cartel ‘Hilel’; Dutch political hound and founder of Politiek Centraal, Peter Zingman (aka Mastiff); and Canadian public relations guru Jacque Fontenelle (aka Le Pecheur). In order to maintain contact, the anonymous group uses an elaborate network of secret public transmissions through advertising placements, coded political speeches, and orchestrated stock purchases. These items, when puzzled together, provide an ongoing dialog between the members detailing operational plans and future goals.

The Sixty Since the establishment of the world market and the decrease of economic isolationism, one of the Hand’s greatest tools has been the Sixty, an invisible multinational corporation known within Eva’s ranks as Operation: CREEPER. Consisting of brash young wizards of Wall Street, the Nikkei, and the halls of government, the Sixty command palpable power to make change throughout the global socioeconomic arena. They use this power to establish (and abolish) laws to create a favorable environment for Eva’s domination machine. Their long-range plans place this goal at a distant 2011, but Eva and her inner circle congratulate the Sixty now, for they see a world that is eminently more ready for them than the one they escaped in 1945. NPCs: The Sixty’s current lieutenant is a shadowy individual known only as ‘Loki’. For more information about Loki, see page the sidebar. Sixty Resources: The following game mechanics may be applied to or activated by the Sixty. Each effect describes when it is used and how it changes play.

Loki, 2nd-level fixer/10th-level professional (see the Archer Foundation Chamber Book, page 85). Department: D-1 Power Brokerage. CR 11. SZ M; v/wp: 39/10; Init +10 (+9 class, Dex +1); Spd 30 ft.; Def +9 (+8 class, Dex +1); Atk: Glock 18 +7 (1d10+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +5, Ref +11, Will +7; Str 11, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 15; Skills: Appraise +15, Bluff +14, Concentration +7, Craft (Propaganda) +19, Diplomacy +15, Hide +5, Hobby (Racing) +16, Intimidate +10/+11, Languages +8, Move Silently +5, Profession (Businessman) +19, Profession (Lawyer) +11, Search +10, Spot +7. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Ordinary Past), Grand Skill Mastery (Ordinary Past), Ordinary Past, Political Favors. Gear: Fashionable business suit, laptop (+3 power rating). Gadgets and Vehicles: Private airliner. For Abida Akilah add: Cultures +10, Disguise +8, Handle Animal +11, Sport (Dance) +6, Filthy Rich, and Gear: Arabian thoroughbred. For Peter Zingman add: Boating +7, Driver +10, Pilot +5, Sport (Golf) +6, Speed Demon, and Gear: Classic sports car. For Jacque Fontenelle add: Computers +6, Innuendo +8, Profession (Public Speaker) +11, Sense Motive +11, Silver Tongue, and Gear: Copy of his book, "Spin Cycle".

• The Sixty possess incalculable wealth and can collect much more on demand. When using the mastermind system to construct a Sixty threat, resource levels cost 10 MP each (instead of 15).

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Hand of Glory • The Sixty possess unthinkable power, even over the laws of nations. At any time, the GC may designate a target to become wanted in one country of the Sixty’s choosing by spending a number of action dice equal to that target’s Charisma modifier (minimum 1). Thereafter, the target suffers the ill effects of being a capital criminal in the designated area, a trait that might follow him to other regions if he doesn’t take steps to isolate it. The warrant for the target’s arrest can be lifted with a number of successful favor checks (DC 20), made one per day, each requiring the target to spend one action die per attempt. Alternately, the target may — in story — discover the location of the false evidence being held over him, track it down, and destroy it.

Finances The Hand of Glory is as ruthless in the economic arena as it is on the battlefield. Eva has used her mystic prowess to manipulate the market and earn millions, then established hundreds of successful front companies over the past century — including the Iron Seed Corporation (see pages 13 and 18), which is now more prolific selling drugs and deadly chemicals than it ever was as an above-board agricultural interest. Grandeur Records is one of the Hand’s most active public companies, a driving force not only in the music scene, but the fashion and audio markets as well. Grandeur remorselessly trades musicians with other labels, always managing to pawn off artists just as their final ounce of creativity slips away. More often than not, a tour with Grandeur literally sucks the life out of artists, who are left with nothing to look forward to after their contracts but depression, drugs, rehab, and suicide. Some artists speak out against the label, but each is put down in turn, reminded that such tragic endings are simply “part of the biz.” On other business fronts, Eva was among the first to realize the incredible financial potential of credit cards, and now counts the CEOs of two of the largest lending agencies in the world as her willing subjects. A percentage of every late fee paid to either of these firms goes directly into the Hand of Glory’s coffers. Eva has also seized onto the seemingly unlimited potential offered by television infomercials, telemarketing, and bulk e-mail advertising. No matter how ludicrous one of her products appears to be, heavy market saturation always guarantees a successful turnover.

METHODS Eva's diabolical organization requires extensive (and extreme) management to continue, particularly when so many of her troops are regularly gunned down by heartless Conspiracy dogs and other enemies. These sections detail ways that Eva influences the ranks and keeps the machine running.

Propaganda Few willingly join the Hand, and most intentional members are notoriously antisocial and anti-authoritarian, painfully difficult for Eva and her lieutenants to manipulate. Thus, Eva employs Devlin Media, Ltd., an advertising firm based in Hollywood, California, which continually crafts new methods of subtle mind control. Devlin’s partnership with the Grandeur Records music label offers a way to test these methods before before their use during critical missions. Devlin Media incorporates subliminal pro-Glory images and messages into television commercials, corporate logos, and pop-up ads to infect the populace and prepare new recruits. On the home front, they promote conditions engineered for loyalty and obedience, including severe uniforms, complex salutes, and the ever-present Hand insignia (as seen on page 18). Mandatory films champion the party line at massive rallies held in secret locations around the world. Daily life in Glory compounds is peppered with sporadic declarations over hidden speakers: “I live to serve the needs of my superiors” and “I will not hesitate to give my life for our glorious cause.” While blatant, this combination of intrusive elements is nonetheless effective, wearing down each individual’s resolve and making him more susceptible to future programming, indoctrination, and ritual participation.

OPERATIONS One of the Hand’s core beliefs is that the world must be born again through fire and warfare. These mechanisms will reshape the world, crushing the weak under the foot of the strong and the quick, and the Hand of Glory — the strongest and fastest force on Earth — can only rise to the zenith of such a world. Toward a realization of this dream, the Hand’s military lord, Myrmidon, along with The Sixty, actively engages in global operations designed to bring about war and create a power vacuum into which the Hand can step. The bulk of these activities are currently focused in Africa, where the Hand has taken advantage of regional instability and political weakness, and used them to drive the local governments into conflict. One such operation is GLASS CURTAIN, in which Hand of Glory loyalists in the U.N., Europe, and the U.S. stall Western involvement in the Third World, allowing the Hand’s military and jägers to operate with much less fear of serious response.

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Villain Asia

VCILLAIN OMMUNITY

The Hand’s influence in Asia is limited to rooting around the tombs of ancient Emperors to acquire relics and bits of information about the Ancients. This is Dozer Division’s operation, but they don’t maintain any strongholds in the region, instead preferring to enter fast, strike faster, and leave without anyone spotting them.

The Hand draws some of its most celebrated figures from the underworld, as well as many of its most powerful resources. The following sections detail the Hand’s influence within each villain community, its intentions for each region, and special powers it can use within those borders, particularly against agents of the Archer Conspiracy.

Hand of Glory Resources in Asia The GC may activate the following game mechanics in Asia for the Hand of Glory. Each effect describes when it is used and how it changes play. Improved Travel Times: The Hand of Glory has established many back roads through Asia to assist its “dash ’n’ grab” operations. As such, its overland travel times are improved by 1⁄4 (e.g. from 3⁄4 to 1⁄2, or 1⁄2 to 1⁄4). Further, Hand of Glory drivers gain a +2 circumstance bonus to all maneuver checks when outside urban areas, whether they are predator or prey.

Africa As a historic termination point for die Spinne after World War II, Africa has been established as a hard point of Hand activity. But the wave of pan-Islamism and the rise of the Arabic League in the latter half of the 20th Century drove many Hand of Glory contacts out of the area as Europeans fell from favor with the regional leaders. Most of these refugee villains re-established themselves in sub-Saharan countries where they could maintain weak links to the tightly controlled North, only recently making inroads into Egypt. Most recently, Eva has taken a fancy to the idea of establishing a public nation of her own, deciding on Africa due to its rich mystic heritage and the fact that the African Alliance is the youngest and (as Eva sees it) the least established of Archer’s Chambers. She's tasked Myrmidon Division with creating fiction between the many regional warlords, hoping that an all-out war will clear the playing field for her. (For more about this effort — as well as the Hand’s greatest victory yet on this front — see the hook sheet on pages 92–93.)

Australia and New Zealand For the most part, Australia has largely remained untouched by the Hand of Glory, perhaps due to the Archer Foundation’s presence, perhaps because the Hand has yet to discover significant mystic elements there (outside Raymond's allies, the aborigines).

North America An abundance of shadow companies and the North American Free Trade Agreement have allowed the Hand of Glory to establish companies such as Andersen Chemical and Gutierez Import/Export Inc., which act as filters though which Hand products find markets and military goods find their way to the Hand. But even more effective are the Hand’s many smuggling and drug-trafficking operations here, which — coupled with the use of submarines — have proven extremely difficult to combat, and therefore highly profitable.

Hand of Glory Resources in Africa The GC may activate the following game mechanics in Africa for the Hand of Glory. Each effect describes when it is used and how it changes play. Blighted Market: The Hand of Glory’s first order of business in Africa was to cut off the opposition’s chain of supply. It accomplished this by purchasing everything of value anywhere in sight. Today, the African black market has all but shut down, selling only cast-offs for bloated prices. When consulting the black market anywhere in Africa, the agents use the standard rules (see the Modern Arms Guide, page 25), but the error range of all gear purchased through this channel is increased by 2. Increased Military Spending: With a steady supply of the finest parts and labor money can buy, Hand installations in Africa are nearly impregnable. When constructing a Hand of Glory threat, the security levels of all installations set in Africa are increased by 2 (with no maximum).

Hand of Glory Resources in North America The GC may activate the following game mechanics in North America for the Hand of Glory. Each effect describes when it is used and how it changes play. Bought and Paid For: The Hand’s incredible cash flow here allows them to buy and sell local authorities with impunity. At any time, the GC may spend one action die to provide a Glory henchman or mastermind with one government intervention favor check. When making this check, the GC gains a bonus equal to the serial’s resource level. If no resource level is available, the bonus gained is equal to the requesting character’s Charisma modifier (minimum +1).

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Hand of Glory Hand of Glory Resources in Europe and Great Britain

South America South America was long ago subjugated on every level by the Hand of Glory. The organization’s troops visit cantinas during their downtime, Glory vehicles can be seen parked in the outskirts of villages (and sometimes even rolling down the country’s main roads), and few if any ruins lie undisturbed, even in the continent’s darkest interior. The practical reality in South America is that the Hand of Glory calls the shots, but since the organization has spent the last several years focusing its efforts abroad, the local ruling body is for all intents and purposes a vacuum. Regional rulers have withdrawn and their governments are little more than hollow husks for the evening news. South America has been left to its own devices.

The GC may activate the following game mechanics in Europe for the Hand of Glory. Each effect describes when it is used and how it changes play. Safe House Network: Hand of Glory operatives are assumed to have at least one safe house in every major European city. Outside metropolitan areas, the GC may make a favor check (DC 15, with no action die cost). With success, a Hand safe house is found in the immediate area or its environs. Fringe Science Labs: Europe is the home of fringe science, born in the desperate final months of World War II. Though new laboratories are being erected around the world all the time, the most experienced minds remain where they are comfortable, at home. When constructing a Hand of Glory threat, the gadget level cost for threats set at least partly in Europe is 3 MP (instead of 4).

Hand of Glory Resources in South America The GC may activate the following game mechanics in South America for the Hand of Glory. Each effect describes when it is used and how it changes play. Cut Off!: Without the benefit of government, communication is fast becoming a bygone luxury of a forgotten age — except, of course, for the Hand of Glory. The DCs of all favor checks made by the agents while in South America are increased by 5. Wild in the Streets: With the Hand of Glory so brazen throughout the continent, agents gain a +4 circumstance bonus to all Gather Information and Surveillance checks to learn about local Hand of Glory activities based on physical evidence only (e.g. troops in bars, half-tracks in parking lots, etc.).

The Middle East All Hand of Glory efforts to penetrate the Middle East have so far been repelled by the Guardians of the Whispering Knife, ensuring that at least one segment of the world’s mystic discoveries is off limits to Eva Kraus. The goddess is sure of the area’s importance to her mission, however, and intends to do something about the Guardians as soon as she establishes a foothold (or better yet, an empire) in Africa.

Russia The largest of all the villain communities is generally ignored by Eva’s forces, who view P.E.R.I.L. as an unpredictable enemy with tactics simply too frustrating to bother with (even if the nation was known for its mystic significance — which it’s not).

Europe and Great Britain With training facilities in the Carpathian Mountains and in Bavaria, and many companies throughout the Old World, the Hand of Glory is well established in Europe. But all these things were developed during World War II, when the real power in Europe — the Gemeinschafft Consortium — was busy (fighting, by coincidence, the Hand of Glory’s predecessors). Following the war, The Hand of Glory’s European interests remained, and by the time Gemeinschafft once again gathered its bearings, it simply didn't consider it worth the trouble to oust the invaders. So, like Eva and the Ancients’ civilization, the Hand of Glory operates like a parasite in modern-day Europe, living in the places no one cares to buy and feeding from the people who fall through the cracks or come looking for the right cause. The Gemeinschafft Consortium allows Eva’s armies to remain in Europe because their efforts are passive, harmless. But should this ever change…

E NEMIES OF THE H AND For over forty years, the Hand of Glory has taken great pains to conceal its activities. After failing to realize the Demagogue’s vision in World War II and losing the god-king’s spirit to the Architects of the Fringe, the Hand adopted a policy of entrenchment and slow growth, working its tentacles into the the world economy and unstable Third World governments. This patience has paid off, allowing the Hand to grow to truly monstrous proportions right under the noses of the world’s foremost leaders. Yet other groups have had better vision, or have stumbled onto the Hand over the years, and some have found themselves operating at cross purposes with Eva and her underlings.

36

Villain

Today, now that the Hand is finally poised to make a serious bid as a world power, it’s venturing out into the open again, and many of its enemies have followed (some with far more knowledge about the Hand of Glory than Archer’s Conspiracy). These groups continue to harass the Hand, offering agents of the Conspiracy some of their strongest allies in the fight against the evil mystic empire…

The Finnian Collector's Society was founded in 1996 by Intilicom CEO Gabriel “Leroy” Brown and Jargon Corp Chairman Anne “AJ” Jackson to mimic the trappings of a Victorian English Gentlemen’s club, with heavily influences from the fantastic works of Jules Verne. Membership in the Society is exclusive, extravagant, and secretive, as most activities performed by the Finnians are illegal. The Finnians collect artifacts from around the world — the rarer and more powerful the better (and the higher the collector's status in the Society). The goal of Finnian membership is to collect the finest pieces for display at annual meetings in their New York lodge (where the Society's new head is chosen). All but once since the Society was founded, this position has been held by either Brown or Jackson. Many members look to change this at the next meeting (in December) and intend to use some of the Hand's most cherished acquisitions to back their coup. The most successful members have taken to hiring their own private teams of relic hunters, and the Society has set rules for these teams. First, each team may not consist of more than seven individuals. Second, there is no limit to the money that may be spent on outfitting a team. Lastly, each members may keep only one team.

The Finnian Collector’s Society Beginning in 1997, Hand jägers found their work interrupted or intercepted by agents of an enemy organization. Sometimes, these adversaries looted archaeological sites the Hand had just discovered (before the Hand’s specialists arrived on the scene). In other cases, headline news talked of museum heists and missing artifacts Hand jägers had targeted for acquisition months before. In 1999, the first clue about the Hand's mystery adversary was recovered. Jäger Reagan Thompson encountered a team of heavily armed excavators in Ethiopia who — after a hard-fought battle and long interrogation — uttered the name ‘Finnians.’ Since this revelation, the Hand have adopted a quiet, observant stance, collecting information about their adversaries as their adversaries collect their artifacts. Soon, when they have enough data, they will strike.

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Hand of Glory The Finnian relic hunters are the most active extension of the Society. At any given time, three to five of these teams are assigned to missions somewhere in the world. Due to their immense budgets, these teams tend to be heavily armed and loaded with the latest technology. Members of the teams range from ruthless killers and ex-military thugs such as Brown’s ‘Bully Boys’ to European cat burglars like Jackson’s all-girl team, the ‘Wild Orchids’. The Hand of Glory knows of both these teams, as well as two others: ‘The Jewels of India’ and ‘Karkov’s Killers’.

delivering them to the home office. Each major relic offered to the Finnians grants the agent team a disposition bonus of +10 to their Diplomacy checks to gain Finnian relics and information for one full year. (Minor relics such as seeker talismans are too common to earn this bonus.) For each relic the agents give away in this fashion, however, the GC may spend one or more action dice to cause the home office to discover the team's breach of protocol and apply a –5 circumstance penalty to all their favor checks for a number of serials equal to the number of action dice spent.

Agent Resources using the Finnian Collector’s Society

Xong Tzu Jen and the Chinese Government

The Finnian Collector's Society can be of great assistance to anyone who knows of their existence. When in a bind for mystic information or relics, any agent may make one Education check (DC 20) at no cost. With success, that agent knows of the Finnians and may call upon one of them to gain relics or information. (The headquarters of the Society is never gained using an Education check — it must be found during play.) Relic Market: When seeking a relic or mystic information through the Finnian's Collector's Society, use the rules for the Black Market (see the Modern Arms Guide, page 25). There is no check to contact the dealer — a Finnian team lead comes to the agent within 1d6 hours. All Finnian brokers are of the typical type (Diplomacy checks with them have a base error range of 1–5). Soldiers gain no benefit when brokering for relics and information, but explorers, shadespeakers, and other characters with knowledge of the mystic world gain a +2 circumstance bonus to their Diplomacy checks to determine the outcome of any deal. Finally, the agent's Diplomacy check result determines the cost of the relic or information, as follows.

During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, as the Red Guardians urged people to destroy their ancient cities and rebuild in the new image of the People’s Republic, Hand teams traveled in their wake to sweep up some of China’s most legendary relics. This continued until 1977, when the secret Department for the Protection of the People's Treasures (the DPPT) was formed under Zhou Enlai’s “Four Modernizations” program. Commanded by Col. Xong Tzu Jen, a ruthless and devoted patriot, the DPPT continues to plague the Hand of Glory to this day. Jen has at his disposal a full battalion of the Chinese military and a support staff of 100 secret police officers specially trained to deal with mystic combatants. These forces have congested Glory supply lines in Asia and captured several of Myrmidon's top field operatives in the area, throwing down the gauntlet in a continued war against Eva Kraus.

Difference up to 5 6–10 11–20 21+

Resources Using the DPPT Though Archer knows of the DPPT, the force hasn't been inducted into the Conspiracy yet because of its questionable tactics. Agents of the Conspiracy can, however, call upon the group when they need to distract Hand of Glory troops in an area for a while. “They're Over Here!”: It's said that all a Conspiracy agent has to do to get the DPPT's attention is tell them that someone is kicking up dirt around a Chinese temple. At any time, an agent may spend one action die to make a Forgery check opposed by the Sense Motive check of the highest-level Hand of Glory character in the area. If the Conspiracy agent fails, the Hand of Glory character vanishes for 1d6 hours as the DPPT detain him for questioning. With a success, the Hand of Glory character vanishes for 1d10+20 hours as the DPPT incarcerate him or drive him into hiding. Further, with a success, the size of all the Hand character's minion squads is reduced by 2 for the remainder of the serial. The agents may only use this ability once per serial.

Outcome of Deal Agent owes Finnian a favor Agent pays $10,000 per relic/info grade Agent pays $5,000 per relic/info grade Agent pays $1,000 per relic/info grade

The GC determines the grade of any information or relic, from one to ten, based on its utility or power. If an agent agrees to owe a Finnian a favor, he is accepting that the Finnian will call upon him at any time to perform a service or produce information or a relic of equal utility or power to the one that the Finnian bargained to give him in this deal. The agent may refuse when the time comes, but should he do so, all Finnians are thereafter his adversaries and actively work to make his life miserable. The agent may not purchase a background from this event. Brownie Points: The agents may earn some positive karma with the Finnians if they part with one or more mystic relics recovered during their missions rather than

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"Now you may experience a burning sensation, but do try to sit still…" — Nova, moments before indoctrinating a new Hand of Glory recruit

New Rules

3

Hand of Glory Special Talents

INTRODUCTION

• +2 Strength, –2 Wisdom. • +1 skill rank each in one Craft, one Hobby, and one Profession skill. The agent receives 1 rank in each of these skills even if the skill is normally a cross-class skill for the agent.

This chapter provides new rules and agent options to flesh out Hand of Glory operatives and those who fight against them. All the tools necessary to run games involving the many plots and events described in this book are provided, including two new departments, one new base class and three new prestige classes, new mystic rules and relics, rediscovered invocations, expanded feat trees, more gadgets (specialized to match the feel of the Hand of Glory threat), and ten classes for use when building NPCs. As discussed in the shadow history section (see page 20), it’s not only easy but justifiable to create Hand of Glory agents working for the Archer Conspiracy or as rogue elements in any SFA campaign. The options presented in this chapter are open to such agents (pending GC approval, of course).

• At 4th level, indoctrinated agents choose a cross-class skill to become a class skill. An additional cross-class skill becomes a class skill at 8th level and every four levels thereafter. • +1 department bonus to Fortitude saving throws. Indoctrinated agents receive an additional +1 department bonus to Fortitude saves at 4th level, and every four levels thereafter. • Bonus Feat: Ordinary Past.

New Bundles These new bundles supplement those presented in other Spycraft and Shadowforce Archer products, but they are built a little differently, costing 35 budget points each. Hand of Glory troops, many having abilities to compensate for this increased cost, are commonly assigned these bundles for field work, though the players’ agents may also choose them if they have enough BP.

N EW DEPARTMENTS The Hand of Glory searches far and wide for those with mystical backgrounds or abilities, to serve the organization or feed Eva’s bottomless appetite for souls. The following departments represent two of the most common training paths of those who survive Eva’s hunger. The first is suitable for henchmen or servants of nearly any villainous organization, making it suitable for most Spycraft games. Due to the mystical influences of the second, however, it should be restricted to games featuring mystical feats and abilities.

Lamprey Bundle 2 waterproof hip bags (to store bundle) 1 set black fatigues Diving mask Flippers Garrote SIG-Sauer P-226 (service pistol) in 9mm with silencer with 50 standard rounds (1d10+1) with 50 subsonic rounds (1d6+1) Tactical holster Waterproof night vision goggles Waterproof flashlight 5 glowsticks Radio head set Demolitions kit 2 days of MREs

The Indoctrinated Hand of Glory recruits are drawn from every walk of life — through propaganda, mind control drugs, brainwashing, and other psychological strategies. Less skilled converts are returned to their former lives as sleeper agents after their training is complete, thereafter activated only for special missions. Those with the skills and experience to enter the high-stakes do-or-die world of superspies inhabited by full-time Hand of Glory operatives receive heavily focused physical training and are encouraged to pursue the Hand’s ideal of human perfection, but they are often left mentally scarred by their brutal indoctrination.

Shocktrooper Bundle 1 large black military duffle bag (to store bundle) 1 set black fatigues Helmet, sealed H&K G36 (assault rifle) with 100 standard rounds (4d4) with tactical flashlight with tactical sling Radio head set 2 days of MREs

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New Rules Handle Animals Jump Knowledge Languages Listen Mechanics Open Locks Search Spot Survival Swim

Old Blood All around the world, small pocket-cultures preserve ancient traditions and lore long forgotten by outsiders. The Hand of Glory and other organizations sometimes seek out and recruit these individuals for the knowledge (and power) they possess. While not all agents from old blood go on to become mystics, their knowledge of the old ways can provide key insights when researching or combating such foes.

Special Talents

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

• +2 Wisdom, –2 Strength. • +1 department bonus to any save prompted by a mystical or fringe ability, feat, or invocation. Old blood agents receive an additional +1 department bonus to these saves at 4th level and every four levels thereafter.

Class Features The following are class features of the explorer. Starting Feats: The explorer begins play with the following feats. Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Pistol)

• +1 department bonus to Knowledge (Occult) and Languages checks. Old Blood agents receive an additional +1 department bonus to these checks at 4th level and every four levels thereafter.

Connected: An explorer comes to know a wide variety of people through his travels. Once per session, he may spend an action die to seek out an individual with whom he has dealt positively in the past. Seeking this acquaintance out requires 1d6 hours. The acquaintance has one skill of the agent’s choice with a number of ranks equal to one-half the sum of the agent’s level + his Charisma modifier. Unlike allies gained through the faceman’s backup ability (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 23), the explorer’s acquaintance is only considered friendly (rather than helpful) and must be compensated for any services rendered. The explorer may use this ability even in remote locations, so long as there are at least 40 people within a 25-mile radius around the explorer when he declares the ability use (e.g. an Antarctic research base near the South Pole or a nomad camp in the midst of a desert). This is the explorer’s core ability. All Over the World: The explorer never ceases to wander the globe, honing his skills and nosing around in new places. At 1st level, he gains the World Traveler feat. At 6th level, he gains the Advanced Skill Mastery feat for the World Traveler feat. At 12th level, he gains the Grand Skill Mastery feat for the World Traveler feat. At 18th level, he gains the Perfect Skill Mastery feat for the World Traveler feat. All prerequisites for these feats — including minimum skill ranks and agent level — are waived. Direction Sense: At 1st level, the explorer receives a +2 bonus to any roll to navigate from place to place, regardless of the skill being used. This bonus also applies when performing the “Shortcut” maneuver as a

• Bonus Feat: Scholarly. This feat is considered a mystical feat for the purpose of meeting other feats’ prerequisites. The agent must still meet the prerequisites for this feat (including skill ranks with Concentration and Knowledge) before receiving any benefit from it.

EXPLORER This is a base class. Whether in the steaming rainforests of Borneo or the concrete jungle of downtown New York, some agents cannot resist the call of discovery. Many organizations field agents who circle the globe in search of places and phenomena beneath the notice of their technological colleagues. These individuals bring a wealth of experience with exotic locations to any team, as well as a steady hand in the face of bizarre circumstances. Abilities: Most explorers fancy a bit of rough and tumble, so decent Strength and Dexterity can be very helpful. The most pressing ability for any explorer, however, is unquestionably Intelligence, the source of wits he stakes his life upon during every mission. Vitality: 1d12 plus Con modifier per level.

Class Skills The explorer’s class skills and key abilities are: Class Skill Climb Cultures Drive First Aid

Cha Str Int Int Wis Int Dex Int Wis Wis Str

Key Ability Str Wis Dex Wis

41

Hand of Glory Table 3.1: The Explorer Base Att Bon +0

Fort Save +1

Ref Save +2

Will Save +1

Def Bon +1

Init Bon +1

Budg Pts 1

Gadg Pts 0

2 3 4

+1 +2 +3

+2 +2 +2

+3 +3 +4

+2 +2 +2

+1 +2 +2

+2 +3 +3

2 3 4

1 1 2

5 6 7 8

+3 +4 +5 +6

+3 +3 +4 +4

+4 +5 +5 +6

+3 +3 +4 +4

+3 +4 +4 +5

+4 +5 +6 +6

5 6 7 8

2 3 3 4

9 10 11 12

+6 +7 +8 +9

+4 +5 +5 +6

+6 +7 +7 +8

+4 +5 +5 +6

+5 +6 +7 +7

+7 +8 +9 +10

9 10 11 12

4 5 5 6

13 14 15 16

+9 +10 +11 +12

+6 +6 +7 +7

+8 +9 +9 +10

+6 +6 +7 +7

+8 +8 +9 +10

+10 +11 +12 +13

13 14 15 16

6 7 7 8

17 18 19 20

+12 +13 +14 +15

+8 +8 +8 +9

+10 +11 +11 +12

+8 +8 +8 +9

+10 +11 +11 +12

+13 +14 +15 +16

17 18 19 20

8 9 9 10

Lvl 1

Special All over the world, connected, direction sense +2, starting feats Bookworm (1⁄2) Bonus feat Direction sense +3, uncanny dodge (Dex bonus) Bonus feat All over the world (Advanced) Bonus feat Direction sense +4, uncanny dodge (can’t be flanked) Bonus feat, canny defense (melee) Rugged (+2) Bookworm (1⁄4), bonus feat All over the world (Grand), direction sense +5, uncanny dodge (traps +1) Bonus feat Lifeline Bonus feat, canny defense (ranged) Direction sense +6, uncanny dodge (traps +2) Bonus feat All over the world (Perfect) Bookworm (1⁄10), bonus feat Direction sense +7, rugged (+4), uncanny dodge (traps +3)

Uncanny Dodge: Starting at 4th level, the explorer gains the ability to react to danger before his senses would normally permit him to become aware of it. He retains his Dexterity bonus to Defense (if any) when flat-footed or being attacked by an invisible adversary (though he still loses his Dexterity bonus to Defense if immobilized). At 8th level, the explorer can react to opponents on both sides as easily as he can to a single attacker, and may therefore no longer be flanked. This ability denies fixers and others with the sneak attack ability the opportunity to use flank attacks to sneak attack the explorer unless the attacker is at least four levels higher than the explorer. At 12th level, the explorer gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to traps, granting him a +1 bonus to Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 bonus to Defense against attacks from traps. These two bonuses increase to +2 at 16th level and to +3 at 20th level. This ability is identical to the uncanny dodge ability possessed by the fixer, and a multi-classed agent may add his explorer and fixer levels together to determine the effectiveness of this ability (though he may only gain the ability once).

predator in a chase (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 188). This bonus increases by +1 at 4th level and by an additional +1 every four levels thereafter. Bookworm: The explorer has unparalleled research skills and can frequently just ‘walk up to the right part of any library’ or ‘flip open a book to the right page’ with spooky accuracy. Starting at 2nd level, the explorer may reduce the amount of time required to conduct any research — whether using books, a computer, or other means. This ability may affects researches that would otherwise take 10 minutes or longer. At 2nd level, this ability divides the research time required in half (rounded up). At 11th level, it divides the research time required by 4 (rounded up). Finally, at 19th level, it divides the research time required by 10 (rounded up). Bonus Feat: At 3rd level and every other level thereafter, the explorer receives a bonus feat from either the basic combat or fringe feat trees. (The Fringe feat tree was introduced in the Archer Foundation Chamber Book.) He must still meet all prerequisites for the feat, including minimum ability scores and base attack bonuses.

42

New Rules Danger Sense: At 9th level, the explorer may use his keen wits to avoid harm. So long as he is no more than lightly encumbered and wearing nothing heavier than light armor, he may add his Intelligence modifier to his Dexterity modifier when determining his Defense vs. melee and unarmed attacks. At 15th level, this bonus extends to attacks with hurled weapons, firearms, and all other ranged attacks. This bonus is lost any time the explorer is denied his Dexterity modifier. Rugged: At 10th level, the explorer receives a +2 bonus to his Constitution. At 20th level, this bonus increases to +4. Lifeline: At 14th level, the explorer’s fortune reaches a zenith and he is able to slip out of even the most shocking circumstances (largely) unscathed. Whenever the explorer suffers enough damage to lower his vitality below 0, he suffers only enough damage to lower his vitality to 0. Likewise, whenever he suffers enough damage to lower his wounds below 0, he suffers only enough damage to lower his wounds to 0. All excess damage is ignored. This ability is applied every time the explorer suffers at least 1 point of damage (after armor, damage reduction, and other damage-reducing abilities are applied), regardless of the source of damage. The explorer’s lifeline ability affects damage from attacks, falls, poison, and all other sources of injury.

Requirements Agent Level: 5+. Organization: Hand of Glory. Charisma: 13+. Knowledge (Occult): 5 ranks. Feats: Mystic, Second Sight. Special: Must have possession of a unique relic.

Class Skills The channeler’s class skills and key abilities are: Class Skill Appraise Bluff Concentration Craft Cryptography Cultures Driver Forgery Gather Information Innuendo Intimidate Knowledge Languages Listen Perform Profession Read Lips Search Sense Motive Spot

CHANNELER This is a prestige class. As described on page 29, channelers of the Hand’s Dozer Division have the unique ability to directly link their innate mystic sense to one unique artifact, allowing them to harness levels of ritual power few are even aware exists. Channelers are frequently unaware of their gifts, living seemingly ordinary lives until and unless they come in contact with a mystic relic. Thereafter, everything changes for them, as their vision of the world slowly shifts to match the eyes of the Ancients. Unfortunately, as their senses adjust to the unknown vistas of the mystic world, they gradually lose sight of their humanity, slipping always toward a state of being unrecorded for thousands of years… Hand of Glory mystics and psions are constantly on the lookout for potential channelers. When found, these hapless individuals are usually kidnapped, plucked from their lives and forced to serve as protection for Eva’s mounting collection of mystic prizes and as batteries for her obsessive mission. Abilities: Channelers value Charisma above all other abilities for the control it allots them over the riddles of the Ancients. Wisdom is nearly as vital, often forming their only defense against madness and physical degeneration as they lose sight of the physical world. Vitality: 1d10 plus Constitution modifier per level.

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

Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features The following are class features of the channeler. Starting Feats: The channeler gains the following feats at 1st level. Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Bonded Relic: When the agent gains his first level in this prestige class, he chooses one unique relic — usually the same relic used to fulfill part of this class’s requirements — to become his bonded relic. Ritual Cooperation: Through his bond, the channeler is able to funnel mystic power to help fuel invocations. When touching his bonded relic, the channeler adds his Charisma modifier to all Knowledge skill checks he makes to perform invocations. Further, the channeler adds his Charisma modifier as a cooperation bonus to all Knowledge skill checks made to perform invocations he is participating in (but not orchestrating himself).

43

Hand of Glory Drain Relic: Over the course of his growth, a channeler learns to tap his relic’s power in many ways, gaining many remarkable abilities. At 3rd level, and every 2 levels thereafter, the channeler receives one of the following abilities of his choice. To activate any one of these abilities, the channeler touches his relic to cause it to become inert (disallowing any use of its powers or any powers that require the channeler to be touching it). The channeler chooses how many days the relic becomes inert before touching it, up to a number of days equal to his Charisma modifier. At 7th level, the channeler may choose to activate up to two of the following abilities that he knows by causing his bonded relic to become inert. The effects of both abilities are applied simultaneously during while the relic is inert. Every time the channeler causes his bonded relic to become inert to activate one or more of the following abilities, he must make a Thirst check (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 229). Fate Boost: The channeler gains a number of action dice equal to the number of days the relic will be inert. These action dice may be spent normally, without restriction. If not used by the time the relic once again becomes active, these action dice are forfeit. Sanctuary: The channeler slips out of existence while the relic is inert. During this time, he is not in the physical world, the spirit realm, or the Fringe, and cannot be targeted by any abilities or effects of any kind, though he does regain vitality, wounds, and temporary ability damage as normal. While in sanctuary, the channeler needs no food, water, or air, but he is in a passive state and cannot perform any actions, including reading, training, or otherwise learning. The channeler can gain no xp while in sanctuary and cannot come back to the physical world early (he must remain in sanctuary for the full time he caused his bonded relic to become inert). When the channeler returns from sanctuary, he arrives in the same square he left from, unless it’s occupied, in which case he arrives at the nearest unoccupied square (determined at random if there’s more than one unoccupied square within the same distance). Spirit Legion: During each day the relic is inert, the channeler counts as 50 extra followers during invocations. Spirit Shield: While his bonded relic is inert, the channeler regains a temporary bonus to Defense equal to his class level. Revitalize: The channeler gains 2d10 vitality per day the relic will be inert. The channeler’s vitality may rise above his normal maximum due to this vitality boost. When the relic once again becomes active, the channeler’s loses the bonus vitality points. If this loss causes the channeler to fall below 1 vitality, his vitality immediately becomes 1.

Reliquary: The channeler’s bond with his relic is all-inclusive, disallowing anyone else from tapping the artifact’s power. Eva Kraus uses this ability as a safeguard, assigning channelers to her relics in order to protect them from outsiders and enemies. No one other than the channeler may call upon the relic’s powers or gain a benefit from the relic in any way, even when they have sole possession of it and regardless of the relic’s distance from the channeler. Additionally, anyone attempting to locate the relic by any means (including mystic invocations and the powers of other relics) must make an opposed Charisma check against the channeler. With a failure, the relic’s location is unknown. This is the channeler’s core ability. Obsession: The channeler’s close bond with his relic begins to twist him both mentally and physically. At 2nd level, the channeler gains a permanent +3 to his Charisma score. Unfortunately, he also suffers a permanent –2 penalty to his Wisdom score. At 7th level, the channeler permanently gains an additional +3 to his Charisma score (for a total of +6), and loses 2 additional points of Wisdom (for a total of 4 points lost). These effects are permanent, even if the relic is destroyed or the channeler’s bond with it is severed.

44

New Rules Table 3.2: The Channeler Lvl 1

Base Att Bon +0

Fort Save +2

Ref Save +2

Will Save +1

Def Bon +1

Init Bon +0

Budg Pts 1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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

+3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

+3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

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

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

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

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Bonus Feat: At 4th level, the channeler gains a bonus feat from the mystic or advanced skill trees. At 8th level, he receives an additional bonus mystic or advanced skill feat with the same restrictions. In both cases, the channeler must meet all requirements for the feat before selecting it, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums. Be Not Afraid: The channeler’s effect on nearby allies is startling, mystically superseding their natural instinct to flee when facing superior or fearsome foes. At 4th level, all allies within a number of feet from the channeler equal to the channeler’s Charisma modifier × 10 gain a +4 morale bonus against Intimidation and fear effects. Further, their negative morale effects are reduced by two grades. Allies must have line of sight to the channeler to gain this benefit. Be Very Afraid: The channeler’s waning vision of the physical world causes unease and often stark fear among the weak-willed and unprepared. Starting at 6th level, all creatures and characters with a Wisdom score of 6 or less automatically flee in fear when the channeler comes within 25 feet + 5 feet per two agent levels the channeler possesses. The channeler may not turn this ability off; weak-willed beings simply flee him. The channeler may spend one half action to focus this ability in an attempt to cause stronger-willed beings to suffer from fear. All creatures and characters within 25 feet + 5 feet per two agent levels the channeler possesses must make a Will save (DC 10 + the channeler’s Thirst levels) or suffer the effects of fear (–2 morale penalty to attack rolls and saving throws and must run directly away from the channeler or fight for its life) for 1d4 rounds. Creatures and characters of agent level 6 or higher are immune to the effects of this ability. This effect is mind-affecting and doesn’t affect non-intelligent creatures and characters, nor can it affect the dead, including ghosts and other spirits.

Gadg Pts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Special Bonded relic, ritual cooperation, reliquary, starting feats Obsession Drain relic Be not afraid, bonus feat Drain relic Be very afraid Drain relic (2 abilities), obsession Bonus feat, relic leash Drain relic Inhuman

Relic Leash: The channeler’s bond with his relic has strengthened to a point where the two cannot be parted unless the channeler allows it. Starting at 8th level, the channeler may spend one action die to teleport his bonded relic to him from anywhere in the world or beyond (even across spirit bridges). Alternately, he may spend two action dice to teleport himself to its current location, again no matter where it is, in this world or beyond. The channeler may bring others with him in this journey, at a cost of two additional action dice per passenger (which must be paid by the channeler). The channeler may only transport a number of passengers up to his Charisma modifier in this manner. Inhuman: The channeler reaches the zenith of his relic-tapping ability (though legends speak of channelers who have ventured further, completing their transformation from human to whatever the Ancients became). At 10th level, the channeler becomes completely immune to all mind-affecting effects, including those caused by psionics, mystic effects, drugs, poisons, and all other sources. He is also made immune to Charisma and Intelligence damage of all kinds. Unfortunately, a 10th level channeler automatically gains one Thirst level which can never be removed by any means (including those described on page 230 of the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook). Special Note: Eva invariably has her henchmen dispose of channelers who gain 10th level, perhaps fearing the awesome powers they might unleash upon their slavelord.

45

Hand of Glory Class Features

SAGE

The following are class features of the sage. Starting Feats: The sage gains the following feats at 1st level. Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Hurled)

This is a prestige class. Rare individuals are gifted with a unique vision that allows them to ‘pick apart’ the mystic world, understanding it on a level few others can comprehend. They draw upon the lessons of the past and methodically record their discoveries so that those who follow their traditions can benefit from their wisdom. Abilities: The sage’s primary ability is Intelligence, which provides a bonus to many of his skills, and grants skill points with which to acquire them. Wisdom is of secondary importance, also contributing to many of the sage’s skills and providing protection against the insidious Thirst saves if he becomes a magus. Vitality: 1d8 plus Constitution modifier per level.

Impatient: The sage can apply his vast knowledge to speed invocations. When performing an invocation, once per complex skill check interval as a free action, the sage may spend an action die to make one additional Knowledge (Occult) skill check (adding the result to the cumulative complex skill check total). This is the sage’s core ability. Wisdom of the Ages: The sage has devoted himself utterly to studying the past. At 1st level, he receives the Advanced Skill Mastery feat for his Scholarly feat. At 4th level, he gains the Grand Skill Mastery feat for his Scholarly feat. Finally, at 8th level, the sage gains the Perfect Skill Mastery feat for his Scholarly feat. Each of these feats is considered a mystic feat for the sage. All prerequisites for these feats — including minimum agent level — are waived. Cryptic Research: The sage has a knack for grasping the unusual logic of the Ancients. At 2nd level, his Knowledge (Occult) skill is considered to be 2 ranks higher when determining if he can learn an invocation and for the skill check to learn the invocation. Further, the sage need only study the invocation for 15 days to make the learning skill check. At 7th level, the sage’s Knowledge (Occult) skill is considered to be 5 ranks higher for the purposes described above, and it takes the agent only one week to learn a new invocation. Ancient Formula: The sage has worked diligently to master a single invocation. At 3rd level, he chooses one invocation already known to him (or the next invocation he learns if he has not yet discovered any). The number of followers required to perform the chosen invocation is reduced by one-half (rounded up). If the sage selects a ritual, the ritual’s Thirst check DC is increased by +5 when the sage performs the ritual with only half of the normal number of followers. The sage gains the same benefits with an additional invocation at 5th level, with a third invocation at 7th level, and with a fourth invocation at 9th level. From One Thing a Thousand: The sage has studied a wide array of topics and learned to draw parallels between his many studies to enhance them all. At 4th level, he may make untrained Knowledge skill checks. Mystic Might: At 6th level, when participating in invocations, the sage counts as an additional number of followers equal to 25 × his Intelligence modifier. At 10th level, when participating in invocations, the sage counts

Requirements Agent Level: 5+. Intelligence: 13+. Knowledge (Occult): 8 ranks. Any three other Knowledge skills: 4 ranks each. Feats: Mystic, Scholarly.

Class Skills The sage’s class skills and key abilities are: Class Skill Appraise Bluff Computers Concentration Craft Cryptography Cultures Demolitions Diplomacy Driver Electronics Forgery Intimidate Knowledge Languages Listen Mechanics Perform Profession Read Lips Search Sense Motive Sleight of Hand Spot Surveillance

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

Skill Points at Each Level: 8 + Int modifier.

46

New Rules Table 3.3: The Sage Base Att Bon +0

Fort Save +0

Ref Save +1

Will Save +2

Def Bon +0

Init Bon +1

Budg Pts 3

Gadg Pts 1

2 3 4

+1 +1 +2

+0 +1 +1

+2 +2 +2

+3 +3 +4

+1 +1 +2

+1 +2 +2

6 9 12

2 3 4

5 6 7

+2 +3 +3

+1 +2 +2

+3 +3 +4

+4 +5 +5

+2 +2 +3

+3 +4 +4

15 18 21

5 6 7

8

+4

+2

+4

+6

+3

+5

24

8

9 10

+4 +5

+3 +3

+4 +5

+6 +7

+4 +4

+5 +6

27 30

9 10

Lvl 1

as an additional number of followers equal to 50 × his Intelligence modifier. The Small Circle: The sage is among the very few mystics in the world recognized for their significant power. Beginning at 8th level, the disposition of other dedicated mystics (i.e. all characters with the Initiate feat) toward the sage improves by one grade. This bonus is applied after the sage’s normal roll to improve an NPC’s disposition (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 269). The sage is advised that allies and helpful NPCs still expect to be treated with respect, and their opinion will quickly sour if they aren’t treated with at least minimal courtesy as accomplished practitioners in their own right.

Special Impatient, wisdom of the ages (Advanced) Cryptic research (2 ranks) Ancient formula From one thing a thousand, wisdom of the ages (Grand) Ancient formula Mystic might (×25) Ancient formula, cryptic research (2 ranks) The small circle, wisdom of the ages (Perfect) Ancient formula Mystic might (×50)

Class Skills The spiritualist’s class skills and key abilities are: Class Skill Bluff Boating Climb Concentration Craft Cultures Diplomacy Driver First Aid Gather Information Handle Animal Innuendo Intimidate Knowledge Listen Perform Sense Motive Sleight of Hand Spot Survival Swim

SPIRITUALIST This is a prestige class. Also known as mediums, tribal shamans, and “New Age psychics,” spiritualists are those who experience the unseen mystic world and its denizens as others view the physical world. Their special perception offers them a unique insight about ghosts and the human spirit, and most approach the unseen world with cautious communication and practice, sharing the belief that the powers they wield are greater than themselves, and must be treated with courtesy and respect. Abilities: The focus of any spiritualist is dealing with spirits and ghosts. Thus, Charisma and Wisdom are their most prized abilities, usually in that order. Vitality: 1d10 plus Constitution modifier per level.

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

Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features The following are class features of the spiritualist. Starting Feats: The spiritualist gains the following feats at 1st level. Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Hurled) Weapon Group Proficiency (Exotic, Archaic)

Requirements Agent Level: 5+. Charisma: 13+. Feats: Guardian Presence, Mystic.

Ancestral Surge: All spiritualists may call upon the power of the spirit realm to replace the energy of bonded

47

Hand of Glory Table 3.4: The Spiritualist Base Att Bon +0 +1 +1 +2

Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4

Ref Save +1 +2 +2 +2

Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4

Def Bon +1 +1 +2 +2

Init Bon +1 +1 +2 +2

Budg Pts 1 2 3 4

Gadg Pts 0 1 2 3

5 6 7

+2 +3 +3

+4 +5 +5

+3 +3 +4

+4 +5 +5

+3 +4 +4

+3 +4 +4

5 6 7

3 4 5

8

+4

+6

+4

+6

+5

+5

8

6

9 10

+4 +5

+6 +7

+4 +5

+6 +7

+5 +6

+5 +6

9 10

6 7

Lvl 1 2 3 4

Special Ancestral surge, initiate Spirit walker (1 grade) Ancient ceremony Circle of power, spiritual guidance (+4) Ancient ceremony Magus Ancient ceremony, spirit walker (2 grades) Sacred mission, spiritual guidance (+4) Ancient ceremony Reflection

Spiritual Guidance: At 4th level, the spiritualist’s calm focus begins to strengthen his teammates’ resolve in the face of mystic challenges. Each of the spiritualist’s teammates gains a +2 cooperation bonus to saves versus mystic and fringe effects when in visual or verbal contact with the spiritualist. This bonus increases to +4 at 8th level. Magus: At 6th level, the spiritualist receives the Magus feat as a bonus feat. All requirements for this feat are waived. Sacred Mission: Spiritualists despise the Thirst, knowing it to be a sign of mystical greed. At 8th level, the spiritualist gains a bonus to all attack and damage rolls against targets with one or more Thirst levels equal to the number of Thirst levels the target possesses. Reflection: At 10th level, once per session as a free action, the spiritualist may reflect a single mystic or psionic attack back at the attacker. Use of this ability must be announced before the attack is resolved. Regardless of the success of the attack against the spiritualist, a second attack roll is made using the original attacker’s abilities, base attack bonus, and other modifiers. The mystic may spend action dice to increase the second attack roll or any check prompted by the second attack roll. This ability may not be used to redirect an attack already reflected once by another spiritualist with this ability.

followers. When participating in a rite, the spiritualist may spend one action die to provide energy equal to 5 × his class level in bonded followers. The spiritualist may spend up to one action die per spiritualist level in this fashion on any single rite. This is the spiritualist’s core ability. Initiate: At 1st level, the spiritualist receives the Initiate feat. All requirements for this feat are waived. Spirit Walker: Beginning at 2nd level, the disposition of any ghost or spirit with Intelligence and Charisma scores or 2 or more toward the spiritualist improves by one grade. This bonus is applied after the normal roll to improve an NPC’s disposition (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 269). At 7th level, the disposition of any ghost or spirit with Intelligence and Charisma scores or 2 or more toward the spiritualist increases by two grades. The spiritualist is advised that even ghosts and spirits expect to be treated with respect, and their opinion will quickly sour if they aren’t treated with at least minimal courtesy and respect. Ancient Ceremony: The spiritualist unlocked the long-lost safeguards of a particular ritual. At 3rd level, he may choose any one ritual he knows (if the spiritualist doesn’t currently know any rituals, this ability applies to the next ritual he learns). When the spiritualist participates in that ritual, the mystic leading the effort may voluntarily double the complex skill check DC to gain a +20 enhancement bonus to his Will save to reduce the Thirst. The spiritualist may select another ritual to receive this benefit at 5th level, a third ritual to receive this benefit at 7th level, and a fourth ritual to receive this benefit at 9th level. Circle of Power: The spiritualist understands the invisible ties between the spiritual realm and the physical world, and when to bow to them. At 4th level, he receives the Circle of Power feat (see page 51) as a bonus feat. All requirements for this feat are waived.

48

New Rules Class Features

VALKYRIE

All of the following are class features of the valkyrie. Starting Feats: The valkyrie gains the following feats at 1st level. Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Armor Group Proficiency (Medium) Armor Group Proficiency (Heavy) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Hurled) Weapon Group Proficiency (Exotic, Archaic) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle)

This is a prestige class. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Eva Kraus — still weak from her possessing entity’s long incarceration beneath the Palace of Knossos — consumed the spiritual power of two guardian spirits assigned by the Ancients to protect mystic knowledge. She combined this power with a sliver of her own innate abilities (granted by a Thirst level of 14 — see page 58) to imbue awesome physical might unto a select number of female warriors. These fearsome warriors serve her still, ageless icons of her mystical might. Perhaps most daunting for the Hand’s enemies, Eva’s Valkyries share at least some degree of her most incredible power — the ability to raise the dead. Special: Since the original valkyries’ creation, Eva has increased their number, though none outside the original five share the breed’s immunity to age. All agents taking this prestige class age normally. Special: All valkyries are female. Abilities: Valkyries excel in physical combat, making Strength quite important. Many of their abilities draw upon their impressive presence, slowly assuming the mantle of the legendary valkyries of Norse myth, so Charisma is equally important. Vitality: 1d12 plus Constitution modifier per level.

Fleet: Once per round the valkyrie may spend an action die to take a normal move action as a free action. This is the valkyrie’s core ability. Call to Battle: The valkyrie is steeped in the lore of the mythical Norse handmaidens who chose warriors slain on the battlefield for entry into the hall of heroes. The Hand of Glory favors a similarly direct recruitment approach, using powerful magic to return its finest to life. The valkyrie counts as a number of followers equal to 50 × her valkyrie class level for the purpose of performing the Resurrection ritual (in addition to the base number of followers the valkyrie counts as, determined by any feats or other abilities). Further, the valkyrie may act as a bonded follower to any other valkyrie who is performing the Resurrection ritual, even if she isn’t bonded to that individual or is bonded to someone else. Resolve: The valkyrie’s belief in her cause allows her to survive risks that would consume lesser beings. At 2nd level, the valkyrie adds her Charisma modifier to all of her saving throws. At 7th level, the valkyrie also adds her Charisma modifier to her Defense. Bonus Feat: At 3rd level, the valkyrie gains a bonus mystic or melee combat feat. She must still meet all prerequisites for this feat as normal. The valkyrie gains an additional feat from the mystic or melee combat tree at 5th, 7th, and 9th levels. Melee Damage Reduction: Valkyries wade into close combat with fierce glee. Starting at 4th level, the valkyrie may turn with melee and unarmed blows, reducing their effect. The damage the valkyrie sustains each time she is hit by a melee or unarmed attack is reduced by 1. At 8th level, the damage the valkyrie sustains each time she is hit by a melee or unarmed attack is reduced by 2. This ability cannot reduce the amount of damage suffered below 0, but it does stack with damage reduction provided by any armor the valkyrie is wearing and other damage-reducing class abilities. (For more information about damage reduction, see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 178, and the Modern Arms Guide, page 138.)

Requirements Agent Level: 5+. Organization: Hand of Glory. Base Attack Bonus: +5 or better. Feats: Mystic, Sidestep, Weapon Focus (Spear).

Class Skills The valkyrie's class skills and key abilities are: Class Skill Balance Climb Disguise Driver Escape Artist First Aid Handle Animal Intimidate Knowledge Perform Sport Spot Surveillance Swim Tumble

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

Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

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Hand of Glory Table 3.5: The Valkyrie Base Att Bon +1 +2 +3 +4

Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4

Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1

Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4

Def Bon +1 +1 +2 +2

Init Bon +0 +1 +1 +2

Budg Pts 2 4 6 8

Gadg Pts 0 1 1 2

5 6 7 8

+5 +6 +7 +8

+4 +5 +5 +6

+1 +2 +2 +2

+4 +5 +5 +6

+3 +4 +4 +5

+2 +2 +3 +3

10 12 14 16

2 3 3 4

9 10

+9 +10

+6 +7

+3 +3

+6 +7

+5 +6

+4 +4

18 20

4 5

Lvl 1 2 3 4

Weapon Specialization: At 4th level, the valkyrie chooses one weapon that she is proficient with (e.g. “dagger” or “shotgun”) to specialize in. When wielding this weapon, she inflicts +2 damage with each successful attack. If the valkyrie’s weapon choice is a ranged weapon, the bonus damage applies only if the target is within one range increment. This ability does not stack with the soldier’s ability of the same name. Dauntless: At 6th level, the valkyrie is unmoved by her fears and communicates this calm to her comrades. She is immune to all negative morale modifiers and fear effects (see the Archer Foundation Chamber Book, page 80, and page 57 of this book). Further, the valkyrie’s teammates (and minions) receive a +4 morale bonus to saves against fear effects while she is within their line of sight. Chooser of the Fallen: At 8th level, the valkyrie automatically learns the Resurrection ritual. Even if she doesn’t have the Magus feat, she may still attempt this ritual once per year (though she will likely only be able to amass enough followers by cooperating with other valkyries). The valkyrie may perform the Resurrection ritual using this ability without performing a human sacrifice or losing bonded followers or the ability to gain new bonded followers (as described in the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 228). Veil of Death: At 10th level, the valkyrie takes on more of the qualities of her mythical inspiration, entering the Fringe to a degree and becoming intangible and invisible to all but the dead and dying. Once per session the valkyrie may use this ability, gaining both the spectral and invisible qualities (see the Archer Foundation Chamber Book, page 74 and the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 171, respectively). This effect lasts for a number of minutes equal to the valkyrie’s Charisma modifier, though she may end the effect at any time. Only the valkyrie and items she is carrying at the time the ability is activated are affected.

Special Call to battle, fleet Resolve (saves) Bonus feat Melee damage reduction 1/—, weapon specialization Bonus feat Dauntless Bonus feat, resolve (Defense) Chooser of the fallen, melee damage reduction 2/— Bonus feat Veil of death

N EW FRINGE FEATS This section expands upon the Fringe feat tree introduced in the Archer Foundation Chamber Book, allowing agents to interact with the off-kilter world of the Fringe, which lies between the physical world and the afterlife.

Fade to Black People fail to notice you, even when they should. Prerequisites: Cha 13+. Benefit: You may add your Charisma modifier to your Hide and Move Silently checks (in addition to your Dexterity modifier).

Forgotten You have slipped between the cracks of the modern world, forgotten by both man and machine. Prerequisites: Agent level 5+, Fade to Black, Traceless. Benefit: The DCs of all Gather Information, Search, favor, and inspiration checks to gain information about you are increased by +5. The time required to use abilities that don’t require a check to acquire data about you is increased by 12 hours.

Silhouette Your slide into obscurity has made you nearly invisible to the untrained eye. You find it difficult to interact with anyone — even those you seek out. Prerequisites: Agent level 10+, Forgotten. Benefit: You are always considered to be using the Hide and Move Silently skills as if you’d taken 10 (though you may still use actions and roll to replace this total, perhaps with a higher result). People must make a Spot or Listen check (DC 10 + your Hide or Move

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New Rules Silently skill bonus + all other applicable modifiers) to notice you. You must take one half action to make a Concentration check (DC equal to the number of ranks you have in Move Silently) before communicating with others. Characters with the Like to Like or Sixth Sense feats may see and hear you normally (unless you successfully take action to conceal yourself).

and simple ‘concept’ commands such as “run” or “attack”). Further, the familiar counts as one bonded follower for the agent. Finally, each familiar spirit gains certain special abilities or qualities (see Familiar Benefits, below, for details). If the familiar is killed by physical attack, its body dissolves and it reforms within the agent’s line of sight 24 hours later. If the familiar is disabled or slain by ability damage (i.e. any of the spirit’s abilities is reduced to 0), its body dissolves and it reforms within the agent’s line of sight a number of days later equal to the total ability damage (across all abilities) that the familiar sustained before its dissolution. The familiar always reforms with an identical animal shape to the one originally chosen by the agent.

Vanish You are so far removed from the ordinary world that if you stand still, you sometimes vanish entirely… Prerequisites: Agent level 15+, Silhouette. Benefit: As a full action, you may make a Hide check (DC 40). If successful, you become spectral (see the Archer Foundation Chamber Book, page 74). While spectral, you may take no actions and cannot move (even by using a 5 ft. bonus step). You see other spectral beings clearly but can only faintly perceive events in the physical world (and suffer a –10 penalty to all Spot and Listen checks to notice such events). You may end this effect at any time as a free action; otherwise, you may remain spectral a total number of rounds per session equal to the number of Fringe feats you possess.

Familiar Benefits When the agent gains a familiar, he may choose any two benefits from the following list. Each benefit may be chosen more than once, at the cost of an additional benefit choice each time. Bonuses to the agent’s rolls only apply while the familiar is within the agent’s line of sight. • +2 to familiar and agent skill checks with one skill with which the agent has at least one rank. The skill must be chosen at the time this benefit is selected. Each skill chosen counts a separate familiar benefit.

N EW MYSTIC FEATS Here the mystic feat tree receives a major expansion, providing all new paths to power and to personal perfection.

Circle of Power You may share your mystical power with others. Prerequisites: Initiate. Benefit: You may contribute your power and the power of your bonded followers to the invocations of others without being bonded to them. If the individual leading the invocation also has this feat, you contribute your full power (including all feats and class abilities) to the number of followers available.

Familiar Spirit As in some mystic legends, an animal has attached itself to your company and aids you in your efforts. Prerequisites: Cha 13+, Initiate. Benefit: When the agent takes this feat, he gains a friendly spirit that remains anchored in the physical world (i.e. is always considered to be manifested and physical) and can render the agent aid. The friendly spirit takes the form of any Tiny or Small animal of the agent’s choice (see page 52). When within line of sight with the agent, this familiar may communicate with the agent empathically (i.e. through feelings, intentions,

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Hand of Glory • +1 to familiar and agent Reflex saves.

Special: The DCs of Thirst checks for all rituals you participate in are increased by +1.

• +1 to familiar and agent Fortitude saves.

Mystic Lens

• +1 to familiar and agent Will saves.

You are a conduit for mystical forces, able to alter the world in small ways by will alone. Prerequisites: Initiate, Mystic Fount. Benefit: During an invocation, you count as an additional number of bonded followers equal to twice your level + the number of mystic feats you possess. This replaces the bonus from the Mystic Fount feat. Special: The DCs of Thirst checks for all rituals you participate in are increased by +2. This replaces the penalty from the Mystic Fount feat.

• +2 to any one familiar ability score. • +4 to familiar’s wounds. • +8 to familiar’s vitality.

Familiar Shapes A familiar’s statistics are determined by its size: Tiny Familiar, SZ T; v/wp: Special*; Init: +3 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.**; Def 15 (+2 size, +3 Dex); Atk: 2 claws +5 melee (1d2–1) / bite +0 melee (1d3–1); Face 1⁄2 square; Reach 0 squares; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +1; Ref +3; Will +3; Str 6, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 6; Skills: Escape Artist +7, Hide +7, Listen +4, Spot +4.

Mystic Nexus You’ve been granted the strength to work mighty invocations without resorting to the aid of lesser beings! Prerequisites: Magus, Mystic Lens. Benefit: During an invocation, you count as an additional number of bonded followers equal to four times your level + the number of mystic feats you possess. This replaces the bonus from the Mystic Lens feat. Special: The DCs of Thirst checks for all ritual you participate in are increased by +5. This replaces the penalty from the Mystic Lens feat.

Small Familiar, SZ S; v/wp: Special*; Init: +3 (Dex); Spd 40 ft.**; Def 15 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +1 natural); Atk: bite +2 melee (1d4+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +1; Ref +3; Will +3; Str 8, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 6; Skills: Hide +3, Listen +4, Spot +4. *

The familiar has a number of wounds equal to the number of mystic feats the agent possesses and a number of vitality points equal to the agent’s agent level.

Totem You have a close bond with a single type of animal, allowing you to call upon then and control them at will. Prerequisites: Initiate, Knowledge (Occult) 15+ ranks. Benefit: Choose one animal type. You are considered to have the Control Animals rite in effect for that animal type at all times (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 224, for details). The radius of this ability is a fraction of that of the ritual, at only 1,000 feet, though you may still command animals of the chosen type to come to you from up to a mile away.

** If the animal type normally flies, replace the movement with “5 ft. (walk), 40 ft. (fly)” and reduce the familiar’s wounds by 1. If the animal type can normally burrow, replace the movement with “5 ft. (walk), 10 ft. (burrow)” and reduce the familiar’s wounds by 1. A familiar spirit may only have two modes of movement. If the animal speaks in some fashion (e.g. crow or parrot speech, monkey sign language, etc.), the animal may communicate with others slowly (taking twice the normal time required to convey a message, minimum of one half action) and its wounds are reduced by 1. Special: This feat may be taken up to five times, though only one familiar spirit may be gained. Each time the feat is taken, the agent chooses two new benefits for his familiar spirit.

N EW INVOCATIONS The Hand of Glory is an enormous espionage and paramilitary threat with thousands of followers, hidden bases on every continent, and the financial clout of a small nation. Despite this temporal power, what unquestionably sets the Hand apart from other global menaces is its high degree of mystic power. Hand channelers (see page 43) screen all new recruits for hints of mystical ability — which, in their twisted cosmology, is considered a sign of descent from the ancient utopia of Thule (see page 91 for more about the Hand’s perceived homeland of mystic forces). Mystically inclined recruits are quickly promoted and trained to hone

Mystic Fount Your connection to the unseen world is unusually strong, making you a source of power for others. Prerequisites: Mystic. Benefit: During an invocation, you count as an additional number of bonded followers equal to your agent level + the number of mystic feats you possess.

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New Rules Firelight

abilities lost to most outside their order. The following invocations are rediscovered depths of mystic understanding known (in the official Shadowforce Archer setting) only to the Hand of Glory, though GCs may decide that elements of the Archer Conspiracy or other groups have access to them as well.

This rite may be used to temporarily enhance the Knowledge (Occult) skill of anyone attempting a positive or helpful ritual, or to lower the same skill for anyone attempting a dark or harmful ritual. Learning DC: 15 Minimum Occult Skill: 5 Bonded Followers: 0 Complex Check: 25 — 1 full action Effect: This rite requires a specially prepared oak log, which provides focus and power and takes the place of bonded followers. The rite grants a temporary bonus of +5 to the Knowledge (Occult) skill of one person of the mystic’s choice (which may be himself). This bonus may only be applied to skill checks made to perform one rite of the mystic’s choice. This rite must provide an intended positive outcome (such as healing someone or assisting an honorable act), as determined by the GC. Alternately, this rite ritual may inflict a temporary –5 penalty to the Knowledge (Occult) skill of one person of the mystic’s choice who is attempting an invocation with an intended negative outcome (such as harming someone or assisting a vicious act). In either case, the modifier to the target’s Knowledge (Occult) skill lasts only 1 day (the time before the log burns out) or until used, whichever comes first.

New Rites The following invocations may only be performed by characters with the Initiate feat who have been trained, discovered them, or otherwise gained access.

Exorcism This rite allows the mystic to aid persons, places, or objects that have been possessed by spirits by turning the power of faith upon the possessing spirit to drive it out. Leaning DC: 16 Minimum Knowledge (Occult or Religion) Skill: 8 Bonded Followers: 5 per 1d4 (see below) Complex Check: 40 — 1 hour Effect: With a successful roll, the mystic causes 1d4 temporary Charisma damage to the possessing spirit each round. The possessing spirit is allowed a Will save each round to negate this damage (DC 10 + the mystic’s Charisma modifier). Furthermore, each round that the spirit fails its Will save while possessing an individual, the possessed individual may make an opposed Charisma check against the spirit. With success, the spirit is forced out and the possession ends. The effects of this rite continue for one round per 5 bonded followers drawn upon during the invocation. If the possessing spirit remains within the victim when the rite ends, the Charisma damage inflicted by the rite is recovered at a rate of 1 point per hour (if the victim is a living person) or 1 point per day (if the victim is an object or place); otherwise the damage is permanent. A spirit whose Charisma reduced to 0 is destroyed.

Invest This rite allows a mystic to temporarily “harvest” the energy of his bonded followers, allowing him to perform other rites with that energy without the physical presence of his followers. Learning DC: 20 Minimum Occult Skill: 12 Bonded Followers: 20 or more (see page 54) Complex Check: 100 — 1 minute

Table 3.6: New Invocations Invocation Name Rites Exorcism Firelight Invest Lay to Rest Minor Wards Speak with Spirit Spirit Blade

Learning DC

Thirst DC

Min. Knowledge (Occult) Skill

Bonded Followers

Complex Skill Check

16 15 20 12 20 23 20

— — — — — — —

8 5 12 8 8 12 10

5 per 1d4 0 20+ 10 5 10 5 + 5 per +1

40 – 1 hour 25 – 1 full action 100 – 1 minute 50 – 1minute 25 – 1 half action 60 – 30 minute 25 – 1 half action

Rituals Bestow Celebration Create Golem Reunion Timeless Beauty

32 27 40 21 28

30 25 40 25 25

16 18 20 12 18

100+ 0 2000 50 +10 target 365

100 – 5 minutes 100 – full action 350 – 4 hours 30 – 1 hour/full action 100 – 10 minutes

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Hand of Glory Effect: This rite temporarily transfers the energy of a group of bonded followers to the mystic, allowing him to use that energy at a later time to perform other invocations. The amount of power transferred to the mystic is equal to one-half the number of bonded followers participating in the rite (rounded down). The maximum amount of energy that a mystic may store using this rite is equal to 20 × the number of mystic feats he possesses. Once this energy is invested in the mystic, it remains with him for a number of days equal to the mystic’s Charisma modifier (minimum 1) or until used, whichever comes first. Until the energy is used (or dissipates), the bonded followers may not provide energy for any other invocations.

Leaning DC: 12 Minimum Knowledge (Occult or Religion) Skill: 8 Bonded Followers: 10 Complex Check: 50 — 1 minute Effect: When successfully performed within 5 feet of a target deceased character, that character’s spirit automatically crosses the Fringe without mishap and enters the spirit realm. The character is forever dead and may not be resurrected by any means.

Minor Wards This rite prepares a charm or token that — when physically touched to a target — greatly impedes the target from fighting or performing invocations. Perhaps best known version of this rite is the traditional Japanese folded paper charm used to ward off evil spirits, though many other variations are known around the world. Learning DC: 20 Minimum Knowledge (Occult) Skill: 8 Bonded Followers: 5 Complex Check: 25 — 1 half action Effect: When this rite is successfully completed, the agent chooses one object of Tiny size or smaller as his ‘ward’. This ward is charged for one minute. During this time, the mystic may make a melee touch attack to place the ward on any target’s person. If this attack is successful, the target must make a Will save (DC equal to the mystic’s Knowledge (Occult) skill bonus) or suffer a –5 penalty to all attack and invocation skill checks made while the ward remains on his person. If the target succeeds with his Will save, the ward falls harmlessly to the floor at his feet. At the start of each round a target suffers a penalty from a ward, he may — as a free action — attempt another Will save (DC equal to the mystic’s Knowledge (Occult) skill bonus) to free himself from the ward. With success, the ward falls harmlessly to the target’s feet. The ward may not otherwise be removed from the target until its charge runs out, after which it falls harmlessly to the target’s feet. After one minute, the ward’s charge runs out and the ward become inert. The mystic must perform this invocation again to renew the ward or create a new one. The mystic may only have one ward active at any time.

Lay to Rest This rite ensures that the soul of a deceased character bridges without mishap in the spirit realm (see the Archer Foundation Chamber Book, page 71, for more about bridging). Additionally, this rite ensures that the target character will never be resurrected.

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New Rules Speak With Spirit

New Rituals

This rite causes a target spirit to appear as a translucent shape and answer a limited number of the mystic’s questions. Although information is always gained using this rite, spirits are notoriously tricky and cantankerous, and frequently attempt to trick those whom they don’t like. Learning DC: 23 Minimum Occult Skill: 12 Bonded Followers: 10 Complex Check: 60 — 30 minutes Effect: The target spirit must be within one mile of the mystic to be summoned using this rite (though he may be in the physical world or the Fringe). If within range, the spirit appears instantly when this rite is successfully completed. A spirit must answer a number of questions equal to the number of ranks with Knowledge (Occult) the mystic possesses, divided by 5 (rounded down) and modified as follows. Spirit’s disposition toward mystic Unfriendly Hostile Adversary

The following invocations may only be performed by characters with the Initiate feat who have trained, discovered, or otherwise gained access to them. These invocations carry with them the danger of the Thirst (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 229).

Bestow This ritual temporarily channels the energy of a massed group of followers into a single individual. Learning DC: 32 Thirst DC: 30 Minimum Occult Skill: 16 Bonded Followers: 100 or more (see below) Performance Time: 100 — 5 minutes Effect: This ritual works exactly like the Invest rite (see pages 53–54), except the recipient of the energy doesn’t have to be the mystic performing the ritual, and the energy transferred is equal to 1⁄5 the number of bonded followers participating in the ritual.

Modifier –1 question –2 questions –3 questions

Celebration This subtle but powerful ritual draws power from unsuspecting celebrating victims for use in the mystic’s invocations. Learning DC: 27 Thirst DC: 25 Minimum Occult Skill: 18 Bonded Followers: 0 Performance Time: 100 — Full action Effect: Celebration may be performed on anyone who is celebrating or rejoicing (e.g. fans at a sporting event or rock concert or friends at a party). Mock celebration cannot power the ritual. When this ritual is successfully performed, the mystic may then perform another ritual within a number of minutes equal to 10 × the mystic’s ranks with Knowledge (Occult) skill. During this second ritual, the mystic gains a bonus number of bonded followers equal to the number of celebrants divided by 10 (rounded down). This ritual has no adverse effect on the celebrants.

The spirit is compelled to tell the truth but may answer as cryptically as it likes.

Spirit Blade This rite calls forth an invisible blade of mystic force that the agent can wield in battle against spirits and fallen mystics. Learning DC: 20 Minimum Knowledge (Occult) skill: 10 Bonded Followers: 5 + 5 per +1 Complex Check: 25 — 1 half action Effect: When this rite is successfully performed, the mystic focuses his personal energies into a spiritual melee weapon with damage equal to one of his standard action dice (e.g. if the mystic has an action die type of d8, the weapon inflicts 1d8 damage). Though the mystic can feel and wield the weapon, it’s non-physical and only affects spectral opponents and characters with one or more Thirst levels. The damage from this weapon is not reduced by armor, nor may it be blocked by physical objects (including cover). The weapon’s damage may be increased by +1 for every 5 additional followers tapped to perform the rite (to a maximum damage bonus equal to the mystic’s Charisma modifier). The weapon has durability statistics equal to those of a Medium melee weapon (see the Modern Arms Guide, page 23) and has a Spot DC of 24 when carried or 18 when used in battle. The weapon lasts for a number of rounds equal to half the mystic’s ranks with Knowledge (Occult), after which it vanishes.

Create Golem Through a combination of craft and ritual, a body of clay can be given the semblance of life, forging an automaton of great strength (though little intelligence). The Hand of Glory uses this ritual to create gruesome soldiers and special guards, mixing soil from the graves of their fallen into the form before performing the ritual to obtain special effects. Learning DC: 40 Thirst DC: 40 Minimum Occult Skill: 20 Bonded Followers: 2,000 Performance Time: 350 — 4 hours Effect: A figure made of one piece of clay Mediumsize or smaller is required for this ritual. When successfully performed, the ritual animates the clay figure,

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Hand of Glory Sample Golem, SZ M; v/wp: None/10 × creator’s agent level; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; Def 12 (+2 natural); Atk: stone fists +6 (1d6+5 normal damage); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ brick, DR equal to creator’s agent level/—, God’s will, rebuild; SV Fort +10, Ref +2, Will N/A; Str 20, Dex 10, Con 24, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 6; Skills: 12 ranks distributed between any four of the following skills — Balance, Boating, Climb, Craft, Demolitions, Disguise, Driver, Gather Information, Hide, Innuendo, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Mechanics, Move Silently, Search, Surveillance.

which becomes the mystic’s servant until destroyed. The creature obeys only simple three- to four-word commands given verbally by the mystic (though the mystic may string together many three- to four-word commands to create a chain of commands that the golem follows in precise order). Commands on paper and through other means (e.g. teleprompters, skywriting) are ignored. The mystic may destroy the golem at any time by uttering a special incantation (usually written on a slip of paper held in the golem’s mouth). Golem Characteristics Golems are less intelligent than humans but capable of repetitive and complex tasks when given precise instruction. They can fire a gun (though they can’t aim) or drive a car (though they automatically lose all chases). They cannot speak or debate. They’re incredibly strong and hardy, don’t bleed and — when destroyed — lose their skin pigment and crumble into chunks of dry clay and dust.

Special Qualities: All golems have the following special qualities. Brick: Golems have the ‘brick’ type, which means that they don’t need sleep, air, nourishment, or water, cannot suffer subdual damage or critical hits, and are immune to level drain, ability damage, and all non-physical attacks, including most mystic and psionic attacks. Bricks never need to make Will or Fortitude saves, except when they suffer 50 or more points of damage in one hit (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 178), when they must make a standard Fortitude save using the bonus listed in their statistic block. Bricks never have vitality, and never suffer any penalties for having no vitality. Bricks take damage from personal and vehicular ordnance as vehicles (see the Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide, page 86). God’s Will: A golem is immediately destroyed when a mystic pulls the slip of paper from its mouth (requiring one full action and a successful melee touch attack), reads it (one half action), and succeeds with a Knowledge (Theology) check (DC 25). The same person must perform all three actions and may not cooperate with others in the process. Rebuild: Golems cannot heal on their own, though they can be repaired by a mystic. Only one mystic may work to repair a golem at any time, and followers cannot assist (though mystics may trade off to repair one around the clock). The process takes 6 hours, during which time the mystic must concentrate solely on the process of repairing the golem. After this time, the a number of the golem’s wounds are repaired equal to the mystic’s Knowledge (Occult) skill check result (to a maximum of the golem’s normal maximum wounds).

Hand of Glory Golems Golems have always been part of the Hand of Glory’s army, dating back to early experiments during the outset of the European theatre of World War II. Their origins are shrouded in mystery, a secret Eva and her inner circle closely guard for fear of unraveling their carefully constructed motivational scheme (see pages 27 and 28). In truth, Hand of Glory golems are a Kabalistic (and therefore Jewish) invention whereby man was mythologically granted a small part of God’s power to create life. According to legend, these golems were powered by a slip of paper inscribed with another name for God that was held in their mouths, and grew more and more powerful over time, eventually running amok if they were allowed to survive long enough. Regardless of legend, the Hand of Glory have achieved great success with these monsters, and often field them as guard and strong-arms, and when they expect heavy opposition. Special: Hand of Glory golems frequently have special abilities and qualities, making each one unique. By mixing grave soil in with the clay, for instance, it’s said that Hand sorcerers can tap into the buried person’s spirit, linking it to the golem’s body. This is sometimes a good thing for the deceased (when allies are briefly given control of a new form, perhaps to seek revenge on people who wronged them in life), and sometimes not (when hated enemies are trapped inside a vicious golem servant, forced to watch through its eyes as it kills family and friends). Virtually any special ability or quality may be granted to a Hand of Glory golem, at the GC’s discretion.

Golems and the Mastermind System: Golems may be purchased as part of any villain organization at the cost of 3 MP each.

Reunion Using this ritual a mystic may physically transport one or more bonded followers to him. Learning DC: 21 Thirst DC: 25 Minimum Occult Skill: 12

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New Rules H IGHER T HIRST LEVELS

Bonded Followers: 50 + 10 per additional follower transported Performance Time: 30 — 1 hour, or one full action (see below) Effect: The mystic summons one or more of his bonded followers to his current location. The followers are delivered instantly, regardless of distance. Followers are not allowed a Will save to resist the effects of this ritual. In an emergency, the mystic may perform this ritual as a full action, but suffers 4 points of temporary Constitution damage in the process. Each follower who is transported using this ritual must make a Fortitude save (DC 25 minus the mystic’s agent level). Any who fail are stunned for a number of rounds equal to the difference between the roll and the DC, during which time they may not be tapped for use in any invocations.

As discussed on page 229 of the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, a magus risks the dangers of the Thirst — the temptation of ultimate power — every time he performs a ritual. The Shadowforce Archer Worldbook only describes eight levels of Thirst, warning that characters with nine or more levels should be taken out of play to become NPCs. Here we discuss higher levels of Thirst only seen in the most ambitious, weak, or gullible of villains (many of whom are members of the Hand of Glory). In order, these levels apply the following effects. Level 9: The mystic’s growing Thirst resonates through the physical realm, causing unease and often stark fear amongst the weak-willed and unprepared. All creatures and characters with a Wisdom score of 6 or less automatically flee in fear when the mystic comes within 25 feet + 5 feet per two agent levels the mystic possesses. All other creatures and characters must make a Will save (DC 10 + the mystic’s Thirst levels) or suffer the effects of fear (–2 morale penalty to attack rolls and saving throws and must run directly away from the mystic or fight for its life) for 1d4 rounds. Creatures and characters of agent level 6 or higher are immune to the effects of fear. This effect is mind-affecting and doesn’t affect non-intelligent creatures and characters, nor can it affect the dead, including ghosts and other spirits. Level 10: The mystic begins to slip completely out of sync with the physical world. After the mystic is successfully hit with a physical attack (but before damage is rolled), the mystic may spend two action dice to cause the attacker to roll a d20. With a roll of 1–10, the attack misses, regardless of the original attack roll. Attacks thus prevented seemingly pass through the mystic without effect. Unfortunately, this ability may only be used against physical attacks, while the threat range of spectral attacks — which are growing more and more in sync with the mystic’s shifting form) — is increased by 2 (e.g. a threat range of 19–20 becomes 17–20). Level 11: The mystic’s physical degeneration acts as a conduit between the physical world and the Fringe, allowing him to unleash surges of mystical power as blasts of energy into the world of the living. When the mystic gains this level of Thirst, he must pick one of the following types of energy: cold/ice, laser/light, gravity/force, heat/fire, electricity/lightning, or sound/ tones. Thereafter, as a half action, the mystic make a standard attack with the chosen energy type. This attack has a range increment of 20 ft., a maximum range of 5 increments, no error range, and a threat range of 20. It inflicts 1d6 normal damage per 10 bonded followers’

Timeless Beauty This ritual is a variation on the Borrow Power rite (see page 224 of the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook) that can be performed only on the morning of Beltane (see page 59). It transfers life energy from the mystic’s followers into the mystic, stopping his aging process until the following Beltane. Learning DC: 28 Thirst DC: 25 Minimum Occult Skill: 18 Bonded Followers: 365 Performance Time: 100 — 10 Minutes Effect: This ritual must culminate at dawn on the morning of Beltane (May 1st — see page 59). When successfully completed, each follower tapped during the invocation immediately ages one day, but during the following year, the mystic ignores all effects of aging. This ritual must be repeated at dawn on the morning of Beltane each following year in order for the mystic to continue ignoring the effects of age. If the mystic fails to complete the ritual by the time the sun rises above the horizon during any Beltane, he immediately ages all the years he’s ignored in this chain of successful rituals. Even if the mystic fails to complete the ritual during one Beltane, he may attempt the ritual again the following year.

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Hand of Glory This supersedes the bonus from the 5th Thirst level. Unfortunately, the mystic loses his threat range with all skill checks made in the physical world (and can therefore no longer score critical successes with them).

worth of energy the mystic expends (to a maximum damage value of 5d6). This energy attack type may not be adjusted and this energy attack may only be used against physical targets. Level 12: The mystic’s physical substance is slow to recover from damage and drastic steps must be taken to retain it during battle. The mystic subtracts his Thirst ranks from his agent level when determining how many points of vitality he recovers each hour (to a minimum of 1). However, the mystic may voluntarily destroy bonded followers to temporarily boost his vitality, at the rate of 10 bonded followers for every bonus +1d6 vitality gained. These bonded followers are devoured whole and may never be tapped again, nor may they be resurrected or recovered in any fashion. The process of consuming bonded followers for vitality requires one full day per 50 followers sacrificed. There is no limit to the bonus vitality that may be gained in this fashion (and the bonus vitality may increase the mystic’s temporary vitality above his normal maximum), though the bonus vitality fades after a number of days equal to the mystic’s Wisdom modifier. Level 13: The mystic gains a critical defense against the spirits which assault him from the Fringe. The energy blasts gained at Thirst level 11 may now be used against targets of any type, including spectral. Level 14: By this degree of Thirst, the mystic begins to gain a degree of control over his unnatural abilities, but his constant defiance of the laws of nature demand equal recompense. At this level of Thirst, the mystic gains one unique ability and one unique weaknesses that set him apart from the few others who have reached this level of spiritual corruption. The GC should come up with parallel effects with a similar theme. Sample unique ability and weakness packages include:

Level 15: The mystic’s physical shell is now merely a circumstantial, transient waystation for the mystic, whose spirit can now float freely through the physical world and the Fringe. When the mystic dies, his spirit may travel the Fringe and manifest in the physical realm within 1 mile of his body (see the Archer Foundation Chamber Book, page 74). Further, the mystic’s now disembodied spirit may possess the body of any living target within that range at will. The target and mystic make opposed Will saves. If the mystic wins this contest, he seizes control of the target’s body, which immediately gains the mystic’s Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, levels, skills, feats, and vitality. The mystic’s new body retains its appearance before it was seized. The now body’s rightful owner becomes a disembodied spirit and unless it has the ability to steal its body back (i.e. it also has 15 levels of Thirst), it must bridge to the spirit realm or risk becoming lost in the Fringe or physical world, just as a normal spirit after death. This ability may only be used once per session — if the mystic fails to seize a body, he must wait until the following session to try again.

TOFHETHE WHEEL YEAR All mystics innately understand that time is not linear, but cyclical. Each year features several noticeable patterns that define not only the seasons, festivals, and holidays celebrated by the uninitiated, but also — imperceptibly — what is possible through mystic control. As any experienced mystic can attest, each of these cycles has its own peculiar effect upon mystic power the world over. During each of these eight periods, the world simply… shifts for mystics, and the fruits of their labors are not always what they expect. Few mystics consciously mark these cycles, content enough to rely upon their instincts to guide their spiritual pursuits. The Hand of Glory, on the other hand, have catalogued these cycles, recording their effects ad nauseam unto a science which they apply to all their mystic endeavors. They know the true meaning of the Wheel of the Year.

• The mystic gains a modified version of a ritual, often with no bonded follower requirement (e.g. Eva Kraus’ unique ability is the Resurrection ritual with no bonded follower requirement). If additional benefits are added (such as increased effectiveness or lowered complex skill check DC), the bonded follower requirement should remain and additional penalties (such as increased skill check interval) should be applied. Meanwhile, the mystic loses access to one other ritual forever. In Eva’s case, this ritual was Scry, which was stolen from the entity within her during the titanic confrontation against the Ancients that ended with her buried beneath the Palace of Knossos on the island of Crete (see pages 34–36 of the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook and page 20 of this book).

The Cycle of Moon Dates: December 21st (Yule, the Winter Solstice) to February 1st. The period between the Winter Solstice and Candlemas features short, gloomy days and long, darkshrouded nights. Mystics know that it is best to operate

• The mystic’s perceptions are expanded, allowing him to see vistas that would shatter the minds of lesser men. He performs and learns rituals as if his Knowledge (Occult) skill were 10 ranks higher than it actually is.

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New Rules during the lighted hours and perform quick invocations (usually rites) of minor impact. Long and complex rituals are frequently doomed to failure. Mechanics: Mystics gain a bonus equal to their agent level to the first skill check made as part of any complex skill check during this period. The second and all subsequent skill checks in any complex skill check, however, suffer a penalty equal to the mystic’s agent level divided by 5 (rounded down).

between mystic and mundane is strengthened. During this period, the spirit bridges across the Fringe are strongest and few recently dead find themselves lost on their way to final rest. Mystics spend this precious, quiet time taking stock and preparing for more turbulent events to come. Mechanics: None.

The Cycle of Sun Dates: June 21st (Litha, the Summer Solstice) to July 31st. This time of imbalance features the longest, brightest days and shortest, most underestimated nights of the mystic calendar. Inexperienced mystics assume this seemingly cheerful time to be a wellspring of possibilities, while their veteran counterparts watch for the inevitable collapse of paradise. Caution, it’s been proven, is the by-law of the day. Mechanics: The error and threat ranges of Knowledge (Occult) skill checks made during this period are both increased by 1 (e.g. an error range of 1 and threat range of 19–20 becomes an error range of 1–2 and a threat range of 18–20).

The Cycle of Earth Dates: February 2nd (Imbolc) to March 20th. The period between Candlemas and the Vernal Equinox is a time of healing, when the earth withdraws from the spiritual cycle — for a time — and renews. Paths to the spirit realm are unclear during these weeks, and lost souls flood into the Fringe seeking shelter from the empowered mystics of the physical world. Mechanics: During this period, the threat ranges of attacks against all spectral beings are increased by 2 (e.g. a threat range of 19–20 becomes 17–20).

The Cycle of Water

The Cycle of Air

Dates: March 21st (Ostara, the Spring Equinox) to April 30th. Following the Spring, or Vernal, Equinox, when day and night are equal and the sun’s full strength returns to the world, the rivers and oceans flow freely, circulating the mystic energies coursing under the world’s skin. Many of these energies are the bonds between mystic and follower, which are cleansed and strongest during this bright, hopeful period. Mechanics: During this period, all mystics may bond followers, whether they have learned the Bond Follower rite or not. All bonding attempts follow the standard rules described on page 223 of the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook. Even if the mystic without the Bond Follower rite successfully bonds one or more followers during this period, he does not gain the rite when this period ends.

Dates: August 1st (Lughnasadh) to September 20th. During summer’s decline, mystics take the opportunity to travel, experience the many wonders of the current cycle, and test new theories. Myth speaks of this being the time of Lugh, the ‘god of all skills’ — an apt description, given what the Hand of Glory have discovered about the period. Mechanics: The minimum Knowledge (Occult) skill required for any invocation is reduced by 4 during this period.

The Cycle of Fire Dates: September 21st (Mabon, the Autumn Equinox) to October 30th. Mystics call this dark, lonely period ‘the spiritcrucible,’ as it is the final test before the dangers of the fall (see page 60). Historically, mystics return to the relative safety of their fellowships and share the secrets they’ve learned in their travels through the year. Mechanics: The Learning DCs of all invocations are reduced by 4 during this period.

The Cycle of Dawn Dates: May 1st (Beltane) to June 20th. The arrival of summer is the beginning of the mystic calendar, when paths become clear and the bond

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Hand of Glory must make a Will save (DC 10 + the target’s own agent level) or suffer one point of temporary Intelligence damage. This attack may be performed continually, reducing the target’s Intelligence up to twice each round with failed saves. Should the target’s Intelligence ever drop to 0, the darksider kills and consumes him, permanently taking his place in the physical world. This attack may only be performed against the darksider’s designated target. Sever: When adjacent to any of the target’s bonded followers, the darksider may, as a half action, attempt a melee touch attack to mystically sever the target’s link to the bonded follower. With success, the target mystic must make a Will save (DC 10 + the target’s own agent level) or permanently lose his bond to the bonded follower (after which the target may never again bond to the severed follower). Each time the darksider severs a follower from the target, it gains a number of vitality equal to the bonded follower’s agent level. This attack may only be used against the darksider’s designated target and his bonded followers, and is the only way the darksider can heal.

The Cycle of Twilight Dates: October 31st (Samhain) to December 20. Jocularly referred to as the ‘cycle of shadow’ by Hand of Glory mystics (poking fun at the plight of uninformed spies who dabble with invocations during this period), the Cycle of Twilight begins with the infamous Samhain (the Day of the Dead). Samhain is known as the one day of the year when the veils between the worlds are thinnest, when mediums and other sensitives can commune with lost loved ones and ancestral guides. But the reverse is also true — restless spirits of the dead seek out vulnerable and unsuspecting mystics through the thin veils, making this the most precarious period to perform attention-grabbing invocations. Mechanics: When the mystic scores an error with any ritual during this period, the GC may spend five action dice to cause a ‘darksider’ spirit to notice the fumble. Darksider spirits have no shape of their own, instead assuming the shape of victims they notice in the physical world. Once a darksider notices the mystic and assumes his shape, it has one full year (to the day and minute) to kill and replace him. If it fails, it is drawn back across to its spiritual prison on the other side.

Special Qualities: In addition to the special qualities gained from the lingering spirit template, all darksiders gain the following special qualities. Preysight: The darksider can always notice its target when within line of sight, even through cover, concealment, and other defenses (including psionic and mystic camouflage and like effects). Further, the darksider automatically becomes aware of its target’s exact location when the target performs any invocation, whether successful or not. The darksider’s preysight has unlimited range — the darksider can visualize its target and his location anywhere on the globe, though the vision fades after a number of days equal to the number of Thirst levels the target possesses (minimum 1). Each time the darksider becomes aware of its target’s location, it also becomes aware of all followers bonded to the target who are providing energy for the invocation.

Darksider Characteristics Darksiders do not appear in the physical world until they have taken the shape of an intended target. Thereafter, they gain the statistics of a lingering spirit (see the Archer Foundation Chamber Book, page 72), using the target character as the base person. The darksider gains the target’s agent level, classes and class levels, skills, and combat statistics, but doesn’t gain his feats, invocations, or any chemical monster abilities. (Psionic skills are not gained, as they require feats to acquire and use.) Darksiders never gain experience or advance in level. They must find and dispatch their target using only the tools at their disposal when they arrive (and any alliances and resources they gain in the physical world). Darksider Attacks and Healing: A darksider may manifest and attack anyone as a lingering spirit (see the Archer Foundation Chamber Book, page 72), though its most potent attacks are allowed against its designated target and his bonded followers only (see below). Darksiders may not heal under normal circumstances — if they are reduced to –10 wound points, they are destroyed. Darksiders may, however, sever the link between their designated target and his followers to regain lost vitality (see below).

NEW RELICS Some of the most famous items of myth and legend do exist, and are filled with tremendous spiritual power. The mightiest of these can form the core plot element of an entire season as agents and villains battle to retrieve or acquire them before they can fall into enemy hands. Below we include a number of the world’s most famed relics. Most are unaccounted for, or in the hands of uninitiated who don’t realize their true worth. One, the celebrated Spear of Destiny, has recently fallen into the clutches of the Hand of Glory, and figures prominently into their plan to reshape the world…

Special Attacks: In addition to the special attacks gained from the lingering spirit template, all darksiders gain the following special attacks. Mystic Lash: When adjacent to its target, the darksider may, as a half action, attempt a melee touch attack to mystically ‘lash’ the target. With success, the target

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New Rules Regardless of his growing stature, however, Hanuman remained loyal to his master, Lord Rama (Vishnu’s seventh incarnation). When Rama’s wife Sita was abducted, Hanuman himself crossed the ocean and struggled against demons, depression, and rage, conquering them all in the name of his Lord. Hanuman’s devotion to Rama is signified by a tattoo of the god’s incarnation on his chest, which gave him strength against the greatest odds, and in the darkest hours. Though the tattoo has no special properties on its own, the inks used to create it were quite powerful. The recipe for this ink is obscure, but certain sadhus (Hindu holy men) can still reproduce the formula. Mechanics: Tattoos created with this special ink bind the bearer to the god, person, or force depicted, allowing him to spiritually assist the depicted god, person, or force, and vice-versa. Either individual (the bearer of the tattoo or the individual depicted) may spend action dice to aid the other. These action dice may be spent to increase check totals, activate criticals and abilities, heal, or for any other standard action die use. This assistance can be offered from any distance.

Excalibur Called by many names, including Caliburn and Caladbolg, Excalibur is much older than commonly believed. While the circumstances of the weapon’s creation are unknown, the earliest story commonly associated with the blade is intimately tied to Jesus’ Crucifixion. The story follows that St. Peter carried it on the eve of Jesus’ arrest by the Romans, prior to the crucifixion (though how he gained possession of the sword remains a mystery). When the Romans arrived to arrest Jesus, Peter leapt to his defense, drawing the sword and striking off one of the Romans’ ears. St. Peter was rebuked, and ordered by Jesus to put up his sword. When the Romans led Jesus to high priest Caiaphas, Peter followed faithfully. Nonetheless, the seeds for his doubt of Jesus’ message had already been planted. His doubt slowly grew as the Messiah refused to defend himself, and finally, when Jesus was condemned, Peter’s frustration reached a peak. When asked if he was with Jesus at Gethsemane, he denied it three times, and thus denied Jesus. Later, he regretted his words, but knew not how to remedy them. Sickened by his sword, which he considered a symbol of his faithlessness, St. Peter sought another to take it from him. Though it is unclear how the sword fell out of St. Peter’s possession, myth holds that it was later bestowed upon King Arthur by the Lady of the Lake, and named Excalibur. Though the sword and its accompanying scabbard lent Arthur tremendous battle prowess, mystics believe that its involvement with Peter’s denial of Jesus tainted it. Arthur could never fully embrace Christianity, either on his own or for his kingdom. Later, unbeknownst to Arthur and his knights, the influence of Excalibur doomed the quest for the Holy Grail before it even began, and — by the king’s order — the sword was returned to the lake by knight Bedivere. The location of the lake — and thus, Excalibur — is either a false legend or a long-lost mystery. Mechanics: Though a powerful weapon, Excalibur saps the resolve of those who carry it, as demonstrated by Peter’s denial of Jesus and Arthur’s failure to find the Grail (among many other mishaps in its history). When using Excalibur, the wielder gains a bonus to all attack and damage rolls equal to his Wisdom modifier, but he also suffers an equal penalty to his Will save.

Hugin The Norse god Odin, Father of the Gods, owned two pet ravens: Hugin (“Thought”), and Munin (“Memory”). For millennia, Odin sent these ravens forth at every dawn to fly through the nine worlds. By breakfast, they would return to their master and report on what they had seen. All of that changed in 1981. Eva Kraus, mindful of the Norse Ragnarok myth — the Twilight of the Gods — was desperate to avert the legendary apocalypse. The ancient stories dictate that Ragnarok will be preceded by three winters without a summer between, a description uncomfortably close to Eva’s planned ice age. A further harbinger of Ragnarok has already come to pass: three winters shall pass with wars fought throughout the whole world. Eva immediately recognized World War II as the first step on the road to Ragnarok. She feared that despite all her plans and schemes, she would succeed in bringing about her ice age only to die during the Norse apocalypse. The gods would war on each other, and all of them — including her — would die. Eva resolved to avert this apocalypse, and came up with a plan. Her first step was to prevent Odin and his kin from taking the field during the final struggle. Immediately, she seized upon Odin’s ravens — the god’s thought and memory — as the key. If she could steal them away, Odin’s will would be broken, and he would be unable to charge forth to battle, hopefully convincing the rest of his kin to fall back as well. After half a century of searching, Eva finally encountered the ravens one cold morning in the Scandinavian wilderness. Munin escaped, but she

Hanuman’s Tattoo Hanuman is one of many heroes mythically borne by nymphs sent down to aid the Indian supreme goddess Vishnu (the Preserver) on Earth. Hanuman came into conflict with both gods and men, and was blessed by many divinities. The gods granted him wealth, immortality, the power to change his size and shape, freedom from disease, and even a hundredth part of the sun’s brilliance.

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Hand of Glory captured and mystically bound Hugin. Though Memory returned to Odin’s shoulder, the god was left without Thought, and thus consciousness. He slumbered on past breakfast, and has remained asleep. Kraus makes full use of Hugin: the bird possesses all of Odin’s wisdom, and she seeks its counsel almost daily. It hasn’t yet occurred to her that she is falling into the same trap that was eventually Odin’s undoing — that she is depending more and more on Munin to facilitate her decisions. Mechanics: An agent who possesses Hugin may spend vitality rather than action dice to attempt an inspiration roll, at a rate of 5 vitality per roll. Further, the agent may roll an action die and add it to the check, without spending an action die of his own. Hugin does not perform such services voluntarily, however, and seeks every opportunity to return to Odin. At the beginning of each session, an agent in possession of the raven must make a Will save, opposed by Hugin’s Will save (+12), or the bird escapes his control.

The hide remained on display for many years, and was left even after the palace was abandoned, and later fell into ruin. It’s likely that the relic remains there to this day, buried among the rubble and relics of the ancient Greek civilization. Mechanics: The Nemean Mantle offers preternatural protection against ranged weapons, though it is of little use in melee combat. When wearing the mantle, an agent never suffers wounds from any ranged attack, even when struck with a critical hit or out of vitality.

The Spear of Destiny Also known as the Lance of Longinus, this weapon is reputed to be the very spear that pierced Jesus’ side during the Crucifixion. Through the centuries, it’s been linked to many powerful leaders and generals, including Herod the Great, Constantine, Justinian, Charlemagne, Otto the Great, Kaiser Wilhelm, the Hapsburg Emperors, and Adolf Hitler (the Demagogue). The Demagogue counted the Spear among his most prized possessions, believing it to be the fulcrum upon which the balance of world power rested. Despite this, when the Demagogue was ultimately defeated, the Spear of Destiny was seized by United States soldiers as part of the Hapsburg regalia. General Patton was reportedly fascinated with the spear, going so far as to trace its history and authenticate its age. He was convinced it was the true Spear of Longinus, but General Eisenhower demanded that the entire Hapsburg regalia — spear included — be returned to the Hofburg Treasure House. When the Company was formed in 1950, many of the Chamber’s agents felt that safeguarding the spear was one of their most critical responsibilities (despite its location in the European Commonwealth’s territory). The spear remained under constant surveillance until 2001, when it was stolen by unidentified burglars and brokered — though possibly rogue elements of the Gemeinschafft Consortium — to the Hand of Glory. (Many suspect that the Consortium were also responsible for the theft, though no one has yet been able to prove it.) The Hand of Glory’s current plans for the relic are unknown, and every possible step is being taken to recover it before the Conspiracy (and the world) finds out. Mechanics: The Spear of Destiny is a powerful relic, capable of turning the whims of fate in favor of its owner. When an agent possesses the spear, he and every member of his team gains twice the normal amount of action dice at the beginning of the session. If a mastermind controls the spear, the GC gains twice his normal allotment of action dice at the start of any session in which the agents face that mastermind’s organization. Henchmen, not generally afflicted by megalomania, have less control over the spear. The GC gains only one extra action die at the start of each session in which the agents face a henchman controlling the spear.

The Nemean Mantle Once, during a delusional state caused by the goddess Hera, the ancient Greek hero Hercules murdered his wife and children. Horrified by his actions, the hero traveled to Delphi to seek an audience with the Oracle. Hercules was instructed to travel to the Peloponnesus in southern Greece, where he should serve Eurystheus — King of Mycenae and Tyrins — for twelve years, and complete any tasks the king set before him. Known as the Twelve Labors, Hercules’ tasks were epic, and believed to be impossible. When he completed them, he became a hero among the Greeks and was eventually deified for his efforts. Hercules’ First Labor was to bring Eurystheus the hide of an invulnerable lion that had been terrorizing the hills around Nemea. When he found the lion was impervious to his arrows, Hercules tracked it to a cave, cornered it, and waded into hand-to-claw combat, seizing it by the neck and choking the life out of it. Eurystheus was amazed when Hercules managed the seemingly impossible task, and awestruck by the lion’s majestic hide. But Hercules refused to give the hide to Eurystheus: the task set before him was to bring the hide to the king, and this he’d done. Instead, Hercules wore the hide as a mantle for much of the rest of his life, and was thereby protected against many attacks, as the hide was impervious to arrows and other projectiles. Upon Hercules’ ascension to join the gods of Olympus, agents of Eurystheus located the hide and returned it to the king’s palace in Tyrins. Rather than wear the hide for protection, however, the king displayed it on his wall. Ironically, Eurystheus was killed within the year by an assassin’s arrow.

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New Rules Syrinx

Yasanaki no Magatama

The Syrinx is the very first set of pan pipes, which were named after Pan, the Greek god of pastures, herds, and herdsmen who fashioned them. Pan was a satyr, whose repulsive features included the hindquarters of a goat, a long bushy beard, and a pair of horns that jutted forth from his tangled mat of hair. Pan spent much of his time alone in the countryside, where he encountered Syrinx, a beautiful nymph. He pursued Syrinx for many months, though she perpetually spurned his advances and fled. Finally, after one such encounter, Syrinx found herself on the bank of a river, cornered by the amorous satyr. Convinced she would be unable to escape from Pan, she prayed to the river god Ladon to turn her into a reed. Her prayer was answered just as Pan caught her. Disappointed at his capture, Pan slumped to the river bank and toyed with the slender reed. The wind passed through Syrinx’s metamorphosed form, which sang melodically. Pan was fascinated and cut more reeds of different sizes, binding them together in graduating lengths to create the first set of pan pipes. Though this relic’s long history is unclear, it can now be found in the possession of the vocalist for the alternative rock band Greek Culture Party. The singer is unaware of the instrument’s inherent power, though he has added it to his public image and frequently uses it during the band’s concerts. Curiously, Syrinx cannot be recorded, though only sound technicians on the band’s latest live record and a few diligent fans have noticed, and so far, none of them have asked about the phenomenon. Syrinx has become something of a signature for Greek Culture Party, and the band’s popularity (i.e. visibility) currently protects the artifact from theft. Mechanics: Syrinx’s song is bewitching, though the essence of her voice is tainted by Pan’s wild abandon. The instrument’s music provokes careless and rambunctious behavior in those who listen (which explains why Greek Culture Party’s concerts are so rowdy). Anyone who plays Syrinx makes a Perform skill check, opposed by each listener’s Will save. Those in the audience who fail this save are overwhelmed with the overpowering urge to dance, scream, and party. All such victims’ dispositions toward the performer are upgraded by two steps (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 270, for the effects of disposition). During combat, each enemy who fails this save becomes stunned for 1d4 rounds, while each ally who fails the save (including the Syrinx player) becomes staggered for 1d4 rounds.

The Kusanagi sword, the Yatakagami mirror, and the Yasanaki no Magatama (the Yasanaki jewels) comprise the Japan’s ‘Imperial Regalia’, symbols of the Japanese Emperor’s divinity. Mythically, these items were traded between the storm god Susano-Wo and his sister, the sun goddess Amaterasu, as a seal of their friendship. The items have been passed down through the Japanese Imperial line, purportedly gifted to the first Emperor by Amaterasu herself. Since the end of World War II, and the attendant loss of the Emperor’s divine status, the Imperial Regalia has been separated. The sword — a replacement, as the original was lost in 1885 at the Battle of Dannoura — resides at the Atsuta Jingu Shrine in Nagoya, and the mirror is stored at Ise Shrine on the Kii Peninsula. The curved jewels are still kept at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, under close national guard. Mechanics: These curved jewels lend sparkle and panache to the agent’s appearance, despite their rather plain appearance. Any agent who wears them gains the benefits of the Charmer feat (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 91).

All Doors Lead to Thule This key was recovered by the College of Theological Archaeology during its first true expedition to the submerged island of Thule (see page 91). Though initially assumed to have no worth and sent to a museum loyal to the Hand, it has since proven to be one of the most critical milestones yet in the organization's search for the elusive Ancients. As discovered when the museum's curator accidentally grabbed the wrong key during a robbery attempt, this relic can open any mechanical lock — but a door opened with it always leads to a random site important to the Ancients. The College keeps this key locked away in one of its vaults, though the GC can call upon it as an excellent plot device.

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Hand of Glory EVA KRAUS REVISITED Mystic Power Thirst Level: 15 1: +1 to Charisma-based skill checks within a number of hours after successfully performing any invocation equal to the difference between her roll and the invocation’s complex skill check DC. 2: When Eva spends an action die to increase a complex skill check, two dice are added instead of one. However, when not studying or using mystic forces, the DCs of all her Will saves are increased by 2. 3: Superseded (see Thirst level 5). 4: Fortitude DCs for not consuming food or fluids begin at 5 instead of 10 and she gains +20 vitality points for 24 hours after starting any ritual. However, she she suffers a –2 penalty to all skill checks — other than Knowledge (Occult) when not pursuing mystic forces. 5: Performs and learns rituals as if her Knowledge (Occult) skill were 40 (50). 6: –2 to Str. –2 to Dex, –2 to Con* 7: +2 to Int, +2 to Wis, +2 to Cha* 8: — 9: Cause fear in all characters of agent level 5 or less within 75 feet. Characters with Wis 6 or lower flee in terror; all others make Will save (DC 20) or suffer effects of fear (see page 57) for 1d4 rounds. 10: After being successfully attacked, Eva may spend two action dice to cause 50% chance of the successful attack missing. However, the threat ranges of spectral attacks against Eva are increased by 2. 11: May use lightning bolts against physical targets (20 ft. range increment, max. 5 increments, no error range, threat range of 20, 1d6 normal damage per 10 bonded followers expended, to maximum of 5d6). 12: Heals only 5 vitality per hour, but may voluntarily destroy up to 50 bonded followers per day to heal 1d6 vitality per 10 bonded followers sacrificed. Bonus vitality fades after 6 days. 13: May use lightning bolts against all targets. 14: May use Resurrection ritual without bonded followers; no access to Scry ritual. 15: May possess living bodies after death — target makes opposed Will save to resist.

At the heart of the Hand of Glory lies a self-proclaimed living goddess from a bygone age, a vicious (and seemingly inhuman) entity housed in the body of long-dead Evelyn Schillingsfield. Ruling the villain organization through a combination of guile and sheer mystic might, this entity’s years in a human body have taught her a great deal about the modern age, but they have also convinced her that this new era is deeply flawed and should be destroyed. The synthesis of stolen flesh and godly spirit, the woman known today as Eva Kraus is far from human, filled with the power of an ancient parasite who may or may not have once been one of the Ancients. Her powers are vast — some might argue incalculable — but with the revelations contained in this book, we can finally deconstruct what is known of her abilities. (Note: These statistics supersede those seen on page 156 of the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook.) Department: Old Blood Class: Pointman/Sage Level: 14/6 Strength: 12* Constitution: 16* Wisdom: 22

Dexterity: 10* Intelligence: 16 Charisma: 16

* These are Eva’s ability scores without actively using a mystic feat (see her Thirst levels, below). Defense: 18 (+8 class) Initiative: +10 (+10 class) Speed: 30 Fort: +11

Ref: +9

Will: +20

Skills: Bluff +13, Concentration +30, Cryptography +13, Cultures +28, Disguise +18, Escape Artist +12, Gather Information +18, Hide +10, Innuendo +24, Intimidate +25, Knowledge (the Ancients) +18, Knowledge (Mystic Relics) +24, Knowledge (Occult) +36 (46)*, Languages +24, Listen +16, Move Silently +15. * Eva gains an additional +10 to these skill checks when performing rituals. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Scholar), Blind Fight, Blind Sight 5-ft. radius, Dodging Arts, Dodging Mastery, Kicking Arts, Kicking Mastery, Martial Arts, Scholar*.

*

* Because of her ancient origins, Eva also has the Endurance, Initiate, Magus, Mystic, Mystical Fount, Mystical Lens, Mystical Nexus and Philosopher feats.

Special Note: Because of her feats, sage class abilities, and a handful of stolen souls, Eva herself counts as 200 bonded followers for the purposes of performing invocations, even if she has no bonded followers present. Eva has access to virtually any invocation, but GCs should select those she will likely use in a particular serial and only calculate MP for this limited array.

Special: Eva’s cross-class abilities are Backup, Evasion, and Quick Change (1/session). Attacks Hand-to-hand Lightning Bolt

+14 +13

Already factored into her statistics.

1d6 1d6/10 minions (max 5d6)

Gear: Designer outfit, 5,000 bonded followers. Gadgets: Varies (16 GP).

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New Rules Strength check (DC 40). When a tuning fork or other harmonic device made of andrium is struck with a metal object, it generates a tone that increases the DC of all Will saves within a 60-ft. radius by 2. Andrium is dangerous and can cause great injury with prolonged exposure. For each full day that an agent lingers within 10 feet of a Tiny piece of andrium without protection from radioactive hazards (such as an NBC suit), he must make a Fortitude save (DC 10) or suffer one point of temporary Constitution damage. If the agent’s save roll is a natural ‘1’, this damage is permanent. For each object size category above Tiny, the DC of this save is increased by 5 and the distance within which this save must be made is increased by 10 feet. Objects of Medium or Large size prompt this save every 12 hours, while objects of Huge or Gargantuan size prompt this save every 4 hours. Objects of Colossal size prompt this save every hour. If ingested, andrium operates like a poison (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 238) with the following statistics:

FRINGE SCIENCE The Hand of Glory dabbles with super-science, though the products of its researches typically have a more rugged, unrefined feel than Archer Conspiracy technology. Cross the grungy semi-anachronistic creations seen in Mike Mignola’s Hellboy with the oil-encrusted technological mish-mash seen in 12 Monkeys, then feed it all through a rotting lab hidden in a sweaty basement beneath Dusseldorf and you’ve got the right feel. Screens and buttons are too large and decades out of date, seemingly unnecessary tubes, wires, valves, and gauges are sprinkled over every creation, and all devices give the distinct impression that the inventor’s just not quite right… Hand ‘gadgets’ can loosely be called ‘weird science’, though in reality most aren't created with strange, superhuman leaps of logic (as is the case with PsiTech), but careful application of mystic secrets to mundane theory. Special Note: The Hand of Glory employs standard PsiTech in addition to the following devices. Also, some items in this section are technically animals (gouge beetles) or minor relics (seeker talismans), but they’re included here for costing purposes — Hand of Glory operatives requisition them with gadget points. Andrium: This strange metal was discovered in a volcanic crater during the excavation to create a new Hand of Glory base in 1998. Hand scientists have many theories about the material’s origins — that it’s a byproduct of previously unknown geological processes, a long-buried alchemical accident, or the remnants of an alien vehicle that crash-landed and was covered in lava. Regardless of where it came from, the metal has many special properties that the organization makes use of, and Hand scientists are discovering new applications monthly. For instance, when andrium is sharply struck it produces a peculiar multi-harmonic tone (well below human hearing). According to all findings thus far, prolonged exposure to this vibration seems to alter the genetic composition of unborn children, causing remarkable genetic mutation. There’s also evidence that prolonged exposure alters brainwave activity, a theory that presently has the Hand of Glory field-testing sonic weapons against its enemies. Unfortunately, andrium is atomically unstable, and gives off potentially lethal radiation. Great care is taken when handling it, and it’s only used in the field when absolutely necessary. Gadget Point Cost: 1 per lb. Weight: Varies Spot DC: 15 (obvious) Mechanics: Andrium has a hardness of 20. To break something constructed of pure andrium requires a

Type: Ingested DC 20; Initial Damage: 1d4 Wis; Onset Time: 12 hours; Secondary Damage: 2d4 Con. Additionally, andrium gives off an eerie crimson glow in darkness — a Tiny object made from it casts illumination over a 20-ft. distance. This illumination distance increases by 20 feet per object size category above Tiny. Armor, Lamprey: This light body armor is standardissue for Hand of Glory lamprey divers (see page 31). It’s fully self-contained and features deep sea pressure environmental protection, shoulder-mounted spot lamps, light damage resistance, sonar shielding, and a neoprine skinsuit underlayer. Gadget Point Cost: 3 Weight: 80 lb. Spot DC: Automatic Mechanics: The wearer of this armor cannot be tracked by sonar (it’s anechoic — that is, it literally absorbs sound waves). Further, he can ignore the effects of pressure, the bends, and euphoria up to 600 feet. Finally, lamprey armor has the following statistics: Medium Armor; Defense Bonus: —; Damage Reduction: 3; Weaknesses: —; Maximum Dexterity Bonus: +3; Armor Check Penalty: –2; Speed: Same. A lamprey diver suit has an air supply of 3 hours. Armor, Shocktrooper: This heavy body armor is standard-issue for Hand of Glory shocktroopers (see page 31), valkyrie (see page 32), and other combat troops. It features remarkable protection from injury of all kinds, infra-red shielding, and a special system that’s detected by most Hand of Glory weapons, preventing friendly fire incidents.

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Hand of Glory Blueprint Recorder/Projector: Disguised as a common cigar cutter, this device has a hidden purpose that’s revealed when its top half (the cradle) is twisted 180 degrees. Clicking the blade closed in this position releases a pale pink flash for a moment, projecting a grid over the area the agent is standing in and storing or transmitting a blueprint of it for later use. Gadget Point Cost: 2 Weight: 1⁄10 lb. Spot DC: 25 (experts only, super-science) Mechanics: This device acts like a camera, except that it takes a picture in every direction at once and only records walls, doors, windows, vents, desks, tables, bookshelves, and other architectural features and large furnishings. The device is limited to line of sight and has a limited range, only recording blueprint data out to 100 feet (20 squares) from the user. (Thus, a separate image is required for each room the agent wishes to blueprint.) Capturing a blueprint of the surrounding area requires one half action. The device may be set to store blueprints or send them along a designated radio or satellite frequency (switching between these settings is a free action). Up to ten blueprints may be stored in the device, which can later be transferred to any computer through a standard USB port and viewed using CAD software. Diggers: Inspired by gouge beetles (see page 69), these small mechanical devices look like large red ants, or a wild mutated strain of potato bug. They are simple, single-purpose machines: when placed on human skin (identified through sweat and other skin excretions), they burrow down until they hit bone, then follow the bone to a joint, where they detonate with a small explosive charge, destroying the joint and likely much of the surrounding flesh and bone. Diggers are durable, and often loaded into hollow bullets which splinter open upon impact, allowing for quick and dirty delivery when needed. Gadget Point Cost: 4 each Weight: 1⁄10 lb. each Spot DC: 20 (super-science) Mechanics: When delivered by gun, reduce the weapon’s initial damage by one die (to a minimum of one die rolled). If the gun inflicts at least one point of wound damage after damage reduction and all other damage-reducing effects are applied, the digger is successfully delivered. (Vitality damage does not ensure delivery, as it’s classified in the Spycraft system as ‘near hits and combat fatigue’ — see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 178). One or more diggers may be delivered by hand as well, simply by placing them on a person’s bare skin. They cannot be carried, however, as they can sense skin through most gloves and clothing. Thus, most hand deliveries are made by pouring them out of glass jars

Gadget Point Cost: 4 Weight: 40 lb. Spot DC: Automatic Mechanics: The wearer of this armor cannot be seen by infra-red sighting devices. Further, he cannot be attacked with weapons upgraded with the I.F.F. system (see page 69) and gains a +2 bonus to Intimidation checks. Finally, Hand of Glory shocktrooper armor has the following statistics: Heavy Armor; Defense Bonus: +0; Damage Reduction: 9; Weaknesses: Chemical; Maximum Dexterity Bonus: +1; Armor Check Penalty: –4; Speed: –10 feet. Blood Prong: This stun gun-like weapon fires a threepronged projectile into a target, but instead of sending thousands of volts through him, it injects a special transmogrifying fluid into his bloodstream. This fluid courses through his veins, slowly raising his blood’s acidity to a point of critical mass. If the target’s system isn’t able to fight off the fluid’s effects, his blood literally transforms into a virulent acid that eats through veins, flesh, and bone. A victim of this unfortunate fate melts from within. Gadget Point Cost: 3 each (disposable) Weight: 3 lb. Spot DC: 25 (Experts only) Mechanics: A blood prong is used like a pistol and has the following statistics: Firearm; Damage: 1d6+2 (subdual); Error: 1; Threat: —; Range Increment: 5 ft. (limit 5 increments). When a target suffers one or more points of damage from a blood prong hit (after damage reduction and all other damage-reducing effects are applied), the blood prong’s transmogrifying fluid is injected into his bloodstream. The subsequent round, he must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or suffer 1d4 points of subdual damage. If he succeeds with this save, the process ends (no further saves are required) and the fluid is harmlessly expelled through his pores. If he fails this save, he must make another save the following round with a DC equal to the first save +1 or suffer the same damage value +1d4. Each time he fails a save, this process continues, adding +1 to the save DC and +1d4 to the damage value until the target succeeds with one of the saves (e.g. the third save has a DC of 12 to avoid a damage value of 4d4 subdual). Should the target fail the sixth Fortitude save (DC 20), his blood turns to acid and burns through his veins, melting his skin and bones, killing him and destroying his body (immediately reducing him to –25 wounds). Unless he dies or falls unconscious from subdual damage, the target may normally perform any actions during this process.

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New Rules and the like. This requires the attacker to be adjacent to his target. With a successful melee touch attack, the digger(s) are successfully delivered. Diggers may also be thrown (e.g. flung out of a jar toward an opponent). This requires a ranged touch attack within 10 feet and is subject to grenade-like deviation (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 173). Once a digger is successfully delivered, it burrows directly down to locate the nearest bone, then digs through muscle, tendon, and fat until it locates a major joint (a limb joint). This process takes 1d4+1 rounds and is excruciatingly painful, forcing the affected target to make a Fortitude save each round (DC 20) or suffer one wound. One full round after the digger reaches the joint, on the delivering attacker’s initiative count, the digger explodes, inflicting 1d6 wounds and forcing the affected target to make a Fortitude save (DC 20) or lose the use of one limb (chosen at random). If the target has already lost the use of all four limbs — perhaps to other digger attacks — the digger instead explodes at the nearest point along the target’s spine, inflicting 1d6 wounds and forcing the affected target to make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or become paralyzed. At any time before a digger explodes, the target may attempt to remove it. This requires a scalpel, knife, ice pick, or like instrument stabbed through the skin, pulling or gouging the digger out before it explodes. The target (or another adjacent character) makes a First Aid check (DC 14) or a melee touch attack against the digger (Def 14). Success with either of these checks removes the digger, which explodes the following round on the original attacker’s initiative count, inflicting 1d10 normal damage to anyone touching or holding it (this damage is applied to vitality before wounds). Each attack to remove a digger inflicts the damage value of the instrument used, whether it hits and removes the digger or not. A successful First Aid check to remove a digger inflicts 1 point of normal damage. Digger-Tracers: These operate in the same way as their digger counterparts, except that they find a bone, then burrow into it and transmit signals back to a Hand of Glory receiver, allowing the organization to track the target. Gadget Point Cost: 2 each Weight: 1⁄10 lb. each Spot DC: 20 (super-science) Mechanics: The rules for delivering and removing standard diggers also apply here (until the digger is in place — see below). Once delivered, digger-tracers burrow to the nearest bone, then around the bone (to the side facing into the target’s body), then into the bone, where they hunker down inside. This process takes 1d4 rounds and is excruciatingly painful, forcing the affected target to make a Fortitude save each round (DC 20) or suffer one wound. After the digger-tracer is in

place, it begins transmitting a signal across all standard Hand of Glory reception frequencies (not their private communication frequencies). This signal can be received up to 5 miles away.

Glory Vehicles The Hand of Glory fields several vehicles designed expressly for its purposes. The majority of Hand vehicular developments are devoted to covert travel and surviving the rigors of the hostile environments where Hand missions are often conducted, as the following examples illustrate. Glory Cruisers: These large speedboats are highly maneuverable and used to protect known submerged Hand archaeological digs from attack or disguised to protect Hand smuggling operations. Surface water vehicle; GP: 13; Size: Huge; Occupancy: 4/15; Handling: +4; Speed: 300 ft.; MPH: 30/60; Defense: 12; Wound Points: 180; Hardness: 5; Bonus GP: 3; Qualities*: LVQ, STC. * See the Spycraft Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide, page 78. The vehicle’s stealth functions may be toggled on or off with one half action. Special: Glory cruisers may be fitted with one battle suite (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 212, and pages 70–71 of this book). Glory Half-Tracks: Most commonly encountered in Africa and South America, these durable machines can easily be mounted with nearly any vehicular ordnance. Hand favorites include heavy machineguns and vehicular flamethrowers. Tracked Armored and Heavy Vehicle; GP: 13; Size: Huge; Occupancy: 2/10; Handling: –6; Speed: 350 ft.; MPH: 35/70; Defense: 5; Wound Points: 220; Hardness: 12 (14); Bonus GP: 2; Qualities*: AHV, CMF, RGD, STC, TRK. * See the Spycraft Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide, page 78. The vehicle’s camouflage and stealth functions may be toggled on or off with one half action. Glory Jeeps: Like all Hand of Glory vehicles, these jeeps are capable of extreme range and may be used in even the most dangerous regions. They feature a host of weapon-mounting options. Car; GP: 6; Size: Large; Occupancy: 1/3; Handling: +2; Speed: 600 ft.; MPH: 60/120; Defense: 12; Wound Points: 80; Hardness: 5 (7); Bonus GP: 1; Qualities*: CMF, OPT (50%), ORD, RGD, SRD, STC. * See the Spycraft Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide, page 78. The vehicle’s camouflage and stealth functions may be toggled on or off with one half action.

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Hand of Glory Once a digger is in place and transmitting, it can only be removed with a First Aid check (DC 20). This check requires one hour and sterilized professional hospital equipment. Digger-tracers have a signal power rating of 5. Exo-Skeleton: This full-body suit looks like the mangled, metallic remains of a long-dead giant, but it’s really a large body-shaped vehicle within which a controlling person stands. The controller is strapped into the suit and controls it by moving his body about normally, applying pressure to the straps. There is a slight delay as the suit responds to the controller’s movements, but the effect — drastically increasing the controller’s strength and providing him a modicum of protection — is well worth it.

The steel from which the suit’s constructed is laced with andrium, though the controller is protected from the metal’s radioactive properties by a coating of special lead-based paint over the dangerous parts. Heat given off by the andrium is funneled into the suit’s center, where mini-generators use it to power the device. The suit’s primary vulnerabilities are its controlling mechanisms and wires, which are contained within tubes that run along its arms and the backs of its legs. These can be targeted by carefully aimed attacks, allowing enemies to disable the suit even from a distance. The Hand of Glory has only a few of these suits, which are costly to construct. They use them primarily in hostile environments (such as in their volcanic bases) and for precarious jobs requiring a human lead. Gadget Point Cost: 8 Weight: 2 tons (4,000 lb.) Spot DC: Automatic Mechanics: It takes one half action to climb into this skeleton and another for the automatic straps to activate, pulling snug against the controller’s torso and limbs. Thereafter, the exo-skeleton grants its controller a melee attack damage value of 1d10+7 and a +12 bonus to Strength for the purposes of lifting, pushing, or dragging. The exo-skeleton is Large (Tall) and has a reach of 1 square (5 feet). The skeleton also provides 10 points of damage reduction to attacks from the rear or 4 points of damage reduction to attacks from any other direction. When wearing the skeleton, the controller’s movement is reduced to 20 feet per turn and he suffers a –4 penalty to his initiative bonus (this penalty is applied during the first round only if using the fluid initiative rules featured in the Modern Arms Guide). To perform delicate actions such as picking a lock or typing while wearing the skeleton, the controller must face the direction of the action, unstrap himself (requiring a half action), and reach out of the skeleton. The controller may only benefit from a maximum Dexterity Bonus of 1 when wearing the skeleton. Finally, skills that normally receive an Armor Check Penalty without the proper Armor Group Proficiency (Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand, Swim, and Tumble) may not be used while wearing the skeleton. Attacks against the suit are treated as attacks against the controller and damage is applied to the controller normally. The skeleton may be disabled with a wellplaced shot to the control tubes. If an attacker scores a critical hit against the controller within the skeleton, he may voluntarily forego rolling damage to disable the skeleton. Disabling an exo-skeleton with no controller requires one full action with a melee weapon or one half action with a firearm, grenade, or tactical weapon. No roll is required to disable the suit in this manner. Exo-skeletons have the exotic quality.

Glory Vehicles (Continued) Glory Submarines: The Hand of Glory fields submarines for more purposes than any other military force on Earth today, including troop transport, reconnaissance, strategic assault, smuggling, and archaeological research. Hand submarines are virtual undersea cities, rivaling the most advanced nuclear submarines fielded by the superpowers during the Cold War. Submersible water vehicle; GP: 15; Size: Colossal; Occupancy: 15/100; Handling: –8; Speed: 160 ft.; MPH: 16/32; Defense: 2; Wound Points: 240; Hardness: 10; Bonus GP: 3; Qualities*: AIR, LSP (300), LVQ, NVS (+0), STC. * See the Spycraft Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide, page 78. The vehicle’s stealth functions may be toggled on or off with one half action. Special: Glory submarines may be fitted with up to three battle suites (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 212, and page 70–71 of this book). Glory Zeppelins: With satellite imagery and radar advances making aerial assaults far more difficult since World War II, the Hand hasn’t devoted a lot of energy to specialized planes and other high-altitude vehicles. It has, however, developed a small fleet of low-altitude zeppelins used for inland transport. These vehicles are sometimes disguised with popular brand names, allowing them to fly nearly anywhere, even over major First World cities. Lighter-than-air vehicle; GP: 16; Size: Colossal; Occupancy: 10/150; Handling: –9; Speed: 350 ft.; MPH: 30/60; Defense: 2; Wound Points: 85; Hardness: 8; Bonus GP: 4; Qualities: LVQ, STC, VTL. Special: Glory zeppelins may be fitted with up to five battle suites (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 212, and page 70–71 of this book).

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New Rules Gouge Beetles: One of the Hand of Glory’s most shocking finds was a nest of these blood-red scarab beetles, discovered during an African archaeological expedition in 1964. Released from their long imprisonment within the stone walls of an unremarkable burial shrine, these mystic creatures have the incredible ability to resuscitate the recently dead — for a price. Gadget Point Cost: 7 per swarm Weight: 1⁄10 lb. Spot DC: 10 (abnormal creature) Mechanics: When released near a person who’s died within the last 10 minutes, gouge beetles immediately seek points of entry into the body (the mouth, ears, etc.). Their chosen points of entry are open wounds, as their ultimate destination within the body is the injury that caused its death. The gouge beetles consume all injured portions of the body, including the ragged edges around wounds, diseased organs, broken bones, ruptured arteries, and the like. This process takes ten times the number of rounds the target’s been dead (minimum 1 minute), after which the target awakens, returned to 1 wound point, and the gouge beetles flee the body. There are side effects, however. First, all parts of the body injured or perceived by the beetles to be the person’s cause of death (as determined by the GC) are consumed and forever gone. The body mystically continues to function even if these parts are normally required. If the heart is consumed, for instance, blood ceases to flow through the target’s veins (and he may no longer be affected by blood-borne contagions). If his lungs are consumed, he need not breathe any longer (and may not drown or inhale gases). If, however, he had a broken leg when he died, the leg becomes a sack of muscle and flesh which cannot support any weight. Minor cuts become open wounds that will never heal (or close), and gunshot wounds become larger gaping holes. When any of these wounds are visible, the target suffers a –8 penalty to Bluff, (face-to-face) Bureaucracy, Diplomacy, Disguise, Perform, and Seduction checks, but gains a +4 bonus to Charisma-based Intimidation checks. Second, the target suffers a permanent –4 penalty to all Fortitude saves. Third, the target’s agent level is reduced by 4 for the purposes of determining how many vitality points he regains each hour (to a minimum of 0 vitality points regained each hour). Finally, all these effects are cumulative per gouge beetle resurrection. If gouge beetles bring back the same person twice, he suffers a total penalty of –16 to Bluff, (face-to-face) Bureaucracy, Diplomacy, Disguise, Perform, and Seduction checks when wounds from both deaths are visible, as well as a permanent penalty of –8 to all Fortitude saves. Also, his agent level is reduced by 8 for the purposes of determining how many vitality points he regains each hour. On the up side, he gains a +8 bonus to Charisma-based Intimidation checks.

GC Note: Gouge beetles can create many gruesome parodies of the human form that make excellent color in Shadowforce Archer games — mangled, crippled, and sometimes grisly villains are within your grasp — and they’ll come back to terrorize your players over and over and over again! I.F.F. (Identify Friend and Foe) System: This military weapon enhancement has been adopted by the Hand of Glory to counter their common strategy of throwing dozens of minions into combat against an enemy. Firearms equipped with this upgrade identify specially marked friendly targets and cannot fire on them. Gadget Point Cost: 2 per weapon Weight: — Spot DC: 20 (experts only) Mechanics: When a weapon with an I.F.F. system is used to attack a target designated as friendly (such as anyone wearing shocktrooper armor — see page 65–66), the weapon fails to function. The weapon may be used normally to attack any non-friendly target. Further, when the weapon is used to attack a non-friendly target who’s adjacent to a friendly, the attacker doesn’t suffer the standard –4 penalty to the attack roll (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 171). Jumper Dome: This simple-looking gadget consists of a black half-sphere with a gel ring affixed to the flat side. Within the gel ring are hundreds of tiny mechanical arms, normally pulled closely into the device’s heart. When the dome is placed against any mechanical lock or device with a point of entry (such as a keyhole or car ignition), the arms awaken and go to work, unlocking or toggling the device. These arms are automated, however, and can accidentally trigger alarms or traps. Gadget Point Cost: 2 Weight: 1 lb. Spot DC: 15 (no housing, super-science) Mechanics: When using this device to toggle a mechanical lock or device, the skill check is automatically successful (no roll is required). The process takes a number of minutes equal to the normal skill check DC required to bypass the lock or toggle the device. Any traps, alarms, or other triggers that might normally go off (whether they can normally be by-passed with a human skill check or not) are also set off. Lava Cannon: This tripod-mounted weapon emplacement drills into the ground upon which it rests and draws rock into a storage chamber to be super-heated as molten lava and then fired in concentrated bursts. Though extremely deadly, this weapon is difficult to direct effectively and has an unfortunate tendency to overheat (represented by its high error range). Gadget Point Cost: 8 Weight: 1,000 lb. Spot DC: 5 (super-science, obvious)

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Hand of Glory Mechanics: The lava cannon is treated as personal ordnance for the purposes of mobility and attacking (see the Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide, page 43). In addition to personal ordnance modifiers, the lava cannon suffers a –2 attack penalty against moving targets. The lava cannon has the following statistics:

Gadget Point Cost: 3 each Weight: 1⁄2 lb. Spot DC: 15 (obvious) Mechanics: This weapon follows all the rules for standard thrown grenades, though its damage value is applied only to creatures. Scenery, vehicles, and other non-creatures in the grenade’s blast range are unaffected. The neutron grenade has the following statistics:

Huge personal ordnance; Damage: 5d6 + fire (+60); Error: 1-5; Threat: 19–20; Range Increment: 50 ft. This weapon is considered to be of the ‘flamethrower’ type and attacks with it gain a +1 bonus for each previous consecutive action for which it’s been used to attack the same target. Feats, abilities, and modifiers that apply to flamethrowers also apply to this weapon. The lava cannon may be fired in single-shot or strafe mode, but may not be used for autofire or burst actions (even if the wielder has the Speed Trigger feat or a similar feat or ability). A lava cannon may be mounted on a vehicle of Gargantuan size or larger, using the rules from the Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide. During the round a vehicular lava cannon reloads, the vehicle is pinned to the ground and may not move. Neutron Grenade: The Abgrund designed a rudimentary version of this hideous anti-personnel weapon from early mystic discoveries during the Second World War. The Hand of Glory have made many advancements upon the design since then.

Grenade; Damage: 1d8/2d8*; Error: 1-4; Threat: —; Range Increment: 10 ft.; Blast Increment: 1 square (5 feet). *This grenade’s damage operates like poison. All affected targets must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or suffer the listed damage. The onset time for the second damage value is 1 minute. Seeker Talismans: These minor relics were created by the Ancients and have been recovered by the Hand of Glory and other organizations across the globe. Though numerous, they aren’t common, and are highly prized by relic hunters and enemies of the Guardians of the Whispering Knife. Gadget Point Cost: 2 each Weight: 1⁄2 lb. Spot DC: 10 (no housing, obvious) Mechanics: Seeker talismans track mystics, mystic use (including invocations), and relics. They operate like radar, sending invisible mystic waves out in all directions and watching for waves that bounce back. Each talisman consists of a twisting ring with a pointer at one end and several common (i.e. not valuable) gem stones. When one or more mystics (other than the talisman’s wielder), relics, or invocations in progress are located within 10 miles of the talisman, the talisman points toward the most powerful source of mystic power (as determined by the GC). Seeker talismans are painful to shadespeakers, who suffer migraines and even unconsciousness when too close to the minor relics. When a shadespeaker is within 10 miles of a seeker talisman, he suffers 1d4 subdual damage per minute. When a shadespeaker is within 100 feet of a seeker talisman, he suffers 1d4 subdual damage per round. Terrorprints: These false fingertips are laced with a drug that induces violent psychosis. When laid over a person’s own fingertips, the drug can be delivered easily by shaking someone’s hand or patting them on a bare patch of skin. Weight: — Spot DC: 15 (no housing) Mechanics: The drug operates like a poison (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 238). Anyone exposed to it must make a Will save (DC 15) or lose his Dexterity modifier to Defense and his ability modifiers

New Battle Suites The following gadget options may be installed on any vehicle that specifically mentions that it can accept battle suites (such as the Battle Bus — see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 211 — and some of the Hand of Glory vehicles described on pages 67 and 68). As with all battle suites, each of the following options takes up four vehicular option slots and must be paid for separately from the base vehicle. Command Center: The vehicle houses a navigational center from which commanders may coordinate vehicles and troops with brutal efficiency. Gadget Point Cost: +4 Mechanics: When in communication with a single designated ally located in the command center, a driver gains a +1 bonus to all vehicle skill checks for every 4 ranks the ally possesses with the appropriate vehicle skill (e.g. Boating for water vehicles or Pilot for air vehicles). Further, all combatants in communication with an ally located in the command center at the start of a combat gain a one-time initiative bonus equal to the ally’s Wisdom modifier. This initiative bonus is applied only once at the start of the combat if using the fluid initiative rules located in the Spycraft Modern Arms Guide.

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New Rules to Balance, Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, Disguise, Handle Animal, Innuendo, Intimidate, Listen, Move Silently, Perform, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spot, and Surveillance checks as his mind is plagued with images of his worst fear. This effect lasts 1d4 rounds, after which the victim must succeed with a second Will save (DC 15) or suffer the same effects for another 1d4 rounds. Transmog Gun: This impressive fringe science weapon is capable of destabilizing the molecular structure of objects, causing them to dissolve into a semiliquid form for a time. A popular application among Hand of Glory operatives is a surprise attack in which they cause the ground underneath one or more targets to become liquid. The targets fall into the patch of fluid footing, which quickly hardens, potentially trapping the targets within. Gadget Point Cost: 6 Weight: 40 lb. Spot DC: Automatic (super-science) Mechanics: This ranged weapon only affects non-living objects of Medium size or smaller and 5-ft. × 5-ft. × 5-ft. patches of larger non-living masses.

New Battle Suites (Cont.) Launching Bay: The vehicle houses a full-service hangar for one or more vehicles of the proper size. The vehicles housed here are commonly of different types than the base vehicle, allowing for dive bells to be launched from cruisers and planes and gliders to be launched from zeppelins. This option is particularly useful when coupled with a garage suite (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 212). Gadget Point Cost: +3 Mechanics: A vehicle containing one launching bay suite may house and launch up to a number of vehicles or drones based on its size: Vehicle Size Large Huge Gargantuan Colossal

May Contain… 1 Small vehicle 1 Medium vehicle or 2 Small vehicles 1 Large vehicle, 2 Medium vehicles, or 3 Small vehicles 1 Huge vehicle, 2 Large vehicles, 3 Medium vehicles, or 4 Small vehicles

This suite may be taken more than once (up to the maximum number of battle suites the vehicle can house). Each launching bay suite purchased uses up one battle suite slot and increases the number of vehicles the launching bay may house by one increment (i.e. a two-suite launching bay installed into a Large vehicle may house up to 2 Small vehicles while a three-suite launching bay installed into a Large vehicle may house up to 3 Small vehicles). The driver of every vehicle launched from this suite gains a one-time +4 bonus to initiative. This initiative bonus is applied only once at the start of the combat if using the fluid initiative rules located in the Spycraft Modern Arms Guide. If the vehicle’s modified initiative total exceeds the initiative total of any enemy within its range of attack during the first round of combat by 10 or more, the driver may forfeit his launching bay initiative bonus to perform a vehicular sneak attack against the specified enemy. This attack occurs on the attacker’s initiative count (not including the launching bay bonus) and inflicts a number of bonus damage dice equal to the attacker’s level divided by 5 (rounding down). This sneak attack may only be performed during the first round of any vehicular combat. This suite may not be installed on vehicles of Medium size or smaller.

Firearm; Damage: 1d3 (special — see below); Error: 1-2; Threat: —; Range Increment: 10 ft. (maximum 5 increments). When successfully attacked with this weapon, an object or material temporarily loses 1d3 points of hardness and its Break DC is reduced by twice this amount. When an target’s hardness is reduced below 0, it liquefies, immediately collapsing into a pool of semifluid slag. Hardness lost in this manner returns at a rate of 1 point per round, while Break DC returns at a rate of 2 per round. The object or material gradually solidifies as its hardness returns, until it’s made fully solid again at its full hardness value. An object damaged by this weapon uses its modified (current) hardness and Break DC whenever it’s attacked or reducing the damage of attacks passing through it. Should someone become trapped in an affected object or patch of ground, he may make a Strength check each round (DC equal to the object or material’s current — modified — Break DC) to pull free. Once an object or material solidifies, it must be broken to free people and objects within. When using the transmog gun, an agent needs the Weapon Group Proficiency (Tactical) feat; otherwise, he suffers a –4 penalty to his attack rolls. The transmog gun requires line of sight and cannot target objects and materials through solids or liquids (thus, it’s impossible to carve pits with them, though horizontal tunnels are possible, as evidenced with Monolith — see page 94). The transmog gun generates no heat and objects liquefied with it remain at the ambient temperature of their surroundings.

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Hand of Glory 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 (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 245). 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 a season progresses (or even from season to season). Minions never advance in this fashion: their level and abilities are fixed at the time they’re created. 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). 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.

NPC CLASSES Following the format introduced in the Archer Foundation Chamber Book, this section introduces ten new abbreviated classes GCs can use to create new threats, in this case focusing on characters found among the ranks of the Hand of Glory. NPC classes offer the GC a way to populate his world with people who are mechanically different from the agents. Because NPC classes are inherently weaker than agent classes, NPCs built with these classes should be considered one level lower for the purposes of determining the Challenge Rating (CR) of a threat in which they are featured.

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.

NPC Class Descriptions

Degenerate

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 as either full skills or half skills:

The Hand’s interest in eugenics has far exceeded the bounds of ethical medicine (and, some might say, common sense). One byproduct of this research is the creation of the ‘degenerates’ — failed attempts to create a superior strain of human. The Hand’s ruthless, Darwinian policy treats these hapless souls as cannon fodder until they prove otherwise. To insure their strict control and loyalty, degenerates are often paired with an overseer (see page 77). MP Cost: 2 per level + 15 (vitality die cost).

Full Skills

• Full Skills: The NPC has a number of ranks in each of these skills equal to his class level. This may be further modified by class abilities.

The degenerate’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Survival

• Half Skills: The NPC has a number of ranks in each of these skills equal to one half his class level (rounded up).

Key Ability Wis

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

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. However, due to the much lower level of training (and challenge) in most NPCs’ daily lives, they gain these abilities much more slowly than an agent of comparable level.

Half Skill Climb Disguise Hide Listen Move Silently Spot

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Key Ability Str Cha Dex Wis Dex Wis

New Rules Class Features

Full Skills

The following are class features of the degenerate. Starting Feats: The degenerate begins play with the following feats. Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Hurled)

The drug lord’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Diplomacy Intimidate

Key Ability Cha Str or Cha

Half Skills

Claws: The degenerate’s unarmed attacks inflict 1d8 normal damage. Weapon Focus: At 2nd level, the degenerate gains the Weapon Focus (Claws) feat. Boosted Strength: At 4th level, the degenerate gains a +2 class bonus to his Strength score. At 10th level, this bonus increases to +4. Stealthy: At 6th level, the degenerate gets the Stealthy feat.

The drug lord’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Appraise Bluff Bureaucracy Cultures Innuendo Knowledge (Underworld) Languages Sense Motive

Drug Lord Rising from the ranks of common thugs to become the rulers of one of the underworld’s powerful criminal cartels, drug lords must display a combination of ruthlessness and political savvy to secure their position and establish the questionable bargains required to keep the authorities at bay. The Hand of Glory has many allies in the higher echelons of these criminal empires and often call upon them when plausible deniability is in demand. MP Cost: 2 per level + 10 (vitality die cost).

Key Ability Int Cha Cha Wis Cha Int Wis Wis

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

Table 3.7: The Degenerate (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 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

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

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

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 Claws Weapon focus Boosted Strength (+2) Stealthy

Boosted Strength (+4)

Table 3.8: The Drug Lord (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 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

73

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 Point blank shot

Silver tongue

Backup 1/session

Hand of Glory Class Features

Point Blank Shot: At 2nd level, the drug lord gains the Point Blank Shot feat. Silver Tongue: At 6th level, the drug lord gains the Silver Tongue feat. Backup: At 10th level, once per game session, the drug lord may call upon an acquaintance who owes him a favor. This contact is considered helpful when using the disposition system. The contact shows up within 1d6 hours and helps out one time to the best of his ability, as long as doing so doesn’t put him or his loved ones in danger. The contact has one specific skill or object at his disposal (such as a boat or plane), chosen by the drug lord. If the contact is called in for a skill, the contact has 10 ranks with the skill. If the contact is called upon for the use of an object, the object cannot cost more than 20 BP, and must be returned to the contact after use.

The following are class features of the frogman. Starting Feats: The frogman begins play with the following feats. Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Armor Group Proficiency (Medium) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle) Weapon Group Proficiency (Tactical) Specialty: At 1st level, the frogman’s Swim skill is increased by 3 ranks. Flippers: At 2nd level, the frogman’s speed when moving underwater is increased by 5 feet (with or without fins). Further, if the frogman is wearing fins on land, his movement rate is only reduced by 5 feet (rather than 10 feet, as described in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook). At 10th level the frogman’s swimming speed increases by another 5 feet and fins inflict no speed penalty on land. Stealthy: At 4th level, the frogman gains the Stealthy feat. Heavily Armed: At 6th level, the frogman gains an additional 10 BP which must be spent on weapons or armor. If a Hand of Glory operative, the frogman may instead use this ability to gain 2 GP toward purchasing lamprey armor (see page 65). Sneak Attack: Starting at 8th level, the frogman inflicts extra damage when either flanking a target (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 171) or attacking a target who’s 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 frogman 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

Frogman The Hand of Glory excels in underwater operations and maintains a large core of trained combat divers to support their many naval schemes. MP Cost: 3 per level + 10 (vitality die cost).

Full Skills The frogman’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Hide Move Silently Swim

Key Ability Dex Dex Str

Half Skills The frogman’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Balance Boating Climb Demolitions Spot Survival

Key Ability Dex Dex Str Int Wis Wis

Table 3.9: The Frogman (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 +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 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

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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 Specialty Flippers Stealthy Heavily armed Sneak attack 1d6 Flippers

New Rules Class Features

normal damage to inflict subdual damage during a sneak attack, even by applying the standard –4 penalty (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 174), nor may he use strafe fire when sneak attacking. Finally, the frogman may not sneak attack targets who are immune to critical hits, who have total concealment, or whose vitals are out of reach.

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

Jäger World Traveler: At 1st level, the jäger gains the World Traveler feat. Bookworm: The jäger has unparalleled research skills and can frequently just ‘walk up to the right part of any library’ or ‘flip open a book to the right page’ with spooky accuracy. Starting at 2nd level, the jäger may divide the amount of time required to conduct any research — whether using books, a computer, or other means — in half (rounded up). This ability may only affect researches that would otherwise require 10 minutes or longer. Uncanny Dodge: Starting at 4th level, the jäger gains the ability to react to danger before his senses would normally permit him to even become aware of it. He retains his Dexterity bonus to Defense (if any) even when flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker (he still loses his Dexterity bonus to Defense if immobilized). At 6th level, the jäger 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 defense denies fixers and others with the sneak attack ability the opportunity to use flank actions to sneak attack the jäger unless the attacker is at least four levels higher than the jäger. At 10th level, the jäger gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to the danger of traps, granting him a +1 bonus to Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 bonus to Defense against attacks made by traps. Advanced Mastery: At 8th level, the jäger gains the Advanced Skill Mastery feat for his World Traveler feat.

These Hand of Glory hunter teams scour the globe for any hint of the Ancients’ world. When they find a site, they’re trained to contact their superiors, surgically seal it off, and await orders. As this protocol often forces them into combat with other teams seeking to enter the area, jägers receive extensive combat training and are well-equipped. MP Cost: 3 per level + 10 (vitality die cost).

Full Skills The jäger’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Cultures Languages Search

Key Ability Wis Wis Int

Half Skills The jäger’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill First Aid Knowledge (History) Open Lock Spot Survival Any one other skill

Key Ability Wis Int Dex Wis Wis Varies

Table 3.10: The Jäger (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 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

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

75

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 World Traveler Bookworm Uncanny dodge Uncanny dodge Advanced Mastery Uncanny dodge

Hand of Glory Class Features

Occultist

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

Mystic threats the world over are founded upon moderately powered occultists and other sorcerers capable of directing lesser rites and more efficiently fueling their masters’ rituals. MP Cost: 3 per level + 5 (vitality die cost).

Mystic: At 1st level, the occultist gains the Mystic feat. Specialty: At 1st level, the occultist’s Knowledge (Occult) skill is increased by 3 ranks. Scholarly: At 2nd level, the occultist gains the Scholarly feat. Mystic Fount: At 4th level, the occultist gains the Mystic Fount feat. Initiate: At 6th level, the occultist gains the Initiate feat. Ancient Formula: The occultist has worked diligently to master a single invocation. At 8th level, he chooses one invocation known to him (or the next invocation he learns if he has not yet discovered any). The number of followers required to perform this invocation is reduced to one half (rounded up). If the occultist selects a ritual, the DCs of related Thirst checks are increased by 5 if the occultist performs the ritual with only half of the normal number of followers. Mystic Lens: At 10th level, the occultist gains the Mystic Lens feat.

Full Skills The occultist’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Concentration Knowledge (Occult) Languages

Key Ability Wis Int Wis

Half Skills The occultist’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Appraise Disguise Intimidate Move Silently Sense Motive Spot Any two other skills

Key Ability Int Cha Str or Cha Dex Wis Wis Varies

Table 3.11: The Occultist (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

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 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

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 Mystic, specialty Scholar Mystic fount Initiate Ancient formula Mystical lens

Table 3.12: The Overseer (NPC Class) 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

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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 Imprint basics Psi mastery

Imprint mastery

Insinuation junction

New Rules

Class Features

Overseer

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

The Hand of Glory has always had superior access to the telepath serum, allowing them to produce large numbers of low-grade telepaths, and Hand training emphasizes the sort of mental domination exhibited by the Demagogue during World War II. Overseers are the result of these elements, and are utilized to keep other, less reliable troops in line. MP Cost: 2 per level + 5 (vitality die cost).

Imprint Basics: At 1st level, the overseer gains the Imprint Basics feat. Psi Mastery: At 2nd level, the overseer receives a +2 psionic bonus to his Dominion skill. Imprint Mastery: At 6th level, the overseer gains the Imprint Mastery feat. Insinuation Junction: At 10th level, the overseer gains the Insinuation Junction feat.

Full Skills The overseer’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Dominion Intimidate Sense Motive

Key Ability Cha Str or Cha Wis

Schwarzjäger These Hand of Glory operatives are trained to recover valued relics from any location, regardless of their defenses. This training offers the schwarzjäger at least meager protection against traps and pitfalls both mystic and mundane. MP Cost: 4 per level + 5 (vitality die cost).

Half Skills The overseer’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Bluff Diplomacy Disguise Languages Knowledge (Psionics) Project Thought Spot Any one other skill

Key Ability Cha Cha Cha Wis Int Int Wis Varies

Full Skills The schwarzjäger’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Hide Move Silently Open Lock

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Key Ability Dex Dex Dex

Hand of Glory Half Skills

Specialty: At 2nd level, the schwarzjäger Open Lock skill is increased by 3 ranks. Stealthy: At 4th level, the schwarzjäger gains the Stealthy feat. Magician: At 6th level, the schwarzjäger gains the Magician feat. Master Fence: At 8th level, the schwarzjäger gains the Master Fence feat. Advanced Mastery: At 10th level, the schwarzjäger gains the Advanced Skill Mastery feat for his Stealthy feat.

The schwarzjäger’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Appraise Climb Concentration Forgery Gather Information Knowledge (Occult) Mechanics Sleight of Hand Tumble Any one other skill

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

ShockTrooper Shocktroopers are well trained, well equipped and fanatically loyal warriors ready to die for their cause. The Hand of Glory’s rank and file are trained in this class, as were the Nazi SS upon whom they’re based. MP Cost: 4 per level + 20 (vitality die cost).

Class Features The following are class features of the schwarzjäger. Starting Feats: The schwarzjäger begins play with the following feats. Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle)

Full Skills The shocktrooper’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill None

Old Blood: At 1st level, the schwarzjäger gains all the special benefits of the Old Blood department (see page 41), including its bonus feat.

Key Ability —

Table 3.13: The Schwarzjäger (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 +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 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7 +8

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

Special Old Blood Specialty Stealthy Magician Master fence Advanced mastery

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

Vitality Pts 10 15 21 26 32 37 42 48 53 59

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 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

78

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 Weapon focus Heavily armed (+10) Iron will Coordinate fire Weapon specialization Improved iron will

New Rules Half Skills

Heavily Armed: At 2nd level, the shocktrooper gains an additional 10 BP which must be spent on weapons or armor. If a Hand of Glory operative, the shocktrooper may instead use this ability to gain 2 GP toward purchasing shocktrooper armor (see page 65). Iron Will: At 4th level, the shocktrooper gains the Iron Will feat. Coordinate Fire: At 6th level, the shocktrooper gains the Coordinate Fire feat. Weapon Specialization: At 8th level, the shocktrooper chooses one weapon that he’s proficient with (such as ‘dagger’ or ‘shotgun’) to specialize in. When wielding that weapon, he inflicts an additional +2 damage. If his choice is a ranged weapon, this damage bonus applies only if the shocktrooper is within one range increment of his target. Improved Iron Will: At 10th level, the shocktrooper receives an additional +2 to all Will saves. This bonus stacks with the bonus from the Iron Will feat.

The shocktrooper’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Balance Demolitions Intimidate Jump Sport Spot Survival Any one other skill

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

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

Thrall At the base of the mystical hierarchy are thralls, whose belief powers their masters’ invocations. Thralls are often sacrificed to distract enemy agents or fuel powerful rites and rituals. MP Cost: 1 per level + 10 (vitality die cost).

Weapon Focus: At first level, the shocktrooper gains the Weapon Focus feat.

Table 3.15: The Thrall (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

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 +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

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

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

Special Specialty Bonded

Mystic

Table 3.16: The Über (NPC Class) 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 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

79

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 Adrenal basics Conditioning +1

Superhuman 1/session

Conditioning +2

Hand of Glory Full Skills

Half Skills

The thrall’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Knowledge (Occult)

The über’s half skills and key abilities are:

Key Ability Int

Half Skill Balance Climb Concentration Jump Sport Swim Tumble Any one other skill

Half Skills The thrall’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Concentration Craft Hobby Knowledge Listen Profession

Key Ability Wis Wis Wis Int Wis Wis

Class Features The following are class features of the über. Starting Feats: The über begins play with the following feats. Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Armor Group Proficiency (Medium) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Exotic, Archaic) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun)

Class Features The following are class features of the thrall. Starting Feats: The thrall begins play with the following feats. Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee)

Adrenal Basics: At 1st level, the über gains the Adrenal Basics feat. Conditioning: The über’s constant training has honed his body to peak form. Upon reaching 2nd level, the über receives a +1 competence bonus to either Strength or Constitution (über’s choice). At 10th level, this bonus increases to +2. Superhuman: Starting at 6th level, once per game session as a free action, the über may add half his über level (rounded down) to his Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity for ten rounds. This power is so exhausting that when it wears off, the über must rest for a full round, taking no actions and using no psion skills. This ability’s duration may be cut short at the GC’s discretion, but the über suffers the full round as an exhaustion penalty, regardless.

Specialty: At 1st level, the thrall’s Knowledge (Occult) skill is increased by 3 ranks. Bonded: The thrall gains enough insight into his master’s beliefs to provide mystical energy. At 2nd level, the thrall is bonded to one of the threat’s mystics. Mystic: At 10th level, the thrall gains the Mystic feat (making him a potential target for the Steal Soul rite…).

Über Utilizing samples of the physical adept formula acquired through illicit channels, the Hand of Glory continues the search for the master race… MP Cost: 2 per level + 10 (vitality die cost).

Full Skills The über’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Energy Burst Speed Control

Key Ability Dex Str Wis Str Str or Dex Str Dex Varies

Key Ability Str Dex

80

“Blood alone moves the wheels of history.” — Benito Mussolini

Challenge

4

Hand of Glory from acting overtly against him. His scheming mind ensures that he won’t be tripped up within the ranks, even by the long-standing Francis Andersen, whose vehement dislike of Bakari is widely known. Conversely, Bakari is well-liked by the lowest-ranked soldiers of the Hand’s army — the shocktroopers, the disposable mystics, and the degenerates, who view him as a mammoth Nubian god, returned to lead them to victory against the enemies of Thule. Bakari bolsters this opinion at every opportunity, taking every chance to illustrate his superiority over his fellow villains.

INTRODUCTION This chapter presents tools the GC can use to portray the Hand of Glory in play, including two new feature NPCs, two new threats and two new hook sheets, as well as a new encounter location and a new chase location.

N EW F EATURE NPCS

Low-Level Uchenna Bakari

The following NPCs are Eva’s current inner circle, the men she relies upon to command her henchmen and minions. A third NPC, Juanita Donatella, will be made available on the official Shadowforce Archer website.

Threat: Hand of Glory Department: Infantry Class: Soldier Level: 4

Bakari, Uchenna

Strength: 17 Constitution: 16 Wisdom: 10

Dexterity: 12 Intelligence: 15 Charisma: 16

Vitality:

Wounds:

Aliases: Myrmidon, “The General” Hand of Glory Command: Military Forces Nationality: Tanzanian Gender: Male Handedness: Left Height: 6´10˝ Weight: 290 lbs. Eyes: Green Hair: Black, tightly curled, trimmed back Psion Class: Non-latent Place of Birth: Mwanza, Tanzania Date of Birth: 1956.12.08 Distinguishing Characteristics: Deep ebony skin tone, thick Swahili accent, heavily decorated officer’s uniform.

43

16

Defense: 13 (+2 class, +1 Dex) or 12 in shocktrooper armor (+1 Dex, +1 armor) Initiative Bonus: +4 (+3 class, +1 Dex) Speed: 30 or 20 in shocktrooper armor Fort: +6

Ref: +5

Will: +7

Skills: Balance +5, Climb +7, Demolitions +6, Driver +3, First Aid +2, Intimidate +10/+10, Jump +5, Profession (Arms Dealer) +4, Spot +4, Survival +4, Swim +5, Use Rope +4

Background

Feats: Combat Instincts, Endurance, Iron Will, Power Attack, Speed Trigger

Bakari is a recent addition to the Hand of Glory, personally recruited by Eva Kraus. The Congolese warlord replaced Eva’s former military general in May of this year, after the commander died in the attempt to secure the clone-Demagogue body containing Eva’s longsought god-king companion entity (see the Shallow Graves serial for the SFA Interactive campaign and page 7 of this book). Bakari represents a new era of leadership within the criminal organization. Brought into the Hand above all contenders for his current position, he is cordially loathed by all beneath him, and faces continuous challenges to his leadership. Eva hopes that this friction will spur ambition within the ranks and simultaneously test the mettle of the Hand’s leaders and intermediary officers, strengthening the organization without causing another exodus of valued soldiers like the one earlier this decade (see pages 26–27). Such a radical challenge could never work without a commanding, calculating veteran like Bakari at its center. The general’s obvious (though openly denied) relationship with the goddess prevents his subordinates

Attacks Sword, large H&K SOCOM

+7 +4

1d12 1d12

Standard Personal Gear: Weapons, trail bundle, 8 BP Common Gadgets: Shocktrooper armor with I.F.F. for Hand of Glory weapons (see page 69) Mastermind Point Cost: 8 MP (as henchman) or 20 MP (as mastermind)

Mid-Level Uchenna Bakari Threat: Hand of Glory Department: Infantry Class: Soldier/Gaunt Level: 5/4

82

Strength: 17 Constitution: 16 Wisdom: 10

Dexterity: 12 Intelligence: 16 Charisma: 16

Vitality:

Wounds:

90

16

Challenge Defense: 15 (+4 class, +1 Dex) or 12 in shocktrooper armor (+1 Dex, +1 armor) Initiative Bonus: +7 (+6 class, +1 Dex) Speed: 30 or 20 in shocktrooper armor Fort: +12

Ref: +6

Feats: Arctic Training, Athletic, Career Operative, Combat Instincts, Coordinate Fire, Desert Training, Endurance, Hard Core, Iron Will, Machine Gun Basics, Power Attack, Speed Trigger, Surge of Speed

Will: +8

Attacks

Skills: Balance +6, Climb +8, Concentration +5, Demolitions +10, Driver +4, First Aid +3, Intimidate +11/+11, Jump +5, Listen +3, Profession (Arms Dealer) +5, Sport (Scuba Diving) +9, Spot +4, Survival +6, Swim +9, Use Rope +4

Sword, large H&K SOCOM H&K G36

Common Gadgets: Shocktrooper armor with I.F.F. for Hand of Glory weapons (see page 69). Special: +4 bonus to Defense when behind cover Mastermind Point Cost: 30 MP (as henchman) or 75 MP (as mastermind)

Attacks +12 +10 +10

1d12 1d12 4d4

Andersen, Francis Aliases: Dozer, “The Fat Man” Hand of Glory Command: Relic Hunting Nationality: United States of America Gender: Male Handedness: Right Height: 5´6" Weight: 420 lbs. Eyes: Pale blue Hair: Blond, thinning Psion Class: Non-latent Place of Birth: Duluth, Minnesota Date of Birth: 1941.10.30 Distinguishing Characteristics: Always walks with a cane (due to his weight and girth), wears several rings on each hand.

Standard Personal Gear: Weapons, shocktrooper bundle, 12 BP Common Gadgets: Shocktrooper armor with I.F.F. for Hand of Glory weapons (see page 69). Mastermind Point Cost: 18 MP (as henchman) or 45 MP (as mastermind)

High-Level Uchenna Bakari Threat: Hand of Glory Department: Infantry Class: Soldier/Gaunt/Tactician Level: 5/4/6

Background

Strength: 17 Constitution: 16 Wisdom: 10

Dexterity: 13 Intelligence: 16 Charisma: 16

Vitality:

Wounds:

206

Francis Andersen was ‘volunteered’ into the Hand by his father, Derek Andersen, C.E.O. of Ice Pillar Industries, an Argentina-based conglomerate of U.S.owned companies with links to the organization. The elder Andersen had significant influence throughout the South American underworld and the vision to see that his son would enjoy no future with Ice Pillar. So he made arrangements for the Hand of Glory to adopt Francis, train him, and give him a new family. Misguided though this idea might have been, it provided Francis with a brotherhood and a preconstructed set of values he could adopt. Francis readily took to the wonders of the mystic world and spent most of his childhood rooting through lost temples and buried ruins with die Spinne explorers. Then, during his sophomore year at Yale while experimenting with a Public Policy major, Francis’ father convinced him to join the fledgling Zeta Omega Delta fraternity (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 155). Here, with the assistance of long time family friend (and ZOD alumnus) Igor Ravensbrood, Francis truly found his calling — he trained as a professor of archaeology.

18

Defense: 19 (+8 class, +1 Dex) or 12 in shocktrooper armor (+1 Dex, +1 armor) Initiative Bonus: +12 (+11 class, +1 Dex) Speed: 30 or 20 in shocktrooper armor Fort: +15

Ref: +9

1d12 1d12 4d4

Standard Personal Gear: Weapons, shocktrooper bundle, 21 BP

Feats: Career Operative, Combat Instincts, Coordinate Fire, Desert Training, Endurance, Hard Core, Iron Will, Machine Gun Basics, Power Attack, Speed Trigger

Sword, large H&K SOCOM H&K G36

+18 +13 +16

Will: +11

Skills: Appraise +9, Balance +6, Bluff +13, Climb +10, Concentration +5, Demolitions +10, Driver +4, First Aid +3, Intimidate +11/+11, Jump +5, Knowledge (African Shadow Community) +5, Knowledge (Military History) +6, Listen +7, Pilot +6, Profession (Arms Dealer) +5, Sense Motive +8, Sport (Scuba Diving) +11, Spot +12, Survival +8, Swim +11, Use Rope +4

83

Hand of Glory Low-Level Francis Andersen

Many years later, Francis Andersen became ‘Dozer’, and under Eva's personal guidance, became the organization’s premier meisterjäger (see page 30), a command previously only granted to those proven to descend from Thulian stock (i.e. mystics — those with at least one mystic feat). Today, Dozer is a force to be reckoned with both within the Hand of Glory and throughout the villain communities of the world, where he’s built an impressive network of personal alliances. As a Hand of Glory commander, Dozer is a breed apart, often operating on his own. His bloated sense of self-worth and seniority within the organization allow him to assume he has immunity from the restrictions endured by his ‘lesser’ counterpart, Myrmidon (see page 82). His deep-seated disdain for the Hand of Glory’s military machine doesn’t help this relationship, which has undermined many recent missions. Despite his girth and slothful appearance, Dozer is quick witted and keeps tabs on everyone and everything around him. He enjoys surprising his guests with a recitation of their personal history or little known facts about their background, and revels in creating complicated mind games for use against his enemies. Dozer is also an avid collector of rare things, especially beautiful ones. His private museum in Milan is one of the most respected in the world, and he pays exorbitant fees for the most coveted works of art and most prized writings of history’s masters. This fascination is also Dozer’s greatest weakness — his need to possess the finest creative accomplishments is nothing short of a personal crusade, and it occasionally clouds his judgment, superseding even his loyalty to the Hand of Glory. Dozer’s command style is manipulative. More often than not, he exerts his influence through his minions, leaving him free to live the high life in his large mansion on the oceanside cliffs of Rio de Janiero, or in one of his casino penthouses in Las Vegas and Monaco. With his cover as casino owner, investor, and high roller, Dozer frequents big-ticket fundraising dinners and other high society events around the world, priding himself on his public notoriety and the media attention it brings. Many governments and the Archer Conspiracy itself know that ‘Francis Andersen’ is tied to organized crime (or worse) and keep him in view at all times — a simple task, given his phenomenal weight gain since his retirement from field exploration several years ago. So far, none of the Hand of Glory’s enemies have been able to justify taking action against the ‘Fat Man,’ and Eva allows him to continue his work because one of the most skilled commanders she’s ever had.

Threat: Hand of Glory Department: Indoctrinated Class: Explorer Level: 5 Strength: 12 Constitution: 9 Wisdom: 15

Dexterity: 9 Intelligence: 18 Charisma: 17

Vitality:

Wounds:

33

9

Defense: 12 (+3 class, –1 Dex) Initiative Bonus: +3 (+4 class, –1 Dex) Speed: 30 Fort: +4

Ref: +3

Will: +5

Skills: Appraise +12, Craft (Excavation) +7, Cultures +10, Driver +2, Hobby (Art Collecting) +5, Knowledge (Archaeology) +12, Knowledge (Occult) +10, Languages +10, Listen +8, Profession (Gambler) +5, Sleight of Hand +3, Search +12, Spot +8 Feats: Card Shark, Expertise, Ordinary Past, Play the Odds, Weapon Focus (Glock 18)

Attacks Glock 18

+2

1d10+1

Standard Personal Gear: Designer clothes, various high-end accessories, 40 BP Common Gadgets: Business cards (any), cigarettes (any — disguised as custom rolled Belgians) Mastermind Point Cost: 10 MP (as henchman) or 25 MP (as mastermind)

Mid-Level Francis Andersen Threat: Hand of Glory Department: Indoctrinated Class: Explorer Level: 12 Strength: 12 Constitution: 11 Wisdom: 16

Dexterity: 10 Intelligence: 18 Charisma: 17

Vitality:

Wounds:

91

9

Defense: 17 (+7 class) Initiative Bonus: +14 (+10 class, +4 feat) Speed: 30 Fort: +10

Ref: +9

Will: +10

Skills: Appraise +18, Bluff +18, Craft (Excavation) +8, Cultures +15, Diplomacy +14, Driver +4, Hobby (Art Collecting) +7, Intimidate +5/+7, Knowledge (Archaeology) +16, Knowledge (Occult) +10, Languages +11, Listen +8, Profession (Gambler) +9, Sleight of Hand +3, Search +12, Spot +16, Survival +9

84

Challenge NEW THREATS

Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Ordinary Past), Advanced Skill Mastery (Persuasive), Card Shark, Career Operative, Coolness Under Fire, Expertise, Improved Initiative, Ordinary Past, Persuasive, Play the Odds, Weapon Focus (Glock 18)

The Hand of Glory operates on many fronts, from mystic exploration (as seen here with the College of Theological Archaeology) to classic espionage (as seen here with die Spinne) to military efforts (as seen with the Valkyrie, available for download from the official Shadowforce Archer website). 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).

Attacks Glock 18

+9

1d10+1

Standard Personal Gear: Designer clothes, various high-end accessories, 47 BP Common Gadgets: Business cards (any), cigarettes (any — disguised as custom rolled Belgians) Mastermind Point Cost: 24 MP (as henchman) or 60 MP (as mastermind)

High-Level Francis Andersen Threat: Hand of Glory Department: Indoctrinated Class: Explorer Level: 17

die Spinne

Strength: 12 Constitution: 11 Wisdom: 16

Dexterity: 10 Intelligence: 18 Charisma: 18

Vitality:

Wounds:

In the latter days of World War II and into the Cold War, die Spinne (The Spider) was an escape route for Nazis fleeing persecution and a support network for those seeking revenge. Today, the global organization keeps the Hand of Glory out of sight. Otto Skorzeny himself took advantage of the network in 1948, escaping to South America (see page 23), and Eva Kraus and many others have benefitted from the group’s efforts as well. Since the 1940s, die Spinne has grown extensively in all directions, becoming entrenched in Europe, South America, Africa, and the Middle East. With the exception of the Middle East, these are all areas where the Hand of Glory has established itself. Eva Kraus hasn’t overlooked the group’s value to the Hand of Glory, and has provided die Spinne with a fleet of submarines, numerous secret ports around the world, and a veritable army of agents and pawns to assist their efforts. Agents opposing die Spinne are in for a long, difficult, and dangerous run. Given the organization’s size and influence, it’s nearly impossible for a single team to thwart it completely, even over the course of many missions, but suppressing even a portion of the web is a noteworthy accomplishment. This threat allows the players to do just that. Future Shadowforce Archer world material will include die Spinne as an ongoing threat as well (though the extent of their involvement is up to the players through SFA Interactive results). In other words, Game Controls, go wild with die Spinne: they’ll be here as long as you need them — but make sure to let us know what you’re doing with them so we can go the same way.

139

Threat Code: Yellow This short-season (4-serial) threat is appropriate for a team of 6th-level agents.

11

Defense: 20 (+10 class) Initiative Bonus: +17 (+13 class, +4 feat) Speed: 30 Fort: +14

Ref: +11

Will: +12

Skills: Appraise +20, Bluff +19, Craft (Excavation) +8, Cultures +15, Diplomacy +19, Driver +6, Hobby (Art Collecting) +7, Intimidate +5/+8, Knowledge (Archaeology) +20, Knowledge (Occult) +10, Languages +11, Listen +8, Profession (Gambler) +9, Sleight of Hand +7, Search +20, Spot +19, Survival +10 Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Ordinary Past), Advanced Skill Mastery (Persuasive), Card Shark, Career Operative, Coolness Under Fire, Expertise, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Mark, Ordinary Past, Persuasive, Play the Odds, Weapon Focus (Glock 18), Zen Focus

Attacks Glock 18

+12

1d10+1

Standard Personal Gear: Designer clothes, various high-end accessories, 52 BP Common Gadgets: Business cards (any), cigarettes (any — disguised as custom rolled Belgians) Mastermind Point Cost: 34 MP (as henchman) or 85 MP (as mastermind)

85

Hand of Glory MP Cost: 405 Resources: 5 (49 BP for minions, 64 BP for henchmen and foils, 74 BP for masterminds) Gadgets: 0 (0 gadget points per serial) Loyalty: 8 (+8 to loyalty checks) HQ Personnel: 4 HQ Security: 2

Argentine Police: The agents may encounter the police in two capacities: either on duty, or moonlighting as Krieger’s estate security (thanks to Krieger’s high profile and government connections, his police ‘assistance’ is not only tolerated but encouraged). Argentine Police, 5th level standard minions/3rd level police officials (minions, squads of 4 — 41 MP): CR 7. SZ M; v/wp: 31/12; Init +8 (+6 class, +2 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def: 15 (+3 class, +2 Dex); Atk: Colt M1911A1 +10 (1d12), CZ Scorpion in 9mm Makarov +9 (2d40); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +3; Str 11, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +6, Bluff +4, Bureaucracy +4, Climb +4, Demolitions +6, Driver +6, First Aid +4, Gather Information +4, Intimidate +4/+4, Jump +3, Listen +3, Search +2, Sense Motive +4, Spot +3, Surveillance +6, Tumble +6. Feats: Coordinated Fire, Lay Down Fire, Point Blank Shot, Police Training, Precise Shot. Gear: Weapons, badge, handcuffs, tactical radio, 5 BP. Gadgets and Vehicles: None, 2 GP.

Serial Four: Heinz Krieger Krieger was born and raised in Argentina by Nazi expatriates, and discovered his parents’ complicity with the Hand of Glory at an early age (though the true scope of the organization was a mystery to him at first). Krieger’s parents did little to discourage his discovery: their palatial estate on the Llao Llao peninsula in Patagonia was a frequent stopover for ex-Nazis during Krieger’s adolescence. His mother, closer to him than his father, eventually made sure that he was inducted into die Spinne, and indirectly the Hand of Glory. Krieger rapidly rose through the ranks — due in no small part to his quick wit, silver tongue, and wild success during field operations — and is now in charge of die Spinne’s South American arm, coordinating missions from the extravagant mansion in Patagonia, which he inherited upon his parents’ deaths. Staging Notes: Argentina is a Hand of Glory hot spot, and the agents should never forget they’re in hostile territory — especially if Krieger knows they’re coming. He has extensive contacts throughout the Argentinian Government, as well as an excellent reputation as an importer/exporter of fine furniture. The police, the military, and even Krieger’s uninitiated customers could all hinder the agents. Krieger’s mansion is lavishly appointed, with fine art, furniture, and luxuries collected from around the world. If any of the items inherited from his mother (including the mansion itself) are damaged, the villain takes it quite personally.

Serial Three: Eric Lohengren Eric Lohengren is Swedish by birth, but German by blood. From Eric’s birth, his father filled his head with tales of Germany’s glory days, when the Nazi blitz swept across Europe. So powerful were these stories that Lohengren didn’t realize he couldn’t join the glorious German military until he was almost ten. Nonetheless, when he grew old enough to make his own decisions, he took up the family profession and enlisted in the Swedish Navy. Eminently capable and ambitious, Eric rapidly carved out a niche for himself, eventually gaining command of his own submarine. But he wasn’t happy: though he concealed them, dreams of Germany’s glory days still boiled in his brain. He didn’t conceal them well enough to escape the notice of his executive officer, a Hand of Glory sympathizer, who offered Eric the chance to be a part of his boyhood dream. Eric accepted in an instant, and after his indoctrination was given command of a Hand of Glory submarine squadron based out of Argentina. Staging Notes: The agents may encounter Lohengren at sea or near one of the Hand of Glory’s numerous hidden submarine docks. Commonly, Lohengren’s responsible for the security of Glory naval convoys, each of which consists of 1–3 surface vessels (and an equal number of submarine escorts, if the cargo is valuable). On occasion, particularly important cargo is carried aboard one of the Hand’s submarines. It’s possible for the agents to be assigned to board Lohengren’s boat and retrieve such a person or item.

Heinz Krieger, 10th level pointman (mastermind — 50 MP): CR 10. SZ M; v/wp: 71/10; Init: +5 (+4 class, +1 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def: 15 (+4 class, +1 Dex); Atk: Springfield Armory Trophy Match in .45 ACP +9 (1d12); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +9; Str 11, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 18; Skills: Appraise +8, Bluff +15, Boating +4, Bureaucracy +13, Cultures +5, Diplomacy +16, Driver +7, Forgery +10, Gather Information +11, Innuendo +9, Intimidate +7/ +11, Languages +6, Listen +6, Sense Motive +8, Spot +7, Swim +4. Feats: Filthy Rich, Five Star Service, Persuasive, Political Favors. Gear: Weapons, designer clothes, mirrored sunglasses, laptop (power rating +3), copy of Mein Kampf (the original, unprinted version that speaks of the Ancients), the finest of everything, 53 BP. Gadgets and Vehicles: None, 7 GP.

86

Challenge Eric Lohengren, 6th level soldier/3rd level wheelman (henchman — 18 MP): CR 9. SZ M; v/wp: 86/10; Init: +10 (+7 class, +3 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def: 18 (+4 class, +3 Dex); Atk: Magnum Research Desert Eagle in .44 +12 (3d4+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +4; Str 10, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 12; Skills: Balance +7, Bluff +4, Boating +10, Bueaucracy +4, Climb +4, Demolitions +4, Electronics +4 (untrained), First Aid +5, Gather Information +3, Intimidate +3/+4, Jump +2, Listen +4, Mechanics +4 (untrained), Search +4, Sense Motive +4, Spot +7, Surveillance +5, Survival +4, Swim +7. Feats: Bullseye, Firm Hand, Grease Monkey, "In My Sights", Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Sidestep, Wave Runner. Gear: Weapons, fatigues, flare gun (5 shots), magnetic compass, portable sonar unit, tactical holster, tactical radio (encrypted), many regional maps, 9 BP. Gadgets and Vehicles: Military submarine. HQ Personnel: 3 HQ Security: 3 Hand of Glory Submarine Crew: Rarely encountered away from one of their vessels or bases (which are equipped with all the comforts of home), these sailors aren’t trained for combat. But they're adept at moving quickly through confined spaces and can simply outmaneuver many opponents.

Staging Notes: Swertzeger takes advantage of every opportunity to test himself (and his troops) against the agents in remote or private locations, engineering such situations if he must. Should Emma Trillium escape (see Serial One), she requests that Swertzeger be assigned to eliminate the agents. If she disappears (or if the agents capture her), Swertzeger acts on his own, investigating her disappearance, and arranging for a showdown between his own troops and the agent team.

Hand of Glory Submarine Crew, 3rd level frogmen/ 2nd level standard minions (minions, squads of 7 — 29 MP): CR 4. SZ M; v/wp: 38/14; Init +4 (+4 class); Speed 30 ft. (+special); Def: 12 (+2 class); Atk: Nightstick +5 (1d6+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +3; Str 12, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +2, Boating +4, Climb +3, Demolitions +2, First Aid +2, Hide +3, Move Silently +3, Profession (Sailor) +3, Spot +3, Survival +3, Swim +6. Gear: Weapons, fatigues, magnetic compass, tactical radio (encrypted), 31 BP. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

Rudolph Swertzeger, 5th level soldier/4th level tactician (henchman — 18 MP): CR 8. SZ M; v/wp: 77/16; Init: +8 (+7 class, +1 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def: 15 (+4 class, +1 Dex); Atk: Fist/punch +12 (1d8+5), foot/kick +12 (1d8+3), Magnum Research Desert Eagle in .50 +10 (3d6+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +4; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 11; Skills: Balance +5, Climb +6, Demolitions +2, Driver +5, First Aid +3, Gather Information +4, Intimidate +11/+8, Jump +5, Knowledge (Military History) +3, Languages +4, Profession (Mercenary) +6, Spot +6, Survival +4, Swim +5, Tumble +4, Use Rope +3. Feats: Blocking Basics, Combat Instincts, Five Style Adept, Holding Basics, Kicking Basics, Martial Arts, Punching Basics, Throwing Basics. Gear: Weapons, average clothes, two 1⁄2 lb. bricks of C4, first aid kit, survival kit, 4 BP. Gadgets and Vehicles: None, 4 GP. HQ Personnel: 4 HQ Security: 1

Serial Two: Rudolph Swertzeger Swertzeger is known in the history books as an excellent tactician, particularly when commanding small units. Though he only attained the rank of SS Obersturmfuehrer (First Lieutenant) before his death during Operation: BARBAROSSA (see page 22), Swertzeger nonetheless attracted the attention and regard of many powerful individuals. These men successfully lobbied for his resurrection to serve the Hand in 1953, though the task was only recently accomplished in 1996, due largely to the difficulty of locating his remains (which went missing after his death in Stalingrad).

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Hand of Glory Hand of Glory Death Squad: These shocktroopers are loyal only to Swertzeger, who takes a personal hand in training and drilling them. Swertzeger does not field them until they're a crack military unit, measuring up to any modern special forces standard, and willing to die for any cause he endorses.

Trillium Security: Unlike many office buildings, Trillium Tower maintains its own security firm. Security is unaware of Trillium’s true stock in trade, but their screening process ensures a high degree of loyalty and competence. Trillium Security, 5th level standard minions (minions, squads of 4 — 8 MP): CR 4. SZ M; v/wp: 36/10; Init +3 (+3 class); Speed 30 ft.; Def: 12 (+2 class); Atk: Thompson Center Contender in .45 Long Colt +5 (1d8+2), taser +5 (1d8); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +4, Ref + 3, Will +1; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +5, Driver +4, Intimidate +2, Listen +4, Spot +5. Feats: Far Shot. Gear: Weapons, tactical radio, 13 BP. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

Hand of Glory Death Squad, 6th level shocktroopers (minions, squads of 5 — 54 MP): CR 5. SZ M; v/wp: 43/12; Init +6 (+4 class, +2 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def: 14 (+2 class, +2 Dex); Atk: CZ Scorpion SMG in .380 ACP +8 (1d8), survival knife +8 (1d6+2); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +6; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +5, Demolitions +3, Intimidate +5/+3, Jump +5, Sport (Hunting) +5/+5, Spot +4, Survival +4, Tumble +5. Feat: Coordinate Fire, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (CZ Scorpion SMG). Gear: Weapons, fatigues, assault sling, first aid kit, survival kit, 22 BP. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

Foil: Otto Skorzeny (any serial) Dubbed the “most dangerous man in Europe” by the allies during World War II, SS Standartenfuehrer (Colonel) Otto Skorzeny is responsible for some of the Nazis’ most daring recorded special operations. He’s also credited with creating die Spinne in the closing days of the war, and commanding its operation from 1948 until his death in 1975 — even when he languished within an Allied prison camp. Even after his death, the Hand of Glory were loath to lose such a valuable resource, and quickly returned him to life and service (see page 25). But Otto Skorzeny isn’t entirely loyal to the Hand. Though a close friend to the Demagogue during the war, Skorzeny’s first loyalty was to Germany, not the Nazi party, and not Eva Kraus. Though he continued to serve his countrymen through die Spinne after the war, Skorzeny eventually realized that his war was long over. With little desire to harm civilians or rule the world, Skorzeny’s service to Eva is much closer to its end than its beginning. Recently, Skorzeny has voluntarily stepped down from his command position at the head of die Spinne, becoming something of a roving troubleshooter for the organization. It’s therefore likely that the agents will encounter him during the course of this season. With his doubts about the Hand’s mission, it’s even possible that the agents can convince him to betray Eva Kraus and fight against his previous command, die Spinne.

Serial One: Emma Trillium Since the late 1980s, this well known art procurer (read: high class fence) has moved mystic artifacts through harbors across the United States. She does not do it out of loyalty to the cause; she simply knows a good deal when she sees one. The Hand have compensated her well since then, ensuring her continued loyalty to the cause. Today, Trillium most often smuggles people and valuables for die Spinne. Staging Notes: Trillium maintains a front as the owner of a high-powered Wall Street brokerage, and keeps just active enough in that arena to maintain the facade. The agents probably encounter her in the 40story Trillium Tower, the top ten floors of which house the office headquarters for her brokerage. Emma Trillium, 7th level fixer (henchman — 14 MP): CR 7. SZ M; v/wp: 39/11; Init: +5 (+3 class, +2 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def: 18 (+6 class, +2 Dex); Atk: Colt Defender +7 (1d12), stiletto +5 (1d6); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +3; Str 11, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 16; Skills: Appraise +8, Balance +5, Bluff +7, Electronics +4, Escape Artist +4, Forgery +8, Gather Information +7, Innuendo +7, Jump +2, Languages +6, Listen +5, Move Silently +7, Open Lock +5, Search +6, Sleight of Hand +6, Spot +5, Tumble +6. Feats: Filthy Rich, Master Fence, Silver Tongue. Gear: Weapons, trendy clothes, cell phone, laptop (power rating +4) with portable FAX and code-cracker software, nerve drug (injected), electronics kit, evidence kit, lockpicking kit, security pager (summons security at the touch of a button), 1 BP. Gadgets and Vehicles: luxury car, 3 GP. HQ Personnel: 2 HQ Security: 5

Otto Skorzeny, 4th level soldier/4th level fixer (foil — 10 MP): Loyalty 2. CR 8. SZ M; v/wp: 55/10; Init: +12 (+5 class, +3 Dex, +4 feat); Speed 30 ft.; Def: 18 (+5 class, +3 Dex); Atk: H&K USP in .45 ACP with standard suppressor, red dot aiming device, tactical flashlight, and soft point ammunition +11 (1d12); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +7, Ref +10, Will +4; Str 10, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 12;

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Challenge Skills: Appraise +6, Balance +9, Bluff +6, Boating +8, Climb +2, Demolitions +9, Driver +7, Escape Artist +8, First Aid +6, Hide +11, Innuendo +6, Intimidate +4/+5, Listen +8, Move Silently +13, Search +11, Spot +10, Survival +4, Swim +3, Tumble +7. Feats: Alertness, Career Operative, Improved Initiative, Point Blank Shot, Stealthy, Traceless. Gear: Weapons, street clothes, tactical radio (encrypted), night vision goggles, climbing kit, demolitions kit (1 lb. bomb), first aid kit, 12 BP. Gadgets and Vehicles: Cloaking device, machine pistol modification, and match grade weapon (H&K USP), 1 GP.

The College of Theological Archaeology Threat Code: Black This short-season (3-serial) threat is appropriate for a team of 14th-level agents. Though they maintain formal offices in Manchester, England, the College of Theological Archaeology (CTA) has little use for the trappings of an educational institute. Instead, the group funds a variety of archaeological expeditions dedicated to unearthing relics of mystical nature. With the recent discovery of Thule (see page 26), the College is suddenly a pressing Hand of Glory concern, as everyone knows the city’s amazing stockpile of mystic artifacts and knowledge will tip the scales of power heavily in the organization’s favor.

Since his departure from die Spinne, Skorzeny operates alone; he has no organization to speak of.

Plot Hook #1 The agents are assigned to investigate one of Emma's many shell companies. They're informed that a recent Archer operation revealed her connection to the Hand of Glory, and that the Foundation wants more information. The team has the chance to catch her redhanded in one of the following situations.

MP Cost: 425 Resources: 4 (53 BP for minions, 68 BP for henchmen and foils, 78 BP for masterminds) Gadgets: 3 (3 gadget points per serial) Loyalty: 4 (+4 to loyalty checks) HQ Personnel: 6 HQ Security: 0

Possibilities

Serial Three: Socrates Sinclair

1. Following the Interpol capture of one of Emma’s operatives en route to Spain, Rudolph Swertzeger arrives in the area to collect her for a ‘conversation’ with Heinz Krieger. The agents may break up the meeting or observe it and shadow the Glory operatives back to their superiors. If the GC wishes, Emma and Rudolph might be transported to see Krieger by Eric Lohengren.

Socrates Sinclair is the College’s head and its foremost field researcher. He’s taken charge of the field team responsible for Thule’s excavation (see page 26), but his fear of the sea keeps him away from the site. He’s visited the site only twice since its discovery three years ago (though once with remarkable personal success — see the sidebar on page 91). A plump man with tiny eyes, Socrates is occasionally called “Froggie” Sinclair behind his back. Most men of his intellectual stature are so arrogant or so selfabsorbed that they fail to notice such gibes, but Socrates is an eminently self-conscious man who has sought psychiatric help for depression. So far, his therapists have calmed him enough to keep him focused and reduce his aggression (he used to have random underlings killed during manic binges), but the twitch that plagues the left side of his face remains, as does his compulsion for mystic discovery (fueled, in part, by the Thirst). Staging Notes: By the time the agents encounter Socrates, he’s learning new secrets of the Ancients by the day. It’s entirely possible that the Guardians of the Whispering Knife — knowing the mystical dangers lying in wait at the island of Thule — warn the agents or their Chamber early on during this serial, elevating the stakes from cutting off part of the Hand’s field operations to stopping a power-hungry madman with a stranglehold on perhaps the most powerful relic discovered in recent history.

2. Emma is smuggling artifacts from a top-secret Hand dig in Iran into Europe or the United States. Evidence of this can be found in her personal files or by tracking her operatives. Diligent agents might be able to track the smuggling routes back to one of Emma’s warehouses (owned through a shell company) or to the Middle Eastern dig. Shutting either or both down would be a blow to both die Spinne and the Hand of Glory. 3. Otto Skorzeny wants out of the Hand of Glory. He planted the information that alerted the Foundation to Trillium’s operation, knowing that he’d be using her resources in the near future. As the agents intercept her latest “shipment,” they encounter the infamous soldier, who he offers his help in capturing Emma (and the rest of die Spinne). If he proves loyal to Eva and the cause, this is simply a power play to expose Trillium’s many side projects.

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Hand of Glory Field Researchers, 10th level academics/6th level jägers (minions, squads of 3 — 81 MP): CR 15. SZ M; v/wp: 49/10; Init +14 (+12 class, +2 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def: 21 (+9 class, +2 Dex); Atk: Ruger SP-101 in .38 Special +11 (1d8+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +6, Ref +10, Will +13; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 18, Cha 16; Skills: Appraise +10, Boating +5, Bureaucracy +8, Computers +10, Concentration +18, Cultures +12, Driver +7, First Aid +9, Knowledge (The Ancients) +14, Knowledge (archaeology) +17, Knowledge (Hand of Glory) +9, Knowledge (history) +7, Languages +17, Open Lock +5, Profession (treasure hunter) +9, Search +6, Spot +7, Survival +7, Swim +5. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Scholarly), Grand Skill Mastery (Scholarly), Scholarly, World Traveler. Gear: Weapons, tactical underwater radio, standard underwater video camera, evidence kit, survival kit, antidote shots (2), stimulant shots (2). Gadgets and Vehicles: Snake-suit with fluid breath tanks and propellers, panic emitter patches (2).

Serial Two: Reiner Stone Stone is thoroughly convincing as the College’s mild-mannered library curator, and quite capable of deflecting inquiries about the College’s activities and sponsorship, but he’s just as impressive off campus. His network of contacts among both the Hand of Glory and the world’s shadow communities is extensive, and when the agents get too close, he doesn’t hesitate to call in favors to have them removed. Staging Notes: Following up on the events of Serial One, the agents encounter Stone. He should be polite, professional, and seem quite helpful, ideally leading the agents to chase a red herring. Thereafter, he sets assassins and hitmen after the team in an effort to remove them.

Socrates Sinclair, 11th level fixer/7th level channeler (mastermind — 88 MP): CR 18. SZ M; v/wp: 129/14; Init: +8 (+7 class, +1 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def: 24 (+13 class, +1 Dex); Atk: De Lisle Silent Carbine +12 (1d12); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +12, Ref +13, Will +11; Str 10, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 10; Skills: Appraise +17, Balance +13, Bluff +14, Climb +9, Demolitions +12, Driver +9, Forgery +11, Innuendo +13, Knowledge (Occult) +20, Languages +16, Listen +20, Open Lock +15, Search +16, Spot +20. Feats: Enlightened, Glimpse, Initiate, Magus, Mystic, The Quickening, Second Sight, Zen Focus. Rites and Rituals: Bolt, Bond Follower, Curse. Gear: Weapons, professional-grade underwater video camera with 6 hours of film, tactical underwater radio, snoop spray, appraisal kit, evidence kit, lockpicking kit, waterproof bag, 13 BP. Gadgets and Vehicles: diggers (2, housed in subsonic .45 ACP bullets), fluid breathing system, seeker talismans (3), underwater lenses, underwater weapon conversion (for De Lisle Silent Carbine).

Reiner Stone, 10th level pointman/6th level academic (henchman — 32 MP): CR 16. SZ M; v/wp: 87/12; Init: +9 (+8 class, +1 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def: 20 (+9 class, +1 Dex); Atk: ACCU-TEK AT-32 with standard suppressor +11 (1d6+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +16; Str 10, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 16; Skills: Appraise +8, Bluff +11, Bureaucracy +10, Computers +10, Concentration +12, Cryptography +10, Cultures +10, Driver +5, First Aid +7, Forgery +11, Innuendo +8, Knowledge (antiquities) +12, Knowledge (history) +15, Knowledge (museum circuit) +10, Languages +12, Profession (curator) +10, Sense Motive +10. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Scholarly), Fortunate, Handler, Mark, Scholarly, Undermine. Gear: Weapons, cell phone, personal tape recorder, stealth holster, 83 BP. Gadgets and Vehicles: None, 10 GP. HQ Personnel: 2 HQ Security: 1

Field Researchers: Far from stereotypical bookish archaeologists, these teams are rugged and capable, and have more in common with Indiana Jones than John Camp. The freighter docked above Thule is crawling with these guys, who dive down to the submerged ruins in small teams around the clock.

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Challenge Thule

Assassins: Stone's assassins, while quite capable, hail from a variety of backgrounds, including the street and the Hand's own executioner squads. The only thing they have in common is that they owe Stone a favor.

Thule is, in essence, a collection of powerful relics linked through a singularly powerful mystic ‘lodestone’ of immense size. Roughly five miles square, it’s littered with ancient ruins evocative of other ancient sites around the world: Stonehenge, Easter Island, and the like (most of which are actually scattered parts of the Ancients’ empire). Beneath one of these ruins is an inner chamber not unlike the one Eva described to Socrates when recounting how she came to be possessed by the godling within her. But this chamber was built to hide something, not imprison it: it’s a control node, a way to tap into the mystic power flowing through the island. Socrates hasn’t discussed his findings with anyone, instead experimenting with invocations sifted out of the ruins in an attempt to bond with the island. He’s only been partially successful, but even marginal success has bled the island of tremendous power. This has had several effects on Socrates:

Assassins, 12th level standard minions (minions, squads of 8 — 42 MP): CR 11. SZ M; v/wp: 105/14; Init +14 (+10 class, +4 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def: 19 (+5 class, +4 Dex); Atk: Glock 21 with removable suppressor +16 (1d12), Accuracy International L96 with standard suppressor +16 (4d4); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +9, Ref +10, Will +7; Str 12, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +9, Bluff +5, Concentration +8, Demolitions +5, Disguise +5, Driver +8, Listen +8, Spot +8. Feats: Extreme Range, Far Shot. Gear: Weapons. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

Serial One: Ilse Valkenberg One of the College’s many acquisitions experts, Valkenberg specializes in ‘convincing’ the owners of rare artifacts to sell or donate them to her associates through bribery, seduction, and deceit. Regardless of her approach, Ilse presents herself as wealthy and available, allowing her beauty to distract her targets while her personal staff works behind the scenes. Staging Notes: The two primary options for an encounter with Ilse are during and after her procurement of an artifact. As an example of the former, the agents might be assigned to infiltrate a social gathering at which the owner of a relic is expected to appear, only to find Ilse making friends — close friends — with said owner. In this case, if the agents came in after the fact, the agents might be assigned to recover the item.

• First, Socrates gained 2 levels in the channeler prestige class (see page 43), bonding him to the island’s lodestone. • Second, Socrates now performs all invocations as if he has 2,000 bonded followers present, even when working alone. • Third, the lodestone grants Socrates a +5 Defense bonus and forces opponents to spend two action dice to activate a threat (making it a critical hit) when attacking the headmaster. • Finally, Socrates gained 2 Thirst levels from the experience, adding to his already unstable demeanor. Socrates has kept these abilities — and, indeed, the discovery of the inner chamber — from the College and its masters within the Hand of Glory. He understands the true import of his discovery — that Thule itself has chosen him as a modern emissary of the Ancients. What he doesn’t understand is that the lodestone-relic — abandoned by the Ancients and operating on instinct alone — is seeking to preserve itself now that it’s again made contact with the outside world. It’s only protecting him to protect itself, and it’s only offering him greater power so that it can eventually seize control of his body. The lodestone regularly feeds him greater and greater abilities (along with accompanying Thirst levels) toward this ultimate goal, and will dispel his spirit and possess his body at Thirst level 15.

Ilse Valkenburg, 5th level faceman/5th level cat burglar/5th level femme fatale (henchman — 30 MP): CR 15. SZ M; v/wp: 84/10; Init: +12 (+10 class, +2 Dex); Speed 30 ft.; Def: 23 (+11 class, +2 Dex); Atk: Walther PPK +10 (2d4), stiletto +8 (1d6); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SV Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +10; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 16, Cha 18; Skills: Bluff +16, Cultures +11, Diplomacy +18, Disguise +12, Driver +8, Forgery +10, Gather Information +14, Innuendo +12, Intimidate +9/+13, Languages +11, Listen +6, Perform +7, Profession (dilettante) +6, Sense Motive +10. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Persuasive), Break Fall, Charmer, Grand Skill Mastery (Persuasive), Hard Core, Jump Up, The Look, Persuasive. Gear: Weapons, designer clothes, contact poison (1 vial, 3 uses), knockout drug (1 vial, 3 uses), sodium pentothal (1 vial, 3 uses), forgery kit, pistol purse, 41 BP. Gadgets and Vehicles: None, 8 GP. HQ Personnel: 0 HQ Security: 2

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Hand of Glory Ilse's Staff: Regardless of the impression Ilse projects, her staff has only one purpose: to provide her with leverage against her stubborn marks. These men are experts at gathering incriminating evidence, and are quite thorough, sometimes accumulating it over the course of months.

matters further, neither the Tears' prior owner nor the holding company in possession of the relics is aware of the items' mystic nature. Finally, any or all of the following might be true.

Ilse’s Staff, 8th level standard minions/5th level paper pushers (minions, squads of 4 — 39 MP): CR 12. SZ M; v/wp: 85/12; Init +8 (+8 class); Speed 30 ft.; Def: 16 (+6 class); Atk: Knife +10 (1d4); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +7; Str 13, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10; Skills: Bluff +3, Bureaucracy +5, Computers +5, Concentration +5, Diplomacy +5, Driver +5, Gather Information +10, Innuendo +7, Intimidate +3, Knowledge (Ilse’s likes) +5, Languages +5, Profession (Go-Getter) +5, Search +5, Surveillance +5. Feats: Gear: Weapons, laptop computer (+3 power rating), cell phone, 34 BP. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

1. Ilse has already procured the diamonds. When the agents arrive at the auction (or steal the Tears beforehand), they find the relics to be fakes. Now the agents must find the thief to find the jewels.

Possibilities

2. Ilse has a budget larger than some Third World countries’, and is willing to bid astronomically high for the Tears. Even if outbid, she goes to any lengths to obtain the diamonds from their new owner. But the real question that the agents must answer is… Where's the money coming from? 3. As in Possibility #1, but the gems are stolen by a thief hired by the Finnian’s Collector's Society (see page 37). Now the agents must track the thief and avoid Ilse and her deadly minions in order to complete their mission. Undoubtedbly, they'll be sent on a fact-finding mission to learn about both adversaries — Ilse and the thief (and their employers) following the mission.

Plot Hook #1 The agents are assigned to attend an auction at which the Tears of Gethsemane are the marquee item (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 236). They are to obtain the diamonds by hook or by crook. Ilse is, of course, under the same orders. Complicating

CIA spotter photograph of Owiny-Kibul blast 92

Challenge The photo on the previous page was taken two hours ago near Owiny-Kibul, 30 miles north of the Uganda border, inside southern Sudan. The Disciples of the Final Testament (DFT) — a shadowy rebel group that’s been fighting the Ugandan government for the past 15 years in an effort to create a legislature based on their 'literal' interpretation of the Bible — have claimed responsibility for the blast. The DFT is responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians, but until today their efforts remained below the fold (indeed, entirely off the front page). In March, an agreement was signed allowing Ugandan military forces to enter Sudanese territory. These forces overran most of the DFT bases in southern Sudan in the following weeks, and the remaining insurgents have since fled into the Imatong Mountains, along the Ugandan border. The nuclear blast, which devastated several miles of Sudanese farmland and contaminated countless more, is believed to be the DFT's response to this military action. Not surprisingly, the incident has caused a tremendous international uproar and caught the world’s attention. As demonstrated in the plot hooks below, however, things may not be exactly as they seem…

Plot Hooks The unexpected nuclear detonation is an excellent opportunity for GCs to exhibit how the Hand of Glory manipulates other militant groups for its own aims. Alternatively, it can be used to raise the stakes in any game (as it has been in the official setting and the SFA Interactive campaign). The following plot hooks illustrate these options.

Having a Blast The DFT is indeed responsible for setting off the nuclear bomb, but Owiny-Kibul wasn’t their intended target. They were aiming to destroy the Ugandan city of Kampala along the northern edge of Lake Victoria, but a group of brave and dedicated Conspiracy agents gave their lives to ensure the bomb never reached the populated city. A deeper, even more diabolical plan succeeded, however. The Hand of Glory used the conflict to train troops, recruit and test mercenaries — and detonate a nuclear bomb. Eva didn’t care where or how the bomb was detonated; all she was concerned with was that her mystics ritually capture a portion of the fireball, an ingredient in several catastrophic invocations she’s extrapolated from the ruins of Thule. The agents might still have the chance to discover Eva’s intentions and intercept the ritual ingredients before they reach her, but first they have to contend with legions of duped DFT fanatics… DFT Fanatics, 2nd-level mercenaries (minions, squads of 2 — 28 MP): CR: 1. SZ M; v/wp: 14/12; Init +1 (class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 12 (+2 class); Atk: Kalashnikov AK-47 +1 (3d6); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +1; Str 12, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 9; Skills: Demolitions +0 (trained), Diplomacy +0 (trained), Driver +1, Knowledge (Hand of Glory) +0 (trained), Listen +0 (trained), Sense Motive +0 (trained), Spot +0 (trained), Survival +0 (trained). Gear: Weapons, demolitions kit (3-lb. bomb), survival kit. Gadgets and Vehicles: None.

Prelude to War The Hand of Glory arranged for the DFT to cause the blast in the hope that it would spark open conflict throughout the region and eventually, the surrounding African territories. As described on page 36, the Hand of Glory has its eye on Africa as a potential home once the organization makes its bid for world power. With new secrets of the Ancients arriving from Thule daily, Eva is convinced that the time is now and has given Divisions Dozer and Myrmidon the go-ahead to escalate tensions throughout Africa as they wish. Myrmidon has infiltrated — and at this point effectively subverted — the DFT, as well as the terrorist group’s opponents in Uganda, Sudan, and elsewhere. He is using these groups not only to create war in Africa but to show the world that such a war is imminent. Myrmidon believes that if he can draw peacekeepers into the country from the U.S. and elsewhere — especially if he can draw them in from multiple potentially confrontational countries — there’s a chance that Africa itself will be lost in the fighting. Dozer’s part in the scheme is far more direct. Under the direction of Gregor Nash, a media hound from Hand front company Devlin Media, Ltd., the Hand is broadcasting every event in Africa as it happens, using basic cable and satellite to terrorize the world in the comfort of their own living rooms. Nash’s coverage is pointed, and scoops all the competition — even seasoned veterans of the world affairs beat. The agents might be sent in to investigate either the increased mercenary activity (starting with the DFT) or Gregor Nash’s startling news windfall. Gregor Nash, 4th-level operative; CR 4. SZ M; v/wp: 19/12; Init +6 (+2 class, +1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft.; Def: 13 (+2 class, +1 Dex); Atk: Glock 21 +4 (1d12); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 17; Skills: Bluff +5, Climb +2, Demolitions +6, Driver +3, Hide +3, Move Silently +5, Search +4, Spot +5, Surveillance +5, Tumble +3. Feats: Improved Initiative, Toughness. Gear: Weapons, professional-grade video camera and editing gear. Gadgets and Vehicles: Military jeep (retired).

93

Monolith Encounter Map Nestled on an unnamed South Pacific island over 2,000 miles off the coast of Chile, Monolith was originally designed as a watchstation where mystics could observe (and sometimes visit) nearby Rapa Nui, or Easter Island. But the unexpected discovery of andrium (see page 65) deep in the volcano’s cone changed all that, and now this location is shared between the mystic researchers and their fringe science counterparts. The scientists are headed by Dr. Andius Hahn, after whom andrium is named, and who conceived the most startling applications of the material, including many of the inventions seen in Chapter 3 and the forced volcanic eruptions described in Chapter 1. The mystics are commanded by Elisa Cramer, a channeler whose relic was recently destroyed. She hopes to bond with one of the powerful relics recently recovered from Rapa Nui. Monolith's upper levels are dedicated to the science division, and are clean with modern walls and windows. 'Level 4' and below, however, are the domain of Elisa’s mystic team, and are little more than simple caverns created using transmog guns. The mystics were unhappy to be evicted upon Dr. Hahn's arrival, and this resentment is slowly growing into something that could upset the social ecology unless something is done to stem the tide. The most obvious evidence that something is amiss in this volcano is its dormant cap and an unusual pattern of “sliding earth” toward the spout’s base. The former is in fact a clever illusion disguising a tremendous sliding roof accessway, helipad, and the base’s lava cannon (see page 69). The latter is caused by the scientists’ incessant ‘digging’ through the volcano base using transmog guns (see page 71). The guns liquefy solid earth for a time, which is then pushed out through various exit cracks to settle under the open sky. Most areas within Monolith are open to everyone on site, but some require keycards of a specific type. Defeating such security requires a successful Electronics check (DC 20). 1. Laboratories (security and science only): Monolith’s top level is devoted to lab research. The largest of these is dedicated to the site’s lead fringe scientist, Dr. Andrius Hahn, whose research into the properties of andrium (see page 65) yielded the Hand’s exo-skeletons, as well as the lava cannon and transmog gun (see Chapter 3). All four fringe science items are in evidence on site — samples of andrium here, in a leadshielded storage cabinet (Open Lock DC 15, Break DC 20). The remainder of Monolith’s top floor houses several smaller labs where less critical research is conducted, as well as a moderately stocked infirmary. 2. Living Quarters (security and scientists only): Monolith’s second level is dedicated to housing for the base’s many scientific personnel. Each of these small rooms contains a singlesize bed, chair, fold-out desk, and storage built into the wall (Open Lock DC 10, Break DC 10).

0 5 10

Side View (not to scale)

4. Security Station (security only): All cameras mounted throughout the facility are monitored from here, and one security guard can be found here at all times. The access door is reinforced steel and has a hardness of 15 with 100 wound points and a Break DC of 35. Monolith Guards, 4th-level shocktroopers (minions, squads of 4 — 44 MP): CR 3. SZ M; v/wp: 30/13; Init: +3 (+2 class, +1 Dex); Spd 20 ft.; Def: 11 (+1 Dex); Atk: CZ Scorpion in 9mm Makarov +3 (2d4); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +1; Str 12, Dex 13, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 12; Skills: Balance +3, Demolitions +2, Intimidate +5, Jump +3, Sport (skeet shooting) +3, Spot +2, Survival +2, Tumble +3. Gear: Weapons. Gadgets and Vehicles: I.F.F. upgrade (for CZ Scorpion), shocktrooper armor. These guards are armed from a small weapons locker also located here (Open Lock DC 25, hardness of 10 with 50 wounds and a Break DC of 25). At any time, this locker contains: 1d6 CZ 100s in 9mmP (with approximately 100 rounds of ammunition), 2d12 CZ Scorpions in 9mmP (with approximately 750 rounds of ammunition), and 1d8 kevlar vests.

Elevator

Level 1

Helipad Level 1

Elevator

Stairs Up to Helipad

Level 2

Stairs Down to Level 2

1

Stairs

Level 3

Stairs Down to Level 2

Ocean Access

5. Recreation (open): This area contains a small movie theatre that seats 20 (though the only films on hand are Glory propaganda epics) and a game room (though the only games here are training tools devised by the Hand’s inner circle to promote strong, predatory shocktroopers). 6. Bunk Rooms (open): These large areas contain rows of military-style bunk beds with padlocked footcases for personal effects.

Level 4

1 1 Infirmary

Andrium Pool

Level 3 Kitchen

Level 2 3

Game Room

5

Theater

Elevator

Elevator

4 Stairs Down to Level 3 Stairs Up to Level 1

2

2

Stairs Down to Level 3 Stairs Up to Level 1

2

6

2 2

3. Kitchen/Mess Hall (open): This area is not always occupied (2 in 6 chance), as base personnel are free to cook their own food at any time. When occupied, roll 1d12 to determine the number of people present (divided equally between guards, scientists, and leaders, or decided by the GC). Six large cafeteria-style tables fill the mess hall, which also houses the level’s only lavatories.

20

Scale in Feet

6

Stairs Up to Level 2

2

Level 4

Stairs Up to Level 2

9

Elevator

Dock

7 8 7 7

11

7

10

Andrium Pool

8. Hydrofoil Bay (leaders and security only): This small lagoon is invisible from anywhere but the ground, where a Spot check (DC 20) must still succeed to notice it. Even then, the lagoon appears normal — a small hot spring flowing under a rock outcropping that conceals the cave within. (Agents must dive under the outcropping to enter.) Inside, this room is a natural rock cavern (the outcropping is the result of careful transmog use), with a single wooden dock and two hydrofoils (use the statistics for 2-man jet skis). These jet skis can dive for up to one half action without risk of a mishap, allowing them to traverse the cavern opening, launching into the air or slowly surfacing as they exit. From there, it’s only a one-minute (10-round) journey along the quarter-mile river to the open sea. 1d4 guards are on watch here at all times. 9. Generator/Maintenance Room (security and science only): The enormous generator here powers all of Monolith and may be disabled with a successful Mechanics check (DC 15) or by damaging it (Break DC 25). If disabled mechanically, power may be reestablished by any support personnel in one minute. Damage must be repaired, requiring 1d6 hours. 10. Mystic Vault (security and mystics only): This area is protected by a reinforced door similar to the security station entrance (use the same statistics), except that it also prevents mystic scrying within the room beyond. The mystic researchers store their relics and supplies here — at any time, one might find 1d10 seeker talismans, 1d2 exo-skeletons, 1d6 transmog guns, and 2d10 gigantic heating coils for the base’s lava cannon. 11. Andrium Pool (security and science only): This is where the Hand discovered andrium, and construction has halted here. No further liquefications are allowed below this point, for fear of releasing dangerous by-products or causing a catastrophic reaction. The rest of the base is protected from this area’s radioactivity by lead-lining and a reinforced door (use the statistics for the base’s security station). Should agents enter this room without an NBC suit or similar protection, they must make a Fortitude save every minute. Each failed save results in 1d4 points of permanent Constitution damage. This entire room is bathed in an eerie crimson glow.

7. Mystic Research Chambers (open): Like all areas throughout ‘level 4’ (actually a space over 200 feet across horizontally and nearly 50 feet deep), these rooms have smooth walls and no corners. This is due to the method in which they were carved from the earth (using transmog guns). Each of these rooms houses one mystic, assigned to tinker freely with the effects and applications of andrium. These researchers are generally much less kempt than their upper-level neighbors, and generally allow their rooms to become sties of discarded notes and failed inspirations. Mystic Researchers, 5th-level occultists (minions, squads of 1 — 36 MP): CR 4. SZ M; v/wp: 14/11; Init: +3 (+3 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def: 13 (+3 Dex); Atk: Fist/punch +1 (1d3–1), CZ 100 +2 in 9mmP with no ammunition (1d10+1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA per classes; SQ per classes; SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +8; Str 9, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 15, Wis 18, Cha 15; Skills: Appraise +5, Concentration +9, Disguise +5, Intimidate +2/+5, Hobby (melting things) +7, Knowledge (Occult) +7, Languages +9, Listen +7, Move Silently +3, Sense Motive +7, Spot +6. Gear: Various ‘lab equipment’, leader uniforms. Gadgets and Vehicles: Transmog gun, seeker talisman (1 each). When threatened, the researchers don their leader uniforms, assume a stance of power, and brandish their (unloaded) weapons.

Buenos Aires Chase Map Resting on the plains of the Pampas of Argentina, Buenos Aires is home to over thirteen million people. The city is steeped in European colonial lore and aboriginal belief with a history stretching back to the Spanish conquistadors in 1536. These legacies are reflected in nearly every barrio, suburb, and plaza of the city, including its monuments to revolutionary leaders, its Parisian-style opera houses, and its ornate cemeteries. Buenos Aires and its port dwelling people, the Porteños, have proudly been a stronghold of European culture and value in the heart of South America for centuries. Even the city's nickname, “the Paris of the South," rejects the Latin American stereotype in favor of a European heart. Until recently, Buenos Aires was a cultural and vacation hot spot. Wide boulevards lined with trees and accented with monuments provide central arteries for the city’s simple, well-executed layout. These streets opened up to exquisitely crafted Baroque buildings bordered by well-manicured plazas and well-groomed parks, and people embraced modern living to the fullest — several of the city’s oldest sections are punctuated with neon and immense television billboards advertising credit cards and diet soda. But since the economic recession following the decision to let the Argentinean currency float rather than link it to the growth of the dollar, poverty and rioting have become commonplace. Buenos Aires is laid out like a typical U.S. city, but its traffic is very much like that of its South American neighbors. The colossal thoroughfares through the city’s heart stretch from eight to ten lanes wide, but they’re animated with thick, confusing traffic both night and day. Though these arteries intersect other roadways, street signs rarely break their streams. Morning and evening rush hours turn these rivers of traffic into vast parking lots and into waves of careening vehicles in the mid- to late-evening. Generally, Porteños don't bother with cars, preferring to utilize the Subte train system, cabs, or buses, so the bulk of this traffic is dedicated to moving tourists around (or in some cases, made up of adventurous tourists themselves). The center of industry in Argentina, Buenos Aires remains a vibrant seaport and air hub. The city is easy to access by hydrofoil via the Atlantic as its oceanfront is lined with several major docks. Outside this industrial waterfront, the rest of the shore is well developed and several public plazas and upper-class neighborhoods line the coast, littered with wildlife parks and animal preserves. The city’s airport also hugs the waterfront, taking up a large section of former preserve land in the Palermo district. Palermo Lying just north of the Recoleta and once a private and open park for the Porteño elite, this district is now home to Buenos Aires’ middle class. While much of the parkland still exists in a variety of decorative plazas, the Palermo has seen slow but constant growth since the early 1900s. Because of its proximity to both the airport, hydrofoil docks, and the Microcentro, Palermo has also become the center of political life for the city, containing within its borders almost all the world’s embassies to Argentina. Despite its steady industry, the Palermo has abundant space to build and good access, and has thus become a favorite location for new nightclub and restaurant owners looking to expand into the area. Modifiers: The many open spaces here encourage high acceleration. All Gun It!, Pull Ahead, Redline, and Vanish maneuvers gain a +2 circumstance bonus in this district. Speed penalties are also increased, however, due to the district’s deceptively tight turns and sharp, dipping hills. Speed penalties are increased by +1 for every 25 mph of speed in Palermo. Obstacles: Due to the wide expanses of parkland in this area, deer and small animals are frequently encountered. When checking for an obstacle, a result of '1' indicates 1d10 small animals of the GC’s choice have wandered onto the road in front of the speeding drivers. The DC to avoid these animals is 12. The driver may hit the brakes, reducing this DC by 2 for every 10 mph he forfeits, but he also suffers a penalty of 2 lengths for each of these increments accepted.

Palermo

Recoleta Retiro

Microcentro and Plaza de Mayo

Not Described

San Telmo and La Boca The Microcentro and Plaza de Mayo The cultural center of Buenos Aires, this region contains some of the city’s oldest and best-known architecture and tourist attractions. Most activity here centers on the pink stone presidential palace, the Casa Rosada, which is guarded by the blue- and red-uniformed Grenadiers of San Martin. Buried within the very heart of the Microcentro, the Plaza de Mayo hosts Argentina's most boisterous celebrations, festivals and protests. The Plaza also borders the termination point for three of the city’s five subway lines and the immense (and well-traveled) central boulevard, Avenue de Mayo. Modifiers: Foot chases in the Microcentro are considered to occur in close terrain. Vehicle chases change the terrain to tight. The Plaza de Mayo borders almost all the architectural highlights of Buenos Aires, including the Opera House and the Casa Rosada. Consequently, this area is a favorite tourist destination and thick with pedestrian traffic (for which the Avenue de Mayo is shut down from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.); at any time, the prey may choose to continue a chase through this region on foot without losing any of his lead. Obstacles: Pedestrians and tour buses dominate the local traffic, and street side cafés spill out onto the streets during the hours that the Microcentro is closed. Special Events (Day Only): The chase is halted by line of riot guards blocking the street in front of the prey, who must immediately make a crash check. Likewise, a throng of angry protesters proceed behind the predator, ready to clash with the police. Both predator and prey must continue the chase on foot if they are to continue it at all, and even then they are apt to find themselves in the middle of a violent demonstration.

San Telmo and La Boca Just south of the Microcentro are the revitalized old city sections of San Telmo and La Boca. Wiped out by yellow fever in the 19th century, then home to lower-class immigrant communities in the early 20th, San Telmo and La Boca are now home to the city's “Tango Hotspots” and their feature location, the Caminito (a pedestrian thoroughfare completely cut off to vehicle traffic). This Caminito is bordered by brightly colored and tightly packed one- to three-story buildings. The few narrow alleyways leading off from the Caminito are scarcely wide enough for two persons to walk abreast, and car travel is impossible. The Caminito comes to an abrupt end as it opens into La Boca's main border street, Avenue Don Pedro, which winds through this old section of the city along the Riachuelo River. Modifiers: Day and night, La Boca and San Telmo are considered close terrain. Zig-zag and Jockey maneuvers in this region gain a +2 circumstance bonus, while Pull Ahead and Gun It! maneuvers suffer –4 circumstance penalties. Obstacles: On the Caminito, drivers are likely to encounter buskers (street performers), tango dancers, and street vendors. In San Telmo and La Boca proper, delivery vehicles, bicyclists, and buses crowd the streets alongside dozens of cafés and pedestrians. All obstacle checks gain a +1 bonus (making it more likely that obstacles are encountered) in this district. Special Events: A tango event erupts on the street around the drivers. If the chase is on foot, the prey gains a +2 circumstance bonus to any Set Up maneuver. If the chase is in vehicles, the predator and prey must both make a crash check (DC 15) or collide with the dancers, then a cozy sidewalk cafe…

Recoleta South of Palermo is Buenos Aires' chic and wealthy corridor, the Recoleta. Here, modern architecture is erected beside colonial manors and the streets are filled with dog walkers, strolling couples, and intent businessmen. The Recoleta is the center of high society in Buenos Aires and the cosmopolitan rich are frequently seen rushing or languidly oozing from one all-important soireé to the next at all hours of the night. Modifiers: Foot traffic in the Recoleta is kept to a minimum and few pedestrians are seen here. Though heavy, non-commercial vehicles are common, the Recoleta is considered open terrain at night. Obstacles: Street lamps, dog walkers, and horseback police are frequent sights during the day, while high-end cars shuttle the South American elite to parties and dinners after dusk. Retiro Between the Microcentro and Recoleta, this barrio is the modern hub of public activity in Buenos Aires. Containing several military buildings, park offices, the Falkland war monument, and other municipal structures, the Retiro bustles every day. But activity in the area slows to a crawl at night as its residents wander to the Palermo or the San Telmo in search of healthier party and clubbing options. The Retiro is divided East-West by main arteries, reflecting its dual nature. To the west, heading inland, the district is hip and clean like its sister barrio, the Recoleta. To the east, however, heading to the ocean, the district quickly devolves into a network of shantytown rubble and industrial wastes, returning to normal again just blocks before the Estacion Maritima docks. The Retiro port is ideal for water chases as it houses the industrial and public transit docks. Modifiers: The Retiro proper and surrounding docks are always considered close terrain. Due to the district's tight construction, the speed of any chase is automatically reduced 25 mph here, and predator vehicles gain a one-time bonus of 2 lengths at the start of land-based chases only. On the water, heavy but slow boat traffic grants the prey a +1 circumstance bonus to Zig-zag and Hairpin Turn maneuvers. Obstacles: Towards the city core, the Retiro is filled with the thick pedestrian traffic familiar to the rest of Buenos Aires during the day, except without the street vendors and cafes. Toward the docks, heavy equipment is obvious close to the waterfront, along with the occasional vagrant. Out on the ocean, large hydrofoils constantly weave in and out of the harbor traffic, alongside much larger cargo vessels and the occasional yacht.

Hand of Glory 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.; Authors Chad Brunner, Tim D'Allaird, Sean Michael Fish, B.D. Flory, Scott Gearin, Owen Hershey, Patrick Kapera, Michael Petrovich, Jim Wardrip, and Stephen Wilcoxon. Shadowforce Archer Worldbook Copyright 2002, Alderac Entertainment Group, Inc.; Authors Patrick Kapera and Kevin Wilson. Spycraft Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide Copyright 2002, Alderac Entertainment Group, Inc.; Authors Chad Brunner, Shawn Carman, B.D. Flory, Scott Gearin, and Patrick Kapera.

The Open Game License 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.

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The Open Game Content This printing of the Hand of Glory™ 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 Hand of Glory 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 contact [email protected] if they have any questions or concerns about reproducing material from the Hand of Glory in other OGL works. AEG would appreciate anyone using OGC material from the Hand of Glory in other OGL works to kindly reference the Hand of Glory as the source of that material within the text of their work. 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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 Hand of Glory 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 terms 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 registered 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.

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