Spycraft Boot Camp I - v1 - Crafty Games

Church of the Apocalypse
Despite Law’s hotly debated interpretations of scripture, the
Church has developed a reputation for doing good. An outreach
program has reformed scores of young criminals; his revivals draw
crowds of believing showgirls, gamblers, bikers, business owners,
paid killers, and politicians; a recently established mission feeds
and shelters hundreds of homeless transients and a second such
mission is being built. The Church of the Apocalypse has grown
from an obscure Las Vegas curiosity to a powerful political and
societal organization, and it seems to be changing the face of Las
Vegas for the better.
But under this benevolent – if controversial – facade lurks a
deadly menace. What the public does not know is that Reverend
Matthias Law is not just a fanatical conservative. He is a delusional
madman looking to bring his own version of Armageddon to Sin
City.
Law’s outreach and mission programs have allowed him to
recruit and indoctrinate a small force of fiercely loyal, highly militant
acolytes. With their help, Law recently located a nuclear missile
silo that contained an old W56 Minuteman ICBM scheduled to
be dismantled. Using his influence, charisma, and not a few bribes,
Law induced a silo employee to release the security codes for the
site. At Law’s bidding, a local bike gang – loyal to his cause –
descended on the site and stole the aging, but dangerously effective,
1.2-megaton warhead.
Law has spent three and a half years in Las Vegas, but he
believes the time for repentance is over. He will soon detonate the
nuke from deep within his church, bringing a holy rain of nuclear
fire to the city and ushering in the end of the world…
MP Cost: 185
Wealth: Poor (15 MP)
Technology: 2 (2 GP per serial) (8 MP)
Loyalty: 5 (+5 to all loyalty checks) (20 MP)
Influence: Unknown
Scope: Unknown
Agenda: Unknown
Serial 2:
Reverend Matthias Law
Matthias Law is a tall, vital man who looks younger than his
62 years. He is an intense, charismatic leader, with a piercing stare
that is difficult to avoid. He is relentless in his proselytizing, and
will continue to try to convert the agents even as he orders his
men to kill them. He is not much of a physical threat; he suffered
from polio as a child, leaving him with a limp even today. He walks
with an ornate cane topped by a silver crucifix; the cane conceals
a 3-shot .40 caliber pistol.
Raised a Southern Baptist, Law bounced from one fundamentalist
religion to another, eventually culling together his own version
of Judeo-Christian theology – one that suited him. Today he
preaches a combination of strict conservatism (prohibiting fornication,
drunkenness, gambling) but embraces scriptures highlighting
God’s lack of patience with sinners, His promises of vengeance,
and the coming end of the world. Law believes he is "God’s
authority that bears the sword." He promises everlasting life to
those that listen to him and eternal destruction for those that do
not. And he truly believes he has been chosen by God to hand out
both rewards.
Law is ready to give his life for his beliefs. He has created a
special holy sanctuary for the nuke – a room he calls the Sanctum
– in a secure basement of his church. It is constantly guarded by
four of his elite acolytes but Law plans on detonating the device
himself. The Sanctum is a small, but elaborate room, replete with
ceremonial basins of holy water, candles, and an ornate altar. A
15
timer has been built into the warhead that will cause it to detonate
it ten minutes after Law activates the device (Law wants time
to devote his last few minutes on earth to prayer and meditation).
Defusing the bomb requires a contest of skills as per Spycraft
Espionage Handbook, page 49; the detonator is homemade and
was built by an acolyte with a demolitions skill of +5; it includes
both electronic and computer components. If the bomb goes off,
the firestorm will engulf a hundred square miles; within three
hours, the fallout will kill anything without shelter for 50 miles in
every direction.
GCs may wish to have a bible handy during this serial and to
use it during the agents’ interactions with Reverend Law. He
quotes many scriptures from memory and reads others from the
worn, but ever-present bible he himself always carries.
Reverend Matthias Law, 7th-level faceman (mastermind —
35 MP): CR 7. SZ M; v/wp: 43/11; Init +6 (class); Spd 30 ft.; Def
14 (+4 class); Atk: cane gun +5 (dmg 1d6, error 1, threat 20 if
swung); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA none; SQ adaptable,
backup 1/session, cold read 1/session, fake it 1/session, linguist +3,
quick change 3/session; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 10,
Con 11, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 17; Skills: Bluff +9, Cultures +5,
Diplomacy +11, Disguise +4, Forgery +3, Gather Information +8,
Innuendo +6, Intimidate +1/+4, Knowledge (Judeo-Christian
Theology) +10, Languages +3, Perform +13, Profession (Evangelist)
+11, Search +3, Sense Motive +12, Spot +3. Feats: Charmer,
Persuasive, Advanced Skill Mastery (Persuasive). Gear: Standard
clothing (liner, disguised as religious garb), cell phone, worn
leather bible, 50 rounds of .40 caliber military ball ammunition, 30
BPs; Gadgets and Vehicles: cane gun (operates like an umbrella
gun — dmg 1d12, error 1, threat 20, range 20 ft., spot DC 25 — 3
shots).
Threat Resources: None.
Headquarters: The Church of the Apocalypse, Las Vegas,
Nevada, USA — hierarchy unknown, secrecy 0, personnel 4, security
2.
The Arm of the Lord: The Reverend’s outreach programs and
homeless shelters have netted him many devoted followers. He has
selected some of the most skilled, fanatical militants from among
them, calling them the Arm of the Lord. These men act as Law’s
bodyguards, security teams, and enforcers; most have military
training, gang experience, or a prison record. They are a surly,
ruthless lot, but fanatically loyal to Reverend Law and to the Lord.
Law keeps at least four of them with the nuke at all times, calling
these specially chosen guards "Keepers of the Holy Flame."
The Arm of the Lord, 5th-level militant zealots (minions,
squads of 4 — 42 MP): CR 4. SZ M; v/wp: 35/16; Init +7 (+3 Dex,
+4 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 15 (+3 Dex, +2 class); Atk: H&K MP5A5SD
submachine gun with integral flash suppressor and silencer +5
(dmg 1d10, error 1, threat 19-20, range 50 ft. — 30 shots); Face 1
square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +7, Ref +6,
Will +2; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 10; Skills:
Balance +4, Climb +5, Demolitions +2, Driver +7, First Aid +3,
Intimidate +8/+5, Jump +4, Knowledge (Judeo-Christian
Theology) +3, Knowledge (Street, Military, or Prison) +3, Move
Silently +4, Spot +5, Survival +1, Tumble +7, Use Rope +6. Feats:
Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Punching Basics,
Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee, Handgun, Rifle). Gear: Weapon,
extra magazine of 30 rounds JHP ammunition, extra magazine of
30 rounds military ball ammunition, 6 BPs. Vehicles and Gadgets:
none.