Modern Enemies

[Family]

I'm having a hard time brainstorming foes for a modern campaign. Technological, Fantastical, Human, Supernatural, or Other...what enemy(ies) would you enjoy fighting? I'd really appreciate some help here.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Daleks or other aliens, triffids, giant monsters a la Cloverfield or Megashark vs Giant Octopus, cyborg animals created in a government lab a la We3, terrorists, spies, corporate bastards, military (national armies, mercs), the Russian mafia, maniacs on a killing spree (we had a couple of these very recently in the UK), and doomsday scenarios - disease, environmental catastrophe, tsunami.

Not HR Giger aliens, or the Cthulhu mythos, or killer robots from the future, they're dead to me!

Just watch the news or see a recent action movie or genre TV show. Plenty of bad guys there.

 

[Umbran]

or killer robots from the future, they're dead to me!

I once sketched out a plotline that had great animated stone constructs built by Aztecs destroying a modern city - basically, giant killer robots from the past. Would they be dead to you?

 

[coyote6]

In addition to what Doug wrote, there are gangs, (more) organized crime groups from practically any ethnicity or nation, serial killers, vampires, werewolves, vampiric werewolves, skinwalkers, wendigos, mutants, black hounds, Lemurian serpent folk, reptoids, psychotic mimes, renegade military units, corrupt cops, corrupt Feds, uncorrupt cops that misunderstand the situation, uncorrupt cops who understand that the PCs are criminal bastards just fine, Nazis, supremacists, Fascists, anarchists, supervillains, Grays, evil psionic conspirators, wizards, Deep Ones, the Sidhe, ghosts, mercenaries, evil roller derby teams, disco aficionados, hippies, smugglers, evil rock bands, dragons, robots (terrestrial, time-traveling, from outer space, from alternate dimensions, or otherwise), cyborgs, AIs, yuppies, stalkers, demons, nihilists, shapechangers, pod people, agents of SPECTRE/HYDRA/Cobra/Kobra, crazy ex-boy/girl-friends, and more.

What kind of campaign are we talking about? "Modern" is kind of broad.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I stole the advanced animal template (forget it's name now) for 3.x and applied it to Modern creatures. For instance, I would apply it to a dog and call it a Doberman/Pit Bull cross. Said template gave extra Hit Dice, stats and especially natural armor (a little too much for Modern, actually).

I avoid magic, but am not above using mutants. Or weird class-combos. (For instance, a Smart/Strong/Techie who uses APs to soup up his weapons, always for extra damage.)

 

[malcolypse]

how about another team of modern adventurers with nothing to engage in epic battle with, so they start stalking the your group, and eventually propose nemisis-ship when confronted? i think coyote covered about everything, really.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

Nazi's still make good enemies. Commies, not so much any more. (Replace the KGB with the Russian Mafia though, and you're good to go.) But Coyote's list is hard to beat!

 

[Piratecat]

Sharktopus.

Pelgrane Press's Esoterrorists game has a fantastic, creepy book of modern horror enemies out. Worth looking at.

http://www.pelgranepress.com/site/?p=439

 

[amerigoV]

Nazi's are the only real world socially acceptable modern enemy that won't offend any. Well, that and white males in general. So I guess the old "He-man woman-hater club" is an "ok" target. Just make sure Buckwheat and Stymie are not around

 

[arscott]

Get yourself a copy of the d20 Modern Menace manual. It is the best adversaries book I've seen for any game, ever.