TEXT: Rise of the Tyrant
  Rise of the Tyrant
  An Urban Adventure
  for 4-6 heroes of PL 10
  by Amber Scott
  
  SuggeSted PL: 10
  RequiRed BookS: M&M Deluxe Hero’s HanDbook, M&M Deluxe 
  GaMeMaster’s GuiDe
  SuggeSted BookS: FreeDoM City, tHirD eDition; tHreat report
  The peace of an ordinary afternoon in the big city is shattered when a 
  berserk robot charges into traffic. The resulting chaos is bad enough, 
  but the bizarre incident takes on more sinister tones when respond-
  ing superheroes track the rogue construct to a robotics factory. A con-
  founding supervillain known as Conundrum overpowered the factory 
  workers before making off with valuable technology and parts. But 
  how does a puzzle-master come by a gang of robots?
  Tracking down the supervillain is only one step toward restoring 
  peace to the city. For the further the superheroes investigate, the 
  more apparent it becomes that a larger plan is unfolding. A new and 
  dangerously powerful supervillain lurks in the shadows, and he won’t 
  be satisfied until the whole world languishes under his rule. Can the 
  superheroes discover the dastardly plan and bring the villain to justice 
  before the Earth is forever changed?
  Rise of the Tyrant is a classic four-color adventure for four to six PL 10 
  heroes. It introduces rules gradually and is an ideal first step into the 
  world and rules of Mutants & Masterminds.
  SECRET ORIGINS
  In the primordial past, a series of meteor strikes permanently altered 
  the environment and development of one fledgling Earth in the mul-
  tiverse. The dinosaurs that survived the impact adapted to their new 
  home, eventually evolving into a powerful and intelligent Saurian 
  race. They crushed the burgeoning primate culture that developed 
  alongside them, enslaving the simians to develop their empire.
  Millenia later, the Saurians had become a terrifying world power split 
  into constantly warring blocs. A devastating Final War ravaged the 
  Earth and nearly destroyed all sentient life, but one surviving Sauri-
  an, the brilliant scientist and inventor Sssethas Ruul, decided that he 
  could not let his people die out forever.
  Ruul discovered that other Earths existed in dimensions parallel to his 
  own. He tore through the fabric of reality and crossed into one of these 
  dimensions in search of a new home for the dwindling Saurian people. 
  He found another Earth, but one where simians had become the dom-
  inant species: Earth-Prime.
  Now going by the name Cerebrus Rex, Ruul plans to scour the Earth 
  of its disgusting primates and turn the planet into a new home for the 
  Saurian empire. His latest plan is to construct an interdimensional por-
  RISE OF THE TYRANT
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  1
  
  tal through which he can march his armies and conquer the world. He 
  has struck a deal with a simian supervillain—a befuddling riddle-mas-
  ter known as Conundrum—to acquire parts for finishing his Saurian 
  Gate. Rex feels no obligation to uphold bargains struck with primates, 
  though, and cuts Conundrum loose the moment the man becomes 
  too much trouble. Then he returns to work on the Saurian Gate, com-
  ing ever closer to the day when his plan can be realized.
  IN THIS EXCITING ISSUE… 
  Cerebrus Rex came from a world ruled by intelligent dinosaurs. He 
  finds Earth, with its primate civilization, a gross parody of his glorious 
  home. Rex plans to open a portal from his home world to Earth, bring-
  ing through armies of dinosaurs with which he will conquer this world!
  To construct the portal, Rex has designed and produced a small force 
  of Saurian robots and agreed to give the plans for these “robosaurs” to 
  another supervillain, the brilliantly twisted Conundrum. In exchange, 
  Conundrum will rob factories and labs for the parts Rex needs to build 
  more complex robosaurs and complete the portal. This way, Conun-
  drum takes the risk and Rex stays safely under the radar.
  What Rex didn’t anticipate was a group of talented and dedicated su-
  perheroes, who will do what it takes to protect the Earth. After Co-
  nundrum’s initial attack on the factory, the superheroes can track the 
  villain to his bizarre funhouse lair. There, they learn that Conundrum 
  was a mere pawn in a larger game. Rex has taken pains to hide his 
  tracks, though, and there seems no way for the heroes to track down 
  Conundrum’s coconspirator. 
  Fortunately, one of the components Conundrum stole had a secret 
  GPS tracker on it. When one of Rex’s captive scientists activates the 
  beacon, it gives the heroes the lead they need. They rescue the captive 
  scientist and shut down one of Rex’s robosaur facilities by confronting 
  its terrifying Roboverlord. Clues then lead the heroes into the sewers.
  Once on the trail, the superheroes fight or bluff their way to Rex’s se-
  cret facility in an old subway station. There, they must face the villain-
  ous Saurian and his robot minions before he can open his portal and 
  rule the Earth with his dinosaur army!
  INVOLVING THE HEROES… 
  The adventure begins when a damaged and aggressive rogue robot 
  charges onto an overpass and begins attacking vehicles. If the charac-
  ters are known superheroes in the city, they could receive a call from 
  local authorities asking for help. 
  If the characters are not yet established as local defenders, there are a 
  number of ways they could learn of the Roguebot’s attack:
  • 
  PCs could be on or near the bridge when the Roguebot attacks 
  and witness the destruction for themselves. If in civilian guise, 
  the PCs will have to find a way to don their superhero disguises 
  before engaging Roguebot, or risk exposing their true identities.
  • 
  A friend or relative of one PC could be on the bridge during the 
  attack and call for help. The PCs could instead witness coverage 
  of the attack on TV or social media.
  • 
  One of the PCs could have ties to the facility under attack by Co-
  nundrum. The facility director, Amy Yang, could reach out to the 
  PC for help when Conundrum begins his robbery. On their way to 
  the factory, the PCs spot the incident on the bridge. 
  Whatever brings the characters to the bridge and the Roguebot’s 
  attack, make it clear that innocent civilian lives are at stake. Vehicles’ 
  occupants are at risk from crushing damage, flying shrapnel, or even 
  falling off the bridge. Panic is also a threat. As people start to get out 
  of their cars and try to run for it, there’s the risk of trampling damage 
  or people getting pushed into the Roguebot’s path.
  SCENE 1 
  CONFLICT SCENE
  DISASTER ON THE OVERPASS 
  To begin the adventure, read or paraphrase the following:
  It’s another ordinary afternoon. Commuters do their best to 
  hurry home, but rush hour traffic leads to bumper-to-bumper 
  congestion. On an overpass near the industrial district, citizens 
  wait for the gridlock to clear.
  Then a shriek of metal-on-metal splits the air. Brake lights flare 
  off and on as cars try to pull ahead, but there’s no space for 
  anyone to move. The vehicles are stationary targets as a twelve-
  foot bipedal robot strides through the traffic. The robot grasps 
  the bumper of the nearest car and—with almost casual grace—
  flips the vehicle upside down. The car’s occupant screams as he 
  dangles from his seatbelt.
  This scene occurs on a highway overpass near Hanover. At the nearby 
  Exotech Robotics factory, a supervillain named Conundrum attacked 
  the workers and stole some valuable equipment. During the robbery, 
  Conundrum’s minions accidentally activated a prototype construction 
  robot. The damaged robot went berserk and wandered away from the 
  factory, eventually winding up at the overpass. It mistook the vehicles 
  on the overpass for components that require evaluation, and none of 
  them are passing inspection.
  This encounter is a fairly straightforward combat with a single oppo-
  nent. Encourage new players to experiment with different maneuvers 
  and actions. Use the Rush Hour Hazards to help keep the fight from 
  feeling too repetitive and help the heroes earn Hero Points.
  PROBLEM POWERS
  PROBLEM POWERS
  While not game-breaking, Rise of the Tyrant includes many ro-
  botic foes and opponents who rely on technology, so heroes who 
  can shut down or control electronics may be at a huge advan-
  tage. You can balance this by including more flesh-and-blood 
  opponents, such as adding members of the Fun-Time Gang to 
  Conundrum’s lair and flesh-and-blood dinosaur clones to the fi-
  nal fight with Cerebrus Rex. Also remember that even mindless 
  robotic opponents are allowed a Will check to resist powers to 
  control or deactivate them.
  Heroes who can communicate with machines may be able to 
  learn clues much earlier than intended, such as the locations of 
  Conundrum’s and Cerebrus Rex’s lairs. You can decide that Co-
  nundrum’s robosaurs have had their memories wiped before be-
  ing delivered, keeping the adventure’s true mastermind hidden 
  for now, but don’t be afraid to let technologically inclined heroes 
  use the powers they have purchased, even if it simplifies some of 
  the investigations.
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  KEY POINTS
  The overpass sits 30 feet above the main road. A fall over the edge 
  inflicts damage rank 4. This likely won’t impede the PCs too much but 
  is a serious fall for any civilians. 
  The people on the bridge are terrified, and there’s a din of honking 
  and screaming once the Roguebot attacks (plus the shrieking metal-
  lic noises of the robot tearing vehicles apart). Any hearing Perception 
  checks have a −2 circumstance penalty.
  RUSH HOUR HAZARDS
  Though most of this scene involves the heroes fighting a robot, other 
  problems can arise to keep the entire group from attacking at once. 
  Falling Citizens: People or whole cars are pushed off the bridge’s 
  sides during the fight, or a panicked individual may jump, thinking 
  they have a better chance of surviving the fall than the thrown cars. 
  Catching a falling person requires a Dexterity check (DC 5). If a PC 
  catches a falling person, they can subtract their Strength rank from the 
  falling damage rank; a fall from this 20-foot overpass is Damage rank 
  4. Both the hero and the falling person suffer any remaining damage. 
  Catching a midsize car requires a minimum lifting Strength of 7, while 
  a bus requires Strength 10 or higher.
  Managing the Crowd: Panicking citizens begin to endanger them-
  selves and others. Ordering a civilian to take actions—such as running 
  away or hiding—requires a Standard action and a successful Persua-
  sion check (DC 10); double the number of people who listen for every 
  Degree of Success beyond the first. If you want a minor challenge, only 
  four citizens need to be guided away, but for a greater challenge in-
  crease this number to eight or sixteen.
  Collapsing Bridge: If damaged (or exciting), the bridge begins to 
  give way thanks to the strain of the fight and thrown cars, listing and 
  groaning. Supporting the collapsing bridge requires a total lifting 
  Strength of 8 the first round. The required rank increases by +1 each 
  round. Heroes will also need some way to reach the bridge from un-
  derneath, like Flight or Growth, or be able to apply their strength at a 
  range with effects like Move Object or Create. You might combine this 
  hazard with Managing the Crowd, previously, requiring most of the 
  team to divide their attention, supporting the bridge long enough for 
  teammates to clear out any remaining bystanders.
  Award a Hero Point to any heroes who take the time to rescue civilians.
  TACTICS
  The Roguebot was a prototype construction robot being designed by 
  Exotech Robotics—the Quality Assurance Robot, or QAR. Its job was 
  to inspect and move large metal components. If the Roguebot found 
  a component with flaws, it would break the piece down to be melted 
  down and reforged.
  During Conundrum’s robbery (see Scene 2), the Roguebot was dam-
  aged and accidentally activated. It left the factory and wandered onto 
  the overpass, where it mistook the vehicles there for components 
  waiting to be inspected. Unfortunately, none of the vehicles are go-
  ing to pass Roguebot’s examination, and so the robot is busy breaking 
  them down into chunks and throwing the pieces off the side of the 
  overpass. Its normal failsafes aren’t responding and many of its emer-
  gency safety systems haven’t yet been installed.
  ROLEPLAYING ROGUEBOT
  The Roguebot is a straightforward combatant, ignoring anyone until 
  they stop it from its appointed duty, then attempting to pummel ene-
  mies with its enormous fists or hurl cars at them. It has a rudimentary 
  AI and voice control, on par with a smartphone or home assistant, but 
  is currently ignoring all user commands.
  Once the Roguebot is incapacitated, the PCs can dismantle it or bring 
  it back to Exotech. Amy Yang is grateful if the Roguebot (or its parts) is 
  returned to the facility, and she gets to work on analyzing what went 
  wrong and building additional failsafes.
  ROGUEBOT 
  PL 11
  STR 12
  STA —
  AGL 6
  DEX 8
  FGT 8
  INT —
  AWE 8
  PRE —
  Powers: Elongation 1 (30 feet, limited to arms), Growth 4, Immunity 20 
  (Fortitude Effects), Movement 2 (Sure-footed 2), Senses 3 (Low-light Vision, 
  Microscopic Vision, Radio), Speed 5 (60 MPH)
  Advantages: Improved Initiative
  Skills: Expertise: Construction 10 (+10), Perception 6 (+14)
  COMBAT 
  INITIATIVE +10
  Water Saw 
  +8 
  Close, Damage 12
  Plasma Cutter 
  +8 
  Ranged, Damage 12
  DODGE
  PARRY
  FORTITUDE
  WILL
  TOUGHNESS
  +5
  +6
  —
  —
  +12
   
  Totals: Abilities 46 + Powers 51 + Advantages 1 + Skills 8 (16 ranks) + 
  Defenses 9 = 115
  WRAP-UP
  Once the PCs have ended the Roguebot’s threat, the civilians on the 
  overpass cheer and thank them. People snap pictures of the superhe-
  roes and a news van arrives. If the PCs are newcomers, reporters ask 
  the PCs who they are, what their powers are, and why they chose to 
  intervene in this incident. The reporters also ask where the Roguebot 
  came from and why it attacked these vehicles.
  If the heroes do especially well or have fun responding to interview 
  questions, feel free to award them Hero Points, especially if they didn’t 
  manage to earn any saving citizens.
  If the PCs were asked to intervene (by a government official or a friend/
  family member), the same person asks the heroes to find out where 
  the feral construct came from and why it attacked the vehicles. The 
  PCs immediately notice a trail of destruction leading from the over-
  FREEDOM CITY OR BEYOND?
  FREEDOM CITY OR BEYOND?
  While the presence of Conundrum and his home base in the 
  Ocean Heights amusement park tentatively mean this adventure 
  takes place in Freedom City, you can easily transport it to Emerald 
  City or any other metropolis with a technology industry and a fun 
  park. Conundrum could either be a local villain to this alternate 
  campaign city or attempting to relocate his criminal enterprises 
  to somewhere a little less infested with do-gooders after his re-
  cent parole. You will need to adjust Conundrum’s riddle to point 
  toward a local feature in your campaign city if you relocate the 
  adventure.
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  pass back into the industrial district, marking the route the Roguebot 
  took. Tracking its trail of destruction is fairly simple and requires no 
  skill check.
  The heroes might also choose to investigate the Roguebot’s origins on 
  their own. If the PCs examine the robot once it is offline, they can easily 
  find several places that have been stamped with the Exotech Robotics 
  logo, along with the company’s local address.
  Even if the heroes don’t examine the robot itself, a successful Investi-
  gation or Expertise (business or technology) check (DC 12) means they 
  recall that Exotech Robotics—a cutting-edge production facility—is 
  the closest manufacturer of advanced robotic systems like this.
  If the PCs seem uninterested in following up on Roguebot, Amy Yang 
  (see Scene 2) manages to get to a computer terminal and activates 
  the Roguebot’s remote speakers. “Help!” she says. “If anyone can hear 
  this, please help us! We’ve been attacked, and we have injured people 
  here.” The damaged speaker cuts out before Yang can give directions 
  to the factory.
  SCENE 2 
  INVESTIGATION SCENE
  ATTACK, INTERRUPTED
  When the heroes investigate the robotics factory, read or paraphrase 
  the following:
  A sprawling factory complex, ringed by a wire fence, takes up 
  most of the block. The gate stands open, and bits of debris litter 
  the parking lot. Twisted scraps of metal, some blackened and 
  smoking, make a trail to the door of the main building.
  More destruction awaits inside the factory. Holes in the walls 
  show where large pieces of machinery have been ripped away. 
  Storage lockers have been forced open and emptied. Trailing 
  cables indicate that computers have been stolen as well. Four 
  people in lab coats, bound and gagged, lie on the floor.
  The Exotech robotics factory is located in Hanover, north of Wading 
  River. It was just robbed by a supervillain and his minions, leaving it 
  in a terrible state. The PCs can investigate and learn more about what 
  happened.
  The factory manager, Amy Yang, and four technicians were working at 
  the factory when Conundrum attacked. She describes the scene to the 
  PCs: “It was an ordinary day, and then the doors blew open. A masked 
  man with some kind of puzzle pattern on his leotard burst in, along 
  with a bunch of muscleheads and some snappy little robots. There was 
  no way we could fight them. They tied us up and then ransacked the 
  lab. The leader, the guy in the costume, he seemed to know exactly 
  what he was looking for. He stole a bunch of data from the computers 
  and some control modules. But one of his goons damaged the QAR-
  57, and it went berserk and I think he cut out before he got everything 
  he wanted. They left this, though.” She points out an envelope on the 
  table that she and her technicians have refused to touch, for fear it’s a 
  trap. See The Riddle of Conundrum.
  Yang can give a more detailed description of the man who attacked 
  the factory as well: “He was about six feet tall and wore a purple le-
  otard with puzzle pieces on it, like a jigsaw. His face was completely 
  covered with a white mask, and there was a big black question mark 
  across the front. The guys who were with him wore black clothes with 
  question marks on them, and clown masks. The clown masks were al-
  most scarier than the attack robots—I hate clowns!”
  If the PCs ask, Yang can give them a list of the stolen equipment. “This 
  is all very advanced equipment,” she adds. “Judging by what happened 
  with the QAR-57, this guy doesn’t care if people get hurt. He stole 
  our prototype HyperCortex processor. Only someone with really ad-
  vanced scientific knowledge could use these components. The crate 
  was tagged with a GPS locator, but it must have been damaged in the 
  robbery, because I haven’t been able to get a signal.”
  EXOTECH ROBOTICS
  The factory is called Exotech Robotics and is owned by a private elec-
  tronics and computer firm with no obvious ties to any criminal activity. 
  Conundrum left the factory shortly after the QAR-57—the Roguebot—
  began rampaging, so by the time the superheroes arrive he has been 
  gone for at least an hour.
  The disarray inside the factory backs up Amy Yang’s story. She con-
  firms that the Roguebot came from the factory; it was a quality as-
  surance robot model 57—nicknamed “Carst” by the technicians—that 
  Conundrum’s minions damaged during the heist.
  Amy and the technicians are not seriously hurt, but if a PC wants to 
  offer medical treatment or aid you can describe some minor injuries 
  and award a Hero Point for their public service.
  With an appropriate DC 20 Expertise check (supervillains, criminals, or 
  popular culture for example), the PCs can identify the man Amy Yang 
  describes as Conundrum, a puzzle-obsessed villain who usually limits 
  himself to labyrinthine schemes and kidnappings, not blatant theft. 
  Conundrum is known for leaving riddles and puzzles at the scenes of 
  his crimes. Robbing a robotics factory seems out of character for him.
  THE HYPERCORTEX PROCESSOR
  Developed by ExoTech’s computers division, the HyperCortex is a pow-
  erful computer board with the processing power of a supercomputer, 
  but it must be maintained at sub-zero temperatures for its supercon-
  ductor parts to function properly. The company sent a few sample 
  processors to their robotics division to experiment with integrating 
  the processors into their AI projects, but the upgrade is simply too del-
  icate and its cooling requirements too stringent to easily incorporate 
  into robot systems. The HyperCortex is better suited for permanent 
  emplacements, and ideal for handling huge amounts of data like one 
  would need for quantum physics experiments, rather than the pattern 
  recognition and fast reorganization required for AI. Amy Yang is hap-
  py to discuss all this with any heroes who ask or show an interest in 
  technology.
  CONUNDRUM’S ROBOTS
  If the heroes ask about Conundrum’s robots, Yang remarks that they 
  were marvelous examples of the discipline—lightweight, responsive, 
  and graceful. She adds that they looked like lizards, but one of her 
  technicians chimes in to say they were clearly giant birds. After this, 
  she spirals off into guessing about their design, materials, and capabil-
  ities in technical terms.
  The robots were four Robosaurs (see the Cast section), provided by 
  Cerebrus Rex as added muscle for Conundrum’s robberies.
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  THE RIDDLE OF CONUNDRUM
  In an envelope on a lab table, the PCs find a note. Conundrum cannot 
  resist leaving his signature riddles at the scenes of his crimes. It reads:
  a building of steel reaching up to the sky; 
  a giant who stands well Above everyone; 
  the slopes of mount Everest, where norgay did Climb; 
  Or a great redwood tree blotting the sun. 
  untangle the Ribbon that binds them together, 
  and you shall arrive at my lair—if you’re clever.
  The riddle Conundrum has left behind has two components to it. 
  First, the four lines that begin the riddle all reference things with great 
  height. The players may determine this on their own. If they haven’t 
  identified the link after a few minutes, the PCs can attempt DC 10 In-
  tellect checks, DC 15 Expertise checks (Codes, Geography, or Puzzles 
  would be suitable specializations), or DC 20 Investigation checks to 
  recognize that the riddle is talking about tall things.
  Second, the capital letters in the riddle spell out the word “AECOR.” If 
  players don’t piece this together after a few minutes, allow their char-
  acters to notice that the random capitalization seems important with 
  a DC 10 Intellect check. If they don’t recognize the word “aecor,” a DC 
  15 Expertise (science) check or knowing the Latin language recogniz-
  es the word as the Latin term for a flat plain or the ocean. A PC can also 
  take a few minutes to look up the definition of aecor on the Internet.
  Once the PCs have both clues in hand, they can attempt a team In-
  vestigate or Expertise (City, Current Events, or Pop Culture) check (DC 
  20). On a success, the PCs recall the Ocean Heights amusement park 
  on the edge of the city, which stands on one of the flattest stretches 
  of ground in the city.
  If the PCs have trouble with either of the clues, Amy Yang can decipher 
  one clue (but not both) to keep the plot moving forward. Alternatively, 
  the heroes can hit the street and track down Conundrum’s lair using 
  investigative and social skills.
  If the PCs decipher the riddle on their own, award them each a Hero 
  Point.
  WRAP-UP
  While Scene 2 doesn’t provide any direct conclusions, it tells the PCs 
  that the supervillain Conundrum is concocting a new scheme involv-
  ing robots. His puzzle even tells the PCs where he’s hiding.
  If the PCs completely fail to figure out the riddle, they can take a day to 
  research and reflect on the puzzle. After 24 hours, they realize the puz-
  zle is pointing them to Ocean Heights. In the meantime, Conundrum 
  boosts his defenses, adding two of each type of minion (Melee and 
  Ranged) to the Fun-Time Gang in Scene 3.
  SCENE 3 
  CONFLICT SCENE
  A FUN-TIME AT THE PARK
  When the heroes arrive at Ocean Heights amusement park, read or 
  paraphrase the following:
  Ocean Heights amusement park stands at the edge of the city 
  overlooking the Century Narrows, its colorful buildings and 
  cheerful atmosphere muted by the stillness of late night. Its 
  rides stand silent. Leering painted faces look down from every 
  sign and booth, while the howling ocean wind pushes every-
  thing into gentle, creaking motion.
  The adventure assumes the PCs investigate the amusement park after 
  hours, when there are fewer people to distract them or be caught in the 
  middle of a fight. All the current security guards are secretly members 
  of the Fun-Time Gang, keeping an inconspicuous eye out for trouble. 
  If they investigate during business hours, the opposition remains the 
  same, but the heroes must contend with innocent bystanders as well.
  The PCs have no difficulty entering. A chain-link fence surrounds 
  Ocean Heights, but teenagers and thugs have made numerous open-
  ings in the fence over the years that staff have haphazardly patched. 
  They may instead purchase tickets during the day and hide until the 
  park closes at 9 pm. Most of the staff leave by 10. 
  Conundrum has made his lair in a secret chamber below the funhouse, 
  and once the PCs arrive in the park, the building lights up and crack-
  ling circus music begins to play from the interior.
  As the superheroes make their way through the park, they encoun-
  ter Conundrum’s group of hired thugs: The Fun-Time Gang. A speaker 
  crackles to life with a hysterical voice, announcing:
  “So, you solved my little riddle. I trust a good time was had by 
  all. Or at least it will. You can visit my house for a few laughs, 
  but first my neighbors want to play a little game. The fun is just 
  beginning.”
  THE AMUSEMENT PARK
  Ocean Heights park is filled with fast rides and shoddily constructed 
  booths, which can make for an exciting combat arena. If a character 
  climbs onto a booth, roll a d20 each round; on a result of 1–5 the struc-
  ture collapses, inflicting Damage 4 to anyone standing on it from the 
  fall and debris and leaving the character prone. A successful DC 14 
  Dodge check escapes this damage and the prone condition.
  The rides count as unstable terrain, imposing a –2 circumstance penal-
  ty on attack checks, skill checks, and active defenses unless the charac-
  ter has the Movement (sure-footed) power. Each round a hero spends 
  on a ride, roll 1d20. On a 1–5, some moving part of the ride collides 
  with the character (or a character on a moving part of the ride slams 
  into a tunnel, overhead sign, or other obstruction). This collision in-
  flicts Damage 8, which a hero can halve with a DC 18 Dodge check. 
  The Fun-Time Gang’s Favored Environment Advantage allows them to 
  ignore the circumstance penalty imposed by rides.
  The Fun-Time Gang tries to lure heroes into precarious situations.
  TACTICS
  Conundrum recruited the Fun-Time Gang to help secure his hide-
  out and assist him on robberies. These carnival- and clown-themed 
  henchpeople specialize in making the most out of the rides and atmo-
  sphere of the amusement park. Their Favored Environment Advantage 
  lets them stand on the various rides and booths without suffering a 
  penalty. There are two members of the gang for each PC: one with a 
  melee weapon and one with a ranged weapon.
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  FUN-TIME GANGSTER 
  PL 5
  Minions. See Cast section.
  COMBAT 
  INITIATIVE +1
  Carnival-Themed Weapon 
  +5 
  Close or Ranged, Damage 5
  Pistol 
  +3 
  Ranged, Damage 3
  Unarmed 
  +1 
  Close, Damage 2
  DODGE
  PARRY
  FORTITUDE
  WILL
  TOUGHNESS
  +4
  +4
  +3
  +1
  +6/3*
   
  *without armor
  Conundrum’s speech when the heroes arrive—mentioning a “good 
  time,” “laughs,” and “fun”—is a clue to his lair in the funhouse. Even if 
  the players don’t pick up on this, they may correctly assume that any 
  self-respecting villain will lair in a funhouse. The heroes can also shake 
  down a beaten crook to learn the location of Conundrum’s lair.
  Once the Fun-Time Gang is dispatched, the way is clear for the super-
  heroes to enter the funhouse and confront Conundrum. But first, they 
  must make it past his last line of defense: The Mirror Maze.
  SCENE 4 
  CHALLENGE SCENE
  THE MIRROR MAZE
  When the heroes enter the funhouse, read or paraphrase the following:
  Leering faces adorn the exterior of the funhouse. Inside, the 
  gadgets  that delight visitors by day seem sinister in the dark.
  Conundrum constructed his lair beneath the mirror maze in the center 
  of the funhouse. To reach it, the heroes must find the secret door in the 
  mirror maze and pass through a gauntlet of deadly traps Conundrum 
  set. Finding their way through the maze requires the PCs to use their 
  skills to the fullest, and failure results in humiliation or injury.
  The mirrors are metal rather than glass, with a Toughness of 8.
  FUN FOR WHO?
  As the PCs move through the mirror maze, they encounter various 
  traps. If Conundrum is alerted by the alarms in his lair, he sends a pack 
  of robosaurs to attack the PCs, making the hazards far more danger-
  ous. See the Tactics section for details.
  SECRET DOOR
  To find the secret door to Conundrum’s lair, the PCs must search the 
  mirror maze. This is a DC 18 challenge sequence. Heroes may use the 
  Perception skill or get creative, using Expertise (architecture) to make 
  educated guesses based on the building’s layout or Technology to 
  trace the wiring. On a failed skill check, the hero and any characters 
  with them encounter one of the maze’s hazards: the taser darts or ad-
  hesive foam. If the PCs accumulate two or more Degrees of Failure, 
  they set off an alarm and Conundrum releases minions into the maze.
  The heroes must accumulate four or more Degrees of Success to final-
  ly locate the secret door to Conundrum’s lair.
  TASER DARTS
  Panels in the walls slide open, revealing six pipes loaded with taser 
  darts. Each superhero can attempt a DC 13 Perception check to notice 
  the moving panels. If at least one superhero succeeds at the Percep-
  tion check and warns the party, everyone can attempt to dodge the 
  coming attack. There appear to be dozens of darts, thanks to the re-
  flective environment. A hero who scores at least two Degrees of Suc-
  cess on their Perception check (a 23 or higher) can identify the exact 
  location of the launchers and does not suffer a penalty on the Dodge 
  check against them.
  Moments after the panels open, the launchers begin firing taser darts 
  across the hall. Heroes may attempt DC 16 Dodge checks, with a –2 
  circumstance penalty thanks to the numerous reflections obscuring 
  the launchers’ exact locations. On a failed check, the hero is struck for 
  Affliction 6 (Resisted and Overcome by Fortitude; Impaired, Disabled, 
  Paralyzed). If heroes succeed at their Dodge checks, the Fortitude DC 
  is only 13, and if they succeed by two or more Degrees, then they 
  dodge all the darts. 
  TUNNEL OF FOAM
  In a long hallway, the panels in the ceiling slide open and drop adhe-
  sive foam. All PCs can attempt a DC 20 Perception check to hear the 
  rasp of the panels sliding open overhead. If at least one PC succeeds 
  at the Perception check and warns the party, superheroes targeted by 
  the foam can attempt a DC 18 Dodge check to evade an Area Affliction 
  8 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Damage; Hindered and Vulnera-
  ble, Defenseless and Immobile).
  One round after the foam launchers’ activation, an electronic eye be-
  gins scanning the room. Any character not entangled by foam may 
  attempt to destroy the eye with an attack (DC 18) or disable it with 
  a DC 18 Technology check. If allowed to scan, the eye begins firing a 
  laser at a random target each round (Ranged Damage 8).
  The foam is Toughness 8 once it adheres, and can only be escaped by 
  breaking it or with a successful DC 18 Sleight of Hand check; either 
  attempt is a standard action. A superhero can assist a trapped com-
  panion by making the check a Teamwork check.
  TACTICS
  If the PCs set off an alarm by scoring two or more Degrees of Failure 
  or by deliberately challenging him, Conundrum sends robosaurs af-
  ter them. There is one robot guardian for every PC. Like the Fun-Time 
  Gang, these robosaurs are minions.
  Conundrum only releases robosaur guards to attack the PCs once, re-
  gardless of how many times they trigger alarms.
  DEINONYCHUS ROBOSAUR 
  PL 6
  Minion. See the Cast section.
  COMBAT 
  INITIATIVE +8
  Bite 
  +7 
  Close, Damage 5
  DODGE
  PARRY
  FORTITUDE
  WILL
  TOUGHNESS
  +7
  +7
  —
  +3
  +5
   
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  WRAP-UP
  Once the PCs locate the secret door down to Conundrum’s true lair, 
  they can move on Scene 5.
  SCENE 5 
  CONFLICT SCENE
  THE PUZZLE SOLVED… OR IS IT?
  Once the heroes enter the lair, read or paraphrase the following:
  The winding paths of the underground lair—no doubt some 
  forgotten control center for the park above—lead to its heart: a 
  huge chamber filled with 70s-era equipment from the amuse-
  ment park above. The walls are painted with wide stripes of 
  alternating colors and disorienting shards of mirror. A jumble 
  of upright roller coaster tracks and cars form a barrier halfway 
  across the room. The only way through the barrier is a slowly ro-
  tating tunnel painted with images of prancing devils. Machinery 
  hisses and chugs, powering unseen attractions.
  On the other side of the barrier, a wide flight of uneven steps 
  leads to a platform. Banks of tall computers sit against the wall, 
  behind tables covered with bits of electronic equipment. A 
  mural of question marks in different designs decorates the wall.
  Mist drifts down from vents in the ceiling, filling the room with a 
  haze that makes it difficult to see anything other than the largest 
  objects in the room.
  This is Conundrum’s hidden sanctum, where he dreams up devious 
  puzzles. Of late he’s been experimenting with the robosaurs Cerebrus 
  Rex provided as payment. Conundrum sees the potential in robot min-
  ions that can recite riddles or act as mobile components in puzzles—
  he can work with their dinosaur forms for the time being but has plans 
  to create robot minions in all different shapes by reverse-engineering 
  the Saurian technology. At least, he will if the PCs don’t stop him.
  Conundrum sits on a raised platform on the far end of the room, pro-
  tected by the height and the barrier, which provide him with Total 
  Cover from attacks in the front half of the room. The barrier is mostly 
  metal and can take a fair amount of damage thanks to its modular, 
  flexible construction. It is Toughness 9.
  LAIR CONDITIONS
  Conundrum has laced his lair with traps. In addition to these traps, you 
  may decide to use the taser dart and adhesive foam traps from Scene 
  4. This effectively counts as “editing the scene”; award any heroes af-
  fected by these additional traps a Hero Point.
  MIST
  The PCs may be concerned by the mist blowing from the ceiling vents, 
  but the mist is simply a cosmetic effect. The mist grants partial con-
  cealment to anything within 10 feet, and full concealment to anything 
  beyond 10 feet.
  SPINNING TUNNEL
  If a hero enters the spinning tunnel, it speeds up dramatically and 
  spikes spring from the walls. Any PC in the tunnel when it speeds 
  up must succeed at a DC 18 Acrobatics or Dodge check to make it 
  through unscathed; otherwise they must resist Damage 8. A PC has to 
  put weight on the tunnel’s surface to deploy the trap; flying or jump-
  ing PCs don’t trigger the trap unless they touch down.
  STAIRS
  If a PC puts pressure on the stairs leading up to Conundrum’s raised 
  platform (such as by walking on them), the stairs collapse, revealing 
  a pit beneath. Any PC on the stairs must succeed at a DC 15 Dodge 
  check or fall 20 feet into the ball pit below, suffering Damage rank 3 
  (the balls cushion the landing somewhat). Conundrum laced the balls 
  with a mind-numbing pheromone that acts as Affliction 9 (Resisted 
  and Overcome by Will; Entranced, Stunned, Controlled [stay in the ball 
  pit]).
  Conundrum’s own experience with his traps means opponents do not 
  gain concealment from him in the mist and he can move through the 
  tunnel and stairs without danger. His robosaurs are not so adept.
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  ADVERSARIES
  The tricky Conundrum makes his final stand in this control room. The 
  PCs’ passage through the mirror maze likely alerted the villain to their 
  presence. He’s concealed robosaurs—one for each PC—among the 
  amusement park equipment in the forefront of the room, as well as 
  an equal number on his side of the barrier. If he was alerted by the 
  alarms, Conundrum hides behind a false panel on the far side of the 
  room, waiting to strike until the PCs are engaged with the robosaurs.
  ROLEPLAYING CONUNDRUM
  Conundrum is a clever villain but gets caught up in proving his own 
  intellect. He isn’t much of a fighter, and instead relies on trickery, traps, 
  and his new robotic minions. If he thinks there’s an opportunity to lure 
  a PC through the tunnel or onto the stairs (using the Trick function of 
  the Deception skill) such as taunting them from atop his platform, he’ll 
  do so, but otherwise he uses his Deception skill and Set-Up to feint or 
  demoralize heroes and leave them vulnerable to his robosaurs.
  At your discretion, this Conundrum may be a fake—a stand-in, pawn, 
  or robot meant to misdirect the heroes away from the capricious vil-
  lain, who may return to vex the heroes in the future. Either way, use 
  the same statblock.
  ROBOSAURS
  Conundrum is accompanied by two robosaurs for each PC—half in 
  front of the barrier separating his control room, and the other half be-
  hind the barrier with him. The robosaurs here are his first attempt to 
  modify Cerebrus Rex’s designs; each possesses the Interpose Advan-
  tage, and can step in to take an attack meant for Conundrum.
  If all six robosaurs are destroyed or incapacitated and Conundrum is 
  injured, he attempts to flee down a trapdoor that fills in with more of 
  his adhesive expanding foam in his wake. If he escapes via this plot 
  device, award each character a Hero Point.
  CONUNDRUM 
  PL 9
  See the Cast section.  Conundrum currently benefits from Partial 
  Concealment, imposing a –2 penalty to opponents’ attack checks.
  COMBAT 
  INITIATIVE +5
  Pistol 
  +8 
  Ranged, Damage 3
  Unarmed 
  +8 
  Close, Damage 0
  DODGE
  PARRY
  FORTITUDE
  WILL
  TOUGHNESS
  +13
  +13
  +4
  +13
  +3/1*
   
   
  *without Defensive Roll
  DEINONYCHUS ROBOSAUR 
  PL 6
  Minion. See the Cast section. The robosaurs currently benefit from Partial 
  Concealment, imposing a –2 penalty to opponents’ attack checks and their 
  own attack checks.
  COMBAT 
  INITIATIVE +8
  Bite 
  +7 
  Close, Damage 5
  DODGE
  PARRY
  FORTITUDE
  WILL
  TOUGHNESS
  +7
  +7
  —
  +3
  +5
   
  WRAP-UP
  As the fight ends, read or paraphrase the following:
  A booming voice echoes through the chamber, coming from a 
  falcon-size robotic lizard-bird clinging to the ceiling.
  “I am disappointed, Conundrum. So few sapiens show the 
  promise you do, I had hoped to keep you as a preferred pet. 
  No matter. I have all I need now. Consider our arrangement… 
  extinct.” The mechanical messenger jerks and smokes for a 
  moment, then explodes in a shower of sparks.
  The messenger is a robarchaeopteryx (see the Cast section), which ob-
  served the fight and broadcast the events back to Cerebrus Rex. If Co-
  nundrum escaped, the messenger confirms that this straightforward 
  scheme was in fact a job performed for an unseen benefactor.
  If Conundrum is subdued, he confesses to having robbed Exotech Ro-
  botics. “I admit it! I used my wits and cunning to devise the perfect 
  robbery. The fools in the factory didn’t stand a chance! If it wasn’t for 
  my bumbling minions, we would have gotten well away. Instead, they 
  damaged that horrible robot and almost ruined everything.”
  When questioned as to the motivation behind the robbery, Conun-
  drum explains he was hired by another supervillain. “A charming and 
  persuasive fellow offered me these delightful robots in exchange for 
  my help with the robbery. I imagine he needed someone with a quick 
  wit to carry out such an important task. I had such plans for my new 
  metal minions. Alas, they will have to be postponed.” 
  When pressed for details about his silent partner, Conundrum admits 
  he doesn’t know who hired him, though he has largely deduced his 
  benefactor’s identity and hints at it in his own way. “He used a burner 
  phone that lead in circles; a rather inglorious vanishing. He gave me 
  a detailed taxonomy of everything he wanted stolen and arranged 
  a drop point for the goods to evade any terrible interreference. We 
  arrived with the truck full of parts and my new robots were waiting 
  for me. I don’t believe he saw us at all. A bit taken aback by their mo-
  tif; I suppose he needs therapy, but then I’m stretching. But I’m quite 
  content to be free of that tyrant’s oversight.” Conundrum’s longwinded 
  speech is a sly admission of his employer’s identity: “taxonomy” mean-
  ing the latin classification, beginning with “terrible” (the taxonomic 
  clade “dinosauria” meaning “terrible lizard”), “saw us” (“saurus”), “ther-
  apy” (“therapod”), and finally “tyrant” for “tyrannosauridae.” If the PCs 
  don’t immediately pick out his meaning, that’s fine; they’ll cross paths 
  with Cerebrus Rex soon enough. If the PCs press for more information, 
  he simply says “Alas, but I’ve already told you exactly who to look for.”
  A list of the parts desired can be found on Conundrum’s tablet. If a PC 
  wants to review the list of parts, a successful DC 18 Technology check 
  can tell that most of the parts listed—especially a large quantity of 
  meteor rock stolen from the city’s natural history museum—would be 
  useless for constructing robots. With three or more Degrees of Suc-
  cess, the hero can realize that the parts could be used to generate an 
  Einstein-Rosen bridge—in theory—using the iridium-rich rock from 
  the museum as a quantum insulator.
  As the PCs turn Conundrum over to the authorities, you may wish to 
  reveal this Conundrum to be a robot double—the first duplicate made 
  with the technology copied from the robosaur designs. He may stick 
  in an audio loop, the body may simply come apart, or the police may 
  discover a metal faceplate beneath the mask. Conundrum is a tricky 
  villain, averse to risking his own neck, and such a decoy fits his person-
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  ality. Some groups may find this trickery disappointing, so use it only if 
  your heroes are feeling a little too confident or you hope to make this 
  master of puzzles a recurring villain later in your campaign. Whether 
  he escapes or is captured, he does not re-appear in this adventure.
  The PCs may decide to follow up on the phone number that called 
  Conundrum’s private line (a burner phone, since discarded) or the 
  drop site for the stolen goods (an empty warehouse near the industri-
  al zone). Both clues are dead ends. It seems, for the moment, that the 
  PCs’ investigations have been stymied.
  At this point, the PCs may take hours or days in between this half of the 
  adventure and the next. 
  SCENE 6 
  ROLEPLAY SCENE
  THE BEACON AWAKENS
  The few clues Conundrum provided about the mastermind behind 
  the Exotech robotics factory robbery lead to dead ends, and the trail 
  goes cold. With no further leads at hand, there is little to do but wait. 
  Days pass and the city returns to normal. 
  Sometime after the fight at the amusement park, Amy Yang reaches 
  out in whatever way she can—directly if the heroes left contact infor-
  mation, but privately by police or scientific agencies if they did not—
  asking the heroes to meet her at the factory.
  When the PCs arrive, Yang whisks them into her office. “Remember I 
  told you the thieves had stolen a prototype processor, the HyperCor-
  tex? Its GPS beacon was damaged when it was stolen, but I kept mon-
  itoring for it, just in case. The HyperCortex is worth almost as much as 
  everything else they stole combined. Earlier today, the beacon went 
  off! It only stayed on for about a minute, but I got a location and wrote 
  it down for you. If you find the HyperCortex, it would really help me 
  out!”
  She provides the PCs with the location of the HyperCortex’s GPS bea-
  con: a shop squeezed between the Fens and Midtown called Hudson’s 
  Antiques, about a half-hour from the Exotech factory.
  Once the heroes reach the shop, read or paraphrase the following:
  Behind the glass windows of the shop sit an assortment of dusty 
  antiques. Most seem to be cheap and in relatively poor condi-
  tion, but there are a few various odds and ends—Civil-War-era 
  spurs, a Victorian sword cane, a set of Elvis records—on display 
  which look to be well-maintained. 
  Inside the shop, a portly man with a fringe of hair around his 
  shiny head sorts through a bag of tarnished Spanish coins.
  The shop’s proprietor, Bob Hudson, works for Cerebrus Rex. His job is 
  to admit Rex’s minions and suppliers when given the password and 
  to maintain the false store front that hides one of Rex’s labs. He lacks 
  combat skills but is very loyal (and an expert on Americana folk art). 
  Use the Bystander archetype from the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, 
  with his Expertise ranks in American History and Deception 8 (+8).
  The antique shop holds a few items of actual value, but a successful 
  DC 15 Expertise (History or related) check determines that most of the 
  stock is junk. This keeps too many customers from browsing, which 
  adds to the hidden laboratory’s security.
  HUDSON’S ANTIQUES
  The antique shop proprietor, Bob Hudson, denies knowing anything 
  about a robbery, robots, or a GPS signal—and he isn’t technically lying, 
  as Hudson prefers to remain ignorant about everything going on be-
  neath his store. With an Insight check opposed by Hudson’s Deception 
  (+8), a PC can tell that Hudson is untrustworthy and suspicious of the 
  PCs. He does not appear to be mind-controlled, but clearly wants the 
  superheroes (or nosy customers) to leave his shop. The longer they 
  stay, the more nervous he gets.
  Interrogating Hudson requires an Intimidation check opposed by 
  Hudson’s Will defense (+0). If successful, Hudson confesses that there 
  is a secret door in his shop, but truthfully says he’s never been through 
  it. He accepts under-the-table payments to help keep his struggling 
  shop afloat, and lets people through with the proper password. He 
  doesn’t know who his employer is but says it’s a man with a resonant 
  voice and charming phone presence.
  Searching the store takes 20 minutes and, with a successful DC 20 In-
  vestigation check, reveals the hidden door leading to the lab. If the PCs 
  try to conduct the search with Hudson present, he presses a panic but-
  ton to alert the Roboverlord (see Scene 7). If the PCs attack Hudson 
  or fail an Intimidate check against him, he likewise presses the panic 
  button and starts screaming, both of which alert the Roboverlord.
  WRAP-UP
  If the PCs make a lot of noise (such as by attacking Hudson) or if Hud-
  son presses the panic button, the Roboverlord orders the robosaurs 
  in the hidden factory to prepare for an attack. The robosaurs hide be-
  neath lab tables, ready to ambush the superheroes as they enter the 
  room. The Roboverlord forces the human workers into a storage closet 
  except for one, Chatar Singh, whom he keeps out to use as a shield.
  SCENE 7 
  CONFLICT SCENE
  CAPTIVE WORKERS REVOLT!
  When the heroes investigate the hidden door, read or paraphrase the 
  following:
  PROACTIVE INVESTIGATIONS
  PROACTIVE INVESTIGATIONS
  The adventure as-written provides a convenient break point in 
  the action between hunting down Conundrum and hunting Ce-
  rebrus Rex, and provides the heroes with their next clue via plot 
  contrivance. This can be disappointing to players who like to feel 
  more proactive, so if your players want to track the GPS beacon 
  themselves, allow them by making Scene 6 into an investigation 
  scene. You might introduce a challenge sequence of Investigate, 
  Persuasion, and Technology skill checks to track Rex’s suppliers 
  now that the characters have a sample robosaur to study, all 
  leading to Hudson’s antique shop. You may also allow tech-savvy 
  heroes to learn more about the GPD locator Amy Yang described 
  and remotely activate it. Heroes with psychic or mystical powers 
  might instead use a broken robosaur as a focus for their powers 
  and track its origin back to Hudson’s Antiques.
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  A featureless, white-paneled hallway opens up into a long 
  chamber with a high ceiling. The walls are white plaster and 
  fluorescent lights hang above steel tables, making the scene 
  almost painfully bright. Gears and motors, soldering irons, circuit 
  boards, and other assorted equipment cover the tables. Along 
  the walls stand giant machines, some with pincer-like arms, 
  others with hollow centers filled with lasers. 
  Three human scientists work here, kidnapped by Cerebrus Rex in or-
  der to build more and more advanced robosaurs. The scientists are 
  kept in line by a flock of smaller robosaurs as well as their fearsome 
  leader, the Roboverlord. This unique robosaur is more intelligent and 
  ruthless than the others, and resembles a ten-foot bipedal stegosaur. 
  At first the superheroes may mistake it for another mindless robot, but 
  such an assumption could be fatal. 
  Several human henchmen also work in the lab, keeping the kidnapped 
  scientists in line. They assist in fighting off the PCs with their laser rifles.
  THE ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
  The underground laboratory is filled with equipment the superheroes 
  might try to use to gain an advantage in the battle. There are three 
  machines with pincers that can grab and immobilize a robosaur or hu-
  man minion by using a Technology check in place of an attack check to 
  make a Grab attack (the arms have Strength 5, and will roll to maintain 
  their grab every round without additional guidance).
  There are two other machines with laser cavities inside. These lasers 
  aren’t strong enough to kill but are blindingly bright and can disrupt 
  delicate circuitry. A robosaur or minion thrust into a laser field be-
  comes visually Disabled for two rounds (no resistance check). Push-
  ing a target into one of the laser arrays requires an opposed Strength 
  check resisted by the target’s Strength or Dodge.
  In addition to the stairs up to the antique shop, a hatch and ladder at the 
  far end of the hidden lab lead down to the city sewers (see Wrap-Up).
  TACTICS
  The Roboverlord guards Cerebrus Rex’s human workforce here with 
  the help of several armed human guards—one for each PC—and sev-
  eral robotic archaeopteryx drones—one for every two PCs.
  ROBOVERLORD
  The Roboverlord resembles a king-sized toy, but with a transparent 
  sensory dome covering the top half of its head. It possesses a more 
  advanced AI, and is capable of issuing orders and predicting Cerebrus 
  Rex’s needs. In addition, it commands a powerful laser cannon built 
  into its tail.
  The Roboverlord fights dirty. If alerted to the PCs’ arrival (based on their 
  actions in Scene 6), it uses human scientist Chatar Singh as a shield. 
  This grants the Roboverlord partial cover, imposing a –2 circumstance 
  penalty to attack checks against it. Singh is terrified and follows the 
  Roboverlord’s orders, although clever PCs might find a way to get him 
  out of harm’s way. A PC who misses the Roboverlord by two or more 
  Degrees hits Singh instead (Toughness +0). If a PC focuses on freeing 
  Singh before attacking the Roboverlord, award them a Hero Point.
  The Roboverlord uses its Inspire Advantage early in the combat as a 
  standard action, granting all robosaurs in the room a +2 bonus on all 
  checks for the first round of combat, but not benefiting the human 
  guards. Because villains don’t have Hero Points, the Roboverlord can 
  instead use its Luck Advantage to power this ability rather than gain 
  the usual reroll the Advantage provides.
  ROBOSAURS
  Several robarchaeopteryx monitor the room for Cerebrus, occasionally 
  delivering parts through the sewer access tunnels or leaving to spy on 
  or arrange meetings with human agents. They are aggressive, but not 
  especially clever opponents.
  HIRED GUARDS
  Cerebrus Rex keeps several human minions on the payroll to act as re-
  lays between his heartless robosaurs and human captives. The guards 
  arrange for meals and bathroom breaks, and run errands in the city 
  when a robot might attract attention. The human minions use the ta-
  bles for cover while firing on the PCs. If the Roboverlord is destroyed, 
  any remaining minions try to flee. The minions know nothing about 
  Cerebrus Rex or his plans and in fact frequently argue over who their 
  boss might be; one assumes they’re working for Toy Boy while another 
  is certain Doc Otaku is back on the scene.
  ROBOVERLORD 
  PL 9
  See Cast section.
  COMBAT 
  INITIATIVE +10
  Tail Blaster 
  +6 
  Ranged, Damage 10
  Unarmed 
  +7 
  Close, Damage 10
  DODGE
  PARRY
  FORTITUDE
  WILL
  TOUGHNESS
  +5
  +4
  —
  +5
  +12
   
   
  ROBARCHAEOPTERYX 
  PL 4
  Minions. See Cast section.
  COMBAT 
  INITIATIVE +4
  Ultrasonic Cannon 
  +4 
  Ranged, Penetrating Damage 4
  Unarmed 
  +3 
  Close, Damage –2
  DODGE
  PARRY
  FORTITUDE
  WILL
  TOUGHNESS
  +6
  +5
  —
  +6
  +2
   
   
  HIRED GUARDS 
  PL 3
  Minions. See Cast section
  COMBAT 
  INITIATIVE +1
  Submachine Gun 
  +1 
  Ranged, Multiattack, Damage 4
  Unarmed 
  +2 
  Close, Damage 2
  DODGE
  PARRY
  FORTITUDE
  WILL
  TOUGHNESS
  +2
  +2
  +4
  +0
  +3/2*
   
   
  *without armor
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  WRAP-UP
  Once the PCs defeat the Roboverlord and its minions, Chatar Singh 
  thanks them gratefully. “I’ve been trapped in this cursed place for a 
  week! Those thugs and their robot allies grabbed me when I was walk-
  ing home. They brought me here and forced me to work for them.” 
  Three other scientists have been locked in the adjoining supply room 
  and have roughly similar stories.
  Singh tells the superheroes that he is given daily instructions via USB 
  drive brought by one of the human minions. “The instructions were 
  very clear and quite ingenius. Obviously written by a skilled engineer. I 
  was to use the supplied parts to upgrade these robotic dinosaurs and 
  to make them more dangerous. I never met the person in charge, but 
  the humans who came here always seemed afraid of him. I heard one 
  call him ‘the King.’”
  Singh is the one who activated the HyperCortex’s beacon. “When I 
  saw the processor, I knew it came from a professional laboratory. They 
  discarded the packaging and took the component down below, and 
  I found the damaged GPS beacon while cleaning up. I took a risk and 
  repaired it. I thought perhaps someone would come rescue me. I wor-
  ried the overlord or whoever is in charge might notice the signal, so I 
  only left it on for a bit. Thank goodness it worked!”
  Finally, Singh can tell the PCs what he knows about Rex’s operation. 
  “I know the humans who came here often had muddy boots. A robot 
  would have to clean up after they left. They smelled bad too, like bad 
  eggs.” He also notes that the robosaurs come and go from the hatch 
  at the room’s far end. The PCs should be able to guess that the mas-
  termind’s minions are traveling through the sewers. If they don’t, an 
  Investigation check (DC 15) can help them put the clues together. If 
  Singh is incapacitated or the PCs are truly stuck, one of the scientists 
  or human henchpeople in the room could have a rough map in his 
  pocket showing the location of the antique shop and a red X denoting 
  a nearby sewer access point.
  SCENE 8 
  INVESTIGATION SCENE
  TRACKING THE KING
  With the clues gained from Chatar Singh, or from examining the min-
  ions in Scene 7, the PCs learn that the sewers lead to the lair of the 
  mastermind, whom some of the minions call “Mr. King.” They can de-
  scend into the sewers through the hatch in the assembly chamber, but 
  from there they must find their own way to Cerebrus Rex’s subway lair.
  THE SEWERS
  This part of the sewer system sees light use at this time of year, and the 
  water on the floor is only ankle-deep. Stealth checks suffer a –2 pen-
  alty due to the sound of splashing water (unless a hero can fly or cling 
  to the ceiling). The tunnel is small enough that most heroes won’t be 
  able to use the Flight power faster than walking speed, and heroes 
  who depend on wings can’t fly at all.
  There is no light source in the sewer. The minions that travel this way 
  bring flashlights along. The PCs will have to bring their own light, bor-
  row a flashlight from the workshop, or be able to see in the dark.
  FOLLOWING THE TRAIL 
  The minions who travel through the sewers have left a number of 
  small traces behind. Scuff marks on the wall, discarded gum wrappers 
  on ledges, the smell of cigarettes, threads caught on rough bricks, and 
  other such signs mark the way to the checkpoint. Tracking the minions 
  is a challenge sequence, requiring the PCs to accumulate six successes 
  before three failures. PCs can use the following skills and DCs, but no 
  one character can succeed at the same skill more than once:  Expertise 
  (streetwise) (DC 18, to separate clues from trash), Insight (DC 18, to 
  guess at travelers’ behavior), Investigate (DC 15, to spot subtle clues), 
  Perception (DC 20, to find obvious tracks), and Technology (DC 20, to 
  track increased power usage). PCs with the Tracking Advantage gain 
  a +2 bonus on all their skill checks to follow the minions’ trail. A hero 
  with the Tracking Advantage or the Senses (Tracking) power automat-
  ically earns one success. A DC 20 Tracking check is required to follow 
  the minions, and it takes 30 minutes to find the checkpoint.
  Succeeding at six checks leads the PCs to Cerebrus Rex’s lair. If the PCs 
  fail three skill checks and can’t find their way, a patrol of four robar-
  chaeopteryx discovers them and attacks (see the Cast section). The 
  PCs can then follow the trail of exhaust back to the checkpoint, with-
  out the need for a skill check.
  The PCs might come up with other methods to find the lair, such 
  as waiting for someone to come out of the sewers and ambushing, 
  threatening, or mind-controlling them. A minion from Rex’s lab does 
  emerge from the sewers a day after the PCs find the robotics lab, try-
  ing to discover why there have been no communications from the 
  Roboverlord.
  The gate into the lair is locked, requiring a DC 20 Technology check to 
  open. The gates have Toughness 7. 
  WRAP-UP
  Thanks to the robarchaeopteryx drones in Scene 7 (and possibly en-
  countered in the tunnels as well), Cerebrus Rex is well aware of ap-
  proaching visitors and is scrambling his remaining defenders to meet 
  this threat as he completes the Saurian Gate. If the PCs failed in their 
  initial challenge sequence and took extra time to find Cerebrus Rex’s 
  hideout, he has time to activate additional defenses.
  Heroes familiar with the city can identify their final destination with 
  a successful DC 18 Expertise (streetwise) check: the old central hub 
  for the city’s subway, closed decades ago when a larger complex was 
  opened several miles away.
  SCENE 9 CHALLENGE & CONFLICT SCENE
  THE SAURIAN GATE
  When the heroes finally enter Cerebrus Rex’s hidden lair, read or para-
  phrase the following:
  An old subway platform, sealed off and long disused, stretches 
  along the edge of an old tunnel. Subway cars with their doors 
  cut open sit against the walls, forming small workstations. Moni-
  tors lining the walls show newsfeeds from around the world.
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  Ranks of car-sized robotic dinosaurs stand motionless and dim 
  in the subway tunnel, filling it with their silent rows.
  An arch of black dominates this massive art deco chamber. In 
  sharp contrast to the primitive monolith are shining metal nodes 
  that line the inside of the arch. Cables connect to the electronics 
  and lead back to a large bank of computers. They flicker to reveal 
  images of vast jungles, massive ziggurats, and more recog-
  nizable scenes of cities around the globe. An attached screen 
  shows a progress bar slowly ticking toward 100%.
  Rex plans to use this interdimensional gate to open a portal back to his 
  home world and bring most Saurian soldiers through. The arch itself is 
  carved from meteorite rock rich in iridium. The metal nodes on the in-
  terior of the arch are meant to create the dimensional destabilization 
  field that will open the way to Rex’s world.
  The Saurian Gate is complete, thanks to the materials Conundrum 
  stole at the Exotech factory and the now-functional HyperCortex. The 
  attached computers are running a final diagnostic of the machine, 
  which will identify a number of issues in its construction. Once those 
  issues are corrected, Rex can open a portal to his world and begin 
  bringing his dinosaur armies through.
  When the PCs confront him, Rex laughs at them in his rich voice:
  “Foolish sapiens. You are far too late. No mere monkey could 
  match my wit! Conundrum provided me the final materials I 
  needed to complete my dimensional portal, the Saurian Gate. 
  Soon, my armies will march across the face of your Earth. You 
  pathetic primates will live under the rule of the true master of all 
  Earths: Cerebrus Rex!”
  The heroes can try to stop the gate by defeating Rex quickly or (more 
  likely) by shutting down the gate. They can also attempt to destroy 
  it, but this creates different problems (see The Saurian Gate, below).
  KEY POINTS
  The subway chamber is massive—one reason the twelve-foot-tall 
  Cerebrus Rex chose it as his lair—and easily accommodates the ty-
  rant and his large mechanical minions. A ten-foot-wide balcony, with 
  70’s-era bodegas and restaurants, lines the outer wall some 20 feet 
  overhead, and agile heroes might use this as cover against Rex and 
  his robosaurs. The old balconies can’t support much weight anymore; 
  the floor cracks and strains under the weight of any creature with 4 or 
  more ranks in Growth (such as Rex and his robosaurs), and immediate-
  ly collapses if damaged.
  Rex has excellent night vision and keeps this room quite dim. The room 
  is dark enough to provide partial concealment to anyone who does 
  not possess low-light or darkvision, or some other accurate sense.
  The Saurian Gate is made of foot-thick stone and has Toughness 8. 
  THE SAURIAN GATE 
  The Saurian Gate’s final diagnostic ticks away, and will automatical-
  ly activate the gate at the end of the third round of combat. Any PC 
  can recognize this with a cursory look at the devices. Delaying the 
  gate’s opening requires a successful DC 15 Technology check made 
  as a Standard action; every Degree of Success on this check delays the 
  gate’s opening by one round. Actually shutting down the Saurian Gate 
  requires a total of three successful DC 20 Technology checks. Rex has 
  programmed his computers in his native Saurian language, imposing 
  a –5 circumstance penalty to any Technology checks for anyone who 
  can’t read it. A successful DC 15 Intellect check reduces this penalty to 
  a –2. Heroes with the Comprehend (Languages or Machines) effect do 
  not suffer this penalty.
  Simply destroying the computer can also stop the gate’s activation, 
  but with consequences. Destroying the Saurian Gate (Toughness 8) 
  before it activates discharges the dimensional energy it has been ac-
  cumulating, creating a burst area Damage 10 effect. Destroying the 
  Saurian Gate after the portal opens instead destabilizes the rift, inflict-
  ing the same Damage effect, but also teleporting Cerebrus Rex (and 
  any other dimensional travelers nearby) away to battle the PCs anoth-
  er day.
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  TACTICS
  While Cerebrus Rex has a hundred robosaurs ready to assist his armies, 
  most are not yet active. He can activate a deinonychus robosaur re-
  motely as a move action, or a ceratops robosaur as a standard action. He 
  begins the fight with two ceratops robosaurs already active as guard-
  ians. If the PCs failed their challenge sequence to track Rex’s hideout in 
  Scene 8, he has also activated one deinonychus robosaur for every PC.
  ROLEPLAYING CEREBRUS REX
  Cerebrus Rex believes he fights for a good cause: conquering a home 
  for what remains of his people... and acquiring a readily available slave 
  force. As one of the foremost minds of his world, he can’t imagine sim-
  ple-minded simians posing any true threat to him, and begins this fight 
  supremely overconfident, bragging of his intellect, of the glories of the 
  Saurian empire, and of the feeble technologies wielded by Earth.
  Cerebrus Rex is the mastermind behind all the incidents the PCs have 
  faced so far. He’s a cunning and ruthless opponent who uses his di-
  mensional knowledge to give him an edge in battle. Cerebrus Rex has 
  an exosuit that amplifies his natural strength and power, as well as 
  a dimensional controller built into the arm that lets him warp space 
  around his enemies. By activating the dimensional controller, he can 
  stress an enemy’s biological systems with a spatial distortion. He acti-
  vates his Dimensional Cascade attack early in the fight, but otherwise 
  relies on his more precise Spatial Shock as it won’t harm any minions.
  Should the heroes deactivate or destroy his Saurian Gate, Rex bellows:
  “No! The impudence of you pests! But no matter! I can build a 
  hundred gates, after I deal with you meddlesome mammals!”
  Rex fights to the best of his ability, determined that the PCs will not 
  defeat him. If Rex is badly wounded, he tries to teleport away.
  ROBOSAURS
  The deinonychus robosaurs are identical to those the PCs have faced 
  previously, but Rex has added an additional design: the ceratops. 
  SAURIAN SOLDIERS
  If Cerebrus Rex’s Saurian Gate opens, two Saurian soldiers walk 
  through on Rex’s initiative each turn to join the fight. Unlike the robo-
  saurs, the Saurian soldiers are not minions, and use the rules for nor-
  mal villains. New Saurians continue to flood through each round until 
  the gate is shut down or destroyed.
  CEREBRUS REX 
  PL 12
  See Cast section.
  COMBAT 
  INITIATIVE +4
  Dimensional Cascade 
  — 
  Ranged, Cone Area, Damage 11
  Spatial Shock 
  — 
  Perception, Affliction 12 (Fort)
  Unarmed 
  +8 
  Close, Damage 6 or Carnivore Teeth 8
  DODGE
  PARRY
  FORTITUDE
  WILL
  TOUGHNESS
  +10/6*
  +10/6*
  +11
  +13
  +12/6*
   
  *without Exo-Suit
  DEINONYCHUS ROBOSAUR 
  PL 6
  Minion. See the Cast section.
  COMBAT 
  INITIATIVE +8
  Bite 
  +7 
  Close, Damage 5
  DODGE
  PARRY
  FORTITUDE
  WILL
  TOUGHNESS
  +7
  +7
  —
  +3
  +5
   
  CERATOPS ROBOSAUR 
  PL 8
  Minion. See the Cast section.
  COMBAT 
  INITIATIVE +0
  Unarmed 
  +6 
  Close, Damage 10
  DODGE
  PARRY
  FORTITUDE
  WILL
  TOUGHNESS
  +2
  +2
  —
  +0
  +14/10*
   
  *vs. attacks from behind or unexpected attacks
  SAURIAN SOLDIER 
  PL 7
  See the Cast section.
  COMBAT 
  INITIATIVE +1
  Blaster Rifle 
  +4 
  Ranged, Damage 8
  Carnivore Teeth 
  +5 
  Close, Damage 8
  Unarmed 
  +5 
  Close, Damage 6
  DODGE
  PARRY
  FORTITUDE
  WILL
  TOUGHNESS
  +6
  +7
  +8
  +5
  +7
   
  WRAP-UP
  If Cerebrus Rex escapes, he vows vengeance on the heroes, seeing 
  them as a threat to his future plans for conquering the earth. If the 
  heroes instead defeat Rex, they can turn him over to the authorities. 
  Rex winds up in prison and awaiting trial, where he will no doubt be 
  handed a severe sentence... if he doesn’t escape first.
  Enterprising players may find other ways of dealing with the dooms-
  day dinosaur, such as forcing him through his own Saurian Gate be-
  fore destroying it. This may permanently exile Rex from Earth, or 
  may merely be a temporary setback until he builds a new portal on 
  his homeworld. He may also become trapped in the space between 
  worlds (especially if the gate is destroyed), potentially becoming an 
  intangible threat able to advise and manipulate human villains, but 
  frustratingly incapable of interacting with the solid world until freed 
  from his dimensional limbo.
  EPILOGUE
  The city is safe once more as the heroes drive the extradimensional 
  warlord into hiding or banish him to another reality.
  The secrets of Rex’s lair are many. The PCs can examine the robosa-
  urs and potentially learn Saurian insights that will help their own 
  inventing. Amy Yang and/or Chatar Sing can help with the robosaur 
  dissection, as both are fascinated by Rex’s advanced technology. A 
  reprogrammed robosaur may even make a suitable sidekick for tech-
  nology-focused heroes.
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  The Saurian Gate has been destroyed or dismantled, but the super-
  heroes may still be intrigued by it. If the PCs choose, they can try to 
  restore the gate while ensuring no Saurians can emerge from the 
  other side. Yang and Singh are not dimensional experts, but they can 
  add their technological expertise to the project if the PCs wish. If the 
  superheroes get the gate active again, they can conduct exploratory 
  missions to the Saurian-ruled wastelands of the other side, leading to 
  many exciting adventure opportunities.
  REWARDS
  The heroes earn two power points for the adventure. If they showed 
  plenty of initiative or cleverness in unraveling this strange partnership, 
  award them one additional power point. Their adventure may also 
  leave them with access to strange technology, like leftover robots or 
  even Cerebrus Rex’s dimensional portal, paving the way for new and 
  strange adventures (provided they don’t disassemble the dangerous 
  device and return its stolen parts). Little of this adventure includes 
  public adulation after the initial battle with the Roguebot in Scene 1, 
  but the heroes may also earn themselves contacts such as Amy Yang 
  at Exotech or Chatar Singh. If anything unusual happens in the robot-
  ics/inventing industries, Yang or Singh can learn about it and warn the 
  PCs. They could also serve as inventors or gadgeteers to help the PCs 
  with building and repairing equipment.
  CONTINUING THE ADVENTURE
  There are several ways to extend this adventure into a longer adven-
  ture or story arc:
  WHEN IS A BRAIN LIKE HAIR?
  When it’s teased. The easiest way to extend this adventure is to play 
  up Conundrum’s role more, spreading out the clues to his hideout 
  across multiple heists. He might leave a riddle with a nonsense answer, 
  strangely capitalized to spell out the word “Ocean” in one location and 
  the word “Heights” at another, or leave riddles whose solutions point 
  to common amusement park foods or rides, vague at first but increas-
  ingly specific with each new crime. Or you might make the crimes 
  themselves more bizarre, with no obvious means of entry or no appar-
  ent thefts. The heroes may even have run-ins with the Fun-Time Gang 
  and less powerful villains at these additional robberies.
  AN EMPIRE AT MY FINGERTIPS
  You might give Cerebrus Rex more soldiers or other Saurian agents, 
  perhaps brought over as a test of his portal device and now spreading 
  throughout the city to soften it up for invasion through acts of sabo-
  tage against infrastructure and the police. In addition to tracking the 
  technological T-rex, the heroes must pause to stop other dinosaurs in 
  the middle of disastrous deeds.
  PEEPHOLE TO THE UNIVERSE
  While the heroes power down and disassemble the portal itself, the 
  spot where Cerebrus Rex built and tested the device remains a wound 
  in the fabric of reality, one that may let through other Saurian agents 
  or far more dangerous creatures from between dimensions. The he-
  roes must stop these new threats while re-gathering all the returned 
  parts to try and seal the breach, perhaps even needing to recruit Cere-
  brus Rex’s genius to help them.
  CAST
  The following are the major characters encountered in Rise of the Ty-
  rant, including their backgrounds and relevant game stats.
  CONUNDRUM
  One of Freedom City’s more frustrating career criminals, Andre Keston 
  is a master of puzzles but has also apparently gone legit after his lat-
  est round of therapy in prison. It is up to the Gamemaster to decide if 
  the Conundrum working with Rex is indeed Andre Keston, a copycat 
  stealing his gimmick, or a false front being manipulated by Keston to 
  continue his criminal games from a safe distance (or a robot duplicate, 
  made from his newly acquired Saurian technology).
  Conundrum isn’t a very skilled combatant and relies heavily on his 
  minions to support him. He uses a combination of the Defend action 
  to frustrate opponents and Set-Up to feint or taunt and leave heroes 
  vulnerable to his minions’ attacks.
  Addition information on Conundrum can be found in Freedom City, 
  Third Edition.
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  CEREBRUS REX
  A genius-level intellect born to a dying world, Cerebrus Rex is a hero 
  to his people and a conquering monster to the people of Earth-Prime. 
  He sees nothing wrong with a strict social hierarchy—one that conve-
  niently places tyrannosauroids like himself at the top and renders hu-
  man beings as obedient and grateful slaves. In addition to his intellect 
  and dimension-warping technology, he is a towering figure of muscle 
  and teeth, capable of ripping foes limb from limb with his bare hands.
  Addition information on Cerebrus Rex can be found in Threat Report.
  THE FUN-TIME GANG
  The Fun-Time Gang are carnival-themed thugs with more training and 
  better equipment than the average goon. They’re professional min-
  ions, working for supervillains who match their aesthetic, such as Wild-
  card, Toy Boy, and (depending on the time of year) Doc Holiday. Co-
  nundrum hired them when he moved into his funhouse lair to serve as 
  security and general-purpose muscle. They have colorful names and 
  themes, including Muscle Lass, Coaster, Candy Apple, Pitcher, Squirt, 
  and Zipper, but use the same statblock. In addition to ordinary weap-
  ons, they wield carnival-themed gear like power mallets, electrified 
  bamboo canes, weighted juggler’s clubs, high-pressure squirt guns, 
  and exploding baseballs.
  FUN-TIME GANGSTER 
  PL 5
  Minions
  STR 2
  STA 3
  AGL 1
  DEX 1
  FGT 1
  INT 0
  AWE 1
  PRE 2
   Equipment: Light Armor (+3 Toughness), Carnival-Themed Weapon 
  (Strength-Based Damage 4 or Ranged Damage 4), Pistol (Ranged Damage 3)
  Advantages: Favored Environment (Carnival Rides), Equipment 4, 
  Teamwork
  Skills: Athletics 3 (+5), Close Combat: Carnival Weapon 4 (+5), Deception 4 
  (+6), Expertise: Games 6 (+6), Intimidation 3 (+5), Ranged Combat: Carnival 
  Weapon 4 (+5), Vehicles 4 (+5)
  COMBAT 
  INITIATIVE +1
  Carnival-Themed Weapon 
  +5 
  Close or Ranged, Damage 5
  Pistol 
  +3 
  Ranged, Damage 3
  Unarmed 
  +1 
  Close, Damage 2
  DODGE
  PARRY
  FORTITUDE
  WILL
  TOUGHNESS
  +4
  +4
  +3
  +1
  +6/3*
   
  *without armor
  Totals: Abilities 22 + Powers 0 + Advantages 6 + Skills 14 (28 ranks) + 
  Defenses 6 = 48
  Complications: Motivation—Fanatical: The Fun-Time Gang are incredibly 
  loyal to their employers, even against overwhelming odds. Carnies: The 
  Fun-Time Gang are very invested in their bit. They take a –5 circumstance 
  penalty to resist Deception attempts (including Trick or feint) that 
  incorporate carnival themes or traditions.
  HIRED GUARDS
  Freedom City has no shortage of small-time crooks willing to sign on 
  with more powerful villains, even when they don’t know their employ-
  er’s identity. Cerebrus Rex’s human agents are career criminals and 
  familar with the city’s superhero scene.
  HIRED GUARDS 
  PL 3
  Minions
  STR 2
  STA 2
  AGL 1
  DEX 1
  FGT 2
  INT 0
  AWE 0
  PRE –1
  Equipment: Leather jacket (+1 Toughness), submachine gun (Ranged Damage 
  4; Multiattack), cell phone
  Advantages: Equipment 3
  Skills: Athletics 4 (+6), Expertise: Superheroes 4 (+4), Expertise: Criminal 2 (+2), 
  Expertise: Streetwise 4 (+4), Expertise: Current Events 2 (+2), Intimidation 4 (+3), 
  Stealth 2 (+3), Vehicles 4 (+5)
  COMBAT 
  INITIATIVE +1
  Submachine Gun 
  +1 
  Ranged, Multiattack, Damage 4
  Unarmed 
  +2 
  Close, Damage 2
  DODGE
  PARRY
  FORTITUDE
  WILL
  TOUGHNESS
  +2
  +2
  +4
  +0
  +3/2*
   
   
  *without armor
  Totals: Abilities 14 + Powers 0 + Advantages 3 + Skills 13 + Defenses 3 = Total 33
  ROBOSAURS
  Cerebrus Rex distrusts the simple-minded humans of this new world, 
  and relies on his own robotic creations.
  DEINONYCHUS ROBOSAURS
  The most common and easily produced design of Cerebrus Rex’s ro-
  bosaurs is the deinonychus, a two-legged footsoldier and scout. De-
  signed for speed and mobility, they are relatively fragile, but wield 
  deadly claws on their feet in addition to their formidable strength.
  DEINONYCHUS ROBOSAUR 
  PL 6
  Minion
  STR 4
  STA —
  AGL 4
  DEX 0
  FGT 7
  INT –4
  AWE 3
  PRE 0
  Powers: Bite (Damage 1 (Strength-based)), Immunity 40 (Fortitude 
  effects, mental effects), Leaping 1 (15 feet), Protection, Speed 2 (8 MPH), 
  Senses 4 (Low-Light Vision, Acute Smell, Tracking, Ultra-hearing)
  Advantages: Improved Grab, Improved Initiative
  Skills: Perception 4 (+7), Stealth 2 (+6)
  COMBAT 
  INITIATIVE +8
  Bite 
  +7 
  Close, Damage 5
  DODGE
  PARRY
  FORTITUDE
  WILL
  TOUGHNESS
  +7
  +7
  —
  +3
  +5
   
  Totals: Abilities 18 + Powers 58 + Advantages 2 + Skills 3 + Defenses 6 = 87
  ROBARCHAEOPTERYX
  The robarchaeopteryx are spy and combat drones: fast, agile, and out-
  fitted with sound-based weaponry that can bore through walls. Cere-
  brus Rex plans to mass-produce them as scouts and communication 
  hubs, but for now has found them excellent guards. They use their 
  flight to stay out of reach and blast foes, broadcasting everything they 
  see and hear back to Rex’s command center.
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  ROBARCHAEOPTERYX 
  PL 4
  STR –2
  STA —
  AGL 4
  DEX 1
  FGT 3
  INT –3
  AWE 6
  PRE 0
  Powers: Flight 5 (60 MPH), Little Robot Dinosaur (Immunity 40 (Fortitude 
  effects, mental effects), Shrinking 4 (Permanent, Innate), Senses 6 (Accurate 
  Auditory, Darkvision, Radio, Ultravision)), Ultrasonic Canon (Ranged 
  Damage 4 (Penetrating))
  Advantages: Evasion, Move-by Action, Ranged Attack 3, Uncanny Dodge
  Skills: Acrobatics 2 (+6), Perception 2 (+8), Stealth 0 (+8)
  COMBAT 
  INITIATIVE +4
  Ultrasonic Cannon 
  +4 
  Ranged, Penetrating Damage 4
  Unarmed 
  +3 
  Close, Damage –2
  DODGE
  PARRY
  FORTITUDE
  WILL
  TOUGHNESS
  +6
  +5
  —
  +6
  +2
   
   
  Totals: Abilities –10 + Powers 76 + Advantages 6 + Skills 2 (4 ranks) + 
  Defenses 2 = 76
  CERATOPS ROBOSAUR
  These walking assault tanks serve as mobile cover, and while Cerebrus 
  Rex eventually plans to produce a version equipped with a particle 
  beam weapon, for now he is content to use them as walking shields. 
  Each ceratops has the Interpose Advantage, allowing it to take blows 
  meant for Rex. Each is also protected by an armored forward helm, 
  making them almost unstoppable, but this additional armor is effec-
  tively an active bonus and cannot be applied to attacks the robosa-
  ur is unaware of. It likewise can only apply this additional protection 
  against one opponent at a time if attacked by multiple heroes striking 
  simultaneously from different directions. Like other robosaurs, the cer-
  atops are minions.
  CERATOPS ROBOSAUR 
  PL 8
  Minions
  STR 10
  STA —
  AGL 0
  DEX 0
  FGT 0
  INT –4
  AWE 0
  PRE 0
  Powers: Armor Plating (Protection 6 (Impervious)), Big Robot Lizard 
  (Growth 4 (Permanent, Innate), Immunity 40 (Fortitude effects, mental 
  effects)), Helm (Protection 4 (Impervious; limited to frontal attacks))
  Advantages: Close Attack 6, Improved Smash, Interpose, Move-by Action
  COMBAT 
  INITIATIVE +0
  Unarmed 
  +6 
  Close, Damage 10
  DODGE
  PARRY
  FORTITUDE
  WILL
  TOUGHNESS
  +2
  +2
  —
  +0
  +14/10*
   
  *vs. attacks from behind or unexpected attacks
  Totals: Abilities –6 + Powers 63 + Advantages 9 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + 
  Defenses 8 = 74
  ROBOVERLORD
  A more advanced AI than Rex usually relies on, the Roboverlord is ca-
  pable of handling complex tasks like running a manufacturing center 
  (or leading a battalion), though its artificial personality is still extreme-
  ly young and has yet to develop much. It is direct and plainspoken, 
  and accustomed to others obeying its orders without question. In 
  combat, the Roboverlord uses its Inspire Advantage to coordinate oth-
  er robosaurs in the area before relying on its Tail Blaster.
  ROBOVERLORD 
  PL 9
  STR 10
  STA —
  AGL 6
  DEX 1
  FGT 6
  INT 4
  AWE 5
  PRE –2
  Powers: Armored (Protection 8 (Impervious)), Big Robot Lizard (Growth 4 
  (Permanent, Innate), Immunity 40 (Fortitude effects, mental effects), Senses 
  5 (Low-light Vision, Radio, Radius Vision, Ultravision)), Tail Blaster (Ranged 
  Damage 10)
  Advantages: Improved Initiative, Inspire 2, Luck
  Skills: Close Combat: Unarmed 1 (+7), Expertise: Robotics 10 (+14), 
  Intimidation 8 (+8), Perception 4 (+9), Ranged Combat: Tail Blaster 5 (+6), 
  Technology 8 (+12)
  COMBAT 
  INITIATIVE +10
  Tail Blaster 
  +6 
  Ranged, Damage 10
  Unarmed 
  +7 
  Close, Damage 10
  DODGE
  PARRY
  FORTITUDE
  WILL
  TOUGHNESS
  +5
  +4
  —
  +5
  +12
   
   
  Totals: Abilities 42 + Powers 89 + Advantages 4 + Skills 18 (36 ranks) + 
  Defenses 1 = 154
  Complications: Literal: The Roboverlord accepts what it sees at face 
  value. If intruders obey its commands, it assumes any conflict is done and 
  returns to its normal duties. Vulnerable (Heat): The Roboverlord utilizes 
  one of the stolen HyperCortex processors and can overheat easily. If it fails 
  a Toughness check against any attack with a fire or heat descriptor, it is also 
  Dazed for one round.
  SAURIAN SOLDIERS
  Cerebrus Rex’s loyal soldiers from his homeworld are an experienced 
  fighting force and wield advanced energy weapons. While not as dan-
  gerous as the rampaging dinosaurs from which they descend, they are 
  still far more powerful than most human opponents.
  SAURIAN SOLDIER 
  PL 7
  STR 6
  STA 7
  AGL 1
  DEX 2
  FGT 5
  INT 0
  AWE 1
  PRE 0
  Powers: Carnivore Teeth (Strength-based Damage 2), Saurian Senses 
  (Senses 3 (Acute Smell, Low-light Vision, Tracking)), Saurian Size (Growth 4 
  (Innate, Permanent))
  Equipment: Blaster Rifle (Ranged Damage 8)
  Advantages: Equipment 4
  Skills: Athletics 2 (+8), Intimidation 6 (+8), Perception 6 (+7), Ranged 
  Combat: Blasters 2 (+4), Technology 4 (+4), Vehicles 4 (+6)
  COMBAT 
  INITIATIVE +1
  Blaster Rifle 
  +4 
  Ranged, Damage 8
  Carnivore Teeth 
  +5 
  Close, Damage 8
  Unarmed 
  +5 
  Close, Damage 6
  DODGE
  PARRY
  FORTITUDE
  WILL
  TOUGHNESS
  +6
  +7
  +8
  +5
  +7
   
  Totals: Abilities 28 + Powers 14 + Advantages 4 + Skills 12 (24 ranks) + 
  Defenses 16 = 74
  161616
  Rise of the Tyrant
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  CONUNDRUM 
  PL9
  CONUNDRUM 
  PL9
  STR
  STA
  AGL
  DEX
  FGT
  INT
  AWE
  PRE
  0
  1
  1
  1
  2
  11
  11
  6
  SKILLS
  Close Combat: Unarmed 6 (+8), Deception 10 (+16), Expertise: Behavioral 
  Sciences 4 (+15), Expertise: Tactics 8 (+19), Investigation 8 (+19), Perception 
  4 (+15), Sleight of Hand 12 (+13), Technology 6 (+17)
  ADVANTAGES
  Benefit 4 (Multimillionaire), Contacts, Defensive Roll 2, Eidetic Memory, 
  Equipment 10, Evasion, Fascinate (Deception), Improved Defense, Improved 
  Initiative, Inventor, Luck 3, Ranged Attack 7, Seize Initiative, Set-up, Skill Mastery 
  4 (Deception, Insight, Sleight of Hand, Technology), Taunt, Uncanny Dodge 
  (visual)
  OFFENSE*
  INITIATIVE +5
  Pistol +8
  Ranged, Damage 3
  Unarmed +8
  Close, Damage 0
  DEFENSE
  DODGE
  13
  FORTITUDE
  4
  PARRY
  13
  TOUGHNESS
  3/1*
  WILL
  13
  *Without Defensive Roll bonus
  POWER POINTS
  ABILITIES
  66
  SKILLS 
  33
  POWERS
  0
  DEFENSES
  28
  ADVANTAGES
  41
  TOTAL
  168
  COMPLICATIONS
  Motivation—Challenge: Conundrum is obsessed with proving his 
  intellectual superiority through his various “games” and puzzles and in 
  avenging any slights.
  Obsession: Conundrum cannot resist building complex puzzles and 
  intellectual challenges into his schemes.
  Dazed?
  One standard action each round
  Staggered?
  One standard action, –1 movement
  Incapacitated?
  Defenseless, Stunned, Unaware
  Damage
  NOTES
  171717
  Rise of the Tyrant
  Rise of the Tyrant
  Rise of the Tyrant
  
  CEREBRUS REX 
  PL12
  CEREBRUS REX 
  PL12
  STR*
  STA*
  AGL
  DEX
  FGT
  INT
  AWE
  PRE
  6
  6
  0
  2
  4
  11
  6
  4
  SKILLS
  Carnivore Teeth: Strength-based Damage 2 • 2 points
  Dimensional Controller: Array (48 points), Removable (–10 points) • 40 
  points
  • Spatial Shock: Perception Ranged Cumulative Affliction 12 (Resisted 
  by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated), • 48 points
  • Dimensional Cascade: Cone Area Ranged Damage 11, Indirect 4, 
  Variable (any environmental effect) • 1 point
  • Teleportals: Teleport 12 (Extended, Portal, Limited to Extended) •1 
  point
  Exo-Suit: Enhanced Defenses 8 (deflector field; Dodge 4, Parry 4), Immunity 
  10 (Life Support), Impervious Protection 6; Removable (–6 points) • 24 
  points
  Neural Implants: Enhanced Advantages 8 (Eidetic Memory, Languages 5, 
  Improved Initiative, Jack-of-all-trades), Quickness 4 (Limited to Mental 
  Tasks) • 10 points
  Rex-Sized: Growth 4 (+4 Str, +4 Sta, +2 Intimidation, –4 Stealth, –2 Dodge, 
  –2 Parry, size rank –1, mass rank 6), Permanent, Innate • 9 points
  Robosaurs: Summon Robotic Dinosaurs 6 (90-point minions; Active, 
  Continuous Duration, Controlled, Multiple Minions 4: sixteen minions, 
  Variable Type: Dinosaurs) • 84 points
  Saurian Senses: Senses 3 (Acute Smell, Low-light Vision, Tracking) • 3 points
  SKILLS
  Athletics 4 (+10), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+8), Deception 4 (+8), 
  Expertise: Science 9 (+20), Insight 6 (+12), Intimidation 4 (+10), 
  Investigation 5 (+16), Perception 4 (+10), Technology 10 (+21), Vehicles 4 
  (+6)
  ADVANTAGES
  Eidetic Memory, Equipment 4, Languages 5, Improved Initiative, Improved 
  Trip (tail attack), Inventor, Jack-of-all-trades, Move-by Action, Precise Attack 
  (Close; Concealment), Ranged Attack 4, Startle
  OFFENSE
  INITIATIVE +4
  Dimensional Cascade —
  Ranged, Cone Area Damage 11
  Spatial Shock —
  Perception Range, Affliction 12 (Fort) 
  Unarmed +8
  Close, Damage 6 or Carnivore Teeth 8
  DEFENSE
  DODGE
  10/6*
  FORTITUDE
  11
  PARRY
  10/6*
  TOUGHNESS
  12/6*
  WILL
  13
  *Without Exo-Suit
  POWER POINTS
  ABILITIES
  62
  SKILLS 
  27
  POWERS
  172
  DEFENSES
  24
  ADVANTAGES
  13
  TOTAL
  298
  COMPLICATIONS
  Alien: A Saurian from another Earth, Cerebrus Rex is alien in both 
  appearance and outlook. He has difficulty moving unnoticed and is still 
  learning about Earth history, culture, and customs.
  Arrogant: Cerebrus Rex considers himself far superior to the “ignorant 
  mammals” of this world, which sometimes leads him to underestimate their 
  capabilities.
  Motivation—Survival of the Species: Cerebrus Rex is looking for a new 
  home for his people, and is willing to go to any lengths to secure their 
  survival.
  Dazed?
  One standard action each round
  Staggered?
  One standard action, –1 movement
  Incapacitated?
  Defenseless, Stunned, Unaware
  Damage
  NOTES
  181818
  Rise of the Tyrant
  Rise of the Tyrant
  Rise of the Tyrant
  
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  Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the 
  Coast, Inc. 
  System Reference Document, Copyright 2000, Wizards of 
  the Coast, Inc., Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip 
  Williams, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and 
  Dave Arneson. 
  Modern System Reference Document, Copyright 2002-2004, 
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  Publishing; Author Steve Kenson. 
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  Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author Steve Kenson.
  Mutants & Masterminds Astonishing Adventures: Rise of 
  the Tyrant, Copyright 2019, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; 
  Author Amber ScottMhmmm. .
  CREDITS & LICENSE
  CREDITS & LICENSE
  MutantS & MaSteRMindS aStoniShing adventuReS: RiSe of the tyRant
  Writing: Amber Scott
  Design: Crystal Frasier
  Editing: Samantha Chapman
  Art Direction: Hal Mangold
  Graphic Design: Crystal Frasier
  Interior Art: MK Ultra Studios, Alberto Foche, and Domenico Nezitti
  Publisher: Chris Pramas
  Team Ronin: Joseph Carriker, Crystal Frasier, Jaym Gates, Kara 
  Hamilton, Troy Hewitt, Steve Kenson, Ian Lemke, Nicole Lindroos, 
  Hal Mangold, Chris Pramas, Evan Sass, Marc Schmalz, Malcolm 
  Sheppard, Will Sobel, Owen K.C. Stephens, Dylan Templar, Veronica 
  Templar, and Barry Wilson
  Mutants & Masterminds Astonishing Adventures: Rise of the Tyrant is 
  ©2020 Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. References to 
  other copyrighted material in no way constitute a challenge to the 
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  Super-powDered by M&M, Green Ronin, and their associated logos 
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