Adventure submitted by Mooman

DC Universe Role-Playing Game Adventure:

Motor City JUSTICE!

This adventure is designed for a superhero group that consists of 5-8 Level 3 or 4 characters. If using different
power levels you may need to adjust accordingly.
BACKGROUND:
For millions of years the Thunder Lizards trod the Earth. It seems their destiny is to rule this steamy jungle
of a world forever. All they really want is their place in the sun.
THEY WANT TOO MUCH.
Now, 70 million years later, Humankind has crawled up from the slime, and you seek your place in the sun.
Like those who came before you on this benighted earth
YOU WANT TOO MUCH. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN.
I/We have told you this for a reason, for I/We am/are the Overmaster and it was by my hand that those of
whom I/ We speak, and those who came before, met their end.
Today I/We shall decide if your species, too, will follow them into oblivion! (JLA #236)
So said a being believing himself to be the Overmaster many years ago as he and his Cadre tested a brand
new group of heroes who were trying to fill the shoes of legends. The group of heroes miraculously survived
their tasking, thus earning the right for survival.
This Overmaster turned out to be a parasite gaining great power and mad dreams of destruction from the long
sleeping form and machines of a being that may have been the true Overmaster (again JLA #236).
Since his expulsion into an alien crystal by the original alien, this being has known nothing but loneliness
and one obsessive thought: This League earned their right for survival. They must be with me forever.
At the moments of both Vibe and Steels deaths, this Overmaster had enough power left to capture their
consciousness and let them live on, but only in his reality, a world created inside the alien crystal the he was
also imprisoned in. They had helped to appease his loneliness. It was not enough. They needed he needed
a return to the happy times. With every last bit of power he could force from himself and the gem that was
now his permanent home, he could pluck the Atlantean, Martian, Sorceress, Shapeshifter, Beast Woman and
Illusionist from their world and transplant them into his new reality inside the gem.
The excitement of battling the Cadre forever, never able to actually die as long as they remain here, as long
as they remained JUSTICE LEAGUE DETROIT!
Time moves along at a different pace here. Days on the outside become years in the gem. The team grew in
experience and age. They gained the respect they never had the time to earn in the real world.
Vibe learned more control of his powers and became Pulsator.
Gypsy changed her codename to Wraith, as she became a woman. A romance blossomed with, of all people,
the now mature Pulsator. Both have found happiness with their place in the world.
After one of the rockiest beginnings, Steel finally became friend and partner to Aquaman, whom he now
considers his mentor. Aquaman is at peace with himself, having forgotten about Atlantis and the turmoil it had
brought him. He and Steel are The Brave and the Bold, striking out as a duo and excelling in Coordinated
Attacks.
Dale Gunn has increased his involvement with the group and considers them all to be family. Dale pilots
missions, coordinates situations from the Bunkers War Room and is the teams administrator. He has grown
extremely close to Zatanna.
Enter a new group of heroes, somehow drawn to this place by the League themselves. To survive in this false
reality, they will need to bond themselves to the JLA. To escape, the must convince the League that they want
to leave.
The Overmaster and his Cadre stand in the way. And, should your group be successful, what of Pulsator and
Steel?

SCENE 1: Strange Visitor from Another World

LOCATION: PC Heroes Headquarters
NPCs: Martian Manhunter (stats in JLA sourcebook and DC Universe Game Book)
SYNOPSIS: The Martian Manhunter comes crashing through your headquarters and mysteriously vanishes.
ACTION:
The player characters should begin the adventure in their headquarters. As they are assembled, the Martian
Manhunter comes crashing through their ceiling. Play up the power this figure seems to posses. In obvious
pain and looking as though much of his concentration is elsewhere, he speaks to the group,
He has returned. The battle must begin anew!
AAARRG..
help.
Jonn suddenly looks very distracted and begins speaking to someone who is not in the room. We can fight
this, Arthur! Jonn begins to fade from view. Between our two minds we can
He finishes fading and is gone.
If anyone was quick and smart enough to grab hold of the Martian as he was fading, they will disappear with
him.
Should anyone foolishly attack the Martian (perhaps after he crashes through your headquarters), they will
find him a very powerful foe. Jonn will fight back with physical powers but is mentally too preoccupied to
use his other abilities (all dice are also at 1D as he is using Willpower to fight an unseen battle).
AFTERMATH:
Once Jonn Jonzz disappears, he will be impossible to trace. There is a hole in your headquarters and,
depending on if a hero was in contact with the Leaguer, you are possibly missing one or more team members.
SCENE 2: Thar She Blows
LOCATION: Harbor with docks, open ocean
NPCs: Sperm Whales (all stats 2D except: Brawling 5D, Coordination 1D, Physique 14D, Swimming 6D,
Knowledge 1D, Willpower 5D, Physique Bonus +7, Body Points 90, Natural Armor[thick hide]1D, Natural
Weapons[teeth]2D.
ACTION:
New York Harbor (or a similar setting) comes under attack by a pod of 9 Sperm Whales. The heroes can learn
of this through any number of means, which may include news reports, their own monitors, etc.
After arriving on the scene, a Moderate Perception roll will allow the characters to realize that the whales are
destroying a lot of property but are being careful NOT to hurt any people. If attacked, the creatures will dive
deep to protect themselves, as underwater penalties would apply to anyone trying to follow.
After 2 rounds with the heroes on the scene, the pod of whales arranges themselves in a V formation and
head out to open sea. The whales will protect themselves if attacked with well coordinated team attacks.
Three whales will attempt to attack a single character, gaining +2D on their Brawling attempt. An Easy
Perception check will notice that this seems well beyond the capability of whales under normal conditions.
Once the heroes decide to simply follow the creatures, they become quite friendly and will even urge the
group to ride upon their backs. Staying with the whales, the group will travel for 2 full days before reaching an
extremely remote small island destination. If this is the case, fatigue, hunger and thirst comes into play (all
actions will be at 1D and Body Points are at 5)

Should the group decide to follow the direction the pod is pointing toward with the point of the V (actually a
turned symbol shape from Aquamans belt) they may be able to travel much faster with appropriate super
powers. If this is the case, they should be able to overcome this hardship.
The whales begin to act disorientated about half a day before arriving at the island.
AFTERMATH:
The PC hero group finds themselves on a rugged and very secluded island. Depending on the time frame it
took to get here, they may well be hungry, thirsty and tired.
Clever heroes may suspect that the sea creatures drew their attention to bring them to this remote island. The
truth is, Aquaman was coordinating them from this location. Toward the end of the journey, the Sea Kings
telepathic direction simply ceased and the whales were on their own to try to remember their instructions.
SCENE 3: Chaos in Crystal
LOCATION: Dense forest on island, clearing with huge floating gem.
NPCs: Elongated Man (stats at DCU RPG Resource site)
SYNOPSIS: The PCs find their way to a gigantic floating crystal. Once they break through the surrounding
energy field, the group comes under attack by a somewhat familiar pair of stretchable hands.
ACTION:
A barely perceptible hum of energy permeates the entire island. Pinpointing the direction and distance of the
energy hum requires an Extremely Difficult Perception roll. Acute senses(hearing) or super senses(hearing)
will increase the chances of finding the source. Every 2 rounds, however, that Super Hearing is used will cause
the hero to suffer 1 point of mental damage.
A Very Difficult Survival, Tracking, or Search roll will allow the group to pick their way through the dense
terrain into the interior of the forest to the sound. Locating food and potable water requires a Moderate
Survival roll.
The group eventually steps into a clearing (which they could not see from an Ariel view) and take in an
incredible sight. In front of them floats a jewel the size of a city block! Clearly, this is the source of the energy
hum as you can now feel the power of this place!
A 12D force field surrounds the crystal. The PCs will run into it once they come within 20 feet of the
structure from any side. The adventure can go no farther until the group can somehow either bash through or
penetrate the field by another means. To overload the field, 36 points of damage must be delivered to one spot
all at once (the PDV is 8). The force field will be back to full strength in the following round.
Once through the energy field, the group can finally examine the jewel. It is completely smooth to the touch
with no windows or doors. Upon touching the surface, a powerful spell is activated that, seemingly, attacks the
hero group. A pair of huge, elongated arms and hands come out from the surface of the jewel and grab at the
PCs. Use stats from the Elongated man to play out the scene (remember to add 1D to Brawling and Dodging
and give an Armor Value of 1 as Ralphs Elasticity affords him these bonuses).
The hands will be unrelenting in their attempts to grab the heroes and bring them mystically into the crystal.
It is important that this does happen as this is the groups way into the jewel (use Hero Points and Character
Points as needed and subtract from Ralphs totals). After 10 rounds, the appendages fade as the spell has spent
its power.
Smart adventurers may have begun to put 2 and 2 together. With encounters or references that include the
Martian Manhunter and Aquaman, they could well deduce that these hands are representative of the Elongated
Man. A Moderate Perception roll should allow the heroes to recognize the gloved hands as looking similar to
the former League member. A character may well opt to allow the hands to grab him to magically draw him
into the structure, as there is no other apparent way in.
As characters are drug into the crystal walls, they feel nothing but a brief numbing cold and are in no actual
pain from the trip. The Elongated Mans hands are no longer present after a character has been deposited

inside. Any mystically adept heroes may sense that they were on the receiving end of a very powerful magic
spell (especially considering that it may have been cast long, long ago to be activated by touch). This was, in
fact, a last ditch effort by Zatanna to draw help to the League. She was able to use Elongated Mans unique
abilities as a focus to help bring others through the power of the alien gem. Characters, now inside the jewel,
find themselves in very odd surroundings. They appear to be down a dirty alleyway at dusk, in the middle of a
large city!
AFTERMATH:
Any hero not grabbed by the mystical elongated hands is stuck outside on the island. It would take a Level 5
wizard or sorcerer to be able to attempt to breach the gem on their own. A character with Telepathy can
communicate with heroes inside with a Superheroic effort. After 2 rounds, this increases to a Legendary effort.
Every 2 rounds thereafter, the difficulty increases by 1.
SCENE 4: Gang War!
LOCATION: City Streets
NPCs: Gypsy (Wraith) and Vibe (Pulsator); both sets of stats are available on the DCU Role-playing
Resource site.
SYNOPSIS: Our heroes find themselves in the middle of an old-fashioned gang fight. As they struggle
to remember their own reality, the group comes under surveillance.
ACTION:
After landing in a dirty alleyway, the PC group must all make Willpower rolls to try to remember who
they are and where they come from. An Easy Willpower roll will suffice for now but the longer a
character remains in the alien gem, the more difficult it becomes to not get lost in the false reality it
presents. Every Scene requires another roll at the next higher difficulty. The world inside the gem is
similar to a Holodeck in the Star Trek universe (it is partially constructed from illusion and partially
constructed from Matter Manipulation constructs. All can kill you).
Directly outside the alleyway, a bloody gang rumble has just begun. Based on the intensity, there will
surely be casualties unless someone intervenes. About 15 gang members with jackets that read El
Lobos are fighting an equal amount of Skulls. All have knives, chains, crowbars, etc. Two members
of each group have handguns but have not yet pulled them out.
Wraith(Gypsy) and Pulsator (Vibe) both arrive on the scene 1 round after the rumble begins. 2 rounds
after the rumble begins, the handguns come out. Pulsator has positioned himself on the rooftop across
from the action. He is ready to use his power to knock everyone off of his or her feet to control the
violence that his old gang has become a part of. Pulsator has been in this false Detroit since his
apparent death at the hands of Ivos android and has had time to develop the control of his power. He
now possesses all the aspects of Sonic Manipulation at 13D except for mimicking sounds.
Wraith no longer possesses the age disadvantage and has built up 5 more Hero Points and 20 more
Character Points. She has also trained with both Jonn and Elongated Man in deduction, gaining
Criminology 5D. Wraith is down on the street but invisible and has noticed your group of heroes. She
uses her signal ring to inform Aquaman that there are new players in town. Neither Pulsator nor wraith
will interact with the PCs, as they are unsure of their identity or purpose. The Cadre has been a
constant foe to this League and your group could be new recruits.
If the PC group does a poor job stopping the violence, Wraith is also ready to use an illusion to stop
the fight. She will give your group the chance first as she and Pulsator both need to know more about
you.
Allow the hero group a Moderate chance of noticing Pulsator and a Very Heroic chance of noticing
Wraith if they intervene. Have the JLAers use their powers and abilities to flee from your group. Their
priority is to rendezvous with the rest of the team. Should any of the PCs touch Pulsator or Wraith,

they will mysteriously be absorbed into their bodies. Only one person can be absorbed into the body of
any given Leaguer. Roll Pulsator or Wraiths Willpower vs. the PCs Willpower. Whoever wins the roll
has their character consciousness in control of the body. If the roll is won by only 1 success more than
the other character, a new roll must be made every 2 rounds until there is difference of 2 or more.
A player should be allowed to control the merged hero regardless of whose mind is actually the
controlling consciousness. Remember to be honest in your attempts to portray Pulsator and/or Wraith
should their minds still be in control (the JLAers main goal will be to rendezvous with their teammates
as they have gotten word of an imminent attack by their arch foes, the Cadre. If a PC is in actual
control of a Leaguers body he should have a good chance of persuading the other Leaguer to accept the
new party. To simulate the fact that you have less control of the JLAs powers than they do, have the
powers either completely fail or do something really crazy whenever a Joker comes up on one of their
rolls.
AFTERMATH:
The group will, hopefully, have stopped a very deadly street fight. Anyone with Medicine(First-Aid)
will have a chance to shine here and will go a long way toward winning over Pulsator. You may have
actually encountered the 2 Leaguers. The adventure will move along more effectively if, at the very
least, you have noticed and attempted to follow Wraith and/ or Pulsator.
SCENE 5: The Bunker!
LOCATION: JLA Bunker
NPCs: Aquaman (JLA Sourcebook, DCUniverse Game Book), Elongated Man, Pulsator, Wraith,
Vixen (DCUniverse Role Playing Game Resource Site), Zatanna (Magic Sourcebook),
Dale Gunn: All stats 2D except: Brawling 4D, Dodging 4D, Lifting 4D, Marksmanship 6D,
Medicine (first aid) 5D, Melee Weapons 4D, Piloting 6D, Surveillance 5D.
PDV 2, Unarmed BDV 3D, Physique/ Lifting Bonus +2, Hero Points 2, Character Points 8,
Body Points 20, Equipment: handgun, knife, JLA signal ring, light leather armor (AV 6)
SYNOPSIS: The hero group begins to fade from existence. They must step into the body of a JLA
member to keep from dying. Between you and the League stands The Bunker.
ACTION:
Start the new scene with a Moderate Willpower roll to see if your heroes believe in this new reality.
The heroes (any that are still in their own bodies) notice they are getting week. Someone needs to
notice, also, that parts of his or her bodies are beginning to become immaterial. As the group was
brought here as a last ditch effort of Zatanna and the Elongated Man (instead of by the Overmaster)
their transformation into this reality will not last. If a hero has merged into the body of Pulsator or
Wraith, they can attest that they are feeling fine. Either way, finding the League and the Bunker is now
a priority.
A Heroic Scholar roll will allow a character to remember the approximate location of the Bunker
from League history. A merged character (if the PC is in control) can access this info by winning
another Willpower roll vs. the NPC whose body they now inhabit. A few locales do know the location
but a Persuasion or Interrogation attempt will be at 2D as they are very loyal to the League.
You may be able to attract the JLAs attention with a flashy villainous act. Be prepared, however, for a
full powered assault on your group should this be the case.
After finding the Bunker, getting into it is another matter altogether. Treat the Security Systems as
being Legendary. The walls and doors have a PDV of 8 and 72 Body Points. There are no true
windows but the exterior is made up to look like it.

Unless the PCs were able to circumvent Security the very first round (before any other attempt to
enter), the League is aware of your presence and the lights are all off. They are currently laying low
and observing as they know of an imminent Cadre attack and do not wish to be caught in a two
pronged attack.
The Cadre has actually arrived and has stayed out of sight, allowing the heroes to do the work of
breaking and entering. The hero group is now at 1D for all actions as they are succumbing to the
weakness of fading from this reality. They must find the JLA and make the merge soon. Have the
Cadre enter the Bunker 1 round after the PCs do. If your group has been observed doing anything that
looks villainous, the Cadre may offer you the opportunity to help them destroy the League. Playing
along may buy you a little time, as you are probably not at the top of your game at the moment. The
Cadre will definitely keep a close eye on you if you play along. Letting on that you are heroes or
rolling a Joker on the Persuasion attempt will earn a fast strike against you by the villains.
AFTERMATH:
The group should be in the Bunker. Unfortunately they dont see the League. A game of cat and
mouse in this mazelike headquarters with the Cadre is a real possibility. Dont forget, your bodies are
fading and to save them, you need to step into the JLAs bodies.
SCENE 6: The Merge!
LOCATION: Bunker, City on edge of Lake Michigan
NPCs: JLA, Cadre (Blackmass, Shatterfist, Fastball, Shrike, Nightfall, and Crowbar) note: Cadre stats
are not yet available.
SYNOPSIS: A fight WILL occur. The PC group, the Cadre and the League are all involved. Your
heroes will be at 2D by the time the JLA enters. Touch a member to merge and save yourselves.
ACTION:
Start the new scene with a Difficult Willpower roll to see if the PCs succumb to this false reality.
Inside the Bunker, Vixen and Elongated Man (as well as Wraith if she is with the League) are lurking
within the air ducts, ready to surprise any unwary character.
Dale Gunn is in the air flying the LOST prototype in the airspace over the Bunker, ready to run
interference and coordinate efforts from his vantage point outside.
Steel and Aquaman hold the fort near the submerged subterranean passageways between the Bunker
and Lake Michigan in the lower levels. Remember that these two characters excel in Coordinated
Attacks together and will often attack the same person simultaneously, each gaining a +1D on their
Brawling (they do not generally need time to plan out these actions). In keeping with the way
Aquaman was portrayed during the Detroit era, Game Masters may want to add the following powers
to the official stats: Mental Blast 3D, Mental Shield 1D, Mind Control 3D and Telepathy 3D.
Should any of the PC group have been transported away from your headquarters with Jonn early on
in the adventure, they are here with the Sea King and Steel! Play up the drama of seeing them again.
The kicker is this: they no longer recognize you and are a full-fledged member of the JLA! Time has
passed in this world and the character has completely succumbed to believing this to be the only
reality. As he came here with the Martian, his body made the transition to this gem-world correctly and
did not fade from existence. Attempts to convince him or her that you are old friends will need to pass
a Very Heroic Persuasion roll. This will give him a sense that you are indeed friends and he should
know you. A Legendary roll will have him remembering everything (but still is friendly toward the
League, with whom he has worked for some time). If you get through to him, the player may again
take control of his character. He or she will have 1 more Hero Point and 10 more Character Points!

Zatanna and Jonn (and Pulsator should he still be with the JLA) are now out on (or over) the
grounds, able to make attacks from a high vantage point or chase characters into awaiting Leaguers
inside.
Once the Cadre realizes the League was ready for them, they will make boisterous comments on how
they now outnumber the JLA with their new members (the PC group). This is an attempt to get the
Leaguers to fight you and take advantage of the chaos.
In their weakened states, the PCs could have a tough time here. Remember that a simple touch will
allow them to merge with a League member. As a lot of time has passed for the League since coming
here, any Hero or Character Points used during the early encounters with Jonn and Elongated Man
have been earned back. Body Points have been healed.
Before merging into a Leaguers body, a PC should try to convince the JLA that this is not their true
reality. Aquaman, Jonn, Zatanna or Elongated Man would be the easiest to convince (PCs gain +2D
on attempts to convince these particular heroes as they have each either felt or deduced that all here
is not as it seems). If the PC ends up winning the Willpower roll to have their mind in control after they
step into the Leaguers body, they will, obviously, still be able to search for a way home. The PCs
will have a hard time comparing Willpower to Aquaman, Martian Manhunter or Zatanna as they each
posses a lot of dice in this skill.
AFTERMATH:
The Cadre will, hopefully be defeated or on the run. Merging with Cadre members cannot happen, as
they are not truly here.
Your players should end the scene in control of several League members. The rest of the group should
be willing to go along with you at this point.
There will probably be injuries to attend to. Remember that there is a state of the art medical facility
deep within the Bunker to use. Dale Gunn will land the LOST and offer his First Aid skills to whoever
may need them. If using these facilities with Dale for 1 hour, automatically give back 5 Body Points.
SCENE 7: The Illusion Shattered
LOCATION: City; Misty clearing with large floating gem.
NPCs: Overmaster, JLA, and Cadre (note: Overmaster and Cadre stats are not yet available)
SYNOPSIS: Wraith and Zatanna temporarily strip away the illusion of Detroit. The group finds a large
floating alien gm and must evade the Overmaster Parasite to get to it.
ACTION:
Once the League and the PCs have banded together to find a way out of here, a course of action can
be set. Your players should now be operating the bodies of several of he Leaguers regardless of whose
mind has control. At this point, no Willpower rolls will be needed to keep from believing in this false
reality. The merge and all else you have been through have helped you overcome this.
Zatanna and Wraith should be able to temporarily strip away the illusion of Detroit (using Wraiths
Illusion power and an appropriate spell from Zatanna). The difficulty is Legendary but Coordinated
Actions, Hero Points and Character Points should be able to make this quite possible. Whatever the
difference is between the heroes rolls and 10(Legendary) will be the amount of rounds (x3) that the
illusion is stripped away.
Once the illusion is stripped, all can see that they truly reside in a pyramid the size of a city block. A
Moderate Perception roll will reveal a similar gem-like pyramid floating at the center top of the one
you are in. It is the size of an average house. If the group doesnt strip away the illusion, a Very Heroic
telepathic scan can reveal another consciousness residing in the same place as the pyramid was

revealed. Steel and Pulsator do not fade if the illusion is stripped, as they are truly here, albeit in
artificial bodies (they cannot, however, ever leave this gem-world).
Midway between the heroes and the smaller floating gem is THE OVERMASTER! With him is any
of his Cadre that were not previously defeated. This will be a truly horrific battle. The Overmaster,
though not the real thing, is a close approximation here in this gem-world.
To win this battle, you dont necessarily need to defeat the villains (in fact that would probably not
even be possible). You need to make it to the consciousness in the floating crystal. Any Cadre members
will do their best to keep you from it. Blackmass will keep gravity in flux around the gem and
Nightfall will cloak the area in darkness. The Overmaster will be the offensive threat. The way into this
pyramid shaped gem is to simply walk through the outer walls!
Inside this crystal resides a smaller gem (the size of a microwave oven) that contains the actual alien
consciousness that once before (again in JLA #235) expunged the parasitic Overmaster, the Cadre and
the JLA from his fortress after their first epic battle.
As the heroes make their move for the small gem the Overmaster makes a panicked entreaty:
Do not leave! This was/is MY/OUR PLACE IN THE SUN! A time I/WE/YOU would have forever!
Could I/WE/YOU WANT TOO MUCH?!
The League of Justice prove their right to survive. Two of them CANNOT now survive outside of
my crystal prison. Here I/we-them can live Forever!
If the Overmaster is able to give the heroes pause with his plea (heroes roll vs. Persuasion of 7D), he
quickly takes advantage. A failed roll causes one round of indecision. Overmaster will teleport
in 1 member of any of the Cadre still around for each hero that failed there roll. Overmaster
himself cannot enter.
Heroes simply need to touch the small crystal and then nudge the sleeping consciousness with a
mental push. The Detroit Based League will have an Easy chance to recognize this, as it should feel
like deja- vu to them. Any mental power has a chance to do this (Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Wraith
or Zatanna [mimicking a mental power with Wizardry] can do this). Treat the consciousness as having
a Willpower of 4D against waking up. This powerful alien mind will not be gentle when waking.
Whoever makes the contact must roll a Wild Die. Should a Joker come up, the hero experiences a
mental shock equal to Mental Blast 8D!
A melodramatic ending would have Steel and Pulsator (as they cannot leave) holding off the
remaining Cadre members as your group makes for the crystal. This would be fun to really play up, the
two old friends realizing they will never again see their teammates and knowing what might have been.
This should not be easy for the other Detroit Leaguers to watch (your PC hero included if they have
been with the JLA since disappearing with Jonn early in the adventure).
AFTERMATH:
The heroes have been instantly teleported out of the gems. They find themselves by the islands shore.
The PC group stands shoulder to shoulder with Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Zatanna, Elongated
Man, Vixen and Gypsy. Steel and Vibe are conspicuously missing.
Should you search for the large alien jewel, it is gone. One can only wonder the final fate of their foe
as well as to friends from long ago- Steel and Vibe.
THE END