Rise and Fall of HYDRA: Defeating Surveillance

In the Rise and Fall of HYDRA, one of the constant threats is HYDRA's omnipresent intelligence apparatus. As established in Winter Soldier, HYDRA is constantly doing data searches and using predictive algorithms to find and destroy potential threats. Any resistance to HYDRA needs to be able to spoof those searches.

So I want some kind of mechanic to represent that. Fortunately, Nightmares of Future Past has a system that suitable for adaptation. Each day, one of the PCs must make a DC34 Technology check. On a success, nothing happens. On success by 5+ (DC39 check!), the PC diverts HYDRA from the search, which is detailed below. On a failure, HYDRA advances one step towards finding the the PCs, and on a failure by 5+ (check result of 28 or less), HYDRA advances two steps toward finding the PCs. If HYDRA advances five steps toward finding the PCs, they find their current base and stage a raid the next day.

If the PCs make a direct attack against HYDRA, HYDRA enhances their search against the PCs. For the next 48 hours, a PC must make the Technology check every four hours to counter the more active patrols. HYDRA is at Red Alert for the first twenty four hours, and then at Yellow Alert for the next three days.

Modifiers on the check

+5 if HYDRA is searching rapidly (checks every four hours) 
-2 if HYDRA is at Yellow Alert, or
-4 if HYDRA is at Red Alert
+2 if the PCs operate more than 100 miles from their home base, or
+4 if the PCs operate more than 1000 miles from their home base.
+2 if the PCs are laying low (not using their powers, communicating, or really doing anything)

Diverting HYDRA

When the PCs successful divert HYDRA, the PC must make a new DC28 Technology check with all the same modifiers. On a success, the PCs add a Confusion step: HYDRA must remove all Confusion steps before they can advance on the PCs' base again. On a success by 5+, HYDRA gets a Confusion step and loses any progress they've made toward finding the PCs' base. On a failure, nothing happens, and a failure by 5+ (failing a DC22 check), the PCs have inadvertently tipped HYDRA off to another resistance group's base. HYDRA raids the other group's base and assumes they've eliminated the PCs, removing any progress the HYDRA has made to find the PCs' base.

At the PCs option, they may intervene in the raid against the other resistance group's base.

HYDRA Raids

HYDRA generally investigates suspected resistance bases with a surveillance team of 4-6 FBI agents (M&M3e Government Agents). If the team encounters violence or otherwise finds an actual resistance base, HYDRA then sends a force of HYDRA agents (M&M3e SWAT Officers with Blaster Rifles, effectively PL7), usually about 5 agents per person at the base, with a team of 6 Iron Patriot power armor troopers on call. If a resistance cell has previously defeated a HYDRA agent strike force, HYDRA will escalate to sending a company of Iron Patriots, then a platoon of Iron Patriots supporting a company of super soldiers (PL9 SWAT Officers), then super-powered individuals like the Winter Soldier. If all those get defeated, the next time that resistance cell's base is found, HYDRA will send a helicarrier to level the surrounding area.

Rise and Fall of HYDRA: All about HYDRA

My F2F group seems interested in the Rise and Fall of HYDRA idea, so I've started thinking about it a bit more. One thing that was immediately apparent is that this game would need to be fairly player pro-active: it's up the heroes to figure out how to defeat HYDRA. One of my players reasonably pointed out that they'd need some information about HYDRA's weak points in order to plot out their plan of attack, which spawned the following info-dump:

HYDRA Overview

HYDRA is a global defense organization, currently enforcing world-wide martial law as part of the state of emergency due to the Chitauri invasion of Siberia. HYDRA took over the assets of the Chitauri-allied SHIELD organization, and has also globalized several national militaries. As such, HYDRA has global reach and nearly infinite power, though much of its strength is focused on the Siberian Gate and the counter-invasion.

HYDRA is headquartered out of the Triskelion building in Washington, DC, which is also the maintenance yard and control center for its semi-automated Helicarriers. A Helicarrier is always stationed near the Triskelion to protect against traitors; two other Helicarriers roam the US to provide heavy support against Chitauri agents. Several other Helicarriers perform a similar duty on other continents, but the majority of the fleet is engaged in a counter invasion of Chitauri. For security reasons, HYDRA does not release the number or operational status of the Helicarriers.

In addition to the headquarters, HYDRA maintains a large R&D operation in Los Angelos and a pan-optic surveillance operation based at the former Fort Meade in Maryland. HYDRA's information specialists operate of sub-offices in DC, LA, and Chicago.

HYDRA leaves local law enforcement to local organizations, but HYDRA field commanders can commandeer any local resource as they need. Initial investigation of potential traitors is handled by the FBI, but most quislings are captured by HYDRA's SWAT teams with Tesseract weaponry and Iron Patriot powered armor support ("Agents of HYDRA" is the most popular show in the US, now on its 6th season and 3rd movie.) HYDRA super-soldiers deal with exceptional threats beyond the capability of the SWAT teams, and there are rumors of exceptionally gifted soldiers (included the fabled Winter Soldier) who deal with more serious threats. Ultimate enforcement of martial law and Chitauri defense is provided by the Helicarrier fleets, their massive and abundant onboard weaponry, and their onboard aircraft and supersoldier teams. Unofficially, HYDRA also maintains a substantial secret police organization, modeled on the old German Gestapo and the East German Stasi.

Threats to HYDRA

AIM and Centipede are avowed terrorist organizations, allied with the Chitauri, who use their Extremis and Centipede powered supersoldiers to weaken humanity from within. There are also informal networks of collaborators and quislings, who band together to further their efforts of selling out to the Chitauri. AIM has bases in Europe, especially Switzerland, and Centipede has world-wide cells but is widely believed to be based out of Mexico.

The Chitauri, a technologically advanced alien species from another dimension, is of course the greatest through to world-wide security. New York City had to be nuked to repel their first invasion, but HYDRA has risen to the challenge and secured the Siberia Gate and counter-attacked. Fighting also continues, though at a lesser tempo, around the Beijing Gate. The Chitauri use micro-gate technology to insert spies and agents around the globe, forcing HYDRA to divert resources to hunting out these agents and their human collaborators. Fortunately, HYDRA's surveillance operation and data mining capabilities allow them to predict potential threats and deal with them quickly and decisively.

Certain gifted individuals, such as the Iron Man and the Hulk, were initial allies of the Chitauri. All of them have been eliminated by HYDRA, and they are no longer a threat to loyal HYDRA subjects. Irresponsible rumors regarding sightings of a monstrous green man are potential treasonous behavior and should be reported to law enforcement.

Obvious Actions

So if you're a legacy of Captain America, Iron Man, or the Hulk, or you're just some other super-powered individual who doesn't want to live under a bunch of brutal, totalitarian thugs, there are some obvious actions for dealing with HYDRA:

• Find and recruit allies. The Chitauri are supposed to be pretty bad, and AIM and Centipede are not angels, but there must be some kind of resistance that would like to restore freedom.
• Uncover HYDRA's lies. Almost all information about HYDRA is available only from HYDRA's own propaganda operations. Any resistance organization would need to learn the truth, and might find it advantageous to subvert HYDRA's broadcasts to reveal that truth to the world.
• Steal HYDRA technology. HYDRA researches applications of Tesseract technology (such as energy weapons and flying suits) at the Hammer Research Center in LA. Breaking into the center and stealing technology and disrupting research would be beneficial to any resistance.
• Disrupt HYDRA surveillance operations. Fort Strucker is supposed to maintain the largest database and data mining operation in the world, capable of predicting threats to HYDRA and advising the security forces on how to deal with them. Destroying or corrupting the database would be enormously difficult, but would simplify further resistance activities just as much.
• Deal with the Helicarriers: The Helicarriers, as flying gun platforms and aircraft carriers, are HYDRA's trump card. Subverting their control systems, taking them over directly, or destroying them would be a great blow for any resistance, but would be the final step in a long campaign of identifying weaknesses, infiltration, and direct action.

These aren't the only actions for dealing with HYDRA, just some of the most obvious ones.

The Rise and Fall of HYDRA

According to the official propaganda, the Chitauri invaded New York six years ago with the aid of SHIELD and the treachery of the Avengers under Secretary of Defense Pierce. HYDRA was forced to declare a world wide state of emergency to defeat the alien menace and root out the collaborators and traitors. Now, thanks to the glorious leadership
Director von Strucker, the human race has pushed the Chitauri back and is invading their homeworlds. Still, renegades and quislings are everywhere, seeking to sell out humanity for the false favors of the Chitauri. HYDRA must divert a small portion of their massive fleet of all-seeing, invincible Helicarriers to patrol Earth, dispatching justice to the craven renegades who weaken the human race from within.

But you remember the first Chitauri invasion and the heroic defense by the Avengers, more than a decade ago. You remember two years later when SHIELD built the Helicarriers to provide a further defense, and when Secretary Pierce usurped control of them and turned them on innocent civilians, proclaiming the new rule of HYDRA. And you remember the second and third Chitauri invasions, and the coup that replaced Director Pierce with Director von Strucker.

Hydra is a totalitarian organization, dedicated to stamping out freedom and individuality. Their propaganda are lies; their control of humanity premised on cruelty, brutality, and overwhelming firepower. If you werean ordinary human, you would have little recourse but to keep your head down and watch America's liberties crumble. You, though, are an heir to the fabled powers of the Avengers: a superbeing, a person of mass destruction. If you can avoid the attention of HYDRA's spies and informants, if you can find allies as powerful as yourself, if you can strike against HYDRA's organization and fade into the night before they counterstrike; then you might be able to bring the whole corrupt regime crumbling down. It will not be easy: HYDRA has strange weapons of unearthly power and superbeings of its own, as well as the awesome power of its fleet of Helicarriers. But if you're smart, persistent, and a little lucky, it would be possible.

What the Heck Is This?

So this is the teaser for a game I'm thinking about running for my face to face group. I'm pretty happy with the concept. I'm still bouncing indecisive about what game system I want to use: I like the Mutants and Masterminds, but I might want a more narrative combat sequence than something derived from D&D and using 5' squares and 6-second rounds.
general power framework of

Inspirations

So this game draws a lot of inspiration from X-Men: Days of Future Past (post-apocalypse hunted renegade superheroes), but uses the slightly simpler cosmology and characters of Captain America: Winter Soldier.

When I tossed this idea out to my group, one of the players suggested Misspent Youth, which he said was mechanically horrible, but had a neat collaborative exercise to create the strengths and weaknesses of the Authority. I still need to read it, but I like the concept.

I also need to dig out my old Marvel Superhero RPG adventures and see if there's anything from the actual Days of Future Path modules that I could steal.