TEXT: Mutants & Masterminds
  Seed of Destruction
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  Seed of Destruction
  A Mutants & Masterminds Adventure • by Steve Kenson
  A new evil grows deep in the heart of Freedom City!
  The vegetative villain known as the Green Man has
  turned the forces of nature against the city itself and
  only Our Heroes stand between him and domination of
  the natural world.
  Seed of Destruction is an adventure for the Mutants &
  Masterminds Superhero RPG. It is intended for a group
  of 4-6 power level 10 heroes, although the Gamemaster
  can scale the adventure to make it suitable for higher or
  lower level heroes by increasing or decreasing the
  power levels of the villains as appropriate (generally by
  approximately the same amount as the heroes).
  The adventure is set in Freedom City (described in
  the Freedom City campaign sourcebook available from
  Green Ronin Publishing). Although the Freedom City
  book is recommended for running this adventure, it is
  not required. All the necessary material is included here
  and in the Mutants & Masterminds core rulebook.
  Adventure Summary
  The Green Man (Freedom City, p. 160) is a former
  botanist who transformed himself into an intelligent
  plant with power over the vegetable kingdom. He is
  obsessed with “protecting” the natural world from
  human civilization, generally by leading a “green
  revolution” and conquering humanity.
  One of the Green Man’s most implacable foes has
  been Dr. Metropolis (Freedom City, p. 106), an “urban
  spirit” and the living embodiment of Freedom City. Dr.
  Metropolis represents everything the Green Man
  despises about civilization. However, he also represents
  an opportunity the Green Man has now realized.
  The Green Man created a “meta-seed” using his
  powers and scientific knowledge. Luring Dr. Metropolis
  into a trap, the villain has “planted” the meta-seed in the
  hero’s body, allowing him to tap into Dr. Metropolis’
  power. The Green Man is now more powerful than
  ever, and can extend his domination over the natural
  world to vastly speed up the processes of plant life
  reclaiming the land that was “stolen” from it to create
  cities, starting with Freedom City!
  Calling the Freedom League...
  If you’re using the Freedom City setting, you or your
  players might wonder where the rest of its heroes are
  during this crisis. If you like, you can decide that the
  Green Man trapped all the members of the Freedom
  League individually (even though he was only after Dr.
  Metropolis). The rest of the League is imprisoned (in
  suspended animation) deep in the Wharton State Forest
  (Freedom City, p. 68). They’re freed only when the Green
  Man is defeated.
  Alternately, the Green Man may have arranged a
  false trail of clues to lead the Freedom League off on a
  wild goose chase as they search for the missing Dr.
  Metropolis. While this adventure takes place, the League
  is deep in the Amazon Jungle, dealing with the Green
  Man’s deathtraps.
  Of course, if the heroes are the Freedom League,
  then they may be the ones looking for Dr. Metropolis
  when the Green Man makes his move. It’s up to them to
  realize the two events are connected.
  Freedom City’s other heroes, such as the Atom
  Family and the Next-Gen, can be off handling cases of
  their own, or trying to keep the rioting plants under
  control while the player characters confront the Green
  Man and his Brides. Once things start happening, there’s
  more than enough chaos and confusion in the city to
  keep several teams of heroes scrambling to keep up!
  Scene One: Trouble Sprouts
  In this scene, the heroes see the first signs of the Green
  Man’s expanded power as his plant minions strike
  Freedom City. Read the following aloud to the players:
  It’s a pleasant day in downtown Freedom City and you
  are on the steps of City Hall, where Mayor O’Connor is
  preparing to recognize your contributions to the city. A
  podium is set up on the steps where the Mayor and a
  number of VIPs are gathered while at the foot of the
  steps stand various reporters and cameramen. Beyond
  them are a crowd of onlookers and well-wishers, kept
  at a distance by officers of the Freedom City Police
  Department.
  
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  The crowd begins to fall silent as the Mayor
  approaches the podium and prepares to speak.
  Suddenly, a rumbling breaks the silence as a tremor
  shakes the ground. Then the pavement bursts upward as
  one, two giant vines erupt from the ground. Several
  others quickly follow them. Like the giant tentacles of
  some subterranean beast, the vines thrash and flail. One
  reaches out toward the Mayor while others grab City
  Hall pillars, people from the crowd, or simply smash
  into parked cars or anything else in their path!
  Adjust the introduction to suit the heroes’ group. If
  they’re entirely new, then they might meet for the first
  time when this crisis erupts (especially since the
  Freedom League is mysteriously absent). If they’re not
  likely to receive accolades from the Mayor, they might
  be on-hand for a meeting with Police Commissioner
  Barbara Kane or FC District Attorney Daniel Durgan.
  For a real alternate kick-off, maybe the “heroes” are
  actually super-criminals on their way to arraignment at
  the courthouse. When the vines crack open the van
  they’re in, they have a chance to help out. If they save
  the city from the Green Man, they might get a
  suspended sentence and “community service” as
  superheroes!
  Whatever the case, the heroes should be on-hand
  when the first of the Green Man’s plant minions begin
  attacking the city. They have a chance to intervene and
  try to contain the damage.
  Have the players make Listen checks (DC 15) to
  avoid being surprised by the vines as they burst up out
  of the street. Those that succeed can act normally
  during the surprise round. If none of the heroes
  succeed, then the vines all get a half action before the
  heroes get to go. Use this to further complicate
  matters: having vines grab the Mayor and a few other
  people, send cars flying into crowds, or cracking the
  support pillars of the City Hall facade.
  Once the heroes spring into action, the vines begin
  focusing on them, especially once the heroes start
  inflicting some damage. The giant vines are essentially
  mindless, but driven by the Green Man’s vastly
  expanded awareness. They don’t have much in the way
  of tactics, just flailing away or trying to grapple and
  crush the heroes. A vine might try and use a car or
  chunk of masonry as a weapon, but that’s about it.
  This encounter is intended largely as a “warm up”
  for the heroes. The vines shouldn’t be too challenging,
  and the heroes should be able to deal with them in fairly
  short order. Run the battle as long as it’s interesting. If
  the heroes seem to be cleaning up the vines a little too
  quickly, you can have some others sprout up. If they’re
  having trouble, they can get some help from the police
  officers at the scene, from the STAR Squad (Freedom
  City, p. 40) or from one of Freedom City’s other heroes.
  Animated Vines: Large plants; Power Level 6;
  Initiative  +0; Defense 12 (+2 base, +1 Dex, -1 size, 11
  flat-footed); Speed 0 (rooted); Attack +10 melee (+10
  stun, slam or grab), +15 grapple; Saves Damage +5
  (Protection +6), Fortitude +5, Reflex +1, Will —; Str 20,
  Dex 12, Con 20, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 2. Powers: Elasticity
  +6 [Protection], Growth +5 [Continuous, Permanent].
  Spreading Seeds
  Once the heroes have handled the immediate threat in
  their area, they discover similar things are happening all
  over Freedom City: monstrous vines are bursting up
  from beneath streets and basements. Ivy and creepers
  are growing at incredible speeds up the sides of
  buildings. Kelp and seaweed is choking off Great Bay and
  even grappling ships, trying to drag them underwater.
  The plant kingdom is in revolt against the city and its
  inhabitants.
  If the heroes want, allow them to try and deal with
  some of the other crises around the city. You can
  extend the adventure by providing a few other
  encounters with animated plants (use the abilities of the
  vines as a guideline): saving a ship from giant animated
  kelp, evacuating a building being undermined by fast-
  growing ivy, and so forth. You can also point out how
  other Freedom City heroes are responding to the crisis,
  with more than enough emergencies to keep everyone
  busy (in case players are wondering where, say, the
  Freedom League or Atom Family is during all this).
  Scene Two: Brides of the Green
  Eventually, the heroes should realize they’re fighting a
  losing battle against the encroaching plant life and start
  looking for the source of the problem. Once they do,
  read (or paraphrase) the following:
  All variety of plant life grows riot across Freedom City.
  Animated vines and creepers dig into building
  foundations, crack walls, and split support pillars.
  Mosses and lichen cover the streets while thick roots
  and sprouting grasses buckled the sidewalks.
  Most prominent is the growth in Liberty Park in the
  midst of the city. The formerly pleasant swath of green
  has become a primeval forest, with trees towering up
  above the nearby buildings. A thick canopy of foliage
  spreads overhead while the trees’ massive roots have
  begun digging up 52nd street and the other areas
  surrounding the park.
  It shouldn’t take long for the heroes to figure out
  Liberty Park is at the center of the plant growth or for
  them to investigate. When they do, the Green Man has
  his three “brides” intercept the heroes. He needs a few
  moments to finish drawing upon the power of the meta-
  
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  seed, since the massive surge of power triggering the
  sudden plant growth has momentarily drained him.
  When the heroes approach, Maxima, Flora, and
  Venus Man-Trap emerge from the heavy woods to
  confront them. They tell the heroes they are forbidden
  to enter the sanctum of their lord and master, the
  savior of the natural world. The ladies are happy to
  bandy words with the heroes (since it’s their job to
  delay them, after all). If the heroes are defiant, or try to
  get past them, then they attack. Any effort to convince
  the Brides what the Green Man is doing is wrong is
  doomed to failure; the three are utterly devoted to him
  and the cause of “saving” the plant kingdom from
  humanity.
  Pulling Weeds
  Odds are the heroes outnumber the Brides and exceed
  them in power, so they should be able to win the fight
  without too much trouble. This is a good place to spend
  Villain Points to help keep the fight interesting and
  prevent the heroes from defeating the villainesses too
  quickly.
  Spend Villain Points to help the Brides if they miss
  an initial Damage saving throw or two. You can also
  spend them on innovative power stunts and tactics.
  Flora can come up with some other attack effects (such
  as Drain or Paralysis) or apply the Area extra to her
  pollen effects, Maxima can use Super-Strength extras,
  and Venus may add extras or stunts to her Plant
  Control. The Brides target the heroes’ weak points and
  they work well together, supporting each others’
  attacks. If they need to flee, Flora teleports them to the
  Green Man’s side in the depths of Liberty Park (allowing
  you to have the Brides on-hand for the final
  confrontation with the master villain, if you want).
  If the Brides manage to defeat the heroes, pick up
  with Captured! Otherwise, move on to The Heart
  of Darkness.
  Flora: Power Level 9; Initiative  +3 (Dex); Defense 21
  (+7 base, +3 Dex, +1 Dodge, 17 flat-footed); Speed 30
  ft.; Attack +6 melee (+0 stun, punch), +9 ranged
  (power); Saves Damage +3 (Evasion +9), Fortitude +7,
  Reflex +9, Will +6; Str 10, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 10, Wis
  14, Cha 14.
  Skills: Bluff +7, Diplomacy +7, Listen +5, Spot +5,
  Survival +5.
  Feats: Attractive, Dodge, Endurance, Evasion, Immunity
  (starvation), Lightning Reflexes, Power Immunity.
  Powers (all mutations): Amazing Save +4 [Fortitude,
  Reflex, Will], Pollen +9 [Effects: Dazzle (sight), Mind
  Control (Pheromones), Stun, Suffocate], Teleportation
  +6 [Extended Teleport, Passengers; Effect: Subjects
  vanish in a shower of petals].
  Description: Flora is a true “flower child:” she has long,
  flowing blonde hair with greenish highlights and vividly
  green eyes. She wears a flowing gown of flower petals
  and a crown of living flowers. She is the most innocent
  and naive of the Brides, although still willing to do
  whatever her master the Green Man wishes. She
  typically attacks by blowing a handful of dusty pollen at
  an opponent.
  Maxima: Power Level 9; Initiative  +1; Defense 19 (+8
  base, +1 Dex, 18 flat-footed or large size, 17 huge size);
  Speed 30 ft.; Attack +9 melee (+12 stun, punch); Saves
  Damage +5 (Protection +9), Fortitude +7, Reflex +1,
  Will +0; Str 17, Dex 13, Con 20, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 13.
  Skills: Climb +7, Intimidate +8, Search +4, Spot +4,
  Survival +4.
  Feats: Durability, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Immunity
  (starvation), Power Attack, Rapid Healing, Stunning
  Attack
  Powers (all mutations): Growth +9.
  Description: Maxima has short brown hair, brown eyes,
  and an athletic build. She wears a green one-piece
  covering her torso over a brown body stocking, with
  short green gloves and boots. Twining vines decorate
  the green portions of her costume while her face and
  head are bare and unmasked.
  Venus Man-Trap: Power Level 9; Initiative  +4;
  Defense 21 (+7 base, +4 Dex, 17 flat-footed); Speed 30
  ft.; Attack +7 melee (+1 stun, punch), +10 ranged (+9L,
  plant control); Saves Damage +4 (Evasion +9), Fortitude
  +4, Reflex +9, Will +7; Str 13, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 13,
  Wis 15, Cha 17.
  Skills: Bluff +8, Intimidate +8, Listen +6, Science (Botany)
  +5, Sense Motive +6, Spot +6.
  Feats: Attractive, Endurance, Evasion, Immunity
  (starvation), Power Immunity, Rapid Healing.
  Powers (all mutations): Amazing Save +5 [Reflex, Will],
  Plant Control +9 [Effects: Damage (thorns or
  carnivorous plants), Snare].
  Description: Venus Man-Trap wears dark green leather,
  fishnet stockings, and chains crossing her chest and
  wrapped around her waist. Her hair is vivid green and
  flows almost to the small of her back. She accents it
  with deep green lipstick and eye shadow.
  Scene Three: Heart of Darkness
  After the heroes defeat or drive off the Brides of the
  Green, they can enter the primeval forest Liberty Park
  has become. Read the following to the players:
  
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  Within moments of stepping into the forest, you’ve lost
  sight of Freedom City altogether. An eerie silence hangs
  over the green twilight in the park: no traffic noise, no
  urban hum, not even the sounds of woodland creatures
  or birds. There is nothing but silence. The air is heavy
  with moisture and the scent of living plants. Thick trees
  create a leafy canopy filtering out the sun, casting
  greenish shadows over the thick bed of grasses,
  creepers, and spongy moss covering the ground. Of the
  old trails, fences, and other artifacts of humanity there
  are no signs, as if the forest simply swallowed them
  whole.
  In the depths of the foliage, a low hill rises amidst a
  small clearing. On top of it is a palace of living wood:
  trunks and branches intertwined to create a palisade
  wall, with a natural gateway in between two of the
  trees. Within is a kind of courtyard carpeted in soft
  grass, surrounded by high trees. In its midst is the most
  massive tree you’ve seen yet, towering above the rest.
  The front of its gnarled trunk and roots are shaped into
  a throne-like chair, where sits a figure of leaf and bark
  who blends into the surroundings so he nearly
  disappears.
  “Welcome,” he says in a voice like creaking
  branches. “Welcome to my domain... I am the Green
  Man... the new king of this world. What you have seen
  in this city is just a sample of the power that is now
  mine. I am now the supreme power in this city. You may
  serve the green world as its protectors... or as fertilizer.
  The choice is yours.”
  The Green Man is quite drunk on his newfound power.
  He’s certain the heroes pose no threat to him (and he’s
  right, to a degree). If allowed the opportunity, the
  Green Man launches into a speech about how he has
  claimed his rightful place as the savior of the natural
  world, and how Freedom City is just the beginning of his
  plans. Soon, the plant kingdom will rise up in revolt
  against the animals enslaving and torturing it, and his
  vegetable followers will restore the world to its rightful
  natural balance. The works of humanity will be swept
  away, the slate wiped clean once more!
  The Green Man offers the heroes the opportunity
  to join his crusade, hinting at promises of greater power
  and understanding. If they refuse, he rises to his full
  height and commands the trees of the forest to destroy
  them as an example to the rest of the world. If the
  heroes appear interested or try bluffing him, the Green
  Man tells them of how he can transform them to survive
  in the world to come. Go on to Captured! to get an
  idea of how. The heroes might be able to lull the Green
  Man enough to figure out what’s going on and surprise
  him (have them make Bluff checks against the Green
  Man’s Sense Motive check result, rolled untrained with a
  +2 bonus).
  The Green Man (enhanced by the meta-seed):
  Power Level 20; Initiative  +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Imp.
  Initiative); Defense 17 (+6 base, +1 Dex, 16 flat-footed);
  Speed 30 ft.; Attack +12 melee (+13 stun, punch), +10
  ranged (snare); Saves Damage +4 (Protection +15),
  Fortitude +14, Reflex +1, Will +2 (Mental Protection
  +15); Str 16, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 13.
  Skills: Science (botany) +10, Spot +5.
  Feats: Improved Initiative, Minions.
  Powers (all alien): Amazing Save (Fortitude) +10, Plant
  Control +16 [Plant Elementals, Plant Sense, Plant Stride,
  Pollen Cloud (all stunts), Regeneration; Stunts: Immunity
  (critical hits, suffocation), Photosynthesis], Protection
  +15 [Mental Protection], Super-Strength +10
  [Immovability].
  Note: For the Green Man’s normal abilities and
  background, see Freedom City, pp. 160-161.
  Giant Animated Trees: Power Level 5* (minions);
  Initiative  +0; Defense 11 (+2 base, -1 size); Speed 30 ft.;
  Attack +8 melee (+13 stun, slam); Saves Damage +5
  (Protection +8), Fortitude +7, Reflex +0, Will —; Str 20,
  Dex 10, Con 20, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 2.
  Feats: Endurance, Great Fortitude, Immunity (starvation,
  suffocation).
  Powers: Growth +8 [Permanent].
  * The trees exceed the power level limits in some areas
  due to the Green Man’s meta-seed enhanced powers.
  In his current state, the Green Man is a significant
  threat. Among other things, his Protection rank makes
  him virtually immune to most attacks, and his
  Regeneration allows him to recover quickly for any
  attacks that do actually damage him. He’s superhumanly
  strong and capable of rooting to the ground, making him
  difficult to move. Critical hits inflict no additional
  damage on him, so it takes a fairly major Power Attack
  (or something similar) to overcome his defenses.
  The Green Man also has a virtually unlimited
  number of animated trees at his command. For every
  one the heroes fell, another steps in to take its place.
  Remember, Liberty Park is filled with trees, and they’re
  spreading out into the rest of Freedom City. You don’t
  need to bother keeping track of the Green Man’s
  minions; in this adventure, they’re practically limitless.
  Of course, overcoming the Green Man through
  brute force isn’t the point, although it may take the
  players a few failed attempts to realize this. Feel free to
  have the Green Man simply laugh off their attacks,
  proclaiming his own invincibility and telling the heroes
  they’ll never defeat him. He counters any attacks by
  trapping heroes in tangles of vines and small tress,
  
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  bringing larger trees to life to attack them, and spraying
  clouds of choking pollen. As an additional benefit of the
  meta-seed, you can allow the Green Man to use extra
  effort a few times without fatigue, doing things like
  adding the Area extra to one of his attacks, or acquiring
  some other extra or stunt useful against a particular
  hero.
  There are basically two outcomes to the encounter
  with the empowered Green Man: either the heroes are
  defeated and captured, or they figure out the source of
  the Green Man’s power and try to free Dr. Metropolis
  from the villain’s clutches.
  Captured!
  If the Green Man or his Brides defeat the heroes in
  combat, the vegetative villain has a particular fate in
  store for them. Read the following aloud to the players:
  You awaken slowly in a green twilight. With a start, you
  realize your hands and feet are securely bound. Your
  back is pressed against the massive trunk of a tree, your
  limbs wrapped in its thick branches. Tendrils of creeper
  grow all over you, as if you have been hanging here for
  days or weeks. You feel weak and tired, listlessness
  seems to creep over you. It would be so easy to just slip
  back into the comforting darkness of unconsciousness...
  “Ah, awake again,” a voice says. “Don’t worry, it
  won’t be for long...”
  The captured heroes are each bound to one of the great
  trees in the depths of Liberty Park. When they awaken,
  the Green Man gladly explains to them how the trees
  are leeching off both their powers and their life-force.
  They are being absorbed into the trees and, when the
  process is complete, they will be transformed into plant-
  hybrids, the first of a new species to live in harmony
  with the natural world.
  The Green Man tells them the process shouldn’t
  take long and they’re best off to not resist it. He then
  leaves to continue his conquest of Freedom City, leaving
  the heroes to their inevitable fate.
  The heroes can escape from the Green Man’s
  metamorphosis trap in various ways. Feel free to allow
  the players to come up with their own escape plan,
  using the information here as a guideline. The point isn’t
  to transform the heroes and end your game, but to
  create tension, since the players have no idea how long
  the process will take. Make liberal use of extra effort
  and Hero Points in implementing the heroes’ plans.
  Some things they can try include:
  • Using Plant Control or similar powers to get the trees
  to release them. Perhaps the hero actually has to
  converse with the collective awareness of the trees to
  convince them what the Green Man is doing is wrong.
  • Using extra effort and/or Hero Points to overcome
  the draining effect of the plants, then use powers like
  Super-Strength or Energy Blast to break free.
  • Exerting extra effort for a power like Teleportation or
  Incorporeal to escape from the trees and attempting to
  free the others.
  • Using extra effort or Hero Points to expend more
  energy and overload the plants so they let the heroes
  go.
  • Mystically influencing or interfacing with the plant
  kingdom to convince it to aid the heroes against the
  Green Man. Alternately, heroes might somehow tap into
  the “urban power” of Dr. Metropolis and use it to aid
  them.
  • Finding a way to free Dr. Metropolis also frees the
  heroes if they’re not already (see Freeing Dr.
  Metropolis).
  Whatever plan the players come up with, you can have
  them roll dice, but you’re better off to roll in secret,
  asking the players for some extra effort or Hero Point
  expenditure. Then just have the plan work if it’s
  plausible, and the heroes get another shot at figuring out
  how to overcome the Green Man.
  Freeing Dr. Metropolis
  The key to defeating the empowered Green Man lies in
  the heart of the giant tree at the center of his new
  domain. Dr. Metropolis’ inert body is encapsulated
  inside the wood, paralyzed and weakened by the meta-
  seed embedded in his chest and extending root-like
  tendrils all across his gray concrete body.
  The heroes can uncover Metropolis’ location in
  various ways: using super-senses like Detect, ESP, or
  Penetration Vision, by trying to trace the Green Man’s
  new energy source (using various powers or devices),
  or by using extra effort to acquire the necessary extra
  or power stunt to track down the captured hero.
  Clever players may trick the Green Man into telling
  them the source of his power. A successful Bluff check
  against the villain’s Sense Motive result causes him to
  morph open the tree trunk, revealing Dr. Metropolis.
  The Green Man gloats how he has turned “this
  unnatural abomination into a weapon that will help me
  destroy these blights on the land.”
  As a last resort, you can have a stray attack, like an
  energy blast that misses the Green Man, strike the tree.
  The attack blasts away part of the trunk, revealing Dr.
  Metropolis’ presence.
  Once the heroes have found Dr. Metropolis, they
  need to free him from the grip of the meta-seed.
  Getting the elemental hero free of the tree trunk is the
  easy part; the wood is hardness 5, and three successful
  
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  damaging attacks (or one attack against hardness 10)
  shatter the trunk, exposing Dr. Metropolis. Heroes can
  also get him out of the tree using powers like
  Incorporeal, Transformation, and so forth.
  Freeing the good Doctor from the meta-seed is a
  bit more difficult. It’s not just a matter of tearing the
  seed from his body. The invading parasite has extended
  so many tendrils that simply tearing it out could cause
  irreparable harm to Dr. Metropolis (tell this to any
  player who considers such a plan). Simply destroying the
  seed using heat, electricity, or the like is also
  problematic. Any damage to the meta-seed causes Dr.
  Metropolis to convulse and an earth tremor tears
  through Freedom City; the more serious the damage,
  the more severe the tremors. The heroes might destroy
  the meta-seed, but there may be nothing left standing in
  Freedom City if they do.
  There are a few approaches heroes can take to free
  Dr. Metropolis from the meta-seed’s grip. These are by
  no means the only solutions, feel free to come up with
  your own, or allow the players to do so. If they come
  up with an interesting plan, give it a reasonable chance
  of success. Some suitably dramatic options include:
  • Telepathically enter Dr. Metropolis’ mind (represented
  as a “dreamscape” identical to Freedom City). There the
  heroes have to find Dr. Metropolis’ trapped psyche and
  help free him, a scene or even a potential mini-
  adventure of its own.
  • Douse Dr. Metropolis in defoliant or similar chemicals,
  which cause him no harm, but wither and kill the meta-
  seed. If nothing else, the heroes may be able to find such
  chemicals in a maintenance shack in the park (hidden
  beneath the thick plant life).
  • Mystically grapple with the spirit of the meta-seed on
  the astral plane to free Dr. Metropolis from its
  influence. Alternately, communicate with the forces of
  the plant kingdom and convince them to loosen the
  meta-seed’s grip.
  • Transport Dr. Metropolis to an untouched urban
  environment where his power is restored sufficiently to
  overcome the meta-seed. There might be an untouched
  corner of Freedom City left, or the heroes might have
  to move the stricken hero to a nearby city using super-
  speed or teleportation. Star Island and Blackstone
  Prison, both just off the coast from Freedom City, count
  as sufficient environments (and you might mention this if
  any of the players ask).
  •  Freeze the meta-seed (again, doing no harm to Dr.
  Metropolis) using cold control powers, liquid nitrogen,
  freon gas, or something similar. The icy coating over Dr.
  Metropolis cracks as he regains consciousness and
  breaks free.
  The difficulty of removing the meta-seed is complicated
  by the fact that the Green Man automatically senses
  when the heroes free Metropolis from the tree and
  attempt to remove the seed. He instantly transports to
  where they are (using his Plant Sense and Plant Stride
  abilities) and does whatever he can to stop them. Some
  heroes might need to distract the Green Man (and
  possibly his Brides) while the others try to free Dr.
  Metropolis.
  Overcoming the Green Man
  While the easiest route to victory is for the heroes to free Dr. Metropolis, with the resulting backlash disabling the
  Green Man, it isn’t necessarily the only way for the heroes to win. Clever players may come up with other plans to
  overcome the vegetative villain, or they may insist on accomplishing it on their own with no help from the spirit of
  Freedom City.
  Gamemasters are encouraged to improvised based on whatever plan the heroes use. For example, they might
  create a device intended to block off the Green Man’s extra power, use defoliants against him, or make innovative use
  of their powers (especially with extra effort and power stunts). The possibilities are endless.
  Essentially, any plan that cuts the Green Man off from his source of power can defeat him. This can involve
  somehow severing his connection to the meta-seed and Dr. Metropolis or more directly breaking his connection with
  the plant kingdom itself. For example, if a hero makes psychic or mystical contact with the plant kingdom to escape
  from the Green Man’s metamorphosis trap, then he might be able to use that connection to convince the spirit of the
  plant world to turn against the Green Man (keeping in mind the plants may need convincing on the value of humanity
  and its cities).
  If you find having the Green Man defeated immediately by the loss of his power anticlimatic, you can simply
  reduced his power level to the default given in the Freedom City book, or even lower, and allow the heroes to
  overcome him in combat. This may provide a more satisfactory ending for some groups, and it can extend the
  adventure a bit. Rather than immediate defeat, removing the Green Man’s extra power can just give the heroes a
  fighting chance, allowing them to defeat the villain entirely on their own.
  
  Mutants & Masterminds
  Seed of Destruction
  Page 7
  The City Restored
  Once Dr. Metropolis is free of the meta-seed, the
  Green Man cries out in fear and frustration. A backlash
  of power strikes the villain and he’s suddenly rooted to
  the spot. As the heroes watch, the Green Man struggles,
  but to no avail. His feet turn into thick roots, digging
  deep into the ground. His legs fuse together into a single
  trunk as his body extends and elongates. His arms,
  thrown up in defiance, spread and sprout branches, his
  fingers extending, until the villain becomes a majestic,
  immobile tree, standing in Liberty Park (or perhaps
  elsewhere in the city).
  If you want, you can allow the heroes to fight the
  de-powered Green Man (using his normal stats from
  Freedom City) so they can have the pleasure of trouncing
  him before his transformation takes place. When the
  Green Man is knocked out or disabled, he transforms as
  described. Either way, the villain is removed as a threat.
  With the Green Man’s defeat, his Brides quickly
  surrender to the heroes (although, again, you can
  extend the fight if you prefer).
  The restored Dr. Metropolis channels his powers
  into the city, glass eyes glowing with green light. The
  Green Man’s mutant plant life withers and turns to dust.
  The plants in Liberty Park return to their normal size,
  and any damage to the city is repaired before the
  heroes’ eyes. Metropolis then turns to them. Read the
  following aloud to the players:
   “I thank you,” Dr. Metropolis says in a deep voice. “If
  not for your aid, I would not have been able to
  overcome the alien force sapping my strength and my
  power. You have saved us all this day. If a city can be
  said to have friends, then you may count Freedom City...
  and me... as yours.”
  The concrete and pavement ripples beneath Dr.
  Metropolis’ feet like the surface of a pond, and he sinks
  into the ground. Then the ripples pass and the pavement
  is solid once more. Freedom City is safe once more.
  Further Adventures
  You can use Seed of Destruction as a springboard to
  further adventures in Freedom City involving these
  characters. Consider the following:
  • Although the Green Man is trapped in his tree form,
  something may set him loose again. Perhaps the tree is
  struck by lightning or a stray power cable knocked loose
  by a storm (created by Dr. Stratos, perhaps?). An
  attempt by city workers to cut down or remove the
  tree could also rouse the Green Man. His “exile” in the
  depths of the plant kingdom could drive him even more
  insane, or change his powers in various ways. Certainly,
  the plant mastermind will want revenge on the heroes
  who thwarted him before.
  • One or more of the Brides of the Green might fixate
  on a hero. She might want to avenge the Green Man, or
  she might decide to “change sides” and make romantic
  advances toward the hero. Is this a true change of heart,
  and how does the hero react?
  • The supernatural forces unleashed in the struggle
  between the avatars of the urban and wilderness
  environments might led to the creation of new heroes
  or villains. Perhaps some of the Green Man’s animated
  trees retain their awareness. What do they do not that
  their “savior” is gone and they are confined to Liberty
  Park? Likewise, maybe Dr. Metropolis’ revival has
  spawned new “city spirits” or drawn the attention of the
  “remnant” Scrap (detailed in Foes of Freedom).
  • The crisis offers plenty of opportunities for looting and
  other villainy while the heroes were busy. Following up
  on these crimes can take several adventures. Could it be
  the Green Man had help capturing Dr. Metropolis and
  the whole thing was just a distraction for some other
  mastermind’s evil plan? Dr. Sin or Mastermind might be
  behind such a scheme. Why do it, and what is the real
  plot?
  
  Mutants & Masterminds
  Seed of Destruction
  Page 8
  Open Game License  1.0A
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  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.
  Mutants & Masterminds RPG, copyright 2002, Green Ronin Publishing;
  Author: Steve Kenson.
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Super Hero Games/Mutants & Masterminds/1st Edition/Mutants & Masterminds - 1st Edition - Green Ronin - Module - Seed of Destruction.pdf