Suitable Campaign Age: Golden, Dark, or Cinematic 

Adventure Tone: Introspective Action-Adventure  

Recommended Power Level: Low or Classic 

Content Warning: The following adventure explores racism, politics, and social manipulation. More so, there are asymmetrical acts of violence against innocent people, and events inspired by recent real world tragedies. Be aware that in no way do we condone or approve of the acts of violence portrayed by the hate groups within this adventure, much less the real world. GMs should review their campaign’s Lines and Veils while considering this adventure. 

Allegories In Comics & Campaigns 

Comics have used people with powers as a stand in for people of a given minority. X-Men was inspired by the Civil Rights movement, and is rooted in the fight for equality. In campaigns where topics like racism are veiled it may be worth discussing using mutants as an allegory for this topic. Through the course of this adventure, GMs can swap minority characters with mutants. 

Overview 

After a superpowered extremist is caught, a video of the police allowing the supervillain to escape emerges. The heroes must decide what to do. Choose wisely though, as corruption can run deep, and there are consequences for being on the wrong side of the law. 

Background

In 2009, the Department of Homeland Security published a report on escalating violence from right wing extremists. Right leaning media and politicians attacked the report as being a biased hit piece used to villainize the opposition party after the election of Barack Obama and the majorities in the House and Senate. Due to mounting political pressure, the task force dedicated to investigating right wing extremism was dissolved. In the years that followed, the violence has continued to escalate. 

Poisoned Apples continues to explore themes first discussed in Tools of the South (https://housedok.com/tools-of-the-south/). The story explores the infiltration of local police groups by white supremacists, and how that influence changes the people around them. 

Note: GMs who have played Tools of the South, should consider NPCs from this adventure that they may be able to link to characters in Poisoned Apples. 

Sources 

DHS Crushed This Analyst for Warning About Far-Right Terror https://www.wired.com/2012/08/dhs/

Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment https://fas.org/irp/eprint/rightwing.pdf

The Rise of Far-Right Extremism in the United States https://www.csis.org/analysis/rise-far-right-extremism-united-states 

FBI warned of white supremacists in law enforcement 10 years ago. Has anything changed? https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/fbi-white-supremacists-in-law-enforcement 

White Supremacists Infiltration of Law Enforcement http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/402521/doc-26-white-supremacist-infiltration.pdf 

Foreshadowing 

Turn to any news channel and while the language may be different, the story is all the same: The super powered villain, once known as the Dog Catcher is being released from Black Mountain prison. Once a  segregationist and leader of the Pack,, known for hunting down anyone the Dog Catcher felt didn’t belong has completed his sentence. Where he will be released, and what he will do now remains a mystery. 

Bite As Bad

It doesn’t take long  for the Dog Catcher to reveal himself. Those long years in prison have only solidified his beliefs and he will quickly recruit others with similar beliefs. Once his new Pack is assembled, the Dog Catcher will lash out, targeting the wealthiest black, indegionus person of color in the city. 

Note: This can be replaced with the highest profile mutant that is not a hero. 

The attack is direct, and blunt. They will attack the person’s home, setting fire to the structure. The pack are armed with 9A-91 compact assault rifles, they wear light body armor and gas masks. They are surprisingly content to let Dog Catcher destroy the home as their target is forced to watch. Once the heroes arrive, the Pack will provide cover fire for the Dog Catcher to escape, more than happy to be arrested, for the cause. 

Heroes will need to contend with both the Pack, and the fires. As fanatics, the Pack are happy to hide inside the burning home and fire on the heroes as they try to extinguish the fires. 

The Pack (Low Powered Extremists + Armored + Brawler + Shooter) (Typical Mob) 

The Burning Mansion 

• Stakes: The house will burn down, likely killing everyone inside.   
• Size 2 – Impacts a single mansion.
• Ferocity 2 – A team of skilled people without powers could resolve this disaster. 
• Target 30
• Damage 4 + Suffocation, due to smoke inhalation,for those inside the mansion without protection.
• Success Threshold 7
• Starting Advantage 4

Dog Catcher, The: A southern super villain from the 1960s with the power to create energy nets. The Dog Catcher is a staunch segregationist and lashes out at anyone he feels doesn’t “know their place.” Dog Catcher’s nets can cause intense pain, or destroy objects caught within them.   

If the heroes are able to put out the fire, or defeat his Pack, the Dog Catcher will attempt to escape. If confronted on or near the property, he will still have the homeowner captive, and will use them as a shield. 

Human Shield: Defense Bonus +10 “Armor” 2 

Notes: Any Active Defense puts the victim in the direct line of fire. If they take more than 10 Damage, it is possibly fatal.  

Note: GMs using mutants as an allegory for racism should feel free to increase the “Armor” value to represent a possible superpowered toughness of the victim. 

Eventually, police will arrive. They will assist in arresting the Pack, and the Dog Catcher if the heroes are able to capture him. The police use an Inhibitor Collar, to suppress his powers, and reinforced restraints for transport. 

Breaking News 

Roughly two hours after the arrest of the Pack, a news story will reveal that the Dog Catcher and his Pack have escaped. 

If the Dog Catcher was arrested: The police are stating that the Inhibitor Collar used failed, allowing the Dog Catcher to create a plasma net disabling the vehicle and break out. 

If the Dog Catcher was not arrested: The police are stating that the Dog Catcher ambushed the police vehicle transporting the Pack. 

In either scenario: Images of the police vehicle in a side street have been released, showing horrific damage. Thankfully, the police involved in the breakout were not injured. 

Personal Scenes 

After his escape, the Dog Catcher will go underground. Heroes can pursue leads, but the trail goes cold. GMs should allow some spotlight time for each hero, ask about personal relationships and how they interact when not fighting crime. If any heroes have a public persona, and are on the street, GMs should note a passing or parked patrol car when describing any scenes. 

Breaking, Breaking News 

Nine days after the mansion fire, and Dog Catcher’s escape, a video will surface through social media. It is originally posted with the caption: Scared to post this. No one seems to have the video though. Here’s what really happened with Dog Catcher and the cops. Followed by a number of hashtags. 

Attached is a cell phone video which shows the following: 

If the Dog Catcher was arrested: From across the street, the camera swings from the sidewalk towards a side street, where viewers can see the police parked. Officers open up the doors to the transport, and remove the Inhibitor Collar. There is some discussion between the three of them, and the Dog Catcher enters the vehicle again to melt the hole shown in the original news story. Once finished, he leaves, taking the collar with him. Unfortunately, the cell phone is too far away to pick up the audio, just a male voice in shock at the end before cutting the recording. 

If the Dog Catcher was not arrested: From across the street, the camera swings from the sidewalk towards a side street, where viewers can see the police parked, Dog Catcher waiting for them. The police officers release the Pack, and there is a short discussion. Then Dog Catcher attacks the transport, causing the damage seen in the original news story. Once finished, he and the Pack leave. Unfortunately, the cell phone is too far away to pick up the audio, just a male voice in shock at the end before cutting the recording. 

News outlets are trying to locate the source of the video, but it seems to have originally been posted by a dummy account with only the one post. Police are denying the authenticity of the video, and standing by their officer’s original statements. 

Where to Go From Here 

It’s up to the heroes to decide where to go from here. GMs allow the heroes to explore any avenue of investigation they choose. Some things to keep in mind. 

1. The police are generally respected. 
2. Attacking a police officer is a crime. 
3. If the heroes attack a police officer, this could quickly devolve as the police will be able to solicit aid from the BMA and MCPD.  

Let Police Complete An Internal Investigation 

If no other action is taken, the police will perform an internal investigation. This takes several weeks. However, the officers are eventually absolved of any wrongdoing. The story will barely make headlines and will quickly fade away. 

Evidence Collection 

Heroes may want to try and collect evidence for themselves. There are a few avenues to explore. Heroes should be aware that taking action against the police can result in them being labeled criminals. If they are caught taking any of these actions they can be charged with crimes such as illegal surveillance, impersonating an officer, interfering with an investigation, and tampering with evidence 

1. Body Cam Footage: If the heroes, or others inquire about body cam footage, the statement from the police is that the cameras failed to record the event. A Very Advanced (30) Expression + Subterfuge roll will reveal that the officer conveying the details on body camera footage is withholding details. If the heroes are obtaining this information by a proxy, such as a reporter, there is no other information to be gained. If the heroes speak to the police directly, they may be able to probe further, using powers like Telepathy, or anything that compels them to tell the truth. Doing so will reveal that the officer is aware that the officers in question deleted the footage. If the heroes can obtain the actual cameras used, a Challenging (45) Intelligence + Computers roll can recover the data, which will corroborate the cell phone video. For each 2 Steps on the Time Charge, reduce the Difficulty by 5, to a minimum of Expert (20). Of course, the police are unwilling to release the cameras. 
2. Interviewing the Officers: The police will not allow this under any circumstances. Unless the heroes have some means to present themselves as internal affairs, or will approach the officers involved outside of the police precinct this may be a dead end. However, the officers will not change their stories unless pressured. Pressuring the officers in their heroic identities may lead to the heroes being labeled as criminals, who have assaulted police officers.  
   1. Impersonating IA: The heroes will need to acquire credentials, and put together a cover story. GMs should adjust any rolls as necessary, but a basic degree of success should be around Advanced (25). At the onset of the interview, an Advanced (25) Forensics roll will reveal that both officers use a subtle hand gesture when they first meet the heroes. If the heroes are caucasian, and return the gesture, the officers will take a relaxed posture, openly admitting to deleting the body cam footage, just like they were instructed.  As long as the heroes maintain a friendly posture, they will openly admit to supporting the Dog Catcher. Otherwise, the officers will be incredulous, stating they have already sorted everything out. Any attempt to intimidate the officers while maintaining the guise of Internal Affairs will cause them to shut down the conversation. 
   2. As Heroes: The officers will mimic the heroes posture, but refuse to say anything. An Advanced (25) Intimidation roll will convince the officers to reveal the following. Note: Heroes impersonating internal affairs officers can break character to gain this additional information. 
      1. Success: The cell phone video is accurate. 
      2. 1 Degree of Success: The officers were instructed to delete the body cam footage. 
      3. 2 Degrees of Success: By internal affairs. 
      4. 3 Degrees of Success: They are part of a collection of officers who call themselves the Brotherhood. The Brotherhood believes that coexistence is not possible, and people need to be put in their place. 
      5. 4 Degrees of Success: The Brotherhood runs deep, and it’s not isolated to their precinct. 
      6. 5 Degrees of Success: There is supposedly an inner circle, but they don’t know if that’s true. 
3. Spying On The Police: Heroes may want to observe the officers involved. 
   1. Outside the police station: This can be accomplished with an Advanced (25) Intelligence + Stealth roll. Increase this difficulty by 5 each additional day of surveillance up to a maximum of Challenging (45). Heroes with the Bug Tool need to only succeed once at the base difficulty, but must still wait for results. 
      1. Day 1: Allow heroes to make a Forensics roll, as with Impersonating AI, to identify the Brotherhood gesture. This roll also identifies two other patrol officers who are part of the larger conspiracy. 
      2. Day 2: Reduce the difficulty of the Forensics roll by 5. 
      3. Day 4: The heroes will automatically succeed in the Forensics role, and have identified all the patrol officers the Dog Catcher’s arresting officers interact with. 
      4. Day 6: The officers are seen releasing a pair of skinheads after breaking up a fight.
      5. Days 7 – 13: The heroes will pick up chatter about taking care of “those people” and “making sure they know their place” from the officers and others they speak to.  
      6. Day 14: The officers will pull over a BIPOC (or mutant) driver. When asked why they were pulled over, the officers will pull them from the vehicle and beat them if the heroes don’t intervene. (In a Dark or Cinematic game, this can result in death.) Note: If this incident is not recorded, the police will press charges against the heroes. 
   2. A View From The Inside: While trailing the officers on the street can lead to some clues, getting inside can offer more information. Heroes will need to find a way into the police station, and either plant a Bug, or otherwise find a way to surveil the building without being noticed. However, this is a more difficult proposition. Heroes can make Stealth rolls, as above, increasing the Difficulty by +10. Alternatively, heroes may also use Intelligence + Disguise using the based Difficulties above. There are a number of key locations, inside the police station, heroes will need to decide where they will focus their surveillance, or where they will plant Bugs. 
      1. Briefing Room, Detectives Bullpen, Dispatch: Overall, things are what one might expect here. However, heroes may pick up on coded language. An Advanced (25) Expression + Etiquette roll will identify the coded language being used to talk about non-white citizens. Reduce the Difficulty by 5 after a week of surveillance. 
      2. Captain’s Office: While the captain was not on the scene, or with the officers when Dog Catcher escaped, they have provided a consistent defense of those involved. However, no illicit conversations will occur while others are present. Heroes will need to hide, or plant a Bug. To do so, the hero should make an additional roll at +10 for the added scrutiny of the room. 
         1. Day 1: There is no coding, when the captain speaks with officers he trusts, the racism is open and obvious. 
         2. Day 2: As with Day 1. At one part during the day, the captain takes a call, and responds in German. Heroes that are fluent will realize they are listening to one side of a coded conversation. 
         3. Day 4: While speaking to someone from records, the captain will confirm that the body cam footage from the Dog Catcher incident has been destroyed.  
         4. Day 5: The captain takes another coded phone call in German. Heroes can now attempt a Very Laborious (40) Intelligence + Cryptography roll to decode the message. Each additional call the captain takes reduces the Difficulty by 5. 
         5. Day 6: After calling in a pair of plain clothes detectives, the captain will hand over a file and tell them to “make the drop.” 
         6. Day 8: The captain takes another coded phone call in German. 
         7. Day 10: A patrol officer speaks to the captain about some of their fellow officers using excessive force during the recent arrest of a person of color. They tell the captain that they supported the other officers, but are having a hard time reconciling the level of violence. The captain advises the officer not to worry, they will investigate the incident, and talk with the officers. After the patrol officer leaves, the captain calls records, and advises them to destroy the body cam footage from the incident. 
         8. Day 11: The captain takes another coded phone call in German. 
         9. Day 14: The captain takes another coded phone call in German. 
      3. Jail Cells: Prisoners are cycled in and out of here every day. Officers will frequently use derogatory or insulting language, calling prisoners animals, or dogs. An Expert (20) Expression + Etiquette roll will reveal this is far more directed towards  people of color. 
      4. Lobby: As a public facing area, discussions here are kept casual. However, heroes can observe the hand gesture being used. Use the Forensics roll from above. 
      5. Lockers: Locker talk is open and obvious. Officers talk about keeping people in their place, along with glorifying being able to openly beat people without restraint. 
         1. Day 6: A few of the officers speak about making a drop.  
   3. Putting It Together: In addition to any other potential crimes, servailing two or more locations, will allow the heroes to identify all the members of the police who are part of the Brotherhood, including the captain. This will take a week, less one day for each location above two being monitored. 
   4. The Captain’s Calls: If the heroes are able to decipher the code, they can uncover the following information: The captain checks in with a handler they call “benefactor.” The captain is then instructed on which officers should be moved to desk duty or reassigned to less valuable areas. Effectively, minimizing any officers not part of the Brotherhood’s exposure to their activities. 
4. Evidence Collection: Heroes may want to try and recover the body cams, or any other evidence. This can generally be resolved using a Competitive Roll, increasing the difficulty for each piece of evidence the heroes want from the station, and providing advantages for each Bug the heroes have planted and can actively monitor while in the station. 

Exposing The Police

Heroes exposing corrupt police without evidence will be publicly condemned, and any charges that can be filed against them will be. The police will respond with overwhelming force, deploying battering ram tanks, snipers, and SWAT teams to “arrest” the heroes. If the heroes are not registered with the BMA they are more than willing to assist local police forces, deploying Zenith Troops to aid the police. 

Brotherhood Officer (Major Mob) (Low Powered Corrupt Cops + Brawler + Shooter)

SWAT Officer (2 Typical Mobs) (Low Powered Corrupt Soldiers + Brawler + Shooter + Tough)

Tank, Battering Ram (Classic Decommissioned Military Tank (Typical Mob) + Armored (2) + Devastator (Melee – only versus immoble or stationary targets) + Giant + Reinforced + Mobile + Tough + Maneuver Specialist: Power Strike (Melee) (2))

If the heroes are able to present physical evidence, or body cam footage, the BMA will not involve themselves. 

If the heroes are able to present three pieces of evidence or more, including the body cam footage, the Justice Department and FBI will step in to investigate, shielding the heroes from local police retaliation. 

A FBI investigation will expose roughly half the police force in the precinct are part of the Brotherhood. This will result in these officers being fired, and being prosecuted when possible. New leadership will resolve the staffing issue, losing half the officers, as it turns out many of the members of the Brotherhood often over enforced on petty crimes, or found crimes where there were none.

But that’s just one precinct, and the benefactor is still out there. There is more to uncover…

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