TEXT: By Stan!
  A Short d20 Modern Adventure for Four 17th-Level Characters
  CRISIS ON
  CANYON ROAD
  In real life, heroes are often ordinary people who
  find themselves in extraordinary situations, such as
  aiding accident victims, dealing with the aftermath
  of a calamity, or rescuing children in danger. When
  they see others in trouble or need, they step in and
  offer assistance with no thought of reward or gain. It
  is this kind of selfless action that earns them the title
  of hero.
  This sort of heroism is sometimes forgotten in a
  d20 MODERN campaign, where threats often come in
  the form of overwhelming foes or supernatural
  forces. In situations such as these, heroes are by
  necessity adventurers—well-equipped, highly trained
  individuals who seek out action, mystery, and most of
  all danger in many exotic forms. 
  Crisis on Canyon Road allows the heroes to test
  their mettle in a more mundane way. It places them in
  a situation that any ordinary person might face—
  namely, happening upon the aftermath of an auto-
  mobile accident on a remote road. Although they are
  likely to uncover one or two surprises along the way,
  the main question is whether or not the characters
  have what it takes to be real heroes. 
  LEVELS
  Crisis on Canyon Road is a short scenario for four
  17th-level heroes. With slight modifications, you can
  make it suitable for heroes at other levels, or groups
  as large or small as you’re comfortable adjudicating.
  See the Scaling the Adventure sidebar for guidelines
  on adapting this scenario for other groups.
  You, the Game Master (GM), need a copy of the
  d20 MODERN Roleplaying Game to run this adventure.
  To get started, print out the adventure (including the
  map) and read it through. Make sure you are familiar
  with the rules for combat, movement, and cover from
  Chapter 5 of the d20 MODERN Roleplaying Game. You
  might also want to reread the various uses of the
  Climb skill in Chapter 2 of the same book.
  
  d20MODERN
  2
  The text that appears in shaded boxes should be read
  aloud or paraphrased for the players. Opponents’ statistics
  are provided in abbreviated form.
  BACKGROUND
  This adventure has several layers of background that the
  heroes can discover. On the surface, the action revolves
  around rescuing the victims of an auto accident, but there
  are deeper questions to be answered as well. Eventually, the
  heroes should want to discover how the van crashed, where
  its occupants were immediately before the crash, and what
  cargo they were hauling. 
  The answers to all these questions begin with a mysterious
  building perched on a lonely hilltop.
  The Building with No Name
  Atop an otherwise pristine hill just outside of town sits a
  lonely building that seems to be made of white steel.
  Because of other intervening hills, the building is invisible
  from the city proper, though commuters driving along a
  major highway that runs through the valley can see it eas-
  ily. Curious truckers and other frequent travelers occasion-
  ally ask waitresses and customers at nearby truck stops
  about the sleek, high-tech building, but none of the locals
  has any information about the site—although many admit
  to curiosity on the subject.
  Over the years, a number of rumors have sprung up
  about this building. Some say it’s a government
  warehouse—a place where the FBI and other agencies store
  captured space alien technology, the Arc of the Covenant,
  and other fabled treasures. Others say it is a private home
  that belongs to a wealthy recluse—a fortified retreat
  perched on a mountaintop so that the paranoid old kook
  can see people coming from miles away. Still others say
  that the building is a base for the Mafia, where members of
  “the family” organize drug trafficking, fence stolen goods,
  and imprison and torture their enemies. Even wilder rumors
  abound as well, but so far, none has come close to the
  truth—which is relatively easy to find out. Anyone who
  bothered to consult the regional Chamber of Commerce or
  did even a cursory search of land titles would discover that
  the building and the entire mountaintop belong to Eagle
  Research, Ltd.
  Eagle Research, Ltd.
  Eagle Research is a small biotech firm that does contract
  work for pharmaceutical companies and government agen-
  cies. Eagle’s executives chose this remote site for the facility
  because of the company’s need for secrecy and the fact that
  its work occasionally involves hazardous materials.
  Eagle employs only about a dozen research scientists and
  a dozen support staff. Its impact on the local economy has
  never been great enough to make the company name widely
  known, but it is not a secret. Along the northern side of
  Canyon Road—the only public road that provides access to
  the facility—is a fence hung with signs warning against tres-
  passing and clearly identifying the land beyond as the prop-
  erty of Eagle Research, Ltd.
  Canyon Road
  Canyon Road is a two-lane highway that runs through the
  mountains—one of only a few routes that trucks and other
  oversized vehicles can use when traveling east or west
  through this area. The road gets its name from the fact that
  it follows the meandering path of the Deertail River—in fact,
  only a metal guardrail separates the cars in the south lane
  from a precipitous drop into the gorge that the river has
  carved. The gorge is a beautiful sight, but over the years it has
  also been the site of more than a few tragic accidents.
  Corporate Espionage
  While the local population may be completely unaware of
  Eagle Research, Ltd., its competitors know it quite well. A
  few, in fact, covet the plum assignments that Eagle has
  received from the government in recent years. The execu-
  tives of one such company recently hired a team of “infor-
  mation liberators” to break into Eagle’s facility and steal
  samples of its current work.
  The infiltration team consists of four highly trained oper-
  atives who were given a map of the facility, guidelines on
  how to recognize their target, orders for its handling, and
  instructions for exchanging the goods for their final payment.
  The operatives know no other details—they don’t know what
  it is they are taking nor for whom they are taking it. The pay
  was good enough that they agreed to ask no questions.
  Scaling the Adventure
  The encounters described in this adventure are suitable
  for heroes of any level. To tailor Crisis on Canyon Road
  for your game, apply the following adjustments.
  • Skill Checks: This adventure relies heavily on skill
  checks—particularly Climb and Spot checks. If the
  heroes are significantly lower than 17th level, they
  may not have sufficient ranks to succeed at the tasks
  that the adventure sets for them. Adjust each DC by
  –2 if the heroes’ average character level is between 8
  and 13. Adjust each DC by –5 if the heroes’ average
  character level is lower than 8. Likewise, you may
  want to increase each DC by +2 or more if the heroes’
  average character level is 19 or higher.
  • The Thieves: The group of “information liberators”
  featured in this adventure should be a force equal to
  the heroes’ party in power. Make sure the number of
  thieves equals the number of heroes, and that the
  average character level for the two sides is equal.
  • Additional Assistance: If the heroes are significantly
  lower in level than the “information liberators,” the GM
  may choose to provide some assistance in the form of
  police, emergency aid workers, or amateur moun-
  taineers. Make sure these GM characters are ordinaries
  rather than heroes, and that all the heroes have higher
  character levels than their assistants. Such GM charac-
  ters should enable the heroes to save the day, not
  undertake all the dangerous tasks in the scenario.
  CRISIS ON CANYON ROAD
  
  d20MODERN
  3
  The Heist
  The information liberators struck the Eagle Research facility
  some 20 minutes ago. They had done an excellent job of
  planning the heist and were able to get in, locate and secure
  the target (three metal cases containing vials of an unspeci-
  fied substance), and get out in less than 10 minutes. They
  broke two doors, scuttled the alarm system, and used knock-
  out gas to disable a security guard.
  As they drove out of the site, they knew they had a mini-
  mum of 45 minutes before anyone would notice their hand-
  iwork. In the meantime, they intended to put as much
  distance as possible between themselves and the Eagle
  Research facility.
  The Getaway
  Canyon Road was empty as the van sped downhill. Successful
  completion of a very lucrative contract seemed inevitable. But
  just as the operatives were heaving a sigh of relief, the right
  rear tire blew out, sending the van into an uncontrolled skid.
  The driver was unable to regain control of the vehicle quickly
  enough to avoid disaster. The van crashed into and through the
  guardrail and tumbled down the side of the cliff, coming to rest
  on a small ledge about 100 feet down the embankment. All the
  members of the team were knocked unconscious by the
  impact. What’s more, one of the stolen containers popped
  open, revealing a small pile of dry ice and several vials.
  SYNOPSIS
  The adventure begins when the heroes come across the
  scene of a recent car accident. While driving along a deserted
  mountain road, they see some debris in the roadway and a
  massive gap torn through the guardrail. Further investigation
  reveals that a van somehow crashed through the protective
  barrier, fell part way down the side of the mountain, and
  came to rest precariously on a ledge about 100 feet below
  the road.
  The next phase of the adventure centers around the
  heroes’ efforts to aid those trapped in the van. To do so, the
  heroes must find a way to descend the cliff face safely and
  evacuate the victims.
  Barring any unforeseen difficulties with their rescue plan,
  the heroes must then deal with an unexpected complica-
  tion—the box in the van contains vials of a deadly virus. This
  virus cannot be allowed to fall into the river below because
  that water flows directly into the city’s reservoir.
  Finally, the heroes discover that the people in the van are
  criminals, and the accident occurred while they were fleeing
  the scene of their latest heist—the building on the hilltop
  where the deadly virus came from. Once pulled to safety, the
  accident victims seize any opportunity to turn on their bene-
  factors in order to protect both their loot and their anonymity.
  Character Hooks
  As GM, you know best how to involve your players and their
  characters in an adventure. The heroes must happen upon
  the accident at a time when very few people are on the road,
  and only the security guards are working at Eagle Research,
  Ltd. Thus, the only question that really needs to be answered
  in the setup portion is why the heroes are driving along this
  particular stretch of road at this time. The answer should be
  weighty enough to put all the heroes in the vehicle together,
  carrying at least their basic adventuring supplies. On the
  other hand, they must not be in such a hurry that they can-
  not spare time to help the victims of a seemingly random
  accident.
  If you can think of no obvious ways to get the heroes into
  position, you can use one of the following adventure hooks,
  modifying the details to fit your heroes.
  • The heroes are traveling along Canyon Road on their way
  to meet a potential employer in another city. If the inter-
  view goes well, they expect to embark on the new assign-
  ment immediately. They have taken care to leave quite
  early so they are well ahead of schedule.
  • The heroes are on their way to the Eagle Research facility
  for a reason of their own. Perhaps they are investigating
  one of the rumors about the site, or perhaps they are plan-
  ning to break into the lab themselves pursuant to a mission
  involving a secret other than the virus.
  • The heroes are returning to the city after a successful
  assignment. Earlier in the day, they received commenda-
  tions from another town’s mayor or city council—com-
  mendations citing them as “heroes extraordinaire” and
  “protectors of the people.”
  BEGINNING THE ADVENTURE
  Crisis on Canyon Road is a site-based adventure that takes
  place along a stretch of Canyon Road running along a mostly
  deserted hilltop. The adventure should take place either late
  at night or on a weekend or holiday—some time when there
  is very little activity on the road, and only the security guards
  are present at the Eagle Research facility. The heroes are the
  first people to come upon the scene of the accident, approx-
  imately 10 minutes after it occurs.
  Begin the adventure when the heroes’ vehicle approaches
  the point where the van crashed through the guardrail. 
  A. CANYON ROAD
  Read or paraphrase the following aloud when the heroes
  move into position.
  Many naturalists consider Canyon Road one of the most
  scenic routes in the region. The south face of the two-
  lane highway looks down on the Deertail River Gorge,
  while the mountainside on the north is covered with
  lush copses of fir trees. 
  The road itself rises steeply in elevation, then
  twists along the mountainside as it follows the river’s
  snaking path. Canyon Road’s many blind curves and
  serpentine stretches make it a favorite among driving
  aficionados, although the fact that it is a major thor-
  oughfare for semi-trucks makes it unwise to drive too
  recklessly.
  CRISIS ON CANYON ROAD
  
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  At this point, each hero may attempt a DC 15 Spot check. The
  driver gets a +7 bonus on this check, as does any other hero
  sitting in the front seat. Go to encounter A1 if anyone suc-
  ceeds on the Spot check; otherwise go to A2.
  A1. The Guardrail
  Read or paraphrase the following aloud if anyone succeeds
  on the Spot check.
  If the heroes stop to investigate, go to encounter B.
  Otherwise, go to encounter A2.
  A2. The Explosion
  If all of the heroes failed the Spot check, or if the heroes
  notice the broken rail but decide not to stop, read or para-
  phrase the following aloud.
  The driver of the heroes’ vehicle has inadvertently run
  over a piece of debris from the earlier accident. The right
  rear tire has blown out, sending the vehicle into an uncon-
  trolled skid.
  Everyone in the vehicle must make a DC 15 Reflex saving
  throw or take 3d4 points of damage. Any character who is
  not seated and wearing a safety belt takes a –10 penalty on
  the save.
  In addition to the save, the driver of the heroes’ vehi-
  cle must make a DC 20 Drive check. Success on the Reflex
  save grants the driver a +10 luck bonus on this check. If
  the check is successful, the driver manages to pull the
  vehicle to a stop with no further incident. If it fails,
  everyone in the vehicle takes an additional 3d4 points of
  damage.
  Development: Describe a harrowing few seconds during
  which the vehicle smashes into the guardrail and nearly top-
  ples over into the gorge. Eventually, though, it comes to rest
  safely on the edge of the cliff, and the heroes can emerge to
  assess the damage. The tire is completely destroyed and
  must be replaced. The cause of the explosion was a large,
  sharp piece of metal that seems to have once been part of
  the guardrail.
  When the heroes move to investigate the hole in the
  guardrail, continue with encounter B, below. 
  B. CRASH SCENE
  When the heroes move to examine the torn guardrail, read or
  paraphrase the following aloud.
  Any hero wishing to examine the debris or railing can
  attempt a DC 25 Investigate, Knowledge (technology), or
  Repair check. Success reveals that the vehicle involved in the
  crash was a white van, SUV, or truck that struck the guardrail
  at approximately 60 mph after skidding uncontrollably for
  less than 50 yards. Some of this information, however, can
  more easily be gathered merely by peering over the ledge. Go
  to encounter B1 when anyone decides to look into the ravine.
  B1. The Wreck
  Read aloud or paraphrase the following if anyone looks over
  the edge of the road by the broken guardrail. 
  Each hero who views this tableau may attempt a Spot check.
  Compare the result to the table below. The hero gains all the
  information for check results equal to or lower than her own.
  SPOT DC
  INFORMATION GAINED
  25
  The right rear tire on the van is blown out. 
  26
  An arm hangs limply out the driver’s side
  window. The hand is bloody, but it does appear
  to be moving slightly, as though the person to
  whom it is attached is either unconscious or
  groggy. 
  27
  A second bloody hand hangs from the passenger-
  side window. It too appears to be moving
  slightly.
  28
  The van has no license plate, even though the
  rear end seems relatively unharmed.
  The license plate was purposely removed and placed inside
  the van to ensure that the Eagle Research security cameras
  could capture no evidence that might aid in identifying the
  vehicle. The thieves had planned to pull into a rest stop near
  the bottom of Canyon Road and reattach it before driving
  into more populated areas.
  Beyond the shattered guardrail, the mountain simply
  falls away in a nearly sheer cliff that drops almost 1,000
  feet down to the waters of the Deertail River. About 100
  feet below the road, a spit of rock juts out from the cliff.
  Resting on that outcropping are the shattered remains
  of a white van.
  The wrecked vehicle lies upside down. Its side panels
  are dented and bowed out, and all its windows are shat-
  tered. The van’s axles are bent at wicked angles, causing
  the tires to stick out in odd positions. The wreck looks
  disturbingly like a human body lying on the ground with
  its arms and legs splayed.
  The guardrail is made of thick metal and securely
  anchored to the cliffside by wooden support posts. At
  the point where the gap begins, both the rail and the
  support posts have been ripped away as if by a tremen-
  dous impact. The ground around the ledge is covered
  with oil and other automotive lubricants, and small bits
  of metal, fiberglass, and plastic are scattered on the
  roadway. Clearly a vehicle of some sort crashed through
  the railing at high speed.
  A loud explosion reverberates from somewhere behind
  you, and your vehicle jostles violently.
  The thick, iron guardrail along the southern edge of
  Canyon Road was obviously meant to prevent unwary
  drivers from steering their vehicles off the ledge and
  into the yawning chasm below. Just ahead, however,
  is a gap in that guardrail. The jagged, wrenched metal
  on either end of the hole gives mute evidence of the
  violence with which this section of the railing was
  torn out.
  CRISIS ON CANYON ROAD
  
  d20MODERN
  CRISIS ON CANYON ROAD
  5
  Development: If the heroes have access to cell phones,
  they can call 911 for assistance. The operator takes their
  information but says that help may be some time in arriv-
  ing. The dispatcher has asked for a rescue squad, but
  because of a multi-car accident on the freeway and a four-
  alarm fire in an apartment complex, all units are already
  out in the field. Thus, for the time being, the heroes are on
  their own.
  From this vantage point, the heroes cannot determine
  how much time has passed since the van crashed through the
  guardrail. Anyone with medical or first aid training, however,
  realizes that the victims could easily bleed to death before
  help arrives.
  If the heroes want to go down the embankment and help
  the crash victims, continue with encounter B3, below. If they
  seem content to sit back and wait for emergency services
  personnel to arrive, go to encounter B2.
  B2. Waiting For Help
  If the heroes do not seem interested in undertaking a rescue
  effort, or are taking too long to plan their strategy, read or
  paraphrase the following aloud.
  
  d20MODERN
  6
  The heroes have no way to determine what this small rock-
  slide means, and you as GM should reinforce that point. On
  the one hand, the incident may be completely unrelated to
  the current situation. On the other hand, it might be a sign
  that the van’s impact has destabilized the ledge, and that the
  entire outcropping could collapse at any time.
  Development: If the heroes remain uninterested in
  descending the slope, another rockslide occurs. This second
  incident should provide further evidence that the ledge is
  indeed unstable and give the heroes a very plain choice—do
  nothing but watch while the van and its passengers fall into
  the river, or try any sort of rescue plan to save them from
  that fate.
  If the heroes decide to help, continue with encounter B3.
  If they refuse to get personally involved, the ledge eventually
  crumbles, dropping the van, the thieves, and (perhaps most
  significantly) the stolen virus into the river. At that point, the
  adventure is over, and the heroes can go about their business.
  You as GM, on the other hand, must determine the conse-
  quences of the heroes’ inaction. See the What’s In The Box?
  sidebar for a discussion of the possible repercussions.
  B3. Mounting A Rescue (EL 10) 
  The biggest problem in providing help to those trapped
  in the van is finding a way down the cliff. The most effec-
  tive way short of magic or specialized equipment is to
  climb down.
  Development: The rough rocks provide plenty of hand-
  holds, so a hero can simply hop over the edge and try to
  climb down. Doing so requires a DC 15 Climb check for every
  50 feet moved up or down. Using a rope provides a +5 equip-
  ment bonus on this check, and using climbing gear provides
  a +7 equipment bonus.
  Success on the Climb check indicates that the hero has
  safely moved a distance up to 50 feet. Failure means that an
  unexpected event occurs, such as a hand- or foothold crum-
  bling. In such a case, the climber must immediately make a DC
  15 Reflex saving throw. If the save is successful, the climber
  managed to secure himself before anything disastrous hap-
  pened. If it fails, the climber begins to fall down the cliff. A
  character who falls in this manner is not intentionally jump-
  ing and so cannot use the Jump skill to reduce the damage.
  Proper use of a rope or climbing gear limits the length of
  the fall to 10 feet, after which the hero may attempt to climb
  the rest of the way down. However, even a climber who is
  not using rope or climbing gear does not automatically plum-
  met to his death because he is directly over the van and the
  ledge supporting it. Thus, he takes the normal damage asso-
  ciated with a fall from either 50 or 100 feet (depending on
  whether the fall began during the first or second required
  Climb check) and comes to rest somewhere on the ledge. For
  a detailed discussion of the effects of falling, see Chapter 7
  of the d20 MODERN Roleplaying Game.
  Once at least one hero reaches the ledge safely, continue
  with Encounter C.
  C. CRIME SCENE (EL 20)
  A hero standing on (or suspended by a rope near) the ledge
  automatically notices a few other details regarding the van.
  Read or paraphrase the following aloud.
  Each hero on or near the ledge may attempt a Spot and a
  Listen check. Compare the results to the tables below. The
  hero gains all the information for check results equal to or
  lower than her own.
  SPOT DC
  INFORMATION GAINED
  10
  The van is an industrial model that is generally
  sold only to corporations and is not available
  in ordinary showrooms. Its heavy-duty body is
  probably the reason it survived the crash with
  relatively little damage. 
  15
  The van has no license plate. It was not torn
  off; there was obviously no license on it at
  the time of the accident. 
  20
  The arm that was previously hanging out of
  the driver’s-side window is no longer visible. 
  25
  Small wisps of mist drift through the smashed
  window. A glance inside reveals a small pile
  of dry ice and a handful of vials lying near a
  partially opened metal case. 
  LISTEN DC
  INFORMATION GAINED
  10
  Small to Medium-size rocks can be heard
  falling from below the ledge. Each bounces off
  the cliff face several times before landing in
  the river below. 
  15
  One or more people are groaning and mum-
  bling incoherently inside the van. 
  20
  The voices belong to two or more people, who
  are speaking in hushed voices. It is impossible
  to tell what they are saying. 
  25
  The conversation inside the van indicates that
  the survivors are aware of the heroes’ pres-
  ence and are trying to decide what to do.
  They realize they are in a precarious position
  and need to be rescued, but they don’t want
  their rescuers to find out about their recent
  activities. 
  All but one of the thieves is awake—the one in the front pas-
  senger seat fell victim to massive damage during the crash
  Although the van has taken a good deal of cosmetic
  damage—severely scratched paint, smashed glass, and
  even a few gashes in the side panel of the cargo area—
  it seems to be in relatively good shape. Even the slight
  bowing of the sides is not enough to interfere with
  opening any of the doors.
  A thin, spiderweb pattern of cracks in the ledge leads
  out from beneath the van. There’s no telling how deeply
  the fissures have split the rock, but it seems certain that
  they will deepen over time, and eventually this ledge
  will crumble away completely.
  A loud crack suddenly resounds from below, and the
  noise echoes off the far canyon wall. A piece of the
  ledge on which the van rests has crumbled and fallen
  away. The small boulders bounce a few times off the
  cliff before splashing into the river below.
  CRISIS ON CANYON ROAD
  
  d20MODERN
  7
  and is currently unconscious at –1 hit point. Although slightly
  injured, the rest are ready to act if the heroes become aggres-
  sive. They have recovered and concealed their handguns (see
  Chapter 4 of the d20 MODERN Roleplaying Game for rules on
  weapon concealment) and covered most of their other
  equipment under a tarp. The hidden equipment consists of
  two shotguns, two closed metal cases containing vials and
  dry ice, and a bag containing a lockpick set, a basic electrical
  toolkit, night vision goggles, and a stun gun. The third metal
  case has fallen open, and its contents lie scattered.
  Development: The next phase of the adventure depends
  entirely on how the heroes decide to proceed. When the
  heroes approach the van, go to encounter C1. 
  C1. The Rescue
  Read or paraphrase the following aloud if the heroes
  approach the van without weapons in evidence.
  One way or another, combat ensues between the heroes and
  the thieves. If the heroes do not press their advantage upon
  reaching the van, the thieves make sure that the fight hap-
  pens at a time most advantageous to them.
  GM Characters: The van contains four information libera-
  tors, one of whom is currently unconscious.
  Information 
  Liberator 
  (Fast 
  Hero 
  5/Infiltrator
  7/Gunslinger 5): CR 17; Medium-size human; HD 5d8+10 plus
  7d8+14 plus 5d10+10; hp 115; Mas 14; Init +5; Spd 30 ft.; Defense
  28, touch 28, flat-footed 28 (+5 Dex, +13 class); BAB +9; Grap
  +11; Atk +11 melee (1d6+2 nonlethal, sap) or +15 ranged (2d6,
  Glock 17) or +14 ranged (2d8, Beretta M3P); Full Atk +11/+6
  melee (1d6+2 nonlethal, sap) or +15/+10 ranged (2d6, Glock
  17) or +14/+9 (2d8, Beretta M3P); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.;
  SQ Close combat shot, defensive position, improved evasion,
  improvised implements, improvised weapon damage, light-
  ning shot, skill mastery (Hide, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand),
  sweep, weapon focus (Glock 17 or Beretta M3P); AL none; SV
  Fort +6, Ref +16, Will +7; AP 8; Rep: +5; Str 14, Dex 20, Con 14,
  Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 12.
  Talents (Fast Hero): Evasion, uncanny dodge 1, uncanny
  dodge 2.
  Occupation: Criminal (bonus class skills: Hide, Sleight of
  Hand; bonus feat: Personal Firearms Proficiency).
  Skills: Disable Device +1, Escape Artist +18, Hide +23,
  Intimidate +11, Listen +10, Move Silently +28, Sleight of Hand
  +27, Spot +13, Tumble +20.
  Feats: Advanced Firearms Proficiency, Alertness, Dodge,
  Heroic Surge, Mobility, Nimble, Personal Firearms Proficiency,
  Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Quick Reload,
  Shot on the Run, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Stealthy.
  Equipment: Ammunition (5 extra clips for whatever firearm
  the character uses), duct tape, fake ID, flashlight (penlight),
  handcuffs (zip tie, 10), Glock 17 (or Beretta M3P), lockpick set,
  multipurpose tool, night vision goggles, sap.
  Tactics: The villains’ top priority is to get safely back to
  the road. If the heroes appear to suspect nothing, the thieves
  play along with them until they have reached safety, figuring
  that a fight on the unstable ledge might end in tragedy for
  them. If the heroes question them about how they came to
  be here, the thieves claim to be house painters who lost con-
  trol of their van while on their way to or from a job. Despite
  the lack of painting equipment in the van and the absence of
  spatters on their clothing, they stick to their story. If asked
  about the dry ice and vials, or even the shotguns and other
  equipment, the thieves feign ignorance, looking at one
  another and saying, “How did that get there?” (They believe
  that ignorance, even if played to a ridiculous extreme, is a
  viable strategy.) Once back up on the road, the villains
  attempt to overpower the heroes, throw their bodies into
  the river below, recover the cases and vials, and continue on
  their way in the heroes’ vehicle. 
  Under no circumstances do the thieves allow the heroes
  to handcuff them or search either their persons or the van. If
  the heroes insist on either course of action, the thieves sim-
  ply pull out their guns and hope they are better shots than
  the heroes are.
  Development: Any hero who picks up and examines a vial
  can tell that the liquid inside is slightly more viscous than
  water. Each vial is marked with a label that reads “Property of
  Eagle Research, Ltd., Lot 42-C,” plus a biohazard emblem and
  a handwritten time signature that designates when it was
  stoppered. 
  Each hero who sees the Eagle Research label may attempt
  a Knowledge (current events) check. Compare the results to
  the table below. 
  KNOWLEDGE
  (CURRENT EVENTS) DC
  INFORMATION GAINED
  Up to 15
  The hero has never heard of either
  Eagle Research or the building
  atop the mountain. 
  15–20
  The hero knows one of the
  rumors about the building on the
  mountaintop (see Background,
  above). 
  21+
  The hero knows all about Eagle
  and its research. 
  There is no way for the heroes to get more information about
  the vials and their contents here on the roadside, and the
  information does not affect the rest of this adventure. If you
  The inside of the van is as chaotic as might be expected
  from the situation. Tiny bits of broken glass are scat-
  tered everywhere, pieces of metal protrude here and
  there at odd angles, and everything is upside down. On
  what used to be the ceiling of the cab, a small pile of
  dry ice and a half dozen vials filled with yellowish liquid
  lie next to a partially opened metal case.
  An unconscious man is still strapped into the front
  passenger seat. He has minor lacerations on his face and
  hands, but otherwise appears unharmed. He is dressed
  all in black—turtleneck sweater, cargo pants, shoes, and
  even a knit cap.
  In the cargo area are three more people—a woman
  and two men—wearing clothes identical to those of
  the man in the passenger seat. Behind them is a plastic
  tarp bulging up in the center, as if concealing a small
  pile of items.
  “Thank God you came along,” one of the men says.
  “We thought we were going to die on this ledge!”
  CRISIS ON CANYON ROAD
  
  d20MODERN
  8
  want to make the contents of these vials more important to
  the plot, consult the What’s In The Box sidebar for ideas.
  REWARDS
  The heroes gain the standard experience and wealth awards
  associated with these encounters. In addition, you might
  wish to award bonus experience if the characters came up
  with quick, inventive ways to rescue the people trapped in
  the van. After all, they didn’t know that there were going to
  be complications, and it’s a good idea to reward the players
  for innovative thinking.
  The Eagle Research robbery is a big story in the upcoming
  news cycle, particularly because hazardous materials were
  involved. Depending on how much credit the heroes take for
  their actions, this publicity could result in celebrity status for
  one or more of them, an increase in the amount of work (or
  rate of pay) that they receive, or—if the situation ended
  badly—in public vilification.
  CONTINUING THE ADVENTURE
  Once the encounter with the information liberators is over,
  so is Crisis on Canyon Road. However, you may wish to build
  future adventures from these events, particularly if the
  heroes allowed large quantities of the virus to reach the
  Deertail River. Future adventures may stem from the answers
  you as GM provide to the following questions.
  Why is Eagle Research working on such a deadly virus? Is the
  company trying to make an antidote for a deadly toxin? Is it
  instead developing an agent that its client can use as a biolog-
  ical weapon? Do the managers at Eagle know the truth about
  the experiments they are performing, or has their employer
  duped them somehow? Are they working for the U.S. govern-
  ment, a private company, or a mysterious individual? 
  Who hired the thieves? Was the theft really a case of
  industrial espionage, or was it actually international terror-
  ism? Might the U.S. government have hired the thieves
  through a series of agents to crack the veil of secrecy around
  Eagle Research’s activities? Regardless of who hired the
  thieves, what does that person or organization want with
  such a deadly virus?
  Was the van’s crash really an accident? Was it just abom-
  inably bad luck? Or did the thieves’ employer booby-trap the
  van so that the wheel would blow out? If so, why? Did the
  employer want the thieves to get caught, or was the situa-
  tion an elaborate plan to get the virus released into the city’s
  water supply?  
  CRISIS ON CANYON ROAD
  What’s In The Box?
  The exact nature of the virus that the information liber-
  ators stole is immaterial to this adventure. The point of
  Crisis on Canyon Road is for the heroes to intercede on
  behalf of apparently innocent people whom they have
  no reason to protect, and then find out that the crash
  victims are not so innocent after all. The virus is a
  McGuffin—an element of the story whose only purpose
  is to motivate the heroes to action. In all but the direst
  of circumstances, the actual effects of the virus should
  not come into play.
  Since the details are unimportant, you can replace the
  virus with some other dangerous item or element if you
  wish. For example, instead of stealing a virus, the “liber-
  ation” team might be after a batch of uranium, a com-
  puter program, or a case of rare jewels. Whatever change
  you make, however, must also be reflected in the back-
  ground information about Eagle Research, Ltd.
  Consequences of Inaction
  The virus can serve as a consequence of the characters’
  inaction if they fail to offer aid to apparently ordinary
  people in trouble. If the heroes completely ignored the
  van, or refused to scale the cliff to assist the accident
  victims, the ledge eventually crumbles, sending the van,
  thieves, and vials of virus into the river. The waters of
  that river eventually feed into the city’s reservoir. If you
  want to provide some negative reinforcement for the
  heroes, the virus can bloom in the water supply. Soon
  the city is in the grip of an epidemic, and the heroes are
  as likely to become victims as anyone else (unless they
  never drink tap water).
  The details of the illness are left for you as GM to
  determine. The easiest solution is to give the illness an
  effect identical to that of a particular poison (see Table
  2–5 in the d20 MODERN Roleplaying Game). But rather
  than a single Fortitude saving throw, a victim must
  attempt a save once every 12 hours until 10 saves have
  been successful.
  Credits
  Design:
  Stan!
  Editing:
  Penny Williams
  Typesetting:
  Nancy Walker
  Cartography:
  Rob Lazzaretti
  Creative Direction:
  Christopher Perkins
  Web Production: 
  Julia Martin
  Web Development: 
  Mark A. Jindra
  Graphic Design:
  Cynthia Fliege, Sean Glenn
  This d20™System game uses mechanics developed for the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®
  game by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, and Peter Adkison.
  This game also uses mechanics developed for the Psionics Handbook by Bruce R.
  Cordell, the Call of Cthulhu® Roleplaying Game by Monte Cook and John Tynes, and
  the Star Wars® Roleplaying Game by Bill Slavicsek, Andy Collins, and JD Wiker.
  d20 MODERN, D&D and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS are registered trademarks, and d20 and
  the d20 System logo are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary
  of Hasbro, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses
  thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America.
  Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is
  prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations,
  places, or events is purely coincidental.
  This Wizards of the Coast game product contains no Open Game Content. No
  portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission. To
  learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 System License, please visit 
  <www.wizards.com/d20>.
  ©2004 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  All rights reserved.  Made in the U.S.A.
  Visit our website at
  <www.wizards.com/d20modern>
  
  d20MODERN
  9
  CRISIS ON CANYON ROAD
  ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  Stan! has been publishing fiction, cartoons, and games pro-
  fessionally since 1982. He has served as a graphic designer
  and line editor for West End Games, an editor and designer
  for TSR, Inc., and an author, senior designer, and creative
  director for Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Stan! is currently the
  Creative Vice President for The Game Mechanics, Inc.
  <http://www.thegamemechanics.com>. His recent projects
  include the d20 Future book for Wizards of the Coast, Inc.,
  plus Modern Magic, volume 2 for The Game Mechanics. In
  what he laughingly refers to as his spare time, Stan! writes
  and illustrates the Bolt & Quiver comic strip.
  Stan! lives in Renton, WA, where he eats nothing but meat
  and cheese. Visit him online at <http://www.stannex.com>.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/d20 Modern/Crisis on Canyon Road.pdf