Digimon: Encounters Campaign Stub #2

OPERATION: VICEGRIP

PART 1: ESCAPE

Spray-Painted Blackout Logo

• Monodramon
• The Ties That Bind
• Overpower the Guards!

PART 2: DISCOVERY

• The Way Out
• Rogue Digivice
• The Buried Spire

PART 3: ESCALATION

• Sound the Alarm!
• Elite Guards Descend
• Subject 01

PART 1: ESCAPE

Monodramon

This campaign starts in the traditional RPG fashion of the players waking up to find themselves stripped of all weapons and items and locked in a dungeon. This 'dungeon' is actually a prison located on Earth, where the dangerous humanity-first group, Blackout, are working on their latest anti-Digimon experiment. Operation ViceGrip is best suited for a party of 2 to 4, though it may be more difficult for the lower number of players. The beginning introduces the party to Monodramon; a fellow prisoner at the end of his life. He is the quest-giver, and also the catalyst that should galvanize a group of captured strangers into a full party. Players will want to put special attention into their Stealth and Use Technology skill subsets, as well as combat, as this campaign stub does not shy away from using challenging combatants. The main goal is escape, though upon reaching PART 2, secondary objectives are revealed in the form of the control spire and the rogue digivice.

GM READ ALOUD:

"Your eyes open, blearily, and you take stock of your surroundings. As your vision focuses, you realize several things at once. First, you are in a dimly lit room, with concrete walls and floor, and a large metal table in front of you. Second, you realize to your sudden dread that you are chained to the wall, your shackles seemingly made specifically to prevent your escape, and those of you who are Digimon feel a distinct inability to digivolve past your current Rookie form. Thirdly, you realize you are not alone, as there are multiple other forms in similar situations along three of the other walls in this room, all in about the same shape as you. Finally, you realize that all of your equipment, armor, weapons, and tech are missing.

As you contemplate your situation, a weak, raspy voice calls out, 'A-are you awake? That's good, that's good. I was afraid that they had injured you all far too much.' The voice comes from near the single metal door into this nightmare room, from a small dragon Digimon who is chained up like you.

Monodramon, Blackout Captive

 [GM NOTE: If the players have any questions at this point, encourage them to ask. Here are some answers to various questions Monodramon might be asked.]

Who are you? "F-forgive me. I didn't remember to introduce myself. I'm M-Monodramon. I'm a Partner Digimon, though... I don't know where my Tamer is right now..."

Why did they capture you? "I think they were trying to get both me and Tommy; he's my T-Tamer. I made sure he escaped, but I had to get caught for it to work. They seemed more interested in his digivice though. I just hope he's safe."

Where is this place? "I don't know. It's some kind of science facility as far as I know. At least, that's what I've heard the guards talk about. I woke up in here much like you did after they took my tamer's digivice from me."

Who captured us? "B-Blackout. They're called Blackout. Humans who hate Digimon and see other humans who treat Digimon equally as traitors. I'm not sure what they're after, but they...took my digivolve to 'the lab' when they captured me."

Why are we here? "I don't know. They've been testing things on me, b-but I don't know why all of you are here."

What do they plan to do to us? "Blackout has been interrogating me for...I don't know how long. They keep asking about the bond between Digimon and humans, but specifically Tamers and their Partners. Maybe that's why they took you?"

Why can't I digivolve? "They have some kind of device here...I've never seen anything like it before, but it's dangerous. The guards mentioned that it somehow broadcasts a field that interferes with digivolving. They had mentioned something about it being in the lab..."

 [GM Note: Monodramon is a Rookie-stage Digimon at the end of his life. While young, he's been tortured to the point that he is about to die, and his last bit of hope rests in not letting others suffer his fate. While helpful to the party, he is visibly growing weaker as time passes. The goal here is to have him die as he gives the players information, causing them to realize how dire their current situation is. While your players may want all of the above questions answered, as a GM you may choose to have Monodramon die after a certain number of questions are asked.]

"With several more coughs, Monodramon goes limp. With one last breath, he mutters, "I-If you see Tommy, tell him...I'll always be watching over him..." And with that, he is no more, dissipating into pixels of data as his shackles slacken and clink against the concrete wall."

The Ties That Bind

With Monodramon gone, the players' next goal is to escape. This part of the campaign focuses on a Skill Challenge; get everyone free before the guards return. Stealth, Acrobatics, and Use Device will be the main skills used here. 

GM READ ALOUD:

"As Monodramon's last words leave the room with silence, you hear the distant yet heavy footsteps the two guards heading back your way. Now is the time for action! Now is the time to escape!"

Tactical Encounter:

Escape Your Shackles Skill Challenge: CL 3

The number of successes needed is equal to the number of party members. All members must be free before 3 failed skill checks, otherwise the guards are alerted to your escape attempt, and skip to the Overpower the Guards section. 

Acrobatics DC 17
Use Device DC 17

For added tension, you can use a countdown of rounds instead of a number of failed skill checks to determine when the guards show up. Start off with a number of rounds equal to one half of the total party members rounded up +1 (I.e. a party of 5 would get 4 rounds to have everyone escape). Each failed skill check reduces the number of rounds the party has by 1 round.

Development:

Regardless of whether the whole party is free by the time the guards arrive, the next encounter is ready to begin. Now is the time for preparation and planning. At this point, players may want to ready actions, or roll Stealth checks to catch the guards by surprise. Others, including those still chained to the walls by this point, may want to roll Deception checks when the guards arrive, in the hopes of assisting the Stealth checks of others through distraction.

Overpower the Guards!

This should be a rather quick encounter, as the party should outnumber the low-level guards. Those still chained to the walls are considered immobilized, but they can perform an unarmed attack to kick an adjacent guard.

GM READ ALOUD:

"You hear a card slide through a card reader, then a beep and click as the door unlocks, and in steps two human guards, both wearing black jumpsuits with tactical vests, and both carrying a small nightstick on their belt."

Tactical Encounter:

These two guards are more of an introduction to combat than any real threat. This should not only get the party accustomed to how combat works, but also gives the party some starting equipment. Catching the two Blackout thugs offguard also gives an excuse for why they don't immediately sound the alarm. Use the Blackout Thug stats on page 137 of the Digimon Encounters core rulebook for this encounter.

Development:

After defeating the guards and distributing the loot, the players will also gain access to various rooms in the base using the Blacout ID card found on one of the bodies. At this point, there are several objectives the party can go after; the missing digivice, the strange object disrupting digivolution, or simply making for the nearest exit. Skip to whatever section the party decides to go for at this point.

GM READ ALOUD:

"You stand over the two motionless guards slumped on the floor, and pick up the ID card off of one of them that was used to open the door. The card reads, 'Gamma Team Access Card. Full Access Granted: All Levels.'"

PART 2: DISCOVERY

The Way Out

The next part of the campaign places the party at a crossroads, now that they can access and unlock doors in the facility. Beyond the confines of their prison, they have several rooms that they can explore; an office with a computer detailing Monodramon's lost digivice, an armory holding the party's lost equipment, an elevator leading down to the base's laboratory or up to the barracks, and a heavy doorway leading to the next area; an open hangar. Stealth checks may be rolled by the party to sneak around, and if there is a particularly poor stealth roll, or you think the party is up for some more combat, a few more guards may help fill out this section.

GM READ ALOUD:

"You ease out into the hallway beyond the prison room. The hallway stretches down about 50 feet with several doorways on either side before veering off to the left. At the end of the hallway where it turns, there is another doorway, this one obviously an elevator. Each doorway is labeled as follows;

RIGHT-SIDE DOORS:

Armory / Evidence Locker

LEFT-SIDE DOORS:

Storage

Office of Dr. Sidian

ELEVATOR:

Up: Barracks, Break Room

Down: Laboratory"

Tactical Encounter:

Depending on which doors the party goes through, they are met with different levels of challenges to overcome, and different rewards that will be of use later in the campaign. This section could technically come after the Rogue Digivice section, so be aware of that. These two sections are not necessarily in any particular order.

Armory/Evidence Locker:

GM READ ALOUD:

"Using the key card, you enter the armory. Inside you find several racks of guns, though you take note that a good number of the racks are missing most of their guns. In addition, at the back of the room, you see shelves labeled 'Evidence' with boxes stacked on them. Inside the boxes you find all of your equipment, weapons, and belongings. There is one box labeled 'Monodramon', however inside is only a note that says the following:

'Digivice sent to laboratory for testing. Signed: Doctor Sidian'"

The Storage Room:

GM READ ALOUD:

"You find a small storage closet, filled with mops, brooms, buckets, rubber gloves, hair nets, medical face masks, and several clean lab coats."

[GM NOTE: The storage room offers nothing of obvious value, but to a discerning player, it is filled with potential disguises. If a player decides to take a lab coat as a disguise, give them Advantage on all Deception checks made to fool anyone until Part 3.]

The Break Room and Barracks:

GM READ ALOUD:

"The elevator opens to an empty room filled with couches, tables, and a pair of vending machines right across from the elevator. To your right, past another couch, is an open doorway. From it you can hear a number of voices talking and laughing. It appears they haven't heard you yet."

Use 2 to 3 of the Blackout Thug stats on page 137 of the Digimon Encounters core rulebook for this encounter if the party engages.

Development:

A DC 10 Knowledge: Tactics check makes the party aware that a lab coat would help them blend in better. If any party member is wearing a lab coat during The Buried Spire, they gain combat advantage during that encounter.

A DC 15 Knowledge: Tech helps the party discover several small plastic explosive kits. Planting these kits on the control spire during The Buried Spire allows the party to destroy it in one turn rather than multiple turns spent attacking it.

Defeating all of the guards in the barracks/break room gives the party some breathing room during the final encounter. Either skip the Tactical Encounter for Sound the Alarm!, or remove 2 enemies of your choice from the Subject 01 section.

Rogue Digivice

The office of Dr. Sidian allows for a bit of exploration, and a number of skill checks. Rather than any true encounters, this section has another Skill Challenge for the players in unlocking the secrets in this room. However, the main point of this room is to give an explanation for what happened to Tommy and Monodramon's missing digivice.

GM READ ALOUD:

"You enter the rather large office of this 'Doctor Sidian', slipping in and closing the door behind you. The lights blink on, revealing a rather stark office with a number of bookshelves lining the walls, filled with books, magazines, and folders. In the center of the room is a large oak desk. It has several drawers that are locked, and a computer that is password protected. By the keyboard is a note:

'Reminder: review Operation Vicegrip data and compare with subject Monodramon's testimony. Stop by lab for update on digivolution research with Dr. Green.'"

Tactical Encounter:

Gather Information Skill Challenge: CL 5

4 successes before 2 failures 

Deception DC 17
Gather Information DC 15
Perception DC 17
Stealth DC 15
Use Device DC 17

Development:

Failure on this skill challenge doesn't mean the party misses out on this crucial information. Instead, it means the enemy will be aware of their presence that much sooner, and increases the difficulty of their final escape. Again, upon completing this section, the party may choose to either escape now with the information gathered, or they may choose to investigate further. Hopefully what they learn here will only serve to motivate them to continue on through the base.

GM READ ALOUD:

"Through better or worse, you manage to get into the computer's data, and even find a flash drive in the desk to store whatever you find. There are many files on the computer, but one stands out above all; a folder labeled Operation: ViceGrip. The files within give information on the Interrogation sessions with Monodramon, as well as pictures and video footage of the intricate disassembly of a digivice with the same purple hue as the late Digimon."

The Buried Spire

Going down the elevator leads the party to the laboratory, where experiments have been taking place. This is a good chance to be descriptive, and to give foreshadowing for the final boss. Blueprints and an empty digivice-shaped stand hint to the idea that someone has the missing digivice, and more evidence pointing to exactly what has been going on is available for the more curious parties. The glass elevator ride down to the lab gives the party a full view of the underground pillar located down here. It may be wise to show a picture of what it looks like, as fans of the Digimon TV show may recognize it as a digivolution-blocking Control Spire from Adventure 02.

GM READ ALOUD:

"The glass elevator rushes down the shaft for a few moments before the shaft opens up to reveal a large cavern. As the elevator descends you can see lab equipment, computer screens, and some drilling equipment surrounding the cavern's central fixture; a spire, made from what looks like black stone that stretches from the floor to ceiling of the roughly carved out cavern, nearly 50 feet. Slowing down as your elevator glides down the last few feet, you notice electrodes and monitoring equipment hooked up to the base of the spire, as well as a a man and woman both in lab coats monitoring one of the computer screens."

Tactical Encounter:

The scientists found here are not meant to be particularly tough, but merely an obstacle in the way of destroying the control spire located in the lab. Use 2 of the Blackout Scientist stats from the bottom of this page for this encounter.

Development:

Allowing the party to search the lab shows that the missing digivice is not here, though they do get one step closer by finding the blueprints and security case for it. However, they have a more immediate issue to resolve. Destroying the spire takes time, and that is something the party does not have a lot of. While it may not have a Reflex Defense, it has a fair amount of HP, and with Digimon party members unable to digivolve, it will take several turns before the party can damage it enough to destroy it. If the party grabbed the plastic explosive kits from the Armory, then it will only take a round of setup before they are able to blow the whole spire to bits. Additionally, if any in the party are trained in the Pilot skill, they may use the mining equipment to demolish the spire instead, taking two rounds to topple the monolith.

GM READ ALOUD:

"The lab equipment all seems to focus on one thing: the 'Control Spire' in the middle of the cavern. Readouts and data sheets reference it's peculiar blocking effect on digivolution attempts, and several suggestions for replication and strategic placement of more control spires around Blackout facilities are mentioned. One terminal that draws your attention has a schematic of a digivice on it, though it is obvious that several crude modifications have been added to the schematic. The text on screen reads as follows; 

 'Digivice has been unpaired from rookie Digimon "Patient 03" (designation: Monodramon). While attempts at unmodified re-pairing have failed, new modifications to device have allowed root access options, and new pairing has been achieved. Doctor Sidian has taken the device out on another test run with Patient 01. Will report findings after today's testing has been completed.'

Below this monitor sits an open metal briefcase labeled with the words "Project Vicegrip". The inside of the case has foam padding in the shape of a digivice, however it is otherwise empty."

PART 3: ESCALATION

Sound the Alarm!

Whether you have the scientists call for help on a radio, or you use the control spire destruction as a warning, the base goes on high alert. The time for stealth is over. 

GM READ ALOUD:

"With your deeds done in the laboratory, you make your way back to the elevator and get inside only to hear the loud wail of an alarm go off. The laboratory is bathed in a pulsing red light coinciding with the alarm as your elevator moves up, before the sight is blocked out once again by the elevator shaft. As the doors open back into the hallway above, you are greeted with the same red light and pulsing alarm. At the intersection next to the elevator, two guards burst from the adjoining hallway, guns at the ready and moving towards you and the elevator."

Tactical Encounter:

The Encounters here are simply more cannon fodder, but give the Digimon in the party their first chance to digivolve! Their higher damage and stats should make easy work of these enemies, and give the party more confidence in the coming sections. Use 2 of the Blackout Thug stats from page 137.

Development:

After disposing of the low-level guards, the party should be only a hallway and a hangar away from freedom. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel should give them the motivation to push forward. There's only a few obstacles in the way.

GM READ ALOUD:

"With the way clear, you can see a door at the end of the hallway. Through the window in the door, you can see a large empty hangar beyond, and a large metal overhead door at the far end through whose windows flows the welcome shine of sunlight that must lead out to freedom!"

Elite Guards Descend

The hallway clear, the party can push out into the hangar. It's a large vacant area with only a few boxes and barrels as cover. However, while the hangar is devoid of any enemies, the next challenge lies in the ceiling. Dropping down from repelling cables come the elite guard; more durable enemies who provide much more of a challenge to the party.

"You enter the hangar and take a good look around. Light pours in from high windows and several skylights. For the most part the hangar is empty, save for some pallets and barrels scattered around. To the right is a single Jeep painted black with a logo of a white broken lightbulb stenciled on the side. On the far wall is a large sliding door, big enough for a huge object to fit through easily, with a button to operate it off to the side."

Tactical Encounter:

Not only are the Elite Guards more durable, they also bring with them a number of unique tricks. Smoke grenades, grappling and use of cover, on top of normal ranged and melee fighting, makes this "mini boss" a trickier fight than any before. As with any encounter, players be rewarded with experience points from this win. However they'll also learn some useful moves and tricks they can use later on. Use the stats for the Blackout Ops Agent and the Blackout Ranged Fighter on page 138 for this tactical Encounter. These two should prove to be a more difficult challenge for a party of four, but if you feel the players are breezing through combat, try adding one or two Blackout Thugs. If you don't believe the party is ready for two opponents of this level, then simply use one of either the Blackout Ops Agent or the Blackout Ranged Fighter, and one or two Blackout Thugs as backup.

GM READ ALOUD:

"You only make it a few feet into the hangar before you hear the sound of breaking glass, and a pair of repelling ropes tumble from the ceiling. Sliding down, several figures fully armored in black riot gear and fully enclosed helmets drop and immediately start their attack!"

Development:

With the elite guards down, the party can now move on to freedom...or so they think! Upon opening the hangar door, the party finds their final obstruction. Beyond, in the open air, is Doctor Sidian and his test subject. 

Subject 01

Upon getting outside, the players come face to face with the infamous Doctor Sidian, and his Subject 01; a Mekanorimon. This is the final fight. Stop Doctor Sidian, recover the stolen digivice, gain your freedom!

Doctor Sidian, Blackout Scientist

GM READ ALOUD:

"You open the large garage door and squint as the bright sunlight pours in. as your eyes adjust, you see what looks like an abandoned runway, overgrown with grass, and situated in a clearing surrounded by large trees. Immediately in front of you, though, is the imposing figure of a Mekanorimon; it's servos grinding as it takes a step towards you. Riding atop the looming Mekanorimon is a thin man with wild dark blue hair, sunken eyes, and a lab coat with black markings along the collar. He gives a hearty and slightly unhinged laugh as you approach. 

'So, it's a prison break, is it? No matter! You will simply be part of today's field test! Zero-One, DESTROY THEM!'

He shouts this, holding up a black digivice with wires spilling out from it at odd angles. The device screeches, radiating a red light, and Mekanorimon roars in response!"

Tactical Encounter:

Mekanorimon should prove to be a new challenge to the party. Rather than small and agile human guards, it is a looming machine of destruction, with the cunning Doctor Sidian giving it direction.

Now that the party can digivolve, they have some newfound power to combat this final threat, so if you feel some more threats are necessary, you can add in a few guards as handlers for the rampaging Mekanorimon to provide support. Use the Mekanorimon stats and Doctor Sidian stats from the bottom of this page for this fight.

Development: 

Defeating Doctor Sidian and Subject 01 gives the player their freedom as well as the hacked digivice, thus completing the adventure. While there is no defined reward from a quest-giver, the party should be allowed to scour the base, and salvage any equipment or weapons listed in this adventure or on the defeated guards, if they haven't already. However, there is one final decision to be made; what to do with Doctor Sidian.

GM READ ALOUD:

"Doctor Sidian topples from the hood of the defeated Mekanorimon, coughing and sputtering as he lies on the ground. He looks up to see all of your faces staring down at him, then gives a nervous little laugh.

'Y-you wouldn't hold a grudge, would you? It w-was all in the name of s-sience!'"

 [GM NOTE: If the players have any questions at this point, encourage them to ask. Here are some answers to various questions Doctor Sidian might be asked. Note that some answers require a Persuasion (Intimidation) check to get him to talk.]

Why are you doing this? "Why!? I am doing this for the advancement of the human race! Were we to just sit on our laurels and let these Digimon advance beyond us, we would be their slaves or simply exterminated within the century! Science! My work must be done in the name of human science!"

Who are you? "Me!? I am but a cog in the greater machine of Blackout! To further humanity, I give my intellect and my life to preserve our race from becoming obsolete. Humanity must rise above all else. You may call me Doctor Sidian; it is my current name. I would give you my true name but it would be of no use to you. That was expunged from records ages ago when I first decided to better humanity through more direct channels."

What was that spire underground? "You like it? That control spire is but one of a thousand projects currently being researched and tested by our best and brightest minds in Blackout! You'd be a fool to think this was the only one..."

How did you control Mekanorimon? "Digimon are code, and code can be manipulated in a variety of ways. Having that digivice was simply the catalyst."

Where are the rest of Blackout? (Intimidation DC 15) "Oh, you'd be surprised at the answer to that! The easier question would be where aren't the rest of Blackout! Anywhere there are concentrations of those foul digital life forms, there we are as well."

Who is your leader? (Intimidation DC 25) "Each cell of Blackout is its own microcosm. We only know our direct superiors for cases such as I find myself in this very moment! I work under an ambitious cell leader. She believes advancements in science are what will guide us back to domination above all other life; both animal and digital! However you will surely perish should you pursue her, so I gladly give you her name. Send Director Obsidian my regards before you expire."

Where did you get that digivice? "I plucked it off of a young boy from the nearby city. That is the true weakness of Digimon when they decide to use these curious devices...they always choose someone completely unworthy of them!"

After Doctor Sidian answers all of the players' questions, there is one last decision the players must make: what to do with him now that his life is in their hands. As the GM, you may need to spur this question after the I if the players don't begin discussing it afterwards. This should give the party a big decision to make, and allow them to flesh out where their characters stand on the issue of Blackout and it's agents. Should they be turned in to the proper authorities? Should they be stripped of all useful information and equipment then set free? Or is it better to simply put an end to their threat in a more permanent fashion?

Subject 01, Mekanorimon

Expanding From This Adventure:

With the defeat of this particular Blackout cell, the party may decide to go in search of more cells to dismantle, delving deeper into the conspiracies and machinations of the anti-Digimon group. They may also decide to look for the origins of the strange control spire that stopped them from digivolving. Or they may try to find Tommy and return his digivice as well as deliver the grim news about his late Partner, Monodramon. Regardless of what direction the party goes in, this adventure can serve as the opening sequence to many more daring adventures in the world of Digimon: Encounters.

Additional Stats:

Human, Blackout Scientist CL3

ABILITIES: STR 10, DEX 12, CON 11, INT 16, WIS 14, CHA 10

Defenses: Reflex 13 (Flat-Footed 13), Fortitude 12, Will: 14

HP: 14; Tech Points: 6

Speed: 6 squares (Walking)

Base Attack Bonus: +2

Grapple: +2

Skills: Knowledge (Physical Science/Life Science) +14, Treat Injury +8, Use Technology +9

Feats: Armor Prof (light), Skill Focus (Knowledge Life Science), Skill Focus (Knowledge Physical Science), Improved Defenses

Attack Options:

Kick/Punch: 1d20 +2 (1d6)

Human, Doctor Sidian CL 4

ABILITIES: STR 10, DEX 14, CON 11, INT 16, WIS 14, CHA 10

Defenses: Reflex 15 (Flat-Footed 14), Fortitude 13, Will: 15

HP: 20; Tech Points: 6

Speed: 6 squares (Walking)

Base Attack Bonus: +3

Grapple: +2

Skills: Knowledge (Physical Science/Life Science) +14, Ride +8, Use Technology +9

Feats: Armor Prof (light), Skill Focus (Knowledge Life Science), Skill Focus (Knowledge Physical Science), Improved Defenses, Mounted Combat

Attack Options:

Kick/Punch: 1d20 +2 (1d6)
Pistol: 1d20 +4 (2d4)

Digimon, Mekanorimon "Subject 01" CL 6

ABILITIES: STR 14, DEX 20, CON 14, INT 12, WIS 13, CHA 12

Defenses: Reflex 21 (Flat-Footed 16) (Mounted Combat 23), Fortitude 21, Will 17
HP: 66; Tech Points: 8
DR: 7 
Speed: 6 squares/12 squares (Walking/Flying)
Base Attack Bonus: +6
Grapple: +10
Default Digi-Traits:
           Virus, Metal, Movement (Walk), Size (medium), Humanoid
Extra Digi-Traits:
           Size (large), Movement (Fly), Signature Attack (Blast), Signature Attack (Melee)
Skills: Initiative +13, Perception +9, Pilot +13
Feats: Weapon Focus (natural), Damage Reduction, Imp Damage Reduction, Multi Attack,
Imp Multi Attack, Perfect Attack, Stable Mount
Attack Options:
Mundane Melee (Claw): 1d20 + 9 (2d8 + 2), 20x2
Mundane Melee (Claw) with Perfect Attack: + 9/+9 (2d8 + 2)/(2d8 + 2), 20x2
           Signature Blast (Twin Beam): 1d20 + 11 (2d6 + 6), 20x2
Brave Shield: Once per encounter, Mekanorimon may grant his Tamer a +3 to their Reflex
Defense unitl the beginning of his Tamer's next turn. In the case of this Campaign Stub,
Doctor Sidian is treated as Mekanorimon's Tamer.