Riot, Malicious Wild Card Villain

A wild card villain who just wants to see the world burn and chaos reign.  Bit like a much more malicious Johnny Crisis, albeit operating on a less cosmic scale.

Riot

Riot's true identity (if ze even has one) remains unknown, as does ze's motivations beyond an obvious love of chaos.  Ze seems to just show up at other villain's more high-profile jobs at random, as well as appearing at public events of all kinds.  Ze has a special fondness for protests but doesn't seem to actually support any cause, social, political or otherwise.  Ze is all about chaos and opposing organized efforts to accomplish anything.

To date Riot's observed powers include the ability alter perceptions, implant mental suggestions in human minds, and change zir own physical form within a broad range of adult human characteristics.  There's some debate about whether there's also degree of reality shaping involved, based on apparent manipulation of the local environment.  Either that or ze is impossibly lucky and people become very prone to psychotic breaks in zirs presence.

Description: Who knows?  This villain is a shapeshifter and can look like any reasonably adult human, albeit not a convincing duplicate of any specific person.  Illusions similarly conceal whatever real clothing is worn, and alter zir voice to whatever desired.  Some exotic senses may partially defeat the disguise, but otherwise even identifying zir is difficult. 

Gender: Variable (Ze/Zir)           Age: Variable            Height: Variable           Eyes: Variable

Hair: Variable                               Skin: Variable                                 Build: Variable

Approach: Leech                   Archetype: Domain

Health:  45 + (5 x H)

Powers: Illusions d10, Suggestion d8, Shapeshifting d6

Qualities: Conviction d8, Criminal Underworld Info d8, Subtle Psychic Violence d8, Stealth d8

Status: (# of Environmental targets/challenges) 3+ - d10 / 1-2 - d8 / 0 - d6

Abilities:

Agitator (A) Hinder multiple targets using Illusions.  Recover Health equal to your Min die.  If you roll doubles, Attack one of those targets using your Max die.

Innocent Victim (R) When Attacked, redirect the Attack to an environmental minion.

Mind-Meddler (A) Hinder using Suggestion.  Use your Max + Min dice.  Boost using your Mid die.

Mob Violence (A) Roll any number of environment minion dice.  Attack every target in the scene except yourself with those dice.  Remove those minions.

Stir The Pot (A) Activate one of the environment's twists in its current zone or one zone closer to the Red.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Brainwashing Zone (I) +10 Health.  While the scene is in the green zone, all heroes' qualities of d8 or higher are reduced by one die size.  In the Yellow zone all of the heroes' qualities of d10 or higher are reduced by one additional step (two die sizes total).  In the Red zone, all heroes' quality dice are treated as d4.  Heroes can remove this upgrade with three overcome successes.  If a hero takes a minor twist while taking these Overcomes, they lose access to a quality entirely until this upgrade is removed.  If a hero is knocked out while this ability is active, create a new friendly minion with a die size equal to the hero's largest power die to represent the brainwashed hero.

Master of Total Chaos (I) Automatically succeed at an Overcome when you throw out all the rules during a situation that is spiraling out of control.

Tactics

Riot just wants to see the world burn and laugh while it happens.  Ze doesn't really do the "tactics" thing, much less strategy.  Zir favorite trick is to Stir The Pot repeatedly, building up the number of environment minions available to play with.  They fuel zir Innocent Victim reaction if ze's spotted by heroes or the law, and even small numbers of them can cause catastrophic damage when spurred on to Mob Violence.  Ze also finds it amusing to use Mind Meddler to hand out mods almost at random, and often Boosts environment targets or Hinders whichever hero or villain has annoyed zir most recently.  Heroes struggling to deal with challenges in a coordinated fashion will likely draw a use of Agitator, especially if they're trying to bring down Riot's upgrade (if in play).

Zir's upgrade can be pretty crippling for heroes' Overcome actions, and zir's mastery is exactly what you'd expect it to be - a bit of predictability Riot would be deeply annoyed about if zir realized it.    

Design Notes

Riot is designed to fit with any environment where there are twists that introduce regular humans (so not alien planets, exotic dimensions, etc. - although they might work with a human's dream or mindscape environment) and act as a third party who just wants to see chaos run amok.  They're more likely to oppose heroes than they are most villains, but a real control freak or pompous mastermind might draw their ire as much as even the most civic-minded hero.  Riot doesn't really have plans as conceived, and is likely to slip away quietly when a scene starts to bore them - usually after leaving the whole place in ruins after one last use of Mob Violence.

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Antarean Power-Sucker, Spacefaring Leech

A dangerous form of astrofauna, mostly found while travelling through space but occasionally seen on planetary surfaces or in xeno-menageries.

Antarean Power-Sucker

Normally only a menace to space-faring civilizations, Antarean power-suckers have sometimes been unintentionally carried to backwater worlds like Earth by alien visitors.  The creatures can survive in most planetary environments but gravity wells and the lack of cosmic radiation disrupts their reproductive cycle, so at least they don't become a growing threat like many invasive species.  Even a handful of power-suckers can do a great deal of harm to a technological civilization, and they're tough enough to give even superheroes some trouble in removing or exterminating them.

When found in their native deep-space and far-orbit environments, power-suckers are a serious danger to space craft and orbital stations,.  With an adequate supply of energy to feast on their numbers can multiply rapidly.  A large infestation can interdict traffic across an entire star system, although once the food supply runs out they'll disperse quickly by creating cosmic space rifts and blindly jumping between stars in search of fresh hunting grounds.

Description: A faintly luminescent wormlike creature, almost ten feet long with a cluster of brighter eyespots at one end.  Bands of wriggling tendrils protrude from between each of its dozen body segments.  The whole outlandish creature squirms along in mid-air, blithely defying gravity.  When it spawns minions some of its tendrils separate from the whole and form a halo around their parent, forming an energy transference network.  Silent, but the being does cause considerable static interference on radio bandwidths.   

Gender: None        Age: Unknown        Length: 9'        Energy Sensors: Glowing Magenta

Tendrils: White-tipped     Integument: Dark Yellow-Orange     Build: Segmented Vermiform

Approach:  Leech                                Archetype:  Legion

Health:  10 + (5 x H)

Powers: Absorption d10, Cosmic d8, Flight d6

Qualities: Alertness d8, Cosmic Leech d8, Deep Space Knowledge d8, Otherworldly Mythos d8

Status: (# of Legion Minions) 0 - d12 / 1-2 - d10 / 3-4 - d8 / 5-8 - d6 / 9+ - d4

Abilities:

Disperse Squirmlings (A) Roll your single status die.  Deal yourself that much irreducible damage.  Create that many d6 legion minions.

Durable Squirmlings (I) Whenever a Legion minion with a die size greater than d4 rolls a save against physical damage, instead of the normal effects if it succeeds it splits into two minions, each of one smaller die size, and you take 1 irreducible damage.  If it fails its save, it is only reduced one die size rather than being destroyed.

Energy Sponge (R) When Attacked, Defend yourself by rolling your single Absorption die.  If this negates the damage entirely, Hinder the Attacker and Boost yourself using the same roll.

Pattern Interference (I) Whenever multiple legion minions all take the same action against the same target, you must roll all their dice at once and use the lowest rolling die amongst them for each minion's result on that action.

Power Leech (A) Attack one target using Cosmic Leech.  Use your Max die.  Hinder that target using your Mid die.  Recover Health equal to your Min die.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Power Upgrade (I) +20 Health.  Increase all Power dice sizes by one (max d12).

Master of Superiority (I) As long as you are manifesting an effect related to a power you have at d12, automatically succeed at an Overcome involving usage of those powers.

Tactics

Antarean Power-Suckers are nearly brainless and have little sense of self-preservation.  In combat they focus on draining energy from whatever source is most available while spawning waves of squirmlings as the next stage of their life cycle.  Their usual approach will be to use Disperse Squirmlings, draining their own energy considerably.  The next round they'll wait for the new minions to stabilize and start feeding energy back into them, doing massed Boosts in defiance of the limitations of Pattern Interference - each of them will usually produce a +1 bonus this way.  Once Boosted, the Power-Sucker will use Power Leech on a tasty energy source, pumping bonuses into the Min die to heal and repeating the move until full.  The following round it will spawn more minions, restarting the cycle.  While squirmling minions are pretty weak, Durable Squirmlings makes them harder to dispose of than they initially look.  Their parent will use its Energy Sponge reaction whenever possible, and may devote some of its bonuses to it to improve the chances of getting the rider effects for stopping all damage.

If the thing ever manages to get 13+ minions in play at once while the parent has at least 15 Health, they'll shift their tactics and start spreading out and Attacking and Hindering their foes sensibly to maximize their impact rather than suffering from Pattern Interference.  Even if they're mostly d4 minions at that point, they become quite a bit more of a threat at that point.

An upgraded Power-Sucker is an unusually old and successful specimen of the species, and its mastery will mostly be used for getting at particularly energetic food sources or escaping if a situation goes bad.

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The Three Masters, They've Come From 69AD To Kick Some Butt

A trio of martial artist villains worthy of a Hong Kong action-fantasy movie.

The Three Masters

These three anachronistic martial artists originate from an alternate-timeline version of the Chinese empire in 69AD, which is secretly controlled by a conspiracy of sorcerous eunuchs who subtly dominate the Imperial court.  They've used magic rituals to come to the "future" of your campaign for some mysterious objective, and if the heroes don't stop them who knows what kind of temporal disruptions might take place?  All of them are decidedly villainous types, although they have their own unique approaches to evil and aren't equally committed to whatever they shared goal is.

Depending on how long they've been in the current time when the heroes first encounter them, they may or may not have made contacts within the criminal underworld.  If not they'll be working largely alone, although Master Fleeting Dream may be able to conjure up demonic or undead minions galore if he can perform the proper rituals.  They're all good at fitting in to the scum and villainy community and won't find it hard to recruit more modern help once they do make contact. 

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Master Fleeting Dream

Xiu Zhang is Master of the Fleeting Dream style, an accomplished sorcerer, and a proud (some would say egotistical) member of the conspiracy that secretly controls the Chinese empire in 69AD.  He serves as de facto leader of the Three Masters on their mysterious mission to the future, and his magical talents allow them to blend in to the world of 2023 as well as being their ticket back to the past.  As such, he expects the others to watch his back, obey his commands and remain loyal to him.  A pretentious, arrogant and evil-minded individual through and through, he might see two of those three expectations fulfilled if he's lucky.

His martial arts style uses a great deal of out-and-out magic in it, focusing on confounding opponents with illusion and trickery while he flits from victim to victim with enchanted blades flashing.  He also know how to scribe magical talismans (usually strips of paper with incantations written on them) to create good fortune and repel bad luck from whoever they're attached to.  These are usually used to enhance himself first and foremost, but he may deign to support his allies as well.  Given time and supplies (which may include a suitable sacrificial victim) he can manage many other feats of magic as well.

Description: A slightly plump, shaven-headed man with a striking Fu Manchu mustache, dressed in an expensive brocade robe in deep purple.  Often cloaked in sorcerous illusions to blend in better, or simply invisible to avoid attention.  His voice is surprising high and boyish.  He generally provides magical translation charms to all his allies in the modern day, which has the side effect of making their lips seem to be slightly out of synch with their words. 

Gender: Imperial Eunuch And Proud Of It     Age: Thirties     Height: 5'8"     Eyes: Green

Hair: Shaved Smooth     Skin: Light East Asian Tone     Build: Slightly Soft-Looking

Approach: Ninja                   Archetype: Inventor

Health:  30 + (5 x H)

Powers: Dream-Cutting Blades d10, Inventions d10, Illusions d8, Invisibility d8, Teleportation d6

Qualities: Magical Lore d10, Stealth d10, Criminal Underworld Info d8, Finesse d8, Master of Fleeting Dream Style d8

Status: ( # of inventions & mods) 4+ - d12 / 2-3 - d10 / 1 - d8 / 0 - d6

Abilities:

Fleeting Dream Onslaught (A) Attack multiple targets using Master of Fleeting Dream Style.  Then, end up wherever you want in the scene.

Inscribe Talismans (A) Boost using Inventions.  Use your Max die.  Boost again using your Mid die, then either make one of those bonuses persistent and exclusive, or Attack with your Min die.

Powerful Chi (I) Whenever you create a bonus, increase the value of that bonus by one.

Vanishing Image (R) When Attacked, Defend yourself by rolling your single Stealth die.  Boost yourself using the amount of damage reduced.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Waking Dream (I) +10 Health.  The heroes act as being in the Green zone for status die, ability access, and all abilities.  Heroes may remove this ability with three Overcome successes.  If a hero takes a minor twist while attempting these Overcomes, you may use a reaction to Hinder them by rolling your single Infernal die.

Master of Mysticism (I) If you have access to proper materials, automatically succeed at an Overcome in a situation involving harnessing magical forces.

Tactics

Master Fleeting Dream relies on misdirection, illusion and trickery.  He usually avoids immediate conflict while using Inscribe Talismans supplemented by Powerful Chi to give lasting bonuses to himself and allies, relying on Vanishing Image to protect him from harm (and produce more bonuses, although these won't affect his status) while he does so.  Once his status die is maxed out and his allies have received whatever benefits he feels they deserve, he shifts to using Fleeting Dream Onslaught to repeatedly appear and disappear while striking as many foes as possible.

His upgrade expands his ability to alter foes' perception, trapping them in a dreamlike illusion.  His mastery lets him create powerful ritual magic effects when supplied with suitable tools, including the temporal passage that brought them to the modern day (or the heroes to the past) in the first place.

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Master Five Venoms

Master Five Venoms' true name is unknown, possibly even to himself.  A master spy, assassin, and infiltrator, he works with the conspiracy controlling 69AD China but isn't fully trusted by them, which is something he admires about the organization.  Trust is for fools.  He (or sometimes she, as the mood takes them) adopts and abandons surface identities regularly, relying on practical disguise and acting skills rather than Master Fleeting Dreams' magical tricks an cunning enough that he can get along fairly well in 2023 even without such assistance.  It's quite possible he might choose to remain in the future after the Three Masters complete their mission, most likely faking his own death to do so.

The Five Venoms style includes a great deal of secret alchemical knowledge beyond mere poison making, including truth drugs, fast-acting medicinal substances, mind-altering vapors and powders, and artificial pheromones that can manipulate many types of animals.  It also offers near-immunity to most poisons and, some say, unnatural longevity or even immortality.  Masters of the style are invariably accompanied by swarms of venomous vermin, which they use both as alchemical components and as an army of chemically-controlled minions.  While each individual stinging scuttler, biting bug or slithering serpent is little threat to a wary human, they never appear as individuals, and many a foe has fallen screaming under a tide of tiny crawling horrors.  

Description: Wildly variable thanks to a talent for disguise, but most often an unassuming local civilian in loose fitting clothing.  At close range their unpleasant chemical scent may give the game away.  When fighting openly, they favor a loose green gi marked with ominous stains and acid burns.  Close observation will reveal they're crawling with vermin infesting their clothing and whatever wig they may be wearing.  They're excellent mimics and can imitate most human voices and some animals.   

Gender: Fluid   Age: Usually Seems Twenty-Something   Height: 5'9"   Eyes: Black

Hair: White (Black Wig)        Skin: Dark East Asian Tone        Build: Deceptively Fit

Approach:  Leech                      Archetype:  Overlord

Health:  30 + (5 x H)

Powers: Toxic d10, Animal Control d8, Wall-Crawling d6

Qualities: Criminal Underworld Info d8, Master of Five Venoms Style d8, Medicine d8, Stealth d8 

Status:  (# of Minions & Lieutenants) 9+ - d12 / 5-8 - d10 / 3-4 - d8 / 1-2 - d6 / 0 - d4

Abilities:

Alchemical Effusion (A) Boost using Medicine for all your minions until the start of your next turn.

Enduring Vermin (R) Reroll any number of minion saves against the same Attack.

Stinging Strike (A) Hinder using Toxic.  Use your Max + Min die.  Boost using your Mid die.

Toxic Powders (A) Hinder multiple targets using Toxic.  Recover Health equal to your Min die.  If you roll doubles, Attack one of the targets using your Max die. 

Venomous Little Friends (A) Use Master of Five Venoms Style to create a number of minions equal to the value of your Max die.  The starting die size of for those minions is the same as the size of your Min die.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Power Upgrade (I) +20 Health.  Increase all Power dice sizes by one (max d12).

Master of Superiority (I) As long as you are manifesting an effect related to a power you have at d12, automatically succeed at an Overcome involving usage of those powers.

Tactics

Master Five Venoms prefers to toy with his foes in combat, leaving the actual killing work to his verminous minions.  He'll usually call on his Venomous Little Friends once or twice at the start of a conflict to establish a decent status die, with each use helping improve the size of minion generated by the next.  Repeat as needed to maintain at least a d8 status.  Multi-target minion sweeps will be met with an Enduring Vermin reaction, and he'll single out heroes with such abilities with Stinging Strike, often taking a twist to make the penalty last for two uses, representing hurling whole handfuls of poisonous insects onto the target.  If there are several heroes focusing on his minions he'll use Toxic Powders instead, spending any available bonuses wherever they seem most useful (healing, improving the penalties, possibly even on damage if he rolls doubles).  If he starts his turn with 5+ minions in play he'll usually switch to Alchemical Effusion rather than acting for himself, trying to deal out massive damage while he has the chance.

His upgrade improves his durability and all his powers, as well as enabling his mastery whenever one of his mods from a Toxic-keyed ability is in play.      

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Five Venoms Swarm d4 to d12 minion (see Venomous Little Friends)

Description: A miscellany of carefully-bred and venomous vermin, including spiders, centipedes, wasps, small serpents and scorpions, as well as less readily-identifiable creations of alchemical hybridization.  What prevents them from scattering or preying on one another is a mystery known only to masters of the Five Venoms Style.  The larger their current die size the denser the swarm is.  

Inescapable Swarm: When you Attack, one point of the damage you deal is irreducible.

Painful Venoms: When you deal damage to a target, they gain a -1 exclusive "Stinging Pain" penalty.

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Master Shackled Fist

Wong Lo is undisputed Master of the Shackled Fist style and an all-around badass brawler.  Once a mere village bully, then an Imperial army levy, he soon deserted to join a mercenary company where he would be paid better for his talent for fighting.  He crossed paths with an aging Shackled Fist practitioner during the course of his adventures and quickly took to the new role of student until he'd surpassed his teacher.  At that point he killed the old man, stole his life savings, and went off to make a name for himself in the world of martial arts fighters, always pursuing any road to wealth that opened before him.  It wasn't long before the eunuch courtier conspiracy approached him to employ his brutal skills in their service, which has now led him to an unimagined future.

His Shackled Fist fighting style mixes savage close quarters techniques with deadly chain-fighting maneuvers that offer some reach and the ability to entangle and drag in elusive opponents.  It also trains endurance and fighting spirit to the limits of human ability, and perhaps a fair way beyond.  Generally seen as a simple style suitable only for thugs, Wong Lo has taken it beyond that stereotype.  He employs his own unique moves along with unexpected cunning to surprise foes who've taken him for merely being an over-muscled thug.

Description: A powerfully built brute of a man, wearing sandals and a white gi with the sleeves ripped off.  He has a steel circlet on his brow and carries a twelve foot length of chain with a hinged iron shackle on each end, donning one or both of them during combat as he performs various moves.

Gender: Male        Age: Thirties        Height: 6'0"        Eyes: Dark Brown

Hair: Shaved, Black Stubble     Skin: Medium East Asian Tone      Build: Ape-Like Brute

Approach: Skilled                         Archetype: Guerrilla

Health:  35 + (5 x H)

Powers: Fighting Chains d10, Vitality d8, Swinging d6

Qualities:  Close Combat d10, Fitness d10, Acrobatics d8, Criminal Underworld Info d8, Master of Shackled Fist Style d8, Self-Discipline d8 

Status: (# of Enemies Engaged) 4+ - d10 / 2-3 - d8 / 0-1 - d6

Abilities:

Blur of Iron (I) If you are outnumbered by nearby opponents, reduce all damage dealt to you by two.

Entangling Chains (A) Attack one target using Master of Shackled Fist Style.  Use your Max + Min die.  Defend against all Attacks from targets other than that target with your Mid die until your next turn.  All Defended damage is dealt to the target of your Attack instead.

Versatile Style (A) Take any basic action using your Max die.  Recover Health equal to your Mid die.

Whirling Chain Deflection (R) When Attacked, Defend yourself by rolling your single Close Combat die.  Deal that much damage to another target.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Group Fighter (I) +20 Health.  When you take an action that lets you make an Attack, also make an Attack using your Mid die.

Master Mercenary (I) If you have a contract for a specific task, automatically succeed at an Overcome when your payment is at stake.

Tactics

Master Shackled Fist prefers to face his foes in a group, charging into their ranks to use their numbers against them with Entangling Chains and Blur of Iron while further protecting himself with Whirling Chain Deflection as needed.  More cunning than the simple brawler he appears to be, he's quick to use his Versatile Style for unexpected moves and some healing when injured.  Sudden Hinders, Boosts or Overcomes to start challenges or reposition foes are all popular choices.

His upgrade improves both damage output and base Health.  His mastery reflects his greed.  He's here for the pay offered by the Eaters of the Lotus and that alone.

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Design Notes

If it somehow wasn't obvious, the backstory of these three is taken straight from the Shadowfist card game and original Feng Shui RPG.  Not the first time I've done an homage to that superlatively strange setting.  Probably won't be the last.

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The Camera Crew, Bad Publicity For Good People

Proof positive that not all publicity is good publicity.

The Camera Crew 

The Camera Crew is a trio of de facto villains passing as a new, corporate-backed initiative to improve journalistic relations with the heroic community and provide better (and safer) news coverage to super-crises as they happen.  The pitch seems reasonable on the surface.  A crew of journalists equipped with protective power suits and advanced recording equipment?  Plus they can project defensive holograms for added safety, making them able to operate much closer to a super-fight or disaster than conventional reporters without needing protection from heroes and law enforcement?  The suits are equipped with jump jets and grapples for extra mobility, letting them reach optimal vantage points so the footage will be more useful for post-crime investigations?  Agreements with city and state governments and even federal agencies already in place, protecting against civil liability claims?  And their backers will provide public relations assistance to heroes who don't already have access to them?  What's not to like?

Well, lots of things, because the corporation behind these three has nefarious plans.  

Recordings of heroes in action will be collated and analyzed and then quietly offered for sale to select black market customers.  This will let villains study fighting styles and tactics for weaknesses.  The mechanical effect of this is the ability to gain significant bonuses against "studied" heroes when they trigger minor twists.  Their use will usually be accompanied by the villain quipping that they've seen that trick before or that the hero did that better in the video, which hints at what's going on.

Videos will also be carefully tampered with to make the heroes look careless or inept, and any actual mistakes will be exaggerated if possible.  Crisis actors will be seeded around dangerous situations to make things harder for the heroes, and "expendable" villains will be given covert support and nudged toward certain crimes at certain times when the Crew will be present.  This doctored footage and faked interview material will be "reluctantly" given to legit news outlets and government officials as evidence of heroic wrongdoing.

Ultimately the plan is to ruin not only the PCs' reputation and effectiveness as crimefighters, but to taint the public opinion of heroes as a whole.  The heroes might even find themselves outlawed and forced into true vigilantism, perhaps even hunted by their own former allies.

This probably won't come to pass in full. The players will likely smell something fishy and take proactive steps to investigate the Crew, or one of them (most likely Camera Two, who's the most unstable of the lot) will blow her cover and take the whole plot down with her.  But the Crew's real backers are insulated by layers of corporate ownership and legal fictions, and if everything does end in disaster they'll see it as a learning experience.  After a while they'll pick up the pieces and attempt another scheme, and they might even arrange for the Camera suits to wind up in the hands of criminals who can use them for more conventional villainy - perhaps even with their original operators, who are likely to have even more of a grudge against law and order than before.

Camera One

Koa Calimbas is a former indie film director who screwed up big time by releasing a documentary full of faked interviews and altered images that painted a popular hero team as violent thugs, apparently based on a personal grudge against them.  He avoided jail, but the civil suit and bad publicity left him nearly penniless and unemployable.  When he was offered a position on the Camera Crew he leapt at the opportunity, and has extended his previous dislike for a handful of heroes to the entire superhero community.  He's not great at concealing his enmity, but usually stays buttoned up in his suit where he won't be recognized and can remain more socially remote.  Koa is actually quite a competent filmmaker and really cares about the quality of his work, unlike his teammates.

His camera suit is optimized for projection, recording and sound effects, and he makes imaginative use of his illusions to mess with heroes and onlookers whenever he can get away with it.  If it comes to a fight he has a very potent sonic attack backing up his other abilities.

Description: Outside of his suit, a rather slovenly-dressed middle-aged man of Hawaiian ancestry with strangely familiar features.  Hey, is that the guy who directed that documentary about supers with all the faked footage?

In his suit, an anonymous figure in snug-fighting lightweight yellow power armor with a some black striping and a prominent black "ONE" printed vertically on the left side of the chest.  The helmet is an opaque ovoid with an array of holo-camera recorder/emitter lenses and microphone grills covering the faceplate.  A cluster of much larger lenses and mikes occupy the center of the chest and there are small mikes on the back of each gauntlet.  His voice is disguised behind a vocal masking effect that gives it a mechanical tone.  

Gender: Male        Age: 35        Height: 5'10"        Eyes: Brown

Hair: Shaved Scalp        Skin: Hawaiian Tan        Build: Broad-Shouldered

Approach: Skilled                   Archetype: Inventor

Health: 25 + (5 x H)

Powers: Illusions d10, Sonic d8, Power Suit d6

Qualities: Creativity d10, Stealth d10, Criminal Underworld Info d8, Disgraced Documentary Filmmaker d8, Investigation d8, Technology d8

Status: ( # of inventions & mods) 4+ - d12 / 2-3 - d10 / 1 - d8 / 0 - d6

Abilities:

Final Sound Check (A) Attack using Sonic and at least one bonus.  Use your Max + Mid + Min dice and add all your bonuses to the total, destroying them.

Grand Artistic Vision (A) Hinder multiple targets using Creativity.  Use your Max die.  If you roll doubles, Attack each of those targets using your Mid die. 

One-Man Crew (A) Take any basic action.  Use your Max die.  Recover Health equal to your Mid die.

Set the Scene (A) Boost using Illusions.  Use your Max die.  Boost again using your Mid die, then either make one of those bonuses persistent and exclusive, or Attack with your Min die.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Mook Squad +0 Health.  Gain Extras On Set (A) Replenish your minions up to the number of heroes in the scene.

Master of Enforced Order (I) If you have complete control over your surroundings, automatically succeed in an Overcome to organize rabble to accomplish a task.

Tactics

Camera One is the auteur of the group and has the most skill at tweaking scenes to make the heroes look incompetent or overly violent.  If left alone he's as likely to spend actions on Overcomes to serve that purpose or (with his upgrade) order the extras around, usually starting with Set the Scene for a good persistent bonus on himself and a regular bonus to either keep or hand off to Camera Two.  If forced to fight, he'll rely on Grand Artistic Vision to confound (and possibly harm) foes at first, switching to One-Man Crew if injured.  At a dramatically appropriate moment he'll pick a particularly troublesome hero and single them out for a brutal Final Sound Check hit.

His upgrade gives him a steady supply of extras to use, and the mastery to get them to follow his directions flawlessly.  

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Camera Two

Kansas Washington (her middle name is City) is a former private investigator who lost her license and five years of freedom when she was caught running a blackmail scheme.  Thoroughly unethical and interested only in money, she only got on to the Camera Crew because she was a former cellmate of Janell Wittson (see below), who owed her some favors and appreciated the idea of having some muscle on the team just in case.  She doesn't have any particular beef with superheroes in general, but she's no great fan either and her short temper and borderline paranoia makes her the most likely person to break cover and start a real fight.  She never opens up her suit around outsiders if she can avoid it, and uses her PI skills to avoid tails and surveillance when in her civilian ID.  On the other hand, she's also the most likely Crew member to take a bribe to reveal what's really going on - if you haven't made her mad.

She doesn't use her suit as well as her teammates, but is good at sneaking in "accidental" hits that look like they came from some other source.  Her loadout is optimized for lighting effects, holo-projection and recording snap shots, which also makes it a walking arsenal of laser weaponry if a battle starts - whether Kansas starts it or not.     

Description: Outside of her suit, a powerfully built African-American woman with a cold look in her eyes and several small facial scars from past brawls.  She's fond of men's clothing (especially a noir PI look) and could easily be mistaken for a man at first glance, which is a great way to tick her off right from word one.

In her suit, an anonymous and androgynous figure in snug-fighting lightweight bright orange power armor with a some black striping and a prominent black "TWO" printed vertically on the left side of the chest.  The helmet is an opaque ovoid with an array of holo-camera recorder/emitter lenses covering the faceplate.  A single very large lens occupies the center of the chest and there are small lenses on the back of each gauntlet.  Her voice is disguised behind a vocal masking effect that gives it a mechanical tone, further increasing of misgendering her and getting on her bad side.  

Gender: Female        Age: 33        Height: 5'10"        Eyes: Brown

Hair: Deep Brown        Skin: Mahogany Brown        Build: Gym Gal

Approach: Leech                   Archetype: Inventor

Health: 25 + (5 x H)

Powers: Illusions d10, Radiant d8, Power Suit d6

Qualities: Creativity d8, Ex-Con Cellmate d8, Technology d8, Stealth d8 

Status: ( # of inventions & mods) 4+ - d12 / 2-3 - d10 / 1 - d8 / 0 - d6

Abilities:

Final Lighting Check (A) Attack using Radiant and at least one bonus.  Use your Max + Mid + Min dice and add all your bonuses to the total, destroying them.

Reaction Shot (R) When Attacked, Defend yourself by rolling your single Illusions die.  If this negates the Attack entirely, Hinder the Attacker and Boost yourself using the same roll.

Set the Scene (A) Boost using Illusions.  Use your Max die.  Boost again using your Mid die, then either make one of those bonuses persistent and exclusive, or Attack with your Min die.

Wide-Angle Shot (A) Hinder multiple targets using Illusions.  Recover Health equal to your Min die.  If you roll doubles, Attack one of those targets using your Max die. 

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Hardier Minions + 5 Health.  Gain Bonus Pay (A) Upgrade a number of your minions equal to the number of heroes in the scene by increasing their die size by one (max d12).

Master Mercenary (I) If you have a contract for a specific task, automatically succeed at an Overcome when your payment is at stake.

Tactics

Camera Two is the least interested team member when it comes to getting good footage, and the quickest to resort to obvious violence when threatened.  She'll try to use Set the Scene for bonuses (often sharing with Camera One) at least once before their cover is blown, then immediately use Final Lighting Check on the toughest foe.  She'll use Reaction Shot at every opportunity, hoping to trigger its strong rider effects and roll the bonus straight into another super-zap.  When hurt or outnumbered and currently lacking bonuses she resorts to Wide-Angle Shot to buy time and maybe get a lucky shot in.

Her upgrade lets her improve the performance of either simple thugs or actors, and is one of her go-to moves while still covert.  Her mastery reflects that fact that she's in this for the paycheck rather than the art.    

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Camera Three

Janell Wittson was sleazy publicity agent known for representing dodgy business and suspected criminal bigwigs.  This led to a three year interruption in her career when she was convicted for fraud after being a little too enthusiastic about lying for a corporate client with mob connections.  It was during her prison term that she met and more or less befriended Kansas Washington (see above).  Once Janell was at liberty again she set about restarting her career, only to be offered an "exciting new opportunity" as part of the Camera Crew.  The project seemed a bit risky, but she'd always been a bit of adrenaline junkie and her new employers had some...information from her former clients that made refusal unwise unless she wanted to return to jail for a much longer stay.  Janell managed to get Washington on to the Crew as well, and in a pinch expects more backup from her than she probably ought to.

Unlike her teammates Janell doesn't actively conceal her identity.  If confronted about her past, she can convincingly explain that she was young and had made some poor choices in business associates.  She served her time and learned her lesson, so what's the problem, hero?

Her suit carries the usual array of holo-recorder/projector gear optimized for close-up action shots, but it also mounts an extensive drone control system for coordinating small aerial remotes for coordinating multi-angle shots and big scenes.  These also double as a tactical comms and recon net, and she tends to work closely with her teammates if a fight breaks out.      

Description: Outside of her suit, an adult blonde woman with an expensively tailored wardrobe designed to favor her slightly stocky figure, something she's sensitive about.  She's always got a friendly smile on her face, even when she's shafting someone in a business deal.

In her suit, an anonymous figure in snug-fighting lightweight fire engine red power armor with a some black striping and a prominent black "THREE" printed vertically on the left side of the chest.  The helmet is an opaque ovoid with an array of holo-camera recorder/emitter lenses covering the faceplate and a crown of short drone-control antennae.  A small cluster of lenses occupies the center of the chest and there are small lenses on the back of each gauntlet.  Her voice can be disguised behind a vocal masking effect that gives it a mechanical tone, but she usually leaves it off so she sounds more personable.

Gender: Female        Age: 32        Height: 5'7"        Eyes: Cornflower Blue

Hair: Blonde, Short     Skin: Tanned Year Round     Build: A Little Stocky

Approach: Tactician                         Archetype: Guerrilla

Health: 40 + (5 x H)

Powers: Illusions d8, Remote Viewing d8, Awareness d6, Power Suit d6

Qualities:  Creativity d10, Technology d8, Unethical Publicist d8, Stealth d6

Status: (# of Enemies Engaged) 4+ - d10 / 2-3 - d8 / 0-1 - d6

Abilities:

Good Under Pressure (I) At the start of your turn, gain a bonus equal to the number of opponents that Attacked you since your last turn.

Hard To Pin Down (I) If you are outnumbered by nearby opponents, reduce all damage dealt to you by two.

Scene Direction (A) Boost using Creativity.  Use your Max die.  That bonus applies to every ally's action until the start of your next turn.

Work With Me Here (A) Take a basic action using Technology.  Use your Max die.  One nearby ally takes the same basic action as their reaction.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Shooting Permit (I) +10 Health.  The heroes act as being in the Green zone for status die, ability access, and all abilities.  Heroes may remove this ability with three Overcome successes.  If a hero takes a minor twist while attempting these Overcomes, you may use a reaction to Hinder them by rolling your single Illusions die. 

Master of Profitability (I) If you have access to great wealth and other resources, automatically succeed at an Overcome to leverage those resources to get even richer, no matter who pays the price.

Tactics

Camera Three is the oddball in the group, with a much more up-front style where she tries to add to the heroes' confusion while getting close-up footage, all while also monitoring the full scene with remote microdrones.  In a fight she still stays close and draws attention, hoping to get the most out of Good Under Pressure and Hard To Pin Down.  If she's got a lot of allies in play her go-to move is Scene Direction with Illusions or Remote Viewing, setting up a global bonus for everyone.  If their side's numbers are running low she'll switch to Work With Me Here in conjunction with a single ally for whatever needs doing most.  Worth noting that Camera Two hates having her reaction "stolen" for this ability, and the rider won't work on her at all if she's already used her own reaction ability. 

Her upgrade represents the team doing extra prep work to seem legit, which can really leave heroes struggling.  Her mastery doesn't come up in combat often, although she's not above a little kleptomania when filming at a site with a lot of valuables.  

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The Camera Crew sometimes employs actual everyday thugs, but they prefer specially trained flunkies who know how to act harmless and mug to the cameras when there's an extra opportunity to make the heroes look bad.  They're being paid extremely well to keep their mouths shut if they do get caught out in any fakery, so they're not likely to provide any leads without using powers on them.

Crisis Actor d6 minion

Description: They're just regular people, right?  Right?  Heroes can't use excessive force on them no matter how much they get in the way.  The negative publicity would be terrible.

Faked Injuries: Any hero may take an Overcome action to remove you from play.  If they would generate a twist while doing so, roll your die, deal that much morale damage to the hero, and then you are removed from play.  This counts as the required twist, regardless of whether it was major or minor.

"Innocent" Bystanders: You may not be targeted by hero Attacks or take Attack actions yourself.  If you ever roll a zero or less on your die due to penalties you are removed from play without harm.

Please Move Along: NPC law enforcement officers may take an action to remove you from play automatically.

Everyday Thug d6 minion

Description: Petty criminals, but they are packing concealed heat courtesy of the Crew's backers.  They're not keen on fighting heroes but the pay (and promised legal services if arrested) makes them willing to give it a shot.  This is just day labor for them, they know nothing about any grander schemes.

Heart's Not Really In It: If you ever roll a zero or less on your die due to penalties you are removed from play without harm.

Playing Innocent, But Not Very Well: You may not be targeted by Attack actions until you've taken an action that targets anyone but yourself in the scene.

Camera One, Two, or Three d10 lieutenant 

Description: Any of the Camera Crew members as a lieutenant rather than a full villain, for use as needed.  They look just like their regular versions, of course.  When they use any of the abilities below, the source of the effect isn't immediately obvious and can only be detected by a hero succeeding at an Overcome, either during the scene or when reviewing events afterward. 

False Images: When you take an Overcome action to interact with a challenge, you gain a +2 bonus and you may choose to add an extra success to the total needed to complete the challenge rather than marking one off. 

Holo-Projectors: When you take a Hinder action you may Hinder multiple nearby targets.

Image Relays: When you Boost yourself, you may also Boost up to two allies.

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Campaign Notes

Who's behind this whole scheme is up to you and your campaign's established setting.  In my campaign their ultimate backers were the anti-supers group SEVER.  It could just as easily have been a carefully-concealed subsidiary of the corporation that funds Hothead instead if I'd wanted a smaller scope to things.  In the Sentinels setting, this could be a Glamour scheme, Baron Blade being unusually subtle, or (if you're running pre-Oblivaeon or an alternate future) the old villainous Revocorp.  The GM should also consider how long they want the Crew around before their cover is inevitably blown, and make allowances for the players derailing your plans and getting suspicious earlier.

If they're intended to be a simple one-and-done, the whole team can show up to film a minor crisis - a mundane bank robbery (maybe even using some of their minions as well) or a fight with a minor villain or two - and then more or less immediately betray themselves, turning the scene into a conventional brawl.  Consider adding a few rounds in Red depending on how long the Crew was pretending to be harmless photojournalists.  You could extend this to an issue or three by having them "play nice" for a few scenes before something gives them away, maybe gradually ramping up the number of "accidental" Hinders they take over time.

If you want them around for a collection or more, a slow burn approach where just a single Camera shows up for an action scene or two, then a pair of them, and finally the full team is a good approach.  Play them as helpful at first, let the players get used to them showing up often but not always.  In any scene where they're expected to remain "friendly" use the lieutenant version above, switching to the full villain writeup if their cover is blown and they start fighting for real.  If they took damage prior to such a switch, reduce their starting Health by 10 for each die step the lieutenant form lost from their starting d10.  If they do switch mid-scene, add at least one Red round to the scene tracker, two if in Yellow, and three if already in Red.

When playing the "long con" you'll need to work in some hints and clues for the heroes to investigate and there should be multiple opportunities for social scenes with Crew, either in uniform or (if they can be identified) in their civilian IDs.  Their personalities will influence how things go, and might very well lead to one or more of them betraying the rest.

Blog Content Index

Dead-Beat, C-List Freelance Team-Support Villain

A basic team-support villain, about one step beyond being a D-lister thanks to decent ability synergies.

Dead-Beat

Nick Wackerhut is one of a surprising number of former henchmen who gained powers as the result of accidental exposure to strange radiations during a fight between supers, and has gone on to a modestly successful career as a minor villain under the self-chosen supranym Dead-Beat.  Yes, he chose that name.  Nick is not the sharpest tool in the shed, but his experience at henching did instill a healthy respect for powered heroes and he has surprisingly realistic expectations about him winning any one-on-one fights with other supers.  He'll almost always be found as part of an ad-hoc team of other villains, and has a good reputation for being reliable and easy to work with (by villain standards, anyway).

As Dead-Beat, he's got moderate-to-strong super-strength and (after some practice that involved smacking face-first into walls and pavement for a while) knows how to use it for unexpected mobility.  His greatest power is general-purpose broad-spectrum energy manipulation, making him very good at absorbing, dampening, and redirecting all manner of attacks, including purely kinetic energy and even psychic powers - at least when he can detect them.  Dead-Beat can also re-purpose absorbed energy to enhance himself and his allies and provide some limited self-healing.

He's more of a defensive support guy than an offensive powerhouse, but most groups of villains can find a spot for him on a job.  Just don't count on him to do any planning.  He works best with clear instructions and predetermined objectives.

Description: A young man, perhaps of Middle Eastern or Mediterranean descent, rather average looking if wearing sunglasses and civilian clothing.  If dressed for "work" he has snug black bodysuit with white cuffs, collar and rectangular white panels on the limbs and torso, accessorized with white boots and loose trunks.  His head is left bare, revealing both his unnatural black eyes and his glorious mullet.  Speaks with a slight Northeastern US accent in a strong baritone.  Thinks he can get by in Spanish almost as well as English, but he's wrong.

Gender: Male        Age: Mid-Twenties        Height: 5'9"        Eyes: Black Voids

Hair: Black Mullet        Skin: Olive        Build: Average, Well-Defined Muscles 

Approach:  Leech                      Archetype:  Squad

Health:  20 + (5 x H)

Powers: Absorption d10, Strength d8, Leaping d6

Qualities: Fitness d8, Close Combat d8, Criminal Underworld Info d8, Energy Manipulator d8

Status: (# of other Villains) 3+ - d10 / 1-2 - d8 / 0 - d6

Abilities:

Dead-Beatdown!  (A) Attack one target using Strength.  Use your Max die.  Hinder that target using your Mid die.  Recovery Health equal to your Min die.

Energy Rerouting (R) When another villain is Attacked, Defend them by rolling your single status die.  Boost yourself using the amount of damage reduced.

Power Tap (R) When Attacked, Defend yourself by rolling your single Absorption die.  If this entirely negates the Attack, use the same roll to Hinder the Attacker and Boost yourself.

Reverse the Polarity (A) Boost using Energy Manipulator.  Boost another target using your Max die.  Defend yourself against all Attacks until your next turn using your Min die.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Power Upgrade (I) +20 Health.  Increase the die size of each of your powers by one step (maximum of d12).

Master of Superiority (I) As long as you are manifesting an effect related to a power you have at d12, automatically succeed at an Overcome involving usage of those powers.

Tactics

Dead-Beat really isn't interested in fighting other supers without some villainous allies along, and will concentrate on making a getaway if caught alone or if his partners have been KO'd or bailed.  With backup he's a pretty good team player, using Reverse the Polarity regularly to hand bonuses to more aggressive villains and his Energy Rerouting reaction to protect his allies.  If directly Attacked Power Tap gives him a very strong self-defense reaction, and he'll usually respond by giving his Attacker a Dead-Beatdown! in return.  He always tries to use one of his reactions every round, and tends to use the bonuses he racks up as fast as he gains them - frequently by rolling them into the next reaction or the healing rider on his one offensive move.

He'll usually only have his upgrade if he was just glutted with absorbed energy recently, which also gives him a mastery that functions with any of his Absorption-based bonuses.

Blog Content Index

Roughhouse, Psionic Brawler

A psychic villain-for-hire who actually wants to get in a brawl for a change.  If you're using any of the Syracuse Seven stuff on the blog, he's a minor nemesis of fellow mutant super Meteoric, who was a classmate at the same training academy a few years back. 

Roughhouse

Vinson "Call Me Vin" Barlowe is a young mutant whose powers manifested about five years ago, leading to a brief petty crime spree and him being remanded to mandatory attendance at a specialized academy in upstate New York.  He didn't take well to the training and left as soon as he'd satisfied his legal requirements.  From there he gleefully took to a life of super-crime under the supranym Roughhouse, acting as a muscle for hire for mundane criminals or a useful distraction for other, more experienced villains.  He hasn't been back in a courthouse yet, but it's really only a matter of time.

Roughhouse's power set is a bit of a rarity as a physically-oriented psychic who enjoys getting into a fistfight.  He has quite potent telekinesis that he uses to protect himself and add a great deal of hitting power to his blows, but it doesn't project well beyond five or six feet.  Many of the common TK tricks (like manipulating things at a distance) are beyond him because of this.  He can easily lift a car, but not from a block away.  He can also manage modest self-levitation through his TK, which is mostly used for reaching airborne foes.  For mobility Roughhouse relies on fast, accurate teleportation, which he's practiced until he can employ it alongside his TK in a variety of surprising and effective combat moves.  

Description: A well-tanned young man sporting an impressive mohawk and rather a lot of body piercings.  He generally wears plain biker leathers, spiked gloves and boots when "working" and conceals his facial features with a combined bandit mask and face cloth held in place with his telekinesis.  He has a slight Pennsylvanian accent, and saying the word "ask" properly is apparently just too much to "axe" of him.  Speaks Spanish very, very badly.

Gender: Male        Age: Early Twenties        Height: 5'11"        Eyes: Hazel

Hair: Black Mohawk, Tipped Green     Skin: California Tan      Build: A Little Thin

Approach: Leech                         Archetype: Guerrilla

Health:  35 + (5 x H)

Powers: Telekinesis d10, Teleportation d8, Flight d6

Qualities:  Acrobatics d8, Banter d8, Criminal Underworld Info d8, Psionic Mutant Brawler d8 

Status: (# of Enemies Engaged) 4+ - d10 / 2-3 - d8 / 0-1 - d6

Abilities:

Assault, Battery and More Assault (A) Attack using Psionic Mutant Brawler.  Use your Max die against one target, your Mid die against a second target, and your Min die against a third target.  If you Attack three targets, the damage is all irreducible.

Displacement Cascade (A) Hinder multiple targets using Teleportation.  Recover Health equal to your Min die.  If you roll doubles, also Attack one of those targets using your Max die.

Sucker Play (A) Attack one target using Psionic Mutant Brawler.  Use your Max + Min die.  Defend against all Attacks from targets other than that target with your Mid die until your next turn.  All Defended damage is dealt to the target of your Attack instead.

TK Block (R) When Attacked, Defend yourself by rolling your single Telekinesis die.  If this negates the Attack entirely, also Hinder the Attacker and Boost yourself using that roll.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Group Fighter (I) +20 Health.  When you take an action that lets you make an Attack, also make an Attack using your Mid die.

Master Mercenary (I) If you have a contract for a specific task, automatically succeed at an Overcome when your payment is at stake.

Tactics

Roughhouse fights for kicks as much as he does for money and really enjoys showing off his combat moves.  He tends to be overconfident about being able to escape with a timely teleport if things go wrong.  If he wants to single someone out from a team he'll use Sucker Play to deliver TK-enhanced punches and then use teleportation to blink around his victim at short range in hopes of misdirecting foes so they strike his target.  Against multiple foes he'll pile on the damage by teleporting between them rapidly and striking them from unexpected angles using Assault, Battery and More Assault.  He'll use TK Block selectively, trying to maximize his chance of fully preventing damage to get the big rider effects off the reaction.  Displacement Cascade is a mostly defensive maneuver, porting around the battlefield telekinetically shoving foes off balance while also popping some painkillers and looking for an opening to land a big hit.

His upgrade makes him even better in a brawl, and his mastery reflects getting an extra-big paycheck for motivation.    

Blog Content Index

Bodycount, Deceased Serial Killer

This particular villain is extremely dead in my campaign continuity, having never even made an appearance in the game and existing solely as a reference in the post about the other Bodycount.  He doesn't fill a useful slot in my villain collection when I've got the Silent Harvester around, so I wasn't going to bother with going into more detail about him.  Still, villains don't always stay dead, time travel happens, and other folks might want a diabolically empowered serial killer, so here's a quickie writeup.

If he ever does come back, the woman who took his life and his supranym will be quick to hunt him down and vivisect him to figure out why killing him the first time didn't stick. Probably less painful being in actual Hell than dealing with Annabelle Grant's scientific method.

Bodycount

This Bodycount is a supernaturally-empowered serial killer who prefers to prey on mundane victims, particularly conventionally attractive young women.  He's an easily-overlooked nebbish until he strikes at his current prey, at which point he manifests the disturbing supernatural abilities granted to him by the diabolic entities that whisper commands in his head.  His powers let him manipulate shadowy infernal energies a little bit, blanketing a small area with hellish shapes and he can cling to surfaces like some great dark spider, but his signature weapon is the literal demon's tongue in his mouth.  Aside from honeying his words when need be, the thing can extend to absurd lengths, slice the most durable flesh like a razor and even grab and manipulate small objects or strangle a foe.  Not a real terror to supers under normal circumstances, but very dangerous when attacking a lone victim from ambush and far too much for mundane law enforcement to deal with.

What his origin or real name is, or why he was empowered, or what his diabolic masters really want is up to you.  In my games he's dead, and not answering questions.

Description: A blandly unobtrusive figure in civilian garb, barely worth a second glance except for an ever-so-slightly twisted posture.  If you catch him while hunting, he wreathes himself cloying shadow-shapes whose touch burns like acid, scuttles across walls and ceilings like a bizarre humanoid spider, and distends his jaw to unleash an eight foot long prehensile forked tongue.

Gender: Male                   Age: 38              Height: 5'10"              Eyes: Brown

Hair: Oily Brown        Skin: Caucasian        Build: Slightly Crooked

Approach: Leech                     Archetype: Predator

Health: 30 + (5 x H)

Powers: Demon's Tongue d10, Infernal d8, Wall-Crawling d6

Qualities: Fitness d8, Murderous Sociopath d8, Persuasion d8, Stealth d8

Status: (# of Enemies Engaged) 0-1 - d10 / 2-3 - d8 / 4+ - d6

Abilities:

Cutting Word (R) When Attacked, Defend yourself by rolling your single Demon's Tongue die.  If this negates the Attack completely, use the same roll to Hinder the Attacker and Boost yourself.

Hellish Phantasms (A) Hinder multiple targets using Infernal.  Recover Health equal to your Min die.  If you roll doubles, also Attack one of those targets using your Max die.

Homicidal Instinct (A) Attack using Murderous Sociopath.  Use your Max die.  If the target has a penalty you created or is in the Red zone, use your Max + Mid dice instead.

Stalking Killer (A) Boost yourself using Stealth.  Use your Max die.  That bonus is persistent and exclusive.  Defend yourself against all Attacks using your Mid die until the start of your next turn.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Quality Upgrade (I) +20 Health.  Increase the die size of each of your qualities except Murderous Sociopath by one step (maximum of d12).

Master of the Unfathomable (I) If you are in a situation involving eldritch forces, automatically succeed at an Overcome to do the bidding of otherworldly entities beyond human concerns.

Tactics

Bodycount prefers to prey on mundane victims, but occasionally his diabolic patrons demands he hunt more dangerous targets.  He's uncomfortable facing multiple foes, and will try to find a way to ambush an isolated foe.  Stalking Killer lets him set up for such opportunities, and when he finds an opening he'll launch his assault with Homicidal Instinct, which he usually uses with Demon's Tongue in the pool but works fine with Infernal or even d4 mundane weapons.  If possible he'll try to establish a penalty beforehand with Hellish Phantasms to enhance his damage, which is also his ability of choice when forced to deal with more than one enemy at a time.  Cutting Word gives him a very strong defensive reaction as long as it completely blocks all damage, so he may accept a strong hit and hope for a weaker one later to maximize the utility of the reaction.

In my continuity this Bodycount was killed before getting an upgrade, but he might have earned one eventually through doing his masters' bidding.  If he was returned from the dead by them they might even grant him the added boon in the process.  His mastery would reflect him meeting the ever-increasing demands of those who empower him.

Even with an upgrade, the other Bodycount will kick his ass reliably.  Her abilities make a laughably bad matchup for him even with a mass Hinder to more than halve the minion damage she'll be dealing out to him.

Blog Content Index

Mega-Roach, Monstrous Mutant Insect

Giant insects are classic monster-comic fare, and here's a typical example.  By kaiju standards it's a bit on the small size - only about as big as a bus - but could show up in multiples for something like Gorgiza to snack on.

Mega-Roach

The giant mutated insects the media have dubbed "Mega-Roaches" have been making occasional appearances since the 1950s atomic testing period, but they're becoming more common over time despite efforts to exterminate them for good.  These attempts are complicated by the fact that the creatures leak mutagenic substances that can create more of their kind from normal vermin.  Various supervillains have also been known to create these things for use as distractions for other schemes, and a rare few (like King Kockroach) can control them directly.

Individual mega-roaches vary quite a bit, but they're generally about 40' long and have at least six legs.  Even the ones whose wings aren't hopelessly stunted or deformed by mutations weigh far to much to fly, but they remain quite able to scuttle up suitably large buildings and geographic features.  They don't appear to be interested in anything beyond food - and humans are a nice mouthful for them - but you never can tell when a super-intelligent one with psychic powers might show up. 

Description: A cockroach the size of a bus, sporting various mutations like extra limbs, antennae and compound eyes.  Oily toxic goop oozes from the joints in its carapace and limbs and its mandibles constantly drool sticky greenish-black toxic saliva. 

Gender: It's A Roach            Age: Unknown      Height: ~12'          Eyes: Black

Hair: Not Really     Exoskeletal Carapace: Oily Brown     Build: Giant Mutated Roach

Approach: Leech

Archetype: Titan (Status Challenge: Study Exoskeletal Weaknesses 00  Breach the Soft Spot 0)

Health:  45 + (5 x H)

Powers: Biochemical Arsenal d10, Strength d8, Wall-Crawling d6

Qualities: Alertness d8, Close Combat d8, Fitness d8, Gargantuan Mutant Cockroach d8

Status: Titan Challenge Start - d12 / Stage 1 Completed - d10 / Stage 2 Completed - d8

Abilities:

Mutated Exoskeleton (I) Reduce all damage you take by 6 (at d12 status), 4 (at d10 status), or 2 (at d8 or less status).

Sticky Spittle & Grinding Mandibles (A) Attack using Strength.  Use your Max die.  The target can either be Hindered using your Max + Mid + Min dice, or be unable to take actions other than using an Overcome to attempt to escape.

Stinking Exudations (A) Hinder multiple targets using Biochemical Arsenal.  Recover Health equal to your Min die.  If you roll doubles, also Attack one of those targets using your Max die.

Sudden Spit (R) When Attacked, Defend yourself by rolling your single Biochemical Arsenal die.  If this negates the Attack entirely, use the same roll to Hinder the Attacker and Boost yourself.

Urban Decay In Action (A) Activate one of the environment's twists in its current zone.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Power Upgrade (I) +20 Health.  Increase all Power dice sizes by one (max d12).

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.

Tactics

Despite its imposing size, a Mega-Roach relies as much on its nasty chemical secretions as much as raw physical might in combat.  Its primary offensive ability it to use its Sticky Spittle & Grinding Mandibles to maul prey while trapping them in a gooey mass of toxic saliva.  It makes every effort to exploit the turn sequence to first trap a target and then apply a big penalty and further damage to keep the victim helpless until the bug can finish them off.  They rely on their Mutated Exoskeleton and Sudden Spit reaction to minimize the damage they take.  When injured they use Stinking Exudations to simultaneously heal and apply penalties to multiple foes, spending all the hoarded bonuses from their excellent reaction to buff those effects for maximum effect - and they might even get to deal some damage if they roll doubles.  When lacking an obvious target it can also use its size and mass to trigger environmental twists with Urban Decay In Action, complicating the scene no end as it hunts for suitable victims to devour. 

Their upgrade reflects an older, more mature Mega-Roach (the base stats are young ones), and their mastery is exactly what you'd expect from a giant monster.  

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City In Peril Environment 

Represents any generic urban area that's under attack from big, destructive threats like rampaging giant robots, kaiju, bombardment by massed artillery, or death ray attacks from orbiting alien spaceships.

Crumbling Architecture d8, Dangerous Infrastructure d8, Screaming Crowds d10

Green Zone

(Minor Twists)

Blinding Smoke: Roll the environment dice.  Hinder all targets with the Min die.

Falling Debris: Roll the environment dice.  Attack all targets with the Min die.

Trapped Civilian: Roll the environment dice.  Start challenge.  Rescue Citizen: 0  Hinder all heroes with the value of the Min die until this challenge is completed.

(Major Twist)

Leaking Gas Lines: Start challenge.  Prevent Explosion: 0  Timer: 0  Triggered: Advance the scene tracker by one. 

Yellow Zone

(Minor Twists)

Buried Under the Rubble: Roll the environment dice.  Hinder one hero with the Mid die, and Attack that hero with the Min die.

Broken Power Line: Roll the environment dice.  Attack one hero with the Max die.

Police Assistance: Roll the environment dice.  Boost two heroes with the Mid die.

(Major Twist)

Panicking Crowd: Roll the environment dice.  Start multi-stage challenge.  Calm Civilians 0  Evacuate Civilians 00  Heroes cannot Overcome the second stage on the same round that the first stage is completed.  Hinder all heroes with the value of the Mid die until this challenge is completed. 

Red Zone

(Minor Twists)

Just Keeps Getting Worse: Trigger three different minor twists from the Green or Yellow zones.

Raging Fires: Roll the environment dice.  Hinder all targets using the Mid die.  Attack all targets using the Min die.

(Major Twist)

Collapsing Buildings: Roll the environment dice.  Start timed challenge.  Avoid Collapse 0 Timer 0  Each hero must Overcome this challenge individually.  Triggered: Each hero that failed to complete this challenge is Attacked with the Max + Min dice, and all minions and lieutenants are removed from the scene.

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Villain Design Analysis: Approaches Part 5 - Leech & Mastermind

Continuing from yesterday's post, more villain Approaches:

Leech

Leech grants average Power dice, below-average Quality dice and Health, and two ability choices.  Their abilities are:  

Hypnotic Gaze - Solid defensive reaction that becomes very good if it blocks all damage, at which point it self-Boosts and Hinders the Attacker.  The wording is a bit wonky and should really replace "that target" with "the attacker" instead.

Life Drain - Efficient Attack bundled with same-target Hinder and minor healing, uses all three of your dice.

Power Consumption - Unusual reaction that preemptively destroys a bonus used to Attack you and adds it to die roll for major healing.  Once foes know you have this they'll probably just not use bonuses to Attack you, which is still helpful but makes it a bit of a one-use trick. 

Siphoning Wither - Strong Hinder bundled with a freely targeted Boost. 

Unnerving Whispers - Multi-target Hinder with minor healing.  Adds a strong single-target Attack if you roll doubles.

Violent Vitality - Decent Attack with a minor but persistent and exclusive Boost that can target anyone.

The list has a good-to-great defensive reaction, two good Attack options, two good Hindering tricks, and a rather strange reaction that translates to a big heal and then nearly shutting off bonuses when Attacking you.  Even has a bit of Boosting scattered around, most of which can target allies.  Three of the abilities include some healing, which can compensate for the slightly low Health.

I can't see what you'd really need to add that would stay on theme, since messing with foes' dice sizes is the domain of the Dampening Approach rather than the Leech.  Still, villains being villains one idea for a homebrew ability does suggest itself:

Uncontrollable Hunger (A) Attack using [Power].  Use your Max die.  Hinder the same target using your Min die.  If you target an ally with this ability, also use your Mid die to both Boost yourself and Recover that much Health.

That gives you a fairly weak ability for use against foes that becomes much stronger if you treacherously assault a fellow villain or (more likely) hapless minion.  Seems about right. 

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Mastermind

The Mastermind has narrow but strong Power dice, an extremely large number of Quality dice with average die sizes, average base Health, and two ability choices off this list:

Contingencies Upon Contingencies - Good self-Boost that can either be made persistent and exclusive, or you can self-Boost again with your other two dice.

If My Calculations Are Correct... - Reaction to take one damage for a reroll on your own dice or a hero who's Attacking or Hindering you.  About as versatile as this kind of dice-fixing gets.

Exploit Weakness - Mediocre Attack bundled with a strong multi-target Hinder. 

Reversal of Fortune - Reaction that uniquely Boosts you using an Attacker's Max die.  Doesn't prevent any damage, though.

Prepared for Anything - Unique reaction that lets you self-Boost at the start of your turn if you have no bonuses in play. 

Villainous Monologue - Multi-target Hinder that affects every foe that can see or hear you, so feel free to phone it in from safety.  Villains with this trick love having access to public address systems, television broadcasts and the like.  Has a good self-Boost bundled with it for added spice.

This is a really selfish Approach, with multiple self-Boost options and none for allies.  Very little in the way of Attacks but there are two very strong Hinder options.  Despite having three reactions to choose from it doesn't have a direct way to reduce incoming damage, although if it hands out loads of penalties that can help a lot. Unusually, all of its keyed abilities use a Quality despite having a d12 Power die.

It's tempting to add something homebrewed to this to make up for having so many reactions on the list, but given how different most of the abilities are I don't think it's needed for variety. 

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Continued in part 6.

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The Court of Entropy, A Demon King's Inner Circle

The Court of Entropy is a group of extradimensional entities forming the demonic royalty of their home realm.  Each is a unique horror but they all work together to expand their domain and increase their power by collecting the souls of mortals.  Encountering them on Earth (or even on Earth's dimensional plane) would be the result of a major summoning ritual or a catastrophic dimensional breach, the kind of thing that might draw the attention of Johnny Crisis.  They're more likely to be met in their own hell-plane by mystical or dimension-hopping heroes.  

Facing all of them at once is a challenge for a full team of heroes, and likely to be a climactic battle for a whole story arc.  Using only two or three of them in a scene augmented by lieutenants and a dangerous environment will be more manageable while retaining some of their team synergies.

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Yan-Gannoth the Nadir King

Monarch of the Court of Entropy, Yan-Gannoth is an ageless inhuman entity who embodies the principle of entropy, decay and mortality.  Mortals and their world interest him only as potential sources of subsistence, and he has no fear of any mere human no matter their powers.  That may not work out well for him when confronted by superheroes who can punch a mountain into rubble and resist even the will of a demon lord.

Description: A towering skeletally-thin giant, garbed in rusted, tattered plate and chain armor and bearing a high-spiked crown of gray metal on its brow.  It radiates an overwhelming aura of despair and dull pain.  Rust, rot and mold form a spreading blight wherever it goes.  It rarely uses its echoing sepulchral voice with mortals.  Most commonly encountered seated upon its Throne of Entropy (see below).

Gender: Male?              Age: Immortal             Height: Usually 20'                Eyes: Gray

Hair: Gray                 Skin: Gray                    Build: Horrifically Gaunt

Approach:  Ancient                    Archetype:  Squad

Health:  35 + (5 x H)

Powers: Suggestion d12, Infernal d10, Strength d10, Size-Changing d8                                     

Qualities: Conviction d12, Magical Lore d12, Persuasion d10, Demonic Royalty d8, Otherworldly Mythos d8

Status: (# of other Villains) 3+ - d10 / 1-2 - d8 / 0 - d6

Abilities:

Demonic Supremacy (A) Hinder multiple targets using Suggestion.  Use your Max die.  Attack each target using your Mid + Min dice.

Entropy Is Eternal (I) If you would be reduced to zero Health and you don't have a penalty, roll your single Strength die and your Health becomes the value rolled. 

My Servants Are Sacrosanct (R) When another villain is Attacked, Defend them by rolling your single status die. Boost yourself using the amount of damage reduced.

The Court Empowers Me (I) Increase damage you deal by the number of nearby non-minion allies.

Upgrades & Masteries (usually in effect):

Defense Shield (I) You cannot be damaged by anything except yourself until the defense shield is destroyed.  The shield has 40 Health, or can be deactivated with three Overcome successes.  If a hero takes a minor twist working on the shield, you can use a Reaction to Attack that hero by rolling your single Suggestion die.  Gain Reestablish Shield (A) Overcome using Infernal.  Use your Max die.  On a success remove one success from the deactivation challenge.  Alternatively, instead of an Overcome, use your Max die to Recover that much of the shield's Health.  This ability cannot be used if the shield has been completely removed.

Master of Superiority (I) As long as you are manifesting an effect related to a power you have at d12, automatically succeed at an Overcome involving usage of those powers.

Tactics

Yan-Gannoth is demonic royalty and rarely deigns to acknowledge any single foe, leaving that to his court and lesser followers.  Instead he remains seated on his Throne of Entropy and uses Demonic Supremacy to grind all opposition into surrender with sheer psychic pressure, augmented by The Court Empowers Me.  His Defense Shield upgrade makes him very hard to harm, and if he is somehow reduced to zero Health Entropy Is Eternal will keep him in the fight unless he's been Hindered beforehand.  While he cares little for his minor servants he will respond to assaults on his courtiers with My Servants Are Sacrosanct.  Yan-Gannoth's mastery is extremely easy to use with the number of Suggestion-based penalties he spreads around.

He prefers to remain at his full twenty foot height but may diminish himself to more modest proportions if need be.  Doing so in response to something a mere mortal has done is a sign of grudging respect - or seething fury if his courtiers have been defeated and his Throne broken.

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Throne of Entropy

The Throne of Entropy is a construct rather than a creature.  It exists solely to serve the Court of Entropy, and will obey any instruction form Yan-Gannoth without hesitation.  If left without guidance, it will attempt to withdraw to its own dimension, bearing any defeated allies with it if possible.  It's probably the most dangerous piece of furniture the heroes will ever encounter, or at least the biggest.  

Description: A massive platform made of tarnished gold inscribed with countless arcane runes, roughly circular with hundreds of multicolored stylized eyes around its rim.  A huge high-backed throne scaled for a 20' tall occupant is centered on it, and the whole apparatus is borne on four thick, columnar legs which fold beneath it when its rider wishes to dismount.

Gender: None        Age: Unknown      Height: 45'      Eyes: Polychromatic

Build: Gigantic Ambulatory Dais Bearing A Huge Throne

Approach: Specialized

Archetype: Titan (Status Challenge: Deface Runes 00  Crack Hellcrystal Core 0)

Health:  50 + (5 x H)

Powers: Strength d8, Presence d10

Qualities: Imposing d12, Close Combat d8, Demonic Construct d8

Status: Titan Challenge Start - d12 / Stage 1 Completed - d10 / Stage 2 Completed - d8

Abilities:

All-Seeing Eyes (I) Whenever you Attack a target that you have already dealt damage to at least once already in this scene, gain a +1 persistent and exclusive bonus against that target.

Eye of Terror (A) Hinder one target using Imposing.  Use your Max die.  Attack that target using your Mid die.

Invulnerable Demonic Construct (I) Reduce all damage you take by 6 (at d12 status), 4 (at d10 status), or 2 (at d8 or less status).

Layered Defenses (R) When Attacked by a roll that includes doubles, remove one success from the Titan's Challenge.

Looming Behemoth (A) Attack multiple targets using Strength.  Hinder those targets using your Min die.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Group Fighter (I) +20 Health.  When you take an action that lets you make an Attack, also make an Attack using your Mid die.

Master of the Unfathomable (I) If you are in a situation involving eldritch forces, automatically succeed at an Overcome to do the bidding of eldritch entities beyond human concerns.

Tactics

The Throne of Entropy primarily exists to carry Yan-Gannoth in style, but it will take an active part in a battle to defend its rider or itself.  Looming Behemoth lets it literally put its foot down, producing devastating shockwaves and getting the bonus from All-Seeing Eyes started on multiple targets at once.  Eye of Terror is a single-beam attack that terrifies a foe with supernatural energy.  Invulnerable Demonic Construct and Layered Defenses combine to make it quite hard to hurt.  It frequently uses a basic action to Defend its rider rather than other abilities.

Its upgrade improves its damage a fair bit, while its mastery applies when following orders from Yan-Gannoth or any other demon lords that might be present.  Of all the Court members the Throne of Entropy is least likely to have an upgrade, as it's mostly a gigantic piece of animated furniture.

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Urakk the Unmaker

Urakk is the most learned member of the Court of Entropy, and is usually the first entity Yan-Gannoth will consult when in need of information.  He has great power over the tools of mortal beings, manifesting the entropic principle in the form of failing machinery, broken tools, rusting weapons and similar technological decay.  Vindictive in the extreme, Urakk prefers to work with an ally to drag down whichever foe has angered him most, greedily pursuing any who flee so that he can take them as a specimen for his collection of bottled mortals back in his home dimension.      

Description: In its natural form, a tall, narrow-shoulder humanoid with an oversized head sporting half a dozen staring eyes beneath a mane of long squirming tentacles in place of hair.  It wears tattered, mold-stained robes of gray and white that mostly conceal its scaly green skin, digitigrade legs and taloned feet.  Its voice is high and strained, with a deathly rattle to its breathing.

Gender: Male?              Age: Immortal           Height: 6'9"          Eyes: Jade Green

Hair: Coiling Gray Tendrils           Skin: Dull Green, Scaled            Build: Macrocephalic

Approach: Relentless                            Archetype: Inhibitor

Health:  30 + (5 x H)

Powers: Transmutation d10, Infernal d8, Awareness d6                                        

Qualities: Magical Lore d10, Demonic Sage d8, Otherworldly Mythos d8, History d6

Status: (# of heroes with penalties) 0 - d6 / 1-2 - d8 / 3+ - d10

Abilities:

Accelerated Decay (R) When Attacked by someone with a penalty you created, Defend by rolling your single status die.  The Attacker also suffers that much damage.

Augment Harm  (R) When one of your allies Attacks an opponent, roll your single Magical Lore die and add that amount of damage to the Attack.

Entropic Evocation (A) Hinder multiple targets using Transmutation.  Use your Max die.  Attack one of those targets using your Mid die.

Fearsome Pursuit (R) When an opponent moves away from you, you may follow them and Hinder them by rolling your single status die. 

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Group Fighter (I) +20 Health.  When you take an action that lets you make an Attack, also make an Attack using your Mid die.

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.

Tactics

Urakk despises the tools of science and technology above all else, and prefers to use Entropic Evocation to spread "creeping decay" penalties around multiple targets.  He has a number of reactions to choose from each turn, and will usually employ one at the first opportunity.  Fearsome Pursuit lets him chase down fleeing foes and interfere with tactical repositioning, Augment Harm lets him add significant damage to an ally's Attack, and Accelerated Decay gives him a strong response to Attackers suffering one of his penalties.

His upgrade doubles the amount of raw damage he hands out with his sole offensive ability, and his mastery lets him revel in the destruction of man-made structures and items while intimidating and distracting foes.

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Shaggom the Unyielding

Shaggom is the guardian of the Court, focused narrowly on preventing harm to his king and his fellow courtiers.  If he has motivations or interests beyond that it doesn't show.  If he fails in his duties he'll fight till destroyed, and will gladly remain behind to cover any retreat.  Yan-Gannoth treats his Throne with more respect than Shaggom and will sacrifice him without a second thought.. 

Description: A powerfully built humanoid in heavy plated armor covered in rust.  Its head is a featureless ovoid but it still seems preternaturally alert to its surroundings.  It "speaks" inside your head in a lifeless monotone.  

Gender: Male?       Age: Immortal      Height: 8'10"     Eyes: None

Hair: None              Skin: Dull Black Stained The Color Of Dried Blood        Build: Hulking

Approach: Dampening                           Archetype: Bruiser

Health:  45 + (5 x H)

Powers: Infernal d10, Strength d8, Vitality d8                                        

Qualities: Imposing d10, Alertness d8, Close Combat d8, Demonic Warden d8

Status: Green Zone Health - d6 / Yellow Zone Health - d8 / Red Zone Health - d10

Abilities:

Curse of Terror (A) Hinder using Infernal.  Use your Max die.  This penalty is persistent and exclusive.  As long as this penalty is on the target, reduce their highest power die of your choice by one die size.  Attack using your Mid die.

Entropic Invincibility (R) When Attacked by a hero with a penalty, ignore their damage and remove a penalty on that hero.

Seize and Slam (A) Attack one target using Strength.  Use your Max die.  Either Hinder that target using your Mid die or Attack another nearby target using your Mid die.

Warden of the Court (A) When a nearby ally would be Attacked, you may become the target of that Attack instead.  You may use this reaction any number of times in a round by taking one irreducible damage for each time past the first.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Group Fighter (I) +20 Health.  When you take an action that lets you make an Attack, also make an Attack using your Mid die.

Master of the Unfathomable (I) If you are in a situation involving eldritch forces, automatically succeed at an Overcome to do the bidding of eldritch entities beyond human concerns.

Tactics

Shaggom is the most militant member of the Court and focuses on defending his allies with judicious use of Warden of the Court.  Spreading lasting penalties around with Curse of Terror also helps limit incoming damage, and Entropic Invincibility blocks damage from anyone with a penalty from any source, something the whole Court hands out plenty of.  Once he's got enough penalties out he'll switch to Seize and Slam for more damage output, either throwing heroes around in melee or hurling battlefield debris at a distance.

His upgrade further ramps up his damage, and his mastery reflects his absolute loyalty to the royalty of his hell-dimension.

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Vorrin the Frozen-Hearted

Vorrin is the Court's spymaster and assassin, and frequently has his own schemes in progress either with or without Yan-Gannoth's knowledge.  His shape-changing powers let him infiltrate the mortal world, where he's most likely encountered in the company of demonic cultists.  Vorrin's entropic powers manifest as freezing cold and stillness, the ultimate inertia on the molecular level.  He and Urakk are sometimes at odds due to Vorrin's secretive nature and Urakk's endless curiosity.

Description: Tall, rail-thin figure with a prominent hunched back that bears a second, distorted face looking backward from the hump.  It wears nothing but checkerboard leggings in rusty orange and brownish black.  Its main head speaks only in a whisper, trying not to disturb its secondary head which roars and bellows nonsense when annoyed.  It exudes a chilling aura of bitter cold and muted sounds, and is often coated in a layer of peeling frost when employing its powers.

Gender: Male?        Age: Immortal     Height: 6'7"      Eyes: Saffron Yellow

Hair: Long Bleached White             Skin: Eggshell White             Build: Scarecrow Thin Hunchback

Approach:  Leech

Archetype:  Formidable (Weakness: Heat, Radiant)

Health:  40 + (5 x H)

Powers: Cold d10, Absorption d8, Shape-Shifting d6                                 

Qualities: Demonic Spymaster d8, Finesse d8, Magical Lore d8, Otherworldly Mythos d8

Status: No Weakness Penalties - d12 / Both Bonuses and Penalties - d8 / Only Weakness Penalties - d4

Abilities:

Feast On Your Power (R) When a bonus is used against you on an Attack or Hinder, you may first destroy that bonus.  If you do so, roll your single Absorption die and recover Health equal to the roll plus the value of the destroyed bonus.

Frozen Shroud (A) Hinder multiple targets using Cold.  Recover Health equal to your Min die.  If you roll doubles, also Attack one of those targets using your Max die.

Mantle of Ice (A) Boost using Cold.  Use your Max + Min dice.  Remove all penalties on yourself.

Unnatural Talent (A) Take any basic action using your Max die.

Upgrades & Masteries:

Power Dampening Field (I) +10 Health.  While the scene is in the green zone, all heroes' powers of d8 or higher are reduced by one die size.  In the Yellow zone all of the heroes' powers of d10 or higher are reduced by one additional step (two die sizes total).  In the Red zone, all heroes' power dice are treated as d4.  Heroes can remove this upgrade with three overcome successes.  If a hero takes a minor twist while taking these Overcomes, they lose access to a power until this upgrade is removed.

Master of Mysticism (I) If you have access to proper materials, automatically succeed at an Overcome in a situation involving harnessing magical forces.

Tactics

Vorrin is a cautious but versatile fighter thanks to Unnatural Talent, but will usually rely on Frozen Shroud to pile on penalties and heal a bit when damaged.  Feast On Your Power makes it hard to use bonuses against him and works even when the ability targets multiple villains, so it can be a group defense as well as a personal one.  If Hindered with heat or radiance-based penalties he'll resort to Mantle of Ice as soon as possible to keep his status die up.

His upgrade gives him a strong passive debuff that will require serious effort to remove and his magical talents are reflected in his mastery.

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The Court of Entropy is often accompanied by a few lesser servants, most commonly demonic mockeries of human knights of old. 

Knight of Ruin d10 lieutenant

Description: Demonic entities that usually manifest as bloodstained medieval knights in rusting, decayed armor with battered and chipped blades.  Some may be mounted on swaybacked steeds in equally decrepit barding but these are just for show, part of the knight itself.  They can appear as something else at their master's whim, but always display the marks of entropy in some way.

Drawn To Weakness:  You gain a +1 bonus to Attack actions for each penalty on your target.

Entropic Contagion: When rolling to save against damage from Attacks you automatically fail.  Hinder the Attacker using the result of your save.

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