Here we go for Environment #2…
Step 1: Green Zone
My random Green Zone choices net me the following options:
- Minor: Attack One (Mid), Attack All (Min), Defend All (Min), Add a Minion
- Major: All Targets (Min), All Targets (min)
Well, I guess my major twist has been chosen for me! Okay, so let’s go with a simple Attack One and Add a Minion for our minor twists, and then move on to an All Targets (Min) for the Major.
Step 2: Yellow Zone
As things get worse, we end up with the following options:
- Minor: Attack All (Min), Boost or Defend All (Min), Add Lieutenant, Add multi-step challenge
- Major: Boost or Hinder (PE) Max, Restore all minions
Okay, so the question is – are we going minion-heavy, or action-heavy? Let’s go with a minion-heavy environment in which things are nasty. Our minor twists are an Attack All (Min) and Add a Lieutenant, and then for our Major twist everyone gets restored.
Ideas are starting to percolate.
Step 3: Red Zone
In desperate times, we end up with…
- Minor: One Target (Max Action, PE Boost or Hinder), Two Targets (PE Boost or Hinder), Add Max Die Minion Threats, Add Max Die Minion Threats
- Major: All Targets, 2 Actions using Mid (PE), All Targets (Max)
So, I’m not entirely sure what hitting everyone with two Mid Die actions that are both persistent and exclusive looks like. Is it boosting and hindering everyone in different ways to really mess with them? Dropping two Hinders that don’t stack to make them harder to take off? You know, I could probably work with those, but I have persistent and exclusive effects in the minor, so…
Our minor twists will be a one-target Max-die Persistent-Exclusive Boost, and adding Max Die worth of minions. Our major twist is another big Max-die all-target effect.
Step 4: Where Are We?
Welcome to the Crypt of the Runespear!
This is the resting place of one of the four sacred weapons used to seal away a particularly nasty hell-dimension centuries ago. Villains have entered the crypt in search of the powerful weapon, unaware (or possible desirous) of the fact that their incursion is damaging the weapon’s mystic wards and letting demonic forces into the world!
The crypt presents challenges in the form of both infernal energies pulsing loose, demons pulling themselves out of cracks in reality, and good old-fashioned ancient architecture in danger of collapse. If things go too wrong, it could crack open like an egg, unleashing a small demonic horde on the region!
The Crypt has the dice Mystical Wards d10, Infernal Energies d10, Demonic Imps d6.
Step 5: Using the Environment
This is a new step that I’ve decided to add!
This environment would serve as the primary location for History’s Mysteries to confront Landgrave and Juliet as they try to bring all four runic weapons together for what Landgrave believes to be his destiny, and Juliet knows to be her master’s wishes. In that case, the scene’s fourth element would likely be a timed challenge to oppose Juliet’s ritual and prevent a terrible force from emerging.
Alternately, it could be used for any kind of ancient tomb filled with terrible monsters, possibly with alternate elemental strengths and weaknesses.
The Crypt of the Runespear
Traits: Mystical Wards d10, Infernal Energies d10, Demonic Imps d6
Green Zone
Minor Twist: Ward Eruption. One of the crypt’s wards, overloaded by dark power, explodes. Roll the environment’s dice, and Attack one target with the Mid die.
Minor Twist: Demon Escape. A demonic imp slips through the gaps in the wards. This imp is a d8 Minion with the following trait:
Infernal Nature. This minion saves automatically against Infernal damage. When it takes Radiant damage, degrade its die before rolling to save, instead of after.
Major Twist: Infernal Blast. Infernal energies crackle through the tomb, hitting anyone who isn’t in a sheltered or distant area. Roll the environment’s dice, and Attack all targets with the Min die, dealing Infernal damage.
Yellow Zone:
Minor Twist: Collapsing Rubble. Part of the crypt gives way, collapsing onto the battlefield. Roll the environment’s dice, targeting everyone in a particular part of the crypt. Attack them with the Min die, dealing physical damage.
Minor Twist: Demon Knight. A demonic knight coalesces out of the infernal fog leaking into the crypt. This is a d10 Lieutenant with the following trait:
Infernal Body. If the Demon Knight would take Infernal damage, prevent that damage and Boost it by the result. If the Demon Knight takes Radiant damage, reduce its save by -2.
Major Twist: Infernal Mist. A terrible mist fills the area, casting everything into purplish hues and filling the heroes with an uncanny dread. Restore every Demon Imp and Knight in play to their maximum die size.
Red Zone:
Minor Twist: Blessings Of The Dark Patriarch: The power of the Infernal gates is growing too strong for the wards to contain, and they pour into their minions. Roll the environment’s dice, and target the most powerful demon currently on the field. Boost it with the Max die. This bonus is persistent and exclusive.
Minor Twist: Shattered Wards. A mystical ward shatters, and demons pour through. Roll the environment’s die, and create a number of Demon Imps equal to the Max die.
Major Twist: Final Eruption. As the wards fail one by one, they give off an overwhelming burst of holy energy. Roll the environment’s dice, and Attack all targets everywhere in the crypt with Radiant damage, using the Max die.
Aftermath:
Demonic nonsense and the power of a crypt trying to hold it back? And I got to reference one of my villain sets? I am calling this one a hell of a win. Pun intended.
If you want to make this a Hostile environment, rather than a standard one, change all of the damaging attacks to be Infernal; this will make the Demon Knight a truly nasty threat, and keep the imps in play longer. Otherwise, the radiant bursts and collapsing architecture can weaken demons and keep things on a bit more of an even footing.