d20 12 to Midnight The Beast Within - A Pinebox Tale.pdf

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The Beast Within: A Pinebox Tale
By Mike DeSanto
Edited by: Cray Crouse, Preston DuBose, Trey Gorden
Mechanics Edited by: Mark Gedak
Cover by: Nicole Cardiff
Maps by: Craig Largent
Artwork by: Kim Feigenbaum
Playtested by: Jerry Blakemore, Cory Bluhm, Jason Chapman, Cray Crouse
John Flinn, Landon Gregory, Craig Largent, Ed Wetterman
‘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.
d20 Modern(tm), and Dungeons & Dragons are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and is used with permission. Wizards of
the Coast(R) is a registered trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and is used with permission.
For information on the designation of Open Game Content and Product Identity in this publication, refer to the last page.
he Beast Within ©2007, Mike DeSanto. All rights reserved. 12 to Midnight and the 12 to Midnight logo are trademarks of 12 to Midnight. his material is
protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited
without the express written permission of 12 to Midnight.
his product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. Made in Texas, USA.
printer friendly v01; Modified 04/03/2007
12 to Midnight
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Table of Contents
Author Introduction ....................................3
A Note on the Psychological Illness Table .....................3
Section 0: GM Preparation ..........................4
0.1: Introduction..........................................................4
0.2: Levels ....................................................................4
0.3: Play Notes .............................................................4
0.4: GM Background ...................................................4
0.5: Plot Synopsis.........................................................7
0.6: Setting the Mood ................................................11
0.7: Recommended Plot Hook...................................11
0.8: Alternate Plot Hooks...........................................11
0.9: What’s in his One-Horse Town? ........................12
Section 1: he Crash ..................................13
1.1: Close Call ...........................................................13
1.2: Logging Road......................................................14
1.3: Tin Stars..............................................................15
Section 2: Investigation ..............................17
2.1: he Investigation Begins .....................................17
2.2: he Hunters are Being Hunted ...........................18
2.3: Tracking Down Gary Sheets’s Sister .....................18
2.4: Talking to the Pottses ..........................................19
2.5: Asking Around Town ..........................................21
2.6: Talking to Gary Sheets at the Cabin ....................21
2.7: Visiting Joe Landis’s Parents ................................24
2.8: Talking to Joe Landis’s Advisor ............................24
2.9: Talking to Joe Landis’s Roommate.......................24
2.10: Going to the Cops ............................................25
2.11: Visiting MasterGene .........................................25
Section 3: Escaping MasterGene ................28
3.1: Mad Science........................................................28
3.2: he Beast Within ................................................28
3.3: Basement Level B3 ..............................................29
3.4: Basement Level B2 (See GM Figure 4) ................34
3.5: Basement Level B1 (See GM Figure 5) ................36
3.6: Ground Floor Details ..........................................38
3.7: Raiding MasterGene ...........................................42
3.8: Conclusion 1—After Escaping MasterGene ........44
3.9: Conclusion 2—After Raiding MasterGene..........44
Appendix 1: Cast of Characters ..................46
Sergeant Don Cavanaugh(he Unfriendly Cop).........46
Steve Church (Joe’s Roommate) .................................46
Dr. Steven Glass, (Joe Landis’s Advisor)......................47
Vern Justice (Fisherman) ............................................47
Ben and Sharon Landis (Joe’s Parents) ........................47
Joe Landis (Murder Victim) .......................................47
MasterGene Special Security Guard ...........................47
Edna Nunn (Old Trailer Lady) ...................................48
Dr. Philip Perry (Mad Scientist) .................................48
Alex Potts (Gary Sheets’s Brother-in-Law) ..................50
Robin Potts (Gary Sheets’s Sister) ...............................50
Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Richards (he Friendly Cop) ....51
Alicia Rodriguez (Unwilling Test Subject) .................51
Eduardo Rodriguez(Unwilling Test Subject) ...............52
Jose Rodriguez (Unwilling Test Subject) .....................53
Manuel Rodriguez (Unwilling Test Subject) ...............53
Gary Sheets(Coyote) ..................................................54
Jack horne(MasterGene Head of Security) ...............55
Appendix 2: Cast of Creatures ....................57
Gorilla Man ...............................................................57
Tiger Man ..................................................................57
Appendix 3: Psychological Illnesses ...........59
Appendix 4: FX Items ................................61
Rejuvenator Virus .....................................................61
Assassin Virus ............................................................61
Trauma Ointment .....................................................61
Appendix 5: Maps ......................................62
Appendix 6: Player Handouts ....................68
About hese Handouts...............................................68
Handouts Table of Contents ......................................68
Page 2
12 to Midnight
Author Introduction
The Beast Within
A long time ago, 12 to Midnight posted
ing to turn the heroes into monsters, and they
have to find some way to reverse the effect.
I hope your players enjoy being monsters
for a day.
an open call for authors. I had a few
modest writing credits, and I decided
to submit a proposal for a horror adventure.
he only question was: What should it be
about?
I thought back to horror stories and adven-
tures that I had enjoyed in the past. I wanted
an adventure that was horror, not terror. Ter-
ror is fear of death and dismemberment at the
hands of some terrible thing. Horror is the
fear of a fate worse than death.
My most memorable experiences with hor-
ror games were at conventions while I was in
college. In one memorable game, the heroes
were all captured and their brains transplanted
into flesh golems. he mad scientist promised
to restore us to our own bodies if we defeated
his rival. We knew he would betray us, and he
did, but we had a blast playing monsters.
he golem adventure gave me the idea to
capture and horribly mutate the heroes. he
dynamic of monsters as heroes has always
interested me, and being a monster gives low-
level characters a refreshing power boost.
Pondering heroic monsters led me to think
about Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein . I like the
theme of an immoral scientist creating a mor-
al creature, and mad scientists are always fun,
but just what is the scientist doing that will
create monsters from normal characters?
Like Mary Shelley, I looked to the bogey-
man of the times. When Shelley wrote Fran-
kenstein, science was expanding in new direc-
tions and was often confused with witchcraft
and alchemy. Today, genetic engineering fills
the roll of scientific bogeyman.
Putting all of those ideas together produced
a plot: a mad scientist uses genetic engineer-
A Note on the Psychological Illness Table
To add tension to the game, the mutated
characters slowly go mad. he descriptions of
these illnesses are extreme, and do not repre-
sent the effects of these illnesses in real life.
Please treat them as fictional descriptions of
real diseases, because that is all that they are.
About the Author
Mike DeSanto was born in the wilds of Northwestern
Pennsylvania, where he would have lived a life untroubled
by roleplaying games if he had not been introduced to the
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master’s Guide
at a summer camp in 1981. hat slippery slope led to an
assortment of other roleplaying games, science fiction lit-
erature, computer programming, and a degree in electrical
engineering.
Mike now lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia with his
wife and son. He has written for Ronin Arts and Micro-
tactix Games, and he has scribbled a column on RPG.net,
titled “Campaigning at the Con.” Most of his time today
is spent writing games for his three-year-old son, who does
not seem to mind playtesting.
About the Interior Artist
Kim Feigenbaum enjoys drawing monsters, demons, and
other equally scary things. In her spare time, she sleeps
and occasionally ventures outside. She currently works as
a freelance illustrator and fine artist.
12 to Midnight
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Section 0: GM Preparation
The Beast Within
Pinebox, Texas, a quiet area with plenty of farmland
and access to East Texas University (ETU). He used
techniques that he considered elementary, but that
other geneticists considered groundbreaking, to cre-
ate soybeans that produced advanced drugs. He then
licensed these strains (sterilizing the seeds before sale)
to pharmaceutical companies.
hree years ago, Sweet Heart convinced Dr. Perry
to take on an ambitious project: create a treatment to
increase patients’ odds of surviving dangerous medi-
cal treatments. He decided to identify the genes that
make a person “tough” and modify them to make the
patient more likely to survive any wound or illness.
In the interest of protecting their investment,
Sweet Heart sent several specialists, including their
own security chief, Jack horne, to help manage
MasterGene. he company even arranged for con-
struction crews to build new basement levels for
secure research and testing—away from industrial
spies. MasterGene was already a growing company,
0.1: Introduction
An auto accident leads to a murder investigation. Fol-
low the clues and watch your step, you are not the
only hunters in Pinebox. Once you find the killer,
will he also find you? Can you escape with both the
evidence and your life?
0.2: Levels
he Beast Within is an adventure for four to six first-
level characters. Combat is important, so make sure
there are a few Strong or Tough heroes in the party.
0.3: Play Notes
his adventure takes place in Pinebox, Texas. You
may use it as a stand-alone adventure or as part of
a continuing Pinebox campaign. he Beast Within is
a good way to introduce a party to the Pinebox set-
ting.
he Beast Within is a horror adventure in the spirit
of Frankenstein . he villain is a mad scientist who
seeks to experiment on the heroes, turning them
into monsters in the process. Some players may
not respond well to having their characters horribly
mutated, especially if they are not expecting a hor-
ror adventure. Know your players and give them fair
warning.
his adventure presumes that the heroes are hu-
mans without magical or telepathic abilities. You
may need to make modifications to accommodate
characters with such abilities, or (ideally) avoid them
altogether. Law-enforcement or military backgrounds
are helpful but not required.
Your 12 to Midnight Guide
Jackson Green
Jackson believes in the paranormal and
has extensively investigated hauntings
and ghostly activities.
“Wait a sec, guys. I just want
to check the recorder I left in Lance’s room
last night.”
Lance Carson
Lance is a skeptic, but open to the
possibility of a world beyond the one
we see.
0.4: GM Background
0.4a: The History of Dr. Philip Perry (The Mad Scientist)
Dr. Philip Perry was a brilliant doctor and geneticist.
He was one of many scientists with the desire to use
genetic engineering to cure incurable diseases and
save lives.
Dr. Perry, with venture capital from Sweet Heart
Investments, started MasterGene Biotechnology,
Inc. He placed his company a few miles north of
“We’re facing murder charges, and you
guys are worried about pizza?”
Professor Glen Maclanahan
he professor is an expert researcher
and investigator.
“I carry a prism around with me for ten years,
and the one time I need it it’s in the truck!”
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The Beast Within
brain chemistry subtly changed as well, giving him a
mental illness called antisocial personality disorder.
Dr. Perry presented his findings to Sweet Heart,
who agreed to continue funding MasterGene. Soon
he began illegally testing on other human subjects.
At first he sent horne, the Sweet Heart security
chief, to snatch homeless people from the streets of
Houston, but horne soon found a better way. He
contacted an immigrant-smuggling gang called the
Sietes Rojos to provide healthy test subjects. horne
told the Sietes Rojos that the immigrants would work
in MasterGene’s fields.
With the influx of test subjects, Dr. Perry hired
a contractor to seal off the lower levels of the Mas-
terGene headquarters, leaving only one hidden en-
trance. hese levels he remodeled as a modern-day
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Antisocial personality disorder is best described as a com-
plete lack of conscience. Symptoms include habitual lying,
lack of empathy, lack of remorse when harming others,
and refusal to follow rules or recognize authority. In order
for a patient to receive a diagnosis of antisocial personality
disorder, these traits must appear before the age of 15 and
must continue until after the age of 18.
hose with this disorder tend to destroy everything
around them in order to achieve their own selfish goals.
Because they lack empathy, the company of other people
does not stimulate them. Consequently, they must find
other sources of stimulation. Some seek physical stimula-
tion, becoming murderers, rapists, and drug users. Others
seek money, power, or fame.
Affected individuals often seem very nice, even charm-
ing. hey lie without hesitation, however, and intentionally
manipulate the emotions of others to achieve their goals.
Dr. Perry could not be diagnosed with antisocial per-
sonality disorder because of his age, but he shows all of the
symptoms. He is charming, focused, and ruthless.
The Sietes Rojos (Red Sevens)
he Sietes Rojos were originally a small gang of smugglers
who transported drugs and illegal immigrants through the
desert into Texas and New Mexico. hey were just another
gang lost among the hundreds of criminal gangs operating
along the border between the United States and Mexico.
hat all changed when a man named Felix Gonzales
hired them to transport a fragment of stone with some
ancient Mayan carvings. Gonzales was impressed by their
professionalism and desert-survival skills, and they have
worked exclusively for him ever since. he Sietes Rojos
have transported animals, archaeological artifacts, rare
books, and people.
Felix Gonzales is a thief and smuggler specializing in
acquiring and transporting exotic items for wealthy clients.
Sweet Heart Investments is just one of Gonzales’s contacts.
Others include occult researchers, private art collectors,
and various cults. Gonzales is professional and ruthless.
No one who works for him knows anything about him.
he leader of the Sietes Rojos is a man named Tico San-
tiago. Santiago is an American citizen, born in the United
States to an illegal-immigrant mother. After finishing high
school, he enlisted in the army. During his service he re-
ceived training in desert warfare and learned to survive and
evade detection in harsh environments.
he Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) ap-
prehended his mother when he was serving in the army.
hey quickly deported her, and Santiago deserted his unit
to join her in Mexico. With no prospects for work, San-
tiago found five other unemployed young men and passed
his training on to them.
hese original six men form the core of the Sietes Ro-
jos. he original members work exclusively for Gonzales
now, using new members with less training for the work of
transporting immigrants.
so the extra construction blended right in. Some
locals grumbled when they learned that all the work-
ers were from out of state, but Dr. Perry smoothed
things over by hiring Pinebox workers to clear dozens
of acres of new land to build greenhouses and crop
tents. (Crop tents are very large, airtight, plastic tents
that prevent genetically engineered crops from cross-
pollinating each other or regular crops.)
Dr. Perry’s work went well. His first achievement
was the most amazing: the rejuvenator virus, a virus
that makes a specific genetic change in every cell of
an animal’s body. He then worked to find the spe-
cific genes that govern the physical potential of the
average human. his also went well, but testing was
difficult. Animal testing proved useless because of
subtle differences between human and animal DNA.
He could only conduct human tests using embryonic
stem cells.
Time passed and progress ground to a halt. Sweet
Heart expressed dissatisfaction and threatened to cut
off funding for MasterGene. Stress and overwork
made Dr. Perry careless and he broke a test tube,
infecting himself with a test virus. he next day, he
stayed home sick as the virus rewrote his genetic
code. Over the next few weeks, he gained 30 pounds,
all muscle. He tested his reflexes and found a reac-
tion speed increase of 45 percent. Unfortunately, his
12 to Midnight
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