This environment is a perilous place designed to be used in conjunction in the Domain villain known as the Architect, who’s posted over in my villains thread.
Lair of the Architect
The Architect is a renowned designer of deathtraps and secret lairs in the supervillain underworld. His creations are famous throughout supervillainy; there is simply no-one better to turn to if you want a quality headquarters, or want to dispose of your nemesis in a fashionable manner.
The Architect’s varied creations usually have similar dastardly hazards planted within them, including swinging blades, gouts of flame, poisoned darts, crushing walls, electrified floors, poisonous gas, and menacing robotic automatons.
This environment can be used to represent any of the deadly structures that the Architect has designed, though if it’s been commissioned for use by another villain with their own gimmicks, it’s recommended to flavour things to reflect that.
Lair of the Architect
Lethal Layout
Mechanised Automatons
Tricks & Traps
Green
Minor Twists
- Guardian Automatons: Robotic defenders of this place are deployed to face the heroes. Roll the environment dice. Add a number of Guardian Automaton minions (see below) to the scene equal to the Min die.
- Scything Blade: A concealed weighted blade swings down at a hero! Roll the environment dice. Attack 1 target with the Mid die.
Major Twist
- Separated!: Through the use of cunning trapdoors, revolving walls, or other artifice, all the heroes become separated from one another! Move each hero to a different location in the scene. They can regroup using the normal movement rules.
Yellow
Minor Twists
- Flame Burst: A gout of fire erupts from a wall or floor! Roll the environment dice. Attack 2 targets with the Mid die.
- Poisoned Darts: A volley of poison-tipped darts is launched towards the heroes. Roll the environment dice. Hinder 2 targets with the Mid die.
Major Twist
- Crushing Walls: The walls of the room begin to slowly slide together!
Escape the room or stop the walls
Timer
Triggered: Everyone in the room is squashed flat, and restrained by the walls! Roll the environment dice. Attack all targets in the room with the Mid die now and on each subsequent environment turn that they remain squashed. In addition, while restrained, targets can’t take any physical actions other than making an Overcome to free themselves, and possibly others.
Red
Minor Twists
- Electrified Flooring: The floor of the chamber becomes charged with electricity! Roll the environment dice. Attack all targets with the Mid die, and each target damaged this way gains a -1 penalty.
- Slayer Automaton: A mecha-machine designed for effecting the efficient elimination of enemies is deployed. Add 1 Slayer Automaton lieutenant (see below) to the scene.
Major Twist
- Poisonous Gas: As hermetically-sealed doors slam over all the apertures to the room, poisonous gas begins to be pumped in! Roll the environment dice. Attack and Hinder all breathing targets in the room with the Mid die. Repeat this action on all subsequent environment turns until the below challenge is complete.
Plug the gas or escape the room
Threats
Guardian Automatons
Minions
Description
When the Architect is in the employ of another villain, he’ll usually dress up these robots to comply with his client’s gimmick. Otherwise, their default forms are simple, blocky humanoid robots crafted from shining silver metal.Ability
Sturdily-Built: Guardian Automatons have +1 to damage saves.Tactics
These bots are plenty strong, but usually lack any other weaponry besides their mechanical limbs, unless they’ve been given such by the Architect’s client. They usually engage heroes toe-to-toe in fisticuffs, Attacking and Hindering them. If a villainous VIP is around, though, they may also Defend them.
Slayer Automaton
Description
Similarly to the Guardian Automatons, unless decked out in themed attire, this robot will possess a silvery metallic humanoid form, although it’s quite sleeker and lither than it’s robotic brethren, as well as about a foot taller.Abilities
Deadly Weaponry: A Slayer Automaton has +2 to Attacks.
Stalker: When the Slayer Automaton Boosts itself, it also Defends itself using the value of the resulting bonus.Tactics
Usually, this bot will stalk its prey for a round by Boosting and Defending itself using its Stalker ability, before closing in to Attack. Unless given thematic weaponry, it possesses sharp razor-claws with which to fight, making it rather deadlier than the less sophisticated robots utilised by the Architect.
Editor’s Notes
Depending on how difficult you want to be to your players, you could add a rule to the scene that moving betwixt any locations within this environment requires a successful Overcome, instead of using the normal movement rules.