Fjur’s Environment Archive!

Games Sentinel Comics RPG
#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.

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#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:

#57

Oh, well in that case—what change do you think would make it more readable?

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#58

Maybe this?

Not that original was all that hard to work out anyway. Very minor confusion.

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#59

And here we have yet another environment. This one’s fairly generic, and can likely be found within the previous environment. (In fact, I originally planned to include some of this one’s twists in that one, but decided to flesh them out into their own environment instead.)

High-Tech Laboratory

Science and technology are cornerstones of society in many worlds throughout the Multiverse. Most such worlds possess technology that is far in advance compared to the timeline that we call home.

The technological and scientific feats of those worlds are of kinds that the scientists of our universe could only dream of — fully autonomous robots, conclusive evidence of extraterrestrial life, extensive biological modifications, immensely efficient nuclear fission, and the manufacture of exotic subatomic particles are only some of such worlds’ achievements.

All of these technologies and more have been utilised by stalwart heroes in their pursuit of justice. But many nefarious malcontents have also gotten their wicked hands on powerful tech, and use it to further their own heinous schemes.

This laboratory is one place where those miraculous inventions and innovations take place. Here, brilliant scientists and engineers work tirelessly on various scientific projects. Must such laboratories do their work for the betterment of humankind, although others do conduct their experiments purely for greed, or strive towards some other, less savoury goal.

This lab is filled to the brim with highly-advanced machinery, devices, gadgets, exotic energies, test subjects of all stripes, and those aforementioned hard-working scientists, all protected by some of the best security measures.

Whether this laboratory is a civilian establishment that a villain has broken into, or a villainous lab that the heroes mist infiltrate, it will certainly make any conflict much more interesting.

High-Tech Laboratory
Bleeding-Edge Tech :d10:
Hazardous Experiments :d10:
State-of-the-Art Security :d8:

GREEN
Minor Twists

  • Lab Security: The commotion has garnered the attention of one of the lab’s security personnel. Introduce 1 Lab Guard minion (see below) to the scene.
  • Robotic Rampage: Either a villain has hacked one of the lab’s advanced android prototypes to fight the heroes, or collateral damage has simply caused the robot’s circuits to malfunction and make it start attacking! Introduce 1 Humanoid Robot minion (see page #410 of the Core Rulebook) to the scene.

Major Twist

  • Intruders Detected: The lab’s automated defence systems come online and begin targeting all unauthorised personnel present. Roll the environment dice. Introduce a number of Auto-Turret minions (see page #409 of the Core Rulebook) equal to the Min die to the scene.

YELLOW
Minor Twists

  • Endangered Scientists: A number of scientists are in imminent danger from either one or more villains or the hazards of the lab!
    [ ] Rescue the scientists
    [ ] Challenge timer
    Triggered: The scientists are severely injured or killed.
    Completed: A scientist aids their rescuer. Roll the environment dice. Boost the hero who overcame the above challenge with the Mid die.
  • Extraterrestrial Specimens: Aliens that the lab has been studying break free. Roll the environment dice. Introduce a number of alien minions found on pages #404-405 of the Core Rulebook equal to the Mid die to the scene.

Major Twist

  • Containment Breach: The devices containing one of the lab’s test subjects have failed! Introduced 1 Giant Lab Specimen lieutenant (see below) to the scene.

RED
Minor Twists

  • Cutting-Edge Gadgetry: A villain has gotten ahold of some of the lab’s most advanced technology. Roll the environment dice. Boost one villain target with the Max die. That bonus is persistent and exclusive.
  • Radiation Leak: The fight has damaged one of the lab’s atomic piles, spewing dangerous Kirby Radiation that both harms and empowers! Roll the environment dice. Attack two targets close to each-other with the Mid die. Then, Boost those targets using the Min die.

Major Twist

  • Quantum Reactor Meltdown: The lab’s highly experimental quantum energy reactor has been damaged in the fight, and is now in danger of going critical!
    [ ] [ ] Stabilise the reactor
    [ ] Challenge timer
    Triggered: The reactor overloads in a catastrophic explosion of exotic energy! Roll the environment dice. Take an action using the Max die on each target in the scene, determined by rolling a :d6:. On 1-2, Attack. On 3-4, Hinder. On 5-6, Boost.

High-Tech Laboratory Threats

Giant Lab Specimen
:d10: Lieutenant

Description
This is a normally-small animal that has been enlarged to truly monstrous proportions by the lab’s experimentations, in addition to gaining some other abilities. The specimen could be a rat, mouse, guinea big, lizard, snake, spider, dog, ape, or other animal.

Abilities
Frightened Animal: Heroes have +2 to Attack and Hinder actions to calm or tame the Giant Lab Specimen. Additionally, the Giant Lab Specimen’s die can be reduced one size by a successful Overcome action to calm it.
Variable Mutation: The Giant Lab Specimen has one of the following abilities.

  • Destructive Breath: When the Giant Lab Specimen Attacks, it can roll its die twice and use the lower result to Attack multiple nearby targets.
  • Destructive Rampage: As an action, the Giant Lab Specimen can activate an environmental minor twist of a zone one step closer to Green than the current zone. The Giant Lab Specimen can only use this ability once per zone.
  • Energy Immunity: The Giant Lab Specimen is immune to damage from [Element/Energy].
  • Enhanced Intelligence: When the Giant Lab Specimen Boosts itself, the resulting bonus is persistent and exclusive.
  • Eye Beams: The Giant Lab Specimen has +2 to Attack actions.
  • Healing Factor: When the Giant Lab Specimen Defends, increase its die by one size, up to a maximum of a :d10:.
  • Scaly Hide: The Giant Lab Specimen has +2 to damage saves against physical Attacks to harm it.
  • Titanic Swing: When the Giant Lab Specimen Attacks, it can Attack two targets close to each-other.
  • Venomous: When the Giant Lab Specimen Attacks a target, it Hinders that target with the same roll -2.
  • Wings: Once per turn, the Giant Lab Specimen can move to another location in the scene without spending an action.

Tactics
This monstrous specimen stomps about, destroying everything in its path.

Lab Guard
:d8: Minion

Description
Labs that are as advanced as this usually hire the best in the security business.

Ability
Subdual Weaponry: When a Lab Guard Hinders a target, it also Attacks that same target using the value of that penalty.

Tactics
Guards will almost always fight to subdue rather than to kill, but may attack more lethally if their own lives are at stake.

Editor’s Notes

Why yes, this laboratory does work on robotics, study aliens, experiment with mutation, create high-tech gadgets, and experiment with radiation and “quantum energy.”

In regards to the Endangered Scientists twist, I initially considered adding an all-hero, morale-based Hinder to the consequences if it wasn’t completed in time, but then I decided to do the exact opposite and reward the hero who completes it with a free Boost. I figure (and hope) that preventing the scientists from being wounded/killed is incentive enough for heroes to save them, even without any mechanical consequences for failure (save being deprived of the reward, of course.)

Oh, also, it is, of course, left to the GM’s discretion whether the scientists are merely injured or outright killed. This decision will be influenced by the tone of the campaign, naturally. If I were to run this environment, I would almost certainly favour the former result.

Regarding the Extraterrestrial Specimens twist, you’ll note that it specifies alien minions, so naturally Dymkharn is not a valid choice, as he is a lieutenant. Also, the aliens introduced by this twist can all be the same type or different types, as the GM sees fit.

The Giant Lab Specimen is actually one of the primary reasons I wanted to make this environment, as I especially like its Frightened Animal ability. This lieutenant also joins the ranks of being one with a variable ability, much like the Minor Spirit, the Fey-Advisor, and the Minor Villain. If you’re pressed for time and simply can’t be bothered to choose its Variable Mutation, I suggest Scaly Hide or Titanic Swing as defaults.

I’m not sure if the Destructive Rampage ability is balanced. It is certainly quite weaker than the two villain abilities that cause environment twists, but it should be, as it’s only a lieutenant ability.

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#60

Looks good. Nice medium difficult environment with some mixed results for heroes. I tend to go too hard on my players with my own environs.

Given the available twists (and assuming you don’t use some from beyond the environment) it’s pretty mild. The worst it can do in Yellow is pop out a single minion, or Min die turrets if the Green Major didn’t come up already. In Yellow it can probably get the most impact out of Mid die minions, although Endanger Scientists could put some time pressure on the heroes in the critical Red zone of the tracker. It also only to gets to use the ability twice at most, assuming it comesout in Yellow and lives to reach Red. OTOH, it doesn’t care about the critter’s die size, so you could use it as a last gasp d4 action just as well as when you’re still at d10.

Don’t think it’s an issue of too weak or too strong. The other abilities will mostly hurt the heroes more, but that just makes the ability choice into a dial for the GM to turn when they activate the twist. Pick Rampage if you want to give your heroes a slightly easier time of it, or (say) Eye Beams or Breath if you want to apply some more damage pressure, and Healing or Scaly if you want a damage sink for the PCs to deal with.

Might want to check on phobias or empathies before you choose the critter type. I’ve played with folks who have panic attacks if you even mention spiders or snakes, while others will go ballistic at the idea of harming a fictional dog. No sense in drawing an X card when you can avoid it.

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#61

Indeed, although the exact difficulty will depend upon whom the laboratory is aligned with. If it’s a friendly lab that knows the heroes, the Lab Guards and Auto-Turrets will only attack villains (and escaped aliens, rogue robots, and Giant Lab Specimens). Inversely, if it’s a villainous installation, they’ll fight the heroes. And if it’s a neutral civilian laboratory, they’ll likely simply engage any unfamiliar intruders.

Also, I suppose that the escaped aliens could actually be friendly towards the heroes, especially if they were treated poorly by the lab and/or are Mentally-Empowered Humanoids, who seem the most-peace-inclined of the Corebook’s aliens.

Oh, absolutely. It should be fairly easy to simply ask everyone at the table right before introducing the lieutenant, as the creature type really has no effect besides cosmetics.

I try to keep such things in mind when designing things, but they do unfortunately slip my mind at times. When/if I start posting villains (or adventures) on here, I want to try to remember to put content warnings before each post, which is something I’ve seen GTG themselves do with products.

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