DOJHERO 1102 - Hero 5th - Stronghold

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paizo.com #1661751, Patrick Ransom <[email protected]>, Apr 4, 2011


STEVEN S. LONG & JOHN LEES







ro System TM ® is DOJ, Inc.’s trademark for its roleplaying system.ro System © 1984, 1989, 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.ampions © 1984, 1989, 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.ntasy Hero © 2003 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.rk Champions © 2004 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.lp Hero © 2005 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.onghold © 2008 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.

ar Hero, Justice Inc., Danger International, Western Hero © 2002 by DOJ, Inc.b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or computerization, or byany information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from thePublisher: DOJ, Inc., 226 E. 54th Street, #605, New York, NY 10022-48541Printed in the Canada. First printing January 2008.Produced and distributed by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games.Stock Number: DOJHERO222 • ISBN Number: 978-1-58366-053-9http://www.herogames.com

A Setting Book For Champions

Author: Steven S. Long, John LeesAdditional Contributions: Scott BennieEditing and Developing: Darren WattsLayout & Graphic Design: Andy MathewsCover Illustration: Andrew Bosley Cartography: John LeesInterior Illustration: Storn Cook, Brendon and BrianFraim, Scott Heine, Sam Kennedy, Eric Lo gren, BradNault, Greg Smith, Kay Steele, ony Steele, Eric vonHase, William Withers, Pat Zircher

Orange/4-87192

Yellow/3-08817-MF

Orange/3-55871

Orange/5-41672

Yellow/3-26048

Green/4-57631

Yellow/2-92183

Red/5-00181-HS

Yellow/2-39175

Orange/3-77122







TABLE OF CONTENTSINTRODUCTION ..................................... ........ 4

CHAPTER ONE: THE SUPERVILLAIN IN THEHANDS OF THE LAW

BEFORE THE TRIAL ...................................... .. 6SUPERLAW BASICS .................................... .. 6

Criminal Law ..................................... ........ 8THE INVESTIGATION ................................... 10

The Fourth Amendment ........................... 10The Fifth Amendment .............................. 12

PRETRIAL PROCEDURE ............................... 13

THE TRIAL ...................................... ............. 16TRIAL BASICS ..................................... ....... 16

The Jury .................................... ............. 16Courtroom Personnel ............................... 16Trial Security .................................... ....... 18

CONDUCTING THE TRIAL ............................ 19THE TRIAL AS SCENARIO ............................ 20

Roles For Player Characters ..................... 21Trial Complications .................................. 24 And The Verdict Is... ................................. 25Sentencing................................. ............. 25

Aftershocks ...................................... ....... 27RANDOM TRIAL SCENARIO GENERATOR ...... 27OTHER SUPERLAW ISSUES ......................... 29

The Second Amendment .......................... 29The Thirteenth Amendment ...................... 29The Fourteenth Amendment ..................... 30Jurisdiction Over The Divine ..................... 30

AFTER THE TRIAL ........................................ 31SUPERHUMAN PRISONER TRANSPORT ........ 31

SSPTS Type 3 Prisoner Transport .............. 31

Other SSPTS Technology .......................... 33

CHAPTER TWO:WELCOME TO STRONGHOLDSTRONGHOLD ................................. ............ 36

LOCATION ..................................... ............ 36HISTORY .................................. .................. 36

LAYOUT .................................... ................... 40THE ABOVEGROUND FACILITIES .................. 40

The Outer Ring .................................. ...... 40The Inner Court ................................. ...... 40

STRONGHOLD PROPER .............................. 41Level One ................................... ............ 41The Cellblock Levels ................................ 48Level Ten .................................... ............ 53

SECURITY ................................. ................... 54EXTERNAL SECURITY ................................. 54INTERNAL SECURITY .................................. 55OTHER SUPER-PRISONS ............................. 58

CHAPTER THREE:LIFE BEHIND BARS

...AND THROW AWAY THE KEY ..................... 62WHO GOES TO STRONGHOLD? ................... 62PRISONER INTAKE ...................................... 63PRISONER CLASSIFICATION ........................ 64

Uniforms And Inmate Codes ..................... 65

THE DAILY GRIND .................................. ...... 66

INMATE RELATIONS ..................................... 69GETTING ALONG INSIDE ............................. 69

Housing Policy................................... ...... 69Prison Rules ...................................... ...... 69

CURRENT INMATES .................................... 70Personal Property .................................... 71The Prisoners’ Code ................................ 72

PRISON GANGS.................................... ...... 72

ESCAPE! .................................. .................... 74Riots And Hostage Situations .................... 74

THREAT RESPONSE .................................... 74

CHAPTER FOUR: PERSONNESTAFF .................................. ........................

MAIN STAFF.................................... ...........WARDEN ARTHUR WILDMAN .........

ASSISTANT WARDEN REBECCA

ROTHSCHILD ...................................CHIEF OF SECURITY FREDERICK GR....FATHER RICHARD PASTORELLI .....COMMANDER MIKE MITCHELLSO

THE GUARDS ................................. .......STRONGHOLD GUARD .....................Guard Gear ................................. ...........SPARC Armor ..................................... ..Robots .................................. .................

OTHER STAFF ...................................... .INMATES .................................. ..................

DEATHSTROKE .....................................REQUIEM .................................... ........FROST ....................................... ...........

INDEPENDENT VILLAINS ................... ALCHEMICA ...................................... .DRAGONFLY ......................................GEOTHERMAL ...................................GLACIER .................................... .........

CHAPTER FIVE:RUNNING THE JOINTUSING STRONGHOLD..............................

STRONGHOLD IN OTHER CAMPAIGNCHANGING STRONGHOLD ................CREATING YOUR OWN SUPERPRISO

SCENARIOS ..................................... ..........

ESCAPE FROM STRONGHOLD................... 1JUST LET US GO AND NO ONE GETS HRIOT IN CELLBLOCK BETA-2-D ........HEROES BEHIND BARS .......................THE SH .................................... ................







4 Stronghold Hero System 5 th Edition Revised

INTRODUCTION

In a world where supervillains exist, some trou-bling issues arise. One o the most intriguingis this: once they’re caught — assuming theauthorities can capture them at all — how do

you keep them prisoner through their trial and,possibly, prison sentence? Villains can smash jail cell bars with their bare sts, teleport, walkthrough walls, control guards’ minds, and do allsorts o other things that basically makes it impos-sible to keep them prisoner in a conventional pen-itentiary. Some, particularly those who get theirpowers rom gadgets, can be sent to a mainstreamprison population... but others require a moredrastic solution.

Enter Stronghold, the prison or superhumancriminals. Conceived, designed, and built by thebrilliant but eccentric Dr. Charles Wildman in themid-Seventies, it’s housed hundreds o ChampionsUniverse supervillains over the decades. Despitesome well-publicized escapes — most notably the“Great Stronghold Breakout” o 1990 — it’s estab-lished an enviable track record or its security andefficiency. Organizations and nations all over theworld have copied it to help them cope with theirown villain problems.

Stronghold is your guide to this super-prison— everything rom its history, acilities, and pro-cedures to the people and inmates who make it

run. It includes everything the GM needs to incor-porate Stronghold and Stronghold-based adven-tures into his campaign.

Chapter One, he Supervillain In he Arms Ofhe Law, starts at the very beginning, when the

supervillain is captured. It discusses what hap-pens to him a ter that: how he’s held and trans-ported; how the state puts him on trial. In addi-tion to examining how you can use the criminal justice system in your games, it discusses howthe law applies to supervillains in the Champi-ons Universe — everything rom whether in or-mation gained by elepathy is admissible incourt to whether aliens and vampires have civilrights under the Constitution.Chapter wo, Welcome o Stronghold, picks upwhere Chapter One leaves off: the villain’s arrival

at his new “home away rom home.” It reviewsthe history o the super-prison and and describesStronghold’s layout and physical acilities. It alsodiscusses (and provides HERO System write-ups

or) Stronghold’s security technologies.Chapter hree, Life Behind Bars, describes whatit’s like to serve time in Stronghold. It coversthe daily routine prisoners live with or yearsat a time, how inmates get along with eachother and the guards, and how prison o icialsand personnel react to emergencies like escapeattempts and riots.

Chapter Four, Personnel, covers the people who

make Stronghold run ( rom Warden Arthur Wild-man all the way down to individual guards) andthe people who are the reason or its existence (theinmates). Te latter group includes hal a dozensupervillains, ranging rom some you’ve neverheard o be ore to a ew old avorites who’ve beenin prison a long, long time.Chapter Five, Running he Joint, discussesgamemastering Stronghold: how to includeit in your campaign; how to use it in othergenres; how to create your own super-prison.It concludes with several scenarios or use withStronghold, including a new take on the classic

“Escape From Stronghold.”Since most o the in ormation in this

book concerns things PC superheroes prob-ably don’t know, there’s no separate GM’s Vault.

hat means “secret” in ormation can be oundthroughout the book — so i you’re a player, getyour GM’s permission be ore reading it.

Get ready to see what li e is likeinside Stronghold!

PRISON “REALISM”As prisons go, Stronghold is pretty restrictive andtough — it has to be, to hold the kind o inmates it’sintended to keep incarcerated. However, “realisti-cally” it’s not as harsh a place as it could be. Tere are“supermax” prisons in the United States today thatimpose ar stricter discipline on inmates and allowthem ar less contact with each other and the out-side world. While you could make Stronghold that

conning, too much emphasis on realism overlooksStronghold’s primary purpose. It’s not intended to bea “realistic” prison so much as it is to generate storiesand plot seeds or your Champions campaign. It ailsat that purpose i it’s too difficult to break out o (orinto), i it restricts prisoners’ interaction with eachother too much, or i it chokes off other story pos-sibilities purely in the name o “realism.”

In short — you can denitely make Stronghold more“realistic” i you want to... but i you do it probablywon’t provide you with nearly as much un as a parto yourChampions game.







Supervillains In TheHands Of The Law







6 Supervillains In The Hands Of The Law Hero System 5 th Edition Revised

Long be ore the authorities put a supervillainin Stronghold, he comes into contact withthe law in many ways — rom the investiga-tion that leads to his arrest, to a trial that

determines his guilt or innocence. In the Cham-pions Universe, the existence o superhumanlypower ul criminals has affected the law and legalprocedures in many ways, causing them to evolveand adapt to take such beings into account.

SUPERLAW BASICSAmerican superhuman law (also known as

“superlaw”) began with the 1968 case o James“Smasher” Aronson v. United States, 390 U.S.1420 (1968). In Aronson, the Supreme Courtcreated what has become known as the “di er-ent strokes” rule:

It cannot be denied that... superhumans pos-sess capabilities and powers that elevate themabove the status of normal humans. Tus,rules and laws that apply to normal humansmay not apply in precisely the same ways tosuperhumans. Simply put, legal standards granting rights to humans will, in many cases,have to be altered to account for the vastly

increased capabilities of superhumans.Id. at 1428. his rule orms the basis or

all o the special legal rights and liabilities osuperhumans.

DEFINING “SUPERHUMAN”O course, the key to applying the “differ-

ent strokes” rule is dening who qualies as a“superhuman,” since plenty o criminals put oncostumes and nd ways to threaten a city (or theworld) without having true superhuman abilities.Te Court in Aronson also tackled this issue bydelineating three categories o humanity: super-humans; paranormals; and normal humans. Ordi-nary legal standards apply to normal humans, andin most cases to paranormals; superhumans (andsome paranormals in some circumstances) aresubject to the Aronson rule allowing or differentstandards that take their abilities into account.

o be “superhuman,” an individual “mustinherently possess capabilities or powers thatexceed those a normal human being could everpossess.” For example, a normal human, nomatter how much training he undergoes, couldnever teach himsel to become intangible. hisalso includes non-human beings with abili-ties greater than those o normal humans. A

“paranormal” is an individual “who, by means

o training and dedication, or by use o devices,has reached levels o human capability that areextraordinary, but within maximum humanlimits; or an individual who, by use o devicesor other means, is able to simulate superhu-man powers.” A paranormal is not “superhu-

man” because his abilities stem rom training ortechnology that could, in theory, work or anyhuman. As noted in many court decisions s incethen, “levels o human capability” can includenon-physical achievement, such as extensiveknowledge o science or, in some cases, the abil-ity to cast magic spells. (Magic, now as in 1968,remains a subject courts have some di icultygrappling with.)

o give a ew examples rom the ChampionsUniverse, De ender, Nighthawk, Nightwind, BlackMask, and Witchcraf are paranormals; their abili-ties all derive rom learning, training, gadgets, andthe like that in theory any human could duplicate.

Doctor Silverback is also a paranormal, since

BEFORE THE TRIAL

“REALISTIC” SUPERLAWWhile this chapter tries to provide some “realistic”guidelines regarding how the law might adapt tothe existence o superhumans and superhumanthreats, ultimately there’s only so much that canbe done. Particularly afer recent real-world prob-lems with terrorism and the obvious applicationso related laws to supervillains who commit actso destruction, it’s difficult to think o any govern-ment that would “realistically” have laws permittingmasked superhuman vigilantes to operate with thesame reckless abandon shown by most superheroes

in typical our-color comic book universes.So to establish a ramework o “superlaw” unctionwithin your campaign, you need to accept threebasic premises:

society is willing to tolerate (and in some cases workwith) vigilante superheroes

the legal system tolerates vigilantes who maintainsecret identities (albeit within certain limits) andallows them to participate in the legal system withoutrevealing their real identities

even though “realistically” lawsuits would probablybe led against superheroes on a daily basis, lawsuitsagainst superheroes are a relatively rare and special

event. Te average superhero isn’t trapped in litiga-tion hell or acing the constant threat o bankruptcy...except when the scenario requires it. (See page 30 ormore in ormation.)

Once you accept these three points, the GM cantinker with legal conventions in a realistic manner anduse them to build interesting scenarios.







Stronghold

his only “superpower” (heightened intelligence)is “super” merely in relation to other apes, nothumans. Sapphire, Kinetik, Diamond, Diadem,Blink, and Flashover are all superhumans; theyhave powers in excess o those any normal humancould hope to achieve.

S A E SANC IONA superhero’s legal status also depends on

whether he has the o icial sanction o a local,state, or the ederal government. A sanctionedhero has “o icial” status and works with thepolice. A non-sanctioned hero does not workwith the police — and in act, since his statusand/or activities are usually illegal, the policeprobably want to arrest him.Sanctioned Heroes

Sanction has three major advantages. Te rstis that sanctioned characters have access to all otheir sanctioning authority’s resources: money,men, equipment, and in ormation. Tey may notbe able to call on them at all times or get exactlywhat they need, but the benets o official supportare signicant. Te second advantage is respect-ability and prestige. A sanctioned hero is usuallywell-liked by both the public and the orce, can gethelp rom all responsible citizens, and generallyhas an easier time doing things as a hero. Tird,a sanctioned hero can testi y in court withoutrevealing his secret identity, unless the court hasgrounds to rule otherwise.

However, sanction has two drawbacks as well.Te rst is that police departments and other lawen orcement agencies typically require a hero toreveal a lot o in ormation about himsel be orethey sanction him — his identity, powers, and so

orth. ( echnically, under the terms o the Ameri-can Superhuman and Paranormal RegistrationAct, or ASPRA, he should already have disclosedthis in ormation to the ederal government, butthat law is largely unen orceable until some officialhas the means and desire to en orce it; see Cham- pions Universe, pages 35-36.) In part, this is so acourt can properly identi y the hero, but it’s alsoa security measure. All police departments withsanctioned superheroes keep the in ormation onthem very, very secure.

he second drawback is that sanctionedheroes must ollow normal police procedures,such as arresting villains only upon “probable

cause” and reading criminals their rights. John“Starblaze” Doe v. Washington, 446 U.S. 1535(1980). o some heroes this seems contraryto one o the reasons they decided to becomesuperheroes — to cut through all the red tapethat sometimes strangles the justice system. Butmost courts tend to give sanctioned heroes a loto leeway on procedure. Many decisions haveheld that the “di erent strokes” rule o Aron-son justi ies granting sanct ioned superhumansa little “extra authority” because o the o tenextreme and dynamic situations they con ront.A “superhero exception,” used by a ew states,gives sanctioned heroes the power to ignoremany criminal procedure rules in emergencies.

(As a matter o campaign management, theGM should establish just how ar sanctionedsuperheroes can bend the normal police rules,and then tell the players. Any PC who goesbeyond that point should be in a lot o trouble(he could be arrested and jailed, suspended,

ined, or sued, or example), but as long as theheroes stay within the bounds established bythe GM they shouldn’t get in any trouble more

serious than being chewed out by their com-manding o icers. Make sure the PCs know theiractions as law en orcement o icers have conse-quences, but don’t pressure them so much thatbeing a sanctioned hero is no longer worth it.)

NON SANC IONED HEROESAny hero who’s not sanctioned is by de ini-

tion non-sanctioned — in other words, he oper-ates without o icial approval and support, andthus violates the law by ighting crime. Beinga non-sanctioned hero has its good points andbad points, just like being a sanctioned hero.

he drawbacks are that non-sanctioned heroes

lack access to police powers and police depart-ment resources, and are o ten act ively pursuedby the police.

Te benet to being non-sanctioned is thatnon-sanctioned heroes don’t have to ollow anypolice procedures at all. Te Supreme Court heldin Burdeau v. McDowell, 256 U.S. 465 (1921), thatthe Fourth Amendment’s search and seizure rulesdo not apply to private citizens (unless they’reworking as agents o the police). In Burdeau, aprivate citizen burgled and vandalized McDow-ell’s office to obtain certain papers. Some otherpapers incriminated McDowell in a crime. Tepolice arrested McDowell, who was later convicted or that crime. Since the police hadn’t par-ticipated in or instigated any wrongdoing, therewas no Fourth Amendment violation and theconviction was valid.

he Court con irmed that the Burdeau ruleapplies to superhuman crime ighters in the caseo Parkson v. California, 479 U.S. 1363 (1986),in which the activities o a non-sanctionedcrime ighter led to Parkson’s arrest or drugtra icking. Parkson established the so-calledvigilante doctrine: just because someone wearsa mask and costume to conceal his identity andengages in crime ighting practices that wouldbe unconstitutional i done by the police doesn’tprevent the state rom using evidence that acostumed “vigilante” obtains. In other words,a non-sanctioned costumed crime ighter canbreak into a criminal’s house, beat him up, tearhis house apart looking or evidence, and thenturn the criminal and the evidence over to thepolice... and the state can use that in ormationto prosecute the criminal. (But o course, thenon-sanctioned hero can still be arrested ordoing this, since breaking and entering andassault are crimes, and he can be sued by the“victim” in civil court on various grounds.)








Criminal LawWhile it’s possible or a superhuman to run

a oul o the law in many different ways, in mostChampions campaigns and scenarios all that reallymatters is criminal law. Te vast majority o crimi-nal cases are brought in state court, because mostcrimes are dened by state law. Te criminal laws vary rom state to state; an act which is Crime X in

State One may be Crime Y in State wo.Crimes are divided into two types: misde-meanors (crimes punishable by less than a yearin jail, such as petty thef, minor acts o assault,and so orth); and elonies (crimes punishable bya year or more in prison, such as murder, rape,armed robbery, and aggravated assault). Besidesthe actual crimes committed by superpoweredcriminals — robbery, murder, kidnapping, and soon — the main impact o criminal law on super-humans is when their powers or activities are, orsome reason, illegal. Here are some examples:

AGGRAVA ED ASSAUL

Superhumans can use their powers to commitaggravated assault (also called “assault with adeadly weapon”). In all fy states and under ed-eral law, the offensive use o any superpower onanother person, regardless o the power’s potentiallethality, counts as aggravated assault. Legally, aKilling Attack, Ego Attack, rans orm, Desolidi-cation Usable Against Others, and Drain are all“deadly weapons.” Punishment or an act o aggravated assault usually ranges rom two to ve yearsplus a possible ne.

CONCEALING ONE’S IDEN I YMost states have laws that orbid conceal-

ing one’s identity in public. “Antimask” laws thatincrease the penalty or any crime committedwhile wearing a mask exist in most jurisdictions asan additional weapon against supervillains.

RECKLESS ENDANGERMENA superhuman’s use o his powers can (and

ofen does) constitute the crime o reckless endan-germent. Tis means the superhuman recklesslydoes something that creates a substantial risk oserious physical injury to someone else. (“Reck-lessly,” in turn, means to act with a culpable dis-regard o the oreseeable consequences o one’sactions — in other words, the superhuman doesn’thave to know or be reasonably certain that whathe’s doing will hurt someone, he just has to ignorethe act that there’s a substantial likelihood some-one will get hurt.) Pointing a rearm at someone,or threatening to use a superpower on them, usu-ally qualies as reckless endangerment.

EXCESSIVE FORCEA police officer or sanctioned superhero who

uses excessive orce when arresting a suspect canbe prosecuted or sued. Te test or whether orceis excessive is one o objective reasonableness: aparticular degree o orce is allowable i it wouldbe used by a reasonable police officer on the scene

in light o the need or split-second decision-making in a potentially lethal situation. Tis is alenient test which disregards the officer’s underly-ing intent or motivation. Graham v. Connor, 490U.S. 386 (1989).

SUPERPOWERS LAWSSome jurisdictions have laws outlawing the

use o specic superpowers, either in general or in

specic places or circumstances. Tese laws usuallyapply to one or more o three groups o powers:

Powers that make it too easy to commit burglar-ies and other crimes ( or example, Clairsentience,Desolidication, Invisibility, Mind Control, and

eleportation)

Powers that make it too easy to invade some-one’s privacy ( or example, Clairsentience, variousEnhanced Senses, Invisibility, Mind Scan, and

elepathy)

Powers considered inherently dangerous, espe-cially i Always On ( or example, Damage Shields,Density Increase, Invisibility, Growth, Mind Con-

trol, and Summon)ypically the punishment or these laws is a

ne or short jail sentence, but i serious propertydamage or personal injury result, the penalties canbecome severe.

SUPERPOWERS REGIS RA ION LAWSIn 1980 Congress enacted the American

Superhuman and Paranormal Registration Act,or ASPRA, requiring all superhumans (be theyhero, villain, or neutral) to register with, anddisclose certain in ormation to, the ederalgovernment. (See Champions Universe, pages35-36.) While this law remains controversial,it has been upheld as constitutional by theSupreme Court ( John “Captain Courage” Doe v.United States, 455 U.S. 3841 (1982).) he Courtpointed out that one reason the law withstoodconstitutional muster was that it applies to all superhumans; a law that tried to single one typeout (such as mutants or spellcasters) wouldlikely violate the Equal Protection Clause o theFourteenth Amendment.

Following Captain Courage, many states(including New York, Cali ornia, Michigan, and

exas) have enacted state superhuman registrationlaws that mirror ASPRA. While registration laws

remain difficult to en orce, any time a superhu-man is arrested and ound not to be registered,ailure to register is added to the charges against

him. Most states and the ederal government shareregistration in ormation, so a superhuman regis-tered with one is in effect registered with all other jurisdictions that share data.

DEFENSES O CRIMESSomeone who’s accused o a crime can avail

himsel o many possible de enses, includingintoxication, entrapment, age, mistake, necessity,duress, and the classic “you’ve got the wrong guy”in all its many orms. Some de enses superhumans

are likely to encounter include:

PRECEDENT

Te basis or decisionsin the American legalsystem is the concept oprecedent. Tis meansthat when a ruling olaw is made, it’s consid-ered to be controlling inthe jurisdiction whereit was decided. In otherwords, later cases on thesame subject have to bedecided the same way.A ruling o law won’t bechanged unless circum-stances or a changingsociety make it clearthe previous ruling waswrong. Tus, past casesserve as “examples”or “guidance” or howsimilar cases should bedecided in the present.

In the ChampionsUniverse, superhu-mans have existed ordecades, so the legalsystem has adapted tocope with them, creat-ing a lot o “superlaw”precedents that guidethe courts o the twen-ty-rst century. I thePCs in your campaignare among the rstsuperhumans in yourcampaign setting, or

i superhumans havenot been around orvery long, there will be

ew (i any) precedentsspecically about super-humans. In that casethe PCs may nd them-selves in the perhapsunenviable task o help-ing to create some.







Stronghold

Te Insanity DefenseA person who is insane can plead his

insanity as a de ense. From a legal perspective,“insanity” usually means one or more o the ol-lowing: the de endant didn’t know his actionswere wrong; the de endant was unable to under-stand the nature and quality o his actions; orthe de endant lacked the capacity to con ormhis conduct to the law even though he knew he

was doing something wrong.A de endant who success ully uses theinsanity de ense is typically ound “not guiltyby reason o insanity,” but that doesn’t mean he’s

ree — instead o incarcerating him, the courtcommits him to a mental institution, where heremains until cured. Tis may keep him conned

or a longer period than the jail sentence he’d havereceived i convicted.

Supervillains ofen plead insanity when puton trial, but it doesn’t usually work. Some notablesupervillain insanity cases include: John “Gaunt-let” Doe v. California, 487 U.S. 1388 (1988) (put-ting on a silly-looking costume and committingunusual crimes does not necessarily mean that aperson is insane); John “Deathblade” Doe v. UnitedStates, 877 F.2d 1734 (2d Cir. 1989) (a murderous vigilante’s delusion that several ederal govern-ment officials were plotting to take over the UnitedStates was not sufficient or an insanity acquit-tal, because even i the delusion had been true, itwould not have entitled him to kill those officials);and California v. John “Foxbat” Doe, a 1993 case

rom Cali ornia (Foxbat’s deranged idea that heis a great and power ul supervillain, and that heis actually “in a comic book,” meant he could notunderstand the nature and quality o his actionswhen he kidnapped the employees o a small SanFrancisco, Cali ornia game company).Defense Of Self, Others, Or Property

People who are attacked have a legalright to de end themselves, but there are somerestrictions on how much orce they can use.

he main distinction is between deadly andnon-deadly orce. An individual who’s without

ault can use whatever amount o non-deadlyorce reasonably appears necessary to protect

himsel rom an imminent unlaw ul attack. Hecan use deadly orce when he’s without aultand reasonably believes he’s threatened withimminent death or great bodily harm. he key

issue is the person’s reasonable belie . Just beingattacked does not mean one can use deadly

orce, because not all attacks could reason-ably cause death or great bodily harm. In a

ew states, there’s a duty to retreat be ore usingdeadly orce in sel -de ense. However, retreat isnever necessary i one cannot retreat sa ely, andis almost never necessary when one is in one’sown home.

Te standards or de ending another personare basically the same as those or sel -de ense.However, the individual claiming a “de ense oothers” de ense must have reasonably believed theperson he saved would have had the right to use

orce in his own de ense.

he use o non-deadly orce to protectone’s home is always legal; sometimes this ruleapplies to other property as well (such as a car).Deadly orce is sometimes justi ied in protec-tion o one’s home, but is never justi ied to pro-tect other property.Crime Prevention

Generally, a person can use orce to theextent that the orce seems reasonably necessaryto prevent the commission o a elony. He canuse deadly orce to prevent dangerous elonies(such as murder, rape, or robbery). See, e.g., John“Deathblade” Doe v. United States, 877 F.2d 1734(2d Cir. 1989) (vigilante ound innocent o twelvemurders on the grounds that he had properly prevented a crime).Diplomatic Immunity

Although it has its roots in ancient practices,diplomatic immunity is governed by the 1961Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Dip-lomatic immunity is not a “right,” per se; rather,it’s a privilege granted by nations to each other’s

representatives by mutual consent.Te main provisions o the Vienna Conven-tion are these:

Diplomatic mission: Te premises and buildingso a diplomatic mission are inviolate, and may notbe entered or searched. Humanitarian concerns,such as the need to save the lives o persons in theembassy, may override this provision.

Diplomatic documents: Te papers and corre-spondence o the mission are immune rom searchand seizure.

Diplomatic pouches/containers: he diplo-matic bag (a clearly marked pouch used to carrydiplomatic documents) and other diplomaticcontainers may not be detained, searched, orexamined. Similarly, diplomatic couriers maynot be detained or searched. However, a statemay re use entry to a diplomat or his contain-ers. In recent years criminals have used diplo-matic pouches to smuggle drugs and weapons(and even kidnapped persons), so many nationsno longer allow “suspicious” diplomatic con-tainers to enter or leave their country unlessthey receive permission to search them.

Diplomats and their households: Diplomats(ambassadors, ministers, counselors, and so

orth) and all members o their amilies have full criminal and civil immunity — they may notbe convicted o any crime. hey can murder,rape, rob, sell drugs, spit on the sidewalk, orpark illegally, and the only thing the host nationcan do about it is detain them and then deportthem. (O course, a diplomat’s home nationmay punish him or his acts once he arrivesback there, but it’s not obligated to.) Also, theycannot be compelled to be witnesses, nor arethey subject to taxes or civil lawsuits.

Administrative, technical, and service staff:Administrative, technical, and service staff mem-bers o a diplomatic mission and their households








have ull criminal and civil immunity or all actswithin the scope of their official duties. Acts outsidethe scope o their duties may still subject them tocriminal prosecution.

Diplomatic immunity usually extends to adiplomat who’s traveling rom his home countryto his host country, even i he passes through athird country.

Because it offers such blanket protection,

diplomatic immunity is a superb “plot device” oruse in scenarios where the GM needs to ensurethe villain escapes to ght another day. It’s con-ceivable that a nation hostile to, or example, theUnited States might appoint an ambassador tothe U.S. who’s secretly a superhuman. Te ambas-sador could then proceed to wreak havoc with hissuperpowers until stopped and detained — butthe U.S. could not prosecute him or his crimes.Once deported, he could resume working or hisemployer nation.

THE INVESTIGATIONA supervillain begins interacting with the law

long be ore he’s in custody. It all starts when thepolice begin investigating his crimes in an effortto bring him to Justice. Tis is the earliest stageso what the law re ers to as “criminal procedure,”and its rules at this point derive rom two Amend-ments to the Constitution: the Fourth Amend-ment, which orbids “unreasonable searches andseizures” by the government, and which requiresthat “no Warrants shall issue, but upon probablecause”; and the Fifh Amendment, which denesthe privilege against sel -incrimination.

The Fourth AmendmentTe Fourth Amendment to the US Constitu-

tion orbids “unreasonable searches and seizures”by the government. Dening exactly what thatmeans, both in general and in the context osuperhuman powers and activities, has generatedan enormous body o case law.

ARRES WARRAN SAn arrest is the “seizure” o a person. Arrest

warrants are not required, at least or most elonyarrests: all the police need to arrest someone or a

elony is probable cause to do so. Tis means prob-able cause that a crime was committed and thatthe suspect was the one who committed it. How-ever, the police usually obtain a warrant i theyhave time, since it makes the arrest more “official.”Warrants are issued by “neutral and detached”magistrates. I a suspect attempts to escape arrest,the officer may only use deadly orce to stop himi the officer has a reasonable belie the suspectis a danger to the officer or to others. ennesseev. Garner, 471 U.S. 1 (1985). See alsoGraham v.Connor, 490 U.S. 386 (1989).

SEARCH WARRAN SSearch warrants are usually required to search

a person or a place or evidence o a crime. Asearch warrant has to meet three criteria to be valid. First, a search warrant will only be issued bya magistrate based on probable cause. Tis meansprobable cause that a certain item is evidence oa crime, or was used to commit a crime; and thatthe item is at the place to be searched. o haveprobable cause, an officer must have a “substantialbasis” or concluding that the search will nd anincriminating object. Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S.213 (1983). Probable cause may be established ina number o ways, including condential in or-mants, witnesses, physical evidence, and policeobservation (but a policeman’s or superhero’ssworn statement, by itsel , is not sufficient to showprobable cause).

Second, the warrant must give a “particulardescription o the place to be searched.” Tird, asearch warrant must provide a “particular descrip-tion o the item to be seized,” i.e., a descriptionaccurate enough or the police to easily nd theitem and to prevent them rom conducting a“general search.” An item may require more or lessdescription, depending on its nature — uniqueitems (such as many villains’ Foci) require lessdescription, common items (such as a radio)require more.

I the police have a valid warrant, they maysearch any place it authorizes them to search. Butthey may only search where an object could rea-sonably be located. For example, i they’re search-ing a house or a shotgun, they can’t look throughthe papers on the suspect’s desk. Once the policend the object they’re looking or, they must stop

searching.When A Search Warrant Is Not RequiredTere are six basic situations in which the

police don’t have to obtain a search warrant be orethey search a person or place. Tey are:Searches incident to a lawful arrest: Afer makinga law ul arrest, the police are allowed to make awarrantless search o the person arrested and his“wingspan” — the area within his immediate con-trol, rom which he could seize evidence that hecould destroy or a weapon. Chimel v. California,395 U.S. 752 (1969).Plain view: I an officer is in a place where he has a

right to be, and he sees something illegal in plain view, he may seize it at once. Tere is no expecta-tion o privacy in objects that are in plain view.Coolidge v. Hew Hampshire,403 U.S. 443 (1971).Te object must be immediately apparent as illegal( or example, heroin is obviously illegal, but a gunmay not be). Similarly, an officer could perceivethings with “plain hearing” or “plain smell.”The vehicular exception: Tis exception, describedin California v. Carney, 471 U.S. 386 (1985), allowsthe police to make warrantless searches o vehicleswhen they have probable cause to believe that evi-dence o crime will be ound in the vehicle. Courts

allow this because (a) vehicles are easily moved







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and may not be available or a search i the offi-cer takes the time to get a warrant, and (b) since vehicles are subject to so many regulations, there’sa decreased expectation o privacy in them.Consent: A person can consent to a warrantless

search o his home, car, or other area that he owns.Consent must be given voluntarily, without anyorm o coercion.Schneckloth v. Bustamonte,412

U.S. 218 (1973).Stop-and-frisk: I a policeman does not have prob-able cause to arrest someone, but does have an“articulable suspicion,” based on specic acts andin erences, that the person is armed and danger-ous, the officer may stop that person and “pat himdown” or weapons (but not anything other thanweapons, such as drugs). erry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1(1968). “ erry stops” must be as short and as leastintrusive as possible.

Hot pursuit: I the police are in “hot pursuit,” ori getting a search warrant would put them indanger, they do not need to obtain a warrant.See Warden v. Hayden, 387 U.S. 294 (1967). Tisexception is limited; it’s not a “general emergency”exception to the warrant requirement.

Tese six exceptions derive rom two con-cepts. Te rst is diminished expectations oprivacy. Te Fourth Amendment doesn’t protectareas and situations in which a person’s expec-tation o privacy in his person and property is“diminished.” For example, the police may makewarrantless searches o abandoned property,California v. Greenwood, 486 U.S. 35 (1988), or o

“open elds” (land not immediately adjacent toa building), Oliver v. United States, 466 U.S. 170(1984). Similarly, the Fourth Amendment offersno protection against “overights” — when thepolice or superheroes y over a person’s land tolook or evidence o a crime.California v. Ciraolo,476 U.S. 207 (1986). Te second is exigent cir-cumstances. Tis means there are instances wherethe nature o events or circumstances requires thepolice to act immediately. An example o exigentcircumstances is when the police ear evidencewill be destroyed or removed in the time it takesto have a warrant issued.Enhanced Senses And Sensory Devices

Te police or sanctioned superheroes canconduct searches with enhanced senses and sen-sory devices. Warrantless searches conducted withordinary enhancements ( or example, ashlightsor binoculars), or using such devices to aid a war-ranted search, are constitutional; effectively allthat does is extend the range o an officer’s “plain view.” Te same standard applies to using magni-ed aerial photography to view open, outdoorareas. Dow Chemical Co. v. United States, 476 U.S.227 (1986). Similarly, using a drug-sniffing dog todetect the presence o illegal drugs isn’t an uncon-stitutional search because it only reveals the pres-ence o an illegal item and does not expose non-contraband items. United States v. Place, 462 U.S.696 (1983), Illinois v. Caballes, 543 U.S. 405 (2005).On the other hand, the use o some sensory orsense-enhancing devices in some circumstancescan be so intrusive that it does constitute a search,









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tion — i someone talks to an undercover officer,this usually isn’t “interrogation” because he doesn’tknow he’s talking to the police. See Illinois v. Per-kins, 496 U.S,. 292 (1990).

One important exception to Miranda is the“public sa ety” rule stated inNew York v. Quarles, 467U.S. 649 (1984). Te need or answers to questionsabout immediate public sa ety concerns overrides asuspect’s Fifh Amendment rights. Statements taken

or public sa ety purposes do not violate Miranda.An example o this is questioning a suspect about agun he threw away while eeing rom the police —the need to retrieve the gun as soon as possible ismore important than the suspect’s Miranda rights.

A con ession obtained through Mind Control(or similar orms o psionic domination, coercion,or trickery) imposed on a suspect by a policeofficer or agent violates the suspect’s Fifh Amend-ment right not to incriminate himsel . John “Flesh-tone” Doe v. Michigan, 489 U.S. 1587 (1989).

HE EXCLUSIONARY RULEEvidence (including con essions) obtained

in violation o a suspect’s constitutional rights issubject to the exclusionary rule. Tis means it,and any other evidence derived rom it, may notbe admitted at the trial o the de endant whoserights were violated. Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643(1961). Te case against the de endant still stands,though the prosecution may have to drop it ithere’s no longer enough evidence to convict. Tisis what the public re ers to as dismissing a case“on a technicality.” “ echnicalities” are not nearlyas common as comic books and television makethem seem, but GMs can run an occasional sce-nario based around a technicality without distort-ing reality too much.

Tere are several exceptions and limitationsto the exclusionary rule. Te rst was mentionedearlier: the exclusionary rule applies only to thegovernment, not to private citizens acting on theirown. Te second is the “good aith” exception oUnited States v. Leon, 468 U.S. 897 (1984): i thepolice rely in good aith on a warrant they believeis valid, but which later turns out to be invalid,the search is constitutional. Te third exception is“independent source”: i the police have learnedabout what would otherwise be illegal evidence

rom a legal “independent source” — a sourcenot tainted by a constitutional violation — thenthe evidence is legal and admissible in court.Te ourth exception is “inevitable discovery”:i the state can show that illegal evidence wouldhave inevitably or eventually been ound by legalmeans, then the evidence is legal. Nix v. Williams,467 U.S. 431 (1984).

PRETRIAL PROCEDUREAfer a villain’s arrested he enters the judi-

cial system. Tis involves everything rom being“booked” at the police station to pretrial motionsto exclude evidence or establish the parameters oa criminal trial.

ARRES

Assuming an investigation turns up enoughevidence o a crime and the authorities can cap-ture a villain (perhaps with the help o riendlysuperheroes), he’s arrested based on probablecause that a crime was committed and the vil-lain committed it. I possible the police obtain anarrest warrant authorizing the arrest (see above).

An arrested suspect is taken to the nearestpolice station or office orbooking. At booking he’sthoroughly searched and any property or objectshe’s carrying are taken rom him. Some articles oclothing, such as belts, shoes, or capes, may alsobe taken i the authorities think they could be

ashioned into weapons, used to commit suicide,or the like. A suspect who’s later released has hisproperty returned to him (unless the propertyitsel is illegal to own).

MAINTAINING ASECRET IDENTITY

Once a villain is arrested and taken into “thesystem” via ngerprinting, DNA typing, retinascans, and the acquisition o personal in ormation,it becomes much more difficult to keep his identitysecret... but not impossible.

I a superhuman’s never had reason to have his per-sonal data in the system be ore becoming a costumedcriminal — he wasn’t a “civilian” criminal (or wasnever caught), he never had to go through a securitycheck or which his in ormation became part o policerecords, didn’t belong to the military, or the like —then being taken into custody doesn’t mean he’s goingto lose his Social Limitation: Secret Identity. Justbecause the police have his ngerprints and DNAnow doesn’t mean they can learn his real name andbackground. However, he may, at the GM’s discretion,acquire the Social Limitation Criminal Record (Fre-quently, Minor; 10 points). Tis means anyone withaccess to official records can view his le, and sincethe police have his ngerprints and other data theycan easily link him to other crimes.

O course, having a superhuman in custody ofenmakes it easier to investigate him and uncover hisidentity, even i the investigation is as simple asbroadcasting his unmasked picture on television andasking people, “I you know this man, please contactthe police at 1-800-555-VILL.” It’s not a guarantee theauthorities can learn who he really is, but it gives thema decent chance. At the GM’s option, a character wholoses his Secret Identity this way can substitute SocialLimitation: Public Identity instead, or perhaps SocialLimitation: Criminal Record. I the character is a PC,any points he can’t “compensate” or by switching toother appropriate Disadvantages must be “paid off”with Experience Points as soon as possible.








During booking a suspect is asked or hisname, address, and other pertinent in ormation,but he can’t be orced to reveal anything. Supervil-lains who have secret identities usually remainsilent (and are then listed as John or Jane Does) orgive alse in ormation. Afer booking concludes,the suspect is sent to a holding cell.

PROBABLE CAUSE HEARINGTe Constitution requires that anyone

who’s been arrested cannot be held or a longtime unless a “neutral and detached magistrate”determines that there is, in act, probable cause tobelieve he committed a crime. Gerstein v. Pugh, 420 U.S. 103 (1975). Tis is called a probable causehearing. A de endant does not have the right to bepresent at this hearing, and the prosecution canuse evidence that would not be admissible at trial(such as hearsay) to prove probable cause.

ypically a probable cause hearing has to beheld within 48 hours. Tat’s not a hard and astrule, but unreasonable delays are not tolerated.For example, arresting a villain to hold him or 48hours so the police can continue investigating andhope ully nd evidence o a crime is unreason-able. On the other hand, emergencies may justi yholding someone or more than 48 hours be orea hearing is held... and when superhumans areinvolved, emergencies are requent events.

FIRS APPEARANCEIn many jurisdictions the probable cause

hearing is combined with the rst appearance, alsoknown as an initial appearance or preliminaryarraignment. Te de endant must be present atthis hearing; he doesn’t have the right to have anattorney there, but is allowed to have one i he’salready hired one. ypically the purposes o therst appearance are to in orm the de endant o

the charges against him and his rights. Te courtappoints an attorney or him at this point i hecan’t afford to hire one himsel .Pretrial Release, Detention, And Bail

Te rst appearance is also where conditionso pretrial release are set... i the court allows pre-trial release at all. Pretrial release typically involvessetting bail, an amount o money a de endant isrequired to deposit with the court as a guaranteehe’ll appear or his trial. De endants do not havea right to bail, but i bail is set under the terms othe Eighth Amendment it cannot be “excessive.” Indeciding whether to set bail (and how much bail),the court considers many actors, including:

severity o the crimethe strength o the evidence against the de endantthe likelihood that the de endant will returnor his trial. Is he a “ight risk” — is he likely to

try to ee, or does he have abilities or capabilitiesthat make ight easier? Is the punishment or thecrime so severe (e.g., the death penalty) that nosum o money can guarantee his return?

the de endant’s wealththe de endant’s ties to the community the de endant’s character (primarily meaning, what

sort o criminal record does he have, and how wellhas he done on pretrial release in the past)

In cases involving superhuman de endants, bailofen isn’t granted. Not only do most superhumanshave a track record o concealing their identities(which may not even be known to the court at thispoint), they ofen have powers that make eeing the jurisdiction ridiculously easy. On top o that, manyo them are very wealthy (or assumed to be verywealthy), have escaped rom the authorities in the past,or otherwise shown themselves to be poor ight risks.







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Te judge has discretion to set the amounto bail. In practice, judges ofen use pre-approved“schedules” o bail amounts based on the crimesinvolved. In some cases they set bail at such a highamount that the de endant can’t possibly pay it(so that the authorities can keep him in pretrialdetention). However, some de endants hire theservices o abail bondsman. Tey pay him 10% othe specied bail, and the bondsman guarantees

to pay the ull amount to the court i the de en-dant doesn’t show up or his trial. I that happens,the bondsman may hire bounty hunters to trackthe de endant down and drag him into court sothat he (the bondsman) isn’t stuck with a big bill.Alternately, some courts simply let the de endanthimsel make the 10% deposit directly to the courtand execute a bond or the remainder.

In some cases, where the de endant isn’t con-sidered a ight risk and the charges aren’t too severe,bail may not even be required. Te court can releasethe de endant “on his own recognizance” — in otherwords, his personal promise to appear or trial.Supervillains rarely get released on personal recogni-zance; ew judges regard them as trustworthy.Preventive Detention

Federal law and many state laws also provideor preventive detention as a way o discouraging the

(ofen technically illegal) practice o setting bail sohigh a de endant can’t possibly pay it. Tis is appro-priate primarily when crimes o violence or crimesthat can involve a sentence o li e imprisonment orthe death penalty are involved. A judge or magis-trate can hold a preventive detention hearing (ofenin conjunction with the rst appearance) at whichthe issue is whether the de endant poses an unac-ceptable risk o ight, danger to others, or danger to

himsel . Te de endant has the right to an attorneyat this hearing, but the standard rules o evidencethat apply at a trial do not apply to a preventivedetention determination.

Supervillains are ofen subject to pretrialdetention due to the violent nature o their crimes(afer all, they ght city-destroying battles withsuperheroes) and their ability to ee.

HE PRELIMINARY HEARINGTe next step in the judicial process in many

states is the preliminary hearing. At this hearing,the prosecution has to present the court with evi-dence that, depending on state law, justies either

sending the case to trial or sending it to the grand jury. Te de endant has the right to be representedby an attorney and to cross-examine witnesses. Inmost jurisdictions the standard rules o evidencedo not apply, but in some they do.

I the court inds that there’s su icientevidence to justi y the case, the de endant is“held over” or “bound over” or the grand juryor trial. I the court inds that the evidence isinsu icient, the charges are dismissed — but theprosecution can re ile charges i desired, or seeka grand jury indictment.

HE GRAND JURYAbout one-third o the states and the ederal

government also require review by the grand jury, a body o 12-24 citizens who determine whetherthere’s sufficient evidence to justi y holding a trial.(States without the grand jury use a documentcalled an information instead o an indictment;it’s prepared by the prosecutor.) A grand jury isn’tlimited just to the evidence the prosecution pres-ents — it has broad powers to conduct investiga-tions and issue subpoenas requiring witnesses totesti y be ore it or produce documents and otherevidence. I the grand jury nds that there’s su -cient evidence or a trial, it issues an indictment (or a “true bill”) against the de endant.

Grand jury hearings are not conducted in ronto a judge, not open to the public, and not adversarial(i.e., the de endant doesn’t get to have an attorneythere or present evidence). In short, they’re almostentirely controlled by the prosecution. In some casesthe grand jury can reach its conclusion be ore thepreliminary hearing is scheduled, making that hear-ing unnecessary. Tere ore many prosecutors pre ergrand juries to preliminary hearings, since the oddsare more in their avor and the de endant can be keptin the dark longer about the evidence against him.

ARRAIGNMEN ; PLEA BARGAININGAfer the grand jury indicts a de endant (or

the prosecutor les an in ormation against him),he’s arraigned: brought be ore the court to enterhis plea o guilty or not guilty.

Most elonies are resolved at this stage by aguilty plea, since in real li e there’s not much doubtabout who did what in most cases. (But o course,the sort o dramatic situations that occur whensuperhumans are involved may easily muddy thewaters, making a not guilty plea, and thus a trial,much more likely.) Guilty pleas usually result rom plea bargaining, in which the de endant agrees toplead guilty in exchange or concessions rom thestate (such as a reduced sentence).

DISCOVERY AND PRE RIAL MO IONSI a de endant pleads not guilty and the case

heads to trial, two things occur. First, the de endantgets to discover the prosecution’s evidence. Te pros-ecution can’t keep any evidence or witnesses secret;it has to turn everything over to the de endant sohe can prepare his case. In particular, the prosecu-

tion has to turn over any potentially exculpatoryevidence; it can’t hide evidence that suggests thede endant may be innocent. Brady v. Maryland, 373U.S. 83 (1963). Te de endant, on the other hand,generally doesn’t have to reveal anything to the pros-ecution due to the Fifh Amendment’s prohibitionagainst sel -incrimination. However, the de ense issometimes required by the laws o the jurisdiction todisclose that it intends to raise certain de enses, suchas an alibi or the insanity de ense.

Second, at this stage any issues about the evi-dence, the prosecution’s actions, or the conduct othe trial are resolved by pretrial motions made tothe court by the de endant. A motion to exclude

evidence because it was unconstitutionally seizedis a classic example o a pretrial motion.








Okay, so you’ve captured the badguys, illed out the police reports,and smiled or the television cameras.What’s next?

Un ortunately, the bad guys don’t go straightto prison just because they got knocked uncon-scious in a ght with superheroes. One o themost important principles o a democratic societyis that the bad guys, no matter how scummy, gettheir day in court. In short, captured supervillainsgo on trial or their crimes.

A trial is a dramatic situation, which is whyit’s so ofen the centerpiece o television shows andmovies. It’s just as use ul or Champions GMs as apotential source or complications and adventuresthey can exploit. Tis section o Chapter One dis-cusses what happens at a trial and how to developscenarios around a supervillain’s day in court.

TRIAL BASICSEvery trial is unique, and obviously one

involving a superhumanly power ul (and perhapspopular or reviled) criminal is likely to eature allsorts o quirks and special circumstances. Tereare also variations in trial procedure rom jurisdic-tion to jurisdiction. However, generally speaking,here’s what happens in a typical American trial.(Tis description glosses over a number o impor-tant legal issues, including the prosecution’s deci-sion whether to prosecute [and on what charges].While crucial to the legal system, they’re not usu-ally o any importance to superhero scenarios...though o course the GM can work them into hisgame i he pre ers.)

The Jury Te rst step in a trial is selecting the jury.

Te court assembles a venire, or group o potential

jurors, typically by selecting names at randomrom local driver’s license, voter registration, and

property ownership lists. Some or all o the venireis then put through a process called voir dire, inwhich the prosecutors and de ense attorneys ques-tion potential jurors about their biases, whetherthey know the de endant, and so on. Anyone whoseems like he might be biased or a specic reason(such as being a riend o one o the attorneys) canbe removed rom the venire “ or cause.” Addition-ally, each side has a number o “peremptory chal-lenges” that allow it to remove potential jurors orno cause — simply because they think, based ona potential juror’s answers to voir dire questions,that he’s not likely to avor their side. (However, an

attorney cannot exercise a peremptory challengeor discriminatory reasons — or example, he can’t

remove a black juror just because he’s black, or aemale juror just because she’s a woman. Batson v.

Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79 (1986).) Depending on thecomplexity and notoriety o the case, the voir direprocess can take hours, days, or weeks.

When voir dire is done, the court has a juryo 12 members o the community. ypically italso has in reserve a number o alternate jurorsso it can replace jurors who become sick, are dis-covered to have lied to the court, or the like. Fora lengthy, complicated trial, the pool o alternate jurors may be one, two, or more times the size othe initial jury.

Te jury’s role in the trial is to decide theguilt or innocence o the accused, and in sometrials also to determine the punishment. Afer allevidence has been heard, it does this by answeringspecic questions put to it by the judge, ollowingspecic instructions given to it by him (afer heconsults with the attorneys on both sides regard-ing the wording o those instructions). Jury delib-erations may end quickly in open-and-shut cases,but may drag out or days or weeks in complicatedor emotionally-tangled cases.

During long trials, jurors may be seques-

tered — orced to live under court supervisionto prevent them rom having any outside con-tact with people who want to in luence theirdecision or learning acts the judge has excluded

rom evidence. his can become a stress ul andaggravating situation raught with potential orplot development.

Courtroom PersonnelBesides the jurors, there are plenty o other

people who participate in the conduct o a trial.Tey include:

HE JUDGETe man (or woman) in charge. He sits on a

bench that’s slightly elevated above the rest o thecourtroom, wears black robes, and bangs his gavelto maintain order or signal certain steps in theproceedings. Most importantly, he makes rulingsabout the conduct o the trial, whether to admit orexclude specic evidence, whether an objection toa question is valid, and so on. Within the court-room the judge has enormous authority; he can,

or example, order people removed rom court,have unruly de endants restrained or gagged, andslap uncooperative or disrespect ul persons with

contempt o court charges. While a judge cannot

THE TRI AL







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do whatever he wants or create new laws — any-thing he does that’s incorrect or abusive usuallygets overturned on appeal, which ofen means thetrial has to be held all over again — he has a lot opower and leeway.

Some stereotypical judges seen in genre c-tion include:The Folksy Southern Boy With Knives Under HisRobes: Tis man is a real charmer, ormerly agreat lawyer and orator. Now one o the mostrespected men on the bench, he’s usually relaxedand in good spirits — but when someone annoyshim, he’ll cut that person down to size so quicklytheir heads will spin.High Priest Of The Law: o this judge, the law andits procedures are practically a sacred thing, andwoe betide he who tries to circumvent them. Hecan’t be swayed by sentiment or bribery; only theletter o the law and cold, hard logic matter.The Insane Ol’ Coot: Sometimes when a judicialauthority behaves like a ranting madman, it’s notbecause he’s being mind controlled, it’s becausehe’s too old and too burned out to be a judge any-more. His rulings are bizarre, his statements evenmore bizarre, he abuses his authority at the dropo a hat, and he’s lost everything except the pity othe older court clerks who remember him back inhis prime. Te presence o this judge on the benchguarantees a trial will be thrown into turmoil.

O course, sometimes there are other expla-nations or a judge’s bizarre behavior. elepathslove to play with authority gures (including judges, lawyers, and bailiffs) and even i the judgeisn’t directly inuenced, he can be blackmailedinto making rulings that will hurt the PCs’ side.

The Liberal Activist: Tis judge’s rulings are guidedby a pro ound sense o social justice — andmuch less respect or precedent. He’s interestedin airness toward minorities and protecting thelittle guy rom establishment interests. I you’reonboard with his agenda, great; i not, watch out.The Relentless Harpy: Maybe at one time, thiswoman wasn’t such a relentless control reak, butnow she’s one o the most unbearable people inthe whole legal system. She’s constantly beratingwitnesses and lawyers, intimating that people areliars, and screaming how much smarter she is thananyone else. (Tere are male versions o this arche-type, o course, but in ction it’s usually a woman.)

HE LAWYERSCurrently one o the most maligned pro es-

sions on the planet, lawyers are necessary orthe criminal justice system to unction. But thatdoesn’t mean superheroes are going to appreciatethem when they do their job right, which involvesputting pro essional ethics and loyalty to the clientahead o everything else (including, in some cir-cumstances, universal human morality).

ypically seated at a large table to the right asone aces the bench isthe prosecutor — the lawyer

or the state, the one who’s trying to convict the

de endant. In many jurisdictions the chie pros-

ecutor or a county is known as a District Attorney(or, in ederal court, the US Attorney), and thelawyers working or him are Assistant DAs (orAssistant US Attorneys). A large or complex trialmay have two or more prosecutors assigned to it

ull-time; simpler trials only require one.Te prosecutor’s opposite number is the

defense attorney — the lawyer who works or thede endant and tried to get him acquitted. He sits

at a large table to the lef as one aces the bench.Most de endants hire a private de ense attorneywith their own money i they can, since they thinkthey get better representation that way. De en-dants who cannot afford their own attorney have a public defender appointed or them by the court.

Distinctions between prosecution andde ense attorneys aside, within the raternity olawyers (at least in cinema and the comics) thereare some distinctive sub-varieties:The Crusader: Tis young rebrand believes inthe purity and righteousness o his pro ession,and loves to represent the underdog or the personneglected by society or (in the case o districtattorneys) the interests o society that are crushedby the system. Te Crusader is one o the mostloyal people you’ll ever meet, but his passion canget in the way o his work.The Dealmaker: Tis attorney is tired, worn out,overworked, and coasting. He wants to get thecase over with as quickly as possible, pick up hisnext paycheck, and go. Even i it’s in his client’sworst interest, he’ll take the rst deal that’s set onthe table... and i the client’s too mentally incom-petent to judge his actions, so much the better.The Gloryhound: “When capes commit crime, theymust do the time, or else they’re slime!” Welcometo the world o the Nationally Famous Lawyer.He’s on all the talk shows, he knows how to playthe media like a violin, he’s almost certainly acapable attorney, but he’s more interested in get-ting high-prole cases than de ending a client tothe best o his abilities.The Mob Mouthpiece: Long ago, whatever integritythis guy possessed was swallowed up by greed,

ear, and deals with the devil. He knows all thedirty tricks o the trade and doesn’t hesitate to usethem. He may also be an active participant in hisboss’s crimes by strategizing ways to circumventthe law be ore the crime’s even committed.Old Man Eloquent: Tis attorney was at one time atop lawyer in his eld, but he’s been on the decline

or many years (perhaps because o alcoholism orsome other personal ailing). Now he only gets anoccasional case, and even the judges take pity onhim. Nonetheless, give this lawyer a cause o greatimportance, one in which he truly believes, andhe’ll display oratorical skills o legend.The Overworked Newbie: Li e’s rough or newcom-ers in any pro ession, and the law is no exception.Te Overworked Newbie’s probably juggling adozen cases, and the lack o sleep is killing him.Usually only hal -prepared, the OverworkedNewbie is resh meat or an experienced oppo-








nent, who usually leaves his arguments bleedingon the oor afer the rst cross-examination.The Vengeful DA: Tis type o district attorneyprides himsel on being on the right side othe truth nine times out o ten. Sometimes heexpresses his pride through pig-headedness, con-tempt or the other parts o the judicial process(including superheroes), excessive competitive-ness, and a desire to win every case, regardless owhether the de endant is guilty or innocent.O HER COUR ROOM PERSONNEL

o help the judge handle the administrativedetails o running a courtroom, he has a courtclerk. Te clerk typically sits next to him, on theopposite side rom the witness box. Most (but byno means all) court clerks are women.

o ensure that there’s a ull and accurate recordo what’s said and done at a trial, a court reporter transcribes the proceedings using a special dictatingmachine (or sometimes voice recordings). In mostcourtrooms the reporter sits directly in ront o thebench so she (most court reporters are women) canhear and see everything clearly.

o ensure courtroom security and deco-rum, one or more bailiffs are assigned to a trial.( he ederal courts have Assistant US Marshalsinstead.) he baili escorts the de endant intoand out o the courtroom, announces the open-ing and closing o the court, removes disruptivepersons, and so orth. See rial Security, below,

or more in ormation.

Witnesses to be called by the prosecution or thede ense sit on benches outside the main area o thecourtroom. ypically a witness is told when to showup to give his testimony; witnesses generally aren’trequired to sit through the entire trial (and in act areofen discouraged, i not orbidden, rom doing so).

Important trials, or ones involving amouspeople or salacious details, usually attract mediaattention, and that means reporters (not to be

con used with the court reporter, see above).Some jurisdictions allow television cameras inthe courtroom, others do not. Reporters o tencluster just outside the building on the court-house steps, ready to ambush anyone involvedin the case with a hundred microphones and athousand questions.

Trial Security Because criminal trials can become dra-

matic and emotional, and o ten involve people(de endants and witnesses alike) with knownpropensities or violence, steps have to be takento keep things secure. For an average trial, oneor two baili s (see above) is enough. For alarger, more complex trial, particularly one thatattracts a lot o media attention, many more bai-li s may be required.

Supervillain trials ofen go a step beyondeven that. Compared to jail or prison, a trial is anopen, uncontrolled situation that offers excellentopportunities to escape (or to have one’s riendsbreak one out o custody). Tat translates into aneed or greater security — security that can copewith superpowered opposition.

Te responsibility to provide courtroom

security rests with the jurisdiction that controlsthe court. Te ederal government tasks PRIMUSagents with courtroom security detail when neces-sary. Aside rom New York City and MillenniumCity, who both have special police squads trainedand equipped by Stronghold or super-trial secu-rity, ew state courts have that sort o resourceavailable on a ull-time basis. Instead they use oneo several solutions to the problem:

contract with the ederal government or PRIMUSassistance, or with UN IL or its assistance

contract with a private organization, such asExecutive Control Solutions (see Cops, Crews, And

Cabals) to provide security hire Stronghold as a “trial security consultant.”

Basically what this involves is that the StrongholdSuperhuman Prisoner ransport System guardswho escort the prisoner and oversee his temporaryincarceration (see Supervillain Prisoner ransport, page 31) stay with the de endant at all timesduring the trial instead o just transporting himand handing him off to local officials.

bring in extra conventional guards and policeofficers and hope that will suffice

See page 33 or examples o the technologyused to restrain a superhuman de endant at trial

and ensure that he doesn’t escape.

MORE COURTROOM NPCSSome other stereotypical “color characters” who tend

to show up at trials include:The Hardened Police Detective: Tis guy’s a starwitness or the prosecution who thinks he’s seen itall. He may be honest or he may be in the pocketso the mob (or running a small independent opera-tion on the side), but this tough-as-nails investiga-tor backs down rom no one, even when it’s in hisbest interest to do so. He’s a reluctant ally at best(though secretly he may admire the heroes); cast asan adversary, he’s as ruthless as anyone the heroeswill ever encounter. He doesn’t have a lot o respect

or the judicial process and is used to getting awaywith telling bald- aced lies under oath.

The Crusading Newspaper Reporter: Tis youngman (or sometimes woman) is a trusted ally o thePCs (unless they have something to hide). Evenmore idealistic than most superheroes, he’s deter-mined to pursue justice regardless o the personalcost. I the PCs don’t have a lot o investigativeskills, his assistance can be invaluable (though he’llusually point the PCs in the right direction, ratherthan do all the legwork himsel ... in exchange or anexclusive on the nal story, o course).

The Stubborn Juror: Tere’s one on every genre jury. Perhaps he’s a hardcase who’ll never buy intoa character’s guilt or innocence, no matter howobvious it might be to everyone else. Perhaps he’s asupervillain in his secret identity with an agenda.Whatever his motivation, he’s so intractable that he

makes Mechanon look wishy-washy.







Stronghold 1

SECURI Y DURING NON RIAL HOURSO course, a superhuman de endant has to be

restrained in some ashion during the times whenthe trial is not in session (such as at night). Sincemost jurisdictions lack ready access to power-draining cells, supervillains are usually kept inordinary jail cells while still wearing their power-dampening collars (or whatever else is used tokeep their powers rom unctioning).

CONDUCTING THE TRIALTe second step, afer the selection o the

jury, is conducting the trial itsel . It starts, appro-priately enough, with opening statements. Firstthe prosecution, and then the de ense, gets up in

ront o the jury and summarizes what it believesthe acts o the case to be and what the evidenceit intends to present will show. On television legaldramas opening statements are pithy, dramaticthings that rarely take more than a minute. In realli e they can go on or hours or days in complex

trials, but most o the time lawyers try to keepthem airly simple and straight orward.Afer opening statements are concluded, the

prosecution puts on its case. It has to prove “beyonda reasonable doubt” (a high legal standard) that thespecied crime was committed and that the de en-dant committed it. Te prosecutor presents witnessesto tell what they saw, describe evidence (and its sig-nicance) so it can be admitted into the record, andthe like. Te prosecution cannot ask leading ques-tions o a witness during direct examination (ques-tions that suggest their own answers, such as, “Youwere at home that night, weren’t you?”); it must con-ne itsel to non-leading questions. Afer the pros-ecution nishes with each witness, the de ense cancross-examine him. On cross-examination a de enseattorney can ask leading questions in an attempt totrip up the witness, and although it can’t abuse orbrowbeat a witness can treat him with hostility, con-tempt, and scorn (within reasonable limits). Te gen-eral rule in cross-examination, though it’s not alwaysone an attorney can ollow, is “Never ask a questionyou don’t already know the answer to” — cross isn’t atime to gather in ormation so much as it is a time toattack a witness’s credibility and accuracy. Afer eachcross-examination, the prosecution can re-directquestions to the witness, to clari y statements madeon cross-examination or try to undo the damage thede ense did to its case.

Afer the prosecution presents all the wit-nesses and evidence it has, it “rests” and thede ense gets its turn. I it thinks the prosecutionhas ailed to make its case, it can make a motionto dismiss, though these are rarely granted (andalmost never in dramatic situations unless the GMwants to orce the characters to dig up more evi-dence as part o the overall adventure). Assumingthe motion is denied, now the roles are reversed:the de ense puts on witnesses and evidence, andthe prosecution cross-examines them. In real li ethe de endant himsel rarely takes the stand, but

in a dramatic trial like the ones in a Champions

game, he just might. Even i he does, he can always“take the Fifh” to avoid answering incriminatingquestions... though that looks bad to the jury.

Afer the de ense rests its case, the prosecutionhas a chance to call witnesses and present evidencein rebuttal. Tis is more common in complex cases;in simple cases it may not be necessary.

Afer both sides rest, the prosecution andthen the de ense (or sometimes the reverse) make

closing arguments. Tese are like opening state-ments, but instead o orecasting the case and itsevidence they attempt to summarize everything ina persuasive way. Each side emphasizes the actsand evidence in its avor in the hopes o gettingthe jurors to see things its way.

Afer closing arguments, the judge instructsthe jury. Te instructions are agreed upon inadvance by the court, the prosecution, and thede ense, though to the extent they explain basic

acts and issues o law they’re ofen taken romormbooks used in the jurisdiction. Te instruc-

tions conclude with one or more basic questionsthat the jury has to decide on (such as, “Do yound beyond a reasonable doubt that John Doemurdered Jim Doe?”).

A ter receiving its instructions and ques-tions, the jury retires to the jury room to delib-erate. Depending on the nature and complexityo the issues con ronting it, the deliberationsmay take a ew minutes or hours, or couldstretch on or days or weeks. ypically a jury hasto answer each question be ore it unanimously,but depending on the crime and jurisdictionsomething less than unanimity may do. I a juryabsolutely cannot come to an agreement a tersu icient deliberation, the judge declares a mis-trial and a new trial is scheduled.

Barring a mistrial, the jury reaches andannounces its verdict: guilty or not guilty. In theevent o a guilty verdict, the de ense can motionto have it set aside in avor o a new trial, but suchmotions are rarely granted.

Next the de endant is sentenced (see below).

HE LAW OF EVIDENCEA vast and intricate body o law governs

what can and cannot be introduced into evidenceduring a trial. Covering that entire body o lawis beyond the scope o this book, not to mentionbeyond the level o detail most campaigns need.However, the GM and players should be aware oa ew important points, even i only to help themshout “Objection!” at the right time.

the exclusionary rule prevents evidence andcon essions, as well as any evidence derived romthem, rom being admitted unless certain excep-tions are met (see page 13)

in general, it’s not permitted to introduceopinion, reputation, habit, or speci ic acts oconduct to prove character or propensity toact a certain way, and thereby to prove that thede endant acted that way. However, this area olaw is raught with exceptions, exemptions, and

the need or judicial discretion.








Hearsay cannot be admitted. A hearsay state-ment is a statement made outside the trial bysomeone other than the testi ying witness that’soffered to prove the truth o the matter asserted.For example, suppose Carl testied, “Stan said thelight was green.” Since Stan isn’t testi ying, andthe statement’s being used to prove the truth othe matter asserted (that the light was green), it’shearsay and cannot be admitted into evidence.

But there are numerous exceptions to the standardhearsay rule. Examples include a person’s “dyingdeclarations,” a statement made against one’s ownpersonal interests (like con essing to a crime),testimony rom a ormer trial, and declarationsregarding current state o mind or eelings.

some types o witnesses have a privilege that pro-tects them against having to disclose certain in or-mation. Te most common privileges are doctor-patient privilege and attorney-client privilege. Insome jurisdictions a marital privilege exists thatallows someone not to testi y against his spouse,or that can be used to prevent him rom testi yingeven i he wants to.elepathic Evidence

Superlaw and evidence law intersect on theissue o whether evidence gained by using telepa-thy on an unwilling suspect is admissible in court.While telepathic searches o someone’s mind arenot automatically unconstitutional according tothe Corbeau case (see page 12), the Supreme Courthas lef it to the individual states to decide how tohandle this controversial issue.

A slim majority o states (including Cali or-nia, Florida, and Washington) rules that telepathicevidence is usually inadmissible in court, on oneo several theories: it violates the suspect’s right toprivacy; it violates the suspect’s Fifh Amendmentprivilege against sel -incrimination; it cannot besatis actorily monitored and is potentially subjectto abuse; it constitutes hearsay. Absent a ew verystrict, narrowly-construed exceptions, these statesexcluse telepathically-obtained evidence outright.

Te rest o the states (including New York,Michigan, and exas) permit evidence gainedby telepathy (or similar means) to be admit-ted in court if it satises certain conditions toensure its accuracy, reliability, and the honestyo the telepath. First, only telepathic evidence

rom sanctioned heroes is admissible. Except inextreme emergencies, the hero must obtain a war-rant to read a suspect’s mind (similar to gettinga warrant or a wiretap) and must obey all otherrules regarding searches and seizures (includingannouncing the search, unless “destruction” othe evidence [because o strong mental de enses]is eared). Whenever possible, the search mustbe conducted in controlled conditions (such asat the police station) with the telepath hooked upto a mentaphone , a machine that transcribes thethoughts the telepath reads. Te mentaphone prevents the telepath rom abusing the limited righto “mental entry” the warrant gives him. (Whenpossible, most police agencies pre er to have two

telepaths simultaneously conduct a search, to

heighten accuracy and reliability.) Furthermore,when the telepath gets to court, he’s subjectedto tests, run by the criminal de ense attorney,to prove that he’s a genuine telepath. Tese testsofen involve reading the mind o the most neutralperson in the courtroom — the judge. Te testingis done out o the presence o the jury to avoidpossible prejudice to the de endant.

THE TRIAL AS SCENARIOAside rom the basics (like deciding what the

supervillain is on trial or, and what sort o escapeattempt, i any, he will make), a GM who wants torun a trial scenario needs to consider our things:what makes this trial worth turning into a sce-nario; why the PCs are involved; prominent NPCswho are also involved; and what events or plotcomplications will arise.

RUNNING HE RIALTere are two ways or a GM to run a trial

as a scenario (or part o a scenario). Te simplestis or each player to play his character while theGM plays everyone else — the usual RPG method.Depending on the nature o the trial, a PC mayappear in his crimeghting identity, his secretidentity, or both. Un ortunately, since so manyNPCs interact with one another at a trial, this maynot be very satis ying.

A more complicated but enjoyable methodis “troupe-style” play, in which each player takeson the role o one or more trial participants inaddition to playing his PC. he GM should keepthe roles o judge and de endant or himsel , butother crucial roles — prosecutor, de ense attor-

ney, key witnesses, and so on — can be given towilling players.roupe-style trials are a great way to involve

all o the players in a roleplaying experience. Itdoesn’t even matter i they have no legal experi-ence; let the players make “objections” and “lemotions” and so on based on what everyone’s seenon V trial dramas, while the GM as judge doeshis best to rule correctly on them. You should justmake sure emotions don’t get too high. Te urgeto be a lawyer and win a case is a power ul one orsome people, and when players get emotionallyinvolved in a scenario, they really get involved.

SCENARIO WOR HY RIALSLegal dramas make or great television andmovies, but not necessarily or good games — theaverage trial is a routine, even boring affair in mostrespects. Every supervillain who’s captured could goon trial, but don’t eel compelled to roleplay every trial. rials you ocus on during game time shouldinvolve special situations: legal controversies con-cerning superlaw; the trial o one o the PCs’ arch-enemies (crime bosses and master villains who’vepreviously escaped capture and believe themselvesbeyond the reach o the justice system, or instance);trials with lots o twists, turns, and surprises; andtrials you expect to degenerate into a battle againstsupervillains in the courtroom.

OFF-STAGE VERSUSON-STAGE ACTIONS

As with paperworkand police interviews,appearing at trials isusually a boring, mun-dane activity. Playerswith a simulationist

bent ofen want toact out everything intheir character’s lives,even the most boringparts. But ctionrarely encompasses theentirety o a character’sli e — ction covers theinteresting bits (withenough added back-ground to orm a coher-ent narrative). So unlessa GM includes some-thing interesting in acourtroom scenario, he

should leave the court-room off camera.

But the risk with keep-ing an important event,no matter how dull, “off-camera” is that the play-ers will be so un amiliarwith it that they’llstumble. I a PC decidesnot to swear an oathon a Bible because he’sthe reincarnation o anon-Christian god, thatconict would probably

have been resolved along time be ore. Like-wise, unless the PC hasonly recently arrived inthe campaign setting, heshould play it as thoughhe’s amiliar with thebasic procedures oAmerican superhu-man law. Situations likethese, however, do bringup the thorny issue oprecedent.







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Open and shut cases don’t make or inter-esting trials . I Black Harlequin’s game o“Pirates o the Spanish Maim” results in six

atalities, and the crime was committed on livetelevision, unless it’s got a really novel twist(“Black Harlequin’s pleading sel -de ense??!”)it’s not worth running as a game session. On theother hand, i the evidence against the Mastero Macabre Merriment is sketchy and he’s serv-ing as his own attorney, it might make or a ungame. It will become even more entertaining ihe can somehow put on a convincing case thatone of the PCs is the real killer!

Another good reason to have a trial scenariois to use it as cover or another scenario. Suppose a villain kidnaps a DNPC and then gets arrested. Hecan blackmail the PCs by offering the sa ety o thehostage in exchange or a guarantee that he won’tbe imprisoned or his crime. A more convolutedplan might involve a villain deciding that beingin a public trial would make a per ect alibi or

another crime (though he’d have to make a secretdeal with someone in the district attorney’s officeto ensure he gets the right court date to set up thealibi and that the DA drops the charges when theybecome inconvenient).

Roles For Player CharactersA PC enters a trial scenario based on his

potential role in the trial. I he’s a criminal de enselawyer, he may be hired or assigned to the case;similarly, a character who’s a prosecutor could getassigned to the case by the DA. I he captured the

de endant or has other relevant in ormation, heappears as a witness (either at the request o theprosecution, or in obedience to a subpoena i hedoesn’t want to get involved). I he’s a citizen o thelocal community in his secret identity, he mightget chosen or the jury, or may simply show upto watch. Worst o all, i he’s committed (or been

ramed or) a crime, he could be the de endant!As you read through these suggestions, don’t

orget — villains o ten have secret identities,too. A PC attorney who has to de end a villainhe knows to be guilty is bad enough, but a situa-tion where the judge is secretly a supervillain iseven worse.

HE SUPERHERO JURORIt’s not o ten that a GM has a really good

opportunity to work a superhero’s Secret Iden-tity into an adventure in a meaning ul way. rialscenarios o er just such an opportunity: makea PC a juror.








In the real world, un ortunately it’s usuallynot too difficult to get out o jury duty. However,i the GMreally wants a PC to sit in the box, it’snot hard to cut off all routes o escape. Afer all,the GM plays the clerk o court and all the judges.In the end, though, the most persuasive argumentmight be this: “Tis villain has gone to trial andwalked in the past. Tis is your chance to try tomake a difference and ensure that he gets thrown

into Stronghold or good.”What’s even better is that a hero mightactually have an ironclad reason or getting outo jury: personal involvement. I he’s ought the villain who’s going on trial, he knows things a juror shouldn’t know and would undoubtedlybe excused or potential bias by the court. Aconscientious hero will agonize over this and doanything he reasonably can to get o the jury;a more vigilante-oriented one will look at it asan opportunity to see Justice done regardless owhat the rules say.

I you want to getall the PCs on the same jury at once, you have to use a little dramaticlicense. In that case, their presence on the juryisn’t a mistake or dumb luck; it’s part o some-one’s deliberate plan. Perhaps a court official whoknows the PCs’ secret identities and who wantsthe heroes on that jury arranges or each o themto get a summons. Perhaps the trial itsel is asham, staged to catch a crooked judge or to getclose to another juror (a suspected criminal) andspy on him during the proceedings.

A truly endish GM, o course, uses PC jurors to make the scenario more interesting.What happens when the PC is on a jury in hissecret identity and is on the witness list in hiscostumed identity? Even worse, what i while thePC is in the jury, someone pretending to be him incostume enters the courtroom and testies? Who’sthe imposter, how did he know the hero wouldn’tbe there himsel , and what’s he up to?

In play, there are several potential problemswith the “superhero on the jury” scenario. he

irst is staging and party separation. I a singlemember o a superhero team is stuck on juryduty, he doesn’t interact with the rest o histeammates and other players don’t have a reasonto be emotionally invested ( i.e., to pay attentionto the scenario). he GM has to ind a way tokeep the PCs involved in events. Perhaps the

other PCs have to investigate behind the scenesto help clear the innocent de endant while the juror PC hears the evidence, or example.

Second, i you want to really roleplay a trial,the role o a juror requires PCs to listen to a lot odialogue (and what may be worse, all done by theGM “arguing” with himsel as judge, prosecutor,de ense attorney, and witness). Intsead o playingout large sections o the trial, the GM can sum-marize the key points o each witness’s testimonyand cross-examination. For important testimony,roleplay the most dramatic exchanges betweenthe witness and the attorney. Although in real

li e jurors aren’t allowed to ask questions at atrial, the players should be allowed to ask the GMwhether certain topics were covered or questionsanswered during testimony. Te answer doesn’talways have to be yes, but the questions give theGM an idea o what issues interest the players; hecan use that in ormation as a guide to make thetrial more dramatic.

Serving as a juror may have other implica-

tions or the PCs as well. First, when PC jurorsdeliberate with other jurors in their secret identi-ties, don’t miss the opportunity or the conversa-tion to drif to the subject o the PCs’ costumedidentities — and what the NPCs really think aboutthem. Sure, it’s a cheap shot, but i the playersbecome more involved in the scenario because oit, you’ve done some good. Second, in genre ction jurors who send a villain to prison ofen becomethat villain’s target when he escapes. Having a PCbe on his Hunted’s jury and become the target ohis Hunted’s vengeance even though the Hunteddoesn’t know who he is in his Secret Identitymakes or a great twist on the Disadvantage.

LAWYER SUPERHEROESSome PCs are attorneys in their secret iden-

tities, making it relatively easy to incorporatethem into trial scenarios (assuming they practicethe right type o law). However, that’s not theony way to get a PC involved in arguing a case.In some courts, like small claims court, peoplerarely have their own attorneys; they presenttheir own cases. Similarly, a PC who’s accused oa crime has the right to act as his own attorney,though ew sayings are as true as, “Te man whoacts as his own attorney has a ool or a client.”Player characters are particularly likely to rep-resent themselves in scenarios where they’rekidnapped and put on trial in an alien court or“crimes against the Universe” or the like.

Player characters who are actually lawyersshould have a chance to shine in a trial scenario...though that doesn’t mean they can avoid a ewcomplications along the way. A prosecutor PCmight be ordered to try a villain the PC knows isinnocent, orcing him to work to put the villainin prison during the day while hunting or cluesto ree him at night as a superhero. Even worse,a PC who knows a villain is guilty (because hecaught him in the act!) might be ordered by thecourt to de end that villain. Failure to provideeffective representation could earn the villain anew trial and/or get the PC in big trouble withthe bar association — so it’s up to the PC to nda way to balance what he knows to be true withhis pro essional obligations.

I the lawyer PC’s player is up to it, let himroleplay some key parts o the trial — openingand closing arguments, perhaps, or the exami-nation or cross-examination o a key witness.Let the other players eed the PC questions tohelp keep them involved.







Stronghold 2

WHEN SUPERHEROES ES IFYTe most likely role or a superhero in a trial

scenario is that o witness. I a hero participated inthe capture o a villain, saw the villain commit thecrime he’s on trial or, or has other relevant in or-mation, the odds are the prosecution will call himas a witness, perhaps even its primary witness. Itprobably won’t call a hero to testi y about a vil-lain’s past crimes, reputation, or the like; that sorto in ormation generally is inadmissible unless thede endant brings it up rst. On the other hand, itmight call the hero to testi y as to his knowledgeo how a villain’s powers work, i that in ormationhelps make the case.

In most situations, the main thrust o a hero’stestimony will be to establish a timeline o eventsand to describe the PC’s perception o the crime indetail. Te cross-examination will attempt to pokeholes in the PC’s statements, call the PC’s cred-ibility into question, make him reveal additionalin ormation that helps the de endant, or the like.However, there’s always the possibility that thede endant (or someone else) hates the PC witnessso much that he’ll instruct the de ense attorney todo everything he can to besmirch the PC’s reputa-tion, even i that means risking losing the case (seeaccompanying text box).

CAPES IN HE GALLERYBeyond the traditional roles discussed above,

there’s always the possibility that superheroescan simply attend a trial to watch what happens.“Realistically,” superhero spectators would beexpected to act beyond reproach, and the bailiffswould probably keep a close eye on them. But ingenre stories, courts are rarely as orderly as they’resupposed to be, so spectators can usually get awaywith a ew interruptions and outbursts until the judge throws them out.

Likewise, in the real world, when court is insession spectators can’t burst into the closed court-room, proclaim they’ve uncovered new evidence,and not expect to hear the words “contempt ocourt.” Yet in the genre, this sort o behavior usu-ally gets rewarded (even in situations where theopposing attorney would be entitled to an eviden-tiary hearing).

I the only role or a PC to play is as spec-tator, the GM should give him something elseinteresting to do while he’s sitting there. Perhaps

he overhears an interesting conversation betweentwo other spectators, or spots someone acting sus-piciously (why is that man staring at his watch?).Maybe a key lieutenant or close riend o thede endant is in the court, so a hero can keep aneye on him. rials are, afer all, a good opportunity

or a villain to make an escape (or be rescued), sohaving a PC in the audience to prevent that mightmake him a more important “participant” in thetrial than the lawyers or the witnesses.

SUPERHERO ON RIALPerhaps the most dramatic situation or a

superhero is to be the de endant in a trial. Super-heroes ofen commit minor crimes in the per or-mance o their duty and the authorities look theother way... but some crimes can’t be overlooked.And there’s always the possibility that an enemy

rames the PC or a crime he didn’t commit.Superhero trials shouldn’t be handled too

much differently than other jury trials. Te de en-dant has to ace a lot o pretrial interrogation rom

the police; discrepancies between his initial state-

TEN HOSTILE QUESTIONSFOR HERO WITNESSES

Here are some questions a de ense attorney (particularly one who wants to treata PC hostilely, or whatever reason) might ask a hero on the witness stand. Manyare likely to be met by objections rom the prosecuting attorney.

1 “So you like to hurt people?” Tis is an attempt to discredit the PC, andperhaps to open the door to discussing incidents where the PC physically

abused criminals and/or the PC’s psychological issues.

2 “Didn’t you once tell the police...” I the hero has ever deliberately misled thepolice or other officials and that act is publicly known (or can be uncoveredwith reasonable investigation), any good de ense attorney will bring it up inan effort to impress on the jury that the hero’s word cannot be trusted.

3 “So how did you come to be in that particular place at that time?” Tis ques-tion tries to trick the PC into admitting that he used illegal methods to getto the scene o a crime, so the entire testimony can be thrown out (i he’s asanctioned hero) or his credibility questioned.

4 “What was your past relationship with the defendant?” Tis question allowsthe de ense attorney to establish a context or a superbattle — and to painthe PC as prejudicial to the de endant because o their history.

5 “Could you describe the combat in detail?” Tis is a winner or the de ensebecause the odds are no one, even a hero with Eidetic Memory, can observeand precisely remember everything that happens in a superbattle. It’s par-ticularly effective i the de ense can afford to hire a slew o expert witnesseto reconstruct the events o the battle in a way that avors the de endant. It’salso good i the PC was Knocked Unconscious (or even Stunned) and mighthave missed crucial details.

6 “Have you ever been mind controlled?” and/or “Have you ever had yoursenses confused by a telepath?” Tese are especially pertinent questions ia telepath was involved in the scenario, since or many juries the existenceand possible use o mental powers can create reasonable doubt or causethem to question a witness’s credibility.

7 “When the battle was over, did you or anyone else handle any of the evi-dence on the crime scene?” his question helps to plant doubts on thereliability o evidence and the prosecution’s orensics experts — or catchthe PC committing perjury. O course, i the PC is the police orensicsexpert, it’s not as use ul.

8 “How long have you been a superhero? How much time did you spend train-ing for your profession?” Tis question strikes at the heart o a PC’s “quali-cations,” and thus the quality o his testimony. As noted in the main text, general questions about a hero’s training and preparations or crimeghtingare permissible.

9 “Have you ever received treatment for psychiatric problems?” De ense attorneys save this question or certain situations: when they have concreteevidence already in hand that a hero witness has, in act, been treated ormental illness or instability; when they’re more interested in savaging ahero’s reputation than winning the case; or when they get really desperate.

10 “Have you ever taken a life?” Tis is another cheap shot question designedto rattle the witness, though unless the attorney has laid down a oundation

or the hero being a killer (and it’s relevant to the case), it’s unlikely to getpast a prosecution objection.








ments and what he says on the stand will be noted.(In real li e, de endants cannot be required to tes-ti y and rarely do; in a dramatic Champions trial,it’s a lead-pipe cinch that a superhero PC will takethe stand in his own de ense.) He’ll be restrainedbe ore and during the trial just like any othersuperpowered de endant ( i.e., usually with power-dampening devices so he can’t use his superhu-man abilities). And i he’s ound guilty, he’ll nd

himsel in Stronghold.A ew scenes that can be expected at a super-hero’s trial (or soon afer) include:Blasts From the Past: Okay, maybe the GM prom-ised the PCs that certain villains would remaincaptured or the rest o the campaign. Nothingwas said about them never appearing again. TeGM should eel ree to re-introduce enemies othe PCs who are languishing in Stronghold or aguest appearance. Let the PC’s rogues’ gallery get achance to smear the PC on the witness stand.Harassing The DNPCs: As tough as it is or a super-hero to stand trial, when the press is camped on

the doorsteps o a person’s loved ones and knownassociates, it’s even tougher.The Offer: Sometimes when a superhero’s on trial,he hears rom the “other side.” Maybe it’s a long-time opponent who respects his ability, or maybeit’s a crimelord who thinks he has the PC “rightwhere he wants him.” Te villain offers to help thehero escape rom custody in exchange or his alle-giance or assistance.The Villain Gloats: So what do you do whenyou’re a supervil lain and you’ve ramed a super-hero or murder, destroyed his li e, and he’s onthe verge o being sent to Death Row? You go

to the prison (in disguise, i necessary) and tellhim that you’re responsible or all his miseryand su ering, o course.I Was In My Secret Identity, So I Don’t Have An

Alibi: A superhero may nd himsel trappedbetween being alsely convicted and having toreveal his true identity to remain a ree man.

Trial ComplicationsO course trials, especially in comic books,

can quickly turn into a arce or a complete disasteror one side or another. Consider the ollowing

complications: A Dark Secret Comes Out: While it may have nobearing on the trial, at some point in the proceed-ings (in true soap opera ashion) someone’s dark-est secret comes out: affairs, children sired out owedlock, visits to strip clubs or leather bars, evi-dence that someone participated in a crime longago and covered it up, or the like.The Battle For Court TV: Major trials are mediacircuses, and competition in the big top hasnever been as ierce as it is today. When themedia gets its teeth into a trial, regardless ohow many more gruesome crimes might go

unpublicized, it grabs onto it and mercilessly

exploits it. Imagine what could happen i a com-mentator on a legal television show really dis-likes a PC who’s on trial (or a major witness).Contaminated Evidence: Te PCs may have gottenthe perpetrator, but the lab boys botched theirwork. Samples taken rom the crime scene havebeen contaminated and invalidated, so a majorpart o the case is thrown out o court. It’s up tothe heroes to nd replacement evidence that wasoverlooked be ore.Dead Alive: A true melodramatic staple, someonewho was thought to be dead (in murder trials, it’sofen the victim), bursts through the doors o thecourtroom and proclaims that he’s alive. In super-human worlds, this could be a shapeshifer who’simpersonating the deceased.Disruptive Relatives: A distraught relatives othe accused (or the victim, use whichever side isopposed to the PCs) makes a public scene at the trial,throwing wild accusations at one o the PCs. Whenthe trial’s adjourned or the day, the relative gets outin ront o the press and calls or an independentinvestigation o the PC’s conduct. (It’s even possiblehe’ll start an organization that becomes a persistentthorn in the PCs’ side.) Tey’ll also go on court television programs and besmirch the reputation o thePCs (and his supporters).

A Sympathetic Witness Is A Liar: Te PCs’ side wasrelying on the testimony o a particular witness (astoolie, a police officer, a relative o one o the par-ties) but when he gets on the stand, the opposingside easily dismantles him and shows that he’s acomplete liar. Tis doesn’t just affect his testimony— it puts the entire case in jeopardy.Someone Else Comes Forward: Hal way throughthe trial, a plausible suspect comes orward andcon esses to the crime. Perhaps it’s a supervillainwho doesn’t want to see his illegitimate son (who’s just mani ested the same powers as his dad) getoff to the same lousy start, or perhaps it’s someonehired by a mob boss to take the all or a crime.Regardless o his reason, his con ession is throw-ing the trial into turmoil.

A Witness Is In Danger: Tis is a very commonproblem when the mob or ethnic gangs areinvolved. Witnesses are a raid to talk about acrime or come orward to testi y, and when theydo, the mob calls or a hit. Sometimes a superhero

has to be extremely persuasive to get people totalk, and sometimes he’ll have to bodyguard thereluctant witness.

HE BA LEIn a superhero trial, the most common

complication is that a battle breaks out. NeilGaiman once described ight scenes in comicbooks as having the same importance as musi-cal numbers in a musical or sex scenes in a porn

ilm — they’re the quintessential moment thatde ines the genre. So even though a trial provides great drama in its own right, there needsto be a way to integrate superbattles into the

proceedings. Some possibilities include:







Stronghold 2

The Rescue: Sometimes a supervillain on trialmay will display extreme arrogance toward theproceedings; his de ense essentially boils down to:“wait until my riends show up, then all o you willpay!” At some point in the scenario, it happens —the villains launch a ull scale assault on the court-house so they can grab their riend and get away.The Inltration: A more clever way o dealing withthe supervillain attack problem is the inltration.Te villains know the heroes and the authoritieswill be there to stop them, so instead o just storm-ing the courtroom, they maneuver themselves intointo position by taking the place o jurors, bailiffs,reporters, or even the judge, and then plantingexplosives and other booby traps where the super-heroes are expected to sit. Once the boobytraps gooff, the villains drop their disguises and attack.The Takeover: A classic comic book scenario is ora villain and his gang to storm the courtroom andtake control o the trial. Te lead villain becomesthe judge, another plays the role o the prosecu-tor, and the other bad guys orm the jury. Tis is

a hostage scenario, because the spectators will beshot i the heroes don’t play along with whateverbuffoonery the villains have in mind. As with mosthostage scenarios, the heroes have to stall or time,play along with the bad guys and wait or the idealmoment to make their move.

Te “supervillains knock the superherounconscious, kidnap a de ense lawyer, and put thehero on trial” plot is a variation on this scenario.

And The Verdict Is......whatever the story needs it to be. In the

American legal system, the de endant is presumedinnocent until proven guilty; his guilt must beproven beyond a reasonable doubt — a muchhigher standard o proo than the probable causerequired to make an arrest. However, it’s not hard

or the GM to manipulate events a little to ensurewhatever outcome works best or the campaign.

DOUBLE JEOPARDYI the jury nds the de endant not guilty, he’s

ree to go and is completely absolved o respon-sibility or that crime. Te state that tried himcannot try him again — that would be double jeop-ardy, which is orbidden by the Fifh Amendment.

Even i new evidence comes to light that proveshis guilt, the state cannot try him again or thesame crime. However, in some cases another stateor the ederal government could try the de endant

or the same crime.

SentencingA de endant who’s ound guilty proceeds to

sentencing. In some cases the sentence is imposedby the jury when it announces the verdict, inothers it’s set by the judge. In some types o cases,particularly capital ones, afer the guity verdictthere’s a separate “sentencing phase” o the trialin which the prosecution presents evidence and

arguments to justi y the punishment it seeks, andthe de ense provides evidence and argument inmitigation to try to obtain a lesser sentence.

Depending on the nature o the crime, ade endant may be sentenced to pay a ne, to aterm in prison, and/or to death. Some supervil-lains can also be sentenced to hot sleep. Tis raisesthe question o the Eighth Amendment to theConstitution.

HE EIGH H AMENDMENTe Eighth Amendment prohibits “cruel

and unusual punishments.” “Cruel and unusual”doesn’t have a set denition, but depends, in part,

on “the evolving standards o decency that markthe progress o a maturing society.” rop v. Dulles,356 U.S. 86, 100-101 (1958). Furthermore, a pun-ishment must not be “excessive,” which means twothings: rst, a punishment must not be grosslydisproportionate to the severity o the crime orwhich it’s given; second, a punishment must notneedlessly inict pain. For example, the deathpenalty may only be imposed or murder (becausedeath is a disproportionate penalty or othercrimes) and the method o execution used mustnot be unnecessarily pain ul.

Te basic case on the Eighth Amendment asit affects superhumans is James “Smasher” Aronsonv. United States, 390 U.S. 1420 (1968). Aronsonwas a challenge to Illinois’s proposed method oincarcerating Smasher, a superhuman criminalcapable o lifing 100 tons. Te state, aware that noconventional prison cell could hold him, proposedto keep Smasher in a drugged state o weakness. Itwould be possible or a therapist to exercise him,and or a nurse to eed him, but Smasher wouldnot be able to use his strength to break ree. Tedosage was to be precisely based on Smasher’smetabolism and capabilities. Afer reviewing cur-rent Eighth Amendment standards, and statingthe “different strokes” doctrine (see above), the

Court held, 390 U.S. at 1432:Regarding Eighth Amendment consider-ations, it is obvious that the powers of manysuperhumans make it impossible to incarcer-ate them by normal means ... hus, certainmethods of incarceration that are uncon-stitutional when used on normal humancriminals are constitutional when used torestrain superhuman criminals. he meth-ods a state may use on a par ticular superhu-man criminal must be as narrowly tailoredas possible to restrain that individual, sothat his rights will not be infr inged.








Prisons And RestraintsTe case o Wilson v. Seiter, 501 U.S. 294

(1991), establishes a two-pronged standard or judging whether prison conditions violate theEighth Amendment. First, prison officials musthave a culpable state o mind toward a prisoner orprisoners — they must be “deliberately indiffer-ent” to their wel are. Second, a prisoner claimingan Eighth Amendment violation based on prison

conditions must show actual unconstitutionalconditions denying at least one human need.See also Helling v. McKinney, 509 U.S. 25 (1993)(Eighth Amendment requires “reasonable sa ety”

or prisoners; prison officials cannot ignore condi-tions that are currently unharm ul but are sure or very likely to cause harm in the uture).

Stronghold has repeatedly withstood chal-lenges to its conditions under the Wilson and Hell-ing doctrines in state and ederal courts, includingtwo that have reached the Supreme Court. Forexample, in Morgaine “Morgaine the Mystic” Druryv. United States, 539 U.S. 1687 (2003), the mysticsupervillainess led a broadly-worded lawsuitchallenging many aspects o Stronghold’s conne-ment system and procedures, including its use opower-negation devices. Although she had somesuccess in the lower courts, the Supreme Courtatly rejected all o her claims. Several court opin-ions have positively described Stronghold’s prac-tices and indirectly commended Warden Wildmanand his staff or respecting prisoners’ rights whilestill ensuring public sa ety.Eligibility For Stronghold

Te issue o who’s eligible to be incarceratedin Stronghold has been litigated on several occa-sions. Te landmark 1980 ederal case o New

Mexico v. Hsien “Jade Master” Peng established a“reasonableness” standard or courts to apply, onethat’s since been adopted by every jurisdictionin the United States. Te Ninth Circuit Court oAppeals stated:

here is no reason why a paranormal, whois fundamentally no different from anyother inmate, cannot be held in a regular prison — it merely requires that the prisontake extra precautions to prevent his escape.Stronghold may only be used to incarceratea criminal if the state shows by clear andconvincing evidence that the felon’s powersand capabilities are such that only Strong-hold is reasonably capable of containinghim (or that ordinary prisons are not rea-sonably capable of doing so), and only if the felon represents a clear and present dangerto society’s well-being and safety.

A second ederal case rom Cali ornia in1993, John “Utility” Doe v. Kowalski,claried the“reasonableness” standard to be applied in super-prison cases. Te court held that i a paranormalhas proven so adept at escaping rom normal acil-

ities that it was reasonably unlikely such a acilitycould ever contain him or the length o his sen-tence, incarceration in Stronghold was permissible.Cases ollowingHsien and Utility have almostalways ound in avor o allowing incarceration inStronghold.Power-Dampening Systems

Over the years, many supervillains havechallenged the use o “power-dampening”restraints on various Eighth Amendmentgrounds, o ten analogizing them to orciblyblinding a normal human prisoner or denyinghim the use o his legs. In the past some liberallower courts were at least slightly sympatheticto such claims. But since the Supreme Courthanded down the Morgaine the Mystic decision(see above) in 2003, its ruling that such devicesdo not violate the Eighth Amendment hasbecome the controlling law o the land. In lighto that decision, even jurisdictions that in someway restricted such technologies have reversedthemselves, giving police o icials a much morerobust capability to keep supervil lains prisoner.Hot Sleep

Te issue o restraints or superpoweredcriminals was urther complicated by the intro-duction o hot sleep, a controversial orm o“induced coma” invented or use at Stronghold in1983. It allows unrestrainable criminals, such asFirewing or Sunburst, to be kept “asleep” and onli e support or the duration o their sentence. (Seepage 53.) In Sydney “Grond” Potter v. Wildman, 109S.Ct. 3386 (1989), the Supreme Court held:

If it is reasonably likely that no other form ofrestraint will suffice to keep the individual in prison for the duration of his sentence, “hotsleep” or similar methods which do not perma-nently injure the individual do not violate theEighth Amendment’s proscription of cruel andunusual punishment.

Tough the Supreme Court mentioned onlyhot sleep by name, by analogy other specializedhigh-tech restraints (such as psionic inter erencehelmets and atigue handcuffs) are also consti-tutional. See eresa “Firecracker” Rodriguez v. Muench, 676 F. Supp.1597 (N.D. ex. 1987) (useo reproo restraining suit on re-manipulatingsupervillainess upheld).

APPEALSA de endant may appeal his sentence in an

attempt to get it reversed or reduced, or to get anew trial. Tis means he asks a higher-rankingcourt to nd that the trial court committed someerror (admitted evidence it should have excluded,

or example) that justies a reduced sentence ornew trial. Pending the hearing o his appeal, thede endant usually remains conned (assuming hewas sentenced to prison), but in some cases maybe released on his own recognizance.







Stronghold 2

AftershocksTe consequences o a trial scenario are obvi-

ous. I a villain was right ully convicted, he’ll wantto escape prison and seek revenge on the PCs whoput him there. I an innocent man was convicted,eventually the heroes nd out and have to work toclear his name, typically by tracking down the realculprit and getting him to con ess. Hope ully they

can do it be ore the wrong ully convicted manbecomes so bitter that he turns into a supervillainhimsel ....

I a PC was convicted, the consequences aremore severe. Tere’s a good chance he’ll lose hissecret identity (see page 13, and also en Plots ForWhen A Secret Identity Is Blown in Villainy Amok).Since the odds are he has enemies in Stronghold,he’s probably going to have to spend his sentencein solitary connement ( i.e., entirely in his cell).O course, the whole thing may be a ruse to let thePC get close enough to an inmate to pump him orin ormation, in which case he has to mingle withthe prison population and take his chances.

I a guilty person is ound innocent, it shouldredouble the PCs’ resolve to bring him to justice.But i you’ve run a big trial scenario or a villainand he’s gotten off once, don’t stage a second trial.Instead, nudge the PCs into nding conclusiveevidence on the bad guy, and when they do, sum-marily lock him away or good.

O course, when a villain is locked away, thatdoesn’t mean he’s gone rom the campaign. TeSuperhero genre is notorious or villains escaping

rom prison, even prisons like Stronghold thatare specically designed or superhumans. But iyou’ve gone to all the trouble to put a villain ontrial and made the PCs go to extra effort to convicthim, reeing him via an escape may seem like aslap in the ace. Te GM should tread cautiously.At the very least, leave him there or a ew monthso play time.

On the other hand, the “escaped con goesafer the jury that convicted him” is a time-honored classic, so i you eel inclined to release a villain rom prison, make sure he does somethinginteresting. A supervillain who’s released romprison might try to go straight, only to be spottedclose to several other criminal operations (Unluckcan create generate a lot o pain ul misunder-standings); i the heroes overreact and hound the

ex-villain, it’s possible he’ll “ all off the wagon” andreturn to crime.

RANDOM TRIALSCENARIO GENERATOR

ABLE 1: VILLAIN GUIL

Roll 1d6, roll on any indicated sub-table, then rollon able 21-3 Villain was caught by the heroes per orming

the criminal act4-5 Villain is guilty (roll on able 1-1, UnusualCircumstances, Guilt)

6 Villain is innocent (roll on able 1-2,Unusual Circumstances, Innocence)

able 1-1 Unusual Circumstances, Guilt

Roll 1d6, roll on any indicated sub-table, then rollon able 21-3 No complications. It’s an open and shut case.5-6 Complications (roll on able 1-1-1)

able 1-1-1 Unusual Circumstances,Complications

Roll 1d6, then roll on able 21 Villain per ormed the crime under duress

(blackmail, telepathic instruction, wasbeen drugged...)

2 Villain did not mean to commit the crime,it was an accident (reroll i inappropriate)

3 Villain per ormed the crime to protect aloved one

4 Villain was tricked into per orming thecrime by a third party

5 Tere was no crime — the villain and the victim are colluding as part o a publicitystunt, insurance scheme, or other plot

6 Villain per ormed the crime as part o a

deep cover operation — he’s working or thegood guys!able 1-2 Unusual Circumstances, Innocence

Roll 1d6, roll on any indicated sub-table, then rollon able 21-3 No complications. It’s a simple

misunderstanding.5-6 Complications (roll on able 1-2-1)

able 1-2-1 Unusual Circumstances,Complications

Roll 1d6, then roll on able 21 Villain was ramed — probably by another

villain, but sometimes by a hero or the police2 Villain was ramed by a superhero looking

to boost his reputation3 Villain was targeted by police who will ully

ignored the possibility o other suspects4 Villain was committing a di erent crime

at the time5 Tere was no crime — the crime is meant as

a cover to protect an innocent person romother villains

6 Villain per ormed the crime as part o adeep cover operation — he’s working or thegood guys!








1. Body Switch/Mindgames: Tey’re saying it’s aninsanity de ense: at the trial o one o the world’smost maniacal supervillains, the de endant claimshe’s really one o the world’s greatest superheroes —and he’s switched bodies (accidentally, or as the resulto an attack) with the villain. elepathy doesn’t provehis contention, but the hero with whom he’s allegedly

switched bodies is acting a little odd....2. I Wasn’t Anywhere Near There, Your Honor: A villainon trial produces what seems to be an airtight alibi.Te prosecution believes he has teleportation powersand used them to set up the alibi, even though he’snever previously displayed such abilities. Te DAasks the PCs to investigate and nd out the truth fast be ore a guilty man goes ree.

3. Dude, Where’s My Exhibit A?: A notorious super- vill ain is caught on ilm killing several guards withan alien death ray pistol. Un ortunately, when themurder weapon is presented to the jury, it morphsinto an alien creature and lies away. he de enseargues or dismissal, claiming that i the murderweapon’s an alien creature, it was responsible or themurder, not the de endant. Someone needs to recap-ture the weapon and prove it had no ree will (orwas morphed by an outside source) so a murdererdoesn’t go ree.

4. Hanging Justice: At a preliminary hearing where aPC’s being questioned about a villain’s actions, Cap-tain Chronos appears out o nowhere and addressesthe courtroom, telling everyone that somethinghorrible will happen unless the judge releases thesupervillain immediately. Naturally, his concerns areignored, but a ew minutes later, the villain’s powersare up, the courthouse is moved backward throughtime, with everyone’s appearance and abilities alteredto t the new milieu. Te PCs are now heroes in the

Old West — outstanding physical and mental speci-mens with no superhuman powers. Te PC who wasbeing questioned at the hearing is now a notoriousgunslinger who’s on trial or murder, his lawyer isthe town drunkard, and the judge is a hanging judge(and he’s in a baaaad mood). Te heroes must prevent the PC rom being sentenced to death and gureout how to reverse the temporal transposition.

5. His Honor, Judge Black Harlequin: While one othe PCs is in court, a team o insane superpoweredagents inltrates the courtroom and takes everyonehostage. Ten the new judge arrives: Black Harle-quin! Te only way he’ll allow the hostages to leaveis i the PC agrees to stand trial or his crimes (these“crimes,” o course, consist o inter ering with the

plans o Black Harlequin). Can anyone win in a trialwhen guns are being held to the jury’s heads and the judge is one o the world’s craziest supervillains?

6. Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged: A telepathic vigi-lante has ound an intriguing way to use others tocarry out his mission: i a criminal who’s accusedo a serious crime gets off on a technicality, a gunautomatically teleports into the hands o the judge,who ollows a mental command to shoot the crimi-nal. Tree villains are already dead, and the careerso three respected jurists are in ruins. Te authoritiesask the PCs to nd out what’s going on. But how willthey eel when a crimelord who’s avoided the law oryears becomes the next target?

7. Not In My Back Yard: ired o destructive battleson their doorstep, supervillains crashing throughtheir windows at all hours o the night, and cleaningup collateral damage, a team o superheroes with apublicly known HQ are the recipients o a civil suit

rom their neighbors. Tey want the PCs to movetheir headquarters as ar away rom their property aspossible — now!

8. Personal Responsibility: A duplicating villainnamed Multiplex killed a cop and is acing a deathsentence. However, the vill ain on trial swears he’snot the duplicate that killed the cop and that heactually opposed the murder. He wants the PCsto honestly evaluate his case and get him o i heconvinces them he’s innocent. Can they? Worse,Multiplex’s duplicates involuntarily recombine every

ourteen days! How does the law handle someonewho’s partially a killer?

9. Today’s Copyright Laws Are Murder: Former minorleague pro athlete Burton Davis has trademarkedone o the PCs’ identities and sues him or copyrightin ringement. Normally, this sort o case would getthrown out o court, but because o some tricky legalmaneuvering the judge is willing to hear the case.Davis has a real gif or being obnoxious and bring-

ing out the worst in anyone, even superheroes. Teperson who’s really behind the lawsuit — a villain-ous telepath — is counting on this to provoke thePCs. Te mentalist intends to telepathically enameDavis’s insults in court, and once the PC’s gotten madenough, he’ll mind control the PC into attacking,and (he hopes) killing Davis in open court. Te onlything standing in the way o his manipulations arethe other PCs.

10. The Dead Walk: A criminal who was given thedeath penalty has come back to li e. His lawyerclaims he should go ree since he’s already beenexecuted by the state (and there ore has legally servedhis sentence). Te PCs have been asked to nd evi-dence that he aked his death... but what i the execu-

tion wasn’t aked?

TEN UNUSUAL SUPERHUMAN TRIAL SCENARIOS







Stronghold 2

ABLE 2: VILLAIN CRIME

Roll 1d6, then roll on able 31 Murder2 Will ul Destruction o Propertyor Arson3 Blackmail4 Kidnapping5 Robbery 6 Assault

ABLE 3: PROSECU OR S YLERoll 1d6, then roll on able 31 Competent But Quiet2 Corrupt3 Incompetent Newbie4 Sel -Righteous Shill5 Silver- ongued Charmer6 Venge ul, ake No Prisoners

ABLE 4: DEFENSE A ORNEY

Roll 1d6, then roll on able 51 Attack Dog2 Burned out, overworked veteran who

always tries to plea bargain3 Grandstanding speechmaker4 Gloryhound5 Incompetent Newbie6 Mob Mouthpiece

ABLE 5: JUDGE

Roll 1d6, then roll on able 61 Bland Pushover2 Folksy Southern Boy With Knives Under

His Robes3 High Priest o the Law 4 Te Insane Ol’ Coot

5 Te Liberal Activist6 Te Relentless Harpy

ABLE 6: NUMBER OF RIALCOMPLICA IONS

Roll 1d6, i there are complications, roll on able 6-11 None2-3 14-5 26 3able 6-1: Common rial Complications

Roll 1d61 Courtroom proceedings are disrupted by a

tantrum (the de endant, a distraught rela-tive o the victim, superhero groupie...)2 Evidence is contaminated3 Stubborn juror re uses to acknowledge the

possibility o error4 Friendly witness is caught perjuring

his testimony 5 Gossipmongers besmirch the PCs’ testi-

mony (and reputation)6 Roll on able 6-1-1, Special Complications

able 6-1-1: Special rial Complications

Roll 1d61 A jury member has a heart attack 2 One o the people in the gallery is an assas-

sin who tries to kill someone3 Someone’s dark secret is revealed4 Someone else comes orward and takes

credit or the crime5-6 Supervillains attack the courtroom

OTHER SUPERLAW ISSUESWhile most superlaw pertains to crimes

and trials, some important aspects are moregeneral. hey include:

The Second Amendmenthe Second Amendment provides: “A well

regulated Militia, being necessary to the secu-rity o a ree State, the right o the people tokeep and bear Arms, shall not be in ringed.” Itprevents Congress or the national government

rom taking away this right. It does not applyto the states, which may regulate weapons pos-session. United States v. Cruikshank, 92 U.S. 542(1876). However, many states have state con-stitutions with amendments that duplicate theSecond Amendment, thus preserving the rightto keep and bear arms at the state level.

o some extent, the Second Amendment pro-tects a character’s right to own super-tech weaponssuch as blasters, laser pistols, and powered armor.However, all states require any such weapons to beregistered and licensed, just like ordinary rearms;

ailure to do so constitutes a crime.

The Thirteenth AmendmentTe Tirteenth Amendment prohibits any

and all orms o slavery or compulsory or invol-untary servitude. Te courts have unanimouslyheld that “mental control o another person is a violation o that person’s Tirteenth Amendmentrights, and the controller is liable or an in ringe-ment o those rights.” Jane “Esper” Doe v. Claxton,480 U.S. 1356, 1361 (1987). Several courts havedeveloped a “law en orcement” exception orsuperheroes, but that exception is very limited —it only covers the arrest o a criminal. Sanctionedheroes cannot use mental control or interrogationor other purposes without violating a de endant’sTirteenth Amendment rights... though in a caseo immediate, desperate need, the odds o a vil-lain getting a large monetary recovery rom a herowho’s just saved the city (or the world) rom the villain’s evil scheme are, to put it mildly, slim.








The Fourteenth AmendmentTe Fourteenth Amendment guarantees due

process o law and equal protection o the law to allpersons in the United States. Te courts and Con-gress have used it to justi y a whole panoply o rights,many o which are not specically mentioned inthe Constitution. wo important issues concerningsuperhumans have arisen under this Amendment.

Te rst is the “right to maintain a secretidentity.” Te Supreme Court has held that thereis no such right, at least or criminal purposes.Robert “King Cobra” Hamilton v. New Jersey,395U.S. 1603 (1969).

Te second and more important issue isthe rights o so-called “non-humans”: alien andextra-dimensional li e- orms; articially intelligentcomputers, androids, and robots; human mutants;the undead; clones and genetic constructs; and so

orth. Te Supreme Court dealt with this questionin 1978 in six consolidated cases: One Unname-able Alien Life-Form From au Ceti 11 v. UnitedStates (alien being), Mechanoid-5 v. New York(articially intelligent android), Ohio v. Julesz theKind (vampire), Gordon “Powermonger” Lowderv. California (mutants), Phillip “Infrared” Cowlingv. United States (mutates), United States v. Te Liz-ard-Ting (extradimensional beings), and Number32 v. Central Intelligence Agency (human clonewith genetic enhancements), 428 U.S. 1471 (1976)(collectively, au Ceti 1I ). Te Court stated:

Te Fourteenth Amendment guarantees of due process and equal protection extend to all per-sons within the United States or its territories.But ... the term “persons” means humans. Nei-ther alien and extra-dimensional life forms,

nor articial intelligences, nor the undead are“persons,” and hence they have no rights underthe Fourteenth Amendment. Mutants, mutates, clones, and genetic con-structs from human stock are a differentmatter. Essentially, they are “subspecies” ofhumanity. In many cases, even the most thor-ough examination of them cannot differentiatethem from humans. Tey are so close to beinghuman that there is no legal justication forconsidering them not to be human. We holdthat free-willed mutants, mutates, clones, and genetic constructs, from human stock, are“persons” under the Fourteenth Amendmentand are possessed of all rights thereunder.Id. at 1480-1483 (citations omitted).

In response, Congress passed the Android,Articial Intelligence, and Alien Li e-Form RightsAct o 1979 (usually known as the “ riple-A Act”).Te riple-A Act grants civil rights to most “sentient”beings who can prove that they are independent and

ree-willed. Te law denes “sentience” in variousways, usually relating to the capacity or creativeand philosophical thought, not just problem-solvingcapability. Most states have also enacted laws or

passed their own constitutional amendments grant-ing “alternate sentiences” various civil rights. How-ever, this law and all related laws, state and ederal,make one exception: the undead do not have civilrights. Te legal ramications o that, particularlythe question o who owns the ormerly deceased’sproperty, combined with the typically evil or destruc-tive nature o such beings, has kept them outside theambit o the laws.

Jurisdiction Over The DivineSince some superhumans claim to be divine

beings (and at least in some cases seem to be ableto prove that, at least to the satis action o somepeople), the issue o whether the courts have juris-diction over them has arisen. A number o anci-

ul claims involving deities or divine beings havebeen led in the courts, and are usually rejectedon various grounds. For example, in U.S. ex rel. Mayo v. Satan And His Staff, 54 F.R.D. 282 (1971),the plaintiff sued Satan in ederal court, allegingthat the de endant had tempted him and broughtabout his down all, there ore violating his civilrights under the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Te courtrejected the claim on three grounds: rst, it wasunclear whether the ederal courts have jurisdic-

tion over the Prince o Darkness; second, i thecase were to go orward, it should probably be aclass action, and plaintiff provided no in ormationregarding whether he met the requirements to bethe class representative; third, plaintiff providedno instructions or the U.S. Marshal on how toserve process on Luci er.

However, or the most part, i a being com-mits a crime in the United States, the appropri-ate state or ederal court will accept jurisdictionover him regardless o any assertion o divinity ordivine status. United States v. Raven, 517 U.S. 1446(1996) ( ederal courts have jurisdiction over aman claiming to be the American Indian god and

trickster spirit, Raven, to try him or raud andrelated crimes).

SUINGSUPERHEROES

In the Champions Uni-verse and other settingswhich use a legal rame-work like the one in thischapter — i.e., settingsthat allow superhe-roes to testi y in theircostumed identitieswithout revealing theirtrue identities — it’spossible or a superheroto conduct business,sign contracts, openbank accounts, and sueor be sued in his cos-tumed identity. Differ-ent types o businessesmay use specic sa e-guards when dealingwith someone whosetrue identity they don’tknow, such as requiringa superhero to post abond to cover relatedexpenses.

However, despite theact that superheroes

can be sued in their cos-tumed identities, theyrarely are. Realisticallyspeaking, i the GMallows people to reelysue superheroes, everyhero will routinely laborunder dozens o multi-million-dollar lawsuitsbecause o the destruc-tion their crimeghtingcauses, the injuries theyinict on their oppo-nents, and so orth.Te GM either has toestablish some reasonwhy lawsuits againstsuperheroes are rare,or simply has to rule asa matter o campaignmanagement that theydon’t occur very ofen(in other words, exceptwhen they’re an integralpart o one o his plots).Otherwise boring legalmatters tend to intrudeon every game.

Continued on next page







Stronghold 3

A fer a supervillain is convicted and sen-tenced to prison, the state can petitionStronghold to incarcerate him there.( ypically the state starts this process long

be ore the trial ends so that a decision has alreadybeen made by the time o conviction.) Assumingthat (a) the Hsien and Utility doctrines indicate thede endant is eligible or Stronghold (see above),and (b) that Warden Wildman and his Board oAdmissions approves, Stronghold agrees to takecustody o the prisoner.

SUPERHUMAN PRISONER TRANSPORTWhen it was rst ounded, Stronghold was

just a prison. It didn’t have the means to transportprisoners to and rom the prison; it relied on thestates to bring prisoners to Devil’s Head Mesa.It soon became apparent this wasn’t a good idea.Few states were equipped to transport supervillainprisoners, and ew places in the criminal justiceprocess are as suitable or an escape or rescueattempt as when the prisoner is in transit.

In 1980, Charles Wildman petitioned Con-gress or unding to establish the StrongholdSuperhuman Prisoner ransport System (SSP S),a superhuman prisoner transportation serviceavailable to all states or a minimal ee. Congressapproved the request, and Wildman implementedthe program. Tis actually took some signicanteffort, since the early Stronghold used broadcastpower to run its Negation Cuffs and other devicesnot directly connected to its power grid. Obvi-ously that wouldn’t work or prisoner transport, soWildman had Stronghold personnel and outsidecontractors design new versions o those devicesthat ran on small, extremely power ul batteries.(Tis technology eventually became the basis orthe modern Stronghold arsenal, which does notrequire broadcast power.)

In a courtroom security situation, Strongholdpre ers to have a minimum o two o its guardsper superhuman de endant (more or particularlypower ul villains, and sometimes just one guard

or weak villains). Te same applies to escortingprisoners rom, say, a jail cell to a vehicle. How-ever, circumstances and budget restraints don’talways allow this ideal to be met. Once Stronghold

eels it has the prisoner under control (such ason one o its SSP S-3s, see below), it maintains amuch lower guard-to-prisoner ratio.

I Stronghold personnel are already at a trialproviding or assisting with security (see above),when a supervillain is convicted and sentenced toStronghold they simply take custody o him rightaway and begin the trip to New Mexico. Other-wise a retrieval crew equipped with all necessaryrestraining devices is sent rom Stronghold to pickup the new inmate. In either case the pre erred vehicle or Stronghold prisoner transport is theSSP S ype 3 “hoverbus.”

SSP S YPE 3 PRISONER RANSPOR Val Char Cost Notes

8 Size 40 6.4” x 3.2”; mass 25 tons;-8 KB; -5 DCV 50 S R 0 Lif 25 tons; 10d6 H H [0] 14 DEX 12 OCV: 5/DCV: 5 18 BODY 0 8 DEF 18 4 SPD 26 Phases: 3, 6, 8, 12

otal Characteristic Cost: 96

Movement: Ground: 0”/0” Flight: 30”/480”

Abilities & EquipmentCost Power END Propulsion Systems47 Hover System: Flight 30”, x16 Noncombat,

No urn Mode (+¼); OIF Bulky (-1) 0-12 Hover Only: Running -6” (0” total)-2 Hover Only: Swimming -2” (0” total) actical Systems200 Internal Power Negation Field: Suppress

20d6, all Powers simultaneously (+2), allSpecial Effects simultaneously (+2),Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½),Uncontrolled (deactivated by removing victim rom SSP S-3; +½); OIF Bulky (-1),No Range (-½), Sel Only (only applies topersons inside vehicle; -½) 0

13 Built-In Restraints: Entangle 5d6 (standardeffect: 5 BODY), 8 DEF; OIF Bulky (-1),Cannot Form Barriers (-¼), Set Effect (seetext; -½), May Not Prevent Use OAccessible Foci (see text; -0), No Range(-½), Must Follow Grab Or arget MustBe Willing (-½), 1 Recoverable Charge(recovered by letting a restrainee out andputting someone in his place; -1¼) [1rc]

15 Built-In Restraints: Up to 4 moreRestraints (total o 5) [1rc]

Continued from last

For example, in theChampions Universe,two actors prevent quent lawsuits againstsuperheroes. First,in recognition o theextraordinary goodheroes do, and the splsecond decisionmak-ing their actions ofenrequire, the courts havset extremely high bathat potential plaintiffmust clear. Basically,someone who wantsto sue a hero has toprove that he acted wi“extreme negligence,deliberate indifferencto the possibility oharm, or with directintent to cause harm.”Second, the ederalgovernment subsidizeinexpensive “superhuman insurance” thatprotects people rominjury or loss o property due to superhumactivity, and mandatesthat anyone who seekto recover under suchpolicy cannot also suethe superhumans inquestion in court. Sinmost people and busi-nesses in the Cham-pions Universe arecovered by enormousamounts o superhu-man insurance, theydon’t even need to suesuperheroes at all.

AFTER THE TRI AL








Operations Systems5 Communications System: HRRP

(Radio Group); OIF Bulky (-1),Affected As Sight And Hearing GroupsAs Well As Radio Group (-½) 0

2 Cameras: Eidetic Memory; OIF Bulky (-1),Only Visual Images Inside Vehicle (-1) 0

12 Radar: Radar (Radio Group), IncreasedArc O Perception (360 Degrees),

elescopic (+10 PER versus RangeModier); OIF Bulky (-1) 0

otal Abilities & Equipment Cost: 280otal Vehicle Cost: 376

Value DisadvantagesNoneotal Disadvantage Points: 0otal Cost: 376/5 = 75

Description: Built using thelatest in hovercraf technologycombined with Stronghold’ssuperpower-suppression andprisoner restraint systems,the SSP S ype 3 is the mostadvanced prisoner transportever elded by the super-prison. Te earlier ype 1

and 2 models, which weresmaller and less efficient, havebeen retired rom service andscrapped.

welve meters long andsix wide, the SSP S-3 is suit-able or both local and long-distance prisoner transport.Te standard model can holdup to ve superhuman prison-ers o up to twice human size,plus an additional prisonerin hot sleep. Some versionsreplace the hot sleep coffinand bench seat with threemore restraint seats so thetransport can carry eightprisoners. I Stronghold hasto transport rom two to ourhighly dangerous prisonersat once, it uses a model thatreplaces most o the seats andthus has a total o our hotsleep coffins. Any model canmaintain a speed o approxi-mately 700 miles per hour.

Te SSP S-3 is basically ahex-shaped cylinder with hov-erpads along the bottom sides.It’s divided into our areas(Pilot, Main Access, Prisoner,and Rear). wo pilots sit in

ront in an area closed offrom the rest o the vehicle by

a rein orced door. Te wall and door have DEF8, BODY 8, like the rest o the vehicle’s walls, andare not transparent. Immediately to the rear othe pilot’s compartment is the Main Access area,where prisoners enter the vehicle and a guard sitsduring the trip. Tis area also has a hatch to thestorage compartment in the belly o the vehicle.

Prisoners (and in most models, two guards)sit in the chairs in the Prisoner compartmentbehind the Main Access area (it’s separated

rom that area by another DEF 8, BODY 8 walland door made o transparent super-plastic). Ametal grating runs down the center o the pris-oner compartment, and the seats are in sunken“wells” running along each side o the grating.Each seat is DEF 8, BODY 8, and the ones orprisoners have two built-in restraints. First,there are rigid oot manacles set into the legso the seat and the loor. Anytime a prisoner isseated in a chair, these are locked so he cannotstand up. hey can be unlocked rom the pilots’control panel, or by electronic keys held by indi-







Stronghold 3

vidual guards; each key is biometrically linkedto a speci ic guard and can only be used by him.Second, prisoners’ hands and arms can also berestrained. ypically a seated prisoner is allowedto keep his hands and arms ree. However, i aprisoner is unruly or considered especially dan-gerous, there are manacles on the arms o eachseat that can lock down his hands and arms.

In addition to all these restraints, the entire

vehicle is protected by a standard Strongholdpower negation eld that prevents superpowersrom unctioning. (See page 55 or more in orma-

tion.) Cameras mounted into the ceiling o eachcompartment allow both the pilots and guardsback at Stronghold itsel to keep a constant watchon the prisoners.

Te Rear area o the vehicle includes a rest-room, a galley, and a small storage area. It also hasa rear access door (DEF 8, BODY 8).

Other SSPTS Technology For the most part, SSP S personnel are

standard Stronghold guards. Tey use the sameuni orms and equipment (though they do havean “SSP S” marker on their uni orms to clearlydistinguish them rom local law en orcement per-sonnel). Some o the specic devices they use ortransporting prisoners and assisting with court-room security include:

POWER NEGA OR HANDCUFFSEffect: Entangle 12d6 (standard

effect: 12 BODY), 18 DEF, TakesNo Damage From Attacks plusSuppress All Powers 14d6

Target: One characterDuration: Instant/ConstantRange: No RangeEND Cost: 0Breakability: 20 DEF

Description: Specially designed to hold superhumanprisoners, the Stronghold Power Negator Handcuffs(also available as legcuffs) serve two unctions. First,they restrain the prisoner. Tey cover the entirehand so the captive can’t use Accessible Foci, oremploy Contortionist or Lockpicking to take themoff. (Te downside is, unless the guards are willingto take them off a prisoner at certain times, theyhave to eed him by hand, help him go to the bath-room, and so on.) Second, they negate the captive’spowers using Stronghold’s standard power nega-tion technology. (As usual, the Absolute Effect Ruleapplies here; see page 56.)

Power Negator Handcuffs are too large andbulky or a guard to carry on a routine basis. (Ithey want to carry restraints or other uses, theyusually rely on Mechalene Zipcuffs; see page 86.)An SSP S-3 sent into the eld usually has a totalo 16 o them on board: one or each prisoner,plus one backup unit or each prisoner in theevent o ailure.

Te leg-restraining version o the Handcuffs

looks like a set o high-tech boots linked by a high-

tech cable. Unlike a standard Entangle they do notprevent the wearer rom walking entirely; they justrestrict him to a maximum o Running 2”.

Game Information: Entangle 12d6 (standardeffect: 12 BODY), 18 DEF, akes No DamageFrom Attacks (+½) (225 Active Points);OAF (-1), Fragile (only 20 DEF; -0), CannotForm Barriers (-¼), Set Effect (hands only;-½), No Range (-½), Must Follow Grab Or

arget Must Be Willing (-½), 1 RecoverableCharge (-1¼) (total cost: 45 points) plusSuppress 14d6, all Powers simultaneously(+2), all Special Effects simultaneously (+2),Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½), Uncon-trolled (deactivated by removing cuffs fromvictim; +½) (420 Active Points); OAF (-1),Fragile (only 20 DEF; -0), No Range (-½),Linked (-¼) (total cost: 153 points). otalcost: 198 points.

POWER NEGA OR COLLAREffect: Suppress All Powers 15d6

Target: One characterDuration: ConstantRange: No RangeEND Cost: 0Breakability: 90 DEF

Description: Just to be on the sa e side, SSP Sguards ofen also place a Power Negator Collar ona prisoner in addition to his Power Negator Hand-cuffs. Te Collar is also used when the guards haveto ree a captive’s hands or some reason (such asto let him use the bathroom).

A Power Negator Collar is more massive anddurable than Power Negator Handcuffs (hence itshigher DEF). Te wearer is mostly unable to turnhis his head; he has to turn his whole body i hewants to see something outside his current lineo sight. Many prisoners also complain that theweight o the Collar is very tiring, even pain ul orlong periods, but neither the guards nor the courtshave paid much attention to such claims.

Game Information: Suppress 15d6, all Powerssimultaneously (+2), all Special Effects simul-taneously (+2), Reduced Endurance (0 END;+½), Uncontrolled (deactivated by removingcollar from victim; +½) (450 Active Points);OAF (-1), No Range (-½), Only Works On Manacled/Restrained Subjects (-¼). otalcost: 164 points.

Options:1) Courtroom Power Negator Collar: Law andcourtroom procedure generally require that de en-dants be as unrestrained as possible during a trial.I a de endant has to sit at the de ense table inhandcuffs (or even worse, ull shackles), it tendsto prejudice the jury against him. However, whensupervillains are on trial there’s still a need orcourtroom security and to prevent them romusing their powers to escape. o ll this nicheStronghold developed a “Courtroom” version oits Power Negator Collar. Tough weaker than the








standard Collar, it’s also much smaller and lighter(and weaker; it only has 20 DEF). While it’s notinvisible, it’s not nearly as blatant and potentiallyprejudicial as the standard Collar (never mindPower Negator Handcuffs). Change to: Suppress12d6, all Powers simultaneously (+2), all SpecialEffects simultaneously (+2), Reduced Endur-

ance (0 END; +½), Uncontrolled (deactivatedby removing cuffs rom victim; +½) (360 ActivePoints); OAF (-1), Fragile (only 20 DEF; -0), NoRange (-½), Only Works On Manacled/RestrainedSubjects (-¼). otal cost: 131 points.2) Eyelock: I a prisoner has powers that origi-nate rom his eyes (typically eyebeams like thoseo Oculon), guards ofen enclose his eyes with adevice that looks like a large metallic ring. It tsaround the prisoner’s head, totally negating anyeye-based powers he has. It also completely blockshis eyesight, rendering him blind. Tis is just likethe standard Power Negator Collar, but add theLimitation Only Affects Eye-Based Powers (-2).otal cost: 95 points.

3) Mouthlock: A Mouthlock is just like an Eye-lock, but it blocks mouth-based powers (includingmany sonic abilities, spittle powers, and the like).It also prevents the wearer rom speaking. Tisis just like the standard Power Negator Collar,but add the Limitation Only Affects Mouth-BasedPowers (-2). otal cost: 95 points.

RES RAIN PA CHEffect: Entangle 8d6, 8 DEF, TriggerTarget: One Hex radiusDuration: InstantRange: No RangeCharges: 1 ChargeBreakability: 8 DEF

Description: As an extra anti-escape measure,Stronghold guards can put a Restraint Patch ona captive. It looks like a large, thick cloth patch,and comes in a variety o colors so it can blend inwith a de endant’s clothing to some degree. I ade endant tries to escape, any Stronghold guardcan activate the Patch with a special radio signal.When this happens the patch explodes into a blobo glue that stops the de endant rom moving. Teonly downside is that the glue also catches anyonenear the de endant.

Game Information: Entangle 8d6, 8 DEF, AreaOf Effect (One Hex; +½), rigger (specialradio signal from any Stronghold guard; +¼)(140 Active Points); OAF (-1), Cannot FormBarriers (-¼), No Range (-½), 1 Charge (-2).otal cost: 29 points.







WELCOME TOSTRONGHOLD







36 Welcome To Stronghold Hero System 5 th Edition Revised

STRONGHOLDLOCATION

Stronghold occupies the Devil’s Head, a large,isolated mesa located in Lincoln County, NewMexico. It juts high into the air and commands anexcellent view o the surrounding valley. It’s nearlya dozen miles to the nearest inhabited area, a smalltown called Burns on State Highway 247 (which isthe nearest major road). Approximately sixty milesto the southeast is the city o Roswell, amed in UFOlore. Eighty miles to the south and west is the north-ern part o the White Sands Missile Range, and inbetween them is the Lincoln National Forest.

Critics sometimes complain about the super-prison’s proximity to White Sands, and conspiracytheorists and the Exoplanetary Society ofen remarkon how close it is to Roswell, but overall the locationseems to have been well-chosen. On those rare occa-sions when a supervillain escapes, he’s ofen caughtwandering around the desert on oot, dehydrated.However, that same isolation means Stronghold hasto bring all its supplies in by truck on a regular basis(particularly water — water deliveries occur almostdaily). Several businesses in Burns have become quiteprosperous serving the prison, and the town’s barsand movie theaters do a steady business with Strong-hold guards and staff on evening or weekend passes.

HISTORY Beginning in the mid-to-late 1960s, the

number o superhumans in America, and con-sequently the amount o supervillain crime,began to rise signi icantly. By the mid-Seventiessupervillains were stealing billions o dollars’worth o property every year, and destroyingbillions more (either on their own, or during

ights with the superheroes who opposed them).One reason why was that it was o ten di icultto keep captured supervillains incarcerated.No matter how many times a hero ought andde eated a villain, it wasn’t long be ore that vil-lain escaped rom police custody or broke out oprison. he prison system just wasn’t set up tohandle criminals who could bench-press dozenso tons or ire destructive beams o energy.Prison o icials did their best and o ten came upwith novel solutions to the problem... but eventhe best solutions o ten ailed in the long run.

Enter noted penologist Dr. Charles Wild-man. A ormer ederal prison warden turnedcriminology pro essor, Wildman had developedsomething o a reputation as a maverick and

an eccentric. He didn’t care much or bureau-

I remember the last time I saw the outside.It was nearly twenty years ago after Adrian

and I were convicted in that farce of a trial.We didn’t even have a chance to say goodbyeto Mother — they clamped their super-cuffs onus and led us out to a waiting transport. Itwas just sitting there, ready for us, like they’dknown in advance all along we’d be convicted.

As I say, a farce.Those few hours in the air were sort of a

blur. I hadn’t fully processed what had happened yet; I was seething with rage and already thinkingabout ways to escape. I couldn’t even talk to

Adrian; the cowardly fools had locked a helmeton me that prevented me from opening my mouth atall. But I snapped out of it once we got closer.

As the terrain changed from the plains to thesouthwestern desert, I realized, like some Joyceanepiphany, that I might never get to see the outsideworld again. Like a man savoring his last mealbefore execution, I became intensely focused onthe details, seeing the landscape below me withprecision. To this day I can clearly recall that lasthour — every feature in the wrinkled landscape,every change in the color of the rocks.

But it’s those last few minutes, when the mesafinally came into view, that truly stand out in mymind. It rose out of the desert like the prow ofa ship, towering over the desolation around it. As

we got closer, on the top I could see the silverglimmering of the administrative buildings — andlots of construction workers scurrying about,since they were still rebuilding after the so-called“Great Stronghold Breakout” (curse our luck thatit didn’t happen just a few months later!). Biggerand bigger it loomed in the window, until it filledall my vision...

...as it still does, to this day — just from alower, darker perspective.







Stronghold 3

crats or o icial procedure, he was concernedwith results, and between his attitude and o tenextreme theories he wasn’t exactly taken seri-ously in all parts o the criminology world. Nev-ertheless, even his strongest detractors couldn’tdeny that he was brilliant, and o ten insight ul.

In 1976 Wildman approached Congresswith a proposed solution to the super-prisonerproblem: a super-prison. Drawing on his experi-

ences as a warden and his studies o superhumancriminals as a pro essor, he used his own moneyto commission an architect to prepare conceptdrawings o a prison specically designed to holdsupervillains and nothing but supervillains. Withplans in hand, he began privately lobbying gov-ernment officials and Congressmen, spending somuch time in Washington that he put his pro es-sorship in peril. But his dedication and diligencepaid off — afer several months o hard work hedrummed up enough “buzz” to get a hearing in

ront o a Congressional committee, where he hadthe chance to make his case to the nation:

Wildman: In summary, what I propose as a solu-tion to this problem is the creation of a prisonspecically designed and constructed to holdsuperhuman criminals: a prison that can notonly withstand their powers, but within whichthose powers won’t work; a prison in an isolatedlocation, to protect the people of the United Stateswith distance as well as walls; a prison that usesthe latest in technology and penological tech-niques to ensure humane treatment of superhu-man prisoners while still ensuring the true goalof any prison, to keep society safe. Te Commit-tee has the further details of my proposal in thereport I distributed before beginning my testi-

mony. I am now glad to take questions.Chairman Angell (R-Kansas): Te Committeewould like to thank Dr. Wildman for his testi-mony and the thoroughness of this... rather largereport he prepared. If I may, I’d like to openthe questioning with some inquiries as to costs.Doctor Wildman, let me refer you to Part C of your report, listing a proposed budget for this project.

Wildman: Yes, I have that here. As you can see,the projected budget includes all aspects of run-ning the prison on an annual basis, from basicslike power and water to salaries for the guards.

Chairman Angell: It’s not the thoroughness of thebudget that I’m questioning, Dr. Wildman, butthe projected amount. You’re suggesting that thissuper-prison of yours...

Wildman: Stronghold. I call it Stronghold.

Chairman Angell: “Stronghold,” yes. Tis Strong-hold of your has a budget nearly ten times aslarge as that of any other federal prison! And yetit’s only intended to hold a fraction of the numberof inmates as other federal penitentiaries.

Wildman: Tat’s correct, Mr. Chairman, butI believe it’s important to keep in mind thenature of the inmates involved. We’re not talk-ing about your average burglar, or street-cornerdrug pusher, or even drug kingpin. Strongholdis designed to hold supervillains, criminals whothreaten not just a city block or neighborhoodbut entire cities, or countries, or even the entire planet. You can’t just lock them up in any prison,

we’ve seen time and time again what happenswhen you do — they break out and go on com-mitting crimes. Tey have powers far beyondthose of ordinary criminals, and that means a prison intended to hold them has to go beyond anormal prison... it has to be a super-prison. Andthat takes money.

Brubaker (D-Minnesota): I’m less concernedabout the cost — though it’s troublesome —than I am about the human rights implications.Doctor Wildman, you seem to be proposing tostrip the inmates of their powers temporarily,correct?

Wildman: Yes, that’s correct. Power negationtechnology will keep the inmates from usingtheir powers within the prison, thus minimiz-ing the chance of escape or of injury to prison personnel.

Brubaker: I understand that, but what you’re proposing seems inhumane, like a technological pillory. We don’t force ordinary prison inmates towear blindfolds all day, even though that wouldmake them a lot easier for guards to handle.

Wildman: rue, but an ordinary prisoner can’tuse his eyesight to hurt anyone or smash down a

wall. It’s not at all uncommon for prison to gag a prisoner who tries to bite guards, or to restrain a physically dangerous prisoner with a straitjacketor solitary connement until he calms down.What I’m proposing is really just an extension ofthat — and, I think, absolutely necessary if we’reto keep these superpowered men and womenincarcerated for the duration of their sentences.Power negation technology doesn’t deprive themof any of their basic human abilities or faculties...it just negates the superhuman powers that makethem such an escape risk.

Terrell (R-Ohio): Is that even possible, Dr. Wild-

man? What you’re describing sounds like a tech-nological fairy tale.

Wildman: en, or even ve, years ago it wouldhave been. But recent scientic advances havebrought power negation technology forward from the theoretical and experimental into therealm of the possible and practical. It takes a lotof electricity and maintenance, but I must stressagain that I think it’s absolutely necessary tomake Stronghold a success.

Chairman Angell: Tank you again for yourtestimony, Dr. Wildman. Tis committee willnow adjourn to consider your proposal.








Afer considerable debate, the committee voted to move the “Stronghold proposal” orward.Working closely with Dr. Wildman, Rep. Angellprepared a bill authorizing and unding the con-struction and operation o a prison exclusively orsuperhuman criminals.

Debate about the bill in the ull House oRepresentatives was, i anything, even morecontentious. At rst it looked as i it would pass,

but as the arguments wore on it became clearthat enough Congressmen had questions aboutthe cost, technological easibility, and civil rightsissues to put Dr. Wildman’s dream in jeopardy. Butan un ortunate tragedy soon shifed the Congres-sional mood in the other direction.

As debate continued on the Stronghold Bill,events developing at the ederal prison at erreHaute, Indiana took center stage. A supervillainknown as Crusher had been sentenced to li e impris-onment or a series o violent robberies. Despiteheavier walls, bars, and shackles intended to com-pensate or his superhuman strength, he broke reeand smashed his way out o the prison, killing veguards in the process. He went on a crime spreeacross Indiana that lef three people dead and causedmillions in property damage be ore being sur-rounded and shot by the police.

Its eyes now opened to the dangers posed bysuperhuman prisoners, Congress reacted swifly. TeStronghold Bill passed by a three- ourths majorityand the Bureau o Prisons got right to work on theproject. Unsurprisingly it appointed Dr. Wildman tohead the project and be Stronghold’s rst warden.

Te ormal design and construction o Strong-hold took two years — a surprisingly short time orsuch a major undertaking, but by now Wildman hadextensive support in Congress, the Bureau, and thecommunity. Te rst group o inmates, superhumanscollected rom various other penitentiaries in the

ederal prison system, arrived in July 1978.

HE EIGH IESBy December o that year Warden Wildman

was condent enough to begin accepting inmatesrom the states, but he required the states to

transport the prisoner to Stronghold in the NewMexico desert. It soon became obvious that thiswas an untenable situation; over hal the time theprisoner ound a way to escape during transport,or was rescued by his supervillainous colleagues.

In an effort to eliminate this problem, in 1980Warden Wildman got Congress to authorize and

und the creation o the Stronghold SuperhumanPrisoner ransport System (SSP S), a superhu-man prisoner transport service available to allstates or a minimal ee. Setting up the programinvolved making technological advances in someo Stronghold’s restraint devices, though thosechanges did not lter back to the prison’s built-intechnology right away — in act, they weren’t ullyincorporated until the major rebuilding and rede-sign o 1991-92 (see below) made that possible.

Te early Eighties were a learning periodor Dr. Wildman and his staff. No one had ever

created a super-prison be ore, so they were con-stantly breaking new ground and sometimes

made mistakes. Te worst o these was a 1982security oversight that led to the rst major escape

rom Stronghold, a breakout that let hal a dozenprisoners go ree (though two were quickly recap-tured). Tis led to some wavering o condence inthe warden and his prison, but Wildman calmedCongressional ears and proceeded to makeStronghold better and more secure.

In 1986 Stronghold incorporated a new tech-

nology — hot sleep, a method o inducing whatamounted to a coma to keep certain prisonersrestrained. It had become apparent to Warden Wild-man and his staff that some supervillains were so power ul that even Stronghold couldn’t be expectedto hold them or long. Hot sleep was developed or just such prisoners, since it in effect “put them tosleep” or the duration o their sentences, making itimpossible or them to cause trouble. Te prisoners’rights community reacted with outrage to this devel-opment, in part out o concerns that it might becomestandard practice in the ederal prison systemgenerally. In 1989 the Supreme Court ruled that inappropriate circumstances hot sleep did not violatethe Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel andpunishment (see page 26).

1990: HE GREA S RONGHOLDBREAKOU

As the Nineties dawned, Stronghold suffered theworst disaster in its history, an episode now knownsimply as “the Great Stronghold Breakout.” Althoughsome have described it as a ailure in the generalconcept or execution o the Stronghold project, mostindicators are that it was the result o a series o un or-tunate coincidences and mishaps.

On the evening o October 16, 1990 Strongholdwas in the grip o a mini-epidemic. Nearly hal theguards and other personnel were laid up with a viru-lent strain o the u that had spread quickly throughthe prison population. Warden Wildman, himselstricken with the illness, had contacted the Bureau oPrisons or temporary rein orcements, but preparingguards to work at the super-prison and then get themthere was not an overnight task.

o make matters worse, a reak thunderstormrolled in, pelting the Stronghold region with heavyrain. Te rain itsel wouldn’t have caused any prob-lems, but at 8:17 PM the acility took a direct hit roma lightning bolt power ul enough to short out most oits electrical systems. In some cases this lef prisonerslocked in cells or rooms whose doors would no longeropen... but in others it caused those same doors toopen spontaneously. Even worse, the power negationsystems began to work sporadically; somehow thepower outage had affected parts o that subsystemeven though it had its own power supply.

Tings soon began to get out o hand. Control-ling the prisoners would have been difficult enoughwith a ull staff, but the guards were on a skeletoncrew due to the u epidemic. By 8:45 PM the inmatesachieved their rst major gain, taking over two wingso Delta Level altogether. Warden Wildman issued acall or superhero assistance, but due to damage romthe lightning bolt and inter erence rom the storm

his request only reached the Cali ornia Patrol, whichassembled and headed toward New Mexico.







Stronghold 3

Tings went rom bad to worse feen minuteslater. Wildman and his staff might have containedthe situation long enough or help to arrive, sinceLevel 1 and the aboveground acility were lockeddown and still under official control. But at 9:00PM an arriving prisoner transport, unable to seethe acility due to the blackout and buffetted by theintense winds o the thunderstorm, crashed intothe aboveground acility. Te six prisoners on the

transport were able to escape immediately......and were soon ollowed by over three dozenrom within the prison itsel . Te crash stressed

the already-strained systems and personnel to thepoint o ailure, allowing the villains who’d massedon Delta Level to regain ull use o their powersand make a break or it. Loosely led by Blackstar othe Ultimates, on the way they reed whoever elsethey quickly could. Once they made it outside, thegroup soon split up, with villains making their ownway back to civilization in ones, twos, and threes.Te Cali ornia Patrol arrived in time to prevent thebreakout rom becoming worse, but the un ortu-nate truth o the matter was that over 40 hardenedsupervillains were on the loose once more.

Te afermath o the Great Stronghold Break-out was not kind to Charles Wildman. While manyo the events that contributed to the Breakout,such as the u and the thunderstorm, were totallybeyond his control, the American public wanteda scapegoat. A Senate investigation committee

aulted him or what it labeled “errors” and “mis- judgments,” including a general ailure to betteroversee the design and maintenance o the prison’selectrical systems. Te disgraced Wildman, bewil-dered at this turn o events and deeply saddened bythe tragedy, was orced to resign.

1991 AND BEYONDTe Bureau o Prisons appointed a twenty-year

veteran prison adminstrator, Peter Kennedy, to takecontrol o Stronghold. Te rst item on WardenKennedy’s agenda was rebuilding. Since much o theprison had been damaged or destroyed during theBreakout, Kennedy saw an opportunity to redesignkey systems, implement technological advances, andexpand the acility. Congress approved his request ornew unding and work began. Because o the need tokeep prisoners (including some escapees, who werecaptured by superheroes when they returned to theirold ways) secure, the work took longer than it other-wise would have. But by 1995, Stronghold was a newplace — larger, stronger, and more efficient than ever.

Compared to the intelligent and rm-but-compassionate Charles Wildman, Warden Kennedywas strict, ofen harsh in his judgments, and notwell-liked. He thought discipline and procedureshad become lax under his predecessor and set outto correct the problem. Te result was not popularwith either the staff or inmates, but it seemed to getStronghold back on track and moving orward.

Kennedy ran a oul o his own methods in2001. A disgruntled guard named ed Waldrop,on job probation and expecting to be red soon,went down to Level Eight, used a knockout drug-

laced bottle o water to render the guard uncon-

scious, and turned off Grond’s hot sleep coffin.Te enraged, unthinking brute killed Waldrop andsmashed his way out o Stronghold be ore enoughguards could be mobilized to stop him. Tanks to

ast work by the guards on duty, only two otherinmates were able to escape at the same time.Although he vigorously de ended his administra-tion o the prison, Kennedy was removed rom hisposition by higher-ups at the Bureau o Prisons.

o get Stronghold back on track, the Bureauturned to a amiliar name: Wildman. But this time itwas the prison’s ounder’s son, Arthur Wildman, whotook the helm. Te choice was politically unpopular insome circles, but no one could deny Arthur Wildman’sstellar track record as an academic and prison admin-istrator. As his rst duties the new Warden Wildmanrevised several security procedures so that no one elsecould do what Waldrop had done, and revamped thepsychological screening procedures used as part o theguard hiring process.

Since then, Stronghold has run on an even keelunder Warden Wildman’s supervision. Tere havebeen no other breakouts (though two villains didescape rom SSP S vehicles at separate times), andother disturbances (such as riots and hostage situa-tions) have been minimal and easily resolved. Wild-man has plans to upgrade the prison’s acilities andtechnologies over the coming hal -decade, and haswon Congressional approval or the necessary budgetincreases. Te uture o Stronghold seems assured.








V iewed rom overhead, the overall shapeo the Stronghold is a stretched hexagon,with the lengthened sides oriented north-south. Te outer section, known simply

as the Outer Ring, contains the acilities supportareas and is not covered by Stronghold’s powernegation systems. Te central area, called theInner Court, is covered by power negation elds.It’s the closest thing Stronghold has to a prisonyard, though prisoners don’t get to walk around init reely — they see it mainly during their arrivaland intake. Beneath the open yard are under-ground levels extending deep into the mesa which

house the prison proper.

THE ABOVEGROUNDFACILITIES

The Outer RingTe Outer Ring is divided into the North and

South Annexes and the East and West Hubs (thoughthe latter are commonly known as the ransporta-tion Hub and Administration Hub, respectively).

HE ANNEXESTe annexes are trapezoidal in shape, and ter-

race in a downward slope at the outer ends; they’re11 stories high at their tallest point. A central“well” in each annex is open to the sky, provid-ing resh air, natural light, and a place or prisonpersonnel to enjoy the outdoors without having toleave the prison.

Te annexes contain the living quarters,recreation areas, accommodations, and amenitiesthat allow the staff o the prison to live in such anisolated location (though some prison personnelchoose to live with their amilies in the nearby

town o Burns and commute to work). Staff hous-ing units (single-person apartments) are located atthe outer edges o the annexes. Te annex’s interi-ors contain diversions or off-duty personnel — aas gymnasium, a theater, classrooms, and a ewcommercial shops. Tere’s even a Scarlet Archer’srestaurant here, along with a hand ul o smallereateries (a couple o which are run part-time byprison staff).

Te annexes are sel supporting communities,much like small towns. Over time they’ve devel-oped a healthy rivalry (the Northies versus theSouthies) that plays out in sports competitions,

riendly mockery, and the like.

HE HUBSTe hubs are more rectangular in shape, and

slope on the outer edges (to east and west) at asteep angle. Tey also rise slightly higher than theannexes to 13 stories. Te hubs have open sec-tions within them like the ones in the annexes,but which are also used to circulate air into theprison’s underground levels.

Te hubs are the support acilities or theprison. Te western hub, better known as theAdministration Hub, contains Stronghold’sadministrative offices, temporary housing or VIP visitors, and the like. Te eastern hub, or rans-

portation Hub, is where staff, visitors, and sup-plies enter the acility, and so on. It also includes ahangar or the prison’s vehicles, and the majorityo the prison’s storage rooms, abrication acilities,and in rastructure support systems (such as waterstorage and circulation equipment).

The Inner CourtTe Inner Court is located in the center o the

Outer Ring and is surrounded by a ring o powernegation systems and similar devices that’s knownas “the Perimeter Fence.” At the our corners o the

Perimeter ence are 16-story tall Weapons ArrayPlat orms, colloquially knowns as “Zap owers”by the prison population. Te Zap owers can rea power ul bolt o pulson energy (Energy Blast24d6, 600” range, No Range Modier) anywherewithin the Inner Court or or over a kilometeroutside the prison. Tey’re primarily intended toprevent escapes, but can also be red at supervillains trying to break a riend out. Tey’reunmanned; guards control them rom Main Secu-rity. (See map, page 56.)

Aside rom the Main Power acility, the solebuilding in the Inner Court is Main Security,which connects to the Outer Ring primarily by

elevated walkways. Atop Main Security is theIntake/Processing Center (see page 63).Set into the ground o the Inner Court are

small squares o transparent material (the samematerial used or the prison cell doors). Teyallow natural light into parts o Level One.

LAYOUT







Stronghold 4

STRONGHOLD PROPERTe actual prison portions o Stronghold is

underground, in ten compartmentalized levels,each o which is isolated rom the others by noless than our meters o solid rock. Te levels weredesigned to prevent the prisoners rom being ableto work together to escape, not or increased effi-ciency. Tis makes Stronghold an unusual prison

with a high staff to prisoner ratio, but the goalo keeping supervillains securely locked away isworth the expense and effort.

Level OneLevel One is six meters below the sur ace

o the Inner Court. It contains all the acilitiesrequired or prisoner services, including: theSports and Activity Center; the Medical Facility;the Visitation Center; various classrooms andmeeting areas; the Dining Hall and the kitchen;and three other auditorium-style halls. Level One

is two stories tall, thus allowing or catwalks in theauditorium and dining areas rom which guardscan watch the prisoners; a ew areas (such as theKitchen) use elevated shelving with stairways toincrease their amount o storage space.

All Level One areas are accessed rom eitherthe Main Corridor or the “Block” Corridors.Te Main Corridor is a square corridor aroundthe center area, with each o its our componenthallways re erred to as a “Leg” named or theappropriate cardinal direction (North, East, South,West). Te Block Corridors branch off rom theLegs in the our cardinal directions and are named

or the cellblocks they connect with (A, B, C, D).

For example, the Dining Hall is in the northeast-ern corner o the main area, and the entrance toit is on the East Leg near where it intersects theNorth Leg; the entrance to Classroom Alley is onthe east side o Block Corridor A.

HE AUDI ORIUMSLevel One eatures three Auditoriums. Te

largest (at nearly 100 by 50 meters) is SolariumHall, so called because the plastic inserts in theground o the Inner Court allow sunlight into thisroom at certain times o the day (though inmatesare rarely in the room at those times). It’s at thecenter o Level One’s prisoner-accessible areas

and is directly in ront o the Guard ower. Onecatwalk runs through the upper center o theroom north-south, and three equidistantly spacedrun east-west. Solarium Hall is where any largegathering o prisoners takes place, such as when








someone puts on a concert or play or the inmates.It eatures retractable auditorium seating thatcan hold 200 inmates. Te auditorium was made

amous by Jack Remington’s 1996 live album Rock-ing the Solarium (on which Bulldozer can in a-mously be heard booing the country singer duringhis per ormance o a new song, “Te Long Walk”).

Well-known rapper JuJu B is said to be negotiatingto per orm here sometime in 2008.

Level One also eatures two smaller auditori-ums, Wilkins (named afer a beloved staff memberwho passed away in 2001) and a mostly vacant onesimply known as Auditorium Tree. Both are typi-cally used or smaller or more in ormal gather-







Stronghold 4

ings, such as classes too large or Classroom Alleyor certain worship services.

SPOR S AND AC IVI Y CEN ERhe Sports and Activity Center provides the

prisoners with a way to bleed o some aggres-sive eelings through intra-prison competitionbetween quad teams. Any use o the Center hasto be scheduled in advance, and usually involvestournament brackets drawn up by the prisonsta . he main sport is basketball, thoughthere’s some room or other orms o athleticcompetition. Inmates’ requests or a boxing or

martial arts tournament have been latly deniedby Warden Wildman on several occasions.

HE MEDICAL FACILI YTe Medical Facility is situated in the A-D

Quadrant o Level One, and unlike most parts oLevel One it’s only a single story tall in most areas.Security is a special consideration here, since inmatesneeding medical care ofen can’t be restrained aseasily as they can in lower levels, and some o themore intelligent inmates could make deadly weaponsout o the various chemicals and devices here. I pos-sible, every inmate seeking immediate medical care








is accompanied at all times by a single guard whostays with him during the entire treatment process.Once it’s determined that an inmate requires longer-term care he can be put in one o the recovery rooms,which are similar to cells in many respects.

Te Medical acility has three sections: therauma Ward, which is used or trauma (cuts and

severe illnesses) and recovery rom trauma; the Non-Critical Ward, which is or patients with scrapes,breaks, and other largely non-li e-threatening inju-ries and illnesses; and the Restricted Area, where the

medical staff works and much o the chemical andpharmaceutical supplies are located.

I an inmate needs immediate assistance, theguards bring him to the entrance at the north-northwest corner o the Main Corridor, whichleads into the riage Area. Te nurses there directthe patient into either the rauma Ward (to theright/north) or the Non-Critical Care Ward (to thelef/south). At least one guard is stationed here atall times, with replacements summoned immedi-ately when one o them has to leave.







Stronghold 4

Te rauma WardSevere injuries go immediately into the rauma

Ward. rauma has its own nurse station at theentrance o this ward, and another on-duty guard atall times. raumatic injury patients are taken imme-diately to the rauma Rooms across rom the Nursestation. I the injury is too serious or the raumaRoom, the nurses sedate and stabilize the patient andthen send him directly to the operating room.

Behind the trauma rooms are recoveryrooms where inmates stay during short-term

recovery. “Short term” generally means “less thana day” — the administration and correctionsstaff are leery o allowing prisoners to remainoutside their cells or long periods o time. I apatient’s recover requires more time than this(as in the current case o Cybermind, who’s ina deep coma), he’s taken to the adjacent Long

erm Care area, where the rooms are very similarto cells. Tis is still not considered desirable bythe administration and corrections staff as thecells do not have the ull structural containment








advantages o the cellblocks. Te medical staffmust noti y the administration o its desire to putanyone in Long erm Care and receive approvalto do so. Tis occasionally leads to clashesbetween the doctors and the Warden’s staff.

Further into the rauma Ward are acilitiesdesigned with the long-term care o the inmatesin mind. Tis includes a shower area and assistedrestroom acilities (with enough room or guards

to stabilize prisoners). Tere are also two imag-ing rooms (an MRI ring and a “radiology”department that uses non-radioactive alterna-tives due to obvious issues with superhumansand radiation) and a wound-care station whereany debridement takes place.Non-Critical Care

I a medical problem doesn’t quali y as atrauma (such as sprains and some breaks, bac-

teriological in ections, most illnesses, and thelike), a patient is sent to an examination roomsin the Non-Critical Care Ward. hese roomsare, like their equivalents in civilian hospitals,merely screened o rom one another by cur-tains but still have ample room or sta , patient,and guard. Most injuries and other medicalconditions are treated here and the patient sentback to his cell or quad quickly.

Inmates who schedule medical or dentalprocedures, such as annual check-ups orcoming in or sick call, also go to the Non-Crit-ical Care area, but through a door o the WestLeg that leads into a waiting room. ( his dooris locked in the standard Stronghold ashionand thus not guarded.) his area is pressed intoservice to handle patient over low in the evento emergencies. O o the examination room







Stronghold 4

are rooms assigned to the various specialties:Optical, Dental, Gynecology, Coronary Care,Physical Examination and the aptly-named Mis-cellaneous Procedures.Te Restricted Area

Behind the rauma and Non-Critical CareWards is the Restricted Area, connected bylock chambers (similar to the lock chamberson the cellblock levels). It contains a lounge,two lab areas, and a preparation area or themedical sta . Behind a transparent wall on thewestern ace o the corridor that leads into theNon-Critical Care Lock is a security station thatmonitors all cameras and passcard telemetrydata rom in the Medical Facility.Psychiatric Care

Generally speaking Stronghold is not set upto provide long-term care or patients with severemental illness (but any villain that disturbed canprobably be cared or at a standard psychiatrichospital using drugs that render him unable toharm anyone). Counseling and therapy sessions

can be held in the classrooms as needed.

CLASSROOM ALLEYClassroom Alley is a section o Level One off

o the Block-A Corridor where inmates can take various educational classes periodically offered bythe prison, including GED classes or inmates whodon’t have high school diplomas. On rare occa-sions the Warden has allowed an inmate to givea one-session class or provide the lecture or onemeeting o an ongoing class. When the classroomsaren’t in use no guard is stationed here; any classin session has at least one guard present.

HE DINING HALLStronghold’s Dining Hall can accommodate

a maximum o 300 prisoners, which is usuallymore than sufficient (overcrowding is handled byestablishing a dining rotation). A catwalk rings theroom so guards can watch the inmates both romabove and at ground level.

HE VISI A ION CEN ERDue to Stronghold’s isolated locations,

most inmates don’t get many visitors. But when








someone does come to see a prisoner, they getto interact at the Visitation Center. A DEF 8,BODY 8 wall divides the Center into two areas:the Inmate erminus and the Visitor’s ermi-nus. Inmates enter their part o the Center romLevel One; they’re escorted there by a guardand must pass through a security booth. At thebooth the inmate is “checked in” to con irm thathe has a scheduled visit. At least one guard is

present in the booth (which is soundproo ed)during any visit and can watch (but not over-hear) the inmate and his visitor; guards are notallowed in the Inmate erminus itsel because oattorney-client con identiality. Visitors enter viaa stairway rom the ransportation Hub.

Te dividing wall prevents any physical con-tact between an inmate and his visitors and orcesthem to communicate via phone; Stronghold doesnot allow conjugal visits or anything similar. Isomeone has the pull (political or otherwise) tocome into physical contact with an inmate, thatsort o meeting is held in the inmate’s cell or someother highly secure area.

NON PRISONER FACILI IESLevel One eatures several acilities or

resources that prisoners are not allowed access to.Tese include the kitchen, the laundry, parts o themain power plant, and some staff-only stairwaysand elevators.

The Cellblock LevelsBelow Level One are the cellblock levels, wo

to Nine, though they’re usually re erred to by aGreek letter designation (Alpha-1, Alpha-2, Beta-1,Beta-2, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, and Omega,respectively). Unlike Level One, which sprawlsacross the entire area under the Inner Court, thecellblock levels are designed in a “cross” pattern,with our arms projecting in the cardinal directionsaway rom a central hub, the Guard ower. Eachleg o the cross is lined with cells. Te north- acingcellblock is designated Cellblock A, and the others(in clockwise rotation) are B, C, and D. Betweencellblocks A and D and B and C are the irregularlyshaped areas known as “quads,” where prisonersspend much o their recreation time (see below).

Each o the cellblock levels is 12 meters (6”)in height and can be thought o as divided into

three sublevels: an upper one two meters (1”)tall, where guard observation areas are located; amiddle or “oor” one six meters (3”) tall, wherethe cells and quads are; and a lower one ourmeters (2”) tall, sometimes known as the “moat,”that’s a part o the containment strategy in thewings themselves.

Te cellblock levels are organized accordingto Danger level and Escape Risk (see page 64),with inmates o similar ratings grouped together(and o course some wings are emale-only).Stronghold tries to group prisoners to ll the cell-blocks and avoid hal -occupied blocks, but basedon the current inmate population this isn’t alwayspossible. Te level arrangements are:

Level Alpha-1 (2): Blue and Green-level Dangerinmates o no more than Level 2 Escape Risk Level Alpha-2 (3): Green and Yellow-level Dangerinmates o no more than Level 2 Escape Risk Level Beta-1 (4): Yellow-level Danger inmates ono more than Level 3 Escape Risk Level Beta-2 (5): Yellow-level Danger inmates ono more than Level 4 Escape Risk

Level Gamma (6): Yellow-level Danger inmates oLevel 5 Escape Risk Level Delta (7): Orange-level Danger inmates o nomore than Level 3 Escape Risk Level Epsilon (8): Orange-level Danger inmates oLevels 4-5 Escape Risk Level Omega (9): Red-level Danger inmates o anyEscape Risk level

HE GUARD OWERTe Guard ower is the central hub o each o

the cellblock levels. While “the” Guard ower runsthrough all o the levels in the exact same congu-ration and is generally re erred to in the singular,it’s compartmentalized, with one level kept sepa-rate rom the others (though they’re connected bystairs and an elevator).

Generally the only time a prisoner gets intothe Guard ower is when he takes the Long Walkto his cell during his intake. Otherwise prison-ers are kept out o the Guard ower; they use thestairways at the ends o the cellblock wings to goup and down. Exceptions are sometimes madewhen the guards need to move large numbers oinmates quickly, such as during an escape attemptwhen there’s a lockdown (see page 75), but even

then guards pre er only to let Green- and Yellow-rated inmates into the ower.Te Sublevels

Each level o the ower has three “oors” orsublevels, as discussed above and shown on theaccompanying map. Te upper sublevel includesconsoles rom which the guards monitor camerason that level and control the opening and closingo cell doors (and rom which they can look outover the cellblock via a window), a lounge andrestrooms or the guards working on that level,and access corridors leading to the “secure areas”overlooking that level’s quads.

Te upper sublevel doesn’t have any access tothe cellblock wings themselves; those are ound onlyon the middle sublevel, which includes the eleva-tor entrance and two “isolation rooms” that can beused or prisoner interrogation or similar purposes.Access to and rom the cellblock wings requires aguard to pass through a “lock chamber” that requireshim to open two electronically-locked doors usinghis electronic card-key (each level’s doors can also beopened rom the upper sublevel control console, or amaster control console in Main Security).

Te lower sublevel is mainly an “in rastruc-ture” level. It includes backup power generation,li e support, and communications/monitoring

systems or that level.







Stronghold 4








HE CELLBLOCKSTe cellblocks, not surprisingly, contain the

prisoners’ cells. Each cellblock is a roughly rectan-gular cylinder approximately 10 meters (5”) wideby 76 meters (38”) long and as tall as the level (12meters [6”]). A two meter-wide catwalk, known asthe “main catwalk,” runs rom the middle sublevelo the Guard ower down the entire length o thecellblock. Te cells are set directly into the rock-

ace in a staggered orientation and are level withthe main catwalk.

Most o a cellblock’s space is open air, part othe “proximity protocol” originally developed byCharles Wildman to enhance security by keepinginmates separated as much as possible. A cell isnot directly connected to the main catwalk mosto the time; i an inmate somehow got his celldoor open he’d either have to jump to the catwalk(requiring a jump o our meters [2”]) or dropto the cellblock oor below (a all o our meters[2”]). When the guards want to let an inmate outo his cell, a guard at the control console in theGuard ower extends a catwalk rom the maincatwalk directly to that inmate’s cell so he cansa ely walk out.

Te “moat” — the empty space below themain catwalk and the oor o the cells — is gener-ally eatureless and has no entries or exits. I aninmate jumps, alls, or is knocked off a catwalk,the guards have to use a ladder or a rope to gethim out.

Te cells are numbered 1 through 18, withodd numbers on the right hand side and evennumbers on the lef as one looks down the cell-block rom the Guard ower. See page 57 or morein ormation about the cells. On some levels one

or more cellblocks have one or more cells thatare larger than normal to accomodate villains ogreater than human size.

HE REAR CORRIDORSBeyond each cellblocks is a rear corridor

that grants access to the cellblock elevator (whichonly the guards can use), the cellblock stairwell(actually a circular ramp, not true stairs), and thecellblock’s quad.

HE QUADSTe quads, or dayrooms, are where the pris-

oners spend much o their time. Each cellblock

level has two quads, one serving cellblocks Aand D, the other serving cellblocks B and C. Tequads are accessed rom the rear corridor o thecellblocks; they’re not connected to one anotheron the same level or rom level to level. Structur-ally a quad has two sublevels: the upper sublevel,with a secure area where the guards watch overthe activities o the inmates; and a lower sublevelwhose oor is six meters (3”) below the securearea’s oor.

In the center o a quad is a raised area withtwo large televisions; the guards control what’sshown on the Vs, and usually try to avoid any-thing too violent or lewd. Arranged around the

raised area are tables (one-, two-, and our-person







Stronghold 5

















The oremost concern on the minds oeveryone associated with Stronghold,

rom Warden Wildman all the way downto the janitorial sta , is security. he

purpose o Stronghold is to keep hundreds o very power ul, very dangerous superhumanslocked up so society is sa e rom them, and thatrequires security. As with an ordinary prison,to a large extent Stronghold’s security measures

ocus on keeping inmates inside and as harmlessas possible. But since supervillains are some-times the subject o e orts to break them out oprison, Stronghold also has to keep itsel secure

rom break-ins. Stronghold’s external securitymeasures mainly apply to the latter threat, itsinternal security measures to the ormer.

Naturally, Stronghold’s guards are an impor-tant part o its security as well. See page 82 ormore in ormation about them.

EXTERNAL SECURITY Stronghold primarily relies on our types

o external security monitoring: guards; radar;sonar; and motion/vibration sensors.

GUARD S A IONS

Stronghold’s simplest external security mea-sure is stationing guards outside with high-poweredbinoculars to keep an eye on the surroundingregion. In addition to guards posted at the doors othe acility, Stronghold has built our small guardstations on the edge o Devil’s Head Mesa, oneat each cardinal point o the compass. Each canaccomodate two guards com ortably, is equippedwith a kitchenette and a bathroom, and is linkedto the prison proper by telephone and an audio- video closed-circuit television system. Te guardsuse large, tripod-mounted binoculars that allowthem to see clearly or a kilometer ( elescopic: +14 versus the Range Modier or the Sight Group).Each guard station is DEF 5, BODY 15.

RADARo detect incoming aircraf, ying or tunneling

superhumans, or the like, Stronghold has a power ullinked radar system that combines both standardaerial radar and ground-penetrating radar to sur-round the prison in a 720-degree sensory sphere.It’s most accurate within two kilometers but canstill perceive objects with acceptable accuracy atmuch urther distances. Te aerial radar is located inStronghold itsel , while the GPR depends on a serieso concealed ground-based units built in a perimeter

on and around Devil’s Head Mesa.

Stronghold Linked Radar System: Radar(Radio Group), Increased Arc Of Perception(360 Degrees), elescopic (+16 versus Range Modier) (28 Active Points); IIF Immobile(aerial radar equipment is Obvious; -1¼), Affected As Sight Group As Well As RadioGroup (-½). otal cost: 10 points.

SONARBecause some superhumans can evade radar,

Stronghold also has a sonar net. However, thesonar only covers the aboveground areas; it cannotpenetrate into the earth like the radar can.

Stronghold Sonar System: Sonar (HearingGroup), Increased Arc Of Perception (360Degrees), elescopic (+16 versus Range Modi- er) (28 Active Points); OIF Immobile (-1½).

otal cost: 11 points.

Electronic CountermeasuresStronghold’s radar, sonar, and communica-

tions systems are hardened against inter erenceor jamming.

Electronic Hardening: Power Defense (15 points) (15 Active Points); IIF Immobile (-1¼)(total cost: 7 points) plus Radio Group FlashDefense (15 points) (15 Active Points); IIFImmobile (-1¼) (total cost: 7 points). otalcost: 14 points.

MO ION/VIBRA ION SENSORSAs i the ground-penetrating radar weren’t

enough o a problem or anyone trying to breakinto Stronghold, the prison has placed motion/ vibration sensors in a two-kilometer perimeteraround the acility. hey not only register whena vehicle comes driving along the one groundroad that leads to the prison, they’re sensi-tive enough to detect things like a burrowingbadger. he ground units that are a part o the

system are well-concealed.Stronghold Motion/Vibration Detection System:Detect Physical Vibrations (IN Roll +6)( ouch Group), Discriminatory, Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees), Range, argeting, elescopic (+16 versus Range Modi- er) (49 Active Points); IIF Immobile (-1¼), Affected As Sight Group As Well As ouchGroup (-½). otal cost: 18 points.

SECURITY







Stronghold 5

INTERNAL SECURITY O ar more interest to most o the inmates

are the internal security measures that keep themconned and powerless. More than one Stronghold“resident” has vowed to track down the man whoinvented power negation technology and kill him.

WALLS AND DOORSAt its most undamental, a prison is all about

thick walls and heavy doors. In Stronghold thewalls are primarily made rom a super-tech metal-and-ceramic composite that’s highly resistant toimpact, cutting, burning, and blasting. o somepeople it has a distinctive eel, a sort o mild oilyslickness when one runs one’s ngertips along it;to other it eels more or less like ordinary granite.

Besides the strength o the walls themselves,in the underground parts o Stronghold manywalls (including all cell walls) are backed up bysolid rock (possibly dozens or hundreds o eeto it). Just being able to smash “through” a walldoesn’t necessarily benet a supervillain i hedoesn’t have a way to tunnel through rock.

Most non-cell doors in Stronghold are metal,with heavy hinges, though some in the above-ground level are the more typical sort o wooden

office door. ypically their use is controlled by anelectronic card-key system to prevent unauthor-ized access. Tey can also be opened rom thecontrol console in each Guard ower or the mastersecurity office in Main Security. Some doors lead-ing into highly-secured areas (such as the vaultwhere villains’ Foci are stored) also require a n-gerprint or retina print scan to open.

In game terms, Stronghold’s standard wallsare DEF 10, BODY 10. Each door is DEF 10,BODY 5. Bypassing a door’s lock requires a Lock-picking roll at -4 at the lock itsel , or a ComputerProgramming roll at -4 rom a central security sta-tion such as the Guard ower. Electronics servesas a Complementary Skill or either roll.

HE POWER NEGA ION SYS EMUnquestionably Stronghold’s most important

security measure, and the one most hated by theinmates, is the power negation system. Te prison’scurrent power negation technology is a couple ogenerations beyond what was rst installed when theprison was built. Its design is primarily credited toan Angelstone Laboratories physicist, Dr. QuentinCross. For that reason it’s sometimes re erred to as a“Cross device,” though the list o superhero scientistswho also contributed to the development project is

ar too long to include here.Every single part o the underground levels

o Stronghold, and many areas in the aboveg-round level (including the intake acility and anyother part where a supervillain might be taken)is covered by the power negation devices. Tey’retypically built next to the ceiling lighting units andgive the light coming rom them a slight bluishtinge. I a villain needs to be taken into an areawithout power negators installed, temporary unitsthat create a 25 oot (4”) radius o power negationcan be used in that area. Stronghold guards moni-tor the power negation system every day usingsmall handheld sensors to make sure there are no“dead spots” or mal unctioning units. How Te Power Negators Work

Described simply, Stronghold’s power negationsystem prevents the use o any superpowers withinthe area it covers. Understanding exactly how it doesthis requires several advanced degrees in physics, butin layman’s terms a negator works simultaneously ontwo levels. First, it affects superhumans neurologi-cally, preventing them rom “accessing” or “trigger-ing” their powers even though they know they havethem. Second, it somehow alters the abric o reality

such that even i a superhuman could access/triggerhis powers, they would not unction. Tus, it couldbe said that a Cross device affects both the “source”and “mani estation” o a superpower at once.

Everything is blue here.I don’t mean sad, though I suppose a few

people feel that way. I mean, literally, blue. Thepower negation generators are mounted alongsidethe lighting units. Somehow their energy changesthe color of the fluorescence ever so slightly,giving it a bluish tint in place of the usual white-

yellow. Adrian’s skin look like it’s really made ofice in here, and the blue makes some of the jump-

suits, particularly the orange one, look hideous. Sometimes it’s difficult to remember what

proper lighting looks like anymore.

Some days I can feel the power suppressionfield like a weight across my shoulders. I knowit’s just energy, not even visible energy or energythat burns, but it surrounds me and smothers me —how could I not feel it?

Sometimes I push back against the weight. Istrain and strain, reaching through it trying tograsp the power that once was mine, and oneday will be again. But no matter what I try, it’sstill there, like a pile of wet blankets I can’t liftoff of me or wriggle out from under. I cannotescape it; it’s as omnipresent as air, and just aseasy to punch.








Additional MeasuresO course, not every superpower

is susceptible to the power negationsystem because it doesn’t involveconsciously accessing a superpoweror per orming an action. Te classicexample are bestial supervillains withhorns or claws. In that case Strongholddevises whatever other security mea-

sures it must, always remaining awareo the Eighth Amendment implications.For instance, a supervillain with hornswould have them capped and paddedso they’re as harmless as possible.Power Negation In Game erms

In HERO System terms, a Strong-hold power negator works somethinglike this:Suppress 20d6, all Powers simul-taneously (+2), all Special Effectssimultaneously (+2), Area Of Effect(50” Radius; +1); OIF Immobile, No

Range (-½).he device’s END cost is paid

by the prison’s power system; i itcan’t get electricity or some reason,it stops working. Due to the size othe Area O E ect, in most parts oStronghold two or more power nega-tion ields overlap.

echnically a 20d6 effect may notbe enough to ully Suppress every super-power that every inmate possesses. How-ever, or dramatic purposes Strongholdgets to take advantage o the AbsoluteEffects Rule: by denition the powernegators are strong enough to completelyshut off any superpowers within theiraffected area... unless and until the GMrules otherwise.

For purposes o the power negators,here’s what qualies as a “superpower”:

anything an average person wouldconsider a “superpower,” such asEsper’s psionic abilities, Catran’s super-strength, Cybermind’s cyberkineticpowers, Zephyr’s ability to y, or Firew-ing’s energy bolts

all physical Primary Characteristicabove 15, PD and ED above 8, or SPDabove 3. (An inmate’s IN , EGO, PRE,and COM are generally not affectedunless they represent some sort o super-power instead o an innate capability.)Te power negators automatically reducethese Characteristics to those levels.

Te power negators do not affectknowledge, Skills, or Skill Rolls, except(a) where those Skills represent powersor innate super-abilities rather thanlearned abilities, and (b) inso ar asreducing a high Characteristic affects a

person’s Skill Rolls. Tey do, however,







Stronghold 5

affect Powers dened as “learned abilities,” such asa martial artist’s Find Weakness “skill” o hittinghis targets with pinpoint accuracy.Power Negator Weak Spots

No system, technological or human, is per-ect. Stronghold’s power negators, as power ul and

well-maintained as they are, still have some awsthat inmates periodically try to exploit: Magic: Magic by its very nature dees and warps

reality. Tat means no device, no matter how well-designed, can always ully cope with the possibili-ties o the arcane. Stronghold requently consultswith mystic superheroes, such as Witchcraf, andhas them place wards and guards on the prisonto keep magically-powered supervillains undercontrol, but even so about hal o the escapes andescape attempts that have occurred during the li eo the prison have involved magical power in oneway or another.

Overloading Te System: Even a device as pow-er ul as a power negator can be overloaded, giventhe right circumstances. In short: depending onthe needs o the story, it might be possible or one villain, or a group o villains acting in concert,to nd a way to try to activate their powers thatwould eventually “short out” a negator. (See page113 or more in ormation.) Acclimatization: Just like a drug addict can, over

time, become used to (and even require) doses o adrug so power ul that they would have killed him ihe’d taken them when he rst started using that drug,it may be that some supervillains can “get used to”the effects o a power negator over long periods otime. Eventually their powers wouldn’t be affected byit, or would be affected at a lower level.

Resistance: Tere aren’t many villains out therewith enough resistance to power negation effects(in game terms: Power De ense) to put a dentin how the Stronghold power negators affectthem... but they do exist. I Stronghold believes aninmate has, or is developing, a higher than normaldegree o resistance to the power negators, it mayalso require him to wear a Power Negator Collar(see page 33) or other restraints to make sure hedoesn’t become dangerous.

CAMERASIn many cases, the best security is just to keep

a close eye on inmates so they can’t start trouble(or so the guards can respond to the trouble theydo start as quickly as possible). In Stronghold,every cell, every public area used by the prisonersin the underground levels, and most public areasin the aboveground level are monitored by cam-eras. Very little goes on in Stronghold that isn’twatched, directly or indirectly, by the guards.

CELLSTe most secure areas in Stronghold tend to

be the cells in which individual de endants areincarcerated. Each de endant has his own cell;there’s no double-bunking or sharing o cells. Cellsprovide security in several ways:Walls And Doors

Te back and side walls o Stronghold cellsare made o the same super-tech metal-and-ceramic composite as the standard walls, but inan even stronger orm. Each cell is surrounded bysolid rock; cells do not share a common wall witheach other.

Stronghold’s cell doors and cell ront walls aremade o a thick, clear super-tech plastic that’s astough as the material used to make the walls. Tisallows the guards to see into the cells easily. Celldoors can only be opened rom the Guard ower,or by an individual guard using an authorizedkey-card. Te guards in the Guard ower canalso polarize the ront wall and door, rendering itopaque so the inmate inside cannot see out (but,

conversely, the guards cannot see in).In game terms, Stronghold cell walls have DEF20, BODY 12. Te door itsel is DEF 12, BODY 6.Standard Power Negation

Every cell in Stronghold has a standard powernegator built into it. Tese devices are checkeddaily to ensure that they’re unctioning properly.Customized Power Negation

In addition to the built-in power negator, iappropriate a cell can be customized to specicallycounteract or negate the powers o the inmateassigned to it. Te tailored negation technologytypically has its own short-term backup powersupply, so it continues to unction or up to onehour even i Stronghold suffers a general power

ailure that affects the standard power negationsystem. Te accompanying text box describessome o the customization packages.Cell Limitations

Stronghold isn’t always able to accomodateprisoners with unusual physiologies. Supervillainswho are extra-dimensional beings, who requirea ull-time special environment (e.g., water-breathers and methane-breathers), who are madeo pure energy, or the like may require specialcontainment acilities dedicated entirely to them— particularly since it may not be possible to subject them to total power negation without killingthem. In these situations the ederal governmenteither builds a special prison just or that being,or arranges or UN IL to imprison them in theGuardhouse (see below), which does have a lim-ited capacity to imprison “unusual” supervillains.

STRONGHOLD CCONFIGURATIO

Here are just a ew othe possible congurtions o Strongholdcells. For game pur-poses many o them dened using the Su press Power, but theymay not literally stop various other Powers

rom working; insteathey may simply maksuch powers useless

or purposes o escaing rom the cell. Foexample, the Anti-Alteration Cell doesnmake it impossible

or the cell’s occupanto use Shrinking — i just surrounds theentire cell with aninterior orce-eld tha Shrunken charactercan’t nd any holes into walk through.

Anti-Alteration Cell(ua orce-eld to coun-teract such powers asStretching, Shrinkingand assuming gaseous

orm): Suppress BodAlteration Powers 10dall Body AlterationPowers simultaneousl

Anti-Clinging Cell(a.k“ eon cell”): SupprClinging 8d6

Anti-Energy Cell: Somcells are designed to bparticularly resistantto a specic orm oenergy, such as Fire/Heat, Electricity, or IcCold. Tis is boughtas +10 DEF with anappropriate Limitation

Anti-Intangibi lity Cell

Affects Desolidied(+½) or DEF 20

Anti-Invisibility Cell:Suppress Invisibility10d6

Anti-Psionic Cell:Mental De ense (30points)

Continued on next








OTHER SUPER-PRISONSWhile Stronghold is the premier super-prison

in the Champions Universe — the rst one built,and the one that all other nations study when theydecide to construct a super-prison o their own —it’s not the only one. Some o the others include:

UN IL: HE GUARDHOUSEA small island in the North Atlantic between

Scotland and Iceland houses the InternationalSuperhuman Correctional Facility, better knownas the Guardhouse — UN IL’s version o Strong-hold. Opened (in a much smaller orm than thecurrent acility) in 1980, the ICSF was built alongthe same lines as its more amous sister prison,substituting hundreds o miles o open ocean orStronghold’s desolate desert. Te acility has itsown generators sunk into a sublevel beneath theisland’s bedrock; ood, resh water, and suppliesare brought by ship every two weeks.

he Guardhouse has ive major areas.he irst is the Outer Wall, a large wall ring-

ing the entire island to prevent rescue attemptsby outsiders; it’s well-lit and -monitored. heonly entrance through the wall is the main dockwhere ships land. he second is the Inner Wall,which surrounds the prison buildings them-selves; it’s even better lit and watched, and pro-tected by concertina wire, motion detectors, andother security devices.

he other three areas are all sections othe prison itsel . he Men’s Facility, the larg-est o the three, holds male supervillains and

any genderless entity UN IL captures. It’s ivestories tall, with a varying number o cells oneach level because the cells themselves are con-

igurable to handle superhumans o di erentsizes, powers, and needs. he Women’s Facil-ity is only three stories tall, but equally secure.Linking the two is the Administrative Building,where the warden, Major Katalin Szabo (Hun-gary), and her sta have their o ices, livingquarters, and the like. Warden Szabo is a stick-ler or precise security procedures; she realizesthe slightest slip could unleash the inmates onan unsuspecting world, and she makes sure herguards realize it as well. he number o guardsand other UN IL personnel depends partly onthe number o inmates, but usually there areat least 200 agents present, all heavily armored(and those outside the cell areas are heavilyarmed, too).

Any member o the United Nations canpetition UN IL to send a prisoner to the Guard-house. Te prison’s Board o Directors votes onall requests, usually granting them unless it eelsthe prisoner is inappropriate or the potentialinmate or due to overcrowding. Once a prisoner isapproved, a squad o UN IL agents picks him upand transports him to the acility.

Anti-Teleport Cell:

Cannot Be EscapedWith eleportation (x2;+½) or DEF 20

Clairsentience-Block -ing Cell: SuppressClairsentience 10d6

Dimensionally-AnchoredCell: Suppress Dimen-sional ManipulationPowers 12d6, all Dimen-sional Manipulationpowers simultaneously

Reinforced Cell: +10 DEF

Warded Cell: SuppressMagic 12d6, allMagic powers/spellssimultaneously

Continued from last page







Stronghold 5

AUS RALIA: HOUSE AIPANhe Australian super-assassin aipan was

tried and convicted in that country or dozenso brutal murders all over the world, includingmany o superheroes. When the court sentencedhim to hot sleep con inement or the durationo his li e, the Australian government decided itneeded a special acility just to hold him due tothe enormous danger he presented. o that end,with the help o consultants rom Stronghold itconstructed a special prison in the Outback ahundred miles rom anything. It holds just oneprisoner: aipan.

Te acility itsel is small and simple; aferall, it doesn’t need to be very large to hold one hotsleep coffin. Te coffin itsel is kept in a cham-ber our stories underground which can only bereached by a single staircase (much to the guards’chagrin). At each “story” there’s a heavy door,similar to a bank vault door, that requires a guard’selectronic card key and retina scan to open. Above“the Crypt” (as the guards call it) is a small build-ing where a squad o ve highly-paid guards with

ull UN IL training and weaponry watch aipan’shot sleep coffin via two different closed-circuittelevision systems, do their other work, and live.

A ew Australians officials have suggestedexpanding “House aipan” (as the press hasdubbed the acility) to accomodate additionalsuper-prisoners, both rom Australia and romother nations ( or a hefy ee). So ar this sugges-tion has mostly allen on dea ears.

CANADA: S RONGHOLD NOR HTe newest true superprison in the world

was built by the Canadian government in 1999.Stronghold North (as it was christened with per-mission o the United States) is located in north-ern Ontario, not ar rom the Winisk River. Tisgives it the benets o relative isolation but makesit a airly quick trip by air rom anywhere in east-ern Canada.

Due to Canada’s lesser supercrime problem,Stronghold North is signicantly smaller than itssouthern cousin, though designed along similarlines and using much o the same technology. Itconsists o an aboveground acility where prisonpersonnel work and live, and two undergroundlevels. More dangerous prisoners are kept on thelower level, which also eatures two hot sleep co -

ns that have never been used (yet). Urban leg-ends claim one o the coffins already has the name“Borealis” on it.

CHINA: HE ZAM ANGDE EN ION CEN ER

China is home to the world’s largest super-hero team, and or good reason: it has a large,active population o supervillains. When the igerSquad captures a superpowered criminal, the mal-

easant is sent to the Zamtang Detention Center,located near the city o the same name in Sichuanprovince. Very little is known in the West aboutthe ZDF. Experts presume the prison unctionssimilarly to Stronghold in most respects. However,based on some in ormation that’s leaked out manyscholars believe the prison adminstrators rely asmuch on medication to keep dangerous supervil-lains docile as on power negator technology or thelike. Tese same experts suspect that ZDF officialsessentially use the less dangerous supervillains asslave labor on various public works and or-protprojects. Among other clues, satellite photos owork on the Tree Gorges Dam seem to indicatethe presence o superhuman workers wearing

what appear to be prison uni orms.








EUROPE: HE PAN EUROPEAN SUPERHUMAN CORREC IONAL INS I U E

As yet another move toward a united Europe(but in this case one decidedly not avored byEurostar), the European Union established thePan-European Superhuman Correctional Institute(PESHCI, typically pronounced “PESH-shee”) in1997. New member (at that time) Sweden agreedto provide land or the acility as part o the priceo its admission to the EU.

Located on the Gul o Bothnia, on thecoast o the Swedish province o Västerbot-ten, PESHCI di ers rom Stronghold in severalrespects. First, it’s an entirely aboveground

acility. It consists o our concentric circleslinked by enclosed corridors; some commenta-tors have remarked that it looks something likethe Pentagon, only circular and much smaller.

he outermost ring contains living and workingquarters or the prison’s guards and personnel,and serves as the last line o de ense in the evento an escape. he inner two rings and the inner-

most circular building house the prisoners. heurther in one goes, the more dangerous the

prisoners and the tighter the security.Second, PESHCI lacks any hot sleep acili-

ties. Te European Union considers hot sleep a violation o basic human rights, akin to the deathpenalty, and re uses to use it. Tis has causedsome serious problems or the staff (who have totry to keep the likes o Durak imprisoned with-

out it), and has arguably been the direct cause otwo major escapes rom the prison, but the EUremains adamant in its re usal to adopt hot sleep.It pre ers to rely primarily on power negationtechnology similar to that used in Stronghold.

Tird, as the designation “Correctional Insti-tute” indicates, PESHCI places greater emphasison rehabilitation than Stronghold. Stronghold’sunalloyed purpose is to lock supervillains awayto protect society rom them; rehabilitationprograms are relatively minimal. PESHCI, onthe other hand, works hard to try to re orm itsinmates. Tey have available to them a wide rangeo classes, counseling, and other services intendedto help them help themselves become produc-tive members o society. PESHCI’s administratorshave worked hard to try to nd legitimate jobs

or superhumans, and have had a little successpersuading European industry to take a chanceon some ormer villains, but there’s only so muchthey can do given the extreme personalities omany super-criminals.

RUSSIA: MES O ZAKLYUCHENIYATe Russian government imprisons captures

supervillains in Mesto Zaklyucheniya, which liter-ally means “Detention Facility.” Te drabness othe name matches that o the place, and hints atRussia’s desire to call as little attention to it as pos-sible. A ormer Soviet gulag located in Siberia,Mesto Zaklyucheniya is a harsh and un orgivingplace where guards wearing simple but effectivepowered armor use drugs and power ul electricshock weapons to keep the inmates in line. Somepower negation is supposedly used, but rom allreports the staff generally relies on cruder, morebrutal methods much o the time. Te Russiangovernment discourages inquiry about the placeand re uses to let outsiders visit it.

I’ve never seen Level 10; I don’t believe anyinmate has. They like to keep that level secret, as ifthey’re somehow ashamed of it. Inmates only getto go down there if they’re not coming back up.

The inmates tell all sorts of stories about theplace. Some of them strike me as ridiculous, likethe one that they’ve got a torture chamber downthere where they use pain and telepathy to force

prisoners to divulge useful information. Othersare harder to dismiss. For example, the inmates liketo speculate about how they execute supervillains.The warden claims it’s lethal injection, but a lot ofinmates believe it’s a questionite-bladed guillotine.That would certainly explain why they never letanyone photograph the death chamber....







Life Behind Bars







62 Life Behind Bars Hero System 5 th Edition Revised

A s ormer Warden Kennedy once observed,“Li e in Stronghold is a lot like li e in anyother prison... just turned up to 13.” Likeliving in any other prison, day-to-day

existence in Stronghold involves extreme isola-tion, deep humiliation, mind-numbing boredom,and dull routine, all spiced up with danger and the

ear that surrounds it like an aura. And since theinmates are superpowered criminals reduced tothe status o mere mortals, all these highs and lowsofen become intensied.

WHO GOES TOSTRONGHOLD?

Not everyone who’s labeled a “supervillain” isdestined or a cell in Stronghold once he’s caughtand convicted, or two reasons: rst, Strongholdonly has so much space (though it rarely runs at100% capacity); second, and more importantly,not everyone who puts on a costume and commitscrimes is eligible or the super-prison.

As mentioned on page 26, under the Hsien and Utility ederal court cases, to convince a

court that a supervillain should be imprisoned inStronghold (as opposed to an ordinary prison), thestate must prove both o the ollowing:1. By “clear and convincing evidence” that the

elon’s powers and capabilities are such that onlyStronghold is reasonably capable o containinghim, or that ordinary prisons are not reason-ably capable o doing so,or that he’s so skilled atescaping rom normal prisons that it’s reasonablyunlikely such a acility could ever imprison him

or the length o his sentence.

2. By “clear and convincing evidence” that theelon represents a clear and present danger to soci-

ety’s well-being and sa ety.In practical terms, that has led to the ollowinggeneral guidelines. In most cases the answers to thesequestions are so obvious that de endants don’t evenbother to litigate the issue; most legal disputes on theissue o “Stronghold eligibility” involve paranormalswho claim that they’re not so skilled at escaping thatordinary prisons can, in act, hold them.1. I a prisoner has actual, innate superpow-ers, he’s eligible or incarceration in Stronghold.Examples o villains like this include Blackstar,Bulldozer, Firewing, Fleshtone, Grenadier,Grond, Holocaust, Ogre, Photon, Shadowdragon,Shrinker, achyon, alisman, eleios, and Torn.

O course, dening what constitutes an

“actual, innate superpower” is sometimes difficult.For example, does having high Characteristicscount? Tat’s a judgment the court has to makebased on all the evidence. Characteristics cansometimes be so high that they’re unquestionablysuperpowers (as with any “brick”). But just havinga ew Characteristics in the 20s (i.e., above thetypical human maximum o 20) doesn’t inherentlymake someone “superhuman.”2. I a prisoner is a paranormal but does not seemto possess skills or training that would make iteasy or him to escape rom an ordinary prison,and he does not have a history o such escapes,he is not eligible or incarceration in Stronghold.Villains like this aren’t that common; examplesinclude Foxbat and Green Dragon.3. I a prisoner is a paranormal who seems to pos-sess skills or training that would make it easy orhim to escape rom an ordinary prison, and/orhe has a history o such escapes, he is eligible orincarceration in Stronghold. Examples o villainslike this include Mechassassin, Scorpia, Utility,and Vixen.4. I a prisoner is a paranormal whose powersderive entirely or primarily rom gadgets, devices,or weapons (in game terms, Foci), such thatremoving such devices rom him makes him amore or less ordinary prisoner, he is not eligible

or incarceration in Stronghold. Examples o vil-lains like this include Ankylosaur, Armadillo,Binder, Blowtorch, Devastator, Lady Blue, Lash,Lazer, Mantisman, Mirage, and Ultrasonique.

However, Category 4 includes two importantexceptions. First, a villain who’s proven so adept atcreating new gadgets or weapons rom objects hecan obtain in an ordinary prison actually belongsin Category 3. Wayland alos is an example osuch a villain. Second, i a villain’s gadgets ordevices are necessary to keep him alive and cannot

be sa ely removed rom him or neutralized, hequalies or Category 1 instead. For example, ithe United States were to capture Dr. Destroyer,he would quali y or this exception because (a)it’s unlikely even a superheroic gadgeteer couldgure out how to remove or neutralize his armor,and (b) the armor effectively serves as a li e sup-port system or a man who’s now 90 years old, andremoving it would probably cause such a shock tohis system that he’d soon die.

Pure eligibility alone doesn’t decide the issue,o course. A ruling on eligibility simply entitlesthe state to petition Stronghold to accept a pris-oner. Te nal decision is in the sole discretion

...AND THROW AWAY THE KEY







Stronghold 6

o Warden Wildman and the prison’s Board oGovernors, which meets via satellite communica-tions as necessary. In many cases, such as withmost Category 1 prisoners, accepting the pris-oner is obviously the best course o action andWarden Wildman exercises his discretion withouteven bothering to call the Board to a meeting. Astate may appeal a denial rom Stronghold to theBureau o Prisons, but the Bureau rarely overrules

the Board’s decision.

PRISONER INTAKEPrisoners are not brought into the acility

through the ransportation Hub, which is usedor supplies, visitors, and the like. Instead, the

Stronghold Superhuman Prisoner ransportationSystem delivers them directly to the Inner Courtby transport vehicle (the SSP S-3, see page 31). Asthe vehicle arrives, a roofop hatch in the Intake/Processing Center at the top o Main Securityopens. Te vehicle lands and its passengers are led

one at a time a specialized containment chamberknown colloquially as “the Pit” by staff and prison-ers alike. Te Pit is one o the most well-protectedand secure areas in the entire prison, with orce-eld enhanced walls (DEF 24) and Stronghold’s

standard power negation devices.he actual intake procedure is a detailed

a air involving ive distinct teams o specialists(Monitoring, Science, Fabrication, Destination,and Orientation) and can take hours. I enoughpersonnel aren’t available when a prisonerarrives, or i a prisoner requires particularlycare ul handling, other prisoners may have toremain on the transport, locked into their seats,

until Stronghold can process them. he prisonadministration assigns a team o intake person-nel to each inmate based on quali ications and job experience ( i.e., similar cases they’ve han-dled in the past), and appoints one member othe team as leader. ypically one team member,known as the “kibitzer,” is assigned to a teamspeci ically because o hislack o knowledge oand experience with that type o prisoner. Notonly does this train personnel, history showsthat the kibitzer o ten catches mistakes rom theothers because he has ewer pre-conceptionsabout the prisoner.

A ter the initial intake — signing the pris-oner over, con irmation o his identity, receipto his personal property, and so on — a prisoneris placed in the Monitoring Chamber next tothe Pit so the Monitoring team can analyze him.

he Monitoring team uses the Chamber, whichcontains some o the most sophisticated sensorsystems in the world, to catalog and analyzethe prisoner’s superhuman powers. It comparesits readouts to existing case iles, readouts, andeven video ootage o the prisoner to ensure thatStronghold knows as much as possible aboutwhat the prisoner can do. I a prisoner’s beenthoroughly studied in the past this may onlytake a ew minutes; i he hasn’t been studiedmuch (or at all), it may require hours.

During and a ter this procedure, the Sci-ence team does its work. Be ore the prisoner istaken to his cell, the Science team uses existingdata and data obtained by the Monitoring teamto devise any special power negation systemsor devices necessary to keep the prisoner sa elypowerless. he team has access to three smallbut advanced labs in the Main Security area:one or chemistry; one or energy physics; andone “multi-lab” use ul or a variety o scienti icprocedures. Once it’s satis ied with its work, theScience team passes its plans to the Fabrication

team, which uses them to build any requireddevices. Sometimes its small (but techno-logically advanced) machine shop in the MainSecurity area can’t make everything it needs, but95% o the time it can handle the job withouthaving to go to outside suppliers or contractors.

A ter the irst three teams have inishedtheir work and any new security devices havebeen installed in the cell the prisoner willoccupy, the Destination team takes over. It con-sists o two or more guards assigned to the cell-block the prisoner will live in. hey take him tohis cell, a trip the prisoners call “the Long Walk.”I all goes as planned or a prisoner’s sentence,

the beginning o the Long Walk is the last time

ELIGIBILITY FHOT SLEEP

Included in Category1 is a list o villains t

ederal governmentdeems eligible or hosleep when they’recaptured (though mannever have been). Teissue would have to bdecided by a court, buthe government eels(and correctly so) thaconvincing the courtsto authorize hot sleepwouldn’t be difficult.Te list includes:

Dark SeraphDr. DestroyerFirewingGargantuaGravitar

GrondHolocaustKanrok the AcquisitionMechanonMentonMomentumTe MonsterRipperTe SlugValak the World-RavagVector

My memories of being “processed into Stronghold,” as they put it, are no more pleas-ant than those of my trial or journey to thisgodforsaken place. I spent much of the time in

shackles, with a special restraint over my mouthto prevent any accidental or opportunistic useof my powers — as if I had any chance of gettingoutside of their power negation blanket. They onlytook the high-tech gag off when they needed me toanswer questions or test some of my powers.

After the petty nonsense of paperwork andidentity confirmation, they put me under a high-techmicroscope and had a look. By the time they weredone monitoring and testing me, they supposedlyknew more about my powers than I did myself —as if that were possible. At one point they evenselectively turned off the power negation so Icould demonstrate some of my abilities. I watchedcarefully for an opportunity to escape, but theywatched me even more closely. In the end I wasjust a superhuman guinea pig running on theirsuper-tech wheel. One day they will pay for thatindignity, as for so many others.








he’ll be above ground until he’s served his time.Afer a prisoner’s been placed in his cell and

had a ew minutes to make his bunk and arrangehis personal items, the nal intake team, Orientia-tion, visits him there. wo Orientation personnel(one o whom may be, in the case o particu-larly important prisoners, Warden Wildman orAssistant Warden Rothschild) explain prisonprocedures to him and answer any questions he

has about li e in Stronghold. Until a prisoner com-pletes Orientation he’s not allowed to leave his cell(even or meals).

PRISONERCLASSIFICATION

o help manage prisoners properly andensure the sa ety o the guards, Stronghold uses atwo-axis classication system or sorting prison-ers. One axis measures Escape Risk; the othermeasures Danger (or, to put it another way, hostil-ity and the likelihood the inmate will attack guardsor other inmates).

ESCAPE RISKA prisoner’s Escape Risk category depends

on several actors: intelligence; skills and gen-eral aptitude; history o escape attempts; andthe inmate’s superhuman abilities, among otherthings. Compared to Danger, it’s a much moresubjective judgment, and in many cases morelikely to be revised up or down over the courseo an inmate’s stay in Stronghold. However,since it looks at an inmate’s superhuman powersin the absence o power negation, it’s o ten airlyeasy to predict.Level One: Nominal Risk

Level One prisoners have a relatively lowprobability o escaping a standard Strongholdcell. Most Level One inmates are relatively low-powered paranormals, or have superpowers thataren’t likely to help them escape; sometimes thiscategory also applies to inmates who have suchpowers but lack any motivation to use them orhave absolutely no history o escape attempts. Anyinmate in this category is placed in a standard cell,with no customized power negation eatures orextra security precautions.Level wo: Minimal Risk

hese prisoners can escape one o Strong-hold’s standard cells given su icient opportu-nity. Most o them possess superpowers thataren’t directly use ul or escaping, but whichmight make an escape easier ( or example, ele-kinesis). hey aren’t likely to merit customizedpower negation systems, but might dependingon the nature and extent o their powers andtheir proclivity or escaping.Level Tree: Moderate Risk

Level hree is the standard Escape Riskcategory or Stronghold prisoners. It indicatesthat he has powers or abilities that would tend

to make it easy or him to escape a standard

Stronghold cell, or an otherwise lower-cate-gory inmate whose history o repeated escapeattempts means he requires close supervision.

he use o customized power negation systemsin a Level hree inmate’s cell is more likely thannot, and Level hree prisoners are monitoredmore closely than normal by the guards.Level Four: Signicant Risk

Level Four prisoners constitute a constantrisk o escape even rom the ortied cells oStronghold, either because they possess superpow-ers that make escape easy or more likely (such asDesolidication, Invisibility, Mind Control, or

eleportation), or because they have a history osuccess ul or semi-success ul escapes. Level Fourinmates always have customized power negationtechnology in their cells.Level Five: Extreme Risk

Level Five prisoners are considered “certainto escape” i escape is not prevented, usuallybecause they possess massive superhuman power.Except in the rarest o cases they are sentenced to

hot sleep regardless o their Danger rating.DANGER

An inmate’s Danger rating indicates thepotential or violent action on his part. Case his-tories play a major role in determining an inmate’sDanger rating, but there are also batteries o teststrained staff psychologists per orm to assist inclassication. While an inmate’s Danger level helpsStronghold to determine the extent o privilegeshe receives and the way the guards generally treathim, every Stronghold employee is constantlyreminded that any Stronghold inmate is capableo killing. Desperation drives normal humans to

commit heinous acts, and the potential or super-humans to do so (or to, by accident, cause a trag-edy) tends to be even greater. Smart guards treatevery prisoner as i he were an Orange, regardlesso his actual classication.

he Danger categories were revised a terthe Great Stronghold Breakout and again in2002 when the original system (which usedRoman numerals) became too cumbersomea ter numerous additions and modi ications.

he present system has worked well withoutchanges or ive years, but some sta ers com-plain that it doesn’t provide enough in ormation(which, ironically, is why the previous systemwas scrapped — it had become so detailed thatit was di icult to learn and use).Blue: Low Treat

Prisoners categorized as Blue level o Dangerconstitute a minimal threat to others. Tey haveno history o violence and no known inclinationtoward violence. Stronghold has ew inmates whobelong to this category. In game terms, any villainwith a standard Psychological Limitation: CodeVersus Killing probably alls into this category (ori not, into Green).

Blue inmates enjoy all the privileges Strong-hold’s willing to extend to inmates. Tey can eat

with the other inmates, visit their quad reely







Stronghold 6

during recreation time, and attend classes andevents without special permission. o the extentany Stronghold guard trusts any inmate, Blues arethe most likely inmates to be trusted.Green: Medium Treat: Non-Fatal

Inmates categorized as Green level o threatare capable o using violence i necessary, but usu-ally try to avoid it and are unwilling or unable tokill their victims. Many greed-driven supervillainsand super-thieves who resort to violence only toescape capture are classied as Green.

Green inmates enjoy the same privileges asBlues, with one exception: they must requestspecial permission rom Warden Wildman toattend classes or special events. Whether theyreceive permission generally depends on theirrecent behavior.Yellow: Medium Treat: Violent

Yellow-level inmates pose at least a moderaterisk o violence to others, and ofen a serious risk.Tey’ve demonstrated a willingness to use violentmeans to achieve their ends, but are not deliber-

ately homicidal or unnecessarily brutal. Yellowsare “roughhousers” guilty o manslaughter ( atali-ties as the unintended result o their actions) ornumerous acts o assault and battery.

Yellow inmates have the same privileges asGreens, provided they maintain a clean recordin Stronghold. I they’re ever caught hurting aGuard or another inmate, committing a crime,or the like, all special privileges are revoked. Atthat point they’re only allowed to mingle withother inmates while eating; they must remain intheir cells during recreation time, are escortedto the showers by a guard, and cannot attendclasses or special events. hey can regain their

standard level o privileges by maintaining aclean record or six months.Orange: High Treat

Orange inmates, also re erred to as “Homi-cidals,” have shown a marked tendency towardusing violence and/or a disregard or human li e,but not necessarily a callous disregard or an incli-nation to engage in wholesale slaughter. Most othem have at least one rst degree murder chargein their records. Tis category includes many“principled” assassins and mercenary villains.

Orange inmates enjoy ew privileges. Tey areindividually escorted to the dining hall or mealsand seated with other Oranges so the guards cankeep an especially close eye on them; in somecases they’re orced to eat in their cells. Unlessthey’ve had a clean record or at least six months,they cannot leave their cells during recreationtime and are escorted to the showers daily by atleast two guards. Tey cannot attend classes orspecial events (though in rare cases Warden Wild-man may grant an exception to this rule).Red: Intense Treat

Inmates rated at a Red level o Danger haveshown a tendency to use violence (ofen just “ or

un,” without any real need or it) and a callousdisregard or human li e. Most o them activelyseek to kill on a regular basis, or have demon-

strated a willingness to slaughter many people atonce. Almost all inmates classied as Red auto-matically quali y or hot sleep; i not, WardenWildman can impose hot sleep (subject to courtreview) i the inmate attacks any Stronghold per-sonnel or otherwise puts prison workers at risk.

Red inmates have almost no privileges. Inot in hot sleep, they are rarely allowed out otheir cells and cannot mingle with other inmates.

Guards bring their meals to their cells, and theyare individually escorted to the showers once perday by at least two guards. Tey may not attendclasses or special events.

USING HE CLASSIFICA ION SYS EMStronghold designates each inmate with

a designation that lists his Danger level irst,Escape Risk level second. For example, CheshireCat would be a Green-4, Bulldozer a Yellow-3,and Blackstar an Orange-4. Prison sta incor-porate this designation into a prisoner’s InmateCode (see below).

Any inmate rated as Level 5 Escape Risk is

placed in hot sleep (subject to court review i that’snot a sentence already handed down by a court).Most inmates rated as Red Danger are also placedin hot sleep. Te Warden may also invoke hotsleep or any inmate rated as Orange-4.

Uniforms And Inmate CodesStronghold’s inmates wear uni orms that help

the guards monitor and control them. Tey arenot allowed to wear their own clothing.

Te basic Stronghold uni orm is a one-piece jumpsuit colored to match the inmate’s Dangerdesignation: blue, green, yellow, orange, or red.On the back o the jumpsuit in large letters is theinmate’s real name (i known, “Doe, John” [orJane] i not) and supervillain name. No one asso-ciated with Stronghold particularly likes includingthe villain name, since it reminds the inmate ohis li e and powers outside the prison, but it’s thequickest, easiest way to identi y many inmates andlet the guards know what powers they possess. Onthe blue and green jumpsuits the lettering is white;on the others it’s black.

On the lef breast o the jumpsuit is printedthe inmate’s name and villain name again, andbeneath that his Inmate Code — a string o let-

ters and numbers that tells the guards all abouthim. Te code includes, in order, the ollowingin ormation: Danger rating; Escape Risk rating;prison level, wing, and cell; and ve-digit personalidentication number. For example, i CheshireCat (a Green-4) is in Stronghold on Level Gamma,he would wear a green jumpsuit, and his InmateCode would be: Green/4-Gamma/C/8-57631.

Additionally, sewn into the collar o each uni-orm is an electronic tracking device. Te guards

can quickly key up any inmate on their computersystems and see where he (or, more accurately,his tracking device) is, which doors he’s recentlypassed through, other inmates he’s been near, andso orth. Te inmates loath the trackers, which








THE DAILYGRIND

they re er to as “dog tags.”

Li e in Stronghold is a li e o schedules androutine. o keep things unctioning as effi-ciently and sa ely as possible, Warden Wild-man and his staff maintain a strict schedule

that governs what inmates can do and where theyare every minute o the day.

GUARD HIRD SHIF BEGINSStronghold’s day technically begins

at 1:00 AM, when the third shif oguards comes on duty, taking over romthe second shif. Most guards detest

working the third shif, since it’s boringand throws off their sleep patterns, but some

love it because it’s the quietest, sa est shif.

LIGH S ON

For the inmates, Stronghold’s daybegins at 6:00 AM when the lights areturned on. While the guards take thedaily headcout, the inmates have an hour

to get dressed and get ready or the day.Inmates who don’t need that much time can

sleep in i they want, though the lights and noisemay make that difficult.

SICK CALLI any inmate is sick, he’s supposed

to be standing at the door to his cell at6:30 AM. A guard asks him what the

problem is, and i necessary escorts him to

the Medical Facility or an examination (depend-ing on a prisoner’s Danger or Escape Risk rating,more than one guard may be assigned to escorthim). Guards usually err on the side o letting aprisoner go see the doctors; they don’t want to besued i an inmate really is sick and they turn down

his request.

BREAKFASAt 7:00 AM sharp pris-

oners are released rom theircells to go to the dining hall or

break ast. One wing at a time theguards extend all the walkways,

open the cell doors, and escort theprisoners to the dining hall. Since this takes time,no prisoner gets the ull time to eat, and some getas little as 30 minutes. Te guards rotate whichwings get let out rst to ensure equal treatment.

During break ast, inmates are segregated byDanger rating and guards keep a watch ul eyeon them. Since this is one o the ew opportuni-ties during the day or all the inmates to be in thesame place at once, the chances or violence, pass-ing contraband, and the like go up dramatically.Break ast is over promptly at 8:30.

MORNING RECREA IONIME

Afer break ast, prison-ers are returned to their wingsin the same order they were

released. Morning recreationtime now begins, and prisoners

have two options. First, a prisonercan choose to return to his cell. I he does so, heis not allowed to leave the cell until lunchtime,unless given special permission. Second, he canchoose to remain outside his cell and spendtime in his wing’s quad. Tis allows him to takea shower, play cards with other inmates, attend

classes, watch television, buy things rom thepushcart (see page 71), and so on. (Strongholddoes not have any sort o “work program” orinmates; that would be logistically difficult and very dangerous.) Generally speaking, an inmate ina quad can choose to return to his cell or the resto the morning, but once he does so isn’t allowedto leave it again until lunch.

O course, the guards can make common-sense exceptions to these rules. For example, mostprisoners shower during morning recreation time,and they’re allowed to return to their cells, undress

or a shower, put on their robes, go take a shower,return to their cells, get dressed, and then go to

the quad or the rest o the morning. Tis creates a

It’s the same damn thing, day after day after day.Wake up, get dressed in that idiotic jumpsuit

they make me wear. Go to breakfast. Come backand spend the morning in the quad playing chessor watching TV — or, for a radical change of pace,stay in my cell and read or write. Go to lunch.Come back and spend the afternoon just like themorning. Go to dinner. Come back and spend theevening just like the morning, maybe with a decentmovie if I’m lucky. The only thing that changes iswhich guard’s “escorting” me where.

There are some days when I could almost prayfor a riot, just to break the monotony.







Stronghold 6

lot o traffic and can make a wing difficult to mon-itor, so i necessary the guards may restrict whocan shower when, grouping prisoners into “showershifs” or an hour or so.

Morning recreation time is when most intra-prison basketball tournament games and otheruses o the acilities on Level One are scheduled.Te guards have to care ully monitor the comingsand goings o the prisoners and their interaction

to prevent incidents, but the prison administrationbelieves these sorts o activities provide a healthyoutlet or inmates and actually reduce the overallnumber o incidents.

Morning recreation time also includes visi-tors’ hours on Wednesdays and Fridays. On thoserare occasions when an inmate has a visitor, hegets permission to meet his loved one in the Visi-tation Center and is escorted there by a guard.Visits are usually restricted to hal an hour.

GUARD FIRSSHIF BEGINS

At 9:00 the rst shif

guards come on and replacethe third-shifers. Tey get anupdate on what’s happened soar that morning, who’s on sick

call, any problems that have arisen,trouble that seems to be brewing, and so orth.Despite the guards’ general efficiency, any shifchange is something o a “weak spot” in the sched-ule, and inmates participating in the prison’s blackmarket or planning to cause trouble ofen try totake advantage o it.

PRISONER DELIVERIESFor security reasons

Stronghold tries to restrictwhen new prisoner arebrought to the prison. Due

to ight times and other logis-tical concerns it can’t always

dictate when a new prisoner willarrive, but i possible it arranges things so that anynew prisoners arrive at one o two specic times oday. Te rst o these is 11:00 AM.

MID DAY HEADCOUNAt 11:30 AM all prisoners

must return to their cells orthe mid-day headcount. Teguards make sure that every-

one is where he should be, thatinmates who went to the Medical

Facility have been returned (unlessthey require hospitalization), and so on.

LUNCH IMEStronghold’s mid-day

meal is served at noon. heprocedure is the same as orbreak ast.

AF ERNOON RECREA IONIME

Afer lunch, the inmatesget another our hours orecreation time. Since they’re

not allowed to have jobs in theprison, nding ways to ll all

this “ ree time” every day becomesa major preoccupation — and the potential or violence brought on by boredom and rustrationbecomes a concern or the guards.

GUARD SECONDSHIF BEGINS

Te second guard shifcomes on duty at 5:00 PM.Just like at 9:00 AM, the cur-

rent shif brie s the newcomersbe ore getting off work.

5:30 PM: DINNER IME HEADCOUNAt 5:30 PM all prisoners must once again

return to their cells or a headcount.

DINNERTe inmates eat their eve-

ning meal rom 6:00 to 7:30PM. Tis is usually the mostsubstantial meal o the day,

and the one the cooks devotethe most effort to. Break ast

is pretty much the exact samechoices every day, and lunch is usually lighter arelike sandwiches, soups, and salads, but the kitchenstaff has a large enough cookbook that predictingthe three dinner entree choices is something o agame or the inmates. Usually there’s one chickenor turkey dish, one other meat (typically pork orbee ), and one sea ood selection, plus enoughsides and salads to satis y any vegetarians or diet-ers. A dessert choice plus ice cream and cookiesawaits prisoners with a sweet tooth.

On holidays and special occasions the cooksprepare dinners to match the occasion (such asturkey and stuffing on Tanksgiving). Te kitchencan also cope with the dietary restrictions oMuslim prisoners or inmates with medical condi-tions that affect their diet (though Stronghold has

ew o the ormer).

EVENING RECREA ION IME

Te Stronghold daywinds down with anothertwo and a hal hours o reetime or the prisoners. Nearly

all prisoners choose to go tothe quads at this time, particu-

larly on uesdays, Tursdays, andSaturdays when the guards show a movie on thequad Vs rom a central DVD player in the guardtower. Saturdays is usually a double eature with atheme, such as “James Bond Movies” or “moviesstarring om Hanks.” Warden Wildman’s staff hasto approve the movie choices in advance; nothing

worse than a mild R-rated movie is allowed. Simi-








larly, i there’s a special event — such as a musiciancoming to Stronghold to put on a concert — it’susually scheduled during evening recreation time.

8:00 PM: PRISONER DELIVERIESTis is the second standard time or prisoner

deliveries.

EVENING WIND DOWNAt this time prisoners are supposed

to nish up their evening activities andstart getting ready or lights out. Inmateswho haven’t showered earlier in the day

usually do so now.

10:30 PM: EVENING HEADCOUNBy 10:30 PM all prisoners are to be in their

cells or the nal headcount o the day.

LIGH S OUAt 11:00 PM on the dot

the guards kill the main lightsand the inmates go to sleep.

here’s stil l enough so t light-ing or the guards to see in the

cellblocks, but the cells them-selves are plenty dark.







Stronghold 6

Being conned to Stronghold doesn’t meana villain becomes totally isolated romthe rest o humanity. He still has plenty opeople to interact with — but they’re all

just like him, incarcerated villains stripped o theirsuperpowers. Te result is that an unusual “com-munity” develops, one similar to but unlike thoseat other high-security prisons.

GETTING ALONG INSIDEAdapting to a term in Stronghold means

more than just learning the routine and makingone’s cell as com ortable as possible. A prisoneralso has to learn who’s who in the inmate commu-nity, who are the alpha males and who the cring-ing ollowers, who he can push around and whohe does not want to mess with. As Craig “Mechas-sassin” Vandersnoot once observed, “It’s sort olike being a supervillain on the outside... but mosto the wolves have had their angs pulled.”

Housing Policy Stronghold applies the ollowing general rules

when determining which cellblock and cell toassign an inmate to:1. General cellblock and cell assignments will bemade on the basis o assessed Escape Risk andDanger threat levels (see pages 64-65).2. Male inmates and emale inmates will behoused in separate cellblocks so that they do notshare a quad.3. I at all possible, supervillains who are on thesame team together, belong to the same criminalorganization, or are known to work together re-quently will not be housed so that they share thesame quad during recreation times.

4. I two inmates have a physical altercation orotherwise seem to be causing trouble by beingtogether, one o them will be trans erred to a newcell so that they no longer share a quad.

Despite these rules, Stronghold pre ers not tomove prisoners around rom cell to cell any morethan it has to. Changing an inmate’s cell meansaltering his Inmate Code and issuing him a newset o uni orms.

Prison RulesNot surprisingly, Stronghold’s inmates are

subject to an extensive list o rules that restricttheir conduct in many ways. Some o the moresignicant ones include:1. Obedience And Respect: Inmates are to obeyall orders given by a guard or prison official asquickly as possible without any questions, back-talk, or resistance. Tey are to respect the author-ity o the guards at all times.a. I a guard or prison official re uses an inmate per-mission or something, the inmate is to accept there usal without arguments or discussions, though hemay politely ask the reason or the denial.2. No Fighting: Inmates are not to engage incon rontations — physical, verbal, or otherwise— with other inmates. I a dispute arises, theymust ask a guard to settle it, and must abide bythe guard’s decision. I necessary, prison adminis-trators will get involved in the situation, but thatusually means everyone involved will receive somesort o disciplinary action.3. No Fraternization: Inmates are not allowed toengage in sexual relations with one another, orwith prison personnel.4. Personal Property: Inmates are allowed tokeep a small amount o specic types o personalproperty in their cells (see below). Possessing orobtaining other types o property, or engaging inany sort o commercial transaction, is orbidden.5. No Weapons: Inmates may not possess weaponso any sort. Matches or other means o starting are are considered a “weapon.”

PUNISHMEN FOR INFRAC IONSStronghold’s guards and administrators have

plenty o ways to en orce the prison’s rules withdisciplinary measures. Tese include, in approxi-mate order o severity:

conscation o contraband items

denial o permission to attend special events

INMATERELATIONS

There are a lot of people worth hating in

here. Top of the list has got to be Krait, who’s anarrogant bastard to beat all arrogant bastards.The smug idiot thinks he knows everything, can getanyone anything, that he’s better than anyone. If wehad our powers back he wouldn’t stand a chanceagainst me.








CURRENT INMATESHere’s a partial list o Stronghold inmates in the Champions Universe as o January, 2008. (Naturally, individual GMs should modi y this to suit theirspecic campaigns.)

Inmate Rating NotesAlchemica Yellow-4 See page 96Amnesia Orange-3 A member o Cirque SinisterAquiline Yellow-2 Has powers o bird controlArc Yellow-3 Limited-range electrical powers;

ollower o NeutronArrowhead Orange-3 Archer with superhuman hand-eye

coordination and aimBerserk Red-2 Brutal super-strong villainBlack Dog Red-2 Mystic brick with some

bestial powersBlack Paladin Orange-3Bloodstone Red-3 One o the Crowns o KrimBoomslang Yellow-3 A member o King Cobra’s

“Inner Circle”Broadcast Green-3 Cyberkinetic/mentalist with

“television powers”Brute Orange-3 A member o VIPER’s

Dragon BranchBrain Drain Yellow-3 Low-powered mentalist specializing

in Mind ControlBuzzard, the Green-3 Low-powered villain who can y Cauldron Orange-4 A member o Cirque SinisterCheshire Cat Green-4 A member o GRABCovington, Rodney Red-4 Brother o Sentinels member

ProteusCrossre Yellow-4 Energy projectorCybermind Yellow-3 In a seemingly permanent coma in

the Medical Facility Darkmoon Orange-4 A DEMON Morbane with minor

darkness powersDraconis Orange-4 A member o VIPER’s Dragon

BranchDragony Yellow-2 See page 98Eclipse Red-5 In hot sleepEsper Yellow-4Firedrake Green-2 A member o King Cobra’s

“Inner Circle”Flow Yellow-3 A member o Cirque SinisterFossil Orange-2 A biokinetic with bone powersFreakshow Red-3Frost Yellow-3 A member o Deathstroke; brother

o Requiem; page 95Gale orce Orange-2 Air/wind-controlling supervillainessGeothermal Orange-5 In hot sleep; see page 100Glacier Red-5 In hot sleep; see page 103Gorgon Yellow-3 A member o King Cobra’s

“Inner Circle”Hand o Satan, the Orange-3 A DEMON MorbaneHuman Bomb, the Yellow-5 Mercenary villain who creates

energy explosionsInter ace Orange-5 In hot sleepKrait Yellow-3 A member o King Cobra’s

“Inner Circle”

McCall, Red Jack Red-2 Scottish serial killer withshapeshi ting powers

Megavolt Yellow-4Mechassassin Orange-3 Now has a Public Identity Menagerie Yellow-2Menton Red-5 In hot sleepMinimax Red-5 A member o Cirque Sinister; in

hot sleepNeanderthal Yellow-2 he so-called “Living Caveman,”

a low-powered brick Neutron Orange-4 Magnetic and electrical powers;

aged and weak Overdrive Yellow-4Psimon Orange-5 Now has a Public Identity Pulsar Yellow-2 Now has a Public Identity Redblade Orange-2 A DEMON MorbaneRedclaw Yellow-4 Animal powers, including some

animal controlRequiem Yellow-3 Leader o Deathstroke, brother o

Frost; see page 94Riptide Green-3R Kayne Yellow-4 “Street sorcerer” with minor

mystic powers and spellsRot Red-3 Biokinetic who can corrupt and

wither eshScarlet Scarab, the Orange-2 Would-be master villain with

mystic Egyptian powersSlick Green-3 A member o the UltimatesSlither Orange-3 A member o King Cobra’s

“Inner Circle”Spartan Orange-3 Weaponmaster with specialized

weapons; martial artist

Stiletto Yellow-4 Weaponmaster and martial artistStorm ront Yellow-3 Now has a Public Identity Torn Orange-3Tunderstrike Yellow-3 Lightning and weather control

powers; rival o Storm rontombstone Red-2 Villain with necromantic powersornado Orange-4 A member o VIPER’s

Dragon BranchValak theWorld-Ravager Red-5 In hot sleepVerity Green-4 A member o VIPER’s

Dragon BranchVenomous Yellow-3 A VIPER Nest Leader with minor

“venom touch” powers

Whitere Yellow-4 A member o VIPER’sDragon Branch

Wildeye Orange-3 Claws, enhanced senses andreexes, vicious temper

Windst Yellow-4 Martial artist with super- ast reexesXtreme Green-4 Athlete/martial artist, adept

at escapes







Stronghold 7

denial o permission to visit the quad duringrecreation time except to shower (inmate is con-ned to his cell during these times, but is still letout or meals)

connement to one’s cell, except to showercon inement to one’s cell (except to shower)

and temporary con iscation o items not essen-tial to personal hygiene ( e.g., books, writingmaterials, posters)

placing the inmate in hot sleep or a period o upto one month. Only Warden Wildman can makethe decision to impose this punishment, which issubject to immediate review by a court. He uses itonly when no other orm o discipline can correcta problem, and so ar has had his decision upheldby the courts every single time.

Additionally, there are occasionally incidentswhere guards punish a difficult inmate with aquick and dirty beating (afer somehow disablingthe cameras, o course). When the prison admin-istrators nd out about this they thoroughly inves-tigate what happened, and usually several guardsget red. But since most inmates don’t want tolook “weak” by running to another guard andsnitching, word o this sort o thing rarely reachesadministrators’ ears.

Personal Property Te rule most commonly violated by many

inmates concerns the types o personal propertyan inmate can possess while in Stronghold. ypi-cally inmates store their personal possessions inclear plastic drawers underneath their bunks.

APPROVED I EMSInmates are allowed to own the ollowing:1. Clothing issued to them by the prison. Tisincludes seven jumpsuits (one per day), seven setso undergarments, two bath towels, one washcloth,two pairs o sof-soled laceless shoes, and one ter-rycloth robe.

2. Personal hygiene items: toothbrush, toothpaste,towel, soap, depilatory cream, and so on.3. Books and magazines that don’t violate anyprison policies (see below). Inmates are allowed tosubscribe to approved magazines i they can affordto pay or the subscription.4. Writing materials, envelopes, and stamps. Sincepens and pencils can be used as weapons, anyinmate who abuses this privilege may be restrictedto sof-tip elt pens, crayons, or something similar.5. Simple decorations or a cell, such as a poster.

CON RABAND I EMSBesides weapons, Stronghold orbids inmates

to have any o the ollowing items in the prison:1. Clothing not issued by the prison.

2. obacco products: inmates aren’t allowed tohave cigarettes. Tis leads to more complaints

than any other policy, and to plenty o smuggling

and black market activity. Inmates with cigarettesmost ofen smoke in the showers, where there areno cameras and it’s easy to dispose o the evidence.3. Contraband reading materials. Tis includepornography, books with in ormation that mightassist in an escape, and the like.4. Razors.5. Electronic devices o any sort.

6. Cash. Afer cigarettes, paper money with whichto buy contraband is the most smuggled item.

OB AINING PERSONAL PROPER YInmates have two ways to get personal prop-

erty. First, it can be sent to them by a loved one orriend on the outside.

Second, i they have money in their prisonaccount, they can buy approved items. Since thereare no jobs or inmates in Stronghold, the onlyway to have money in one’s personal account is

or someone on the outside to send it. I an inmatehas his own money which hasn’t been or eited tothe government to compensate his victims, prisonofficials can arrange or however much he wants tobe placed in his prison account. Some inmates canearn money by writing a book, giving a paid inter- view to a website, or the like. Otherwise an inmatehas to rely on someone outside, such as a amilymember or a an, to give him money to spend.

Inmates with money have two ways tobuy things. First, they can order them throughthe mail. More commonly, every day a prisonemployee named Michael Watkins, universallyknown as “Mick,” brings a “pushcart” to each quad.His pushcart sells various small items inmatesmight want to have: magazines, candy bars, bars

o soap, chewing gum, postage stamps, and so on.When the pushcart arrives, most activity in a quadusually ceases so everyone can gather around,make purchases, and hear the latest prison gossip.(See page 92 or more about Watkins.)

And then o course there’s the black market.

S RONGHOLD’S BLACK MARKELike every other prison throughout history,

Stronghold has its own underground economythrough which the prisoners exchange goods andservices. It’s a lot harder to make it work than inmost prisons due to the level o security and thegeneral prison layout, but a black market still

exists. ypically the black market deals in small,easily-hidden items the prisoners tend to place ahigh value on. Te most common black marketcommodity is cigarettes and matches, but porno-graphic pictures, narcotics, and many other itemsget bought and sold in secret.

Te black market starts on the outside, wheresomeone obtains the goods a prisoner desires.Te easiest and sa est way or a prisoner to handlethis is to come to an arrangement with a corruptguard or prison worker, though this only worksi the prisoner has money or some way to inu-ence prison personnel. More than a ew guardssee nothing wrong with making some extra buckssmuggling in packs o cigarettes, a bag o mari-








juana, or other “harmless” items, though ew are venal enough to bring inmates anything danger-ous. Sometimes inmates can get amily membersto bring contraband to a meeting at the visitor’scenter or send it as part o a “care package” o oodand books, but since visitors and incoming pack-ages are thoroughly searched, this rarely works.Some villains have had more luck getting unethi-cal attorneys to bring them contraband as part o

privileged materials the prison has only a limitedright to look through.Once an item makes it into Stronghold, an

inmate has a whole other set o problems to dealwith. First he has to keep it concealed rom theguards. Most black market items are small enoughto be concealed inside the standard prison jump-suit or a little while, though there’s always the risko a suspicious guard conducting an impromptusearch. An item’s more likely to remain con-cealed i an inmate can get it to his cell. Tere hehas plenty o hiding places to take advantage o ,though none o them are even close to oolproo :among his clothes and personal items; in, under-neath, or behind the toilet or sink; between thepages o a book; and so on.

Afer clearing that hurdle, an inmate hasto nd a buyer or something he wants to sell.Inmates who work the system most efficientlyarrange a buyer in advance so they know what tosmuggle in when. Others simply end up with extracontraband they want to dispose o , get desper-ate or cash, or what have you. Most transactionsinvolve either cash or cigarettes as a mediumo exchange, though bartered deals and tradinggoods or services (such as beating up anotherinmate) occur ofen.

Black market exchanges typically take placeduring meals or recreation time, the main timeswhen inmates mingle. Guards watching over thedining hall and the quads keep a care ul eye out

or black marketeering, but there are dozens oways to conceal a trade (ranging rom a literally“under the table” deal to staging an incident todistract the guards). Once items exchange hands,the two participants in the deal are bound by thegeneral code o prisoners’ honor not to say wherethey got them; ratting out another prisoner is agood way to nd one’s sel shut out o the blackmarket in the uture.

The Prisoners’ CodeA big part o getting along inside Stronghold

is knowing what “the prisoners’ code” is, and ol-lowing it. Over the years Stronghold’s inmateshave developed their own personal code o con-duct, similar to those ound in other prisons insome ways but unique in others. An inmate who

ollows the code will nd li e inside a lot easier;one who doesn’t may nd every prisoner’s handturned against him.

Among other things, the Prisoners’ Code says:1. Never rat on anyone. A rat is the lowest orm oli e there is.2. Don’t rely on the guards or the warden’s staff

or anything. I you’ve got a bee with someone,handle it yoursel .3. Always call other cons by their costumednames, unless one o them tells you otherwise.

Using a prisoner’s real name is disrespect ul.

PRISON GANGSWithin Stronghold, just like in any prison,

inmates tend to band together into gangs to pro-tect themselves rom other inmates, exert inu-ence, control the black market, run smugglingoperations, and so on. However, gangs in Strong-hold tend to differ rom those in ordinary prisons.In most prisons gangs orm along either or both otwo lines: based on outside criminal associations(e.g., all members o a Maa amily in a prison

orm a prison gang); and based on race ( e.g., allthe black Muslims orm a gang; all white inmatesare orced to join the Aryan Brotherhood or pro-tection against other ethnic gangs).

In Stronghold, outside assocations don’t playmuch o a actor. Te prison administration doesthe best it can to separate inmates who work or thesame organization (such as VIPER), who are on thesame villain team, or who requently work togetheron the outside. Tey can’t always keep everyoneapart, and during some times o the day (such asmeals) prisoners have more ability to mingle withone another, but usually they can “break up” villainteams and keep them apart most o the day.

Race is also much less o a actor in Strong-hold. For various reasons still studied and debatedby scientists, most supervillains in the UnitedStates are white. In standard prisons, black and

Wherever you go, you need friends to watch yourback and help you out. That’s doubly true in prison,triply true in Stronghold. Outside I always had Adrian,but in here I only get to see him during meals and

special events. Without him I’ve had to turn to othersources of support, as I’m sure he’s had to as well.Lacking martial arts training or other useful skills,not to mention my sonic powers, basically all I haveto offer is cheap muscle. Gangs come and gangsgo; I can always find one looking for another ally,another pair of fists.

It’s all a question of what price I’m willing topay for that support.







Stronghold 7

Hispanic prisoners can comprise as much as 90%o the prison population. Stronghold shows almostthe exact opposite racial breakdown: about 85%o the inmates are white. Since the small numbero non-whites is scattered throughout the variouslevels, there are rarely more than two or three inany given quad — not nearly enough to orm aneffective gang, though they may gravitate together

or whatever personal protection they can afford

one another.Instead, in Stronghold the ormation o gangsresults rom other pressures and perceptions. Firstand oremost o these is: who can still do somethinguse ul? Most Stronghold inmates nd themselves inthe uncom ortable position o being weak and pow-erless. But some inmates do still retain some o theircapabilities. Tis includes: bricks and other inmateswith high physical Characteristics (who still tend tohave 15s across the board, making them pretty toughcompared to Joe Average); inmates who have Mar-tial Arts or other use ul Skills; and inmates who arehighly intelligent, clever, and/or socially adept. Tus,the more power ul gangs tend to have one or morebricks at their core, and paranormal inmates ofentend to have more inuence than one would expect.During his times as an inmate, Utility in particularhas developed a earsome reputation as a gang leader.Between his martial arts prowess, his courage, hisintense training in many other disciplines, and hisin-depth knowledge o superhumans, he’s better aten orcing his will than pretty much anyone. And heloves it, since or once he has absolutely no troubleshowing superhumans who’s boss.

Second, gangs ofen coalesce aroundcommon power types, since like attracts like.Gangs mostly composed o bricks and brawlers, oenergy projectors and other ranged combatants, oscientically- and technologically-skilled villains,and mystics have all been a part o the Strongholdscene at one time or another.

Tird, a villain whom other villains perceive asbeing potentially power ul or use ul on the outsidecan ofen become the leader o a gang, or join a ganghe otherwise couldn’t get into. Master villain types,

or example, are widely regarded as always havingsome sort o escape plan in the works, so other vil-lains try to attach themselves to a master villain inthe hopes o going along or the ride or becominga part o his team once they’re all on the outside.Similarly, a villain with a lot o money in his personal

account, or who has a lot o riends who can sendhim things, may command a lot more respects inStronghold than he otherwise would.

HE CURREN GANG SI UA IONAs o early 2008, some o the most power ul

gangs in Stronghold include:Mechassassin And His Boys

I you asked most inmates who the top dogin Stronghold is these days, most would answer,“Mechassassin” (or, less respect ully, “Vander-snoot”). Battle-hardened, highly trained, strong,and an expert at hand-to-hand combat, he’sknown or not backing down rom any sort ochallenge even i he knows he’ll earn himsel a ew

days conned to his cell. Backing him up are sev-eral other villains including Arrowhead, Megavolt,Overdrive, and Torn.Te Brute Squad

Mechassassin’s main competition as Strong-hold’s toughest inmate is probably Brute, a VIPERDragon Branch agent who runs a gang knownas “the Brute Squad.” Other members includeBoomslang, Stiletto, Whitere, Slick, and perhapsmost disturbingly Redblade (since VIPER andDEMON aren’t exactly on the best o terms out-side). Tey do a little smuggling, but mostly makemoney as muscle or hire; the gang’s real purposeis protection, not earning.

he Brute Squad is wisely considered “theVIPER gang” since it has two Dragon Branchmembers among its ranks and other DragonBranch inmates have been known to help it out

rom time to time. his puts it in opposition tothe Smugglers, and to a lesser extent Demon ist,though that doesn’t mean the Brutes can’t dobusiness with either gang rom time to time, ithe money’s right.Demonst

A relatively recent arrival to Stronghold, aDEMON Morbane known as the Hand o Satan,is making a bid or power inside. He calls hisgang “Demon ist,” though the inmates have alot o other, much less lattering, names or it.His hangers-on include Cauldron, Pulsar, andSlither. So ar Demon ist has mostly been push-ing gently at the power structure, trying to inda niche it can take over without too much trou-ble. I something doesn’t give soon, the Handwill almost certainly escalate things.Te Freak Parade

A group o villains who are all consideredbizarre-looking or particularly weird havebanded together, relying on their reputation tokeep others at bay. Sometimes an inmate hiresthem to “put a scare into” a rival. Membersinclude Rodney Covington, Freakshow, andWildeye. Slither used to be a member until theHand o Satan somehow lured him into Demon-

ist; the two gangs are now bitter enemies.Te Smugglers

As its name indicates, this gang is mostlyabout making money, though its ounder andleader — Krait — initially put it together to give

himsel more protection against VIPER inmates.Using the connections and skills he developed asCOIL’s logistics manager, he’s been able to estab-lish what’s currently the best smuggling operationin Stronghold; he and his people control nearly40% o the prison’s underground economy. Othermembers include Arc, Cheshire Cat, and Psimon.

Mechassassin’s gang has a working alliancewith the Smugglers. It provides protection orKrait and his people in exchange or a discount

rom the gang and a small cut o Krait’s income.Te Smugglers don’t much like the arrangement,but it’s necessary to ensure that other gangs, par-ticularly the Brute Squad, keep their distance.








ESCAPE!

The purpose o a prison is, o course, to keepdangerous persons locked up inside toprotect other people rom them. But in aChampions game, like in a comic book or

movie, the actual dramatic purpose o a prison isto provide a place or criminals to break out o ...or sometimes, or heroes to break into.

While Stronghold has an excellent recordoverall, it’s not per ect. From time to time a villain (or several vi llains) has ound a way toescape, or someone has gotten into the prisonillicitly. he worst o these incidents was theGreat Stronghold Breakout o 1990, but everyyear or two there tends to be at least one seriousescape attempt. Superpowers are never entirelypredictable, so there’s no way or Stronghold’spersonnel to anticipate or prevent every pos-sible method o escape. And that gives an enter-prising GM plenty to work with.

See the Escape From Stronghold sectiono Chapter Five or more in ormation aboutStronghold’s vulnerabilities and the possibilities

or an escape.

Riots And Hostage Situations

Escapes aren’t the only orm o major troubleStronghold experiences. Other types include riotsand hostage situations.

Riots in Stronghold are more or less like riots atany prison — so many inmates de y authority andcommit violent acts that the guards simply can’t holdback the tide. But Stronghold has a much higherguard-to-inmate ratio than most prisons, so riots arerelatively rare and usually short-lived. Te worst onein Stronghold history occurred in 1998 when theinmates briey took over Levels Beta-2 and Gamma,separating the administration-controlled areas o theprison. Some o the rioters sent out a list o demands(ranging rom better ood to conjugal visits), while

others threatened to make their way down to Level10 and ree the hot sleep prisoners. Te smart onesworked on trying to disable the power negators, butbe ore they could succeed a squad o heavily-armedguards assaulted the rioting levels and used tear gasto bring the situation to a swif conclusion.

Aside rom periodic attempts at escape (seeabove), hostage situations in Stronghold usu-ally occur when one inmate gets into a ght withanother and uses a homemade kni e (or otherweapon) to take him hostage. Te usual goal is to

orce the administration to give him something hewants. Tis never works out; eventually the guardsnd a way to overpower the hostage-taker andreturn him to his cell.

THREAT RESPONSEStronghold’s guards and administrators don’t

sit idly by when an inmate attempts to escape orstarts a riot. Teir plans or coping with and de us-ing these situations all into several stages.

S AGE ONE: ALER AND ANALYSISWhen the guards realize one or more

inmates are trying to escape, that a riot is brew-ing, or that a hostage situation has arisen, theyhave two immediate tasks. First, they must alertthe rest o the prison sta about the incident.Since every guard has a Communications Unit(see page y86yy) mounted at his shoulder, thisusually isn’t too di icult (though sometimesinmates can overpower a guard and prevent him

rom turning his walkie-talkie on).Once prison officials hear about what’s going

on, they have to decide how to respond to thesituation beyond the standard operating proce-dure (see below). Tis may take some time and/orrequire more in ormation, so a decision ofen isn’treached until Stage wo. Even afer that, WardenWildman and his people continue to monitor theevent and respond as needed with new orders. Inecessary the Warden calls in all guards not cur-rently on duty to help with the situation.Calling For Help

At any point during these deliberations, WardenWildman (or the ranking member o the adminis-tration present) may decide to call or outside assis-tance. I the guards have lost control o even one levelor major area o the prison, i it appears that a majorbreakout (one involving more than three inmates) ispossible, or i the staff believes there’s a serious risk odeath or destruction, Warden Wildman will almostcertainly call or help.

Depending on the severity o the situation,Warden Wildman has our levels o help he

can call or:1. Local and state police and/or New MexicoNational Guard units. I he has to call or help atall, Warden Wildman will denitely alert localauthorities; he usually pre ers to bypass them ordirect assistance, though, since supervillains posea real risk to ordinary cops.2. PRIMUS and/or UN IL. I Warden Wildman

eels this level o assistance is required, he typicallyalerts both organizations so that whoever has per-sonnel closest to the prison can respond. (In 2001PRIMUS established a eld office in Albuquerquein part to help with such matters, but it’s too smallto be o much assistance by itsel .)







Stronghold 7

3. Te United States military. By law the US mili-tary is not supposed to engage in activities like lawen orcement on US soil, but no one has ever com-plained on the rare occasions when Warden Wild-man thought military assistance was necessary.

While most incidents that would justi y it are dan-gerous enough that he just goes straight to OptionFour, in many cases the military — such as ghter jets scrambled rom Kirtland Air Force Base orsoldiers rom Fort Bliss near El Paso, exas — canget to Stronghold quicker than superhero teams.

4. Superheroes. As a last resort Warden Wild-man can call on help ul hero teams, includingthe Champions, the Sentinels, the Peacekeep-ers, the Justice Squadron, the Cali ornia Patrol,the Alliance, or the Hero Corps. he latter two(based in Denver and Houston, respectively)are the closest major hero teams, but un ortu-

nately neither has a teleporter on the roster whocan get the team to Stronghold quickly. Unlessthe Stronghold sta can contain the incident

or several hours, the odds o a team withouta teleporter arriving in time to be o any realassistance are slim; the best they can hope or isto deal with the a termath. And even i one teamcan arrive in time ( or example, the Champions,i Witchcra t has a teleportation spell ready),one group o hal a dozen or so superheroesmay not be enough to stop a mass breakout.

S AGE WO: LOCKDOWNRegardless o the extent or severity o an

escape attempt, riot, or similar situation, theguards’ rst order o business afer alerting therest o the prison is containment. Te prison term

or this islockdown. Guards on duty immediatelyorder all inmates back to their cells. I an inmatedoesn’t respond without delay or trouble, theguards use orce to get him into his cell, since theydon’t have time to talk things through or wait orstubborn prisoners. Un ortunately, that instinctiveresponse, combined with trying to move a lot oinmates around at once, may cause other incidents(or make the crisis spread i the inmates nd outwhat’s going on).

In most crisis situations, Stronghold’s securityrobots (see page 90) are activated during Stage

wo to assist with the procedure and help tomaintain order.

ypically Stage wo o the response takes atleast 10 minutes; it may take more. I there’s notime to get all the inmates back to their cells, theguards settle or moving them into designated“lockdown zones” (typically in the quads andother large rooms) and then rely on the electroniclocks on all the doors to keep them rom rampag-ing through the acility.








S AGE HREE: REAC IONAND CON AINMEN

Simultaneously with Stage wo (i possible)or immediately aferward (i not), one or moregroups o guards attempts to deal with the situ-ation directly by recapturing escapees, stoppingriots, rescuing hostages, and the like. Tey (and inecessary, any other guard) are issued weapons,and usually Warden Wildman authorizes the useo the SPARC suits (see page 88) to give the mainsquad more protection and repower.

he time required or Stage hree variesdepending on the nature o the crisis and howmany attempts Wildman is willing to make tosolve the problem directly; it may be a quartero an hour, or it may last several hours. I theguards’ initial attempt to handle the crisis ails,Warden Wildman calls in all o -duty guardsand also sends out a call or assistance (i hehas not done these things already). For mostincidents, this is the most likely point at whichPC superheroes will be contacted by Strongholdand asked to provide assistance.

S AGE FOUR: NEGO IA IONOR RECAP URE

I Stronghold’s direct e orts to containand riot, hostage situation, or other incident

ail, Warden Wildman shi ts gears to a lesscon rontational mode and opens negotationswith the inmates involved. For the most partwhat he’s really doing at this point is stalling

or time until superheroes or other help arrives.He doesn’t want to give the inmates anything

or ear o encouraging more such incidents.However, i he has to as part o his play or time,he may make some “concessions” that are eithermeaningless or easily revoked.

I any inmates do, in act, escape, theyhave to be recaptured. Since Stronghold’s notequipped to conduct manhunts, at this stage (inot be ore) it alerts all law en orcement authori-ties and superheroes to be on the lookout orany escapees and leaves the job to them. Manyinmates who make it past the wal ls don’t get outo the New Mexican desert be ore being pickedup, hungry and dehydrated, by local authorities.







Personnel







78 Personnel Hero System 5 th Edition Revised

While Stronghold’s inmates and high-tech security systems tend to attractthe most media attention, it’s thepeople who work there — rom

Warden Wildman on down to the cleaning staff— that make the place run so efficiently and sowell. No computer program or robot, no matterhow advanced or well-designed, can learn to“read” and react to Stronghold’s inmates the way atrained guard can.

MAIN STAFFStronghold’s “main staff” are the administra-

tors and other primary personnel — the bosses, soto speak. Each o them has an office in the above-ground level, though depending on the events oany given day may have to descend into the prisonone or more times.

WARDEN AR HUR WILDMAN 8 S R 8 DEX 10 CON 8 BODY 13 IN 10 EGO 15 PRE 8 COM 3 PD 3 ED 2 SPD 4 REC 20 END 19 S UN

Abilities: Bureaucratics 12-; Computer Programming

8-; Deduction 12-; KS: American Prison System 11-;KS: Penological Law 11-; KS: Stronghold 16-; KS:Te Superhuman World 8-; KS: Supervillains 14-; SS:Anthropology 8-; SS: Criminology 16-; SS: Penology16-; SS: Sociology 11-; Fringe Benet: Membership(warden o Stronghold)25+ Disadvantages: Hunted: Bureau O Prisons11- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching)

Notes: Te son o Stronghold’s ounder, ArthurWildman has largely lived a li e shaped by hisrelationship to his ather. He was just startingcollege when Stronghold was being built, andlistening to his ather talk about the project everyday inspired him to become a criminologist.Afer obtaining his Ph.D with a thesis analyzing

Stronghold’s history, methodology, and results todate, he became an assistant pro essor. He soonearned a reputation as a un but tough teacherwho demanded a lot rom his students but gavethem a lot in return. He wrote a book aboutStronghold, Capes Behind Bars, that briey madethe bestseller list, and ofen published articles inscholarly journals about the superprison.

A ter the Great Stronghold Breakout in1990, Arthur Wildman was called in as a con-sultant by the groups investigating the incident.His indings placed virtually no blame on his

ather, pointing to circumstances beyond hiscontrol such as the storm and the lu epidemic.Un ortunately his conclusions were harshly crit-icized by his ather’s enemies as being biased,and thus were largely rejected.

Wildman vowed then and there to have thelast laugh by becoming warden o Strongholdhimsel and proving his ather’s detractors wrong.Leaving academia behind, he became an assistantwarden at an Illinois penitentiary. A stellar recordthere let him transition into the ederal prisonsystem, where he continued to shine. When itcame time to install a new warden o Strongholdin 2001, his experience and knowledge aboutStronghold made him the obvious candidate.Some o his ather’s old adversaries raised red

STAFF

I’ve never met Warden Wildman, not even when

he first came to the prison. For that matter, Inever met Warden Kennedy either, but from what Ihear he was a ponmpous fool. Wildman’s supposedto be some sort of humanitarian or somethingthe way people tell it, but he never even bothersto introduce himself to his prisoners. I’ve seenhim on stage several times when he addressed theentire prison population, but that’s as close asI’ve gotten. I guess in his own way he’s as much ajerk as Kennedy.







Stronghold 7

ags, but he campaigned hard or the job and hadmore than a ew inuential riends who spoke upon his behal as well.

Since 2001, Arthur Wildman has servedas Warden o Stronghold during one o thequietest periods in the superprison’s history.His emphasis on incorporating new technolo-gies into the security systems and on expandedtraining or the guards has kept “incidents” and

escapes to a minimum. A irm but air man, Dr.Wildman keeps a care ul eye on his “charges”and ensures not only that they don’t escape,but that they aren’t abused. As something o anoptimist, he does his best to rehabilitate them,though it’s usually a losing battle.

Warden Wildman is known among hisstaff or his per ectionist nature and attentionto detail; they ofen wish he wasn’t quite so“hands-on” and that he’d learn to delegate better.He used to approach problems in a very “aca-demic” sort o way, but years o experience as aprison administrator have tempered his nativeintelligence with an appreciation or practicalconsiderations and the (super)human actor.Legitimate superheroes who deal with him ndhim to be intelligent, knowledgeable, and willingto work with them to the extent he can. Rumorhas it he’s writing a book about superheroes andwelcomes the opportunity or contact with themso he has even more to put in it.

Now in his early 50s, Warden Wildman stillhas the good looks that turned so many women’sheads when he was younger. He’s got a rm,almost angular ace with black hair that’s greyingat the temples, green eyes, glasses, and no acialhair. He usually wears a typical men’s suit at work.He’s married and has three children, though orsecurity and practical reasons they live in Albu-querque and he only gets to see them periodically.

ASSIS AN WARDENREBECCA RO HSCHILD

8 S R 8 DEX 8 CON 8 BODY 10 IN 10 EGO 13 PRE 10 COM 2 PD 2 ED 2 SPD 4 REC 16 END 16 S UN

Abilities: Bureaucratics 12-; KS: American PrisonSystem 8-; KS: Penological Law 11-; KS: Strong-hold 12-; KS: Supervillains 14-; Language: Yiddish(basic conversation); PS: Play Guitar 8-; SS: Crimi-nology 8-; SS: Penology 12-; Fringe Benet: Mem-bership (assistant warden o Stronghold)25+ Disadvantages: Hunted: Bureau O Prisons8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching)Notes: Rebecca Rothschild’s route to Stronghold is very different rom that o her boss, Dr. Wildman.Growing up in Brooklyn she ran with somethingo a rough crowd and got in minor trouble withthe law a time or three. Despite the odds againsther she pulled hersel together and attended sec-retarial school afer dropping out o high school.Ironically, she got a job as the secretary or thewarden o a New York prison.

Afer several years o taking dictation andling memos, Rothschild decided she could dobetter. In act, she also decided she could do herboss’s job better than he could. She got her highschool equivalency and then started taking col-lege classes at night. In time she earned a degreein Criminal Justice Studies, then applied or andobtained a job as assistant warden in a Delawareprison. She eventually worked her way up towarden o that same penitentiary, though morethan one person she met on her way up doubtedthat a woman could do the job. She soon proved

them wrong by de using a hostage situation be oreit turned into a deadly riot.Rothschild met Arthur Wildman at a penol-

ogy con erence in 1998, where the two o themwere on a panel and got into an intense (but

riendly) debate on prisoners’ rights and prisonadministration. Afer being appointed Warden oStronghold, Wildman decided to “clean house”and bring in an all-new staff o head administra-








tors. He remembered Rothschild, decided she’d beper ect or the job, and persuaded her to move toNew Mexico and take it.

Compared to Warden Wildman, Rothschildis the “battleaxe” who raises all sorts o practicalobjections to his more academic ideas and pooh-poohs his notions about rehabilitation. She’s beenaround the block about a hundred times ( romboth sides o the jail cell door) and doesn’t think

anyone’s ever going to re orm. Although she’salways willing to compromise in the best interestso the superprison, she tends to take a hard linewhen dealing with administrative matters, ofentempering Wildman’s more optimistic approach.

For relaxation Assistant Warden Rothschildreads, scrapbooks, and plays the guitar. One o thebiggest thrills o her li e was when amed Seven-ties singer-songwriter Andy McKinley came toStronghold to put on a concert or the inmates andshe got to play a song with him on stage.

A “stereotypical New York Jew” (as she putsit), Rebecca Rothschild is a Caucasian womanin her early 40s with a curly black hair and darkbrown eyes. She’s just a touch on the plump side,but still plenty attractive in her own way. Brassy,sassy, eisty, and willing to put up with no back-talk rom any inmate regardless o how power uland eared he is on the outside, she wears typicalwoman’s business attire and sensible shoes.

CHIEF OF SECURI Y FREDERICK GRASSE 13 S R 14 DEX 14 CON 12 BODY 13 IN 10 EGO 15 PRE 8 COM 5 PD 5 ED 3 SPD 6 REC 30 END 30 S UN

Abili ties: Martial Arts: Stronghold Guard

raining (see below); Running +1” (7” total); +1with Stronghold Guard raining; Bureaucratics12-; Concealment 12-; KS: he Military/Merce-nary/ errorist World 11-; KS: Penological Law11-; KS: Stronghold Inmates 11-; KS: US ArmyHistory And Customs 11-; PS: Prison Guard12-; PS: Soldier 12-; actics 12-; WF: SmallArms, Knives; Fringe Bene it: Membership(head o guards at Stronghold)

50+ Disadvantages: Hunted: Warden Wildman8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching); Social Limitation:Subject o OrdersNotes: Frederick Grasse is the son o a military veteran whose ather was also a vet, and his

ather be ore him. here wasn’t much doubtwhat Frederick would grow up to do; it was justa question o which service he’d join. He wentinto the Army and excelled. But a ter puttingin over 20 years he decided it was time or achange o pace. He retired rom the militaryand began looking or a job that would let himuse his experience but not make quite so manydemands on his amily. A ter deciding he wastoo old or police work, he ound a position as aguard o icer in a ederal penitentiary.

In his several years as a ederal prisonguard o icer, Grasse distinguished himsel withhis pro essionalism, attention to detail, and no-nonsense attitude. He came to national attention— and the attention o Dr. Wildman — in 2000when he singlehandedly stopped our prisoners,two o them hardened killers, rom escaping. In2004, when the current Chie o Security (i.e., commander o the guards) at Stronghold choseto retire, Grasse applied or the job. Wildmanremembered his name, and a ter several gruel-ing interviews gave him the job in early 2005.

Although Chie Grasse has been at Strong-hold only three years, ar less than many o theguards who work or him, he’s become a main-stay o the prison administration. His views oncriminal justice and treatment o prisoners are

ar harsher than Dr. Wildman’s, but Grasse hasbecome one o the Warden’s chie advisors, a manhe trusts and relies upon or an unvarnished opin-

ion o any issue.Grasse would never, ever admit it toanyone, but he kind o gets a kick out o keep-ing a bunch o oh-so-power ul supervillainshelpless and under control. He tries hard not tolet this attitude color his work, but sometimeshe just can’t help taking a troublesome inmatedown a peg or two with a well-timed snide com-ment... or, or the unruly ones, a good, hardsmack in the ace. His ile has more than oneinmate complaint in it, and a couple have evenbeen serious enough to spark investigations, buthe’s never been brought up on charges or suc-cess ully sued.

Chie Grasse has the hardbitten look o acareer military man rom a military amily. Hekeeps his reddish-blonde hair high and tight,remains observant and alert at all times, andstays in excellent physical condition despitebeing in his mid-thirties. He wears a standardStronghold guard’s uni orm (black button-downshirt and pants with gold buttons and trim andrank insignia on the shoulders and le t breast),broad black leather belt, black boots, walkie-talkie worn on the shoulder), always doing hisbest to keep it in immaculate condition. He’swhite with green eyes.







Stronghold 8

FA HER RICHARD PAS ORELLI 7 S R 8 DEX 9 CON 8 BODY 13 IN 10 EGO 15 PRE 10 COM 2 PD 2 ED 2 SPD 3 REC 18 END 17 S UN

Abilities: Animal Handler (Bovines) 8-; Bureau-cratics 12-; Conversation 12-; Deduction 12-; KS:Roman Catholic History And Culture 12-; KS:Roman Catholic Teology 12-; Oratory 12-; Per-suasion 12-; F: Horses, wo-Wheeled MotorizedGround Vehicles; Fringe Benets: Membership(Stronghold prison chaplain), Religious Rank(priest), Right o Marry; Money (Wealthy)25+ Disadvantages: Hunted: Warden Wildman 8-(Mo Pow, NCI, Watching); Psychological Limita-tion: Devout Roman Catholic; Social Limitation:Subject o OrdersNotes: Every prison needs a spiritual advisor,and Stronghold is ortunate enough to haveFather Richard Pastorelli on sta . Pastorelligrew up on a Nebraska dairy arm and had apretty ordinary childhood. While attending col-lege he elt a religious call ing and chose to go toseminary a ter graduation. In time he became apriest and served in a variety o parishes aroundthe United States.

In 1993 Father Pastorelli decided he wasn’treally doing Christ’s work in seeing to thedowntrodden and un ortunate. He began aministry to prison inmates, visiting local pris-ons every week to bring the word o God to theinmates. He ound this work so ul illing thathe eventually applied or and received a job as achaplain at an Arizona prison.

Father Pastorelli’s li e took another unex-

pected turn in 1997 when he was driving to areligious con erence in exas. Unbeknownst tohim two inmates had escaped rom Stronghold,and as luck would have it they came acrosshim on the road and took him hostage. hingsmight have gone badly when the police cor-nered the escapees in aos, but Father Pastorelliwas able to talk them down and resolve thewhole matter peace ully. From them he learnedthat Stronghold didn’t have a prison chaplain,and he decided that was intolerable. He pes-tered Warden Kennedy to create such a positionuntil Kennedy did... and then by way o revengeo ered the job to Pastorelli himsel . he goodFather has worked at the super-prison eversince, seeing to the spiritual needs o incarcer-ated supervillains.

As Stronghold’s chaplain, Father Pastorelli isprimarily responsible or holding Sunday religiousservices or the prison’s Christian population,providing advice to inmates who need spiritualcounseling, and acting as “the voice o conscience”on Warden Wildman’s staff. Although he’s unwav-ering in his aith and the opinions it generates,Father Pastorelli tries not to be overtly judgmentalwhen on the job — he’s ound that it’s completelycounterproductive. Instead he listens intently toother people, using his Conversation Skill to dis-cern what they’re really talking about, and thenoffers advice based on his insight and belie s. Noris he a humorless stick-in-the-mud; even amongthe inmates he’s considered riendly, personable,good humored, and something o a joker. On acouple o occasions he’s used his good relations

with the inmates and his diplomatic skills tode use incidents that might have become riots inot properly handled.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Father Pastorellicomes rom a very wealthy amily and is quite welloff. He doesn’t aunt his money — i anything, heignores it — but he does have the capability to buy just about anything he wants i the need arises. Hisone indulgence is that he spoils his beloved petcat, Roberto, with gourmet cat ood and a steadystream o new toys.

Father Pastorelli is an avuncular white man inhis early sixties, but still quite hearty and hale despitehis advancing years. In the best o times he’s usuallygot a smile on his ace and a twinkle in his eye, butthe circumstances o his job ofen make him somberand contemplative. His hair has mostly gone grey

rom its original brown, and he wears bi ocals.








COMMANDER MIKE MI CHELLSON 13 S R 13 DEX 13 CON 10 BODY 13 IN 10 EGO 15 PRE 8 COM 5 PD 5 ED 3 SPD 6 REC 26 END 24 S UN

Abilities: Martial Arts: Stronghold Guard rain-ing (see below); Running +1” (7” total); +1with Stronghold Guard raining; Bureaucratics12-; Combat Driving 12-; Combat Piloting 12-;Concealment 12-; KS: Penological Law 11-; KS:Stronghold Inmates 11-; Mechanics 8-; PS: PrisonGuard 11-; WF: Small Arms; Fringe Benet: Mem-bership (head o SSP S)25+ Disadvantages: Hunted: Warden Wildman8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching); Psychological Limi-tation: Tinks He Knows Prisoner Security BetterTan Anyone (Common, Moderate); Social Limi-tation: Subject o OrdersNotes: Mike Mitchellson is the head o theStronghold Superhuman Prisoner ransportSystem (SSP S, see page 31). He irst came toStronghold in 1992 as a guard, one o the irstto have gone through the new, expanded train-ing program instituted in the wake o the GreatStronghold Breakout. His early record wasn’tamong the best — by his own admission, he wasstill young and ull o pride, which meant hegot in more con rontations with inmates thanhe should have — but a ter a couple years hestraightened up and began to do better. In act,he did so well he started to rise through theranks. In 1999 he was assigned to the SSP S,and when the program’s commander retired in2002 he got the call.

Mitchellson has learned rom his mistakes

and takes his job seriously — some would say too seriously. He’s got a tendency to charge right intoa situation and take over, which the local court-room and prison personnel might not appreci-ate (even though what he does is “right,” in thatit increases sa ety and decreases the chances oa prisoner escaping). He’s totally pro essional,and willing to cooperate ully with anyone whoknows as much about superhuman prisoner

transport and security as he does. It’s just that asar as he’s concerned, not many people outside o

Stronghold meet his standards.Commander Mitchellson’s not a big an o

superheroes in general. In his experience mostheroes are amateurs who get by on raw powerand luck rather than intelligence, planning, orskill, and they ofen do as much harm as good. Heworks with them when he has to, but he avoids

“capes” who haven’t earned his trust through dis-plays o competence.Mitchellson is a thirty-something black man

with close-cropped hair. He usually wears thestandard SSP S blue jumpsuit, though he’ll suitup in the same body armor and weapons as theguards who work or him i he has to. He’s marriedwith two young children; his amily lives in thenearby town o Burns. In his spare time he likes tox up and race cars.

THE GUARDSTe backbone o Stronghold is the guard staff— the men and women who control the prisoners,

deal with dangerous supervillains on a daily basis,and keep some o the prison’s most important

unctions operating smoothly.

RECRUI MEN AND RAININGFor about the rst decade o Stronghold’s

existence, its guards weren’t that different romguards at any maximum-security penitentiary.Te administration only hired guards with previ-ous experience or other strong qualications, ando course they had access to special equipment incertain situations, but aside rom a brie introdu-

cotyr training course that was about it.hings changed a ter the Great Strong-hold Breakout in 1990. New Warden Kennedydecided Stronghold’s guards needed moreadvanced training to deal with the speci icproblems that might arise on the job. He alsowanted better quali ications — not just priorexperience but a college degree or time in themilitary. He wanted his guards to be the cremede la creme o prison guards, and that meanttraining them rom the ground up. He instituteda twelve-week training course that coveredphysical itness, basic and advanced handling oprisoners, knowledge o the inmates and theirpowers, and simple dispute resolution and crisisnegotiation techniques.

Te results o Kennedy’s training programwere noticeable. Te new guards who began serv-ing in 1992 were ar better equipped to handlethe job than veteran guards. As time went onKennedy, and later Arthur Wildman, rened theprogram, adding or changing things as neededand creating a “continuing education” series oseminars to keep the guards up-to-date on thelatest in ormation.

Te accompanying Package Deal representsthe effect o the current Stronghold training pro-gram on guards.







Stronghold 8

RANKSTe Stronghold guards use a simple rank

system that represents the amount o authority anindividual has. Most simply hold the lowest rank,Guard. Each cellblock has one guard in charge othe others working that area; he’s a Sergeant. Othe two Sergeants overseeing a given quad, onewill be put in charge o that quad by the Lieuten-ant, who’s in command o an entire level. Everytwo levels have a Captain, who reports directly tothe Chie o Security, Frederick Grasse. Guardsin charge o some specialized unctions, such asthe SSP S, hold the rank o Commander and areequivalent to Captains. Similarly, there’s a Com-mander in charge o each shif.

(In game terms, being a Stronghold guardor guard officer doesn’t involve any sort o Perk.It’s too limited a thing to be worth paying or.Administrators such as Warden Wildman do havea Membership Fringe Benet to represent theiroverall authority.)

WORK SHIF SStronghold has three guard shi ts. he

irst shi t comes on duty at 9:00 AM and stayson until 5:00 PM. Most guards pre er this shi tsince it approximates a standard working day,giving them more time with their amilies (itheir amilies live nearby).

At 5:00 PM the second shif replaces the rst;it stays on duty until 1:00 AM. Some guards likethis shif because the inmates tend to be quieterduring this time o day, especially i there’s a movieduring evening recreation time.

1:00 AM to 9:00 AM is the “graveyard shif.”Tis tends to be the quietest shif o all since theinmates sleep through a lot o it. On the otherhand, getting them roused and to break ast in themorning is sometimes a chore, and nighttime isofen the time chosen or escape attempts romwithin or without.

STRONGHOLD GUARD TRAINING PACKAGE DEAL

AbilitiesCost Ability3 +3 S R 9 +3 DEX6 +3 CON3 +3 IN5 +5 PRE3 +3 PD3 +3 ED7 +1 SPD3 +1 with Stronghold Guard raining3 Concealment2 KS: Penological Law 11-2 KS: Stronghold Inmates 11-34 Martial Arts: Stronghold Guard raining (see

character sheet)2 PS: Prison Guard 11-2 WF: Small ArmsEquipmentCost Power12 Stronghold Body Armor21 Stronghold Helmet41 SH-1-7 Pulson Rie19 Mechalene Zipcuffs (Standard)90 Lightning Stick aser7 Grab-Chain5 Communications Unitotal Cost Of Package Abilities And Equipment: 282

Disadvantages Value Disadvantage5 Distinctive Features: Uni orm (Easily Con-

cealed; Noticed And Recognizable)15 Hunted: Stronghold Administrators 11- (Mo

Pow, NCI, Watching)20 Social Limitation: Subject o Orders (Very

Frequently, Major)otal Value Of Package Disadvantages: 40








Guard Character Sheet

S RONGHOLD GUARD Val Char Cost Roll Notes 13 S R 3 12- Lif 150 kg; 2½d6 [2] 13 DEX 9 12- OCV: 4/DCV: 4 13 CON 6 12- 10 BODY 0 11-

13 IN 3 12- PER Roll 12- 10 EGO 0 11- ECV: 3 15 PRE 5 12- PRE Attack: 3d6 8 COM -1 11-

6 PD 3 otal: 6 PD (0 rPD) 6 ED 3 otal: 6 ED (0 rED) 3 SPD 7 Phases: 4, 8, 12 6 REC 0 26 END 0 24 S UN 0 otal Characteristics Cost: 38

Movement: Running: 6”/12”

Cost Powers END

36 SH-1-7 Pulson Rie: Multipower,60-point reserve, 2 clips o 30 Chargeseach or entire reserve (+½); all OAF(-1), wo-Handed (-½)

2u 1) Standard Beam: Energy Blast 12d6;OAF (-1), wo-Handed (-½)

1u 2) Intensied Beam: RKA 3d6; OAF(-1), wo-Handed (-½), Requires 3Charges Per Use (-½)

2u 3) Stunner Beam: Energy Blast 6d6,NND (de ense is ED Force Field; +1);OAF (-1), wo-Handed (-½)

75 Lightning Stick aser: Multipower,120-point reserve, 30 Charges orentire reserve (+¼); all OAF (-1)

4u 1) H H aser: Energy Blast 12d6, NND(de ense is insulated ED; +1); OAF (-1),No Range (-½), Requires MultipleCharges (1 Charge or 8d6, +1 Charge

or every +1 DC thereafer; -¼)5u 2) Ranged aser: Energy Blast 12d6,

NND (de ense is insulated ED; +1);OAF (-1), Limited Range (12”; -¼),Requires Multiple Charges (1 Charge

or 8d6, +1 Charge or every +1 DCthereafer; -¼)

6 Lightning Stick aser: HA +3d6; OAF(-1), Hand- o-Hand Attack (-½)

Martial Arts: Stronghold Guard raining Maneuver OCV DCV Notes5 Block +1 +3 Block, Abort4 Disarm -1 +1 Disarm, 23 S R 4 Dodge — +5 Dodge all

attacks, Abort4 Escape +0 +0 28 S R vs.

Grabs4 Hold -1 -1 Grab Tree

Limbs, 23 S Ror holding on

4 Joint Lock/ Trow +1 +0 Grab One

Limb; 1d6NND(7);arget Falls

4 Punch +0 +2 4½d6 Strike3 akedown +1 +1 2½d6 Strike;

arget Falls2 Use Art with Clubs, Chain And Rope

Weapons19 Standard Mechalene Zipcuff: Entangle

5d6 (standard effect: 5 BODY), 10 DEF,akes No Damage From Attacks (+½);

OAF (-1), Cannot Form Barriers (-¼),Set Effect (hands or eet only; -1), DoesNot Prevent Use O Accessible Foci(-1), No Range (-½), Must FollowGrab Or arget Must Be Willing (-½),Vulnerable (special cutting tool, seetext; -¼), 12 Charges (-¼) [12]

7 Grab-Chain: +15 S R, ReducedEndurance (0 END; +½); OAF (-1),Only o Grab (see text; -1) 0

12 Stronghold Body Armor: Armor(10 PD/10 ED); OIF (-½), ActivationRoll 14- (covers all but head andhands; -½), Hal Mass (-½) 0

7 Stronghold Helmet: Armor (10 PD/10 ED) (30 Active Points); OIF (-½),Activation Roll 8- (covers Hit Locations3-5; -2), Hal Mass (-½)

7 Stronghold Helmet: Sight Group FlashDe ense (10 points); OIF (-½)

7 Stronghold Helmet: Hearing Group FlashDe ense (10 points); OIF (-½)

5 Communications Unit: HRRP (Radio

Group); OAF (-1), Affected As SightAnd Hearing Group As Well As RadioGroup (-½) 0

Skills3 +1 with Stronghold Guard raining3 Concealment 12-2 KS: Penological Law 11-2 KS: Stronghold Inmates 11-2 PS: Prison Guard 11-2 WF: Small Arms6 KSs, PSs, or other Background Skills repre-

senting hobbies, previous jobs, and the likeotal Powers & Skills Cost: 249otal Cost: 287

50+ Disadvantages5 Distinctive Features: Uni orm (Easily Con-

cealed; Noticed And Recognizable)15 Hunted: Stronghold Administrators 11-

(Mo Pow, NCI, Watching)20 Social Limitation: Subject o Orders (Very

Frequently, Major)197 Experience Pointsotal Disadvantage Points: 287







Stronghold 8

Description: Stronghold’s guards wear grey pants,matching grey buttondown shirt, black leatherboots, black gloves, and a black leather belt. Whennecessary, over the shirt they wear a black high-tech ballistic vest with a communicator unit (ahigh-tech walkie-talkie, basically) on the rightshoulder; they also have pads o the same ballisticmaterial strapped to their thighs, lower legs/knees,and lower arms/elbows. Te armored materials are

clearly protective gear, but are not bulky or heavyand don’t signicantly impede movement. Guardsdo not routinely wear helmets, though they doduring riots, escape attempts, and the like. Simi-larly, they do not carry weapons o any sort whilemixing with the inmate population; they’re issuedhigh-tech blaster ries during crisis situations.

NO EWOR HY GUARDSSome o the guards are dentely above (or

below) average. A ew o the more notable include:Commander isha Carmichael

Stronghold has very ew emale guards —basically only enough or the emale-only cell-blocks. isha Campbell, a tall black woman withnearly 20 years’ experience in corrections, is incharge o all the emale guards. I a emale guardhas some specic complaint, it usually gets passedup to Carmichael, who takes it to Chie Grasse iit’s serious enough.

Commander Carmichael has a reputationor being tough as nails, and strong enough to

beat most o the male guards at arm-wrestling.But despite her sometimes harsh nature she has asofer side that sometimes shines through, espe-cially when she’s looking afer “her girls.” Some-times she sees the promise o re orm in one o the

emale prisoners and tries to bring that out; rightnow her current project is Alchemica. Others sheregards as useless trash who should remain lockedup or li e; right now she particularly eels that wayabout Gorgon, who’s made no secret o how muchshe hates Carmichael.

Commander Carmichael is married and hastwo children; her amily lives in nearby Burns.

im GriceNow in his ourth year at Stronghold, im

Grice works on Delta level, among some o themost dangerous inmates in the superprison. Hestarted on Level Beta, but his excellent job per or-mance has slowly but surely earned him the dubi-ous privilege o working on lower and lower levels.Te odds are that next time there’s an opening orsergeant, he’ll get chosen.

Blonde-haired and blue-eyed, Grice still looksa lot like the high school ootball star he used tobe. I not or an arm injury he’d probably have

gone on to play college and then pro ball, but he’snot usually too bitter about it — that’s just the waythings go. What really upsets him is that he doesn’tofen get to see his daughter Haley, who lives inMaryland with her mother (Grice’s ex-wi e). Hearranges his vacation time each year so he can bewith her, and stays in touch on an almost-dailybasis via cell phone.Sergeant Calvin Murdoch

Currently assigned to Level Epsilon, Cell-block D, Sergeant Murdoch is considered “thetoughest screw in Stronghold” by most o theinmates. Six and a hal eet tall with shouldersas wide as his home state o Montana and themuscular build o a dedicated weightli ter (S R15, CON 16, BODY 13), he’s totally earless anddoesn’t back down rom any inmate, no matterhow power ul that inmate is on the outside. He’sa little too quick to use violence to solve prob-lems or the administration’s taste, but he never,ever throws the irst punch so he rarely gets inmuch trouble because o it.

Commander Robert RuddAll the guards on the rst shif are com-manded by Robert Rudd, who worked at some othe toughest ederal and New York state prisonsbe ore taking a job at Stronghold. He’s an expertat nding hidden objects and weapons (Conceal-ment 15-) and has written several articles aboutprison weapons. He’s considering writing a bookabout his experiences as a prison guard, drawingon the extensive journals he’s kept throughout hiscareer or material.

Commander Rudd is six eet tall with darkhair and eyes. His lef upper arm, lef side, and lefthigh have extensive burn scaring rom an escape

attempt by Whitere a couple years ago ( ortu-nately the ame-blasts didn’t hit him in the ace).Much to his amily’s aggravation he re uses to lookinto getting plastic surgery treatment or the scars,claiming they don’t inter ere with his movementsat all so he doesn’t want to go to all that trouble.Vic isdale

Not every guard at Stronghold is a para-gon o pro essionalism and virtue. Witness Vic

isdale, who’s been there nearly ten years butnever advanced much; he’s currently assigned toCellblock C on Level Beta-5. Angry about “beingignored,” or the past several years he’s supple-mented his income by smuggling things to prison-ers and participating in the superprison’s blackmarket. Cigarettes are his specialty, but he can getall kinds o small things an inmate might want.He draws the line at weapons or other dangerousobjects, though.








Guard Gear Besides their uni orms, Stronghold guards

have access to many different types o geardesigned to make their job easier and sa er —though a lot o it is only used during escape, riot,and hostage scenarios. In addition to the devicesdescribed on pages 33-34, any o which could beused in Stronghold as well as during courtroom or

transport situations, here’s some o the equipmentStronghold guards use:

EVERYDAY EQUIPMEN

COMMUNICA IONS UNIEffect: HRRPTarget: SelfDuration: PersistentRange: SelfEND Cost: 0Breakability: 2 DEF

Description: Attached to the right shoulder oevery Stronghold guard’s uni orm (and to theclothing o many non-guard personnel, includingWarden Wildman) is a Communications Unit —basically a high-tech walkie-talkie that also has video capability. o talk on it, a guard has to useone hand to press a button and open a channel; tosee the video screen he has to detach it rom hisshoulder so he can look at it. It runs on a high-powered battery good or 72 hours o use; eachguard has two batteries so he can recharge onewhile the other’s in use.

Game Information: HRRP (Radio Group) (12 Active Points); OAF (-1), Affected As Sight And Hearing Group As Well As Radio Group(-½). otal cost: 5 points.

GRAB CHAINEffect: +15 STR, Only To Grab (see text)Target: One characterDuration: ConstantRange: TouchEND Cost: 0Breakability: 4 DEF

Description: A grab-chain is a device used torestrain uncooperative (or potentially unco-operative) prisoners. It consists o a length ometal chain about a oot long with a -shapedmetal handle on each end; the handles can locktogether to orm one unit. he guard simplywraps the chain around one o a prisoner’slimbs (something he’s taught to do in a ight aspart o his hand-to-hand combat training) andlocks the handles together (or simply graspsboth in the same hand). his gives an enormousamount o extra leverage and makes it harder

or the prisoner to break ree.In game terms, a grab-chain is dened as

extra S R, Only o Grab. Te extra S R onlyapplies to Grabbing a single limb (even i it’s usedwhen Grabbing two limbs) and cannot be used toSqueeze or Trow.

Game Information: +15 S R, ReducedEndurance (0 END; +½) (22 Active Points);OAF (-1), Only o Grab (see text; -1). otalcost: 7 points.

MECHALENE ZIPCUFFSEffect: Entangle 5-10d6, 10-20 DEF,

Takes No Damage From Attacks

Target: One characterDuration: InstantRange: No RangeCharges: 12 ChargesBreakability: 10-20 DEF

Description: Te “second stage” o AngelstoneLaboratories’s Supercriminal Restraint System(SCRS) devices are the Mechalene Zipcuffs. (SeeCops, Crews, And Cabals or more in ormation onAngelstone and its technologies.) Made o a spe-cial plastic developed rom technology recovered

rom the murderous sentient robot Mechanon,they’re capable o holding even the strongest

superhumans. Each one consists o a strip o plas-tic (o varying thickness depending on strength)with one end molded so that the rest o the stripcan be pulled through it one way, but not back outagain. It’s the work o seconds to loop one arounda held or restrained criminal’s wrists or eet andthen pull it tight (which causes a “zip” sound thatgives the cuffs their name).

Mechalene Zipcu s come in three basictypes. he Standard model su ices or anycriminal with ordinary human strength up tosuperhumans who can li t as much as about 25metric tons. he Heavy-Duty and Extra-Strength versions are intended or even stronger supervillains, up to and including the likes o Grond,Ripper, and Gargantua.

Once they’re attached, the only easy way toremove Mechalene Zipcuffs rom someone is witha special cutting tool, also manu actured solelyby Angelstone Laboratories. An ordinary kni e orpair o tinsnips can do the trick, but that takes alot more time and elbow grease. Angelstone sellsZipcuffs in packs o 12, boxed ten packs to thecase; each case comes with one cutting tool.Game Information:19 Standard Mechalene Zipcuff: Entangle 5d6

(standard effect: 5 BODY), 10 DEF, akes

No Damage From Attacks (+½) (112 ActivePoints); OAF (-1), Cannot Form Barriers(-¼), Set Effect (hands or eet only; -1),Does Not Prevent Use O Accessible Foci(-1), No Range (-½), Must Follow GrabOr arget Must Be Willing (-½), Vulner-able (special cutting tool, see text; -¼), 12Charges (-¼)

27 Heavy-Duty Mechalene Zipcuff: As Stan-dard, but Entangle 7d6 (standard effect: 7BODY), 14 DEF (157 Active Points)

39 Extra-Strength Mechalene Zipcuff: As Stan-dard, but Entangle 10d6 (standard effect: 10BODY), 20 DEF (225 Active Points)







Stronghold 8

EMERGENCY EQUIPMENTese devices are issued to guards only during

crisis situations or when otherwise necessary; they’renot carried or used on an everyday basis.

S RONGHOLD BODY ARMOREffect: Armor (10 PD/10 ED),

Activation Roll 14- (see text)Target: Self

Duration: PersistentRange: SelfEND Cost: 0Breakability: 10 DEF

Description: Stronghold’s administrators want tokeep the guards sa e, and one way o doing thatis to issue them protective body armor or useduring crisis situations (such as escapes or riots).Stronghold guards do not wear body armor on adaily basis.

Game Information: Armor (10 PD/10 ED)(30 Active Points); OIF (-½), Activation Roll14- (covers all but head and hands; -½), Half Mass (-½). otal cost: 12 points.

S RONGHOLD HELMEEffect: Armor (10 PD/10 ED), Activa-

tion Roll 8- (see text); HRRP;Sight and Hearing Group FlashDefense (10 points)

Target: SelfDuration: PersistentRange: SelfEND Cost: 0Breakability: 8 DEF

Description: When necessary, Stronghold guardswear helmets to protect their heads. Te helmet

eatures a clear, ull- ace protective plate. Tewearer attaches his Communications Unit (seebelow) to the lef side o the helmet and can thenspeak into it without having to use his hands andsee video data and pictures that it projects directlyonto the upper lef corner o the aceplate.Game Information:Cost Power7 Protective Helmet: Armor (10 PD/10 ED)

(30 Active Points); OIF (-½), ActivationRoll 8- (covers Hit Locations 3-5; -2), HalMass (-½)

7 Sight Protection: Sight Group Flash De ense(10 points); OIF (-½)7 Hearing Protection: Hearing Group Flash

De ense (10 points); OIF (-½)otal cost: 21 points.

SH 1 7 PULSON RIFLEEffect: Energy Blast 12d6; RKA 3d6;

Energy Blast 5d6, NNDTarget: One characterDuration: InstantRange: 300” or 225”Charges: 2 clips of 30 Charges eachBreakability: 18 DEF

Description: When Stronghold’s guards need touse orce to prevent an escape, quell a riot, or dealwith a similar emergency, the armory issues themSH-1-7 Pulson Ries. Te SH-1-7 res a tuneablepulson beam that can impact, cut, or stun depend-ing on the needs o the shooter. Guards are sup-posed to rely on settings 1 and 3, avoiding setting2 (lethal) unless it’s absolutely required or they’reordered to use it by a commander.

In situations where the goal is to stun andincapacitate an inmate, guards ofen pre er theLightning Stick aser, which packs a strongerpunch. However, the SH-1-7 has a much longerrange and more energy, making it invaluable in

some situations.Game Information:Cost Power36 SH-1-7 Pulson Rie: Multipower,

60-point reserve, 2 clips o 30 Chargeseach or entire reserve (+½); all OAF (-1),

wo-Handed (-½)2u 1) Standard Beam: Energy Blast 12d6;

OAF (-1), wo-Handed (-½)1u 2) Intensied Beam: RKA 3d6; OAF

(-1), wo-Handed (-½), Requires 3 ChargesPer Use (-½)

2u 3) Stunner Beam: Energy Blast 6d6, NND(de ense is ED Force Field; +1); OAF (-1),

wo-Handed (-½)otal cost: 41 points.

LIGH NING S ICK ASEREffect: Energy Blast 12d6, NND;

HA +3d6Target: One characterDuration: InstantRange: Touch/12”/TouchEND Cost: 30 Charges for entire

Multipower/0Breakability: 30 DEF

Description: During crisis s ituations, Strongholdguards carry the “Lightning Stick” taser devel-oped by Angelstone Laboratories. A combina-tion o taser and nightstick, it has several unc-tions. First, the user can touch a target with themetal prongs on the end to deliver a stunningshock. he user can control the amount o voltsdelivered with a simple thumb switch in thehandle, rom 2,000 (the amount in a standardtaser, and thus suitable or ordinary humans)to 18,000 (upper-end ranges are only or thetoughest superhumans). In game terms 2,000 volts is an Energy Blast 8d6, NND; every 2,000 volts beyond that adds +½d6.








Second, the user can re the metal prongstoward a target up to 12” away, delivering the samesort o stunning shock. Tird, a Lightning Stickcan unction as an ordinary nightstick.Game Information:Cost Power75 Lightning Stick aser: Multipower, 120-

point reserve, 30 Charges or entire reserve(+¼); all OAF (-1)

4u 1) H H aser: Energy Blast 12d6, NND(de ense is insulated ED; +1); OAF (-1), NoRange (-½), Requires Multiple Charges (1Charge or 8d6, +1 Charge or every +1 DCthereafer; -¼)

5u 2) Ranged aser: Energy Blast 12d6, NND(de ense is insulated ED; +1); OAF (-1),Limited Range (12”; -¼), Requires MultipleCharges (1 Charge or 8d6, +1 Charge orevery +1 DC thereafer; -¼)

6 Combat Baton: HA +3d6; OAF (-1), Hand-o-Hand Attack (-½)

otal cost: 90 points.

SPARC Armor In 2002, Stronghold was budgeted or and

commissioned the design o a suit o poweredarmor suitable or the guards to wear duringemergencies. Designated SPARC — StrongholdPowered Armor or Restraint and Control — thesuits are intended to help recapture escaping elonsand de use dangerous incidents. So ar Stronghold

has taken possession o less than a dozen SPARCsuits due to cost overruns, technologicial prob-lems, and the like — but at times those suits haveproven invaluable. Te accompanying charactersheet describes a guard wearing a SPARC suit.

GUARD IN SPARC ARMOR Val Char Cost Roll Notes 13+20 S R 3+10* 12-/16- Lif 150/2,400 kg;

2½d6/6½d6 [1/3] 13+7 DEX 9+10* 12-/13- OCV: 4/7/DCV: 4/7 13+7 CON 6+7* 12-/13- 10 BODY 0 11- 13 IN 3 12- PER Roll 12- 10 EGO 0 11- ECV: 3 15+10 PRE 5+7 † 12-/14- PRE Attack: 3d6/5d6 10 COM 0 11-

6 PD 3 otal: 26 PD (20 rPD) 6 ED 3 otal: 26 ED (20 rED) 3+2 SPD 7+13 † Phases: 4, 8, 12

3, 5, 8, 10, 12 6 REC 0 26 END 0 24 S UN 0 otal Characteristics Cost: 86*: OIF (-½) and No Figured Characteristics (-½)†: OIF (-½)

Movement: Running: 11”/22” Leaping: 6½”/13”

Cost Powers END70 Gauntlet Pulson Blasters: Multipower,

70-point reserve, 64 Charges or entirereserve (+½); all OIF (-½)

5u 1) Standard Beam: Energy Blast 14d6;OIF (-½)

3u 2) Intensied Beam: RKA 4d6; OIF(-½), Requires 3 Charges Per Use (-½)

5u 3) Stunner Beam: Energy Blast 7d6,NND (de ense is ED Force Field; +1);OIF (-½)

50 Gauntlet angleweb Projectors: Entangle6d6, 9 DEF; OIF (-½), 16 Charges (-0) [16]120 Built-In Lightning Stick aser: Multipower,

120-point reserve, 60 Charges or entirereserve (+½); all OIF (-½)

5u 1) H H aser: Energy Blast 12d6,NND (de ense is insulated ED; +1);OIF (-½), No Range (-½), RequiresMultiple Charges (1 Charge or 8d6, +1Charge or every +1 DC thereafer; -¼)

6u 2) Ranged aser: Energy Blast 12d6,NND (de ense is insulated ED; +1); OIF(-½), Limited Range (12”; -¼), RequiresMultiple Charges (1 Charge or 8d6, +1Charge or every +1 DC thereafer; -¼)







Stronghold 8

7 Built-In Lightning Stick aser: HA +3d6;OIF (-½), Hand- o-Hand Attack (-½)

Martial Arts: Stronghold Guard raining Maneuver OCV DCV Notes5 Block +1 +3 Block, Abort4 Disarm -1 +1 Disarm, 23/43

S R 4 Dodge — +5 Dodge all

attacks, Abort4 Escape +0 +0 28/48 S R vs.

Grabs4 Hold -1 -1 Grab Tree

Limbs, 23/43S R or hold-ing on

4 Joint Lock/ Trow +1 +0 Grab One

Limb; 1d6NND(7);arget Falls

4 Punch +0 +2 4½d6/8½d6Strike

3 akedown +1 +1 2½d6/6½d6Strike; argetFalls

2 Use Art with Clubs, Chain And Rope Weapons7 Leg Servoes: Running +5” (11” total);

OIF (-½) 16 Communications System: HRRP

(Radio Group); OIF (-½), Affected AsSight And Hearing Group As Well AsRadio Group (-½) 0

3 Termal Sensors: In rared Perception(Sight Group); OIF (-½) 0

3 Nightsight: Nightvision; OIF (-½) 0

Skills3 +1 with Stronghold Guard raining3 Concealment 12-2 KS: Penological Law 11-2 KS: Stronghold Inmates 11-2 PS: Prison Guard 11-2 WF: Small Arms6 KSs, PSs, or other Background Skills repre-

senting hobbies, previous jobs, and the likeotal Powers & Skills Cost: 344otal Cost: 430

50+ Disadvantages5 Distinctive Features: Insignia (Easily Con-

cealed; Noticed And Recognizable)15 Hunted: Stronghold Administrators 11-

(Mo Pow, NCI, Watching)20 Social Limitation: Subject o Orders (Very

Frequently, Major)340 Experience Pointsotal Disadvantage Points: 430

Description: Te SPARC powered armor is coloreddark green and gold: green chestpiece (except ora -shaped section across the shoulders/neck anddown the ront and back center), “trunks,” legs,and arms; gold boots, gloves, , and helmet. Tehelmet is a large, dome-shaped device that is mosteasily tted to the armor by someone other thanthe wearer; the gauntlets are also unusually largedue to their built-in weapons.








Robotso augment the standard guard corps Strong-

hold has a small orce o security robots in variouscongurations. Tey’re expensive to operate (andeven costlier to replace), so they aren’t used ineveryday situations.

S RONGHOLD GUARD ROBO , YPE I

Val Char Cost Roll Notes 0 S R -10 9- Lif 25 kg; 0d6 [0] 25 DEX 45 14- OCV: 8/DCV: 8 10 CON 0 11- 12 BODY 4 11- 15 IN 5 12- PER Roll 12- 0 EGO — 11- ECV: 3 10 PRE 0 11- PRE Attack: 2d6 10 COM 0 11-

10 PD 30 otal: 10 PD (10 rPD) 10 ED 27 otal: 10 ED (10 rED) 4 SPD 5 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12 2 REC 0

0 END -10 — S UN — otal Characteristics Cost: 96

Movement: Running: 0”/0” Flight: 20”/80”

Cost Powers END100 Multiphasic Pulson Blaster: Multipower,

100-point reserve9u 1) Standard Pulson Blast: Energy Blast

12d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) 010u 2) Interphasic Pulson Blast: Energy

Blast 10d6, Affects Desolidied (+½),Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) 0

10u 3) Wide Pulson Blast: Energy Blast10d6, Area O Effect (One Hex; +½),Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) 0

10u 4) Intense Pulson Blast: Energy Blast10d6, Armor Piercing (+½), ReducedEndurance (0 END; +½) 0

10u 5) Stunning Pulson Blast: Energy Blast8d6, NND (de ense is ED Force Field/Wall;+1), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) 0

10u 6) Enervating Pulson Blast: DrainS UN 5d6, Ranged (+½), ReducedEndurance (0 END; +½) 0

15 Robot Body: Does Not Bleed 045 Robot Body: akes No S UN 01 ireless: Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½)

on 0 S R 030 Robot Body: Damage Resistance

(10 PD/10 ED) 045 Robot Body: Li e Support: otal 079 Hoverpads: Flight 20”, x4 Noncombat,

No urn Mode (+¼), ReducedEndurance (0 END; +½) 0

-12 No Legs: Running -6” (0” total) 0-2 No Legs: Swimming -2” (0” total) 09 Encrypted Radio Link: Mind Link (with

up to our other Stronghold robots and/orSIMON); Affected As Radio Group As WellAs Mental Group (-¼), Only With Others

Who Have Mind Link (-1) 0

5 Visual Sensors: In rared Perception(Sight Group) 0

5 Visual Sensors: Ultraviolet Perception(Sight Group) 0

10 Visual Sensors: Increased Arc OPerception (360 Degrees) or Sight Group 0

15 Visual Sensors: Microscopic x1000(Sight Group) 0

9 Visual Sensors: elescopic (+6 versus

Range Modier) or Sight Group 020 Sonar: Active Sonar (Hearing Group),Increased Arc O Perception (360 Degrees) 0

3 Auditory Sensors: Ultrasonic Perception(Hearing Group) 0

12 Radio Sensors: HRRP (Radio Group) 020 Radar: Radar (Radio Group), Increased

Arc O Perception (360 Degrees) 06 Sensor Enhancements: +2 PER with all

Sense Groups 0

Talents3 Onboard Computer Systems: Absolute

Range Sense

3 Onboard Computer Systems: Absolute imeSense3 Onboard Computer Systems: Bump O

Direction3 Onboard Computer Systems: Lightning Cal-

culator

Skills12 +4 with Multiphasic Pulson Blaster

Multipower20 +4 DCV7 Stealth 16-otal Powers & Skills Cost: 525otal Cost: 621

200+ Disadvantages5 Physical Limitation: Affected By Cyberki-

nesis (has EGO 25 or purposes ocyberkinetic powers, and can be affectedby cyberkinesis-based Presence Attacks)(In requently, Slightly Impairing)

25 Psychological Limitation: Must ObeyProgrammer’s/Owner’s Commands (VeryCommon, otal)

391 Experience Pointsotal Disadvantage Points: 621

Description: Te ype I guard robot is sometimesre erred to as the “UFO” by prison guards andinmates alike. It’s a largely eatureless disk abouttwo eet in diameter, six inches thick in the center,and two inches thick at the outer edges. Mountedon the bottom side are our small hoverpads thatallow it to y. Built into its rim is a MultiphasicPulson Blaster that emits a variety o phasedpulson beams able to hurt most targets (evenintangible ones). ype Is also come with a widesuite o sensory devices, including 360-degreesonar and radar. Tey also maintain an encryptedradio link to up to our other robots and orSIMON (Stronhold Interphasic Memory OnlineNeuronet, the prison’s supercomputer).







Stronghold 9

S RONGHOLD GUARD ROBO , YPE II Val Char Cost Roll Notes 50 S R 40 19- Lif 25 tons; 10d6 [0] 18 DEX 24 13- OCV: 6/DCV: 6 10 CON 0 11- 20 BODY 20 13- 15 IN 5 12- PER Roll 12- 0 EGO — 11- ECV: 3 10 PRE 0 11- PRE Attack: 2d6 10 COM 0 11- 12 PD 27 otal: 12 PD (12 rPD) 12 ED 33 otal: 12 ED (12 rED) 4 SPD 12 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12 12 REC 0 0 END -10 — S UN — otal Characteristics Cost: 151


Cost Powers END100 Multiphasic Pulson Blaster: Multipower,

100-point reserve9u 1) Standard Pulson Blast: Energy Blast

12d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) 010u 2) Interphasic Pulson Blast: Energy Blast

10d6, Affects Desolidied (+½), ReducedEndurance (0 END; +½) 0

10u 3) Wide Pulson Blast: Energy Blast 10d6,Area O Effect (One Hex; +½), ReducedEndurance (0 END; +½) 0

10u 4) Intense Pulson Blast: Energy Blast 10d6,Armor Piercing (+½), Reduced Endurance(0 END; +½) 0

10u 5) Stunning Pulson Blast: Energy Blast8d6, NND (de ense is ED Force Field/Wall; +1), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) 0

10u 6) Enervating Pulson Blast: Drain S UN5d6, Ranged (+½), Reduced Endurance(0 END; +½) 0

100 Neurophasic Ray: Drain 4d6, any twoCharacteristics at once (+½), Ranged(+½), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) 0

120 Glue Projector: Entangle 6d6, 6 DEF,Area O Effect (One Hex; +½), ReducedEndurance (0 END; +½) 0

15 Robot Body: Does Not Bleed 045 Robot Body: akes No S UN 025 ireless: Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½)

on 50 S R 011 ireless: Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½)

on Running 05 ireless: Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½)on Leaping 0

1 ireless: Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½)on Swimming 0

36 Robot Body: Damage Resistance(12 PD/12 ED) 0

45 Robot Body: Li e Support: otal 010 Robot Legs: Running +5” (11” total) 09 Encrypted Radio Link: Mind Link (with up

to our other Stronghold robots and/orSIMON); Affected As Radio Group AsWell As Mental Group (-¼), Only WithOthers Who Have Mind Link (-1) 0

5 Visual Sensors: In rared Perception

(Sight Group) 05 Visual Sensors: Ultraviolet Perception

(Sight Group) 010 Visual Sensors: Increased Arc O

Perception (360 Degrees) or Sight Group 015 Visual Sensors: Microscopic x1000

(Sight Group) 09 Visual Sensors: elescopic (+6 versus

Range Modier) or Sight Group 0

20 Sonar: Active Sonar (Hearing Group),Increased Arc O Perception (360 Degrees) 03 Auditory Sensors: Ultrasonic Perception

(Hearing Group) 012 Radio Sensors: HRRP (Radio Group) 020 Radar: Radar (Radio Group), Increased

Arc O Perception (360 Degrees) 06 Sensor Enhancements: +2 PER with all

Sense Groups 0

Talents3 Onboard Computer Systems: Absolute

Range Sense3 Onboard Computer Systems: Absolute

ime Sense3 Onboard Computer Systems: BumpO Direction

3 Onboard Computer Systems: LightningCalculator

Skills32 +4 with All Combatotal Powers & Skills Cost: 730otal Cost: 881

200+ Disadvantages5 Physical Limitation: Affected By

Cyberkinesis (has EGO 25 or purposeso cyberkinetic powers, and can beaffected by cyberkinesis-based PresenceAttacks) (In requently, Slightly Impairing)

0 Physical Limitation: Human Size25 Psychological Limitation: Must Obey Pro-

grammer’s/Owner’s Commands(Very Common, otal)


Description: Te ype II guard robot is a hulkinghumanoid orm seven eet tall; to many people itlooks a lot like the powered armor worn by thesupervillain Armadillo, except that (a) its platingis smooth, without a “scales” moti , and (b) thereare no “eyes” or other eatures on its roughlycylinder-shaped “head” (which gives them asomewhat disturbing appearance as ar as mostpeople are concerned).

In addition to servos that can lif up to 25 tons,the ype II is armed with several weapons. Built intoits right arm is a Multiphasic Pulson Blaster like theone in the ype I robot (see above). Its lef arm has aGlue Projector that it can use to restrain most supervillains. Built into its chest is a neurophasic ray thatcan inter ere with the neural systems o living beings(or the circuitry o machines) or a variety o offen-sive effects. ype IIs also come with the same sensor

package as ype Is.








OTHER STAFFNot everyone at Stronghold is an administra-

tor or a guard. Since inmates aren’t allowed to have jobs, the superprison requires a substantial work-

orce to keep everything running smoothly — sec-retaries, cooks, janitors, technicians, and plenty oothers. Some o them include:

OVIDIO AGAZAOvidio Agaza is just one o the dozens o

janitors who help keep Stronghold clean. He’s usu-ally assigned to the Alpha and Beta levels. Whatsets him apart is that he actively participates in thesuperprison’s black market. In his cleaning sup-plies and loose-tting coverall he can smuggle inall sorts o small objects and carry them rom oneinmate to another... all or a “small ee,” o course.He’ll lose his job i he ever nds out, but themoney’s so good he can’t resist taking the chance.About hal o his illicit earnings eed his gamblinghabit; the rest go to his wi e or amily needs.

DONNIE “GRAY” GRAYSONFew people in Stronghold are as hated as

“Gray” Grayson, the superprison’s head che(“head executioner is more like it,” as Freak-show once said). he truth is that Stronghold’scuisine isn’t bad as institutional ood goes, butmany inmates are used to gourmet are and indhaving to eat ca eteria ood intolerable. Andthey blame it all on the cooking sta in general,and Grayson in particular. he truth is Gray is akind-hearted man who has no idea how univer-sally he’s reviled by the people he serves; he’d bedeeply hurt to ind out, since he does his best toprepare good, nutritious ood. He even created aprogram to donate most o Stronghold’s unused

ood to various New Mexico charities.

CAROLINE MOSEBY, M.D.Young, pretty, and vivacious, Dr. Caroline

Moseby is one reason why many male inmateswho eel even the slightest touch o the snifflesput themselves down or sick call. A dyed-in-the-wool liberal, she began working at clinics helpingthe poor and disadvantaged afer completingher internship. Tis led to some work with localprisons. When she heard about a job opening atStronghold’s medical acility, she couldn’t resistthe opportunity to work with supervillains (manyo whom she eels are un airly victimized by the

criminal justice system) because o the uniquemedical challenges they ofen present. She ofencomplains to Warden Wildman about how variousinmates are treated and argues or greater leewayin addressing their medical problems. Te Wardenand Chie Grasse (whom she does not get alongwith at all) consistently reject her more extremesuggestions on the grounds that they involve a risko escape or danger to prison staff.

MICHAEL “MICK” WA KINSMick Watkins is possibly the most beloved

member o the Stronghold staff, since he’s theone who brings the daily pushcart around to sellsnacks, toiletries, and similar non-dangerousitems to the staff and inmates. A local who grewup in Banks, he suffers rom some mild learningdisabilities that make it difficult (i not impossible)

or him to hold most jobs. A amily riend got himthe job at Stronghold, where he’s thrived. Friendlyand outgoing, he seems to get along with even themost reserved or disturbed inmates. His arrival ona quad usually results in a urry o buying and the

chance to hear the latest gossip, since Mick lovesto talk, talk, talk about anything interesting that’sgoing on in the prison.

Te other reason the inmates likes to seeMick so much is that he’s a linchpin in the Strong-hold black market. He secretly transports goodsback and orth among inmates or a ee. He won’ttouch anything dangerous or illegal (like narcot-ics), but he’s got no problem making a ew extrabucks carrying cigarettes around.

PE E WILLISPeter “Pete” Willis is one o the many techni-

cians who keep Stronghold’s security and moni-toring devices in tip-top shape. Unlike most o hiscolleagues, who enjoy their jobs, Pete can’t standhis. He hates New Mexico, he hates his boss, hehates being “ordered around” by “pompous jerks,and he hates having to be around supervillains.He’d much rather work somewhere else... but themoney is really good and he’s got a mountain ocredit card debt to pay off, so he can’t afford toquit. But i something doesn’t change, sooneror later... probably sooner... he’s going to change

rom “irked” employee to “disgruntled” employee— and he’s in a position to cause a lot o trouble,perhaps even precipitate another Great StrongholdBreakout, i he put his mind to it.







Stronghold 9

DeathstrokeBackground/History: Damian and AdrianDuMorte were born and raised in Alaska. Whenthey were nine and seven, respectively, their

ather, a kindly man, died o an unexpectedheart attack. wo years later their motherremarried, but the man she thought would makea good ather or her boys turned out to be anogre. Abusive and cruel, he imposed strict ruleson the household and beat the boys or even theslightest acts o disobedience.

Tings got worse when the boys were in theirearly teens and their mutant powers — Damian’scontrol o sound, Adrian’s control o ice and cold— mani ested. Now their step ather had one morething to hate them or. Fearing that other peoplewould turn on the whole amily i they oundout the boys were “muties,” he ordered them notto use their powers at all. Whenever he caughtthem breaking this rule, the beatings they gotwere particularly savage. But this didn’t stop them

rom practicing with their powers; it just madethem bitter and angry, with an intense hatred orauthority gures.

By the time they were in their late teens, thebrothers’ powers had become strong enough, andthey’d learned enough about using them, to standup or themselves. Te next time their step athercame afer them, Adrian roze him in a block oice. He swore and struggled, saying he was goingto “kill both o you to protect real people rom

reaks!” Tat was the nal straw or Damian, whounleashed a sonic scream that broke hal the bonesin the man’s body and ruptured his lungs. Tey lefhim to die in agony and ed Alaska orever.

Immensely proud o their powers andcertain they could become abulously rich assupervillains, they designed costumes and chosethe names “Deathsinger” and “Frost.” hey

enjoyed some early successes, though nothingmajor. hey ought superheroes several times,and were caught on more than one occasion,but somehow they always managed to escapebe ore they wound up in Stronghold.

In 1989 Deathsinger decided they needed to“hit the big time” and launch some major schemes.Tat meant recruiting other villains and orminga team under his leadership; there was only somuch the two o them could do on their own. Heput out some eelers in the underworld and soonhad a team o ve. Te three new additions were:Shockwave, a super-strong en orcer rom Jersey;Stinger, whose insect powers were ofen eclipsed

by his intellectual vanity and arrogance; and Death

Commando, a military veteran with a suit o lightpowered armor, a blaster rie, and a bad attitude.

Christening his team “Deathstroke,”Deathsinger set out to make a mark on the under-world. Un ortunately his overcondence and ambi-tion weren’t matched by his team’s competence. Noneo them were underpowered or inexperienced... butsomehow nothing seemed to go their way. Te ewsuccesses they achieved were more than offset by the jobs they botched or the times they had to ee romsuperheroes. Despondent, Deathsinger actually hireda publicist to try to change the team’s image. Tepublicist created new costumes or the team, con-

vinced Deathsinger to change his name to the moreominous “Requiem,” and added a new member, aemale mentalist named Scatterbrain, to the team.

It seemed like a good start on a new stage o theircriminal careers.

Requiem thought things had nally turnedaround in 1993 when Deathstroke teamed upwith a scientic genius named Strangluff Draconis(no relation to the VIPER villain Draconis) in ascheme to take over the world. Doctor Draconiswore powered armor that made him a match orany member o Deathstroke, and when properlyseeded throughout the world his secret robotarmies would allow him and his allies to become

rulers o the Earth. But it turned out he was usingDeathstroke or his own ends. When Requiemrealized what was going on, he and his teammatesturned on Dr. Draconis and helped the Sentinelsde eat him. Tey paid a high price — one o Dra-conis’s energy bolts blew a hole the size o a stthrough Death Commando’s chest — but becausethey were instrumental in saving the world, theSentinels didn’t turn them in.

Tat proved to be a mistake, since Requiem,despite his arrogance, was no ool. He took giga-bytes o Dr. Draconis’s scientic data with himwhen he lef and immediately started workingwith underworld scientists to put it to use. Teplan he came up with was to extort ransoms

rom Earth’s governments afer putting a massiveenergy cannon, nicknamed “the Dagger,” into orbitaround the planet. For once, the scheme was actu-ally working as planned, and the world trembled atDeathstroke’s eet! But then the Justice Squadron

ound the team’s secret headquarters and attacked.Te battle raged long and hard... and then a punch

rom Brawler knocked Requiem into one o thecontrol consoles or the orbital laser cannon,changing its target rom Washington, DC to thebattleeld. It red, and be ore the Squadron couldshut it off Shockwave, Stinger, and Scatterbrainhad been vaporized.

INMATES








his time Requiem and Frost weren’t solucky. hey were arrested, tried, and convictedo dozens o crimes, including manslaughtercounts or the deaths o their teammates. Li esentences in Stronghold ollowed... and they’vebeen there ever since.Campaign Use: Requiem and Frost still think othemselves as being part o the “team” Death-stroke, though at this point it’s just the two othem so it’s not really a team. Teir mutant physi-ologies give them long li espans, so they couldbe in Stronghold or decades... or could be readyanytime or an opportunity to escape. Teir statusas li ers and the act that they’ve always got eachother’s backs makes them something o a orce tobe reckoned with in the prison community.

Appearance: Requiem and Frost are twin broth-ers; they’re both white men, 5’11” tall, with athleticbut not overly muscular builds, brown hair, andhazel eyes (though when Frost uses his powers hiseyes change to an icy blue-white). However, com-pared to his brother (or any other human), Frost

is noticeably pale-skinned. When they were stillactive supercriminals, they brother wore costumeso similar design: boots, gloves, belt, central chest,and raised collar o a main color; and a hal - acemask, side panels, and legs o a secondary color.For Requiem, the primary color was red, the sec-ondary color black. For Frost, the primary colorwas an icy blue, the secondary color white. Teirbelt buckles were a distinctive skull.

REQUIEM Val Char Cost Roll Notes 15 S R 5 12- Lif 200 kg; 3d6 [1] 20 DEX 30 13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7 23 CON 26 14- 13 BODY 6 12- 15 IN 5 12- PER Roll 12- 14 EGO 8 12- ECV: 5 20 PRE 10 13- PRE Attack: 4d6 10 COM 0 11- 8 PD 5 otal: 20 PD (12 rPD) 12 ED 7 otal: 24 ED (12 rED) 5 SPD 20 Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12 10 REC 4 80 END 17 33 S UN 0 otal Characteristics Cost: 143


Cost Powers END60 Deathsinging: Multipower, 60-point reserve6u 1) Sonic Scream I: Energy Blast 12d6 66u 2) Sonic Scream II: RKA 3d6, Reduced

Endurance (½ END; +¼) 26u 3) Sonic Scream III: Energy Blast 6d6,

NND (de ense is Hearing Group FlashDe ense or being dea ; +1) 6

3u 4) Glass-Shattering Scream: RKA 1d6,Area O Effect (8” Radius; +1½), PersonalImmunity (+¼); No Range (-½) 4

4u 5) Deafening Scream: Hearing GroupFlash 8d6, Area O Effect (6” Radius; +1¼),Personal Immunity (+¼); No Range (-½) 6

20 Sonic Control: Find Weakness 11- withSonic Screams I-II 0

24 Armored Costume: Armor(12 PD/12 ED); OIF (-½) 0

6 Fast: Running +3” (9” total) 03 High-Range Hearing: Ultrasonic Hearing

(Hearing Group) 01 Mutant Lifespan: Li e Support

(Longevity: twice normal li espan) 0

Skills12 +4 with Deathsginging Multipower2 KS: History 11-2 KS: Literature 11-3 Stealth 13-3 Streetwise 13-3 eamwork 13-

otal Powers & Skills Cost: 164otal Cost: 307

200+ Disadvantages10 Distinctive Features: Mutant (Not Conceal-

able; Always Noticed; Detectable Only ByUnusual Senses)

20 Hunted: Stronghold 14- (Mo Pow, NCI,Watching)

15 Psychological Limitation: Overcondence(Very Common, Moderate)

15 Psychological Limitation: Loyal o HisBrother Frost (Common, Strong)

25 Social Limitation: Prisoner (Very Fre-

quently, Severe)

DEATHSTROKE PLOT SEEDSDoctor Draconis wasn’t captured when his schemecame to an end — the Sentinels thought he waskilled in the explosion that destroyed his secretlaboratory, but he escaped. It took years or himto recover and rebuild his operation, but now he’sready to strike again! But be ore he launches hisnext scheme, he intends to get revenge on the twosurviving villains who betrayed him....

Determined to rebuild his team, Requiem begins“sounding out” villains in Stronghold about join-ing up. Since he’s already got two energy projec-tors, he’s looking or bricks, speedsters, and crimi-nals with technical and ighting skills. Once he’sgot three or our more people on board, escapeplanning will begin.

A musical entertainer known to the PCs is coming to

give a concert at Stronghold. Requiem believes that ihe and Frost can gain access to the sound amplica-tion equipment, even or just a ew seconds, Frostcan use his powers to enhance the per ormance othe electronic devices and then Requiem can “ampup” his powers to the point where he can blow outthe power negators and escape.







Stronghold 9

15 Social Limitation: Public Identity (DamianduMorte) (Frequently, Major)

10 Unluck 2d610 Vulnerability: 2 x S UN rom others’ Sonic

Attacks (Uncommon)otal Disadvantage Points: 320

Personality/Motivation: Requiem is known as anovercondent, arrogant blowhard — and the truthis there was a time, in his early Deathsinger days,when that reputation was entirely deserved. Sincegrowing older and switching to “Requiem” he’sbecome a lot more serious and practical; or themost part his long-winded soliloquies and pro-nouncements o doom and destruction are a thingo the past.

Requiem’s always been smart, smarter thana lot o people gave him credit or, and he’s takenadvantage o his time in Stronghold to read andstudy. He’s even developed literary ambitions andbegun keeping a detailed journal o li e in super-prison. I he ever gets out, his increased maturityand insight will make him a ar more clever and

dangerous criminal than ever be ore... though itremains to be seen i cleverness can overcome hisperpetual bad luck.Quote: “Any man can overcome his own worstqualities — given insight, time, and willpower.”Powers/Tactics: Requiem has sonic powers.His shouts and screams are power ul enough tosmash down walls, send opponents lying, andeven kill people. hey don’t have any applica-tions beyond the o ensive, though — try as hemight, he never learned to create sonic orce-

ields or adapt his powers or other uses the waysome sonic villains can.

In combat, Requiem pre ers to open with astrong offense since he’s not very well protected.Unless he has to make a Hal Move or somereason, he usually Finds Weakness and thenattacks every Phase. He most ofen relies on hisEnergy Blast; he won’t resort to the RKA unlesshe can’t hurt his opponent any other way or getsreally angry.

FROS Val Char Cost Roll Notes 15 S R 5 12- Lif 200 kg; 3d6 [1] 20 DEX 30 13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7 23 CON 26 14- 13 BODY 6 12- 10 IN 0 11- PER Roll 11- 12 EGO 4 11- ECV: 4 15 PRE 5 12- PRE Attack: 3d6 10 COM 0 11- 8 PD 5 otal: 20 PD (12 rPD) 15 ED 10 otal: 27 ED (12 rED) 5 SPD 20 Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12 10 REC 4 70 END 12 35 S UN 2 otal Characteristics Cost: 129


Cost Powers END30 Frost Powers: Elemental Control,

60-point powers30 1) Ice Blast: Energy Blast 12d6 6

30 2) Frost Blast: Energy Blast 6d6, NND(de ense is Li e Support [Sa eEnvironment: Intense Cold]; +1) 6

30 3) Ice Dart: RKA 2d6, Armor Piercing(+½), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) 0

15 4) Ice Bonds: Entangle 4d6, 6 DEF, StopsA Given Sense (Hearing Group);Vulnerable (Fire/Heat; -1) 6

30 5) Icy Fog: Change Environment 8”radius, -3 to Sight Group PER Rolls,-3 emperature Levels, Multiple CombatEffects, Personal Immunity (+¼),Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) 2

21 6) Ice Barrier: Force Wall (8 PD/6 ED,up to 7” long and 2” tall), ReducedEndurance (½ END; +¼); Cannot Move(-¼), Vulnerable (re/heat have 2x effect

or purposes o determining whetherFW collapses; -¼) 0

19 Ice Slides: Running +12” (18” total);Physical Mani estation (-¼), Side Effects(leaves big chunks o ice around theenvironment; -0) 2


2 Used o Te Chill: Li e Support(Sa e Environment: Intense Cold) 0

5 See Heat Patterns: In rared Perception(Sight Group) 01 Mutant Lifespan: Li e Support (Longevity:

twice normal li espan) 0

Skills9 +3 with Frost Powers Elemental Control3 Stealth 13-3 Streetwise 12-3 eamwork 13-otal Powers & Skills Cost: 255otal Cost: 384








200+ Disadvantages10 Distinctive Features: Mutant (Not Conceal-

able; Always Noticed; Detectable Only ByUnusual Senses)

20 Enraged: by insults, sarcasm, or notbeing taken seriously (Common), go 11-,recover 11-


15 Psychological Limitation: Impetuous(Common, Strong)15 Psychological Limitation: Loyal o His

Brother Requiem (Common, Strong)25 Social Limitation: Prisoner (Very Fre-

quently, Severe)15 Social Limitation: Public Identity (Adrian

duMorte) (Frequently, Major)10 Unluck 2d620 Vulnerability: 2 x S UN rom Fire/Heat

(Common)20 Vulnerability: 2 x BODY rom Fire/Heat

(Common)14 Experience Pointsotal Disadvantage Points: 384

Personality/Motivation: Unlike his brother, Frosthas never entirely grown up. He’s still the samegreedy, immature, insulting jerk with poor impulsecontrol that he’s always been. He’s the one who’sconstantly getting in trouble somehow, orcingRequiem to bail him out (even though Requiemknows, rationally, that Frost will never learn any-thing until he has to deal with the consequences ohis actions).Quote: “Hey Ogre — is your butt as ugly as your

ace? Wait... itcouldn’t be.”

Powers/Tactics: Frost has the power to controlice and cold. He can project blasts o cold energy,orm blocks o ice around his oes, move quickly

on ice slides, or erect ice walls to protect himseland his brother. Despite his impetuousness, heghts pretty intelligently, and is quite skilled atworking with his brother to take down an enemy.

In combat, Frost usually tries to incapacitateone or more oes with Entangles, then he and hisbrother go to work on anyone else. Since he canmove around the battleeld much more quickly thanRequiem, it alls to him to chase eeing opponents.

Independent Villains

ALCHEMICA Val Char Cost Roll Notes 10 S R 0 11- Lif 100 kg; 2d6 [1] 16 DEX 18 12- OCV: 5/DCV: 5 14 CON 8 12- 10 BODY 0 11-

13 IN 3 12- PER Roll 12- 10 EGO 0 11- ECV: 3 13 PRE 3 12- PRE Attack: 2½d6 14 COM 2 12-

4 PD 2 otal: 12 PD (8 rPD) 4 ED 1 otal: 12 ED (8 rED) 4 SPD 14 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12 5 REC 0 28 END 0 30 S UN 8 otal Characteristics Cost: 59


Cost Powers END

25 ransmutation: Major rans orm 1d6(anything into anything; heals backthrough another application o this or asimilar power, or being touched with apiece o Philosopher’s Stone), ImprovedResults Group (anything; +1), ReducedEndurance (0 END; +½); Extra ime(Full Phase; -½) 0

45 Chunk Of Philosopher’s Stone: Majorrans orm +3d6; just like above power

but with OAF (-1) 030 Combat ransmutations: Multipower,

60-point reserve; all OAF (chunk oPhilosopher’s Stone; -1)

3u 1) Air Into Knockout Gas: EnergyBlast 4d6, NND (de ense is Li e Support[Sel -Contained Breathing]; +1), AreaO Effect (4” Radius; +1); OAF (-1), DoesNot Work In High Winds Or Rain (-¼) 6

2u 2) Air Into Poisonous Gas: RKA 1d6,NND (de ense is Li e Support [Sel -Contained Breathing]; +1), Does BODY(+1), Area O Effect (4” Radius; +1);OAF (-1), No Knockback (-¼), DoesNot Work In High Winds Or Rain (-¼) 6

2u 3) Acid Rain: RKA 1d6, Continuous(+1), Penetrating (+½), Indirect (always

rom above; +¼), Uncontrolled(see USPD; +½); OAF (-1), LimitedRange (8”; -¼) 5

1u 4) Mind Control Drug: Mind Control8d6; OAF (-1), Based On CON (-1),Limited Range (4”; -¼), Does Not WorkVersus argets with Li e Support(Sel -Contained Breathing) (-¼), Not InHigh Winds, Rain, Or Water (-¼) 4








Stronghold 9

Skills4 +2 OCV with ransmutation10 Chunk Of Philosopher’s Stone: +4 OCV with

ransmutation; OAF (-1)3 Deduction 12-2 KS: Alchemy 11-2 SS: Geology 11-3 Stealth 12-1 Streetwise 8-otal Powers & Skills Cost: 122otal Cost: 181

200+ Disadvantages10 Distinctive Features: Mutant (Not

Concealable; Always Noticed; DetectableOnly By Unusual Senses)


25 Social Limitation: Prisoner (Very Fre-quently, Severe)

15 Social Limitation: Public Identity (NikkiWilcox) (Frequently, Major)

otal Disadvantage Points: 270Background/History: Nikki Wilcox was borna mutant with the power to transmute matter— but a power so weak she didn’t even knowabout it until one day in college. She was study-ing to be a geologist, and one o her pro essorswas puzzling over a strange piece o stone hecouldn’t identi y. She decided to take a crack atit when he was out o the lab, hoping to igureout what it was and impress him.

When she touched the rock, something hap-pened to her. It was as i she elt a ash throughher entire body, and her head swam. She passedout at the lab table. When she awoke just a ewseconds later, her hand casually brushed againsta glass jar — and it suddenly trans ormed into alump o coal!

Wilcox instinctively realized what had hap-pened. Tere was power within her, the power toremake and transmute things. And it was all becauseo that lump o rock. Her mind awash with visionso what she could do with her new ound powers, shetook the rock — which she later learned was a pieceo the abled Philosopher’s Stone, though she’s never

ound out where it came rom or how her pro essorgot it — and lef college or good.

She soon discovered that her powers were rel-

atively weak unless she used the Stone to augmentthem. A responsible person could have ound allsorts o legitimate ways to make a ortune withtransmutation powers, but the Stone must haveaffected Wilcox’s mind, too. All she could thinko was everything she’d ever been denied in herli e, everyone who’d ever done her wrong, andpeople who had ar more money and things thanthey ever needed when she didn’t have anything.It wasn’t long be ore a new supervillainess callinghersel Alchemica had hit the streets.

Un ortunately, the Philosopher’s Stone’s effecton her didn’t extend to making her superhumanin other ways. She was denitely a little strong,

tougher, and aster than the average human, but

compared to many superhumans she was a weak-ling. Her rst ew crimes, which mostly involvedtransmuting doors into air so she could go into jewelry stores and rob them, went well, but thenshe had a ew very narrow escapes when heroesbegan looking or her. Eventually one caught upwith her and she was quickly captured.

Since 1999 Alchemica has been incarceratedin Stronghold, and or the most part has been amodel prisoner. She’s rated Yellow-3 due to her

powers, but she’s never made any effort at escapingas ar as prison officials know. She just wants toserve the remainder o her 10-year sentence andthen nd something productive to do with her li e.Personality/Motivation: Several years in Strongholdhave been... educational or Alchemica. She’s hada lot o time to think about her powers and howshe can use them to make a better li e or hersel .She’s thought o lots o things she can do withthem other than commit crimes, and has even cor-responded with Jeff Baker o rans-City Construc-tion (see Cops, Crews, And Cabals) about what hedoes with his own similar powers.

Un ortunately, her time in prison has also









Stronghold 9

Background/History: Rick Griswold used to bepretty much just another bargain-basement thug— tough, street-smart, willing to do just aboutanything or money. What set him apart was thathe had a little more brains than most. He knew, he just knew, that i he kept his ears and eyes openand worked hard, an opportunity would come hisway that would make his ortune.

He thought he’d gotten his big break when

the supervillain Hornet hired him. Working ora villain was dangerous at times, but it meant alot more money and you never knew what mighthappen. Un ortunately or Rick, it turned out thatHornet wanted more than just some extra muscleand a lab assistant. He tricked Rick, sealed himinto an experimental “Enthro-Mutation Chamber,”and threw the switch.

Agonizing pain, like nothing he’d ever elt,lanced through Rick. He doubled over and ellto the oor o the chamber. He underwent suchtorture that he didn’t even realize he was changing— changing into a man-insect hybrid like Hornethimsel !

Gratied to see that his experiment hadworked, and certain that the genetic changes he’dinicted on his minion would ensure his undy-ing loyalty as he’d calculated, Hornet condentlyopened the door o the Chamber... only to haveRick attack him! Te pain had been so great it hadburned through the “loyalty” part o the treat-ment, and now Rick wanted nothing so much asto kill Hornet with his bare hands. Battle ensued,totally trashing the lab; Hornet barely escapedwith his li e, and Rick likewise ed just be ore thecops arrived.

Since he now had insectile eyes and wings,Rick knew he couldn’t go back to his ordinaryli e. Like it or not, the only thing le t was tobecome a supervillain. He chose the name Drag-onfly and was soon making more money thanever be ore... though even ten times as muchwouldn’t have been enough to compensate orwhat Hornet did to him.

For over hal a decade Dragony worked orhimsel , as part o impromptu villain teams, and asa villain- or-hire by master criminals. He noticedhis insect eatures becoming a little more pro-nounced, here and there, over time, but shruggedit off. In 1996 he was captured by the LibertyLeague, convicted o multiple violent crimes, and

sentenced to li e imprisonment in Stronghold.In the ten years since he arrived at Strong-hold, the act that Dragon ly is continuingto mutate has become undeniable. For somereason the changes begin on the right side ohis body, which is now more insect-like thanhuman, and slowly work their way across his

orm. It’s reached the point where his mindis o ten a ected; he doesn’t always know thathe’s human. Stronghold’s doctors have beenunable to do anything to stop or slow down thechanges, and Warden Wildman is concernedabout what to do with him once he devolvesinto nothing but a monster.

Personality/Motivation: At present Dragony’s justthis side o bestial; his human mind remains incontrol, though it slips occasionally. One day soonit’s likely to lose control or good. Te only emo-tion that both his “personalities” share is a totalhatred o Hornet and a desire to kill him as pain-

ully as possible.Quote: None. Dragony rarely speaks to anyonethese days.Powers/Tactics: Tere was a time when Dragon-y’s powers were more like Hornet’s — in particu-lar, he used to have a “Sting Blast” ranged attack.As he’s continued to mutate, he lost that ability,but in the process became more hideous, strong,and tough. At this point he’s basically a low-pow-ered brick with a ew extra, quirky abilities. He nolonger has the intelligence to ght with tactics orskill; he simply selects an opponent and smashesand cuts at him until he dies, then moves on to thenext target.

Dragony’s bizzare human-insect physiologymakes him particularly susceptible to the effects ochemicals, drugs, and the like. No one (not even

him) knows this, though as he’s become more








insect-like he’s developed a quasi-instinctual earabout such things.Campaign Use: Aside rom using Dragony as apossible catalyst or a major breakout (assuminghe eventually changes into something very power-

ul and totally uncontrollable), the best plot hookyou can create with him is or a Stronghold-basedcampaign: put Hornet in Stronghold, sit back, andwait or something to happen.

o make Dragony tougher, give him moreinsect powers: a “Cocoon Projection” Entangle; aSting ouch poison with various effects; the abil-ity to summon swarms o insects. o weaken him,reduce his S R to 30-35, or remove his humanityaltogether, making him nothing but an instinct-driven monster who still retains its hatred orHornet.

Dragony doesn’t Hunt heroes... but he willHunt Hornet, i he ever escapes.

Appearance: Tere was a time, shortly aferHornet mutated him, when Dragony still lookedmostly human. He had the compound eyes o an

insect, and some insectile acial eatures (includ-ing small antennae), and dragony-like wings projecting rom his shoulderblades, but that was it.

Tose days are long past. In the succeedingyears Dragony began to mutate more and more,though or some reason the changes have occurredprimarily on the right side o his body. His righthal is now mostly insectile — his skin has becomea thicker chitinous armor; his hand is now a sorto scorpion-like pincer; his right antenna is larger,longer, and heavy enough to droop; his right leg ismore grasshopper-like than human. In short, hisright hal is hideously insectile. His lef hal stillremains mostly human, though some changes canbe seen there as well: the lef antenna is larger,and he has only two ngers and a thumb on hislef hand. Both his eyes remain compound, thoughthey’re now larger and more bulging than be ore.He wears a standard Stronghold orange jumpsuit,though on his right side his insectile orm createsodd rips and bulges.

GEO HERMAL Val Char Cost Roll Notes 30 S R 20 15- Lif 1,600 kg; 6d6 [3] 28 DEX 54 15- OCV: 9/DCV: 9 40 CON 60 17- 20 BODY 20 13- 20 IN 10 13- PER Roll 13- 20 EGO 20 13- ECV: 7 30 PRE 20 15- PRE Attack: 6d6 14 COM 2 12- 30 PD 24 otal: 30 PD (30 rPD) 30 ED 22 otal: 30 ED (30 rED) 7 SPD 22 Phases: 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12 30 REC 32 120 END 20 80 S UN 25 otal Characteristics Cost: 361

Movement: Running: 12”/24” unneling: 20”/40”

Cost Powers END114 Geocontrol: Multipower, 114-point reserve10u 1) Lava Blast: Energy Blast 16d6,

Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) 410u 2) Wide Lava Blast: Energy Blast

12d6, Area O Effect (One Hex; +½),Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) 4

9u 3) Lava Eruption: Energy Blast 18d6,Indirect (always comes rom theground beneath the target; +¼); OnlyVersus argets On Or Within 8” OTe Ground (-¼), Side Effects (alwayscauses environmental damage; -0) 11

9u 4) Wide Lava Eruption: Energy Blast13d6, Explosion (+½), Indirect (alwayscomes rom the ground beneath thetarget; +¼); Only Versus argets OnOr Within 8” O Te Ground (-¼), SideEffects (always causes environmentaldamage; -0) 11

8u 5) Igneous Lance: Energy Blast 12d6,Indirect (see text; +¾); arget MustBe Within 8” O Earth/Rock (-¼) 10

8u 6) Igneous Spear: RKA 4d6, Indirect(see text; +¾); arget Must Be Within8” O Earth/Rock (-¼) 10

10u 7) Igneous Incarceration: Entangle 8d6,8 DEF, Stops A Given Sense (Sight andHearing Groups) 10

7u 8) Heatwave: Energy Blast 9d6, NND

(de ense is Li e Support [Sa e Environment:Intense Heat]; +1), Explosion (+½);No Range (-½) 11

7u 9) Geokinesis: elekinesis (60 S R),Affects Porous; Only Versus Earth/Rock/Lava (-½) 10

30 Resilience Of Te Earth: DamageResistance (30 PD/30 ED) 0

120 Resilience Of Te Earth: Physical andEnergy Damage Reduction, 75%, Resistant 0

15 Eyes Of Lava: Sight Group FlashDe ense (15 points) 0

15 Resilience Of Te Earth: Power De ense(15 points) 0

DRAGONFLYPLOT SEEDS

Te classic Dragonyplot: Dragony mutatesto the point where he’san immensely power ulman-insect monster,smashes out o his cell,and starts a generalescape because o allthe damage he’s caus-ing. Stronghold calls thePCs in to keep thingsunder control.

In one o his (increas-ingly rare) moments olucidity, Dragony con-tacts the PCs and begsthem to nd a cure orhis condition. He thinksHornet’s blood might bean effective antidote...but is he just trying totrick the heroes intohurting his hated oe?

Dragony developsthe ability to mutateordinary insects intopuppy-sized, esh-eat-ing monsters. Not evenStronghold is totallypest-proo ....







Stronghold 10

65 Resilience Of Te Earth: Li e Support ( otal,including Immunity to all poisons, chemicalweapons, diseases, and biowar are agents) 0

125 Lava’s Passage: unneling 20” throughDEF 20 materials, Reduced Endurance(½ END; +¼) 5

8 Geo-Riding: Running +6” (12” total);Side Effect (RKA 1½d6 to ground in anArea O Effect (Line) equal in size to

the distance the character moves,automatically occurs, only affectsenvironment; -½) 1

24 Sense Vibrations: Detect PhysicalVibrations 13- ( ouch Group),Discriminatory, Range, argeting; OnlyWhen In Contact With Te Ground (-¼) 0

Perks15 Money: Filthy Rich

Talents3 Bump O Direction

Skills

18 +6 with Geocontrol Multipower3 SS: Geology 13-1 SS: Physics 8-3 SS: Vulcanology 13-otal Powers & Skills Cost: 637otal Cost: 998

200+ Disadvantages25 Enraged: i insulted, mocked, or a soliloquy

interrupted (Common), go 14-, recover 11-20 Hunted: Stronghold 14- (Mo Pow, NCI,

Watching)10 Hunted: ARGEN 8- (Mo Pow, NCI,

Watching)25 Psychological Limitation: Determined o

Rule Earth And Cleanse Most O HumanityFrom It (Very Common, otal)

25 Social Limitation: Prisoner (Very Fre-quently, Severe)

15 Social Limitation: Secret Identity (Fre-quently, Major)

10 Vulnerability: 2 x S UN rom Magnetic andGravitic Attacks (Uncommon)


Background/History: Jason Dixon was a geolo-gist with a driving ambition: to become the rstscientist to take samples o Earth’s mantle. Pre- vious attempts to drill down to the mantle had

ailed, so Dixon had something else in mind: hewould build a special suit that would (a) renderhim intangible so he could get down there, and(b) protect him when he re-solidied to takesamples. But suits like that were expensive, andhe wasn’t having any luck raising unds until hespoke with GeoMax, a company involved in oildrilling and similar pursuit. Un ortunately, whatDixon didn’t know was that GeoMax as mostly a

ront or ARGEN ... and ARGEN was willing tosponsor him simply to use him as a guinea pig.

It took over a year, but inally Dixon in-ished building his suit in 1985. With GeoMax’sblessing, he “took o ” rom their acility nearDetroit and began “walking” down toward themantle. he suit worked per ectly! Eventually hereached his destination, turned solid again, andbegan taking samples.

hat’s when the disaster occurred. HisGeoMax handlers couldn’t understand his radiotransmissions; they were too garbled by staticand his own terri ied screams. But eventu-ally the screams stopped. Assuming he’d beenroasted or crushed to death, ARGEN declaredthe project a ailure.

wo days later, a new superhumanannounced his existence by causing a volcano togrow up right in the middle o the GeoMax build-ing. Rising rom it like a phoenix was a humanoidshape that looked like it was made o igneousrock and ueled by internal lava. “HUMANS!” heshouted in a voice that could be heard or miles.“Your stewardship o this planet has been oundwanting. Te Earth will be cleansed o your in es-tation!” Ten he began destroying every humanstructure he could see and killing anyone who








didn’t get away rom him ast enough.Local Detroit superheroes responded, but

were unable to withstand the being’s power. Butthey held the line long enough or the Sentinels toget there. Te Sentinels ought Geothermal, as thepress christened him, to a standstill; when he wasunable to de eat them he ed back into the Earth,to depths where none o the heroes could ollow.

hree times a ter that, in 1987, 1990, and

1992, Geothermal attacked major cities, declar-ing once more his intention to wipe Humanityo the ace o the Earth. Each time he was nar-rowly de eated by a superhero team... and thatlast time, the Justice Squadron and Sentinelsworking together inally managed to knock himout be ore he could escape. Stronghold person-nel were called in to insure he could be heldpending trial. He was ound guilty o dozens ocounts o murder and other violent crimes. Hissentence: hot sleep or li e.

Since that day in early 1993, Geothermal hasbeen a resident o Level Omega at Stronghold.Some people have questioned the wisdom o plac-ing him so deep within the Earth, but so ar hehasn’t even twitched in his sleep.Personality/Motivation: Jason Dixon’s ormer per-sonality — un-loving but intense, dedicated tohis work, gregarious — has been totally lost. Geo-thermal doesn’t even know he used to be someonecalled “Jason Dixon.” All that’s lef is an abidingdesire to rule the world, largely by eliminatingaround 90% o Humanity to save Earth rom their“in estation.” He’s been adopted as a cause by cer-tain radical environmentalists, who consider hima “political prisoner,” but he doesn’t care or themembers o the ecology movement any more than

he does or any other human.Quote: “Te purity o Earth shall prevail over thecorruption o Humanity!”Powers/Tactics: Geothermal possesses tremen-dous superhuman power involving lava and rock.He can re blasts o lava, cause mini-eruptions o

lava to spurt up rom the ground, and even makenger-like spars o rock lance out o the ground tohit or impale anyone within 8”. He can also tunnelthrough the ground at high speed and “run”quickly by riding a “wave” o earth and stone.Add to that the act that he’s enormously resilient,able to withstand damage that would knock mostsupervillains out cold, and you’ve got one majorsource o destruction and chaos.

Geothermal likes to open battle with along-winded Presence Attack that proclaims hispurpose and invites his opponents to surrender.I that doesn’t work, he attacks the most power ul-looking oe (or group o oes) with one o his LavaBlasts. I someone interrupts him or makes un ohim, he responds by smashing that oe with thebiggest attack he can muster.Campaign Use: Geothermal represents a majorrisk to Stronghold. I he ever gets out o hotsleep, the destruction he can wreak against anunderground installation is inestimable. Just the

act that he could unnel right out o the mesameans he’d leave an escape route or dozens oother villains.

o make Geothermal tougher, keep increasinghis de enses and S UN (and i necessary, the DCsin his attacks) until he’s a major threat to yourentire group o PCs — that’s the level o power heshould have. o weaken him, reduce his DamageReduction to 50%.

Appearance: Geothermal is a human male whoseskin is the color (and to some extent, consistency)o burnt brown cinders. His eyes have the colorand glow o lava, and that same glow can be seenin his mouth when he opens it. He has no hairanywhere on his body. During his villainous careerhis costume was a pair o trunks and a cloak thatmatched the color o his eyes; now in “hot sleep”in Stronghold all he wears is a plain white cottonhospital gown.

GEOTHERMALPLOT SEEDS

Te people who wor-ried about imprisoningGeothermal within theEarth were right to beconcerned. Over thepast decade or so his“connection” with theEarth has slowly butsurely been awaken-ing him. Now it’s time

or him to break ree,destroy this wretchedlittle prison, and con-tinue his mission....

Geothermal’s powerscome rom his havingmerged with a membero a species o “lavapeople” who live inEarth’s mantle. Nowthey’re ready to invadethe sur ace world...and the irst thing theywant to do is ree theirtrapped brother romprison....

Geothermal’s powerscome rom his havingsomehow been “mysti-cally linked” with theEarth. Some mysticsbelieve that the processcan work in reverse —they can cast spells onhim to correct globalwarming and otherecological problems.Is it worth the risk owaking him up? Andjust who are these mys-tics anyway?







Stronghold 10

GLACIER Val Char Cost Roll Notes 80 S R 70 25- Lif 1,600 tons; 16d6 [8] 20 DEX 30 13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7 60 CON 100 21- 40 BODY 60 17- 5 IN -5 10- PER Roll 10- 10 EGO 0 11- ECV: 3 50 PRE 40 19- PRE Attack: 10d6 6 COM -2 10- 40 PD 24 otal: 40 PD (40 rPD) 40 ED 28 otal: 40 ED (40 rED) 6 SPD 30 Phases: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 30 REC 4 120 END 0 110 S UN 0 otal Characteristics Cost: 379


Cost Powers END140 Powers Of Te Uttermost North:

Multipower, 140-point reserve9u 1) Ice Barrage: Energy Blast 14d6, Area

O Effect (15” Cone; +1); No Range (-½) 147u 2) Breath Of Te Uttermost North:

Energy Blast 7d6, NND (de ense is Li eSupport [Sa e Environment: IntenseCold]; +1), Area O Effect (15” Cone;+1); No Range (-½) 10

78 Chill Of Te Uttermost North: ChangeEnviroment 8” radius, -5 emperatureLevels and 3 points o damage (NND,de ense is Li e Support [Sa e Environment:Intense Cold]), Multiple Combat Effects,Mobile (+1), Reduced Endurance (0 END;+½), Persistent (+½); Always On (-½),No Range (-½) 0

20 Great Endurance: Reduced Endurance(½ END; +¼) on 80 S R 0

40 Body Of Ice: Damage Resistance(40 PD/40 ED) 0

120 Body Of Ice: Physical and EnergyDamage Reduction, 75%, Resistant 0

18 Mindless Brute: Mental De ense(20 points total) 0

13 Body Of Ice: Li e Support (Sa eEnvironments: High Pressure, IntenseCold; Sel -Contained Breathing) 0

12 Long Stride: Running +6” (12” total) 14 Reach: Stretching 1”, Reduced Endurance

(0 END; +½); Always Direct (-¼), NoNoncombat Stretching (-¼), No VelocityDamage (-¼) 0

Skills25 +5 H Hotal Powers & Skills Cost: 486otal Cost: 865

200+ Disadvantages20 Enraged: i hit with a Fire/Heat attack

(Common), go 11-, recover 11-20 Hunted: Stronghold 14- (Mo Pow, NCI,

Watching)5 Physical Limitation: Large (-2 DCV, +2 to

others’ PER Rolls to perceive him) (In re-quently, Slightly Impairing)

25 Psychological Limitation: Lives o Ravage

And Destroy, Particularly Sources OWarmth (Very Common, otal)25 Social Limitation: Prisoner (Very Fre-

quently, Severe)20 Vulnerability: 2 x S UN rom Fire/Heat

(Common)20 Vulnerability: 2 x BODY rom Fire/Heat

(Common)530 Experience Pointsotal Disadvantage Points: 865

Background/History: Glacier’s origins areobscure. He rst appeared during the Battle oDetroit as one o the monstrous beings and vil-

lains unleashed on the city by Dr. Destroyer.His nature and powers tend to suggest that he’sa magical spirit or entity o some sort (perhaps,as some mystics have speculated, a god o thenorth somehow reduced in power and trapped ina mindless physical orm). However, it would behighly unlikely that Dr. Destroyer would becomeinvolved with such an entity, much less capture orcontrol it somehow. And yet, breeding or creatinga creature o this sort seems beyond even the sci-ence o Destroyer or eleios.

Glacier somehow escaped the carnage othe Battle o Detroit and ed north afer beingde eated by superheroes. Periodically he appearedagain to attack civilization, or as a puppet beingcontrolled by some supervillain. In 2002 theChampions, with the assistance o several otherMillennium City heroes, ought him to a standstilland nally knocked him out when some as-yetunknown person let him loose in the City o theFuture. Judged to be non-intelligent and thus lack-ing in civil rights altogether, he was sent withouttrial to Stronghold to be incarcerated in hot sleep.As o early 2008 he remains in the super-prison,one o the “residents” o its lowest, darkest level.Personality/Motivation: None to speak o . Glacier isan unreasoning, rampaging brute who knows only

that he wants to crush, destroy, rend, and kill. He’sparticularly prone to destroying sources o heat,including electrical lines and generators, urnaces,and living beings.Quote: “Graaar!” (a sound less like a roar, andmore like the crackling o ice on a river, or thesound made when part o an iceberg calves off)

GLACIERPLOT SEEDS

Glacier’s powers begto “overload” to thepoint where theya ect even hot sleetechnology. His cobecomes icy cold...then rimed with rosand then the roststarts to spread. I thcan’t be stopped, theodds are he’ll break hco in soon....

A cult orms aroundthe belie that Glacieis some sort o anciengod. It petitions thegovernment to releasehim, orms a church,solicits donations, andthe like. Is it what itappears to be... or somthing more sinister?

Glacier was createdby Dr. Destroyer, andremains responsive tohim. I Destroyer sena signal, the sleepershall awaken....








Powers/Tactics: Glacier hasno tactics to speak o . Hepicks a target (usually thebiggest or ashiest super-human in the vicinity),xates on it, and smashesit until it stops moving. Iattacked by many peopleat once he uses one o his

area-affecting attacks. I ahero (or any eature o thelocal environment) puts outa lot o heat, he attacks thattarget rst; in part he seemsto exist to destroy sourceso warmth.

At the GM’s option, Gla-cier’s powers become stron-ger (by up to 25%) when thetemperature is extremely cold(well below reezing). Whenthis happens, he also becomeslarger. Conversely, he mayget smaller and a little weakerwhen it’s extremely hot, or in very hot environments.Campaign Use: Glacieris intended to be a toughenough oe to take onyour entire superheroteam. I he’s not, bee uphis S R and de enses untilhe is, and/or give himsome more attacks involving the control o iceand snow. Don’t make them too sophisticated,though — he’s supposed to be a sort o ravening

beast, a orce o nature, not a supervillain who’sexplored all the permutations o his speciale ect. On the other hand, i Glacier’s alreadytoo tough, just chip away at him until he’s onthe right level or your PCs.

Appearance: Glacier looks like a twelve oot tallhumanoid chunk o ice. His mouth and eyesare cracks or holes in the ice; his ingers thick,sharp, squarish icicles; he has no eet, just legsthat run straight to the ground. Wherever hegoes things quickly rost up and ice over... butsince he’s con ined in “hot sleep” in Stronghold,he hasn’t gone anywhere in years.







Running the Joint:Gamematering

Stronghold









Stronghold 10

he commander o Highguard is the dwar- ven mage Orgrend Khalkarios, who’s known

or his utter lack o a sense o humor. Whilenot a brutal person (in act, he’s well aware othe noble status, in luence, or sheer power omany o the wizards under his charge, and thuscautious when dealing with them), he toleratesno challenges to his authority or attempts toescape. He’s swi t to dole out harsh punishmentswhen they’re deserved. Few o his guards arehonest men; at the very least most take bribesto smuggle in delicacies and other luxuries tocertain prisoners.

GALAC IC CHAMPIONShe universe o Galactic Champions has

just as much need or a super-prison as theworld o regular Champions, and even moresuper-tech with which to build it. But a mesain New Mexico just isn’t isolated enough or asetting where characters can cross entire solarsystems in the blink o an eye. Galactic Strong-hold is built on an asteroid — one o millions inthe Galgulard system. According to archaeolo-gists, the Galgulard system once had at least

two inhabitable planets, and perhaps as manyas our... but millions o years ago somethingdestroyed them, leaving only a gigantic asteroidbelt. Only hal a dozen distant gas giants remaino what used to be a habitable solar system. Nowthe only things that live there are the warden, agrim Mon’dabi ex-space marine named ar’gash,his sta o guards (hal o them living beings,hal o them robots), and hundreds o the mostdangerous beings in the Galaxy.

Galactic Stronghold is entirely “under-ground” — it’s all built within one large aster-oid. he level closest to the sur ace houses theadministration, guards’ quarters, recreation

acilities or the sta , and the like. he super-

prison’s builders were lavish in providing enter-tainment resources, since Galactic Strongholdis so isolated that sta members rarely get toleave. he remaining 20 levels house the prison-ers. Every our levels is or a di erent categoryo prisoners and has its own dining hall, audito-rium, and other communal acilities. he inal

our levels are the equivalent o Stronghold’sLevel 10; they house prisoners who are so dan-gerous they’re kept in hot sleep.

PULP HERO

In Pulp Hero campaigns stressing somedegree o historical realism, the closest Pulp-eraequivalent to Stronghold is probably AlcatrazIsland, a.k.a. the Rock, which is discussed on page160 o Pulp Hero. However, you could use justabout any (in) amous maximum security peni-tentiary as a setting or prison-related scenarios.Examples include:

Angola, the Louisiana State Penitentiary, knownas “the Farm.” In the Pulp era this brutal placenear the Mississippi River (and thus prone toooding) was run mainly without guards. Prison-ers served as trustees in a highly abusive and cor-

rupt system.Sing-Sing Correctional Facility in Ossin-

ing, New York. Sing-Sing was taken over byWarden Lewis Lawes in 1920 a ter decades oneglect which were so bad that Lawes oundsome inmates missing, $30,000 gone rom theprison account, and one man being held orwhom there were no records o admittance.During the wenties Lawes added signi i-cantly to the prison, building administrationcenters, a hospital, a library, a mess hall, and achapel. Sing-Sing’s electric chair is known asOld Sparky.







108 Gamemastering Stronghold Hero System 5 th Edition Revised

S AR HEROScience Fiction expands the concept o the

isolated ultra-security prison into the prison planet — an entire world, usually a desolate and un or-giving one, used to house prisoners. Perhaps themost amous example is Salusa Secundus rom thenovel Dune, a prison planet so harsh the Emperoruses it as a “breeding ground” or his elite troops,the Sardaukar.

Te nature o prison planets varies romsetting to setting. Some are literally run as world-sized prisons, with guards, various orms o con-nement, punishment or misbehavior, and so on.In other cases whoever runs the prison doesn’tworry with such measures. Since the prisonershave no way to build ships to get off-planet, they’resimply lef there to end or themselves. Te resultis an incredibly brutal “society” in which he whois strongest, rules — but only until someone killshim and takes his place. Anyone who’s not a rulereither works or the ruler, or is exploited andoppressed by the ruler. A third possibility wouldbe an articial “world,” a manmade prison that’sthe size o a planet and holds the most dangerouscriminal scum in the Galaxy.

A more purely Stronghold-like prison mightexist in a setting that eatures a lot o people withpsionic powers. o prevent prisoners rom usingtelepathy, mind control, and psychokinesis toescape, the government would have to build a psi-proo prison that negated mental powers the wayStronghold negates superpowers.

CHANGING STRONGHOLDStronghold as it’s presented in this book works

well or typical Champions campaigns — but notevery GM or campaign is “typical.” Here are someideas and suggestions or ways you can changeStronghold to suit specic campaigns or pre erences.

CHANGE HE LOCA ION

Stronghold is in a relatively “realistic” loca-tion that uses distance and isolation as one ele-ment o security. However, that may detract romits dramatic value since it makes it difficult oryour PCs to get involved with plots involvingthe superprison — how ofen does a group osuperheroes have reason to be in the middle oNew Mexico? It may suit some campaigns betterto move Stronghold closer to the campaign city,whether that’s Millennium City, New York, ViboraBay, or someplace else.

Un ortunately, ew major cities are locatednear mesas, so you may have to alter the layoutor unctioning o Stronghold to suit a new loca-tion. In some places the easiest thing to do is justassume it’s still underground, but not in a mesa.In other locations, such as the Gul Coast or NewYork City, this may not be easible or a variety oreasons. In that case the GM has to consider otherphysical layouts, such as:

make Stronghold a reestanding building 11stories tall, with the administrative sections on therst oor; the more dangerous the prisoner, thehigher his cell is in the building.

make Stronghold a complex o linked build-ings on an island in a bay or wide river, using theseparation rom the mainland to enhance generalsecurity.

make Stronghold a “oating prison” — a largebuilding that’s suspended hundreds o eet in theair using hover technology.

put Stronghold underwater. Tis serves manyo the same “isolation” goals as the New Mexicolocation without the need or so much distance.However, i one little thing goes wrong, hundredso staff and inmates could drown.

or the ultimate in isolation, relocate Strongholdto an alternate dimension, such as the NegativeZone Prison Alpha (Project 42) rom Marvel

Comics or the Phantom Zone rom DC Comics.Tis makes the prison extremely secure, sinceexcept or one access portal there’d be no way orinmates who escape to make it back to Earth’sdimension. On the other hand, it takes the prob-lem o using the super-prison in stories eaturingyour heroes to an extreme; they have even lessreason to visit a prison dimension than they do togo to New Mexico.







Stronghold 10

CHANGE HE SECURI YOne signicant way to change how Strong-

hold works in your campaign is to alter the secu-rity. Tere are several options.Decrease Te Security

I you want to use Stronghold a lot in yourcampaign, you may want to make the security lesscomprehensive and effective. Tat way escapes aremore requent, the PCs can more easily inltratethe prison i they need to, and the general storypossibilities are enhanced. However, this mayexpose you to charges o being “unrealistic” orpush your PCs toward vigilantism i they don’tthink the villains they capture are going to staybehind bars very long.Use Superhuman Security

As presented, Stronghold doesn’t use super-humans as guards or to provide any other sort osecurity; it’s a prison run by ordinary (albeit well-trained and -equipped) people. Some GMs maywant to change this, replacing some or all o theguards with superhumans or superhuman equiva-

lents (such as guard in powered armor suits). Aferall, not everyone who has superpowers is neces-sarily going to want to put on a costume to ght(or commit) crime; many will be content to usetheir powers or high-paying mundane jobs.

Using super-guards has several implications.First, in many situations Stronghold will need

ewer guards, since one superhuman can ofendo the work o several ordinary people. Second,you might be able to reduce or remove the powernegation (see below) — instead o using thosesorts o devices, Stronghold relies on its super-guards to maintain order.Change Te Power Negation

Stronghold’s power negation systems, whilein some senses realistic, are also sort o a hand-wave that neatly gets around the problem o keep-ing super-prisoners rom using their powers tobreak out. Some GMs may want to alter the waythe power negation works to enhance the dramaticpossibilities Stronghold presents. Some ways to dothis include:

First, change the power negators to powersuppressors. In other words, instead o thesystems having an absolute e ect, they onlydecrease superpowers, either by an absolute

amount (which means some inmates are totallysuppressed, others only mildly a ected) or bya percentage (which means all inmates retainsome small amount o superhuman power).

his increases security problems at the prison,heightens tensions between prison gangs andinmates, and so on. his works well or, amongothers, SH campaigns where the players playinmates (see below).

Second, change the coverage o the powernegators. Instead o assuming they cover nearlyevery area in the prison, create more “dead zones”where inmates’ powers work. Te trick to escap-ing then becomes nding one o these areas andhaving the chance to use it.

Tird, get rid o the power negators alto-gether outside o the cells. In his cell an inmateremains totally powerless... but outside it he’s gothis ull range o powers. Tat means the guardseither have to have powers themselves (see above)or have to put special restraints on any inmatewho’s taken out o his cell. Tis makes escapemuch easier.

CHANGE HE DAILY ROU INEYou can change the way Stronghold operates

on a daily basis to increase prisoner interaction(and thus roleplaying possibilities in some cam-paigns) or provide more opportunities to escape.Some o the things you can do include:

instead o having prisoners go to quads or rec-reation time, allow more movement within theprison so that prisoners rom different levels cando things together (either all the time, or at spe-cic times o day)

allow the prisoners to have jobs in Stronghold.

Instead o having a kitchen staff, janitorial staff,mail room staff, and the like, the prison relies oninmates to do most o that sort o work. Tis cre-ates signicant security issues, but also helps tode use tension by giving the inmates somethingproductive to do; in “SH” campaigns where thePCs are inmates, it gives them the chance to inter-act with virtually any inmate.

change the cell arrangement so inmates arehoused two to a cell, rather than each having hisown cell. In that case, Stronghold needs one wing(probably on Level Omega) o solitary conne-ment cells.








CREATING YOUR OWN

SUPERPRISONInstead o using

Stronghold, some GMsmay pre er to create theirown superprisons. Here’sa checklist o some o theissues to consider as part othe design process:1. Location: Where is yoursuperprison located? Is itnear the campaign city or

ar away? Is it in an exoticlocation (underwater, outerspace, another dimen-sion), and i so how do theofficials responsible or theprison cope with the logisti-cal challenges that presents?

2. Layout: One o the mostimportant things or you toconsider as you design yoursuperprison is its layout.Is it all in one building, ormultiple buildings? Is it a

acility specically built tocontain a superprison, orwas it adapted to that pur-pose rom a previous use?How do inmates, personnel,and supplies get into and out o the prison? Howdoes the prison provide basic needs ( ood, air,

heat, recreation) to the inmates? What sort o rec-reation and work acilities are available?3. Inmates: How many inmates can the prisonhold — and how many does it currently have?What sorts o supervillains are eligible or incar-ceration there? Does the prison classi y or catego-

rize the inmates, and i so how? Can the inmateshold jobs inside the prison?4. Security: In general, is the prison’s security

tight or loose? How many guards does the prisonneed, and are they superpowered or ordinarypeople? What sort o security technology does ituse? Are any parts o the prison covered by powernegation or suppression elds, and i so whichones? How common are escape attempts, success-

ul escapes, and other incidents?







Stronghold 11

This section describes ve classic scenariosor campaign rameworks that you can runusing Stronghold. You already have thecrucial in ormation you need — details on

the superprison, its security systems and proce-dures, and its personnel, plus detailed maps o theimportant areas — so it’s just a question o howyou put them to use. Tese scenarios are more inthe nature o outlines than ully eshed-out adven-tures, since they all represent highly dynamic situ-ations and depend to a large extent on the specicso your campaign (what your PCs are like, which villains are inmates, and the like).

Obviously this section is for the GM’s eyesonly. I you’re a player, don’t read these scenarios!You’ll only spoil the un you might otherwise haveseeing them un old during play.

GE ING HE HEROES O S RONGHOLDSince Stronghold is so isolated, a common

element in many o the scenarios described belowis how to get the PCs involved in the action.Unless you want to draw out the events so theheroes have time to get to New Mexico romthe campaign city, which is likely to stretch theboundaries o believability, you have to arrange

or them to be on the scene when the events o the

adventure begin to un old. Some o the ways youcan do this include:the heroes have come to Stronghold to tour theacility and/or meet with Warden Wildmanone or more o the heroes has been called in to

serve as a consultant to Stronghold on an impor-tant matter (a security issue, the powers and per-sonality o his archenemy who’s now an inmate,advances in security technology based on a PC’sinvention, or the like)

the heroes help the SSP S transport a prisonerto Stronghold or added security

the wrongly-accused PCs have been convictedand sent to Stronghold. Once the scenario begins,their willingness to ght the other inmates ratherthan take advantage o the opportunity to escapeproves they were improperly convicted and con- vinces the authorities to let them go ree. Alter-nately, i the wrong ul conviction were engineeredby an inmate, the evidence clearing their namescomes to light during the adventure.

the PCs are passing through New Mexico ontheir way to somewhere else when they get wordo a crisis at the superprison

the PCs are in a local city (such as Albuquerque)

responding to some other crisis

someone with oreknowledge o the incident— such as a “mystic guardian o reality” or Cap-tain Chronos — arranges or the PCs to be nearStronghold, or “kidnaps” them and puts themthere at the right moment. Alternately, an outsideagency might accidentally move them to Strong-hold against their will at just the right time bysheer superheroic coincidence.

Clever GMs can no doubt come up with evenmore ways to get the PCs to Stronghold based onthe specics o their heroes and campaigns.

ESCAPE FROMSTRONGHOLDhe classic story or nearly every prison is

about escaping rom it, particularly in a ComicBook Superheroes setting where villains tradi-tionally escape rom prison again, and again,and again to attack their heroic archnemeses.

his scenario discusses how to run an escapeinvolving Stronghold, whether it’s just one ortwo villains or a repeat o the Great StrongholdBreakout.

YPES OF ESCAPEBroadly speaking, all efforts to escape rom

Stronghold all into one o two categories: internalbreakouts; and being broken out.

An internal breakout is an escape engineeredprimarily rom inside the prison by one or moreinmates. Te escapees use orce or subter uge to getoutside the prison’s walls and then ee the vicinity.Tey may have some outside help, like a corruptguard who smuggles them an item they need or a

riend waiting to pick them up when they get out,but or the most part they do all the work themselves.

Being broken out means an escape in whichoutside help — typically, supervillain colleagues

or hirelings — plays a primary role. One exampleis a team o villains that smashes its way intoStronghold to “rescue” an incarcerated teammate,but historically deception has worked better thanbrute orce. For instance, on at least two occasionsthe villainess Masquerade has used her shape-shifing powers to impersonate a prison workerand ree a prisoner.

In a Champions campaign, breakouts are armore common than being broken out, because theytend to offer greater scope or PC involvement anda richer scenario. But don’t overlook the possibilitieso getting outside help involved, especially when thathelp shows up just as the PCs think they’ve got the

whole situation under control....

SCENARIOS








S RONGHOLD’S VULNERABILI IESWhile Stronghold is extremely secure and is

rarely escaped rom, it’s by no means escape-proo .Like any prisons it has its weak points, especiallywhen one considers all the superpowers that could

actor in. While no one can predict every weaknessStronghold might have or method a superhumancould use to break out o (or sometimes into) thesuper-prison, some tactics are more common orobvious than others. Some o Stronghold’s vulner-abilities include:Brute Force

Stronghold is very secure, but it’s not a mili-tary ortress. Enough brute orce brought to bearby a supervillain team, an army o VIPER agents,

or the like could smash its way into the prison torescue whoever it wanted... and would no doubtree plenty o other inmates to cover its tracks and

slow down the authorities.Desolidication

Individual cells can be congured to prevent anintangible villain rom getting into or out o them;Stronghold as a whole cannot. A character withDesolidication who activates that power more thantwo kilometers away rom the prison can approachwithout triggering the prison’s motion/vibrationsensors (though i he’s not invisible he might still beseen by the guards). He could then walk throughDevil’s Head Mesa and right into Stronghold. Ocourse, once he enters Stronghold he’s subject to thepower negators and immediately becomes solid onceagain... assuming he hasn’t somehow “shielded” him-sel rom them in advance.

Stronghold is acutely aware o this approach;in 2003 our villains were broken out o the prisonby an unknown superhuman who used Desolidi-cation, Invisibility, and some sort o shieldingtechnology to ree them. Un ortunately, intangibil-ity-proong the entire prison isn’t technologicallyor nancially easible, so the prison has settled orincreased vigilance.

Electrical OverloadStronghold and its security systems depend

heavily on electricity, and that creates a vulner-ability. No matter how well shielded an electricalsystem may be, there’s always some amount oelectricity that can short it out. Some o Strong-hold’s systems, particularly the hot sleep coffins onLevel 10 and the customized power negators builtinto the cells, have short-term independent powersupplies. But the rest o the system (even thebackup generators on each level) could be over-loaded in a single well-planned attack (or due tosome natural disaster, see below), thus potentially

reeing or re-powering dozens o supervillains.Hostages

Some villains have concluded that theycan break out o Stronghold with an indirectapplication o orce: they take guards hostageand trade them or reedom. Despite the actthat this tactic has never worked — Strongholdsimply won’t agree to trade reedom or hos-tages, and even i it did there’d be plenty o copsand superheroes outside the prison waiting torecapture the escapee — every now and then a villain tr ies it again. Maybe one day someonewill ind a way to make it work.Magic

otally unpredictable, and o ten able tointer ere with technology in ways no scientistcan satis actorily explain, magic is a wild cardthat more than one escapee has exploited. hewarding-spells placed on Stronghold by super-heroic mystics are power ul, but there’s alwaysa way around that or an even stronger ritual isomeone works and studies hard enough. Eveni someone doesn’t use magic in a deliberateattempt to escape (or break someone out), thenumber o power ul mystics incarcerated theremight act as a “lightning rod” or ree- loatingarcane energies, thus creating the occult equiva-lent o a natural disaster.







Stronghold 11

MalfunctionsStronghold’s technology is designed to be

the best it can be, and ofen involves redundantor triple-redundant backups... but much o it iscutting-edge stuff, and mal unctions are alwaysa possibility despite the dedicated efforts o theprison’s corps o technicians. Most mal unctionsare not themselves enough to allow an immediateescape (a mal unctioning hot sleep coffin being

the main exception), but they create a window oopportunity that clever villains can exploit.Natural Disaster

Te Great Stronghold Breakout resulted, inpart, rom a particularly strong thunderstorm thatstruck the region where the superprison is located.Many other natural disasters could cause similarproblems or Stronghold. Earthquakes are a par-ticular vulnerability; a strong enough one couldcrack open the mesa and potentially ree everyprisoner in the place.Personnel

Te weakest link in Stronghold’s security is its

personnel, who can potentially be manipulated inmany ways. First, some guards are corrupt, pure andsimple. Tey’re the exception to the rule, but theydo exist. It might take a lot o money or other inu-ence, but they could be persuaded to assist in anescape attempt. Second, a villain with shapeshifingpowers could take a guard’s place. Unless he some-how shields himsel against the power negators he’llinstantly revert to his true orm when he enters theprison... but i he can shield himsel , he’s a serpentwaiting to strike rom the very heart o Stronghold.Tird, an outside villain with mental powers couldtake control o a guard’s mind. I the control is strongenough it will last until the guard gets inside Strong-

hold and can execute the orders the villain gave him— and the power negators won’t detect or nulli y themental domination.

But a guard or technician doesn’t have to bemanipulated to acilitate an escape. A Strong-hold worker who’s disgruntled or mentallyunbalanced might start an escape by switchingo a key security system or killing some guards;one who’s careless might orget or overlooksomething that an inmate could then exploit.Power Negator Overload

While it’s not easy, past experience showsthat it is sometimes possible or a villain (or, morelikely, group o villains working together) to over-load the power negators in one area o the prison.Tat gives them ull and easy access to theirpowers, which then makes it easy to destroy morepower negators, escape, or the like.

Overloading a power negator is primarily adramatic device the GM uses to justi y an escape,not something you need to simulate in gameterms. However, i it becomes a crucial plot pointin a game, such as a scenario where the PCs haveinltrated Stronghold and need to break out, theGM should handle it as ollows. First, or purposes

o overloading it, assume any power negator has500 Active Points. A character or characters must“activate” and “use” more than 500 Active Points’worth o superpowers or 1d6+3 Phases (usingthe lowest SPD o any character involved) to havea chance to overload a negator. Powers used orthis purpose may be Pushed; Pushing adds 5 or10 Active Points’ worth o effect to a power, but ocourse at an increased END cost. (For purposes

o determining how much END a character has tospend on an overload attempt, use his ull ENDwhen his Characteristics aren’t being negateddown to low levels; otherwise no inmate wouldever succeed.) Afer the powers have been in use

or the specied time period, the GM should roll3d6. In the rst Phase he rolls, he has to roll 6- ora negator to overload. Each Phase thereafer theroll goes up by 1: 7-, then 8-, and so on. When theroll succeeds, the closest power negator overloads.I the GM makes the roll by hal , the next nearestnegator also overloads; i he rolls a three, the near-est negator and the our surrounding it all blow.

O course, the guards aren’t going to standidly by while an inmate or group o inmates triesto overload the system. Unless the villains who aretrying to escape nd a way to distract, hide rom,or neutralize the guards, the odds are they’ll berestrained long be ore they can succeed.

Lastly, as noted on page 57, it’s possible oran inmate to get used to the effects o the powernegators, and some inmates inherently have moreresistance to power negation than others. o rep-resent that, the GM may reduce the power require-ments or an overload rom 500 Active Points tosomething less.

POSSIBLE ESCAPE SCENARIOS

Here are brie descriptions o some possibleescapes based on the current state o Stronghold:Te Juju B Concert

As mentioned on page 42, star rapper Juju Bwants to hold a concert at Stronghold. Assumingthe warden gives his permission, this is a chance

or some inmates to mount an escape attempt. Temost likely scenario is this: Requiem (see ChapterFour) or some other sonic-powered villain gainsaccess to the rapper’s sound equipment and usesit to ampli y his own powers to the point wherethe power negators don’t affect him. Since the con-cert’s in the Solarium Hall on Level One, the vil-

lain uses his augmented abilities to blast the roo ,destroying most o the power negators in the areaand opening a big hole directly to the outside. Any villains who try to escape that way have to contendwith the Zap owers, but they can only handleso many (and in any event the initial blast mightdamage them or cut off their power supply).Menton

he list o villains currently in Strongholdincludes Menton, who’s held on Level 10 in hotsleep. However, Menton’s mind is so power ulthat even hot sleep can’t completely shut it down








or long. He’s already regained just enough useo his abilities to communicate mentally withhis psionic henchmen, primarily Mind Slayerand Kevin Poe (see Champions Universe: NewsOf he World, page 149). Soon he’ll be ableto communicate with Psimon, who’s also inStronghold. I he stays there long enough, in a

ew months he’ll be able to mentally sense whenthe guards come to check the hot sleep area

every shi t... and in time he’ll have the power tomentally in luence them. He has no intentiono remaining incarcerated that long, though, iMind Slayer et al. can igure out a way to assaultStronghold that’s reasonably likely to succeed.Pete Willis, Disgruntled echnician

Page 92 introduces Pete Willis, a Strongholdtechnician who’s on the verge o becoming dan-gerously disgruntled. I he does go over the edge,all he has to do is switch off a ew power negatorsand it’s off to the races.Rumblings

An earthquake, either natural or supervillain-

created, is Stronghold’s ultimate nightmare. Fora scenario that could make the Great StrongholdBreakout look minor in comparison, hit the super-prison with a magnitude 7 or higher earthquake.Some supervillains will die or be injured, butmany more will nd the way to reedom openedbe ore them... unless your heroes react quicklyenough to shut it in their aces.

HE RESPONSESee page 74 regarding how Stronghold’s

personnel respond to escape attempts. But ocourse, ideally you want to let the PCs do themain work; they’re the heroes o the story, a ter

all. So give some thought to either (a) havingStronghold’s personnel take a “backup” rolewhen it comes to containing the escape, or (b)cripping Stronghold’s ability to respond so theheroes have to step up to the plate.

Depending on how many villains succeed inescaping, your PCs might dedicate themselves totracking down and recapturing all o the eeing

elons. Tis could orm a story arc in an ongoinggame, or even the basis or an entire campaign.

JUST LET US GO AND NOONE GETS HURT

When the power negators in one section oStronghold mal unction, the inmates take advan-tage o the situation to grab some hostages and cuta deal. It’s up to the PCs to resolve the situationwithout any guards dying.

HE S ORM BREAKSAt 9:31 AM one morning, the power negators

covering the B-C quad on Level Delta inexplicablymal unction. Tey “icker” or a moment, andthen “dim,” alling to one-quarter effectiveness —nowhere near enough to totally negate the powerso many villains, though enough to weaken them.Never ones to overlook a golden opportunity, theinmates destroy the power negators, take everyguard and janitor hostage (and possibly Mick Wat-kins, i the PCs know and like him), and barricadethe entrances and exits with urniture and rubble.

Using Stronghold’s computer system, they

quickly ascertain that the mal unction didn’taffect the entire prison, just their quad. I they’regoing to break ree, they’re going to need to tradethe hostages or their release — i they blast andsmash their way into other parts o the prison, theoverlapping power negation elds will affect themand bring the escape to a rapid halt. It’s a classicstand-off, since i Stronghold tries to rescue itspersonnel the inmates are likely to kill them. It’sup to the heroes to save the day with no loss o li e.

WHO’S INVOLVEDLevel Delta houses Orange-level Danger

inmates o no more than Level 3 Escape Risk. Tat

could include inmates such as Arrowhead, BlackPaladin, Brute, the Hand o Satan, Mechassassin,Slither, Torn, and Wildeye.

Brute, the Hand o Satan, and Mechassas-sin all lead gangs in Stronghold, so the odds areagainst the authorities putting them all in thesame quad... unless, o course, it suits your dra-matic purposes or them to al l be together. hatwould give the PCs a chance to exploit theirrivalries and mutual animosity, perhaps leadingto a roleplaying-heavy scenario. his might beeven more un i you alternate between the play-ers playing their superheroes in scenes wherethey interact with the villains, and each o themtaking on the role o a gang leader or memberin scenes where the PCs aren’t present. (Other-wise a lot o the action, including many o thepotentially most dramatic scenes, takes place“o -camera.”) Slither belongs to the Hand’sgang; Arrowhead and horn belong to Mechas-sassin’s; see page 72 or more in ormation.

Regardless o who the villains are, they haveabout 20 hostages. Most are guards; a couple areother employees o Stronghold (janitors, counsel-lors, technicians, and the like). Te majority o the villains aren’t bloodthirsty; they don’t particularlywant to hurt the hostages unless they have to, they just want to escape. A ew denitely want to hurt







Stronghold 11

or kill hostages (especially guards); i the Hando Satan is there, he may even try to convince theothers he can gain the power to ree them all byper orming some human sacrices (and he mighteven be telling the truth!).

EVEN S UNFOLDOnce the villains take hostages they barricade

the quad so Stronghold personnel can’t easily

retake it by orce. Tey collapse the guard entrance(marked a on the map on page 51), destroy thedoor controls leading to C cellblock (14 on themap), create a urniture barrier at the door lead-ing to B cellblock (5 on the map), and wedge openthe doors to the staff elevators (k on the map) andcut the cables. All negotiations with Strongholdpersonnel or the PCs take place at the B cell-block entrance; the villains won’t allow anyone toapproach any urther than the bend in the hallway(24 meters, or 3.5”, rom their barricade). One vil-lain stands guard at each elevator (k), two or threeat each hallway entrance, and the rest sort o millaround and do whatever they want.

he hostages are kept in the Gymnasium(11 on the map) and/or the Large Session Room(9 on the map), depending on what seems mosttactically advantageous to the villains. hey usethe guards’ own Mechalene Zipcu s (page 86)to restrain them. In the event o a determinedcounterattack by the PCs or Stronghold person-nel, the villains retreat to one o those rooms tomake their stand.

Te villains’ ultimate goal is to escape by g-uring out a way to leverage the situation to theiradvantage. Tey know Stronghold won’t negoti-ate a hostages- or- reedom exchange. Tey alsoknow that the longer they wait, the more likely it isthat serious help, including superheroes (or moreheroes, i they know the PCs are already there)will arrive. So they’re playing a waiting game, butnot an indenite one because they’re on the clock.Some o the things they’ll try include:

use the computer systems at Central Monitor-ing (d on the map) to try to shut off or weaken thepower negators in other parts o the prison. Ideallythey could shut off enough o them to escape, but just weakening them anywhere else in Strongholdwill cause so much chaos their chances o gettingaway are signicantly improved.

use the computers at Central Monitoring (d onthe map) to hack the communications systemand try to get a message to the outside world. Ithey succeed, some will get messages to riends orhenchmen seeking help with a break-out. Otherswill broadcast the group’s demands to the pressand try to create a media circus, since they knowthat will hamper the authorities.

use Desolidication (i any o them have it)to get someone out by having him walk straightthrough the mesa to the outside. I enough othem can get out that way (perhaps because o aninmate with Desolidication Usable Simultane-ously), they’ll stage an assault on Stronghold’s

main power generators.

Ideally you should plan this stage o the sce-nario to draw the situation out and increase thetension. Tat means (a) taking the PCs’ powersinto account and making sure the villains haveways to counter them, and (b) making sure the villains have powers and resources that give thema serious chance to escape or cause a tragedy. Keepthe heroes on edge, and requently remind themo what’s at stake. For example, maybe a hostage’s

spouse shows up to beg them to do anything theyhave to to get him home sa ely... even i that meansletting the villains escape.

RESCUE... OR DISAS EROnce you eel the scenario’s gone on long

enough and the tension has reached its peak, letthe wave break. Something major happens — thePCs begin their assault, or the villains launchwhatever plan they’ve come up with to makea break or it. Depending on the tone o yourcampaign, either the odds strongly avor the PCsrescuing all the hostages (even i some villainsescape), or it all depends on luck and skill as

to whether a single hostage survives. Given thenature o the situation, the heroes can probablyrescue at least some o the hostages unless theyact stupidly; there aren’t enough “ruthless killer” villains or villains who’ll doanything to escapethat it’s likely every hostage will die. On the otherhand, careless use o superpowers or letting thewrong villain get to the wrong place at the wrongtime could spell disaster.

RIOT IN CELLBLOCKBETA-2-D

A variant on classic hostage scenariodescribed in Just Let Us Go And No One Gets Hurt, above, is the “prison riot” scenario. It differs roma hostage scenario in several key ways:1. It takes place over a larger part o the prison— an entire cellblock, level, or multiple levels,or perhaps all the inmates on Level One duringmealtime.2. Te power negators haven’t ailed, at least notat rst. Te prisoners have taken over part o the

acility based on numbers and desperation. Oneo the rst things they’ll try to do is shut off ordestroy the power negators, but or maximumdrama it’s usually best i they haven’t succeededyet — the PCs’ goal is to stop the riot be ore thingsescalate to that point and a mass escape becomesnot only possible, but likely. Tis may mean goingonto Level Beta-2 when the negators still unc-tion... meaning the PCs will be without theirsuperpowers in there.

In this case, the prisoners on Level Beta-2(the i th underground level) have overpoweredtheir guards, used the computer in the Guard

ower to lock out all the elevators, and barri-caded the stairs and doors. As the word implies,they’re running riot — working out old grudges

and euds since the guards aren’t around to stop








them, humiliating and even tormenting theguards they hate, openly using whatever liquorand drugs they can get their hands on, vandal-izing the prison, and so on.

Level Beta-2 holds Yellow-level Dangerinmates o no more than Level 4 Escape Risk.Tat could potentially include such villains asAlchemica, Arc, Boomslang, Cheshire Cat, Drag-ony, Esper, Flow, Frost, Gorgon, Krait, Megavolt,

Menagerie, Overdrive, Pulsar, Requiem, Stiletto,Storm ront, and Whitere. Several o those villainsare emale, so maybe two o the cellblocks (andthus one quad) are or emale prisoners only. I sothis raises other ugly possibilities or raternizationand assault that you have to decide i you want todeal with in your campaign. Note that both Frostand Requiem would not be on the same level; iyou choose to put one here, the other is housed ona different level.

Once you’ve decided who’s involved, pickthree to ive inmates to serve as the r iot’s “lead-ers.” hey’re the ones who organize groups oinmates to man the barricades, try to keep a lid

on any serious violence that could give prisono icials an excuse to come in hard and heavy,and so on. he leaders should be inmates whom(a) the other inmates have particular respect or,(b) have skills or abilities that make them tough

and “power ul” in Stronghold, and/or (c) whoare especially persuasive or in luential withinthe Stronghold community.

Because o the size o the riot and the chaosinvolved, one roleplaying-heavy possibility is orthe PCs to inltrate Level Beta-2 disguised as pris-oners to try to de use the riot rom within. I theyplay their cards right, they can make the wholething collapse under its own weight by tricking the

riot’s leaders into quarreling with one another. Onthe other hand, that sort o situation could easilybecome violent — and i anyone recognizes thePCs, they’ll be at the rioters’ mercy.

MAIN AINING HE ENSIONI the heroes don’t take that approach,

you need to take steps to maintain, and slowlyincrease, the tension. Maybe the PCs nd out oneo the guards is diabetic and desperately needs hisinsulin shot. Perhaps reports o rape begin to lterout o Beta-2. Or the inmates could get into thecomputer system enough that there’s a risk theycould shut off the power negators and/or start

riots on other levels. Similarly, keep events movingat a sufficient pace that the PCs have to spendsome time reacting to what the inmates do ratherthan just planning a tactical assault — make them

eel a little off-balance and out o control.







Stronghold 11

HEROES BEHIND BARSInstead o the inmates trying to break out

o Stronghold, what i the PCs have to breakin? While not as common as the escape story,the “break into the prison” story de initely hasprecedent. ypically a break-in story takes oneo our orms:

1. Te heroes have to smash their way into theprison violently to get someone or something,usually on a tight deadline, because the authori-ties won’t let them in or some reason. (Te classicexample here is a teammate who’s been ramed oror wrong ully convicted o a crime; they have toget him out be ore the other inmates kill him.) Teactual act o breaking in isn’t necessarily difficult;the hard part is doing it to minimize the chance oinmates escaping... and then getting out past the

orce o guards, robots, and even other superhe-roes mobilized to stop them.2. Te heroes have to inltrate the prison to getsomeone or something, usually on a tight dead-line, because the authorities won’t let them in orsome reason. A smash-and-grab isn’t possible hereeither because o the risk o other inmates escap-ing, or because the heroes don’t want the authori-ties to be aware o what they’re doing.3. Te heroes inltrate the prison to get in orma-tion by disguising themselves as villains. Tey dothis with the assistance and knowledge o prisonofficials, but without any help rom the media.Tey have to convince the other inmates thatthey’re really villains even though no other inmatehas ever worked with them. Alternately, i theirpowers match up with a villain group they might

try to inltrate disguised as that group, but that’seven riskier since the odds are good some o theinmates know the real villains well enough to tellthe difference.4. With the knowledge and assistance o prisonand justice system officials, the heroes inltrate theprison to get in ormation by raming themselves

or a crime and arranging to be sent to Stronghold.While there they have to convince the inmatesthey really are criminals so they can mingle withthem and learn what they need to know. Te prob-lem, o course, is that a lot o the inmates haveserious grudges against them....

A related type o story is one where theheroes are wrong ully convicted and incarceratedo crimes despite their best efforts and end up inStronghold or real. But that’s really just a standardescape story with the added element o “nd outwho did this to us” (usually someone who’s alreadyin the prison and wants to hurt them or somereason). Te above stories all share in common theidea that the heroes voluntarily enter Strongholdto get something they can’t get anywhere else.

Planning this sort o scenario is mostly upto each GM, since it depends heavily on how theheroes plan to get into the prison, what sort oabilities they’ll have while inside, and who cur-

rently happens to be in Stronghold in your cam-paign. For example, in a Champions Universecampaign, raming the Champions and throw-ing them into Stronghold would immediatelyattract Black Paladin’s attention to Witchcra t.Noting his interest, the Hand o Satan and/or Redblade might try to concoct some sorto mystic plot to take advantage o the situa-tion. And since the Champions are Hunted by

VIPER, any o the VIPER villains in Strongholdwould see their presence as an opportunity toscore points with the VIPER leadership by “dis-posing” o them once and or all.

THE SHTe SH is a campaign ramework rather than

a discrete scenario. aking its inspiration romtelevision shows like Oz and Prison Break andmovies such as Te Shawshank Redemption, it’sa Stronghold-centered campaign in which thePCs are inmates. Tis is a pretty grim subject or

a campaign, really more Dark Champions thanChampions, but it may appeal to some gaminggroups as an exercise in intense roleplaying or as ashort-term break rom a lighthearted campaign.

o prepare or an SH campaign, you need toconsider several issues:1. Are the PCs going to be actual criminals whowere sentenced to Stronghold legitimately, or ordi-nary people or heroes? I the latter, did they getthemselves sent to Stronghold or some ulteriorpurpose, or are they the victims o tragic circum-stance desperate to prove their innocence?2. What sort o relationship will the PCs have with

the administration? I you want them to interactwith Warden Wildman and his staff requently,you need to have a reason or them to do so —such as a trial “jobs in prison” program that letsthem work as, say, Assistant Warden Roths-child’s secretary.

3. What sort o relationship will the PCs havewith the other prisoners? Obviously this dependslargely on how each player conceives, develops,and roleplays his character, but you have to provide a ramework within which that roleplayingtakes place. Who else is an inmate? What sort ogangs and other “power groups” exist? You can usethe in ormation in Chapter Tree as a good start-ing point, but or such an intensely- ocused cam-paign you should probably expand on it, increas-ing the list o inmates, the number o gangs, andthe potential sources o tension and drama.

Once you’ve set the stage by addressingthese issues and doing a little campaign plan-ning, it’s time to drop the PCs into the deep end.Depending on your pre erence, you can roleplaythe intake procedure, or simply start the cam-paign the irst morning they wake up in theircells. What happens a ter that is up to them...and your iendish imagination.







118 Stronghold Hero System 5 th Edition Revised

Aboveground acilities ...............40Account, personal .......................71Administration Hub ...................40Afer the trial ...............................31Agaza, Ovidio..............................92Aggravated assault ........................8Alcatraz ..................................... 107Alchemica ............................. 70, 96Aliens, civil rights o ..................30

American Superhuman andParanormal Registration Act ....7

Amnesia (inmate) .......................70Android, Articial Intelligence, and

Alien Li e-Forms Rights Act......30Androids, civil rights o .............30Angell, Rep. .................................37Angola (prison) ........................ 107Annexes .......................................40Appeals.........................................26Aquiline (inmate) .......................70Arc (inmate) ......................... 70, 73ARGEN .................................. 101Aronson case .......................... 6, 25Arraignment ................................15Arrest............................................13Arrest warrants ...........................10Arrowhead (inmate) ........... 70, 73Articial intelligences,

civil rights o .............................30ASPRA ...........................................7Assault, aggravated .......................8Auditoriums ..........................41-42Australia .......................................59Bail ................................................14Bail bondsmen ............................15Bailiffs ..........................................18

Baker, Jeff .....................................97Berserk (inmate) .........................70Black Dog (inmate) ....................70Black market................................71Black Paladin (inmate) ..............70Blackstar ......................................39Bloodstone (inmate)...................70Body Armor, Stronghold ..............87Books ............................................71Boomslang (inmate) ............ 70, 73Borealis ........................................59Brain Drain (inmate) .................70Broadcast (inmate) .....................70Brute (inmate) ...................... 70, 73

Brute Squad (gang) .....................73Bulldozer......................................42Burdeau case .................................7Burns, NM ...................................36Buzzard, the (inmate) ................70Cali ornia Patrol .........................38Cameras .......................................57Canada .........................................59Capital Punishment Center .......53Carmichael, Commander isha..85Cash ..............................................71Cauldron (inmate) ...............70, 73Cellblock Levels ..........................48Cellblocks ....................................50Cells ..............................................57

Changing Stronghold .............. 108Cheshire Cat (inmate).........70, 73China ............................................59Cigarettes .....................................71Civil cases against superhumans .30Classroom Alley..........................47Clones, civil rights o ..................30Closing arguments......................19Clothing .......................................71

Code, prisoners’ ..........................72Codes, inmate classication ......65Communications Unit (gadget) ..86Concealing identity ......................8Congurations or cells .............57Consent to a search ....................11Contraband .................................71Court clerk ..................................18Court reporter .............................18Courtroom Personnel ................16Covington, Rodney (inmate) .70, 73Creating Your Own

Superprison ............................ 110Crime prevention .........................9Criminal Law ................................8Cross-examination .....................19Crossre (inmate) .......................70Cruel and unusual punishment ..25Crusader (type o lawyer) ..........17Crusading Newspaper Reporter .18Crusher ........................................38Crypt, the .....................................59Cybermind (inmate) ..................70Dagger, the...................................93Daily schedule .............................66Dampeners, power ...............55-57Danger risk, classication o .....64

Dark Champions ..................... 106Darkmoon (inmate) ...................70Dealmaker (type o lawyer) .......17Death chamber............................53Death Commando ......................93Deathsinger .................................93Deathstroke .................................93De ense o sel , others, property ....9De enses to crimes..................8-10Deities, jurisdiction over ...........30Demonst (gang) ........................73Detention prior to trial ..............14Detroit, Battle o ...................... 103Devil’s Head Mesa ......................36

Different strokes rule ............ 6, 25Dining Hall ..................................47Diplomatic immunity ..................9Direct examination.....................19Disciplinary measures ..........69-70Discovery .....................................15Dog tags .......................................65Doors ............................................55Double jeopardy .........................25Draconis (inmate) ......................70Draconis, Dr. Strangluff .............93Dragony ..............................70, 98Drugs ............................................71Due process o law ......................30Eclipse (inmate) ..........................70

Eighth Amendment ....................25Electronic devices .......................71Eligibility or Stronghold .... 26, 62Enhanced Senses, searches and ...11Equal protection o the laws ......30Escape .................................74, 111Escape rom Stronghold

(scenario) ................................ 111Escape Risk, classication o .....64

Esper (inmate) ............................70Europe ..........................................60Evidence, law o ..........................19Exceptions to search warrant

requirement ...............................10Excessive orce ..............................8Exclusionary rule ................. 13, 19External Security ........................54Extradimensional beings,

civil r ights o .............................30Fantasy Hero ............................ 106Farm, the ................................... 107Fifh Amendment ..........12, 19, 25Firedrake (inmate)......................70First appearance ..........................14Flow (inmate) ..............................70Folksy Southern Boy

(type o judge) ...........................17Fossil (inmate) ............................70Fourteenth Amendment ............30Fourth Amendment ...................10Freakshow (inmate) ............ 70, 73Frisking ........................................11Frost....................................... 70, 95Galactic Champions ................ 107Gale orce (inmate) ......................70Galgulard system ..................... 107

Gamemastering Stronghold ... 105Gangs............................................72Gear or guards ...........................86GeoMax .................................... 101Geothermal ........................70, 100Getting along inside ...................69Glacier .................................70, 103Gloryhound (type o lawyer) ....17Gods, jurisdiction over ..............30Gorgon (inmate) .........................70Grab-Chain (gadget) ..................86Grand jury ...................................15Grasse, Chie o

Security Frederick ....................80

Grayson, Donnie ........................92Great Stronghold Breakout,

the .........................................38-39Grice, im....................................85Grond .................................... 39, 53Guard stations .............................54Guard ower .........................48-49Guardhouse, the .........................58Guards ..........................................82Hand o Satan, the (inmate) 70, 73Hardened Police Detective ........18Headcounts............................66-68Hearsay ........................................20Helmet, Stronghold (gadget) ....87Heroes Behind Bars (scenario) 117

High Priest o the Law(type o judge) ...........................17

Highguard................................. 106Hisen case ....................................26History o Stronghold ................36Hornet ..........................................99Hospital ..................................43-47Hostage situations ......................74Hostile questions ........................23

Hot pursuit ..................................11Hot sleep ......................... 26, 38, 53Hot sleep, eligibility or ..............63Hot Sleep Containment Facility ..53House aipan ..............................59Housing policy ............................69Hubbard Maximum Security

Correctional Institution ....... 106Hubs .............................................40Human Bomb, the (inmate) ......70Hygiene items..............................71Indictment ...................................15Inrmary ...............................43-47In ormation .................................15Inmate codes ...............................65Inmate relations ..........................69Inmates.................................. 70, 93Inner Court .................................40Insane Ol’ Coot (type o judge) ...17Insanity de ense ............................9Intake o prisoners ......................63Intake/Processing Center ..........40Inter ace (inmate) .......................70Internal Security .........................55Introduction ..................................4Investigation o a crime .............10Judge .............................................17

JuJu B ................................... 42, 113Jurisdiction over the divine .......30Jury ...............................................16Just Let Us Go And No

One Gets Hurt (scenario) ..... 114Justice Squadron .........................93Kennedy, Warden Peter .............39Kibitzer.........................................63Kitchen .........................................41Kowalski case ..............................26Krait (inmate) ......................70, 73Law, superhumans and ..........5-34Lawyer superheroes ....................22Lawyers ........................................17

Layout o Stronghold .................40Level One .....................................41Level en ......................................53Levels, underground ............41-53Liberal Activist (type o judge) ....17Li e Behind Bars .........................61Lightning Stick aser (gadget) .....87Lights on/off ..........................66-68Lincoln National Forest .............36Location o Stronghold ..............36Lock chambers ............................48Lockdown ....................................75Long Walk, the ............................63Louisiana State Penitentiary .......107Magazines ....................................71





Stronghold 11

Main Security ..............................40Main Staff.....................................78Maintaining a Secret Identity ....13Maps ..........................Chapter woMatches ........................................71McCall, Red Jack (inmate) ........70Meals ......................................66-67Mechalene Zipcuffs (gadget) .....86Mechassassin (inmate) ........ 70, 73

Medical Facility .....................43-47Megavolt (inmate) ............... 70, 73Menagerie (inmate) ....................70Mental powers, searching with ....11Mentaphone ................................20Menton (inmate) ........................70Mesto Zaklyucheniya .................60Military, contacting or help .....75Mind Control ..............................29Mind Scan....................................12Minimax (inmate) ......................70Miranda rules ..............................12Mitchellson, Commander Mike ..82Moats ..................................... 48, 50Mob Mouthpiece

(type o lawyer) .........................17Money ..........................................71Moseby, Dr. Carol .......................92Motion sensors............................54Motions, pretrial .........................15Murdoch, Sgt. Calvin .................85Mutants, civil rights o ...............30Mutates, civil rights o ................30Narcotics ......................................71Neanderthal (inmate) ................70Negators, power ....................55-57Negotiating ..................................76

Neutron (inmate)........................70Non-sanctioned heroes ................7Normal humans, dened .............6North Annex ...............................40Old Man Eloquent

Power Negator Collar(security device) .......................33

Power Negator Handcuffs(security device) .......................33

Power-dampening technology,Eighth Amendmentimplications ........................... 26

Powers registration laws ..............8Precedent .......................................8

Preliminary hearing ...................15Pretrial motions ..........................15Pretrial Procedure ......................13Pretrial release.............................14Preventing a crime .......................9Preventive detention ..................15PRIMUS .......................................74Prisoner classication ................64Prisoner Intake ............................63Prisoners’ Code ...........................72Prison planets ........................... 108Prison rules .................................69Prisons, Eighth Amendment

implications ...............................26Privileged in ormation ...............20Probable cause ............................10Probable cause hearing ..............14Property de ense ...........................9Property, personal ......................71Proximity protocol .....................50Psimon (inmate) .................. 70, 73Psychiatric care ...........................47Pulp Hero ................................. 107Pulsar (inmate) ....................70, 73Pulson Rie, SH-1-7 (gadget) ...87Punishments or rules

in ractions ...........................69-70

Pushcart, the................................71Quads .....................................50-53R Kayne (inmate) ........................70Radar systems .............................54Random rial Scenario

Robots, civil rights o .................30Robots, security ....................90-91Roles or PCs in a trial ...............21Roswell, NM ................................36Rot (inmate) ................................70Rothschild, Assistant Warden

Rebecca ......................................79Rudd, Commander Robert .......85Rules o the prison ......................69

Russia ...........................................60Sanction or heroes .......................7Scarlet Scarab, the (inmate) ......70Scatterbrain .................................93Scenarios .............................20, 111Schedule, daily ............................66Search warrants ...........................10Second Amendment...................29Secret Identity, maintaining ......13Security ............................18, 54-60Sel -de ense ...................................9Senses, Enhanced,

searching with ...........................11Sensory devices, searches and ...11Sentencing ...................................25Sequestering a jury .....................16SH, Te (scenario) ................... 117SH-1-7 Pulson Rie (gadget) ....87Shifs, guard .......................... 66, 83Shockwave ...................................93Sick call ........................................66Sing-Sing Correctional Facility .107Slavery ..........................................29Slick (inmate) ....................... 70, 73Slither (inmate) .................... 70, 73Smasher case .......................... 6, 25Smugglers, the (gang) ................73

Sonar systems ..............................54South Annex................................40SPARC Armor .............................88Spartan (inmate) .........................70Sports and Activity Center ........43

Superlaw ......................6-15, 29-Superpower registration laws .....Superpowers laws ......................Szabo, Maj. Katlin ......................au Ceti II case ..........................elepathy ............................... 12,

Tirteenth Amendment .............29Torn (inmate) .................... 70, 73Treat response ...........................7

Tree Gorges Dam .....................5Tunderstrike (inmate) .............70

iger Squad ................................isdale, Vic .................................obacco .......................................ombstone (inmate) ...................7ornado (inmate) .......................7rans-City Construction ...........9ransportation Hub....................4rauma Ward ..............................4rial Complications ....................rial Security ..............................rials .......................................16riple-A Act ...............................ype I-II robots .....................90-

UFOs ..........................................Undead, civil rights o ...............Uni orms and Inmate Codes .....6UN IL................................... 58,US Marshals ...............................Using Stronghold ..................... 1Valak the World-Ravager

(inmate) ....................................Vehicular exception ....................1Venge ul DA (type o lawyer) ..Venire .........................................Venomous (inmate) ...................

Verdict ........................................Verity (inmate) ............................Vibration sensors ........................Vigilante doctrine .......................Villains .................................93-1

Documents

DOJHERO 1102 - Hero 5th - Stronghold