The Technocracy Files!

[Jongluer]

The Technocracy Files
The Technocracy Files is the title of this mini-campaign that I'll be running. The basis of the game is that you are all a part of the Technocracy, a secret organization that works to preserve humanity through the logic of science from the dangers of the night: Vampires, Werewolves, So-called “Mages”, and other dangers. Not only are you a part of the Technocracy, but you are the elite strike force of the local branch.
Your job, is to use the powers of science to weed out the dangerous Vampires threatening humanity, the Werewolf eco-terrorists, and Wizardly Reality Dissidents. You are deployed to remove these beings wherever they nest, and often before they can get a strangle hold on the night. You move silently, fighting in dark alleyways, and beneath the full moon.
You are the product of the Technocracy's cutting edge projects: Robotic War Machines, Humans melded with technology, Beings genetically engineered and enhanced, People who wield the great mysteries of quantum mechanics. You are the Technocracy's greatest asset, people who truly are piece's of scientific greatness.

[Jongluer]

The Technocracy was founded as the Order of Reason seven centuries ago. They had united in an effort to expand man's knowledge of the universe through the sciences as they were known. For the past seven centuries all major advancements in science and reason were discovered by the Technocracy.
During the Enlightenment as they made a push towards bringing the light of science to the populace they began to encounter what had only been spoken of in whispers by the Order: the supernatural. In the backwoods regions of the world werewolves roamed, and deep within cityscapes vampires made their domain, and finally the Reality Deviants who performed their “magic” slowly breaking reality down. The Order of Reason immediately recognized these threats which strove so hard to harm not only humanity and the planet but also reality as defined by empirical occupation.
The Order therefore formed their first group of Hunters. The Hunters mission was simple: cull the world of reality deviants and other supernatural forces who posed a threat to humanity and reality. The battle has now been waging in the shadows for centuries, and neither side is going to give up anytime soon.
The Hunters have now evolved into a large number of Strike Forces and Field Agents that are spread throughout the world. At least one Strike Force in every major city or large region and Field Agents spread throughout, constantly investigating cases and sightings.
The Technocracy as it is today is a world power hiding in the shadow. They fund research through a number of different personalities and anonymous people. The Technocracy pulls the strings of law and government to gain jurisdiction and power over the populace. The public is constantly educated with reason and protected against those things which go bump in the night. There are legions of researchers who are constantly pioneering Super-Technology, engineering better ways for humanity to live under the united ideals of reason. These researchers support the Strike Forces which are compiled of the best people the Technocracy could find from anywhere they needed to go.

Every Member of the Technocracy has memorized the aims of the organization, that which guides their actions constantly:

1.Bring Stasis and Order to the Universe.
2.Educate the populace of the benefits of science and the power of rational thought.
3.Preserve the dimensional barriers and reality.
4.Define the nature of the Universe through rational thought and empirical observation.
5.Destroy Reality Deviants.
6.Protect Humanity from that which would do them harm

[Jongluer]

There are many things which go bump in the night, and the Technocracy has been fighting them for at least a century. Thus, a large information has been gathered upon the more common creatures of the night.

Vampire
One of the most classic villains of the night. Vampires have existed for centuries, and there are many breeds of vampires which exist. However, they all share one thing in common: they all imbibe the blood of humanity to maintain themselves. They are creatures who are completely able to hide within humanity's ranks preying upon us. A complete alien hiding within our midst.
Many have existed for centuries and are very capable of manipulating humanity. Thus they become very hard to confront, since they need to be found out and then confronted directly but not publicly. Still, most vampires are at the very least stronger and more durable than the average human. However there is a large variance of this based upon the breed of vampire. Different breeds of vampires, have different powers.

Brute: Brutes or Thugs are the most common type of vampire. They are stronger than humans by a wide margin, can move faster than most people and can take many bullets and blades before they go down. A brute can grow claws, and will regularly use them and their teeth in combat. They are regularly used by older or different vampires as shock troops.
If a Brute survives even a decade as a vampire they are most likely super-strong and won't go down short of a missile to the chest. The older the Brute, the more dangerous they are.

Blood Sorcerer: Blood Sorcerers are Vampires that employ a form of reality bending similar to “mages”. They use the blood of the innocents they kill to fuel this “sorcery”, and can use it to perform any number of things. Blood Sorcerers regularly buff other vampires, but they also can use the blood to fly, teleport, protect themselves with force fields, and anything else one can imagine. If a blood sorcerer is spotted they should be destroyed before all other targets.

Mentalist: Mentalists are Vampires who can walk through the minds of mortals. They regularly read the minds of others, bond mortals to their will, and crush weaker minds to achieve their goals. They can be difficult to find through layers of illusions and the mundane protections they utilize. Luckily they are often physically weak and can be taken down with a few well placed shots.

Manipulators: A Manipulator is a Vampire who mettles in the doings of mortals. Similar to the Mentalist they bend mortals to their will though in a less supernatural way. They are smooth talking, and often possess the powers of other vampires. Manipulators always have back up plans and are difficult to confront head on, though sometimes that is best.

Ninja: Ninja is a term used for the Vampires who are faster than ones eyes, move through the shadows, and some claim can even turn invisible. They are stealthy, dangerous, and will strike from anywhere. Ninja can be hard to hit, and can take a long time to go down.

Werewolf
Werewolves are savage beasts which move through both night and day. They believe they are fighting some kind of noble battle for the savior of the earth. In reality they rush through the world, murdering humans who are living peaceably, and demolishing anything humanity attempts to build. The lycanthropes are nothing but a whining group of people who are searching to destroy the world which spawned them.
They aim to bring down that which humanity builds, and to kill as many people in the act as possible. Unlike Vampires, Werewolves generally look, fight, and act the same. They are all fast, strong, and can be shot dead with enough bullets or one well placed silver bullet. A werewolf does not hesitate to kill, and you shouldn't when encountering them.
It is important to remember that while not all Werewolves care about the environment. They all pose a threat to the world as we know it, and are more than willing to exercise this power.

Wizard
Reality Dissidents. This is the true name for these “wizards” or “shamans” or whatever odd name they choose to call themselves. These people have the power, and the willingness to use it, to shift the world itself, to break the laws of science. They become drunk on this power, and for some reason feel that they are marginalized because of it.
This marginalization causes them to strike out and “free the minds” of the populace. Often by bringing planes down with bolts of lighting, or tearing the walls off of a bank and letting bullets bounce off of them. They break down the threads of reality with these acts, harming directly that which we hope to preserve.
Any possible wizard should be killed on sight before they get the chance to invoke their powers and further unbalance reality with them.
It is important to remember that “magic” as they call it can do many things, and it has very different effects upon the mage within combat.

Alchemist: These older mages search to break all of the laws of physics and chemistry in one act of “transmutation” as they call it. Alchemists change and create energy and matter at their whims, shaking the foundations of science itself. Luckily they are often weak from toiling away within labs, and thus easy to locate and destroy.

Body Enhancer: A body enhancer is a reality dissident who modifies their body to allow them to perform feats which are not physically possible. Enhancers regularly run up walls, punch through brick as if it were paper, and wrap themselves in auras of energy. A majority of them follow Eastern philosophies, often butchered to support their maniacal beating of humanity. Others due to the influence of comic books believe that they are some form of superhero who is always in the right and must “save humanity” from some invisible threat, they are very dangerous since they tend to leap around in public with their magic running full blast. Body Enhancers can be very difficult to deal with.

Necromancer: These mages have powers over the dead. Capable of raising forth the bodies of the dead, and controlling them. They also create other perversions of life, and do direct harm to the human body. Luckily, people often rationalize away the zombified creations of necromancers, and the animated dead can often be swept away with guns and fire.

Priests: These religious nuts are tied together by their belief that their powers extend from some sort of higher being. Their “magic” has a tendency to be tied together thematically with their religion. Christian priests tend to claim to be “healers” who occasionally possess the “fire of Almighty God” whereas Voodoo priests invoke the powers of the Ioa and control the fates of someone's life. They are dangerous because of some ignorant people's belief in them, as well as their own self-righteous nature.

Shaman: Shamans manipulate nature itself to achieve their own whims. They often hark back to some older form of life, which they claim is more “natural”, having quasi-Celtic or semi-Native American beliefs. Some Shamans have been known to ally themselves with Werewolves to help support them in their eco-terrorist like cause. Some Shamans will rarely use their powers, but when they do they still harm reality. The ones who regularly do so are just as dangerous as another mage.

Technology Breaker: These mages specialize in dealing with technology. They aim to manipulate science's greatest triumph and turn it against mankind as a whole. They burn away credit card accounts, remove records, activate alarms, and drop traps. Technology Breakers as we have dubbed them are new and luckily few, their powers are dangerous not only because of the harm against reality but also because of the great dangers they pose to modern society.

Wizard: Wizard is a catch all term for an unspecialized mage. Some mages do not fit into these categories but possess some of the abilities of several. These are simply called Wizards, and should be watched warily in case they display a new and dangerous power.

Outsiders
Little is known about that which lies behind the gates of our own dimension. What is known however is extremely frightening. Whereas a reality deviant slowly does harm to the fabric of reality, Outsiders by their very existence shatter the gates of dimensions and reality. They are a danger to anything around them, having completely alien mindsets they often destroy that which is around them or at the very least slowly drive them insane.
If a Strike Force Member encounters an Outsider all other considerations should be tossed aside and the Outsider should be destroyed or banished at all costs, even the life of the Strike Force Member.

[Jongluer]

Your characters are to be built like superheroes. Which within the Hero system, means that you do not buy equipment, you spend character points on your awesome lightning guns, jet packs, and cloaking fields. You also can't pick up the guns of your enemies and wield them when yours “runs out of ammo” (if you choose to build it so that it has ammo). You are the unsung superheroes who fight in the shadows of alleys, but superheroes all the same.
There is no limitation on whether or not you choose to be lethal. Some of your enemies will be lethal, some will not, so it is up to you guys as to whether or not your characters do killing damage.

Nuts and Bolts wise: I think your characters should be built on about 200 points with up to 50 points in disadvantages. The campaign damage cap is 15 D Cs (15d6 Normal Damage, 5d6 Killing Damage), with CV totals (including CSLs) of 28 (as in the highest number your OCV and DCV can add up to is 28).
These caps are subject to change as you guys grow in points. As of right now, I don't think I'm going to put any restrictions on XP spending (that is also subject to change).

As of right now I am barring the following powers: Summoning, Extra-Dimensional Movement, FTL Travel, Transform, Desolidification, Duplication, Find Weakness, Lack of Weakness, Multiform, Missile Reflection
Barred Advantages: Cumulative, Megascale, Penetrating, Transdimensional, Uncontrolled
Barred Limitations: Independent, No Conscious Control, Variable Limitations
ALL Power Frameworks are barred from this game.
Note that All Powers/Advantages/Limitations must be approved by me before game play begins or before you buy them. Also, you can make cases for some of the barred powers/advantages/limitations, though they are mainly barred due to game breaking reasons or because I do not feel they are appropriate for or will come up during the game (like the Duplication Power, or the Transdimensional Advantage).

Everyman Skills in the Game:
Acting
Climbing
Concealment
Conversation
Deduction
Native Language
Paramedics
Persuasion
Profession Skill at 11-
Shadowing
Stealth
Transport Familiarity: Small Motorized Ground Vehicles
Area Knowledge: Home Region 8-

[Jongluer]

The Technocracy maintains 12 field agents and a Strike Force for the City of Los Angeles and the surrounding area. The local headquarters is in the heart of Downtown LA disguised as a nondescript government office.
The headquarters holds medical and research facilities for the agents stationed there. In addition apartments are furnished and provided for any local agent who prefers to live in the security of the headquarters. Offices for each agent and Strike Force member are also provided. In addition to the field agents who patrol the city are many technicians and doctors who are there to maintain the equipment used by agents and Strike Force members.
Several helicopters are located in a hangar which takes up most of the upper floors. The helicopters are used for general travel, delivering and retrieving agents from a location, as well as air support for agents on the ground. In a basement garage are over two dozen terrestrial transport modules for varying uses, from the large battle bus that has its own surgery room and support guns to Ferraris used in high speed chases (or just to look cool).

Field Agents:
Agent Johnson (Systems Operation): Agent Johnson is the main systems operator for the LA Technocracy Branch. He is on call for all major missions to look up detailed information in a database, notify agents of incoming police (or reporters or other normal people who shouldn't be notified of the Technocracy's operations). He is a thin young man with thinning dark hair, normally wearing just a simple polo and dockers. Johnson lives on base.

Agent Forrester (Systems Operation): Forrester is the other systems operator. He covers the shifts when Johnson is asleep. He is a fat man with a bulging belly and normally a candy bar in his breast pocket. Forrester lives on base, down the hall from the operations center.

Agent Hou (Air Support): Agent Hou is a small Asian woman who is certified in several forms of air craft. She regularly pilots a dropship for agents in the field and can weave through Los Angeles' buildings and streets with ease. She is rarely out of her pilot's uniform when on base and keeps her hair pulled back in a tight bun. Agent Hou lives somewhere off base.

Agent O'Neill (Air Support): O'Neill is an old Air Force Pilot that was recruited by the Technocracy after encountering several “unexplainable events” in the line of duty. He regularly provides cover for field agents from an attack helicopter if he isn't out in the field himself. O'Neill is of middle age with salt and pepper hair and beard, he is well muscled and generally wears either a flight uniform or a dark black suit. O'Neill lives off base with his wife and kids.

Agent Farrel (Air Support): The third support pilot Farrel is there to fill in when Hou or O'Neill is incapable of providing Air Support or if a second dropship or attack chopper is needed. Farrel spends much of his time logging flight hours as the Technocracy's eye in the sky watching over parts of the city that Field Agents are not currently in. Farrel is a young man with dark hair and broad shoulders who lives on base.

Agent Danvers (Field Agent): Danvers is the youngest field agent within LA, she worked with the FBI and did well there before being made an offer by the Technocracy. She is wary of the supernatural and believes firmly that it can be explained by science. In three months she has already taken down several vampires. Danvers lives off-base.

Agent Harrison (Field Agent): Harrison is a thick man who has been tracking reality deviants for at least a decade. Before he was brought into the Technocracy he was a high school science teacher who had to shoot a student through the head for burning other students with “magic”. Harrison regularly tackles cases such as mad deviants for the joy it brings him to no there is less evil in the world. Harrison lives off-base in a seemingly quiet suburb.

Agent Gambler (Field Agent): Gambler is a young man and former LAPD SWAT member. Gambler was given an offer to join the Technocracy after his wife was eaten by a vampire in their home. He killed the vampire and the police attempted to pin the murder on him since there was no evidence of another attacker. Gambler now serves as a sniper when it is called for. He is a short man with close cropped blond hair. He lives on-base.

Agent Wheeler (Field Agent): Wheeler is a young woman who had gone monster hunting on her own before the Technocracy recruited her. She was recruited after killing a nest of Vampires in her hometown as well as a reality deviant. Wheeler is an attractive blond woman with ice blue eyes, she regularly wears the standard issue three piece black suit for field agents. She lives on-base.

Agent Rosenberger (Field Agent): Rosenberger was a gun enthusiast and research scientist in the LA area. His lab was attacked by a group of werewolves who were freeing the animals he had “imprisoned”. Rosenberger was gravely injured but actually killed two of the six. The Technocracy had him written off as dead and took him into the organization. He now serves as a field agent and researcher, living on base.

Agent Jackson (Field Agent): Jackson is a tall and imposing black man who lived in South Central LA. He had been a criminal up until he tried to rob a house owned by a vampire. Jackson was freaked out and confused when the vampire attempted to drink from him. Fleeing for his life, Jackson eventually gathered his wits, watched the place and came to terms with what was going on. Deciding that such things shouldn't exist he got hold of military hardware and destroyed the place with several of his buddies. He was recruited by the Technocracy the next day. Jackson still lives with his mother off-base.

Agent LaCroix (Public Relations): Agent LaCroix is a middle aged woman with short black hair. She is a master at coming up with cover stories for the police, news agencies, and the general public disseminating it throughout several Technocracy contacts within the region. LaCroix ensures that the Technocracy remains hidden and that rationality is what is forefront in the public mind. LaCroix lives off base.

[Jongluer]

Vampires
There are at least several hundred vampires within the city of Los Angeles. The population has been slowly increasing since the year 2000 due to several incidents which have drawn the Technocracy's focus in other regions and other parts of the city. Luckily the Vampire population tends to congregate so whole batches can be killed off in a single raid. The real danger they pose is to the rest of the city's population: killings, kidnappings, and influencing young or impressionable minds are all common for Vampires. Despite the large number of vampires there are only three of major importance to the city.

Megan Jones: Despite the plain names, Megan Jones is anything but. It has been speculated that she is some form of Vampire Regent within Los Angeles wielding a large amount of power over other vampires within the region. What is more important to remember however is that she is completely insane and extremely strong. Her age has been speculated to be at least two centuries if not three or four, and Megan Jones is a presumed alias. She has an odd speaking pattern which has been described as “disturbing” and “extremely annoying”. The most infamous act she is associated with beyond the wholesale slaughter of hundreds of humans is the murder of the previous Los Angeles Strike Force. They attempted to destroy her and instead were bled dry and mutilated for Megan's amusement. The Technocracy is currently trying to determine a cover story for an orbital laser blast in a highly populated area like Los Angeles.

Laura Raith: Laura Raith is a powerful vampire who has taken up residence in Los Angeles within the past decade. She has been on the Technocracy files since it was discovered that she could move out in the sunlight without bursting into flames (like the majority of Vampires do). Raith currently owns a pornography studio within town, and has starred in several of the pictures. You have confronted her before on set, however she killed the lights and gunned down one of you while running out at super speeds in high heels and lingerie, you have not confronted her since.

Winston: Winston, last name unknown, is called the Baron of Hollywood by local vampires. He owns several dance clubs in the region and has helped to perpetuate his belief that vampires are Children of the Night who are damned to their existence as monsters. Therefore, he and his coterie of vampires cry while they feast upon the blood of the innocent and will regularly lament their existence as they fight off Technocracy agents.

Werewolves
There are few werewolves within the City of Los Angeles as Werewolves prefer the wilderness to a cityscape. However there is a pack that travels outside of the city and occasionally ventures in to murder people, or blow up whatever they deem is harming the environment this week. In addition, there have been several supposed werewolf sightings within South-Central, Agent Jackson is currently investigating.

Reality Deviants
Reality Deviants are continually cropping up within LA, and continually being mowed down by Field Agents. However some are able to grow to prominence and attempt to organize their brethren.

Fernando Rodriguez: Currently the most well known reality deviant in Los Angeles. He claims to be able to perform miracles and wield the fires of almighty God. Rodriguez can be regularly seen on local news channels for his good deeds as well as outrageous statements regarding “acts of God” and “washing away sinners”. The Technocracy has evidence of him burning “sinners” and other nonbelievers in “holy” fire. The recent discovery of his “Accord of Los Angeles” (a pact amongst supernatural forces in LA against the Technocracy) has placed him at the top of the hit list.

Black Hat: Black Hat is a former hacker who developed powers at disrupting technology and now claims to be “freeing the world” and “opening the minds of the populace”. He runs about in black leather like a character out of The Matrix and breaks into corporate buildings destroying servers and information as he pleases.

Seamus McTaggert: Seamus is a “Driud” within LA. Originally a new age book pusher, he discovered that he could control nature like druids supposedly could, and even take upon aspects of animals. He now not only continues to sell books about his quasi-Celtic self-help programs but also to use magic against the Technocracy and help build up the supernatural community.

Master K'un Lun: Master K'un Lun is an old Chinese body enhancer who claims to channel chi and teaches martial arts. He displays his powers on local television networks as stunts. Furthermore he owns a dojo where he preaches his garbled philosophy to anyone willing to listen who also wishes to learn Kung Fu.