Fjur’s Environment Archive!

Games Sentinel Comics RPG
#37

OblivAeon
Height: Varies
Weight: Varies
Hair: None
Eyes: Varies, usually purple
Birthplace: The Destruction of Preservation and Entropy
Power Source: The Cosmos, The Shattering of the Timelines
Occupation: Singular Entity

“It’s Coming.”

The Heroes of Earth and beyond have fought against the effect of an unknown cosmic power for a long time, and each time they managed to prevail. However, other realities and timelines have not been so fortunate. The goal of this cosmic entity’s encroachment upon the Multiverse is the collapse of all realities and timelines into a singularity which will self-implode, leaving naught but OblivAeon, the true heir to nothingness.

OblivAeon itself has manifested on Earth in this timeline to put an end to the pitiful resistance. If it succeeds, everything will be destroyed. However, if the heroes are able to stop OblivAeon, the cracks which run through all realities will be repaired as the cosmic power that created them is destroyed, effectively cutting the timelines and realities off from each other.

One way or another the Multiverse, ends here.

OblivAeon
Destroyer of All :d12:
The End Has Come :d12:
Terminus of All Realities :d12:

Green
Minor Twists

  • Aeon Attack: OblivAeon conjures another squad of Aeon Men. Roll the environment dice. Introduce a number of Aeon Men minions (see below) to the scene equal to the Min die.
  • Disrupt Spacetime: OblivAeon tears a hole in reality and sends some heroes hurtling through it. Roll the environment dice. Attack two targets with the Mid die. Move those targets to another location.

Major Twist

  • Temporal Fractures: OblivAeon continues its ravaging of reality. Advance the scene tracker by one space.

Yellow
Minor Twists

  • Absorb Energy: ObilvAeon destroys some of its Aeon Men, reabsorbing their essence into itself. Destroy any number of Aeon Men minions.
  • Unbracing Smite: OblivAeon unleashes a focused blast of devastating energy. Roll the environment dice. Attack one target with the Max die. Destroy all bonuses on that target.

Major Twist

  • Focus of Power: ObilvAeon creates a crystalline conduit for its cosmic power, in order to further its plans of destruction.
    [ ] [ ] [ ] Destroy the Oblivion Engine
    [ ] [ ] [ ] Challenge Timer
    Triggered: Advance the scene tracker by one space. Then, roll the environment dice and Boost all Scion and Aeon Men targets with the Mid die.

Red
Minor Twist

  • Global Devastation: There is nowhere that OblivAeon’s power cannot reach. Roll the environment dice. Attack all targets in all locations in the scene with the Mid die. Destroy 1 bonus on each of those targets.
  • Impending Doom: OblivAeon prepares to unleash an annihilating attack of cataclysmic proportions.
    [ ] [ ] [ ] Disrupt the attack
    [ ] [ ] Challenge Timer
    Triggered: Roll the environment dice. Attack all non-Scion targets with the Max+Mid+Min dice.

Major Twists

  • Summon Scion: OblivAeon summons another one of its servants to the battlefield. Introduce 1 Scion villain (without Upgrades or Masteries) to the scene.

OblivAeon Threats

Aeon Man
:d8: Minion

Description
Aeon Men are the mindless thralls and vassals of OblivAeon. They form from the excess Aeon energy that constantly leaks out of OblivAeon’s form.

Abilities
Aeon Energy: If OblivAeon destroys an Aeon Man, first roll its die. Boost, Recover, or Attack one target with that roll.
Cosmic Warrior: Aeon Men have +1 to Attack actions.

Tactics
Aeon Men are essentially mindless automatons, and know only the most basic strategy. They are most often encountered in groups.

Editor’s Notes

That’s right, it’s OBLIVAEON!

I really like that :d12: :d12: :d12: dice pool. : )

The infobox and environment description were taken from OblivAeon’s wiki page.

Okay, so I may have made some of these twists a little bit more powerful the the book suggests, but hey, it’s OblivAeon. If anything deserves to be overpowered, it’s him.

Part of my inspiration for creating this “environment” was that the Bullpen chapter of the rulebook states that environments can be used to represent truly massive, powerful entities in addition to locations.

Now, obviously this “environment” is of negligible usefulness to anyone, as I doubt anyone will be running the OblivAeon Event any time soon. Regardless, here’s my advice for doing just that:

Due to the epicness and sheer scale, I would recommend using a scene tracker that is some mix of Prolonged and Epic trackers. Something like 2 Green spaces, 4 Yellow spaces, and 5 Red spaces.

This environment represents OblivAeon protected by his shield. Thus, he lacks a Health rating, so the heroes cannot damage him. So, of course, you’ll need a hefty challenge (likely 5 boxes) to let the heroes disable OblivAeon’s shield, which will then transform him from environment stats to villain stats (likely with many Upgrades). Alternatively, one could just use one (or several) Defence Shield Upgrades to represent his shield, but then you wouldn’t be using this environment at all.

There would, of course, also be many Aeon Men minions, Scion villains, and, to help the heroes out with all of this, Mission challenges.

Oh, and by the way, this is the penultimate environment.

Next Environment: [REDACTED]

1 Like
SCRPG Resource Blog Updating Again
#38

Looks good. I kind of doubt the Scion from the Red Major Twist is going to get much time to act before scene end, and activating that twist might actually be a merciful choice for the GM compared to starting Impending Doom or Global Devastation.

Just to confirm, is the intent on Global Devastation is that any Aeon Men destroyed by it are being done in by OblivAeon and therefore trigger their Aeon Energy ability? Or does that only happen with Absorb Energy?

1 Like
#39

Yeah, OblivAeon and things on a similar power level are probably better as a combination of environment and multiple challenges than a villain, even a very powerful one like a multiple-upgrade Ancient Titan or something. I haven’t tried anything quite that potent yet - the ultimate form of Infernovox is as close as I’ve come to date, and even it’s a long way short of a reality ender on its own. Perfectly content to just loaf around wearing the sun like an old pair of pajamas.

1 Like
#40

Fair enough. I do see your point, but using a non-standard scene tracker that has more red spaces than usual (like I mentioned above) would increase the Scion’s length of stay.

Correct. Aeon Energy is triggered whenever an Aeon Man is destroyed by OblivAeon, wether it happens from a “destroy Aeon Men” effect or damage from an Attack from OblivAeon. Impending Doom would also count.

I would like to take this opportunity to say that all the different forms of Infernovox you made are, in my opinion, quite cool. : )

1 Like
New Sentinel RPG Actual Play series
#41

Why thank you, sir. I suspect the villain in question would object to being called “cool” though. Makes Heat Miser look like a piker.

They were among the first few villains I created way back when I first started seriously messing around with the creation system. Actually yet to use the radioactive version, although all the others have seen outings. The ultimate one only cropped up in a one-shot where the main goal of the scene was nabbing a time travelling villain who was in negotiations with Infernovox about granting it timeline access in exchange for limitless energy and then getting the heck out of dodge (and their own future) before they got fried. So that one’s also yet to be defeated, although it certainly isn’t impossible to do so. Maybe not so much with a four-hero zero-collections team though. :slight_smile:

The blog post itself is a bit of a text wall, though.

1 Like
#42

Behold — Orbo, the living planet!

Orbo
Location: Orbiting the Enclave of the Endlings
Species: Satellan
Diameter: Approximately that of Earth’s Moon
Crust: Crimson
Eyes: Orange
Tentacles: Numerous, never counted

“Orbo hungers . . . He cannot be trusted. I preserve him as I do all Endlings, but a time will come in which he will surely betray us.”
— Jansa Vi Dero, the Terminarch

Orbo is a living planet, the Last Satellan, and a consummate jerk.

Orbo is the last of his race, and because of this, he was taken by Jansa Vi Dero, the Last Varusiod, and preserved in the extraterrestrial Enclave of the Endlings. All the members of Orbo’s ill-fated species were titanically large organisms — creatures the size of planets. However, their immense size necessitated that they consume vast amounts of sustenance. Orbo is no exception, and will take any opportunity to feed, including devouring any hapless intelligents that he finds on his surface.

Orbo
The Last Satellan :d10:
Living Planet :d12:
Orbo Hungers :d10:

Green
Minor Twists

  • Bludgeoning Tentacle: Orbo slams one of his tentacles at a potential meal. Roll the environment dice. Attack one target with the Mid die.
  • Ensnaring Tentacle: Orbo grabs someone with one of his tentacles. Roll the environment dice. Hinder one target with the Mid die.

Major Twist

  • Ensnared Spacecraft: Orbo has grabbed a spacecraft full of innocent aliens, and is pulling it towards his maw!
    [ ] Free the spacecraft from Orbo’s grasp
    [ ] [ ] Challenge Timer
    Triggered: In addition to the alien passengers of the spacecraft being devoured, their ship explodes when Orbo’s maw tears it apart! Roll the environment dice, and Attack all targets with the Min die.

Yellow
Minor Twists

  • Tentacles!: Several of Orbo’s tentacles writhe forth to menace the heroes. Roll the environment dice. Introduce a number of Satellan Tentacle minions (see below) to the scene equal to the Mid die.
  • Unflinching Grasp: Orbo wraps his tentacles around two targets, and this time he’s not letting go. Roll the environment dice. Hinder two targets with the Min die. Those penalties are persistent and exclusive.

Major Twist

  • Growing Hunger: Orbo’s hunger grows. Advance the scene tracker by one space.

Red
Minor Twists

  • Inescapable Grapple: Orbo is very determined not to let this meal get away. Select one target.
    [ ] [ ] Free the target from Orbo’s tentacles
    The selected target has a persistent penalty equal to the above challenge’s number of unchecked boxes. Additionally, at the start of each environment turn until the challenge is completed, roll the environment dice and Attack that target with the Mid die.
    If the scene tracker reaches its end before this challenge is completed, the target is swallowed by Orbo! Their allies will have to venture into the belly of the beast in order to retrieve them.
  • Powerful Grasp: Orbo grips two targets with his tentacles, both restraining and constricting them. Roll the environment dice. Hinder two targets with the Mid die and Attack them with the Min die.

Major Twist

  • The Maw of Orbo: Orbo’s maw gapes open, attempting to devour anything near it. Introduce 1 Satellan Maw lieutenant (see below) to the scene. Then, roll the environment dice and attack one target near the maw with the Max die.

Orbo Threats

Satellan Maw
:d10: Lieutenant

Description
The maw of Orbo is brimming with gigantic teeth, and is eager to devour any who stray too near.

Abilities
Biological Feedback: When the Satellan Maw is destroyed, the Orbo environment receives a persistent -3 penalty on all its future rolls.
Insatiable Hunger: The Satellan Maw has +3 to Attack actions. If it destroys or incapacitates a target, that target is swallowed by Orbo, and their allies will have to venture into the belly of the beast in order to retrieve them.

Tactics
The maw does not hesitate to feed on any targets within its reach.

Satellan Tentacle
:d8: Minion

Description
The tentacles of Orbo are many. They range in thickness from less than a meter to several dozen.

Abilities
Alien Strength: Satellan Tentacles have +1 to Hinder actions.
Biological Feedback: Whenever a Satellan Tentacle is destroyed, the Orbo environment receives a -1 penalty on its next roll.

Tactics
The tentacles of Orbo grab any targets they can reach and drag them towards his awaiting maw.

Editor’s Notes

Those hacks Christopher and Adam couldn’t make a living planet environment, but I could!

Yep, the entire reason I made this environment is because of that joke. C&A said in one of the podcast episodes that, back when they were still working on Sentinels of the Multiverse, they were running out of environment ideas. They tried to make a living planet environment deck, but it didn’t work out. They eventually got the concept out of their systems by making Orbo a single card in the Enclave of the Endlings environment deck, from which Jansa’s quote is taken.

Anyway, I made a whole Orbo environment and they didn’t. :stuck_out_tongue: (Yeah, the SCRPG is a different game than SotM, but my point still stands.)

I think that it’s a testament to this system’s flexibility (and my own skills, but I don’t mean to brag) that I was able to get seven whole twists just from “tentacles.” I think that they are all pretty distinct; there’s Attacks, Hinders, Challenges, and Minions.

I say that the allies of anyone swallowed by Orbo will have to retrieve them, but really, the swallowed target could escape on its own. The point of that twist and ability is really just that the target’s escape will require another scene, if not a whole issue.

I quite like the Biological Feedback abilities of the maw and the tentacles. They give some extra incentive to defeat them. I know that penalising an environment’s actions is something that nothing else in the rules does, but I think there’s not anything wrong with it.

3 Likes
#43

And thus ends my initial nine-environment lineup! I’ve had fun, and I hope that folks have found these useful. If I ever make more environments for any reason, I’m very likely to post them here. And sometime in the future, I want to make a Villain Archive. Until then, keep on saving the Multiverse!

2 Likes
#44

Looks good as always.

The omniverse really needs a crossover where Orbo, Ego, Unicron and Mogo meet up. Maybe they could watch Star Wars and criticize the Death Star(s) for being wimps.

“Hmmph. Never see me getting blown up because I left a clear path open to my core.”

2 Likes
#45

“That’s not what K.N.Y.F.E. said…”

4 Likes
#46

wheeze.jpg

#47

I’m dusting off the ol’ Archive for this special day. Below you’ll find an environment that I hope will make fools out of your players.

Lair of Trickery

Many villains of the Multiverse are masters of trickery, misdirection, and deceit—Miss Information, Glamour, Biomancer, Apostate, and others have confounded brave heroes with their fiendish wiles time and time again. This environment is designed as a lair for such devious masters of deception. This perilous locale features all manner of devious deceptions, ranging from a familiar face with a hidden agenda to a twisting labyrinth of reflections. Whether it’s used as a headquarters for a villain’s nefarious schemes or a death-trap to lure the heroes into, this environ will surely baffle and bewilder any costumed do-gooders foolhardy enough to enter.

Lair of Trickery
Can You Trust Your Own Eyes? :d8:
Subtle Misdirection :d8:
Twisting Layout :d6:

GREEN
Minor Twists

  • Bewildering Distractions: Raucous lights and noises impede the heroes’ efforts. Roll the environment dice. Hinder all heroes with the Min die.
  • Tempting Treasure: One hero finds a useful-looking item that is secretly rigged to backfire after being used. Roll the environment dice. Boost one hero with the Mid die. After that hero uses the resulting bonus, they gain a penalty and take damage equal to the value of the bonus.

Major Twist

  • A False Ally: A good, trusted friend of the heroes appears, claiming to have either been abducted by a villain or come to aid the heroes. This “friend” is actually a facsimile loyal to the heroes’ enemies. Introduce 1 False Friend lieutenant (see below) to the scene.

YELLOW
Minor Twists

  • What Do You Fear?: The heroes’ greatest fears materialise in front of them. Roll the environment dice. Hinder each hero with the Min die. The resulting penalties are persistent, and can only be removed by the completion of the below challenge.
    [ ] Face your fears
    Each hero must Overcome this challenge individually, and doing so removes that hero’s penalty.
  • Why Don’t You and Them Fight?: Be it through visual illusion or mental compulsion, two heroes are tricked into clashing against each-other. Two heroes each roll their highest power die as an Attack against each-other.

Major Twist

  • Maze of Mirrors: One or more villains have taken refuge in a maze of reflections. Until the below challenge is completed, heroes cannot Attack or Hinder those villains.
    [ ] [ ] Smash the mirrors
    -OR-
    [ ] Detect which villains are the real ones
    Overcome actions taken to complete the second option take a -2 penalty.

RED
Minor Twists

  • Foes from the Past: Replicas of enemies the heroes have previously faced appear to menace them. Roll the environment dice. Introduce a number of Facsimile Foes to the scene equal to the Max die.
  • Obscuring Architecture: The villains use the lair’s baffling features as cover. Defend all villains with the Max die.

Major Twist

  • A Decoy All Along: It turns out that the heroes have only been fighting a decoy of a villain the whole time, and when the decoy is defeated, the real one makes itself known. Note one villain’s current health. When that villain is reduced to 0 health, restore it to the noted health value.

Lair of Trickery Threats

Facsimile Foe
:d10: Minion

Description
These all appear to be enemies that the heroes have faced before.

Ability
Replica: The Facsimile Foe has +2 to Attack actions, but -1 to save rolls.

Tactics
These foes attempt to swamp the heroes with their numbers.

False Friend
:d8: Lieutenant

Description
This person appears to be a trusted friend of the heroes, but is actually an agent of villainy.

Abilities
Deceptively Helpful: The False Friend has +1 to Boost actions targeting heroes.
Shocking Betrayal: On the first Attack action that the False Friend takes against any hero, it rolls its die twice and uses the higher roll. The False Friend then Hinders all heroes with the lower roll.

Tactics
The False Friend comes along with the heroes, aiding them in their endeavours. However, at a suitably dramatic moment, it will reveal its true allegiance by attacking the heroes.

Editor’s Notes

My intent for the False Friend lieutenant is that it is added early in the scene (likely in the Green zone), and stays with the heroes for most of it (likely ‘til Red or the end of Yellow), before revealing its true colours. Also, the Hinder from its Shocking Betrayal ability is meant to represent, well, the heroes’ shock at its betrayal.

The actual means by which the various deceptions and misdirections of this environment come to be depend very much upon which villain or group of villains has constructed it. The False Friend, Facsimile Foes, and Villain Decoy could be robots, illusions, shapeshifters, energy constructs, mystic golems, just really good disguises, or any of many other possibilities—but it’s a good idea to figure out which one. Likewise, the What Do You Fear? and Why Don’t You and Them Fight? twists could be magical, chemical, technological, psionic or something else in nature.

That’s all. I hope you’ve enjoyed this, and have a good (and safe!) April Fools’ Day!

3 Likes
#48

Looks great. Could easily be tweaked into Murderworld with a few more deathtrap twists or set challenges.

Even outside of the environment I’d be tempted to use some False Friends as fill-ins for PCs whose players have missed the session, letting the players who did show up run them (without seeing the Shocking Betrayal ability) until their, well, shocking betrayal. Clearly the PC hero was a fleshchild all along, or a Mirror Universe baddie who was smart enough to conceal their anomalous facial hair, or an android/gynoid/LMD or something.

Maybe run the “absentee” players through a similar routine before your next regular session, then have both sets of players meet up and try to figure out if they can trust one another now…

2 Likes
#49

In celebration of Earth Day, here’s a thematically-appropriate environment! (Yes, I know that Earth Day was yesterday; I meant to post it then, but things happened.)

Polluted Fey-Realm

The realm that contains Earth is but one of a multitude of planes that exist alongside one another. The mortal realm of Earth is one of crossroads; beyond it, though, there exist realms of emotion and apathy, of torment and madness, of the unknowable and of endless destruction. There also exists the Realm of the Fey.

Home to the monarchs of the fey, the Dagda and the Morrigan, as well as their trusted advisors and numerous courtiers, the Fey-Realm is a place of both unbridled nature and and deceptive danger. The realm contains many idyllic glades and sylvan woods, but its inhabitants are as powerful as they are cunning. You would do well to avoid it altogether, but sometimes fate is not kind enough to provide that option.

Dr. Benjamin Garner was a brilliant scientist who wanted nothing more than to solve Earth’s energy crisis. A series of unfortunate events, however, led to his transformation into a grim reaper of death known only as Necrosis. Necrosis possessed the unique ability to harvest the very life-force from creatures, drawing it into himself and leaving his victims mindless husks.

If Necrosis somehow managed to come to the Fey-Realm and begin harvesting the vitae of its native inhabitants, the energy he would reap would be great, and the husks created powerful. Unfortunately, that is precisely what has happened.

Polluted Fey-Realm
Fey Inhabitants :d8:
Sylvan Realm :d10:
Vile Pollution :d10:

GREEN
Minor Twists

  • Otherworldly Flora: The terrain of the Fey-Realm is both enchanting and hazardous. Roll the environment dice. Hinder one target with the Mid die.
  • Primeval Courtiers: A group of fey appear to protect their realm from any interlopers. Roll the environment dice. Introduce a number of Fey-Courtier minions to the scene equal to the Min die.

Major Twist

  • Bonds of Power and Servitude: The heroes are offered the chance to enter into a bargain with powerful fey. This deal will provide you with power now, but at what cost? Roll the environment dice. Boost any willing heroes with the Mid die. These bonuses are persistent and exclusive.

YELLOW
Minor Twists

  • Necrotic Husks: Husks created by Necrosis shamble into view. Roll the environment dice. Introduce a number Husk minions to the scene equal to the Mid die.
  • Oppressive Smog: A choking haze fills the air, making acting difficult. Hinder all targets that need to breath with the Min die.

Major Twist

  • Helpful Advisor: One of the Fey-Monarchs’ advisors appears to either give advice or engage in battle. Introduce 1 Fey-Advisor lieutenant to the scene.

RED
Minor Twists

  • Corrosive Waste: Necrosis’s assault on this realm has brought acidic materials that burn like fire at the slightest touch. Roll the environment dice. Attack all targets with the Mid die.
  • Repulsive Sludge: Muck produced as a byproduct from Necrosis’s actions hinders movement. Roll the environment dice. Hinder all targets with the Mid die.

Major Twist

  • Payments Exacted: The time to repay the fey’s generosity has come. Roll the environment dice. Hinder or Attack each target with a bonus from the Bonds of Power and Servitude twist using the Max die.

Polluted Fey-Realm Threats

Fey-Advisor
:d10: Lieutenant

Description
Elder Ogma, Champion Lugh, and Trickster Puck are all advisors to the monarchs of the fey, but they are also willing to aid the heroes . . . for a price. Choose one of the below abilities for the Fey-Advisor.

Abilities
Lugh’s Might: As an action, the Fey-Advisor Attacks a willing hero at -2, then Boosts that hero at +2.
Ogma’s Wisdom: As an action, the Fey-Advisor destroys one bonus on a willing hero, then Boosts that hero at +2.
Puck’s Caprice: As an action, the Fey-Advisor rolls its die. On an even result, it Boosts a hero target, and on an odd result, it Hinders a hero target.

Tactics
When not striking bargains, a Fey-Advisor will likely defend its home alongside its kin.

Fey-Courtier
:d6: Minion

Description
Salamanders, will-o’-the-wisps, leprechauns, pixies, and many other sorts of beings call the Fey-Realm home.

Abilities
Emissary of the Fey: A Fey-Courtier has +2 to Boost actions targeting a target with a bonus from the Bonds of Power and Servitude environmental twist.

Tactics
Fey-Courtiers usually refrain from acting against anyone who has struck a bargain with the fey, but they will likely regard any other strangers as enemies.

Husk
:d8: Minion

Description
These shambling forms are what remain of Necrosis’s victims after he’s drained them of all vitality.

Abilities
Putrefying Demise: When a Husk is defeated by damage from itself, Necrosis, or the Corrosive Wastes environmental twist, it first Attacks at +2 or Hinders, making the resulting penalty persistent and exclusive.
Unstable Underling: When a Husk Attacks a hero target, it also Hinders that target at -2 and Attacks itself.

Tactics
Husks follow Necrosis’s subconscious demands unerringly, although they lack the intelligence needed to do any relatively complex tasks.

Editor’s Notes

For anyone who’s not already aware of these characters:

When I first decided that I wanted to do an Earth Day environment, my first idea was simply “Wilderness taken over by Akash’Bhuta.” I though that that was a touch too predictable, though—plus Akash’Bhuta isn’t even around anymore in the RPG Era.

I also thought about simply making the environment be “The Wilderness,” but that’s not exactly exciting, is it? I then thought of, individually, the ideas to make a Necrosis-caused-pollution environment and a Fey-Realm environment, so I decided to combine the two!

I quite like how I’ve worked the Bond mechanic into the environment, really; there may’ve been a better way to do it, but I think mine’s quite adequate.

I didn’t originally plan on giving each of the canonical advisors their own ability, but, in the end, I did. Speaking of which, though, Puck’s was rather tough to decide on. One of my other ideas for it was to have him swap mods betwixt two characters. I’m also not sure whether I’m happy with the one I ended up with.

I do realise that the environment does seem—to me, at any rate—like the seed for an adventure issue. I may get around to writing that sometime in the future. We’ll see.

1 Like
#50

Looks good. Necrosis getting into the Fey Realm would likely be a disaster for everyone involved, lot of power to harvest there that probably isn’t quite as safe against his abilities as the Court might like to believe. Some thoughts:

Puck appears to be the only one who doesn’t care if the hero is willing to play along or not. Assume that’s intentional. The way the even/odd split works should bias the results to be more beneficial to the target than not - and could get really interestingly twisted if a hero chose to Boost Puck before they get capricious.

The Husks are really nasty. If one Attacks a hero, they could roll 8 damage, Hinder for -2, most likely melt itself and then immediately deal another potential 10 damage or add another -2 penalty with P+E. That’s a lot, even if it’s pretty unlikely and removes the Husk from play. More average result would be 4-5 damage, a -1 penalty, and if it kills itself (a bit under 40% of the time) 6-7 more damage and another -2 P+E penalty. The heroes really need to kill those things before they get to act or they’ll be hurting badly.

At least they’ll be struggling with a possible Hinder from Oppressive Fog some of the time. :slight_smile:

I think the Bond and Payment mechanic ought to work out well. Does the P+E bonus from Bond remain in play after the Payment comes due? I suppose the Hinder option might offset it anyway, and there’s only going to be a turn or two where it matter under normal circumstances.

What are your thoughts on Necrosis as a villain writeup? He could be very nasty with this environment as a Domain approach baddie who can selectively trigger twists in his favor. Or a Titan I suppose, if he’s had a serious growth spurt from devouring half of Elfland.

Also I’m kicking myself for not using the Green Queen as a villain for Earth Day, we actually ran yesterday and everything. Oh well, maybe next year. Or Arbor Day.

1 Like
#51

Yes, that’s very much the point. If the heroes ignore the Husks in order to focus on other threats, the Husks will eventually take care of themselves, but at great cost to the heroes. But if the heroes spare some time and effort to defeat the Husks before they self-destruct, they’ll be in much better shape.

Yes, it does. My thinking is that the bonus is what the heroes get out of the bargain, and the Hinder and/or Attack is what they have to pay for it. As an analogy, I wouldn’t sell you something and then demand the thing right back after you pay for it.

(However, I suppose that one could see it more in terms of a bank loan: the fey loan the heroes power, and then demand it back with interest. Either interpretation is logical; the first is simply the one I’ve chosen to use.)

Hmm, Necrosis. I think his Approach would likely be one of Creator, Dampening, or Leech, and his Archetype could be Inhibitor, Overlord, or—as you mention—Domain or Titan. The latter two likely wouldn’t work for his standard operating procedure, but I think they make sense for this situation. I do like the idea of him becoming some sort of gigantic pollution-monster powered by fey-magic, and his status challenge could even represent the heroes siphoning that energy away from him.

1 Like
#52

Yeah, one nice thing about the SCRPG is how the same villain can easily morph between Approaches and Archetypes based on the situation.

1 Like
#53

Urban Metropolis

For every adventure that a group of mighty superhumans has in deep space, extradimensional realms, living planets, or alternate timelines, they often have at least twice as many in more mundane locales. Most costumed good-doers call a large city their home, whether it’s Megalopolis, Rook City, San Lazarus, New York, London, Tokyo, or someplace else. And when a nefarious villain rises to threaten their hometown, those heroes will fight that much harder to protect the inhabitants of their city.

Urban Metropolis
Crime and Super-Villainy :d8:
Crowded Population Centre :d10:
Sprawling Infrastructure :d8:

GREEN
Minor Twists

  • Civilian Crowds: Crowds of innocent citizens have been caught in the crossfire.
    [ ] Evacuate the civilians
    Until the above challenge is Overcome, heroes act in the Green zone for the purpose of status dice and access to abilities.
  • Livewire: Some electrical lines have been damaged and are showering sparks and electricity everywhere. Roll the environment dice. Attack all targets in this location with the Min die.

Major Twist

  • Imminent Collision: A tanker truck carrying highly explosive oil is on a collision course with something.
    [ ] Prevent the collision
    [ ] Challenge timer
    Triggered: The truck hits, the driver is killed or severely injured, and the oil explodes in a fiery conflagration. Roll the environment dice. Attack all targets in this location with the Mid die.

YELLOW
Minor Twists

  • Opportunistic Criminals: A band of crooks have taken this opportunity to try to profit from the heroes’ struggle. Roll the environment dice. Introduce a number of Mean Streets Shooter minions (see page #415 of the Core Rulebook) to the scene equal to the Mid die.
  • The City’s Finest: A squad of police officers have arrived on the scene. Roll the environment dice. Introduce a number of Police Officer minions (see below) to the scene equal to the Mid die.

Major Twist

  • Minor Villain: A lesser evildoer makes a bombastic entrance. Introduce a Minor Villain lieutenant (see below) to the scene. Then, roll the environment dice and Attack one target with the Mid die.

RED
Minor Twists

  • Collapsing Building: The battle has taken a toll on the city’s architecture. Roll the environment dice. Attack all targets in this location with the Mid die.
  • Deus ex Machina: A friendly hero has arrived to aid our protagonists. Introduce one Hero Ally lieutenant (see below) to the scene.

Major Twist

  • Endangered Schoolbus: One of the heroes’ foes has taken an entire bus full of school-children hostage and is dangling them over the edge of a bridge! Select one villain or lieutenant in the scene. That target is immune to damage until the below challenge is Overcome.
    [ ] [ ] Save the schoolbus

Urban Metropolis Threats

Hero Ally
:d10: Lieutenant

Description
One of the many stalwart heroes of the world has come to help out.

Abilities
Principled Defender: The Hero Ally has +1 to Overcome Actions and to damage save rolls.
Super-Schtick: The Hero Ally has +2 to one of Attack, Defend, Boost, or Hinder actions.

Tactics
Every costumed crime-fighter possesses a unique fighting style.

Minor Villain
:d10: Lieutenant

Description
The underbelly of super-villainy contains countless costumed crooks and numerous nefarious ne’er-do-wells. Choose one of the following abilities.

Abilities
Equity — Unsettling Gaze: When Equity takes the Attack or Defend action, he can also Hinder one target with the same roll.
Heartbreaker — Escalating Insanity: After Heartbreaker takes the Attack action on his turn, he also Boosts himself with the same roll.
Professor Pollution — Toxic Fumes: When Professor Pollution takes the Attack action, she can Attack up to 3 nearby targets.
The Radioactivist — Surplus of Power: The Radioactivist has +3 to Attack actions. When he Attacks a target, he also Boosts that target with the same roll -3.
Tantrum — Deflective Shields: When Tantrum succeeds on a damage save roll, she also Attacks the attacker with the same roll.

Tactics
The tactics of the world’s various villains are as varied as their vile visages.

Police Officer
:d8: Minion

Description
These officers run the gamut from upstanding paragons of integrity to corrupt cops lacking in any morals.

Ability
Cuff 'Em: Police Officers have +1 to Hinder actions.

Tactics
Usually, cops will fight against any villains present. However, if there is significant anti-hero sentiment in the populace, they’re just as likely to make trouble for both heroes and villains. Furthermore, there is the possibility that a villain has paid them off to solely fight heroes.

Editor’s Notes

As any astute reader will likely perceive, there is significant thematic overlap betwixt this environment and the Megalopolis environment featured in the Core Rulebook’s Archives, as well as some minor mechanical overlap betwixt the two. In fact, I encourage mixing-and-matching the twists of the two environments if one wishes to do so and perceives the need for such variety. (Perhaps, for example, one is running a lengthy scene with a prolonged scene tracker of 11 spaces (see page #188 of the Core Rulebook).)

Part of the genesis for this environment was me thinking that Megalopolis isn’t a generic city environment, what with the giant magic tree and all. Plus, I thought that any city full of supers ought to reflect that in its environment. What’s more, I felt it somewhat strange that the Megalopolitan Police were represented simply as a single Attack action rather than minions. Also, while it makes sense that Megalopolis the Perfect Shining City of the Future doesn’t have much crime, the same is usually untrue for most other cities.

Oh, and by the way, the name “Urban Metropolis” is simply an entirely generic name that means “a large, important city”; it’s certainly not an allusion to any city in particular.

For a brief time I considered simply directing readers to use the Megalopolis Police Officer minion stats from the “Conspiracy of Clones” adventure issue (page #272) in the Core Rulebook, but I ultimately decided that since the name, Description, and Tactics didn’t fit with this environment, I should go ahead and steal their Ability while rewriting everything else.

For the Minor Villains, I just looked at the Mini-Nemeses page on the Wiki and chose some that fit with the role. There were, of course, several that would decidedly not make sense in this capacity, such as Zhu Long or Revenant (who are too major to just be an environmental twist), Omni-Blade (which no longer exists), or Rahazar or Balarian (who are relatively athematic). And, of course, several others have graduated up to full Villain-status (e.g. most of the Slaughterhouse Six and almost all of the villains in The Guise Book). Additionally, it should go without saying that a GM is free to use another minor villain of their own devising, or just Char—sorry, I mean Firearm (page #414) or Seer (page #416).

1 Like
#54

Looks good, although you could maybe use another Yellow minor twist or two for variety in the longest zone. That Red major twist is going to be brutal coming up so late in the scene - at least two actions to clear and a third to hopefully drop the villain can be a big ask if some of the PCs are Out.

Part of the genesis for this environment was me thinking that Megalopolis isn’t a generic city environment, what with the giant magic tree and all.

Aside from the giant magic tree, Megalopolis also has a truly excessive number of monorails despite the well-known hazards of operating the fool things. So yeah, the core book environment for it is a poor fit for Generic City.

For specific cities you could modify the size of the dice. Albany NY would barely rate a d8 for Sprawling Population Center, and it drops to an d6 at night when all the state workers have commuted home. Only gets to a d8 Sprawling Infrastructure thanks to the Empire State Plaza, which might as well be from Mars for how out of place it is compared to all the 2- and 3-story buildings that make up most of the city sprawl. Crime level’s about right at d8 though, and all the politicians might as well be super-villains. :slight_smile:

The Radioactivist — Surplus of Power: The Radioactivist has +3 to Attack actions. When he Attacks a target, he also Boosts that target with the same roll -3.

So that’s Attack at +3 and Boost at -3 on the target? Interesting ability.

1 Like
#55

True, although a Hero Ally would help out if one is present. Also, it says to “Select one villain target” (emphasis mine), but my intent with that was that the target could be a villainous lieutenant (or even a minion, but heroes are rarely, if ever, going to waste two Overcomes to get at a minion), not just a Villain villain. I admit I could have phrased that better; I’ll go and rephrase it now.

Also, I feared that a challenge requiring only a single Overcome wasn’t really major enough to be a Red zone major twist.

Great idea! I hadn’t thought of that.

Quite right. I don’t think it’s broken in any way; the bonuses shouldn’t get too big, and I don’t think the extra Attacking power is inordinate—the rulebook recommends minion and lieutenant abilities give +2 bonuses on average, with +3 as the maximum.

My inspiration for the ability is from The Radioactivist’s quote on his SotM: EE card:

“Energy? Power? These are things you crave? You shall have both in full!”
— The Radioactivist, Exordium #1

So, now, obviously that’s just a quippy one-liner that he’s firing off before engaging some pesky heroes, but it got me thinking about the possibility of it being more literal.

1 Like
#56

Ah, good point.

That is probably true, although there’s usually so little time to deal with things in Red any challenge can be hard to handle, especially if there are a few PCs Out.

Oh, I think it’s fine. Was just having trouble parsing it at first - but of course I haven’t done any archery since I was in high school either. :slight_smile: