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. GMs should review their campaign’s Lines and Veils while considering this adventure. 

Overview 

In the aftermath of the recent attack on the city’s infrastructure, the local government has begun accepting aid from federal agencies. As part of this, the Bureau of Metahuman Affairs (BMA) has offered to help assist and has recently announced a new government-sponsored local response unit, Alpha Force, made up of hand-selected registered Metahumans to help local authorities root out crime and reduce the public’s reliance of independent “criminal vigilantes”.

Diversionary Tactics, Aftermath 

Following the events of Diversionary Tactics, it may take anywhere from a week to five years to rebuild depending on the level of destruction. However, the most likely outcomes are within one to three months, unless Backlash was able to go completely unchecked, and the heroes were unable to stop the resulting riots. (Note: Patrons received a more detailed breakdown of recovery times as part of Diversionary Tactics.) 

GMs should consider adjusting these timelines if the heroes are able to impact reconstruction in meaningful ways.

Who Is Alpha Force?

Presented by the BMA as a viable solution to unregulated criminal vigilantes, all members of Alpha Force wear matching costumes and masks to hide their identities. Their uniforms are variations on a red, blue, and black theme, generally with black and red bars on the arms and legs, red chest, and white helmet along with other minor white accents. 

So who is behind the mask? The truth is, Alpha Force has been cloned from other Metahumans. GMs can populate the team with past PCs, their characters, but haven’t gotten to play with the Steel Aces, or members of the Hall of Legends, these may also be clones of current heroes. 

GMs should base the Alpha Force on the current campaign, team make up and how tough they want to group to be. Here is an example lineup of past heroes who have been cloned for GMs to use as a possible jumping-off point:

The Amazon: Imbued with phenomenal strength, speed, and durability, she’s a hero who harkens back to the Golden Age of Metahumans, meet the Amazon! Strong enough to lift a tank, she’ll bounce bullets off her biceps to save civilians. (Use the character block for Arianna.) https://housedok.com/teen-heroes-1-arianna-corazon-de-sousa/

Chiller: This cool star uses their cold powers along with acrobatics to put their foes on ice. He’s the coolest cat to cap crime, he’s Chiller! (Use the character block for Ice Rider.) https://housedok.com/altitus-ice-rider/

Gidget Gadget: When there’s trouble, she knows who to call, turning her cell phone into a personal robot to take out anyone in her way. If you see this millennial on her phone, it just means you’re safe. (Use the character block for Gidget Gadget, Metahumans Rising Core Book, Hall of Legends.) 

Giga-Crab: He may not be much to look at now, but don’t rile him up. He gets big, he gets bad, he’s Giga-Crab. Able to grow to the size of a small building, and the strength to match nothing can stand in his way. (Use the character block for Crustacean-Rex.) https://housedok.com/out-of-time-heroes-crustacean-rex/

Pistolette: There’s no need to fear when Pistolette is near. An ace marksman and gymnast, Pistolette won’t let the bad guys get near you. (Use the character block for Helliquin, Metahumans Rising Core Book, Hall of Legends.) 

Introducing Alpha Force 

The mayor, along with a representative from the BMA will make the announcement in front of city hall and full press corp. Alpha Force will be present, arriving in a convertible style hover vehicle that they can all jump out for a dramatic entrance as their names are called. (If you are using Gidget Gadget, she will stare at her phone exiting last as she converts the ship into a staircase. Note, she will keep looking at her phone the entire time.) Each of the heroes will do something to show off their powers as they take the stage. 

Overall the press corps will lavish praise on the heroes. Especially news stations that would normally take a hard stance against the PCs after being soothed by the BMA and assurances that these Metahumans have been screened, sanctioned, and approved for urban protection. Unlike unregistered criminals, we know who’s behind the mask. 

Butting Heads 

While the cameras are rolling, everything is smiles. Once in the field, the Alpha Force are very different people. They have been programmed to be kind outwardly, but absolutely brutal on the battlefield. They will protect unpowered humans but have no regard for Metahuman life, not even their own. The GM should arrange a light encounter, where the two teams arrive around the same time. Alpha Force will work to neutralize any threat, and if the heroes are caught up in an attack, all the better. 

Notes: 

This does not mean the Alpha Force will target the heroes, but any area of effect attacks that can hit a foe and them? Well, maybe the hero should have had better situational awareness. 

As for hitting each other, while Alpha Force is unaware they are clones. However, they have been programmed with a loathing of Metahumans and a need for self-sacrifice. All of them are willing to kill and die, for the BMA. 

Sample Encounter: Bank Heist Gone Wrong

There is a hostage situation at a local bank. A team of armed men, and a pair of Metahumans calling themselves the Thunder Twins have barricaded themselves inside a bank after the police responded faster than expected. They have demanded a helicopter and are threatening to kill the hostages. 

Allow the heroes to approach the encounter however they see fit. The Thunder Twins can be talked down with 5 successful Etiquette or Negotiation Rolls versus a 32 Target. Alpha Force will not negotiate but attempt to head directly into the bank. 

Notes: 

If anyone attempts to breach the bank before the negotiations are complete, they have 1 Turn to neutralize the gunmen before civilians are shot. 

If the heroes attempt to obstruct Alpha Force in any way, they will offer only a single warning before turning on the heroes. Additionally, if there are civilian injuries, any interference by the heroes will be blamed. At this point, once the Thunder Twins and Gunmen are defeated, the Alpha Force will tell the heroes to stand down so that they can be arrested for obstruction of justice along with various other related characters. 

Gunmen (Use the Squad Leader Background Character from Metahumans Rising, Minor Mob)

The Thunder Twins (Classic Villains + Advanced + Devastator + Brawler + Shooter + Tough + Maneuver Specialist + Talented (3))  

Identical twins, each can generate bolts of lightning. They have practiced using their powers together for years making them especially effective together. Both present as women standing six feet tall. Gail has a side shave parted to the left, Force has a side shave parted to the right. 

In combat, GMs should switch between Coordinated Effort attacks and individual attacks based on if it looks like the Thunder Twins can take down a target with the next hit. 

Basic Rolls 12 + 3d6

Stamina 18

Defense 24 Dice 4 Armor 6

Offense Lightning Blast 18 Dice 4 Range Long Damage 12   

Offense Coordinated Effort 30 Dice 5 Range Long Damage 12 Note: The Twins attack the same target together, roll once using the Values Above.   

Offense Coordinated Effort – Take Down the Weak 10 Dice 5 Range Long Damage 18 Note: The Twins attack the same target together, roll once using the Values Above.   

Offense Electrical Punches 18 Dice 3 Range Close Damage 9  

Tactics 30 Dice 5 Notes: On their first use of Coordinated Effort add +4 Damage. 

Science (Gail) 21 Dice 4

Repair (Force) 21 Dice 4

Worsening Relations 

Assuming the heroes have not been charged with any crimes, the media normally opposed to the heroes will begin calling them outdated, and a liability. If the Alpha Force is not being caught during any kind of dangerous act their popularity will surge during this time as well. 

Heroes → Criminals 

As outlined in Bank Heist Gone Wrong Alpha Force is looking for any excuse to press charges against the heroes. As Metahumans registered to the BMA, they have that authority and will attempt to apprehend the heroes. Should the heroes escape, they will be treated as criminals fleeing justice, and the local police will coordinate with Alpha Force to help apprehend them. 

Should the heroes be taken into custody, things go from bad to worse. The BMA will use inhibitor collars (Crippling Power Loss Drawback) on the heroes and keep them detained. They will use anti-terror laws to prevent the heroes from contacting anyone and prevent them from obtaining legal representation. Once isolated, the BMA will then advise the heroes that they will either disappear or register with the BMA, allowing them full access to their personal, medical, and private information. Should they withhold any information, they will be stripped of their Constitutional rights, tried as enemies of the state, and buried under a maximum-security prison designed for Metahumans. 

Note: Further reading on US Terrorism laws https://www.aclu.org/other/new-anti-terrorism-law-continues-dangerous-trend-stripping-federal-judiciary-authority

Incarcerated heroes will have to escape to avoid being black boxed. Which has the added complication of them being inhibited at the time. 

Prison Break 

• Stakes: The heroes are caught, recaptured, or worse.   
• Size 2 – Impacts the grounds around the building.
• Ferocity 3 – You’re going to wish you had your powers to escape
• Target 35
• Damage 5
• Success Threshold 9
• Starting Advantage 5
• The building is swarming with BMA guards and agents, all looking to put down some Metahuman scum. This is in addition to the surveillance, and alarms. Stealth and subtle tactics will serve the heroes better than an assault while they are collared. They may end up fighting guards, but hiding foes that have been knocked out. 
• Optional: Snoop Onto Them: The heroes may want to try and gather intel on the BMA or the Alpha Force while escaping. If the players go this route, let them select one of the following: 
  • Seeing a Revelation: Increase the Ferocity to 4 and Starting Advantage to 6. Success here reveals the cloning lab for the Alpha Force, and their replacements. If the Computer Talent is used to gather data, they will learn that the clones are made using a recovered Chimera technology, but they are unstable, breaking down in a matter of days like early Drifters. Destroying the lab will prevent the BMA from reconstituting the Alpha Force. 
  • The Heart of the Matter: Increase the Ferocity to 5 and Starting Advantage to 7. The heroes locate the office of the BMA under-secretary. There the heroes can find records of payoffs to Angelo Priore, if the heroes do not recognize the name, a Wisdom + Study: Metahumans or Known Criminals versus an Average (15) will reveal this to be Backlash. With the evidence, they can link the under-secretary to the infrastructure attacks. This also implies it was all done to test out the Alpha Force. 
    • Note: GMs can provide either revelation in any order for Heart of the Matter. 

After escaping, the heroes will be met with the Alpha Force, and can either attempt to take them on or flee. 

A Hero’s Name 

With things getting worse, the heroes may want to investigate who the Alpha Force is or what the BMA is up to. This will lead them to the BMA offices. GMs can use the Prison Break Disaster – Heart of the Matter to infiltrate the building. Additionally, heroes can do research on the building beforehand to decrease the BMA’s starting number of Successes. 

Finding information on the building of BMA personnel will require a roll against a Very Laborious (40) Difficulty. On a Success, and for every 2 Additional Degrees of Success reduce the Disaster’s Successes by 1. 

At the end of A Hero’s Name, the Heroes will face off against the Alpha Force. However, they are near the end of their lifecycle. All of them have the Frail and Feedback Drawbacks. As the battle goes on, the Alpha Force will break down in front of everyone. There’s no coming back for the Alpha Force, so make sure to use all their Willpower as dramatically as possible.  

Aftermath

If the heroes were able to obtain the evidence against the BMA, they would withdraw, and the city government would attempt to press charges. All blame will be pushed to the under-secretary who will over the coming months plead out, and disappear into the federal court’s bureaucracy. 

The president will speak on the matter and work to help to rebuild the city as quickly as possible. There will also be new scrutiny applied to the BMA, but this occurs behind closed doors.