Prison Break!

[Crazyivan777]

Short and sweet: The PC's are starting the adventure locked away in a prison in Atlantis (they got tricked into helping a sorcerer usurp the legitimate power, and for their troubles, the sorcerer threw them into prison for use as sacrifices later). They've had their powers nullified as long as they're in the prison. They're going to have an ally inside (another hero who's been 'drained' and knows the prison well) and the ally is going to help them break out so they can reclaim their powers, usurp the usurper, fight for liberty and justice, yadda yadda.

Problem is, I'm having trouble coming up with how to do an unpowered prison break in a short period of (live) time (as there's a lot of other things to do in the session). I don't want to just narrate through it, as my players (rightfully) get bored if they're being told what happens instead of making it happen themselves.

So, what does the inside man tell them to do to (help with the) break out of Atlantean supermax?

(Oh, and in case it's necessary; they can all breathe / survive underwater).

[Damren]

Hard to say without more details.

Might one of the player's or the NPC be aware of the 'special exit' the sorcerer had set up for himself next time he's caught?

If they're underwater, can they convince some local marine life to aid them?

Is there a 'batman' type character who wouldn't be as hindered by the nullify?

Initiate a fight that causes enough damage to allow their escape?

Find some escape implements one of the old prisoners was going to use, but doesn't have to now that he's been freed by the sorcerer?

Would one of the PC or the NPC have a failsafe, in case they do get caught? Like a preprogrammed device or spell that goes off at a set time, or a minion that would seek them out with the tools they need?

[peregrine]

How are they drained? Do they have inhibitor collars? Something in each cell? Something over the entire prison? Just drained once and then it takes a long time to recover? If it's in the cells, or a collar, give the inside man a way to get them out of there/deactive the collars.

My other suggestion is to let the players figure it out. Give them some tools to get started, but let them try sneaking out, or jump a guard and take his costume, or steal the stunguns the guards have for prisoner control and fight their way out, or use their non-powered mastery of rhetoric to talk their way out past the guards, or whatever else they can think of.

[JThunder]

My suggestion is to leave one or more of the heroes with a bit of their powers. Unless the bad guys had an insider that knew all the heroes' powers and weaknesses, they should underestimate or overlook something.

If the group is primarily mutants, then have their mutant powers dampened but a magic-using hero might still possess his powers. Or if there's a tech hero in the group, maybe they strip him of most of his tech but overlook something "built in" and don't give it a second thought because he's just a human while everyone else is more than human with their powers that needed to be negated.

Another way to go, so the group doesn't feel like one member gets to shine because he's retained some of all of his powers, is to look over everyone's abilities and find one small aspect of their powers which could be useful in a group effort prison escape, then take everything except that. You can use your inside guy ally to clue the players in to the fact that their powers have been dampened but not completely negated and then let them try to figure out what they can still do with a little trial and error. Use your imagination, but here's some suggestions to get the ball rolling:

• Maybe one hero with super strength is only reduced in strength but still stronger than the Atlanteans expected --strong enough to bend the bars of his cell. He can free everyone from their cells but isn't strong enough to get past the big door where the cells are, requiring someone else's abilities.
• Does someone have the ability to render targets unconscious or control their actions? Another dangerous one but hard to know if its been negated completely if they don't see him using it. Perhaps they can't negate it but rather have it dampened and then locked the hero far enough away that he couldn't affect anyone. Reduce the range and/or duration so that he couldn't do anything as long as he was in his cell, but once freed he can get close enough render guards useless or turn them briefly into allies.
• Shapeshifter? If the enemy has seen the hero use this power before locking him up, they'll know how dangerous it is and do their best to negate it. Just reduce the duration of his power, making it a great strain to use it but still allowing him to disguise himself as one of the guards just long enough to cause a distraction for someone else.
• Is there someone with enhanced or additional senses? Don't remove those powers at all... they're subtle enough that the atlanteans might not be aware the hero has them. That person can serve as a scout by looking ahead in the prison break letting the rest of the team know when its safe to run down a hall or enter another chamber.

[gerbilattack]

Atlantian Loyalists, or Anti-Sorcerer Dissidents may stage a jailbreak (for someone else, as they players were last seen as pro-sorcerer) or an attack. providing cover under which to escape. The biggest question that i have, is what non-powered skills do your PCs have? These are one of the biggest pieces of need to know information. If you do not have a skill monkey, you will need to recognize that while putting things using these skills is an option, it is one the players can't take.

Second figure out the layout, the number of attempts (if more than one), and most importantly a timeline.

(possible tl:dr ahead)
Let us say that we are saying all of the above are facts.
Timeline may look like this:
22:00 Betrayal. Ritual noted to start on the next sunset as the dying of the light grants darkness power.

Taken to cells arrive at 22:30

Given time to examine cell: force field, dampner collars, bars, guard.

Guard mocks them at 23:00

Guard gets changed with female/male guard (whichever would be attracted to your most attractive PC) 24:00 if you want the sorcerer's daughter/son to come in now is the time.

Guard gets changed again at 04:00 New guard is unattractive but more gullible

Guard falls asleep if the players have been keeping quiet at 05:00 otherwise at 07:30

Servant comes to bring the guard food at 08:00 they players may convince the servant to bring then food as well (and so tools) but if they do not the guard tells the servant to not get [the PCs] anything.

Guard is changed at 08:30, and the new guard looks a little strange.

at 09:00 The new guard pulls a weapon commands everyone to be quiet and releases someone from a cell nearby. He then leaves with the prisoner.
The scruffy new guard is Brought back in, beaten at 12:00 if the players (and other prisoners) were quiet, and 10:00 (and dying) if they were not.

Two more wary guards are posted at the cells. If the players were good at 1400 they begin playing cards and chatting, if not then they remain suspicious and watchful; paranoid if two attempts have been made.

The anti-sorcerer dissidents finish their preparations and attack between 1600 and 1800.

The sorcerer finishes his preparations early at 20:00 and is unaware of the attack until it heats up further with explosions at 22:00

At 21:50 the bars/force fields are wrecked as the cells are damaged (as are the occupants) if the scruffy was dying he is now dead, if the scruffy was unconscious he* is now dying. (the scruffy need not be male, but is presumed to be so)

At 23:40 the players are taken to the sacrifice room.

At 23:55 start a doom counter (take a D20 or similar, and start counting down)

at 24:00 (depending on your setting and plans) the last panel goes black, make new characters.

I do not have a 3rd or second ed book handy at the moment.
Skills useful: for the bars strength, internal weaponry, extra effort to use a power (the power also has side-effect) escape artist, open lock. For the force field technology (3rd), disable device, computers. for the guard, any social skill intimidate does not work on the servant however (as the servant must leave your presence for several minutes to complete any task). For the scruffy only diplomacy and bluff work. For the second set of guards you can challenge them to a game of chance (rp) or, if paranoid you can convince them one of your party is sick, injured, or a danger to you. Intimidation is responded to by attacks.

As with all complex puzzles, allow the players to come up with creative ideas, and if they are not unreasonable for the mechanics of the device or surroundings, say yes. if they are, feel free to say no.

i hope that helps!

edit: ps. the above are also rather good, perhaps better than this.