This is a lengthy writeup of an other-dimensional threat suitable as a recurring villain in series, and includes suitable minions, lieutenants, and environments for use alongside the main villain.
Infernovox the All-Consuming
Infernovox is an immortal extradimensional entity from a realm of endless flame who's appeared on Earth repeatedly throughout history. In the past its appearances have led to cataclysmic events, both natural and man-made, although it's also been repelled with varying degrees of collateral damage several times since the late 19th century. Scholars of the occult have tentatively identified traces of its presence at Pompeii, Mt. St. Helen's (in both 1800 and 1980), the 1902 Mt. Pelee eruption, and the Dresden firestorm in 1945. It remains unclear whether large concentrations of thermal energy naturally draw Infernovox to investigate, but it can definitely be summoned to this plane through both magical and technological means.
In its most basic form Infernovox is mass of fire, highly variable in size and shape but usually two or three times the size of human. It burns brightly and smokelessly without need of fuel but seems to be weakened by anything that would extinguish normal flames. Its touch easily ignites flammable substances and the resulting flames spread normally under their own power. Disturbingly, these flames (and Infernovox itself) irregularly spawn lesser entities known as infernoids who help spread the fire further, resulting in a fast growing blaze limited only by available fuel. Infernoids seem to obey the wishes of Infernovox when in its presence, but behave erratically when operating on their own.
In addition to its other abilities, the creature seems to be able to sense potential fuel and existing heat sources at great distances, and when one site begins to run out of things to burn it can use stored thermal energy to slip through spacetime to new places to harvest. On the rare occasions when it found itself overmatched, Infernovox has used a similar technique to withdraw to its home dimension, an environment no natural entity can survive in for long. Infernovox is primarily interested in setting things alight, but it also seems to enjoy toying with (and then destroying) anyone who opposes its whims. Inhuman as it is the thing has a definite personality, one that could be described in human terms as megalomaniacal and cruel.
Description: A pillar of raging smokeless flame, sprouting lashing tongues of lashing fire. Five motes of searing white light swirl within the mass. Looking directly at them dazzles your eyes and gives the eerie feeling that you've met the gaze of a malign intelligence. It speaks with the sound of a roaring blaze. "I AM INFERNOVOX AND YOU SHALL BURN!"
Gender: None Age: Infinite Height: Varies, between 7' to 15' Eyes: Five
Hair: None! Skin: Absolutely not! Build: Wildly variable
Approach: Prideful
Archetype: Formidable (Weakness: Anything that extinguishes fire)
Health: 50 + (5 x H)
Powers: Absorption d10, Elasticity d10, Fire d10, Duplication d8
Qualities: Close Combat d10, Ranged Combat d10, Imposing d8, I AM INFERNOVOX d8, Otherworldly Mythos d8
Status: No Weakness Penalties - d12 / Both Penalties & Bonuses - d8 / Only Weakness Penalties - d4
Abilities:
I WILL CONSUME YOU FIRST (A) Attack using Fire. Use your Max + Min die. Defend against all Attacks against you by other targets until the start of your next turn with your Mid die.
I SHALL STOKE MY FLAMES WITH YOUR LIFE (A) Boost using Absorption. Use your Max die. The bonus is persistent and consistent. Then Attack with your Mid die.
NOTHING IS BEYOND MY MIGHT (A) Take any basic action. Use your Max die.
THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM MY GRASP (R) If an opponent ends their turn near you, you may roll your single Elasticity dies as a Hinder against them.
Upgrades & Masteries (factored in above, counts as one difficult scene element):
ARISE, MY MINIONS (A) Replenish your Infernoid minions up to the number of heroes in the scene.
I AM MASTER OF ANNIHILATION (I) If you can cause massive collateral damage without regard for casualties, automatically succeed at an Overcome in a situation where a show of overwhelming force would help.
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Infernoids
Infernovox is invariably accompanied by lesser entities that have been dubbed "Infernoids" by their foes. They vary greatly in power, and seem to form spontaneously from both their master's substance and from flames started by the creature or other Infernoids. Unless contained they can multiply at a terrifying rate as long as fuel is available.
Description: A whirling three foot orb of fire, flashing through the air like a miniature sun. Their brightness reflects their individual power, but all are mere sparks in the greater light of its master.
Infernoid Minion d8 minion
Returning Spark: May sacrifice itself to roll its die, then Infernovox Recovers that much Health.
Infernoid Lieutenant d10 lieutenant
Blinding Flash: May sacrifice itself to let a villain escape the scene.
All Attacks from Infernoids cause Fire damage and they are treated as having the Flight power at their current die size, although they rarely fly far above the ground unless pursuing prey.
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Battleground of Fools - Burning Structure or Cityscape Environment
Incursions involving Infernovox or his lesser spawn invariably results in things burning. In the modern world these "things" are most commonly buildings, neighborhoods, or even whole cities, although this environment could also be used for a raging forest fire without changes. Man-made structures are preferred to natural ones as burning grounds, apparently due to their flames "tasting" better. With minor reskinning and perhaps larger dice sizes the following rules could also be a template for a fight in or near an active volcano.
Unnatural Flames d10, Choking Smoke d8, Escalating Danger d8
Green Zone
Minor Twist
Sparks Become Flames: Roll the environment dice. Add a number of d8 Infernoid minions equal to the Min die.
Sudden Flare-up: Roll the environment dice. Attack one hero. Use the Max die. This Attack causes Fire damage.
Thickening Smoke: Roll the environment dice. Hinder all targets using the Min die. Make that penalty persistent and exclusive unless the heroes Overcome to somehow clear the air. Infernovox and any Infernoids are unaffected by this twist.
Major Twist
Limit the Spread: Start challenge. Fight the Fires: 00 Timer: 0 Triggered: Advance scene tracker by one.
Yellow Zone
Minor Twist
Falling Debris: Roll the environment dice. Attack all targets using your Mid die. This Attack deals physical damage.
Flames Spring To Life: Roll the environment dice. Add Min dice d8 Infernoid minions to the scene. Then one Infernoid minion increases its die size by one and becomes an Infernoid lieutenant.
Ominous Creaking: Start challenge. Prepare for collapse: 00 Timer: 00 Triggered: Immediately resolve the Red zone Collapsing Wreckage twist below.
Major Twist
Unbearable Heat: Roll the environment dice. Attack all targets. Use your Min die. This Attack deals Fire damage. Hinder all targets that don't have a reason to be resistant to great heat. Use your Max die. Make that penalty persistent and exclusive. If the heroes Overcome twice to somehow cool the environment remove these penalties. Infernovox and any Infernoids are unaffected by this twist.
Red Zone
Minor Twist
Bask In the Furnace: Roll the environment dice. Boost Infernovox using the Max die. All Infernoid minions increase their current die size by one to a maximum of d10.
Collapsing Wreckage: Roll the environment dice. Attack all targets. Use your Mid die. This Attack deal physical damage. Then Defend all targets using your Mid die.
Firefighting Apparatus: Roll the environment dice. Hinder Infernovox and all Infernoids. Use your Mid dice. Defend all heroes and their allies against Fire damage. Use your Max die.
Major Twist
Inescapable Inferno: Roll the environment dice. Attack all targets. Use your Max die. This Attack deals Fire damage. Infernovox and any Infernoids are unaffected by this twist.
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Atomic Infernovox
Infernovox is attracted to any great source of heat as a potential "meal" and that apparently includes the cores of nuclear reactors. Harvesting these energies apparently taints Infernovox in some way, causing it temporarily lose the ability to subdivide itself and directly spawn Infernoids while granting it a deadly aura of radioactivity that supplements its unnatural flames. Atomic Infernovox is also more resistant to firefighting approaches, as its radiation is nigh-impossible to quench. It appears that this alteration is a temporary one, and it reverts to its normal form after it has had a chance to "sleep it off" and process the radiation it absorbed.
Description: A shaft of glaring cyan energy, circled by whirling helices of violet light. Five motes of searing white light swirl within the mass. Looking directly at them dazzles your eyes and gives the eerie feeling that you've met the gaze of something unnatural. It speaks with howling static like an overloading Geiger counter. "I AM INFERNOVOX AND YOU SHALL WITHER IN MY POISONED FLAME!"
Gender: None Age: Infinite Height: Varies, between 7' to 15' Eyes: Five
Hair: None! Skin: Absolutely not! Build: Wildly variable
Approach: Prideful Archetype: Inhibitor
Health: 55 + (5 x H)
Powers: Elasticity d12, Fire d12, Nuclear d12, Absorption d10
Qualities: Close Combat d10, Ranged Combat d10, Imposing d8, ATOMIC INFERNOVOX d8, Otherworldly Mythos d8
Status: (# of Heroes with penalties) 3+ - d10 / 1-2 - d8 / zero - d6
Abilities:
I WILL CONSUME YOU FIRST (A) Attack using Fire. Use your Max + Min die. Defend against all Attacks against you by other targets until the start of your next turn with your Mid die.
BEHOLD MY SEARING RADIANCE (A) Hinder multiple targets using Nuclear. Use your Max die. Attack one of these targets with your Mid die.
SUBATOMIC ENTANGLEMENT (A) Hinder using Nuclear. 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.
THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM MY GRASP (R) If an opponent ends their turn near you, you may roll your single Elasticity dies as a Hinder against them.
Upgrades & Masteries (factored in above, counts as one difficult scene element):
POWER OF THE ATOM (I) +20 Health. All Power dice increase one step in size (factored in above).
I AM MASTER OF ANNIHILATION (I) If you can cause massive collateral damage without regard for casualties, automatically succeed at an Overcome in a situation where a show of overwhelming force would help.
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Conflagration Infernovox
Infernovox can grow to incredible size if given the opportunity to gorge on heat over a period of time. The intensity of the heat seems to be less important than the duration of feeding and size of the source. The "conflagration" form is most often seen during pyroclastic events, although harvesting the energy of a large oil refinery or massive urban fire will also suffice, as events at Dresden proved.
Description: A veritable mountain of raging flame, constantly throwing out flaring prominences and clouds of glowing sparks. Five gigantic orbs of searing white light swirl within the mass. Looking directly at them dazzles your eyes and gives the eerie feeling that you've met the gaze of an inhuman fury. It speaks with the deafening sound of a runaway firestorm. "I AM INFERNOVOX AND ALL THINGS SHALL BURN!"
Gender: None Age: Infinite Height: Varies, 50' or more Eyes: Five
Hair: None! Skin: Absolutely not! Build: Wildly variable
Approach: Prideful
Archetype: Titan (Status Challenge: Fight the Fire 00 Smother the Core 0)
Health: 75 + (5 x H)
Powers: Absorption d12, Fire d12, Size-Changing d12*, Duplication d10
Qualities: Close Combat d10, Ranged Combat d10, Imposing d8, TOWERING INFERNOVOX d8, Otherworldly Mythos d8
Status: Titan Challenge Start - d12 / Stage 1 Completed - d10 / Stage 2 Completed - d8
*Conflagration Infernovox can both grow and shrink, but it's already the size of a ten-story building in its base state so "big" and "small" aren't really defined by human norms. It can swell to 20 stories pretty easily, but getting smaller than an average townhouse would be a major strain. Usually it just makes brief, unexpected alterations using Sudden Surge below.
Abilities:
ALL-CONSUMING FIRESTORM (A) Attack multiple targets using Fire. Hinder those targets with your Min die.
FANNING THE FLAMES (A) Activate one of the environment's twists in the current scene.
I WILL CONSUME YOU FIRST (A) Attack using Fire. Use your Max + Min die. Defend against all Attacks against you by other targets until the start of your next turn with your Mid die.
SUDDEN SURGE (R) When a nearby hero rolls a 1 on one of their dice during their turn, roll using your single Size-Changing die as an Attack against them.
UNQUENCHABLE FLAMES (I) Reduce all damage taken by you by 6 (if your status is d12), 4 (if your status is d10), or 2 (if your status is d8 or less).
Upgrades & Masteries (factored in above, counts as one difficult scene element):
SWOLLEN WITH POWER (I) +20 Health. All power dice increase one step in size (factored in above).
I AM MASTER OF ANNIHILATION (I) If you can cause massive collateral damage without regard for casualties, automatically succeed at an Overcome in a situation where a show of overwhelming force would help.
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Ultimate Infernovox
To date the so-called Ultimate Infernovox has only been encountered during an exploratory mission to an alternate universe . In that timeline the creature somehow infected the sun at a point in distant prehistory. By the present day the entity had been in place for so long that the star itself had become its material body. The expedition's psychic discovered that the mind (or life force, or perhaps soul) of Infernovox resided within a pocket dimension deep within the stellar core, one that appeared to have local conditions that a well-prepared superhuman might be able to survive in and which could be reached with suitable powers or technology. Destroying the creature's seat of intelligence might have freed the sun, but calculations predicted a good chance that the collapse of the dimensional bubble would trigger a nova-scale stellar event instead.
Description: .You are deep inside a living sun, floating within the surreal pocket dimension that makes up the soul of Infernovox itself. Drifting veils of glowing yellow-orange plasma shot through with intense cyan lightning surround you, all seen through a rippling haze of heat distortion. You can dimly perceive five globes of searing white light orbiting one another, but their size is impossible to discern. Are they nearby and merely gigantic, or the size of moons seen at some unfathomable distance? As your mind swims at the scale of this unnatural place, your surroundings shudder as a star speaks. "I AM INFERNOVOX AND THE UNIVERSE SHALL FEED MY FLAMES!"
Gender: None Age: Infinite Diameter: 866,000 miles Eyes: Five
Corona: Wispy Chromosphere: Reddish Photosphere: Yellow-White Build: Spherical
Approach: Ancient
Archetype: Titan (Status Challenge: Locate the Core 00 Reach the Core 0)
Health: 80 + (5 x H)
Powers: Absorption d12, Fire d12, Presence d12, Telekinesis d10
Qualities: Imposing d12, Otherworldly Mythos d12, Close Combat d10, Ranged Combat d8, STELLAR INFERNOVOX d8
Status: Titan Challenge Start - d12 / Stage 1 Completed - d10 / Stage 2 Completed - d8
Abilities:
I CANNOT BE EXTINGUISHED (I) If you would be reduced to 0 Health and you don't have a penalty, roll your single Absorption die and become that Health.
INCONCEIVABLE ENORMITY (I) Reduce all damage taken by you by 6 (if your status is d12), 4 (if your status is d10), or 2 (if your status is d8 or less).
ISOLATED PLASMA VORTEX (A) Attack using Fire. Use your Max die. The target can either be Hindered using your Max + Mid + Min dice, or be unable to take actions other than Overcome to attempt to escape the vortex.
STARQUAKE! (R) When Attacked by a roll that includes doubles, remove one success from the Titan's challenge.
SUPERHEATED CURRENTS (R) When a hero takes a minor twist in the Titan's challenge, in addition to the chosen twist roll your status die and deal that much Fire damage to that hero.
YOU CANNOT RESIST MY WILL (A) Hinder multiple targets using Presence. Use your Max die. Attack each target using your Mid + Min dice.
Upgrades & Masteries (factored in above, counts as one difficult scene element):
LIVING STAR (I) +20 Health. All power dice increase one step in size (factored in above).
BEHOLD MY SUPERIORITY (I) As long as you are manifesting effects related to a power you have at d12, automatically succeed at an Overcome involving the usage of those powers.
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You might use a unique environment for fighting Ultimate Infernovox within its own metaphysical soul, but personally I'd lean toward using a load of Infernoids and perhaps a challenge (beside the built in Titan one, which should be tough given its abilities) based on some psychic or mad science McGuffin the heroes have brought along to help. A single villain might be there as well, either negotiating with Infernovox for something or accompanying the heroes only to betray them at the worst possible moment.
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