Editor’s Note: Grimmshade’s back at it again. This time, he’s offering an extended Action Scenes! article that spans four posts and offers a bit of variety to standard fisticuff action. This first post contains relevant characters and datafiles; the next post contains connected Action Scenes for a first Act; the third post introduces more datafiles (The Serpent Society) for use in the last post will offer an additional adventure to comprise an entire 2-Act Winter Soldier Event.
Super-assassins, secret agents, incredible tech, and gorillas with guns are all things I love. Ed Brubaker’s new Winter Soldier series really hits the sweet spot with all these things. Check it out if you haven’t already.
In the meantime, give your players some Marvel Heroic Roleplaying covert action with this adventure. It can be run as a one-shot, a lead-in to your own covert Event, or a companion to the forthcoming sequel adventure. The sequel will be more of a pulp action romp and together with this adventure will give you a short 2-Act Event.
Dramatis Personae
- Winter Soldier
- Red Ghost
- Super Apes
- Viper/Madame Hydra
- Hydra Troops
Winter Soldier
ID: James Buchanan Barnes
Affiliations: Solo d10, Buddy d8, Team d6
Distinctions: Cold War Super-Assassin, Believed Dead, Living up to the legend
Power Sets:
Bionic Arm
Enhanced Strength d8, Enhanced Reflexes d8, Enhanced Durability d8, Electric Bolt d6
SFX: EMP – Add a d6 and step up your effect die by +1 when inflicting a Complication or Physical Stress on an electronic target with a dice pool including Electric Bolt.
SFX: Security Countermeasures – Step up or double Electric Bolt, or spend 1pp to do both, before adding it to any dice pool that involves circumventing electronic security.
Limit: Haunted by Past – Earn 1 PP to step up emotional stress inflicted by his assassin past.
Agent Gear
Weapon d8, Enhanced Durability d8
SFX: Focus – If a pool includes an Agent Gear power, you may replace two dice of equal size with one die +1 step larger.
SFX: Grenade Launcher/ Full-Auto/ Explosive Ammo – Step up or double Weapon power for one action. If the action fails, add a die to doom pool equal to the normal rating of your power die.
Limit: Gear – Shutdown an Agent Gear power and gain 1 PP. Take an action vs. doom pool to recover.
Specialties: Acrobatic Expert, Combat Master, Covert Master, Menace Expert, Vehicle Expert
Milestones
Redemption
1XP– When you declare someone a foe or victim from your assassin past.
3XP– When you confront the foe or make amends to the victim of your past.
10XP– When you redeem and close the chapter on a part of your past, or when you return to your old ways.
Agent
1XP – When you get orders from an agency, or send information back to them.
3XP – When you successfully use an information based asset you have created against someone.
10XP – When you are captured and brainwashed by an enemy, turn double agent, or come in from the cold.
History: “Captain America’s sidekick James “Bucky” Barnes died in action in the closing days of World War II, only to be resurrected by Department X, the Soviet Union’s secret science division, and brainwashed to be their perfect cold war assassin – The Winter Soldier! But when his former partner saved him and restored his memories, his troubles truly began… Now believed dead by the world at large, and haunted by his past, Bucky Barnes fights for redemption as The Winter Soldier.” – Teaser text from Winter Soldier #1, by Ed Brubaker
Abilities & Resources: James “Bucky” Barnes has a bionic arm that not only has enhanced reflexes and strength, but is also durable enough to use as a shield. the arm also emits an electrical pulse which can be used as am EMP. The arm has instruments that allow Bucky to bypass electronic security devices easier, such as making camera feeds loop for a few seconds. Finally, Winter Soldiers arm has secret compartments where he can carry concealed weapons, documents, etc.
Bucky has a custom pistol which can fire explosive rounds, and wears body armor. He is proficient in most weapons, and can bring in sniper rifles, assault rifles, grenade launchers ,etc with his Covert or Combat resources.
The Red Ghost
ID: Ivan Kragoff
Affiliations: Solo d8, Buddy d6, Team d10
Distinctions: Skilled Simian Trainer, Envious, Soviet Scientist
Power Sets:
Restructured Atoms
Intangible d10 , Invisible d10 , Airwalking d6, Enhanced Stamina d8
SFX: Phase Attack – If using Intangible power as an attack, add a d6 and step up Physical Stress inflicted by +1.
SFX: Phase Object – Add a d6 and step up your effect die by +1 when inflicting an Intangible-related complication on a target.
SFX: Versatile – Replace Intangibility die with 2d8 or 3d6 on your next roll.
Limit: Conscious Activation – If stressed out, asleep, or unconscious, shutdown Restructured Atoms. Recover Restructured Atoms when stress is recovered or you awake. If Mental Trauma is taken, shutdown Restructured Atoms until trauma is recovered.
Freeze Gun
Weapon d8
SFX: Focused Ray – If a pool includes an Agent Gear power, you may replace two dice of equal size with one die +1 step larger.
SFX: Immobilized – Add a d6 and step up your effect die by +1 when inflicting a Cold based complication on a target.
Limit: Gear – Shutdown Freeze Gun and step up or add d6 to the doom pool. Spend d6 from the doom pool to recover.
Specialties: Science Master, Tech Master, Psych Expert, Vehicle Expert
Bio: The Russian scientist Ivan Kragoff was determined to beat the Fantastic Four to the moon. To this end he built his own rocketship, designed to also heavily expose him and his three ape companions to cosmic rays and duplicate the bizarre event that transformed the Fantastic Four into powered humans. He succeeded, gaining the power to become intangible and invisible, as well as making things he touches intangible as well. His ape companions gained higher intelligence and super powers of their own, becoming the Super-Apes.
Not only does Ivan use intangible powers to pass through objects, air walk, and become invisible, but he can also attack with it by using intangible to take out hearts, and phase stuff into people.
The Super-Apes
Peotor – Orangutan, controls magnetism. (Minor Character)
Affiliations: Solo d4, Buddy d6, Team d8
Distinctions: Orangutan, Works for Food
Power Sets:
Magnetic Mastery d10
SFX: Area Attack – Add a d6 and keep an additional effect die for each additional target.
SFX: Versatile – Replace Magnetic Mastery die with 2d8 or 3d6 on your next roll.
Limit: Easily Fooled – Add d6 Doom and step up Mental Stress by +1.
Specialties: Acrobat Expert, Tech Expert
Igor – Baboon, shapeshift into anything. (Minor Character)
Affiliations: Solo d8, Buddy d4, Team d6
Distinctions: Intelligent Baboon, Full of Hate
Power Sets:
Super Ape
Shapeshift d12
SFX: Become Object – Add a d6 and step up your effect die by +1 when using Shapeshift to create assets.
SFX: Versatile – Split Shapeshift into 2d10, or 3d8.
Limit: Conscious Activation – If stressed out, asleep, or unconscious, shutdown Super Ape. Recover Super Ape when stress is recovered or you awake. If Mental Trauma is taken, shutdown Super Ape until trauma is recovered.
Baboon Gear
Pistol d6
SFX: Good Aim – If a pool includes a Baboon Gear power, you may replace two dice of equal size with one die +1 step larger.
Limit: Gear – Shutdown Baboon Gear and step up or add d6 to the doom pool. Spend d6 from the doom pool to recover.
Specialties: Acrobat Expert, Combat Expert, Covert Expert
Miklho 2 – Gorilla, Super Strong and Durable. (Minor Character)
Affiliations: Solo d8, Buddy d6, Team d4
Distinctions: 800 lb Gorilla, Death to America
Power Sets:
Super Ape
Superhuman Strength d10, Enhanced Durability d8, Enhanced Reflexes d8, Leap d6, Speed d6
SFX: Area Attack – Add +d6 and +1 effect for each additional target.
SFX: Mighty Blow – Spend d6 Doom to double Superhuman Strength for one action.
Limit: Gorilla Rage – Add d6 to the Doom Pool to step up Emotional Stress by +1 from opponents taunts or tricks.
Gorilla Gear
Machine Gun d8, Jet Pack d8
SFX: Belt-Fed Blast – step up or double Machine Gun for one action. If your action fails, remove a die from the Doom Pool equal to your power die or greater.
SFX: Area Attack – Add +d6 and +1 effect for each additional target.
Limit: Gear – Shutdown Gorilla Gear and step up or add d6 to the doom pool. Spend d6 from the doom pool to recover.
Specialties: Combat Expert, Menace Expert
Viper/Madame Hydra
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ID: Ophelia Sarkissian
Affiliations: Solo d6, Buddy d10, Team d8
Distinctions: Scarred Face, Terrorist Leader, Superb Strategist
Power Sets:
Viper Gear
Whip d6, Assault Rifle d8, Dagger d6, Teleportation Ring d8
SFX: Grapple – Add d6 and step up Effect by +1 when inflicting a Whip complication on target.
SFX: Poison – Add a d6 to your dice pool for an attack action and step back highest die in pool by –1. Step up Physical Stress inflicted by +1.
SFX: Focus – If a pool includes a Viper Gear power, you may replace two dice of equal size with one die +1 step larger.
Limit: Gear – Shutdown Viper Gear and step up or add d6 to the doom pool. Spend d6 from the doom pool to recover.
Specialties: Combat Master, Covert Expert, Crime Master, Menace Expert, Vehicle Expert
Bio: Ophelia Sarkissian began as an agent of Hydra, but rose to its leadership as Madame Hydra. She excels at terrorism, creating panic and destruction. At some point in her past, her face was scarred. She now covers the scarring with her hair.
She is a skilled combatant. She excels at criminal and terrorist activities and has a very extensive network of criminal contacts.
Hydra Soldier (Specialty Character)
Hydra Goon d6, Solo d4, Buddy d6, Team d8, Blaster Rifle d8, Body Armor d6
Hydra Squad (Mob of 12 goons)
Team 3d6
Distinctions: Hail Hydra!, Cut off One Head & Two Will Take Its Place
Gear: Body Armor d6, Comms d6, Blaster Rifles d8
SFX: Area Attack – Add a d6 and keep an additional effect die for each additional target.
SFX: Focus – If a pool includes a Gear power, you may replace two dice of equal size with one die +1 step larger.
Specialties: Combat Rookie
Hydra Dreadnaught (Minor character)
Affiliations: Solo d8, Buddy d6, Team d4
Distinctions: Robot Commando, Limited AI
Power Sets:
Robot
Superhuman Strength d10, Superhuman Durability d10, Enhanced Reflexes d8, Enhanced Speed d8, Sensors d6
SFX: Electrified Body – On a Reaction against a physical or conductive material attack action, inflict Physical Stress with your Effect Die at no cost, or spend d6 Doom to step it up by +1.
Limit: Robot – Versus a successful electrical or magnetic attack, add d6 Doom or step up lowest die in Doom Pool & step up opponents effect +1.
Weapons Systems
Weapon d8
SFX: Area Attack – Add a d6 and keep an additional effect die for each additional target.
SFX: Flame Thrower – Spend d6 Doom to Step Up or Double Weapon for one action.
SFX: Ice Blast – Add a d6 and step up your effect die by+1 when inflicting Freezing complication on a target.
Limit: Charged System – Shutdown Weapon and add d6 to the Doom Pool. Recover on an opportunity or during a Transition Scene.
Specialties: Combat Expert
The Dreadnaughts are non-sentient robotic combat instruments. They specialize in commando type raids. They have multi-layed weapons systems and are also programmed to fist fight as a Boxer.
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