Trinity RPG - Defensive Measures for Masterminds, When Guarding Against Psion Insurgency

[Matt]

Defensive Measures for Masterminds, When Guarding Against Psion Insurgency, contributed by Lee Cordochorea aka 'Thingmaker'

A lot of mastermind villains have a bad habit of not being paranoid enough. They will hire thugs as guards and expect them to outperform slick intruders. They will entrust their lieutenants despite the potential for treachery. Some will even go so far as to reveal their plans to an enemy before killing them (instead of afterward). Death traps are fun toys, of course, but should only be used to punish lazy or disloyal henchmen - never for dispatching enemies. Enemies must be engaged as early as possible, and as decisively as possible.

To this end, the following suggestions are presented for the up-and-coming masterminds who might earn the ire of noetically gifted individuals and groups.

Naturally, a good mastermind will have acquired a few noetic jamming devices One will be just the thing with which to poke the "eye" of that nosy clairsentient. Another comes in handy for discouraging the errant Upeo gate-crasher. Let's not forget one for our Ministry associates - don't want them distracting our sentries, now do we?

Speaking of sentries, a good mastermind never trusts them. The guards' laser comm gear is tied into an isolated central processor. The system checks up on the guards each in turn. Once every ten minutes or so, each guard's headset will briefly and softly chirp. This is a signal that the guard is to report. If the guard fails to respond with the current "all clear" code-word, then the software agent will dispatch a team to discover the problem - simultaneously alerting all personnel to "condition yellow." Be sure there are plenty of redundant signal paths for the repeaters. This precaution will minimize trouble from the intruders' vandalism. It is also wise to have a couple of backup isolated processors. Have them watch-dog one another and alert a human operator to shut down the one that's acting like a friend of Alex Cassel. Make sure that the human operator can monitor all the processors without the processors monitoring the operator! Monitoring that operator is a job for the Mastermind alone.

As to those intruders, how should they be handled? Kill the vitakinetic first. This would not be the case if you were not at home - you would kill the clear first - but you have a dampener that blinds the nosy one. How can you tell which is the VK? Simple, she's the one holding back and pumping pink aura into the lead assailants. Keep a guard behind a secret door to ambush her in the back. (Make sure his life insurance premium is paid up, psions really hate it when you kill their "innocent healer.") Speaking of death, don't just kill the shape-shifter. Kill the shape-shifter two or three times and then launch the remains into orbit (preferably on more than one shuttle). For most intruders I prefer the drop into an acid bath. This will stop just about anybody other than the flying or fast-thinking PK, or the Upeo who somehow functions despite your Teleportation dampener.

The hardest assault to repel always seems to come from those annoying PKs. The little bullets bounce off, the poison gas won't go through their telekinetic bubbles, and they refuse to fall into the pits! I recommend arming your inner guards with extremely big guns. Coilgun Carbines are a good choice. Load them up with a mix of armor-piercing and high explosive rounds. If nothing else, the dead comrades of the triumphant Legionnaire will forever haunt him for being so unstoppable.

As a final precaution, make sure that the location of those noetic dampeners is well chosen. I put mine in my escape vehicle! After all, "he who fights and runs away..."