Suitable Campaign Age: Any  

Adventure Tone: Action-Adventure  

Recommended Power Level: Low or Classic 

Overview 

The super villain Backlash is targeting infrastructure throughout the city, causing blackouts and chaos. This is way outside his M.O; until you consider there’s not a paycheck he didn’t like. Who’s really behind Backlash’s attacks? What are their goals? And, can you stop them in time?

For Additional Content, and a ton of extras please subscribe to our Patreon!

Foreshadowing/Personal Scenes 

The sound of a horn cuts through the air, screeching tires follow, heralding the crash. Within seconds another crash. Then another. The stoplights at the intersection change chaotically before turning to yellow, and finally to red. Only it’s not just the one intersection, this scene is playing out at every intersection in the city connected to central control. Although, that may not be readily apparent when this happens. 

GMs should allow each of the heroes some spotlight time. Find out where they are and what they are doing when an accident happens near them, or possibly to them if they are driving. Each hero should have a chance to react to the crashes by them. If heroes try to coordinate, it would become apparent that this has occurred in multiple locations. 

Once emergency services, or a tow truck, is able to get to a location where a hero, or heroes are, they will inform them of the following: There are accidents across the city and it will take hours, maybe more than a day to clear the wreckage. Vehicles that were not impacted will be stuck, or moving slowly during this time. Whomever is on scene will point out that as widespread as the traffic outage is, something must have happened to the central control. 
Some crafty heroes might ignore the crisis at hand and try to figure out if there is something larger afoot. In this event, see Disaster Watch.

Well Timed Violence 

Backlash has a route that he is following. Because he, and his goons, are travelling by sewer it will take them roughly 2 hours to reach each of their destinations. GMs should keep this timing in mind as he sets off each part of the plan. 

Disaster Watch 

At some point, heroes may want to try and get ahead of the next disaster, predict where Backlash may strike next, or determine how he is getting around. 

Reactive Monitoring 

Tuning into the emergency services radio bands will alert the heroes as an attack is occuring. This starts a Competitive Roll with the following: 

Victory Conditions: Backlash Escapes 

Success Threshold: 8

Starting Advantage: 3

Modifiers:

Moderate Advantage: Team has a means of Travelling with a collective Boost Speed. 

Major Advantage:  Team has a means of Travelling with three or more collective Boost Speeds. 

Backlash’s Rol: 34 (Constitution 12 + Re-Wired Body 12 + Discipline 10) + 4d6 

Notes: Track the number of Turns it takes for the heroes to reach Backlash. If they arrive in 2 or less Turns, they can prevent Backlash from causing the next disaster. 

Guesswork 

Heroes may want to try and predict where Backlash will strike next. Without the Prediction power, this will not be possible until after Flow Control and it is clear this is not an isolated event. 

Roll: Fortune or Wisdom + Intuition + Study: Criminal Psychology, City Planning, or other appropriate Talents, against a Very Challenging (50) Difficulty. Reduce the Difficulty by 10 after Electrical Flow. On a Successful Roll the heroes can intuit that Backlash’s next target is the natural gas reservoir. 

This same roll can be used to deduce how Backlash is moving around the city when his first act was to put things into chaos. One a Successful roll, the heroes will be able to determine that Backlash is using the sewers to get around. This can also be determined in No Control. 

No Control 

Talking with police, or by going to the central control station, the heroes can learn more about what is going on with the lights. 

Speaking to the Police 

If the heroes have a positive reputation the police will be forthcoming with the following information, otherwise an Expression + Etiquette versus an Expert (20) Difficulty will get them speaking. 

A group of armed individuals stormed the central traffic control building. They were led by a man using electrified wires that seemed to extend from his arms. After subduing the employees, one of the individuals did something to the computer, before the group fled the scene. What I’m hearing is that they’re locked out of the system now. 

Going to Central Traffic Control

The police are at Central Traffic Control and will bar the heroes from entering unless they have a good reputation, or succeed an Etiquette roll as above. 

Inside the employees are working to get things back online. If the heroes approach them, Janis Garrot, the site manager will speak with them. She will convey the same information as above, adding that the man who seemed to be incharge used a strange looking USB drive to lock down the system. She will also offer to show the heroes the security camera footage. 

Reviewing the Security Cameras 

Watching the tapes there are a number of minor details that can be missed. Heroes should roll Senses + Forensics + Research versus an Advanced (25) Difficulty. 

• Failure: The majority of the assailants are wearing non-descript beige jumpsuits, with body armor over them. The leader wears a tank top and pinstripe suit pants leaving his arms exposed for the wiring that extends from his body into whip-like lines that he holds. Heroes who have encountered him before, have Study: Known Criminals, or other appropriate Talents will recognize him as Backlash, a super powered gun for hire. 
• Partial: The device Backlash uses is about the length and shape of a ruler, once plugged into the computer, it lights up with a purple glow, and the screen begins to flash, until it shows the desktop and begins executing commands on it’s own. Heroes with the Computers Talent can speculate that this device is some type of remote access, or security cracking tool that runs a script after gaining access to the system. 
• Success: Checking the external cameras, the heroes locate footage of Backlash’s team arriving by a van. When they leave, they use the same van. There are no plates, but it heads off in a direction that can be followed for about a block. A Sense + Tracking Difficulty Expert (20) will lead them not far from the Central Traffic Control building where the van is parked. Opening the van up, it is empty, with a hole cut in the center. There is a manhole cover below the van. 

Unlocking the System 

With the computers down, it’s going to take weeks to get everything back up and running. Heroes can attempt to unlock and correct the damage done by Backlash. Roll: Intelligence + Computers versus a Very Hard (60) Difficulty. 

• Failure: The system remains locked. 
• Partial: The heroes are not able to get in, but can identify that whatever is impacting the computers operates like someone has remote access or a narrow AI, actively trying to block access. 
• Success: The heroes are able to log in to the system, but whatever is happening here will need time to correct. Reduce the time to fix the lights from two weeks to one week.
• 1 Degree: Reduce the time again to 3 Days. For each additional Degree of Success, continue to reduce the time required by 2 Steps. If the heroes have 4 or more Degrees of Success they are able to correct the issue immediately. Otherwise, they will need to decide if they want to commit the time. 
• 2 Degrees: The heroes can confirm that there is a narrow AI in the system, moving and making changes. 

Flow Control 

The next attack is at the main pumping station. The pumping station controls the city’s water intake, and distribution. As before, Backlash and his gang will strike quickly, subduing the workers and using a strange device to take control. 

If the heroes are not here to intervene, backlash will spike the city’s water pressure. This will  cause pipes to burst all over the city, and flood the streets, along with some houses and apartments. Emergency crews are already stymied from the traffic incidents, even if the heroes were able to unlock the system. 

If the heroes arrive in time to stop Backlash, jump to Lashing Out, below. 

Arriving after Backlash has infected the computer systems, they may attempt to Unlock the System as above. If they have a previous Success, they gain a free Degree of Success here. However, the damage done from the attack is catastrophic and cannot be repaired as easily. The streets will be flooded exacerbating the traffic issues on top of the potential billions of dollars of property damage.

Electrical Flow  

Backlash’s next stop is the city’s main power plant. This may be outside the city proper but from the sewers, Backlash has a much faster means of transport. Like with the previous encounters, Backlash will strike fast to move on to his next target. 

In this attack, Backlash isn’t just turning off the power, but rather overwhelming the power grid, overheating and destroying older power lines and substations in need or repair. This will take some time, but, as this is happening, the local generators will begin producing larger electrical outputs, until they themselves overload and are destroyed. 

If the heroes arrive in time to stop Backlash, jump to Lashing Out, below. 

If the heroes arrive late, there is little that can be done here. The generators are fried, and power lines across the city are damaged or destroyed. To make matters worse, this will lead to riots throughout the city. 

Blackout Riots 

• Stakes: Rioters loot and destroy businesses across the city.    
• Size 4 – Impacts the campaign city. (The size has been increased as this is not a single event, but rioting all over the city.) 
• Ferocity 3 – To widespread for non-powered people to prevent casualties
• Target 45
• Damage 7
• Success Threshold 13
• Starting Advantage 5
• Notes: 
  • Use of any kind of area control powers will generate an extra success 
  • Each Turn represents roughly 30 minutes. If the heroes take more than 3 Turns to stop the Riots, check the End with a bang entry, then increase the Ferocity to 5 and give the Disaster 2 free Successes. 

End With a Bang 

The final stop on Backlash’s tour de force is the natural gas line terminal. This last act will take longer than the previous attacks, as he needs to aerate the lines first. 

Once the workers are subdued, two of his team will place a cap over one of the pipes. This cap contains a specialized drill and remote controlled det cords which will snake their way into the system as the gas to air mixture is changed.

Heroes who are using Reactive Monitoring to locate Backlash begin with a major advantage for this reason. 

If Backlash is able to release the bombs, columns of fire will roll through the city’s gas lines, erupting at every outlet triggering mass destruction throughout the city, as well as blowing up the terminal. Of course, by this point, Backlash and team will be gone. 

If the heroes arrive in time to stop Backlash, jump to Lashing Out, below. 

Lashing Out

When the heroes faceoff against Backlash, he will see them as an obstacle to plow through, and will not hesitate to attack. Below are notes on each of the locations where Backlash can be encountered. 

Pumping station

The control room looks out over the pipeworks. 

Backlash will use Willpower to make his attacks Blast, and send heroes through the window and falling two range increments into the pipes. 

Main power plant

The fight here will take place near the generators. 

If the heroes get within Close Range to one of them, Backlash will disengage, backing up, and have his team fire on the generator. 

The Generators have Armor 5 Stamina 20. If they are destroyed they will detonate doing 24 Damage at Close Range and 12 Damage at Short Range. 

Natural gas line terminal

Fights here can go one of two ways for Backlash. 

1. If the heroes are waiting for Backlash he will fight as normal, as to complete his job. 
2. If the heroes arrive after Backlash, he and the team will do their best not to engage them as they attempt to flee. 
   1. In this instance, have the player with the highest Fortune make a roll each Turn against a Starting Difficulty of Easy (5). Each Turn the hero requires 1 additional Degree of Success. If the hero does not reach the required number of Successes they have 1 Turn +1 Turn per Degree of Success they have to escape (with the workers) before the plant explodes. The plant will detonate doing 36 Damage to those inside, 18 Damage to those in Short range of the building and 9 Damage to those in Medium Range. 

Backlash in Custody 

This is a position he’s used to and will cooperate from this point. Backlash was hired by a man named Armitage. They have never met and operated through emails and dead drops. The team he has were supplied by Armitage as well, but they appear to be mercenaries. 

Backlash

Power Level: Classic

Creation Method: Standard – Balanced 

Concepts 

Loyalty is bought and sold 

Never let someone take advantage of you 

In a fight, pick the biggest guy, and show them who’s boss

Secret Origins 

Everybody needs muscle. It’s a simple equation. 

You want to be a country? Get an army. 

You want to be a gang lord? You’re going to need foot soldiers. 

Angelo Priore was content for many years being one of these foot soldiers for a New Jersey crime family. There’s no sob story, yeah, his father smacked him around but whose didn’t? Angelo was always tough. From the schoolyard to the prison yard. He was also a loyal man. There was the family and that was it. There was no job too insane for Angelo, the family took care of him so he took care of the family. So when the Don asked Angelo to lead a raid on a BMA facility, his only question was, “Can I get a bigger gun?” 

They didn’t know what they were stealing, only that it was valuable and had something to do with eels or something. It started off simple, some shock and awe, the science geeks didn’t know what hit ‘em. A quick snatch and grab and Angelo and the boys are on the way out with some eel skin jacket in a sealed tube. 

Who would have known it was Jack Lightning’s jacket and that he’d been there for a fitting? Everything goes wrong once the spandex shows up. There’s some back and forth and Angelo gets pinned down with two of his best shooters. 

Ordering them to give cover fire, Angelo pulls the jacket out slipping it on under his shirt, thinking he can kick the container out, while Mr. Hero goes for the goods they get away. How was he supposed to know that the jacket was actually a prototype electro-reactive sleeve to stimulate the spine and assist paraplegics? Of course, it wasn’t ready for use, and Angelo wasn’t the target audience. 

Reeling from the pain Angelo staggered out from behind cover. Next thing he knows bang-o Jack’s blasting him and everything goes dark.  

In the haze that followed there were words like ‘fuzed’, ‘unpredictable results’ and “neuro-replication’. Jacky is there gabbing about ‘Should have never agreed to the test.’ The haze clears long enough for Angelo to realize that he’s not cuffed. It feels like he’s holding two  of those little glass balls with the current in them, the kind that make your hair stand up.

Then it’s not balls but weird purple lightshow whipping off his arms shredding the table, walls, all sorts of science stuff crashing to the ground. People are yelling but Angelo was out of there. The coils from his arms ripping holes in the walls large enough for him to run through.   

When Angelo comes back to the Don, he thinks he’s walking into a hero’s welcome. The prodigal son, all that. Turns out, the Don doesn’t see it that way. Angelo is wearing the Don’s merchandise and since it doesn’t come off they’re going to have to cut it off.

Angelo ain’t proud of what happened after that. Call it a new respect for life, but he wasn’t willing to lay down and be cut open by people he thought were there to protect him. 

These days Angelo goes by a different name, Backlash. See, he may not have the family anymore, but people, people still need muscle. And there’s nobody who can do what Backlash can do. That means there’s no better muscle around. 

GM Note: Jack Lighting can be replaced with any energy projecting PC. Go on, let your Players create this monster. 

Appearance

A physically imposing man of Italian descent, Backlash wears a nice set of black pinstripe slacks. When working, Backlash forgoes the rest of the suit for a simple undershirt or exposing his chest and the complex wiring that has fused to his nervous system. Once his energy chains are activated the circuitry emits a purple glow, hot enough to sear most fabrics.  

Combat Style

There is not much style to how Backlash handles combat. In a fight he will go after whoever is closest or pisses him off. Because he is so aggressive, Backlash is often willing to make riskier attacks, overextending and exposing himself to possible retribution.   

Attributes

History 10 Strength 10 (1 AP) Dexterity 7 Constitution 12 Sense 10 (1 AP)

Fortune 10 (1 AP) Wisdom 7 Intelligence 5 Mental 10 (1 AP) Expression 7

Backgrounds

Fuzed With Electrical Capacitor (Experiment) 10

Learning Who Your Friends Really Are 8

Prove Who’s Strongest 5

Repay Bad deals and Betrayal 1 (1 AP)

Background: Former Mob Enforcer 3

Talents

Area of Influence: Street Scum 3 Contact: Bob Greff “Talent Manager” 5 Climbing 5 Discipline 10 Fitness 5 Gambling 12 (3 AP) Intimidation 8 Intuition 4 (1 AP) Manual Labor 7 (2 AP) Perseverance 10 Repair 8 Scrounging 1 Street Smarts 3 (S) Going to Ground 1 Subterfuge 3 (S) Bad Deals 1 (1 AP) Never Back Down 12

Drawbacks

Vulnerability: Water

Boons 

Combo: Backlash TY

Extra Stamina MA 

Tools: Elevator, Escape Clause TY

Tricky TY

Cost: 5 AP 

Fighting Styles  Value

The Enforcer 10

• Offense/Strength 

Secondary Role: Defense MA

Cost 6 AP

Powers Value 

Re-Wired Body  12

• Offense/Strength 

Devastating (Boost Devastation, Total Devastation, Penetrating) MA4 

Naturally Resistant (Electricity) TY

Secondary Role: Defense (Full Role) MA2

Armor MA 

Defends Against: Mental TY

Passive Defense MA

Secondary Role: Support: Constitution MA 

Cost: 1 Power + 12 Boons + 8 AP 

Backlash’s body has been fused with an electrical capacitor which draws power from ambient energy. This allows him to create chains of living energy from his hands. Incredibly deadly, capable of shearing metal they move much like whips but can be controlled with pure thought. Additionally, the capacitor allows Backlash to shunt pain signals, and redirect his blood flow .

Stamina 26

Willpower Current: 6 Max: 10

Starting AP 30

Attributes 4 + Talents 8 + Boons 5 + Powers 14 – Drawbacks 1 

Initiative: 24 (Fortune 10 + Intuition 4 + Fuzed With Electrical Capacitor 10)  Dice 4 

Surprised Defense: 22 (Fortune 10 + Re-Wired Body 12) Dice 3 Armor 6 

Normal Defense: 29 (Constitution 12 + Re-Wired Body 12 + Secondary: The Enforcer 5) Dice 3 Armor 7  

Mental Defense: 22 (Mental 10 + Re-Wired Body 12) Dice 3 Armor 6  

Defense Notes:

Climbing: Once per Session on an Active Defense use Climbing (5) as a Supporting Characteristic if there is a wall or other vertical surface within Close Range. 

Fitness: Characters with Fitness reduce the the number of Actions they are Staggered  by 1 for each 5 Levels of this Talent.

Intuition: Once per Session use Intuition (4) with Surprised Defense.  

Manual Labor: Trade 2 Wounds taking an Injury.  

Perseverance: Add Perseverance (10) to any Normal Defense Roll after suffering 10 Wounds. This lasts for 1 Turn and may be used Once per Session. 

Repair: Once per Session Repair may be used as a Healing Power for Gear, this Heals a minimum of 1 Wound.

Favored Attack: Lash 32 (Constitution 12 + The Enforcer 10 + Re-Wired Body 12) Dice 3 Range Close Damage 12 Notes Gambler: Rolling 6s adds 4 Damage instead of the normal 2. Rolling 1 results in a Partial Success.   

Secondary Attack: Backlash 22 (Constitution 12 + The Enforcer 10 + Re-Wired Body 12 – Combo 10) Dice 3 Range Close Damage 12/12 Notes Attack Hits Twice. Gambler: Rolling 6s adds 4 Damage instead of the normal 2. Rolling 1 results in a Partial Success 

Additional Attack: Whiplash 22 (Constitution 12 + The Enforcer 10 + Re-Wired Body 12 – Combo 10) Dice 3 Range Close Damage 18/18 Notes Attack Hits Twice. Penetrating Devastation: Once per Session Double the Damage Bonus of Devastating (12). A Successful Attack inflicts a minimum 12 damage. Additional Uses cost 2 Willpower.    

Willpower Attack: All of Nothing 22 (Constitution 12 + The Enforcer 10 + Re-Wired Body 12 + Discipline 10 – Combo 10 – Heavy Blow 10) Dice 4 Range Close Damage 21/21 Notes Attack Hits Twice.  Gambler: Rolling 6s adds 4 Damage instead of the normal 2. Rolling 1 results in a Partial Success Penetrating Devastation: A Successful Attack inflicts a minimum 12 damage. Additional Uses cost 2 Willpower.    

Offense Notes: 

Discipline: Add Discipline (10) to any Strength Roll or Physical Attack Roll after suffering 10 Wounds. This lasts for 1 Turn and may be used Once per Session. 

Gambling: Increase the Bonus of Rolling a 6 on Attacks or Active Defense by 2. On a Roll of a 1 treat the Roll as a Partial In Combat.

Intimidation: Roll Mental (10) + Intimidation (8) + 3d6 On a successful roll, Meddle with Targets (-2) for 2 Turns. 

Backlash’s Fireteam 

See Mercenary Platoon, Page 129