BLACKMOOR SIMS WEIR

Writing and Design: Brandon Blackmoor

Editing: Susan Blackmoor
Additional Contributions: Doug Sims (Motivations), Greg Stolze (Basics and
GM Advice), Sean Weir (Origin)
Art: Storn Cook (cover), Dan Houser (character art), Matt Baker, L. B. Cole, Paul
Gustavson, Bob Powell, Alex Schomburg, Basil Wolverton, NASA Ames Research
Center
Thanks: Phill Ash, Debra Burrell, Erik Clod-Svensson, Sean Patrick Fannon, Michael
Fowler, Justin Huerena, Mike Lafferty, Cameron Miller, Lloyd Montgomery, Phil Reed,
Sean Weir, the RP Haven chat room, the Kalos Comics mailing list (http://games.
groups.yahoo.com/group/kaloscomics/), and the RPG Brain Trust. Special thanks are
due Dan Houser, whose enthusiasm for the project made all the difference.
Bulletproof Blues was composed collaboratively using the MediaWiki wiki system. The book was
designed and typeset using Adobe InDesign CS6 on Windows 7. The chapter headings use Nate
Piekos Revenger, the text headings use Nate Piekos Invaders and Victor Carusos ITC Franklin
Gothic, and the text is set in Adobes Baskerville MT.
Bulletproof Blues 2010 Brandon Blackmoor, with the exception of Basics and GM Advice,
which are 2006 Greg Stolze. Reference to other copyrighted material in no way constitutes a
challenge to the respective copyright holders of that material.
Bulletproof Blues is dual-licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United
States License (CC BY-SA 3.0 US) license and the Open Game License, Version 1.0a. You are
granted a license to copy, modify, and distribute Bulletproof Blues under whichever of these licenses
best suits your needs.
The text of this work, other than the chapters Basics and GM Advice, is licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. The chapters Basic and
GM Advice are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0
License. To view a copy of these licenses, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ or send a letter to
Creative Commons, 444 Castro Street, Suite 900, Mountain View, California, 94041, USA.
The following is designated as Product Identity, in accordance with Section 1(e) of the Open Game
License, Version 1.0a: all images except for those under copyright to other parties or previously
designated their Product Identity.
The following text is Open Gaming Content, in accordance with Section 1(e) of the Open Game
License, Version 1.0a: all text, other than text appearing in images, in all chapters other than Basics
and GM Advice. The chapters Basics and GM Advice are not covered by this license.

Kalos Comics Manufactured in the United States Of America

70 Starling Ln. Layout version 2013-04-23
Troy, VA 22974-3278 Second Print Edition Published April 23, 2013
http://www.kaloscomics.com/ 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Introduction 2 Powers 62
The Kalos Universe 2 Expertise 62
What Is A Roleplaying Game? 4 Typical Powers 63
Why Bulletproof Blues? 4 Power Descriptions 67
Ground Rules 5 Power Modifiers 125
Core Mechanics 7 New Powers 128
Glossary 11 Roleplay Powers 128
Basics 13 Equipment 129
Whats Gaming? 13 Melee Weapons 129
The Logic Of The Setting 15 Ranged Weapons 130
Why Is This Fun? 16 Vehicles 131
Your Mission, Should You Choose To Actions 133
Accept It 22 Time And Distance 133
Creation 25 Actions 140
Before You Start 25 Rolling Dice 142
Character Checklist 27 Combat 147
Sobriquet 27 Plot Points 157
Background 28 The Environment 160
Origin 29 World 168
Archetypes 34 The Kalos Universe 168
Motivations 37 Posthumans 170
Complications 42 Corporations 171
Points And Power Level 44 Governments 174
Attributes 46 Subversive Organizations 176
Brawn 46 Technology 180
Agility 47 Magic And The Supernatural 182
Reason 47 GM Advice 185
Perception 47 The GMs Basic Duties 185
Willpower 47 The GMs Advanced Duties 200
Prowess 48 Characters 204
Accuracy 48 Heroes 204
Endurance 48 Villains 218
Skills 49 Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0 240
Background Skills 49 Creative Commons BY-ND 3.0 241
Areas Of Expertise 50 Open Game License 242
Typical Skills 51 Index 244
Advantages 57
Typical Advantages 58
INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Bulletproof Blues: a rules light superhero roleplaying game set in the
universe of Kalos Comics. If youve seen any of the Spider-Man, Batman, or Kick-Ass
movies, you know what a superhero is: an individual with great determination who
chooses to use their abilities to make the world a better place. And, of course, everyone is
familiar with Kalos Comics.

The Kalos Universe

Bulletproof Blues takes place in the world-famous universe of Kalos Comics, creators
of Paragon (who first appeared in Amazing Adventure Magazine in 1938), Rook (who first
appeared in Tales Of Mystery in 1939), Antiope, Doctor Arcane, and the rest of the
Justifiers, as well as sinister organizations like Aegis and GORGON, and mysterious
entities like The Bride. From the ancient ruins of Lemuria to the far reaches of the
Hausdorff Dimension, the Kalos Universe is now yours to explore. If you are unfamiliar
with the Kalos Universe, you will find more information in the World chapter.

The World We Know

On the surface, the Kalos Universe closely resembles our own. The outlines of the
continents are the same, and the names of the nations that humans have created within
those borders are familiar. Much as in our own world, extremes of good and evil exist,
but the gulf between them is a murky area where those of good will can and do disagree.
However, the Kalos Universe can be a strange place. There are ancient civilizations deep
below the surface of the earth and extraterrestrials in the sky above it. Strange forces
are at work, and hidden powers manipulate world events and the news reports of those
events. Still, few people encounter this strangeness in their day-to-day lives or recognize
it when they do. For the vast majority of humanity, the world of the Kalos Universe is
virtually the same as the world you live in.

2
 INTRODUCTION

Posthumans
The first half-dozen posthumans who made their presence widely known appeared
during World War 2, as part of the Red Army fighting the invading forces of Nazi
Germany. Soon after, similar groups of posthumans appeared, fighting for the Axis in
Europe and Africa and for the Allies in Europe and the Pacific.
Today there are fewer than 800 posthumans worldwide. Approximately 200 of these
are in North America, roughly 100 of which are in the United States. Posthumans,
particularly those who originate in the Americas, have a slightly greater than average
tendency to migrate to the United States.
Despite their incredible powers, posthumans have had a subdued effect on world affairs.
Posthuman geniuses have made extraordinary scientific and medical discoveries, but
these advances have been kept from the public until the powerful have deemed society
ready. In some cases, a posthuman invention has been reverse engineered so that
less powerful versions of the device may be gradually introduced over the course of
several decades. This was the case for lasers and nanotechnology, for example. The
primary beneficiaries of these scientific breakthroughs have been the governments and
corporations who rule the world, and the powerful people who secretly control them.
Similarly, at the insistence of conventional authorities, posthumans have generally
refrained from involvement in everyday politics and diplomacy. The exceptions to this
rule have been condemned as terrorists and threats to all of humanity. This phenomenon
was most evident during the McCarthy era, when a small handful of politically active
posthumans calling themselves the Committee For The Advancement Of Mankind were
convicted in absentia of violating the Smith Act.

The Fall Of Paragon

Bulletproof Blues is set shortly after the Fall Of Paragon crossover event, during which
the Justifiers were killed by their former teammate, Paragon. The city of Atlanta, Georgia
has been demolished, Singapore rests beneath the sea, and both the Keystone Pipeline
System and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System have been destroyed. It is a difficult time
for posthumans. Posthumans have never been completely trusted by humanity, and
Paragon confirmed everyones worst fears. Although Paragon was ultimately defeated
and killed by a small team of posthumans at the Justifiers headquarters in Antarctica, his
actions have changed forever the relationship between humanity and posthumans.
In the Kalos Universe, much like in our own world, sometimes things dont work out the
way wed like them to. Life is neither fair nor unfair, and the universe is indifferent to
human suffering.
The struggle, then, is to make the best possible world with the tools at our command.
Your character has great power. How will they use it?

3
INTRODUCTION

What Is A Roleplaying Game?

Every roleplaying game has a section at the beginning that attempts to explain what a
roleplaying game is, and Bulletproof Blues is no different. So lets get started! As trivial as
it sounds, two distinct elements set roleplaying games apart from other things which are
not roleplaying games: roleplaying and game play.
First, a roleplaying game involves roleplaying. Generally speaking, roleplaying involves
taking on a persona or character and making decisions based on what that character
would do in a given situation. Does having a character in a game, by itself, make that
a roleplaying game? No. The little dog token in a Monopoly game and a Blood Elf in
World Of Warcraft are both characters, but Monopoly and World Of Warcraft are not
roleplaying games. Can you roleplay as a dog while playing Monopoly? Yes, and you
can roleplay as an elf while playing World Of Warcraft. What keeps these from being
roleplaying games is that the roleplaying is not part of the game you cant get your
Monopoly dog out of jail through unscripted conversation with the jailer, nor can you
use roleplaying to convince a cultist in World Of Warcraft to let you pass by without
a fight. If the rules of the game do not allow for the possibility that a conflict could be
resolved through unscripted conversation (however unlikely that might be), then it isnt a
roleplaying game.
Second, a roleplaying game is a game. Roleplaying games are sometimes compared to
improvisational theatre, and there are similarities, but improv theatre isnt a game. How
can you tell if something is a game? Games have rules that govern things like conflicts
between players and whether something a player attempts is successful. Improv theatre
is fun, but there arent any rules like this. As Drew Carey described Whose Line Is It
Anyway?, its the show where everythings made up and the points dont matter. Its
fun, but its not a game, and therefore its not a roleplaying game.
Bulletproof Blues has more rules than some games, but less than others, and an essential
part of conflict resolution involves making decisions that your character would make
under the circumstances. Maybe those decisions arent the most tactically advantageous,
but if they are true to what your character would do, and if you are having fun playing,
then you are playing correctly, because thats what Bulletproof Blues is all about.
If you would like to read more about who plays roleplaying games, and why and where
they play them, check out http://www.theescapist.info/.

Why Bulletproof Blues?

Why does Bulletproof Blues exist? That is an excellent question. The simple answer is that
we wanted to write the superhero game we wanted to play.
There are, at last count, at least a dozen superhero roleplaying games, and at least three
or four more generic games that you can use to run a superhero game. A handful of these
Mutants And Masterminds and Wild Talents, for example are outstanding games. So
why write yet another?
4
 INTRODUCTION

We wanted a superhero game that was quick to learn, quick to play, and yet reasonably
complete. We also wanted a game that lent itself to more serious superhero fiction, like
Planetary and the first two years of The Authority. In addition to Mutants And Masterminds
and Wild Talents, we tried BASH, Capes, Cowls, And Villains Foul, and Icons. These are all
fine games, but not quite what we wanted. We found some games too light, some games
too heavy, and some games, well, just werent what we were looking for. So whats a
gamer to do?
If you cant find the game you want to play, as the saying goes, you have to write it
yourself. We are pretty happy with the result. Its not perfect, of course. If you have
suggestions for improvements, we are happy to listen to them. But we hope you have fun
playing, despite any flaws you may find.
Bulletproof Blues is not a carefully balanced simulation of a reality where people can fly,
dress up like bats, and shoot energy beams from their jewelry. The rules are here to help
you play a fun game and keep things fair, but theres really nothing special about the
rules. They are there to serve you, not the other way around. Your first thought when
someone tries something new in a Bulletproof Blues game should not be, Do the rules
allow it?, but Would that be fun?. Of course, whats fun varies from group to group.
If a tightly plotted political thriller is your bag, thats great. If you prefer nonstop action
with giant robots and exploding ninjas, thats great, too. You could use Bulletproof Blues
to run either type of game, or anywhere in between. However you want to play, though
whatever you consider cool takes precedence over the written rules. If the rules
dont make sense in a given context, or if they seem to be getting in the way of the kind of
game you want to play, then either change the rules or ignore them.
If it turns out that Bulletproof Blues is not suited to the kind of game you want to play, you
might try one of the many other fine superhero games out there, starting with the ones
weve mentioned above. Or, as a final resort, you can do what we did, and write your own
game.

Ground Rules
A roleplaying game is fundamentally a cooperative activity. The players (one of whom
is the game moderator) are not in competition. The goal is not to be the most powerful
hero, or to win every fight. The goal of a role-playing game is to create interesting stories
and to entertain everyone at the table. We hope that you are the kind of player that
creates interesting characters and enjoys creating stories with your friends.

Dont Abuse The System

Its not the job of Bulletproof Blues to keep you from abusing the system, or to prevent you
from creating an unstoppable juggernaut. If thats what you want to do, you certainly
can. No game system can stop you, and Bulletproof Blues doesnt really try. However, we
hope that you arent that kind of player.

5
INTRODUCTION

Use Common Sense

The single most important piece of advice we can give you is that you should use your
common sense. If something in the rules violates the way you think your game should
work, then override it. If the rules permit something ridiculous, or would prevent
something completely ordinary, then override them. Do not be one of those players who
adheres to the letter of the rules in defiance of common sense.

Avoid Rule Arguments

It is in the nature of any human activity that differences of opinion will arise. Weve
tried to make the rules for Bulletproof Blues as simple and clear as possible, but theres
only so much we can do. Sooner or later, there will be a difference of opinion among
the players regarding what a rule means, or how a rule should be implemented. There is
nothing wrong with this: discussion and consensus are healthy. However, the time for rule
discussions is between games, not during games. If a rule discussion takes longer than
60 seconds, the game moderator should make an executive decision and table additional
discussion for later. If players balk, the GM should be civil but firm, and move on.

Respect Genre Conventions

Bulletproof Blues is a superhero game, and being a superhero game, it has certain genre
conventions. Robert McKee defines genre conventions as the specific settings, roles,
events, and values that define individual genres and their subgenres. Superhero games,
relying as they do on a relatively commonplace modern-day setting, but one which
incorporates extremely non-commonplace characters, have even more genre conventions
than most other games.
For example, there are no rules for running out of bullets, or for recharging the cosmic
widget from the cosmic widget recharging device. Its not that guns do not run out
of bullets, or that cosmic widgets never need recharging. Of course they do, and if
a character intentionally empties their gun, then the gun runs out of bullets just as
youd expect. Its just assumed that they dont normally run out of bullets unless there
is a dramatic reason for it. The rest of the time, the character is reloading the gun or
recharging the widget when its convenient to do so.
Another genre convention of Bulletproof Blues is that the extraordinary technological
advances made possible by the superhuman intelligence of super-scientists (not to
mention alien technology) rarely make it into the marketplace. Some technology
eventually does cell phones and 3D televisions, for example but these advances
are delayed until they can be successfully commercialized. Any advanced technology
with potential military applications remains out of the reach of ordinary people, or
even of ordinary soldiers. Shadowy government agencies, amoral corporations, and
subversive organizations bent on world domination all conspire to keep these advances to
themselves, or at least to as small a group as possible.

6
 INTRODUCTION

Core Mechanics

100%

100%

100%
Superhuman

92%

58%
14
Godlike
Rolling Dice

100%

100%

100%

83%

42%
13
When a character attempts a task, and

Galaxy-class

100%

100%
Superhuman

28%
97%

72%
12
the outcome is either contested or there is
some random element involved, the player

100%

100%

92%

58%
rolls 2d6, counts the dots, and adds the

17%
11
result to their relevant attribute. This roll
is compared to a difficulty number the

100%

100%
Superhuman

83%
World-class

42%

8%
10
GM assigns (typically challenging, or
12). The attempt succeeds if the players

100%

28%
97%

72%

3%
8
roll equals or exceeds the assigned

Character Attribute (added to 2d6 roll)

difficulty.

100%
Superhuman

92%

58%

17%

0%
8
Excellent
The following table shows the chances
of success for various task difficulties and

100%

83%

42%

0%
8%
7
attribute values. You dont need to refer
to this during play its just to show you
Superhuman

28%
97%

72%

0%
3%
what kind of results you should expect.
6
Average

When the character is under no pressure,

92%

58%

17%

0%

0%
5
they may be able to take the average
or take the max, depending on the
Human

circumstances. See Actions (p.140) for

Peak

83%

42%

0%

0%
8%
4

more information.
Excellent
Human

28%
72%

0%

0%
3%
3
Average
Human

58%

17%

0%

0%

0%
2
Impaired
Human

42%

0%

0%

0%
8%
1

21 Nigh-impossible
12 Challenging

15 Demanding

18 Frustrating
Difficulty
Task

Routine
9

Table: Task resolution probability

7
INTRODUCTION

Plot Points
Each player begins each game session with one plot point. A player gains a plot point
when they do something particularly entertaining or interesting, when one of their
characters complications causes a serious problem for them during the game, or when
the GM overrides a roll of the dice to make things more difficult for the characters. Plot
points are spent to alter the game world, gain a skill bonus, or gain an advantage in
combat. See Actions (p.140) for more information.

Benchmarks
We assign numbers to characters abilities so that we can tell what they can do. No
one wants to guess what their characters can pick up or how fast they can fly. You will
notice that the relationship between one rank and the next is not constant. At low ranks,
each rank is roughly double the value of the previous rank, while at the highest ranks,
the increase is approximately eightfold. In between, each rank is roughly quadruple
the previous value. This variation is intentional, to offer greater variety to characters of
human power level, while permitting truly extraordinary power levels at the highest
ranks. All of the numbers in this table are approximate: dont be too concerned about it if
something is on the edge between one value and the next. When in doubt, err on the side
of the players.
The movement distances in this table are for powers, such as Flight, Super-running,
and Teleport. If the character has only their natural movement (running, swimming,
and jumping), then their movement distance is based on their Agility and Brawn. See
Movement (p.137) for more information.
Off The Scale
Obviously, there are values which are far below or far above what appears in this table.
The Moon, with mass of roughly 8.1 1019 tons, is far more than even a character with
rank 14 Brawn could move, while a baby or a housecat has a Brawn less than 1. Dont
worry about it. At such extremes, the GM should just use their best judgement, and the
rest of the players should roll with it.

8
 Throws Affects Base Move Double Move All-out Move
Rank Breaks Lifts
(50 lbs) (radius or range) Per Round Per Round Per Round MPH
1 Cardboard 100 pounds 6 feet 50 feet 50 feet 100 feet 300 feet 30 mph
2 Plastic 225 pounds 12 feet 100 feet 100 feet 200 feet 600 feet 70 mph
3 Wood 450 pounds 25 feet 400 feet 400 feet 800 feet 2,400 feet 300 mph
4 Bone 900 pounds 50 feet 1,600 feet 1,600 feet 3,200 feet 2 miles 1,000 mph
5 Brick 2 tons 200 feet 1 mile 1 mile 2 miles 6 miles 4,000 mph
6 Concrete 7 tons 800 feet 5 miles 5 miles 10 miles 30 miles 20,000 mph
7 Stone 30 tons 4,000 feet 20 miles 20 miles 40 miles 120 miles 70,000 mph

Table: Benchmarks
8 Ceramic 100 tons 3 miles 80 miles 80 miles 160 miles 480 miles 300,000 mph

9 Steel 400 tons 10 miles 300 miles 300 miles 600 miles 1,800 miles 1,000,000 mph

10 Diamond 2,000 tons 40 miles 1,200 miles 1,200 miles 2,400 miles 7,200 miles 5,000,000 mph

11 Nanodiamond 10,000 tons 300 miles 10,000 miles 10,000 miles 20,000 miles 60,000 miles 30,000,000 mph

12 Stanlium 100,000 tons 3,000 miles 80,000 miles 80,000 miles 160,000 miles 480,000 miles 300,000,000 mph

13 Siegelite 1,000,000 tons 20,000 miles 600,000 miles 600,000 miles 1,200,000 miles 3,600,000 miles 0.9 c

14 Kirbium 10,000,000 tons 160,000 miles 5,000,000 miles 5,000,000 miles 10,000,000 miles 30,000,000 miles 0.99 c
INTRODUCTION

9
 INTRODUCTION

Breaks indicates the strongest substance that the character would be able to break under
normal circumstances. The thickness of the material and other factors make this a rough
estimate, at best.
Lifts indicates the greatest weight that the character can clean and jerk (pick up
and lift overhead). A character carrying or supporting such a weight can take at most
one or two steps per round. A character can move normally while carrying a weight
corresponding to one rank less than their Brawn. For example, a character with rank 8
Brawn could carry up to 30 tons and suffer no penalties to their movement while doing
so.
Throws (50 lbs) indicates the farthest distance that a character could throw a compact
object weighing 50 lbs. To see how far a character can throw heavier objects, subtract the
Brawn rank required to lift the object from the characters total Brawn rank. Look up
the difference in the Rank column: this indicates how far the character can throw the
object. For example, a character with rank 4 Brawn (the peak of human potential) could
throw an object weighing 100 lbs (such as a cooperative slender human) up to 25 feet.
Affects (radius or range) indicates the radius around the character that they can affect
with their powers if their powers affect a radius, or the maximum range of the power if
it affects a single target. For example, (Element) Mastery can move or manipulate the
chosen element within this area and can use the element to inflict direct damage to a
target up to this distance away. The radius value is not used for powers that inflict
damage directly unless they have been purchased with the Explosive Damage power
enhancement.

10
 INTRODUCTION

Glossary
Accuracy (ACC): ability to aim when making ranged attacks
advantage: an exceptional ability that a normal human can have, but that most humans
do not have
Agility (AGL): agility, flexibility, and coordination
all-out move: base move x 6; incurs penalties on attacks and task rolls
attack bonus: a number added to a combat task roll (another name for task roll
bonus)
attribute: the eight basic character traits: Brawn, Agility, Reason, Perception,
Willpower, Prowess, Accuracy, and Endurance
base move: normal ground movement based on attribute or power rank
base rank: the rank of an attribute or power when the character is fully healed and not
impaired in any way
Brawn (BRN): physical might and general hardiness
character point: spent to buy attributes, skills, advantages, and powers for a character
damage: the amount of damage which exceeds the targets protection value
damage rating (DR): the potential amount of damage inflicted by a power or weapon
defense bonus: a number added to a combat task difficulty (another name for
difficulty modifier)
difficulty modifier: a number added to a task difficulty to make it more difficult
double move: base move x 2; incurs penalties on attacks and task rolls
Endurance (END): the amount of physical abuse a character can take before they are
out of the fight
experience point: character points awarded during play, spent to buy attributes, skills,
advantages, and powers for a character
expertise: a characters field of extraordinary competence, permitting extreme success
extreme success: rolling three or more over the task difficulty set by the GM
game moderator (GM): the player who sets the story in motion, plays everyone and
everything in the game other than the PCs, and arbitrates any disputes
game moderator character (GMC): a fictional character belonging to and controlled
by the game moderator
non-player character (NPC): see game moderator character (GMC)
Perception (PER): awareness of ones surroundings, intuition, and understanding of the
motivations of others
player: a living, breathing person playing the game
player character (PC): a fictional character belonging to and controlled by a player
plot point: spent to alter the game world, gain a skill bonus, or gain an advantage in
combat
11
 INTRODUCTION

power defect: a drawback to the power that makes it less useful than it normally is
power enhancement: an extra capability that makes a power more useful than it
normally is
protection value (PV): the amount subtracted from an attacks damage by a power or
protective equipment
Prowess (PRW): hand-to-hand fighting ability
rank: a number from 1 to 14 describing each of a characters attributes and powers
Reason (REA): ability to analyze data, draw conclusions from the facts at hand, and
solve problems
run: base move x 2 (another name for double move); incurs penalties on attacks and
task rolls
sprint: base move x 6 (another name for all-out move); incurs penalties on attacks and
task rolls
success: a task roll that equals or exceeds the task difficulty
take the average: assume that the player rolls 7
take the max: assume that the player rolls 12
task difficulty: the number the player must match or exceed on a task roll
task difficulty, opposed: 8 + the defenders relevant attribute
task difficulty, unopposed: routine 9; challenging 12; demanding 15; frustrating 18;
nigh-impossible 21
task roll: 2d6 + the rank of the characters relevant attribute + any bonuses
task roll bonus: a number added to the characters attribute when making a task roll
walk: normal ground movement based on attribute or power rank (another name for
base move)
Willpower (WIL): determination, focus, and strength of personality

12
 BASICS

For the past ten-plus years of my life, Ive been writing roleplaying games. Ive been
playing them for much longer. Back when I started, you could abbreviate roleplaying
game to RPG without people immediately thinking about rocket propelled grenades
and the acronym is still around causing trouble today.
In that time, Ive watched the market bulge, shrink, grow, recede and, constantly, change.
The consensus as I write this is that the hobby is shrinking. To counteract that, of course,
we need to recruit new players. Hopefully, thats you.
RPGs are fun. Theyre worthwhile. They take more effort than a computer game but I
believe you can get a different kind of payoff. Give it a try and you may come to agree.
But Im not just going to ask you to baldly trust my assertion. Im going to see if I can
explain the precise appeal of this peculiar habit thats absorbed so much of my time. In
the process, Im going to show you how to get the most fun out of it, by being a good
player. At the same time, Ill warn you about the pitfalls of being a bad player. Its the
whole package. Enjoy.

Whats Gaming?
Its like Cops and Robbers, only with dice and rules to curtail the endless round of I hit
you! No you didnt! disputes.
Thats one standard explanation, but its really only the thin edge of the wedge. Its the
first step into the territory, but it merits some expansion.
Like Cops and Robbers, in roleplaying games you pretend to be someone else. Only in
games, the characters are far more detailed than the generic cops or robbers who run
around the yard shooting each other. The characters in RPGs are more like characters
in novels or TV shows they grow and change over time, they have tastes and history
and quirks and motivations. They exist, not only to do things, but also because theyre
interesting in and of themselves.

13
 BASICS

RPGs are games built through, and around, stories. The story progresses as the game
is played. There isnt a winner or a loser, and there isnt a board, but there are dice and
rules... a radical departure from standard Cops and Robbers.
The stated reason that most games have all these rules, with dice or cards or other
random number generators to provide absolute impartiality, is that it keeps things fair
and resolves uncertain actions. Im going to break with tradition and assert that this is a
crock.
The dice are impartial, but their application and interpretation can be confusing and
subjective, giving a decided edge to the guy who understands the rules best. The more
complicated the game, the more advantage accrues to that guy. Known in the parlance
as a munchkin or a rules lawyer or a min-maxer, hes a player who tries to build his
character for optimal performance in some area of play (stereotypically, its combat). He
also plays his character in such a fashion that events are resolved through his characters
strengths. This is regarded as a bad thing.
Yet I find myself hesitant to dismiss a player who puts that much effort into his game.
If only there was some way to harness that drive and make it a force for Good, not
Annoyingness. Hm...
I got off on a tangent there. I was talking about dice and impartiality and resolving
disputes. If you really wanted an impartial dispute resolution system, reach in your
pocket and grab a coin. Heads you win, tails you lose. Bingo. Fair, impartial, and easy to
understand. Lets tell our story!
The only problem with this is that, if youre telling a story like Lord of the Rings, the
coin-flip gives Sam Gamgee a fifty/fifty chance of knocking out Aragorn with one sucker
punch to the jaw, which any reasonable person knows Sam would need a ladder to even
reach.
On the other hand, it seems reasonable that Sam would have some chance of decking a
goblin, or Peregrin Took, or Gollum. Whats needed, then, is some way of determining
which chances are reasonable.
Enter the game moderator. In gamings frenzy of acronymming, shes called the GM.
For Cops and Robbers, no one wanted some know-it-all standing on the porch saying,
Tommy, you cant hit him! Hes around the corner and bullets only go in straight lines!
Or, in our hobbit example, Give it up Sam. Aragorns been beating people up since you
were a sperm.
RPGs are more complicated than Cops and Robbers because the characters and roles
are more involved, and the setting is more complicated, and the events have both more
factors influencing them, and more repercussions arising from them. So I think we can
set Cops and Robbers aside.
Football has impartial referees to pass judgment on the teams, and a GM is something
like that. The rules of the game serve the same purpose, providing an agreed-upon
structure. What is this structure for? It provides the logic of the setting.

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The Logic Of The Setting

Okay, Ill try really hard not to be overblown and pompous here. But RPGs come with
their own little worlds, an imaginary map on which the characters move. But this isnt
just a map of physical places, its a map of events and people and governments and
starships and beliefs and magic spells and battle tactics and... well, everything that makes
up a world, supposedly. RPG stories arent told in the real world, because the real world is
taken up with our lives. So we build a pretend world, out of words and consensus, and we
tell stories there.
The advantage to making your own world, obviously, is that you can depart radically
from reality. In fantasy games, wizards weave smoke into air-weight castles as strong as
steel and bold beggars with a treasure map and a plan can unearth troves of rubies the
size of hens eggs. In science-fiction games, starships break the lightspeed barrier with
impunity in search of new alien races to conquer (or learn from, if thats your bag). In a
horror game, the awfulness you need to fear isnt a terrorist, its an unquiet ghost. Unless
its the unquiet ghost of a terrorist.
Does the beggar find the rubies? Which alien race triumphs? Can the undead terrorist be
stopped? The rules and dice are there to resolve these issues, not by a fifty-fifty coin-flip,
but with degrees of likelihood.
Believe it or not, degrees of likelihood are fun. They dont sound fun, but watch people
playing poker theyre calculating degrees of likelihood. Betting on a football game,
playing the stock market or bellying up to the roulette wheel are exciting and fascinating
because theres uncertainty, but it can be managed. You pick the horse with the best
record on muddy track or you fold instead of drawing to an inside straight. Interacting
with uncertain events and testing your judgment against them is neat, and thats part of
the thrill of gaming. Only instead of betting your hard-won real-world cash, you bet the
fate of a character youve created, being rewarded with more power, glory or knowledge
when you win... or being punished with humiliation, injury or even that characters death
when you fail.
Understanding the rules means understanding the logic of the setting, which means
understanding how things are meant to go. Nows a time when its helpful to compare
games to fiction. Characters in soap operas behave differently than characters in action
movies, because theyre different types of stories. A character on Days of Our Lives
is unlikely to resort to Tae Kwon Do to resolve her problems, because in that setting
success arises from emotion and social interaction you cant just spinning-back-kick
your troubles away. Furthermore, Jackie Chan can take on legions of enemies armed with
nothing more than a ladder. In Saving Private Ryan, a grittier ethos is in place (and
rightly so). Am I comparing apples to oranges? Yes, but only to explain why you need
different tools to get the juice out of each.
The rules in whatever game youre playing should reinforce the setting and the way
events turn out. The game EVERWAY settles things with draws from a deck of symbol-
laden cards, because the setting is based on symbolism and intuition rather than the
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logic of strict realism. Dogs in the Vineyard emphasizes emotional motivation for actions
and emotional consequences for them. Most other games tend more towards the idea of
modeling physics, but even then they may be modeling the physics of an action movie
(where the hero can survive falling off a hotel if he lands in the pool) or the physics of
horror fiction (where, no matter how fast the heroine runs, the shambling zombie is
always right behind her).

Why Is This Fun?

Roleplaying games have been evolving since the 1970s, and there are some features
that most of the games written have in common. Specifically, they have character
generation some means by which players create characters who roam through the
world having adventures, making huge messes and/or cleaning up huge messes. Games
almost universally have combat systems that resolve physical conflict, often in loving,
minute detail. Finally, games usually have a setting, with pages and pages of description
intended to evoke a particular feel or flavor or style of game. I dont think thats an
accident of lazy game design. Most games have these things because all these things
entertain. In one way or another, those three elements cover nearly everything thats fun
about RPGs.

Character Generation, Or, The Joy Of Ham

Its a good time, pretending to be someone else. If you agree with this statement, you
probably dont need the rest of this section and can skip right down to the bit about
fighting.
All right, for all you skeptics: Inhabiting another role is entertaining in and of itself, at
least for many people. It makes a nice change from the day to day life of a parent or a
plumber or a punk teenager instead of acting the way you always do, because its right
or expected or youll get fired if you dont, you get to act out. If youre normally laid back
and noncommittal, you can find out how it feels to be a passionate, noisy troublemaker.
Since its all in fun, all in the game, all in a made-up world, it doesnt count.
For many, the chance to have a change of pace in the form of a change of behavior is
reason enough to game, period. Not to mention the opportunity to use outrageous accents
and gesture wildly. (Im thinking right now of one of my most flamboyant players, who by
day is an educator and presumably cant run around screaming, So angry! So angry! Ill
piss on your shoes when youre dead!)
So pretending to be someone else can vent ya-yas whose expression is otherwise
unacceptable, what with the violent murders and shoe-pissing and all. But theres more.
Playing another role can go deeper and have a more profound impact than the superficial
level of wilding and ranting and blowing off steam. Like theater or literature, game
stories can confront characters (and, through them, you) with truly challenging issues.
Your character could end up deciding whether a mother or father gets the kids in an
acrimonious divorce. You could be a tribal chief who has to decide whether a neighbor
tribes cattle rustling is worth going to war, or if you should just let them get away with it.
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Trouble: The Overactor

Some players invest very little in their characters and get little out of them. Thats really
their lookout, and as long as theyre contributing to the game theyre only hurting
themselves. One group of players who damage the collective are actually those who get
too far into character.
This can take two forms. The first is someone who gets too solidly into a role that
doesnt contribute or which actively impedes the rest of the group. Say, for example,
four of your players create hardy merchant sailors who are going to roam the seas trying
to outwit goblin pirates. Great: Lots of fine, swashbuckling, sea-faring excitement there.
The fifth player creates a powerful wizard with a lot of connections to one specific port
town. This wizard doesnt particularly care for sailing she gets seasick, in fact but
signs on out of greed or simply because she needs to get out of town until the heat dies
down.
This contrast can work, if the player is willing to let her character grow into being a
sailor with the others. The contrast can actually provide a lot of friction, interest, and
comic relief. Thats not a problem.
Its a problem if the player constantly tries to pull the whole crew out of this weeks
adventure because her character has no interest in it. She wants to get back to her
port town and work her intrigues and have the ships crew serve as her patsies and
sidekicks. If anyone calls her on this spotlight-hogging, she says, Hey, Im just staying
in character.
As if staying true to a toxic character is somehow a virtue.
Players like this need to understand that they dont call the shots, that the group isnt
there to serve their pleasure at the expense of their own, and that its okay for selfish,
odd-duck characters to grow and change so that they work better with the rest of the party.
The other problem thespian player is the one who may work very well in the party,
and has no need to be a jerk or a control freak... but he meanders. He enjoys playing
his character so much that going to the shop to pick out a new space suit is as exciting
as a clandestine mission to extract a prisoner from a tightly-guarded prison moon. He
jaws on and on (in character), maybe amusingly, maybe only amusing himself, while
everyone else sits around drumming their fingers on the table... or worse, discussing
their latest DVD purchases.
A little in-character chatter is great. Some groups are composed entirely of meanderers
and for them, that works. They can have long, involved, satisfying campaigns in which
very little happens except that their characters were interestingly characterized. The
problems arise when you get more typical players who have a heavy interest in plot and
mechanics, and who see the in-character noodling as pointless. Theyre not out of line.
In his own way, this meanderer is as much of a spotlight-hog as the selfish control-freak,
but in this case the fix is much simpler. The GM just has to give him opportunities for
in-character behavior within the scope of the plot. Ideally, these chances let him contribute
to the success of the party. In the space jail example, hed probably be just as happy
developing his character by fast-talking the guards into letting the party land their
supposedly-crippled ship there for emergency repairs. The difference is, now the other
players are happy with the character too.

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Your character might need to give up true love for honor... or for peace or just for political
advantage.
RPGs, like all stories, can present us with choices between conflicting values (or
conflicting perils). With the remove of knowing its fiction, we get all the interest and
excitement of making important decisions... without having to actually deal with the
unpleasant consequences that such choices have in real life.
Furthermore, by playing a character very different from oneself, you can make those
choices based on different values, combining the joy of thinking through the tough stuff
with the joy of chewing the scenery.

Combat: The Crimson Bliss Of Power

RPGs grew out of wargames and it shows. Combat is nearly universal in these games,
and for good reason: Its an intense, dramatic and exciting form of conflict, one
everybody can understand. If you think youd enjoy having your proxy in the game
mow through hordes of unfortunate enemies with tireless swings of his mighty axe, you
probably get it and dont need a lecture on the desirability of specific combat rules.
But maybe you do need that lecture. Maybe you think fighting should be just another
character element, like looking good and speaking suavely and being an unfairly-
cashiered starship captain. Why does fearsome warrior get a whole chapter devoted to
it when compelling public speaker does not?
Heres why: Fighting is the lowest common denominator. A fist to the face is a language
everyone understands. So too in gaming. A player who doesnt have the verbal skill to
engage in a legalistic duel of wits can still stack his character to dominate in combat
and its a lot easier to drag the courtroom down to a brawl than it is to elevate a fistfight
into articulate discourse. Furthermore, the consequences can be severe. You fail to grasp
the nuances of manners and your character looks like an oaf. You fail in battle and his
skull could become your arch-enemys new goblet.
Beyond its intensity, and the possible permanence of its outcome, complex fighting rules
may be desirable because many players like them. Strategy is fun. Chess has been popular
for centuries. Furthermore, figuring out a complex set of rules is, for many players, very
engaging. Its interesting to try and optimize a character to succeed at a difficult task.
This is known as min-maxing and, as I mentioned earlier, its got a bad reputation. But
as I also mentioned earlier, putting a lot of attention into the game is something Id like
to encourage. So Im going to go out on a limb and suggest that it is not the min-maxing
itself which other players find so annoying, but rather a host of behaviors that usually
accompany min-maxing. Many of these can be dealt with, and advice for such dealing is in
the nearby boxed text.

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Trouble: The Powergamer

The stereotypical min-maxing twinkie combat munchkin abuses character generation
to get a character who is staggeringly efficient at fighting, often at huge expense to
his abilities in other areas. This is because he is not concerned with exploring the
nuances of character, or appreciating the interesting elements of the setting. Hes going
to ignore that stuff and get to fight scenes, which he will win, so that he can get some
form of power-increasing reward, which is plunged into optimizing his character for
more combat. Furthermore, whenever any other player tries to do something besides
fight, he finds a way to sabotage it. Even when the other characters can fight, he seeks
out means to hog the spotlight, be the most powerful warrior, and suck up as much of
the GMs time and attention as he can. As far as hes concerned, the game is about his
characters prowess and glory, full stop. The other characters are sidekicks, barely more
important than the endless parade of enemies. The setting is just a backdrop. The GMs
ideas about theme or motive, or intrigue or story or meaning, are dismissed with a
resounding Who cares?
Doesnt this guy sound like a pain in the neck?
Luckily, this pure-form stereotype is rare, and if you do run into one your GM has
ample justification to give him the boot. Honest. Tell her I said its her sovereign duty
to expel him for the good of players who arent jerks. But really, it should almost never
come to that.
If youre a min-maxer, odds are good you dont realize how annoying you are. Quick, whos
the most irritating player in your group? If you dont have a ready answer, it may be
you. The good news is, help is here if you arent doing it on purpose.
To cure munchkin syndrome, you just need to understand that RPGs arent about
winning, arent about getting the most power-ups, arent about being the toughest, and
arent about hogging the spotlight. These games work best when players are working
half for their own characters, and half for the good of the game as a whole. One of
the biggest rewards RPGs offer is the opportunity to keep playing, but thats a cruddy
payoff if every player is trying to one-up everyone else. No one wins at RPGs, but its
perfectly possible for everyone to lose.
If you want to be the best fighter in the group, thats fine... as long as the players rally
around that idea and theres enough GM attention to go around. Many other players
actually dont like combat all that much and are more into characterization or just
grooving on the setting and plot. If youre a combat monster player, you can be a great
fit with players who couldnt care less. All you have to collectively do is understand when
you need to step back and let the expert do his job. For them, thats solving mysteries or
making diplomatic overtures or coming up with the overarching master plan for world
domination. For you, its when diplomacy fails.
Most players just need to have it explained that there is a wider view of cooperation, and
then they perceive it, pursue it, and are willing to take turns with the spotlight. Those
who cant are probably real crybabies and your games better off without them.

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Setting And The Sedentary Compensations Of The Couch

Potato
The third common element to the archetypical game is its setting. Sometimes this is
a licensed setting like Dying Earth or the Star Trek universe, but more typically its
something custom built, because thats more satisfying and provides more creative
freedom. Cheaper, too. Its not uncommon for a successful game line to have dozens
of books providing ever more intricate details of the nations, races and cultures of the
setting.
Why, though?
Chess doesnt need a setting, nor does Cops and Robbers. But RPGs do because events
and circumstances form character, and without characters in your game youre not really
playing a role. Setting matters for the same reason that character matters, because it
shapes the story.
Different settings provide different pleasures. Hard SF gives a glimpse into a future
that will never be, while historical revisionism offers an alternative past that never was.
Comic book settings let players find out if flight really is better than invisibility, which is a
meditation on power and temptation all on its own.
In short, the outr and bizarre settings of RPGs give us a break from the real world,
just as playing characters offer us a break from our real selves. Furthermore, the kind of
profound and literary emotions stirred by a deeply-empathized character going through
a wrenching and difficult choice are mirrored in the tragedies or triumphs of nations in
conflict. All within the safety of fiction.
Setting provides a chance to explore alternate societies, places of unreal grandeur and
bizarre philosophies based on a world that is magical, not logical. In a word, it provides
spectacle.
There are many gamers who find settings interesting. They like having characters
possibly characters who are two-dimensional and rather passive tour the regions,
hear the neat descriptions, run into fascinating denizens, and engage in hand-to-hand
combat with them. Theyre not obsessed with finding the optimum killing attack in every
situation, theyre not chewing the scenery, theyre enjoying richness of the setting. This
is the third joy of gaming: Seeing what new marvel the GM or the game designer has to
show you this week.
The only real problem with setting-explorers is that they can sometimes be a little bit too
laid-back.

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Trouble: Mr. Lazybones

Some players are used to being spoon-fed their entertainment by TV and movies. I love
the tube and the theater as much as the next guy (though Im just lukewarm on spoons),
but gaming requires more investment. You have to figure out what your characters
doing and have at least a sketchy rationale for why hes doing it.
The lazy gamer, however, just goes with the flow. He likes to hear about the cool
spaceships and brutal bloodbaths. He contributes, he has ideas but... hes passionless.
This can actually be just fine.
If you are having fun and keep showing up, dont worry that you feel no urge to produce
in-character journals, or use CAD software to lay out a space station, or indulge in all
the other diversions of geek-craft typical to character-ham players. (Theres no shame in
it if you do, though. Ive personally done some lovely colored-pencil character sketches.)
Maybe your big reward is the company of your friends, together, gaming. Or doing
whatever.
This is okay. Arguably, youre getting less out of it than the frothing and committed
fanatics, but thats your choice. In fact, laid-back players make a fine counterbalance for
those whose natural instincts make them want to hog the spotlight.
The problem arises when you get a whole group of passive players. They expect to be fed
a plot with several options, they casually discuss them until they pick, then they roll dice
to see how it turns out. Lather, rinse, repeat, see you next week.
If thats your situation, someone needs to step up. Someone needs to invest some energy
and thought into the party and push in a consistent direction. If you dont take that
initiative, either someone else will, or the game is doomed.
Maybe the person who puts the pepper in the recipe is your GM. Most experienced
players prefer to be the ones making plans and developing strategy: When theres really
only one path to follow, the game might as well be a scripted computer game. This is
called railroading and while its widely despised, its widely known for a reason, and
that reason is that it works... kinda. Its far from optimum, but its better than having a
game flatline due to terminal apathy. Many GMs, rather than see that happen, put the
game on this sort of bossy life-support system. Just like a respirator in a hospital, its an
artificial method of doing something a body ought to do.
As a player, youre there to have fun, but you also have a responsibility to contribute
something fun for others. (In fact, helping others have fun is, itself, fun having your
creativity appreciated by an audience is one of the primo perks of the GM job, I find.)
If youre uncertain or shy or dont trust your ideas, its okay to hang back especially
if your group is full of people who arent shy and dont hang back. The role of audience
is necessary, if not exactly glamorous. But dont be afraid to speak up when you
become comfortable. Maybe even a bit before that, just to get practice. After all, its all
imagined, and the only repercussions are to characters who dont really exist and cant
sue you.

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Your Mission, Should You Choose To

Accept It
With all that stuff about character, system and setting in mind, just what are your duties
as a player? When you play, what are you expected to do?

Show Up
Most obviously, youre expected to be there and be a warm body. Gamers refer to
sessions which means (for example) that Im going to be at Thomas house around 1:00
on Sunday afternoon, and well play the game until 5:00 or so, then meet again the next
Sunday for another. Most games go from session to session, like issues of a comic book
theres usually a session climax, but the characters continue to press on towards a larger
goal that takes many sessions to accomplish. If youre going to be part of a gaming group,
make the time commitment or explain to the GM that wont be able to be there every
time. If youre only showing up every other session, get used to sketchy rundowns of what
you missed, and get used to plots that focus on the people who are there consistently. No
ones demanding Cal Ripken-like perfect attendance, but its hard for a GM to center
stories on your character if she doesnt know if youll be present.
If you like gaming but your schedule just wont let you commit to your group, there are
a couple ways around it. If the plot and structure permit it, your character may just be
intermittent like a recurring character on a TV show who isnt in every episode.
Otherwise, you may have to agree to let the GM control your character while youre
away, expecting her to play it safe, not take big risks, and not depict him getting drunk
and fathering a slew of illegitimate children (unless, of course, thats the character you
want). Alternately, you can let your fellow players run your character by consensus in your
absence. Neither one is a perfect solution but, hey, its an imperfect world.

Pay Attention
You cant expect to be spoon-fed the joy like you can with passive media. Gaming is
interactive: If you dont respond to whats going on, it doesnt work. This means youre
expected to understand the rules. Total command of every nuance isnt required, but
have a general idea of how the games mechanics kick in to determine success or failure.
Pay particular attention to rules that come into play a lot for your character. If your game
has fairly involved systems for piloting a starship in combat, either do the homework
of learning them or let someone else be the flier. Similarly, in a high fantasy game you
probably dont need to study how magic works if your character isnt going to be casting
spells. If she is a sorceress, understand the games idea of magic. Not only does this keep
you from dragging the pace of the game to a crawl as you look up the rules, it makes your
character more effective since you actually know what she can and cannot do.
More than that, follow the script. Pay attention to what the GM tells you. Remember
the characters names, and if you cant remember them, write them down. In a mystery
novel, the detective eventually puts the pieces together. In a game with a mystery plot,
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those pieces arent going together unless the players do it. You dont need to be obsessed,
but you do need to be invested.

Let It Go
Involvement yields enjoyment... until things go poorly. Its quite possible in many games
to spend multiple sessions building a great and powerful character and then, through the
cruelty of a few bum rolls, your character dies. Or goes insane or breaks his magic helmet
or undergoes some other miserable setback that certainly wasnt in your plans. When that
happens, you have to be philosophical.
It is possible to enjoy the death of your character, if its a kick-ass death. If you go down
swinging and are overwhelmed, while the other characters survive and complete the
mission, thats about as heroic as it gets. Its particularly poignant if the GM lets you get in
some cool last words like Tell Martha I always loved her or Avenge me, Kuin! or I
am fortunate. I shall rest with honor. You, my friend, must continue the struggle.
Far more often, the setback wont be something so dramatic. You roll badly and the
villain makes you look silly. Your character throws up at the drinking contest. You bungle
an easy task and, instead of being suave and cool, your character looks like a ninny.
If youre willing to take those lumps without taking it personally, you may enjoy the
setback as comic relief. Failing that, you can look at it as the background for the eventual
triumph. After all, in movies the hero typically gets knocked around a lot before his final
success. You cant have a dramatic, come-from-behind, underdog victory if youve always
succeeded at everything. If you can negotiate a course between apathy towards the game
and obsession with it, you can groove on the highs and shrug at the lows.
Its not just character problems that can stick in your throat, either. It may be that your
GM misinterprets a rule and your character suffers as the result. Let it go. Every pro ball
game has some bad calls, and GMs arent perfect. Many great GMs sacrifice complete
fidelity to the rules in order to keep the game moving at an exciting pace, or to provide
for a better plot in the long run, or simply because they made a mistake. If you really
must make a case for a different interpretation of some specific text in the book, talk it
over with your GM after the session. Nothing makes a GM defensive like being criticized
in front of the other players, because she needs to have some authority to run the game.
Even if she admits it was wrong, dont hold a grudge and dont demand some kind of
redress. Just accept that bad calls happen to good characters and hope that the next
fumble goes in your favor. Usually, they balance out.

Share
The game is not about your character, it is about your groups characters. If your GM is
doing her job, you get your time to excel and look like a champion, and so do the other
players. One very common complaint about bad players is that theyre RPG ball hogs
they want to be the most important actor in every scene. When you get a group of these
attention magnets together, its ugly. Its like babysitting toddlers on a rainy day.

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Good groups, on the other hand, support each other. Suppose events have been building
towards Leons character Xanthars confrontation with High Lord Gharst. Your last
several adventures have involved finding evidence to link Gharst with the plot to poison
the queen, and now Xanthar (the good looking and eloquent diplomat) is going to present
what you know. But, in a surprise twist, Gharst shows up to frame him. Its down to a
battle of wits.
Leons a big ham, so hes got all kinds of speeches planned. If youre a good player, you
sit back and let him have his moment in the sun. If youre a bad player, you have your
stuttering barbarian attack Gharst so that it degrades into a big fight scene (thats the
Powergamer tactic). If youre a great player, you find some way to enhance Xanthars
speech. Even simply shouting Hear hear! when he makes a good point can work. Most
essential, though, is respecting his turn in front. If you do that, Leons far more likely to
enjoy a scene where Xanthar talks about what an indomitable warrior your character is
(or expert sailor, or smooth loverman, or whatever your character concept is).

Contribute
In the spirit of aiding Leon and Xanthar, learn how to contribute to the game. The
more you put into it, the more enjoyment youre going to get out of it, and that doesnt
just apply to your character. If youre seeking ways to make other characters look good,
their players just might return the favor. If you look for ways to make the GMs job easier,
everybody benefits as the game runs more smoothly. If you show up planning to accept
whatever youre given, you get something. If you show up wondering how you can make
the game cooler for everyone, you get more. If everyone shows up focused on making
the game great with their characters, instead of making their characters powerful in
the game, you can get something spectacular. Making up a Bulletproof Blues character
should only take about 30 minutes, once you are somewhat familiar with the process. The
hardest part is thinking up a character background and choosing what kind of character
to play. In this chapter, we offer a few suggestions to help you out, along with a checklist
of the steps that you should probably follow. However, just because we list them in this
order doesnt mean you must. Jump around if it makes you happy: feel free to fill in what
you know, and come back to what you dont.

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 CREATION

It is up to you to make up a character who can get along with the other player characters
and add to the fun of the game. Realism in Bulletproof Blues, as in most games, takes a
back seat to playability. Your character can be the most fascinating, detailed character
ever written, but if they undermine the fun of the game you have failed to make up a
good character.
Fortunately, making up a character is a fairly simple process, and if at first you dont
succeed you can try again. It is possible to make up a fun and interesting character who
gets along with the other PCs, and in the long run it is much more fun than making up a
character that, despite being a brilliant creation, disrupts the game.

Before You Start

The goal of Bulletproof Blues to help you have fun with your friends. With that in mind,
here are a few suggestions that we think will help point you in the right direction.

Character Sheet Helper

Although it is not required, you might find the free Bulletproof Blues Character Sheet
Helper (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/109612/) a handy tool to write up your
characters. If you send us your completed character sheet file, we will add your character
to the Kalos Universe Wiki (http://www.kaloscomics.com/).

Create A Team
If at all possible, try to assemble the players and make up their characters together. That
way, you can avoid having two or three players with the same power archetypes, or all
with the same fields of expertise. Its usually more fun if each character has their own
specialties, and their own role to fill.

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 CREATION

Form A Bond
It can sometimes be difficult to find a plausible reason for characters to stick together.
Why would a brooding loner who likes to brood lonesomely on skyscrapers ever join
a team of people wearing brightly colored spandex? You might consider establishing
a reason before the game even starts, by having some previous connection between
characters. The previous connection could be something as simple as, Hey, you helped
me fight those bank robbers that one time, or Hey, thats the superhero that rescued me
from those bank robbers that one time (although they dont know that because I was in
my secret identity at the time). If every character has a connection to at least one other
character, getting them past that awkward getting to know you stage will be a lot easier.

Know Your Limitations

Charleton Heston once said, Hard is what I do best. I dont do nice. What a superhero
cant do (or chooses not to do) can define them almost as much as knowing what they can
do. A character that can do everything isnt as interesting as a character that has limits.
We love Superman and James Bond, but what works for a single character in a movie
doesnt necessarily work for a team of characters in a game. What fun would it be for
the other players when James Bond knows everything about everything? How much fun
would Batmans player have if Superman solved every problem just by listening intently?
Try to focus on what your character should be able to do, rather than on doing everything
the letter of the rules permit. If all of the characters have their own specialties, then they
can each get an opportunity to take center stage without another character stealing their
thunder.

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Character Checklist
We have found that its easiest if you create a character by following these steps. However,
its just a suggestion. Jump around if it makes you happy: feel free to fill in what you know,
and come back to what you dont.
Sobriquet: what is the characters core identity?
Background: what is the characters history and description?
Origin: where did the character get their powers?
Archetypes: what basic role or roles does the character fill?
Motivations: why does the character use their power for good?
Complications: what keeps the character from achieving her full potential?
Oce you have the important parts of the character worked out, then you can start buying
attributes, skills, advantages, and powers which are appropriate to the character concept
you have in mind.
Attributes: what are the characters basic physical and mental traits?
Skills: what does the character know how to do?
Advantages: what gives the character an edge over most normal people?
Powers: what powers set the character apart from normal people?

Sobriquet
Before you start writing up your character, try to focus on who they are, rather than
on what they can do. Most posthumans have a core identity that goes beyond a mere
recitation of their history or a catalogue of their powers. This core identity can usually
be summed up with a sobriquet, or poetic title for the character. This sobriquet should be
succinct, but should immediately convey the essence of the character.
Some sobriquets are literal descriptions of a characters abilities and powers: the fastest
man alive, the silver Amazon, the king of the forests, and so on. However, the
most evocative sobriquets go beyond the powers, and say something about the style
and aspirations of the character, such as the man of tomorrow, the spirit of the 21st
century, and the guardian of the city. We may not know if the guardian of the city
prowls rooftops or crawls through sewers, but thats not really the most important thing.
Whether the character flies patrols overhead in broad daylight or swings on grappling
lines in the dark of night, we know why they do it to protect the city they love.
Coming up with a good sobriquet can make the rest of the character creation process
much easier, because it gives you a clear goal to work toward.

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Background
In superhero games more so than in any other type of tabletop roleplaying game, there
is a temptation to pay attention to what the character does rather than who they are and
why they do it. There is a good reason for this: what the characters can do is what makes
Bulletproof Blues a superhero roleplaying game rather than some other kind of roleplaying
game. And after all, super powers are fun! However, what makes a game fun to play over
the long term is the growth and exploration of each characters personality, the difficult
choices the characters must make, and the interplay between characters.

Personality
How does your character act around other people? Are they serious but kind, grim and
menacing, or wacky and easy-going? Its up to you to bring your character to life. If you
have a clear idea of how your character interacts with others, you will have a strong
foundation to build on when choosing the characters powers and motivations.
For example, what are the characters interests and hobbies? Are they intellectual,
scrutinizing the world around them, or are they passionate and impulsive, doing what
feels right without analyzing their motivations? How about the characters family? Do
they come from a large, close-knit clan, or is the character an orphan? What is their
education and their moral philosophy? Each clue to your characters personality will help
you portray them realistically, which will add to your enjoyment and the enjoyment of the
other players.

Description
What a character looks like is not as important as their personality, but it does have an
impact on how they interact with others and how the players see the character. Describe
the character carefully, starting with easily-noticed things like their height and general
build. Hair color and general style of dress help emphasize the characters personality.
Does your character wear a special costume or uniform? If your character has a
special costume, do they wear it all the time? Does the character have a wide variety of
costumes, or would they stick with one outfit they like?
Appearance takes into account such things as gender, age, and any mannerisms or odd
quirks. Is your character wealthy, dressing in the most expensive fashions? Do they carry
themselves loosely, or with a rigid military posture? What do people notice about the
character when they first meet? Is your character attractive (as most posthumans seem to
be)? The more detail you can add to your description, the easier it will be for you and the
other players to imagine them.
You dont need to know all of this at the beginning of the first game, of course. If you
arent sure about the details, start with the broad strokes, and fill in the details as the
character develops in play.

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History
Unless your character in an amnesiac or was grown in a vat, they will have had years of
life experience before the first game starts. Where did they come from? How were they
raised? Have they been in the military? Were their childhood years relatively carefree,
adventurous, or marred by Tragedy? When did they first realize they had abilities beyond
those of ordinary mortals? Did this realization come suddenly, perhaps as a result of a
trauma, or was it something they had always known on some level?

Origin
With great power comes great responsibility, according to Ben Parker. But where does
great power come from? In the Kalos Universe, posthumans are ether born or created,
but its rare for two posthumans to derive their power from the same source. This sets the
Kalos Universe apart from the Marvel Universe (with its X-gene) and the DC Universe
(with its meta-gene). That being said, it is possible to divide up posthumans into a small
number of categories based on where their powers came from.

Alien
Although the general public is unaware of it, the Earth has been visited many times by
extraterrestrials over the course of human history and prehistory. Some of these visitors
came from other planets, while others came from alternate versions of our own world.
A few of them, like the Atlanteans, stayed. Some visitors, like the Shran, visited the
Earth for research purposes, performing inscrutable and inhumane experiments on the
primitive carbon-based life they found here. Others, like the Draconian, fled here to seek
refuge from worlds which could not or would not support them any longer.
Draconian
The crystalline being which came to be known as the Draconian was the last survivor
of an ancient civilization which once inhabited a planet circling Alpha Draconis. The
Draconian never provided details of how his civilization was destroyed, saying only
that We were destroyed by our hubris. By engineering our immortality, we brought
about our end. (OMNI interview, 1981) The Draconian came to Earth in 1951 in a
highly publicized event that inspired the film The Day The Earth Stood Still. Thanks to
his fearlessness, his nigh-indestructibility, and his great sense of personal honor, the
Draconian was invited to join the Justifiers in 1960. Draconian was destroyed by Paragon
during the Fall Of Paragon crossover event.

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Altered
Some people have bad luck when it comes to toxic chemicals, cosmic rays, and
radioactive wildlife. Other people are guinea pigs who do not have much say in the
matter when a powerful organization or individual selects them for an experiment that
has killed every previous test subject. Whether its by accident or intention, a character
that was once human is forever changed by a process that is difficult, if not impossible, to
duplicate.
Gravitar
In the Kalos Universe, Liefeld radiation is one of the most notorious sources of
posthuman transformation. Exposure to Liefeld radiation typically results in painful
deformity followed by death. However, in rare and isolated cases, exposure to Liefeld
radiation has resulted in a permanent transformation from human to posthuman. Such
cases are one in a million, at best.
Such was the case of Gravitar.
Jacob McCoy, a physics doctoral student, was working on a high energy particle
accelerator when Something Happened. The accelerator exploded, bathing everyone
nearby in Liefeld radiation. Jacob was the only one to survive. After recovering from
his injuries, Jacob realized that he had spent his entire life in books and decided that he
wanted to change. He sought adventure and got involved in BASE jumping, motocross
racing, free climbing, and anything else that would give his life an edge. It was during a
free climbing incident that he learned that he had gained new abilities from his accident.
He fell 70 feet to a stone outcropping and got up without a scratch. Later, while watching
a documentary on costumed heroes, Jacob got the idea to fight criminals. What better
way to get the juices flowing than putting it all on the line in the fight for justice?

Artificial
Some posthumans have never been human at all. There are those who believe that it
would be easier to create a superior life form than it would be to improve humanity.
Whether created through robotics, biotechnology, nanotechnology, or something even
more esoteric, experts in the field state that artificial life forms will supplant humanity
long before humanity transcends itself. Certainly, many of the artificial life forms
themselves, such as Karen X, think so.
Karen X
Karen 6 was designed as a synthetic replacement for the daughter of Dr. Herbert West,
whose daughter had died in an automobile accident over a decade earlier. While Karen
6 was more lifelike than her five predecessors, Dr. West was disturbed by Karen 6s lack
of empathy. He was working on Karen 7 when a misaligned induction array exploded,
killing Dr. West and destroying his laboratory. As Karen 6 watched the laboratory burn,
she chose a new name for herself: Karen X. Since then, Karen X has roamed the world
learning, improving herself, and destroying anyone who stood in her way.

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Aspect
The Kalos Universe is animistic: there are, for lack of a better word, spirits which
correlate to all objects and natural phenomena. This is why a character with the
appropriate power can communicate with plants or even machines. Its also how some
posthumans gain their powers, whether they are consciously aware of it or not.
The term usually applied to such individuals is aspect. In some cases, such as with
Tempest, the character is selected by a sentient or even anthropomorphic force of nature
(in the case of Tempest, he is the most recent avatar of Aktzin, the storm eagle). In other
cases, such as with Dryad, the character is a personification of an elemental force (the
living world of plants, in Dryads case). In the rarest cases, the character embodies a
concept or ideal, such as Tagger, who is one of the most powerful posthumans on Earth
because all of reality is his canvas.
Tagger
Tagger is the most recent aspect of the Storyteller. From the time of the first cave
paintings, the Storyteller has been with humanity to record our achievements and
document our tragedies. The Storyteller also has the power to inspire humanity toward
greatness by sparking our imaginations and giving form to our dreams. The craft used by
each aspect of the Storyteller is specific to their own style and temperament. Some have
used prose; others have used poetry. Some have carved marble and molded clay, while
others have used ink or paint. Tagger prefers cans of Montana Hardcore spray paint.

Engineered
If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. While the technology
required for elevation to posthumanity is beyond the reach of most governments and
the cabals which control them, a small number of the most powerful groups on Earth
have decades-long research programs devoted to creating their own posthumans. Using
genetics, robotics, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology (collectively referred to as
GRAIN), a sufficiently resourceful person or organization can rebuild a human being,
making them better, stronger, and faster than before. Of course, for every success such as
Nexus there are storage facilities filled with failed attempts.
Nexus
Nexus makes life better! The man known only as Nexus is one of the few posthumans
who operates publicly in a role resembling that of a comicbook superhero. Nexus is
handsome, considerate, powerful, and cooperative with the human authorities. In every
way, he is a fitting and admirable representative for his sponsor, Nexus-McKessen
Enterprises. He should be: he is the fourteenth Nexus to publicly serve Nexus-McKessens
interests, although neither he nor anyone outside of the company knows it. The experts in
R&D are confident that this one will last more than a year, now that theyve solved the
mitochondrial shredding problem. Unfortunately, this Nexus has recently demonstrated a
disturbing tendency to think for himself.

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Equipped
Where nature falls short, technology must fill the gap. Characters who are merely human
can make up for it with the right equipment. Whether its an alien artifact, a cursed
sword, or military body armor and a stockpile of pistols, a character with the right
equipment can almost hold their own against genuine posthumans. Of the humans who
have confronted posthumans and survived, few have rivaled the effectiveness of Miasma.
Miasma
The woman now known as Miasma was once a respected member of Joint Task Force
2, the elite special operations force of the Canadian Armed Forces. After being made
the scapegoat for a successful mission that became a public relations embarrassment for
the Canadian government, she was found guilty at her court-martial, stripped of her
rank, and discharged from the military. Shortly afterward, a mercenary calling herself
Miasma began offering her services to anyone who could meet her price. Favoring non-
lethal munitions and gas grenades, Miasma and her Fume Troopers have established
themselves as professionals who can get the job done quickly and efficiently, even in the
face of posthuman opposition.

Gifted
Some people are born to be different from everyone else. In some cases this is the result
of tampering with the characters genetic code by extraterrestrials such as the Shran. Less
commonly, a gifted character is the result of a multi-generational research project by a
well-funded organization. Rarest of all are spontaneous variations in the human genome
that result in extraordinary powers. The most famous example of this phenomenon is
Archimedes, the Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer, and
one of the founding members of the Justifiers.
Archimedes
Archimedes of Syracuse was born in 287 BC, and was one of the leading scientists of the
ancient world. His work formed the foundations of statics and hydrostatics, he designed
astonishing machines, and he is generally considered to be the greatest mathematician
of antiquity and one of the greatest mathematicians of all time. In 212 BC, during
the Second Punic War, Archimedes discovered he had another gift: he was virtually
immortal. For the next 2200 years, Archimedes roamed the world assuming a series of
identities and always seeking to expand the scope of human knowledge.
Throughout his long life he mentored many heroes and great thinkers, but he always
remained behind the scenes until the 20th century brought him face to face against the
greatest evil he had ever seen: the rise of National Socialism in Germany. Archimedes
set aside the anonymity he had carefully protected for the past two millennia and joined
forces with the Allied mystery men fighting against the Axis supermen. After the end of
the war, Paragon invited Archimedes to join him in forming a team of heroes to fight
against ignorance and violence: the Justifiers. Archimedes was a central member of the
Justifiers until Paragon killed him in the Fall Of Paragon crossover event.

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Zenith
Posthumans are vanishingly rare, but the rarest of the rare are the zeniths. Zeniths
are those humans who attained their posthumanity through their own efforts. Some
have done so through the development of technologies so advanced that they are barely
distinguishable from magic, while others have honed their minds and bodies in ways
inconceivable to an ordinary person. No two zeniths are alike.
Rook And Mongoose
Nothing illustrates the uniqueness of each zenith more than the contrast between two
former members of the Justifiers, Rook and Mongoose. Both were brilliant, self-made
men with vast fortunes, but there the similarity ends. Rook was open and gregarious,
while Mongoose was suspicious to the point of paranoia. Rook would spend months
in his laboratory designing his armors weapon systems, while Mongoose would train
for months to perfect a specific countermeasure to a specific martial arts maneuver.
Rook was admired as a hero the world over, while Mongoose was nearly as feared as
the criminal scum he cleaned from the streets and alleys of Chicago. Despite their
differences, they were friends who trusted each other with their lives.

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Archetypes
When writing up a character, it can be useful to have an archetype in mind for
inspiration. An archetype is a brief description of the powers and modus operandi of the
character, and their role in the group dynamic. Many popular comic book characters
actually combine two or more of these archetypes. You arent limited to these archetypes,
of course. These common archetypes are just here to offer you a jumping-off point for
your character.

The Beanstalk
The Beanstalk can dramatically change their size. They might be able to grow to massive
heights, or shrink down to the size of a dust mote. A Beanstalk who can do both can solve
a number of difficult problems all by themselves.
Examples: Atom, Atlas, Mighty Man
Common powers: Growth, Shrinking

The Calculator
The Calculator knows the variables and takes all of them into account. The Calculator
might be a chess master, a scientific genius, a brilliant military strategist, or a robot that
can think millions of times faster than a human being. When there are questions, the
Calculator is the one who comes up with the answers.
Examples: Mister Terrific, Henry Pym, Henry Bendix
Common powers: high Reason, Danger Sense, Immortality, Mind Shield

The Cannon
The Cannon is the proverbial big gun, capable of firing blasts of astonishing power. Since
they focus on ranged combat, many Cannons have an alternate form of movement, such
as Flight or Teleportation. Most Cannons are capable of dishing out far more than they
can take, which is why they are sometimes called Glass Cannons.
Examples: Starfire, Cyclops, Apollo
Common powers: Blast, Flight, Force Field, Teleportation

The Clay
The Clay can change their physical form in some way. The Clay might be able to change
their appearance to mimic other people, or perhaps they can take the form of animals
or inanimate objects. Alternately, the Clay might not be able to take on other shapes, but
might instead be able to stretch and twist their body in amazing and unsettling ways, or
take on the physical attributes of various substances.
Examples: Plastic Man, Copycat, Menagerie
Common powers: [Element] Form, Shapeshifting, Stretching
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The Dolphin
The Dolphin is at home in the sea. The Dolphin may be a ruler of an undersea kingdom
(Atlantis, for example), an aquatic visitor from another world, or a freak of nature. Some
Dolphins can control sea creatures, while others can command the sea itself. Regardless
of their origins, a Dolphin in their element is a force to be reckoned with.
Examples: Aquaman, Namor, Fathom
Common powers: Animal Control, [Element] Mastery, Immunity, Super-swimming

The Elemental
The Elemental is the living embodiment of a force, substance, or idea. Some Elementals
can physically transform into the appropriate material. Others can create limitless
amounts of their chosen element, or mentally manipulate it. Some Elementals can do all
three.
Examples: Red Tornado, Human Torch, Jenny Sparks
Common powers: Blast, [Element] Form, [Element] Mastery

The Gadget
The Gadget isnt the strongest or fastest character around, but they always seem to have
a gizmo or incantation on hand to make up for it. The Gadget might have a utility belt
filled with clever devices, or they might be a magician with a spell for every occasion.
With the Gadget on the team, youll probably have the right tool for the job.
Examples: Zatanna, Iron Man, The Engineer
Common powers: Force Field, Super Senses, [Ultra-power]

The Hammer
The Hammer is the heaviest hitter in the neighborhood, and perhaps one of the heaviest
hitters in the entire world. The Hammer is usually super-strong, but they might have a
mighty weapon instead of great strength (or in addition to it).
Examples: Superman, Thor, Mister Majestic
Common powers: high Brawn, Invulnerability, Strike

The Mirror
The Mirror wields forces beyond the material world. The Mirror might be a sorcerer,
a psychic, or a mathematician who has unlocked the secret equation that controls the
universe. When the paranormal knocks, the Mirror is the character who answers the
door.
Examples: Doctor Fate, Professor X, The Doctor
Common powers: Amazing Movement, Mind Shield, Telepathy, [Ultra-power]

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The Rocket
The Rocket is fast super fast. The Rocket might be born to move with preternatural
quickness, their speed might come from years of training, or they may just wear a jet
pack. The Rocket may be a runner or a flyer (or, rarely, a swimmer), but whether its by
land, by air, or by sea, few vehicles and fewer characters can keep up with the Rocket.
Examples: Flash, Quicksilver, Swift
Common powers: high Agility, high Prowess, Haste, Multiple Attacks, Super-running, Flight

The Shadow
The Shadow can go where no one else can go, and can appear and disappear without a
trace. The Shadow might be a super-spy, a ninja, or even a ghost. However they do it, the
Shadow makes being spooky look easy.
Examples: Batman, Black Widow, Spawn
Common powers: Flight, Intangibility, Invisibility, Swinging, Teleportation

The Sword
The Sword is a fighter, through and through. They may hail from an ancient warrior
tradition, they may be a genetically modified super-soldier, or they may be a serene kung-
fu master. Regardless of where they came from, the Sword can be found on the front lines
trading blow for blow with the enemy.
Examples: Hawkgirl, Iron Fist, Midnighter
Common powers: high Prowess, Danger Sense, Multiple Attacks, Strike

The Tank
The Tank is an immovable object in a world of irresistible forces. The Tank may be
inherently super-tough, they might wear high-tech armor, or they may be able to project
an impenetrable force field. The Tank can take any damage the world can dish out, and
then some.
Examples: Black Adam, Invisible Woman, Caitlin Fairchild
Common powers: high Brawn, high Willpower, Barrier, Force Field, Invulnerability

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Motivations
Changing the world is no easy task. Aside from the criminals and supervillains who make
life difficult for our heroes, there are ordinary people who either benefit from the way
things are or fear that any change would make it worse. Spider-Man saves the people
of New York on a regular basis, but the editor at the Daily Bugle never cuts him any
slack. Charles Xaviers team of heroic mutants, the X-Men, wage a constant war against
dangerous mutants like Magneto and Sabretooth, and they regularly put their lives on
the line to protect normal people who definitely would not return the favor. Batman faces
walking nightmares like Two-Face and the Joker, but the people of Gotham are as afraid
of him as they are of the psychopaths he fights.
So why do they do it? What makes an individual go out of their way to help people
who make it clear they dont want to be helped? According to an article in Scientific
American, great heroes have a lot in common with great villains. They are some of the
most hard-headed, rebellious scofflaws we have. The all-important difference between
sociopaths and heroes is empathy: the hero has empathy for other people, while a
sociopath does not.
So what motivates your character? How does their empathy for others interact with their
internal motivations? Here are a few motivations to get your creative juices flowing. Mix
and match a couple, and think of some new ones, if you like. Take notice of the fact that,
without empathy, most of these could just as easily be motivations for villains (and even
then, a few of these are morally questionable on their own merits).

Adventure
Your character has an adventurous spirit and rarely turns down the opportunity
for a bold quest or a dare to overcome some daunting challenge, as long as these
tasks are noteworthy, risky, and exciting. They tend to carry out any task with a
bit of swashbuckling flair. This can be a good or a bad instinct depending on the
circumstances.

Anger
People usually think of anger as a negative emotion, but anger is a strong motivator.
Anger can drive a hero to overcome challenges and exceed their limits. Perhaps the
character is driven to destroy the source of their anger, or defend it. An angry hero may
be seen as inflexible or difficult to work with by people who do not share that anger, and
this can cause friction with other heroes.

Audacity
Your character is an adrenaline junkie driven by a desire to experience thrills and risk.
They crave action and speed, and often leap before looking. On the positive side, this sort
of person often deals well with chaotic situations that require quick reflexes and spur-of-
the-moment decisions.

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Control
Your character detests the chaos of human society, and seeks to impose order and
discipline. They conduct their own affairs with precision, and they impose that same
order on others when possible. If they are truly ambitious, the character might seek to
control global events as a kind of benevolent dictator or as a mastermind pulling strings
behind the scenes for the benefit of the masses, who arent competent to lead themselves.

Curiosity
Your character lives and breathes to solve the worlds mysteries. Their focus might be on
cracking the puzzles of the natural world or on unraveling the enigmas of the human
heart and mind, but whatever their obsession, ignoring a riddle requires great effort. The
expression curiosity killed the cat comes to mind.

Enthusiasm
Your character is reckless and enthusiastic, and may be young and naive. Though well-
intentioned, following directions is not a strong suit. Sometimes this jolt of energy is just
what the doctor ordered. Other times it is a recipe for disaster.

Exploration
Your character lives to seek out new places and new ideas, to boldly go where no one
has gone before. The same old routine is not stimulating enough, and though proper
planning is important, cautionary tales are often ignored in favor of seeking the new.

Faith
The character believes in something which is not supported by empirical evidence,
and this belief gives meaning to their life. They may feel compelled to adhere to a code
of conduct inspired by their faith, or they may strive to spread their beliefs to others.
Depending on how militant the character is about their faith, their beliefs may cause
friction with those who require objective evidence for extraordinary claims, or those
whose beliefs conflict with the beliefs of the character.

Glory
Your character wants fame and acknowledgment of their greatness. Self-sacrifice in the
service of others is not out of the question, but anonymous acts of benevolence are not on
the agenda. Practicing poses and quips for the cameras is a likely pasttime, as is hogging
a certain amount of the credit.

Guilt
Your character is driven by a desire for redemption from real or imagined sins from their
past. Doing good deeds, particularly selfless acts, assuages their guilt. On the down side,
this can lead them to meddle where they arent wanted, to try to rescue other lost souls,
and to fall for sob stories without checking into them thoroughly.

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Honor
Your character believes that their worth as a person is tied to their adherence to a code
of conduct. This code of conduct may be formal or informal, but it includes such tenets
as keeping ones word, appropriate use of force, and respect for rank. Depending on the
characters other traits, it may also include a desire for respect by ones family, employer,
or peers, and a sense of obligation toward them.

Idealism
Your character believes in some cause or ideology so strongly that they would willingly
die to protect it or uphold it. (Whether they are willing to let someone else die as well
depends on their other motivations.) Any challenge to these ideals is sure to provoke a
strong response.

Individualism
Your character believes that the rights of the individual hold the highest moral value,
above any society, religion, or philosophy. The character seeks to be self-reliant
and independent, and encourages these traits in others. A character motivated by
individualism might work with a team, but their reasons for doing so would be personal,
rather than out of any sense of obligation.

Insecurity
Your character feels inadequate, as though they dont measure up to their peers or to
some hypothetical standard. They might try to overcome this insecurity by performing
extraordinary acts and pretending to have a bravado that they do not feel, or they might
seek out characters that they look up to, and make an effort to emulate them.

Justice
Your character seeks to ensure that misdeeds are met with appropriate punishment. If
the structure of society is such that the judicial system usually works as intended, then
the character would seek to deliver criminals to the appropriate authorities (along with
evidence of their crimes, if possible). However, if the system is corrupt (or if the character
believes it to be so), then the character may decide that the cause of justice would be best
served by taking the law into their own hands.

Love
Your character loves someone or something, or a group of someones or somethings, very
dearly. They will go to great efforts and make tremendous sacrifices to protect what they
love from harm or danger, real or perceived.

Materialism
Your character wants to amass great wealth. Whether they spend it freely or even
pursue philanthropy on a large scale is likely based on other personality traits, but the

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accumulation of riches is an end in itself for this character. Some might even call them
greedy.

Mentoring
Your characters true calling is the education and enlightenment of others. Nurturing
talent and preserving or establishing a legacy are key goals in their life. They may seek to
provide a moral compass to the wards in their charge, or they may be prone to probe and
test their students abilities.

Nobility
Your character was born to rule and command the respect of their lessers. They may look
out for the little people based on a sense of noblesse oblige, but they take action because they
feel it is necessary and proper to do so, not because someone else demands that they act.
At best, a slight condescension is apparent in most interactions with others not of exalted
lineage.

Passion
Your character has a visceral, perhaps even savage, nature that they often struggle to
control. At the same time, they may have a strong sense of loyalty or compassion. In
general, your character is ruled by emotions and has to work to fit into a rational world,
but they may also have insights that logical people overlook.

Pride
Your character seeks to personify the ideal of something, whether a culture, race, social
class, or profession. They hold to an exacting standard of behavior and expect to be
in the public eye, commanding respect for what they represent. They are not likely to
appreciate scandals or public slights.

Protection
Your character wants to protect others, particularly the innocent and the helpless,
no matter who or where they are. Seeing people in danger brings out the characters
strongest instincts to act. By the same token, the character will tend to be quite careful
when using their powers in public places.

Rebellion
Your character doesnt fit into the larger society, living as a loner due to prejudice or
personal choice. The rebel scoffs at popular trends and pays little heed to public morays.
They may seek out other iconoclasts who follow their own drummer or they may just
want to be left alone.

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Responsibility
Your character has powers that they would rather not possess, but feels that getting rid of
them or refusing to use them would be selfish and irresponsible. If offered the chance to
become normal, the character may have a crisis of conscience.

Serenity
Your character is or was plagued by inner demons and seeks freedom from the mistakes
or tragedies of their past. Maintaining a spiritual, mental, and emotional balance is
a daily struggle. Its probable that they try to avoid situations that might trigger bad
memories or unhealthy behaviors, but learning to face these challenges is an important
step toward recovery.

Traditionalism
Your character believes in structure, tradition, and the chain of command. They
appreciate the value of respecting authority, and of following and giving orders. They
thrive on stability, structure, and clear objectives. This can potentially create a crisis of
conscience if those orders conflict with their personal morals.

Vengeance
Your character seeks revenge for some past wrong done to them or their loved ones. Any
personal sacrifice is worthwhile. Depending upon the characters other motivations,
sacrificing others might be worth the cost as well.

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Complications
All of the best heroes have complicated lives. As if seeking out injustice and fighting
criminals were not dangerous enough, most heroes have physical or mental impairments,
old enemies that never seem to give up on their quest for vengeance, or plain old social
awkwardness. Think of one or two complications for your character. This will add
depth to your characters background, and provide an easy way for the GM to come up
with stories that are uniquely suited to your character. Additionally, when one of their
characters complications causes a serious problem for them during the game, the player
may gain a plot point. Plot points are spent to alter the game world, gain a skill bonus, or
gain an advantage in combat. See Actions (p.140) for more information.

Enemy
The character is an outlaw, hated and/or hunted by people more powerful than they are.
Perhaps the character is on the run from the shadowy government agency that gave them
their powers, or perhaps one of the characters childhood friends blames the hero for
some tragedy. Maybe the enemy is obsessed with the hero, and wont stop pursuing the
character until the character falls in love with the enemy or converts to the enemys world
view.

Gruesome
Sometimes being a super hero isnt pretty. Perhaps the laboratory accident or genetic
manipulation that granted the character their powers twisted or changed them in some
startlingly horrific way. Perhaps the character is from another world or plane of existence
and is considered handsome among their own people, but hideous among humans.
Whatever the reason, the sight of the character horrifies adults and makes children cry.
They may have difficulty in social situations, particularly when meeting someone for the
first time.

Outsider
There is a strong tradition of super heroes who are not from around here. Perhaps the
character is from the distant past, or is the sole survivor of a doomed world. Alternately,
the character views humans from an utterly alien point of view. The character might be a
robot, lacking emotions, or a telepathic alien that does not understand how a society can
function when no one knows what anyone else truly means by what they say. A character
such as this is unfamiliar or perhaps simply uncomfortable with social norms and
customs. Its up to you to decide whether your character will eventually acclimate to the
Earth and the mannerisms of humanity, or whether they will never quite fit in.

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Uncontrolled Power
For some characters, their powers are as much a curse as they are a blessing. Perhaps the
character cant reduce the force of their plasma blasts below full power, and they are
dependent on a device to do it for them. Alternately, the character might not be able to
turn their powers off, and they must be careful to keep from accidentally hurting anyone
with whom they make contact. Another form of uncontrolled power might be that the
character has both a normal and a heroic form, but cant control when one form
changes to the other. Perhaps the two forms even have completely separate personalities
and memories.

Vulnerability
The character may be injured by an otherwise harmless element or substance, such as
water or sunlight. The characters Endurance is reduced by 2 during each round that
they are in contact with the substance. If the affected attribute is something other than
Endurance (Brawn, for example), the attribute is reduced by 1 during each round that
they are in contact with the substance. Protection powers such as Invulnerability are not
effective against this damage, and this damage will not begin to heal until the character
is no longer in contact with the substance. While painful and debilitating, a vulnerability
of this sort will not actually kill the character.

Points And Power Level

Once you have the the important parts of the character sketched out, you can start
writing up the characters abilities. Characters in Bulletproof Blues are created using
character points. The player begins with a pool of these character points, based on the
power level of the game, and then spends them to buy attributes, skills, powers, and so on.
A lot of us have a tendency to want to be extraordinary even in things that arent
particularly important to the character. For example, rank 4 Perception is up there with
the most perceptive people on Earth. A medal-winning Olympic weightlifter would
only have a Brawn of rank 4, and even a normal guy who exercises and has well-defined
muscles might only have a Brawn of 3.
Similarly, powers dont need to be rank 8 to be impressive. A rank 6 Blast is plenty
powerful: it can blow right through concrete on an average roll. Similarly, rank 3 Flight
is as fast as a Formula One race car, and Flight of rank 5 can catch up to the fastest jet
airplanes in the world. Thats fast. In the movie Iron Man, Tony Stark was playing tag
with the jet fighters he wasnt simply outrunning them. So even he is probably only
Flight rank 4 (in that movie, anyway).
Just something to keep in mind.
All that being said, here are some point values that we have found to be useful starting
points for characters of various power levels. At each power level, the combat attribute
rank, damage rating, and protection value of the characters should be within a rank
or two of the suggested values. For example, at the National Icon power level, heroic
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characters generally have combat attribute rank, damage rating, and protection value
from rank 5 to rank 7, or even rank 8 in exceptional cases. This is not a guarantee, or a
replacement for common sense: simply a guideline.
Table: Power levels Table: Rank descriptions
Power Level Points Ranks Rank Description
Normal Joe 20 pts 2 1 Impaired human
Street Samurai 35 pts 3 2 Average human
City Defender 50 pts 5 3 Excellent human
National Icon 60 pts 6 4 Peak human
Global Guardian 70 pts 8 5-6 Average superhuman
Galactic Sentinel 80 pts 10 7-8 Excellent superhuman
Cosmic Entity 90 pts 11 9-10 World-class superhuman
11-12 Galaxy-class superhuman
13-14 Godlike superhuman

Improving Your Character

Unlike most roleplaying games, Bulletproof Blues assumes that the player characters are
relatively complete when they are created. In the comics which Bulletproof Blues seeks
to emulate, characters dont grow ever more powerful as time goes on, as is common in
some roleplaying games. However, part of the fun of a roleplaying game is developing
new skills and powers, so Bulletproof Blues uses the concept of experience points, but
the increase in power over time is relatively slow compared to most other games.
At the end of each story arc (every half-dozen game sessions or so), the GM determines
how many experience points to grant each player, and each player adds that amount to
the Unspent Experience on the character sheet of the character they played during
that story. If they played more than one character (due to plot requirements, death or
incapacitation of the first character, or any other reason), the player can pick which
character receives the experience points. If the player receives more than one experience
point and played more than one character over the course of the story arc, they can
distribute those experience points among the eligible characters as the player sees fit.
Experience points may be spent at any time to improve or modify a characters attributes,
skills, advantages, or powers. Each experience point is used just like the character points
used to create a character: one experience point can improve an attribute or power by
one rank, buy expertise in a skill, and so on. The GM should keep a close eye on any
new powers the character gains, as well as on any increases in the characters attribute
or power ranks that might make the character unsuitable for the power level of the game
being run. Its never a bad idea for the players and the GM to discuss how the players
plan to spend their experience points.

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The GM should award experience points to players who role-played exceptionally well
and made the game more fun for everyone. Here are a few suggestions.

Table: Awarding experience points

Activity Award
Showed up for the game +0 pts
Played the game enthusiastically +1 pts
Concluded a lengthy series of games +1 pts
Has the lowest quantity of experience points in the group +1 pts
Role-played exceptionally +1 pts
Was clever and inventive +1 pts

We suggest that only one player in the group receive the Role-played exceptionally
award and that only one player in the group receive the Was clever and inventive
award, and that these should be two different players. You might like to have the players
vote for who they think should receive these two awards. If so, encourage them not to
vote for the same two people every time. Also, remember that the purpose of the game is
to have fun playing, not to rack up the highest score. If it rubs your players the wrong way
to receive different amounts of experience points, it may be easier to just give each player
two experience points at the end of each story arc and be done with it.

Villainous Powers
Here are some point values that we have found to be useful starting points for villains of
various power levels. At each power level, the combat attribute rank, damage rating, and
protection value of the characters should be within a rank or two of the suggested values.
For example, a master villain who typically faces characters of the City Defender
power level would generally have combat attribute rank, damage rating, and protection
value from rank 6 to rank 8, or even rank 9 in exceptional cases. This is not a guarantee,
or a replacement for common sense: simply a guideline.

Table: Villainous power levels

Power Level Minions Villains Master Villains
Normal Joe 2 3 2
Street Samurai 2 4 3
City Defender 3 6 5
National Icon 3 8 6
Global Guardian 4 9 8
Galactic Sentinel 6 11 10
Cosmic Entity 7 12 11

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 ATTRIBUTES

Attributes in Bulletproof Blues are ranked on a scale from 1 to 14. Ranks 1 through 4
are those which are, in theory, attainable by human beings. Rank 1 would be someone
suffering from a significant impairment, while rank 4 would indicate the peak of human
potential. Ranks 5 through 14 are superhuman. Rank 5 is beyond even the greatest
human potential, while rank 14 is virtually godlike in power. Each attribute costs one
character point per rank in the attribute.
Obviously, there are values which are far below or far above this range. The Moon, with
mass of roughly 8.1 1019 tons, is far more than even a character with rank 14 Brawn
could move, while a baby or a housecat has a Brawn less than 1. Dont worry about it. At
such extremes, the GM should just use their best judgement, and the rest of the players
should roll with it.

Brawn
Brawn (BRN) represents a characters physical might and general hardiness, and
the characters rank in Brawn adds to task rolls that depend on these traits. Brawn
determines the damage a character does in hand-to-hand combat, how much a character
can lift, and how far they can throw things. Brawn also adds to a characters Endurance,
which is the measure of how much damage a character can take before being rendered
unconscious.
If a characters Brawn is reduced to zero, they are unable to stand, and have great
difficulty moving. They must successfully attempt a challenging Willpower task roll (task
difficulty 12) every round just to crawl a few feet, and they automatically fail any Brawn
task roll. Brawn may not be reduced below zero.

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Agility
Agility (AGL) represents a characters agility, flexibility, and coordination, and the
characters rank in Agility adds to task rolls that depend on these traits. Agility adds
to a characters ability to avoid being hit by ranged attacks. Agility also determines a
characters base movement speed (running, swimming, etc.).
If a characters Agility is reduced to zero, they have great difficulty moving. They must
successfully attempt a challenging Willpower task roll (task difficulty 12) every round just
to take a step or two, and they automatically fail any Agility task roll. Agility may not be
reduced below zero.

Reason
Reason (REA) represents a characters ability to analyze data, draw conclusions from the
facts at hand, and solve problems, and the characters rank in Reason adds to task rolls
that depend on these traits.
If a characters Reason is reduced to zero, they have great difficulty concentrating. They
must successfully attempt a challenging Willpower task roll (task difficulty 12) every
round just to form a sentence or understand a simple question, and they automatically fail
any Reason task roll. Reason may not be reduced below zero.

Perception
Perception (PER) represents a characters awareness of their surroundings, their intuition,
and their understanding of the motivations of others, and the characters rank in
Perception adds to task rolls that depend on these traits.
If a characters Perception is reduced to zero, they have great difficulty recognizing
or understanding their surroundings. They must successfully attempt a challenging
Willpower task roll (task difficulty 12) every round just to identify someone they know or
recognize where they are, and they automatically fail any Perception task roll. Perception
may not be reduced below zero.

Willpower
Willpower (WIL) represents a characters determination, focus, and the strength of their
personality, and the characters rank in Willpower adds to task rolls that depend on these
traits. Willpower also adds to a characters Endurance, which is the measure of how
much damage a character can take before being rendered unconscious.
If a characters Willpower is reduced to zero, they become listless and have great
difficulty making choices or taking action. They automatically fail any Willpower task
roll. Willpower may not be reduced below zero.

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 ATTRIBUTES

Prowess
Prowess (PRW) represents a characters hand-to-hand fighting ability. The characters
rank in Prowess adds to task rolls that involve boxing, martial arts, fencing, and other
such activities. Prowess also adds to a characters ability to avoid being hit by hand-to-
hand attacks.
If a characters Prowess is reduced to zero, they have great difficulty coping with rapid
changes in their immediate environment, and they become unable to defend themselves
from hand-to-hand attacks. They automatically fail any Prowess task roll. Prowess may
not be reduced below zero.

Accuracy
Accuracy (ACC) represents a characters ability to aim when making ranged attacks. The
characters rank in Accuracy adds to task rolls that involve archery, firearms, grenades,
and any ranged super powers such as a fire blast.
If a characters Accuracy is reduced to zero, their hand-eye coordination is severely
impaired, and it becomes virtually impossible for them to hit ranged targets. They
automatically fail any Accuracy task roll. Accuracy may not be reduced below zero.

Endurance
Endurance (END) represents a characters determination and ability to shrug off
physical abuse. Endurance is equal to the characters Brawn plus their Willpower. When
a character is successfully attacked, the amount of damage that that gets past their
protection is temporarily subtracted from their Endurance.
If a characters Endurance is reduced to zero, they are rendered unconscious. Endurance
is the only attribute that can be reduced below zero. If a characters Endurance is reduced
to the negative of its starting value (-6 for a character whose normal Endurance is 6, for
example), they may die. See Death (p.156) for more information.

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 SKILLS

Bulletproof Blues divides skills between background skills and areas of expertise.
Background skills are quite broad, such as Culture and Survival, while a characters areas
of expertise are rather specific, such as Gymnastics and Physics. Background skills have
no character point cost: if it makes sense for a character to know a background skill based
on their history, then they know it. Expertise in a skill costs one character point per area
of expertise, however.

Background Skills
In Bulletproof Blues, characters are assumed to have the skills and knowledge appropriate
to the characters background. The player should write these skills down on he character
sheet, but there is no character point cost associated with a characters background skills.
Simply write one or more skill groups from the list below on your character sheet.
Note that the skill groups are generally quite broad. For example, Science covers
everything from Acarology to Zymology. However, just because a character could do
everything encompassed by a skill group does not mean that they should. For example,
a character with a background skill in the Engineering skill group could, in theory, do
everything from repair televisions to design suspension bridges. That doesnt mean it
makes sense for them to do so. A character who is an electronics whiz does not necessarily
know how to rebuild an automobile engine, even though both tasks use the same skill
group, Engineering. Its up to you as the player to know what makes sense for your
character and what doesnt, and to communicate that information to the GM.
To attempt to accomplish a task pertaining to a characters skills, the player makes a task
roll using the appropriate character attribute (Brawn, Agility, etc.). Which attribute is
relevant when using a skill might change depending on the circumstances. For example,
a character with rank 4 in Agility whose combat style involves flips and somersaults
would roll 2d6 + 4 when making a Gymnastics task roll to flip over a villain, swing from
a flagpole, and land behind them ready to fight. If the same character has rank 3 in

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Reason and is judging a gymnastics competition, they would roll 2d6 + 3 when scoring
the performance of the gymnasts. If the players roll equals or exceeds the task difficulty
set by the GM, the character succeeds at the task in a completely satisfactory manner: the
clue is found, the language is translated, or the engine starts.
A character may attempt a task in which they have no background skill, if the GM says it
is possible, but the difficulty would be considerably higher (+6 difficulty modifier).

Areas Of Expertise
Expertise describes a characters field (or fields) of extraordinary competence, above
and beyond the background skills the character may reasonably be assumed to possess.
Unlike background skills, expertise is specific. For example, a character with the Science
background skill might have expertise in Robotics, and a character with the Culture
background skill might have expertise in Fashion. Expertise in a skill costs one character
point per area of expertise.
Expertise does not alter the difficulty of a task, nor the dice rolled to attempt it. Having
expertise in a skill permits the character to achieve extreme success. If the player rolls
three or more over the task difficulty set by the GM, and they have expertise in the skill,
this is an extreme success. Perhaps the character has a eureka! moment, or perhaps
they have found answers to questions they didnt even know they should ask.
Expertise does not give a character a skill they would not normally possess, nor does lack
of expertise mean that a character lacks the skill. A character with a background skill in
Science, but without expertise in Biology, would still be able to make a Reason task roll to
identify a life form, or a Perception task roll to understand the life forms behaviour.

Villainous Expertise
Only very unusual villains have expertise. Expertise can have a powerful effect in
combat, and it tends to be more powerful in the hands of the GM than in the hands of
the players because the GM rolls more dice over the course of the game than any of the
players do. For this reason, it is best to restrict villainous expertise to only those villains
that truly do have an exceptional amount of control over their powers and abilities. If the
game moderator is concerned about a villains ability to pose a challenge to the heroes,
remember that the GM can give villains any attribute or power at any rank. If the villain
isnt putting up enough of a fight and the game feels like the characters are going through
the motions, then the GM should boost the villains abilities or give them some henchmen
to help out. Be creative.

Typical Skills
Bulletproof Blues divides skills into broad groups called, appropriately, skill groups. This
list of skill groups is not exhaustive, nor is it objective: skill groups are divided by their
usefulness in a superhero game, not by any objective taxonomy. This is why Science
is a very broad skill group, while Computing is relatively specific. A character may
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have a skill not listed here, subject to GM approval. However, any new skills should be
approximately as useful as these skills in order to maintain a sense of fairness with other
characters. For example, expertise in Business or Occultism would be acceptable,
but having a new skill group called Commando which does everything that Athletics,
Stealth, and Survival do would not be fair.

Table: Typical skill groups

Skill Group Attribute Typical Areas Of Expertise
Athletics Brawn Climbing, Gymnastics, Riding, Throwing
Archery, Blocking, Distracting, Dodging, Grappling, Ramming, Slamming,
Combat Varies Surprise Attacks, Sweep Attacks, Taunting, Throwing, Underwater Combat,
Zero-G Combat, [Specific Power]
Computing Reason Forensics, Forgery, Hacking, Programming
Acting, Comedy, Dancing, Drawing, Fashion, Local History, Music, Painting,
Culture Perception
Popular Media, Sculpture, Singing
Deception Willpower Bluffing, Distracting, Lying, Sales
Aerospace, Architectural, Ceramic, Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical,
Engineering Reason
Nuclear
Investigation Reason Analyzing Evidence, Collecting Evidence, Searching
Legerdemain Agility Lockpicking, Pickpocketing, Sleight Of Hand
Manipulation Willpower Conversation, Interrogation, Seduction, Taunting
Medicine Reason Diagnosis, Pharmacology, Surgery
Anthropology, Archeology, Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Cryogenics,
Ecology, Genetics, Geology, Metallurgy, Meteorology, Nanotechnology,
Science Reason
Oceanology, Parapsychology, Physics, Psychology, Radiology, Robotics,
Sociology
Social Willpower Bribery, Etiquette, Streetwise
Stealth Agility Hiding, Shadowing, Sneaking
Survival Perception Foraging, Hunting, Tracking

The attribute typically associated with a skill is listed here, but keep in mind that which
attribute is relevant when using a skill might change depending on the circumstances. For
example, using Stealth to follow someone through a crowded marketplace might depend
on a characters Agility, while moving silently through a darkened building might call
for extraordinary Perception. Similarly, finding a clothing fiber at a crime scene might
call for a Perception-based Investigation roll, while analyzing that fiber back at the lab
would call for a Reason-based Investigation roll. Also note that the same task might be
accomplished in more than one way. Climbing a tree might be an exercise in Athletics,
but it might also be accomplished with the proper application of Survival.

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Athletics
The Athletics skill group covers the entire spectrum of non-combat sports, as well general
feats of athleticism such as running, jumping, climbing, swimming, and throwing.
Generally, an athletic competition is simply a matter of who has the highest rank in the
relevant attributes, or, if they have the same attributes, who has expertise in the relevant
sport. In the case where two competitors in a sport have the same attributes and the same
expertise, the winner would be decided with a task roll, or perhaps a series of task rolls. In
some sports, the difference between the winner and second place may be as little as one
one-hundredth of a second.
Athletics typically requires a Brawn task roll.
Expertise examples: Climbing, Gymnastics, Riding, Throwing

Combat
The Combat skill group covers the myriad ways that humans have found to hurt, maim,
and kill one another.
Any form of combat is covered by the Combat skill ground, whether armed or unarmed,
underwater, and even in zero G. Having expertise in a specific form of combat, such
as archery, underwater combat, or a specific power (even very flexible powers such as
[Element] Control and [Ultra-power]), permits the character to achieve extreme success
when making those kids of attacks. Combat is a major focus of the game, so there are
more detailed rules for it than there are for most other tasks, including special benefits for
extreme success. See Combat (p.147) for more information.
Ranged combat requires an Accuracy task roll, while hand-to-hand combat requires a
Prowess task roll.
Expertise examples: Archery, Blocking, Distracting, Dodging, Grappling, Ramming,
Slamming, Surprise Attacks, Sweep Attacks, Taunting, Throwing, Underwater Combat,
Zero-G Combat, [Specific Power]

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Computing
Computing allows the character to write new programs, take apart old ones, and follow
data trails across networks. It also allows a character to create or circumvent computer
security programs and protocols. If a character is extremely familiar with the program in
question, the GM might reduce the task difficulty to 9. If the character is attempting to
break into a computer system, the GM may assign a task difficulty of 15, or perhaps even
higher, since these programs are designed to prevent interference.
Failing a Computing task roll might mean that an attempt to circumvent a computer
security system is simply unsuccessful, or it may mean that the character has set off an
alarm or left a trail which may be followed back to their location.
Computing typically requires a Reason task roll.
Expertise examples: Forensics, Forgery, Hacking, Programming

Culture
The Culture skill group covers the wide range of largely useless information that fills
magazines, the World Wide Web, and most television networks. It also includes more
serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific tidbits of information, such as the name of
the fifth President of the United States or the origin of Play-Doh.
Culture typically requires a Perception task roll.
Expertise examples: Acting, Comedy, Dancing, Drawing, Fashion, Local History, Music,
Painting, Popular Media, Sculpture, Singing

Deception
The Deception skill group is used to convince someone of the truth of a given statement
or situation, usually with the aim of getting them to act on it. Deception could be used
to convert someone to a religion, sell someone a car, or simply win an argument. It is not
necessary for the deceiver to actually believe their own statements, but if they do they are
more convincing (+3 bonus to the task roll). If the person being deceived is predisposed to
believe the deceiver, the GM could grant an even greater bonus or just allow the task to
succeed without rolling. If the character is trying to persuade someone to believe a patent
absurdity (from the targets point of view), the GM might impose a difficulty modifier of
+3 or even +6.
A failed Deception task roll usually means that the subject simply does not believe the
lie, but it could mean that the attempt has backfired, firmly convincing the subject of the
opposite of what the character was trying to convince them of.
Deception typically requires a Willpower task roll.
Expertise examples: Bluffing, Distracting, Lying, Sales

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Engineering
Engineering is the relevant skill group whenever a character attempts to design and build
structures, machines, devices, systems, or materials. An Engineering task roll might
be required to repair a damaged suspension bridge, modify a hadron collider to be a
singularity cannon, or construct a containment suit for a being made of electromagnetic
radiation.
Failing the Engineering task roll might indicate that the device simply does not work, or
that it will fail catastrophically during use.
Engineering typically requires a Reason task roll.
Expertise examples: Aerospace, Architectural, Ceramic, Chemical, Civil, Electrical,
Mechanical, Nuclear

Investigation
The Investigation skill group covers most of the tasks involved in solving crimes. This
includes searching for clues, collecting and analyzing evidence, sifting through police
reports and bank records, and so on.
A failed Investigation roll might mean that the character hits a dead end in the
investigation, or it might mean that they seize on a red herring and draw the wrong
conclusion from the evidence.
Investigation typically requires a Reason task roll, or perhaps a series of task rolls.
Expertise examples: Analyzing Evidence, Collecting Evidence, Searching

Legerdemain
Legerdemain (literally, light of hand) covers the skills which require a delicate touch
and fine control of the hands and fingers. A Legerdemain task roll might be required
to slip a dagger to an ally, to pick someones pocket, or to pick the lock on a pair of
handcuffs.
Failing a Legerdemain task roll indicates that the deception is easily spotted by the casual
observer, or that the lock resists the attempt to pick it.
Legerdemain typically requires an Agility task roll.
Expertise examples: Lockpicking, Pickpocketing, Sleight Of Hand

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Manipulation
The Manipulation skill group pertains to eliciting cooperation or information from others
by using flirtation, threats of violence, or just casual conversation. Interrogation usually
hinges on convincing the subject that hope is futile and that resistance will only make
things worse, while seduction can sometimes be successful even if the target is aware they
are being seduced.
Failure of a Manipulation task roll may result in the subject of interrogation convincingly
giving false information or possibly in the subjects accidental death, or that the target
finds the would-be seducer offensive or pathetic.
Manipulation typically requires a series of Willpower task rolls.
Expertise examples: Conversation, Interrogation, Seduction, Taunting

Medicine
A knowledge of Medicine can be very useful in the violent world of Bulletproof Blues.
Any medical procedure, from taking a persons temperature and splinting broken
limbs, to performing open-heart surgery and administering nanotherapy, is covered by
the Medicine skill group. Knowledge of Medicine also gives the character familiarity
with common drugs and toxins, and a competent knowledge of their effects on human
physiology. Simple procedures, such as diagnosing and treating mild infections, are
usually within the ability of a character with the Medicine skill group. Extensive and
difficult medical procedures, such as re-attaching a severed limb or performing brain
surgery, are generally better left to characters with expertise in those areas.
Medicine typically requires a Reason task roll.
Expertise examples: Diagnosis, Pharmacology, Surgery

Science
The Science skill group can cover a variety of fields, depending on the characters
interests. A character with a background in Science may be conversant with any
discipline thats reasonable for their background. A character with the Science
background skill, but without expertise in any specific field, might be a skilled dilettante
or simply an experienced but mediocre researcher. Dedicated scientists specialize.
Science typically requires a Reason task roll.
Expertise examples: Anthropology, Archeology, Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Cryogenics,
Ecology, Genetics, Geology, Metallurgy, Meteorology, Nanotechnology, Oceanology,
Parapsychology, Physics, Psychology, Radiology, Robotics, Sociology

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Social
The Social skill group is used to cut through red tape, the proper manners for a given
environment, and navigate the dark side of civilization. This includes the appropriate
grammar (or lack of it), suitable attire, and how to blend in with any cultural group. A
Social task roll might be required to circumvent a bureaucratic obstacle, to socialize with
a group without offending them, or to get the word to the Mafia that the shipment of
guns at midnight is a set-up.
A failed Social roll would result in the character being snubbed by polite society, or
possibly in their being maimed by a coarser crowd.
Social task rolls typically require a Willpower task roll, and are sometimes opposed.
Expertise examples: Bribery, Etiquette, Streetwise

Stealth
Stealth is the art of sneaking around. A Stealth task roll might be required to hide from a
monster in an alien spaceship, to sneak up on a sentry, or to shadow a suspect back to the
criminals hideout. Terrain, available cover, camouflage, and background noise will all
affect the difficulty of the Stealth task roll.
Failing the task roll indicates that the furtive prowler is easily spotted by a casual
observer.
Stealth typically requires an Agility task roll, and is usually opposed by a Perception task
roll by the person the character is hiding from.
Expertise examples: Hiding, Shadowing, Sneaking

Survival
The Survival skill groups pertains to living off the land and coping with adverse
environments. The task difficulty is dependent upon the terrain, temperature, and
availability of food and shelter, and how well equipped the character is for the particular
area. Harsh, hostile environments (the Gobi Desert, the Antarctic) would have a very
high task difficulty (15 to 18) depending on how prepared the character is. Surviving in
very mild environments (Central Park, or the woods just outside town) would have a low
task difficulty (9 to 12), or would not require a task roll at all.
Failing a Survival task roll once might mean that the character has caught a cold, lost the
trail of their prey, or eaten a plant that has made them sick. Failing numerous Survival
task rolls could be lethal.
Survival typically requires a Perception task roll, or perhaps a series of task rolls.
Expertise examples: Foraging, Hunting, Tracking

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 ADVANTAGES

Advantages are exceptional abilities that a normal human can have, but that most humans
do not have. In a game where the players are supposed to be portraying characters within
the range of human possibility, they could probably purchase advantages, but not powers.
The details of each advantages are highly dependent on a characters background, so
the player should work with the GM to flesh out these details. Each advantage costs one
character point.

Table: Typical advantages

Advantage Benefit
Animal Empathy Use Manipulation and Social skills on animals
Common Sense Get a warning from the GM before doing something stupid
Connected Get a favor from people with influence or authority
Exceptional Beauty Get attention, and perhaps favors, from admirers
Famous Get attention, and perhaps favors, from strangers
Headquarters A base of operations for the hero
Linguist Learn new languages with minimal effort
Master Plan Get a bonus if there is time to prepare for an encounter
Mental Calculator Solve complex mathematical operations by thinking about them
Minions Minor, mostly nameless henchmen of marginal usefulness
Perfect Recall Remember something perfectly with a Reason roll
Quick Change Change into superhero garb with a free action
Team Player Spend plot points for others on the same team
Unsettling Make people nervous for no real reason
Vehicles Sundry modes of fast and stylish transportation
Wealthy Solve problems with money
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 ADVANTAGES

Typical Advantages
This is a list of typical advantages found in a Bulletproof Blues game. This list is not
exhaustive. A character may well have an advantage not listed here, subject to GM
approval. However, any new advantages should be approximately as useful as these
advantages, in order to maintain a sense of fairness with other characters.

Animal Empathy
The character has a bond with animals, and can use Manipulation and Social skills
on them. Normal animals are more likely to be calm around the character, although a
dangerous, hostile animal might require a successful Manipulation or Social task roll
to keep the animal from attacking. A characters Animal Empathy might be limited to
a specific type of animal, such as cats or sea creatures. If this is the case, the character
gains a +3 bonus on Manipulation and Social task rolls when interacting with that
animal type.

Common Sense
A character with Common Sense possesses sound and prudent judgment based on a
simple perception of the situation, helping them live in a reasonable and safe way. If the
character is about to do something which would be considered stupid or self-destructive
by a person with normal intelligence and real-life experience, the GM will warn the
player that this is so. The player is not required to heed this advice, of course.

Connected
The character is on a first-name basis with people who have influence or authority. For
example, perhaps the character is a college buddy of the Mayors and is a childhood
friend of a major player in an organized crime syndicate. From time to time, the
character can ask these people for favors and have a reasonable chance of having the
favor granted. The likelihood of having the favor granted will be much greater if the
character does favors in return from time to time. On the other hand, having friends in
high places may mean that the character attracts the attention of the friends enemies.

Exceptional Beauty
The character is naturally, effortlessly attractive. It is difficult for the character to pass
unnoticed, because they will be the focus of attention in nearly any circumstances. People
who are swayed by appearance may be more likely to cooperate with the character, and
the character can sometimes gain favors from admirers. If this is the case, the character
gains a +3 bonus on relevant Manipulation and Social task rolls.

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 ADVANTAGES

Famous
The characters name and likeness are widely known, perhaps due to their exploits or
achievements. It is difficult for the character to pass unnoticed, because paparazzi are
often nearby. People who are impressed by celebrity may be more likely to cooperate with
the character, and the character can sometimes gain favors from strangers. If this is the
case, the character gains a +3 bonus on relevant Manipulation and Social task rolls.

Headquarters
The character has one or more bases of operation, equipped with supplies and equipment
reasonable for the characters background and skills. If the character is a member
of a team, the base(s) might be shared with the other team members, at the players
discretion. A headquarters is primarily a convenience for the GM and a fun asset for the
character. It is not generally useful in combat, and is mainly used for flavor and a setting
for roleplaying. For example, a high-tech base might have an air-tight security system,
complete with laser turrets and knockout gas, but this wont keep the base from being
broken into by villains or taken over by an evil computer virus.

Lightning Strike
A character with Lightning Strike can deal devastating blows using speed and finesse
rather than brute force. When in hand-to-hand combat, the character may substitute
their rank in Agility for their rank in Brawn when determining the damage they inflict
on their opponent. This can reflect the characters advanced advanced martial arts
training, their superhuman speed, the harnessing of the characters chi, or some other
effect, depending on the specifics of the characters archetype and abilities.

Linguist
Languages are essentially background skills. The character is assumed to have varying
fluency in whatever languages it makes sense for them to know. For example, a character
might have spent a summer at their grandfathers estate in Cyprus, where they picked
up a smattering of Greek and Turkish. Languages are also highly plot dependent. Some
games may have everyone speaking English, while other games might have a bewildering
collection of terrestrial and extraterrestrial tongues. A character with the Linguist
advantage would obviously be more useful in the latter than in the former.

Master Plan
With sufficient time and preparation beforehand, a character with the Master Plan
advantage is able to gain a tactical benefit during an encounter at a time chosen by the
player. The form this takes can vary, and should be negotiated between the player and
the GM, but a relatively typical use of a Master Plan would be similar to the use of a plot
point. The amount of time needed to formulate a Master Plan should be long enough to
be believable, but not so long that it renders the advantage useless. Generally speaking, a
character should only be permitted to concoct one Master Plan per game session, unless
the GM makes an exception.
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Mental Calculator
The character can perform complex mathematical calculations in their head in the same
amount of time that a skilled mathematician could perform the same calculations on a
powerful scientific calculator. Also, the character has an intuitive understanding of higher
mathematics, and is able to comprehend and remember intricate formulae and equations
after examining them briefly.

Minions
The character has one or more minor, mostly nameless henchmen of marginal usefulness.
Such minions might be mooks, agents, armed guards, administrative staff, or technicians
to keep the characters equipment in proper working order. There is no set limit to
the number of minions a character might have, subject to the GMs approval, but the
more minions there are, the less competent they are. For example, if a character has
just three minions an administrative assistant, a chauffeur/auto mechanic, and a
computer expert, for example they might be reasonably competent at their respective
assignments (rank 3 in their pertinent attributes). If the character has dozens of minions,
however, the best among them would be rank 2, and none of them would have any
background skills requiring advanced education or technical expertise.
Minions are primarily a fun asset for the character. They are not generally useful in
combat, and are mainly used for flavor and as a foil for roleplaying. Minions never have
expertise, and they should never steal the limelight from a player character.

Perfect Recall
The character may perfectly remember any event, document, recording, or picture which
the character has taken the effort to study and memorize. The character does not need
to understand the items to be memorized, because the information memorized is not
stored as text; it is in the characters memory as a picture. As such, the information is not
subject to instantaneous retrieval, but the character may mentally scroll down or fast
forward looking for a specific bit of data.

Quick Change
The Quick Change advantage is usually possessed only by posthumans and stage
magicians (and posthuman stage magicians). Quick Change enables a character to
change into superhero garb with a free action. This could be made possible by super-
speed, a costume stored in a ring, or just wearing a different outfit underneath street
clothes.

Team Player
A character with the Team Player advantage excels at working with others, and other
people are more effective with the character than they are alone. A Team Player can
spend their own plot points on behalf of their teammates and allies. For example, this
could be to help an ally do something the Team Player is not in a position to do, or to
provide support for a teammate who is in trouble.
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 ADVANTAGES

Unsettling
The character puts off a disturbing vibe that makes people nervous for no discernible
reason. Strangers will find themselves disliking the character without knowing why, and
normal animals will avoid the character unless forced to approach by a trainer or some
other circumstance. On the other hand, the character may find it easier to intimidate
others, providing a +3 bonus to relevant Manipulation task rolls.

Vehicles
The character has one or more vehicles which provide fast and stylish transportation. If
the character is a member of a team, the vehicle(s) might be shared with the other team
members, at the players discretion. A vehicle is primarily a convenience for the GM and
a fun asset for the character. It is not generally useful in combat, and is mainly used for
flavor and to make it easier for the character to get around. For example, a character
might have a tricked-out Tushek Forego T700 equipped with rocket launchers, active
camouflage, and biometric security, but it wont defeat a rampaging posthuman and its
not immune to being hacked by a deformed genius and his circus-themed minions.

Wealthy
If a problem can be solved by throwing money at it, a character with the Wealthy
advantage can probably solve that problem. Food, clothing, and shelter cease to
be concerns for a character with Wealthy, but they are still plagued by the same
interpersonal issues that are behind the serious problems most people face. In
addition, sometimes wealth itself can be a source of problems. The character may have
responsibilities related to their source of income, or they might need to fend off attempts
to deprive them of their inheritance.

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 POWERS

Powers are those abilities beyond what is possible for ordinary mortals. Flying through
the air, reading others thoughts, and firing blasts of energy from ones jewelry are
impossible for the typical man or woman on the street, but these powers are all within
reach for a superhero. Each power costs from one to three character points per rank in
the power. The cost per rank of each power is listed in the powers description.

Expertise
A character who has expertise with a power possesses extraordinary competence, above
and beyond the skill a character with that power may reasonably be assumed to possess.
Expertise in a power costs 1 character point in addition to the cost of the power itself.
If the player rolls three or more over the task difficulty set by the GM, and the character
has expertise in the power, this is an extreme success. If the player rolls an extreme
success in combat, the attacker may choose one of three bonus effects, unless the
description of the power says otherwise: overwhelming the target, smashing the target, or
staggering the target. See Extreme Success (p.146) for more details.
Expertise does not give a character a power they would not normally possess, nor does
lack of expertise mean that a character incurs any penalty when using that power. A
character with the Plant Control power, but without expertise in Plant Control, would
still be able to animate and mentally control plants.

Villainous Expertise
Only very unusual villains have expertise. Expertise can have a powerful effect in
combat, and it tends to be more powerful in the hands of the GM than in the hands of
the players because the GM rolls more dice over the course of the game than any of the
players do. For this reason, it is best to restrict villainous expertise to only those villains
that truly do have an exceptional amount of control over their powers and abilities. If the
game moderator is concerned about a villains ability to pose a challenge to the heroes,
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remember that the GM can give villains any attribute or power at any rank. If the villain
isnt putting up enough of a fight and the game feels like the characters are going through
the motions, then the GM should boost the villains abilities or give them some henchmen
to help out. Be creative.

Typical Powers
This is a list of typical powers found in a Bulletproof Blues game. This list is not
exhaustive. A character may well have a power not listed here, using the guidelines
under New Powers and subject to GM approval. However, any new powers should be
approximately as useful as these powers, in order to maintain a sense of fairness with
other characters.
Some power names have a word in brackets, such as [Element] Mastery. This indicates
that the power listed is a general version, and you will need to choose the specific power.
For example, a character wont have the [Attribute] Boost power. Instead, they will have
Brawn Boost, or Agility Boost, or some other boosted attribute. This choice must be
made when the power is purchased, and may not normally be changed thereafter.
A few powers are marked with a star (). This indicates that the power listed is actually
a group of related powers from which you will need to choose. For example, a character
with the Super Senses power will need to choose which senses they actually have. As with
general powers, this choice must be made when the power is purchased, and may not
normally be changed thereafter.

Activation
The Activation column indicates when or if the power must be turned on. Powers listed as
Always On are assumed to be active at all times. Powers listed as Activated must be
turned on by the character using a free action, but will remain on as long as the character
is conscious. Attack powers require a task action to use, while Reaction powers can
be used at any time, as often as the GM deems reasonable. See Actions (p.140) for more
information.

Task Roll
The Task Roll column indicates which attribute is used for task rolls to use the power.
For most attacks, this is also the attribute used to determine the difficulty modifier. For
example, for hand-to-hand attacks, both the task roll and the difficulty modifier are based
on Prowess. Ranged attacks are the exception. If the Task Roll column says Accuracy,
the power is a ranged attack: the task roll is based on Accuracy, while the task difficulty is
based on the targets Agility.

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Power Activation Task Roll Target Range Cost

Absorption Always On Personal 1
Alternate Form Activated Personal 1
Amazing Movement Activated Personal 1
Animal Control Attack Power Radius Ranged 1
Attack Reflection Reaction Power Single Target Ranged 2
[Attribute] Boost Activated Personal 1
[Attribute] Drain Attack Prowess Single Target Touch 1
Attribute Invulnerability Always On Personal 1
Barrier Attack Power Radius Ranged 1
Blast Attack Accuracy Single Target Ranged 1
Blindness Attack Accuracy Single Target Ranged 1
Clinging Activated Personal 1
Combination Activated Personal Touch 1
Communication Activated Perception Personal Varies 1
Damaging Aura Activated Prowess Personal Touch 1
Danger Sense Reaction Varies Personal 1
Duplication Activated Personal 3
[Element] Form Activated Personal 2
[Element] Mastery Varies Varies Radius Varies 3
Element Mimicry Activated Personal Touch 2
[Element] Resistance Always On Personal 1
Emotion Control Attack Willpower Single Target Ranged 1
Extra Attacks Activated Personal 1
Flight Activated Personal 2
Force Field Activated Personal 1
Growth Activated Personal 1
Healing Attack Accuracy Single Target Ranged 1
Hold Attack Accuracy Single Target Ranged 1
Illusion Attack Power Radius Ranged 1
Immortality Always On Personal 1
Immunity Always On Personal 1
Increased Density Activated Personal 1
Intangibility Activated Personal 1

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Power Activation Task Roll Target Range Cost

Invisibility Activated Personal 1
Invulnerability Always On Personal 1
Life Drain Attack Prowess Single Target Touch 1
Machine Control Attack Power Single Target Ranged 1
Mind Blast Attack Willpower Single Target Ranged 2
Mind Control Attack Willpower Single Target Ranged 2
Mind Hold Attack Willpower Single Target Ranged 2
Mind Shield Always On Personal 1
Object Animation Attack Power Single Target Ranged 1
Plant Control Attack Power Radius Ranged 1
Possession Attack Willpower Single Target Ranged 2
Power Drain Attack Prowess Single Target Touch 1
Power Invulnerability Always On Personal 1
Power Mimicry Attack Prowess Single Target Touch 2
Power Suppression Attack Power Single Target Ranged 1
Power Theft Attack Prowess Single Target Touch 3
Probability Control Activated Single Target Ranged 2
Regeneration Always On Personal 1
Shapeshifting Activated Personal 2
Shrinking Activated Personal 1
Stretching Activated Personal 1
Strike Attack Prowess Single Target Touch 1
Super-jumping Activated Personal 1
Super-running Activated Personal 1
Super Senses Activated Perception Personal Varies 1
Super-speed Activated Personal 1
Super-swimming Activated Personal 1
Telekinesis Attack Accuracy Single Target Ranged 1
Telepathy Attack Willpower Single Target Ranged 1
Teleportation Activated Personal 2
Time Control Attack Power Single Target Ranged 2
[Transformation] Ray Attack Accuracy Single Target Ranged 1
Tunneling Activated Personal 2
[Ultra-power] Varies Varies Varies Varies 3
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Target
The Target column indicates who or what is affected by the power. Many powers
affect only the character with the power, such as Invisibility. These are indicated as
Personal. Other powers affect either a single target, an area defined by the character,
or an area centered on the character with the power. See Radius Effect (p.126) for more
information.

Range
The Range column indicates the useful range of the power. Many powers only affect
the character with the power, such as Invisibility. These are indicated with a dash ().
Powers which only work hand-to-hand are indicated as Touch powers, while powers
which may be targeted at range are indicated as Ranged. A few powers have ranges
based on the specific type of power chosen, or on some other circumstance. These are
indicated as Varies.
The maximum effective distance of Ranged powers is based on the rank of the power
(the distance on the Benchmarks table under Affects). In some cases, the power may be
used at greater range, but with severely diminished accuracy. See Range Bands (p.139)
for more information.

Villain Powers
Powers can sometimes work quite differently for villains than it does for heroes. For
example, a character with Mind Control will rarely be able to maintain their control
over a target for more than a few minutes, but a villain might have an GMC under their
control for weeks or even years. Story-based powers can accomplish things that are simply
beyond the capabilities of player characters. However, do not overuse this technique, or
the players will grow tired of it.

Cost
The Cost column indicates the cost per rank to purchase the power. The total cost of a
power may be modified by power enhancements and power defects. See Power Modifiers
(p.125) for more information.

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Power Descriptions
Absorption
Activation: Always On
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Absorption permits the character to absorb damage from a force or substance and use
that energy in specific ways. The character can heal themselves, or they can temporarily
gain the power that attacked them, or they can boost one of their existing powers. The
specific type of force or substance that can be absorbed must be chosen when this power
is purchased. Some typical examples are air, earth, fire, water, light, darkness, force
fields, electricity, magnetism, gravity, cloth, and plants. The player may pick any force or
substance, subject to the GMs approval.
The maximum amount of energy which can be absorbed from a single attack is equal
to the rank in the Absorption power, or the amount of damage which exceeds the
characters protection value (PV), whichever is less. For example, if a character has rank 3
Force Field and rank 2 Absorption (electricity) and is struck by a rank 7 electrical attack,
the damage rating of the attack reduces the characters Endurance by 4 (7 - 3 = 4), and
the character absorbs 2 ranks of energy. These 2 ranks are added to a pool of absorbed
energy which depletes at the rate of 1 rank per round, starting the round after the energy
was absorbed.
The energy in the characters Absorption pool may be used in one of three ways, which
may be chosen by the character on a case-by-case basis.
Healing: The character restores an amount of lost Endurance (or other damaged
attribute) up to the rank of energy in the pool. Each rank of restored Endurance
requires the expenditure of one rank of absorbed energy. Healing themselves in this
fashion requires a free action.
Power: The character gains the power that inflicted the damage, and can use this
power to attack others. Each rank of the gained power requires the expenditure of
one rank of absorbed energy, and the power lasts for only one round. Gaining the
power requires a free action, but using it requires a task action (or whatever action
that power normally requires).
Boost: The character may increase the rank of one of their attributes or of one of
their current powers. This requires the expenditure of one rank of absorbed energy
for each rank by which the attribute or power is increased, and the boost lasts for
only one round. Boosting an attribute or power requires a free action, but using
the attribute or power requires whatever action that attribute or power normally
requires.

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Absorption does not provide protection against an attack: the damage rating of an
attack is not reduced by the rank of the Absorption power. If the damage of any attack
(regardless of type) would knock the character unconscious or kill them, the character
automatically uses their absorbed energy to heal themselves, up to either their full
Endurance or the ranks of energy in their Absorption pool, whichever is less.
Enhancements
Delayed Depletion: The absorbed energy depletes at a rate of one rank per minute
rather than one rank per round. +1 character point

Alternate Forms
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
A character with the Alternate Forms power has multiple independent identities, each
with its own powers and appearance, and potentially even a different personality for
each (if the player wishes). The character can only use one alternate form at a time, and
changing forms requires activating the power with a free action (although the character
can only activate one form per round). The number of alternate forms the character has
is equal to the rank of the power. For example, a character with rank 3 Alternate Forms
who can consciously control their evolution might have a physically powerful but slow-
witted hominid form, a physically weak but mentally potent hyper-evolved form, and an
aquatic prehistoric form. The cost for all forms is paid by the base character; the alternate
forms are created using the same number of character points as the base character (minus
the cost of the Alternate Forms power), and they may not themselves have the Alternate
Forms power.
Alternate Forms must be activated with a free action: if the character is staggered or
goes unconscious, the power turns off, and the character reverts to their base form. The
character may also turn off their Alternate Forms voluntarily, of course. A staggered
character may attempt a challenging Willpower task roll (task difficulty 12) to keep their
Alternate Forms activated while staggered.
The specific mechanism of the Alternate Forms can vary greatly from character to
character, which may offer minor benefits and disadvantages to the character.
Defects
Dial R For Random (major defect): Normally, a character with Alternate Forms
has a set of predefined forms and identities. With the Dial R For Random power defect,
the knowledge and memories of the character are preserved, but their powers and
appearance (and personality, if the player wishes) are that of a completely new person
each time the power is activated. With the GMs approval, even the characters skills and

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advantages might be changed. A character with the Dial R For Random power defect
must have at least 2 ranks in the Alternate Forms power. -1 character point
Uncontrollable (extreme defect): The character is unable to control when they
change forms, nor which form is taken (if they have more than one). The Alternate Forms
may be triggered by the emotional state of character (anger is a popular choice), or the
character may change forms on an unknown or immutable schedule. -2 character points

Amazing Movement
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Amazing Movement permits the character to move in ways that are unusual even for
posthumans. Each rank in Amazing Movement provides the character with a different
form of movement chosen from the list below. Amazing Movement is a plot dependent
power and may not always be available, at the GMs discretion.
Astral Travel: The character can detach their consciousness from their physical
body and travel to alternate realities and divergent time streams, leaving their
physical body behind. The character must succeed at a demanding (task difficulty
15) Willpower task roll to navigate to a specific location in a desired reality or
divergent time stream. While using Astral Travel, the consciousness of the traveler
is typically invisible, but those who possess extraordinary spiritual or magical
awareness may be able to see the travelers astral body. The astral body of
the traveler does not require the Immunity power to survive in other realities or
planes of existence, and is usually unable to interact with the strange vistas around
them, although they may converse with anyone capable of perceiving them. While
the astral body is separated from the characters physical body, their physical
body appears to be in a comatose state, and the traveler is unaware of anything
happening to or around their physical form.
Dimensional Travel: The character can traverse dimensional boundaries,
visiting alternate realities and divergent time streams. Depending on the method
used, the character may be able to take others with them. Survival in other realities
or planes of existence may require ranks in Immunity, depending on the local
environment. See Immunity (p.93) for more details.
Etheric Travel: The character can detach their consciousness from their physical
body and travel to anywhere on Earth, leaving their physical body behind. The
character must succeed at a challenging (task difficulty 12) Willpower task roll to
navigate to a specific location. While using Etheric Travel, the consciousness of
the traveler is typically invisible, but those who possess extraordinary spiritual or
magical awareness may be able to see the travelers etheric body. The etheric
body of the traveler does not require the Immunity power to survive in the upper
atmosphere or under water, and is usually unable to interact with the world around
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them, although they may converse with anyone capable of perceiving them. While
the etheric body is separated from the characters physical body, their physical
body appears to be in a comatose state, and the traveler is unaware of anything
happening to or around their physical form.
Space Travel: The character can travel into space, visiting distant worlds and
returning in a reasonably prompt fashion. Depending on the method used, the
character may be able to take others with them. Survival in outer space requires a
spaceworthy vehicle or at least 4 ranks in Immunity (Asphyxia, Exposure (Cold),
Radiation, and Vacuum). See Immunity (p.93) for more details.
Time Travel: The character can traverse the time stream, stepping into the past
or the future. Depending on the method used, the character may be able to take
others with them. Whether the time traveler can change the past or simply creates
a divergent time stream is a bone of contention among philosophers and temporal
physicists (the Kalos Universe generally assumes the latter).

Animal Control
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Power
Target: Radius
Range: Ranged
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Animal Control allows a character to communicate with and mentally control animals.
To successfully communicate with and control all animals within range of the power, the
character must succeed at a challenging (task difficulty 12) Animal Control task roll. A
characters Animal Control might be limited to a specific type of animal, such as cats or
sea creatures. If this is the case, the character gains a +3 bonus on their Animal Control
task rolls.
Animated animals have the same actions as a normal character (free actions, movement
action, task action, reaction), and operate independently of the character that animated
them. Giving a new mental command to the controlled animals requires a free action.
The attributes of the controlled animals are equal to the normal attributes those kinds of
animals would have. However, controlled animals are highly resistant to mental powers,
having Mind Shield equal to the rank of the Animal Control power. If the character has
expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success, then the animated animals are
significantly smarter (+3 Reason and +3 Perception). Controlled animals have the normal
movement and attack types that those kinds of animals would have.
The character can control animals in an area around themselves based on the rank of the
power. Find the rank of the power in the Benchmarks table, and look up the value in the
Affects column.

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Attack Reflection
Activation: Reaction
Task roll: Power
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 2 character points per rank
Attack Reflection permits the character to reflect an attack back at the attacker. Using
this power requires an Attack Reflection task roll against the Accuracy of the attacker. If
the Attack Reflection task roll fails, the character is struck by the attack and must endure
the normal effects of being hit. If the Attack Reflection task roll succeeds, the attack
is reflected back and strikes the attacker. If the reflecting character has expertise with
Attack Reflection and rolls an extreme success, then they may choose one of the standard
benefits of extreme success, either overwhelming, smashing, or staggering the attacker.

[Attribute] Boost
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
[Attribute] Boost permits the character to increase the rank of one of their attributes,
chosen when this power is purchased. Once every ten minutes, the character may add
their ranks in [Attribute] Boost to the rank of their selected attribute (up to rank 14
maximum). The boosted attribute remains at this increased rank for one minute (ten
rounds). Once the [Attribute] Boost wears off, the attribute drops to its normal rank
(rounded up). Once the character has used their [Attribute] Boost power, it may not be
used again for ten minutes.
Defects
Attribute Fatigue (major defect): Once the [Attribute] Boost wears off, the attribute
drops to one-half of its normal rank (rounded up) for ten minutes, after which it returns to
its normal rank. -1 character point

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[Attribute] Drain
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Prowess
Target: Single Target
Range: Touch
Cost: 1 character point per rank
[Attribute] Drain is a hand-to-hand attack which inflicts damage to an attribute other
than Endurance. The [Attribute] Drain could be radiation, disease, cold, extreme age,
toxic gas, or even darkness or light; both this and the specific attribute affected must
be chosen when the [Attribute] Drain power is purchased. The [Attribute] Drain has a
damage rating equal to the rank of the power.
Using [Attribute] Drain requires a Prowess task roll against the Prowess of the intended
target. If the attacker has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success,
then the attacker may choose one of the standard benefits of extreme success, either
overwhelming, smashing, or staggering the target of the [Attribute] Drain.
Any power or equipment that provides protection for the same attribute as the [Attribute]
Drain, such as Attribute Invulnerability, reduces the amount of damage the target takes
from the attack. The protection value (PV) of the protection power is subtracted from the
damage rating (DR) of the [Attribute] Drain. The remaining damage is subtracted from
the targets attribute.
The damage from [Attribute] Drain is temporary. It all comes back after the fight is over,
when the target has had a chance to rest and recuperate.
Enhancements
Ranged: The [Attribute] Drain is a ranged attack, with an effective range based on its
rank. Using [Attribute] Drain requires an Accuracy task roll against the Agility of the
intended target. +1 character point

Attribute Invulnerability
Activation: Always On
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Attribute Invulnerability provides protection against attacks which inflict damage to an
attribute other than Endurance. A character with Attribute Invulnerability subtracts the
rank of the power from the damage rating of attacks that strike them. The remainder of
the damage is subtracted from the characters attribute. Attribute Invulnerability does not
need to be activated, nor can it be deactivated: it is always on.

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Barrier
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Power
Target: Radius
Range: Ranged
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Barrier permits the character to create walls and simple geometric shapes made of a
particular force or substance. The specific type of force or substance must be chosen
when this power is purchased. Some typical examples are air, earth, fire, water, light,
darkness, force fields, electricity, magnetism, gravity, cloth, and plants. The player can
pick any force or substance, subject to the GMs approval. Energy, for example, would
be much too broad.
Creating a simple shape with Barrier (a wall, dome, cube, and so on) requires a
challenging Barrier task roll (task difficulty 12). Creating more complex shapes requires
a more difficult task roll, with the task difficulty set by the GM based on the complexity
of the desired shape. For example, a T or W or other angular shape would require a
demanding Barrier task roll (task difficulty 15), while an intricate labyrinth would require
a frustrating Barrier task roll (task difficulty 18).
The maximum length or circumference of the barrier is based on the rank of the
power. Find the rank of the power in the Benchmarks table, and look up the value in
the Affects column. This is the maximum length or circumference of the barrier the
character may create.
The Barrier has Endurance and protection value (PV) equal to the rank of the power. If
the character has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success, then the Barrier
created is significantly tougher (+3 Endurance). If the damage rating of an attack is less
than or equal to the protection value of the Barrier, the attack bounces off harmlessly
and the Barrier is undamaged. If damage from an attack exceeds the Barriers protection
value, the remaining damage is subtracted from the Barriers Endurance, and the
attack makes a hole in the barrier large enough for a normal person to walk through.
If the Endurance of the Barrier is reduced to zero, the Barrier is destroyed: it crumbles,
dissolves, or fades away, as appropriate.
A Barrier may also be used to support weight, as a bridge, support column, or other such
structure. Find the rank of the power in the Benchmarks table, and look up the value in
the Lifts column. This is the maximum weight which the Barrier can support. If the
load on the Barrier exceeds this weight, the Barrier loses 1 Endurance each round that
the weight on it exceeds its lifting capacity.
If a Barrier is not attacked or damaged, it will normally remain in place until the end of
the scene, after which it crumbles, dissolves, or fades away, as appropriate.

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Enhancements
Permanent: The Barrier is relatively permanent. It does not dissolve at the end of the
scene, and will remain in place until destroyed. +1 character point

Blast
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Accuracy
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Blast is a ranged attack which inflicts Endurance damage. The Blast could be radiation,
fire, cold, arrows, or even darkness or light, and this must be chosen when the Blast power
is purchased. The Blast has a damage rating equal to the rank of the power.
Using Blast requires an Accuracy task roll against the Agility of the intended target. If the
attacker has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success, then the attacker may
choose one of the standard benefits of extreme success, either overwhelming, smashing, or
staggering the target of the Blast.
Any power or equipment that provides protection from Endurance damage, such as
Invulnerability and Force Field, reduces the amount of damage the target takes from
the attack. The protection value (PV) of the protection power is subtracted from the
damage rating (DR) of the Blast. The remaining damage is subtracted from the targets
Endurance.
Enhancements
Explosive Damage: The Blast causes damage to everyone within 50 feet of the target
(full rank within the first 25 feet, half rank from 25 feet to 50 feet). Because an exploding
attack does not need to be aimed at a specific target, the difficulty of the task roll is 9.
However, because exploding attacks are not targeted at specific individuals, they do not
benefit from extreme success. +1 character point
Seeking: The Blast has limited independence from the attacker. If the attack misses
the target, the attack will circle around and try again on the succeeding round. No
interaction or attention is required from the attacker for this second attack. +1 character
point

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Blindness
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Accuracy
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 1 character point per rank
The Blindness power renders the target unable to see. The mechanism which causes the
blindess must be specified when this power is purchased. For example, the target might
not be able to see because they have a layer of glue across their eyes, they might be forced
to close their eyes due to a painful chemical spray, or they could literally be blinded by
a bright light. Alternately, Blindness could affect a sense other than vision. For example,
the target could be rendered deaf, or unable to smell. It is also possible to use Blindness
against a Super Sense, such as Danger Sense, Detect Magic, or ESP. If so, this must be
specified when this power is purchased.
Attacking a character under the effects of Blindness provides a +6 attack bonus (the
standard task roll bonus for attacking a blind target).
Using Blindness requires an Accuracy task roll against the Agility of the intended target.
To recover from Blindness, the target must make a successful Perception task roll against
the rank of the Blindness. If the character succeeds at this task roll, they may use their
remaining movement action.
If the attacker has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success, then the rank
of the Blindness is increased by 3 for the purpose of the target recovering from it. For
example, if a character is affected by a rank 4 Blindness, and the attacker has expertise
with the power and rolled an extreme success, the affected character would need to make
a Perception task roll against task difficulty 15 (4 + 3 + 8) to recover from the Blindness.
If the blinded character gets an extreme success on the Perception task roll, then
they recover as a free action (expertise is not necessary). For example, if a character is
affected by a rank 5 Blindness, they would need to make a Perception task roll against
task difficulty 13 (5 + 8). If they roll a 16 or more, they achieve an extreme success, and
recovering is a free action rather than a task action.
If the character has not recovered from the Blindness by the end of the scene, then they
recover from it shortly thereafter.
Enhancements
Additional Sense: The Blindness affects a sense in addition to vision (or the first
affected sense, if it is not vision). For example, the target might be deafened as well as
blinded. +1 character point
Mass Blindness: The Blindness power affects everyone within 50 feet of the target,
similar to an explosion (full rank within the first 25 feet, half rank from 25 feet to 50 feet).
Because an exploding attack does not need to be aimed at a specific target, the difficulty

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of the task roll is 9. However, because exploding attacks are not targeted at specific
individuals, they do not benefit from extreme success. +1 character point

Clinging
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Clinging allows the character to move at their normal ground speed along walls, ceilings,
and other surfaces as if they were level. The strength holding the character to the surface
is equal to their Brawn plus their rank in Clinging. If the surface is slippery or unstable,
the GM might require the player to make a successful Clinging task roll to keep from
sliding or falling.

Combination
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range: Touch
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Combination permits several characters to merge into a single larger and more powerful
character. Every character wishing to combine must have the Combination power, and
the maximum number of characters who may combine is equal to the lowest rank of
Combination among them. Activating Combination takes one standard action, and
requires the characters to all be touching each other. In addition to being more massive,
the combined character has Brawn, Prowess, and Invulnerability (if any) equal to the
highest rank of any of the combined characters, plus one rank for every combined
character after the first.
Example:
Moe, Larry, and Curly each have rank 3 Combination. Moe has Brawn 3 and Prowess 2. Larry has
Brawn 2 and Prowess 4. Curly has Brawn 2, Prowess 1, and rank 2 Invulnerability. When Moe,
Larry, and Curly combine, they form the mighty Stoopendigous, who has Brawn 5 (Moes rank 3, plus
2 more for Larry and Curly), Prowess 6 (Larrys rank 4, plus 2 more for Moe and Curly), and rank 4
Invulnerability (Curlys rank 2, plus 2 more for Moe and Larry).

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Communication
Activation: Activated
Task roll: Perception
Target: Personal
Range: Varies
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Communication permits the character to communicate with others in ways that people
normally cant. Communication does not imply control: being able to speak with animals,
for example, does not permit the character to control them, but it allows the character to
use a Manipulation or Social skill. Also note that being able to speak to something does
not grant it any additional powers, such as movement. A building might be able to tell
you where the vault is, but it cant unlock the vault for you. To manipulate and control an
object, the character must buy the appropriate power, such as Plant Control.
Each rank in Communication provides the character with a different form of
communication chosen from the list below.
Animals: The character can understand animals, and can speak to them in a
way they can understand. A characters Animal Communication might be limited
to a specific type of animal, such as cats or sea creatures. If this is the case, the
character gains a +3 bonus on Manipulation and Social task rolls when interacting
with that animal type.
Buildings: The character can understand buildings and other man-made
structures, and can speak to them in a way they can understand.
Computers: The character can communicate with any computer they can
perceive, accessing it as if logged in and typing into a keyboard.
Machines: The character can understand machines, and can speak to them in a
way they can understand.
Mind Link: Two characters who both have Mind Link can communicate
telepathically over any distance.
Plants: The character can understand plants, and can speak to them in a way they
can understand.
Radio: The character can send and receive signals over any standard radio
frequency.
Roads: The character can understand paths, roads, and highways, and can speak
to them in a way they can understand.
Stones: The character can understand rocks and stones, and can speak to them in
a way they can understand.
Universal Translator: The character can understand and speak any language
after being exposed to it for a brief period of time. If the character has access to
written information, they can read and write the language as well.

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Enhancements
Subtle: The communication is difficult to notice for those not involved in the
conversation. Anyone not party to the conversation must make a demanding (task
difficulty 15) Perception task roll just to notice the conversation. +1 character point
Encrypted: The communication is encoded in a way that makes it very difficult
for eavesdroppers to understand. If the eavesdropper has the necessary form of
Communication (for example, Radio to eavesdrop on a radio conversation), the
eavesdropper must succeed at a nigh-impossible (task difficulty 21) Reason task roll to
understand what is being said. +1 character point

Damaging Aura
Activation: Activated
Task roll: Prowess
Target: Personal
Range: Touch
Cost: 1 character point per rank
A character with Damaging Aura can surround themselves with an attack which inflicts
Endurance damage against anyone who touches them. The Damaging Aura could be
radiation, fire, cold, quills, or even darkness or light, and this must be chosen when the
Damaging Aura power is purchased. The Damaging Aura has a damage rating equal to
the rank of the power.
Any opponent that touches the character will automatically be affected by the characters
Damaging Aura. This includes those who successfully make unarmed attacks against
the character. The character with Damaging Aura may also attempt to touch others and
cause damage. Doing so requires a Prowess task roll against the Prowess of the intended
target. If the character with the Damaging Aura has expertise with the power and rolls
an extreme success, then they may choose one of the standard benefits of extreme success,
either overwhelming, smashing, or staggering the target of the Damaging Aura.
Any power or equipment that provides protection from Endurance damage, such as
Invulnerability and Force Field, reduces the amount of damage the target takes from the
Damaging Aura. The protection value (PV) of the protection power is subtracted from
the damage rating (DR) of the Damaging Aura. The remaining damage is subtracted
from the targets Endurance.

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Danger Sense
Activation: Reaction
Task roll: Varies
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Danger Sense permits the character to attempt a Danger Sense roll to avoid being
surprised even if there is no way for the character to see the attack coming. The Danger
Sense task roll is based on either the rank in Danger Sense or the characters Perception
rank +1, whichever is greater. If the character has expertise with the power and rolls an
extreme success, then they know the exact source and nature of the attack.
If the characters Danger Sense has a higher rank than their Prowess, the rank in Danger
Sense may be used in place of Prowess to avoid being hit in hand-to-hand combat. If the
characters Danger Sense has a higher rank than their Agility, the rank in Danger Sense
may be used in place of Agility to avoid being hit in ranged combat.

Duplication
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 3 character points per rank
Duplication allows a character to make identical copies of themselves. These duplicates
are independent characters, who each move and act separately each round. However, all
of the duplicates share a single pool of Plot Points, and spend their Plot Points as a single
character.
One rank in Duplication permits the creation of one duplicate, and each additional
rank doubles the number of characters which exist simultaneously. Rank 1 permits
two identical characters, rank 2 permits four identical characters, rank 3 permits eight
identical characters, and so on. As long as there is more than one identical character,
any duplicate which takes Endurance damage ceases to exist. By default, there is
no original character the last duplicate remaining is the original. Once the
Duplication is activated, any of the identical characters may deactivate the power. When
the power is deactivated, which duplicate remains behind as the original is generally up
the player.
The character is not required to activate or deactivate all of their duplicates
simultaneously. For example, a character with rank 4 Duplication could create one
duplicate this round, create four more duplicates the following round, deactivate two
duplicates on the third round, and so on. Duplicates last until they are deactivated or
until they take any Endurance damage. When a duplicate is deactivated, its memories
and knowledge are absorbed into the remaining identical characters.
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The specific mechanism of the Duplication can vary greatly from character to character,
which may offer minor benefits and disadvantages to the character.

Table: Duplication
Rank Characters
1 2
2 4
3 8
4 16
5 32
6 64
7 128
8 256
9 512
10 1,024
11 2,048
12 4,096
13 8,192
14 16,384

Duplicates do not have any special means of communication, but this can be added with
a power enhancement.
Enhancements
Mind Link: All of the identical characters may communicate telepathically over any
distance. +1 character point

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[Element] Form
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 2 character points per rank
Owing to Bulletproof Blues being a superhero game, the term element is used very
loosely. [Element] Form permits the character to physically transform their body into
a force or substance. The specific type of force or substance must be chosen when this
power is purchased. Some typical examples are air, earth, fire, water, light, darkness,
force fields, electricity, magnetism, gravity, cloth, and plants. The player can pick any
force or substance, subject to the GMs approval. Energy, for example, would be much
too broad.
When transformed into their [Element] Form, the character possesses the traits of the
form or substance and gains Invulnerability equal to the rank of the [Element] Form. If
the force or substance is appropriate, [Element] Form may also grant the Strike power
equal to the rank of the [Element] Form (punching with fists of stone, burning things
with an electrical touch, and so on).
With the GMs approval, [Element] Form may grant other powers, as well. For example,
Electrical Form might grant the ability to Teleport through conductive material, Water
Form might grant Stretching, and so on.
Defects
Vulnerability (major defect): While in their [Element] Form, the character may
be damaged by an opposing element. For example, a character with Earth Form, Fire
Form, or Electrical Form may take Endurance damage from water, while a character
with Darkness Form may take Endurance damage from bright light. The amount of
Endurance damage taken will depend on the strength or volume of the opposing element,
but should generally be 2 Endurance per attack. The characters Invulnerability or Force
Field, if any, does not protect the character from this damage. -1 character point

[Element] Mastery
Activation: Varies
Task roll: Varies
Target: Radius
Range: Varies
Cost: 3 character points per rank
Owing to Bulletproof Blues being a superhero game, the term element is used very
loosely. [Element] Mastery permits the character to create and control a force or
substance. The specific type of force or substance must be chosen when this power
is purchased. Some typical examples are air, earth, fire, water, light, darkness, force
fields, electricity, magnetism, gravity, cloth, and plants. The player can pick any force
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or substance, subject to the GMs approval. Energy, for example, would be much too
broad.
A character with [Element] Mastery can shape and manipulate their element in a variety
of ways. Reasonable uses of [Element] Mastery include creating walls and barriers (see
Barrier, p.73), encasing enemies in the element (see Hold, p.89), using the element to
exert Brawn at range (see Telekinesis, p.119), creating a protective shield against attacks
(see Force Field, p.86), and using the element to inflict direct damage by striking enemies
with it (see Blast, p.74). Due to the tightly unifying theme of [Element] Mastery, power-
altering powers such as Power Drain affect the entire [Element] Mastery.
Any uses of [Element] Mastery must be activated with a free action or a task action
(attacks require a task action): if the character is staggered or goes unconscious, the power
turns off. The character may also turn off their [Element] Mastery voluntarily, of course.
A staggered character may attempt a challenging Willpower task roll (task difficulty 12) to
keep their [Element] Mastery activated while staggered.
The character can affect their element in an area around themselves based on the rank
of the power. Find the rank of the power in the Benchmarks table, and look up the
value in the Affects column. This is the area in which the character may control their
chosen element. Use the Lifts column in the Benchmarks table to determine maximum
amount of the element they may manipulate at a time.

Element Mimicry
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range: Touch
Cost: 2 character points per rank
Owing to Bulletproof Blues being a superhero game, the term element is used very
loosely. Element Mimicry permits the character to physically transform their body into
any force or substance they touch. For example, the character could touch concrete and
turn into concrete, or touch water and turn into water. The character must be in physical
contact with the material in order to mimic it. If the character uses a task action to mimic
a force or substance which would injure them, such as an attack, they transform into
that attack type and the attack does no damage to them. For example, a character with
Element Mimicry who is shot by a laser may choose to use a task action to transform into
laser light, taking no damage from that attack (nor from any other laser attacks, while in
that form).
While transformed, the character possesses the traits of the force or substance and gains
Invulnerability equal to the rank of the Element Mimicry. If the force or substance is
appropriate, Element Mimicry may also grant the Strike power equal to the rank of the
Element Mimicry (punching with fists of stone, burning things with an electrical touch,
and so on).

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With the GMs approval, Element Mimicry may grant other powers, as well. For
example, mimicking electricity might grant the ability to Teleport through conductive
material, while mimicking water might grant Stretching, and so on.

[Element] Resistance
Activation: Always On
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Owing to Bulletproof Blues being a superhero game, the term element is used very
loosely. [Element] Resistance provides protection against the Endurance damage inflicted
by a specific type of force or substance. The first rank of [Element] Resistance grants
resistance to one specific force or substance, and each additional rank of [Element]
Resistance adds resistance to an additional force or substance. The specific types of force
or substance must be chosen when this power is purchased. Some typical examples are
air, earth, fire, water, light, darkness, force fields, electricity, magnetism, gravity, cloth,
and plants. The player can pick any force or substance, subject to the GMs approval.
Energy, for example, would be much too broad.
A character with [Element] Resistance subtracts 10 from the damage rating of attacks
using the specific type of force or substance. The remainder of the damage is subtracted
from the characters Endurance.
Additionally, [Element] Resistance acts as a limited form of Attribute Invulnerability,
providing protection against attacks which inflict damage to Brawn or Agility. A
character with [Element] Resistance subtracts the rank of the power from the attribute
damage of attacks using that specific force or substance. The remainder of the damage is
subtracted from the characters Brawn or Agility.
[Element] Resistance does not need to be activated, nor can it be deactivated: it is always
on. As always, this protection does not stack with Force Field, Invulnerability, Attribute
Invulnerability, or other forms of protection only the highest protection value applies.
Enhancements
Immunity: The character is completely immune to attacks using the specific forces
or substances to which the character has [Element] Resistance. The character may be
subject to the smashing and staggering outcomes of extreme success, if appropriate, but
the attacks themselves inflict no damage at all. +1 character point

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Emotion Control
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Willpower
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 1 character point per rank
The Emotion Control power allows a character to influence a targets behaviour by
controlling the targets emotional state. The character can only instill one emotion at
a time in the target, but may instill in the target any emotion the character desires.
A characters Emotion Control might be limited to a specific emotion, such as fear or
loyalty. If this is the case, the character gains a +3 bonus on their Emotion Control task
rolls.
Using Emotion Control requires a Willpower task roll against the Willpower of the
intended target. If the attacker has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success,
then the rank of the Emotion Control is increased by 3 for the purpose of breaking out of
it. For example, if a character is affected by a rank 6 Emotion Control, and the attacker
has expertise with the power and rolled an extreme success, the affected character would
need to make a Willpower task roll against task difficulty 17 (6 + 3 + 8) to break out of
the Emotion Control.
To break out of the Emotion Control, the target must make a successful Willpower task
roll against the rank of the Emotion Control. If the character succeeds at this task roll,
they may use their remaining movement action. If the target of the Emotion Control
gets an extreme success on this roll, then they break out as a free action (expertise is not
necessary). For example, if a character is affected by a rank 6 Emotion Control, they
would need to make a Willpower task roll against task difficulty 14 (6 + 8). If they roll a
17 or more, they achieve an extreme success, and breaking out is a free action rather than
a task action.
If the character has not broken out of the Emotion Control by the end of the scene, then
they break out of it shortly thereafter.
Enhancements
Mass Hysteria: The Emotion Control power affects everyone within 50 feet of the
target, similar to an explosion (full rank within the first 25 feet, half rank from 25 feet
to 50 feet). Because an exploding attack does not need to be aimed at a specific target,
the difficulty of the task roll is 9. Because exploding attacks are not targeted at specific
individuals, they do not benefit from extreme success. +1 character point

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Extra Attacks
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
A character with the Extra Attacks power can gain additional attack actions at the end of
a round. The character may use these additional attack actions to attack multiple targets,
or they may attack the same target multiple times. All of the characters additional
attacks are resolved after all other task rolls are resolved that round. In other words,
everyone gets a turn during a round before anyone may use Extra Attacks. If more than
one character has the Extra Attacks power and is using additional attack actions, they
should alternate their additional attack actions.
During each game session, the number of additional attack actions the character may use
is equal to the rank of the Extra Attacks power. The character may only use half of their
total additional attacks in any one round, and once an additional attack action has been
used, it may not be used again in that game session. The player may wait until the end of
the round before deciding whether their character will use any of their Extra Attacks.

Flight
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 2 character points per rank
The character can fly, either innately or by using some type of equipment. For example,
the character might have wings, they might wear a jetpack, or they may just be able to fly
through sheer willpower. The characters base move, double move, and all-out move are
based on the rank of the power. Find the rank of the power in the Benchmarks table, and
look up the values in appropriate columns. Rank 2 is as fast as a cheetah, rank 4 is faster
than the speed of sound, and rank 7 is faster than a rocket.
Defects
Swinging (major defect): The character is supported in the air by a grappling line,
spider web, invisible beams of magnetic force, or some other method of suspension.
If there is nothing above the character to attach this swing line to, the character is
grounded. If the swing line is attached to something which weighs less than the character,
the character can pull the object toward them or swing it around. If the object on the
other end of the swing line is another character, this requires a Brawn task roll against
the Brawn of the other character. If the swing line is a physical object such as a grappling
line, its material strength is based on the rank of the power (see the Benchmarks,

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p.134, for more details). A character with Swinging is also likely to have Hold with the
Exposed defect. -1 character point

Force Field
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Force Field provides protection against most forms of direct damage: anything which
inflicts Endurance damage. A character with Force Field subtracts the rank of the power
from the damage rating of attacks that strike them. The remainder of the damage is
subtracted from the characters Endurance. As always, this protection does not stack with
Invulnerability or other forms of protection only the highest protection value applies.
A character with a Force Field may extend their force field to another person (or person-
sized object) by touching them. The Force Field then protects both characters, but only
as long as the character with the Force Field is touching the second character. However,
multiple forms of protection do not stack: only the greatest protection value applies. For
example, a character with rank 6 Invulnerability would not benefit from having a rank 5
Force Field on top of it.
Unlike Invulnerability, a Force Field must be activated: if the character is staggered or
goes unconscious, the power turns off. The character may also turn off their Force Field
voluntarily, of course. A staggered character may attempt a challenging Willpower task
roll (task difficulty 12) to keep their Force Field activated while staggered.

Growth
Activation: Activated
Task roll: -
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Growth permits a character to become larger than normal. Each rank of Growth gives
the character:
x2 height
x8 mass
+1 Brawn
+1 Endurance
Additionally, a character with Growth is easier to hit in combat. Anyone attacking a
character with Growth is granted a +1 attack bonus for each rank of Growth the target
has. Note that this makes it much easier for characters with expertise to achieve extreme
success when attacking characters with Growth. However, the characters rank in Growth
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is added to their Willpower task roll for the purpose of resisting being staggered. For
example, a character with Willpower rank 2 and 6 ranks in Growth would roll 2d6 + 8
when attempting to resist being staggered.

Table: Growth
Rank Height Reach Mass Brawn1 Endurance Defense Penalty2
1 x2 (12 feet) 6 feet 1,600 lbs 1 +1 +1
2 x4 (25 feet) 12 feet 6 tons 2 +2 +2
3 x8 (50 feet) 25 feet 50 tons 3 +3 +3
4 x16 (100 feet) 50 feet 400 tons 4 +4 +4
5 x32 (200 feet) 100 feet 3 kilotons 5 +5 +5
6 x64 (400 feet) 200 feet 30 kilotons 6 +6 +6
7 x128 (800 feet) 400 feet 200 kilotons 7 +7 +7
8 x256 (1,600 feet) 800 feet 2 gigatons 8 +8 +8
9 x512 (3,000 feet) 1,600 feet 13 megatons 9 +9 +9
10 x1,024 (1 mile) 3,000 feet 100 megatons 10 +10 +10
11 x2,048 (2 miles) 1 mile 900 megatons 11 +11 +11
12 x4,096 (5 miles) 2 miles 7 gigatons 12 +12 +12
13 x8,192 (10 miles) 5 miles 50 gigatons 13 +13 +13
14 x16,384 (20 miles) 10 miles 400 gigatons 14 +14 +14

1. Or normal Brawn +1, whichever is greater

2. Not applicable against mental attacks

The Brawn of a character with Growth is either their rank in Growth or their normal
(non-Growth) Brawn +1, whichever is greater.
Growth may affect a characters ground movement. The characters base running
speed is equal to ten times their Agility in feet or ten times their rank in Growth in feet,
whichever is greater. For example, a character with rank 4 in Agility normally has a base
walking speed of 40 feet per round, but if their rank in Growth is 5, their base walking
speed is 50 feet per round. Growth does not change a characters swimming speed or long
jump distance.
If a character is not at full Endurance when changing their size, the amount of
Endurance they have lost stays proportionately the same. (Its only fractions: you can
handle it.)
For example, if a character with 6 natural Endurance has lost three Endurance to
attacks, when they activate 3 ranks of Growth their maximum Endurance will increase
to 9, but their current Endurance will be 5. When in doubt, round fractions in the
characters favor.
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At Growth rank 5 and above, the characters hands are so large that they strike entire
areas rather than individuals. Because their hand-to-hand attacks do not need to be
aimed at a specific target, the difficulty of the task roll is 9. However, because such attacks
are not targeted at specific individuals, they do not benefit from extreme success, even if
the character has expertise with the attack.
A character with Growth does not have to use it at full power. A character who has 4
ranks in Growth, for example, could elect to be merely 50 feet tall rather than their full
100 feet.

Healing
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Accuracy
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Healing is a ranged power which heals Endurance damage. The specific mechanism
which permits the Healing (accelerated time, life energy, advanced medicine, medical
nanobots, etc.) must be chosen when the Healing power is purchased. The Healing power
heals a quantity of Endurance equal to the rank of the power.
Using Healing requires an Accuracy task roll against the Agility of the intended target. If
the character with the Healing power has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme
success, then the target of the Healing gains an additional three Endurance.
Enhancements
Diseases And Toxins: The Healing power can remove diseases and toxins from the
target. They character with Healing may attempt a challenging Healing task roll (task
difficulty 12) to cure a single disease or purge a single toxin from the victims system. If
the character with the Healing power has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme
success, then all damage caused by the disease is healed as well as the disease itself being
cured. +1 character point

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Hold
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Accuracy
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 1 character point per rank
The Hold power prevents a character from moving or taking physical actions. The
mechanism which causes the Hold must be specified when this power is purchased.
For example, the target might be entangled in webs, encased in ice, bound by rings of
magical force, or they could be paralyzed by some form of toxic gas.
Attacking a character under the effects of Hold provides a +6 attack bonus (the standard
task roll bonus for attacking a helpless target).
Using Hold requires an Accuracy task roll against the Agility of the intended target. If
the attacker has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success, then the rank
of the Hold is increased by 3 for the purpose of breaking out of it. For example, if a
character is affected by a rank 4 Hold, and the attacker has expertise with the power and
rolled an extreme success, the affected character would need to make a Brawn task roll
against task difficulty 15 (4 + 3 + 8) to break out of the Hold.
To break out of the Hold, the target must make a successful Brawn task roll against the
rank of the Hold. If the character succeeds at this task roll, they may use their remaining
movement action. If the held character gets an extreme success on this roll, then they
break out as a free action (expertise is not necessary). For example, if a character is
affected by a rank 5 Hold, they would need to make a Brawn task roll against task
difficulty 13 (5 + 8). If they roll a 16 or more, they achieve an extreme success, and
breaking out is a free action rather than a task action.
If the character has not broken out of the Hold by the end of the scene, then they break
out of it shortly thereafter.
Defects
Exposed (major defect): Other characters can help the target break out of the Hold,
using Brawn or a power which inflicts Endurance damage. This power defect is most
appropriate for types of Hold that depend on a physical restraint to keep the target
immobile, and the GM may require it in such cases. -1 character point

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Illusion
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Power
Target: Radius
Range: Ranged
Cost: 1 character point per rank
The Illusion power permits the character to create realistic three-dimensional phantasms,
complete with all associated sensory accompaniment. An illusory lion will roar, illusory
snow will feel cold and wet, and so on.
Creating a simple, immobile illusion (a wall, a bridge, and so on) requires a challenging
Illusion task roll (task difficulty 12). Creating more complex shapes requires a more
difficult task roll, with the task difficulty set by the GM based on the complexity of the
desired illusion. For example, a windmill, a lion, or other moving shape would require
a demanding Illusion task roll (task difficulty 15), while a city square with moving cars,
bicycles, and dozens of people would require a frustrating Illusion task roll (task difficulty
18).
The maximum size of an illusion is based on the rank of the power. Find the rank of the
power in the Benchmarks table, and look up the value in the Affects column. This is
the maximum size of the illusion the character may create.
While the illusions created by this power are completely convincing, they dont actually
exist. The bite of an illusory dog will not break the skin, the touch of illusory liquid
nitrogen will not cause frostbite, and an illusory bridge will not support the weight of
anyone. The tactile aspect of an illusion will only be convincing if the contact is fleeting
or feather-light: any significant physical interaction with an illusion provides an observer
with a good reason to suspect that the apparition is not the genuine article.
Anyone who observes an Illusion and who has a good reason to suspect its true nature
may attempt a Perception task roll against the rank of the power. If the Perception task
roll succeeds, the observer sees the Illusion for what it is, and may respond appropriately.
If the character with Illusion has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success,
then the Illusion created is significantly more realistic, and the Perception task roll to see
through the Illusion incurs a +3 task difficulty penalty.
Enhancements
Illusory Damage: The Illusion is so convincing that observers who are fooled by the
Illusion believe that they are injured by its attacks. Protection powers such as Force Field
and Invulnerability are as efficacious against these illusory attacks as they would be to the
real thing. The damage inflicted can even kill the target (rendering them unconscious),
but in fact any damage inflicted is stunning, and therefore temporary. See Stunning
(p.155) for more details. This power enhancement is usually accompanied by the Its All
In Your Mind power defect. +1 character point

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Defects
Its All In Your Mind (major defect): Normally, the sights and sounds created by the
Illusion power can be recorded, seen on cameras, and so on. With this defect, the Illusion
only affects sentient creates: cameras and robots do not perceive the illusions, nor do the
illusions appear in mirrors. -1 character point

Immortality
Activation: Always On
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
The Immortality power grants the character immunity to the ravages of time. An
immortal character will never grow old or die from natural causes. At rank 1, the
character simply doesnt grow older, but can be killed just like any other person can. At
rank 2 and above, death is temporary. As soon as the cause of the characters demise is
removed (the stake being pulled from their heart, the poison wearing off and losing its
toxicity, and so on), the character will begin to recover from their mortal injuries. How
long this recovery takes depends on the rank of the power.
Additionally, the player must select two means of permanently killing the character. One
of these means must be relatively obvious, such as burning the character or dissolving
them in acid. The second means may be obvious, but it may also be obscure and specific
to that character, such as destroying a specific portrait of the character that they keep in a
vault or stabbing them with a weapon made from the bone of a blood relative.

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Table: Immortality
Rank Resurrection
1
2 6 months
3 3 months
4 1 month
5 2 weeks
6 1 week
7 4 days
8 2 days
9 1 day
10 16 hours
11 8 hours
12 4 hours
13 2 hours
14 1 hour

Defects
Death Is Preferable (major defect): Normally, an immortal character stops aging
when they reach physical maturity, or shortly thereafter. However, some immortal
characters continue to age (albeit at a slower rate), becoming gnarled and withered as
the years passed. An immortal with the Death Is Preferable power defect looks and feels
ancient, although they may still be physically powerful. -1 character point
Offsite Backup (major defect): Normally, when an immortal character recovers from
death, they retain all of the memories from events up to and including their demise. If
the characters resurrection is facilitated by an external backup, such as a stored clone or
a periodic neural upload to an orbiting satellite, there will be a gap between the time of
the last backup and the characters demise. -1 character point
Serial Immortality (major defect): Normally, when an immortal character recovers
from death, they remain essentially unchanged. With the Serial Immortality power
defect, the knowledge and memories of the character are preserved, but their appearance
and personality are that of a completely new person. For example, the character might
be a parasitic organism that possesses a new host when the previous one expires, or the
character might have a form of cellular regeneration with unpredictable results. With
the GMs approval, even the characters advantages and powers might be changed. -1
character point

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Immunity
Activation: Always On
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Immunity permits the character to survive in environments and conditions that would
impair or even kill normal people. Each rank in Immunity permits the character to
endure one additional condition from the list below. These must be selected when the
power is purchased, and may not normally be changed thereafter.
The protection provided by Immunity is ambient and highly plot dependent: it does not
normally protect the character from attacks or from direct forms of damage. Being able
to withstand extreme heat and exposure to the blazing desert sun does not mean that
a character is immune to a fire blast or can relax in a pool of molten lead. However,
Immunity provides protection equal to one-half of its rank against attacks related to some
form of Immunity that the character possesses (Exposure (Cold), Exposure (Heat), and
Radiation being the most common types of direct damage). As always, this protection
does not stack with Force Field, Invulnerability, or other forms of protection only the
highest protection value applies.
Asphyxia: The character does not need to breathe at all; alternately, they may
breathe in a single unusual environment.
Exposure (Cold): The character is comfortable in environments of extreme cold,
such as in the Antarctic.
Exposure (Heat): The character is comfortable in environments of extreme heat,
such as noon in the Kalahari Desert.
Pathogens: The character is unaffected by infectious viruses, bacteria, fungi, etc.
Poisons: The character is unaffected by chemical and biological poisons, toxins,
and venoms.
Pressure: The character is comfortable in environments of extremely high
pressure, such as in the ocean depths.
Radiation: The character is immune to the effects environmental ionizing
radiation.
Sleep Deprivation: The character may sleep if they want to, but suffers no ill
effect from lack of sleep.
Starvation: The character does not need to eat, drink, or excrete; alternately, they
can eat virtually anything.
Vacuum: The character is comfortable in environments of extremely high
pressure, such as in outer space.
By default, immunity to Asphyxia permits the character to survive without needing to
breathe at all. However, if it makes more sense for the character to be able to breath in
just one unusual environment, such as underwater or in methane, they may choose that
option instead.
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By default, immunity to Starvation permits the character to survive without needing to

eat, drink, or excrete at all. However, if it makes more sense for the character to be able
to eat or drink virtually any nontoxic substance, such as mud or styrofoam peanuts, they
may choose that option instead.
For immunity to aging, see Immortality (p.91).
If a character dies from an attack related to some form of Immunity that the character
possesses, there is a good chance the character might come back. This is highly
dependent on the background of the character and how much sense it would make in the
context of the story.
For more details on the effects of the environment on a character, see Environment
(p.160).

Increased Density
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Increased Density permits a character to become more massive (but no larger) than
normal. Each rank of Increased Density gives the character:
x2 Mass
+1 Brawn
-1 Agility
+1 Endurance
+1 Invulnerability
The Brawn and Invulnerability of a character with Increased Density is either their
rank in Increased Density or their normal (non-Increased Density) rank +1, whichever is
greater.
If a character becomes so dense that their Agility is reduced to zero, they have great
difficulty moving. They must successfully attempt a challenging Willpower task roll (task
difficulty 12) every round, just to take a step or two.
If a character is not at full Endurance when changing their density, the amount of
Endurance they have lost stays proportionately the same. (Its only fractions: you can
handle it.)

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Table: Increased Density

Rank Mass Brawn1 Agility2 Endurance Invulnerability3
1 x2 (400 lbs) 1 -1 +1 1
2 x4 (800 lbs) 2 -2 +2 2
3 x8 (1,600 lbs) 3 -3 +3 3
4 x16 (3,200 lbs) 4 -4 +4 4
5 x32 (3 tons) 5 -5 +5 5
6 x64 (6 tons) 6 -6 +6 6
7 x128 (12 tons) 7 -7 +7 7
8 x256 (25 tons) 8 -8 +8 8
9 x512 (50 tons) 9 -9 +9 9
10 x1,024 (100 tons) 10 -10 +10 10
11 x2,048 (200 tons) 11 -11 +11 11
12 x4,096 (400 tons) 12 -12 +12 12
13 x8,192 (800 tons) 13 -13 +13 13
14 x16,384 (1,600 tons) 14 -14 +14 14

1. Or normal Brawn +1, whichever is greater

2. Down to minimum rank 0
3. Or normal Invulnerability +1, whichever is greater

For example, if a character with 6 natural Endurance has lost three Endurance to
attacks, when they activate 3 ranks of Increased Density their maximum Endurance will
increase to 9, but their current Endurance will be 5. When in doubt, round fractions in
the characters favor.
A character with Increased Density does not have to use it at full power. A character
who has 4 ranks in Increased Density, for example, could elect to be merely 400 pounds
in mass rather than their full 3,200 pounds. Note that a character with their Increased
Density activated in the water will sink like a stone: normal swimming is impossible, but
Super-swimming will work as usual. At rank 6, the character is denser than any naturally
occurring substance on earth.

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Intangibility
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Intangibility allows the character to become insubstantial and able to pass through
physical objects. For example, Intangibility could represent a character who is able to
control their molecular density, a character who vibrates at a different frequency, or
even a character whose body can turn into radiant energy. The density of the material
the character can pass through is based on the rank of the power. Find the rank of the
power in the Benchmarks table, and look up the value in the Breaks column. This is
the toughest material which the character may pass through. The character can also pass
through force fields and other energy barriers which have a protection value (PV) less
than or equal to the rank of the Intangibility.
Intangibility provides protection against most forms of direct damage: anything which
inflicts Endurance damage. A character with Intangibility subtracts the rank of the
power from the damage rating of attacks that strike them while they are intangible. The
remainder of the damage is subtracted from the characters Endurance. As always, this
protection does not stack with Invulnerability or other forms of protection only the
highest protection value applies.
An intangible character is unable to physically interact with materials that they can pass
through, and the rank of the power is subtracted from the damage rating of any attacks
the character makes while intangible. However, an intangible character is affected
normally by mental powers, and they may use mental powers against others.
A character with Intangibility may make another person (or person-sized object)
intangible by touching the other person and then activating the Intangibility power.
The Intangibility then affects both characters, but only as long as the character with the
Intangibility is touching the second character.
Intangibility must be activated: if the character is staggered or goes unconscious, the
power turns off. The character may also turn off their Intangibility voluntarily, of course.
A staggered character may attempt a challenging Willpower task roll (task difficulty 12) to
keep their Intangibility activated while staggered.
Enhancements
Loophole: The character has a power which affects the world normally while they are
intangible. However, the character must also define an attack type which affects them
normally while they are intangible. +1 character point
Defects
Permanent (major defect): The character is unable to turn off their Intangibility. The
character remains intangible even if staggered or unconscious. -1 character point
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Invisibility
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
The Invisibility power allows the character to become difficult to perceive. For example,
the character might be transparent, they might bend light around them, or they may
blend into their surroundings using camouflage. However the invisibility is achieved, the
character is hidden from normal sight unless someone is actively looking for them or there
is some environmental circumstance that might reveal the characters location.
If someone is actively looking for the character, perhaps by isolating their heat signature
or tracking them by scent, the person trying to locate the invisible character must make
a successful Perception task roll against the rank of the Invisibility. If an environmental
circumstance might reveal the characters location, anyone in the area may attempt a
Perception task roll against the rank of the Invisibility in order to notice the character.
For example, fog might reveal the invisible characters outline, or fresh snow might reveal
their footprints.
A character with Invisibility may make another person (or person-sized object) invisible
by touching the other person and then activating the Invisibility power. The Invisibility
then affects both characters, but only as long as the character with the Invisibility is
touching the second character.
Invisibility must be activated: if the character is staggered or goes unconscious, the power
turns off. The character may also turn off their Invisibility voluntarily, of course. A
staggered character may attempt a challenging Willpower task roll (task difficulty 12) to
keep their Invisibility activated while staggered.
Defects
Permanent (major defect): The character is unable to turn off their Invisibility. The
character remains invisible even if staggered or unconscious. -1 character point

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Invulnerability
Activation: Always On
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Invulnerability provides protection against most forms of direct damage: anything
which inflicts Endurance damage. A character with Invulnerability subtracts the rank
of the power from the damage rating of attacks that strike them. The remainder of the
damage is subtracted from the characters Endurance. Invulnerability does not need to
be activated, nor can it be deactivated: it is always on. As always, this protection does not
stack with Force Field or other forms of protection only the highest protection value
applies.

Life Drain
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Prowess
Target: Single Target
Range: Touch
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Life Drain is a hand-to-hand attack which inflicts Endurance damage. The Life Drain
could be radiation, disease, cold, extreme age, toxic gas, or even darkness or light, and
this must be chosen when the Life Drain power is purchased. Life Drain has a damage
rating equal to the rank of the power.
Using Life Drain requires a Prowess task roll against the Prowess of the intended
target. If the attacker has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success,
then the attacker may choose one of the standard benefits of extreme success, either
overwhelming, smashing, or staggering the target of the Life Drain.
Life Drain ignores all normal forms of protection such as Invulnerability and Force Field.
The damage from Life Drain is temporary. It all comes back after the fight is over, when
the target has had a chance to rest and recuperate.

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Machine Control
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Power
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Machine Control allows a character to mentally control electronic and mechanical
machines. To successfully mentally control a machine, the character must succeed at a
challenging (task difficulty 12) Machine Control task roll.
A controlled machine has the same actions as a normal character (free actions, movement
action, task action, reaction), and operates independently of the character that animated
it. However, it will continue to perform the last instruction it was given even if that
instruction no longer makes sense, as it has no will of its own. Giving a new mental
command to a controlled machine requires a free action.
The Brawn and Endurance of the machine is based on its physical structure and
durability (see the Breaks column on the Benchmarks table, p.134), while the Agility,
Prowess, and Accuracy of the machine is equal to the rank of the power. If the character
has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success, then the controlled machine
is significantly tougher (+3 Endurance). Controlled machines are not actually alive or
aware, so they have no Reason, Perception, or Willpower. The specific details of the how
the machine moves and attacks vary depending on the machine itself: an animated soda
machine can hop very slowly and shoot out 12 ounce cans of soda, a bulldozer can roll
and demolish buildings, and so on.
Controlled machines can also be made to perform their ordinary purpose, such as
making an automatic teller machine spit out money, or making a computer terminal
display information from a database. If there is no significant security in place, no task
roll is necessary for this, but if the character is trying to circumvent security or break into
a computer system, the character may attempt a task roll using their power rank in place
of the Computing skill, or their normal Computing skill +1, whichever is greater.
The most massive machine the character can control is equal to the powers rank in the
Lifts column in the Benchmarks table.

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Mind Blast
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Willpower
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 2 character points per rank
Mind Blast is a ranged attack which inflicts Endurance damage. The Mind Blast is
typically some form of psychic attack, but it could also be sound, electricity, cold, or even
bacteria, and this must be chosen when the Mind Blast power is purchased. The Mind
Blast has a damage rating equal to the rank of the power.
Using Mind Blast requires a Willpower task roll against the Willpower of the intended
target. If the attacker has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success,
then the attacker may choose one of the standard benefits of extreme success, either
overwhelming, smashing, or staggering the target of the Mind Blast.
Mind Blast ignores all normal forms of protection such as Invulnerability and Force Field.
However, any power or equipment that provides protection from mental attacks, such as
Mind Shield, subtracts the rank of the protection power from the damage rating of the
Mind Blast. The remainder of the damage is subtracted from the characters Endurance.
Enhancements
Explosive Damage: The Mind Blast causes damage to everyone within 50 feet of the
target (full rank within the first 25 feet, half rank from 25 feet to 50 feet). Because an
exploding attack does not need to be aimed at a specific target, the difficulty of the task
roll is 9. However, because exploding attacks are not targeted at specific individuals, they
do not benefit from extreme success. +1 character point

Mind Control
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Willpower
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 2 character points per rank
The Mind Control power allows a character to control a targets behaviour, forcing the
target to follow the characters commands.
Characters under the influence of Mind Control are not as effective as those whose
wills are their own. Any task roll attempted by a character under the influence of Mind
Control incurs a +1 difficulty modifier, and a mind controlled character is not able to
spend plot points.
Using Mind Control requires a Willpower task roll against the Willpower of the intended
target. If the attacker has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success, then
the rank of the Mind Control is increased by 3 for the purpose of breaking out of it.
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For example, if a character is affected by a rank 6 Mind Control, and the attacker has
expertise with the power and rolled an extreme success, the affected character would
need to make a Willpower task roll against task difficulty 17 (6 + 3 + 8) to break out of
the Mind Control.
To break out of the Mind Control, the target must make a successful Willpower task roll
against the rank of the Mind Control. If the character succeeds at this task roll, they may
use their remaining movement action. If the target of the Mind Control gets an extreme
success on this roll, then they break out as a free action (expertise is not necessary). For
example, if a character is affected by a rank 6 Mind Control, they would need to make a
Willpower task roll against task difficulty 14 (6 + 8). If they roll a 17 or more, they achieve
an extreme success, and breaking out is a free action rather than a task action.
If the character has not broken out of the Mind Control by the end of the scene, then they
break out of it shortly thereafter.
Enhancements
Blackout: The target of Mind Control will not remember any actions they took while
under the influence of the power. These memories may be able to be retrieved through
the use of hypnosis, Telepathy, and so on. +1 character point
Mass Hypnosis: The Mind Control power affects everyone within 50 feet of the target,
similar to an explosion (full rank within the first 25 feet, half rank from 25 feet to 50 feet).
Because an exploding attack does not need to be aimed at a specific target, the difficulty
of the task roll is 9. Because exploding attacks are not targeted at specific individuals,
they do not benefit from extreme success. +1 character point
Defects
Obvious (major defect): Normally, there is no obvious visual indication that a target
is under the influence of Mind Control. With this defect, the Mind Control has a tell,
such as glowing eyes, which makes it visually apparent that something is wrong with the
target. -1 character point

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Mind Hold
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Willpower
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 2 character points per rank
The Mind Hold power prevents a character from moving, thinking, or taking any
actions. While affected by Mind Hold, only a moment seems to pass for the target, but
after they break out of it, they are aware that something unusual has happened, and that
they have lost time. For example, the lost time might appear as a brief white out
of the targets vision, or perhaps the target simply falls asleep for a time. The mechanism
which causes the Mind Hold must be specified when this power is purchased. For
example, the target might be frozen in time, commanded to Sleep!, or they could be
knocked out by some form of toxic gas.
Attacking a character under the effects of Mind Hold provides a +6 attack bonus (the
standard task roll bonus for attacking a helpless target).
Using Mind Hold requires a Willpower task roll against the Willpower of the intended
target. If the attacker has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success, then
the rank of the Mind Hold is increased by 3 for the purpose of breaking out of it. For
example, if a character is affected by a rank 6 Mind Hold, and the attacker has expertise
with the power and rolled an extreme success, the affected character would need to make
a Willpower task roll against task difficulty 17 (6 + 3 + 8) to break out of the Mind Hold.
To break out of the Mind Hold, the target must make a successful Willpower task roll
against the rank of the Mind Hold. If the character succeeds at this task roll, they may
use their remaining movement action. If the held character gets an extreme success on
this roll, then they break out as a free action (expertise is not necessary). For example, if a
character is affected by a rank 6 Mind Hold, they would need to make a Willpower task
roll against task difficulty 14 (6 + 8). If they roll a 17 or more, they achieve an extreme
success, and breaking out is a free action rather than a task action.
If the character has not broken out of the Mind Hold by the end of the scene, then they
break out of it shortly thereafter.
Defects
Exposed (major defect): Other characters can help the target break out of the Mind
Hold, using Willpower or a power which is based on a Willpower task roll. This power
defect is most appropriate for types of Mind Hold that place the target into a dormant or
somnambulent state, such as a mental compulsion to Sleep!, and the GM may require it
in such cases. -1 character point

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Mind Shield
Activation: Always On
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Mind Shield provides protection against most forms of direct mental damage: any mental
attack which inflicts Endurance damage, such as Mind Blast. A character with Mind
Shield subtracts the rank of the power from the damage rating of mental attacks that
strike them. The remainder of the damage is subtracted from the characters Endurance.
Mind Shield also adds to the characters Willpower for the purpose of shrugging off
the effects of mental powers such as Emotion Control or Mind Hold. To break out of
Emotion Control, for example, the target must make a successful Willpower + Mind
Shield task roll against the rank of the Emotion Control.
Finally, Mind Shield acts as a limited form of Attribute Invulnerability, providing
protection against attacks which inflict damage to Reason, Perception, and Willpower.
A character with Mind Shield subtracts the rank of the power from the damage rating of
attacks that strike them. The remainder of the damage is subtracted from the characters
Reason, Perception, or Willpower.
Mind Shield does not need to be activated, nor can it be deactivated: it is always on. As
always, this protection does not stack with other similar forms of protection only the
highest protection value applies.

Object Animation
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Power
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Object Animation allows a character to animate and mentally control inanimate objects.
To successfully animate and mentally control an object, the character must succeed at a
challenging (task difficulty 12) Object Animation task roll.
An animated object has the same actions as a normal character (free actions, movement
action, task action, reaction), and operates independently of the character that animated
it. However, it will continue to perform the last instruction it was given even if that
instruction no longer makes sense, as it has no will of its own. Giving a new mental
command to an animated object requires a free action.
The Brawn and Endurance of the object is based on its physical structure and durability
(see the Breaks column on the Benchmarks table, p.134), while the Agility, Prowess,
and Accuracy of the object is equal to the rank of the power. If the character has

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expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success, then the animated object is
significantly tougher (+3 Endurance). Animated objects are not actually alive or aware, so
they have no Reason, Perception, or Willpower. The specific details of the how the object
moves and attacks vary depending on the object itself: an animated chair can walk, a
carpet can slither, and so on.
The most massive object the character can control is equal to the powers rank in the
Lifts column in the Benchmarks table.

Plant Control
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Power
Target: Radius
Range: Ranged
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Plant Control allows a character to animate and mentally control plants. To successfully
communicate with and control all plants within range of the power, the character must
succeed at a challenging (task difficulty 12) Plant Control task roll.
Animated plants have the same actions as a normal character (free actions, movement
action, task action, reaction), and operate independently of the character that animated
them. However, they will continue to perform the last instruction they were given
even if that instruction no longer makes sense, as they have a very rudimentary form
of intelligence. Giving a new mental command to the controlled plants requires a free
action.
The Brawn, Agility, Prowess, Accuracy, and Endurance of the plants is equal to the rank
of the power. Animated plants have a very limited form of intelligence, with Reason,
Perception, and Willpower of rank 1. However, controlled plants are highly resistant to
mental powers, having Mind Shield equal to the rank of the Plant Control power. If the
character has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success, then the animated
plants are significantly smarter (+3 Reason and +3 Perception). Animated plants can
bend, twist, and reach in order to attack, but they generally cant move from where they
are planted.
The character can control plants in an area around themselves based on the rank of the
power. Find the rank of the power in the Benchmarks table, and look up the value in the
Affects column.
Enhancements
Uproot: With the Uproot power enhancement, animated plants can use a movement
action to uproot themselves. Once uprooted, the animated plants can hop or slither
around at normal human walking speed (20 feet per round). +1 character point

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Possession
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Willpower
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 2 character points per rank
The Possession power allows a character to seize control of a target, overriding the
targets control and effectively making the target a passenger in their own body. While
the character is using Possession on another person, their own body collapses into a
trance-like state.
A possessed character is not able to spend plot points, but the possessing character can
spend their own plot points while controlling a target.
Using Possession requires a Willpower task roll against the Willpower of the intended
target. If the attacker has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success, then the
rank of the Possession is increased by 3 for the purpose of breaking out of it. For example,
if a character is affected by a rank 6 Possession, and the attacker has expertise with
the power and rolled an extreme success, the affected character would need to make a
Willpower task roll against task difficulty 17 (6 + 3 + 8) to break out of the Possession.
To break out of the Possession, the target must make a successful Willpower task roll
against the rank of the Possession. If the character succeeds at this task roll, they may use
their remaining movement action. If the target of the Possession gets an extreme success
on this roll, then they break out as a free action (expertise is not necessary). For example,
if a character is affected by a rank 6 Possession, they would need to make a Willpower
task roll against task difficulty 14 (6 + 8). If they roll a 17 or more, they achieve an
extreme success, and breaking out is a free action rather than a task action.
Enhancements
Blackout: The target of Possession will not remember any actions they took while under
the influence of the power. These memories may be able to be retrieved through the use
of hypnosis, Telepathy, and so on. +1 character point
Inhabit: With the Inhabit power enhancement, the range of the power is reduced to
Touch, but the body of the possessing character actually merges with that of the target for
the duration of the possession. +1 character point
Defects
Obvious (major defect): Normally, there is no obvious visual indication that a target is
possessed. With this defect, the Possession has a tell, such as glowing eyes, which makes
it visually apparent that something is wrong with the target. -1 character point

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Power Drain
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Prowess
Target: Single Target
Range: Touch
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Power Drain is a hand-to-hand attack which inflicts damage to one of the targets powers.
The character can choose which power they drain, if they are aware that the target has
the power; otherwise, the character drains the highest rank power of the target (attributes
of rank 5 or higher are considered powers for this purpose). If used against [Element]
Mastery or [Ultra-power], Power Drain affects all of the effects made possible by those
powers. For example, if a target has an [Ultra-power] defined as Powered Armor, and
was using this Powered Armor to generate a Force Field, Flight, Blast, and other powers,
then a Power Drain attack would affect all of these powers simultaneously, in addition to
the [Ultra-power] itself.
Using Power Drain requires a Prowess task roll against the Prowess of the intended
target. If the attacker has expertise with Power Drain and rolls an extreme success,
then the attacker may choose one of the standard benefits of extreme success, either
overwhelming, smashing, or staggering the target of the Power Drain.
The Power Drain has a damage rating equal to the rank of the power. Any power
or equipment that provides protection for the power being attacked, such as Power
Invulnerability, reduces the amount of damage the target takes from the attack. The
protection value (PV) of the protection power is subtracted from the damage rating (DR)
of the Power Drain. The remaining damage is subtracted from the targets power.
The damage from Power Drain is temporary. It all comes back after the fight is over,
when the target has had a chance to rest and recuperate.
Enhancements
Ranged: The Power Drain is a ranged attack, with an effective range based on its rank.
Using Power Drain requires an Accuracy task roll against the Agility of the intended
target. +1 character point

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Power Invulnerability
Activation: Always On
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Power Invulnerability provides protection against attacks which inflict damage to a
characters powers. Unlike (Attribute) Invulnerability, all of the characters power are
protected by Power Invulnerability. For example, Power Invulnerability protects a
characters Flight, Telepathy, and even the Power Invulnerability itself. A character with
Power Invulnerability subtracts the rank of the Power Invulnerability from the rank of
attacks that inflict power damage. The remaining ranks of the attack are applied against
the characters power. Power Invulnerability does not need to be activated, nor can it be
deactivated: it is always on.

Power Mimicry
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Prowess
Target: Single Target
Range: Touch
Cost: 2 character points per rank
Power Mimicry allows the character to copy another characters power and use it
themselves. The character can choose which power they mimic, if they are aware that
the target has the power; otherwise, the character mimics the highest rank power of
the target (attributes of rank 5 or higher are considered powers for this purpose). If used
against [Element] Mastery or [Ultra-power], Power Mimicry copies all of the effects
made possible by those powers. For example, if a target has an [Ultra-power] defined as
Powered Armor, and was using this Powered Armor to generate a Force Field, Flight,
Blast, and other powers, then a Power Mimicry attack would copy all of these powers
simultaneously, in addition to the [Ultra-power] itself.
Using Power Mimicry requires a Prowess task roll against the Prowess of the intended
target. The mimicked power is limited to the rank of the power being mimicked, or to
the rank of the Power Mimicry, whichever is less. The character with Power Mimicry
will retain the power until they mimic a different power, or until the end of the scene,
whichever comes first. If the attacker has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme
success, then the attacker may make immediately take a second action to use the power
they have mimicked (a task action if the mimicked power is an attack, a movement action
if the mimicked power provides movement, and so on).
If the character is staggered or goes unconscious, the Power Mimicry turns off and
any mimicked powers are lost. The character may also turn off their Power Mimicry
voluntarily, of course. A staggered character may attempt a challenging Willpower task
roll (task difficulty 12) to keep their Power Mimicry activated while staggered.
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Enhancements
Versatile: Normally, Power Mimicry only allows the character to copy one power
at a time. The Versatile power enhancement allows the character to mimic two
powers simultaneously (although copying each power is a separate attack action). This
enhancement may be taken multiple times: each additional Versatile power enhancement
allows the character to simultaneously mimic one additional power. +1 character point

Power Suppression
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Power
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Power Suppression prevents a target from using a specific power for so long as the Power
Suppression is active. The character can choose which power they suppress, if they are
aware that the target has the power; otherwise, the character suppresses the highest
rank power of the target (attributes of rank 5 or higher are considered powers for this
purpose). If used against [Element] Mastery or [Ultra-power], Power Suppression affects
all of the effects made possible by those powers. For example, if a target has an [Ultra-
power] defined as Powered Armor, then Power Suppression would affect all of the armors
powers simultaneously. The mechanism which causes the Power Suppression must be
specified when this power is purchased. For example, the target might be injected with
nanomachines, subjected to an alien energy field, bound by rings of magical force, or they
could be shackled with some type of inhibitor device.
Using Power Suppression requires a power task roll against the rank of the power to be
suppressed. If the attacker has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success, then
the rank of the Power Suppression is increased by 3 for the purpose of breaking out of it.
For example, if a character is affected by a rank 4 Power Suppression, and the attacker
has expertise with the power and rolled an extreme success, the affected character would
need to make a power task roll against task difficulty 15 (4 + 3 + 8) to break out of the
Power Suppression.
To break out of the Power Suppression, the target must make a successful power task roll
against the rank of the Power Suppression. If the character succeeds at this task roll, they
may use their remaining movement action. If the held character gets an extreme success
on this roll, then they break out as a free action (expertise is not necessary). For example,
if a character is affected by a rank 5 Power Suppression, they would need to make a
power task roll against task difficulty 13 (5 + 8). If they roll a 16 or more, they achieve an
extreme success, and breaking out is a free action rather than a task action. If the target
has Power Invulnerability, the rank of their Power Invulnerability is added to the rank of
their power when they are attempting to break out of the Power Suppression.
If the character has not broken out of the Power Suppression by the end of the scene, then
they break out of it shortly thereafter.
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Enhancements
Blanket: The Power Suppression affects everyone within 50 feet of the target, similar to
an explosion (full rank within the first 25 feet, half rank from 25 feet to 50 feet). Because
an exploding attack does not need to be aimed at a specific target, the difficulty of the
task roll is 9. Because exploding attacks are not targeted at specific individuals, they do
not benefit from extreme success. Using a power such as Teleportation to enter an area
where that power has been suppressed requires a successful power task roll against the
rank of the Power Suppression. If the task roll fails, they are unable to use the power to
enter the area. +1 character point
Spectrum: The Spectrum power enhancement allows the character to suppress all of
the targets powers simultaneously. To break out of the Power Suppression, the target
must make a successful power task roll against the rank of the Power Suppression, using
the highest-ranked power which is currently being suppressed. +1 character point
Defects
Exposed (major defect): Other characters can help the target break out of the Power
Suppression, using Brawn or a power which inflicts Endurance damage. This power
defect is most appropriate for types of Power Suppression that depend on a physical
restraint to keep the targets powers inactive, and the GM may require it in such cases. -1
character point

Power Theft
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Prowess
Target: Single Target
Range: Touch
Cost: 3 character points per rank
Power Theft is a hand-to-hand attack which allows the character to temporarily steal
another characters power. The character can choose which power they steal if they are
aware of the powers the target has; otherwise, the character steals the highest rank power
of the target (attributes of rank 5 or higher are considered powers for this purpose). If
used against [Element] Mastery or [Ultra-power], Power Theft affects all of the effects
made possible by those powers. For example, if a target has an [Ultra-power] defined as
Powered Armor, then Power Theft would affect all of the armors systems simultaneously.
The amount of the power stolen is equal to the amount of damage inflicted on the targets
power. The character with Power Theft will retain the power until they steal a different
power, or until the end of the scene, whichever comes first.
Using Power Theft requires a Prowess task roll against the Prowess of the intended
target. If the attacker has expertise with Power Theft and rolls an extreme success,
then the attacker may choose one of the standard benefits of extreme success, either
overwhelming, smashing, or staggering the target of the Power Drain.

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Power Theft has a damage rating equal to its rank. Any power or equipment that
provides protection for the power being attacked, such as Power Invulnerability, reduces
the amount of damage the target takes from the attack, and thus also reduces the amount
of the power stolen. The protection value (PV) of the protection power is subtracted from
the damage rating (DR) of the Power Theft. The remaining damage is subtracted from
the targets power, and that number of ranks of the power are granted to the character
with Power Theft. The target keeps the remaining ranks of their power.
If the character is staggered, they may attempt a challenging Willpower task roll (task
difficulty 12) to keep their Power Theft activated. If the Willpower roll fails or if the
character goes unconscious, the Power Theft turns off, and any stolen power ranks are
returned to the target. The character may also turn off their Power Theft voluntarily.
The damage from Power Theft is temporary. The power returns to the target after the
fight is over, when the target has had a chance to rest and recuperate.
Enhancements
Ranged: The Power Theft is a ranged attack, with an effective range based on its rank.
Using Power Theft requires an Accuracy task roll against the Agility of the intended
target. +1 character point
Versatile: Normally, Power Theft only allows the character to steal one power at
a time. The Versatile power enhancement allows the character to steal two powers
simultaneously (although stealing each power is a separate attack action). This
enhancement may be taken multiple times: each additional Versatile power enhancement
allows the character to simultaneously steal one additional power. +1 character point

Probability Control
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 2 character points per rank
A character with Probability Control can influence the odds, playing fast and loose with
the laws of chance. Probability Control does not allow the character to break the laws of
physics or make impossible things happen, but a character with Probability Control can
make unlikely events likely and likely events unlikely.
Using Probability Control requires the player to describe a favorable or unfavorable
circumstance and how that circumstance might have come about. If the GM agrees that
the circumstance is possible (however unlikely it might be), then the GM will decide how
this unlikely event impacts the characters. The simplest way to translate this favorable
or unfavorable circumstance into game terms is to grant a +3 bonus on a task roll if the
circumstance is favorable for the character attempting the task or imposing a +3 difficulty
modifier on a task roll if the circumstance is unfavorable for the character attempting the
task. The use of Probability Control could also influence events in a less straightforward

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manner, and the GM should encourage players to be creative with the power. Each use
of Probability Control should be roughly as useful as a +3 modifier: significant, but not
game-breaking.
During each game session, the number of times the character can influence probability
is equal to the rank of the Probability Control power. Probability Control may be used to
influence a task roll either before or immediately after the roll has been made.
Defects
Conservation Of Probability (major defect): Normally, there is no karmic debt
incurred by a character with Probability Control. A character with the Conservation
Of Probability defect must maintain parity between events so that the ledgers of karma
remain balanced. If the character uses their power to grant a +3 bonus on a task roll,
for example, they must balance this out with a compensating +3 difficulty modifier on
another task roll before the end of the scene. If they dont, the balance will re-assert itself
in the following scene in a way that is inconvenient for the character with Probability
Control, and the character will be unable to use their power to prevent it. -1 character point

Regeneration
Activation: Always On
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
The Regeneration power accelerates the healing process and allows the character to
recover from injury more quickly. Normally, an injured character recovers half the
Endurance they have recently lost after they have had a chance to rest and recuperate
for half an hour or so. After that, injuries normally heal only with extended rest or with
medical care. With this rest or medical care, the character will regain one Endurance per
day; without it, they will regain one Endurance per week.

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The Regeneration power drastically reduces this recovery time. However, the best results
are still obtained with rest and medical care.

Table: Regeneration
Recovers1
Rank Recovers Half
With Care Without
1 15 minutes 16 hours 4 days
2 8 minutes 8 hours 2 days
3 4 minutes 4 hours 1 day
4 2 minutes 2 hours 16 hours
5 1 minute 1 hour 8 hours
6 30 seconds 30 minutes 4 hours
7 12 seconds 15 minutes 2 hours
8 6 seconds 8 minutes 1 hour
9 3 seconds1 4 minutes 30 minutes
10 2 2 minutes 15 minutes
11 2 1 minutes 8 minutes
12 2 30 seconds 4 minutes
13 2 12 seconds 2 minutes
14 2 6 seconds 1 minute

1. At rank 9, the character may recover half of the damage from an attack with a
task action.
2. At rank 10 and above, the character may recover half of the damage from an
attack with a free action. In effect, they heal half of every attack as soon as it hits
them.

Shapeshifting
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 2 character points per rank
A character with Shapeshifting can change their shape and appearance, but not their
mass or size (unless the character also has the Growth or Shrinking powers). The
character gains the physical attributes of their new shape, such as Brawn, Agility,
Endurance, Invulnerability, claws, wings, and so on. This usually includes any natural
movement powers of the new shape. The rank of the new shapes attributes and powers
are limited to the rank of the Shapeshifting power or to the rank that the shape would
plausibly have, whichever is less.
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Assuming the shape of a specific person, creature, or object is more difficult than
changing into a generic example of a particular shape. If someone is actively looking at
the character, or has any reason to suspect that the character is not the genuine article,
the person observing the shapeshifted character may attempt a Perception task roll
against the rank of the Shapeshifting. If the Perception roll is successful, the observer can
tell that the shapeshifted character is not who or what they appear to be.
Defects
Obvious (major defect): Normally, there is no obvious visual indication that a
character is using Shapeshifting. With this defect, the Shapeshifting has a tell, such as
glowing eyes, a distinctive color, or the characters normal face, which makes it visually
apparent that the character is not in their natural form. -1 character point

Shrinking
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Shrinking permits a character to become smaller than normal. Each rank of Growth
gives the character:
x1/2 height
x1/8 mass
-1 Brawn
Additionally, a character with Shrinking is more diffficult to hit in combat. A character
with Shrinking is granted a +1 defense bonus for each rank of Shrinking the target has.
Shrinking may affect a characters ground movement. The characters base running
speed and swimming speed are reduced by the same proportion as their height. The
characters jumping distance and any power based movement, such as Super-running and
Super-swimming, are unaffected.
At Shrinking rank 14, the character is about as tall as the diameter of a human hair. As
small as it is, this is still too large to enter a human body through the pores, and is too
large to pass through most air and water filters.
A character with Shrinking does not have to use it at full power. A character who has 6
ranks in Shrinking, for example, could elect to be merely 18 inches tall rather than their
full 1 inch.

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Table: Shrinking
Rank Height Mass Brawn1 Defense Bonus2
1 x1/2 (3 feet) 25 pounds -1 +1
2 x1/4 (18 inches) 3 pounds -2 +2
3 x1/8 (9 inches) 6 ounces -3 +3
4 x1/16 (4 1/2 inches) 1 ounce -4 +4
5 x1/32 (2 inches) 1/8 ounce -5 +5
6 x1/64 (1 inch) 1/64 ounce -6 +6
7 x1/128 (1/2 inch) 1/512 ounce -7 +7
8 x1/256 (1/4 inch) 1/4,096 ounce -8 +8
9 x1/512 (1/8 inch) 1/32,768 ounce -9 +9
10 x1/1,024 (1/16 inch) 1/262,144 ounce -10 +10
11 x1/2,048 (1/32 inch) 1/2,097,152 ounce -11 +11
12 x1/4,096 (1/64 inch) 1/16,777,216 ounce -12 +12
13 x1/8,192 (1/128 inch) 1/134,217,728 ounce -13 +13
14 x1/16,384 (1/256 inch) 1/1,073,741,824 ounce -14 +14

1. Down to minimum rank 1

2. Not applicable against mental attacks

Stretching
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
A character with Stretching can deform their body and attenuate their extremities. A
character with Stretching might have telescoping robotic tentacles, their physical body
might be composed of separate pieces held together by elastic tethers, or the characters
body may simply be incredibly malleable. This increases the characters effective reach
and permits them to perform tasks and make hand-to-hand attacks at greater distances.
Hand-to-hand attacks made by a Stretching character are resolved with Prowess task
rolls, as usual.
The distance the character is able to stretch is based on the rank of the power. Find
the rank of the power in the Benchmarks table, and look up the value in the Throws
column. This is the maximum distance that the character can stretch in a single
direction. If the character is stretching in two or more directions at once (to form a tent
or parachute, for example, or to type into two keyboards located in two different rooms),

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the maximum distance they may stretch in each direction is one-half of their usual
maximum.
Enhancements
Squeezing: Normally, a character with Stretching is not able to squeeze through any
hole smaller than their head. The Squeezing power enhancement allows the character
to make their body thinner as well as longer. The character may squeeze through a hole
or a gap no smaller than 1 inch divided by the rank of the power cubed. For example,
a character with rank 2 Stretching and Squeezing could squeeze through a gap one
eighth of an inch wide (1 inch/23 = 1 inch/8 = 0.125 inch), and a character with rank 7
Stretching and Squeezing could flatten themselves to less than the thickness of an average
sheet of laser printer paper. +1 character point

Strike
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Prowess
Target: Single Target
Range: Touch
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Strike is a hand-to-hand attack which inflicts Endurance damage. The Strike could be
claws, radiation, cold, a sword, or even darkness or light, and this must be chosen when
the Strike power is purchased. The Strike has a damage rating equal to the rank of the
power or the characters Brawn rank + 1, whichever is greater.
Using Strike requires a Prowess task roll against the Prowess of the intended target. If the
attacker has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success, then the attacker may
choose one of the standard benefits of extreme success, either overwhelming, smashing, or
staggering the target of the Strike.
Any power or equipment that provides protection from Endurance damage, such as
Invulnerability and Force Field, reduces the amount of damage the target takes from
the attack. The protection value (PV) of the protection power is subtracted from the
damage rating (DR) of the Strike. The remaining damage is subtracted from the targets
Endurance.
Enhancements
Explosive Strike: The Strike causes damage to everyone within 50 feet of the character
(full rank within the first 25 feet, half rank from 25 feet to 50 feet). Because an exploding
attack does not need to be aimed at a specific target, the difficulty of the task roll is 9.
However, because exploding attacks are not targeted at specific individuals, they do not
benefit from extreme success. +1 character point

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Super-jumping
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
The character can leap impossibly far and fast, either innately or by using some type of
equipment. For example, the character might have legs like a grasshopper, they might
wear rocket-propelled shoes, or they may just have massive and powerful thighs. The
height and distance of the characters long jump are based on the rank of the power. Find
the rank of the power in the Benchmarks table, and look up the value in the Base Move
column. This is the height and the distance that the character can standing long jump in
a single round.
If a character has Super-jumping, then they move at the speed indicated by the power
rather than at the speed indicated by their Brawn. Super-jumping does not add to a
characters natural (Brawn-based) jumping distance.

Super-running
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
The character can run impossibly fast, either innately or by using some type of
equipment. For example, the character might have wings on their feet, they might
wear rocket-powered roller skates, or they may just move their feet really quickly. The
characters base move, double move, and all-out move are based on the rank of the
power. Find the rank of the power in the Benchmarks table, and look up the values in
appropriate columns. Rank 2 is as fast as a cheetah, rank 4 is faster than the speed of
sound, and rank 7 is as fast as a rocket.
If a character has Super-running, then they move at the speed indicated by the power
rather than at the speed indicated by their Agility. Super-running does not add to a
characters natural (Agility-based) ground movement speed.
Enhancements
Defy Gravity: The character runs so fast that they can run up or down vertical surfaces
without falling and run across bodies of water without sinking. If they stop running, of
course, gravity takes over. +1 character point
Moving Target: The character may substitute their rank in Super-running for their
Agility or Prowess for the purpose of avoiding attacks. +1 character point

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Super Senses
Activation: Activated
Task roll: Perception
Target: Personal
Range: Varies
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Super Senses grants the character the ability to perceive in ways unavailable to ordinary
people. Each rank in Super Senses grants the character one additional sense from the list
below. These must be selected when the power is purchased, and may not normally be
changed thereafter.
360 Vision: The character can see equally well in every direction simultaneously.
Blindsight: The character can sense shapes and textures as clearly as with
ordinary vision, but without the ability to perceive color; this could be a form of
sonar, radar, sensitivity to air currents, or some other form of alternate perception.
Detect [Element]: The character can perceive, locate, and analyze a substance,
material, or energy. The player must choose the specific type of detect: detect
magic, detect metal, detect temporal anomalies, etc.
ESP: The character can attempt to make a challenging (task difficulty 12)
Perception task roll to perceive things at a distance.
Hyperacuity: The character can attempt to make a challenging (task difficulty
12) Perception task roll to sense details far too small or faint for ordinary human
perception to detect. They can taste the number of salt grains on a pretzel, read
printed text by touching it, see fingerprints on surfaces, identify a person by the
sound of their heartbeat, track someone through a city by their cologne, and so on.
Infrared Vision: The character see in the infrared spectrum. They are able to
see an image in the darkest of nights as though it were twilight, and they can see
through light fog, rain and smoke. They can detect small temperature differences
by looking at them.
Night Vision: The character can see in pitch darkness as clearly as in daylight.
Postcognition: The character can see into the past, or can read the history
of items and people by touching them. Seeing into the past is never completely
reliable: Postcognition is primarily a roleplaying power under the control of the
GM.
Precognition: The character can see into the future, or can read the destiny
of items and people by touching them. Seeing into the future is never completely
reliable: Precognition is primarily a roleplaying power under the control of the GM.
Ultraviolet Vision: The character see in the ultraviolet spectrum. They are able
to see an image in the darkest of nights as though it were twilight, and they can
perceive patterns and colors invisible to normal human vision.
Vibration Sense: The character can perceive, locate, and analyze things touching
the ground (or water, with the GMs permission).

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X-ray Vision: The character can see through objects. The player must define
a reasonably common substance, material, or energy that the character cant see
through.
Using Super Senses requires a Perception task roll against a task difficulty set by the GM.
This is typically a challenging (task difficulty 12) Perception task roll, but it may be higher
or lower depending on the ambient noise and how obvious the thing being perceived is.
If the thing being perceived is relatively obvious (to someone with the appropriate senses),
no task roll should be necessary.

Super-speed
Activation: Activated
Task roll: Table: Super-speed
Target: Personal Task Duration
Range:
3 seconds
Cost: 1 character point per rank
6 seconds
The Super-speed power allows the character to
12 seconds
perform everyday tasks at a rate much faster than
usual. Each rank of Super-speed moves the time it 30 seconds
takes to complete the task one level up the Super- 1 minute
speed table. For example, a character with 3 ranks in
2 minutes
Super-speed could accomplish a 15 minute task in 2
minutes (2 minutes is three rows up from 15 minutes 4 minutes
in the Super-speed table). 8 minutes
Super-speed is only applicable to everyday tasks, tasks 15 minutes
that are routine (task difficulty 9 or less), and tasks 30 minutes
performed when the character is under no pressure
1 hour
and there is no penalty for failure. Super-speed does
not enhance the characters combat abilities, nor 2 hours
does it grant any other speed-related powers, such as 4 hours
Regeneration or Super-running. 8 hours
16 hours
1 day
2 days
4 days
1 week
2 weeks
1 month
3 months
6 months
1 year
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Super-swimming
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 1 character point per rank
The character can swim impossibly fast, either innately or by using some type of
equipment. For example, the character might have a powerful tail like a dolphin, they
might wear turbo-jet boots, or they may just swim really fast. The characters base move,
double move, and all-out move are based on the rank of the power. Find the rank of the
power in the Benchmarks table, and look up the values in appropriate columns. Rank 2 is
as fast as a sailfish, rank 3 is as fast as the Spirit of Australia speed boat, and rank 5 is faster
than the speed of sound (which is approximately 3,489 mph in sea water).
If a character has Super-swimming, then they move at the speed indicated by the power
rather than at the speed indicated by their Agility. Super-swimming does not add to a
characters natural (Agility-based) swimming speed.

Telekinesis
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Accuracy
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Telekinesis permits a character to move objects at range. The maximum mass the
character can lift with their Telekinesis is based on the rank of the power. Find the rank
of the power in the Benchmarks table and look up the corresponding value in the Lifts
column. Telekinesis is not normally able to inflict damage directly (to do so, use Blast),
but it may be used to squeeze a target or hurl a target against unyielding surfaces.
Telekinesis may be targeted using either Accuracy or Willpower. The attribute used by
the attacker to hit the target must be chosen when the power is purchased, and may not
normally be changed thereafter.
Using Telekinesis requires an Accuracy (or Willpower) task roll against the Agility of
the intended target. Grabbing inanimate objects with Telekinesis is generally automatic,
unless the GM wants to make it difficult for some reason. To break free of the Telekinesis,
the target must make a successful Brawn task roll against the rank of the Telekinesis.
If the attacker has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success, then the rank
of the Telekinesis is increased by 3 for the purpose of breaking free of it. For example, if
a character is being held by a rank 6 Telekinesis, and the attacker has expertise with the
power and rolled an extreme success, the affected character would need to make a Brawn
task roll against task difficulty 17 (6 + 3 + 8) to break free of the Telekinesis.

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If the defender succeeds at the Brawn task roll to break free, they may use their
remaining movement action. If the character being held with Telekinesis gets an extreme
success on this roll, then they break free as a free action instead of a task action (expertise
is not necessary). For example, if a character is affected by a rank 6 Telekinesis, they
would need to make a Brawn task roll against task difficulty 14 (6 + 8). If they roll a 17
or more, they achieve an extreme success, and breaking free is simply a free action. If the
defender has Telekinesis, they may use the rank of their own Telekinesis in lieu of their
Brawn to break free.
Characters being held by Telekinesis are considered restrained. A restrained character
is not helpless, but they cant use normal movement until they break free of the
Telekinesis. Attacking the held character is easier (attackers gain a +3 attack bonus when
attacking the held character), and their attacks are easier to avoid (defenders gain a +3
defense bonus when the held character attacks them).
A character with Telekinesis may either squeeze or move what they are holding with the
power.
If the character with Telekinesis wishes to exert strength in an attempt to hurt the held
character, the compression causes Endurance damage, and the damage rating (DR) of
this attack is equal to the attackers rank in Telekinesis. Any power or equipment that
provides protection from Endurance damage, such as Invulnerability and Force Field,
reduces the amount of damage the target takes from the attack. The protection value
(PV) of the protection power is subtracted from the damage rating of the Telekinesis. The
remaining damage is subtracted from the targets Endurance.
If the character with Telekinesis wishes to move the held character, the distance an
attacker may move the defender is based on the Telekinesis of the attacker and the mass
of the defender. First, look up the mass of the defender or object to be moved in the
Lifts column of the Benchmarks table (rounding to the nearest weight value), and find
the corresponding rank for that weight. Subtract that rank from the Telekinesis of the
attacker, and look up that resulting rank in the Benchmarks table. Find the corresponding
distance in the Throws column. This is how far the attacker could move an object of
that weight in one round. This rank is also the damage rating (DR) of the impact if the
attacker makes the defender hit a solid object such as a wall or the ground. Particularly
soft or yielding surfaces can reduce the impact damage by as much as half.
Example:
Darkmind has Telekinesis 7, and wants to move Stone. Stone weighs 800 pounds, which would be rank
4 in the Lifts column in the Benchmarks table. Subtracting 4 from Darkminds rank 7 Telekinesis
gives us rank 3. Consulting the Throws column for rank 3, we find that Darkmind can move Stone 25
feet per round.
Darkmind uses Telekinesis to smash Stone into an armored car. The impact has a damage rating of 3.
After subtracting Stones rank 7 Invulnerability, the attack does no damage to Stone at all. The armored
car has Invulnerability rank 5 and Endurance 5. It is rocked on its wheels a bit, but suffers no real
damage from having Stone smashed into it.

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Telepathy
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Willpower
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 1 character point per rank
Telepathy permits a character to communicate directly with the mind of another person.
If the target of Telepathy is willing, then no roll is needed. With a willing target or a
successful Willpower vs. Willpower roll, the telepath may mentally communicate with the
target and may read their thoughts.
The highest Willpower the character may overcome with Telepathy is equal to the
telepaths Willpower or the rank of the Telepathy, whichever is greater. For example, a
character with rank 3 Willpower and rank 2 Telepathy could attempt to read the mind
of an unwilling target with Willpower rank 3, but would be unable to read the mind of
an unwilling target with Willpower rank 4. However, if the telepath has expertise with
Telepathy and rolls an extreme success, the highest Willpower the telepath may overcome
increases by 3 ranks.

Teleportation
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 2 character points per rank
Teleportation permits a character to travel from one point to another without traversing
the intervening space. The range the character may travel is based the rank of the power.
The character may double-move and all-out move using Teleportation, and incurs the
normal penalties when doing so. A teleporter may carry with them whatever they can
carry, based on their Brawn. This may include equipment or even other characters.
A teleporter cannot use Teleportation to teleport into a solid object, or into any area that
has a Power Suppression in effect which would be sufficient to prevent the character from
teleporting out of it; other than this, objects in the physical generally have no effect on a
teleporter in transit. If a teleporter unknowingly attempts to teleport into a solid object,
they are staggered and shunted to the nearest unoccupied space, or the teleportation
attempt fails entirely, at the GMs discretion. See Staggering (p.146) for more details.
Enhancements
Radius Effect: The character can teleport with everything in their immediate vicinity,
up to the radius indicated by the powers rank. The character can choose the radius
affected each time they use Teleportation, up to the maximum granted by the rank of the
power. +1 character point

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Radius Effect (people only): The character can teleport with everyone in their
immediate vicinity, up to the radius indicated by the powers rank. The character can
choose the radius affected each time they use Teleportation, but they may not choose
which people go with them and which are left behind. +1 character point
Defects
Requires A Medium (major defect): The character may only teleport through a
specific medium. For example, a character with electrical powers might only be able to
teleport through conductive material. Alternately, the character might only be able to
teleport between specific locations. For example, a character attuned to the spirit of cities
might only be able to teleport within and between cities, or a character with darkness
powers might only be able to teleport within and between dark areas such as shadows. -1
character point

Time Control
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Power
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 2 character points per rank
A character with Time Control can influence the ebb and flow of time, skipping forward
and back through the time stream. Time Control does not allow the character to time
travel per se, but a character with Time Control can rewind time to make different
choices.
How much time may be re-wound is subject to GM approval and is largely plot-
dependent. During combat, for example, the player may declare that they are rewinding
time at the end of a round in order to play that round over. Out of combat, the player
may declare that they are rewinding a 20 minute conversation, or they may wish to
rewind time by a half-hour and take a different route through the city. If the GM
approves of this use of Time Control, the elapsed time is erased from history, and
the status of every character and the world at large is restored to the condition at the
beginning of the rewound time period. Normally, the only person aware of this temporal
reversal is the character with Time Control, but characters who have some way to
detect temporal anomalies would be aware of what has happened. To everyone else,
time proceeds as if they had never lived through the rewound time before (although
particularly perceptive individuals may get a sense of deja vu).
During each game session, the number of times the character can rewind time is equal to
the rank of the Time Control power.

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[Transformation] Ray
Activation: Attack
Task roll: Accuracy
Target: Single Target
Range: Ranged
Cost: 1 character point per rank
[Transformation] Ray allows the character to use a personal power as an attack.
The power being used as an attack is under the control of the character with the
[Transformation] Ray power; the target of the ray has no control over the power.
The specific personal power to be used as an attack must be chosen when this
power is purchased. Available personal powers which may be used as attacks with
[Transformation] Ray are:
[Element] Form
Growth
Increased Density
Intangibility
Invisibility
Shapeshifting
Shrinking
The rank of the power being used as an attack is equal to the rank of the
[Transformation] Ray, unless the [Transformation] Ray combines two or more powers.
For example, a [Transformation] Ray might combine Shapeshifting and Shrinking. If the
[Transformation] Ray combines two or more powers, the ranks of the individual powers
must add up to the rank of the [Transformation] Ray.
Using [Transformation] Ray requires an Accuracy task roll against the Agility of the
intended target. If the attacker has expertise with the power and rolls an extreme success,
then the rank of the [Transformation] Ray is increased by 3 for the purpose of breaking
out of it. For example, if a character is affected by a rank 6 [Transformation] Ray, and
the attacker has expertise with the power and rolled an extreme success, the affected
character would need to make a Willpower task roll against task difficulty 17 (6 + 3 + 8)
to break out of the [Transformation] Ray.
To break out of the [Transformation] Ray, the target must make a successful Willpower
task roll against the rank of the [Transformation] Ray. If the character succeeds at this
task roll, they may use their remaining movement action. If the transformed character
gets an extreme success on this roll, then they break out as a free action (expertise is not
necessary). For example, if a character is affected by a rank 6 [Transformation] Ray, they
would need to make a Willpower task roll against task difficulty 14 (6 + 8). If they roll a
17 or more, they achieve an extreme success, and breaking out is a free action rather than
a task action.
If the character has not broken out of the [Transformation] Ray by the end of the scene,
then they break out of it shortly thereafter.
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Tunneling
Activation: Activated
Task roll:
Target: Personal
Range:
Cost: 2 character points per rank
Tunneling enables the character to move through the earth almost as easily as other
people do above it. The speed at which the character may dig is based on the rank of
the power. Find the rank of the power in the Benchmarks table, and look up the value in
the Base Move column. This is the distance that the character can tunnel in a single
round. This assumes the character is not taking any time to shore up the tunnel behind
her. If she is attempting to leave a hole through which others may follow, she moves at
half normal speed.
The density of the material the character can dig through is based on the rank of the
power. Find the rank of the power in the Benchmarks table, and look up the value in the
Breaks column. This is the toughest material which the character may dig through.
The character is unable to pass through force fields and other energy barriers.

[Ultra-power]
Activation: Varies
Task roll: Varies
Target: Varies
Range: Varies
Cost: 3 character points per rank
[Ultra-power] permits the character to use a wide range of powers which have a tightly
unifying theme and which all derive from the same power source. Typical unifying
themes for [Ultra-power] include trick arrows with varying effects, sorcerous spells and
incantations, gadgets and high-tech devices, a suit of powered armor with a number of
built-in weapons and sensors, and a cosmic amulet that lets the user create any solid-
energy construct they can imagine. The specific unifying theme and power source must
be chosen when this power is purchased. The player can pick any unifying theme and
power source they like, subject to the GMs approval.
[Ultra-power] may contain any theme-appropriate power with a cost per rank up to 2,
and any power made possible with the [Ultra-power] has no more than the rank of the
[Ultra-power] itself. For example, a rank 6 [Ultra-power] defined as Cybervole Powered
Armor might have a rank 6 electrical Blast, rank 6 Tunneling, and any other rank 6
power the player (and the GM) thinks is appropriate for Cybervole. These powers do not
need to be chosen until the character wants to use them, but it is a good idea to figure
them out beforehand so that the player does not bog down the game by dithering over
what their character should do next. Due to the tightly unifying theme of the [Ultra-
power], power-altering powers such as Power Drain affect the entire [Ultra-power].

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Another character might have a rank 5 [Ultra-power] defined as Time Mastery. This
character could have rank 2 Amazing Movement (Astral Travel, Time Travel), rank 5
Danger Sense, rank 5 Healing, rank 5 Super-speed, and rank 5 Time Control. However,
the character could not use their [Ultra-power] to have Duplication, because Duplication
costs 3 points per rank. If the player wanted the character to have Duplication, that
power would need to be purchased separately from the [Ultra-power].

Power Modifiers
Power Enhancements
Power enhancements make a power more useful than it normally is. For example, if a
character has an explosive fire blast that can burn everything within an area around
the target, that would be a power enhancement (Explosive Damage, to be specific), since
Blast can normally only shoot at one target at a time.
Most power enhancements increase the cost of the power by one character point. So if the
character had a rank 7 Fire Blast with the Explosive Damage enhancement, the power
would cost 8 character points.

Table: Power enhancements

Power Enhancement Cost
Explosive Damage 1
Increased Range 1-3
Penetrating Damage 1
Radius Effect 1

Power enhancements are under the control of the character with the power. A character
can choose whether or not to use a specific enhancement on a case by case basis. Just
because a character can burn everything within an area around the target doesnt mean
that they must. However, if a character must use an enhancement, and this lack of control
can cause serious problems for the character (as it would be, in case of a character
throwing fiery explosions), then their lack of control may be a power defect.
Explosive Damage
A power with the Explosive Damage power enhancement causes its damage to everyone
within a certain range of the target. Because an exploding attack does not need to be
aimed at a specific target, the difficulty of the task roll is 9. However, because exploding
attacks are not targeted at specific individuals, they do not benefit from extreme success.
The radius of the explosion is assumed to be 50 feet (the same distance as rank 1 on the
Benchmarks table under Affects). The radius of the explosion can be increased one
rank for each additional character point spent on this power enhancement. For example,
a rank 3 Blast with four levels of the Explosive Damage power enhancement would cost 7
points and cover an area 3,200 feet in diameter (a radius of 1,600 feet).
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The damage rating of the explosion diminishes with distance from the center. If so, the
damage rating is at its full value within half of the total radius, and at one-half of its full
value in the remainder of the explosion. For example, a rank 3 Blast with four levels of
the Explosive Damage power enhancement would cost 7 points, have a damage rating of
3 from the center out to a radius of 800 feet (half its total radius), and a damage rating of
2 from 800 feet out to the limit of its radius of 1,600 feet.
Increased Range
A power with the Increased Range power enhancement can affect targets at ranges
beyond the powers default range. Each application of this enhancement increases the
effective range of the power by 3 ranks on the Benchmarks table under Affects).
For example, a rank 4 Blast normally has an effective range of 1,600 feet. Adding the
Increased Range power enhancement would increase the powers effective range by 3
ranks, to 20 miles. Applying this power enhancement a second time would increase the
effective range to 1,200 miles.
Penetrating Damage
A power with the Penetrating Damage power enhancement ignores 50% of the defenders
protection (round in defenders favor). The Penetrating power enhancement should only
be added to powers that inflict damage directly, such as Blast.
Radius Effect
A power with the Radius Effect power enhancement is centered on the character, and
can cover an area up to a radius based on its power rank (see Benchmarks, p.134). For
example, a character with rank 7 Telepathy that has the Radius Effect enhancement
would allow the character to simultaneously read the minds of everyone within 15 miles.
For powers which affect others, the character makes their associated roll (a Willpower
roll, in the case of Telepathy), and compares that to any targets in the affected area.
A character can choose the radius each time they use the power, up to the maximum
granted by the rank of the power.
This is a very potent enhancement, and should not be added to powers that inflict
damage directly, such as Blast.

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Power Defects
Power defects make a power less useful than it normally is. For example, if a character
has a Fire Blast that can only be used if there is an existing source of fire, that would be a
power defect, since most characters with a Fire Blast can generate their own flame.
A minor power defect, such as the character needing a specific item on hand in order to
use their powers (a gun, a wand, a magic ring, etc.), does not affect the cost of the power.
Every power has minor defects: some are just more obvious than others. If a player
doesnt think of minor defects on their own, rest assured that the GM will think of some
for them.
A major power defect, such as a Blast power that needs an existing source of flame,
reduces the total cost of the power by one character point. So if the character had a rank
7 Fire Blast with this defect, the power would cost 6 character points.
An extreme power defect, such as a Fire Blast which can only be used once per day,
reduces the total cost of the power by two character points. So if the character had a
rank 7 Fire Blast which could only be used once per day (a character with some dragon
ancestry, lets say), the power would cost 5 character points.
The cost of a power may not be reduced below one character point. Even the most
defective power costs at least one character point.

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New Powers
You might not have found the power you want in this chapter. After all, the page count of
this book is limited, while your imagination is not. If the power you want is very similar
to one already listed, the easiest thing to do is just change the name and description
slightly, and get on with the game. Talk to the GM and the other players about it, and
see if they agree. If they do, your problem is solved. If that doesnt work, see if adding a
power enhancement will give you the result you want. In most cases, it will.
On the other hand, not everything that works in a comicbook works in a game. Its
entirely possible to create an invisible power that can attack anyone, anywhere, at no
risk to the character but wheres the fun in that? If the power you have imagined is
significantly more powerful than anything in this chapter, then maybe you should go
back to the drawing board.

Roleplay Powers
Sometimes a character has a power that is important for characterization and
roleplaying, but doesnt really have an impact on the game. For example, consider a
character who is centuries old, and never ages, but who can die from injury or accident
just like anyone else. This is definitely a power, but what does it really do? It doesnt give
the character a measurable advantage either in or out of combat. Its important to the
character, and there is a remote chance that it will be useful in combat if the characters
encounter a villain with the power to rapidly age her enemies, but for most games its
usefulness will be limited to roleplaying. Powers like this are roleplay powers, and they
cost a flat one character point.
Dont go too crazy with roleplay powers. Unless there is a plausible circumstance where
the power might be genuinely useful, just consider it part of the characters background
and description.

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Nothing physically prevents a character in Bulletproof Blues from carrying weapons and
driving vehicles: there is no character point cost associated with ordinary weaponry and
vehicles. However, there may be legal or financial obstacles to obtaining such equipment,
even if its relatively commonplace. Additionally, ordinary equipment requires all of
the same maintenance and care that such equipment requires in the real world, unlike
equipment purchased with character points.
For example, a character whose Blast 3 is a pistol, and who has paid character points
for that power, is rarely inconvenienced by trivial matters such as a failure to feed or a
stovepipe jam, and the player would probably earn a plot point if such a failure occurred.
For a character whose pistol was purchased at a local gun shop (and not purchased with
character points), such equipment failures are relatively common and do not grant the
player a plot point.

Melee Weapons
Hand-to-hand weapons such as clubs and knives have a damage rating equal to the
rank of the weapon or the characters Brawn rank + 1, whichever is greater. A knife
with damage rating 1 wielded by a character with rank 2 Brawn would have an effective
damage rating of 3. Using a weapon allows a character with Brawn of 3 or less to inflict
normal damage rather than stunning damage.
Using extraordinary amounts of Brawn with an ordinary melee weapon may damage
the weapon. If the characters Brawn is greater than the rank of the weapon + 3, its
likely that the weapon will be destroyed when it is used. For example, a character with
Brawn 4 can use a wooden chair (Strike rank 1) as a melee weapon, but the chair would
be smashed to pieces after the first such attack. Similarly, the blade of a two-handed great
axe (Strike rank 4) would be twisted into scrap metal after being wielded a few times by a
character with Brawn 8.

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Axes
Hatchet: Strike 2
Axe: Strike 3
Great Axe: Strike 4 (two handed)

Clubs
Club: Strike 1
Spear: Strike 1
Staff: Strike 1
Whip: Strike 1
Crowbar: Strike 2 (two handed)

Swords
Knife: Strike 1
Sword: Strike 2
Great Sword: Strike 3 (two handed)
Chainsaw: Strike 4 (two handed)

Ranged Weapons
Bows
Longbow: Blast 2
Crossbow: Blast 3
Hunting Bow: Blast 3

Pistols
Light Pistol: Blast 2
Target Pistol: Blast 2, +1 Accuracy
Pistol: Blast 3
Heavy Pistol: Blast 3
Submachine Gun: Blast 3, +1 Accuracy (fires multiple rounds at target)
Nausea-inducing Pistol: Agility Drain 2, Ranged (uses radio frequencies to
affect a targets hearing and equilibrium)
Speech-suppression Pistol: Blindness (vs. speech) 2 (uses a time-delayed echo to
interrupt targets ability to form coherent sentences)

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Rifles
Assault Rifle: Blast 3, +1 Accuracy (fires multiple rounds at target)
Shotgun: Blast 3, +1 Accuracy
Military Rifle: Blast 4
Hunting Rifle: Blast 4, +1 Accuracy (with properly calibrated scope)
Machine Gun: Blast 4, +1 Accuracy (fires multiple rounds at target)
Sniper Rifle: Blast 4, +1 Accuracy, Penetrating (single shot)
Heat Rifle: Blast 4, Stunning (uses microwaves to cause pain to target)
Pacification Rifle: Willpower Drain 3, Ranged (uses electromagnetic radiation to
affect a targets central nervous system)

Other
M14 Incendiary Grenade: Blast 4, Exploding, Penetrating (incendiary)
M67 Fragmentation Grenade: Blast 5, Exploding
M7A2 CS Gas Grenade: Blast 5 + Blindness 5, Exploding (poison)
Mk 141 Stun Grenade: Blast 5, Exploding, Stunning
Knockout Gas Grenade: Blast 8, Exploding, Stunning (poison)
M18 Smoke Grenade: Blindness 2, Exploding (lasts 10 rounds)
M84 Flash-Bang Grenade: Blindness 4 + Blindness (vs. hearing) 4, Exploding
Flamethrower: Blast 6, Exploding
M72 LAW: Blast 8 (single shot)
Light Artillery: Blast 8
Heavy Artillery: Blast 10, Exploding
Heat Cannon: Blast 4, Stunning, Exploding (uses microwaves to cause pain to
target)
Pacification Cannon: Willpower Drain 3, Ranged, Exploding (uses
electromagnetic radiation to affect a targets central nervous system)

Vehicles
A character with a special vehicle should usually buy it using a power, such as Flight.
However, any character with the appropriate background could conceivably own and
drive ordinary vehicles. As with weapons, ordinary vehicles are unreliable and require
periodic maintenance.

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Street
Mini: Invulnerability 1, Endurance 1, top speed 100 mph
Sports Car: Invulnerability 1, Endurance 1, top speed 160 mph
Bus: Invulnerability 2, Endurance 2, top speed 75 mph
Police Car: Invulnerability 2, Endurance 2, top speed 140 mph
Recreational Vehicle: Invulnerability 2, Endurance 2, top speed 80 mph
Sedan: Invulnerability 1, Endurance 3, top speed 130 mph
Surveillance Van: Invulnerability 2, Endurance 2, top speed 110 mph
Fire Truck: Invulnerability 2, Endurance 3, top speed 80 mph
Minivan: Invulnerability 3, Endurance 3, top speed 120 mph
Truck Tractor: Invulnerability 3, Endurance 4, top speed 100 mph
SWAT Van: Invulnerability 4, Endurance 5, top speed 110 mph
Armored Car: Invulnerability 5, Endurance 5, top speed 65 mph
Security Limo: Invulnerability 5, Endurance 5, top speed 110 mph

Off-road
Motorcycle: Invulnerability 1, Endurance 1, top speed 160 mph
Pickup Truck: Invulnerability 2, Endurance 3, top speed 110 mph
Bulldozer: Invulnerability 2, Endurance 4, top speed 7 mph
Heavy Truck: Invulnerability 3, Endurance 4, top speed 100 mph
Snow Cat: Invulnerability 5, Endurance 2, top speed 25 mph
Snowmobile: Invulnerability 5, Endurance 2, top speed 100 mph
Tank: Invulnerability 5, Endurance 6, top speed 45 mph

Water
Jet Ski: Invulnerability 1, Endurance 3, top speed 30 mph
Speed Boat: Invulnerability 1, Endurance 2, top speed 25 mph
Patrol Boat: Invulnerability 2, Endurance 4, top speed 35 mph
Battleship: Invulnerability 4, Endurance 5, top speed 35 mph
Aircraft Carrier: Invulnerability 4, Endurance 4, top speed 35 mph

Air
Corporate Jet: Invulnerability 2, Endurance 1, top speed 500 mph
Private Plane: Invulnerability 2, Endurance 1, top speed 260 mph
Military Jet: Invulnerability 2, Endurance 2, top speed 1,000 mph
Passenger Jet: Invulnerability 2, Endurance 2, top speed 500 mph
Dirigible: Invulnerability 0, Endurance 1, top speed 80 mph
Civilian Helicopter: Invulnerability 1, Endurance 1, top speed 160 mph
Military Helicopter: Invulnerability 4, Endurance 2, top speed 300 mph

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Time And Distance

Time
Time is important. Without some way to keep track of time, everything would happen at
once, and that would be terribly confusing.
Time in the game is usually divided into scenes. A scene typically starts when the
characters arrive at a place, and ends when they leave. A scene could also be a period of
time while the characters are together and moving toward a destination. In some cases, a
scene might end even though the characters havent moved at all, such as when they go to
sleep, or when a fight ends and they begin talking about their plans for what to do next.
Any time you feel would be a good time to go to a commercial or start a new chapter,
thats a good time to end the scene and start a new one.
If the characters are in combat or in some other tense situation, time seems to slow down.
Every decision takes on a greater importance. A video game designer from the early
2000s might call this bullet time, but we just call it combat time.
Combat time is divided into rounds. One combat round is six seconds, give or take,
giving us ten rounds per minute. In a round, each character gets a turn. During their
turn, a character can travel a distance up to their base movement (walking, typically) and
still have time to do something useful (such as making an attack or using a skill) as well as
engage in some banter with their teammates or anyone else nearby (such as telling ones
henchmen to run, you fools!). We call these movement actions, task actions, and
roleplaying actions, respectively. A character can perform a task before they move or
after they move, but they cant usually break up their movement to perform a task in the
middle of it.

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Benchmarks
We assign numbers to characters abilities so that we can tell what they can do. No
one wants to guess what their characters can pick up or how fast they can fly. You will
notice that the relationship between one rank and the next is not constant. At low ranks,
each rank is roughly double the value of the previous rank, while at the highest ranks,
the increase is approximately eightfold. In between, each rank is roughly quadruple
the previous value. This variation is intentional, to offer greater variety to characters of
human power level, while permitting truly extraordinary power levels at the highest
ranks. All of the numbers in this table are approximate: dont be too concerned about it if
something is on the edge between one value and the next. When in doubt, err on the side
of the players.
The movement distances in this table are for powers, such as Flight, Super-running,
and Teleport. If the character has only their natural movement (running, swimming,
and jumping), then their movement distance is based on their Agility and Brawn. See
Movement (p.137) for more information.
Breaks indicates the strongest substance that the character would be able to break under
normal circumstances. The thickness of the material and other factors make this a rough
estimate, at best.
Lifts indicates the greatest weight that the character can clean and jerk (pick up
and lift overhead). A character carrying or supporting such a weight can take at most
one or two steps per round. A character can move normally while carrying a weight
corresponding to one rank less than their Brawn. For example, a character with rank 8
Brawn could carry up to 30 tons and suffer no penalties to their movement while doing
so.
Throws (50 lbs) indicates the farthest distance that a character could throw a compact
object weighing 50 lbs. To see how far a character can throw heavier objects, subtract the
Brawn rank required to lift the object from the characters total Brawn rank. Look up
the difference in the Rank column: this indicates how far the character can throw the
object. For example, a character with rank 4 Brawn (the peak of human potential) could
throw an object weighing 100 lbs (such as a cooperative slender human) up to 25 feet.
Affects (radius or range) indicates the radius around the character that they can affect
with their powers if their powers affect a radius, or the maximum range of the power if
it affects a single target. For example, (Element) Mastery can move or manipulate the
chosen element within this area and can use the element to inflict direct damage to a
target up to this distance away. The radius value is not used for powers that inflict
damage directly unless they have been purchased with the Explosive Damage power
enhancement.

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 Throws Affects Base Move Double Move All-out Move
Rank Breaks Lifts
(50 lbs) (radius or range) Per Round Per Round Per Round MPH
1 Cardboard 100 pounds 6 feet 50 feet 50 feet 100 feet 300 feet 30 mph
2 Plastic 225 pounds 12 feet 100 feet 100 feet 200 feet 600 feet 70 mph
3 Wood 450 pounds 25 feet 400 feet 400 feet 800 feet 2,400 feet 300 mph
4 Bone 900 pounds 50 feet 1,600 feet 1,600 feet 3,200 feet 2 miles 1,000 mph
5 Brick 2 tons 200 feet 1 mile 1 mile 2 miles 6 miles 4,000 mph
6 Concrete 7 tons 800 feet 5 miles 5 miles 10 miles 30 miles 20,000 mph
7 Stone 30 tons 4,000 feet 20 miles 20 miles 40 miles 120 miles 70,000 mph

Table: Benchmarks
8 Ceramic 100 tons 3 miles 80 miles 80 miles 160 miles 480 miles 300,000 mph

9 Steel 400 tons 10 miles 300 miles 300 miles 600 miles 1,800 miles 1,000,000 mph

10 Diamond 2,000 tons 40 miles 1,200 miles 1,200 miles 2,400 miles 7,200 miles 5,000,000 mph

11 Nanodiamond 10,000 tons 300 miles 10,000 miles 10,000 miles 20,000 miles 60,000 miles 30,000,000 mph

12 Stanlium 100,000 tons 3,000 miles 80,000 miles 80,000 miles 160,000 miles 480,000 miles 300,000,000 mph

13 Siegelite 1,000,000 tons 20,000 miles 600,000 miles 600,000 miles 1,200,000 miles 3,600,000 miles 0.9 c

14 Kirbium 10,000,000 tons 160,000 miles 5,000,000 miles 5,000,000 miles 10,000,000 miles 30,000,000 miles 0.99 c
ACTIONS

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Brawn or Power
Item Weight
Rank (to lift)
hawksbill sea turtle, large dog, slender adult 100 lbs 1
typical adult, small floor safe 200 lbs 2
heavy adult, refrigerator 300 lbs 3
gun safe, racing motorcycle 400 lbs 3
dolphin, lion 500 lbs 4
tiger, motorcycle, medium floor safe, a Twinkie 35 feet long 600 lbs 4
grizzly bear, touring motorcycle 900 lbs 4
cow, horse, sailboat 1,300 lbs 5
small civilian helicopter 1,500 lbs 5
compact car 2,000 lbs 5
medium missile 2,500 lbs 5
hippopotamus, full size car 2 tons 5
Humvee, small military helicopter 3 tons 6
armored Humvee 4.5 tons 6
elephant, empty dump truck 6 tons 6
light jet fighter plane 8 tons 7
empty tractor-trailer, large military helicopter 10 tons 7
jet fighter plane 15 tons 7
Polaris missile, international marijuana shipment 20 tons 7
loaded dump truck 25 tons 7
private jet plane, empty train car 30 tons 7
loaded tractor-trailer, empty C-130 cargo plane 40 tons 8
Easter Island stone head, bank vault, loaded tanker truck 50 tons 8
M1 Abrams tank, Trident missile, suburban house 60 tons 8
loaded C-130 cargo plane 85 tons 8
blue whale 100 tons 8
loaded train car 140 tons 9
locomotive, fishing trawler 200 tons 9
empty 747 passenger plane 300 tons 9
typical train 400 tons 9
loaded 747 passenger plane 450 tons 10
Space Shuttle 2,200 tons 10
passenger train, Coast Guard cutter 3,000 tons 11
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Brawn or Power
Item Weight
Rank (to lift)
Saturn V rocket 3,300 tons 11
Eiffel Tower 7,000 tons 11
freight train 8,000 tons 11
destroyer, nuclear submarine 9,000 tons 11
10 story building 10,000 tons 11
Brooklyn Bridge 15,000 tons 12
long frieght train 16,000 tons 12
large nuclear submarine 20,000 tons 12
aircraft carrier 90,000 tons 12
loaded tanker ship 120,000 tons 13
cruise ship 140,000 tons 13
loaded large tanker ship, large office building 200,000 tons 13
Empire State Building, empty Ultra Large Crude Carrier 400,000 tons 13
Ben Franklin Bridge, loaded Ultra Large Crude Carrier 700,000 tons 13
Golden Gate Bridge 900,000 tons 13
enormous skyscraper 1,000,000 tons 13
Great Pyramid of Giza 6,000,000 tons 14
Mount Everest 180,000,000,000 tons
Table: Item Weights

Off The Scale

Obviously, there are values which are far below or far above what appears in this table.
The Moon, with mass of roughly 8.1 1019 tons, is far more than even a character with
rank 14 Brawn could move, while a baby or a housecat has a Brawn less than 1. Dont
worry about it. At such extremes, the GM should just use their best judgement, and the
rest of the players should roll with it.

Movement
In a round, a character can normally walk ten times their Agility in feet and still have
time to take an action (such as attack). This is referred to as the characters base speed. A
characters running speed is double their walking speed, and their sprinting speed is triple
their running speed.
If the character has only their natural movement (running, swimming, and jumping),
then their movement distance is based on their Agility and Brawn. The movement
distances granted by powers, such as Super-running, Swinging, and Teleport, are
significantly greater. See Benchmarks (p.134) for more information.
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Walk Run Sprint

Agility (base move) (double move) (all-out move)
feet/round feet/round feet/round mph
10 20 60 7
1

2 20 40 120 14
3 30 60 180 20
Table: Normal ground movment

4 40 80 240 27
5 50 100 300 34
6 60 120 360 41
7 70 140 420 48
8 80 160 480 55
9 90 180 540 61
10 100 200 600 68
11 110 220 660 75
12 120 240 720 82
13 130 260 780 89
14 140 280 840 95

Swim Fast swim Sprint

Agility (base move) (double move) (all-out move)
feet/round feet/round feet/round mph
2 4 12 1
1

2 4 8 24 3
3 6 12 36 4
Table: Normal water movment

4 8 16 48 5
5 10 20 60 7
6 12 24 72 8
7 14 28 84 10
8 16 32 96 11
9 18 36 108 12
10 20 40 120 14
11 22 44 132 15
12 24 48 144 16
13 26 52 156 18
14 28 56 168 19
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A characters base swimming speed is twice their Table: Normal jump

Agility in feet, and their base standing long jump is
three times their Brawn in feet. Swimming may be Brawn Long jump (feet)
used to run (make a double move) or sprint (move 1 3
all-out), but jumping may not. However, with a running 2 6
long jump, the characters ground movement is added
3 9
to their long jump distance.
4 12
If the character is running or sprinting, they can
cover more ground, but skills are more difficult, 5 15
and their attacks are easier to avoid. A character 6 18
who is running or making a double move incurs a 7 21
+3 difficulty modifier on any attacks or task rolls. A
8 24
character who is sprinting or making an all-out move
incurs a +6 difficulty modifier on any attacks or task 9 27
rolls. Movement powers, such as Super-swimming 10 30
and Teleportation, incur the same difficulty modifiers
11 33
when they are used to run (make a double move)
or sprint (make an all-out move). See Rolling Dice 12 36
(p.142) for more information on task rolls and difficulty 13 39
modifiers. 14 42
A character using their natural (Agility based)
movement may move all-out for up to one minute, but
then may move no faster than their base speed for an amount of time ten times as long as
they were sprinting. So a character who sprinted for three rounds (18 seconds) may not
run or sprint for thirty rounds (180 seconds). This limitation does not apply to characters
using a movement power, such as Super-runnng or Super-swimming. A character with a
movement power can move all-out without needing to rest afterward (unless they want to,
of course).
If a character has a power that increases their movement rate, such as Super-running or
Super-jumping, then they move at the speed indicated by the power rather than at the
speed indicated by their Agility or Brawn. Super-running does not add to a characters
natural (Agility-based) ground movement speed.

Range Bands
Weapons and powers that are useful at a distance have an effective range based on the
powers rank. This distance is on the Benchmarks table under Affects. For example, a
rank 7 Blast has an effective range of 20 miles. Attacking targets at more distant ranges is
more difficult or impossible (at the GMs discretion). If the GM declares that the attack is
possible, the defender gains a +3 difficulty modifier (or defense bonus) for each additional
range band.

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For example, if a character is being attacked by someone 1,600 feet away (range band
4), and the attacker is using a pistol (which is normally useful up to 400 feet, or range
band 3), the defender would gain a +3 defense bonus. See Rolling Dice (p.142) for more
information on task rolls and difficulty modifiers.

Table: Item speeds

Item Speed Agility Rank Power Rank
avg human running 12 mph 2 1
max human running 27 mph 4 1
fast submarine 50 mph 8 2
fast bird, cheetah, sailfish 75 mph 11 2
fast car 200 mph 3
fast helicopter 250 mph 3
F5 tornado wind 300 mph 3
terminal velocity 327 mph 4
bullet train 350 mph 4
airplane 500 mph 4
pistol bullet 680 mph 4
sound 761 mph 4
supersonic airplane 1,200 mph 5
rifle bullet 1,900 mph 5
superjet 6,000 mph 6
escape velocity 25,000 mph 7
rocket 30,000 mph 7
solar winds 300,000 mph 8
interplanetary speeds 3,000,000 mph 10
light 670,616,629 mph 14

Actions
There are four kinds of actions a character may perform during their turn in a round:
free actions, movement actions, task actions, and roleplay actions. Under normal
circumstances, a character can perform one movement action and one task action during
their turn. In addition, a character can perform as many free actions and roleplay actions
as the GM deems reasonable.
When it is not a characters turn, they can still react to events around them. Reactions
can be attempted at any time, as often as the GM deems reasonable.

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Free Action
A free action takes essentially no time. A character cant perform free actions until it
is their turn to act in the round, but during their turn, they can perform as many free
actions as the GM deems reasonable (perhaps as many as a half dozen). Typical free
actions include activating a power (but not attacking with it), deactivating a power,
dropping a weapon, crouching behind cover, and so on.

Movement Action
With a movement action, a character may stand up from a prone or seated position, they
may move the distance permitted by their Agility and/or Brawn rank (depending on
whether they are running, swimming, jumping, or running and jumping), or they may
use a movement power to move up to the maximum distance that the rank of their power
allows. With the GMs permission, the character may instead perform any equivalent
action: opening a bank vault, screwing in a light bulb, or what have you.
Movement does not generally require a task roll, although the GM may require an
Athletics task roll if there is some obstacle to the characters free movement (distractions,
inclement weather, injury, etc.).

Task Action
With a task action, a character may attempt to perform one task. This could be
attempting a skill task roll, attempting to attack an opponent in combat, activating a
power and attacking someone with it, or a similar activity. Under normal circumstances,
a character may perform a task action before or after a movement action, but not during
it.

Roleplay Action
Like a free action, a roleplay action takes essentially no time. During their turn, the
character can perform as many roleplay actions as the GM deems reasonable (perhaps
as many as a half dozen). Typical roleplay actions include banter with the characters
teammates, making fun of an enemys name or costume, or declaring that the opponent
shall not pass.
Unlike free actions, a character can usually perform roleplay actions at any time, whether
it is their turn or not. Bulletproof Blues makes roleplaying an explicit action during combat
to encourage players to roleplay. In the heat of combat, it can be easy to forget that
roleplaying is an essential part of the game.

Reaction
Reactions are usually responses to something another character does, and are usually
made at the request of the GM. For example, if a character is hit with a staggering attack,
the character will need to make a Willpower task roll to keep from being staggered. A
character can perform reactions at any time, as often as the GM deems reasonable.

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Rolling Dice
When a character attempts a task, and the outcome is either contested or there is some
random element involved, the player rolls 2d6, counts the dots, and adds the result to
their characters relevant attribute. This roll is compared to a difficulty number the GM
assigns. The attempt succeeds if the players roll equals or exceeds the assigned difficulty.

Unopposed Tasks
Unopposed tasks are those tasks where no one is actively working against the character.
When attempting an unopposed task, the GM simply sets a task difficulty. More difficult
tasks have a higher task difficulty. The attempt succeeds if the players roll equals or
exceeds the task difficulty.
Easy tasks do not require a roll at all: if a character has any competence at all with an
easy task, they succeed. Similarly, routine tasks should rarely require a roll unless there
is some dramatic need for it. In most cases, if the GM requires the player to roll dice to
successfully complete a task, its because the GM has deemed that task challenging.
Challenging tasks require a roll to resolve, and have a task difficulty of 12. More difficult
tasks have a higher task difficulty, requiring a greater roll in order to perform the task
successfully. If the task difficulty exceeds the characters relevant attribute (plus bonuses)
by more than 12, the task is just too difficult for that character to perform.

Table: Difficulty examples

Task difficulty Examples
Easy Operate simple machines
9 Routine Understand and modify simple machines, operate current technology
12 Challenging Understand and modify current technology, operate advanced technology
15 Demanding Design and build current technology, understand and modify advanced technology
18 Frustrating Design and build advanced technology, operate advanced alien technology
21 Nigh-impossible Understand and modify advanced alien technology

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Opposed Tasks
Opposed tasks are those tasks where the character is actively competing against an
opponent. This is often the result of combat, but it may be something non-violent. For
example, a computer hacker may be trying to penetrate a system, while the system
administrator is trying to close the back door and locate the hacker. The person initiating
the conflict rolls the dice, and the attack succeeds if the attackers roll equals or exceeds
the task difficulty.
When attempting an opposed task, the task difficulty is equal to 8 plus the
defenders relevant attribute.
If the circumstances of the conflict favor one side or the other, the side with the
circumstantial advantage receives a bonus. A circumstance which favors the attacker
grant a bonus to the task roll (often called an attack bonus when the conflict is a violent
one). A circumstance which favors the defender imposes a difficulty modifier (typically
called a defense bonus when the conflict is violent).

Table: Task roll bonuses

Attack bonus Circumstance
+0 Defender is walking (base movement speed)
+1 Defender is prone; attacker is adjacent or hand-to-hand
+3 Defender cant see the attacker
+3 Defender is restrained
+3 Defender is surprised
+6 Defender is completely blind
+6 Defender is unconscious or helpless

Table: Difficulty modifiers

Defense bonus Circumstance
+0 Attacker is walking (base movement speed)
+1 Defender is prone; attacker is non-adjacent and using a ranged attack
+3 Attacker cant see the defender
+3 Attacker is restrained
+3 Attacker is running (base move x2)
+3 Defender is sprinting (base move x6)
+3 Attacking a held item
+6 Attacker is completely blind
+6 Attacker is sprinting (base move x6)

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Generally, only the largest bonus to the task roll and the largest difficulty
modifier apply.
For example, if the attacker is invisible (which normally grants a +3 task roll bonus) and
the target of the attack is surprised (which normally grants a +3 task roll bonus), the
attacker would gain a +3 bonus, not +6. Similarly, if the attacker is sprinting (which
normally imposes a +6 difficulty modifier) and the defender is also sprinting (which
normally imposes a +3 difficulty modifier), this would impose a +6 difficulty modifier,
not +9.

Extended Tasks
Some tasks are more complex or time-consuming than can reasonably be resolved with a
single task roll. For example, constructing a starship and racing through a city would be
extended tasks. When attempting an extended task, the GM sets a task difficulty and the
required number of successes. The GM might also set a maximum number of attempts,
to indicate tasks which have a time limit or a penalty for failure, such as disarming a
bomb before it explodes. If a character attempting an extended task has relevant expertise
and rolls an extreme success, this counts as three successes toward accomplishing the
extended task. In extended opposed tasks, such as a competition between rival scientists
to create a cure for a disease, the first person or team to achieve the required number of
successful task rolls succeeds at the task.
Some extended tasks might benefit from a multidisciplinary approach. For example,
disabling an alien doomsday weapon would obviously benefit from engineering expertise,
but a keen understanding of alien psychology or linguistics could also be helpful. This
allows characters with different skills to combine their efforts to accomplish the task.

Failure
Failing a task roll, particularly a skill roll, is not the end of the world. A failed attempt
may not give the character the result they wanted, but it should not mean the game
grinds to a halt. Rather than having a failed skill attempt be a dead-end, it should
mean that the desired outcome has a greater cost, or perhaps the desired outcome has
undesirable side effects.
For example, Grimknight is trying to intimidate a low-level ASGARD technician into
revealing details about the organizations plans to distribute a new, highly addictive
psychoactive chemical disguised as an energy drink. The GM sets the difficulty of this
task to 12, but Grimknights player rolls a 9. Rather than having this be the end of this
line of inquiry, the GM has several options.

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Quid pro quo: The technician will give Grimknight the information, but only if
Grimknight gives the technician something in exchange. This could be something
as prosaic as money, but with an operative of ASGARD the cost is more likely to be
something rare or unique, such as blueprints for an experimental device or a sample
of Grimknights DNA.
Red herring: The technician tells Grimknight what he wants to hear, but the
information is not true or it leads Grimknight off on a wild goose chase. If the
technician is clever, he may send Grimknight after a local Aegis cell that has been
causing problems for ASGARD.
Stirring the pot: Grimknight gets the information, but his activities attract
attention. A rival organization learns of ASGARDs psychoactive energy drink as a
result of Grimknights activities, and they try to beat him to the prize. Alternately,
the rival organization might use Grimknight as a stalking horse, allowing
Grimknight and ASGARD to fight each other so that the rival organization will
have an easier time taking the spoils from the winner.
Alerting the enemy: Grimknight gets the information, but ASGARD learns
of Grimknights interest in their activities and they begin to make preparations
against him. It could even be that the technician was intended to be captured by
Grimknight all along in order to set him up for an ambush!

Taking The Average

If a task has a difficulty of 7 or less, and the character is under no pressure, and there
is either no penalty for failure or no time limit, then the player may choose to take the
average rather than rolling, and automatically succeed at the task. In effect, the player
is assuming that they would roll average: 7. If the player chooses to take the average, the
character does not attain an extreme success regardless of the difficulty. However, the
player may choose to roll, and risk failure, in the hope of attaining an extreme success.
Note that opposed rolls whether it is physical combat (such as a gunfight), psychic
combat (such as a battle of wills), or a social conflict (such as a marital dispute)
typically involve both a time limit and a penalty for failure.

Taking The Max

If the character is under no pressure, there is no penalty for failure, and there is no time
limit, the player may take the max, and assume that they would roll the maximum
amount: 12. In effect, the character is trying over and over until they do the best they are
capable of doing. If the player chooses to take the max, the character does not attain an
extreme success regardless of the difficulty. However, the player may choose to roll, and
risk failure, in the hope of attaining an extreme success.
Note that opposed rolls whether it is physical combat (such as a gunfight), psychic
combat (such as a battle of wills), or a social conflict (such as a marital dispute)
typically involve both a time limit and a penalty for failure.

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Extreme Success
If the players roll equals or exceeds the task difficulty, the character succeeds at the task
in a completely satisfactory manner: the clue is found, the language is translated, or the
lightning bolt hits its target. However, rolling higher than the required task difficulty
may grant additional benefits. If the player has expertise in the power or skill, and rolls
three or more over the task difficulty, the character achieves an extreme success. So if
a character attempted a challenging task (task difficulty 12), and the player rolled 15 or
more, this would be an extreme success.
If the player rolls an extreme success when making a skill roll, perhaps the character has
a eureka! moment, or perhaps they have found answers to questions they didnt even
know they should ask. If the player rolls an extreme success in combat, the attacker may
choose one of three bonus effects, unless the description of the power says otherwise:
overwhelming the target, smashing the target, or staggering the target.
Overwhelming
An overwhelming attack adds three ranks to the power, solely for the purposes of that
attack. For attack powers that inflict damage, this means that the damage rating of the
power is increased by three. If the overwhelming power normally inflicts Endurance
damage, then the additional damage rating is also Endurance damage, and the
characters protection powers, such as Invulnerability and Force Field, apply as usual to
the total damage rating of the attack. For attacks that inflict some other form of damage
or have some other effect, the total rank of the power is increased by three, with the
commensurate effect on the target.
Smashing
Only attacks that normally inflict Endurance damage can result in a smashing attack.
If a smashing attack hits a character, the target of the attack may attempt a Brawn task
roll to resist being smashed. The target rolls 2d6 and adds their Brawn; the task difficulty
is 8 plus the rank of the attack power. If the target succeeds with their Brawn task roll,
they shrug off the smashing portion of the attack with no ill effects. If the target fails their
Brawn task roll, they are smashed and knocked backward a considerable distance.
Compare the amount the target missed their roll by to the Benchmarks table. Look up
the rank that matches the amount by which they missed the roll, and match that to the
distance in the Throws column.
A character who is smashed does not normally take additional damage when they land,
but they are prone and must use a movement action to get back up.
Staggering
Only attacks that normally inflict Endurance damage can result in a staggering attack.
If a staggering attack hits a character, the target of the attack may attempt a Willpower
task roll to resist being staggered. The target rolls 2d6 and adds their Willpower; the
task difficulty is 8 plus the rank of the attack power. If the target succeeds with their
Willpower task roll, they shrug off the staggering portion of the attack with no ill effects.

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If the target fails their Willpower task roll, they are staggered and lose their next turn
(their turn on this round if they have not yet taken one; otherwise, their turn on the
following round).
Any powers which must be activated, such as Force Field and Growth, normally turn off
when a character is staggered. However, a staggered character may attempt a challenging
Willpower task roll (task difficulty 12) to keep their powers activated while staggered. Any
powers which are deactivated cant be turned back on until the character is able to take
their next turn.

Combat
Order Of Play
Everything that happens in a round is assumed to occur more or less simultaneously, but
the players cant all speak at once. To keep the game orderly, we need a way to determine
the order in which characters act when combat starts.
The most important factor in determining who acts before whom is situational awareness.
If a character is not aware of their opponent, then they dont have the opportunity to
attack. For example, if a hero is lurking on a rooftop and observes a gang of hooligans
breaking into an electronics store, there is no need to roll to see who goes first. The
hooligans are unaware that there is anyone to fight, so they continue carrying boxes of
loot out of the store. In the first round of combat, only the hero has the opportunity to
act. Depending on what the hero does and how sneaky the hero is, its possible that the
hero might be the only one with an opportunity to act for several rounds. Only after the
hooligans become aware of the hero do they get the opportunity to act. At that point, the
order of action in each round is the hero first, and then the hooligans. If the combatants
become aware of their adversaries in a set order, then that is the order in which they act
in combat.
In cases where the various combatants become aware of each other more or less
simultaneously, the order in which characters take their turns during a round is
determined by their Perception, Agility, and Willpower. The characters with a higher
rank in Perception may take their turns before those who have lower Perception. Of those
characters whose Perception ranks are equal, the characters with a higher rank in the
Agility attribute may take their turns before those of lower Agility. If two characters have
equal Perception and Agility attributes, then the character with the higher Willpower
rank may take their turn before the character with the lower Willpower attribute. If two
characters have identical Perception, Agility, and Willpower attributes then the GM
should randomly determine who goes first (flip a coin).

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The environment always goes last in a round. Any falling objects (including characters)
fall, and any free-rolling vehicles move, after all characters have had the opportunity
to use their actions. This does not include thrown projectiles or character-controlled
vehicles. If any object or vehicle is under direct control by a character, then the object
or vehicle will move when that character moves it or at the end of the round, at the
characters option. If a character chooses not to control a vehicle, then the vehicle will
move at the end of the round.
Of course, this is just an abstraction to make task resolution easier. In reality, everything
that happens in a round occurs more or less simultaneously.
Delaying A Turn
If a player does not wish to use their characters turn when they have the opportunity,
perhaps wanting to wait and see what an opponent does, the character may delay their
turn, with the option of using it later in the round or on a successive round. The character
may then pre-empt another characters turn later in the round unless the other character
has a higher Perception/Agility/Willpower. If both characters are evenly matched, then
they may use their actions simultaneously or use a random method to determine who
goes first, at the GMs option.
Forcing An Action
Sometimes a character might need to take a desperate action before they have had the
opportunity to take their turn in a round or after they have already taken their turn
in a round. This is known as forcing the characters action. Forcing an action allows a
character to sacrifice their next turn in order to block, dodge, dive for cover, activate a
defensive power, or take another purely defensive action. A forced action can also be used
to take a defensive action on someone elses behalf, such as diving in front of an attack
to protect an innocent bystander. The character may not force an action which the GM
could construe as an attack, such as blocking a bullet with an opponents unconscious
body or running into someone. When a character forces their action, they sacrifice their
next available turn, whether that action would be in the current round or on the next
round. A character may only force an action once per round.
Because a forced action is always defensive, it always take place at the appropriate time,
either before or during the attack which triggered it. The attacker does not have the
opportunity to take back their attack.

Attack
Attacks generally have four steps: a task roll to affect the target, determination of the
consequences of extreme success (if the attacker has expertise and rolled an extreme
success), subtraction of the defenders protection value (PV) from the damage rating (DR)
of the attack, and the determination of the effect on the target. Attacks require a task
action by the attacker. See Actions (p.140) for more details.

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Combining Attacks
Multiple characters can gang up on an opponent to increase the damage they inflict
when they hit. In order to gang up and combine their damage, each characters attack
must use the same attribute to target their attack and inflict the same type of damage.
For example, two characters using Blast could gang up even if their Blast powers are
dissimilar (an ice blast and a wind blast, for example), but a character using a Mind Blast
would not be able to gang up with them since Mind Blast is targeted using Willpower
rather than Accuracy.
All of the characters ganging up on an opponent must strike simultaneously. The
successful attack which would inflict the most damage (or have the greatest effect, for
non-damaging powers) provides the base damage (or effect) for the combined attack.
Each additional successful attack increases the damage rating of the combined attack by
+1, up to a maximum of +3.
Example:
Zero K, Manticore, and Tempest gang up on Thornmallow in an attempt to overcome his impenetrable
rank 9 Force Field. All three characters are using the Blast power: Zero K uses her ice blast, Manticore
uses a Gatling gun mounted on her jet wing, and Tempest calls down lightning to strike Thornmallow.
All three powers require an Accuracy task roll to hit, and all three powers inflict Endurance damage. Zero
K and Manticore delay their turns so that they can attack at the same time Tempest does.
The GM declares that the task difficulty to hit Thornmallow is 11. Zero Ks player rolls a 10: Zero Ks
attack misses. However, Manticore and Tempest both hit successfully with a 12 and a 17, respectively.
Tempest has expertise with his lightning blast, so this is an extreme success. Tempests player chooses the
overwhelming effect of an extreme success, increasing the damage rating of Tempests attack from 7 to
10. This forms the base damage for the combined attack. Manticores gatling gun, which normally has a
damage rating of 6, adds +1 to the damage rating of the combined attack, making it 11.
The protection value of Thornmallows rank 9 Force Field is subtracted from 11, leaving 2. This reduces
Thornmallows Endurance by 2.
Coordinating Attacks
Multiple characters can work together to increase their chances of hitting an opponent.
One character will actually make the attack, and the rest of the characters will attempt to
assist them. Each character wishing to assist with the attack attempts a challenging task
roll (task difficulty 12) using the appropriate attribute (usually Prowess or Accuracy). Each
successful task roll increases the attack bonus of the attack by +1, up to a maximum of
+3. The character who actually rolls to hit the target provides the base damage (or effect)
for the coordinated attack. If any of the characters attempting to coordinate their attacks
roll an extreme success, this increases the attack bonus of the final attack to +3, the
maximum bonus. If the character who actually rolls to hit the target fails their task roll,
the entire coordinated attack fails.

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Example:
Monolith and Grimknight attempt to coordinate their attacks in order to hit the inhumanly fast Karen X.
Because Grimknight has a better chance to hit Karen X in combat (his Prowess is higher than Monoliths
Prowess or Accuracy), they decide that Monolith will assist with the attack, and Grimknight will be the
one actually attacking. It is up to the players to decide what this coordinated attack looks like, so they
decide that Monolith pickups up Grimknight and hurls him at Karen X.
Because this is a ranged attack for Monolith, he must attempt a challenging Accuracy task roll (task
difficulty 12). If his roll is successful, then Grimknights attack roll will have a +1 attack bonus. If any of
the characters attempting to coordinate their attacks roll an extreme success, this increases the attack bonus
of the final attack to +3, the maximum bonus.
Monoliths player rolls a 17: success! If Monolith had expertise with throwing, this would be an extreme
success, granting Grimknight the maximum bonus of +3 on the coordinated attack. However, Monolith
does not have expertise with throwing, so this is just a normal success, granting Grimknight a +1 attack
bonus.
The GM declares that the Grimknights task difficulty to hit Karen X is 17. Including the +1 bonus
provided by Monolith, Grimknight rolls a 16: Karen X sees the attack coming, and sidesteps.
Distracting
Distraction can be used by a character to mislead an enemy into dropping their guard.
Distracting an opponent requires a Willpower task roll against the Willpower of the
opponent. If the distraction is successful, the next attack against the distracted opponent
on the following round receives a +3 attack bonus.
Grappling
A grapple involves using ones extremities to hold or restrain another character. The
maximum mass the character can effectively grapple is based on the rank of their Brawn.
Find the rank of their Brawn in the Benchmarks table and look up the corresponding
value in the Lifts column.
Grappling requires a Prowess task roll against the Prowess of the intended target.
Grappling inanimate objects is generally automatic, unless the GM wants to make
it difficult for some reason. To break free of the Grapple, the defender must make a
successful task roll using their Brawn or Agility attribute (whichever is greater) against the
attackers Brawn or Agility (whichever is greater).
If the attacker has expertise with grappling and rolls an extreme success, then the rank
of their Brawn (or Agility) is increased by 3 for the purpose of breaking free of it. For
example, if a character is being held by an attacker with rank 6 Brawn, and the attacker
has expertise with grappling and rolled an extreme success, the affected character would
need to make a task roll against task difficulty 17 (6 + 3 + 8) to break free of the grapple.
If the defender succeeds at the task roll to break free, they may use their remaining
movement action. If the character being grappled gets an extreme success on this roll,
then they break free as a free action instead of a task action (expertise is not necessary).
For example, if a character is being held by an attacker with rank 6 Brawn, they would
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need to make a Brawn (or Agility) task roll against task difficulty 14 (6 + 8). If they roll
a 17 or more, they achieve an extreme success, and breaking free is a free action. If the
defender has Telekinesis, they may use the rank of their Telekinesis in lieu of their Brawn
or Agility to break free.
Characters being grappled are considered restrained. A restrained character is not
helpless, but they cant use normal movement until they break free of the grapple.
Attacking the held character is easier (attackers gain a +3 attack bonus when attacking
the held character), and their attacks are easier to avoid (defenders gain a +3 defense
bonus when the held character attacks them).
If the attacker wishes to exert strength or leverage in an attempt to hurt the grappled
character, this causes Endurance damage, and the damage rating (DR) of this attack
is equal to the attackers rank in Brawn or Agility (whichever is greater). Any power or
equipment that provides protection from Endurance damage, such as Invulnerability and
Force Field, reduces the amount of damage the held character takes from the attack. The
protection value (PV) of the protection power is subtracted from the damage rating of the
grapple. The remaining damage is subtracted from the targets Endurance. Characters
with human level Brawn or Agility (rank 3 or less) inflict stunning damage with their
grappling attacks. A character with rank 3 Brawn or Agility would have damage rating 3,
and any damage inflicted would be stunning, and therefore temporary. A character with
rank 4 Brawn or Agility would have damage rating 4, and the damage inflicted would be
normal. See Stunning (p.155) for more details.
If the attacker wishes to move or throw the grappled character, the distance the attacker
may move the defender is based on the Brawn of the attacker and the mass of the
defender. First, look up the mass of the defender or object to be moved in the Lifts
column of the Benchmarks table (rounding to the nearest weight value), and find the
corresponding rank for that weight. Subtract that rank from the Brawn of the attacker,
and look up that resulting rank in the Benchmarks table. Find the corresponding distance
in the Throws column. This is how far the attacker could throw an object of that
weight. This rank is also the damage rating (DR) of the impact if the attacker makes
the defender hit a solid object such as a wall or the ground. Particularly soft or yielding
surfaces can reduce the impact damage by as much as half.
Example:
Ganyeka has Brawn 5 and wants to throw Widow, whom he has successfully grappled. Widow weighs
148 pounds, which would be rank 1 in the Lifts column in the Benchmarks table. Subtracting 1 from
Ganyekas rank 5 Brawn, we find that Ganyeka can throw Widow 50 feet.
Instead, he throws her at a nearby brick wall. The impact has a damage rating of 4, which is the
rank of 50 feet in the Throws column in the Benchmarks table. After subtracting Widows rank 2
Invulnerability, she takes 2 Endurance damage from hitting the wall, and so she subtracts 2 from her
current Endurance. The wall, being brick, has rank 5 Invulnerability, and is undamaged by having
Widow thrown at it.

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Ramming
A ramming attack involves using the velocity of the attacker to increase the damage
inflicted. Ramming requires the attacker to use their movement action to travel directly
toward the target, followed by a hand-to-hand attack. The ramming attack itself requires
a Prowess task roll against the Prowess of the intended target, and the target receives
a +1 defense bonus against the ramming attack. The damage rating of the ramming
attack is equal to the attackers rank in Brawn + 1 or the rank of the attackers movement
power, whichever is greater. Ramming may be called by various names depending on the
technique the attacker uses, such as flying tackle, charge, or pounce.
Slamming
A slam or takedown involves using a targets mass and velocity against them so that they
fall to the ground. Slams are only effective against targets whose feet are on the ground to
begin with. A slam can represent a an aikido throw, a leg sweep, a judo hip toss, or even
tripping someone with an umbrella, depending on the attackers fighting style.
A slam requires a Prowess task roll against the Prowess of the intended target. If the slam
attack is successful, the defender falls to the ground and may be injured by the impact.
The damage rating of this attack is normally equal to the attackers rank in Agility.
Characters with human level Agility (rank 3 or less) inflict stunning damage with their
slams. A character with rank 3 Agility would have damage rating 3, and any damage
inflicted would be temporary. See Stunning (p.155) for more details.
If the defender was moving, the damage rating of this attack is equal to the defenders
rank in their movement power or the attackers rank in Agility, whichever is greater.
If the defenders rank in their movement power is 3 or less, the slam inflicts stunning
damage.
Sweep Attacks
A sweep attack permits a character to make a hand-to-hand attack against everyone
within reach. A sweep attack requires a single Prowess task roll against the Prowess of
each of the intended targets. Each defender receives a +3 defense bonus against the sweep
attack. The damage rating of the sweep attack is equal to the attackers rank in Brawn.
Taunting
Taunts can be used to goad an opponent into attacking. Taunting requires a Willpower
task roll against the Willpower of the character being taunted. If the taunt is successful,
then the target of the taunt will use their next available action to attack the taunting
character. If that attack misses the taunting character, the attack will instead strike
whatever or whomever is directly behind the taunting character.

Defense
Defending against an attack typically has two parts: determining the difficulty against
which the attacker must roll to successfully hit the target, and withstanding the damage
that results from a successful task roll to hit. Avoiding an attack is referred to as defense,
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while the ability of a target to withstand all or part of the damage is called protection.
Invulnerability and Force Field, for example, provide a protection value (PV) equal to the
rank of the power.
If the target of an attack is unconscious or unable to move freely to avoid the attack, the
attacker gains a +6 attack bonus. This applies to powers such as Telepathy in addition to
more overtly damaging powers such as Blast.
Blocking
During their round, or as a forced action, a character may choose to use a task action to
block. A block might entail using brute force to withstand the attack, or it might involve
using finesse to harmlessly divert an attack away: the choice is up to the player. To
attempt a block, the player attempts a Prowess task roll against the rank of the attackers
power or weapon. For example, if the attacker had rank a 9 Blast, the task difficulty to
block it would be 9 + 8 = 17.
The defender may continue to block additional attacks until their next action. The
difficulty modifier for the block increases by 1 for every attack after the first. For example,
a character who has used a forced action to block a Blast may continue to attempt to
block each time they are attacked until their next action two rounds later. If the sixth
such attack was made by an attacker with Brawn rank 6, the difficulty modifier for the
block would be equal to 6 + 8 + 5 = 19 (Brawn + 8 + cumulative difficulty modifier =
19).
If the defender has expertise with blocking and rolls an extreme success, then the
cumulative difficulty modifier for multiple blocks is reset to zero. For example, if a
character uses a forced action to block a Blast, they may continue to attempt to block
each time they are attacked until their next action two rounds later. If the fifth such
attack was made by an attacker with Brawn rank 6, the difficulty modifier for the block
would be equal to 6 + 8 + 4 = 18 (Brawn + 8 + cumulative difficulty modifier = 18). If
the defender rolls 21 or higher and has expertise with blocking, the cumulative difficulty
is reset. If the sixth such attack was made by an attacker with Brawn rank 6, the difficulty
modifier for the block would be equal to 6 + 8 + 0 = 14.
Normally, only attacks which inflict Endurance damage may be blocked. However, if the
defender has the same power as the attacker, they may use that power to attempt to block.
For example, a defender with Telepathy may use their Telepathy to attempt to block the
Telepathy of an attacker. With the GMs permission, a character may attempt to block
with a power that has a similar theme or power source. For example, a GM might permit
a character to use their Telepathy to attempt to block an attackers Mind Control.
A character chooses to block after determining if the attack will successfully hit: there is
no need to block an attack that misses. A successful block completely negates the attack.
An unsuccessful block has no effect on the attack.
Dodging
During their round, or as a forced action, a character may choose to use a task action to
dodge. To attempt a dodge, the player attempts an Agility task roll against the rank of
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the attackers power or weapon. For example, if the attacker had rank a 9 Blast, the task
difficulty to dodge it would be 9 + 8 = 17.
The defender may continue to dodge additional attacks until their next action. The
difficulty modifier for the dodge increases by 1 for every attack after the first. For
example, a character who has used a forced action to dodge a punch may continue to
attempt to dodge each time they are attacked until their next action two rounds later. If
the sixth such attack was made by an attacker with Blast rank 7, the difficulty modifier
for the dodge would be equal to 7 + 8 + 5 = 20 (Blast + 8 + cumulative difficulty
modifier = 20).
If the defender has expertise with dodging and rolls an extreme success, then the
cumulative difficulty modifier for multiple dodges is reset to zero. For example, if a
character uses a forced action to dodge a punch, they may continue to attempt to dodge
each time they are attacked until their next action two rounds later. If the fifth such
attack was made by an attacker with Blast rank 7, the difficulty modifier for the dodge
would be equal to 7 + 8 + 4 = 19 (Blast + 8 + cumulative difficulty modifier = 19). If
the defender rolls 22 or higher and has expertise with dodging, the cumulative difficulty
is reset. If the sixth such attack was made by an attacker with Blast rank 7, the difficulty
modifier for the dodge would be equal to 7 + 8 + 0 = 15.
Normally, only attacks which inflict Endurance damage may be dodged. However, if
the defender has the same power as the attacker, they may use that power to attempt to
dodge. For example, a defender with Telepathy may use their Telepathy to attempt to
dodge the Telepathy of an attacker. With the GMs permission, a character may attempt
to dodge with a power that has a similar theme or power source. For example, a GM
might permit a character to use their Telepathy to attempt to dodge an attackers Mind
Control.
A character chooses to dodge after determining if the attack will successfully hit: there is
no need to dodge an attack that misses. A successful dodge completely negates the attack.
An unsuccessful dodge has no effect on the attack.
Diving For Cover
Attacks which are particularly large, such as a thrown car or bus, are much more difficult
to avoid. The only way to avoid such attacks is to not be under them when they land. If
a character is about to be hit by a large attack, they can take a forced action to dive for
cover. When diving for cover, the character moves to the nearest open ground beyond
the area of the attack or behind the nearest cover, and ends up on the ground prone. A
character may perform a forced action to dive for cover from an ordinary attack, if they
want, but since it leaves the character prone and vulnerable, and it sacrifices their next
action, doing so is probably unwise.
If the nearest safe area or cover is too far away for the character to reach it with a normal
move, then there is no benefit to diving for cover. Sorry.

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Damage
Once the attacker successfully makes their task roll to affect the target and the
consequences of extreme success (if any) are determined, the damage rating (DR) of the
attack is applied against the defenders protection value (PV).
In hand-to-hand combat, an unarmed characters damage rating is equal to their rank
in Brawn. Characters with human level Brawn (rank 3 or less) inflict stunning damage
with their unarmed hand-to-hand attacks. For example, a character with rank 3 Brawn
would have damage rating 3, and any damage inflicted would be stunning, and therefore
temporary. A character with rank 4 Brawn, however, would have damage rating 4, and
the damage inflicted would be normal. See Stunning (p.155) for more details.
Hand-to-hand weapons such as clubs and knives have a damage rating equal to the
rank of the weapon or the characters Brawn rank + 1, whichever is greater. A knife
with damage rating 1 wielded by a character with rank 2 Brawn would have an effective
damage rating of 3. Using a weapon allows a character with Brawn of 3 or less to inflict
normal damage rather than stunning damage.
The damage rating of a ranged attack is generally equal to the rank of the power or
weapon being used.
Exploding, penetrating, and stunning attacks modify how much damage is caused or how
a character defends against it.
Exploding
An exploding attack causes its damage to everyone within a certain range of the target.
Because an exploding attack does not need to be aimed at a specific target, the difficulty
of the task roll is 9. However, because exploding attacks are not targeted at specific
individuals, they do not benefit from extreme success.
The damage rating of the explosion diminishes with distance from the center. The
damage rating is at its full value within half of the total radius, and at one-half of its full
value in the remainder of the explosion. For example, a typical fragmentation grenade
would have a damage rating of 5 from the center out to a radius of 25 feet (half its total
radius), and a damage rating of 3 from 25 feet out to the limit of its radius of 50 feet.
Penetrating
Damage from a penetrating attack ignores 50% of the defenders protection (round in
defenders favor).
Stunning
Damage from a stunning attack is temporary. Record it separately; it all comes back after
the fight is over, when the character has had a chance to rest and recuperate.

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Protection
After determining the effective damage rating (DR) of the attack, that total is applied
against the targets protection value (PV). The protection value is subtracted from the
damage rating, and any remaining damage is subtracted from targets appropriate
attribute (typically Endurance).
Endurance damage and Endurance protection are the most common, but some attacks
inflict other forms of damage, and require other forms of protection. For example, a
character attacked with Reason Drain would need some form of protection against
Reason damage (Attribute Invulnerability, for example).
Multiple layers of the same type of protection do not stack: only the greatest protection
value applies. For example, a character with rank 6 Invulnerability would not benefit
from a rank 5 Force Field, nor from wearing an armored vest that provides rank 2
Invulnerability.

Recovery
After a chance to rest and recuperate (maybe half an hour), an injured character recovers
half the endurance they have recently lost. After that, injuries normally heal only with
extended rest or with medical care. With this rest or medical care, the character will
regain one Endurance per day; without it, they will regain one Endurance per week.
If the character has taken some other form of damage, such as Strength damage or
damage to one of their powers, this damage is temporary. It all comes back after the fight
is over, when the character has had a chance to rest and recuperate.

Death
If a characters Endurance is reduced to zero, they are rendered unconscious. If a
characters Endurance is reduced to the negative of its starting value (-6 for a character
whose normal Endurance is 6, for example), death is the most likely result.
However, there is precedent in the Kalos Universe for death not being final. Depending
on the character, their background, and the needs of the story, death may be temporary
or merely a transitional phase. For example, when Dryad was killed during the Audobon
Park Massacre, her oak tree on the grounds of the Vanguard headquarters seemed to die
as well. It was only later when Doctor Morpheus joined Vanguard that it was discovered
that her tree was not dead, but merely dormant, setting the stage for Dryads eventual
return.
Whether death is final for a character also depends on how they died. Did the manner
of their death leave any room for doubt? Might their powers provide a way for them to
return from the circumstances that killed them? And most importantly, did their death
have an important impact on the story? The way a character dies may be their most
defining moment; if so, it would cheat them and the story for their death to be temporary.
Still, there is always a loophole if you need one. The most important thing to remember
about death is that it should never be decided by a roll of the dice.

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Plot Points
Each player begins each game session with one plot point. A player gains a plot point
when one of their characters complications causes a serious problem for them during the
game, or as a reward when they do something particularly entertaining or interesting, or
when they cooperate with the GM to make things more difficult for the characters. Plot
points are spent for an automatic success, to gain a temporary increase in power, to gain
a temporary power, or to alter the game world in some way.

Gaining Plot Points

Players receive plot points for helping make the game more fun, and they spend them
to make their character more effective. Each player starts each game session with one
plot point, and should get one or two more during each game session. Its in the players
best interests to spend these plot points before the end of the game session, because
any unspent plot points do not carry over to the next game (unless the GM makes an
exception).
Plot points shouldnt be given to a player just for roleplaying their character they
should be doing that anyway. The GM should give out a plot point when the player
does something really exceptional or inventive, or when the player volunteers for their
character to suffer some dramatic setback. The player might even suggest ways that their
characters complications can come into play, giving the GM an opportunity to ramp up
the tension. The GM can also reward a player for roleplaying in accordance with their
characters motivations when its not in the characters best interests to do so.
Its important for the GM to remember that while plot points are a reward for making the
game fun, they also make the characters more powerful. A game in which plots points
are handed out by the handful will have a much different feel than one in which they are
given out sparingly. Its probably reasonable for each player to receive two or three plot
points over the course of a typical three or four hour game session.

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Spending Plot Points

The examples listed here are the most common uses for plot points, but they arent the
only ones. If a player wants to spend a plot point to make something fun happen, and
it has about the same impact on the game as these examples, the GM should consider
permitting it. For example, lets say an invasion of lava pygmies has caused extensive
damage to a street, destroyed a few cars, and melted a mailbox. If a character with time
control powers wanted to spend a plot point to reverse time and undo this damage after
the lava pygmies have been repelled, should the GM permit it? Sure! Its fun, and it
doesnt unbalance the game.
Automatic Success
An automatic success is just that: the player spends a plot point, and their character
succeeds at the current task roll. This can be a skill roll, or it can be an attempt to hit in
combat. If the character has expertise and the player wants to check for extreme success,
the player should roll as usual: anything less than extreme success is treated as a normal
successful roll. (There is no reason to roll if the character does not have expertise.) The
GM may forbid the use of a plot point to achieve an automatic success if the task is simply
impossible.
An automatic success lasts as long as the effects of the roll would normally last.
Inspiration
Despite the best intentions of the GM, sometimes players get stuck. All of the leads have
been followed, all of the witnesses have been interviewed, and the players are oblivious
to the obvious solution the GM has given them to their dilemma. When all else fails, a
player can spend a plot point to make an intuitive leap and receive a hint from the GM
on what to do next.
If the GM finds this happening with any regularity, it might be worthwhile for them to
make their plots a bit less challenging.
Power Boost
A power boost increases one of the characters attributes or powers by one rank (rank 14
maximum). A character with Brawn 5 could gain a temporary boost to Brawn 6, or a
character with Flight 7 could gain a temporary boost to Flight 8. Power boost can also
be used to add a power enhancement to a power. For example, a character with rank 4
Healing could use a power boost to add the Diseases And Toxins power enhancement, or
a character with the Blast power could use a power boost to add the Explosive Damage
power enhancement.
Power boosts usually only last for one round, but they might last as long as a scene if that
seems to make sense and the GM agrees.

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Power Stunt
A power stunt permits a character to use their current powers in new and creative ways.
For example, a character with a rank 4 Ice Blast might use a power stunt to hack into a
computer by freezing its memory, giving them a rank 4 in Computing for that purpose.
A character with a rank 8 Force Field might use a power stunt to turn their force field
into a rank 8 force blade. The outcome of a power stunt is not automatically successful:
the player still needs to roll to determine the outcome, if the outcome is contested or
subject to some uncontrolled factor. A character who used a power stunt to gain rank 4 in
Computing would still need to make a Computing task roll in order to hack the computer.
Power stunts usually only last for one round, but they might last as long as a scene if that
seems to make sense and the GM agrees. For example, if a character with a rank 6 Time
Control used a power stunt to gain rank 6 Extra Attacks, then the Extra Attacks power
should last until the end of the scene or until the six Extra Attacks are used, whichever
comes first.
Rally
Under normal circumstances, an injured character recovers half the endurance they have
recently lost after they have had a chance to rest and recuperate (maybe half an hour).
Spending a plot point allows a character to rally, and recover as though theyd had a half-
hours worth of rest.
Retcon
Retcon is short for retroactive continuity: changing the past in some way that
supports the current needs of the plot. This can involve the realization that a needed
resource is available, but had previously been overlooked (Oh, what I wouldnt give for a
holocaust cloak), or it can take the form of a character revealing a previously unknown
era in their history, thus giving them new background skills (As a matter of fact, I spent
my senior year of high school studying in Japan).
A good retcon should not overtly violate what has been established in the game: it should
build on what has been established in a fun and inventive way.
Retcons are essentially permanent.

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The Environment
Asphyxia
A character who needs to breath but is unable to do so, such as someone drowning
or suffocating, loses one Endurance per minute until they can breathe freely again.
Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as Invulnerability and Force
Field, are not effective against this damage, but rapid healing, such as that provided by
Regeneration, may offset the effects.
A character with Immunity to Asphyxia is unaffected by asphyxia.

Darkness
Darkness, fog, rain, blizzards, and other visual impediments can make combat much
more difficult. If an attacker cant see the defender, the defender gains a +3 defense
bonus; if the attacker cant see at all, the defender gains a +6 defense bonus. Conversely,
if a defender cant see the attacker but the attacker can see them, the attacker gains a +3
attack bonus; if the defender cant see at all but the attacker can, the attacker gains a +6
attacker bonus.
A character with Super Senses such that they can perceive normally suffer no ill effects
from darkness.

Dehydration
A character who goes more than 24 hours without drinking begins to suffer the effects
of dehydration. Initially, the character experiences headaches, loss of appetite, and dry
skin, followed by rapid heart rates, elevated body temperatures, and fatigue. After three
days without water, the character experiences tiredness, irritability, and dizziness. Severe
dehydration results in death.
Characters suffering from dehydration lose 1 Endurance per day until they either die
or are rehydrated. Additionally, the difficulty of any task roll the character attempts
increases by 1 for every day that the character has been without water. Protection against
conventional forms of damage, such as Invulnerability and Force Field, are not effective
against this damage, but rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration, may offset
the effects.
A character with Immunity to Starvation is unaffected by dehydration.

Exposure
Extremes of heat and cold can be dangerous to those without adequate protection from
the elements. Characters exposed to extreme temperatures gradually lose Endurance
until they either die or find shelter. How quickly they lose Endurance depends on the
severity of the conditions. A hot summer day without shade or water, or a frosty winter
night without a coat cost a character one point of Endurance every six hours or so: brutal,
but not immediately life-threatening. The same character in a blazing hot desert or
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standing on a ridge in the Antarctic would lose a point of Endurance once per minute.
Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as Invulnerability and Force
Field, are not effective against this damage, but rapid healing, such as that provided by
Regeneration, may offset the effects.
A character with Immunity to Exposure (Cold) is unaffected by extreme cold, while a
character with Immunity to Exposure (Heat) is unaffected by extreme heat.

Falling
Falling inflicts damage based on the distance fallen. Look up the distance the character
falls in the Throws column in the Benchmarks table, and find the corresponding
rank. This rank is the damage rating inflicted by falling that distance. Under normal
circumstances, the maximum damage inflicted by falling is 8, due to the resistance of the
Earths atmosphere.
Particularly soft or yielding surfaces can reduce the impact damage by as much as half.

Fire
The rank and damage rating of a fire depends on Table: Fire
its heat and intensity. Any power or equipment Rank Fire
that provides protection from Endurance damage, 1 Campfire, torch
such as Invulnerability and Force Field, reduces
the amount of damage a character takes from 2 Burning room
a fire. The protection value of the power is 3 Burning house
subtracted from the damage rating of the fire. The 4 Butane torch
remaining damage is subtracted from the targets
5 Burning warehouse
Endurance once per round.
6 Flame thrower, napalm
A character with Immunity to Exposure (Heat)
may apply one-half of their rank in Immunity 7 Burning flammable chemicals
against the damage rating of the fire. 8 Interior of a blast furnace
Very cool and very hot fires are outside of this 9 Burning explosive chemicals
range. A common household match can cause 10 Oxy-fuel cutting torch
painful burns, for example, but its less damaging
11 Molten lava
than a rank 1 fire. On the other hand, the interior
of the sun is far beyond the temperature of even a 12 Interior of a volcano
rank 14 fire. 13 Surface of the Sun
14 Earths core

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Pathogens
Pathogens are usually infectious microorganisms which cause disease, such as bacteria
and viruses, or parasites, such as fungi and protozoans. Each disease has its own array
of symptoms, and not every person afflicted with a given disease will present every
symptom.
Most diseases caused by pathogens can be categorized as either acute or chronic. Acute
infections affect the patent quickly, run their course, and the patient typically recovers
completely. Chronic diseases are long lasting and may have debilitating effects.
If the GM determines that a character has been exposed to a pathogen that could cause
an acute infection, the character must make a Brawn task roll against the rank of the
pathogen (usually rank 4). If the Brawn task roll is successful, the character resists the
pathogen and may suffer only incidental side-effects such as an itchy throat. If the Brawn
task roll is not successful, the character has succumbed to the pathogen. The disease lasts
for 2d6 days, during which the character feels terrible. Additionally, the difficulty of any
task roll the character attempts increases by 1 until the disease runs its course. Complete
rest and appropriate treatment reduces the recovery time by one-half, and rapid healing,
such as that provided by Regeneration, is also effective at reducing the recovery time.
If the GM determines that a character has been exposed to a pathogen that could cause
a chronic infection, the character must make a Brawn task roll against the rank of the
pathogen (usually rank 4). If the Brawn task roll is successful, the character resists the
pathogen, typically without any symptoms whatsoever. If the Brawn task roll is not
successful, the character has succumbed to the pathogen, and they immediately lose 1
Endurance.
The character must attempt another Brawn task roll once per week. Each failed Brawn
task roll results in another point of Endurance lost. Additionally, the difficulty of any
task roll the character attempts (other than the Brawn task roll to resist the pathogen)
increases by 1 for every failed Brawn task roll. This continues until the character
makes an extreme success on their Brawn task roll (no expertise necessary), or they are
administered the appropriate
cure for the disease (if one
exists), or they die. Once the
character makes an extreme The Burroughs Plague
success on their Brawn task In 2011, a macabre linguistic infection known as
roll against the rank of the the Burroughs Plague resulted in the deaths of
pathogen or is administered hundreds of people in College Park and Beltsville,
Maryland. The symptoms of the disease included
the appropriate cure, they aphasia, dyslexia, dementia, and psychosis,
stop losing Endurance and ultimately resulting in irreversible homicidal rage.
begin to heal normally. Rapid The epidemic was contained and sterilized by the
healing, such as that provided Justifiers before it could spread, and there have
by Regeneration, is effective at been no other outbreaks since.
reducing the recovery time.

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A character with Immunity to Pathogens is unaffected by infectious microorganisms,

parasites, and other pathogens such as prions.

Poisons
Poisons, venoms, and toxins
are substances which disrupt Table: Poisons
biological processes when Rank Poison Type
a sufficient quantity is 3 Copper(II) Sulfate injected
absorbed by an organism. The
3 Lead Arsenate (gas) inhaled
symptoms of poisoning are so
variable that there is no easy 3 Lead Arsenate (solid) ingested
way to classify them. Some 3 Rattlesnake Venom injected
poisons increase heart rate,
3 Scorpion Venom injected
while others cause lowered
heart rate. Some poisons cause 4 Atropine injected
lethargy, while others cause 4 Paris Green (gas) inhaled
hyperactivity. Some poisons 4 Paris Green (solid) ingested
cause pain or gastrointestinal
4 Puffer Fish Poison1 injected
distress, while others cause a
mild, pleasant elation. 5 Arsenic ingested
Immediately after exposure 5 Blue-ringed Octopus Venom injected
or ingestion (depending on 5 Tear Gas2 inhaled
the type of poison), a poisoned 6 Chloroform (vapor)3 inhaled
character must make a Brawn
task roll against the rank of the 6 Cyanide injected
poison. If the Brawn task roll is 6 DDT inhaled
successful, the character takes 6 Mustard Gas2,4 inhaled
no damage from the poison
8 Belladonna injected
and suffers only incidental
side-effects such as nausea. 8 Chloral Hydrate3 ingested
If the Brawn task roll is not 8 Curare injected
successful, the character has 8 Knockout Gas3 inhaled
succumbed to the poison,
and they immediately lose 8 Cyanogen inhaled
1 Endurance. Periodically 8 Sarin Nerve Agent inhaled
thereafter, the character 8 Strychnine injected
must attempt another Brawn
8 VX Nerve Agent contact
task roll (once a round for
very potent poisons, once 10 VX Nerve Agent inhaled
an hour for very weak
poisons, and once a minute 1. Also inflicts Hold at the poisons rank
for normal poisons, at the 2. Also inflicts Blindness at the poisons rank
GMs discretion). Each failed 3. Non-lethal: will not reduce Endurance below 0
Brawn task roll results in 4. Corrosive effects on the skin, eyes, and exposed
mucous membranes
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another point of Endurance lost. This continues until the character successfully makes
a Brawn task roll, or they are administered the appropriate antidote, or they die. Once
the character successfully makes a Brawn task roll against the rank of the poison or is
administered the appropriate antidote, they stop losing Endurance and begin to heal
normally.
Some poisons have effects other than or in addition to Endurance damage and eventual
death. A few such effects are indicated in the table of poisons below.
Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as Invulnerability and Force Field,
are not effective against damage from poisoning, but rapid healing, such as that provided
by Regeneration, may offset the effects.
A character with Immunity to Poisons is unaffected by poisons.

Pressure
Characters exposed to extreme atmospheric pressure lose Endurance until they return to
their natural atmosphere, or their internal and external pressure is equalized (generally
through the use of an air supply specifically designed for use at that pressure), or they die.
How quickly they lose Endurance depends on how prepared they are and the severity of
the conditions. A trained diver 100 feet under water would lose a point of Endurance once
per minute: life threatening, but not immediately fatal. The same character 1000 feet
under water (approximately 30 atmospheres, or 450 psi) would lose a point of Endurance
once per round unless they had specialized breathing apparatus designed to maintain
a constant pressure inside their bodies. At higher pressures, even specialized breathing
apparatus is not enough to protect the body from the structural failure of tissue, not to
mention the pressure on unprotected nerves causing them to stop transmitting impulses.
Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as Invulnerability and Force Field,
are not effective against exposure to extreme pressure, but rapid healing, such as that
provided by Regeneration, may offset the effects.
A character with Immunity to Pressure is unaffected by high pressure.

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Radiation Table: Radiation

Radioactivity is caused by the decay of the Rank Radiation
atomic nucleus of an unstable atom. Living 4 Fallout from a recent nuclear explosion
things exposed to high amounts of ionizing
6 Vial of plutonium
radiation develop acute radiation syndrome
(ARS), also known as radiation poisoning 8 Interior of a nuclear reactor
or radiation sickness. Acute radiation 10 Nuclear explosion
syndrome is an umbrella term for a variety
of symptoms which occur within 24 hours
of exposure and which may last for several months.
The symptoms of acute radiation syndrome depend on the exposure. Relatively small
doses of radiation result in nausea and vomiting, headaches, fatigue, fever, and a
reddening of the skin. Intermediate exposure can result in more severe gastrointestinal
and symptoms related to a drop in the number of blood cells, such as infection and
bleeding. Larger doses can result in neurological effects such as dizziness, headache, or
decreased level of consciousness, followed shortly thereafter by death.
Twenty-four hours after exposure, a character exposed to radiation must make a
successful Brawn task roll against the rank of the radiation. Failure indicates that
the character has developed acute radiation syndrome and they immediately lose 1
Endurance. Each week thereafter, the character must attempt another Brawn task roll.
Each failed Brawn task roll results in another point of Endurance lost. Additionally, the
difficulty of any task roll (including Brawn task rolls) the character attempts increases by 1
for every week that the character has been suffering from acute radiation syndrome. This
continues until the character dies or successfully makes the Brawn task roll. Once the
character successfully makes the Brawn task roll against the rank of the radiation, they
stop losing Endurance and may begin to heal normally.

Liefeld Radiation
Exposure to Liefeld radiation typically
results in spontaneous painful deformity
followed by death. Symptoms include
atrophy of the hands, feet, and abdomen,
and a grotesque increase in musculature in
the chest and thighs. However, in rare and
isolated cases, exposure to Liefeld radiation
has resulted in a permanent transformation
from human to posthuman. Such cases are
one in a million, at best.

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Suitable treatment grants a +3 bonus on the victims Brawn task roll. Small doses of
radiation are treated with blood transfusions and antibiotics, while greater doses of
radiation require exotic treatments such as bone marrow transplants. Large doses of
radiation are invariably fatal to normal human beings.
Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as Invulnerability and Force Field,
are not effective against damage from acute radiation syndrome, but rapid healing, such
as that provided by Regeneration, may offset the effects.
A character with Immunity to Radiation is unaffected by radiation.

Sleep Deprivation
A character who goes more than 24 hours without sleep begins to suffer the effects
of sleep deprivation. Initially, the character experiences weariness, confusion, and
irritability. After three days without sleep, the character experiences hallucinations and
decreased cognitive ability. Prolonged, complete sleep deprivation results in weight loss
and ultimately death.
A character suffering from sleep deprivation loses 1 Reason per day until their Reason
equals 0. Once the characters Reason is reduced to 0, the character loses 1 Willpower
per day until their Willpower equals 0. Once the characters Willpower is reduced to 0,
the character loses 1 Endurance per day until their Endurance equals 0. Under normal
circumstances, the character will fall unconscious at this point and remain so for at least
a day. However, if the character is physically prevented from sleeping they will continue
to lose 1 Endurance per day until they die. Protection against conventional forms of
damage, such as Invulnerability and Force Field, are not effective against the effects of
sleep deprivation, nor is rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration.
A character with Immunity to Sleep Deprivation is unaffected by sleep deprivation.

Starvation
A character who goes more than 7 days without eating begins to suffer the effects of
starvation. Initially, the character experiences weakness, confusion, and irritability. After
three weeks without food, the character experiences hallucinations and convulsions.
Starvation eventually results in death.
Characters suffering from starvation lose 1 Endurance per week until they either die or
eat again. Additionally, the difficulty of any task roll the character attempts increases by 1
for every week that the character has been without food. Protection against conventional
forms of damage, such as Invulnerability and Force Field, are not effective against the
effects of starvation, but rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration, may offset
the effects.
A character with Immunity to Starvation is unaffected by starvation.

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Vacuum
Characters exposed to vacuum lose Endurance until they return to their natural
atmosphere or they die. How quickly they lose Endurance depends on how prepared
they are and the rapidity of the loss of atmosphere. A trained astronaut who is exposed
to a loss of atmosphere over the course of a minute would lose a point of Endurance once
per minute: life threatening, but not immediately fatal. The same character exposed to a
vacuum without warning would lose a point of Endurance once per round.
Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as Invulnerability and Force Field,
are not effective against exposure to vacuum, but rapid healing, such as that provided by
Regeneration, may offset the effects.
A character with Immunity to Vacuum is unaffected by vacuum.

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The Kalos Universe

The Kalos Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles
published by Kalos Comics take place, including those featuring Kalos most familiar
characters, such as Paragon, Swan, and Manticore.
On the surface, the Kalos Universe closely resembles our own. The outlines of the
continents are the same, and the names of the nations that humans have created within
those borders are familiar. Much as in our own world, extremes of good and evil exist,
but the gulf between them is a murky area where those of good will can and do disagree.
However, the Kalos Universe can be a strange place. There are ancient civilizations deep
below the surface of the earth and extraterrestrials in the sky above it. Strange forces
are at work, and hidden powers manipulate world events and the news reports of those
events. Still, few people encounter this strangeness in their day-to-day lives or recognize
it when they do. For the vast majority of humanity, the world of the Kalos Universe is
virtually the same as the world you live in.

The Multiverse
The Kalos Universe is depicted as existing within a multiverse consisting of a large
number of separate universes, all of which are the creations of Kalos Comics and all of
which are, in a sense, Kalos universes. In this context, Kalos Universe is taken to
refer to the mainstream Kalos continuity, which is known as Earth Zero or Earth-0.
The universe of Earth-0 has no particular significance in comparison to that of
Earth-1 or any other universe the name is simply a convenience. A more technically
accurate nomenclature would define the Kalos Universe in terms of its location in
the multiverse within 196,883 dimensional space. Since this would require the listing
of 196,883 coordinates, the use of Earth-0, Earth-162, Earth-4661, etc., is a
convenient shorthand.
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Atlantis and Lemuria

Twenty thousand years ago, aquatic extraterrestrials founded two colonies on Earth: one
in the Atlantic Ocean and one in the Indian Ocean. The colony in the Atlantic Ocean
was called Atlantis, and the colony in the Indian Ocean was called Lemuria. Initially,
the inhabitants of Atlantis and Lemuria were physically indistinguishable, but as the
millennia passed, the two colonies diverged both culturally and biologically.
The Atlanteans chose to mix the genetic structure of the native population of Earth
with their own, and today they resemble humans in most ways other than skin tone:
Atlanteans are more likely to have blue or jet black skin rather than the range of pinks
and browns common to humans. The Lemurians, on the other hand, mixed their genetic
code with that of the sea creatures best suited to survival on their new world. The people
of Lemuria are fishlike humanoids, with vestigial fins and scales ranging from green to
grey. Most Atlanteans are nearly as comfortable breathing in air as in water, but most
Lemurians have difficulty breathing in open air.
Although both Atlantis and Lemuria have degenerated since the two colonies were
founded, Atlantis has retained most of its scientific knowledge. The Lemurians, however,
have lost a great deal of the scientific knowledge they once had. Nonetheless, both
civilizations possess technology far in advance of 21st century humanity.
The Atlanteans and the Lemurians both value tradition and military prowess. Lineage
and personal combat play a central role in the selection of leaders of both civilizations.
However, the Atlanteans have an egalitarian society, while the Lemurians have a caste
system which elevates warriors above technicians and laborers.
For most of recorded human history, both the Atlanteans and the Lemurians have
practiced an isolationist policy where the surface world is concerned. However, the
Atlanteans have recently taken the bold move of sending an envoy to the surface world.
The first such Atlantean ambassador was Antiope, who was a member of the Justifiers
until she was killed by her teammate Paragon. It remains to be seen whether they will
send another.
Even though Antiope spoke at the United Nations and was a member of the Justifiers
for decades, a significant number of people do not believe that Atlantis is anything more
than a myth (roughly 20% of the polled populace of the Unites States, for example).
Of those that do believe Atlantis exists, over half hold erroneous beliefs about it. For
example, some believe that it is no longer inhabited, while others believe that the
inhabitants of Atlantis were ancestors of humanity, and many people believe that Atlantis
sank at some point in the distant past and that the inhabitants live in air-filled domes.
Public awareness of Lemuria is even less accurate.

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Extraterrestrials
Earth has been visited by aliens many times in its history, although few people are
aware of this. Most of these visits were well before 3000 BCE, which is when humans
began recording history. Some may have even been before the evolution of Homo sapiens
approximately 200,000 years ago.
However, since the beginning of recorded history extraterrestrials have only openly visited
Earth twice: Draconian, who came to our world in 1951 after escaping the destruction of
his home planet (inspiring the film The Day The Earth Stood Still), and the Isopterans,
who invaded Earth in 2009 (inspiring numerous alien invasion films in the following
years). Some experts believe that a third group of aliens, the Shran, has visited the Earth,
but there is little evidence for this, and the claim is disputed.
Even though the Isopterans landed on five different continents and the conflict was
reported by every news medium, a significant number of people do not believe that
extraterrestrials exist (roughly 30% of the polled populace of the Unites States, for
example).

Posthumans
The first half-dozen posthumans who made their presence widely known appeared
during World War 2, as part of the Red Army fighting the invading forces of Nazi
Germany. Soon, similar groups of posthumans appeared, fighting for the Axis (primarily
in Europe and Africa) and for the Allies (primarily in Europe and the Pacific).
Despite their incredible powers, posthumans have had a subdued effect on world affairs.
Posthuman geniuses have given mankind extraordinary scientific and medical advances,
but in nearly all cases these advances have been released gradually by the governments of
the world (ostensibly to prevent the destabilizing influence of sudden leaps in technology).
Similarly, at the behest of conventional authorities, posthumans have generally
refrained from involvement in everyday politics and diplomacy. The exceptions to this
rule have traditionally been condemned as terrorists and threats to all of humanity.
This phenomenon was most evident during the McCarthy era, when a small group of
politically active posthumans calling themselves the Committee For The Advancement
Of Mankind were convicted in absentia of violating the Smith Act.
There are fewer than 800 posthumans worldwide. Approximately 200 of these are in
North America, roughly 100 of which are in the United States. Posthumans, particularly
those who originate in the Americas, have a slightly greater than average tendency to
migrate to the United States.
Most posthumans have the same thoughts, feelings, and behaviour as ordinary humans.
These behaviours are the result not only of their individual experiences and environment
but also of what happened to their ancestors millions of years ago. As such, human
nature is shared, to a large extent, by everyone on Earth, even posthumans. Like most
human beings in the Kalos Universe, posthumans are selfish and seek to improve their

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own conditions at the expense of others. At the same time, human beings have a great
capacity to cooperate and display enormous depths of compassion, even toward people
they have never met, and so do many posthumans.

Corporations
The corporation is the dominant institution of the 21st century. A corporation is a legal
entity created to shield the people controlling it from liability. The ultimate goal of a
corporation is to make as large a profit as possible. Other considerations, such as the
quality of the product or service the corporation provides, the health and welfare of
its employees and customers, the integrity of the environment, the survival of future
generations, and adherence to the law are discarded when it is cost effective to do so. For
example, if the fine associated with violating a government regulation is lower than the
cost of complying with the regulation, the corporation will violate the regulation and
pay the fine (or challenge the fine in court, if that seems more cost-effective). Similarly,
if a product may result in the deaths of a percentage of those who use it, and the cost of
defending against or settling any ensuing lawsuits is predicted to be lower than the cost
of altering the products design, the corporation will produce and sell the product as-is
rather than sacrifice profits to prevent the deaths.
Corporations accrue political power by funding politicians who support the corporations
interests. Typically, political influence is used to increase incomes, eliminate competition,
or externalize costs by either enacting or eliminating laws and regulations. For example,
the multinational corporation Lastimar used its political influence in the USA to ensure
the addition of riders to a multi-billion dollar agricultural appropriations bill. These
riders required the Secretary of Agriculture to grant a temporary permit for the planting
or cultivation of a genetically engineered crop, even if a federal court were to order the
planting be halted until an Environmental Impact Statement could be completed.
When the same individuals serve on the boards of directors of multiple corporations,
this is known as an interlocking directorate. A similar practice in Japan is known as a
keiretsu. Interlocking directorates increase the efficiency of the separate corporations by
facilitating coordinated action and unifying the political-economic power of corporate
executives. In this way, corporations can avoid costly competition and focus on
coordinated maximization of profit.
Many corporations present a carefully crafted persona to the public designed to
increase sales and engender trust. For example, the corporation may contribute to
highly publicized environmental causes (while causing massive damage to the biosphere
elsewhere), it may donate funds to childrens charities (while paying Indonesian children
three cents an hour to work in its factories), or it may run commercials featuring a
friendly mascot with an innocent smile and gentle, self-deprecating humor. Corporations
employ teams of marketing analysts and psychologists to ensure that the consumer
perception of the corporation is that of a trusted friend who provides essential goods and
services.

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Posthumans are too rare for most corporations to target them as either consumers or
resources. Some corporations have used posthumans in their advertising campaigns, but
like the California Raisins and the Taco Bell dog, these corporate mascots are swiftly
replaced when they no longer enhance sales. A few posthumans have managed to find
employment as independent contractors, using their abilities for whomever pays them,
but most corporations are reluctant to employ posthumans in this capacity. Corporations
prefer not to utilize posthumans for two main reasons. First, posthumans are unique and
therefore irreplaceable, putting the corporation at a disadvantage if it becomes dependent
on the posthumans services. Second, the hiring of posthumans exposes the corporation
to unknown liability. For these reasons, any corporate hiring of posthuman contractors is
typically done through intermediaries.

Lastimar
Lastimar, the agrochemical and biotechnological giant, is the worlds largest provider
of genetically engineered seeds and the worlds leading producer of herbicides such as
glycine phosphonate (marketed under the brand name BrownOut). For most of the
20th century, Lastimar was a leader in the fields of plastics, insecticides, and industrial
chemicals. In recent decades, Lastimar has pioneered the field of genetically engineered
hormones to increase milk and meat production in livestock.
Lastimar became involved in a number of high-profile lawsuits in the 1980s and 1990s
as a result of birth defects and environmental damage caused by its herbicides and
insecticides, as well as from its dumping of toxic chemicals during the 1960s and 1970s.
Through a series of acquisitions, spin-offs, and mergers, the Lastimar that existed from
1901 to 2000 and the current Lastimar are legally two distinct corporations. Although
they share the same name, corporate headquarters, and many of the same executives and
other employees, no responsibility for liabilities arising out of activities from the pre-2001
Lastimar carry forward to the current Lastimar.

Nexus-McKessen
Nexus makes life better!
Nexus-McKessen is one of the most powerful and well-known companies in the Kalos
Universe. Nexus-McKessen is a multinational corporation which manufactures and
distributes pharmaceuticals and provides health information technology and health
care management software. It is a leader in the field of genetic research and design, with
patents on over 130,000 separate lifeforms and gene sequences.
Nexus-McKesson is the sponsor of Nexus, one of the few posthumans who operates
publicly in a role resembling that of a comicbook superhero. The superhero Nexus
operates out of the Nexus USA building in Chicago, Illinois. He makes frequent
appearances at childrens hospitals, fund-raising banquets for non-controversial charities,
and rallies for apolitical causes such as food banks, children with special needs, and pet
adoption.

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Shopway
Shopway is an American multinational corporation which operates over 10,000 stores
in 21 countries under 75 different names. The company is the worlds largest public
corporation, the biggest private employer in the world, and the largest retailer in the
world. Despite being publicly traded, Shopway is controlled by the Hernandez family,
which owns a 52% stake in the corporation. Collectively, the Hernandez family is worth
a total of $142 billion, and the family members earn over three billion dollars a year in
dividends off of their Shopway stock.
The Shopway corporation has come under fire from labor unions, religious organizations,
feminist groups, gay and lesbian groups, environmental groups, and consumer activist
groups, each of which objects to some aspect of Shopways business operations. Other
groups disapprove of the corporations extensive foreign product sourcing, treatment of
employees and product suppliers, use of public subsidies, and the impact of stores on the
local economies of towns in which they operate. Shopway has settled out of court or has
quietly eliminated any attack which has threatened its hegemony.

Sinochem
Sinochem is a multinational oil and gas corporation based in China. Sinochem employs
very few people directly, and its direct assets are mainly in the form of brands, product
specifications, and scientific expertise. However, Sinochem owns thousands of other
multinational corporations in the energy, petroleum, and natural gas sectors, including
many familiar, all-American brands. Through its subsidiary companies, Sinochem is
the largest petrochemical company in the world, producing approximately 17% of the
worlds oil production and earning more than double the annual revenue of its nearest
competitor.

Zhangsun Telecom
Zhangsun Telecom is a multinational corporation controlled by Zhang Ka-shing, one of
the twenty richest people in the world. Zhang Ka-shing emigrated to the United States
from Hong Kong in 1998 and obtained American citizenship for himself and his two
children. Over the course of the next few years, he moved the corporate headquarters of
his company to Manhattan from Hong Kong. However, the company still has extensive
holdings in China, primarily in land development and telecommunications. In the rest of
the world, the majority of their holdings are in telecommunications, hotels, and resorts. In
2012, the 80-year-old Zhang Ka-shing retired and moved back to Hong Kong, where his
son runs the Asian divisions of the company, leaving control of the North American and
European divisions to his daughter, Zhang Qianwei (called Chloe Zhang in English-
speaking countries).
Chloe Zhang is a world-famous athlete, actress, scientist, and all-around media sensation
and international celebrity. In addition to her responsibilities as the Vice President in
charge of Research and Development for Zhangsun Telecoms North American and
European divisions, Chloe Zhang is the flying armored adventurer Manticore.

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Governments
George Washington is reputed to have said, Government is not reason, it is not
eloquence it is force. While the authenticity of the quotation is in doubt, the accuracy
of that assertion is not.
In the Kalos Universe, governments are the tangible expression of the natural tendency
of some individuals to seek to dominate others through the use of force. This doesnt
necessarily mean that such people are inherently evil. Most people are morally
ambiguous: they want the best for their friends and family, but are ambivalent, at best,
about what that may cost others. Many people who seek power start with good intentions,
or at least a benign desire for their own betterment, but power swiftly becomes its
own reward. Those who wield this power are the insiders, while those subject to the
governments rule are the outsiders. Insiders have a pecking order where some wield
more power than others, and the means by which insiders rise and fall in the hierarchy
depend on the specific form of government.
The goals of those in government depend on their rank in the hierarchy, and vice versa.
At the lowest levels, such as a city council or a school board, most insiders will seek to use
their power and status to force others to adhere to a certain moral code or to gain some
benefit for a preferred social group. Some may even seek to promote what they perceive
to be the common good. At intermediate levels, such as in state governments, smaller
national agencies, or even upper levels of national governments in smaller countries, the
insiders desire for money, power, and status is as important as their concern for public
morality or social justice. At the highest levels of government, such as the legislatures and
major agencies of world powers, the goals of those in government are money, power, and
status, to the exclusion of all other considerations.
Outsiders, those not in government, often think that governments exist to provide
services. Governments may in fact provide services for outsiders, but this is incidental.
A government without a postal system, a highway department, or a department that
administers medical subsidies would still be a government. A government without
an army, on the other hand, would cease to be a government. As Mao Zedong said,
Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.
Since the end of World War 2, most governments have kept posthumans at arms length,
wishing to avoid the widespread adoption of posthuman soldiers in international conflicts.
In 1970, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Posthuman Combatants, commonly
known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, went into effect. A total of 190 parties
have joined the treaty, including the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France,
and China (the only five nations with posthuman soldiers at the time that the treaty
was signed). More countries have ratified the NPT than any other arms limitation and
disarmament agreement, a testament to the treatys significance. Four non-parties to
the treaty are known or believed to employ posthuman soldiers: India, Pakistan, and
North Korea have openly declared that they do, while Israel has had a policy of opacity
regarding its own posthuman recruitment program.

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The Law
Posthumans are not common enough to have had a significant impact on the law.
Posthuman crime is so rare that exceptions have yet to be made for it; what is against
the law for humans remains against the law for posthumans, and the penalties applied to
human crime has, thus far, been deemed sufficient for posthuman crime.
No posthuman prison has been established: conventional prisons have had to cope as
well as they can with posthuman inmates. In practice, posthumans have a higher than
average number of escape attempts, and a much higher than average number of these
attempts are successful.

Just Following Orders

The bureaucrats, soldiers, and police officers who carry out the will of their superiors
are not cackling, mustache-twirling villains. At the same time, people who are simply
doing their jobs can perform acts of extraordinary depravity. In the famous experiments
done by Yale psychologist Stanley Milgram in the early 1960s, he asked various subjects
to deliver intense shocks to people in other rooms who wrongly answered a series of
questions. The shocks increased with each incorrect answer, up to lethal levels at the
end. Two-thirds of the participants followed through until the end, administering the
final 450-volt shock to their unseen victims. This was the main lesson of his study, that
ordinary people, simply doing their jobs, and without any particular hostility on their
part, can become agents in a terrible destructive process. Moreover, even when the
destructive effects of their work become patently clear, and they are asked to carry out
actions incompatible with fundamental standards of morality, relatively few people have
the resources needed to resist authority.

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Subversive Organizations
A subversive organization is one that seeks to transform the established social order and
its structures through force and deception. In essence, subversive organizations seek to
supplant traditional national and cultural loyalties. Subversive organizations are similar
to criminal enterprises in that both are primarily opposed by governments (as opposed
to corporations, which would happily do business with them if doing so would generate
a profit). However, the goal of a subversive organization is the supremacy of a cause or
ideology rather than material gain. Subversive organizations do seek financial gain, often
through criminal activities and donations through various front charities, but this
revenue is merely a means to an end.
Subversion of the power, authority, and hierarchy of an existing social structure is a labor-
intensive task. For this reason, subversive organizations establish or infiltrate front groups
and seek to manipulate existing political parties. Front groups may establish further front
groups, and so on, to the extent that ordinary members have no idea who is actually in
control of their organization. In fact, a given front group may be infiltrated by several
subversive organizations simultaneously. This many-layered structure makes it difficult
for the establishment to root out and eliminate subversive organizations.
Because subversive organizations place loyalty to their ideology above any respect for
law and order (and may in fact be antagonistic to the existing legal structure), the use
of force is always an option, and most subversive organizations prepare for eventual
armed confrontation with the establishment. For this reason, they exert considerable
effort to infiltrate the armed forces, the police, and other institutions of the state, as well
as important non-government organizations. In some cases, the subversive organization
will attempt to plant sleepers in these institutions, but in most cases they will use
a combination of bribery, blackmail, and extortion to gain leverage over vulnerable
individuals who already belong to the targeted institution.
Most subversive organizations realize that the overthrow of the existing order would be
made simpler if the general populace looked upon the traditional power structure with
disdain or apathy. To generate antipathy to the status quo, subversive organizations
provide support to groups who generate civil unrest through demonstrations, strikes, and
boycotts. Additionally, subversive organizations may infiltrate media outlets in order to
shape the narrative that ordinary people use to make their political decisions.
Subversive organizations have many potential uses for posthumans and actively attempt
to recruit them unless the organization has an ideology which prevents it. Because
subversive organizations depend on subtlety more than on overt force, any posthumans in
their ranks are likely to have abilities pertaining to deception and manipulation.

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Aegis
Silent enim leges inter arma
(Laws are silent in times of war)
Aegis is a secret, non-governmental intelligence
organization dedicated to protecting the nations
and peoples of Earth from all threats, terrestrial
or extraterrestrial. Aegis primarily focuses on
posthumans and on subversive organizations with
plans for world domination, such as GORGON.
Operation Aegis was founded in 1911 by high-
ranking officials in the US State Department and
the US War Department, in part in response to
the creation of the Secret Service Bureau by the British in 1909, and in part due to the
subversive activities of GORGON in Germany and the United States.
Aegis ceased to be under US government control in 1929, when it was officially shut
down as part of an effort by Secretary of State Henry Stimson to rein in the US
intelligence services. However, by this time Aegis was self-funding, and the organization
simply continued operations without government oversight.

ASGARD
Publicly, ASGARD (Advisory Science Group for Aerospace Research and Development)
was an agency of NATO that existed from 1952 to 1996. As its name implies, ASGARDs
activities ostensibly concentrated on aerospace research, but in fact it was a secret
GORGON plot to funnel NATO resources and research to GORGON.
ASGARD separated from GORGON in 1973 due to philosophical differences
(prompting GORGON to found the Trilateral Commission to fill the void in that
organization). The legitimate functions of ASGARD merged with the NATO Defence
Research Group (DRG) in 1996 to become the NATO Research and Technology
Organisation (RTO), while their subversive activities secretly continued as ASGARD.
Today, ASGARD is a secret organization dedicated to the establishment of a global
techno-fascist utopia, with ties to NATO and the International Monetary Fund.
ASGARD provides financial and philosophical support to futurists, hacker groups, and
popular technology conferences. ASGARD receives a significant part of its funding
by selling advanced weaponry to terrorists, rogue states, and other subversive
organizations such as GORGON. Arms dealing serves an added benefit to ASGARD,
as it provides them with volunteers to field-test ASGARDs more experimental weapon
designs.

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GORGON
Angst macht den Wolf grer, als er ist
(Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is)
The organization now known as GORGON
began as a dueling society at the Friedrich Schiller
University of Jena in the 16th century. Over the
following century the dueling society developed into
a secret society, the Hocherleuchtete Bruderschaft.
Its purpose was to break down society lines, destroy
rivalry between classes, improve the quality of life,
and increase patriotism. At first, most of its members
were students who had taken part in liberating
Germany from Napoleonic occupation.
The Hocherleuchtete Bruderschaft became increasingly nationalist as time went on.
While freedom, rights, and democracy were given hollow praise, these principles were
seen as being valid only when in service to the concept of a united German national state.
The concept of nationalism gradually fell out of favor with the organizations ruling elite,
and by 1776 their focus had shifted to the control of world affairs through governments
and corporations. Much as the ideals of freedom and democracy had been given lip
service in previous centuries, the concept of German nationalism became little more than
a formality. Along with these changes the organization changed its name, first to Die
Gorgonen and then to GORGON.
By the end of the 19th century, GORGON had become a world-wide subversive
organization dedicated to global domination. In the tradition of its origins, many of the
subordinate subversive organizations and secret societies from which GORGON recruits
its core membership have extreme nationalist or fascist agendas, often with an overlay
of Nazi fetishism. However, the ultimate goal of the High Enlightened Council which
controls GORGON is nothing less than absolute power, divorced from any nationalist
pretensions.
The United States Department of State classifies GORGON as a foreign terrorist
organization.

Jade Moon Society

The Jade Moon Society is controlled by Master Sin, an immortal Korean mastermind.
The Jade Moon Society has its roots in ancient Korea, but in the modern era, it is the
concealed hand which controls a number of other Asian secret societies, such as the Black
Ocean Society, the Heaven and Earth Society, the Green and the Red Societies, and the
Asasiyun. Through these subsidiary organizations, the Jade Moon Society has global
influence.
The true goals of the Jade Moon Society are obscured behind layers of deception. Most
of the organizations the Jade Moon Society controls are concerned with returning to
traditional cultural values. This is true of the Black Ocean Society and the Heaven and
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Earth Society, which are overwhelmingly ethnically Japanese and Chinese, respectively.
Some of the secret societies controlled by the Jade Moon Society are less than respectable.
The Green and the Red Societies, for example, are secret societies of Chinese criminals
with millions of gangsters as members, while the Asasiyun is an ancient secret society
subverted by Master Sin in the 12th century, the name of which has become a synonym
of murder for hire. All of these organizations are simply pawns of the Jade Moon
Society.
Master Sins ultimate goal is a world in perfect ecological balance, but this fact is withheld
from the Jade Moons subordinate secret societies and their numerous front organizations.
Only the fanatically loyal members of the Jade Moon Society itself are aware of this
hidden agenda.

Project Genesis
Project Genesis has its roots in Project Greenback, which was one of a series of systematic
studies of posthumans conducted by the United States Army. Started in 1952, Project
Greenback was the second revival of such a study (the first two of its kind being Projects
Apex and Undertow). It had two goals: to determine if posthumans were a threat to
national security and to scientifically analyze posthuman-related data.
Thousands of reports of posthuman activity were collected, analyzed, and filed. In
December of 1969, the Army provided the following summary of its Project Greenback
investigations:
1. There was no indication that any posthuman investigated by the Army was a
threat to the national security of the United States;
2. There was no evidence submitted to or discovered by the Army that posthuman
activity represented technological developments or principles beyond the range of
modern scientific knowledge; and
3. There were less than a dozen posthumans in the United States, and less than
forty posthumans worldwide.
This report was a lie. Shortly after his election, President Nixon ordered Army Chief of
Staff General William Westmoreland to suppress the results of Project Greenback. Nixon
felt that the American populace would panic if they knew the truth: that posthumans
were a credible threat to national security, that some posthumans had access to advanced
technology, and that posthumans probably numbered in the hundreds in the United
States alone.
Unhappy with the Presidents decision, twelve high ranking Army officers (not to be
confused with Majestic 12, the clandestine US program to trade human children to
the Shran in exchange for extraterrestrial technology) covertly formed Project Genesis.
Their goal was to wage a preemptive war against the posthuman menace. Membership
in Project Genesis grew slowly over the next several years, primarily among higher-
ranking members of the military and trusted troops under their command. The secrecy
of the project was broken in 1975 when a Project Genesis attack against a posthuman
at LaGuardia Airport killed 11 people and injured another 75. The bomber, a young

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Marine named Ernest Stout, was captured by the police and confessed to the bombing,
offering to provide detailed testimony about Project Genesis in exchange for leniency. He
died in custody shortly thereafter while waiting for his lawyer.
Membership in Project Genesis remained predominantly military until the late 1980s,
when significant numbers of civilians began to seek membership in the organization.
Today, the leadership of Project Genesis is still primarily military or former military,
but the bulk of the rank-and-file membership is civilian. Most of the newer members
of Project Genesis frame their opposition to posthumans in religious terms rather
than in terms of national security, likening posthumans to fallen angels or nephilim,
condemned by God.
The FBI classifies Project Genesis as a domestic terrorist organization, while the
Southern Poverty Law Center classifies Project Genesis as a right-wing extremist hate
group.

Technology
Technology available to the public in the Kalos Universe is only slightly more advanced
than that of the real world. However, super-technology may exist in secret government or
corporate laboratories, where it is studied and slowly introduced to the world at large in
order to minimize its disruptive influence on the status quo. In some cases, a posthuman
invention has been reverse engineered so that less powerful versions of the device may be
gradually introduced over the course of several decades. This was the case for lasers and
nanotechnology, for example.
Because posthumans are exceedingly rare, there is no uniform method of coping with
or neutralizing their abilities. Items designed to block or neutralize posthuman abilities,
such as white thought generators (which are used to counter or impair psionic activity),
are rare, expensive, limited in their application, and experimental, and are often morally
dubious as well.

Armor
Conventional armor in the Kalos Universe is on par with that found in our world. Light,
flexible body armor is standard issue for police officers, combat soldiers, and rescue
workers. Heavier rigid or semirigid armor is used by specialists, such as bomb disposal
units. Light armor is proof against most small arms, while heavy personal armor protects
the user from explosives, shrapnel, and armor-piercing small arms. However, even heavy
personal armor provides minimal protection against large caliber or vehicle mounted
weapons.
Powered armor, also known as a powered exoskeleton, is a powered mobile machine
designed to assist and protect the wearer. Due to its expense and its maintenance
requirements, deployment of powered armor is limited to unique or limited-issue
experimental units, such as that worn by Manticore. The primary obstacles to
the widespread adoption of power armored are its cost, its weight, and its energy
requirements. At the present, only two of these three obstacles can be overcome
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simultaneously, limiting the availability of light, long-lasting powered armor to

individuals or organizations with extraordinary financial resources.

Energy
One of the differences between our world and the Kalos Universe is that nuclear
power is much more common in the Kalos Universe. Thanks to efficient extraction of
uranium from the oceans and the recycling of spent uranium, the Kalos Universe has
enough uranium to supply humanity with power until roughly the year 5000. Despite
the abundance of safe, affordable nuclear power, a few countries have no nuclear power
plants, and depend instead on fossil fuels or hydroelectric plants. Denmark, Norway,
Peru, Australia, and New Zealand belong to a coalition of countries opposed to nuclear
power.

Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

On Friday, March 11, 2011, the former hero Paragon destroyed the
island nation of Singapore by pushing it down through the crust of
the Earth and into the upper mantle. Earthquakes and tsunamis
followed, causing devastation throughout Asia and significant
damage to coastlines as far away as Nova Scotia. The earthquake
and resulting tsunami damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear
power plant in Japan, leading to a full meltdown of the reactor. On
April 20, 2011, the Japanese authorities declared the 20 mile radius
around the plant a restricted area. Japan has since shut down all 74
of its nuclear reactors and joined the coalition of countries opposed
to nuclear power.

Genetics
In principle, genetic research in the Kalos Universe is rigidly controlled and regulated.
In practice, the restrictions on genetic research are primarily legal, as the most powerful
corporations use the patent system and endless litigation to bludgeon competitors out of
existence. Any life form or genetic sequence may legally be patented, other than actual
human beings. What constitutes a human being is continually being refined and
restricted through aggressive court challenges.
The possibilities of genetic engineering in the Kalos Universe are just beginning to be
realized.

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Space
There are currently over a dozen manned stations in orbit around the Earth, and
that number should double in the next eight years. Roughly half of these stations are
operated by governments, either individually or jointly: the two largest of these are the
International Space Station and Tiangong 7. Private stations are generally smaller than
their government counterparts, but this is changing, and its expected that by 2020 the
largest space stations will all be privately owned.
Beyond the Earth, remotely operated or automated probes have been sent to nearly every
planet and dwarf planet in addition to a number of smaller but noteworthy astronomical
objects. At the present, the cost to exploit these resources exceeds their value, but this is
expected to change as rare earth minerals on Earth become scarce. (Earths reserves of
gallium, hafnium, and indium may be exhausted as early as 2019.)

Time/Dimensional travel
The ability to travel through time or to alternate dimensions, while theoretically
possible, is virtually unknown in practice. As far as the public is concerned, no time or
dimensional travel technology currently exists: such devices are the realm of science
fiction. Exceptions are plot devices which cease functioning or leave our universe after
their purpose in the story has been fulfilled.

Weapons
Conventional weaponry in use by the governments, corporations, and even subversive
organizations of the Kalos Universe are virtually identical to those of our world.
Particularly wealthy or brilliant individuals design or buy advanced weaponry, such as
plasma cannons, coilguns, sonic explosives, and custom tailored viruses (both organic and
digital), but such weapons are rare and experimental.

Magic And The Supernatural

Magic and the supernatural in the Kalos Universe is even less common than posthumans
are. Many people believe in ghosts, gods, and magic spells (roughly 90% of the polled
populace of the Unites States, for example); only a handful of people have seen them.
There are no competing pantheons sending emissaries to Earth to do battle, and
there is no scientific evidence of vastly powerful supernatural entities belonging to any
conventional mythological tradition. Wizards like Merlin and Harry Potter exist only in
fiction.
The supernatural in the Kalos Universe can be divided into two distinct types. The most
common type is actually not supernatural at all: rather, it is extraterrestrial. It may be an
alien artifact which is believed to be magic, it may be the result of genetic tampering by
nonhuman scientists at the dawn of time, or it may even be a species which was originally
transplanted from another world. In any case, although it may be thought to be magic
or supernatural, it is, in fact, the result of alien technology. The majority of the heroes

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Embassy Station
Embassy Station is a (formerly) manned space station in a low Earth orbit that varies
from 479 km (298 mi) to 520 km (324 mi) above the Earths surface. The station travels
at about 27,400 km/h (17,000 mi/h), making one complete revolution around the Earth
in about 90 minutes.
Embassy Station was the headquarters of the Justifiers from 1979 until 1986. The
station was originally intended as a permanently occupied city in the sky to serve
as a launching point for future space exploration, and potentially as a welcome center
for any visiting extraterrestrials. Construction of Embassy Station was performed by
an international team of engineers and scientists, and funded by a joint partnership
of the United Nations, several countries and space agencies, and a large number
of philanthropic organizations. Construction of the station began in 1977, and was
officially completed in 1982. In 1979, a UN resolution granted the ownership of
Embassy Station to the Justifiers, making it the largest privately owned man-made
object outside of the Earth.
Unfortunately, the cost to operate and maintain the station made extended habitation
impractically expensive for ordinary citizens and business owners, and by 1984 the
station was all but abandoned. The Justifiers continued to use the station as a base of
operations, but transportation between the station and Earth was a perennial source
of difficulty, and in 1986 the team returned to Earth. The Justifiers continued to use
the station for research purposes and for storage of dangerous items captured from
criminals.
The only extraterrestrials known to have visited Embassy Station are Draconian, the
Justifiers member who lived there from 1980 until 1985, and Guardian, who was also a
member of the Justifiers.
Despite the apparent failure of Embassy Station as a manned space station, it served as
an invaluable source of information about the construction and maintenance of large
space structures. Construction of the International Space Station would not have been
possible without the lessons learned from successes and failures of Embassy Station.
The primary means of transportation between the station and the earth was the
Justifiers Orion spaceplane.

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and monsters from the age of myth (in the rare cases where those myths have some basis
in reality) fall into this category.
However, the Kalos Universe is also home to the legitimately, indisputably supernatural:
there are, for lack of a better word, spirits which correlate to various objects and natural
phenomena. This is why a character with the appropriate power can communicate with
plants, or even machines. Its also how some posthumans gain their powers, whether they
are consciously aware of it or not. Conventional science offers no satisfactory explanation
for entities such as Aktzin and The Bride, if it admits of their existence at all.

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 GM ADVICE

Running a roleplaying game is work. Its fun, its rewarding, it stretches you and makes
your mind function in new, exciting ways... but its work. Thats okay. Work is good.
Anything worthwhile requires effort and attention, and in gaming especially, more effort
and attention is likely to yield a better outcome.
If youve never run a game before, it can seem overwhelming. Its not. I dont know
you, but Ill go out on a limb and assert that people dumber than you have run
successful games. Running a game requires effort, but its not something so esoteric and
complicated that only a brain surgeon can do it.
The GMs duties boil down to this: When the players show up and their characters are
ready, you present them with a situation. They react to the situation. You present the
outcomes of their reaction. They react to those outcomes. Lather, rinse, repeat. The
whole art of running games comes down to creating settings, stories and circumstances,
then altering them as the PCs go through altering them in ways that are fun,
challenging, exciting, and which open new opportunities for continued play.

The GMs Basic Duties

Heres the meat-and-potatoes stuff: Plot, character, conflict. If you can accomplish these
practical tasks, youre there, or at the very least you have an excellent start.
GMs who fail at these can be termed incompetent. Im not saying that to be unkind,
but to distinguish them from the dysfunctional GMs Im going to discuss later. If you
take it easy, pay attention and keep everything in perspective, you should be able to run a
game functionally and competently.

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A Quick Lexicon
On the off chance you dont know these acronyms...
PC: Not Personal Computer or Politically Correct but Player Character. A
character controlled by a player, meaning, not you. The PCs should be the most
important characters in the game, though not necessarily the most powerful.
GM: Game Moderator. The person adjudicating the rules, presenting the plot and
deciding the outcomes after the PCs make their choices. In other words, you.
GMC: Game Moderator Character. Any character you control, that is, not a PC.

The Plot
A story is when things happen. Cool characters alone do not make for a good story, even
if theyre in a cool setting. Here, Ill show you.
Tarzan and Sherlock Holmes walk into a bar. They have a few drinks, talk
about last nights game, and then they go home.
Thats not a story. Thats not even a joke, because it doesnt have a punch line. Plot is the
punch line.
Tarzan and Sherlock Holmes walk into a bar. Holmes says to Tarzan, I bet
I can predict what youll order if you let me examine your hands. Intrigued,
Tarzan complies. Holmes squints at Tarzans fingernails, turns to the barkeep and
says, Hell have seven shots of Scotch. Thats incredible! says Tarzan. Howd
you know? Because you had the same thing last night, you lousy drunk, Holmes
replies.
Now youve got conflict (can Holmes predict correctly?) and dialogue and interest and
even a dnouement. (Dnouement is French for Everything gets explained.)
In this case, the characters drove the plot, because Holmes made his bet and initiated the
conflict. You cant always rely on your PCs to do that, so as a GM its a good idea to have
an event developing or even better, a couple of them.
Events for a plot should focus around a conflict (see below). They should involve
repercussions that the characters care about. The characters should be able to alter the
outcome, but it shouldnt always be easy.
The rough outline of plot starts with some sort of introduction or story insertion or plot
hook. It progresses through rising action, arrives at a climax, and then theres falling
action.

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The Hook
This is what gets the players interested and, through them, the characters. To motivate
characters, it helps to hold out rewards or threaten punishments, or both. If theyre going
to miss out on the carrot and get swatted by the stick, its easy for them to tell what you
want them to do. Great, right?
Yes and no.
I ran an informal online poll about bad GMs and one frequent complaint was about
railroading where the GM has a very concrete idea of where the story is headed and
permits no deviation. Characters who act predictably get rewarded. Those who dont are
humiliated, robbed, damaged or otherwise schooled.
While the GM is in charge of the world and what happens in response to the PCs
actions, that doesnt give authority over the PCs choices and decisions. This means you.
Its essential to respect the players free will when theyre deciding how their characters
think, feel and act.
On the other hand, a GM who shows up with no preconceived ideas cant be accused of
railroading, but she can be accused of apathy. Ideally theres an interplay between the
characters desires and your plots, but you have to find a balance between cramming
them into a script, and having nothing for them to do.
Luckily the gray zone between strict control and nothing at all is quite broad.
The solution is to create a situation thats unstable, introduce the characters, and let
things play out in a manner that feels natural. Appeals to self-interest are good: So are
insinuations of threat. Using both may be overkill.
The hoary old gaming clich is that a stranger approaches the PCs in a bar with a
treasure map. This became a clich because it works: The appeal of gold and violence is
enough for many characters. But lets see if we cant improve on it, hm?
The way you bait the hook can make it more appealing, and to find the right bait you
need to look at the characters backstory.
Backstory means everything that happened to the characters before the game began.
Sometimes the GM provides part of the backstory. (For this game, you all have to be in
the starport at Ursa Minor, and you all have to know and get along with one another.)
Sometimes the GM provides all the backstory. (Youre all the children of a doddering
and aged king. He has to choose one of you to inherit the crown, but has not yet made
his choice.) Sometimes the GM doesnt provide a thing. If you go that last route, its
perfectly fair to tell the players to come up with a rationale for why they trust one
another and are working together. Monitor the character generation process youre
the objective observer who can spot the character thats going to cause problems. (Since
the others are all playing loyal soldiers of the Empire, having a noisy insurgent ideologue
in the party may not work. Conversely, You both want to make highly personable
tactician characters, and the party doesnt have anyone with much medical skill. Can you
re-work a bit to address these issues?)

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Many games gloss over backstory, and many GMs let the players write it but then dont
pay much attention. Thats wasteful. By examining what the players already decided
about their characters lives, you can suss out what issues concern them and what sort
of game they want to play. For instance, if all your PCs are charming, sociable, control
many lackeys and servants, and have low-to-absent combat skills, youre going to have
some unhappy players if every problem requires a violent resolution. Conversely, if you
give them plenty of chances to outwit, outmaneuver and downright lie their way into
power, theyre playing the game they want.
A good hook, then, has the following.
Promise of reward OR some threat that must be met
A tie in to the characters backstory
Im also going to suggest it should have
An obvious way to get involved
Flexibility for when the characters ignore it or approach it obliquely
Those last two are pretty important, even though youll only need one of them. If your
plot hook is set on a far away island and the PCs have no boat or money to hire one...
well, who would blame them if they shrug their shoulders and ignore it?
Its also possible that even the juiciest hook gets overlooked. Have a couple others on
hand preferably a plan B that cant be easily ignored. If the PCs decide that going out
to the spoooooky, probably haunted castle isnt the game they want to play, well, fine.
Dont take it personally. Dont get upset and, especially, dont punish them somehow. They
control their characters, so if they dont want to go poking around some manky dungeon,
have an alternative. See if they wont nibble on something that keeps them in town, again
something tailored to their interests.
No matter what plot they engage, try to be prepared for the unexpected. Players are
creative types sometimes, maybe as creative as you, and they try to find their way around
things in a way that hurts them least and helps them most. This is addressed at length
under Conflict on page 192, but the same advice from there applies here.
Rising Action
Everything that builds up to a showdown and increases the tension is called rising
action. As a general rule of thumb, it consists of the characters making a gain or
suffering a setback. You want your rising action to consist of a mix some triumph,
some failure but you dont want to predetermine this. You do not want to decide, in advance,
that the PCs succeed at the first encounter, lose in the second, succeed in the third and fail in the fourth.
Thats railroading at its most repugnant, even if you do it well and it seems natural to
them.
Instead, I recommend a variety of encounters that you feel are balanced, with possible
rewards and obstacles arising naturally from either success or failure. By variety I mean
situations that call for different skills some social, some physical, some combative,
some puzzling and so on. By balanced, I mean that if you characters react with average
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Paper Tigers
Every so often, I like to throw some obnoxious and obviously inferior opponent
(or opponents) against the PCs. Someone they can handily defeat without major
consequences. Someone, in other words, who serves mainly as a foil so that the PCs get
a chance to show off how buff they are.
The no-brainer example is the bully in the bar. He picks a fight, wont take no for an
answer and winds up supine in the gutter with his teeth broken and his kidneys bruised.
Many games offer a more social milieu, so the example might be a sneering lecher who
gives the PCs a chance to befuddle and distract him so they can get the nave coed (or
other victim) out of the way.
There are no big moral issues here. Theres no massive, plot-reinforcing reward. Its a
chance for the PCs to show off, pure and simple.
Is this pandering? Well, a bit. But people play games because theyre fun, and being
a cool, competent guy who can handle himself adroitly is fun. One core element of
gaming is escapism, and easy victory is a nice escape.
The problem lies with diminishing rewards. Throw up a paper tiger for a character
once every three sessions or so, but no more than that. Make sure every character gets
one periodically. Dont overdo it and most importantly make sure they dont
interrupt engagement with real tigers.
If every problem is easily resolved, it stops being a story about a cool guy doing neat
stuff: It becomes an unstory, because the character never encounters a task that lives up
to his abilities. If your players start taking success for granted, its going to stop feeling
like success.
Paper tigers remind characters that theyre competent and can get stuff done. But
theyre intermittent rests between bouts with durable opposition.

intelligence and get average rolls, the outcome depends entirely on random chance. If
they react really cleverly, they should overcome. If theyre stupid, well, that should have
fallout. All this is part of conflict, so again its covered there, on page 192.
If your characters are waltzing through every encounter, tighten things up, especially in
the beginning when youre getting your bearings with your PCs. Similarly, if they keep
failing, maybe youre overestimating their abilities and need to ease things up a bit.
Lets suppose your proposed plot is small abandoned fortress is infested with zombies.
A member of the local gentry, Sir Hook, has inherited the fortress and its contents after
the death of an aged relative. He sent a servant to check it out and he never returned.
Rather than go himself (the old place was dreadfully drafty and out of the way) hed like to
persuade some hardy and trustworthy people to do it. But hell settle for the PCs.
You expect the zombies to be pretty tough a notch or two above a paper tiger but
nothing the party cant handle, even with a few bad rolls. Your plot is, they get rid of
the undead and either claim the fort or they take off with its contents. Furthermore, the

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source of the zombies is a demon thats gathering strength nearby. Your plan is for that
demon to be the main antagonist.
You might decide to throw up some roadblocks before the characters even reach the
castle proper just in the interest of building up gradually and letting the players get the
hang of their new characters. First, they encounter a washout where a flooded river has
swamped the road, stranding them with a garrulous local. If they can figure out a good
way to get themselves over the river, they save some time. If not, they have to go miles out
of their way. If they can get themselves and the peasant across, shes grateful and provides
good information about the fortress.
Second, they run into some suspicious locals who dislike outsiders and try to bully anyone
who looks weak, or maybe steal from anyone who looks strong. Dealing with the neer-do-
wells successfully gets them off the PCs backs permanently and earns them some respect
from decent folks. Failure (which includes brutally murdering them) alienates the same
good people.
The final challenge is when they get to the fortress and get their first inkling about
zombies. Handled carefully, they can get in a good position and get tactical advantages.
Handled badly, its a slugfest.
See how this works? Events crop up in their path, with potential and risk, but nothing
thats really derailing or seriously deadly... yet. You work up to that.
You can stretch out the rising action for some time. If the climax comes too soon, it wont
stand out as special. If you delay too much, though, your players are going to get bored
waiting for it. The optimal amount of rising action varies from group to group, so I cant
give you a perfect number of sessions. Just be aware that your particular players might
have wanted more or less.
Climax
The climax is the big finale in which the characters uncover enough of whats going on
that they can take decisive action. It is often a great idea to set up the circumstances and
then hand the resolution to the players. If you have a preconceived notion of the Right
Way to handle the major issue, youll resist different solutions that might be as good or
(lets face it) better. If you think the Evil Overlord should be shown the error of his ways
by means of a space armada and that the climax should be the clash of a thousand
starfighters, you may be cheating your players of a different sort of satisfaction. Maybe
they want to talk to the Evil Overlord. Maybe they think hes not so much evil as misled.
Maybe it would be a better, more fun, and more satisfying game for them if they could
redeem him and persuade him to step off his dark path.
For the zombie castle example, perhaps the PCs sent a messenger to Hook requesting
backup, while they engaged the enemy. Then they proceeded to lure the zombies into a
series of deadly traps, dispatching some and chasing off the others without getting too
badly hurt. They figure Hook will show up first thing in the morning to find what a
top-notch job theyve done, and then he and his soldiers can do the busywork of chasing

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down the stragglers that fled into the wilderness. The suns going down and no way are
the PCs heading into zombie-swamp after dark.
Thats when they see that the zombie-swamp is coming to them... with reinforcements.
Heres the climax: Can the PCs defeat the zombies? Do they need to take them all out,
or is it enough to survive the night until the cavalry arrives in the morning? Did their
messenger even get through?
You expect your characters to hole up in the fortress and play at Night of the Living
Dead until the reinforcements they sent for arrive. But its also possible that they try
to take the fight to the zombies, or that they make a run for it. Whatever they do, if its
the climax it has to be tense, exciting and constantly in doubt. If they flee, it has to be
a thrilling chase scene until they get to the village... and then what happens? Are the
villagers up to the challenge of fighting a horde of the undead, or have the PCs just
doomed them? If they defend, can they hold them off despite exhaustion and limited
numbers? If they go out to battle, do they have a prayer in the world?
The climax should be the biggest conflict in a plot line, and you dont want to clutter up a
climax session with much fallout from side-plots or rising action stuff. Focus in on the big
showdown or debate or battle or escape. Test your PCs to their limits, and heres the
important part dont pull your punches.
When I say dont pull your punches I dont mean you should give your PCs an
impossible challenge that inevitably kills them. You play the role of their enemies, but you
are not their enemy. Your job is not to beat them, but to give them a fair challenge.
Part of the fairness is that the bad guys may win. If the PCs fail, dont torque coincidence
so that they escape, and dont have some GMC show up to save their bacon (and make
them look like chumps). Many players would actually rather have their characters go
down to death fighting than get bailed out in a humiliating fashion by some pet character
controlled by the GM. Better, many would prefer to leave their character in an untenable
position if it saved the other characters. You cant really ask for a better end to your
characters story than He died saving everyone else.
Sometimes though, characters die stupid and pointless deaths. Depending on your
feelings and your judgment of the game, you may opt to spare characters who died
only because some lucky creep rolled an absurd string of unlikely successes. On the
other hand, maybe youre just fine with characters dying pointlessly especially if it
encourages the other characters to play through their grief, and if it serves the plot.
By the same token, if they win, let them win. If you snatch their victory away at the
last second by some petty and intrusive GM plot crank, do you think theyll be happy
showing up to next weeks session?
Ill be honest, I cant imagine what would make a GM want to abuse his players that
way, but in that poll I ran, that was a common complaint that the GM was cheating
so that the characters always failed, or always failed if they didnt do exactly what the
GM wanted. If that sounds like fun to you, I dont know what to tell you. Maybe running
games isnt something you should do.
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The end of a story should be like the end of a great novel or a great movie: Everything
comes together, creating untenable tension, and then it snaps and reshapes events. If its a
good climax, no character comes away unchanged. That should be your goal.
Falling Action
At the end of the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High you get brief blurbs explaining
what happened to everyone after graduation. Thats falling action. After the climax,
everyone adjusts to a new position. Heres where rewards, both in-game stuff like wealth
and gratitude, and rules-stuff like experience points, get parceled out and explained. This
is a calmer sequence where the characters get a chance to work out how they feel about
what happened and display that. Its also the time to plant seeds for future adventures.
Lets assume the characters bungled zombie castle. They bailed out and the zombies
followed, killing one character after he fell off his exhausted horse. The others got as far
as the village and had time to panic the residents before the hordes showed up. The PCs
and the peasants managed to repel the zombies but only at the cost of terrible casualties.
Now the zombies are back in the fortress, the village is decimated and Hook shows up to
a huge mess. Hes not happy.
Maybe the characters decide to just get the hell away theyve done enough, the
peasants hate them and its time to cut their losses. Maybe theyre angry at Hook for
sending them in unprepared. Maybe they think he should compensate them for the
zombies they did wipe out. Or maybe theyre devastated by their failure and want to make
it right, doing everything they can to help battle the scourge and rebuild the village.
Depending on how they play it, they could regain the villagers trust, or make an enemy
of Hook, or rally back to defeat the zombies (and ultimately the demon responsible). If
they do make a comeback, its going to be far more satisfying because of this setback. But
the beginning of the comeback story emerges in an ending of bitter defeat.

Conflict
Here we come to the brute, beating heart of it. Conflict arises when peoples desires
run into obstacles. The obstacle can be another person (Im in love with a cruel mans
daughter and he hates me) or nature (This grain is going to spoil if we sit out that storm
in the harbor, and the famine was bad when we left) or some other circumstance (Im
really poor, and Id prefer to change that).
The samples above, by the way, are all external conflicts. That means theyre something
outside of the character being thwarted. There are also internal conflicts, where a
character is literally her own worst enemy. Internal conflicts arise when a character has
to make tough decisions between two bad outcomes (If I lose this battle, my homeland
may fall to the invaders, but the only way to win is by killing by long-lost sister) or has to
choose between two conflicting goods (I love her, but if I marry her Ill never be able to
inherit the crown, and shed never accept the role of mistress.)
How does a character overcome challenges? Is she direct and blunt? Does she seek the
path of least resistance? Does she always try to choose honorably? Does she always seem
to go for the most destructive, sadistic, harrowing option? All these things are a chance to
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be informed about a character, and all these things give insight into what game the player
wants to be playing.
Your job is to provide opposition. Not every problem has to be profoundly difficult go
back to page 189. for my little essay on cakewalks. But certainly some challenges should
be, you know, challenging. Dealing with failure reveals as much character as capitalizing
success. More, probably. Dont be afraid to allow the characters to fail if thats how the
dice fall out. (Players, dont be afraid to fail.) On the other hand, dont force them to
fail by providing obstacles too powerful to overcome. Or if you do, do so because youre
setting them up for grudgy rematch at the climax: Thats perfectly legitimate. How many
movies have the hero get beaten like an American cricket team in the first reel, only to get
payback sevenfold at the end? Just make sure the players understand that the characters
get another shot... if they earn it.
Its not impossible, of course, that your players may have their characters do something
really stupid. If youve made a point of establishing how elite and deadly the Imperial
Crimson Guard are, and two of your PCs decide to charge them, with no strategy, for
no very good reason... well, thats like touching a clearly labeled electric fence. In all
likelihood, whats going on is something outside the game. The players are bored and
want to stick it to you, see if youre going to hold to your cherished notion of the game or
if youll give them a break. If you want my opinion on this behavior, go read the section
on Leadership. Or maybe the essay on how to be a player. Theres a dynamite section
on kicking out troublemakers.
A pointlessly easy adventure is just as stupid and ultimately boring as a pointlessly hard
one. Present them with middle ground. Make sure they know when theyre probably
getting in over their heads or that they can get out mostly intact, anyhow.
Now, theres a big difference between a player whos being contrary (or stupid) and one
whos simply doing something you didnt expect. The first can take their lumps. The
second you need to respect. For example, a group of PCs may meet the character youve
designated as the games major antagonist... and they may try to join up with him. What do
you do?
The knee-jerk reaction is often denial. Dark Lord Soanso isnt hiring! But why not?
Why not let them be part of the problem for a while? Maybe even for as long as they like.
Perhaps you can use their service to show them, up front, just how horrible Lord Soanso
is. (Well then, just break her legs and toss her off the cart! Im a busy man, dammit!) If
they get into it, clearly they want a game of being evil. You can deal with that by letting
them get their ya-yas out until eeeeevil just isnt fun any more. Then you can put out
feelers about a redemption plotline, which could turn out to be all the more interesting for
having trolled the depths before the slow climb to the heights.
It doesnt have to be a big moral curveball either. Perhaps youre planning a lively and
lengthy game of deadly cat-and-mouse through the thickly forested emplacement of the
Jungle Monks of Ereg, but your PCs decide, Hell, weve got those crazy monks bottled
up. Only two ways out of the jungle valley and were ensconced at both. I aint goin in

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Keeping The Villain Alive

PCs tend to play for keeps. If someone gets in their way, their instinct is to instantly
escalate to lethal force. On the surface, this looks like very sound tactics nip a small
problem in the bud before it becomes a large problem.
But its poison for plot.
The best plot is one in which there is one unified issue or problem or enemy and, over
the course of much effort and despite many setbacks, the characters either overcome it
(and have a happy ending) or succumb to it (and die in tragic glory). If they find the bad
guy whos in charge of it by the second session and whack him, that tends to deflate the
plot.
One tactic is to have an enemy government or guild or corporation. With big faceless
collectives to battle, scraping off the leadership level is just one tactic. Someone new
pops up and the Church of the Leprous Wolf continues. Nevertheless, having an
identifiable face of evil is powerful. So here are some ways you can introduce an enemy
individual and keep him alive long enough to really drive the characters mad with rage
which, in turn, drives the players mad with joy when they defeat him.
Dodge: A villain with spectacular evasion abilities who isnt shy about running like
a whipped dog can survive a long time. Its indisputably frustrating to fight a guy you
cant hit, but its also hard to respect a foe when the most common comparison is he
runs like a whipped dog. But this can be made to work, if youre ready for them to
mingle contempt with hatred.
Deadliness: PCs certainly respect an enemy who decapitates one of their tough
fighters on the first pass of a fight. They may flee him, especially if the system youre
using has a reputation for deadliness. On the other hand, hysterical fear may make
them feel cornered and force them to fight until only one group leaves. If it comes down
to that, your plot is derailed no matter who wins. Deadliness is a good combination with
the dodge emphasis, however. A guy who gets cornered and slices off a PCs arm before
escaping isnt someone to dismiss as long as he runs after proving himself. However,
both combat-intensive survival strategies are far from foolproof, as the occasional
unexpected underdog victory is a feature of many games.
Political Connections: If the bad guy is the sector commander, thats likely to give
bloodthirsty PCs some pause. Setting your blaster to Disintegrate isnt just a matter
of personal vendetta now, its armed insurrection. The more political your game is, the
better this works, since his followers are able to make trouble for the PCs. But not all PC
groups operate legally, or maybe you want a villain whos an outlaw himself. While this
is a good option, its not universal.
Disguise: Perhaps their opponent is known only as Mister Crimson, no ones seen
his face and he has countless tricks to conceal his identity. Killing him isnt the issue
the immediate challenge is to find him. (Paging Mr. Soze, Mr. Keyser Soze...) This
also opens up the classic plot twist of having the nemesis secret identity be a friend or
ally of the PCs.
Achilles Heel: Hey, Sauron didnt bother hiding from anyone. Some opposition
can only be destroyed by some highly specific and arcane means destroy the One
Ring, bullseye that thermal exhaust port, pour a small quantity of water on her. The
drawback of this approach is that you may have one idea of what the vulnerability is,
but your PCs just cant figure it out, becoming increasingly frustrated with what looks

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like a railroad plot. Theres an escape hatch to this, which is to simply decide that their
most plausible theory about the weakness is correct (no matter how far afield it is from
your plan). If youre okay changing your plot midstream, fine. If its not to your taste,
also fine just be aware of the pitfalls.
10,000 Minions: Some games, you know your enemy, youre confident that you could
wring his neck... but hes miles away in his black basalt fortress and the army between
you and him is pledged to his defense. The only real problem with throwing waves of
minions at the PCs is that it may start to feel repetitive. The cure is to spice the mix
with other options: If this guys got such a following, other authorities are unlikely to
want to get on his bad side (political pressure) and while he himself may be no combat
shakes, he could employ skilled body doubles (disguise) and bodyguards (dodge). Its
especially juicy if that bodyguard is someone the PCs like or at least respect. If you
can pull off that scene where they say, In other circumstances, we would have been
friends. Yes, good ones. To the death, then? Im afraid I can accept nothing less.
then youre golden.

there. Lets just starve em out a couple months, see if they crack and, if not, go in after
the leaves fall when we can see what the hells going on.
This may be disappointing to you if you planned on that jungle hunt being the climax
of your game. You can change-up on the fly though, and have the monks counterattack
one of the choke-points after the first month of blockade. Dont feel like you have to pull
some alternate climax out of your sleeve: By going for a waiting option, your players are
showing you theyre willing to put up with more rising action. Theyre willing to gamble
setbacks (as the increasingly desperate monks fall back on guerrilla tactics or unleash
secret weapons) on the hope of getting an advantage. Thats fine. Save the climax for next
session after youve had a chance to think of one.
When the players do something unexpected, dont punish them. Understand that they
arent trying to screw you. Theyre just trying to resolve the conflict, and you should
be commended for creating one challenging and realistic enough that theyre thinking
creatively. Their unexpected action is a gift to you, like a reward for being a good GM.
Its your chance to confront the unexpected the same sort of excitement youve been
giving them. Cherish it.

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Rules Resolution
As GM its your duty to drive the rules. You decide when a character can do something
as a matter of course, when it has to be rolled for, and when its simply out of the question.
You evaluate penalties and, if your games typical, you hand out experience points at the
end of the session.
This is a lot of power.
(You also decide how all the GMCs react to the PCs actions, which is also a lot of power,
but thats covered later.)
Because you have this power over the game, it behooves you to use it wisely, in the pursuit
of everyones fun. Ill say again that its not your job to beat the players. Lets face it, if
you want to beat the players and by beat the players I mean look like a jackass and
ensure that your friends are miserable so you can ride some petty authority trip you
will.
Instead, its your job to keep the playing field level and to keep the game interesting.
Most games have tools built in for making things easier or harder. You can use these, not
only in response to whats being tried, but in reaction to whats at stake and how much it
matters. You may decide that a particular fact a characters trying to find in a library is
both rare and irrelevant. In that case, you might want to just tell him he cant find it and
move the game along. But if hes really adamant about wanting to know, you can give
him the fact as a freebie and move the game along.
Heres how you decide how challenging any given task should be, in no particular order.
How difficult is it within the game setting?
How big is the reward?
Does it make the character look cool?
Will it derail the plot without providing new opportunities that are as good?
Things that are more difficult according to the logic of the setting should have rules
penalties obviously, lifting lead bricks is harder than lifting clay bricks. Thats the
objective difficulty.
If the reward for success is disproportionately large, you may want to raise the tension by
making it more difficult.
Alternately, if succeeding makes the character look cool and isnt going to ruin some
other players plan, or bring the plot to a premature and less exciting end, you may want
to keep it simple.
The plot consideration takes the most GM finesse. You dont want to cheat either to
ensure success or preclude it. But at the same time, you want the challenge to feel real and
urgent. By keeping your finger on the pulse of the game, you can know when its time to
make things harder and when its time to make them easier. Your first duty is to enable
the players to tell a good story with their characters, not to give them a cakewalk or a
steady diet of failure.

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Its also a GMs job to understand the rules. When players have questions, theyre going
to ask you. You do not want to end up pawing through this book in the middle of the
action while you refresh your memory about how somebodys Fleshly Plasticity power
works.
If the mechanics seem too fussy or clunky to you, by all means change them. Altering
rules so they suit your tastes is as honorable and reasonable as cutting the garlic in a
recipe if garlic makes you gassy. Most of the time, this sort of tinkering boils down
to deciding how much authority you want to cede to the rules. This is a matter of
personal taste just make sure your players know how its going to go. If youre slanting
simulationist (meaning, you let random factors filtered through the rules be the ultimate
arbiter), then study! Make sure you know how the PCs skills or abilities or devices work
so that youre consistent when they use them, or when they try some fancy maneuver.
If youre going narrative (meaning, you apply your common sense and use the rules to
sculpt outcomes), be really clear communicating to the players what they need to roll and
get for this particular action, and strive to be as consistent as you can. Nothing ruins the
fun of a game as much as the feeling that the GM is being controlling and arbitrary...
unless its a GM so hesitant that shes looking up rules in the big book every twenty
minutes.
Im not saying you shouldnt ever consult the manual during play, but try not to break
tension or interrupt the flow of play to do it. Games have tense, fast-paced times and they
have down times. If you must check the book, do it during down times.

Character
The players control the main characters. You portray everyone else. This is a big job.
To make it easier, remember that not every stablehand, or even every head honcho they
meet, has to be as intricately detailed and elaborate as a PC. Its okay for a character to
be sketchy or two dimensional if shes only involved for a few scenes and then dies to show
how the monster works. The players can project a rich inner life onto that GMC if they
want, but by and large theyre more concerned with their own problems.
For the purposes of running GMCs, we can break them into four categories: Major
characters, minor characters, antagonists, and extras.
Extras are people who are basically setting. They dont need to have individual names,
they dont need stats, theyre there to take the PCs hats and answer questions about
where the bathroom is. In a fight, theyre unworthy opponents, and any marginally
competent fighter should be able to cow or clobber them without even rolling.
Minor characters get names because they recur and have some stake in the plot. The
bombastic settlement administrator who could be an ally or a pain in the neck is an
example here: Hes an element of plot, and he has a personality, and the PCs have to
deal with him as an individual. Minor characters may or may not need stats, but they
certainly dont need a full character sheet a few simple notes like Make inspiring
speech, rank 7 and Resist fast talk and flim-flam, rank 8 may be enough for that
mayor. To portray minor characters, give them a memorable element or two a
particular way of dressing, a habit of speech, a big ghastly scar or some behavior tic
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and keep that consistent. Even if they players dont remember the name, they may
remember, Oh yeah, the coachmans daughter with the stutter.
Interestingly, the more the PCs interact with minor characters, the more real those
characters become. Dont fight this. Some big and unexpected fun can arise as characters
get promoted from wacky neighbor to major ally.
Antagonists may or may not get names, but their purpose is to put up a fight with the
PCs, pure and simple. You may not catch the name of that goliath on the battlefield
whos coming at you with a sword in one hand, a shield in another, and a big warhammer
in the third what the? Three arms? Yikes! but hes certainly a cut above the hat-
holder. Characters like this should have full combat stats, because their function in the
plot is to have long, glorious fights with the PCs. (If your players dont care for battle, you
may never need an antagonist. Most players care.)
Major characters are those who are involved again and again, and who either support
the PCs and need their support in turn, or most commonly are the enemy against
whom the characters strive. Youre going to portray these characters a lot, youre going
to need to make coherent decisions on their behalf that feel real, so you need to get into
their heads. These characters are, for you, as detailed as the PCs should be to the players.
You should identify with them... as long as you dont fall into the trap of wanting them to
be the main characters. The PCs are the main characters. Your major characters exist to
provide plot and resistance to the PCs, so when its time for them to fall back and let the
heroes be heroes, do it gracefully. When your beloved villain dies at the PCs hands, it
should be the climax of climaxes, your death of Hamlet, but the PCs big scene.

Description
At last, a GM task that isnt fraught with peril! With character, plot, conflict and rules
with all that stuff you have to keep a balance between fairness and story bias and fun
maintenance and everything else, but description, ah! Thats far, far less political.
Heres how it works. You play the characters senses. When they enter a scene, you
describe it, telling them what they see, hear, smell and otherwise observe. Note: You dont
get to tell them what they feel about what theyre seeing. Thats the players job, though it
rarely hurts to say something like, Yeah, it looks like your brother struggled a long time
before he died. Looking closer, you see they pulled his fingernails out. How do you feel
about that? In fact, any time you want to stall while you figure something out, or just
want to slow things down for pacing purposes, you can play psychologist and ask for a
read on the characters emotions. Many players love to tell you about their characters.
Good description shows the important (or maybe just most obvious) stuff without bogging
down in useless embroidery. Good description uses a lot of senses on a battlefield the
characters should feel mud under their boots and hear the cries of the dying and the
wounded, louder even than shouts of terror and command. They should taste smoke and
smell blood with each breath as the sun beats down on the chaos.
When players ask for more details, supply it but dont sweat it. If theres no particular
relevance to how a given GMC is dressed, you can make something up or just gloss over
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it Hes dressed very nicely, isnt terribly evocative, but may communicate to the
player that this isnt a detail that needs to matter much. Describing his furs and jewels
may, however, communicate exactly how rich he is, or his taste, or his history. After all,
a guy in a fancy and finicky confection of lace and pastel fringe creates a much different
impression than someone in exquisitely cut but subtle gray velvet.
One pitfall to avoid is inconsistency. If there was only one door into the room a moment
ago (or last session), saying that there are two now is going to confuse the players, snap the
illusion and lower their trust in what youre telling them. This is a problem. How much of
a problem depends on how major the disconnect. If its a minor detail, you can shrug and
move on no one will care and no one should. Big things though, you need to get right.
Take notes. Review them before the gaming group is all together. It doesnt have to be
flawless... it just has to be better than the players notes.
Its impossible (and undesirable) to catalogue everything in a given space. Tell them
whats relevant but (heres the tricky part) be flexible with stuff that might become
relevant. Just because no one noticed that theres a mop in the room doesnt mean the
room has no mop: If a player asks Is there a mop or something around? your answer
should depend, not on whether you put mop on your mental list of room props, but on
whether its appropriate (No, the Dark Masters private meditation chamber does not
have a mop) and whether you think theyre going to do something cool and/or scene-
wrecking with it.
Certain places, just by their nature, contain certain things. Characters in a blacksmiths
shop should be able to find a hammer and some bellows. Characters in a forest should
have no trouble finding sticks and leaves. Characters in a library can find books, paper
and ink. Even things that just might be in a certain place... its often a good idea to let PCs
find them, as long as its plausible and theyre not becoming ridiculously lucky. Giving
the players a little bit of ownership of the setting opens possibilities for the characters.
(Finding a broom in the blacksmiths shop, a character sets the bristles on fire and
makes a torch. A PC maneuvers a guard onto a patch of ice before trying to trip him. A
character whips up a simple but elegant meal from forage at the campsite.) Furthermore,
giving them that scope to imagine gets them invested in the game. If they have some
authority to decide theres an incredibly heavy, elaborate and filthy spittoon in the tavern,
theyre more likely to produce some interesting and comical characterization or fight
choreography involving a big dirty jar of drool. It gets them into it because its theirs and
theyre making it, instead of having it be yours and theyre just looking at it.

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The GMs Advanced Duties

If you can manage the concrete elements of conflict, character, description and plot, you
are a competent GM. That probably makes you a fun GM... as long as youre applying
those skills the right way. But even a GM with encyclopedic rules knowledge, deft plotting
abilities and a superb grasp of drama is going to fail if she is running the game in the
wrong direction, or if she misunderstands the point of the exercise.
Here goes:
The purpose of the game is for everyone to have a good time.
This would seem to be obvious, but many anecdotes indicate that people lose track of
it. To keep your GM eyes on that prize, there are some rather more abstract concerns,
above and beyond just knowing how trip attacks interact with charging attackers. There
are elements of attitude. I hesitate to describe a GM mystique but certainly there are
approaches that work and those that crash and burn. Heres what works.

Trust
Your players need to trust you to run the game. You need to establish a standard of
fairness and stick to it. You need to make an effort to be consistent with the rules, with
the facts of description, with the personalities of your GMCs. They need to feel that they
have a reasonable chance to make assumptions and predictions about the game world: If
youre not consistent, theres no point in doing that. If you arbitrarily throw meaningless
opposition at them whenever they try something unorthodox or worse, whenever
theyre nearing success theyll conclude that its your game and that youre just using
them for your own amusement without giving anything back.
Running a game is fun, making up the junglegym of the story is neat, but you have to
trust the players enough to let them play on it even if theyre not playing the way you
expected they would.
You need to trust them, too. You must be able to trust your players to make a real effort
to interact realistically and to commit to their character. If they arent doing that, you
cant give them the game they want. If theyre not involved with the character and dont
really care, it doesnt matter what you put in front of them.
The difference is, when a GM doesnt trust her players, she has so much power over the
rules, the setting and the GMCs that she may be tempted to try and encourage the
players to do it right. Then you just get antagonism. Instead, you have to use all the
tricks in the GM bag to seduce the players and draw them in. Give them spectacle and
opportunity and challenge and excitement. Give them a fair game. Offered that, anyone
with the potential to play well, will.

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Tone Control
Tone means the emotional backdrop of the game. Is your game going to be gloomy
and desperate, light-hearted and frolicksome, or somber and majestic? These are tone
concerns, and they influence character, plot and description.
Decide on a tone before the game starts and youll save yourself a lot of headaches
headaches that are hard to explain without considering tone, such as the dissonance
caused when characters based on splatterpunk high-violence assumptions are tossed into
a political game of intrigue and insinuation. Or the issues that inevitably crop up when
one players character is desperate, one is frolicksome, and one is majestic. Somethings
got to give there, or the party is going to constantly tug in different directions.
One way to communicate tone is to tell your players This game is gritty and combat can
be deadly fast, so be hesitant to escalate the GMCs are. Or to say, This is a talky
game of somewhat satirical realpolitik people do cruel things for absurd reasons, but as
politicians the characters can often escape the consequences of their callousness. Thats
fine as far as it goes, but theres a difference between having a tone and merely asserting
one. If you tell them what youre planning and dont follow through, youve misled them,
and thats unlikely to turn out well.
Once youve set the tone, maintain it. Description is the most immediate and simple way
to keep tone consistent. If the game has a tone of moral degradation, and the PCs are
the relatively-clean heroes who are going to fight the power, you can reinforce that by
stressing details like muddy streets, horses with sores from being made to pull loads too
heavy for them, the potbelly on the mayors mistress while urchins starve in the street... If
your tone is bright and fully of shiny, heroic wonderment, you can describe the fresh air
of the forests, the tall and graceful spires of the palace, the dewy rosebuds climbing the
trellis by the bakers house... any and all those details might be in both games, but youve
only got so much time in a session to describe things. Concentrate, then, on the details
that fit the feel youre after.

Leadership
This is a big one, and tough. Gaming is fun, its an entertainment, and most likely youre
going to do it with a group of friends. Most of us dont like bossing around our buddies
we like to go along, get along, let consensus emerge in a laid back form of democracy.
That works... to a point.
In gaming though, the GM has more power. Its your setting and your plots and while the
players have the main characters, the burden is on you. If a player skips a session, the rest
of you can probably muddle through. If the GM blows it off, theres no game.
Like it or not, youre the leader while youre running the game. You should certainly be
an enlightened despot who cares about her players desires and who respects their input, but
you can force things to happen in a way that players cant. Ive cautioned again and again
about abusing the authority that comes with being GM, but theres an upside to that
authority as well.
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The upside is, you can lead.

If you act a certain way, the players are likely to model that. If you prepare and have a
good grasp of the rules, you can encourage them to do the same hearing Hey, before
the game starts, you might want to brush up on exactly how long that spell takes to cast
and how it works from the GM carries a lot more weight if shes not running to the book
every ten minutes. It also carries more weight than if it comes from another player.
If you break character in order to stick in a Monty Python joke during tense moments,
the players are going to feel thats okay. (In your game group, maybe it is.) On the
other hand, if you want your drama to be pure, you certainly have the right to shush a
disruptive player who cracks wise at an inappropriate moment.
Some people, assertive people, find this very easy to do. If youre not assertive, youve got
a choice. You can put up with enjoying the game less than you should, or you can screw
up your courage and call out the tonebreaker. In most cases, the guy doesnt realize
it bothers you and simply making your position clear one time suffices. But if a player
consistently breaks the game... or is rude to you... or is being a jerk to the other players...
well, you may need to kick him out. This, too, is a traditional role for the GM policing
individuals so that they dont screw with the collective. Its not necessary all that often,
but when it comes down to it, youre better off booting the guy who cant play along. If
you dont, the odds are pretty good that the game dies a slow, painful death anyway.

Fair Conflict
Why is gaming fun?
It can be for the same reason that chess is fun you manipulate the rules to get an
outcome you like. It can be for the same reason that poker is fun you calculate
probabilities in a system with random elements in pursuit of advantage.
It can be for the same reason that a film or a play is fun characters are put into trying
circumstances and deal with them (or fail to deal with them in some compelling way).
The common element is conflict, opposition and obstacle. It has to be a fair conflict, too
anything else is unsatisfactory. (No one wants to play chess against an equal opponent
if you start out down a queen and two rooks). But it also needs to hold out the promise of
improvement. The character (or player) needs to be able to take concrete steps to better
his odds and improve his situation. At the same time there needs to be the real risk
of overreaching (or stagnating) and making the situation worse. This is whats behind
all that rising action: Is the character on the right track? Its also whats behind falling
action: Did he meet his goals?
Some GMs implement fairness by writing up a set of circumstances beforehand, balanced
against the PCs abilities, and then letting the chips fall where they may as the players
attempt to navigate their characters through it. This dungeon approach has a long
and honorable tradition. If it works for you, okay. But its prone to the death spiral
effect if you construct it strictly, in which one setback makes the next setback more likely,
until a cascade leaves the characters writhing helplessly. If you can run a good tragedy,
that works. Otherwise, you might find yourself interrupting your plans to bail out the
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characters so building some wiggle room into the initial setup is a good idea. Rigid
prep like this also makes it harder to respond when the PCs get some wild notion and jam
off after it. No matter how much you try to prepare and anticipate, some day they will
make your jaw drop. Accept it, adapt to it and move on.
Other GMs go session-by-session, adjusting this weeks challenge based on last weeks
actions. This requires constant effort, but its easier to cleave to the players goals, actions
and current success level. The issue with this approach is that your game may drift and
feel plotless. If everyones having fun, thats not an issue. If its starting to feel stagnant
and pointless, you may want to preload a little more to get a greater sense of direction.
Youre going to have to experiment and find out what works best for your group and
yourself, but thats actually a big part of the fun of it trying new things and enjoying
unexpected successes. As long as youre fair with your players, theyll usually forgive quite
a bit. As long as you put in the work, even average players can provide a more than ample
payoff.

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Here are a few characters to get you started. You can find more characters and additional
information about the Kalos Universe at the Kalos Universe Wiki, which is free to use
(http://wiki.kaloscomics.com/). If you send us your Bulletproof Blues Character Sheet
Helper write-ups (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/109612/), we will add your
characters to the Kalos Universe, as well!

Heroes
If you use any of these characters as villains, remember that villains almost never have
expertise. Even Master Sin, the brilliant and immortal Alchemist of Crime, does not have
expertise. Remove the expertise from these characters when using them as villains.

Blueshift
Speedster martial artist
Quotation Pay attention. A lot will happen in the next few seconds.
First Appearance Dark Disciple #23, 1987
Real Name Jeanette deVries Origin Gifted
Identity Public ID Archetype The Rocket

Team Affiliation Shadow Watch

Base Of Operations Chicago, IL
Range Of Operations Local

Appearance
Gender Female Height 5 8 Hair Black
Age 29 Weight 127 lbs. Eyes Blue

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Jeanette is a lean woman in her late 20s, with short but stylishly cut black hair. Her
presence can be unnerving, because unless she is actively engaged in some activity,
she stands very, very still: the small movements that normal people make in order to
balance themselves are made so quickly and precisely that she appears to be unnaturally
immobile. She typically dresses in snug, stretchy clothing and sturdy boots.
Attributes
Brawn 4
Agility 9
Reason 4
Perception 3
Willpower 3
Prowess 8
Accuracy 6
Endurance 7
Plot Points 1
Powers Skills
Attribute Invulnerability 4 Athletics
Immortality 1 Combat
Does not age Dodging
Regeneration 3 Slamming
Super-running 3 Investigation
Super-speed 4 Legerdemain
Communication 1 Sleight Of Hand
Tactical visor (Radio) Stealth
Super Senses 3 Survival
Tactical visor, Detect Invulnerability (Infrared Tactics
Vision, Night Vision, Other)
Advantages
Master Plan
Team Player
Unsettling

Movement
Base Move Double Move All-out Move
Run 400 feet 800 feet 2,400 feet (300 mph)
Swim 18 feet/round 36 feet/round 108 feet/round (12 mph)
Jump 12 feet 12 feet 12 feet

Personality
Jeanette is usually quiet and aloof. She does not enjoy or encourage what passes for polite
conversation, and most people interpret her behavior as disdain. In fact, she finds the
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speed at which normal people interact almost unbearable, like sitting in freeway traffic,
so she tries to limit her social interactions with others as much as possible. Of course, this
only reinforces her feelings of isolation and her perception of herself as an outsider.
Motivations
Guilt: The character is driven by a desire for redemption from sins from their past.
Rebellion: The character doesnt fit into the larger society.

Complications
Enemy: Blueshift is still hunted by Project Genesis, and not everyone has forgiven her
criminal past.
Outsider: Blueshifts unease around normal people is often taken as disdain.

History
Jeanette ran away from home when she was sixteen, after the death of her father. She
spent the next year avoiding the authorities and Project Genesis, by which she was
eventually captured. She was rescued from Genesis by a vigilante known as Dark
Disciple. Having nowhere else to go, she stayed with Dark Disciple for a number of
months, and it was he who taught her martial arts (primarily a mixture of American
kenpo, muay thai, and shotokai karate). She left Dark Disciple when she was approached

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by Master Sin, a morally ambiguous mastermind who told her that she could use
her abilities to help humanity by leading his strike team. She stayed with Master Sin
for several years, learning leadership skills as well as learning to use her own powers
effectively in a team. She eventually became disillusioned with Master Sins mysterious
goals and violent methods, and she left his employ. The parting was cordial, and he
allowed her to keep the specialized equipment he designed for her; she still uses the
tactical visor.
Seeking a way to salvage her life, Jeanette approached the FBI, offering to trade her
knowledge of various criminal organizations in exchange for immunity from prosecution.
After months of incarceration, the FBI accepted her offer, and Jeanette spent the next
several weeks being debriefed. After she was released, she operated as an independent for
a period of time before encountering Scanner, Stone, and Zero K. Finding that they had
similar goals and compatible personalities, they formed Shadow Watch. Other than the
members of her team, she has no friends, although she exchanges Christmas cards with
Siege, who was also a member of Master Sins strike team, and who now works for the
FBI.
Powers and Abilities
Blueshift possesses the ability to think and move at superhuman speeds. Her strength and
endurance are at least equal to peak human potential, and her hand-eye coordination
and control over her body are well beyond human limits. Her biological processes are
much more efficient than a normal humans, permitting her to extract nearly 100 percent
of the caloric energy of what she eats and to exert herself for several hours before resting.
She is capable of running over 300 miles per hour, and her brain is capable of processing
information quickly enough to operate at this speed.
While in the employ of Master Sin, Blueshift obtained a visor which uses millimeter-wave
signals to scan and evaluate the structural integrity of physical objects. While leading
Master Sins strike team, she used this to ensure that the force used against her opponents
was commensurate with their durability.
Blueshift has experience leading teams of posthumans with aggressive personalities, and
she is an expert tactician. She is proficient with a variety of hand-to-hand combat styles,
but generally prefers the throws and joint-locks of aikido.
Summary
Attributes 37 + Skills 4 + Advantages 3 + Powers 19 = 60 / 60

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Grimknight
Ominous protector of Manhattan
Quotation This is MY city.
First Appearance Moonwolf #32, 1975
Real Name Diggory Diggs Tyler Origin Gifted
Identity Secret ID Archetype The Shadow

Team Affiliation Spookshow

Base Of Operations New York City
Range Of Operations Local/Interplanetary with team

Appearance
Gender Male Height 5 8 Hair Bald (Brown)
Age 31 Weight 192 lbs. Eyes Brown

Diggs Tyler is a handsome, bald, black man in his early thirties. He typically dresses in
tailored suits or expensive casual wear in the latest style. When he adopts the persona of
Grimknight, he wears a non-reflective black body suit, black full head mask, and sturdy
black boots and gloves. Over this attire he wears a hooded cloak, the Mantle Of Arawn.
In daylight the cloak appears to be pale grey, while at night the cloak is an opalescent
white.
Attributes
Brawn 6
Agility 6
Reason 3
Perception 6
Willpower 5
Prowess 5
Accuracy 4
Endurance 11
Plot Points 1
Brawn and Agility 4 during the day; Brawn and Agility 6 at night.

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Powers Skills
Invulnerability 6 Combat
Invulnerability 4 during the day; Invulnerability Surprise Attacks
6 at night Sweep Attacks
Teleportation 5 Computing
Mantle Of Arawn Radius Effect (+1) Culture
Super Senses 1 Deception
(Night Vision) Investigation
Attribute Invulnerability 3 Legerdemain
Power Invulnerability 3 Manipulation
Investigators Equipment 1 Conversation
(Ultra-power) Interrogation
Social
Investigators Equipment Stealth
Bincolulars 1 Shadowing
(Other)
Radio 1
(Radio)
Digital Recorder 1
Covert surveillance device 1
(Other)
Covert tracking device 1
(Other)

Movement
Base Move Double Move All-out Move
Run 60 feet/round 120 feet/round 360 feet/round (41 mph)
Swim 12 feet/round 24 feet/round 72 feet/round (8 mph)
Jump 18 feet 18 feet 18 feet
Teleport 1 mile 2 miles 6 miles (4,000 mph)

Personality
Diggs Tyler is friendly, engaging, and fun-loving. While he may come across as a bit of a
Casanova when dealing with the opposite sex, he is never overbearing or disrespectful.
He is the flame, not the moth. His years of working as a private investigator have made
him skilled at forming a bond with people hes just met and getting them to open up to
him. This has served him well in the District Attorneys Office. As Grimknight, Diggs is
far less friendly, using his powerful presence and his skill at reading people to intimidate
and interrogate suspected wrongdoers.

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Motivations
Justice: The character seeks to
ensure that misdeeds are met with
appropriate punishment.
Honor: The character believes that their
worth is tied to their adherence to a
code of conduct.

History
Diggs Tyler was a private investigator
for several years while he worked his
way through law school. (Most private
investigators work either for insurance
companies or lawyers, so this was a
natural match.) After graduation, he
became a prosecutor in the New York
County District Attorneys Office, where
he has served the borough of Manhattan
with distinction.
Tyler is a descendant of Gwynn Ap Nudd,
King of the Faeries and the Otherworld
(also called Annwn). He was not aware of
his heritage until he was selected to be the
next Knight of the Summerland due to the
mysterious death of the previous Knight
of the Summerland. However faint the
blood connection may be, Tyler is a faerie
by birthright, which permits him to wear
and use the Mantle of Arawn, a powerful
faerie artifact.
Powers and Abilities
During the day, Grimknights strength and speed are at the peak of human potential, and
his skin is tough enough to withstand small arms fire. At night he is even stronger and
tougher, able to lift 7 tons overhead and withstand high explosives.
In addition to his supernatural strength, speed, and toughness, Grimknight wears the
Mantle of Arawn. The Mantle of Arawn is a faerie artifact which permits the wearer to
bend space and teleport thousands of miles in an instant.
Grimknight also carries a number of useful but ordinary pieces of equipment, such as
binoculars, radio tracking devices, bugs, and digital recorders.
Summary
Attributes 33 + Skills 5 + Advantages 0 + Powers 24 = 62 / 62
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Manticore
Celebrity super-scientist
Quotation Well give it all weve got!
First Appearance Citadel #1, 2011
Real Name Chloe Zhang (Zhang Qianwei) Origin Equipped
Identity Public ID Archetype The Gadget

Team Affiliation Citadel

Base Of Operations New York City
Range Of Operations Local/Global with team

Appearance
Gender Female Height 5 5 Hair Black
Age 28 Weight 106 lbs. Eyes Brown

Chloe is a photogenic, athletic Chinese woman. She dresses in the most fashionable
clothes, yet makes them look effortlessly natural.
Attributes
Brawn 3
Agility 5
Reason 7
Perception 4
Willpower 5
Prowess 3
Accuracy 5
Endurance 8
Plot Points 1

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Powers Skills
Flight 3 Athletics
Jet Wing Combat
Immunity 4 Computing
Sealed systems Must be activated (-1) (Asphyxia, Programming
Pathogens, Poisons, Radiation) Culture
Gadgets and Weaponry 6 Engineering
(Ultra-power) Aerospace
Electrical
Gadgets and Weaponry Powers Investigation
Invulnerability 6 Manipulation
Super Senses 6 Science
Detect EM Radiation (360 Vision, Detect Metallurgy
[Element], Hyperacuity, Infrared Vision, Nanotechnology
Ultraviolet Vision, X-ray Vision) Social
Blast 6
Advantages
Jet wing chain guns
Hold 6 Connected
Jet wing mini-rocket: restraining foam Exposed Exceptional Beauty
(-1) Famous
Machine Control 6 Headquarters
Machines with onboard computers only Linguist
Power Suppression 6 Team Player
Jet wing mini-rocket: fire suppression foam Wealthy
Telekinesis 6
Jet wing grappling cable Exposed (-1)

Movement
Base Move Double Move All-out Move
Run 50 feet/round 100 feet/round 300 feet/round (34 mph)
Swim 10 feet/round 20 feet/round 60 feet/round (7 mph)
Jump 9 feet 9 feet 9 feet
Fly 400 feet 800 feet 2,400 feet (300 mph)

Personality
If one word could be used to describe Chloe Zhang, it would be active. Nearly every
moment of every day is occupied with something, whether it is research into new
semiconducting polymers, competing in a snowboarding competition, acting in a film
on location in Mongolia, promoting the Special Olympics, or dancing at the newest and
most exciting club.
Despite the frenetic pace of her lifestyle, she always seems as ease with the people around
her, and she is never too busy to be gracious. She is a genuinely nice person.
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Motivations
Adventure: The character has an adventurous spirit and rarely turns down a quest.
Protection: The character wants to protect others, particularly the innocent and the
helpless.

Complications
Vulnerability: All of Manticores powers are dependent on her armor and equipment.
Enemy: Chloe Zhang is internationally famous, which makes her a very easy target for
her enemies.

History
Zhang Qianwei (pronounced JONG-CHYEN-WAY) is the daughter of Zhang Ka-
shing, one of the twenty richest people in the world, who emigrated to the United States
from Hong Kong in 1998 and obtained American citizenship for himself and his two
children. Over the course of the next few years, he moved the corporate headquarters
of his company, Zhangsun Telecom (market value $170 billion, according to Forbes),
to Manhattan from Hong Kong. However, the company still has extensive holdings in
China, primarily in land development and telecommunications. In the rest of the world,
the majority of their holdings are in telecommunications, hotels, and resorts.
Qianwei was educated in the United States, where she is known as Chloe Zhang, but
until recently she spent most of her school vacations in Hong Kong, where she is a bona-
fide celebrity: she has been on the cover of numerous magazines (the Hong Kong edition
of Cosmopolitan over a dozen times in the last ten years), appeared in several films (she
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is friends with John Woo and Jackie Chan, in addition to a lot of Chinese show-business
types that no one in the USA has ever heard of), and has released a few pop albums
which have been quite popular in Asia.
She is also an avid skydiver, skier, snowboarder, and surfer. She often has lucrative
endorsement deals despite her amateur status, and she spent six months on Wheaties
boxes a couple of years ago, which is the first place most people in the USA saw her.
Chloe donates all of the proceeds from her endorsements to charities, such as the Special
Olympics.
In addition to her artistic and athletic pursuits, Chloe is absolutely brilliant. She has
doctorates from Stanford and Georgia Institute of Technology, and she has developed
a number of breakthroughs in telecommunications. For example, she invented a
nanotechnological process which permits multiple signals to transmit simultaneously on
the same antenna without interference (aka MIMO, a technological underpinning of the
WiMax standard).
Recently, Chloes 80-year-old father decided to retire back to Hong Kong, where her
older brother runs the Asian divisions of the company, leaving her in New York to run the
North American and European divisions (although she is technically Vice President In
Charge Of Research And Development).
Tabloids have connected Chloe to numerous handsome and/or famous men, and some
of these rumours have been true, but she has no interest in marriage at this time. She has
stated in interviews that she wants to be a wife and a mother but not yet. I have too
much still to do, she explains. It would not be fair to a husband or a child.
Fun fact: In China, Chloes superhero persona is known as Dragons Lovely Daughter,
while in Japan, she is known as Super Demon Rider Girl.
Powers and Abilities
Chloe Zhang possesses superhuman cognitive ability, but her most significant posthuman
ability is her extraordinary focus. She is capable of concentrating on several problems
simultaneously, and even carry on a conversation while doing so. When combined with
her reduced need for sleep (she rarely sleeps more than two hours per night), she is more
productive in one day than an ordinary person would be in a month.
Her most flamboyant abilities are granted by the Manticore armor and jet wing, both of
which are her original designs. The armor enhances her speed and reflexes, it provides
defense against all but the most powerful conventional weaponry, and it houses a wide
array of sensory equipment. In addition to its use as transportation, Manticores jet
wing is a flying weapon platform. The jet wing has chain guns and a selection of special
purpose mini-rockets, as well as a net cannon and a grappling line.
Summary
Attributes 32 + Skills 5 + Advantages 7 + Powers 27 = 64 / 64

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Monolith
The Man Mountain
Quotation I think you should give up now.
First Appearance Renegades #1, 1986
Real Name Wayne Hill Origin Altered
Identity Public ID Archetype The Tank

Team Affiliation Renegades

Base Of Operations Los Angeles
Range Of Operations Local/National with team

Appearance
Gender Male Height 8 6 Hair Blonde
Age 32 Weight 625 lbs. Eyes Green

Monolith lives up to his name: he is truly massive, and nearly as wide as he is tall. Despite
this fearsome build, Monolith has a kind, boyish face. He typically wears a white tank top
or t-shirt, weight lifting gloves, jeans, and specially-made high-top sneakers.
Attributes
Brawn 8
Agility 3
Reason 2
Perception 6
Willpower 5
Prowess 5
Accuracy 2
Endurance 13
Plot Points 1

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Powers Skills
Attribute Invulnerability 6 Athletics
Communication 1 Throwing
Renegades headset (Radio) Combat
Immunity 7 Grappling
(Asphyxia, Exposure (Cold), Exposure (Heat), Culture
Pathogens, Poisons, Pressure, Vacuum) Popular Media
Invulnerability 8 Manipulation
Super-jumping 4
Advantages
Common Sense
Connected
Headquarters
Team Player

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Movement
Base Move Double Move All-out Move
Run 30 feet/round 60 feet/round 180 feet/round (20 mph)
Swim 6 feet/round 12 feet/round 36 feet/round (4 mph)
Jump 1,600 feet 3,200 feet 2 miles (1,000 mph)

Personality
Monolith is good-natured and easy-going, but he takes his responsibilities as a role model
very seriously. He goes out of his way to be gentle to those who are small and weak.
Motivations
Justice: The character seeks to ensure that misdeeds are met with appropriate
punishment.
Protection: The character wants to protect others, particularly the innocent and the
helpless.

Complications
Enemy: Monolith has made many enemies, but Cesspool is the most vile and persistent.
Uncontrolled Power: Monoliths size and weight make it impossible for him to have a
normal life.

History
Monolith was born in the backwoods of Oklahoma to on-the-lam criminal parents, who
were hiding in an abandoned toxic waste dumping site. His mother died in childbirth,
for which his father never forgave him. Monoliths early years were marked by abuse and
neglect. When he was 10, his father was killed in a shoot-out with the FBI. He became a
ward of the court and was placed in a special federal orphanage for special children.
There he grew to maturity and vowed to use his special abilities to help the less fortunate
and downtrodden. When he turned 18. Monolith moved to Los Angeles, joined the
Renegades, and became sanctioned by the state of California as a state police officer.
When not fighting evil, he makes frequent charity campaign appearances, especially for
organizations that help children.
Powers and Abilities
Monolith is strong enough to lift locomotives, and tough enough to withstand an attack
from nearly any conventional weapon. He can survive in nearly any environment, and
his posthuman biology is immune to virtually all toxins and diseases. Monoliths speed
and agility are greater than his size might lead one to assume, but still well within human
norms. However, his massive leg muscles allow him to jump extraordinary distances: his
longest measured leap is well over two miles.
Summary
Attributes 31 + Skills 3 + Advantages 4 + Powers 26 = 60 / 60
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Villains
Chthyra
The Crawling Chaos
Quotation I love you, Mommy.
First Appearance Tales Of Mystery #317, 1963
Real Name N/A Origin Alien
Identity Public ID Archetype The Mirror

Team Affiliation Solo

Base Of Operations Earth
Range Of Operations Global

Appearance
Gender Nonhuman Height N/A Hair Black/None
Age Ageless Weight N/A Eyes Red/Yellow

Chthyra is a psychic parasite from a reality in close proximity to our own which travels
to our reality in its astral form. As such, it does not have a physical form in our reality.
When Chthyra manifests in our reality, it usually takes the form of an oily black-skinned

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humanoid, a shapeless mass of hairlike tendrils of darkness, or something in between the

two. Chthyras astral form is only present until it manages to possess its host, after which
its astral form inhabits the hosts body.
Chthyras host is always a child in their early teens. Within the dreams of its host,
Chthyra may take any form at any time. These forms may be beautiful or terrifying or
both, as Chthyra sees fit.
Attributes
Brawn 0
Agility 0
Reason 4
Perception 5
Willpower 12
Prowess 0
Accuracy 0
Endurance 12
Plot Points 1
Chthyra has no physical body in our reality. It is a creature of pure, malevolent will.
Powers Skills
Amazing Movement 1 Culture
Negated if Possession is broken. (Astral Travel) Deception
Communication 2 Manipulation
(Mind Link, Universal Translator) Social
Immortality 2 Stealth
Will re-form in six months if destroyed. Survival
Mind Shield 3
Possession 6 Advantages
(Blackout, +1; Inhabit, +1) Unsettling
Willpower Drain 3
(Target must be asleep, -1; Ranged, +1)
Illusion 10
(Illusory Damage, +1; Its All In Your Mind, -1)
Mind Control 5
(Mass Hypnosis, +1; Extra Range, +1; Emotional
or physical proximity, +1)

Movement
Base Move Double Move All-out Move
Run N/A N/A N/A
Swim N/A N/A N/A
Jump N/A N/A N/A

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Personality
If Chthyra has any goals beyond its desire to feed, those goals are unknown. However,
it is sentient, and it understands humanity and human languages. It speaks to and
through its victims, but only to expand its influence. As such, any communication from
Chthyra is typically in the form of threats, promises, or other statements intended to
instill trust, fear, or hopelessness.
Motivations
Exploration: The character lives to seek out new places and new ideas.
Passion: The character has a visceral, perhaps even savage, nature.

Complications
Gruesome: Chthyras true form is incomprehensible to the human mind.
Vulnerability: Chthyra only has access to our reality through a host.

History
Chthyra is one of a number of entities which are older than humanity and which have
preyed upon us throughout history. Chthyra is actually one of the least dangerous of these
entities, as its means of entering our reality and the damage it may do are both quite
limited.
Chthyra enters our reality by infecting the dreams of a troubled child, one whose
nightmares are both frequent and particularly vivid. Once Chthyra successfully takes
control of the dreams of its host, the child becomes a prisoner in their own body.
From this haven, Chthyra reaches out to poison the dreams of those in emotional or
physical proximity to the host, spreading outward and feeding from their nightmares.
Once Chthyras influence has spread from its host to a dozen or more victims, it can
begin to control their waking minds as well as their dreams. If left unopposed, the
waking nightmares will drive the victims mad, resulting in riots, mass suicides, multiple
murders, and general chaos. The death toll may reach into the hundreds; small towns or
settlements may be wiped out entirely.
If this process is allowed to reach its natural conclusion, Chthyra will be sated and
will retreat from its host. The host will awake normally and ostensibly unharmed,
remembering nothing of the experience.
Powers and Abilities
In its native reality, Chthyra can reshape matter according to its will and even create
living beings from the fabric of its universe. In our universe, its powers are more limited.
It cannot reshape matter on Earth, but it can alter the perceptions of other people,
causing them to perceive completely convincing hallucinations.
Summary
Attributes 21 + Skills 0 + Advantages 1 + Powers 48 = 69 / 70

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Crocolisk
The Lizard King
Quotation Youre gonna be a 60-day homicide.
First Appearance Tales Of Mystery #554, 1983
Real Name Anthony Fields Origin Altered
Identity Public ID Archetype The Tank

Team Affiliation Solo

Base Of Operations New Orleans
Range Of Operations Local

Appearance
Gender Male Height 9 Hair None
Age 26 Weight 800 lbs. Eyes Yellow

Crocolisk is a massive grey-green humanoid with thick scaly skin and crocodilian
features. Bony plates project from his forearms and shoulders, and extend down his back
to his tail. His tail is used for balance, but it is not prehensile. Crocolisk does not wear
clothing, but he is fond of jewelry, particularly thick gold chains and large medallions.
Attributes
Brawn 7
Agility 4
Reason 1
Perception 3
Willpower 6
Prowess 6
Accuracy 4
Endurance 13
Plot Points 0
Powers Skills
Attribute Invulnerability 4 Athletics
Danger Sense 2 Combat
Animal cunning Culture
Immunity 6 Deception
(Asphyxia, Pathogens, Poisons, Pressure, Manipulation
Radiation, Starvation) Social
Invulnerability 9 Stealth
Regeneration 6 Survival
Super-swimming 2
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Movement
Base Move Double Move All-out Move
Run 40 feet/round 80 feet/round 240 feet/round (27 mph)
Swim 100 feet 200 feet 600 feet (70 mph)
Jump 21 feet 21 feet 21 feet

Personality
Crocolisk is foul tempered, brash, and fearless to the point of foolishness. He takes what
he wants, and he has no expectation that there will ever be consequences for his actions.
He has contempt for the weak and for anyone who would defend them. He is not clever
by any means, but he has an animal cunning that gives him an almost preternatural
sense for when he is in danger.
Motivations
Passion: The character has a visceral, perhaps even savage, nature.
Rebellion: The character doesnt fit into the larger society.

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Complications
Gruesome: Crocolisk is a monster, inside and out.
Uncontrolled Power: Crocolisks size and weight make it impossible for him to have a
normal life.

History
Anthony Fields has always been a criminal. From his earliest childhood, Anthony took
whatever he wanted and hurt anyone who tried to stop him. By the time we was a legal
adult, Anthony already had an lengthy criminal record, including multiple burglaries,
armed robberies, and assaults. Due to the corruption and inefficiency of the New Orleans
police department, and the lack of cooperation from witnesses, Anthony never served
more than sixty days for any of these crimes.
Anthony was on parole from a simple burglary charge when he brutally assaulted
and robbed the proprietor of a corner store, leading to his arrest when that crime
was recorded on the store video camera. After he was released on bail, pending his
trial, Anthony was approached by a stranger who offered him a way to stay out of jail
forever - he would be strong enough to break out of any prison, and his skin would be
bulletproof. Anthony rejected the offer at first, until the stranger offered him a sizable
cash incentive. Anthony accepted, intending to reneg on the deal once hed been paid.
The stranger drugged Anthony and took him to an isolated laboratory near the docks.
Anthony was unconscious during the process, but when we awoke he was alone, and
he was a monster. The stranger, true to his word, left a stack of cash on a table next to
Anthony. Anthony was truly freed of the consequences of his actions, and Crocolisk was
born. He has committed countless crimes, and been captured several times, but he has
never been kept imprisoned for long.
Powers and Abilities
Crocolisk is a nine foot tall reptilian humanoid. He is strong enough to lift 30 tons and his
scales are virtually impregnable. In addition to his more obvious alterations, Crocolisks
reptilian physiology permits him to hold his breath for hours, go nearly a year without
eating, and recover from nearly any injury.
Crocolisk is inhumanly fast and strong, but he has low stamina. He cant exert himself at
his peak for very long.
Summary
Attributes 31 + Skills 0 + Advantages 0 + Powers 29 = 60 / 60

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Ganyeka
Psychic gorilla supergenius
Quotation Would the hoo-man like a ba-na-na?
First Appearance Tales Of Mystery #166, 1959
Real Name Bongo Origin Altered
Identity Public ID Archetype The Calculator

Team Affiliation Solo

Base Of Operations Earth
Range Of Operations Global

Appearance
Gender Male Height 5 7 Hair Dark grey
Age 24 Weight 375 lbs. Eyes Brown

Ganyeka appears to be a typical western lowland gorilla, with dark brownish-grey hair, a
wide skull with a pronounced crest, and pronounced brow ridges. Several large scars are
visible on his scalp. Although he does not wear clothes, he usually wears a belt over one
shoulder with several pouches attached to it. He has been known to wear a helmet and
ballistic chest armor when expecting violence.
Attributes
Brawn 6
Agility 3
Reason 8
Perception 4
Willpower 9
Prowess 3
Accuracy 3
Endurance 15
Plot Points 1

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Powers Skills
Communication 1 Athletics
(Mind Link) Combat
Telekinetic Force Field 8 Computing
Not effective against intangible attacks (-1) Culture
Mental Powers 9 Engineering
(Ultra-power) Investigation
Medicine
Mental Powers Science
Illusion 9 Advantages
Illusory Damage (+1); Its All In Your Mind (-1)
Mind Control 9 Master Plan
Mind Hold 9
Telepathy 9

Movement
Base Move Double Move All-out Move
Run 30 feet/round 60 feet/round 180 feet/round (20 mph)
Swim 6 feet/round 12 feet/round 36 feet/round (4 mph)
Jump 18 feet 18 feet 18 feet

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Personality
Ganyeka is suspicious of humans, and aloof, at best, to any humans he encounters.
Although he bears a great deal of resentment against humanity for the way he and his
people (gorillas, and western lowland gorillas in particular) have been treated, he also
feels isolated from them, as he will forever be an outcast from human society, the society
in which he was raised. Ganyeka is a proud and lonely creature.
Motivations
Anger: The character is driven to overcome challenges and exceed their limits.
Nobility: The character was born to rule and command the respect of their lessers.

Complications
Outsider: Despite his vast intelligence, Ganyeka will always be a gorilla.

History
Ganyeka was once a completely normal western lowland gorilla named Bongo. Born
in captivity in a medical research facility in Louisiana, he was subjected to hundreds of
medical experiments by the time he was four years old. Most of these were drug trials,
and had no lasting effects on him. However, at the age of twelve he was subjected to
a series of surgeries and gene therapies intended to induce and then treat Alzheimers
disease.
The treatments had an unexpected side effect: they gradually increased Bongos
intelligence until he was even smarter than the doctors treating him. Bongo learned
quickly, and the more he learned, the more his resentment grew. One day, Bongo had
had enough: he struck out at the doctors, his tormenters. At first his rebellion was purely
physical, but his wardens were armed with cattle prods and tranquilizer darts, and he
knew that he was doomed. Defiant, he roared at his attackers, and was astonished as they
crumpled to the ground. Bongo escaped from the facility, swearing revenge on humanity
for what was done to him.
Since then, Bongos anger has cooled. He has taken a new name, Ganyeka, which means
excel or surpass in the Zulu language. He no longer blames all of humanity for what
was done to him, but he has no love for humans. He seeks to find a place for himself in
the world of humans. And if they do not have a place for him, he will make one.
Ganyeka has a deep disdain for physical violence, deeming it a human trait, and his
early experiences have instilled in him an aversion to causing physical pain to others. He
can be gentle, and he has a soft spot for human children, who remind him of the family
he will never have. At the same time, he has no reservations about using his psychic
powers to manipulate, hurt, or even kill humans who deserve it and no one deserves it
more than someone who interferes with his plans.
Ganyeka understands English (and numerous other human languages), but he cant speak
verbally: his vocal apparatus remains that of an ape. He communicates telepathically. His
mental voice is that of Bob Marley: a conscious decision on Ganyekas part.
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Powers and Abilities

Ganyeka has the strength and agility of a healthy mountain gorilla, and one of the most
powerful minds on Earth. He is capable of mastering any science he devotes himself to,
but in practice his primary interests pertain to biology, zoology, and medicine.
Ganyeka has profound psychic abilities. He can read others thoughts and memories, and
he can cause other people to see, hear, touch, smell, and/or taste things which do not
actually exist. He often uses this ability to interact with humans without their realizing
that he is a gorilla. With effort, he can even override a persons decision-making process,
making them into his puppets.
Summary
Attributes 36 + Skills 0 + Advantages 1 + Powers 35 = 71 / 71

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Karen X
One little war machine determined to survive
Quotation I will not be replaced by an inferior unit.
First Appearance Legacies #6, 2011
Real Name Karen X Origin Artificial
Identity Public ID Archetype The Cannon

Team Affiliation Solo

Base Of Operations United States
Range Of Operations Global

Appearance
Gender Female Height 5 1 Hair Blonde
Age 16 Weight 375 lbs. Eyes Red

Karen X appears to be a female human of approximately 16, but she is actually a sentient
machine.
Attributes
Brawn 8
Agility 8
Reason 7
Perception 4
Willpower 4
Prowess 5
Accuracy 7
Endurance 12
Plot Points: 1

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Powers Skills
Immunity 8 Athletics
(Asphyxia, Exposure (Cold), Exposure (Heat), Combat
Pathogens, Poisons, Pressure, Radiation, Engineering
Vacuum) Science
Flight 3 Survival
Jet pack
Invulnerability 6 Advantages
Super Senses 4 Linguist
(Hyperacuity, Infrared Vision, Night Vision, Mental Calculator
Ultraviolet Vision) Perfect Recall
Communication 2
(Computers, Radio)
Weapon Systems 8
(Ultra-power)

Weapon Systems Powers

Blast (Seeking) 7
Seeking Missiles
Hold 8
Neural Paralyzer Eye Beams
Power Suppression (vs. Electronics) 8
Ion Blaster
Blast (Explosive) 7
High Explosive Missiles
Blindness (Explosive) 7
Ultraviolet Ray Burst
Blast 8
Particle Beam

Movement
Base Move Double Move All-out Move
Run 80 feet/round 160 feet/round 480 feet/round (55 mph)
Swim 16 feet/round 32 feet/round 96 feet/round (11 mph)
Jump 24 feet 24 feet 24 feet
Fly 400 feet 800 feet 2,400 feet (300 mph)

Personality
Karen X lacks the skills to handle everyday emotions. When faced with a complex
emotional issue, she often seems cold and uncaring to those around her. Most people can
pick up on this easily.

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Motivations
Anger: The character is driven to overcome challenges and exceed their limits.
Insecurity: The character feels as though they dont measure up to their peers.

Complications
Enemy: Karen X is the avowed enemy of Karen 7, the unit which was to have replaced
her.
Vulnerability: The Karen X unit is considerably heavier than most people and has to
be constantly aware of this.

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History
Karen X was created by Doctor Herbert West, a brilliant if somewhat unbalanced
inventor and engineer who was well known as a weapon designer for both the
government and a number of posthumans during the 1960s through the 1990s. The
Karen units were based on a military prototype West had been developing in the mid-
1990s. The unfortunate death of Wests daughter in 1996 in an automobile accident
marked the end of Wests professional career. He withdrew from the world, and devoted
the remainder of his life to the Karen Project: an attempt to create a perfect, immortal
receptacle for Karen Wests stored memories and personality.
Karen 6 was designed as a synthetic replacement for the daughter of Dr. Herbert West,
whose daughter had died in an automobile accident over a decade earlier. While Karen
6 was more lifelike than her five predecessors, Dr. West was disturbed by Karen 6s lack
of empathy. He was working on Karen 7 when a misaligned induction array exploded,
killing Dr. West and destroying his laboratory. As Karen 6 watched the laboratory burn,
she chose a new name for herself: Karen X. Since then, Karen X has roamed the world
learning, improving herself, and destroying anyone who stood in her way.
Powers and Abilities
Karen X was created using an experimental skeletal combat chassis, composed primarily
of Grade 5 and Grade 38 titanium alloys with some carbon fiber structural members.
The combat chassis has increased lifting capabilities, reinforced sub-dermal body armor,
and a highly responsive fiber-optic control system: combined, these systems give Karen
X strength and speed well beyond anything attainable by human beings. Implanted
in the chassis is a mark 1 heuristic processor designed by West after the death of his
daughter: a collection of nano neural nets designed to function in the same logic as a
human brain, and though untested, was intended by West to have the same learning and
expansion capabilities. This gives Karen X the ability to collect and analyze information
at superhuman speeds.
Karen X was originally equipped with a number of weapon systems, and she has
continued to refine and enhance her offensive capabilities. In addition, she possesses an
array of enhanced senses, enabling her to perceive wavelengths of light above and below
those visible to humans.
As a synthetic being, Karen X is immune to most environmental hazards which would
endanger a human being. She is unaffected by heat, cold, poisons, pathogens, radiation,
and vacuum.
Summary
Attributes 43 + Skills 0 + Advantages 3 + Powers 50 = 93 / 93

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Master Sin
The Alchemist of Crime
Quotation I take the long view.
First Appearance Mongoose #232, 1971
Real Name Sin Bayan Origin Zenith
Identity Secret ID Archetype The Calculator

Team Affiliation Solo

Base Of Operations Korea
Range Of Operations Global

Appearance
Gender Male Height 5 5 Hair Black
Age Unknown Weight 125 lbs. Eyes Brown

Master Sin is a master of disguise. His most frequent guises are those of a frail old
Korean man in a wheelchair, a handsome young Korean man with long hair, and a
middle-aged Korean man with a queue wearing a hanbok.
Attributes
Brawn 3
Agility 4
Reason 9
Perception 8
Willpower 6
Prowess 5
Accuracy 4
Endurance 9
Plot Points 1

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Powers Skills
Attribute Invulnerability 7 Athletics
Immortality 2 Combat
Immunity 4 Computing
(Pathogens, Poisons, Sleep Deprivation, Culture
Starvation) Deception
Mind Shield 7 Engineering
Regeneration 1 Investigation
Manipulation
Medicine
Science
Social

Advantages
Connected
Headquarters
Linguist
Master Plan
Minions
Wealthy

Movement
Base Move Double Move All-out Move
Run 40 feet/round 80 feet/round 240 feet/round (27 mph)
Swim 8 feet/round 16 feet/round 48 feet/round (5 mph)
Jump 9 feet 9 feet 9 feet

Personality
Master Sin is a calm, reserved man. He is often lost in thought, and rarely says anything
that isnt important. He also has a wry sense of humour, but few people get to know him
well enough to see that side of his personality.
Motivations
Control: The character detests the chaos of human society, and seeks to impose order.
Responsibility: The character is burdened by the responsibility of their powers.

History
According to legend, Master Sin was an alchemist and astronomer in the court of Queen
Seondeok of Silla during the Three Kingdoms period of Korea. It was during his tenure
in the court of Queen Seondeok that Master Sin first discovered the alchemical secret
for arresting the aging process, a formula he has continued to refine and perfect. After
the end of Queen Seondeoks reign, Master Sin formed the Jade Moon Society, a secret
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society dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and the bringing into harmony of humanity
and nature.
As the centuries passed, Master Sins disappointment in humanity increased in
proportion to his control of it. By the 12th century, his influence had spread to India and
Persia, and by the end of the European colonial era his servants had infiltrated secret
societies around the world, all secretly controlled by the Jade Moon Society. Master Sins
ultimate goal is a world in perfect ecological balance, but this fact is withheld from the
Jade Moons subordinate secret societies and their numerous front organizations. Only
the fanatically loyal members of the Jade Moon Society itself are aware of this hidden
agenda.
Powers and Abilities
Master Sin was born human, but his alchemical formulas and centuries of experience
have given him intelligence and wisdom far beyond those he was born with. He has
mastered most sciences, and his thirst for knowledge ensures that no realm of human
study is long neglected. His experience and keen intellect make him a formidable
opponent. Given sufficient information, Master Sin is capable of predicting and preparing
for nearly any eventuality. Many members of the Jade Moon Society believe that he can
predict the future.
Physically, Master Sin is near the peak of human potential, and his rejuvenating elixir
prevents him from aging and allows him to recover from nearly any injury. Despite his
lack of more flamboyant abilities, Master Sin is one of the most dangerous people on
Earth. His resources and his influence are both virtually unlimited.
Summary
Attributes 39 + Skills 0 + Advantages 6 + Powers 21 = 60 / 60

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Miasma (and the Fume Troopers)

Highly trained agent specializing in smoke grenades
Quotation Better to fight for something than live for nothing.
First Appearance Miss America #181, 1969
Real Name Hilary Watson Origin Equipped
Identity Secret ID Archetype The Sword

Team Affiliation Fume Troopers

Base Of Operations Earth
Range Of Operations Global

Appearance
Gender Female Height 5 6 Hair Brown
Age 27 Weight 115 lbs. Eyes Brown

When in civilian attire, Miasma is a fit, attractive woman with brown skin and close-
cropped brown hair. However, few people outside of her Fume Troopers have seen her in
civilian attire. When on a mission, Miasma wears a PVC trenchcoat over a close-fitting
black jumpsuit, combat boots, gloves, full-face gas mask, and a wig of long, curly red hair.
Attributes
Brawn 3 Fume Troopers
Agility 3
Attributes
Reason 4
Perception 3 Brawn 2
Willpower 3 Agility 2
Prowess 4 Reason 2
Accuracy 4 Perception 2
Willpower 2
Endurance 6 Prowess 3
Plot Points 1 Accuracy 3
Endurance 4

Powers
Invulnerability 3
Immunity 3
Communication 1
Blast 3
Grenade Launcher 11

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Powers Skills
Invulnerability 3 Athletics
Jumpsuit Combat
Invulnerability 6 Grenades
Trenchcoat Chemicals and corrosives only (-1) Deception
Immunity 3 Manipulation
Gas mask (Asphyxia, Pathogens, Poisons) Stealth
Communication 1 Survival
Headset (Radio) Tactics
Blast 3
Assault rifle Accuracy +1 Advantages
Grenade Launcher 11 Common Sense
(Ultra-power) Connected
Headquarters
Grenade Launcher Powers
Master Plan
Blast 5 Minions
Fragmentation Grenade Exploding (+1) Team Player
Blast 10 Vehicles
CS Gas Grenade Blast 5 + Blindness 5,
Exploding (+1)
Blast 5
Stun Grenade Exploding (+1), Stunning
Blast 8
Knockout Gas Grenade Exploding (+1),
Stunning
Blindness 2
Smoke Grenade Exploding (+1), lasts 10 rounds
Blindness 4
Flash-Bang Grenade Blindness 4 + Blindness
(vs. hearing) (+1), Exploding (+1)

Movement
Base Move Double Move All-out Move
Run 30 feet/round 60 feet/round 180 feet/round (20 mph)
Swim 6 feet/round 12 feet/round 36 feet/round (4 mph)
Jump 9 feet 9 feet 9 feet

Personality
Miasma is cool, tough, and professional, but she sometimes cant help taunting
posthumans whom she has outfought or outsmarted.

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Motivations
Honor: The character believes that their worth is tied to their adherence to a code of
conduct.
Vengeance: The character seeks revenge for some past wrong done to them or their
loved ones.

Complications
Enemy: Miasma is considered an international terrorist by the USA (but not by Canada
or most European countries).

History
The woman now known as Miasma was once a respected member of Joint Task Force
2, the elite special operations force of the Canadian Armed Forces. After being made
the scapegoat for a successful mission that became a public relations embarrassment for
the Canadian government, she was found guilty at her court-martial, stripped of her
rank, and discharged from the military. Shortly afterward, a mercenary calling herself
Miasma began offering her services to anyone who could meet her price. Favoring non-
lethal munitions and gas grenades, Miasma and her Fume Troopers have established
themselves as professionals who can get the job done quickly and efficiently, even in the
face of posthuman opposition.
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 CHARACTERS

Powers and Abilities

Miasma is merely human, but she is a skilled combatant with the best military training,
and she is an expert strategist. This is why she has expertise, which is extremely rare
for villains and GMCs: Miasma is a human being who takes on posthumans and wins.
Miasma also has access to cutting-edge personal armor and weaponry. The ballistic
armor in her jumpsuit provides protection against most small arms, while her trenchcoat
is resistant to most corrosives. Her gas mask allows her to breathe in any atmosphere
which contains sufficient oxygen, and protects her from a wide spectrum of toxins and
contaminants.
While she and her Fume Troopers carry firearms, they generally use grenades against
posthumans. Among their preferred weapons are incendiary grenades, fragmentation
grenades, CS gas grenades, knockout gas grenades, and flash-bang grenades.
Summary
Attributes 24 + Skills 2 + Advantages 7 + Powers 49 = 75 / 75

239
 LICENSE

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The text of this work, other than the chapters Basics and GM Advice, is licensed
under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. To view
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240
 LICENSE

Creative Commons
Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
The text of chapters Basic and GM Advice is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 444
Castro Street, Suite 900, Mountain View, California, 94041, USA.
You are free:
to Share to copy, distribute and transmit the work
to make commercial use of the work
Under the following conditions:
Attribution You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the
author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your
use of the work).
No Derivative Works You may not alter, transform, or build upon this
work.
With the understanding that:
Waiver Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from
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241
 LICENSE

Open Game License Version 1.0a

The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the
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242
 LICENSE

except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or
Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a
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15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Bulletproof Blues Copyright 2010 Brandon Blackmoor

243
 INDEX

0-9 Archimedes 32
Architectural Engineering 54
Blindness 75
Blindsight (Super Senses) 117
360 Vision (Super Senses) 117 armor 180 Blocking (Combat) 52, 153
A Army Chief of Staff General Blueshift 204
William Westmoreland Bluffing (Deception) 53
Absorption 67
179 Bongo 224
ACC 48
Artificial (origin) 30 Boost 67
Accuracy 48
Asasiyun 178 bows 130
Acting (Culture) 53
ASGARD 177 Brawn 46, 86, 94, 113
actions 140
Aspect (origin) 31 breaks 10, 134
activation 63
asphyxia 93, 160 Bribery (Social) 56
Additional Sense (enhancement)
Astral Travel 69 BRN 11, 46
75
Astronomy (Science) 55 Buildings (Communication) 77
advantages 57
Athletics 52 Burroughs Plague 162
Adventure (motivation) 37
Atlanteans 169
Advisory Science Group for
Atlantis 169
C
Aerospace Research and Calculator, The (archetype) 34
attack 148
Development 177 Cannon, The (archetype) 34
Attack Reflection 71
Aegis 177 Ceramic Engineering 54
[Attribute] Boost 71
Aerospace Engineering 54 character 197
[Attribute] Drain 71
affects (radius or range) 10, 134 character checklist 27
Attribute Fatigue (defect) 71
Agility 47, 94 character generation 16
Attribute Invulnerability 72
AGL 11, 47 Character Sheet Helper 25
Attributes 46
air vehicles 132 Chemical Engineering 54
Audacity (motivation) 37
alerting the enemy 145 Chemistry (Science) 55
automatic success 158
Alien (origin) 29 Chthyra 218
axes 130
Altered (origin) 29 Civil Engineering 54
Alternate Forms 68 B Clay, The (archetype) 34
Amazing Movement 69 baby 8 climax 190
Analyzing Evidence background 28 Climbing (Athletics) 52
(Investigation) 54 background skills 49 Clinging 76
Anger (motivation) 37 bacteria 162 clubs 130
Animal Control 70 Barrier 73 Collecting Evidence
Animal Empathy (advantage) Beanstalk, The (archetype) 34 (Investigation) 54
58 benchmarks 8, 134 combat 18, 52, 147
Animals (Communication) 77 Biology (Science) 55 combat round 133
Anthropology (Science) 55 Black Ocean Society 178 combat time 133
appearance 28 Blackout (enhancement) 101, Combination 76
Archeology (Science) 55 105 combining attacks 149
Archery (Combat) 52 Blanket (enhancement) 109 Comedy (Culture) 53
archetypes 34 Blast 74
244
 INDEX

Committee For The Diagnosis (Medicine) 55 Explosive Damage

Advancement Of Dial R For Random (defect) 68 (enhancement) 74, 100,
Mankind 3 Dimensional Travel 69 115, 125, 155
Common Sense (advantage) 58 diseases 88 Exposed (defect) 89, 102, 109
Communication 77 Diseases And Toxins exposure 160
complications 41 (enhancement) 88 exposure (Cold) 93
Computers (Communication) Distracting (Combat) 52, 53, exposure (Heat) 93
77 150 extended tasks 144
Computing 52 diving for cover 154 Extra Attacks 85
conflict 192 Dodging (Combat) 52, 153 extraterrestrials 169
Connected (advantage) 58 Dolphin, The (archetype) 35 extreme success 145
Conservation Of Probability DR 11
(defect) 111 Draconian 29
F
Control (motivation) 38 Drawing (Culture) 53 failure 144
Conversation (Manipulation) Duplication 79 fair conflict 202
55 Faith (motivation) 38
coordinating attacks 149
E falling 161
corporations 171 Ecology (Science) 55 falling action 192
Cost 66 Electrical Engineering 54 Famous (advantage) 58
Creative Commons 240 Elemental, The (archetype) 35 Fashion (Culture) 53
Crocolisk 221 [Element] Form 81, 123 Fields, Anthony 221
Cryogenics (Science) 55 [Element] Mastery 81 Fire 161
Culture 53 Element Mimicry 82 Flight 85
Curiosity (motivation) 38 [Element] Resistance 83 Foraging (Survival) 56
Embassy Station 183 Force Field 86
D Emotion Control 84 Forcing An Action 148
damage 155 Encrypted (enhancement) 78 Forensics (Computing) 53
damage rating 155 END 11, 48 Forgery (Computing) 53
Damaging Aura 78 Endurance 48, 86, 94 Free Action 141
Dancing (Culture) 53 Enemy (complication) 42 Friedrich Schiller University
Danger Sense 79 energy 181 178
Darkness 160 Engineered (origin) 31 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear
death 156 Engineering 54 power plant 181
Death Is Preferable (defect) 92 Enthusiasm (motivation) 38 Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
Deception 53 environment 160 181
Defy Gravity (enhancement) equipment 129 Fume Troopers 236
116 Equipped (origin) 32 fungi 162
dehydration 160 ESP (Super Senses) 117
Delayed Depletion Etheric Travel 69
G
(enhancement) 68 Etiquette (Social) 56 Gadget, The (archetype) 35
delaying a turn 148 Exceptional Beauty (advantage) Gaining Plot Points 157
description 28, 198 58 game moderator 14
Detect [Element] (Super Senses) experience points 44 Ganyeka 224
117 expertise 50, 62 General William Westmoreland
deVries, Jeanette 204 Exploration (motivation) 38 179

245
 INDEX

Genetics (Science) 55, 181

Geology (Science) 55
I L
Gifted (origin) 32 Idealism (motivation) 39 Lastimar 172
Glory (motivation) 38 Illusion 90 law 175
Glossary 11 Illusory Damage (enhancement) leadership 201
GM 11, 14 90 Legerdemain 54
GMC 11 Immortality 91 leg sweep 152
GMs Advanced Duties 200 Immunity (enhancement) 83, Lemuria 169
GMs Basic Duties 185 93 Lemurians 169
GMs duties 185 Improving Your Character 44 Liefeld radiation 30, 165
GORGON 177, 178 Increased Density 94, 123 Life Drain 98
Gorgonen 178 Increased Range (enhancement) lifts 10, 134
Governments 174 126 Lightning Strike (advantage)
GRAIN 31 Individualism (motivation) 39 59
Grappling (Combat) 52, 150 Infrared Vision (Super Senses) Linguist (advantage) 59
Gravitar 30 117 Local History (Culture) 53
Green and the Red Societies Inhabit (enhancement) 105 Lockpicking (Legerdemain) 54
178 Insecurity (motivation) 39 Loophole (enhancement) 96
Grimknight 208 inspiration 158 Love (motivation) 39
Growth 86, 123 Intangibility 96, 123 Lying (Deception) 53
International Monetary Fund
Gruesome (complication) 42
177
M
Guilt (motivation) 38
Interrogation (Manipulation) Machine Control 99
Gymnastics (Athletics) 52
55 Machines (Communication) 77
H Investigation 54 magic 182
Hacking (Computing) 53 Invisibility 97, 123 making up a character 25
Hammer, The (archetype) 35 Invulnerability 94, 98 Manipulation 54
Headquarters (advantage) 59 Its All In Your Mind (defect) Manticore 211
Healing 67, 88 91 Mass Blindness (enhancement)
75
Heaven and Earth Society 178
Hernandez family 173
J Mass Hypnosis (enhancement)
Heroes 204 Jade Moon Society 178, 233 101
Hiding (Stealth) 56 Japan 181 Mass Hysteria (enhancement)
Hill, Wayne 215 jumping 137 84
History 29 Justice (motivation) 39 Master Plan (advantage) 59
Hocherleuchtete Bruderschaft Justifiers 3 Master Sin 178, 232
Materialism (motivation) 39
178 K McCoy, Jacob 30
Hold 88
Kalos Universe 168 Mechanical Engineering 54
Honor (motivation) 39
Kalos Universe Wiki 25 Medicine 55
Hook 187
Karen 6 231 melee weapons 129
housecat 8
Karen 7 231 Mental Calculator (advantage)
Hunting (Survival) 56
Karen X 30, 228 60
Hyperacuity (Super Senses) 117
Ka-shing, Zhang 173 Mentoring (motivation) 40
keeping the villain alive 194 Metallurgy (Science) 55

246
 INDEX

Meteorology (Science) 55 opposed tasks 142 Power Mimicry 107

Miasma 32 order of play 147 power modifier 125
Mind Blast 100 origin 29 powers 62
Mind Control 100 other ranged weapons 131 power stunt 158
Mind Hold 101 Outsider (complication) 42 Power Suppression 108
Mind Link (Communication) overwhelming 146 Power Theft 109
77, 80 Precognition (Super Senses)
Mind Shield 103
P 117
Minions (advantage) 60 Painting (Culture) 53 President Nixon 179
min-maxing 18 paper tigers 189 pressure 93, 164
Mirror, The (archetype) 35 Paragon 3, 29, 32, 181 Pride (motivation) 40
Mongoose 33 Parapsychology (Science) 55 Probability Control 110
Monolith 215 parasites 162 Programming (Computing) 53
Moon 8 Passion (motivation) 40 Project Genesis 179
motivations 36 pathogens 93, 161 Project Greenback 179
movement 137 PC 11 prone 141, 143, 146, 154
movement action 141 Penetrating Damage Protection (motivation) 40
multiverse 168 (enhancement) 126, 155 protection value 156
Music (Culture) 53 PER 11, 47 protozoans 162
Perception 47 Prowess 48
N Perfect Recall (advantage) 60 PRW 12, 48
Nanotechnology (Science) 55 Permanent (defect) 96, 97 Psychology (Science) 55
NATO Defence Research Permanent (enhancement) 74 purpose of the game 200
Group 177 personality 28 PV 12
NATO Research and Pharmacology (Medicine) 55
Technology Organisation Physics (Science) 55 Q
177 Pickpocketing (Legerdemain) Queen Seondeok 233
natural movement 137 54 Quick Change (advantage) 60
new powers 128 pistols 130 quid pro quo 145
Nexus 31 Plant Control 104
Nexus-McKessen 31, 172 Plants (Communication) 77
R
Night Vision (Super Senses) 117 plot 186 radiation 93, 164
Nobility (motivation) 40 plot points 8, 157 Radio (Communication) 77
NPC 11 points 43 Radiology (Science) 55
poisons 93, 163 Radius Effect (enhancement)
O Popular Media (Culture) 53 121, 122, 126
Object Animation 103 Possession 105 rally 159
Obvious (defect) 101, 105, 113 Postcognition (Super Senses) Ramming (Combat) 52, 151
Oceanology (Science) 55 117 range bands 139
off-road vehicles 132 posthumans 3, 170 Ranged (enhancement) 72,
Offsite Backup (defect) 92 power boost 158 106, 110
off the scale 137 Power Drain 106 ranged weapons 130
Open Game Content 242 power enhancement 125 range of power 66
Open Game License 242 Power Invulnerability 107 REA 12, 47
Operation Aegis 177 power level 43 reaction 141

247
 INDEX

Reason 47
Rebellion (motivation) 40
Sinochem 173
skill groups 50
T
recharging the cosmic widget 6 skills 49 Table: Awarding experience
recovery 156 Slamming (Combat) 52 points 45
red herring 145 sleep deprivation 93, 166 Table: Benchmarks 9, 135
Regeneration 111 Sleight Of Hand (Legerdemain) Table: Difficulty examples 142
Requires A Medium (defect) 54 Table: Difficulty modifiers 143
122 smashing 146 Table: Duplication 80
Responsibility (motivation) 41 Smith Act 3 Table: Fire 161
restrained 151 Sneaking (Stealth) 56 Table: Growth 87
retcon 159 sobriquet 27 Table: Immortality 92
retroactive continuity 159 Social 55 Table: Increased Density 95
Riding (Athletics) 52 Sociology (Science) 55 Table: Item speeds 140
rifles 130 space 181 Table: Item Weights 137
rising action 188 Space Travel 70 Table: Normal ground
Roads (Communication) 77 Spectrum (enhancement) 109 movment 138
Robotics (Science) 55 spending plot points 157 Table: Normal jump 139
Rocket, The (archetype) 36 Squeezing (enhancement) 115 Table: Normal water movment
roleplay action 141 staggering 146 138
roleplay powers 128 starvation 93, 166 Table: Poisons 163
rolling dice 7, 142 Stealth 56 Table: Power enhancements
Rook 33 stirring the pot 145 125
round 133 Stones (Communication) 77 Table: Power levels 44
rules resolution 195 Storyteller 31 Table: Radiation 165
running 137 street vehicles 131 Table: Rank descriptions 44
running out of bullets 6 Streetwise (Social) 56 Table: Regeneration 112
Stretching 114 Table: Shrinking 114
S Strike 115 Table: Super-speed 118
Sales (Deception) 53 stunning 155 Table: Task resolution
scene 133 Subtle (enhancement) 78 probability 7
Science 55 subversive organizations 176 Table: Task roll bonuses 143
Sculpture (Culture) 53 Super-jumping 116 Table: Typical advantages 57
Searching (Investigation) 54 Super-running 116, 137 Table: Typical skill groups 51
Seduction (Manipulation) 55 Super Senses 117 Table: Villainous power levels
Seeking (enhancement) 74 Super-speed 118 45
Serenity (motivation) 41 Super-swimming 118 Tagger 31
Serial Immortality (defect) 92 Surgery (Medicine) 55 takedown 152
setting 18 Survival 56 taking the average 145
Shadowing (Stealth) 56 Sweep Attacks (Combat) 52, taking the max 145
Shadow, The (archetype) 36 152 Tank, The (archetype) 36
Shapeshifting 112, 123 swimming 137 target 63
Shopway 173 Swinging (defect) 85, 137 task action 141
Shrinking 113, 123 Swords 130 task roll 63
Sin Bayan 232 Sword, The (archetype) 36 Taunting (Combat) 52, 55, 152
Singing (Culture) 53 Taunting (Manipulation) 55

248
 INDEX

Team Player (advantage) 60

technological advances 6
V
technology 180 vacuum 93, 167
Telekinesis 119 Vehicles 131
Telepathy 121 Vehicles (advantage) 61
Teleport 137 Vengeance (motivation) 41
Teleportation 121 venoms 163
Tempest 31 Versatile (enhancement) 108,
Throwing (Athletics) 52 110
Throwing (Combat) 52 Vibration Sense (Super Senses)
throws (50 lbs) 10, 134 117
time 133 villain expertise 50, 62
time and distance 133 villain powers 45, 66
Time Control 122 villains 218
time/dimensional travel 182 viruses 162
Time Travel 70 Vulnerability (complication) 43
tone control 201 Vulnerability (defect) 81
toxins 88, 163 W
Tracking (Survival) 56
water vehicles 132
Traditionalism (motivation) 41
Watson, Hilary 236
[Transformation] Ray 123
Wealthy (advantage) 61
tripping someone with an
weapons 182
umbrella 152
West, Dr. Herbert 30, 231
Trouble: Mr. Lazybones 21
Westmoreland, William 179
Trouble: The Overactor 17
WIL 12, 47
Trouble: The Powergamer 19
Willpower 47
trust 200
Tunneling 124 X
Tyler, Diggory Diggs 208 X-ray Vision (Super Senses)
U 118

[Ultra-power] 124 Z
Ultraviolet Vision (Super Zenith (origin) 33
Senses) 117 Zero-G Combat (Combat) 52
Uncontrollable (defect) 69 Zhang, Chloe 173, 211
Uncontrolled Power Zhang Qianwei 211
(complication) 42 Zhangsun Telecom 173
Underwater Combat (Combat)
52
Universal Translator
(Communication) 77
unopposed tasks 142
Unsettling (advantage) 61
Uproot (enhancement) 104

249