Suitable Campaign Age: Golden, Dark, or Cinematic 

Adventure Tone: Inspirational Action-Adventure  

Recommended Power Level: Low or Classic 

Content Warning: The following adventure explores addition and how it can be exploited. There are also elements of body horror. 

Overview 

Some time has passed, but recent events have brought the story of the “Black Dragon Fitness Club” back to light. The events from the Infection, have rekindled GEO’s interests in the mutagen known as Snake Oil which was used to create the gang. Now, they are moving to set up a lap to recreate the Brood’s Snake Oil. To do so, they need a few things: 

1. Foot soldiers that can take the fall for them. 
2. Metahumans with Quintessence infused blood. 
3. The brain that created the formula. 
4. Test subjects 

Every one of the items on their checklist means bad news for anyone near it. The clock is ticking, can you stop them in time? 

Related Adventures 

Burning The Midnight Oil 

April Showers 

Mock Madness 

The Night Warden’s Sights 

Weapon’s Test 

The Infection 

Personal Scenes 

Give each of the heroes some spotlight time. Allow the players some time to get an idea of where their heroes are and what they are doing. This might be something in their personal identity or their heroic persona. These scenes can then be transitioned into Apartment Fire (See Below). 

Apartment Fire 

A strange fire erupts and threatens to destroy an apartment building. The blaze is white hot with busting streaks of blue and purple. The fires are so intense local firefighting teams are having no effect, the heat is preventing them from getting close enough to the source to be effective. To make things worse, there are people trapped inside. 

Enhanced Building Fire 

This six story building is burning at nearly two thousand degrees, hot enough that the metal in the building may no longer be structurally sound, and it is spreading quickly.  

• Stakes: Residents will not make it out in time.   
• Size 2 – Small Apartment Building 
• Ferocity 4 – Fires too hot to be put out by firefighters.  
• Target 35
• Damage 6 + Suffocation 
• Success Threshold 9
• Starting Advantage 6
• Notes: Getting people out safely is easier said than done. Anyone rolling under 35 for their action can opt to take double Damage for a Success. 

In The Ashes (Expression + Etiquette, Expert (20) Difficulty) 

This fire didn’t just appear, and the heroes can talk to survivors to try and find out how it started.  

• Failure: In the chaos of the aftermath, it is impossible to get anything meaningful from the survivors. 
• Partial: Some of the residents mention drug dealers may have lived in the building. 
• Success: One resident saw a group of four men with snake-like features come into the building shortly before the fires erupted.
• 1 Degree: The second floor is run by the Dead Heads, a local gang of drug dealers. They pushed other residents out, and the police had been called a few times, but nothing ever happened.
• 2 Degrees: A teenager who saw one of the snake-like men enter the building says that one of them reminded him of a football player after he turned into a monster at a game. (Burning the Midnight Oil, The Next Big Thing, adjust the comments if this scene happened differently in your campaign.) 
• 3 Degrees: People are convinced that the Dead Heads had turned the second floor into a drug lab, but no one could get close enough to be sure. 

Who are the Dead Heads (Wisdom + Street Smarts, Expert (20) Difficulty) 

Heroes can also attempt this roll with Intelligence + Research, increasing the Difficulty by 10.

• Failure: Cute name for drug dealers. Do their outfits have a touch of gray? Guess they’ll keep on truckin’ now that their lab is gone. 
• Partial: The name has come up before, they may be a larger operator. 
• Success: They are a gang that borders on a cult that places some mystic value on drugs.  
• 1 Degree: Rumors say that the Dead Head’s drug operations fund something larger. However, that side of the organization doesn’t make a lot of headlines so no one really knows what that is. 
• 2 Degrees: The Dead Heads don’t just border on the occult, some of their major players have magical powers. They are good at avoiding the spotlight. Even the gang seems to avoid turf wars whenever possible.  

Snake Men (Wisdom + Street Smarts, Expert (20) Difficulty) 

If the heroes played the Burning the Midnight Oil adventure, this roll may not be necessary. For people just learning about the Black Dragons (formally the Braziers, this can be used to fill them in.) 

Heroes can also attempt this roll with Intelligence + Research, increasing the Difficulty by 10.

• Failure: There are a lot of strange Metahumans in this world. 
• Partial: There was something about athletes mutating in the news previously. 
• Success: The Black Dragons were athletes and fitness enthusiasts who mutated after taking a performance enhancing drug called snake oil. They coalesced into a gang shortly afterwards. 
• 1 Degree: The Black Dragons are superhumanly strong and some have venomous abilities related to their changes. 
• 2 Degrees: Since they first changed, they’ve made headlines several other times, often relating to gang warfare (Mock’s Madness), being targeted by vigilantes (The Night Warden’s Sights) and most recently trying to find alternatives to snake oil (The Infection). 

Gang Life 

Generally after something like this, there are reprisals. However, both sides seem to have gone to ground. Heroes can try to learn more about what’s going on in the local underworld if they hit the streets. 

What No War? Roll Wisdom + Street Smarts, Advanced (25) Difficulty

The investigation takes 3 Days. GMs can offer a free Degree of Success if it takes a Week. 

• Failure: The investigation goes south leading to a bar fight. (Typical Mob of Union Gang Members)
• Partial: As with Failure, but if the heroes are able to collect information from the Union as if rolling a Success. 
• Success: This attack wasn’t about turf. It was about drugs. Everyone knows the Black Dragons are junkies, and when they get desperate, they will do anything. (Anyone with Science and the Social Science Specialty can add, this makes them dangerous and easily manipulated.) 
• 1 Degree: The Dead Heads are setting up another plant, somewhere near the docks. However, the Black Dragons seem to have gone to ground. (See: The New Lab) 
• 2 Degrees: After the fire, a suit came around looking for the Black Dragons. Laid out serious money. (See: Bankrolled) 
• 3 Degrees: The word is the Black Dragons got a taste of whatever the Dead Heads use as their base, and it didn’t sit well with them. 

Bar Fight (Results from Failure or Partial on What No War)

The Union (Exceptional Thugs + Tough + Brawler) Typical Mob 

Blue collar workers that banded together when the work dried up. These aren’t punk kids but hardened construction workers, linemen and other people unable to find work. 

Basic Rolls 3 + 2d6 

Stamina 5/5

Defense Built to Union Standards 7 Dice 3 Armor 5/7

Offense: Rebar, Chains or Brass Knuckles 10/15 Dice 4 Damage 2 

The New Lab 

The Dead Heads have set up in an old fishing trawler, getting it back on the water. (GMs can adjust this to their Campaign location.) With a Degree of Success on What No War, the heroes can locate the boat. Although it remains in the water unless they are making exchanges. 

Infiltrating the boat on the water may be difficult but there are less gang members, and they are cut off from reinforcements. Conversely, when docked, they are swarmed by other Dead Heads working the shipment. 

Sneaking In, Roll Wisdom (using a vehicle on the water) or Dexterity + Stealth, Expert (20) Difficulty

Heroes using a boat to reach the trawler suffer a -10 Penalty, or larger based on the size of vessel. 

• Failure: The heroes are spotted, go directly to Drug Busters 
• Partial: The heroes make it onto the boat without being detected, but the crew is on alert. Increase the Starting Advantage for Drug Busters by 1. 
• Success: The heroes make it onto the boat without detection. 
• 1 Degree: Reduce the Starting Advantage for Drug Busters by 1. For each 2 Additional Degrees reduce the Starting Advantage again. 

Drug Busters 

• Stakes: The heroes shutdown the Dead Heads drug lab.   
• Size 2 – A large fishing boat 
• Ferocity 4 – A gang of cult-like drug manufacturers who poison their foes. 
• Target 35
• Damage 3 – Defended By Quickness. 
• Success Threshold 9
• Starting Advantage 6
• Notes: 
  • Sneaking In: If the heroes Sneak in there is no Damage from this Disaster until it rolls at least 1 Success. 
  • At the Docks: Increase the Size by 1, as there are more people and a loading zone. This increases the Target to 40 and Success Threshold to 11. 

Due to the trouble with the Black Dragons, the lab is being led by Perdita, a lieutenant in the Dead Head organization. Once the heroes have been spotted or the Drug Busters Advantage is reduced to 3 or less she will reveal herself to try and stop the heroes. 

Perdita (Low Powered Cultists + Advanced 2 + Striker + Tough + Maneuver Specialist 2 + Nutcracker + Sneak) 

Devoted to the gang, Perdita will try to ambush the heroes one at a time, fading in and out of the shadows. She wears the gang’s signature bone chest piece along with faded pink medical scrubs. The scrubs are lined in arcane symbols, written a fat blotchy scrawl, as if taking a paintbrush to them. 

Note: Perdita has a +15 Leadership bonus, treating the Disaster as a Major Mob. 

Basic Rolls 23 + 4d6

Stamina 12

Defense Unnatural Toughness 31 Dice 5 Armor 4 

Offense Blades 23 Dice 4 Range Short Damage 4 

Offense Death Glove, Razors 27 Dice 5 Range Close Damage 8 

Offense Death Glove, Syringes 27 Dice 5 Range Close Damage 4 Note Defended By Quickness 

Offense Shadow Strike, Syringes 21 Dice 6 Range Close Damage 4 Note Defended By Quickness. Combo: Move + Attack 

Offense Fading Strike, Syringes 21 Dice 6 Range Close Damage 4 Note Defended By Quickness. Combo: Attack + Stealth  

Stealth 27 Dice 5

If the heroes subdue Perdita, she insists that the Dead Heads did nothing to provoke the attack on their last lab, and tried to prevent the fire before fleeing. Characters can make an Advanced (25) Expression + Subterfuge roll to confirm she isn’t lying. The DIfficulty is only so high because she just tried to kill them. GMs may reduce the Difficulty if the character lacks emotions or is alien in nature. 

Perdita will also confirm that one of the Black Dragons drank a vial of raw icor, what they call their uncut drug, and it changed him, transforming him would be a better description. Perhaps it was pain, or rage, but he belched fire, during the mutation, which is what started the fire. The other Black Dragons tried to stop him, calling him Thorn or Dougie, but he escaped, his body still mutating.

Finally, Perdita will add: A warning, this man’s soul and body are in conflict and he will not be able to rest until they are either separated or made whole again.

Note: Heroes can research Dougie Thorn, see Thorn In Your Side.

Bankrolled

Someone is spending a lot of money looking for the Black Dragons. Heroes may want to follow the trail of cash. This process will take at least a week. GMs can offer a free Degree of Success if this takes 2 Weeks. 

The Green Road, Roll Intelligence + Street Smarts, Advanced (25) Difficulty 

Reminder: These are suggested Talents, there are a number of options that may apply here. 

• Failure: The heroes find the Black Dragons, or more accurately, the Black Dragons find them. The heroes are ambushed on the street by a Typical Mob of Black Dragons. 
• Partial: As above, but allow the heroes a Contested Sense + Perception against the Black Dragon’s Basic Roll to avoid being blindsided. 
• Success: The heroes are able to locate an old Black Dragon clubhouse, an abandoned freestanding gym in a run down strip mall. Heroes can get the drop on the Dragons (use the Ambush Mob) with a Contested Dexterity + Stealth roll against the Black Dragon’s Basic Roll. 
• 1 Degree: The heroes are able to track down the mystery man’s hotel room, paid in cash. The suit is described as a tall adult with a manicured look and a strange accent. Whoever was staying here is gone. An Average (15) Sense + Forensics will turn up a candy wrapper in the waste bin. It is just candy, but the text on it is written in Romanian. Upon exiting, roll as with a Partial to detect the Ambush. 
• 2 Degrees: As with 1 Degree, without the Ambush. Additionally, the heroes are able to locate the loft the suit has moved into. (See: New Digs)

Ambush 

A hit squad of Black Dragons will surprise the heroes. Allow one attack from the gang against Surprised Defenses before moving into Combat. 

Black Dragons (Classic Super Powered Jocks + Tough + Brawler + Striker)  

More muscular than humans could be, members of the Black Dragons tend to have scales or other snake-like qualities. 

Basic Rolls 9 + 2d6

Stamina 18

Defense 21 Dice 3 Armor 6

Offense Throw Something Heavy 9 Dice 2 Range Short Damage 6   

Offense Super Strength 21 Dice 4 Range Close Damage 12  

Black Dragons (Classic Super Powered Jocks + Tough + Brawler + Striker) Typical Mob

Basic Rolls 9 + 2d6

Stamina 18/18

Defense 21 Dice 3 Armor 8/10

Offense Throw Something Heavy 14/19 Dice 2 Range Short Damage 6   

Offense Super Strength 26/31 Dice 4 Range Close Damage 12  

Following the Ambush the heroes can learn some additional information. 

Interrogation, Roll: Mental + Negotiation or  Intimidation, or Expression + Etiquette, Expert (20) Difficulty 

• Failure: The Black Dragons resist giving out any information. 
• Partial: All they will say is they are funded now and anyone who gets in their way is in trouble. 
• Success: While they don’t say who is funding them they will reveal that they are working towards recreating Snake Oil. 
• 1 Degree: The Black Dragons reveal that they have set up shop in a new loft in a renovated factory. (See New Digs below) 
• 2 Degrees: It’s not that they will not say who’s bankrolling them, it’s that they don’t know who he is, just that he supplies the cash, and scientists to make new Snake Oil. 

New Digs 

The Black Dragons have taken up residence in a refurbished factory. They have rented the top floor, a single loft and makerspace according to the rental listing. There are six other leases, two per floor each with similar, if smaller set ups.

Windows on the top floor have been blacked out, and the only ways into the loft are the service elevator or stairs from the lobby. 

Talking To The Lease Office, Roll: Expression + Etiquette or Law, Average (15) Difficulty 

If the heroes reach out to the leasing office they can find out additional details.

• Failure: They’ve only spoken to the lease holder, but he mentioned they have a team of people working in the makerspace. 
• Partial: The lease is in the name of Steve Douglas, and Three Sons Limited. (Any hero with a Study or Hobby for Entertainment or TV Shows will immediately know this is a fake name, and very likely a front or shell company of some type.) 
• Success: While they don’t have a lot of specifics, the leasing agent did catch a glimpse of some of the people moving into the space. All of them were exceptionally large, wearing hoodies or other articles that concealed their appearance. 
• 1 Degree: The leasing agent will help evacuate the building, without raising suspicions for the heroes to reduce any danger to civilians. 

Drug Busters II: Dragon Boogaloo 

• Stakes: The heroes shutdown the Black Dragon’s research facility.  
• Size 3 – Refurbished Factory 
• Ferocity 4 – A gang of super jocks + high tech defenses 
• Target 40
• Damage 7 
• Success Threshold 11
• Starting Advantage 6
• Notes: 
  • No Sneaking In: Heroes can attempt to sneak into the loft, but the building and surrounding area is covered in high tech surveillance equipment. The heroes can locate and shut this down, but the Black Dragons will still be aware of their approach if only due to the blackout. 
  • Drones: The suit has rigged automated drones to open fire on the lower lofts as a distraction. This activates at 3 or fewer Successes. To stop the Drones heroes need to devote a total of 6 Turns, across all the heroes where they either take double Damage, or their Successes only count to reducing the Turns required to shut down the Drones. (i.e. The direct approach or stopping the drones without being hit.) 

In the defense of the loft, the suit will focus more on evacuating the scientists and a core group of Black Dragons. It takes them 3 Turns to escape, at which point they are airlifted out by a giant robot using some form of tractor beam. If Drug Busters II has 0 or fewer Successes on this Turn the Black Dragons are left behind as they have been disabled in some way by the heroes. 

At the same time two additional robots will open fire with beams of force on the building itself. This does 8 Damage to everyone in the building. If the building has not been evacuated, the heroes may make an Active Defense, no roll required, suffering double the Damage but preventing civilian casualties. Each hero gains a Willpower for this. 

Interlude: Thorn In Your Side

GM Note: This scene can come before or after New Digs. If the heroes do not discover the clues leading to New Digs, this scene can serve as a session / mid story climax before part 2. 

Researching Dougie Thorn, Roll: Intelligence + Research (+ Study: College Sports and / or Sport: Basketball), Expert (20) Difficulty

Before the Attack, heroes can attempt to research Thorn if they learned his name from Perdita. 

• Failure: Is Thorn their real name?
• Partial: There was a college basketball player named Douglas “Dougie” Thornblower. who went missing around the time the Black Dragons first appeared. 
• Success: Douglas Thornblower went missing around the time the Black Dragons first appeared. Nothing came of the investigation into his disappearance. 
• 1 Degree: News reports from the time seem to imply that the team had very little interest in Dougie’s disappearance. He was not a starting player and the team was in a tournament. 
• 2 Degrees: Dougie’s girlfriend, Gina Jones, seemed to be the only person actively pushing for an investigation. His parents used this opportunity to promote a crowdfunding campaign that seemed more like a way to make quick cash than help. 
• 3 Degrees: The deeper the heroes dig, there are signs of abuse both at home and at school. 

Locating Gina Jones, Roll: Expression + Research, Expert (20) Difficulty 

Still attending the college Gina never gave up hope in locating Dougie. If the heroes reach out to her, she is more than willing to help in any way she can, confirming that he was both abused by his parents and team. Before he disappeared he was juicing (using steroids) to try and make the starting lineup. 

During Burnination, Gina is willing to show up at the gym and try to help in any way possible. While frightened of Dougie’s appearance she will try to connect with him. 

Burnination 

After some time, a member of the Black Dragons will go on a rampage. They will attack a local college campus gym. Flying into the building and setting it on fire. The campus police have no way to stop him, and he belches fire at anyone attempting to put out the fires.  

Suffocation 

While inside the gym anyone with a need to breathe suffers from Suffocation. This does not affect Thorn. 

Talking Him Down

Heroes who achieved 2 Degrees of Success on Researching Dougie Thorn can attempt to reason with Thorn. To do so, they will need to make two Laborious (35) Expression + Etiquette rolls (or achieve an extra Degree of Success) while no other heroes take Attack Actions. 

If the heroes can locate Gina Jones and have her try to speak to Thorn, reduce the Difficulty by 5, but roll as normal to represent her attempt to reach her boyfriend. If this attempt is Successful, see Reunited.  

Thorn (High Powered Mystically Infused Super Jock + Advanced + Devastating + Reinforced + Tough + Brawler + Shooter + Striker + Cluster + Immune 2 + Maneuver Specialist 2)

Almost a story tall, this Black Dragon almost lives up to the gang’s name, with a gray scaly hide, large leathery wings, and misshapen maw. He seems to be fueled by nothing but rage. 

Heroes with any kind of mystic senses or ability to detect magic will feel some type of arcane aura about Thorn. If the heroes received Perdita’s warning they will know that Thorn was transformed by icor and may be in the throes of madness. 

Basic Rolls 16 + 3d6

Stamina 36

Defense 34 Dice 5 Armor 8 Notes Inhuman Mind (Immune to Control: Minds) Immune to mundane weapons.

Offense Fire Breath 24 Dice 4 Range Medium Cone Damage 16   

Offense Melee 32 Dice 5 Range Close Damage 20

Offense Swoop 20 Dice 6 Range Close Damage 20 Notes Move and Attack or Attack then Move. 

Reunited 

With his senses returning, the icor seems to have broken Thorn’s addiction to snake oil. Gina seems to earnestly care for him and he wants to put his past behind him. 

While the story of Oil Supply isn’t over, GMs can award the heroes Contact: Thorn 1 and the Favors Boon. The heroes can use Thorn as a contact for drug or gang information. The only Favor Torn can offer is to act as an Ally, which he will do for one Scene. After this, the heroes will need to purchase the Favors Boon normally, at which point Thorn will use the regular rules.