PUBLISHING NOTICE Dime Heroes is published by Deep7 P.O. Box 46373 Seattle, WA 98146 www.deep7.com All material is © Copyright 2001 Deep7 1PG is a trademark of Deep7 All rights reserved worldwide. Any unauthorized duplication, distribution or commercial use of this product in its electronic or hardcopy form is expressly prohibited without prior written authorization of Deep7. LICENCE AGREEMENT By opening this file, you agree to the following terms of license: ◊ You are granted permission to print the electronic file to hardcopy form, so long as it qualifies as personal use, is not used for commercial

sale and does not infringe upon the copyright in any other way. You are authorized to make and keep one (1) copy in electronic form for backup purposes.

◊ Unauthorized duplication, distribution or sale of the product in any form constitutes a breach of this license, and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Support Deep7 by not pirating our products, and we will continue to offer revolutionary roleplaying material.

◊ You agree to hold Deep7, its principals and personnel free of any and all liability in relation to this product.

1PG Rules/Character Sheet Rules of Play

For the Referee

“The Crimson Tiger Strikes!” Chapter One:

The Atomic Ray

Chapter Two: Forty-Five Caliber Death!

Chapter Three: The Living Dead!

Chapter Four: Ralston’s Revenge

Chapter Five: The Crimson Tiger!

Written By JAMES STUBBS

1PG System Design TODD DOWNING

Editor JAMES STUBBS

SAMANTHA DOWNING

Beer & Pretzels HANOVERS & SAPPORO

Additional Testing & Support ROGAN HAMBY

ROBERT FLETCHER THEO MCGUCKIN

MARK KRAM JARVIS YOLHOLSKY

Hit Location

1 Head

2 Torso

3 R.Arm

4 L.Arm

5 R.Leg

6 L.Leg

AP

Item Damage

NAME: ___________________________________ OCCUPATION: ___________________________ CASH:____________________________________ Height:_________ Weight: ________ Gender: _____ Eyes: __________ Hair: __________ Age:________

MOXIE Drinking ____________ Fighting _____________ Pilot ________________ Shooting ____________ Running_____________ GLITZ Fashion _____________ Disguise_____________ Seduction____________ Performance _________ CUNNING Con ________________ Gambling____________ Dodge ______________ Repair ______________ Stealth ______________ GRAY MATTER Gen. Knowledge ______ Languages ___________ Science _____________ Research ____________

BLOOD GUTS WITS

NOTORIETY CHAR PTS

Deep7 1PG™ Beer & Pretzel RPGs assume the players and ref already have some rudimentary experience with roleplaying games. All Deep7 1PG™ Beer & Pretzel games are played with 6-sided dice. Deep7 assumes no liability for mental instability on the part of players, refs or their families.

Notes:

Attributes: Roll 1D3 for each.

Skills: Roll 1D6 for the total number of points to distribute into all skills. Skills start at 0 and can be no more than 3. If you need extra points, you can take them from other skills, leaving them at –1 for each point taken. No attribute/skill combination can be less than 1.

Blood: Roll 2D6+5. When you have lost all your Blood, you are dead.

Guts: Roll 1D6. The more Guts you have, the easier it is to keep your Wits.

Wits: Roll 1D6. You may need to make a Guts check to keep your Wits.

Notoriety starts at 0. Roll 1D6 and get the same or under your Moxie, Cunning or Gray Matter attributes (but you may only try once for each, at the beginning of the game). Add 1 to your Notoriety for each successful check. Use Notoriety to reroll failed skill checks or call in favors.

Roll on the Background and Status Tables for more perks & details.

Money: Players are always assumed to have enough money for average purchases. They may suffer a –1 or –2 penalty to a Glitz check if they want expensive or exotic items.

GUTS CHECK: Any time you have a traumatic experience in the game, you must make a “Guts Check”. Try to roll 1D6 equal to or below your Guts. If you are not successful, your Wits goes down by 1. When Wits is reduced to 0, you must roll a 4 or less each time you wish to make a skill check or combat roll. Your character is in a fatigued

stupor and is unfit to adventure until after a very long rest or some powerful inspirational event to bring your character out of “retirement.”

SKILL ROLLS: When you want to do something, figure out what skill/attribute combo will get it done. Add your attribute and skill together to get your Target Number and roll 1D6 equal to or below it. Rolling a 1 is always a success and rolling a 6 is always a failure. If you are fighting, use the Brawling skill for at-tack and evasion. Although a 6 always fails, having a target of six gives you a higher potential margin of success than a target of five. Always add your Moxie to hand-to-hand weapon damage. If the attack is ranged, the attacker rolls Shooting and the defender rolls Dodge to evade. Ties always go to the defender.

ARMOR: Certain items give you an Armor Value (AV). When you take damage, subtract your AV in the appropriate location from the damage you are dealt.

SEE RULES OF PLAY FOR DETAILS

Background Table (1d6)1. Scientist: +1 Gray Matter,

Science, Repair2. Athlete: +1 Running,

Brawling, +3 Blood3. Daredevil: +1 Pilot,

Fashion, +2 Wits4. Hunter: +1 Shooting,

Languages, +1 Moxie5. Detective: +1 Shooting, Gen.

Knowledge, +1 Cunning6. Explorer: +1 Brawling,

Research, +1 Guts

Status Table (1d6)1. Mystery Man: +1 Stealth2. Crime Fighter: +1Notoriety3. Vigilante: +1 Cunning4. Playboy/Debutante: +1 Glitz5. Prodigy: +1 any skill6. Gadget: Unique Item

ITEM DAM

Pistol 8

Rifle 12

Nightstick 3

Grenade 20

Knife 3

Sword 5

Punch Moxie Axe 6

Truncheon 5

Vial of Acid 5

Bullwhip 2

Garrotte 4/turn

Tommy Gun (1D6 hits) 8ea

Hvy. Mach. Gun (1D6 hits) 12ea

Agility Rating (AR)

Gunnery Rating (GR)

Damage (D)

Armor (A)

Structural Integrity (SI)

Vehicle

THE GAME: Dime Heroes: Two-Fisted Adventure is a simple-to-learn roleplaying game where players take on the roles of thelarger-than-life heroes of the old pulp magazines, radio dramasand movie serials. It assumes the players and ref already havesome rudimentary experience with roleplaying. It’s meant to beplayed in the vein of such pulp staples as Doc Savage, TheSpider and The Shadow so keep it light, cinematic and adventurepacked!

CHARACTER CREATION: You’ve heard of the stuff thatheroes are made of? In this case, heroes are made by rolling 1D3for each attribute (red headings).Then you will roll 1D6 for the total number of points todistribute into your skills (under the red headings). Every skillstarts at 0. No skill can be higher than 3. If players need extrapoints, they can take them from otherskills, leaving them at -1 for each pointtaken. No skill can be lower than -2,and no skill/attribute combination canever drop below 1. If you don’t see askill you really want the character tohave, just write it in the margin.

Now players roll 2D6+5 andwrite the number in Blood. This is howmuch of a lead diet a Joe can take beforeits curtains for him. Every time they takedamage, they lose that many points ofBlood. When they have lostall their Blood, they are on their speedyway to meet their maker.

Everyone starts with some Guts.Roll 1D6 and record it. At any time youhave a harrowing experience in the game(such as getting caught in the lavadeathtrap of Doktor Fiend), you maymake a “Guts Check”, where you get totry to roll below your Guts number. Themore Guts you have, the easier it is tokeep your Wits about you.

Next, roll 1D6. Write the resultin Wits. Wits are a representation of youhow long you can keep your nerve in dangerous situations. Ifyou make your “Guts Check”, you keep your Wits. If you fail,your Wits will be reduced by 1. If you completely lose yourWits, you are in a fatigued stupor and unfit to adventure untilafter a very long rest or some powerful inspirational event tobring your character out of “retirement.” You may always putCharacter Points into Wits.

Notoriety is important any time you need to impresspeople or get what you want. It also may be used to reroll failedskill checks. Everyone’s Notoriety starts at 0. Everyone may tryto roll 1D6 and get equal to or under his character’s Moxie,Cunning and Gray Matter attributes (but they may only try oncefor each, during character creation). Add 1 to the character’sNotoriety for each successful check. Remember, this is a

character’s overall Notoriety, good or bad, according to hisdeeds. If you need to make a Notoriety roll, see below.

Players should roll or be allowed to choose from theBackground & Status Tables, to get a persona for theircharacter. GMs may allow different concepts if the players cancome up with ones that meet the feel of the game.

GUTS CHECK: Any time you have a traumatic experience inthe game, you must make a “Guts Check”, where you get to tryto roll 1D6 equal to or below your Guts. If you are notsuccessful, your Wits will go down by 1. If you completely loseyour Wits, you become fatigued and unable to concentrate well;You need to roll a 4 or less every time you shoot in order toavoid hitting one of your friends by mistake.

ORDER OF PLAY: Combat order can be determined verysimply in a couple of ways — you can either roll 1D6+GRAYMATTER each round, or simply dispense with the initiative rollaltogether and seat the players around the table in order ofhighest GRAY MATTER to lowest (ties can dice off for initial

seating).

ACTIONS: Every character gets oneaction per round. Combat rolls and“active” skill checks (those skills theplayer chooses to roll as opposed to thereferee telling him to roll, such as“make an GRAY MATTER check tosee if you can hear that ticking sound”)all count as an action. 1PG combat isnot intended to be realistic. It isintended to be fast and fun.

SKILL ROLLS: When you want todo something, figure out whatattribute/skill combo will get it done.Add your attribute and skill together toget your Target Number and roll 1D6equal to or below it. Rolling a 1 isalways a success and rolling a 6 isalways a failure. If you are fighting,use the Fighting skill for attack andevasion. Opposed combatants will rolltheir Shooting or Brawling skill at thesame time. The higher margin ofsuccess is a successful hit (although a 6always fails, having a target of six

gives you a higher potential margin of success than a target offive). If someone is attacking and someone is evading, do thesame thing: if the attacker’s margin is bigger, the hit was good.If the defender’s margin was the same or bigger, the attackermissed. Use Dodge to avoid being shot. Always add your Moxieto hand-to-hand weapon damage.

ARMOR & CHARACTER IMPROVEMENT: Wearingcertain clothing gives you Armor Value. Heavy clothes (trenchcoat, safari garb, etc.) gives you 1 AV, Leather gives you 2. Abulletproof vest provides 4. Metal armor such as chain gives you8. When you take damage, subtract the AV in the appropriatelocation from the damage you are dealt. If you survive a wholestory, you get 1 Character Point for every person at the table.Put these points into Attributes, Skills, Blood, Guts, orNotoriety. You may also put Character Points into Wits.

ITEM DAMHammer 3Holdout Pistol 5Submachine Gun(1D6 hits)

8ea.

Machine Gun (1D6 hits) 10eaHigh Explosives 30Pistol 8Club 4Machete 4Knife 3Bottle 2Bayonette 4Bullwhip 2Spear 5Rifle 12Crossbow 7Hook 3Garrotte 4Axe 6Razor Blade 2Hvy.Machine Gun(1D6 hits)

12ea.

Sword 6Shard of Glass 2Punch MoxieKick 1Human Bite 2Snake Bite (per hr) 3Shark Bite 6Horse Kick 6Branding Iron (hot) 4Large Animal Bite 6Car 20Grenade 20

Gadget Gadget Who Has the Gadget?

1. Rocket Pack: Character can fly.2. Gas Gun: Wits Check or go to sleep.3. Mechanical Man: Moxie 8/Brawl 24. Ray Gun: Damage 155. X-Ray Goggles: See through stuff6. Bulletproof Car: AP 157. Super Armor: AP 10 to entire body8. Rocketship: Travel into outer space.9. Micro-Bombs: Damage 1010. Strength Drug: +1 Moxie for 1 hour

Dime Heroes: “The Crimson Tiger Strikes!” Serial

Chapter One: The Atomic Ray – A Mysterious Crime of Scientific Proportions Draws in Our HeroesChapter Two: Forty-Five Caliber Death! – Vengeance is served blazing hot from the barrel of an automaticChapter Three: The Living Dead! – Doom from beyond the grave stalks the world of the living!Chapter Four: Ralston’s Revenge – Atomic Terror Rains Ruin From The Skies!Chapter Five: The Crimson Tiger! – The Tiger is cornered in his lair and puts up a desperate fight.

Your friends either got ahold of the negatives or they paid for the pizza and soda. This meanseither you’re blackmailed, owing them money or being the referee for the night. You can paythem back by coaxing them into your villain’s nefarious inescapable deathtraps. The followingguidelines and suggestions will help ensure a successful game of Dime Heroes.

CUT TO THE CHASE: That means keep the adventure short and to the point. Think of it interms of an old movie serial. Get into the meat of the story as soon as possible unless the buildupwill give extra value to the tale. Games should run as “chapters” in the overall game called the“serial.” Each chapter should run 2-3 hours each or one evening’s worth of play. If you want tobring back characters for another serial, feel free! Even the most popular heroes rarely mademore than two serials however.

SET THE MOOD: Make a part of “game night” also “movie night.” Go out and buy a serialwhich can be purchased cheap on video. Show a chapter or two before you game each night soyou can give your players incentive to come back to see “what happens next” in the video as wellas the game. Tell a visual story. “You creep down the stairwell which is hauntingly lit by thehumming electrical arcs of the equipment below. You can see the lovely Maria Rogers bound andstruggling helplessly against the heavy straps which are holding her down to the operating table.Victor Scheleman, Doktor Fiend’s lieutenant, is chuckling darkly to himself as he fingers avicious looking scalpel…”

THE BAD GUYS: A good rule of thumb when creating a villain or villains is to make themdurable enough to be a challenge, but vulnerable enough to make the players believe they have achance. If you have a group of gangsters, give them 15 Blood as they’re tough but marked downto compensate for their numbers. A lone villain might have 20 or more (balance the challenge).Remember that lone villains always have a secret identity that is only revealed in the final chapterwhen they are killed or brought to justice. Until that point, they’re known as The Scarlet Asp orsome other mysterious sounding name.

IMPORTANT: Its generally considered bad form to kill off any players in a pulp setting. Insteadhave them captured (so that the villain can gloat over his plan that will not fail) or slightly injuredso that it is nothing an outpatient run to the hospital won’t fix. Remove the player from the actionor have the villain(s) plan sped up on the time needed to complete it. Pulp heroes don’t die – theyare inconvenienced for a little while (in this case until the next chapter).

You may also want to not use Gadgets or to restrict the use of certain ones in your serial. You canfind a sample list of ones at the top of this page. If a player picks the Gadget status, allow them topick from the list. Feel free to make up more if you’d like. Don’t be afraid to tell the player thattheir character with a rocket pack just doesn’t mesh with everyone else’s street-level vigilantes.Give them the choice of another Gadget or make them roll again on the Status Table. Gadgets areprovided for more “high science” games, such as shown by the Flash Gordon, Dan Dare andCommando Cody serials.

FUDGE ON THE DICE: It is your prerogative as the referee to tell the story as you see fit.Never be afraid to say, “because I said so…” If you need a decision made, roll a die for it. If youneed to figure out how many thugs are waiting in ambush in the alleyway, roll a die for it. If thetask is really easy, give them a +1 or +2 on the target number. If the task is super difficult, givethem a –1 (remember rolling a 1 is always a success and 6 is always a failure.

THE STORIES INCLUDED: There are five chapters in this game that make up the serial, “The Crimson Tiger Strikes!” It is strongly recommendedthat they are run in the correct order for fun as well as keeping the plot as secret as possible to your players. Feel free to design your own and keepchecking www.deep7.com for more free serials and sourcebooklets for Dime Heroes to download!

The Crimson Tiger Strikes! – Chapter One

By James Stubbs

THE PREMISE: Dr. Alfred Fennigan’s revolutionary atomic rayhas just been publicly announced after months of top-secretresearch. Unfortunately for Dr. Fennigan and the rest of the city,The mysterious criminal mastermind, The Crimson Tiger, hassent gangster Big Mike Ralston and his boys to steal the raydevice so that he can use it for some nefarious scheme.

THE SETUP: All of the players should be present during the pre-unveiling of the ray in Dr. Fennigan’s lab.Characters can be friends of the Doctor or any ofthe staff (Tom Gilmore, a chemist, and CarlaConners, a mathematician). They might have alsohave been asked there by the Mayor, the editor ofthe local paper or magazine, or any governmentofficial such as the Police Commissioner. Theirpurpose could be for security, localrepresentation, or to get a scoop.

THE GANGS ALL HERE: Dr. Fennigan explains that hedeveloped the atomic ray as a method of transmittingunlimited energy by the use of a transmitter/receiversystem. Enough power to run a city could bebeamed instantly from his ray transmitter to apredetermined receiver at a power plant. He’sfinally pleased that the work is finished and thathe can show his achievement that he feels surewill revolutionize the World. The ray deviceitself is a large metallic cylinder that iswrapped with metallic coils at the “gun end”of it and tipped with a large metal globe. AsFennigan is making his announcement, eightmasked men (make it more if you have a largergroup or one equipped with Gadgets) open theglass paned door to the lab and rush into the roomwith pistols drawn. One of them shouts, “Don’t anyone get anybright ideas…”

SHOOTOUT!: What happens next is entirely up to the actions ofthe players. If they do nothing, the gangsters will make off withthe ray as they have a fast getaway car waiting at the back of thelab and cover their escape with gunfire to keep everyone’s headsdown. Players may want to give chase in their own cars orvehicles. If they do, make sure the gangsters manage to loosethem after a lengthy chase/vehicular shootout. Make sure thatone of the gangsters is fatally shot and falls from their car. If youhave to, give the gangsters a smokescreen device on their carthat they can use. If the players decide to fight the gangsters, agunfight/fistfight will erupt as the entire lab goes into a wildmelee. All NPCs will duck for cover or run for safety. Thegangster’s stats are: Moxie 2/Shooting 2/Brawling 2/Blood 12.

At some point during the fight, someone will knock over a vialof chemicals or a stray bullet will strike it. A dense noxiouscloud will fill the room. All players must make a Moxie Checkat a –1 penalty or be knocked out by the gas after a fewmoments. Make Moxie checks and every few moments after thatif they remain in the gas. Shooting and Brawling in the gascloud both suffer a –1 penalty as well. Either way, in the scuffleone of the gangsters will be fatally shot either from one of theplayers or from one of his own gang while the others grab the

ray and escape in their car. Any gangsters thatwere knocked out are dragged away by theircompanions in the confusion.

DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES: Regardless of the player’sactions, the gangsters should steal the ray and one ofthem should be killed and left behind by the others.

Any player who has the Detective background or can makea Gray Matter Check will immediately recognize the deadgangster (either from the car chase or lab shootout) as

Bugsy Gillespie – a notorious bank robber who wasgunned down and killed by the police two

weeks ago! Unfortunately, Dr. Fenniganwas killed in the gunfire in the lab so anyinput he might have had is now moot.Any lab staff is just as clueless and noneknow of any enemies the Doctor mayhave had. The Police seem to think that itwas either an inside job and they knewwhen to attack when security was itsmost venerable or it was just dumb luckthat led them to attack when they did.Smart players should suspect that it was

an inside job as their voices could have beeneasily overheard through the glass door of the lab andmost thieves don’t try to steal when there are large

numbers of people around.

Players should now be wondering how the dead live again andwhat possible reason ordinary gangsters would want somethinglike the atomic ray. If you used the car chase and used thesmokescreen getaway, they should also be wondering wheresuch a device was obtained. This should clue them in that thereis a far more malevolent power at work than simple theft.

THE CRIMSON TIGER SPEAKS!: Players won’t have long to wait forsome of their answers. One day later, the city’s largestnewspaper will receive an telephone call demanding$100,000,000 in one week or he will turn the atomic ray on thecity and cause massive destruction and death. The caller onlyidentifies himself as “The Crimson Tiger.”

Tune In Next Week for Our Next Exciting Episode! – “Forty-Five Caliber Death!”

The Crimson Tiger Strikes! – Chapter TwoBy James Stubbs

The Premise: The late Dr. Fennigan’s atomic ray device hasbeen stolen from under the player’s noses by a group of maskedgangsters – one of whom was reported dead! Shortly after thetheft, a mysterious figure calling himself The Crimson Tiger hasdemanded one million dollars or he would turn the ray on thecity itself! In this chapter, players should be able to find thegangster hideout and the important clue contained there, butshould also get caught in the deathtrap to provide a cliffhangerfor the next chapter.

The Setup: Players should have made an effort to search thebody of the dead gangster. If they don’t, a beat cop who arriveson the scene will discover that there is a matchbook from the IsisClub in his jacket pocket with the telephone number “Berkshire426” written on the inside cover. The Isis Club is a matter ofconvenience and a bit ofa ploy to sidetrack theplayers. It has absolutelynothing to do with themystery although youcould have the playerstussle with the club’sbouncer if they get tonosy or insistent. Ifthey’re nice or greasesome palms, they canfind out from thebartender that Bugsyfrequented the club andwas occasionally seenwith many women therebut, other than that, he wasn’t a standout customer and alwayspaid his tab.

Is That A Gun In Your Pocket Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?:Berkshire 426 happens to be a fairly upscale brownstone that isowned by a Miss Gina Vincent. She is the Cat’s Meow andknows it. Portray her as the very sultry Lauren Bacall-type ofseductress. Players who can aggressively flirt or just flatter hershamelessly will learn that she had been dating Bugsy Gillespieat the time of his previous unfortunate demise. She’ll reveal thatshe was about ready to dump him anyway because she thinksthere was another dame in his life because he would often getphone calls from a unidentified lady who asked for him. Hewould get all hush-hush and the only thing she managed tooverhear once was “he hated going to the sticks ‘cause all thatrock stuff would get on his duds.” A quarry should come tomind and an abandoned one is conveniently located out in thenearby countryside. If they’re thinking mountains, inform themthat there isn’t a mountain within 200 miles of the city.

The Quarry: Tierman & Sons Gravel Quarry is located only a fewhours outside of the city. It went bankrupt several years before

and has been abandoned. If the players are stealthy, they willfind a car parked outside the old foreman’s shack. Otherwise,the building will appear to be abandoned because they’ve movedthe car behind a nearby rubble pile to conceal it and also to keepit from being disabled in case they need to make a quickgetaway. The only real difference here is one of surprise – eitherthe players will have it or they don’t. There are six gangstersinside involved in a game of cards, eating and listening to asmall radio on the rickety table if the players managed to sneakup on them. Otherwise, they will all be trying to concealthemselves for an ambush on the first characters entering theshack. Due to close quarters, any fighting will be fisticuffs ortrying to pistol-whip an opponent. Stray bullets can bedangerous to friend and foe alike. Feel free to roll for any strayshots that might hit other players if the party gets trigger-happy.

These gangsters stats are: Moxie2/Shooting 2/Brawling 2/Blood 12.

The players should be able to defeatthe gangsters. Fudge some rolls if youhave to and make sure that the playersare victorious and that one of thegangsters is still conscious or alive atthe end of the fight. Players willundoubtedly question him about theray and he’ll reply and tell them thattheir boss, “Big Mike,” was hired bythis funny lookin’ guy in a tiger maskto filch the doohickey. He doesn’tknow where “the boss” is other than hewas out to do another errand for the

tiger guy. The guy doesn’t really know too much more than that– he wasn’t paid to be smart. Secretly roll for all the player’sCunning scores now to see if they can detect the sound of a barbeing lowered across the front door. The only visible exits arethe front door and the two windows.

Deathtrap!: Before the players get to question him too muchmore, the small radio will crackle a bit and a voice will comefrom it. It’s the Crimson Tiger who claims that now the playersknow far too much than is good for them and that they must bedealt with before they become a bigger thorn in his side. A shotwill suddenly ring out, one of the windows will shatter inwardand the gangster will slump over after being fatally shot. A loadof dynamite will explode on a rock pile behind the shack atalmost the same instant and start an avalanche of boulders anddirt that will flatten the shack and bury everyone inside! Anyattempts to run out the door or jump through the windows willfail as the door has been barred and the windows were nailedshut when the quarry was shut down.

Tune In Next Week for Our Next Exciting Episode! – “The Living Dead!”

The Crimson Tiger Strikes! – Chapter ThreeBy James Stubbs

The Premise: In this chapter, the players should enter the secretroom beneath the foreman’s shack and discover the suppliesthere, Bugsy Gillespie will return from the dead and theCrimson Tiger will make his first mistake!

The Setup: There are two different ways out of the shack: thewindows and a trapdoor in the floor. The window is probablythe first thought as the .45 slug that iced the gangster shatteredone of the windows. However, its slow going as only one personcan squirm through a window and there are only two windows –both will have broken glass shards even after the players smashthem out. The boulders will get there before the first two peopleget out. The trapdoor is the fun way and also a significantclue. If you want to run a twist on it, have the bouldershit the shack and collapse it burying the players inside.Conveniently enough, the shack collapses around theplayers and will allow them to find the trapdoor. Useany method that you think will provide the most funand suspense for the players.

The Trapdoor: The trapdoor leads down awooden ladder into a room beneath the shack.Players will find several containersmarked “Quicksilver”, several casksof an unmarked and unknownliquid, a gurney with “Property:City Morgue” stenciled on it and alarge glass vial on a table filledwith a greenish liquid with severalsyringes next to it. Let the playerstake what they want within reasonalthough the vial is the importantobject and the gurney from the morgueshould give them a clue on where they needto investigate next. Any Scientist who analyzes theliquid in the vial or any character that can make a successfulGray Matter Check will discover that it is a powerful electrolyte.

The Morgue: The next stop should be at the morgue. As theyarrive, two men carrying an empty stretcher are leaving. Theywill greet the characters as they deposit the stretcher in the backof an ambulance as well as make an offhand comment about“that one was a bad one” if the players inquire about the emptystretcher. These men are really gangsters who have just finishedkilling the mortician. The players will find his quickly coolingbody hastily stuffed into one of the storage vaults for corpsesinside the morgue. A search of the body will reveal small specksof quicksilver on his jacket and an empty notepad in his shirtpocket. If they pay even more attention to the notepad or there isa Detective in the group, have the player(s) make a Grey MatterCheck to notice that the top page has been imprinted with theoutline of what was on the previous top page. It reads, “2 pm –

work completed for Ralston. Demand pay. 2:15 – Gillespie topick up bodies for delivery to Virginia.”

Yes, Virginia, There Is A Freighter: Virginia doesn’t refer to astate. The Virginia is a tramp freighter at the docks. It iscurrently being used as an unorthodox and cleverly disguisedlaboratory. Players who foolishly rush aboard with guns blazingwill be easily wounded and captured by the twenty gangstersonboard. Stealth is the key. Have the players shimmy up theanchor chain at midnight or devise some other sneaky way ofgetting on the ship. Don’t make it too tough for them. Theguards are complacent and some have even dosed off or areplaying cards to pass the time. Steer them towards the holdwithout making it too obvious although smart players shouldrealize that the hold is one place they should check anyway.

The revived Gillespie is in the hold overseeing the reviving offive other criminal bodies. Each body has a small rubber hosesnaking into their mouths. The hoses are connected to small

clear rubber bladders of green liquid. The bladders, in turn,each have to electrical wires running into each. The wires are

connected to a multi-switched control box on the wall. At thefirst sign of trouble, Gillespie will draw his pistol,

upturn the table he was sitting at and throw themaster switch on the box. This will revive thefive bodies instantly and they will attack with

their fists after one round of combat.Gillespie’s stats are: Moxie 2/Shooting 3/Brawling 2/Blood 20. Revived gangsterstatistics are: Moxie 2/Shooting1/Brawling 2/Blood 10. Gillespie knows

that the jig is up and the only way toescape is through the players. He shoots to

kill and this should be treated as a verydangerous encounter. Anyone encountering

one of the revived gangsters will notice that theycan feel an unnatural heat from them. This is because the bodieshave been given a shot from the atomic ray to prepare them forthe electrolyte dose.

A Locker? And Who’s Davie?: Gillespie has nothing to loose atthis point. He’s already been a dead man once before after all.As he goes down, he will press a button that will detonateexplosive charges against the ship’s hull below the waterline.Have everyone make Moxie Checks to avoid being thrown tothe deck. It will take them one round to stand. Seawater beginsto gush into the ship in torrents. Have a small speaker mountedon the wall call out, “So you escaped my trap at the quarry. Letssee how well you do holding your breath! Goodbye, fools!You’ve meddled with the Crimson Tiger’s plans for the lasttime!”

Tune In Next Week for Our Next Exciting Episode! – “Ralston’s Revenge”

The Crimson Tiger Strikes! – Chapter FourBy James Stubbs

The Premise: Trapped inside a sinking freighter, the playersmust escape but will even their heroic daring protect them fromthe clutches of Big Mike Ralston who has been sent to enact thevengeance of the Crimson Tiger upon the city? In Chapter Four,players should defeat Ralston’s attempt to turn the atomic rayupon the city dam and discover the secret hideout of theCrimson Tiger.

The Setup: Getting out of the sinking ship is going to be tricky.Play up the suspense of the gushing water at their heels and thequickly listing vessel. Have them running on the former walls ofthe ship towards the end as the ship begins to severely list beforegoing under. Have them make some Moxie Checks to keepupright and moving as loose objects scatter everywhere. If youwant to be really mean, say the explosions also started fires andthat dense smoke makes it hard to see. You can impose a penaltyon Grey Matter Checks to see if they can remember how tobacktrack. Don’t let any of the players die, but you can certainlymake them believe that there is a very good chance thatthey might.

Sending in the Muscle: The CrimsonTiger isn’t very pleased with the lossof his laboratory or six of hisrevived criminals. The necessityof killing off the mortician hasalso limited his supply ofrevivifying fluid. This has forcedhim to accelerate his plans. As aresult, he decides that the city isbeing obstinate in meeting his demands andthat they could use a small demonstration of his power. He hasordered Ralston and six of his men to destroy the city dam withthe atomic ray. The resulting hundreds of deaths shouldconvince the city of his seriousness.

The gangsters have loaded the atomic ray into a van disguised asa City Sentinel newspaper van. Have the players make aCunning Check to notice that the driver of the van is one of theattendants that they encountered at the morgue. This chanceencounter should just be after the players have had some time torecover from the sinking ship. The van will leave before theycan act and they will have to quickly find some means ofpursuit. There are several taxis around that they could grab orthey could try to commandeer someone’s car with a successfulCunning Check. Whatever happens, they won’t be able to catchup with the van but they can keep it in sight and easily enoughfollow it. Secretly make a Cunning roll for the gangsters in thevan to see if they notice that they are being followed. They havea Cunning of 2.

The Atomic Ray: If the gangsters notice they are being followed,they will turn a sharp turn and stop the van. They will thenproceed to set an ambush. The van blocks the road and thegangsters are waiting to use their pistols to fill the pursuing carwith lead. Any vehicle the players use will give them 2 APs toall parts of their bodies except the head due to its steel body.Otherwise, the players should be able to follow them to a bluffoverlooking the dam. The gangsters will begin to erect a tripodfor the ray. Unless the players do anything to stop them, theywill fire the ray at the dam within ten minutes and blast amassive hole in it. If the players sneak up on them, make sure tohave everyone roll Cunning to avoid being noticed. A fight willbreak out starting with an exchange of gunfire but shoulddegenerate down into a fistfight. Be careful of the ledge that hasa twenty-foot sheer drop into the stream below! (Damage 8)Anyone tossed off the ledge is effectively out of the fightbecause of the long amount of time it would take them to getback and/or injuries sustained from the fall.

There are five gangsters and Ralston involved.Ralston will hold back and

attempt to protect the raywhile his men tussle withthe players. Ralstonwon’t hesitate to fireinto the melee if hethinks that he can hitone of the players. Hismen, however, don’t

have such compulsions. Ifthe fight starts to go against

him, he will throw the ray into the backof their van and try to make a getaway. For maximum fun, allowone of the players to jump onboard the speeding van and crawlacross the top of it to try to get to the cab a la Indiana Jones asRalston swerves the van to try to shake them off.Ralston’s game stats are: Moxie 3/Shooting 3/ Brawling 3/Blood20.

Singing Like A Canary: All of the gangsters know where thesecret hideout is although Ralston is the best option, as he knowsthe booby traps. Despite how bloodthirsty your players are, atleast one of the gangsters or Ralston has to be taken alive andtalking. None of them are stupid and will rat out their employerin a heartbeat. If the players make nice overtones like “reducedsentence if they cooperate”, they will gladly volunteer to leadthe players to the hideout… a gun in the back will alsoaccomplish the same result. This is it! The players are off to thefinal showdown with The Crimson Tiger!

Tune In Next Week for the Exciting Conclusion! – “The Crimson Tiger!”

The Crimson Tiger Strikes! – Chapter Five

By James Stubbs

The Premise: Having foiled Ralston’s attempt to destroy the citydam with the atomic ray, the players with a prisoner in tow areled towards The Crimson Tiger’s secret hideout to end his reignof terror for good.

Mineshaft Melee: The captured prisoner will lead the PCs to anabandoned mine about thirty miles away in the foothills. Insidethe mine, TV cameras are monitoring the tunnel leading to thehideout. Their approach and entrance will be noticed. TheCrimson Tiger will dispatch the six remaining men fromRalston’s gang to stop the players at all costs. One of them wasthoughtful enough to bring along a stick of dynamite (Damage:15), which he will light and throw at the players if the fightstarts to go against the gangsters. Yes. This will cause a cave-inand force the players to see the adventure through.The Crimson Tiger has his own secret way outthat he and the gangsters can use to get out.Make sure that the captured gangstersurvives the encounter.

Going Down?: Once the players havedealt with the gangsters, traveling a littleway down the shaft will lead them to afreight elevator leading down. Theelevator has a lever set in the middle ofa dial between “Up” and “Down.” Theelevator is trapped. Anyone attempting touse the elevator without first throwing thelever to “Up” and then to “Down” will setit off. The trap causes the gripping gears atthe bottom of the elevator to release andplunge the elevator and its passengers down totheir deaths 150 ft. below. Anyone who comments onthe mechanism should be allowed to make a Cunning orGrey Matter Check to notice the modifications to the controlsand how to bypass them.

If they trigger the trap, allow everyone on the elevator to make aMoxie Check to grab onto the elevator cable to avoid the lethalride down. They still, however, have a 150 ft. hand-over-handdescent to accomplish. Require some more Moxie Checks if youfeel like it. Again, make sure that the captured gangstersurvives.

What’s the Password?: At the bottom of the elevator shaft, theplayers will encounter a large metal door with a covered eye slit.Knocking on the door will cause the eye slit to open andsomeone to look out and demand the password. This is probablythe most dangerous spot for the players. If the person lookingout sees strangers with the captured gangster, they will silently

alert everyone in the room to prepare to attack. If the PCs hideand make the gangster say the password, the prisoner will say“the tiger lairs soundly.” This is an agreed upon password to useif you are in trouble. Everyone in the room will go on alert.Either way, the players are going to be attacked when they enterthe room.

The Big Brawl: The door leads into the main “lair” of TheCrimson Tiger. When they enter the room, the captured gangsterturns on them and starts to fight with his fists as everyone else inthe room joins in. The room’s occupants are five revivedgangsters and The Crimson Tiger. Use the stats for revivedgangsters from Chapter Three but increase their shooting skill to2. The Crimson Tiger’s game statistics are: Moxie 3/Shooting 3/

Brawling 3/Blood 20.

The gangsters will start shooting at the playerswith their pistols regardless of the former

prisoner fighting hand-to-hand with theplayers. Have him die dramatically -preferably by being shot in the back. Ifthe players rush the gangsters, it willdegenerate down into a fistfight. TheCrimson Tiger will take cover behind hisornate desk and chair and fire his pistolat the players. He’s a good enough shotto generally be able to target them even

in a wild melee. Resourceful or justbloodthirsty players could have possibly

carried the atomic ray with them. If theyturn it on The Crimson Tiger, the fight will be

over quick as the ray has a damage rating of 50but won’t even leave anything left of him to identify

afterwards. Using the ray as a gun, however, imposes a –2penalty on Shooting rolls due to its bulk and tremendous power.Anyway, this is the finale and nobody is taking any captives.Shoot to kill. The players should manage to come out victoriousbut probably not without a casualty or two on their side. Youcan have someone make a poignant statement at the end for thefallen heroes and heroines.

After a wild fight and the subduing or death of The CrimsonTiger, he is unmasked as Tom Gilmore, Dr. Fennigan’s formerassistant! If you want to add an additional twist, have CarlaConners, the other assistant, step in behind the players with atommy gun as she is involved as well! On either of them, havethe players discover correspondence from an enemy countrypromising to pay them $1 million dollars for the atomic rayprototype. They were getting greedy and trying to also extort thecity for an additional million. End of story… roll the credits.

http://www.deep7.com