Astonishing Adventures - Into the Idiot Box (Mastermind and Mutants)

Into the Idiot Box A Bizarre Adventure for 4-6 heroes of PL 8-10 by Jason Keeley

Suggested PL: 10 Required Books: M&M Deluxe Hero’s Handbook, M&M Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide Suggested Books: Freedom City What begins as a normal day fighting crime becomes an impossible journey into a dimension of nostalgia-fueled television when a cosmic trickster demands the heroes relieve his boredom. To make matters worse, a luck-powered supervillain stows away for the ride and works against the heroes at every opportunity. Can the heroes play along with the trickster’s games and return to reality in time to disarm a series of ticking time bombs dotted across Freedom City? Do they have enough pop-culture savvy to survive? Or will they be trapped forever in a nightmare of cliched sitcoms and cheesy action tropes? Find out as we travel… Into the Idiot Box! Into the Idiot Box is an adventure for four to six PL 10 heroes. Much of the adventure’s challenge comes from creative roleplaying, making it appropriate for small or lower-PL hero teams by increasing or decreasing the number or power level of the fictional opponents the heroes encounter. While the adventure begins in Freedom City and includes an iconic Freedom City opponent, it can easily be set anywhere on Earth-Prime or your own setting and accommodate almost any antagonist. SECRET ORIGINS No one knows for certain where the omnipotent being known as Quirk comes from or what he does when he isn’t tormenting the heroes of Earth-Prime with reality-bending games. Is he from another dimension or a higher plane of existence? Are there others like him? If so, do they have the same playful sense of humor as him? Only Quirk has the answers to those questions, and he doesn’t care to reveal them. What is known is that when Quirk appears in Freedom City, things tend to get… weird. There is generally no rhyme or reason to the oddities that Quirk inflicts upon heroes, just whatever he finds entertaining at the moment. In this adventure, Quirk claims simply to be bored and wants the heroes to entertain him by appearing in a series of ‘80s TV shows (and other programs). The reasons he gives are far-fetched at best; the heroes have no real choice but to play along. Luckily, if they can keep Quirk’s limited attention span for long enough, they should be able to return to reality. However, the villain Wildcard happens to be nearby when Quirk arrives and is swept along into the game, providing a constant thorn in the heroes’ side. Wildcard, a member of the Crime League, has the innate ability to influence probability in his favor. Earlier that day, he happened to overhear the plans of his fellow Crime League villain, Dr. INTO THE IDIOT BOX 2

Simian, to place mutagenic bombs across the city. He then went out to take advantage of the upcoming chaos and stumbled across a gang of small-time hoodlums haphazardly plotting a bank robbery. Not to look a gift crime in the mouth, Wildcard strode casually into their conversation to take charge... and take the profits for himself. IN THIS EXCITING ISSUE… While stopping a routine bank robbery at Freedom City Trust, the heroes learn about Dr. Simian’s mutagenic bombs from Wildcard’s bragging. The situation is interrupted by the appearance of the cosmic trickster Quirk, who whisks the heroes and Wildcard into a series of “alternate realities” that mimic his favorite “retro” television shows from the 1980s. The heroes soon realize that to entertain Quirk and return to reality, they must play the parts of these shows and reach the end of a show—everything goes back to normal at the end of an episode in this era, after all. All this is more difficult due to Quirk’s short attention span driving him to flip through the “channels” of three main shows (and several brief interludes) whenever the action slows down. In addition, Quirk puts limits on the heroes’ powers in different ways for each show. Finally, Wildcard plays the part of the antagonist of each show with relish, hindering the heroes at every available opportunity. When the heroes finally alleviate Quirk’s boredom (for now), he brings them back to Freedom City at the same point in time as when they left. Once back safe and sound, they must confront the Crime League and diffuse Dr. Simian’s bombs, and if they did a particularly good job of amusing Quirk, he might be willing to aid them! BS AND THE TV GUIDE This adventure is a bit different than most other Mutants & Masterminds adventures. Quirk brings the heroes into a series of alternate-reality scenarios where they are forced into the roles of the main characters of several ‘80s-style television shows. To escape back to reality, the heroes must successfully reach the end of one of the three episodes, overcoming the challenges of the show’s plot; this “win condition” is noted in each show. Quirk doesn’t make that easy, however, as he bounces them between shows when he gets a bit bored. To simulate this, Quirk has a Boredom Score (or BS). Quirk’s BS increases by 1 whenever one of the following things occurs (usually accompanied by a disembodied comment from the cosmic teen, such as “Boring!” “Blech,” or an exaggerated yawn). • One of the heroes acts contrary to the character they are inhabiting (such as a hero portraying an 8-year-old getting into a fistfight with an adult); each show describes its characters. • A hero rolls a natural 1 on a skill check or attack roll. • The heroes spend too much time planning or talking about their situation instead of getting to the action of the show. • A hero addresses Quirk directly; “Don’t talk to the audience! We’re not in the age of meta-humor yet,” the trickster retorts. Alternatively, you can increase Quirk’s BS whenever you feel like the session needs a little shaking up. Whenever Quirk’s BS reaches 3, he shunts the heroes into one of the two other shows, either introducing them to the new reality or picking up where they previously left off. This does require you as the Gamemaster to keep close track of what the heroes do in each show. Quirk’s BS is reduced by 3 (minimum 0) whenever he switches to a brand-new show, but only by 2 when he returns the heroes to a program they have already been in. The adventure also presents two “interludes” to toss in between the shows at your discretion. These help to keep the heroes on their toes and even provide chances for them to earn Hero Points. Quirk’s BS doesn’t increase during an interlude. Each interlude occurs only once during the adventure. The first interlude (Scene 5: Poppy Place) works best after the PCs have been through all three of the main shows once; the second interlude (Scene 6: There Has to Be a Better Way!) can be used when the heroes start breezing through an episode’s plot, even serving as a “commercial break” to stop everything if goes too smoothly. You can insert an interlude even if Quirk’s BS isn’t 3 (his attention span is relatively short, after all), but an interlude reduces his BS as if it were a brand-new show. Whenever the heroes arrive in a new scene, a hero can attempt a DC 15 Expertise (Pop Culture) check to recognize the show and know who the characters are they’re expected to portray (as noted in the Starring section of each show). In addition, once per scene, this hero can grant a +2 bonus on a check to themselves or another by remembering a similar episode (as long as the check forwards the plot of the episode). However, if the hero describes their memory in meta terms (i.e., “This is just like the episode when…”), Quirk’s BS increases by 1; this doesn’t occur if the hero describes it in-character (i.e., “Captain, this is like when we fought the Blorzigons of Nebula 7…”). Hand out Hero Points freely when the players lean into their ridiculous roles and assumptions about the adventure, and if no one seems to be having fun with the concept of hopping their TV reruns, it’s okay to wrap things up sooner or let them outsmart Quirk another way and return to Freedom City. Simply draw out the final battle with Dr. Simian and the Crime League to make up for time, adding additional villains who join the brawl as their allies are knocked out. Encourage the heroes to spend Hero Points they generate on the Edit the Scene benefit to rewrite the shows to better suit them, make them more entertaining, or trip up Wildcard. At your discretion, especially funny or exciting uses should also reduce Quirk’s BS by 1, along with an appreciative “Whoa! I did not see that coming!” INVOLVING THE HEROES Heroes can become involved in this adventure in any number of ways. • The most obvious hook is to have the heroes respond to the robbery-in-progress at Freedom City Trust. They might be on patrol of the city, keeping an eye out for crime when they spot the thieves through the bank’s ceiling or hear a barely audible cry from a teller being hit with the stock of a gun (depending on their powers, of course). Alternatively, a technological hero might PROBLEM POWERS Quirk is an omnipotent being whose power level cannot be quantified. As a result, he can shut down the heroes’ powers at will if they seem like they’re going to make any solution too “boring.” Individual shows within this adventure each have their own restrictions as to the kinds of powers Quirk allows the heroes to use. In many cases, the heroes must rely on quick thinking and knowledge of pop culture to make it through Quirk’s twisted game. Whenever Quirk’s interference limits or shuts down a hero’s powers, award the player a Hero Point. 3 Into the Idiot Box

have software that can pick up on the silent alarms in the city’s many financial institutions. • The heroes have crossed paths with Wildcard before and were responsible for putting him away during their last encounter. Several days ago, Wildcard had escaped from Blackstone Penitentiary (thanks to his incredible luck) and sent the heroes invitations to his upcoming robbery at Freedom City Trust. • One of the heroes could be in Freedom City Trust on personal business when the robbery goes down! This plot hook works best if the hero has a mundane secret identity and has some unobtrusive way to contact the other heroes. This hero has an early chance to earn a Hero Point while waiting for their allies to arrive when the thieves start harassing an older bank patron. SCENE 1 CONFLICT SCENE IN MEDIA RES WE TRUST The adventure begins as the PCs arrive at Freedom City Trust, a medium-sized bank downtown. Originally constructed during WWII, the building has sturdy stone walls, an atrium with a vaulted ceiling, a skylight, and tellers along a far wall behind barred windows. The aesthetic is very old-fashioned, and the group of bank robbers who have just pulled guns on the employees and customers are hoping that extends to the establishment’s stick-up policy. In the wake of magical gods transforming the streets into rivers of chaos and alien invasions, a bank robbery in Freedom City seems almost quaint, but some things are classics for a reason. Inside the lobby, well-armed crooks in ski masks brandish rifles and shout orders for the police to keep their distance, while others load backpacks with stacks of bills. Only two police cars have arrived before you, and judging by rush-hour traffic, it may be a while before any backup arrives. THE BANK Ask the PCs how they enter the scene. Do they charge through the front door? Crash through the sky light? Teleport in a cloud of colored smoke? No matter what, they likely take the bank robbers, who were foolishly not expecting any resistance to their crime with a genuine supervillain backing them up, by surprise. Apart from the robbers, there are a handful of customers and employees present. The tellers are fairly safe behind their barred windows (unless a robber makes a concerted effort to poke their gun through the bars), but the customers could be caught in any potential crossfire. Outside, a news crew and five police officers are on the scene, but mostly out of harm’s way unless the fight spills into the street. Award a Hero Point to a hero who goes out of their way to keep the civilians safe. CHANNEL SURFING The heroes will likely flip through the various shows multiple times before they figure out how to escape Quirk’s bizarre trap, so unlike most Mutants & Masterminds adventures, the heroes and Wildcard jump back and forth between different scenes, exiting scenes before they reach the Wrap-Up and revisiting events they’ve begun and left behind. Flip through Scenes 3 through 5 in order on the heroes’ first trip through the timeslots, but then jump to whichever scene you think will be the most fun or awkward for everyone. For the most part, Quirk is the only one in control of when the channel changes, but a player can spend a Hero Point to jump the entire team to a new show or an interlude. You might even allow the heroes to use this to rest (“Welcome to the Weather Network. It’s a gorgeous day here in Honolulu...”) or find a tool they need (“We’re are just so blessed to be able to offer this amazing deal today on the Compulsive Purchasing Network!”). 4 Into the Idiot Box

ADVERSARIES There are two bank robbers for every hero, but only half of them have rifles; they had originally planned to hold up the bank with pistols, but Wildcard stumbled across a duffle bag full of rifles discarded in a mixup after last weekend’s gun show on the trip to the bank itself. Wildcard himself is in the vault and only watches the action for the first round, using his Catastrophe and Poltergeist powers to cause “unfortunate accidents” as the heroes fight his goons. Allow Wildcard to act multiple times this first round—up to once per hero present—but each use requires him to expend one use of his Luck advantage as if he were spending a Hero Point for an Instant Counter benefit. After the first round, he announces his presence. The costumed villain steps into the atrium from the bank’s vault area, stuffing a few wads of bills into his waistband. He seems a bit taken aback when he sees the heroes, but quickly composes himself. “Ah, the heroes! Lucky you showed up when you did. Now before you paint me with the same brush as these common thugs, know that I am an innocent bystander!” He realizes one hand is full of cash as he speaks and moves it behind his back. “What’re you even doing here, anyway? Shouldn’t you be busy, or... uh... dang, is it Daylight Savings already?” ROLEPLAYING THE CROOKS These crooks aren’t part of a larger gang; they were dreaming of committing a major felony when Wildcard overheard their chatter and egged them into a heist. They panic when the heroes arrive and begin firing their guns blindly. If a hero gets too close, the hapless thugs start throwing punches no matter how hopeless the situation seems. ROLEPLAYING WILDCARD Wildcard is frenetic. He cracks jokes and teases the heroes while leaping around hurling bells and playing cards with deadly force. He knows that if Dr. Simian’s mutagenic bombs work, he won’t have this much fun again until the city recovers, so he’s enjoying the fight as much as he’s dreaming of getting away with his ill-gotten loot. Wildcard taunts the heroes with the idea that the rest of the Crime League is planning something big later that day with jabs like “Don’t tire yourselves out, kids! You’re gonna wanna rest up for Dr. Simian’s little birthday surprise later!” While he doesn’t share more than this intentionally, a successful Deception check opposed by his Will defense tricks him into spilling the details: Dr. Simian has planted mutagen bombs across the city to—once again—turn Freedonians into obedient ape slaves! CROOKS PL 3 OR 4 Minions. See the Cast section. COMBAT INITIATIVE +1 Assault Rifle +3 Ranged, Multiattack Damage 5 Pistol +3 Ranged, Damage 3 Unarmed +2 Close, Damage 2 DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS +2 +2 +4 +0 +3/2* *without armor WILDCARD PL 10 See the Cast section. COMBAT INITIATIVE +4 Catastrophe — Perception, Damage 10 Thrown Object +15 Ranged, Damage 5 Unarmed +10 Close, Damage 0 DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS +16 +14 +8 +9 +4/1* *without Defensive Roll WRAP-UP The scene wraps up once the heroes defeat Wildcard, but the moment a hero lands that triumphant blow, everyone freezes in place. Read or paraphrase the following: “Ugh! So predictable!” Everything hangs motionless in the air as your bodies refuse to move. The bank’s walls ripple like the tracking lines on an old magnetic VHS tape. A preteen boy wearing shorts and a T-shirt emblazoned with a faded logo pops into existence, hovering a few feet off the floor. One hand clings possessively to an oversized television remote while the other jabs at the hundreds of buttons. A QUIRK-Y GUEST STAR Heroes active on Earth-Prime have probably heard of Quirk and his reality-warping antics before. Allow the heroes an Expertise: Freedom City or Pop Culture check to see what they know about the imp and how they might escape his twisted game. INSIGHT OR INVESTIGATION CHECKS Result Information DC 10 That weird kid is Quirk, a reality-warping imp who traps heroes into weird games and pranks to entertain himself. All his tricks have some “solution” related to the gimmick that ends the game and returns everything to normal. DC 12 Quirk has dumped you into a world of old-fashioned network television, so playing the game means playing the parts you get dropped into. Escape is probably related to old television tropes. DC 15 The weird thing about old TV shows is that they always go back to the status quo by the end of the episode. Keeping Quirk entertained until the you can wrap up an episode of something will probably put things back to normal. DC 17 Quirk is impossibly powerful; even the Freedom League has never beaten him by fighting him. But he’s got the mind of a typical 12-yearold. He’s easy to manipulate if you’re smart. 5 Into the Idiot Box

“Seen it! And frankly, the original starring the Freedom League was way better than this uninspired reboot! Ugh, with the cosmic wi-fi down, I can’t stream my favorite universes!” The kid floats closer. “Have you seen the one with the theme park robots breaking free? So good! It really is the golden age of universes.” He does a little loop. “I’ve been so bored; I even went poking around the multiverse’s attic and found a bunch of my grandma’s old timelines.” From nowhere, he pulls a cardboard box filled with videocassettes marked “QHS.” He snorts. “Found this, but no way I’m watching this ancient garbage. Unless…” A light bulb appears over his head and he snaps his fingers. The world turns to static. The heroes’ performance in this scene doesn’t have much impact on the rest of the adventure, though hopefully, the threat of Dr. Simian’s mutagenic bombs weighs heavily on their minds as they are forced to take part in Quirk’s alternate-reality TV shows. The heroes and Wildcard are transported into the first show, Stay Tooned (see below). The section that follows gives an overview of how the rest of the adventure is meant to work. SCENE 2 CHALLENGE/ROLEPLAY SCENE STAY TOONED! Like many ‘80s sitcoms, Stay Tooned is a half-hour comedy with a twist. The Tilsons were your average suburban family until one stormy Saturday morning, lightning struck the house while young Timmy Tilson was watching cartoons. Through the improbability of television “science,” this accident brings the cartoon character Jaxxer Jaguar to life! Now the Tilsons must keep the wisecracking anthropomorphic cat a secret from the world, including their nosy next-door neighbor, Mr. McGillicudy! To start this scene, read or paraphrase the following: As the static fades, the bank lobby is gone, replaced by a huge living room with outdated furniture: an overstuffed couch, a set dining table, a doily-covered credenza, and a glass television built into a wooden cabinet. Your costumes, too, are gone, replaced with shirts so bright the colors hurt your eyes. No ceiling hangs overhead—just studio lights and black void beyond. A musical sting sounds from nowhere, followed by soulless laughter, as if from an unseen crowd. As the chortles die away, an unseen, dulcet-toned voice announces, “Stay Tooned is filmed in front of a live studio audience.” STARRING The heroes take on the roles of the Tilsons, as described below. The exact composition of the family depends on the number of players you have. Assign the roles as appropriate (or as least appropriate); any role not used doesn’t appear in this episode, but make sure to include at least one Tilson parent as the “voice of reason.” A personality is given for each character. Quirk delights in putting the heroes into weird situations, so wherever possible, have a hero portray a character that is as different from them as possible (for instance, have a tough warrior portray Grandma Tilson). None of these NPCs (except Wildcard) notice any discrepancies. Instead of their normal costumes, the heroes wear clothes appropriate for their characters. During this scene, the PCs don’t have access to their powers thanks to Quirk’s intervention. They realize this as soon as they first “enter” the scene. They must rely on skills and role-playing to make their way through the plot of this episode. GREG TILSON The father of the family, Greg is a middle-aged high-school science teacher who has a passion for home electronics, always buying the latest gadget to the exasperation of his wife. In fact, he is certain that 6 Into the Idiot Box

his new satellite dish is what brought Jaxxer to life, so many episodes begin with him tinkering with it or getting in touch with customer support. He is dowdy and longsuffering, but kind, though sometimes teacher-like toward his children. He can sometimes be goaded into insecurity because his wife makes more money than him. He is usually bemused by Jaxxer. KAREN TILSON The mother of the family, Karen is a middle-aged lawyer who works for the firm of Rice & Schmidt. She’s good at her job but worries that the partners don’t take her seriously because she is a working mom—and because Jaxxer’s antics ruin her attempts to impress them. She wants her family to be seen as “normal,” so the addition of a cartoon cat really puts a strain on her nerves. She dislikes that Jaxxer mocks her for being “uptight,” so she often trades barbs with the feline or inflicts cartoon-style violence in response to his quips, like hitting him with a frying pan. She still occasionally babies young Timmy. TIMMY TILSON The Tilsons’ eight-year-old son is the model of precociousness, often throwing out sassy remarks and jokes that are probably beyond his age. Timmy considers Jaxxer his best friend, and the cartoon usually reciprocates (but almost never listens if Timmy asks something of him). Timmy often shoulders the blame for Jaxxer’s antics, as he knows that adults will be quick to forgive a young kid. Like most young boys, Timmy tolerates his parents (though runs to them when he needs anything) and idolizes his older brother, Joshua. This season, Timmy wants to be an astronaut when he grows up. GRANDMA AGNES TILSON Greg’s mother is a feisty retiree who moved in with her son at the end of Season 1. This senior citizen isn’t afraid to speak her mind about any subject, and since she doesn’t quite understand who or what Jaxxer is (mistaking him for a simple housecat or the frisky mailman), the rest of the family must cover for her occasional outbursts that veer close to revealing the truth. Luckily, Grandma Agnes wants to spoil young Timmy, so he can usually change the subject with her. She is very mistrustful of the family’s nosy next-door neighbor Mr. McGillicudy and is the only cast member allowed to slam the door in his face. JOSHUA TILSON The Tilsons’ middle child, Joshua (who prefers to be called “Josh”) is fifteen years old and very concerned about his reputation in school. While he plays varsity basketball, he isn’t the star of the team, so he believes his social status hangs by a thread. He is generally embarrassed by his family (and their cartoon problem) and has a crush on a different popular girl every episode. Josh is secretly jealous of Jaxxer’s ability to not care what other people think about him, though he would never admit it. SAMANTHA TILSON Samantha recently graduated from high school and is preparing to go to college as a pre-med student. She inherited her father’s intelligence and is the most level-headed Tilson, serving as the show’s straight mman. She has come to accept the reality of Jaxxer and wants to understand how his “biology” works to make the whole situation less silly. Jaxxer knows how to pull her strings when he needs help, usually by making doe eyes at her. Samantha has a boyfriend, Brandon Brown, who doesn’t know the family secret and usually thinks she is going to break up with him whenever she appears to be hiding something. ROLEPLAYING JAXXER JAGUAR Jaxxer Jaguar is an anthropomorphic cartoon cat, a little less than three feet tall. He wears a garishly patterned button-down shirt, no pants (“Too restricting,” as one of his many catchphrases goes), and high-top sneakers. He accents this with a pair of sunglasses that he dons after delivering a one-liner. Like most quirky sitcom stars, Jaxxer is snarky, always ready with a quip or mild insult, and peppers his speech with ‘80s slang (such as “rad” and “grody”). He can’t help but respond to his name with his catchphrase, “I’m the cat’s meow,” and one running gag of the show is how often this causes problems. Like any good cartoon cat, he loves fish and can be bribed with treats, but bigger favors require more and more expensive fish. His goal is to eat the family’s beloved goldfish, Willy, but for unspecified reasons this can never be allowed. Jaxxer’s form obeys cartoon physics, so he can be stuffed into a very small space or hit with a frying pan to no ill effect. He is indestructible. He has no real concern over the troubles he causes the Tilsons; he generally does whatever causes the most trouble at any given point during the episode. If the heroes make it to the end of this episode, however, Jaxxer admits that he’s sorry for the difficulties and he’s “learned his lesson” (though he follows this with a wink to the camera). JAXXER JAGUAR PL 5 See Cast section. COMBAT INITIATIVE +4 Frying Pan +6 Close, Damage 3 Unarmed +6 Close, Damage 2 DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS +4 +6 +6 +3 +4 ALSO STARRING The major antagonist in this show is the snooping next-door neighbor Mr. McGillicudy, portrayed by Wildcard wearing a cardigan and slacks over his normal costume. Wildcard is as confused by his role as the heroes, but Quirk’s control over him is more direct, filling him with a compulsion to meddle and discover the secret he’s sure his “neighbors” are hiding. ROLEPLAYING WILDCARD AS MR. MCGILLICUDY Wildcard appears to poke his nose into the Tilsons’ business, convinced something strange is going on. Even though Wildcard himself was a fan of Stay Tooned in his younger days, the character of Mr. McGillicudy is unaware of Jaxxer’s existence, and so Quirk’s magic erases the memories of the show from Wildcard’s memory. The villain instinctively knows to bother the Tilsons and uncover some secret they’re 7 Into the Idiot Box

keeping but won’t break social taboos the way he would in the real world—he won’t break in or take hostages, just attempt to insert himself into family business and be a general pest. Unlike the heroes, Wildcard can access his luck control powers, but only in ways that are character-appropriate. He couldn’t use his Catastrophe to blow up the house with a gas leak, for example, but could force their easy option for hiding Jaxxer to fail and make them improvise something wackier. TONIGHT’S EPISODE... The seafood-obsessed Jaxxer Jaguar calls into a radio contest and wins a year’s supply of anchovy pizzas. He accidentally agrees to take publicity photos with the DJs at the Tilsons’ home, but he also refuses to cancel the meeting for fear of losing that ‘za. The eventual goal of this show is to get through this photo op with one of the Tilsons pretending to be the contest winner, without anyone—especially Mr. McGillicudy—getting suspicious! This scene is broken into several smaller scenes that you can run in the order listed. Because of Stay Tooned’s “live audience,” don’t forget to emphasize the sounds of phantom applause the first time a character appears in the episode and the random chuckles and guffaws any time anyone says something approaching a joke. MEET THE TILSONS The heroes are likely very disoriented when they first appear in the Tilsons’ living room, wearing the Tilsons’ clothes. To begin with, only Timmy and Grandma Agnes are present: Timmy is sitting at the coffee table, strewn with army soldiers, while Agnes sits in a comfy chair, her knitting in her lap. Give the two heroes portraying these characters a moment to be in their new surroundings; allow them to attempt Expertise (Popular Culture) checks (as mentioned in BS and the TV Guide) if they can and attempt to use their powers. Be a little lax about Quirk’s BS in this first sub-scene. Any remaining heroes can walk into the scene whenever they like. When they appear, each hero can attempt the Expertise check to recognize the set, costumes, or laugh track as familiar. After a few moments to soak in their surroundings, they hear a knocking on the front door; answering it reveals Wildcard as Mr. McGillicudy, who also wants to know what is going on. He says, “I have got the strangest urge to ask you if you have a puma in this house.” After Wildcard arrives, start enforcing Quirk’s BS. If the heroes violently accost Wildcard, they start to rack up BS points and likely quickly end up within the next show. Wildcard tries to invite himself into the house to look around and begins ad-libbing, insisting he heard yowling all night and that something scared his poor pit bull, Ace. Use this sub-scene to establish the tone of the show. If the players are at a loss, a successful DC 10 Insight check or spending a Hero Point for Inspiration clues them in to the idea that they have a family secret that shouldn’t get out. Their goal for now is to get rid of Mr. McGillicudy, which they can do with skills like Deception, Persuasion, or Intimidate, or Agnes can simply slam the door on him. THE BIG ANCHOVY The next sub-scene introduces Jaxxer Jaguar to the heroes, to thunderous applause from the audience. As the room quiets, you hear someone talking from beyond the living room. A three-foot-tall cartoon jaguar steps into the scene, nodding enthusiastically to the oversized phone in his hand. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he assures someone on the line. “It’s 144 Maple Street. See you this afternoon! And don’t forget them beautiful little fishes!” Once he hangs up, Jaxxer excitedly explains that he just called local radio station KROK (“The Crocodile!”) to win a year’s supply of anchovy pizza. At the mention of anchovies, Jaxxer rubs his tummy and his pupils turn into little swimming fish. He goes on to say that the DJs (Magic Max and the Belch) are delivering his prize certificate this afternoon. “Along with a photographer to take a few publicity shots,” he says, pulling a comb from nowhere and brushing the fur on his head back. Jaxxer continues grooming himself, waiting for someone to respond. If no one does, he slowly begins to realize what he just said. “Oh, but taking photos means they’ll see me! Uh-oh!” He begins panicking and bouncing around the room, and the other heroes can join the scene, brought in by the noise. A hero can calm Jaxxer down with a successful DC 16 Deception or Persuasion check, though he immediately stops pinballing if someone suggests that they simply cancel the photo op. “Well, that’s out of the question! I won that ‘za fair and square!” he bellows, steaming billowing from his ears. The more the heroes try to talk to him reasonably, the angrier or more panicked he becomes. Finally, he begs for his anchovy pizzas, great big watery tears shooting from his eyes and drenching the heroes. He stops only when a hero proposes some kind of wacky scheme. By the end of this sub-scene, the heroes have gotten a taste of how hard Jaxxer is to handle and have an idea of what the plot of this episode is. RADIO GAGA In this next sub-scene, the public relations manager for the radio station—Ms. Stacy Washington—comes to the house to scope out a good place for the photo op. After introducing herself, she asks which of the family is “the lucky winner Jaxxer,” commenting on how that is “such an interesting name.” One of the heroes needs to pretend to be the one who called in. While Ms. Washington tours the house, the heroes need to keep the real Jaxxer out of sight. This is a bit difficult due to the fact that Jaxxer can’t help but try to shout his catchphrase whenever he hears his name, which Ms. Washington constantly uses while talking to the hero pretending to be the contest winner. Due to his cartoon nature, he keeps popping out of drawers and vents when this happens, and the heroes will need to explain away any strange noises or movements caused by Jaxxer or them trying to hide him. Wildcard spends this time poking around outside, under the auspices of wanting to borrow a cup of sugar from the Tilsons. Even if the heroes acquiesce to this request, he shows up again and again to borrow more and more unusual ingredients, from a hogshead of mead to Himalayan hooting yams. If pressed, he hastily explains that he is baking a cake, but doesn’t have a single ingredient. If this sub-scene proceeds long enough, Wildcard eventually asks to use the Tilsons’ oven. At least one hero needs to keep the villain busy. This sub-scene can contain as many or as few skill checks as you like. The heroes will likely be relying on Deception and Stealth; use a DC of 15 for most checks. However, if the players are enjoying the roleplaying aspects of this scene, you can forgo checks entirely. 8 Into the Idiot Box

OPERATION PHOTO OP The final sub-scene should be the most challenging. Ms. Washington returns in the afternoon with the DJs Magic Max and the Belch, to award the prize and take the winner’s picture. The DJs are typical morning radio show hosts: loud and abrasive. Ms. Washington constantly rolls her eyes at their antics, as she just wants to get a couple of good pics and call it a day. While the prize appears to be nothing more than an oversized gift certificate to Luigi’s Pizzeria, Magic Max has also brought a large, piping-hot anchovy pizza for the photo op. Before long, the fishy smell draws Jaxxer to emerge to investigate. To keep the cartoon cat a secret during the photo op, the heroes must succeed at three DC 18 checks before they fail three checks. Heroes can use almost any check so long as they can justify it in a humorous way: They can use Close Combat to wrestle Jaxxer to the ground before he makes his presence known, Persuasion to convince Washington the light is better in a place away from the pizza just as Jaxxer grabs at it, Sleight of Hand to palm a few anchovies to pass them to Jaxxer, or Expertise to banter with the cartoon character to distract him. At the very end of this sub-scene, the DJs insist on getting a shot of the fake “Jaxxer” taking a big bite of anchovy pizza. Regardless of how the character feels about anchovies, the television version reflects Quirk’s feelings, and the pizza is covered with fish heads and wafting green fumes. A hero must succeed at a DC 20 Fortitude check to eat a bite; if they fail, the scene isn’t ruined, but they freeze-frame in the middle of gagging as the credits roll. WRAP-UP If the heroes can keep Jaxxer hidden for the photo op, they have won at Quirk’s game and he returns them to reality; see Scene 7. If the heroes fail, Quirk admonishes them for “jumping the shark,” and brings them into another show as if his BS had reached its threshold. Quirk doesn’t return the heroes to this show. SCENE 3 CHALLENGE/CONFLICT SCENE BATTLESPACE 2000 BattleSpace 2000 is a sci-fi epic set in the far-future year of 2000! After some unspecified catastrophe, the brave crew of the colony ship WSF Constellation journeys deep into space, exploring new worlds and new civilizations to find a new planet to call home. Along the way, the Earthlings meet all kinds of aliens and do their best to stumble through first-contact situations. However, the evil Andromedan Empire and its army of killer cyborgs pursues the Constellation across the galaxy, looking to exterminate the last of humankind. To start this scene, read or paraphrase the following: As the static fades, your surroundings have traded out for a futuristic command center. Swooping lines and ramps surround several comfortable chairs and look forward at a wide viewing screen where a reddish-brown planet rotates slowly. Black control panels cover every surface, chirping quietly as they display nonsense symbols that glow soft blue and orange. Your costumes are gone, replaced with one-piece jumpsuits, each with a name stitched into the chest. STARRING The heroes take on the roles of the crew of the Constellation, as described below. The exact composition of the crew depends on the number of players you have. Assign the roles in the order listed; any role not used doesn’t have a major part this episode (for instance, Ensign Whitefeather can be an NPC if you have only five players). Unlike Stay Tooned, you can have a hero portray a crew member more in line with their character. Instead of their normal costumes, the heroes are wearing World Space Federation uniforms (unisex one-piece jumpsuits of differing colors indicating rank, each with the wearer’s last name sewn onto the breast). During this scene, the PCs have access to their full powers, but the first time a power is used, the hero must explain it with technobabble or using a hokey sci-fi gadget (even those heroes who normally use gadgets, unless their schtick fits with the aesthetic of low-budget ‘80s television). A hero about to use Flight needs to say something like, “I better activate my ion jetpack!” Allow the players to help each other with these explanations if someone is struggling, but if no one can come up with a feasible explanation for a power, Quirk announces, “Uh, that’s not in the canon,” and switches off that power for the rest of the show. Once a power has been justified, reality warps to fit the description. CAPTAIN BRENDA STEELE The Constellation’s captain is brave and stalwart, ready to put herself in danger for the sake of any of her crew members. However, her excitement for adventure—and alien romance—sometimes gets her into trouble on other worlds. Her uniform is blue. FIRST MATE HENRY LI The serious-minded first mate is generally quick to respectfully point out when the captain is being too brash. He is also a keen scientist in a variety of fields, though astrophysics is his strongest suit. He wasn’t well-liked in the first season but has become a fan-favorite since growing a beard. His uniform is red. CHIEF NAVIGATOR EKENE OKAR The chief navigator is essentially the Constellation’s pilot. Being a large colony ship, it generally only needs to be pointed in a direction that isn’t directly into a star or planet. Ekene is a daredevil and ace, familiar with just about every vehicle known, and is often the one to pilot the Constellation’s shuttle on away missions. Her uniform is green. CHIEF ENGINEER CONOR O’DOOLEY The chief engineer is a whiz with machines, treating them as if they were living creatures. Though generally jovial, he vents his ire against anyone who doesn’t respect technology (by smacking it if it doesn’t work, for instance). His uniform is green. SECURITY CHIEF NATALIA NOVIKOFF Security chief Novikoff is always looking for an excuse to fight, seeing dark motivations behind everything, especially the actions of the aliens the Constellation meets. Her paranoia sometimes serves the crew well, especially when it applies to the Andromedan Empire. Her uniform is green. 9 Into the Idiot Box

ENSIGN JAY WHITEFEATHER Though only an ensign, Jay is a major part of the cast as the audience’s point-of-view character for the non-officer crew and the ship’s many civilians. He is an ambitious prodigy and hopes one day for a promotion. His uniform is gray with a single stripe of yellow at the shoulders. In addition to their powers, the heroes all carry a Blaster Pistol (Ranged Damage 5) as part of their uniform. ALSO STARRING The antagonist in this show is the head of the Andromedan Empire’s army, Commandant Zaragloom, who once again is played by Wildcard. Wearing dark science-fiction armor and a cape, Wildcard’s human features are gently obscured by a handful of prosthetic bumps on his forehead and chin to make him look “alien.” Zaragloom’s personal ship, the Ebon Knife, chases the Constellation from system to system, carrying a battalion of cyborgs ready to do battle. ROLEPLAYING WILDCARD AS ZARAGLOOM Wildcard plays up the role of space-opera villain with overwrought speeches and pronounces the word “human” with the same disgust “cockroach.” He ends every speech with drawn-out, baritone laughter. The Andromedan cyborgs are nearly identical soldiers in heavy armor and arrays of tubes and other bits of metal on their faces. They use laser rifles in Ranged Combat and glowing, jagged knives in Close Combat. Wildcard has an endless supply of these minions, but generally only throws them out in troops the size of the heroes’ away team. ANDROMEDAN CYBORG PL 8 Minions. See the Cast section. COMBAT INITIATIVE +3 Blaster Rifle +8 Ranged, Damage 8 Cyberknife +10 Close, Damage 6 Unarmed +10 Close, Damage 5 DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS +5 +6 +9 +7 +10 TONIGHT’S EPISODE... The Constellation discovers a planet rich in bitumacite, the rare volatile crystal used to power the ship’s faster-than-light engines. While the officers head to the surface of the otherwise barren world to collect enough material to keep the ship flying, the Ebon Knife appears in orbit! Commandant Zaragloom and his cyborg army attack both in space and on the planet, forcing the crew to repel the evil cyborgs on two fronts while safely transporting the dangerous bitumacite. This scene is broken into several smaller sub-scenes that you can run in the order listed. Be sure to emphasize the ever-present sci-fi sound effects of an episode of BattleSpace 2000. An array of “fweeps” and “beep-boops” are heard whenever a character uses a gadget, especially during combat. 10 Into the Idiot Box

SENSOR ALERT The first sub-scene of this show allows the heroes to become accustomed to their new surroundings and learn Quirk’s restriction on their powers. The main cast of characters are on the Constellation’s bridge at their appropriate stations, along with a few NPC crew members. One character, Sensor Chief Omerto Collins, announces “We’re approaching the class-7 planet we picked up on long-range scanners.” Ensign Miley Gutierrez at the conn pipes up “Sensors are picking up a cloud of EM interference that came out of nowhere!” Suddenly, the NPCs are staggering about and shaking in their otherwise steady seats; the heroes can hear Quirk let out a long, frustrated sigh before the entire bridge rattles and heaves for real. A hero can attempt a DC 18 Technology or Vehicles check to stabilize the ship, but whether they succeed or fail, the console explodes in a shower of sparks that send a bystander to the floor. During this sub-scene, the first time a hero tries to use one of their powers, the action freezes. An invisible Quirk says, “No, no, no! It needs to be more science-fictiony!” The scene briefly rewinds to the point before the hero used their power, allowing that hero a chance to explain the power that will satisfy Quirk. For the rest of this episode, Quirk offers no second chances for explanations. Shortly after, the Constellation passes through the “EM cloud” and enters orbit around the unnamed class-7 planet. Chief Collins explains they have located a suitable deposit of bitumacite on the surface that “should keep the Constellation’s FTL engines spooling for a few more months.” The sub-scene ends as another NPC says to the captain, “I suppose you’ll want to pick an away team of senior officers and take the shuttle down.” ENEMY MINES The next sub-scene sees the heroes (as the Constellation crew) on the surface of the unnamed planet (along with a couple of expendable NPCs), collecting the needed bitumacite. The heroes have little memory of the trip down—only the idea of a shuttle leaving the large ship and flying toward the planet—finding themselves on the planet’s surface after a brief scene transition. To do so, they landed one of the Constellation’s shuttles on a flat stretch of rock and trekked up some mountainous hillside to the deposit, carrying with them sci-fi mining equipment (laser picks, sonic drills, and so forth). In this challenge, the heroes must succeed at a total of five DC 16 skill checks. They can use Athletics to physically move chunks of the bitumacite onto a waiting hover-platform, Expertise (Science, Geology, Mining, or similar) to streamline the process, Perception to spot the best place to mine, Persuasion to organize the NPC ensigns to work more efficiently, or Technology to operate the equipment. However, the bitumacite is volatile. With every other failed skill check, the hero attempting the check (and anyone nearby or aiding) is at the center of a small explosion (Burst Area Damage 8). If the heroes have an easy time with this challenge, an unnamed security officer who accompanied them instead has an accident with the bitumacite; a hero can save the NPC’s life with a successful DC 20 Treatment check, earning a Hero Point for their quick action. At your discretion, one or more of the heroes can remain on board the Constellation (likely candidates are Chief Engineer O’Dooley and Ensign Whitefeather), to deal with residual problems from the EM cloud. Some of the ship’s “gyro stabilizers” were damaged as the Constellation passed through that phenomenon and it requires repairs before the ship leaves orbit. This requires two consecutive successful DC 15 Technology checks; each failure increases the DC by +1 (to a maximum of DC 20), due to a “cascade failure” within the circuitry. At the third failed check, the hero and anyone aiding them receives a nasty electrical shock, which inflicts Damage 10. As this sub-scene ends, the Constellation receives readings that a hostile ship has just appeared and has sent several shuttles to the surface! ATTACK OF THE CYBORGS The hostile ship is none other the Ebon Knife, the personal transport of Commandant Zaragloom and his cyborg army! The away team receives word of this over their communicators; Ensign Gutierrez imparts this information, stressing the size of the enemy force and imploring the away team to return to the shuttle with whatever bitumacite they’ve collected before they are overrun. As the heroes get to the base of the mountains, they spot Zaragloom (Wildcard), accompanied by several Andromedan cyborgs (one for each hero on the planet’s surface). The heroes can make a run for their shuttle with the bitumacite or they can dig in behind some rocky outcroppings and fight back. In either case, Wildcard gloats about how he “loves this new channel, the one where I get a cyborg army and you get a laser to the head!” He aids his minions with his powers, which he describes as part of his “elite Andromedan psycho-battle trance.” The cyborg soldiers are fairly straightforward combatants, firing their laser rifles and closing to hand-to-hand combat if they can. Commandant Zaragloom stays back and retreats if attacked or if his cyborgs are defeated, teleporting away in a flash of light. While this fight probably won’t be difficult for the heroes, they must worry about the volatile bitumacite. Whenever they roll a natural 1, a stray laser bolt strikes the hover-transport carrying the crystals. Roll a Toughness Resistance check against the damage for the transport (the vehicle has Toughness). The object is immune to most conditions; keep track of how many Hits it takes. When it takes 2 Hits, its hoverpads break down, rendering it immobile. When it takes a third Hit, some of the bitumacite explodes (Burst Area Damage 7). A hero can repair the damaged transport with a successful DC 20 Technology check to remove 1 Hit. When the minions are defeated, Wildcard retreats. The heroes can take this chance to get to their own shuttle. If there is a group still on board the Constellation, they must repel a boarding party of Andromedan cyborgs (consisting of two minions per hero). The extra security officers on board the ship make three Aid checks (+5 attack bonus) each round to assist the heroes—let the heroes decide how to split up the assistance. In either case, provide opportunities for heroes to earn Hero Points by putting their lives on the line to rescue or aid crew members. RUNNING THE BLOCKADE After the Constellation away team reaches their shuttle and lifts off from the planet, they must fly through a blockade of Andromedan fighters from the Ebon Knife before reaching safety! The heroes are so close to completing their goal in this episode’s final sub-scene, but Wildcard has arranged for a nasty surprise. The Ebon Knife has an accompaniment of a small fleet of nimble fighters crewed by Andromedan cyborgs looking to shoot down the away team’s shut11 Into the Idiot Box

tle. Though Chief Navigator Okar is likely at the helm of the shuttle, the other heroes can help with their own powers or skills. The heroes need to succeed at six DC 17 checks to get through the Andromedan blockade. They can use Deception to transmit false sensor readings to the enemy fighters, Expertise (Tactics) to find weaknesses in the enemy ranks, Insight to predict enemy flight patterns, Intimidation to broadcast threatening messages over comms, Ranged Combat to fire the shuttle’s meager weapons, Technology to boost the shuttle’s shields, or Vehicles for some fancy maneuvering. If any heroes are still on board the Constellation, they can attempt the same skill checks, though obviously the circumstances are different. Any hero who can fly through the vacuum of space (and who can justify that power in the show) might even want to try blasting or punching the fighters from outside the shuttle. Each time the heroes fail a skill check, enemy fire rocks the shuttle. Have the pilot attempt a DC 20 Toughness Resistance check for the vehicle (Toughness 11). For every Hit the shuttle takes, not only does it take a cumulative -1 penalty to further Toughness Resistance checks, but any other check also attempted using the shuttle or its equipment (Ranged Combat, Technology, Vehicles, etc.) takes the same penalty. If the shuttle takes 3 Hits, it explodes, dumping the heroes into a new channel or interlude. The heroes will either successfully return the shuttle to the Constellation or get blown up trying! WRAP-UP If the heroes return to the Constellation with at least some bitumacite, they have won at Quirk’s game and he returns them to realty; see Scene 7. If the heroes fail or explode, Quirk says, “This show really went downhill after they killed most of the main characters,” and brings them into another show as if his BS reaches its threshold. Quirk doesn’t return the heroes to this show. SCENE 4 CONFLICT/INVESTIGATION SCENE TAMPA HEAT Tampa Heat is an action police drama set on the mean streets of its titular Florida city. The detectives of Tampa PD solve all manner of crimes, from drug trafficking to murder, under sunny skies and by the crystal-clear waters of Tampa Bay, on Florida’s Gulf Coast. They drive fast cars and even faster speedboats all in the name of putting scum behind bars, and have charming evening romances with a rotating cast of extras in between gunfights and explosions. To start this scene, read or paraphrase the following: As the static fades, the first thing you feel is an oppressive humidity soaking into your body, then the smell of aftershave and stale coffee. You stand in the middle of a bustling police bullpen wearing t-shirts, pastel blazers, and sunglasses as uniformed officers move between desks. A sweating, pudgy man in his shirt sleeves slams a folder down on the desk beside you, his face turning red before he finally screams, “Well you jokers got the bust, but you also blew up half the damn harbor! I oughta suspend you all, but after saving the mayor’s daughter, you get one more chance!” STARRING The heroes take on the roles of the Tampa PD detectives. The number of detectives in the show depends on the number of players. Assign the roles in the order listed; any role not used has no part in the show. The roles in Tampa Heat can be assigned at random. However, if no hero has had a chance to play a lead role yet, this should be their time! Instead of their normal costumes, the heroes are wearing pastel T-shirts under light-colored blazers, slacks, and sunglasses. Quirk’s magic also makes their hair and shoulders larger than seems reasonable, in line with 1980s fashion. In this scene, the heroes can use only subtle powers (such as mind-reading) or ones used in the defense of innocents (such as a force field), which is explained to them in the first sub-scene. Any visible effect of a power ends up as a neon color. DETECTIVE CHASE CRUZ As the star detective of Tampa PD’s Vice Squad, Chase is confident and cocky. He’s a “loose cannon,” but he gets results. He is always ready to jump into action to arrest criminals, which often gets him in hot water. He and Angela Noble have a competitive relationship that borders on flirtation at times. DETECTIVE ANGELA NOBLE Angela is as tough-as-nails and is one of the most feared detectives in the precinct—mostly by the criminals, but by a few of the cops too. She isn’t afraid to get rough with suspects and that has hurt her career at times. Despite this, she seems to have a soft spot for animals. Angela and Chase Cruz have a friendly rivalry that some believe verges on a “will-they-won’t-they” situation. DETECTIVE EVE GARCIA Eve is the oldest of the detectives, but that doesn’t slow her down. Though she prefers desk work, she can still mix it up with the scum of the streets. Her vast experience in the field has come in handy in many cases and inspires a lot of “Well this takes me back...” stories. DETECTIVE JAKE “SHEP” SHEPHERD The most junior detective on the Vice Squad, Shep likes to do things by the book, which sometimes earns him the ribbing of his colleagues. His superiors consider him a rising star but warn him constantly about what a “bad influence” Cruz and Noble can be on his career. SERGEANT GWENDOLYN HIGGINS Sergeant Higgins has an acerbic wit that she applies in every situation. She tries her best to keep the detectives in line and out of the captain’s hair, and sometimes cracks down on their reckless methods. SERGEANT TODD DODSON Sergeant Todd is a single father of his nine-year-old daughter, Melissa. His desk is cluttered with pictures of his “little princess” and his wife, who was killed in the crossfire between two gangs. Because of this, he is deadly serious about cleaning up Tampa’s streets. 12 Into the Idiot Box

The transformation of their costumes has also provided every hero with a police badge (Benefit 1: Police Officer), an imposing revolver (Ranged Damage 4), walkie talkies, and access to an undercover police car with two Uzis in the trunk (Ranged Attack 3; Multiattack). Heroes can spend a Hero Point to justify almost any other “confiscated” weapon or equipment alongside the submachine guns. ALSO STARRING The other major role in this show is the drug kingpin of Tampa, known only as the Cayman, who is once again played by Wildcard. He wears similar ‘80s apparel of pastels and whites, with a large-shouldered jacket and a necklace of alligator teeth over his normal costume. He has a gang of thugs at his disposal, as well as an array of machine guns and other weapons. ROLEPLAYING WILDCARD AS THE CAYMAN This character is easily Wildcard’s favorite, and he happily screams quotes from all his favorite gangster movies and crime drama TV shows as he confronts the heroes. He punctuates almost anything by firing a spray of gunfire from his Uzi and generally plays the role over the top. The members of Cayman’s gang are a diverse lot and seem to believe that their affiliation makes them invincible. They do go quickly in curiously bloodless blazes of gunfire, but if the heroes arrest a live criminal, they find the gang member a tough nut to crack in an interrogation room. CAYMAN ENFORCER PL 5 Minions. See the Cast section. COMBAT INITIATIVE +3 Knife +3 Close, Damage 5, Crit 19–20 Unarmed +6 Close, Damage 3 Uzi +6 Ranged, Multiattack Damage 3 DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS +6 +5 +6 +4 +4/3* *without Defensive Roll IN TONIGHT’S EPISODE... In this episode, after a major drug bust, the Tampa Vice Squad is closer than ever to finding and taking down the infamous drug kingpin known as the Cayman. They must gather evidence to make a solid enough case against the Cayman, while engaging in action-packed fights against his drug-addled gang members. This scene is broken into several smaller sub-scenes that you can run in the order listed. Though Tampa Heat is the most “realistic” of the three shows, it has the heightened reality of a television cop show. Action and drama are paramount to its ratings. Don’t let a sub-scene linger too long in one place; when something major happens or a decision has been reached, quickly cut to somewhere new. The players might not even know how their characters got to the next location. Don’t linger on these details. ON THE CASE As this scene begins, the heroes find themselves in a police bullpen—a site instantly recognizable to any fan of crime dramas or police procedurals—being addressed by Captain Torres. The captain—overweight, short, and bald—stands in front of a chalkboard, on which is written an organization chart with “The Cayman” at the top. Several of the other names are crossed out or circled with dates written next to them. Captain Torres begrudgingly congratulates the assembled heroes on “the recent bust”—which caused a very cinematic explosion at the end of last week’s episode—during which they seized “$5 million worth of drugs.” He continues, saying that “this puts us closer to the Cayman than we’ve ever been.” He declares the capture of the notorious drug kingpin the squad’s top priority and finishes by saying, “Don’t screw this up. I don’t want to see any showboating. You might’ve saved the mayor’s daughter, but I want nothing flashy! Nothing over the top! Just good, clean policework. And try to keep the citizens safe.” He claps his hands. “Alright, let’s get to work!” The captain’s speech implies the limits on the heroes’ powers for this scene but explain the details if they ask: only subtle or “coincidental” powers will work. A hero can’t throw a fireball, for example, but could play off their Burst Area Ranged Damage power as “must’ve hit that car’s gas tank with a stray round!” The limits impact certain heroes more than others; Quirk has disabled all powers with extremely visible effects unless that power is more defensive than offensive. If one or two heroes seem more impacted by this than the rest of the team, award their players a Hero Point. Before the scene ends, the heroes can look at the chalkboard to familiarize themselves with the case. The Cayman has three major lieutenants: Elsa Diaz, aka “Lady Butterfly”; Matt “the Mouse” Milani; and “Bruiser” Karnak. Aside from their names and aliases, not much else is known about them. The other names that have been crossed out are no longer viable leads—likely deceased—and the circled names are those who have been arrested (with the dates being the dates they were taken into custody). A hero who succeeds at a DC 16 Expertise (Police) or Investigation check gets a little more insight into the structure—the heroes need to go through one of these lieutenants to find the Cayman. With two or more Degrees of Success on this check, that hero receives a +2 bonus to any skill checks to follow up on this information in the following sub-scene. Any attempt to learn details about which kinds of drugs the Cayman smuggles and distributes is only met with confusion and dead ends. DOING THE LEGWORK This sub-scene plays out as a montage—shifting the heroes from one fashionable locale in downtown Tampa to another every time they turn around—as the detectives investigate the Cayman’s gang. They visit the manicured Tampa University campus, the scenic Sunshine Skyway Bridge, eccentric theaters around the Performing Arts Center, and bustling amusement parks. The heroes should choose one of the three lieutenants (or more than one if they think they have the skills to spare) and start looking for ways to bring in that criminal. The heroes can get their first lead with a successful DC 18 check. They can use Intimidation to play “bad cop” with one of the already incarcerated gang members, Investigation to comb through months of past paperwork, Persuasion to grill their contacts on the street, or Technology to tap some phones. 13 Into the Idiot Box

This leads them to their chosen lieutenant. To follow up on the lead, the heroes need two successful skill checks with two separate skills, depending on the target: • Elsa Diaz is known as “Lady Butterfly” for her skills with a butterfly knife; confronting her requires a successful DC 20 Parry Resistance check and a successful DC 19 Close Combat check. If they fail the first check, Elsa deals Damage 5 to the hero attempting it. If they fail the second check, Elsa escapes and activates a bomb, inflicting Burst Area Damage 8 to every hero. • Matt Milani is the Cayman’s accountant and is called “the Mouse” because of his beady eyes and timid nature; confronting him requires a successful DC 21 Insight check and a successful DC 13 Intimidation check. A failed check means that the Mouse knows the heroes are coming for him and warns Cayman, granting his enforcers a +5 bonus to their Initiative checks in the next sub-scene. • Karnak, a former boxer, is a brick wall of a man who carries a shotgun; confronting him requires a successful DC 19 Dodge Resistance check and a successful DC 20 Persuasion check. A failure on the first check deals Damage 5 to the hero. A failure on the second grants means Karnak’s assistants forward his secret stash of bulletproof vests to the Cayman and his enforcers in the next scene gain a +2 Toughness bonus. At your discretion, if the heroes fail both checks for one lieutenant, that opportunity slips away, and they must go after one of the other three. If they arrest one lieutenant, they get the Cayman’s location—a fancy villa-style mansion overlooking the bay. You should grant them this information even if they fail confronting all three lieutenants. THE CAYMAN’S LAIR This sub-scene is the first of two big action set-pieces as the heroes storm the Cayman’s bayside mansion. The detectives must fight their way through a small army of Cayman Enforcers—two for every hero—to reach the drug kingpin. As they fight, emphasize the garish décor of the mansion (most of the furnishings are accented with gold trim and crystal chandeliers hang from nearly every ceiling) as random gunfire destroys it. Once the heroes are inside, it’s clear that the Cayman’s office has been hastily cleared out and they can hear a helicopter arriving on the roof above. CHASE THE SUN During this climactic action sub-scene, the heroes pursue and capture Cayman in a daring helicopter chase! When the heroes reach the roof, they can see the Cayman’s chopper not too far in the distance, but it is rapidly escaping. Luckily, a second helicopter sits on the helipad. In a few short moments, the heroes can be airborne as well. Use these statistics for both helicopters: CARTEL CHOPPER 21 EP Size: Huge Strength: 8 Speed: 8 (air) Defense: 6 Toughness: 9 Features: Alarm, Communications (CB radio), Navigation System This chase happens over Tampa Bay, the city proper, and back across open waters. The heroes need to force Wildcard to land one way or another to take him into police custody. Depending on their plan, it should take several successful skill checks. If none of the heroes knows how to fly a helicopter, the helicopter has a pilot who obeys their orders (Vehicles +8). Treat this as a combat, with everyone acting in rounds. Wildcard begins taking wild shots at the detectives’ helicopter as they get close (He has an Uzi +15 (Ranged, Multiattack Damage 3). Each round, the pilot flying the chopper must succeed at a DC 18 Vehicles check to keep up with Wildcard; if they fail, the other heroes take a –2 circumstance penalty to their checks until the beginning of the pilot’s next turn. If they fail by three or more Degrees of Failure, the penalty increases to –5 that round. Bringing down Cayman’s chopper requires damaging the aircraft (Dodge 12, Toughness 9; reduce the pursuit DC by 1 for each failed Toughness check, with the vehicle clumsily landing on Wildcard’s turn if the DC falls to 15 or below). Heroes can instead force Wildcard’s chopper into dangerous terrain like the sides of buildings or under an overpass. Treat this as an opposed vehicles check, with the loser’s vehicle having to resist a Damage 10 effect from the collision. If the winning pilot succeeds by three or more Degrees, they inflict Damage 12. Luckily, Wildcard’s luck powers save him from serious injury, but the heroes can haul him out of the wreckage and take him downtown. Alternatively, heroes might leap (Athletics DC 20) onto the enemy helicopter and battle the Cayman in hand-to-hand combat. Be open to other ideas from the heroes, especially ideas that play to the genre’s tropes. WRAP-UP If the heroes arrest the Cayman, they have won at Quirk’s game and he returns them to realty; see Scene 7. If the heroes fail, Quirk says, “Oh, you know the Cayman isn’t dead. He’ll be back next season,” and brings them into another show as if his BS reaches its threshold. Quirk doesn’t return the heroes to this show. 500 CHANNELS AND NOTHING GOOD ON... While two fleshed-out interludes are provided, you are not limited to only these options. If your players are having a good time with Quirk’s TV shows or seem to breeze through an episode’s plot points, you can have the cosmic imp zap them into brief interludes of additional shows. These scenes should last no more than 10 minutes of a session (enough time for a roll or two of the dice). Here are some examples of such shows, or create your own: • Admiral When: This long-running British sci-fi show features the adventures of a time-traveling alien steamboat captain and their human companions, as well as impenetrable backstories, goofy aliens, and cheap sets. • ICU: This medical drama sees the doctors of Providence General save patients’ lives while dealing with their own personal problems, usually romantic in nature. • Legacy: This primetime soap opera features three generations of the wealthy Kraine family fighting for control of Legacy Business Machines, a multinational company looking to enter the digital age. Evil twins and casual murder abound! • Strike Force Alpha: This Saturday-morning cartoon features the forces of the American Alphas fighting the evil machinations of H.I.S.S. (Hooligans, Infiltrators, Spies, and Sneaks), though it is clearly a vehicle to sell toys. • This Antiquated Apartment: This public-television show features a group of skilled contractors and interior decorators fixing up different tiny one-bedroom apartments. 14 Into the Idiot Box

SCENE 5 CONFLICT SCENE POPPY PLACE In this interlude, Quirk takes the heroes into Poppy Place, an educational children’s show that features adorable puppets (collectively called Fuzzles) teaching spelling, counting, and important lessons to children, usually through repetition and song. The Poppy Place of the title is a classic (though cleaner than normal) metropolitan street with a few quaint storefronts and a large stoop in front of an apartment building where most of the show takes place. To begin this interlude, read or paraphrase the following: The static fades and the downtown street around you seems too large... or you’ve shrunk. Now standing only three feet tall and made from floppy felt, you feel an inexplicable need to educate young minds on the importance of hand-washing and spelling. STARRING The heroes keep their own identities and powers in this interlude, but find themselves transformed into Fuzzles, marketable hand puppets with big googly eyes, felt bodies, and frizzy hair in unnatural colors. The heroes have access to all their powers, though modified for their kid-friendly forms (a blast of energy might look more like a beam of glitter, flight looks more like being thrown, and telekinesis comes from a visible wire manipulating the target object). Any attacks or skill checks the heroes make gain a +2 circumstance bonus if accompanied with a bit of educational context (“Hey kids, did you know that ‘punch’ starts with the letter P?”). C IS FOR CONFLICT At the opening of this scene, a young human girl named Suzie is standing next to an open manhole cover, from which Felix the Grump—a Fuzzle with dark green fur who lives in the sewer under Poppy Place— emerges. Suzie addresses the heroes, saying, “Felix the Grump just said there aren’t any words that start with the letter C! Isn’t that silly?” Suzie encourages the heroes to provide examples of such words, while Felix the Grump pretends to have never heard of them and asks the heroes to explain what they mean. After a few minutes, Quirk’s disembodied voice echoes through Poppy Place. “I outgrew this kids’ stuff a couple million years ago. Maybe some action could spice this up!” With that, the sounds of booming “footsteps” draw closer as a trucksized letter C (apparently made from foam) with a tiny face rounds a corner. With a croak of “CRUSH!” the giant letter charges toward the heroes. Felix the Grump ducks back into the sewer, and Suzie screams in fright. This is a straightforward fight against the giant letter, which calls out its attacks (all starting with the letter C) as it performs them. A hero could earn a Hero Point if they rescue Suzie, but also feel free to reward a hero who continues the alphabet lesson by introducing other words that begin with C. LETTER C PL 13 See the Cast section. COMBAT INITIATIVE +1 Clap — Close, Burst Affliction 9 Clobber +8 Close, Damage 18 Crush — Close, Burst Affliction 9 DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS +8 +8 +17 +9 +17 WRAP-UP When the fight with the letter C is over, the heroes can hear Quirk lamenting, “Well that violence certainly wasn’t appropriate for all ages!” Hopefully, this comment will help the heroes realize that Quirk wants them to play along with the plots of the TV shows. The trickster then brings the heroes into another show. SCENE 6 CHALLENGE SCENE THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY! Quirk deposits the heroes into a late-night infomercial for an unspecified product called the Help-O-Matic. Specifically, the heroes play the parts of the hapless people who fail to do the simplest of tasks and who only the advertised product can save. To begin this interlude, read or paraphrase the following: The static fades and you stand alone in an ordinary home, your costume replaced by ordinary clothing. But somehow everything feels off... somehow cheaper than you’re used to. STARRING The heroes appear to be themselves but cast as “everyday consumers” in an infomercial. They must contend with the seemingly limitless clumsiness, incompetence, and bad luck of the “actors” in similar infomercials. While they all have their usual array of skills and power, each hero gains the Accident complication and cannot succeed at any check or task—the simpler or more routine, the more spectacularly they fail. HAS THIS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU? Each hero appears in a different living room, kitchen, or garage, surrounded by the usual mundane furnishings and objects of such rooms. As they get their bearings, a general male announcer says in a voice over, “Has this ever happened to you?” Ask each player in turn what their character would like to do. If the heroes have been playing along with Quirk’s game so far, they might try to guess at what the trickster wants them to do. Depending on which room they are in, they might try to cook a meal, clean some shelves, 15 Into the Idiot Box

or just watch TV. Heroes who are fed up with Quirk might simply try to leave or do nothing. No matter what a hero tries to do, they must attempt a check, even for basic actions or power uses that normally don’t require one. A hero who wants to use x-ray vision must attempt an Senses effect check. A hero who wants to walk across the room should attempt an Acrobatics skill check. If a hero does nothing, something falls on them (like a nearby lamp) and they need to attempt a Dodge Resistance check. The Difficulty Class for any check made during this scene, no matter how simple, is 30. One Degree of Failure means the check was funny but not dangerous. Two Degrees of Failure result in a humiliating experience that lowers a hero’s morale; impose a –1 penalty to Will and Skill checks in the next scene. Three or more Degrees of Failure mean the hero manages to injure themselves in the process, inflicting Damage with a rank equal to the skill or power used (maximum of 10). After a hero fails a check, an unusual object appears in the room with them: a lump of gray plastic with a knob and handles on it, with the words “Help-O-Matic” printed along the side in bright red letters. “Now try the Help-O-Matic!” says the announcer. A hero who picks up a Help-O-Matic finds their surroundings turning from black-and-white to color. The device provides a +10 circumstance bonus to any check. To finally escape this scenario, the heroes must accumulate a total of 12 Degrees of Success and say the words, “Thanks, Help-O-Matic!” If they reach the threshold of success and don’t say anything, the disembodied announcer begins prodding them to do so. WRAP-UP Once the heroes succeed, the announcer begins detailing the HelpO-Matic’s price (“three easy payments of $49.99 each”) and the phone number to call to order yours today (“1-888-555-1234”) before launching into a long legal disclaimer (“The Help-O-Matic may cause wandering liver in some users.”). Quirk talks over this part. “I don’t even have a credit card,” he scoffs. The heroes can bring the Help-O-Matic with them by spending a Hero Point, but TV gadgets never work as well outside their commercials. The Help-O-Matic provides a +5 circumstance bonus on any single check, but immediately breaks afterward. The trickster then brings the heroes into another show. SCENE 7 CHALLENGE SCENE OFF THE AIR When the heroes beat Quirk’s game by making their way through a single episode of one of the three TV shows, credits begin to roll through their fields of vision. Most of the names are “Quirk” or variations thereof. Part of the way through, the world freezes, tracking lines marring the scene once again. The heroes can hear Quirk say, “Well, that certainly killed some time.” In a blink, the heroes find themselves back in Freedom City Trust. No time has passed since Quirk transported them into the shows. One thing has changed, however: Wildcard and all the bank robbers are bound in what appears to be video tape, unable to flee. Once he realizes where he is, Wildcard reiterates his promise to tell the heroes about Dr. Simian’s mutagenic bombs if they simply let him go. If the heroes generally played along or at least proved entertaining, Quirk’s disembodied voices adds, “You guys were alright, I guess. Maybe you’ll get a spin-off of your own some day!” He’s grumpy about being defeated, but according to cosmic law can’t do anything about it for now beyond dole out some parting words. REMOTE CONTROL The heroes are unlikely to allow a known criminal to go free, even if that person is offering information that will save lives as they probably have powers to get the info from him. However, if the heroes do want to take Wildcard up on his proposition, they automatically succeed at the first part of the challenge; the heroes should later face some consequences for doing so, though that is outside the scope of this adventure. Otherwise, Wildcard refuses to talk, though he taunts the heroes by saying the bombs will detonate soon. As the heroes ponder their next move, one of them discovers Quirk’s unusual remote control in their hands, the button that changes the channel glowing from within. If a hero presses it, Wildcard suddenly changes at random into one of the three personalities he portrayed in the shows: Mr. McGillicudy, Commandant Zaragloom, and the Cayman. Each version of Wildcard believes the heroes are their characters from the TV show he hails from. The remote control allows a hero to cycle through these personalities at their leisure. Other buttons might have amusing but useless effects at your discretion, such as muting Wildcard, adjusting his color palette, or switching him over to Spanish. While speaking to the heroes (either in passive-aggressive tones as Mr. McGillicudy, outright threats as Zaragloom, or calls for his lawyer as Cayman), Wildcard replaces a few key words in his sentences with “bomb,” hinting that these personalities also know what the real Wildcard knows. The heroes can coax this information out of him with a skill check; the skill to use depends on his current media personality. ENDING WITH A FIGHT Into the Idiot Box is written to be a goofy, lighthearted adventure and ends with a challenge rather than a big fight. If you think your heroes would prefer a big slug-fest to end the adventure, then instead of the bombs being easily located, they are attached to the stealth drones that Dr. Simian controls from a central location: a Nova Comm campus in Hanover. Dr. Simian has mind-control technology to convince the employees there is nothing unusual going on, and has Devil Ray, Orion, and Tom Cypress along as backup. The heroes must confront all four villains before the ticking clock counts down to save the city from a hairy fate! If the heroes generally had a good time and didn’t antagonize Quirk too much (or antagonized him, but were clever about it), he lets them keep his universal remote as a trophy. The heroes can use the remote in this encounter to summon their allies from one of the shows they endured, incapacitating a single villain for them while they focus on the other three. Jaxxer Jaguar tackles Devil Ray with a cry of “Tasty lil’ fishy!” The security team of the Constellation descends on Tom Cypress, who bears some resemblance to an Andromedan Hyper-Drone. The detectives of Tampa PD instead surround the wanted international assassin, Orion! After this one use, the remote’s batteries finally die (and no one in Freedom City stocks size QQQQ batteries). The statistics for Dr. Simian and the other members of the Crime League are in Freedom City, Third Edition, pages 206–221. 16 Into the Idiot Box

In general, the DC for a listed skill is 20, but if that personality is from the episode that the heroes finished to return to reality, they gain a +5 circumstance bonus to their checks. • Mr. McGillicudy: Expertise (Law; to bond with him over discussion of the local neighborhood watch), Deception (to pull one over on the neighbor once more), or Persuasion (to make amends) • Commandant Zaragloom: Expertise (Military; to convince him of his faulty tactics), Intimidation (to match his fervor), or Technology (to tinker with his cybernetics) • The Cayman: Expertise (Criminal; to speak his language), Insight (to read the criminal’s body language and know when he is lying), or Investigation (to explain how he was caught) The heroes can attempt one check for each personality. If they fail all three, Wildcard returns to normal and shouts, “Okay, okay! I‘ll talk! Just quit flipping my channels!” Once the heroes have the bombs’ three locations (hidden in pet stores across the city), they need to reach them and disarm them (or otherwise render them harmless). RACE TO THE BOMBS CHALLENGE Time: 1 minute Checks: The main check for this challenge is a DC 18 movement-based check, such as Athletics, Vehicles, or a movement power check. They might instead substitute Expertise (Freedom City) to know shortcuts and dodge traffic snarls. Success: A hero needs three Degrees of Success to reach a single bomb, then for each bomb, they must also decide what to do with it. A bomb can be disarmed with a successful DC 20 Technology check, rendered chemically inert with a successful DC 20 Expertise (Chemistry) or Treatment check, or thrown far enough away from the city to not do any harm with a DC 25 Strength check (or an appropriate power check, like Move Object or Teleport). Allow heroes to get creative with how they solve the problem. Failure: The bombs detonate five minutes after the challenge begins. If any bombs remain, a few hundred bystanders (and any nearby heroes) are transformed into monkeys by the mutagenic mists released. WRAP-UP A short while after the heroes return to reality, the FCPD arrive at Freedom City Trust in response to a silent alarm. They take the bank robbers and Wildcard (if the heroes didn’t let him go) into custody. If the heroes are still around, the police thank them for their work. The bank robbers probably head to South River State Penitentiary, while Wildcard (who has returned to normal) is bound for Blackstone (again). Hopefully, the heroes have disabled the mutagenic bombs and saved the people of Freedom City once again. Dr. Simian’s plan would use each of the three blasts to feed the next, creating a much wider distribution of his mutagen than any bomb could alone. So long as the heroes disabled at least one bomb, the effect is limited to only people in the nearby area. EPILOGUE If the heroes stop Dr. Simian’s plot quickly and quietly, the general populace of the city might not have any idea the gorilla supervillain even put them in danger. At the very least, the heroes’ capture of Wildcard makes the evening news, but it isn’t sensational enough of a story to stick around for very long. The heroes can rest on their laurels for a bit… until the next crime! On the other hand, if the heroes fail to stop the bombs from releasing their mutagenic payloads, they have a new problem on their hands. Luckily, the transformation leaves the victims’ minds intact (Dr. Simian planned to later use his ape-controlling technologies to turn the victims into an army). While there’s plenty of panic, the people affected can recover with some gene therapy courtesy of the Atom Family and plenty of counseling. If one or more heroes are affected by the gas, you need to decide if they can revert to hero form soon, or if they need to endure their next adventure or two as some flavor of primate. In either case, this adventure ends with the following. Quirk floats above the city, once again holding an oversized remote control. With a twinkle in his eye, he says, “I wonder what else is on?” and presses a button. Everything goes dark like a television being shut off. A moment later, Quirk’s voice can be heard through the nothingness. “Oh right, the wi-fi. Maybe I should just read a book?” CONTINUING THE ADVENTURE There are a couple of ways to continue this adventure into a longer story arc. THE SIMIAN SYNDROME The heroes likely found and disarmed Dr. Simian’s mutagenic bombs, but the super-intelligent ape still has the formula for the dangerous chemical compound. He now also holds a major grudge against the heroes. Some time later, Dr. Simian releases a powerful aerosolized version of his mutagen in a place where he knows the heroes will be (perhaps he engineers a tragedy or celebration to lure them to a specific location). The heroes—and a few innocent bystanders—are changed into apes! While their powers are unchanged, the heroes must contend with a populace now frightened by their exterior appearances and search for a way to change themselves back. Dr. Simian’s lab might hold the answers, but then again, some heroes might prefer their new look… A VERY SPECIAL EPISODE Quirk returns to Freedom City and confesses to the heroes that he needs their help. He explains that there are other cosmic entities like him, and they are requiring him to undergo a test of his powers to prove that he is worthy of them. He pleads for the heroes to help him “study” for this test, which requires Quirk to put them through a series of deadly challenges. If they agree, the heroes must fight for their lives against beings of elemental energy in unusual locations. After one grueling battle, Quirk admits that the test also has a written portion… and that he never learned how to read! Even if they begin the exhausting task of helping Quirk become literate, canny heroes notice that the trickster has inserted them into another contrived TV-like scenario from which they must escape before things get too saccharine. JOKER’S WILDCARD Though the heroes apprehend Wildcard, he isn’t incarcerated for too long thanks to his incredible luck. Upon his release, he publicly renounces the Crime League and says that due to a recent unbelievable experience, he has decided to become an actor. Heroes might be skeptical that the career criminal is reformed and might keep an eye on him. A locally filmed television show casts Jake Walker as a publicity 17 Into the Idiot Box

stunt, having him play the familiar role of supervillain. Walker is a little perturbed about being typecast, but when the show’s director turns up dead, he claims his innocence. Is Wildcard telling the truth? Is he being framed by the Crime League for abandoning the group? Can the heroes get to the bottom of this mystery before another person is killed? CAST The following are the major characters encountered in Into the Idiot Box, including their backgrounds and the relevant game stats. QUIRK A cosmic force to be reckoned with, Quirk has powers that transcend time and space, essentially operating as a plot device to move the heroes into the television scenarios that make up most of this adventure. He visits Earth to amuse himself when bored and creates games and puzzles for the world’s superheroes. He is mostly a distant figure in this adventure, and like all his reality-bending pranks, he leaves an out for the heroes and must leave them in peace if they can figure it out and achieve the goal. Quirk is a Power Level X entity similar to the Imp villain archetype (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, pg. 100). He can change the laws of physics or transform the heroes into anything he desires, limited only by his imagination and juvenile sense of humor. Quirk is also impervious to harm. The heroes can try all they like to smash, blast, and fry Quirk, but he always pops back, good as new, after any attack. Quirk’s only real weakness is that he remains a child (in cosmic terms, at least). He’s easily bored and doesn’t make long-term plans. He’s easy enough to trick and scare as well, despite his power (Will 9, Insight +0). If nothing else, Quirk is terrible at keeping secrets and can generally be tricked into revealing what the “out” for any given adventure is. More information on Quirk is on page 282 of Freedom City, Third Edition. WILDCARD When Jake Walker ended up in debt to the mob, he agreed to pull jobs for them to settle the score. But his attempts to be a mundane crook revealed his uncanny luck and it wasn’t long before he took on a criminal career path all his own as the deck-stacking Wildcard! His luck-control powers can make mayhem of even mundane encounters. Jake is addicted to thrills and gambling and will take every opportunity to push his luck until it finally breaks. He’s a wise-cracking, acrobatic menace who gives the Crime League an edge against the city’s heroes. Operating on his own, he prefers daring robberies peppered with plenty of one-liners, especially if it gives him a chance to test his luck against genuine superheroes. More information on Wildcard is on page 220 of Freedom City, Third Edition. WILDCARD’S CROOKS It’s a stretch to call the criminals at the bank heist Wildcard’s gang; they barely know the supervillain and were mostly goaded into the bank robbery in the last hour. The bulk of them are perpetual underachievers whose only common trait was hanging out in the same bar at 11 in the morning. CROOKS PL 3 OR 4 Minions. Half their number are armed with Assault Rifles and are PL 4. STR 2 STA 2 AGL 1 DEX 1 FGT 2 INT 0 AWE 0 PRE –1 Equipment: Leather Jacket, Light Pistol Advantages: Equipment 2 Skills: Athletics 4 (+6), Expertise: AC Repair 4 (+4), Expertise: Criminal 2 (+2), Expertise: Current Events 2 (+2), Expertise: Streetwise 4 (+4), Intimidation 4 (+3), Stealth 2 (+3), Vehicles 4 (+5) COMBAT INITIATIVE +1 Assault Rifle +3 Ranged, Multiattack Damage 5 Pistol +3 Ranged, Damage 3 Unarmed +2 Close, Damage 2 DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS +2 +2 +4 +0 +3/2* *without armor Totals: Abilities 14 + Powers 0 + Advantages 2 + Skills 13 (26 ranks) + Defenses 3 = 32 TV PERSONALITIES The characters from Quirk’s cosmic reruns are artificial creations who play out a basic role. They don’t have any genuine inner lives or needs. They seem real enough in the moment, but don’t exist outside of Quirk’s weird pocket reality. Most are simply Bystanders (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, pg. 145). JAXXER JAGUAR The heroes are unlikely to fight Jaxxer directly —he’s theoretically an ally—but trying to contain his animated enthusiasm might require skill checks and combat checks, particularly to Grab him or wrestle things from his grasp. Jaxxer is a “cool,” condescending character with little regard for the feelings of others. He deals out quick quips and insults to everyone, trusting that his charm and delivery make him too endearing (and marketable) to toss out in on his tail. JAXXER JAGUAR PL 5 STR 2 STA 4 AGL 4 DEX 3 FGT 6 INT 1 AWE 0 PRE 4 Powers: Cartoon Immortality 20, Immunity 10 (Mental Powers), Regeneration 20 Advantages: Favored Foe: Fish, Second Chance: Stealing Fish Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+8), Deception 2 (+6), Expertise: One-Liners 7 (+8), Expertise: Radio Trivia 6 (+7), Insight 1 (+1), Persuasion 4 (+8), Sleight of Hand 2 (+5), Stealth 2 (+6) COMBAT INITIATIVE +4 Frying Pan +6 Close, Damage 3 Unarmed +6 Close, Damage 2 DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS +4 +6 +6 +3 +4 Totals: Abilities 48 + Powers 70 + Advantages 2 + Skills 14 (28 ranks) + Defenses 5 = 139 18 Into the Idiot Box

ANDROMEDAN CYBORG Vicious frontline troops for the relentless Andromedan Empire, cyborgs have had their muscles and nervous systems replaced with advanced space alloys and wield the latest in laser blaster technology and cyber-knives. They aren’t very insightful tacticians and obey orders without question, even when outnumbered and outclassed. ANDROMEDAN CYBORGS PL 8 Minions. STR 5 STA 4 AGL 2 DEX 1 FGT 6 INT –1 AWE 1 PRE –1 Powers: Cyber-Sensors Senses 4 (Darkvision, Direction Sense, Radio), Immunity 10 (Life Support), Protection 6 (Impervious) Equipment: Blaster Rifle, Cyber-Knife Advantages: All-out Attack, Close Attack 4, Equipment 4, Interpose Skills: Expertise: Andromedan Opera 6 (+5), Intimidation 6 (+5), Perception 3 (+4), Ranged Combat: Blasters 7 (+8), Technology 4 (+3), Vehicles 8 (+9) COMBAT INITIATIVE +3 Blaster Rifle +8 Ranged, Damage 8 Cyberknife +10 Close, Damage 6 Unarmed +10 Close, Damage 5 DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS +5 +6 +9 +7 +10 Totals: Abilities 34 + Powers 26 + Advantages 10 + Skills 17 (34 ranks) + Defenses 14 = 101 CAYMAN ENFORCER The Cayman’s enforcers are a diverse and well-dressed crew of GulfCoast Florida rejects. They fulfill the basest of television criminal stereotypes and rarely have lines or names. CAYMAN ENFORCER PL 5 Minions. STR 3 STA 3 AGL 1 DEX 1 FGT 3 INT 0 AWE 0 PRE 0 Equipment: Hairspray, Knife, Sunglasses, Uzi (Machine Pistol) Advantages: Defensive Roll, Equipment 3, Second Chance: Will checks against ratting on the boss Skills: Athletics 2 (+5), Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+6), Deception 2 (+2), Expertise: Tampa Crime 4 (+4), Intimidation 4 (+4), Perception 2 (+2), Ranged Combat: Guns 5 (+6) COMBAT INITIATIVE +3 Knife +3 Close, Damage 5, Crit 19–20 Unarmed +6 Close, Damage 3 Uzi +6 Ranged, Multiattack Damage 3 DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS +6 +5 +6 +4 +4/3* *without Defensive Roll Totals: Abilities 22 + Powers 0 + Advantages 5 + Skills 11 (22 ranks) + Defenses 14 = 52 THE LETTER C Normally a congenial and cooperative member of the alphabet, under Quirk’s influence the Letter C becomes combative and even crass! They careen into counterproductive conflict upon confronting the characters. The Letter C uses the Brute villain archetype (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, pg. 82) with minor changes to the names of their powers. THE LETTER C PL 13 STR 18 STA 17 AGL 1 DEX 0 FGT 4 INT –2 AWE 0 PRE –1 Powers: Colossal Growth 4 (Innate; Permanent), Strength Tricks Strength Damage Array (18 points), Crush Burst Area Affliction 9 (Resisted and Overcome by Fortitude: Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated), Clap Close Burst Area Dazzle 9 (Resisted and Overcome by Fortitude; Impaired, Disabled, Unaware, Limited: Auditory), Capable Leaping 12 (4 miles), Enhanced Strength 4 (Limited to Lifting), Cohesive Impervious Toughness 12, Immunity 12 (Cold Damage, Disease, Heat Damage, Poison) Advantages: Close Attack 2, Great Endurance, Improved Hold Skills: Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+6), Intimidation 12 (+13), Perception 2 (+2), Ranged Combat: Throwing 8 (+8) COMBAT INITIATIVE +1 Clap — Close, Burst Affliction 9 Clobber +8 Close, Damage 18 Crush — Close, Burst Affliction 9 DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS +8 +8 +17 +9 +17 Totals: Abilities 58 + Powers 51 + Advantages 4 + Skills 12 (24 ranks) + Defenses 24 = 149 19 Into the Idiot Box

Dazed? One standard action each round Staggered? One standard action, –1 movement Incapacitated? Defenseless, Stunned, Unaware Damage NOTES WILDCARD PL10 STR STA AGL DEX FGT INT AWE PRE 0 1 4 3 6 1 0 3 POWERS Probability Control: Array (37 points) • Catastrophe: Perception Ranged Damage 10, Indirect 4, Subtle 2, Variable Descriptor (Accidents) • 73 points • Jinx: Perception Ranged Affliction 10 (Resisted and Overcome by Will; Impaired and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Disabled), Extra Condition, Indirect 4, Insidious, Subtle 2, Limited Degree • 1 point • Poltergeist: Perception Ranged Move Object 5, Indirect 4, Precise, Subtle 2, Senses 10 (Radius Vision Counters and Penetrates All Concealment, Limited to Targeting Move Object) • 1 point • Shift Probability: Luck Control 3 (spend points on others, negate luck, force re-roll), Burst Area, Luck 5, Selective • 1 point Lucky Miss: Enhanced Dodge 8, Enhanced Parry 8 • 16 points SKILLS Acrobatics 8 (+12), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+10), Deception 10 (+13), Expertise: Gambling 10 (+11), Insight 8 (+8), Ranged Combat: Throwing 12 (+15), Sleight of Hand 4 (+7), Stealth 4 (+8) ADVANTAGES Attractive, Beginner’s Luck, Connected, Defensive Roll 3, Evasion 2, Precise Attack (Ranged, Cover), Redirect, Second Chance (triggering traps), Taunt, Throwing Mastery 5, Uncanny Dodge OFFENSE INITIATIVE +4 Catastrophe Perception Range, Damage 10 Thrown Object +15 Ranged, Damage 5 Unarmed +10 Close, Damage 0 DEFENSE DODGE 16 FORTITUDE 8 PARRY 14 TOUGHNESS 4/1* WILL 9 *Without Defensive Roll POWER POINTS ABILITIES 36 SKILLS 30 POWERS 56 DEFENSES 20 ADVANTAGES 18 TOTAL 160 COMPLICATIONS Motivation—Thrills: Wildcard is addicted to the thrills and excitement of gambling and risk-taking. Reversal of Fortune: No matter how much he manipulates it, sooner or later, Wildcard’s luck runs out. 20 Into the Idiot Box

CREDITS & LICENSE OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. 1. 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(h) “You” or “Your” means the licensee in terms of this agreement. 2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License. 3. Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License. 4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content. 5. 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You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity. 8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content. 9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License. 10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute. 11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so. 12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected. 13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License. 14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable. 15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Reference Document, Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc., Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Modern System Reference Document, Copyright 2002-2004, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Red-man, Charles Ryan, Eric Cagle, David Noonan, Stan!, Christopher Perkins, Rodney Thompson, and JD Wiker, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, Peter Adkison, Bruce R. Cordell, John Tynes, Andy Collins, and JD Wiker. Mutants & Masterminds, Copyright 2002, Green Ronin Publishing; Author Steve Kenson. Advanced Player’s Manual, Copyright 2005, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author Skip Williams. Silver Age Sentinels d20, Copyright 2002, Guardians of Order, Inc.; Authors Stephen Kenson, Mark C. Mackinnon, Jeff Mackintosh, Jesse Scoble. Freedom City, Copyright 2003, Green Ronin Publishing; Author: Steve Kenson Mutants & Masterminds, Second Edition, Copyright 2005, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author Steve Kenson. Freedom City, Second Edition, Copyright 2005, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author Steve Kenson. DC Adventures Hero’s Handbook, Copyright 2010, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author Steve Kenson. Mutants & Masterminds Hero’s Handbook, Copyright 2011, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author Steve Kenson. Mutants & Masterminds Astonishing Adventures: Into the Idiot Box, Copyright 2021, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author Jason Keeley. Mutants & MastermindsAstonishing Adventures: Into the Idiot Box Writing: Jason Keeley Design: Crystal Frasier Editing: Carol Darnell Proofreading: Samantha Chapman Art Direction: Hal Mangold Graphic Design: Crystal Frasier Interior Art: Taizo Bettin & Enrica Erin Angiolini, Denis Medri, Ramon Perez Publisher: Chris Pramas Team Ronin:Joseph Carriker, Crystal Frasier, Jaym Gates, Kara Hamilton, Troy Hewitt, Steve Kenson, Ian Lemke, Nicole Lindroos, Hal Mangold, Chris Pramas, Evan Sass, Malcolm Sheppard, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Dylan Templar Mutants & Masterminds Astonishing Adventures: Into the Idiot Box is ©2021 Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. References to other copyrighted material in no way constitute a challenge to the respective copyright holders of that material. Mutants & Masterminds, Super-powered by M&M, Green Ronin, and their associated logos are trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. The following is designated as Product Identity, in accordance with Section 1(e) of the Open Game License, Version 1.0a: hero points, power points. All characters and their associated images, descriptions, backgrounds, and related information are declared Product Identity. The following text is Open Gaming Content: all game system rules and material not previously declared Product Identity. Green Ronin Publishing 3815 S. Othello St., Suite 100 #311 Seattle, WA 98118 Email: [email protected] Web Sites: www.greenronin.com www.mutantsandmasterminds.com 21 Into the Idiot Box