next in command have any experience and real fighting prow- gives the characters a vested interest in keeping
t in keeping the town and mine
ess. Everyone else is a first level mercenary with a meager bit of safe, now and in the future.
M.D.C. armor and maybe one Mega-Damage weapon. This gives Old Man Cooper also lets the characters keep the items they
most people on Rifts Earth a major power trip because most people took from his shop as a reward, plus he’ll fix up anything that
do not have such Mega-Damage weapons and armor. Game Mas- was damaged as a final reward. The characters will be forever
ters can use the same stats for the mercs that were listed under known as the Defenders of River Side and will even be able to
the bandits encountered earlier. Those bandits were really part of call a dragon hatchling and a noble Cyber-Knight their friends.
Lady Cleo’s mercenary band, which also means there are two for Should the characters ever need shelter or food in the future, they
every one player character, plus the Corporal, unless they were run will always be welcomed and treated like heroes in River Side.
off or killed at the beginning of the adventure. If that is the case,
there are only eight mercs and their leaders. There are two each in
the two Mountaineer ATVs, two mercs in the Big Boss ATV and
two mercs on Highwayman motorcycles. The squad leader has a Non-Player
Speedster Hovercycle with a laser and two mini-missile launchers.
Game Masters, feel free to adjust the number of bad guys, but
keep in mind that their leader is going to be tough all by himself.
Characters (NPCs)
So don’t add too many mercenaries, just enough to make it a chal-
lenge.
The townsfolk are being kept in the brewery and are easy to set
free once the merc guarding them is taken down. The people are
to be a huge help, but some stay out of the way and those strong
enough join the fight to save their town.
It is up to the Game Master and how well this adventure goes as
to whether or not Lady Cleo returns and joins the battle. This could
be awesome, or too much to handle. If the fight against the mercs
goes fast and easy, we say bring her back for the big, climatic
show down between her and the player characters, while Fire Fly
protects the townspeople.
The Aftermath of the Adventure
The town’s people will be eternally grateful. Everyone knew
that a life of slavery and misery awaited them, if not for the he-
roes. Plus many are reunited with their children. The actual or-
phans are happily given homes with various families, and the
player characters are allowed to keep the gear they got from Old
Man Cooper. There is little in the way of a reward that can be
offered. The town is able to scrape together 20,000 credits to
give to the heroes if they want it. Sir Cross declines the generous
offer, as these are poor people who need the money more than
he. The player characters may follow his lead or take the money,
but they should do so as a group, no one individual should get the
20,000 credits. Of course, they can visit any time and enjoy free
food, room and board, so the group may have a base of operations
Lady Cleo – Villain
as long as they are in the area and whenever they return.
As for the silver: Option One: There is none. Or at least not
Spectra, Cat’s Eye Dragon Hatchling
much. River Side’s elders know about the old silver mine, and Lady Cleo is an evil, opportunistic predator who only seeks to
every once in a while, a few nuggets or a new, small vein is dis- profit from others. Like a cat, she turns most of these ventures into
covered, but the mine is pretty much played out. There is never a game, and plays until she grows tired of it. Once she becomes
much silver to be found. The greedy, Lady Cleo did not know bored of it all and loses interest, she walks away, often leaving
this. devastation in her wake.
Option Two: The townspeople are going to be rich! Keeping She is a Cat’s Eye Dragon who, like many dragons, believes she
the silver mine and the profits for themselves will be difficult, but is smarter and strong than humans and D-Bees, which means she
they now have Fire Fly and the Cyber-Knight to be their protec- uses them as she desires. Mostly, she sees them as a means to an
tors. With a little luck, River Side will grow and prosper. As for end and as playthings. This also means she often underestimates
the player characters, the grateful townspeople offer the group a them. Cunning, but lazy, when one of schemes starts to crumble or
small percentage in the mine, enough to provide each character she faces too much stiff competition, she gives up and moves on to
with 2D4x10,000 credits annually, for as long as the mine holds find a new opportunity and people to torment. Cleo is not likely to
out. (That could be a couple of years or a couple of decades; G.M. fight to the death, fleeing (if she can) when her M.D.C. is reduced
discretion.) A very nice stipend for a day or two’s work. It also by half.
