The Modern Dispatch 089 - ...

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The
Modern
Dispatch
Foundation of Blood
Introduction
When Lone Star Savings & Loan, a private banking
venture in Pinebox, Texas, fell on hard times, the
local business community was pleased to learn that an
international banking corporation had made a generous
offer to buy out the small concern. More importantly,
the corporation, First Foundation Bank, seemed intent
on making investments in the community while
maintaining the neighborly nature of the bank. Most
of the employees were invited to stay in their current
positions and several bank officers found work within
the new corporation, ensuring a smooth transfer of
ownership. The offices on the second and third floors
of the bank building, previously vacant, filled with
new clients, including the new North American offices
of First Foundation Bank.
However, all has not gone well. Soon after the
change in ownership, employees felt a corporate
chill creep into what had been a family-friendly
business. Not only did the temperature in the building
literally drop, but most employees think the new bank
president, Bridgette Laurine, is cold and impersonal.
The new security guards are polite enough, but are
unnerving in a way that people cannot seem to explain.
Employees are encouraged to leave as near to closing
time as possible, and they often find that things have
been moved when they return the next day. Lastly,
Laurine has told workers that they have no need to go
up to the corporate offices on the third floor and should
avoid doing so.
gain power, resources, and to feed her insatiable lust
for blood. The vampire, Kallisto, recently decided to
leave Europe and come to the United States, where she
felt she could increase her power and influence and feed
in relative obscurity. After searching several locations
around the country, her minions happened on Lone
Star Savings & Loan, and she quickly assimilated it
into her empire. Her minions then set about preparing
the quaint location for the arrival of their mistress.
Adventure Outline
This adventure pits the heroes against the forces of a
powerful vampire who holds the reigns of a financial
corporation.
Scene 1: A Woman in Need
As the heroes emerge from the Sundown Cineplex (see
Modern Dispatch #73
) theater, they hear a commotion
(
Listen
, DC 7) from a nearby alley. If they investigate,
they find two men in ski masks beating and robbing a
cornered woman. The appearance of the heroes causes
the men to flee down the alley, fighting only if the
heroes pursue them. At the end of the alley, they enter
a waiting unmarked van, which leaves the scene with
#89
Requires the use of the d20 Modern Roleplaying
Game, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
“Howdy” from 12 to Midnight
In case you are not familiar with us, 12 to Midnight
is a Texas-based RPG publisher specializing in
modern horror. You might not normally think “Texas”
and “horror” go together, but we are pretty sure you
will change your mind after spending some time in
Pinebox.
Pinebox, Texas, that is—a nice little rural community
smack-dab in East Texas. There is a university nearby,
a pine forest called the Big Thicket, and a mess of
beautiful wildflowers every spring. Unfortunately, it is
also the epicenter of a whole lot of bad mojo. We’re
talking dark magic, serial killers, haunted buildings—
the whole ball of wax.
If you want to learn more about Pinebox, just visit
our Web site at
12tomidnight.com
. You can start using
the free campaign setting on our site right now, then
watch it continue to grow right here in the pages of
Modern Dispatch
. Of course, Pinebox is
our
setting,
but all the material in these pages can just as easily be
dropped into
yours
.
If you have any ideas for future issues,
or if you want to comment on what you
read here, please drop by the forums on
our website.
Author:
Neal.hyde�
layout:
Jennifer.leGrevellec�
editors:
Trey.gorden�
ed.wetterman
The Real Scoop
First Foundation Bank is a multi-national business
owned by an ancient vampire who uses it as a front to
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screaming tires.
If the heroes fail their
Listen
check or do not care
to investigate the scene, a woman stumbles out of the
alley, into the heroes, and pleads for their help.
The woman, Tiffany Bishop, is reluctant to deal
with the police and would rather have the heroes just
take her home. Characters who succeed at a
Sense
Motive
check (DC 15) realize that she fears doing so
will provoke another attack.
Scene 2: An Angry Father
This scene occurs at the Bishop residence, a large,
Victorian home in a wealthy neighborhood of Pinebox.
It could also occur at the hospital if the heroes ignored
Tiffany’s request and called the police anyway.
Tiffany’s mother, Danielle Bishop, panics when she
sees her daughter’s bruises, and the heroes must help
calm her down using either the
Knowledge (behavioral
sciences)
skill (DC 10), or the
Diplomacy
skill (DC 10).
Tiffany’s father, Mort, thanks the heroes and offers to
reward them for their aid. If they accept, this adds a +1
to their Wealth bonus for the duration of the adventure.
He also asks if they would be interested in helping
out the family. He is willing to pay the heroes to find
out who the attackers were and why they went after
Tiffany. Mort believes that Tiffany’s boss, Bridgette
Laurine, the new president of First Foundation Bank,
set up the attack. He thinks it was a not-so-subtle
message to stop looking into Laurine’s affairs.
If the heroes successfully
Gather Information
(DC
5), they learn the following:
• Mort Bishop is the founder and former president of
Lone Star Savings & Loan of Pinebox.
• First Foundation Bank recently acquired Lone Star
Savings & Loan. Mort retired, but Tiffany stayed on
as a controller.
• The employees do not like the new owners or the
new bank president, Bridgette Laurine.
• The bank employees are discouraged from going
to the corporate offices on the third floor.
• An employee, Lucy Genevieve, told Tiffany that she
believed something unusual was going on in the bank
at night. That employee has since disappeared.
• Tiffany began to ask other employees about unusual
activity at the bank after closing time, and Laurine
told her to stop. When Tiffany asked why, Laurine
threatened her job.
• Mort Bishop’s other daughter, Leslie Bishop, is
employed at First Foundation Bank’s headquarters
in Greece; they have had only limited contact with
her for several months, and they are worried that
something is wrong.
Scene 3: Research and
Investigation
If the heroes successfully
Research
First Foundation
Bank, they find the following:
• Most of the employees from Lone Star Savings &
Loan who stayed on after the acquisition have left
because they did not like the new management.
• President Laurine is a cold woman who is very good
at finance but has few interpersonal skills.
• Laurine hired all the security guards from out of
town. They make the employees uncomfortable.
• Most of the employees feel uncomfortable in the
bank, as if someone is always watching them.
Also, it is cold in the building, even on the hottest
days.
• Employees are not allowed to stay more than an
hour past closing, and few want to.
• Late-night deliveries are often made to the bank and
the businesses upstairs.
Scene 3.1: The Vanished Employee
If the heroes investigate the missing woman, Lucy
Genevieve, they find that she is a single woman, age
29, who disappeared three nights ago. Coworkers last
saw her in the bank parking lot as she was getting
into her car, presumably getting ready to drive
home from work. The police are investigating this
as a missing person’s case, but they are not looking
into it aggressively. If the heroes go to the missing
woman’s apartment, they see her car parked there.
If they use
Diplomacy
(DC 15) to talk the building
superintendent into unlocking the door, they find her
apartment in good shape.
Genevieve was kidnapped by some goons of Walter
Gotthold, executive assistant to Kallisto, and is being
DC Research Results
• First Foundation Bank is a multi-national
organization, and the Pinebox branch is its first entry
into American banking.
• Other businesses located in the building include
Oracle Medical Transcription, Clarke & Hogan (a
law firm) and Close2U (a computer dating service),
all located on the second floor. First Foundation
Bank’s regional headquarters occupies the third floor.
5
• First Foundation Bank has branches in Greece,
Germany and Luxembourg. The corporate
headquarters is on the Greek island of Syros.
• The CEO of First Foundation Bank is Joanna
Kallisto. She is also the primary shareholder.
• First Foundation Bank owns not just the bank, but
also the three-storey building it is located in.
10
d20 Modern and Wizards of the Coast are trademarks
of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the United States and
other countries and are used with permission. ‘d20
System’ and the ‘d20 System’ logo are trademarks of
Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and are used according to the
terms of the d20 System License version 6.0. A copy of
this License can be found at www.wizards.com/d20.
If the heroes speak to some of the other bank
employees (
Gather Information
, DC 17), they learn
the following:
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held on the third floor of the bank, in Kallisto’s lair, as
a welcoming gift.
having just arrived from Greece. The smaller boxes
contain various possessions of hers, including her
prized possessions: a pair of ancient Greek
xiphi
(short
swords).
sawing through her rope bonds and pulling a board
loose from the window.
Spot
(DC 15), or
Treat Injury
(DC 10) shows this to be a lie because she does not
have abrasions on her wrists. A character looking
at Genevieve’s throat may
Spot
(DC 20) two small
puncture wounds hidden by her hair.
While the heroes are listening to Genevieve’s tale,
the house comes under attack by Walter Gotthold’s
thugs. Six bank security guards in ski masks attempt
to force their way into the house, shooting through the
windows and doors. The gunfire is random, but if the
heroes return fire the guards concentrate on them.
During the attack, Mort Bishop takes Genevieve
to safety upstairs, where he has a shotgun. However,
when they reach the upper floor, Genevieve opens a
window and Kallisto enters, attacks the old man, and
drains him of blood. After the attack, Genevieve and
Kallisto depart in gaseous form, leaving the corpse of
Mort Bishop on the floor. If one of the heroes attempts
to go with Genevieve and Mort, Genevieve attacks the
hero while Kallisto attacks Mort. A hero who realizes
that a vampire is attacking him must make a Will save
(DC 15) or panic for 1d4 rounds. Alternatively, if using
Fear Effects
, this is a
great fright
.
If more than one hero accompanies Mort, Genevieve
still opens the window, but Kallisto does not risk an
attack. As more time passes with no appearance by her
mistress, Genevieve becomes increasingly agitated.
Eventually, if it looks like no opportunity is going to
present itself, Kallisto calls off the attack and leaves
Genevieve alone. Genevieve takes the first opportunity
to leave and return to the bank.
Assuming that no more than one hero accompanies
Mort Bishop and Genevieve, the guards attack for
only as long as it takes Kallisto to exsanguinate Mort
(less than a minute). As soon as the vampires finish,
the guards withdraw in the unmarked white van. To
protect their identity, they leave no wounded or dead
behind. The police arrive less than a minute after the
security guards leave, but they are unable to find the
Scene 3.2: Unpleasant Visitors
If the heroes fail a
Gather Information
check while
speaking to some of the bank employees (see
Scene 3:
Research and Investigation
), they alert the suspicions
of Gotthold, who sends some of the security guards to
visit the heroes the next day. They confront the heroes
and strongly suggest (
Intimidate
) that they mind their
own business.
Scene 4: Late-Night Delivery
If the heroes watch the bank building at night, they
see the late-night delivery of a large box the size of
a refrigerator, as well as several smaller boxes. The
deliveryman takes the boxes inside the building and
up the elevator. A successful
Spot (DC 10)
check
reveals the delivery truck’s out-of-state plates and
moniker identifying it as a company that specializes
in transporting goods delivered by sea. The large box,
of course, contains the vampire, Kallisto, in her coffin,
Scene 4.1: Last Delivery
The delivery truck is later found crashed and burning
outside of Pinebox, the victim of an apparent accident.
If the heroes follow the truck, they see it speed up,
ram into a concrete barricade, and burst into flames,
instantly killing the driver (who was dominated by
Kallisto). If the group does not follow the truck, then
they hear about the accident on the news the next day.
Scene 5: Reappearances and
Disappearances
The night following Kallisto’s delivery to the bank,
Lucy Genevieve appears at the Bishops’ front door.
Her unkempt clothes are dirty and her long, dark hair is
a mess. She is distraught and tells the Bishops that she
has learned something important about the bank. If the
heroes are at the Bishop home, either planning their next
actions or protecting the family, they are present when
Genevieve appears. If they are not, Mort immediately
calls the heroes to tell them that the missing woman
has reappeared and that she has important information.
Regardless, Tiffany and Mort invite Genevieve into
the house and attempt to comfort her. If the heroes are
suspicious, let them make
Sense Motive
checks, opposed
by Genevieve’s
Bluff
skill (+15), to determine that she is
faking her distress. Do not ask them to make the check
or you will ruin the surprise.
When the heroes are present, Genevieve tells
everyone present that men using the bank to funnel
money to Middle Eastern terrorists kidnapped her
and held her captive in a house on the southeast side
of Pinebox. The heroes may make another
Sense
Motive
check against Genevieve’s
Bluff
skill (+15)
to perceive that she is lying. She says she escaped by
What is Fear Effects?
Fear Effects
is 12 to Midnight’s
own set of add-on horror rules.
These rules do not require the use
of a sanity score. Instead, they
rely on a saving throw called a
Horror check. You will see references to three
different kinds of Horror checks mentioned in
this adventure:
minor spooks
,
medium shocks
,
and
great frights
.
If you aren’t using
Fear Effects
, be sure to check
it out. It makes any mediocre game great, and any
great game (such as those by 12 to Midnight) even
better. However, if you still are not convinced to
run this adventure using the
Fear Effects
rules,
then just ignore comments in the adventure about
minor spooks
,
medium shocks
, or
great frights
.
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Scene 7: The Missing
Daughter’s Story
Someone, either the authorities or her family, takes
Leslie Bishop to the Golan County hospital and checks
her into the psychiatric ward. Leslie’s family and the
heroes may speak to her, but she is heavily sedated and
communication is difficult. If the heroes succeed in a
Diplomacy
check (DC 15), they learn the following:
• She was at the head office of First Foundation Bank
on the island of Syros.
• She discovered that Kallisto was some kind of
monster that ate people, and so were many of the
First Foundation Bank employees.
• Kallisto held her prisoner, but she escaped by
jumping into the sea.
• She does not remember returning to Pinebox.
• She does not remember attacking her father’s coffin,
but she is certain that he is now one of Kallisto’s
monsters.
Scene 8: The Rising of Mort
Bishop
This scene occurs at the cemetery where Mort Bishop
is interred. At one o’clock in the morning on the
night after the funeral, a white, unmarked van, driven
by Walter Gotthold, enters the cemetery. Gotthold,
Bridgette Laurine, and three security guards emerge
from the van and proceed to Mort’s gravesite. It is
there that Kallisto materializes from gaseous form and
greets them. The security guards stand watch while the
newly created undead that was Mort Bishop claws its
way out of the grave to be met by the trio. Heroes who
witness this must make a Will save (DC 15), or panic
for 1d4 rounds. Alternatively, if using
Fear Effects
,
this is a
great fright
. If one of the heroes confronted
white van. If the heroes are brandishing firearms when
the police arrive, the officers take them into custody in
order to determine their role in the events.
When Mort Bishop’s body is discovered, Tiffany
and her mother collapse in tears. Kallisto is skilled at
making her bites appear to be other types of wounds,
so casual observers probably conclude that his throat
has been slashed. A
Treat Injury
check (DC 15),
however, reveals that there is not enough blood for a
neck wound of that severity, suggesting that Mort was
already dead when his throat was cut. The autopsy the
next day reveals that Mort died of a heart attack.
Genevieve is missing, and the only clue is a window
open to the night.
Scene 6: A Funeral Disrupted
Two days later, when Mort’s body is laid to rest at the
cemetery, the heroes may make a
Spot
check (DC 15)
to notice an out-of-place woman standing at the edge
of the crowd. Her hair is dirty and unkempt, she wears
filthy clothes, and she appears to be mentally disturbed.
If a hero’s success on the
Spot
check is 25 or greater,
he realizes that the woman has an ax hidden behind
her back. Heroes who succeeded in their
Spot
check
may attempt to stop the woman when she charges
the coffin, swinging the ax and screaming, “He’s not
really dead!” over and over again. The woman makes
no attempt to harm anyone but does try to damage the
coffin.
When the heroes subdue the woman, she sobs and
breaks down entirely. After the commotion dies down,
Danielle and Tiffany recognize the woman as Leslie
Bishop, Tiffany’s missing older sister. If, for some
reason, Danielle and Tiffany are not present during
this episode, the heroes should make an Intelligence
check (DC 10) to realize who she is.
Genevieve as a vampire, that hero gains a +2 bonus on
the Will save.
If the heroes do not interfere, Laurine and Gotthold
lead Bishop to the van, and the entire group returns to
Kallisto’s lair on the third floor of the First Foundation
Bank building. If the heroes do intervene, the security
guards and the vampire Bishop attempt to stop them
while the others escape. If the heroes do not destroy
Bishop, he travels to Kallisto’s lair to be with his new
mistress.
Scene 9: Gathering Darkness
How this adventure concludes is up to the heroes.
Unless the heroes stop her, Kallisto continues to hunt
the Bishops, making Tiffany and Leslie her spawn, just
like their father. When she is done with the Bishops,
she sends her minions after the heroes.
If the heroes decide to stop Kallisto, they may
be able to deal with Walter Gotthold and Bridgette
Laurine away from the bank, but Kallisto rarely leaves
her lair on the third floor. If the heroes draw her out or
somehow drive her from the lair, Kallisto takes refuge
in an abandoned house in Pinebox and then flees the
country. She may return later to take revenge on the
heroes, making a great returning villain.
If the heroes determine that they must confront
Kallisto in her lair, they must be careful to avoid conflict
with law enforcement. Tiffany Bishop can tell the
heroes how to disable the alarms in the First Foundation
Bank building, which gives them a +10 to the
Disable
Device
check. If the heroes fail to deactivate the alarm,
Golan County sheriff’s deputies arrive within 4+1d4
minutes of the alarm being activated.
Destroying Kallisto is no easy task. Laurine, Gotthold,
and any remaining guards protect the vampire, as does
her dog, Syracuse. Kallisto is also quite capable of
fighting for herself, and may allow the heroes to enter
her lair so she can more easily slay them.
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Cast of Characters
Leslie Bishop
Missing daughter and crazed witness to vampires
Mort Bishop (human)
Father and former owner of bank
Dedic
ated Hero 2 / Smart Hero 2 (CR 4); Entrepreneur; HD 2
d6+2d6
Initiative
–1
S
mart Hero 1 / Fast Hero 1 (CR 2); White Collar; HD 1d6+1
d8
Initiative
+2
BAB
+2
STR
17 (+3)
BAB
+0
STR
9 (–1)
Defense
12; touch 12;
flat footed 12
Melee
+1
DEX
15 (+2)
Defense
15; touch 15;
flat footed 13
Melee
–1
DEX
15 (+2)
Hit Points
14
Ranged
+1
CON
15 (+2)
Hit Points
9
Ranged
+2
CON
11 (0)
Save Fort
+2
Grapple
+1
INT
13 (+1)
Save Fort
+0
Grapple
–1
INT
13 (+1)
Save Ref
–1
Dmg Threshold
10
WIS
10 (0)
Save Ref
+3
Dmg Threshold
11
WIS
11 (0)
Save Will
+7
Action Points
2
CHA
8 (–1)
Save Will
+1
Action Points
1
CHA
14 (+2)
Attacks:
unarmed attack:
Atk +1;
Dmg 1d3–1; Crit 20; Non-lethal
Bludgeoning
Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun
: Atk
+1; Dmg 2d8; Crit 20; Ballistic
Speed:
30 ft
Facing/Reach:
5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft
Skills:
Computer Use
+5;
Diplomacy
+10
;
Gather Information
+4;
Inves-
tigate
+4;
Knowledge (behavioral
sciences)
+6;
Knowledge (business)
+11;
Knowledge (civics)
+7;
Knowl-
edge (current events)
+5;
Knowl-
edge (earth and life sciences)
+4;
Knowledge (history)
+4;
Knowledge
(physical sciences)
+4;
Listen
+5;
Profession
+7;
Research
+5;
Sense
Motive
+11;
Spot
+4;
Languages:
English (native)
Feats:
Attentive
;
Iron Will
;
Personal
Firearms Proficiency
;
Simple
Weapons Proficiency
;
Trustworthy
Talents:
Skill Emphasis (
Sense Motive
);
Savant (
Knowledge [business]
)
Wealth:
+12
Reputation/Allegiances:
+3 / Bishop Family
Possessions:
Cadillac Escalade;
Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun (5 boxes
of 12-gauge ammunition [10/box])
Attacks:
unarmed attack:
Atk –1;
Dmg 1d3–1; Crit 20; Non-lethal
Bludgeoning
ax
: Atk –1; Dmg 1d6–1; Crit 20;
Slashing
Speed:
30 ft
Facing/Reach:
5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft
Skills:
Balance
+4;
Computer Use
+6;
Craft (writing)
+3;
Diplomacy
+4;
Disable Device
+2;
Gather
Information
+4;
Hide
+4;
Jump
+1;
Knowledge (arcane lore)
+2;
Knowledge (business)
+7;
Knowledge (civics)
+5;
Knowledge
(current events)
+2;
Knowledge
(history)
+2;
Knowledge (popular
culture)
+3;
Profession
+4;
Research
+3;
Tumble
+6;
Languages:
English (native); French (speak,
read/write)
;
German (speak, read/
write)
;
Greek (speak, read/write)
Feats:
Acrobatic
;
Simple Weapons
Proficiency
;
Low Profile
Talents:
Evasion; Savant (Knowledge
[business])
Wealth:
+7
Reputation/Allegiances:
0 / Mort Bishop
Possessions:
Dirty clothes; ax
Profile
Leslie Bishop has only recently
returned to Pinebox after escaping from
the headquarters of Kallisto’s First
Foundation Bank on the Greek island
of Syros. She has amnesia and a wealth
of mental and emotional problems from
her difficulties. She knows that Kallisto
is a vampire and fears that her father
is now one as well. She is in her early
thirties and is very bedraggled and worn
when the heroes meet her.
Profile
Mort Bishop is the founder and former
owner of Lone Star Savings & Loan,
now First Foundation Bank. He is in his
early sixties, but fit for his age. He feels
that he owes it to his former employees
to find out what is going on. He is very
protective of his daughters and rewards
heroes who protect them.
Character Quotes:
“I should have tossed those foreign
bankers out on their rears when I had
the chance.”
“I’ve got money, but what makes me
rich is my family.”
Character Quotes:
“He’s not really dead!”
“Where am I?How did I get here?”
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