Mutants & Masterminds - Paragons - A More Perfect Union
Mutants & Masterminds - Paragons - A More Perfect Union
Mutants & Masterminds - Paragons - A More Perfect Union
Graphic Design Hal Mangold Art Direction Hal Mangold & Steve Kenson
Interior Art Brett Barkley, Greg Kirkpatrick
Green Ronin Staff Chris Pramas, Nicole Lindroos, Hal Mangold, Steve Kenson, Evan Sass,
Robert J. “Dr. Evil” Schwalb, Marc Schmalz, and Bill Bodden
Special Thanks to the staff and attendees of LoreCon 2006 in Burlington, VT, where this adventure was originally run, particularly to Chris Folley, Jr. and Jonathan
Chiaravalle for some impromptu proof-reading, and D.T. Butchino for getting me invited in the first place.
A PARAGONS ADVENTURE
A More Perfect Union is ©2007 Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reference to other copyrighted material in no way constitutes a challenge to the
respective copyright holders of that material. A More Perfect Union, Green Ronin, Mutants & Masterminds, Paragons, and their associated logos are trademarks of Green
Ronin Publishing, LLC. Any reference to any other company or product in this book is not intended as a challenge to any associated trademark or copyright.
The following is designated as Product Identity, in accordance with Section 1(e) of the Open Game License, Version 1.0a: all character and place names and backgrounds,
power points, and hero points.
The following text is Open Gaming Content: all game rules and stat blocks, except for those items previously designated as Product Identity.
www.mutantsandmasterminds.com
A More Perfect Union was typeset in ITC Quay Sans, designed by David Quay in 1990,
and AntiGrav BB, designed by Nate Piekos in 2006.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents
Introduction..............................................................5 United We... Run!................................................................ 32
What Is Paragons?...........................................................5 High Speed Chase, Redux........................................33
Adventure Background......................................................5 River Run...........................................................................33
Getting the Characters Involved.............................5 Paranormal Exit...............................................................33
Friends and Neighbors..................................................6 All-Points Bulletin.........................................................33
Moved By Destiny........................................................... 7 Chapter THREE:
Call for Help........................................................................8
With Great Power.............................................................8 Tyranny of the Majority............................. 34
On A Mission......................................................................8 We’re From the Government......................................... 34
The Relief Team.................................................................8 Paranormal Preparedness.........................................34
The Unity..............................................................................8 Local Response..............................................................34
The Mechanics of the Unity......................................9 State and National Response................................35
The Unity and Knowledge......................................... 10 Paranormal Response..................................................36
Combating the Unity......................................................11 Spin Control.....................................................................36
Negotiating With the Unity...................................... 12 A Unified Response.......................................................... 37
Attack...................................................................................37
Prologue: To Protect and Serve...................13 The Battle for Unity.....................................................37
Chapter ONE: Welcome to Unity......................17 Containment.....................................................................38
The Town of Unity................................................................17 Negotiation.......................................................................38
Features and Locations...............................................17 Family Matters................................................................39
1. Unity Police Station..................................................17 Investigation...................................................................40
2. St. James Methodist Church............................... 19 Cooperation......................................................................40
3. Unity Town Library................................................... 19 Unity or Freedom?..............................................................40
4. Ruth’s Diner...............................................................20 An Uneasy Peace..........................................................40
5. Unity Elementary School.....................................20 Pulling the Plug.............................................................. 41
6. Our Lady of Mercy................................................... 21 The Sleeper Wakes......................................................42
7. Unity Town Hall.......................................................... 21 Small Miracles.................................................................42
8. Go-Gas............................................................................ 21 The Terran Unity............................................................43
9. Plowman’s Tavern....................................................22 Further Adventures...........................................................44
10. Highway 9 Plaza.....................................................22 Appendix I: Mass Combat Rules.................. 45
11. Riverside Center......................................................23 Forces...................................................................................... 45
12. The Main Street Motor Inn...............................23 Force Traits.......................................................................45
13. Riverside Convenience........................................23 Force Size.........................................................................45
Other Locations.............................................................23 Troop Quality...................................................................45
Getting Started.................................................................. 25 Forces in Action............................................................46
Faster Than A Speeding............................................25 Maneuvers.........................................................................47
High Speed Chase, Anyone?...................................26 Terrain & Conditions.....................................................47
Room at the Inn............................................................26 Force Damage...................................................................47
All-Night Diner.................................................................26 Damage Conditions.......................................................48
Just Enough to Drink.................................................26 Powers................................................................................48
Hero Points.......................................................................27 Special Rules for the Unity....................................48
Chapter Two: A Meeting of the Minds........17 Sample Conflict.............................................................. 49
Unilateral Decisions......................................................... 28 Appendix II: Pregenerated Characters.... 50
Paragons to the Rescue?.........................................28 Unity Police Officer......................................................50
Get Out of My Mind!....................................................28 Ken Bae............................................................................... 51
Whose Side Are You On?........................................... 29 Randy “Buzz” Buczinski...........................................52
Signs and Portents...................................................... 29 Kristen Dushane............................................................53
Investigation................................................................... 29 Liz Johnson......................................................................54
Research............................................................................ 29 Sean Macklin...................................................................55
Interrogation...................................................................30 Ben Vistan........................................................................56
Paranormal Powers.......................................................30 Appendix III: Paragon Creation.................... 57
The Molloy Kidnappings............................................30
Torches and Pitchforks............................................... 31 Open Game License.............................................. 60
Unified Talks........................................................................ 32 Contributor bios...................................................61
4
INTRODUCTION
Introduction
A More Perfect Union is an introductory adventure for
the Paragons campaign setting for the Mutants &
Masterminds roleplaying game. It is designed for PL
6–8 characters, but can challenge higher power level char-
acters with little modification. It is intended to give players
quite unlike the world seen in the traditional superhero
comic books. Paragons looks at a world where power and its
use have consequences and paranormals do more than just
maintain the status quo.
Paragons is something of a do-it-yourself game setting in that
a taste of the power and responsibility of being paranormal many of the details of the world are left for the individual
and places their characters in conflict with a newly emerged Gamemaster to decide from a variety of options. For example,
paranormal whose powers are a potential threat to the entire the exact source of paranormal powers is unknown and no
world if they’re allowed to grow unchecked. Or perhaps this “official” explanation is forthcoming, allowing the GM to
new paranormal is the future of humanity, depending on decide from a variety of choices (perhaps even more than one)
how the characters choose to look at it. as best suits the type of game the GM and players want.
In this section you’ll find the background information needed A More Perfect Union is intended as a “pilot” adventure for
to run A More Perfect Union. If you are planning to play in a Paragons series. As such, it also doesn’t make assumptions
this adventure, you should read no further. The rest of this about the true origins or nature of paranormal abilities. So
book (except for the sample characters in the Appendix) is far as anyone knows, they simply exist, without any known
intended solely for the Gamemaster. You have been warned! reason or mechanism. After all, it’s not the powers them-
This Introduction describes the Paragons campaign setting selves that really matter, but what people do with them.
in brief, summarizes the challenges of this adventure, how to That’s what the Paragons setting (and, by extension, this
get the player characters involved, the story’s prime antago- adventure) is all about.
nist, and how to present this challenge to the players and You can find out many more details about the setting in the
deal with their characters’ actions in response to it. Paragons campaign setting sourcebook, also from Green
Ronin Publishing. However, you don’t need that source-
What Is Paragons? book in order to run this adventure; all that’s required is
Paragons is a campaign setting sourcebook for the Mutants the Mutants & Masterminds RPG rulebook, some dice, and
& Masterminds roleplaying game, focusing on the effects of players willing to venture into a new world or power and
people with superhuman powers—“paragons”—appearing consequences, to become paragons and see where it leads
and existing in a world not unlike our own, and therefore them.
Adventure Background
Trauma often triggers a paranormal’s breakout, the realiza- Guided by Carol’s subconscious, this new “Unity” has taken on a
tion of their superhuman potential. A traumatic event may life of its own. To the components of the Unity, their existence is
also influence the shape and form of a paragon’s powers. infinitely better than that of ordinary people. They are connected
This is certainly the case with Carol Molloy, the inadvertent in a most profound way. They are truly united in understand-
antagonist of this story. Carol—a married suburban elementa- ing and without hate, fear, or prejudice, and they want to share
ry-school teacher—has always strongly valued and supported their newfound understanding with others, for their own good...
her family and her community. whether they want it or not. Soon, everyone will understand the
Recently, a car accident left her comatose, and triggered true meaning of belonging, and the world will be one, and finally
her latent paranormal potential in a most unexpected way. at peace, unless someone does something to stop it.
Carol’s unconscious mind sought out connections with
the people around her, forging a telepathic link. This link Getting the
brought about a literal “meeting of the minds.” The people
mentally connected to Carol mingled their consciousnesses,
Characters Involved
Some of the exact details of A More Perfect Union have been
becoming a single mind, strongly influenced by her sub-
left deliberately vague so you can tailor the story to suit
conscious. What’s more, they served as “carriers” of their
your own ideas, and perhaps your own plans for an ongoing
mental connection, and passed it on to other people by
Paragons series. Therefore there are a number of different
physical contact. This has continued and the group-mind
ways of getting the player characters involved in the events
is expanding.
of this adventure.
5
INTRODUCTION
The general assumption is Carol Molloy lives somewhere in in Unity at just the right (or wrong) time are already pro-
North America, most likely the United States or Canada, but vided in their individual backgrounds.
you should feel free to set this adventure (and the town of
Unity) anywhere in the world you wish. The coordinating Friends and Neighbors
paranormal of the Unity could be in a hospital in Brussels, It’s possible the characters have crossed paths with Carol
Hong Kong, New Delhi, Pretoria, Rio de Janeiro, or anywhere Molloy before she suffered her accident and became a
else you like. Likewise, the town itself might have a different paranormal. Perhaps they are part of Carol’s community
name, or even be a borough, neighborhood, or a larger com- of family, friends, or neighbors. When they are exposed to
munity. her power for the first time, some of them become paranor-
Given the nature of the Unity’s powers, there could even be mal—or breakout—as well! Do they fall to the power of the
“cells” scattered across the world as “carriers” make their Unity or escape and try to find some way to contain and
way to different cities and countries, passing on their con- overcome it?
nection to the Unity as they do so. The Unity spreads much Even if they don’t know Carol, the characters might have
like an infectious disease, and the characters may encounter friends or family who do. Perhaps someone close to the
it in the same way they would an outbreak of a new plague. characters is one of the first people incorporated into the
Keep in mind, however, that if the characters are some dis- Unity, giving the characters a strong motivation to inter-
tance away from the Unifier when they encounter the Unity, vene. What do they do when they finally confront their
their options for stopping the spread of the group-mind are loved one(s) as part of a collective entity out to assimilate
more limited, at least until they track the “outbreak” back to them as well?
its source.
If you have normal human supporting characters as part of
Options for getting the characters involved in the adven- the player character’s backgrounds, consider incorporating
ture and incorporating their background into the world of some of them into the Unity to give the dilemma a little
Paragons include, but are by no means limited to, the follow- extra personal weight for the players. Even if the support-
ing. Feel free to put your own spin on these ideas or come up ing characters aren’t from the town of Unity, they might go
with an entirely different one that suits your game. If your there for work, be passing through, or investigating some
players are running the pre-generated characters from the odd reports on their own when they run afoul of the group-
Appendix, you can skip this section; their reasons for being mind.
6
INTRODUCTION
Ongoing M&M Games
Perhaps you’re more interested in using A More Perfect Union as an adventure in an ongoing Mutants & Masterminds series,
either set in the Freedom City world or one of your own creation, rather than using it as an introduction to the Paragons
setting and series. That’s perfectly fine, and the adventure adapts well to other types of superhero settings with just a few
adjustments.
First, if superhumans are well known in your setting (such as in a traditional comic book world), then what’s happening in
Unity isn’t quite so unusual, although it’s still out of the ordinary for the citizens of the small town. Still, the heroes and other
characters may have a better idea of how to deal with “invasion” scenarios if they’ve faced alien hordes and invasions from the
inner earth and such before encountering the Unity. In fact, if you have aliens in your setting, you can even make the adventure
into more of a “body-snatching” scenario, with some kind of alien virus or “psychic parasite” at work.
If the characters are costumed superheroes of some kind, you’ll either want to start the adventure with a low-key investigation
or find some reason for the heroes to come swooping into town in full costume. In the first case, it’s fairly easy: costumed
heroes attract a lot of attention and, whatever is going on in Unity, its better if the heroes don’t attract attention right away.
So they might choose to investigate in their secret identities. If they work with the authorities in any capacity, they’ll be
encouraged to do so.
In the second case, the heroes either have a good idea of what’s happening in Unity and want a show of strength, or they
have no idea and they’re in town for another reason, such as a charity, goodwill tour, or similar event. In the latter case,
odds are it’s a trap created by the group-mind to lure the heroes to Unity so they can be assimilated and it can control their
powers.
Speaking of powers, in a more superheroic scenario, you may want to give the Unity additional powers so it can take on the
heroes in a fight. Confronting the characters with the dilemma of fighting otherwise innocent people suits Paragons quite well,
but makes for a somewhat dull comic book story if the players are expecting a big slugfest. You can have incorporation into the
Unity grant some people enhanced Strength and Toughness, making them suitable “shock troops,” or you can have some other
superhumans fall victim to the group-mind before the heroes come along (perhaps during the Prologue) so they can serve as
the Unity’s protectors against the heroes later in the adventure.
Lastly, if you’re using A More Perfect Union in a fairly four-color comic book game, you should offer a simpler solution to the
dilemma of what to do about the Unity than those offered in Chapter 3. In essence, characters should be able to come up
with a “cure” for the problem, and probably even bring Carol Molloy out of her coma to reunite her with her family for a nice
and tidy comic book style happy ending. Forcing hard moral choices upon the heroes at the end of the adventure can jar the
players out of what is otherwise an easygoing and light-hearted series
Physical
Physically, the Unity is much like any other collection of
individuals, except they are all aware of what the other com-
ponents know and feel, and can communicate instantly and
silently. You may want to use the Mass Combat guidelines
from the Appendix for some encounters with the Unity,
particularly its normal human components. Paranormals are
more likely to encounter hordes of ordinary humans; along
with whatever paranormals the Unity has incorporated, if
any. Depending on the circumstances, the Unity’s bodies
may have the opportunity to arm themselves. If the Unity
starts taking over a military base, watch out!
By paranormal standards, the physical components of the
Unity are fairly harmless—they’re ordinary human beings—
but there are likely to be a lot of them. The greatest danger
they pose is passing on the group-mind’s mental influence by
touch, although a huge, coordinated mob can still threaten
many paranormals. Even if the characters are capable of
inflicting tremendous damage—essentially killing the Unity’s
components at will—the entity isn’t significantly affected by
the loss of any of its components, and the paranormals have
to consider whether or not they’re willing to kill otherwise defenses are down until she would normally recover. If the
innocent people for basically no great effect. characters press the mental attack, they can cause a fatal
The exception, and the Unity’s sole physical vulnerability, is cerebral hemorrhage, killing Carol and dissolving the Unity.
Carol Molloy’s body. If she is killed, the Unity ceases to exist. If they don’t, however, the Unity continues to exist and recov-
Naturally, the Unity does everything it can to prevent this ers from the effects of the mental combat. Simply “knocking
information from getting out, and protects Carol’s body at out” the entity won’t get rid of it for good (since Carol is
all costs. Actually killing the comatose schoolteacher is rela- technically unconscious all the time already).
tively easy; she’s completely helpless and physically a normal On the other hand, if the characters lose the mental com-
human. It requires only a full-round coup de grace action to bat with the Unity, they’re automatically assimilated into the
do the deed (see Helpless Defenders, M&M, page 162), group-mind, just as if they’d lost their Will save against it.
provided nothing stops the attacker. Of course, it’s another Hopefully the next group will have better luck.
matter whether or not the characters are willing to kill a
If you want to avoid simply pitting the paranormals with
helpless and unaware person in cold blood.
mental powers against the Unity while the others just stand
Mental around, you can have all of the characters psychically enter
Paranormals with mental powers may try fighting the Unity a “mindscape” to struggle with the Unity on a psychic level.
psychically. This is a more effective approach, since the Use the characters’ mental abilities in place of their physical
entity’s collective mind can be attacked and overcome in ones and allow their symbolic struggle to support the efforts
psychic combat. However, so long as Carol Molloy is still of the psychic paranormals.
alive, psychic combat cannot truly defeat the Unity. Use Paranormal
Carol’s game statistics to reflect the entity’s mind, meaning
Lastly, characters might try and use powers like Nullify to
it has a Will save of +15 and the Ultimate Will Save feat.
overcome the Unity’s Mind Control. If the Unity’s power is
You can also use Gamemaster Fiat to give the Unity tempo-
successfully countered or otherwise negated, the affected
rary power feats like Mental Blast. For an extended mental
components in the area are freed from its influence, able to
combat with the Unity, use the mental grappling rules (see
think for themselves once again. Anyone freed from the Unity
M&M, page 157).
is permanently free—the Mind Control effect won’t reassert
If the characters overcome the Unity in mental combat, itself—but they can still be reassimilated into the group-mind
they have a shot at destroying it. Essentially, Carol’s mental through contact with other members of the Unity. 11
INTRODUCTION
Negotiated Results
Attitude Result
Hostile If negotiations go poorly, the Unity considers the characters a serious threat to its existence and will do whatever it
takes to either assimilate or destroy them in order to remove that threat. It attacks the characters practically non-stop
so long as they are in or around the town.
Unfriendly Unmoved by the characters’ arguments, the Unity decides its original assumptions were correct: most of humanity
will never willingly accept its existence or incorporation into the group-mind and therefore they must be assimilated
by force or cunning for their own good, starting with the characters. It may not attack outright, but will lie or try to
otherwise try to trick the heroes so it can overcome them.
Indifferent The Unity agrees the characters are not a threat to it and will allow them to go, if they absolutely refuse
incorporation into the group-mind. However, it insists that they allow their memories of their experiences in town to
be adjusted to remove all knowledge of the Unity’s existence (via a power stunt of the entity’s Mind Control power).
If they refuse, the Unity has no choice but to assimilate them or forcibly mind-wipe them and eject them from its
territory.
Helpful The Unity is willing to let the characters leave the town, knowing of its existence, provided they promise not to reveal
what they know about it to the outside world. It agrees to stop assimilating new minds for the time being and to
continue negotiating with the characters and learning more about the wider world and its place in it.
Friendly The Unity is actually willing to allow the characters to represent its interests with the outside world. It agrees to let
them leave Unity and inform others of its existence, and to carry its wishes to the authorities, if they are willing to do
so. It even lets them take Kevin and Derek Molloy with them, if the characters argue that the boys would be happier
and safer living outside the Unity.
Fanatic If the characters somehow manage to achieve this tremendous level of success, they actually convince the Unity to
end its own existence by freeing everyone from the group-mind. Note that given the incredibly high DC for this result
(even if they first shift the Unity to a Friendly attitude), this outcome is extremely unlikely unless one or more of the
characters have superhuman Charisma and interaction skills to match.
If Carol’s power is directly Nullified, the entire Unity ceases Generally, the Unity’s initial attitude towards the characters
to exist for as long as her power is negated. If and when the is likely to be Unfriendly (see Interaction, M&M, page 175),
Nullify effect wears off, however, the Unity reasserts itself, not because it has any reason to dislike them but simply
although it has to start rebuilding itself again and adding because the entity is relatively inexperienced, and somewhat
new components. Unless a paranormal guard intends to frightened and threatened by individuals. It knows enough
continue Nullifying Carol’s power 24 hours a day, and insu- from the experiences of its hosts to understand that most
lating her from all human contact, the threat of the Unity is people will perceive it as a threat to them and won’t will-
not truly ended. ingly become a part of it, even if it’s for their own good. This
People freed from the Unity have no conscious memory of is why the Unity has moved cautiously and why it conceals
their time under its influence. You may decide that the Unity its existence as long as possible. In fact, the group-mind
experience is psychologically addictive, however. Former com- won’t negotiate with the characters at all so long as there’s
ponents of the consciousness might seek to return to it, which a chance they don’t know it exists; they’ll have to call it out
can further complicate things for the player characters. People in order to begin a dialog.
“rescued” from the Unity—including their friends—may not be Once they begin open discussion with the Unity, the group
very grateful, just the opposite, in fact. They may turn on the will find it highly intelligent (since it’s able to draw upon the
paranormals in order to try and regain the psychic union and brain-power and knowledge of all its components, like a mas-
bliss they once had. The long-term effects of incorporation into sively parallel computer system), but also somewhat naive
the Unity are left for the Gamemaster to explore. and alien. It is capable of speaking through any of its hosts,
possibly even multiple bodies at once, unless the characters
Negotiating With the Unity insist on speaking to a single “representative.”
It may be that characters don’t want to fight the Unity (at The outcome of negotiations with the Unity, that is, what it
least, not right away). They may try communicating and is willing to accept, is based on the group-mind’s final atti-
negotiating with the group-mind in order to avoid conflict, tude as shown on the Negotiated Results table.
or to try and put a stop to it, once it starts.
12
PROLOGUE: TO PRPTECT AND SERVE
Prologue:
To Protect and Serve
T his Prologue is an optional introduction to the events in
A More Perfect Union. It presents an opportunity for the
players to get a hint of what’s going on in Unity before
their characters do so, much like a television teaser before
the credits or a movie trailer before seeing a film. It helps to
Allow the players to approach the situation however they
feel is best, reminding them that for a domestic disturbance
such as this, they’re supposed to knock on the door and
identify themselves first.
When they do so, Tom Molloy answers the door with a some-
drive home the potential threat of the Unity and its effect on what dejected look on his face. He’s in his late 30s, with
ordinary people’s lives without necessarily risking the player’s sandy-colored hair and a few laugh lines around his eyes
characters right from the very start (since there will be plenty and mouth, dressed casually in a polo shirt and a pair of
of that in the other chapters of the adventure). jeans. He asks if there’s a problem and invites the officers
Read over the Prologue and see if it’s something you’re inside the house.
interested in running for your players. If so, use the pre-gener- When told about the emergency call, Molloy apologizes
ated characters at the end of the adventure to do so. If you’d profusely, shaking his head. “I was afraid Kevin might have
rather the players have no hint of what is happening before called you,” he explains, going on to tell the officers how
their characters arrive in Unity, you can simply skip this part his wife, Carol and their two children were in a serious car
of the adventure and begin with Chapter 1: Welcome to accident only a few days ago. The boys suffered only minor
Unity as described in the following pages. injuries, but Carol Molloy was left hospitalized in a coma. He
has been doing his best to take care of the boys since then,
The Set-Up but he’s afraid the trauma of the accident, combined with
some wild imaginations and displaced anger, has led them
Make copies of the pre-generated Unity Police Officer arche-
type sheet from the Appendix of this book and give one to to act out, thus the false 911 call.
each of the players. You can either run any extra characters
as NPCs in this part of the adventure or simply save them
for later use in the story. Give the players a few moments to
acquaint themselves with the character sheets, answer any
question they might have, and then read the following intro-
duction aloud to them:
Make a secret Notice check for the characters (DC 10). Any
who succeed recall the name on the mailbox: Carol Molloy,
a local elementary teacher, and her two kids were recently in
a bad car accident—one or more of the officers might have
even responded on the scene. The kids were okay but Mrs.
Molloy suffered some serious injuries and was hospitalized.
(If you prefer, you can simply roll dice out of sight of the
players and then give them this information, whatever the
result.)
13
PROLOGUE: TO PRPTECT AND SERVE “I’d really appreciate it if you could overlook this,” Mr. tree. They try to sneak out of the house and run away, but
Molloy asks. “They’re good kids and have never done any- they’re not especially stealthy, nor are they fast enough to
thing like this before.” outrun the officers for very long if pursued. If one or more
Just then, the characters notice a pair of eyes peeking out officers go upstairs immediately, they might catch the boys
from between the rails of a banister on the stairs. headed out the window. Otherwise, they just find the open
window and no sign of Derek or Kevin.
Father Knows Best If questioned, Derek Molloy is a bit more articulate than his
brother, although he’s no less frightened by what’s happen-
Read the following aloud to the players:
ing. He can essentially—in the words of a fairly well spoken
twelve year-old—tell the officers the following:
“Kevin,” Mr. Molloy says in a flat, level tone, “come
down here.” When the boy on the stairs hesitates, he adds, • He and his brother were in the car with their mother
“now!” in a sharper tone. when the accident happened. They got banged up
A sheepish and scared-looking kid, about eight or nine (Derek can point out various cuts and scrapes) but
years old, slumps down the stairs, avoiding looking at his weren’t seriously hurt. Their mother, on the other hand,
father. ended up in the hospital and she’s in a coma.
“I want you to come over here and apologize to these • After the accident was when things started getting
police officers for calling them out here like this.” strange. Their father stopped taking the boys to the
“No,” the boy mutters. hospital to visit their mother after a few days. He also
“What did you say?” became increasingly distracted: forgetting to do rou-
“No!” he says louder, looking up to meet your eyes for tine things and often staring off into space. Derek even
the first time. “Don’t listen to him! He’s not my dad! He’s heard him muttering to himself from time to time but,
one of them...” when asked, he denied anything was wrong.
“Kevin, that’s enough!” Mr. Molloy says, taking a step
• Then both boys noticed a frightening sensation, “Like
towards his son. Kevin backs away with a look of terror on
bugs crawling all over your brain,” Derek says, “try-
his face.
ing to get inside.” Worse was that they both noticed
“Don’t touch me!” he yells, scampering backwards
it whenever their father touched or hugged them. He
towards the stairs. “Stay away! Leave us alone!” Bursting
became even more distant, forcing them to stay home,
into tears, the boy runs up the stairs, followed by the slam-
or even in their rooms, when they weren’t at school.
ming of a door moments thereafter.
This morning, he told them not to go to school at all,
but also kept them inside the house.
Feel free to paraphrase the above exchange, allowing the
players to break-in with their own comments and dialog, • “He’s just not acting like our dad at all,” Derek tries to
and let them react as they see fit to the situation. explain. “It so creepy, but I don’t understand...”
Kevin Molloy PL 1
Str 6 Dex 10 Con 10 Int 13 Wis 13 Cha 11
Skills: Concentration 2 (+3), Knowledge (popular culture) 2
(+3), Notice 2 (+3), Sense Motive 2 (+3)
Feats: None
Powers: Immunity 1 (Unity powers)
Combat: Attack +0, Grapple –2, Damage –2 (unarmed),
Defense +0, Knockback –0, Initiative +0
Saving Throws: Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Reflex +1, Will +2
Abilities 3 + Skills 2 (8 ranks) + Feats 0 + Powers 1 +
Combat 0 + Saves 2 = Total 8
Eight year-old Kevin is a precocious, bookish kid who loves to
read and bug his older brother, including beating him regu-
larly at video games. He actually enjoys school for the most
part, perhaps because his mother is a teacher and instilled
in him a love of learning from an early age.
Closer to their mother than Derek, Kevin was devastated by
the accident and her condition. Things got worse when his
father and other people began acting strangely. Everyone
Kevin would have normally turned to for help and guidance
was gone. They said they really wanted what was best for
Derek Molloy PL 1 him and Derek, but Kevin could tell it wasn’t true, that they
Str 7 Dex 11 Con 11 Int 10 Wis 12 Cha 12 just weren’t themselves. He didn’t know what to do, except
Skills: Acrobatics 2 (+2), Climb 2 (+0), Knowledge (popular to try and call for help, but even the police were in on it.
culture) 2 (+2), Perform (wind instruments) 2 (+3), Sense Kevin is, among other things, a fan of comic books and super-
Motive 2 (+3), Stealth 2 (+2)
heroes, so he’s more likely than his brother to grasp at straws of
Feats: None hope offered by the characters, especially if they demonstrate
Powers: Immunity 1 (Unity powers) any “cool” powers in his presence. Kevin will associate them
Combat: Attack +0, Grapple –2, Damage –2 (unarmed), with his beloved superheroes and try and get them to save
Defense +0, Knockback –0, Initiative +0 the day. He might even try giving them proper “code-names”
Saving Throws: Toughness +0, Fortitude +2, Reflex +2, Will +2 (“Superheroes need code-names,” he’ll explain quite seriously.)
Abilities 3 + Skills 3 (12 ranks) + Feats 0 + Powers 1 + If the characters are in dire need of a helpful hint or a plan of
Combat 0 + Saves 5 = Total 12 action (or a player spends a hero point for inspiration), you might
Twelve year-old Derek Molloy is an active, energetic boy want to have Kevin Molloy pipe up with an innocent insight or
interested in sports (he plays soccer at school), video games, suggestion in an “out of the mouths of babes” fashion.
and music (he plays the saxophone). He does well at school,
although not quite as well as his younger brother. Derek likes Tom Molloy PL 1
to think of himself as very grown-up and has taken respon- Str 10 Dex 10 Con 10 Int 11 Wis 12 Cha 11
sibility for looking after Kevin since the accident. He really Skills: Computers 6 (+6), Gather Information 4 (+4),
doesn’t know what’s happening in his hometown, but all the Knowledge (popular culture) 2 (+2), Knowledge (technology)
possibilities freak him out, so he’s scared, although he tries 6 (+6), Notice 2 (+3), Profession (writer) 6 (+7), Sense
not to show it in front of Kevin. Motive 2 (+3)
Feats: None
Derek’s primary goal is getting help for himself and his
brother and, by extension, for their parents and whole town. Powers: None
In spite of everything that has happened, Derek loves his Combat: Attack +1, Grapple +1, Damage +0 (unarmed),
parents and his home very much and just wants things to Defense +1, Knockback –0, Initiative +0
go back to normal. He’s initially indifferent in attitude to any Saving Throws: Toughness +0, Fortitude +2, Reflex +1, Will +2
strangers, but willing to be convinced the characters mean Abilities 4 + Skills 7 (28 ranks) + Feats 0 + Powers 0 +
no harm and can perhaps even help. He won’t in any way Combat 4 + Saves 4 = Total 19
16
Chapter One: Welcome to Unity
Carol Molloy’s husband Tom is a loving husband and father. more ways than one. Most of the time, he’s fully a part of
A technical writer by trade, Tom has worked mostly from the group-mind, acting in concert with everyone else in the
home since Kevin was born, allowing him to work while the Unity. However, the plight of his children is tearing at Tom
boys are in school and care for them while his wife is work- deep down and (at the GM’s discretion) could give him the
ing. He was the first outsider assimilated into the Unity when strength he needs to overcome the Unity’s influence, tem-
he visited Carol at the Marshfield Clinic, but his attempts to porarily or even permanently. This can happen at a critical
bring the children into the fold proved confusingly ineffec- moment when the characters need help, or if a player makes
tive, leading to the current situation. an especially effective plea to Tom as a father to help his
Like everyone else in the Unity, Tom is normally a pretty children.
reasonable and decent person, but he’s not himself in
Chapter ONE:
Welcome to Unity
I n this initial chapter, the characters arrive in the town of
Unity, where they become aware (if they’re not already)
that something strange is going on, and they’re the only
ones able to do something about it.
the adventure, with some outlying details about the area
left for the GM to handle as suits the flow of the adventure.
The second part of this chapter talks about the heroes’
arrival in Unity, how they might get together (if they’re not
The primary focus of this chapter is a description of the town already a team), what they notice about the town, and the
of Unity itself and information on the major inhabitants of first hints that there is something very wrong going on in the
the town the heroes might encounter during the course of seemingly happy and normal community.
18
Chapter One: Welcome to Unity
Holy Ground?
The Paragons setting doesn’t assume a particular source for paranormal powers; that decision is left up to the individual
Gamemaster and group using the setting. People may understand that such powers exist, but how they work, or where they
come from, remains a mystery. If you’re running A More Perfect Union simply to try out the Paragons setting, you may want to
leave it that way, since it’s unlikely the characters will find many answers in the course of this adventure.
However, should you be using this adventure as a kick-off to an ongoing Paragons series, or if you want to inject an element of
mysticism or horror into the adventure or series, you can make use of the following option: both churches in Unity (St. James and
Our Lady of Mercy), as consecrated ground, actually provide some protection against the group-mind! Elements of the Unity are
reluctant to enter the grounds of either building, repelled by the “psychic aura” there. The Unifier must succeed at a DC 30 Will
save in order to compel a part of it to enter consecrated ground. Additionally, those standing in a church or on its consecrated
ground (such as the cemetery) gain a +10 bonus to Will saves against the Unity’s powers.
The down side, if this option is in use, is that consecrated ground might interfere with the heroes’ powers as well! You can
require Concentration skill checks (DC 10 or higher) for the characters to use their active powers while on consecrated ground
or you can even have them not work at all, as if the area were under a continuous Nullifying Field (see M&M, page 94) with a
rank equal to the heroes’ power level. This makes the churches havens from the Unity, but also limits what the characters can
do there, if their own powers don’t work either.
group-mind can bring them to heel and smooth over any and baptisms), it also serves as a meeting and function hall
questions about their disappearance. from time to time.
Matt McGrath is Unity Police Chief. For the other members The cemetery out behind the church is actually owned and
of the town police force, use the characters created by the controlled by the town rather than the church itself and
players for the Prologue, noting their names and whatever residents of all religious denominations (or none, for that
other information the players provided, filling in the rest as matter) are interred there.
needed. You can use the Unity Police Officer archetype from The Reverend Doctor Helen Whitfield is the pastor of
the Appendix for the officers and the Police Chief arche- St. James Church. She and her husband, Wayne, have lived
type (see M&M, page 228) for McGrath, keeping in mind the in Unity for almost twenty years, since Helen first became
extra equipment available at the police station. pastor here. The couple is childless, but well loved in the
Police Equipment community and Pastor Whitfield is an honorary aunt to
many children in town.
The police station is also an important resource to the Unity
because it provides the entity with weapons and equipment The church maintains a parsonage (a home for the minis-
for its defense. The police station has the following equip- ter and his or her family) but the house is located off the
ment; feel free to add to, or modify, this list as suits the grounds some distance from the church.
events of the adventure. Refer to Chapter 7 of M&M for
details on this equipment. 3. Unity Town Library
• 24 heavy pistols Size: Small; Toughness: 8 (exterior walls); Features:
• 12 shotguns Computer, Fire Prevention System, Library
• 6 assault rifles The Town Library (technically the Josiah Blackwood Memorial
• 24 canisters of pepper spray Library) is one of the oldest buildings in Unity, established by
• 24 tonfas a grant from a well-to-do local resident over a hundred years
• 12 sets of spare handcuffs ago. The small library building is faced in yellow brick and
• 6 tear-gas grenades cornered in granite, with small granite columns and a neo-
• 6 undercover bulletproof vests classical arch around the main entrance facing Main Street,
• 6 tactical vests although the secondary entrance facing the parking lot is
used more often now.
2. St. James Methodist Church
The library has a modest collection of several thousand
Size: Medium; Toughness: 6; Features: Fire Prevention
books, along with microfiche archives and collections of old
System, Security System (DC 20)
periodicals, particularly yellowed back-issues of the Unity
St. James is the larger and older of the two churches in Free Press newspaper. It has recently upgraded to both a
Unity, located across the street from the Town Hall and in computerized catalog and reference system and a set of
front of the town cemetery. It’s a traditional white steepled three Internet capable terminals for public use.
building with tall stained-glass windows and double-doors
The library has a single full-time librarian aided by a part-
opening into an anteroom outside the chapel. In additional
time staff made up of retirees and high-school students. The
to religious services (including holidays, weddings, funerals,
most common patrons are school-age children and teens 19
Chapter One: Welcome to Unity doing schoolwork, and town residents checking out the lat- 4. Ruth’s Diner
est in light reading.
Size: Small; Toughness: 6; Features: None
Patricia “Pat” Schrier is the town librarian and manages
A fairly major local landmark in Unity is Ruth’s Diner, right
the Blackwood Memorial Library. She has held the job for
along the highway where it meets Main Street leading into
seventeen years and seen a whole generation pass through
the town itself. The diner used to be the town post office
the doors of her library over that time.
until about 25 years ago (when it moved down the road to
The library is likely to be of interest to the characters primar- the Riverside Center), and postal memorabilia and photos
ily as a place to do research and try and dig up information hang on the walls. The style of the diner is a classic 1950s
about what’s going on in Unity. They can use the library’s American diner or drive-thru.
reference materials and resources to take 20 on most
Ruth Emerson has owned and worked at her namesake
Knowledge skill checks.
diner since it opened and she still greets customers com-
Characters who think to look for clues about what’s happen- ing into her place. The fare is typical diner food, although
ing in Unity at the library can potentially dig up the Unity well prepared and generous in terms of portions. A lot of
Free Press article about Carol Molloy’s accident from a few the locals like to eat lunch at Ruth’s and police officers com-
weeks prior: the Difficulty Class varies depending on the monly come here for coffee, while townsfolk often come on
search parameters. If the characters are specifically looking the weekends for breakfast and older residents spend time
for the article, it’s DC 10 (they can find it automatically by at the diner in the early evenings, especially Friday.
taking 10 on an unskilled Knowledge check). If they’re just
Ruth’s is of particular interest simply because it’s the most
looking for “strange happenings” or something similar, the
likely place for visitors to first mingle with the residents of
DC is 15. The accident is the only really unusual thing to
Unity, and possibly the place where the characters might
happen in town for at about a year: newspaper files and
meet each other, if they’re not already acquainted (see All-
such otherwise indicate Unity is a fairly sleepy small town.
Night Diner, later in this chapter). Naturally, as a center
It’s not an assumed part of the adventure, but if you want for social activity also frequented by the local police, Ruth’s
the Blackwood Memorial Library to happen to have a copy has also become a center from which the Unity has spread
of some obscure occult manuscript or similar folio, particu- its influence outward, and all the diner’s regulars and staff
larly if you decide the Unity is supernatural in origin, feel (including Ruth herself) are incorporated into the group-
free to give the characters something to dig up. mind.
“Unity Where?”
Obviously, the exact location of the town of Unity has been left deliberately vague to allow you to place it anywhere you wish
as best suits the adventure, your group of characters, and plans for your own Paragons series. The town’s description can fit any
small American or Canadian community in a fairly rural area. If you want to set Unity (and the adventure) outside of North
America, some additional modifications are likely necessary to make the details fit; feel free to change things as needed.
Once you’ve decided on a location for Unity, you can also add some measure of “local color” to fit the setting. For example, if the
town is in rural New England it might feature a Colonial-era church or a historical monument, while a Mid-western community
could be surrounded by farmland and fields. A southern town would have a larger African-American population and some local
accents, while a southwestern Unity would have fewer trees and a more “desert” style.
Don’t forget about things like local cuisine available at the town diner or including things like the weather, seasons, and customs
of the area where you place the town, along with any local businesses or chains to help root Unity in its location and make the
town seem to come alive to the players.
21
Chapter One: Welcome to Unity characters with talk about needing a particular part or the avoid passing out or becoming violently ill before being able
like, requiring them to stick around for a while and enjoy to provide the characters with any useful or coherent infor-
Unity’s “hospitality.” Someone else examining Ralph’s handi- mation.
work can make a Craft (mechanical) check, DC 18, to notice
the problem appears to have been caused deliberately. 10. Highway 9 Plaza
Size: Medium; Toughness: 8; Features: Fire Prevention System
9. Plowman’s Tavern
This shopping center off the highway is part of modern
Size: Small; Toughness: 7; Features: None Unity. The anchor is a Harvest Market chain supermarket.
This roadside tavern is the center of adult social life in Unity, It drove the local grocery out of business after more than
a place to come for a drink after work with friends, to get twenty years in the community, but most still welcome lower
away from whatever is going on at home, or to play a quick prices and a greater range of choice. There’s also a chain
game of pool or two while catching whatever game is play- drug store, Leona’s (an Italian restaurant), and Video 9, a
ing on the tavern’s over-the-bar television. Plowman’s owner local video rental place.
and operator Mitch Connelly is a friendly guy on good Characters who visit Leona’s find the place empty, even at
terms with his customers and more than a little adept at peak hours like lunch- and dinnertime, although the staff
lying to their significant others who call looking for them is on-hand and will serve the characters and engage them
from time to time. in pleasant conversation. They deflect any questions about
In addition to the aforementioned pool table and TV, the business being slow and, right after the characters think to
Plowman (as it is often known) has a jukebox (which actually ask, some people show up out of the blue and the restaurant
plays CDs) and serves various appetizers along with its selec- starts to fill up. A Sense Motive check (DC 19) notes this is
tion of beer and liquor. Alcohol consumption is not what it more than just a coincidence, and the other patrons behave
used to be with the Unity guiding the population’s behavior. just a bit “off.”
People still visit the Plowman for a beer or the like, but seem- If the characters need some pharmaceuticals, they might
ingly more out of habit than anything else, and drunkenness try raiding the drug store. After hours, this requires a
is virtually unheard of now. The group-mind doesn’t seem to Disable Device check (DC 25) to overcome the security sys-
like the “fuzziness” it creates in its host’s thoughts. tem, which includes video surveillance cameras. While the
In fact, consuming enough alcohol can actually block out store is open, use whatever plan the characters come up
the Unity’s influence temporarily, allowing the host to think with to rob the place, based on their powers and resources,
and act freely. The only problem is the amount of alcohol and keeping in mind that the Unity may just decide to
required is enough to make most people very drunk, so any stop trying to fool them and go right for capturing and
dire warnings or talk about “invasion” or “mind control” are assimilating them. The drug store staff is made up of three
likely to be dismissed as drunken ravings, especially when or four ordinary bystanders and not much of a match for
the person later claims not to remember the incident and determined paranormals.
claims it was nothing (once he or she is under the Unity’s The Harvest Market and Video 9 have little that’s likely to
influence again). For an example of this, see Just Enough interest the characters, although, if they investigate and you
to Drink, later in this chapter. want to drop hints, you can always have a suitably atmo-
Characters might hit on the idea of force-feeding someone spheric film playing in the video store, such as Invasion of
alcohol to temporarily remove the Unity’s influence; a work- the Body Snatchers or The Stepford Wives. The Unity appar-
able, albeit difficult and somewhat risky, plan. If they try it, ently either has an unusual sense of humor or is trying to do
have the subject make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 13) to some research...
Union call for a nearby farm, for example, there’s plenty of See the descriptions of the Molloy family in the Prologue
room to add one. The same goes for most other locales to be for more details.
found in a rural suburban area.
Unity High School
Molloy Home Size: Large; Toughness: 8; Features: Fire Prevention System,
Size: Medium; Toughness: 6; Features: Living Space Gym, Library
The Molloys live in a split-level suburban house on 27 Located about a mile west of the downtown area is Unity
Holloway Drive, just a few miles from the middle of Unity. High School, home of the Unity Hornets football team. The
Derek and Kevin Molloy currently take the bus to and from group-mind’s influence spread through the high school pri-
school. They used to go with their mother but not since marily from the elementary school system and affected
her accident and their release from the hospital. The boys parents by bringing their children into the fold.
know that their classmates and neighbors watch them all Now the school is perhaps the quietest and most orderly
the time, although they still don’t know exactly why every- high school in the world. It is maintained largely for appear-
one is acting strangely. They’re left to their own devices ances at the moment, although the students don’t mind (it
when they come home from school, because their father was, after all, “their” idea). Should anyone investigate the
returns to his home-office after finding out how their day school, they find everything running smoothly, entirely too
went. This routine gives them the opportunity to try and smoothly, in fact. There’s complete lack of normal teenage
take action, if the characters provide them with a reason attitude and rebellion, and the students cheerfully do their
to do so. work for their own betterment.
The Unity is, not surprisingly, very protective of Carol Molloy’s If you want to run A More Perfect Union with a group of
home, an almost unconscious impulse on the group-mind’s teenaged paranormals, the characters can either be Unity
part. Any perceived threat to the house or the children will locals who discover something strange is going on at their
provoke a response from the entity, most likely a mob out to school and in their town. Alternately, they can be transfers,
get the intruders. While it’s an underhanded tactic, threaten- foreign exchange students, or regular students away from
ing the Molloy boys can also give the Unity pause (a +5 or the school for a while. When they arrive, practically every-
greater bonus to checks like Intimidate). On the other hand, one at Unity High (and in the town itself) is part of the
trying to take the boys away from Unity is almost certain to Unity and the new paranormals have their work cut out for
raise the group-mind’s collective ire. them!
24
Chapter One: Welcome to Unity
The Marshfield Clinic the intruders, allowing the Unity a chance to assimilate
Size: Medium; Toughness: 7; Features: Fire Prevention them). Intruders in the clinic resistant to assimilation will be
System, Infirmary, Security System (DC 25) expelled by any means possible, including violence, so long
as it does not endanger the Unifier herself. Keep in mind the
North along the highway a few miles is the Marshfield medical staff has a wide range of drugs and the like at their
Clinic, a small private health-care facility owned and run by disposal and will think nothing of drugging or poisoning the
the Marshfield Medical Associates. It is primarily important characters as a means of dealing with them.
because it is where Carol Molloy lies in a coma, and where
the Unity came into existence. The doctors, nurses, and other Dr. Ahmad Suri is Carol Molloy’s attending physician at
clinic personnel in regular contact with Carol were among the Marshfield Clinic. Dr. Suri is Pakistani by birth, but has
the first people assimilated, giving the Unity a considerable lived in Unity for the past twelve years with his family. He
amount of “education” right away. It understands both that was one of the first people assimilated into the Unity and
Carol Molloy is apparently the source of its existence (from won’t be overly cooperative with the characters, although
experience with things like infection vectors and the like) he’ll appear friendly enough at first to find out more about
and it also understands Carol’s continued well-being, such who they are and what they want.
as it is, may be the key to its continued existence. If the Unity learns the characters know about Carol Molloy
Security at the clinic has relaxed only slightly since the or seem to be investigating her, it will take the first opportu-
group-mind dominated Unity. It will return full force should nity to move the Unifier to another, more secure, location.
strangers visit, especially if they’re looking for Carol Molloy. The police station is a good possibility, but it could be any-
Clinic personnel will deny entrance and call security if visi- where in town, just to keep the characters from finding the
tors refuse to cooperate (security, in turn, will “restrain” group-mind’s most vulnerable point.
Getting Started
This chapter is intended to do three things: get the characters Ask the player(s), “What do you do?” Most characters will
to Unity, introduce them to each other (if they’re not already simply pull over to avoid a confrontation with the police,
acquainted), and give them their first hints that something especially if they have no reason to believe anything is amiss.
is very, very wrong in the otherwise ordinary town.
Faster Than A
Speeding...
How does everyone get to Unity in the first place? That
depends somewhat on how you choose to get the charac-
ters involved, but unless one or more of them have their own
mode of transport (flying, teleporting, etc.), odds are they’ll
arrive by car, either individually or separately.
If you want to simplify this scene a bit, you can set up
a reason for the characters to all be driving into Unity
together. Otherwise, you can run this scene for one of the
characters in order to give the players as a group an idea
that something is going on in town and foreshadow future
events.
Read the following narration out loud to the players. “You”
can either be the entire group or simply the character or
characters involved in this scene.
25
Chapter One: Welcome to Unity If so, have the officer pull up behind the car and come up to powers) to ensure there isn’t a problem. You may also want
the driver’s side window. Read the following to the player(s): to award hero points liberally when the characters do some
investigating around town, they may well need them later in
An officer approaches the car. “License and registration, the story.
please?” he asks, standing by the driver’s side window. He
flicks a seemingly disinterested glance over you and your Room at the Inn
vehicle for a moment. Characters might want to check into a room at the Main
Street Motor Inn immediately upon their arrival in Unity, or
Make a secret Sense Motive check (DC 19) for any charac- they could decide to make a stop first at the diner or the
ters present. Those who succeed sense something out of tavern in order to get something to eat or drink while get-
sorts with the officer; nothing they can pinpoint exactly, just ting the lay of the land. You can run the following scenes in
a feeling something more than a routine traffic violation is whatever order you wish, based on the characters’ course of
going on. action and their intentions in Unity.
For an added touch of concern, make the officer who pulls The “Vacancy” sign is lit at the local motel when the group
the character(s) over one of those run by the players in the arrives. Ken Cornell, or his wife Jeanne, checks the charac-
Prologue, if you’ve run the players through it. Let them won- ters into as many rooms as they wish, citing a “slow tourist
der exactly what happened to this officer and the others. He season” for the largely empty establishment. The couple dis-
asks the characters the following questions along with any plays a friendly interest in who the characters are and what
others that seem reasonable and natural upon interacting brings them to Unity. They encourage a visit to Ruth’s Diner
with them. or the Ploughman’s Tavern, depending on the group’s appar-
ent interests and the time of day.
What are you plans in Unity? Make another secret Sense Motive check (DC 15) for the char-
What brings you here? acters upon meeting the Cornells; success means they notice
How long are you planning to stay? the same sort of slightly “off” behavior they picked up from
the police officer. It should start becoming apparent to anyone
After each question he waits for a response and when he who made both checks that something is not right in Unity.
gets some answers from the characters he tells them:
All-Night Diner
A visit to Ruth’s Diner finds the place fairly quiet, although
You were over the speed limit a bit more than we’re
the characters are welcomed and offered a table or place
comfortable with and we don’t have much patience for
at the counter. Ruth (or another member of her staff) takes
lawbreakers. Be a bit more careful. Now, be on your way
their orders and engages them in conversation, trying to find
and drive carefully.
out more about them. Sense Motive checks are again appro-
priate to see if the characters pick up on anything out of
The characters may know they weren’t speeding and that sorts in the place.
the officer is lying, or they might pick up that something
isn’t quite right about the officer with a DC 15 Sense If the characters are not already acquainted with each other,
Motive check (you should make this roll for the players in the diner or tavern are good places for them to meet up.
secret). Being the only strangers in town, they are likely to draw
the same sort of attention and, once they encounter some
High Speed Chase, Anyone? evidence of what’s happening in Unity (or of each others’
paranormal abilities), odds are good they’ll band together, if
If, for some reason, the characters don’t comply with the only for their own survival.
police, then they may find themselves in conflict with the
Unity much sooner. The Unity police attempt to arrest them The initial visit to the diner will pass without incident so long
and put them in a cell in the police station, where they’ll be as the characters behave themselves. The Unity is still assess-
assimilated into the Unity at the first opportunity. You can ing them at this point, and any attempt to assimilate them
handle the chase as you see fit, perhaps using the pursuit would be too suspicious, particularly since the group-mind
rules from the Mastermind’s Manual, if you have access to doesn’t yet know if it needs to reveal itself. Of course, things
that book. Then move on to Chapter 2 of this book, as the might change if the characters happen to visit the tavern, or
later scenes in this chapter will be largely moot. even happen to pass by.
27
Chapter TWO: A MEETING OF THE MINDS
Chapter TWO:
A Meeting of the Minds
H ow the adventure proceeds from here on out depends
on how the player characters become involved in deal-
ing with the Unity and what sort of action they take.
This and the following chapters look at how the conflict may
begin, how it’s likely to develop, and how it can be resolved,
respectively. These are by no means the only options or
scenes, but give an overview of the major possibilities.
Unilateral Decisions
Sooner or later, the strange behavior in Unity becomes too its influence, they’ll begin to take precautions, making it
prevalent for the characters to ignore, or they take some more difficult for the Unity to assimilate them by cunning
action the group-mind considers threatening, including and stealth.
attempting to leave the town with information about the If an original player character is assimilated into the Unity,
Unity’s existence. Once that happens, one side or the other the pre-gen characters from the Appendix also make effec-
will have to take action. If it’s the Unity, there are a number tive replacements, as other paranormals drawn to Unity in
of different tactics it may attempt. They’re discussed here, the same fashion.
but feel free to expand upon them or modify them as best
suits the characters and the flow of the adventure.
Get Out of My Mind!
While the Unity’s mental influence is considerable, some
Paragons people may manage to resist it, at least long enough to try
to the Rescue? to warn others about the danger. Naturally, hysterical people
talking about psychic entities trying to control their minds
One or more of the player characters may interact with a
Unity “carrier.” For example, a component of the Unity could aren’t the most believable, but in the Paragons world, people
be apparently endangered by an accident or a “random” have probably seen stranger things. After all, the characters
crime. When the paranormal comes into contact with the all have superhuman powers!
carrier, the Unity attempts to extend its influence. Maybe a relatively recent member of the Unity manages to
This naturally tips off the characters, telling them something succeed on a Will save to break free and tries to contact the
strange is going on. They may assume at first the carrier is characters directly, to get their help or warn them about the
a paranormal of some sort, but investigation (or interroga- danger. Do they believe the story about mind-control and
tion of the Unity) eventually turns up evidence there is much gestalt psychic entities? What about when they hear similar
more to the problem than meets the eye. stories cropping up in the same general area?
Alternately, one or more paranormal non-player characters This encounter is a good opportunity to point players in the
might fall victim to the Unity in this way. The characters right direction if they have absolutely no idea what’s going
might not be the only paragons drawn to Unity for one on in town and no good avenues for follow-up. Having a for-
reason or another. If so, then the group-mind could already mer component of the group-mind lay it all out for them may
include some paranormals among its number, and it won’t help motivate the characters to action.
hesitate to draw on their powers to help bring the characters Keep in mind that even a former Unity “insider” may not
“into the fold.” know everything: some recollections about what the group-
If the players are running their own original paragons in A mind knows are likely to be fuzzy or vague. In particular, the
More Perfect Union, you can use one or more of the pre-gen- informant probably shouldn’t be able to tell the characters
erated characters from the Appendix as paranormals lured Carol Molloy is the coordinating force behind the entity. On
to Unity and incorporated into the group-mind, providing the other hand, an informant might be able to point out the
some additional super-powered opposition for the characters Molloy family, especially the boys, as somehow important to
in the course of the adventure. the Unity, people it wants to protect (a potentially useful
clue).
The primary purpose of this type of initial encounter is to
give the characters an idea of the kind of danger the Unity You can also decide whether or not the informant gets pulled
represents. Once they understand that prolonged physical back into the group-mind. Anyone who successfully saves is
contact with any components of the group-mind can spread immune to assimilation for a day, but the Unity is almost
28
Chapter TWO: A MEETING OF THE MINDS
certain to come looking by then, to try and “reclaim” what
it has lost. Moreover, the informant might start experienc-
ing “separation anxiety” and feel a need to rejoin the peace
and serenity of the group-mind, especially if it seems like the
characters can’t, or won’t, do anything about it.
It’s up to you to decide just how skeptical authorities and the
general public outside of Unity are about claims of a “mind
control cult” spreading through an area. If paranormals are
a relatively new phenomenon in the campaign, people are
less prepared for such things. On the other hand, if paranor-
mals are well known, then authorities may be quick to try
and deal with any potential paranormal threat.
If you haven’t decided how you’d like to proceed in your own
Paragons series, or you’re just running this adventure on its
own, assume paranormal phenomena is relatively unknown
and likely to be met with skepticism unless the characters
can present clear evidence that what they claim is true.
31
Chapter TWO: A MEETING OF THE MINDS • Allow the characters opportunities to use buidlings, vehi- likely makes an effort to talk to the paragons, if only to
cles, and the like in the town for cover or as a means to keep them in Unity and buy some additional time. See
hold off the mob for a short time. The Unity isn’t going Unified Talks (following) for more information.
to needlessly destroy the town, but won’t be overly con-
cerned about property damage, either. If cut off from Hero Points
their vehicle(s), characters might be able to steal one, For each major challenge the paragons overcome, or for
but keep in mind they’ll need keys or the ability to hot- each significant complication you put in their path, award
wire it very quickly. the players a hero point. This is in addition to any such
• Finally, if the Unity loses an initial scuffle with the char- points the players earn for other setbacks and complications,
acters, and they prove themselves capable of handling including uses of GM Fiat.
a mob of 100 or more, the entity retreats and most
Unified Talks
The Unity only reveals itself and speaks directly to the char- avoid this future in order to maintain their illusion of “free-
acters if left with no other choice, such as if they have fairly dom” and “self-determination” is entirely irrational in its view.
definitely concluded it exists, or have dealt it a decisive set- See Negotiating With the Unity in the Introduction for
back (like in Torches & Pitchforks). In either case, the some general guidelines on what negotiation may achieve.
Unity considers negotiation preferable in order to find out If the characters successfully negotiate an agreement for the
more about the characters and to delay them getting aid or Unity to let them leave, it might even ask them to become
informing anyone else about what’s happening in the town. its emissaries to the outside world, particularly if it thinks
Note that negotiation is not the Unity’s preferred method they’re likely to inform the world of its existence anyway.
of operation. It would rather assimilate outside minds than One thing the group-mind understands is the importance
engage in “clumsy” and “crude” vocal communication. Since of family and relationships, so it is likely to insist some of
telepathic contact offers the potential for assimilation, the characters stay behind so others can leave, as a sign of
however, verbal interaction is the only real safe option for good faith that the paragons will uphold their side of any
outsiders looking to talk to the Unity. bargain.
While the Unity is a reasonable and intelligent being, it is also Of course, if the Unity thinks it can get away with it, the
an alien one in many ways. It will not agree to any plan involv- entity won’t hesitate to use negotiations as an opportu-
ing its own dissolution unless the characters are superhumanly nity to carry out some other plans while the characters are
persuasive, nor is it willing to “release” anyone it has assimilated, occupied. After all, the paragons might not be able to do
any more than a person can declare independence for their liver multiple things at once, but the Unity can. So it could be
cells. It may agree to limit its own growth, perhaps only to those setting a trap or ambush, sabotaging the characters’ vehicle,
people who want to join it, for example. It may also agree to or putting other plans in motion while also talking to the
dwell in a particular area (tied with a limit on its growth), but it group, all without showing any indication of its true inten-
won’t be particularly happy about either option. tions. The Unity gets a +20 bonus to Bluff checks to mislead
As the Unity sees it, total assimilation of humanity will bring the characters in this particular case, because the subtle
about an ideal civilization of peace and harmony and the signs they’re looking for aren’t even coming from the people
ultimate fulfillment of its purpose. The desire of others to to whom they are talking!
High Speed
Chase, Redux
If the characters make a run for it, either on foot or by car,
the Unity tries to prevent their escape. If they’re on foot, then
they’re likely to have a mob coming after them, although
particularly athletic characters might be able to outdistance
them: have the players make Constitution checks for their
characters (DC 10) while doing the same for the Unity’s
drone(s). If the players can win three out of five rolls, they’re
able to get away, although what they do and where they go
from there is up to them.
If the group heads out of town in a vehicle, the Unity police
attempt to pull them over, as in Faster Than a Speeding...
at the start of this chapter. If they refuse, the cops give chase
and try to force the characters off the road. You can handle with them, they end up with the original problem of getting
this with some opposed Drive checks or the pursuit system out of town or choosing to leave somebody behind. Characters
from Mastermind’s Manual, if you want to play it out in might try to rig up some conveyance for getting everyone out,
more detail. Paragons may be able to use their powers to tilt or use extra effort for a suitable power stunt (with or without
a chase in their favor, disabling pursuer’s cars, for example, a hero point). By all means, allow them to do so.
or creating concealment or distractions.
Chapter THREE:
Tyranny of the Majority
O nce the characters are aware of the Unity’s existence
and abilities, they need to decide what they intend to
do about it. It’s also likely the Unity won’t remain a
secret for very long at this stage. Other people—including the
authorities and other paranormals—could learn of the Unity,
Things in this chapter are fairly freeform: rather than location-
or event-based encounters, it provides an outline of actions
and possible responses taken by either side. It’s up to you to
decide what happens next based on the group’s chosen course
of action, the events in the adventure up to this point, and the
and they have their own agendas where it is concerned. This type of ending you’re aiming towards. If you want to offer the
chapter looks at the possible responses to the Unity, what players a potential happy ending, with things neatly resolved,
the psychic entity does in return, and what the final outcome take a look at The Sleeper Wakes and Small Miracles
of the conflict might be. under the Unity or Freedom? section and work back from
there to get the characters to that point.
A Unified Response
The characters and the outside world can take a number successful or disastrous, as the mental contact becomes a
of different responses to the Unity: attack, containment, channel for the Unity to spread its influence. Any attacker
negotiation, infiltration, or even cooperation, depending on aware of Carol Molloy and her role as Unifier will certainly
where the characters’ loyalties lie. This section looks at each target her directly, assuming they can find her.
response and how they might play out in the adventure, The Unity, for its part, will defend itself if attacked, but will
whether the group acts on their own or in cooperation with generally not initiate hostilities. It doesn’t have to, after
the authorities and allies. all, unless it is backed into a corner. Individual drones fight
As in other parts of this chapter, this section tries to cover and struggle heedless of their safety. The Unity won’t sac-
the situations in broad strokes, letting you fill in the details rifice parts of itself needlessly, but it will sacrifice them, if
as best suits the adventure. need be, suffering no more damage from the loss of some
drones than a person might from a few cuts and bruises. If
Attack the Unity gains control over paranormals, military or police
assets, or both, its options for offense and defense become
Some are likely to be sufficiently threatened by the existence
and actions of the Unity and all it represents to immediately stronger, and it will use them to the best of its (considerable)
go on the offensive. Of course, the problem is the Unity itself intelligence.
is made up of many otherwise innocent people. While a
capable paranormal can likely take down any number of the The Battle for Unity
Unity’s drones, there’s the question of whether or not the If things deteriorate to the point where the authorities feel
paranormals (or the human authorities) are willing to take they have no alternative but to attack, or the Unity feels
that step. going on the offensive is its only option, you can run a size-
able battle in and around the town between military forces,
The authorities will generally do their level best to avoid vio-
paragons, and the drones of the group-mind. The Mass
lence, considering it a last resort. Paranormals—including the
Combat Rules in the Appendix should be useful for this
characters—may decide to do otherwise. This could put them
kind of scene. Keep the focus on the actions of the charac-
at odds with the authorities, and probably won’t make them
ters and whatever challenges they confront, with the rest of
too popular with the general public, although the willing-
the fight as a backdrop.
ness to take quick and decisive action to eliminate a threat
like the Unity might carry some weight in the court of public Overall, the Unity doesn’t stand much of a chance against
opinion. long-range military weapons and tactics, but the problem
lies in how willing to military is to use lethal force against
Speaking of public opinion, the general public may be the
its own citizens. Even non-lethal weapons are only a stop-
first to take violent action against the Unity, once it finds
gap measure: something will still need to be done about
out about the entity’s existence and the danger it poses.
the unconscious bodies of the group-mind’s drones, and
The specter of an invisible, mind-controlling, conspiracy cult
physical contact with them (even using things like bio-haz-
could induce massive paranoia and bouts of violence against
ard gear) will only spread the Unity’s influence. Without
anyone who even seems to be a “mind-control drone” or the
some kind of paranormal aid, the only truly decisive com-
like. Of course, an angry mob of ordinary people confronting
bat victory will be to kill everyone in Unity to wipe out the
the Unity is more likely to compound the problem as they
group-mind, or at least reduce it to a more manageable
are assimilated and incorporated into the entity.
and containable size.
Some characters will come up with alterative means of attack-
Needless to say, the authorities will be extremely reluctant to
ing the Unity (discussed in the Introduction). Paranormals
follow this course of action, but it will remain as an option
with mental powers may try contacting the entity directly
of last resort. The deaths of thousands of people in a para-
and breaking its “hold” over its drones. This might prove 37
Chapter THREE: TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY
normal incident are almost certain to affect how the outside it can to insinuate itself outside of the containment area(s).
world views and treats paragons and, even in victory, the Given the way the group-mind spreads, it should have plenty
characters may have a great many challenges ahead. of opportunities. Any containment effort will probably trap
free-willed people in with the Unity, and it may spend some
Containment time assimilating them before dealing with the issue of over-
coming the containment.
The most likely response on the part of the authorities to
the Unity’s existence is an effort to contain its spread and Unfortunately, containment is a strictly temporary measure.
limit its influence. Very early on, authorities will treat the Sooner or later, one side or the other has to take decisive
paranormal “outbreak” as just that, similar to the spread of action, either going on the offensive or making contact to
a virulent disease. Authorities may, in fact, use the disease arrange for negotiations.
story as a cover, allowing them to evacuate and quarantine
One thing containment does provide is time: time for the
areas around Unity to prevent the entity from assimilating
characters and the authorities to gather more information
any other people. Considerable effort will go into finding out
and formulate a better plan of action. How much time
how the Unity “mind virus” is transmitted and how to pro-
depends heavily on how long the Unity is willing to wait
tect against it. Unfortunately, other than limiting contact,
before it takes action on its own or when circumstances
the only real countermeasures are paranormal in nature.
force the characters and their allies into action. For example,
The characters may also hit upon the idea of trying to con- if information starts to leak to the press, the timetable may
tain the Unity and limit its growth. This can involve anything be moved up in order to act before public panic sets in.
from erecting impenetrable force fields around affected
areas to “scorched earth” tactics, destroying large swaths of
territory to hem the Unity in and keep it from spreading. If
Negotiation
Once the Unity is contained, and perhaps even before then,
the paranormals are working with the authorities, they may comes the option of negotiating with it. The Unity is, after
be enlisted to help with evacuations or to provide contain- all, an intelligent (very intelligent) entity, capable of commu-
ment. If they’re not, then they could find themselves at nicating its wants and needs. Once its existence is known, it
cross-purposes with the authorities as they try to implement sees no reason to hide and is willing and able to negotiate
two different plans at once. with outsiders, if necessary.
The Unity resents any attempt to contain it, and it will cau- Since the Unity only negotiates when it is in an inferior or at
tiously probe any such attempts and try to overcome them. It least equal position, the characters may be able to force conces-
won’t react violently unless attacked, but it will do everything sions from the entity during talks. The Unity is more than willing
38
Chapter THREE: TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY
to bargain in order to gain time and breathing space. Keep in If you want to give the characters the opportunity to negoti-
mind that it knows everything known to its component minds, ate, you can have the Unity specifically request them as part
which may give the entity an edge, depending on who has been of the initial terms. Characters may rightly suspect a trap,
assimilated. While the Unity negotiates in good faith, and will and the truth could be anything from the entity preferring
generally uphold any agreements it makes, it won’t allow those to speak with people it already knows something about to
agreements to threaten its safety or long-term existence. trying to use the negotiations as a ruse to assimilate the
The long term is exactly what the Unity considers in any paranormals and gain control of their valuable powers.
negotiation. It believes (rightly) that it can survive the loss of Use Negotiating With the Unity in the Introduction as
any of its drones and continue to exist. What it doesn’t yet a general guideline to what the characters can accomplish
know for certain is whether or not its continued existence in talks, modifying the entity’s reactions and demands based
is dependent on Carol Molloy and her paranormal powers. on how well the paranormals argue their case (and make the
Until it does know, the Unity will make her security and con- necessary skill checks).
tinued existence its number one priority, and it will do its
best to keep anyone from finding out about the Unifier or Family Matters
her role in the group-mind’s existence. A potential point of negotiation may be the fate of the Molloy
It’s up to you whether or not the characters even get to negoti- boys, Derek and Kevin. If the characters took them from Unity,
ate with the Unity. The authorities may prefer to send their then the Unity wants them back, driven by Carol’s own love
own expert negotiators, and it’s entirely possible more than for her children. If the kids are still in Unity, the characters
one party will contact the Unity to negotiate, if word has might want to try and negotiate for their freedom, which is
spread to the outside world. The paranormals could attend a something the group-mind is reluctant to grant at best.
meeting of several influential nations, organizations, and para- The group could try using the boys as a bargaining chip,
normals, all looking to negotiate with the Unity for their own offering to return them in exchange for concessions, or even
benefit. Such a meeting could be a true roleplaying challenge, holding them hostage and trying to negotiate the Unity’s sur-
one where many paranormal powers are of little, if any, use. render. This is a tricky proposition and certainly won’t earn the
Unity or Freedom?
The conclusion of A More Perfect Union depends a great may choose—willingly or otherwise—to fight the Unity to the
deal on how the characters choose to deal with the Unity. finish in order to eliminate a threat to freedom and individu-
In the end, they may manage to negotiate some sort of ality. The characters might come up with a means of waking
peaceful coexistence with the new entity. Alternately, they the Unifier from her coma, causing the Unity to cease to exist
or become something else altogether. They might get some
unexpected aid from a new paranormal, perhaps one or both
of the Molloy kids. Finally, it’s possible the Unity overcomes
all obstacles in its way and takes over the world. All of these
possibilities are discussed below.
An Uneasy Peace
The paranormals might come to an agreement with the Unity
that satisfies all sides, at least enough to put an end to any
immediate hostilities. The terms of the agreement are what-
ever the characters (and their allies) can negotiate and the
nation, the world community, and the Unity are willing to
accept. Note the government should be very leery of allow-
ing the Unity to continue to exist, even as an “independent
state” of some sort. It will be difficult to convince many that
the Unity is anything other than a kind of hostile contagion,
and a terrible threat to the safety of the world.
If the characters are successful in negotiating a truce with
the Unity, odds are good they’ll be called upon to help if
trouble arises in the future. They might become “ambassa-
dors” of a sort, acting as go-betweens for the Unity and the
authorities. They may also be given the role of safeguard-
ing the world from the Unity and making sure it keeps up
its end of the bargain (whatever that may be). These might
be additional duties for paranormals already concerned with
political and security matters, or the start of a new paranor-
mal force working for the authorities.
40
Chapter THREE: TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY
A peace agreement with the Unity buys all sides time, but
won’t necessarily end hostilities. At first, both sides will
likely be involved in espionage against each other, looking
for potential weaknesses they can exploit. The authorities
will be interested in curing the “Unity infection” and freeing
the people assimilated into the group-mind. The Unity will
be looking to preserve and advanced its own existence, per-
haps incorporating people covertly to use them as spies: all
it would take is one or two drones outside a contained area
for the Unity’s influence to spread.
Even if the government agrees to a cessation of hostilities,
it won’t prevent others from taking action. Vigilante militia
groups might riot out of fear of assimilation and even try to
attack Unity. At the least, people in the surrounding area will
flee, fearing what might happen if they stay. Other nations will
lobby for action to neutralize the Unity as a threat and may
take such actions upon themselves, even if it means invading
an ally. Likewise, certain black ops factions within the govern-
ment might maintain the ruse of cooperation (since they don’t
know just how telepathic the Unity is) while working covertly
to come up with some means of destroying the group-mind.
Telepathic paranormals might try a trip into Carol’s subcon- What are those powers? Depends on the needs of the story
scious mind to bring her out of her coma. This can lead to and what you decide, but some good possibilities include
an entire “dreamscape” adventure (or even a series of adven- the following:
tures) as the paranormals confront embodied aspects of • Healing: The Healing power can save an injured or dying
the Unifier’s personality and memories to reach the core of character at a key moment, and potentially heal Carol
Carol’s buried persona and bring it to the surface. Such a Molloy’s injuries and awaken her from her coma (as men-
mindscape could also be accessible to the Unity, meaning tioned under The Sleeper Wakes). Healing can also save
the various minds making it up could “follow” the paragons Unity drones injured during the story; with Resurrection it
there and try to prevent them from waking the Unifier. can even bring back the dead! Later, of course, the com-
See the Mental section under Combating the Unity in munity will deal with the repercussions of a school-aged
the Introduction for some guidelines on handling mental boy with the miraculous power to heal, but that’s a hook
combat, or simply run the “mental” conflict as a normal, for a future story. “Healing” could also just be an aspect of
physical, one taking place on an alternate plane of existence, a larger power like Life Control (see M&M, page 90).
where things work as they normally do simply because that’s • Mind Control: Like mother, like son; the Mind Control
how characters expect them to work. power can potentially counter the effects of the Unity’s
Lastly, simply talking to Carol might rouse her, especially if influence, freeing that individual from the group-mind and
the need is urgent and she has been on the mend all this rendering him or her no longer “contagious,” although
time. Allow the players to roleplay the situation and possibly the Unity continues to exist unless or until Carol’s power
use interaction skills, particularly Diplomacy, to try and bring is directly countered. Mind Control with the Area extra
Mrs. Molloy around. A substantial bonus is appropriate if can free even more people at once. Of course, this power
one or more of Carol’s family is present and calls for her to could also be used to force the characters to do things
awaken and help them. and there’s the unpleasant possibility this Mind Control
power is Contagious as well, and just creates a rival group-
Of course, restoring Carol Molloy to consciousness is not a guar- mind for the Unity rather than solving the problem.
anteed victory. Her conscious mind might bring a measure of
individuality and independence to the Unity, or even dissolve • Nullify: This power can likewise counter the Unity’s
it altogether, canceling the unconscious effects of her Mind Mind Control, and with less mess or concern for side
Control power. On the other hand, a conscious Unifier might effects. Perhaps it usually manifests as Power Resistance
actually strengthen the Unity and give it greater direction and (explaining the resistance to the Unity’s influence in the
purpose. Once conscious and aware of what she has created, first place) but can also be directed outward. An Area
Carol might decide the Unity is a good thing and has the right Nullify can do the job even faster.
idea: humanity is better off as part of a collective consciousness, • Telepathy: Telepathic powers make sense in the context
and she intends to “help” them whether they want it or not! of the boys’ inheritance from their mother. They can pro-
A conscious Unifier might even draw additional power from vide an avenue to send the paragons into the depths of
the number of minds under her influence, giving her formi- Carol Molloy’s unconscious mind to help bring her back
dable physical or psychokinetic abilities as well, making her to consciousness and sanity, if none of the player charac-
a match for the paragons in a direct conflict. Now they have ters have the capability themselves. Telepathy can also
to overcome the Unifier in combat (hopefully without having potentially counter the Unity’s Mind Control, and may
to kill her) and either force her to dissolve the Unity or hope even include powers like Mind Control, Mental Blast,
that her defeat does so; all this while other members of the and the like, as Alternate Power feats (see Telepathy,
Unity hammer at the door trying to aid their “queen.” M&M, page 105).
42
Chapter THREE: TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY
• Teleport: Need to get the characters somewhere in a
hurry, past the hordes of the Unity? Teleport, probably with
The Terran Unity
Finally, there’s a chance the characters simply fail to stop the
enough Progression to bring at least one other person along
Unity. There are plenty of opportunities in the adventure for
and the Accurate modifier, can do the trick. Alternately,
the paranormals to screw-up royally. They might be killed, inca-
perhaps it’s Teleport with the Portal extra (see M&M, page
pacitated, or assimilated into the Unity’s group-mind. Barring
106), which the paragons can simply step through to get
any other sort of opposition, the Unity eventually expands to
to their destination. Such a power can also provide a quick
assimilate everyone on Earth. Efforts to stop it only manage to
escape from an otherwise hopeless situation.
slow the spread of its influence; once the Unity begins incor-
Either or both brothers could have paranormal potential, porating other paranormals and gains access to their powers,
and they don’t have to have the same powers (or set of pow- too, it becomes virtually unstoppable.
ers), so you’ve got two possible plot devices. You could have
If the player characters fail, you can either declare the
Kevin develop the power to Nullify the Unity’s Mind Control
Paragons story is at an end and start a new one, or you can
while Derek gains Healing to aid his mother’s recovery, for
ask the players to take the roles of other paragons dealing
example, or whatever other combination suits your plans
with the aftermath of the original group’s failure. The next
and the flow of the story.
group of characters is faced with the same difficult choices,
You can also use the brothers as pure plot device characters except now the Unity has had more time to expand, and
(see M&M, page 211), giving them such tremendous power now it probably includes other paranormals (such as the
they can banish the Unity, awaken their mother, and restore original player characters) among its drones. Should the
the town so everything is back to normal and nobody but the next group of characters simply nuke the center of the
characters even remember what happened, but the players Unity (figuratively or literally) in hopes of eliminating the
might consider that a bit too convenient and unsatisfying. Unifier? Will such a tactic even work with paranormals pro-
They might also feel a bit cheated if the whole adventure tecting the Unity’s coordinating intellect? Does the Unity
is resolved in the end by fiat, unless their characters had a even need a coordinating intellect any longer? It’s entirely
pivotal role in bringing it about. up to you.
Whatever the outcome, future adventures can deal with the This ending can easily spin-off into an entire Paragons series
repercussions of the Molloy brothers and their powers, since with the Unity as the prime antagonist. You can play out all
they may be the first paranormals their age, and the Molloys of the group-mind growth and conquest, right from the end
could be the first example of a family of paragons. of this adventure, or you can start the series some time later,
43
Chapter THREE: TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY when the Unity has already grown considerably and assimi- only a handful of resistance fighters or thousands or even
lated the entire state, nation, or even most of the world. millions of them, depending on how common the natu-
To give the characters—and the series—some hope, perhaps ral immunity is and how extensive the Unity’s reach has
there are others like Derek and Kevin Molloy, people who become. The series culminates in the eventual discovery of
are naturally immune to the Unity’s takeover, who cannot a way to defeat or destroy the Unity, then the paragons are
be assimilated. These people, including the heroes, form left to pick up the pieces of a shattered nation or world
the core of a resistance against the growth of the entity’s and rebuild them, a challenge worthy of people with god-
“utopia” of perfect peace and harmony. There may be like powers.
Further Adventures
What further adventures await the paranormals after this paranormal breakouts in the town or, conversely, turn it into
adventure depends greatly on its outcome, but there are a a hotbed of anti-paragon sentiment, perhaps the heart of
number of things to consider. a new movement claiming paranormals are too dangerous
to live among ordinary humans and should be segregated
First, the characters might decide to stay together as a
or even imprisoned. Townsfolk “withdrawing” from the expe-
group, both to help each other understand and cope with
rience of the Unity could form a secret cult that tries to
their paranormal abilities as well as for mutual protection.
recapture the serenity and bliss of their psychic union with
If nothing else, A More Perfect Union should show them that
tragic results. Any of all of these things could draw the char-
it can be a dangerous world out there for paragons, and it’s
acters back to the town of Unity at some point.
easier when you have friends to help you along.
There are also the potential long-term effects of the charac-
Second, chances are good the paragons came to the atten-
ters’ exposure to the Unity: perhaps it has some unexpected
tion of the authorities somewhere along the line in the
repercussions on their powers or minds at some point. Could
course of the story, whether the local police or the national
the group-mind have escaped destruction by hiding “seeds”
government. Those authorities are in a position to make life
of itself in the paranormals’ minds, waiting for the oppor-
easier or harder for the characters, depending on how things
tunity to grow and take over? When the characters begin
went. They could end up hunted fugitives, running from gov-
having strange dreams about doing things they can’t con-
ernment agents who want to bring them in for testing and
trol, then wake up to discover those dreams are coming true,
experimentation, or they could accept an offer to work for
what will they do about it?
the police, FBI, or military as special agents trained to deal
with other paranormal threats. This can be the start of a new On the other hand, perhaps their close exposure to the Unity
type of campaign for the characters. has affected the paranormals in somewhat positive ways.
One possibility is they are now “sensitive” (like the Awareness
Even if Derek and Kevin Molloy didn’t manifest any powers
power of Super-Senses) to certain kinds of psychic or para-
in this story, that doesn’t mean they won’t ever do so in the
normal phenomena. This gives them a kind of “early-warning
future. Characters who keep tabs on the boys could learn about
system” when it comes to other potential threats like the Unity.
some strange things happening around them. If one or both of
Will the characters continue using their powers to protect an
them have powers like their mother’s, it’s possible the Unity—or
unsuspecting world from dangers they can hardly imagine, or
another group-mind like it—could return in the future!
will they try and find some way of ridding themselves of the
If Carol Molloy survived the adventure, there’s the question of unwanted ability to foresee paranormal disaster? If there is
her fate. In addition to recovering from a traumatic accident, even a way to do so, can they without feeling responsible for
she has awakened to find herself responsible for a terrible what might happen next without any warning?
and potentially tragic situation! If townsfolk and the general
Another option is to “award” the characters a mental
public become aware of her role as the Unifier, there may be
Communication Link (M&M, page 103); as a side effect of
criminal or civil actions against her and her family. The author-
exposure to the Unity, they can now all communicate tele-
ities could take Carol into custody, separating her from her
pathically! This can come in handy in future adventures but
loved ones yet again, until they are satisfied what happened
might also be a cause for concern, especially if the charac-
in Unity won’t ever happen again. Some unscrupulous types
ters fear they are becoming a new paranormal group-mind!
may seek to kidnap Mrs. Molloy in order to turn her powers to
their advantage, and such a scheme could go terribly wrong if Lastly, there’s the interest various factions and characters in the
they find out such power is more than they can handle. Paragons setting may take in the Unity and its powers, and in
the paranormals who brought about the group-mind’s downfall.
Similarly, the long-term effects of being part of the Unity
Take a look through the Paragons Campaign Setting source-
are left for you to decide. Certainly, the people of Unity are
book for information on the individuals and groups you can use
going to need counseling and guidance to return to their
to populate your own paranormal world and consider their reac-
normal lives. It’s possible the experience could trigger more
tions. For the characters, the story may just be starting!
44
APPENDIX I: MASS COMBAT RULES
Appendix I:
Mass Combat Rules
W hile you can run A More Perfect Union using just the
rules from the Mutants & Masterminds rulebook,
handling an unusual entity like the Unity—made up
of so many individuals—can require a lot of die-rolling if, say,
the characters get involved in a conflict with an entire mob
based on the Field Battle Rules from the Golden Age source-
book. An expanded version of these rules will also be in the
Paragons campaign setting sourcebook.
As with all game systems, the mass combat system is not
meant as a substitute for common sense. If a particular out-
of dozens or even hundreds of people. come seems unreasonable, the GM should feel free to modify
This Appendix provides some additional guidelines for it as needed to suit the campaign and the story (refer back
handling a conflict between characters and large groups, to Rule Number One, M&M, page 7).
Forces
The mass combat rules sum up the actions and traits of a Force Modifier
number of less powerful combatants and treat them as a sin- Force Size Modifier
gle more powerful character for the purposes of combat and
conflict. This combined entity is called a force (as opposed 2 +1
to an individual character). 5 +2
Force Traits 10
25
+3
+4
Like characters, forces have their own particular traits, measur-
ing their capabilities. In general, the traits of a force are based 50 +5
on the individuals making up that force, with certain traits gain-
100 +6
ing a modifier based on the overall number of individuals.
250 +7
Force Size 500 +8
The most important quality of a force is its size, how many
1,000 +9
individuals make up that particular force. Gamemasters may
choose to treat an entire group as a single force or split the 2,500 +10
group into smaller forces, as suits the dramatic needs of the 5,000 +11
story. Sometimes having the characters deal with two or
more smaller forces can be more interesting than a single
massive force, particularly if more than one character is inter-
Attack
acting with the force(s) at the same time. A force’s attack bonus is the total of its base attack bonus
for quality and the force modifier, so a larger force has a
A force’s size determines its force modifier, which is an increase
greater attack bonus than a smaller one of the same quality.
in certain traits based on the total number of individuals in
A force’s total attack bonus is based on a large number of
the force. Each step up the Progression Table from one individ-
troops making simultaneous attacks and using coordinated
ual provides a +1 force modifier. So a force of two individuals
tactics and such. It doesn’t assume all the troops attack or
has a force modifier of +1, five individuals +2, ten individuals
hit at once; like other traits, it abstracts the entire force’s
+3, and so forth, as shown on the following table.
capability. this increase to attack bonus does affect grapple
checks.
Troop Quality
Troop quality refers to the capabilities of the individuals mak- Damage
ing up a particular force and forms the basis for the force’s A force’s damage bonus is the total of its base damage
traits. In this adventure, the components of the Unity have bonus and the force modifier. This assumes larger forces of
the following traits as their troop quality: troops have access to both more and more powerful weap-
ons in addition to tactics like coordinated attacks and such.
Attack +1, Damage +4, Defense
The force’s damage capabilities are generalized and summed
+1, Toughness +0, Initiative +0
up as single damage bonus.
45
APPENDIX I: MASS COMBAT RULES
Generally speaking, a force’s damage bonus is lethal dam- viduals) but rather how long a force can suffer damage and
age, unless the GM decides the force is specially armed with continue fighting. See Force Damage for details on force
stun-damage and incapacitating weapons. A force’s damage Toughness saves.
bonus works just like an individual’s damage bonus and is
saved against in the same way. Initiative
A force’s Initiative modifier is likewise based solely on troop
Defense quality, unaffected by force size. A force uses its Initiative
A force’s defense bonus represents how difficult it is to inflict modifier just like a character, and all parts of the force are
a successful attack on that force, although not necessarily assumed to act together during its turn in the initiative order.
how difficult it is to “hit” the force. Defense is based entirely Unlike characters, forces are not flat-footed before their first
on the force’s quality, with no modifier for size; essentially turn in the initiative order (since, in order for a force to act at
the force modifier and an effective size modifier cancel each all it needs a certain degree of readiness).
other out. A larger force is easier to “hit” overall, but can
also suffer more damage than a smaller force (represented
by applying the force modifier to Toughness save (see the
Forces in Action
When one or more forces are involved in a conflict, the com-
following section)). bat shifts to battlefield rounds. Each battlefield round is
Note that a force does not have a dodge bonus; conditions approximately ten times the length of an ordinary six-second
on the battlefield change too rapidly for dodge bonus to combat round, or one minute, and represents a considerable
be considered a factor in the force’s overall Defense. The amount of maneuvering and activity on the battlefield dur-
Gamemaster may permit certain maneuvers to modify a ing that time.
force’s Defense, but otherwise situational modifiers only Individual characters and forces can take the normal allot-
apply if they affect the entire force. ment of actions during a battlefield round: one move action
and one standard action (possibly trading the standard
Toughness action for an additional move action), or a full-round action.
Add the force modifier to base Toughness bonus for troop qual- Free actions and reactions are also allowed, up to the limits
ity to determine the force’s total Toughness saving throw bonus. imposed by the GM.
For a force as a whole, this Toughness save doesn’t quite A force makes an attack like an individual: a d20 roll, plus
represent the ability to shrug off damage (as it does for indi- the force’s attack bonus, against the Difficulty Class of the
46
APPENDIX I: MASS COMBAT RULES
target’s Defense, whether the target is another force or an If any of the forces are disrupted when they combine with
individual character. A force may also move before or after another force, the combined force has the highest total of hits
an attack (but not both). Typically a force’s movement is lim- from among its components. The components’ hits are not
ited so long as a significant portion of the force is on foot. added together. Disabled forces cannot combine with others.
Motorized forces may be able to move more quickly at the
GM’s discretion. Coordinated Assault
Two or more forces may attempt to make a coordinated
Maneuvers assault on a target. Each assisting force makes a normal
A force can use particular maneuvers in battle, much like attack roll against the target. Each successful attack inflicts
individual characters. These maneuvers are similar in many no damage, but grants the coordinating force a +2 bonus on
ways to character-scale maneuvers and are described here. its attack roll against that same target.
Note that a coordinated assault does not increase the
Offensive Posture attack’s damage, only the likelihood of a successful attack,
A force that takes an offensive posture sacrifices Defense in so several small forces looking to increase their damage
exchange for greater attack accuracy: for every –2 penalty potential are better off combining into a larger force with a
(up to –4) that the force takes to its Defense, it gains a +1 higher force modifier (see Combine, previously).
attack bonus (up to +2).
Flanking
Defensive Posture Two forces may attempt to catch an opponent in between
A defensive posture is the opposite of an offensive pos- them, flanking that opponent. If two forces are located on
ture; the force sacrifices attack ability for improved Defense opposite sides of a target, each force gains a +2 attack
(including intercepting some incoming attacks using the bonus against that target.
force’s offensive capabilities): for every –2 penalty (up to –4)
that the force takes to its attack rolls that round, it gains +1 Terrain & Conditions
to Defense (up to +2). Certain kinds of terrain and environmental conditions make
Charge things difficult (or easier) for large forces in combat.
A force can charge, moving up to twice its normal move- A force fighting in difficult terrain (rocky, broken, confined
ment in a relatively straight line. A charging force suffers a urban areas, etc.) suffers a –1 penalty to attack, defense, and
–2 modifier to Defense, but gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls initiative. A force fighting in an area under cover of dark-
for the round. ness, heavy fog, severe weather, and so forth must deal with
concealment modifiers, unless the force has equipment or
Split traits to overcome these penalties (such as lights or night-
A force can choose to split off into smaller forces with vision equipment to overcome darkness penalties).
reduced force bonuses, but greater maneuverability and free- Gamemasters can also make liberal use of the positive and
dom of action. Splitting a force is a full-round action. When negative condition modifiers, adding a +2 or –2 modifier to
a force splits, it becomes two forces, each with a portion of any of the force’s checks or rolls for favorable or unfavorable
the troops of the original force. Each separate force has its conditions. This general modifier is a very useful tool for han-
force modifier recalculated according to its new troop com- dling all the different battlefield conditions quickly and easily.
pliment. If the original force suffered damage, both of the
split forces have the same damage conditions. Force Damage
At the start of a conflict the GM may divide a large group Forces successfully attacked during a round attempt
into any number of smaller forces and doesn’t need to split Toughness saving throws as per the standard M&M rules.
them. Otherwise, a large force would spend its first few The results of Toughness saves are found under the Force
rounds splitting into enough forces to challenge the heroes Damage table below.
individually. Only after combat starts do you need to worry
about splitting a force. Force Damage
Toughness Saving Throw... Effect
Combine
Succeeds No Effect
Two forces may also choose to combine to form a single,
larger, force. Combining forces is a full-round action. This Fails Disrupted
increases the force’s size, and therefore force modifier, nor- Fails by 5 or more Shaken + Disrupted
mally. For example, if two forces of 250 troops combine to
form a single force of 500, that force has a force modifier Fails by 10 or more Staggered + Disrupted + Disabled
one higher than the original forces. Fails by 15 or more Destroyed
47
APPENDIX I: MASS COMBAT RULES Each round’s attacks are considered to happen simultane- tional area “cancels out” the force’s Toughness bonus for
ously in mass combat. Therefore, the effects of damage are being a large group.
not applied until the start of the following battlefield round. • Non-damaging powers that do not normally affect an
area have a negligible effect on a force in battle. The
Damage Conditions character can only use such powers if they have the Area
The potential damage conditions resulting from mass com- extra and sufficient Progression to encompass the entire
bat damage are as follows: force. So a character with the Mind Control power, for
example, could not attempt to Mind Control an entire
Disrupted force unless he possessed sufficient area for the power
The force is suffering from the chaos of battle. Casualties to affect the entire force. The GM can allow these pow-
and wounded are starting to add up and it is beginning to ers to operate normally at the individual scale, they just
feel the pinch of lost manpower. As a result, each disrupted don’t have much influence on the outcome of force-level
condition enforces a –1 penalty to all the force’s die rolls, conflicts. Of course, the GM is free to allow plausible
including further Toughness saves and morale checks. The power-use in a mass combat situation, if it can reason-
penalties for multiple disrupted conditions are cumulative ably affect the outcome.
with each other and with any other penalties incurred.
• The GM may wish to allow non-damaging powers with a
Shaken save Difficulty to act as damaging powers for purposes
The force suffers a dramatic loss. The force cannot take any of affecting a force. For example, powers like Dazzle and
actions during the next battlefield round. During this time, Mind Control on the individual scale would normally
it suffers a –2 penalty to all rolls, but any additional shaken have no effect on a force, but, properly targeted, could
results are ignored. The force recovers automatically on the disrupt a force’s cohesion and organization, inflicting
following round, but may then be shaken again as normal. “damage” on the force. In this case, simply treat the
power as if it were a damaging effect, including having
Staggered the force make a Toughness save against it. This is just
The force’s members are no longer fighting at peak effi- part of the abstraction involved in mass combat; apply
ciency, as losses weaken their strength. The force is limited the appropriate description to the outcome: for example,
to a standard or move action each round, not both. if a Dazzle staggers the force, tell the players how the
well-placed Dazzle attack has caused some members to
Disabled stagger about, making it more difficult for the rest to get
A disabled force has been demoralized or damaged to the around them to act.
point where it can no longer fight effectively. It may not • Impervious Toughness is compared against the force’s
attack other forces or characters, but it may still attempt sav- total damage (including force modifier) before determin-
ing throws to resist attacks against it, and take actions to ing whether or not the character has to make a Toughness
retreat from the field of battle. saving throw against the force’s attack. This is one of the
advantages of larger forces: they can overcome—through
Destroyed superior numbers—Impervious Toughness that would ren-
A destroyed force is completely broken. Scattered elements der a target immune to the attacks of a smaller force.
may continue to fight, but their impact on the battle is neg-
ligible as the majority of the force has been killed, captured,
disabled, or has taken flight in a disorganized retreat.
Special Rules
for the Unity
Powers The full mass combat rules in the Paragons campaign set-
ting detail other elements of mass combat with conventional
For the most part, powers affect forces in the way they affect forces. The Unity, however, is not a conventional force, so
individuals, with a few exceptions. there are a few noteworthy exceptions to the rules where it
• Powers that inflict damage are assumed to do their nor- is concerned.
mal damage against the force as a whole, even if the First, although the standard mass combat rules include
power does not normally affect an area. The wielder is guidelines for troop morale (measuring how long a force is
assumed to be making multiple attacks with that power willing to go on fighting), these do not apply to the Unity,
during the battle round. which exists and acts as a single entity, so they are not given
Damaging powers with the Area extra inflict +2 dam- in this Appendix. Although it is made up of many individual
age to a force, with each Progression feat increasing bodies, the group-mind makes decisions and takes actions
this bonus by +1, but the total additional damage from like an individual NPC.
Area and Progression cannot exceed the target’s force
modifier (since the damage effectively encompasses the Similarly, since the components of the Unity are all in tele-
entire force at that point). Essentially, the attack’s addi- pathic contact, they have no need to communicate verbally,
48
APPENDIX I: MASS COMBAT RULES
to issue orders, and so forth. This has no direct game effect, Attack +7, Damage +0, Defense +8,
but you should note the group-mind’s ability to react like a Toughness +4, Initiative +26
single being, and the fact that it knows what any individual
component of it knows or experiences. Anything the charac- It comes as no surprise that Ken gets initiative (since he can’t
ters do in the presence of any part of the Unity is known to actually fail to do so). He only needs to roll a 4 or better to
the whole almost instantly. hit the force, given his attack bonus. The force needs to make
a Toughness save (DC 15 for Ken’s +0 damage). However, he
Lastly, countering the Unity’s Mind Control is a particularly has an area attack, giving him a +2 damage bonus (increas-
effective technique against it, provided the character can ing the save DC to 17). With their +4 Toughness save bonus,
affect an area large enough to encompass multiple people they need to roll a 13 to succeed. They roll a 12, and man-
at once. If successful, simply reduce the size of the force by age to suffer only a disrupted result.
the affected number of individuals, reducing force modifier
accordingly. So if a character is able to counter the Mind The force attacks Ken. They roll an 11 on their attack roll
Control effect on five out of ten people in a Unity force, for a total of 16, which isn’t sufficient to hit Ken’s fairly
reduce the force’s size to five and its force modifier by 1. high Defense of 18, so he’s able to dodge all their various
attacks. Note that the force made a single attack roll to
Sample Conflict summarize their assault, rather than dozens of individual
attack rolls.
A force of 25 members of the Unity is defending the police
station and the paranormal speedster Ken Bae (see the pre- Ken attacks again and hits. The force makes another
generated paragons on the following pages) needs to disable Toughness save. This time they roll only a 7, which fails the
them. The Unity force has a +4 force modifier for numbers. save by 10, meaning the force is disabled. The GM declines
This gives the force the following traits: to use Gamemaster Fiat to re-roll the Toughness save, and
so rules that Ken scatters the members of the group with a
Attack +5, Damage +8, Defense +1, flurry of super-speed attacks. Mere seconds after his arrival,
Toughness +4, Initiative +0 he frees the Molloy kids from the police station and leaves
Ken doesn’t have an Impervious Toughness (in fact, he relies a the defeated members of the Unity behind, although the
lot more on being fast than tough), so he can’t shrug off any of group-mind already knows full well what has happened and
the force’s attacks, if they hit him. Ken has the following traits: prepares a larger force for next time....
49
APPENDIX II: Pregenerated Characters
Appendix II:
Pregenerated Characters
Unity Police officer PL 3 Unity Police officer PL 3
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+2 +1 +1 +0 +1 +0 +2 +1 +1 +0 +1 +0
14 12 13 10 12 10 14 12 13 10 12 10
TOUGHNESS FORTITUDE REFLEX WILL TOUGHNESS FORTITUDE REFLEX WILL
+1 +3 +1 +3 +1 +3 +1 +3
Skills: Climb 2 (+4), Drive 2 (+3), Intimidate 2 (+2), Investigate 2 Skills: Climb 2 (+4), Drive 2 (+3), Intimidate 2 (+2), Investigate 2
(+2), Knowledge (current events) 2 (+2), Knowledge (streetwise) (+2), Knowledge (current events) 2 (+2), Knowledge (streetwise)
2 (+2), Medicine 2 (+3), Notice 4 (+5), Profession (police officer) 2 (+2), Medicine 2 (+3), Notice 4 (+5), Profession (police officer)
4 (+5), Sense Motive 4 (+5), Swim 2 (+4) 4 (+5), Sense Motive 4 (+5), Swim 2 (+4)
Feats: Equipment 2 Feats: Equipment 2
Equipment: pistol (+3 damage), tonfa (+1 damage), handcuffs Equipment: pistol (+3 damage), tonfa (+1 damage), handcuffs
Combat: Attack +3, Damage +2 (unarmed), +3 (tonfa), +3 Combat: Attack +3, Damage +2 (unarmed), +3 (tonfa), +3
(pistol), Grapple (+5), Knockback (-0), Defense +2, Initiative +1 (pistol), Grapple (+5), Knockback (-0), Defense +2, Initiative +1
Abilities 11 + Skills 7 (28 ranks) + Feats 2 + Powers 0 + Abilities 11 + Skills 7 (28 ranks) + Feats 2 + Powers 0 +
Combat 10 + Saves 4 = Total 34 Combat 10 + Saves 4 = Total 34
50
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APPENDIX II: Pregenerated Characters
Ken Bae PL 6
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+0 +2 +1 +2 +1 +0
10 14 12 14 12 10
TOUGHNESS FORTITUDE REFLEX WILL
+4/+1* +5 +6 +5
*Flat Footed
Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+6), Concentration 4 (+5), Diplomacy 2
(+2), Escape Artist 2 (+4), Knowledge (art) 2 (+4), Knowledge
(theology and philosophy) 4 (+6), Language 1 (Korean), Notice
4 (+5), Profession (massage therapist) 6 (+7), Profession (yoga
instructor) 6 (+7), Sense Motive 5 (+6)
Feats: Move-by Action
Paranormal Powers
Enhanced Attack Focus (melee) 4: His speed grants Ken an
advantage in striking in close combat, giving him a bonus on his
attack rolls included under Combat.
Enhanced Defensive Roll 3: His super-speed gives Ken a better
chance of “rolling” with an attack to eliminate the brunt of it,
giving him a bonus included in his Toughness save.
Enhanced Dodge 4: Ken’s heightened reaction speed gives him a
better chance to dodge attacks than most people. This bonus is
included in his Defense bonus under Combat.
Super-Speed 6: Ken is capable of moving at superhuman speed,
up to 500 MPH! (He can break the sound barrier going all-out
for brief periods of time.) In addition to being able to run faster
than any land vehicle, Ken gains the following abilities from his
power:
• He can perform routine tasks 100 times faster than normal.
• He gains a +24 bonus to his Initiative (included in the Combat
line following).
• He can make rapid melee attacks against opponents within a
30-foot radius, provided he can physically reach them. Make one
attack roll for Ken and compare it against the Defense of all
targets in his range.
Combat: Attack +7 (melee), +3 (ranged), Grapple +7, Damage +0
(unarmed), Defense +8 (+2 flat-footed), Knockback –2, Initiative +26
Abilities 12 + Skills 10 (40 ranks) + Feats 1 + Powers 41 +
Combat 14 + Saves 12 = Total 90
Damage Track
Bruised Staggered Unconscious
o o
o o
Injured Disabled Dying
Background
Ken Bae’s family emigrated from Korea, but he has never been to his ancestral home, despite being raised in a traditional Korean-speaking household.
Ken’s family stressed academic achievement and success in life, but he wanted an escape from the pressure he felt to perform and conform to his
family’s expectations of him. Eventually, he explored more of his Buddhist heritage, in spite of the fact that his parents and siblings were Christians
(one of the reasons his family left Korea).
Ken found a center, a sense of peace, in meditation. He also studied yoga and eventually became certified as a yoga instructor and a massage
therapist, starting his own business with an eye towards getting his own studio eventually. In a roundabout way, Ken fulfilled his family’s expectations
in that he was successful in his chosen profession.
He continued to seek stillness and peace in his meditations until, one day, he found it like never before. The world simply seemed to... stop. Ken later
figured it was became he was moving so fast, faster then than he is capable of now, so fast the world seemed to stand still. Ever since that day, Ken
Bae has possessed paranormal speed.
51
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APPENDIX II: Pregenerated Characters Randy “Buzz” Buczinski PL 6
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+1 +1 +1 +1 +0 +2
13 13 12 12 10 14
TOUGHNESS FORTITUDE REFLEX WILL
+3/+1* +5 +5 +5
*Flat Footed
Skills: Climb 4 (+5), Concentration 4 (+4), Craft (mechanical) 7 (+8), Drive
7 (+8), Intimidate 4 (+6), Knowledge (streetwise) 4 (+5), Notice 4 (+4),
Profession (racer) 6 (+6), Sense Motive 4 (+4)
Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 2, Defensive Roll 2, Dodge Focus 2,
Improved Initiative
Paranormal Powers
Fire Control 6: Randy is a pyrokinetic, with paranormal control over
fire. He can create the following effects with his power:
• Ignite a flammable object in his line of sight by taking a full-round
action to stare at it and concentrate. As long as Randy continues to
concentrate, the object continues to burn, taking +4 fire damage per
round. (Blast 4 [Perception Range, Concentration Duration, Full-Round
Action]). He can use this effect to ignite someone’s clothing, but can’t
ignite living beings.
• Hurl handfuls of fire up to 60 feet with a normal ranged attack roll, for
every additional increment of 60 feet, he suffers a –2 attack roll penalty. If
he hits, the flames inflict +6 damage (Blast 6).
• He can control the spread and movement of normal flames in his line of
sight with a damage bonus of +6 or less. (Move Object 6 [Perception
Range, Limited to Fire]).
• He can extinguish flames in a radius of up to 30 feet anywhere in his
line of sight by taking a full-round action to do so. (Nullify Fire 6
[Burst Area, Perception Range, Full-Round Action]).
Immunity (fire) 10: Randy is completely immune to fire-based effects,
including damage from fire. He automatically makes any saving throw
against a fire-based effect.
Combat: Attack +4 (melee), +6 (ranged), Grapple +5, Damage +1
(unarmed), +6 (fire blast), Defense +8 (+3 flat-footed), Knockback
–1, Initiative +5
Abilities 14 + Skills 11 (44 ranks) + Feats 7 + Powers 25 +
Combat 20 + Saves 13 = Total 90
Damage Track
Bruised Staggered Unconscious
o o
o o
Injured Disabled Dying
Background
Randall Buczinski always loved cars from the time he was a little kid. He became a big fan of car-racing as well, so it was no surprise that he was a
grease-monkey and ace shop student by the time he was in high-school, tearing down and rebuilding engines and even building his first car (which
was the only way he was able to afford one).
Randy eventually made his way into the world of professional car racing on the strength of his skill as a mechanic, but he really wanted to be a driver.
He worked in the pits, learning the ins and outs, and eventually got an opportunity to break into driving. It was everything he’d hoped it would be,
and the thrill of the race quickly became addictive. Of course part of that thrill was the danger, but it wasn’t something Randy really thought about...
until the accident.
His car rolled over several times but what was worse was the tremendous fire. Rescue workers rushed to the burning wreck and a suddenly hushed and
anxious crowd expected to see a charred body pulled from the car. Instead, there was Randy Buczinski, stumbling out of the wreckage without so much
as a hair singed by the flames all around him.
It was called a miracle, an amazing stroke of luck, but Randy knew different. He knew whenever he felt a slight pull from any nearby flame, and especially
when he discovered how he could exercise his will over fire.
52
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APPENDIX II: Pregenerated Characters
Kristin Dushane PL 6
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+8 +0 +7 +0 +1 +1
26/10 11 25/13 10 13 12
TOUGHNESS FORTITUDE REFLEX WILL
+7 +9 +4 +5
Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+4), Bluff 2 (+3), Gather Information 4 (+5),
Knowledge (current events) 4 (+4), Knowledge (popular culture)
7 (+7), Knowledge (streetwise) 2 (+2), Notice 4 (+5), Perform
(dance) 4 (+5), Perform (singing) 4 (+5), Profession (beautician)
7 (+8), Sense Motive 6 (+7)
Feats: Takedown Attack, Taunt, Ultimate Effort (Strength checks)
Paranormal Powers
Enhanced Constitution 12: Kristen is remarkably tough for her
size and build, able to shake off the kind of damage that would
take down normal people.
Enhanced Strength 16: Kristen has paranormal strength, letting
her do things like bend iron bars, in spite of her normal looking
(even slight) build. She also hits like a piledriver (see her unarmed
damage bonus).
Super-Strength 5: In addition, Kristen has superhuman lifting
capabilities: she can lift a heavy load of up to nearly 15 tons over
her head (14.7, to be exact), meaning she could pick up a bus or
SUV without too much difficulty. She does +5 additional damage
when breaking objects.
Combat: Attack +4, Grapple +17, Damage +8 (unarmed), Defense
+5 (+3 flat-footed), Knockback –3, Initiative +0
Abilities 9 + Skills 12 (48 ranks) + Feats 3 + Powers 38 +
Combat 18 + Saves 10 = Total 90
Damage Track
Bruised Staggered Unconscious
o o
o o
Injured Disabled Dying
Background
Kristen Dushane wanted to be a model, or a dancer, it varied depending on the day of the week. Growing up in an inner city neighborhood and
attending a poor public school, Kristen’s dreams were about all that she had. She wanted to make her “big break,” but it never really came. Instead,
she ended up going to cosmetology school to become a hairdresser and make-up artist, working in a local beauty salon. She’s good friends with most
of the girls she works with, and everyone tells her she should try out for shows or to be on television whenever they hear her sing in the shop or at
karaoke in a club.
It was coming home from one of those nights out that Kristen’s life changed. She and her friend Yvonne were hassled by a couple of guys who were
drunk and turned violent. Next thing Kristen knew, one of the guys was flying the length of the alley when she shoved him away, and she was able
to pick up the other guy with one hand and fling him against a wall!
The drunks never reported what they saw, but Yvonne remembered and encouraged Kristen to experiment with her newfound strength. She learned
she was really strong, able to pick up cars without much effort! But what was she going to do with something like that? Join the circus? She wanted
to be famous, but did she want to be a famous freak? Kristen felt like she needed some time alone, away from the city, to think.
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APPENDIX II: Pregenerated Characters Liz johnson PL 6
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+0 +1 +1 +1 +3 +2
10 12 12 12 17 14
TOUGHNESS FORTITUDE REFLEX WILL
+4/+1* +5 +5 +6
*Flat Footed
Skills: Bluff 4 (+6), Concentration 6 (+9), Diplomacy 4 (+6), Drive
2 (+3), Gather Information 4 (+6), Intimidate 4 (+6),
Knowledge (history) 4 (+5), Knowledge (life sciences) 4 (+5),
Medicine 6 (+9), Notice 6 (+9), Perform (acting) 4 (+6), Profession
(nurse) 6 (+9), Search 4 (+5), Sense Motive 6 (+9)
Feats: Attack Specialization (mindblade) 2, Defensive Roll 3, Dodge
Focus 2, Improved Critical (mindblade), Seize Initiative, Set-Up,
Startle, Takedown Attack, Teamwork
Paranormal Powers
Mindblade 6: Liz has the power to manifest a “blade” of visible
psychic energy that looks like a double-edged sword. Her
mindblade isn’t actually material; it passes harmlessly through
physical objects and only affects thinking creatures (those with
mental ability scores). Targets struck by it (requiring a normal
melee attack roll from Liz) must make a Will save (DC 21), with
the results read on the Toughness Saving Throw table (M&M,
page 163).
The mindblade does non-lethal damage, although Liz can
use extra effort to strike for lethal damage with it. She can also
inflict lethal damage on a target rendered unconscious by her
mindblade by continuing to attack them; essentially, she uses it to
deliver a coup de grace against an unconscious target (see M&M,
page 162).
Mind Shield 5: Liz automatically succeeds on Will saves against
mental effects with a save DC modifier of +5 or less and gains a
+5 bonus on Will saves against other mental effects.
Combat: Attack +2, +6 (mindblade), Grapple +2, Damage
+0 (unarmed), +6 (mindblade), Defense +8 (+3 flat-footed),
Knockback –1, Initiative +1
Abilities 17 + Skills 16 (64 ranks) + Feats 13 + Powers 17 +
Combat 16 + Saves 11 = Total 90
Damage Track
Bruised Staggered Unconscious
o o
o o
Injured Disabled Dying
Background
Elizabeth Johnson loved fairy tales and fantasy stories as a child, although she rarely ever wanted to be the princess waiting for her brave knight to
come and rescue her, she wanted to be the knight, putting enemies to flight with her flashing sword! Her childhood fantasies led Liz into a lifelong
love of fantasy novels and, later, computer roleplaying games, and Renaissance and medieval re-enactments.
On the occasional weekend off from her day job as a nurse, Liz would attend a Ren Faire or a class on costuming, acting, or, her favorite, sword fighting.
It was during a particularly vigorous performance that Liz first manifested what she now calls her “mindblade,” a shimmering “sword” of energy that
stuns anyone it strikes. She used it to fell her opponent after being disarmed to thunderous applause from the audience, who believed it was some
kind of clever special effect and in-joke. Liz’s fellow performers knew otherwise, however, and so did she.
Liz has been giving a lot of thought about what to do with her newfound gift. She has learned to control it, and to use the mindblade like an extension
of her own body. Still, she’s uncertain: should her extraordinary ability be nothing more than a sideshow attraction or should she apply it to become
something akin to a real “knight” like her childhood dreams?
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APPENDIX II: Pregenerated Characters
Sean Macklin PL 6
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+1 +0 +1 +1 +3 +2
12 11 12 12 16 14
TOUGHNESS FORTITUDE REFLEX WILL
+3/+1* +5 +4 +7
*Flat Footed
Skills: Climb 4 (+5), Concentration 6 (+9), Drive 2 (+2), Knowledge
(art) 4 (+5), Knowledge (business) 4 (+5), Knowledge (current events)
4 (+5), Knowledge (popular culture) 5 (+6), Profession (chef) 8 (+11),
Ride 4 (+4), Search 4 (+5), Sense Motive 3 (+6), Survival 4 (+7),
Swim 4 (+5)
Feats: Attack Specialization (telekinesis) 2, Defensive Roll 2, Dodge
Focus 3, Improved Block (telekinesis)
Paranormal Powers
Flight 4: By lifting himself telekinetically, Sean can fly through the
air at a speed of 100 MPH. He can also carry his usual telekinetic
capacity while flying.
Telekinesis 6: Sean is a telekinetic, able to move objects with his
thoughts. He can lift any object in his line of sight, up to 1,600
pounds, about twice that much (enough to lift a car, for example) if
he concentrates and takes a full round to use his power. (Telekinesis
6 [Perception Range, Precise, Subtle]). In addition to just picking up
and moving objects, he can do the following:
• He can grapple using his Telekinesis with an effective grapple bonus
of +12.
• He can pick up and fling objects at people, making a normal ranged
attack roll and doing +6 damage if an object hits. He can even throw
large objects like area attacks (see M&M, page 159) for the same
damage.
• If he’s prepared, he can block melee attacks and thrown weapons
coming at him (see the Block action, M&M, page 155) as a move
action rather than a standard action (Deflect 6 [Move Action]). He
can’t block things like bullets, because they move too fast for him to
see.
Combat: Attack +2, +6 (telekinesis), Grapple +3 (unarmed), +12
(telekinesis), Damage +1 (unarmed), +6 (telekinetic projectiles),
Defense +6 (+2 flat-footed), Knockback –1, Initiative +0
Abilities 17 + Skills 14 (56 ranks) + Feats 8 + Powers 29 +
Combat 10 + Saves 12 = Total 90
Damage Track
Bruised Staggered Unconscious
o o
o o
Injured Disabled Dying
Background
When Sean Macklin once joked he could use an extra hand or two in the kitchen, he had no idea just how close to the truth he was. Cooking was
always Sean’s first love, and he went to culinary school to become a chef, spending summers and some weekends camping, mountain biking, and
enjoying the outdoors. After he graduated, he worked a number of restaurant jobs, always with an eye towards eventually opening his own restaurant,
once he’d managed to save up enough money and build-up the right credit and contacts in the business.
He thrived on the chaos of a bustling kitchen, but that didn’t mean he could handle it all without help. One long and frustrating week of being
especially shorthanded led to the incident where several kitchen utensils began moving of their own accord. When Sean noticed, he freaked out a bit
and several things went flying. He went home early with a splitting headache, doing his best to pretend the whole thing never happened, but when
he reached for things that night—a bottle of aspirin, a glass, and such—they came flying into his hands.
Sean’s newfound telekinetic abilities were a wonder at first, and he has learned to control them, but he’s still not quite sure what to do with them:
although the idea of a “show” restaurant with a chef able to cook entire meals with his hands literally behind his back has crossed his mind more
than once.
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APPENDIX II: Pregenerated Characters Ben Vistan PL 6
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+0 +1 +1 +3 +0 +0
10 12 12 17 10 10
TOUGHNESS FORTITUDE REFLEX WILL
+1* +3 +3 +4
*Immune to physical attacks while in swarm-shape
Skills: Computers 6 (+9), Concentration 8 (+8), Disable Device 4
(+7), Drive 2 (+3), Knowledge (current events) 2 (+5), Knowledge
(popular culture) 2 (+5), Knowledge (life sciences) 4 (+7), Knowledge
(technology) 5 (+8), Notice 3 (+3), Profession (bee-keeper) 5 (+5),
Profession (programmer) 7 (+7), Search 4 (+7)
Feats: None
Paranormal Powers
Swarm-Shape 10: Ben can transform himself into a swarm of bees,
maintaining his human-level intelligence and awareness, but able to
function as a swarm.
In his swarm-shape, Ben is essentially immune to physical damage,
although energy attacks and area attacks still affect him, and he can
swarm through any small gaps or openings (Incorporeal 2). The swarm
can fly at about 25 MPH (Flight 2), and Ben is aware of everything each
member of the swarm perceives (Super-Senses 2: microscopic vision 1,
radius sight). It can also cling to walls or ceilings (Super-Movement 1:
wall-crawling)
Ben can attack anyone inside his swarm body by stinging them: the
attack hits automatically and the target must make a Fortitude saving
throw (DC 16). Failure means the target suffers a –2 penalty to all rolls and
checks. Failure by 5 or more means the target can only take a standard or
move action each round (not both) and failure by 10 or more renders the
target helpless. Targets get a new save each round to overcome the effects.
(Nauseate 6 [Sustained, Aura]).
Ben can split his swarm-shape up into two smaller swarms, each with the
same abilities, but a reduced stinging attack (DC 13 Fortitude save). While
split, he can’t revert back to human form unless at least 75% of his swarm
mass is in contact (Anatomic Separation 1).
If Ben is ever stunned, he must make a Concentration check (DC 20) to
remain in his swarm-shape. Otherwise, he reverts to his human form. The
same happens if he is rendered unconscious.
Combat: Attack +2, Grapple +2 (n/a in swarm-shape), Damage +0
(unarmed), Defense +2 (+1 flat-footed), Knockback –0, Initiative +1
Abilities 11 + Skills 13 (52 ranks) + Feats 0 + Powers 50 +
Combat 8+ Saves 8 = Total 90
Damage Track
Bruised Staggered Unconscious
o o
o o
Injured Disabled Dying
Background
Ben Vistan did well in school academically, even if he wasn’t part of the largest social circle. He went on to college and got a degree in Computer Science,
leading him into a job as a programmer in the high-tech industry. He enjoyed solving creative problems in code and design, although he didn’t always get
those kinds of challenges. Work was drudgery sometimes, as it so often is.
Ben’s hobby is bee-keeping, something he’s been interested in since he was a child, but only took up once work provided him with the income and free-time
to pursue it, along with the space to set up hives. Ben not only found working with his bees a relaxing distraction from work, but he felt that he really
learned things from them: their organization, their seamless communication and synergy. There were times when Ben felt like he understood the bees in
a deep—he would almost say spiritual—manner. It wasn’t something he shared with people, only partially because of concern he’d sound crazy. It was a
personal experience, something that was his and his alone.
Then, one day, the experience, the empathy and understanding, went further than ever before, way further. Ben felt like he became the hive and, in fact,
he did! He transformed into a human-sized mass of bees, all connected in a deep and inexplicable way. While extensive research (mostly online) hasn’t
turned up much evidence of people exactly like him, Ben has come across a lot of strange stuff, and believes there are others, possibly many others, with
paranormal experiences and abilities like his.
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APPENDIX III: Paragon Creation
Appendix III:
Paragon Creation
A lthough A More Perfect Union is set up for play with
the characters provided, it’s also a suitable adventure
for kicking off your own Paragons series, in which case
the players might want to create their own M&M characters
for use in the game, rather than choosing from a selection of
paranormals come from all walks of life, most of them fairly
ordinary.
Note you can spend up to 50 power points creating your
character at this stage, but you’re under no obligation to
spend all of them. Any unspent points from this stage simply
pre-generated characters. “roll over” to Stage Two, where you can spend them nor-
This section takes a look at creating Paragons characters mally. So don’t feel compelled to create a 50-point normal
suitable for use in the adventure and in an ongoing series. character if everything you have in mind comes to, say, 28
The Paragons campaign setting sourcebook goes into more points, and that’s it.
detail on paranormal character creation suitable for a wide
range of different series and styles. This section focuses on Abilities
characters like those designed for this adventure: power level Keep in mind the ability benchmarks on page 30 of M&M:
6, built with 90 starting power points, and fairly focused. unless a character is a truly extraordinary person to begin
To use this material, you’ll want a copy of either the Mutants with, an ability score above 14-15 is unlikely, and the GM
& Masterminds rulebook or the M&M Pocket Player’s Guide may well prohibit scores above 20 or so (although 24-25 is
for reference. rated the peak of “human achievement”). The guidelines in
the Under the Hood sidebar on page 31 of M&M may also
Stage One: Normal be helpful in assigning mental abilities to your character
based on his or her personality traits and your conception.
At this stage of character creation, consider your character’s
life before breaking out. Take up to 50 power points and
create that character. Consider the character’s early life, pro- Skills
fessional experience, hobbies, and so forth and choose the When choosing your character’s skills, keep the Skill
appropriate traits. Benchmarks and Under the Hood sidebars on pages 38
and 40 of M&M in mind: 5-8 ranks in a skill is a “profes-
Your character doesn’t have any powers at this stage, and
sional” level of training, while 9-12 qualifies the character
don’t choose unusual or heroic traits without a good reason
as a true expert. A power level 6 character is limited to no
for them. Perhaps your character was a police officer, sol-
more than 11 ranks in a skill. Likewise, consider the charac-
dier, government agent, or the like before breaking out, but
ter’s life skills; most new paragons aren’t “adventurers” as
Empowering Yourself
One option for a Paragons series is for the players to take the roles of fictionalized versions of themselves, who awaken to the
potential for paranormal powers and have to deal with the impact those extraordinary abilities have on their lives and on the
world.
The first step in such a character creation process is largely the same: creating non-powered versions of the players as M&M
characters and determining their relevant game traits. The benchmarks given for ability scores and skills in Mutants &
Masterminds may be helpful, and the GM should encourage the players to be objective (but also not too harsh) in figuring out
what their own game traits should be. The GM should exercise good judgment in helping the players in balancing out the right
trait ratings.
It’s likely the characters won’t all have the same point totals at this stage, which is just fine, so long as the players all have the
same number of points to spend total. As with normal character creation, the GM should decide if the players will determine
their characters’ paranormal traits or if they will be decided for them, and kept a secret until the characters learn more about
what they can do.
Playing yourself in a Paragons game can be fun, but groups should also be aware this sort of roleplaying can be intensely
personal, and some players may take offense at either discussion of what their game traits should be or at things that happen
to the fictional versions of themselves in play, identifying with them even more so than with entirely fictional characters. If any
of the players are uncomfortable with the idea of playing themselves, they should be encouraged to create fictional characters
using the regular guidelines instead.
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APPENDIX III: PARAGON CREATION Secret Powers
Of course, paranormals don’t necessarily break out with complete and comprehensive knowledge of what they can do, or even
what their powers are initially. Some Gamemasters may wish to keep knowledge of the characters’ paranormal powers secret
from the players, either choosing them based on player input or even choosing them for the players and revealing them over
the course of play. Naturally, this should be done with the players’ foreknowledge and permission, and players who prefer to
choose their characters’ own powers should be allowed to do so.
If this option is in use, you can allow players to spend a hero point for inspiration (M&M, page 122) to learn more about what
their powers do, or what power (if any) applies to their current situation. So, for example, a character cornered at the edge of a
precipice might get a sudden “instinctive” urge to jump to escape from pursuers, discovering in the process the ability to fly!
If you play out the characters’ breakouts, you might want to keep their powers secret during just that scene, allowing players
full knowledge of their characters’ paranormal traits once regular play has begun. This also allows the opportunity to “fine-tune”
paranormal traits between the prelude and the actual start of the series, if the players wish.
such. They might have ranks in skills like Craft or Profession, character’s normal values, closer to the power level limits.
various types of Knowledge, and some interaction skills like Again, this might reflect training and experience or simply a
Diplomacy and Sense Motive. benefit of becoming paranormal.
1 Animator: Animate Objects 8 (one construct up to 120 points; Continuous, Perception Range)
2 Anti-Paranormal: Choose one of Nemesis 5 (25 points) or Nullify 6 (all powers at once, Burst Area) and Nullify 4 (Power
Resistance). If necessary, roll a die: taking the first option on a 1-10, the second on an 11-20.
4 Energy Controller: Blast 6 (choose a type of energy; Alternate Powers: choose three of the following: Blast 4 [Burst Area],
Blast 6 [Cone Area, Touch Range], Blast 6 [Burst Area, Touch Range], Dazzle 6 [one of sight or hearing with Burst
Radius], Deflect 6 [all ranged attacks], Environmental Control 6 [one environment], Telekinesis 6), Flight 5, Force
Field 6 (Impervious), Sensory Shield 3 (choose a sense)
5 Giant: Growth 10 (huge, +20 Str, +10 Con, +10 ft. movement). Trade-off attack and defense bonus as needed for power level
limits.
6 Hardbody: Immunity 40 (all physical damage). Note you’re still affected by energy damage.
9 Phasing: Insubstantial 4 (incorporeal, Subtle 2), Strike 6 (Affects Corporeal, Fortitude save)
11 Powerhouse: Enhanced Constitution 10, Enhanced Strength 10, Impervious Toughness 5, Leaping 5, Super-
Strength 5. Trade-off attack and defense bonus as needed for power level limits.
12 Psychic: Enhanced Feats 10 (Defensive Roll 3, Distract, Dodge Focus 2, Seize Initiative, Set-Up, Uncanny Dodge [mental],
Well-Informed), Enhanced Skill 2 (Sense Motive +8), Mind Shield 6, Super-Senses 9 (danger sense [mental], detect
minds [acute, accurate, ranged, radius], psychic awareness [acute]), Telepathy 6 (Alternate Powers: Mental Blast 3)
13 Rocket: Enhanced Feats 6 (Acrobatic Bluff, Evasion, Interpose, Move-by Action, Takedown Attack 2), Flight 10, Force Field
7 (Impervious). Trade-off defense bonus as needed for power level limits.
15 Skill Mimic: Mimic Skills 8 (all skills at once up to 40 points; Perception Range)
16 Speedster: Super-Speed 7 (Alternate Powers: Air Control 7, Deflect 7 [all ranged attacks], Strike 7; Power Feats: Wall Run,
Water Run). Trade-off attack and defense bonus as needed for power level limits.
18 Time Warp: Super-Movement 3 (temporal, any time), Time Control 5 (Alternate Powers: Deflect 5 [all ranged attacks],
Paralyze 7 [stop time; Burst Radius, Continuous Duration]),
19 Unkillable: Regeneration 39 (bruised, injured, staggered, disabled, resurrection, and ability damage, all once per round with
no rest; Regrowth)
20 Visionary: Enhanced Feats 3 (Dodge Focus 2, Uncanny Dodge [mental]), ESP 7 (all senses), Super-Senses 9 (danger sense
[mental], postcognition, precognition)
The player simply applies additional power points towards are paranormal powers, so they can be improved with extra
improving the affected traits with the Gamemaster’s permission effort, or taken away by Nullify.
and a suitable back-story. Keep in mind the series power level For example, a “super-smart” paragon might start out in
limits when improving traits, although most of the character’s Stage One with fairly ordinary Intelligence (say a score of
normal traits are likely to be below the limit before Stage Two. 12) but during Stage Two gain Enhanced Intelligence up to
Enhanced traits are essentially an expanded version of the the PL limit (+10 Int, for an ability score of 22). Similarly,
Enhanced Ability power (M&M, page 84) and work exactly a “savant” character may acquire Enhanced Skills which are
the same way: they have the same cost as ordinary traits, but essentially paranormal rank in those skills, or even traits like
59
APPENDIX III: PARAGON CREATION attack and defense bonus, which are treated as skill traits Powers
(see Trait Types, M&M, page 68). So a “combat savant,” A substantial portion of your remaining power points should
for example, might have Enhanced Attack and Enhanced go towards your character’s paranormal powers. These are
Defense as paranormal powers. whatever powers the Gamemaster chooses to permit from
Similarly, characters can have Enhanced Feats as a power, the Mutants & Masterminds rules, including expansions such
costing 1 point per rank, with each rank granting a feat (or as the Mastermind’s Manual and Ultimate Power, limited by
a rank in a ranked feat). These feats are paranormal powers the series power level (PL 6 in the case of this adventure).
rather than “normal” feats, subject to the same guidelines. As always, the GM has the final say as to whether or not
Some a combat savant could gain paranormal combat feats a particular improved or enhanced trait or power is appro-
like Attack Focus, Elusive Target, Power Attack, and so forth priate within the bounds of the series’ power level and
without any prior combat training or experience. Similarly, can veto any player proposed trait or power for the overall
a “social savant” or a “social paragon” with Enhanced good of the game. Work with your GM to come up with a
Charisma might also pick up Enhanced Feats like Distract, suitable set of traits and powers for your character’s para-
Fascinate, Taunt, or even Fearsome Presence. normal phase.
61