The Modern Dispatch
More Pulp Villains
By Gareth-Michael Skarka
Introduction
We first gave you Pulp Villains back in issue 46,
About
and, given that we're celebrating August as Pulp
#
Month, we decided that it was a fitting subject
98
for Adamant Entertainment's final Modern
Dispatch issue for us to give you more villains to
throw at your stalwart pulp heroes!
Content Manager:
Thrilling Tales is Adamant Entertainment s
Charles Rice, Chris Davis
In the pulps, there were dozens of villains for
critically-acclaimed line of pulp-genre gaming
every hero. The villains were usually a never- products for use with Modern D20. The line
Layout:
currently features Advanced Classes representing
ending supply of run-of-the-mill gangsters and
Chris Davis
the major pulp hero archetypes, a Gamemaster s
crooks, ready to be defeated on a monthly basis,
Guide (including a random pulp adventure
sandwiched between lurid, brightly-colored
generator), Adventures, and more.
covers, and sold for a dime. On occasion,
however, other villains appeared. Villains
as fantastic as the heroes they confounded.
Villains that were nearly equal to the heroes in
power and in their uniqueness. About the Author
Gareth-Michael Skarka has been working in the
adventure games industry since 1988. He is the
Requires the use of the d20 Modern Roleplaying
The hordes of cookie-cutter crooks fade into
designer of several role-playing games, including
Game, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
obscurity, but the arch-fiends remain. Sherlock
Hong Kong Action Theatre!, UnderWorld
Holmes needs his Moriarty, after all. Doc
and Skull & Bones. His company, Adamant
d20 Modern and Wizards of the Coast are
Savage had his John Sunlight, and the Shadow
Entertainment, is one of the top PDF publishing
trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the
had Shiwan Khan. Some pulp magazines were
houses in the business, and produces the pulp
United States and other countries and are used
focused on the villains, and the heroes were the
d20 line Thrilling Tales, among others.
with permission. d20 System and the d20
disposable, cookie-cutter characters!
System logo are trademarks of Wizards of the
Coast, Inc. and are used according to the terms
The player-characters in your own pulp-era
of the d20 System License version 6.0. A copy
The villains that appear in these pages will give
of this License can be found at www.wizards. campaigns should face such threats. Don't give
you a good start, and your players will curse you
com/d20.
them an enemy to fight....Give them a Nemesis.
for it!
More Pulp Villains
Page 1
The Modern Dispatch
Stool Pigeon, Drive-By, Leg Breaking,
Vincenzo Vinnie Five-
Sweep, Seedy Favor, Safe House.
Angels Pentangeli
Wealth: +6
This character uses levels of the Mobster advanced class,
available from Adamant Entertainment. Pertinent abilities
Mobster Ability Descriptions:
are described below, so owning the class is not neccessary.
" Affiliation: Mobsters gain the benefit of
their Affiliation s reputation (Vinnie s is +10)
Fast Hero 5/Mobster 5: CR 10; Medium-
when dealing with others who would respect
that Affiliation s reputation.
size humanoid; HD 5d8 +5d10-10; HP 38;
Mas 8; Init +3; Spd 30 ft; Defense 21, touch
" No Stool Pigeon: Vinnie gains a +4
21, flatfooted 18 (+0 size, +3 Dex, +8 class);
circumstance bonus to Will saves when
BAB +6; Grap +5; Atk +2 melee (1d4-1, brass
being interrogated.
knuckles), or +9 ranged (2d6 Tommy-Gun); FS
5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ ; AL The Mob; SV
" Drive-By Shooting: Vinny has access to
Fort +3, Ref +9, Will +2; AP 9; Rep +3; Str 9, the Drive-By Attack feat.
Dex 17, Con 8, Int 16, Wis 11, Cha 15.
" Leg Breaking: The Mobster can
acquire information from reluctant sources
Occupation: Criminal (Hide, Knowledge
through actual physical harm. While this
[Streetwise])
method lacks finesse and sophistication, it
is brutally effective. The Mobster adds a +2
circumstance bonus to his Intimidation check
Skills: Balance +6, Demolitions +6, Diplomacy
when using non-lethal force on a subject, or
+4, Disable Device +5, Drive +10, Escape
a +4 circumstance bonus if he uses lethal
Artist +6, Forgery +4, Hide +10, Intimidate +9,
force.
Knowledge (Current Events) +8, Knowledge
(Streetwise) +9, Move Silently +8, Pilot +7,
" Sweep: A Mobster knows how to size
Profession +4, Read/Write Language +1 up an area and get the lay of the land in a
single sweep of his or her eyes. This sweep
(Italian), Search +9, Sleight of Hand +7, Speak is assessed a +5 penalty to appropriate skill DCs.
provides a +4 circumstance bonus on Spot
Should the Mobster be compromised in his safe
Language +1 (Italian), Spot +8, Tumble +6
checks.
house, he gains a +2 circumstance bonus on
any skill checks that would directly or indirectly
Feats: Advanced Firearms Proficiency, Brawl,
" Seedy Favor: This class feature is similar to assist in his escape. He also gains a +2 defensive
Combat Driving, Double Tap, Personal Firearms
the Charismatic Hero s Favor talent. bonus while inside the Safe House.
Proficiency, Point Blank Shot, Simple Weapons
" Safe House: Vinnie has a few secret locations
Proficiency
Vincenzo Pentangeli, known on the street
around the city where he can lay low for a
as Vinnie Five-Angels , is a highly-placed
while if the heat is turned up on him. These safe
Talents (Fast Hero): Evasion, Opportunist,
enforcer for the local Mafia in your campaign's
houses often have money, guns, and ammunition
Uncanny Dodge 1 (Mobster): Affiliation, No
main city.
stored in them. Anyone trying to find the Mobster
More Pulp Villains
Page 2
The Modern Dispatch
His primary job for the Mob is as a
Otto Von Übel
Troubleshooter -- if there's trouble, Vinnie
is sent, and he shoots it. He's very good at
Vampire Smart Hero 7: CR 9;
what he does, and this has made him a valuable
Medium-size Undead; HD 7d12; HP
member of the organization, and increased his
46; Mas 3; Init +5; Spd 30 ft; Defense
power within it. He currently is the number two
19, touch 13, flatfooted 18 (+0 size,
man, behind the Boss -- the old man who is the
+1 Dex, +2 class, +6 natural); BAB
titular head of the family-- but whispers on the
+3; Grap +7; Atk +8 melee (1d8+4,
street are starting to say that Five-Angels is the
sword-cane), or +4 ranged ; FS 5 ft by
real power behind the throne.
5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ blood drain, create
spawn, domination (DC 10 + 1/2 HD
Adventure Hooks:
+ cha mod), energy drain, alternate
form, children of the night, damage
" A Mob War rages on the streets of the City,
reduction 15/+1, fast healing 5, gaseous
as two (or more) organized crime gangs battle
form, cold and electricity resistance
for control of illicit business (smuggling,
20, spider climb, +4 turn resistance,
gambling, prostitution) in the area. Crime
darkvision 60 ft., weaknesses; AL none;
is on the rise, and this will naturally draw the
SV Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +8; AP 8; Rep
attention of the Player Characters. After a
+4; Str 18, Dex 13, Con 0, Int 21, Wis
few run-ins with mob-related crime, the PCs
14, Cha 15.
will be identified as a threat, and the family
that Pentangeli works for will send him out to
Occupation: Dilettante (Intimidate)
remove the threat.
Skills: Bluff +10, Decipher Script
" Criminal power in the city has been
+9, Demolitions +8, Diplomacy +4,
consolidated behind a single family-- the one
Disable Device +11, Disguise +4,
with Vinnie as a member. Now the time
Drive +3, Escape Artist +3, Forgery
has come to make his move. Pentangeli
+7, Gamble +4, Gather Information +4,
decides to stage a coup and take control of
Hide +10, Intimidate +6, Investigate
the Mob, leading to a civil war in the city's
+8, Knowledge (Arcane Lore) +20,
underworld, with gang bosses declaring their
Knowledge (Art) +9, Knowledge
allegiance to one side or the other. Can the
(Behavioral Sciences) +8, Knowledge
Player Characters take down the Mob before
(Business) +13, Knowledge (Civics)
the city is torn apart?
+7, Knowledge (Current Events) +10,
Knowledge (Earth and Life Sciences)
+11, Knowledge (History) +12,
More Pulp Villains
Page 3
The Modern Dispatch
Knowledge (Physical Sciences) +10, Knowledge battlefields than in hunting his own prey -- Von Vampire Strong Ordinary 2: CR 4; Medium-
(Popular Culture) +9, Knowledge (Streetwise) Übel used his dying effort to kill the creature, size Undead; HD 2d12; HP 13; Mas 0; Init +8;
+11, Knowledge (Tactics) +9, Knowledge but not before it had worked its terrible magic. Spd 30 ft; Defense 22, touch 16, flatfooted 18
(Technology) +6, Knowledge (Theology and Otto Von Übel rose again as a creature of the (+0 size, +4 Dex, +2 class, +6 natural); BAB
Philosophy) +8, Listen +12, Move Silently night. +2; Grap +7; Atk +7 melee , or +6 ranged ; FS
+9, Navigate +9, Profession +7, Read/Write 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ blood drain, create
Language +5 (English, German, Latin, French, Von Übel is interested in only one thing -- power spawn, domination (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + cha
Italian), Repair +8, Research +6, Search +19, and wealth. He rose in power in Germany as an mod), energy drain, alternate form, children of
Sense Motive +10, Speak Language +5 (English, industrialist, but when the Nazi regime began to the night, damage reduction 15/+1, fast healing
German, Latin, French, Italian), Spot +12 nationalize industry, the vampire left Germany 5, gaseous form, cold and electricity resistance
to pursue his wealth in the Brave New World of 20, spider climb, +4 turn resistance, darkvision
Feats: Agile Riposte, Alertness, Archaic America. 60 ft., weaknesses; AL Von Übel ; SV Fort +2,
Weapons Proficiency, Combat Reflexes, Ref +6, Will +1; AP 2; Rep +0; Str 21, Dex 18,
Dodge, Educated (Knowledge [Arcane Lore], He is a businessman without morals or scruples.
Knowledge [History]), Improved Damage He is not above blackmail or strong-arm
Threshold, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, tactics to get what he wants, and his company,
Lightning Reflexes, Personal Firearms International Holdings, Ltd., is weathering the
Proficiency, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Depression rather well as a result.
Weapon Focus
Players will most likely assume that Von Übel is
Talents (Smart Hero): Savant (Knowledge one of the Fat Cat Businessman villains (those
[Arcane Lore]), Plan, Trick, Exploit Weakness that don't immediately assume that he's a Nazi
spy, of course). Von Übel has managed to avoid
Wealth: +11 detection as a vampire for over 130 years so far
-- his reputation is as an eccentric recluse. The
PCs will certainly be surprised when the truth is
Otto Von Übel represents a surprise to throw at revealed!
your characters -- a German villain who not only
has no connection to the Nazis, but also turns Von Übel is served by a group of lesser vampires
out to be an honest-to-god vampire! that he has created. He recognized their use
early on, and sends them on errands to procure
Von Übel was a Prussian noble who was him victims for feeding, or to do violence
wounded during the Napoleonic Wars, as he against his business opponents (He knows that
lay dying on the battlefield, he fell victim to the chances of them being traced back to him is
the predations of a vampire. The vampire, negligable, as they turn to dust when destroyed!)
whose name Von Übel never learned, was a
weak creature, more content with scavenging Example statistics for one of his minions:
More Pulp Villains
Page 4
The Modern Dispatch
Con 0, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 12. Adventure Hooks:
Occupation: Blue Collar (Climb, Drive, " Von Übel, as a prominent businessman of German descent, has
Intimidate) come to the attention of the Nazis, who wish to bend him to their
will and use his businss as a Fifth Column operation within the
Skills: Bluff +9, Climb +8, Drive +6, Hide United States. When he rebuffed their efforts, they decided to use
+12, Intimidate +2, Jump +7, Knowledge stronger tactics.
(Current Events) +3, Knowledge (Streetwise)
+5, Knowledge (Tactics) +3, Listen +12, Move The Player Characters are drawn into events when sabotage attacks
Silently +12, Profession +5, Repair +4, Search occur at several International Holdings businesses. The PCs will
+11, Sense Motive +9, Spot +11, Survival +2, unveil the Nazi plot, but will also begin to discover that the agents
Swim +6 that they are uncovering are soon turning up dead, or disappearing
under mysterious circumstances. The PCs will be caught between
Feats: Alertness, Brawl, Combat Reflexes, the Vampire and the Reich as the two sides battle each other!
Dodge, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes,
Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple Weapons " As a twist on the above, perhaps Von Übel has instead come to
Proficiency the attention of the United States Government....a wealthy German
industrialist, with a reputation as a recluse? Sounds like a job for
Wealth: +5 G-Men to investigate. Players expecting to uncover a dastardly
Nazi plot instead have to contend with Evil from Beyond the
Grave!
A Note on Villain Survival
" The Player Characters become involved in a murder mystery
-- terror has struck a construction site, as several workers have
Villains like these are too good to waste on a
been killed. Each has apparently fallen to his death from the
single adventure. Taking a page from the pulps,
girders of the skyscraper while staying late...but there are oddities
Gamemasters should be prepared to bring a villain
surrounding the events. First, each of the men killed was a vocal
back, even when it seems impossible. If at all
proponent of unionizing to negotiate better wages from their
possible, make the villain's end have a bit of
employers, International Holdings, Inc. Second, despite the
wiggle-room : the body is never recovered, for
trauma of falling from such great heights, there has been no blood
example.
found at the scene.
...and when the heroes ask how did you survive
that? The villain should dismiss the question
with a wave of his hand. You cannot begin to
comprehend the power at my disposal....
More Pulp Villains
Page 5
The Modern Dispatch
Open game license
5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original 15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are
OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
conveyed by this License.
The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is
Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002, Wizards of the Coast,
Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ( Wizards ). All Rights Reserved.
6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan, based
portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker,
1. Definitions: (a) Contributors means the copyright and/or trademark
NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or Peter Adkison, Bruce R. Cordell, John Tynes, Andy Collins, and JD Wiker.
owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b) Derivative Material
distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright
means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations
holder s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2004, Wizards of the Coast,
(including into other computer languages), potation, modification,
Content you Distribute. Inc.: Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Bruce R.
correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation,
Cordell, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
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7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity,
transformed or adapted; (c) Distribute means to reproduce, license, rent,
including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed Thrlling Tales: Advanced Class: Mobster, 2006 Adamant Entertainment.
lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute;
in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that
(d) Open Game Content means the game mechanic and includes the
Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability Modern Dispatch #98, 2006, Adamant Entertainment; Author Gareth-
methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content
with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work Michael Skarka
does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior
containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another,
art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by
independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered
the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including
Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not open gaming content
translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically
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excludes Product Identity. (e) Product Identity means product and product
of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, Designation of Product Identity: The following terms are designated as
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More Pulp Villains
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