I mean, the parameters that you had to work within—mutant shapeshifter—were pretty narrow to begin with, so I don’t think anyone can really blame you. But I do think that the enigmatic and mysteriousness go a long way towards differentiating them from Mystique, as (despite being a shapeshifter) she’s really not that unknown; we know a fair bit about her background, motivations, and capabilities.
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Sirrush the Warrior
“Ha ha ha! Your puny weapons can do nothing against the might of Sirrush!”
Alias: The Destroyer of Sumer
Approach: Specialized
Archetype: Bruiser
Health: 40 + (
× 5)
Powers
The Blade of Ninazu 
Vitality 
Qualities
Close Combat 
Otherworldly Mythos
Warrior Spirit
Status: Health
Green 
Yellow
Red
(See page 239 of the Core Rulebook to determine Sirrush the Warrior’s GYRO zones based on his Health and the value of .)
Abilities
Battle Incarnate (R): Defend against an Attack where you’re the only target by rolling your single Warrior Spirit die. One other nearby target takes an amount of damage equal to the damage reduced.
Primordial Cleave (A): Attack using Close Combat against one target with your Max die, another with your Mid die, and a third with your Min die.- Relentless Ravaging (I): Whenever you Attack a target that you have dealt damage to at least once already in this scene, gain a +1 persistent and exclusive bonus against that target.
Thrive on Battle (R): When Attacked, use the amount of damage taken by the Attack to Boost yourself.- Warrior’s Strike (A): Attack using The Blade of Ninazu. If you are Green status, use your Max die. If you are Yellow status, use the Max+Min dice. If you are Red status, use Max+Min against one target and Mid against another.
- (U) Ancient Fighter (I): When you take an action that lets you make an Attack, also make an Attack using your Mid die. (When using this upgrade, Sirrush the Warrior has 20 additional Health.)
- (M)
Master of Annihilation (I): If you can cause massive collateral damage without regard for casualties, automatically succeed at an Overcome where a show of overwhelming force can solve the problem.
Sirrush the Warrior
Alias: The Destroyer of Sumer
Gender: Male
Age: 8,000 years
Height: 8’2"
Eyes: Solid orange
Hair: None
Skin: Varies from blue, to purple, to red
Build: Massively muscular
Costume/Equipment: A brown skirt with blue and red detailing is the only clothing that Sirrush wears. The Blade of Ninazu is a bronze scimitar set with crimson gemstones in the handle.
Approach: Specialized
Archetype: Bruiser
Biography
Sirrush the Warrior is an ancient battle-spirit that hails from the earliest human civilisations of Mesopotamia. Not even the most learned of sages know his origin, though several possible explanations have been offered; he could be an otherworldly daemon or a once-mortal warrior; he could have been a servant of a war god such as Nergal or Ishtar, or the creation of a powerful mortal mage. But what is known is that Sirrush is a being of battle incarnate. He is also effectively immortal; he does not age, and on the rare occasions when when his physical form is somehow destroyed, his essence retreats back into his weapon, the Blade of Ninazu. Then, the next time the sword is touched by a living being, Sirrush consumes that being’s lifeforce (slaying it in the process) and uses the energy to recreate his form.
Thusly, Sirrush has existed throughout most of human history. In his lifetime, he’s fought countless foes, including Mongols, samurai, centurions, an immortal Maori, knights, and modern-day superhuman champions. He’s also taken part in numerous wars, including the Crusades, the Hundred Years War, the World Wars, and the Thorathian Invasion of Earth.
Capabilities and Motivations
As Sirrush is a being whose very essence is conflict, it is difficult to defeat him with physical violence alone. The more that Sirrush is attacked, the stronger he becomes. If he’s damaged enough, he can destroyed, but not before gravely wounding his foes. Finding a way to mystically trap his essence in his blade, or restrain him in some other way, are always viable alternatives.
Sirrush’s Blade of Ninazu is a vicious weapon in his hands, able of cleaving through stone, steel, and durasteel with equal ease. Sirrush’s durability is also remarkable, as it takes a very significant amount of force to vanquish him. Further, Sirrush is a master combatant, having millennia of experience in battle — his skill is almost unparalleled in this field. Also, Sirrush seems to possess knowledge of otherworldly planes and powerful magical beings.
Sirrush’s hide’s default colouration is that of a dark azure. However, when he becomes more wounded in battle (and thus more powerful), his skin shifts to a purple colour. Finally, when he is at his most damaged and most powerful, his hide becomes a menacing crimson hue.
Sirrush the Warrior’s motives have never been entirely clear. All that is known is that his only goal seems to be to fight. To what ends, though, it is likely only he knows.
Upgrades
As mentioned, Sirrush the Warrior is a paragon of battle. When he strikes, he strikes hard, and fast, and with singularly unstoppable might.
Editor’s Notes
The name of “Sirrush” comes from Mesopotamian mythology, as does “Ninazu.” However, as is often done in comics, those actual mythological beings have practically nothing in common with this character here; the names have just been ripped by a comic writer.
The genesis of this guy came from a pretty simple seed of an idea — some kind of daemon-monster thing that gets stronger the more you fight it. The Bruiser Archetype — and the Thrive on Battle / Bring It On! ability specifically — are both really great for this kind of thing. And he’s Specialized because he’s just really good at fighting.
Although Sirrush’s description mentions some things specific to the Sentinel Comics Universe — such as Haka, Thorathians, and durasteel — he can of course be used in your homemade setting with no difficulty.
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Good straightforward iconic character design, and he could even be used as a (very dangerous and untrustworthy) ally of convenience. Plenty of villains out there can offer him a good fight too, after all. The dual reactions work well with one another, giving you something to use whether you’re facing multi-target Attacks or not. Also like the fact his current health is color-coded. 
Once again interesting that your Specialized Bruiser build is so focused on unrelenting offense, where mine wound up being a more defensive bodyguard type. Interesting how much variation you can with just a 6x6 matrix of abilities to choose from.
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Certainly! You know, the more that I think about him, the more that Sirrush seems like an Evil Haka. They’re both immortal warriors who’ve existed throughout history and enjoy fighting, but Haka fights to stop innocents from getting hurt, whereas Sirrush fights just to hurt people.
Heh, yeah. I was originally just going to give him a red complexion, but then I started considering other colours, before getting the idea to link it to his GYRO, as he is all about getting stronger the more hurt he gets.
Yeah, it is certainly a dramatic juxtaposition. : ) The Villain building blocks are really fantastic in this way; you can have the same Approach-Archetype combo but with entirely different playstyles. This kinda makes me want to intentionally try to build two different villains with the same A-A and make them as completely different as possible.
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I suppose it might be a little too on-the-nose to have a villain who literally glows in stoplight colors and goes dark when they drop, but I’m still going to have to make one someday.
I’ve got another 52 pairings to go before I start playing around with that, but it would be an entertaining project.
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Er, ahem, uhm . . . is this thing on? Alright — I’m back!
So, uhm, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’ve not posted in this thread for a couple of months. Sorry 'bout that. Real Life stuff got busy, and well, it kind of got away from me, and before I knew it it had been two months.
But I’m back now, and should be posting more regularly. So, let’s get back into it!
Mistress Mystic
“No longer shall you plebeians be free to govern yourselves — for you are now under the mystical rule of Mistress Mystic!”
Alias: Dr. Mary Morgause
Approach: Disruptive
Archetype: Inventor
Health: 30 + ( × 5)
Powers
Fire
Gadgets
Lightning Calculator
Toxic
Qualities
Banter
Creativity
Magical Facade
Science
Status: Inventions & Mods
4+ Inventions or mods
2-3 Inventions or mods
1 Invention or mod
0 Inventions or mods
Abilities
-
Caustic Burst (A): Attack multiple targets using Science. Use your Min die. Hinder each target with your Max die. If one of those targets rolls doubles on their next turn, they take damage equal to the penalty. - Chemical Weaponry (A): Boost using Gadgets. Hinder with your Max die. Attack with your Min die.
- Corrosive Conflagration (A): Attack using Fire and at least one bonus. If you have multiple bonuses, you may also Attack another target using the Min die and one other bonus, and may also Attack a third target using the Max die and a third bonus.
- Preemptive Splash (R): Whenever a target takes a Hinder action against you, you may first roll your Toxic die as a Hinder on them.
- (U) Weakening Fumes (I): While the scene is in the Green zone, all heroes’ power dice at or above are reduced one size. In the Yellow zone, all heroes’ power dice at or above are reduced two die sizes. In the Red zone, all heroes’ power dice are treated as if they are
.
- Heroes may remove this ability with three Overcome successes. If a hero takes a minor twist, the hero must lose access to a power entirely until this ability is removed. (When using this upgrade, Mistress Mystic has 10 additional Health.)
- (M) Master of Mad Science (I): As long as you have access to materials, you can automatically succeed when Overcoming a challenge by using scientific principles and inventions.
Mistress Mystic
Alias: Dr. Mary Morgause
Gender: Female
Age: 50s
Height: 5’5"
Eyes: Green
Hair: Greying brown
Skin: Light
Build: Average
Costume/Equipment: A green dress with purple accents and a tall, wide-brimmed hat in similar colours.
Approach: Disruptive
Archetype: Inventor
Biography
Mary Morgause was a chemist. And yet, despite her vast knowledge of the workings of the materials of reality, she didn’t get the respect that she felt was her due. She was treated like just any other person by those around her, not like someone who could control the very building blocks of matter!
To remedy this grave injustice, Dr. Morgause decided to don a supervillainous alter-ego to inspire terror and respect in the laypeople. Taking the name Doctor Materia, she kidnapped the mayor of the city and declared herself its new ruler. However, a group of heroes easily defeated her, as they quickly concocted an antidote to the caustic gas that she was using the threaten the city.
After escaping her subsequent incarceration, Dr. Morgause went to work on her next nefarious scheme. She had learned that being just another mad scientist supervillain wouldn’t get her the abject terror and obedience that she craved; another pesky hero would always come along and out-think her.
Thus Dr. Morgause hit upon the idea to veil her scientific prowess behind the facade of magic! The appearance of such supernatural power would be sure to cow the common masses into submissive veneration, and would make it more difficult for heroes to come up with their own scientific solutions to her chemical genius. And so, Mistress Mystic was prepared to act!
Capabilities and Motivations
Mistress Mystic uses various chemical substances to imitate acts of magic. She can release bursts of caustic gas that harms and debilitates, fling vials of corrosive “potions,” and “summon” blasts of chemically-created flame.
The main method with which she dispenses her hazardous gases, liquids, and fires is via a discrete mechanical delivery system of tubes and sprayers that she wears concealed by her costume. She can use it to eject her harmful substances from wrist-mounted nozzles, so that it appears she summons them with magical gestures.
Mistress Mystic is also rather quick-witted and excels in science, particularly chemistry, her chosen field of study. She is fairly arrogant and immensely hubristic, and firmly believes in the idea that the most intelligent (i.e. the most scientifically-adept) should rule the rest of society. Due to her own pride, she isn’t too eager to work with other villains, but has done so on occasion with other masterminds of an intellectual bent, though their teamwork could be generously described as teeth-clenched. However, she is always glad to take on subservient underlings, and usually dresses them in faux-magical garb like her own.
Upgrades
Oftentimes, Mistress Mystic will outfit her lairs with an eerie green gas that subtly saps the strength and power of her foes.
Editor’s Notes
Miss M. was partly inspired by an episode of the old 1966 Adam West Batman television program, in which the villainess was aided by an elderly relation who was a chemist but also dressed as a witch for no discernable reason. So, it was that bit of Silver Age silliness that I aimed to capture here.
Also, I think that Miss Mystic likely tries to invoke and weaponise the Arbitrary Skepticism trope; despite comic-book “science” doing such patently impossible things, it seems like supers still get more shaken when they have to deal with “magical” stuff for some reason, so she uses that to her advantage.
Oh, and in case you didn’t know, her surname comes from a famous mythical sorceress.
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Fun concept.
This calls for a rival villain who started out in particle physics.
“Molecular chemistry? Mere clumsy parlor tricks compared to the ability to manipulate the fundamental forces of the universe!” - Doctor Strange Quark, the Sorcerer Subatomic
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If you want a good-quality secret lair or inescapable deathtrap, this guy is who you go to.
The Architect
“Yes! This deathtrap shall be my grandest yet!”
Alias: Archibald Tetch
Approach: Mastermind
Archetype: Domain
Health: 50 + ( × 5)
Powers
Inventions
Remote Viewing
Robotics
Qualities
Architecture
Creativity
Criminal Underworld Info
Finesse
Science
Technology
Status: The Environment
3+ environment minions, lieutenants, or challenges
1-2 environment minions, lieutenants, or challenges
0 environment minions, lieutenants, or challenges
Abilities
- Deadly Architecture (A): Attack one hero using Technology. Hinder all heroes using your Max die.
- Desperate Adjustment (R): Take 1 irreducible damage to reroll your dice pool on your turn or the dice pool of a hero Attacking or Hindering you.
- Explosive Automatons (A): Roll any number of environment minion dice. Attack every target in the scene (other than yourself) with those dice. Remove those minions.
- Insidious Activation (A): Activate one of the environment’s twists in its current zone or one zone closer to red.
- Necessary Sacrifice (R): When Attacked, redirect the Attack to an environment minion.
- (U) Sequestered Control Room (I): You cannot be damaged by anyone except yourself until your control room is breached. The room’s defences have 40 Health, or can be deactivated with three Overcome successes. If a hero takes a minor twist working on it, you can make an Attack as a reaction by rolling your single Inventions die.
- (U) Reestablish Defences (A): Overcome using Inventions. Use your Max die. On a success, remove one success from the deactivating challenge. Alternatively, instead of an Overcome, use the Max die to Recover that much of the defences’ Health. This ability cannot be used if the control room has already been completely breached.
- (M) Master Behind the Curtain (I): As long as you are not directly involved in the fray and are using your influence indirectly, automatically succeed at an Overcome to manipulate a situation.
The Architect
Alias: Archibald Tetch
Gender: Male
Age: 50s
Height: 5’10"
Eyes: Blue
Hair: White
Skin: Pale
Build: Slight
Costume/Equipment: A grey three-piece suit complete with tailcoat.
Approach: Mastermind
Archetype: Domain
Biography
Archibald Tetch, the world-class architect, had become tired of the challenges that mundane architectural design could afford him. He had mastered the art, and looked for new, novel applications of his craft. He found it one morning when he was reading the paper, and his eyes alighted on an item on a recent supervillain attack. His mind wandered on the subject for a while, before it struck him: supervillains, like anyone else, need someplace to live, and the needs of their abodes are far more challenging to design than normal structures, as they must be able to repel invasion by heroes.
So, calling himself The Architect — a simple alias, he’ll be the first to admit — Archie Tetch offered his services to the super-criminal underworld.
Capabilities and Motivations
The Architect is a master of the craft of architecture, as his moniker implies. Since he’s turned his unique talents to providing for supervillains, he’s designed mainly two types of projects: lairs and deathtraps, although some projects combine features of both.
In addition to various traps, hazards, defences, and robots installed within his creations, the Architect also usually outfits every room with hidden cameras, allowing himself or his client to monitor all the happenings that transpire within the structure.
Upgrades
Often, the Architect will construct a special concealed control room in the complex, from which he can observe the heroes’ futile struggles and control the various functions of his creation. From within this room, he is completely safe from attack, so heroes must breach its defences before taking him on directly.
Associated Environment: Lair of the Architect
Editor’s Notes
The Architect was partly inspired by the Mad Architect, a Golden Age Charlton villain that I read about in the excellent League of Regrettable Supervillains book by Jon Morris. Unsurprisingly, the Mad Architect was an architect who went around murdering critics of his work with, I think, mundane weapons like a gun or a knife. I was pretty disappointed by this execution, as I thought it was a waste to have a villainous architect who didn’t even use his architectural prowess for villainy! So here we are.
Due to the way the villain creation system works, I was kind of forced to give the Architect a huge Health total, with him having 70 Health at = 4, which I think is a touch too much for an entirely-unpowered, frail old man. I suppose I could have had his Health total simply represent tearing down his building or locating his control room, but the Defence Shield upgrade just felt so right for that. So, I suppose, when he’s being used without any upgrade, his Health total can represent that, and when he does have an upgrade, his Health total can be, oh, I dunno, some kind of Indestructible Clear Plastic Box that he hides in during a scene while controlling the functions of his structure.
I’ll admit that the “expert in some field who becomes tired of the challenges that field offers and so becomes a supervillain” angle has already been done by me with the King, but eh, motivations are hard.
Incidentally, Archie Tetch here has absolutely no relation to another supervillain of the same name.
And yeah, “the Architect” is a pretty prosaic name, but I think it works for a Golden or Silver Age baddie.
Oh, and in case it wasn’t clear, his Remote Viewing power is simply his extensive network of cameras; he ain’t a psychic.
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As they’re so fond of saying on the podcast (or were, back when SCRPG questions were more common), Health means lots of things, not all of which is grounds for calling a personal injury lawyer. Like you said a lot of it could just be having to tear holes in the place to even get near him, with Archie nervously assessing the number of red “critical damage - system offline” lights on his master controls as his GYRO zone gets worse. Perhaps he’s also fond of scattering convincing decoys (holograms, androids, trick mirrors even) around the place that the heroes can mistakenly hurl Attacks at, which can lower his huge Health as they eliminate one more defense and ruin his work. You can sell the harm they’re doing by having him complain more and more about how they’re just a bunch of vandals and not even pausing to appreciate his art and do you know how much that cost to install, you ungrateful thugs?!?
Literally no one in a supers universe should ever get anything but a “satisfactory” on their performance reviews. If you tell them they suck, they’ll turn villainous and come looking for revenge for the slight, and if you tell them they’re awesome they get bored and become villains out of sheer ennui. Only declarations of mediocrity have any chance of retaining personnel in the long term, and even then you really have to lean into workplace microaggression sensitivity training or you’ll have someone deciding everyone’s laughing at them and showing up at the office with a death ray.
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Yeah, it’s unfortunate that they’ve stopped addressing mechanical inquiries of all sorts. At least it’s fair, as I believe they’ve also stopped answering questions on SotM. And it does make some sense; the Letters Page has always billed itself as explaining the lore of the games, not the games themselves, and I’m sure there are at least some folks who listen to it but don’t play any of the games, and many folks who listen and only play the card game or the RPG, not both.
I know that Christopher and all the rest of the GTG folks have a whole lot on their plates already, but it would be nice if he and/or some other designers could sit down like, every month or two and answer mechanical questions on any/all of their games, either in audio form or just in like, a newsletter or blog-type thing. And they could use the same submitting-questions-via-electronic-form thing they use for the podcast.
Or, ya know, they could just set up those FAQs they’ve been promising forever. Maybe if a bunch of folks petition them all at once? : (
Very good points, all of these. : )
Plus, the availability of such death rays is just alarming.
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And now, behold a villain born entirely out of a dumb portmanteau name! ; )
The Wrecko
“Ah, destruction — my favorite pastime!”
Alias: Gene Gekkota
Approach: Disruptive
Archetype: Fragile
Health: 15 + ( × 5)
Powers
Agility
Awareness
Explosives
Wall-Crawling
Qualities
Acrobatics
Alertness
Banter
Demolitionist
Status: Health
Green
Yellow
Red
See page 239 of the Core Rulebook to determine the Wrecko’s GYRO zones based on his Health and the value of .
Abilities
- Acrobatic Dodge (R): When Attacked, Defend yourself by rolling your single status die. If the damage is reduced to 0, you may move to anywhere else in the scene.
- Chaotic Detonations (A): Attack multiple targets using Demolitionist. Use your Min die. Hinder each target with your Max die. If one of those targets rolls doubles on their next turn, they take damage equal to the penalty.
- Evasive Strike (A): Attack using Acrobatics and use your Max die. Defend against all Attacks against you with your Min die until the start of your next turn.
- Opportunistic Jab (R): When Attacked by a hero with a penalty, that hero takes damage equal to the size of that penalty.
- (U) Quality Upgrade (I): Increase all of the Wrecko’s quality dice by one size, except for Demolitionist. (When using this upgrade, the Wrecko has 20 additional Health.)
- (M) Master of Annihilation (I): If you can cause massive collateral damage without regard for casualties, automatically succeed at an Overcome where a show of overwhelming force can solve the problem.
The Wrecko
Alias: Gene Gekkota
Gender: Male
Age: 20s
Height: 5’8"
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
Skin: Brown
Build: Lithe
Costume/Equipment: Form-fitting green and black bodysuit that leaves only his face bare, green-tinted nightvision goggles, and black belt with many pouches and compartments for explosives.
Approach: Disruptive
Archetype: Fragile
Biography
Even from a young age, Gene Gekkota enjoyed destroying things. It simple gave him a rush that nothing else could. A vandal and a pyromaniac, he was a very undisciplined youngster. This behaviour of his greatly contrasted with that of his parents, who were both rather stalwart types, plus his father was a strict Army Major. Once he became an adult, Gene left home with his father’s Army keycard. He used it to sneak into a nearby Military supply depot and pilfer cutting-edge explosives. He soon found that he could turn his penchant for demolition into a source of income, and hired himself out as a The Wrecko, a freelance mercenary who specialised in the utter annihilation of buildings and other structures.
Capabilities and Motivations
The Wrecko is naturally both very agile and very observant. He has sharp eyes and ears, and is capable of performing all sorts of acrobatic manoeuvres. He also has a quick tongue and a cutting wit.
The Wrecko utilises two main forms of technology in his capers. The first is a variety of high-tech explosive devices that he’s pilfered from various manufacturers, laboratories, and other places. The second is a bleeding-edge grav-suit, outfitted with special mechanisms that allow the wearer’s hands and feet to adhere to any surface, enabling him to effortlessly climb on vertical walls and upside down on ceilings. This added mobility, combined with the Wrecko’s own innate athleticism, makes him a tricky target to pin down, and allows him to lob explosives at heroes without fear of reprisal.
The Wrecko has no particular qualms against working with other ne’er-do-wells, as they can serve as excellent distractions while he goes about his demolitions work, but that is essentially the limit of his cooperation.
Upgrades
Occasionally, the Wrecko’s acrobatics training can heighten his skills and alertness.
Editor’s Notes
Yes, the entire reason this character exists is because I came up with the name, which is merely a portmanteau of wreck and gecko, hence his penchant for destruction and his wall-crawling ability. That, and his agility, banter, and reliance on tech kind of make he seem like an evil Spider-Man.
Oh, also, gekkota.
In general, the Wrecko will use Chaotic Detonations to lob bombs at the heroes, alternating with Evasive Strike to land a particularly big blow on a particularly troublesome opponent. He increases the frequency of his usage of Evasive Strike the more damaged he gets, however. Further, he’ll likely respond to any but the puniest of Attacks with Acrobatic Dodge, only using Opportunistic Jab if he’s at or near his full Health.
The Wrecko is a Fragile villain, and certainly does live up to that description, usually having about the same Health as a single hero. Hopefully, this is mitigated somewhat by the Defends from Acrobatic Dodge and Evasive Strike, as well as the penalties produced by Chaotic Detonations. Further, scenes involving him will likely feature challenges or an environment to represent the havoc his explosions cause, or other foes that he’s working with to distract the heroes from him.
If you want to have him set up some really big bombs that the heroes need to defuse (or chuck into space), I’d recommend modelling them as challenges to be Overcome; I could see them either having their own timers, or just detonating if the scene tracker runs out. In either case, the Wrecko’s job would primarily be stopping the heroes from defusing them, likely making heavy use out of the Hinder from Chaotic Detonations.
Unfortunately, Gene’s Quality Upgrade doesn’t affect his Demolitionist quality, which is one of the two qualities he uses most. Also, I very well could have simply made him a Master Mercenary, but nah, Master of Annihilation is so much more on-point.
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Amusing, right up until he blows up your secret headquarters. Definitely one to use with some free-standing challenges, and he might consider using Overcomes to create some lesser disarm challenges during play.
Consistently takes first place in the Most Likely To Vanish In A “No One Could Survive That!” Explosion category of the annual Villainous “Deaths” competition, which really pisses Nitro off no end.
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Oh absolutely, on the challenges. And yeah, he doesn’t present that formidable-seeming of a threat, as he’s just a quippy guy who jumps around in a green supersuit, but he can certainly be very destructive if left unchecked.
Semi-relatedly, I do think that he only gets a thrill out of blowing stuff up, not people. He’s fine fighting supers, and definitely doesn’t check if buildings he demolishes are evacuated, but he’s not gonna hurl a bomb into the middle of a crowd or pull a gun on an innocent.
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Yeah, that would be mean.
It seems like it’s getting windier and chillier every day now 'round these parts. So here’s a villain inspired by that.
Windswept
“Face the wind, and despair.”
Alias: Gale Zephyrs
Approach: Focused
Archetype: Guerrilla
Health: 35 + ( × 5)
Powers
Cold
Weather
Qualities
Chosen of the Tempest
Conviction
Magical Lore
Status: Engaged Opponents
4+ Engaged opponents
2-3 Engaged opponents
0-1 Engaged opponents
Abilities
- Bulwark of Wind (A): Defend yourself using Weather. This Defend lasts until your next turn. If an Attack deals more damage than the Defend’s value, end the Defend and Attack the attacker equal to the Defend.
- Chill Essence (I): Ignore all damage from Cold.
- Hammering Squall (A): Hinder one target using Weather. Use your Max die. Attack that target using your Mid die.
- Nature’s Fury (I): At the start of your turn, gain a bonus equal to the number of opponents that Attacked you since your last turn.
- Vicious Gusts (A): Attack using Conviction, using the Max die against one target, Mid die against a different target, and the Min die against a third target. If you Attack three different targets, the damage is irreducible.
- (U) Recruit the Faithful (A): Replenish your Followers of the Wind minions up to .
- (M) Master of Total Chaos (I): If you are in a situation where everything is spiralling out of control, automatically succeed in an Overcome to accomplish a task by throwing out the rules.
Windswept
Alias: Gale Zephyrs
Gender: Agender
Age: 20s
Height: 5’7"
Eyes: Extraordinarily bright blue
Hair: Bluish white
Skin: Pale
Build: Slim, androgynous
Costume/Equipment: Flowing blue robes.
Approach: Focused
Archetype: Guerrilla
Biography
Gale Zephyrs was a radical young environmentalist. They were immensely frustrated by the world’s governments’ failures to protect the natural world, and by their own inability to effect change. Sure, they could “petition their representatives,” but they knew that that wouldn’t really accomplish anything. Those in power were too stubborn and lazy to make the radical changes that were necessary to change the planet. And Gale was helpless to do anything else.
Or so they thought. One day they stumbled upon an ancient tome at the local public library that described the existence of natural entities composed of pure elemental essence. Beings of the earth, of fire, of plantlife, of water, and of the wind. Gale spent months researching these entities, and ultimately developed a plan to try to contact them.
They hiked to the tallest peak in the area during a raging thunderstorm, and called out to the spirits of air and sky. They pled for the spirits to visit vengeance upon those who’ve despoiled the natural world. The spirits heard their entreaties, and took heed. One wind elemental revealed itself to Gale Zephyrs, and offered them power. They accepted, and the two bonded together. Now, with the power of the skies at their command, Windswept strikes out at despoilers of all kinds!
Capabilities and Motivations
Windswept can control wind. This ability allows them to summon forth high-speed gusts that can batter heroes about like leaves, damage and sometimes even destroy buildings and other structures, and form a protective barrier of air around themself. Windswept can’t create any weather effects besides wind, like rain, hail, snow, lightning, or thunder, however — but if such phenomena are already present, they can seize control of them and increase or decrease their magnitude and force.
Further, Windswept has a limited control over cold, being immune to the harmful effects of even the lowest temperatures and able to decrease the temperature of their area at will. Additionally, Windswept’s research has resulted in them acquiring a fair amount of arcane lore, and they’ve become moderately familiar with the magical community.
Windswept is immensely dedicated to their cause; they will go to great lengths to protect the natural world, even if that means straight-up attacking towns and cities due to their belief that their mere presence is deleterious to nature.
Upgrades
Windswept is able to spread the essence of the wind elemental that inhabits them to others. Soon after gaining their new powers, Windswept reached out to other like-minded eco-radicals and granted them a measure of their power. Furthermore, they’re capable of forcibly taking over weak-willed innocents by flooding them with the elemental’s essence.
Windswept’s Threats
Followers of the Wind
Description
These are are ordinary people who have been overcome by the Essence of Wind, and now aid Windswept’s cause. They all have a hollow look in their eyes.Ability
Craft the Maelstrom: Followers of the Wind have +1 to Attacks for each other close Acolyte (maximum +3).Tactics
The Followers can Attack and Hinder by summoning mighty gusts of wind; Boost by channelling their power; or Defend by creating shields of wind.
Acolytes of the Wind
Description
These are other likeminded eco-radicals who have willingly thrown their lot in with Windswept’s movement. As such, they retain their personalities, unlike those forced into the cause.Ability
Leaders of the Storm: When an Acolyte of the Wind Boosts, they may roll their die twice and use the lower result to Boost up to three nearby Followers of the Wind.
Potent Powers: Acolytes of the Wind have +2 to Attack actions.Tactics
The Acolytes can Attack and Hinder by summoning mighty gusts of wind; Boost by channelling their power; or Defend by creating shields of wind.
Editor’s Notes
Is the name wind-swept or winds-wept? OoOoOoh . . .
Huh, Meaningful Name? I’ve no idea what you’re talking about . . .
I did consider choosing Overlord instead of Guerrilla for Windswept’s Archetype, as I liked the idea of them leading a throng of their acolytes. But I also wanted them to be a valid threat on their own. I could definitely see making an alternate build for them that was more minion-focused, though.
The “chill” in Chill Essence is meant to mean cold, not calm.
Windswept’s go-to move is to use Vicious Gusts. They’ll only switch to Hammering Squall if there is one particularly annoying opponent, or Bulwark of the Wind if they have some need to lie low for a round or reposition. Alternatively, Windy could open with Bulwark if they’re accompanied by a cadre of minions, and only break out the Gusts once the heroes prove that they’re a significant threat, likely by taking out a significant portion of their minions, breaking Bulwark’s Defend, or Overcoming a Challenge that Windswept had set up.
This is, coincidentally enough, my second eco-villain after Doctor Shark. I guess I have a type. Of course, I’m not saying that all environmentalists are bad — just those who go around wrecking towns and endangering folks. Windswept is very much an extremist; they could become a temporary ally for heroes for a time, but their disregard for human life would get in the way of a fully-heroic career.
And yeah, I’ll admit that I was kind of inspired a bit by Spirit Island for this one. : D
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Aaand two months later, we’re back. Things have (evidently) been busy with me lately, with autumn term ending and winter term beginning, so I’m not making any promises about how frequently I’ll be putting things up here, but I do enjoy it, so, yeah.
Anywho, after making a supervillain team themed around chess, I thought to myself, what other motifs can I turn into silly Silver Age-style supervillain gangs? The answer: the English alphabet.
A
“Not even heroes as powerful as yourselves can hope to stand up to the combined might of all twenty-six letters of the alphabet!”
Alias: Varies
Approach: Underpowered
Archetype: Overlord
Health: 25 + ( × 5)
Powers
Intuition
Presence
Strength
Vitality
Qualities
Criminal Underworld Info
Leadership
Mediocre Fighter
Persuasion
Status: Minions & Lieutenants
9+ Minions
5-8 Minions
3-4 Minions
1-2 Minions
0 Minions
Abilities
- Bark Orders (A): Boost using Leadership. Use your Max die. Hinder using your Mid die. Attack using your Min die.
- Chutzpah (I): Whenever you would be reduced to 0 or fewer Health, prevent that damage and reduce all your power dice by one size. If this reduces any dice to below a , you are knocked out.
- Extensive Outfit (A): Use Criminal Underworld Info to create a number of minions equal to the value of your Max die. The starting die size for those minions is the same as the size of your Min die.
- Lead from the Back (A): Attack using Presence and use your Max die. Defend against all Attacks against you until the start of your next turn using the number of your minions.
- Sacrificial Dodge (R): Redirect an Attack to one of your minions.
- Unwise Offensive (A): Attack using Strength. Use your Max+Mid dice. Take irreducible damage equal to your Min die. If you roll doubles, you cannot use this ability again for the rest of the scene.
- (U) Power Upgrade (I): Increase all of A’s power dice by one size. (When using this upgrade, A has 20 additional Health.)
- (M) Master of Enforced Order (I): If you have complete control over your immediate surroundings, automatically succeed in an Overcome to organize rabble to accomplish a task.
A
Alias: Varies
Gender: Varies
Age: Varies
Height: Varies
Eyes: Varies
Hair: Varies
Skin: Varies
Build: Varies
Costume/Equipment: Varies. The garb of the individuals who have held this mantle over the years has ranged from traditional gangster suits to formfitting supersuits.
Approach: Underpowered
Archetype: Overlord
Biography
The mantle of “A” does not refer to just one person. Rather, it is always the name of the leader of the low-level street organisation known as the Alphabet Gang.
The first person to hold this position was Abe Andrews, a small-time crook who had nonetheless acquired an extensive familiarity with the criminal underworld. He used those connexions to gather twenty-five other professional criminals and form the first iteration of the Alphabet Gang. Under A’s leadership, the gang managed to pull of some fairly respectable heists — though they were still far from the level of supervillainy that most dedicated to the occupation achieve.
After a while, though, the law — and its superheroic allies — finally caught up with them, and A and the rest of the Alphabet Gang were caught and jailed. Abe Andrews did eventually escape and form a second iteration of the outfit with some of the same members and some new blood, but was again defeated.
Years later, the Alphabet Gang resurfaced, this time with all new members, including a new A: a man named Alexander Adams. After some capers under Adams’ guidance — some successful, some not so — the gang faded away again.
This pattern would continue over the years — a new A would gather a new Alphabet Gang, who would perform some criminal activities, before eventually either being captured or simply disappearing into obscurity to be replaced by a new holder of the mantle. Over the years, those who have called themselves A in addition to the first two have included Alison Armstrong, Ali Aziz, and Alejandra Alvarez.
Capabilities and Motivations
All of those who have held the mantle of A have shared some similar characteristics — namely, they’ve been charismatic and well-connected in the criminal underworld, and have had middling physical prowess and tactical skills.
Their real strength, though, comes from their Alphabet Gang, which always consists of 26 competent malcontents of varying skillsets, each one assigned a codename consisting of one letter of the English alphabet. Whenever they are confronted by costumed do-gooders or mundane law enforcement, A relies on the sheer numbers of their underlings to overcome the opposition. A usually hangs back in such altercations, placing their allies betwixt themselves and their foes. Granted, that usually leads to a number of their members being taken into custody, but as long as A gets away, they can refill the ranks.
Upgrades
A does occasionally get access to some superscience tech or other valuable loot that boosts their capabilities and resilience.
Alphabet Gang Threats
B
Description
The individual called B is always A’s second in command, and is invariably a crook with considerable physical might to supplement A’s charisma and the gang’s numbers. The first B was “Brawny” Bob Braunstein, who was succeeded in the position by Benny Brockenheimer, Bogdan Babushkin, and Beth Bradley.Abilities
Consummate Number Two: When B is Boosted by A, the resulting bonus is persistent and exclusive.
Tough Brute: When B makes a damage save, they roll twice and take the higher result.Tactics
B does whatever A directs them to do, which is usually either guarding A with Defends or dealing with any meddling heroes with Attacks and Hinders.
Alphabet Gangsters
Description
Assorted crooks who’ve been rounded up by A to form the newest iteration of the Alphabet Gang. Their skill levels tend to vary — sometimes they’re professional heisters, othertimes they’re little more than your average street thugs.Ability
Strength in Numbers: An Alphabet Gangster has +1 to an action if at least two nearby allies are taking the same action.Tactics
Their solution to any obstacle is always elegantly simple: overwhelm it with sheer numbers.
Editor’s Notes
Frankly, it’s not a real appearance of the Alphabet Gang if all twenty-six members don’t appear over the course of the story arc. I believe that all of them could feasibly appear in one scene, but a scene that’s only opponents (or even just mostly opponents), can be dull, tedious, and / or overwhelming for the heroes, so one could certainly split all twenty-six of them across two or more scenes.
The variable die sizes for B and the gangsters are there to show that the competency of the gang’s members have varied over the incarnations.
Also, I imagine that there has been at least one iteration of the group that wore monogrammed shirts which prominently displayed each member’s letter in big type right there on the chest, like all those henchmen from the 1966 Batman show.
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Back in my Villains & Vigilantes days I did something similar with a gang called the Devil’s Dozen, who had thirteen members because of course they were cheating, they’re criminals. You’re clearly twice as ambitious as I was.
Goofy theme gangs are too good not to include in a supers game.
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I have a group called the Jurr-E (E for Execution) a squad of 12 vigilantes with weapons based on methods of execution (except for “Life” who is the medic)
Of course, they are the type of “Vigilantes” that are more like serial killers with some justification.
and then there is my private boarding school for super villainesses where there are all addressed formally as Miss (codename)
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Quite right!
Oh yeah, I remember them!
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Anyways, in contrast, here’s a villain who works alone . . . well, sort of.
Miss Multitudes
“When everyone is me, I’ll have whatever I want! Ha ha ha ha!”
Alias: Valerie Martins
Approach: Disruptive
Archetype: Inhibitor
Health: 30 + ( × 5)
Powers
Agility
Duplication
Suggestion
Telepathy
Qualities
Acrobatics
Human Virus
Science
Self-Discipline
Status: Penalised Heroes
3+ Heroes with at least one penalty
1-2 Heroes with at least one penalty
0 Heroes with at least one penalty
Abilities
- Momentary Control (A): Attack using Suggestion. Use your Max die. A target dealt damage this way Attacks an ally by rolling their single largest power die.
- Psychic Feedback (R): When Attacked by someone with a penalty you created, Defend by rolling your single status die, and the attacker also suffers that much damage.
-
Siphon Vigour (A): Hinder using Telepathy. Use your Max die. Recover using your Min+Mid dice. - Viral Conversion (A): Hinder using Duplication. That penalty is persistent and exclusive. As long as that penalty is in play, reduce damage dealt to you by 1 and whenever you are dealt damage, the target with this penalty takes 1 irreducible damage.
- (U) Airborne Contagion (I): While the scene is in the Green zone, all heroes’ quality dice at or above are reduced one size. In the Yellow zone, all heroes’ quality dice at or above are reduced two die sizes. In the Red zone, all heroes’ quality dice are treated as if they are . (When using this upgrade, Miss Multitudes has 10 additional Health.)
- Heroes may remove this ability with three Overcome successes. If a hero takes a minor twist, the hero must lose access to a quality entirely until this ability is removed.
- If a hero is knocked out while this ability is active, you may create a new minion using the hero’s highest power die to represent the controlled version of that hero.
- (M) Master of Total Chaos (I): If you are in a situation where everything is spiralling out of control, automatically succeed in an Overcome to accomplish a task by throwing out the rules.
Miss Multitudes
Alias: Valerie Martins
Gender: Female
Age: 20s
Height: 5’6"
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Blonde
Skin: Light
Build: Thin
Costume/Equipment: Red crop top, shorts, and thigh-high boots.
Approach: Disruptive
Archetype: Inhibitor
Biography
Valerie Martins was a new intern at a local bioscience lab. However, one night when she was working late, a faulty containment unit malfunctioned and released a virulent supervirus which Valerie was exposed to. Collapsing instantly from the infection, she was found an hour later by the other lab researchers. There was no known cure for the virus, so, as a last-ditch effort, the scientists administered an unstable, experimental new miracle cure that the lab had been developing, in the hopes that it could save her. It did immunise Valerie to the virus, but it also imprinted her DNA patterns onto the supervirus, transforming her into a living contagion. Not one to let an opportunity pass her by, she decided to use her newfound abilities to acquire the wealth and power that she craved.
Capabilities and Motivations
Miss Multitudes’ physiology is altered so that her cells constantly produce her supervirus, which is transmitted via touch. It takes effect almost immediately after infection, and overwrites the genetic code of any infected individuals, transforming them into exact physical duplicates of Valerie Martins, though they do retain their minds, and, in most cases, any superhuman abilities that they possess, though such powers are usually dampened by the genetic overwrite.
However, the process does create a psychic link betwixt Miss Multitudes and the transformed, allowing her to launch psionic attacks at them and to momentary take control of their actions — though only very briefly. Also due to the link, whenever Miss Multitudes is harmed, a fraction of her pain is transferred to those she has transformed. She can also draw mental energy from her victims and use it to revitalise herself.
Those who have been transformed carry the virus themselves, and thus can infect others if they touch them. Over the numerous times that Miss Multitudes has surfaced, scientifically-inclined heroes have practically always been able to concoct antidotes to her contagion; however, the virus evolves fast enough that any old antidotes usually prove ineffective when she makes her next appearance.
Upgrades
Miss Multitudes can use her limited scientific knowhow to upgrade her supervirus, making it contagious through air, rather than relying merely on touch to spread her contagion.
Miss Multitudes, Empowered
Alias: Valerie Martins
Approach: Creator
Archetype: Overlord
Health: 30 + ( × 5)
Powers
Agility
Duplication
Suggestion
Telepathy
Qualities
Acrobatics
Human Virus
Persuasion
Science
Self-Discipline
Status: Minions
9+ Minions
5-8 Minions
3-4 Minions
1-2 Minions
0 Minions
Abilities
- Barrier of Innocents (A): Attack using Suggestion and use your Max die. Defend against all Attacks against you until the start of your next turn using the number of your minions.
- Infected Mob (A): Use Duplication to create a number of minions equal to the value of your Max die. The starting die size for those minions is the same as the size of your Min die.
- Overwhelming Horde (A): Attack using Suggestion and use your Max die, with a bonus equal to the number of minions you control.
- Resilient Servitors (R): Reroll any number of minion saves against the same Attack.
- “Why Should I Care About Them?” (R): Redirect an Attack to one of your minions.
- (U) Airborne Contagion (I): While the scene is in the Green zone, all heroes’ quality dice at or above are reduced one size. In the Yellow zone, all heroes’ quality dice at or above are reduced two die sizes. In the Red zone, all heroes’ quality dice are treated as if they are . (When using this upgrade, Miss Multitudes has 10 additional Health.)
- Heroes may remove this ability with three Overcome successes. If a hero takes a minor twist, the hero must lose access to a quality entirely until this ability is removed.
- If a hero is knocked out while this ability is active, you may create a new minion using the hero’s highest power die to represent the controlled version of that hero.
- (M) Master of Conquest (I): As long as you are in command of your own forces, automatically succeed at an Overcome involving seizing an area or capturing civilians.
Capabilities and Motivations
On occasion, Miss Multitudes has created or stolen biotechnology that increases the strength of her viral prowess, and allows her to exert her will over those infected by her, controlling their actions like puppets. Those with strong wills, like many costumed heroes, can resist her influence. Most are not so fortunate, however, as Miss Multitudes can create vast crowds of servitors, which any heroes hoping to confront her must wade through, taking care not to harm the victims of her treachery.
Miss Multitudes’ Threats
Miss Multitudes has access to these minions and lieutenants only when using her Empowered build.
Converted Civilians
Description
These are simply assorted bystanders who have been transformed by Miss Multitudes into duplicates of her, and are now under her mental control.Ability
Infectious: Whenever a Converted Civilian takes an action that makes it come into physical contact with another living target, or when it makes a damage save against such an attacker that made contact with it, it also Hinders that target with the same roll.Tactics
As they lack minds of their own, theses minions simply do whatever Miss Multitudes orders them to, often in a haphazard and disorganised fashion, as her mental manipulations lack finesse.
Converted Super
Description
This is a superhuman — either a villain, a hero, or somebody else — who has been transformed and controlled by Miss Multitudes.Abilities
Infectious: Whenever the Converted Super takes an action that makes it come into physical contact with another living target, or when it makes a damage save against such an attacker that made contact with it, it also Hinders that target with the same roll.
Super-Schtick: The Converted Super has +2 to damage saves and to [one type of basic action].Tactics
As a super is a much more valuable minion than a mere civilian, Miss Multitudes often gives them much more autonomy, placing a psionic construct of her own psyche in their mind.
Editor’s Notes
I imagine that whether one’s clothing is also transformed when affected by Miss M. was something that was portrayed inconsistently across her appearances.
My original plan for her build was either Disruptive + Overlord or Creator + Inhibitor, so she’d have both Hindering and minion-making. But after some thought, I decided that she should instead focus solely on the hampering — partly because I figured that there are already scores of mind-controlling villains. But I still wanted her to be able to have crowds of minions at times; hence the two builds. (It was simply a happy accident that both builds ended up with the same health.)
Also, I originally hadn’t planned on her having the lieutenants, but after striking upon that idea I figured that it could create some neat moments when enemies or allies show up under her control.
Fun Fact: Martinus Beijerinck was a founder of virology, co-discoverer of viruses, and kinda-namer of them, and his first name is where I got Val Martins’ surname from.
None of the default powers in the SCRPG really encapsulate Miss M.‘s abilities super well. Transmutation isn’t right, as she doesn’t change anybody’s material composition. Shapeshifting kind of fits; she changes others’ shapes into her own, but she can’t alter herself, and Shapeshifting is a Self-Control power. I settled on Duplication, as she can “make copies of [herself]” — the copies just used to be other people, instead of appearing out of thin air like most duplicators do. (Yay for obeying the law of conservation of mass somewhat more than most supers!)
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