Rules
Mar 2, 2016 5:18:31 GMT -7
Post by serp on Mar 2, 2016 5:18:31 GMT -7
Combat Advantage
Victory or defeat in combat is measured with combat advantage, a percentage rating that starts at 0% for each side at the beginning of combat and changes as the battle progresses. Once one side reaches 100% combat advantage, the fight is over, decided in the favor of that side, though the losers generally live to fight another day.
The combat advantage number is shared among all members on a given side of the battle. Any action that one takes to increase or decrease her combat advantage does so for everyone on her side. There can be more than two sides to any given battle, and a character can switch sides or create a new side even in the middle of combat.
Suppression
Powers are often used to suppress other powers in combat, which forms the basis of superpowered tactics. The use of a power is a SUCCESS only if no other powers suppress it. If the use of a power is suppressed by another power of equal or greater level, or if it is suppressed by multiple other powers regardless of level, then the use is a FAILURE. A power suppressed only by one lower-level power achieves PARTIAL success. Powers can only suppress each other in the circumstances listed below.
Power suppression generally doesn't run both ways. So, even if Power A suppresses Power B, that doesn't mean that Power B suppresses Power A. The success or failure of a power that suppresses another is independent of how well that other power is suppressed.
Power Role, Type, and Level
Each power falls into one of four combat roles: attrition, for powers that quickly and straightforwardly take down enemies; maneuver, for powers that prolong the battle and exhaust the other side's resources; accumulation, for powers that become more useful if given time to prepare; and interference, for powers that disrupt the enemy side's plans.
Within each role, there are three types of powers that represent the different ways one might fill that role. For the purpose of combat, the types are identical except for how they respond to immunities and which special actions are associated with them.
Finally, each power has a level, which for combat purposes is only used to resolve suppression and determine turn order. Actions are resolved in the order of interference, accumulation, maneuver, attrition. Within each role, higher-level powers are resolved first, and any further ties are resolved by coinflip. The battle ends as soon as any power brings its side's combat advantage to 100% or higher, so having your power resolve first can be the difference between victory and defeat.
Interference
Interference represents powers that stop enemies from using their own powers effectively. Although they take effect before any other powers and stop the target from fully succeeding, they don't contribute much to combat advantage themselves. A competent interference-user can disrupt an accumulation-user's buildup, but an attrition-focused enemy can still cause plenty of damage.
SUCCESS: +5% combat advantage, suppresses target's power
PARTIAL: +3% combat advantage, suppresses target's power
FAILURE: No effect
Interference powers are declared with Action: interference [type] against [target]. The interference power can be suppressed by the target's immunities.
Types
Obfuscation: The target's senses are disrupted, whether by light, sound, or misdirection. Those immune to obfuscation must rely on unusual senses. Obfuscation powers can take RETREAT openings.
Reversion: Rather than stopping the enemy's power from taking effect, this power heals, mends, or otherwise reverses whatever was done. Especially brutal, sudden, or subtle powers might be harder to reverse. Reversion powers can take NEGATE openings.
Depowering: The user has a power that works on other powers. However, some powers have indirect effects that aren't vulnerable to this sort of thing. Depowering powers can take DISABLE openings.
Accumulation
Accumulation represents powers that become more effective the longer the fight lasts. They grant temporary immunities to as many people as desired at once, but they fail completely if interrupted by an even quicker power. Once a maneuver-based power's type has been revealed, this allows its user to be pinned down easily, but a savvy interference-based power user can in turn prevent any accumulation-based powers from coming to bear.
SUCCESS: +10% combat advantage, grants the subjects temporary immunity with level equal to that of this power against one power type for the rest of the battle
PARTIAL: No effect
FAILURE: No effect
Accumulation powers are declared with Action: accumulation [this power's type] against [desired immunity type]. If the user doesn't specify targets, it's assumed that the user's entire side is to be protected. The user can specifically name people to protect, which might be useful in fights with more than two sides. If a character has immunity of equal or greater level to an accumulation power, then that character ignores any immunities granted by that accumulation power.
Types
Information: Data gathered from the battlefield can be used to improvise solutions the team can use against enemy powers. A power suite suited to misdirection can be more difficult to crack. Information powers can take BYPASS openings.
Enhancement: Supers capable of altering themselves can protect their teams through either well-chosen changes or overwhelming force. However, some enemy powers might be more difficult to protect against. Enhancement powers can take DEFY openings.
Summoning: By creating, releasing, or otherwise producing additional friendly combatants, it is possible to gradually grind down the opposition. There are always enemy crowd control abilities to worry about, though. Summoning powers can take OVERWHELM openings.
Maneuver
Maneuver represents powers that put the user in a good position for surviving the fight. They become much less effective if suppressed, but otherwise they result in a good amount of combat advantage, and they always suppress all incoming attrition-based powers. This sort of conservative fighting style is a bad fit against accumulation-based powers, giving them plenty of time to get into full gear, but it still offers the best chance against straightforward attrition-based fighters.
SUCCESS: +25% combat advantage
PARTIAL: +5% combat advantage
FAILURE: No increase in combat advantage
SPECIAL: Suppresses all attrition powers that target the user, regardless of success or failure
Maneuver powers are declared with Action: maneuver [type] against [target]. The maneuver power can be suppressed by the target's immunities.
Types
Speed: Superpowered agility can allow the user to easily retain the positional advantage. This is less useful against long-range specialists. Speed powers can take FLEE openings.
Incorporation: The ability to manipulate tools, whether to use them to create impossible machines or to turn them against their current users, falls under this type. Those whose powers make technology behave unpredictably might be immune. Incorporation powers can take DISARM openings.
Modification: Rather than moving across the battlefield, a user of this type of power can simply alter the battlefield itself to be more accommodating. Speedy movers, especially fliers, will generally be able to get around this easily. Modification powers can take REGROUP openings.
Attrition
Attrition represents powers that simply take enemies out of the fight in a hurry. They don't suppress any other powers, but they do rack up combat advantage in a hurry, even when suppressed themselves. As such, they work poorly against maneuver-based enemies that can roll with the punches while dishing out hurt of their own, but they're very effective against interference-based enemies who can at best delay the inevitable.
SUCCESS: +30% combat advantage
PARTIAL: +15% combat advantage
FAILURE: +10% combat advantage
When using an attrition power, the user declares a target with Action: attrition [type] against [target]. The attrition power can be suppressed by the target's immunities. If the target has used a maneuver power this turn, then that maneuver power also suppresses the user's attrition power.
Types:
Destruction: Major physical damage is represented by this type. Immunity requires superhuman physical toughness. Destruction powers can take INJURE openings.
Confinement: From forcefields to constricting tentacles, these powers take the target out of the fight by restricting her movement. Teleportation is the most effective counter. Confinement powers can take CAPTURE openings.
Subdual: Draining the enemy's will to fight without direct harm, whether through direct mental influence or through painful attacks, falls under this type. Those who fight without actually setting foot on the battlefield tend to be immune. Subdual powers can take BANISH openings.
Immunity
In addition to their actively usable powers, characters can also have immunities. If a character has an immunity, then that immunity has a level of its own, and that level is compared against powers it suppresses in the same way that suppressing powers are compared against each other. A power that's put against a character's immunity is always reduced in effectiveness, so a bad matchup can leave one with few ways to actually hurt one's foe.
The type lists above provide some suggestions about what sorts of superpowers might grant immunity to various types of attack, but players can come up with their own justifications for why certain powers don't work on them.
Openings
When a power is used with SUCCESS, and the user's side has a high enough combat advantage, the between-turns mod post will show that the user has an opening to perform her power's special opening action. Performing the action uses up the specified amount of combat advantage, but the effects can make it easier overall to win the battle. There also might be effects that extend beyond that.
If, in the user's next combat post, she enters the line Action: take opening (which can be done at the same time as the normal action for the turn), the effects of the opening are applied before any other actions (even interferance actions) are resolved. If multiple people on a single side try to take more openings than they have the combat advantage to take, the person whose power was first in the turn order takes precedence.
BANISH: The target is forced to flee the battle. Much more useful in fights with fewer combatants. Costs 50% combat advantage, usable with successful Attrition (Subdual).
BYPASS: The user specifies one enemy and one power type, and if the enemy has any immunity to that power type, then the immunity is removed for the rest of the battle due to the user finding a way around it. Costs 15% combat advantage, usable with successful Accumulation (Information).
CAPTURE: For the rest of the battle, any attempts by the target to suppress other powers treat the target's powers and immunities as though they were level 0. Costs 20% combat advantage, usable with successful Attrition (Confinement).
DEFY: Any INJURE, CAPTURE, and DISABLE effects on the user are removed. Note that this is cheaper to use than NEGATE. Costs 5% combat advantage, usable with successful Accumulation (Enhancement).
DISABLE: The power that was targeted becomes completely unusable for the rest of the fight. Although this opening is expensive to use, it can be very valuable to limit the enemies' tactical options. Costs 25% combat advantage, usable with successful Interference (Depowering).
DISARM: This opening may only be used when the target of the power is a gadgeteer or possesses an invention. Against gadgeteers, the user specifies one power or immunity type the target possesses (or can let a random power or immunity type the target possesses be chosen instead), and the target loses that power or immunity type for the rest of the battle. Against those using inventions, only the invention is disabled. Costs 5% combat advantage, usable with successful Maneuver (Incorporation).
FLEE: Upon using this opening, the user escapes the battle and very likely condemns her side to failure in the process. It's useful for freeing oneself up to fight another battle, though. Costs 5% combat advantage, usable with successful Maneuver (Speed).
INJURE: For the rest of the battle, any attempts to suppress the target's powers treat the target's powers as though they were level 0. Costs 20% combat advantage, usable with successful Attrition (Destruction).
NEGATE: The user specifies one ally (including the user herself), and any INJURE, CAPTURE, and DISABLE effects on that ally are removed. Note that it costs less to use this opening than it does to use the ones it cancels. Costs 10% combat advantage, usable with successful Interference (Reversion).
OVERWHELM: The user's side wins the battle by driving the enemies from the field with far superior numbers. The win is no different than if the user's side had reached 100% combat advantage first. Costs 80% combat advantage, usable with successful Accumulation (Summoning).
REGROUP: All opposing sides have their combat advantage cut in half (rounded up). A character may only take this option once per battle. Costs 40% combat advantage, usable with successful Maneuver (Modification).
RETREAT: This opening allows the user's entire side to make a graceful withdrawal, forfeiting the fight but ensuring that everyone escapes safely. It's useful for when the team is being injured or captured, or to escape a losing battle in order to pick a more advantageous fight elsewhere. Costs 50% combat advantage, usable with successful Interference (Obfuscation).
Schemes
All characters, regardless of which faction they're part of, can start, support, and oppose schemes. A scheme is a thread posted in the Scheming subforum that details a character's plans to make money, clean up crime, get revenge on a rival, or achieve pretty much any other short-term goal.
Whoever posts the thread is the leader of the scheme. For the following 48 hours, other characters may join in to either support or oppose the scheme. Up to two additional characters may support the scheme, and up to three may oppose it. This results in a maximum of six participants in any scheme. All posts should describe the character's efforts with regard to the scheme, and should be accompanied by a bolded command to either SUPPORT or OPPOSE. People of different factions can support each other, and those of the same faction might end up opposing each other. Anyone who is currently, leading, supporting, or opposing a scheme.
If no one opposes a scheme, then the scheme leader's faction gets a small bonus and one or more other factions take a small penalty. If at least one character opposes the scheme, then the two sides engage in combat. The leader of the winning side (which, in the case of the opposition winning, means the first person who posted her opposition) will have a choice posed to her regarding what to do with the spoils of victory. The options will vary according to the winner's faction.
A character cannot be part of more than one scheme (whether supporting or opposing it) at a time. She cannot become part of a second scheme until the first one (including any resulting combat) has already been resolved.
Notoriety
This is the resource that is used to build up a character's superpowers. 1 Notoriety is gained for each in-character post (including battle posts) and 10 Notoriety is gained for completed battle the character had participated in (whether it was won, lost, or fled from). Each character also gains a number of Notoriety equal to her faction's Faction Prestige at the start of each month, and extra Notoriety can be gained from schemes and other events.
Notoriety is used to purchase Stat Levels. Each Stat Level can increase a single power or immunity by one level. There are also some traits that cost a number of Stat Levels or give the character some free Stat Levels to work with. All characters start with 15 Stat Levels, and the Notoriety cost for each Stat Level increases depending on how many the character already has.
So, a starting character buys her first five Stat Levels for 40 Notoriety each. Then, at Stat Level 20, she pays 60 Notoriety for each of the next ten levels, and so on.
Traits
Gadgeteer (cost 0 levels)
This trait is for supers who rely on some sort of special tools for their power. Those tools can be anything from magic weapons to alchemical ingredients to actual technological gadgets. These external sources of power are useful, but they're also vulnerable to enemy superpowers that act directly on devices. The Gadgeteer trait can only be picked during character creation and can never be lost. It gives the character 3 extra levels that may be spent on powers and immunities, but it also forbids the character from taking an immunity to Maneuver (Incorporation) except when granted that immunity by an Accumulation power. All the character's powers and immunities are vulnerable to the DISARM opening.
Unpowered (cost 5 levels)
The character does not have superpowers. By itself, this is a big disadvantage, but unpowered people can move freely in a society that stigmatizes superheroes and supervillains. Characters with this trait must spend 10 power levels for each level in a power or immunity. Other traits (including Gadgeteer) are unaffected. They may join superpowered organizations, though Bulwark and the Keepers distrust anyone without superpowers. Uses of Interference (Depowering) against characters with this trait always result in complete failure. The character may also pick one of the following three unpowered-only traits: Paramilitary, Journalistic, Inventive. This trait can only be picked during character creation.
Paramilitary (cost 0 levels)
This trait may only be chosen by a character with the Unpowered trait, and it locks out Journalistic and Inventive. If a character with this trait goes into battle and there are less than three people on her side, then the one or two extra slots are filled in with simple characters designed when this trait is taken. These simple characters each have two level 1 powers (not necessarily the same two powers for each of them), no immunities, and are considered to have the Gadgeteer and Unpowered traits for the purpose of powers used against them. The player decides which of the two simple characters has priority to join her in battle (and this may be changed at will), and the player also controls the two simple characters in battle.
Journalistic (cost 0 levels)
This trait may only be chosen by a character with the Unpowered trait, and it locks out Paramilitary and Inventive. While a character with this trait is in battle, her journalistic training gives her exact information on the levels of the powers and immunities used. Event battles are too large and chaotic for this trait to give its benefit.
Inventive (cost 0 levels)
This trait may only be chosen by a character with the Unpowered trait, and it locks out Paramilitary and Journalistic. A character with this trait may specify one power type at a time as her "invention." The power type may be changed between battles. While the character is in a battle, everyone on her side will be supplied with that invention, allowing them to use a level 1 power of that type. Powers granted by inventions are vulnerable to the DISARM opening.
Unpredictable (cost 10 levels)
In between battles, characters with this trait may switch around their power and immunity levels freely, picking new powers and immunities as long as the total number of levels remains the same. However, a character with this trait can't take any of the traits that have a power prerequisite.
Overwhelming (cost 10 levels)
Your powers cannot be suppressed by powers and immunities 3 or more levels below them.
Versatile (cost 10 levels)
Your maximum number of powers is 4 instead of 3.
Protection (cost 5 levels)
Your maximum number of immunities is 4 instead of 3.
Espionage (cost 3 levels, requires either level 3+ Obfuscation or level 3+ Incorporation)
In between battles, a character with this trait may target another character and learn the exact levels of the target's powers and immunities in addition to any traits the target has. This can only be done once before the character must fight another battle to recharge the trait. If this trait is used to investigate the same target twice in a row, then it also reveals the target's secret identity (if any).
Speedy Assistance (cost 2 levels, requires level 3+ Reversion)
In between phases of event battles, the character with this trait may pick two allies and remove one negative effect from each of them. It is also allowed to pick the same character twice in order to remove two negative effects.
Intimidation (cost 3 levels, requires either level 3+ Depowering or level 3+ Subdual)
A character with this trait is always considered the leader of any schemes she joins or opposes. Thus, if her side wins the battle, she chooses the effects of victory and reaps the benefits herself. If multiple characters on the same side have this trait, then the one two joined the side first is treated as leader.
Third Option (cost 3 levels, requires either level 3+ Information or level 3+ Confinement)
A character with this trait gives an extra, generally stronger, option to her side's leader if her side wins a scheme battle. There is no benefit to having multiple characters with this trait on the winning side.
Recuperation (cost 2 levels, requires level 3+ Enhancement)
In between phases of event battles, all negative effects against this character are removed.
Omnipresence (cost 4 levels, requires either level 3+ Summoning or level 3+ Speed)
Characters with this trait may join or start a second scheme even while in the middle of resolving the first.
Dragonslayer (cost 2 levels, requires either level 3+ Modification or level 3+ Destruction)
During event battles, the character's combat advantage increases are doubled and the character's powers and immunities are treated as 3 points higher.
Setting
These stories take place on a world not so different from our own. It is the early twenty-first century, with familiar celebrities, countries, and technologies. Most people live utterly mundane lives. But there is one critical difference between this world and ours: the existence of superpowers.
A tiny percentage of the human race has always had an innate ability to tap into paranormal forces. In ancient times, these people were known as wizards, monsters, shamans, or demigods. They were far from all-powerful, and combined with their extreme scarcity, this led to reports of paranormal activity being dismissed as mere superstition until quite recently.
Throughout the 1990s, paranormal effects began undergoing a rapid increase in severity which continues to this day. Where paranormal powers had previously been limited to the user's immediate vicinity, the end of the 20th century saw the emergence of people capable of moving mountains, directing hurricanes, and burning whole cities to the ground. The public became aware of these powers for the first time, and in accordance with the popular culture of the time, those capable of using these powers became known as "superheroes," "supervillains," or simply "supers."
It has now been over 20 years since superpowers became common knowledge and the world has adjusted to their presence. Industries have pushed for strict regulations to keep superpowered individuals from rendering them obsolete with unlimited power generation or paranormal manufacturing techniques. Supers are harshly shunned from using their powers for political or entertainment purposes, as a large portion of the populace harbors distrust and insecurity toward anyone with so much innate ability. Most supers end up being driven to crime, and even the more morally-inclined ones face layer upon layer of red tape preventing them from using their powers for the police. Thus, supers largely find themselves drawn into cooperation and competition with one another, forming associations away from suspicious eyes either to seize wealth and control or to protect the unpowered innocents using vigilante justice.
Supers usually show early signs of their powers during their teenage years. Those who develop superpowers tend to already be exceptional in one way or another, often displaying great talent, eccentric behavior, extreme popularity, or extreme social isolation. The nature of an individual's power is generally related to this exceptional trait. The power starts weak, but grows over time without apparent limit.
In light of the social stigma against supers, and in order to avoid legal consequences for their superpowered behavior, most young supers who recognize what's happening to them are careful to conceal their powers from their regular associates, even close friends and family members. It's safest to only use one's powers with one's identity protected by a mask. Of course, as a super's powers are highly distinctive, people will inevitably start connecting incidents and reaching their own conclusions about the perpetrator, and many supers choose to head this off by announcing their own codename and even wearing a themed costume. Not all supers go to such efforts to keep their mundane and masked identities separate, but it's more common than not.
Most prominent supers are young, less than 30 years old, corresponding with the increase in superpower strength throughout the 1990s. The rate at which a super's powers increase with age is outpaced by the rate at which the powers of new supers are becoming stronger, and some of the strongest supers are still teenagers. The lack of older supers is due only in part to the dangers of life as a superhero or supervillain. After all, heroes and villains are both treated as social outcasts, forced together by the rejection of mundane society, and going out of one's way to kill other supers crosses a line that might prompt the others to join forces to take the killer down. The main killer of supers is something else entirely.
Inhuman monsters with paranormal powers have also existed since ancient times, and in the modern day they are all known collectively as "dragons." They aren't all reptilian, and in fact no two of them share precisely the same shape. Their only shared features are their twisted, alien nature and their propensity for singleminded destruction. They target older, more powerful supers and teleport in without warning, annihilating their target and the surrounding area, then rampaging until put down by the combined efforts of any supers willing to help. Even a weaker dragon is far more powerful than any one super, and recent years have seen both a rapid increase in the number of dragon attacks and the rise of truly unstoppable dragons that continue to carve a swath of destruction across the countryside with no end in sight. Mundane weapons have little effect on them - the existence of dragons and the need to fight them is the only thing that stops the fearful, suspicious populace from cracking down on superpowered activity.
Emerald City is a bustling metropolis on the west coast of the United States. It's a historical hub for air and sea travel all over the world, and many supers flock there for a chance at greatness. Multiple groups of supervillains vie for control over the city's criminal underworld, prompting the local vigilante superheroes to organize and strike back. The authorities try in vain to put a lid on superpowered activity, but things are already boiling over. The stage is set for superpowers to clash, and there's no telling what the outcome will be.
Factions
Emerald City Bulwark
Superheroes have little legitimate place in law enforcement, as steel-shattering strength tends to lead to collateral damage and psychic powers aren't admissible in court. Those who still want to do their part in stopping supervillains have formed the vigilante organization known as Bulwark. Though unified in the common principles of upholding human rights and the spirit (if not the letter) of the law, each city's branch of Bulwark is otherwise entirely independent. The Emerald City Bulwark is loosely democratic, with the members voting on whether to induct new recruits and when to take unified action.
Members of Bulwark can leverage successful Schemes to greatly increase Prestige, both for Bulwark itself and for unaligned supers who benefit from being part of a functional city that prospers as crime is suppressed. Their influence is largely constructive, and even villains can benefit from stability and the investment it brings.
Prestige: 30
The Keepers
An ancient organization of superpowered individuals with rumored ties to the Illuminati of previous eras, the Keepers exist today as the widest-reaching supervillain network. They follow a strict hierarchy, have cult-like loyalty, and maintain intricate plots to tighten their control over world affairs. Recruits are initiated with arcane rites and tested frequently to ensure that they will be ready to play their part in the Keepers' grand design. The leader in Emerald City, a rare elderly super known as Pendulum, is rumored to know of a way to ward off dragons, and this alone motivates many supers to seek the Keepers out.
Successful Schemes by the Keepers often lead to subtle leverage, forbidden knowledge, and advancement within the organization. It is not the way of the Keepers to seek individual glory, and the power dynamic in Emerald City is considered to be ultimately irrelevant, but there is greatness of a different sort to be had.
Prestige: 20
Pandaemonium
What started out as nothing more than a slum street gang has become infinitely more dangerous with the addition of superpowers. Pandaemonium is made up of supervillains and unpowered both, and it lacks anything resembling a unified command structure. Although its operations are limited to the Emerald City metropolitan area, it has earned a reputation far and wide as one of the most brutal, violent organizations around. Members of Pandaemonium have total control over parts of Emerald City, extorting money and valuables from the residents there and using their homes as a staging area for riots and looting in neighboring districts. Anyone is free to call herself a member of Pandaemonium, but considering that they fight each other as often as they fight the authorities, it doesn't offer much protection.
The reputation of a Pandaemonium member is made or broken on successful Schemes to create chaotic opportunities for unpowered members to scavenge in the wake for valuables. Credit for the victory goes almost entirely to the leader of the effort, rather than to the organization as a whole.
Prestige: 10
Unaligned
Supers who remain separate from the above major groups are considered unaligned, even if they run with their own smaller circles of supers. They might call themselves superheroes, might call themselves supervillains, and might eschew such labels entirely. Though their motivations can be close to those of one organization or another, they have little stake in how that organization fares.
An unaligned super who succeeds at a Scheme will have choices similar to those offered by all other organizations together, though they might be less powerful or less useful to the super herself. Especially prolific unaligned supers might even be able to start their own organizations.
Prestige: 5
Power Workshop (Optional)
This section gives some guidelines on how strong a power of a given level can be. It's not necessary to use this on your character profile, but we'll be using this to resolve any disputes regarding whether it's possible for a character to do something with her power. This can also be used to get an idea of what an immunity of a given level represents, because it shows what a character is capable of shrugging off or evading.
Attrition (Destruction)
Breakage means that the material is shattered, but still protects anything within. Annihilation means that the material is destroyed and provides no protection. Being able to break or annihilate a given volume of a given material implies being able to annihilate the same volume of a weaker material. Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of breakage/annihilation of materials in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of how big the affected volume is, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Attrition (Confinement)
By default, the force can be used to push, immobilize, or levitate. The force and area may be scaled down to lower levels at will. Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of force in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of area, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Attrition (Subdual)
The control granted by this type of power is imprecise and uncertain. Which people are affected and which aren't is impossible to ascertain, and more strong-willed individuals (especially other supers) tend to be among those who resist. Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of the size of the group affected in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of the proportion of that group affected, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Maneuver (Speed)
Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of the distance rendered meaningless in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of action speed, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Maneuver (Incorporation)
Fabrication allows the super to create a functional equivalent of the listed technology out of any nearby materials, though it has the usual limitations, crew requirements, operator skill, and so on. Manipulation allows the super to easily control and alter all technology up to the listed level, without those limitations, even against the wishes of the current operator, allowing the technology to emulate any other device at equal or lower power level. Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of fabrication in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of manipulation, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Maneuver (Modification)
A character who is capable of modifying one type of thing can also modify all the things from lower levels. Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of what can be modified in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of the size of the affected area, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Accumulation (Information)
Being able to find one kind of information or optimize one size of organization implies being able to do the same to all lower-level categories. The ability to optimize administration means that, if the character is put in charge of the entity, she can cause it to operate at peak efficiency, without mistakes, risks, or weaknesses. Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of what kind of information can be found in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of how big an organization the character can optimize, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Accumulation (Enhancement)
Enhancement grants the user immunity to the large-scale uses of other powers in this section. For example, if the user is caught in the area of a Destruction effect, she'll be able to shrug off the damage and maybe even shield her allies. This power won't be sufficient to completely protect against higher-level powers, but it will blunt their effect.
Accumulation (Summoning)
For the purpose of these powers, a single "servant" is a unit capable of independent action, which might be anything from a monstrous minion to a swarm of nanobots. Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of how many servants are controlled in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of how powerful each servant is, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Interference (Obfuscation)
When this power allows the user to gain access or escape from a place, then in either case it is subtle to the point that, depending on the nature of the power, guards might not realize that the user has slipped through until days or even months after the fact. Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of what security systems the user can bypass in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of what forms of detection may be evaded, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Interference (Reversion)
Being able to revert a given size by a given time period implies being able to revert a smaller area or by a smaller time period. Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of the size of the area affected in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of how far back it may be reverted, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Interference (Depowering)
Powers of this type may be used to pre-emptively stop other powers from coming into effect. Depending on the nature of the power, the user might be able to mitigate another power somewhat even if caught by surprise. In any case, higher-level powers will overcome any depowering attempts.
Victory or defeat in combat is measured with combat advantage, a percentage rating that starts at 0% for each side at the beginning of combat and changes as the battle progresses. Once one side reaches 100% combat advantage, the fight is over, decided in the favor of that side, though the losers generally live to fight another day.
The combat advantage number is shared among all members on a given side of the battle. Any action that one takes to increase or decrease her combat advantage does so for everyone on her side. There can be more than two sides to any given battle, and a character can switch sides or create a new side even in the middle of combat.
Suppression
Powers are often used to suppress other powers in combat, which forms the basis of superpowered tactics. The use of a power is a SUCCESS only if no other powers suppress it. If the use of a power is suppressed by another power of equal or greater level, or if it is suppressed by multiple other powers regardless of level, then the use is a FAILURE. A power suppressed only by one lower-level power achieves PARTIAL success. Powers can only suppress each other in the circumstances listed below.
Power suppression generally doesn't run both ways. So, even if Power A suppresses Power B, that doesn't mean that Power B suppresses Power A. The success or failure of a power that suppresses another is independent of how well that other power is suppressed.
Power Role, Type, and Level
Each power falls into one of four combat roles: attrition, for powers that quickly and straightforwardly take down enemies; maneuver, for powers that prolong the battle and exhaust the other side's resources; accumulation, for powers that become more useful if given time to prepare; and interference, for powers that disrupt the enemy side's plans.
Within each role, there are three types of powers that represent the different ways one might fill that role. For the purpose of combat, the types are identical except for how they respond to immunities and which special actions are associated with them.
Finally, each power has a level, which for combat purposes is only used to resolve suppression and determine turn order. Actions are resolved in the order of interference, accumulation, maneuver, attrition. Within each role, higher-level powers are resolved first, and any further ties are resolved by coinflip. The battle ends as soon as any power brings its side's combat advantage to 100% or higher, so having your power resolve first can be the difference between victory and defeat.
Interference
Interference represents powers that stop enemies from using their own powers effectively. Although they take effect before any other powers and stop the target from fully succeeding, they don't contribute much to combat advantage themselves. A competent interference-user can disrupt an accumulation-user's buildup, but an attrition-focused enemy can still cause plenty of damage.
SUCCESS: +5% combat advantage, suppresses target's power
PARTIAL: +3% combat advantage, suppresses target's power
FAILURE: No effect
Interference powers are declared with Action: interference [type] against [target]. The interference power can be suppressed by the target's immunities.
Types
Obfuscation: The target's senses are disrupted, whether by light, sound, or misdirection. Those immune to obfuscation must rely on unusual senses. Obfuscation powers can take RETREAT openings.
Reversion: Rather than stopping the enemy's power from taking effect, this power heals, mends, or otherwise reverses whatever was done. Especially brutal, sudden, or subtle powers might be harder to reverse. Reversion powers can take NEGATE openings.
Depowering: The user has a power that works on other powers. However, some powers have indirect effects that aren't vulnerable to this sort of thing. Depowering powers can take DISABLE openings.
Accumulation
Accumulation represents powers that become more effective the longer the fight lasts. They grant temporary immunities to as many people as desired at once, but they fail completely if interrupted by an even quicker power. Once a maneuver-based power's type has been revealed, this allows its user to be pinned down easily, but a savvy interference-based power user can in turn prevent any accumulation-based powers from coming to bear.
SUCCESS: +10% combat advantage, grants the subjects temporary immunity with level equal to that of this power against one power type for the rest of the battle
PARTIAL: No effect
FAILURE: No effect
Accumulation powers are declared with Action: accumulation [this power's type] against [desired immunity type]. If the user doesn't specify targets, it's assumed that the user's entire side is to be protected. The user can specifically name people to protect, which might be useful in fights with more than two sides. If a character has immunity of equal or greater level to an accumulation power, then that character ignores any immunities granted by that accumulation power.
Types
Information: Data gathered from the battlefield can be used to improvise solutions the team can use against enemy powers. A power suite suited to misdirection can be more difficult to crack. Information powers can take BYPASS openings.
Enhancement: Supers capable of altering themselves can protect their teams through either well-chosen changes or overwhelming force. However, some enemy powers might be more difficult to protect against. Enhancement powers can take DEFY openings.
Summoning: By creating, releasing, or otherwise producing additional friendly combatants, it is possible to gradually grind down the opposition. There are always enemy crowd control abilities to worry about, though. Summoning powers can take OVERWHELM openings.
Maneuver
Maneuver represents powers that put the user in a good position for surviving the fight. They become much less effective if suppressed, but otherwise they result in a good amount of combat advantage, and they always suppress all incoming attrition-based powers. This sort of conservative fighting style is a bad fit against accumulation-based powers, giving them plenty of time to get into full gear, but it still offers the best chance against straightforward attrition-based fighters.
SUCCESS: +25% combat advantage
PARTIAL: +5% combat advantage
FAILURE: No increase in combat advantage
SPECIAL: Suppresses all attrition powers that target the user, regardless of success or failure
Maneuver powers are declared with Action: maneuver [type] against [target]. The maneuver power can be suppressed by the target's immunities.
Types
Speed: Superpowered agility can allow the user to easily retain the positional advantage. This is less useful against long-range specialists. Speed powers can take FLEE openings.
Incorporation: The ability to manipulate tools, whether to use them to create impossible machines or to turn them against their current users, falls under this type. Those whose powers make technology behave unpredictably might be immune. Incorporation powers can take DISARM openings.
Modification: Rather than moving across the battlefield, a user of this type of power can simply alter the battlefield itself to be more accommodating. Speedy movers, especially fliers, will generally be able to get around this easily. Modification powers can take REGROUP openings.
Attrition
Attrition represents powers that simply take enemies out of the fight in a hurry. They don't suppress any other powers, but they do rack up combat advantage in a hurry, even when suppressed themselves. As such, they work poorly against maneuver-based enemies that can roll with the punches while dishing out hurt of their own, but they're very effective against interference-based enemies who can at best delay the inevitable.
SUCCESS: +30% combat advantage
PARTIAL: +15% combat advantage
FAILURE: +10% combat advantage
When using an attrition power, the user declares a target with Action: attrition [type] against [target]. The attrition power can be suppressed by the target's immunities. If the target has used a maneuver power this turn, then that maneuver power also suppresses the user's attrition power.
Types:
Destruction: Major physical damage is represented by this type. Immunity requires superhuman physical toughness. Destruction powers can take INJURE openings.
Confinement: From forcefields to constricting tentacles, these powers take the target out of the fight by restricting her movement. Teleportation is the most effective counter. Confinement powers can take CAPTURE openings.
Subdual: Draining the enemy's will to fight without direct harm, whether through direct mental influence or through painful attacks, falls under this type. Those who fight without actually setting foot on the battlefield tend to be immune. Subdual powers can take BANISH openings.
Immunity
In addition to their actively usable powers, characters can also have immunities. If a character has an immunity, then that immunity has a level of its own, and that level is compared against powers it suppresses in the same way that suppressing powers are compared against each other. A power that's put against a character's immunity is always reduced in effectiveness, so a bad matchup can leave one with few ways to actually hurt one's foe.
The type lists above provide some suggestions about what sorts of superpowers might grant immunity to various types of attack, but players can come up with their own justifications for why certain powers don't work on them.
Openings
When a power is used with SUCCESS, and the user's side has a high enough combat advantage, the between-turns mod post will show that the user has an opening to perform her power's special opening action. Performing the action uses up the specified amount of combat advantage, but the effects can make it easier overall to win the battle. There also might be effects that extend beyond that.
If, in the user's next combat post, she enters the line Action: take opening (which can be done at the same time as the normal action for the turn), the effects of the opening are applied before any other actions (even interferance actions) are resolved. If multiple people on a single side try to take more openings than they have the combat advantage to take, the person whose power was first in the turn order takes precedence.
BANISH: The target is forced to flee the battle. Much more useful in fights with fewer combatants. Costs 50% combat advantage, usable with successful Attrition (Subdual).
BYPASS: The user specifies one enemy and one power type, and if the enemy has any immunity to that power type, then the immunity is removed for the rest of the battle due to the user finding a way around it. Costs 15% combat advantage, usable with successful Accumulation (Information).
CAPTURE: For the rest of the battle, any attempts by the target to suppress other powers treat the target's powers and immunities as though they were level 0. Costs 20% combat advantage, usable with successful Attrition (Confinement).
DEFY: Any INJURE, CAPTURE, and DISABLE effects on the user are removed. Note that this is cheaper to use than NEGATE. Costs 5% combat advantage, usable with successful Accumulation (Enhancement).
DISABLE: The power that was targeted becomes completely unusable for the rest of the fight. Although this opening is expensive to use, it can be very valuable to limit the enemies' tactical options. Costs 25% combat advantage, usable with successful Interference (Depowering).
DISARM: This opening may only be used when the target of the power is a gadgeteer or possesses an invention. Against gadgeteers, the user specifies one power or immunity type the target possesses (or can let a random power or immunity type the target possesses be chosen instead), and the target loses that power or immunity type for the rest of the battle. Against those using inventions, only the invention is disabled. Costs 5% combat advantage, usable with successful Maneuver (Incorporation).
FLEE: Upon using this opening, the user escapes the battle and very likely condemns her side to failure in the process. It's useful for freeing oneself up to fight another battle, though. Costs 5% combat advantage, usable with successful Maneuver (Speed).
INJURE: For the rest of the battle, any attempts to suppress the target's powers treat the target's powers as though they were level 0. Costs 20% combat advantage, usable with successful Attrition (Destruction).
NEGATE: The user specifies one ally (including the user herself), and any INJURE, CAPTURE, and DISABLE effects on that ally are removed. Note that it costs less to use this opening than it does to use the ones it cancels. Costs 10% combat advantage, usable with successful Interference (Reversion).
OVERWHELM: The user's side wins the battle by driving the enemies from the field with far superior numbers. The win is no different than if the user's side had reached 100% combat advantage first. Costs 80% combat advantage, usable with successful Accumulation (Summoning).
REGROUP: All opposing sides have their combat advantage cut in half (rounded up). A character may only take this option once per battle. Costs 40% combat advantage, usable with successful Maneuver (Modification).
RETREAT: This opening allows the user's entire side to make a graceful withdrawal, forfeiting the fight but ensuring that everyone escapes safely. It's useful for when the team is being injured or captured, or to escape a losing battle in order to pick a more advantageous fight elsewhere. Costs 50% combat advantage, usable with successful Interference (Obfuscation).
Schemes
All characters, regardless of which faction they're part of, can start, support, and oppose schemes. A scheme is a thread posted in the Scheming subforum that details a character's plans to make money, clean up crime, get revenge on a rival, or achieve pretty much any other short-term goal.
Whoever posts the thread is the leader of the scheme. For the following 48 hours, other characters may join in to either support or oppose the scheme. Up to two additional characters may support the scheme, and up to three may oppose it. This results in a maximum of six participants in any scheme. All posts should describe the character's efforts with regard to the scheme, and should be accompanied by a bolded command to either SUPPORT or OPPOSE. People of different factions can support each other, and those of the same faction might end up opposing each other. Anyone who is currently, leading, supporting, or opposing a scheme.
If no one opposes a scheme, then the scheme leader's faction gets a small bonus and one or more other factions take a small penalty. If at least one character opposes the scheme, then the two sides engage in combat. The leader of the winning side (which, in the case of the opposition winning, means the first person who posted her opposition) will have a choice posed to her regarding what to do with the spoils of victory. The options will vary according to the winner's faction.
A character cannot be part of more than one scheme (whether supporting or opposing it) at a time. She cannot become part of a second scheme until the first one (including any resulting combat) has already been resolved.
Notoriety
This is the resource that is used to build up a character's superpowers. 1 Notoriety is gained for each in-character post (including battle posts) and 10 Notoriety is gained for completed battle the character had participated in (whether it was won, lost, or fled from). Each character also gains a number of Notoriety equal to her faction's Faction Prestige at the start of each month, and extra Notoriety can be gained from schemes and other events.
Notoriety is used to purchase Stat Levels. Each Stat Level can increase a single power or immunity by one level. There are also some traits that cost a number of Stat Levels or give the character some free Stat Levels to work with. All characters start with 15 Stat Levels, and the Notoriety cost for each Stat Level increases depending on how many the character already has.
Starting from Stat Level | Notoriety cost per level | Cumulative cost | Max level per power/immunity |
15 | 40 | 0 | 4 |
20 | 60 | 200 | 5 |
30 | 100 | 800 | 7 |
40 | 170 | 1,800 | 8 |
50 | 350 | 3,500 | 10 |
So, a starting character buys her first five Stat Levels for 40 Notoriety each. Then, at Stat Level 20, she pays 60 Notoriety for each of the next ten levels, and so on.
Traits
Gadgeteer (cost 0 levels)
This trait is for supers who rely on some sort of special tools for their power. Those tools can be anything from magic weapons to alchemical ingredients to actual technological gadgets. These external sources of power are useful, but they're also vulnerable to enemy superpowers that act directly on devices. The Gadgeteer trait can only be picked during character creation and can never be lost. It gives the character 3 extra levels that may be spent on powers and immunities, but it also forbids the character from taking an immunity to Maneuver (Incorporation) except when granted that immunity by an Accumulation power. All the character's powers and immunities are vulnerable to the DISARM opening.
Unpowered (cost 5 levels)
The character does not have superpowers. By itself, this is a big disadvantage, but unpowered people can move freely in a society that stigmatizes superheroes and supervillains. Characters with this trait must spend 10 power levels for each level in a power or immunity. Other traits (including Gadgeteer) are unaffected. They may join superpowered organizations, though Bulwark and the Keepers distrust anyone without superpowers. Uses of Interference (Depowering) against characters with this trait always result in complete failure. The character may also pick one of the following three unpowered-only traits: Paramilitary, Journalistic, Inventive. This trait can only be picked during character creation.
Paramilitary (cost 0 levels)
This trait may only be chosen by a character with the Unpowered trait, and it locks out Journalistic and Inventive. If a character with this trait goes into battle and there are less than three people on her side, then the one or two extra slots are filled in with simple characters designed when this trait is taken. These simple characters each have two level 1 powers (not necessarily the same two powers for each of them), no immunities, and are considered to have the Gadgeteer and Unpowered traits for the purpose of powers used against them. The player decides which of the two simple characters has priority to join her in battle (and this may be changed at will), and the player also controls the two simple characters in battle.
Journalistic (cost 0 levels)
This trait may only be chosen by a character with the Unpowered trait, and it locks out Paramilitary and Inventive. While a character with this trait is in battle, her journalistic training gives her exact information on the levels of the powers and immunities used. Event battles are too large and chaotic for this trait to give its benefit.
Inventive (cost 0 levels)
This trait may only be chosen by a character with the Unpowered trait, and it locks out Paramilitary and Journalistic. A character with this trait may specify one power type at a time as her "invention." The power type may be changed between battles. While the character is in a battle, everyone on her side will be supplied with that invention, allowing them to use a level 1 power of that type. Powers granted by inventions are vulnerable to the DISARM opening.
Unpredictable (cost 10 levels)
In between battles, characters with this trait may switch around their power and immunity levels freely, picking new powers and immunities as long as the total number of levels remains the same. However, a character with this trait can't take any of the traits that have a power prerequisite.
Overwhelming (cost 10 levels)
Your powers cannot be suppressed by powers and immunities 3 or more levels below them.
Versatile (cost 10 levels)
Your maximum number of powers is 4 instead of 3.
Protection (cost 5 levels)
Your maximum number of immunities is 4 instead of 3.
Espionage (cost 3 levels, requires either level 3+ Obfuscation or level 3+ Incorporation)
In between battles, a character with this trait may target another character and learn the exact levels of the target's powers and immunities in addition to any traits the target has. This can only be done once before the character must fight another battle to recharge the trait. If this trait is used to investigate the same target twice in a row, then it also reveals the target's secret identity (if any).
Speedy Assistance (cost 2 levels, requires level 3+ Reversion)
In between phases of event battles, the character with this trait may pick two allies and remove one negative effect from each of them. It is also allowed to pick the same character twice in order to remove two negative effects.
Intimidation (cost 3 levels, requires either level 3+ Depowering or level 3+ Subdual)
A character with this trait is always considered the leader of any schemes she joins or opposes. Thus, if her side wins the battle, she chooses the effects of victory and reaps the benefits herself. If multiple characters on the same side have this trait, then the one two joined the side first is treated as leader.
Third Option (cost 3 levels, requires either level 3+ Information or level 3+ Confinement)
A character with this trait gives an extra, generally stronger, option to her side's leader if her side wins a scheme battle. There is no benefit to having multiple characters with this trait on the winning side.
Recuperation (cost 2 levels, requires level 3+ Enhancement)
In between phases of event battles, all negative effects against this character are removed.
Omnipresence (cost 4 levels, requires either level 3+ Summoning or level 3+ Speed)
Characters with this trait may join or start a second scheme even while in the middle of resolving the first.
Dragonslayer (cost 2 levels, requires either level 3+ Modification or level 3+ Destruction)
During event battles, the character's combat advantage increases are doubled and the character's powers and immunities are treated as 3 points higher.
Setting
These stories take place on a world not so different from our own. It is the early twenty-first century, with familiar celebrities, countries, and technologies. Most people live utterly mundane lives. But there is one critical difference between this world and ours: the existence of superpowers.
A tiny percentage of the human race has always had an innate ability to tap into paranormal forces. In ancient times, these people were known as wizards, monsters, shamans, or demigods. They were far from all-powerful, and combined with their extreme scarcity, this led to reports of paranormal activity being dismissed as mere superstition until quite recently.
Throughout the 1990s, paranormal effects began undergoing a rapid increase in severity which continues to this day. Where paranormal powers had previously been limited to the user's immediate vicinity, the end of the 20th century saw the emergence of people capable of moving mountains, directing hurricanes, and burning whole cities to the ground. The public became aware of these powers for the first time, and in accordance with the popular culture of the time, those capable of using these powers became known as "superheroes," "supervillains," or simply "supers."
It has now been over 20 years since superpowers became common knowledge and the world has adjusted to their presence. Industries have pushed for strict regulations to keep superpowered individuals from rendering them obsolete with unlimited power generation or paranormal manufacturing techniques. Supers are harshly shunned from using their powers for political or entertainment purposes, as a large portion of the populace harbors distrust and insecurity toward anyone with so much innate ability. Most supers end up being driven to crime, and even the more morally-inclined ones face layer upon layer of red tape preventing them from using their powers for the police. Thus, supers largely find themselves drawn into cooperation and competition with one another, forming associations away from suspicious eyes either to seize wealth and control or to protect the unpowered innocents using vigilante justice.
Supers usually show early signs of their powers during their teenage years. Those who develop superpowers tend to already be exceptional in one way or another, often displaying great talent, eccentric behavior, extreme popularity, or extreme social isolation. The nature of an individual's power is generally related to this exceptional trait. The power starts weak, but grows over time without apparent limit.
In light of the social stigma against supers, and in order to avoid legal consequences for their superpowered behavior, most young supers who recognize what's happening to them are careful to conceal their powers from their regular associates, even close friends and family members. It's safest to only use one's powers with one's identity protected by a mask. Of course, as a super's powers are highly distinctive, people will inevitably start connecting incidents and reaching their own conclusions about the perpetrator, and many supers choose to head this off by announcing their own codename and even wearing a themed costume. Not all supers go to such efforts to keep their mundane and masked identities separate, but it's more common than not.
Most prominent supers are young, less than 30 years old, corresponding with the increase in superpower strength throughout the 1990s. The rate at which a super's powers increase with age is outpaced by the rate at which the powers of new supers are becoming stronger, and some of the strongest supers are still teenagers. The lack of older supers is due only in part to the dangers of life as a superhero or supervillain. After all, heroes and villains are both treated as social outcasts, forced together by the rejection of mundane society, and going out of one's way to kill other supers crosses a line that might prompt the others to join forces to take the killer down. The main killer of supers is something else entirely.
Inhuman monsters with paranormal powers have also existed since ancient times, and in the modern day they are all known collectively as "dragons." They aren't all reptilian, and in fact no two of them share precisely the same shape. Their only shared features are their twisted, alien nature and their propensity for singleminded destruction. They target older, more powerful supers and teleport in without warning, annihilating their target and the surrounding area, then rampaging until put down by the combined efforts of any supers willing to help. Even a weaker dragon is far more powerful than any one super, and recent years have seen both a rapid increase in the number of dragon attacks and the rise of truly unstoppable dragons that continue to carve a swath of destruction across the countryside with no end in sight. Mundane weapons have little effect on them - the existence of dragons and the need to fight them is the only thing that stops the fearful, suspicious populace from cracking down on superpowered activity.
Emerald City is a bustling metropolis on the west coast of the United States. It's a historical hub for air and sea travel all over the world, and many supers flock there for a chance at greatness. Multiple groups of supervillains vie for control over the city's criminal underworld, prompting the local vigilante superheroes to organize and strike back. The authorities try in vain to put a lid on superpowered activity, but things are already boiling over. The stage is set for superpowers to clash, and there's no telling what the outcome will be.
Factions
Emerald City Bulwark
Superheroes have little legitimate place in law enforcement, as steel-shattering strength tends to lead to collateral damage and psychic powers aren't admissible in court. Those who still want to do their part in stopping supervillains have formed the vigilante organization known as Bulwark. Though unified in the common principles of upholding human rights and the spirit (if not the letter) of the law, each city's branch of Bulwark is otherwise entirely independent. The Emerald City Bulwark is loosely democratic, with the members voting on whether to induct new recruits and when to take unified action.
Members of Bulwark can leverage successful Schemes to greatly increase Prestige, both for Bulwark itself and for unaligned supers who benefit from being part of a functional city that prospers as crime is suppressed. Their influence is largely constructive, and even villains can benefit from stability and the investment it brings.
Prestige: 30
The Keepers
An ancient organization of superpowered individuals with rumored ties to the Illuminati of previous eras, the Keepers exist today as the widest-reaching supervillain network. They follow a strict hierarchy, have cult-like loyalty, and maintain intricate plots to tighten their control over world affairs. Recruits are initiated with arcane rites and tested frequently to ensure that they will be ready to play their part in the Keepers' grand design. The leader in Emerald City, a rare elderly super known as Pendulum, is rumored to know of a way to ward off dragons, and this alone motivates many supers to seek the Keepers out.
Successful Schemes by the Keepers often lead to subtle leverage, forbidden knowledge, and advancement within the organization. It is not the way of the Keepers to seek individual glory, and the power dynamic in Emerald City is considered to be ultimately irrelevant, but there is greatness of a different sort to be had.
Prestige: 20
Pandaemonium
What started out as nothing more than a slum street gang has become infinitely more dangerous with the addition of superpowers. Pandaemonium is made up of supervillains and unpowered both, and it lacks anything resembling a unified command structure. Although its operations are limited to the Emerald City metropolitan area, it has earned a reputation far and wide as one of the most brutal, violent organizations around. Members of Pandaemonium have total control over parts of Emerald City, extorting money and valuables from the residents there and using their homes as a staging area for riots and looting in neighboring districts. Anyone is free to call herself a member of Pandaemonium, but considering that they fight each other as often as they fight the authorities, it doesn't offer much protection.
The reputation of a Pandaemonium member is made or broken on successful Schemes to create chaotic opportunities for unpowered members to scavenge in the wake for valuables. Credit for the victory goes almost entirely to the leader of the effort, rather than to the organization as a whole.
Prestige: 10
Unaligned
Supers who remain separate from the above major groups are considered unaligned, even if they run with their own smaller circles of supers. They might call themselves superheroes, might call themselves supervillains, and might eschew such labels entirely. Though their motivations can be close to those of one organization or another, they have little stake in how that organization fares.
An unaligned super who succeeds at a Scheme will have choices similar to those offered by all other organizations together, though they might be less powerful or less useful to the super herself. Especially prolific unaligned supers might even be able to start their own organizations.
Prestige: 5
Power Workshop (Optional)
This section gives some guidelines on how strong a power of a given level can be. It's not necessary to use this on your character profile, but we'll be using this to resolve any disputes regarding whether it's possible for a character to do something with her power. This can also be used to get an idea of what an immunity of a given level represents, because it shows what a character is capable of shrugging off or evading.
Attrition (Destruction)
Level | Effect |
0 | Breaking a limb-sized volume of fragile material (glass, drywall) |
1 | Annihilating a person-sized volume of fragile material (glass, drywall) |
2 | Breaking a car-sized volume of common material (wood, flesh) |
3 | Annihilating a house-sized volume of common material (wood, flesh) |
4 | Breaking a city-block-sized volume of durable material (stone, Kevlar) |
5 | Annihilating a skyscraper-sized volume of durable material (stone, Kevlar) |
6 | Breaking a downtown-sized volume of very durable material (iron, ceramic armor) |
7 | Annihilating a mountain-sized volume of very durable material (iron, ceramic armor) |
8 | Breaking a metropolis-sized volume of reinforced material (steel, bomb disposal armor) |
9 | Annihilating a province-sized volume of reinforced material (steel, bomb disposal armor) |
10 | Breaking a country-sized volume of rare material (diamond, tank armor) |
Breakage means that the material is shattered, but still protects anything within. Annihilation means that the material is destroyed and provides no protection. Being able to break or annihilate a given volume of a given material implies being able to annihilate the same volume of a weaker material. Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of breakage/annihilation of materials in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of how big the affected volume is, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Attrition (Confinement)
Level | Effect |
0 | Apply person-weight force over a person-sized area |
1 | Apply shipping-container-weight force over a shipping-container-sized area |
2 | Apply passenger-aircraft-weight force over a passenger-aircraft-sized area |
3 | Apply football-field-weight force over a football-field-sized area |
4 | Apply skyscraper-weight force over a skyscraper-sized area |
5 | Apply downtown-weight force over a downtown-sized area |
6 | Apply mountain-weight force over a mountain-sized area |
7 | Apply metropolis-weight force over a metropolis-sized area |
8 | Apply sea-weight force over a sea-sized area |
9 | Apply country-weight force over a country-sized area |
10 | Apply subcontinent-weight force over a subcontinent-sized area |
By default, the force can be used to push, immobilize, or levitate. The force and area may be scaled down to lower levels at will. Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of force in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of area, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Attrition (Subdual)
Level | Effect |
0 | Exert partial influence on one person |
1 | Exert control over one or two members of a group |
2 | Exert control over 40% of a group of dozens |
3 | Exert control over 60% of a small crowd |
4 | Exert control over 80% of a neighborhood |
5 | Exert control over 90% of a town |
6 | Exert control over 95% of a small city |
7 | Exert control over 97% of a metropolis district |
8 | Exert control over 99% of a metropolis |
9 | Exert control over 99.5% of a province |
10 | Exert control over 99.7% of a country |
The control granted by this type of power is imprecise and uncertain. Which people are affected and which aren't is impossible to ascertain, and more strong-willed individuals (especially other supers) tend to be among those who resist. Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of the size of the group affected in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of the proportion of that group affected, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Maneuver (Speed)
Level | Effect |
0 | Can perform simultaneous actions at arm's length, performs actions at normal speed |
1 | Can perform simultaneous actions across a room, can perform actions in a third of the usual time |
2 | Can perform simultaneous actions throughout a house, can perform actions in a few percent of the usual time |
3 | Can perform simultaneous actions across a city block, can perform a two minutes' actions in one second |
4 | Can perform simultaneous actions across a skyscraper, can perform several minutes' actions in one second |
5 | Can perform simultaneous actions throughout downtown, can perform an hour's actions in one second |
6 | Can perform simultaneous actions across a small city, can perform a few hours' actions in one second |
7 | Can perform simultaneous actions across a metropolis, can perform a day's actions in one second |
8 | Can perform simultaneous actions on opposite sides of a sea, can perform a week's actions in one second |
9 | Can perform simultaneous actions across a province, can perform a month's actions in one second |
10 | Can perform simultaneous actions across a country, can perform a few months' actions every second |
Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of the distance rendered meaningless in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of action speed, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Maneuver (Incorporation)
Level | Effect |
0 | Fabrication and manipulation of devices limited to mundane methods |
1 | Fabricate and manipulate consumer-grade tools (smart phones, pepper spray) |
2 | Fabricate and manipulate consumer-grade vehicles (sports cars, sailboats) |
3 | Fabricate and manipulate commercial-grade tools (security cameras, tasers) |
4 | Fabricate and manipulate commercial-grade vehicles (ferryboats, passenger aircraft) |
5 | Fabricate and manipulate military-grade tools (composition explosive, machine guns) |
6 | Fabricate and manipulate military-grade vehicles (fighter jets, tanks) |
7 | Fabricate and manipulate world-class tools (spy satellites, nuclear missiles) |
8 | Fabricate and manipulate world-class vehicles (aircraft carriers, space shuttles) |
9 | Fabricate and manipulate cutting-edge tools (intelligent programs, cybernetics) |
10 | Fabricate and manipulate cutting-edge vehicles (humanoid mecha, interplanetary spacecraft) |
Fabrication allows the super to create a functional equivalent of the listed technology out of any nearby materials, though it has the usual limitations, crew requirements, operator skill, and so on. Manipulation allows the super to easily control and alter all technology up to the listed level, without those limitations, even against the wishes of the current operator, allowing the technology to emulate any other device at equal or lower power level. Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of fabrication in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of manipulation, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Maneuver (Modification)
Power | Effect |
0 | Can only affect environment by mundane methods |
1 | Can provide assistance to other characters' actions within room-sized area |
2 | Can take telekinetic action within house-sized area |
3 | Can move existing terrain features (doors, walls) within city-block-sized area |
4 | Can freely sculpt terrain within skyscraper-sized area |
5 | Can alter an object's physical properties (treating steel as tissue paper and vice versa) within downtown-sized area |
6 | Can create and destroy inanimate matter with any physical properties within small-city-sized area |
7 | Can relocate physical quantities (heat, electric charge) within metropolis-sized area |
8 | Can freely edit physical quantities within sea-sized area |
9 | Can alter physical laws (conservation of energy, flow of time) within province-sized area |
10 | Can create entirely new physical laws within country-sized area |
A character who is capable of modifying one type of thing can also modify all the things from lower levels. Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of what can be modified in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of the size of the affected area, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Accumulation (Information)
Level | Effect |
0 | Can only acquire information by mundane means |
1 | Can recall memories with perfect clarity, can optimize administration of a small team effort |
2 | Can deduce the knowledge to work in any profession, can optimize administration of a construction project |
3 | Can act as an encyclopedia of public knowledge, can optimize administration of a small business |
4 | Can identify non-superpowered attempts at deception, can optimize administration of town |
5 | Can receive sensory information from a distance, can optimize administration of a small city |
6 | Can solve crimes even without standard forensic evidence, can optimize administration of a metropolis district |
7 | Can find the truth behind political scandals and cover-ups, can optimize administration of a metropolis |
8 | Can uncover top secret information, can optimize administration of a province |
9 | Can deduce and influence the outcome of geopolitical developments, can optimize administration of a country |
10 | Can uncover secrets humans were not meant to know, can optimize administration of a subcontinent |
Being able to find one kind of information or optimize one size of organization implies being able to do the same to all lower-level categories. The ability to optimize administration means that, if the character is put in charge of the entity, she can cause it to operate at peak efficiency, without mistakes, risks, or weaknesses. Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of what kind of information can be found in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of how big an organization the character can optimize, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Accumulation (Enhancement)
Enhancement grants the user immunity to the large-scale uses of other powers in this section. For example, if the user is caught in the area of a Destruction effect, she'll be able to shrug off the damage and maybe even shield her allies. This power won't be sufficient to completely protect against higher-level powers, but it will blunt their effect.
Accumulation (Summoning)
Level | Effect |
0 | Act alone |
1 | Control one servant equivalent to an above-average human |
2 | Control several servants, each equivalent to an Olympic-level human |
3 | Control dozens of servants, each with mildly superhuman capabilities |
4 | Control over a hundred servants, each with abilities at the extremes of those found in the animal kingdom |
5 | Control several hundred servants, each with abilities that are otherwise only possible with modern technology |
6 | Control thousands of servants, each sharing a single level 1 power |
7 | Control over ten thousand servants, each having one of a few level 1 powers |
8 | Control a hundred thousand servants, with all level 1 powers present among them |
9 | Control several hundred thousand servants, each sharing a single level 2 power |
10 | Control millions of servants, each having one of a few level 2 powers |
For the purpose of these powers, a single "servant" is a unit capable of independent action, which might be anything from a monstrous minion to a swarm of nanobots. Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of how many servants are controlled in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of how powerful each servant is, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Interference (Obfuscation)
Level | Effect |
0 | Must rely on mundane stealth methods |
1 | Can bypass residential security systems and hide from anyone not actively searching |
2 | Can slip through regional barricades and hide from untrained search parties |
3 | Can bypass typical office security systems and hide from local police searches |
4 | Can escape from most jails and hide from professional bounty hunters |
5 | Can bypass bank vaults and hide from federal investigators |
6 | Can infiltrate military bases and hide from national manhunts |
7 | Can bypass elite bodyguard details and hide from most cameras |
8 | Can gain access to the most secure government facilities and hide from thermal imaging |
9 | Can escape from supermax prisons and evade all sound-based detection |
10 | Can gain access to places sealed off from all human contact and evade all light-based detection |
When this power allows the user to gain access or escape from a place, then in either case it is subtle to the point that, depending on the nature of the power, guards might not realize that the user has slipped through until days or even months after the fact. Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of what security systems the user can bypass in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of what forms of detection may be evaded, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Interference (Reversion)
Level | Effect |
0 | Must rely on mundane methods to put things back together |
1 | Can revert a limb-sized area to its state one second ago |
2 | Can revert a person-sized area to its state several seconds ago |
3 | Can revert a bus-sized area to its state a couple of minutes ago |
4 | Can revert a house-sized area to its state half an hour ago |
5 | Can revert a city-block-sized area to its state a few hours ago |
6 | Can revert a skyscraper-sized area to its state one day ago |
7 | Can revert a mountain-sized area to its state a couple of weeks ago |
8 | Can revert a metropolis-sized area to its state half a year ago |
9 | Can revert a province-sized area to its state several years ago |
10 | Can revert a country-sized area to its state half a century ago |
Being able to revert a given size by a given time period implies being able to revert a smaller area or by a smaller time period. Any given power might be treated as X levels higher for the purpose of the size of the area affected in exchange for being treated X levels lower for the purpose of how far back it may be reverted, or vice versa. This can't be changed once it's decided upon until the character buys another level of the power.
Interference (Depowering)
Powers of this type may be used to pre-emptively stop other powers from coming into effect. Depending on the nature of the power, the user might be able to mitigate another power somewhat even if caught by surprise. In any case, higher-level powers will overcome any depowering attempts.