D6 Powers Revised 114c4f

D6 POWERS: REVISED AND EXPANDED How do I use this book? Key Navigation through the book. Chapter One: Character Basics Power Levels and creation points Attributes Skills Advantages, Disadvantages, and Super Powers Move Special Points Ka Points

5 5 5 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8

Improving Characters

123

Body Points and Wounds

9

Building the Super Hero Joule Building the Super Hero Joule Game Basics

Strength Damage

9

Rolling Dice Wild Die Improving a Roll Character Points Fate Points Using Skills Untrained Skill Use Alternate Attribute Option Game Time Initiative Ties/No Rolls Optional Initiative Bonus Performing Actions in Rounds Multi-action Penalty Actions that Take Time Free Actions Related Skills Preparing Rushing Groups Choosing Difficulties Standard Difficulties Generic Difficulty Modifiers Opposed Difficulties Special Difficulties Generic Modifiers Good Roleplaying Modifier Unskilled Attempts Determining Success Result Points Second Chances Game Master’s Fiat Common Difficulties and Modifiers Result Points and Success

126 127 131

Movement

137

COMBAT

142

Ka Gestalt

Determining Body Points

Determining Strength Damage Templates and Strength Damage

9 9 9 9

Funds Equipment Background and Character Features Height and Weight Character Archetypes Changing Character Archetype Example Archetypes

9 9 10 10 10 10 10

Villainous Archetypes

12

The Adventurer The Bravo Comedian The Dark Avenger The Icon The Outsider The Protector The Rogue The Scientist The Warrior Megalomaniac Nihilist Crony Anarchist

Skills Reflexes Coordination Physique Knowledge Perception Presence SKILL Difficulty Modifiers Disadvantages and Advantages POWERS Purchasing powers Exponential Values Exponential Value Chart Reading the Power Description Duration Range Base damage Value Managing skill Description Physical Powers Defensive Powers Elemental Manipulation Powers Mental Powers Magic Movement Powers Power Enhancements Power Limitations

2

10 10 10 10 11 11 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 12

13 13 13 13 13 13 13 14 30 52 54 54 54 55 55 55 55 55 55 56 76 79 94 107 113 118 120

Learning and Improving Skills Specialization improves when the base skill improves Improving Strength Damage Improving Attributes Improving Body Points Gaining and Losing Powers, Advantages, and Disadvantage Advantages Disadvantages Improving Powers Gaining New powers Gaining and Losing Super Power Enhancements and Limitations

Running Swimming Climbing Jumping Short Distances Maximum Movement Movement Difficulty Modifiers Accelerating and Decelerating Fatigue Vehicles and Aerial Characters Vehicle Movement Character Flying Movement Stunts Ramming and Sideswiping Vehicles Vehicle Attacking and Dodging Vehicle Damage Crew and enger Injuries Leaping Out of a Vehicle Repairing a Vehicle Base Combat Difficulty Active Defense Full Defense Partial Defense Optional Defense Modifier Combat Difficulty Modifiers Determining Success Step 3: Determining Damage Determining Strength Damage Optional Damage Bonus Step 4: Repeat Combat Example Combat Difficulty Modifiers Estimating Ranges Cover Vehicle Combat

123 123 123 123 123 124 124 124 124 124 125

131 131 131 131 131 132 132 132 132 133 133 133 133 133 134 134 134 135 135 135 135 135 135 136 136 136 136 136 136 136 136 136 136 137 137 137 137 137 138 138 138 138 138 138 138 140 140 141 141 141 141 141 141 142 142 142 142 142 142 143 143 143 143 143 143 143 143 144 144

DAMAGE

Body Points versus Wound Levels Damage and Body Points Damage Resistance Total Killing Blow Stun Damage Damage and Wound Levels Damage Resistance Total Killing Blow Stun Damage Unconsciousness and Death Negative Damage Resistance Total Massive Damage Option Descriptive Damage Damage and NPCs Miscellaneous Damage Wound Levels Fast Combat Options Adjusting the Deadliness

HEALING

Body Points: Natural Healing Skill Body Points Healing Rest Period Wounds: Natural Healing Skill Wounds Healing Natural Assisted

144

144 144 144 144 144 144 144 145 145 145 145 146 146 146 146 146 147 147

147

147 147 147 147 148 148 148 148 148

COMBAT OPTIONS

149

Options for Various Combat Skills

151

SUper Heroic Combat Options Acrobatic Trick Attack Charge Attack Coordinated Attack Feint Attack Intimidation Knock Back Knock Back , Planned Melee Attack, Large item Sacrifice Dodge Throw, Opponent Throw, Large Objects

154 154 154 154 155 155 155 156 156 156 156 156

Martial Arts

158

Gadgets and Artifacts

165

Gadget Rules Example Build

165 177

Using the Modifiers Marksmanship Options Brawling and Melee Combat Options Combat Difficulty Modifiers All Attacks Breaking Things Called Shot Disarm Entangle Escape Group Attack Hit Locations Knockout Multiple Weapons Prone and Crouching Quick Draw Ready a Weapon Scale Scale Surprise Unwieldy Weapon

Lifting Breaking things

The Styles Aikido Boxing Capoeira Gun Fu Judo Kung Fu Melee Weapon Savate Shotokan Karate Tae Kwon Do Thai Boxing Tai Chi Chuan Wrestling The Benefit of Multiple Styles Mystic Masters

Game Masters: Beware of Fun Toys

Blue Bottle Power Armor

149 149 149 150

151 151 151 151 151 151 151 151 151 152 152 152 152 153 153 153 153

Game Master Tips Genre Types

179 179

Types of Adventures Types of Obstacles Game Master Characters

180 180 180

Starting the Adventure Running Adventures Setting the Scene

181 181 181

Giving Options The Subtle Art of Misdirection Allowing the Characters to Fail Getting Rewarding the Players Advantages (and Disadvantages) Equipment and Other Loot Funds Information Character and Fate Points Super Hero Templates The Alien The Armored Super The Blaster The Brick The Cosmic Entity The Elementalist The Gadgeteer The Mentalist The Movement Specialist The Mutant The Shape Changer The Sorcerer/Mystic The Warrior

182 182 182 182 182 182 182 183 183 183 184 184 184 184 184 185 185 185 185 185 185 185 185 185

Wild West Pulp Real World Super Heroes Espionage

179 179 180 180 180

Asg Characteristics Character Points and Fate Points

180 181

Description Believable Characters Exciting Locales Personal Stake

181 181 181 181

157 157

158 159 159 159 160 160 160 161 161 161 162 162 162 163 163 163 165

177

3

Written Jerry D. Grayson

D6 POWERS: Revised and Expanded KHP010 ISBN0-0-97162349-X

Editing Kieran Turley

Check us out on the web www.godsendagenda.com

Cover Jerry D. Grayson

Artwork Andrew Huerta, Renee Grayson, Gary Dupuis, Joaquin Gonzales, Nelson Forero, Grace Palmer, and Jerry D. Grayson

Layout Jerry D. Grayson

Playtesting, Contributions, and Inspiration Jason Threlfall, Kieran Turley, Christopher Henry, Darren Kehrer, Erik Durcan, James Finley, Robert Weldy, Aaron Scott, Christopher Buss, Clea Grayson, Gabriel Grayson, Otho and Patricia Bobbins, Renee Grayson, Brandy Stovall, Bad Brains, Mr. T, Tracy McCormick, Rex King, Prince, and Fishbone

4

The contents are TM and © 2008 Khepera Publishing. The Khepera Scarab , D6 Powers, and Godsend Agenda logo are ® Khepera publishing. No portion of this book may be reproduced by any means without written consent from the publisher, except for review purposes. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental or used for the expressed purpose of parody.

D6 System Design Nikola Vrtis Based on Material by and with special thanks to: Greg Farshtey, Douglas Kaufman, Fred Jandt, Peter Schweighofer, Bill Slavicsek, Bill Smith, Ed Stark, George R. Strayton, Teeuwynn Woodruff, and other D6 System, MasterBook, Shatterzone, and Torg contributors

West End Game Publisher Eric Gibson For free , information about books for this game system and other WEG systems, links to fan sites, details on licensing this system, and much more, visit our Web site at www. westendgames.com! The D6 logo, The D6 System, West End Games, Ltd., D6 System, Legend System, West End Games, and WEG are trademarks of Purgatory Publishing Inc.

How do I use this book? The Powers book is a generic utility kit for any D6 game, and a revised and expanded powers supplement for the GODSEND Agenda game. The advantages, disadvantages, Powers, and gadget rules have been crafted to be functional in the vividlycolorful postmodern world of GODSEND Agenda or any homebrew worlds you might think up. Every effort has been made to make this book as generic and universally applicable to any game world using the D6 system, but a few things must be noted. A few entries in this book are specially tailored to the GODSEND Agenda world; these will be noted by a Scarab icon next to them. The Scarab icon does not necessarily mean that the rule can’t be used in a non-GODSEND Agenda game, just that the rule in question was formulated with that game world in mind. This book enables Game Masters (GMs) and players to create any character or creature imaginable from a plucky android, to a malevolent dragon, to a superman from a doomed planet

Key These definitions provide you with a general idea of what each term means; they are described in more detail within the book. italicized within each definition refer to another entry within this glossary. Action: A task that the character undertakes or something that the character does, like give a speech or climb a wall. Active defense value: A number the character gets when concentrating on getting out of the way of an attack. Armor Value: A die code representing the amount of protection a defensive covering provides. It can help determine the damage resistance total. This term is sometimes abbreviated AV. Body Points: The amount of injury a character can sustain, listed as a number. The damage total is subtracted from the character’s current Body Point total. Character Point: A bonus representing a surge of adrenaline or that extra luck the main characters of a story seem to have. Allows the to roll an additional Wild Die. Combat difficulty: A number representing how challenging it is to attack someone or something. It equals the active defense value or the ive defense value. Complementary skill: A skill whose results could benefit from the use of another skill. Creation points: Points used when deg a character to purchase die codes in game characteristics or other features that represent the character’s abilities, experience, and background. Critical Failure: A result, represented by a 1, on the Wild Die that indicates something bad has occurred. Critical Success: A result, represented by a 6, on the Wild Die that indicates something good has happened. Generally, the player adds the 6 to the current total and rolls again, adding and rerolling as long as a 6 comes up. D (as in “1D”): An abbreviation for “six-sided dice.” The number in front of the “D” lets you know how many six-sided dice to roll. Damage resistance total: A number that indicates how much injury a character or object can absorb, soak, or deflect. Damage total: A number representing how much injury or destruction something has caused.

Defaulting to an attribute: Using the die code for an attribute when the character doesn’t have a higher die code in the needed skill. Die code, score: The number of six-sided dice players roll (1D, 2D, 3D, 4D, 5D, etc.), and sometimes an amount (called pips) of “+1” or “+2” that is added to the total result that came up on the dice. “Die code” and “score” are used interchangeably. difficulty: A number representing how challenging it is to perform an action. Fate Point: A bonus representing that a character is using all of her concentration to try to succeed. Allows the player to, at least, double the number of dice on one roll. Sometimes the Game Master will provide other benefits. Free action: Any action that takes only a few seconds to perform or do, such as take a few steps or a quick glance around a room. Modifier: A number or die code that is added or subtracted from another number or die code to represent a change in the typical situation. Opposed difficulty, opposed roll: A difficulty that applies when one character resists another character’s action. In this case, both characters roll die codes related to the activity and compare them. ive defense value: A number representing a character’s innate ability to get out of the way of danger. It usually equals 10. Pip: An added bonus to the total result that came up on the dice. A “+1” means one is added to the total, while “+2” means two is added. Range (in combat): The distance from the attacker to the target. Result points: The difference between the total rolled with an attribute’s or skill’s die code and the difficulty of an action. Result point bonus: Usually, one-half (rounded up) of the result points figured for an action. It sometimes may be used to affect other rolls. Round: A unit of time equal to five seconds in the game world. Figuring out what happens in a round can take longer. Scale: A game mechanic representing that opponents of vastly different sizes can affect each other differently in combat. Standard difficulty: A number, generally selected from a chart, assigned to an action based on how challenging it is. Strength Damage: A die code representing the amount of harm a character can do because of his or her physical prowess. Toughness: A die code representing the amount of damage an object can take, similar to a character’s Physique attribute. Unskilled modifier, untrained modifier: A modifier added to an action’s difficulty that represents the increased difficulty of doing something without the right training or experience. The are used interchangeably. Wild Die: A six-sided die, of a different color or size from other dice used, that represents the randomness of life, with the 1 and the 6 indicating a special result (see Critical Failure and Critical Success). Wounds: The amount of injury a character can sustain, listed as a level. The level is determined by comparing the difference between the damage total and the damage resistance total to a chart.

Navigation through the book. This book has the following chapters: • Chapter One introduces Power levels and character points, and how to use them o gauge the power of characters and Non Player Characters (NPCs). The chapter includes archetypes and templates, used in character creation. The nuts and bolts of character creation start here. • Chapter Two lists advantages and disadvantages used to customize characters. • Chapter Three contains an introduction to powers and lists over a hundred powers for characters to use. • Chapter Four provides rules for gadgets and artifacts. • Chapter Five covers the combat and non-combat maneuvers that are the staple of the super hero genre.

5

6

Chapter One: Character Basics Character creation is fun. Did you ever look at a comic book or movie and think “I could have made a cooler character than that guy”? Well, here is your chance. This chapter provides a framework for you to create a new character from the ground up, All the basic information for character generation can be found in this chapter, more detail information on powers and advantages can be found in chapters two and three. Character generation has the following steps: 1. Select power level and creation points 2. Select character archetype (Optional, this shows your character’s basic motivation.) 3. Purchase attributes (How strong, smart, perceptive, or fast is your character?) 4. Purchase skills (Can you character pilot a spaceship or hack a computer?) 5. Purchase powers (Does your character shoot lightning or fly faster than the speed of light?) 6. Record static values (such as Move) 7. Calculate derived values (such as Body points and Strength Damage)

Power Levels and creation points When creating a character, a player begins with a pool of creation points that he spends to buy his character’s Attributes, Skills, Advantages and Powers. The power level the Game Master chooses for the campaign setting determines the amount of creation points in the pool. Power Level 1: The player has 80 points to build his character – maximum of 4 points in Disadvantages, maximum of 5 ranks in Powers. This power level is appropriate for vigilantes with little or no superhuman abilities. Power Level 2: The player has 100 points to build his character – maximum of 10 points in Disadvantages, maximum of 5 ranks in Powers. At this power level characters are “newbie” super humans, with decent super abilities. Power level 3: The player has 120 points to build his character – maximum of 10 points in Disadvantages, maximum of 10 ranks in Powers. At this level the characters are average super humans able to combat the many foes present on Earth. This is the default starting level for characters in the GODSEND Agenda and many generic supers games. Power Level 4: The player has 150 points to build his character – maximum of 15 points in Disadvantages, maximum of 20 ranks in Powers. Heroes at this level are seasoned professionals of noted skill and capacity. Power level 5: The player has 200 points to build his character – maximum of 20 points in Disadvantages, maximum of 30 ranks in Powers. The character is godlike in power and ability. Iconic super beings known the world and maybe the galaxy over are power level 5. Power Level 6:

The player has 400 points to build his character – maximum of 20 points in Disadvantages, maximum of 60 ranks in Powers. The character is godlike in power and ability. Godlike super beings are power level 6. Basic Character Creation Cost The following are the basic costs associated with character creation. • One attribute die equals four creation points. • One skill die equals one creation point. • Three skill specialization dice equal one creation point. • Advantages and Super Powers have their own costs associated with them; see their respective chapters for details. Other restrictions apply: • Attributes have a minimum of 1D and a maximum of 5D (it is assumed that 5D is the maximum possible for a human and any attribute above this level is considered super human). • The maximum starting number of dice that may be added to any one skill or specialization of skill is 3D.

Attributes Each character has six attributes, which measure basic physical and mental abilities that are common to every living creature (and some nonliving things), no matter what universe or dimension they exist in. Reflexes: Measure of balance, limberness, quickness, and full-body motor abilities. Coordination: Measure of hand-eye coordination and fine motor abilities. Physique: Measure of physical power and ability to resist damage. Knowledge: Measure of strength of memory and ability to learn. Perception: Measure of mental quickness and attention to detail. Presence: Measure of emotional strength, physical attractiveness, and personality. When you put dice in an attribute, you can either put whole dice in each attribute, or you can give each a mixture of whole dice and pips. Each die equals three pips.

Skills Skills are more specific applications of an attribute. For example, the skill dodge is a more specific use of your character’s Reflexes. Characters learn them through instruction or experience. Skills are areas of knowledge that are not necessarily common to every living creature. Some creatures simply don’t have the capacity to learn certain skills. All skills beneath a given attribute begin at that attribute’s die code. To highlight skills in which the character has trained or has some experience, add pips or dice to the base attribute value. As with attributes, when creating your character, you can either put whole dice in each skill, or you can give each a mixture of whole dice and pips. that each die equals three pips. Example: Your character’s Physique is 3D+1. If you wanted her to be a little better in the lifting skill, you could add one pip to the base attribute to get a lifting skill score of 3D+2. If you decided to add two pips to the base attribute, the lifting score becomes 4D. You can also specialize in skills. Specializations reflect a greater familiarity in a particular area covered by a base skill. One skill die equals three specialization dice. Of course, one specialization die still equals three pips. You don’t need to have any extra dice in the base skill in order to take a specialization in that skill, but when you give

7

your character specializations in that manner, they are treated as separate skills. If you give your character specializations in base skills he already has, those specializations are considered bonuses to the base skill when attempting tasks of that type. Once you’ve chosen at least one specialization and put one or two pips or dice in it, you have to use the remaining specialization dice and pips to either purchase more pips in the same specialization or purchase one or more pips in other specializations. You roll the specialization’s die code only when you use the specific item or knowledge reflected by the specialization. Otherwise, you roll the base skill (or attribute if you didn’t put additional dice in the full skill). Example: If your character’s Knowledge is 3D and her demolitions is 3D+2, you could give her a demolitions specialization of vehicles of +1 (which means that, when she’s attempting to blow up vehicles, she rolls four dice). You would then have two specialization dice and two specialization pips to place among other specializations. With these, you could further improve her demolitions: vehicles specialization, or you could pick one or more other specializations in the same or other base skills. The maximum number of dice the character may start with in any base skill is 3D greater than the governing attribute, with no more than 3D greater than the base skill in any specialization. You can find the list of skills and their descriptions on the next two pages.

Advantages, Disadvantages, and Super Powers Advantages and Disadvantages are benefits or quirks your character has developed. Some affect the character’s attributes and skills, while others serve as useful role-playing tools for rounding out the character. Super Powers are unusual talents or powers the character has that are outside the norm for Humans. The next two chapters, discusses these characteristics. You may ignore that section if you don’t want to add them to your character.

Move This number (usually 10) represents how many meters your character moves in a round at maximum walking speed in standard (1 g) gravity. (The running skill can increase this rate. It also serves as the base for other movement skills.) Should the character have a different sort of movement than normal (such as fins for legs); see the Hindrance Disadvantage (described in the Disadvantages and Advantages chapter) for information on how to for this variability.

Special Points Players’ characters typically start the game with one Fate Point and five Character Points. You can spend these points to improve your character’s chance of succeeding in especially difficult situations. (The mechanics of this are discussed in the “Game Basics” chapter.) Character Points alternatively are used to permanently improve skills. Your character earns more Character and Fate Points by having adventures. There is no limit to the number of Character or Fate Points your character may have at any time.

8

Ka Points (NOTE: This Pool of points is normally only used in GODSEND Agenda but may be used in any super hero game with no effort) Ka is the term for the very essence of the universe. This energy manifests in all things in the cosmos and can be focused by those few aware of it. Some beings are more attuned than others to the Ka, using it for extraordinary effects – and that includes your super heroic character, whether she is aware of it or not. All things in the universe are truly energy and, if a person is adept at manipulating that energy, nothing is impossible. Your character starts the game with a pool of points that can be use to affect the outcome of dice rolls or damage taken, much like character or fate points. The maximum amount of Ka your character may have in her Pool is equal to double her Presence Attribute, and it naturally regenerates at a rate of 2 points per day. In addition, your character’s Archetype allows her to regenerate Ka when she fulfills her chosen role in the universe. Your character may take Powers that require the use of Ka to activate them, or she may have Powers that strengthen or manipulate Ka outright. (More is discussed on this in the Powers Section.) Regardless, your Godsend character can use Ka for a variety of things outside of those other Powers: • Two points of Ka may be spent to receive the benefits of a character point die roll addition, and an unlimited amount of Ka may be spent in this way as long as you possess them. The character point(s) must be spent at the time of purchase and may not be saved. Ka may not be spent to buy character points for character advancement. • Six Ka points may be spent to buy one fate point. The fate point must be used at the time of purchase; it cannot be saved for later use. • One Ka point will give a +1 to Any one die roll, including damage, up to a maximum of +3. • One point of Ka will negate four points of damage. An unlimited amount of Ka can be spent in this fashion with the only limit being the amount of Ka the character possess. • Points can be transferred to another character at a rate of two per Action in combat, or an unlimited amount outside of combat. Characters cannot store Ka over their normal maximum; any additional Ka your character receives over her normal limit is lost. • Three points will give you one extra Action for one round of combat without any dice penalty. • Four points can increase one power by one rank for one round. 8 points will increase a power by two ranks and 12 will increase a power by 3 ranks. Etc, etc. In all respects the power increase only last for one round. An unlimited amount of Ka can be used in this manner. Example: Renee’s character, Avalanche is trying to catch villains that are driving away in a car. She commandeers a vehicle and starts after the culprits. To catch them while dodging through the heavy traffic she must make a piloting roll, difficulty 18. Her total piloting Skill is 3D. Renee doesn’t think that she’ll make the roll with such a mediocre skill level, so she spends 6 points from her Ka pool to buy 3 character points, raising her total to 6D. She rolls and hopes for the best. NOTE: If Ka isn’t being used in your game, then any time a power or ability calls for the expenditure of Ka the character expends Body Points instead.

Ka Gestalt Characters can combine their Ka pools by linking together through physical – Angelos, in particular, use this ability to great effect. One character per combat round now has access to the combined Ka reservoir. Others combined in the gestalt do not have access to their Ka energy while involved. When they separate, the remaining Ka is distributed evenly among them. Example: Three badly injured heroes decided to pool their strength to help one of their number assure she hits with an Energy Blast. One has 4 Ka remaining, one has 2, and another, the blaster, has 7. They link together for a total pool of 13. The blaster uses ten of the thirteen points to boost her skill roll by +5D, assuring she hits. They survive the encounter and separate, desperate to go home and rest. Since there are only three points left, each of them gets back one point. If there had only been two points left, they could have chosen which two to give the points to.

Body Points and Wounds This section of the character sheet allows you to keep track of the healthiness of your character. This book assumes that Body Points are used and are the default for all the powers and advantages in this book.

Determining Body Points When you create a new character, roll his Physique (including any modifiers from Disadvantages or Super Powers) and add 20. (Treat a 1 that comes up on the Wild Die as a 1 and add it to the total as normal; it has no negative effect on the result.) This becomes his Body Point total. Write it on the character sheet in the space provided. Templates already have their Body Points determined. Example: Your character has 3D+1 in Physique. You roll three dice, making sure one of them is the Wild Die. The dice come up 4 and 6, with a 1 on the Wild Die. Since the 1 has no negative effect, you add the numbers to arrive at a total of 11. You then include the pip bonus of 1 with this for 12. Finally, you add 12 to 20 to get a Body Point total of 32. .

Strength Damage

Funds To allow the game master to more easily adjust the “real world” cost to something appropriate for her world or her part of the world, this system substitutes difficulties for the prices of items. Each character thus gets a Funds attribute, which represents the amount of money the character can get without too much trouble on a regular basis because of work or investments. All characters start with a base of 3 in Funds. Use the accompanying table to adjust this number. Include any modifiers to attributes due to Disadvantages or Advantages. The minimum total is 1. The final total becomes the die code in the Funds attribute. After character creation, a player can increase the Funds attribute by spending Character Points (using the rules in the “Improving Characters” chapter) or through bonuses received as adventure rewards. If the game master prefers to use cash or its equivalent, multiply the Funds total by a value specified by the game master (typically the equivalent of US$150, 150 euros, or 15,000 yen, but game masters who want more accuracy can use a currency converter). This is how much money the character receives per week for whatever sort of work the character does or investments the character has. Example: Your character has 4D in Knowledge, 6D in business, and +2D in a specialization of business, investing. Starting with 3, you add to it 1 for your high Knowledge score and 1 for having at least 8D in business plus a specialization. Your final total is 5, which gives you a Funds score of 5D. If your game master preferred cash, you would start with a regular income of $750, 750 euros, or 75,000 yen per week. Using the funds attribute is discussed in the “Equipment” section of anyone of the core books. Determining Funds Characteristic

Modifier

1D in Presence

-1

1D in Knowledge

-1

Determining Strength Damage

4D or more in Presence

+1

To determine the Strength Damage die code, take the character’s Physique (including any die code modifiers from Disadvantages or Super Powers) and drop the pips. Divide by 2, and round up. Example: A character with 3D in Physique has a Strength Damage of 2D.

4D or more in Knowledge

+1

8D or more in the character’s business skill Plus its highest specialization

+1

Strength Damage indicates the amount of harm a character can do in combat with body parts, melee weapons, thrown weapons, and most missile weapons.

Templates and Strength Damage If you added dice to a template’s lifting skill, you’ll need to adjust the Strength Damage value listed. Use the information above to correct the number.

Equipment Players of starting characters may select one small weapon and a little protective gear plus a few tools of their characters’ chosen trade, unless there is equipment already listed on the template sheet. Some basic equipment is explained in the “Equipment” chapter; the Game Master may allow other options.

9

Background and Character Features The character sheet provided in this book and most other templates include places for your character’s name, career, species, gender, age, height, weight, and background information. Unless specified by the template or your game master allows it, your character’s species is Human. Everything else in these sections you are free to fill in as you like.

Height and Weight Players who want their characters significantly larger or smaller than the average Human have a few options. If the size is proportionately larger or smaller, then the character must have the Size Advantage. If the size is a hindrance, then the characters should have the Hindrance Disadvantage as well.

Example Archetypes The Adventurer The Adventurer is an everyday kind of guy who happens to have special abilities and the will to use them. An Adventurer’s goals are not lofty or dark; if you are an Adventurer, you just know right from wrong and feel a responsibility to use your abilities for the common good. Adventurers are known for flexibility and thoughtfulness. This is one of the most open and heroic of the Archetypes, and suitable for a character that’s certain he wants to be heroic, but not sure how to be. Concept Bonus: The character receives any 2D to add to ANY skill or 2 ranks of any Advantage of her choice at no extra charge. This bonus may not exceed the starting skill die code limit. Your character regains 2 Ka when she sets an example by doing what’s right, especially when others might hesitate.

The Bravo

Character Archetypes

(NOTE: Archetypes are normally only used in GODSEND Agenda but may be used in any super hero game with no effort) Every character in Godsend Agenda has an Archetype, which defines the basic qualities of their personality and gives bonus Skills and/or Advantages (always totaling 2 points in value) that compliment that type of character. An Archetype also defines how your character recovers his inner strength, or Ka – to regain your mental and spiritual strength in stressful or dangerous situations, you must act according to your Archetype! The list below gives a limited number of Archetypes – don’t let it confine you; it’s only meant to help you enhance your character. You could easily have a less-brooding Dark Avenger, or a tarnished Icon. Or, if nothing fits, feel free to invent more Archetypes, with the help of your Game Master. You do not have to select an Archetype at character creation, but keep in mind that you then forfeit the bonus points and that until you choose or make up an Archetype, you will only recover Ka slowly, over time (described later in this chapter).

The Bravo has not a care in the world, and lives for the moment. She’s the life of the party, the Ayatollah of Rock-n-Rolla, constantly joking, and taking everything not with a single grain of salt, but a whole bag of salt. She’s a high-octane joy girl (or boy) who always takes the big chances and somehow gains the big rewards, a thrill seeker who lives life to the fullest. But she must also beware the consequences of her actions! Concept Bonus: The character receives either 2 ranks of the Good Looks Advantage or 2D in the charm or dodge skill. The Bravo regains 2 Ka when she overcomes her enemies with reckless abandon!

Comedian The comedian is the crime fighter who fights not only with a sharp wit, but also with a contagious mirth. Always joking, he’s the bright side of every tragedy. With this Archetype, a character could also be the tragic clown, laughing on the outside but crying on the inside, and possibly very unhappy in their personal life. Concept Bonus: The character receives either the Trademark Specialization (R1)& Skill Bonus (R1) or 2D in any Presence skill. The character regains 2 Ka when he defeats a villain with mirth and wit.

The Dark Avenger

Changing Character Archetype It’s possible that at some point during game play, your character will want to change Archetypes. An Icon might become the victim of personal tragedy, becoming a Dark Avenger. Or a Scientist might become an Outcast during a mishap, determined that his projects were a failure. If something like this happens, you may switch your character’s Archetype (it’s possible to invent a new one at this stage, too) and redefine how your character regains his Ka. However, you don’t receive the concept bonus; these are only received at character creation.

10

The Dark Avenger is the character that fights the forces of evil with his rules, driven by some need to see justice being done, possibly on any . The character is consumed by the desire to wreak retribution on all villains, generally for some slight or tragedy that was committed against them in their past. To the Dark Avenger’s view, the streets are full of crime and the local law enforcement is either on the take or completely ineffectual. In order to take back the streets, the Dark Avenger and every rightthinking citizen should get their hands dirty, making the predators the prey. However, they may destroy a lot in the process of your vengeance, and certainly aren’t likely to make more friends – in fact, they may drive some away. Concept Bonus: The character receives either the Hard to Kill Advantage (R2), or 2D in the intimidation or sneak skills. The Dark Avenger regains 2 Ka when she brings the guilty to justice.

The Icon The Icon is the essence of the loftier ideals of humanity. People look up to her for what she represents. She’s the person who tries to lead by example, putting her best foot forward in the hopes that it will inspire humanity to do the same. Sometimes the people around her think she’s corny and stuffy, but it’s a small price to pay to achieve her goals! Concept Bonus: The character receives either 2D in the command skill, or the Fame Advantage. The hero regains 2 Ka when she lives up to her ideals and triumph over the forces of evil.

The Outsider The Outsider is different from normal society or people… or so he thinks, anyway. Whether hunted for real, or by some imaginary foes, the world is a much colder place to live than normal society, because The Outsider realizes what’s really going on. He’s the ultimate survivor, living by his own cunning and sharp wits. His friends probably consider him a pessimist, if they’re not likeminded. Concept Bonus: The character receives either 2D in the sneak or hide skill or the s (R2) Advantage. She regains 2 Ka when she thwarts her opponents with her cunning.

The Protector The Protector is the champion of an idea or place. She might be the defender of the environment on an island, or a small community anywhere, or might be devoted to ideas like “justice,” “purity,” etc. She fights with almost a religious fervor when protecting her charges, and takes her duties very seriously. She feels personal pain if by her own inaction, she allows harm to come to that which she protects. Concept Bonus: The character receives either 2D in the stamina skill or the Hard to Kill (R2) Advantage. She regains 2 Ka when she protects her charge(s).

The Rogue No one has more secrets than the Rogue does. The Rogue runs the borderline of a criminal, barely heroic character, and may have a shady past that he’s trying to run away from or forget. The straight and narrow path is one littered with temptation, and he must stay strong and not falter… because sometimes the unsavory deeds of the past come back to haunt you. More often than not, he’ll falter on that path, looking for an angle that leads to personal gain. He’s not above using his status as a hero to benefit himself. He has an absolute disdain for authority, and will always want to do things his way. Yet with all these personal drawbacks, he still has a sense of honor, and will stick with a friend to the end. Concept Bonus: The character receives either 2D in the sneak, sleight of hand, security, or hide skills. The character regains 2 Ka when he uses his skills to help atone for past deeds.

The Scientist The Scientist seeks knowledge for the sake of knowing. She could be any type of educated figure, from a mathematician to an exotic sorcerer. She is brilliant, and oft a little quirky, always looking for the cutting edge – and she won’t stop looking until she’s cut herself on it, too! This is not to say that every Scientist is a goofy, wild-haired guy in the basement of the science building – she could also be that ultra-sexy astrophysicist rock star who gets all the guys because she has all the brains. However, most Scientists share the common trait that they must know the unknowable – and that can get them into a lot of trouble! Concept Bonus: The character receives 2D in either the scholar, tech or gadgetry skill, or a Laboratory (R2). The character regains 2 Ka whenever she uses science (or knowledge) to solve a problem, or make a great discovery.

11

The Warrior

Crony

Your character lives for the fight and little else. He lives the Spartan life, always honing his abilities. He may have a social life, but this is probably by pure accident. The Warrior is always completely obsessed with the fight – his goal is to be the best, and the only way to be the best is through battle. Concept Bonus: The character receives 2D in either brawl or melee skills or any Physique skill. He regains 2 Ka when he defeats a worthy and equally matched (or better) opponent in single combat.

The Crony is the henchmen, the rent-a-goon, the minion, or thug. The crony’s sole purpose is to help facilitate the plans of his employer or master. You usually see lots of cronies with a Megalomaniac. This is a special Archetype reserved for the righthand man, not the rank-and-file soldiers belonging to the main villain’s organization. Concept Bonus: Cronies receives 2D in either Brawl or Melee Combat skills. The Crony regains 4 points of Ka when she carries out her master’s wishes.

Villainous Archetypes When creating villains for your game, some of the above archetypes may not fit your villainous character concept. Some of the established archetypes work just fine, as there are quite a few villainous Bravoes or Icons running around blowing stuff up, but some need a little more room and definition. After all, most villains aren’t protectors or comedians – well, some are, but not many. Thus, this section includes a list of Archetypes just for villains. Note: Villains gain 4 points of Ka instead of 2 for following their Archetype, reflecting that being a villain is easier, a more seductive path to power. All villains, no matter what their Archetype, should receive this Ka bonus. Villains also get this extra bonus because they are usually played by the Game Master, he needs all the help he can get when faced with two to six players trying their hardest to take him out.

Megalomaniac The Megalomaniac is a mad egotistical psychopath, wanting nothing more than to do things on a large scale – with him at the center. Megalomaniacs may be insane leaders bent on world domination, or just people with delusions of grandeur. Small-time crooks want to rob a bank, but the Megalomaniac wants to rob all the banks in the city at the very stroke of noon!!! Concept Bonus: The Megalomaniac receives 2D in the Command skill or Staff (R2) Advantage. The Megalomaniac regains 4 points of Ka when she carefully lays out and executes a grandiose plan.

Nihilist The Nihilist rejects all moral, ethical, and social principles, living only to hurt, annihilate, and devastate property and people. In most cases the Nihilist cares nothing for his own well-being and sees his eventual demise as a fate he cannot avoid. Nihilists are generally crazed and bloodthirsty monsters, serial killers, and robots programmed only to wipe out the designated enemy. They can be very cold and calculating, however. Concept Bonus: The Nihilist receives 2D in the Brawl skill or the Hard to Kill (R2) Advantage. The Nihilist regains 4 points of Ka when she destroys her designated target with reckless abandon.

12

Anarchist This archetype is not necessarily evil in the strictest sense, but many villains use a belief or theory focused around anarchy to explain selfish and miscreant behavior. The Anarchist believes (or at least claims) that all law is bad and individual freedom and needs should be absolute. If an Anarchist wants something, he takes it – and if a law impedes his progress, he breaks it. The Anarchist’s code of conduct is dictated by his needs at the moment, and those needs can be very dangerous. Concept Bonus: The Anarchist receives 2D to spend on any Skill or Advantage that she wants. The Anarchist regains 4 points of Ka when she states a need and does not let anyone or anything stand in her way when trying to achieve that goal.

Skills

As this skill list includes broad definitions not applicable in all eras or worlds for which The Powers book could be used, the game master has the final say on actual skill applications.

Reflexes Acrobatics: Performing feats of gymnastics, extraordinary balance, and dance (and related performance arts), as well as break falls. Useful for running obstacle courses or doing water ballet. Brawling: Competence in unarmed combat. Climbing: Scaling various surfaces. Contortion: Escaping from otherwise secure physical bonds by twisting, writhing, and contorting the body. Dodge: Slipping out of danger’s way, whether avoiding an attack or a sprung booby trap. Flying: Maneuvering under one’s own power (such as with wings) or in null gravity. Jumping: Leaping over obstacles. Melee combat: Wielding hand-to-hand weapons. Riding: Controlling and riding domesticated mounts. Sneak: Moving silently and avoiding detection, whether through shadows or crowds.

Coordination Lock picking: Opening a mechanical (not electronic) lock or safe without possessing the key or combination, as well as disarming small mechanical traps. Marksmanship: Shooting guns of any type. Covers everything from small slugthrowers to vehicle-mounted rockets. Missile weapons: Firing unpowered ranged weapons. Piloting: Operating any kind of vehicle or powered armor traveling on or through the ground, a liquid medium, the air, or space. Sleight of hand: Nimbleness with the fingers and misdirection, including picking pockets, palming items, and stage magic. Throwing: Hitting a target accurately with a thrown item, including grenades, stones, and knives. Also used for catching thrown items. (Using or modifying grenades as explosives for special destructive effects requires the demolitions skill.)

Physique Lifting: Moving or lifting heavy objects. Running: Moving quickly on the ground while avoiding obstacles and keeping from stumbling. Stamina: Physical endurance and resistance to pain, disease, and poison. Swimming: Moving and surviving in a liquid medium.

Knowledge Business: Comprehension of business practices and the monetary value of goods and opportunities, including the ability to determine how to make money with another skill the character has. Business can complement charm, con, and persuasion when haggling over prices for goods and services being bought or sold. Demolitions: Using corrosives and explosives to achieve particular destructive effects. Forgery: Creating and noticing false or altered documentation in various media (paper, electronic, plastic card, etc.), including counterfeiting, though tasks may require other skills to help detect or make the forgery. Gadgetry: This skill represents the ability to create devices beyond that of normal science. The character has the know-how to design and manufacture high-tech gadgets or magical artifacts, depending on her point of view. She can

formulate ideas and construct items thought of as superscience or eldritch lore. When encountering devices of mystical or high-tech nature, the character can use this Skill to discern what it is and how to use it. Languages: Familiarity with and ability to use various forms of communication, including written, spoken, and nonverbal. Characters may choose one “native” language in which they have written and spoken fluency. Additional languages in which a character has proficiency can be represented by specializations of this skill. Medicine: Using first aid techniques to treat injuries, as well as an understanding and application of medical procedures, including diagnosing illnesses and performing surgery. Navigation: Determining the correct course using external reference points, such as stars, maps, or landmarks, as well as creating maps. Scholar: This skill represents knowledge and/or education in areas not covered under any other skill (such as chemistry, mathematics, archeology, interior design, etc.). This may be restricted to a specific field (represented by specializations) or a general knowledge of a wide range of subjects. It is used to details, rumors, tales, legends, theories, important people, and the like, as appropriate for the subject in question. However, the broader the category, the fewer the details that can be recalled. It covers what the character himself can recall. Having another skill as a specialization of the scholar skill means that the character knows the theories and history behind the skill but can’t actually use it. It can be useful with investigation to narrow a search for information. Security: Installing, altering, and bying electronic security and surveillance systems. Tech: Using and deg (not making) complex mechanical or electronic equipment, such as programming and operating computers and manipulating communication devices.

Perception Artist: Making works of art, like paintings, photographs, and music or literary compositions. Gambling: Playing and cheating at games of strategy and luck. Hide: Concealing objects, both on oneself and using camouflage. Investigation: Gathering information, researching topics, analyzing data, and piecing together clues. Know-how: Ability to figure out how to perform an action in which the character does not have experience, as well as a catch-all skill encoming areas not covered by other skills (such as basic, not fancy, sewing or cooking). Repair: Creating, fixing, or modifying gadgets, weapons, armor, and vehicles. Search: Spotting hidden objects or people, reconnoitering, lip-reading, or eavesdropping on or watching another person. Streetwise: Finding information, goods, and s in an urban environment, particularly through criminal organizations, black markets, and other illicit operations. Also useful for determining possible motives and methods of criminals. Survival: Surviving in wilderness environments. Tracking: Following the trail of another person, animal, or creature, or keeping after a moving target without being noticed.

Presence Animal handling: Controlling animals and making them perform tricks and follow commands. Charm: Using friendliness, flattery, or seduction to influence someone else.

13

Also useful in business transactions, putting on performances (such as singing, acting, or storytelling), and situations involving etiquette. Command: Effectively ordering and coordinating others in team situations. Con: Bluffing, lying, tricking, or deceiving others, as well as verbal evasiveness, misdirection, and blustering. Also useful in putting on acting performances. Disguise: Altering features or clothing to be unrecognizable or to look like someone else. Also useful in acting performances. Intimidation: Using physical presence, verbal threats, taunts, torture, or fear to influence others or get information out of them. Persuasion: Influencing others or getting information out of them through bribery, honest discussion, debate, diplomacy, or speeches. Also useful in negotiations, business transactions, and putting on performances (such as singing, acting, or storytelling). Willpower: Ability to withstand stress, temptation, other people’s interaction attempts, mental attacks, and pain. The Game master may allow a specialization in a specific faith tradition or belief system to enhance many, though not all, applications of willpower.

SKILL Difficulty Modifiers What is in this Section When the generic difficulties aren’t enough, look up various skills in this section to get even more ideas on the challenge level for using those skills in common situations. Of course, not every possibility has been covered, but this provides a terrific foundation.

Using the Example Difficulties and Modifiers Unless otherwise stated, all listed modifiers are to the difficulty. Modifiers may be cumulative, depending on the situation. The associated attributed is listed after the skill name.

Information Difficulties Amount of Information

Difficulty

Basic or common information; unconfirmed rumors

5

Theories; generalities Complex concepts;

10

moderately detailed information

15

Professional level; extensive (though not complete) information

20

Cutting-edge topics; extensive information, including peripheral details and extrapolations

30

Condition

Modifier

Age of information (per century in the past)

+5

Closely guarded secret

+15

Perception-Based Skills Skills covered: search, tracking Game Masters can rely on the “Observation Difficulties” chart on the next page for situations involving the gathering of information. They can be used as difficulties to beat or as a means of reading the results of a dice toss. To see if a character notices details of a scene or situation, the Game Master may have the player make a Perception roll. Unless the characters are actively eavesdropping, searching, tracking, or performing a similar activity (and thus using the search or tracking skills), this ive observance of a scene does not count as an action. Use this chart as a guideline for how much the character notices. If the skill total meets or beats the difficulty, the character gains that much information. Observation Difficulties

Knowledge-Based Skills

Situation

Difficulty

Skills covered: business, scholar, tech The Knowledge attribute assists characters in finding out how much they know about a certain field, modified depending on the situation. For this reason, one chart of general difficulties can serve most uses of Knowledge, business, and scholar, some uses of tech, and investigation attempts involving researching a topic. Game Masters can employ the “Information Difficulties” chart in one of two ways: by picking a difficulty based on what the character seeks or wants to recall, or by comparing the skill total rolled to the difficulties (whichever level the character meets or beats is the amount and type of information collected or recollected). The less well-defined the skill is, the less information the character knows or finds. One high roll in any of these skills does not necessarily make the character an expert in that field. The roll represents only what the character recalls at the time. A high roll could reveal a specific detail of the information sought, as well as some hints for discovering more of what the character seeks. Characters may be assumed to have a general knowledge of their home country, culture, and era, including basic geography, famous people, and common etiquette.

Noticing obvious, generic facts; casual glance

5

Noticing obvious details (ex. number of people)

10

Noticing a few less obvious details (example. gist of conversation)

15

Spotting a few specific details (ex. identities of individuals)

20

Spotting a few obscure details (ex. specifics of conversation)

25

Noticing many obscure details

30 or more

14

Presence-Based Skills

Combat Skills

Skills covered: charm, con, intimidation, persuasion Characters use one of several Presence-based skills to influence other people that they meet. The typical difficulty is 10, modified based on the dispositions of the characters involved, but a Game Master may base it on a skill roll. See the “Mental Defenses” sidebar in the Mental Powers section of the book for more information on this; suggested difficulty modifiers are listed below. Die rolls alone should not determine interactions between players’ and Game Master’s characters. Game Masters should have their players detail what their characters say and do to before rolling the dice. The better the player acts the role of his character, the greater his chance of success should be, which Game Masters can reflect by allowing up to a +1D modifier to the skill roll. See also the individual entries in this chapter for charm, con (listed with charm), intimidation (also listed with charm), and persuasion.

Skills covered: brawling, dodge, marksmanship, melee combat, missile weapons, throwing Difficulties for these skills are included in the “Combat” chapter. For throwing, see also that skill’s entry in this chapter.

Interaction Modifiers Situation

Modifier

Target is friendly or trusting

-5

Target is neutral toward character or of equal standing

0

Target is hostile or has superior standing

+5

Target is an enemy

+10

Target is in weakened position

-10

Request is something target would do anyway or target feels is of minor importance

0

Request is illegal or highly dangerous

+10

Target is on guard or actively resisting*

+10

*Do not include this modifier if you are using the active mental defense described in the “Mental Defenses” sidebar in the powers section

Business, Scholar (Knowledge) See the “Knowledge-Based Skills” for difficulties and modifiers related to using this skill.

Charm, Con, Intimidation (Presence) Charm, con, and intimidation can enhance a character’s attacks and defenses. The player adds one-half of the difference (positive or negative) between the difficulty and the charm, con, or intimidation roll to any one attack or defense attempt (not both) made at Point Blank or Short range. The character must use the benefit from scaring (intimidation), tricking (con), or seducing (charm) the target on the same turn as or on the round after the interaction endeavor. The ’s appearance and demeanor can also affect charm, con, or intimidation attempts. The more threatening the character looks or seems, the less effective charm and con actions are, while intimidation attempts are more effective. Use the “Generic Modifiers” table in the “Game Basics” chapter to decide how much the appearance and demeanor affect the target, if a Disadvantage or Super Power doesn’t already provide one. See also “Presence-Based Skills” for other difficulties and modifiers for these skills.

Flying (Reflexes), Running, Swimming (Physique) Difficulties for these skills are included in the “Movement” chapter.

Hide (Perception), Sneak (Reflexes)

Interrogation Modifiers Target...

Modifier

Feels information is unimportant

-10

Feels information is of minor importance

0

Feels information is important

+5

Feels information is very important

+10

Would rather die than reveal information

+10or more

Interrogation Attempts Characters may use intimidation or persuasion to get information out of someone. Use the rules for mental defenses to determine the difficulty and base interaction modifiers. Further modify the number by how important the information is to the target. (See the accompanying chart for suggestions.) A separate intimidation roll to scare the target can complement an interrogation session.

The difficulty for a hide or sneak attempt is usually the opponent’s Perception, search (for hide), or tracking (for sneak), either as a die roll (if the opponent is actively trying to find the object or person) or as a derived value equal to the number in front of the “D” in the opponent’s attribute or skill times 2 and add the pips. Condition

Modifier

Heavy rain or snow

-3

Dawn, dusk, fog, many trees, large crowd, etc

-2

Night

-5

Inattentive observer

-5

Dense concealment (thick jungle, crowd of people in costume)

-5

Many distractions (party, parade, combat)

-5

Attentive observer

+6

Open terrain

+6

Good lighting

+6

Several observers

+9

15

Acrobatics (Reflexes)

Animal Handling (Presence)

Using acrobatics can also improve many of a character’s climbing, jumping, and running attempts. The Game Master determines the difficulty of the acrobatics stunt. One-half of the difference (rounded up) between the difficulty and the acrobatics roll is added to the complementary skill. The acrobatics attempt and the climbing, jumping, or running try must be done on the same turn. Instead of adding a modifier to the running or swimming difficulty for particularly challenging obstacle courses, the Game Master may have the hero make an acrobatics roll in addition to a running or swimming roll. The player may add one-half of the difference (rounded up) between the difficulty and the successful acrobatics roll to her intimidation attempt. The intimidating attempt may be made on the same turn as the acrobatics roll or on the next round. During a fall, acrobatics may be used to reduce bodily harm. If the character has not already used his turn for the round, he may rely on acrobatics in an attempt to land properly. The character generates an acrobatics total. For every five points over the base difficulty number of 10, the hero reduces the damage total by one point, in addition to a base reduction of one point. The damage total, however, cannot be lower than zero.

When attempting to get an animal to do a trick, the character must also roll against its willpower roll (the Game Master generates this). Examples of tricks include rolling over, getting into a cage, jumping up, and obeying commands. The character’s animal handling total may be modified by the attitude of the animal toward the character. The success of tricks is determined by a roll of the animal’s attributes or skills.

Maneuver

Difficulty

Somersault; pirouette

5

Handspring; cartwheel; handstand

10

Swing over a obstacle

10

Round-off; backflip

15

Vaulting over an obstacle

15

Bouncing off a surface to reach a specific destination

20

Walking up a wall*

30

*The character may “walk” a maximum of her Move in one round; she must have a flat surface to stop on at the end of her turn or she falls and takes damage from the fall.

Animal’s Attitude toward Character

Skill Modifier

Friendly or trusting

+5

Neutral

0

Hostile

-5

Willpower > Animal Handling

Result

1–2

Animal looks at the handler in a confused way.

3–6

Animal lies down for one round.

7–11

Animal lies down for two rounds.

12+

Animal snaps at the handler; if hit, the beast will attack the handler until subdued.

Artist (Perception) Quality of Piece

Difficulty

Amateur

9

Time required: A few minutes to half hour Professional Time required: Minimum one day

15

Emotionally moving

18

Condition

Modifier

Time required: Minimum one day

Flat surface to flat surface

0 -3

Prize-winning Time required: Minimum one week

24

Unlimited landing area Limited landing area

+3

Complexity of Piece

Modifier

Almost no landing area

+6

Simple; has one or two parts

-5

Rough or unsteady landing area

+3 or more

Moderate; has a few parts

0

High surface to low surface

+3

Complex; has many parts

+10

Low surface to high surface

+6

Slippery surface

+3

Strong wind

+3

Add a twist of the body (per twist)

+3

Performing the maneuver underwater or backwards

+3

Performing the maneuver in the air (such as on a trapeze or bars)

+9

Performing the maneuver on a narrow surface +6 Note: Characters may combine one or more maneuvers in the same action. In this case, use the difficulty of the most challenging maneuver, add 3 for each additional maneuver (up to five additional maneuvers), and include modifiers as if the complex stunt was one maneuver.

16

Climbing (Reflexes)

Worked together on a few occasions

+5

Difficulties for this skill are included in the “Movement” section. Note that taking care in climbing and carrying 50% or more of the character’s body weight slows the character down by two meters or more per round.

Seldom work together

+10

Never worked together before, or more than half of the hate each other

+15

No interest in working together; all despise each other; or can’t communicate with each other

+20

Condition

Modifier

Taking care in climbing

-5

Less than a 90-degree angle

-3

Less than a 60-degree angle

-6

Less than a 45-degree angle

-9

Prepared for climbing

-6

Carrying 25% of body weight

+3

Carrying 50% of body weight

+6

Carrying 100% of body weight

+15

Many handholds

-10

Command (Presence) The command skill governs the act of convincing individuals to comply with specific directions, as well as maintaining morale during group undertakings (such as combat or building large pieces of equipment). This skill is typically used only with the Game Master’s characters, though it can be sometimes attempted with the players’ characters (such situations should be roleplayed first, with a bonus or penalty to the command roll based on how well the group participated in the activity together). A high command roll can complement individual participants’ rolls in a group activity, while a low command roll can impose negative modifiers. It generally requires at least one round of planning to perform effectively. Characters can use this skill to combine their attacks. One person is designated the leader and makes the command roll. If successful, everyone goes on the leader’s initiative. Participants make their attacks with the hit location modifier (to reflect that they’re aiming at a designated location), but the target resists the combined total of all damage done it. If the command roll fails, determine initiative and actions individually. Complexity

Difficulty

Uncomplicated; imprecise

3

Easy; minimal precision required

7

Requires effort or precision

12

Difficult; requires high degree of precision

17

Requires much effort or extreme precision

22

Requires care and thoughtfulness, or exacting precision

28

Team

Modifier

All willing to follow leader’s orders no matter what

-20

All willing to sacrifice life for others

-15

Trained together frequently to work as unit

-10

Trained together briefly to work as unit

-5

Work together regularly, or willing to work together

0

Contortion (Reflexes) The chart below contains sample difficulty numbers for escaping from various kinds of restraints. Modify the difficulty based on the circumstances of the escape, such as the conditions the character works under or specially designed restraints. The character may not use this skill if completely immobilized. If in multiple restraints, the character must make a separate roll for each one. A Critical Failure indicates that the character has pulled a muscle (and he does his Strength Damage to himself). The Game Master decides whether he may try again. Note that this skill does not substitute for the lock picking skill. The character may be able to pull his arms over his head to use his hands, but he may not be able to slip out of the handcuffs unless they are improperly secured. Sample Restraints

Difficulty

Ropes

13

Wires, chain

15

Handcuffs

16

Straitjacket

18

17

Demolitions (Knowledge) The base difficulty is 5. For extra damage and special effects, the character must spend one round per difficulty number setting up the explosives. The character also needs to indicate how much explosive she’s using. If the attempt is successful, compare the skill total with the object’s damage resistance total (its Toughness modified by size, thickness, flaws, s, etc.). Items that take at least 13 points above their damage resistance total are severely damaged, if not destroyed. Items taking less than that are weakened, and another attempt may be made (with the object having a reduced damage resistance total and possibly other problems). that, while a character may think an object is constructed of one type of material, it may not be. Though this does not alter the difficulty of setting the explosive, it may change the results of special effects. For instance, an explosive set for thin wood won’t do much good if that’s only veneer for reinforced steel.

Condition

Modifier

Specific person

+15

Other sex

+6

Different race or species

+3

Great age difference

+3

Much larger build

+5

Much smaller build

+10

Resembles the disguise already

-5

Using skill on another character

+6

Using skill unaided

+3

Forgery (Knowledge) The artist skill may complement this skill, or the Game Master may require it to be used instead, with the forgery modifiers applied as appropriated. Reduce the amount of time spent on creating a forgery if the character has repeatedly succeeded at creating similar items in the past. Forger

Example Result

Modifier

Rigging a bomb so a car explodes the next time it starts

0

Blowing something open without leaving permanent marks or burns

+5

Item Forged

Difficulty

Rigging an explosion so its force goes in a specific direction

+10

Unofficial note or correspondence (Time required: 10 minutes or more)

6

Rigging an explosion so that only a certain, small piece of a much larger object is damaged

+15

Signature (Time required: 5 minutes)

12 18

Extra damage

+5 per +1D

Official document (driver’s license, legal tender)(Time required: 20 minutes or more)

Familiarity with Target

Modifier

Familiarity with Item

Modifier

Very familiar or common (tree, wall)

0

Intimately familiar or has sample

-10

Familiar (bulkhead, bridge )

+5

Somewhat familiar; has seen it quite often

-5

Unfamiliar (building of unknown construction)

+10

Slightly familiar

0

Completely unknown item or construction

+20 or more

Has only had it described

+5

Object Construction

Toughness

Guessing blindly

+15

Flimsy (plywood door)

1D

Tools

Modifier

Tough (hard wooden door, most guns)

2D

Have necessary tools and some special ones

-5

Sturdy (bolted steel door, personal safe)

3D

Have necessary tools

0

Very sturdy (a few layers of steel)

4D

Have some tools

+5

Reinforced (numerous layers of steel)

6D

Missing important tools

+10 or more

Disguise (Presence) A character’s skill total in creating the disguise serves two related purposes. First, the higher the roll, the less likely an observer will be to question the disguise. Second, the total becomes the difficulty number for Perception or investigation efforts to see through it. If the investigation check is higher than the disguise total, the disguise has been penetrated. If at any time while the character is disguised she performs an action inconsistent with the disguise, any observer has a chance to see through it. Although one character may use disguise on another character, the disguised character must actively work at keeping up the disguise using her own disguise skill or Presence.

18

Forgery Inspector Familiarity with Item Forged

Difficulty

Intimately familiar

6

Moderately familiar

12

Unfamiliar

18

Completely unfamiliar

24

Situation

Modifier

Have sample

-5

Have special tools for detecting forgeries

-5

Item poorly forged*

0

Item well forged*

+5

Item superiorly forged* +10 *The Game Master may add one-half (round up) of the number of points above the forging difficulty to the inspector’s difficulty instead of using one of these modifiers.

Gambling (Perception) Gambling doesn’t affect games that are purely random, but does influence games with an element of strategy, like poker. All characters make opposed gambling rolls, without spending Character or Fate Points, and the highest roll wins. A character may cheat by using Character or Fate Points on the roll, and the Game Master may give bonuses to rolls for people looking for a cheater or helping the cheater. The Game Master should consider as many “angles” as possible when using the gambling skill, and add these as modifiers to one or more participants’ rolls.

Investigation (Perception) When used to research a topic, a separate roll must be made for each source checked. Research Situation

Difficulty

Common knowledge

7

Requires searching through several sources; introductory theories

12

Sources are of varying reliability; cutting-edge information; specific information about harmless individual or event

18

Esoteric information; specific information about dangerous individual or event

24

Condition

Modifier

Information closely guarded

+5

Character unsure of information sought

+5

Character knows exactly what information is sought

-5

When used to figure out clues from a scene, the base difficulty is 10. The character must use search first to find the clues or evidence (or have them pointed out); investigation helps the character figure out what they mean. Situation

Modifier

Information about subject/event is sketchy

+15

Information about subject/event is extensive

-15

Evidence is fairly clear; many clues; familiar objects with expected use

-6 or more

Evidence is only partly clear; several clues; familiar objects with uncommon use, or unfamiliar objects with common use

0

Evidence is obscure; few clues

+3

Evidence is unusual or with no apparent significance; uncommon objects with uncommon use

+6

Repeatedly commits similar crimes (per crime)

-3

Distance between crimes (per 50 miles)

+3

Time between crimes (per 6 months*) +3 *While the crimes may have been committed over a greater time interval, the maximum value for this modifier is +30. Roll >Difficulty

Result

0–2

Basic information about the situation (a rope was used, type of gun).

3–6

Precise information about situation (probable manufacturing origin of evidence, small details about items in room).

7–11

Previous results plus how all items in an area were put to use.

12+

Reconstruction of events from the evidence.

19

Jumping (Reflexes)

Languages (Knowledge)

Difficulties for this skill are included in the “Movement” chapter.

Characters with a specialization in the language they are using who succeed at the skill roll receive a +3 bonus to determining the comprehension level.

Condition

Modifier

Flat surface to flat surface

0

Unlimited landing area

-5

Situation

Difficulty

Limited landing area

+5

Idea is very simple, consisting of a short phrase

3

Almost no landing area

+10

Rough, slick, or unsteady landing area

+3 or more

Idea is simple; no slang; children’s book

7

Uphill (more than 30 degrees)

+6

Idea is of average complexity; most adult nonfiction

12

Carrying 50% of own weight

+6

Carrying 75% of own weight

+9

Idea is complex; slang involved; most adult fiction

18

Carrying 100% of own weight

+12

Idea is very complex; technical jargon involved; academic writing

24

Situation

Modifier

One or two common, basic words

-5

Has a translating aid (book, computer program, electronic pocket device, hand signals)*

-5

Different dialect of own language

0

Language is derived from common root language (ex., understanding Spanish if you understand French)

+5

Completely foreign language (ex., Chinese has nothing in common with English)

+10

Obscure language; reading lips

+15

Language is unique to an uned culture, from a dead culture, or unpronounceable by the character trying to understand

+20

Language includes many concepts nearly beyond the character’s understanding or experience

+25

Know-how (Perception) To use this skill to help with an activity covered by another skill (which the character does not have), the character spends the round before examining the situation, performing no other actions, and making a roll of this skill versus the difficulty set for the action. The character gets neither the unskilled modifier nor the preparing modifier. Within the next 30 seconds (six rounds), the character may add the difference between the difficulty and the know-how skill roll to total roll for the attribute dictated by the actual skill required. The character may not use this skill in place of a skill she already has. The Game Master may limit the number of times per hour this skill may be used on the same action.

*Translation aids might provide their own bonuses, which are used instead of this.

20

Roll >Difficulty

Comprehension Level

0–2

Gist of idea; most words understood or conveyed properly; word usage seems stilted

3–6

Literal translation; slang expressed/translated incorrectly

7+

Subtle connotations

21

Lifting (Physique) At the Game Master’s discretion, a player may make a lifting check when his character first picks up an object. (Generally, if the object’s weight would give it a difficulty equal to or greater than one-half of the character’s lifting, rounded up, or the object is being lifted hastily or under stress, the Game Master should require a lifting roll.) For each round the object is carried, the character makes another check to see if he can continue to carry the object. If the player fails the roll, his character is too exhausted and must put the object down. If the character is doing anything else at the time (other than walking slowly or talking), continuing to carry the object counts as a multiple action. Difficulty

Weight

Physique is: Human (1D-5D)

Metahuman (6D-10D)

Superhuman (11D-15D)

Megahuman (16D-25D)

Ultrahuman (25D-40D)

1-5

-

-

-

-

50 kilograms

6-10

-

-

-

-

100 kilograms

11-15

-

-

-

-

200 kilograms

16-20

-

-

-

-

500 kilograms

21-26

-

-

-

-

750 kilograms

26-30

-

-

-

-

1 Ton

31-36

-

-

-

-

2 Ton

36-40

-

-

-

-

3 Ton

41-46

1-5

-

-

-

4 Ton

46-50

6-10

-

-

-

5 Ton

51-56

11-15

-

-

-

6 Ton

56-60

16-20

-

-

-

7 Ton

61-66

21-26

-

-

-

8 Ton

66-70

26-30

-

-

-

9 Ton

71-76

31-36

-

-

-

10 Ton

76-80

36-40

-

-

-

20 Ton

81-86

41-46

-

-

-

30 Ton

86-90

46-50

1-5

-

-

40 Ton

91-96

51-56

6-10

-

-

50 Ton

96-100

56-60

11-15

-

-

100 Ton

22

Difficulty

Weight

Physique is: Human (1D-5D)

Metahuman (6D-10D)

Superhuman (11D-15D)

Megahuman (16D-25D)

Ultrahuman (25D-40D)

61-66

16-20

-

-

150 Ton

66-70

21-26

-

-

20 Ton

71-76

26-30

-

-

25 Ton

76-80

31-36

-

-

30 Ton

81-86

36-40

-

-

400 Ton

86-90

41-46

-

-

500 Tons

91-96

46-50

1-5

-

600 tons

96-100

51-56

6-10

-

700 tons

56-60

11-15

-

800 tons

61-66

16-20

-

900 tons

66-70

21-26

-

1,000 tons

71-76

26-30

-

1,100 tons

76-80

31-36

-

1,200 tons

81-86

36-40

-

1,300 tons

86-90

41-46

-

1,500 tons

91-96

46-50

1-5

2,000 tons

96-100

51-56

6-10

2,500 tons

56-60

11-15

3,000 tons

61-66

16-20

3,500 tons

66-70

21-26

4,000 tons

71-76

26-30

4,500 tons

76-80

31-36

5,000 tons

81-86

36-40

5,500 tons

86-90

41-46

6,000 tons

96-100

46-50

7,500 tons

51-56

8,000 tons

Note: the chart on which a player rolls depends on the value of the hero’s Physique attribute (not the lifting skill). If the hero has 4D in Physique, she rolls on the “Human” column. If she has 6D, she rolls on the “Metahuman” column, while a hero with 12D in Physique rolls on the superhuman column. Additionally, heroes must roll regardless of the difficulty, because a critical failure on a wild die means that the hero failed to get a good grip on the object or that he dropped it. These adjusted columns reflect how someone with a higher Physique can more easily lift heavy objects.

Lifting Fatigue Modifier Time

Skill Modifier

1–6 rounds

0

7 rounds to 3 minutes

-5

3–10 minutes

-10

10–30 minutes

-15

30–60 minutes -20 Note: After the first hour, the character must make a check once per hour at the same difficulty as one hour. If the character fails the roll, then he must rest for twice as long as he was lifting the weight.

23

Lock picking (Coordination)

Persuasion (Presence)

Characters may not attempt to pick locks without some kind of tools (hairpins, wire coat hanger, telekinesis, etc.). Improvised tools do not add to character’s skill roll, but specialized tools will.

Characters can use persuasion to “pay” another person to behave dishonorably, such as through ignoring duty, looking the other way, or divulging secret information. Success depends greatly on the target. A target who is loyal or wealthy or fears being caught is less likely to accept bribes. Use the difficulties listed under “Presence-Based Skills” and further modified by such factors as the value of the money, goods, or information offered, the extent of favors given and received, and the target’s attitude toward the bribe. See also “Presence-Based Skills” for other difficulties and modifiers for this skill.

Type of Lock

Difficulty

Simple key lock

6

Complex key lock

12

Combination lock

18

Lock Condition

Modifier

Poorly constructed

-6

Well constructed

+2

Military or security style

+6

High security style

+9

Lock blueprints and diagrams

-4

Medicine (Knowledge) For game mechanics on using medicine to heal damage, see the end of the “Healing” chapter. Medicine Diagnosing Action

Difficulty

Determine existence of disease or injury (Time required: 1 round)

7

Determine toxicity of substance (Time required: 1 minute)

7

Determine type of disease, toxin, or injury (Time required: 1 minute)

12

Determine medicine, procedure, or antidote required (Time required: 1 round to 1 hour)

18

Determine cause (Time required: 1 day to 1 week)

24

Navigation (Knowledge) The base difficulty is 10.



Condition

Modifier

No idea which way is north

+10

General idea which way is north

0

Familiar with terrain

0

Terrain completely foreign

+5

Completely lost

+10

Have a com or similar navigational tools

-5

Plotting a way through a simple course

0

Plotting a way through a complex course

+6

Plotting a way through a dangerous course

+9

Determine exact location

+15

Condition

Skill Modifier

Have a poorly drawn map

+1D

Have a sketchy but accurate map

+2D

Have a well-drawn map

+3D

24

Value of Bribe

Modifier

Less than 50% of what is reasonable

+10

50% to 90% of what is reasonable

+5

Larger than expected

-5

Significantly larger than expected

-10

Piloting (Coordination) See the “Movement” chapter for details on using this skill.

Repair (Perception) The base difficulty to fix or modify any piece of equipment or vehicle is 10. The amount of damage sustained, the character’s familiarity with the item, availability of parts, and complexity of the task can modify the difficulty. The Game Master may require a separate tech roll to determine whether the character can figure out how to repair an unknown item. Destroyed parts must be replaced, which raises the difficulty. Additionally, if the character rushes the job, not only is there an increased chance of failure, but the item could also break again soon after its next use. Situation

Modifier

Light repairs/modifications

0

Heavy repairs/modifications

+5

Extensive repairs/modifications

+10 or more

Built or modified item

-10

Has item’s designs

-5

Common item

0

Has seen but not used item

+5

Has never seen item

+10

All parts available

0

Some parts available

+10

No parts available

+20

Correct tools*

0

Makeshift tools +15 *Tool kits might provide their own bonuses, which are used instead of this.

Riding (Reflexes)

Security (Knowledge)

When a character first mounts a ridable animal, she must make a riding roll against the creature’s willpower roll (the Game Master generates this). The character’s animal handling total may be modified by the attitude of the animal toward the character. The character stays in control if she ties or beats the beast’s roll. If she fails, consult the table below for what occurs. When attempting to get the beast to perform a special maneuver or during events that might frighten it, the character must also roll against the animal’s Presence or willpower. Examples of special maneuvers include jumping a fence, crossing a raging river, moving faster, or slowing down quickly. (The success of special maneuvers are determined with the animal’s attributes or skills.) Characters attacking from the back of a beast take a multiaction penalty for having to both control the mount and use their weapon.

To install a security system, use the chart below and select an appropriate difficulty number. The Game Master may award one-half of the points above the difficulty as a modifier to future disarm rolls. This represents the character adding a few extra improvements to the base system. To disarm or circumvent a system, the character first needs to find an access to it, which requires applying the search skill. Once found, the character rolls her security against this chart, modified by how well it was original installed.

Animal’s Attitude toward Character

Skill Modifier

Neutral

0

Friendly or trusting

+5

Hostile or wounded

-5

Type of System

Difficulty

No special protection

4

Regular security system

8

High-quality system

14

Bank

20

High-security complex

25

Cutting-edge security measures

30

Disarm Situation

Modifier

No special system set-up*

0

Good system set-up*

+5

Roll >Riding

Result

0–2

Beast stops and refuses to move for 5 seconds.

3–6

Beast stops and refuses to move for 10 seconds.

7+11

Beast bolts in a random direction for 1D rounds.

Superior system set-up* +10 *The Game Master may add one-half (round up) of the number of points above the security setting difficulty to the disarmer’s difficulty instead of using one of these modifiers.

12+

Beast bucks rider; rider must make a Moderate riding roll to avoid being thrown off.

Sleight of Hand (Coordination)

Search (Perception) When used to eavesdrop on or secretly watch an event or another character, the skill total indicates the amount of information gained from the surveillance. Use the “Observation Difficulties” table. A Critical Failure could mean anything from no information obtained to being immediately spotted by the character being observed, depending on the situation. When searching for a hidden object or person, the difficulty is generally the hide roll used to conceal the target. Otherwise, the base difficulty is 5, modified by the table below. See also “Perception-Based Skills” for more difficulties and modifiers for this skill. Situation

Modifier

Character knows target’s exact location

0

Character knows target’s approximate location

+5

Character has vague information about the target or its location

+15

Character has only general idea of what she’s looking for; searching for small objects

+20

Character has no idea what she’s looking for; searching for obscure or tiny objects

+25

Searching for microscopic objects* +30 *Might not be possible without special equipment or abilities.

The difficulty for a sleight of hand attempt is usually the opponent’s Perception or search, either as a die roll (if the opponent is actively watching for tricks) or as a derived value equal to the number in front of the “D” in the opponent’s attribute or skill times 2 and add the pips. Situation

Modifier

Watchful target; few distractions

+9

Observant target; light crowd

+6

Suspicious target

+3

Challenging act (such as palming a baseball)

+6 or more

Unobservant target; target constantly jostled; major distractions

-9

Confused or distracted target; crowded conditions; minor distractions

-6

Simple act (such as palming a tiny object or sliding a hand into one’s own pocket unnoticed)

-6 or more

Stamina (Physique) Game Masters may allow a character to make a multi-action stamina roll to complement a strenuous activity, such as lifting or running. The difficulty equals 5 times the current fatigue modifier. The character may add one-half (rounded up) of the difference between the successful stamina roll and the difficulty. The strenuous activity still receives the fatigue modifier. Whenever a character fails a stamina roll, she is fatigued; all actions are at -1D for every stamina check failed until the character rests for as long as she exerted herself. Characters can still continue if they are fatigued, until they fail

25

a third stamina check. At this point, the character is completely exhausted and must rest for twice the amount of time that she exerted herself to remove the penalty. To avoid the effects of a toxin (inhaled, ingested, or absorbed) or disease (encountered in any manner), a character makes a stamina roll. (The first attempt after initial exposure does not count as an action; subsequent attempts to resist the toxin do.) Several factors figure into the difficulty of the attempt, including the deadliness and dosage of the poison in question. For example, a fatal bout of botulism has a difficulty of 9, while a killing dose of cyanide has a difficulty of 42. Game Masters might call for stamina rolls against falling asleep or unconscious. (This counts as an action.) Resisting sleep is a difficulty of 5 per hour beyond the normal awake time, modified by environmental factor (too warm or too cold, noise level, etc.). For unconsciousness caused by wounds, see the “Wound Levels” table in the “Damage” chapter.

Streetwise (Perception) Streetwise helps characters get around urban environments. Some situations call for seeking out those living outside the local law, while others can be handled through upstanding citizens. Generally, the modifiers are the same for each situation, but the Game Master should adjust them depending on the circumstances. It is possible, though generally unlikely, that a character would be well-liked by both upstanding residents and local criminals. Example: In a village, a character would find it easier to gather information about a particular person (and thus the city-size modifier would be -15 instead of +15), but he might have a harder time getting someone to trust him enough to tell him about it (making the tolerance modifier +15). Seeking...

Difficulty

Things that are usually easy to find(ex., directions to the nearest police station)

4

Things that require discretion or careful investigation(ex., asking if the local law is straight or crooked)

7

Risky services; finding illegal and well-regulated items(ex., finding out an appropriate bribe for the local law)

14

Services of unusual skills; finding dangerous or carefully controlled items(ex., seeking a fence or a safecracker)

18

A specific criminal in hiding; finding items whose possession means immediate imprisonment

28

Size of City

Modifier

Large city (one million or more citizens)

0

Small city (several hundred thousand citizens)

Survival (Perception) A Character can rely on survival to figure what to eat, where to sleep, how best to deal with native dangers, and other information needed to get out of a wilderness situation alive. (Use streetwise for help in urban situations.) Situation

Difficulty

Woods

4

High mountains, ocean (near floor)

12

Desert, ocean (above)

15

Polar region

18

Different, non-Earth-like dimension or planet

25

+5

Space

35

Town (several thousand citizens)

+10

Modifier

Village (several hundred citizens)

+15

Situation

Amount of Law Enforcement or Tolerance of Residents

Modifier

Has been to this location frequently

+1D

Has been to this location within the past 10 years

0

Martial law or no tolerance for criminals or outsiders

+15

Has never been to this location

-1D

Criminal activity overlooked as long as it’s discreet; slight tolerance of outsiders

+10

Criminal activity overlooked as long as it’s not dangerous to the general public; tolerance of outsiders

+5

Criminal activity overlooked as long as it’s not dangerous to the local government; outsiders welcome

0

Anarchy; outsiders given same respect as residents

-10

Reputation of Seeker

Modifier

Never been to the location; no s; not trusted by local underworld or residents

Tech (Knowledge)

The base difficulty is 10. The difficulty charts for computer and programming can give Game Masters an idea of how to make tables for other complex pieces of technology. If using this skill to operate communication or sensor equipment, refer to the “Observation Difficulties” or “Information Difficulties” charts to determine how much information the character has learned. Complexity of Device

Modifier

+10 or more

Simple

0

Average

+4

Rarely visited; only ing knowledge of how the local underworld operates

+1-9

Complex

+7

Prototype

+10

Minor s; knows what to avoid; criminals or residents have no reason not to trust character

0

From a culture with a lower technological level

-5

From a culture with a much higher technological level

+10

Somewhat favorably known by local underworld or residents; several s

-1-9

Consists of many integrated systems

+5

Consists of hundreds of integrated systems

+10

-10 or more

Has a manual for the device in a language the character can understand

-3

Well-known and liked by underworld or residents or more

26

+10

Tracking (Perception)

Roll >Difficulty

Result

0–2

Basic idea of what the device can do, but not how to operate it.

3–6

Basic idea of what the device can do and how to operate it; may add the result point bonus to using the device on the next round if the character does not have an appropriate skill to use the device.

7+11

Previous result and may add the result point bonus to a repair attempt on the device, if proper tools and materials are available.

12+

Previous two results and can design a similar device, if proper resources are available

The base difficulty is 10 or the target’s sneak roll, if the target is actively trying to hide her trail. Characters can also use tracking to shadow a target. A shadowed character can attempt to spot the shadow with a search roll versus the shadowing character’s tracking roll. Game Masters may opt to include relevant hide modifiers to the tracking roll, if the shadow is being cautious. Condition

Modifier

Trail is a day old

+3

Trail is a few days old

+6

Trail is a week old

+9

Tracking during inclement weather

+6

Soft dirt, mud, snow

-3

Grassland

0

Computer Use Situation

Modifier

Open-access personal computer or mainframe

0

Networked computer

0

Forest, thin crowd

+3

Isolated computer

+3

Rain forest, dense crowd

+6

Accessible by a few people

+3

Desert, arctic wasteland, hard surface

+9

Accessible by owner only

+6

Number of people being tracked (for every 2 people)

-3

protected

+3

Tracking a wheeled vehicle

-6

Firewall protection

+6

-3

Files encrypted

+3 or more

Per additional vehicle

Programming Situation

Modifier

Simple programming language

0

Complex programming language

+3

Encrypting program

+6

Number of tasks program designed to accomplish (per task)

+3

Designed to work on multiple operating systems (per additional system)

+6

Condition

Modifier

Character unfamiliar with the program’s language

+3

Character experienced with the program’s language

-3

Willpower (Presence) Willpower is generally used to resist interaction attempts and mentally damaging attacks. See the “Mental Defense” sidebar in the Mental Powers section. Characters with this skill may generally use it instead of stamina to resist fatigue, sleep, and unconsciousness, though there may be some situations the Game Master restricts its substitution. See the stamina entry in this section for information on difficulties. Game Master can also use willpower (or Presence) to determine the reactions of players’ and Game Master’s characters to each other and to their surroundings. The more the Game Master believes that the character should be at ease or frightened, the greater the difficulty. Use the descriptions of standard difficulties to determine the level. This ive application of willpower is not an action.

Throwing (Coordination) In addition to being useful for tossing items, the throwing skill enhances a character’s ability to grab projectiles out of the air. The difficulty of catching an object is typically the thrower’s throwing or missile weapons roll. If the thrower wants the catcher to get the object, and thus takes care to throw well, reduce the thrower’s skill total by 9. Combat difficulties for this skill are included in the “Combat” chapter.

27

28

Disadvantages

Achilles’ Heel (R3) Achilles’ Heel (R4) Advantage Flaw (R1) Advantage Flaw (R2) Advantage Flaw (R3) Age (R1) Age (R2) Allergy (Variable) Bad Luck (R2) Bad Luck (R3) Bad Luck (R4) Ball and Chain (R1) Ball and Chain (R2) Ball and Chain (R3) Ball and Chain (R4) Burn-out (R1 or more) Cultural Unfamiliarity (R1) Cultural Unfamiliarity (R2) Cultural Unfamiliarity (R3) Debt (R1) Debt (R2) Debt (R3) Devotion (R1) Devotion (R2) Devotion (R3) Employed (R1) Employed (R2) Employed (R3) Enemy (Variable) Hindrance (R1 or more) Illiterate (R1) Infamy (R1) Infamy (R2) Infamy (R3) Known Publicly (R1) Language Problems (R2) Learning Problems (R1) Overconfident (R1) Overconfident (R2) Overconfident (R3) Poverty (R1) Prejudice (R1) Prejudice (R2) Price (R1) Price (R2) Quirk (R1) Quirk (R2) Quirk (R3) Reduced Attribute (R2) Secret Identity (R2) Short Life Span (R1) Short Life Span (R2) Short Life Span (R3) Strange Appearance (R1) Strange Appearance (R2) Strange Appearance (R3) Terrible Secret (R1) Terrible Secret (R2) Terrible Secret (R3)

31

31 32 32 32 33 33 33 34 34 34 34 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 37 37 37 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 39 39 39 39 39 39 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 41 41 41 41 41 41

Advantages

42

Allies Authority (R1) Authority (R2) Authority (R3) s R1 s (R2) s (R3) s (R4) Cultures (R1) Cultures (R2) Cultures (R3) Cultures (R4) Efficient Ka (R3) Efficient Ka (R4) Efficient Ka (R5) Extra Body Points (R3) Extra Body Points (R4) Extra Body Points (R5) Fame (R1) Fame (R2) Fame (R3) Good Looks (R1) Good Looks (R2) Good Looks (R3) Hard to Kill (R1) Hard to Kill (R2) Hard to Kill (R3) Instant Change (R3) Laboratory (1) Laboratory (2) Laboratory (3) Laboratory (4) Ominous Demeanor (R1) Ominous Demeanor (R2) Ominous Demeanor (R3) Ominous Demeanor (R4) Patron (R1) Patron (R2) Patron (R3) Quick Study (R3) Secret Hideout Sidekick Size (R1 or more) Skill Bonus (R1) Skill Minimum (R4) Staff Rent-a-Goons! Trademark Specialization (R1) Uncanny Aptitude (R3) Wealth (R1 or more) Youthful Appearance (R1 or more)

42 42 42 42 42 42 43 43 43 43 43 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 47 47 47 48 48 48 48 49 49 49

29

Disadvantages and Advantages Disadvantages Achilles’ Heel (R3) Advantage Flaw (R1) Age (R1) Allergies (Variable) Bad Luck (R2) Ball and Chain (R1) Burn-out (R1 or more) Cultural Unfamiliarity (R1) Debt (R1) Devotion (R1) Employed (R1) Enemy (Variable) Hindrance (R1 or more) Illiterate (R1) Infamy (R1) Known Publicly (R1) Language Problems (R2) Learning Problems (R1) Overconfident (R1) Poverty (R1) Price (R1) Quirk (R1) Reduced Attribute (R2) Secret ID (R2) Short Life Span (R1) Strange Appearance (R1) Terrible Secret (R1)

What Is in this Chapter

This chapter is for players who want to expand their characters’ possible backgrounds and abilities. After completing basic character generation in Chapter 1, look through this chapter to “flesh out” your character’s history and abilities. You’ll find interesting game and story-related options called Advantages and Disadvantages. These represent intangible aspects of your character that aren’t reflected by the character’s attributes and skills. If something here inspires you to change your character’s basic characteristics, feel free to go back and make adjustments. Advantages are perks that the character has because of her status in society, the people she knows, or something in her background. They generally do not directly affect attributes or skills. Disadvantages hamper the character in some way. They might affect her attributes or skills or they might mean trouble for her in certain situations. Both Advantages and Disadvantages make the character more rounded and more believable.

Expanding the Character Concept When you first created your character, you probably had a concept in mind or one was suggested by the template that you used. Now is the time to expand the character’s history. There are several ways you can do this. The easiest is to answer questions like:

30

Advantages Allies (Variable) Authority (R1) s (R1) Cultures (R1) Efficient Ka (R3) Extra Body Points (R3) Fame (R1) Good Looks (R1) Hard to Kill (R1) Instant Change (R3) Laboratory (1) Ominous Demeanor (R1) Patron (R1) Quick Study (R3) Secret Hideout Sidekick (Variable) Size (R1 or more) Skill Bonus (R1) Skill Minimum (R4) Staff (Variable) Trademark Specialization (R1) Uncanny Aptitude (R3) Wealth (R1 or more) Youthful Appearance (R1)

• Where and when was my character born? • What did my character do as a child? • What unusual experiences did my character have? • How did my character become the person he is now? • What is one of my character’s major goals? • What was my character doing right before the game begins? • Why does your character have the skills that he has? Say your character knows marksmanship and several specializations. Why? Was the character in the army? A gangster? A member of a secret paramilitary organization? How were these skills learned? You don’t have to explain every skill, but try to rationalize any unusual skills, as well as skills the character has two dice or more in (he is really good at those). There are, of course, other questions you can come up with, though these are among the most common. You can jot down notes and you can go back and fill in the gaps as you go. You can make up the name of the character’s school, the exact date of birth, and other things as you go along. If you’re stuck for ideas, read the basic description of the game setting or think of ideas you have seen in books, television shows, and movies — you can develop ideas based on them.

Browse the Advantages and Disadvantages You might not want to write a background for your character until you look at some of the options available to you. Take a look at the Advantages and Disadvantages, and see some of the benefits and drawbacks you can choose for your character. You might see something you want to work in, and that will help give you ideas for a background story.

Aliens, Mutants, Fantastic Species Non-Human characters and monsters have been a staple of role-playing games since their inception. Zombies, ghosts, space aliens, and nuclear mutations are all possibilities in a roleplaying game, depending upon the game setting, as are any other combinations you can devise.

Selecting Character Options Advantages and Disadvantages make the character more interesting, more (and less) effective, and more fun to role-play (if you do it right). You know the story of your character — here’s what that story means.

Playing Character Options Every character option in this chapter has its own rules for implementation. There are, if you look hard enough, some nightmarish combinations. If something seems like it is could cause trouble in the game later on, check with your Game Master before choosing it. Ultimately, the game master has final say on the choice of all Advantages, Powers, and Disadvantages, as well as final say on the interpretation of those choices. Players who misuse their character options, particularly their Disadvantages, may find their Advantages or Powers meeting with some unfortunate accident.

Organization Advantages, Disadvantages, and Powers are listed alphabetically in their respective sections. Advantages and Disadvantages are further organized into ranks. These ranks are numbered; higher-numbered ranks have a more powerful affect on the character. They are abbreviated R1, R2, R3, R4, and so on. Note: Game masters may allow higher ranks of character options than the examples given here. Players and game masters should discuss the best way to represent their characters’ unique set of traits.

Costs at Character Creation Each rank in an Advantage or Disadvantage is worth one creation point. Advantages cost creation points, while Disadvantages give you creation points. Thus, a Rank 1 Advantage costs one point or die, while a Rank 4 Disadvantages gives you four points or dice.

Using the Additional Creation Points You may use creation points that you earn from giving your character Disadvantages to buy Advantages (at their rank cost), more skill dice (at a rate of one creation point for each skill die), or more attribute dice (at a rate of four creation points for each attribute die).

Disadvantages

Many Disadvantages exist as counterparts to the Advantages listed herein. Some have role-playing effects, while others alter attributes and skills. When choosing Disadvantages, keep a few things in mind: 1. You’re going to have to live with the Disadvantage. Take only Disadvantages that you don’t expect to ever get rid of — there are rules for eliminating Disadvantages, but game master may allow their use only after lots of adventuring. 2. Choose more role-playing Disadvantages than game mechanic ones. Instead of taking easy-to-use modifiers to skill attempts or abilities, select Disadvantages that you can role-play. Granted, you won’t want to have an overwhelming number of either type of Disadvantage, but Disadvantages that can be roleplayed and can work themselves into an adventure story are much more interesting than simple modifiers to difficulty numbers. 3. The Disadvantage has to be a disadvantage. Any Disadvantage that can be easily worked around, no matter how potent, or that actually helps the character on a regular basis is not a Disadvantage. For example, if a character has an Advantage Flaw where he can’t use his Advantage when the temperature is below 60, and the character is always adventuring in places where the temperature is at least that high, then it is not a Disadvantage. Check all Disadvantages (and other character options, for that matter) with your game master and explain to him what you think they mean before you start playing the game. That way, you can avoid this problem before it crops up. Game masters who figure out the player was purposely trying to break the system may take away the Disadvantage and an equal amount of Advantages, Powers — maybe even Character and Fate Points.

Achilles’ Heel (R3)

The character has a particular serious weakness. It is not something that most other characters find especially dangerous or inconvenient, but the character suffers severe modifiers to difficulties or even damage when exposed to it. Restrictions/ Notes: The Achilles’ Heel (R3) should be very serious, but not “instant death” for the character. There should always exist some way to avoid it (not easily), or some chance that the character can counter it. The more creative the Achilles’ Heel (R3), and the more likely it affects the character, the less it actually should do. A character who is vulnerable to water (he probably has a phobia), for example, might “panic” and suffer +3 to the difficulty of all actions when exposed to a large body of water, +5 when in it, and +3 when wet. Or, the character might just take 3D in damage every time he gets a significant portion of his body wet. Some examples include: Atmospheric Incompatibility: The character is sensitive to something in the normal atmosphere and must shield himself from it. Failure to do so causes him to take a -4 modifier to his damage resistance total or the character takes a +1 modifier to all difficulties (which increases by +1 per minute exposed) until the character is out of the harmful situation. Example: The high quantity of carbon monoxide produced by some combustion engines may poison a plant creature. When in the presence of these engines (such as when in a big city where these sorts of engines are used), the character must have an “air filter” on at all times. Cultural Allergy: The same as above, but there is some social situation that causes the character to freeze (exposure to nudity, the sight of police, etc.) and lose all Critical Success rerolls until the condition is gone. Environmental Incompatibility: The character is sensitive to something in the environment: an extreme of temperature, the chemical content of rain water, etc. Exposure to this without the

31

proper protection causes the character to take -4 modifier to his damage resistance total or the character takes a +1 modifier to all difficulties (which increases by +1 per minute exposed) until the character is out of the harmful situation. Metabolic Difference: The character needs more life (typically food) than “normal” and begins to take damage after hours of malnutrition. For every hour after the specified time frame, the character’s damage resistance total is modified by -1, which cannot be recovered except by obtaining the additional life — and making up for the skipped amounts. For food, the character eats the equivalent of twice as many meals per day as the average Human. For instance, the character must eat a meal every four hours or, every hour after the four are up, the character’s damage resistance total goes down. As another example, three times per day, a different character may need to eat twice as much as a normal Human. Nutritional Requirements: The character must ingest an element not commonly consumed by Humans (blood, dead Human flesh, etc.) to survive. Often, the character encounters prejudice because of this, and she certainly develops physical problems if she fails to consume this substance in a reasonable amount of time. Rot: The character’s body is rotting. She periodically loses pieces of herself (such as fingers and toes) and must pause to fuse them back on (this is a simple action but takes a round to perform). The character suffers no damage from this, but it should inconvenience her. For instance, in combat, the character’s fingers might fall off, causing her to drop her weapon — this makes an excellent Critical Failure complication. Note: This disadvantage is good one for robot characters who are falling apart Vulnerability: A particular form of attack or interaction affects the character much more severely than other characters. For example, a character with a vulnerability to firearms might “freeze up” when he sees another character point a gun at him — making the other character +5 to hit him (most likely during the first round of combat only). Another character might automatically apply +10 to the difficulty of any attempts to resist another character’s con attempts. (The less likely the situation is to occur, the greater the difficulty modifier.)

Achilles’ Heel (R4) The character’s weakness is even more severe than the Rank 3 version of this Disadvantage. Some examples include: Allergy: The same rules apply as for Allergy, save that the character cannot perform any actions except running away while exposed to the allergen. Cultural Allergy: The same rules apply as for Cultural Allergy (R3), save that not only does the character lose all Critical Success rerolls if exposed to the specified social situations, she also is at +1 to all difficulties. Atmospheric or Environmental Incompatibility: The modifier to the damage resistance total goes up, or the condition is more likely to occur, or the modifier increases each round. Rot: The character loses major parts of his body periodically due to rotting (such as limbs) and must pause to replace them. Doing so requires no skill total but does take three rounds to perform. The trigger that causes this to take effect should occur no less frequently than a Critical Failure during combat and interaction rounds. Symbiosis: The character is bound symbiotically to another, drawing strength or energy from her. Symbiosis can be either physical or mental. For every 100 meters by which one character is separated from the other, the character loses one pip (cumulative) to either their physical attributes or their mental

32

attributes. (: three pips equal one die.) If the character’s symbiote is killed, the character loses 1D from the attributes affected until she can convince another character to willingly bond with her (the bonding process should be simple — like sharing blood — but willing participants must want it to happen). For an extra rank in this Disadvantage, the character is bound both mentally and physically to another, and loses from both sets of attributes if separated. For the separation to equally affect the “host,” he must also have this version of the Achilles’ Heel Disadvantage. Restrictions/Notes: Additional ranks of the Achilles’ Heel Disadvantage indicate even more deadly situations. See Achilles’ Heel (R3) for other notes.

Advantage Flaw (R1)

This Disadvantage is linked to a particular Advantage or set of skills. Whenever the character uses it, there is some a chance for a negative modifier or role-playing disadvantage. Here are some examples for certain Advantages: s: The helps the character, but he is either “annoying” about it or a “hard bargainer.” Where a normal would assist the character for an almost negligible fee, the Flawed will haggle and nag until “rewarded.” Some reason should exist why the character would want to keep the happy. Cultures: When the character gets hints or knowledge about a culture, he knows everything except some sort of critical piece of information. Or, if the character has the “sweeping knowledge” of lots of cultures, his interpretations sometimes are almost totally wrong (game master option). In order to make this Flaw work, the character should not find out about the error until it would be “interesting.” Skills: If the character fails at the skill check with one of a set of three related skills, she can’t reroll Critical Successes either until the end of the scene or until she succeeds at the skill check. Wealth or Funds: The character cannot access his wealth easily. Either it is tied up in red tape most of the time (especially if the character has most of the money invested), or he has to go somewhere to get it (such as having a fortune back East while adventuring in the Wild West), or someone else (reasonably friendly) has control over it and doesn’t always release it easily. Restrictions/Notes: In general, at Rank 1, a flaw should not debilitate a character or take away his Advantage on a regular basis — but it should make it a little less of a sure thing.

Advantage Flaw (R2) This Disadvantage works in exactly the same manner as Advantage Flaw (R1), above, but with more serious results. If the Flaw came into play occasionally (like every time the character visited a desert), it now comes into play much more frequently (like when he is in any dry environment). If the Flaw made things a little more difficult, then the Flaw makes things a lot more difficult (the difficulty modifier doubles from the Rank 1 version). Restrictions/Notes: Having circumstances that effectively take away the complete benefit of the Advantage is certainly within the bounds of Advantage Flaw (R2), and those circumstances can occur reasonably often (no more than during one quarter of a normal adventure, however). They will force the player to roleplay and to think about ways to get around the Flaw or to try other options, rather than just relying on a particular Advantage, Super Power, or skill set. Example: If a character has a set of skills with the Flaw that they only work at night — a Rank 2 Flaw if only about a quarter of the character’s normal adventuring occurs during the daytime — that would force the character to rely on other abilities and his wits during the daytime. The rules for Advantage Flaw (R2) are otherwise the same as Rank 1.

Advantage Flaw (R3) This rank takes on some of the characteristics of an Achilles’ Heel (R3), but more in direct relationship to an Advantage, an attribute, or a large set of skills. The rules for the flaw are the same as for Advantage Flaw (R2), but the effects are even more severe. Not only does the character lose the benefits of the Advantage or attribute (or undergoes a condition that essentially negates it), but he also suffers an additional Disadvantage. Example: Your character has this Disadvantage attached to her Mental powers. Every time she uses her Mental abilities, she taps into the general mood of the people around her. If the people near the mentalist are feeling strong or negative emotions, the character gets a nasty headache, causing her to immediately loses the ability to use her mental powers and she can’t reroll any Critical Successes until the end of the scene. Some other examples: Infection: Under certain circumstances, the character es along select abilities and characteristics to another character. The character has an infection score of Physique +2D. (This is not a skill and players may not raise except by taking additional ranks in this version of the Disadvantage.) The Game Master and the player should determine how the character spreads the infection. It could happen as the side effect of an attack, through physical , or through some other means. When the character performs the requisite action, rolls Physique +2D, which does not count as a separate action. The target rolls the higher of his physique or stamina as well, which does not count as an action. If the character’s roll exceeds the target’s roll then the target is infected. An infection es certain Powers and Disadvantages to the target. The player and the Game Master specify the ed abilities when the player gives the character this Disadvantage. It is possible for the infection to more ranks in Disadvantages on than Powers, but is not possible for it to more ranks in Powers than Disadvantages. Keep in mind that the infected character may well hate the character responsible for his new state, so the infecting character may have gained an Enemy. In fact, there should exist some overwhelming reasons why this is actually bad for the infecting character — it is a Disadvantage, after all. Game masters who do not feel that the Enemy Disadvantage is enough of a negative could also work in other sorts of Advantage Flaws as side effects of spreading the infection. For an extra rank in the Advantage Flaw: Infection Disadvantage, the infection die code increases to Physique+4D. Also, the penalties for infecting other characters should be more severe — maybe the character infected then knows things about the infection character that will give him an advantage over his enemy, or perhaps the infecting character temporarily loses abilities or attribute pips. Minor Stigma: There is something that the character cannot do without performing the “proper rituals” before or after (a fighter whose cult must “purify” him after killing someone; a psychic who cannot use Psionics without special equipment). Stench: The character smells terrible due to one of his Advantages or just because he exists. Add 6 to the difficulty of all stealth attempts, as everyone can smell him coming. This also affects interaction attempts, giving them at least a +1 to the difficulty. Restrictions/Notes: Advantage Flaw (R3) takes a powerful Advantage and turns it into a worse-than-useless Disadvantage for a comparatively brief period of time. A single Advantage can have more than one Advantage Flaw, and, if the character wants, several Flaws, of various ranks, can link to one Advantage. See other ranks of Advantage Flaw for more information and examples.

Age (R1)

The character is a teenager or just past middle age. And, since this is a role-playing game and not real life, he’ll stay that way. In general, characters who are “too young” often have to role-play through episodes where they are not taken seriously, where they are ignored, and where they have less rights and control than older characters. Those who are “too old” get treated in much the same way — characters in their prime often defer to the character, but they also treat the character as if he were infirm or possibly senile. Restrictions/Notes: In general, the game master should try to treat the character as if he were “too old” or “too young” and have fun with it. Game mechanics are seldom required, as good role-playing can make things work here, but if they become necessary, add 3 to the difficulty of intimidation and persuasion actions performed by the character that his age would bother (a young character trying to lead a group of experienced characters, or an older character trying to convince younger characters that he is “with it”). A character may only have one version of Age.

Age (R2) The Disadvantage is the same as above, only more so. Instead of being a teenager, the character is a preteen child. Instead of being just past middle age, the character is old. The role-playing situations are basically the same, but the effects are more dramatic. Restrictions/Notes: An old character receives +1 to the difficulty of physical actions (those that rely on Reflexes, Coordination, and Physique) that require unusual exertion (running, jumping, fighting, etc.). A young character adds 1 to the difficulty of all mental actions (those that use Knowledge, Perception, or Presence) when attempting to solve “adult” problems or interact with adults. Players should role-play both versions true to type. Two Disadvantages suitable for association with this one include Reduced Attribute (especially for Age: Old) and Hindrance. Characters may be “young” or “old” and not take this Disadvantage. Older characters in good shape have no problems jogging, lifting, fighting, or whatever, and young, intelligent people can often interact and think just as well — if not better — than adults. This Disadvantage addresses those characters, young and old, who can’t keep up as easily.

33

Allergy (Variable)

The character is strongly affected by an object or substance that she cannot always avoid. When exposed to the allergen, the character is immediately affected if she is in range and either takes damage or has her chosen ability diminished by the amount of the severity. The character starts to regenerate body points once away from the source of the allergy (at their normal recovery rate) or diminished abilities at a rate of 1 pip per 10 minutes (30 minutes recover one die). Frequency Unique and one of a kind (The Spear of Longinus)

1 Point

Very Rare (Element X from Planet 9)

2 Points

Rare (Uranium)

3 Points

Uncommon (Gold, silk)

4 Points

Common (plastics, steel)

5 Points

Ubiquitous (air, sun)

6 Points

Range 0-1 meter

0 Points

2 - 3 meters

1 Point

4 - 8 meters

2 Points

9 – 20 meters

3 Points

21 – 50 meters

4 Points

51m-1 kilometer

6 Points

Unlimited

8 Points

The character is exceptionally unlucky. This Disadvantage is under the game master’s control most of the time. The easiest way to handle it is, whenever the player rolls the dice and a Critical Failure comes up, not only does it take away the highest die in the roll, but something bad happens. The game master can choose from not allowing the player to reroll Critical Successes until the end of the scene, the character loses an action during the next round, or invoking some sort of strange, but not too terrible, “bad luck effect.” Example: A character with Bad Luck is running from a group of terrorists that he’s been fighting for some time. He tries to jump across an elevator shaft when the player rolls a Critical Failure on the dice. Well, the character probably failed in the jumping attempt (so he falls), but, instead of being able to grab for a cable or a lower ledge, the character’s belt gets caught on a hook. Now, the character has to free himself before the terrorists come around the corner and blow him away. Restrictions/Notes: A character may take Bad Luck (R2) if he already has the Good Luck or Great Luck power. The character might even, on occasion, use the benefits of the Good Luck or Great Luck power to get out of trouble or partially negate the effects of Bad Luck (R2) — that’s the way it works. Also, the game master should that the character has Bad Luck (R2) — not the player. If the player gets into a consistent “streak” of rolling Critical Failures on the dice, then the game master should start “skipping” the invocation of Bad Luck (R2) occasionally — more than three or four occurrences of Bad Luck (R2) during an adventure is a little much.

Bad Luck (R3)

Ability Affected One Attribute

1 Points

All Attributes

2 Points

One Power

2 Points

All Powers

2 Points

Body Points

2 Points

All Attributes, Powers, and Body Points

7 Points

Severity 1D of damage to body points per round -1D to Attributes -2 Ranks of a power

1 Points

2D of damage to body points per round -2D to Attributes -4 Ranks of a power

2 Point

4D of damage to body points per round -4D to Attributes -8 Ranks of a power

3 Points

8D of damage to body points per round 6 Points -8D to Attributes -16 Ranks of a power Damage suffered cannot be negated by special abilities or powers. When the character reaches zero body points they are dead as per normal damage rules. When an Attribute is lowered to zero the character becomes impaired and looses the ability to function in that area.

34

Bad Luck (R2)

The rules for this Disadvantage are the same as for Bad Luck (R2). However, a Critical Failure or a total equal to one more than the die code of the skill or attribute causes Bad Luck (R3) to activate. For example, if the character has 5D in a skill and rolls a total of 6 on the dice — which is one more than the die code in the skill — the Disadvantage comes into play. The effects are exactly the same, only the game master might make the setbacks more uncomfortable. Restrictions/Notes: See Bad Luck (R2).

Bad Luck (R4) The same as Bad Luck (R2) and Bad Luck (R3), but the character suffers the effects on a Critical Failure or a total equal to or less than two more than the die code of the skill or attribute. (So, if the character with a skill of 5D rolls a 6 or 7, then the Disadvantage is activated.) The minimum effect is that the character loses her actions on the round and probably something disastrous happens. Restrictions/Notes: See Bad Luck (R2) and Bad Luck (R3). Since Bad Luck (R4) can have such devastating effects, the game master might want to overrule occurrences of it. For example, if, during a standard scene of an adventure, a character is trying to persuade a shopkeeper to sell him an item at a better price, he might roll a low total on the dice. The Game Master could have something disastrous happen — the shopkeeper keels over with a heart attack just as the chief of police walks in and the character is suddenly suspected of murder — but

does it serve any purpose in the adventure? Possibly, but if it doesn’t, the Game Master can save the Bad Luck effect until later. Then, when the character is at the climax of the adventure and he doesn’t roll a disastrously low total — but the Game Master feels a “dose of bad luck” would improve the story — he can use that as an excuse. Players should understand that Bad Luck is arbitrary and will often occur at the worst possible moment.

Ball and Chain (R1)

You have some person or animal that is dependent on your character. The character feels some sort of obligation, and will do whatever she can to protect them from harm. She may even be willing to give up her own life to see the person to safety. A Ball and Chain may not even be a “real” relationship. They might not even know the character exist, but she knows they do. They could be that reporter the character is always helping when she sticks her nose where it doesn’t belong, or old James, the lovable bum that the character feels compelled to watch over. If the Ball and Chain dies because of the character’s negligence or apathy, she loses 3 times the points gained from this Flaw! These lost points may cause your character to gain other Flaws or cause her to lose points from other Attributes (especially Presence) or Powers. At rank one the character has a small but personal relation ship with a friend.

Ball and Chain (R2) Same as rank one but the relationship is closer. A life long friend would fall into this category. The character would be heart broken and sad if the person were to die but could eventually move on.

Ball and Chain (R3) The person is a very close family member such as a parent or brother. The character would leave his teammates in a lurch to rescue this person.

Ball and Chain (R4) Someone for whom you would sacrifice everything, possibly the lives of everyone on the planet, to assure that one person’s survival. At this rank the character would be emotional crippled if the loved one was killed or injured.

Burn-out (R1 or more)

Under a certain set of proscribed circumstances, an Advantage goes away permanently. The player and the game master should work out the circumstances, with the following criteria: 1. The Burn-out should have a chance of occurring about once or twice an adventure. 2. The Burn-out should be something the character can avoid — but she might not want to avoid it. 3. A logical reason for the Burn-out to occur should exist. 4. Both the player and the game master operate under the knowledge that the Burn-out will occur at some point.

• The character suffers a particular effect (she loses most of her Body Points or Wounds, she is the victim of a particular type of uncommon attack, etc.). • A character’s Advantage is somehow negated (a who has a good chance of being killed, a piece of Equipment that someone is trying to steal or destroy, etc.). This Disadvantage is worth a number of ranks equal to onehalf (rounded up) of the Advantage with which it’s associated. Restrictions/Notes: Any Advantage could have the possibility of Burn-out. Just think of a logical (or, perhaps, supernatural) reason an Advantage would go away. There should be a decent chance that it could go away, but the character should have some chance of avoiding that occurrence… at least for a while.

Cultural Unfamiliarity (R1)

The character is not from the “mainstream” culture of the society he spends the most time in. The player should decide on the character’s native country, which is somewhere with a different culture than the one he is normally in. For instance, a character in a real world setting might hail from India but operate out of the United Kingdom. While the U.K. does not have any particular dislike of Indians, a few “cultural clashes” might happen occasionally. Bigots might get in the way of the character, and the character might not always “know” things about the setting that natives would automatically understand. The character is an outsider. Restrictions/Notes: At the worst, game masters can treat like Prejudice (R1), but, most often, the character is just unfamiliar with aspects of the mainstream. Characters cannot usually take this Disadvantage more than once.

Cultural Unfamiliarity (R2) The character is of a culture almost totally different from the “mainstream” he operates in. The character should constantly make mistakes and social gaffs. All attempts at streetwise or similar “getting around town” skills should have +6 to the difficulty (at least). In addition, the character should probably have trouble with the native language (he could even take the Disadvantage Language Problems). Restrictions/Notes: The rules are the same as for Cultural Unfamiliarity (R1).

Cultural Unfamiliarity (R3) The character is, in all respects, an alien. He just doesn’t fit in socially and, most likely, physically. He may be from another planet, a lost continent, a hidden dimension or whatever fits into your game setting. Otherwise, this Disadvantage works exactly the same way as the other rank versions. Restrictions/Notes: See Cultural Unfamiliarity (R1)

Some examples of when a Burn-out could occur include: • An opponent soundly defeats the character in an adventure. • The character completes a particular mission of great importance (this would probably only happen after several adventures — but the character wants to complete for some reason).

35

Debt (R1)

The character owes money, or something of value, to an organization or an individual. In most cases, some sort of lending institution or credit house exists, and the payments aren’t too arduous. The character just has a harder time getting credit and has to turn over a substantial amount of any profits he makes on an adventure to the lender. Restrictions/Notes: Players should take this Disadvantage if they intend for their characters to live up to it. The character should have a reason he doesn’t want to default on the debt, which the player works out beforehand. Also, Debt (any rank) with Enemy (any rank) can be an interesting combination — maybe the character is in deep to a loan shark or a manipulative and not entirely scrupulous lender. A character may have this Disadvantage with the Advantage Wealth, as long as there is some reason it can’t be just paid off. A character with Wealth R3 might be stuck in a contract where he has to turn over the profits of any adventure to someone. He still has his wealth, but he has to cough up all the little neat things and rewards he gets at the end of the adventure (or the character has to persuade the lender/contract holder to let him keep them).

Debt (R2) The character owes a lot of money (or something else valuable) to someone dangerous, or the results of owing this debt are dangerous. For example, the character could owe his life to a really strange old scientist, and, every time that person needs a favor, usually going off somewhere dangerous and doing something suicidal, the character has to drop everything and go. Restrictions/Notes: The rules are the same as for Debt (R1).

Debt (R3) The character owes almost everything to someone or something. In the case of worldly goods, the character must turn over nearly everything to the “lender” at the end of an adventure — the character must “borrow” these things back at the beginning of the next adventure. And it is up to the game master what the “lender” gives back. In most cases, this means the character is either Employed or under some similar sort of restriction. Example: Your character might belong to a particularly strict cult or religion. She has to tithe all worldly goods (or, at least, a large portion of worldly goods) to the cult after every adventure. If she does not, she would be cast out — a fate she would not enjoy — or even hunted and killed. At the beginning of each adventure, the character must beg and persuade whoever is in charge to let her have any goods she needs. Restrictions/Notes: Debt (R3) is so wide-sweeping that players may not usually combine in it with the lower versions or link to individual Advantages unless the player and the game master are particularly inventive. A character with Debt (R3) might “owe” the possession of a Rank 3 or Rank 4 Advantage to a particular source (a character might have received Equipment from a supernatural source) and have to pay some sort of tithe (a sacrifice, all the money the character obtains, etc.) to get the use of the Advantage.

36

Devotion (R1)

The character feels compelled to take certain actions out of a love of code or perceived duty to something else. The character may, at times, do things he finds morally questionable in order to achieve a greater good. With Devotion (R1), the character’s beliefs do not come into play very often.

Devotion (R2) The character with the Devotion (R2) Disadvantage believes very strongly in something and will attempt to persuade others of the rightness of his beliefs. His patriotism or loyalty to an ideal plays a role in his day-to-day life.

Devotion (R3) At this rank, the character’s belief in the cause motivates almost all his actions. The character would willingly die for his belief.

Employed (R1)

The character has a job. Maybe the job relates to what the character wants to do during adventures, or maybe not. Regardless, the character wants to keep her job (or has to, for some reason), and she must take responsibility for missing work and fulfilling her obligations. Restrictions/Notes: The player and the game master might have to work to role-play this, but an occasional conflict should arise between what the character wants to do and what she has to do. The character might even have to keep some activities secret or lose her job. Some examples include special ops for a government or private organization, bodyguard, mercenary, reporter, writer, film maker, private investigator, bounty hunter, and police officer. The less freedom the character has in making decisions during the adventure and what she wants to do during her working hours (and perhaps even her spare time), the greater the rank in Employed.

Employed (R2) The character works for someone, or something, that pretty much runs his life. When he goes on adventures, he either has to go through lots of red tape to get permission, or it’s because he was assigned the mission. As a result, the character has little free will regarding what he does or how he does it, and he should come into conflict with his employer on occasion. Also, since the character is an employee, if he is on a mission, he usually has to turn over his share of the loot for corporate disposal — he’ll get something out of it, certainly, but not a full share. Restrictions/Notes: The rules are the same as for Employed (R1). Just make sure that “the job” is fairly inconvenient for the character, but there are reasons he doesn’t quit. Maybe he has the Wealth Advantage only so long as he has the Employed (R2) Disadvantage — that would be a good way of tying in the Disadvantage.

Employed (R3) The character is, for all intents and purposes, a slave. This does not mean the character is poor or without means — just without free choice. The character does virtually everything because he must. For example, a character might be the head of a large corporation. But the only way things get done is for the character to do them or be there to oversee their getting done. Adventures only occur when they are in direct concordance with the interests of the “employer.” In all other ways, this Disadvantage is like its lower rank versions. Restrictions/Notes: See Employed under the other ranks.

Enemy (Variable)

An individual or group has it in for the character. This disadvantage gives the character an enemy or enemies that are looking to harm, kill her or generally wants to make the characters life uncomfortable. The point cost varies depending on the group size and power of the enemy. Note: An enemy doesn’t necessarily have to be a super villain -- it could be a very powerful scientist or businessman, or a large, powerful, and fanatical church. Never underestimate the power of a group of people, regardless of Powers! Restrictions/Notes: There is no reason a player can’t use this Disadvantage similarly to an Advantage Flaw or as a complement to other Disadvantages or even Advantages. Maybe a character’s is sweet and helpful (a secretary in the Pentagon who tells the character a little more about the mission he’s been assigned), but someone who influences the is an Enemy (the secretary’s boss who has been trying to seduce the secretary and resents the fact that the secretary likes the character better) and sometimes makes it hard for the to help The point received from having the enemy disadvantage depends on the power level of the enemy and the frequency of his or her appearance in the game. A character can never have more than double her own power level in points of an enemy, therefore a character who is power level 3 can never have an enemy worth more than 6 points. Power level Power level 1-2:

2 Point

Power level 3:

3 points

Power Level 4:

4 points

Power level 5:

5 points

Power level 6:

6 points

Type: One person: (a particular enemy or arch villain)

1 Points

A small group or team: ( a group of individuals who have banded together against you or a super team)

2 Points

A large organization or group of people: (the United States government, or all people of a certain belief or characteristic)

3 Points

A world or Species of people: The planet earth, The Saurian race.

5 Points

Frequency: Uncommon: the foe shows up maybe once every few months of game time

1 Points

Common: the enemy appears once a month to engage the character

2 Point

Constantly: This level can only be taken with the Gm’s 3 Points approval. An enemy that emerges this often could disrupt game play unless all other players involved had the same enemy. Restrictions/Notes: It should be mentioned that killing the Enemy or running away should not get rid of the Disadvantage — at least not easily. At the very least, the character should have to go though a few adventures to “remove” the Enemy from his life. Usually, the character has to deal with the Enemy for quite a long time. Multiple Enemies can, of course, be selected.

Hindrance (R1 or more)

The character has a minor physical or mental handicap that makes certain actions more difficult. The hindrance could be a permanent physical injury, a particular mental block regarding certain types of activities, a limitation innate to the character’s species, or the result of age. The player and the game master should work out some sort of affliction and then choose a group of related skills that get difficulty modifiers totaling +3. Some examples of sets of three skills getting a +1 modifier to the difficulty of each include: Bad Knee: acrobatics, jumping, running Rude: charm, con, persuasion Trick Shoulder: climbing, melee combat, throwing Uncoordinated: acrobatics, melee combat, sleight of hand Unobservant: investigation, languages, search The players may use this Disadvantage to restrict one form of their characters’ movement. A two-meter reduction in one form of movement (running, swimming, jumping, or climbing) is equivalent to a +1 difficulty modifier, so a player could take a small movement restriction along with difficulty modifiers to skills. The minimum movement rate for a character is one meter. Characters with a native environment requiring an alternative means of movement other than walking (such as swimming or burrowing) may take one rank of Hindrance: Atypical Move to represent the inability to walk or jump. Instead, the character uses his base Move to represent his base swimming or burrowing Move. Thus, a water-dwelling character without legs and with this type of Hindrance would have a swimming Move of 10 (instead of 5), could not walk, and would be limited in the kind of jumping he could perform. Players who wish to reduce their character’s damage resistance total (to represent a delicate physical nature) may take a -1 modifier to that total for each rank in this Disadvantage. Restrictions/Notes: Players may restrict specializations — with game master approval. Three specializations that the game master thinks the player might have to use reasonably often (like investigation: find clues or marksmanship: pistols) could substitute for one general skill. Hindrance (R1) can be selected several times, as long as the game master thinks it appropriate. Since it is very much the counterpart to the Skill Bonus power, additional restrictions and notes can be related to the ones found there. Each additional rank in Hindrance increases the total difficulty modifier by +3, which may affect the few skills in a Rank 1 group, or they can increase the number of skills covered by the Hindrance.

Illiterate (R1)

A character can be considered Illiterate for one of two reasons. The first is simply due to her inability to read. The other reason is if she did not speak the local language (an immigrant arriving in a new country or an explorer among natives, etc.). She may be an extremely intelligent and well-read person, but she has difficulty exhibiting that in her new country. She receives a +6 difficulty modifier in addition to any other modifiers when attempting to read or write anything.

37

Infamy (R1)

The character is about as well known as a character with Fame (R1), but for different reasons. The odds of being recognized are the same as for Fame (R1), but the reaction is quite different. The character experiences hostility, prejudice, and intentional slights — in game mechanic , the character should have the difficulty of all interactions increased by at least +3. Restrictions/Notes: There is a reason for this negative attention. Either the character did something, is accused of having done something, or is suspected of having done something not particularly pleasant, or the character has, through other strange circumstances, earned a “bad rep.” Sometimes, this Infamy will help the character — but it shouldn’t help too much. If the character had a combination of Fame and Infamy (by selecting both options), then maybe he’d earn a reputation like Wyatt Earp or Jesse James in the American Old West — certain people would look up to him or respect him, and there would be definite fear there most of the time, but there would also be a lot of people who would enjoy seeing the person leave or die. Of course, Infamy (R1) should be something minor — maybe the character is a former criminal, or he did something questionable in the past and was cleared. People are not overtly hostile, but they are unfriendly when they recognize him. Several ranks of Infamy can only be selected if the character is infamous for multiple reasons — but the effects should be cumulative, and this can only be done if the Game master thinks it is appropriate (a character with Infamy (R3) would hardly have to worry about Infamy (R1) in most cases, so it would not be a proper combination).

Infamy (R2) The character is, most likely, wanted for a crime of a fairly serious nature, or he did something (or is thought to have done something) in the past that makes him hated and reviled by most people. The rules are essentially the same as for Infamy (R1) and the recognition chances are similar to Fame (R2), but the modifier to interactions should be, usually, at least +6. Restrictions/Notes: As stated under Infamy (R1), unless combined with Fame, this Disadvantage only allows for the negative aspects of notoriety. A character who has Infamy (R2) would be considered by nearly everyone (but not everyone) to be “scum” and someone who “deserves no better than he gets.” When combined with an equal or higher rank of Fame, there is often that “fear and respect” option — many characters will still try to betray or hurt the character in some way, but most won’t be that open about it.

Infamy (R3) The character has trouble going out in public because a lot of people hate her to the point of violence. Chances are good that, if she fails an interaction (with a +9 to the difficulty), the other person will drive her away. The player could select Enemy (R1) in addition to this Disadvantage to reflect those hunting her. However, the character could use disguises and avoid populated areas. Most likely, the character has to move around until she can “live down” her infamy (if ever) or until she dies. Restrictions/Notes: See Infamy (R1) and Infamy (R2).

Known Publicly (R1)

Your hero has no secret identity, and is known publicly as a superhero. Sometimes people will come to her door and ask for help, and she is regularly bombarded by public requests for assistance. Super villains can show up at her day job, looking to pick fights, and young punks call her a narc. If she screws up and let something slide, she’ll probably hear about it at the next PTA meeting. This is a dangerous Flaw to combine with Flaws like Infamous and Enemy! Your character’s life could be daily misery!

Language Problems (R2)

The character does not understand the language of the area she spends most of her time in. She must learn skill pips in the specialization languages: (local language). She also receives a +6 difficulty modifier in addition to any other modifiers for what she’s attempting to convey or understand. Restrictions/Notes: The character cannot begin the game with more than one pip in languages: (local language), but she may improve the skill at the cost at +2 to the cost. However, the character should speak another language in the game setting fluently.

Learning Problems (R1)

When the character attempts to learn a new skill, or improve an old one, he does so at +2 per rank to the Character Point cost. Alternatively, the character can only learn or improve a skill if she attempts it and fails. A character should have to fail with a single skill at least three times per adventure before being allowed to learn or improve the skill. This Disadvantage is associated with a single attribute, and it applies to specializations. There should be some sort of reason for this in the character’s background, such as a lack of education or difficulty reading. Restrictions/Notes: This is the counterpart to the Quick Study power, and it should be treated in much the same way. This Disadvantage can be taken multiple times and for a different attribute.

Overconfident (R1)

You’re hero is full of herself – she can take on the world, SHE can handle any situation! Well, she will think she can, anyway. Your character will be the first into any fight, thinking that no one can handle the present danger better than she can! Others initially think of her in a good light, but quickly become soured by her overbearing personality. The character gains a bonus of +1 to all rolls whenever she is winning or in a favorable position, but when the tables turn, she will be scrambling, her confidence broken. She then suffers a –1D penalty to all rolls.

Overconfident (R2) Same as above but the penalty increases. The hero gains a bonus of +2 to all rolls whenever she is winning or in a favorable position, but when the tables turn, she will be scrambling, her confidence broken. she then suffers a –2D penalty to all rolls.

Overconfident (R3) Same as above but the penalty increases. The character gains a bonus of +3 to all rolls whenever she is winning or in a favorable position, but when the tables turn, she will be scrambling, her confidence broken. She then suffers a –3D penalty to all rolls.

38

Poverty (R1)

Since characters who adventure tend to accumulate wealth, this Disadvantage is only available at Rank 1. The character begins the game with the shirt on his back and, maybe, a few pieces of cheap and substandard equipment. The character should also have the attitude of someone who is “poor,” whatever that might be in the game setting. If using Funds as an attribute, this Disadvantage subtracts 10 from relevant totals. Restrictions/Notes: As an excellent combination, this Disadvantage could be selected with Debt or Price to make the situation more realistic. Poverty can only be selected once.

Prejudice (R1)

The character is of a minority group — or maybe it is just the character himself — that is subject to prejudice and discrimination. The character receives modifiers to the difficulties (from +2 to +4) during normal interaction with characters not of the minority group, and is generally treated unfairly by society. The group the character belongs to, or the reason he is discriminated against, should be identified immediately, and the player should know how he can expect to be treated in most cases. Restrictions/Notes: The game master has to be careful with this one. Role-playing prejudice is not often something players want to get into, and it can be especially uncomfortable in a real world or similar setting. When used in a setting where there are many different sapient species, however, it can be quite interesting — especially if there are several characters in the group who are prejudiced against.

Prejudice (R2) Your character is a member of an oppressed minority The character experiences disparity virtually every day. While other characters of the same minority group may not actually experience this prejudice (that is, they didn’t select this option), it is probably because they aren’t in positions where this discrimination can be easily practiced. Restrictions/Notes: The character often experiences discrimination and most interactions are performed at a +3 to +6 to the difficulty. This prejudice should be role-played at every opportunity. However, game masters and players should only use this Disadvantage when both sides are comfortable with using it in a pretend situation (see Bigotry and Prejudice for more information).

Price (R1)

This is a Disadvantage similar to Advantage Flaw. But, instead of there being something wrong with the character’s Advantage or a set of three related skills, there is a “price tag” attached. Every time the character wants to use the ability, he has to pay a Price. The Price might be an actual fee — and a significant one at that. If the fee isn’t paid, the Advantage goes away until the price can be paid. But this won’t work for many Advantages (at least not in an interesting manner), so there are other ways to do it. Most likely, the Price will be a role-playing effect. Maybe every time a does a favor for a character, he not only demands the normal, negotiated recompense (if any), but the character must do a favor of equal importance for the character. Or, whenever a piece of Equipment is used, parts of it need replacing or servicing by a specialist (who may charge a high fee or ask a favor), most likely after the adventure. One more suggestion for Price (R1) would be that the character has to pay one Fate Point or three Character Points at the end of an adventure to “pay for” the use of the Advantage or skills. This reflects the fact that the use of the Advantage takes something out of the character when it is used.

Restrictions/Notes: The Price should be fairly easy to meet, but it should take some work. At this rank, it should be something that the character can role-play along with an adventure or resolve between short adventures or parts of longer adventures (like paying off the recipient of the Price). However, if the character does not pay the Price, the Advantage does go away — and, if in the game master’s opinion the character does this too often, both the Advantage and the Price should go away permanently. Price can be taken often at various ranks, and the same Price can be linked to more than one Advantage — though, unless the Price is actually double (the character has to pay the same price twice as often), it only counts as one Disadvantage.

Price (R2) The Price for using an Advantage, or group of Advantages or set of three related skills, is much higher than mentioned in Rank 1, but the rules are the same. s will be extremely hard to pay off or do favors for — maybe an entire short adventure has to be devoted to paying back a who helped out. Optionally, paying two Fate Points or six Character Points at the end of an adventure where the Advantage was used is a quick way of paying the price. Restrictions/Notes: See Price (R1).

Quirk (R1)

The character suffers from a personality quirk that makes certain types of social interaction more difficult. This quirk could simply be a habit or an affectation that has gone too far, or it could be a minor psychological problem. Some examples include: Angry: The character has a short fuse and is easily angered. In stressful circumstances or situations that aren’t going the characters way she becomes angry and in extreme cases violent. Dependency: The character has a slight dependency on a substance or social interaction. The character might be a packa-day smoker who, if she doesn’t get a cigarette at least once every few hours of game time, she gets irritable and loses Critical Success rerolls during interactions. Or maybe the character always has to have the last word in any situation and will often beat an argument into the ground rather than “lose.” Kleptomania: When in a store or surrounded by small, portable items, the character will occasionally try to “lift” something. When possessed by his Quirk (see rules below), the character suffers +3 to the difficulty of sleight of hand, lock picking, or related attempts at theft because he really doesn’t know he’s doing it. Indecision: The character does not like making decisions and will delay making them. When role-playing, the player should actively participate in group discussions, but he should be wishywashy and indecisive at critical moments. Stutter: When under pressure, relaxed, nervous (such as failing a skill roll), or some other fairly common “mood” hits the character, he stutters. The upshot is the character suffers +3 to the difficulty of any interaction at this time and player should role-play having a hard time getting his ideas across to the other players. This lasts until the player rolls a Critical Success. Restrictions/Notes: Good role-players will have fun with these, and other, Quirks that they come up with. Indeed, this Disadvantage is often more fun to play than many Advantages — but the game master should make certain it is being role-played. Whenever the game master thinks it appropriate, he should make the player generate a willpower or Presence total against a base Moderate difficulty to “indulge” in his Quirk automatically (that is, “suffer” for it). The negative effects of the Quirk immediately come into play. Also, if the character repeatedly makes this roll, resisting the impulses of the Quirk, the game master should start modifying the difficulty upwards until the character fails. Multiple Quirks can be selected.

39

The game master may allow multiple inclusions of the same version of this Disadvantage, with all modifiers cumulative and an increase by +5 per inclusion to the willpower difficulty. Additional Note: Some players may choose to have their characters role-play Quirks they already have or might like to play. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t. It can be hysterical to have a player “steal” dice out from under another player’s nose (symbolizing the fact that the character is taking necessary items away from the other player’s character) as long as things don’t go too far (that is, when people start getting upset). However, players who are “indecisive” should not play characters who are indecisive — since they would be anyway. This is too much like getting a Disadvantage for nothing.

Quirk (R2) The rules for Quirk (R2) are the same as for Quirk (R1), only the chance of occurrence is much greater and the effects are larger. Angry: the character is always on edge and has a really short fuse. At this rank people walk on egg shells around the character and give her a plenty of space when they see things are going poorly. Dependency: The character needs to fulfill his dependency much more often (once a scene, perhaps). The character also experiences one automatic Critical Failure per scene that he doesn’t (a smoker might have a coughing fit in the middle of a tense negotiation or during a stealth attempt, for example). Secret: There’s something about the character that she needs to hide. If it were discovered, it would put her friends, family, and even her own life at risk. This could be a civilian identity (if she has a heroic alter ego) or a skeleton in the closet. Restrictions/Notes: The difficulty of resisting the “impulse” is now Difficult, but all other rules are the same as under Quirk (R1).

Quirk (R3) These “personality quirks” are much more serious. The character might be a junkie, a psychotic with a certain type of behavior, or has a severe phobia (he’s deathly afraid of something). Some examples: Angry: The character is angry at the world and more often than not vents her anger with violence. She may or may not vent at the object of her anger and can just as easily go off on the person trying to soothe her savage soul. Dependency: The character is a junkie, always after a “fix.” The “fix” might be an illegal substance, or a perfectly normal one, or even a type of social interaction (maybe the character has to try to come as close to dying as he can). Paranoid: The character trusts no one. He receives a +6 to the bonus number when trying to resist being conned, but he also receives this “bonus” when trying to be persuaded — and he must be persuaded before he’ll help even his closest friends. “Everyone is out to get him.” Phobic: The character is deathly afraid of something. It could be heights, open spaces, spiders, or another character. Unless the character makes his willpower roll (below), he dissolves into terror. Vengeful: The character cannot stand to “lose” or be “wronged.” If the character perceives herself as looking foolish (or whatever), she will go to great lengths to get even (in reality, the character probably takes it too far). Restrictions/Notes: The character has Very Difficult Presence or willpower roll to make to overcome the Quirk — at the least. If, in the game master’s judgment, there is a reason the character should have modifiers to the difficulty, then he will. Players who don’t want to play

40

a character that can frequently lose control should avoid this option. Other rules are the same as under Quirk (R1)

Reduced Attribute (R2)

Something about the character’s species, age, physical condition, or some other factor has permanently reduced one attribute by one pip. The character may not reduce the attribute die code below 1D, and the attribute die code may never be increased by spending Character Points (though gaining a super powers would help). Restrictions/Notes: The reduction in die code increases by one pip for each additional rank taken in this Disadvantage. ( that three pips equal one die.) The character may have different variations on this Disadvantage for each attribute, and the character’s species must be required to take at least 1D in the affected attribute.

Secret Identity (R2)

Your hero has chosen to keep her identity hidden for the sake of her family and loved ones. Of course, the less a super villain knows about her, the better! She keeps the secrets of her other life well guarded, even from her family so that they will not be a threat to her or their own personal safety – but there’s always the off chance that they may stumble in or be found. If your character’s secret identity is discovered, there may be hell to pay – her life may fall apart, and the points in this Flaw are likely to become other Flaws.

Short Life Span (R1)

Sadly the hero has a life span that is significantly shorter than the average person. It may be a fluke of genetics, maybe she is a walking time bomb, or even with Powers she may be terminally ill. There are some heroes in the GODSEND Agenda setting who are required to have this Flaw – ask your GM for more information. Note: GMs may not allow you to take this Flaw in a short campaign, where the issue of your life span, no matter how severely reduced, will never come up. At the beginning of game play the character has only 2d-1 years to live

Short Life Span (R2) The character’s life span is considerably shorter. The character has 2D-3 years to live (minimum of one year).

Short Life Span (R3) The character has a terribly short time to live, having only 1D-3 years to live (minimum of one year).

Strange Appearance (R1)

Your character has a weird or unsettling appearance.  Maybe her eyes are bulging or she has scaly skin. She is generally shunned by society, and suffers penalties of -3 to any Presence rolls (except Intimidation and Willpower) until people can get used to her.  At the GM’s discretion, people may NEVER get used to her, especially if this Flaw is severe enough.  Unless her player decides that the character’s voice is strange also, she wouldn’t suffer these penalties while in vocal (i.e. on the phone, over a radio, et cetera). On the up side, such a terrifying or weird appearance gives the hero an advantage when she is trying to scare people She gains a +2 to Intimidation rolls. NOTE: Strange Appearance doesn’t necessarily mean that the character is horrific in appearance just strange. The character could have a monstrous appearance or just something odd and off-putting such as blue skin and butterfly wings.

Strange Appearance (R2) The character has transcended the realm of human deformity and is reviled by as an unnatural beast. The character may have such deformities as veiny skin, Eyes that resemble unripe tomatoes, or fangs. -6 to any Presence rolls (except Intimidation and Willpower) until people can get used to her.  She gains a +4 to Intimidation rolls.

Terrible Secret (R1)

Your character has a horrible event from her past that she wants to keep secret. The higher the rank of this Flaw, the worse the secret is. Of course, the higher the rank of Secret you have, the worse the results of its discovery will be. This disadvantage and its discovery, at the highest levels, can potentially get you killed outright. Beware! The character has a minor secret that if found would show her in a poor light. She will be ridiculed and thought of in an unfavorable light. She will suffer a reaction penalty of -1D to all social skill rolls for a week if exposed.

Terrible Secret (R2) The character has suffered or perpetrated a scandal or performed some sort of unsavory act in her past. If the character is ever exposed she may have to serve jail time or pay some minor penance. She will suffer a reaction penalty of -2D to all social skill rolls for her Presence die code in weeks if exposed.

Terrible Secret (R3) The character has performed some sort of heinous act that could lead to her imprisonment or death if every exposed. At this rank the character would be hunted down and made to atone for the diabolical acts she may have committed. She will suffer a reaction penalty of -3D to all social skill rolls for her Presence die code in months if exposed.

Strange Appearance (R3) The character’s appearance is such that those who see her must make a moderate Willpower roll when first seeing you or run in horror for one round. The character is monstrous in appearance with unnatural features that can only be guessed at in the sane world. Glowing red empty eye sockets, bulging and blistering gums, or gibbering mouths in unnatural locations. -12 to any Presence rolls (except Intimidation and Willpower) until people can get used to her.  She gains a +8 to Intimidation rolls.

41

Advantages

, too, that outside of the character’s jurisdiction or permit limits, this Advantage may have little or no value.

Allies

Special Allies are friends or comrades-in-arms whom the hero may call on in times of need for assistance. Different from s, who are primarily only sources of information, or dependents, who are family or trusted employees, allies can do actual legwork or perform a specific task or mission based on the hero’s direction. Once called upon, allies help in any way that does not go against personal values or the rules and bylaws of any organization they are part of. While a hero may be the chosen leader of an ally group, allies are only there to assist, not to do the hero’s work for them. The selection of an appropriate ally (or allies) should be left up to the Game Master. As a general rule, an ally should not be another player’s character. Number of Allies

Cost

One man

2 pts

A select group (up to five)

4 pts

A medium-sized group (up to 15)

6 pts

A large group (no more than 30 to 40)

12 pts

Ally Influence (Next, much like a , determine how much influence or power the ally or allies have.)

Modifier

Local

2 pts

State

4 pts

National

6 pts

World

12 pts

Galaxy

16 pts

Frequency of Appearance (Lastly, decide how often the hero can call on the ally or allies for help.) Once per series of adventures

0 pts

Two to three times during a series

4 pts

Once per adventure

8 pts

Authority (R1)

The level of this Advantage is based on the character’s rank, duties, and power in his local area. An Authority (R1) Advantage might belong to someone who, because of circumstance, does not have a lot of opportunity to use his authority or someone who is very low in rank. Law Enforcement is one version of this Advantage that gives adventurers some measure of abilities associated with being a deputized agent of the law. Authority: Law Enforcement (R1) means the character can carry a firearm and has limited authority to enforce the law. Private investigators, bounty hunters, and bail bondsmen would need this Advantage. Restrictions/Notes: It is not necessary to have the Authority: Law Enforcement Advantage to own a firearm in those countries that allow ordinary citizens to own them. However, if owning a gun is illegal in a country and limited to deputized officials, then this version of the Advantage would be necessary.

42

Authority (R2) Same as Authority (R1), but the character has more influence, possibly commanding a small number of troops or being in charge of a small company or town. With Authority: Law Enforcement (R2), the character is actually a police officer and is allowed to make full arrests and reasonable search and seizures. Restrictions/Notes: See Authority (R1) for more information.

Authority (R3) Same as Authority (R1), except that the character has a great deal of power and influence. The head of a large company or someone whose authority is simply never questioned would have this Advantage. With Authority: Law Enforcement (R3), the character is a federal agent and has authority over local police for the purpose of investigations. Restrictions/Notes: Higher levels of Authority indicate a wider sphere of influence, such as multiple countries or time. Otherwise, see Authority (R1) for more information.

s R1

The character “knows somebody” or a group of somebodies who will generally help out the character if he makes a decent appeal or sufficiently compensates the . This level of only sticks around for a limited amount of time (part of an adventure or maybe throughout a short adventure). The character might know a “group” with a wider range of influence (but less power) that will help out, again, for a modest fee or under the right circumstances. The influence might not be as direct, but it is easier to come by. For example, there might be clubs or organizations that will provide certain services for travelers — maps, hotel reservations, emergency transportation, and so on — for a small hip fee. You have to call them or go to their offices, and they won’t do much about that maniac with the gun who is chasing you, but they can be of immense help under the right circumstances. Restrictions/Notes: s should not automatically help the character, but they should be reasonable in their negotiations. Multiple s of various ranks may be selected and they may be stacked. For example, a certain person might be a (R1) in most circumstances, but he could be a (R2) or even a (R3) in the right place — for example, a mercenary might help out for a fee versus normal foes, but when fighting his “hereditary enemies,” he might be almost invincible and eager to help. that s are Game master characters. They should be created and played rationally. If a player refuses to roleplay or takes advantage of s, he should be penalized when trying to use them (and possibly lose them). There should also be a reason in the character’s story why he has these s.

s (R2) This Advantage is identical to s (R1), except the is more powerful, more influential, easier to get hold of, willing to do more favors, or affects the game on a larger scale. If the is supposed to be a large group, it now has much greater influence over a wider area. In the real-world example, instead of having the auto club as a , the character might have a government agency there to help him out occasionally.

Restrictions/Notes: Under no circumstances should any , regardless of rank number, make roleplaying and thinking superfluous. s are totally under the control of the Game master and, even powerful and influential s from this rank should be kept under a tight rein. See s (R1) for more information.

s (R3) The or s chosen should be nearly supernormal, supernatural, or uncanny in origin. For example, in a pulp fiction setting, a character’s (R3) might be an “adventurer’s guild” with globe-trotting and representatives who all have their own unusual abilities — and who can turn up at the oddest moments. Work with the Game master to come up with some interesting s. It might be a mystical force that “protects” the character under certain circumstances, or a group of psionic monks who can be called upon for “mental aid” — or maybe a really complete occult library. Restrictions/Notes: Again, as with s (R1) and (R2), don’t let the s take over the game — and don’t let the player’s character abuse them. s are Game master controlled, but they will usually only be brought into play at the character’s request.

s (R4) There is some sort of strange “force” that “watches over” and occasionally helps the character. In many ways, this Advantage is not as useful in most adventure situations as the other versions of s, but it can have dramatic effects on occasion. Some examples of this include a particularly powerful Game master character who will step in occasionally to help the character when he’s in trouble. Or, a large governmental agency might, for some reason, want to step in and aid the character at times. Generally, the character can get minor assistance (as could be gotten from s (R1) or s (R2)) on a fairly regular basis — and under the same sort of circumstances as having lower versions of s — but “the big stuff” only happens when the Game master thinks it appropriate. The character might get killed before the s (R4) intervenes — maybe the character just wasn’t doing something the felt was important to it — but, most likely, assistance will be provided. Restrictions/Notes: Players’ characters should take this option only if they want to take Disadvantages relating to it. For example, if a character in a pulp fiction campaign wants to have a group of super-scientists who like him and will supply him with substantial aid on a regular basis (like a spy who gets outfitted with new gizmos at the beginning of every adventure and who can call for more during certain times in the adventure), then he should take Disadvantages that relate to that. The character could be a member of an organization (see the Disadvantage Employed), or he must do reciprocating favors for the super-scientists (see the Disadvantage Price), or there are equally powerful people who want to eliminate him because of his s (see the Disadvantage Enemy). If the character does not want to take extensive Disadvantages relating to the , then s (R4) should be unpredictable and not always useful. For example, the superscientists might provide the character with plenty of extraordinary equipment, but it might not always be what the character needs or might not work correctly all of the time.

Cultures (R1)

This is another Advantage that can be utilized in more than one way. The first way is the simplest. The character has knowledge of a particular (usually unusual) culture that he can use to his benefit when among people of that culture. This acts both as a knowledge (scholar) type skill and as a bonus (usually +1) to interaction in that culture. Example: A character in a pulp fiction game setting might have Cultures (R1) pertaining to a certain Amazonian tribe. When the character goes on an adventure in the Amazon, chances are good he will get help from that tribe in his activities instead of being attacked as a stranger or treser and ending up with his head on a pike. The second way Cultures (R1) can be used is a little more wide-sweeping. The character has a knack for drawing parallels between unknown/unusual and known cultures. For example, the character might be able to figure out why certain religious taboos exist in a society she’s just met. These should just be bursts of culture-related intuition that the Game master supplies occasionally — the player can only remind the Game master her character has this ability and hope the Game master feels the situation is appropriate. Restrictions/Notes: A character with Cultures (R1) has about the level of knowledge of a frequent tourist — no more. Unless the character has skills like streetwise, languages, and other ing skills, he acts as if he has visited the culture and learned a decent amount about their ways, but he is definitely an outsider. This Advantage may be taken more than once for different cultures. In the second example, the character has absolutely no control over her ability and only gains very limited insights — though sometimes at critical moments. The character cannot “call upon” this knowledge. This version of the Advantage may not be taken more than once, but it may be combined with the other type of Cultures at any rank. In both cases, the character’s background must reflect the “special insight” he has into the culture or cultural trends.

Cultures (R2) This option can be used pretty much like Cultures (R1), only on a larger scale. Instead of choosing a small, unusual culture, the character might choose an “alien” culture (one totally different from his own) and gain an understanding of it comparable to the understanding in Cultures (R1). Or, he could choose to learn more about a relatively small cultural group (to the point where the character would be accepted as one who has spent a lot of time with the people). The last option, the sweeping cultural understanding, would also be much more in-depth. The character would be able to call on cultural parallels much more often and the Game master should give more information. Restrictions/Notes: The same as for Cultures (R1), but the character has about the level of knowledge of an outsider who has lived in the culture for a while. Either that, or he would get more useful information on alien cultures or “sweeping” cultural examinations.

Cultures (R3) The character is either a native of an unusual culture or has the knowledge and the respect as if she were one. A person who has lived a significant portion of her life in a culture and has that sort of understanding of it would have Cultures (R3) — only the character is actually a part of the game setting’s dominant culture as well. If an alien culture can be, and is, selected, then the character has an extreme familiarity with it. Alternatively, the character might be something of a cultural anthropologist — the character can

43

observe a particular culture for a brief time and have a very good (Game master-controlled) chance of understanding the culture on a respectable level. Restrictions/Notes: As with Cultures (R1) and (R2), the character must choose what sort of cultural familiarity to have. Also, there must be a compelling reason the character has this familiarity or understanding. Finally, if the character chooses to be a “native” of a particular culture, she should probably have to learn language: (the culture’s major language) at least +1D.

Cultures (R4) This selection should be taken only if the game setting employs the use of alien cultures (those not totally understood by the dominant culture). The character understands the alien culture and can interact within it — he is still an alien to it, but he is treated better than any other outsider (most likely). Example: In a game setting where “aliens live among us,” the character is a Human member of secret society that keeps the aliens hidden. But, because of something in his background history, he can interact with certain types of aliens and he can understand their ways. This doesn’t mean he’s friends with them, but he has a better chance of interacting with them, figuring them out, and outsmarting their “alien logic” than other characters. Restrictions/Notes: The character should have related Disadvantages, and there has to be some extensive background description telling why the character has this Advantage. Otherwise, see the other entries regarding Cultures.

Efficient Ka (R3)

(Specific GODSEND Agenda Advantage) The character absorbs ambient Ka energy and uses it more efficiently. This is an Advantage, not a Power, because some people use Ka without realizing it, and without having any further abilities in it beyond the basic Ka Pool abilities. The character receives a number of additional Ka points equal to her Presence attribute. Example: Siren has a Presence attribute of 4D and 8 Ka points. With this rank of the advantage she would receive an additional 4 Ka points for a total of 12 Ka points. Regenerates an extra 2 Ka points per day up to her maximum value.

Efficient Ka (R4) As above The character receives a number of additional Ka points equal to double her Presence attribute. Example: Siren has a Presence attribute of 4D and 8 Ka points. With this rank of the advantage she would receive an additional 8 Ka points for a total of 16 Ka points. Regenerates an extra 4 Ka points per day up to her maximum value.

Efficient Ka (R5) As above. The character receives a number of additional Ka points equal to triple her Presence attribute. Example: Siren has a Presence attribute of 4D and 8 Ka points. With this rank of the advantage she would receive an additional 12 Ka points for a total of 20 Ka points. Regenerates an extra 8 Ka points per day up to her maximum value.

44

Extra Body Points (R3)

The character can take more than average punishment from physical attacks. The character can take more than average punishment from physical attacks. At rank one the character receives an additional number of dice equal to half his Physique attribute (rounded up) to add to his Body Point total. Example: Jax has a Physique attribute of 4D. Normally he would have 4D+20 body points. If he takes the rank three version of this advantage he would have 6D+20 body points.

Extra Body Points (R4) The character can withstand an incredible amount of damage. At this rank the character receives an additional dice equal to his Physique attribute to his Body Point total. Example: Jax has a Physique attribute of 4D. Normally he would have 4D+20 body points. If he takes the rank four version of this advantage he would have 8D+20 body points.

Extra Body Points (R5) The character’s fortitude is extraordinary and he is able to shrug off almost anything but the most powerful blows. At this rank the character receives an additional amount of dice equal to one and a half time her Physique attribute to add to his Body Point total. Example: Jax has a Physique attribute of 4D. Normally he would have 4D+20 body points. If he takes the rank five version of this advantage he would have 10D+20 body points.

Fame (R1)

The character, for some reason, is fairly well known and liked. The extent of the character’s fame should be determined by the game setting. In a global game setting (such as pulp fiction or real world), the character has moderate recognition value in a particular region. In a smaller game setting (like post-nuclear war settings), the character might have more dense penetration of recognition, but with less wide-sweeping effects (for instance, everyone in town knows who they are, but no one from more than a few days travel away has ever heard of them). Whenever the Game Master or the player thinks the character might be recognized (and the Fame Advantage would come into play), the Game master should roll 3D. If the result is 15 or higher, the character is recognized. Otherwise, he will have to do something “special” to be recognized (and gain the benefits of recognition). If a character with Fame (R1) is recognized, he should gain small perks, like being seated in a restaurant early, avoiding small legal hassles (like routine customs checks), or just be treated generally better (perhaps the character gets a couple of bonus points to persuasion, con, and charm attempts). Like most roleplayed Advantages, the Game master should decide on the results. Restrictions/Notes: Fame may be chosen multiple times as long as the player defines how each Fame is different. For example, a character might have Fame (R1) in regards to his fighting abilities, but another type of Fame pertaining to his intelligence or some other ability.

Fame (R2) The character is very well known. On a global setting, the character would probably be recognized in most fairly civilized cultures and almost definitely in her home culture. The Game

master should roll 3D and, on a 15 or higher, a person from another culture will recognize the person and react (usually favorably). In the character’s own culture, this reaction comes on an 8 or more. If the character draws attention to herself in her own culture (identifies herself), then the reaction will most likely be automatic (Game master’s option). Restrictions/Notes: At this level of fame, the character should be treated like a famous author, an occasional movie or television star, or a reasonably recognizable sports figure (in a real world setting). Some Game master characters will be immune to this fame, but most will have some sort of (generally positive) reaction. Otherwise, see Fame (R1) for more information.

Fame (R3) There is a pretty good chance anyone in the game setting (unless it is a multi-world setting) will recognize the character (or what the character is) fairly easily. The base die total needed is 8, and it can be modified by circumstance. The character has the status of a movie star, a famous politician, or a top-ranked sports hero. Restrictions/Notes: They are the same as for Fame (R1) and Fame (R2) — certain people just won’t be impressed. In addition, characters with Fame (R3) should almost always have to take the Disadvantage Infamy at least Rank 1 — no matter how nice, talented, or generally well-liked a person is, there’s always somebody out there who wishes them harm.

Good Looks (R1)

The character is attractive and well received on first impressions. She is eye catching and pleasing to look upon. +1 on all con or charm skills.

Good Looks (R2) The character is striking and a cut above the rest. She is physically attractive to both sexes receiving a bonus of +2 to con and charm skill rolls.

Good Looks (R3) The character is considered gorgeous and could easily be a model of some sort. Her beauty has swayed even those opposed to her. +3 on all con or charm skills.

Hard to Kill (R1)

The hero is really tough, resilient, or just plain stubborn, and she won’t give up on this life easily. This Advantage allows her to make a roll when she takes enough Body Point damage to kill her. When the character reaches zero Body Points she makes a Difficult Willpower roll, If the roll is successful she is alive with Body points equal to the difference by which the roll was made by up to a maximum of 10 body points. This Power may only be used once per Adventure.

Hard to Kill (R2) When the character reaches zero Body Points she makes a Difficult Willpower roll with a +1D bonus, If the roll is successful she is alive with Body points equal to the difference by which the roll was made by up to a maximum of 15 body points. This Power may be used twice per Adventure.

Hard to Kill (R3) When the character reaches zero Body Points she makes a Difficult Willpower roll with a +2D bonus, If the roll is successful she is alive with Body points equal to the difference by which the roll was made by up to a maximum of 20 body points. This Power may be used three times per Adventure.

Instant Change (R3)

The hero has some device or super ability to change from their normal civilian clothing into their super heroic outfit or personal. This advantage should not be confused with the Super Heroic Form Power limitation; this advantage only allows the hero to change from his normal clothing into his super hero duds. The change takes only a few seconds (one combat round or 5 seconds) to perform and must be activated in some way (chosen by the player). The activation can be anything from spinning in a circle and unleashing a burst of light to a small ring that disgorges a quickly unfolding outfit.

Laboratory (1)

The character has a laboratory or workshop to help facilitate the creation of gadgets. The description and whereabouts of the Lab is left up to the player but the technological level is dictated by the rank of the Laboratory advantage. At this rank the character has a modest research area and standard tools for creating most standard mechanical devices. The lab is considered equivalent to a University Lab.

Laboratory (2) At this rank the character has equipment and technology at his disposal to create advanced factory made equipment. AutoCAD and Digital programs are at the characters disposal and a limited research library is at had for reference. Gadget creation time is reduced by 10% at this rank The lab is considered on par with a Corporate Laboratory.

Laboratory (3) The Lab at the disposal of a character is high-tech and state of the art. Every modern tool is on hand including large banks of high powered computers and limited automation. The character has a dedicated library to all fields of study regarding the types of devices she is manufacturing. The Character has the equivalent of a high tech state of the art research and development laboratory. Gadget creation time is reduced by 20% at this rank

Laboratory (4) The lab at this level is a modern marvel unto itself with every imaginable piece of manufacturing equipment. At this level the number crunching drudgery is done by the semi sentient computers with only the conception and theoretical work left to the inventor. Gadget creation time is reduced by 30% at this rank The Lab is considered highly advance and futuristic or equipped with alien technology.

45

Ominous Demeanor (R1)

The character has a very sinister and dangerous presence. People give your character a wide berth and most find themselves cowed by your baleful stare. The character can intimidate multiple targets without suffering a multi action penalty. The amount a character can affect is equal to his Presence attribute

Ominous Demeanor (R2) The character can affect a number of opponents equal to double his Presence attribute

Ominous Demeanor (R3) The character is very disturbing to be around and even animals feel uneasy in their presence. The character can affect a number of opponents equal to triple his Presence attribute.

Ominous Demeanor (R4) There is something supernaturally off-putting about the hero’s manner. People feel a sort of uneasiness right before she enters a room. Even when not using this advantage people’s skin crawls when around her, and animals either run from her or attack. The character can affect a number of opponents equal to five times his Presence attribute!

Patron (R1)

The odds are that most players’ characters are not independently wealthy. But they might have access to wealth in the form of patrons. If the characters are treasure hunters, patrons might include museums, universities, private philanthropists, newspapers, or even retired adventurers. Patron (R1) means the character has a backer who will fund an expedition, with all proceeds going to the patron. All of the costs (room, board, travel, expenses) are covered by the patron, with the understanding that the player’s character is basically just a worker-for-hire. Anything that the adventurer discovers or purchases becomes the property of the patron.

Patron (R2) A Patron (R2) expects much less from those he backs. The character may receive less financial , but will have greater freedom of action. A newspaper publisher looking for hot stories is a common example of an organization qualifying for Patron (R2). They cover a character’s travel expenses and any legal fees in exchange for inspiring stories. Anything that the character finds on his own (like artifacts) remains his own.

Patron (R3) A Patron (R3) will give a character a limited stipend and cover most expenses, then offer to purchase whatever the character recovers. Without consistent results, the funding will be cut off.

46

Quick Study (R3)

The character learns skills governed by a single chosen attribute at an accelerated pace. She always learns new skills as if she had a teacher (even if she doesn’t), and she can improve skills she already knows at a cost of one Character Point per rank less than normal. This Advantage applies to specializations. It combines well with the Age Disadvantage, if the character is young he is a prodigy, and that’s why she’s learned her starting skills so quickly. This Advantage can be taken multiple times and for different attributes.

Secret Hideout

Special You have some sort of base of operations for your heroic identity. This hideout could be as small as a small apartment or as big as an island, having technology that is very primitive to the incredibly high-tech. The point value of this Advantage is equal to the base’s size cost plus its tech level cost. Base Size:

Cost

The size of an average 3-bedroom home or apartment

3 pts

Two story building or large cave

5 pts

Multistory building or expansive cave network

10 pts

Small island or asteroid: An asteroid may be secure, but it is also very hard to get to!

20 pts

Small country: Keep in mind that at this level, there is not much secret to the hideout anymore!

30 pts

Base Tech Level:

Modifier

No technology: The base has no advanced technology. +0 pts The security system is only as good as the padlock you bought to keep your nosy neighbors out. High Tech: The hideout has all the amenities of a high tech facility with superb security systems and outfitted to be self sufficient for months before needing to replenish its air or food supply

+5 pts

Biotechnology: The facility can think and react on its own. It is in some way a thinking, living organism.

+7 pts

Sidekick

Special Sidekicks are there to carry out a character’s orders, are almost always at the character’s side, and are either paid by the character or have for some reason pledged their loyalty to him. As this advantage is very powerful and tempting to players, Game Masters should use discretion when allowing heroes to take it. There are two aspects a character must have in place before taking this Advantage: (1) either a Presence of 3D or more or a command skill of 3D or more, and (2) some way to draw followers into their service (for example, the Wealth or Fame Advantages or charm skill of at least 3D). Sidekicks aren’t meant to be faceless, nameless minions, disciples, or goons. The sidekick is loyal and trusted companion who would put his life on the line to help the hero and vice verse. Because of this the sidekick is like having the Ball and Chain disadvantage. If something terrible happens to the sidekick while in the employ of the hero the hero immediately looses twice the amount of character points! This coupled with role-playing should be enough incentive to keep the sidekick alive and if possible out of reckless situation where the hero is taking advantage of the sidekick. Sidekicks are built at one power level lower than the hero (if the hero is power level one then the sidekick is built using 40 creation points). A hero may build a sidekick at any power level as long as the sidekick is at least one power level below the hero (If the hero is power level three then the sidekick must be power level two or lower). If the hero is power level one then the sidekick is built using 40 creation points. Power level

Cost

Below Power level one (40 point character generation)

5 pts

Power level One

10 pts

Power level Two

15 pts

Power level Three

20 pts

Power level Four

30 pts

Power level Five

40 pts

Animal Companion Animal companion sidekicks have a few disadvantages that make them less expensive than their human counterparts. They cannot verbally communicate with the hero and may not be allowed into certain places when the hero is performing in his alter ego. Because of this animal companion receives a cost break of minus 2 (-2) per power level to the cost. This modifier only applies to power level one animal companions and above Example: A power level one animal companion would cost 8 points, while a power level 5 would cost 30 points

Size (R1 or more)

The character is much larger or smaller than the average Human. For every rank in this Advantage, the player receives +3 to his character’s scale modifier (which starts at zero). The player must specify whether the character is larger or smaller than the average Human. Restrictions/Notes: Generally, the character’s weight is proportional for his height, but a Disadvantage, such as Hindrance: Reduced Toughness, or a super power, such as Endurance, could be used to represent a very thin or very large character (respectively). Likewise, to reflect a longer stride, the character should have the Super Speed power, while a shorter stride would get the Hindrance: Shorter Stride Disadvantage.

Skill Bonus (R1)

Skill Bonus represents a natural talent (a character with the Charismatic group might be “friendly and outgoing”), a particular knack (a character with the Animal Friendship group has a “way with animals”), years of devotion to a profession prior to beginning adventure, or the result of an extended life. The character chooses a group of three related skills in which he gains +1 to the skill total of any action performed with those skills (or specializations of that skill). The skills need not be under the same attribute. The character may or may not actually have adds in those skills, and the Game master must approve the fact that they are “related.” Some examples of skill groups include: Acting: charm, con, disguise Acute Balance: acrobatics, climbing, sneak Animal Friendship: animal handling, riding, survival Athletics: lifting, running, throwing Charismatic: charm, con, persuasion Close Combat: brawling, melee combat, dodge Investigative: investigation, search, streetwise Leadership: command, intimidation, persuasion Mechanical Aptitude: lockpicking, demolitions, repair Photographic Memory: languages, scholar, investigation Observant: investigation, search, tracking Ranged Combat: marksmanship, missile weapons, throwing Players may substitute other related skills for the ones listed in the groups above, or create their own groups as long as there is a common thread and the Game master approves the grouping. Three specializations may replace one general skill, getting a +1 for three different specializations. Example: In the Investigative group, a character might take out investigation and replace it with three specializations — investigation: eavesdropping, investigation: evidence analysis, and investigation: reconnaissance. While this means the character gains no bonus for “general” investigation activities (such as a roll to research a project), he does have a more “detailed” group. This may be done for all three skills in the group, that is, choose nine specializations instead of three skills. Additionally, the character acts as if trained in these skills even if he doesn’t have any additional pips in them, and so does not get the unskilled modifier. This Advantage does not affect the cost of improving the related skills. Game masters may allow a higher bonus for fewer skills (such as a set of two skills where one gets a +1 bonus and the other gets a +2 bonus, or a +3 bonus to a set of three specializations). However, the bonus per rank may total no more than +3. At each additional rank, the player may increase the bonus by +1 for three of the skills affected by this Advantage. A character may have different versions of this ability for different groups of skills, though the skills in each group may not overlap.

47

Rent-a-Goons!

Skill Minimum (R4)

The character can select three related skills unaffected by any other sort of Advantage and the character will always gain a minimum total of 3 times the number before the “D.” Example: If the player selects persuasion, charm, and intimidation (all interaction skills) for his character, all of which he has at 4D, and he generates a less than 12, the total automatically becomes 12. That is the character’s minimum total. The player may not select Skill Minimum for any skill that has any other Advantage or Super Power tied to it. Also, the skills must be related in some way (see the Skill Bonus Advantage for information on related skills). The character may only select general skills, but the specializations underneath that general skill are affected as well. This Advantage may be selected only once for each group of skills.

Staff

Special You have a staff that helps you further your career as a hero. This Advantage’s point cost varies, depending on the size and competency of these assistants. If you take this Advantage, you might also want to take a Secret Hideout, too. When a villain has this Advantage, it’s called “Rent-a-Goon”. Staff size

Cost

One Man

2 pts

Small group: The group consists of 5 to 10 people

4 pts

Large group: The group consists of 15 to 30 people

6 pts

Huge group: The group consists of 50 to 100 people

12 pts

Army: The group consists of 2 -300 people

17 pts

Legion: The group consists of 1-2000 people

34 pts

Staff Competence

Modifier

Incompetent: You recruited your staff from a temp agency

-2 pts

Competent: Your staff is very good at what they do. Although not superhuman, they are loyal and a force to be reckoned with.

+2 pts

Elite: Your staff is highly trained and conditioned, able to handle most extraordinary problems that are presented to them.

+5 pts

Superior: The staff is in many ways more competent than you, making suggestions to help you along the way.

+10 pts

48

Villains are notorious for having either nigh-unto useless sidekicks or competent henchmen who are dangerous in their own rights. While the Staff Advantage can save a hero, the Rent-a-Goon Villainous Advantage can be the doom of many heroes. In some cases, the Goons may even become separate villains, outdoing their own boss and going off on their own. They may also remain with their boss but cause him no end of trouble, constantly allowing the erstwhile heroes to escape because of pure stupidity. How a villain treats his Goons is a good indication of how villainous he really is. A villain, who is interested in world domination but has a code of ethics, may beat up his Goons or even imprison them when they mess up, but he won’t kill them. A depraved dark sorcerer or vicious general, however, may not only execute them in a sudden, bloody manner, but may torture them thoroughly to satisfy some dark craving. This is also a good way for a Game Master to set the feel and pace of a campaign: for example, they see the guys they just beat up thrown into a pit of lava for their failure. This is not going to be a pretty campaign. The Rent-a-Goons can represent anything from a dangerous robotic army (Army, Elite, 22 points) to the Loser Brothers (Small Group, Incompetent, 2 points). In general, the Advantage follows the exact guidelines of Staff, except that they might be a little more or a little less powerful than their competency listing, because the Game Master can control them. In some cases, they may have an additional quality: Rebellious (-5 points). They can’t do anything about their villainous boss directly, but they can cause problems indirectly and try to keep themselves out of the line of fire. Has it been mentioned that Goons can be notorious cowards?

Trademark Specialization (R1)

This Advantage works a lot like a combination of the Skill Bonus Advantage and Fame. The character is very good at one very specific thing, and he is known for it. Choose any specialization that the character has (or would like to have in the future), and the character gains +2D to the roll when it is used. In addition, when the character uses it, there is a game masteroption chance that people will recognize how “naturally good” the character is at the specialization, and this might produce interesting situations. Also, the character might be ed by people or recognized by certain people because of how good he is at that one specialization. Restrictions/Notes: This character acts as if trained in the use of this skill. No character may have more than two Trademark Specializations.

Uncanny Aptitude (R3)

This Advantage is similar to the Skill Bonus Advantage in that some sort of bizarre ability gives the character added bonuses to certain actions. However, instead of selecting a group of skills that the character gains a bonus to, the player and the Game master work out circumstances where these abilities come into play. Example: a character might gain a +1 bonus to all Reflexesrelated skills totals when in sunlight. A character may have several variations of this ability, reflecting different bonuses. Each variation could have several ranks, with the bonuses adding to each other.

Wealth (R1 or more)

The character with this Advantage probably has an estate or a series of investments that will keep him comfortable for a good long time. Alternatively, character could be minor nobility, have a large trust fund, or be married to the owner of a large corporation. This doesn’t mean the character can buy everything; he is still subject to the availability of items. For each rank in this Advantage, the character has US$5,000 in readily available cash once per month. The s never have more than US$5,000 times the number of ranks each month (fees and living expenses keep it to that level), the amount could be less by the end of the month. Additionally, adventure bonuses could temporarily raise the figure, though the character would have to purchase an additional rank of Wealth to make the increase permanent. Players in games using the Funds attribute gain +2 per rank to all such totals. Restrictions/Notes: Characters should select only one rank of Wealth, unless there is some reason they might have Wealth (R1) and another rank of Wealth in other circumstances. Also, this wealth does not always help and disappears if misused (and it should be a major concern to the character at times), but it should be there most of the time. Game masters will probably think of ways to work around wealth and players should play along — if you can throw money at every problem, then they aren’t that much fun to try to solve, are they? The most likely Disadvantage a character with Wealth would have is Devotion, such as “helping all those in need” or “righting all wrong doing.” Otherwise, there should be fairly extensive reasons why the character can’t use his wealth to resolve every situation — or hire somebody to do it for him (which is really the same thing).

Youthful Appearance (R1 or more)

The character looks much younger than she actually is, and receives a +1D per rank to charm, con, or disguise attempts that involve posing as someone youthful. In some situations the character may be discriminated against because of their apparent age. In general, characters should not look more than 10 to 20 years younger than they are, regardless of the number of ranks, though Game Master discretion and common sense should rule here.

49

50

Physical Powers Accelerated Healing Ambidextrous Amphibious Animal Mimicry Boost Chameleon Combat Sense Disease Drain Duplication Elemental Sheath Endurance Enhancement Entangle Extra Limbs Fast Reactions Flash Attack Healing Immortality Infrared Vision Intangible Invisibility Life Longevity Luck Mimicry Molecular Mimic Mutation Natural Weaponry Omnivorous Paralyze Poison Secretion Radar Sense Ranged Power Attack

56 56 56 56 56 57 57 57 57 58 58 59 59 60 60 60 60 60 61 61 61 61 62 62 62 63 63 64 65 67 67 67 67 68 68

Regeneration Shape Shift Sonar Stretching Super Attribute

71 71 72 72 73

Super Senses Super Tracking Sustenance Transfer Attribute Vampirism X-Ray Vision Defensive Powers Adaptation Body Armor Energy Absorption Force Field Immunity Invulnerability Resurrection Two-Dimensional

74 74 75 75 75 75 76 76 76 76 77 77 77 78 78

Enhancements/Limitations

Reflexes Coordination Physique Knowledge Perception Presence

70

73 73 73 73 73 74

Elemental Manipulation Powers Effect difficulty modifier chart Air Manipulation Body Manipulation Darkness Manipulation Density Manipulation Earth Manipulation Energy Manipulation Electricity Manipulation Flame Manipulation Gravity Manipulation

79 79 79 80 80 81 81 82 83 83 84

Ice Manipulation Ka Manipulation Light Manipulation Magnetic Manipulation Matter manipulation Plant Manipulation Size Manipulation Sound Manipulation Time Manipulation Water manipulation Weather Manipulation Mental Powers Mental Defenses Animal Control Animal Summoning Animation Animate Dead

85 85 86 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 94 94 95 95 96

Weight Chart Mass and Weight

Undead

Confusion Cosmic Awareness Detect Empathy ESP Hex Illusion Insect Control Insect Summoning Iron Will Language Comprehension Machine interface Mind Control Mind Reading Mind Field Possession Postcognition Precognition Speak with Animals Speak with Dead Speak with Insects Speak with Plants Telekinesis Telepathy

84 84

96

96 97 97 98 98 99 99 100 101 101 101 102 102 103 103 103 104 104 105 105 106 106 106 106

Magic Magic Field Sorcery

107 107 108

Summoning Alternate Magic System New Advantage

110 111 111

New Disadvantage

111

New Skill

111

Magical Wyrds

Arcane Gift (R4)

Unnatural Aura (R2)

108

111 111

Sorcery

111

Purchasing Spells 111 Learning Spells 111 Using Spells 111 Eldritch Cost 112 Places of Power 112 Movement Powers 113 Special Movement Power Enhancement: 113 Astral Projection 113 Burrowing 113 Dimensional Shifting 113 Enhanced Movement 115 Faster Than Light (FTL) Travel 115 Flight 115 Spatial Warping 115 Super Jump 116 Super Speed 116 Swinging 117 Teleportation 117 Wall-Crawling 117 Power Enhancements 118 Area Effect 118 Armor Piercing 118 Extended Duration/Effect/Range 118 Extra Knock Back 118 Linked Power 118 Miscellaneous Enhancement 118 Multiple Targets 118 Persistent Effect 118 Range 119 Selective Area 119 Transferable to Others 119 Power Limitations 120 Activation Roll 120 Ability Loss 120 Costs Ka to Activate 120 Diminished Range 120 Duration change 120 Extra Time 120 Focus 120 Incantations 120 Limited Use 120 Miscellaneous Power Limitation 120 No Knock back 120 No Range 121 Non-lethal 121 Physical Gestures 121 Short Circuit 121 Signature Effect 121 Super Heroic Form 121 Uncontrollable 121 Uses Life Force

51

POWERS PHYSICAL POWERS Accelerated Healing Cost: 2 Per Rank Ambidextrous Cost: 9 points Amphibious Cost: 4 Per Rank Animal Mimicry Cost: 6 Per Rank Boost Cost: 4 Per Rank Chameleon Cost: 2 Per Rank Combat Sense Cost: 3 points Disease Cost: 6 Per Rank Drain Cost: 5 Per Rank Duplication Cost: 5 Per Rank Elemental Sheath Cost: 7 Per Rank Endurance Cost: 1 Per Rank Enhancement Cost: 6 Per Rank Entangle Cost: 3 Per Rank Extra Limbs Cost: 2 Per Rank Fast Reactions Cost: 3 Per Rank Flash Attack Cost: 4 Per Rank Healing Cost: 6 Per Rank Immortality Cost: 10 points Infrared Vision Cost: 2 Per Rank

52

Intangible Cost: 5 Per Rank Invisibility Cost: 4 Per Rank Life Cost: 2 Per Rank Longevity Cost: 5 points Luck Cost: 7 Per Rank Mimicry Cost: 9 Per Rank Molecular Mimic Cost: 7 Per Rank Mutation Cost: 5 Per Rank Natural Weaponry Cost: 2 Per Rank Omnivorous Cost: 4 points Paralyze Cost: 4 Per Rank Poison Secretion Cost: 5 Per Rank Radar Sense Cost: 3 Per Rank Ranged Power Attack Cost: 2 Per Rank Acid +2 Per Rank Bio Energy Blast +3 Per Rank Energy Blast +1 Per Rank Entropy Blast +5 Per Rank Flame Jet +2 Per Rank Force Blast +2 Per Rank Lightning Blast +2 Per Rank Magic Bolt

+3 Per Rank Mental Blast +3 Per Rank Projectile Attack +2 Per Rank Sonic Scream +3 Per Rank Super Breath +1 Per Rank Vibration +3 Per Rank Regeneration Cost: 7 Per Rank

Immunity Cost: 7 Per Rank Invulnerability Cost: 15 Per Rank Resurrection Cost: 15 Per Rank Two-Dimensional Cost: 6 Per Rank

ELEMENTAL MANIPULATION POWERS Air Manipulation Cost: 6 Per Rank

Shape Shift Cost: 4 Per Rank

Body Manipulation Cost: 7 Per Rank

Sonar Cost: 2 Per Rank

Darkness Manipulation Cost: 5 Per Rank

Stretching Cost: 5 Per Rank

Density Manipulation Cost: 7 Per Rank

Super Attribute Cost: 4 Per Rank

Earth Manipulation Cost: 7 Per Rank

Super Senses Cost: 7 Per Rank

Energy Manipulation Cost: 7 Per Rank

Super Tracking Cost: 3 Per Rank

Electrical Manipulation Cost: 9 Per Rank

Sustenance Cost: 5 Per Rank

Flame Manipulation Cost: 6 Per Rank

Transfer Attribute Cost: 2 Per Rank

Gravity Manipulation Cost: 7 Per Rank

Vampirism Cost: 5 Per Rank

Ice Manipulation Cost: 7 Per Rank

X-Ray Vision Cost: 2 Per Rank

Ka Manipulation Cost: 15 Per Rank

DEFENSIVE POWERS

Light Manipulation Cost: 7 Per Rank

Adaptation Cost: 8 Per Rank

Matter manipulation Cost: 7 Per Rank

Body Armor Cost: 3 Per Rank

Magnetic Manipulation Cost: 7 Per Rank

Energy Absorption Cost: 4 Per Rank

Plant Manipulation Cost: 6 Per Rank

Force Field Cost: 4 Per Rank

Size Manipulation Cost: 6 Per Rank

Sound Manipulation Cost: 7 Per Rank

Mind Reading Cost: 581 Per Rank

Super Jump Cost: 2 Per Rank

Time Manipulation Cost: 7 Per Rank

Mind Field Cost: 5 Per Rank

Super Speed Cost: 7 Per Rank

Water manipulation Cost: 8 Per Rank

Possession Cost: 5 Per Rank

Swinging Cost: 2 Per Rank

Weather Manipulation Cost: 8 Per Rank

Postcognition Cost: 2 Per Rank

Teleportation Cost: 6 Per Rank

Precognition Cost: 3 Per Rank

Wall-Crawling Cost: 3 points

MENTAL POWERS Animal Control Cost: 4 Per Rank

Speak with Animals Cost: 2 Per Rank

Animal Summoning Cost: 4 Per Rank

Speak with Dead Cost: 3 Per Rank

Animation Cost: 5 Per Rank

Speak with Insects Cost: 2 Per Rank

Animate Dead Cost: 6 Per Rank

Speak with Plants Cost: 2 Per Rank

Confusion Cost: 3 Per Rank

Telekinesis Cost: 5 Per Rank

Cosmic Awareness Cost: 3 Per Rank

Telepathy Cost: 2 Per Rank

Detect Cost: 2 Per Rank

MAGIC POWERS

Empathy Cost: 3 Per Rank

Magic Field Cost: 4 Per Rank

ESP Cost: 2 Per Rank

Sorcery Cost: 15 Per Rank

Hex Cost: 6 Per Rank

Summoning Cost: 10 Per Rank

Illusion Cost: 3 Per Rank

MOVEMENT POWERS

POWER ENHANCEMENTS Area Effect +3 Per Rank Armor Piercing +3 Per Rank Double range +3 Per Rank Extended Duration +2 per Rank Extra Knock Back +2 per Rank Linked Power +2 per rank (plus an additional +1 for each additional Power linked after the first) Miscellaneous Enhancement +1 to 3 per Rank Multiple Targets +3 Per Rank

Astral Projection Cost: 3 Per Rank

Persistent Effect +3 Per Rank

Dimensional Shifting Cost: 6 Per Rank

Range +2 Per Rank

Enhanced Movement Cost: 2 Per Rank

Selective Area +3 Per Rank

Language Comprehension Cost: 2 Per Rank

Faster Than Light (FTL) Travel Cost: 5 Per Rank

Transferable to Others + 4 Per Rank

Machine interface Cost: 5 Per Rank

Flight Cost: 2 Per Rank

Mind Control Cost: 4 Per Rank

Spatial Warping Cost: 8 Per Rank

Insect Control Cost: 4 Per Rank Insect Summoning Cost: 4 Per Rank Iron Will Cost: 2 Per Rank

POWER LIMITATIONS Activation Roll -1 Per Rank Ability Loss -2 Per Rank or -3 Per Rank Costs Ka to Activate (GODSEND Agenda limitation only) -1 to -5 Per Rank Diminished Range -2 Per Rank Duration change -2 Per Rank Extra Time -1 to 4 Per Rank Focus -2 Per Rank Incantations -2 Per Rank Limited Use -2 to -5 Per Rank Miscellaneous Power Limitation -1 to -3 Per Rank No Knock back -1 Per Rank No Range -2 Per Rank Non-lethal -2 Per Rank Physical Gestures -2 Per Rank Short Circuit -4 Per Rank Signature Effect -1 Per Rank Super Heroic Form -2 or -3 Per Rank Uncontrollable -3 Per Rank Uses Life Force -3 Per Rank

53

POWERS

The entirety of this chapter is dedicated to what makes a character truly special – Powers. Unlike an Advantage, which simply defines some extraordinary, but humanly possible trait, each Power allows your character to perform some sort of supernatural act – in other words, something that outright defies the way the world works as we know it. These Powers can be defined as mutation, high technology, magic, psionic, or a gift of God – see the sidebar The Origin of Powers, near the opening of the Character Creation chapter for more ideas and discussion on this issue. How your character sees his Powers can very much define the character, so think carefully!

Purchasing powers Powers are purchased per rank, with the cost determined by the particular power. For instance; if a player would like to purchase Flight at rank 3, he would multiply the rank by the cost per rank. Flight cost 2 points per rank, so 3 ranks would cost 6 points. Most powers work much like Advantages and Limitations do – they have ranks, and range in effect, starting at rank 1 and working their way up. These Powers do not have an upper limit! Some Powers have a flat cost and are not bought on a per-rank basis. These are noted in their costs. Although you do not normally have to roll to activate attack powers, you may have to take appropriate Skills to be able to hit with those Powers. Make certain that you make note of these Skills and take them – otherwise, you may have a powerful Energy Blast, but be terrible at hitting your targets! In addition, you may put special additions or restrictions on Powers. These Power Enhancements and Power Limitations modify the cost-per-rank of a Power, but cannot reduce the cost of a Power below one point per rank. Enhancements and Limitations are discussed in more detail at the end of this Chapter.

54

Exponential Values Some powers have “increases exponentially” listed as their range This chart provides you a quick reference for the exponential values referred, so you don’t have to dig up a calculator.

Exponential Value Chart Power Rank

Measurement (meters, time, weight, etc.)

1

1

2

2

3

4

4

8

5

16

6

32

7

64

8

128

9

256

10

512

11

1,024

12

2,048

13

4,096

14

8,192

15

16,384

16

32,768

17

65,536

18

13,1072

19

262,144

20

524,288

Reading the Power Description Powers are listed alphabetically within their classes. Their description includes:

Duration The amount of time the power is in effect. There are four durations: Concentration: The hero must spend one action each round keeping the power active; doing anything other than this incurs a multi-action penalty for each additional action. If the hero is knocked unconscious, the power stops. Activated: The hero must spend one action to activate the power. She may use it on the next round or as another action. The power remains on until the hero spends an action to deactivate the power (or is knocked unconscious). Semi permanent: The hero subconsciously activates or deactivates the power. Thus, it does not count as an action to activate, deactivate, or use the power, but the player must announce when she is using it if it does damage or has an affect on other things or people. The power shuts off when the hero reaches the time limit for the power or is knocked out. The duration of a power may never be changed to this through Enhancements or Limitations. Permanent: The power is always on. The hero has no control over whether or not she wants to use it unless great steps are taken (some sort of barrier for a power, for example). This power remains in effect even if the hero is knocked unconscious.

Managing skill Generally, dice equal to the rank are rolled when the character wants to generate a desired effect. Managing skills can be taken as specialized skills and used to generate the desired effect, but in most cases are only suggested and not necessarily required. As a general rule, if the power attacks at a distance it uses marksmanship to hit, and if the power needs physical to take effect the character must succeed at a brawling attack.

Description A brief description of the power and its effects. In some instances the power description will give additional difficulty numbers and special effects that can be achieved. The Game Master may modify the power to better suit his game if need be.

Range Range denotes the distance a power can be projected. The ranges for powers are determined in the same way for nearly every power. There are some exceptions: like movement powers which have ranges that vary greatly and powers such as Clinging or Longevity where distance does not apply. Touch: The power is effective at a range of physical . The hero must in someway touch his target. Ranged: For powers that have Normal listed in their range entries: the maximum short range of most powers is twice the rank in meters. The maximum medium range is three times the rank in meters. The maximum long range is four times the rank in meters. Short

Rank of power x 2 meters

Medium

Rank of power x 3 meters

Long

Rank of power x 4 meters

Furthermore, the target must be in sight for all powers with the exception of ESP and a few others.

Base damage Value The amount of damage a power will do. The damage listed is in dice of damage per rank. Some powers don’t do physical damage, but have a different effect. In such cases, the power will note in its description what the effect is.

55

Physical Powers Accelerated Healing

Duration: Permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: None Cost: 2 Per Rank The character gains +1D per rank to his Physique for all natural healing attempts, and a Critical Failure is treated as 1, rather than having a negative effect on the die roll.

Ambidextrous

Duration: Permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: None Cost: 9 Points The character is equally adept with both hands. She may perform an action with each hand in the same round, and though she takes the multi-action penalty, she receives +1D to her skill total to completely negate all off hand penalties. The actions must involve the hands and each action must require only one hand – if the character performs only one hand-related action in a round, she does not get the bonus. Skills that characters could employ with either hand include brawling, lock picking, marksmanship, throwing, lifting, artist, forgery, and the map-making aspect of navigation, though, of course not every task covered by each skill is relevant.

Amphibious

Duration: Permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: None, swimming in some cases Cost: 4 Per Rank The character has the ability to survive underwater, even at great depths. When underwater, she can breathe like a fish and swim up to her normal movement rate multiplied by the power rank. The Character also has a much greater movement rate when in a non-combat situation and moving over great distances – 15 times the rank in kilometers per hour.

Animal Mimicry

Duration: Semi permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: 1D per rank Managing Skill: know-how (Animal Mimicry) Cost: 6 Per Rank The hero can spontaneously develop abilities similar to (nonsentient) animals nearby. Note that the hero does not undergo any overt physical transformation when gaining these abilities. The hero could (potentially) breathe water without gills, climb a wall without claws, and fly without wings. The hero can mimic a single animal trait per action for every rank possessed in the power. Thus, at rank 3, a hero could mimic, for example, three abilities of one animal or one ability each from three animals. The limit to the power rank mimic is governed by the heroes’ rank in Animal Mimicry and he cannot possess abilities above his rank in the power.

56

Example: A hero with 5 ranks in Animal Mimicry can only mimic up to 5 ranks of ability. At rank 4 the hero can have 1 rank in each of four animal’s abilities or 1 ability at rank 4. The base difficulty to mimic an animal’s abilities equals 10, increased by +5 for an obscure or not visible ability and +10 if the animal is from another planet or dimension. The hero rolls his know-how (Animal Mimicry) skill to determine success. (This also counts as the action needed to activate the power; only an action, but no roll, is required to shut off the power.) If, while the hero has the power activated, the hero decides to mimic another ability and he has no free “slots,” one of the other abilities is bumped out. Abilities cannot be “stored” for later use. These abilities are equal in power to those of an animal that is the same size as or larger than a human. For example, using this power near an elephant would give the hero the same strength as that animal. If the animal is smaller than a human is, the newly acquired abilities are proportionately increased (multiply the difference in scale by the rank of the ability acquired). Example: a rabbit (scale -5) has the Enhanced Movement (Jumping) power at rank 1. The difference between a normal adult human (scale 0) and the rabbits scale is 5. The hero can acquire up to 5 ranks in Enhanced Movement (Jumping). This power requires some preparation on the part of the player. The player should come up with a list of animal abilities, using powers if appropriate. See below for some examples. Special Power Limitations: Animal Aspects -2 Per Rank The hero takes on aspects of the animals that he mimics. If mimicking a fish the hero will become scaly and grow gills or become fur covered if mimicking the abilities of a wolf. Special Power Limitations: Animal Specialist -2 Per Rank The hero can only mimic a particular class of animal. Examples include vertebrate, mammals, birds, amphibians, and mollusk and so on. Animal Mimicry Examples Bat: Sonar [Sonar 3] Bird: Flight [Flight 3] Cheetah: 60-mile-per-hour sprint [Running (Enhanced Movement) 2] Chimpanzee: 800-pound lifting strength [Super Attributes: Physique] Crab: Regenerate lost limb [Body Armor 1, Regeneration 2] Dog: Tracking ability [Super Senses (smell)2] Eel: Electric shock [Elemental Sheath (electrical)4] Jellyfish: Paralyzing sting [Paralyze Body 1] Kangaroo: 40-foot leap [Jump 4] Kokoi frog: Poisonous skin [Poison Secretion 5] Owl: Night vision [Infrared Vision 2] Seal: Swim 20 mph [Swimming (Enhanced Movement) 3] Snake: Heat sensing [Infrared Vision 3] Spider: Wall climbing [Clinging] Starfish: Body regeneration [Regeneration 2] Turtle: Shell [Body Armor] Whale: Dive to 3720 feet [Invulnerability 2, Amphibious 5]

Boost

Duration: Concentration Range: Touch Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 4 Per Rank The hero has the ability to shift her personal energy around to augment her existing abilities. The character can raise any two Attributes or Powers (designated when the Power is purchased) by a total number of ranks equal to the boost power. Each new attribute or power adds +1 per rank to the cost of the Power Example: Fireheart has 4 ranks of Flame jet, 3 ranks of Elemental Sheathe, and 3 ranks of the Boost power link to them. Fireheart can raise his Flame jet by 2 point sand his Sheathe by one point if he choose to. One limitation of this power is that it can never boost a power with a higher modified cost per rank than the unmodified Boost power (4 Per Rank). Example: A character with normal unmodified Boost power could never boost a power that had cost per rank of 5 or higher. Ka Manipulation may NEVER be boosted using this power. Special Enhancement: Augment Broad Groups +4 points per rank The character can boost a single category of abilities. He could boost ALL powers or ALL attributes (again, designated when the power is purchased). This enhancement can be taken multiple times to cover ALL the characters abilities. The rank restriction still applies. Expanded Power Selection Variable The character can now choose powers with a higher per rank cost. The cost depends on what level of enhancement the player wishes to take. 5-6 point per rank powers cost

+2 points per rank

7-8 point per rank powers cost

+3 points per rank

9-10 point per rank powers cost

+4 points per rank

11-12 point per rank powers cost

+5 points per rank

13 and up point per rank powers cost

+6 points per rank

Special Power Limitations: Parasitic Transference -2 Per Rank The boost now draws from the character’s other abilities making one suffer so that the other can be augmented. For every point channeled into an ability another is weakened. The other ability is chosen when this limitation is purchased. Example: Fireheart has 3 ranks of boost and decided he would like to raise his Flame Jet rank by 3. He has the Parasitic Transference linked to his Reflexes which is reduced by 3 ranks (dice).

Chameleon

Duration: Semi permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value:NA Managing Skill: None Cost: 2 Per Rank The character can take on the color and shading of the area she is standing in, blending with her surroundings, appearing blurry and distorted. The character is able to reduce her body temperature, control her breathing, and even reduce her Ka signature in order to hide from her foes. However, this power does not make the character invisible – just very hard to see – and any movement may give away the character’s position (half effective ranks if moving). Anyone trying to detect or target the character must make a search roll with a penalty to their rolls equal to the character’s ranks in this Power. Chameleon may only be purchased to rank 10; one can only be so hard to see.

Combat Sense

Duration: Permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: none Cost: 3 points The character can sense danger, and is never surprised. In combat, he and his attacker must determine initiative as normal. The hero can always take an active defense, even if he looses initiative that round. A character may not have this ability more than once.

Disease

Duration: Semi permanent Range: point blank Base Damage Value: variable Managing Skill: none Cost: 6 Per Rank The character can replicate and transfer any known disease to another person with a touch. To do so the character must make a brawl skill roll to touch the person and then a disease dice roll versus the opponent’s stamina skill. If the roll is successful the opponent becomes infected with the malady and suffers from it for 10 minutes per power rank minus his stamina dice in minutes (minimum 1 minute). Example: A character with Disease rank 4 could affect a person with stamina of 3D for 10 minutes. Once the target is infected the character has a few options he can visit upon his victim; During the initial attack the target suffers damage equal to the power rank and then half the power rank every 10 minutes until the malady has run its course. The power’s effect can cause the target to suffer diseases that affect her attributes. The target suffers a penalty in dice to an attribute of the characters choice for the duration. If the attribute is ever reduced to zero the target is rendered unconscious. Once the malady has run its course the target returns to normal except for any damage taken. Example: a character that has a penalty to his Presence may have a disease that affects his appearance such as leprosy. A character that has his Knowledge attribute affected may have some sort of brain fever.

57

The disease may be contagious and has a possibility of infecting others for the same time period. Everyone that comes into with the infected person must make a stamina roll versus half the rank in the Disease power. The character using this power is always immune to the disease she inflicts. The target of this power may try and fight off the effects every 10 minutes in order not to take the damage by making a stamina roll. The difficulty of this roll is equal to the disease roll. This can be done until the effects wear off.

Drain

Duration: Semi permanent. Range: Point Blank Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: None Cost: 5 Per Rank This Power allows the depletion of another’s abilities. When your hero is in physical with a target, he may drain Attributes, Skills, or Powers up to a total amount equal to the Power rank. He must win an opposed roll using his rank of Drain against the Power, Attribute or Skill he is targeting. The effects last for 5 minutes per rank of the power. The attack is resisted by an Opposed roll of the Drain rank in dice versus the opponents current power rank (multiple uses of the drain power can quickly deplete a foes power). For every three points over the opponents resistance roll the hero drains one rank of power or ability. Example: Remora has 5 ranks of the Drain power and is Fighting Electra. Remora wants to drain off some of Electra’s formidable Lightning Blast (rank 4). Remora grapples her and starts to drain. Both combatants roll dice equal to their respective powers; Remora rolls dice equal to her power rank of 5 versus Electra’s dice equal to her Lightning Blast of 4. Remora’s total is 19 and Electra rolls a 12, a difference of 7. Remora wins and manages to drain off 2 ranks of Electra’s Lightning Blast. Special Enhancements: Damage Drained Goes to Your Abilities +2 per rank The character drains others’ abilities to fuel her own Attributes at her choosing. The augmented Attributes do not change her current or maximum number of Body Points. This lasts the normal Drain duration. Damage Drained Heals You +1 per rank The character heals 1D points of damage for every 3 points drained. This healing is permanent – that is, it does not “expire” when the Drain duration is up. Powers Are Transferred to You +3 per rank Any Powers drained are now useable by the character. These temporary Powers last for the duration of his Drain Power (rounds equal to Power rank). The powers drained are equal to the heroes’ Power rank and limited by rank of the power being drained. Example: Remora (rank 5 Drain) completely drains Star Brands Energy Blast of 3. Remora would have 3 ranks of Energy Blast not 5 since Star Brand only had 3 to begin with.

58

Special Power Limitation: You Also Drain Limitations -2 per rank The character also drains Disadvantages from her target, one rank’s worth per two ranks of this Power. The disadvantages drained are determined by the GM, and are treated as her own for the duration of the Power. These must be role-played.

Duplication

Duration: Activated Range: n/a Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: None Cost: 5 Per Rank The hero has the ability to make duplicate selves, splitting off to create a number of copies. A hero can have a number of duplicates up to her Duplication power rank without any attribute degradation of the clones. The character can have an additional amount of duplicates beyond the first group but these duplicates will have all their attributes and powers reduced by 1. A third set can also be produced but their attributes and powers are further reduced, this time by 2. This process can go on until an attribute cannot be reduced (attribute rating of 0). Example: Zerox has Duplication 2, Reflexes 3D, Coordination 5D, Physique 3D, Knowledge 3D, Perception 3D, and Presence 3D. Zerox can make two duplicates that have attributes equal to him. He could make an additional two duplicates that have attributes that are reduced by 1D. These clones would have Duplication 1, Reflexes 2D, Coordination 4D, Physique 2D, Knowledge 2D, Perception 2D, and Presence 2D. He could make two more duplicates but these two would be -2D from all their attributes. These clones would have Duplication 0, Reflexes 1D, Coordination 3D, Physique 1D, Knowledge 1D, Perception 1D, and Presence 1D. Zerox could make a total of 6 clones but could not go beyond this because his attributes would not allow the others to live. NOTE: All clones share the SAME Ka pool and can pull from it freely. Furthermore, duplicates can make duplicates, each counting toward the character’s duplicate total. However, the character loses one rank in all Attributes, Skills, and Powers, permanently, for every full set of duplicates (the amount the hero can make without attribute degradation) that is killed! Example: Zerox can create 2 duplicates without any attribute degradation. If one duplicate was killed he would not loose attribute points permanently, but if he lost both duplicates he would loose 1D from all attributes and powers.

Elemental Sheath

Duration: Semi permanent Range: Point Blank Base Damage Value: Managing Skill: None Cost: 7 Per Rank The hero has the ability to cover himself in some sort of elemental energy or substance. In hand-to-hand combat, the elemental sheath automatically damages any opponent who grapples the character, without the hero expending an extra action to attack. The power may be also used to augment brawling attacks, causing additional damage when the hero makes with a foe. In any case, the character can actively control the sheath, so that she doesn’t burn a hole in the carpet while enveloped in flame or electrocute all computers when covered in electricity. The type of sheath must be picked at character creation from the following: Air Sheath: Kinetic energy attacks do 1D per rank less, and poison gas attacks do 2D per rank less, in damage to your character. The character may add +1D to any brawl attack per three ranks in elemental sheath when it is activated. Opponents who grapple the character suffer no additional damage from an air sheath. Earth Sheath: A hide of rock, soil and plant life covers the hero. The character receives a bonus of 1D per rank to negate damage and does an additional 1D in hand to hand combat with an opponent when the sheath is activated. Opponents who grapple the character suffer no additional damage from an earth sheath. Electrical Sheath: The hero can disrupt electronic equipment with a touch, doing double her normal physical damage die code to it. Electrical attacks do 1D less damage per two Elemental Sheath ranks. The character may add +1D per rank to any brawl attack when the elemental sheath is activated. Opponents who try and grapple the character suffer 1D per rank of the sheath in damage while in with the hero. Those with Energy Absorption may be able to drain off the sheath, negating the power. Energy Sheath: Your hero gains the ability to negate raw energy attacks, taking 1D per two ranks less damage from pure energy based attacks (such as Energy Blast). The character may add +1D per rank to any brawl attack when the elemental sheath is activated. Opponents who try and grapple the character suffer 1D per rank of damage while in with the hero. Those with Energy Absorption may be able to drain off the sheath, negating the power. Fire Sheath: The character can set fire to any flammable material that she touches. Flame attacks do 1D less damage per Elemental Sheath rank. The sheath is completely ineffective underwater. The character may add +1D per rank to any brawl attack when the elemental sheath is activated, and grapplers suffer 1D per rank of damage when in with the hero. Those with Energy Absorption may be able to drain off the sheath, negating the power. Ice Sheath: Ice and water attacks do

1D less damage to the hero per two Elemental Sheath ranks. While in water, the sheath becomes larger and gives the hero double the protection it would normally give, but at a sacrifice of mobility (-1 Reflex penalty per rank of the power activated while in water). The character may add +1D per rank to any brawl attack when the elemental sheath is activated. The character can keep cool in really hot environments, too. Grappling opponents take 1D of cold damage when in with the hero. Insect Sheath: The hero is covered in a mass of living insects that swarm around her body. All attacks are reduced by 1D per rank of this sheath but once the sheath reduces damage equal to the power rank times 20 the sheath is dissipated and all the insects are dead (a rank 3 sheath can take 60 points of damage before it no longer works). The hero must wait 10 minutes per rank to regenerate a new sheath by gathering new insects. Grappled or grappling opponents may become flustered or panicked by the nature of this sheath. When a grapple is made by or against the player her opponent must make a willpower roll of 10 plus the rank of the power or become disconcerted, suffering a penalty of +1 per power rank difficulty to all actions for that round. Poison Gas Sheath: Anyone who breathes in this sheath takes damage equal to your hero’s Power rank if they fail an opposed stamina roll versus the power rank. Wind attacks will disperse the gas enough to make it totally ineffective. Water Sheath: The character is enveloped in a sheath of pure liquid while suffering no ill effects such as drowning. The sheath also bestows the ability to breathe under water as well. The character may negate double her rank in damage against fire-based attacks and triple against gas attacks. Ice and electrical attacks do double damage, but sound or kinetic attacks are negated by 1D per rank. Foes who grapple water sheathed characters must make a moderate stamina roll to hold their breath, or take drowning damage. Special Enhancements: Elemental Form +3 Per Rank The character is not simply covered with the element, but becomes it. While in the elemental form the character becomes almost invulnerable to the element, receiving 1D of damage reduction per rank of the power. The character may also use the element as a conduit by which to travel and move more rapidly, moving at 10 meters per rank of the power through the chosen element.

Endurance

Duration: Permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: None Cost: 1 Per Rank The character has great endurance, and gains a +3D per rank to Physique or stamina checks when performing taxing physical tasks (such as holding one’s breath underwater for a long period or running a long distance). The hero can also resist the effects of damage penalties for a number of rounds equal to the rank of the power. This can be done three times per game.

59

Enhancement

Duration: Activated Range: Touch Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: None Cost: 6 Per Rank You may increase your (or another) character’s existing Attributes, Skills, or Powers. The hero decides what will be enhanced, and must be in physical in order for the power to take affect. The player rolls dice equal to the power rank versus the attribute, skill, or power. The better the roll the more the target is enhanced. For every three points over the targets roll the hero may increase the ability by one rank up to a maximum level equal to the Enhancement power (a rank 4 Enhancement power could only enhance an ability by 4 ranks per use) Multiple enhancements can be done on the same attribute, skill or power but it becomes increasingly harder to do. Example: The Red Hammer is being enhanced by the Maxim (Enhancement rank 5). The Maxim decides to enhance the Red Hammer’s Reflex Attribute (Red has a Reflex of 5D to start). The Maxim touches the Red Hammer and concentrates. Rolling five dice, Maxim gets a result of 2, 3, 4, 4, and 5, for a total of 18; the Red Hammer rolls his Reflex attribute and gets a total of 12 on his roll. Since he beat the Red Hammer’s roll by 6 the Maxim can thus enhance Red Hammer’s Reflex attribute up to 7D (two ranks, or one rank per 3 points over the opposed roll). The Red Hammer feels a surge of power course through his body as his Reflex increases to 7D! The enhancement lasts for minutes equal to twice the rank in this power. The hero can only add a maximum of three times the rank of powers on enhancements. Once the character has reached this limit he must wait until the other enhancements have worn off in order to enhance again. Example: The Maxim has Enhancement rank 5. He could only enhance a total of 15 ranks of powers, attributes, or skills. In the above example the Maxim enhanced the Red Hammer’s Reflex by 2 ranks and could further enhance the Hammer or anyone else for 13 ranks. Special Enhancement: Augment Inanimate Objects +2 points per rank The ability now extends to enhancing the properties of inanimate matter, making them stronger and more resilient to damage or perform better. Example One: Maxim is hiding from a group of thugs behind a wooden door. He knows that it is only a matter of moments before the door is torn asunder and the ruffians are upon him, especially since the door only has a toughness of 3D. With his ability to enhance matter, Maxim enhances the door’s toughness. He rolls 5, 5, 3, 3, 1, a total of 17 versus the toughness of the door (the GM rolled a total of 5 on three dice) beating the door by 12. The Maxim enhances the door’s toughness by 4D! Example Two: Maxim is making his getaway in an old crop duster plane. He knows that the plane cannot outrun the thugs’ high-tech flying platforms. Maxim enhances the plane’s engines (effective Flight Power 5). He rolls a total of 15, versus the plane’s total of 12 and adds one rank to the plane’s flight power.

60

Entangle

Duration: Semi permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: marksmanship skill (coordination) Cost: 3 Per Rank Your character can create a web, slime, energy rings, or some other tangible substance that entangles his opponents. Targets hit by the attack roll their Reflexes in an opposed roll against the entangle power. If the Entangle is successful, the target is held fast. Victims may try to break free every combat round (on their Initiative) by rolling their Physique in an opposed roll of the power. Otherwise, the effects last for minutes equal to your character’s Entangle ranks.

Extra Limbs

Duration: Permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: special Managing Skill: special Cost: 2 Per Rank Your hero has an extra limb for every rank in this Power. This limb can be defined as virtually anything – entangling hair, a whipping tail, an extra set of arms, etc. The character is considered ambidextrous (as the power) with these limbs and gains a bonus +1D per rank of the power when attempting to grapple. Alternately, the character may have fewer limbs (half of the power rank), instead adding a bonus +2 to damage per power rank to existing limbs. Example: with Extra Limbs Rank 4, a character could opt to have four additional limbs, or two additional limbs, each with +2 to damage.

Fast Reactions

Duration: Permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 3 Per Rank The character gains +1D per rank to Perception when determining initiative, and, up to three times during the adventure, may receive one additional action for one round.

Flash Attack

Duration: Semi permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: See below Managing Skill: Marksmanship (Flash Attack) Cost: 4 Per Rank This ability allows your hero to unleash an attack that burns her target’s sight (or other sense, at your GM’s option), causing them to be stunned. The target may resist with an opposed roll of the power’s rank versus the target’s Perception die code. If the target resists, they aren’t affected, but if the target fails they are blinded with a penalty of +4D (+12) to all rolls in combat, lasting for rounds equal to the rank. This may cause the Power to affect a target for multiple rounds. This attack does not cause knock back. Obviously, this Power has no effect on someone who is already blind.

Healing

Duration: Semi permanent Range: Touch Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 6 Points Per Rank Your character can heal wounds, poisons, disease or other ailments by her very touch, affecting others or herself. She heals 1D points of damage per Power rank. At ranks 10 and higher, she can also reattach severed limbs or regenerate lost organs, and in the case of mental damage may be able to restore lost memories or heal brain damage. Special Enhancement: Can Heal at Range +2 Per Rank The character isn’t limited to touch – The power’s range is increased to 2 meters per power rank. Special Enhancement: +2 Per Rank Mending The hero can not only heal damage to living beings but inanimate objects as well. She may now restore shattered doors, fix automobiles, mend broken glass, etc. Special Power Limitations: Transference Healing -4 Per Rank The character can only transfer her personal life energies to heal others. She cannot heal herself, and she no longer rolls dice to determine how much she heals. She can heal any number of Body Points between 1 and triple her power rank, per action. For every 2 points of healing done to others, she takes 1 point of damage.

Immortality

Duration: Permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 10 points The character grows older, at a decreased pace compared to the rest of his species, and for all intents and purposes is essentially immortal (i.e., he will never die of old age within the span of any campaign). Furthermore, even if he is reduced to zero Body Points – his arms could be blown off, his abdomen eviscerated, or whatever – he doesn’t die, and will not go unconscious or bleed to death (as mortally wounded characters do). However, he will not heal without some sort of special ability, and may perform only the most minimal of physical actions, such as squirming, with most actions being impossible. He may rely only on his reflexes for initiative purposes. Special Power Limitations: Final Death There is always one particular set of circumstances whereby the character will die forever. These circumstances should not be too unusual, but should be avoidable – killed directly by magic, drowned, decapitated, and so on are all good examples.

Infrared Vision

Duration: Semi permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: search Cost: 2 Per Rank Your character’s visual perception abilities are such that she can see into the infrared spectrum. She can see heat sources clearly within a range equal to rank times 5 meters (limited by her normal sight range). This power gives the hero a bonus of +1 per rank to negate sight based penalties. This vision is so sensitive that the character can follow a person by the heat left by their footprints, if they were there relatively recently. Your character gets a Search roll of +1D per power rank versus a GM assigned Difficulty to track using Infrared Vision. Note that the character can only see things with this Power that are differentiated from the ambient temperature of the area – a cold-blooded lizard or an animated skeleton might not be visible with this Power.

Intangible

Duration: Activated Range: n/a Base Damage Value: Special, read below Managing Skill: none Cost: 5 Per Rank The character’s body becomes intangible, able to through solid objects. The difficulty of this action is based on the body points or resistance value of the object that is being traversed. If the Power fails, the character cannot walk through the obstacle and becomes solid. When intangible, the character cannot affect much in the physical world – that is, he cannot pick up a book, turn on a light, etc. In addition, physical damage done by and against the character is reduced by 1D per Power rank. While intangible, the character can also attack living objects with this power, giving the character the ability to reach an intangible hand into a person’s body before solidifying it, causing the victim a great deal of pain and internal damage. This attack requires a Brawl Skill roll to hit the victim with a penalty of +10 to the difficulty for targeting vital areas. If the hero chooses a non vital area he does half the normal damage. If successful, the target must make a Physique or stamina roll versus the character’s rank in the power. If the target fails, they take 1D damage per Power rank (generally, this damage is not preventable), but if the target was successful in their roll, the character takes the damage instead! The normal effects of this Power do not reduce this damage.

61

Invisibility

Duration: Semi permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 4 Per Rank The character can bend light around her body, rendering herself and everything she is carrying invisible. The character throws no shadow, and even if splashed with paint of doused in flour will remain invisible with the paint or flour becoming undetectable as well. If she is standing still, she is almost impossible to see (a Difficult roll plus the rank of the power or a hide roll +1 per rank of the power, whichever is higher.) If the character is moving or actively attacking an opponent, she is still mostly indiscernible but can be targeted normally, albeit with a penalty equal to twice the rank of the power. This power may only be purchased to rank 10; a character can only be so invisible.

Life

Duration: Semi permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 2 Per Rank Your hero can survive without air for a number of days equal to his Physique multiplied by his rank of the power. During this time, he is immune to the rigors of space or Deep Ocean depths, including the conditions of high and low pressure or bone-chilling cold and blistering heat. After the allotted time, the character begins suffering the ill effects of these environments normally. Returning to a normal environment and resting (generally for a time equal to the amount of time the Power was in use) will allow the character to return to a hostile environment and use this Power again.

Longevity

Duration: Permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: none Cost: 5 points The character lives longer than the average Human with a lifespan Measured in centuries and not years. The character should gain peripheral bonuses during game play because of his “longer outlook.” A character may not have this ability more than once. Often, this Super Power has a Limitation attached that governs what the character must do to maintain his life.

62

Luck

Duration: Permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: none Cost: 7 Per Rank A character with Luck can call on two of the following benefits once per adventure per rank: action, alertness, breakthrough, haste, hero, opponent fails, or second chance (see the “Luck Benefits” below for details on each of these options). Calling upon one’s luck does not count as an action. If the character has not used his Luck during an adventure and something really disastrous happens, the Game Master may choose to automatically use the Character’s power, temporarily “burning it out” and u the character’s Luck for the adventure. Usually, this is done when the character does something stupid or the player is the victim of incredibly bad luck – die rolling, not the Disadvantage – and something “stops” the effect. This is a “last ditch,” Game Master-controlled effort when circumstances get out of control. It is also a nice thing for inexperienced role-players to have – just in case they do something they really shouldn’t have, they get another chance. Example: The character’s mission is to turn off the power at a nuclear plant, or it will explode and destroy the city that’s conveniently downwind. Unfortunately, the character takes too long fighting the minions of the bad guy who set the plant to overload, and, according to the rules, the whole city should go up in a radioactive fireball. The character is too late. The Game Master might choose to have the character be really lucky – the villain was bluffing, and there’s really more time on the clock than anyone thought, or the power plant begins a long meltdown procedure instead of exploding. In any case, the character’s Luck is gone for this adventure (his luck ran out), but he has a chance of averting disaster. Luck Benefits Action: Add 2D to all skill or attribute totals for the round. Alertness: The character has a “sixth sense” outside of all other rules and situations that will help him to spot a previously unseen item, character, or clue selected by the Game Master. The benefit does not confer omniscience, however, and the Game Master can select a time for having it come into effect. It is normally used to allow a character to spot something he missed in a previous search that is important to the adventure. Breakthrough: Add 1D to any one skill die code in which the character has no additional pips or dice (in other words, a skill in which the character is untrained). The benefit also eliminates the unskilled modifier for using that skill. This effect last one round. Haste: Gain one additional action for one round. Hero: Receive one bonus Fate Point, which the character must use immediately. Opponent fails: After an opponent or enemy has completed an action against the character, the character may call upon this benefit to cancel the effects entirely. This nullifies the opponent’s action, and play continues. The lucky character may not use this benefit to cancel an action that is not directed at least partially at him. Second chance: Using this benefit allows the character to “do over” any action she has just tried, from the very beginning. This benefit cannot negate “bad choices” – the character must perform the same action again – nor does it allow the character to “get back” Fate Points, Character Points, or cards spent on the original action. The character merely gets another chance, immediately following the first attempt, to perform the action again. All effects from the first attempt are ignored.

Mimicry

Duration: Activated Range: normal Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: none Cost: 9 Per Rank Your character has the ability to mimic any power or skill she has seen used within 5 minutes per power rank of Mimicry. To duplicate the power the player rolls her Mimicry rank in dice versus a difficulty equal to three times the unmodified cost per rank of the power or skill. If successful, she then gains the ability temporarily. A hero can mimic a number of ranks in powers up to her power rank. If more than one power is mimicked, the hero can divide her power ranks between them. The character cannot have a mimicked power with ranks higher than the original power witnessed. Example: Vex has 6 ranks of Mimic and sees a hero that has an energy blast at rank 3. The most Vex could mimic is 3 ranks of the energy blast power, not 6 ranks. The character has the power for 30 minutes per power rank used. Once this time has elapsed the character can no longer use the mimicked power. The memory of the power fades from the character’s mind and she must see the power in use again in order to mimic it. Example: Vex has 6 ranks of Mimicry and sees Pyra using her Flame Jet power (rank 7). Vex decides that this would be a handy ability to possess. Vex must make an opposed roll of his Mimicry against the cost of the cost per rank of the Flame projection power. The cost for Flame Jet is 4 points per rank so the difficulty to acquire this power is 12 (4x3=12).Since vex can only mimic a maximum of 6 ranks he rolls 6 dice and tries to beat a difficulty of 12. Vex could keep his new Rank 6 Flame Jet power for 3 hours before it faded from his memory. NOTE: Ka manipulation can never be mimicked Special Limitation: No range -2 Per Rank The character must make physical with her target in order to duplicate the power.

63

Molecular Mimic

Duration: Activated. Effect last for rounds equal to double the power’s rank Range: Touch Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: n/a Cost: 7 Per Rank This ability allows the hero to alter her molecular structure to mimic the structure and properties of things touched. For example, if she touches a steel I-beam, she would become as tough as tempered steel; touching a piece of cork would allow her to float with its buoyancy. The hero’s Body Points and Physique, and Reflex Attribute change according to the substance touched (note: the hero assumes the Physique attribute of the substance, they are not added together). Check the list below for examples and ideas. Her Physique and Body Point total is enhanced or reduced by the amount shown and any other special qualities given are also noted. Obviously, this list is not finite and the GM may wish to add other substances like Formica, plastic, or Juju fruit. The player rolls her character’s rank in dice of Molecular Mimic versus the difficulty assigned to the substance. If the character is successful she gains the benefits of the substance. Attribute effect Substance

Difficulty

Body Points

Physique

Reflex

Weight

Notes

Rice Paper

5

-8 Body Points

1D-1

+5 to all reflex rolls

The hero is only 1/10 her actual weight

The hero is only 1/10 your actual weight – strong gusts of wind will blow her away. In addition, she is very flammable – suffering triple normal damage from fires and flamebased attacks. Character can compress her body to the thickness of paper

Cork Board/ Foam board

7

+9 Body Points

2D+1

+3 to all reflex rolls

The hero is only 50% her actual weight

You are 1/5 your actual weight, buoyant and very flammable, taking double damage from flame-based attacks, but half as much knock back and knock back damage

Rubber

10

+11 Body Points

3D+2

+2 to all reflex rolls

Wood

10

+18 Body Points

6D+1

Cinder Block Wall

13

+24 Body Points

8D

Rock, Precious Stone or Brick Wall

15

+30 Body Points

Iron/Steel

20

Adamantium

Orichalcum

You have 1D electricity resistance per 2 Power ranks

Weight Doubles

Like cork, you are buoyant enough to float on water but also have the drawback of being flammable. You suffer double normal damage from flame-based attacks

-6 to all Reflex rolls

Weight Triples

Your weight doubles and you suffer double damage from sonic-based attacks.

10D

-8 to all Reflex rolls

Weight Triples

Depending on the properties of the precious stone, you may also be able to refract light.

+40 Body Points

13D

-10 to all Reflex rolls

Your weight increases by 500%

vulnerable to magnetic and electrical based attacks, taking double damage

30

+36 Body Points

12D

-8 to all Reflex rolls

Your weight increases by 400%

Suffer double damage from electrical attacks. Character gains 2 ranks of the Body Armor power

35

+30 Body Points

10D

-6 to all Reflex rolls

Your weight increases by 200%

Suffer double damage from heat or flame attacks, Character gains an additional 10 Ka points

Example: The hero Castor has 5 ranks Molecular Mimic and a Physique of 3D. During a battle with the villain Death Scarab, Castor decides to bolster his physical abilities by touching a nearby stone wall and mimicking its properties. In order to get the wall’s attributes Castor must roll his 5 ranks of Molecular Mimic versus a difficulty of 15. The dice are rolled and the total is 17, success! Castor gains +30 Body Points, his Physique attribute is increased to 10D and his Reflexes rolls are reduced by -8. Lastly his weight increases from 100 kg pound to 300kg lbs.

64

Mutation

Duration: Semi permanent. Effect last for 10 minutes per power rank Range: Point blank Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: n/a Cost: 5 Per Rank The character has the ability to manipulate and alter the evolutionary growth or degeneration of another living thing. The hero must make physical with the target and win a contested roll of the power rank in dice versus the opponent’s stamina. If the hero is successful she alters the target for 10 minutes per power rank. To see what mutation she has given to her target the player rolls on the mutation chart below. Some mutations are evolutionary advancements or degeneration while others are super human advancements or misanthropic physical aberrations.

Disease roll > Target Total By

Effect

1-3

1 mutation

4-8

2 mutations

9-12

Mutations equal to half the rank

13-15

Mutations equal to the rank of the power

16+

Mutations equal to the rank of the power+2

Roll 1D 1 Physical Mutation chart one 2 Physical Mutation chart two 3 Mental Mutation chart one 4 Mental Mutation chart two 5-6 Evolutionary Mutation

Physical Mutation Chart One (Roll 3D) 3

Target becomes small (2 ranks of size)

4

Target becomes stronger, +1D to Physique

5

Target becomes more agile, +1D to reflexes

6

Target becomes more coordinated, +1D to Coordination

7

Target becomes physically hardier, +1D per rank of power to the targets body points

8

Target’s immune system becomes more efficient. Target gains 1D per rank of the power to stamina

9

Legs become more powerful. Target gains 10 meters of additional movement and Super Jump rank 2

10

Target becomes taller (4 ranks of the size advantage)

11

Target becomes more attractive because of pheromone excretion (+2D charm ad persuasion)

12

Target becomes more agile, +2D to reflexes

13

Target grows horns or tusks (Natural weaponry rank 2)

14

Target becomes taller (2 ranks of the size advantage)

15

Target grows insectoid or feathered wings (flight rank 2)

16

Target spits gouts of flaming venom (Ranged Attack Power: Acid rank 2)

17

Target’s hearing becomes more acute. Sonar rank 2

18 Target’s blood becomes acid. Anyone attacking and causing the target to bleed takes 1D of damage. The mutated target is immune to this effect. Physical Mutation Chart Two (Roll 3D) 3

Target a gelatinous blob, movement reduced to 10% normal, all attributes reduced by Mutation power rank

4

Target Grows second head that wants to take control of the body. Target must make a willpower roll with a difficulty equal to the Mutation Power rank x3. This counts as an action and if successful the target may act normally. If the roll is a failure the target act in a random way (controlled by the GM)

5

Target’s bones become rubbery. Reflexes reduced by 3D

6

Target’s neck muscles do not his head. He must spend an action lifting his head with his hands to look around.

7

Target becomes hemophilic and takes double damage from attacks that make him hemorrhage blood.

8

Targets tongue becomes swollen and puss filled. The target cannot talk and must make a moderate stamina roll every round or drown on fluid

9

Targets legs become useless and the target must pull himself long with his arms (reduce movement to 10% normal)

10

Target becomes 5 ranks smaller

11

Target becomes weaker, 2D to Physique

12

Target’s lungs can no longer process oxygen directly. The target must filter oxygen through a liquid, if he does not he will drown.

13

Target grows thick flaky hide. No sense of touch

14

Target becomes taller (2 ranks of the size advantage). But his bones cannot the weight well. The target must roll a Physique or lifting roll every round that he wants to perform a physical action.

15

Target’s belly grows large and weeps fluid. Target must make a Reflex roll if he moves not to slip. This counts as an action

16

Targets eyes grow black rubbery cataracts. Target is blind.

17

Microbes on the target’s skin increase in size and suck the targets blood like a tick. There is one tick for every rank of the Mutation power. The Ticks have attributes of 2d and 10 Body points. They do 1D of damage, scale -5

18

Roll twice on this chart and combine the effects)

65

Mental Mutation Chart One (Roll 3D) 3

Target’s brain and head become larger. Target can now perform one additional action every round without penalty. All attacks to his head do double damage.

4

Target is able to mentally block out pain by making a moderate willpower roll

5

Target is able to hear a person’s thoughts with a difficult Perception or search roll

6

Target is never surprised and can see glimpses of the future with a difficult Investigation roll

7

Target becomes a complete dolt. Loses 2d Knowledge

8

Target becomes hyper aware of his surroundings, +2D to Perception based skills

9

Target generates a natural Mind Field power that protects everyone within its range. The rank of the power is equal to the rank of the Mutation power

10

Target’s brain and head become larger. Target can now perform two additional actions every round without penalty

11

Target breeds fear in people around him. Empathy power always on only generates fear rank 5

12

Target secretes super pheromones, +3D to Presence based skills

13

Target becomes hyper intelligent, +4D to Knowledge

14

Target’s hearing becomes more acute. All hearing based perception checks at +2D

15

Target telepathically links with people around him. Telepathy rank 10 with limitation Receives Physical Sensation

16

Target’s eyes fall from head. The target is blind but regenerates new eyes once the duration of the mutation power elapses

17

Target grows a second head that gibbers and yells. The target always goes last in the round because the head constantly fights with him and gains the strange Appearance disadvantage rank 2

18

Gains one manipulation power (GM chooses)

Mental Mutation Chart two (Roll 2D) 3

Target’s brain waves damage everyone in an area equal to 1m per rank of the Mutation power. The damage done to those in the area is equal to 1D per the targets Knowledge attribute. Mind Field protects against this power but normal armor of the Force Field power does not

4

Target’s hearing becomes super acute and any loud noise does damage to the target as if hit by a Sonic Blast attack with a rank equal to the Target’s Perception attribute.

5

Target must say out loud any action he wishes to perform.

6

Target becomes a coward and goes last in every round. He also wets himself and whimpers when harsh language is used.

7

Target’s eyes fall from head. The target is blind but regenerates new eyes once the duration of the mutation power elapses

8

Target’s mind works at super speeds so fast that his body cannot keep up. The target may perform one action per turn normally but if he decides to perform multiple actions roll randomly and one of the actions is lost.

9

Target gains the Empathy power at a rank equal to the Mutation power rank. The target must spend an action each round using the power to feel the emotions of others. The target cannot project emotions through this mutation.

10

Target’s brain and head become larger. Target can now perform two additional actions every round without penalty

11

Target breeds fear in people around him. Empathy power always on only generates fear rank 5

12

Target’s brain starts to expand and buds a spore that shoots from his ear growing into a small ravenous man eating brain. This happens every turn until the Mutation effects elapse. The Brain monster has 2D in all attributes, 10 Body points, scale -5

13

Target’s butt becomes enflamed and blue. Its itches insistently and he can only get comfort but dragging it through grass. If he does not spend half his time scratching it he looses 1d from all skill checks because of distraction.

14

Target’s hearing becomes more acute. All hearing based perception checks at +2D

15

Target shoots energy blast from his eyes doing 1D of damage equal to his Knowledge attribute. The blast is uncontrollable and is only activated when the targets eyes are open

16

A gibbering mouth forms on the targets neck. It warns opponents of the targets actions every round unless he spends an action controlling it. When not telling his combat actions it tells his most closely held secrets.

17

When the Target speaks he emits a Sonic Blast area affect attack doing damage of 1D per Presence attribute.

18

Roll twice on this chart and combine the effects)

66

Evolutionary Mutation (Roll 3D) 3

Target loses 1D from a random attribute

4

Target grow an extra set of legs or arms (Extra Limb power rank 2)

5

Target’s body speeds up and he becomes intangible (rank 2)

6

Target gains a chitinous hide (Strange Appearance rank 2, Body Armor rank 2)

7

Target becomes Amphibious and cannot speak (Amphibious rank 2)

8

Target secretes a poison from her body (Poison Secretion rank two, always on)

9

Target starts to fuse and takes on the physical properties of the next thing that touches its skin. Molecular mimic rank 6

10

Target sheds his skin and looks like a reptile. Strange Appearance rank 2

11

Target starts to bud and splits off into a separate entity. The new being will live on after the power’s effect wears off

12

Target bursts into flames. Elemental Sheathe fire rank 2D

13

Target becomes an infant with his normal mental capacity

14

Target becomes a primate. Add +2D to Physique and reduce Knowledge by 2D

15

Target’s body becomes composed of bioluminescent matter. Flash rank 4 always on

16

Target becomes pure energy. Treat the target as if he is an Astral Projection. He has no control of his movement and will gravitate towards the nearest Ka using being

17

Target becomes a colony of individual single-celled creatures.

18

Target gains 1 random power

Natural Weaponry

Duration: Semi permanent Range: Point Blank Base Damage Value: +1D per rank Managing Skill: Brawl Cost: 2 Per Rank Your character possesses some sort of natural offensive weapon, such as horns, fangs, claws, or hooves, and is able to parry melee attacks with them. Add +1D per rank to Base Damage when determining damage with a natural weapon. If the hero cannot hide these weapons (the default is that he can), he should take the appropriate Limitations – in particular, Strange Appearance.

Omnivorous

Duration: Semi permanent Range: Touch Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 4 points The character can gain nourishment from any organic or inorganic substance (though she is not immune to poisons). She can also chew through just about any substance with no adverse effects to her teeth or jaws. The hero can chew through 1 cubic meter of matter per five minutes. If the object cannot be swallowed in one bite or if the power is used to attack it does dice equal to her Physique attribute. Biting attacks are usually awkward and have a +3 difficulty. The hero can only swallow so much matter before she becomes full. Her maximum capacity is equal to triple her Physique and stamina in pounds. A character may not have this ability more than once.

Paralyze

Duration: Semi permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: Marksmanship (Paralyze Body) Cost: 4 Per Rank This Power allows your character to paralyze the movements of a target’s body. First she must win an opposed roll of her Paralyze Body Power die code versus the target’s Physique or stamina. The effect last for rounds equal to the power rank. This does not prevent a paralyzed enemy from using Knowledge/ Perception or general mental-based Powers (such as Mental Blast), but it does keep them from using any abilities based on Reflexes or Physique.

Poison Secretion

Duration: Semi permanent Range: Touch Base Damage Value: 1D per rank Managing Skill: none Cost: 5 Per Rank This power gives the character the ability to secrete a poisonous fluid that damages opponents when they come into skin with her. The poison does damage equal to 1D per rank of the Poison Power. The victim of the poison attack must then roll their stamina versus the Poison power’s damage total. If the roll is successful, the target takes no damage, but if the target fails she takes the full poison damage that round, and 25% of the original damage total for rounds equal to half the powers rank (round up). After this, the poison has either killed the victim or run its course in his system. Every round after the initial attack the target may roll his stamina against the original damage total to stop the damage. Example: Bubonic Betty has Poison Secretion rank 6 and is attack her arch enemy the Rat King (stamina 4D). Betty leaps over the table between them and grabs at his throat. She succeeds in the brawling attack and emits poison from her hands onto the Rat king’s naked skin doing 16 points of damage. The Rat King rolls his stamina

67

and gets a total of 14, failing the roll. Rat Kings takes the damage (16 body points) this round but breaks the grapple and makes an attack of his own. The next round the Rat kings feels the poison coursing through his veins burning his insides for another 4 Body points of damage (he misses his stamina roll again getting only a 10). The Rat King sees that this is no time for battle and squeezes through a crack in the wall and makes his escape. While in the alley behind the building he again fails the roll and doubles over in pain as the poison works again causing another 4 Body Points of damage. He crawls now crawls towards the street gasping for help but finally makes his stamina roll and stop the poison’s effects. Normal clothing will not protect the victim from this attack – only clothing that is considered sealed or waterproof acts as a barrier against the poison. The range of the power is always , unless you take the Special Enhancement below. Special Enhancement: Poison Cloud +3 points per Rank The character can emit a poisonous cloud. If the cloud is inhaled or comes into with a person’s skin, it does damage just like the normal Poison Power. The radius of this cloud is 2 meters per Power rank.

Radar Sense

Duration: Semi permanent Range: 10 m per rank Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 3 Per Rank The hero can now see by projecting radar waves in a 360 degree area around her. Radar signals bounce off objects in their path, and the radar system detects the echoes of signals that return. Radar can determine a number of properties of a distant object, such as its distance, speed, direction of motion, shape, and works in all weather conditions. This power gives the hero a bonus of +1 per rank to negate sight based penalties. Those who are adept at electronic jamming may be able to blind a character that is using this power (opposed roll of Radar Sight versus the jammer’s tech skill)

Ranged Power Attack

Duration: Semi permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: 1D per rank Managing Skill: Marksmanship (Ranged Power) Cost: 2 Per Rank The ranged projection attack power can be used to create all the different effects seen in comic books, such as energy, lightning, and flame blasts. The list of different effect can be purchased and added on to the power to give it specific and unique effects that will set it apart from the standard attack form. These enhancements will increase the cost of the power and are noted with the description of the power The player must define the effect and where the ranged Power Attack originates from, such as the eyes, the hands or the forehead.

68

All These Ranged Attacks! What’s the difference between all of these different ranged attacks? Look closely. There’s nothing more straightforward than the Energy Blast – but it has double the range of any of its cousins. However, all of the others have additional special effects. Lightning Blast does double damage to machines (very useful against those giant robots or power armor!). Flame Jet ignites anything around it with superheated plasma destruction. Sonic Scream causes double damage against brittle objects and crystals, causing things to shatter explosively. And so on. Look carefully when you pick your ranged attack Power: you’ll probably want to pick a theme, or if you’re just running amok, decide which Power you think will be the most offensively useful. Acid Blast +2 per Rank This Power allows you to produce gouts of acidic fluid, which can be projected and spatters on impact, covering an area. The impact of the acid splatter is a 5-foot radius around the target, and anything within this area is affected. The direct target takes 1D per Rank damage, and all within the spatter radius take half your character’s Rank in dice of damage. The acid continues to burn after the initial damage, for half the Rank in combat rounds, doing points of damage equal to the Power Rank. This is automatic and does not require you to make another attack roll. At the time this Power is purchased, you must choose one of two materials against which your acid is ineffective: hard plastic or glass.

Bio Energy Blast +3 per rank The character projects a disruptive energy at living things, crippling them and knocking them out of commission. Against living opponents, the blast normally doesn’t do any physical damage, but disrupts the opponent’s ability to act. For every 4 points of damage done with the blast, the opponent receives a -1 penalty to all of her dice rolls. The blast only does actual physical damage when a 6 is rolled on the wild die – then the damage is equal to the power rank of the power +1 for every full ten points of damage done on the damage roll. This power is useless against mechanical constructs or inanimate objects such as robots or brick walls. Armor is applied normally to this attack form. Example: Electra hits her opponents with Bio Blast power (rank 6), getting a 6 on the wild die. She rolls her damage and does 16 points of damage. Her opponent now suffers -4 to all rolls and 7 points of damage. If Electra hadn’t rolled a 6 on her wild die she would have bestowed only the -4 penalty. Energy Blast +1 per Rank This is the standard ranged power attack and a staple of comic books. The advantage of the energy blast is that its normal range is increased by 50%. These comic book energy blasts usually give a description of the type of damage…gamma radiation, laser beam etc. The hero should pick an energy type when buying this power. Entropy Blast +5 per Rank The character can emit a wave of entropy that washes over its target, causing random, but dire, effects. When the player rolls the wild die it not only checks for critical success and failure, it also dictates the effect visited upon the target. In all cases, this power does no knock back. Entropy Blast Chart 1- Attribute loss 2- The opponent’s powers are affected 3- The Odd 4- Damage 5- Random Events, weirdness magnet 6- Bad entropic stuff. Once the effect is chosen the player then rolls on the appropriate chart below. 1- Attribute loss (The effect last for rounds equal to the entropy power rank.) Physique reduced by 1D per rank of the power. A physique ratting of zero means the character cannot stand under his/her own weight Reflex attribute is reduced by 1D per rank of the power. A Reflex attribute reduced to zero means the opponent can no longer move unless assisted by flight or Telekinesis. Knowledge attribute is reduced by 1D per rank of the power. Opponents with a Knowledge attribute reduce to zero become a vegetable. Coordination attribute is reduced by 1D per rank of the power. When reduced to zero the opponent has a hard time moving or performing any task that requires dexterity. Presence attribute is reduced by 1D per rank of the power. The opponent loses all motivation to do anything when this attribute is reduced to zero. He is easily cowed into submission and will obey any order given to him that does not threaten his life. Perception attribute is reduced by 1D per rank of the power.

The character loses all five senses when this attribute is reduced to zero. 2- The opponent’s powers are affected (The effect lasts for rounds equal to the Entropy power rank.) One of the opponent’s powers is reduced by 1 rank per rank of the power The opponent’s power takes one extra action to use. The opponent’s power causes the physical damage equal to the power rank, or the rank of the Entropy blast, whichever is lower. The opponent’s defensive power stops working for rounds equal to the entropy power rank. Opponent’s powers cost Ka to use. The cost is equal to the Entropy power rank minus the affected power with a minimum of one point of Ka being spent. Two of the opponent’s powers are reduced by 1 rank per rank of the power 3- The Odd The Opponent can’t move and is stuck in whatever position they were in when the Entropy blast struck them, even hovering in air if they were struck while flying. The opponent is thrown forward in time 1 round per rank of the Entropy power The opponent becomes a damage magnet. Any failed attack will redirect towards the opponent. Re-roll the attack against the opponent. Opponent bursts into flame, water, air eddies, or a sand storm when struck by the Entropy blast. Apply the effects of an elemental sheath to the opponents for the sake of damage. Opponent becomes semi-tangible. The opponent takes and does 1D less damage equal to the rank of the Entropy blast that hit him. Note: The Entropy blast still does damage normally to the opponent. The opponent grows or shrinks by 1 scale level per rank of the Entropy blast. 4- Damage The opponent takes 1D of damage per rank. The opponent takes 1D per two ranks of the Entropy blast power but is stunned for rounds equal to the ranks of the power. The opponent is stunned for Ranks equal to the power. The target’s age is altered randomly (roll 1D – odds, the target is made older, evens the target’s age is decreased). The shift is equal to the power Rank in years and the target takes damage as normal from the physical trauma involved. The target returns to its normal age in hours equal to the rank of this power. The target takes 1 point of damage equal to the rank of the Entropy Blast. For combat rounds equal to the rank, the target takes the same amount of damage. This additional damage may not be resisted or reduced by armor! The opponent takes 1D of damage per rank but it byes ALL defensive armor. 5- Random Events, weirdness magnet. (The effect lasts for rounds equal to the Entropy power rank.) The opponent is plagued by vermin for 1 round per rank of the Entropy power. The vermin can be bugs, rodents, pigeons, etc. They don’t attack the opponent; they just hamper his actions making it harder for him to accomplish things. The opponent receives +1 difficulty per rank of the power on all his actions. The opponent disregards the character with Entropy blast and focuses on another opponent for 1 round equal to the rank of the Entropy blast. If the player attacks the opponent then the opponent may attack back

69

The opponent is teleported 1D meters per rank of the Entropy blast in a random direction. (roll 1D, 1= forward , 2=backward, 3= left, 4= right, 5= up, 6= down) Opponent becomes as light as a feather and takes Knock Back from any attack that does damage. Spatial distortion. When the opponent wants to move he moves in a random direction. (roll 1D, 1= forward , 2=backward, 3= left, 4= right, 5= up, 6= down) One of the opponent’s disadvantages starts to affect him 6- Bad entropic stuff. (The effect lasts for rounds equal to the entropy power rank.) The opponent looses 1D Ka points Entropy beckons. The Entropy power makes the opponent easier to hit for further Entropy Blast attacks. The character receives a bonus of +1 per rank of power to attack the opponent. The opponent makes everyone around him unlucky (not including the entropy ). Everyone around the opponent suffers a penalty to his or her actions equal to the rank of the power. Roll twice on the chart and combine two effects Game Master’s choice Player’s choice Flame Jet +2 per Rank The character can project a destructive burst of fiery plasma from her body doing normal damage but also has the advantage of igniting any flammable items it come into with. If an item catches fire from this attack it will burn for 1D rounds taking half the initial damage. Force Blast +2 per Rank The Force blast is a kinetic energy attack. In addition to normal damage, targets take double knock back. Lightning Blast +2 per Rank The character can project a destructive bolt of electricity from his body doing normal damage. Any electronic equipment struck by this attack takes double the damage rolled.

Projectile Attack +2 per Rank The character shoots some sort of solid projectile from his body. The projectile can be of any sort such as porcupine quills, bone shards, hardened fingernails, etc. Alternately, the character can energize objects and throw them at his target. This attack ignores half its power Rank in armor when determining damage. Sonic Scream +3 per Rank The character can project a destructive, high-pitched sound attack. Fragile or brittle objects take double damage and opponents are deafened for rounds equal to Power Rank. On a wild die roll of 6 the target is also stunned for rounds equal to the power rank (-1 per rank to all their actions). Targets who are already deaf take are immune to the deafening effects and are only stunned for half of the time. Super Breath +1 per rank The character can exhale a mighty gust of wind. The power does 1D of damage per three levels but triple Knock Back. The power can also be used to blow out fires that equal the power’s rank (use the Flame Manipulation chart for fire intensity ranks). This power automatically has the Cone Attack enhancement. Vibration +3 per Rank The character can cause damage through the force of vibrations, causing molecules to become excited, which in turn causes the target damage before eventually exploding. To make an object explode, the target must be reduced to zero body points in a single blast; otherwise it takes normal damage. When the item explodes, it does damage to everything within a radius of the power rank in meters. The damage done is 1 point of damage per rank of the power. Like Sonic Blast this attack causes fragile or brittle objects to take double damage. Because of the nature of the attack body armor offers no protection.

Enhancements/Limitations

Magic Bolt +3 per Rank

(Skill marksmanship, a Perception based skill) The character can project destructive magical energy against her target. This attack ignores all armor and is dodged using the target’s Perception attribute + the Dodge skill. The attack ignores all physical armor and may only be reduced by the use of a Magic Field (found under Magic Powers). The range of this attack is half the normal range and all mishaps suffer Wyrds(see Magic). This power uses marksmanship to target opponents but instead of using Coordination as the controlling attribute the hero uses her Perception Attribute. Mental Blast +3 per Rank (Skill Mental Blast, a Presence based skill) The character can project destructive energy from her mind, attacking her target’s psyche. This attack ignores all armor and is dodged using the target’s Knowledge attribute and Dodge skill. The attack ignores all physical armor and may only be reduced by the use of a Mind Field (found under Mental Powers). The range of this attack is half the normal range and does no knock back.

70

Cone Attack +3 per Rank The attack has the chance of hitting multiple targets within its range with a single attack, both friend and foe. The attack originates from the character and spreads out in a fan shape with a chance of hitting everyone within the area. The Fan starts one meter wide and expands its width by one meter for every two meters the attack travels. The result of the wild die denotes how many people are hit, including the intended target. Example: Brigadier Spliff has the Range Power Attack Super Breath rank 5. While attacking the forest compound of his arch enemy Princess Dred the Brigadier trips the alarms and draws the attention of 7 rent-a-goons who rush at him with assault rifles. Taking a long drag off his ever-present rolled cigarette the Brigadier exhales a gust of powerful wind at his opponents. Brigadier Spliff targets the center most goon when they reach 15 meters distance and rolls his marksmanship skill (7D) to attack. The result of the marksmanship roll is 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 6, and 5 wild on the wild die. 26 is more than enough to hit the center goon at that range and the wild die shows that he hits an additional 4 others for a total of 5 targets.

At 15 meters the fan would start at one meter and spread out to 7 meters wide at 15 meters range. If the Brigadier had rolled a 6 on the wild die we would have noted this and rolled again. He would have taken the total of the wild die and that would have been the total number of targets hit. Diminishing Effect -2 per Rank The power is more effective at shorter ranges. The effect is reduced for every range increment past point blank with the attack losing 25% effectiveness at short range and another 25% at medium range. Beyond this the power is only at 25% efficiency. Power defense +3 per rank The character may use the power as a parry for incoming attacks. The hero uses her power marksmanship roll as her active defense block/parry. If the defense is successful the character takes no damage from the attack. Ricochet Attack +3 Per rank The hero’s power can bounce of nearby wall and hit target that he cannot normally draw a clear line of sight to. The hero must have a surface to rebound the attack off and the surface must be able to reasonably withstand the nature of the attack. Hitting targets in this manner adds a +10 to the difficulty of the attack. This attack is especially useful for bying targets that have some sort of forward facing defense.

Shape Shift

Duration: Activated Range: n/a Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 4 Per Rank The character can manipulate the shape, color, and overall appearance of her body, though mass and body composition remain the same. She may keep the changed shape for 30 minutes per rank of the power. After this time has elapsed, she can try and hold the form by rolling willpower versus a normal difficulty, which gets progressively worse the longer the character holds the shape (+5 to the difficulty). If she fails, she is too exhausted and must return to her normal form. If she is successful, she may retain the form for an additional amount of time equal to half her skill rank. Shape shifting may be done with a moment of concentration, though a Limitation may force it to be triggered by stress or environmental factors. Those wishing to see through the disguise must make an investigation roll versus a roll of the dice in the Power Rank. The GM may assign additional bonuses to others under different circumstances – such as if the character is around people who know the person they are mimicking well. If a matter of whether a trait is a natural ability or power is in question, and no sample character is available, determine whether the trait is an innate physical function of the target

Sweep Attack +3 per Rank The power shoots in short controlled bursts much like automatic weapons, allowing a character to hit multiple targets with one attack (up to the power rank in targets, as long as they are within 3 meters of one another). The dice must be divided equally among the targets, with any remainder being lost.

Regeneration

Duration: Permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 7 Per Rank This Power allows the body to heal at incredible speeds. Your hero regenerates 1 body point per rank per combat round, healing up to his maximum Body Points. This Power works automatically, without the use of an action, but stops functioning at 0 Body Points. At rank 10 and higher, the character is also able to regenerate severed limbs. However, a character that loses his head is dead – he cannot regenerate this “limb.”

71

species’ anatomy (fish can breath water, birds can fly, spiders can cling to walls). If so, then the trait is a natural ability. Otherwise, it is a power, and the hero cannot duplicate the power with Shape Shifting. Innate abilities are usually never extremely high (most birds don’t have flight over rank 3) so restraint in asg abilities should be used. Although heroes with Shape Shifting cannot duplicate the powers of another, neither do they gain the target’s weakness (shape shifting into a vampire doesn’t make the character vulnerable to holy water). Regardless of the shape or substance mimicked the hero’s basic life processes remain the same (for example breathing), though they may be modified by the new shape (a fish breathes underwater). The Knowledge attribute remain unaffected, but the dice in the Reflexes, Coordination, Physique, Perception, Body Points, Wounds, and Presence are redistributed to match the new form (although the die code in the Willpower skill remains the same regardless of the change in form). In addition to the ability to redistribute the existing attributes the character has a pool of attribute dice equal to twice her rank in Shape Shifting to use. Additional dice in skills above the base attribute score remain the same, though the total dice in each skill change to reflect the adjustments in the base attribute. Not all skills will be usable in the new form, at the GM’s discretion. Attribute dice can be used to include special abilities (Powers) in the new form. One Attribute die can be spent to gain one rank in one appropriate Power, or to get a +2 skill total bonus (split among up to two skills). The Game Master may allow a larger skill total bonus or more skills to fall under the bonus if the desired effect is particularly narrow (such as a bonus for a single sense). It is highly recommended that the hero come up with some typical forms and their game characteristics before beginning play. In any case, the new form need not exactly resemble a “typical” version of the emulated creature or object. Shape Shift difficulty

Difficulty

Changing only a body part

15

Half body change

10

Complete change in form

5

Modifiers

Modifier

Familiarity with new form (per each five times hero has changed into the shape)

+1

Inanimate object

+3

Complex Inanimate object

+5

Per scale change

+3

Different Order (from a Human to an ape or dog)

+3

Different Class (mammal, amphibian, fish, reptiles, birds, insect)

+10

Different Kingdom (animal or plant)

+15

Imaginary form

+15

Specific person

+10

Other sex

+3

Once the difficulty has been determined the character must roll dice equal to her rank in Shape Shifting.

72

Shape shifting Example: Mark is playing a Chimeran named Hegzog with 4 ranks of Shape Shifting. During game play his Chimeran decides to shape shift into a giant scorpion. The Game Master and Mark decide that the scorpion will be armor plated and strong, but not very agile. Additionally the scorpion will have giant claws as an offensive weapon and an armored hide for defense. Mark’s character in his normal form has 18 attribute dice arranged thusly: REFLEXES 3D+2 COORDINATION 3D PHYSIQUE 3D KNOWLEDGE 3D PERCEPTION 2D+1 PRESENCE 3D Giant Scorpion Difficulty 15 (full body change difficulty 5, different class +10) REFLEXES 2D COORDINATION 2D+1 PHYSIQUE 5D+2 KNOWLEDGE 2D PERCEPTION 3D PRESENCE 3D POWERS: Natural Weaponry (Claws) rank 2, Body Armor rank 2

Sonar

Duration: Semi permanent Range: 3 m per rank Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 2 Per Rank The character can use sound to see – sending out highpitched sounds, normally unheard by humans, to detect distances. She can effectively see objects as if it were broad daylight, but without color information transmitted. Loud noises and uses of sonic Powers disrupt this Power, making her blind as if hit by a Flash Attack. This power gives the hero a bonus of +2 per rank to negate sight based penalties.

Stretching

Duration: Semi permanent Range: 2 meters per Stretching rank Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 5 Per Rank The hero can stretch her limbs to a range of up to 2 meters per Stretching rank. She also takes 1D per 2 ranks less damage from a kinetic attack, such as bullets and fists. When attempting to grapple or breaking a grapple, a hero adds her Stretching Power rank to the roll. The character can also stretch, elongate, and compress his body, allowing him to expand his height or become so narrow he can through keyholes, cracks, or any other opening he could normally see through. It takes one round or more to slip through small openings, depending on their depth. The character also has the ability to compress her body and spring or bounce away. Using stretching in this method allows the character to move 10m per rank of the power and uses the Jumping skill. Finally, her body is so pliable that she can alter and change its shape, receiving a bonus equal to the Power Rank when trying to disguise her looks.

Super Attribute

Duration: Permanent Range: none Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: None Cost: Super attributes cost the same as normal attributes, but once they exceed the racial norm for that attribute they are classified as Super. Any attribute that is 6D or above is considered a Super Attribute. The Attribute is added to the skills under it normally, giving an increased chance of success with skills governed by the attribute. However, under each Super attribute there is also a special ability that can only be used once the Super attribute power is purchased. This represents a special advantage the character has over others without extraordinary attributes. The player may choose one ability for every 7-die codes. So a character with a 7D Perception may have one special ability for that attribute or both at 14D.

Reflexes This Super attribute measures balance, quickness, and full body motor abilities. Special Abilities: Cat Balance Not cat-like, but just about truly feline, you always land on your feet when falling. Mind you, your character’s legs might break from the impact anyway, but she reduces damage from falls by 3 points per die code of Reflexes. Knock back distance and damage are also reduced by half. Also, her equilibrium is enhanced allowing her to balance on a thin tree branch by distributing her weight with super human deftness. Dervish Defense The character is adept at dodging and moving out of harm’s way. She is especially proficient at dodging multiple opponents at once. For every 7-dice she has in Reflexes her ive defense vs. physical attacks is increased by +4. This bonus is totaled before any other optional defense modifiers are added. At rank 10 the character may re-roll any one failed Reflex dice action. She may do this once per game.

Coordination This Super attribute measures hand-eye coordination and fine motor abilities. Special Abilities: Enhanced Dexterity Your character has unearthly coordination allowing her to use both hands and feet equally well. The character may attack from an unfavorable or prone position with no penalty, or use her feet to fire a weapon if her hands are tied. This ability does not give the character ambidexterity or extra limbs (for those abilities, see the appropriate Powers and Advantages). The character can attempt to snatch missile attacks out of the air as they come at her. The hero uses her sleight of hand skill with a difficulty equal to the original attack roll. This maneuver can be used in place of a character’s dodge roll against missiles. Accuracy When using a ranged weapon the character may reduce the range penalty by one step to a minimum of short range for every 6 die codes she has in Coordination. At rank 10 the character may re-roll any one failed Coordination dice action. She may do this once per game.

Physique This Super attribute measures physical power and the ability to resist damage. Note: the base damage of physical attacks is no longer calculated by dividing the Physique die code by 2. The base damage for someone with Super Physique is equal to the Die code in the attribute starting at rank 7. Special Abilities: Enhanced Throwing Range The character may throw an object 100mX the heroes Physique attribute in meters at rank 6-10, x1km at 11-15. At 16-19 the distance is measured in kilometers equal to the attribute. At 20 and above the distance is measured in kilometersx10 equal to the attribute. Note: The distances are considered the maximum range when determining the difficulty of an attack. Thunder Clap The character can stomp the ground create a shockwave, which does damage equal to his Physical damage die code to anyone in a 4+ his Physique die code meters radius around him. The hero must make a brawl attack to execute this maneuver. The character can also use his incredible strength to create a sonic shock wave by clapping his hands together. The damage done by this attack is equal to half his physical strength die code and has a cone effect (see ranged power attack)allowing it to hit multiple opponents. The range of this attack is meters equal to the Physique die code of the character

Knowledge This Super attribute measures memory and the ability to learn. At rank 10 the character may re-roll any one failed Knowledge dice action. She may do this once per game. Special Abilities: Know-It-All Your hero has got a little knowledge about a lot of things, and is truly a master of eclectic knowledge. At the Game Master’s discretion she may roll her Knowledge dice and know the sought after esoteric knowledge or lore. The breadth of knowledge could range from the atomic weight of radium-226 to what happened in episode 9 of the 3rd season of Buffy (hint: it involves Anya and Cordelia). For every 7-die codes she has in Knowledge her ive defense vs. mental attacks is increased by +4. This bonus is totaled before any other optional defense modifiers are added. Great Insight Your character may experience an epiphany once per game, revealing something about the course of events occurring around her. You, as a player, are allowed to ask the GM for one clue to help your character along in the game per 5 die codes of Knowledge the character possesses.

Perception This Super attribute measures mental quickness and attention to detail. At rank 10 the character may re-roll any one failed Perception dice action. He may do this once per game Special Abilities: Eidetic Memory Your hero has a photographic memory and can anything he has experienced with clarity. The character may recall one obscure piece of information that he has witnessed during the game for every die code in Perception. This may include things

73

forgotten by the player, or things that the character may have noticed in past adventures that have become relevant now. Analyze Weakness The character’s mind functions quickly when fighting a foe. He can scrutinize an adversary, finding a weakness to exploit. Once per game the character may announce that he is going to analyze a target for weakness and either receives a bonus to damage equal to + 3 for every die above 5 he has in Perception, or be told what the weakness of his opponent is.

Presence This Super attribute measures emotional and physical attractiveness, and personality. At rank 10 the character may reroll any one failed Presence dice action. She may do this once per game. Special Abilities: Awe The character is incredibly magnetic, able to sway a crowd with a few words or make them cower in fear with a menacing glare. Once per game your character can stand before a crowd and try any one Presence based social challenge. She suffers no action penalty for multiple targets. Interaction difficulties are made as normal and the number of people affected is equal to 20x the heroes’ Presence die code. Mind Over Matter Through the sheer power of your character’s will alone, she can keep functioning after her body is ready to quit. This advantage allows the character to ignore wound penalties for rounds equal to her willpower die code.

74

Super Senses

Duration: Semi permanent Range: Rank in miles; also see description. Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: Know-how (Super sense), search, surveillance, and tracking. Cost: 7 Per Rank Hearing: The hero can hear minute sounds including ultra and subsonic sounds. Sight: The hero can see over extraordinary distances, including telescopic and microscopically. Smell: The hero can discern scents and their origins at a distance, and smell residue for hours. Taste: The hero can distinguish materials that make up a substance, and possibly their amounts. Touch: The hero can feel amazing detail. She can read newsprint with her touch and feel minute vibrations and changes in temperature through her skin. The hero may add the die code of the power to relevant Perception, Search, Surveillance, or Tracking rolls. The hero receives a +2 for every 5 ranks in the power when using marksmanship, missile weapons, or thrown weapons. The power also gives a +1D bonus to initiative at every 5 ranks. The character suffers twice the normal damage from any senseaffecting attack while the particular aspect of the power is in use. Except for taste, touch and microscopic sight the range of the power is in miles equal to the rank of the power – the touch and taste aspect of the power is limited to only a few inches from the character, and the hero can see microscopically at a factor equal to double the die code. Special Limitation Missing senses The character receives a –1-point cost per rank per Super sense he does not have. For example, if the character only has super hearing and sight she may purchase the power at 5-points per rank. If only sight were taken, the power would cost 2 points per rank and the character would only be able to reap the benefits of that particular sense.

Super Tracking

Duration: Concentration Range: 1 kilometer per rank Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: tracking Cost: 3 Per Rank Your character is a bloodhound. Her sense of smell and taste are so acute that she can track her prey by scent alone over large distances. She must have experienced the scent prior to tracking her target – say, from a piece of clothing. The character adds dice equal to twice the rank to any tracking roll made.

Sustenance

Duration: Activated Range: n/a Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 5 Per Rank The character’s body draws nourishment (including the need to sleep) from some source other than foodstuffs and rest. The character can survive without the normal nourishment for the amount of time listed below. Rank 1-5 power rank + Physique attribute in weeks Rank 6-10 power rank + Physique attribute in months Rank 11-15 power rank + Physique attribute in years Rank 16-20 power rank + Physique attribute in decades After the allotted time is up, the character must consume the normal amount of resources necessary to survive as normal for a time equal to one quarter the time spent relying on this power. to eat some fiber!

Transfer Attribute

Duration: Activated Range: Touch Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 2 Per Rank Your character can transfer her Attributes to others – one die of Attributes per Rank. The drawback is that the character loses the same amount for the equivalent amount of time the recipient gains it. After the time is up, the Attributes return to normal.

Vampirism

Duration: Activated Range: Touch Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: varies, usually Brawl Cost: 5 Per Rank This ability allows the character to drain attribute pips or Body Points from his target. The character must choose one set of attributes to target, either physical (Reflexes, Coordination, Physique), mental (Knowledge, Perception, Presence), Wounds, or Body Points. For example, most Vampires drink blood, and thus lower Body Points, while Succubi might target the soul and so weaken mental attributes. The player must specify in what manner the character drains these attributes (biting a vein, hypnosis, and so) It should involve some sort of successful attack result (either physical or mental). When the character wishes to employ Vampirism, he makes an attack on his target using the relevant skill. If the attack is successful the hero must beat the target in an opposed resistance roll. For every four points over the target’s resistance roll (usually a stamina or willpower roll), the character drains

one pip per rank off each of the target’s relevant attributes, or three points per rank from the character’s Body Points, or one Wound for every two ranks ( that there are three pips in each die). If any of the target’s attributes or Body Points go to zero (or the character reaches the Dead Wound level), the target dies. If the target survives, she regains one attribute point (to each attribute affected) every hour after the attack. Body Points return at the normal rate. For each attribute pip the character drains, he may add one pip to any attribute in his chosen category. He would get one Body Point for each Body Point drained or one Wound for each Wound drained. Drained attributes and unused Body Points or Wounds disappear at a rate of one pip or point per hour. A character may have multiple versions of it of this super power. Special Enhancement: You Drain Ka +2 per rank Your hero can drain the Ka reserves of any living creature instead of Body Points. She drains 1D points per rank of Ka. This version of the power cannot kill it’s target.

X-Ray Vision

Duration: Semi permanent Range: 2 m per rank Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 2 Per Rank Your hero has the ability to see through solid mater as if looking through glass. To see through an object the character must roll her X-ray vision rank in dice versus a Game Master assigned difficulty. A list below is given as a rough reference for the Game Master. Material Type

Difficulty

Rice paper wall

5

Corkboard, Drywall, Wood Door, Sheet rock

10

Living being*

*

Cinder Block wall

15

Stone/brick wall or Sheet metal

18

Iron/Steel

20

Adamantium or Orichalcum

25

Modifiers Add +3 to the Difficulty of the roll for every foot of material the character is looking through beyond the first. * Living creatures are more difficult to peer through because of their auras. A living being has a difficulty of 4 per die code in their Physique. If the character is trying to look through an armored person, the armor adds +2 per die to the difficulty

75

Defensive Powers Adaptation

Duration: Activated Range: N/A Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: None Cost: 8 Per Rank Your character is able to adapt her body to elemental changes, gaining +1D per Power rank to add to damage resistance in order to negate the effects of a certain type of attack form or environmental condition. When activated, the Adaptation Power takes effect right away but the hero may split ranks between different attacks or conditions if he is being attacked by multiple powers. Splitting dice in this manner costs one additional action. Adaptation requires that the dice be rolled only when negating an attack or damaging effect; when negating an environment, the GM rules whether or not you have enough ranks in this Power to handle the situation. Environment

Ranks

Smoke filled room

1-2

Harmful gasses or atmosphere

3-4

Extreme temperatures; hot or cold. Lack of oxygen

5-7

High or low pressure atmosphere

8-9

Outer space vacuum

10-15

High amounts of unshielded radiation or cosmic rays

16-20

Example One: Rush falls out of an airlock and into the void of space. He uses his 10 ranks of Adaptation to negate the damage of being in a vacuum. The GM rules that he has sufficient ranks to negate all the effects. Example Two: Rush is fighting three super villains: Pyra the Mistress of Flame, Ice Queen, and Big Brain the Mentalist. All three attack at the same time, with a jet of flame (Flame Projection), a freezing slush of ice (Ice Production), and a blast of pure mental energy (Mind Blast). Rush, with 10 ranks of Adaptation, designates 3 ranks to the Mind Blast (3D damage reduction), 4 to the Flame Projection (4D reduction), and 3 to the Ice Production (3D reduction).

Body Armor

Duration: Permanent Range: N/A Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: None Cost: 3 Per Rank Your hero has naturally hardened skin that provides protection against physical attacks caused by kinetic force (punches, kicks, clubs, cannonballs, etc.). Reduce the damage taken from such attacks by 1D per rank of this Power. If the character’s appearance is altered by this Power, say by having a carapace or just scaly skin, he should also take the Flaw Strange Appearance. Special Enhancements: Protects against Energy and Physical Attacks +2 Per Rank The Heroes skin can withstand both energy and physical damage with this enhancement.

76

Energy Absorption

Duration: Semi permanent Range: N/A Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: None Cost: 4 Per Rank The character can absorb and dissipate energy (e.g. thermal, mechanical, nuclear, and electric) that would cause harm. The character must roll her ranks of Energy Absorption with a difficulty equal to the damage being done. If the roll is a success the character takes no damage and the energy is dissipated. If the roll is a failure the character takes the damage minus 1 point per rank of the Energy Absorption power. The type of damage to be absorbed must be selected at character creation. For example: Physical Damage: The energy contained in a moving mass or in a moving particle. Bullets, swords, and fist are forms of kinetic damage. Energy Damage: The flow of charged particles called electrons or ions. Energy blast, electrical, and heat-based damage would be examples of this type of energy. Special Enhancements: Protects against Physical and Energy Damage +2 Per Rank The Heroes skin can withstand both physical and energy damage with this enhancement. Damage Absorbed Goes to Your Abilities +3 Per Rank Your character can change the damage absorbed into temporary Attributes. For every 2 points of damage absorbed, your character gains +1 pip temporary point to any one Attribute, lasting 1 round per Energy Absorption Power rank. The augmented Attributes do not increase your current or permanent Body Points. The Attribute augmented must be selected when the power is purchased. For each additional attribute add +1 to the cost of this enhancement. Damage Absorbed Heals You +1 Per Rank Your character can heal 1D points of damage for every 5 points of damage absorbed. This healing is permanent; it does not “expire” when the Power normally does. Damage Absorbed Can Fuel One of Your Powers +3 Per Rank The hero can change the damage absorbed into a temporary boost of one of her own Powers, chosen when selecting this Enhancement. For each additional Power add +1 to the cost of this enhancement. The points absorbed cannot be used to enhance the Absorption Power itself. The character can raise the rank of her chosen Power by +1 rank for every 5 points of damage absorbed up to a maximum of twice the Absorption power rank. The duration of this effect is equal to ranks of Absorption Power in rounds.

Force Field

Duration: Activated Range: 2 times Power rank in meters Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: none Cost: 4 Per Rank Your character projects a field that negates physical damage equal to a base of the power rank multiplied by 3, plus 1D per Power rank. The field is capable of keeping out airborne attacks, making the protected area airtight, protecting only the character. The field works both ways, and protects from attacks on either side. Attacks made by the character with an active field are also reduced, but only by the shield’s base damage reduction. A special advantage may be purchased that negates this drawback. The filed has no resistance against on mental or magical assaults. This field is ablative; any dice used to negate damage in a given round cannot be used to block other attacks in the same combat round. Dice may be split up to negate damage from multiple attacks. The base damage resistance applies to all attacks. The field regenerates at the beginning of each round. Example: Trident has a rank 5 Force field and is fighting two high-tech henchmen of the villain the Crusher. The first henchmen shoots his energy rifle and does 17 points of damage. Trident’s Force field will negate a base of 15 points of damage, so he decides to spend one of his five dice to try and negate the remaining damage, leaving him with 4 dice to spend on the other attack. Trident rolls the die and gets a 2 completely negating the damage (15+2=17). The other attack does 27 points of damage, Trident again negates 15 points but this time decides to spend three dice to negate the remaining 12 points of damage. Special Enhancement: Works on others +2 ranks The area of protection around the character can have a radius up to 2 times her Power rank in meters, or can be projected up to 2 times Power rank in meters away from her to protect someone else. In this case, the field only protects the immediate person, not a radius around them. Reflective Shield +3 per rank The Reflexive Shield protects like a normal Force field. However, the Reflexive Shield also reflects some of the damage taken back onto the attacker. The attacker takes half the amount of damage absorbed by the Reflective Shield, or the shield’s Power rank, whichever is higher. The reflective property of the shield does not cost additional Actions to use during combat. Can attack through +3 Per rank The character can attack normally through her field without any damage penalty. Special Power Limitation: Force Shield -2 Per rank The protective field is not a bubble surrounding the character but a shield that protects only one side of the character. The shield may be moved to deflect different attacks, but may only defend one side at a time. The character does not suffer the penalty of not being able to attack effectively through the shield.

Immunity

Duration: Permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: Stamina Cost: 7 Per Rank Your character is highly resistant to a certain element (energy, electricity, fire, cold/water, earth, or air) or attack form such as bladed weapons, or poison. You must specify your character’s immunity type when the power is purchased. The character receives +1D per Power rank to her stamina roll in order to resist the effect. This power does not make a character invulnerable to the attack type/form but makes him HIGHLY resistant. The damage total is compared to the character’s resistance total. Consult the chart below for the effect. Immunity roll > Damage Total By

Effect

1-3

Takes 50% of the damage total

4-8

Takes 25% of the damage total

9-12

Takes 1 point per 1D of damage or 25% of the damage, whichever is less

13-15

Takes 1 point of damage

16+

No Damage

Invulnerability

Duration: Permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: Stamina Cost: 15 Per Rank The character is extremely difficult to hurt by any physical means. Bullets, knives, lasers, and acid splashes are shrugged off by the hero and she can withstand a tremendous amount of physical trauma. The character is still susceptible to mental assaults (such as Mental blast, Empathy) and takes normal damage from such attacks. Against physical damage (bullets, knives, fists, crushing boulders, concussive or fragmentation grenades) the damage die code of the attack must be equal to or greater than three times the hero’s ranks of Invulnerability in order to do damage. Against energy attacks (energy blast, lightning strikes, fire,) the damage die code of the attack must be equal to or greater than the hero’s ranks of Invulnerability in order to do damage. Once it is determined that a character can be harmed by the attack only the remainder of the damage over her invulnerability is applied (minimum of 1D if the damage dice was equal to the Invulnerability threshold). Example: A hero with Invulnerability 3 is struck by a bullet. The bullet does 2D damage. The character takes no damage Example Two: A hero with Invulnerability 3 is struck by a tank shell that does 12D damage. The character shrugs off most of it and takes 3D of damage Example Three: A hero with Invulnerability 3 is struck by an Energy blast that does 5D damage. The character winces and takes 2D of damage. Against poison or disease type attacks the hero may add twice her power rank in dice to a stamina resistance roll. Special Enhancement: Mental Invulnerability +3 ranks The hero is invulnerable to mental attacks as well!

77

Resurrection

Duration: Permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 15 Per Rank The hero has the ability to reconnect the life force of a dead person to their physical body, bringing them back to life. The target of the power comes back from the dead with one Body Point. The difficulty of bringing a person back from the dead is determined by the length of time the life force has been away from the body. The target of this power will come back to life once conditions allow him to return (he will not come back to life in the heart of a volcano or the vacuum of space). The target of the power might not awake for days, months or years. Unless the hero also has some sort of healing power the target may come back to life and suffer the same wounds that killed him in the first place. Once a character reaches the natural end of his life resurrection will not bring him back to life, as his life force is very weak and no amount of coaxing will bring it back. The hero rolls dice equal to the power rank versus the difficulty number below. Length of time dead

Difficulty

One day

10

2-6 days

15

One week

20

2 weeks

25

3 weeks

30

One Month

40

6 months

50

1 Year

60

For every additional year

+20

Circumstances

Modifier

Physical body within one meter of hero

0

Portion of the dead body

+5

No Body

+10

Person has been resurrected before

+5

This power can also be used to snap an astral-traveling person back to his body. The hero simply rolls a contested roll of her Power versus her opponent’s Astral power. If she is successful she snaps the person back to his body. The act of resurrecting a person is very taxing to both the character and the formerly dead person. Both suffer a loss of 1D-2 from all their Attributes for 7 days minus the character’s stamina. At the time of purchase the hero must decide if the power works only on himself or for the benefit of others, but not both. Special Enhancement: Total Resurrection +4 Per Rank The hero now has the ability to resurrect both himself and others.

78

Two-Dimensional

Duration: Activated Range: N/a Base Damage Value: N/a Managing Skill: None Cost: 6 per Rank The character can alter her body making it completely flat. She still has height and width but no depth to her body. The character can move along a surface like a shadow (make any stealth roll and add the rank of the power as additional dice). If the character turns sideways she is completely invisible and cannot be seen (treat as if the character has the Invisibility power at the same rank) and can slink under doors or through narrow ages. Physical attacks done by and taken by the hero are reduced by half the rank of the power because of the physical nature of the character. The character can still be harmed by gas, poison and radiation attacks. When two-dimensional the character cannot use her full strength (Physique reduced by -1 per rank) and strong gusts of wind can lift and carry the character off like a kite. Air generated Knock Back generates four times the distance.

Elemental Manipulation Powers

Elemental manipulation powers give the character the ability to affect the primal forces of the universe to staggering effect. All manipulation powers are based on how well the character can dominate the forces of nature. The managing skill for all manipulation powers is willpower, ranged attacks use the characters marksmanship skill. Some powers call for a roll to be made with dice equal to the power’s rank. The general chart of difficulties below can applies to the powers in this section. Each power has its very own list of effects that can be achieved with the power. Example: Galeforce wants to create strong winds that buffet the entire city. The difficulty for the action would be 60. If she is successful the entire city would suffer the effects of her power.

Effect difficulty modifier chart People/Things

Area

Complexity

Difficulty Modifier

Small items, or a handful of tiny items

3m radius

Slight (lighting a torch or light bulb)

+3

A person or man-sized object

6m radius

A few people, personal vehicle

12m radius

Great (Collapsing a building, increasing local gravity)

+7

Group, small mass transport

50m radius

Remarkable (Filling a city block with vegetation in a day or doubling the power’s maximum range)

+10

Crowd, large mass transport

200m radius

Awesome ( Changing all the windows in an office building from glass to iron)

+15

Horde, huge mass transport

400m radius

Astonishing (Changing the skin, eye and clothes color of everyone in an office building to blue)

+20

A large population

800m radius

unbelievable (Creating a tornado inside a house)

+30

An entire area of town

2km radius

Nigh Impossible (threading a needle during a hurricane)

+50

A city population

10km radius

Beyond comprehension (whisper a secret into the ear of a person while standing on the moon)

+60

+5

+10 for every additional level

Air Manipulation

Duration: Semi permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: 1D per TWO ranks Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 6 Per Rank Your character can manipulate air, controlling, creating, and destroying it. Possible Effects: Your character can manipulate wind, creating strong gusts of air that buffet her opponents. She does 1D damage for every two ranks of this Power. In addition to damage; this Power does double the normal knock back for its damage The hero may create a volume of air equal to one cubic meter per rank of the power. The difficulty to create such an area is Easy and modified by the Manipulation chart. She may also make an area that is absent of air, creating a vacuum. Although the area can be moved into and out of by anyone, people in the vacuum will suffocate. In order to keep the radius centered on one target, the character must make an opposed roll of Air Control skill versus the target’s Reflexes or dodge. The character can create fog by trapping minute water particles in the air. The fog obscures vision causing a penalty to Perception check of +1 per rank of the power. The difficulty to create such an area is Easy and modified by the size of the area (note the Manipulation chart). The hero may manipulate the wind around her making it difficult for those flying. By adding greater resistance she may reduce their air speed by 10 meters per rank. This effect can be kept constant as long as she concentrates. The difficulty to create such an area is easy and modified by the size of the area (note the Manipulation chart). This Power also allows the character to fly at speeds up to her Power rank times 10 meters. She may hold her breath and act normally under extreme atmospheric pressures or lack thereof for 10 minutes per rank of power

79

Body Manipulation

Duration: Concentration Range: n/a Base Damage Value: Read below Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 7 Per Rank The character has the ability to alter or augment her flesh, blood, and bone through force of will and cellular manipulation. This breathtaking and sometimes horrifying ability can be used for a number of astounding if not grizzly physical effects. Most of these effects are rather painful and messy as the body shifts, morphs and cracks to achieve the desired effect. The Game Master should police the effects of this power so that the character doesn’t get out of hand. One important limitation is that the character cannot grow additional mass – he can only use what mass he has. If he grows taller, he will also grow thinner as the mass of his body is pushed around to accommodate the change. Possible Effects: The character can alter his metabolic rate giving him the ability to slow down the effects of poisons or toxins in his body or to even sweat them out of his skin. Characters using this ability may add their rank in this power to any stamina rolls made to resist the affects of poisons, drugs or alcohols. The character can absorb oxygen through his skin or adjust his body so that he can more efficiently pull oxygen from stale or thin air. Also, the character can more effectively use what oxygen is already in his blood, giving him the ability to hold his breath longer underwater or while being strangled. Characters using this ability may add their rank in this power to any stamina rolls. The hero can cannibalize his body to grow extra organs giving added physical performance or redundancy. He may add his Power Rank to his Physique at a cost 5 body points per rank up a maximum equal to the rank of the Body manipulation power. The character can flatten his body to an inch in thickness by shifting his mass and crushing his own bones. Using this ability, the character can slide under doors or fit into narrow places. This use of the power takes 5 rounds to effect and another 5 to return to normal. The character can stop bleeding wounds by redirecting the flow of blood in that part of the body. The character can regenerate body points by mentally knitting the damaged parts of his body back together. He must sit and concentrate while regenerating 1D of body points per rank of the power per minute. The character can grossly alter his body, growing extra appendages or organs. For example the character could grow a second set of arms (these act like the Extra Limbs power), or a set of eyes in the back of his head or on his fingers, or flippers and gills to give the ability to swim and breathe underwater. These changes take 1 minute per rank of power being used. The character can make his bones protrude to use them as weapons, doing 1D per rank of damage. This cost the character 2 body point per rank of natural weaponry up to a maximum rank equal to the Body manipulation power. The character can alter the shape and appearance of his body to look like others. This takes minutes equal to the power ranks being used and the character must make a disguise roll.

80

Darkness Manipulation

Duration: Activated Range: normal Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 5 Per Rank Your character is able to create darkness and manipulate shadows. Possible Effects: The hero can see normally in darkness as if standing in normal daylight and is immune to the effects of her own darkness. The hero can create an area absent of light around her equal to twice her power rank in meters. The perception penalty is equal to the rank in the power (up to a maximum penalty of +12 for total darkness). The power can be projected up to normal range if the character chooses, and centered on a target, where it will stay for rounds equal to the rank of the power. The hero can change or intensify existing shadows or darkness in a radius equal to twice her power’s rank in meters. This effect can be kept active as long as she concentrates. The hero can make shadows move, change shape, and act unnaturally. The range of this effect is normal. The character receives a bonus to his resistance to the Flash Attack power equal to her ranks in the power. Light based attack damage is resisted by the darkness as if a force field is in effect. 2 points of damage is negated for every rank of the power. The darkness can become tangible; able to physically react with its environment, extending tentacles to manipulate objects or attack and grapple opponents within melee range (the rank of the power is substituted for the character’s Physique attribute when grappling), with damage equal to half the power rank. The character can make a number of tentacles equal to twice her power rank and are treated as the Extra Limbs power. Each tentacle has body points equal to twice the power rank. Tentacles that take their allotted amount of body points are severed, useless, and cannot be regenerated for 8 hours minus the power rank (minimum of 1 hour). Special Power Limitation: Sympathetic Relationship -2 Per Rank The hero can feel physical sensation through the tentacle and any damage done to the tentacles is taken directly by the hero.

Density Manipulation

Duration: Activation or Concentration Range: normal Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 7 Per Rank The hero can alter the density of items or living creatures. For every rank in the power the hero can alter an item’s density by 25%. The more ranks of the power the better her chances at increasing/decreasing the density of an item or person. For every 25% increase in density the target’s Physique or Toughness attribute (for vehicles) increases by 1D, their weight increases by 25%, and they suffer 25% less knock back distance, Body points increase by 5 points per rank. The target suffers a penalty of -1 per rank on all Reflex rolls. The effects last rounds equal to the character’s rank in the Power or she may keep the effect up indefinitely by using an action to concentrate. A character can alter her (or a willing subject’s) density at will by spending an action that round. The larger or physically resistant the item the harder it is to manipulate. Unwilling targets resist by using their Physique Attribute or willpower (which ever is higher). After rounds equal to the ranks of the Power the target may make another resistance roll and break free of the effect. Density Manipulation roll > Resistance Total By

Effect

1-3

Power is 10% effective

4-8

Power is 25% effective

9-12

Power is 50% effective

13-15

Power is 75% effective

16+

Power takes full effect

Example: The villain Brickhouse has Density Manipulation rank 5, Physique of 5D, 45 Body points, weighs 100 kilograms. With 5 ranks in the power he can increase his density by 125% giving him a Physique of 10D (5D+5D), Body Points of 70 (45+25), a weight increase to 225 (weight increased by 125%) kilograms and Reflex rolls reduced by -5 (or 1D+2) Example 2: Brickhouse wants to increase the density of a truck his opponent is holding. The truck has a Toughness score of 6. Brickhouse must roll dice equal to his rank in Density Manipulation versus the truck’s Toughness score of 6. The dice are rolled and Brickhouse beats the truck’s Toughness by 10 points. His power only has a 50% effect and the truck’s Attributes (weight and toughness) are modified accordingly. Possible Effects: The hero may try to increase the density of an item after the item has been altered before, using the new density as a starting point. The more a target is altered the harder it becomes to alter it further (because of the new increased resistance score). A target can also be made less dense with the use of this Power. Doing so reduces the target’s weight by 5% per rank and their Physique or toughness by 1D (but Body Points or wound resistance doesn’t change). Knock back distance is increased by 10%. If a target’s density is reduced by 100% the target becomes intangible and ghostlike. While intangible the target cannot affect anything physically and must rely on mental powers if any. The hero may create an area of increased/decreased density. Anyone entering the area must make a resistance roll as normal. The area will stay in place for minutes equal to the rank of the power.

Note: At higher levels of density the surface the hero is walking on may not his weight. Floors may give way sending the hero or opponent crashing to the surface below. Special Limitation: Increase or Decrease only -2 per rank The hero can only increase or decrease the density of a target, not both. The character must specify at the time of purchase which effect she will have.

Earth Manipulation

Duration: Semi permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: variable, read below Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 7 Per Rank Your hero has the ability to manipulate rock and soil. This Power gives her many astounding powers over terra firma. Possible Effects: The hero can generate earthquakes in a radius centering on her and radiating out. This effect makes it hard for others to stand upright and move effectively. This effect creates a penalty to anyone attempting a Reflex related action, equal to her Earthquake Power rank, and reducing movement rates by 2 meters for every rank of the power. The hero may create a volume of earth or stone equal to one cubic meter per rank of the power. The difficulty to create such an area is Easy and modified by the Manipulation chart. Earth and stone created in this way is permanent. She can use this Power to cause solid rock to jut up out of the ground, attacking everyone in a radius around her to cause 1D per two levels of the power’s rank. Opponents receive a reflexive dodge to move out of the way. Earth can also be manipulated to rise up out of the ground and attempt to grapple or slap opponents out of the air. The range for such attack is normal, and damage is 1D per rank. Grapples use the rank of the power as the lifting or Physique attribute The character can create areas of quicksand to trap an opponent. The character makes an opposed roll versus her target’s Reflex or dodge skill. If the roll is a success her opponent is trapped in quicksand and may not break free for a number of rounds equal to the rank of the power. The difficulty to create such an area is Moderate and modified by the size of the area (note the Manipulation chart). The character can also create dust storms by throwing loose dirt or sand into the air. The dust obscures vision causing a penalty to perception check of +1 per rank of the power. This effect can be kept constant as long as she concentrates. The difficulty to create such an area is Moderate and modified by the size of the area (not the Manipulation chart). The hero can manipulate and create man-made “rock” such as concrete, tarmac, etc but only at half the normal rank of the power. Lastly the character can open ages through solid rock and move through them. This effect can be kept constant as long as she concentrates. The difficulty to create such an area is Easy and modified by the size of the area (note the Manipulation chart). The age will stay stable for 30 minutes per rank of the power collapsing after that time has ed.

81

Energy Manipulation

Duration: Semi permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: 1D per TWO ranks Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 7 Per Rank The hero can manipulate generic “comic book” energy. This includes gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet radiation, nuclear radiation, infrared radiation, microwave radiation, and radio waves. Possible Effects: She can see or sense using the other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. +1D to any perception check where light or visibility is a factor. The hero can emit beams of energy from her body doing 1D damage per rank. The hero can absorb and redirect energy directed at her or in her general vicinity. She can grab a microwave oven and drain the energy or absorb the power from a nuclear reactor by touching the object and concentrating. This effect works as Energy Absorption power, and the damage drained goes to ability enhancement. The character can create an energy field that will protect her against any energy based damage, or perception power. Energy based damage is reduced by 1D per two power ranks. This field is ablative (like the Force Field power); any dice used to negate damage in a given round cannot be used to block other attacks in the same combat round. Dice may be split up to negate damage from multiple attacks. Vision powers are reduced by one rank for every rank of Energy Manipulation. The character can read hear radio signals and listen in on mobile phone conversations by focusing on particular energy waves. The difficulty of this action is a difficult Perception roll modified by and Gm assigned penalties.

82

Electricity Manipulation

Duration: Semi permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: 1D per TWO ranks Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 7 Per Rank The hero can manipulate and generate electricity. Possible Effects: She can sense electricity. Use the effect difficulty modifier chart to determine range. The hero can emit bolts of electricity from her body doing 1D damage per rank. The hero can absorb and redirect electricity directed at her or in her general vicinity. She can grab a light pole and drain the energy or absorb the power from a car battery by touching the object and concentrating. This effect works as Energy Absorption power, and the damage drained goes to ability enhancement. Create a null space that no electricity will flow through. The difficulty of this feat is difficult and modified by the area covered. All mechanical items that require electricity to work must make a roll versus the rank of the Electricity manipulation or stop working in that area. The effect lasts for minutes equal to the power rank. Example: a battery-powered jet pack with flight of 6 would have to roll 6 dice in a contested roll versus the character’s dice of Energy Manipulation. The character can create an electrical-energy field that will protect her against any energy based damage, or perception power. Energy based damage is reduced by 1D per two power ranks. This field is ablative (like the Force Field power); any dice used to negate damage in a given round cannot be used to block other attacks in the same combat round. Dice may be split up to negate damage from multiple attacks. Vision powers are reduced by one rank for every rank of Electrical Manipulation. The hero’s body can act as a living battery powering items that she touches or is near. The character can produce one 1 megawatt of electricity per power rank and energize items within an area.

Flame Manipulation

Duration: Semi permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: Variable, read below Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 6 Per Rank This Power allows your character to create and control fire. Possible Effects: The hero can create a fire that has an intensity equal in dice to her rank with the power. Consult the chart below and find the damage per round that is closest to the rank of the power without going over. Example: Pyra has a Flame Manipulation of 5 ranks. She can create a medium fire, bordering on a large fire. The hero can increase/decrease the intensity of an existing fire. The hero rolls 1D per Power rank to increase the effective Intensity of a fire, causing it to burn hotter and do more damage to whatever it comes into with: Type

Damage Per Round

Intensity Rank

A lighter flame

1 point of Damage

0-5

Small Fire (Campfire)

1D Points of Damage

6-15

Medium Fire (Bonfire)

3D Points of Damage

16-26

Large Fire (Yard Fire)

6D Points of Damage

27-37

Huge Fire (House Fire)

12D Points of Damage

38-49

Gigantic Fire (Forest Fire)

20D Points of Damage

50

Example: Pyra wants to make a small campfire (Intensity 8) explode into a huge bonfire (Intensity 38). To do so, she must roll at least a 30 on her dice. The hero can cause existing fire to move at a rate of 2 meters times the character’s Power rank per round. The area affected by the fire can be expanded or contracted by the hero. The difficulty to affect such an area is Moderate and modified by the size of the area (note the Manipulation chart). The character can also make an existing fire strike at a foe as a ranged attack with a normal range. The damage of the attack is dictated by the intensity of the fire. The hero can hurl bolts of flame causing 1D damage per rank. The hero can make a small flame burst into an inferno at a predetermined time in the future. This effect is usually used as a trap but other more benign uses for this power have been known. The hero must first alter the flame’s intensity up to the level and size that she wants and then set a time for the small flame to burst into its larger version. The “timer” can be set for any time from 1 second up to a maximum of minutes equal to the rank of the Power. This Power can also be used to make a fire burn less intensely, reducing the damage accordingly. Roll the same roll as for increasing Intensity, but subtract your roll instead.

83

Gravity Manipulation

Duration: Semi permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: Variable, read below Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 7 Per Rank Your character can manipulate and generate gravity on a target making them lighter or heavier depending on her whim. Possible Effects: The hero can increase or decrease her target’s weight by 100 kilograms per rank. If the target is a living being it may resist with an opposed roll of the Power Rank versus the target’s Physique or Willpower, whichever is higher. If the character is successful she may alter gravity and consult the chart below. The effect last as long as the character spends an action to concentrate or rounds equal to the power rank.

a resistance roll versus the power rank on the Gravity Control chart. The area stays in effect for rounds equal to twice the rank. The difficulty to create such an area is Moderate and modified by the size of the area (note the Manipulation chart).

Weight Chart This chart offers some examples of what various items weigh at 1 g (standard Earth gravity). You can use it as a baseline with Gravity Manipulation and for determining lifting difficulties. Item

Weight in 1 g

Stop sign

30kg

1 cubic foot of water(about 7.5 gallons)

31kg

Human child (average)

40kg

Mailbox

50kg

Gravity Manipulation roll > Resistance Total By

Effect

Human adult female (average)

70kg

Human adult male (average)

85kg

1-3

Target must make an Easy lifting roll to keep moving. If the roll is a failure the target is immobilized.

Streetlight

150kg

Car

1.5 tons

Target loses half the power rank of Physique and must make a Moderate lifting roll to keep moving. If the roll is a failure the target is immobilized. The target’s weight is doubled.

Van

2 tons

Pickup truck

2.5 tons

Small plane

6 tons

City bus

21 tons

Target loses the power rank of Physique and must make a Difficult lifting roll to keep moving. If the roll is a failure the target is immobilized. The target’s weight is tripled.

M1A1 Abrams tank

67.5 tons

Commercial jet

350 tons

Ticonderoga-class destroyer

9,466 tons

Ocean cruise ship

70,000 tons

Target loses the power rank+2 of Physique and must make a Very Difficult lifting roll to keep moving. If the roll is a failure the target is immobilized and takes 2D damage (powers like body armor or force fields cannot reduce damage!) Weight is quadrupled.

Empire State Building

365,000 tons

4-8

9-12

13-15

Target loses the power rank +4 of Physique and must make a Heroic lifting roll to keep moving. If the roll is a failure the target is immobilized and takes 1D per rank in damage (powers like body armor or force fields cannot reduce damage!) The target’s total weight is 8 times what it would be normally.

16+

The character may also reduce the weight of an object. If an object’s total weight is negated it hovers in place just above the ground. The hero can create gravity fields at odd angles allowing those in the area of affect to walk on walls or ceiling. If the person walking into the area is unaware of the gravity angle they will fall towards the gravity’s pull taking falling damage. The power may be used to fly in this manner, manipulating the pull of gravity in order to move about. The character or objects affected by her power move at a rate of 5 meters per rank. The Hero can create an area where gravity is increased or decreased. Objects or people moving through the area must make

84

Mass and Weight Mass and weight, as affected by Gravity Control and Growth, are not the same thing. Mass is simply the amount of stuff in an object. Weight is a function of mass in a gravity field. Were you to go to the moon, your mass would not change, but your weight would, since gravity is significantly lower on the moon. With Gravity Control, you are effectively increasing weight. However, with the Growth Power, you can actually temporarily increase effective mass – it’s assumed that you are taking in energy (in this system, Ka) and converting it into matter. The reason this is confusing to a lot of Americans is because the pound, the typical weight system, is older and actually a measurement of weight, not mass. Kilograms, on the other hand, are a measurement of mass. The reason they can be measured on the same scale is because we know what the gravity of the Earth is.

Ice Manipulation

Duration: Semi permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: 1D per rank Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 7 Per Rank This Power gives the hero a wide array of powerful abilities related to manipulating, creating, and attacking with ice. Possible Effects: The hero can create 1 cubic foot of ice per Rank, temporarily blocking doorways, windows, et cetera, until the ice melts in minutes equal to twice the Power rank (in a cold environment, conducive to keeping ice intact, the Game Master may decide the ice is permanent, or at least lasts longer). The ice wall has body points equal to twice the rank plus the sum of dice rolled equal to the rank Example: A character with an Ice production of 4 creates a wall of ice blocking a ageway. She rolls her power rank in dice, 4, and gets a result of 4, 4,3, and a 6. She adds that total to her base of 8 and gets a result of 25 body points). The hero can attack with this Power projecting cold air, jagged ice, or freezing slush at her opponent doing 1D points of damage per Power rank. Fire-using opponents take double damage from this cold-based attack (see other fire-related Powers for ideas and details). The Hero can use her power to grapple an opponent by encasing him in ice. The target remains grappled until he breaks free as per the grapple rules substituting Ice Manipulation for Physique or until the ice melts (2 minutes per rank of the power). The range for such attack is normal and uses the rank of the power as the lifting or Physique attribute. The character can also use the Power as a transportation method, creating an “ice sled,” moving at a rate of 5 meters per rank of the power. In a non-combat situation, the rate is 10 times Power rank in kilometers per hour. The Hero can drop the temperature in an area by 10 degrees per rank of the power. The difficulty of this is easy and modified by the area affected. The character can create localized snowstorms in an area. Anyone in the area of affect takes freezing damage from the intense cold – 1D of damage for every minute of exposure. The difficulty to create such an area is Moderate and modified by the size of the area (note the Manipulation chart). Finally, this Power can be used to make a thin sheet of ice upon the ground, making opponents fight to stay upright. The difficulty to create such an area is Easy and modified by the size of the area (note the Manipulation chart).Targets take a penalty equal to the character’s Power Rank when attempting any Reflexbased action or Skill.

Ka Manipulation

(GODSEND Agenda specific power) Duration: Activated Range: normal Base Damage Value: Read below Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 15 per Rank This Power allows your hero to tap into the definitive energy source that influences the cosmos, the elemental Ka. She can now manipulate this energy to create any effect she desires. The character must first pay 1 Ka point for the temporary use of the Power and then make a willpower roll versus a difficulty equal to 3 times the cost for one rank of the Power. If she fails she may try and attain the Power again the next round with an additional +1 added to the difficulty. If multiple Powers are involved, they can all be tested at once with the difficulties all being added together. She now has that Power at a rank equal to her Ka Manipulation Power rank. Example: Absalom Magnus has 10 ranks of Ka Manipulation and 5D willpower. Absalom wants to manifest the ability to fly (2 points per rank). Absalom spends 1 point of Ka and has to successfully make a willpower roll with a difficulty 6 (3x2=6). If successful Absalom could have 1 to 10 ranks in the Power. The character may keep the Power for hours equal to half her rank with Ka Manipulation. In the above example, Absalom would be able to fly for 5 hours before the power faded. After the allotted amount of time is up the character may call on the Power again by following the procedure above. Once the character has the Power in question he uses the appropriate skill under the particular Power to operate it as normal. The ranks of the Ka Manipulation Power may be divided into multiple Powers. Each power attained is paid for with an additional one point of Ka per power. Because this Power has a duration of activated, if the hero is knocked unconscious he loses the powers in question. Furthermore, the character must obey all the aspects and limitations of the powers she is using. Example: if she decides to take an Elemental Sheath of Fire she would take double damage from cold-based attacks. N.B.: Attributes can only be increased through the use of the Boost or Enhancement Power. The character can redirect or disrupt the flow of Ka in a localized area causing powers to not work, or work at a greater affect. A character can raise or lower ALL powers in an area by half her rank in the Power and all expenditure of Ka points is doubled. She cannot control whose Powers are affected, she can only limit or enhance the Ka use in that area. The willpower roll difficulty of this effect is 25 and is modified by the area affected. Those in the area can make an opposed willpower vs. willpower roll to keep their Power levels intact.

85

Light Manipulation

Duration: Semi permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: 1D per rank Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 7 Per Rank The hero can manipulate the many different aspects of light. Possible Effects: The hero can emit laser beams which do 1D damage per rank. The character can create a 1 meter radius of light per rank with an easy difficulty. The radius can be modified using the Effect Difficulty Modifier chart The character has the ability to bend light around herself or others rendering those in the area of effect invisible (see the Invisibility power for details). The difficulty to create such an area is Easy and modified by the size of the area or number of people affected (note the Manipulation chart). The hero can target an opponents’ eyes blinding him for rounds equal to the rank of the power. This attack works just like the Flash power. The character can create an absence of light, blanketing an area in total darkness. A side effect of this ability is perfect night vision, suffering no penalties from darkness – unless there is an absolute lack of ambient light, in which case the character suffers normal darkness penalties. (An example of this is someone using the Darkness Projection Power.) The character can see in all the spectrums of light and receives a bonus to her resistance to Flash Attack power equal to her ranks in the power. The Darkness Projection power is resisted in a like manner as well. The hero can affect the light waves that are absorbed by an object, making the colors change to whatever color she wants. The Character can energize light particles surrounding an object and make it glow for minutes equal to the power rank. The character can create a bright glow about her person that makes it hard for opponents to target her. Characters targeting the hero have a penalty to hit her equal to the rank of the power. The character can create hypnotic patterns and mesmerize opponents as if she had the Confusion power of the same rank. At rank 8 and higher the character can solidify light, creating shields that resist 1D of damage per 2 ranks of power. Finally, the character can create light based illusions. Others are allowed perception rolls (her Power Rank versus their Perception or search) to discern if the illusion is real. These are not quite as good as the Illusion Powers – they are missing aspects other than sight, and can be disbelieved if a successful Perception or willpower roll is made.

86

Magnetic Manipulation

Duration: Semi permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: 1D per two ranks Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 7 Per Rank Your character can create, alter and manipulate the magnetic fields that surround all things. Possible Effects: The hero can project Magnetic Force Bolts, which do 1D damage per 2 Power ranks. This damage is doubled to unshielded electronic equipment. The character can create an EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) that leaves electronic equipment useless. Roll the Power’s die code in an opposed roll versus the equipments toughness or a GM assigned difficulty. If the roll is successful, the character renders the equipment useless for a time equal to Power Rank in hours. The power may be used to fly in this manner, manipulating magnetism in order to move about. The character or objects affected by her power move at a rate of 5 meters per rank. The character may create magnetic force fields (1D damage reduction per rank) that protect him from attacks made by metal weapons and opponents, with half his rank in dice versus nonmetal weapons and attacks. At Rank 7 and higher the character can read magnetic tape and computer disk/ hard drives with a touch. The character can magnetize ferrous items making them pull towards one another with speed equal to the power rank. Magnetized items will tug towards one another until the effect is cancelled or until they manage to come together. This is resisted with a Physique roll versus the Magnetic Control Power die code. The Hero can create an area where the magnetic pull is increased or decreased. Objects or people moving through the area wearing or holding ferrous metals must make a resistance roll versus the Magnetic Manipulation die code. The area stays in effect for rounds equal to twice the rank. The difficulty to create such an area is Moderate and modified by the size of the area (note the Manipulation chart). Finally, the hero may use this Power to lift and move ferrous materials at range, as if he had Physique equal to this Power’s rank. Objects can be hurled as an attack; use the throwing rules (Combat section), substituting the Magnetic Control Power for Physique or lifting skill.

Matter manipulation

Duration: Semi permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: 1D per two levels Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 7 Per Rank Your character has the astounding ability of transmutation, the ability to change the properties of matter itself! The duration of these effects is equal to the rank of the power in minutes. After the allotted time has elapsed the matter reverts to its original state. Possible Effects: As a simple attack the hero can create some sort of harmful chemical or gas that does 1D of damage per two levels of the power. Create/manipulate simple form. The hero can create or manipulate one cubic meter of material per rank of the Matter manipulation power and last for minutes equal to twice the powers rank. The difficulty to create or manipulate matter is determined by the type and complexity. A rock is easy to create but a granite archway is a bit more daunting. Consult the table below for difficulty modifiers. Example: The Alchemist has 6 ranks of Matter Manipulation and wants to create a boulder on the path behind him to block his escape. The difficulty of this task is 10 and allows him to create a boulder that is six cubic meters in size. The boulder will exist for 12 minutes. Transmute matter from one form to another. To change one mater into another is a base 10 difficulty modified by the difference between the base difficulties of the two matter types. Consult the table below for difficulty modifiers. Example: The alchemist wants to change a small rock into air. The difference in difficulty between gases and earth 5. The final difficulty would be 15 (10+5=15). Create complex forms. Sometimes the hero will need to create matter that is a combination of the above categories or in complex functional shapes. The difficulty of this is equal to the combination of both categories plus an additional modifier of 1-10 depending of the complexity of the creation. Consult the table below for difficulty modifiers. Example; the Alchemist wants to make a machine gun from thin air. The gun if complex and has need of a chemical reaction (the bullets) to be effective. He will need metals (15), chemicals such as the gun powder (20), and shape it into a working weapons (+10). The total difficulty is 45. Later that day after making a machine gun to gun down his foes, the Alchemist takes his kids to the park only to find that the swings are in disrepair. Not wanting to see his children sad, the Alchemist makes a new swing from thin air. Swings are fairly simple +3 difficulty and the difference between air and metal is 10. The total for creating a swing is 13. If he decided to make the swing a permanent feature of the park he would add an additional 15 points to the difficulty for a total of 28. To make bread is a bit more complex, difficulty 5. The two matter types needed are simple inorganic and liquids. The final total would be 35. A rock bridge is fairly complex +10 difficulty, and uses only earth (difficulty 10). The total difficulty is 20 Transform living being. Living beings are more difficult to affect than a normal inanimate object. To affect a living creature the hero must overcome a difficulty of the base difficulty to convert the living creature plus a modifier equal to their willpower roll. Example: Alchemist is trying to turn a security guard into a stone. The base difficulty is 30 plus the security guards willpower roll. The security guard rolls a 9 making the final difficulty 39

Type of Matter Created/Manipulated

Base Difficulty

Gases: helium, oxygen

5

Liquids: water

10

Earth: sand, stone, granite

10

Crystals: quartz, diamonds, salt, garnets

15

Metals: iron, copper, gold, mercury

15

Synthetic, complex chemicals, complex gases: Teflon, Xolof, Zyklon-B, Kool-Aid, Pepsi, plastics

20

Simple organics*: vegetable/plant matter

25

Complex organics*: meat, blood, feathers

30

Other Modifiers

Modifier

Making the change permanent

+15

Affecting a living creature

30 + willpower *= any organic matter created will not be alive or have ever lived. It is simply inanimate meat, or vegetable material.

87

Plant Manipulation

Duration: Semi permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: Read below Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 6 Per Rank The hero has the ability to manipulate and grow plants. Possible Effects: The character can control up to 3 square meters per Power rank of plant matter. The hero can order the vegetation to become animate and attack. It attacks with a Skill rank and damage equal to your Plant Control rank plus Willpower. Body Points for the plant matter is equal to 1D per rank of the Plant Manipulation power; after taking this much damage, they become ineffective – and beaten, literally, to a pulp. The animated plant matter can move at a rate equal to the character’s Presence in meters per round. Normally, the character must spend her action to keep commanding the plants in combat – they have no will or Intelligence of their own (but see the special Enhancement, below). Your character also has the ability to alter the size of vegetation. Multiple plants can be made to grow creating walls or bridges using this power. Plants come in all shapes and sizes, and with this power, the character could grow a microscopic piece of vegetation (scale –24) into enormous sizes. At high ranks of this Power, a microbe in a person’s stomach could be made to grow to gargantuan sizes – hurting or even killing the person. If the Power is used in this manner, it does 1D points of damage per two ranks. For every two ranks of the power the plant’s size is altered one scale rank (reference the scale chart for an idea of size). External armor or defenses will not protect against such an attack. She can reduce the difficulty of movement rolls by 2 per rank of the power. If used to impede progress the traveler must make a movement roll with a difficulty equal the hero’s die code in Plant Manipulation. Example: Electra is flying after Tiger Lily who has Plant Manipulation rank 4. Tiger Lily doesn’t want to be caught so she runs into a thick patch of brush and uses her power; she rolls her Plant manipulation dice and gets a total of 16. Electra speeds after her but must now make a flying roll (if she was on foot it would be a running roll) against a difficulty 16. Walk through plants without tripping or leaving tracks (the characters power rank vs. the characters perception or tracking ability). The character can create localized storm of pollen and other small plant motes in an area. Anyone in the area of affect is exposed to extremely large amounts of pollen reducing their ability to see and breathe ( the movie Legend?). Everyone in the area (except the ) suffers -1 per power rank penalty to sight based actions, those with allergies suffers -2 per rank. The difficulty to create such an area is Moderate and modified by the size of the area (note the Manipulation chart). Immunity to plant related poisons or toxins. The hero may add her rank to any resistance versus poisons. The hero can create plant derived poisons allowing the hero to use Poison Secretion as if she had the power at 2 ranks below her Plant manipulation power. The hero may never create a poison gas and the range of this effect is always touch.

88

Participant Size

Value

Eight Story Building

24

Four Story Building

20

Two Story Building

14

City Bus

10

Average car

6

Small Motorcycle

3

Average human

0

Small Human child

-3

Breadbox

-6

Fashion doll

-9

Action Figure

-12

Plastic army figure

-15

Ant

-21

Gnat

-23

The tip of a pin

-25

Microscopic organism

-27

Special Enhancement: Create Plant Soldiers +2 per rank The animated plant matter can act on its own volition, having a limited will. The character can give them orders when he initially creates them, and does not have to spend his own actions to order them around in combat. He can change their orders later, but he does not have to exert his own will to force them to move. A plant soldier has physical attributes equal to the power rank and no discernable mental faculties.

Size Manipulation

Duration: Semi permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 6 Per Rank With this power the character can increase or decrease his height, mass, and physical attributes. Possible Effects: For every rank of the power in effect the character’s size is altered up to 2 scale ranks (reference the scale chart for an idea size). Every rank of Growth also decreases the amount of knock back taken by one meter, and increases the amount of knock back she can deal out with Brawl or Melee attacks by 2 meters. For every 4 ranks of the Power in effect, the hero’s Physique increases by +1D, she gains 3 extra Body Points and her movement rate increases by 2 meters up to a maximum of 20 meters. Needless to say, hide skill rolls or attempts to use stealth when larger become more difficult, and combat becomes more difficult against smaller opponents (see the section of the rules pertaining to scale). The character may alter her size with a diminutive effect. For every rank of the power in effect the character’s size can be altered two scale ranks (reference the scale chart for an idea size). For every 4 ranks of the Power in effect, the hero’s Physique decreases by –1 pip (for every three pips reduce the Attribute die by one), and movement rate is scaled down accordingly. Hide skill rolls or attempts to use stealth when shrunken become easier and combat becomes more difficult against larger opponents (see the section of the rules pertaining to scale).

Participant Size

Value

Eight Story Building

24

Four Story Building

20

Two Story Building

14

City Bus

10

Average car

6

Small Motorcycle

3

Average human

0

Small Human child

-3

Breadbox

-6

Fashion doll

-9

Action Figure

-12

Plastic army figure

-15

Ant

-21

Gnat

-23

The tip of a pin

-25

Microscopic organism

-27

Atomic Rank

-35

Sub Atomic

-40

Special Enhancements/Limitations: Only one power aspect -3 per rank The character can either use the power to increase or decrease her size; she cannot do both when this limiter is taken. The character must choose at character creation. Usable on others +4 Per Rank. This power may also be used on others to increase or decrease their size. The range of this power is considered normal (the no range limiter may be taken to decrease the cost of this power as normal.) Scale does not affect Attributes +or - 3 Per Rank. This is either an enhancement (for shrinking) or limitation (Growth). The character’s current size doesn’t affect the amount of damage dice or her attributes.

89

Sound Manipulation

Duration: Semi permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: 1D per two ranks Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 7 Per Rank This Power gives your character complete mastery over sound waves. She can generate completely new sounds, make existing sounds deeper or higher, or even make noises come from strange locations. Possible Effects: She can also precisely deliver a whispered message to a person within her range without anyone else hearing. This Power may also be used to dampen or heighten sound around the character. Others trying to make hearing Perception rolls in a sound nullified area have penalties equal to the rank of the Power. If the Power is generating a loud noise, others in the area must make an opposed roll of willpower versus your Power rank to concentrate. If the opposed roll is successful, a victim may act normally. If the roll fails, they instead suffer a penalty equal to the character’s Power rank on all tasks that require some sort of concentration, or mental focus. Sound Control can be used to negate the effects of the Sonic Scream Power, decreasing the damage done by 1D per rank. She can use the power to amplify minute or low noises making them audible or even blaring. The hero can use her power to garble any noise made or make it sound completely different. This allows her to mimic voices, make the sound of sirens, or even make it look as if someone has said something that they did not. This requires the hero to roll her Sound Manipulation dice versus a GM assigned difficulty. Directly attack a person’s eardrum destroying their sense of balance and equilibrium. This is considered a ranged attack that targets a particular body part, difficulty +10. If the attack is successful the target is off balance for combat rounds equal to half the power’s rank suffering a higher degree of difficulty for Reflex and Coordination actions equal to the rank of the power. (Example: The hero with 4 ranks of this power successfully affects someone’s balance. The target would suffer a penalty of +4 for 2 rounds.) Sonar can be rendered useless against someone using the Sound Control Power to mask her whereabouts – roll a test of Sonar versus Sound Control ranks to perceive the . Used in an offensive manner, much like a Sonic Scream attack, the character can project sonic waves of terrible force, doing 1D per two ranks of damage. However, this only stuns; once combat is over no lasting damage remains.

90

Time Manipulation

Duration: Semi permanent Range: 1 meter per rank Base Damage Value: Read below Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 7 Per Rank Your character can manipulate the flow of time. Possible Effects: The hero can add her Time Manipulation rank to her Initiative. The character can also accelerate or reverse the process of aging on an object or person by her Power rank in years. If a target is resisting, roll your Power rank versus their Presence or Physique, whichever is higher. This power also allows the character to stop time around an opponent, freezing her in her tracks. The character must make an opposed roll of the power die code versus the target’s willpower. The effect lasts as long as the character concentrates on the opponent with a maximum time limit equal to the heroes power rank in rounds. The effect may be broken every other round by a willpower roll versus the power rank in dice. The character can attack using the ability to age matter, emitting Time Blasts against opponents. These blasts do 1D per two ranks in damage. Alternately, the character can make this damage a penalty to their initiative. The attack aspect of this Power has a range of 1 meter per rank. The character may accelerate the flow of time around the character or a target making them move faster (treat the effect as if the character has super speed at a rank equal to half her Time Manipulation power).The time manipulating character must spend a action concentrating each round to keep the effect active. All of the above effects can be centered on an area and left active for a time in rounds equal to twice the hero’s rank in the power. People moving through the area make appropriate resistance rolls. The difficulty to create such an area is Moderate and modified by the size of the area (note the Manipulation chart). The character can travel forward in time with relative ease. Since the future hasn’t been written yet, time is more fluid and malleable when going forward than backward. Difficulty numbers are listed on the chart below. There is a Ka cost for traveling in time, also listed on the chart below. engers may be taken on the trip, with +5 difficulty and one additional Ka per person. If she fails the travel roll, she is disoriented and stunned for her Power rank in rounds. Time

Difficulty

Ka Cost

1 day

15

2

1 week

20

3

1 month

25

4

1 year

30

6

10 years

40

8

100 years

50

10

1000 years

60

14

Time

Difficulty

Ka Cost

5 seconds

10

2

10 seconds

15

4

20 seconds

18

6

40 seconds

20

8

1 minute

22

10

30 minutes

25

12

1 hour

27

14

8 hours

29

16

1 day

31

18

1 week

36

20

1 month

40

24

6 months

50

28

1 year

60

32

5 years

70

36

20 years

80

40

100 years

90

46

1000 years

100

52

If the character achieves a success that exceeds the Difficulty roll by five or more, she has created a time anchor, and further trips to the same time will have their Difficulties reduced by 10 for every five-point increment achieved, and Ka cost is also reduced by half. If she misses the roll, she does not travel back in time at all, and is disoriented for her Power ranks in rounds. If she misses the opposed roll by more than 10, she travels to a parallel time line in another dimension!

The hero can also travel back in time, but it is incredibly difficult to affect the past, and it is up to the Game Master to determine if the character can really change history. Time is like a rubber band – it can be stretched and distorted, but it has a way of snapping back and correcting itself.

91

Water manipulation

Duration: Semi permanent Range: Water attack normal, other abilities read below Base Damage Value: variable read below Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 8 Per Rank With this power the character has incredible control over the elemental forces of water. The power has many astounding effects that make elemental manipulators using this power extraordinarily formidable. Possible Effects: Your hero can project a destructive jet of water from her body causing 1D damage per rank of the power. The hero can use Water Projection as a form of locomotion, propelling himself on a jet of water. (Surf’s up!) His movement rate is equal to his Power rank times 5 meters per movement. The hero has the ability to breathe and act underwater with no restrictions on movement, and suffers no ill affects because of deep ocean pressure. The character can create a volume of 10 cubic liters of water per level of this ability by condensing stray water vapor from the air. In extremely dry areas such as arid and desolate tracts of desert the amount is reduced to half this amount. This water can be used to create watery barriers. The character can create fog by trapping minute water particles in the air. The fog obscures vision causing a penalty to perception of +1 per rank of the power. At level 10 and above the character can separate pure water from harmful liquids leaving pure drinking water. This effect can be used on a living being, separating the water from a person’s bodily fluids to hurt and even kill them. The character must roll her die code of Water manipulation versus a Heroic difficulty plus the opponent’s willpower. If the roll is successful the victim is completely dehydrated taking 1D of damage per level and receives no resistance rolls of any kind. The character can make a corridor of dry land through a body of water 4 meters wide and 50 meters long with an easy difficulty. For every additional 50 meters added to the corridor (width or length or a combination of the two) add an additional +3 to the difficulty. In large bodies of water the character can create tidal waves, whirlpools or waterspouts. First determine the current water rank, then the water rank desired – the character then gets 1D per Power rank to make a roll equal to the difference between the desired rank and the current rank. The area of effect is a radius of up to your Water Manipulation Control’s ranks in kilometers.

Water Rank

Difficulty level

Clear calm water

0-5

Choppy

6-15

Large waves (4 meters high)

16-26

Huge waves (8 meters high) Small water spout (15 meter high)

27-37

Huge waves large water spout (20 meter high), or small whirlpools (whirlpool radius of 20 meters)

38-49

Tsunami waves Huge water spout (40 meter high), or large whirlpools (whirlpool radius of 100 meters)

50

92

Choppy water adds a +5 difficulty to any swimming roll. Large waves add a +15 difficulty to any swimming roll, and +5 to any Boat piloting difficulty rolls. Huge waves add a +15 difficulty to any swimming roll, and +10 to any Boat piloting difficulty rolls. Tsunami waves add a +30 difficulty to any swimming roll (if the roll fails the character takes 10D of damage), and +30 to any Boat piloting difficulty rolls (if the roll fails the boat suffers 10D of damage). Small Whirlpools can be used to grapple and drag an opponent down to the bottom of the sea. The character makes an opposed difficulty versus the opponent’s Physique or Swimming. If successful, the target is grappled and dragged underwater for rounds equal to the power level. Large Whirlpools (scale 30) can be used to grapple and drag boats or ships down to the bottom of the sea. The character makes an opposed difficulty versus the ship’s Toughness rating. If successful the target is grappled and dragged underwater for rounds equal to the power level.

Weather Manipulation

Duration: Semi permanent Range: lightning attack normal, other abilities read below Base Damage Value: Read below Managing Skill: willpower Cost: 8 Per Rank The character can manipulate the weather, changing it in varying ways by rolling the difference between weather “ranks,” or intensities. Weather Severity Chart These Severities are ranges – that is, a sunny day with a rating of 5 is just starting to get overcast, while a cloudy day of 7 is distinctly cloudy, with the sun blocked out. A more extreme example is a snow storm of rank 37 (nearly a blizzard), compared to a 27, which means the snow’s just started to fall. In all cases, the environmental effects of the weather ranks may affect everyone but the within its area of influence. Weather Rank

Base Difficulty

Lightning Attack Damage

Clear sunny day

0-5

1D per 4 ranks

Cloudy

6-15

1D per 3 ranks

Raining: Visibility is reduced 25%

16-26

1D per 2 ranks

Stormy / Snow: Visibility is reduced 50%

27-37

1D per ranks

Monsoon/Blizzard: Visibility reduced 75%, Reflex and Coordination actions reduced by 1D, Movement reduced to half.

38-49

2D per rank

Hurricane: Visibility reduced 75%, Reflex and Coordination actions reduced by 2D, Movement reduced to a quarter.

50

3D per rank

Possible Effects: The character can control the weather conditions in an area. First determine the current weather rank, then the weather rank desired – the character then rolls 1D per Power rank with a difficulty equal to the difference between the desired rank and the current rank. The area of effect is a radius of up to your Weather Manipulation ranks in kilometers. Changing the atmospheric environments indoors or in a small area is much more challenging task, and adds to your Difficulty. Attempting this feat also causes a penalty of +10 on the Weather Severity Chart. Example: It’s raining outside (16-26) and a character wants to make it sunny. She happens to have Weather Manipulation at rank 6, rolling six dice, getting a total of 18. She can reduce the weather rank by 18 points, making the rainy day just cloudy, but not quite reducing the rank to 5 points. The character may fly on the winds, with a movement rate equal to five meters for each Weather Control rank per round. She also gains the ability to project lightning. This lighting attack increases with the severity of the weather; see the chart above. The character has the ability to change the air temperature by 5 degrees per rank of the power. The character can create fog by trapping minute water particles in the air. The fog obscures vision causing a penalty to Perception of +1 per rank of the power.

93

Mental Powers

This class of powers revolves around the use of mental energy to achieve unique and devastating effects.

Mental Defenses Mental Defense difficulty=10 or Presence/willpower+10 The resistance difficulty for any mental power or interaction skill equals 10. The target cannot actively resist unless he knows that a psychic or interaction skill is being used on him by another character. If the Game Master decides that the target suspects but does not know for certain that someone is attempting to influence him, the Game Master may allow the character to take an action earlier than his turn in the round and roll his willpower or Presence to generate a new resistance difficulty. Should the character decide to actively defend against mental intrusion or personal interaction, he may devote an action for the round to that task and roll his willpower or Presence, adding +10 to the score to get the new resistance difficulty. The Game Master may further modify the number as the situation warrants (such as stress, surprise, or character relationship).

Animal Control

Duration: Concentration Range: normal Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: command Cost: 4 Per Rank Your hero has the ability to dominate the minds of animals. Once the animals are within the hero’s thrall they will follow her commands to the letter but will not follow actions that are plainly suicidal. The animals can follow simple commands given to them once each round. If the command is overly complicated or abstract the animal may not perform. The difficulty to subjugate an animal is determined by the chart below and is modified by the intelligence of the animal. If the roll is successful the animals will remain willing servants for minutes equal to ten times the rank of the power. Animal Intelligence

Difficulty

Non intelligent

2

Low intelligent animals ( mice, fish, birds)

3

Average animal intelligence (dogs, cats)

5

Greater intelligence (Elephants, horses)

10

Very Intelligent ( dolphins, pigs, primates)

15

Hyper Intelligent or Uplifted animals

25

Number of animals

Difficulty Modifier

One animal

+0

A few animals (1D+2 animals)

+5

A small group (2D+2 animals)

+10

A pack (11-20)5D+2 animals)

+15

A large group (20+1Dx10 animals)

+20

A Horde (1D+2x100 animals)

+30

Example: Animax wants to control a small group of 7 dogs. The difficulty for the roll would be 15 (5 for their intelligence+10 for the amount of dogs).

94

Animal Summoning

Duration: Activation Range: normal Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: command Cost: 4 Per Rank The hero can summon animals with force of will alone. The hero determines the amount of animals that she will summon and modifies it by the type of animal and rolls over the difficulty number. All available animals in the area will be compelled to answer the summons and will treat the hero as a friend. The animals summoned are not controlled by the hero (for this the character would need Animal Control). The animals will stay with the hero for minutes equal to ten times the rank of the power. After the time has elapsed the animals drift back to their original area. To summon the animals the hero rolls dice equal to her Animal Summoning ranks against the assigned difficulty. Number of animals summons

Difficulty Roll

A few animals (1D+2 animals)

5

A small group (2D+2 animals)

10

A pack (11-20)5D+2 animals)

15

A large group (20+1Dx10 animals)

20

A Horde (1D+2x100 animals)

30

A Host animals (3Dx100 animals)

40

Animal Type

Difficulty Modifier

Simple creatures (worms, shrews)

0

Tiny creatures (mice, small birds)

+3

Small creatures (small cats, small birds of prey)

+5

Average sized creatures ( dogs, large birds, manta & sting rays)

+7

Large animals (predatory cats, dolphins, most primates)

+10

Huge creatures (Horses, sharks, Rhinos, Elephants)

+15

Gargantuan animals ( Whales, dinosaurs if applicable)

+20

Example: Animax (Animal Summoning 5) wants to summon a gang of wild dogs to his side. He would like at least 7 dogs to come to his aid so he decided to summon 2D+2. Dogs are an average-sized creature so the difficulty for this action is 17. Animax rolls his 5 D in Animal Summoning and gets a total of 20 and manages to summon 2D+2 worth of dogs to his side. Note: The GM has the final say as to how many animals actually show up. Some areas may not have sufficient amounts of the particular creature.

Animation

Duration: Activated Range: normal Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: know-how (Animate Object) Cost: 5 Per Rank The hero can impart independent movement to otherwise inanimate objects. The target object may be previously constructed, a mass of raw material, or a corpse. The hero can alter the object to a limited degree, but only to the extent that the changes are necessary for the tasks the hero wants them to undertake. For example, a walking table may develop flexible or ted legs, or a pile of gravel may be reshaped into a humanoid form in order to perform a required task. The more control a hero has over this power, the finer control he has over the shape of the animated object. A hero with low levels of control would shape the final appearance of the gravel into a vaguely humanoid form, while a well-practiced adept could mold the same gravel into a rocky self-portrait. The hero also has the ability to bring to life any flat image, whether drawing, photograph, or comic book . The flat image appears to peel itself away from its original location and stands on its own, but it is definitely two-dimensional. Like threedimensional objects, the image functions as a puppet under the hero’s conscious control. When the hero loses or releases control of any animated image, it freezes, flattens, and vanishes back to its original location. The difficulty to animate an object is equal to three times the objects toughness. modified by how naturally suited the item is to the desired task. To add detail to an amorphous form, the hero needs to make a separate artist roll with a base difficulty of 10, adjusted by the level of detail desired. The hero uses his rank in dice of the power in an opposed roll. If he is successful he has animated the object. The object has access to all of its normal abilities and Reflex and Coordination attributes equal to half the power rank in dice. The Toughness attribute remains the same and the strength damage is equal to the Toughness score. Objects have no mental capacity and therefore no mental or social attributes. Animated objects can act and move at the whim of their master. Some will be able to move or act more effectively depending on the nature of the object; a bicycle will have a much easier time moving than a fork will. Obviously a lava lamp will not be as effective in combat as a lawnmower; a rifle has greater attack ability but no means by which to move. Example: The Puppet Lord (Animate Object 5) animates a chair to scuttle across the room and block the door. The chair has a toughness of 2D so the difficulty to animate it is 6. The Puppet Lord rolls 5 dice and easily beats the 6 difficulty. The object has attributes 3D (half the power rank rounded up). The hero can animate a number of objects equal to his rank in the power, with each new object adding +1 to the difficulty to animate them (animating the 1st object suffers no penalty, the second would suffer a -1 to animate, third would suffer and -2 and so on). The Objects will remain animated for a number of minutes equal to the power rank. Objects will snap back to their original shape and state when released from this power. Normally, the animated object or image lacks any powers or abilities beyond its apparent form. However, if the hero is able to link other powers to this one, he can make the image apparently utilize those powers. For example, if the hero also had the power Telekinesis, he could make a superhero image fly or do feats of super strength. If the hero has a power that extends the range

95

of his senses, he can send the animated image or object farther away or into places he can’t directly see. Special Power Enhancement: Homunculus +2 Per rank The hero can animate one special object and use it as a surrogate body. While using the homunculus the hero cannot use his real body. The body lays in a coma like state and the hero has no sense of the world around him. The Ranks of the power are added to the physical attributes of the homunculus allowing the hero to enhance the objects Physique, Reflexes, or Coordination. The object has no will of its own and is essentially a surrogate body for the hero. While controlling the homunculus the hero takes mutli-action penalties to animate other objects. NOTE: Only one homunculus may be created at one time. Animation Modifiers Situation

Modifier

Object well suited for task (a walking straight-leg table)

 0

Animate Dead

Duration: Concentration Range: normal Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: know-how (Animate Dead) Cost: 6 Per Rank You can animate the dead and make them do your bidding! The hero can actively control a number of undead up to double her ranks in this Power plus Presence or willpower. The undead will obey orders to the letter (think carefully) and fight to the death (or, rather, destruction). However, a control roll must be made every round, or the undead may turn on its master – your character! Roll your character’s willpower versus an 11 Difficulty, plus one per undead being controlled. Fail, and the undead turns on your hero. This Power can be focused into a single corpse instead of many, augmenting an undead’s abilities. The character may add +1D to any of the undead’s Attributes, Skills, or Powers for every rank in this Power, plus Presence. Typical Undead Statistics:

Object requires some modification(a straight-leg table that can grasp; a gravel pile with tentacles and legs)

+1

Object requires extensive modification (a platter that can bite; a gravel pile with arms and fingers)

+3

Affect an amorphous solid

+1

Affect a liquid

+3

Affect a 2D image (make an image in a painting step out as if a paper cutout)

+2

Assign a simple task to an object (object becomes inanimate once task is completed or power stops; object will do nothing else)

+2

Reflexes 1D, brawling 3D, dodge 2D Coordination 2D Physique 3D Knowledge 1D Perception 2D Presence 2D, intimidation 4D Powers: Natural Weaponry (teeth) rank 2 (3D damage) Move: 10. Base Damage: 1D. Fate Points: 0. Character Points: 0 Body Points: 19

Confusion

Sample Items Below are a sample of items and their toughness attribute. When an item has a pip after the die code adds that directly to the difficulty. Example: An item has a toughness of 3D+1. To animate the item the difficulty would be 10 (3Dx3=9 then add the +1 for a total of 10) Objects

Toughness

Toaster

2D

Fan

1D

PC Computer

2D

Mac Computer

1D

Assault Rifle

2D

Chair

2D

Recliner Chair

2D+1

Car

4D+1

Bus

5D+2

96

Undead

Duration: Semi Permanent Range: point blank Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: Confusion (Presence based) Cost: 3 Per Rank The character can hamper the thoughts of those he comes into physical with. He gains the Confuse skill at +1 per rank (it is a Presence skill, described only here), which he can increase as normal. The hero may also perform a confusion attack versus his target’s willpower or Presence (this is not an action for the target), as a multi-action with a brawling attack. If the hero’s total is higher (not equal to), the target is confused. The confused target may not spend Characters points, and they receive a +5 difficulty modifier to even simple actions for a number of rounds equal to two times the rank of this Super Power.

Cosmic Awareness

Duration: Concentration Range: special read below Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: Know-how (Cosmic Awareness), investigation, tracking Cost: 3 Per Rank Your character’s perceptions go far beyond that of normal men – she can perceive on a cosmic scale! She can sense when Ka (GODSEND Agenda only) is being expended, or when something in her general area is being destroyed, releasing its stored energy. She can also see, just by looking at a person or thing, how much of this universal energy is stored in them. This allows her to judge how powerful someone is by rolling her Cosmic Awareness Power versus the target’s Presence. The range of this power is in meters, and increases exponentially – see the sidebar at the beginning of this chapter. Everything in the universe leaves a unique signature – everything. This is the ultimate tracking Power, allowing the character to find anyone or anything virtually anywhere in the universe by their Ka signature (GODSEND Agenda only). All the hero needs is an item that once belonged to the target, so she can get the “scent.” Once this is done, the character will be able to feel the Ka signature of that target, if it is in her Power range, letting her know where the target is with only a 6-meter margin of error. The character rolls her tracking against a difficulty determined by where the target is within the character’s range. The target’s current Ka pool also modifies the roll. Power’s range

Difficulty number

Short range

15 minus target’s current Ka pool

Medium Range

20 minus target’s current Ka pool

Long

25 minus target’s current Ka pool

The base range of this power is 1Km and doubles per rank of the power. If the target’s Ka Pool is reduced it becomes significantly harder for the target to be tracked. Such conditions, and other problems – such as someone working VERY hard to hide, by some esoteric means – are dictated by your Game Master, who may rule that this Power will not work to find a particular person.

Detect

Duration: Permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: Search Cost: 2 Per Rank Your hero has the ability to detect a certain type of situation or object, selected when you pick this Power. For instance, she can detect water, danger, fear, etc. She will know the general direction and whereabouts of this focus. The character adds the die code of the power to her search roll when detecting the focus of this power.

97

Empathy

Duration: Concentration Range: normal Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: Cost: 4 Per Rank The Hero can sense and affect the emotions of others. She can magnify existing emotions or insert new ones. The base difficulty is the target’s willpower modified by the chart below. The hero rolls her rank in dice of the Empathy power versus the resistance difficulty number. Those affected by the power feel any emotion at any intensity dictated by the hero. This translates into a bonus towards any Presence based rolls equal to 1D per rank of the power. In combat situation the power can cause the target to feel strong fear, anger, or love giving them a penalty or bonus of +1 per rank to their defense total and a penalty or bonus to their attacks equal to 1D per rank. The effects of the power last for minutes equal to the power rank minus the targets willpower. The victim of this power may try to break free of the empath’s control after combat rounds equal to the power rank. If she succeeds she breaks the empathic enchantment and may act normally, if she fails she must wait an additional amount of time equal to the power rank etc. The target breaks the empathic hold by making an opposed roll of her will power versus the Empathy power rank in dice.

Special Power Limitation: Emotion Expertise -2 Per rank The character has a narrowly focus area of expertise when sensing or imparting emotion. Now the hero can only trigger or sense one Emotion.

ESP

Duration: Concentration Range: 100 Kilometers per rank Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: Know-how, search, Investigation Cost: 2 Per Rank ESP allows the character to sense things at a range not normally possible. The character is allowed to use all five senses normally while using ESP but is completely oblivious to her immediate surroundings. It is easier to see a location that is known to the character, whereas locations unfamiliar to the character are harder to visualize A roll is required (using the ESP power rank in dice versus the difficulty) each time the hero wishes to perform any activity with this power, such as searching a room, hearing a conversation, or smelling what’s cooking in a pot. Otherwise the perceptions will be dreamlike and unclear. The base difficulty to use ESP is Easy, modified by the circumstances on the chart below. Location

Difficulty Modifier

+5

A place the character is deeply familiar with

0

Target alone

-3

A place the character has been once

+5

Target in a small group

+1

A place the character has seen in a book or on TV

+10

Target in a crowd

+3

A place the character was told about briefly

+15

Target in a large group

+5

A completely unknown area.

+20

Targets

Difficulty Modifier

Target is experiencing Intense Emotions

Perception Quality

Broadcasting/Influencing a single emotion to: * One person

+0

Two People

+3

A few people

+5

A small group

+10

A crowd

+15

A Horde

+20

*= The hero suffers no multiple action penalty for affecting groups beyond the modifiers listed above. Example: The Fear Monger wants to scare an elite team of S.W.A.T. that’s cornered him in a building. The difficulty to affect the entire team would be 20 (10 for the base metal defense and an additional 10 because it is a small group that he is affecting). If the group was already feeling strong emotion, like anger, he would have an additional penalty of +5. Example Two: the villain known as the Adversary wants to incite a small group of Nazi skin heads to riot. The Skinheads are standing in a large group of protesters that are demonstrating peacefully. To incite the small group of Nazis would be a difficulty 25 (10 for the base metal defense and an additional +10 because it is a small group that he is affecting, plus the Nazis are standing within a large group for an additional +5).

98

Blurry and dreamlike

0

Clear perception

+5

Adding an additional Sense, such as smell, hearing and touch

+5

Seeing beyond the character’s normal range (for each additional 100 Kilometers)

+10

Hex

Duration: Activated Range: normal Base Damage Value: None Managing Skill: None Cost: 6 per Rank The hero has the ability to change the probability of the successful completion of her target’s action. Hexes can be either a boon or a bane for her target and that must be stated before the power is used. The target of the Hex must make a successful willpower roll versus the hero’s dice rank in the power. If the target fails to resist the Hex she is susceptible to the Hexing ability of the hero for that round. The hero may subtract or add dice equal to her rank to her target’s dice roll. Dice used in that round may not be used to manipulate another action in that same round, so the character is limited by the rank of her power. This power may not be used on the character herself to enhance her rolls – only rolls made by other people. When used to enhance another person’s dice rolls the hero suffers a dice penalty equal to the amount she has bestowed. A dice roll is still made as normal to see if the power is susceptible to the Hex power…there is no automatic success even when suing the power to benefit someone. N.B. The Hex does not affect the actual power, skill, or attribute; only the roll. A rank 5 Hex power will not lower an Energy Blast power by 5 dice only reduce the chance of hitting by 5dice. The HEX is essentially a penalty. Perhaps the opponent slipped as he was trying to hit the hero or maybe the sun was in his eyes. Example: The Fabulous Al has 5 ranks of the Hex power. Running from two police officers through a back alley Al tries to lose the police. Both he and the Policemen must make running rolls to navigate the trash-strewn alley. Al decides to Hex both Policemen and succeeds in beating both their will power rolls. He subtracts 3D from the first policemen’s running roll guaranteeing that he fails the roll, and subtracts 2D from the other cop. This leaves the Fabulous Al with no Hex ability for the rest of that round.

Illusion

Duration: Concentration Range: variable, depends on the number of people affected Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: Know-how (illusion), search, Investigation Cost: 3 Per Rank The hero can create images in another person’s mind. The hero rolls the die code in the power to determine if the illusion was created. If successful, the target must make a willpower roll versus the hero’s illusion roll to notice if something is odd or out of place. The Game Master will determine when a roll is allowed. The more something is out of place the more likely that someone will believe that something is amiss. The base difficulty for an illusion is Easy and is modified by the list below, based on the complexity of the illusion and the number of people involved. Size of the illusion

Difficulty Modifier

Small, a piece of furniture

+0

A room

+3

An entire house

+5

A small building

+10

A large building

+15

A large area, such as a city block.

+20

Minds affected 1 person

0

2-6 people

+5

7-15 people

+10

16-32 people

+15

33-100 people

+20

100-500 people

+25

500-1,000 people

+35

Additional Senses affected Sight

0

Per additional sense

+3

99

Insect Control

Duration: Concentration Range: normal Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: command Cost: 4 Per Rank Your character has the ability to control the minds of insects. Once the insects are under the hero’s dominance they will follow his commands to the letter but will not follow actions that are plainly suicidal. The insect can follow simple commands given to them once each round. If the command is overly complicated or abstract the insect may not perform it. The difficulty to subjugate an insect is determined by the chart below and is modified by the disposition of the insects. If the roll is successful the insects will remain willing servants for minutes equal to ten times the rank of the power. Insect Disposition

Difficulty

Aggressive

10

Non-Aggressive

5

Number of Insects summons

Difficulty Modifier

One insect

+0

A few insect (1D+2)

+5

A small swarm (1Dx10 insects)

+10

A swarm (3Dx10 insects)

+15

A large swarm (1D+2x100 insects)

+20

A plague (3Dx1000 insects)

+30

100

Insect Summoning

Duration: Activation Range: normal Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: command Cost: 4 Per Rank The hero can summon insects with force of will alone. The hero determines the amount of insects that she will summon and modifies it by the type of insects and rolls over the difficulty number. All available insects in the area will be compelled to answer the summons and will treat the hero as a friend. The insects summoned are not controlled by the hero (for this the character would need Insect Control). The Insects will stay with the hero for minutes equal to ten times the rank of the power. After the time has elapsed the insects drift back to their original area. To summon the insects the hero rolls dice equal to her Insect Summoning ranks against the assigned difficulty. Number of Insects summons

Difficulty Roll

A few insect (1D+2)

5

A small swarm (1Dx10 insects)

10

A swarm (3Dx10 insects)

15

A large swarm (1D+2x100 insects)

20

A plague (3Dx1000 insects)

30

An insect host (1D+2x10,000)

50

Insect Type

Difficulty Modifier

Crawling

0

Flying

+10

Biting/Stinging*

+15

Poison**

+15

Insect Size Small (the size of a gnat up to a silverfish)

-5

Medium (half an inch to two inches)

0

Large (3-5”)***

+10

Huge(6” and over)****

+15

For every 10 insects in the swarm the swarm does +1 of damage (so a swarm of 30 insects will do 1D of damage). Swarms have 1 body point for 10 insects in the group (a swarm of 100 would have 10 body points). For every 100 insects in the group the swarm may attack one additional person with no multiple action penalties (a swarm of 1,000 may attack 10 opponents and not suffer a penalty). The insect swarm covers an area of 1 meter diameter per 100 in the group for small insects, 2 meter diameter for medium insects, 4 meter diameter for large, and 10 meter diameter for huge. Crawling and flying swarms move at a rate of 10m like a normal human. A swarm of 10 insects has a brawl skill of 2D. For every additional 100 in the group the swarm receives a +1 (for every 3 pips add one die). Swarms over 100 may frighten an opponent and leave him

flustered. When the swarm attacks the opponent must make a willpower roll of 10 (+1 to the difficulty for every additional 50 after the first 100). If the willpower roll is successful the opponent may keep his focus, if the roll is a failure the opponent suffers a penalty of +1 difficulty to all actions for every 100 insects in the swarm. This effect last one round. *= Stingers do +1 additional point of per damage die **= Opponents successfully attacked by poisonous insects must make an easy stamina roll or take an additional +1D of damage. Large insects require a moderate stamina roll and do 1D+2 damage and huge insects require a difficult stamina roll and do 2D damage. ***= For every 100 in the swarm the opponent’s movement is reduced 25% upon a successful grapple. A swarm of 200 receives a +1D for all grapple/clinging attempts. Each additional 100 in the swarm adds a +1 to the grapple attempt. ****= For every 100 in the swarm the opponent’s movement is reduced 25% upon a successful grapple. A swarm of 100 receives a +1D for all grapple/clinging attempts. Each additional 100 in the swarm adds a +2 to the grapple attempt. Huge insects also do +1 damage per die because of their size. Note: The GM has the final say as to how many insects actually show up. Some areas may not have the sufficient amounts of the particular creature.

Iron Will

Duration: Permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 2 Per Rank The character is highly resistant to all interaction attempts and mental attacks. The character gains a +1D per rank to all willpower rolls and +2 to the default difficulty of any such attempts against the character.

Language Comprehension

Duration: Concentration Range: normal Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: languages Cost: 2 Per Rank The character can listen to or read any language with this power, from ancient Aztec, to sign language, to visual basic computer code. Using this ability allows the character to feel the intent of the language giving her the ability to comprehend the language on a universal level. Thus, the more alien the language, the harder it is to comprehend. The die code of the power is added to the languages skill when trying to comprehend a language the character has never heard before.

101

Machine interface

Duration: Concentration Range: normal Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: None Cost: 5 Per Rank The character can communicate (and with a bit more effort, control) mechanical devices. The hero can control machines and make them perform their function. The degree of difficulty goes up the more complex the machine is and rises even further depending on the amount of machines being controlled. A machine can never be made to act outside of its function – a toaster cannot strangle a man, but it could be made to burn the toast, even on the lowest toast setting. The more complex machines may have more functions and have more ability to do things outside of their realm of expertise. A robotic welding arm in a car factory could be made to punch someone nearby or tap a button since the function of the arm is more versatile. This power does not allow the character to animate machines – only control them and make them function. Computers are very complex and can be manipulated to provide all sorts of information as long as the computer has access to it. If the computer or machines are tied into a network of other machines then the character can transfer his consciousness to that remote location and control devices there; in this manner a character can theoretically travel all over the world and even into outer space (the difficulty to reach that remote location is equal to the machine complexity). NOTE: The character cannot work through mundane electrical lines but must have an information conduit in which to travel such as a LAN line or fiber optic phone line. The power will not work through a normal electrical line. Machine Complexity

Difficulty

Mundane simple machine (a toaster, washing machine)

5

A machine of minor complexity (a CD /DVD player or automated factory robotic arms)

10

A complex machine (a computer)

15

A highly complex machine (an AI sentient robot)

20+

Quantity of machines interfaces with

Modifiers

1

0

2-5

+3

6-15

+5

16-30

+10

31-50

+15

Command Type

Modifiers

Simple command (burn the toast, open/close)

+3

Average command (TIVO my favorite show)

+5

Difficult command (Compile all last know locations of villain)

+7

Complex command (build me a car from scratch)

+15

Commands from a remote location

+10

102

Mind Control

Duration: Concentration Range: normal Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: None Cost: 4 Per Rank This power allows the character to manipulate the actions of others with the use of her mind. The character makes an opposed roll of her power versus the target’s mental defense. The character can control minds equal to twice her power rank; each additional mind that is dominated adds +3 difficulty to the character’s roll. If the character is successful he now has complete power over the targets body and mind. The target will and realize what is occurring but will have no control over her actions if the resistance roll was missed by less than 10, otherwise he will have no recollection of the mind control. The target of the mind control may try and break the grip of the controller after rounds equal to the Mind Control power minus the targets willpower (minimum 1 round). Example: Professor Mindbender has Mind Control Rank 7 is controlling the super hero known as the Crush (willpower 4D). The crush can try and break free every 3 rounds (7-4=3) The character can insert new memories into the targets mind, making completely believable memories that the targets thinks are hers. This process is time consuming and very difficult to achieve. The base difficulty is Very Difficult modified by the target’s willpower, and the process takes one hour to perform. The character can reduce this time, but for each ten minutes reduced raises the difficulty by +5. The minimum time it takes to shape and insinuate a new memory is 1 minute. This can also be used to erase memories but the difficulty increases by +10. Example: Professor Mindbender has Mind Control Rank 7 and is trying to insert new memories into the Crush’s mind (willpower 4D). The difficulty of this roll is a base 21 (very difficult) plus the sum of Crush’s willpower roll. Crush rolls the 4 dice and gets a 3, 2, 5, and a 3 on the wild die for a total 13. The total difficulty is the sum of Crush’s willpower roll of 13 plus the 21 base difficulty. The total difficulty for Professor Mindbender to insert a new memory into Crush’s mind is 34 (13+21=34) The hero can implant hypnotic suggestions that may be acted upon later. The time is equal to one day per power rank and the command can be fairly complex. This form of mind control is +10 difficulty to a normal Mind Control attempt. The opponent will have no recall of what occurred. The character can also attack an opponent’s mind and make himself or others mentally invisible to the opponent. The target will not see the hero or hear the hero but will notice if the hero affects his environments, such as leaving a door open or moving objects in a room. The power can also be used to do mind tricks on an opponent that makes him believe things that are untrue (standard difficulty). The target will believe the facts to be true for a number of minutes equal to the power rank.

Mind Reading

Duration: Concentration Range: Normal Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: none Cost: 5 Per Rank The character has the ability to delve into a person’s mind to find information that they are looking for. The base difficulty is the target’s mental defense modified by the type of information the character is seeking and its location in the targets mind. Memory Type

Difficulty Modifier

Reading immediate surface thought

+0

Looking for a particular piece of memory

+1

Memory is a week old

+3

Memory is a month old

+5

Memory is a year old

+10

For each additional year beyond the 1st

+1

Memory is suppressed

+10

Mind Field

Duration: Semi permanent Range: Normal Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: none Cost: 5 Per Rank Your character projects a field that negates psychic damage or mental manipulation equal to a base of the power rank multiplied by 3, plus 1D per Power rank. The field works both ways, and protects from attacks on either side. Attacks made by the character with an active field are also reduced, but only by the field’s base damage reduction. A special advantage may be purchased that negates this drawback. This field is ablative; any dice used to negate damage in a given round cannot be used to block other attacks in the same combat round. Dice may be split up to negate damage from multiple attacks. The field regenerates at the beginning of each round. The field usually only protects the ’s mind but can be expanded to protect an area around the character; doing so reduces the resistance by half but protects an area equal to 1 meter per rank in the Power. Special Enhancement: Can Attack Through +3 Per Rank The character can attack normally through her field without any damage penalty.

Possession

Duration: Activated Range: normal Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: none Cost: 5 Per Rank The hero can project her consciousness into the mind of another and take over the being’s form. The hero’s body is left in an unconsciousness state and is completely vulnerable to attack. To take over a body, the hero rolls the die code of her power versus the target’s mental defense. If the hero succeeds at this roll, the target’s mind is overwhelmed and shoved to the side as the new psyche takes over. The possessing character gains her new form’s physical attributes (Reflexes, Coordination, and Physique), retains her own mental attributes, and gains complete control over the new form. The target may try and regain control after minutes equal to the twice the rank in the power have elapsed, the target must make a willpower roll versus the possession die code. To gather knowledge about her host body’s life, the possessing character must generate a successful investigation total against the target’s Knowledge roll (this does not count as an action for the target). The information the possessor gains depends upon the level of success achieved; see the accompanying chart for details. Result Points* Needed

Knowledge Attained

0

Basic information: target’s name, age, address

1–4

More personal information: target’s job, financial status, any current schedule

5–8

More in-depth personal information: identities and backgrounds of family, friends, lovers

9–12

Very personal info.: secrets, private likes and dislikes

13

Everything there is to know *Result points equal the difference between the investigation total and the target’s Knowledge roll.

The host will have no memory of the possession if it was successful, but will if the target successfully pushed the intruder from his psyche. Otherwise, the target will only know that he “blacked out” and has no recollection of the missing time. Special Enhancement: The physical body disappears + 2 per rank The character’s body disappears when she takes over a subject.

Special Power Limitation: Mind Shield -2 Per Rank The protective field is not a bubble surrounding the character but a shield that protects only one side of the character. The shield may be moved to deflect different attacks, but may only defend one side at a time. The character does not suffer the penalty of not being able to attack effectively through the shield.

103

Postcognition

Duration: Concentration Range: normal Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: Investigation Cost: 2 Per Rank The hero can see into the past, allowing her glimpses of past events in a location. Once activated, she can see past events within her normal sight. How far a character can see into the past is determined by the time difficulty chart. The character rolls dice equal to her Postcognition power rank. The character may or may not be allowed multiple tries to look into the same past (i.e. same location, same time period), at the GM’s discretion. Special Limitation: Psychometry -1 per rank With this Power, your hero can only read psychic imprints left on objects. This allows her to determine major or recent events that happened around the object, and in particular, who touched it last. The hero must be in physical with the object and can see an area radius around the object equal to 2 meters per rank of the power.

Precognition

Duration: Concentration Range: normal Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: Investigation Cost: 3 Per Rank This ability allows the character to expand her sight and peer into the unknown regions of the possible future. She will see the most probable path of events before him, and as she looks, events may change or be changed by her or others. In other words, the future that he sees may not be the one to come about – events are not set in stone. How far a character can see into the future is determined by the time difficulty chart. The character rolls dice equal to her Precognition power rank. She sees the future in a dream-like state, but can use this ability for the short term, in a combat situation, to make it easier to win Initiative (after all, your character knows the most likely places for everyone to be). She thus receives a +5 per Power rank on Initiative rolls when using Precognition in combat. Using the Power in this manner costs the character one Action at the beginning of a combat round. The GM may opt to give your character detailed prior knowledge of situations, at her discretion. With such a large range, it is very hard to pick out particular moments in the future and pinpoint the exact time events will occur. The character must make an investigation roll versus a GM assigned difficulty in order to be precise in his predictions.

104

Time Difficulty Chart Amount of Information

Difficulty

Vague Information

0

Basic or common information

5-10

Moderately detailed information

15

Extensive (but not complete) information

20

Detailed Information

30

Time

Difficulty Modifier

Within the last hour

+0

12 hours

+5

1 day

+10

4 days

+15

1 week

+20

1 month

+25

6 months

+30

1 year

+35

5 years

+40

20 years

+45

100 years

+50

1000 years

+60

Longer

At the GM’s discretion

Speak with Animals

Duration: Concentration Range: normal Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: Languages Cost: 2 Per Rank The hero can easily interpret the sounds and body language of animals, and make them understand her. This power does not affect humans or other sentient alien races. The die code of this power is added to the Languages skill. Particularly high rolls may help benefit animal handling rolls at the GM’s discretion.

Speak with Dead

Duration: Concentration Range: normal Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: charm, command, persuasion Cost: 3 Per Rank The hero has the ability to the souls of the departed and speak to them. The power only allows the character to communicate with the dead but does not mean that the dead will speak back or be cooperative. The difficulty to speak with a dead person’s spirit depends on the proximity to the spirit’s corporeal form, the amount of time the target has been deceased, and the general attitude towards the character. The hero rolls his rank in dice versus the GM assigned difficulty as determined by the chart below. Time Difficulty Chart Location

Difficulty

At grave site

5

In the general area of death

10

Within the same city

15

Within the same county or state

20

On the same continent

30

On a different planet

50

Time departed

Difficulty Modifier

1-4 days

+5

1 week

+10

1-3 months

+15

6 months

+20

1 year

+25

5 years

+30

20 years

+40

100 years

+45

1000 years

+50

Longer

At the GM’s discretion

Demeanor toward the speaker

Difficulty Modifier

Speaker is a loved one

-20

Friendly

-5

Neutral toward the speaker

0

Hostile towards the speaker

+10

The Speaker is the dead’s enemy

+15

The Speaker killed the person

+20

105

Speak with Insects

Duration: Concentration Range: normal Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: Languages Cost: 2 Per Rank The character can commune with insects. The insect responds coherently with the character specking in a voice only she can hear. The die code of this power is added to the Languages skill.

Speak with Plants

Duration: Concentration Range: normal Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: Languages Cost: 2 Per Rank The character can commune with living plant life. The vegetation responds coherently with the character specking in a voice only she can hear. The die code of this power is added to the Languages skill.

Telekinesis

Duration: Semi permanent Range: normal Base Damage Value: 1D per rank Managing Skill: know-how (Telekinesis) Cost: 5 Per Rank This power allows the character to lift or otherwise move things with the power of his mind. When lifting an item at a distance, the character uses the difficulties listed on the lifting chart and substitutes his telekinesis for the Physique attribute. If the character uses the power while physically touching and lifting the object add the dice to his physique attribute. The power may be used offensively to attack a target at a distance doing damage equal to the die code of the power. The hero can also create an offensive attack using a swarm of smaller objects. This attack does less damage but is harder to defend against since the objects may be coming from several directions at once. The damage dice for this attack is equal to half the rank of the power but the targets defense score is reduced by half the rank of the power. Example: Psi’ann is using 8 ranks of Telekinesis to send a swarm of sharpened pencils at her opponent The Banger. Psi’ann rolls her attack using her marksmanship skill and gets a total of 19. Banger decides to parry the attack using his bat and rolls a 22. Since Psi’ann is using the swarm technique the Bangers defense total is lowered by 4 (half the rank of the power) making his total a 18 (22-4=18). Psi’ann hits and does 4 dice of damage Several targets may be affected by this form of attack if the character so chooses but the damage dice are split up between all the opponents evenly. The swarm can hit a number opponents in the immediate area surrounding the initial target equal to the half the rank of the power The power may also be used to levitate and convey the character about. This form of travel is slow compared to actual true flight, moving the character at a rate of only 5 meters per rank a round. When using the Telekinesis Power to perform actions requiring fine manipulation, such as picking a lock or typing a letter on a keyboard, you use the Telekinesis Skill or know how against a Difficulty assigned by the GM.

106

Special Enhancement: Telekinetic Force Shield + 2 per rank The hero can now use his Telekinetic abilities to stop damage. The character can reduce the damage taken from physical attacks by 1D per rank of this Power. Dice used in the same round to negate damage cannot be used to attack with. The TK shield is projected in front of the hero but can be made to surround him but works at only half strength. The TK Shield also requires the to spend an action to actively use it.

Telepathy

Duration: Semi permanent Range: special Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: None Cost: 2 Per Rank The character may communicate through thoughts, beginning at a range of 1 mile and increasing exponentially each rank. The Power doesn’t let her forcibly read others’ thoughts (for that, take the Mind Reading Power), it just allows her to communicate at a distance. Other powers may be used over this psychic link, such as Mind Control or Mind Reading, because a link has already been established with the target’s mind (resolve these Powers normally). The link works both ways, and if able, the target could use mental powers to alter the character’s mind, too. For every rank of Telepathy your character may telepathically “link” twice her rank in minds. While linked to this “network,” all involved can communicate with everyone else. Special Enhancement: Use Other’s Senses + 2 per rank Your character can use the senses of a person to whom she is linked. She can see, hear and smell anything the target is experiencing. As usual, the link works both ways – if the target figures it out, they can look through the character’s eyes, etc. Special Power Limitation: Receive Physical Sensation -2 per rank Your hero receives any physical sensation, including pain, from the person (or people) she is linked to, whether she wants to or not, and all persons involved in a telepathic network “feel” the damage. If the originator of the link takes damage, then everyone involved takes the damage without the benefit of any resistances roll. The only way to ignore this damage is if a character has a Mind shield in effect.

Magic Magic is the manipulation of the natural world to achieve unnatural effects. Magic isn’t about forcing an element or energy to do something; it’s about perceiving the natural flow of energy and redirecting it in a way that best suits the sorcerer. Most magic is based in some way off the character’s ability to see and construct magical effects. The perception attribute is very important to the aspiring mage. Most Magic is hard to learn and use effectively and this is the reason most Magi learn spells by rote and dance. Characters usually take the Incantation, Focus, or Physical Gestures limitation with powers to represent the extremely difficult practice of perceiving and crafting magic. With magic, there is always a cost to be paid. When the wild die comes up 1 in the use of a magic power the character suffers a Wyrd, but only if the roll is a failure. A Wyrd is some unnatural happening that lasts for minutes equal to the rank of the power. The Wyrd can be anything from the changing of the character’s skin color or an odor that follows them around to a catastrophic magical mishap that affects all of her friends. The Wyrd effect is left to the discretion of the GM and should reflect the weight of the situation that the character is in. If the GM is hard pressed to come up with sufficient Wyrds a good place to look is at the Entropy blast power under Ranged power attack or the list that follows. NOTE: GODSEND Agenda does not use magic in its game universe. In the GODSEND Agenda universe magic is just another name for the universal energy known as Ka.

Magic Field

Duration: Activated Range: 2 times Power rank in meters Base Damage Value: none Managing Skill: none Cost: 4 Per Rank Your character projects a field that negates magical damage equal to a base of the power rank multiplied by 3, plus 1D per Power rank. The field works both ways, and protects from attacks on either side. Attacks made by the character with an active field are also reduced, but only by the shield’s base damage reduction. A special advantage may be purchased that negates this drawback. The field has no resistance against mental or physical assaults. This field is ablative; any dice used to negate damage in a given round cannot be used to block other attacks in the same combat round. Dice may be split up to negate damage from multiple attacks. The field regenerates at the beginning of each round. In every respect except the type of damage negated the field works just like a Force Field. NOTE: Any damaging effect created by the Sorcery power is considered magical damage. Special Enhancement: Works on others +2 ranks The area of protection around the character can have a radius up to 2 times her Power rank in meters, or can be projected up to 2 times Power rank in meters away from her to protect someone else. In this case, the field only protects the immediate person, not a radius around them. Can attack through +3 Per rank The character can attack normally through her field without any damage penalty. Special Power Limitation: Magic Shield -2 Per rank The protective field is not a bubble surrounding the character but a shield that protects only one side of the character. The shield may be moved to deflect different attacks, but may only defend one side at a time. The character does not suffer the penalty of not being able to attack effectively through the shield.

107

Sorcery

Duration: Activated Range: normal Base Damage Value: Read below Managing Skill: Artistry: Spell Crafter Cost: 15 per Rank This power allows the hero to perceive and craft the magical energies of the world into powerful unnatural effects. The character must first pay a price of 1 Ka point (if Ka is being used in the game) or 2 Body points for the temporary use of the power and then make an Artistry: Spell Crafter roll versus a difficulty equal to 4 times the cost for one rank of the power. If she fails she may try and attain the power again the next round with an additional +1 added to the difficulty. If multiple powers are involved, they can all be tested at once with the difficulties all being added together. She now has that Power at a rank equal to her Sorcery Power rank. Example: Nox Magnus has 10 ranks of Sorcery and 5D Artistry: Spell Crafter. Absalom wants to manifest the ability to fly (2 points per rank). Nox spends 1 point of Ka( or 2 body points) and has to successfully make a Artistry: Spell Crafter roll with a difficulty 8 (4x2=8). If successful Absalom could have 1 to 10 ranks in the power. The character may keep the power for hours equal to half her rank with Sorcery. In the above example Nox Magnus would be able to fly for 5 hours before the power faded. After the allotted amount of time is up the character may call on the power again by following the procedure above. The ranks of the Sorcery Power may be divided into multiple Powers. Each power attained is paid for with an additional one point of Ka or 2 body points per power. Because this power has a duration of activated, if the hero is knocked unconscious he loses the powers in question. Furthermore, the character must obey all the aspects and limitations of the powers she is using. For example, if she decides to take an Elemental Sheath of fire she would take double damage from cold based attacks. N.B.: Attributes can only be increased through the use of the Enhancement or Boost power.

Magical Wyrds Roll failed by 1-3 points Roll 1D 2

The heroes skin color changes to a random color for minutes equal to the power rank

3

Magical steam pours from the characters ears for minutes equal to the power rank

4

The Hero’s shadow animates and annoys the character by giving the character wet willies, wedgies, and messing his hair.

5

Animals shy away from the character or become violent is cornered

6

For one minute the hero’s hair grows rapidly. In that time period the hair will grow 1D inches

7

There is an echo when the character speaks

8

cough up flies for rounds equal to the power rank

9

Character has a foul odor for rounds equal to the power rank

10

An article of clothing turns into bologna or some other lunch meat or a processed cheese spread

11

The hero gains a pot belly for a day

12

The character grows a horn or bone spur on a random body location

Roll failed by 4-8 points Roll 2D

2

Character shrinks one scale rank

3

The hero is stunned for rounds equal to the power rank. She can take no offensive action during that time

4

An clothing article turns to into a lunch meat, vegetable or fruit (GM’s discretion)

5-6

The hero’s tongue becomes forked or she grows a third eye, or she grows a vestigial tail (GM’s choice) the affliction last for minutes equal to the power rank

7

The spell difficulty for the next magical roll is increased by 1D

8

Character glows for minutes equal to the power rank. The glow is bright enough to read by and has a radius of 1 meter per power rank

9

Character falls prone and cannot keep her balance for rounds equal to the power rank

10

The hero grows one scale rank

11

Character takes damage equal to half the power rank rounded up

12

The character falls forward in time 1 round per rank of the power

108

Roll failed by 9-12 points Roll 2D

2

A number of inanimate objects equal to the power rank spring to life near the caster and run around causing havoc for rounds equal to the power rank

3

All buckles unlatch and doors unlock and open in a radius around the character equal to 2 meters per rank of the power

4

The character is blinded for rounds equal to the power rank

5-7

The magic affects the last person targeted by the caster, not its intended target

8

The reverse effect hits the spell target

9

Spell rebounds on the caster

10

Caster takes damage equal to the power rank

11

Electrical equipment stops working in a meter radius equal to the power rank

12

The character burst into flames. The flames do the power rank in damage to the character and anything in the immediate area.

Roll failed by 13-15 points Roll 2D

2

Vermin attacks the character for one round

3

The hero is teleported in a random direction 1D meters per rank of the power

4

Spell has random effect (GM’s choice)

5

Spell rebounds on caster

6

Spell strikes unintended target (roll randomly)

7

The character burst into flames. The flames do the power rank in damage to the character and anything in the immediate area.

8

The spell difficulty for the next magical roll is increased by 2D

9

The character falls forward in time 1D rounds per rank of the power

10

An evil duplicate of the hero sprouts from the character’s head and will work against the hero until a difficult willpower roll is made. If the character is knocked unconscious the duplicate disappears

11

The character burst into flames. The flames do the power rank in damage to the character and anything in the immediate area for rounds equal to the power rank

12

An infernal portal opens to a nether realm and an infernal entity escapes into the heroes home dimension

Roll failed by 16 or more points Roll 1D

1

A black hole opens above the character and sucks everything within 5 meters per power rank in. a moderate difficulty dodge roll is needed to stay out of the void. Those sucked in by the void will be spat out 1D kilometers away in a random direction

2-3

The hero gains one disadvantage for weeks equal to the power rank. The disadvantage is chosen by the GM

4

The power shorts out for days 3D days minus the characters willpower (minimum of 1 day)

5

Character gains the Bad Luck disadvantage for weeks equal to the power rank

6

The hero is surrounded by magical lightning that affects everyone around her. She must make a willpower roll every round against a difficulty of 10+ the power rank or shock a random person for 1d damage per rank

109

Summoning

Duration: Concentration Range: n/a Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 10 Per Rank The character has the ability to summon beings from another place or dimension. These beings with usually be friendly towards the hero and do his bidding. The hero determines what type of being to be summoned and the GM usually takes care of the attributes and powers. The hero must make a difficulty roll on the chart below using his dice in the power. The difficulty increases the more capable the being is. A power level one creature is far easier to summon than a power level six being. For each additional being summoned the difficulty is raised by +3. Multiple beings are harder to coordinate during combat therefore the character must spend an additional action during combat for each creature summoned. Once the being is summoned it will act in the best interest of the hero for an amount of time determined by the rank of the power and the difficulty of the summoning. Summoning and enthralling living beings is incredibly taxing on the mind and the Hero must spend an action each round to keep the being under his command. At any time of his choosing the Summoner may send the being back to its place of origin. Example: Calkin has 7 ranks of Summoning and needs to summon a Garuda bird to fly over the imable mountains in front of him. The Garuda is a power animal so the GM decides it’s a power 3 creature. Since he needs to travel several hundred miles beyond the mountain Calkin decides that he needs to keep the large bird here for a few hours. The Final difficulty that the hero needs to overcome is 35 (+25 for the power level 3 creature and +10 for time modifier) Summoning Difficulty

Difficulty

Power level One

15

Power level Two

20

Power level Three

25

Power level Four

30

Power level Five

40

Power level Six

60

Time Modifier

Modifier

1 round per rank

+0

1 minute per rank

+5

1 hour per rank

+10

1 day per rank

+20

1 month per rank

+30

1 year per rank

+40

Modifiers

Modifier

Additional being

+3

Extra Time taken (10 minutes)

-5

110

Special Power Limitation: Staging Area -2 Per rank The Hero must prepare the area before he can summon the being. The preparation can be anything from drawing a circle on the ground, putting cookies at ones door or even some sort of sacrifice. The style and type of preparation is left up to the character. Special Power Limitation: Antagonistic -4 Per rank What ever being the hero summoned doesn’t like being yanked from where ever it was. The character must beat the being in a willpower roll (the GM will determine the being’s attributes as normal). If the hero is successful the being will act as an ally of the character, but if the contest goes poorly the being will turn on the hero and attack him.

Alternate Magic System This is an alternate magic system to the more traditional one presented in the D6 Adventure book. Note that this alternate system may be unbalancing in a traditional super hero game and should be used when “magic” is the only power available.

New Advantage Arcane Gift (R4)

The mage has the ability to read arcane text and manipulate Eldritch energy. Mundane people look at the text and see only gibberish but the mage sees the formulas that enable him to draw on and manipulate Eldritch energy. The Arcane Gift allows the hero to sense places of power in the world. This advantage allows the hero to purchase dice in the Sorcery skill.

New Disadvantage Unnatural Aura (R2)

The unnatural energies coursing through the mage lend him an eerie presence. Animals become uneasy in his presence and normal people usually shun him (-2D on social Presence rolls).

New Skill Sorcery

A magician must have the sorcery skill to learn and wield spells. The skill allows the mage to read, write, and speak the Eldritch language. The Mage may substitute this skill for initiative in combat when casting a spell and for defensive actions against sorcerous spells cast at him. This Skill falls under the Knowledge attribute and may only be purchased by those with the Arcane Gift Advantage.

Purchasing Spells Spells are purchased using the power costs in the D6 powers book. You do not buy multiple ranks in spells; instead you buy one rank in a power to use it as a spell. The cost to learn a spell at character creation is the cost required for one rank in the power. The final cost of the spell can be modified by enhancements and limitations as usual. If the power is modified the hero must purchase the power again if he wants to use the power without the modification. The cost to buy a power after character is equal to three times one rank of the power. Example: The mage Tiberius wants to learn the spell of flight. He would buy the flight power at rank 1, costing him 2 points. If Tiberius wanted to buy the same flight spell after character creation it would cost him 6 points. Example: Tiberius wants to learn how to move the earth with a touch of his hand (Earth manipulation with the limitation of no range). The spell would cost him 7 points for Earth manipulation minus 2 for the No Range limitation making the total cost for the spell 5 points.

Learning Spells To learn a spell a magician has to spend character point and then locate a means to learn the spell. Depending on the campaign style the magician may have a teacher, or school to learn at or he may simply look up the spell on the net. In some games the magician may have to find the spell or spend week or years leaning the arcane incantations.

Using Spells To successfully cast a spell the caster first chooses what rank he wishes to cast the spell at. The maximum rank is equal to what the caster has in the sorcery skill without the pips. So to cast a spell at rank 8, the caster must have at least 8D in their sorcery skill. The difficulty of the spell equals the power rank cost the caster chooses to cast the spell at x 3. Example: To cast a healing spell (Heal power cost of 6) at rank 3 would be a difficulty of 18. If the mage wanted to cast the same heal spell at rank 8 it would have a difficulty of 48. The difficulty of the spell can be modified by Physical gestures, Incantations, and Foci as usual. Example: To cast a healing spell (Heal power cost of 6) with physical gestures (-2per rank) and incantations (-2 per rank) would have a modified cost per rank of 2. This would make casting the spell at rank 8 a total difficulty of 16.

111

Eldritch Cost Using magical energies comes with a price. Each time a mage cast a spell it taxes his eldritch energy reserve making it more difficult to cast subsequent spells. Each casting increases the difficulty of casting another spell by +1. Example: Tiberius cast one healing spell at rank 3 (18 difficulty). He decides to cast the same spell at the same rank again. The difficulty to cast the spell again is now 19 Example: Tiberius has cast five spells and decided to cast a spell with a normal difficulty of 9. The modified spell casting difficulty would be 9 plus the modifier for casting 5 previous times (+5) making the final casting difficulty 14 (9+5=14) If the spell is not successful the spell does not go off but the penalty from casting it still applies to future castings. A mage may replenish his Eldritch energy reserves to negate the penalties in two ways: A full nights sleep totally negates the penalty. Each hour spent resting also reduces the penalty by 1.

Places of Power Scattered throughout the globe (and probably the universe) are numerous places of mystical power. These can aid the determined (or lucky) magic who finds them by offering an additional source of magic. How much magic depends on how often its mystical source renews it, how the stars and moon are aligned, the time of day, the weather conditions, and so on. The Game Master determines the exact amount, but most mystical places provide at least a +1 to the Sorcery skill of the mage casting a spell in that location or in some locations diminish the magical energy by a like amount. Places of power include ley lines, nodes (convergences of ley lines), standing stones, stone circles, ancient tombs, certain temples and sacred sites, prehistoric crossroads, unusual natural formations (of trees, rocks, or similar material), and other sites of significance to ancient, primitive, mystical, or spiritual civilizations. Similarly, ley tracks — which can take the form of straight lines between landmarks, geometric shapes, grids, radiating lines from a common center, animal and avian forms, zigzags, and other symbols — may have mystical significance, though not all of them do. Some of these are still in use today, and thus receive regular rechargings, while others have become weak and difficult to ferret out. Anyone with Arcane Gift or Sense (Magic) may try and find a place of power. The difficulty depends on the how well the location is hidden, how strongly magic emanates from the place, and how far from the character’s current location it is. Use the search skill modified by the aspects below. The base difficulty to locate a place of power is 10. A mage may only gain a bonus equal to the die in his Sorcery skill per casting. Example: A mage with a sorcery skill of 8D may only have a bonus of +8D) A place of power has a finite amount of power and when it is used up it must be replenished. A place of power recharges 1D per week. Circumstance

Search Roll Modifier

During a Solstice or holy day

+3

Tiny (a rock outcropping or well)

-2

Small (size of a small house or cave)

0

Medium (the size of a football field)

+2

Large (the size of a small forest grove)

+4

Huge (a mountain range or large forest)

+10

1D Stored Energy

0

2D-3D Stored Energy

+1

4D-7D Stored Energy

+2

8D-11D Stored Energy

+3

12D-15D Stored Energy

+4

16D-19D Stored Energy

+5

20D-23D Stored Energy

+6

24D-27D Stored Energy

+7

28D-31D Stored Energy

+8

32D-35D Stored Energy

+9

36D or more Stored Energy

+10

Example: A place of power storing 10D that is of medium size has a difficulty of 15 to locate.

112

Movement Powers

All movement powers are treated like normal movement. If a character wants to move at twice her movement rate she must roll the applicable skill such as flying, running, jumping, etc…. To double the movement rate the character must make a roll at difficulty 5; to triple the movement rate it is a difficulty 10; to quadruple the rate it is 15; and so on. The difficulty can also be modified by the type of terrain being traversed or the obstacles that stand in the hero’s way. NOTE: Dimensional Travel and Spatial Warping do not suffer or benefit from the movement rules described above.

Special Movement Power Enhancement: (NOTE: any movement power may take this enhancement except Dimensional Shifting, Spatial Warping, Super Jump, or Teleportation) Hyper Movement +3 Per Rank The character’s movement ability is greatly enhanced and faster than normal for her rank. The hero movement rate while using the power is doubled and non-combat movement is increased by three times normal.

Astral Projection

Duration: Activated Range: Read below Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 3 Per Rank Your character can split her soul from her body, leaving behind the physical form and traveling unencumbered. She is now a non-physical spiritual entity, which cannot directly affect anything physical, and appears ghost-like, very hard to see and hear – others must make a perception with a difficulty of 10 plus the character’s power rank. Your hero can travel at incredible speeds while in this form, moving at a rate of 20 kilometers times her Power rank per round. She can easily move through physical barriers and suffers no ill effects from hostile environments, such as vacuum, volcano interiors, or deep water. Since the character is partially in another dimension she can only harm or be harmed by beings that are also in astral form. No attack made from earth’s dimension will have any effect, mental physical, or magical. Her physical body lies in a trance-like state while she is gone, and can easily be attacked. It must also receive normal nourishment to stay alive, and can be moved without your character’s knowledge. She will know if her body is being harmed, and if her body is destroyed while her spirit is missing, she is stranded as a spirit. She will fade away in days equal to her Power rank, unless she can find another uninhabited body (this could become an adventure unto itself). This weakening will reduce all Attributes by 1 per day, and when any reach zero, she (body and spirit) dies. In any event, the character must return to her body within a number of days equal to her Power rank, or she will start to fade away as above.

Ghost Form +6 Per Rank The character no longer splits her soul from her body but becomes entirely ethereal. She still cannot affect anything physically but does not suffer the disadvantage of leaving her body behind. The hero can travel at incredible speeds while in this form, moving at a rate of 20 kilometers times her Power rank per round and may keep the form for days equal to her rank in the power.

Burrowing

Duration: Semi permanent Range: read below Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: running Cost: 5 Per Rank Your character has the ability to through the ground by either digging or some other method. The character moves through sand or soft dirt at his normal movement rate plus an additional 2 meters per power rank. The tunnel left behind the hero extends for meters equal to the rank of the power. When burrowing through densely packed earth the character moves at 75% his normal burrowing rate, and 50% when moving through solid stone. The tunnel extending behind the character collapses after rounds equal to the rank of the power or immediately depending on the characters’ whim. When burrowing the hero has an unclear perception of his surrounding but can navigate successfully when not in a rush. When traveling at his normal speed the character can maneuver around obstacles with ease. When moving faster the character must use an action to make a perception check to stay on target.

Dimensional Shifting

Duration: Concentration Range: all of creation and beyond...read below Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: know-how (dimensional shifting) Cost: 6 Per Rank The character can open gateways between planes of existence allowing age between the realms. This gate can link between any two locations that the character has seen or has a very deep familiarity with, as long as they are within range. The dimensions or realms are divided into what is called Dominions, each Dominion containing an infinite number of universes. Each Dominion has a unique trait to them that all universes within them share. The further away from our own dimensions one travels, the stranger and more alien the universes become. Some are nothing more than a single sentient entity composed of flame that hopes only to extinguish itself, while others resemble our own universe with the only difference being that everything in that reality is varying shades of the same color. The further away from our own reality the character wishes to go, the more difficult the roll. To travel to another realm the character rolls his die code in the power and beats a difficulty determined by the realm he is going to, then spends Ka points (also determined by the dimension traveled to). The penalty for taking an additional person is +5 to the roll and 2 additional Ka. If the character achieves a success that exceeds the Difficulty roll by five or more, he has created a dimensional anchor, and further trips to the same dimension will have their Difficulties reduced by 10 for every five-point increment achieved, with Ka cost reduced by half. If he misses the roll, he does not travel to another dimension at all, and is disoriented for his Power ranks in

113

rounds. If he misses the opposed roll by more than 10, he travels to another dimension but is lost! Some places on Earth are more attuned to a particular otherworldly dimension, making travel to that realm easier. Such places give the character a +5 bonus when traveling to any universe in that realm. Special Power Limitation: Home Sickness -3 Per Rank A person cannot stay in another dimension indefinitely. The pull of one’s parent dimension is great – therefore a being cannot stay in a different dimension for more than her willpower die code in days without suffering a sort of “home sickness.” For every day beyond his limit that he stays in that realm he loses 1D body points (cannot be healed) and suffers a penalty of -1D to all actions performed. Once the character’s body points reach zero the character returns to his home dimension forcefully. He loses 1D from all attributes and must convalesce for weeks equal to the dice penalty suffered to recover fully. Near Earth Dimensions Inner World Travel Difficulty: 10 Base Ka expenditure: 5 These realms are filled with an infinite number of alternate or mirror universes. In some Hitler won World War II, or the Roman Empire never fell. The Outer Worlds Travel Difficulty: 13 Base Ka expenditure: 6 These realms are peopled by strange or wonderful beings normally associated with science fiction or fantasy – what we would call fairies or Elves, or even demons. Some realms are populated by highly advanced races with impressive stellar empires that span multiple galaxies. These realms usually have either a very high or very low technological level. The Atlantean enemies called the Nibiru are from one of these dimensions (GODSEND Agenda setting). Warp Space Travel Difficulty: 10 Base Ka expenditure: 5 This is a realm where time and space stretch and contract, flowing like rivers. If one knows how to properly navigate a “river” they can go anywhere, at anytime. Elohim starships use this dimension to travel. Mental Domains Travel Difficulty: 15 Base Ka expenditure: 10 The Astral Plane This plane is a realm of non-corporeal will. Characters traveling here have no physical body, but may travel close to the Earth realm and may behave as if they have the astral travel power. The deep astral plane is populated by beings of pure intellect that have no need for a physical body. These beings very rarely interact with beings from the corporeal realms, feeling they are coarse and not as refined. The Realm of the Dead Travel Difficulty: 25 Base Ka expenditure: 15 It is not known why but beings that recently die spend time in this realm of intellect and consciousness before ing beyond

114

the veil. Some of the inhabitants of this realm refuse to believe that they are dead, and travel close to the Earth dimension to try and complete unfinished tasks. Some beings with incredibly strong wills have even returned from this realm back to the land of the living. Dream realm Travel Difficulty: 20 (none if asleep) Base Ka expenditure: 10 (none if asleep) This is the only realm that every living being in our dimension has access to. This dominion is the realm of probability and fantasy accessed through the subconscious mind. Through our imagination and the wild use of Ka many beings are brought to life here only to die when we awake. Spiritual Realms Wild Space Travel Difficulty: 30 Base Ka expenditure: 15 This is a realm of pure Ka where anything can happen. All Ka and Ka related powers are enhanced ten fold! The longer one stays here the longer they wish to stay – soon the character begins to believe that the realm is their home realm. To leave the realm the character must make an easy willpower roll. For each day that the character stays she adds +5 to the roll. If the roll is failed, she may make another roll in days equal to her willpower die code. The Realm of Blight Travel Difficulty: 35 Base Ka expenditure: 15 This realm is a desolate and black place filled with nothing but a feeling of utter contempt and loathing. This realm completely lacks any sort of Ka energy, and characters can regenerate no Ka energy. Only nine extremely dangerous and ruthless beings inhabit this realm and each is a prisoner trapped there by some ancient being for some forgotten transgression. From time to time these beings have made pacts with beings from the Earth dimension to travel abroad in return for performing some task. The Realm of Pure Being Travel Difficulty: 40 Base Ka expenditure: 20 This realm consists of every aspect that makes up a spiritual soul. Nothing exists here as a true individual, but rather as an amalgam of one supreme whole. In this dimension the soul and the universal Ka are one. Every living thing in every dimension is connected. Since all things living now or in anytime can trace some sort of connection – direct or otherwise – it is speculated that anyone can learn anything if they travel here and spend time enveloped by the universal psyche of existence. The Realms Beyond The Maelstrom Travel Difficulty random roll 7D+10 Base Ka expenditure: random roll 5D This dimension personnifies pure entropy. Always in flux, this realm is constantly moving in every direction, folding in and collapsing and always consuming. Nothing exists here for very long in its original form. Time and space mean nothing here and anything is possible in this realm… The Veil No one has ever traveled to this realm and come back to tell of it.

Enhanced Movement

Duration: Semi permanent Range: read below Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: running or swimming Cost: 1 Per Rank The hero’s normal movement rate is increased by 5 meters per rank of power. The character can now run or swim faster than normal humans.

Faster Than Light (FTL) Travel

Duration: Semi permanent Range: Read below Base Damage Value: read below Managing Skill: none Cost: 5 Per Rank This Power allows your character to move at the speed of light or faster. He can move up to his rank times the speed of light per round. If your character activates this power in an atmosphere, it generates a sonic boom as he moves (if he is in some sort of energy form, such as the Elemental Sheath or the Elemental Form variant of the sheath, he doesn’t create this effect). The destructive force done by moving like this through atmosphere does rank times 20D damage in a radius of rank times 5 miles, with triple knock back. Both the character and the surroundings take damage from the physical friction and the incredible displacement of air that happens so rapidly. In other words, you should REALLY only use this Power off-planet. Special Enhancement: Your character already has Flight or Super Speed -3 Per Rank This Power can be bought for only 2 points per rank if your character already has ranks of Flight or Super Speed.

Flight

Duration: Semi permanent Range: read below Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: flying Cost: 2 Per Rank Your character has the ability to defy gravity and soar like a bird. She can fly up to 20 meters per Power rank and may carry weight up to her Physique Attribute’s normal carrying value. If twice the character’s body weight is carried, she moves 5 meters per round slower. Each doubling of weight reduces speed by an additional 10 meters unless a lifting roll if made. The hero has a much greater movement rate when not in a combat situation. Over great distances her speed is then measured as 50 times Flight Power in Kilometers/hour. Special Limitation Glider -1 Per Rank The character can fly by drifting with air currents, provided there is sufficient wind (GM’s call). Characters with this Super Power need the flying skill to control their age.

Spatial Warping

Duration: Concentration Range: 100 Kilometers and doubles each rank Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 8 Per Rank The hero can create folds in space, bending the third dimension back on itself and creating a warp gate. This gate can link between any two locations that the character has seen or has a very deep familiarity with (warping can never be done to an unknown location), as long as they are within range (100 kilometers, increasing exponentially with each rank). The gate can be kept open for as long as the character wills it open, during which time matter and energy can freely back and forth. The standard size of the warp “gate” is equal to two meters per rank of the power. The radius can be expanded to double this size with a moderate (15) difficulty roll, or tripled with a difficult (20) roll using the dice in the Spatial Warping power. The portal can be used to send an unwilling opponent to a distant place. The character must roll her warping die code against a difficulty of the opponent’s willpower roll. The distance the character wants to send her target further modifies the willpower difficulty; every 100 kilometers adds +2 to the difficulty roll.

115

Super Jump

Duration: Semi permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: jumping Cost: 2 Per Rank Your character can jump incredible distances! He may leap a distance equal to this Power’s rank times 10 meters in a single bound.

Super Speed

Duration: Semi permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 7 Per Rank The hero’s movement rate with Super Speed is increased by a factor of Power Rank x 2. Example: Before acquiring her powers the heroine known as Silver Bullet had a normal movement rate of 10m. With her Super Speed power at rank 5 she now has a movement rate of 100m (10m x 5 x 2 =100m). If she decided to move quicker she has the option of moving x2, x3, or even x4 her normal moment rate if she decided to all out run. The hero has a much greater movement rate when not in a combat situation. Over great distances the heroes running speed is no longer 4x movement but 10x her movement rate. To calculate the character’s speed in kilometers per hour use one of these formulas (normal movement rate x 7.2) km/h or 144 x power rank km/h. Example: Silver Bullet (Super Speed of 5) decides to clock her running speed one afternoon. Silver Bullet’s all out running movement rate over great distances is 1000m per round or 720kph! For every 4 ranks, the character can perform one extra action at no penalty. At rank 5 the character also has a limited resistance to heat based damage. (All heat-based damage is reduced by 1D for every rank above of 5 and above). The character is able to complete a task in half the normal time it would take at ranks 1-3, a quarter of the normal time at ranks 4-6, and an eighth of the time at ranks 7-10, etc… The character can run up vertical surfaces as if standing on horizontal ground, enabling him to run up the sides of buildings. The character moves his normal movement rate and will fall if he doesn’t reach a horizontal surface before he finishes his move. This does not confer the Wall Crawling power to the character. This feat requires the character to make a moderate (15) move action using the running skill, +1 for every 10 meters traveled vertically. Example: A character wants to run up the side of a building that is 50 meters tall. The difficulty for the action would be 20 (moderate difficulty plus 1 for every ten meters). The character is able to move across liquid as if it is solid ground. The character moves his normal movement rate and will fall if he doesn’t reach a solid surface before he finishes his move. This feat requires the character to make a moderate (15) move action using the running skill, +1 for every 10 meters traveled across a body of water.

116

At rank 10 the character moves so fast that he can pick bullets out of the air. This feat requires an opposed Coordination or sleight of hand roll vs. the attacker’s marksmanship roll. At Rank 15 the character can vibrate through solid objects as if he has the Insubstantial power at half the Super Speed power rank.

Swinging

Duration: Semi permanent Range: read below Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: acrobatics Cost: 2 Per Rank The hero can emits web, slime, energy rings, or some other tangible substance to swing from buildings or other scenery. The swing line has a length of 50 meter per rank and is usually emitted from the hero’s hand, wrist or arm. The character moves at a rate of 15 meters per rank of the power. At least one hand must be free at all times to target and hold the line. The swing line will hold the characters weights plus and additional 50 kilograms per power rank, if the weight limit is exceeded then the line breaks. Swinging from building to build is a deliberate and focused action and requires that the hero spend one action making an acrobatics roll (difficulty easy) each round that he is swinging. This action represents the character targeting new objects to swing from and maneuvering about.

Wall-Crawling

Duration: Semi permanent Range: n/a Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none Cost: 3 points Your character is able to walk on walls and other sheer surfaces as if she were standing upright and on solid ground. There is no need to purchase this power beyond rank one. Once the character can walk on walls, he can walk on walls... it’s that simple.

Teleportation

Duration: Semi permanent Range: Rank times 30 meters Base Damage Value: n/a Managing Skill: none, but some sort of perception roll may be in order Cost: 6 Per Rank Your character may teleport, with a maximum range equal to her Power rank times 30 meters. The character must have a reasonable idea of where she is teleporting but does not need line of sight. The Power can also be use to teleport other people as well. The number of engers she may teleport equals the rank of Power (and she must be in physical with them). For every person beyond this limit, she takes 1D of damage because of the strain it places on her. If a target is unwilling to be transported, make an opposed roll of Teleport ranks versus the target’s Presence or willpower. The character can also teleport small objects to and from her person. If another person is holding the object make an opposed roll of Teleport ranks versus the target’s Presence or willpower. Special Power Limitation: Personal Only -2 or –3 Per Rank The character may only teleport herself, ever. If she takes the 3-point per rank version of this Power Limitation, she is mentally injured when she tries to teleport while in with others, taking 2D of damage for every person in with her before teleporting only herself. Must see where she is teleporting -2 Per Rank The hero must physically see where he is teleporting in order to move there. If the character cannot see the location, he must make a difficult Perception roll. If he fails the roll he goes off course by 5 meters per level in a random direction. Roll randomly: 1- forward, 2-left, 3-back, 4-right, 5-up, and 6-down.

117

Power Enhancements Area Effect

+3 Per Rank Instead of affecting a single target some distance away, the Power may now affect an area of effect around the intended target or the character (the player must decide when the power is purchased), allowing the hero to target behind and not just in front. The character may now use the Power to affect a spherical radius equal to Power rank x 2 meters around the target.

Armor Piercing

+3 Per Rank The character’s Power becomes very focused, and hits a single point extra hard. Any attack with this Power Enhancement halves the number of dice rolled for any armor or defensive Power the target has in effect.

Extended Duration/ Effect/Range

+Variable per Rank (see below) The duration, effect, or range of the power is greatly increased when this enhancement is taken. When the enhancement is purchased the character must choose which version of the enhancement she is taking. Multiple versions of this enhancement may be taken on the same power. The duration enhancement may only be taken with powers that have an effect tied to a time limit such as Entangle, which lasts for minutes equal to the rank, or Life , which has a duration of days. The range enhancement may only be taken to increase the effective rang of the power. The effect enhancement augments the powers usefulness allowing it to affect more targets (The enhancement cannot be taken for attack powers such as energy blast). NOTE: GMs should watch this enhancement closely; the consequences of high ranks of this enhancement could throw games in disarray. Cost

Duration/Effect/Range

+3 per rank

X2

+4 per rank

X4

+5 per rank

X10

+6 per rank

X100

+7 per rank

X1,000

+8 per rank

X100K

+9 per rank

X1milion

+10 per rank

X1Billion

+15 per rank

GM Fiat

118

Extra Knock Back

+2 per Rank This Power now doubles its normal knock back distance. Obviously, this is generally only applicable for Powers that do damage.

Linked Power

+2 per rank (plus an additional +1 for each additional Power linked after the first) The character has two or more Powers that are linked together. The governing Power is purchased at its normal cost per rank +2; each additional secondary Power has its point cost halved. The secondary Powers have the same duration and all enhancements and limitations of the primary Power, though this doesn’t increase or decrease the cost of any secondary Power. Likewise all the inherent restrictions of the secondary Power still apply. The hero cannot control the secondary Power directly, instead relying on the use of the primary Power to dictate how and when the secondary Power works. The secondary Power does not count as an action to use. Note: The secondary Power has its own die code and must be raised at the same time as the primary Power during character advancement. Example: Der Todesengel is using her Natural weaponry Power (claws) with the Poison Power attached to it as a secondary Power. When she hits with this attack she not only does her normal natural weaponry damage but the poison effect also activates and does damage. The Natural Weaponry Power would cost 2 points per rank+2 and the Poison Secretion Power would cost 2 points per rank.

Miscellaneous Enhancement

+1 to 3 per Rank The Power has some sort of advantage that is not on this list. Use this Enhancement to mimic any odd or unusual special features of a Power – anything the player or GM invents. For example, an Energy Blast that inflicts double damage, but only on non-sentients, might be a +1 Enhancement.

Multiple Targets

+3 per Rank The character may use the Power more than once per round without incurring a multi-action penalty. For each rank in this Enhancement, the character gains one additional use of the Super Power. This adds to any other bonus actions provided by a Power; it does not multiply it.

Persistent Effect

+3 per Rank The character’s Power does damage that continues to be effective after the initial damage die roll. The effect last for rounds equal to the Power rank minus one. Every round after the first, the victim of the attack must make a stamina (for physical damage) or willpower (for mental) with a difficulty equal to the initial damage. If the roll is successful the target stops taking damage and the effects ends. If the target fails the roll she takes additional damage equal to the damage code of the attack minus 1D. The damage persists every round, getting weaker and weaker, losing a die code for every round after the first. This enhancement may only be used on Powers that do physical damage.

Range

+2 per Rank This Enhancement is only applicable for Powers that do not normally have range. The Power now has a range of 1 meter per Power rank.

Selective Area

+3 per Rank Much like Area Effect, this causes a Power to hit a radius area, equal to Power Rank times 1 meter around your character. However, the character may select the targets to hit when she uses a Power with this Enhancement, dividing her total normal damage dice among the chosen targets. For instance, a Rank 9 Energy Blast would have 9 dice, divisible between selected targets.

Transferable to Others

+ 4 per Rank The character may transfer some or all ranks of her Power to another. The ranks that are borrowed reduce her Power ranks accordingly. The character must be able to touch the person to whom the hero is transferring the Power ranks. The character regains the Power automatically after a number of hours equal to the original Power rank, or the character can will them back at any time. Example: The character has a rank 6 Energy Blast with the Transferable to Others Enhancement. The character loans 3 ranks of it to a buddy – her Energy Blast is now only rank 3. The buddy can keep the Energy Blast for 6 hours (equal to ranks of the original energy blast in hours).

119

Power Limitations Activation Roll

-1 per Rank When activating a Power with this Power Limitation, you must spend an Action and roll an average difficulty activation roll using the character’s willpower. For each additional –1 per Rank cost reduction you take, the difficulty of this roll goes up +2 (a maximum of 4 ranks can be taken).

Ability Loss

-2 per rank or -3 per rank The character temporarily loses his Power at regular intervals or, when the Power is used, he loses the ability to use a common skill in which he has experience (that is, additional pips or dice). The character is aware of what the circumstances are that will cause this. Examples include: a character who cannot shape change when the sun is out; a character who cannot use his natural weapons on a particular day of the month or during a certain phase of the moon. For an additional point per rank (-3 per rank), the character must undergo some sort of (fairly simple) procedure or change to regain his ability or skill use.

Costs Ka to Activate

(GODSEND Agenda limitation only) -1 to -5 per Rank The chosen Power has an activation cost of one Ka per rank of this Power Limitation. (In other words, 1 to 5 Ka points to activate the Power.) The character receives no other bonus from the Ka expenditure. If the character doesn’t have enough Ka to pay the cost character points may be used instead. Once the Power is activated it will work for one full day.

Diminished Range

-2 per Rank The Power has only half the normal range for its rank. This limitation may only be taken on Powers that have a range; no Power with Point Blank may have a diminished range.

Duration change

-2 per rank The hero’s Power does not have the same duration as the one listed in the description. Instead, it has one of the other duration types (Permanent, Activated, or Concentration – see the beginning of the chapter for more information on Durations). Some Powers are restricted in the duration types they may have; this information is included in the Powers description. No Power may ever change its duration to Semi permanent.

Extra Time

-1 to 4 per Rank A Power with this limitation takes one extra round (or additional actions in the same round) to activate. The character must concentrate and focus his energy to create the desired effect with the Power.

120

Focus

-2 per Rank The Power requires some sort of fetish (or so the character believes) to make the Power work. Without the focus the Power does not work. The focus can be any number of things from a ring of Power to an old wooden cane or some sort of “spell” component expended each time the Power is used.

Incantations

-2 per Rank The character must speak some eldritch phrase or incantation before using the Power. This chanting requires an Action and the character must be able to verbalize the incantation – if the character cannot, she cannot activate this Power. This Power Limitation may reflect someone who believes – or, possibly, rightly thinks, at the GM’s discretion – that her Powers are magical in origin. It’s very logical to combine this Limitation with other limitations such as Focus and Physical Gestures. The character cannot take this Power Limitation if she is mute. (Note to GMs: Characters should come up with a unique incantation and style for each Power that he uses. This will add to the flavor of the game and add color to the character.)

Limited Use

-2 to -5 per Rank The character has a Power that may only be used a limited number of times per day. Once the number is reached the Power is exhausted and can no longer be used until it has had time to regenerate up to an effective level. The number of uses is determined by the severity of the limitation. -2 limitation the Power may be used 15+ the rank in the Power times a day -3 limitation the Power may be used 10+ the rank in the Power times a day -4 limitation the Power may be used as many times as the character has ranks in the Power +2 -5 limitation the Power may be used as many times as the character has ranks in the Power

Miscellaneous Power Limitation

-1 to -3 per Rank This is a catchall category for Power Limitations that the character or GM might invent. If the Power has some sort of limitation that makes it not work, or weakens it significantly, the character can take this Limitation. Examples include: doesn’t work against the color yellow (-1 per rank), Force Field only protects against fire (-3 per rank), etc.

No Knock back

-1 Per rank Only Powers originally capable of doing knock back may take this Limitation. This removes any knock back done by the Power – any knock back rolled is wasted.

No Range

-2 Per Rank The character may only take this Power Limitation on a Power that would normally have range. This Power now has a range of touch. The character must make a physical attack in order for the Power to take effect, using their Brawl Skill to determine if the attack hits. This Skill overrides the uses of any other attacking Skills described in the Power [for instance, marksmanship (whatever) is no longer used].

Non-lethal

-2 Per Rank The character cannot kill (i.e., reduce a target’s Body points to zero) with a Power that has this Limitation. This Limitation may only be taken for Powers that normally do damage. Note: Powers that are non-lethal may be ineffective against inanimate objects or devices that cannot die in the fist place. Robots or other constructs may be completely impervious to an attack that would not seriously harm a living creature.

Physical Gestures

-2 Per Rank The character must perform some sort of physical gesture in order for this Power to work. Like the Incantations limitation, these gestures take an Action. If the character is in some way restricted, such as being tied up, she cannot use a Power.

Short Circuit

-4 per Rank The Power is faulty and unreliable. Whenever the Power is used the character must roll one additional die. If the roll comes up a 1 the Power fizzles out and cannot be used for the Power’s rank in combat rounds.

Super Heroic Form

-2 or -3 per rank The hero must change into his super heroic form before he may use his power. This process takes one round, changing back takes another round. The hero may make no other action while switching forms. In general, a hero only has one super heroic form into which he transforms, regardless of the number of super powers this limitation affects. This limitation does not have to be included with all of the hero’s powers. Powers that do not have this limitation are available to both normal and super heroic forms The -3 per rank version requires the character to say a special word or phrase or perform some sort of physical ritual.

Uncontrollable

-3 per rank The character’s Powers are very hard to manage. Perhaps she has a poor understanding of her Powers, or they may be tied to her emotions or behave in unexpected ways. Difficulties while using the Power are increased by +5. Example: A character shooting an Energy blast at short range would normally need a 10 to hit. If the character had the uncontrollable limitation she would need a 15 to hit. If a character were using her Mind Reading in an opposed test the difficulty would be +5 to what ever her target rolled.

Uses Life Force

-3 per Rank The Power drains three times the Power Rank in body points whenever the wild die has a result of 1. If the attack roll was a critical fumble then double the amount of body points are lost.

Signature Effect

-1 per Rank This is a special limitation that MUST be approved by the Game Master. The character’s powers are all some sort of traceable or recognizable signature that is distinctive to her. The hero’s special effect while using the powers is unique to her and ONLY her. Examples of a Signature Effect would be: all powers and things affected by the powers glow green; when the powers are used there is a smell of cinnamon in the air; the faint sound of singing angels can be heard when the powers are used; etc. Note: This limitation is used to help players create a theme for their character’s powers and can easily be abused without GM supervision.

121

122

Improving Characters What’s in this Chapter Once players have taken their characters through an adventure or three, they may want to improve or change them. This chapter provides rules for players to use when advancing their characters.

Learning and Improving Skills When a player first creates a character, she should use the character creation guidelines for gaining attributes and skills. Characters gain character points by completing adventures. The player can spend these character points to improve his character’s skills, attributes, and powers. The player can also spend these points to gain new skills for his character. Spending Character Points this way may be done only between adventures. In addition to Character Points, the character needs experience with the skill, either through training or by attempting to use the skill (through rolling its die code or its governing attribute’s die code, regardless of the outcome) during an adventure. If the Game Master decides that there is a significant amount of training involved, such as improving a skill beyond 6D, or the character needs to find a suitable teacher, that might become the focus of an adventure. The teacher must have a skill die code higher than the one the potential student currently has. The cost of getting one pip in a new base skill equals the number before the “D” in the governing attribute’s die code. Example: If a character wants to learn languages after an adventure and he has a Knowledge die code of 3D, the first pip in languages costs him three Character Points. The hero then has a 3D+1 in his languages skill. The cost of improving an existing skill is determined in the same way, except that the number of dice in the skill (instead of in the attribute) is used to determine the cost. Example: A character has a dodge of 4D+2 and wants to increase it. To raise the skill by one pip to 5D, the character must spend four Character Points. To increase the skill to 5D+1 after the next scenario, the character must spend five Character Points. The cost to get one pip in a new specialization equals one-half of the number before the “D” in the governing attribute or skill’s die code. The cost to improve an existing specialization by one pip equals one-half of the number before the “D” in specialization skill’s die code. (In both cases, round up.) A character does not need the governing skill to get a specialization in it. However, if he does have one, getting a specialization in it acts as a bonus to the base skill when taking actions of that type, but it does not also improve all uses of the base skill. Example: For a character with 6D in missile weapons to gain a bow and arrow specialization, he needs to spend three Character Points to get a +1 in the specialization. The full missile weapons skill, however, stays at 6D.

Specialization improves when the base skill improves A character may improve a skill or any of its specializations but not both. In other words, a character may not improve a specialization and its governing skill at the same time. Skills and specializations may only be improved by one pip each in between each adventure. Once characters reach 10D in a skill, game masters may choose to use the upper limit rule for improving attributes (see that section for details).

Improving Strength Damage As a character’s Physique or lifting goes up or is altered by Super Powers, Disadvantages, or Character Point expenditure, recalculate the Strength Damage die code: take the character’s new Physique or lifting (including any modifiers from Disadvantages or Super Powers) and drop the pips. Divide by 2, and round up. This is the Strength Damage die code.

Improving Attributes With the exception of Funds, the attributes you choose for your character usually represent her maximum potential. Most of the time, you’ll improve your character’s attributes by training in one particular aspect (improving skills), through temporary means (taking drugs), or with implanted equipment. Nonetheless, some freak industrial accident or bio-manipulation experiment might provide you with a reason to improve your character’s base attributes. (Some characters, such as kids, might start with fewer attribute dice, but their excuse for their attributes’ improvement is puberty.) To boost an attribute by one pip costs 10 times the number before the attribute’s “D” in Character Points. Generally, a single attribute may be raised only one pip per adventure, though it’s possible that the effects of the situation influence the character’s physical makeup for a while or the game master may decide that the situation was so life-changing that more than one attribute may be boosted by more than one pip. Once an attribute exceeds the maximum 5D limit it is considered a super attribute.

Improving Body Points As a character’s Physique goes up or is altered by Super Powers or Disadvantages, you’ll need to change the Body Points amount. Roll the dice indicated by the Super Power or Disadvantage (if applicable), and add any pips or other modifier. Then add or subtract, as dictated by the Super Power or Disadvantage, that number from the Body Points total.

123

Gaining and Losing Powers, Advantages, and Disadvantage As players take their characters through adventures and develop them, they may decide that the Advantages, Super Powers, and Disadvantages the characters started with don’t fit the current concept. There are many ways you can accommodate your players’ desire to grow their characters. For example, an “enemy” might eventually be killed, a character might be able to negotiate a way out of Debt, or an Advantage Flaw might be “repaired.” Losing and gaining Advantages, Super Powers, and Disadvantages should only happen after the character has been used during several adventures and has had a chance to come up with reasons for character alteration. These game mechanics for gaining Advantages, Super Powers, and Disadvantages apply only to individuals who seek to have them. Because of an adventure or series of adventures, the of a group may each acquire the same new Advantage or Disadvantage. In this case, each hero does not pay the cost or receive any Character Point benefits outlined here. The new Advantage can be considered a reward for participating in the team and the scenario, while the new Disadvantage would be a penalty.

Advantages There are two methods for acquiring new Advantages: (1) The player pays five times the rank of the Advantage in Character Points, or (2) The player takes an equivalent amount of dice in Disadvantages and pays a number of Character Points equal to the rank of the Advantage. In either case, the player must come up with a well-crafted story for getting the new Advantage that’s backed by actual experiences in one or more adventures. The story, and its related Advantage, must be approved by the Game master. Generally, a player may not remove an Advantage from a character, but it might be lost in the course of roleplaying due to player negligence (that is, continuously bad roleplaying or ignoring Disadvantages) or some tragic game-world mishap (such as a Patron’s city being destroyed). If the loss occurred through no fault of the character, the Game master may give the player a consolation gift of three Character Points per rank in the Advantage, or may substitute an equally valuable Advantage. Game masters should not reward the loss of an Advantage through player negligence.

Disadvantages There are also two methods for permanently overcoming a Disadvantage: (1) The player pays 10 times the die code of the Disadvantage, or (2) The player loses an equal number of Advantages and pays a number of Character Points equal to the die code of the Disadvantage. As with Advantages, the player must have a good tale and adequate adventuring experience before the Game master should approve the loss of any Disadvantage. If a player wishes to add another Disadvantage to her hero, she receives an immediate bonus for this choice if she isn’t using the Disadvantage to help her buy a new Advantage. For the new Disadvantage, the character receives a number of Character Points equal to 3 times the die code of the Disadvantage. However, the hero now has a new limitation to contend with!

124

Improving Powers Powers are improved with the use of character points as usual. The character simply spends character points equal to the power cost times the existing rank of the power. Example: A character with Paralyze Body 5 (cost is 4 points per ranks) wants to raise the power from a 5 to a 6. The cost would be 20 points (5x4=20)

Gaining New powers During the course of play a player may want to purchase new powers for her character. The cost for a new power is 5 times the rank cost for a rank one power. After the initial cost the character point cost needed to improve the power is the cost per rank.

Gaining and Losing Super Power Enhancements and Limitations It is possible for a player to enhance or weaken his character’s powers, beyond what increases in skill and Super Power rank allow. Unlike Advantages and Disadvantages, Super Power Enhancements and Limitations are fundamental to a Super Power’s manifestation in a character or item. Enhancements and Limitations must be purchased or overcome with Character Points, representing the character’s greater understanding of the Super Power. Also, the Game Master may not allow some Limitations to be bought off without an excellent plot-related explanation, especially if the Limitation is physical in nature. Unless the Enhancement or Limitation relates to the character’s understanding of the Super Power, such as many Minor Stigmas, a reasonable explanation of how the Super Power has changed is also required. Gaining a new Enhancement costs 8 times the desired rank times the base cost of the Enhancement in Character Points. Although most Enhancements have several possible ranks that can be purchased in stages, common sense should apply. A Super Power may obtain new levels for the same Enhancement, but the nature of previously added Enhancements cannot be altered, unless the Enhancements are removed. Example: An Enhancement that provides an additional effect must be purchased at the full cost of each desired effect. A player could not, for instance, buy the one rank of Double Range for Sonic Blast, and then later spend more Character Points to increase the Enhancement rank and change it to attack reflection. However, a character with an additional effect of Armor Piercing on the Natural Ranged Weapon Super Power could purchase additional ranks of the Enhancement. Eliminating a Limitation costs 10 times the die code of the Limitation in Character Points. As with Enhancements, it is possible to buy off a Limitation in stages, if the stages are related. The Debt Limitation probably couldn’t be bought down one level at a time, but a Flaw with multiple ranks could be, if the Narrator allowed. The Game Master may disallow buying off certain variations of Limitations because they are inextricably tied to the related Super Power. A character can also remove an Enhancement or acquire a Limitation after character creation. A character who purposely removes an Enhancement from a Super Power receives the rank of the power times the base cost of the Enhancement in Character Points. The character can’t rely on the Enhancement until the player buys it again. A character who takes a Limitation for a Super Power after character creation gains the power rank times the base cost of the Limitation in Character Points. Since it is unlikely (though not impossible) that a character would do either of these deliberately, the player must come up with a reasonable explanation for how the Super Power has become less useful. Again, the Game Master may take away Enhancement or Limitations based on the adventure situation and does not necessarily have to award points for it.

125

Character Creation Example Part One: Building the Super Hero Joule Step 1: Concept Meet Jewel Stone! Renee, armed with 120 creation points decides on a concept. She confers with the Gm who decides that the group will be playing Power level 3 characters. Renee thinks for a while and decides to create a legacy superhero; a character from a long line of heroes. Jewel is the daughter of two retired super humans from the 80’s. The young girl inherited her powers from both of her parents, and being rich and idle, she wanted to set out and make a name for herself. Her parents wanted her to have a nice normal life away at college… but this wasn’t part of the strong-minded Jewel’s plans. With the help of the family butler, Jewel set out to become a costumed crime fighter.

Step 2: Attributes Renee figures that Jewel is in the best shape humanly possible, but not beyond that. Renee allocates the following points to Jewel’s attributes: Reflexes 3D (12 points) Coordination 3D (12 points) Physique 2D (8 points) Knowledge 2D (8 points) Perception 3D (12 points) Presence 3D (12 points) Total points spent on Attributes: 64pts

Step 3: Skills (Skills cost one creation point per 1D. Specializations cost 1 creation point for 3 specialization dice) Jewel is a well-rounded teenage girl just starting college. Renee gives her a few Skills to define who Jewel is: Brawling 1D (fighting her older brother for the remote) Dodge 1D (she played plenty of dodge ball) Sneak 1D (she picked this skill up sneaking out of the house when she was grounded) Languages 1D (French class for 2 years) Scholar 1D (avid Jeopardy watcher and she stayed at a Holiday Inn Express once) Artist 1D (she liked the humanities) Investigation 1D (she studies a lot) Know-how 1D (as a kid she loved to watch Beekman’s World and Bill Nye the Science guy) Charm 1D (a cute girl with a lot going on) Persuasion 2D (can anyone say no to those pretty brown eyes?) Jewel receives two bonus points from her archetype (adventurer) to pick any two skills or advantages. Renee decides to give her marksmanship and flying, both at 1D. Total points spent on Skills: 11pts So far, so good – Renee has spent a total of 75 points on her character. Next up is Advantages and Disadvantages…

126

Character Creation Example Part TWO:

Character Creation Example Part Three:

Building the Super Hero Joule

Building the Super Hero Joule

Renee now moves on to fleshing out Jewel by purchasing Advantages. To offset the cost of theses perks Renee buys a few Disadvantages to get a few points back.

Renee wants to purchase powers for Jewel.

Renee decides that Jewel needs a few disadvantages first. Jewel doesn’t want her parents to know that she is now a super hero so Renee gives her the Secret ID disadvantage; this is a rank 2 disadvantage so she gains 2 points to spend elsewhere. During her first sortie as a super hero Jewel runs afoul of the villain called The Banger. She soundly defeats him and earns his unwavering ire. This disadvantage is a bit more involved since she must customize the enemy disadvantage. The Banger is the same power level as she is (Level 3), one man, and appears in her misadventures commonly. Banger becomes a 6 point enemy disadvantage. Jewel also has a boyfriend at college named Alexander Maddox that becomes a rank 2 Ball and Chain. Total Disadvantages: -10 pts Now Renee decides that Jewel needs a few advantages. Being from a rich family Jewel gets a monthly stipend to take care of her college needs. Renee decides that Wealth R1 will be sufficient. The only other person (besides the butler) who knows her secret identity is her uncle Joe (the man who runs the family business) She decides to buy him as a one man competent staff for 4 points. Total advantages: 5 pts Total points for advantages and disadvantages: Renee has spent 5 points on advantages and gained 10 points from disadvantages so she has gained a net 5 points to spend elsewhere.

Renee envisions Jewel as an electrical Projecter with the ability to fly and block damage via a force field created from electrical energy. Jewel can also charge her body with crackling electrical energy. Renee buys Range Power Attack: Lightning Blast She buys 4 ranks of this power (the power cost 4 points per rank) Cost: 16 points Elemental Sheath: Electrical Sheath Jewel has only one rank of this power (the power cost 7 points per rank) Total spent: 7 points Force Field Renee is running out of points but really wants the force field. She buys three ranks of the force field with the enhancement that she can attack through it. The power normally costs 4 per rank but the enhancement adds +3 per rank to the power’s cost. The power now costs 7 points per rank. Cost: 21 points Flight Renee wants Jewel to be able to fly fast, but not overly so. She buys 3 ranks of flight. The power costs 2 points per rank Cost: 6 points Renee has spent a total of 50 points on Jewel’s powers!

127

So let’s put Jewel together…

Attributes:

64 points

Skills:

11 points

Advantages/Disadvantages:

-5

Powers:

50 points

Total points spent:

120 points

Renee decides that Jewel’s secret super hero code name will be Joule. Jewel/Joule is a balanced Power level 3 character. Let’s take a look at her character sheet.

128

Character Name: Jewel Williamson Player Name: Renee Grayson Occupation

Archetype Species/Gender

College Student , debutante Adventurer Female Human

Power Level : 3 Age:

18

Reflexes

3D

acrobatics brawling

4D

climbing contortion dodge flying

4D 4D

jumping melee combat riding sneak

Coordination

4D 3D

lock picking marksmanship

4D

missile weapon piloting sleight of hand throwing

Physique

3D

lifting running stamina

3D

animal hand. charm

4D

command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

5’9” Weight:

4D

130

Knowledge

2D

business demolition forgery gadgetry languages

3D

medicine navigation Scholar security

3D

tech

Perception

3D

artist hide gambling know-how

4D

Advantages: Wealth R1

4D

investigation repair search streetwise survival tracking

Powers:

swimming

Presence

Height:

Staff (One man competent)

4D

Disadvantages: Secret ID Rank

Ranged Power Attack : Lightning Blast

4

Elemental Sheath : Electrical

1

Force Field (can attack through)

3

Flight

3

Enemy: Banger (One man, Level 3, common) Ball and Chain (Alexander Maddox)

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent:

1 6

5 32 2D

10M 3D 043

129

130

Game Basics

This section defines how to play the game, from rolling the dice to using skills. The basic unit of game time, order of play, and what players can have their characters do on a turn are explained. Suggestions for determining the difficulty of actions are offered, including some examples.

Rolling Dice A die code shows how good a character is in a particular area, how harmful a weapon is, how useful a Super Power or tool is, and so on. Each die code (also known as a value) indicates the number of six-sided dice you roll (1D, 2D, 3D, 4D, 5D, etc.), and sometimes an added bonus of “+1” or “+2” — referred to as pips — you add to the total result you roll on the dice. An Advantage, Super Power, or piece of equipment may provide a bonus to the roll. If the bonus is in the form of a die code (such as +1D), then you add the listed number of regular dice to the amount you would roll. If the bonus is in the form of a number (such as +2), then you add the amount to the total that you rolled on the dice. Example: A shovel adds 1D to digging attempts. A character who decides to dig a hole uses her lifting skill. If your character has a lifting skill of 4D, you would roll five dice to determine how well your character dug the hole with the shovel.

Wild Die Whenever any player, including the game master, makes any roll, one of the dice must be different from the rest (in size or color). Designated as the Wild Die, this odd die represents the vagaries of life — like the direction of the wind affecting the flight of a bullet — that are too small to warrant their own difficulty modifiers. Example: Your character’s Reflexes attribute is 3D+1, so if your character tried to jump onto a table, you would roll two regular dice, one Wild Die, and add one to the total. If the player has only 1D to roll, then that one die is always the Wild Die. If the player rolls a 6 on the Wild Die, this is called a Critical Success and she may add the 6 to her total and roll the Wild Die again. As long as she turns up Critical Successes on that die, she may continue to add them to her total and continue to roll. If she rolls anything other than a 6, she adds that number to the total and stops rolling. If the player rolls a 1 on the initial toss of the Wild Die, this is called a Critical Failure, and the game master may chose one of two options for the result, depending on the gravity of the situation. 1. The Critical Failure cancels out the highest roll. Then the player adds the remaining values, and the roll is determined normally. 2. Add the dice results normally, but a complication occurs. The game master gauges the significance of the complication by the total generated — from a funny, “nearly didn’t do it” result for a high total to a serious, “we have a problem” obstacle for a low total. When using the second option, make certain the complication chosen relates to the task attempted. It should serve as an extra, minor obstacle the characters must now deal with or, more often, as a place to insert a bit of comic relief. Only on rare occasions (such as numerous poor decisions by the players) should a complication be without solutions or even deadly. The complications can also serve as opportunities to bring nearly invincible characters down to a more reasonable level.

Note: Unlike rolling a Critical Failure initially on the Wild Die, no complications occur when a 1 shows up on later tosses of the Wild Die in the same roll.

Improving a Roll The average person fails at average activities nearly half of the time. Characters aren’t average people, so they need ways to beat those odds. Thus, they have Character and Fate Points, which represent those surges of adrenaline, sudden insights, and other unexplained helpful acts of chance. Players may not trade Character Points for Fate Points, nor may they trade Fate Points for Character Points. A player may only spend her Character and Fate Points on her character’s rolls. She may not spend more Character or Fate Points than the character has listed on her sheet. Except when allowed by the Game Master for exceptionally cinematic situations, players may not use Character Points and Fate Points on the same roll.

Character Points Whenever a player makes any roll (attribute, skill, damage, Super Power, and so on), he has the option to spend Character Points to increase the total rolled. He may spend one Character Point for each extra Wild Die rolled, to a maximum decided upon by the Game Master and based on the challenge level of the adventure. (For adventures with easy challenges, the maximum is two; for more cinematic adventures, the maximum is five; for universe-shaking ones, the maximum is unlimited.) A player may choose to spend Character Points before or after he makes a roll — or both — but always before the Game Master determines the result. The Game Master need not tell the player whether he should spend more points to improve a roll. Extra Wild Dice gained from spending Character Points each work like a normal Wild Die except that a Critical Failure counts as a 1; it does not adversely affect the roll. Because of the special nature of Character Point Wild Dice, the player may wish to roll these dice separately from his normal Wild Die. Once used, the character loses the point. Players get Character Points for their characters by overcoming obstacles, roleplaying well, and having fun. They can also use Character Points to improve skills (see the “Improving Characters” chapter for details).

Fate Points Each players’ character has a personal moral code, generally involving a sense of honor and justice. The devotion to this code is represented by Fate Points. Violating that code takes a little bit away from that nature, which is represented by a loss of Fate Points. Example: Heroic characters receive Fate Points for doing good, such as protecting innocents, bringing an evil character to justice (regardless of the justice system’s final decision), preventing damage, and saving a life (except the character’s own). Heroic characters lose Fate Points for performing evil actions, such as stealing, maliciously destroying property, taking a life, and other terrible acts, especially if they use Fate Points to accomplish that harm. Individual ethical codes may differ from the heroic code, but the more well-defined the code is, the easier it is for the Game Master to determine when to reward Fate Points — and when to take them away. When a player feels she needs even greater help for her roll, she may spend a Fate Point to double the number of dice she

131

normally gets for that roll. However, the player only rolls one Wild Die. Furthermore, anything that’s not part of the character — weapon damage die codes, equipment bonuses, and so on — is not doubled. Example: Your character has a demolitions skill with a die code of 4D+2. Normally, you would roll three regular dice and one Wild Die and add two pips to the total. But this time, you want to make sure the villain’s car doesn’t ever move, so you spend a Fate Point. This allows you to roll seven regular dice and one Wild Die and add four pips to the total (for a total of 8D+4, or twice what you’d normally roll). Usually, a player may use only one Fate Point per roll per round, though a character may improve several different actions in a round with Fate Points. Particularly beneficial or malicious deeds presented and roleplayed well by the player or Game Master may warrant additional Fate Point expenditures. In the general course of play, a Fate Point is useful for one roll only. However, once per game session, a player may choose to spend a Fate Point climactically, which doubles all of the character’s rolls for that round. The Game Master also may allow players to spend Fate Point climactically several times during the highest point of the adventure (the climax), even if it takes place over multiple game sessions. Players may only spend Fate Points before making a roll. Furthermore, double the initial number before applying any die code penalties and bonuses. Once used, the character loses the Fate Point — but she may earn it back at the end of the game if it was used for a deed that ed her moral code. However, if the character used a Fate Point to go against her moral code, the Game Master may decide that it costs an additional Fate Point. As characters become more experienced, the Game Master may include further restrictions on Fate Point use. Game Masters might allow moderately experienced characters (those with at least 6D in several skills) to spend Fate Points only on actions that promote the story line, while highly experienced characters (those with at least 9D in several skills) might be permitted to use Fate Points only during climactic moments in the campaign.

Using Skills At those times when there’s a chance that a character may fail at an action, that character must make a skill check. The player decides what she wants her character to do and which skill is best for accomplishing the task (sometimes with the help of the Game Master). The Game Master determines a suitable difficulty number, which the player must meet or beat by rolling the number of dice in the skill and adding the results.

Untrained Skill Use If a character doesn’t have dice in the skill required to attempt an action, she generally may use the die code of the attribute under which that skill falls. This is sometimes referred to as defaulting to the attribute or using the skill untrained or unskilled. The Game Master may include an unskilled modifier to the difficulty. This modifier takes into that people who aren’t trained or don’t have experience in certain tasks usually have a harder time doing them. Typically, this modifier is +5, but it could be as low as +1 for simple tasks or much higher for complex plans. The Game Master may rule that some situations, such as building a spaceship or performing brain surgery, are impossible for anyone to attempt without the proper training and the correct skills. When attributes are given in the text along with the skill, such as in spell descriptions, resisting Wounds, and so on, do not apply

132

the untrained modifier. This also includes most uses of dodge and brawling in combat situations, attempts to find clues in a room with search, and resisting interaction attempts or mental attacks with willpower.

Alternate Attribute Option Sometimes it makes more sense to base a skill on a different attribute than the one it’s under by default. In such cases as the Game Master designates, subtract the skill value from the attribute value to get the number of skill adds. Then add those skill adds to the new attribute and roll away. Some example alternate skill-attribute combinations (and the reason for using each attribute) include: • Climbing, jumping, running, swimming: Physique for distance; Reflexes for obstacles • Command: Presence for leading others; Knowledge for determining tactics • Disguise: Perception for creating the disguise, especially on someone else; Presence for pulling off a disguise • Flying: Physique for wings or to represent the physical strain of rapid movement; Reflexes for obstacles • Medicine: Knowledge for information and diagnosing; Coordination for performing surgery • Security: Knowledge for information and recognizing systems; Perception for installing systems

Game Time Generally, time in a roleplaying game doesn’t matter too much. A character may spend several hours searching a library, though only a minute es as far as the players and Game Master are concerned. To keep the story line moving, sometimes it’s necessary to skip the tedious parts. More intense scenes require more detail. In these cases, time slows to units of five seconds called rounds. Each character may take one action in the round with no penalty. Unless the character has special skills or abilities, additional actions increase the difficulty of performing each task; this concept is dealt with later, in the “Multi-action Penalty” section. Once a round ends, the next one begins, continuing until the scene ends (with the task completed, the opponent subdued, and so on). Since all characters in a scene are making actions in the same five-second round, the actual length of game time taken up by an action is usually less than five seconds. This is obviously the case when a single character is performing multiple actions, but it is also true when one character reacts to what another character is doing. Actions in rounds are not simultaneous (actions out of rounds sometimes are).

Initiative One Combat Round= 5 seconds Once rounds have been declared and depending on the situation, the Game Master applies one of three methods to determine in what order everyone goes. Determining initiative does not count as an action. Method 1 The first method is to allow whoever makes the first significant action (such as those surprising other characters in an ambush) to act first in the rounds. The characters retain the same order until the scene ends. Methods 2 and 3 The other two ways start out the same, by requiring the characters involved to make Perception rolls to generate initiative totals. The Game Master makes one Perception roll for each character or group of characters he controls, depending on the number and how important each character is to the adventure. The character with the highest roll takes her action first. The character with the second highest roll then takes his action, and so on. After the last character performs her action, the round ends and a new one begins. Note that a character rendered unconscious, immobile, or otherwise unable to act loses his action for that round if he hasn’t taken it already. The Game Master may chose then to have everyone roll initiative once for the entire scene (the faster method) or roll at the beginning of each round (the more realistic yet slower way). The Game Master and players may use Character Points, but not Fate Points, to increase their initiative rolls if they want. Spending one Character Point, for example, allows the player or Game Master to add the result of one extra Wild Die roll to the initiative roll.

Ties/No Rolls In the event of ties, or if the Game Master chooses not to have the players roll to determine initiative, comparing attribute and skill die codes can decide the order of actions. The character with the highest value in the characteristic goes first, and so on. Once a character has a spot in the order, it doesn’t change, regardless of how other characteristics compare. Ties are broken by moving to the next factor and looking at those values. The order: (1) ability or talent that allows the character to go first, (2) Perception, (3) search, (4) Reflexes, (5) dodge, (6) special equipment or situation that allows the character to go before another character.

Optional Initiative Bonus For every 2D over the base attribute in search (round down) or 4D in Reflexes (round down), a character receives +1 to his initiative roll. Every six ranks in a Skill Bonus or Super Attribute reflexes or search provides a +1 bonus.

actions once the multi-action penalty is figured. Any actions calculated into the multi-action penalty but that the character did not use by the end of the round are lost. A character may take a few actions, wait, take a few more, wait again, and so on, as long as the player has declared a sufficient number of actions in which to do everything she wants her character to do (including waiting). A character may only interrupt another character’s action if she has waited and after that character has made the skill roll and spent any points but before the Game Master declares the result. Example: A character surprises a thug. Because she got the jump on him, the Game Master decides the character may act first in this round. The character decides to wait and see what the thug will do, choosing to take one other action this turn. The thug takes a swing at her, so the character decides to dodge. If the character has no ability that gives her extra actions, she may take only one action without penalty. She used that one action on waiting. When she makes her dodge roll, it’s at -1D, because it’s the second action she’s taking this round. Only a few instances exist in which the Game Master may permit a character to “move up” her turn and react to another character’s actions. These include catching a thrown object, resisting certain mental attempts, and other situations that the Game Master deems appropriate. These do take the character’s action, though the player can declare that her character will perform multiple actions in the round. For the most part, having a turn later in the round than another’s simply means that another character could take advantage of the situation faster.

Multi-action Penalty Characters may attempt to perform several tasks in a single round, or, if the action takes longer than one round to complete, in the same minimum time period. The more they try to do, however, the less care and concentration they can apply to each action. It becomes more difficult to succeed at all of the tasks. Thus, for most characters, for each action taken beyond the first, the player must subtract 1D from all skill or attribute rolls (but not damage, damage resistance, or initiative rolls). Thus, trying to do four actions in one round gives the character a -3D modifier to each roll. For characters with an ability that increases their base number of actions, the multi-action penalty doesn’t take effect until the character uses up his allotment of actions. For example, if a character with an action allotment of eight per round wants to do nine actions, each of the nine actions is at -1D. Only equipment and weapons suited for quick multiple actions may be used several times (up to the limit of their capabilities) in a round. Some examples include semi-automatic guns or items with little or no reload time, like hands or small melee weapons. A character may not rely on any skill or attribute reduced to zero.

Performing Actions in Rounds A character does not need to declare what she intends to do until her turn comes up in the round. Once the character decides to take her turn, she may use as many actions as she wants, but her player must decide on the total number of actions that the character wishes to take in that round, which is used to figure the multi-action penalty (see the next section for details). The character does not need to declare when determining the number of actions what she intends to do with all of them. Note that waiting counts as an action (once per each time the character wishes to wait). The character may take no additional

133

Actions that Take Time

Free Actions

Each entry on this list counts as one action taking no more than five seconds to perform. The Game Master may decide that certain types of actions offer a bonus or special effect and, thus, have requirements to perform. The suggested skill to use with each action is included at the end of the task’s description. Bash: Hit an opponent with a blunt weapon. (melee combat) Catch: Stop the movement of a thrown or dropped object or person. (The catcher must act later in the round than the person doing the throwing or dropping. This is one of the few cases where a character may “move up” his turn.) (throwing) Choke: Grab a person’s neck and gripping tightly. (brawling) Communicate: Relay plans or exchange complex ideas and information with other characters (more than a few words or one sentence). (an interaction skill or only roleplaying) Disarm: Remove an object from an opponent’s hand. This action is treated as a called shot. (brawling, marksmanship, melee combat, missile weapons, throwing) Dodge: Actively evade an attack. (dodge) Entangle: Throw an entangling weapon at an opponent. (throwing) Escape: Break a hold. (lifting) Grab: Latch onto an opponent. Depending on where the opponent was grabbed, he can take other actions. (brawling) Kick: Strike out at an opponent with a foot. (brawling) Leap: Jump over an opponent or onto a table or any other such maneuver. (jumping) Lunge: Stab forward with a pointed weapon, such as a sword or a knife. (melee combat) Move: Maneuver 51% of the character’s Move or more around the area. The Game Master should call only for a roll if the terrain is challenging or the maneuvering complex. During some rounds, the Game Master may decide that existing factors dictate all movement, regardless of length, require an action. (running, swimming) Parry: Block an opponent’s blow. (brawling, melee combat) Pin: Trap an opponent by either holding him to the ground or tacking a piece of his clothing to a wall or other nearby object. When pinning the whole opponent, this is the same concept as tackling. Pinning prevents the victim from using the fastened part. (brawling, melee combat, missile weapons, throwing) Punch: Strike out at an opponent with a fist. (brawling) Push: Forcibly move an opponent. (brawling) Ready a Weapon: Draw or reload a gun or bow, unsheathe a knife, and similar actions. This generally does not require a skill roll, but the Game Master may chose to require one related to the weapon in question for particularly stressful situations. Run Away: Flee from the scene. (running) Shoot: Fire a missile or projectile weapon. (marksmanship, missile weapons) Slash: Swing an edged weapon. (melee combat) Switch a Weapon or Equipment’s Setting: Although rare, some weapons and equipment have more than one damage or effect setting. It takes an action to change the setting. This generally does not require a skill roll, but the Game Master may chose to require one related to the item in question for particularly stressful situations. Tackle: Bodily overcome an opponent. Once tackled, the opponent can do no other physical actions other than speak or attempt to break the attacker’s grip. (brawling) Throw a Weapon or Object: Toss something at an opponent. (throwing) Trip: Quickly force one or both of an opponent’s legs upward. (brawling) Use a Skill or Power: Perform a quick action related to a Super Power the character possesses or a skill he wants to use. A character may not use a Super Power he does not have, though he may use a skill he has no experience in (possibly at a penalty). Note that some skills and Super Powers take longer than one action or one round to perform, so trying to do them in five seconds incurs penalties.

Free actions are anything a character can automatically perform except under the most extreme conditions. They don’t require a skill roll or much effort. If the Game Master thinks a task requires concentration (and has a possibility of failure, thus requiring a skill roll), it’s not a free action. A few examples of free actions include: • speaking a few words to someone nearby • a quick glance around a room (and possibly a roll of Perception) • moving 50% or less of the character’s Move over an easy area or up to a meter over more challenging terrain Additionally, the following player actions do not count as character actions: • determining initiative • rolling to resist damage • rolling willpower or Presence to determine the emotional effects of the environment on the character

Vehicle Maneuver: Perform a stunt in a moving vehicle (piloting) Waiting: Watch for a better opportunity to perform an action. This does not require a skill roll, but it does take concentration.

134

Related Skills In some situations, two or more skills seem to suit the task at hand. The Game Master can declare that only one is suitable for the current circumstances. Or he can choose the primary one and decides which other skills are appropriate secondary, or related, skills that the character can use to improve his chances with the primary skill. The Game Master sets difficulties for each skill. The character first performs the related skills, and then he attempts the primary one. To determine the related skill’s modifier to the primary skill, the Game Master subtracts the difficulty from the total rolled with the related skill; this determines the number of result points from the roll. Then he divides that number by 2, rounding up, to get the modifier to the total rolled with the primary skill. The minimum related skill modifier is 1. If the skill total was less than the difficulty, the modifier is subtracted from the primary skill total. If the skill total was equal to or greater than the difficulty, the modifier is added to the primary skill total. The character may perform the related skills and the primary skill successively, but the related skill modifier is only good for the one initially intended attempt and the character must make that attempt within a short time of using the other skills. Should the character decide to perform the primary skill and the related skill at the same time, he takes the multi-action penalty. Example: Your character has to carefully place some charges on a wall. You decide that the character first examines the wall for weaknesses (using the search skill). Once examination has been completed and the search roll has been made, you apply the modifier to your demolitions roll only, which must take place immediately after your character’s examination of the wall. Game Masters also can use the related-skills guidelines for deciding how well one person can help another person.

Preparing

Standard Difficulties

A character willing to spend twice as much time to complete a task receives a +1D bonus for the die roll for every doubling of time, up to a maximum bonus of +3D. However, the character can do nothing else or be otherwise distracted (such as getting shot at) during this time.

A standard difficulty is a number that the Game Master assigns to an action based on how challenging the Game Master thinks it is. Existing conditions can change the difficulty of an action. For instance, walking has an Automatic difficulty for most characters, but the Game Master may require someone who is just regaining the use of his legs to make a Very Difficult running roll to move even a few steps. The numbers in parentheses indicate the range of difficulty numbers for that level. Automatic (0): Almost anyone can perform this action; there is no need to roll. (Generally, this difficulty is not listed in a pre-generated adventure; it is included here for reference purposes.) Very Easy (1–5): Nearly everyone can accomplish this task. Typically, only tasks with such a low difficulty that are crucial to the scenario are rolled. Easy (6–10): Although characters usually have no difficulty with these tasks, an untrained character may find them challenging. Moderate (11–15): There is a fair chance that the average character will fail at this type of task. Tasks of this type require skill, effort, and concentration. Difficult (16–20): Those with little experience in the task must have a lot of luck to accomplish these actions. Very Difficult (21–25): The average character only rarely succeeds at these kinds of task. Only the most talented regularly succeed. Heroic (26–30), Legendary (31 or more): These kinds of tasks are nearly impossible, though there’s still that chance that lucky average or highly experienced characters can accomplish them.

Rushing A character can also attempt to perform an action that normally requires two or more rounds (10 seconds or more) in less time. The difficulty increases depending on how much less time the character puts into the task: +5 for 25% less time, +10 for 50% less time, and +20 for 75% less time. A character may not perform any task in less than 75% of the normally needed time. Thus, to rush an hour-long surgery into 30 minutes, the difficulty increases by +10. Of course, not every task can be rushed. If in doubt, the Game Master should ask the player to justify how the character can speed up the task.

Groups To save time, Game Masters may chose to roll one action for a group of characters he controls. Any number can belong to the group. Each member of the group does not have to perform exactly the same maneuver, but they do need to take similar actions. A Game Master could make one roll for a pack of wolves who attack different characters, but he would have to separate the pack into those attacking and those circling if the Game Master wanted to have them perform those distinctly different activities.

Choosing Difficulties There are two possibilities for asg difficulties to a specific action: a difficulty number or an opposed roll. Generally, the adventure specifies the difficulty and what skill is needed, but the Game Master may come across circumstances that were not foreseen. In such cases, use these guidelines to decide what to do. Certain circumstances (typically involving a character attempting a task without a force actively opposing her, such as climbing a wall or piloting a boat) may call for a static difficulty number. In these cases, select a standard difficulty or use a special difficulty. Circumstances involving an actively opposing force call for an opposed difficulty.

Generic Difficulty Modifiers Modifier

Situational Example

+16+

Overpowering disadvantage: Something affects the skill use in an almost crippling fashion (repairing a vehicle without any proper tools).

+11–15

Decisive disadvantage: The skill use is very limited by circumstance (trying to find someone in complete darkness).

+6–10

Significant disadvantage: The skill use is affected negatively (tracking someone through drizzling rain).

+1–5

Slight disadvantage: There is an annoying problem (picking a lock by flashlight).

-1–5

Slight advantage: A tool or modification that makes the skill use a little easier (really good athletic shoes for jumping).

-6–10

Significant advantage: A tool or modification that makes the skill use much easier (rope with knots is used for climbing).

-11–15

Decisive advantage: A tool specifically designed to make the job easier (complete language database used for languages).

-16+

Overpowering advantage: An exceptional tool or modification that specifically makes the skill use much easier (complete set of wilderness tools and equipment specially designed to help with survival).

135

Opposed Difficulties An opposed difficulty (also called an opposed roll) applies when one character resists another character’s action. In this case, both characters generate skill totals and compare them. The character with the higher value wins, and ties go to the initiator of the action. In an opposed task, since both characters are actively doing something, both the initiator and the resisting character use up actions. This means that the resisting character can only participate in an opposed task either if he waited for the initiating character to make a move or if he was actively preparing for the attempt. Otherwise, the Game Master may allow a reaction roll of the appropriate skill as a free action in some circumstances, or he may derive a difficulty equal to 2 times the target’s appropriate opposing skill.

Special Difficulties There are two special and optional difficulties: Wild Die Only and derived. Wild Die Only The standard difficulty of an action may be so much lower than a character’s skill value that rolling and totaling dice would waste time. However, the Game Master may feel that the situation is such that a complication could greatly affect the outcome of the scene. In such cases, the game master may require the player to roll the Wild Die. A Critical Success result indicates that some special bit of good fortune occurred, while a Critical Failure indicates a minor complication. Any other result shows that the result is successful, though nothing special. Derived Any time one character does something to another character or animate creature or object, the base difficulty equals 2 times the target’s relevant opposing attribute or skill and add the pips. Game Masters may further modify derived values, as the situation warrants. Derived values do not get the unskilled modifier if they are determined from the governing attribute. Example: Your character attempts to intimidate a thug. The Game Master could use the standard intimidation difficulty of 10 or she could derive one from the thug’s willpower skill, or, if he doesn’t have one, the governing attribute, Presence. If his Presence has a die code of 3D, then the base derived difficulty is 6.

Generic Modifiers The modifiers offered in a skill’s list or a pre-generated adventure may not cover all the Game Master’s needs. When conditions arise for which there aren’t pre-established modifiers, use the chart herein to help at those times. Game Masters can add these modifiers to opposed, standard, or derived difficulty values.

Good Roleplaying Modifier Game Masters should reward good roleplaying by lowering the difficulty a few points. The better the roleplaying — and the more entertaining the player makes the scenario — the higher the modifier the Game Master should include.

Unskilled Attempts that someone without training or experience might, with blind luck, do better than someone with experience — but generally only that one time. There is no guarantee of future success. When a character defaults to the attribute, figure in not only a difficulty modifier of +1, +5, or more, but also adjust the

136

result accordingly: the result won’t happen as precisely or stylishly as someone with skill.

Determining Success If the total rolled on the dice is greater than the difficulty, the attempt was a success. Ties generally go to the initiator of the action, but certain circumstances dictate otherwise (such as the use of some Super Power or determining the amount of damage done). The description of the ability, challenge, or activity explains the results.

Result Points Result points refer to the difference between the skill roll and the difficulty. The Game Master can use the result points to decide how well the character completed the task; the “Result Points and Success” sidebar for suggestions. The Game Master may allow a player to add one-half of the result points (rounded up) as a bonus to another skill roll or Super Power effect. One-fifth of the result points from an attack roll can be included as bonus to damage. (Round fractions up.)

Second Chances Characters will encounter obstacles that they can’t overcome at first attempt. Game Masters must rely on their judgment to decide whether and when a character may try an action again. For some actions, such as marksmanship or running, the character may try the action again the next turn, even if she failed. For other actions, such as repair or con, failing the roll should have serious consequences, depending on how bad the failure was. A small difference between the difficulty number and the success total means the character may try again next round at a higher difficulty. A large difference means that the character has made the situation significantly worse. She will need to spend more time thinking through the problem or find someone or something to assist her in her endeavor. A large difference plus a Critical Failure could mean that the character has created a disaster. She can’t try that specific task for a long time — perhaps ever. This is especially true with locks and computer programs.

Game Master’s Fiat The rules are a framework upon which the Game Masters and their friends build stories set in fantastic and dynamic worlds. As with most frameworks, the rules work best when they show the least, and when they can bend under stress. Keeping to the letter of the rules is almost certainly counterproductive to the whole idea of making an engaging story and having fun. To keep a story flowing with a nice dramatic beat, Game Masters might need to bend the rules, such as reducing the significance of a modifier in this situation but not in another one, or allowing a character to travel a meter or two beyond what the movement rules suggest.

Common Difficulties and Modifiers You can find the more commonly referenced difficulties listed on the Reference Sheet at the back of this book. With these and the generic difficulties and modifiers described previously, you can run just about any adventure. The next several chapters include more, and more detailed, difficulties.

Result Points and Success Here are some guidelines for describing different levels of success. Use the result points of the roll: the difference between the skill total and the difficulty to decide on the exact level. Minimal (0): The total was just barely enough. The character hardly succeeded at all, and only the most minimal effects apply. If “minimal effects” are not an option, then maybe the action took longer than normal to succeed. Solid (1–4): The action was performed completely, but without frills. Good (5–8): The results were better than necessary and there may be added benefits. Superior (9–12): There are almost certainly additional benefits to doing an action this well. The character performed the action better, faster, or more adeptly than expected. Spectacular (13–16): The character performed the action deftly and expertly. Observers would notice the ease or grace with which the action was performed (if applicable). Incredible (16 or more): The character performed the skill with such dazzling quality that, if appropriate to the task, it could become the subject of conversation for some time — it’s at least worth writing home about. Game Masters should dole out some significant bonuses for getting this large of a roll. Example: A character who trying to use the survival skill to forage for food gets a minimal success — she finds “subsistence level” food; it’s barely better than garbage. The next day she gets a spectacular result — not only does she find good, wholesome food, but she finds enough for two days instead of one.

Movement What’s in this Section? Getting from here to there by any means – running, swimming, flying, using a vehicle, you name it – is what this chapter’s all about.

Running The difficulty to cover rapidly a distance on foot is determined by the number of extra movements the character takes. One movement equals the character’s Move value; two movements equals twice the Move value, and so on. For each movement beyond the first, add 5 to the base difficulty of zero. Example: A character with a Move of 10 meters per round who wants to move 20 meters in one round has a running difficulty of 5, while a character who wants to move 40 meters has a difficulty of 15. A character who fails his running roll covers only his Move or may even trip.

Swimming A hero’s swimming Move equals half his normal Move (rounded up). One movement while swimming equals the swimming Move, two movements equals twice the swimming Move, and so on. Increasing this rate likewise increases the base difficulty of 5 by +5 for each movement beyond the first. Thus, the difficulty for a character to move 2 times his swimming speed is 10 (5 for the base difficulty plus 5 for the additional movement). Without preparation, a character may hold his breath for a number of seconds equal to 5 times a roll of his Physique or stamina. Preoxygenating his lungs gives a character a bonus. The maximum any character can hold his breath with preparation is a roll of his stamina in minutes, though this requires having the stamina skill. The bonus should be much less for the average person.

Climbing Characters who have the climbing skill can move up a surface at their normal Move (barring adverse environmental factors) with a base difficulty of 5. Those without such a skill move at half their normal movement rate. Increasing the rate increases the difficulty by +10 for each additional one-half of the base climbing Move (rounded up). Example: A character with a running Move of 10 meters and without the climbing skill wants to move quickly up a tree. His base climbing Move is 5. To increase this to eight meters per round means a difficulty of 20 (10 to climb the tree plus 10 to increase the movement by one-half, or three meters, of his base climbing Move). Additional modifiers can be found in the “Example Skill Difficulties” chapter.

Jumping A character’s total leaping distance (vertically and horizontally) from a standing position equals one-quarter of his Move in meters (rounded up). The base difficulty is 5 to move this distance, and +10 for each additional two meters (vertically and horizontally) the character hopes to cover. If there is enough room, the character may try running before jumping. The character may add 5 to his skill total per round of the running start, up to a maximum of +10 (two rounds). The character must have beat the running difficulty in both rounds in order to get the full bonus. Additional modifiers can be found in the “Example Skill Difficulties” chapter.

137

Short Distances A character may move up to 50% of his movement rate (swimming, flying, or base Move) without this counting as an action. Thus, a character with a base Move of 10 could move five meters on land or 2.5 meters in the water with no action penalty.

Maximum Movement Characters may perform only one movement action of each type per round, unless a Super Power allows them to do otherwise. Game Masters may choose to limit the speed at which characters may travel to 4 times the Move rate for each type of movement.

that would allow him to move at the previous round’s rate, that character automatically slows by two times his base Move. In other words, subtract two times the base Move from the current movement rate to get the new movement rate. If this makes the current movement zero, then the character stops. If it’s less than zero, the character trips. Example: The character chasing the thief increased her speed to a rate of 40 meters per round. To maintain this speed, her player needs to continue generating a total of 15 with the character’s running skill. If the player gets less than 15, then her character’s speed drops to 20 meters per round (40 minus 2 times her base Move of 10).

Fatigue

Situation

Modifier

Easy terrain (flat surface, smooth water, using a ladder, light breeze, light rain or fog)

0

Moderate terrain (uneven surface, small obstacles, choppy water, climbing a tree, strong winds, heavy rain or fog)

+5

Rough terrain (large but negotiable obstacles, strong undercurrent, climbing a rough wall, unyielding obstacles — pillars, trees — to flight)

+10

Very rough terrain (dense and large obstacles, stormy weather, a few airborne hazards, hail)

+15

Keep in mind that most characters cannot move rapidly for long periods of time. Determine a suitable length of time depending on existing conditions, the Physique of the character, and any relevant Special Abilities she has. Any additional fast movement beyond that predetermined length requires a fatigue modifier of +3 to the difficulty for each additional round that she continues running. The modifier is cumulative. Thus, one round beyond the maximum is +3, two rounds is +6, and so on. The Game Master may use the fatigue modifier for any repetitive action performed for an extended period of time. They can also use it as the modifier to a base difficulty of 5 when using the stamina or willpower skill in an attempt to overcome the fatigue. Other Movement Options The Game Master may include additional modifiers or require an additional related skill roll for any form of movement, depending on surrounding conditions, such as high winds, numerous obstacles, slick surfaces, sharp turns, and so on.

Hazardous terrain (minefield, narrow walkway, many airborne hazards, large waves, climbing a smooth surface, complete darkness)

+20

Vehicles and Aerial Characters

Very hazardous terrain (corridor filled with falling debris and explosions, swimming or flying in a hurricane)

+25 or more

Vehicle actions work like normal character actions, with some additional game mechanics for special situations. Much of the information found in this section applies equally well to flying characters, particularly the details on stunts.

Movement Difficulty Modifiers Base Difficulty for Characters: 5

Fatigue (per round beyond maximum time)

+3

Accelerating and Decelerating When it becomes important to the scenario, such as a race or a chase scene, the Game Master may choose to include acceleration and deceleration maximums. A character may increase or decrease his current movement rate by up to 2 times that rate, regardless of whether his movement roll would allow him to travel a greater distance. The minimum increase or decrease is 2 times the character’s base Move for that type of movement. Example: A character with a base walking Move of 10 has minimum swimming change of 10 — 2 times his swimming Move of 5. Example: A character with a Move of 10 is chasing a thief, who just swiped her pocketbook. In the first round, she may move up to 20 meters, which has a running difficulty of 5. In the second round, she can increase her speed to 40 meters, which has a running difficulty of 15. If, in the second round, the player generates a running total of 20, by the acceleration rules, she may only move 40 meters, even though her running total meets the difficulty to move 50 meters. Similarly, if a character does not make a movement roll

138

Vehicle Movement Vehicles have five speeds of movement: stopped, cautious, cruising, high, and all-out. They may make one movement action per round. Stopped: The vehicle is motionless. This requires no roll. Air vehicles should be on the ground when at this speed level. Cautious: The vehicle travels at half its Move. This is generally a free action requiring no roll, but terrain conditions may increase it from its base difficulty of zero. Air vehicles at this level must be attempting to reach a higher or lower altitude at this speed; they cannot maintain altitude at cautious. Cruising: The vehicle travels at its Move. This requires an action, but since it has a base difficulty of zero, the character need only roll if movement conditions dictate otherwise. High: The vehicle travels at twice its Move. This requires a piloting roll with a base difficulty of 5, modified by existing conditions. All-out: The vehicle travels at four times its Move. This requires a piloting roll with a base difficulty of 10, modified by existing conditions. Vehicles may travel anywhere between half their current speed and the full current speed at each level. Rapid acceleration and deceleration are considered stunts and dealt with later in this section.

Stunt Difficulties and Modifiers Stunt

Difficulty

Docking (water), parking (land)

6

Landing (air vehicles)

10

Moving on a straight way

0

Regaining control (in situations other than ramming or sideswiping)

15

Sideswiping

10

Easy turn (less than 45 deg. from current direction)

5

Fast 45-degree turn

9

Fast 90-degree turn

15

Fast 180-degree turn

21

Condition Modifier For All Vehicles Moving in reverse

+6

Ramming

+10

For Land and Water Vehicles Moved or moving over curb or debris

+3

Limited parking or docking area

+3

For Land Vehicles Not Designed for Off-Road Conditions Off-road

+6

For Air Vehicles and Aerial Characters Unlimited landing area

-3

Limited landing area

+3

Almost no landing area

+6

Rough or unsteady landing area

+3 or more

Climb or dive of 45 degrees or more from current direction

+6 or more

Terrain Conditions For modifiers due to various terrain conditions, use the “Movement Difficulty Modifiers” table.

Vehicle Familiarity Use the following table when a character is not familiar with the vehicle she needs to operate. If the character does not have the piloting skill at all, these difficulties are in addition to the untrained modifier. Vehicle Type

Modifier

Very common or simple (car, pickup, bicycle)

+3

Common

+6

(farm tractor, motorcycle, motorboat, snowmobile) Moderately common (speedboat, bus, semi tractor)

+8

Uncommon (ultralight plane, tank, hang-glider, unicycle)

+11

Unusual (prop plane, glider)

+14

Rare (jet, submarine)

+17

Exotic (fighter plane, space shuttle)

+20

Has a manual for the vehicle in a language the character can understand

-3

139

Vehicle and enger Damage

Collision Damage Modifier

Damage Total > Resistance Total By

Vehicle Damage

engers Suffer...

Situation

Modifier

1–3

Very Light

No damage

Head-on

+3D

Rear-end, sideswipe

-3D

4–8

Light

1/4 Damage Total

Nose to side

0

9–12

Heavy

1/2 Damage Total

Into something very hard

0

13–15

Severe

3/4 Damage Total

Into something yielding

-1D or more

16+

Destroyed

All Damage Total

Note: All modifiers are cumulative. A vehicle may take an unlimited number of Very Light and Light levels of damage. At Heavy or above, any additional level of damage above Very Light bumps the damage to the next level. Game Masters may include or substitute damage to other systems if the vehicle has them (ex., weapons, navigation, or sensors). Very Light: Vehicle loses 1D from Maneuverability for this round and the next. Light: Vehicle loses 1D from Maneuverability or, if at 0D in Maneuverability, top move speed is decreased by one level. The loss or modifier remains until repaired. Heavy: Vehicle loses 2D from Maneuverability or, if at 0D in Maneuverability, top move speed is decreased by two levels. The loss or modifier remains until repaired. Severe: Vehicle is out of control, decelerating by two levels each round until it comes to a stop or crashes into something. Destroyed: The vehicle will never operate again. Speed Damage Modifier



Level (Level at which the damaged vehicle is traveling.)

Damage

Stopped

2D

Cautious

4D

Cruise

6D

High

8D

All-out

10D

140

Note: Modifiers are cumulative. Situation is the one in which the damaged vehicle is.

Character Flying Movement Characters who fly travel at the base rate designated in the Super Power or equipment description. To increase this rate, use the same rules as for running, except that the character relies on the flying skill. Characters may not use this skill unless they have a means of propelling themselves through the air or they are in a zero-gravity environment.

Stunts For normal vehicle use or casual flying under ideal conditions, a character need not make a skill roll. When the conditions turn less than favorable or he decides to attempt a fancy maneuver, his piloting skill plus the vehicle’s Maneuverability code or his flying skill determines his success. Rapid acceleration and deceleration also warrant rolls, enhanced by the vehicle’s Maneuverability, to see if the operator maintains control. These maneuvers have an initial difficulty of 10, adjusted based on existing conditions (see the “Stunt Difficulties and Modifiers” chart for some suggestions). A vehicle or flying character may reduce or increase movement by two levels in one round. Failing this roll means that the character has lost control for one round. If some immovable force doesn’t stop the vehicle or character during that round, he may attempt to regain control (with a base difficulty of 15) on the following round. If a character wishes to perform any other actions in addition to piloting or flying, he must make the appropriate skill rolls for all actions, reduced by the multi-action penalty, regardless of the situation. The base difficulty for normal operation becomes 5. Stunts still have their established base difficulties.

Ramming and Sideswiping Vehicles Ramming is done with the nose of a vehicle, while sideswiping is done with its side. The character makes the appropriate vehicle roll, including the vehicle’s Maneuverability. If the character fails the roll, the vehicle misses and spins. Land and vehicles turn up to 180 degrees and lose power, while space vehicles continuing spinning. The character must then spend one round starting it or regaining control and another getting back in the right direction. Should the character instead succeed, she keeps the vehicle reasonably straight and may try for another sideswipe or ram on the next turn. The pilot of an air vehicle that rams or sideswipes another vehicle automatically loses control. About the best she can hope for is to make a successful, but rough, landing. Both vehicles take damage (the mechanics of this are explained later in this section) in a successful ram or sideswipe.

Vehicle Attacking and Dodging The base difficulty to hit a vehicle 10, modified by distance and the sizes of the attacker and the defender (using the scale modifier listed in the “Combat Options” chapter). That means a person shooting a car has a +6 to his attack total, while a car sideswiping another car has no modifier. If the driver wishes to fire a weapon, he must make both an Easy piloting roll (modified by the vehicle’s Maneuverability code) and a marksmanship roll. Because he’s doing two actions, he also incurs a multi-action penalty to both rolls. engers may shoot with few or no penalties. (Note that these actions would not be possible in some vehicles.) A character may also attempt to maneuver the vehicle out of the way of incoming projectiles or other vehicles. Instead of the dodge skill, the character uses his piloting skill plus the vehicle’s Maneuverability code. Use the active partial or full defense rules for characters to determine the new defense total. The defense total becomes the new combat difficulty and is in effect until the character’s turn in the next round.

Vehicle Damage When a vehicle takes damage from a weapon or another vehicle, it’s the level of destruction that matters. Use the following guidelines and compare the result to the “Vehicle and enger Damage” chart. Modify the damage total of the attacker or the damage resistance total of the target by the scale modifier, as appropriate for the situation. A vehicle’s damage resistance total equals its Toughness plus the value of any armor. Character Points or Fate Points may not be spent on this roll. With weapons, compare the weapon’s damage total to the target’s damage resistance total. When vehicle collides with something else, decide how fast it was going when it made the collision and modify it based on the circumstances of the collision. Compare that to the damage resistance total. Should two vehicles be involved, both take damage. See the sidebar for the speed and collision modifiers.

Crew and enger Injuries Depending on how badly damaged the vehicle becomes, the crew and engers may be harmed, too. Use the “engers Suffer” column of the “Vehicle and enger Damage” chart as a guideline. Adjust it based on how much of the engers is exposed (for example, motorcycles and canoes offer little protection to their cargo).

Leaping Out of a Vehicle Leaving a land or water vehicle moving at less than 5 miles per hour is a Very Easy acrobatics or Reflexes roll (or jumping if the character leaps from the vehicle). If the vehicle is moving faster than that, the base difficulty becomes 15, with +1 added to it for every 10 kilometers per hour the vehicle is traveling (rounded down). Additionally, the character takes damage from the fall, at a rate of 1 for every 15 kilometers per hour the vehicle is moving (rounded up) minus the result points from the roll. Example: If the driver of a car traveling at 90 kilometers per hour decided to leave the vehicle before it hit the tree it was traveling toward, the difficulty would be 24 (90/10 = 9, plus the base difficulty of 15). She would also take 6 points of damage unless she sufficiently succeeded at her jump (90/15 = 6).

Repairing a Vehicle The difficulty to repair a damaged vehicle depends on the amount of damage and availability of parts and tools. See the repair skill description in the “Example Skill Difficulties” chapter for difficulty and modifier suggestions.

141

COMBAT

This section provides an extended description of one of the most rules-intensive aspects of roleplaying: combat. When resolving a situation calls for force, time becomes broken into rounds, which were discussed in the last chapter. Within these rounds, three steps occur: (1) generating initiative; (2) attacking and defending; (3) determining damage; (4) repeating the steps, if necessary. Discover herein what happens in each of those steps. Step 1: Generating Initiative As discussed in the “Game Basics” chapter, determine initiative based on the first significant action or on initiative rolls. Then go on to Step 2. Step 2: Attacking and Defending This is where the interesting stuff happens. The person whose turn it is gets to decide what type of action her character is going to do. Once she chooses, she makes a skill roll. Note that a character need not attempt to engage in combat, but this chapter only discusses what to do if the player decides to attack, defend, or (typically with a multi-action penalty), do both.

Base Combat Difficulty The base difficulty to attack someone is 10 (called the target’s ive defense value) or the target’s active defense value, modified by range and other factors.

Active Defense The target character can opt to use an “active defense,” which affects all attacks that occur after the defender’s turn in the current round but before the defender’s turn the next round. Active defenses are defensive maneuvers that the target consciously exercises, such as dodging, blocking, or parrying. Each of these is represented by a skill and counts as an action. A character may make an active defenses only when his turn comes up in the initiative line, but the total for the roll is effective for all relevant attacks made against the character that occur after the character’s current turn but before his turn in the next round. : if a character acts later in a round than the character attempting to hit him, he cannot take his turn sooner and use an active defense to replace the ive defense value — his reactions just weren’t fast enough. If the roll is lower than the ive defense value, the character has succeeded in making himself easier to hit — by miscalculating where the attack would be placed and actually getting in its way. The active defense total is modified as the situation dictates. Dodge: The character attempts to anticipate the final location of an attack from any source and be in another place when it comes. This is done by rolling the dodge skill. Block/Parry: The character attempts to stop his opponent’s attack by intercepting it and either stopping it with a block or deflecting it with a parry. The character may roll his brawling or melee combat (if he has something in his hands) to block it. If the character uses a sharp or energized weapon (sword or dagger, for example) to parry an unarmed blow and is successful at the block, the attacker takes damage from the weapon. However, do not add the defender’s Physique to the listed weapon damage score when determining injuries inflicted this way. If the opponent strikes at the character with a bladed or energized hand weapon and the character uses any part of his body to intercept the attack, the defender always takes the weapon’s damage total. If the block was successful, then the attacker’s Strength Damage is not added to the listed score. If the

142

block was unsuccessful, then the target character takes damage as normal. The character may avoid this aspect by having armor, a Super Power, or a suitable close combat specialization in melee parry.

Full Defense A character who foregoes all of her actions for a round to completely protect herself from attacks makes a full defense. The total rolled by the skill plus 10 takes the place of the base combat difficulty from the time the character makes the full defense on her turn to her turn in the next round. Full active defense value = any active defense skill roll + 10

Partial Defense A character who chooses to do something else in addition to guarding against attacks may take a partial defense. In this case, the active defense roll replaces the base combat difficulty from the time the character takes his turn in one round to his turn in the next round. Partial active defense value = any active defense skill roll Since the character is taking multiple actions, the multi-action penalty applies. The Game Master may call for a partial defense roll (as a free action) if he decides that the character might have a little awareness of an impending attack, yet not enough foresight to prepare for it.

Optional Defense Modifier For every 2D in Reflexes or dodge above 4D (round up), a character receives a +1 to her ive defense value. This modifier does not affect the character’s active defense total. For every 2D in acrobatics above 4D (round up), a character receives a +1 to her active or ive defense value for attacks at Short range or greater. Every six ranks in a Skill Bonus or Super Attribute Super Power that affects Reflexes, dodge, or acrobatics provides a +1 bonus, as specified for the skill in question. Example: A character with 4D in Reflexes gets no bonus, while a character with 7D in acrobatics has a +2 bonus.

Combat Difficulty Modifiers Here are a few of the most frequently used modifiers to the combat difficulty. Others are discussed in “Combat Options” chapter. Regardless of the number of modifiers used, the total combat difficulty may never go below 3. The Game Master rolls the indicated modifier and adds it to the combat situation. A standard modifier is included in parentheses after the die modifier, should the Game Master prefer not to roll. Range: The effectiveness of a punch, weapon, Super Power, or any other attack made at a distance depends on its range. All range modifiers are added or subtracted from the combat difficulty. Note that, unless a special maneuver allows otherwise, characters may use unarmed close combat attacks at Point Blank range only. In most cases, this is true for using various melee weapons as well, though the distance can be increased to Short range if the weapon is longer than two meters. For instance, a character with a beam can whack an opponent at Point Blank or Short range.

Cover: When a target is protected by something — poor lighting, smoke, fog, a table — it makes her harder to hit. This is represented by a cover modifier, which is added to the combat difficulty. Aiming: Aiming involves careful tracking of the target. Characters may perform it against moving targets, but they cannot themselves do anything else in the round in which they aim. Each consecutive round of uninterrupted aiming adds 1D to the character’s marksmanship, missile weapons, or throwing skill, up to a maximum bonus of +3D.

Determining Success Once the combat difficulty has been determined, the attacker rolls the die code in his character’s combat skill and compares the total to the combat difficulty. If it equals or exceeds the combat difficulty, the attack hit, probably doing damage or having another effect that the attacker intended. If it was less than the combat difficulty, then the attack missed.

Step 3: Determining Damage If a character successfully hits his target, he may have done damage to it. To determine the amount of injury caused, roll the damage die code for the weapon, including any modifiers from a special combat action, such as a sweep attack or hit location. Some weapons list their score as a die code with a plus sign (“+”) in front of it; in this case, add the damage die code to the attacker’s Strength Damage die code, add modifiers, and roll. If the Game Master chooses to use the optional damage bonus, this is added to the total at this time. After the player or the Game Master has figured out how much damage is done, go to the “Damage” chapter to determine how much of that damage the target sustained.

Determining Strength Damage To figure the Strength Damage die code, drop the pips from the character’s Physique or lifting die code (but include any relevant Disadvantages or Special Abilities), divide the number by 2, and round up. The Super Attribute: Physique Super Power affects the total. Example: A character with 3D in Physique has a Strength Damage of 2D. A character with 6D+2 in lifting has a Strength Damage of 3D.

Optional Damage Bonus The combat skill roll is supposed to reflect the accuracy of an attack. Therefore, Game Masters may reward high rolls for players’ characters and significant Game Master characters with a bonus to damage. Subtract the difficulty of the successful attack from the skill total and divide this number by 5, rounding up. Add this damage bonus to the damage total before comparing it to the resistance total. If the Game Master uses the damage bonus in combination with a called-shot hit location, the bonus is in addition to the damage modifier except for attempts on an arm, leg, or hand. In those cases, ignore the damage bonus. For Special Abilities and Powers that require a combat roll to target them, the Game Master may allow the combat roll’s damage bonus to apply to the ability’s roll.

Step 4: Repeat If the fight isn’t finished after one round, then return to Step 1 in the “Combat” chapter and do it all over again. Repeat these steps until the fight is resolved in favor of one side or the other.

Combat Example To give you an idea of how all this works, here’s a typical exchange between a player’s character and one of her opponents. Game Master: Okay, we’re in combat rounds now. Everyone make a Perception roll. (All players and the Game Master roll their dice.) Anyone roll higher than 20? Rachelle: Yeah, I rolled a 23! Game Master: All right, what do you want to do? Rachelle: Ah, that depends. What’re the mercs doing? Game Master: As one runs across the warehouse toward you, the other two set up some kind of large, tripod-mounted weapon near the entrance, which is about 15 meters away from you. Rachelle: I’m going to take two actions. First, I’ll shoot at one of the mercs with my rifle, and them I’m going to dodge out of the way. Game Master: Okay, you lose 1D from each action and you don’t get the full defense bonus, since you’re taking two actions. Rachelle: (Rolls her character’s marksmanship dice.) I rolled a 6 on the Wild Die! (Rolls the Wild Die again.) All right: that’s a total of 21! Game Master: Let’s see... he’s at Short range, which doesn’t modify the base combat difficulty of 10. So, you nailed him! Roll damage. Rachelle: (Rolls her rifle’s damage dice.) I rolled an 23. Game Master: Whoops! I rolled a 1 on the Wild Die. That leaves a total of 2. Well, that’s 3 points over the merc’s total body points of 20! Your rifle shot catches him right in the chest and he’s thrown backward into the wall. Okay, now make your dodge roll. Rachelle: (Rolls her character’s dodge dice.) Well, I rolled a 13, but something tell’s me that’s not going to be high enough, so I’m going to spend a Character Point. Game Master: Okay, roll another die and add it. Rachelle: (Rolls one more die.) I rolled a 5, so that’s a total of 18. I’ll stick with that. Game Master: Okay, the mercs get to go now. The one rushing toward you fires his handgun. (Checks range and then rolls the merc’s marksmanship dice.) That’s a 17. Rachelle: I rolled an 18 for my dodge this round. Good thing I spent that Character Point! Game Master: That’s right. As the bullet heads straight toward you, you just barely manage to jump out of the way.

Combat Difficulty Modifiers Range

Distance to Target

Modifier

Point Blank

0–3 meters

-5

Short

3 meters to first value*

0

Medium

First to second value*

+5

Long

Second to third value*

+10

Estimating Ranges Game Masters who aren’t interested in looking up weapon ranges and figuring out the distance to the target can estimate what modifiers to use with these guidelines. A target within a few steps of the attacker is a Point Blank range. An attacker firing a rifle at a target across a rather large chamber shoots at Short range, while an attacker with a handgun shoots the same target at Medium range. Most projectile combat taking place outdoors is at Medium to Long range.

143

Cover

Damage and Body Points

Situation

Modifier

Light smoke/fog

+1D (+3)

Thick smoke/fog

+2D (+6)

Very thick smoke/fog

+4D (+12)

Poor light, twilight

+1D (+3)

Moonlit night

+2D (+6)

Complete darkness

+4D (+12)

Object hides 25% of target

+1D (+3)

Object hides 50% of target

+2D (+6)

Object hides 75% of target

+4D (+12)

Object hides 100% of target

*

*If cover provides protection, the attacker cannot hit the target directly, but damage done to the cover might exceed the Armor Value it gives the target, and, indirectly, the target receives damage. Most of the time, the attacker must eliminate the cover before having a chance to hit the target.

Vehicle Combat When characters use vehicles, the basic combat rules are the same; the difference exists in which skill to use. Vehicles cannot block or parry. The driver may only make defensive maneuvers (“dodge”); he uses his piloting plus the vehicle’s Maneuverability rating to determine the new combat difficulty. Ramming or sideswiping with a vehicle requires the driver to make a piloting roll (see the “Vehicles and Aerial Characters” section of the “Movement” chapter for details).

DAMAGE

Injury can come from all sides. This chapter describes two methods of figuring out how hurt a character is, plus a few sources of damage other than weapons. NOTE: D6 Powers does not use the wound level system. It has been included for players and Game Master who would like to use it. Since the D6 Powers book was not designed with the wound levels in mind the GM will have to do some modifications to certain advantages like Extra Body Points.

Body Points versus Wound Levels The Body Points system has the advantage of a gradual fall into death and a more noticeable healing process. It also does not require a chart, though it can be used with Wound levels. The Wound levels system brings the end on faster and is slower to heal. Which the Game Master chooses to use depends on how deadly he wants the game. Furthermore, Game Masters should feel free further adjust the deadliness of their games.

Once the player or Game Master has her character’s damage resistance total (see the next section), subtract the attacker’s damage total from the target’s damage resistance total and subtract that number from the total Body Points the character has remaining. If the Game Master chooses, she may compare the number of Body Points the character has remaining to the “Wound Level” table to determine what level of injury the defender sustained and what its effects on the character are. If the damage resistance total is greater than or equal to the damage total, the defender incurs no injuries (beyond an annoying bruise, a shallow scrape, a light burn, or dinged protective gear).

Damage Resistance Total The damage resistance total equals a roll of the target character’s die codes from physique, armor, or Super Power (such as Increased Attribute: Physique) minus any modifiers from disease, ingested poisons, or other debilitating circumstances (such as Reduced Attribute: Physique or an appropriate Hindrance). A player may improve his character’s resistance total by spending Character Points or a Fate Point on this roll. If the character has no armor or Super Power, then the character has a damage resistance total of zero, and the player makes no roll. However, they can still spend Character Points, using them as a base damage resistance total. Spending a Fate Point allows the player to roll his character’s Physique. Totals determined from spending points are adjusted as normal, including negative and positive damage resistance modifiers.

Killing Blow A killing blow by massive damage entails a damage total equal to 91% of the character’s maximum Body Points in one blow or 100% of the character’s maximum Body Points in a single round. Use the damage total after subtracting the damage resistance total to determine whether the attack delivered a killing blow.

Stun Damage For weapons that do stun damage, after the damage total is determined but before applying it, subtract a roll of the target’s Physique or stamina from the damage total. If the victim suffers at least one point of damage, that character goes unconscious for a number of minutes equal to the difference between the resistance total and the original damage total. Equipment that does stun damage only has no effect on inanimate, non-electrical objects, though it does tend to disrupt electrical components.

Damage and Wound Levels Once the player or Game Master has her character’s damage resistance total (see the next section), compare the damage total to the damage resistance total on the “Wound Level” table to determine how much injury the defender sustained and what its effects on the character are. If the damage resistance total is greater than or equal to the damage total, the defender incurs no injuries (beyond an annoying bruise, a shallow scrape, a light burn, or dinged protective gear).

Damage Resistance Total The resistance total equals the target character’s Physique plus any bonuses from armor or Special Abilities (such as Increased Attribute: Physique) minus any modifiers from disease,

144

ingested poisons, or other debilitating circumstances (such as Reduced Attribute: Physique or an appropriate Hindrance). Do not include any Wound level modifier when attempting to resist damage. A character also may improve her resistance by spending Character Points or a Fate Point on this roll.

Killing Blow A killing blow by massive damage entails a Mortally Wounded result with one blow or gaining the Dead level in a single round. Use the damage total after subtracting the damage resistance total to determine whether the attack delivered a killing blow.

Stun Damage For weapons that do stun damage, after the number of Wounds have been determined but before applying the level modifiers, reduce the weapon’s damage by two Wound levels, with a minimum level of Stunned. The character also goes unconscious for a number of minutes equal to the difference between the resistance total and the damage total. Equipment that does stun damage only has no effect on inanimate, nonelectrical objects, though it does tend to disrupt electrical components.

Negative Damage Resistance Total It is possible for the damage resistance total to be a negative number. Spell , poisons, and sickness can all contribute negative modifiers that might take the damage resistance total below zero. In this case, the character’s body is working against him, compounding the additional damage done. Game Masters have three options for handling this: (1) They may use the negative damage resistance total as a positive bonus to all difficulties until the character is healed. (2) They may have the negative damage resistance total add positively to the amount of injury caused. This is a good method for simulating gritty adventures, as well as a way of getting low-level Game Master’s characters out of the way. (3) Have the damage resistance total equal zero. This last way works best for adventures of the comic book or action flick types.

Unconsciousness and Death If the character’s Body Points reach a few points or he has attained the Mortally Wounded level but the character wasn’t struck with a killing blow, he is still gravely injured and falls unconscious. For every minute he is at this level, his player makes a Physique roll against a difficulty equal to the number of minutes the character has been Mortally Wounded. Sufficient medical aid to bring the character to at least 10% of his maximum Body Points can possibly rescue the imperiled character. If suitable medical aid is istered within four minutes, the character recovers without undue harm. If the medical aid is given within four to 10 minutes, the player rolls his character’s Physique or stamina against a difficulty equal to the number of minutes he was Mortally Wounded. If the roll succeeds, the character revives but he loses 1D from all of his skills, though the skill cannot go below the attribute’s die code. If the medical aid is given within 10 to 15 minutes, the player rolls his character’s Physique or stamina against a difficulty equal to the number of minutes he was Mortally Wounded. If the roll succeeds, the character revives but he loses 2D from all of his skills, though no skill can be reduced below the attribute’s die code. In any case, should the roll fail, the character dies. Characters who receive their total Body Points in additional damage after reaching zero Body Points cannot be revived (by normal means, anyway). Game Masters who prefer a more rapid exit out of the mortal coil may ignore these rules, instead declaring that once the character reaches the Dead level or zero Body Points, the character is history.

145

Massive Damage Option If a character incurs two Wound levels or the Body Points equivalent within a single round, not only do the normal modifiers for the greatest level apply, the character also can do nothing but defend or run away on the next two rounds. In either of these rounds, the character may make an Easy stamina or willpower attempt, as an action, to try to recover from the blow and shake off the penalty. If this is declared as a multi-action for the round, then the character takes the multi-action penalty. If not, and the stamina or willpower roll is successful, the character may act as normal in the next round.

Descriptive Damage So a character is down by a few Body Points or has a couple of Wound levels — so what? What does that mean in descriptive ? It depends on what caused the harm. The following list supplies some general guidelines for describing what might have happened to the character’s body when he was hurt. Use the “Wound Levels” chart to decide on the character’s current Wound level. Stunned: Moderate bruise or minor sprain; laceration; muscle tear; minor dislocation of t. Wounded: Severe abrasion or sprain; deep laceration; torn ligaments; major dislocation or minor break. Severely Wounded: Broken bone; gaping wound; ripped cartilage and muscle; concussion. Incapacitated: Multiple fracture; laceration in vital area; heavy concussion. Mortally Wounded: Above options combined with multiple internal injuries. Dead: Broken neck; punctured lung; eviscerated. These are just a few examples. Really interested Game Masters can come up with charts, tables, or detailed descriptions of damage for those players who absolutely must know. The Game Master may also assign different modifiers than the general ones listed in the “Wound Levels” sidebar that more appropriately indicate the type of injury that was suffered.

Damage and NPCs To reflect the average non-player character’s relative unimportance to the universe, Game Masters may wish to lower the NPC’s Body Points or Wounds. For pure cannon fodder any damage over a roll of their Physique might cause them to keel over, while the main villain and her most important henchwomen should get the full complement.

Miscellaneous Damage Here is a small selection of various other harmful things that players may encounter during their adventures. Generally, no attack roll is necessary for any of these to affect a character, though a such roll would be required if a person could somehow attack with it. The Game Master determines what, if any, benefit armor and similar protection provides. Some equipment may even increase the damage! Damage is otherwise determined as per the combat rules. Except falling, all damage is done per round of close . The Game Master may decide that certain types in certain situations also affect characters at a distance.

146

Type

Damage

Botulism (severe case)

4D

Cold (extreme)

1D

Cyanide (fatal dose)

8D+2

Electricity (standard wall outlet)

1D

Electricity (major power line)

9D

Falling(for fall of 3 meters or more)

1D per 1.5 meters

Fire (torch-size)

1D

Hydrochloric acid (undiluted, any amount)

2D+1

Radiation (intense)

3D



Wound Levels Wounds*

Body Points†

Effect

Damage Total ≥ Resistance Total By:

Body Points Left

Stunned

1–3

80% – 60%

Wounded

4–8

59% – 40%

Severely Wounded

4–8**

39% – 20%

Incapacitated

9–12

19% – 10%

Mortally Wounded

13–15

1% – 9%

Dead

16 or more

0

*Note: Any additional damage less than the character’s current level moves the character up by one level. **A character moves to the Severely Wounded level if the difference is between 4 and 8 and she already has the Wounded level. †Note: This is an optional chart for use with Body Points. The “Body Points Left” column is based on the character’s maximum Body Points. Round so no overlap exists between levels. Penalties imposed by each level are not cumulative; do not include them when determining the stun or damage resistance total or any total not involving a skill or attribute. Stunned: -1D for all remaining actions this round and next round or may only defend or retreat in the next round. Wounded: -1D to all actions until healed. Severely Wounded: -2D on all actions until healed. Incapacitated: The character is severely injured. As a free action before losing consciousness, he may try to stay up with a Moderate (15) stamina or willpower roll. If the character succeeds, he may continue to act, but all actions have a -3D penalty. If he fails, he is knocked out for 10D minutes. Mortally Wounded: The character is near death and knocked unconscious with no chance to keep up. Roll the character’s Physique each round, the character finally dying if the roll is less than the number of minutes a character’s been Mortally Wounded. Dead: The character is toast. Sorry.

Fast Combat Options Game Masters who wish to give the players’ characters and their major opponents an edge in battles, make the game more realistic, or simply save themselves trouble should apply the modifiers in the first round of combat and then reassess the levels after combat is complete.

Adjusting the Deadliness Changing the Body Points system is fairly obvious: More Body Points lead to longer character life spans, while fewer points bring about the end quicker. Altering the Wound level system is a little more involved and can be handled in a few different ways. Game Masters who want to add Wound levels may include additional versions of the same level, similar to the way Wounded and Severely Wounded are handled currently. Alternatively, they may add additional levels between each one by spreading out the points currently needed to reach each level, or even add further point levels between Mortally Wounded and Dead. Game Masters who wish to remove Wound levels may include the lower limit of a deleted level in the next level up or the upper limit in the next level down. Or they may simply take levels out of the bottom or middle and shift all remaining levels down.

HEALING

There are many different ways that characters can regain their health. Characters may never get back more than their maximum number of Body Points or Wounds.

Body Points: Natural Healing The body heals naturally during the course of the day. The more rest characters get, the faster their wounds heal. Using the “Body Points Healing” chart, the character rolls her Physique plus a modifier based on how much rest she’s had that day. A character gets a modifier of +1D on each full day of rest (sleeping, reading, or other sedentary activities). If she is involved in light activity, such as walking or singing, the modifier is zero. However, if most of the day is spent fighting and running, the modifier is -1D. The character receives the Body Points back at the beginning of the next day. Optionally, the Game Master may require an injured character to complete a period of rest before making the natural healing roll. Use the “Rest Period” chart and the character’s Wound level to determine how long the character needs to wait before attempting the natural healing roll. The Game Master then multiplies the result by 3 to figure out how many Body Points were healed.

Skill Characters can heal others or themselves with some basic field procedures for treating wounds. Such attempts don’t require a medical kit. Simply roll medicine to help an injured comrade, and find the results on the “Body Points Healing” chart. A successful roll heals the character the listed amount. A character using a medical kit may add its bonus to the roll. A character may only attempt to heal a patient once per day. Other characters may also try to help the patient, adding their expertise to the first healer’s.

Body Points Healing Medicine or Physique Total

Body Points Recovered

0

0

1–5

2

6–10

1D

11–15

2D

16–20

3D

21–25

4D

26–30

5D

30+

6D

Rest Period Level of Wound

Rest Period

Stunned*

1 minute

Wounded

3 days

Severely Wounded

3 days

Incapacitated

2 weeks

Mortally Wounded

5 weeks

*Those using Body Points should use this level for characters who have no Wound level.

147

Wounds: Natural Healing A character can heal naturally, but this process is slow. The character must rest a specified amount of time and then can make a natural healing roll: roll the character’s full Physique and find the result on the chart related to the character’s current Wound level to see if the character heals. Healing characters can do virtually nothing but rest. Characters who try to work, exercise, or adventure must subtract 1D from their Physique when they make their natural healing roll. Any character who opts to take it easy and do virtually nothing for twice the necessary time may add 1D to the Physique roll to heal.

Skill Characters can heal others or themselves with some basic field procedures for treating wounds. Such attempts don’t require a medical kit. Simply roll medicine to treat wounds in the field, and find the results on the Assisted Healing chart. A successful roll heals the character up one level: for instance, a successful medicine roll on someone who’s Wounded would bring him back to Stunned. A character using a medical kit may add its bonus to the roll. Medicine Modifier Option Before the beginning of the technological and pharmaceutical boom, which started in the 1940s, medicine was handled in a crude fashion and ideas such as sterilizing were only beginning to catch on. To reflect this, Game Masters may wish to impose a -5 penalty to the total when attempting to use the medicine skill before the 1940s or in primitive conditions.

Wounds Healing Natural A stunned wound is automatically recovered after one minute (12 rounds) of complete rest.

Stunned

Wounded Physique Roll

Result

Critical Failure

Character worsens to Severely Wounded.

2–5

Character remains Wounded.

6+

Character is fully healed.

Severely Wounded Physique Roll

Result

Critical Failure

Character worsens to Incapacitated.

2–5

Character remains Severely Wounded.

6+

Character improves to Wounded.

Incapacitated

148

Physique Roll

Result

Critical Failure

Character worsens to Mortally Wounded.

2–7

Character remains Incapacitated.

8+

Character improves to Severely Wounded.

Mortally Wounded Physique Roll

Result

Critical Failure

Character dies.

2–7

Character remains Mortally Wounded.

8+

Character improves to Incapacitated.



Assisted Injury Level

Difficulty

Stunned, unconscious

Easy (10)

Wounded, Severely Wounded

Moderate (15)

Incapacitated

Difficult (20)

Mortally Wounded

Very Difficult (30)



COMBAT OPTIONS

Players sometimes want their characters to do some pretty fancy maneuvers during combat. This chapter offer guidance with several common ones.

Using the Modifiers All modifiers listed in this chapter and in the “Combat” chapter are cumulative, though the Game Master doesn’t need to include all of them. Modifiers may never adjust the total combat difficulty below 3. The Game Master rolls the indicated modifier and adds it to the combat situation. A standard modifier is included in parentheses after the die modifier, should the Game Master prefer not to roll.

Marksmanship Options Marksmanship Option Modifier

Difficulty

Damage Modifier

Notes

Burst fire as single

0

-2D

A character may perform this attack only with a weapon capable of burst fire (like an assault rifle) and switching to single fire. The firer fires only one shot instead of a burst; it is primarily used to conserve ammunition.

Full Auto

-2D (-6)

+2D

This attack is only possible with weapons that can fire at fully automatic settings (such as assault rifles, submachine guns, and machine guns). Since the character is taking quite a bit of time to “hold down the trigger” and pump ammo into the air, the extra “to hit” and “damage” bonuses are somewhat compensated for by the modifier to the character’s defensive value during the round he is performing a full auto attack.

Single Fire as Multi

-1D (-3)*

+1D*

The character fires a weapon (such as a pistol) several times in a round at the same target. Characters may use this option only when a weapon automatically reloads itself after firing a single shot or when it is fairly easy to ready it for firing again (such as a .45 automatic, which puts a new cartridge in the slide as soon as the first one clears the barrel). It increases the character’s chance to hit a target, as well as the damage. It does not count as a multi-action as long as the shot is taken at the same target. One target, one die roll, one damage total.

Sweep (Ranged)

-2D (-6)

-3D

The character wants to “spray an area” with ammo. Only characters with weapons that go full auto, burst, or single fire as multi (in general, just about any automatic weapon) can perform this maneuver. The gun uses the amount of ammunition needed by whichever setting is used. They gain a positive modifier to hit (because of the sheer volume of shots), but this “non-targeted” attack results in a lower damage total.

*Modifiers are per additional round of ammunition, up to maximum that the weapon holds.

Brawling and Melee Combat Options Acrobatic Tricks: Acrobatics can also enhance brawling and melee combat attacks. The character must perform the acrobatics trick and the attack on the same turn. The Game Master determines the exact difficulty of the acrobatics attempt. The player may add one-half of the difference (rounded up) between the difficulty and the successful acrobatics roll to the amount of damage done (not to the combat skill roll). One acrobatics trick roll can affect one attack only. All-out Attack: The character attacks with no thought to the consequences. This maneuver increases the chance of the character striking the target, but, in that round, the attacker cannot perform any other action at all — not even to actively defend. Lunge: The character takes a step forward to jab at an opponent, usually with an edged weapon. This adds about a halfmeter (more or less depending on the stride) to the range of the attack, but it lowers the effectiveness of the attack. Knockdown/Push/Trip: Using brawling or a blunt melee weapon in the usual way, the attacker causes his target to stumble and, instead of taking damage, the opponent loses 2D from her next Reflexes or Reflexes-based skill roll. If this is a knockdown or trip attempt, she must also spend one action to stand up again.

Generally, unless the character has special training, he may only knockdown or push a character whose Physique (including Special Abilities or Disadvantage modifiers) is equal to or less than his own. Sweep (Close Combat): These attacks, usually foot sweeps or roundhouses, are used when the character wants to make certain she hits the target, regardless of how much injury is caused. Tackle: Tackling is much like grabbing, except that the attacker seeks to overcome the target entirely. Characters may perform this with brawling only. If successful or the target chooses not to struggle, the character captures the target and may, if desired, do normal damage. The target, meanwhile, may make no other actions than attempt to escape (see the escape rules herein). On subsequent rounds, the attacker may choose to do her Strength Damage only (no modifiers). Grab: The attacker physically grasps a target. Few melee weapons allow this option, so it is used generally only in brawling attacks. What effect this has on the target depends on the type of grab. (The ones listed here are choke, flip, hold, slam/throw, and arm pin.) See the escape rules in this chapter for details on getting out of grabs. On subsequent rounds of a grab, attackers who defeat an escape attempt or against a defender who chooses

149

not to resist may do their Strength Damage only (no modifiers except those from Special Abilities or equipment). Some grab variations may offer other options. Choke: Ropes and hands can cut off the target’s source of air. Damage on the first round equals the character’s Strength Damage plus any modifiers. See the general grab rules for damage on subsequent rounds. Flip: The character reaches out, grabs his opponent’s wrist, arm, leg, or similar body part, and jerks violently, causing the opponent to fall to the ground. The opponent takes 3D in damage from slamming into the ground and must spend the next round getting to her feet (if she can). Hold: The character does less damage (-3D or more, at the player’s option, to the damage total), but she has hold of the target with a successful attack. Slam/Throw: The character grabs or picks up his opponent and hurls him into the ground, a wall, a bus, or another obstacle. Lifting the opponent counts as an action (using the lifting skill), as does slamming or throwing the target (which uses the throwing skill). The character must be strong enough to pick his opponent up to use this maneuver. Once slammed into an object, the target takes the damage score of the object (usually determined by its Toughness, but the Game Master may adjust this) plus the attacker’s Strength Damage. The object being slammed into takes the Strength Damage of the opponent. Arm Pin: The hero grabs his target’s arm and forces it around behind her, pinning it there. After the first round, the player has three choices as to what his character can do. Each option counts as a separate action. Option 1. The character does his Strength Damage only for each round he has the arm pinned. Option 2. The character tries to break the opponent’s arm. The attacker must make a successful Physique or lifting roll versus a breaking difficulty. If the opponent does not resist, the difficulty equals two times the target’s Physique or lifting die code plus the pips plus any relevant protection. Failing to beat the breaking difficulty in this case means the target takes damage as in option 1. If the target chooses to resist, she may make no other action in the round, but she may move her turn up. Instead, the player rolls her character’s Physique or lifting and adds 5 and any relevant protection to the total to generate the breaking difficulty. Failure by the attacker to beat the breaking difficulty in this case means that the target wrenches free and may freely take action on the next round. Option 3. The character may attempt to force the target to the ground while maintaining his hold on the arm. The attacker rolls his brawling against a submission difficulty. If the opponent does not resist, the submission difficulty equals two times her Reflexes die code plus the pips. Failing to beat the breaking difficulty in this case means the target takes damage as in option 1. If the target chooses to resist, the opponent may make no other action in the round, though she may move her turn up. Instead, the player rolls her character’s Reflexes and adds 5 and any relevant modifiers to the total to generate the submission difficulty. Failure by the attacker to beat the difficulty in this case means that the target wrenches free and may freely take action on the next round.

150

Combat Difficulty Modifiers Brawl, Melee Combat

Difficulty

Damage Modifier

All-out

-2D (-6)

+1D

Grab

+2D (+6)

*

Lunge

+1D (+3)

-1D

Knockdown, trip

+2D (+6)

*

Push

+1D (+3)

*

Sweep

-2D (-6)

-3D

Tackle

+1D (+3)

*

Options for Various Combat Skills All Attacks Difficulty Low gravity

-1D (-3)

No gravity

-2D (-6)

Heavy gravity

+3D (+10)

Other Modifiers The attacker is blind or blinded

+4D (+12)

The target is blind or blinded

+4D (+12)

Breaking Things Use the demolitions skill guidelines in the “Example Skill Difficulties” chapter for determining the effect of damage on items.

Called Shot The character chooses a specific target, like a gun in a thug’s hand, and aims for that. This is represented by a called-shot modifier, which is added to the combat difficulty. On a successful attack, he knocks the item out of the target’s hand, grabs the limb, pins the target to a wall, or does +1D (or more, at the Game Master’s discretion) to the damage. The exact result depends on the situation and the player’s intent.

Called Shot

Difficulty

Target is...

*See text for options.

10 to 50 centimeters long

+1D (+3)

1 to 10 centimeters long

+4D (+12)

Less than a centimeter long

+8D (+24)

Disarm If the disarm attempt is successful and the target character has not made an action yet, she may move up her action to try and keep a grip on the item she’s holding. The defending character makes a Physique or lifting roll against the amount of damage done. If the defender’s roll is greater than the damage, the target character retains the item. If it is less than or equal to the damage, she drops it.

Entangle A hero throws an entangling weapon at her opponent. On a successful marksmanship, missile weapons, or throwing roll (as appropriate), the end of the weapon wraps itself around the target. Unless the weapon is spiked, electrified, or enhanced in some other way, it does no damage, but it prevents the target from doing any action except for trying to break free. The target may escape by snapping the bonds or slipping free, each of which counts as an action. To break the weapon, he must make a Physique or lifting roll that meets or beats the damage total of the weapon. To slip free, he needs to roll a Reflexes total equal to or higher than the weapon’s damage total.

Escape To break free from any hold, the character must make a successful opposed Physique or lifting roll versus the holder’s Physique or lifting. This counts as an action.

Group Attack This is a coordinated action. See the description of the command skill in the next chapter for details.

Hit Locations Hit locations are a special kind of called shot that allows a character to shoot or strike a specific point on his target’s body. The table is used to determine the modifiers for hitting a target of Human proportions in different areas of his body. Note that aiming at an arm or leg actually causes less damage — this is because the character took extra care to shoot an area that is “less vital.”

Option Modifier

Difficulty

Damage Modifier

Head

+1D (+3)

+12

Heart

+4D (+12)

+12

Chest, abdomen

0

0

Left or right arm

+1D (+3)

-2

Left or right leg

+1D (+3)

-1

Left or right hand

+4D (+12)

-2

Effects At the Game Master’s discretion, sufficient damage to a particular hit location can affect the target’s ability to use that part. Except for blows to the chest, the modifier lasts until the character heals that portion (which typically takes a few days, as Body Points or Wounds are recovered for the body as a whole, not just a specific part). When the medicine skill or a healing spell is applied, it can be specified to repair one particular location. Hit location modifiers are in addition to Wound level modifiers. If you are using them instead of the Wound level modifiers, then all -1 modifiers increase to -1D modifiers. Chest: The character can do no more than ively defend in the next round. Foot or leg: -1 to all acrobatics, sneak, movement, and initiative totals. Hand or arm: -1 to all acrobatics, brawling, climbing, melee combat, missile weapons, sleight of hand, throwing, lifting, and any other rolls involving the hand or arm. Head: -1 to all Knowledge, Perception, and initiative totals.

Knockout This option does only half of the normal damage, but it can render the target immediately unconscious with a successful attack. It requires a successful called shot to the head. If, after the resistance total has been subtracted, the target sustains at least two Wound levels or 50% of his maximum Body Points in damage, then he falls unconscious for a number of hours equal to difference between the combat skill total and the combat difficulty or until he’s awoken by some external force, whichever comes first. The target receives only half the Wound levels or Body Point damage inflicted (round down).

151

Multiple Weapons

Ready a Weapon

Weapons that characters can use with one hand and in either hand, such as knives or most guns, may be employed at the same time in the same round. The character incurs a multi-action penalty.

It takes one action per item to draw a gun, unsheathe a knife, reload a rifle, or something similar. Although this generally does not require a skill roll, the Game Master may require one related to the weapon in question for particularly stressful situations. Additionally, drawing and using the weapon in the same round incurs a multi-action penalty. The Game Master may add further modifiers for attempting to get out an item from a restrictive location or ready an unwieldy weapon.

Prone and Crouching Attacking a target that is crouched on the ground adds 1D (3) to the combat difficulty. If the target is moving while crouching, then the combat difficulty increases by 2D (6), but the defending character’s normal Move, free Move, or running result is halved. For prone targets, subtract 2D (6) from the combat difficulty when attacking at Point Blank or Short range, but add 2D (6) to combat difficulty when attacking at Medium or Long range. Characters who willingly get low to the ground or make themselves small may get into and out of the position as a free action. However, character forced into that position, such as a result of being thrown, need to make an effort to stand, which counts as an action.

Quick Draw This option allows the character to act rapidly or draw and fire a weapon in the same round as one action. The character may use any combat skill or appropriate specialization. If she is also using a weapon, it must be suitable for quick drawing (a bow and arrow, a loaded pistol, a dagger, a shuriken). Before initiative is rolled, the player must announce that she intends for her character to draw her weapon quickly. The player may then take some of the skill dice and add them to the Perception die code for purposes of increasing initiative for that round only. The player must leave at least 1D in her skill. If the character wants to make multiple attacks, she subtracts 1D for each attack beyond the first from the number of dice in the skill she’s using before the player moves dice around. She does not take a penalty for the draw. All attacks by the hero in the same round must be made with the same skill, though the results are determined differently and they all occur at the same die code because the multi-action penalty was already figured in. Example: A crime fighter wants to smack her arch-nemesis with her shuriken before the villain can draw his weapon. The crime fighter has 4D in Perception and 8D in throwing. She may take up to 7D and add it to her Perception die code to determine initiative. The crime fighter, however, wants to throw two shuriken. After subtracting 1D for the extra attack, she now has 7D in the skill, which allows her to add up to 6D to the initiative roll. She decides to move only 3D. This gives her 7D in Perception to determine initiative and 4D in throwing. Now both the hero and the villain make their initiative rolls. Once initiative is determined, at the character’s turn in the round, she uses the remaining dice in the skill to determine her accuracy.

152

Scale Occasionally, objects of vastly different sizes get involved in fights. The scale modifier s for the fact that bigger items are easier to hit, and usually can take more damage, than smaller ones. Use the accompanying chart as a guide for determining the appropriate value for the two combat participants. Game Masters may further subdivide between levels. If both opponents are either larger than or equal to a Human or smaller than or equal to a Human, subtract the larger number from the smaller one to calculate the scale modifier. If one opponent is smaller than a Human while the other is larger, then add together the two values. For most cases, use these rules: If the attacker is larger than the defender, then the scale modifier is added to the combat difficulty and the damage total. If the attacker is smaller than the defender, then the scale modifier is added to the attacker’s combat skill total and the defender’s damage resistance total. Example: A thief has snuck into a laboratory defended by toy tanks with working weapons. The tanks have a scale value of 6. With the thief’s scale value of the zero, the scale modifier is 6 (6 - 0). Because the tank is smaller than the thief, the tank gets a +6 to its marksmanship roll, while the thief gets a +6 to his damage resistance total. When the thief attacks the tank, the scale modifier is added to the thief’s combat difficulty and to his damage total, if he manages to step on it. In some cases, the object may be large but lightly constructed (such as a parade balloon). At these times, the Game Master should not add the scale modifier to the damage resistance total. Typically, a weapon’s scale when determining how much damage it does is the same as the person holding it or the thing it’s mounted on. So, a rifle has a scale value of 0, while a fullsize tank’s gun has a scale of 10. These would differ if someone targeted just the weapon.

Scale Participant Size

Value

Eight Story Building

24

Four Story Building

20

Two Story Building

14

City Bus

10

Average car

6

Small Motorcycle

3

Average human

0

Small Human child

-3

Breadbox

-6

Fashion doll

-9

Action Figure

-12

Plastic army figure

-15

Ant

-21

Gnat

-23

The tip of a pin

-25

Microscopic organism

-27

Atomic Rank

-35

Sub Atomic

-40

Surprise A hero who surprises her opponent may either act first in the round (if initiative hasn’t already been determined) or gain a +1D or more to her action. Attacks from behind, an ambush, or unexpected sources (such as a companion) make up the most common sources of surprise.

Unwieldy Weapon Melee weapons longer than 60 centimeters, objects that are hard to throw or grasp, ones relying on technology with which the is unfamiliar, or any weapons otherwise difficult to wield may incur a +5 or more modifier to the combat difficulty. The Game Master may decide that such factors as experience, strength, and features of the weapon (such as a well-balanced sword) lower this modifier.

153

SUper Heroic Combat Options Super heroes do a lot of over the top moves while combating villains. To simulate this, the following moves are meant to add color and flavor to a combat with “over the top action. These moves that wouldn’t necessarily work or even be allowed in a more “realistic” game (whatever that might be). Some of the options modify or change standard D6 maneuvers to better represent super heroic battles in a four-color world. The list is by no means complete, and in your personal game many more fantastic maneuvers will be created.

Acrobatic Trick Attack Skill most commonly used

acrobatics and brawling (normal multi action penalties apply)

Base Difficulty

Acrobatics skill roll is determined by the player, brawl roll as normal.

Acrobatics can also enhance brawling and melee combat attacks. The character must perform the acrobatics trick and the attack on the same turn. The player determines the exact difficulty of the acrobatics attempt. Half of the difficulty of the attack is added to the amount of damage done. Each acrobatics trick roll can affect one attack only. If the acrobatic skill roll is a failure then the attacker suffers a penalty to his attack equal to half the difficulty of the roll. If the roll was a failure with a one (1) on the wild die then the attacker takes the bonus damage intended for his opponent plus he falls flat on his back and must spend an action to get to his feet. Example: The Monkey King is fighting the Maxim. Monkey King decided to spring off the table over the Maxim and hit him in the back of his head. He decided the difficulty will be a 20 for such a maneuver. If he is successful he may add +10 to his damage!

Charge Attack Skill most commonly used

running and brawling (normal multi action penalties apply)

Base Difficulty

10. +1 difficulty for each additional 10 meters of movement. Brawl roll is the normal difficulty to hit the target.

A character may try and use her forward momentum to add to the damage of her melee or brawl attack. The character must move at least 5 meters to do this maneuver but gains a +1 to damage. For each additional 10 meters of movement the character gains an additional +1 to damage. The difficulty increases by +1 for every 10 meters of movement. If the roll is a failure then both he and his opponent take the bonus damage.

154

Coordinated Attack Skill most commonly used

command

Base Difficulty

5 with an additional +1 difficulty for each member of the team plus additional modifiers (see below)

A group of characters can cooperate and attack a foe in force. The group attacks as a team against a single target, to a much greater effect. All characters involved in the assault must attack at the same time, during the lowest team member’s Initiative. The team can opt for doing extra damage, getting a better position to attack or both. The more complex the maneuver the more difficult the command skill roll will be to make. If the roll is successful everyone in the group receives the determined bonus. If the roll is a failure then the team is thrown into disarray making it more difficult to attack (instead of a bonus the team now has a penalty equal to half of what they were shooting for). Other Maneuvers can be combined with the coordinated attack maneuver.

Coordinated Attack Modifiers

Difficulty Modifier

+1D to damage the team receives

+5

+1 to attack bonus the team receives

+3

Example: Maxim wants to coordinate an attack against the walking behemoth Tetsuo. Maxim is the leader of a 5 man team (that includes him) and wants to quickly take down the behemoth before he does anymore damage. Maxim’s player decided he wants to do +1D damage and maneuver in order to make it easier for the team to hit by adding a +3 to the attack roll. The difficulty for such a maneuver is 24 (+1 difficulty for each member of the team, +5 for the 1D of extra damage and +9 for the +3 attack bonus, and the 5 for the base difficulty of the maneuver).

Feint Attack

Intimidation

Skill most commonly used

Brawl, melee, or con

Skill most commonly used

intimidation

Base Difficulty

brawl or melee vs. the opponents Perception or search skill

Base Difficulty

intimidation versus the opponents willpower roll

Characters in melee or hand-to-hand combat may try to trick their opponents into maneuvering into a less defensive position. The character makes a brawl or melee roll versus her opponent’s Perception Attribute or search skill. If the roll is successful the character receives the bonus on her next action. If the roll is a failure the opponent is too savvy for such a ploy and the character suffers a penalty to his defense equal to the wild die roll.

Brawl or melee roll > Target Total By

Effect

1-3

Character receives a +1 bonus to her next attack

4-8

Character receives a +2 bonus to her next attack

9-12

Character receives a +1D bonus to her next attack

13-15

Character receives a +1D bonus to her next attack and does +3 extra damage

16+

Character receives a +2D bonus to her next attack and does +1D extra damage

The character uses his presence to menace and bully his opponents into submission. The character makes a contested intimidation roll versus the opponents willpower roll in order to cow or startle them. The character can intimidate multiple opponents with the Ominous Demeanor advantage.

Intimidation roll > Target Total By

Effect

1-3

Opponent is shaken. +1 difficulty to any action to attack or target the character

4-8

Opponent is scared. +3 difficulty to any action to attack or target the character

9-12

Opponent is intimidated. +5 difficulties to any action to attack or target the character and the opponent loose an action.

13-15

Opponent is intimidated. +5 difficulties to any action to attack or target the character for two rounds. The opponent looses an action.

16+

Opponent is intimidated. +5 difficulties to any action to attack or target the character for two rounds. The opponent looses actions equal to the characters Presence attribute

Knock Back

Whenever a character rolls a critical success (rolling a 6 on his wild die) during combat, Knock Back occurs. The opponent is sent hurtling directly away from the attack in a straight line. The character knocks his opponent back 1 meter for every damage die he has, plus two meters for every five points over the difficulty roll. Example: Bravo punches Dagon in the face. Bravo (Physique 8D) rolls his brawling skill of 6D and gets a 3, 4, 2 5, 5, and a 6 on his wild die. He re-rolls the wild die and gets another 6, and rolls again getting a 4. Bravo only needed 10 to hit Dagon and his total was 35, meaning that he beat the difficulty by 25. For every 5 points over what he needed he knocks Dagon back 2 meters. Dagon is knocked back 18 meters; 8 meters for Bravo’s Physique damage and 10 meters for the exceptional roll. If the victim hits something solid before finishing his Knock Back movement, both he and the object he strikes take damage. The damage equals the toughness of the object struck, but damage dice can never exceed the distance traveled. Example: An opponent is knocked back 10 meters and strikes a wall with a toughness of 20. The opponent would only take 10D of damage, not 20D. Example 2: The opponent is knocked back 15 meters into a wall with a toughness of 5D. The opponent would take 5D of damage; the toughness of the wall. If the character is smaller or larger than his opponent, the amount of knock back varies slightly. If the opponent is larger, reduce the amount of knock back by 1 meter per size level of difference. If the opponent is smaller, increase the amount of knock back by 1 meter per size level of difference.

155

Knock Back , Planned

Characters can do a Planned Knock Back attack. The difficulty of this attack is increased by +5, and is further modified by + or 3 per size level of difference if the opponent is larger or smaller. The attack does only half the normal damage, but if the character succeeds with the attack she does Knock Back as normal. The character does not need to roll a six on the wild die in order to do Knock Back with this maneuver.

Melee Attack, Large item Skill most commonly used

lifting and melee (normal multiaction penalties apply)

Base Difficulty

normal

The character picks up a large object and sweeps it across an area hitting multiple targets. The size of the item will modify the attack roll. The damage done to opponents is determined by the toughness of the object plus the strength damage of the character. The attacker may hit additional opponents at no penalty as long as they are near the actual target of the attack. The extra opponents are allowed a reflexive dodge with a difficulty equal to the attacker’s melee skill total. The item is usually destroyed after one attack or just unsuitable to use again.

Item

Attack Modifier

Attacker may hit:

A street light pole

+3 to difficulty

1 extra opponent no penalty

A large tree

+6 to difficulty

3 extra opponent no penalty

A bus

+10 to difficulty

5 extra opponent no penalty

A jetliner

+46 to difficulty

20 extra opponent no penalty

Sacrifice Dodge Skill most commonly used

dodge

Base Difficulty

the attack roll

Characters may want to jump in front of an attack meant for someone else. The character may act out of turn and jump in front of the attack. He must then make a dodge roll equal to or better than the attacker’s roll. If he’s successful, he has saved the intended victim from taking damage. He, however, takes the damage from the attack – this represents the fact that the character threw himself directly in front of the attack without any regard for his own safety.

156

Throw, Opponent Skill most commonly used

brawling, throwing, and sometimes lifting (normal multi action penalties apply)

Base Difficulty

standard

The character grabs or picks up his opponent and hurls him into the ground, a wall, a bus, or another obstacle. Lifting the opponent counts as an action (using the lifting skill), as does slamming or throwing the target (which uses the throwing skill). The character must be strong enough to pick his opponent up to use this maneuver. Once slammed into an object, the target takes the damage score of the object (usually determined by its Toughness, but the Game Master may adjust this) plus the attacker’s Strength Damage. The maximum amount of damage the opponent takes can never exceed double the thrower’s Strength damage. Example: Misty Whitehall (Physique 8D) throws a Rent-a-Goon into a wall that has a toughness of 20D (a really tough adamantine wall). The damage the opponent would take could not exceed 16D of damage. The object being slammed into takes the Strength Damage of the opponent. The opponent must spend an action to get to his feet after being thrown. The distance an opponent is thrown is equal to the characters Physique attribute in meters for short range. (Note: those with super Physique double their range and may further augment it with the enhanced throwing range advantage).

Throw, Large Objects Skill most commonly used

used: lifting and throwing (normal multi action penalties apply)

Base Difficulty

normal range penalties plus the thrown objects scale

Sometimes a character wants to pick up something huge like a bus or a plane and hurl it at her opponent. The items thrown are usually so big that the opponent must jump out of the area of effect using the dodge skill (modified by the size of the object) to avoid damage. Multiple targets can be affected with a single attack if the item is large enough (GM’s discretion). The damage done to the area is determined by the toughness of the object.

Example objects

Targets dodge modifier

A car (scale 6)

+6 to difficulty

Bus or tank (scale 10)

+10 to difficulty

Two story house (scale 14)

+14 to difficulty

Jumbo jet (scale 46)

+46 to difficulty

Aircraft carrier (scale 50)

+50 to difficulty

Lifting

Breaking things

At the Game Master’s discretion, a player may make a lifting check when his character first picks up an object. (Generally, if the object’s weight would give it a difficulty equal to or greater than one-half of the character’s lifting, rounded up, or the object is being lifted hastily or under stress, the Game master should require a lifting roll.) For each round the object is carried, the character makes another check to see if he can continue to carry the object. If the player fails the roll, his character is too exhausted and must put the object down. If the character is doing anything else at the time (other than walking slowly or talking), continuing to carry the object counts as a multiple action. See page 22 for weights

Players love to break things in a super heroic game. Here are a few examples of common things and what they weight. Note that these weights and toughness die codes are an average of the common items.

Scenery The toughness of a standard 2 meter radius wall is

2D

Wall material modifier

Toughness modifier

Drywall

-2

Wood

+0

Brick

+2D

Concrete

+3D

Reinforced concrete

+4D

Steel

+6D

Adamantium

+7D

Vehicle

Toughness

Weight

Car

4D+2

2 Tons

Truck

5D+2

4 Tons

Bus

6D

8 Tons

Tank

8D

50 Tons

Small Plane

5D

600 kg

Private jet

6D+1

4 tons

Jetliner (747)

8D

200 tons

Canoe

2D

50 Kg

Speedboat

4D+2

7 tons

Tug Boat

7D

52 tons

Aircraft Carrier

8D+ scale mod.

81,000 tons

Outdoor Scenery/ Items

Toughness

Weight

Parking Meter

3D

25 Kg

Lamp Post

4D

250 Kg

Fire Hydrant

4D+2

60 Kg

Man Hole Cover

4D

25 Kg

Statue

7D

50 Kg

Boulder

4D+2

100 Kg

Trash Dumpster

5D

250 Kg

Large Tree

4D

200 Kg

157

Martial Arts Powers are an incredible advantage in the field, but never underestimate the prowess of a highly skilled physical combatant. Martial artists in all cultures have achieved astounding feats with nothing more than willpower and finely honed skills. Martial Arts are a special type of specialized (((!))) skill that will give a character a little more edge in hand-to-hand and melee combat. The skill is purchased like any other specialty with a few requirements: The character MUST have a brawl or melee skill of at least 4D. No novice can hope to achieve the effects that a seasoned professional can. There are usually a few different techniques under each martial art. A character’s ability to learn and used them are dictated by the level of his skill. For every level of total skill a character has, he may choose an additional technique from the list under his chosen martial art (round up).

Example: Jean Dubious has 6 dice in brawl with a +3D specialization in Savate martial arts, giving him a total of 9 Dice. Jean may choose all the listed skills under his chosen martial art. If his skill was a total of 6D he could only choose 3 of the techniques. Different arts and style will attribute different advantages to the character. A person trained in the arts of Boxing will have a much more impressive punch than the Judo master, but on the other hand he will be at a loss when it’s time for grapples or throws. Most martial arts masters are well versed in several techniques and art forms to take advantage of different strengths. Each specialization is taken separately. There are a few different maneuvers exclusive to the martial artist. These attack forms receive a bonus to either their execution or damage. The character receives a bonus of +1 per two dice they have in the skill; that for every three points the plus turns into a full die. In all cases always round up.

Example: Jean Dubious has 6 dice in brawl with a +3D specialization in Savate martial arts giving him a total of 9 Dice. Jean could kick with a bonus to his damage of +1D+1. If he were dodging he would receive a bonus of 3D. Each art give the character a different bonus to certain types of maneuvers or actions while in combat. The types of maneuvers are listed below. Hand Strike/Punch

A strike with the fist or open palm

The character receives a bonus to the attack roll to hit.

Kick

A more powerful attack but less stable maneuver than the punch

The character receives a bonus to damage equal to his martial arts bonus.

Dodge/Block/Parry

A defensive action used to stop or altogether avoid an incoming melee or brawling attack

A block of Parry will negate damage equal to the character’s martial arts bonus. NOTE: Blocks and parries cannot be used to negate the damage from a ranged attack such as bullets or energy blast, for that you DODGE.

Disarm/Grapple/Hold/Throw

A maneuver used to wrestle and hold or hurl an opponent to the ground causing damage.

The maneuver can also be used to knock or wrest a weapon from an opponent’s hands. The character receives a bonus to his chance to grapple equal to his martial arts bonus or damage from the throw equal to half his martial arts bonus.

Sweep/Takedown/Trip

The ability to take an opponent to the mat and in some cases cause him damage doing so.

The character receives a bonus to his chance to grapple equal to his martial arts bonus or damage from the throw equal to half his martial arts bonus. Opponents that fall to the ground must spend one action getting to their feet. Opponents prone on the ground are easier to attack with kick attacks and grapple attacks.

The Styles Not all martial arts are created equally. Some styles focus on offensive power over defensive ability. Some offer greater striking strength at the expense of any ability to grapple. The listing below gives a generalized and cinematic overview of the martial arts styles. A listing with a Plus symbol (+) mean that the character receives a bonus when using this maneuver. A Negative sign (-) mean that the character’s martial art ability doesn’t have access to this technique. Note: The styles presented here are not exact or detail representations of the martial arts form. The styles and bonus listed here are to simulate a cinematic form of play; they are not meant to model the style exactly.

158

Aikido

Capoeira

Aikido emphasizes evasion and circular/spiral redirection of an attacker’s aggressive force into throws, pins, and immobilizations as a primary strategy rather than punches and kicks.

Capoeira primarily attacks with kicks and sweeps. Some schools teach punches and hand strikes, but they are not as common, because this art was originally developed by handcuffed slaves fighting against their guards. Elbow strikes are commonly used in place of hand strikes. Capoeira also uses acrobatic and athletic movements to maneuver around the opponent.

Hand Strike/Punch

+

Kick

+

Dodge/Block/Parry

+

Hand Strike/Punch

+

Grapple/Hold/Throw

-

Kick

+

Sweep/Takedown/Trip

+

Dodge/Block/Parry

+

Special Technique

Grapple/Hold/Throw

-

Swarm of Kissing Butterflies By using a flurry of hand attacks, the attacker distracts the opponent from the real danger of a takedown maneuver or arm pin. Opponents must win a contest of their Perception versus the Attacker’s brawl skill or receive a penalty of -1 for every die the attacker has in his skill to any defensive roll to escape the grapple or takedown. Sidestep Dodge The artist uses his opponent’s momentum against him. When an opponent attacks the artist his attack is quickly sidestepped. The opponent is thrown to the ground using his own active force. The martial artist adds his Coordination attribute to his defensive roll when using this maneuver. When the opponent misses (he must miss in order to use this technique) the artist may roll his brawl + Aikido dice versus his opponent’s dodge. If the artist is successful his opponent is send hurling to the ground.

Sweep/Takedown/Trip

+

Special Technique Whirlwind Kick The attacker spins upside down on his hands and is able to kick multiple opponents with one action. Each additional person within range attacked raises the difficulty of the attack by 3. Negativas A series of ducks called “Negativas,” which literally means “negations” are also staple of a capoeiristas’ defensive vocabulary This move allows the defensive hero to quickly evade an attack and reposition himself around the aggressor in order to lay up for an attack.

Boxing Boxing focuses primarily use of the hands and upper body as an offensive weapon. Although footwork is taught in boxing, legs are never used offensively. Boxing focuses primarily on hand strikes and blocks. Since boxing is so narrowly focused, the strikes are incredibly effective.

Hand Strike/Punch

+

Kick

-

Dodge/Block/Parry

+

Grapple/Hold/Throw

-

Sweep/Takedown/Trip

-

Special Technique Knock-Out Blow The character may attempt to stun an opponent if he has more damage dice than the opponent has stamina dice. If the attack is successful the opponent must make a Stamina roll versus the damage done or lose all his actions this round and the next. Wall of Sinew The boxer is adept at blocking most incoming hand-tohand attacks. When he chooses to block an incoming handto-hand attack he reduces the damage by one point per die of skill he has in boxing.

159

Gun Fu

Judo

The art of using a firearm in combat. Gun Fu is not an actual codified style of martial arts but is seen enough in action movies that it just has to be added. Excellent examples of Gun Fu can be seen in any John Woo movie. Note: Treat Hand Strikes and Punches as bonuses to shooting and not brawling. Bonuses to dodge only apply to ranged attacks.

Judo consists primarily of throws, arm-locks, chokes and pins. Additional techniques, (striking) and various t locks are found in judo. Judo is generally compared to wrestling but it retains its unique combat forms.

Hand Strike/Punch Kick

-

Hand Strike/Punch

+

Dodge/Block/Parry

+

Kick

-

Grapple/Hold/Throw

+

Dodge/Block/Parry

+

Sweep/Takedown/Trip

+

Grapple/Hold/Throw

-

Special Technique

Sweep/Takedown/Trip

-

Graceful Fling The hero may grab and throw his opponent with one fluid motion. This technique allows the hero to grab and slam/ throw his opponent with just one action instead of the normal two

Special Technique Duo Gun The hero may wield two guns without any offhand penalties. The offhand weapon must be either the same size or smaller than the primary weapon. Dive Shot The hero can dodge incoming gun fire while returning fire. While using this maneuver the hero does not suffer a multiple action penalty for the dodge or attack action. 1000 bullets The hero reloads so fast he may do so without using an action. This maneuver may be accomplished a number of times equal to the die code in Coordination.

Example: A character with 4D Coordination may reload without using an action 4 times during the game.

Bullet Blossom The hero may shoot double the rate of fire of her weapon in a round.

Arm Pin The character may do additional damage with an arm pin equal to 1D of damage for every +1D in the specialty. Additionally if the hero chooses to use the arm breaking option he may add his specialization die code to the Physique roll to beat the breaking difficulty.

Kung Fu Kung Fu refers to the hundreds of styles of martial arts in China, all of which are different. Kung Fu arts are usually considered striking styles, although not all styles use strikes. Grappling methods are generally not used.

Hand Strike/Punch

+

Kick

+

Dodge/Block/Parry

+

Grapple/Hold/Throw

-

Sweep/Takedown/Trip

-

Special Technique High-Flying Kick The attacker can leap twice his normal movement in the air and attack his opponent. The attack is +5 Difficulty, but has the advantage of covering a large amount of distance in a short amount of time. If the attack is successful the opponent must make a Reflex roll with a difficulty equal to the damage done. If the Reflex roll is a failure then the opponent is knocked to the ground and must spend an action to get to his feet. Open-Palm Defense The Kung Fun artist is adept at blocking any incoming attack with his hands. If he does nothing but blocks for a round, the martial artist can use his defensive score against all attacks in a diameter in meters around him equal to his brawl + martial arts specialization dice. This is the only action the artist can perform while using this maneuver.

160

Melee Weapon

Savate

The styles represented by this martial arts form are varied. It can represent fencing, Naginata-do, Bojutsu, Kendo, Fencing, Kali, etc. There are many different types of weapon martial arts and an exhaustive list is not the focus of this book. Heroes who use a weapon must name the weapon art when purchasing the skill and all bonuses only apply with that particular weapon. Note: Although the special techniques below pertain to blades they may be used with many different weapons ranging from clubs to blade rings.

Savate is a French martial arts that uses both the hands and feet as weapons and contains elements of western boxing, grappling, and graceful kicking techniques

Hand Strike/Punch

+

Kick

-

Dodge/Block/Parry

+

Grapple/Hold/Throw

-

Sweep/Takedown/Trip

+

Special Technique Bleeding (Blade Melee Weapon) The attacker can make a special attack to injure the opponent by targeting a major artery. If the attack is successful, the opponent must make a Stamina roll with a difficulty equal to the damage done. If the roll is a failure the opponent will bleed for rounds equal to the weapons damage die code, taking 1 point of damage for every die of damage the weapon does.

Example: If the weapon normally does 2D of damage, the opponent will take 2 point of damage for two rounds. This type of attack adds a +5 to the difficulty to hit.

Daze (Blunt Weapons) The attacker can opt to take an additional +5 to his difficulty and try to daze his opponent. The opponent must make a successful Stamina roll versus the amount of damage done. If the Stamina roll is a failure then the opponent is dazed for rounds equal to twice the weapon’s damage die code. While dazed, the opponent suffers a penalty to all his rolls equal to the weapon’s damage die code. Parry Riposte The weapon master may attack immediately after defending from an attack at no additional cost. The artist must first block the incoming attack but may make a riposte attack at half normal damage. The attack is not the strongest attack, but the quickest. Weapon Wall The hero is very adept at parrying while attacking. All opponents have a penalty of minus 1 to hit for every die the hero has in her specialization, up to a maximum of 3. True Strike The character may make one strike per gaming session that byes armor if the attack is successful. If the opponent has no armor then the attack does double damage. Weapon Flurry The hero makes a series of lightning-quick attacks with his weapons and confuses the enemy. The wild die of the attack reduces the opponents’ resistance or armor total by 1 point per point on the wild die.

Hand Strike/Punch

+

Kick

+

Dodge/Block/Parry

+

Grapple/Hold/Throw

-

Sweep/Takedown/Trip

-

Special Technique Piston-Action Kick The Attack throws a flurry of blows starting at the stomach and quickly rising, using successive kicks to the chest and head to stun an opponent. If the attack is successful the opponent must make a Stamina roll versus the damage done or lose an action this round and the next. Riposte Kick The martial artist uses this maneuver to fight defensively by keeping a kick at the ready. When an attack is thrown at the artist he may quickly block it and throw a reprisal attack. The martial artist must first block the incoming attack but may throw the kick at no action cost. The kick does only half the normal damage but is good incentive to any opponent who strikes the Savate artist.

Shotokan Karate Karate tends to emphasize kicks, punches, blocks, strikes, evasions, throws, t manipulations, and a strong offense as a good defense. Karate techniques consist basically of hand and foot techniques.

Hand Strike/Punch

+

Kick

+

Dodge/Block/Parry

+

Grapple/Hold/Throw

-

Sweep/Takedown/Trip

+

Special Technique Dragon Punch The Attacker can hit his opponent with such force that he drives him back one meter for every three dice of skill. The opponent is treated in the same was as if he took knock back. Sundering Tree The martial artist kicks at a target’s thigh with such force that it topples the opponent, sending him sprawling to the ground. The Opponent must make a Stamina roll versus the amount of damage done or fall prone to the ground.

Example: The hero rolls a 4 on the wild die and reduces her opponents’ armor total by 4 points. If she had rolled a 6 and then rolled again and received a 4 she would reduce her adversary’s armor by 10.

161

Tae Kwon Do

Tai Chi Chuan

Tae Kwon Do training includes a comprehensive system of hand strikes and blocks, but generally does not emphasize grappling. In general Tae Kwon Do emphasizes kicks thrown from a mobile stance, using the leg’s greater reach and power to disable the opponent from a distance.

Some call this very effective martial art form “slow-motion kung fu.” Those that know its true strength call it Tai Chi Chuan or the Supreme Ultimate Force. Practitioners say by channeling and controlling one’s Chi one can attain yin-yang balance and discipline. Tai Chi Chuan is noted for is flowing graceful movements and precise execution.

Hand Strike/Punch

+

Kick

+

Dodge/Block/Parry

+

Grapple/Hold/Throw

-

Sweep/Takedown/Trip

-

Special Technique Axe Kick The martial artist raises his foot above the opponent’s head and brings his heel smashing down on either the head or the collar bone of his opponent. The attack takes two actions to perform but does double damage. Yu The martial artist using the principles of water to redirect or deflect an opponent’s incoming attack. The artist may add dice equal to his Coordination to his block.

Thai Boxing Sometimes called Muay Thai Boxing or Thai Kickboxing; Muay Thai differs from Western-style boxing most noticeably in its allowing the use of elbows, knees, feet, and certain holds and throws.

Hand Strike/Punch

+

Kick

+

Dodge/Block/Parry

+

Grapple/Hold/Throw

-

Sweep/Takedown/Trip

-

Special Technique Flying Knee Strike The attacker jumps up or takes steps, springs up off one leg, and in mid-air switches to the other knee to strike. The attack is difficult to execute (add +5 to the difficulty) but when it connects it does 1D+2 additional points of damage. Knee Strike The attacker quickly grabs the back of the opponents’ head and pulls it down toward a quickly approaching knee kick. The kick takes two actions to perform but when it lands it stuns the opponent for 2 rounds causing him to lose an action for those rounds. Reed Form Defense The sinewy body of the artists is able to soak up massive amounts of damage thrown at it. When struck with a successful attack the artist may negate 1 point of damage per die he has in his brawl + Muay Thai skill.

162

Hand Strike/Punch

+

Kick

-

Dodge/Block/Parry

+

Grapple/Hold/Throw

-

Sweep/Takedown/Trip

-

Special Technique Uprooting The hero may focus his energy into a open palm strike that does normal damage but forces her opponent back one meter for every die of willpower + martial arts specialization she possesses. Attract Into Emptiness The martial artist feints and presents a false target to her opponent. When the opponent strikes the hero she moves with the strike and uses the opponent’s own movement against him. If the hero successfully parries or dodges the attack the opponent is immediately knocked to the ground. Chi Focus The hero may redirect the flow of her chi and ignore the discomfort and effects of wound penalties for rounds equal to the die code in her Willpower.

The Benefit of Multiple Styles

Wrestling One of the oldest martial arts, Wrestling is primarily a grappling, locking, and holding art form. The emphasis is on control of the opponent through arm/leg locks and submission holds.

Hand Strike/Punch

-

Kick

-

Dodge/Block/Parry

+

Grapple/Hold/Throw

+

Sweep/Takedown/Trip

+

Special Technique Power Suplex The Attacker picks his opponent up off his feet and using a large portion of his or her own body weight to drive the opponent back down to the ground with force. The attacker must first make a successful grapple/hold in order to implement this maneuver. If the attack is successful the opponent must make a Stamina roll versus the damage done or lose all his actions for rounds equal to half the attacker’s skill level in dice. Gift of Antaeus The wrestler is almost impossible to take down, grapple, or pin. When an attacker tries to take down, grapple, or pin a wrestler the wrestler may add a +1 to the difficulty for every die he has in brawl + wrestling. If grappled or pinned the wrestler may add that same bonus to his chance at breaking the hold.

If multiple styles are taken that have identical bonus for a particular maneuver the character receives an additional +1 bonus.

Example: Jean Dubious has 6 dice in brawl with a +3D specialization in both Boxing and Savate martial arts giving him a total of 9 Dice. Since both have a Hand Strike/Punch Technique he would receive his normal bonus of 1D+1 plus an additional bonus of +1 giving him a total of 1D+2.

Mystic Masters There are quite a few martial arts stories and movies with masters who possess astounding abilities beyond the realm of normal men. Their powers are simulated using advantages and powers from the powers list. If a martial arts master can leap incredible distances, then he has Super Jump. If he can shoot fire balls from his hands, he has a Ranged Energy Attack power.

163

164

Gadgets and Artifacts

Powers derived from some sort of device or weapons are Gadgets or Artifacts (“Artifact” is simply another name for a Gadget – it means that the device is not technological in origin, or it’s at least very old or alien.) At character creation you pay for gadgets with character points as you would any other power. If you want to create a gadget during the course of play you must pay the character point cost and any monetary cost involved in creating the item. You build Gadgets just as if you were purchasing Powers for your character, with a few exceptions. Follow the few steps on the next few pages to build Gadgets.

Game Masters: Beware of Fun Toys Gadgets can get out of hand as soon as players figure out that building a Power into a Gadget is cheaper than purchasing the Power internally. As the GM, feel free to disallow Gadgets that don’t fit the character’s concept, or charge them extra for it. Also keep in mind that Gadgets have the potential of being broken or taken by villains – that is why they’re cheaper!

Gadget Rules STEP ONE: Buy Attributes

All devices have attributes just like characters. Some gadget attributes may be used by the character such as an exoskeleton suit that provides enhanced strength and some are used solely by the gadget like Knowledge for an onboard computer A.I. in a vehicle. Below is a list of attributes and what they define when building a gadget. The three attributes, Reflexes, Physique, and Knowledge, are the ONLY attributes that a gadget may posses; they cost 4 points per 1D. Toughness is a special attribute that illustrates how much physical punishment a gadget can take.

exoskeleton) or as a measure of the items ability to lift or grapple something (in the case of a grappling line or man catcher). It the device can pick up or hold on to something it should have the Physique attribute. Knowledge: Measure of strength of memory and ability to learn. This attribute is used only in conjunction with an artificial intelligent item such as a computer and never takes the place of the character’s attribute.

Cost

Effect

4 points

1D of the Attribute

STEP TWO: Buy Skills, Powers, Advantages, and Disadvantages

Can the device track or perform first aid? Can it fly, shoot Energy Blasts – or does it give you Heightened Senses, or even make you ugly? The cost for the Skill or Power levels is figured as you were buying them normally. Flaws purchased at this point generally reflect on what the device does to your character – read step 4 to purchase special Gadget-only flaws! Some Advantages or Powers can be bought twice, to either apply to the device or your character – for example, you could have Regeneration for yourself and Regeneration for your device. Gadgets are divided into five different categories for the sake of clarity. Vehicles Weapons Armor Tools and gear Omni Gadgets

Toughness: This is the gadget’s base damage resistance die code. All gadgets must have this attribute. The lowest toughness that a gadget can have is 1D2. In the case of vehicles it can also be used as a reasonable measure of the amount of damage it can inflict. Toughness costs 2 points per 1D.

Cost

Effect

2 points

1D toughness

-1 point

For every -1 pip (max -2)

Reflexes: Measure of balance, limberness, quickness, and full body motor abilities. This attribute takes the place of the heroes if used in an exoskeleton or some other augmenting device. Reflexes is also used to represent a device’s ability to move around on its own. If a vehicle can drive or pilot itself it would need both reflexes and Knowledge attributes. Physique: Measure of physical power. Physique is not used to represent body points or damage resistance when incorporated into a gadget. Physique is used either in the place of the characters own Physique attribute (in the case of an

165

VEHICLE There are many types of vehicles ranging from the common bicycle to the exotic space patrol cruiser. Vehicles are set up in the standard D6 manner using all the classifications so any vehicle built here should easily integrate into any existing game.

Class The vessel’s general classification (car, plane, motorcycle, freighter, battleship, row boat, fighter), sometimes including the ship’s manufacturer and model number.

Scale The ship’s scale determines how big the ship is and other attributes about the ship such as cargo capacity maximum.

Vehicle Scale

Scale Min/Max

Crew Minimum

enger Maximum

Cargo Maximum

Point Cost

Water/air/ space Car (all personal vehicles holding 2-8 engers)

5/10

1

8

300kg

2

Water/air/ space Motorcycle (One person craft)

2/3

1

1

70kg

1

Small Plane/helicopter

10/13

1

8

300kg

4

Fighter plane/star ship

10/14

1

1

500kg

4

Water/air/ space transport

12/14

1

20

900 tons

6

Water/air/ space freighter

20/40

2

50

900 kilotons

8

Water/air/ space enger ship

30/50

2

500

900 kilotons

16

Water/air/ space Battleship

30/60

5

300

900 kilotons

20

Water/air/ space Carrier

60/70

20

1000

100 megatons

30

Water/air/ space station

70/80

150+

10,000+

1,000 megatons

50

Length How long the craft is. The ship should be of reasonable length for its scale. There is no special cost associated with this entry

Skill The skill used to operate the ship. Most craft require the piloting skill to operate. There is no special cost associated with this entry

Crew This can reduce the point cost of the vehicle. The first listing is the total crew for the vehicle under normal conditions. Each vehicle has one prime person responsible for keeping control, running sensors, calculating navigation coordinates, and other duties. On smaller vehicles, one person may be responsible for all of these duties, while on larger ships, one person may be in charge of each of these functions. While there might be hundreds of crew manning the machinery, whether the action succeeds comes down to one character’s skill roll-hence the crew skill listing. The final number is the “minimum crew” listing: the first part of the listing is the absolute minimum number of crew necessary to fly the ship, while the number after the slash is the increase in difficulty for any actions with a minimum crew.

166

Point Cost

Effect

0 Points

1 crewmember, minimum 1 crewmember. (minimum needed)

-1 Points Per

2 crew, minimum 1 crew/+5

-5 Points Per

5 crew, minimum 2 crew*/+5

-15 Points Per

20 crew, minimum 5 crew**/+10

-20 Points Per

100 crew, minimum 50 crew***/+10

-30 Points Per

1,000 crew, minimum 250 crew***/+20

-40 Points Per

10,000 crew, minimum 1,000 crew***/+20

*= Only available for transport scale and higher **= Only available for enger ship scale and higher ***= Only available for carrier scale and higher

engers

Supplies

The number of engers and troops a ship may carry beyond the crew complement. enger space can be used as cargo space; a vehicle can carry 100 kilograms of cargo instead of one enger.

This stat shows how long the ship can travel before having to stop for refueling and re-supply of the life- systems (atmosphere, food, water).

Point cost

Range

Point Cost

Effect

1 Point Per

Day

1 Point Per

2 engers accommodated, or 200 kilograms of cargo

2 Points Per

Week*

5 Points Per

20 engers accommodated, or 1 ton of cargo*

5 Points Per

Month***

10 Points Per

Year***

10 Points Per

100 engers accommodated, or 10 tons of cargo**

15 Points Per

1,000 engers accommodated, or 100 tons of cargo***

20 Points Per

10,000 enger accommodated, or 1,000 ton of cargo****

*= Only available for transport scale and higher **= Only available for enger ship scale and higher ***= Only available for carrier scale and higher ****= Only available for station scale

Cargo Capacity This indicates the maximum amount of cargo a vessel can carry beyond reasonable personal possessions. This does not include the weight of the crew, which is already factored into the cargo capacity of the vehicle. For every cargo capacity level over the vehicle’s maximum limit the vehicle suffers for a reduction in speed and a penalty to its handling – both are reduced by one level for every doubling of the cargo limit. This refers to the cargo’s mass only, not volume.

Point cost

Cargo Capacity

1 Point Per

10 Kilograms

2 Points Per

100 kilograms

5 Points Per

1 Metric Tonne*

8 Points Per

100 tonness

10 Points Per

1 Kilotonne**

15 Points Per

1 Megatonne***

*= Only available for transport scale and higher **= Only available for enger ship scale and higher ***= Only available for carrier scale and higher

*= Only available for transport scale and higher **= Only available for enger ship scale and higher ***= Only available for carrier scale and higher Land, Air, and Sea vehicles Smaller terrestrial based vehicles usually have a much shorter range and should use the chart below.

Cost

Effect

-2 Points

10 kilometers traveled before refueling

+0 Point

100 kilometers traveled before refueling

+2 Points

500 kilometers traveled before refueling

+3 Points

1,000 kilometers traveled before refueling

+6 Points

10,000 kilometers traveled before refueling

Star Drive This indicates whether the vessel is equipped with a Star Drive enabling it to jump to Hyperspace. Such ships have astro­ navigation computers as part of their Star Drive. A Star Drive is ranked by a “rating.” The higher the number, the faster the drive. Most civilian ships have a rating 1 or lower drive, while military vessels typically have a Rating 1 or higher. Each interstellar journey has a duration in days. Divide the duration by the ship’s rating to find out how long it takes the ship to reach the destination. Example: Captain Cassiopeia is at the controls of the Sagittarius AE-41, the light cargo transport she’s contracted to fly on this shipping run. Her destination is 3 parsecs away, a total of 21 days. Her ship has a Star Drive with a rating of 4 giving her a total travel time of 5.25 days (21/4=5.25). Back up drives are available for ships that loose their primary drive. These drives have a rating of .05

Point Cost

Drive Rating

4 points per

1 rank

2 points

For one rank .05 back up drive

167

Maneuverability An indication of how easy the vehicle is to handle. Stunts are easier to perform in vehicles with higher die codes than in those with lower ones. The value is added to the driver’s or pilot’s appropriate skill total when that person is attempting to do something fancy.

Point Cost

Effect

2 point per

+1D Handling

-2 points per

-1D Handling

Terrestrial Move This is a measure of the vehicle’s cruising speed on land or water. The type of movement must be chosen at the time of gadget creation. Multiple movement rates may be taken to give the vehicle many different types of mobility. Ground Movement

Point Cost

Effect

1 point per

50 KPH movement

Water Movement

Point Cost

Effect

1 point per

30 KPH movement (this movement can be above the surface or submersible but not both

Special Ability

Submersible Hybrid

Space How fast the vessel travels at sub-light speeds in space. This speed is used in ship-to-ship combat. Atmosphere How fast the craft travels in an atmosphere. The first number is its Move; the second number is its all-out speed in kilometers per hour. If there is no “atmosphere” listing, the ship cannot enter an atmosphere.

If the vehicle can travel above and below the surface the point cost is increased to 2 per 30khp

Hull

Point Cost

Space

Move (Atmosphere)

Kilometers per Hour (All out Speed)

2 Points

1

210

600

Point Cost

Effect

4 Points

2

225

650

2 points

1D toughness

6 Points

3

260

750

2 Points

4

280

800

-1 point

For every -1 pip (max -2)

10 Points

5

295

850

12 Points

6

330

950

14 Points

7

350

1,000

16 Points

8

365

1,050

18 Points

9

400

1,150

20 Points

10

415

1,200

22 Points

11

435

1,250

24 Points

12

450

1,300

Special Ability

Hover

20 points

The vehicle can hover and has no need to taxi as normal aircraft do.

168

This represents the hull’s toughness and how well the Ship can withstand damage in combat.

Shields Spacecraft shields are electronic energy dampers which help absorb or deflect some of the damage from enemy attacks.. Energy shields are normally activated only in combat, and must cover specific fire arcs to be effective in combat. Using shields is a “reaction skill.” Each spaceship has certain number of dice in shields. When a pilot uses shields, the shield dice must be split up among the four fire arcs: fore, aft, port (left), and starboard (right).

Point Cost

Effect

3 points

1D of shields

Sensors The maximum sensors range in kilometers and the sensor die code

Point Cost

Range

1 Point Per

10 kilometers

2 Points Per

100 Kilometer*

5 Points Per

1,000 Kilometer**

10 Points Per

1 AU***

*= Only available for transport scale and higher **= Only available for enger ship scale and higher ***= Only available for carrier scale and higher

Point Cost 2 Points Per

Die Code 1D

Ordnance This represents the number and type of weapons on the vehicle. Fire­ linked means the weapons are linked and fire as one group. Otherwise, each weapon may be fired separately. Each weapon mounted on the ship should be calculated separately. If you want to link a weapon to another add 2 points to each weapon’s cost.

2 Points Per For linked weapons Fire Arc Fore, aft, port, starboard, or turret. Turret weapons may fire in all four arcs.

2 Points Per

Turret

0 Points

for fixed position weapons

Crew The crew necessary to operate the weapon. If there is no crew listing, the weapon may be fired by the pilot

Fire Control Add these dice whenever the gunner shoots at a target, since they represent computer-assisted target acquisition and sighting.

Point Cost

Die Code

2 Points Per

1D

Space Range The weapon’s short, medium, and long ranges in units. When figuring range figure total range first and then divide the total by 2 (round up) to get the medium range, and then divide by 2 again to figure close range. Example: A range of 8 would look like this 2/4/8. The first number is the short range while the second is the medium, and the third is long range.

Point Cost

Effect

1 points per

1 space units

Atmosphere Range Short, medium, and long ranges in an atmosphere or firing into an atmosphere from orbit. There is no additional cost for this entry. To figure the atmospheric distances multiply the space range by 10km. If the weapon is solely a terrestrial based weapon calculate the range as if it is a space weapon and then multiply the range 1km Damage This is the weapon’s damage.

Cost

Effect

3 points per

1D6 of damage

2 points per

+1 pip of damage (Max of +2)

Crew Skill Typical skill codes for crew trained for that job: fighter pilots have all the skills; capital ship crewmen just have the skill for the duty they have been trained for. For larger ships that have large crew complements the player may buy the overall skill for the crew

Point Cost

Crew

Point Cost

Crew Skill Die Code

-2 Points Per

Crewmember needed

2 Points Per

1D

Scale The weapon’s scale is listed only if different than the ship’s scale. No additional cost is associated with this entry Skill The skill used to fire the weapon, usually gunnery. No additional cost is associated with this entry

Powers: Powers may be purchased as usual for the vehicle.

169

WEAPONS

Armor Piercing:

Weapon Damage: Weapon damage costs 3 Points per 1D6. Bonus pips are bought at a cost of 2 points per +1 up to a maximum of +2.

Point Cost

Effect

3 points per

1D6 of damage

2 points per

+1 pip of damage (Max of +2)

Some weapons are better at penetrating armor than others. The weapon is very powerful or focuses the attack at a much smaller point of impact. Any attack with this Power Add-on halves the number of dice rolled for any armor or defensive Power the target has in effect.

Point Cost

Effect

3 points per die of damage

Negates half of the targets resistance value.

Burst Modifier: The weapon is capable of burst fire.

Range This represents how far the weapon can be effective without any range penalties. This attribute costs 1 point per 1 meter of base range. This base range is multiplied by 2 to calculate the medium range and quadrupled to calculate the long range.

Point Cost

Effect

0 points

Single shot

8 points

Burst fire as single

Point Cost

Effect

12 points

Full Auto

0 points

Thrown/melee range

16 points

Single Fire as multi

1 point per

1 meters of range

Radius (Rd): The weapon has the ability to affect an area beyond the point of initial . Everything within the area of effect (a radius measured from the point of impact) takes the listed amount of damage of the weapon. If the weapon’s damage affects an area then add +2 points per 1-meter radius to the damage cost. Grenades have this attribute.

Point Cost

Effect

2 points per

1-meter radius to the damage

Ammunition: The number of bullets or projectiles that the weapon holds. This is not included in entries for explosives or weapons used in close combat. The point values on this chart are treated like a disadvantage for the weapon therefore the points are used to reduce the cost of the weapon. This cannot be taken in conjunction with the Gadget Modifier: Limited uses.

Point Cost

Effect

-20 points

1-2 shots

-16 points

3-6 shots

-8 points

7-14 shots

-4 points

15-30 shots

-2 points

31-62 shots Beyond this point the weapon is not eligible for an ammunition modifier.

170

Powers: Powers may be purchased as usual for the weapon.

ARMOR Armor Value: Armor Value is how much damage is reduced per attack. Defense ratings are bought as dice at a cost of 3 points per 1D6.

Point Cost

Effect

3 points per

1D6 defense rating

2 points per

+1 pip (maximum of +2)

-2 points per

-1 (maximum of -2)

Special Note on Armor Toughness: Armor uses its armor value as its Toughness score. Therefore there is no need to purchase the Toughness attributes for armor.

Reflex Modifier: The armor may be heavy and cumbersome to wear, causing the person donning the armor to suffer a reflex-based difficulty. For every full die in the armor value the armor suffers a +1 to all reflex-based difficulties. This modifier can be “bought” off at a cost of 3 points per +1 penalty

Powers: Powers may be purchased as usual for the weapon.

171

TOOLS AND GEAR Tools and gear represent any item that is usually not armor, a weapon, or a vehicle. They may be things that help the character perform actions, or help in attribute based difficulties, or may just have a certain power that does not fit into any other category. Most items are pieces of equipment not attached to the character, which therefore can be taken away or stolen easier than a vehicle or a set of armor. Tools and gear usually add a bonus to a particular skill, such as a gas mask adding a +2D to stamina rolls versus gas. All gear has what is called a Limiter. The limiter narrowly defines how the skill bonus is added to the skill – for example, the above gasmask only provides a bonus to stamina rolls when used against gas. Every bonus die added to a skill cost 3 points while pips cost 2.

Point Cost

Effect

3 points

Per 1D

2 points

+1 pip (maximum of +2)

Scale It is assumed that the tool/gear is easily portable and can be carried without much fuss on the character. For every scale value above the character the gadget receives bonus points back in his favor.

Point Cost

Effect

-5 points

Per scale value above 0

Omni Gadgets Buying one of everything can get expensive for a gadgeteer who wants to be prepared for any type of situation. To represent the concept of having a utility belt that always has a gadget for the right occasion, the character can purchase an omni-gadget. Omni gadgets have no set power or identity until they are used. Once they are used they are set into that particular power scheme for the remainder of the adventure and may be reset once the adventure is done at no additional cost. Since omni gadgets are so versatile the pricing for such an item is different from a normal gadget. Omni gadgets are meant to be employed when a character needs and should have a certain type of gadget. Where would the Dark Knight detective be without that one useful item in his belt that helped him out of a pinch? Building an Omni gadget Omni gadgets are built with broad groups of powers. The more broad groups, the more expensive the gadget will be. All Omni gadgets have the following limitations No Manipulation powers No gadget may cause physical damage or mental damage. Gadgets made solely for an offensive purpose should be made using the normal rules for building weapons. Omni gadgets are generally helpful and useful tools. Omni gadgets cannot have the gadget Modifiers: One of a Kind, Cumbersome, Regenerate or One Use Only.

172

All omni gadgets may only be used once or until the particular power expires or the scene is over. To represent a cache of gadgets at the hero’s disposal the omni gadget is built with a limited number of uses per adventure. Once the limit is reach the gadget cannot be used again until the hero “replenishes “his supplies. This represents the hero having what he need when he needs without purchasing every single gadget with the “special effect” being that the one gadget represents several gadgets. All omni gadgets are handy and hand portable. Omni gadget powers can never be purchased higher than rank 3

Broad Group

Point Cost per Rank

Notes/Restriction

Physical Powers

3

No powers that cause damage

Defensive powers

4

No Adaptation, Invulnerability, Resurrection, or two Dimensional

Manipulation Powers

N/A

Manipulation powers are not available to these gadgets

Mental Powers

5

No Power that causes damage.

Magic Powers

6

No Power that causes damage.

Movement Powers

3

No Astral Projection powers, Dimensional Shifting, Spatial Warping or Teleportation powers.

All Broad groups

15

The gadget can use ALL the broad groups

Omni Gadget Uses

Point Cost modifier

2 uses per adventure

+0

4

+2

6

+4

8

+8

10

+16

Example: a hero wants to build a gadget with physical powers that he can use six times per adventure. The cost per rank would be 7 (3+4=7)

STEP THREE: Gadget Cost Multiplier

Total all the points from the Gadget and multiply by the most appropriate modifier. The total is the cost for the Gadget. All fractions are rounded up to the next whole number. Point total X Modifier= modified cost VEHICLE: Device is a vehicle and can be stolen.

Point total X 25%= modified cost

EQUIPMENT/WEAPON/OMNI GADGET: Device is hand held or worn and can be taken away.

Point total X 50%= modified cost

ARMOR: Device is a suit and cannot be taken away in combat but stolen when not operated or in use.

Point total X 75%= modified cost

Example: The cost of a rocket launcher is a total of 24 points before calculating its modified cost. Since the rocket launcher can be taken away in combat its modified cost would be 12 points (24x50%=12)

STEP FOUR: Gadget Modifiers

Gadgets have their own special list of Flaws or Advantages to choose from, modified by the list below. The final total is the amount of points spent to purchase the item in character points – Gadget Modifiers are added or subtracted after the cost modifier! Modifiers can never bring the cost of a gadget below 1.

Gadget Modifiers Modifier

Notes

Point Gain/ Decrease

Fragile

Device is brittle or easy to break. The device takes double damage from kinetic energy or sonic attacks.

Cumbersome

The device is heavy or hard to wear. You receive a penalty of –1 per level to any Reflex action while using the device.

-1 Point bonus per level

One of a Kind

The device cannot be replaced once it is destroyed, but must be bought again with points equal to the amount spent when created.

-6 Point bonus

Device Regenerates

The gadget can somehow rejuvenate its body points and repair damage done to it like a normal living being. The device does regenerate Body Points at a rate of 2 per day and may be healed using the medicine skill or Healing power.

Techno-organic devices have this modifier. +10

Obvious

If the device can be seen as the source of your Powers it is Obvious. Opponents can attempt to take the device away and it can be targeted for attacks. Most Gadgets have this flaw

. -3 Point bonus

-3 Point bonus

Limited Uses Limited Uses

The device has a limited number of uses per day before it has to be recharged or loaded.

21 shots and up

Any item that has more than 20 uses does not qualify for a point modifier

20 uses or 24 hours

-2 Point bonus

15-19 uses or 16-19 hours

-3 Point bonus

10-14 uses or 12-15 hours

-4 Point bonus

7-9 uses or 8-11 hours:

-5 Point bonus

3-6 uses or 4-7 hours

-6 Point bonus

1-2 uses or 1-3 hours

-7 Point bonus

1 Use ONLY (the device is destroyed once it is used and must be purchased again):

-15 Point bonus

173

Temperamental Some gadgets are so complex and intricate that it is hard to keep them in good repair. Gadgets with this modifier have a higher degree of breakdown than other weapons or tools. Failure occurs when the character rolls a one on the wild die while using the gadget. When this occurs the character rolls the wild die and if another 1 is rolled the gadget malfunctions and stops working until it is repaired. The rank of the modifier dictates how easy or hard it is to prevent this. The wild die roll can not be augmented with Character or KA points.

Rank

Gadget point cost

Roll modifier

1

-5 Bonus points

-1 to the temperamental roll.

2

-10 Bonus points

-2 to the temperamental roll. The character also has a +2 difficulty her gadgetry roll when repairing the gadget.

-15 Bonus points

-3 to the temperamental roll. The character also has a +4 difficulty her gadgetry roll when repairing the gadget.

3

4

-20 Bonus points

-4 to the temperamental roll. The character also has a +8 difficulty her gadgetry roll when repairing the gadget. If the repair roll is failed the character cannot attempt to repair the gadget for days equal to how much the roll was missed by

STEP FIVE: The Skill Roll

Once the gadget is assembled and the point cost is totaled the character must make a Gadgetry skill roll. The difficulty of the roll is determined by the point cost of the gadget listed on the chart below. The time taken to create the gadget is also listed NOTE: this does not apply at character creation.

Taking extra time can reduce the difficulty. For every additional 24 hours of extra time taken, the character receives +3 to the Gadgetry roll, bringing the difficulty roll down (with a minimum of a 5 difficulty). Gadgets can also be cobbled together in a rush if the creator chooses but the gadget skill difficulty goes up. For every 12 hours less taken the skill roll receives a penalty of +8 to the difficulty number. Minimum time is one minute. The difficulty number is further modified by the research the character has done and equipment and facilities she has at her disposal.

Research A hero may want to study or do test on paper before actually creating the device. Research requires extra time but can be beneficial in reducing the difficulty of the gadget.

Research Time

Difficulty number

A few notes on the back of a napkin (a brain storm during your lunch break)

+10

A night on the internet (8 hours of study)

+5

Study and computer models (1 day of work )

-3

A week of research followed by a week of preparation and computer modeling

-6

Extensive testing and computer models (2 months of research)

-12

Six months of collaboration, research and study

-15

The Laboratory Quality Did the character scribble the plans on the back of a napkin or did she spend months researching and testing the device to be made? The character must have a plan of attack if she is going to build a working prototype of her device. The quality of the character’s Lab or lack thereof will affect the speed and precision in which the character will create his masterwork. Someone in their garage is going to have a much more difficult time creating his underwater battle suit than the scientist in her high tech lab.

Laboratory Quality

Difficulty number

No lab

+10

Home garage work area

+5

Basement of the College Science building

-3

University lab

-6

Major corporation

-12

768 hours (32 days)

State of the art research & development lab

-15

40

1,536 hours (64 days)

Futuristic or advanced alien facilities

-20

75-85

45

3,072 hours (128 days)

86-96

50

6,144 hours (256 days)

97-107

55

12,288 hours (512 days)

Gadget point cost

Difficulty number

Time to create

1-10

10

24 hours

11-20

15

48 hours

21-31

20

96 hours (4 days)

32-42

25

192 hours (8 days)

43-53

30

384 hours (16 days)

54-64

35

65-74

174

STEP SIX: Monetary Cost

Gadgets or artifacts are expensive to create and maintain. At character creation the cost of the gadget is assumed to have been paid before the start of play.

Gadget point cost

Wealth Difficulty Level

1-10

Very Easy (1-5)

11-20

Easy (6-10)

21-31

Moderate (11-15)

32-42

Difficult (16-20)

43-53

Very Difficult (21-25)

54-64

Heroic (26-30)

75-85

Legendary (31)

86-96

Legendary +5 (36)

97-107

Legendary +10(41)

For every additional +20 in point cost add 10 to the difficulty

Tech level

Type of Gadget

Wealth Difficulty Modifier

0) Primitive

Clubs, swords, and knives. Muskets and medieval siege devices, basic black powder weapons

-15

1) Most 20th century Earth technology

Light bulbs, pocket watches, Laser beams, Desktop computers, Cars

-10

2) Post Modern

Nuclear powered devices, Warm Fusion, Limited artificial intelligence

0

3) Advanced

Mecha, exoskeleton suites, Plasma weapons, Anti mater drives, Artificial intelligence, Bio Technology

+5

4) Superior Godlike technology

Singularity drives, matter teleportation, Time Travel

+10

The gadget’s cost is modified by the type of gadget it is. A pair of binoculars isn’t going to cost as much as a trans-dimensional viewing screen. The Tech Level of the gadget dictates the wealth difficulty modifier.

175

Gadgets and Damage When a gadget takes damage from a weapon or character, it’s the level of destruction that matters. Use the following guidelines and compare the result to the Gadget Damage chart. Modify the damage total of the attacker or the damage resistance total of the target by the scale modifier, as appropriate for the situation. A gadget’s damage resistance total equals its Toughness. Character Points or Fate Points may not be spent on this roll. Damage Resistance Total The damage resistance total equals a roll of the target gadget’s die codes from Toughness, minus any modifiers. A player may improve his gadget’s resistance total by spending Character Points or a Fate Point on this roll. Compare the damage total to the damage resistance total on the Gadgets Damage table to determine how much damage the gadget sustained and what its effects on the gadget are. If the damage resistance total is greater than or equal to the damage total, the defender incurs no injuries (beyond an annoying paint scratch, a shallow scrape, a light burn, or dinged protective gear). Example: Spartan has a Spear with a Toughness of 2D. The villainous Banger wants to destroy the spear so that it cannot be used against him again. He targets and hits the gadget doing 15 points of damage. The toughness of the spear is rolled and gets a total of 10. the banger beat the spears damage resistance total by 5 doing Light damage to it.

Gadget Damage Damage Total >Resistance Total

Gadget Damage

1-3

Very Light

4-8

Light

9-12

Heavy

13-15

Severe

16+

Destroyed Note: All modifiers are cumulative. A gadget may take an unlimited number of Very Light and Light levels of damage. At Heavy or above, any additional level of damage above Very Light bumps the damage to the next level. Game Masters may include or substitute damage to other systems (or powers) if the gadget has them (ex., Life , Infrared Vision, or Force Fields).

Very Light: gadget loses 1 rank of ability or power for this round and the next. Light: gadget loses 1 rank of ability or power or, if at 0 ranks in ability the gadget becomes more difficulty to operate, +1D difficulty. The loss or modifier remains until repaired. Heavy: Gadget loses 2 ranks of ability or power or, if at 0 ranks in ability the gadget becomes more difficulty to operate, +2D difficulty. The loss or modifier remains until repaired. Severe: Gadget ceases to function properly. The must make a moderate (15) gadgetry roll to operate the gadget every turn. If successful the gadget will function but with a modified difficulty of +3D. If the roll is a failure the gadget will cease to function until repaired. Destroyed: The gadget will never operate again.

176

Repairing or Rebuilding Damaged Gadgets A damaged gadget is repaired in much the same way a character is healed by a medicine roll. The gadget is repaired using the gadgetry skill. A character can rebuild a gadget if the original one is lost or destroyed. Once she has the schematics for the gadget additional gadgets of that type are easily reproduced. Gadgets that have already been created may be modified at a later time.

Modifying or Duplicating Existing Gadgets Sometimes a hero will want to modify a gadget that he as used in the field, sometimes he wants to duplicate the device to have a back up or to give to a friend. Because the hero has built the item before he gains a bonus to recreating or modifying it If the character created the device she receives these modifiers: +10 to the gadgetry skill roll to duplicate or modify the device The time to create or modify the device is reduced to one-third the original time. The difficulty to recreate or modify the item is reduced by two levels. If the character did not originally create the item these modifiers apply: +5 to the gadgetry skill roll to duplicate or modify the device The time to create or modify the device is reduced to one half the original time. The difficulty to recreate or modify the item is reduced by one level.

Example Build Ok here is a breakdown of how gadgets are built using the gadget creation system. Dr. Rhinewood is constructing a new suit of power armor from scratch. His Knowledge attribute is 5D and his gadgetry skill is 5D for a total of 10D. he has the best lab that money can buy (Laboratory R4). Dr. Rhinewood isn’t rich but has made quite a bit of money on several industrial patents and has a Funds attribute of 8D.Yeah, Rhinewood is geared for creating gadgets.

Since what Rhinewood is creating a suit of Powered Armor he multiplies the cost by 75%. 89x75%=66.75 points. We round this number up to the nearest whole number of 67 points. We could be through with the cost of the gadget here but there are a few Gadget Modifiers. Gadget Modifiers are subtracted from the total cost f the gadget. One of a Kind: -6 points Obvious: -3 points Total Gadget Modifiers: -9 points

The finished Blue Bottle Armor will look like this when done;

Blue Bottle Power Armor Armor Value: 5D Reflex Modifier: 0 Flight 5 Size Manipulation (shrinking only) 6 Bio Energy Blast 3 Energy Blast 4 Life 2 Gadget Modifiers: Armor, One of a Kind, Obvious Point Total: 58 points Gadgetry Skill Roll: 15 Time Taken: 22 days Monetary Cost Difficulty: 35

We subtract the Gadget Modifier from the running total. 67-9=58 points Total cost for the Blue Bottle Power armor: 58 points Now we move on to the Skill roll to create the gadget. We consult the chart and see that a 58 point gadget has a skill roll difficulty of 35

Let’s explore how we came to the numbers above First off The toughness of the gadget. Rhinewood decided he wants 5D for the Armor Value of the armor. that when creating armor Toughness is also the Armor Value of the gadget as well. Cost for 5D of Armor Value= 15 points Because its armor we need to figure out how cumbersome it is. Normally the Reflex Modifier for an Armor Value of 5D would be 1D+2 (+1 for every full die of Armor Value). Rhinewood decides to buy the penalty down to zero. The cost of this is 3 points per +1 bought off Cost for buying off the 1D+2 penalty= 15

89 points is a lot but this number will be modified by the Gadget Cost Multiplier. Vehicles cost are multiplied by 25% Equipment and Weapon cost are multiplied by 50% Armor cost is multiplied by 75%

Dr. Rhinewood has a total of 10D to roll versus the difficulty and needs only to roll average to succeed. Dr. Rhinewood’s rank 4 laboratory also gives him a bonus to the roll of -20 to the difficulty making the final skill roll difficulty 15, easily made.

points

Now Rhinewood will install the powers that the suit possesses. The powers are bought normally as if they are being bought for an individual. Flight 5 (cost: 10 points) Size manipulation 6 (cost: 18 points. The power is bought with the limitation of only having one aspect of the power of shrinking only so the cost if modified from 6 points per rank down to 3 points per rank) Bio Energy Blast 3 (cost: 15 points) Energy Blast 4 (cost: 12 points) Life 2 (cost: 4 points) This is where we total up the cost so far. This total will be modified by the type of gadget we create. Total cost so far= 89 points

After this wee get the amount of time it would take to create the gadget. We look at the Skill roll chart again and see that a 58 point gadget would take 768 hours (32 days) to create. Luckily Dr. Rhinewood has a rank 4 laboratory at his disposal so the time is reduced by 30%. The time is reduced to 537.6, rounded up to 538 hours (22 days). Now for the Monetary cost. We take a look at the chart and see that a 58 point gadget needs a Heroic (30) Funds roll. This is modified by the tech level of the gadget. The power armor fall under the Advanced Tech Level. Advanced Tech level modifies the cost by +5 making the roll a difficulty of 35. Dr. Rhinewod must roll 35 on 8D. NOTE: This part of garget creation is more of an arbitrary ruling of the GM than a hard and fast rule. In some genres or games something considered advance may be everyday. Since I’m acting as the GM in this example I say it’s considered Advanced. That’s its for the Blue Bottle armor!

177

178

Game Master Tips What’s in this Chapter You’ve made it this far, so you probably don’t want even more rules. We’ll keep this chapter short by offering a list of helpful ideas. If you want more guidance, you can find more Game Master resources online at www.westendgames.com.

The Tips The most important rule to is to have fun. All the other rules in this book are intended to help you worry less about being fair and more about enjoying developing a fantastic story with your friends. Here are some ideas to help you with this. • Before beginning play, read the rulebook at least once. Refer to it during gaps in play and make up the difficulties you can’t during the exciting scenes. • You’re in charge of the rules, not your players. However, it is best to find a balance between being too strict and too lenient. Players need to feel both challenged and like they accomplished something. If the players contend that you made an error in judgment or presentation, rectify the matter or make it up to them later. • You are permitted to place restrictions on character creation if you don’t think you can come up with obstacles challenging enough for the players to run wild. • Be descriptive. Keep in mind the old rule of “show, don’t tell.” Make your characters and scenes as interesting as you can. Try to work as many senses into your descriptions as possible. Think about how novelists do it, and follow their example. What does that old car smell like? Does the villain’s voice sound smooth and deep or raspy and crackling? Is the light in the room harsh and clinical like a hospital or dim and subdued like a smoky bar? (All right, it is possible to overdo it — you’ll figure that out when your players start nodding off.) • Players know only what you tell them, so don’t expect them to use a clue later that you don’t give them a chance to find now. • Have the players come up with a situation that you know is not in the book? Flip to the generic difficulties descriptions (if you’ve nowhere else to start) or the generic modifiers (if you already have a difficulty). Then pick a number based on the descriptions therein and go with it. You can also use this technique to reward player ingenuity. • Hide the adventure’s text or notes, so your players don’t know whether you’re changing something. It also increases the level of suspense and excitement, because they don’t know what’s going to happen next. • Adjust the dice totals to make sure that neither side trounces the other too fast (although sometimes, that just can’t be helped, so you have to add a few more henchmen or swarms of rats or a sudden gas trap). • Keep a few appropriate filler obstacles handy, like game characteristics for henchmen, rolling boulders, booby traps, critter swarms, zombies, or whatever, for those times when you need to slow the players down. Also, have a list of suitable helpers, such as lost key in a niche, some handy berry bushes, a reformed thug, or a talkative child, just in case the players need a hand. • Don’t give your villains enough firepower (or damage-dealing devices or abilities) to kill a character in a single blow. • Never let a player’s character die unless doing so is particularly dramatic or heroic. Your characters come and go, but players, because they only use one or two, invest a lot more into their development.

• Give new players leeway, but show players who persistently make bad choices for their characters that there are consequences to their actions. • When there’s tension between the players, call for a break. It might be as simple as getting a snack, or as challenging as reminding the players that they are not their characters and they’re supposed to have fun together. • If you need to encourage players to get into their characters, give them immediate, but small, rewards for doing so, such as a bonus to a skill roll or a reduction in difficulty. • Customize your scenarios to the skill levels, character options, backgrounds, and goals of the players’ characters, as well as the kinds of things that the players like (particular types of rewards, jokes, villains, and so on). The players will feel like they’re actually participating in creating the story, rather than being dragged along.

Creating Adventures As with most games, players must overcome a series of obstacles to reach a final goal. But in roleplaying games, that combination of obstacles and goals, called an adventure, takes on the same structure as a story. Both have an exposition, progressively more difficult challenges to overcome, a climax, and a resolution. You can use movies, television shows, novels, or comic books to come up with ideas for adventures, always ing that the players get to decide how their characters react to the given obstacle, instead of being dictated by the writer. You, the Game Master, choose the hurdles the characters must deal with. You provide a goal and then present the characters with a series of problems that hamper them from reaching that objective. The hindrances can take a variety of forms, from monsters to evil scientists to acid storms to covert government agents, depending on the genre and circumstances of the adventure your characters are working through.

Genre Types D6 Powers works well for a number of different genres. When deciding which one you want to play in, consider what other reference material, such as movies, television shows, and books, you have to draw on. Reference material can inspire you with adventure ideas, setting particulars, and interesting characters.

Wild West One of the most chaotic genres, the Wild West features gun fights, chases on horseback, and the lure of hidden wealth, usually in the form of gold, but sometimes a coveted piece of land. Generally, technology is low, though weird science is possible. Now imagine your gunfighter can project bolts of flame from his fingers and that Native American shaman can call upon the spirits of the land to defend him with terrible storms and earthquakes and you have D6 Powers in the wild west.

Pulp Set during World War I and World War II, the pulp fiction genre emphasizes excitement over complicated plot development, mission-oriented adventures over long puzzle-solvers. Few “civilized” people deal with magic, though technology is being developed so fast that almost anything seems possible. Powers tend to be subtle with psychics and strange foreign martial arts being the order of the day.

179

Real World The game setting is not far removed from the real world of today. Often, however, there is at least one change — the appearance of powered individuals. The emphasis in this setting is on the clash between real-world laws, morality, economics, religion, and politics and the appearance of the powered individuals who can change the world with a wave of their hands. The appearance of powered folks may be recent or have come ages in the past. It is also possible that the appearance has been covered up and a vast shadowy network of conspirators exists.

Super Heroes Super hero adventures usually happen in the present or not too distant future. Special Abilities are common place, coming from scientific experiments, random mutations, weapons, equipment, training, and more. This is the default setting for four color campaigns with costumes, codenames, and capes.

Espionage Plot and character development — along with lots of ultrahigh-tech equipment — dominate the espionage setting. Full of secrets, and double crosses, violence is generally more subtle than in other genres, though there’s still plenty of room for a car chase with big guns. Powers here tend to be more subtle and the Game Master may have to restrict some of the more showy powers.

Types of Adventures The most direct way of creating an adventure is to select the goal first. Once you know the end, you can more easily decide on the best obstacles to make it interesting for the characters to reach the goal. Caught in a Tight Spot: Escape from a situation that could cause some type of harm to the characters or their allies. Contest: The characters must accomplish a predetermined goal more quickly or more efficiently than everyone else involved in the contest. Guard Duty: Protect someone or something from harm. Foil a Plan: Stop someone else from accomplishing their goal. Generally, the planned to be foiled has something to do with the destruction of a person, place, or thing of importance to the characters or to the entire world. Mystery: The players’ characters must discover the truth about a person, thing, or event. The Quest: Locate and retrieve an object or person at the behest of another. Ancient lost artifacts, stolen valuables, kidnap victims, and escaped super villains make good objects for this adventure type.

Types of Obstacles Once you’ve determined the type of adventure you want to create, you must divide it up into smaller chunks called scenes, each containing one or two obstacles. A scene is triggered by the players’ characters’ arrival at a given location or by the age of time. Once the characters overcome or by the obstacle, they move on to the next scene and one step closer to the goal of the adventure. Here are a few examples. Adverse Conditions: Weather, terrain, and hostile or uncooperative Game Master characters can hamper the characters in accomplishing the goal. Game Master Characters: The people that the player’s characters meet come in handy for all sorts of situations, so much so that there’s a whole section on them in this chapter. Combat: In order to continue forward or get to something, the characters first must defeat a creature or villain.

180

Diversions: Include extraneous details in setting descriptions or when the player’s characters talk to other people. The details are more for show than to further the adventure, but they offer some interesting roleplaying opportunities. Information: The players’ characters often need to obtain information, and you can make this more challenging by making it harder for them to find (two secretaries to convince instead of one), missing (part of a needed tablet has been destroyed), in the form of a puzzle or riddle, from a questionable source, or giving the characters what seems like a right lead but ends up being to the wrong place. However, make sure that the information the characters seek really is attainable. Be careful not to force the players’ characters to go through an enormous amount of trouble based on clues and hints you’ve given them only to find that their efforts were wasted. Multiple Goals: Typically for experienced roleplayers, adding the rumor of a new goal can force the characters to rearrange their priorities. Restrictions: The characters can’t use some of the regular equipment or must be certain to perform certain rituals, or there will be dire consequences. Time Limits: There’s nothing like a time limit to speed up a scene. This kind of obstacle can take the form of limited supplies, limited ammunition, or a set amount of time before something horrible occurs.

Game Master Characters During their adventures players’ characters encounter various allies, enemies, and neutrals who serve to shape the story, establishing the setting or helping or hindering the characters at critical moments. Without these characters, nothing much would happen. However, you don’t have to create enough characters to fill the entire universe. Save yourself work and carefully choose which Game Master characters play the most pivotal roles in your adventure and design them in detail. Then select the less important characters and determine most of their background and personality, and so on until you come down to the nameless characters who need nothing more than a brief mention.

Asg Characteristics Once you’ve come up with the overall concept for the character, you should decide on his game statistics. Skim through the “Character Basics” and “Character Options” chapters for some ideas, jotting down whatever details are important for the character’s importance to the adventure and what’s needed to use him. There’s no need to follow the character creation rules exactly; instead, give each character what you think they need to play their part in the story. The average adult human being has 2D in all attributes. Depending on how much experience you want an individual to have, give the character between 7 and 14 dice in skills. Children will generally have 1D in all attributes, with two or three dice in skills, such as throwing (for tossing baseballs, footballs, food, etc.), running, swimming, tech, hide, con, and charm. Older or gifted children may have more or a greater variety of skills. Children will have few, if any, specializations. They often carry a favorite toy or nothing. Elderly adults may have fewer dice in their Reflexes, Coordination, and Physique. However, they have twice as many skill dice (between 14 and 20), to for their greater experience. Body Points for generic characters likewise depend on age and toughness. For base Body Points, use these guidelines: 5 for kids and elderly individuals, 10 for ordinary innocent bystanders and most animals, 15 for minor villainous opponents, and 20 for major secondary and leading Game Master characters. Add to these values any additional points as you deem appropriate. Should you prefer the Wounds system, be sure to drop

one or more levels from the bottom of the list. For example, most animals, kids, and elderly would take one Wound level (Incapacitated) before dying, while minor character and large animals might take two (Stun and Incapacitated), and so on.

Character Points and Fate Points Cannon-fodder villains, such as army troops, henchmen, and merchants typically have no Character Points or Fate Points. Minor villains, whose survival isn’t dependent upon the adventure’s plot may have one to three Character Points and (usually) no Fate Points. Continuing villains, such as those who may be used for several adventures or who are subordinate to the main villain, may have several Character Points and no more than one or two Fate Points. Major villains who might be used over the course of a campaign and are integral to an adventure should have at least 11 Character Points (some characters may have well over 50 Character Points) and many will have at least three Fate Points.

Starting the Adventure Once you’ve got the goal and a few obstacles, you’ll need to give the players’ characters a reason to go on the adventure. Often called the hook, here are a few examples. Character Goals: The group, even just one of the players’ characters, gets information that could help get closer to a long-term goal. Informant: Someone lets the players’ characters know about the goal and gives them just enough information to get to the first obstacle. The information could be provided as a letter, a television announcement, a classified ad, or an anonymous source. In Media Res: Start the game in the middle of an explosive or suspenseful event. Such fast starts put the players immediately on their toes, thrusting their characters into the middle of the game before they even know it. Once they’ve dealt with their immediate problem, they’re thoroughly enmeshed in the story. Mission Briefing: The organization in which the characters are involved calls a meeting and sets reveals the goal (though, of course, not how to accomplish it!).

Running Adventures You’ve successfully brought the players’ characters into the adventure. Now you have to keep them focused and enthralled with the plot. If you see their eyes start to wander, or they fall into a conversation about the last game (or worse, what they watched on television last night), you know something’s gone wrong. This section should help you maintain an involving story and a sense of “really being there.”

Setting the Scene Your first job is to vividly depict the scene unfolding before the players’ characters. Where are they? Who else is there? What’s happening? These are the questions you must answer immediately.

Description The key here is to engage the players’ senses, just like a good movie, novel, or television show. Try to use evocative words to give the players a clear and vivid view of their characters’ environment. The best way to learn how to provide such lifelike descriptions is to picture the scene in your mind and do whatever you can to convey that same scene to your players. You may incorporate movie or television footage you’ve taped, maps and

diagrams you copied out of library books, or even illustrations you’ve drawn yourself. Sound effects CDs especially can help you set the stage for the characters. Just that your players have five senses. Don’t just rely on the sense of sight. Describe what your characters hear, smell, touch, and (sometimes) taste. The following example engages several senses. Game Master: “There is a squish as you step out of the van and onto soggy ground. The thick, musty smell of the swamp immediately washes over you. From all around you, you can hear the screeching chirps of birds and small animals. The humidity settles against your skin like a blanket of moisture as you walk away from the van. Gangly gray trees, scattered in small stands, reach upward into the mist, and you get the distinct feeling that something out there is watching you.”

Believable Characters Other than the setting, the players’ characters will also encounter other people who live in the game world. Your job is to make sure that these Game Master characters appear real to the players. Their words and actions must seem appropriate in the context of their histories, personalities, and ambitions. If a stoic military officer suddenly took off his helmet and started joking around, the players would probably just stare at you for a minute as the game comes crashing to a halt. Play each character to the best of your ability. Make sure he does everything in his power to achieve his goals, whether he’s trying to thwart the players’ characters or earn a load of gold coins. This does not mean that every Game Master character should act overtly. Part of his goal may be to achieve his objective undetected, or to make it look like someone else was responsible. Rather, the idea is that the character should use all of his resources — his skills, allies, finances, and so on — to accomplish his immediate as well as his long-term goals.

Exciting Locales Try to make each place the players’ characters visit seem different than the others. By doing this, you can make these sights engaging and memorable for the players. You can use unusual features such as water, buildings, and elevation to bring a location to life. A neighborhood with decayed, turn of the century houses backing onto a dark wood is much more memorable than another generic housing development. Try to make your locations reflect those that live there, unless of course the characters living there are doing so in secret. A peaceful community may hide a terrible evil made all the worse by the fact it is so out of place. (I’m thinking of Sunnydale and Innsmouth here )

Personal Stake Every once in while you should ask to see the players’ character sheets. Look for background information and personality traits that might lend themselves to a personal stake. If a player has written that her character is extremely competitive, for example, you could create a rival group that seeks to outdo the players’ characters at every turn. The players will do everything in their power to make sure their characters succeed more often and more quickly than the newcomers.

181

Giving Options

Getting

Don’t constantly force your players to follow along the prescribed path of the adventure. They may have devised an alternate scheme for success not covered by the scenario, and you shouldn’t penalize them for their creativity. Instead you’ll have to use your judgment to run the remainder of the adventure. If the players feel that they never have a choice, that you have predetermined what their characters will do and say — and therefore, how the adventure will turn out — they’re not going to have any interest in playing. Part of the fun of a roleplaying game is the almost unlimited possible reactions to any given situation. Take that away, and you’ve lost much of the reason for participating in this type of game. Sometimes the characters will have only a few choices — or at least, a few obvious choices — and that’s fine if it makes logical sense in the context of the scenario and doesn’t seem like an attempt by you as the Game Master to dictate their characters’ paths. Reward creativity. Give the players a reason to exercise their brains. The more freedom they believe they have, the more they’ll enjoy the adventure. When their characters make a mistake, they have no one else to blame it on, and when their characters succeed, they feel a genuine sense of accomplishment.

Sometimes an adventure doesn’t thrill the players like you expected it to when you were first reading or creating it. As you run a scenario, you should pay attention to the players’ reactions to the various scenes. Did they stand up and all try to talk at once during the chase? Did they go comatose when they reached the puzzle-solving encounter? Gauge their reactions to your judgment calls and improvisation. The players’ words and actions can convey a great deal of information about which parts of the adventure they enjoyed and which parts put them to sleep. Ask the players what they did and didn’t like. You could even have them write you an anonymous note with a list of their favorite and least favorite scenes. Don’t take any negative responses as criticism. It’s takes a lot of work to plan and run a game, and you can’t always please everyone no matter what you do. Just don’t forget to listen to what your players have to say. They may want to take the game in a different direction than you do. Compromise. Make sure you and your players have fun. If not, either you or your players will eventually give up and find something else to do during those precious spare moments. View player reactions and comments as hints as to what you can do in the next adventure that will keep them on the edge of their seats.

The Subtle Art of Misdirection

Rewarding the Players

If the players can correctly guess the conclusion of an adventure while they’re progressing through the first encounter, the ensuing encounters won’t provide as much excitement as they should. This is where the subtle art of misdirection comes in. The object here is to keep the players (and their characters) guessing and revising those guesses through the whole adventure. You can do this in small ways: make die rolls, smile for a moment, and then don’t say anything about it; have the characters roll Perception checks, ask for their totals, and then just continue with the encounter; ask a player for detailed information on how her character is going to close a door (“Which hand are you using?” “Do you have a weapon in your hand”), but then have the portal close uneventfully. You also have the option of throwing in major red herrings. If a character starts tracking the players’ characters, the players will immediately attempt to mesh this new person’s presence with the rest of the adventure. In reality, however, he’s just a common thief looking for an easy mark, or he thinks that one of the characters looks familiar but doesn’t want to say anything until he’s sure he’s not mistaking that character for someone else.

Allowing the Characters to Fail It’s that chance of failure that gives excitement to a roleplaying game, so sometimes characters need to fail. If they roll poorly, or are simply outclassed, or most importantly, if they play poorly, their characters will not accomplish their goal. Yet, with each defeat, the characters (and players) should learn something. They may learn a better way to approach a situation, or they may stumble upon a tool or gadget that will help them in the future. It should take perseverance and dedication, but learning from mistakes will eventually lead to success.

182

Part of the fun of roleplaying is watching characters improve and develop. Game Masters have plenty of options for helping that along, though, of course, no single option should be overused or the players will have no reason to continue adventuring.

Advantages (and Disadvantages) Look through the list of Advantages for some reward ideas. Typically, when a Game Master allows access to an Advantage, it’s a one-shot deal, especially for particularly powerful Advantages, such as being owed a favor by a multimillionaire. If the characters want a more permanent access to this kind of Advantage, they will have pay for it (in Character Points). Game Masters might also give free Advantages to characters — along with an equivalent amount of Disadvantages!

Equipment and Other Loot Depending on the circumstances of the present adventure and the Game Master’s ideas for future adventures, Game Masters may allow the players’ characters to keep equipment, gear, and treasure that they find in abandoned temples or acquire from a villain’s lair. Game Masters may even want to plant various items in the adventure for the players’ characters to locate, whether to fulfill a character’s dream or help the group in a future scenario. Should the equipment or other material cause the players’ characters to become too powerful, too quickly, that things can break, become the object of desire by more powerful personages, or get stolen.

Funds Characters might choose to sell some of their loot and put the money into their bank or investments. Depending on what characters do with their money, Game Masters may allow a permanent one-pip increase to each of their Funds attribute (because of putting it into solid investments as determined by a business roll), or give the characters a larger bonus to a limited number of Funds rolls (because they kept the cash in a vault at their hideout).

Information While not terribly tangible, information could be useful for drawing the characters into another adventure or helping to fulfill a character’s goal (such as discovering details about her mysterious past).

Character and Fate Points Assuming that the players have really been trying and have been sufficiently challenged by the adventure, each character should receive enough Character Points to improve one skill, plus a few extra for help in overcoming a low roll at a future inconvenient time. Obviously, more experienced characters will either have to experience more adventures, or they’ll need bigger challenges. Here are a few guidelines for distributing Character and Fate Points for an adventure that lasts two or more nights, several hours per night. They are per character, not per group. Obstacle was easy to overcome (the difficulty numbers were about three times the die code in the skills required): No reward. Obstacle was somewhat difficult to overcome (the difficulty numbers were about three to four times the die code in the skills required): one Character Point per low-difficulty obstacle in the adventure. Obstacle was quite challenging to overcome (the difficulty numbers were about five times the die code in the skills required; generally reserved for the climactic scene): two or more Character Points per high-difficulty obstacle in the adventure (depending on how many Character Points the characters had to spend to beat the difficulties set). Individual roleplaying (overcoming goals and playing in character): two to three Character Points (awarded to each character, not to the whole group). Group roleplaying (teamwork and interacting with each other in character): three to four Character Points. Everybody had fun (including the Game Master): one to two Character Points. Accomplished the goal: one Fate Point.

183

Super Hero Templates

Those wishing to jump right into a game will find below some ready-made concepts that are staples of the comic book and super hero genres. All the templates that follow are power level 3 characters – all that needs to be done is to spend the character points that haven’t been spent on the character’s attributes and skills. Since heroes may have similar powers, yet be completely different, several different versions of the same template have been provided.

The Alien The alien is a visitor from some far away planet that has come to Earth for one reason or another: to help us; to hide from some threat; or merely to investigate the curiosity of human life. Aliens do not always come from outer space – they might come from inner space as well, from the sea floor or from within the Earth. Aliens are often more physically impressive than normal humans or have high-tech equipment that gives them some sort of advantage. On the flipside, aliens are usually physically different from humanity, and this drawback may cause terror or incite violence.

The Armored Super The armored super is a character who derives his powers from a special suit of armor that she wears. Such suits are usually high-tech in origin but some may be provided by mystical means. Armored heroes are primarily normal humans that have no super powers outside their super suit.

The Blaster The blaster is a staple of the super hero comic, all sharing in common the fact that they can project some sort of offensive attack from their body. Most comic books have at least one blaster in their group as their catchall offensive member. Blasters vary in type – from the person who shoots heat beams from his eyes, to the lady who projects flame from her mouth – but the one common feature is that they have some sort of ranged attack.

The Brick The brick is the tough guy of the group who specializes in superhuman strength and resilience. Contrary to popular belief bricks are not by definition stupid or dull-witted – just strong. Bricks come in all shapes and sizes and can look the part as a hulking ham handed man, or masquerade as a plucky girl (like Pippi Longstocking).

184

The Cosmic Entity

The Shape Changer

The cosmic entity is a super-powerful visitor from another world, or a human who has transcended the normal human experience. The entity may be puzzled by humanity and its odd ways, or could be here to protect or enlighten us. Whatever the case, the powerful entity is often terribly naïve about the ways of mundane humans.

The shape changer is the master of his own physical form. Some can stretch their limbs, while others can manipulate their entire bodies, creating new shapes or mimicking animals or objects. Shape changers make excellent spies and assassins, as they can get into the most difficult of places and rely on their ability to manipulate their physical bodies to get back out.

The Elementalist

The Sorcerer/Mystic

The elementalist has control of the very forces of nature; some have control over the weather, while others have control of magnetic fields, or animals. Whatever the case, elementalists have an affinity for their chosen element and can manipulate it with ease.

The sorcerer/mystic is the master of the odd and esoteric, filling any gap in a super team by manipulation and twisting the natural laws of reality with their “magic”. These characters rely on the eldritch and arcane arts to influence the powers of the universe. Some make pacts with devils and others study ancient grimoires to glean knowledge.

The Gadgeteer

The Warrior

The gadgeteer is a character who primarily works with arcane or technological weapons and tools. They have no super powers The warrior is the combat monster of the super team. They and rely solely on their wits and the devices at their disposal. The have honed their bodies to their maximum potential and live Gadgeteer excels at tinkering with things and creating devices for the fight. The narrow focus of these characters makes them from scratch. extraordinarily lethal. They attack with a singular zeal and never relent until their opponent lies broken at their feet.

The Mentalist The astounding untapped potential of the human psyche is the domain of the mentalist. Mindbenders, telekinetics, and pyrokinetics are all specialized versions of the mentalist. These characters are incredibly versatile and helpful where normal brawn does not prevail.

The Movement Specialist Movement specialists are characters whose primary powers revolve around movement. Some are super fast runners; others take to the air on the wings of angels; still others teleport or open warp gates to other places. While some would say movement powers alone aren’t enough to make a hero, the movement specialist could run circles around them, or fly outside of an opponents reach. Sheer power is useless without mobility.

The Mutant Many mutants were genetic freaks, born with some superhuman ability not available to the normal population. Others were bitten by radioactive insects, or irradiated with cosmic rays. The mutant is an evolutionary offshoot that comes with many different abilities, advantages and skill, but these gifts are always tainted with a terrible price, such as horrible disfigurement or a terrible drawback to using their powers.

185

D6 Powers

Alien (High Tech Visitor)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

2D

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

flying

navigation

melee combat

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

3D

lock picking

tech

Perception

marksmanship

4D

artist

missile weapon

gambling know-how

sleight of hand throwing

2D

lifting

investigation repair search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

tracking

Presence animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

Disadvantages: Achilles' Heel (Atmospheric Incompatibility) R3 Cultural Unfamiliarity R2 Strange Appearance R2

hide

piloting

Physique

Advantages:

medicine

jumping

Coordination

5D

2D

Powers:

Rank

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent:

1 4

5 1D 10M 3D 115

Equipment: Sonic Blaster (toughness2D, Damage: 4D+2, Burst Modifier: Burst as single, Range: 20Obvious Weapon) Environmental Armor (Armor value 3D+2, reflex modifier: +0, Life 2, Infrared vision 3, Sonar 2, Chameleon 3. Armor, Obvious) 24 pts Flight Belt (Toughness: 2D, Flight 4, Obvious, Equipment)

D6 Powers

Alien (Super Human Explorer)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

3D

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

flying

navigation

melee combat

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

3D

lock picking

tech

Perception

marksmanship

3D

artist

missile weapon piloting

hide

sleight of hand

gambling know-how

throwing

Physique

Advantages:

medicine

jumping

Coordination

4D

3D

lifting

investigation repair

running

search

stamina

streetwise

swimming

survival tracking

Presence animal hand.

2D

Powers:

Rank

charm

Flight Energy Blast

3 4

command

X-ray Vision

4

con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

Disadvantages: Achilles' Heel (Atmospheric Incompatibility) R3 Cultural Unfamiliarity R2 Strange Appearance R1

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 4

5 2D 10M 3D 92

D6 Powers

Armored Super (Arcane)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

4D

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

flying

Labporatory R3

navigation

melee combat

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

3D

lock picking

tech

Perception

marksmanship

3D

hide

piloting

gambling know-how

sleight of hand throwing

2D

lifting

investigation repair search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

tracking

Presence animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

Disadvantages: Ball and Chain R4 (the Lady Vrtis) Employed R2 (the Order of the Dragon)

artist

missile weapon

Physique

Advantages:

medicine

jumping

Coordination

3D

3D

Powers:

Rank

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent:

1 6

5 1D(7D) 10M 3D 106

Equipment: Dragon Armor (Armor value: 5D, Reflex Modifier: -1D+2, Physique 7D, Flight 2, Flash Attack 3. Armor, Obvious, Temperamental R1) Foe Smiter sword (Toughness4D, Damage +3D armor piercing, Weapon, Obvious)

D6 Powers

Armored Super (Modern)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

2D

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

flying

Labporatory R3

navigation

melee combat

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

2D

lock picking

tech

Perception

marksmanship

3D

artist

missile weapon

gambling know-how

sleight of hand throwing

2D

lifting

investigation repair search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

tracking

Presence animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

Disadvantages: Employed R2 (the Gibson corporation) Quirk R2 (Dependency: Gambling problem) Secret ID R2

hide

piloting

Physique

Advantages:

medicine

jumping

Coordination

5D

2D

Powers:

Rank

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent:

1 4

5 1D (6D ) 10M 3D 106

Equipment: Power Armor (Armor value: 5D, Reflex Modifier: -1D, Physique 6D, Energy Blast 4, Flight 6, Machine Interface 2, Infrared Vision 2, Life 3, . Armor, Obvious, Temperamental R1)

D6 Powers

Blaster (Crack Shot)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

2D

Knowledge

3D

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

Advantages:

flying

medicine

Good Looks R1

jumping

navigation

melee combat

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

tech

Coordination

4D

lock picking

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting

gambling know-how

sleight of hand throwing

Physique

2D

investigation repair

lifting

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

tracking

Powers: Presence animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

2D

4D

Rank

Energy Blast* 4 *Power Defense and Sweep Attack Enhancement

Disadvantages: Enemy (Power level 3, One man, Uncommon) Overconfident R2

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 4

5 1D 10M 3D 102

D6 Powers

Blaster (High Flyer)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

3D

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

medicine

jumping

navigation

melee combat

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

3D

lock picking

tech

Perception

marksmanship

3D

artist

missile weapon

gambling know-how

sleight of hand throwing

3D

lifting

investigation repair

running

search

stamina

streetwise

swimming

survival tracking

Presence animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

Disadvantages: Secret ID R2 Quirk R2 (Angry) Terrible Secret R2 (Reformed Super villain)

hide

piloting

Physique

Advantages:

languages

flying

Coordination

3D

3D

Powers:

Rank

Flame Jet Force Field*

4 3

* Can attack through Flight

4

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 6

5 2D 10M 3D 111

D6 Powers

Brick (Metal Titan)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

2D

Knowledge

2D

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

Advantages:

flying

medicine

Extra Body Points R3

jumping

navigation

melee combat

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

Coordination

2D

tech

lock picking

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting

gambling know-how

sleight of hand throwing

Physique

8D

investigation repair

lifting

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

Presence animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

2D

tracking

2D

Powers: Accelerated Healing Endurance Body Armor Super Jump

Rank 4 5

4 2

Disadvantages: Hindrance R2 (Socially Uncertain: charm, con, intimidate) Secret ID R2

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 4

5 8D 10M 3D 104

D6 Powers

Brick (The Monster)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

2D

Knowledge

1D

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

Advantages:

flying

medicine

jumping

navigation

melee combat

Scholar

Extra Body Points R5 Size R1 Hard to Kill R2

riding

security

sneak

tech

Coordination

2D

lock picking

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting

gambling know-how

sleight of hand throwing

Physique

9D

investigation repair

lifting

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

tracking

Powers: Presence animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

3D

1D

Invulnerability Super Jump

Rank 2

5

Disadvantages: Strange Appearance R2 Quirk R3 (angry) Poverty R1

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 6

5 9D 10M 3D 104

D6 Powers

Cosmic Entity (Alien Godling)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

3D

Knowledge

3D

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

Advantages:

flying

medicine

Extra Body Points R3

jumping

navigation

melee combat

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

tech

Coordination

3D

lock picking

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting

gambling know-how

sleight of hand throwing

Physique

3D

investigation repair

lifting

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

tracking

Powers: Presence animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

3D

3D

Energy Blast Sustenance Life Flight FTL Travel

Rank

4 4 3 4 2

Disadvantages: Cultural Unfamiliarity R2 Strange Appearance R1 Enemy Galactic Commerce Guild( Power Level 2, Large Organization, Common) R7

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 6

5 2D 10M 3D 112

D6 Powers

Cosmic Entity (Uplifted Human)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

4D

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

flying

medicine

jumping

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

2D

tech

lock picking

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting throwing

6D

investigation repair

lifting

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

Presence animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

2D

gambling know-how

sleight of hand

Physique

Advantages:

navigation

melee combat

Coordination

2D

tracking

2D

Powers:

Rank

Longevity Super Senses 2 Energy Absorption* 4 *=Damage goes to attributes

Disadvantages: Enemy The Marsh Institute( Power Level 2, Large Organization, Common) R7 Secret ID R2

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 4

5 6D 10M 3D 110

D6 Powers

Elementals (Element Personified)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

3D

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

flying

medicine

jumping

navigation

melee combat

Scholar tech

sneak

3D

lock picking

Perception hide

missile weapon sleight of hand

investigation repair

throwing

3D

search

lifting

streetwise

running

survival

stamina

tracking

swimming

Powers:

animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

Disadvantages: Hindrance R3 (unobservant, Investigation, search, streetwise) Secret ID R2

gambling know-how

piloting

Presence

3D

artist

marksmanship

Physique

Advantages:

security

riding

Coordination

3D

3D

Elemental Sheathe *Fire (elemental form) Flame Jet* Flame Manipulation * Flight * *=Super Heroic form

Rank 2

4 3 3

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 6

5 2D 10M 3D 106

D6 Powers

Elemental (The Manipulator)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

3D

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

flying

medicine

jumping

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

3D

tech

lock picking

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting throwing

3D

investigation repair

lifting

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

Presence animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

2D

gambling know-how

sleight of hand

Physique

Advantages:

navigation

melee combat

Coordination

3D

tracking

4D

Powers: Weather Manipulation

Rank

5

Disadvantages: Ball and Chain R2 (the people of her tribe) Quirk R2 (terrible flashbacks to being buried alive)

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 8

5 2D 10M 3D 108

D6 Powers

Gadgeteer (High-tech Scientist)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

2D

Knowledge

7D

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

Advantages:

flying

medicine

Laboratory R4 Quick Study R3

jumping

navigation

melee combat

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

Coordination

2D

tech

lock picking

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting

gambling know-how

sleight of hand throwing

Physique

2D

investigation repair

lifting

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

Presence

tracking

2D

3D

Disadvantages: Hindrance R3: Socially Inept (Charm, intimidation, persuasion) Quirk R2 (technology fetish)

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent:

Equipment:

animal hand.

Omni Gadget (Toughness 2D, All Groups 3, 4 Uses, Equipment, Obvious)

charm

Armor Vest (Armor Value 2D, Reflex Modifier 0)

command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

Security Kit (Toughness 1D, Skill: Security +3D, Equipment, Obvious)

1 4

5 1D 10M 3D 107

D6 Powers

Gadgeteer (Garage Tinkerer)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

3D

Knowledge

5D

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

Advantages:

flying

medicine

Laboratory R1

jumping

navigation

melee combat

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

Coordination

2D

tech

lock picking

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting

gambling know-how

sleight of hand throwing

Physique

2D

investigation repair

lifting

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

Presence

tracking

2D

4D

Disadvantages: Employed R2 (Works for high tech corporation) Enemy R5 (his crazed robot construction) (Power level 3, One person, Uncommon)

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent:

1 4

5 1D 10M 3D 86

Equipment:

animal hand.

Omni Gadget (Toughness 2D, All Groups 3, 4 Uses, Equipment, Obvious Temperamental R3)

charm

Tangle Swing/Line (Toughness 1D, Swinging 4, Entangle 4, Equipment, Obvious, Temperamental R1)

command con

3 Flash Bang Grenades (Toughness 1D, Flash Attack 4, Equipment, Obvious, One use, Temperamental R1)

disguise

Boom Pistol (Toughness 2D, Sonic Scream 4, Equipment/Weapon, Obvious, Temperamental R1)

intimidation

Shield Belt (Toughness 2D, Force Shield 4, Equipment, Obvious, Temperamental R1)

persuasion willpower

D6 Powers

Mentalist (Mindbender)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

2D

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

flying

medicine

jumping

navigation

melee combat

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

tech

Coordination

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting

gambling know-how

sleight of hand throwing

2D

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

tracking

Powers: animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

3D

3D

investigation repair

lifting

Presence

Advantages:

3D

lock picking

Physique

5D

Confusion Mind Control Mind Reading Telepathy

Rank 3 4 3 4

Disadvantages: Secret ID R2 Quirk R3 Claustrophobic

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 6

5 1D 10M 3D 106

D6 Powers

Mentalist (Psychokinetic)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

3D

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

flying

medicine

jumping

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

4D

tech

lock picking

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting throwing

3D

investigation repair

lifting

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

Presence animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

2D

gambling know-how

sleight of hand

Physique

Advantages:

navigation

melee combat

Coordination

3D

tracking

3D

Powers: Telekinesis Force Field *

Rank

5 3

Disadvantages: Enemy Lab experiment hunted by the US government (Power level 2, government, common) R7

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 6

5 2D 10M 3D 102

D6 Powers

Movement Specialist (Speedster)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

7D

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

flying

medicine

jumping

navigation

melee combat

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

tech

Coordination

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting

gambling know-how

sleight of hand throwing

2D

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

tracking

Powers: animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

2D

3D

Super Speed

Disadvantages: Hindrance R2 (Attention Deficit Disorder. Investigation, Know-how, search) Learning Problem R1 Secret ID R2

investigation repair

lifting

Presence

Advantages:

2D

lock picking

Physique

2D

Rank 5

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 4

5 1D 50M 3D 102

D6 Powers

Movement Specialist (The Flyer)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

4D

Knowledge

3D

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

Advantages:

flying

medicine

Skill Minimum R4 (flying)

jumping

navigation

melee combat

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

Coordination

3D

tech

lock picking

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting

gambling know-how

sleight of hand throwing

Physique

3D

investigation repair

lifting

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

Presence animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

3D

tracking

2D

Powers: Flight Luck

Rank

7 3

Disadvantages: Strange Appearance R1 (wings) Secret ID R2

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 4

5 2D 10M 3D 96

D6 Powers

Mutant (Child of the Atom)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

3D

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

flying

medicine

jumping

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

3D

tech

lock picking

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting throwing

3D

investigation repair

lifting

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

Presence animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

3D

gambling know-how

sleight of hand

Physique

Advantages:

navigation

melee combat

Coordination

3D

tracking

3D

Powers: Ice Manipulation* *(one rank always on)

Rank

5

Disadvantages: Prejudice R1 (Mutie Scum) Strange Appearance R1 (Icy Blue Skin) Enemy R6 (Mutant Hunting Organization) Power level 2, Large Organization, Uncommon

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 6

5 2D 10M 3D 94

D6 Powers

Mutant (Experiment Gone Wrong)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

3D

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

flying

medicine

jumping

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

3D

tech

lock picking

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting throwing

3D

investigation repair

lifting

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

Presence animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

3D

gambling know-how

sleight of hand

Physique

Advantages:

navigation

melee combat

Coordination

3D

tracking

3D

Powers: Extra Limbs Drain

Rank

Disadvantages: Achilles’ Heel R3 (must drain 2D of another's Physique once per day) Strange Appearance R3 (Tentacled Subhuman)

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent:

5 4

Equipment:

1 6

5 2D 10M 3D 96

D6 Powers

Movement Specialist (The Teleporter)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

3D

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

flying

medicine

jumping

navigation

melee combat

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

tech

Coordination

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting

gambling know-how

sleight of hand throwing

3D

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

tracking

Powers: animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

Disadvantages: Seceret ID R2

3D

3D

investigation repair

lifting

Presence

Advantages:

3D

lock picking

Physique

3D

Teleportation OR Spatial Warping

Rank 5

3

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 6

5 2D 10M 3D 94

D6 Powers

Shape Changer (The Rubber man)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

4D

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

flying

medicine

jumping

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

3D

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting throwing

3D

investigation repair

lifting

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

3D

gambling know-how

sleight of hand

Presence

Disadvantages: Secret ID R2

tech

lock picking

Physique

Advantages:

navigation

melee combat

Coordination

3D

tracking

2D

Powers: Stretching Energy Absorption (kinetic) Super Jump

Rank

3 3

2

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 4

5 2D 10M 3D 101

D6 Powers

Shape Changer (Lycanthrope)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

4D

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

flying

medicine

jumping

navigation

melee combat

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

tech

Coordination

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting

gambling know-how

sleight of hand throwing

4D

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

tracking

Powers: animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

3D

3D

investigation repair

lifting

Presence

Advantages:

2D

lock picking

Physique

2D

Rank

Shape Shifter* 5 Natural Weaponry 2 (Claws)* Super Tracking * 3 *= Super heroic Form (Wolf)

Disadvantages: Seceret ID R2 Quirk R1 (loves to eat raw meat)

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 6

5 2D 10M 3D 84

D6 Powers

Shape Changer (MetaMorph)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

3D

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

flying

medicine

jumping

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

3D

tech

lock picking

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting throwing

5D

investigation repair

lifting

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

Presence animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

3D

gambling know-how

sleight of hand

Physique

Advantages:

navigation

melee combat

Coordination

2D

tracking

2D

Powers: Molecular Mimic OR Duplication

Rank

5 7

Disadvantages: Secret ID R2 Enemy Lab experiment hunted by the US government (Power level 2, government, common) R7

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 4

5 3D 10M 3D 98

D6 Powers

Sorcerer/Mystic (The Fey Wanderer)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

2D

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

flying

medicine

jumping

navigation

melee combat

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

tech

Coordination

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting

gambling know-how

sleight of hand throwing

2D

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

tracking

animal hand.

2D

7D

investigation repair

lifting

Presence

Advantages:

2D

lock picking

Physique

3D

Powers:

Rank

Sorcery* Longevity

7

command con intimidation persuasion willpower

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent:

1 4

5 1D 10M 3D 115

Equipment: Staff of Al’mator (toughness 2D, Light Manipulation 2, Equipment, Obvious)

charm

disguise

Disadvantages: Seceret ID R2 Strange Appearance R1 (pale skin and pointed ears)

*= Incantations, Focus & Physical Gestures

D6 Powers

Sorcerer/Mystic (Young Mystic)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

3D

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

flying

medicine

jumping

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

3D

tech

lock picking

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting throwing

3D

investigation repair

lifting

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

Presence

tracking

3D

Powers:

command

Magic Blast Force Shield Matter Manipulation* *= Incantations& Focus

con

Flight

animal hand. charm

disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

4D

gambling know-how

sleight of hand

Physique

Advantages:

navigation

melee combat

Coordination

2D

Rank

3 4

5 3

Disadvantages: Secret ID R2 Age R1 (young) Ball and Chain R4 (mother and father)

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 6

5

10M 3D 109

D6 Powers

Warrior (The Feral Scrapper)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

4D

Knowledge

2D

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

Advantages:

flying

medicine

Extra Body Points R3

jumping

navigation

melee combat

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

tech

Coordination

2D

lock picking

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting

gambling know-how

sleight of hand throwing

Physique

3D

investigation repair

lifting

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

tracking

Powers: Presence animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

3D

4D

Combat Sense Fast Reaction Natural Weaponry Regeneration Super Tracking

Rank

2 3 2 1

Disadvantages: Infamy R1 Quirk R2 (angry)

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

1 6

5 2D 10M 3D 102

D6 Powers

Warrior (Combat Specialist)

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : 3 Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

4D

Knowledge

2D

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge

languages

Advantages:

flying

medicine

Extra Body Points R3

jumping melee combat

Scholar

riding

security

sneak

Coordination

4D

tech

lock picking

Perception

marksmanship

artist

missile weapon

hide

piloting throwing

3D

investigation repair

lifting

search

running

streetwise

stamina

survival

swimming

Presence animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

3D

gambling know-how

sleight of hand

Physique

Ominous Demeanor R2

navigation

tracking

4D

Powers: Combat Sense Fast reaction

Rank 3

Disadvantages: Secret ID R2 Quirk R3 (flash Back to his families death)

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment: Tonfa Sticks: Damage +1D6

1 8

5 2D 10M 3D 82

Index

Costs Ka to Activate 120 creation points 7 Creation points 5 Crew and enger Injuries 141 Critical Failure 5 Critical Success 5

A Ability Loss 120 Accelerating and Decelerating 138 Acrobatics 13 Action 5 Activation Roll 120 Active Defense 142 Active defense value 5 Advantages 30 adventure tips

adventures types creating adventures gamemaster’s characters genre types obstacles types rewards running starting

All Attacks Alternate Magic System Animal handling: Animal Mimesis

examples

Animation

modifiers

Arcane Gift Area Effect Armor Piercing Armor Value Artifacts Artist Attributes

180 179 180 179 180 182 181, 182 181 151 111 13

56 96

111 118 118 5 165 13 7

B Base Combat Difficulty Base damage Value Body Points Brawling Breaking things Business

142 55 5, 9 13, 149 157 13

C Called Shot Character Archetypes Character Point Character Points Charm Climbing COMBAT Combat difficulty Combat Options COMBAT OPTIONS Command Complementary skill Contortion Coordination

151 10 5 131 13 13, 137 142 5 154 149 14 5 13 13

D D 5 Damage and NPCs 146 Damage, Body Points 144 Damage, Killing Blow 144 Damage, Miscellaneous 146 Damage resistance total 5 Damage, Stun 145 Damage total 5 Damage, Unconsciousness 145 Damage, Wound Levels 144, 146 Decelerating 138 Defaulting to an attribute 5 Defensive Powers 76 Die code, score 5 difficulties

interrogation modifiers observation

difficulty Diminished Range Disadvantages Disarm Disguise Dodge Duration Duration change

15 14

5 120 30 151 14 13 55 120

E Elemental Manipulation Powers 79 Entangle 151 Equipment 9 Exponential Value Chart 54 Extended Duration/Effect/Range 118 Extra Knock Back 118

F Fate Point Fate Points Fatigue Flying Focus Forgery Free action Free Actions Full Defense Funds

5 131 138 13 120 13 5 134 142 9

G Gadgetry Gadgets Gambling Game Basics Game Master Tips

13 165 13 131 179

Game Time 132 Generic Difficulty Modifiers 135 Group Attack 151

H HEALING Healing, Body Points Healing, Wounds Hero Templates Hide Hit Locations

147 147 148 184 13 151

I Improving Characters Incantations Initiative Intimidation Investigation

123 120 133 14 13

J Jumping

13

K Ka Gestalt Ka Points Knock Back Knockout Know-how Knowledge

9 8 155 151 13 13

L Languages Lifting Limited Use Linked Power Lock picking

13 13, 157 120 118 13

M Magic 107 Marksmanship 13 Martial Arts 158 Medicine 13 Melee combat: 13 Mental Defenses 94 Mental Powers 94 Miscellaneous Enhancement 118 Miscellaneous Power Limitation 120 Missile weapons 13 Modifier 5 Move 8 Movement 137 Movement, Flying 140 Movement, Maximum 138 Movement Powers 113 Multi-action Penalty 133 Multiple Targets 118 Multiple Weapons 152

N Navigation Non-lethal No Range

13 121 121

O Opposed Difficulties Opposed difficulty, opposed roll

136 5

P Partial Defense ive defense value Perception Persistent Effect Persuasion Physical Gestures Physical Powers Physique Piloting Pip Power Enhancements Power Levels Power Limitations Presence Prone and Crouching

142 5 13 118 14 121 56 13 13 5 118 7 120 13 152

Q Quick Draw

152

R Ramming Range Range (in combat) Reflexes Repair Result point bonus Result Points rewards

Advantages and Disadvantages Character Points equipment and other loot Fate Points Funds information

Riding Round Running

141 55, 119 5 13 13 5 136, 137 182

182 183 182 183 183 183

13 5 13, 137

S Scale Scholar Search Security Selective Area Short Circuit Sideswiping Signature Effect sKILL Difficulty Modifiers Skills Sleight of hand:

5, 153 13 13 13 119 121 141 121 14 7 13

Sneak Sorcery Special Points Stamina Standard Difficulties Standard difficulty Streetwise Strength Damage Stunts Super Heroic Form Super Hero Templates Survival Swimming

13 111 8 13 135 5 13 5, 9 140 121 184 13 13, 137

T Tech Templates Throwing Throw, Large Objects Throw, Opponent Toughness Tracking Transferable to Others

13 184 13 156 156 5 13 119

U Uncontrollable Unnatural Aura Unskilled modifier, untrained modifier Untrained Skill Use Uses Life Force Using Skills

121 111 5 132 121 132

V Vehicle Attacking Vehicle Combat Vehicle Dodging Vehicle Movement Vehicles and Aerial Characters

141 144 141 138 138

W weight chart Wild Die Willpower Wound Levels Wounds Wounds: Natural Healing

84 5, 131 14 146 5, 9 148

Character Name: Player Name: Occupation Archetype Species/Gender Power Level : Age:

Height:

Weight:

Physical Description:

Reflexes

Knowledge

acrobatics

business

brawling

demolition

climbing

forgery

contortion

gadgetry

dodge flying jumping melee combat riding sneak

Coordination lock picking marksmanship missile weapon piloting sleight of hand throwing

Physique lifting running

languages medicine navigation Scholar security tech

Perception hide gambling know-how investigation repair search streetwise

swimming

survival tracking

animal hand. charm command con disguise intimidation persuasion willpower

Disadvantages:

artist

stamina

Presence

Advantages:

Powers:

Fate Points: Ka Points: Character Points: Body Points: Physical Damage: Move: Funds: Total Points Spent: Equipment:

An original Sci-Fi setting filled with action, adventure, romance, tragedy and heroism

A brand brand new new adaptation adaptation of of A the popular popular Omni Omni System, System, as as the featured in the 4th and 5th Edifeatured in the 4th and 5th Editions of Talislanta. tions of Talislanta. A detailed detailed universe, universe, with with planetary planetary A descriptions, maps, and a complete descriptions, maps, and a complete campaign spanning spanning 25 25 years years campaign Eight original original races races inspired inspired by by Greek Greek Eight mythology and and history, history, including: including: mythology •The Amazorans Amazorans -- Powerful Powerful warriors warriors who who •The long ago ago broke broke away away from from their their patriarchal patriarchal long masters masters •The Myrmidons Myrmidons -- A A colony colony of of insectoid insectoid •The beings who mimic their Hellenic idols beings who mimic their Hellenic idols •The Zintar Zintar -- Truly Truly alien alien creatures creatures •The who fuse fuse with with machinery machinery in in true true who cybernetic fashion cybernetic fashion

300 Pages Full Color Hardback MSRP: $45.95 Product number: KHP008 Coming Fall 2008

WWW.HELLASRPG.COM

888(0%4&/%"(&/%"$0. GODSEND AGENDA D6

MSRP: $35.95 Product number KHP003 The D6 system offers players a way to explore GODSEND Agenda with the award winning cinematic game engine from West End Games! Included is:  Over 200 pages of extensive history and character background set in the world of The GODSEND Agenda.  Four new alien races: The Angelos, Atlanteans, Chimerans, and Elohim.  An all-encoming list of super human abilities and powers to make your character truly extraordinary.  Clear and concise rules for creating gadgets and artifacts of legendary power.  A style sheet for life in the year 2010  Completely compatible with all D6 titles printed to date, making the game world infinitely expandable!

GODSEND AGENDA: Mythos MSRP: $25.95 Product number KHP004

The 1st GODSEND Agenda sourcebook! Included is:  Artifacts of wondrous power used by notable figures in myth Two new organizations:

 

The 5th Sun and the World Serpent  Introduction and write up of the Norse and Ashanti Pantheon  Expanded encounter and chase rules  Renown and Agenda rules to expand your character’s role and influence on earth  Pantheon rules for creating truly godlike super beings and the organization they belong to.  A full length globetrotting Victorian adventure featuring exciting locations such as England , Africa, and China  A full length adventure pitting players against outer gods from beyond our realm of reason. Several Short adventures set in the world of GODSEND Agenda. Over 20 new characters to use in your super heroic adventures

D6 POWERS

MSRP: $25.95 Product number KHP005 D6 POWERS is a D6 compatible sourcebook that allows players to create super hero characters! Learn more about new and revised super powers, expanded special abilities, gadget creation, advantages and disadvantages for use in any D6 game. Discover a wealth of information on powers (new and updated), so many details that it took a whole book to contain them all. Included is:  Rules for superhero play with point built characters and a modular powers system that lets you build exactly the character that you want to play.  Revised and expanded powers for use with GODSEND Agenda and generic “4 color” super hero games.  Scalable rules for over 100 super powers.  Expanded Gadget creation rules.  Expanded super heroic combat maneuvers.  New advantages and disadvantages  13 new templates for use in any D6 game

GODSEND Agenda M&M Superlink Edition MSRP: $39.95 Product number KHP006

A completely compatible Mutants and Masterminds conversion of the GODSEND Agenda game world.  Over 185 pages of extensive history and character background set in the world of The GODSEND Agenda  A style sheet for life in the year 2010  Over 80 ready-to-play NPCs  Over 30 pre-constructed artifacts and gadgets ranging from Excalibur to Angelos Power Armor  Six thoroughly explored factions and alien races: The Angelos, Atlanteans, Black October, Chimerans, Elohim, and U.S.E.R.  New Powers and feats  Clear and concise rules for creating gadgets and artifacts of legendary power.  Compatible with all Mutants and Masterminds? Superlink titles printed to date, making the game world infinitely expandable

GODSEND Agenda: Godmaker Adventure Module MSRP: $12.95 Product number KHP009

The 1st full color adventure for the world of GODSEND Agenda! Godmaker takes the players from the sleep hills of middle America to the scorching deserts of Egypt in the hope of finding the secrets of lost artifacts and a three way power grab by beings as ancient as time itself. A comprehensive overview of the storyline and adventure Several pre-generated villains for use during the adventure 6 pre-generated player characters for quick start games. Can be easily used with both Champions and Superlink products

GODSEND Agenda: U.S.E.R.’s Most Wanted MSRP: $25.95 Product number KHP007

The threat dossier used by the United States Eugenics Research program. Included are over 60 of the worst villains the world has ever seen complete with full write ups. This book is a must have for any player or GM of the GODSEND Agenda Included is:  60 villain write ups  A new secret faction called the Salisbury Group for use in the GODSEND Agenda game.  New technology and gadgets used by agents  A threat rating system for gauging an enemy’s resourcefulness  Several different martial arts styles and rules to implement them.  Rules for using the New Grey Orichalcum

WWW.GODSENDAGENDA.COM