T Dave Silva

Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)

 Credits Special Thanks
Writing: T Dave Silva We would like to thank each of our Kickstarter
Editing: Carol Darnell backers for making Metahumans Rising possible.
Illustration: Jake Perez Your trust and support has been vital to mak-
Layout: Jacob Wood ing this project a reality and a success, and we
couldn’t have done it without you.
Copyright © 2018 T Dave Silva and House Dok
Stock Productions. All Rights Reserved.

Visit us online at www.housedok.com

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Memorial
i St. Julian Perkins, Jr.
It was a Monday like any other. I was at the I’ve been asked to say a few words about my
office when the message came in. It had been a dear departed friend, St. Julian Perkins, Jr.
few months since we had talked, but Julian had We met by chance at the Compleat Strategist
been a friend and one of the early playtesters in Manhattan near the Hero System racks. We
for Metahumans Rising. We had never met in spoke about our shared interest in roleplaying
person, he lived in New York, and I was in games and that chance meeting laid the foun-
Atlanta, then later Las Vegas. Like so dation to a relationship that lasted over twenty
many people today though, we shared a com- years.
munal space on the internet talking through Through interactions with him and his friends,
chat, or video calls. A mutual friend, Archie, had he opened my mind to new ideas. He helped me
introduced us. move beyond what I had become comfortable
Julian always seemed to have a different per- with and expand my horizons, both in roleplay-
spective on things, he was open and talked ing and in real life. I can only hope what awaits
about a range of topics, when he was in the him in the Great Beyond can compete with the
mood to talk. An aspiring writer himself, I had fantastic imagination he shared with me.
hoped to see his works published someday. At Take care,
the game table, he helped us to remember that Archie
we were here for a story, not just to roll dice, and
like him, the people and places he envisioned
shared different perspectives on the world
around them. We’re going to have Archie say a
few words as well, then induct one of his favor-
ite characters into the Hall of Legends as a way
of sharing his look
on life and the world
with everyone who
joins us.
Thank You,
T Dave Silva

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 ii Our Journey
In an attempt to trace the inception of Metahumans What if I had said no instead of yes? Some of these things
Rising I find it increasingly difficult to pinpoint the origin. are easier to imagine than others, but it’s the choices
Is it sometime in mid-2014 when I started really looking we’ve made that have lead us down this path and to the
at ways things could have been done differently with game before you.
Fractured Kingdom? A better date might be sometime in
In the time between first beginning work on Metahumans
January of 2008, when we kicked off our first play by post
Rising in 2014 and today we lost and gained so much, I
game, of the same name, on the now defunct Hero Central.
spent nearly a year and a half floating between the homes
That’s probably a better starting place, fumbling through
of friends and family before finding a home. At the same
and carving off hunks of stone as we slowly began the
time, I found a partner who cares for me in the way I care
process of creating the world of Metahumans Rising.
for her, and was willing to take this journey with me, put-
Still, that’s not the real source. To get to the real point of ting up with road trips across the country and cramming
inception it would probably be some time in 1988 when I what little we could keep into one room.
stumbled onto a copy of What If? Vol 1 Issue 23: What If
Bill Clinton said: If you live long enough, you’ll make mis-
the Hulk had become a barbarian, my introduction to the
takes. But if you learn from them, you’ll be a better person.
What If series, in the long boxes of a comic shop I had
It’s how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The
only wandered into because it was on the second floor
main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit.
of a residential building, below a psychic on the third and
surrounded by apartments. Originally released years prior This may be the story of Metahumans Rising. It is a game
I was just discovering the joys of Marvel’s what if series. forged from a maelstrom of ideas, tempered with set-
Their ill-fated New Universe and DP7 had already begun backs and obstacles, and in the end we have persevered.
kindling the idea of parallel worlds where events simply At its core, Metahumans Rising is about choosing the path
progressed differently from our own. Now, here was Mar- less traveled, facing adversity, accepting, even choosing
vel giving us new worlds where one change spawns entire failure only to emerge triumphant. Thank you for taking
new worlds. When I look at how characters are created this journey with me, may it be fraught with danger, ad-
and the advice given in the GM chapter of this book, I can versity, and friends around the game table.
still see those ideas sparked by a comic book thirty years
T Dave Silva, Author Metahumans Rising.
ago.
What if seems to be the kind of question that grows more
popular with age. What if I didn’t move to Atlanta shortly
after turning twenty one? What if I stayed in sales instead
of changing career paths? What if I hadn’t picked up a col-
lection of weirdly shaped dice when the kid that lived next
to my grandmother said he bought this new kind of game
in a red box.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 iii Kickstarter Backers
Adam Brown Guest 1451795548 Michael Pineda
Adam Rice Guest 1911095071 Mike Browne
Aidan Hurst Guest 2128271601 Morgan Weeks
Alan the Alpal Guest 345170002 Nathan Clampitt
Andrew Bennett Gustavo La Fontaine Neal Tanner
Arcangel Ortiz, Jr. Heath Dobson Nessalantha
B Morris Heather Rasmussen Nestor Rodriguez
Beachfox I of Ra Nick
Benjamin Davis Isaac ‘Will It Work’ Dansicker Nick Farrance
Bigbywolfe Jack Gulick novakowski
Bill Garrett Jacob Wood Oliver Peltier
Billy Dee Sorrells James Orko
Bob Richter James Alexander Williams Paris Conte
Brad Ludwig James Lucas Patrice Mermoud
Brandon Terry James Stoner Peter
Brian Goubeaux Jason Corley Philippe Gamache
Bruce Curd Jason Leisemann RDP
Bryan Bailey Jason Light recrispi
Carlos Restrepo Jesse Roberge Roger Orth
Carol Darnell John Desmarais ron beck
Case Pendleton John Hunter Ron Smay
Charles Wright John M. Portley Ryan Emnett
chris mobberley Jon Leitheusser Samjoko Publishing
Clifton Gordon Jonathan James Dailey Seth Hartley
Clint Williams Jonathan Ly Davis shai
Darren Richley Josh Medin St Julian Perkins Jr
David Dalton Josh Tansley Steve Dodge
David Johnston Karfunkel Steve Perrin
DeadlyReed Kate Nicolson Steven Henderson
Devon Parsons Katie Steven Warble
DivNull Productions Kevin Dixon The Rangdo of Arg
Donnie Hanby Kevin Fuss TheLetterB
Dwarf Fighter Kristopher Volter Theodore Miller
Earl Scott Nicholson Krzycki Thomas Shey
Eloy Lasanta Lance Grace Thozmp Corris
Ernesto Lopez Lemuel Pew Tim Castillo
Filippo Franco Liam Murray Tim Kryselmire
Fred Filler Liza Kessler Tim Watkins
G Jacobs Llasnad Trip Space-Parasite
Gage Patterson madkids Tyler Brunette
Game Dave MageAkyla Wade Geer
GeekGamer Mathieu Baussart Xander Crowe
Gene Kenney Matthew McFarland Yves Boudart
Guest 1003512373 Michael Beck Zeb Berryman

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 iv Table of Contents
Ch. 1: Character Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Power and Gear Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Part 0: Campaign Scope & World Building. . . 8 Summary of Attributes, Talents, Boons,
Campaign Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Powers, and Drawbacks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
World Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Attributes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Steel Aces Part 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Talents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Part 1: Character Background: Origin, Catalyst, Drive, Boons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
and Powers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Power Boons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Public Persona. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Drawbacks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Origin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Ch. 3: Rules, Roles, Mechanics & Conflicts . . . . 84
Catalyst . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Drives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 List of Characteristics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Powers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Rolling Dice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Steel Aces Part 1 Character Backgrounds . . . 15 When To Make A Roll. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Part 2: Power Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 What Kind of Rolls Are There?. . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Power Levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Making Rolls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Arrays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Basic Rolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Assigning Arrays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Difficulties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Steel Aces Part 2 Power Level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Contested Rolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Part 3: Selecting Arrays and Advancement Competitive Rolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Disasters, Powers & Saving The Day. . . . . . . . . 91
Attributes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Creating A Disaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Characteristic Levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Mitigating Disasters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Choosing Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Narrating the Disaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Powers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Time Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Equipment: Tools and Gear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Player’s Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Steel Aces Part 3: Nox and Guardian . . . . . . . 23 Willpower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Raw Builds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Gaining Willpower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Part 4: Drawbacks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Complications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Part 5: Scope Revisited—Issue 0 and Calamities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Team Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Spending Willpower. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Issue 0. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Cinematic Additions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Team Origin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Splash Panels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Steel Aces Part 5: Team Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Part 6: Life Pools & Filling In The Blanks. . . . 33 Ch. 4: Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Steel Aces Part 6: Life Pools & Filling Actions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
In The Blanks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Simple Tasks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Initiative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Ch.2: Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Rolling Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Attacking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Talents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Ranged Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Boons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Damage & Stamina. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Fighting Styles and Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Defense. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Building Powers, Fighting Styles, and Gear . 51 Armor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Defensive Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Damage Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Power Creation Example: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Injuries, Unconsciousness, and Death . . . . . . 106
Building a Fighting Style:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Injuries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Building Gear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Knocked Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Power Boons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Death. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Universal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Conflict Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Movement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Offensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Maneuvers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Improvised Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Power Drawbacks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Quick Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Combat Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Building Scenes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Cover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Bad Deals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Lighting and Blindness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Scoring Some Hooch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Prone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 The Next Big Thing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Storm Trooping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Cinematic Knock Out or Capturing Heroes. . . . 114 Dwindling Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Introducing the Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172
End of Combat Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Climax - One Last Dose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Natural Recovery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Introducing the Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173
Long Term Care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Aftermath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Additional Dangers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Ch. 7: Hall of Legends (Backer Characters) . . . . 175
Ch. 5: GM’s Chapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Character Advancement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Building a World of Supers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Making Heroes Super . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Comic Book Iconography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Superteams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Story Crafting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Organic Storytelling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Make It Personal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Be Prepared For Curveballs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Don’t Forget Relationships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Scene Crafting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
The Big Picture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Involving the Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Bystanders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Collective Storytelling Revisited. . . . . . . . . . . . 119
It’s A Comic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Game Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Story Crafting Revisited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Making Villains Super. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Secret Origins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
The Villainous Twist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Background Characters: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Mob Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
The World of Metahumans Rising . . . . . . . . . . 131
Inside The United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Rogues Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Street Gangs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Organized Crime Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Guns for Hire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
The Brood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Meeting with Equal Force. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Power Level and Threats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Steel Aces (Example Characters). . . . . . . . . . . 147
Ch. 6: Burning the Midnight Oil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Foreshadowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Staging Scenes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
What’s Really Going On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
The Fitness Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
The Word On The Street. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Fried Fish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
School Haze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Medical Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Interviewing Myers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Big Names. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Testing A Sample. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Friends on the Force. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 1 Character Creation
Part 0: Campaign Scope —— Golden Age: The dawn of modern superheroes; the
Golden Age was a time where writers were free to
& World Building explore any topic, so long as it sold. Popular heroes
were commonly cloned by other publishers. The
The Superhero Genre is a diverse landscape ranging from Golden Age explored multiple genres from tights and
silly to serious, based from the real world to the surreal fights to gritty war stories. This was a time of explor-
and existential. For this reason, it is important to establish ing the possibilities of actions.
a common framework for the players and GM.
—— Silver Age: Ushered in by the Comics Code Authority,
The goal of this section is to provide everyone an under- comic books took a major shift. Morality is black and
standing of the world the characters will be a part of and white, and villains never prospered. Stories typically
their place within that world. The group should begin by range from high adventure to lighthearted or silly.
discussing the scope of the game, including the tone and There is still room for introspective or philosophical
feel of the characters and campaign. games but any real-world issues should probably be
occluded in high fantasy or science fiction trappings,
Everyone should discuss what they would like, or what
and don’t be afraid to throw in the occasional gorilla.
they do not want to see in the campaign. The GM fills out
the Campaign Overview based on the shared world. There —— Bronze Age: Marked by a loosening of the Comics Code,
are a number of basic dials the GM can set as references the Bronze Age allowed writers to discuss mature
throughout the game. material openly, reintroducing politics and religion. This
Age saw a resurgence of Pulp Era anti-heroes along
Campaign Scope with more occult and mystic-styled characters. The
Bronze Age allows for a host of different stories, but
Concepts & Story Elements generally avoid the truly macabre or extreme acts of
Before making any definitive statements about the cam- violence. Villains may do terrible things but more often
paign, players and GMs should suggest concepts or story these acts are off-camera or implied.
elements they would like to see in the world and their —— Dark Age: This era is characterized by a deconstruc-
games. While Campaign Scoping, GMs should try not to tion of the genre as a whole. The best stories of the
rule anything out right away, instead, look to build con- Age focus on personal motivations, the effects of
sensus, incorporating various elements whenever possi- trauma, and consequences of actions. Nuance is im-
ble. portant for good Dark Age stories, with little happen-
ing in a vacuum and very little humor injected.
In a campaign where the heroes simply do not kill except
for in extreme circumstances, there can be room for a —— Extreme Age: Emerging from the Dark Age, the Ex-
character who stands out as more violent than the rest. treme era was driven by action and intense visuals.
Handled correctly, this is a story element not just for the Plot, and character development often served more
player but the entire group. as a vehicle to move characters to their next set
piece. Much of the Comics Code no longer applies and
The GM should write down a list of 5 - 10 themes and ele- extreme violence and sexuality are commonplace.
ments on the Campaign Overview. Extreme Age games should heavily consider Lines
Age and Veils as these are likely the only hard limits for
the direction stories can take.
In comic books, age represents a period of time separated
by defining events, either in the real world or in a particular —— Cinematic Age: When comic books and movies final-
comic book. Metahumans Rising uses Age to express how ly came together in a successful pairing, it triggered
the Tone of the Campaign is explored. a realignment of many comic titles. The Cinematic
Age might also be considered a kind of Retro-Bronze
—— Pulp Era: While not technically part of comic books, the Age, taking elements of the Dark and Golden Ages of
era of pulp magazines and books introduced the idea comics. Stories address a wide range of topics with
of mystery men, and masked crime fighters. The works a critical eye and focus on character impact. As in an
were an expression of their times with a very different Extreme Age game, it’s important to consider Lines
set of morals. Typically, the characters possessed a and Veils.
single unique quality that set them apart but was not
truly superhuman. Stories often swung between high
adventure and brooding, introspective works.

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 Tone —— Macabre: Stories center on the dark, or taboo sub-
jects. Death, suffering, and loss are common themes.
Consider the tone of play the players and GMs may like
to see. On the Campaign Overview, the GM should write —— Philosophical: Specific plots, or the campaign as a
down one or two descriptive words to help remind them whole, focus on exploring a philosophical concept,
of the Campaign’s general Tone. Examples of possible such as faith, utilitarianism, or humanism.
Tone:
Lines and Veils
—— Action/Adventure: Stories draw characters into dan-
gerous situations and places. Players should express any hard or soft limits for the
Campaign.
—— Comic: Lighthearted, everyone should expect humor,
from pun-inspired names to silly story arcs. Lines: These are hard limits, things that do not happen,
and can cause an all-stop to game play. GMs should make
—— Explorative: There isn’t a central location, any kind of a note to avoid these topics completely.
homebase, or their headquarters is mobile. The Cam-
paign focuses new places and new people. Explor- Veils: These are topics that may come up but are not
ative games can capture the feel of some pulp age shown “on camera.” Stories might reference a veiled topic
stories or serial TV shows. but should not show this or explore it in any detail.
—— Gonzo: Off the wall stories, almost anything can hap- Tips
pen in a gonzo game.
One method of determining the scope is to go around the
—— High-Octane: Action-driven stories, plots tend to be game table eliciting ideas from each player in turn. Once
vehicles to push the heroes to the next adventure. each person has contributed an idea, try to put them
—— Inspirational: Stories bring people hope, and new together and see how each part fits. This may take several
possibilities. Each story may have an associated rounds of ideas before the scope comes into focus.
lesson or moral.
Players and GMs may have a hard time describing the spe-
—— Introspective: Turning the story inward, plotlines often cific elements they wish to see in the Campaign. Don’t be
challenge characters’ notions of the world. afraid to describe things using movies, books, and especial-
ly comics as points of reference.

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 10
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 World Building “Are we talking about corrupt cops, politicians, cor-
porations? How high up the ladder does it go?” Dave
Once everyone understands the general Scope of the follows up.
Campaign, it is time to look at crafting the world the char-
acters will inhabit. With the Scope providing some general “Yes!” is Paul’s response.
guidelines, everyone should consider how those ideas
“Corrupt cops are cool, but I want to do some world
might manifest in the world.
hopping.” Mike adds.
During this step, consider locations, people, and events
that may be important to the Campaign. There is no need “So larger groups, something that will force the
to set everything in stone. This could be as general as team to go to different places?” Dave asks.
what a campaign city might look like, without specifics, or
Thinking about it, Mike holds up his hand. “Well, I
groups players know they want to see in the course of the
want to be able to deal with corruption on all levels.
Campaign.
Like I don’t want dirty cops to be overshadowed by
Central Locations Evil Co., both should be meaningful.”
The group should establish any key, or central locations. “Do we want to focus on shades of grey and go
Do the heroes have a base of operations? Is the campaign darker?” Dave asks.
focused on one city or globetrotting? Everyone should
consider how these things impact the characters. “No,” Mike added quickly. “I like my heroes to be
heroes not a collection of angst and pockets.” Nancy
A globetrotting game means the team will need some
and Olivia both agree.
means to travel. This transportation method can easily
become a key location for the characters. “The more we learn, the deeper things go,” Olivia
In a centralized campaign, each player may want to adds. “An investigation might take us anywhere, but
describe a place that is potentially important. Locations heroes are heroes and villains are villains.”
may be important to the characters for personal reasons,
“What about something more political, like some
potential sources of new plots, or just great set pieces
of the late seventies comics? They explored a lot
that shouldn’t be missed.
of topics like race and corruption. We could have
Important Events a Bureau of Metahuman Affairs, as a questionable
government agency,” Paul adds.
What, if any, are the key events that define the world the
heroes inhabit? Consider a round robin with each person “Do we want to set the game in the ‘70s, or just try
suggesting a pivotal or important event. These events to capture the feel of the more political comics of
may play directly into a campaign or simply be part of the that age?” Asks Dave.
tapestry that makes up the world everyone inhabits.
“I want to be able to use modern technology. I’d
Key Figures prefer a modern setting.” Nancy says. With no one
disagreeing, Dave updates his Campaign notes.
Are there any important or recurring people that will be
After a bit more discussion Dave’s Campaign Scope
interacting with the heroes? There is no need to flesh
notes look as follows:
these characters out completely. Some may have a name,
or just a role. Concepts
Note: GMs should pay attention to those who are and are
Corruption! Conspiracies, mysteries, the whole
not contributing to the game’s scope. Try to make sure ev-
schmear. Bureau of Metahuman Affairs (BMA)
eryone has an opportunity to contribute and avoid letting
more dominant personalities take over during this step. Shades of grey Some shades of grey

Steel Aces Part 0 Heroes are heroes

At the start of a new campaign, Dave, Mike, Nancy, Bronze Age, late, retro
Olivia, and Paul begin by discussing what type of
game they wish to play. The GM, Dave opens the High technology, aliens?
discussion by asking what kind of things everyone
wants to see in the game. Politics

Nancy jumps in right away. “Corruption, not like Weirdness, magic, other dimensions (Add for flavor
spies, but corruption should trigger important unless there is a character focused on this.)
events.”

“This is good.” Olivia agrees.

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 Scope Central Locations:
Local -> National -> How far down does the rabbit —— Cities: Washington D.C., Arlington, VA. Baltimore, MD
hole go? —— Places: Team Base
Investigation and action, characters will determine Important Events
focus. —— WWI: Metahumans first appear
Campaign city, staging ground? (Team will need a —— WWII: Both Axis and Allies have super powered forc-
means to travel, city should serve as both place es.
for intrigue and staging grounds for larger events. —— 1950s: Government begins trying to regulate Meta-
Arlington maybe?) humans
—— 1960s: The first Metahuman prison is built
Campaign Scope Example:
—— 1970s: Chimera first appears
Metahumans Rising —— 1980s: Corruption exposed in Metahuman detention
Metahumans Rising includes a ready-made setting centers
inspired by the Bronze and Cinematic Ages, but can be
—— 1999: Lensing Conflict - First alien invasion
adapted for virtually any comic age.
—— 2010: Terraforming Event - Second alien invasion
Concepts —— 2011: First Mars Colony established
—— Heroes are heroes (They are larger than life and get
away with wearing costumes) Key Figures
—— Growing tension —— US 7: The first American super team, comprised of
seven members:
˜˜ Most people accept people with powers but there
is an underlying tension and fear. ˜˜ American Steel, a black child raised in Harlem,
New York after his father’s death, his body now
˜˜ Some Metahumans live extraordinarily long lives. more durable than even the Russian Super Tanks.
—— Multiple sources of Superpowers, Aliens, Advanced ˜˜ Eagle, a Kentucky sniper with increased sensory
Science, mutants, and Magic all exist. powers and the ability to generate beams of con-
˜˜ Superhumans first emerged in World War I after a centrated light with his eyes.
gas, Kaiser Box, was released. ˜˜ Patriot, a Boston battery sergeant from the
—— Hints of Corruption: The world is not black and white, Strasburg Event with the ability to communicate
there is corruption, but generally good and bad is telepathically.
clear. ˜˜ Gunner, an Indiana infantryman with telekinetic
—— Death is meaningful, and heroes are rarely, if ever, powers.
killers. ˜˜ Armor,` physically superior to any enlisted soldier
—— Age: Cinematic/Bronze outside the Seven.
—— Tone: Introspective Action-Adventure ˜˜ Ace, an Ohio pilot with the gift of flight.

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 ˜˜ The Express, faster than anyone alive and able When selecting an Origin, the player and GM should de-
to generate a static aura capable of destroying cide what best fits the concept of the character. The six
electronics at will. Origins included below cover a wide range of character
—— The Bureau of Metahuman Affairs (BMA): A branch concepts. Also, GMs and players may use these Origins as
of the US government responsible for tracking and a framework for defining more specific character Origins
monitoring Metahumans. or creating unique Origins.

—— Chimera: An extremist group obsessed with forced As players consider their character’s Origin, read through
evolution. each of the six presented. It may not be immediately
obvious which most applies. Take into account both the
—— Eisenreich: Nazi holdouts. narrative aspects and the mechanical bonus.

Part 1: Character Background: Some Origins emulate Talents and should be treated as
such for any Bonuses the Talent provides. When creating
Origin, Catalyst, Drive, and completely new Origins, GMs should consider the impact
of any bonuses they assign. Ask the questions: When does
Powers it apply? How often will this come up?
With the Campaign Scope established, it is time to ex- In addition to helping summarize how the character
plore the individual characters’ background elements. The gained their powers, the Value of the character’s Origin
following elements will help to define each character. This determines their maximum Willpower. Below are six
allows the players to focus their vision of the character. broad Origins.
—— Heroic Persona: How would someone else describe Dedication
the hero in a short phrase or sentence?
The character is defined by their dedication to their craft
—— Public Persona: Who is the character in normal daily or mission. This drives them to excel and never give in, no
life? matter how exhausted they are. Characters with a dedi-
—— Origin: How did the character obtain their powers? cated Origin are driven, focused; there is no challenge they
will not take on if it stands in their way.
—— Catalyst: What drove the character to become a
hero? (This may have occurred before they had pow- —— Dedication Supports any normal roll using the Never
ers.) Back Down Talent.
—— Drive: Where does the character draw their inner —— Adaptations:
strength? What pushes the character to go beyond ˜˜ Alien (or other non-human): The character is not
their limits? human, and possesses powers based on their
—— Powers: Describe the nature or core of the charac- alien nature. The character has spent time devel-
ter’s powers, training, or gear. The first and second oping these natural abilities.
questions are statements around the character’s
Empowered
concept. The following three questions are Back-
ground Characteristics, these help define the char- The character relies on various tools, either technological
acter in gameplay. The last question will help later or magical. This may be a collection of gadgets and devic-
when building the character’s powers, and when es, a suit of high tech armor, or mystical relic that imbues
deciding if a power trick is appropriate. the character with supernatural ability. These characters
often possess a large fortune or pool of resources to draw
Public Persona on for supplies, a deep understanding of how the equip-
ment works, or both.
Who is the character when they are not a hero? Select a
History Talent (pg. 35) that corresponds with the charac- ˜˜ Empowered characters have a unique Power Op-
ter’s day-to-day life. This may be how they grew up, their tion (see Power Level, pg. 17) giving them an extra
job, or some other aspect that defines part of the charac- Talent or Fighting Style along with Gear or Tool
ter’s history. This Talent is assigned a Value based on the Boons instead of a traditional Power.
character’s Power Level. ˜˜ Select one of the following options:

Origin —— Collector: Empowered Supports any normal

rolls using the Bargain Finder Talent.
A character’s Origin helps summarize how they gained
—— Craftsman: Empowered Supports any normal
their powers, and the nature of those powers. There are
rolls using the Repair Talent.
any number of possible Origins for a character’s powers.
Metahumans Rising provides six general Origins. Each Or-
igin offers a unique benefit and is later used to determine
the character’s maximum Willpower.

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 Experiment —— Supernatural Supports any normal roll using Oc-
cult rolls. Also, when using the Occult Advantage to
Power did not come to the character naturally, something attack Supernatural creatures, all Bonus Damage is
happened to make them the way they are. By choice or by treated as Penetrating.
force, someone has used the character for an experimen-
tal test and it has left them forever changed. Experimental
characters often have to learn how to adapt quickly with Example: The veteran hero Moon Dog was born in
little time to get to know their abilities. the 1940s after his father returned from World War II.
—— Experiment Supports any normal rolls using the
Moon Dog developed his powers naturally. His mu-
Intuition Talent.
tant abilities allow him to shapeshift into a hulking
—— Adaptations: doglike beast he calls the Mutt. While in the form
˜˜ Exposure: Much like the Experiment Origin, the of the Mutt, Moon Dog does not age, and so, while
character was exposed to environmental condi- he is clearly a Generational, because of his age and
tions that triggered their powers. experience everyone agrees the Immortal: Venerable
Origin better represents his long life and wealth of
Generational (AKA Mutant) experience.
A naturally born Metahuman, these characters had their
powers forced upon them by genetic heritage. This may be Catalyst
a blessing or a curse. Generational characters are forced
to build a thick skin and shrug off painful comments. The Catalyst is the moment when a person, empowered or
otherwise, becomes a hero. This event may come before,
—— Optional: Metahumans Rising Setting: Like the origi- or after the character actually obtains any superpowers,
nal Metahumans exposed to Kaiser Box, Generation- or may be directly tied to their Origin.
als tend to be exceptionally long-lived, adding to the
distrust some people have for Metahumans. The Catalyst event is something that forever changes the
character’s life. Players should consider what this trigger
—— Generational Supports any normal Mental Defense was and how it affects their character. Like the Origin, the
rolls. player will place a short summary note on the Character
Immortal Sheet. Catalyst provides bonus Stamina.

Unnaturally long-lived, many have seen war and suffering Drives

others will never know. Immortal characters are often
incredibly durable or fonts of wisdom. Drives propel the character forward. These may be per-
sonal motivations of the character such as “protect those
—— Characters select one of the following options: who cannot protect themselves” and “restore honor to
˜˜ Endure: Immortal Supports any normal roll using my people” or narrative elements the player would like to
the Perseverance Talent focus on like a secret identity, girlfriend, aunt or members
˜˜ Venerable: Immortal Supports any normal roll of their rogue’s gallery.
using the Education Talent. While the Catalyst is why the character became a hero,
—— Adaptations: their Drives are what pushes them to go beyond their
limits. As with the Catalyst, the player will note their char-
˜˜ Freak Accident: Sometimes it’s the luck of the acter’s primary Drive. As the character develops, they will
draw. What ends the lives of so many has caused gain new Drives. Often these are more specific, and based
a strange reaction inside this character. They may on their personal stories.
use the Endure Bonus as part of their Origin.
—— Metahumans Rising Setting: KB Exposure: One of the Powers
original survivors of Kaiser Box and KB II, some Meta-
Unlike the other Backgrounds there is no single Charac-
human veterans of World War I appear no older than
teristic associated at this stage of character development.
their forties or fifties. KB survivors are of the first
Like the other questions, it is designed to help visualize
generations of modern Metahumans.
the character. However, the actual Characteristics and
Supernatural values of the character’s powers will come later on. The
player should describe what powers or abilities set the
Most people do not understand, nor do they accept that character apart from average humans. This could be tradi-
there is more to the world. Even with the fantastic nature of tional superpowers, advanced technology, or martial arts
Metahumans, there are others who practice an older art. mastery.
Ancient rituals and rites that, when performed correctly, Each of the character’s Background Characteristics will be
unlock the fabric of reality. Every culture on Earth has their assigned a Value. Before spending points though it is time
wise men or women, their Shamans, or Magi. Steeped in to look at the Campaign’s Power Level.
lore, these characters draw upon unknowable forces.

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 Steel Aces Part 1 Nancy replies firmly, “That’s not right, I’m picturing
an ex-BMA agent turned hero. Maybe he got turned
Character Backgrounds into a Metahuman and doesn’t trust them anymore.”
Pausing Nancy thinks about what everyone else
“What’s the consensus on firearms?” Paul asks, hav- has said. “My original idea was a veteran hero type,
ing looked through the Background section. someone who’s been around the block enough to
know just where the bodies are hidden with high-
“Heroes with guns were rare in the Bronze Age;
tech gear.”
generally villains are the only ones with real-world
guns.” Pausing, Dave considers the Campaign Scope. “I think the supergroup is larger than just four mem-
“Guns are a way for compensating for a lack of skill bers. You can each make two characters, so long as
or powers.” you’re only playing one at a time,” Dave offers. “The
characters so far all sound like they would be very
“How about a bow then?” This is one of the classic
different. Do you think you could come up with two
tools of comic heroes and everyone readily agrees that
concepts each that possessed different skill sets?”
bows are definitely in. Paul jots down some notes.
After a bit of discussion they all agree with each
“What is the status of the US 7? We talked about
player creating 2 characters. Also, Paul suggests
them being the first superteam,” Mike asks. Olivia
that Olivia’s legacy character and Nancy’s veteran
follows this train of thought, “That was World War
hero be the ones to put the group together, trying to
II, shouldn’t they all be dead, or in retirement?”
recapture American Steel’s legacy and build a group
Looking over the Campaign Scope Dave interjects, of heroes who can do good without falling prey to
“Not necessarily. We talked about Metahumans the BMA’s dirty tactics. After a bit more talk, the
having longer lives.” Steel Aces begins to take shape.

“Definitely American Steel should be dead. Maybe he Mike’s Characters

died in Viet Nam rescuing a comrade.” Olivia contin-
ues, “The heavy hitters should be out of the action.” Bulwark
—— Heroic Persona: The Living Volcano
“Agreed, I think I want to be an alien, maybe one
of the first invaders,” Mike concludes his train of —— Public Persona: A former anthropologist and ar-
thought. Dave makes some notes updating the Cam- chaeologist, Derrick Miles tries to reconnect with his
paign Scope. former life.
—— Origin: Empowered by the Hephaestus Circlet (super-
“Actually, is it possible to play American Steel’s natural)
grandkid?” Olivia asks.
—— Catalyst: Overcome the oppression of fear (... and
“Absolutely,” Dave quickly responds. Nazis.)
—— Drive: Prove I’m not a monster
“She’s a flying powerhouse, maybe not quite as
strong as American Steel himself but one of the —— Powers: Nearly indestructible mystic creature of
world’s top Metahumans,” Olivia says before writing stone.
down notes.
Wayfarer
Paul, holds two pencils across his face to form an —— Heroic Persona: Banished alien invader turned hero.
X. “Crossfire is an archer. World class, but I’m not Wayfarer is trapped between two dimensions, forev-
sure he’s in this league.” Putting the pencils down he er part of both the Stasivese and the Prime Dimen-
adds, “I could go for some kind of energy manipu- sion
lator, something like primal forces but not fire, still,
—— Public Persona: As a former invader Ixe’Ry (Ye Ray)
more on par with American Steel’s granddaughter.”
avoids the public eye.
Turning to Nancy, Dave asks her what she was —— Origin: Out of Phase (Experiment)
thinking of playing. Caught off guard, Nancy asks for
—— Catalyst: Inspired by Humanity
more details around the anti-Metahuman elements
in the government. —— Drive: Prevent Further Invasions
—— Powers: Between two dimensions Wayfarer can
“The group is called the Bureau of Metahuman Affairs.
phase between things.
Think of them like the Bureau of Indian Affairs, only
they are interested in registration and monitoring
of all Metahumans. They prosecute cases involving
Metahumans and are known to strongarm heroes into
registration to avoid trumped-up charges.”

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Nancy’s Characters —— Public Persona: Guardian does not hide who she is,
and spends her time off volunteering with various
Ronin nonprofits and schools. Secretly she is also the host
—— Heroic Persona: Masked vigilante, Ronin doesn’t get the of the military history podcast, “Red Tales”.
best press coverage. He’s on the run from the BMA. —— Origin: Granddaughter of American Steel (Genera-
—— Public Persona: John Wright, living under the name tional)
John Shepard. John works as a lawyer. —— Catalyst: Is it legacy, duty, or pride?
—— Origin: Metahuman Advancement Project (MAP) Sur- —— Drive: Uphold her Grandfather’s Legacy
vivor (Experiment)
—— Powers: Flying powerhouse
—— Catalyst: Betrayed by the BMA
Nox
—— Drive: Expose the BMA
—— Heroic Persona: A reformed criminal, Nox is met with
—— Powers: Enhanced physical abilities and combat mixed views. Cops distrust her and criminals hate her.
training.
—— Public Persona: Mel is retired from her former career,
Vigilant and lives off what she’s earned. She searches for
—— Heroic Persona: The “new” Vigilant is known as the ways to make amends for her actions.
Silver Knight, wearing a powerful suit of power armor. —— Origin: Born into darkness (Generational)
—— Public Persona: Vigilant has cut ties with almost —— Catalyst: Reformed Criminal (Formerly: Raised in the
everyone he knows. This is part due to his advanced System)
age and part due to his dedication. Nobody, not even
—— Drive: Undoing Her Past (Formerly: Abandoned By Her
the other Aces know who Vigilant really is.
Parents)
—— Origin: I’ve seen the price of inaction (Dedication)
—— Powers: Darkness and shadow control.
—— Catalyst: No one Escapes Justice
—— Drive: Never Let a Crime Go Unseen!
—— Powers: Overseer Power armor with all his old gad-
gets built in and decades of experience.

Olivia’s Characters
Guardian
—— Heroic Persona: As Guardian, she strives to
be an icon for others to look up to.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Paul’s Characters Low Powered
Crossfire The characters are a cut above the average person, often
possessing a noticeable power. However, most are not so
—— Heroic Persona: Master archer, Crossfire; even
strong that a well-placed bullet couldn’t bring them down.
without powers, his skills let him contend with the
toughest baddies. Recommended: Street Supers, Teen Heroes
—— Public Persona: From Army ranger to park ranger. Classic
Mark Jimenez is a vet who teaches survival skills.
By most people’s standards, these characters could be ca-
—— Origin: Soldier turned Survivalist (Empowered: Main- pable of changing the world. Their powers set them apart
tenance) from normal humans and can be frightening to those
—— Catalyst: Pulled back in without powers.
—— Drive: Prevent Another War Recommended: Bronze Era, Action-Adventure, Explor-
—— Powers: None, it’s skill. Crossfire uses a bow and ative, High-Octane
wears an armored mask with an X on it, and jacket. High Powered
Elf Characters may be the world’s finest heroes. Individually,
—— Heroic Persona: Often confused with a Chimera Drift- they may be able to protect a city on their own, together
er, it is her association with other heroes that eases they protect the world. A single character may be able to
people’s fear. face down a small army and connecting with non-pow-
ered individuals can be difficult.
—— Public Persona: Elf struggles to remember her past
and fears trying to reconnect with her family. Recommended: Silver Era, High-Octane, World-class heroes
—— Origin: Reborn Drifter (Experiment) Cosmic
—— Catalyst: A Second Chance Gods among humanity, the stakes only continue to esca-
—— Drive: Prevent Subversion of Free Will late.
—— Powers: Link to Bioforce; enhances her body and Recommended: Cosmic Heroes, Far-flung future adven-
senses and lets her fire beams of energy. tures

Part 2: Power Level Arrays

With the Campaign Scope and Character Backgrounds Each Power Level lists three Arrays for Attributes and
completed, the group should settle on a Power Level for Talents, along with Power options. Attributes represent
their characters. The Power Level determines the scale the character’s natural aptitudes while Talents represent
of the challenges the heroes face and sets a baseline for areas of expertise. A normal human typically has Attri-
their Characteristics. butes between 3 and 6, with a small selection of Talents
ranging from 1 to 6. Non-powered humans can exceed
The Campaign’s Power Level may be obvious after devel- these Values and it’s not unusual for heroes to have Val-
oping the Campaign Scope. However, by discussing Power ues much higher.
Level separately players may offer different ideas that
help bring the game into focus. Power Options are used to create the character’s Fight-
ing Styles and Powers. These are the abilities that often
Another way to consider Power Level is the reach and separate the character from normal humans. Each Power
impact of the characters. LowerPower Levels are often Level also assigns a number of Advancement Points that
better suited for campaigns that focus on a single city, or are used to round out the character, improve
neighborhood, or the Pulp genre. Higher Power Levels lend Attributes, Talents or Powers and purchase Boons. This is
themselves to larger-scale events. discussed in further detail in Part 3: Selecting Arrays and
Advancement Points (see pg. 20).
Power Levels
Attribute Arrays
Exceptional
Balanced
Typically characters are normal humans. They may pos-
sess a minor power, unusual equipment, or specialized Well-rounded, balanced characters have only one high
training but a large enough group of gang members can and one low starting Attribute. Their remaining Attributes
be a major threat. are evenly distributed.
Recommended: Action/Adventure, Pulp, Introspective

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Focused Exceptional—Threat Level: Mundane
Pushing beyond normal limits, focused characters sacri- —— Attributes: History Value 5
fice their competency in some areas to excel in others. —— Heroic: 2 Attributes Value 6, 2 Attributes Value 5, 4
Heroic Attributes Value 4, 1 Attribute Value 3

The character possesses a mix of high and low Attributes, —— Balanced: 1 Attribute Value 6, 3 Attributes Value 5, 5
allowing them to excel in multiple areas even if they are Attributes Value 4
not as broadly skilled as a balanced character and lack the —— Focused: 1 Attribute Value 8, 4 Attributes Value 5, 1
expertise of a focused character. Attributes Value 4, 3 Attributes Value 3

Talent Arrays —— Talents: Backgrounds: Origin 5, Catalyst 4, Drive 2, 1

Other Public Persona History Talent 2
Competent —— Competent: 9 Talents Value 4
They may not be the best at any one thing, but competent —— Diverse: 2 Talents Value 5, 5 Talents Value 3, 5 Tal-
characters possess a functional number of Talents. This ents Value 1
may represent characters with a general career path or no
specialized education. —— Expert: 6 Talents Value 6, 1 Talent Value 4
—— Powers: None, may be purchased with Advancement
Talent Selections: Medium
Points.
Diverse —— General Advancement Points: 20
With one or two areas of expertise, the diverse character While lacking the powers of other heroes, these charac-
often has several areas of interest or a number of Special- ters stand a cut above. Often an Exceptional Hero pos-
ties. sesses skills that surpass the average person in many
Diverse characters may lack formal education or have ways. They are the great detectives, or master martial
a number of minor interests that supplement their pas- artists, those creating illusions that make you question if
sions. A diverse Talent array may also represent profes- their magic is really real,and the adventurer, whose life is
sions that encompass a number of related topics such simply larger than can be believed.
as an academic with a broad field of study or advanced Threat Level: While some Exceptional Heroes may be
military training. physically adept, typically these characters are only as
Talent Selections: High sturdy as a normal person. This means that even to the
strong ones, or bruisers, mundane threats such as a sim-
Expert ple handgun may be fatal. Death can come at any instant
Lacking a broader understanding of various topics, the and danger lurks around every turn.
character is an expert in one or two areas. Characters
often come from fields requiring dedication to a narrow
Low Powered—Threat Level:
range of topics or backgrounds that lack training in gener- Regional or “Topical”
al and rely on more natural talents. —— Attributes: History Attribute 8
Talent Selections: Low —— Heroic: 1 Attribute Value 10, 1 Attribute Value 8, 3
Attributes Value 6, 4 Attributes Value 4
Assigning Arrays —— Balanced: 1 Attribute Value 8, 6 Attributes Value 6, 2
Players assign their Attributes Values based on their cho- Attribute Value 4
sen array, then select a number of Talents based on their
—— Focused: 1 Attribute Value 12, 1 Attribute Value 10, 1
array, assigning their Values as well. Players then select
Attributes Value 6, 6 Attributes Value 4
a Power option and assign Advancement Points to their
Power and Boons, defining what the core Power can do. —— Talents: Backgrounds: Origin 8, Catalyst 5, Drive 3, 1
Other Public Persona History Talent 2
Advancement Points are used to round out or add At-
tributes, Talents, and Powers. This is covered in greater —— Competent: 8 Talents Value 7, 1 Talent Value 5, 2
detail in Part 4: Selecting Arrays and Advancement Points Talents Value 1
(pg. 20). —— Diverse: 1 Talent Value 10, 2 Talents Value 8, 3 Talents
Below are descriptions of each of the basic Power Levels. Value 5, 4 Talents Value 3, 4 Talents Value 1
Each of the Power Levels provides a noticeable bump in a —— Expert: 5 Talents Value 10, 2 Talents Value 8, 1 Talent
character’s capabilities but adds complexity to Character Value 3
Creation due to the increased point totals. The Power Lev- —— Powers: Select 1 Power Value 8 or 2 Powers Value 3;
els provide descriptions to illustrate what characters may the character has 8 AP for Personal Boons or Powers
be capable of accomplishing. However, they are intended
as general guidelines and not rules for a Campaign.
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— Empowered Character Option: Replace Power with a —— Talents: Backgrounds: Origin 10, Catalyst 8, Drive 5, 1
Talent or a Fighting Style Value 2 and 10 AP for Gear Other Public Persona History Talent 3
or Tool Boons —— Competent: 9 Talents Value 9, 3 Talents Value 2
—— General Advancement Points: 20 —— Diverse: 1 Talent Value 12, 2 Talents Value 10, 2 Tal-
These characters have clear and discernible powers. They ents Value 8, 3 Talents Value 5, 4 Talents Value 3, 4
may not be the most powerful Metahumans or Empow- Talents Value 1
ered Normals but their gear, training, or natural ability set —— Expert: 6 Talents Value 12, 3 Talents Value 7
them apart from average people.
—— Powers: 1 Power Value 12 or 2 Powers Value 5 or 1
Low Powered characters often have a solid block of relat- Power Value 6 and 2 Powers Value 1; the character
ed skills. Some may go for a jack-of-all-trades with a wide has 12 AP for Personal Boons or Powers
array of skills, but often there will be gaps. Powers tend to
—— Empowered Character Option: Replace Power with a
rival or surpass street-level technology.
Talent or a Fighting Style Value 6 and 14 AP for Gear
Threat Level: Characters may face well-armed normals or or Tool Boons
Metahumans. Military grade weapons can easily cut down —— General Advancement Points: 30
most Low Powered Heroes and it can be easy to make
powerful enemies. The Classic Hero possesses several powers or a central
ability from which all other powers are derived. The Clas-
Classic—Threat Level: sic Hero is often more capable than a normal human in
National/International every way. Where even heroes who lack obvious physical
enhancements can withstand punishment that would kill
—— Attributes: History Value 10 most humans.
—— Heroic: 1 Attribute Value 12, 1 Attributes Value 10, 3
Threat Level: Classic Heroes face challenges that av-
Attributes Value 8, 4 Attributes Value 5
erage people may not be able to overcome. To deal with
—— Balanced: 1 Attribute Value 12, 7 Attributes Value 7, 1 characters of this caliber, average humans may employ
Attribute Value 5 artillery or other heavy military ordnance. However, most
—— Focused: 1 Attribute Value 15, 1 Attribute Value 12, 1 challenges will be super-powered in nature. Innocent by-
Attribute Value 8, 2 Attributes Value 6, 3 Attributes standers can easily be hurt or killed if not evacuated when
Value 5, 1 Attribute Value 4 Classic Powered Heroes and villains face off.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 High Powered—Threat Level: Global —— Diverse: 1 Talent Value 20, 1 Talent Value 15, 1 Talents
Value 12, 2 Talents Value 10, 3 Talents Value 8, 4 Tal-
—— Attributes: History 12 ents Value 5, 4 Talents Value 3
—— Heroic: 1 Attribute Value 15, 1 Attribute Value 12 , 2 —— Expert: 3 Talents Value 20, 4 Talents Value 15, 3 Tal-
Attributes Value 10, 3 Attributes Value 8, 2 Attributes ents Value 5
Value 5
—— Powers: 1 Power Value 20 or 2 Powers Value 9 or 1
—— Balance: 1 Attribute Value 15, 1 Attribute Value 10, 7 Power Value 10 and 2 Powers Value 3; the character
Attributes Value 8 has 26 AP for Personal Boons or Powers
—— Focused: Attribute Value 20, 4 Attributes Value 10, 1 —— Empowered Character Option: Replace Power with a
Attribute Value 6, 3 Attributes Value 5 Talent or a Fighting Style Value 14 and 28 AP for Gear
—— Talents: Backgrounds: Origin 12, Catalyst 10, Drive 8, or Tool Boons
1 Other Public Persona History Talent 5 —— General Advancement Points: 45
—— Competent: 9 Talents Value 11, 3 Talents Value 5, 1
Cosmic Heroes soar through galaxies saving planets and
Talent Value 2
even star systems. While there are many great stories fo-
—— Diverse: 1 Talent Value 15, 1 Talents Value 12, 2 Tal- cused on these powerful heroes they are for the most part
ents Value 10, 2 Talents Value 8, 4 Talents Value 5, 5 outside the scope of the Core Book. That doesn’t mean we
Talents Value 3 don’t provide the GM some Cosmic Level Challenges.
—— Expert: 7 Talents Value 15, 1 Talent Value 9, 2 Talent
Value 4 Steel Aces Part 2 Power Level
—— Powers: 1 Power Value 15 or 1 Power Value 7 and 1 With each player already taking on two roles, Paul
Power Value 6 or 2 Powers Value 4 and Power Value suggests that one character be Low Powered and
3; the character has 20 AP for Personal Boons or one be a Cosmic Hero. Mike agrees that both Guard-
Powers ian and Elf could be Cosmic Heroes but he doesn’t see
Bulwark or Wayfarer as Low Powered. Nancy adds
—— Empowered Character Option: RReplace Power with that Cosmic may be too much for either Ronin or Vig-
a Talent or a Fighting Style Value 9 and 22 AP for Gear ilant. In the end they agree that one character should
or Tool Boons be a Classic Hero and the other High Powered.
—— General Advancement Points: 40
Classic Heroes High Powered Heroes
Able to change the fate of the world, the High Powered Hero
defends the planet from the direst of threats. While there Bulwark Elf
may be other heroes in the world, High Powered characters Crossfire Guardian
may be the most powerful heroes on the planet. Nox Vigilant
Ronin Wayfarer
Powers vary widely and characters may have a staggering
list of strange abilities. More often, these characters are
exemplars of a given trait, such as the strongest or fastest
person in the world. Part 3: Selecting Arrays and
Threat Level: The High Powered Hero confronts chal-
lenges that threaten the globe. Stopping extinction-level
Advancement Points
events and dealing with forces the average human could
hardly fathom.
Attributes
Attributes are broad categories that represent the
Cosmic—Threat Level: Intergalactic character’s general aptitudes and competencies. When
—— Attributes: History 15 attempting a task, a player may always use an appropri-
ate Attribute.
—— Heroic: 1 Attribute Value 20, 2 Attributes Value 15, 1
Attributes Value 12, 2 Attributes Value 10, 2 Attributes History represents a character’s general connections with
Value 8, 1 Attribute Value 5 the world around them. History Talents include: Back-
grounds: including Origin, Catalyst, Drives, Career, and
—— Balanced: 1 Attribute Value 20, 4 Attributes Value 11,
Wealth. Note: History is the Parent Attribute for Origin and
3 Attributes Value 10, 1 Attribute Value 9
Catalyst. Neither can exceed the History Attribute.
—— Focused: 1 Attribute Value 25, 2 Attributes Value 15, 2
Attributes Value 12, 4 Attribute Value 6 Strength is a measure of physical power. Talents include:
Brawn, Manual Labor, and many Sports.
—— Talents: Backgrounds: Origin 15, Catalyst 12, Drive 10,
1 Other Public Persona History Talent 8 Dexterity defines quickness and graceful movement.
Nimble characters are more adept at avoiding dangers.
—— Competent: 9 Talents Value 12, 3 Talents Value 6, 1 Talents include: Acrobatics, Vehicles, and Stealth.
Talent Value 3

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Constitution is all about toughing it out and taking the hit. Array
Talents include: Fasting, Fitness, and Perseverance.
Select Talents for your character placing them under
Sense is a measure of the character’s five basic senses, the corresponding Parent Attribute. Assign them a Value
or however many they may have. Talents Include: Lock based on your Array. These Values may be increase with
Picking, Perception, and Scrounging. Experience later. (see Spending Points, pg. 22).
Fortune aids characters in games of chance, or making
the right decision when they have no information to go on, Boons
Talents include: Gambling, Intuition, and Serendipity. Boons represent specific advantages or traits+ the char-
Wisdom gauges the character’s general understanding acter may possess that are not easily defined by a simple
and reasoning. Talents include: Animal Handling, Occult, numeric value such as Allies or a False Identity. Instead,
and Street Smarts. Boons have a Value of either Typical (TY) or Major (MA).
Characters receive a number of selections that may be
Intelligence represents how quickly a character can pro- made based on their Power Level. The Boons can be found
cess and evaluate information. Talents include: Cryptog- on pg. 45.
raphy, Law, and Science.
Powers
Mental shows determination, strength of will, and an
unwillingness to concede. Talents include: Intimidation, Fighting Styles and Powers are similar to Talents; they
Negotiation, and Outlast. consist of a Value like a Talent, but are defined by the
player and may possess a number of special power Boons
Expression helps the character navigate social situations that allow the player to customize how their Powers work.
picking up on deception or getting by on looks alone. Tal-
ents include: Etiquette, Provoke, and Tactics. When creating a new Fighting Style or Power the player
assigns a Parent Attribute and it’s starting Role: Defense,
Array Offense, or Support. This is explained in greater detail in
Assign each Attribute a Value based on your Power Level. the Fighting Styles and Powers Section (pg. 51). There are
Advancement Points can be used to increase these Values multiple example Powers and Fighting Styles provided in
later. (see Spending Points, pg. 22). this section.
Fighting Styles and Powers cannot exceed their Parent
Talents Attribute’s Value. Like Talents, Fighting Styles and Powers
Talents are broad categories of knowledge, skills, and ac- may also possess Specialties. Players select their base
complishments. If a character is attempting a roll and has number of Powers and select a number of Related Boons.
an associated Talent they may add that Value to the roll, (see Spending Points, pg. 22.)
along with a bonus die. Note: It can be tempting to try to take every Power Boon
Many Talents also provide additional Advantages. For that might come up. When selecting Boons for a Power,
example, a character with Tracking is very difficult to consider the core function of the power. Characters can
hide from in combat. The basic list of Talents is located add new Boons to achieve unique stunts during gameplay
on pg. 35. by spending Willpower (see pg. 97 for more about Will-
power.)
Specialties
Specialties are a narrow subset of Talents. A character
Characteristic Levels
with the Computer Talent could select a Specialty in Hack- The following are guidelines for Characteristics. Each level
ing or Programming. Specialties are added to any related provides a basic description. Example, a Classic Detective
rolls. Specialties cannot exceed their parent Talent’s Val- may be an expert in Forensics, Perception, and Research
ue. Any Talent selection may be used to pick up a Special- Talents with levels in each between 10 and 12.
ty, as long as it does not exceed the base Talent’s Value. —— Baseline: 1—3 (A Low Attribute or normal person’s
Example: Wayfarer has a Study of Alien Races 8, Talent)
with a Specialty for Human Biology at 4. This Spe- —— Typical: 4—6 (Most people) Exceptional Key Talent
cialty could be as high as 8, equal to the Parent Level
Talent but could not go above this Value.
—— Above Average: 7—9 (1 in 10) Low Powered Key Talent
Note: The core list of Talents has no classic combat skills Level
or default powers. Instead players create the Fighting —— Expert: 10—12 (1 in 100) Classic Key Talent Level
Styles and Powers they want using Power Points.
—— Remarkable: 13—15 (1 in 1,000) High Powered Key
Talent Level
—— Marvelous: 16—20 (1 in 10,000) Cosmic Key Talent
Level

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— Phenomenal: 21—24 (1 in 100,000) Cosmic+ Key Tal- characters should not add more than 2 AP to their highest
ent Level starting Attribute (1 for Focused Arrays) or Talents and 1 AP
—— Unparalleled: 25+ (1 in 1,000,000) Cosmic++ Key to a Primary Power.
Talent Level Example: Bulwark is a being of stone and magma.
To represent this, Mike increases Bulwark’s Consti-
Choosing Characteristics tution to 18, 2 AP higher than the normal starting
When creating a character, each Characteristic represents Value.
interests and abilities of that person. There are no tradi-
tional Combat Talents. Instead, many Talents provide Ad- Powers
vantages. This allows players to worry less about combat
effectiveness and instead focus on who the character is How does a player gauge what Values and Boons are most
and how they interact with the world. appropriate for their character? Go back to the character’s
Backgrounds and look at their concept. How many unique
Review the list of Talents (pg. 35) and select those you feel powers do they actually have? A Pyromancer (pg. 73) may
best fit your character’s background. Then assign them have a body of fire, the ability to fly, and throw fire. The
Values based on your Power Level. Some characters may character’s flight and fireballs stem from their body of
need more Talents than the Array provides. Note these fire, so this would be considered a single power.
talents without a Value for now. Players will have an op-
portunity to round out their characters with Advancement Example: Ronin underwent the Metahuman Ad-
Points. vancement Project enhancing his body and provid-
ing him superhuman strength, durability, and re-
Spending Points flexes. This is built as a single power: Mapped Body
Players spend their Advancement Points to round out their (a variation of Ultrahuman, pg. 75). Ronin is also an
character, increasing Characteristics, adding additional expert martial artist. This training is separate from
Drives, or Talents and Boons. Players are not required to his altered physique. Because of this Ronin possess
spend their starting AP right away. The player makes their both a Power and a Fighting Style.
Array selections as normal and defines their Power, or
Powers, selecting a Parent Attribute and Role as normal. Players should choose what’s right for their character.
The Fighting Styles and Powers Chapter (pg. 51) contains
Instead of spending AP as normal, the player reserves examples and is designed to give players either ready-
these points for the Team Origin and the first few ses- to-use powers or jumping off points to create their own
sions. unique abilities.
Whenever the character takes an action related to one of There are some things to keep in mind. Any Fighting
their Talents or is required to make a roll the GM should Style, Gear or Power selected for a character represents
offer to increase the related Talent by spending an AP. a significant aspect of that character. A character with an
When using a Power Trick (see Willpower Features, pg. Offensive Power may train and spar with their teammates.
99), the GM should ask if this is a normal function of their
Power and offer to spend AP to make the selected Boon a This training generally represents more fluidity with their
permanent aspect of the character. Central Powers rather than an additional Fighting Style.
Nox and Ronin often spar together. While Ronin develops
1 Advancement Point his fighting style Nox is more focused on mastering her
—— Start a new Characteristic (Drive, Talent, Specialty, or Shadow Control.
Power) at 1
Equipment: Tools and Gear
—— +3 to an existing Characteristic
It’s assumed that characters have the basic necessities
˜˜ Note: Origin, Catalyst, and Drives are Special based on their background. During the Team Origin (pg. 27)
Characteristics and can only be advanced using players will have the opportunity to establish any shared
Experience gained from gameplay. (see Character resources such as a base, or means of team communica-
Advancement, pg. 116.) tion. Some heroes have more than the basics. There are
—— Select a Typical (TY) Boon two basic forms of equipment:
2 Advancement Points —— Tools (pg. 49): A character might use Tools once
or twice in a session but they aren’t central to the
—— Select a Major (MA) Boon
character. Ronin has a number of weapons he may
Maximum Starting Characteristics use, such as nunchucks or shuriken. However, he is
primarily a hand-to-hand combatant, so he uses the
The starting arrays are designed to create characters Tools Boon to give him access to a “Hidden Weapon”
capable of taking on challenges based on their Power Level. once per session.
Depending on the character concept it may be fitting to
push the upper end of the base array. As a rule of thumb

22
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— Gear (pg. 56): When a character relies on one piece of Backgrounds
equipment like other heroes use Powers, this is Gear. Born into darkness (Generational) 12
Because Gear can be broken or taken away the Cost is Reformed Criminal
determined a little differently. ire’s bow and long coat (Formerly: Raised in the System) 8
and igilant’s armor are examples of Gear. Undoing Her Past
(Formerly: Abandoned By Her Parents) 5
Steel Aces Part 3: Nox Secret Identity 1 (1 AP)
and Guardian Enemy: To be determined
AP Cost
1 (1 AP)
2 AP
Nox
Talents
Growing up on the street Nox turned to crime early Area of Influence: Criminal Underworld 9
on. She’s relied on her natural mutant power of Contact: John Fix (Smuggler) 5 (1 AP)
Shadow Control most of her life. Nox needs a num- Forgery 1 (1 AP)
ber of functional Talents to survive, so Olivia selects Gambling 1 (1 AP)
the Focused Attribute and Competent Talent Arrays. Intimidation 9
Intuition 9
Power Level: Classic Natural Shadows (Stealth) 12 (1 AP)
Attributes: Focused Negotiation 1 (1 AP)
History 10 Strength 4 Perception 9
Dexterity 12 Constitution 6 Perseverance 2
Sense 8 Fortune 6 Sleight of Hand 9
Wisdom 5 Intelligence 5 Street Smarts 9
Mental 15 Expression 5 Study: Criminal Underworld 9
Backgrounds Study: Metahuman History 2
Born into darkness (Generational) 10 Subterfuge 9
Reformed Criminal AP Cost 5 AP
(Formerly: Raised in the System) 8
Undoing Her Past Olivia changes the name of Stealth to Natural Shad-
(Formerly: Abandoned By Her Parents) 5 ows because she sees Nox’s ability to hide as an ex-
tension of her Power. Now, it’s time to look at Nox’s
Talents: Competent Shadow Control. Olivia wants Nox to generate fields
Area of Influence: Criminal Underworld 9 of darkness and use shadows as weapons. Because
Contact: John Fix (smuggler) 2 she can manipulate shadows, Olivia pictures Nox
Intimidation 9 being able to fly using wings of darkness and defend
Intuition 9 herself with a dark veil.
Stealth 9
Perception 9 Shadow Control (12)
Perseverance 2 Parent Attribute Mental
Sleight of Hand 9 Primary Role: Support Stealth
Street Smarts 9 Push Range MA
Study: Criminal Underworld 9 Radius TY
Study: Metahuman History 2 Selective MA
Subterfuge 9 Alter: Light to Darkness MA
Meddling (Disorientating) MA2
Because Nox is a shadow manipulator Olivia knows New Movement: Shadow Flight MA
she wants to increase Nox’s stealth and there are Secondary Role: Defense (Full Role) MA2
a few Talents she wants to add. Also, she wants a Secondary Role: Offense (Full Role) MA2
Secret Identity and something else to represent her Defended By: Quickness MA
time as a criminal. Finally, Nox survives on her wits, Devastating MA
so Olivia wants to increase some of those Attributes. Locked: Must always use Defended By Quickness

Nox’s Darkness Control offers her a lot of versatil-

Attributes
ity, with a sly attack that doesn’t care how tough
History 10 Strength 4
someone is; hey, there’s a reason she survived as a
Dexterity 12 Constitution 6
criminal and was never caught.
Sense 8 Fortune 9 (1 AP)
Wisdom 5 Intelligence 11 (2 AP)
Mental 15 Expression 8 (1 AP)
AP Cost 3 AP

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Olivia adds the Locked Drawback because her attack Talents: Diverse
is always shadows, not overpowering quick foes. To Brawn 15
emphasize that Darkness is really her focus Olivia Concentration 12
adds a few final Boons to round everything out and a Education 3
Specialty. Woe to those inside her fields of darkness. Etiquette 3
(Specialty) Military Protocol 3
Lingering MA Discipline 8
New Sense: Shadow Sight TY Domestic 5
Resist: Shadows and Darkness TY Fitness 10
Limited: Lingering only for Meddling and Negated By Law 5
Light Based Powers Manual Labor 8
(Specialty) Surrounded by Darkness 4 (2 AP) Negotiation 3
Cost 1 Power + 12 Power AP + 17 AP Perception 10
Study: Military History 5
Boons Study: Metahumans 5
Critical Skill: Natural Shadows MA
Natural Shadows Supports Overall Olivia is happy with Guardian’s Attributes and
Surrounded By Darkness MA Talents. However, there are a number of things she
AP Cost 4 wants to round out. After spending Advancement
Points (AP) Guardian has the following changes:
Total AP Cost: Attributes 4 + Talents 7 + Boons 4 + Pow-
ers 17 = 32
Attributes
History 15 Strength 15
Olivia has gone over her starting AP by 2. While she Dexterity 15 Constitution 13
could remove one or two Boons from Shadow Con- Sense 13 Fortune 8
trol Olivia wants to look at Drawbacks first. Wisdom 8 Intelligence 5
Mental 14 Expression 11
AP Cost 8
Guardian
Guardian is Olivia’s icon of heroism. Even though she Talents
was deceived by her parents, she cannot turn her Brawn 15
back on those in need and respects the legacy her Concentration 15 (1 AP)
grandfather left her. Raised to be a hero, Olivia se- Education 3
lects the Heroic Attribute and Diverse Talent Arrays Etiquette 6 (1 AP)
to represent her unusual upbringing and haphazard (Specialty) Military 6 (1 AP)
education. Discipline 8
Domestic 5
Power Level: High Fitness 13 (1 AP)
Attributes: Heroic Law 5
History 12 Strength 15 Manual Labor 8
Dexterity 12 Constitution 10 Movement: Flight 4 (2 AP)
Sense 10 Fortune 5 Negotiation 6 (1 AP)
Wisdom 8 Intelligence 5 Perception 13 (1 AP)
Mental 8 Expression 8 Study: Military History 5
Study: Metahumans 5
Backgrounds AP Cost 8
Origin: Granddaughter of American Steel
(Generational) 12
Catalyst: Is it legacy, duty, or pride? 10
Drive: Grandfather’s Legacy 8
Background: Military Brat 5

24
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Raw Builds
It’s time to look at Guardian’s Powers. Olivia knows
Players who would like more granularity in Character
she wants Guardian to have both a Power and a
Creation may opt for a Raw Build. The Raw Build gives
Fighting Style because of her upbringing. She knows
the player a number of points based on the Power Level.
Guardian will be super strong, tough, with the ability
These Creation Points are smaller than AP. The character’s
to fly. Dave suggests this be a single Power, since
Attributes all begin at 2, along with their Origin, Catalyst,
she is a descendant of American Steel. However,
Drive, and one other Public Persona History Talent.
Olivia has an idea about her background and wants
to split this into two Powers: Steel and Acceleration. —— Exceptional: Raw Build 85 Talent Points, 60 Creation
For her Fighting Style she decides to call it Intensive Points
Training. With a Fighting Style and 2 Powers, Guard- —— Low Powered: Raw Build 135 Talent Points, 34 Power
ian’s starting Values are 7, 2 and 2 with 20 Boon Points, 60 Creation Points
Selections.
—— Classic: Raw Build 185 Talent Points, 50 Power
Points, 90 Creation Points
Steel 15 (4 AP)
Parent Attribute: Strength/Support: Constitution —— High Powered: Raw Build 230 Talent Points; 77 Power
Secondary Role: Offense MA Points, 120 Creation Points
Secondary Role: Defense (Full Role) MA2 —— Cosmic: Raw Build 290 Talent Points; 100 Power
Armor (Boost Armor, Impervious) MA3 Points, 135 Creation Points
Passive Defense MA
Cost: 1 Power (of 3) + 14 Boons + 4 AP Character Backgrounds Elements:
Accelerator 10 (2 AP) Origin, Catalyst, and Drive In The Raw
Parent Attribute: Dexterity/Support: Movement: Flight
Secondary Role: Offense MA Origin, Catalyst, Drive, and the selected History Talent
New Movement: Flight begin with a Value of 2. Players may increase them with
(Boost Speed, Rapid Acceleration) MA3 Talent Points or Experience as normal.
Cost: 2 Powers (of 3) + 8 Power AP + 2 AP
Spending Points
Intensive Training 10 (2 AP) —— Add a New Characteristic (Talent, Specialty, Fighting
Parent Attribute: Dexterity/Offense Style, or Power): 3 CP
Secondary Role: Defense (Full Role) MA2 ˜˜ New Characteristics begin with a Value of 1.
Secondary Role: Support Initiative MA
(Specialty) Aerial Combat 10 ˜˜ Origin, Catalyst, and Drives cannot exceed the
Cost: 3 Powers (of 3) + 2 AP + 6 AP + 4 AP character’s History.
AP Cost 18 —— Improve Existing Characteristic: 1 CP per level

Each Power represents a different aspect of who —— Add a Typical Boon: 3 CP

Guardian is: Steel being her Grandfather’s legacy, —— Add a Major Boon: 6 CP
Acceleration coming from a hero-orchestrated birth, —— Add an additional instance of a Boon: 6 CP
and Intensive Training representing her upbringing.
Olivia adds the Specialty for Aerial Combat repre- —— Converting Talent or Power Points to Creation Points:
senting a proficiency uniquely her own. Olivia also 2 TP or 2 PP for 1 CP.
adds the following personal Boons. A Deeper Look At Raw Builds
Arrays are designed to give players a starting place
Amazing MA for virtually any character. However, the normal mix
Extra Stamina MA of highs and lows just might not work for a hy-
Leader MA per-intelligent tea-cup poodle in power armor. It is
AP Cost: 6 unlikely Dr. Algonquin needs any points in Attributes
like Strength, or Constitution.
Total AP Cost: Attributes 8 + Talents 9 + Boons 6 + Pow-
ers 18 = 41 Raw Builds allow players and GMs to drill down and
fine tune ideas that don’t mesh with the goal of the
Guardian can perform some impressive feats in Arrays. This added flexibility can be a double edged
combat, is incredibly tough, and inspirational to sword, GMs should give additional scrutiny when a
others. Unfortunately, Olivia has overspent and will Raw Build is used to help avoid exploititive or char-
either need to reduce something or take a Draw- acters that are simply not fun to play. Groups should
back. probably wait until after playing a few characters
and getting a feel for the Open Action System before
diving into Raw Builds.

25
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Part 4: Drawbacks Steel Aces Part 4: Nox and Guard-
Drawbacks are designed to provide depth and inherent ian’s Drawbacks
challenges the character must overcome. Drawbacks
range from psychological limitations and physical hand-
Nox
icaps to strange abnormalities caused by the nature of Nox needs two Drawbacks. Olivia wants the Draw-
their powers. Drawbacks use broad descriptions and are backs to relate to Nox’s Power, she selects:
not explicitly predetermined. This allows Drawbacks to
be customized to fit the character and/or Campaign. Each Not Skill, Power: Stealth
Drawback grants the character 1 Advancement Point.
Vulnerability: Light Based Attacks (and Lasers)
Note: Drawbacks that do not challenge the character are
not Drawbacks and do not grant any Advancement Points. To make things interesting Olivia decides her Enemy
is a privileged party girl with light based powers
See Chapter 2 (pg. 84) for a list of Drawbacks. named Luminescence.

Olivia knows she needs to either decrease some of her Guardian

AP or pick up some Drawbacks to cover what she has For Guardian, Olivia wants something to temper
overspent. She likes the idea of adding some quirks to her strength and toughness. She decides to double
her character to give them more personality, so she down on anything that targets her powers taking
considers her options. Crippling Power Loss: Drains.
Guardian can fly, so Olivia takes a Drawback which
would restrict the character from flying while
carrying too much weight. She runs this by the GM,
Part 5: Scope Revisited—Issue
who points out that Guardian is super strong so that 0 and Team Origin
probably won’t come up in play very often.
With the characters more fleshed out it is time to look
Olivia scraps that idea and decides to look more at how everyone fits together and what their individual
closely at Chapter 2 for some ideas on how to create strengths are. This begins with each character’s Issue 0,
a great Drawback for her character. a short example of the character’s life before the start of
the Campaign, followed by the Team Origin.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Issue 0
After establishing the threat, the player suggests a new
Each player should take a moment to tell everyone, or
hero to join the scene. These scenes do not have to direct-
write down, between a sentence and a paragraph sum-
ly follow one another, the Team Origin can happen over a
marizing a major event in the character’s life. This does
long period of time and can involve multiple locations.
not need to be their first time as a hero, more of an early
story that helps define who they are. The Issue 0 helps Players can go in order of Willpower, clockwise, or simply
tell the GM and other players: “This is how I envision my by narrative flow until each character has been intro-
character.” duced. Players should not be afraid to let their characters
fail in these scenes.
Rewards
Some threats can remain unresolved until the Climax.
GMs should write down any new Story Elements from There are challenges too big for any one person. Each
Issue 0 on the Campaign Tracker. scene does not have to introduce a single character. Just
Characters also increase their History and Origin by 1 and go with the narrative and do what feels right. Remember,
add a new Drive at 1 based on their Issue 0. this is your team’s origin.
Here are some questions players can use to establish how
Issue 0 Example: Nox the heroes work together and overcome threats.
When Nox was still a criminal, she faced off against —— How do we complicate each other in the scene?
a hero at a bank. The bank was run by supporters of
—— How do we complement each other in the scene?
an anti-Metahuman hate group. She tried to point
out how corrupt the bank was and he showed her —— What can we do together, or how does your character
the innocent people she was hurting in her attack. rescue mine?
This wasn’t the moment she realized she was part —— Do we overcome the complication?
of a bigger world, but it planted the seed that her
actions were hurting innocent people. —— If we fail, why? If we succeed, why?

Paul suggests a Drive of Everything has Repercus- Climax

sions. Olivia likes this but shifts the focus to repre- After each character has participated in at least one
sent Nox’s actions and how people might see her scene, the GM should establish a final threat based on the
now. She writes down Don’t Rush to Judgement on story thus far. It may be a returning foe or something new,
her character sheet with a Value of 1. no matter what, it should be a logical extension of the
story created by the players.
Team Origin (As GMs tend to do, they are only making things worse, or
Like the Issue 0, the Team Origin is a chance to establish “more interesting.”)
Elements common to the group. In the Team Origin the Players work together to resolve any lingering threats, as
players collectively generate the first time they worked in Escalation Scenes, before addressing the final threat.
together. This is done in a round robin style story with
each player helping someone else and establishing a Once all the outstanding threats have been resolved, the
growing threat. GM then asks the players questions on how the team
works together to resolve the overall story. The following
Opening are example questions:
Select one player, typically whoever’s character has the —— What have you learned about the final threat from
lowest starting Willpower. They describe the opening the other players’ scenes?
scene and initial threat. This can be anything based on the —— How can that knowledge be applied to the final
Campaign Scope. The player explains how their character threat?
became involved and why they can’t overcome this chal-
lenge alone. Then that player selects another hero who —— What tricks or tactics do you and another teammate
they feel can help them. use together to overcome outstanding complica-
tions?
Escalation —— How does the team come together to overcome the
Each new player should explain how they became in- final threat?
volved, or work with the other players to establish things —— When you overcome the final threat how is it re-
like distress calls, and how they work together to over- solved?
come the challenge. This player should then describe a
related scene. This may or may not involve the original Through the Team Origin the GM should note the events of
heroes and a new threat related to the original one. the story and add any key Story Elements to the Campaign
Scope.

27
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Rewards Adding New Resources
History and Origin: At the conclusion of the Team Origin During gameplay, players may wish to add additional
the characters Advance as follows: Background Elements to their characters or for the Team.
GMs should allow these if they drive the story without
Increase History and Origin by 1
resolving the actual problem. GMs may call for a Cinemat-
New Drive: Select a player with whom you shared a scene, ic Addition roll.
that player gives your character a new Drive with a Value
of 1. Buying Active Resources
Advance A Talent: Select a different player with whom Active Story Elements mean that the characters will be
you did not share a scene, that player selects one Talent using them to resolve conflicts or in combat. Generally,
that your character used in the Team Origin, or Issue 0. In- players will use the Tools Boon to represent these shared
crease this Talent by 1. This cannot be a Power or Fighting resources with team members who actively use these
Style. resources in purchasing the Boon. In a pinch, the GM can al-
ways have a player spend a Willpower to access an estab-
Experience: All characters gain 3 Experience lished resource they have not paid for, but should encour-
age the player to pick up the Tool with Experience.
Finishing Touches
Decide on a team’s name, reputation, and resources. If the Steel Aces Part 5: Team Origin
players have not decided on a name, decide if this is an
Mike, Nancy, Olivia and Paul have finished putting their
ongoing story element.
characters together along with their Issue 0s (see Steel
Reputation Aces, pg. 147). Looking at the Character Sheets, Dave asks
the players who would like to begin. Olivia speaks.
To establish the team’s reputation, review the Team Origin
and look for public events; how did the characters present “Can we do something on the BMA and Ronin’s Division M?”
themselves in these situations? GMs and players should “It’s up to you guys to decide what the initial scene and
discuss what kind of reputation these scenes might gen- threat will be. Who doesn’t like trench coats and mirror-
erate and set the team’s reputation accordingly. shades?” Dave responds.
Resources “Nox is running, she’s wearing regular street clothes,
trench coat like you said and a large sun hat. There are
Players and GMs should review the various Elements of
three men in suits watching calmly from a rooftop. She
their Team Origin and look for potential contacts or loca-
turns the corner and there is a huge guy that looks like
tions that are important to the team. Additionally, players
he’s been crammed into a suit, but just barely, holding
should consider things such as a team base, transport, or
up a badge telling me I have to come with him under the
other tools.
registration act.” Olivia sits back and points to Nancy. “You
For these resources the GM should ask if they are back- should pick up the thread.”
ground elements or active story elements. Background
“I’m not sure where to take things. Do I have to pick up
Elements serve to drive the story and add context to the
with that scene?”
character’s lives. Active elements will be present in most
stories and may be used to resolve conflicts. Background “Start wherever she is comfortable.” Dave responds.
elements generally facilitate story but are not used to
“Does the city face a body of water, like the ocean or a
resolve a conflict.
lake?”
Example: A team jet could be a Background or Active Dave reviews the Campaign Scope. The group originally dis-
Element. As a background the team jet is used to cussed setting things in the DC metro area. “Yes, depending
ferry characters around the world. Occasionally on where you are, either the Potomac or Chesapeake Bay.”
we’ll see a dog fight but even then, heroes are jump-
ing out to take on the threat directly. As an active “Olivia, are you okay with Nox being captured?” Nancy asks.
element, there is probably a team pilot, and every “Sure!”
issue the jet will provide support for the heroes
in some way, in addition to being the team’s main “My tie is on the desk obscuring a headline that reads:
transport. GMs should be the final arbiters of what ‘Metahumans Disappearing Off the Street’. Looking out
are Background elements versus Active elements. over the bay the lights from Kent Island glare back at me.
With that in mind, it is important to allow the narra- It’s my office, and like any good lawyer’s, there is a bar on
tive to flow naturally. one wall. It calls to me. Walking over, I remove the stop-
per from a crystal decanter and the bar slides forward
and away revealing the red suit. Pulling the mask on, John
Barrister goes away and Ronin comes to life. Someone is
hunting us. That will stop.”

28
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Pausing, Nancy adds, “It’s not just Nox, someone is taking “He’s more of a power-armored hero now, but he was
any Metahumans they think no one will miss.” yeah.”
With two establishing scenes Dave asks who wants to “I think that fits.”
go next. Mike and Paul talk for a minute before the group
“Yeah, Vigilant putting the team together makes sense.”
agrees that they want to see how Wayfarer is handling
Olivia adds.
this.
“I want Ronin to team up with Bulwark. Nancy, mind if
“Can I involve other characters in my scene?” Mike asks.
we do a scene? This way Vigilant can contact us togeth-
“As long as it fits and they consent sure.” er since I don’t think Bulwark would have a cell phone or
anything.” Everyone agrees with Mike. “Nancy can you pick
“Wayfarer is already captured. He’s bound at the feet and
up the thread?”
hands with these coupling things that keep him in the Prime
Dimension and prevent him from teleporting. There are “Ronin grabs the hind legs of this mutant dog, using it to
other metas in the prison, most of them kept in tubes with deflect another. The dogs are five, six feet tall. They have
blue fluid. Nox is being brought in with a restraint around been hunting him since he started looking into the dis-
her neck. The men bringing her place her in one of the appearance of Nox. Mike ready for Bulwark to come in?
tubes. Is that cool?” Maybe the pair knock a few monster dog heads together
then Ronin gets ‘the call.’”
“That’s awesome. Yeah, Nox is captured. I don’t think this
is the BMA though.” Olivia quickly replies. Dave nods and “I’m good with that” Mike adds. “Bulwark erupts from the
looks over at Paul. ground with a spray of molten asphalt cradling one of the
giant dogs. Gripping its jaw shut, I hold it to the ground in
“Crossfire is on a military base, disguised in an MP’s uni-
a submission pose.”
form over his costume. Willow is collapsed, and tucked
into a tac-pack with his quiver. He’s uneasy as he walks “Never thought I would need help walking a couple of
past a training squad. Inside the base, he monitors the dogs.” Nancy adds, as Ronin says, “These mutts have been
brass talking. v‘It’s got to be the bugs’, the General says. hunting me.”
‘There are other actors’, says a Master Sergeant pulling up “This is not a time for jokes. Whoever sent these beasts
this 3-D display, ‘but they are concentrating forces here. If kidnapped a friend of mine.”
we don’t get a handle on the situation downtown Arling-
“‘Oh yeah?’ Ronin jumps back elbowing a dog in the head
ton is going to be a war zone’.” Paul turns to Nancy. “I want
as he avoids being bitten. ‘Who’s that? Do they work for
to contact Vigilant. Can I do that?”
animal control?’”
“I think … is it cool if I go all deus ex machina and contact
“‘She is a mutant. Her name is Nox and I do not need your
Crossfire instead?”
aid if all you can offer is pointless banter.’ I fling one of the
“What do you have in mind?” Dave asks. dogs through the windshield of a nearby car, it lands in the
back seat, shaking its head confused.”
“Currently, Vigilant is in a state of semi-retirement due to
his age but he never stopped watching and planning. It’s “‘Hey big guy, let’s not get off on the wrong foot here. I
not that he’s waiting for some dramatic moment to get think we’re working the same case. It’s not just your lady
back in the game, more that there hasn’t been something friend that’s missing but Metahumans all over the city.’”
so big someone else couldn’t handle it. Until now. I’m go-
“Bulwark mashes the heads of two dogs together and
ing to contact Crossfire, and the other heroes who haven’t
turns to Ronin. ‘What?’”
been captured after their scenes if that’s cool.”
Paul turns to Nancy. “Vigilant is the pulp-era detective right?”

29
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 “As Bulwark finishes off the last two giant hounds the call “‘They’ve already captured at least one hero, and Nox is no
comes in. ‘Ronin, you do not know who I am, but I am an pushover. You run in there half-cocked and they will add
ally. There are wheels in motion beyond simple abduc- you to whatever experiment these people are planning,’
tions. Please come to the Arlington memorial bridge.’” Ronin quips.
“Before we go to the bridge, Paul, Olivia, Elf and Guardian “‘We need to work together. Based on what we know
are the only characters we haven’t heard from yet.” Dave about Chimera, they use biomechanical ships called Slith-
interjects. er Tanks, a kind of troop transport and pet dragon.’ Vigilant
pulls up some archive footage. ‘We are going to have to
“I have a scene in mind for Elf, but I don’t think Vigilant will
get past those first. Then there are their shock troops and
be able to contact her.”
who knows how many are operating down there.’“
“That’s alright. Lets see how it plays out,” says Nancy.
“‘So, Tiki Torch, if you think you can hold the line I can
“It was like her mother calling her home after a long day sneak past get inside the compound. maybe find those
of playing in the yard. Familiar and warm. Below the missing heroes.’ Crossfire smiles as he locks his bow, Wil-
Metro Rail there was an older city, one destroyed and low, into shape.”
covered over decades prior. Draconic Slither Tanks rest
“‘Watch it little meat. The name is Bulwark, that doesn’t
at the mouth of the building. The dragons recognized the
mean I have to put up with your bull…’”
Drifter’s scent and walk past them. There is a lab in this
underground city. Inside is a scientist who stands looking “‘Bulwark and I will distract them, I may not look it, but I
at an alien creature it’s arms and legs locked into a larger can take a hit, just like Granddad.’”
machine. The scientist has some kind of device that she
“I’ll go in with you. My armor is rigged for silent running.’
doesn’t understand but she allows him to slip it on and
The metallic panels shift from a glossy sheen to a dull
lead her to the birthing matrix. There were others, not
dark grey. ‘Ronin, can you cover us incase anything goes
Drifters, but Metahumans all collected in the matrix. Soon
wrong?’” Realizing Nancy is talking to herself she gives
she and all of them would be as one ready for the rebirth.”
the table a thumbs up.
Reeling, the group nods along with Paul. Olivia looks over
“Alright, I am supposed to reveal a final threat, but is
at Nancy telling her she’s okay skipping Guardian if she
everyone okay with where we are right now? I may add
has a scene with everyone together.
something later but I want to see how this plays out.” Ask-
Nancy begins: “‘Crossfire, Guardian, Ronin, Bulwark. You may ing the group everyone seems okay with moving forward.
not know who I am but we are all on the same side’ The voice “Guardian, since you had the least time setting up the
is emotionless and metallic, resonating from the faceplate. team origin, will you lead things off as we head into the
Climax?”
“In my early days, I used the name Vigilant. I’ve been gone
for a long time, and each of you have kept others safe when “Sure, so it is me and Bulwark, while Ronin, Vigilant, and
I could do nothing. I’m revealing myself to you now because Crossfire sneak in. Guardian is a flying powerhouse but she
I have uncovered a threat beyond us.’ doesn’t really have any long ranged attacks. I think Bulwark
is more a melee guy as well. Mike, how can we play off us
Pan out to see the group in an old super base which has
both being strong and tough?”
clearly seen better days. A giant monitor flickers to life.
“We can both take a hit. What if Guardian flings Bulwark
‘The criminal organization Chimera has been abducting
inside a Slither Tank and he goes volcanic?”
Metahumans. I fear this is somehow related to their Drift-
er project. Based on the number of abductions the facility “Oh, then we can pick up the other one and use it as a bat-
must be sizable but I haven’t been able to locate it, yet.’” tering ram as guards rush us.”
Speaking up, Paul adds. “‘I know where. I’ve been monitor- “Awesome, yes! With the big buys down I think Guardian
ing communications at Ft. McNair, to see what they knew and I end up battling a horde of Drifters.”
about the abductions. They’ve been monitoring a section
“Cool, so Vigilant is a techie, is he a computer genius or
of the Arlington Underground, a Pre-Civil War neigh-
what?” Paul asks.
borhood that was just built over. They are preparing an
assault, but they are worried about civilian casualties.’” “Actually, he’s more well-rounded. Like, he has a lot of
skills and is a master at finding information, but dealing
“‘Worried about civilian casualties? That’s army speak
with a computer system will take some time.”
for they have already written off the people that have
been kidnapped. How do I get to this base? The army can “Alright, so computers are definitely not Crossfire’s thing
sit around all they want, but I’m not going to sit idly by.’ either. What if Vigilant takes out the lead scientist and
Bulwark stands.” then Crossfire holds off the guards while you break the
computer codes?”
Mike looms over the table for emphasis.
“That sounds good. I’m picturing some back and forth
about hurrying up and computers not being what they
were in the ‘50s.”

30
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 “While Vigilant is working on the computer system and Mike looks to Dave. “Wayfarer has the ability to teleport,
Crossfire is giving cover fire, Ronin will free Wayfarer, who it comes from being out of sync with the universe. Can we
he thinks is just another trapped Metahuman.” use that?”
“‘Thank you human. However, I fear the damage is already “Tell me how you would use it?” Dave asks.
done.’ What happens after Vigilant breaks the computer
Nancy checks with Mike. “What if Wayfarer teleported in
locks?” Mike looks to Dave, and he smiles as only GMs
and phased Elf and the Drifter out long enough for Ronin
smile.
to snatch Nox?”
“Well, I think Wayfarer has been watching everything as
“You could run her back to Vigilant and put his helmet on
it transpired so he and Ronin will need to defend against
her to break the connection,” Mike adds.
the mind-controlled Elf and Nox, along with a third Drifter
who has absorbed their powers. Everyone okay with “I’m game for that,” Nancy agrees.
that?”
“What does Vigilant look like under the helmet?” Dave
“Can we all do the scene together?” Nancy asks. Dave asks.
quickly replies.
“He wears a white mask, like his old one. His eyes are
“Absolutely.” exposed though, they are a piercing blue. You can see the
age lines around them. It would look like a grandfather’s
“Is this only for this story?” Nancy asks.
eyes if there wasn’t this simmering rage.”
“We can keep any elements you like or remove effects
“Does that work?” Mike asks, turning from Nancy to Olivia
afterward.”
and Paul.
Rubbing her hands together Nancy states. “Elf, the other
“Yeah.” Paul begins. “Elf starts to come too, her body
Drifter, and I are part of a hive mind, and we can use our
transforming as the other Drifter kind of collapses, dis-
powers through one another.”
connected from the hive mind.”
“Yep, we’re doing that!” Paul confirms.
“Does that mean we win?” Mike asks.
“What does that look like?” Dave asks.
“I think Bulwark actually asks Guardian as they stagger
“I think the three of us move in a kind of triangle with back to the group,” Olivia responds.
darkness exuding from us all,” Paul starts.
“This is when Crossfire and Vigilant notice the lead sci-
“And, anyone that gets near is hit with a wave of energy, entist has made his way to the Birthing Matrix. ‘Pathetic
so they are like this walking zone of destruction,” Nancy creatures! Had you but conceded this illusion you call free
finishes. will to the birthing matrix I would have made you gods!’
“Alright, how are Ronin and Wayfarer going to deal with The fluid washes over him as his body mutates. A vein of
that?” meat explodes from his right arm in a grotesque tentacle
as he grows larger. ‘Now you narrow minded fleas will
“Wayfarer points to the triad. ‘They have used my link to
suffer!’
the Stasisverse to fuse others.’ I’m picturing these kinds
of dark tendrils creeping out from the Chimera trinity. His body pulses out; reforming in a kind of blue grey chitin
Bulwark is going to get impaled and flung across the base, just before he teleports behind Wayfarer. ‘I shall destroy
leaving an open magma vein in his chest.” you all.’ His mouth opens to disgusting proportions.”
“Nice, Guardian will rush to help Bulwark.” “Wait, he wants to eat Wayfarer?” Mike asks.
“Ronin would go after the two Drifters since Nox still looks “Yes he does. Then do horrible things to the rest of the
human. Also, it completely fails. Like he jumps in the mid- team.”
dle of them then gets slammed into a wall or something
“Can I teleport behind him and pull out his heart?”
from the Bioforce.”
“I wouldn’t stop you but we should try to highlight every-
“What if Ronin leapt into the center of the triangle and got
one.”
trapped? I could teleport in and pull him out,” interjects
Mike. Nancy considers this, deciding it makes sense as “Okay, cool, so I teleport behind the scientist pulling free
Ronin is rather quick to act. his heart. Only to realize that because he’s adapted part of
my biology, he doesn’t need it.”
“This works for me.”
“What can you guys tell me about our scientist?” Dave
“I think the three of us fire off beams of energy that kind of
asks the group.
collide right as Wayfarer gets away with Ronin,” Paul adds.
“Guardian is going to rush the trinity at max speed,” Olivia
smiles. “Only to be slammed into the ceiling. ‘Alright, the
direct approach is out.’”

31
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 The players come back with the following, he’s unlocked Nancy then asks Mike to select a Drive based on Bulwark’s
the powers of the people he’s captured, so he has Elf’s time with Ronin. Mike’s first suggestion of Blathering gets
Bioforce, Wayfarer’s phasing, and Nox’s dark blades but a laugh but doesn’t really have enough weight to it. Taking
not her darkness control. Like the Drifter though, he’s a second pass Mike adjusts it to Expositional Combatant,
unstable. meaning he was adept at pulling information in the middle
of a fight.
“Alright, sounds like he could live up to the hype. How are
you guys going to take him down?” This leaves Guardian and Bulwark needing Drives from
each other. Olivia offers up Into the Belly of the Beast, as
“I don’t think it’s going to be a straight-up fight,” Paul
Bulwark literally jumped into a dragon’s mouth to save
quickly replies. “He doesn’t have Guardian or Bulwark’s
others. Mike in turn offers up Brains and Brawn, since
strength and toughness. Maybe they could restrain him?”
Guardian was quick thinking and put her strength to good
“Wayfarer saw the collar used on Elf and Nox.” Nancy use.
points out. “What if he locks a collar on the scientist while —— Nancy gives Crossfire Wing Man
everyone else distracts him?”
—— Olivia gives Vigilant Behind Vigilant, is only Vigilant
Olivia adds. “That might be dangerous for Vigilant since he
doesn’t have his helmet anymore.” —— Paul gives Nox Psychic Sister
—— Olivia gives Elf Psychic Sister
“So what if Crossfire, Elf, Nox, and Ronin distract him while
Vigilant opens the pod to trap him?” Asks Nancy. —— Nancy gives Wayfarer Weakness is a Strength
“That’s a Chimera Birthing Matrix, so he would be broken —— Mike gives Ronin Expositional Combatant
down and fed to incubating Drifters,” Dave notes. —— Olivia gives Bulwark Belly of the Beast
“So after I lock the collar on him Guardian and Bulwark will —— Mike gives Guardian Brains and Brawn
force him into the chamber?”
The players make a second pass increasing a Talent for a
“And that, ladies and gentlemen is how Steel Aces pre- different character
vented Chimera from stealing their genetic information —— Olivia adds +1 to Ronin’s Distraction
creating a new army of super Drifters and became a team.”
—— Nancy adds +1 to Elf’s Never Back Down
Rewards —— Paul adds +1 to Wayfarer’s Not All There (Escape
Each character’s History and Origin increase by 1. Artist)
Starting with Paul, Dave asks him to pick someone Cross- —— Mike adds +1 to Guardian’s Brawn
fire shared a scene with to give Crossfire a new Drive. —— Olivia adds +1 to Crossfire’s Stealth
Since Crossfire spent the most time with Vigilant, Paul
—— Paul adds +1 to Vigilant’s Research
asks Nancy for a Drive. Nancy offers: Wing Man, since
Crossfire was willing to put himself on the line of fire —— Nancy adds +1 to Bulwark’s Intimidation
while Vigilant could not fight. —— Mike adds +1 to Nox’s Perseverance
Dave asks Nancy to pick someone else for Vigilant, She After awarding talents each character is awarded 3 Expe-
selects Olivia for the moment they shared when Nox used rience for the completion of a Story.
his helmet. Thinking for a moment, Olivia finally says,
“Behind Vigilant, is only Vigilant, whoever he is, no one will For the complete Character Backgrounds, Issue 0s, and
ever know the man behind the masks.” Characteristics please see Steel Aces, pg. 147.

Olivia asks Mike for Nox’s Drive from Wayfarer, but he

suggests that the Drive come from Paul and Elf due to
their Mind meld.
Taking a moment, Paul suggests Psychic Sisters for both
of them representing a kind of bond in case the other is
ever in danger. Everyone agrees this is fitting and so Dave
asks Mike to pick someone to give Wayfarer a Drive.
It takes Mike a moment to decide but he asks Nancy for
the scenes Ronin and Wayfarer shared. Nancy and the
group debate the scene a bit as Wayfarer had a knack for
acting just in the nick of time but eventually she goes with
Weakness is a Strength, for using Wayfarer’s disjointed
state to break the mind control over Elf and Nox.

32
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Part 6: Life Pools & Filling In Steel Aces Part 6: Life Pools &
The Blanks Filling In The Blanks
With the Arrays and Drawbacks selected players note Nox
their Life Pools. The character sheet provides space to Stamina: 17 (5 + Catalyst: Reformed Criminal 8 + Power:
write any basic Defenses, Attacks and Advantages from Shadow Control 2 + Specialty: Surrounded by
Talents. Darkness 2)
Willpower: 9 (Undoing Her Past 5 + Secret Identity 1 +
Stamina Enemy: Luminescence 1 + Don’t Rush to Judgement
This Pool represents the character’s overall ability to en- 1 + Psychic Sister: Elf 1).
dure pain and trauma. Once a character reaches 0 Stamina
Initiative: 29 (Dexterity 12 + Perception 10 + Intuition 7)
they begin suffering Injuries and are in danger of being
Dice 3
knocked out, or even dying.
Surprised Defense: 6 (Fortune 6) Armor 1; Dice 2;
Characters begin with 5 Stamina + Catalyst + 2 for each
Fighting Style, Power, and related Specialties. Normal Defense: 26 (Mental 14 + Shadow Control 12)
Armor 2; Dice 3
Willpower Mental Defense: 14 (Mental 14) Armor 2 (Study);
Not everyone possesses the Willpower of a hero. This pool Dice 2
represents the character’s ability to push beyond their Clinging Darkness: Subjects within Medium Range suffer
limits. Willpower may be used for a host of things from a -6 Meddling penalty and suffer Disorientation:
boosting rolls to amazing power tricks. The first Attack each turn against affected Targets
This Pool fluctuates greatly through gameplay as char- use Surprised Defense. Lasts for 6 turns. Dispelled
acters earn Willpower for following their Catalyst and by Light based Powers.
Drives. Each time a hero willingly performs a Heroic Act, Attack: Shadow Blades 26 (Mental 14 + Shadow Blades
acts on their Catalyst, or a Drive they add a point to their 12) Dice 3 Range Short - Radius - Selective NoC 2
Willpower Pool, up to their Maximum. Damage 4 Notes Defended by Quickness Critical
Skill: Stealth
Characters begin with a Maximum Willpower equal to
their Origin and Starting Willpower equal to their Drives.
Guardian
Optional: Reduced Willpower Stamina : 32 (5 + Catalyst: Is it legacy, duty, or pride? 10 + 1
For grittier or more introspective games starting Willpow- Fighting Style, 2 Powers and a Specialty + 9 Extra
er can be reduced to 1 + 1 for each 3 levels of their com- Stamina (from the Boon)
bined Drives. Willpower: 13 (Grandfather’s Legacy 8 + Metahuman
Rights 3 + Protect Family 1 + Brains and Brawn 1)
Advantages Initiative: 33 (Dexterity 15 + Perception 13 + Secondary:
The character sheet includes an area for players to note Intensive Training 5) Dice 4
any advantages their Talents may provide, along with any
Surprised Defense: 23 (Fortune 8 + Steel 15) Armor 9;
other important notes. (see Talents, pg. 35)
Dice 3
Initiative Normal Defense: 40 (Strength 15 + Steel 15 + Intensive
Training 10) Armor 11; Dice 3
This represents how quickly a character can react in a
situation. (see Combat, Initiative, pg. 103.) Mental Defense 32 (Mental 15 + Granddaughter of Ameri-
can Steel 17) Armor 4 (Study) ; Dice 2
Defenses Favored Attack: Steel Fighter: 37 (Strength 15 + Second-
There are three main defenses in Metahumans Rising, ary: Steel 7 + Secondary: Acceleration 5 + Inten-
There is a section on the character sheet for each of them sive Training 10) Dice 3 NoC 4 Damage 8 Notes
(see Combat, Defending, pg. 104) Amazing:

Favored Attacks Secondary Attack: Flying Cartwheel Kick: 47 (Strength 15

+ Secondary: Steel 7 + Secondary: Acceleration 5
Here players can note any common attacks or tactics their + Intensive Training 10 + Aerial Combat 10) Dice 4
hero may employ. There is a section to provide a short de- NoC 5 Damage 10 . Notes Used against airborne
scription, or name, the Value of the Attack, how many dice foes or giant Targets.
the player rolls Range, Damage and the Number of Char-
acteristics (NoC) used, as well as a line for any other notes.
(see Combat, Attacking, pg. 103) .

33
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 2 Characteristics
Attributes Wisdom Tree
These define the character in broad terms. All rolls rely The Wisdom Tree represents ideas like common sense or
on an Attribute, and a player can always attempt a task personal experiences. Characters may sometimes substi-
with just an Attribute roll. However, without Talents, more tute their Wisdom Attribute when they lack a correspond-
complex tasks become difficult, even impossible, without ing Talent.
major effort or assistance. Talents: Animal Handling, Occult, and Street Smarts.
History Tree Intelligence Tree
This Tree defines the core background of the character, This Tree measures how quickly a character learns, along
their broad experiences, connections they have made, and with adaptability and precision. When performing tasks
other benefits, such as Contacts. The History Attribute is that requires on the spot thinking, the Intelligence Attri-
used when the character draws on their background, such bute is often utilized.
as calling up old friends or looking to the past for insight
into the storyline. Talents: Computers, Law, and Science.

Talents: Career, Education, and Wealth Mental Tree

Strength Tree Representing the character’s overall stability, the Mental
Tree is used for actions that require maintained mental
This Tree represents the character’s might and physical effort. Use this Attribute for tests of will and psychologi-
power. The Strength Attribute is used for lifting heavy cal endurance.
objects.
Talents: Intimidation, Negotiation, and Perseverance.
Talents: Brawn, Climbing, and Manual Labor.
Expression Tree
Dexterity Tree
This is the character’s ability to communicate and influ-
The Dexterity Tree represents raw speed and agility. This ence others. This Attribute is a mix of charisma, appear-
Attribute defines the character’s overall coordination and ance, and force of personality. This does not mean charac-
reflexes. ters with a high Expression embody all three aspects, so
Talents: Acrobatics, Riding, and Vehicle. players should consider what allows them to attract and
influence others.
Constitution Tree
Talents: Art, Etiquette, and Subterfuge.
Used to measure a character’s overall well-being, the
Constitution Tree focuses on health and general fitness.
This Attribute is used to resist drugs and toxins.
Talents
Each Talent lists the Attribute with which it is most often
Talents: Fasting, Hold Breath, and Movement. paired, Description, possible Specialties, and Advantages,
Sense Tree if any. The description provides an overview of what the
Talent does and when it is commonly used.
This Tree defines how sharp the character’s senses are,
encompassing both traditional physical senses, such as Advantages are bonuses that can often be used in Com-
sight, along with any New Senses a Power might provide. bat or other dangerous situations or provide a general
The Sense Attribute measures the character’s basic ability benefit to the character.
to interpret sensory information. Specialties are parts of a Talent the character focus-
Talents: Forensics, Scrounging, and Tracking. es on, and their Value cannot exceed that of the Parent
Talent. The Talent list is far from exhaustive, Talents can
Fortune Tree be rebranded for a character and new Talents created if
Sometimes called desire or luck, the Fortune Tree is asso- nothing fits the character’s needs.
ciated with insight and chance. This Attribute measures a
character’s ability to affect circumstance.
Talents: Gambling, Intuition, and Serendipity.

35
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Specialties and Advantages: Many Advantages provide Acrobatics (Dexterity)
a bonus based on the Value of the Talent. Characters may
add their Specialty to this Advantage whenever they are in Combining agility, coordination, and physical prowess,
a situation wherever their Specialty would logically apply. Acrobatics trains the body to move quickly and lithely.
This Talent may be used as a supporting characteristic for
Example: A Classic Hero with Engineering 12 and leaps and for bypassing obstacles.
Specialty: Demolitions 8 is trapped in a room filling
Advantage: Acrobatics negates terrain penalties up to the
with poisonous gas, along with two other heroes.
character’s Level in this Talent.
Engineering normally adds 2 Damage for each 5 lev-
els when attacking an inanimate object. This would Specialties: Gymnastic Competitions, Team Events
normally give the character 6 Bonus Damage when
Attacking the door, 4 Damage from the base Talent +
Animal Handling (Wisdom)
2 because the Specialty also applies. The animal handler can tame and train wild animals.

Unfortunately, they lack a power fitting the scene, Advantage: Characters with Animal Handling gain 2 Free
being a Telepath, and are no stronger than an levels of Armor for each 5 levels of their Talent when deal-
average person physically. Taking a turn to study ing with Animals.
the room and door, the character shows his com- Specialties: Birds of Prey, Circus Animals, Domestic Pets,
panions where to strike. While he is not physically Reptiles, Show Dogs
interacting himself, their companions still gain this
Advantage for their Attack because it fits with the Area Knowledge: (Any) (Wisdom)
narrative. When this Talent is taken, select the area they are familiar
with, such as a particular city, town, or the forest by their

36
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 home. The larger the area, the more general the knowl-
edge becomes. Someone with Area Knowledge: Arlington
might know each district and a bit of information on indi- Background: (Variable) (History)
vidual buildings. Someone with Area Knowledge: Europe The Background Talent represents major events or
may know the major cities, along with their tourist attrac- aspects of the character’s history. Backgrounds cover
tions and some bits of general history. concepts, such as “Ex-Soldier,” “Gang Member,” or “In-
Advantage: Characters with an Area Knowledge of a spe- ternational Playboy.” Characters add their Backgrounds
cific district may use their Talent as a Supporting Charac- to rolls when it makes narrative sense. For example: An
teristic for Initiative while in the given area. International Playboy might make a roll using their Back-
ground to help locate a supermodel who’s gone off the
Characters with larger Area Knowledge may activate the grid, knowing all the best private spas and confidential
same bonus by making a Wisdom + Area Knowledge roll resorts to investigate.
versus a Target of 20 + 10 per size increase. Sizes: City,
County, State, Region, Country, Continent, World, Solar Bargain Finder (Fortune)
System, Galaxy. Although not necessarily looking for them, the character
Specialties: Attractions, Gang Turf, Good place to Lay Low has a knack for finding good deals.

Area of Influence: (Any) (Expression) Advantage: For each 5 levels of this Talent, the character
gains a Typical Gear or Tools Boon or increases a Typical
A socialite or just well-connected, the character does Boon to Major.
what it takes to get their name out there. Within the Area
of Influence, people have just a bit more respect or fear Beauty/Handsome (Expression)
for them and are more likely to aid them. This is a dou- The character’s appearance goes beyond simple attrac-
ble-edged sword, however, as the character becomes bet- tiveness. This Talent may be used on any roll where physi-
ter known and easily recognizable within this social circle, cal appearance may sway a subject’s opinion.
making them more easily identified (so hiding becomes
increasingly difficult). Notes: Like other Talents a career model would only need
a Beauty of 1 to 3, most top models would have a Beauty 4
Select the area of influence. This can be a type of person or to 6. For characters with a terrifying appearance consider
a physical location, such as Metahuman Underworld, Local Provoke or Intimidation Talents.
Police, The Bar Scene, or Art District in the campaign city.
Advantage: Once per session, characters may use their
Area of Influence may be used in place of Contacts or Beauty as a Meddling or Control Power. The player must
Wealth when appropriate. explain how their character’s Beauty distracts the Target.
Specialties: Information Brokering, The Rumor Mill Brawn (Strength)
Art: (Any) (Expression) Heavy lifting, shearing phonebooks, or bending spoons,
There are so many things that can be called art. A char- this Talent may be used with any roll to lift or move ob-
acter with this Talent has studied one area of art and is jects or display other feats of strength.
capable of creating works in their chosen medium. When Advantage: The character may increase the Value of Ex-
selecting this Talent, they choose an art form in which plosive rolls (Willpower Bonuses) by 5 for each 5 levels of
they have trained. the Brawn Talent for Lifting rolls.
Examples of art forms include: Digital, art created pure- Career: Any (History)
ly through a digital medium; Language, such as spoken
word, poetry, or other forms of writing; Music, including These Talents represent occupations, such as banker,
composition, vocals and how to play various instruments; dancer, musician, or police officer. Like Backgrounds,
Performance, such as acting or dance; Physical Mediums, Careers apply to rolls when it fits their occupation. For
including pottery and paint. Characters may take a variant example: An attorney could add their Career when re-
on this Talent of Art: Appraisal, or Critic. searching records or trying to present evidence. So long
as the character maintains their career, this Talent may
Advantage: Once per session, a character may use their be used as a Supporting Characteristic for any non-Gear
Art Talent as a Meddling or Illusion Power. The player purchases.
must explain how the character applies their art to inter-
fere with someone else. This might be attention grabbing, Advantage: For each 5 levels of this Talent, the character
or something as simple as throwing paint in a foe’s face. gains a Typical Gear or Tools Boon or increases a Typical
Boon to Major.
Specialties: Online Memes, Novelist, Vocals or a specific
instrument, Dance, Painting. Climbing (Strength)
With this Talent, the character can scale difficult surfaces,
whether climbing the side of a mountain or a shredded fire
escape.

37
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Advantage: Once per session, a character taking an Active Discipline (Strength)
Defense may use their Climbing as a Supporting Charac-
teristic if there is a wall or other vertical surface within Some people can only take so much. When under extreme
Close Range. physical strain the character can power through drawing on
inner reserves of strength to get them through the ordeal.
Note: Thematic Variation: Tear off some wall: Super
Strong or other appropriate characters may not be leaping Advantage: The character may add their Discipline to any
onto a wall but instead tearing free a one time shield from Strength roll or Physical Attack roll after they have suf-
the nearby surface. fered a number of Damage equal to their Discipline. This
lasts for 1 turn and may be used once per session.
Specialties: Free-Hand, Natural Terrain, Urban
Disguise (Intelligence)
Computers (Intelligence)
Sometimes you just can’t avoid being seen. In these times,
Going beyond a basic knowledge of video games and the it is better to rely on deception. The art of Disguise is a
Internet, this Talent represents an understanding of the subtle one, the novice hiding blemishes and bruises to
inner workings of computer software and hardware. It is become more appealing, while the master becomes some-
the perfect Talent for programmers and hackers. one else completely.
Advantage: Characters with the Computers Talent gain 2 Advantage: Characters who are Disguised when Attacking
free levels of Armor for each 5 levels of their Talent when an unaware Target use Surprised Defense and add 1 Dam-
dealing with Robots and Automations. age for each 5 levels of their Talent. This cannot be used
Specialties: Hacking, Programming, Security once the Target is aware the character is a Threat.

Concentration (Mental) Specialties: Camouflage, Impersonation, Subtle Changes

This Talent represents one’s ability to calm and center Distraction (Expression)
themselves. Shutting out distractions, they can focus their Misdirection, the tool of stage magicians and grifters, this
mind. Talent is a well-practiced art among some. With the right
Advantage: Characters may use this Talent to offset gestures or planning, they can walk right past observers
non-terrain penalties when using Talents.This does not without any notice or steal from a mark right in front of
affect Fighting Styles or Powers. them. Granted, the second example assumes a healthy
Sleight of Hand, as well.
Contact: (Any) (History)
Advantage: The character may attempt an Expression +
From the dregs of the underworld to the halls of power, it Distraction roll against an Opponent’s Normal or Mental
is good to know people. Choose a contact based on their Defense + 10, whichever is higher. On a successful roll, the
background, define their relationship and the type of in- character may make their next Attack against the Oppo-
formation they generally have to give. When trying to get nent’s Surprised Defense. Repeated attempts increase the
assistance, information in a contact’s area of knowledge Difficulty by 10.
typically has a Difficulty between Average (15) and Chal-
lenging (45), based on how obscure the knowledge may Domestic (Wisdom)
be. The GM may increase the Difficulty by 10 for requests Domestic is not so much a single Talent as an amalgam of
other than information, such as financial aid. various related information one may need to maintain a
Note: Characters may earn a bonus to this roll based on household such as cooking, avoiding messes, and cleaning
roleplaying. them up afterwards.

Note: Characters may always call on a contact even if Advantage: Characters with the Domestic Talent gain 2
they do not have this Talent. When calling on a Contact the free levels of Armor for each 5 levels of their Talent when
player should define them as above. Rolling on History, dealing with Area of Effect Attacks.
with no Talent added. Specialties: Butlery, Cooking, Cleaning, Child Care, Maid
Cryptography (Intelligence) Service

Passwords, puzzles, encrypted data, the character has Education (History)

a skill in breaking down or developing these codes and This represents a general education from simple math
ciphers. and science to how well-read a character may be. Educa-
Advantage: Characters gain 2 free levels of Armor for tion covers a wide swath of information and serves as an
each 5 levels of this Talent whenever an Opponent repeats aid for general knowledge questions that would not likely
an attack. qualify for a Talent.

Specialties: Codes and Ciphers, Games, Pattern Recognition Advantage: Once per session, the character may spend
1 Action to advise an Ally. The ally may use half the char-
acter’s Education as a Supporting Characteristic for their
next Action.
38
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Engineering (Intelligence) Fitness (Constitution)
Used to design tools, machines, and understanding the Through exercise, Physical conditioning, or by other
functions of their components, this Talent often comple- means, the character has made their body more efficient.
ments the Repair Talent. Whenever attempting to prevail over extended physical
activities the character may draw on their Fitness to help
Advantage: Characters with the Engineering Talent add 2
them through.
Damage for each 5 levels of their Talent when Attacking
an inanimate object. Advantage: Characters with Fitness reduce the the num-
ber of Actions they are Staggered by 1 for each 5 levels of
Specialties: Architecture, Civil Engineering, Demolitions,
this Talent.
Electronics, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics
Forensics (Sense)
Escape Artist (Dexterity)
A trained eye is useful, but forensics goes beyond just ob-
Grapples, handcuffs, ropes, and other forms of restraints
serving the environment. Characters with a Talent for Foren-
are no problem for the character. Adept in tricks for escap-
sics can discern relevant details and clues in a given scene.
ing capture, bonds are only temporary for the character.
Note: Forensics is used to discriminate between relevant
Advantage: Once per session, characters may use their
and non-relevant details. These details should already be
Escape Artist as a Supporting Characteristics when De-
present in the scene. Characters may need to locate hid-
fending against Quick Attacks that bypass normal Defens-
den details, and that would be the Perception Talent.
es.
Advantage: Once per session, the character may use
Specialties: Death traps, Grapples, Restraints
Forensics as a Supporting Characteristic for Bypass Armor
Etiquette (Expression) and a follow up Attack.
Which fork goes where? Do you shake hands, or do you Specialties: Autopsy, Crime Scene Investigation, Mystic
bow? Though not strictly limited to formal situations, Et- Signatures
iquette allows the character to move through even some
Forgery (Expression)
of the odder social situations with a modicum of under-
standing. Used to write bad checks, craft fake documents, or per-
fectly copy other people’s works.
Advantage: Once per session, characters may use their
Etiquette as a Supporting Characteristic when Defending Advantage: Once per session, a character may use their
against Mental Attacks that bypass normal Defenses. Forgery Talent as a Meddling or Alter Power. The player
must explain how they apply their character’s Forgery
Specialties: Formal Dinners/Gatherings, Specific Subcul-
Talent to interfere with someone else. This may be forc-
tures
ing someone to question their gear, or something in their
Fashion (Expression) surroundings.
What’s hot and who’s not, the character knows how to Specialties: Currency, Documents, Signatures
dress for success. While primarily used for social situa-
Gambling (Fortune)
tions Fashion may be used as a supporting Talent for the
Disguise talent in certain circumstances. This Talent represents the knowledge of various games of
chance, their rules, and general strategy.
Advantage: Once per session, characters may use their
Fashion as a Supporting Characteristic when Defending Advantage: Characters with Gambling may choose to
against Mental Attacks that bypass normal Defenses. increase the Bonus of rolling a 6 on Attacks or Active De-
fense by 1 for each 5 levels of this Talent. If the character
Specialties: High Society, Urban, Specific regions or cul-
rolls a 1, treat the roll as a Partial in Combat (pg. 104).
tures
Specialties: Blackjack, Poker, Other Specific Games
Fasting (Constitution)
Herbalism (Wisdom)
This Talent is used to purge the system of toxins and
chemicals or to fight off starvation. Characters may use Home remedies, garden cures and holistic solutions to
Fasting when they would be denied the ability to heal or illness. This Talent may be used to assess illness and dis-
recover due to bad conditions. They roll their Constitution ease, similar to the Medical Talent. A Herbalist may treat
+ Fasting against an Average (15) Difficulty, +5 Difficulty symptoms and relieve pains or more serious injuries.
for each day in less-than-optimal conditions. On a suc-
Advantage: Characters with the Herbalism Talent increase
cessful roll, they continue to heal as normal.
the Damage healed from the Flesh Wound Feature by 1 for
Advantage: Characters with Fasting gain 2 free levels of each 5 levels of their Talent. May be used once per session.
Armor for each 5 levels of their Talent when dealing with
Specialties: Kitchen Cures/Home Remedies, Plants and
Drain Attacks.
Herbs

40
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Hold Breath (Constitution) Advantage: The character may attempt an Intelligence +
Lock Picking roll against an Opponent’s Defense + 10. On a
This skill is used to extend the amount of time the char- Successful roll, the character disables 1 piece of Gear the
acter can function without breathing. The character Target is using. The Target must spend 1 turn, or 1 Action
may hold their breath for a total number of turns equal and 1 Willpower to fix disabled Gear.
to Constitution + Hold Breath before beginning to make
suffocation rolls. Specialties: Combination Locks, Doors, Electronic Locks,
Safes/Vaults
Advantage: Characters may increases the Value of Explo-
sive rolls (Willpower Bonus) by 5 for each 5 levels of the Long Shot (Fortune)
Hold Breath Talent for Hold Breath rolls. When things are at their worst, the character is at their
Hobby: (Various) (Various) best. Long Shot may be used as a supporting Talent for
any roll with a situational modifier greater than +15.
When selecting this Talent, the character chooses a hob-
by. Examples include Base Jumping, Bodybuilding, Caving, Manual Labor (Strength)
Chess, Competitive Eating, Darts, Go, Hang Gliding, Ice Breaking rocks, construction, farming, or any other form
Skating, Rafting. The player or GM then assigns the Talent of hard physical labor. The character is used to hard work,
to the most appropriate Attribute, such as Strength for and knows how to use the tools of this trade.
Bodybuilding, Mental for Chess, or Dexterity for Darts.
Advantage: The character may ignore the effects of Inju-
Advantage: Hobby Talents may be used as a Supporting ries for 1 turn for each 5 levels of the Manual Labor Talent.
Characteristic to related rolls once per session. Example:
A Chess player moving tactically to gain an advantage on Medical (Intelligence)
their next Attack.
Covering everything from basic field paramedics to sur-
Intimidation (Mental) gery, the character understands the body, its health, and
fitness. They have knowledge of modern medical practic-
Skilled at putting the pressure on with a physical threat, es, equipment, and tools.
social innuendo, or any other method of inspiring awe.
Advantage: Once per session, Medical may be used as a
Advantage: Spend an Action to Intimidate a Target, rolling Healing Power, this Heals a minimum of 1 Damage.
against their Mental + 10. On a successful roll, the char-
acter may use half their Intimidation as a Meddling Power Specialties: Combat Medicine, Diagnostics, Field Medi-
on the Target for 1 turn. For each 5 levels of this Talent, cine, Surgery
increase the duration by 1 turn. GMs can also assign situa-
Movement: (Various) (Constitution)
tional penalties; it’s generally harder to Intimidate some-
one holding a gun to you when you’re unarmed. When selecting the Movement Talent, the character
chooses a type of movement, such as running, swimming,
Specialties: Acts of Violence, Cold Eyes, Subtle Threats
or flying. When spending a turn to Sprint, this Talent can
Intuition (Fortune) be used to Support Dexterity rolls to cover additional
ground. Note: This does not give the ability to fly, but
This Talent signifies good judgment even when the char- boosts the character’s speed if they already can.
acter may not have information to actually go on. When
the character must make a choice with no justification for Advantage: Characters with 5 levels of Movement may
any possibility, the GM may allow an Intuition roll. On a spend 1 Willpower to Move as an Action instead of a turn.
successful roll, the GM may offer suggestions. Specialties: Endurance Running, Free-Running/Parkour
Advantage: Once per session, the character may use Intu- (applied when suffering terrain penalties), Sprinting
ition with Surprised Defense.
Navigation (Sense)
Law (Intelligence) From locating true north and following a map, to reading
Simply the understanding of the most common laws of navigational readouts, the character is adept in finding
the land, government, and crime families. their way and avoiding getting lost.
Advantage: Once per session, characters may use their Note: Both Survival and Navigation allow the character to
Law as a Supporting Characteristic when resisting or use instruments like a basic compass to determine direction.
breaking free of any form of mental control. However, characters with the Navigation Skill understand
how to operate advanced navigational instruments, estimate
Specialties: Criminal Justice, Corporate Law, Underworld trajectories, and plot courses on a non-personal scale.
Codes of Conduct
Advantage: Characters with Navigation gain 2 free levels
Lock Picking (Sense) of Armor for each 5 levels of their Talent when Attacked
The character has an understanding of how to bypass while Disoriented (Meddling) or Staggered.
both traditional and electronic security locks. Specialties: Specific terrain types, Aerial Navigation, As-
trogation, Land Navigation, Sea Navigation
41
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Negotiation (Mental) Specialties: Crisis/Hostage Negotiations, Trade Negotia-
tions, Parenthood
Negotiation is the art of getting more and giving up less.
It’s finding common ground, talking someone down, or Never Back Down (Mental)
even paying other people off. This Talent may be used for Call them headstrong or bull-headed, but some people
bargaining or other appropriate rolls. just won’t back down.
Advantage: Characters with Negotiation gain 1 free level Advantage: The character may add their Never Back Down
of Armor for each 5 levels of their Talent when dealing to any roll if their Willpower is reduced to 0 for longer
with Mental Attacks that bypass normal Defenses. than 1 turn. This lasts for 1 turn and may be used once per
session.

42
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Occult (Wisdom) Religion (Wisdom)
This is the Talent of things hidden away from prying eyes. The character has an understanding of various theologies
Occult deals in the supernatural, old wives’ tales, and leg- and religions.
ends (urban or otherwise). A font of obscure beliefs, this
Advantage: Characters with the Religion Talent gain 2
Talent may be used to locate useful information regarding
free levels of Armor for each 5 levels of their Talent when
supernatural phenomena.
dealing with Supernatural Threats or Magic.
Advantage: Characters with Occult add 2 Damage for each
Specialties: Specific Religions
5 levels of their Talent when dealing with Supernatural
Threats or Magical Creatures. Repair (Intelligence)
Specialties: Cults, Demonology, Necrology, Spirits, Super- Computers, Firearms, HVAC, or Washing Machines, the
natural Creatures character is skilled in repairing equipment. At low levels,
they can repair problems and perform general upkeep
Outlast (Mental) for their equipment. With more experience, they can even
The hero who refuses to lay down and die, and the mon- refine existing designs.
ster that should be dead but holds its last breath long
Advantage: Once per session, Repair may be used as a
enough for just one last kill. Outlast may be used as a
Healing Power for Gear, this Heals a minimum of 1 Dam-
Supporting Talent for Injury Checks.
age.
Perception (Sense) Specialties: Computers, Firearms, HVAC, Washing Ma-
Picking up on details others might miss, training your chines, etc.
senses, the character has a knack for spotting the hidden.
Research (Intelligence)
Advantage: Once per session, the character may use
The character is adept at locating information in libraries
Perception as a Supporting Characteristic for Normal
and online.
Defense.
Advantage: Characters with the Research Talent gain 1
Specialties: Acute Sense (Hearing, Sight, etc.), Craftsman-
free level of Armor for each 5 levels of their Talent when
ship Flaws, Fine Details
dealing with Mental Attacks that bypass normal Defenses.
Perseverance (Constitution) Specialties: Ancestry, Libraries, Online Research, Property
Through conditioning, or natural ability, pain, torture, and
Riding (Dexterity)
other hardships can be ignored. The character may use
their Perseverance to negate penalties from exhaustion For some, it’s a matter of looking posh on horseback. For
on Non-Combat rolls. others, it’s learning how to push their mount to the height
of its efficiency.
Advantage: The character may add their Perseverance to
any Normal Defense roll after they have suffered a num- Advantage: When Mounted, add Riding to an Active
ber of Damage equal to their Perseverance. This lasts for 1 Defense or to an Attack roll.This Advantage may be used
turn and may be used once per session. once per session.
Provoke: (Any) (Expression) Specialties: Horses, Other Mounts, Showmanship
Either by the nature of your presence or your actions you Science (Intelligence)
have an affinity for making people hate you. When pro-
The character has a fundamental understanding of the
voking people, you draw attention to yourself, wanted or
core sciences. The character may use this Talent to gather
unwanted. Define how you provoke others such as ag-
information when studying or researching a topic.
gressive behavior, demoralizing presence, insults or other
actions. This Talent can be used in any group situation to Advantage: Characters with the Science Talent gain 1 free
put people off balance. level of Armor for each 5 levels of their Talent when deal-
ing with Mental Attacks that bypass normal Defenses.
Advantage: Once per session, the character takes 1 Action
to describe how they are Provoking others. Foes with- There are six basic Specialties for Science. Unlike normal
in Close Range suffer a penalty equal to the characters Specialties, each provides their own unique Advantage.
Provoke talent when taking actions against people other
Formal Science: This Specialty works to categorize and
than the character. When acting against the character’s
define abstract concepts. The Formal Sciences include
foes, use the Provoke Talent as a free Supporting Charac-
Decision Theory, Game Theory, Logic, Mathematics and
teristic. This effect lasts 1 turn + 1 turn for each 5 levels of
Statistics.
this Talent.
Advantage: Once per session the character may add ei-
ther 1 free Level of Armor, or 1 additional Damage for each
5 levels of this Specialty.

43
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Geoscience: This Specialty focuses on the natural world and Sport: (Various) (Various)
environment, incorporating fields such as Aerology, Ecolo-
gy, Oceanography, Geology, Meteorology, and Planetology Represents understanding of a particular sport. When se-
lecting this Talent, the character chooses a sport, such as
Advantage: Once per session, characters may use their Baseball, Cross-Country Skiing, Football (American), Foot-
Geoscience as a Supporting Characteristic when resisting ball (soccer), Golf, Volleyball, Tennis, or Track and Field.
environmental hazards.
Advantage: Sport Talents may be used as Supporting
Life Science: This specialty works to understand living Characteristics to related rolls once per session. Example:
organisms in their various shapes and forms. Life Science An American Football player tackling a running Target.
fields include Anatomy, Bioethics, Biology, Botany, Ecol-
ogy, Genetics, Immunology, Neuroethology, Physiology, Stealth (Dexterity)
Xenobiology, and Zoology. This is the art of non-detection, hiding in shadows, and
Advantage: Once per session, characters may use their cloaking sounds of movement.
Life Science as a Supporting Characteristic on an Attack Advantage: The character may attempt to hide from Op-
roll against living creatures. The player must explain how ponents in Combat. The character rolls Dexterity + Stealth
their character’s Life Science Talent adds to their attack. versus the highest Sense + Perception + Tracking. On a
Physical Science: This Specialty is the study of physics and successful roll the combatants lose track of the character
chemistry overlapping with Life Science in some areas. If the character follows up with an Attack, they use the
Target’s Surprised Defense. This may be done multiple
Advantage: Characters with the Physical Science Spe- times. However, using a power with a visual component
cialty gain 2 free level of Armor for each 5 levels of their increases the Target by 10, unless the Opponent is first
Specialty when dealing with Drug, Poison, or Toxin attacks. distracted by something else.
This applies even if the attack normally bypasses Armor.
Specialties: Blending with Crowds, Breaking and Enter-
Social Science: This Specialty focuses on society, social ing, Confusion of Battle (when a Target defends against
interaction, and relationships. Fields include: Anthropolo- a different attacker), Don’t Take Your Eyes Off Me (when
gy, Archaeology, Criminology, Education, Psychology, and a Target interacts with someone else), Freeze (standing
Sociology, perfectly still), Natural Environments, Surveillance
Advantage: Characters with the Social Science Specialty Street Smarts (Wisdom)
gain 1 free level of Armor for each 5 levels of their Talent
when dealing with Mental Attacks that bypass normal Street Smarts is all about navigating the parts of the city
Defenses. everyone else would rather forget. This includes knowing
how to tell when you’re in gang territory, and who controls
Scrounging (Sense) it, to finding low-level dealers.
When you have nothing, Scrounging is the Talent you need Advantage: Characters with Street Smarts gain 1 free
for sifting through junk or foraging in the wild. This Talent level of Armor for each 5 levels of their Talent when taking
can take a great deal of time when looking for specific an Active Defense in low-income, inner-city areas. The
items or tools. character should explain how they use the Talent to their
Advantage: Characters with Scrounging add 1 Damage advantage.
for each 5 levels of their Talent when using improvised Specialties: Gang Signs, Local Dealers, Spotting Cops
weapons.
Study: (Any) (Wisdom)
Serendipity (Fortune)
When selecting this Talent, the character chooses an area
The character has better fortune than most when it comes of study, such as Alien Races, Cryptozoology, Deviant
to Random Chance. The character may use their Serendip- Psychology, Known Metahumans, Military History, or The
ity on any Cinematic Addition roll. United States. This is a general knowledge Talent on the
Sleight of Hand (Dexterity) subject and its history.

A form of misdirection and stealth, Sleight of Hand al- Advantage: Characters with the Study Talent gain 1 free
lows one to perform tricks, such as hiding cards or other level of Armor for each 5 levels of their Talent when deal-
small objects, picking someone’s pocket, or removing their ing with Mental Attacks that bypass normal Defenses.
watch without their noticing. Subterfuge (Expression)
Advantage: Once per session, the character may use The fine art of social backstabbing and the path to eco-
Sleight of Hand as a Supporting Characteristic for any nomic or political power. Characters with Subterfuge can
Disarm roll. hide meaning behind their words, tell convincing lies, and
Specialties: Card Tricks, Palming, Pick-Pocketing discern the same in others.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Advantage: Characters with Subterfuge add 1 additional Advantage: Once per session, the character may use their
Damage for each 5 levels of their Talent when attacking a Normal Defense instead of Surprised Defense in any Com-
foe using their Surprised Defense. bat where the character has already seen their Opponent.
Specialties: Detecting Lies, Lying Specialties: Fresh/Cold Trail, Game Hunting, Tailing Sus-
pects
Survival (Wisdom)
Vehicle (Dexterity)
The character is skilled at hunting, gathering, hiding, and
any number of other useful survival tactics such as build- Most people can drive a car; this Talent represents the
ing a fire or tent. ability to navigate high-speed chases and other dangers
on the road.
Advantage: Once per session, the character may set a
Trap. The player must declare the character is setting up Advantage: Characters with Vehicle add 2 Damage for
the Trap before Combat or pay 1 Willpower to “Retcon” a each 5 levels of their Talent when ramming or using vehi-
Trap. This Trap is triggered with a Wisdom + Survival roll cle mounted weapons.
versus the Target’s Surprised Defense and treats Survival
Specialties: Bad Weather, High Speed Chases, Vehicle
as a Typical Trapping Power. When Triggered, the player
types
describes the Trap.
Specialties: Specific Environments or conditions: Forests,
Wealth (History)
Mountains, Urban, etc. Be it an inheritance or earned fortune, the character has
obtained a large amount of monetary funds. This Talent
Tactics (Expression): may be used as a Supporting Characteristic for any non-
The character is adept at assessing dangerous situations, Gear purchases.
understands how best to work with a team to overcome
Advantage: For each 5 levels of this Talent the character
threats and how to effectively communicate these strat-
gains a Typical Gear or Tools Boon or increases a Typical
egies. When assisting another character, spend an addi-
Boon to Major
tional Action to add Tactics to the roll instead of the Talent
being rolled. The assisting character must still possess Specialties: Business Owner, Corporate Expense Account,
the required Talent to assist; replace the Value with the Liquid Assets, Real Estate
Value of their Tactics.
Wit: (Any) (Expression)
Advantage: Once per session, the character may spend a
Whether making sarcastic comebacks, negotiating a price,
turn to lay out a strategy. On the following turn all Allies
or debating the need for certain traffic laws with the cops,
add 1 additional Damage for each 5 levels of Tactics on
Wit is where it all begins. Some examples include Arguing,
any Attack assisted by another character and 1 additional
Debate, Fast Talk, Sarcasm, or Snap Judgment.
Armor for each 5 levels of Tactics on any Defend Others
Action. Advantage: Once per session, a character may use their
Wit as a Meddling Power. The player must explain how they
Technical Operations (Wisdom) apply their character’s Wit to interfere with someone else.
Trained in the operation of heavy equipment and high-
tech systems such as cranes, mining equipment, or the
power distribution systems for a ship. Larger pieces of
Boons
equipment often require multiple operators to function Each Boon lists its Characteristic Tree, Description, and
correctly, such as an oil rig, submarine, or spaceship. Requirements (if any). The description provides an over-
view of the Boon’s function and any game mechanics.
Advantage: The character may increase the Value of Ex-
plosive rolls (Willpower Bonuses) by 5 for each 5 levels of Ally (History/Major)
the Technical Operations Talent for Cooperative rolls. This Requirements: Area of Influence or Contact: (Any) Talent
bonus is applied to either the character or those they are
supporting. The character gains the aid of a trusted companion. When
the player selects this Boon, they choose one Contact to
Note: If multiple characters in a Cooperative Roll pos- become an Ally, far more devoted to the character than
sess the Technical Operations Talent use only the largest a normal Contact or faction member. The Ally is built as
bonus. a Background Character (see pg. 126) with 2 Basic Tem-
Specialties: Specific types of equipment such as a Crane plates, or 1 Combat or Advanced Template. The Back-
or Bulldozer ground character uses the same Power Level as the
character This Boon may be taken multiple times, select-
Tracking (Sense) ing either a new Ally or new Templates for an existing Ally
The tracker learns to pick up tiny details most people each time.
overlook to find a trail, like a broken branch or a rippling
puddle of water.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Advantaged (Fortune/Typical) A Combo is a string of fighting techniques performed
in rapid succession. This may come as martial training,
Requirements: Fortune 6 hyper-reflexes, or other reasons. Perhaps the character’s
Luck is on your side. In a pinch, things have a knack for punch is so powerful it feels like someone has been hit
working in your favor. Once per session, the character may twice?
use the Advantageous Blow Feature at no Willpower Cost. The character selects a single Rapid Action (see Combat
Amazing (Fortune/Major) Maneuvers). Reduce the Penalty for the Rapid Action by 10,
so a 2 Action Combo suffers a -10 penalty to its roll, while
Requirements: Fortune 6 a 4 Action Combo suffers a -30 penalty. A Combo can have
Heroes constantly push their limits. Some drive them- up to 4 Actions.
selves to use their powers in creative and different ways, Critical Skill: Select (Intelligence/Major)
others are inspiring. You are simply Amazing. Once per
session, the character may use the Amazing Feature at no Requirements: Selected Skill 8+
Willpower Cost. Always thinking one move ahead, the character has an
Combo (Dexterity/Typical) eye open for how to best apply their talents in the heat of
battle.
Requirements: None

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Select a Talent that has an Advantage that may be used in Automatically declare a roll for information as a success
Combat. When making an Attack roll the character may for- with a margin of 1
go the Damage Bonus from rolling two 6s to instead treat
Gain a Bonus equal to the value of the Contact to the char-
their Attack roll as a use of their Selected Talent in addition
acter’s Value for one purchase for a Story.
to the Attack. For example: A hero who has selected Intimi-
dation would automatically strike fear into their foes while Gain access to disposable resources, such as food or a
a hero selecting Stealth would strike quickly and fade into room for the night.
the shadows. When using a Critical Skill the player must
Once the Favor has been used, the character cannot call
explain how their Attack applies the Talent.
in another Favor until they have repaid the debt. The GM
Characters may possess multiple Critical Skills but may decides how the character must repay the debt.
only use one for every two 6s rolled.
Gadgeteer (Variable/Major)
Talents that provide Advantages once per session still Requirements: Tools Boon
require Willpower when Activated through Critical Skill if
A handy person to have around, the character has an
they have already been used.
assortment of Tools available to others. The character can
Sample Talents: Art, Beauty/Handsome, Distraction, share their Tools Boon, halve any Value or bonus the Tool
Forensics (sets up for a Bypass Armor Attack), Intimida- provides. To share a Tool, both characters must spend 1
tion, Jumping, Lock Picking, Movement, Provoke, Sleight of Action, for the trade-off. This counts as the Gadgeteer’s
Hand, and Stealth. per session use of Tools.
Eidetic Memory (Wisdom/Typical) Gear (Various/Variable)
Requirements: None
Requirements: None
The character possesses equipment that is useful in
The character has an amazing memory. Once per session,
Combat, or aids their heroic career. Gear represents ex-
the character may automatically recall one event with
ceptional items that go beyond the norm, such as Body
perfect clarity without rolling on Wisdom.
Armor, Energy Blasters, Firearms, Grappling Lines, Tangler
Extra Stamina (Constitution/Variable) Bombs or any other piece of special gear. Characters do
not require Gear Boons for things such as a home comput-
Requirements: None
er, or a basic smartphone. However, if the phone is capa-
The character can endure large amounts of physical ble of breaking electronic locks, hacking computers, or
punishment. Typical Extra Stamina adds 4 Stamina, Major other special functions it would be bought as Gear. Gear is
Extra Stamina adds 9 Stamina. measured by the Purchase Value. This Value is a measure
of the total number of points required to create the Gear. A
False Identity (History/Variable) character gains 4 PV for a Typical Boon, or 8 PV for a Major
Requirements: None Boon. Characters may need multiple instances of Gear to
purchase larger items. How to Build Gear is covered under
From a basic fake ID to full credentials and a completely
Fighting Styles and Powers.
separate identity, the character possesses some fairly
convincing documents. Note: If a character receives free Gear from their Bargain
Finder, Career, or Wealth these free Boons should be
Typical: Complete documentation for a new identity. Re-
marked to the side.
quires some research to discredit.
Language: (Various) (Expression/Variable)
Major: Records and supporting evidence for the false
identification. For all purposes, the character is two peo- Requirements: None
ple. Alternatively, this may be No Identity (the character
All characters are fluent in their native language. When
has completely erased their records and proof of life).
selecting this Boon, they become fluent in an additional
Fast Draw: (Variable) (Dexterity/Typical) language of choice, fully capable of speaking, reading, and
writing it.
Requirements: None
A Typical Language Boon allows the character to select up
The character has practiced the art of quickly drawing
to 3 new languages for the character
their Gear of choice. When selecting this Boon, the player
must choose one piece of Gear. The character may draw A Major Language Boon adds up to 5 new languages for
this Gear without spending an action. the character.
Favors (History/Typical) An additional instance changes these 5 languages to
language families, for example a character may select
Requirements: Area of Influence or Contact Talent Indo-European Languages which includes, English, French,
Build up enough friends or help enough people out, and and Spanish, along with many other interrelated languag-
you can start calling in markers. One of the character’s es. Adding a third instance allows the character to read,
Contacts owes them a Favor. The character may ask for write, and speak any terrestrial language. A fourth instance
one of the following: allows the character to comprehend all languages.
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Leader (Expression/Variable) (Talent) Support: Variable (Variable/Typical
Requirements: Expression 6 or Major)
When you speak, others not only listen but are moved to Requirements: None
act. As a Typical Boon, the character may use the Inspire The character has learned to incorporate their various
Feature at no Willpower Cost once per session. As a Major skills and abilities into an effective form of combat. Select
Boon, the character may instead use the Improved Inspire a Talent or Specialty and Role; as with a Fighting Style, the
Willpower Feature. Talent supports Offense, Defense, or Initiative Role. The
No Need For: (Various) (Constitution/Typical) character applies either Half or the Full Value of the Talent
for rolls based on the the Value of the the Talent Support
Requirements: None Boon. The player should explain how the character uses
Due to physiological differences, innate magic, or other their selected Talent in combat.
abilities, the character lacks the need of a bodily function, Note:
such as breathing, eating, or sleeping.
1. As with Fighting Styles, a Defense Talent only applies
Sealed Body (Constitution/Typical) to Normal Defense. Unlike traditional Fighting Styles,
players may choose to have a Talent instead apply
Requirements: No Need For: Breathing
to Mental Defense representing a form of mental
Be it the depths of space, or the pressures of the deep the conditioning. Defensive Talents cannot be applied to
character can survive these strange environments. Surprised Defense.
Shift Power: (Power Name) (Fortune/Major) 2. Origin, Catalyst, and Drives are unique Characteris-
tics. These Characteristics should not be used with
Requirements: Tricky Talent Support. Origins that are used in conjunction
Select a power, when using the Tricky Boon spend 2 Addi- with Talents such as Dedication or Supernatural are
tional Willpower to instead gain the Improved Power Trick not added when using a Talent Support.
Feature. This may only be applied Universal or Support 3. The first Talent and the first Specialty used for a roll
Power Boons with Variable in the Title. An additional adds a Bonus die. Each Characteristic used adds 2 to
instance of this Boon allows the character to select either Damage for Attack rolls or 1 Armor for Defense rolls.
Defense or Offense as well, a Third instance gives the
4. Unlike a true Fighting Style or Power, the Talent Sup-
character Access to All Variable Power Boons.
port Boon does not grant any additional Stamina.
Note: Any use of Power Trick must be both Thematic and
Typical: Half Value Situational Support: The character
Dramatically appropriate.
selects a Talent and a specific action such as Brawn and
Speed Reader (Intelligence/Variable) the Stagger Combat Maneuver or Serendipity and Active
Defense from Cover. How the Talent applies with the
Requirements: None characters combat style must be defined by the player
Some people are just more capable of reading and com- and make Thematic Sense. When taking this action the
prehending text at a phenomenal rate, within range of character applies half their Talent’s Value as a Supporting
the reader’s natural comprehension level (someone with Characteristic to the roll.
Intelligence 2 would be hard-pressed to take much away Major: Full Value Situational Support: Apply the Talent’s
from War and Peace, no matter how quickly they could Full Value for the selected action.
read it). A Typical Speed Reader can read and retain the
information from 400 pages of text in roughly 15 minutes. Major: Half Value General Support: The character selects
A Major Speed Reader can read and retain the information a Talent and a Combat roll, Initiative, Offense or Defense.
from 800 pages of text in roughly 5 minutes. Additional How the Talent applies with the character’s combat style
instances continue to reduce this time by half. must be defined by the player and make Thematic Sense.
When making the corresponding roll: Attack, Active De-
Surprising (Major/Dexterity, Intelligence or fense, or Initiative, the character applies half their Talent’s
Sense) Value as a Supporting Characteristic to the roll.
Requirements: Dexterity, Intelligence or Sense 6 Taking an additional instance of this Boon allows the
character to apply the Talent’s Full Value.
The character has a knack for moving at just the right time,
they may be naturally fast, adept at spotting the opportune Example: Verdict is the law, at least in her mind. The same
moment, or able to predict how others are going to act giving training that warped her mind also imbued in her a deep
them time to act first. The character may use the Surprise understanding of Metahumans and combat techniques as
Action Feature at no Willpower Cost once per session. well as an implanted hatred for those Metahumans who
fail to register with the BMA. She takes:
Study: Metahumans Supports: Attacking Unregistered
Metahumans Typical.
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 It may seem broad, however, this does not apply to The Tools Boon may be used once per session.
Empowered Normals, Aliens, Robots or any Metahuman
Note: If a character receives free Gear from their Bargain
registered with the BMA.
Finder, Career, or Wealth, these free Boons should be
This allows Verdict to use Half her Study whenever facing marked to the side.
an unregistered Metahuman. Spending 1 AP, Verdict might
Example 1: Citizen Red: In addition to his Mini-grenade,
increase the bonus to the Talent’s Full Value. The narrative
party favors, and Red Laser, Citizen Red always wants to
behind the Boon does not allow her to change it to Study:
keep people guessing. Taking a Minor Tools Boon, the GM
Metahumans Supports: Offense.
adds Hidden Weapon to Red’s arsenal. This is defined as
Note: Characters may have multiple situational Support some weird blaster, or some half-finished device; Red’s
Boons, but only 1 General Support Boon for each Role. not even sure what it will do.
Tools (Variable/Variable) Example 2: A Younger Vigilant: Before he was forced to don
Requirements: None the Overseer Armor to fight crime, Vigilant used a number
of gadgets and equipment. The hero was known for his
Heroes are known for their assortment of artifacts, gad-
Eyes: Tiny locators that adhered to virtually any surface
gets, and other devices at their disposal. Often the char-
(Bugs & Trackers). Blinders: Tiny pellets that emitted a
acter has some new trick or tool they can use in the right
blinding light (Escape Clause). The Line of Sight, grappling
situation. When selecting this Boon, the player describes
gun (Elevator) along with a small tool kit.
what their tools commonly look like, if they are mystic or
technological, as well as what can be expected. Typical Example 3: Michael Phage: With his skill in the arcane,
Tools allows the character to select up to 2 Tools from the there are several small tricks he simply needs not worry
list below. Major Tools allows the character to select up about such as creating ethereal tools or light.
to 4 Tools from the list below. Each additional instance
grants the character 2 Additional Tool Options Tricky (Fortune/Typical)
—— Actual Tools: The character has just the right tool or Requirements: Fortune 6
something approximating it. Gain a +10 Bonus to a When push comes to shove, the character can quickly
Talent roll. adjust their tactics and adapt their powers to a situation.
—— Bug: The character has set up a monitoring device in Once per session, the character gains a +5 to their roll and
a location they have visited. may use the Power Trick Boon at no Cost.
—— Elevator: The character has an ability to scale tall Waypoint (Variable/Variable)
walls and buildings easily. Negate a Climbing roll, or
rolls. Requirements: None

—— Escape Clause: The character uses some form of The character possesses one or more nodes that they can
distraction to remove themselves from a scene. This Teleport to at a moment’s notice. The player should es-
cannot be used if restrained. tablish how these Waypoints operate and how, or why the
character has access to them when this Boon is selected.
—— Hidden Weapon: The character has one or more
The player should also establish if these Waypoints are
hidden weapons. These weapons use the character’s
open to anyone, just the character, or the character and
Favored Attack Values but gain 1 extra Boon.
those with them.
˜˜ Note: GMs may allow other variations/Boons on
—— A Typical Waypoint provides access to up to 3
the Hidden Weapon as long as it is thematically
Locations.
and dramatically appropriate.
—— A Major Waypoint provides access to up to 5
—— Smart Device: The character possesses a device that
Locations.
allows them to make calls and access the internet.
In addition to a normal phone, the character may Activating a Waypoint requires 1 turn. The character can
make research rolls without access to a computer or allow or ban access whenever using the Waypoint, decid-
traditional library. ed when activating the Waypoint. There are no restrictions
to where these points are, off world, or part of another
˜˜ Note: It is assumed the heroes have a way to com-
dimension, etc., as long as they fit with the character’s
municate with each other. This Tool is not required
power and concept.
for intra-party communications.
—— Tracer: The character can follow a Target they have Advancement: Dynamic Points: Instead of 5 Locations
encountered with no roll required. the character possesses the ability to teleport to any one
point. The initial location is selected with the Boon but can
—— Vehicle: The character has access to a Vehicle for a be changed by spending 1 Willpower and 1 turn.
Combat Scene. This Vehicle works like a Background
character of the same Power Level with the Rein- Advancement: Nodes: An additional instance doubles the
forced and one other Template, typically Armored or number of Waypoints.
Shooter. Players can spend a Tool selection to add an Unique Drawback: Mirror World: Requires: Dynamic
additional Template to their Vehicle.
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 50
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Points: When teleporting, the character shifts to a parallel Is it a Power or Fighting Style
world or dimension. The location the character arrives in
mirrors their place in the primary world. It does not re- Powers represent superhuman abilities beyond the capa-
quire Willpower or an Extra turn to shift to the character’s bilities of a normal human. A Power may be anything from
Mirror. an alien biology to eye beams to telepathy to unearthly
strength What a Power is capable of is limited only by
Fighting Styles and Powers the guidelines set out during the Campaign Scope. When
creating a Power players may select any Power Boon that
Every character is unique. Traditionally, comic book heroes supports the concept. Unfortunately, attacks from things
are identified not just by their costumes, but their original such as an inhibitor beam may reduce or even negate
powers and unique fighting styles. On the surface, both Powers. Further explanation is found in the Building A
Fighting Styles and Powers work like any other Talent. Power section, below.
Except that these Talents add to a character’s Defenses or
Fighting Styles represent training or expertise in com-
Attacks.
bat arts such as a martial arts, military training or street
Players define how their Fighting Styles and Powers work fighting. Although, a Fighting Style may also be things
with basic roles: Defense, Offense, or Support and by like hunter, mosh pit (fighter), or wolf cub. Fighting Styles
Boons that add various functions to their powers. Two grant bonuses in combat and may even support normal
characters might both know Kung-Fu, but for one it is a Talents. Because Fighting Styles represent training or
means to attack, and its primary role is Offense, while the innate aptitude they are immune to attacks that target
other character’s Kung-Fu is used for Defense. Even while Powers. However, Fighting Styles do not grant characters
sharing the same name, the execution of their Fighting any superhuman powers. Further explanation is found in
Styles may be very different. the Building A Fighting Style section.
When creating a Fighting Style or Power, the player or GM Building a Power:
should define it. These aspects of the character are as im-
portant as their Backgrounds, they are part of what makes When creating a new power, the player needs to make
the character a superhero. several decisions about the nature of the power.

Write down the idea behind the Fighting Style or Power, —— Assign it a name: The name is a short, evocative de-
enough so as to have a picture of what the character is ca- scription of the power.
pable of doing. This might be simple (Creates Violet beams —— Assign the Primary Role: This determines the core func-
of energy) or complex (Penny’s bodily fluids have become tion of the power, such as Offense, Defense, or Support.
acidic. She is constantly burning from the inside and in ˜˜ Offense: Offensive powers add to the character’s
pain. This ruins her clothing and keeps her from getting Attack rolls.
close to anyone. However, she’s learned to lash out with
her tears and saliva.) ˜˜ Defense: Defensive powers add to the character’s
Normal Defense.
Both these descriptions give you an idea of what the pow-
er is capable of, one is very direct, likely a Ranged Attack, ˜˜ Support: Support powers may be used as a Sup-
the second is more nuanced, from the description, we porting Characteristic that the player chooses.
know the character is harmful to the touch. What might —— Assign A Parent Attribute: The Parent Attribute rep-
not be obvious is that she probably has some form of self resents the core Attribute for the power. The power
healing or regeneration repairing the damage caused by cannot exceed the Parent Attribute’s Value, and when
her own powers. This is something the creator might not using the power, the player will generally make rolls
have realized when first conceptualizing Penny, but after using the Parent Attribute and Power’s Value.
reading the description it comes together for them. ˜˜ Example: Olivia is working on Nox, she gives her a
Building Powers, Fighting Styles, power: Shadow Control; this allows Nox to manip-
ulate shadows around her. Olivia decides this is a
and Gear Support Power and can always help her hide, so
she selects Stealth. Finally, Olivia sets Mental as
There are no traditional combat Talents in Metahumans the Parent Attribute, as it is an act of will to alter
Rising. Instead players are encouraged to create their own the shadows.
powers or fighting styles to fit their characters. There are
a number of ready-made power examples at the end of —— Select Boons: Boons set Powers apart from regu-
this chapter. lar Talents. Boons give Powers unique advantages
and abilities. A basic Power has access to the Boons
related to their Role (Offense, Defense or Support)
along with Universal Boons.
˜˜ Note: Some Powers are more complex and may
have multiple Roles. Roles can be added using the
Secondary Role, Universal Boon.

51
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— Example: Olivia has described Nox’s Shadow
Control as allowing her to manipulate dark-
Defensive Powers
ness, create shadows, even blades of dark- A Defensive Power aids the character’s ability to protect
ness. Olivia has already set Nox’s Shadow themselves. The player should define how the power in-
Control as a Support Power. Because it also teracts with the world to defend the character. The player
allows her to Attack she adds Secondary Role: should decide if the Defense is based on Might, Quickness,
Offense. or Psyche. Certain attacks can bypass specific types of
defenses. However, some defenses are capable of pro-
˜˜ Note: It can be tempting to try to take every Power
tecting from multiple types of attacks and envisioning
Boon that might come up. When selecting Boons
how the Power works will help to determine which Boons
for a Power, consider its core function. Charac-
the Power should have.
ters may add new Boons to achieve unique stunts
during gameplay by spending Willpower. (More on A Normal Defense uses the Parent Attribute + the Power
Willpower and how to use it in Gameplay on pg. and provides 2 Armor. Defensive Boons may increase the
97.) Armor Provided, even allow the character to negate some
—— Specialties: Like Talents, characters may possess types of Damage, or add additional effects when struck by
Specialties for their Powers. These are built like other an attack.
Specialties but may possess Boons like a Power. Any
Paul is working on Elf, he knows her body has been
Boons within the Specialty that apply an effect based
rebuilt as part of the Drifter conversion. This has
on the Value are calculated on the Specialty’s Value
made her stronger and tougher.
only. Specialties should be situational or possess
inherent limitations that prevent them from being To represent her natural toughness he selects
used at all times. Armor and Passive Defense. This means that what
˜˜ Example 1: Giant-Size: The character grows to at protects Elf is an inherent part of her adding to Sur-
least twice their normal size. The player decides prised Defense rolls and Armor.
that the giant size applies to Offense, requires 1
Paul debates adding the Defends Against: Quick-
Action, and suffers a -20 to Defense as they are a
ness since Elf’s Power has also made her faster but
large Target.
decides against it knowing there are a number of
˜˜ Example 2: MAXIMUM POWER!: Focusing their en- Support Boons he wants for Elf and can use a Power
ergy blast, the character unleashes a deadly beam Trick to add Defends Against Quickness if he needs
of energy. This is an Offensive Specialty with the to avoid an attack instead of just taking the blow.
Devastating and Penetrating Boons. This Specialty
is used with the Power Strike Maneuver. The player Support Powers
then adds the Limitation that Penetrating must be
used making an attack using MAXIMUM POWER! Unlike Offensive or Defensive Powers, Support Powers
are not used for directly attacking or defending. Instead, a
Offensive Powers basic Support Power adds to a character’s roll for a spe-
cific Attribute or Talent. The player should define how this
An Offensive Power allows the character to make an
power interacts with the world to provide the character
Attack using their ability. The player should define what
this bonus.
this attack generally looks like and how they feel it should
interact with the world. A basic Support Power does not require a roll. Instead it adds
directly to its associated Attribute or Talent. Powers Sup-
A basic Attack uses the Parent Attribute + the Power on an
porting a Talent also apply to any associated Advantage.
Attack roll and has a Range of Close. Universal Boons may
change the Range or shape or duration while Offensive Some Boons may require a Power roll; use the Parent At-
Boons may increase the Damage or add other effects. tribute + Power when using these Boons. Universal Boons
may change the Range, shape or duration while Support
Nox’s Shadow Control allows her to create blades of Boons build on the basic nature of the power, allowing the
Darkness from the shadows around her. To reflect character to control others, fly, communicate in different
this, Olivia selects the Universal Boon and Advance- ways, or any other number of fantastic abilities.
ment Radius (selective), and the Offensive Boons:
Defended By Quickness, Devastating, and Naturally While Nox’s Shadow Control allows her to form a
Resistant: Shadows and Darkness. This allows her devastating blade, it is primarily a Support Power
to strike anyone near a shadow and offers her a allowing her to craft fields of darkness. To represent
degree of protection from powers like hers. this, Olivia selects Stealth as its basic Support bo-
nus; shadows cling to her. Olivia then adds Meddling
(Disorienting), New Movement: Shadow Flight, and
New Sense: Shadow Sight.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 When creating a field of Darkness, those trapped Once purchased the selected Boon can be added to a Pow-
inside suffer a penalty to their rolls due to her Med- er whenever they are used. This means that the character
dling and are easier to strike because of the Disori- may choose to use all their Boons every time, or scale the
entation. Shadow Sight allows her to see through Power down.
Darkness while Shadow Flight grants her the ability
to fly when wrapped in a field of shadows. Broad or Narrow Powers
Metahumans Rising allows players to create a variety of
The player selects Boons, and sometimes Drawbacks, to powers, from broad sweeping alien anatomies to tightly
customize a basic Power, shaping it into the form they defined enhancements like razor-sharp claws. Willpower
want. Each Boon or Drawback selected is applied based allows heroes to use their powers in unique and creative
on their Role. A Power that is both Defensive and Offen- ways, adapting to a scene or situation. Both methods of
sive with the Lingering Boon would not need to apply Power designed offer different advantages.
Lingering to a Defense roll but it does fit to have it apply to
damage after an Attack.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 A narrow power provides a specific tool to get a job done, Painful MA
while a broad power provides a range of options, often Secondary Role: Offense MA
serving multiple functions. Narrow powers tend to serve Devastating MA
only a single core Role such as the purely Offensive Ultra Cost: 6 Selections
Energy Blast. Broader Powers often serve two or three Total Selections: 12.
Roles being a combination of Defensive, Offensive or Sup-
port. The Force Fields Power (pg. 71) uses all three Roles, Now he’s playing with fire. Anyone unfortunate
allowing the character to create large and small force enough to strike Bulwark is going to bring their arms
fields to protect groups or lock down foes. back sprayed with magma. Additionally, when he
hits someone it’s going to leave a mark! Being tough
How do you decide if the character should have a broad or and throwing an explosive punch help make up Bul-
narrow Power? wark’s Volcanic Body, but Mike wants to show just
Look at the character’s concept. The character may how tough Bulwark really is.
possess amazing speed, leaping, durability and strength;
Impervious MA2
these could easily be four separate powers but if they
Secondary Role: Support: Constitution MA
are all derived from the character’s alien nature it may be
Cost: 6 Advancement Points.
best to play them under a single broad power, especial-
ly if a single effect may sap all these qualities from the Mike is already at his starting 12 Selections. He
character. If, on the other hand, these Powers come from spends Advancement Points instead.
different sources such as a combination of natural abil-
ity, Metahuman genetics, and Gear, it would be better to Twice per session, Bulwark can simply ignore most
create them separately. Damage from attacks no matter how devastating.
To reinforce Bulwark’s toughness Mike also adds a
Power Creation Example: third Role for Support for Constitution. This means,
should Bulwark ever drop below 0 Stamina, his
Volcanic Body Volcanic Body will help him keep fighting on. Having
spent only 6 Advancement Points, Mike decides to
Mike is developing his Classic Hero for the Steel
ramp up the power.
Aces, Bulwark. Fused with the Hephaestus Circlet
Bulwark’s body is comprised of stone and magma. Full Role: Offense MA
As a Power, Mike lists this as Volcanic Body. Since Support: Strength MA
Bulwark’s human physiology has been completely New Movement: Earth Meld MA
rewritten Mike selects Constitution as the Parent Cost: 6 Advancement Points (AP)
Attribute. And, because Bulwark is going to be a vir-
tually immovable object he also selects Defense as Bulwark’s nature is just as important offensively as
the Power’s Primary Role. Bulwark is a Classic Hero it is defensively Mike adds the Full Role Option to
so Mike sets the Value to 12. Offense. Also, what’s a mound of stone and magma
if not strong, Mike adds Support: Strength as well.
Volcanic Body 12 Mike also likes the idea of Bulwark rising up out of
Constitution/Defense the ground to engulf a Target. Eventually, this image
wins out and Mike adds: New Movement: Earth Meld
In its current state Bulwark’s Volcanic Body adds 12 deciding that he can spend Willpower to add Linger-
to any Normal Defense. A good start, but it doesn’t ing to his Attacks in a fight.
exactly scream “living volcano.” To get things started
Mike adds the following: There is never a time when Bulwark isn’t a living
volcano. There is no hiding his powers or nature and
he may have other complications like not being able
Passive Defense MA to touch a normal person for very long much less,
Armor (Boost Armor) MA2 read a book. Mike adds the Frightening Drawback.
Cost: 6 Selections
Bulwark’s final power looks like this:
These first Boons set up the tone for Bulwark’s Volcanic Body 12
Volcanic Body. Since Bulwark cannot change his Defense/Constitution
shape or turn off his power, Passive Defense allows Armor (Boost Armor, Impervious 2) MA4
him to apply his defensive powers even when sur- Painful MA
prised, Bulwark is always rock and magma. Armor Passive Defense MA
and Boost Armor ensures that only the strongest of Secondary Role: Offense (Full roll) MA2
attacks will cause harm, handguns and knives will Devastating MA
have virtually no effect on Bulwark. This gives Bul- Secondary Role: Support: Constitution MA
wark his hardness from stone, but there is also the Added Support: Strength MA
magma to consider. Mike adds the following: New Movement: Earth Meld MA
Cost: 1 Power + 12 Boons + 14 AP
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 The Hephaestus Circlet transformed Derrick Milles’ Fighting Styles (2 Powers)
body. The ancient magic turned flesh to stone and Bully 5
blood to magma. As a living volcano, Bulwark is Strength/Offense
endowed with amazing strength and durability but Secondary Role: Support: Initiative MA
is forever locked in this shape. Cost: 1 (of 2) Powers + 2 Boons + 1 AP
Mike has spent a total of 14 Advancement Points on When he was a bully the character lived by the ethos: Hit
this Power. This leaves him 17 Advancement Points hard and hit fast; everything else will take care of itself.
to improve other Characteristics, add new Talents, Seven Stance Kung-Fu 8 (1 AP)
or Personal Boons. Dexterity/Defense
Secondary Role: Initiative MA
Building a Fighting Style: Secondary Role: Offensive (Full Role) MA2
Cost: 2 (of 2) Powers + 6 Boons + 1 AP
Some characters’ combat ability comes from training or
natural ability, not raw power. As discussed earlier, a basic As a true Fighting Style and not just schoolyard mischief,
Power and a Fighting Style may have a lot in common. Seven Stance Kung-Fu provides a more well-rounded
Without Power Boons they both add to either the charac- ability in battle. Combined with his prior experience, the
ters Offense, Defense or Support another Characteristic. character possesses a powerful Offense and can react
However, combat training or expertise can take many quickly.
shapes. Boons:
Critical Skill: Intimidation MA
The player begins as they would with any power, selecting Acrobatics Supports: Offense MA
the name and what Role the Fighting Style serves, along Movement Supports: Defense MA
with its parent Attribute. One difference is that a Support Cost: 4 Boons + 2 AP
Fighting Style always supports Initiative. This means the
Roles appear as follows: To add some flair to their Fighting Styles, the character
buys three Boons. As a former bully, being able to intim-
—— Offensive Fighting Styles Support Attack rolls. idate others was key. With the Critical Skill: Intimidation
—— Defensive Fighting Styles Support Normal Defense. Boon they now treat any Attack roll with two or more 6s
as an Intimidation roll. With a name like Seven Stance
—— Supporting Fighting Styles Support Initiative.
Kung-Fu, being able to move across the battlefield is im-
Fighting Styles may only possess the Added Support Boon. portant. Adding Acrobatics Supports Offense and Move-
For Example: A martial art that focuses heavily on swift ment Supports Defense, we can see the ex-bully shifting
movement and moving freely around the battlefield may through a field of foes as they quickly dispatch them.
have Added Supports for Acrobatics or Movement.
If the player stopped here, the character would already be
Fighting Styles with multiple Boons may be more like “su- a formidable opponent. However, this doesn’t seem quite
per martial arts” or Powers than mundane training. These right. The player decides that Seven Stance Kung-Fu is
empowered styles may possess much more cinematic more of a mystic art and adds the following Boons:
abilities such as turning one’s body to steel or launching Power Boons:
power blasts of Chi energy. However, they may be affect- Body Hardening (Armor) MA
ed by debilitating Attacks like a Power, such as a strike Chi Bubble (Reflection (Reflection Control)) MA2
that inhibits Chi flow. Chi Strikes Devastating (Boost Devastation, Penetrating)
MA3
Players should also consider the use of Willpower. Does
Cost: 12 AP
the character fire off bolts of force as part of their nor-
mal Fighting Style, or is this a show-stopping ability that To round it out and capitalize on his “Chi Strikes” the play-
only appears once or twice per story? It is important to er adds:
remember that Willpower lets the character take dramatic Increase Seven Stance Kung-Fu from 8 to 11 (+1 AP)
actions, so every aspect of a Power or Fighting Style does Specialty: Combos 10 (4 AP)
not need to be accounted for in the write up. Willpower is Combo: Seven Retributions (Active Defense - Attack) TY
designed to work with the narrative to allow for spectacu- Combo: Seven Movements of the Master (Active De-
lar actions. fense - Attack - Movement) TY
Cost: 2 AP
Some characters may take a combination of Fighting
Styles and Talent Supports to represent multiple areas Here is what our bully turned hero looks like:
of experience. Example: A player has decided to create a
Classic martial arts hero. The character was the school
Fighting Style
Bully 5
bully who meets a martial arts master and turns their life
Strength/Offense ,
around. The character possesses 2 Fighting Styles along
Secondary roll: Support: Initiative MA
with 3 Boons.
Cost: 1 (of 2) Powers + 2 Boons
Power

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Seven Stance Kung-Fu 11 ists or a natural warrior, not every hero is a master of
Dexterity/Defense unarmed combat. There is no requirement for characters
Body Hardening (Armor) MA to possess a Fighting Style. Most heroes and villains rely
Chi Bubble (Reflection (Reflection Control) MA2 solely on their Powers, and lack any formal training.
Secondary Role: Support: Initiative MA
Secondary Role: Offensive (Full Role) MA2 Building Gear
Chi Strikes Devastating (Boost Devastation, Penetrating)
Because Gear can be lost, broken, or otherwise taken away
MA3
it is built slightly different from other powers. The Gear
Specialty: Combos 10 (4 AP)
Boon provides characters with a set Purchase Value (PV).
Cost: 2 (of 2) Powers + 10 Boons + 14 AP
Boons: PV By Gear Boon Value
Combo: Seven Retributions (Active Defense - Attack) TY
—— Typical: 4
Combo: Seven Movements of the Master (Active De-
fense - Attack - Movement) TY —— Major: 8
Critical Skill: Intimidation MA PV is used to Build Powers with the following distinctions.
Acrobatics Supports: Offense MA
Movement Supports: Defense MA Costs
Cost: 8 AP —— Start a Power: 3 PV
By combining his basic Fighting Style with the more ˜˜ New Powers begin with a Value of 1.
Mystic Seven Stance Kung-Fu, the player has created a
—— Increase the Power’s Value by 1, 1 PV per level
unique feel for his character and a Fighting Style that will
allow him to stand up to some of the toughest bruisers —— Add a Typical Boon: 3 PV
out there. However, because Seven Stance Kung-Fu is a —— Add a Major Boon: 6 PV
Power, and not a true Fighting Style it can be affected by
things such as Drain Attacks. —— Add an additional instance of a Boon: 6 PV

Does Your Hero Need A Fighting Style? Characteristics

Metahumans Rising offers a lot of flexibility to players Select a Parent Attribute as with Powers or Fighting
to create the type of hero they want. Players should see Styles. Unlike traditional Powers, Gear can exceed this
Fighting Styles as an option along with or an alternative to Value. However, characters using this equipment only gain
traditional Powers. a bonus up to the Parent Attribute.

It is easy to invest into building the perfect Fighting Style.

While fitting for characters like the expert martial art-

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 The .45 Handgun, Special Edition Has a Value of 12 and Advancements
a Parent Attribute of Intelligence. A Brute with an Intel-
ligence of 4 would only add 4 from the Handgun when Some Boons have unique options called Advancements. To
using the Gear as opposed to a Marksman with an Intelli- select an Advancement the character must possess a Ma-
gence of 12, who would gain the gun’s full bonus. jor version of the base Boon. Each Advancement is treated
as a Major Boon Selection.
The player assigns Gear Boons to the most appropriate
Example: Devastating is an Offensive Boon that adds 1
Attribute for using the item.
Damage for each 3 levels of the Power. There are a num-
Stamina: ber of Advancements for Devastating including Boost
Devastation, which increases the Damage further and
Characters do not gain bonus Stamina for Powers created Penetrating, which allows attacks to ignore armor for a
as Gear. Instead, Gear has a Stamina of 1 + 2 for each Pow- portion of the damage inflicted.
er. Gear may possess the Extra Stamina Boon to represent
extremely durable items such as body armor. Power Boons are divided into four areas:

Gear, Armor, and Damage: —— Universal: can be applied to any Power.

—— Defensive: can only be applied to Defensive Powers.
Gear with Defensive Powers may gain Armor as nor-
mal. Additionally, characters may use Defensive Gear to —— Offensive: can only be applied to Offensive Powers.
protect themselves. Characters use Defensive Powers as —— Support: can only be applied to Support Powers.
normal, but choose how to apply any Damage inflicted
between the Gear and the character Universal
Gear reduced to 0 Stamina or below is disabled. The following Boons are available for any Power.
Example Gear: Micro-Grenades Alternative Source (Major)
The villain, Citizen Red, wants to add a series of The nature of this Power is shifting. Because of its dy-
micro-grenades to his arsenal. Deciding these are namic nature, the player can select from a list of related
party favors, deadly to typical humans but a distrac- effects such as the Four Elements, or Heat and Cold, when
tion to Classic Heroes, he adds the Power “Mi- activating the power.
cro-Grenades” 12. He then adds the Typical Ranged —— Advancement: Themed Source: The player may
Boon, Major Devastating, and Typical Radius with select any thematically appropriate effect when acti-
the Explosive Drawback. The Micro-Grenades have vating the power.
a Medium Range, inflicting 4 extra Damage with an
Explosive Radius; they lose half their Damage for —— Note: To change the effect, the Power first must be
each Range Increment from the impact zone. disabled, then reactivated under the new effect type.

In total, Citizen Red’s Micro-Grenades have a PV of Cone (Variable)

23, and thus require 3 Major Gear Boons. This Power Requirements: Ranged Boon
counts as 6 Boon Selections for Citizen Red. He
might have reduced the cost by adding Drawbacks Some Powers create a Cone of effect. These Cones start
like Limited Uses, reducing the number of times he from in front of the character and expand one meter each
could use his Micro-Grenades each scene but he meter traveled until reaching its final length. This Boon is
doesn’t want to run out. As a Classic Villain, he has used instead of the Ranged Boon.
plenty of points left over for his planned Red Lasers A Typical Cone also strikes adjacent Targets up to Short
and Body Armor. Range.
A Major Cone also strikes adjacent Targets up Medium
Power Boons Range.
Power Boons add specific effects to a Power, changing —— Advancement: Boost Range: Increases the Range
what it is capable of doing. This includes being able to at- Increment by 1. This Advancement may be taken
tack from long range or mitigate the damage of an other- multiple times.
wise fatal blow. Boons are applied as appropriate. —— Willpower Complication: Players with characters
within Range of a Cone and not directly targeted may
Elf’s Evolved Drifter is both Offensive and Defensive opt to be struck by the attack. Doing so gives the
with Range and Armor representing her ability to lob character 1 Willpower.
bolts of Bioforce at Short Range Targets, as well as
her body’s more resilient nature. This does not allow —— Unique Limited: Explosive: Each Range Increment
her to grant Armor to a Target in range of her Power. past Close reduces the amount of Damage inflicted
To do this she would need the more appropriate by half. May only be taken with Major Boons.
Power Boon Barrier.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Line (Variable) A Typical Radius Power affects all Targets within Close
Range.
Requirements: Ranged Boon, as a normal ranged Power,
projecting out in a line and affecting everything it touches A Major Radius Power affects all Targets within Short
in its path. Range.

A Typical Line Power affects Targets in Short Range. —— Advancement: Boost Range: Increases the Range
Increment by 1. This Advancement may be taken
A Major Line Power now affects Targets in Medium Range. multiple times.
—— Advancement: Boost Range: Increases the Range —— Unique Limited: Explosive (Variable): Each Range
Increment by 1. This Advancement may be taken Increment past Close reduces the Damage Inflicted
multiple times. by half. May only be taken with Major Boons.
—— Unique Limited: Explosive: Each Range Increment Ranged (Variable)
past Close reduces the amount of Damage Inflicted
by half. May only be taken with Major Boons. Many powers can be used at range.

Lingering (Variable) A Typical Ranged Power may also be used at Medium

Range.
When the character stops actively using this Power it
lingers on, continuing its effects. A Lingering Power takes A Major Ranged Power may also be used at Long Range.
effect once each turn at the Start of the character’s turn. —— Advancement: Boost Range: Increases the Range
A Typical Lingering Power lasts for 1 turn for each 3 levels Increment by 1.
of the Power. —— Advancement: No Range Restrictions: Remove Range
Restrictions.
A Major Lingering Power lasts for a number of turns equal
to half the Power. —— Note: Players should not feel the need to purchase the
Ranged Boon for some weapons. Close Ranged attacks
Note: Damage: Apply half the Damage the Target originally
are within approximately 15 meters: bolos, flamethrow-
suffered after Armor each turn. This Damage automatical-
ers, and throwing knives for example, travel only a
ly bypasses armor.
short distance and thus do not require this Boon.
Note: Healing: Apply half the Stamina the Target originally
Healed each turn.
Reduced Detection (Major)
The Power cannot be detected using normal Senses.
Note: Aid: Characters with Aid and Lingering may only
However, it may be detected through multiple other Sense
apply multiple instances of Aid to a single Target if they
Powers. Players define how the Power can be detected
Support different Characteristics or Roles. The character
with a common sense. Characters must make a Perception
cannot apply multiple instances of the same Aid.
roll to detect the Power. If the character is hidden they
Note: Multiple Applications of Lingering from the same may make an immediate Stealth roll to avoid detection.
Power do not add multiple instances of the effect but —— Advancement: Invisible: Adding an additional in-
reset the duration of the Lingering effect. stance, the Power can only be detected by a single
—— Advancement: Boost Duration: Increase the duration selected non-common sense, such as Radar, or
by up to 2 turns. This Advancement may be taken High-Frequency Hearing. Characters may make a
multiple times. Perception roll if they possess the correct Sense.
—— Unique Drawback: Negated By: Select an action that —— Note: Characters with a Support Stealth Power
removes the Lingering Damage such as Medical Care effectively possess Invisible for their character, but
or Extinguishing the Flame. Once the Target has tak- not any externally manifesting Powers they may use.
en this action, or it has been performed on them, the These characters must still select Invisible if they
Lingering Damage stops. wish to add Limited Detection to personal Invisibility.
Push Range (Major) Secondary Role (Major)
The character can boost the range of their Power. The Some powers are far more complex. Adding in Secondary
character may increase the Range of this Power by 2 Roles allows a Power to serve additional functions, such
Range Increments once per session. This Boon may be as a Support Power that also aids Defense, albeit at a
used in conjunction with Ranged, Cone, Line, or Radius. reduced Value. The player must be able to explain how the
Power functions in this Secondary Role thematically. The
Radius (Variable)
Power functions in the other Role at half Value. All Sec-
This Power affects everything within a specific radius. If ondary Roles are at half Value.
the Power does not have the Ranged Boon the center of —— Advancement: Full Role: An additional instance of
the effect is the character. Secondary Role allows the Power to be used at its
Full Value. Boons associated with a Power are tied to

58
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 a Role. For Example: Bulwark possesses the Second- they may instead Heal 1 Damage for each 5 levels of
ary Role, Offense MA for his Volcano Body. Under this the Power once per turn. This does not count against
Role, he possesses the Devastating Boon. This Boon their normal use of Absorption.
would not be applied to the Primary Defense Role ˜˜ Advancement: Regenerative Absorption: The char-
and the Bonus gained from Devastating is deter- acter heals 1 Damage for every 3 levels of the Power.
mined from the lower Value.
—— Advancement: Power Replication: When the char-
Shapeable (Major) acter would gain Willpower from Absorption they
Requirements: Either Cone, Line, or Radius Boon. may instead choose to replicate the Power they were
attacked with. The character can recreate the Power
The character has far more control over the shape their with which they have been struck using the lowest
Power takes. The character may now bypass Targets with applicable Value: either the Value of the Power Repli-
Cone, Line, and Radius effects. This may be bouncing a cation, or the Power the character was attacked with.
Line Attack off a wall, telekinetic strings that fill the area, The character may replicate a Power until the end of
or any other number of effects. their own next turn
—— Note: Support and Defense Powers may require the ˜˜ Advancement: Boost Duration: Extend how long
Shared Boon to affect others. the character may maintain the absorbed Power
Sticky (Major) one step along the Time Chart.
˜˜ Advancement: Charge: The character does not
Anyone touching a Target affected by a Sticky Power suf-
need to immediately use the Absorbed Power or
fers the Attack’s base Damage and/or the same effects as
lose it. Instead they may maintain 2 uses of the
the Target. Each additional instance of Sticky extends the
Power until the end of the Scene. This cannot be
reach by another Target. For Example: Penny Dreadful’s
used in conjunction with Boost Duration. Each addi-
Acid Secretion has a Typical Lingering Boon and Sticky.
tional instance of Charge adds 2 uses of the Power.
For four turns after she has Secreted Acid on a Target, not —— Advancement: Lingering Charge: The charac-
only do they continue to take Damage, but anyone touching ter can maintain 1 Charge for each instance of
them would also begin taking Damage for four turns. If Pen- Charge until the end of the session. A second
ny’s Power was also Trapping, the person touching her victim instance of Lingering Charge allows the char-
would not only take Damage but would also be Trapped. acter to maintain these Charges until the end
of the story.
Defensive
˜˜ Advancement: Offensive Absorption: The char-
These Boons may be combined with Defensive Powers. acter no longer needs to be attacked to absorb
Absorption (Variable) a Target’s Power. The character absorbs Powers
without being attacked by touching the Target.
The character gains power when struck. To use this Boon, the character makes an Attack
Typical Absorption, Painful: Once per Turn, the character roll using the Power’s Value. This may be a simple
may gain Willpower from any type of Damage whenev- touch or a full attack.
er they suffer more Damage than half their Power after ˜˜ Advancement: Superior Power Replication: Use the
Armor. Value of their Absorption Power, even if it is greater
than the Power they have been attacked with.
Typical Absorption, Limited: Once per turn, whenever they
suffer any Damage from a specific type of Attack such as —— Advancement: Retribution: After triggering the Ab-
Cold, Darkness, Heat, Light, Radiation, they gain 1 Will- sorption Boon, the character’s next Attack using this
power. Power is treated as if it has Devastating Boon. If this
Power already possesses Devastating, treat the Attack
Major Absorption (Energy, Physical, or Psyche): Once per
as if using the Total Devastation Boon. The character
turn, whenever they suffer Damage from an appropriate
has until the end of their next turn to use this Boon.
Attack they gain 1 Willpower. Each additional instance of
The character may spend 1 Willpower to make an ad-
Major Absorption allows the character to add another
ditional Retribution Attack before losing the charge.
Attack type.
˜˜ Advancement: Wait for Repayment: The character
—— Note: This cannot exceed the character’s normal
moves the time they can hold a Retributive strike
maximum Willpower.
down one step on the Time Chart.
—— Note: Characters with Evasion, Impervious, or
—— Unique Drawback: Limited: Requires Absorption:
Phased are unable to gain benefits from Absorption
Characters may specify a number of Boons that are
while these Boons are Active, unless the Attack by-
only available once they have gained Willpower
passes the character’s Defense.
through Absorption. These Boons remain active for
—— Advancement: Healing Absorption: Whenever the the Scene or until the character’s current Willpower
character would gain Willpower from Absorption, is reduced to 0.

59
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Armor (Variable) she adds the Defends Against Boon to her next Defense. Just
before a tidal wave of ice envelops her, Nox partially turns
The character’s Defensive Power not only makes it more herself into shadows allowing the wave to pass through her.
difficult to be hit, but also reduces the Damage of Attacks.
Evasion (Major)
Typical Armor: The character gains 1 Armor for each 5 lev-
els of the Power with a Minimum of 1. Requirements: Rapid Acceleration Boon, Power must be
both Support and Defense.
Major Armor: Increase the Armor provided to 1 Armor for
each 3 levels of the Power. The character moves with such speed they are nearly
untouchable. On an Active Defense, the character avoids
—— Advancement: Boost Armor: Increase the Armor pro-
normal Attacks until the start of their next turn. This does
vided by this Power to half the Power’s Value.
not protect the character from Area Attacks. Usable once
˜˜ Advancement: Impervious: The character’s Armor per session. This Boon may be selected multiple times,
has virtually no weak points. The character takes adding an additional use.
no Damage from normal Attacks until the start
—— Advancement: Faster: When first activating Evasion,
of their next turn. However, the Damage from
the character may take a free Movement Action.
rolling 6s, the Penetrating Boon, or Attacks using
a Damage type of the Vulnerability (Drawback) for Painful (Major)
the character ignores Impervious. This Boon may
be activated for Free on the character’s turn or When struck, the nature of the character’s Defense is
whenever they would take Damage. Usable once painful and can harm the attacker. Painful Defense auto-
per session. This Boon may be selected multiple matically inflicts 1 Damage for every 3 levels of the Power.
times, adding an additional use each time. This Damage is Resisted as normal.
—— Advancement: Boost Pain: Increase the Damage add-
Defends Against: (Variable) (Variable) ed by this Power to half the Power’s Value.
The character’s Defenses protect them from a broader —— Advancement: Pain Overload: Once per session, dou-
range of Attacks. Select a second Defense category: Might, ble the Damage. This Boon may be selected multiple
Quickness, or Psyche. As a Major Boon, the character’s Times, each adding an additional use.
Defense protects them from all three categories.
—— Advancement: Penetrating: This Power automatically
For Example: Mock has stolen an Ice Blaster, Defended by: inflicts Damage from the Painful Boon. This Boon over-
Might, and uses it to attack Nox. Normally her Shadows comes Impervious. Once per session, this Boon may be
would do nothing to protect her, but spending a Willpower selected multiple Times adding an additional use.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— Advancement: Retribution: The character’s Defense A Typical Resistance grants the character 1 Armor for each
is not inherently painful and no longer does auto- 3 levels of the Power against the chosen Damage type.
matic damage when struck. However, whenever they This Armor is added to any other Armor the character has
Defend against a Melee attack with 3 Degrees of when defending against this Damage type.
Success on the Attack roll, they may inflict a number
A Major Resistance grants the character Armor equal to
of Damage equal to the original attack.
half the Power against the chosen Damage type. This Ar-
˜˜ Advancement: Easier Retribution: Each additional mor is added to any other Armor the character has when
instance of Easier Retribution grants the charac- defending against this Damage type.
ter a free Degree of Success on a Successful roll.
—— Advancement: Immunity: The character takes no
—— Advancement: Sponge: The character may use Drain Damage from Attacks using their chosen Damage
Boons with Damage inflicted by Painful Defenses. type until the start of their next turn. This Boon
may be activated for free on the character’s turn or
Passive Defense (Major)
whenever they would take Damage. Usable once per
Requirements: None session. This Boon may be selected multiple times,
with each instance adding an additional use.
This Defensive Power is constantly active. The character
applies the Defensive Value to Surprised Defense. Unmoving (Variable)
—— Unique Drawback: Activation Required: This Defense Try as they might it is hard to push the character around.
must be activated before it can be used to enhance
the character’s Surprised Defense. Activating this Each Level of this Boon negates an equivalent Value of the
Defense requires 1 turn. Blast Boon.

Phased (Major) —— Option: Put Down Roots: Each instance of this Boon
negates the equivalent Value of Boost Knock.
Requirements: Insubstantial Boon, Power must be both
—— Note: Giant Characters: Characters who are intended
Support and Defense
to be incredibly large, generally pair this Boon with the
The character is out of sync with the physical world, mak- Limitation: Giant applying a penalty to their Defenses
ing them impossible to touch. On an Active Defense, the representing the fact they are an easy target. This is
character takes no Damage from normal Attacks until the not a requirement, however, as Defense may repre-
start of their next turn. Mental Attacks, Attacks with the sent a character’s ability to simply shrug off injury.
same description as the character’s Phasing, or Attacks
using a Damage type the same as the Vulnerability (Draw- Offensive
back) for the character bypass, Phased. Phased may also
The following Boons may be used with Offensive Powers.
be used to escape Grapples, Traps, or other restraints
automatically. Usable once per session. This Boon may be Automatic (Major)
selected multiple times, each time adding an additional
use. The Power fires in Rapid succession, inflicting Secondary
Damage. Secondary Damage is equal to half the Damage
Reflection (Major) inflicted. After using an Automatic Attack, the character
checks the roll as if the Power had the Limited Uses Lim-
The character may bounce a Ranged Attack back at its
itation, having to re-arm the Power on a result of 1. Should
point of origin whenever they Defend against a Ranged
the Power have Limited Uses on top of Automatic, roll
Attack with 3 Degrees of Success on the Attack roll.
twice checking both results.
—— Advancement: Easier Reflection: Each additional
—— Note: Secondary Damage may be applied to the initial
instance of Reflection grants the character a free
Target or any adjacent Targets.
Degree of Success on a successful roll.
—— Advancement: Increased Rate of Fire: Each addition-
—— Advancement: Reflection Control: The character can
al instance of this Boon allows the character to fire
control where a reflected Attack lands. It must be
another burst on their action. Each burst of Damage
within the range of the attack, but the character can
is resolved separately.
reflect the attack to other opponents in range using
the original Attack Value. Blast (Variable)
—— Advancement: Total Reflection: The character’s abil- The character’s Attack is capable of driving their foes
ity to use Reflection Attacks can be applied to Area of back, even sending them flying huge distances.
Effect Attacks.
A Typical Blast Power pushes the Target back 1 Range
Resist: (Variable) (Variable) Increment and knocks the Target prone.
Requirements: None A Major Blast Power pushes the Target back 2 Range In-
The character possesses a natural resistance to some crements and knocks the Target prone.
types of Damage such as Fire, Magic, Psychic, or Sonic.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 If a Target uses an Active Defense they are not knocked —— Quickness: Physical Attacks that bypass traditional ar-
prone and reduce the Distance by 1 Range Increment for mors. This Damage can be avoided but not mitigated.
each 6 rolled. If the blow lands, traditional defenses will do no good.
The Target suffers 2 Damage per Range Increment trav- Note: Impervious only applies if the Power can be used as
eled. This Damage is applied separately from the initial hit part of the Target’s Defense.
and represents the added strain of resisting the Blast and
complications of being knocked back.
Devastating (Variable)
This Attack Power is far more dangerous than most.
Hold Your Ground: Characters taking an Active Defense
may opt to Hold Their Ground, and not giving an inch. Do- Typical Devastating: Add 1 Damage for each 5 levels of the
ing so inflicts 1 Damage per Range Increment they would Power.
have traveled, this replaces the normal Damage, this
Major Devastating: Increase the Damage added by this
Damage cannot be resisted.
Power by 1 for each 3 levels of the Power.
—— Advancement: Boost Knock: Each additional instance
—— Advancement: Boost Devastation: Increase the Dam-
of Blast increases the distance by 1 Range Increment.
age added from Devastating to half the Power’s Value.
—— Note: Blown Away: If the Target is Blasted beyond
—— Advancement: Penetrating: This Power automati-
the Edge of Conflict, assume they are out of the
cally inflicts a number of Damage equal to the Bonus
scene unless they possess a Power with New Move-
gained by Devastating on a successful Attack. This
ment and the Boost Speed Option. For these charac-
Boon overcomes Impervious. Once per session, this
ters, assume additional Range Increments to allow
Boon may be selected multiple times, adding an addi-
the character back into the action.
tional use each time.
Continuous (Major) —— Advancement: Total Devastation: Double the Dam-
As long as they remain focused, the character can keep age provided by Devastating. Once per session, this
this power going. The character can maintain this Power Boon may be selected multiple times adding an addi-
for 1 turn for each 3 levels of the (Power + Concentration). tional use each time.
Characters may take no other Actions while maintaining a —— Advancement: ______ Stopper: The Power is more
Continuous Power. The Power Automatically hits on each capable of overcoming certain types of defenses.
Action it is maintained (twice per turn maintained), unless The player selects a type of defense such as Fire, Ice,
the Target makes an Active Defense roll versus the Base Magic, Metal, Psychic, Radiation, or Stone. Treat all
Attack Value + 10. Attacks against these Defenses as Penetrating.
—— Advancement: Brutal Onslaught: Increase the Dam- ˜˜ Note: Players should select specific categories
age inflicted by 4 at the start of the character’s turn. avoiding broad groups such as Mutants or Hu-
—— Advancement: Lock On: This Power represents mans.
something attached to the Target. The effects con-
Drain (Major)
tinue until the device is removed. Lock On Powers
inflict half the normal Damage. Removing the Lock Instead of inflicting normal Damage, the Power Damages
requires 1 turn or an amount of Damage equal to half either a specified Attribute or other Powers. When the
the Power’s Value. Drained character attempts to use an afflicted Charac-
teristic, they suffer a 5-point penalty for each Damage
—— Advancement: Unshakable: Increase the Target of
inflicted. Select the Characteristic when this Boon is taken.
the Active Defense roll by 10.
Drained characters may ignore these penalties for 1 Action
Defended By: (Variable) (Major) by spending a point of Willpower.
This Power is difficult to defend against. It may be any Events or actions that would modify Damage, such as
number of effects such as a hyper-focused laser capable rolling 6s, or a Heavy Blow, modify the Value Drained.
of cutting through anything, a mental blast that targets When healing, the player selects whether to heal Stamina
the victim’s consciousness, or an unavoidable wave of or Drained Characteristics.
cold. When selecting Defended By, the player should
Note: If Powers are selected, the character may only Drain
decide which Damage Category applies: Might, Psyche,
1 Power at a time, even if the character has multiple Pow-
or Quickness. Defended By Attacks apply only half the
ers, unless they select the Expanded Drain Advancement.
normal Damage before rolling. Only Armor derived from
an appropriate Characteristic applies. Might: This Dam- —— Option: Split effect: When the Power is created the
age can only be resisted though toughness or mitigated by player decides if the character inflicts all the Dam-
traditional armors or other physical Unmovabs. age to the chosen Characteristic or inflicts half the
normal Damage after Armor, and then Drains half
—— Psyche: Attacks with no physical component. This
the normal Characteristics. Characters may spend 1
Damage impacts the character’s mental capacity or
Willpower to change from Full effect to Split effect
possibly their soul. There is no tangible element that
for an Attack.
can be blocked or avoided.
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— Advancement: Expanded Drain: The character can Suffocating (Major)
reduce multiple Characteristics at once with their Drain.
Select a second Attribute to Drain, or Drain a second Requirements: Continuous and Devastating Boons
Power. This Advancement may be selected multiple The nature of this attack may Suffocate a Target. For each
times. Note: If a Drain affects both a Power and its Par- turn the Power is maintained, treat the Target as being
ent Attribute, apply only the largest Penalty. deprived of air. They immediately begin making Suffoca-
˜˜ A second instance allows the character to Drain tion rolls (see pg. 114). Characters must possess both the
up to 4 Attributes, all Powers, or one Power and Continuous and Devastating Boons. Suffocating Attacks
the Parent Attribute at once. inflict half the normal Damage.
˜˜ A third instance allows the character to Drain all —— Advancement: Boost Suffocation: The Target’s Suffo-
Attributes at once or all Powers and their Parent cation rolls begin at Average (15) instead of Easy (5)
Attributes + 4 Attributes of choice. —— Advancement: Breathless: The nature of this Power ac-
—— Advancement: Flexible Drain: Increasing the strength celerates suffocation. Increase the Difficulty by 5 each
of the character’s Drain Power, they can reduce a turn the Power is maintained, instead of the normal 2.
larger variety of Characteristics. The character se- —— Unique Drawback: Suffocation Damage Only
lects one of the following:
˜˜ Note: Characters may always opt to reduce the
˜˜ Drain any one Attribute Damage to Suffocation Only if they do not possess
˜˜ Drain any one Talent. this Drawback.
˜˜ Drain any one power. Trapping (Variable)
—— Advancement: Power Negation: If the amount of This Power allows the character to trap a Target.
Damage inflicted on a Power exceed the Value, this
Power cannot be used until the character heals. To escape a Typical Trap, the Target must make an Escape
Artist or Brawn roll versus a Difficulty of Parent Attribute
—— Advancement: Siphon: As the character Drains the + Power.
powers of others they fuel their own abilities. The
character gains 1 Stamina per 3 Damage the Target To escape a Major Trap, the Target must make an Escape
suffers, this is calculated after armor. Note: Stamina Artist or Brawn roll versus a Difficulty of Parent Attribute
gain is calculated before Split effect. + Power + 10.
˜˜ Advancement: Transfer: Allows the character to Defended By Quickness Traps are escaped by Escape Artist
instead transfer the Value Drained to a selected only, Might Traps are escaped by Brawn, Psyche Traps are
Characteristic escaped by making a Concentration roll. While trapped, the
character cannot Attack or Move and uses their Surprised
—— Advancement: Flexible Transfer: The charac-
Defense. If a character is attacked while Trapped they suf-
ter may select which Characteristic receives a
fer only half the normal damage and are released.
Bonus when using Transfer.
—— Advancement: Tougher Traps: The character requires
˜˜ Advancement: Boost Siphon: Reduce the levels
one additional Degree of Success (Difficulty +10) or
Required to gain Stamina to 2. Characters may
an additional Success to escape. This option may be
take a second instance of this Advancement re-
selected multiple times.
ducing the the Siphoned levels to 1-for-1.
—— Advancement: Variable Trap: This Boon allows a Trap
—— Note: Expanded Flexible Drains: Characters with both
to be bypassed by a single specified Attack made by
the Expanded Drain and Flexible Drain Advancements
the character
apply the Flexible Drain first. For example: A charac-
ter with Expanded Drain 2, Flexible Drain: Attributes ˜˜ Advancement: Power Pass: An additional instance
would be able to Drain any 4 Attributes at once. expands Unmovable to any Power the character
possesses.
Immunity (Typical)
˜˜ Advancement: Untouchable Trap: A third instance
The character cannot be harmed by their own Power. This expands this to any Attack.
does not grant any additional protection to Powers similar
—— Unique Drawback: No Damage: The Trapping Attacks
to theirs. For that, see Naturally Resistant.
inflict no Damage.
Naturally Resistant (Major)
The character can resist damage from Powers similar to
Support
their own. The character gains Armor equal to half the The following Boons may only be used with Support Powers.
Power’s Value, only for the Power’s Damage type. This can
only be used for uncommon Damage types such as ele-
Added Support (Variable)
mental blasts, Magic, Psionics, or Radiation. This Armor is This Power supports more than a single Characteristic.
added to any other Armor the character has when defend- Select an additional Attribute or Talent that this Power
ing against this Damage type. supports.
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Typical Added Support provides half the Power’s Value. ˜˜ Alternative Advancement: Aid Radius: Characters
wishing to aid everyone within a Radius with the
Major Added Support provides the Power’s Full Value.
Radius Boon may select Aid Radius instead of Aid
—— Reminder: Secondary Roles apply only Half Value. When Group. Group Power and The Source only need to
using Typical Added Support use half this Value. be purchased once if the character possesses also
—— Note: Only Offense and Defense Powers are added both Aid Group and Aid Radius.
to Attack and Defense Roles. Support Powers do Alter (Major)
not add to Attacks or Defenses that use the Boosted
Characteristic. Transforms a specific object or person into a specific
shape or thing. The Altered form is different but is not
Aid: Variable (Major) inherently better or worse than the original form. For
Something about the nature of this Power simply makes example, a character may change their appearance to look
others better. The character can give a Target a bonus like another person or turn water to ice. Unwilling Tar-
equal to Half their Power’s Value to the Attribute or Talent gets of an Alter Power resist this effect with their highest
Supported by the Power. If the Power has multiple Roles, Defense. The Altered form lasts for 1 turn + 1 turn for each
the character may instead select any Role the Power Degree of Success (10 Points).
normally provides. This bonus lasts until the start of —— Advancement: Additional Time: Each additional in-
the character’s next turn. For example: A character with stance of Alter increases the time the Target remains
a Support: Constitution Power with Secondary Role of Altered one step down the Time Chart.
Offense can select either Constitution or Offense when
˜˜ Advancement: Something Different: Cosmetic or
purchasing this Boon.
inconsequential alterations are made permanent.
—— Advancement: Empowered: Select one Boon, other The character must set a condition by which the
than Aid, that does not state once per session, linked change can be undone when this Advancement is
to the Aid. Targets gains this Boon when Aided. selected.
˜˜ Advancement: Flexible Empowerment: Select an —— Advancement: Permanent Change: Requires: Im-
additional Boon that may be used with Aid. When proved/Worse Results. The character may perma-
using the Aid, the character selects which Boon to nently Alter a subject.
apply. This Boon may be purchased more than once.
—— Advancement: Flexible Alter: An additional instance
˜˜ Advancement: Ultimate Empowerment: The may instead expand the Alter to effect a related
character’s Aid Power applies any or all Boons se- group of subjects, transform them into a related
lected for Empowered or Flexible Empowerment. group of shapes, or things such as being able to take
Usable once per session. on any Animal Shape.
—— Advancement: Expanded Aid: This allows the char- —— Advancement: Improved/Worse Results: An ad-
acter to apply Aid to any Role, even if they do not ditional instance of Alter allows the character to
possess the Role as part of their Power. This does not change the subject in an either better or worse way,
provide any additional benefits other than expanding such as turning lead to gold, or turning a person to
the character’s available selections. stone. This may cause an Altered subject to imitate
—— Advancement: Flexible Aid: Variable: Select an addi- other Boons. In these cases, treat the Power as if it
tional Role or Added Support that may be used with had the necessary Boon at half strength.
Aid. When using Aid, the character selects which Role ˜˜ Example: A Gravity Manipulator might make an
or Support that receives the Bonus. This Boon may be object extremely heavy. Another character at-
purchased more than once. tempting to lift that object would suffer a penalty
—— Advancement: Total Aid: The character’s Aid Power equal to half the Power’s Value.
applies any or all Bonuses from Aid and Flexible Aids Alter Self (Major)
at the same time. Usable once per session.
The hero can assume a different form or shape. This may
—— Advancement: Aid Group: The character may apply
represent turning into a bat or wolf, shrinking down to
their Aid to one or more Targets up to half the Parent
the size of a fly, or something more dramatic. The player
Attribute or Mob (see pg. 128)
selects the form when they choose the Boon. This new
˜˜ Advancement: Group Power: When using Aid shape provides any implicit background (or “Non-Action”)
Group, apply an Empowered or Flexible Empower- elements such as being able to fly as a bat, breathe under-
ment Boon the character possesses. water as a fish, or slip through cracks and small openings
—— Advancement: The Source: The character as a fly. The Altered form uses the character’s normal
may apply Ultimate Empower when using Aid Characteristics. However, its Physical Characteristics and
Group. When doing so, the character spends other Powers cannot exceed the Power’s Value.
1 Willpower for each Target. Usable once per Example: Shrinking down to the size of a fly while re-
session. taining the Strength of a normal man would require an

64
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Alter Self: Shrinking between 4 and 6, the strength of an ized Template to their Mundane Persona.
average person. The player would also add a Support for ˜˜ Multiple Forms: A hero may take Alter Self to rep-
Stealth and a Specialty for being ignored. Rounding out resent multiple heroic forms. The base Power is
the other basic aspects of the Power’s nature. bought in the same way and has the same Char-
—— Advancement: Flexible Alter Self: An additional acteristic limits. The Alter Self Boon and Flexible
instance may instead expand the Alter Self to effect Alter Advancement is purchased on Each Form.
a related group of subjects, transform them into a —— The character’s Origin remains constant, al-
related group of shapes, or things such as being able though if the forms have different personalities
to take on any Animal Shape. they may have different Catalysts and Drives.
—— Alter Self may also be used to create a hero who trans- ˜˜ Drains: If this Power is Drained the character may
forms into their Super Persona or has multiple forms. stay in their current form or return to their base
˜˜ The Mundane: The player creates a Mundane Per- form, the player should decide this when taking
sona as a Background Character (see Background this Boon. Backup (Major)
Characters, pg. 126) with the following Templates:
The character comes with Backup. This may mean cre-
Advanced and two instances of Talented. In
ating duplicates of themselves, summoning animals or
addition, the Mundane Persona also possesses a
spirits to aid them. The player should define the nature of
Drive equal to the hero’s starting Drive. Whenever
the character’s Backup when this Boon is selected. Backup
the character would gain a new Drive, the player
is similar to the Ally Boon with the following exceptions:
should decide if that Drive is for their Heroic or
Mundane Persona. This includes Issue 0 and Team Backups are not always with the character. It requires 1
Origin. Both Personas have Access to Willpower turn to call for Backup.
and the characters starting Willpower is equal to
The Backup has a Basic Roll (as a Background Character,
the highest Value of either Persona.
see pg. 126), equal to half the Power’s Parent Attribute +
—— Advancement: Adept Persona: The player may half the Power’s Value + 2d6.
add 2 Basic Templates or 1 Combat, or Special-

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 The Backup has Stamina equal to half the base Power. —— Advancement: Does Not Root: An additional instance
removes the characters need to remain within their
The Backup has 1 Armor for each 3 levels of the Power.
current Range Increment.
The Backup inflicts 2 Damage for each 3 levels of the ˜˜ Advancement: Permanent Barrier: The Barrier is
Power. made of a physical substance such as metal or
—— Advancement: More Backup: The character spends stone and does not collapse over time.
an additional turn and summons enough Backup —— Advancement: Larger Barrier: An additional instance
to constitute a Minor Gang. An additional instance of Barrier allows the character to create a Barrier
allows the character to spend an additional turn to covering anything within one Range Increment. Addi-
increase the Gang size to Typical. A third instance tional instances expand this by one Range Increment.
allows the character to spend a third turn to increase
the Gang size to Major. —— Advancement: Painful Barrier: Those attacking the
Barrier directly, such as with bare fists or melee
˜˜ Coordinated: The character chooses to make a Co- weapons may be harmed due to the nature of the
ordinated Action with their Backup. In doing so the barrier. The Barrier inflicts 1 Damage for each 3 levels
character gains +5 to their roll per Active Mob Size. of the Power before Armor.
If this is an Attack Action they inflict 1 Additional
Damage per Active Mob Size. If this is an Active —— Advancement: Mobile Barrier: An additional instance
Defense or Defending Others, any Damage inflicted allows the character to take an Action and move the
on the character is split evenly between the Backup Barrier one Range Increment.
and character, after applying the character’s Ar- ˜˜ Note: Characters with both Does Not Root and
mor. Do not apply armor from the Backup. Mobile Barrier may have their Barrier move with
—— Coordinated Actions count as the Backup’s them when taking movement actions.
Action for the turn and one of the characters —— Advancement: Willful Reinforcement: On the char-
Actions. acter’s turn they may spend 1 Willpower to automat-
—— Unified: The character may make an additional ically reinforce an existing Barrier without spending
Coordinated Action each turn. an Action.
˜˜ Fast Friends: Reduce the time required to call —— Unique Drawback: Concentration Required: The
Backup from 1 turn to 1 Action. This typically rep- character’s barrier only lasts until the start of their
resents Powers such as Self-Replication. next turn. However, the character may spend 1 Action
to maintain the barrier.
˜˜ Advancement: Unlimited Backup: The character
may spawn an unlimited number of Backup. The —— Unique Drawback: Barrier Bond: Whenever the Barri-
character spends 1 Willpower to increase the Gang er takes damage, the character suffers 2 Damage.
size of their Backup. If this allows the character Control (Major)
to call more than a Major Gang for Backup begin
a new Minor Gang in the next available Range The character may use this power to take dominance over
Increment. another person, object, or substance. The player selects
what they can Control. This should be thematically fitting
—— Powerful Backup: Select a Basic Template from Back-
with the overall scope of their power. Control subjects
ground Characters, pg. 126. Powerful Backup may be
should be from a group of things such as: Animals, Fire,
selected multiple times. When selecting an addition-
Computers (and Robots), Humans, Insects, Plants, Ma-
al instance, the player may select either an additional
chines, Water, Weather, or other similar sized category.
Basic Template, or swap an existing Basic Template
for a Combat, or Specialized Template. When attempting to Control a Target, the player rolls
against the Target’s Mental or Constitution, whichever
Barrier (Major) is higher, or other appropriate Attribute. On a successful
The character can block off an area. This barrier does not roll the character may force the Target to take an action
move, and if the character moves more than beyond their they would otherwise be willing to do. With a Degree of
current Range Increment, it collapses. The Barrier is large Success (Difficulty + 10), the character may force a Target
enough to cover a person or object up to about the size of to take any action that does not directly harm themselves
a car, and can endure Damage equal to the Power Level. or allies. With two Degrees of Success (Difficulty + 20),
the character may force the Target to take any action that
Note: Barriers remain in place until the Stamina is deplet- does not directly harm themselves. With three Degrees
ed or the end of the scene. Characters may spend an ac- of Success (Difficulty + 30) the character may force the
tion to reinforce an existing Barrier resetting the Stamina Target to take any action.
to its starting Value.
—— Use of Control on player Characters: The User is-
—— Advancement: Armored Barrier: The Barrier gains 1 sues a command as normal. On a successful roll the
Armor for each 5 levels of the Power. player character receives 1 Willpower if they chose
to follow the Command. Each additional Degree of
Success increases the Willpower by 1.
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— Advancement: Boost Control: Each instance of Boost ˜˜ Advancement: Meddling Illusions: The charac-
Control adds 1 free Degree of Success on a Successful ter is adept at creating deceptive illusions. The
roll. illusion can Meddle with a Target as the Meddling
—— Advancement: Expanded Control: The character pos- Boon at Half the normal Value.
sesses a wider range of subjects they may control. —— Advancement: Mirrored Defense: The char-
The character selects a second subject related to the acter can make copies of themselves, or other
first they can Control. illusions, to fool almost anyone and cause
˜˜ Advancement: Broad Control: Redefine the Control them to attack the wrong Target. The char-
to a broader Category such as All Intelligent life. acter takes no Damage from normal Attacks
until the Start of their Next turn. This does not
Healing (Major) protect the character from Mental Attacks or
Radius Attacks. This Advancement requires an
The character can repair either their own Damage or the
Action to activate. Usable Once per session.
Damage of others. The character heals 1 Damage for each
This Advancement may be selected multiple
5 levels of this power. When selecting this Boon the player
Times adding an additional use.
decides if they can heal themselves, others or machines.
—— Advancement: Hard Illusions: The illusion is so real,
—— Healing (Self) requires 1 Action.
people can touch and interact with it. Hard Illusions
—— Healing (Others or Machines) requires 1 Action and 1 may be used as a Barrier with half the normal Stami-
Willpower for each attempt past the first. na. Characters with Active Illusions can have their
—— Advancement: Boost Healing: Increase the Value illusions attack inflicting half damage. Any Damage
Healed by this Power to 1 Damage for every 3 levels. inflicted this way disappears at the end of the Scene.
The character must spend an action to use their
—— Advancement: Healing Surge: Once per session, dou-
illusions as a Barrier or to Attack. Attacks use the
ble the Damage Healed. This Boon may be selected
characters Parent Attribute and Illusions Power for
multiple Times, each time adding an additional use.
the roll.
—— Advancement: Regeneration: The character no
—— Advancement: Mirror: The illusion is an exact copy of
longer needs to spend an Action to Heal themselves.
an object or person.
Instead they heal Automatically once per turn. How-
ever, the character can no longer actively use this Insubstantial (Major)
Power on themselves.
The character becomes Insubstantial allowing them to
—— Advancement: Regenerate Limbs: The character can pass through objects. If the player wishes for this to also
regrow lost limbs and appendages. act as a Defense, see Phased, pg. 61.
—— Advancement: Resurrection: The character’s ability Meddling (Major)
to heal defies death. On the Turn following the Tar-
get’s Death they may be Healed one additional time. The character’s Power interferes with those of others. The
The character may attempt another Injury Roll based character may apply a penalty to a Target equal to half the
on their adjusted Stamina. Power’s Value.
˜˜ Advancement: Second Chance: The character is Meddling Powers may also be used to interrupt move-
allowed one additional use of their Resurrection ment. If the Target is using a Movement Power compare
after 1 minute following their last Failed Injury the Values. If the Meddling power is greater, the charac-
Roll. The Target may attempt an Injury Roll based ter must stop moving at the point they are affected. The
on their adjusted Damage level. Each additional effects of a Meddling Power continue until the start of the
instance allows the character one additional Heal- character’s next turn.
ing, and Injury Roll at the next Even Step on the —— Advancement: Disorienting: While suffering a pen-
Time Chart. alty for Meddling, the Target uses their Surprised
Illusions (Major) Defense until Attacked. Disorienting resets each turn
the Meddling is maintained. Example: A character
The character may create an illusion up to roughly the size suffering from Disorienting is attacked 3 times in the
of a person. Those viewing the illusion will believe it to be same turn. The first attack uses their Surprised De-
real unless given a reason to disbelieve what they are see- fense. The second and third attacks use the charac-
ing. Someone attempting to see past an illusion makes a ter’s Normal Defense.
Mental + Concentration Roll against the character’s Power
+ Parent Attribute + 10. —— Unique Drawback: Sensory Deprivation: The Med-
dling Power targets one of the Five Basic Senses,
—— Advancement: Active Illusions: The character’s illu- typically Sight or Hearing. Targets may spend 1 Action
sions can move and react to the world around them. or 1 Willpower to negate the effects for 1 turn. Note:
However, the illusion cannot interact with the world. Powers that meddle with two or more Senses should
These illusions are much more convincing. Increase not take this Drawback.
the difficulty to dismiss the illusion by 10.
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 New Communication (Typical) —— Note:This can be used with the Rapid Action
maneuver as long as it meets the requirements.
The character possesses senses and the ability to com-
municate beyond normal humans. The Power allows the —— Advancement: Momentum: The tremendous
character to make a Sense + Power roll when they may speed of the character can be harnessed into
detect some things based on their new communication. crippling strikes. Increase the damage of an
When attempting to Perceive something Defended, such Attack using Out of the Blue by 2 for each
as Mind Reading. instance of Boost Speed.
—— Advancement: Shockwave: The character
The first Degree of Success provides surface level data
is so blindingly quick they can cause severe
such as the Target’s current thoughts (in a fight this may
harm with very little action, such as merely
mean who the Target plans on attacking and how)
touching someone with their finger at su-
Two Degrees of Success provide most Data, the player personic speeds. Once per session treat the
should ask a specific question the Target would want Damage from Characteristics on an attack
guard, the GM or player must answer honestly without as Penetrating. Each additional instance of
misdirection. Shockwave adds one use per session.
Three Degrees of Success provides deep Data, the char- Prediction (Major)
acter can unlock blocked or repressed memories, hidden
orders, and the most well guarded secrets. The character can Predict events that are yet to come. Once
per session, the player describes what the character sees.
—— Variant: New Senses: the character may perceive Generally a Prediction should relate directly to the character
information but is unable to communicate using their friends or allies. The GM may give the character Predic-
this same medium. When selecting this select 2 new tions outside of this restriction. The more general an event
Senses. Example: Night Vision Goggles with a Range the easier the Prediction is for the character.
Finder.
For example: “There’s a fight, someone falls.” Is easier to
—— Advancement: Exceptional Sense: The character’s predict than “Backlash and I are fighting on a rooftop and
additional senses are much more powerful than their he throws me over.” After making a Prediction roll versus
other senses. Increase the Value of rolls using the an Expert (20) Difficulty Increasing the Difficulty by 10
New Sense by 10. for each specific Detail. In the previous example the first
New Movement (Major) Prediction would have a Difficulty of Expert (20) while the
second example would have Very Challenging (50).
The character adds a new form of movement. Unlike stan-
dard Movement a Movement power has an Action Value, —— Success: Inaccurate Visions: These events may occur.
and an Off-screen Value. The Sprint Action uses the Move- However, the character’s vision was not accurate
ment Power to determine as normal. The Off-screen Value enough to provide a Bonus. 1 Degree of Success:
is used when events are not being tracked by turns. The Vague Prediction: When the character encounters
Movement Powers Off-screen Speed is equal to its Value + their vision they have a strong sense of Deja Vu. The
the Parent Attribute + Movement in Kilometers per Hour. player writes down a Temporary Drive based on the
Prediction. This Drive remains for the rest of the ses-
—— Advancement: Boost Speed: Each additional instance sion. Add 1 to the Drive’s Value for each 3 levels of the
allows the character to move 1 additional Range Prediction Power.
Increment in a Conflict. Also,increase the characters
Off Screen speed by multiplying by 5. To reach their —— 2 Degrees of Success: Strange Vision: They have seen
top speed the character must accelerate. it all happen before. The character knows how the
Scene played out originally. The player writes down a
—— Advancement: Faster Than Light: When traveling in Temporary Drive based on the Prediction. This Drive
space the character may apply their Off Screen Speed remains for the rest of the session. The Value of the
as Light Years per Hour. Drive is equal to half the Prediction Power.
—— Advancement: Rapid Acceleration: An additional —— 3 Degrees of Success: Know the Future: As with
instance may be purchased allowing the character Strange Visions, the character has seen it all happen
accelerate much faster. When taking a Movement before. The player writes down a Temporary Drive
Action, the character spends only 1 Action, instead of based on the Prediction. This Drive remains for the
a full turn. rest of the session. The Value of the Drive is equal to
˜˜ Advancement: Out of the Blue: requires: Boost the Prediction Power.
Speed, Offensive Role. The nature of your move- —— May be used once per session.
ment power keeps people off guard. If the charac-
ter’s first action after using their Movement Pow- Reproduction (Major)
er is an Attack, use the Target’s Surprised Defense. Requirements: Alter or Alter Self Boon
Both Actions must be taken on the same turn.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 When changing the nature of an object or person the
character can make an exact replica of an already existing
Power and Gear Examples
subject. There are no physical markers that would distin- The following section provides Power and Gear examples.
guish the altered subject from the original. Each Power includes a short description, Parent Attributes
and related Boons. There is no Value, this is set by the
—— Advancement: Offensive Remake: The character alters
Campaign’s Power Level. Due to the nature of Gear, these
the appearance of one or more Targets to appear as
entries are listed with a set Value. These may serve as
threats. The player must state who or what the Target
plug-and-play Powers or a springboard for creating your
looks like. When an Attack is declared against that Tar-
own unique abilities.
get, the player may state they attacked the Alt, instead
causing the Altered Target to suffer the Attack as nor- .45 Hand Cannon, Cape Stopper Special
mal. This Boon may be used once per session. Edition 12 (Classic Gear)
Intelligence or Dexterity/Offense
Power Drawbacks Ranged TY
The following Drawbacks may be applied to Powers. Devastating MA
- Boost Devastation MA
Burnout Limited Uses
The Power becomes weaker with each use in a given Cost: 14 + 3 + 6 + 6 - 3 = 26/Gear = MA3 TY (7 Boons)
Scene. Burnout inflicts a cumulative 5-point penalty to
any rolls after each use. Armor suffers a -1 after each suc- Absorption
cessful hit, while Attacks do 2 less . Mental/Defense
Absorption: Energy and Physical (Healing Absorption,
Feedback Retribution) MA4
Using this Power hurts the character. Armor (Boost Armor) MA2
Passive Defense MA
Each turn the Power is used, Feedback inflicts 1 Damage Unmoving MA
for each 3 levels of the Power’s Value; this damage cannot Secondary Role: Offense (Full Role) MA
be resisted. Secondary Role: Support: Brawn MA
This Drawback does not affect Defenses, and cannot be Limited: Cannot replicate Powers from Gear or machines.
applied to a Defensive Only Power. Unique Drawback: Requires Absorption: Boost Armor,
Devastating, and Secondary Roles.
Limited Uses Retribution 10
This Power has a limited number of uses per Scene. The character may use this specialty on a foe, after
being struck by them.
If the player rolls a 1 on their Attack it may need to be re- Cost: 1 Power + 18 Boons/AP + 4 AP
set. The character must spend 1 turn resetting the Power
or 1 Willpower to reset it for free; this should be explained —— When attacked, the character can internalize the
in the narrative. force energizing themselves. Their ability to absorb
force makes them stronger and tougher. More so, as
Variant: Limited Charge: if the character rolls two 1s on a when struck by another Metahuman, the character
roll, the Power is out of charge and can no longer be used. may replicate their power.
The character may spend 2 Willpower to recover a charge;
this should be explained in the narrative. Animal Morphing
Constitution/Support: Sense
Limitations (Variable) Alter Self: Animals (Flexible Alter Self) MA2
These are situational Drawbacks, such as ‘Moon Magic, or New Communication: Beast Speech TY
‘Power doesn’t affect characters with Electrical abilities’. New Movement: Animal Excellence
When the character is in a situation with their Limitation, (Rapid Acceleration) MA2
they suffer -20 to their roll based on the limitation’s value. Secondary Role: Defense MA
- Armor MA
Locked Power (Variable) Secondary Role: Offense MA
This Power has preset permutations of its Boons and - Natural Weapons (Devastating) MA
can only be used with predetermined configurations or Locked Power: Power Boons may only be used in Altered
with other Boons locked out. A Locked Power prevents Form.
the character from using four or more Boons that would Cost: 1 (of 2 Powers) + 16 Boons/AP
otherwise be used at once.
Restricted Defense: (Variable) (Major)
This Defensive Power only protects the character from
attacks of the same type such as Fire, Ice, Gravity Manipu-
lation, Magic, or Psionics.
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Fighting Style Combat/Danger Sense
Fortune/Defense
Tooth And Claw
Glancing Blows (Armor, Boost Armor) MA2
Constitution/Offense
Passive Defense MA
Secondary Role: Defense MA
Secondary Role: Offense MA
Pick One Specialty: Grappling or Rapid Actions 4
Perfectly Timed Strikes (Devastating,
Cost: 2 of (2 Powers) + 2 Boons/AP + 2 AP
Penetrating 2) MA2
—— Able to take the shape of an animal the character Cost 1 Power + 12 Boons/AP
develops the natural weapons and defenses of the
—— The character has a limited ability to predict the fu-
animal kingdom. Rapidly morphing between shapes
ture. Particularly, they can sense and react to danger.
to strike and defend the player should describe what
Relying on their Intuition, the character can stand toe
form their character takes with any given action.
to toe with more skilled fighters.
Automatic Rifle/Machine Gun 12 Energy Juggler
(Classic Gear) Constitution/Defense
Strength/Offense Alternate Source (Original attack’s energy) MA
Ranged TY Absorption: Energy (Retribution) MA2
Automatic MA Armor MA
Devastating MA Passive Defense MA
- Boost Devastation MA Reflection (Reflection Control) MA2
Limited Uses Limited: Reflection may only be used on Energy Attacks
Cost: 14 + 3 + 6 + 6 + 6 - 3 = 32/Gear = MA4 (8 Boons) Cost: 1 Power + 13 Boons/AP
—— Any number of variations of the machine gun exist. A —— The character is capable of converting other forms
common tool of infantrymen around the world. The of energy into a Biokinetic Force. Absorbing incoming
automatic rifle is capable of mowing down multiple energy attacks, the character generates a personal field
Targets or standing up against hardened combat- of energy that is capable of devastating blasts of force.
ants.
Firestarter
Blaster Mental/Offense
Blaster 10 (Low Powered Gear) Ranged TY
Intelligence/ Offense Line TY
Ranged TY Devastating MA
Devastating MA Cost: 1 Power + 4 AP
- Boost Devastation MA
- Overload (Total Devastation) MA —— The character can generate deadly bursts of flame.
Limited Uses Flak Jacket 12
Overload Burns Out Weapon, reload with Repair only. Constitution/Defense
Cost: 12 + 3 + 6 + 6 + 6 - 3 - 3 = 27/Gear = MA3 TY (7 Boons) Armor MA
—— While uncommon, groups such as Chimera, GEO and - Boost Armor MA
SICAD have been able to replace traditional firearms Passive Defense MA
with high powered energy weapons. These Blast- Limited: Bypass Armor negates the Armor provided by
ers are just as lethal as a handgun,until the energy Boons. Subtract 6 Armor before halving the remaining
weapon is set to overload. Armor.
Extra Stamina TY
Beastmaster Cost: 14 + 6 + 6 + 6 - 3 + 3 = 32/Gear = MA4 (8 Boons)
Wisdom/Support: Animal Handling Armor + 6 Stamina 7
Ranged TY —— A reinforced vest capable of withstanding small-
Backup (Coordinated, Healthy Backup, More arms fire.
Backup 3, Powered Backup 3, Unified,
Unlimited Backup) MA11 Flight
Control: Animals (Boost Control 2) MA3 Dexterity/Support: Movement: Flight
New Communications: Animal Speech TY New Movement: Flight (Boost Speed 2, Rapid Accelera-
Cost: 1 Power + 30 Boons/AP tion, Out of the Blue MA) MA5
Secondary Role: Defense MA
—— The character has a link to animals that allows them
Evasion MA
to communicate and control them. They are capable
Secondary Role: Offense MA
of summoning hordes of beasts at a whim and exe-
Cost: 1 Power + 16 Boons/AP
cuting coordinated attacks.
—— The character can take to the air with ease and fly at
amazing speeds. Their aerial acrobatics allow them
to quickly disable foes or avoid danger.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Force Fields Illusionist
Mental/Support: Mental Intelligence/Support: Sleight of Hand
Ranged TY Added Support: Distraction,
Barrier (Armored Barrier, Does Escape Artist, Lock Picking, Stealth MA4
Not Root, Mobile Barrier, Larger Barrier) MA5 Illusions (Active Illusions,
Personal Force Field Hard Illusions, Meddling Illusions, Mirror,
(secondary Role: Defense (Full Role)) MA2 Mirrored Defense) MA6
- Armor (Boost Armor) MA2 Where are they Really?
Spheres of Force (Secondary Role: Offense) MA (secondary Role: Defense) MA
- Trapping MA Cost: 1 Power + 22 Boons/AP
Unique Drawback: No Damage: The Trapping Attacks —— Is it sleight of hand, true magic, or some other ability?
inflict no Damage. The character can create lifelike illusions real enough
Cost: 1 Power + 22 Boons/AP to fool all five senses and craft lifelike copies of ob-
—— The character is capable of creating barriers of raw jects, even themselves.
force. Their ability to manipulate this force allows
them to protect large areas, defend themselves and
Invulnerability
Constitution/Defense
others with ease, and even trap foes.
Armor (Boost Armor, Impervious 3) MA5
Gravitational Passive Defense MA
Mental/Support: Pick One: Strength or Movement Unmoving (Put Down Roots) MA2
Radius TY Secondary Role: Offense MA
Ranged TY Secondary Role: Support:
Selective MA Constitution (Full Role) MA
Alter: Weight (Improve/Worse Results) MA2 Defend Others 10
Fluctuating Gravity Fields (Meddling Cost: 1 Power + 20 Boons/AP + 4 AP
(Disorienting)) MA2 —— Tough doesn’t cut it. The character can weather the
New Movement: Weightless toughest blows and still walk away. Impacts that
(Rapid Acceleration) MA2 would send others flying are mere annoyances, and
Secondary Role: Defense MA whatever lets them shrug off a tank shell also lets
Secondary Role: Offense (Full Role) MA2 them throw a mean right hook.
Blast MA
Devastating MA Kylar - Alien Enhanced Armors
Trapping (Variable Trap, Power Pass) MA3 Kylar Micro-Weave Enhanced Armor 12 (Classic Second-
Cost: 1 Power + 32 Boons/AP ary Gear)
Constitution/Defense
Grit Armor (Boost Armor) MA
Mental/Defense Passive Defense MA
Absorption MA Cost: 14 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 32/Gear = MA4 (8 Boons)
Passive Defense MA —— Developed from alien (Thadmar) biotech, Kylar is a
Cost: 1 Power + 4 Boons/AP dense symbiotic moss that lives off the nutrients in the
—— The character has a raw determination few others air and sweat from the wearer. Kylar reacts to the host
possess. The more you throw at them, the harder they body to protect it and sustain its source of nutrients. It
fight. does not seem to reach symbiosis with non-sentient, or
other plant life. Experimental Kylar is interwoven with
Hard Light Constructs fabrics to create an exoskeleton-like barrier between the
Mental/Support: Strength
wearer and the Kylar moss. This is done to prevent full
Barrier (Armored Barrier, Mobile Barrier) MA3
symbiotic integration. However, even in this diminished
Illusions (Active Illusions, Hard Illusions) MA3
capacity Kylar can obtain a rigid state in milliseconds
Secondary Role: Defense MA
deflecting or mitigating possible threats.
- Armor MA
Secondary Role: Offense MA Kylar Thin Suit 12 (Classic Gear)
- Trapping MA Constitution/Defense
Cost: 1 Power + 20 Boons/AP Armor (Boost Armor) MA
—— The character can craft objects from hard light. Passive Defense MA
These may be small simple constructs such as boxing Secondary Role: Support: Stealth MA
gloves, swords, or walls. The character can protect New: Communication: Radio TY
themselves using armor crafted by light, and even Extra Stamina TY
traps Targets in glowing bands. No Need for Breathing TY
Sealed Body TY
Cost: 14 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 50/
Gear = MA6TY (13 Boons)
71
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— This experimental variant on the Micro-Weave chain, the weighted end can be used to strike oppo-
Armor fully encloses the user in a sheath of Kylar. nents or to aid in locking down Targets while deliver-
Filtered tubing links the user’s breathing with the ing fatal blows with the bladed end. The Kusarigama
moss, allowing them to recycle air like a rebreather. is an elegant weapon, if potentially impracticable, as
The reactive nature of Kylar also allows the wearer a misguided strike can inhibit or harm the wielder.
enhanced stealth as their tread is virtually silent and
the material seems to blend with their surroundings,
Living Light
Expression/Support: Beauty
creating a low grade camouflage.
Ranged MA
Kusarigama Radius MA
Kusarigama 12 Meddling MA
Dexterity/Offense New Movement: Fast as Light (Boost Speed 2,
Devastating (Boost Devastation, Rapid Acceleration, Out of the Blue) MA5
Total Devastation) MA3 Insubstantial MA
Trapping (Variable Trap, Power Pass, Can’t Look Directly At Me
Untouchable Trap) MA4 (Secondary Role: Defense) MA
Extra Stamina MA Phased MA2
Limitation: Total Devastation may only be used on Tar- Secondary Role: Offense MA
gets trapped by the Kusarigama. - Devastating (Boost Devastation,
Limitation: Dangerous to the uninitiated: When charac- Penetrating 2, Darkness Stopper) MA5
ters without a Fighting Style relative to the Kusarigama Naturally Resistant MA
roll two or more 1s on an Attack, they suffer half their Locked Power: Radius Only for Meddling
normal Damage. Characters with a relevant FIghting Cost: 1 Power + 37 Boons/AP
Style may instead choose to be Disarmed. In either case, —— Turning their body into living light, the character is
the Attack is considered a miss. virtually untouchable. Moving in the blink of an eye,
Cost: 14 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 - 3 - 3 = 56/Gear = the character can strike foes with blinding speed.
MA7 (14 Boons)
—— Comprised of three components, the Kusarigama is
a versatile and deadly weapon. Consisting of a sickle
or kama and heavy weight connected by a length of

72
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Luck Cost: 14 + 6 + 3 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 - 3 = 44/Gear = MA5 TY (11 Boons)
Fortune/Support: Pick One: Fortune, Intuition, or Serendipity
—— By using multiple barrels, the minigun increases the
Alternate Source (Themed Source:
firing speed of a more conventional machine gun.
Coincidence/Environment) MA2
Barrels rotate at high speed as ammunition is belt-
Invisible MA
fed, allowing the weapon to fire upwards of 6000
Not that Hurt (Healing (Self)) MA
rounds per minute. The minigun is too heavy to be
Lucky Guess (Prediction) MA
carried by normal humans and can be found mounted
Secondary Role: Defense MA
to vehicles such as the top of a personnel carrier or
It’s Luck Not Armor (Passive Defense) MA
bay door of a helicopter. However, it is not unheard
Secondary Role: Offense (Full Role) MA2
of for inhumanly strong individuals to use modified
- Devastating MA
versions of the minigun, typically housing ammo in
Locked Power: Full Role: Offense and Devastating can
an armored backpack.
only be used with Alternate Source. Player must de-
scribe the effect First (No Cost) Plant Control
Limited Power: Lucky Guess must be extremely specific. Wisdom/Support: Herbalism
Cost: 1 Power + 18 Boons/AP Radius TY
—— Lucky guesses and dice rolls are just the tip of the Alter: Plant Growth (Improved/Worse Results, Flexible
iceberg. The character is a walking maelstrom of ser- Alter: Any Shape,
endipity and coincidence. It’s all possible with Luck: Additional Time) MA4
from a surprise punch to moving at just the right Barrier (Does Not Root, Larger Barrier,
time. Who’s to say it’s not just chance? The character Permanent Barrier) MA4
is so lucky it’s annoying. The worst wounds are never Meddling (Disorenting) MA2
that bad and they have a weird tendency to guess New Communications: Plant Speech TY
what’s about to happen. Fight them on the streets Secondary Role: Offense MA
and beware stray light poles. In the rain? Lighting Continuous MA
strikes. Trapping (Tougher Traps) MA2
Limited Power: Barrier Vulnerable to Fire
Mimic Cost: 1 Power + 29 Boons/AP
Expression/Support: Expression
—— Able to grow or wither plants at a touch, the char-
Added Support: Dexterity, Constitution MA2
acter’s ability to manipulate plants not only allows
Alter Self (Flexible Alter: Humans,
them to take a sapling and grow it to an oak, but
Reproduction) MA3
shape it to their needs. This may include vines entan-
Healing, Self (Boost Healing, Regeneration) MA3
gling Targets or trees falling to block a path. They are
It’s Not Where You Think It Is
capable of causing vines and roots to sprout virtually
(Secondary Role:
anywhere tripping and distracting Targets.
Defense) MA
Armor MA Pyromancer
Defends Against: All MA Mental/Offense
Passive Defense MA Line MA
Shifting At Just The Right Moment Radius MA
(Secondary Role: Offense (Full Role)) MA2 Ranged MA
Cost: 1 Power + 28 Boons/AP The Mimic keeps up appear- Selective MA
ances, but on the inside there is an efficient maze Lingering MA
of required organs making it near impossible Sticky MA
to find a vital spot. Additionally, the Mimic has Continuous (Brutal Onslaught, Lock On,
a knack for shifting at just the right moment, an Unshakable) MA4
inch taller or shorter, a tweak to the arm, a shove Devastating (Devastating, Boost
to the spleen, making them extremely tricky in Devastation, Ice & Water Stopper) MA4
combat. Naturally Resistant MA
Secondary Role: Defense MA
Minigun - Painful MA
Minigun 12 Secondary Role: Support: Movement MA
Strength/Offense - Control: Fire MA
Cone MA - New Movement: Burning Flight
Ranged TY (Boost Speed) MA
Continuous (Brutal Onslaught) MA2 Cost: 1 Power + 40 Boons/AP
Devastating (Boost Devastation) MA2 —— A master of flame, the Pyromancer can unleash
Drawback: Barrels Hot: As the Minigun fires, the barrels torrents of white hot fire, shield themselves in flame,
become increasingly hot. Roll as Limited Uses each Full even fly on the thermal exhaust of their own fear-
turn of Continuous Fire. some power.
73
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Regeneration Super Speed
- Constitution/Support: Constitution Dexterity/Support: Movement
Healing (Boost Healing, Healing Surge, New Movement: Super Running (Boost Speed 3, Momen-
Regeneration, Resurrection) MA5 tum, Shockwaves, Rapid Acceleration, Out of the
Secondary Role: Defense (Full Role) MA2 Blue) MA 8
Painful Absorption (Healing Absorption) MA2 Secondary Role: Defense MA
Passive Defense MA Evasion MA
Cost: 1 Power + 20 Boons/AP Secondary Role: Offense MA
—— Healing so rapidly the character can shrug off Rapid Action Combat Maneuver 10
wounds that would cripple others. The character’s This specialty may be used for any Rapid Action.
Regeneration is strong enough to mend crippled Cost: 1 Power + 22 Boons/AP + 4 AP
limbs. Should their body completely fail, Regen- —— Running on water? Probably. The character can move
eration allows hope in saving the character, if the at superhuman speeds covering hundreds of meters in
wounds are not too grievous. only a few seconds. This speed allows them to avoid at-
tacks, especially if they dedicate themselves to dodging
Sickening Touch blows. Additionally, the character may strike with in-
Constitution/Offense
credible speed, delivering blows that send shockwaves
Lingering MA
through their Target’s bodies.
Defended By: Might MA
Cost: 1 Power + 4 Boons/AP Sword, Great
—— The character secretes a subtle poison either by touch Sword, Great 10
or bite that lingers in the Target’s body, causing pain. Offense/Strength
Devastating MA
Staff, Bo Total Devastation MA
Staff, Bo 9
Secondary Role: Defense MA
Offense/Wisdom
Extra Stamina MA
Secondary Role: Defense MA
Cost: 12 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 36/Gear = MA4TY (9 Boons)
Full Role MA
Extra Stamina MA Sword, Katana
Counter-Strikes 1 Sword, Katana 10
This specialty may be used for Counter Strike Combos or Offense/Dexterity
Rapid Actions. Devastating MA
Cost: 11 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 3 = 32/Gear = MA4 (8 Boons) Total Devastation MA2
Secondary Role: Defense MA
Strange Visions Cost: 12 + 6 + 12 + 6 = 36/Gear = MA4TY (9 Boons)
Fortune/Support: Fortune Telekinesis
Prediction MA Intelligence/Support: Strength
Secondary Role: Defense (Full Role) MA Ranged MA
Passive Defense MA Control: Telekinesis (Boost Control) MA2
Secondary Role: Offense MA New Movement: Telekinetic Flight MA
Cost: 1 Power + 8 Boons/AP Secondary Role: Defense MA
- Armor (Boost Armor, Impervious) MA3
—— The character is plagued with strange visions of
Secondary Role: Offense MA
events yet to come. Often they are beyond their
Blast MA
ability to interpret. Other times they can mean the
Defended By: Might MA
difference between life and death. At the very least,
Trapping (Tougher Traps) MA
the character has come to trust their Intuition. In a
Cost: 1 Power + 24 Boons/AP
fight, they know they have to move, and what will
—— The character can manipulate objects within a range.
happen if they don’t.
If forced to defend themselves, the character can also
Stone Defense push others with a telekinetic punch that strikes at the
Mental/Defense speed of thought. All while protected by a personal
Armor (Boost Armor, Impervious) MA3 force field. It’s impossible to avoid the character should
Unmoving MA they set their mind to you. With little effort they can
Secondary Role: Support: Strength MA hold Targets in place or send them flying away.
Barrier (Armored Barrier) MA2 Ultra Energy Beam
Cost: 1 Power + 14 Boons/AP Mental/Offense
—— Wrapping themselves in stone and rock, the char- Line TY
acter protects themselves from most attackers. Blast TY
The character may call up walls of stone and earth, Devastating (Boost Devastation,
deflecting blows or sealing things off. Total Devastation) MA5
Cost: 1 Power + 12 Boons
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— The character can generate amazing blasts of raw —— The character can pull moisture from the air, creating
energy. Incredibly destructive, these beams are and shaping water. This ability allows the character
capable of cutting through hardened steel or concus- to stay hydrated without thinking about it, leaving
sive blasts that send Targets flying in all directions them in better physical condition. Focusing this
depending on the character’s focus. ambient moisture the character can create water
sleds or unleash a torrent of water knocking down
Ultra Human foes. Should the need arise, they can even englobe a
Constitution/Support: Constitution
Target, trapping them.
Added Support: Strength: Dexterity, Sense MA3
Secondary Role: Defense MA Werewolf
Passive Defense MA Constitution/Support: Constitution
Secondary Role: Offense MA Healing (Self) (Regeneration) MA2
Cost: 1 Power + 12 Boons/AP Secondary Role: Defense MA
—— The character is stronger, tougher, and faster than Armor TY
normal humans. They are capable of surviving Passive Defense MA
incredible injuries and performing amazing feats of - Wolf Out: Activation Required
strength. They are, in simple terms, better than ordi- Secondary Role: Offense MA
nary humans. Full Role MA
Devastating MA
Vampirism Locked Power: No access to any Power Boons unless
Offense/Constitution
Wolfed Out.
Let the Blood Flow (Lingering) TY
Limited: Stressor: When under intense stress, such as
Continuous MA
caused by failed social rolls, extreme testing, or the Full
Devastating (Boost Devastation,
Moon, the character may Wolf Out uncontrollably.
Penetrating) MA3
Cost: 1 Power + 12 Boons/AP
Drain: Constitution (Split Effect)
—— The character becomes a Human-Wolf Hybrid, or
(Siphon, Boost Siphon 2) MA4
Werewolf. In this state they grow vicious claws and
Secondary Role: Support:
terrible jaws capable of snapping bone and rending
Constitution (Full Role) MA2
flesh with ease. Additionally, the character heals at a
Alter Self: Pick One: Bat or Wolf MA
phenomenal rate, regenerating from wounds quickly.
Control: Victims of Bite MA
Healing (Self) (Boost Healing, Healing Surge) MA3 Drawbacks
New Sense: Desires TY
Limited Power: Drain may only be used on living organic Frail
Targets after a Grapple Whenever the character would take damage, they au-
Limited Power: Healing may only be used after a suc- tomatically suffer 3 additional Damage. This cannot be
cessful Drain. (No AP) resisted. Alternatively, characters do not gain any stamina
Cost: 1 Power + 31 Boons/AP from their Catalyst. Frail characters cannot possess the
—— To drink the marrow of life means something very Extra Stamina Boon.
different for the character as they gain life from
Frightening
drinking the marrow of their victims. After feeding,
the character can heal from the most grievous of The character is unsettling to average humans and
wounds. More so, those who fall victim to the bite animals. This may be their appearance, a supernatural
find it harder to resist the commands of the vampire. presence, or other peculiarities of the character.
Water Control The character suffers a penalty equal to their Expression
Support: Fitness/Mental for all Expression rolls that affect average humans. Tal-
Ranged TY ents such as Art are not affected by this Drawback.
Alter: Water (Improved/Worse
Results, Flexible Alter, Additional Time) MA4 Limitations
Water Wall (Barrier (Mobile Barrier) MA2 These are situational Drawbacks, such as Fear of Fire,
New Movement: Water Slide MA Bum Leg, or Moon Magic. When in a situation where the
Secondary Role: Offense MA Limitation applies, any related rolls suffer a penalty equal
- Blast MA to the Attribute, and Power used.
- Continuous MA
- Suffocating (Breathless, Boost Suffocation) MA3 Characters may spend 1 Willpower to ignore a Limitation
- Water Bubble (Trapping for a turn. For example, a character with a Wisdom based
(Variable Trap, Power Pass)) MA3 Moon Magic suffers a penalty equal to her Wisdom +
Locked Power: Suffocating may only be used with Water Moon Magic to all Power rolls during the day or on nights
Bubble of the new moon.
Cost: 1 Power + 32 Boons/AP

75
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Not Skill, Power
One or more of the character’s Tal-
ents are actually derived from their
Power. As such, they are negated
by Power Drains, or other effects
that target a Power.
Rolls using the selected Tal-
ents suffer any negative effects
currently impacting the Power,
and if the Power is negated so
is the Talent. If a Single Talent is
selected it must have a Value of
8 or higher. If Multiple Talents
are selected, they must have a
combined Value of 10 or Higher.
This Drawback is applied once re-
gardless of the number of Talents
impacted.
Note: Players can define Talents
as being derived from their Power
without this Limitation. These are often aspects of their
All damage related to the Vulnerability is Penetrating, and
powers too strong to be taken away. For example: under
the character also suffers 3 additional Damage. Damage
an inhibitor collar, Guardian maintains her Brawn even
added by the Vulnerability Drawback cannot be resisted.
though it is derived from her Metahuman nature.
GMs may allow Vulnerabilities to more obscure substanc-
Pariah es such as rare materials. However, the GM should in-
Bad luck follows the character. Once per session, the GM
crease the damage by 1 or 2 Damage based on the rarity.
may declare a single action a Failure. This may be any roll
or Defense. The GM should use this at a dramatic moment.
If the GM uses this on a roll using Willpower the character Summary of Attributes, Tal-
is immediately refunded the spent Willpower.
ents, Boons, Powers, and
Power Loss
Select an environment or substance. When exposed the
Drawbacks
character’s Powers go on the fritz, are diminished, or fail Attributes
altogether. Power Loss may also represent any kind of
ritual the character must perform to maintain their pow- —— History: Personal background,connections, and broad
ers every 8 to 12 hours, such as arcane rites, or drinking a life experiences.
KB-laced elixir. —— Strength: Raw might, physical power, and the ability
to move heavy things.
Power Loss Options
—— Dexterity: Agility, hand-eye coordination, and moving
Crippling: Power Loss is strong enough to completely negate quickly.
the character’s Powers. Rolls using the Parent Attribute
suffer a Penalty equal to their Power. Characters may ignore —— Constitution: General health, vigor, and sustained
these penalties for 1 Action by spending 3 Willpower. physical actions.

Painful: Power Loss applies a Penalty equal to their Power —— Sense: Hearing, sight, all the basic senses, plus any
to the character’s Powers. Any per-session Boons require others.
the character to spend 2 additional Willpower. The char- —— Fortune: Call it luck or good instincts, chance favors
acter also loses half their Maximum Stamina. the fortunate.
Rare Power Loss situations may be some type of mythical —— Wisdom: Common sense and hard-earned experiences.
substance, advanced alloy, or being bound by a unique —— Intelligence: Book knowledge, quick thinking and
object. Rare Power Loss is both Crippling and Painful. learning.
Vulnerability —— Mental: Overall stability, and the ability to sustain
focus on tasks.
The character is highly susceptible to one substance.
When selecting this Drawback, the player chooses Cold, —— Expression: Communications, influencing others, and
Heat, Iron, Magic, Psionic, Radiation, Silver, or other Vul- force of personality.
nerability with GM approval.

76
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 someone else.
—— Distraction (Expression):
If they are paying attention
to something else, they aren’t
paying atten-tion to you.
—— Domestic (Wisdom):
Cooking, cleaning, and avoiding
major messes.
—— Education (History): Gen-
eral information on a range of
topics.
—— Engineering (Intelligence):
Design and implementation in
various different fields.
—— Escape Artist (Dexterity):
Getting out of and removing
restraints.
—— Etiquette (Expression): The
ability to navigate many social
situations.

Talents —— Fashion (Expression): Cur-

rent trends, subcultures, and knowing the right style
—— Acrobatics (Dexterity): Moving quickly and lithely. to make an im-pression.
—— Animal Handling (Wisdom): Interacting with and train- —— Fasting (Constitution): Resisting starvation, and over-
ing animals. coming the pain.
—— Area Knowledge (Wisdom): Detailed knowledge of a —— Fitness (Constitution): General athleticism and physi-
place or region. cal prowess.
—— Area of Influence (Expression): Social connections —— Forensics (Sense): Identifying important details from
within a specific group. the clues at hand.
—— Art (Expression): Artistic ability in one or more areas. —— Forgery (Expression): Faking it so you don’t have to
—— Background (History): Personal elements unique to make it.
the individual, like Ex-CIA agent, or Grand-parent. —— Gambling (Fortune): Games of chance, and strategies
—— Bargain Finder (Fortune): Finding the best deals when for winning.
shopping. —— Herbalism (Wisdom): Knowledge of medical herbs and
—— Beauty/Handsome (Expression): Looks so good, you home remedies.
could make a living off them. —— Hold Breath (Constitution): Not just underwater, but
—— Brawn (Strength): Heavy lifting, shearing phonebooks, slowing suffocation in any environment.
or bending spoons. —— Hobby (Various): General interests outside of other
—— Career (History): Primary occupations, such as banker, Talents and Sports.
musician, or police officer. —— Intimidation (Mental): Using fear to force others to
—— Climbing (Strength): Scaling buildings, cliffs, or any- comply.
thing really. —— Intuition (Fortune): When there is nothing else to go
—— Computers (Intelligence): Programming, hardware, on, sometimes it’s best to go with your gut.
and hacking, no more just playing video games. —— Law (Intelligence): Understanding the ins and outs of
—— Concentration (Mental): Keep calm, and carry on. various legal systems.
—— Contact (History): Everyone has friends, family, and —— Lock Picking (Sense): Open All The Doors!
acquaintances, yours are more amicable to help. —— Long Shot (Fortune): When the going gets tough, some
—— Cryptography (Intelligence): From code breaking to people just get disgustingly lucky.
doing the Sunday crossword. —— Manual Labor (Strength): From farming to hard labor,
—— Discipline (Strength): Strife can push one to amazing some people are better at getting their hands dirty.
feats of strength. —— Medical (Intelligence): Everything from basic first-aid
—— Disguise (Intelligence): Hide in plain sight by becoming to surgery.

77
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— Movement (Constitution): Increased pace and speed. —— Wealth (History): Money!
—— Navigation (Sense): How to locate true north, and —— Wit (Expression): I had something for this…
operate navigation equipment.
—— Negotiation (Mental): Be it in the back-alley or board- Boons
room, some people just know how to make a deal. —— Ally (History/Major): More than just a contact, this is
—— Never Back Down (Mental): Possessing an inner re- a companion.
serve, when others’ wills would break. ˜˜ Requirements: Area of Influence or Contact: (Any)
—— Occult (Wisdom): Study of arcane mysteries, legends, Talent
and lore. —— Advantaged (Fortune/Typical): The chaos of the bat-
—— Outlast (Mental): When others falter, some have the tlefield occasionally favors you.
strength of will to press on. ˜˜ Requirements: Fortune 6
—— Perception (Sense): Noticing key details or things that —— Amazing (Fortune/Major): Sometimes your actions
are easily overlooked. are simply amazing.
—— Perseverance (Constitution): When the going gets ˜˜ Requirements: Fortune 6
tough, the tough get going. —— Combo (Dexterity/Typical): Execute a series of rapid
—— Provoke (Expression): The ability to make others want actions with greater ease.
to punch you in the face. ˜˜ Requirements: None.
—— Religion (Wisdom): Knowledge of and understanding —— Critical Skill (Intelligence/Major): On exceptional
into various theologies. Attack rolls, trade Damage for executing a specific
—— Repair (Intelligence): Can you fix it? Yes you can! Talent along with the strike.
—— Research (Intelligence): The ability to source informa- ˜˜ Requirements: Selected Skill 8+
tion, no matter how hidden. —— Eidetic Memory (Wisdom/Typical): Perfectly recall
—— Riding (Dexterity): Understanding how to mount and events.
ride an animal. —— Extra Stamina (Constitution/Variable): Resist addi-
—— Science (Intelligence): General understanding of the tional harm.
various scientific disciplines. —— False Identity (History/Variable): Fake IDs to entire
—— Scrounging (Sense): How to turn trash into treasure. new identities, or no identity at all.
—— Serendipity (Fortune): It’s like finding a fire hose to —— Fast Draw (Dexterity/Typical): Draw specific pieces of
repel off the roof of a high rise, just before it explodes. Gear for free.
—— Sleight of Hand (Dexterity): Get people to pay attention —— Favors (History/Typical): People don’t just help you,
to what you’re not actually doing with your hands. they owe you.
—— Sport (Various): You excel at a particular sport. ˜˜ Requirements: Area of Influence or Contact Talent
—— Stealth (Dexterity): Avoid being seen, heard, or other- —— Gear (Various/Variable): From swords to power ar-
wise detected. mor, you possess some form of special item.
—— Street Smarts (Wisdom): Navigate the seedier sides of —— Language (Expression/Variable): From knowing a few
town. extra languages, to universal translator.
—— Study (Wisdom): Expertise in a narrow topic not cov- —— Leader (Expression/Variable): Your actions inspire
ered by ot her Talents, such as US others.
History or Game Design. ˜˜ Requirements: Expression 6
—— Subterfuge (Expression): The art of deceit. —— No Need For (Constitution/Typical): Some metahu-
—— Survival (Wisdom): Living in the wild, hunting, gather- mans lack a need for things others find essential like
ing, and use of specialized camping tools. eating, or breathing.
—— Tactics (Expression): Beyond assessing a situation, —— Sealed Body (Constitution/Typical): Survive under
being able to communicate a cohesive strate-gy. extreme pressure, or the void of space.
—— Technical Operations (Wisdom): Using heavy equip- ˜˜ Requirements: No Need For: Breathing
ment, advanced machines, and other less common —— Speed Reader (Intelligence/Variable): Quickly process
technology. written information.
—— Tracking (Sense): They may have gotten away, but —— Surprising (Major/Dexterity, Intelligence or Sense):
that doesn’t mean you can’t find them. Surprise foes by acting when the moment is right.
—— Vehicle (Dexterity): Driving, or piloting various vehi- ˜˜ Requirements: Dexterity, Intelligence or Sense 6
cles, at a professional level.
78
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— (Talent) Support (Variable/Typical or Major): The tected using normal Senses.
character possess a Talent that aids them in battle. ˜˜ Advancement: Invisible: The Power can only be
—— Tools (Variable/Variable): Be it locator beacons, mo- detected by a single selected non-common sense.
torcycles, or any number of useful toys, the character —— Secondary Role (Major): The Power serves an addi-
has a variety of minor spells, gadgets, or other devic- tional Role, at half Value.
es at their disposal.
˜˜ Advancement: Full Role: The additional Role is
˜˜ Gadgeteer (Variable/Major): Other people can use equal to the primary Role’s Value.
your Tools.
—— Shapeable (Major): The character can control the
—— Tricky (Fortune/Typical): The character has a knack for shape of their Ranged Power.
using their Powers in strange and unex-pected ways.
˜˜ Requirements: Either Cone, Line, and/or Radius
˜˜ Requirements: Fortune 6 Boon.
˜˜ Shift Power (Fortune/Major): Extend a Power trick —— Sticky (Major): People touching the target of the Pow-
for a full scene. er are also affected.
—— Waypoint (Variable/Variable): The character has one
or more locations they may teleport to quickly. Defensive
The following Boons may be combined with De-
Power Boons fensive Powers.
Universal —— Absorption (Variable): The character gains Willpower
The following Boons are available for any Power. when taking specific types of Damage.

—— Alternative Source (Major): The Power may stem from ˜˜ Advancement: Heal Damage instead of gaining
one of a few tightly related sources. Willpower.

˜˜ Advancement: Themed Source: The source of the —— Advancement: Regenerative Absorption: In-
Power’s effect may be much broader. crease the amount of Damage healed.

—— Lingering (Variable): The impact of the Power contin- ˜˜ Advancement: Power Replication: Emulate the
ues for some time after it’s use. Power the character was struck by for a limited
amount of time instead of gaining Willpower.
˜˜ Advancement: Boost Duration: Extends the duration.
—— Advancement: Boost Duration: Extend how
˜˜ Unique Limited: Negated By: An Action can negate long the replicated Power lasts.
the lingering effect.
—— Advancement: Charge: Maintain a number of
—— Push Range (Major): Extend the range of a Power for uses of the replicated Power for the Scene.
one Action.
—— Advancement: Boost Duration. Adds addition-
—— Radius (Variable): This Power affects everything with- al Charges.
in a specific radius.
—— Advancement: Lingering Charge: Extend the
˜˜ Advancement: Boost Range: Extends the Range. replicated Power be-yond the Scene.
˜˜ Unique Limited: Explosive: Reduces Damage of ˜˜ Advancement: Offensive Absorption: Replicate
Attacks by Range Increments. Powers by touching the target.
—— Ranged (Variable): The Power may be used at Range. —— Advancement: Superior Power Replication:
˜˜ Advancement: Boost Range: Extends the Range. Use your Power’s Value, even if it is greater
than the Value of the replicated Power.
˜˜ Advancement: No Range Restrictions: If it can be
seen, it can be hit. —— Advancement: Retribution: Devastate foes
after absorbing an Attack.
˜˜ Cone (Variable): The range of the Action extends in
a cone. —— Advancement: Wait for Repayment: Hold a
retributive strike for a short period.
—— Advancement: Boost Range: Extends the Range.
˜˜ Unique Drawback: Limited: Requires Absorption:
—— Unique Limited: Explosive: Reduces Damage of
Other Power Boons do not activate until the char-
Attacks by Range Increments.
acter absorbs an Attack. Armor (Variable): This
˜˜ Line (Variable): The Range of the Action extends in Power grants the character added resiliency.
a line.
˜˜ Advancement: Boost Armor: The character is even
˜˜ Advancement: Boost Range: Extends the Range. more resilient to harm.
—— Unique Limited: Explosive: Reduces Damage of ˜˜ Advancement: Impervious: Shrug off even the
attacks by Range Increments. most potent of attacks.
—— Reduced Detection (Major): The Power cannot be de-
79
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— Defends Against (Variable): Expand the class of At- ˜˜ Advancement: Increased Rate of Fire: Fire addi-
tacks (Might, Quickness, and Psyche) the Pow-er can tional bursts.
defend against. —— Blast (Variable): Automatically knock foes down or
—— Evasion (Major): Avoid incoming attacks with ease. back.
˜˜ Requirements: Rapid Acceleration Boon, Power ˜˜ Advancement: Boost Knock: Really send them
must be both Support and Defense. flying!
˜˜ Advancement: Faster: Take a free Move Action —— Continuous (Major): Maintain an Attack over time.
when Evading. ˜˜ Advancement: Brutal Onslaught: Increase the
—— Painful (Major): Inflict damage on enemies who at- Damage the longer the Attack continues.
tack the character in melee. ˜˜ Advancement: Lock On: The Attack is bonded to
˜˜ Advancement: Boost Pain: Inflict more damage the Target’s body.
˜˜ Advancement: Pain Overload: Double the Damage ˜˜ Advancement: Unshakable: The Attack is harder
inflicted on a single strike. to shake.
˜˜ Advancement: Penetrating: Painful Damage can ˜˜ Defended By (Major): The Attack can only be de-
bypass armor. fended by a specific class of Defense,
˜˜ Advancement: Retribution: Trade automatic —— Devastating (Variable): The Attack does extra Damage.
Damage for a retributive strike. ˜˜ Advancement: Boost Devastation: Increase the
—— Advancement: Easier Retribution: Reduce the Damage added.
difficulty of inflicting retributive strikes. ˜˜ Advancement: Penetrating: The Attack’s Damage
˜˜ Advancement: Sponge: May use Drain Boons with can overcome Armor.
Painful Damage. ˜˜ Advancement: Total Devastation: The character is
—— Passive Defense (Major): The Power’s defense is capable of an incredible burst of Damage.
always active. ˜˜ Advancement: ______ Stopper: Penetrate a spe-
˜˜ Unique Drawback: Activation Required: .. after it’s cific type of Defense, like Ice, Magic, or Rock.
turned on. —— Drain (Major): The Attack can cripple a Target’s Power
—— Phased (Major): Attacks may pass through the char- or select Attributes.
acter harmlessly. ˜˜ Advancement: Expanded Drain: Target multiple
˜˜ Requirements: Insubstantial Boon, Power must Characteristics with the Drain.
be both Support and Defense ˜˜ Advancement: Flexible Drain: Pick a Characteris-
—— Reflection (Major): Bounce ranged strikes back at the tic to Drain when using the Power.
attacker. ˜˜ Advancement: Power Negation: Completely ne-
˜˜ Advancement: Easier Reflection: Reduce the diffi- gate a foe’s Power.
culty of bouncing Attacks. ˜˜ Advancement: Siphon: Heal from the Damage
˜˜ Advancement: Reflection Control: Select any tar- inflicted by the Drain.
get within Range of the bounced Attack. ˜˜ Advancement: Transfer: Gain the Siphoned Char-
˜˜ Advancement: Total Reflection: The Power can acteristic’s Value.
reflect Area of Effect Attacks. ˜˜ Advancement: Flexible Transfer: Boost any Char-
—— Resist (Variable): Resist additional damage from spe- acteristic with the Transfer.
cific Damage Source (Cold, Fire, Toxic Waste, etc.) ˜˜ Advancement: Boost Siphon: Increase the gains
˜˜ Advancement: Immunity: Become completely from Damaged Characteristics.
immune to the selected Damage Type. —— Immunity (Typical): The character cannot be harmed
—— Unmoving (Variable): It is difficult to knock the char- by their own Power.
acter back. —— Naturally Resistant (Major): Resist Damage from
˜˜ Advancement: Put Down Roots: Improved resis- attacks with the same source as the Power.
tance to being knocked prone. —— Suffocating (Major): Affected Targets begin to Suffo-
Offensive cate from the Attack.
The following Boons may be used with Offensive ˜˜ Requirements: Continuous and Devastating
Boons
Powers.
˜˜ Advancement: Boost Suffocation: It is harder to
—— Automatic (Major): Fire off multiple rapid shots.
resist the Power’s Suffocation.

80
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 ˜˜ Advancement: Breathless: Each passing Turn —— Advancement: Permanent Change: More se-
greatly increases the difficulty to breathe. vere changes can become permanent.
˜˜ Unique Drawback: Suffocation Damage Only: ˜˜ Requirements: Improved/Worse Results.
When Suffocating Targets, the Power does no —— Advancement: Flexible Alter: Expand the na-
other Damage. ture of the Alter to a group of related Targets
—— Trapping (Variable): Ensnare foes with this Attack. or results.
˜˜ Advancement: Tougher Traps: The trap is harder to ˜˜ Advancement: Improved/Worse Results: What
break free from. goes in is not equivalent to what comes out.
˜˜ Advancement: Variable Trap: A specific attack can —— Alter Self (Major): Ever want to be someone, or some-
bypass the Trap, and harm those en-snared. thing else? Alter Self is also used for trans-forma-
˜˜ Advancement: Power Pass: All the characters tions from a mundane to super being.
Powers can bypass the Trap. ˜˜ Advancement: Flexible Alter Self: The character
˜˜ Advancement: Untouchable Trap: The Trap is un- can now assume multiple alternate forms.
affected by any-one attacking someone inside. ˜˜ Advancement: Adept Persona: For characters with
˜˜ Unique Drawback: No Damage: The Trapping both a mundane and super form, the mundane
Attacks inflict no Damage. form possesses multiple competencies.
—— Advancement: Multiple Forms: The character
Support can assume multiple super personas.
The following Boons may only be used with —— Backup (Major): The Power summons an ally to assist
Support Powers. the character.
—— Added Support (Variable): The Power enhances one of ˜˜ Advancement: More Backup: Summon a mob
the character’s other Characteristics. instead of a single ally.
—— Aid: Variable (Major): The Power can amplify a specific —— Advancement: Coordinated: The character
Characteristic of an ally. and Backup’s attacks play off each other to
˜˜ Advancement: Empowered: Grant those Aided by devastate foes.
the Power a related Boon. —— Advancement: Unified: Make an additional
—— Advancement: Flexible Empowerment: Select Coordinated Action each Turn.
an alternative Boon the Aid can grant others. —— Advancement: Fast Friends: Reduce the time
—— Advancement: Ultimate Empowerment: Tem- required to call mobs.
porally grant an ally all Aid Boons. —— Advancement: Unlimited Backup: The only
—— Advancement: Expanded Aid: Support any limit to the size of the Backup is the charac-
Role with Aid, even if the base Power does not ter’s force of will.
have the Role. ˜˜ Powerful Backup: The allies summoned become
—— Advancement: Flexible Aid: Select an addition- more capable.
al Role the Aid sup-ports. —— Barrier (Major): Shield a small area where the charac-
—— Advancement: Total Aid: The Aid can briefly ter is standing from harm.
apply a Bonus to all Roles. ˜˜ Advancement: Armored Barrier: The Barrier can
˜˜ Advancement: Aid Group: The Aid can be applied resist additional Damage.
to a larger group of people. ˜˜ Advancement: Does not Root: The character is
—— Advancement: Group Power: Empowered and free to move.
Flexible Aids may be applied to the group. —— Advancement: Permanent Barrier: The barri-
—— Advancement: The Source: Ultimate Aid may er will not fade over time and can serve as a
be applied to the group. perma-nent wall or structure.
—— Alternative Advancement: Aid Radius: The ˜˜ Advancement: Larger Barrier: Shield a larger area.
Power Aids everyone around the character. ˜˜ Advancement: Painful Barrier: Melee attackers
(May take Radius Boons to modify the Power.) suffer Damage from striking the barrier.
—— Alter (Major): Change the nature of an object or a ˜˜ Advancement: Mobile Barrier: The location of the
substance. Barrier is no longer fixed.
˜˜ Advancement: Additional Time: The change lasts ˜˜ Advancement: Willful Reinforcement: Reinforcing
longer. damaged Barriers is an act of will requiring no time.
˜˜ Advancement: Something Different: Minor chang- ˜˜
es can become permanent.
81
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 ˜˜ Unique Drawback: Concentration Required: If the —— New Communication (Typical): The Power provides
Barrier is not maintained, it fades immediately. new senses and the ability to communicate using it,
˜˜ Unique Drawback: Barrier Bond: The character or multiple additional senses.
suffers Damage when the Barrier is harmed. ˜˜ Advancement: Exceptional Sense: The character’s
—— Control (Major): Force a select group, such as hu- new senses are exceptionally potent.
mans, wolves, or plants, to do your bidding. —— New Movement (Major): The Power enhances an ex-
˜˜ Advancement: Boost Control: On a Successful isting mode of travel such as running, or swimming, or
Control Roll, Targets are more inclined to follow adds new travel options such as flight or teleportation.
commands. ˜˜ Advancement: Boost Speed: Automatically move
˜˜ Advancement: Expanded Control: Select a second additional Range Increments.
related group the Power can Control. ˜˜ Advancement: Faster Than Light: When in space,
—— Advancement: Broad Control: Redefines the the character moves Faster Than Light.
Control to a broader Category. ˜˜ Advancement: Rapid Acceleration: Sprint Action
—— Healing (Major): The Power allows characters to heal, no longer leaves the character Exposed.
either themselves, others, or something else, Select —— Advancement: Out of the Blue: Keep foes off
one option. guard when moving.
˜˜ Advancement: Boost Healing: Increase the Stami- —— Requirements: Boost Speed, Offensive Role.
na Healed. ˜˜ Advancement: Momentum: Boosted Speed means
˜˜ Advancement: Healing Surge: Grants a burst of boosted Damage.
potent Healing. ˜˜ Advancement: Shockwave: The character’s move-
˜˜ Advancement: Regeneration: Characters no lon- ments are so quick they can penetrate defenses.
ger need to spend Actions to Heal them-selves. —— Prediction (Major): The Power grants the wielder
˜˜ Advancement: Reattach Limbs: Severed limbs can insight into the future.
be reattached. —— Reproduction (Major): Create exact replicas of other
—— Advancement: Regenerate Limb: Severed things with Alter or Alter Self.
limbs regrow. ˜˜ Requirements: Alter or Alter Self Boon
˜˜ Advancement: Resurrection: Cheat death, if you’re ˜˜ Advancement: Offensive Remake: Altered Targets
quick enough. look like threats. Attackers might hit reproduction.
—— Advancement: Second Chance: Extend the
number of attempts the character can make Drawbacks
to resurrect a Target. —— Frail: Begin with less starting Stamina or suffer addi-
—— Illusions (Major): Create an illusion roughly the size tional Damage when hurt.
of a person. —— Frightening: Something disturbing about the charac-
˜˜ Advancement: Active Illusions: The illusion is ter’s presence unnerves normal people.
capable of movement. —— Limitations: Something about the character forces
—— Advancement: Meddling Illusions: The illu- them to suffer penalties in certain situations.
sions can distract others Meddling with them. —— Not Skill, Power: One or more of the character’s Tal-
—— Advancement: Mirrored Defense: Make copies ents are actually extensions of their Powers.
of yourself obscur-ing your true position. —— Pariah: Prone to bad luck, at some point in the story,
˜˜ Advancement: Hard Illusions: The illusions feel the character will inevitably fail a critical roll.
tangible and can interact with the world. —— Power Loss: Something forces the character to lose
˜˜ Advancement: Mirror: Create an exact copy of an their powers or they must do something to maintain
object or person. them.
—— Insubstantial (Major): Pass through physical barriers. —— Vulnerability: Damage of a certain type can penetrate
—— Meddling (Major): The Power distracts or otherwise the character’s defenses inflicting additional Damage.
interferes with foes.
˜˜ Advancement: Disorienting: Meddled Targets are
left open to Surprise Attacks.
˜˜ Unique Drawback: Sensory Deprivation: The Pow-
er’s Meddling only affects one sense, and can be
overcome with effort.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 3 Rules, Roles,
Mechanics & Conflicts
This chapter covers the rules of Metahumans Rising, in- Fighting Style, or Power. Specialties for Powers and Fight-
cluding: basic dice rolls, resolving conflicts, combat, other ing Styles work Specialty for a Talent applying whenever
dangers, and recovery. appropriate.
Note: No Specialty may exceed the parent Characteristic.
Characteristics Fighting Styles and Powers: Fighting Styles are like
Characters are defined in multiple ways. Metahumans Talents that are unique to a character They define how
Rising begins Character Creation by defining a hero’s the character moves and maneuvers in combat or under
Background, their Origin, Catalyst, and Drives. These, stress. When creating a Fighting Style the player assigns
along with the character’s Attributes, Talents, and Powers it a basic role, Offense, Defense, or Support.
are referred to as Characteristics. Characteristics are the
—— Offensive Fighting Styles add to Attacks when appro-
nuts and bolts of the character. Each are assigned a Value
priate.
representing the character’s ability in that area.
—— Defensive Fighting Styles add to Standard Defense.
When you say your hero is capable of doing something, it
is generally expressed as an extension of an Attribute, the —— Support Fighting Styles add to Initiative, or Surprised
broadest type of Characteristic; Talent, aptitudes charac- Defense.
ters possess; or a Power. The following section explains Anyone may possess a Fighting Style.
each of the five types of Characteristics and what they
mean for your character. Powers go beyond the scope of natural ability. Like Fight-
ing Styles the player selects a Power’s name and role.
List of Characteristics Unlike Fghting Styles Support Powers can support any
any non-Fighting Style Talents or Attributes. Additionally,
—— Attribute
Powers have access to a host of Boons to customize them
˜˜ Talent and add functionality.
—— Specialty Note: Fighting Styles and Powers may not exceed the
˜˜ Fighting Styles and Powers parent Characteristic.
—— Specialty Boons: Unlike Characteristics Boons do not have a nu-
—— Boon meric Value. Instead, Boons provide new options for the
character. General Boons represent perks such as Extra
Attributes: These represent the broadest groupings and Stamina, False Identity or Favors. Power Boons such as
are considered natural or innate ability. Some characters Blast which knocks foes away are applied to specific pow-
may have high Attributes, but without other Characteris- ers. Some Boons may be taken more than once.
tics to supplement them when put to the test, raw ability
only goes so far. Talents and Specialties allow a character General Boons are bought and apply to the character.
to push themselves further. Power Boons are purchased for each specific power.
Boons have three Values: Minor, Typical and Major.
Talents: Consisting of trained or learned traits, Talents
generally cover groupings of collected information, such
as Medical, which encompassses general first aid, drug
Rolling Dice
knowledge, health care, and surgery. Players and GMs
should be careful not to add Talents that are too narrow or
When To Make A Roll
already covered by other Talents. For example, Advanced Characteristics are designed to give both the player and
Calculus is easily covered by the Science skill, but if a GM a general understanding of the characters capabilities.
player wishes to have their character excel in the subject, Heroes also have a Willpower Pool that lets them push
they could add a Specialty. their abilities further.
Specialties: As Talents cover an area of knowledge for the During gameplay characters may come across situations
character, Specialties represent specific expertise within a where the outcome may not be clear. Players can roll
Talent. A Metahuman researcher should have the Science related Characteristics to determine how the situation is
Talent but may also possess the Life Science Specialty, resolved. However, before requiring a roll the GM should
giving them a bonus to understanding the strange and ask the following questions:
unique Metahuman biologies they encounter. A character
may have any number of Specialties for a given Talent,

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— Is this outside a hero’s routine tasks? After explaining the overnight crimes Dave adds, it
—— How competent is the hero in this situation, do they looks like someone is trying to attack an armored car.
have related Talents and at what level? While it’s likely Vigilant will react to the armored car
—— Will this roll impact the overall story in a significant robbery Dave has also planted seeds he may later
way? build on.
—— What consequences does failure entail? What if that early morning robbery was more im-
—— Does the roll add to the overall game, or distract portant than it seemed at first glance? Everyone
from the narrative? knows that Vigilant is the hard boiled, protector that
—— Is there something different this time? wishes he could stop every crime. The GM should
play to those Drives. Just keep in mind, this morn-
Example 1 ing’s mugging, tomorrow’s petty robbery shouldn’t
turn into a catastrophe as well. Build on what the
Nancy has Vigilant scan police and military chan-
players have given the GM, not to punish them for it.
nels. She has described him as a man always on
guard and looking for the next threat. Someone that,
if there is nothing more important to do will be mon- Example 2
itoring for trouble and there’s a lot he considers less After leaving his office Dr. Jerome Howell was
important. kidnapped outside an IMR research facility. Howell
was the lead scientist on the Zenith Mark III armor.
As the GM, Dave knows Vigilant has multiple Tal- With him was a flash drive containing the plans for
ents relating to finding trouble and Nancy has made the updated battle suit. Bulwark was on the scene
it clear, this is what Vigilant does. Would a roll to looking for clues while Elf and Nox went to lean on
locate problems in the world impact the story? some of her old contacts for possible leads. Back at
Does the roll add to the overall game, or distract the base Vigilant is researching the armor itself.
from the narrative? Generally, this roll would only
serve to distract from the narrative, and takes away Each of these actions have possible tangible con-
potential action from the story Failing to identify sequences and Success or Failure will advance the
an incident happening means the character, and storyline in different ways.
perhaps the entire team is left out of some event
in the world. What do the consequences of failing Bulwark’s investigation could provide information
entail? The character continues to monitor and does on the nature of the abduction. How the target was
nothing else. taken and possibly clues as to who the actors in the
crime were. Things such as did the doctor go will-
Most of the time the GM should not bother having ingly or was he taken by force? Are there signs of
Nancy roll, Vigilant is the man that sees it all, and super powers being used?
Dave should respect that. There should not be a
roll involved. When framing the scene the GM can Elf and Nox’s interviews could provide insight into
simply assume Nancy made her roll and Vigilant is who orchestrated the kidnapping and how large of a
going to notice interesting things. job the abduction was.

What are the exceptions though? As the GM there Vigilant’s research could uncover clues as to the
are some questions Dave should probably ask. nature of the Mark III and what it is capable of. This
What is the scope of your scan? Are there crimes, or also gives insight into what resources would be
events that are below Vigilant’s notice? Nancy may required to build the suit or who the possible buyers
answer with City Police, County Sheriff, and Highway for the blueprints might be.
Patrol along with the Military bands. Vigilant looks
Each action would add additional details to the sto-
for any super powered crime, major crimes, and
ry. However, failing these potential rolls could add
crimes near other members of the Aces.
new twists to the story as well. For example, the
Dave might describe a scene as: It is early morning, abduction may be a plot by GEO to create their own
Vigilant is about to finish the overnight shift moni- type of Zenith armor or Luminessence looking for an
toring before Guardian takes over. It’s already been upgrade. Their might be a major deal happening for
a busy morning for the local police. In the last hour the blueprints in some corporate espionage.
two cars have been reported stolen, likely overnight
Because all these are possible storylines Dave
crimes just being noticed, a pedestrian was robbed.
decides that rolls are needed and that allowing the
Is there anything you wanted to investigate?
players to dictate what they find on successful rolls
While these crimes are outside what Nancy stated can lead to a very different outcome. He decides
Vigilant is looking for Dave gives her the information that should Elf and Nox come up empty handed that
as it is something Vigilant would have noticed and soon a Zenith Mark III will be rampaging through
offers her the chance to have Vigilant act. Arlington.
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Otherwise the players will decide what has become —— Support Powers may be added if they support either
of the plans, either way whatever Bulwark uncovers the Attribute or Talent rolled.
will play a factor and the team should face down a —— Additional Talents or Powers without a correspond-
suit augmented by what Vigilant learns. ing Support may be added using the Support Will-
power Feature.
What Kind of Rolls Are There? All rolls use only an Attribute and no other Characteristics
Whenever a character attempts a significant action that may be added more than once.
meets the criteria above, the GM may request a roll from
Once the characteristics have been selected, the player
the player. There are three types of rolls.
rolls 2d6, plus 1d6 for the first Talent, Power (or Fight-
—— Basic roll: The Value of the roll is measured against a ing Style) and Specialty adding it to their combined base
static Difficulty. Example: Appraising a work of Art. Value.
—— Contested roll: The Value of a roll is measured ExampleWayfarer is working to shut down a computer
against the Value of an opposed roll. Example: virus that threatens to destroy the records at an MCPD
Sneaking past a guard or a number of idle guards. data warehouse. The GM sets the core Characteristic as
—— Competitive roll: Competitors make a series of Con- Intelligence. For this roll Wayfarer uses his Intelligence
tested rolls comparing the Values as they gain or lose (Attribute) 15 and Computers (Talent) 5. Mike, Wayfarer’s
ground in a contest. Example: Sneaking past a series player would then roll 3d6 and adding the two Character-
of guards on high alert. istics. This can be expressed as Base Value 20 + 3d6.
Conflicts can be resolved with Competitive rolls, or using a
combination of Basic and Contested rolls as covered in the
Basic Rolls
Combat chapter. When a roll is required but not contested, the player rolls
versus a static value, referred to as Difficulty. These rolls
Outside of Climax Scenes it is often better to use Compet-
represent a Pass/Fail scenario where a character has
itive roll narrating the conflict between players and GM
only one shot to get things right. There may be degrees of
then enter a full Combat when possible. This works well
success or failure often depending if a particular Power
for things like chase scenes, dust ups with thugs, or basic
Boon is used.
hired mooks.
An average person has an Attribute of 4 to 6 and several
Disasters are resolved using Competitive rolls as the he-
Talents related to their occupation and interests, typically
roes attempt to mitigate large scale destruction or harm.
ranging from 1 to 3. An Average Difficulty is 15. This means
Investigation generally focuses on Basic rolls, but may an average person performing an Average task in an area
involve Contested, or Competitive Rolls when a character they are skilled rarely fails, rolling on average 14 to 19.
is actively working against someone else.
Without a Talent this average drops to around 12. This
Making Rolls means that someone with no training in an area can get by
if the Task is Simple (10) but will often fail at average rolls.
When making a standard roll (non-Attack or Defense)
If a character would automatically Succeed the roll should
the GM assigns a core Attribute essential to the task.
not be required.
The player may add a related Talent, adding to the Base
Value. What applies or does not apply for any given roll is Example
usually clear, but one of the best parts of roleplaying is
encouraging creativity. To return to Wayfarer, his base value on any Com-
puter roll is 20 + 3d6. On average Wayfarer will
GMs should encourage players to be creative but explain succeed on Very Advanced (30) tasks.
any off the wall choices, meaning the character’s actions
reflect the Talents used. The GM is the final arbiter of what The GM considers the listed Difficulties and their ex-
can or cannot be used. GMs should remember to encour- amples. If this virus was written by a master hacker
age creative play. he may set the Difficulty at Very Laborious (40), as
the example “Cracking a corporate security algo-
Combat Rolls are discussed in the Combat Chapter.
rithm” fits this situation.
Characters can add 1 Talent and Specialty to any standard
roll. Additional Characteristics can be added, but must In this scenario Mike would need to roll a 20 or
meet one of the following conditions: better to isolate and shut down this virus. Under
normal circumstances rolling 20 on 3d6 would be
—— Drives are applied based on the narrative and cur-
impossible. However, Willpower can be used to
rent situation.
boost rolls. (see Willpower Features, pg. 99)
—— The Background and Career Talents are applied if
the roll directly relates to the Talent.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Degrees of Success To convince everyone to disperse the GM sets the
Difficulty at Expert (20) and tells Paul that it will
Sometimes a Success is more nuanced than a simple pass require 2 Degrees of Success. A Basic Success will
fail. Often with investigations or research there is a lot motivate people to evacuate. However, it will be
that can be uncovered. How people react in social situa- chaotic and dangerous. With a Degree of Success
tions may also vary, was a speech accepted, well received bystanders will evacuate quickly but people will be
or a stunning crowd pleaser? In these situations the GM injured. The second Degree of Success, ensures the
may set Degrees, with a basic Difficulty and Degrees of evacuation is orderly preventing stragglers.
improvement.
Paul rolls Crossfire’s Expression and Wrong Place
An easy way to determine if there should be Degrees of
+ Right TIme for a total of 22. Enough to Succeed so
Success and how many is by saying Complete Success is
people will leave, but it’s going to be chaotic and
this, and for each component add a Degree.
not everyone will get out in time. If Paul rolled a 6
For each additional 10 Points on a Roll the GM should Crossfire would receive a Degree of Success for free
increase the value of the Success. allowing him to treat his roll as a 30.

The Power of 6s Partials

Each 6 rolled on a Basic Roll with Degrees grants the char- Not all Basic Rolls are Pass/Fail. Partials represent the
acter a free bump up as if they had rolled 10 higher. grey area between complete success and total failure.
A roll that fails by less than 5 points is a Partial. The GM
Crossfire races to capture Backlash in the sewers
should provide a mixed result that does not represent
after stealing a prototype power converter from a
complete success or absolute failure.
DBC Lab. Knowing he can’t afford to be caught Back-
lash uses his Electric Lashes to sever a gas line and Partials are designed to add tension. GMs should use
a nearby power cable. Seeing the trap laid by Back- them as a tool for introducing complications. If a Partial
lash Crossfire scrambles to get out of the pending would slow down game play without adding to a scene
explosion. Unfortunately, there are a number of the GM should consider treating the roll as a Failure and
people on the street that will need to be evacuat- move on.
ed. While fairly charismatic, coordinating mobs or
scared people is not his strong suit.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 a contract written by a team of corporate lawyers.
Lift: 800 Kilograms
Example: While being hunted by a team of assas-
sins Ronin finds himself on the roof of a building, —— Laborious (35): Without specialized Talents or Pow-
to escape he will have to jump from one building to ers, this Difficulty level becomes a major obstacle for
another. Nancy rolls a Partial. Ronin barely makes characters. Example: Counterfeiting US currency that
the jump. Holding onto the ledge he will need to would be accepted by a bank. Lift: 1,600 Kilograms
spend time he doesn’t have to climb up. Still, it’s —— Very Laborious (40): Characters usually need to be
better than falling. an expert (Level 10-12) with an additional supporting
characteristic to have a chance of success. Example:
Assisting Cracking a corporate security algorithm. Lift: 3,200
Kilograms
Characters may need to assist one another to overcome
a challenge. To assist an ally spends 1 Action, or an equal —— Challenging (45): This Difficulty is generally outside
amount of time as the character making the roll to assist. the range of the average person. Example: Convinc-
The character making the roll then adds the assistant’s ing a corporate legal team to create a loophole in a
Talent or Power to their roll. If this is an Attack, this is contract without anyone catching on or needing to
treated as additional Characteristic adding to the Damage resort to bribes. Lift: 6,400 Kilograms
as normal. —— Very Challenging (50): To succeed in Very Challenging
Optional: Fuzzy Successes: In Campaigns where victory rolls, characters often require multiple Talents re-
is less assured, groups may wish to expand Partials. With lated to the task. Example: Forge a copy of a famous
Fuzzy Successes treat any Success with a Margin of 5 or art piece convincing enough to fool an art historian
less as a Partial. specializing in the artist. Lift: 12,800 Kilograms
—— Hard (55): Without remarkable (Level 13-15) Tal-
Difficulties ents and/or Powers, it is unlikely the character can
succeed on a Hard task. Example: Counterfeiting US
When making a Basic Roll, the GM assigns a Difficulty,
currency that would be accepted by federal investi-
representing the value the player’s roll needs to meet or
gators. Lift: 25,600 Kilograms
overcome to succeed. Difficulties are used in non-contest-
ed situations. Sample Difficulties are provided below for —— Very Hard (60): Characters who can succeed here are
each difficulty level. regarded as masters of their field. Example: Hack
a corporate financial server and pull their records
—— Easy (5): This represents only the most basic of ac-
without a trace. Lift: 51,200 Kilograms
tivities, rarely requiring more than the raw Attribute.
Example: Using Intelligence to do simple arithmetic —— Heroic (65): Feats of this level are almost exclusive to
(addition, subtraction, division, multiplication) Lift: 25 heroes. Example: Scale a two hundred meter shear
Kilograms wall freehand. Lift: 102,400 Kilograms
—— Simple (10): Most routine tasks, often requiring some —— Very Heroic (70): Tasks of this Difficulty are the stuff
small degree of skill. Example: Using Intelligence to of legends. Example: Leap from one passing plane
interpret a generic legal document or perform most at night to another over a hundred feet below with-
basic Career Talent rolls. Lift: 50 Kilograms out jump gear and live to tell the tale. Lift: 204,800
Kilograms
—— Average (15): Rolls at this level are minor challenges
for trained characters, likely requiring more than a
natural aptitude to succeed. Example: Using In-
Contested Rolls
telligence to debug a “simple” computer database Like Basic Rolls Contested Rolls represent Pass/Fail
query or safely navigate through the woods. Lift: 100 scenarios, except that there are two active participants.
Kilograms So the player is not measuring their ability against a static
—— Expert (20): These rolls represent a challenge to the Value but to another character’s Values. When making
average person in their field. Success on a challenge Contested Rolls different characters may be rolling differ-
of this level is almost always dependent on skill. Ex- ent Characteristics depending on the circumstance.
ample: Performing on a trapeze. Lift: 200 Kilograms An example of both a Basic Roll and a Contested Roll is
—— Advanced (25): At this Difficulty, characters of aver- making an attack in Combat. Normally, an Attack Roll is
age skill with no other supporting Characteristics to compared to the Target’s Defense Value. However, if the
aid them will often fail. Example: Locating a loophole defender spends an Action to take an Active Defense this
in a contract written by a corporate lawyer. Lift: 400 becomes a Contested Roll as they now get to roll their
Kilograms Defense Dice adding it to their Defense Value.
—— Very Advanced (30): To succeed, characters often
require either a Specialty or multiple related Talents
to support their roll. Example: Locating a loophole in

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Let’s return to Wayfarer and the MCPD Data Virus. Success Threshold Modifiers
We know that Wayfarer’s roll is (Intelligence 15,
—— Defender possesses a moderate tactical advantage,
Computers 5) 20 + 3d6, but what if he were facing
such as better terrain, or better technology reduce
off against the Hacker himself, or the Virus had
the Success Threshold by 1.
some type of protection to hide itself? In this situa-
tion the GM may call for a Contested Roll Wayfarer —— Aggressor possesses a moderate tactical advantage,
using his Computers, against the Hacker’s Virus such as better terrain, or better technology increase
which he decides the Hacker is a computer genius the Success Threshold by 1.
his roll is Intelligence 8 + Computers 7 + Specialty —— Defender possesses a major tactical advantage, such
Virus Writing 2, which Dave defines as how well as solid inside data, or observation relays reduce the
the Virus hides itself using the databases own fire Success Threshold by 2.
structure, a Base Value of 17 + 4d6.
—— Aggressor possesses a major tactical advantage,
While the Hacker doesn’t have the raw intellect of such as solid inside data, or observation relays in-
Wayfarer, he knows how computers work better crease the Success Threshold by 2.
than most professional programmers. Worse he’s
General Guidelines
had time to work on crafting some nasty malware.
Here both the player and GM would roll comparing —— Fast Competitive roll has a Success Threshold of 3.
their Final Values to see if Wayfarer can stop the —— Average Competitive Roll has a Success Threshold of 5.
virus in time.
—— Long Competitive roll has a Success Threshold of 8.

Competitive Rolls Starting Advantage: The Defender begins with a number

of Successes the Aggressor will need to reduce.
When going head to head and the conflict cannot be rea-
sonably resolved with a single roll characters can engage —— 1 Success: The Aggressor has a clear advantage.
in a Competitive Roll. Competitive rolls allow for multiple —— 2 Successes: The Defender and Aggressor are on
successes and failures before reaching a final outcome. roughly the same ground.
The players and GM work together to narrate these events —— 3 Successes: The Defender has a clear advantage.
based on the roll results, describing the competition. This
allows characters to work towards a difficult goal with- Making Competitive Rolls: Once the Success Threshold
out being penalized with complete failure for one bad roll and Starting Advantage are established each member
after a series of good rolls. of the competition will make a contested roll each turn,
either adding to or removing Successes.
In a Competitive roll establish who is the Defender and who
is the Aggressor. This may not be immediately apparent in Degrees of Success: Each Degree of Success adds or re-
situations like an honest race, in these situations establish moves one additional Success,
who has the largest amount to lose by failing a Competitive Other Actions: In a conflict most characters have 2 Ac-
Roll, or who is actively forcing the competition. tions per turn. A Competitive Roll takes 1 Action. Charac-
Next, establish the Victory Conditions, Success Threshold ters may take other actions as normal.
for the Competition, and Starting Advantage if any. Assisting: Depending on the situation, other characters
Victory Conditions: What is the outcome of a successful may be able to Assist, as normal.
or Failed Competitive roll? In a chase where the Defender Winning A Competition
Succeeds, they escape pursuit, or if they fail the Aggressor
puts them in a position they can no longer flee. Once the Defender reaches the Success Threshold or the
Successes are reduced to 0 and maintained for 1 turn the
Success Threshold: The Success Threshold represents competition is over.
how difficult it will be for the Defender to obtain victory.
This is determined by how much of an advantage the De- Example
fender or Aggressor possesses. It’s time to shut down the hacker Wayfarer’s been
Chase Note: The Success Threshold does not have a di- dealing with.
rect distance correlation. This allows the rules to be used
for any chase at any scale. Defender: Hacker

The Success Threshold begins at 5. Competitive Rolls Aggressor: Wayfarer

should not have a Success Threshold below 3, or Greater
than 8. Victory Conditions: Should the Defender win the
Virus will destroy the records at an MCPD data
warehouse.

Success Threshold: 4

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 The Hacker knows how to write a Virus The Competition:

The MCPD Systems are hardened against attack How the Hacker got into the system is a mystery,
but things are not going well for the MCPD. Pulling
The Hacker has been planning this attack and has up an advanced system’s display Wayfarer puts
compensated for the MCPD defenses his skills to the test of stopping whatever virus has
been unleashed on the network.
Starting Advantage: 2 The virus struck first and
Wayfarer is reacting. Turn 1
Wayfarer’s roll is (Intelligence 15, Computers 5) 20 + Wayfarer’s roll: 20 + 3 + 5 + 1 = 29
3d6,
The Hacker’s roll: 17 + 6 + 6 + 1 + 4 = 35
The Hacker’s roll is (Intelligence 8 + Computers 8 +
Specialty Virus Writing 2) 17 + 4d6. Current Successes 3

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 While Wayfarer is trying to get a handle on the Wayfarer’s roll: 20 + Cryptography 5 ((5 + 3 + 1) x 2)
MCPD security systems the virus digs deeper into = 43
the network and begins trying to break the encryp-
tion protecting database server. The Hacker’s roll: 17 + 5 + 3 + 4 + 1 = 30

Turn 2 Current Successes -1

The virus continues to wreak havoc on the MCPD Finally, Wayfarer can isolate the virus and shut it
systems but Wayfarer continues to work as quickly down.
as he can.
Turn 6
Wayfarer’s roll: 20 + 5 + 4 + 1 = 30
To ensure the hacker can’t get back in Wayfarer
The Hacker’s roll: 17 + 1 + 6 + 3 + 4 = 31 spends 2 more Willpower.

Current Successes 4 Wayfarer’s roll: 20 + Cryptography 5 + ((2 + 5 + 1) x

2) = 41
eeing what’s going on Wayfarer begins shutting
down traffic to the server. Unfortunately, the hacker The Hacker’s roll: 18 + 3 + 5 + 4 + 6 = 36
is already inside the system and the servers can’t be
Current Successes -2
taken completely offline.
It turns out that double checking the systems saved
Turn 3
the day. The Hacker had only been using the virus as
With the odds against Wayfarer, Mike spends 1 Will- a distraction while he worked on his real Target, the
power for an Explosive roll (see Willpower Features, MCPD Direct’s email. With the virus out of commission
pg. 99) doubling his roll. Wayfarer can spot the real attack and shut it down.

Wayfarer’s roll: 20 + ((4 + 1 + 3) x 2) = 36

Disasters, Powers & Saving
The Hacker’s roll: 17 + 2 + 5 + 4 + 6 = 34
The Day (or Rocks Fall, we
Current Successes 3
need a hero)
With the reduced traffic to the network, Wayfarer
Heroes are always finding new ways to use their powers
can finally see what systems the hacker is actually
to save the day, stopping crime, preventing mad scientists
targeting.
from unleashing unspeakable horrors, and sometimes
Turn 4 even combating the very forces of nature. The world of
Metahumans Rising is subject to earthquakes, floods,
If Wayfarer is going to succeed he’s going to need to hurricanes, and any other number of natural, or unnatural,
do something more. This turn Mike spends 2 Will- disasters.
power, 1 for another Explosive Roll, and 1 for Situ-
Of course, that earthquake was caused by Ground Pounder
ational Support, adding Wayfarers Cryptography
using a stolen Seismic Amplifier, the flood by Penny Dreadful
to the roll. the explanation being that Wayfarer is
losing control at the Redridge Dam, and the hurricane by a
going to alter the encryption algorithms so that the
misaligned experimental weather monitoring satellite.
virus can’t attack the system.
Disasters provide a common framework for threats that
Wayfarer’s roll: 20 + Cryptography 5 + ((5 + 5 + 2) x challenge heroes in different ways. Expanding on com-
2) = 49 petitions heroes are encouraged to use their powers in
new and unique ways to address the situation. In addi-
The Hacker’s roll: 17 + 2 + 5 + 1 + 6 = 31
tion to traditional disasters these rules can be used for
Current Successes 1 any threat that which has a large scale, such as endless
hordes of carnivorous insects, giant monsters, and riots.
The alien dances around the network with the hack-
er and his virus, locking him out of multiple systems. Creating A Disaster
Thanks to an added Degree of Success the hacker is
When creating a Disaster the GM should decide the fol-
reduced to a single Success.
lowing Key Elements:
Turn 5
What is the nature of the Disaster?
Working as quickly as possible Wayfarer continues This may be obvious, a Disaster triggered by actions in a
to lock out the hacker, spending another 2 Willpow- scene are often fairly clear. However, heroes are not al-
er. ways right at the epicenter of a Disaster when it strikes.
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 When deciding the nature of a disaster, consider the —— The Disaster is the Defender.
character and how they might interact with it. Also, is this —— The Success Threshold is twice the Disasters Size + 5.
natural, or is someone, or something behind it? Disasters
can be an excellent starting point for new stories or mile- —— The Disaster’s Starting Advantage is equal to its
stones in ongoing adventures. Ferocity + 2.

How strong is the Disaster? Are there any strengths or weaknesses?

Consider if the nature of the Disaster is more or less vul-
Disasters are outside the scope of an average person to
nerable to certain types of powers. Example: A hero with
handle without aid. Heroes have powers they can bring
ice powers facing a flood gains a bonus by Freezing the
to bare to help stop a disaster in its tracks. The GM sets a
oncoming water.
Size and Ferocity of the Disaster.
When using a power or effect that capitalizes on these
Size weaknesses the hero removes 1 additional Success for
Disaster Size each Degree of Success.
The larger a Disaster is the more difficult it is to contain What is the danger to the character?
and control. —— A Disaster reaching its Success Threshold destroys
—— A Size 1 Disaster represents the smallest localized the area it threatens.
events such as a building fire, small rock slide, or —— When facing a Disaster, characters may suffer from
flooding river. any number of dangers.
—— A Size 2 Disaster represents storms, burgeoning for- —— Each turn the Disaster rolls its Ferocity, inflicting
est fire, or other disasters that may impact a district Damage to everything in its wake.
or neighborhood.
—— A Size 4 Disaster is large enough to be felt across a Mitigating Disasters
wide area, such as an earthquake threatening a state.
When faced with a disaster heroes use new and inventive
—— A Size 6 Disaster may be large enough to threaten a ways to overcome these obstacles, from flying counter
continent or even the world. The Size of a Disaster to the wind in a cyclone, to creating storm clouds to avert
translates directly to its Value in Competitive Rolls. a forest fire. Players are encouraged to develop creative
Disasters have a Value of 25 + 5 per Size. solutions for Disasters using their Powers and Talents.
Larger Disasters are possible but should be on a global, if Rolls
not cosmic scale.
Disasters:
Ferocity
At the start, roll Ferocity, the Disaster gains a number of
This is a measure of the aggressiveness or how devastat- Successes equal to its Ferocity + 1. For each 6 the Disaster
ing a Disaster can become. For each level of Ferocity the gains 1 additional Success.
GM gains 1 die.
—— Ferocity ranges from 2 to 6.
Heroes:
—— Disasters gain Success each turn equal to their Fe- Each hero makes a roll against the Disaster’s Base Value.
rocity + 1 for each 6 rolled. On a Successful roll they remove 1 Success + 1 for each
Degree of Success.
—— Each 6 rolled increases the Disaster’s Damage by 2.
Apply Armor normally. The Power of 6: Disasters
—— Some Disasters may have Boons such as Defended Each 6 rolled adds or Removes an additional Success.
by, or Penetrating (see Powers, pg. 21), such as a Psy-
chic Vortex or a Gravity Quake. Narrating the Disaster
—— Disasters with a Size and Ferocity of 3 or greater are Player should describe what actions their characters are
often outside the scope of average humans to con- taking to mitigate the danger. At the end of the turn GM
trol or resolve. should narrate how successful, or not, the heroes’ actions
were depending on if the Disaster gained or lost Success-
Base Damage
es.
Anyone inside the Disaster suffers Damage equal to Size +
Disasters impact everything and anyone in their wake. The
Ferocity each turn.
average person can withstand 2 Damage without getting
How sustained is the Disaster? hurt, 4 if they are tough. A Storm with a Ferocity of 2 or 3
can quickly become lethal. A Ferocity 5 can be fatal in only
Rarely will a single success stop a disaster in its tracks.
one to two turns.
The GM sets the Success Threshold as with a Competitive
roll, with the following changes:

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Disasters with a Ferocity of 3 can cause serious structural Part 2: Containing Rampage’s Storm
damage. Winds knock down power lines and tree limbs,
fires will eat through stairs and wall supports, floods will Local first responders and emergency services are
move cars and make the ground infirm. gridlocked with the speed and ferocity that the
storm has come on. The Steel Aces are on the scene,
Example Part 1: Gathering the Storm: Bulwark, Elf, Nox, and Vigilant are there to help.
After attacking an IMR research facility the Brood has Because this is not Combat Dave, the GM, lets the
acquired a power amplifier. The leader of the Brood, players know they are free to act in any order.
Mock, has a long range plan that requires the ampli-
fier and several other components but Rampage has Turn 1
other ideas, namely having fun and wrecking things.
The storm hits Arlington like a tidal wave from the
Breaking into a power plant Rampage connects the sky. Without warning there is a deluge of water.
amplifier to the station’s turbines then hooks himself Enough so that the streets are in chaos as pedestri-
in. ans are swept up, vehicles begin to shift under the
torrent.
Rampage was already able to manipulate the
weather on a large scale. With the amplifier hooked Bulwark (Mike): I charge the water.
up to a virtually unlimited power supply his powers
have surged to a new level. Dave - GM: Um, can you explain that a bit more?

The GM decides this is a Disaster quality storm and Bulwark (Mike): I’m going to run against the water
starts looking at the potential scale. Rampage has a wherever it is flowing the hardest and bring my
Weather Mastery of 12, and can fling Lighting Bolts magma to the surface turning the channels into
with a Base Value of 18 + 3 Dice he also has the harmless steam.
Boons: Radius and Push Range, so he can already
cover large areas. Deciding that Rampage should GM: Very nice, the storm is vulnerable to heat so 6s
really get to rain down some havoc the GM sets the will generate bonuses Successes if you can beat the
Rampage’s Storm as Follows: Storm’s Value of 40. This sounds like a basic Power
roll for you.
Size 3 - Large enough to engulf the City, or the area
the power station normally covers. Rampage Storm Bulwark’s roll: Constitution 18 + Volcanic Body 12 +
has a Base Value of 40. 3d6 (4, 3, 4) = 41.

Ferocity 5 - Rampage already brings 3 Dice to his GM: That’s a success, but no bonuses 6s. What does
Weather attacks. The GM decides to add 1 for the that look like?
Amplifier, and 1 for the Power Station. Bulwark (Mike): Getting down in a low run veins
Base Damage: 8 (Because the storm is so large across my body flairs with red veins the heat of the
Dave decides that the storm does half Damage to Magma coming to the surface. There is a plume of
individuals unless they are at the epicenter, the steam rising up the hill as I run towards the top. Be-
dam, or in the clouds.) hind me is this like lingering mist but no swimming
cars or people.
Success Threshold 11 (size 3 x 2 + 5)
Elf (Paul): I’m not sure how I can help.
Starting Advantage: 7 (Ferocity + 2)
GM: Describe your powers and some of your key
Weaknesses: Weather, Water, Heat, and Air Manip- Talents and let’s see if anyone has ideas.
ulation.
Elf (Paul): Well, my top Talents are Intimidation and
Lightning Strikes cause trees and buildings to catch Fitness, followed by Perception and Scrounging. I
fire, the rain, so powerful the streets are flooded don’t think I can stare down the storm. Powers, in
trapping people in cars. The city erupts into chaos addition to her non-human physiology Elf generates
as Rampage laughs from inside the power station. Bioforce. It’s a kind of living energy that interacts
with organic beings. Right now she can basically
only blast with it.

Nox (Olivia): It’s destructive energy that interacts

primarily with living matter?

Vigilant (Nancy): Alright, Vigilant is a bit of a scien-

tist. I mean, power armor. You need organic matter.
What about a tanker truck of milk?

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 GM: How would Vigilant explain it? GM: Your Shadow Control already affects an area
but you will need to spend 1 Willpower for a Power
Vigilant (Nancy): “Your Bioforce, it overwhelms or- Trick (see Willpower Features, pg. 99) to make a Bar-
ganic matter doesn’t it?” rier (see Powers, pg. 21). Other than that, it’s a basic
Power roll.
Elf (Paul): “I, I think so? I build it up but it seems to
destroy anything that can’t hold it.” Nox (Olivia): I’ll spend 1 more Willpower for Explo-
sive also.
Vigilant (Nancy): “I am going to haul a tank into
the storm, when I throw it, I want you to hit it with Nox’s roll: Mental 15 + Shadow Control 12 + 3d6 ((2,
everything you’ve got!” I’m going to grab the nearest 6, 3)x2) = 49
tanker truck of milk and fly it into the storm clouds.
When it explodes from Elf’s Bioforce it should help Nox (Olivia): Seeing a group of kids and an older man
disperse the storm. clinging to a bus stop Nox calls up the shadows
around her cloaking the area in darkness and shield-
GM: Wait, what? ing them and the rest of the street from the torrent.
Vigilant (Nancy): While Vigilant isn’t as strong as Hero Successes: 5, but only 2 count this turn.
some of the other characters are, his suit does add
to his strength. Disaster Roll 5d6 (6, 3, 4, 6, 3) rolling two 6s

GM: Okay, That’s probably like thirty five or forty Current Successes 11 - 2 (Heroes Actions) + 5 (Feroc-
tons. Can Vigilant lift that? ity) + 2 (Disaster’s Successes) = 16

Bulwark (Mike): Um, I couldn’t lift that without GM: The storm surges, lighting striking everywhere
spending Willpower. as the water levels rise. Cars are freely floating and
a bridge is about to collapse and buildings will fol-
Vigilant (Nancy): So let’s work together. I’ll use my low soon after. The winds are strong enough to strip
Gravitational controls to guide it and aid you as you flesh from bones. If the heroes do not act quickly
throw it. this storm could level the city.
GM: Alright, I like this. Vigilant, why don’t you roll Everyone takes 8 Damage before Armor.
Science. Elf, you’re the perceptive one, why don’t you
roll that? Next turn Vigilant will assist Bulwark with Bulwark 8 Damage - 8 Armor = 1 Damage (Mini-
his Overseer Armor. Bulward will make a Brawn roll mum), 24 Stamina - 1 Damage = 23 Stamina
against a Hard (55) Difficulty.
Elf 8 Damage - 10 Armor = 1 Damage (Minimum), 28
Vigilant (Nancy): Can I use my Tactics instead of Stamina - 1 Damage = 27 Stamina
Science?
Nox 8 Damage - 2 Armor = 6 Damage, 17 Stamina - 6
GM: Yes, also, since this will not impact the storm Damage = 11 Stamina
until next turn Elf and your successes will apply
then. Vigilant 8 Damage - 10 Armor = 1 Damage (Mini-
mum), 27 Stamina - 1 Damage = 26 Armor Stamina
Vigilant (Nancy): Okay, I’m going to spend a Will-
power to explode my roll. Turn 2

Vigilant’s roll: Intelligence 15 + Tactics 13 + ((4 + 1 + 2) Nox (Olivia): I’m going to keep up the shield. I’ll
x 2) = 42 spend 2 Willpower, one to keep up my Power Trick
and 1 to make my roll Explosive. Also, I want to use
Elf’s roll: Senses 15 + Perception 12 + Evolved Drifter my Push Range.
15 + 6 + 1 + 5 = 54
GM: Okay, we’ll treat any Degrees of Success as hav-
GM: Alright, fortunately there is a tanker about two ing an Advantage since it’s such a large Range.
blocks away that seems stuck. What is Nox doing?
Nox’s roll: Mental 15 + Shadow Control 12 + 3d6 ((3,
Nox (Olivia): Flying up, Nox will scan the area. She 6, 4)x2) = 51
normally shapes her shadows into blades and a
defensive barrier. She’s going to extend that out to Nox (Olivia): As the wind and the rain beat down
make a dome over the worst impacted areas. against the shadows Nox fights to stay airborne as
the wind whips around her madly. The winds surge
so does she holding back the tide as best she can.
“You better do whatever it is you’re planning! Fast,
fast!”

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 95
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 GM: That’s going to count as 3 Successes for Nox. Current Successes 16 - 17 (Heroes Actions) + 5 (Fe-
Vigilant since you are assisting you don’t need to roll rocity) + 1 (Disaster’s Successes) = 5
this turn, what’s the Bonus Bulwark gains?
Bulwark 10 Damage - 8 Armor = 2 Damage , 27
Vigilant (Nancy): That’s 14 from my Armor. The Grav Stamina - 2 Damage = 21 Stamina
Thrust kicks in and Vigilant hits the tanker with the
sound of metal on metal. He’s not going to be able to Elf 10 Damage - 10 Armor = 1 Damage (Minimum), 27
throw it, but maybe he can control it once they were Stamina - 1 Damage = 26 Stamina
airborne.
Nox 10 Damage - 2 Armor = 8 Damage, 11 Stamina -
Bulwark (Mike): My Brawn is 9 if I spend Willpower 8 Damage = 3 Stamina
for an Explosive roll I get to add +5 to the roll. With
Vigilant 14 Damage - 10 Armor = 4 Damage\, 26
Vigilant’s +14, that puts me at 52 before rolling.
Stamina - 4 Damage = 22 Armor Stamina
Bulwark’s roll: Strength 12 + Brawn 9 + Volcanic
It’s going to be a hard night but if the Aces can pull
Body 12 + Assist Bonus 14 + Explosive Talent Bonus
together and weather the storm they may save
5 + 4d6 ((3, 4, 6, 2)x2) = 82
Arlington...
Bulwark (Mike): Stepping up next to Elf Bulwark
looks down at her. “May I?” Gripping the side of the
tanker he takes a few steps back then breaks into a
Time Chart
run hefting the cargo over his head with Vigilant still Some powers have persistent effects and allow the
hanging on and launches it. character to increase the number of turns a Power main-
tains its effect by moving down the Time Chart. The GM
Vigilant (Nancy): The milk container spins with may also use the Time Chart as a gauge of how long some
Vigilant holding on as he tries to stabilize the con- actions may take. For example a Challenging Repair may
tainer, pushing in skyward. As the container reaches Take 3 Days while an Average job is done in 15 minutes.
its zenith, I tuck in and kick off blasting it just that bit Laborious Research may take up to 12 Hours.
further.
For each 10 points a character beats a time-intensive
GM:Since you ride the Tanker until the last moment, challenge the GM may move the time required down by 1.
you’re going to suffer full Damage this turn. For example if the character attempting the Challenging
Repair rolled a 55, 10 above the required 45 Difficulty the
Vigilant (Nancy): Okay. job may be done in a Day instead of 3.
Elf (Paul): Let’s go all out I’ll spend 5 Willpower to 0: 1 Turn
add my Perception pinpointing a fault to rip through I: 1 Minute
the container, a second to explode the roll, as well
II: 5 Minute
as the tanker, and finally 3 for an Amazing Critical.
III: 15 Minutes
GM: That will give you a bonus die, up to six and +5
IV: 30 Minutes
to the final Value for every 6 you roll.
V: 1 Hour
Elf’s roll: Constitution 15 + Evolved Drifter 15 + Per-
VI: 4 Hours
ception 12 + 4d6 ((2, 6, 1, 6, 4) x 2) = 80 + 10 (Amazing
Critical Bonus) = 90 VII: 12 Hours
VIII: 1 Day
Elf (Paul): The tanker is hit with a solid beam of pur-
ple-green energy pulsing around the container until IX: 3 Days
there is the sound of metal bending and the con- X: 1 Week
tents explode out. Driving it forward the milk webs
like neurons exploding with electricity in a Bioforce XI: 2 Weeks
net. The Bioforce web shears through the clouds XII: 1 Month
revealing the blue sky above, if only briefly.
XIII: 3 Months/1 Season
Vigilant (Nancy): “We have to Press that opening! XIV: 1 Year
Disperse the storm!”
XV: 5 Years
GM: Let’s see how well the storm endures. XVI: 10 Years

Hero Successes: 17! XVII: 50 Years

XVIII: 100 Years/1 Century
Disaster roll 5d6 (5, 6, 6, 1, 6) rolling three 6s
XIX: 500 Years/5 Centuries
XX: 1000 Years/1 Millennium
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Player’s Tools Heroic Acts
During a game session players have the ability to add to The following Heroic Acts give the character 1 Willpower.
scenes, dictate the flow of action, or add new scenes. The —— Commit an act of Charity that impacts the character
following section outlines tools the players have at their for the remainder of the story.
disposal to add or modify a given narrative. —— Rescue an innocent bystander incapable of acting or
—— Willpower: All heroes, and some villains, possess protecting themselves.
Willpower. This represents their ability to push hard- —— Successfully take the Defend Others Action when at 0
er, achieving success when they would otherwise or less Stamina, without mitigating damage through
fail, modify powers, or otherwise assert control in a Evasion, Impervious or Phased.
situation.
—— Cinematic Additions: Players can call for items
Sacrifice
or events to happen in a scene that benefit their When taking an Action the character does not have the
characters. Willpower to complete the character may take damage
—— Calamities: Being a superhero is tough. Calamities equal to their starting Stamina to gain 1 Willpower. The
allow players to complicate a scene based on their character may take up to three times their starting Stami-
Backgrounds in exchange for additional Willpower. na to gain up to 3 Willpower.

—— Splash Panels: When heroes take extraordinary Except where noted characters gain 1 Willpower for a
actions the players can reward that character with a single act.
Splash Panel. These Splash Panels give bonuses to
the hero allowing them a better chance of success, or Complications
possibly colossal failure. When a character rolls a failure, they may opt to compli-
cate matters. Taking a Complication the character nar-
Willpower rates how their actions have made things more difficult,
either for themselves, or in general. Players may opt to fail
All heroes, and some villains, possess Willpower. This
automatically and take a roll to take a Complication.
represents their ability to push harder, achieving suc-
cess when they would otherwise fail, modify powers, or Whenever a player adds a Complication they narrate how
otherwise assert control in a situation. A character’s base their Character’s actions make things more difficult for
Willpower is equal to the total Value of their Drives, the them moving forward. Some ideas of Complications in-
things that defined them as a hero. clude triggering an environmental effect like puncturing a
gas tank, causing a scaffolding, or even a building, to col-
Gaining Willpower lapse, or setting off a death trap or any number of other
things, such as moving into a bad position putting them at
Characters can gain Willpower by:
a disadvantage, or opening themselves up to harm.
—— Drives
When a character takes a Complication they gain 1 Will-
—— Heroic Acts power.
—— Sacrifice Note: GMs should allow characters to take more than one
—— Complications Complication from a Failed Roll when cinematically fitting
and bar Complications if they fail to add to the overall
Drives story.
When a character is confronted by a situation related to
a Drive or adds to the narrative based on a Drive, in a way Complication Penalties
that advances or enhances the story, gain 1 Willpower. —— Disarmed: The character loses whatever tools/Gear
—— Confronting a Drive: These are situations that directly they were using.
challenge the character’s Drive. Example: Nox being —— Disoriented: The character has to recover, lose their
challenged by police at a crime scene. next Action.
—— Adding to the Story: Players can insert their Drives —— Environmental Dangers: See: Using the Environment
into a story so long as it fits the overall narrative.
—— Exposed: The character is left off balance. Any at-
When adding to the story everyone must agree on
tacks against the character gain a +10 Bonus until the
the addition. Example: The GM describes a scene
start of their next turn.
as people harassing someone on the street. Olivia
could state that the people are part of HAAD, the an- —— Harm: The character suffers 5 Damage + 2 Damage
ti-Metahuman hate group and the victim is a mutant. for each 1 rolled.
—— Bypasses Armor. This may be from the environment
or immediate retaliation from a foe.

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 Complication Example: A flubbed roll later Paul is working on how to stay
in the chase and recover the Willpower spent. He
After a jewelry heist, Luminessence finds herself decides to take a Complication.
in a rolling shootout with Crossfire. She knows the
diamonds will be perfect for her new crown. With As Crossfire is making his shot he fails to see the
her solar power armor Crossfire is finding Lumines- oncoming taxi. The arrow goes wide and Crossfire
sence very hard to pin down. Her constant blasts clamors onto the car’s roof, taking 7 Damage, 5 + 2
aren’t helping either. for the 1 Paul rolled. Hurt Crossfire isn’t out of the
fight yet and his missed shot wasn’t as costly as
Shooting the awning ropes out so the cloth drops he thought. It has given him an idea though. Leap-
on Luminescence, distracting her long enough to ing to another nearby car Crossfire shouts “Follow
catch up. Paul spends 2 Willpower to use Crossfire’s her!” banging the roof and pointing. The chase
Bow as a Trapping Power. This is a tricky shot since continues…
Crossfire has to hit the rope just before Lumines-
sence gets to the awning.

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 Calamities Features
In any scene a player may add a Calamity. Calamities are 1–Willpower Features
like Cinematic Additions, only instead of making life easier —— Explosive Roll: Double the dice value of the next roll.
for the character Calamities complicate the scene. When Cost: 1 Willpower.
a player adds a Calamity it should directly tie to the scene
or current story. No roll is required to add a Calamity but —— Overcome: The character may attempt a reroll
it must be cinematically fitting for the scene. The Calamity against a continuing or persistent effect. Players
must add some new element of danger or threat. Although should narrate how their character gains a new at-
it does not need to directly threaten the character, Every- tempt. Cost: 1 Willpower and 1 Action.
one should agree when adding a Calamity. —— Potent Advantage: Gain an additional use of Once
per session abilities. This cannot be used with any
Gain 1 Willpower + 1 Willpower for anyone who helps re-
Boon that grants a Willpower Feature at no Cost or
solve the Calamity.
Reduced Cost. Cost: 1 Willpower.
Example —— Power Trick: Add 1 Boon to a Power for one Action.
Bulwark is facing off against the Metahuman hunter The player should narrate these actions and how dif-
Cure. While Cure claims to be protecting average ferent they are from the standard attack. Characters
people he has little regard for public safety and will can add multiple Power Tricks to an Action. When
use whatever tactics necessary to win. using a Power Trick apply the lowest Value (Typical,
Major) Power Trick cannot be used with Per session
After Cure’s latest attack misses Mike, Bulwark’s Boons, See Potent Advantage. Cost: 1 Willpower
player decides this is a perfect opportunity to insert —— Situational Support: The character may use a Talent
a Calamity. He states that the blast strikes a nearby to Support one of their Powers or a Combat Value
building with people gathered in front watching the (such as Initiative, or Surprised Defense) for one roll.
battle that will be crushed. This Calamity also plays This player must narrate how the characteristic is
to Bulwark’s Drive of Proving He’s No Monster. being used for this roll. Characters can use multi-
ple Situational Supports for a roll. Each Situational
Everyone readily agrees this is a Calamity and now
Support should draw on a different Talent. Cost: 1
Bulwark must also try to protect the gawkers in
Willpower
addition to stopping Cure.
2–Willpower Features
To resolve the Calamity Bulwark will sacrifice an ac-
tion and take the Damage he would have avoided to —— Advantageous Blow: After making an attack roll add
pull the people under him and take the hit from the one of the following Modifiers to the Attack: +4 Dam-
falling rubble. This will also act as a free Trapping age, Staggered for 1 Action, or Trip. This Modifier does
Power Bulwark will need to break. not alter the attack’s Value. Players should narrate
how this Modifier takes effect, as it wasn’t originally
Bulwark gains 3 Willpower, 1 for the Calamity, 1 for planned but an outcome of the attack. Characters
his Drive, and 1 for overcoming the Calamity. may select Advantageous Blow multiple times. A
Modifier can only be selected once. Cost: 2 Willpower
Refreshing Willpower —— Flesh Wound: Characters may spend Willpower to
At the start of each session each characters Willpower is mitigate Damages from an attack. The character
reset. heals a number of Damages equal to their Current
Willpower. Cost: 2 Willpower
Spending Willpower —— Inspire: Spending an action to encourage another
the character may grant another Target a Free Sup-
When a character taps into their Willpower they push
porting Characteristic equal to one of their Drives or
beyond their normal capacities highlighting their actions
Catalyst until the start of their next turn. The chosen
in Features. Multiple Features can be added to an action.
Characteristic must make sense for the roll or Scene,
However, unless otherwise stated a Feature can only be
and the player must narrate how they are inspiring
added once to a roll.
their Target. Cost: 2 Willpower and 1 Action to inspire
Willpower costs based on the potential bonus. Basic 1 Ally
Features cost 1, 2, or 3 Willpower, offering characters
—— Will Powered: Any Power or Maneuver that requires
increasingly potent bonuses. Cost 5 Features improve on
a Margin, or number of Damage to take effect gains
the original basic Features while 10 Willpower can cheat
a bonus equal to the minimum Margin, or number of
death.
Damage required for each 2 Willpower Spent. Char-
Willpower may be used in the following ways: acters may add one additional instance of Will Pow-
ered for each Drive used in the roll. Cost: 2 Willpower

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 3-Willpower Features —— Improved Situational Support: The character may
use any Characteristic, other than another Attribute
—— Amazing Critical: The player adds 1 additional die
to Support one of their Powers or a Combat Value
up to a maximum of 6 for their next roll. For each 6
(such as Initiative or Surprised Defense) for an entire
on the characters next roll, add +5 to the final value.
Scene. This player must narrate how the character-
If this is an attack or defense roll, they also add 1
istic is being used for this roll. Characters can use
additional Damage or Armor for each 6 rolled. Cost: 3
multiple Situational Supports for a roll. Each Situ-
Willpower.
ational Support should draw on a different Talent.
—— Surprise Action: Take a single Action. This action can Cost: 5 Willpower.
be done at any time and is treated as an Interrupting
—— Shatter: The character’s next attack decimates the
Action if taken on another character’s turn. Cost: 3
Target’s defense. Reduce their Armor by Half until
Willpower
they Heal. If the Target’s Armor is generated by Gear,
5–Willpower Features the Gear must instead be repaired. Cost: 5 Willpower
—— Improved Inspire: Spending an action to encourage 10-Willpower Feature
another the character may grant All Allies a Free
—— Nine Lives: Automatically avoid dying. Restores the
Supporting Characteristic equal to a Drive of their
character to 1. Cost: 10 Willpower.
Catalyst until the start of their next turn. The Drive
must make sense for the roll or Scene, and the player Example
must narrate how they are inspiring their Target. Facing the Brood, a team of supervillains, Bulwark
Cost: 5 Willpower and 1 Action to Inspire All Allies. has to act quickly to protect his teammates. It will
—— Improved Power Trick: Add 1 Boon to a Power for one take more than raw power to overcome multiple
Scene. When using a Power Trick apply the smallest powerful foes. Focusing his mind he reaches in-
Value (Typical, Major). The player should narrate ward to activate Hephaestus Circlet. The stones on
these attacks and how different they are from the Bulwark shift to form a large circle exposing the
standard attack. Characters can add multiple Power magma below exploding out under the control of
Tricks to an Action. Cost: 5 Willpower the ancient artifact.

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 Attack: Eruption! 23 (Constitution 18 + Volcanic Here we have a setup for action. The players knew
Body 12 + Brawn 4 + Support: Occult 9 - Maneu- an attack was coming but the Brood’s methods are
ver: Heavy Blow 20) Dice 4 Range Close Damage still surprising.
20 Notes Requires 4 Will-power: Support: Occult,
Radius, Shapeable, Boost Devastation. Uses Heavy The GM had mentioned that the wall exploded in-
Blow. Critical Skill: Intimidation. Bulwark spends 4 ward leaving an opening large enough for the Brood
Willpower. to enter. Hoping to turn the surprise on the villains,
Ronin’s player asks if a support beam has been
Situational Support: Occult exposed.

Power Trick: Radius While this was not in the original description it
seems reasonable. Because of this the GM decides
Power Trick: Shapeable it’s feasible but not in the description and would
make a good Cinematic Addition. The GM sets the
Power Trick Boost Devastation
Target at Average (15) because it is reasonable, but
Veins of stone and magma fly through the air in un- if Ronin Succeeds with a Degree of Success he’ll let
natural torrents slamming into Mock and his Crew the player place the beam, within reason, otherwise
with devastating force. it’s on the edge of the damaged wall.

Ronin rolls.
Cinematic Additions
Reviewing the results the GM tells the players that
In setting a scene during a story GMs cover major ele- there is an exposed beam and asks Ronin’s player to
ments and details. It’s impossible to include every detail in describe it’s placement. Nancy puts a marker just off
a scene. When players ask questions or look for things in to the side of the Brood with a bit of room before the
the scene the GM may simply say yes or no but depending wall. She then tells the GM, Ronin is going to lunge
on the request, a Fortune roll can be used to determine if out the hole grabbing the beam to swing around and
what the player is looking for is there and/or available. drop kick Mock, the Brood’s leader, from behind.
When deciding to use a Cinematic Addition for a scene
the GM should evaluate the significance of the actions It’s a risky move, but it’s certainly heroic and pos-
involved. and the plausibility of the request. A Difficulty sibly worthy of a Splash Panel. Dave, the GM, tells
above Advanced (25) becomes almost impossible unless Ronin that she can make a Distraction roll against
the character possess the Serendipity Talent or is willing Mock to see if the strike puts him off guard.
to spend Willpower.
GMs should be careful not to rule out any addition that is
Splash Panels
cinematically appropriate for the narrative. Players should In comic books dramatic actions are paired with Splash
also expect to spend Willpower for such fortunate things Panels designed to draw the reader’s eye to these critical
as a dumpster filled with boxes to land in when jumping events. In a role playing game sometimes these big events
off a roof. are overlooked. Because Metahumans Rising at its heart
is inspired by these tales, it rewards creative play with
These rolls should add suspense and help GMs navigate
Splash Panels.
the line between giving players too much and too little.
Just be careful not to allow Cinematic Additions to become Each session the group can award a Splash Panel. These
a crutch. GMs should always attempt to provide rich de- are iconic scenes in the session. After a player describes
scriptions and backgrounds for the players to build from. an action pivotal to the story, or scene, other players can
declare that action a Splash Panel.
Example
This may be outstanding dialog, a desperate gamble, or
After deciphering chatter, Vigilant confirms the any other action that makes other players pause and take
Brood are planning on stealing Detritus, the amal- in the scene. These actions should be fittingly heroic, and
gam monster’s stasis chamber. While staking out inline with the characters personality. Players cannot
the center, the wall around the window explodes nominate their own actions for a Splash Panel. The play-
as glass shattering. Leading the way is the stone ers must all agree that the nominated player’s action was
golem Gargoyle. Other members of the Brood follow worthy of recognition.
behind him. Inside the building Ronin, Crossfire,
Wayfarer, and Guardian stand between them and On a successful roll, the player gains either 2 free Degrees
unlocking the chamber containing the monster of Success or the Advantageous Blow Willpower Feature,
Detritus. their choice.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 4 Combat
Actions Initiative
Sometimes heroes solve problems with their fists, or blasts Initiative represents how well a character can assess the
of cosmic energy, whichever. Simple conflicts can be re- battlefield. Characters with a higher Initiative Value have a
solved using Competitive Rolls. However, when the villains better perspective on the battle and can adapt to the cha-
aren’t running, and the mooks are even squaring off, it’s os accordingly. This determines the order in which charac-
time for a real fight, and this is where Combat begins. ters take actions in combat or other time sensitive events.
Combat is broken up into a series of turns. Each turn all —— Characters with lower Initiatives act first.
combatants have an opportunity to act. One way to visu- —— Characters with a higher Value have the option at-
alize a turn is a page or two from a comic book with each tempt to Interrupt these actions or Actively defend
action a character takes representing a panel or two. against them.
Characters determine the order in which they act using Ini-
tiative, which measures a character’s ability to analyze the Rolling Initiative
battlefield and act or react. Each turn begins with the slow- Select a core Attribute: Dexterity, Sense, Fortune, Intelli-
est character, whoever has the lowest Value, acting first. gence or Expression.
On their turn a character may take up to 2 Actions. Charac- The Perception and Intuition Talents may be used as Sup-
ters with higher Initiatives have the opportunity to Inter- porting Characteristics for this roll along with any Power
rupt these actions or Actively Defend against them. or Fighting Style designated as Supporting the Parent
Example Actions Attribute, Perception, Intuition or Initiative.

—— Attack: Make an Attack action. Example: Bulwark’s Initiative is 17 (Fortune 5 + Vol-

—— Active Defense: Use Active Defense to increase the canic Body 12) This includes an Attribute and Talent
character’s Defense Value against an oncoming giving him 3 Dice
attack.
Once Initiative is rolled, characters take their Actions from
—— Basic Talent rolls: The character uses a Talent such
lowest Final value to highest. In the event of a tie, player
as interfacing with a computer or aiding someone
characters should be treated as having the higher Value.
with Medical needs.
—— Draw/Holster: Draws or properly holster gear. The Power of 6: The Rush of Battle
—— Sprint: Move between Range Increments as quickly Combat can be chaotic and difficult to predict. People
as possible but at the risk of being exposed to added achieve incredible acts of heroism. When rolling Initiative,
danger. for each 6 the character gains 1 Willpower, up to their
maximum.
—— Stand up: Move from Prone to standing
Slow Actions (Requires a Full turn or 2 Ac- Attacking
tions) —— Attack Rolls: Roll the Parent Attribute of the Fighting
—— Move: Move between Range Increments without Style or Power used. Some characters may also have
being exposed to added danger. Supporting Talents.
—— The player rolls this Value and compares it to the
Simple Tasks opponent’s Defense.
Characters may perform simple tasks on their turn with- —— If the Final Attack Value is greater than the oppo-
out impeding the major actions they take. nent’s Defense the Attack hits successfully.
Example Simple Tasks —— Note: Characters without a Fighting Style or Power
—— Drop something the character is holding. roll the most appropriate Attribute for the Attack,
typically Strength or Dexterity.
—— Speak: Characters may speak, within reason, without
penalty. Picture a comic book panel.
—— Some other minor actions unworthy of a full Action,
like flipping levers or dropping prone.

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 Ranged Attacks —— Disoriented: The character has to recover, lose their
next Action.
By default Attacks are considered Close Range. The
—— Exposed: The character is left off balance. Any at-
Ranged Boon allows characters to strike Targets at great-
tacks against the character gain a +10 Bonus until the
er distances.
start of their next turn.
If a character wishes to use a Ranged Attack to strike a —— Glancing Blow: The attack lands poorly. Inflict only
Target outside their normal range they suffer a -20 Penal- half the normal Damage after Armor.
ty for each additional Range Increment.
—— Harm: The character suffers 5 Damage + 2 Damage
Example: A typical pistol has a Medium Range, a for each 1 rolled. Bypasses Armor
character using a pistol could attack any Target —— Opening: The attack lands but has left him open to
within Close, Short or Medium Range. Attacking retaliation. The Defender may make an immediate
a Target at Long range would incur a -20 penal- action against the Attacker.
ty while attacking a Target at the Edge of Combat
range would suffer a -40.
Defense
A character’s Defense is used to avoid or negate attacks
Damage & Stamina before any Damage is taken. When Attacked the char-
Pain and injuries are represented by Damage. A Standard acters Defense is compared to the Attack Value. If the
Attack inflicts 2 Damage for each Characteristic rolled. Defense exceeds the Attack Value, the Attack fails.
Some Power Boons such as Brutal Onslaught or Devastat- There are three basic types of Defense: Surprised, Normal
ing increase this Damage. and Mental. Normally characters use their Defense Value.
Damage is reduced by an opponent’s Armor Value then Spending an Action allows the character to take an Active
subtracted from a character’s Stamina. Characters with 0 Defense, rolling their Defense dice and adding it to the
Stamina may be injured or knocked out. Once a characters Value.
Stamina drops below 0 the consequences may be fatal.
Surprised Defense
Example: Crossfire’s basic attack: Willow Shot 33 —— A character uses Surprised Defense if they are caught
(Dexterity 12 + Archery 10 + Willow 11) Dice 3 Dam- off guard, unaware or unable to defend an Attack.
age 11 Range Long. This attack includes an Attribute
˜˜ Surprised Defense is equal to Fortune + Any Pow-
a Fighting Style and Gear giving Crossfire 3 Dice.
ers with the Passive Defense Boon.
This Would normally give him 6 Damage. However,
Crossfire’s Bow, Willow, is Devastating with the ˜˜ Attacks made against Surprised Defense inflict 1
Boost Devastation Advancement adding 5 additional additional Damage per Characteristic used.
Damage. Normal Defense
—— When the character is aware of the attacker and can
Hitting Hurts! react the character uses their Normal Defense.
Unless a Power negates the Damage, on a successful at- ˜˜ Normal Defense is equal to the Parent Attribute +
tack the opponent always suffers a minimum of 1 Damage Any Defensive Powers or Fighting Styles.
regardless of Armor Level.
˜˜ Characters without a Defensive Power should use
The Power of 6: Critical Hits the most Appropriate Attribute typically Dexterity
or Constitution.
When attacking, the character adds 2 additional Damage
for each 6 rolled. On a successful hit, this Damage is add- Mental Defense
ed to the total Damage inflicted. —— Attacks targeting the characters mind or spirit
Partials in Combat without any physical component are negated using
Mental Defense.
Combat is unpredictable. When a character attacks and
˜˜ Mental Defense is equal to the Parent Attribute
rolls a Partial, the player (this may be the person attacking
+ Any appropriate Defensive Powers or Fighting
or defending) selects a Complication. Some Combat Ma-
Styles.
neuvers have unique Complications that take precedence
over the options below. ˜˜ Characters without an appropriate Defensive
Power should use the most Appropriate Attribute,
Note: If a player is attacking another player the Defender typically Mental.
picks the result on a Partial.
—— Environmental Dangers: See: Using the Environment
—— Disarmed: The character loses whatever tools they
were using.
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Active Defense Injuries, Unconsciousness,
—— Characters who have an unused Action may take an
Active Defense. and Death
˜˜ Roll Dice based on the Defense Characteristics When a character reaches 0 Stamina several things hap-
adding it to the Defense Value. Requires: 1 Action. pen. The character’s body has reached its breaking point
and may suffer Injuries, be Knocked Out, even killed.
Armor When the character takes Damage reducing them below
Characters gain 1 Armor Level for each Characteristic used 0 Stamina they make an Injury Roll, using their Mental or
in their Defense. Characters with Defensive Powers may Constitution + Outlast, whichever is higher, versus Diffi-
also have the Armor Boon and Boost Armor Advancement culty 15 + a Value equal to their Negative Stamina.
for extra protection.
On a successful roll the character takes an Injury, on a
Example: Guardian’s Defenses Failed roll the character is Knocked Out. The character can
Surprised Defense: avoid suffering an Injury with a Degree of Success. Once
23 (Fortune 8 + Steel 15) the character has suffered 3 Injuries, a successful roll
Dice 3, Armor 9 knocks the character out, a Failed roll results in Death.
Normal Defense: Injuries are treated like Drawbacks. Characters do not gain
40 (Strength 15 + Steel 15 + Intensive Training 10) Bonus Experience for these Drawbacks. When a character
Dice 3, Armor 11 would heal they may instead remove an Injury. Treat Inju-
Mental Defense: ries as 5 Stamina for this purpose.
32 (Mental 15 + Granddaughter of American Steel 17)
Dice 2 Armor 4 (study) Injuries
Guardian’s Power Steel is a Defensive Power with —— Broken: The character has broken an arm, leg, other
Armor, Boost Armor, and Passive Defense. It has a bones or their equivalent in their body. The character
Value of 15 and gives her 7 Bonus Armor. She also suffers a Penalty equal to twice the Parent Attribute
has a Defensive Fighting Style, Intensive Training, to Physical rolls. As with Limitations the character
this adds to her Normal Defense but not Surprised may ignore this Penalty for 1 Action by Spending 1
Defense. As a Generational hero she adds her Origin point of Willpower.
to her Mental Defense. Finally, her Study of Military —— Dazed: The character may take only a Single Action
History and Metahumans each grant her a bonus each turn.
level of Mental Armor.
—— Hurt: The character has suffered a number of wounds
and their body is beginning to fail them. The char-
The Power of 6, Part 2: Critical Defenses acter suffers a Penalty equal to the Parent Attribute
When taking an Active Defense the character gains 1 addi- to all rolls. As with Limitations the character may
tional level of Armor for each 6 they roll. ignore this Penalty for 1 Action by Spending 1 point of
Willpower.
Damage Levels
The following table outlines the general severity of dam-
Knocked Out
age taken compared to an average person. When a character reaches 0 Stamina or below, the player
may opt to have the character be Knocked Out. A character
—— 1 Damage Light Injury: Minor bruises, scrapes and
who is Knocked Out is effectively removed from the scene,
cuts
suffering no further negative effects. Should a character
—— 3 Damage: Moderate Injury: Deep tissue injuries, be damaged by an unavoidable effect such as a Radius
large cuts and gashes, cracked bones Attack simply note the new lower Stamina Value.
—— 5 Damage: Severe Injury: Broken bones, impacts The character remains Knocked Out until they receive
strong enough to render people unconscious medical attention or otherwise heal. This may be from
—— 10 Damage: Possibly Fatal: Shattered bones, punc- another character or after a period of rest.
tured organs, fatal for some people. Optional: GMs may require an Injury Roll to regain con-
—— 15 Damage: Fatal: Without Armor 15 Damage is sciousness.
enough to kill an average person outright.
Note: Metahumans Rising is designed to create a Com-
—— 20 Damage: Destroyed: This injury is severe enough ic Book inspired reality. Heroes who are Knocked Out
to leave only mangled parts of a body behind, or should not be targeted by Villains. However, heroes may
charred remains. be caught in Radius effects or Environmental Dangers. In
—— 30 Damage: Obliterated: There is likely nothing left of these instances the character suffers Damage as normal
the victim’s body. and does not need to make any additional rolls.

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 Death Luminessence darts across the street, bolts of light
erupting from her gauntlets. The energy bolts ex-
Once a character has suffered three Injuries they are at plode under the cars parked next to you.
risk of death. If the character makes another Injury Roll, a
successful roll leaves them Knocked Out. On a Failed roll In this description the GM describes the villain’s shifting
the character begins dying, and will die on the start of position, Luminescence is not actually changing Range but
their next turn if they do not receive medical treatment or the description adds context to the action. Luminessence
healing. is making two attacks leaving no actions for defense. Also,
Optional: Final Drawbacks: GMs may allow characters Luminescence is spending a point of Willpower on each
to take a final Drawback to prevent death, this may be attack to add Boost Devastation.
a Coma, removing the character from play for several The player can react to this describing his action:
sessions (this works best with Super Teams where players
have several Characters) or other critical injury such as Leaping, Nox fades into the shadow of the car as it
the loss of an eye, or limb. crashes to the ground reemerging behind Lumines-
sence.
Optional: Iron Age Wounds: As written heroes and villains
can stay standing and avoid death, even under some ma-
jor punishment. Some groups may wish to play in a grittier Here the player is taking an active defense followed up
game where Damage impacts characters more. In these with an attack. While Olivia did not spend the action to use
Campaigns, characters at Negative Stamina suffer 1 Dam- Stealth it’s a dramatic shot and other players may vote for
age at the Start of their turn. Characters are not exempted this to be a Splash Panel.
from the scene and continue to take damage and must When establishing Ranges, begin with the player’s charac-
continue to take Injuries even after being knocked out and ters. The area where most of the Heroes are is the starting
can be killed. Note: In an Iron Age Campaign the character point of the Conflict. There are 6 Range Increments: Close,
is checking each turn with a continuously increasing level Short, Medium, Long, Edge of Conflict, Outside of Conflict.
of difficulty. Without aid they will die. These Ranges are rough distances and should reflect the
area a character is in with logical boundaries.
Example: While battling Citizen Red, Crossfire is
lanced by a laser beam. The damage brings Cross- —— Close: This is the area closest to the characters’
fire’s Stamina to -5. To remain standing he must starting position. Consider Close Range the distance
succeed an Expert (20) Injury Roll. Crossfire has a an average person could travel at a sprint in a few
Constitution 7. Crossfire’s only chance to stay con- seconds, generally 15 meters or 50 feet. In Combat
scious is to roll a 6 on 2d6 to avoid being Knocked characters can use any Attack within this Range.
Out. (The Power of 6s moving his Failure to a Suc- —— Short: This area is just outside the distance an aver-
cess.) Not wanting to risk it Paul Spends 1 Willpower age person could travel in several seconds. Consider
to Explode his roll Crossfire tries to stay in the fight. Short Range roughly the same size as Close Range,15
meters or 50 feet.
Crossfire rolls Constitution 7 + ((2 + 5) x 2) = 21
—— Medium: This area represents the wider battlefield.
Crossfire remains in the fight but is Injured. Paul Here the distance opens up to 30 meters to 100 feet
decides Crossfire is Hurt, suffering a Penalty equal or the size of Close and Short Range combined. Most
to the Parent Attribute to all rolls. If he had rolled a handguns are Medium Range weapons.
6 instead of a 5 Crossfire would have had a Degree
—— Long: At Long Range the battlefield expands further.
of Success and had avoided an Injury.
Consider Long Range 100 meters or 325 feet or the
size of Close, Short and Medium range combined.
Conflict Field Most rifles are Long Range weapons.
—— Edge of Conflict: This is the far extreme of the action.
In Scenes where timing and individual actions are critical Consider the Edge Range 100 meters or 325 feet or
such as Combat the area for the Conflict can be divided the size of Close, Short and Medium range combined.
into basic ranges to help everyone visualize the action. In
Combat it is assumed that participants are moving and —— Outside of Conflict: This range is more of a place-
shifting position throughout the battle. Rarely are com- holder for everything that is not threatened by the
batants right next to each other as they jockey for better immediate conflict.
positioning. Super heroic battles ramp up the mobility and Range increments can be adjusted based on terrain or
ground covered in the action. situation.
By tracking range in larger increments players and GMs
can create dynamic scenes. It is important for GMs to give
players these visual cues. A character’s actions might be
described as:

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 Example Conflict Field: Back Alley Fight Dynamic Range Increments
A fight erupts in the middle of an alleyway. The GM As characters move through various ranges the GM
designates the middle of the alleyway, where the should keep an eye on the center of the action. If the ac-
heroes are currently located, as Close Range while tion shifts to Medium Range, the GM should declare this
anything near either end are Short Range. Targets the new Close Range and move the action forward from
on the streets outside the alleyway are at Medium there.
Range. Because the area is confined the GM does
not designate any further Range Increments. If the
battle spilled out onto the street the GM would then
add new Range Increments as needed.

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 Movement ˜˜ 1 Degree of Success: The character can move the
object anywhere within reason when disarmed.
In a conflict all characters can take a Slow Action, 2 Actions, ˜˜ 2 Degrees of Success: The character can take pos-
to move between Range Increments. From Close to Short session of the Object.
Range, Short Range to Medium, and so on. Characters with
a Movement Power and the Boost Speed Boon may move —— Option: Characters may take an additional -10 to
an additional Range Increment for each instance of Boost move the disarmed object one Range Increment
Speed. The Movement Talent or Accelerate Boon allow the away or spend an extra Action to move the disarmed
character to reduce this to a single Action. object one Range Increment away.
Grappling
Sprinting
Foregoing damage, a character may instead attempt to
Foregoing safety, the character moves as quickly as they
restrain a Target. Grabbing them makes it more difficult to
can. They make a Movement roll, Dexterity + Talents such
attack others and move.
as Movement or Jumping versus an Expert (20) Difficulty.
—— Roll: The character rolls their normal Attack -10
—— Exposed: The character uses their Surprised Defense
against the Target’s Defense.
until the Start of their next turn.
—— Success: This attack does no damage and the Target
—— Success: The character moves 1 Range Increment in a
is grappled.
Single Action.
˜˜ The Grappled Target suffers a -10 Penalty to all
—— Degrees of Success: The character may move 1 addi-
rolls, except to Break Free or otherwise Attack the
tional Range Increment for each 2 Degrees of Success.
Grappler.
—— Terrain: Terrain penalties may apply to this roll.
˜˜ Attacks made against either character use Sur-
prised Defense but inflict regular damage.
Maneuvers —— Break Free: To break free or reverse the grapple
Combat in Metahumans Rising puts the narrative and flow in the Target must make an Escape Artist or Brawn
the hands of the players and GM. When a character attempts Roll against the character’s Attack Value + 10. If the
a tricky combat Maneuver GMs should assign a -10 Penalty Defender rolls with 2 Degrees of Success they may
to their normal Attack roll. Damage may be Halved or negat- reverse the Grapple.
ed depending on the Maneuver. The following maneuvers
˜˜ These rolls do not suffer from the normal Grapple
can be used as a framework for players and GMs to create
penalty.
new Actions on the fly to keep flowing. Characters may at-
tempt any listed Maneuver with an appropriate power. —— Power Release: Often described as wrestling throws
such as a backbreaker, piledriver, or suplex, perform-
Bypass Armor ing a Power Release on a Grappled character releas-
Heavily armored foes can easily shrug off all but the most es the Target but inflicts additional damage.
devastating of attacks. However, combatants can circum- ˜˜ Roll the attack as normal on a successful roll the
vent most protections with timing and skill. additional damage from Power Strike becomes
—— Roll: The character rolls their normal Attack -10 Penetrating.
against the Target’s Defense. This roll is not an actual Heavy Blow
attack and does no damage.
The character reduces their accuracy for additional damage.
—— Success: The character’s following Attacks ignores
half Target’s Armor. This effect continues until the De- —— Roll: The character rolls their normal Attack -10
fender takes an Active Defense at which time the char- against the Target’s Defense.
acter would need to make a new Bypass Armor roll. —— Success: +3 Damage
—— Partial: Add 2 Damage to the character’s next Attack. —— Option: The character may increase the penalty. For
Disarm each additional -10 the character takes, increase the
Damage by 3.
It may be important to get an object away from a Target,
this may be a weapon, an artifact of power, or other object. Held Action
—— Roll: The character rolls their normal Attack -10 against Characters may opt not to act on their Initiative, instead
the Target’s Defense, if this is a carried object such as allowing them to Defend themselves later.
most weapons. Increase the Penalty to 20 for well se- —— Action: The character holds back an Action allowing
cured objects such as a bandolier or wrist brace. them to act later in the turn.
—— Success: The object is removed in a way that will —— Unused Actions: At the end of a turn, increase the
require at least 1 Action to Recover. This Attack does characters Initiative by 5 for each unused Action.
no other Damage.

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 Interrupting Action —— Example 1: Rabbit Punches (Attack Twice): The char-
acter, a brawler, rolls their Boxing attack, subtracting
Characters with an available action may interrupt another 20 from the total. The opponent resolves each of the
character’s Action. two attacks individually.
—— Roll: The character makes whatever roll their Action —— Example 2: Body Check (Active Defense - Strike): The
would require with a -10 Penalty. This Action happens character takes an Active Defense defending against
at the same time as the other character. an Attack and immediately strikes back. The charac-
—— Intervening: If the character is directly targeting an ter’s Active Defense Roll is used to resolve the initial
opponent taking an Action or otherwise trying to pre- Attack and is used as their Attack Value.
vent them from acting compare their respective rolls —— Example 3: Keep Away/Fly By : The character Moves
with the higher roll succeeding, negating the other from Close Range to Short Range, striking and mov-
character’s Action. ing back or away. The character makes a Sprint Roll
˜˜ Partial: Both actions occur at the same time subtracting 40 from the total. The opponent resolves
resolve each independently. Note: This Partial is an Attack using the same Value. The character then
based on both rolls being within 5 of each other. moves again either back to Close Range or to Medium
Range.
—— Defend Others: The character may put themselves in
the line of fire to defend someone else. The character Stagger
makes an Active Defense roll with no Penalty.
Characters may attempt to stagger a foe forcing them to
˜˜ Success: The character defends the Target taking lose actions as they try to recover.
any Damage.
—— Roll: The character rolls their normal Attack -10
˜˜ Partial: Both the character and the Defended Tar- against the Target’s Defense.
get are injured taking half Damage.
—— Success: After Armor the attacker can trade Damage
Power Strike as follows:
Taking additional time to ready their attack, the character ˜˜ Staggered for 1 Action, 3 Damage
delivers a potent strike inflicting additional damage. ˜˜ Staggered for 1 turn, 6 Damage
—— Roll: The character rolls their normal Attack -10 ˜˜ Staggered for 2 turns, 12 Damage
against the Target’s Defense.
˜˜ Each Additional turn + 6 Damage
—— Action: Add 3 Extra Damage, Half the Damage from
Characteristics becomes Penetrating. (see the Pen- —— Staggered: Staggered characters use Surprised
etrating Advancement, pg. 57.)This is a Slow Action Defense and cannot activate per session Boons even
requiring a Full turn (2 Actions) and leaves them ex- with WIllpower. Staggered characters may spend 1
posed, use Surprised Defense until the Start of their Willpower to take an Action on their turn but other-
next turn. wise cannot act.

Rapid Actions Trip

Sacrificing accuracy, the character takes two quick ac- A foe on the ground finds it much more difficult to defend
tions. This Maneuver may be used in any number of ways against most attacks.
allowing characters to fire off multiple shots, or attack a —— Roll: The character rolls their normal Attack -10
swath of foes. Rapid Actions are effectively a less refined against the Target’s Defense.
version of the Combo Boon. When using Rapid Action the
—— Success: Inflict half the normal Damage. The Target
player makes only a single roll based on the highest Value.
falls to the ground Prone. (see pg. 113)
Not all Rapid Actions are the same, and not all parts of a
Rapid Action are necessarily strikes.
—— Counter Strike: Initiated by an Active Defense action.
Improvised Weapons
The character rolls their Active Defense to resolve Often in super battles everything from cars to washing
the Rapid Action. machines wind up being thrown, smashed, or swung at an
opponent. At any time a character can pick up an impro-
—— Movement: Take a Sprint Action at the beginning of
vised weapon. However, most objects are not intended to
or during a Rapid Action. The character rolls either
be used as weapons and are only useful once or twice.
their Movement, Attack, or Defense, whatever Action
initiates the Rapid Action.
Quick Play
—— Roll: The character declares which Actions they wish
to take. The character rolls their primary Action -10 The character spends 1 Action to pick up an Improvised
and an additional -10 for each Additional Action. (A Weapon, This may require a Lifting Roll depending on the
character taking 2 Actions rolls at -20, taking 3 Ac- size of the object.
tions would require a -30.)

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 Attack: Improvised weapons are not designed for combat, Boost Devastation as a Power Trick. Mike describes this as
Attacks suffer a -10 penalty. Bulwark grabbing a car and smashing over his fow.
Damage: Add 1 to 6 wounds depending on size and inher- GMs wishing to add further detail to improvised weapons
ent lethality. can use the following guidelines.
Durability: Each time the object is used there is a chance Viable Weapons
it is destroyed, GMs should make sure the players are
Virtually anything can be turned into a weapon. The char-
aware of the object’s condition.
acter’s Strength determines the size of weapons they can
Note: Players can always describe a Power Trick as com- use. Weight Classes are listed next to their Difficulties on
ing from an improvised weapon without spending an addi- pg. 112.
tional Action. Example: Bulwark Spends 1 Willpower to add

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 Weapon Weights —— Superheated Lead Pipe: Lift Value 5 Damage +2
Notes Trades durable for additional Damage. Wielder
Characters may use Improvised Weapons they can Lift.
suffers 2 Damage each turn if they lack protection.
Normally it requires 1 Action to pick up an object. Charac-
ter’s wishing to lift heavier objects may spend an extra —— Street Light Pole, 3 Meters Lift Value 25 Damage +3
Action to make a Lifting Roll. —— Tanker Truck Trailer Filled with Gas: Lift Value 55
Note: As long as the character has a Lifting Value meeting Damage +6 Notes Close Radius, Explosive. Usable
the Difficulty based on the weight no roll is Required. only once.

High Strength Just because you can, doesn’t mean you

should.
Objects that are 3 weight classes or lower than the char-
acters base Lifting Value are no longer viable. The char- —— Aircraft Carrier, Loaded for Deployment: Lift Value
acter is simply too strong to gain any benefit. (Guardian’s 85 Damage +9 Notes Long Radius, Explosive. Usable
punch already feels like a lead pipe. She doesn’t need an only once.
actual lead pipe.) —— Deep Sea Oil Rig: Lift Value 70 Damage +9 Notes
Improvised Attack Rolls Medium Radius, Explosive. Usable only once.
—— Oil Tanker, Filled Gas: Lift Value 85 Damage +10
Attack rolls with improvised weapons suffer a -10 penalty.
Notes Long Radius, Explosive. Usable only once.
GMs may reduce this to a -5 penalty for improvised weap-
ons that are close to actual weapons such as a parking
meter, or lead pipe. Combat Modifiers
Damage Cover
Basic damage is based on the weight of the object used. When a character takes Cover, the GM should gauge how
Improvised weapons deal 1 Damage + 1 Damage for every much of their body is protected assigning bonus Defense,
2 Weight Classes. An Improvised Weapon weighing 50 from Very Light (Value 1) to Complete Cover (Value 30) and
Kilograms or less adds 1 Damage to an Attack, 51 - 100 Armor Strength, from Little more than visual distraction
Kilograms adds 2 Damage and so on. Improvised weapons (Armor 0) to Near impenetrable (Armor 15).
that are particularly dangerous should be given 1 addi-
tional Damage. Requires 1 Action.
Cover may be bypassed using a regular Bypass Armor roll.
Example Improvised Weapons Depending on the narrative, Surprise attacks also ignore
—— Cargo Container, fully loaded: Lift Value: 55 Damage cover.
+6 Notes Fragile, destroyed after 1 attack. single
Like Improvised Weapons most cover was not designed as
strike.
Armor. Each time a character uses cover any successful
—— Concrete Slab, 1 Meter Wide: Lift Value 30 Damage attack’s damage reduces the Armor Value of the Cover.
+3 Notes Breaks, after each attack, reduce the Dam-
age by 1. Cover Examples
—— Fire Hydrant: Lift Value 25 Damage +3 Notes Durable —— Almost completely behind a 2 meter cube of rein-
forced concrete: Bonus Defense 30 Armor 15
—— I-Beam, 1 Story: Lift Value 35 Damage +4
—— Completely behind a 3 meter stack of wooden ship-
—— Impact Attenuator (Large Barrel of Water): Lift Value
ping pallets: Bonus Defense 25 Armor 3
25 Damage +3 Notes Fragile, destroyed after 1 attack
—— Ducking behind a car’s engine block: Bonus Defense
—— Ladder, Wooden: Lift Value 5 Damage +1 Notes De-
18 Armor 7
fensive, add 1 Armor on Active Defense. (+2 if you are
Jackie Chan.) —— Ducking behind a car’s trunk: Bonus Defense 18 Ar-
mor 4
—— Lead Pipe: Lift Value 5 Damage +1 Notes Durable
—— Ducking behind an overturned wooden table: Bonus
—— Manhole Cover, Average: Lift Value 10 Damage +1
Defense 5, Armor 1
Notes Durable. Aerodynamic, no attack penalty when
thrown. Range: Short. —— Halfway behind a military grade armored personnel
carrier Bonus Defense 15 Armor 13
—— Sedan, Full Sized: Lift Value 30 Damage +3 Notes
Many Components: Breaks, after each attack, reduce —— Standing behind a car’s trunk: Bonus Defense 10
the Damage by 1 . Armor 4

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 Lighting and Blindness Terrain
Bad lighting can drastically change a battle. Some charac- Conflict can erupt anywhere. The area can be hazardous
ters may have additional senses. Use these penalties as or difficult to navigate. Penalties can range from -5 to -20
guidelines should their primary means of observation be based on the difficulty. These Penalties apply to any Melee
impaired. or Unarmed attack, Sprint Action, or any other appropriate
—— Poor Lighting: There is light, but it is dim or distant. Actions. When taking an Active Defense against Ranged
Alternately, the lighting may shift wildly from dark to Attacks, treat these penalties as a Cover Bonus.
bright. —— Uneven Terrain—5: An alleyway stren with large
˜˜ Penalty: Characters suffer -10 to all rolls involving trash and refuse, or an uneven field of grass obscur-
physical actions and Defense. ing the ground.
—— Bad Lighting: There is virtually no light, or the light is ˜˜ Broken Terrain—10: Demolished block, with
so bright it is overwhelming. large piles of rubble and stones strewn through-
out, or a modest forest with large roots impairing
˜˜ Penalty: Characters suffer a -20 to all rolls involv- movement.
ing physical actions and Defense.
˜˜ Near Insurmountable Terrain—20: Collapsed build-
—— No Light: The character is in total darkness or ren- ing, or rocky cliffside (two to three feet drops in the
dered blind. ground, jagged or inverted cliffs).
—— Penalty: Characters suffer a -30 to all rolls involv-
ing physical actions and Defense.
Note: Lighting penalties do not apply to grappled oppo-
nents targeting each other.

Prone
Going prone, lying down, is sometimes the only way to aid
your Defense. When Prone, the following applies:
—— Character may not move between Range
Increments.
—— Attacks within the same Range
Increment use the Target’s Sur-
prised Defense.
—— Character adds 10 to De-
fense for each Range
Increment when
attacked at Range.

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 The Cinematic Knock Out Damage By Distance:
or Capturing Heroes —— Less Than 5 Meters: Negligible
—— 5 Meters: 3 Damage
There are times when a GM just wants to capture one or
more of the heroes without going through a major conflict. —— 10 Meters: 6 Damage
This is generally done only when the team is not together —— 20 Meters (or 1 Range Increment): 10 Damage
or while working through Staging Scenes.
—— 50 Meters (or 2 Range Increments): 15 Damage
To Capture a character, the GM should ask the player if they —— 100 Meters (or 3 Range Increments): 20 Damage
are okay being Captured for a Story without a conflict Scene.
If they agree, set the characters Willpower to it’s maximum —— Over 100 Meters: 30 Damage
and reduce their Stamina by half its Current Value. GMs may assess additional penalties or bonuses depending
on the environment. Falling into a pit of lava the GM may
Recovery state that half the Damage is Penetrating. While falling into a
deep mudbank in a swamp may halve the damage.
End of Combat Recovery Suffocation
After a battle or dangerous scene the character may to
When a character cannot breathe for whatever reason, there
use the Flesh Wound Willpower Feature once. After that
is a chance for suffocation. They may endure a number of
any remaining Damage must be recovered normally.
turns without air equal to their Constitution + Hold Breath.
Natural Recovery After that, each turn the character suffers 1 Damage and
must make an Easy (5) Constitution roll +2 per turn.
Almost everyone gets hurt, tired, and exhausted at some
point, requiring time to recover from injuries. After the first failed roll the character begins to choke,
suffering 3 additional Damage
Stamina: Characters heal Stamina equal to their Consti-
tution or Mental each week, whichever is higher. GMs may Wrapped in cables, Crossfire is knocked into the
split out a characters healing across a 7 day period. For ex- ocean from 15 meters up. Crossfire takes 4 Falling
ample, a character with a Constitution of 8 heals 1 Stamina Damage (8 Damage - his Armor of 4). Trapped by
every day and 2 Stamina on another day during the week. A the cables, Crossfire cannot take an Active Defense.
character with a Mental of 14 heals 2 Stamina per day. Already injured, Crossfire is left at 7 Stamina
Injuries: Instead of healing 5 Stamina the character may With his chest constricted, the GM rules that Cross-
remove an Injury. fire wasn’t able to catch his breath and begins to
Suffocate. To mitigate this, Crossfire will roll his
Long Term Care Constitution against a Target of 5 +2 per Turn.
Characters under the care of others Heal an additional It takes Crossfire 4 Turns and his remaining Will-
amount of Stamina equal to the caretaker’s Medical skill. power to get free. Each Turn the GM checks the
Remember this is added to the base healing rate of Con- required Target and Crossfire’s Stamina.
stitution or Mental per week.
Hospitalization: Hospitals increase the Stamina Healed Turn 4, the Suffocation Target is 11. This is the first
by adding to the caretaker’s Medical skill and the facility’s Turn Crossfire could fail a roll worsening his suffo-
Value. GMs assign the Hospital a Value. cation. He has already taken 3 Damage. Rolling his
Constitution of 7 +2d6 (5, 3) Crossfire continues to
Hospital Values: take 1 Damage. His Stamina is now 3.
—— 1—3: Field clinic, understaffed or low-quality hospital.
If he wants to keep his gear it will take 2 Turns to
—— 4—6: Average clinic or Hospital reach the surface.
—— 7—9: High-end hospital
Turn 5, Suffocation Target 13. Crossfire rolls Consti-
—— 10—12: World-class facilities tution 7 + 2d6 (4, 2). Crossfire’s Stamina drops to 2.
—— 13—15: Super Tech or Magic.
Turn 6, Suffocation Target 15. Crossfire rolls Consti-
tution 7 + 2d6 (1, 5). Failing, Crossfire takes 3 Suffo-
Additional Dangers cation Damage dropping his Stamina to -1.
Falling Crossfire must make a Constitution roll or fall un-
Characters may find themselves dropped from heights conscious Target 16 (15 + the negative Stamina’s val-
they cannot control. Damage is based on the distance fall- ue.) Crossfire rolls (5, 5). Enough to stay conscious,
en. Characters fall roughly 2 Range Increments the first but suffering an injury. Head cresting the water,
turn and 3 Range increments each additional turn. Crossfire gasps for air.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 5 GM’s Chapter
In this chapter you’ll find guidelines for character ad- —— Featured Character: The character ends the session
vancement, organizations, villains, and rules on how to with 0 Willpower. Pick One: +1 to History Attribute or
quickly create dynamic threats. Additionally, there are Origin
articles on creating the feel of a comic book world and a —— Talented: Use a Talent to overcome a Challenge
sample adventure. without using a Power or entering Combat: +1 to the
Talent.
Character Advancement Per Story
At the end of each session and Story characters gain
—— Expansive History: Pick One: Increase the character’s
Experience. GMs can use optional Individual Advancement
History Attribute by 1, Increase the character’s Origin
Bonuses. The optional advancement rewards are designed
by 1, or Increase the characters Catalyst by 1.
to encourage heroics, resolving conflicts without combat,
and learning through failures. —— Storyline: 2 Experience and Pick one: Gain a New
Drive, Background, or Contact with a Value of 1 based
Per session on the Story
—— Participation: 1 Experience —— World/Life Changing Event: 2 Experience
—— Learning: The group discovered a major plot element
or something critical to their Characters: 1 Experience
Optional Individual Character Bonuses
—— Character Fails After Giving It their All: 3 Experience
—— Good Roleplaying: 1 Experience
—— Defeat a Major Foe: Add a Drive for the Enemy.
Optional Individual Character Bonuses
—— Driven: The character’s Drive triggers a major event:
Backgrounds
1 Experience —— Origin, Catalyst and Drives provide multiple bonuses
to characters.
—— Failure: The character attempts a roll using their
best possible Characteristic and Fails: +1 to an Attri- —— Origin and Catalyst may only be advanced by 1 at
bute or Talent used in the roll. the end of a story and cannot exceed the characters
History Attribute.

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 —— Drives may only be advanced by 1 at the end of a Sto- One theme that almost all comics follow is bigger is
ry and only if the Drive was used in the Story. better. Buildings in the comic world are taller, statues are
larger, and parks are vast expanses. There is not a simple
Spending Points sign above the news headquarters, there is a giant rotat-
—— Add a New Characteristic (Talent, Specialty, Fighting ing globe several stories tall in its own right. Superheroes
Style, or Power): 3 Experience and villains by their nature are larger than life and the
˜˜ New Characteristics begin with a Value of 1. world they live in should reflect this.

—— Improve Existing Characteristic: 1 Experience per Are the streets of the campaign city litter free, or strewn
level with trash? What, if any, scars or memorials does the city
hold from the last ten years? Is there a deactivated Thad-
—— Add a Typical Boon: 3 Experience
mar Terraforming Pylon, or a memorial to heroes lost in
—— Add a Major Boon: 6 Experience the Lensing Conflict? Even describing the buildings as new
—— Add an additional instance of a Boon: 6 Experience can craft images for the players.

—— Optional: Full Tracking: GMs who wish to have a full When creating the campaign world or city consider what
accounting of character Experience should add 3 are the iconic elements. For example, a game set in New
each time a character gains a new Drive, Background, York may eventually involve an adventure in Chinatown.
or Contact at the end of each Story and 1 each time a Does the Chinatown of this world resemble the real world,
character gets a bonus Talent point. or do the buildings in the campaign world contain a bilat-
eral symmetry, enclosed open air spaces along with the
Building a World of Supers iconic arches of Chinese architecture?
These visual distinctions make for a striking contrast and
There are many aspects to every story. Stories set in
may be jarring as characters move from Little Italy to
worlds of super heroes mix classic archetypes with stun-
Chinatown. Consider how small changes in the description
ning imagery, and interesting and unique powers. Born
can make large differences in feel.
from comics, the locations and set pieces are as much a
character in stories as stories themselves.
Superteams
Making Heroes Super There are few things more iconic in comics than the su-
perteam and their bases. As a GM allow players the space
From the standpoint of Metahumans Rising superheroes
to create the team they envision. There are several things
are modern interpretations of the classic hero. They are
everyone should keep in mind.
legendary figures that stand above ordinary people as an
exemplar of ideals, hopes, and part of a modern shared Powers and Personality: It’s okay to have several charac-
mythology. ters with overlapping powers in function as long as they
each have a feel and style unique to the character. What is
Like the mythological heroes from whom they are born,
more important is that each character has a unique per-
the modern superhero is not a perfect being. Modern
sonality and motivation. Not everyone can be a brooding
heroes have personalities, flaws, and needs. Also, like
loner out for justice. Conflicting motivations and per-
the epics of mythology, stories of superheroes resonate
sonalities create interesting character interactions and
beyond simple brawls. While superhero comic books have
opportunities for stories.
been virtually defined by stunning battles, it is equally
defined by capturing the morality of an age. Supers Stand Out: Don’t be afraid to go big, remind your
players they are heroes. Encourage them to take chances.
The following articles discuss incorporating different
Willpower is designed to let characters push their limits
Character’s elements, and drives, along with how to apply
and Splash Panels reward players for being bold.
powers outside of combat, and non combat conflicts, how
to design them, and engage players in something more Not All Supers Are Equal: In comics and movies some su-
than a super powered slugfest. Also, this chapter talks per-teams have heroes of very diverse power levels. Don’t
about the importance of death, and the difference be- be afraid to embrace this. If everyone wants characters of
tween cheating it, and undoing the end. different Power Levels allow them. These power dynamics
allow for different types of stories and threats.
That does not mean stronger characters should spend their
Comic Book Iconography time rescuing other characters. The Steel Aces are an ex-
ample of how to handle this with each player creating two
Before talking about story and scene consider the imagery
characters, one classic and one high powered. In gameplay
of the shared world. Look back at the Campaign Tracker,
players select the character they wish to play at the start
what are the themes, and common elements? Locations
of a story. Generally, players will only use one character
and imagery helps to set the tone of the world.
per story. Lower Power Level characters begin with more
Willpower and gain extra Willpower. This allows them to
take bolder actions despite the difference in power.

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 —— When characters of different Power Levels are work-
ing together on the same team increase the starting
Organic Storytelling
and maximum Willpower of the lower powered char- Set the stage, but let the players drive the action. At the
acters by 5 per level difference. start of a new story, decide what the villain’s plans are
and/or events that are going to be happening in the near
—— A Classic Hero working with a High Powered Hero
future. These things are going to happen unless the PCs
would gain 5 bonus Willpower. If their partner was
change them in some way.
instead a Cosmic Hero they would gain 10 bonus
Willpower. The GM should never force players to take a certain
—— When a character of a lower Power Level gains Will- path. Instead provide the characters updates as events
power increase the reward by 1. transpire and let them decide their character’s actions.
Remember, heroes rise to the occasion.
Team Resources: Let the players establish what their
teams resources look like. GMs can add but should try to Think through the villain’s plans. What steps do they need
avoid vetoing anything unless it should be purchased as a to accomplish to complete their goals? A nutcase, like
Tool or Gear. This can include a base and team vehicles. Citizen Red, may have a very short term plan: Blow up the
federal reserve. The building is well guarded, but he’s a
Story Crafting super villain.
When the attack starts, find out what the characters are
Building a great superhero story can be daunting. The fol- doing. By letting the players set their introductory scenes
lowing is a collection of advice to help shape games that story may evolve, what if the hero is in the middle of stop-
feel like they belong in comic books, superhero shows, or ping another crime, hiking in nearby mountains or across
movies. town with a loved one?
Be careful not to penalize players for exploring their
character’s lives. While it might be fitting if the hero is
publicly slacking off and ignoring the call, no one is going
to know that Nox didn’t get to the scene until after Red
escaped because she was running down an old contact
on the whereabouts of Luminescence. However, the story
changes from stopping Red, to finding him
Villains with more long term plans, such as the wizard,
Michael Fhage, may have multiple parts to their plans and
parts that are not nearly as public. Robberies at several
libraries and universities may go unnoticed, especially if
they are just books. When a professor disappears that
may generate more press.
Consider the order of events. Michael Fhage’s goal is to
become the most powerful sorcerer in existence. This may
begin with a museum robbery, something to let players
know Fhage is back in town, then move on to more subtle
works before attempting to bind a creature from outside
of time.
This storyline may involve more investigation, even sev-
eral battles with Fhage or his underlings as he collects
the knowledge he needs to bind this unspeakable horror.
We know what Fhage is going to do. Now it’s about finding
what are the heroes actions as this is happening?

Make It Personal
When setting up a storyline each character’s Drives and
Catalysts are tools the GM can use to hook in players.
Each Characteristic a player invests in is a statement that
they want to see this come into play. With most Char-
acteristics this may be situational or event driven. With
Drives and Catalysts the players are saying their charac-
ters need to do these things. Let them.
If a player has a Drive to Protect Children, put the court-

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 house next to the child services building, then blow it
up. It’s not that Backlash wanted to hurt any kids, but his
Bystanders
boss paid him to send a message before the Manelli trail. Just like utilizing the inanimate features of a scene, in-
Unfortunate that there is collateral damage. volve the people as well. When a fight breaks out on the
street people are going to be panicked. Villains may try to
Be Prepared For Curveballs (and capitalize on this or it may just be bad luck, but when two
titans collide there is bound to be collateral damage.
have a few ready yourself)
Unlike the terrain which can be used to add to most
Players are creative, inventive and devious things. Don’t scenes, GMs need to find a balance when involving by-
expect them to do what you want them to do. Its best not standers. What may have been exciting once may become
to make any assumptions on what their actions or reac- a distraction when overused.
tions to things might be.
The Background Characters portion of this chapter means Collective Storytelling Revisited
GMs will never have to stat out every cop, thug, lawyer,
or informer the heroes encounter. Competitive Rolls and No matter where you are, remember this is not just the
Disasters allow GMs to handle large scale, unpredictable GM telling a story. The story that happens is a collabora-
events quickly. tive experience. Players are not just contributing but their
Character’s stories matter. What is being crafted should
Don’t Forget Relationships reflect the contributions of everyone involved not just a
few dominant voices.
Classic storylines involve a mix of personal drama as well
as tights and fights. Don’t be afraid to focus on the char-
acters’ personal relationships. This may be PCs interact-
ing with one another or other relationships. Willpower
provides a way for GMs to reward social interactions. GMs
can and should reward players for good roleplaying and
character development.

Scene Crafting
Here are several concepts to keep in mind when crafting
scenes.

The Big Picture

While it’s important to make sure locations are distinctive
it is equally important to not over describe things. Provide
the details necessary for players to visualise the scene,
that does not mean the GM needs to provide square foot-
age or every chair in a room. Also, by framing the scene
with only the distinctive elements the GM leaves players
room to add to the scene either through their Drives or
Cinematic Additions.

Involving the Terrain

What’s the point of describing the location if we can’t
blow it up? Fighting on the street? Have a villain spend
a Willpower point to make their attack Devastating and
send a hero flying into a car that explodes on impact! On a
rooftop? Throw someone to their death or have your brute
shear the flagship story tall antenna free to try to impale
the hero?
By involving the terrain the GM can shift attention away
from the traditional exchange of blows to something
more dynamic. It’s easy to get caught up in just throwing
punches but why not detonate that oil tanker the hero is
flying over? Not only do you shock the player but you add
a new element to the scene. Remember, there are people
on board.

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 It’s A Comic Considering the other characters, Bulwark has a Su-
pernatural Origin, however, Mike had mentioned he
A lot of role playing games equate the storytelling to writ- wanted to explore Wayfarer’s relationships with the
ing a novel. In Metahumans Rising the group become the team. Likewise, Olivia had said she wanted to play
writers, illustrators and inkers of their own comics. When- Nox in their next adventure.
ever the GM frames a scene or has a villain act remember
to ask, does this feel like it belongs in a comic or superhe- Foreshadowing Scenes
ro movie? Larger than life is just the right size.
Foreshadowing Scenes typically happen outside the main
Game Flow story, and rarely involve the character themselves. Fore-
shadowing Scenes are short preludes to the actual story.
Metahumans Rising is designed to emulate the feel Because the players are not involved in these Scenes, GMs
of comics and superhero stories. While titanic battles should be mindful to keep any Foreshadowing concise as
present some of the most iconic images within the genre, to not take away from the stars of the story the players or
many storylines are equally memorable for the rich per- allow the players to take control of a background charac-
sonal journeys these heroes embark on. ter, providing any key motivations and objectives.
Story Crafting Revisited These scenes are purely narrative. They do not in-
volve the heroes directly, although characters may
At the end of each story or the start of a new story, review
be discussed in the scene. The GM should use these
the Campaign Scope, Drives of each Character, and ongo-
scenes only to prime players for the events to come.
ing plots. What elements have manifested in the Cam-
paign, and what can be explored further?
When crafting a story, consider framing events like scenes
from a movie or pages of a comic. Avoid scripting every
event. It’s generally best to know what’s going to happen
if the players don’t intervene, but allow them the freedom
to play out their characters. This can mean missing some
scenes entirely or that the story is going in radically dif-
ferent ways than expected.
With a rigid planned story, it is difficult to adapt to play-
er’s decisions and the game can feel forced. To help,
Metahumans Rising provides multiple tools to create new
challenges quickly.
Thinking about the structure and content of a story helps
everyone to draw their characters into a story. Following
are six basic types of scenes within a story with vary-
ing degrees of control given to players and GM. This list
should not be considered comprehensive but rather an aid
for players and GMs.

Story Crafting Example

So far, Steel Aces have focused on Metahuman
threats and interfering with the BMAs plans to
control the population. Because their stories have
been so focused Dave decides he wants to throw the
group a curveball.

The team has been reactive in many stories. Dave

wants to give the players a chance to do some in-
vestigating.

Because this story will have investigation elements

Vigilant should be involved. The plot Dave has in
mind has the potential to spiral out of control, this is
where Crossfire was meant to be.

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 Foreshadowing Scene Example: Personal Scene Examples:
The man stood in the isle of an old book store. Turn- Crossfire while in his civilian identity is working with
ing the page, his fingers slipped along the words. a local archery team, walking them through speed
‘Chapter 13 Platonic Solids’. drills. With him is Wayfarer.

“You always had a fondness of the classics.” While he cannot show himself, the alien hero
watches Crossfire interact with the children from
Personal Scenes the shadows. There is one child though, the one who
Before introducing new plot elements, or in periods of didn’t want to participate, that found him. The GM
downtime, allow players to give their characters Personal asks him where they are practicing and Paul, Cross-
Scenes. These are scenes created by the players to ex- fire’s player, tells him they are at Thornbury Park, a
plore their Character’s personal lives, interact with other county facility that sponsors youth programs.
characters outside of a central plot, and explore back-
Across town, Vigilant watches the news feeds,
ground elements.
something he tries to do while on monitor duty.
Some players may not be used to framing their own He is also checking the status reports of various
scenes, or driving a story. As the GM, you can help players criminals the Aces have put away. He’s also looking
create Personal Scenes by asking questions. into the security at Black Mountain, worried that
the prison rock may crack under the added stress of
Examples of questions might be: There hasn’t been any
recent years.
strange events today and you can do something on your
own, what do you do? Who is with you while you do that? At the base Nox is doing some monitoring duty of
Why is that what you’ve chosen to do in this? Of course, her own. Sitting at a computer, she pulls up pictures
there are any number of more personal and focused ques- of her parents after an image search. They are still
tions that can be used. GMs and players should watch these alive, but she hasn’t had the nerve to reach out to
scenes for interesting plot hooks and future story ideas. them.
These scenes are primarily narrative but may involve
some resolution. GMs should be mindful before asking for
rolls. Remember GMs should only request rolls when the
resolution will add to or change the course of the story, or
to resolve a dispute.

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 Staging Scenes Building Scenes Example:
Staging scenes can introduce new plot elements, or Fhage, Backlash and Penny Dreadful will be attack-
refresh older stories. These Scenes generally involve the ing a museum, the university, and a local book shop.
Heroes. In Staging Scenes, the GM introduces story ele- The villains are going to be raiding the museum
ments. This may not be the central theme of the story, but and university separately, and attack the bookshop
scenes that get the characters ready for things to come. together.
These scenes often have minor conflicts, and may have
branching story elements. In these Scenes, the characters Dave, the GM, also knows that Backlash and Penny
are only beginning to be introduced to the larger story at are operating with a Villainous Twist. This takes the
hand. form of a temporary Power: Mystic Boost 10. They
can use this to augment any of their powers, and the
Staging Scene Example: GM will describe it as an added violet aura around
their bodies. Additionally, while under the Mystic
Crossfire amd Wayfarer hear an explosion. In the
Boost, Penny does not suffer the pain she normally
distance, they can see gouts of black and violet
experiences from the acid in her body. With the add-
smoke billowing up from somewhere. Vigilant’s
ed bonus for loyalty to whoever freed them.
mainframe picks up on the explosion moments lat-
er. There has been an explosion not far from Thorn- Having met at the Police Station, the four members
bury at a local Police station, with a MCPD detach- of the Aces split up to investigate different angles
ment and housing facility for Metahuman criminals. of the break out. Crossfire and Wayfarer stay at the
police station to review security camera footage.
The GM then asks the players how they react to
Nox plans to scan the area to see if there is any
the explosion. The GM knows that the Metahuman
traces of them with Vigilant, and afterwards, shake
Detention Facility has been destroyed and there
down some of her older associates for anyone look-
are a number of injured people on the scene. If the
ing for Metahuman muscle. Vigilant will widen the
heroes come to the MCPD’s rescue, he will treat the
search area to look for clues.
effort as a Size 1 Disaster with a Ferocity of 3 due to
the building collapsing under the fire (see Disasters, The GM has both Crossfire and Wayfarer roll for
pg. 91). Cinematic Additions to get a hit from the videotapes
(see: Cinematic Additions, pg. 101). Mike,Wayfar-
Also, talking to the MCPD will reveal that the villains
er’s player, pays 1 Willpower for an Explosive Roll,
Backlash and Penny Dreadful have been freed. By
doubling Wayfarer’s roll and ensuring their success
who and why remain a mystery.
(see: Willpower: Features, pg. 99). The cameras will
show a man wearing what looks like a suit, cloaked
Building Scenes in violet energy.
In these Scenes, the characters are challenged as the
Dave turns to Olivia, since Nox is heading to her
story develops. These may be investigations, story driven
criminal contacts and has her frame the scene:
conflicts, or brush ins with central villains or other char-
Where does Nox meet her contact? What’s their re-
acters. Players can ask for and frame Building Scenes
lationship like? Along with a few other questions so
while exploring the story’s central plot.
everyone can picture the scene. Dave and Olivia go
Building Scenes ramp up the potential for conflict, and the back and forth as Sharktooth Joe takes shape.
story may go in wildly different directions, depending on
how the heroes react to the evolving events around them. Because this is not Nox’s main contact she spends
2 Willpower 1 to use the Talent Support Feature
Building Scenes may be investigative, deal with the after- adding her Area of Influence and 1 more to Explode
shocks of events of the Staging Scenes, or other events her roll.
that build on the story’s central plot. Often Building
Scenes are a combination of these actions. A tall, gaunt man with salt and pepper hair tried to
recruit Sharktooth and a few other minor hitters but
Don’t be afraid to let the group split up as they move
the guy creeped everyone out, he didn’t flash any
through building scenes. Each character should have their
powers but when one of the other boys got mouthy
own strengths and weaknesses, and so players will want
the guy chanted some mumbo jumbo and sent him
to look at different ways to resolve issues within a story.
across the room.
Try and avoid giving too much time to any one player in
these Building Scenes. Everyone has key parts to play. Vigilant is scouring the city, knowing the other shoe
is about to drop. It does in the form of a second
explosion from the museum. Vigilant rushes to the
scene to catch Backlash escaping with an ornate
mirror strapped to his back.

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 Vigilant gives chase and the two use a Competitive After these three scenes the players decide the
Roll to determine if Backlash can get away (see: Com- heroes should rally and put everything they found
petitive Rolls). While normally outclassed by Vigilant, out together. The GM asks them where they are
Backlash has a secret advantage. Thanks to his Mystic meeting and they agree back at the Ace’s base. Each
Boost, the mirror is activated and anything striking the of the heroes gives the details of what they learned
mirror passes through harmlessly to places unknown, and Nancy asks the GM if Vigilant can make a Study:
like the Phased Power Boon. The player and GM go Criminal Threats Roll to determine who is behind the
through a quick set of Competitive Rolls but thanks to breakout?
the mirror, and Backlash tearing the support strut of a
bridge out, he manages to escape.

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 Because Vigilant already has the Talent, and the Each turn Fhage must Devote 1 Action to maintaining the
heroes were able to discover several pieces of infor- Ritual. However, he also has a Villainous Twist: The Tap
mation Dave tells her a roll is not necessary, after which grants him a +10 to all rolls and allows him to set 1
checking his crime database Vigilant is confidant Die to a 6 before rolling.
that the man behind everything that’s going on is
This will allow Fhage to use a Rapid Action to defend and
Michael Fhage, a powerful and corrupt mystic.
counter far more easily while devoting his other Action to
Just as Vigilant is coming to this realisation the maintaining the Ritual.
news breaks about the third robbery and an occult Loyalties: During this event Backlash, and Penny Dreadful
bookstore erupting into purple flame. are at the ready to defend Fhage. However, neither villain
know the extent of his plan, or the possible consequenc-
Wayfarer delivers their teammates to Moore’s Books,
es. Backlash is a mercenary though, he’s not looking
where the last attack took place. There they find the
to prove anything and presented with the evidence an
owner, a battered old man, Randolph Moore who
Advanced(25) Intimidation Roll with prompt him to flee, or
tells them in another life he was Fhage’s student, but
he can be turned against Fhage with a Degree of Success
there was something dark inside his mentor and so
(see: Making Rolls).
Moore fled, studies unfinished. At the time Fhage was
still a young man, that was over forty years ago and Penny is a different story though. Since her powers man-
he looks as if he had barely aged. ifested she has been in constant pain. Fhage was able to
take that away from her with his magic. She knows if he’s
Vigilant tells Moore about the mirror that was stopped the pain will return. While she’s not seeking the
stolen from the museum. The aged bookkeeper is end of the world, she would rather face death than have
terrified by this. Moore tells the heroes of an arcane the pain return. It is going to take serious effort to turn her
legend known as Source. This is the essence from against Fhage. The GM decides this will be a Competitive
which all creation sprang. With the tools he now Roll with Penny’s Acid Bath counting as an Advantage.
possessed and the books stolen from Moore, Fhage
may be attempting to tap into the Source directly. With the stage set, it’s now up to the heroes to determine
Only, the world is not in a state that can receive how the events will play out.
such raw power. Should Fhage succeed me may very
well crack the fabric of reality.
Aftermath Scenes
Following a major event aftermath scenes allow everyone
to close out a story or add perspective to events that have
Climactic Scenes occurred. GMs may frame an Aftermath scene or ask the
Climactic Scenes bring everything together. The apex of players to explain what their characters are doing follow-
the action, and when central plot elements are resolved. ing the events of the story. Also, this is a time where the
GM can outline repercussions of events in a story.
Climatic Scenes almost always involve some form of
conflict resolution, this may be entirely social, or a clas- Aftermath Example:
sic comic book showdown. Generally the GM frames the
Climax. However, depending on the direction of the story, The park in shambles, Michael Fhage has escaped
players may initiate the Climax before the GM. GMs should through the collapsing tear. Backlash is being taken
not be afraid to let stories end sooner than expected. If a by the MCPD with an inhibitor collar around his neck
master villain falls too soon, don’t worry, make sure they and arms in restraints blocking his whips. Penney is
get Advancement awards too, and a new Drive just for on her knees sobbing, she mutters to herself that he
whoever took them down. took the pain away, for the first time in years I didn’t
hurt.
Climax Example:
With the pieces in place Michael Fhage begins his ritual as Dave then asks everyone what they think became
Backlash and Penny stand guard, not knowing the danger. of Fhage. Olivia answers first, we know that he’s
At the destroyed bookstore Moore casts an incantation to fallen into the Source, if he survives he’s probably
trace the source sending the Aces to a local park, which been driven insane. Mike follows up with, the raw
also happens to sit on a nexus of three Dragon Lines, vains energy probably ripped him apart. There’s no way he
of natural energy that flow across and through the earth. doesn’t come back from this, Paul adds and Nancy
agrees. Dave jots down some notes for the next
The GM has established the following guidelines for this
time Fhage shows himself.
climax. The tap into the Source will work as a Size 2 Ferocity
4 Disaster lashing out at everyone in the park, including in-
nocent civilians that will need to be saved. Each turn Fhage
is allowed to continue his ritual the Source cannot drop be-
low 1 Success. However, if Fhage is interrupted the Source
Tear will lose 2 Successes every turn. Fhage’s Villainous
Twist will run out on the turn following the Tap’s closure.
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 Making Villains Super In these scenes the villains are not looking for a knock-
down drag out fight, they have bigger plans. Villains may
Each villain, or group of villains, should have their own use Willpower or other tools, to ensure they escape safely.
unique feel. When introducing villains keep consider the Remember, if escape is the goal it’s easy to distract he-
tone and feel of the game. roes. Don’t be afraid to knock down a building, blow up a
tanker truck, block the hero’s path, or otherwise endanger
When introducing villains consider the following:
innocent civilians.
—— How does this villain fit into the overall narrative?
—— How does the villain’s presence alter the world as a
Creating The Twist
whole? Do these tools have an in-game effect, or are they simply
part of the story? If the element would have an impact
—— What Drives or other elements does the villain pos-
on a conflict the GM should outline what the Twist is and
sess that are impactful to other characters?
what benefits it grants the villain. Additionally, there
—— Does the villain possess traits that would showcase should be some way for the heroes to remove, or elimi-
Elements of the Campaign? nate the bonuses provided by the Villainous Twist.
Sometimes these questions are straightforward, other In the Game Flow section Michael Fhage is attempting to
times they require more nuance. One shot villains are of- tap into the Source of all creation. The GM establishes that
ten an easier fit than recurring characters. All villains need Fhage is already working towards his goal in a Foreshad-
to be memorable, but with a single use for this may be for owing Scene. This is reinforced in the Building Scene with
something as simple as their look, or powers, However, Backlash and his Mystic Aura. In the Climax Fhage himself
the best villains should leave a lasting impact on the play- receives a large bonus based on his connection to the
ers and world at large. mystic Source. However, the GM creates clear guidelines
for the heroes, allowing them to effectively remove this
Secret Origins bonus.
The backgrounds of the sample villains included in the In the Disasters section the GM establishes that Rampage
Rogues Gallery are not set in stone. Instead, a concept has stolen a power amplifier. While the example focuses
and possible background are provided along with details on the massive storm created by the villain’s ramped up
on personality and motivations. This is done to give the power, when the heroes face off against Rampage, he
GM the freedom to incorporate the villains into any story. should have the benefits of the power amplifier.
Sometimes it may be fun to even hint at one possible ori-
gin and keep the reality a surprise. There are no hard rules as to what stats a Twist should
have, except that it should be appropriate to the story. In
GMs can also use this flexibility to directly tie villains to the first example Fhage’s Twist takes the form of a raw
active heroes in the campaign world. Don’t be afraid to boost in power due to its primal nature. In the second
have that thug who was knocked into a vat of chemicals example it would be easy to take the same route. Howev-
or wall of experimental drugs while battling a hero come er, the GM may just as easily create a Twist that looks like
back to haunt them. this:

The Villainous Twist Experimental Power Amplifier

Comic book villains are known for their constantly evolv- +10 to all Power Rolls.
ing schemes and tactics. Metahumans Rising acknowl-
edges this with the Villainous Twist. Before introducing a All Power Rolls are Explosive (per the Willpower
villain the GM should consider the story, and the resourc- Feature.)
es of the villain behind the scenes.
Character’s Power gains the Push Radius Boon.
What tools does the villain require to accomplish their fi-
nal goals. Don’t be afraid to give the villain everything they Defense 0 Armor 6 Stamina 25
need to succeed, or almost everything. That doesn’t mean
give them everything they need to trounce the heroes, but Note: Bulky, can only be moved with a Hard (55)
the tools they need to achieve their direct goal. Strength Roll

If the villain requires a device, or tool, the GM can incorpo-

The easier it is to take away a villain’s Twist the less the
rate how they acquired any items into the story. Acquiring
GM should be concerned about its power level. The Twist
components may be a Foreshadowing, Building, or Stag-
is meant to drive the story, and help push more creative
ing Scenes. This allows the players to interact with the
play. Remember, many times heroes face overwhelming
villains early on in the story, and see various elements of
odds and must develop tactics and strategies on the fly to
the plot come together.
overcome the threat.

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 Example Twists —— The GM selects one of the ready made guns and adds
the specialty: Stunner at 10 or a value equal to the
Determined firearm, whichever is lower, and the limitation: Always
—— The villain is focused on their goal, increase the vil- Uses the Stagger Maneuver, and must convert as much
lain’s Willpower. damage as possible when Staggering a Target.
˜˜ Example: After breaking into a research facility
the villain learns that the tech they need has been Background Characters:
moved. Agents, Henchmen, Officers, and Thugs
—— Temporary Drive: Escape: 5 (Provides 5 Bonus Will- Often in comics there are a number of peripheral char-
power and a boost to any rolls to escape.) acters that interact in a scene. To keep the game moving
Power Boost quickly Metahumans Rising utilizes Background Charac-
ters which can be added to any scene without building a
—— The villain gains one or more free Power Boons. full character. The Rogue’s Gallery includes several com-
˜˜ Example: A heavy weapons specialist has hijacked mon Background Characters.
a load of experimental rounds. One type of am-
When creating a Background Character, the GM selects a
munition is jacketed for greater penetration, the
Power Level and Templates to add variation to them.
other releases shards that continue to tear into
the Target’s body. Note: Each Template increases the overall threat of a
—— Apply either Penetrating or Lingering to any attacks. Background Character. GMs can create powerful Oppo-
However, the villain must spend an Action to swap nents by combining 3 or more Templates.
rounds. —— Basic Rolls: Background Characters have a Base Val-
ue of 3 per Power Level + 2d6 for any actions. Many
Strange Devices Templates boost this Basic Roll for specific actions.
—— The villain has acquired a new toy they plan on using
—— Stamina: Background Characters possess 2 Stamina per
on the hero.
Power Level. Once a Background Character’s Stamina is
˜˜ Example: A villain has broken into an IMR lab and depleted, they are knocked out or otherwise defeated.
stolen an experimental Stun Gun.

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 —— Willpower: Background Characters have 0 Willpower —— Offense Ranged 15 Dice 2 Range Short Damage 10
and no access to Features. —— Offense Melee 15 Dice 2 Range Close Damage 10
—— Defense: Background Characters have a Defense
equal to their Basic Roll and 1 Armor per Power Level. Basic Templates
—— Offense: Background Characters attacks use the Armored
characters Basic Roll and inflict 2 Damage per Power —— The character is well protected.
Level.
—— The character gains 1 additional Armor per Power
—— Range: Background Characters are assumed to have Level.
a Close Attack and may have a Short Range Attack.
—— Note: This Template may be Applied twice.
The GM should decide the look of Background Characters,
and in general what their Offensive talents might be. A Devastator
gang member for example may wear a leather jacket, and —— They don’t just hit hard, the Devastator is Lethal.
ratty jeans carry a knife and a cheap gun. While a tougher
—— Devastators inflict 1 additional Damage per Power
member like an enforcer may forgo the jacket to expose a
Level.
bare chest and battle scars.
—— Note: This Template may be Applied twice.
GMs can easily customize unique members by adding ad-
ditional Templates to existing background Characters. Giant
Raw Abilities by Power Level —— This character or Creature is oversized.
—— The character loses 10 Defense but gains 1 Stamina
Exceptional per Power Level and automatically resists 1 Blast
—— Basic Rolls 3 + 2d6 Boon.
—— Stamina 3 —— Note: This Template may be Taken multiple times.
—— Defense 3 Dice 2 Armor 1 Each time it increases the size of the character one
instance of this Template, which to start, represents
—— Offense Ranged 3 Dice 2 Range Short Damage 2 someone roughly twice the size of a normal human,
—— Offense Melee 3 Dice 2 Range Close Damage 2 10-to-15-feet tall. Each additional instance of Giant
should roughly double that size or more.
Low
Basic Rolls 6 + 2d6 —— For Giant Vehicles: See Mob Rules

—— Stamina 6 ˜˜ Example: The Strajă Robots stand at 28 feet. They

suffer a -20 to Defense but resist 2 Blast Boons.
—— Defense 6 Dice 2 Armor 2
—— Offense Ranged 6 Dice 2 Range Short Damage 4
Reinforced
—— These guys are built to last. Reinforced characters
—— Offense Melee 6 Dice 2 Range Close Damage 4
can take extended punishment.
Classic —— Reinforced characters gain 3 additional Stamina per
—— Basic Rolls 9 + 2d6 Power Level.
—— Stamina 9 Talented
—— Defense 9 Dice 2 Armor 3 —— Select one Talent. Increase the roll by + 3 per Power
—— Offense Ranged 9 Dice 2 Range Short Damage 6 Level and gain 1 Additional Die. Background Charac-
ters may use Advantages associated with this Talent.
—— Offense Melee 9 Dice 2 Range Close Damage 6 Assume the Talent’s Level is equal to 1 for every 3
High points of the roll’s Value.
—— Basic Rolls 12 + 2d6 Combat Templates
—— Stamina 12
Brawler
—— Defense 12 Dice 2 Armor 4
—— Brawlers get in close and know how to throw a
—— Offense Ranged 12 Dice 2 Range Short Damage 8 punch.
—— Offense Melee 12 Dice 2 Range Close Damage 8 —— Brawlers gain 2 additional Defense per Power Level.
Cosmic —— Brawlers gain 2 additional Offense for Hand to Hand
or Melee Attacks per Power Level. Roll 1 Additional
—— Basic Rolls 15 + 2d6
Die on These Attacks.
—— Stamina 15
—— Defense 15 Dice 2 Armor 5

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 Sneak Immune
—— Tricky and fast the Sneak strikes from unexpected —— The Background character can ignore certain types of
places. Damage.
—— The Sneak has a Stealth Roll equal to Basic Roll +2 —— Select a Damage type such as Cold, Fire, or Magic or
per Power Level and 1 Additional Die. The Sneak also Physical, Energy or Psyche (Counts as 2 Templates).
gains +2 Defense per Power Level. The Background Character suffers no harm from
these attacks.
Striker
—— Melee specialists Inhibitor
—— Strikers gain 2 additional Offense and Damage for —— The Inhibitor can suppress Metahuman powers.
Close Attacks per Power Level. Roll 1 Additional Die —— The Inhibitor gains an attack with the following
on These Attacks. effect: Inhibitor Restraint: Lock On Brutal Onslaught
Drain Attack: Inflicts half Damage to all Powers. This
Shooter increases by 4 Damage each turn.
—— Long Range specialists.
—— If this is an Inhibitor Collar the damage to Powers
—— Shooters gain 2 additional Offense and Damage for fades the turn after the Collar is removed.
Ranged Attacks per Power Level. Roll 1 Additional Die
—— Select One:
on These Attacks.
˜˜ Limitation: Does not affect Passive Defenses.
—— Increase the character’s Attack Range to Long.
˜˜ Limitation: Only affects Generational characters
Tough or human characters exposed to genetic manipu-
—— These Background Characters are hardier than most lation.
and can take a beating. ˜˜ Stamina: 5
—— Tough Background Characters gain 3 additional —— Note: This assumes the character uses a device to
Stamina per Power Level, 2 additional Defense per inhibit other’s powers.
Power Level, and 1 Armor per Power Level. Roll 1 Ad-
ditional Die on Defense. Maneuver Specialist
—— The Maneuver Specialist is trained in deadly forms of
Specialized Templates combat.
Advanced —— Select a Combat Maneuver the Maneuver Specialist
—— Stronger, faster, better trained, Advanced Back- gains +2 per Power Level to perform this Maneuver.
ground Characters are more capable than others. Roll 1 Additional Die on this Maneuver.
The Advanced Template works well for designating Nutcracker
leaders. Note: This Template has a large impact on
the overall threat of a Background Character. —— The Nutcracker has a very different type of attack.
Often this is some strange device they might not
—— Advanced Background Characters increase the Value understand, but may represent specialized training
of their Basic Roll by 1 per Power Level and 1 addition- as well.
al Die. This affects all other rolls.
—— Nutcracker Attacks add the Defended By Boon.
—— Note: This Template may be Applied twice.
Trappers
Cluster
—— Unlike typical Background Characters, the Trapper
—— The character has some form of attack such as a uses gear, or powers designed to lock down a Target.
chain gun or rocket launcher that allows them to
target an area instead of just a single person. —— Trapper Attacks add the Trapping Boon the Escape
Difficulty is equal to the character’s Basic Roll +10.
—— The character applies one of the following Boons:
Cone, Line to any Ranged Attack, or Radius to either a
Close or Ranged Attack.
Mob Rules
With few exceptions most Background Characters are not
Crowd Control going to be a match for even a single hero, much less a
—— The Crowd Controller uses either devices or powers group. However, there is strength in numbers. When fac-
to interfere with their opponents. ing down groups of the same Background Characters, Mob
Rules may apply.
—— Crowd Controllers may use Half their Basic Roll’s
Value as a Meddling Power with a Medium Range and
Close Radius.

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 A Mob of people consists of 3 or more Background Char- Optional: Mob Leadership Bonus: GMs may wish to apply
acters. Mobs gain a bonus to Attack, Armor and Stamina the Armor and Attack Bonuses for the Mob to a single leader
based on their size and when facing down a Mob the play- to represent their singular nature. There should generally be
ers should describe how their characters are interacting something that singles out a leader from the pack.
with the group as opposed to individuals.
Example: Mercenary Platoon
Tracking —— Merc Fireteam (8 Members) (Low Powered Soldiers
Instead of tracking each Background Character in a Mob + 3 Templates)
the GM tracks only a single block of information based on —— Basic Rolls 6 + 2d6
the core Background Characters. Mobs build on the Basic
Background Character’s abilities, scaling the threat up —— Stamina 8/8
to represent their larger numbers through added Armor, —— Defense Flack Jacket 14 Dice 3 Armor 6/8
Accuracy and if the group is large enough Stamina. —— Offense: Machine Gun 15/20 Dice 3 Range Medium
Size Damage 8

Mobs gain bonuses based on their size. For each size cate- —— Offense: Close Quarters Combat 15/20 Dice 3 Dam-
gory add the following Bonus: age 4

—— +5 to Attack Rolls —— Squad Leader (Low Powered Soldier + 4 Templates)

+ Leadership Bonus
—— +2 Armor
—— Basic Rolls 8 + 3d6
Size Categories
—— Stamina 8
—— Minor - 3 to 5 members
—— Defense Flack Jacket 16 Dice 4 Armor 8
—— Typical - 6 to 10 members
—— Offense: Machine Gun 22 Dice 4 Range Medium
—— Major - 11 - 20 members Damage 8
GMs may use larger Mobs but it is unlikely that that many —— Offense: Close Quarters Combat 22 Dice 4 Damage 4
people will be effective in a single area. Instead consider
breaking up huge gangs into smaller groups by Range Vehicles
Increment. While most vehicles can be represented by the standard
Example: There is a Major Mob Close to the character, a Background Character rules some are too large to be
Typical Mob in short range and some Minor Stragglers in adequately represented in this way. In these instances the
Medium Range. GM should apply a Mob size to the Vehicle to represent its
overall larger size.
Optional: Reinforcements: As a mob is reduced in size
other members may be able to move into the area to join —— A Minor Vehicle is roughly two to four times the size
in the fight keeping the Mob at the same size. of an average car, such as a bus or some industrial
farm and mining equipment.
Stamina —— A Typical Vehicle ranges closer to the size of a quar-
—— A Minor Mob has the same Stamina as a Single Back- ter city block.
ground Character.
—— A Major Vehicle is roughly the size of half a city block.
—— For each additional Size add a new Stamina counter
with the same starting Value. Some vehicles can easily exceed the sizes above. When a Ve-
hicle takes up more than one range increment the GM should
—— Reducing the Stamina for a Size defeats a represen- treat each area as a section semi-independent of each other.
tative number members of the Mob.
This means that a Battlecruiser taking up three range
For Example: A Gang with 20 members represents a Major increments may have all it’s Stamina depleted in one sec-
Mob. A hero eliminating the Major Size Stamina Counter tion of the ship without the entire ship being destroyed.
would have knocked out, subdued or otherwise eliminated This allows characters to breach a section to the ship and
roughly 10 of the gang’s members. enter, or other dramatic actions. Some vehicles may have
Optional: Too Big to Fight All At Once: Characters lacking a clear command section. If this section is destroyed the
an Area Boon such as Cone, Line or Radius can only reduce vehicle becomes inoperative.
the mob by 1 Size per Attack Action. Example 1: The Thunder Cracker (Classic
Meddling Powers without an Area Boon are treated at half Mad Scientist Toy + 4 Templates, Typical Size)
Value.
This oversized walker takes up a good two lanes when it
Attacking moves crashing and clanking along the way. The six legs
generate charge for the main sonic weapon capable of
Each turn the Mob makes only a single Attack against any
unleashing devastating waves of sonic energy.
available Targets in their area.
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 —— Basic Rolls 9 + 3d6 Mountain Breaker uses powerful articulated arms tipped
—— Stamina 21/21 with curved blades to clear cut any obstacle, from en-
trenched troops to buildings. The blades cut down anything
—— Defense Light Armor Plate 9 Dice 4 Armor 5/7 in their path spewing debris like flared wings from the arms.
—— Offense Thunder Sonic Cannon 20/25 Dice 4 Range GEO has used the TR-688 to decimate the areas surround-
Medium Damage 15 ing Suceava laying the groundwork for their defensive
—— Offense Legs 14/19 Dice 3 Range Close Damage 6 perimeter.
Example 2: TR-688 Mountain Breaker (High —— Main Cutting Arms (High Powered + 4 Templates,
Powered Earth Mover) Typical Size)
—— Consisting of six articulated limbs the Main Cutting
Technically construction equipment, the TR-688 Mountain
Arms easily shear metal and other deterrents. Once
Breaker was developed by GEO and used with disturbing
the blades begin working they are protected by a
effect in ground sieges. A latticework of reinforced steel
halo of debris making it difficult to approach.
and blades encases this mobile fortress. The

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 —— Basic Rolls 12 + 2d6 beyond the scope of unaltered human potential, along
—— Stamina 28/28 with multiple peak human characteristics.

—— Defense 12 Dice 2 Armor 6/8 There are another fourteen hundred Class C and an untold
number of undocumented Class D and lower Metahu-
—— Offense Cutting Blades 25/30 Dice 3 Range Close mans. This figure accounts for the Kiev Experiment of 1961,
Damage 20 and the Barrister Outbreak in 1967. Some estimates place
—— Offense Stone Shower 25/30 Dice 3 Range Close the total number of Metahumans worldwide in or around
Damage 8 150,000 or higher. Although, a significant portion of this
—— Note: Cutting Blades make only single Target attacks, number may not realize their altered nature.
as with Ranged Weapons. Stone Shower attacks the The highest concentration of Metahumans and Empow-
current Range increment as with normal Mob Melee ered Normals include Germany, Japan, Russia, the United
Attacks. Kingdom and the United States. The Atlas Group estimates
the United States has the highest Metahuman population,
Central Control (High Powered + 3 Templates,
followed by the United Kingdom and Germany.
Major Size)
While there are those who use their abilities for the bet-
The TR-688’s command hub consists of a gyroscopic terment of all, there are others who see their gifts as a
central sphere protected by the Cutting Arms’ framework way to attain personal power. Some would exploit their
above and mounted gun bays below. Where the lower gifts, taking advantage over others, crushing any in their
chassis meets the ground the TR-688 uses reinforced way. Almost from the beginning humanity saw bands of
treads behind armored plates giving it an impressive mo- these heroes and villains in the US 7, and Übermensch.
bility despite its size. Today super teams are joined by specialized police forc-
—— Basic Rolls 16 + 3d6 es, and dedicated military units, while the face of villainy
—— Stamina 32/32/32 moves into the boardrooms and growing terrorist groups.

—— Defense 20 Dice 4 Armor 14/16/18 The birth of Metahumans has not just changed the culture
of the world, but the landscape of the world itself. In 1961
—— Offense Heavy Machine-Gun Banks 21/26/31 Dice 3 the Carpathian mountains began to swell, rising over
Range Short Damage 8 three hundred meters as new outcroppings emerged,
effectively crippling travel by land to Romania. In 1989 a
The World of radioactive bomb was detonated over a small island in the
South Pacific. At the time the island was reportedly unin-
Metahumans Rising habited but the explosion sparked strange growth in plant
There have always been those whose abnormalities and wildlife not seen anywhere else on Earth.
proved more advantageous than others. Unique varia- The heartlands of the United States were forever marred
tions, people unlike any seen before, or in subsequent in 1996 when the living Nanomachine-Colony, Gray Matter,
generations. During the first World War a biological weap- devastated the city of Burr, Nebraska, terraforming the
on designed to turn the tide of war killed thousands, but in town and surrounding area into a self replicating facto-
a select few activated a series of changes. ry. Those caught in the wake of Burr were harvested and
The Strasbourg Event forever changed the course of the converted into cyber-workers for the hive.
world. Most of those present died from the uncontrolled The world was shocked in late 1999 when the First In-
abnormalities, horrific mutations that could not survive. vasion began. The insect like Ar’Dysis struck by surprise
Those who lived, along with the occupational forces that using cloaked orbital cannons. Their initial attack targeted
arrived afterward passed on a genetic legacy to their super teams around the world along with Beijing, Ber-
descendants that would change their individual lives and lin, and the District of Columbia. As world governments
gave rise to a new era. scrambled to understand what was happening, the
invasion began. Squads of advanced troops halted only by
The first real powered supers, or Metahumans as they a coalition of Heroes, united by a veteran superteam the
would later be known, became publicly known towards the Xeno Consortium and the villain known as Harbinger.
end of World War I when Marcus Henry, better known as
American Steel faced off with Germany’s first super soldier. This First Invasion was only a prelude. It would turn out that
World War II saw clashes between super powered forces the Ar’Dysis had sought to weaponize humanity, creating an
on all sides. On more than one occasion the US 7 took on army of servile Metahumans capable of stopping a larger
members of the Ubermensch 64, Nazi super soldiers creat- intergalactic conflict. In 2001 the war spilled over into the Sol
ed using a chemical known as Keiser Box II or KB II. System. The Lensing Conflict brought the Redoum and Zo to
Earth for control of its resources and the surrounding Oort
In the modern era the Atlas Group, a think tank devoted to Cloud. Old enemies returned as strange allies as the Ar’Dysis
Metahumans, estimates there are approximately sev- warriors fought to protect the Sol System.
en hundred Class B and above Metahumans worldwide,
these are people who demonstrate powers or abilities
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 The Third Invasion saw the rise of a new threat to Earth in
2012 when the Thadmar attempted to claim Earth as their
Inside The United States
new home. Refuges from a dying world, the Thadmar were The US is home to the largest estimated Metahuman pop-
not always a warlike race, the death of their homeworld ulation. In 1964 the Metahuman Civil Liberties Act Passed
forced them to turn control over to a central AI to preserve allowing Metahumans to use their gifts without fear of re-
their life support systems. Adapting the world ship for prisal so long as they violate no other standing law and in
terraforming the Thadmar invasion used cybernetically addition no law could not be enacted specifically to alien-
augmented warriors to crush the earth forces. In the end ate Metahumans.This was followed two decades later by
the Terraforming Event was resolved peaceably leading to the 1984 Metahuman Crime Prevention Act, established to
a joint colony on Mars. allow the altered humans some degree of police protec-
tion in the United States when serving the public good.
While the threat of alien invasion seems quelled for the
There are three major government agencies that monitor
time being, Earth has suffered its scars. So many he-
vigilante and Metahuman activity within the US.
roes have fallen or disappeared in the wake of the Third
Invasion. Now is a time of rebuilding and growth, but long The Bureau of Metahuman Affairs who maintains records
forgotten villains are on the move, emerging from the of registered Metahumans, provides testing on newborn
shadows of war to set new plans in motion. The world children, and legal support in cases involving the Metahu-
needs heroes, now more than ever. man Crime Prevention Act. Instituted in 1976 there is be-
lieved to be a growing movement of parents choosing to

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 give birth outside of traditional means to avoid any Meta The Atlas Group is an independent think tank funded by
testing. The BMA tracks all known Metahuman movement the United States Joint Forces Command. If the BMA, and
within the US, and abroad. The BMA also maintains a body MCPD are the legal, and law enforcement branches of the
of lawyers focused on Metahuman law and prosecution. government, the Atlas Group serves as a scientific arm.
Since its inception the Atlas Group has provided research,
The Metahuman Crime Prevention Division, or MCPD, of
and counseling to the US Government, and other foreign
the FBI who assist in law enforcement within the Meta-
agencies with regard to Metahumans.
human population. Unlike other Divisions of the FBI the
MCPD work closely with local law enforcement providing Atlas research led directly to the technology used for inhibi-
training, equipment, and manpower to deal with Metahu- tor cuffs, and prison null fields. Its long been rumored that
man threats. It is not uncommon for MCPD agents to work Atlas may be a shell for other international interests tied to
directly out of police precincts. While they maintain a high use of captured Metahumans for illegal experimentation
approval rating within the law enforcement community, and financial gain. However, this has never been proven.
and the people as a whole, there are a number of vocal
The San Francisco Bay is also home to Cold Iron Citadel,
detractors that say the MCPD infringes on state’s rights.
the prototype prison for Black Mountain. Although, Cold
Specifically, in that the state should be empowered to
Iron has been decommissioned IMR, the company who
enforce their own laws without government intervention.
built and maintains the facility, offers tours daily.

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 The Rust Belt continues to suffer as labor driven manu- Division M
facturing continues to dwindle. Outside of Virginia, many
of the Southern States lag behind, often for political rea- Perhaps one of the least understood groups of the BMA,
sons, creating both a technological and educational divide. Division M appears to be an investigatory branch. Al-
At the same time the Grain Belt, and Farm Basket regions though, they have been known to directly interevent in
have prospered from advances in clean fuel technology. hostile environments. One notable distinction, beyond the
Even after being the center of global threats, both Earth- plain black suits is that Division M seems to be comprised
born and interstellar, the United States continues to grow. entirely of Metahumans. Although, members of MAP are
also Metahumans members of Division M seem to show a
Organizations wider variance in powers implying they were recruited and
not augmented by the BMA,
The world of Metahumans Rising is filled with powerful
factions and groups that help to define the landscape. Division M Investigators
Some help to protect the world, others look to control it. Members of Division M are exceptionally well trained,
The following section discusses some of the major organi- and in addition display a wide range of powers. Howev-
zations and how GMs and players may incorporate them er, this diversity is masked by plain suits, bland haircuts
into their Campaign World. and characteristic sunglasses. The following Background
Characters make up a three man team. When introducing
Bureau of Metahuman Affairs (BMA) Division M Investigators GMs should be ready to turn any
Founded in 1966 the BMA was charged with the tracking Background Characters into fully developed Characters.
of Metahuman development inside the US. Since their
founding, the BMA’s charter has been expanded to include Projector (Classic Super Agent + 4 Templates)
a national registry of Metahumans, defense litigation for —— Basic Roll: 12 + 3d6
registered Metahumans and Empowered Normals work- —— Stamina 9
ing under the Metahuman Crime Prevention Act (1984
MCPA), and prosecution of unregistered Metahumans who —— Defense Silksteel Microweave Under Armor 18 Armor
violate the 1984 MCPA. 6 Dice 4

Almost from the beginning the BMA has been subject —— Offense Energy Creation (select an Element) 18 Dice
to accusations of abuse of power and corruption. The 4 Range Long Damage 12
F-Board, an online community for low level mutants there —— Offense Energy Boxer 18 Dice 4 Damage 6
are countless posts about strong arm tactics and Metahu-
mans targeted for some minor talent that was deemed a Protector (Classic Super Agent + 4 Templates)
risk to national security. —— Basic Roll: 12 + 3d6
An infamous 2007 thread details harassment of a F-Board —— Stamina 15
poster 2Locked a minor Ferrokinetic who had a talent for —— Defense Unbreakable Skin 24 Armor 9 Dice 5
disarming locks. In November 2007, 2Locked, real name
Jon Lancaster was arrested by the BMA for a suspected —— Offense Handgun 12 Dice 3 Range Short Damage 6
burglary of a BMA building. Despite evidence to the con- —— Offense Super Brawler 18 Dice 4 Damage 9
trary the Ferrokinetic was sentenced to twenty five years —— Offense Grapple 18 Dice 5 Damage 0 Notes Any
in Black Mountain prison. Many F-Board posters continue Actions taken by the Target suffer a 7-point Penalty.
to advocate 2Locked’s incarceration was designed as a Value includes Grapple Penalty.
test of his powers.
—— Offense Crush 28 Dice 5 Damage 11 Notes Target
The reality of the BMA is not black and white. they partner must be Grappled
with Homeland Security and the NSA to identify high risk
Metahuman targets. They have also pushed for both tech- Provoker (Classic Super Agent
nological and scientific innovation to help combat super + 4 Templates)
powered threats. The BMA’s Metahuman Advancement —— Basic Roll: 12 + 3d6
Program, MAP, helped to create a team of super soldiers
comparable to Harbinger’s Nu-Men. —— Stamina 9

The BMA exists somewhere in the grey. Their actions often —— Defense Silksteel Microweave Under Armor 18 Armor
seem counterintuitive to someone on the outside and the 6 Dice 4
details are not likely to be shared. They maintain incredible —— Offense Handgun 12 Dice 3 Range Short Damage 6
political power and a deep wealth of resources. Heroes may —— Offense Mind Wrack 18 Dice 4 Range Short Notes
find themselves fighting alongside Zenith Troops one day Close Area Meddling Power applies - 6 for 1 turn.
and on the wrong side of a MAP rifle the next.
—— Offense Psychic Hold 12 Dice 3 Range Short Damage
6 Notes Traps Target Psychically with a 12 Stamina
Barrier

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Metahuman Advancement Program —— Defense 15 Armor 3 Dice 2

(MAP) —— Offense M16 Assault Rifle 15 Dice 3 Range Long

Damage 12
During the Third Invasion the BMA targeted humans with a
—— Offense MAP Combat Training 15 Dice 3 Damage 9
known genetic potential for superhuman mutation. Using
research salvaged from Zero Island and the Atlas Group the —— Offense Power Punch 14 Dice 4 Damage 13
BMA initiated MAP, the Metahuman Advancement Program.
Zenith, Troops (Classic Power Armor Police +
Designed to create the ultimate Metasoldier. MAP soldiers
have been genetically engineered to perform above human 3 Templates)
potential. There is speculation that the BMA keeps these Zenith Troops are the enforcement arm of the BMA.The
troops in a cold storage sleep similar to RRX-001 the Red latest iteration of Zenith Armor has removed many of the
Juggernaut. To date this rumor has not been proven. flaws seen in past generations. Able to be dispatched
MAP Soldier (Classic Metasoldier around the country in a moments notice the Zenith Troops
assist local law enforcement in the apprehension and
+ 4 Templates) detention of Metahuman threats. Zenith armor is durable
Genetically designed to be superior in every way MAP and equipped with both lethal and nonlethal systems.
soldiers undergo intense psychological conditioning to It is important to note that legally the FBI and specifically
ensure their loyalty. Since the First Invasion MAP has been the MCPD are charged with Metahuman acquisition. Be-
out of the news and has become the BMAs dark ops team. cause of jurisdictional and legal conflicts members of the
MAP Soldiers are unremorseful and extremely dangerous. BMA are often on hand to deflect other law enforcement.

The Zeniths are perhaps one of the most notorious groups

—— Basic Roll: 9 + 2d6
operating within the US. Rumors persist of those arrested
—— Stamina 6 never going to trial or being seen again.
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— Basic Roll: 9 + 2d6 was impossible to separate where the organic began and
—— Stamina 15 the inorganic ended. These were not petty thieves or spies,
but zealots in a new holy war for genetic superiority.
—— Defense Zenith Armor 15 Armor 6 Dice 3
The next step of their rebirth was the raising of the
—— Offense Plasma Cannons 15 Dice 3 Range Long Dam- Transunification. Using stolen anti-gravity technology the
age 12 mobile fortress ascended from the depths of the ocean
—— Offense Adhesion Pellets 15 Dice 3 Range Long Dam- and into the hands of its wayward owners. This seemed to
age 6 Notes Traps Target in fast sealing adhesive be only a small portion of the technology used as the ship
with an Difficulty 19 Adhesive moved to the edge of the atmosphere and vanished.
Story Seed It has become nearly impossible for security forces to pre-
dict when and where Chimera will strike. It seems that this
Division M overthrows third world dictatorships for new Chimera is as interested in its own propaganda as it
breakfast and is back home to spy on some prom- is any decisive victories. Broadcasts from the Transunifi-
ising Metahuman before lunch. While on another cation can be found online showing some tortuous exper-
mission outside the US the heroes stumble into a iment, or breakthrough as if designed to both disgust and
Division M operation. It may appear that Division M lure people to their cause at the same time.
is working for the bad guys, a cartel, or dictator. Be
ready to double cross anyone who thinks Division M According to Chimeran propaganda, their leader, the
is on their side. Prophet Adam Pride, was created in 2004 using a team of
researchers from around the world. Chimera claims that
It may look like the BMA is using Division M to sup- he is the ultimate example of genetic perfection taking the
ply weapons, or support. Of course this a front for best traits from numerous animal species and that all oth-
data mining the organization’s servers. But, before er advancement comes from his wisdom.
they go, Division M may need to set up a confronta-
While Pride displays Ultrahuman abilities his true genet-
tion between local warlords and leave the PCs in the
ic heritage remains a mystery outside the inner circle of
middle of it all.
Chimera. Despite their boast, Chimera attacks are rare
and targeted. Since the 2004 attack on Zero Island there
Chimera have been only a handful of reports detailing Slither Tanks
leaving experts to wonder what their true capacities are.
Cyber cult, tech thieves, biomechanical terrors? This only
scratches the surface of Chimera. Led by the Prophet Adam Chimera Troops
Pride and operating from their suborbital fortress Transuni-
fication it is hard to comprehend the motivations of Pride or The shock troops and foot soldiers of Chimera are ter-
the Chimera. Even guessing at their numbers is difficult. One rifying alien things. Speculation Around the Drifters is
thing that can be agreed upon, is that since their inception in that they were genetically designed and only maintain a
the 1970s Chimera has gone through bouts of radical change. passing resemblance to humans. Not even the world’s top
scientists have been able to present solid theories as to
Originally tech thieves Chimera used stolen scientific data how the monstrous Slither Tanks are created.
to push the field of cybernetics and human augmenta-
tion in the 70s and 80s. Today they blend their mastery Drifter (Classic Mutant Shock Troops
of cybernetics with gene splicing science decades ahead + 3 Templates)
of cutting edge research. The modern Chimera is now a
A fresh Drifter appears around six feet in height with a
strange techno cult whose doctrine espouses the ideal of
greenish-blue skin and four bisected eyes. When en-
forced human advancement, at any cost.
gaged in a battle some become shorter with condensed
For over a decade the world thought Chimera was defeated. features and thick muscles giving them incredible fortitude.
After the sinking of their mobile fortress the Transunifica- Their skin forms calcium deposits and bone spurs as they
tion. The organization simply disappeared. The fall of the mutate. Others become wiry with vine like limbs, lithe and
Transunification was the spark of their evolution. Monitoring agile. In this state the Drifter seems to be able to exhale
white papers and sending spies into scientific symposiums powerful pheromones that sap victim’s strength. Other
over the decades Chimera recruited like minded scientists variations have been seen during engagements but these
tired of the shackles of ethics and safety. They used proxies “Goblin” and “Elf” alterations seem to be the most common.
to steal records on the Nazi’s Übermensch project and other —— Basic Roll: 9 + 2d6
avenues of banned research. Chimera was learning.
—— Stamina 6
In 2004, for the first time in twenty years, the world wit-
—— Defense Genetic Toughness 15 Armor 3 Dice 3
nessed the power of the Chimera. Landing on Zero Island,
the machine men of the 70s were a distant, pleasant, —— Offense Concussion Blaster 15 Dice 3 Range Long
dream, compared to the nightmare army Chimera un- Damage 12
leashed. Mutated shock troops capable of spontaneous —— Offense Claws 15 Dice 3 Damage 6
evolutionary leaps flowed from gigantic dragon like crea-
tures that seem to fuse beast and machine in a way that
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— Drifting: After the first turn of Combat a Drifter may Story Seed
spend 1 turn to become a Goblin or Elf. This transfor-
mation requires 1 turn. Any time there is a scientific breakthrough there is a
chance Chimera may be there. This may be a covert
Goblin Drift (Low Powered Mutant Shock theft or large military action. GMs wanting to show
Troops + 5 Templates) Chimera as more of a military force consider a raid
—— Basic Roll: 9 + 2d6 on SICAD or IMR. Both have significant resourc-
es and combat personnel allowing heroes to turn
—— Stamina 15 the tide as opposed to being the sole defenders.
—— Defense Calcified Skin Plates 21 Armor 6 Dice 3 One strategy might include having Chimera attack
—— Offense Concussion Blaster 15 Dice 3 Range Long multiple locations at a base with the PCs fortifying
Damage 12 a central choke point or location while other troops
defend other areas of the base.
—— Offense Bone Spurs 15 Dice 3 Damage 9
Elf Drift (Low Powered Mutant Shock Troops
+ 5 Templates) Rogues Gallery
—— Basic Roll: 9 + 2d6 What’s a good supervillain without a horde of disposable
thugs mercs and ruffians for them to boss around. Below
—— Stamina 6 are some common threats Superheroes may face that
—— Stealth 13 Dice 3 could be working on their own or under the leadership of a
more powerful villain.
—— Defense Genetic Toughness 21 Armor 3 Dice 3
—— Offense Concussion Blaster 15 Dice 3 Range Long Street Gangs
Damage 12
Rude, crude and festering in every back alley, bad neigh-
—— Offense Claws 15 Dice 3 Damage 6 borhood and dive bar. Most gangbangers are no match for
—— Offense Pheromones 15 Dice 3 Range Short Damage a Classic or even Low Powered Hero.
6 Notes Defended by Psyche.
Common Gangbangers (Exceptional Thugs
Tactics: Drifters are deployed in powers of 3. Rarely will + 1 Templates)
fewer than 9 Drifters be used in an attack, or raid. Drifters
—— Basic Rolls 3 + 2d6
make staggered shifts leaving only a third of the strike
teams vulnerable. A team of 15 Drifters would Drift 5 at a —— Stamina 2
time. Drifting heals any Damage. —— Defense Leather Jacket 5 Dice 2 Armor 1
GM Note: Don’t be afraid to deploy Elf or Goblin Drifters —— Offense: Knives, Chains, or Bottles 5 Dice 3 Damage 2
for specific tasks. This represents a foreknowledge of the
challenges they may face. For example: Breaking into a lab Toughs (Exceptional Thugs + 2 Templates)
is not Goblin work, Chimera may send three Elves though. —— Basic Rolls 3 + 2d6
Also, be aware that without the time required for a shift
—— Stamina 6
Drifters are a far tougher challenge.
—— Defense Leather Jacket 7 Dice 3 Armor 2
Slither Tanks (High Powered Personnel Carri-
—— Offense: Knives, Chains, or Bottles 5 Dice 3 Damage 2
er + 5 Templates, Typical Size)
—— Pack of Thugs (Typical Mob)
If the Drifters are to be considered Elves and Goblins then
here there be dragons. The Slither tank is part APC and Common Gangbangers (Exceptional Thugs
part reptile. Capable of spewing forth up to twenty four + 2 Templates)
Drifters not to mention a bath of chemical fire the Slither
—— Basic Rolls 3 + 2d6
Tank is a terror on the battlefield. First seen on Zero Island
Slither Tanks have been reported with wings, or aquatic —— Stamina 2/2
variations. How these aquatic variants are deployed from —— Defense Leather Jacket 5 Dice 2 Armor 3/5
the Transunification remains a mystery.
—— Offense: Knives, Chains, or Bottles 10/15
—— Basic Roll: 12 + 2d6 Dice 3 Damage 2
—— Stamina 32/32 —— Note: As a Typical Mob the Gang will use more ag-
—— Defense Metallic Scales 28 Armor 10/12 Dice 3 gressive attacks (Heavy Blow when possible.
—— Offense Fire Breath 25/30 Dice 3 Range Short
Damage 16
—— Offense Bite and Claws 25/30 Dice 3 Damage 12

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 Rival Gangs Organized Crime Families
The Background Characters presented here provide a base- Unlike the disorganized and rowdy street gangs, the mob
line for street gangs. However, this may not provide enough and other crime families take a different approach to crime.
variation when running a street level game with multiple It’s not just cheap bar fights and purse snatching for these
gangs. To create a distinct feel for each gang, apply an criminals. Organized crime families deal in extortion, pro-
additional Template to the Common Gangbanger Template. tection, gambling and even kidnapping or assassination.
This variation ensures that each gang moves into their own
niche. If street crime is a central focus of these games, con- Mob Enforcers (Low Powered Thugs
sider adding in Low Powered versions of the Gangs. These + 3 Templates)
are veteran members or the roughest of the bunch. —— Basic Rolls 6 + 2d6
Note: Gangs at this level are not your average street thugs —— Stamina 4
but are capable of repelling police, possibly holding small
—— Defense Bullet Proof Vest 10 Dice 2 Armor 2
fiefdoms of territory even taking on larger organizations if
they should meet in similar numbers. —— Offense 9mm Pistol 10 Dice 3 Range Short Damage 8
—— Offense Brass Knuckles 10 Dice 3 Damage 4
Examples
Dead Heads (Exceptional Thugs Professional Leg Breaker (Low Powered
+ 3 Templates) Thugs + 5 Templates)
—— Basic Rolls 6 + 2d6
—— Halfway between a cult and a street gang the Dead
Heads use a mixture of powerful narcotics and cob- —— Stamina 8
bled together mystic rituals to empower their ranks —— Defense Tough 8@$ @%& 14 Dice 3 Armor 4
and debilitate their foes.
—— Offense 9mm Pistol 10 Dice 3 Range Short Damage 8
—— Basic Rolls 3 + 2d6
—— Offense Baseball Bat 10 Dice 3 Damage 6
—— Stamina 2
Triggerman (Low Powered Thugs
—— Defense Scrubs layered with chicken bones 5 Dice 2
Armor 1 + 3 Templates)
—— Offense Surgical Knives or butcher’s tools 5 —— Basic Rolls 6 + 2d6
Dice 3 Damage 2 —— Stamina 4
—— Offense Syringe of Sickness 8 Dice 4 Damage 2 Note —— Defense Nice suit, no protection 6 Dice 2 Armor 2
Defended by Quickness —— Offense Sawed off Shotgun 10 Dice 3 Range Short
The Masters (Exceptional Thugs Damage 10
+ 3 Templates) —— Offense Brawler 6 Dice 2 Damage 4
Train hard, fight hard, win hard. The Masters don’t need —— Sneak 10 + 3d6
guns like petty thugs. They train constantly and aggres-
Armored Limo (Low Powered Armored Car
sively defend their turf making sure even their lowest
ranking members have a host of practical experience. + 4 Templates)
—— Basic Rolls 4 +3d6 —— Basic Rolls 6 + 2d6

—— Stamina 2 —— Stamina 14

—— Defense Leather Keikogi 6 Dice 3 Armor 1 —— Defense Reinforced Body 10 Dice 3 Armor 6

—— Offense Bare Fists or Martial Arts Weapons 8 Dice 5 —— Offense Run Them Over 10 Dice 3 Range Short Dam-
Damage 3 age 4 Note Moves 1 Range Increment
—— Note: The Limo itself has no weapons. Although, the
The Union (Exceptional Thugs + 3 Templates) guys inside probably have guns and may shoot from
Blue collar workers that banded together when the work the windows or sunroof.
dried up. These aren’t punk kids but hardened construction
workers, linemen and other people unable to find work. Guns for Hire
—— Basic Rolls 3 + 2d6 When it comes down to it, sometimes a good villain is just
—— Stamina 5 going to need professional help. Guns for hire, mercenar-
ies or soldiers of fortune, whatever they choose to call
—— Defense Built to Union Standards 7 Dice 3 Armor 3 themselves these are men and women willing to take up
—— Offense Rebar, Chains or Brass Knuckles 5 Dice 3 arms for the highest bidder.
Damage 2
Note: The following supporting characters can also be
used for traditional soldiers.
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Mercs (Low Powered Soldiers + 3 Templates) ing employers has led to rumors that Mock is only able to
maintain control of the Brood through psychic manipulation.
—— Basic Rolls 6 + 2d6
In addition to Mock’s cadre of villains, he has kidnapped
—— Stamina 8
Detritus, a monstrous amalgamation of mouths and claws
—— Defense Flack Jacket 14 Dice 3 Armor 4 created by Harbinger from anti-Metahuman extrem-
—— Offense: Machine Gun 10 ists. Kept sedated, Mock and the Brood use Detritus as a
Dice 3 Range Medium Damage 8 threat, more than an actual member of the team because
once awoken, even Mock cannot fully control the creature.
—— Offense: Close Quarters Combat 10 Dice 3 Damage 4
Members
Squad Leader (Low Powered Soldiers
+ 4 Templates) —— Mock: The leader of the Brood, Mock is a powerful
psychic. Corrupted after years of degradation due to his
—— Basic Rolls 8 + 3d6 appearance, Mock borders on fanatical in his hatred.
—— Stamina 8 ˜˜ Preferring to stay away from the frontline, Mock
—— Defense Flack Jacket 16 Dice 4 Armor 4 uses a telekinetic shield to protect himself as he
attacks foes, whispering insults directly into their
—— Offense: Machine Gun 12 Dice 4 Range Medium
mind.
Damage 8
—— Anaconda: An early experiment of Harbinger, Ana-
—— Offense: Close Quarters Combat 12 Dice 4 Damage 4
conda was once a police officer. Spurned and ac-
Metahuman Mercenary, Energy Projector cused of killing her fellow officers, she was forced
(Classic Powered Soldier + 4 Templates) into a life of crime to survive.
—— Basic Rolls 9 + 2d6 ˜˜ A snake hybrid, Anaconda uses her prehensile
neck to grapple foes along with her life-draining
—— Stamina 12 bite to disable them.
—— Defense Flack Jacket 19 Dice 3 Armor 3 —— Gargoyle: Crafted by a magician centuries prior,
—— Offense: Energy Blasts (select a type) 15 Dice 3 Gargoyle rested in a museum until reawakened by
Range Medium Damage 15 Mock. Now he serves as Mock’s personal bodyguard
—— Offense: Energy Melee 15 Dice 3 Damage 6 and enforcer.
˜˜ Made of stone, Gargoyle has enhanced strength
Metahuman Mercenary, Tank (Classic and durability. Despite being made of stone he is
Powered Soldier + 4 Templates) also capable of flight.
—— Basic Rolls 9 + 2d6 —— Rampage: Driven insane by his transformation, Ram-
—— Stamina 15 page hates the man he was and the idea that a better
future is achievable. Bitter and deformed he takes
—— Defense Unstoppable 19 Dice 3 Armor 6
pleasure in the beauty of destruction.
—— Offense: Oversized Hand Cannon 9 Dice 2 Range
˜˜ Locked within Rampage’s body is a storm. Able to
Medium Damage 6
manipulate the weather Rampage can channel the
—— Offense: Fists like Iron 15 Dice 3 Damage 9 storm to summon lightning bolts and hurricane
force winds.
The Brood —— Detritus: An amalgamation of different bodies, the
Comprised of disfigured Metahumans and monsters, mem- creature Detritus was driven mad as its body was
bers of the Brood are outcasts and castaways. Rejected for twisted into a collection of mouths and claws. Con-
different reasons, the Brood have banded together to prove fined to a secure tank Detritus is kept sedated unless
their superiority and enjoy the luxuries they believe they absolutely necessary to protect the team.
could have never achieved playing by the rules. ˜˜ Once unleashed, Detritus spits acidic bile and rains
Led by the mentalist Mock, the Brood often have their own destruction. Able to grapple potential food with
plans but are not above working as a mercenaries. One lethal tentacles, Detritus lives only to consume.
prefered job is targeting media darlings, uncovering their
darkest secrets, their ugly side, and blackmailing them. Using The Brood
The Brood enjoy “nights out” spoiling events such as fash- As written, the Brood is a gang of four with a very unstable
ion shows or modeling competitions. fifth member. Mock can be calculating and thinks of him-
Each member of the Brood, including Mock holds a self as a strategist. Rarely do the Brood go into a situation
deep-seated hatred for authority. This hatred makes them without a plan. However, the relationship between team
difficult to predict, especially when working for others. Mock members is tenuous. Although, the Brood generally listen to
does not like to be challenged and it is difficult for him to Mock’s orders Rampage actively dislikes the other members
take orders, even under contract. This reputation for spurn- of the Brood, even having come to blows with Anaconda.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 If things take a turn for the worse in a fight Mock will fight By adjusting the age of the Brood’s members they can be-
to protect other members of the Brood as long as he has an come excellent recurring villains for teen games. Increas-
escape route. If Gargoyle is with him, this is rarely an issue. ing Mock’s Power Level to High, or Cosmic, he can easily
Anaconda and Rampage will aid others escaping as long transition to a cult leader with the other members serving
as it is convenient to them but are not going to sacrifice has his lieutenants as throngs of disfigured Metahumans
themselves for the group. Gargoyle, on the other hand, will flock to his Order.
defend Mock to the death. Because of his single minded
nature, Rampage has used Gargoyle as a pawn or patsy. If Anaconda
not kept on a short leash Rampage will look to cause mass Power Level: Classic
destruction with the safety of his teammates a far second. Concepts
The Brood can easily become focused on super teams. —— Fractured memories of a fractured life
Especially if the team possesses things such as a base, team
transport, specialized gear, or snazzy team uniforms. This —— Never forget a betrayal, never forgive a betrayer
can be exacerbated should the team be honored for defeat- —— Civility is an illusion to be shed along with the idea of
ing deformed or otherwise hideous villains or monsters. law

140
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— The police are no band of brothers, rather they are a er to ignore for 1 Action.) Siphon: Heal Stamina
collection of bullies incapable of feeling anything equal to the Damage inflicted.
Secondary Attack: Lash Out 33/13 Dice 3 Range Close
Secret Origin Damage 10
Not everything is clear from her time before the ware-
house. She had been a police officer. It was an investiga- ˜˜ Notes: Punch, kick, neck slap whatever it takes
tion that went bad. He captured her, changed her in one of when Targets are too difficult to Grapple. Stealthy:
his early experiments. She’s still not clear how long she +4 Damage to Surprised Defense. Biting: The Value
was there before she escaped. Too long though. after the slash represents an attempt to bite a
non-Grappled Target.
When she found her way back to the police, no one be-
lieved her. From her appearance they even assumed she Combat Notes
had been the one to kill her and her partner. In the end she Defense Notes
was forced to return to Harbinger for protection. —— Be-Man (KB Exposure - Survivor): Add Be-Man (10)
For years she served as his personal assistant, though to any Normal Defense Roll after they have suffered
assassin might be the better term. Collecting subjects, 10 Damage. This lasts for 1 turn and may be used
eliminating lines of inquiry, until he was ready to take Zero once per session.
Island. After that, she was just… forgotten. A tool that had —— Climbing: Once per session when taking an Active
outlived her usefulness. Defense, use Climbing (12) as a Supporting Char-
acteristic if there is a wall or other vertical surface
It was the last lesson she needed from Harbinger.
within Close Range.
Appearance —— Escape Artist: Once per session, use their Escape
Anaconda looks like she was once an athletic woman. Her Artist (12) as a Supporting Characteristic when De-
face now has a more serpentine appearance complete fending against Quick Attacks that bypass normal
with retractable fangs. Her neck is larger and over twelve Defenses.
feet long. Typically, she keeps her neck curled on her —— Perception: Once per session use Perception (9) as a
shoulders, and down her back. Supporting Characteristic for Normal Defense.
Combat Style —— Serpentine Awareness (Intuition): Once per session
use Intuition (12) with Surprised Defense.
Like a snake, Anaconda is most dangerous when not seen.
Her augmented reflexes allow her to easily hide from foes —— Tracking: Once per session use Normal Defense
and her prehensile neck can trap opponents, even those instead of Surprised Defense in any Combat where
with super strength. Capable of crushing a normal man Anaconda has already seen their Target.
with ease, few can survive her grasp. If wounded, Anacon- Offense Notes
da will use her bite to drain the life force from her foes,
healing herself. Should an opponent prove too difficult to —— Stealth: Hide from Opponents in Combat. Rolls
grapple, Anaconda is very capable of engaging in hand- Dexterity 14 + Stealth 12 + Serpent Hybrid 12 + 4d6
to-hand, using her powerful neck and limber body to full against the highest Sense + Perception + Tracking. On
effect, slithering past defenses. a successful roll, the Targets lose track of the char-
acter. If the character follows up with an Attack, they
Combat use the Target’s Surprised Defense.
Stamina: 17
—— Subterfuge: Add 1 additional Damage when attacking
Willpower: 5 Max: 10
a foe using their Surprised Defense. Bonus included
Initiative: 35 Dice 3
above.
Defense
Surprised Defense: 14 Dice 14 Armor 4
Statistics
Normal Defense: 23 Dice 3 Armor 5 Attributes
Mental Defense: 8 Dice 2 Armor 1 History 10 Strength 8
Dexterity 14 Constitution 12
Offense Sense 10 Fortune 8
Favored Attack: Devour 43 Dice 5 Range Close Wisdom 5 Intelligence 5
Damage -/14 Mental 8 Expression 5

˜˜ Notes: Anaconda Grapples and Bites the Target. Backgrounds

Escape Roll 53. Initial Action does no damage. Origin: Be-Man (KB Exposure - Survivor) 10
Follow-up bite uses Values after the slash. Drain: Catalyst: Discarded Experiment 8
Damage can be applied to Constitution or Stamina. Drive: Show others their own Deformities 5
Each point of Damage to Constitution inflicts a -5 Background: Was I a cop? 3
penalty to all Constitution rolls. (Spend 1 Willpow-

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Talents Detritus
Serpentine Balance (Acrobatics) 12
Area of Influence: Local underworld 2 (Advanced High-Powered Writhing Horror + 7)
Brawn 1 Climbing 12 Before Harbinger had assembled his mutant army of Nu-
Serpentine Flexibility (Escape Artist) 12 Men, he was a scientist and one desperate for materials.
Hold Breath 9 Law 2 Partnering with a cell of Humans Now, anti-Metahuman
Movement: Swimming 9 terrorists, he conspired to steal a perfected KB known as
Perception 9 Quintessence. Humans Now had planned on using this
Serpentine Awareness (Intuition) 12 mutagenic bomb to rally others to their cause. Instead,
Stealth 12 Subterfuge 9 Tracking 8 Harbinger used the Quintessence to fuse the bodies of the
Humans Now members together, creating a horrific beast.
Boons
Combo: Devour (Grapple - Bite) TY Filled with pain, hunger, and a drive to destroy, the crea-
Escape Artist Supports Grapples MA ture was left as trap for Humans Now investigators. The
Surprising MA creature was too powerful though, it escaped into the city
feeding on anything —or anyone—caught in its wake.
Drawbacks
Frightening In the end, a team of heroes was able to contain the crea-
Not Skill Power: All Serpentine Talents ture, dubbed Detritus by the local press. Unable to kill it,
Vulnerability to Cold Detritus was kept in a secure holding tank allowing it to
float freely in a numbing solution easing it’s pain.
Fighting Styles
Serpent Style 7 When Mock assembled the Brood there was no other being
- Dexterity/Offense on Earth he wanted on his side. The ultimate manifestation
Secondary Role: Defense MA of horror created by man, and proof that it is humanity, not
Metahumans, who are the true monsters. Mock believed he
Adapted from her Police training, Anaconda has could control Detritus. Lacking any true sentience, the best
learned to use her body in deceptive and efficient Mock has been able to accomplish is to direct the creature.
ways in combat. Since steaming Detritus’ isolation chamber, Mock con-
tinues to try to isolate a single personality. The goal is to
Powers
find, or craft, a persona with enough sanity and force or
Serpent Hybrid 12
will left to take control of the body, awakening the colos-
- Constitution/Support: Dexterity
sus and allowing it to realize its true power.
Added Support: Strength, Sense MA2
New Senses: Note: If released, Mock must Control Detritus, otherwise it
Heat vision & “Smelling” Tongue TY will attack everything indiscriminately.
Secondary Role: Defense MA —— Basic Rolls 16 + 3d6
Scale Hide (Armor) MA
Passive Defense MA —— Stamina 40
Secondary Role: Offense (Full Role) MA —— Defense 22 Dice 3 Armor 8 Note: Resists Blast
Devastating MA
—— Offense Spit Bile 16 Dice 3 Range Short Damage 12
Drain: Constitution
(Siphon, Boost Siphon 2) MA —— Offense Bite/Lash/Destroy 34 Dice 5 Range Close
Constriction 10 (4 AP) Damage 20
Limited: Siphoning Bite (Attacking Non-Grappled Foes —— Offense Consume 34 Dice 5 Range Close Damage 20
Incurs a -20 Penalty when attempting to Drain) Note: Must Bite/Last/Destroy First. Escape
Cost: 1 Power + 12 Boons + 12 AP Difficulty: 26

Her human-like body is long and wiry, double jointed, Gargoyle

and covered in scales. Not to mention the exceptional- Power Level: Classic
ly long prehensile neck. Anaconda lacks venom glands, Concepts
instead she is gifted with the unique ability to drain the
life energy from her victims with a bite. —— Made to serve
—— Pain means nothing
Starting AP 30 —— No matter how cruel the master one must remain
Attributes 3 + Talents 8 + Boons 5 + Powers 17 loyal.
- Drawbacks 3
—— If they are not master though?
—— Serve responsibly, but that does not mean showing
all your gifts.
—— Your mind is your own, treasure your intellect and let
others assume what they will.
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Secret Origin —— Domestic: Gain 2 Free levels of Armor when deal-
ing with Area of Effect Attacks.
Originally sculpted by a corrupt wizard in the Dark Ages,
the Gargoyle was made to serve and defend the sorcerer’s —— Etiquette: Once per session use Etiquette (9) as a
keep. Compelled to act, no matter how vile or depraved the Supporting Characteristic when Defending against
command, Gargoyle served dutifully for over a century. To Mental Attacks that bypass normal Defenses.
his master, Gargoyle was nothing more than a servant, or —— Fitness: Reduce the number of Actions Staggered by 2
more accurately, an object, to be picked up as needed and
—— Manual Labor: Increases the Damage traded by 1
discarded just as carelessly. Gargoyle bowed and submit-
when taking an Injury.
ted to decades of insults and humiliation, powerless to re-
sist, until in a fit of madness the wizard uttered the words —— Perception: Once per session use Perception (8) as a
“I am done with you,” unwittingly breaking the spells that Supporting Characteristic for normal Defense.
bound Gargoyle to his will.
Offense Notes
Freed, Gargoyle killed his master. It was unlikely the mage had
—— Discipline: Add Discipline (12) to any Strength or Phys-
time to realize his own folly before his soul was separated
ical Attack roll after suffering 12 Damage. This lasts
from his body. Having achieved the only thing it had dreamed
for 1 turn and may be used once per session
of for a hundred years, the Gargoyle simply fell asleep. Con-
tent for the first time since it had been made. For centuries the —— Occult: Add 2 Damage dealing with Supernatural
Gargoyle slept until collected, boxed, and shipped to the New Threats or Magical Creatures.
World as part of an architectural display. —— Provoke: Once per session take 1 Action to describe
Perhaps it was chance, or fate, or simply the strength of Provoking others within Close Range to suffer a -9
Mock’s telepathic cry that awoke the Gargoyle. Trapped penalty when taking actions against people other than
by heroes, Mock had sent a blind command for aid. This the character. When acting against the character, foes
triggered something deep within Gargoyle, drawing them use the Provoke (9) as a free Supporting Characteris-
out, compelling it to protect Mock. In the time since their tic. This effect lasts until the start of the character’s
reawakening, Gargoyle has been given far more liberty next turn.
than it ever knew. In many ways, the stone creature fears Statistics
its new found freedom, often preferring to stay near Mock
unless following an order. Attributes
History 10 Strength 10
Combat Style Dexterity 10 Constitution 12
Gargoyle is direct, relying on its body of stone to prevent Sense 10 Fortune 7
injury. Gargoyle will lay into foes with little concern for Wisdom 7 Intelligence 10
safety. The only exception to this is when Mock is threat- Mental 10 Expression 5
ened. Should Mock enter combat, Gargoyle will actively work
Backgrounds
to defend their master. Absorbing blows before they would
Origin: Magical Construct (Dedication) 10
reach Mock, Gargoyle unleashes powerful counterattacks.
Catalyst: Dismissed by his Creator 8
Combat Drive: Serve A Worthy Master 5
Stamina: 19 Background: Arcane Construct 3
Willpower: 5 Max: 10 Talents
Initiative: 19 Dice 3 Brawn 9
Defense Discipline 12
Surprised Defense: 24 Dice 3 Armor 8 Disguise 4
Normal Defense: 24 Dice 3 Armor 8 Domestic 9
Defending Others: 36 Dice 4 Armor 9 Etiquette 9
Mental Defense: 10 Dice 2 Armor 1 Fitness 12
Manual Labor 5
Offense Movement: Flight 9
Favored Attack: Claw and Fist 22 Occult 5
Dice 4; Range Close Damage 10 Outlast 9
Perception 9
Combat Notes Provoke: Interference 9
Defense Notes Boons
—— Impervious: Take no Damage from normal Attacks un- Brawn Supports Offense MA
til the start of their next turn. The Damage from rolling Discipline supports Defending Others MA
6s, the Penetrating Boon, or Magic, Sonic, or Vibration Extra Stamina TY
Attacks (Vulnerability) ignore Impervious. This Boon No Need For: Breathing, Sleeping MA
may be activated for free on the character’s turn or
whenever they take Damage. Usable once per session.
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Drawbacks notions or ideas. Whatever remnants of the person he was
Frightening manifests in protecting his Brood.
Limitation: Disguise can only be used to hide as a gargoyle
Vulnerability: Magic
Appearance
Vulnerability: Sound & Vibration Slender to the point of skeletal. Mock hides his body under
a suit that hangs loosely on him. His enlarged cranium is
Powers
hidden below a wide hat.
Living Gargoyle 12
- Defense/Constitution Combat Style
Armor (Boost Armor, Impervious) MA3
Defends Against: Quickness TY Rarely is Mock without other members of the Brood. Prefer-
Passive Defense MA ring to stay back and direct the battle Mock uses his Educa-
Secondary Role: Offense (Full Role) MA2 tion to provide allies with an advantage. However, once he
Devastating MA is provoked Mock is relentless in combat. Mock will use his
Secondary Role: Support: telepathy to spew insults directly into his tormentor’s mind
Constitution (Full Role) MA2 (Meddling) and telekinetic fists to pummel foes. Should a
Added Support: Strength, Dexterity MA2 foe prove to be able to breach his force field (Defended By
New Movement: Winged Flight Quickness) or if he is dangerously wounded (0 Stamina or
(Boost Speed, Rapid Acceleration) MA3 Less) Mock will become overbearing, focusing all his ener-
Limited: No flight if wings are trapped. gies into taking them down, quickly and brutally.
Cost: 1 Power + 12 Boons + 16 AP Combat
Stamina: 15
Durable and incredibly strong, Gargoyle is also decep-
Willpower: 5 Max: 10
tively fast. Gargoyle’s stone body allows him to shrug
Initiative: 26 Dice 3
off most attacks and his wings are completely function-
al. Defense
Surprised Defense: 5 (17) Dice 2 (3) Armor 1 (7)
Starting AP 30 Normal Defense: 15 (27) Dice 2 (3) Armor 1 (7)
Attributes 5 + Talents 6 + Boons 7 + Powers 16 Mental Defense: 20 (32) Dice 3 (4) Armor 6(12)
- Drawbacks 4
—— Note: Value within parentheses represent an active
Psychic Shield.
Mock
Offense
Power Level: Classic
Favored Attack: Mind A Beating 33
Concepts Dice 4 Range Long Damage 6
—— Abused by more attractive and popular people has ˜˜ Notes: Mock likes to create large fistsmade of
left him bitter. Telekinetic force, but has been known to mix this
—— Little sympathy for normal people and an active dis- up, especially when he’s upset.
taste for the beautiful. Secondary Attack: I’m Telekinetic, you’re just pathetic 6
(Meddling) Dice - Range - Damage
—— Quick to anger and lash out.
—— Secretly calculating, pushing people to see how they ˜˜ Notes: Target is berated by objects and mental
react. insults for 4 turns.
—— Will fight to save the Brood. Combat Notes
—— The Brood is family and he will kill for them, maybe Defense Notes
not die, but certainly kill.
—— Computers: Gain 2 Free levels of Armor when dealing
Secret Origin with Robots and AIs.
Unnaturally tall and spindly with an oversized head, Mock —— Cryptography: Gain 2 free levels of Armor whenever
was deformed from birth. As a child and teen, before his an Opponent repeats an attack.
powers developed, Mock was tormented. Mock’s powers —— Intuition: Once per session use Intuition (5) with
first emerged, violently, while being bullied at a high- Surprised Defense.
school football game. This lead to the death of his only
friend, breaking Mock. —— Perception: Once per session use Perception (9) with
Normal Defense.
Mock’s first attacks were centered on sporting events.
—— Formal Science: Once per session add either 1 Free
This later grew to attack anyone or any place that had
Level of Armor, or 1 additional Damage.
something Mock wanted. Today Mock is a bitter criminal
who takes extreme pleasure in targeting the privileged.
Jaded and harsh, Mock enjoys destroying other people’s

144
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Offense Notes Powers
—— Critical Skill: Distraction: On an Attack roll, forgo the Intellect Beyond Measure 12
damage bonus from two 6s to treat the result as a - Support: Intelligence/Intelligence
Distraction roll in addition to an Attack. This is repre- Lingering TY
sented by Mock’s constant berating of his foes. Ranged MA
Barrier (Armored Barrier) MA2
—— Distraction: Attempt an Expression 6 + Distraction Control (Humans) MA
9 roll against Target’s Defense + 10 or Mental + 10 Control (Telekinesis) MA
whichever is higher. On a successful roll, the charac- Meddling MA
ter may make their next Attack against the Target’s New Communication: Telepathy TY
Surprised Defense. Repeated attempts increase the Secondary Role: Defense (Full Role) MA2
Difficulty by 10. Armor (Boost Armor) MA2
—— Education: Once per session, spend 1 Action to advise Passive Defense (Activation Required) TY
an Ally. The Ally may use half the character’s Education Defends Against: Might & Psyche TY
(12) as a Supporting Characteristic for their next Action. Secondary Role: Offense (Full Role) MA2
Locked: Lingering for Meddling Only
—— Forgery: Once per session use their Forgery (5) as a
Cost 1 Power + 12 Power AP + 15 AP
Meddling or Alter Power. Explain how Forgery is used
to interfere with someone else. This may be forcing
someone to question their gear, or something in their Born with an advanced intellect, Mock is capable of
surroundings. using his mind to perform powerful psychic feats.
When Mock uses his mental abilities he glows with
—— Tactics: Once per session, spend a turn to lay out a sickly green inner light. Constructs of his Telekine-
a strategy. On the following turn, all Allies add 2 sis seem to be formed from this light.
additional Damage on any Attack assisted by anoth-
er character and 2 additional Armor on any Defend
Starting AP 30
Others Action.
Attributes 1 + Talents 9 + Boons 5 + Powers 15
Statistics - Drawbacks
Attributes Rampage
History 10 Strength 4
Dexterity 6 Constitution 5 Power Level: Classic
Sense 5 Fortune 5 Concepts
Wisdom 8 Intelligence 15
Mental 15 Expression 6 —— Breaking things is easy.
—— There is no going back, life before gaining powers
Backgrounds
was a joke.
Generational 10
Ranked out and beaten 8 —— Humans are weak, selfish things that care only for
Everything They Have, I want it! 5 themselves, punish them.
Education 12 —— It’s okay to be cruel, they deserve it.
Talents —— There is nothing more valuable than your own life,
Area of Influence: F-Board 2 never forget that.
Computers 9
Cryptography 9 Secret Origin
Distraction 9 Who was Rampage before the six-state spree of terror?
Forgery 4 He never speaks of his past. However, the evidence points
Intuition 5 to an engineer named Scott Sizemore, a former employee
Perception 9 of Dynamic Biotech. It’s unclear what happened exactly
Research 9 but the authorities believe that Sizemore was electrocut-
Science 9 ed while installing a series of photovoltaic cells triggering
Formal Science 9 a metagenic reaction.
Serendipity 9
Study: Metahumans 8 What is known is that Rampage can alter weather in his
Tactics 12 proximity, build a static-electric charge with the strength
of a lightning bolt, and has a supreme hatred of every
Boons human on the planet. Rampage shows a particular disgust
Critical Skill: Distraction MA for the wealthy and those in power.
Education Supports Offense MA
(Psychic) Tools: Actual Tools, Rampage was arrested outside of Central City, but never
Smart Device TY incarcerated. Mock had monitored the criminal, and saw a
kindred spirit. Since his ‘early release’, Rampage has been

145
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 a disgruntled member of the Brood. Rampage has no ideo- —— Gambling: Increase the Bonus of rolling a 6 on At-
logical attachment to Mock or the Brood, seeing them as tacks or Active Defense by 1. If the character rolls a 1
a means to an end. That end being inflicting carnage and treat the roll as a Partial In Combat (pg. 104).
destruction while lining his pockets. —— Nature’s Fury: On a successful roll, use half Nature’s
Appearance Fury as a Meddling Power (-3) on the Target for 3
Slightly above average height, Rampage’s body is covered in turns. GMs can also assign situational penalties; it’s
large blister-like sores that seemingly trap lighting inside. generally harder to Intimidate someone holding a
gun to you when you’re unarmed.
Combat Style
Despite his rage, Rampage is a cunning combatant. When —— Subterfuge: Add 1 additional Damage when attacking
entering battle, Rampage will create torrents of wind and a foe using their Surprised Defense. (Included Above)
rain to torment foes. Keeping himself airborne and at a —— Technical Operations: Increase the Value of Explo-
distance from foes, sive rolls (Willpower Feature) by 5 for Cooperative
rolls. This Bonus is applied to either the character or
Rampage rains down bolts of lightning. Anyone who can
those they are supporting.
close ranks and directly engage him may be buffeted with
winds strong enough to knock them away (Blast Power Statistics
Trick). While he is loathe to admit this, when Rampage
Attributes
works with other members of the Brood under Mock’s
History 10 Strength 7
direction the results can be terrifying and deadly.
Dexterity 7 Constitution 10
Combat Sense 10 Fortune 7
Stamina: 15 Wisdom 7 Intelligence 10
Willpower: 5 Max: 10 Mental 12 Expression 5
Initiative: 19 Dice 3
Backgrounds
Defense Origin: Lightning Array (Exposure) 10
Surprised Defense: 7 Dice 2 Armor 1 Catalyst: Never Actually Stable 8
Normal Defense: 24 Dice 3 Armor 2 Drive: The Beauty of Destruction 5
Mental Defense: 12 Dice 2 Armor 2 Background: Former Engineer 3

Offense Talents
Favored Attack: Unrelenting Storms Dice - Range Long Education 9
Shapeable Radius Damage Engineering 12
(Specialty) Architecture 5
˜˜ Notes: Meddling: Targets Suffer a -6 to all rolls. Gambling 9
Disorienting: While affected by Unrelenting Storm’s Fury (Intimidation) 12
Storms Targets use their Surprised Defense for Manual Labor 12
the first Attack each turn. Lingering: Meddling Feel The Air (Perception) 12
lasts for 6 turns. Repair 9
Secondary Attack: Lightning 30 Street Smarts 5
Dice 4 Range Medium Damage 10 Study: Famous Structures 9
Subterfuge 5
Combat Notes Technical Operations 9
Defense Notes Boons
—— Manual Labor: Ignore the effects of Injuries for 2 Critical Skill: Storm’s Fury MA
turns, once per session. Feel The Air Supports Offense MA
—— Feel The Air: Once per session use Feel The Air (9) as Drawbacks
a Supporting Characteristic for Normal Defense. Limitation: Ball of Hate: Suffers a -20 on all rolls after
failing a Mental or Expression Roll.
—— Street Smarts: Gain 1 Free level of Armor when tak-
Not Skill Power: Storm’s Fury, Feel The Air
ing an Active Defense in inner city environments.
Power Loss (Using Lightning when in the presence of a
Offense Notes Lighting Rod.)
—— Critical Skill: Nature’s Fury: On any Attack roll with Powers
two or more 6s, forgo the damage bonus from two 6s Weatherman 12
to treat the result as an Intimidation roll against the - Support: Sense/Mental
Target. Lingering MA
—— Engineering: Add 4 Damage when Attacking an Radius (Boost Radius) MA 2
inanimate object or 6 against buildings and large Ranged TY
structures. Shapeable MA

146
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Alter: Weather (Improved/Worse Results) MA2 Lastly, GMs may wish to create Villains greater than the
Control: Weather (Boost Control) MA2 Cosmic guidelines, in those instances the GM should add
Meddling (Disorienting) MA2 125 Experience for Cosmic+, 275 Experience for Cosmic++,
New Movement: Flight MA or 450 Experience for Cosmic+++ and so on.
Secondary Role: Defense (Full Role) MA2
Secondary Role: Offense (Full Role) MA2 Steel Aces
Devastating MA
The Steel Aces represent a starting superhero team in the
Locked Power: No Radius Boons on Offense
Metahumans Rising setting. The members are a mix of
Locked Power: No Lingering on Offense
Classic- and High-powered heroes with varying levels of
Cost: 1 Power + 12 Boons + 19 AP
experience. The Aces are ready to play characters with 3
Starting AP 30 Experience available to them, following their Team Origin.
Attributes 3 + Talents 7 + Boons 4 + Powers 19 Bulwark - The Living Volcano
- Drawbacks 3
Power Level: Classic
Meeting with Equal Force Summary
The following are general guidelines when designing Once an archaeologist, Derrick Miles was transformed after
threats for your PCs. touching the Circlet of Hestaphus. Now a nigh-invulnera-
ble creature of fire and stone, Bulwark is capable of sliding
Average People through the earth and calling forth into veins of magma
The average human uses the Exceptional Background Char- when tapping into the circlet (spending Willpower).
acter Template with the Talented Template. This means even Background
a basic Gang Member is a threat for the average person.
While on a dig in the Greek islands anthropologist and
Note: Non-Powered Background characters may use archaeologist Derrick Miles uncovered the Hestaphus
higher power levels. For example a top secret research Circlet. Upon touching it, the ring bonded with him. As the
at DBC or IMR, could be a Classic Super Scientist, rolling arcane artifact melted into Miles body, his flesh became
15+3d6. While a team lead might roll 21 +4d6 representing stone, his muscle magma and blood flames.
their expertise in the field.
The transformation terrified his dig team and soon rumors
Power Level and Threats spread through Mykonos of the stone giant of Chora.

A Minor Mob of Gang Members should be a challenge for Seen as a monster, Bulwark hid for years. During the Ter-
a single Exceptional Hero. This means on average a single raforming Event, Bulwark defended the island against the
Exceptional Hero will be able to best several gang mem- cybernetic hordes, destroying a Drop Pylon near Chora.
bers, a Typical gang is a tougher challenge while a Major After the Invasion, Bulwark sank back into the caves that
gang may take down a lone hero. While a major mob may had shielded him for years.
be serious threat to a single exceptional hero a team of The story of Bulwark’s heroism and prosecution became
four heroes could take on a major gang. one of the legends of the Invasion. Eventually, the story
An Exceptional Hero would be equally challenged by an found its way to Nox. The years of persecution resonated
Exceptional Villain. While a Low Powered Villain may take with the former villainess. Seeking Bulwark,she heed con-
on 2 or 3 Exceptional Heroes. sole the troubled hero. The pair bonded over the feeling of
isolation, and being treated differently. This thread of ca-
A Classic Villain facing off against an Exceptional Hero maraderie helped to convince Bulwark to rejoin the world.
would face little challenge by the Forces of good. Even a
team of three to five Exceptional Heroes may fall to the Today, Derek, more commonly known as Bulwark, still
strength of a Classic Villain. struggles to come to terms with his monstrous nature.
His connection to Elf and Nox help to keep him centered,
When designing a group of villains GMs may mix and match finding camaraderie among other outcasts.
these Power Levels. For example a team of 4 Exceptional
Heroes may face against a Major mob of gang members, two While Guardian may be a powerhouse in her own right,
Exceptional Villains and a Minor mob of gangbangers, or a Bulwark’s stone body is nearly indestructible. With mag-
Low Powered Villain with an Exceptional Henchman, or a sin- ma in his veins Bulwark can ignite objects with a touch. In
gle Classic Villain. Although, Villains rarely play fair, so expect times of need he can call on the power of a Hephaestus’
even the Classic Villain to have a few friends in tow. circlet to manipulate earth and stone or even create veins
of lava. Even as a living volcano Derek has not lost the
This guidelines hold true as heroes move up in Power mind of a scholar. Bulwark is hardly just another bruiser
Level. For example a team of four Classic Heroes may face when it comes combat. Although, he prefers to find other
off against a team of five Classic Villains, a High Powered means to resolve problems before they escalate.
Villain and four Low Powered Villains, or a Cosmic Villain.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Issue 0 —— Provoke: Terrifying Presence: Once per session take 1
Action to describe Provoking others foes within Close
While in self imposed exile Bulwark finds himself defend- Range suffer a -9 penalty when taking actions against
ing the city of Chora and the Tomb of Homer from Seele others. Foes gain Provoke (9) as a Free Supporting
Jäger and a band of Neo-Nazi’s looking to uncover the Characteristic when acting against Bulwark. This effect
poet’s secrets. Things turned worse when Eisenreich sol- lasts until the start of the Character’s next Turn.
diers raid the city. Torn between defending the innocent
people of Chora, and the secrets buried below it Bulwark Statistics
fights a desperate battle against the clock. Attributes
Combat History 12 Strength 12
Stamina: 24 Dexterity 5 Constitution 18
Willpower: Current: 8 Max: 12 Sense 5 Fortune 5
Initiative: 18 Dice 3 Wisdom 11 Intelligence 9
Mental 6 Expression 4
Defense
Surprised Defense: 17 Dice 3 Armor 8 NoC 2 Background
Normal Defense: 30 Dice 3 Armor 8 NoC 2 Hephaestus Circlet (Supernatural) 12
Defend Others: 40 Dice 4 Armor 9 NoC 3 Overcome the oppression of fear (and Nazis) 8
Prove I’m no monster 5
—— Notes: Bulwark Has an Active Defense Combo, see I’m a hero not an archaeologist now 1
below. Belly of the Beast 1
Mental Defense: 5 Dice 2 Armor 3 NoC 1 Background: Former Archeologist 3
Offense Talent
Attack: Volcanic Smash! 34 Dice 4 Range Close Area Knowledge: Greece 5
Damage 12 NoC 2 Brawn 9
Education 9
˜˜ Notes: Critical Skill: Intimidation, see below.
Etiquette 5
Secondary Attack Defense: Combo: Block to Body Blow
Intimidation 10
20 (30) Dice 3 Range Close Damage 4/12 (14) NoC
Occult 9
3 (4)
Perception 9
˜˜ Notes: Active Defense (4 Painful ito Melee Attack- (S) See Past the Grime 4
ers) Followed by Attack. Values inside the pa- Provoke: Terrifying Presence 9
rentheses represent when Bulwark is Defending Science 9
Others.) (S) Social Science 2
Study: Ancient Cultures 9
Combat Notes Research 9
Defense Notes Boons
—— Painful: Melee Attackers suffer 4 Damage on a Suc- Combo: Block/Body Blow TY
cessful Hit, Normal Armor applies. Critical Skill: Intimidation MA
Extra Stamina MA
—— Impervious: Twice per session Bulwark may ignore
Language (Greek, Italian, Latin) TY
all damage until the Start of his next Turn. Damage
Brawn Supports Offense MA
from Penetrating Attacks and rolling 6s Ignore Im-
pervious. Drawbacks
—— Manual Labor: Ignore an Injury for 1 Turn. A Creature of Fire and Stone (Friengtheing)

—— Perception: Once per session use Perception (9) as a Powers

Supporting Characteristic for Normal Defense. Volcanic Body 12
- Defense/Constitution
Offensive Notes Armor (Boost Armor, Impervious 2) MA4
—— Critical Skill: On any Attack roll with two or more Painful MA
6s, forgo the damage bonus from two 6s to treat the Passive Defense MA
result as an Intimidation Roll. Secondary Role: Offense (Full Role) MA2
Devastating MA
—— Intimidation: Roll: Mental (5) + Intimidation (10) +
Secondary Role: Support: Constitution MA
3d6. On a successful roll, use half their Intimidation
Added Support: Strength MA
as a Meddling Power (-2) on the Target for 3 Turns.
New Movement: Earth Meld MA
—— Occult: Bulwark adds 8 Damage when dealing with (S) Defend Others 10 (4 AP)
Supernatural Threats or Magic. 10 Damage against Cost: 1 Power + 12 Boons+16 AP
Supernatural Threats of Greek Myth.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 A living volcano Bulwark is endowed with incredible Cut off from aid, Mark saw no other choice than try to free
strength and durability. the town. Fashioning a number of trick arrows he relied
on stealth and his hunting skills to set up traps to secure
Starting AP the innocent townspeople, without harming them, as he
Attributes 3 + Talents 4 + Boons 8 + Powers 16 infiltrated the Chimera hive.
- Drawbacks 1 Since Keigler, Mark has taken the name Crossfire and his
Experiene hunt for Chimera beyond the mountains of West Virginia.
Spent: Earned: 3 Joining the other members of the Steel Aces when he un-
covered a plot to abduct and control Metahumans.
Crossfire Unlike the other members of the Steel Aces, Crossfire
Power Level: Classic lacks any superpowers, or advanced technology, except
for his custom arrows. He relies on his skill and training
Summary instead of raw power to take on overwhelming odds.
Crossfire is a master archer with a keen eye and knack for
As a US Ranger Crossfire saw his share of combat. When
finding a Target’s weak spots. One news article dubbed
trapped in a mall during the Lensing Conflict he used a bow
him, the giant slayer, a name which Bulwark enjoys using
from a sports store to free captives from invading aliens.
when working together.
Since then he has devoted himself to the bow. Designing a
custom compound bow, Willow, Crossfire is can collapse Issue 0
his bow into a one foot rod or extend it to a three foot pole.
Now a member of Steel Aces, he fights so that others will Trapped in the Manhattan mall during the Zo invasion Ser-
not need to in hopes of preventing future conflicts. geant Mark Jimenez is cut off from his team and his tools.
Worse, the building alien troops are rounding up survivors.
A capable fighter at long range or up close Crossfire’s Taking the only things he can find a bow and an urban camo
uses a number of specialty arrows designed to neutral- vest and mask from a demolished sports shop Crossfire
ize normal humans without killing them or penetrate the takes to action to help save those—Locked Away!
defenses of superpowered threats. He may be only a man
but that doesn’t mean he can’t stop monsters. Combat
Stamina: 19
Background Willpower: Current: 8 Max: 12
A former army Ranger, Mark Jimenez grew up split be- Initiative: 28 Dice 4
tween his home in Arlington, and the family’s cabin West Defense
Virginia. Hunting came naturally, and Mark picked up the Surprised Defense: 14 Dice 3 Armor 4 NoC 2
bow early in his childhood. As an adult, these skills would Normal Defense: 24 Dice 4 Armor 6 NoC 4
save his and another ninety-seven people’s lives during Mental Defense: 7 Dice 2 Armor 1 NoC 1
the Lensing Conflict.
Offense
Cut off from his squad after a Zo containment team locked Attack: Willow Shot/Bow Strike 33 Dice 3 Range Long
down a shopping mall, Mark traded his M16 for a compound Damage 11 NoC 3
bow, relying on stealth over firepower. The siege lasted
over eight hours, with army forces unable to penetrate the ˜˜ Notes: Against most Targets Crossfire relies on
force shields protecting the invader’s position. Infiltrating blunt arrows designed to hurt, not kill.
the alien’s central control Mark disabled the central shield Specialty Attack: Exploit Bypass (Bypass Armor) 27 (36)
generator allowing US forces to breach the building. Dice 4 Range Long Damage: -/13 (15) NoC 4 (5)
While praised for his ingenuity and dedication to the bow ˜˜ Notes: Bypass Armor: Crossfire must spend 1
through the invasion, Mark did not take up the mantle of Action rolling to identify a weak spot. On a Suc-
Crossfire until years later. After the Lensing Conflict, Mark’s cessful roll reduce the Target’s Armor by half.
title changed from US army ranger for park ranger, as he Values after the slash represent damage for these
looked forward to retiring peacefully in West Virginia. Attacks.
The mining town of Keigler was over sixty miles from the ˜˜ Forensics: Once per session add Forensics(9), as a
next city, connected only by a state highway. It was the Supporting Characteristic for Bypass Armor. These
perfect place to slip into obscurity. That was what Mark Values are listed within the parenthesis
loved about Keigler, and what made it the perfect test bed
for the organization known as Chimera. Beginning with the Combat Notes
miners Chimera began experimenting on local citizens. Using Defense Notes
genetically altered soldiers with pheromone manipulators, it —— Tracking: Once per session use Normal Defense in-
wasn’t long before the group controlled the entire town. stead of Surprised Defense if the Opponent has been
spotted.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— Intuition: Once per session the Character may use Technical Operations 5
Intuition (1) with Surprised Defense. Tracking 9
—— Perception: Once per session use Perception (9) as a Wit: Quips 4
Supporting Characteristic for Normal Defense. Boons
Offense Notes Amazing MA
Acrobatics Supports: Defense MA
—— Disguise: When Disguised, Unaware Targets use Sur- Tools: Willow Line: Escape Clause & Elevator TY
prised Defense. +1 Damage
Fighting Styles
—— Long Shot: Long Shot (5) may Support any roll with a Army Ranger Training 9
Penalty greater than 15. - Dexterity/Offense
—— Never Back Down: Add Never Back Down (4) to any roll Secondary Role: Defense MA
if their Willpower is reduced to 0 for longer than 1 Turn. Secondary Role: Support: Initiative MA
This lasts for 1 Turn and may be used Once per session. Cost: 1 Fighting Style + 5 AP
—— Stealth: Hide from Opponents in Combat. Rolls Dex-
terity 12 + Stealth 10 Dice 3 versus Target’s Sense + A former US Army Ranger, Crossfire has studied
Perception + Tracking On a Successful roll the Target extensively in hand to hand and ranged combat.
loses track of Crossfire.
Archery 10
—— Survival: Set an Escape Roll 19 Trap, once per ses- - Dex/Offense
sion. Retcon a trap. Cost: 1 Willpower. (S) Bypass Armor 4
—— Technical Operations: +5 to the Value of any Explo- Cost 4 + 2 AP
sive Cooperative Rolls (Willpower Bonus)
First picking up the bow as a kid, Crossfire never
—— Wit: Once per session Crossfire may use his Quips as
thought it would save lives. One of the world’s top
a Meddling Power (-2). The player must explain how
marksmen Crossfire is extremely deadly and cre-
their Wit interferes with someone else.
ative with his weapon of choice.
Statistics
Gear
Attributes Willow (Bow) 11
History 12 Strength 7 Dex/Offense Ranged MA
Dexterity 12 Constitution 7 Devastating (Boost Devastation,
Sense 7 Fortune 10 Penetrating, Total Devastation) MA4
Wisdom 10 Intelligence 5 Limited Uses (+5/No Reload)
Mental 7 Expression 7 Cost: 13 + 6 + 2 - 3 =40 / Gear (8) = MA5
Backgrounds Cost 10 Gear Boons
Soldier turned Survivalist
(Empowered: Craftsman) 12 Willow is a flex-alloy compound bow, able of being
Pulled back from the Brink 8 collapsed into a one foot rod or straightened into a
Prevent Another War 5 three foot pole. Crossfire utilizes a number of specialty
Secret Identity 1 arrows including blunt, razor (Penetrating), bolo (Will-
Wrong Place, Right Time 1 power: Trapping) and stunners (Amazing: Stagger).
Wing Man 1
Background: Ex-Soldier 3 Micro-Weave Armored Long Coat 4
- Con/Defense
Talents
Armor (Boost Armor) MA2
Acrobatics 9
Passive Defense MA
Animal Handling 1
Cost: 6 + 12 + 6 = 24/Gear (8) = MA3
Area of Influence: Veterans 9
Career: Park Guide 2 Cost: 4 Gear Boons + 2 AP
Disguise 4
Fasting 9 Starting AP
Forensics 9 Attributes 2 + Talents 10 + Boons 5 + Powers 13
Intuition 1 - Drawbacks
Long Shot 5
Movement: Running 1 Experience
Perception 9 Spent: Earned: 3
Scrounging 9
Stealth 10
Survival 9

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Elf city either. However, you expected to see a hero or villain
from time to time. This was middle America though. This
Power Level: High was skies of blue and amber waves of grain country, the
Summary last big event was the county fair.

Abducted by Chimera, Elf has a hard time remembering any- The house was just as she remembered it. At least, it
thing from her life before becoming a Drifter. A genetically al- looked that way from the road. In the field someone, Andy,
tered soldier. Freed by the Steel Aces, Elf has become a hero that was a name, played with kids. The mailbox said Bro-
in her own right. Empowered by a powerful Bio-Force she is ker, was that his, her last name?
stronger, tough, and able to poten energy blasts. At some point he must have realized the car had been idling
too long. Andy , that was his name, was looking at her now.
Background
Looking at the car at least. He squares off his vision with his
It all becomes a blur. Someone inside her is the woman hands and tells the kids to go inside. From this distance there
she was, Anna, she thinks. A last name is there and then was no way he could see her inside the car. That didn’t mean
gone. Her first clear memory is inside that lab under the she could just sit here though. How old was he when Anna last
city when whatever control Chimera had over her was saw him? Sixteen? He was going into the Marines. No, she was
broken thanks to the Steel Aces. going into the Marines. He was walking down the slope maybe
a quarter mile from the car. Gripping the gear shifter she held
Had she been living on the streets? Yes, something had
on whispering all the things should could remember. Anna,
gone wrong. Anna had a family. Why hadn’t she told them
Andy, Broker, Marines.
what had happened? That was before Chimera. If she had
talked to them, would she have been a safe home, not in As he waved to the car her foot fell on the accelerator and
that alleyway she was taken from. the vehicle lurched to life leaving her brother standing
with a strange and sad look. Was she ever in the Marines?
Why had she left? It had been years. A fight. Someone else
Anna left home for that? No memories of serving. Anna,
was there. Before Chimera, before the street, she had an
Andy, Broker, what became of the marines?
apartment, with someone. Who? The memory never comes.
Was it a fight? Yes. About what? No memory. Things fell Combat
apart. The men from Chimera, they were there to help. Stamina: 28
They didn’t though. Whoever Anna had been was taken Willpower: Curent: 10 Max: 14
from her. They remade her. Turned her into something she Initiative: 56 Dice 5
never wanted to be. Defense
Rescued by the Steel Aces, Elf was left in a state of uncer- Surprised Defense: 23 Dice 3 Armor 7 NoC 2
tainty. Over the weeks that followed more of her memo- Normal Defense: 59 Dice 3 Armor 10 NoC 5
ries began to trickle back. More than once she returned to —— Note: Defends Against Might and Quick Attack
her family’s home, only to turn away; unable to share the Mental Defense 15 Dice 2 Armor 1 NoC 1
fate of the woman she had been.
Offense
Eventually Elf found her way back to the Steel Aces. Attack: Bioforce Blast/Brawling 38 Dice 3 Range Medium
Although Vigilant worries that Chimera may still be able Damage 11 (13) NoC 3
to control her, Nox and Elf maintain a partial psychic link.
Bulwark sees a lot of himself in Elf, knowing all too well ˜˜ Notes: Bioforce Ripper: When facing an organic
the pain of being cut off from friends and family. As an target with no or natural Armor increase Damage
Ace, Elf is almost inseparable from Nox. Elf’s enhanced to 13, with 7 Penetrating Damage.
senses along with Nox’s ability to fade into shadows make
Combat Notes
them a perfect pair for infiltration. Unlike other Drifters,
Elf’s body builds an energy she calls bio-force. This can be Defense Notes
focused into bolts of energy with enough power to crush —— Climbing: Once per session use Climbing (5) as a Sup-
a car. Although not as strong as Guardian or as tough as porting Characteristic on an Active Defense if there is
Bulwark, thanks to Elf’s genetic drift she is quick to throw a wall or other vertical surface within Close Range.
herself into danger with reckless abandon.
—— Tear off some wall: Elf may not be leaping onto a
Issue 0 wall but tearing free a one time shield from a nearby
She wore a long coat and fedora. The car she rented was surface.
picked up without ever having to see the clerk and the —— Escape Artist: Once per session, use their Escape Artist
windows tinted as dark as she could get away with, with- (5) as a Supporting Characteristics when Defending
out being pulled over. She had even gone so far as to buy a against Quick Attacks that bypass normal Defenses.
cheap blonde wig in the city before leaving. If anyone saw —— Fitness: Reduce the number of Actions Staggered by 3.
her the disguise was over. There was no hiding her inhu-
man features, but with the right window dressing people —— Perseverance: Add Perseverance (6) to any Normal
wouldn’t bother looking. She didn’t exactly blend in the Defense Roll after suffering 6 Damage. This lasts for
1 Turn and may be used once per session.
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— Perception: Once per session use Perception (12) as a Drawbacks
Supporting Characteristic for Normal Defense. Frightening
—— Tracking: Once per session use Normal Defense Fighting Styles
instead of Surprised Defense when Elf has already (Extra) Seasoned Soldier 10
seen her Opponent. - Strength/Offense
—— So Many New Senses: Once per session Elf may use Secondary Role: Defense MA
So Many New Senses (10) + Drifter-Reborn (14) with Secondary Role: Support: Initiative MA
Surprised Defense. Cost: 8 AP

Offense Notes Cost: 8 AP

—— Discipline: Add Discipline (6) to any Strength Roll or Drifters are born with memories of warfare and
Physical Attack Roll after suffering 6 Damage. This combat techniques. Elf retains a portion of this col-
lasts for 1 Turn and may be used Once per session lective knowledge.
—— Scrounging: Add 2 Damage when using improvised
weapons. Powers
—— Never Back Down: Add Never Back Down (9) to any roll Evolved Drifter 15
if their Willpower is reduced to 0 for longer than 1 Turn. - Constitution/Support: Constitution
This lasts for 1 Turn and may be used Once per session Lingering MA
Ranged TY
Statistics Added Support (Strength, Dexterity,
Attributes Sense, Subterfuge) MA4
History 14 , Strength 10 New Communication: Pheromone Speech TY
Dexterity 10 Constitution 15 New Senses: Nightvision &
Sense 15 Fortune 8 Tetrachromacy (Ultraviolet Vision) TY
Wisdom 5 Intelligence 8 Secondary Role: Defense (Full Role) MA2
Mental 14 Expression 5 Armor MA
Defends Against Quickness TY
Backgrounds Passive Defense MA
Drifter-Reborn (Experiment) 14 Secondary Role: Offense (Full Role) MA2
A Second Chance 10 Bioforce (Devastating, Boost Devastation,
Prevent Subversion of Free Will 8 Bio-Stopper) MA3
The Life she could have lived 1 Locked Power: Added Support: Subterfuge Only to
Psychic Sister, Nox 1 Detect Lies
Background: Escaped From Chimera 5 Limited: Bioforce Ripper may only be used against or-
Talents ganic targets with “natural” armor.
Acrobatics 5 Cost: 1 Power + 20 Boons + 10 AP
Brawn 5
Climbing 5 Elf’s evolved genetic structure grants her enhanced
Discipline 6 physical capabilities and a host of new senses. Frac-
Escape Artist 5 tal DNA allows Elf’s body to store raw “Bioforce”
Fitness 15 energy. Elf has learned to channel the Bioforce in
Jumping 8 Devastating ways.
Intimidation 15
Law 3 Starting AP
Never Back Down 9 Attributes 3 + Talents 9 + Boons 11 + Powers 18
Outlast 10 - Drawbacks 1
Perception 12
Perseverance 6 Experience
Scrounging 12 Spent: Earned: 3
So Many New Senses (Intuition) 10
Tracking 10 Guardian
Boons Power Level: High
Extra Stamina MA Summary
Language: Drift, Japanese, Cantonese TY
Oxygenated Blood (No Need For: Breathing) TY The granddaughter of one of the greatest heroes of World
Bioforce Reserves (No Need For: Sleeping) TY War II, Guardian is imbued with part of her grandfather’s
Sealed Body TY strength along with the ability to fly. Trained since she
So Many New Senses Supports Defense MA2 was a child, Guardian looks to uphold her family’s legacy.
Tricky TY
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Background Issue 0
For some, it can be hard not to live in the shadow of While away on vacation in the Philippines Abigail and her
a famous ancestor. For a young Abigail Moore, it was parents are attacked by the North Korean Metahuman
impossible. Granddaughter of American Steel, one of the hunter Ryong along with a throng of militants. Capturing
legendary U.S. 7, Abby was capable of lifting a military her parents, Abigail is forced into a toe to toe battle with
troop transport before she was old enough to start Middle Ryong facing off with him in an abandoned airfield. While
School. Abby was able to save her family she learned that Ryong
was ordered to eliminate any Metahuman to ensure North
Raised on Army bases around the globe, her education
Korean superiority. In his master’s eyes he was barely a
wasn’t conventional. Focusing on developing her natu-
tool to accomplish a goal.
ral gifts, military tactics, and military history. Her father
tried to instill in her a sense of pride and duty, along with Combat
respect for her country. As a child, she enjoyed the games Stamina: 32
they played. As a teen, she realized the games were exer- Willpower: Current: 13 Max: 17
cises to find and push her limits. Initiative: 33 Dice 4
During the Terraforming Event, Abigail lived on the Del Rio Defense
army base where her father was stationed. When the Drop Surprised Defense: 23 Dice 3 Armor 9 NoC 2
Pylon embedded less than a mile from the base he tried Normal Defense: 40 Dice 3 Armor 11 NoC 3
to keep her sequestered as hordes of spider-like warriors Mental Defense 32 Dice 3 Armor 4 NoC 2
flooded out. The soldiers stood no chance against the
invading Thadmar, Abby rose to defend them. In the af- Offense
termath, she couldn’t understand her father’s anger. They Favored Attack: Steel Fighter: 37 Dice 3 Damage 8 NoC 4
fought as her mother watched in silence.
˜˜ Notes: Amazing:
Abigail began searching for answers. With skin hard Secondary Attack: Flying Cartwheel Kick: 47
enough to flatten bullets, it was a single file on her fa- Dice 4 Damage 10 NoC 5.
ther’s computer that nearly broke her. Both of her parents
were under orders. Abigail had been born not out of love, ˜˜ Notes Used against airborne foes or giant targets.
but duty. Combat Notes
Her birth had been kept secret. Base personnel were un- Defense Notes
der strict gag orders. No one outside the US government
knew she was even alive. Her father had been ordered to —— Fitness: Reduce the number of Actions Guardian is
prevent Abigail from engaging the Thadmar, accepting the Staggered by 2.
Del Rio casualties as acceptable losses. —— Perception: Once per session use Perception (13) as a
Supporting Characteristic for Normal Defense.
The morning after securing the Drop Pylon Abby was
gone. Taking her grandfather’s last name of Henry she —— Etiquette: Once per session Characters may use their
has tried to forge a new life for herself, to discover who Etiquette (6) as a Supporting Characteristics when
she is as a person. Abigail hasn’t fully come to terms with dealing with Mental Attacks that bypass normal
her parents. However, she has accepted that some of the Defenses.
lessons forced on her were worth learning. Taking on the —— Manual Labor: Ignore the effects of Injuries for 1
identity of Guardian, she hopes to carry on her grandfa- turn.
ther’s legacy and come to terms with her own upbringing.
As Guardian she wears a steel eagle crest, a tribute to —— Domestic: Gain 2 Free levels of Armor when dealing
American Steel. Soldier, civilian, or hero, Abby fears she’s with Area of Effect Attacks.
not the only Metahuman to be used as a weapon. Offense Notes
When Chimera began abducting Metahumans, Guardian —— Amazing: Once per session the Character may use
and Vigilant found each other. The pair united the Steel the Amazing Feature at no Willpower Cost.
Aces. Gifted with strength, resilience, and the ability to fly
—— Advantageous Blow: After making an attack roll add
Guardian is quick on the scene and willing to take on any
one of the following Modifiers to the Attack: +4 Dam-
challenge. Due to her confidence she often needs more
age, Staggered for 1 Action, or Trip. This Modifier does
seasoned heroes like Crossfire and Vigilant to reel her back.
not alter the attack’s Value. Player’s should narrate
Ronin sees Guardian almost like a little sister, naive and full
how this Modifier takes effect, as it wasn’t originally
of hope. Conversely, Guardian sees Ronin and Elf as kindred
planned but an outcome of the attack. Characters
spirits. Ronin just needs to remember how to live.
may select Advantageous Blow multiple times. A
Modifier can only be selected once. Cost: 2 Willpower
Brawn: Increase the Value of Explosive Rolls (Will-
power Bonuses) by 15.

153
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— Discipline: Add Discipline (8) to any Strength Roll or Guardian has been raised to be an icon. As a child her
Physical Attack Roll after suffering 8 Damage. This father trained her as a soldier. As her powers devel-
lasts for 1 Turn and may be used Once per session. oped Guardian found she was free in the air adapting
—— Leader: Once per session use the Improved Inspire to mid-air combat. To keep her focused her father
Willpower Feature for Free. would run drills forcing her to endure hours of com-
bat. This led to an acrobatic and slightly flamboyant
˜˜ Improved Inspire: Spending an action to encour- style, much to his chagrin.
age another the Character may grant All Allies a
Free Supporting Characteristic equal to a Drive of Powers
their Catalyst until the start of their next Turn. The Steel 15
Drive or Catalyst must make sense for the Scene, - Strength/Support: Strength
and the player must narrate how they are inspir- Secondary Role: Offense MA
ing their target. Cost: 6 Willpower and 1 Action to Secondary Role: Defense (Full Role) MA2
Inspire All Allies. Armor (Boost Armor, Impervious) MA3
Passive Defense MA
Statistics
Cost: 1 Power (of 3) + 14 Boons + 4 AP
Attributes
Accelerator 10
History 17 Strength 15
- Dexterity/Support: Movement: Flight
Dexterity 15 Constitution 13
Secondary Role: Offense MA
Sense 13 Fortune 8
New Movement: Flight
Wisdom 8 Intelligence 5
(Boost Speed, Rapid Acceleration) MA3
Mental 14 Expression 11
Cost: 2 Powers (of 3) + 8 Boons + 2 AP
Backgrounds
Granddaughter of American Steel 17 Incredibly strong and nearly invulnerable Guardian’s
Is it legacy, duty or pride? 10 bone and muscle are dense making her surprisingly
Grandfather’s Legacy 8 heavy for her slender appearance. Her ability to fly
Metahuman Rights 3 differs from her grandfather. She has often won-
Protect Family 1 dered if this is the reason she lacks American Steel’s
Brains and Brawn 1 full toughness.
Background: Military Brat 5
Talents Starting AP
Brawn 16 Attributes 8 + Talents 9 + Boons 6 + Powers 18
Concentration 15 - Drawbacks 1
Education 3
Etiquette 6 Experience
(S) Military 6 Spent: Earned: 3
Discipline 8
Domestic 5 Nox
Fitness 13
Power Level: Classic
Law 5
Manual Labor 8 Summary
Movement: Flight 4
Feared by her parents as a child, the girl that would be-
Negotiation 6
come Nox was abandoned at a young age. A natural
Perception 13
shadow manipulator she was raised in institutions before
Study: Military History 5
striking out on her own. Taking to crime early on she found
Study: Metahumans 5
her powers made her an exceptional thief. It was during
Boons
the Terraforming Event that her life changed. Defending
Amazing MA
the world from an invading force that sought to enslave
Extra Stamina MA
allhumanity gave her a perspective she never possessed.
Leader MA
Now a member of the Steel Aces she fights alongside he-
Drawbacks roes from a greater cause.
Crippling Power Loss: Drains
Able to expand and manipulate shadows Nox can confuse
Fighting Styles
and disorient foes in a large area. Her Shadow Blades pass
Intensive Training 10 (2 AP)
through armor and defenses effortlessly allowing her to
- Dexterity/Offence
easily take on large groups of foes at once.
Secondary Role: Defense (Full Role) MA2
Secondary Role: Support Initiative MA
(S) Aerial Combat 10
Cost: 3 Powers (of 3) + 2 AP + 6 AP + 4 AP

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Background bond that was created between them by Chimera lingers,
sometimes the loneliness that Elf feels radiates through her
If she thinks about it hard enough, she can remember and she tries to comfort her psychic sister.
the faces of her parents. The last time Pamela saw them
she was six. Her mother told little Mela, she was going to Issue 0
meet new friends. No one told her she would never see Bad Old Days
her mother or father again.
Shadows swept out across the street and into the bank.
Put up for adoption after her Metahuman abilities first Moving through the darkness she heard the explosion of
appeared, Pamela was raised in the system. Running away fluorescent lights and smelled the phosphor and ozone
at fifteen, Pamela used her natural abilities to survive. seeping into the air. A flick of her wrist and a plane of
Able to create fields of darkness and fade into shadows, living darkness sent the guards spiraling across the tile
Pamela began her career as a thief. floor. The vault door moaned and squealed, metal grinding
By nineteen Pamela had built an international network of metal, as shadows ripped through steel. Animated dark-
clients. It wasn’t all primrose and jasmine, operating under ness pulled the door free.
the name Lady M, she had come to blows with her fair share A blinding flash of light strikes her. Reeling back the vault
of spandex types, not to mention the mob and local gangs. door flipped end over end towards the attacker. Stagger-
It’s hard for Pamela to admit this, but in those days she ing to her feet Lady M saw the hero Refraction bouncing
looked forward to the fights. Groups like Humans Now be- the door out of way.
came an outlet for her rage. She took pleasure in torment- “Why do you have to do this?”
ing them, if they believed all Metahumans were a threat, “I need the money… obviously.”
she would show them just how much of a threat she was. “Really? I thought you were more of a big picture girl.”
It wasn’t until the terraforming event that she saw how “I need the money, and this bank supports HAAD. You
short-sighted she had been. The Thadmar didn’t care know what that means?”
if you were a human or mutant, they wanted earth and “Yeah, they’ll thank me for stopping you out of one side of
there was no room for anyone else. When the truth was their mouth and fund the idiots trying to kill us with the
exposed, that these seemingly unstoppable alien killing other.”
machines were completely unaware of their actions and
had been effectively running on autopilot, Pamela’s world “That’s right, you should join me.”
imploded. “Interesting offer, but I’ll decline Lady.”
How many years had see been running on autopilot? Run- “Why? You’re helping people that want you dead.”
ning from one job to the next consumed by bitterness, she
was little more than some automaton. After the invasion, “Sorry Lady, I’m helping the guards you laid out, and all the
Mel tried to go straight. Cutting ties with former contacts. people cowering in fear who have no idea about the bank’s
With the money she had earned as Lady M she hardly politics. You think some guy making minimum wage just
needed to work. to get by deserves to be put in the hospital because they
couldn’t afford to be choosy?
Instead she volunteered, splitting her time between
different shelters. Something was missing though, she “Shut… Up!” Calling up a tide of darkness Nox disappeared
missed the rush of adrenaline and thrill of action. Then it from the hero’s view and into the vault. As shadowy ten-
hit her, put back everything that was stolen. Lady M was drils ripped through the lock boxes Lady M’s first thought
reborn as Nox. Turns out, breaking into a mob bosses was how to escape when the cape realized what she had
home is far more exciting than a museum. Then, seeming- done, the second was far more troubling. Was her righ-
ly out of nowhere, a former broker contacted her, several teous rage blinding her? Had she hurt innocent people?
of his new bookers had disappeared. He needed someone
Combat
to find out what had happened. This is how Pamela found
Stamina: 17
herself kidnapped by Chimera.
Willpower: Current: 9 Max: 12
Recalling anything from the abduction is difficult. Her Initiative: 29 Dice 3
memory is hazy at best. Everything happening at once, all
out of her control. What she does remember, is that she
Defense
Surprised Defense: 6 Dice 2 Armor 1 NoC 1
wasn’t the only one in side of her own head. Other voices
Normal Defense: 26 Dice 3 Armor 2 NoC 2
vying for control one screaming to break free.
Mental Defense: 26 Dice 3 Armor 3 NoC 2
In the aftermath, Nox found a new family inside the Steel
Aces. There was no real way to hide her past from Vigilant. Offense
However, the curmudgeon seems to accept her as she tries Favorite Attack: Clinging Darkness: Subjects within Medi-
to find redemption. She shares a bond with Wayfarer over um Range suffer a - 6 Meddling penalty and suffer
the circumstances of his arrival, both knowing what it feels Disorientation: The first Attack each Turn against
like to be judged by others. This is also made her friends with affected Targets use Surprised Defense. Lasts for
Bulwark. Her connection with Elf runs much deeper. The 6 Turns. Dispelled by Light-based Powers.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Attack: Shadow Blades 26 Dice 3 Range Short - Radius - Psychic Sister, Elf 1
Selective Damage 4 NoC 2 Background: Street Kid 3
˜˜ Notes: Defended by Quickness Critical Skill: Talents
Stealth, See below. Area of Influence:Criminal Underworld 9
Specialty Attack: Blades In The Darkness 42 (Heavy Blow: Contact: John Fix (Smuggler) 5
32/22) Dice 5 Range Short - Radius - Selective Forgery 1
Damage 8 (11/14) NoC 4 Gambling 1
˜˜ Notes: Target must be within Clinging Darkness. Intimidation 9
Defended by Quickness. Damage based on Sur- Intuition 9
prised Defense. Reduce Damage by 4 against Natural Shadows (Stealth) 12
Normal Defense. Disoriented Foes: When striking Negotiation 1
Disoriented or Surprised Foes +5 Damage. Critical Perception 9
Skill: Stealth, See below. Perseverance 3
Sleight of Hand 9
Combat Notes Street Smarts 9
Defense Notes Study: Criminal Underworld 9
Study: Metahuman History 2
—— Shadow Armor +4 Armor versus Darkness attacks Subterfuge 9
—— Intuition: Once per session use Intuition (7) with
Drawbacks
Surprised Defense.
Not Skill, Power: Stealth
—— Perception: Once per session use Perception (10) Vulnerability: Light based Attacks (Lasers)
as a Supporting Characteristic for Normal Defense.
Boons
Perseverance: Add Perseverance (2) to any Normal
Critical Skill: Natural Shadows MA
Defense Roll after suffering 2 Damage. This lasts for
Natural Shadows Supports
1 Turn and may be used Once per session.
Surrounded By Darkness MA
Offense Notes
Powers
—— Critical Skill: On an Attack roll, forgo the damage bo- Shadow Control 12
nus from two 6s to treat the result as a Stealth Roll. - Mental/Role: Support: Stealth
—— Stealth: Hide in Combat. Roll 32 + 4d6 (Dexterity 10 + Lingering MA
Stealth 10 + Shadow Control 12) against the Target’s Push Range MA
Sense + Perception + Tracking On a Successful roll Radius TY
the Target loses track of the Character. Follow up At- Selective MA
tacks use the Target’s Surprised Defense. Hide from Alter: Light to Darkness MA
everyone roll as normal versus the highest Sense Meddling (Disorientating) MA2
+ Perception + Tracking. This may be done multiple New Movement: Shadow Flight MA
times. However, using a power with a visual compo- New Sense: Shadow Sight TY
nent increases the Target by 10 unless the Opponent Secondary Role: Defense (Full Role) MA2
is first distracted by something else. Resist: Shadows and Darkness TY
Secondary Role: Offense (Full Role) MA2
—— Subterfuge: Add 1 additional Damage when attacking
Defended By: Quickness MA
a foe using their Surprised Defense.
Devastating MA
Statistics Limited: Lingering only for Meddling and Negated By
Light Based Powers.
Attributes Locked: Must always use Defended By
History 12 Strength 4 (S) Surrounded by Darkness 4 (2 AP)
Dexterity 12 Constitution 6 Cost: 1 Power + 12 Boons + 17 AP
Sense 8 Fortune 9
Wisdom 5 Intelligence 11
Nox can create fields of darkness around herself. This
Mental 15 Expression 8
is not a manipulation of natural light and seems to
Backgrounds radiate from her body. These shadows can be altered
Born into darkness (Generational) 12 by Nox allowing her to fly, and create deadly blades
Reformed Criminal that can cut through physical barriers.
(Formerly: Raised in the System) 8
Undoing Her Past Starting AP
(Formerly: Abandoned By Her Parents) 5 Attributes 4 + Talents 7 + Boons 4 + Powers 17
Secret Identity 1 - Drawbacks 1
Enemy: Luminescence 1
Don’t Rush to Judgment 1 Experience
Spent: Earned: 3
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Ronin No, not Thadmar, some other group. They had repurposed
the grav-tech. How though? Their gear wasn’t some cob-
Power Level: Classic bled together adaptation but integrated, into human sized
Summary gear. Time had to have passed, but how much?

A former BMA lawyer and member of a specialized mil- The enemy forces were hardly taken by surprise. By
itary team during the Terraforming Event. Ronin is as normal standards this was a suicide mission. MAP was
skilled in finding information from people as he is at bust- hardly normal though, each member on the team had
ing heads. In a fight he relies on fast powerful unarmed been genetically reengineered. The team cut through the
and melee strikes to quickly disable his foes. remaining blockade. Their job wasn’t to take on the… Who
were they fighting? Mercenaries, a rogue nation? ...all
Background they had to do was survive long enough to knock down the
force generators.
Once a prosecutor for the BMA John Wright was selected
for the Metahuman Advancement Program during the In the darkness of the closet, John’s rest chamber, he
first invasion. A joint venture between the Atlas Group relived the hail of blaster fire. The explosion from the gen-
and the BMA John’s body was broken down and rebuilt erators, the second air strike. No extraction plan. How had
at the cellular level. What he didn’t know at the time was they gotten out?
that the process used was pioneered by the scientist that
Once the charges went off, and the force fields came
would become Harbinger and there had been no survivors
down it was like half the team shut down. They simply
to date.
stopped. How did they get out of there? The memory just
The change made him faster, stronger, smarter, in short, wasn’t coming to him.
John was simply, better. Fighting alongside other BMA
sponsored Metahumans in the war, John distinguished Combat
himself as a hero. After the war though he found out the Stamina: 19
truth. MAP was meant to create mentally receptive sub- Willpower: Current: 8 Max: 12
jects that could be programmed by their BMA handlers. Initiative: 25 Dice 4
Taking what he could John tried to escape. Betrayed by his Defense
former team John found himself in a battle for his life. The Surprised Defense: 16 Dice 3 Armor 2 NoC 2
records were destroyed before he could escape and ex- Normal Defense: 25 Dice 3 Armor 3 NoC 3
pose BMA and the the Atlas Group. His life was in freefall, Mental Defense: 6 Dice 2 Armor 1 NoC 1
John took on the name of John Barrister and the identity of
Ronin. Now he watches and waits for the opportunity to Offense
expose the corruption inside the BMA, and Atlas Group. Attack: Mapped Strikes: 31 Dice 3 Damage 6 NoC 3

Exposing the BMA and clearing his name has been a goal ˜˜ Notes: Hidden Weapons: Ronin has access to a
of John’s since his escape. The Chimera abductions helped number of classic martial arts weapons. Once per
to remind the hero that there were others in the world session add a free Boon to represent these tools.
suffering, and in far worse ways than the loss of their Examples: Shuriken/kunai: Range: Medium, Ka-
good name. Having spent time with Guardian, it’s hard for tana: Devastating +3 Damage, Nunchucks/Three
him to not see past the calculated nature of er birth. Part Section Staff: Trapping Escape Roll 23. Additional
of him sees her as altul, searching for bond with others uses of Hidden Weapon: 1 Willpower or 6 Willpow-
like her. While he may find himself at odds with Bulwark or er for the Scene
Vigilant John fights to temper his own impulses, if only to Combo Attack: Flying Knee (Sprint - Strike) 38 Dice 5
keep Guardian;s dream alive. Damage - /10 NoC 5
Issue 0 ˜˜ Notes: Combo: Move up to 2 (3 on a roll of 60+)
When John woke up he was inside what could best be de- Range Increments with a sprint into a flying knee.
scribed as a high tech closet. The last few weeks had been The Sprint leaves Ronin exposed. Use Surprised
a blur of attacks on Thadmar strongholds. Had it been Defense until the start of his next Turn.
weeks? He wasn’t sure how long, the missions seemed to Combo Attack: Legwork (Trip - Strike): 28 Dice 5 Damage
run together. Now he was in a closet. Why? How? 5 + Trip/17* NoC 5
The team was coming in from a raid, the Thadmar had
˜˜ Notes: On a Successful attack apply the Trip’s
been bunkered down, using a series of gravity genera-
Damage normally. Apply the second blow’s
tors to push into the city. What city thought? Air support
damage to the target’s Surprised Defense Armor.
dropped a succession of bunker busters to disrupt the
(Damage includes the Bonus for Attacking Sur-
fields giving MAP a window to penetrate the outer defens-
prised Defense and Subterfuge.)
es. The team surged, rolling into the Thadmar base.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Combat Notes Law 12
Movement: Running 4
Defense Notes Negotiations 10
—— Perception: Once per session use Perception (3) as a Perception 3
Supporting Characteristic for Normal Defense. Research 4
Study: Legal Precedents 4
—— Escape Artist: Once per session, use their Escape Art-
Study: Military Tactics 3
ist (8) as a Supporting Characteristic when Defending
Subterfuge 10
against Quick Attacks that bypass normal Defenses.
—— Etiquette: Once per session use Etiquette (8) as a Boons
Supporting Characteristic when dealing with Mental Combo: Flying Knee: (Dash to Knee) TY
Attacks that bypass normal Defenses. Combo: Legwork: Slide Kick
(Trip) to Spin Kick (Heavy Blow) TY
—— Law:: Once per session use Law (12) as a Supporting False Identity: John Barrister MA
Characteristic when resisting or breaking free of any Emotional States
form of mental control. Supports Offense VS Provoked Foes MA
Offense Notes Subterfuge Supports Offense with Combos MA
Tools: Hidden Weapon
—— Emotional States Supports Offense VS Provoked
(Martial Arts Weapons), Smartphone TY
Foes: Ronin is an expert at reading emotion. When
(Free, Career)
Attacking Provoked Foes Ronin gains: +6 Attack +1 Die
+2 Damage. Fighting Style MA
P Combat Training 11 (2 AP)
—— Distraction: Attempt an Expression (10) + Distrac-
- Dexterity/Offense
tion (7) roll against an Opponent’s Normal or Mental
Secondary Role: Defense MA
Defense + 10 whichever is higher. On a Successful roll
(S) Combos 7 (3 AP)
the Character may make their next Attack against the
Cost 1 Power + 7 AP
Opponent’s Surprised Defense. Repeated attempts
increase the Difficulty by 10. MAP Soldiers received training in combat analysis,
—— Intimidation: Use half Intimidation as a Meddling weapons and hand to hand combat. Specializing in
Power (-1) on the Target for 1 Turn disabling targets Ronin’s style relies on his quickness
to execute rapid strikes with deceptive speed.
—— Subterfuge: Add 2 additional Damage when attacking
a foe using their Surprised Defense.
Power
—— Brawn: Increase the Value of Explosive Rolls (Will- Mapped Body 8 (1 AP)
power Bonuses) by 10. - Constitution/Support: Constitution
Added Support: (Strength, Dexterity) MA2
Statistics Secondary Role: Offense (Full Role) MA2
Attributes Secondary Role: Defense (Full Role) MA2
History 12 Strength 10 Passive Defense MA
Dexterity 12 Constitution 10 Cost: 1 Power + 12 Boons + 3 AP
Sense 7 Fortune 8
Wisdom 7 Intelligence 7 MAP reengineering has modified Ronin’s body to
Mental 7 Expression 10 operate above peak human levels enhancing his
Backgrounds strength, speed and endurance.
AP Survivor (Experiment) 12
Starting AP
Betrayed by the BMA 8
Attributes 4 + Talents 8 + Boons 8 + Powers 10
Expose the BMA 5
- Drawbacks
Fill In the Blanks 1
Secret Identity 1 Experience
Expositional Combatant 1 Spent: Earned: 3
Education 6
Vigilant
Talents
Bargain Finder 5 Power Level: High Power
Career: Lawyer 8 Summary
Distraction 6
Escape Artist 8 A veteran hero, Vigilant possesses decades of experience.
Etiquette 8 Vigilant has tried to retired but cannot let go of the strug-
(S) Emotional States 6 gle. Due to his advanced age, Vigilant now compensates for
Gambling 1 his diminished speed though a powerful suit of advanced
Intimidation 4 armor. The Overseer armor allows him to stay in the fight
and carry on his unending mission.
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Background Concerned with lining up all the pieces before he acts,
instead of blindly jumping into action. It is perhaps for this
There have been multiple heroes to use the name Vigilant. reason, that he helped to form the Steel Aces. With seven
The first was a masked crime fighter who appeared in other members, Vigilant is able to serve as a mentor and
Detroit during the 1930s, before the rise of Metahumans. guide, only joining the battle when no other option remains.
Battling crime bosses, the Black Legion, a nationalist ter-
ror group, and a local industrialist. Employing a number of The other members of the Steel Aces have only seen him
gadgets including gas pellets, bolos, and darts along with without his helmet once, when he used it to help break the
a solid right cross, Vigilant I was known as Detroit’s White mental hold over Nox. All they could see though were the
Knight. hardened eyes of an older man, behind a white bandana.
The trademark of the original Vigilant.
Never an official member of the US military, during World
War II, Vigilant found himself behind enemy lines. It is Issue 0
unclear how he arrived in France, but he aided the French Floating through space, Vigilant watched the cosmos
resistance until disappearing shortly before the liberation swing past him inside the escape pod. Why had Gewehr
of Paris. Accounts placed him in a pitched battle with a chosen to stay? The gravitonic stabilizers eventually
Nazi super soldier on a damaged bomber. There are no righted the craft. Easing back into the seat, Vigilant re-
records of the bomber’s final status. played the events that found him at the far edge of space.
Sometime in the 1960s a new masked hero appeared in “Now entering rejuvenation cycle” The ship’s computer
Detroit using the name of Vigilant. This man appeared chimed before Vigilant slipped into unconsciousness.
to be in his twenties. Despite his youth. the techniques
he utilized were directly from Vigilant I’s playbook. Only, How many years had it been? It was in the hold of the B-17,
this new vigilant added a host of martial training. Many Nazi shells had torn through the hull and the captain was
believed that this second Vigilant was in fact the son of fighting to keep the bird in the air. Vigilant was trapped in the
the original. flying death trap with Gewehr,when he was still Herr Gewehr,
the SS’s Übermensch answer to the flying Ace of the US 7.
His most notable foe was a Metahuman using the han-
dle Galliant Dread, or as the newspapers branded him The Übermensch flyer charged Vigilant with a baggage
the Troll. A lumbering powerhouse, Dread was a master of gunfire forcing him to lunge out of the way. Rolling
criminal who consolidated several of the gangs in Detroit. Vigilant’s white trenchcoat flailed in the wind as the hero
Turning away from street crime, the Troll became an inter- reached for purchase before sliding out to open air. Grab-
national arms smuggler with his own empire embedded in bing hold of a girder with one hand, his fedora in the other
Vigilant’s home city. Vigilant clung to the bomber.
Avoiding the spotlight, reports of Vigilant cropped up “So, it has come to this American. Do you now see what
around the globe, spoiling an illegal arms deal or breaking your bravado has wrought? I give you this, before your
up s smuggling ring. After a battle in Poland, a World War landing you will enjoy the sensation of flight without your
II survivor, claimed that she met this man, and although army’s toys.“ As he spoke the Nazi Metahuman peeled
he appeared younger he was in fact the original Vigilant. back Vigilant’s fingers. The superhuman soldier couldn’t
Whoever this Vigilant was, he disappeared after an explo- see the smile under Vigilant’s mask.
sion at a munitions plant in Egypt. “Should have shot me Gewehr!” Whipping his free arm
After the Lensing conflict, the first Metahuman to take the around Vigilant spun just as his last finger was pulled
name Vigilant appeared taking up the mantle of Detroit’s free. Leg hooking the Nazi, Gewehr was pulled out of the
White Knight. Graced with uncanny sensory abilities this aircraft with Vigilant. The hero now behind him, held the
new Vigilant relied on his enhanced awareness, speed, white fedora over the soldier’s face. “This only ends two
and a stun baton to try and take back Detroit’s streets. ways Hansel. Now, bring us down.” With Vigilant clinging
Sadly, his career was cut short after a confrontation with to his back Gewehr forced himself upwards.
Galliant Dread left him crippled. “Yes, good American, fight to the end, but I am the eagle,
Declaring the area around the Wash Rock district of Detroit and you are merely prey.” Turning the Nazi dove into a
his own private kingdom, Dread’s army held the neighbor- spin. While Gewehr had Metahuman might, and training,
hood in terror with local police and national guard unable Vigilant had years of honing his body and focusing his
to break the siege. As Dread’s reign moved into its’ second mind. He clung to the Nazi refusing to let go.
month the newest incarnation Vigilant appeared. The pair would never land though. A column of light en-
Clad in power armor, this Vigilant stood at nearly nine feet. veloped them as they plummeted. Before either realized
Utilizing integrated gravitational weapons they infiltrated what had happened the two enemies stood in a small
Wash Rock, bringing the Troll to justice. This however was room, a large window overlooking the earth. Surrounding
only a beginning. Over the next year, Vigilant used infor- them was a squad of alien creatures, strange blasters
mation he had acquired from Dread to bring down dozens at the ready. There was another flash of light, and then,
of corrupt police officers and local politicians. earth was gone. The scene outside the window had been
replaced with a new cosmos.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Combat Secondary Attack: Analytical Combat 44 (34) Dice 4
Stamina: 17 (27) Damage 8 (11) NoC 4
Willpower: Current: 11 Max: 14
˜˜ Notes: Values within the Parenthesis represent a
Initiative: 42 Dice 4
Heavy Blow.
Defense
Surprised Defense: 22 Dice 3 Armor 9 NoC 2
Combat Notes
Defense Notes
Normal Defense: 38 Dice 3 Armor 10 NoC 3
Mental Defense: 24 Dice 3 Armor 5 NoC 2 —— Analytical Combatant: Allowing foes to strike first
Vigilant studies their attack patterns, taking Active
Offense Defenses. Vigilant adds Research (13) to any Attack
Favored Attack: Martial Assault 31 Dice 3 Damage 6 NoC 3 Roll following an Active Defense.
˜˜ Notes: Vigilant may activate the Graviton units in —— Etiquette: Once per session use Etiquette (3) as a
the Overseer armor adding the following: Graviton Supporting Characteristics when dealing with Mental
Kick/Graviton Blasters Knocks a target back up to Attacks that bypass normal Defenses.
2 Range Increments and inflicts 6 Damage upon —— Cryptography: Vigilant gains 4 Free level of Armor
impact. whenever an Opponent repeats an attack.

Climactic Scenes

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— Intuition: Once per session the Character may use Perception 10
Intuition (5) with Surprised Defense. Repair 12
—— Navigation: Vigilant gains 2 Free levels of Armor Research 13
when Attacked while Disoriented (Meddling) or Stag- Science 7
gered. Study: Criminal Underworld 10
Subterfuge 7
—— Perception: Once per session the Character may use Tactics 13
Perception (10) as a Supporting Characteristic for Tracking 6
Normal Defense. Wealth 15
—— Tracking: Once per session use his Normal Defense Boons
instead of Surprised Defense in any Combat where Analytical Combatant: Research Supports Offense
the Character has already seen their Opponent. After A Successful Active Defense MA
—— Medical: Once per session Medical may be used as a Tools (Actual Tools, Bugs & Tracers) MA
Healing Power, this Heals a minimum of 1 Damage.
Drawbacks
—— Repair: Once per session Repair may be used as a Heal- Frail: Whenever Vigilant (not the Overseer Armor) takes
ing Power for Gear, this Heals a minimum of 2 Damage. Damage he suffers 3 additional Damage.
Offense Notes Limited: Disconnected: Vigilant has spent decades as a
shut in and suffers a -20 to any rolls relating to mod-
—— Forensics: Once per session use Forensics (8) as a ern culture, society or trying to relate to anyone under
Supporting Characteristic for Bypass Armor and a around age 40. (This does not apply to Study: Criminal
follow up Attack. Underworld.)
—— Subterfuge: Vigilant adds 1 additional Damage when Fighting Style
attacking a foe using their Surprised Defense. Never Years Of Experience 12
Back Down: Add Never Back Down (26) to any roll if - Wisdom/Support: Initiative
Willpower is reduced to 0 for longer than 1 Turn. This Secondary Role: Offense MA
lasts for 1 Turn and may be used Once per session. Secondary Role: Defense MA
Statistics Defends Against: Psyche
Cost: 1 Fighting Style + 6 AP
Attributes
History 14 Strength 5
Through his years as a crime fighter Vigilant has
Dexterity 5 Constitution 8
studied various martial arts from Boxing, Kara-
Sense 10 Fortune 8
te, and Judo, to Thai Kickboxing and Madagascan
Wisdom 18 Intelligence 15
Moraingy. Age weighs on his body, but his mind is as
Mental 16 Expression 8
sharp as ever. Over the years he’s blended what he
Backgrounds knows together to create a unique fighting style.
Dedication 14
No one Escapes Justice (Father’s Suicide) 10 Powers
Never Let a Crime Go Unseen! 8 Overseer Armor 14
Turn a liability into a strength 1 - Defense/Intelligencenged TY
Behind Vigilant, is only Vigilant 1 Armor (Boost Armor) MA2
Enemy: Vigilant’s Rogue’s Gallery 1 Passive Defense MA
—— A hero for over fifty years Vigilant has an impressive Secondary Role: Offensive MA
Rogue’s Gallery. Throw someone at him and we’ll Graviton Strikes: Blast MA
develop a backstory. - Never Ready Nancy Secondary Role: Support: Senses MA
Background: A Lifetime as a Hero 5 Added Support: Strength MA
New Communications: Radio TY
Talents New Movement: Flight (Boost Speed) MA3
Computers 4 New Senses: HUD/Radar) TY
Contact: District Attorney 5 Extra Stamina MA3
Cryptography 11 Cost: 16 + 4 + 12 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 3 + 18 + 3 + 18 = 104
Education 5
Engineering 8 Gear (8) = Gear MA13 (Free MA + TY)
Forensics 8 Cost 22 Gear Boons + 1 AP
Intuition 5
Law 6
Navigation 7
Negotiation 6
Never Back Down 12

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Refusing to give up the battle Vigilant salvaged alien Issue 0
technology from a crashed ship to build the Over-
seer Armor. The black/silver armor uses a gravitonic The metal of Ixe’Re’s flight suit clicked across the obser-
drive allowing Vigilant to fly at incredible speed. The vation deck floor. A corona of indigo light swam in a figure
Overseer armor is equipped with a host of Vigilant’s eight around a binary star. They could see the orbiting
favorite gadgets and sensor technology. space station. From this distance the harvesting drones
were only black dots drifting out into the Jespyrum Rings.
Not just a mining outpost the Uri’Fax station was home to
Starting AP
over seven hundred thousand people.
Attributes 4 + Talents 27 + Boons 4 + Powers 7
- Drawbacks 2 How long had the Hadin Guard been stationed here? It
was the i’Fax Uprising that brought them. An indigenous
Experience people, not even capable of faster than light travel. The
Spent: Earned: 3 empire had brought them to heel, or so they thought.
Crafty people, they integrated into the mining group to
Wayfarer arm themselves against a far superior force. Part of Ry
Power Level: High respected the i’Fax for that.
Summary Now Ry had been co-opted into a superior force, the
Hadin. Their partner had already been reassigned. There
An alien scientist, Wayfarer was conscripted into the
was no place for love in a time of war. This conquest was
first invasion to study human biology and identifiers for
not for mineral rights though. Once the conquest was over
metagenic change. After their arrival they could not follow
they would be using the captured indigenous as breeding
through with the Ar’Dysis plans and betrayed the empire.
stock for advanced soldiers.
As a punishment they were trapped in an alternate dimen-
sion until being freed years later. Still trapped between The idea disgusted Ry, the Ar’Dysis were not slavers. Once
two dimensions Wayfarer is able to fold between space, they were not even warriors. How far had war driven
teleporting and create spatial anomalies. them? Still, it was not his place to question. If the empire
set their sights on a new tool, it was his to acquire for
Background them if so asked.
During the Sol Liberation Campaign, Ixe’Ry (Ye Ray) was
conscripted by the Hadin Guard, an elite force of warriors
Combat
Stamina: 19
sent to spearhead the conquest of Earth. Ry had been
Willpower: Current: 11 Max: 14
chosen to assist the Hadin by studying captured human
Initiative: 21 Dice 3
subjects. At the Battle of Black Mountain, Ixe’Ry first con-
fronted the Xeno Consortium. Defense
The heroes were able to protect the Metahuman prison. Surprised Defense: 20 Dice 3 Armor 7 NoC 2
Ry was wounded, and cut off from the Hadin. Nursed back Normal Defense: 35 Dice 3 Armor 8 NoC 3
to health by a boy that had found him, Ry realized that Mental Defense: 30 Dice 3 Armor 12 NoC 2
the animals he was sent to study were thinking beings, as Offense
capable as any Ar’Dysis. Favored Attack: Phased Strike 40 Dice 3 Range Close
Seeking out the Xeno Consortium he helped advise the Damage 11 NoC 3
veteran team on invasion plans. For his crime Empress ˜˜ Notes: Penetrating: Once Per session 5 Damage
So’Lin Fa banished Ixe’Ry to the Stasivese freezing him in bypasses Armor.
time. Trapped for over a decade while scientists worked
to bring him back, it wasn’t until anonymous documents Warping and bending space Wayfarer often does
appeared in the main research lab. Using the information, not actually throw a punch, but instead passes a
the researchers were able to call Ixe’Ry back, at least hand or manipulator through a foe, momentarily
partially. phasing part of the target’s body out of reality.
Unfortunately, not everything went as planned. Ry re- Secondary Attack: Put Baddie In The Corner 20 Dice 3
mains phased between two dimensions, forever part of Range Close/Medium Damage -
the Stasivese, and the Prime Dimension. However, he has
learned to manipulate this dimensional anomaly allowing ˜˜ Notes: Grappling a Target Wayfarer Teleports 2
him to fold space and shift between places at the speed Range Increments away.
of thought. Since his return to the Prime Dimension Ixe’Ry
has taken the name Wayfarer vowing to protect humanity
from any future invasion.

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 Aftermath Scenes

Combat Notes Offense Notes

Defense Notes —— Hard to Follow: Once per session use Hard to Follow
as a Supporting Characteristic for any Disarm Roll.
—— Phased: Take no Damage from normal Attacks until
the start of Wayfarer’s next turn. Mental, Dimension- —— Forensics: Once per session use Forensics (4) as a
al or Sonic Attacks bypass Phased. Phased may also Supporting Characteristic for Bypass Armor and a
be used to escape Grapples, Traps or other restraints follow up Attack.
automatically. This Boon may be activated for Free —— Life Science: Once per session use Life Science (12)
on the Character’s Turn or whenever they would take as a Supporting Characteristic on an attack roll. Ex-
Damage. Usable once per session. plain how their Life Science Talent adds to the attack.
—— Fasting: Gain 2 Free levels of Armor when dealing —— Intimidation: On a successful roll, use half Intimi-
with Drain Attacks. dation as a Meddling Power (-2) on the Target for 2
—— Perception: Once per session use Perception (6) as a Turns. GMs can also assign situational penalties.
Supporting Characteristic for Normal Defense. —— Provoke: Alien Presence: Once per session take 1
—— Computers: Gain 2 Free levels of Armor when dealing Action to describe Provoking others causing foes
with robots and AIs. within Close Range to suffer a -10 penalty when tak-
ing actions against others. Foes use the character’s
—— Cryptography: Gain 2 free levels of Armor whenever Provoke Talent as a Free Supporting Characteristic
an opponent repeats an attack. when acting against them. This effect lasts until the
—— Medical: Once per session Medical may be used to start of the Character’s next Turn.
Heal 1 Damage. Etiquette: Once per session Wayfarer
may use their Etiquette (5) as a Supporting Char-
acteristics when dealing with Mental Attacks that
bypass normal Defenses.

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 Statistics Powers
Between Two Planes 15
Attributes - Intelligence/Support: Dexterity
History 14 Strength 8 Insubstantial MA
Dexterity 10 Constitution 10 New Movement: Teleportation
Sense 8 Fortune 5 (Boost Speed 2, Rapid Acceleration) MA 4
Wisdom 10 Intelligence 15 Secondary Role: Defense (Full Role) MA 2
Mental 8 Expression 12 Armor MA
Backgrounds Defends Against: All MA
Out of Phase (Experiment) 14 Evasion MA
Inspired by Humanity 10 Passive Defense MA
Prevent Further Invasions 8 Phased MA
To Blindly Follow Leads Only to Darkness 1 Secondary Role: Offense (Full Role) MA 2
Weakness is a Strength 1 Devastating ( Penetrating) MA 2
Drive: Enemy: Ar’Dysis Hardliners 1 Cost: 1 Power + 20 Boons + 10 AP
Background: Exiled Alien Invader 5
Limitation: Unable to Interact with the Physical
Talents
World in extremely loud environments (Concerts,
Alien Presence (Intimidation) 8
Subway Station as trains pass, near the automatic
Area Knowledge: Ar’Dysis Systems 5
fire of a large platoon etc.)
Computers 5
Concentration 8
Cryptography 5 Starting AP
Education 3 Attributes 1 + Talents 15 + Boons 9 + Powers 16
Fasting 7 - Drawbacks 1
Hard To Follow (Sleight of Hand) 4
Experience
Kunning (Art: Singing. If a cicada could sing.) 3
Spent: Earned: 3
Manual Labor 3
Medical 7
Not All There (Escape Artist) 10
Perception 6
Provoke: Alien Presence 10
Research 10
Science 15
(S) Life Science 12
Study: Alien Races 8
(S) Human Biology 4
Boons
Combo: Put Baddie In The Corner
(Grapple/Move) TY
Language (Ar’Dysian Ip, Galactic
Standard, Low Emperial (Common Zo),
Honor Tongue of the High Houses
(Court Zo), English) MA
Waypoint MA 3
(4 Set Waypoints, 1 Mobile Point, Allow/Deny Access)
Drawbacks
Vulnerability: Dimensional Attacks (5 Damage)
Fighting Style
Hadin Combat Training 10
- Intelligence/Offense
Secondary Role: Defense MA

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 6 Burning the Midnight Oil
This adventure is designed as an introductory story for
new Low- or Classic-level heroes. It helps if characters
have ties to the local community or use facilities like a “This was the scene from last night’s college swim
local gym, but is not necessary. meet. While Brendon Myers claims he suffered a
fit brought on by exhaustion, investigators found
Foreshadowing evidence of a new drug the police are calling ‘Snake
Oil’.”
A new performance-enhancing drug has hit the streets.
Labeled ‘Snake Oil’, it is quickly catching on with body- “While we are only just learning about this new
builders and athletes willing to take the short road to drug, it appears to greatly impact the user after only
victory. Characters exposed to this type of environment, a few treatments. If Myers’ attack on fellow swim
working out in public gyms, or sports competitors may be competitor Ashton Write is any indicator, it also
approached at a gym, skip to The Fitness Scene. If not the seems to multiply their aggression. Here at WFCX
following news story will reveal Snake Oil. we reached out to Dr. Gillian Moore, a DBC research-
er for details on the new steroid. The answers she
A lane marker floats loose in an Olympic-size gave us were disturbing.”
pool. Two men grapple in the water. One man
struggles to get air. Other swimmers dive in to “Early testing shows that Snake Oil, as it’s been
save the man being held under. The assailant dubbed reacts with the user’s biology in both pre-
fights off two of them before four of the swim- dictable and unpredictable ways. Like most steroids,
mers can pull his arms free. the compound stimulates muscle growth however,
its side effects seem to vary.”

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 Staging Scenes The Word On The Street
Hitting the underworld rumor mill can turn up a host of
What’s Really Going On news around Snake Oil, all bad.
The Metahuman gang known as the Brood have hijacked
a shipment of XV Adrenal Simulator developed by GEO
Wisdom or Expression + Street Smarts 25
Difficulty Advanced (25) Advanced
for soldiers in combat. Using a combination of Detritus’
Quintessence-tainted blood and Anaconda’s saliva, Mock —— Partial: There are multiple interested
has developed a serum that enhances a subject’s physical parties in who is dealing Snake Oil. Some
prowess but eventually causes uncontrollable mutations of them look none too happy about what’s happen-
after reaching a saturation point. ing.

They have targeted athletes to show the world the true —— Success: Whoever is dealing is keeping the Oil has
face of sports. No one has begun to change yet, but it’s select clientele. Few people in the local underworld
only a matter of time. have been able to get ahold of a sample.
—— 1 Degree: The distributor is keeping close tabs on who
Allow the character time to investigate Snake Oil, at least
has access to Snake Oil. They say it has to be shown
a day or two. If the character doing the investigation
in the right light. (Only Athletes with an effective
learned about Snake Oil through the fitness scene, allow
Beauty/Handsome or 3+) (The Fitness Scene)
some additional time playing the news story midway.
Below are several possible avenues of investigation. GMs —— 2 Degrees: The word on the street is that Anthony
should encourage creative thinking, using the scenes Smalls from Central State has an inside line and has
below as examples if they are not sure how to resolve a been hitting the Oil hard. (The Next Big Thing)
player’s line of inquiry. —— 3 Degrees: The biggest players hunting the dealers
aren’t the cops, but scouts for GEO. (Storm Trooping)
The Fitness Scene
—— 4 Degrees: The distributor was putting together
Hitting the gym, a character tries to convince users or some “loyal customers” to help acquire some of the
dealers to talk to them. products they need to make a fresh batch of Snake
Strength or Expression + Brawn or Fitness Oil. (Scoring Some Hooch)
Difficulty Expert (20) 20 Fried Fish
—— Partial: It’s not easy to find a Snake Oil Expert
dealer. The distribution is tightly regulat- Brendon Myers has been arrested and drug tested.
ed. No one knows what the dealers look like. Characters may wish to speak with him, get a copy of his
medical records or blood samples.
—— Success: The character may locate a user or be
approached by a user seeing the character as as a Access: Characters with contacts inside the Police or DBC
potential user. No one is willing to sell, but they find may not need to make any rolls for access but should have
or are shown a used Snake Oil pen. The drug is sold a scene reaching out to their contacts. Characters without
in the same type of pen used for some combat drugs, inside contacts may need to make a basic roll versus an
not from a traditional hypodermic or vials. The char- Expert (20) Difficulty with Characteristics based on how
acter can locate a used sample. (Testing A Sample) the characters are attempting to gain access.
—— 1 Degree: A user at the gym is willing to point out
some other users. The drug seems to show results
School Haze
much faster than any of the older steroids. All the Myers was a member of the Alpha Rho Psi fraternity at
users located are extremely attractive. the local university. It’s a safe bet at least one of his frat
—— 2 Degrees: Most of the users are in competitive brothers knows something. Depending on the direction
sports, not just fitness enthusiasts. One of the users they take, players may roll:
is willing to share or reveal they have an unused pen. Mental + Negotiations, Expression
(Testing A Sample) + Etiquette, or Etiquette + Subterfuge 20
—— 3 Degrees: The dealers are constantly changing Difficulty Expert (20) Expert
locations. They never make a deal in the same place —— Partial: As a Success, but it takes sev-
twice. eral hours to get information out of the
—— 4 Degrees: The character learns where the next buy students.
is going down. (Bad Deals) —— Success: Worried about their own exposure, one of
the fraternity members will tell them that they know
Anthony Smalls, another college athlete, and mem-
ber of a different fraternity, has been using Snake Oil.
(The Next Big Thing)

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 —— 1 Degree: Someone will give access to Brendon’s Notes: Brendon Myers is detoxing and skittish. He will
room uncovering two unused samples of Snake Oil. throw any tactics back at the character. Those who are
˜˜ Note: Heroes can obtain these samples by sneak- aggressive or rude are met with aggression. Characters
ing into his room or forcing their way in also. who are kinder will see him attempt civility, although this
will reveal his general unnerved nature from going with-
—— 2 Degrees: One of the fraternity members overheard out Snake Oil.
Myers talking about a buy about to go down. (Bad
Deals) Option: If the interview is particularly aggressive Myers
may completely break down as his body is wracked with
Medical Records mutations that look like snakes rolling under his skin.

Intelligence + Medical —— Partial: Myers is strung out and can’t really articulate
coherent answers. Characters Testing A Sample gain
Difficulty Simple (10) 10 a free Degree if they possess both Life Science and
The medical logs show no signs of traditional Simple
Social Science.
steroids. There are some notes from Dr. Gillian
—— Success: Brendon was approached by a dealer after
Moore on “Compound X aka Snake Oil.” She notes a combi-
his last swim meet. The dealer wore a trenchcoat and
nation of immunosuppressants and adrenal boosters and
hoodie, which made it hard to see his face.
some other trigger agent she is unable to identify.
—— 1 Degree: Snake Oil was euphoric and the effects
Testing A Blood Sample: As Testing A Sample, Difficulty almost immediate. In his next workout he could see
Laborious (35). noticeable improvements
Interviewing Myers —— 2 Degrees: Pick One from the list below

Mental + Negotiations —— 3 Degrees: All information

Difficulty Advanced (25). 25 ˜˜ The Next Buy: Myers will give up the dealer and
Advanced where he was going for the next buy. See: Bad Deals.
GMs should apply between - 5 and + 5 to the
Difficulty based on the scene and how the ˜˜ The Kit: Brendon has an unused injector in his
characters interact with Myers. locker at the gym he practices at.

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 Big Names Testing A Sample
Characters who follow the local sports scene may be able Characters able to acquire a used sample may attempt to
to identify other sports figures who are showing signs of research Snake Oil with the proper facilities:
rapid improvement.
Intelligence + Science + Life Science
Wisdom + Area Knowledge: Campaign City Difficulty Advanced (25)
+ Study or Hobby: Sports 25 25
Note: Characters with an unused sample gain Advanced
Difficulty Advanced (25) Advanced
1 free Degree on a successful roll.
—— Partial: The character, or a friend’s fanta-
—— Partial: Snake Oil contains no traits in
sy teams with local players have all been
common with anabolic steroids.
doing well.
—— Success: Snake Oil is a combination of immunosup-
—— Success: The city’s big college football teams has
pressants and something else that interacts with the
been making noticeable improvements over the last
body on a genetic level.
three games.
—— 1 Degree: Given enough time, unaltered cells will re-
—— 1 Degree: Of the various teams, one is doing re-
place SO cells, returning the user to their original state.
markably well and looking to break records. Leading
this record-breaking streak is a defensive lineman, —— 2 Degrees: However, there is a saturation point
named Anthony Smalls who has crushed the offense where the changes become irreversible.
in his last two games. See: The Next Big Thing. —— 3 Degrees: The mutagen interlaced with the other
drugs appears to be related to KB2.
It is possible to reverse the effects if
caught early enough. The character
can engineer a cure. The cure requires
several injections and several weeks
to undo any long-term damage. For
each additional Degree of Success,
select one option from the below list:
˜˜ Stronger: Requires only a Single
Injection
—— Aerosol: The cure can be delivered
via inhalant over a wide area. Re-
quires: Stronger
˜˜ Faster: The cure begins retarding
the effects of Snake Oil almost immedi-
ately. (-10 to any affected user’s rolls)
˜˜ Crippling: Subject is crippled by
the fast-acting strength of the cure
and cannot act. Requires: Stronger
and Faster

Friends on the Force

If the heroes have friends
on the police force or can 15
stop the events from a Average
Building Scene and wait to
speak with the officers
they may be able to find out where the
next crime is about to go down. Roll
History + Contact: <Police Officer or
someone with police connections>, or
Expression + Area of Influence: Local
Police Difficulty Average (15), increase
the Difficulty by 5-15 depending on the
level of collateral damage if following
up with the police following a Building
Scene.

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 Partial: The police have no solid leads at this time, or are
unwilling to share information.
Scoring Some Hooch
Sales of Snake Oil are far better than expected and the
Success: The police can offer a tip on one of the following
Brood need more “Fifteen”, XV Adrenal Simulator. Having
scenes. Select the next viable scene based on the events
motivated some of their buyers Gargoyle will lead a raid
that have already transpired in the story: Bad Deals, The
on the local train depot There’s only one complication,
Next Big Thing, Storm Trooping, Scoring Some Hooch,
with this shipment GEO has smuggled in sleeper soldiers
One Last Dose.
that will attack as soon as the cargo crate is disturbed.

Building Scenes Who’s GEO?

The following scenes describe Snake Oil-related events. The corporate rulers of the Suceava city-state. GEO
These events will happen over the course of several days has turned Suceava into an international safe haven
or a week or two. Allow the heroes to intervene based for the corrupt and depraved minds of the world.
on their actions in the Staging Scenes. These scenes are Founded in 1970 under the mission statement:
written assuming no interference. GMs should adjust the “Finding A Better Future Through The Suffering Of
events according to the actions of the characters. Today” it would be over a decade before how true
this description would become. Since the 1980s, GEO
Bad Deals has been implicated in eugenics testing and unsafe
scientific research. After yet another scandal GEO
With their stash running low, the Brood have pushed up
mobilized troops though their Romanian offices to
the price of Snake Oil. They have set up a buy with some of
seize the city of Suceava.
their most loyal clients. The deal is going down at a gym
that was shut down and boarded up. Today GEO uses covert agents across the globe to
All of the buyers are meatheads, jocks, or minor sports smuggle illegal arms and mercenaries to rogue na-
stars performing at the college or semi-pro level. Ram- tions, terrorists groups, or to assist corporate black
page is handling the sale and wears a hoodie and trench- ops. Protected by an army of lawyers and national
coat to hide his boils. He will offer them a discount if they statehood, GEO uses a combination of high-tech
will help acquire the next shipment of one of the compo- arms and red tape to protect its interests around
nents of the drug. the world.

Should the heroes intervene Rampage will give away the

While GEO knows their material is being stolen, they don’t
last of the “Snake Oil for anyone that helps him take down
know why or who is behind the robberies. They have a
the capes.” Injecting themselves the athletes will become a
five-person fire team (Minor Mob) along with a contain-
super charged mob. Treat them as a Typical Mob with the
ment unit and Squad Leader. Enough to handle a gang
stats below. Rampage himself is not looking for a fight and
for sure, but not super-charged athletes and Gargoyle
will fire off a quick blast before making a fast exit.
combined. While there are casualties on both sides, GEO
Snake Jocks (Low Powered Super Athletes with Anger knows they can’t be found on US soil and will cover up
Management Issues + 3 Templates) their presence before authorities arrive.
Having been hooked on Snake Oil, the Jocks are beginning Should the heroes intervene, both sides will have no
to change. They are far stronger and tougher than normal issues turning their attention on them. Gargoyle however
humans. will not engage. Instead, he will seal the cargo container
—— Basic Rolls 6 + 2d6 and attempt to escape with the shipment. (This requires a
Brawn roll, Difficulty 55, Gargoyle will spend 1 Willpower
—— Mob Stamina 12 to make his roll Explosive, giving him a Lift of 31 + (4d6 x
—— Defense 14 Changing Body Dice 3 Armor 6 2), he needs to roll a 12 or higher.)
—— Offense Thrown Sports Equipment 11 Dice 2 Range GEO Soldiers (Classic Veteran Mercs + 2 Templates)
Short Damage 4 —— Basic Roll: 9 + 2d6
—— Offense Barbells, weights and pure Rage 19 Dice 4 —— Mob Stamina 15
Range Close Damage 8
—— Defense Crystiliam Fiber Combat Armor 15 Armor 6
Typical Mob Dice 3
—— Basic Rolls 6 + 2d6 —— Offense Lumariant Rifles 20 Dice 3 Range Long
—— Mob Stamina 12/12 Damage 12
—— Defense 14 Changing Body Dice 3 Armor 8/10 —— Offense Combat Knife 14 Dice 2 Range Close Dam-
age 6
—— Offense Thrown Sports Equipment 16/21 Dice 2
Range Short Damage 4
—— Offense Barbells, weights and pure Rage 24/29 Dice
4 Range Close Damage 8
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 Typical Mob
The Next Big Thing
—— Basic Roll 9 + 2d6
Local sports hero, Anthony Smalls, is a defensive lineman
—— Mob Stamina 15/15 for the local college team. Smalls holds the state record
—— Defense Crystiliam Fiber Combat Armor 15 Armor for most sacks in a game. It’s also well known that he’s
8/10 Dice 3 been pushing hard to take the national record even jok-
ingly saying once, what’s a crippled QB to me? He has also
—— Offense Lumariant Rifles 25/30 Dice 3 Range Long
been hitting Snake Oil hard to make sure nothing stops
Damage 12
him from reaching that goal. This has turned him into a
—— Offense Combat Knife 19/24 Dice 2 Range Close ticking mutagenic bomb.
Damage 6
In a game with their conference rivals, the Snake Oil fires
Squad Leader (Classic + 3 Templates + Leadership Bonus) off as he collides with the opposing team’s center. His uni-
—— Basic Roll 12 + 3d6 form explodes as his body nearly doubles in size, growing
long pseudopods covered in mouths. Unstoppable, he mu-
—— Stamina 15 tilates the opposing center and quarterback before fleeing
—— Defense Crystiliam Fiber Combat Armor 18 Armor 10 the sports arena.
Dice 4
Should heroes be on-site, they may be able to stop him
—— Offense Lumariant Rifles 28 Dice 4 Range Long before this tragedy occurs or should they confront Smalls
Damage 12 before he changes (assuming they know who he is from
—— Offense Combat Knife 22 Dice 3 Range Close underworld gossip or other sources). He will lash out against
Damage 6 them, his mutations triggering during this confrontation

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 Meta Emergent, Anthony Smalls (High Powered Super These are not fair fights. the Snake Jocks are attack-
Mutant + 5 Templates) ing with groups of three-to-five members. Worse these
attacks are triggering some of the abductees to change
Having just begun his transformation, Smalls’ body has
swelling their ranks.
been covered in whip-like tentacles covered in mouths.
Some of them capable of spitting blasts of corrosive force. Snake Jocks (Classic Super Mutant + 3 Templates)
This change has broken Smalls. and what he’s capable of
Members of Snake Jocks have fully transitioned and while
is anyone’s guess.
they lack the power of Grendel, Anthony Smalls, they all
—— Basic Rolls 16 + 3d6 possess a degree of super strength and toughness in ad-
—— Stamina 36 dition to various tentacle like mutations.
—— Defense 22 Dice 4 Armor 8 Note: Defense reduced —— Basic Rolls 9 + 2d6
due to giant size. —— Mob Stamina 18
—— Offense Venom Blasts 16 Dice 3 Range Short Dam- —— Defense 21 Dice 3 Armor 8
age 8
—— Offense Handguns or Heavy Objects 14 Dice 2 Range
—— Offense Biting Hands 32 Dice 5 Range Close Damage Short Damage 6
16
—— Offense Overbearing strength 26 Dice 4 Range Close
Storm Trooping Damage 12

With shipments of their XV Adrenal Simulator being Introducing the Heroes

stolen, GEO has sent in clean-up squads to locate and
These events take place after all the other Building
eliminate possible distributors. The problem is they don’t
Scenes. Heroes may be alerted to the abductions in sever-
know where to begin and are hitting only the drug labs
al ways.
they can locate.
The Fitness Scene: If the heroes had positive interactions
This Execution Squad (Geo Soldiers, Minor Mob, Squad
with a user and left them contact information, a Snake Oil
Leader) from GEO cares nothing about collateral damage,
user will contact them and ask for protection fearing they
since they need to hide their presence, the added chaos
may be next.
only helps. Heroes who can intervene will face an execu-
tion squad. The Word on the Street: Heroes who made a positive roll
and left feelers out will get an update from an informant
Dwindling Supplies about the Braziers and their new hideout.
No matter which way things go when Scoring Some Bad Deals: If the heroes continue to monitor the gym
Hooch, it will take time to convert the stolen Fifteen or where this scene occurred they will witness the formation
another substitute into Snake Oil. During that time things of the Braziers.
begin to break down for the users as their bodies begin to
crave the drug. Reports begin to come in of athletes hav-
ing breakdowns like Brendon Myers. Worse some of them
Climax - One Last Dose
are beginning to turn like Anthony Smalls. When the Brood resurfaces with a fresh batch of Snake Oil,
everything comes to a head. Setting up a deal in a bombed-
Unable to show themselves in public, these athletes begin out drug lab, the Brood hope to avoid GEO’s execution
banding together at an abandoned gym where they were squad by using a place they have already raided (Storm
able to purchase Snake Oil (same Location as Bad Deals). Trooping). Mock and Anaconda are at the drug buy.
For many of them now horribly deformed showing muta-
tions similar to Smalls desperation begins to set in. This gets complicated when both GEO, who has been
monitoring the location and Snake Jocks arrive looking
Calling themselves Snake Jocks they begin rather violent- to score. The deal quickly degrades into a three-way
ly as the athletes fight amongst themselves for control. shootout with Mock and Anaconda trying to convince the
If Anthony Smalls was not apprehended (The Next Big Snake Jocks to join them.
Thing) he will beat down anyone that stands in his way
assuming the role of gang leader and taking the name Adjusting the Climax based on Building Scenes
Grendel. Otherwise control will fall to a minor league
hockey goon named Jack Thrasher. Depending on the players’ actions in the Building
Scenes, the Climax may be modified as follows:
Their first order of business is simple. Hunt down any
known users not already members of the Snake Jocks and If the GEO Extermination Team was arrested or ev-
collect any remaining Snake Oil. Disgusted by their own idence presented regarding their presence in Storm
appearances, these are not public attacks. Instead the Trooping or Scoring Some Hooch, GEO will not be
Snake Jocks will abduct other users from their homes or present.
cars avoiding the public as much as possible.

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 If Rampage and Gargoyle were apprehended, they
will not be present, but Mock will bring a sedated
Aftermath
Detritus as an escape clause. There are a number of possible outcomes in Burning the
Midnight Oil. If the heroes can apprehend the Brood,
If the Snake Jocks were apprehended in Bad Deals, Snake Jocks and the GEO execution squad, the flow of
Scoring Some Hooch, or Dwindling Supplies, re- Snake Oil will quickly come to an end. Both the Brood and
duce the size of the Mob by 1 Step for each scene or GEO will monitor the heroes and players may add them as
a Minor Gang. new Enemies.
If Grendel is present, Snake Jocks will not join the Should Grendel or Jack Thrasher escape with the Snake
Brood and attack the heroes instead of focusing on Oil however, he will discover the secret of reproducing it
stealing the Snake Oil. using his own blood. After coercing a science major to help
him by threats of violence and forced injections of Snake
Introducing the Heroes Oil, Grendel will use this to rebuild and grow the Snake
Jocks.
Heroes can find out about the deal by checking rumors or
the fitness scene as before. Alternatively, the police will If the GEO extermination team escapes, GEO will target
radio in seeing a caravan of armed mutants in modified the heroes and the Brood for later attacks. Also, GEO is
cars and bikes heading into the area where the drug lab is not the type to miss a business opportunity. They may try
located. to recreate Snake Oil for commercial purposes.

The heroes may arrive at any time during this deal. Pace Depending on who within the Brood escapes will deter-
the events accordingly. If the heroes were actively looking mine their next move. Mock will try to rebuild the gang,
for the next drug buy, they may interrupt it before GEO hiring muscle, possibly the Snake Jocks to break out other
arrives. This will cause the soldiers not to engage. If the members of the Brood. If Mock is apprehended, Anacon-
heroes are responding to the police call, they may arrive da will go underground while Gargoyle will follow anyone
in the middle of a firefight. In this instance, assign each who shows him respect. It is only a matter of time before
combatant 2 Damage. Rampage goes on a spree of destruction without Mock.

The Brood and GEO will quickly turn on the heroes, while
members of Snake Jocks will be focused on stealing any
remaining Snake Oil. Unless, Mock has convinced them to
join the Brood. If the fight does not go well for the Brood,
Gargoyle will protect Mock and Anaconda so they can
escape, or Mock will release the chamber holding Detri-
tus before fleeing.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 7 Hall of Legends
Without the people who believed in Metahumans Rising, Tremble before the talented Tecnica!
we at House Dok Productions could have never brought
you the game you see today. We want to thank all of our Backer: Llasnad
supporters and hope you have many great games inspired A natural born technopath, Tecnica showed a genius-level
by what you have read. The Hall of Legends is our tribute intellect from childhood. The daughter of a Metahuman
to seven of those individuals. hero and a police officer, she took to the streets for justice
Helliquin, the Clown Princess of Justice! after her mother was killed and the police could do noth-
ing about it. She may be young, but she’s not alone; she
Backer: Arcangel Ortiz Jr. uses her natural abilities to craft robot assistants from
After witnessing her husband and children’s death at the any available electronics.
hands of a madman, Helliquin did what any sane person The Timeless Troubleshooter!
wouldn’t: spent years travelling with circuses until she
could find the clown who killed her family. Acrobat and Backer: Aidan Hurst
sharpshooter, she hunts the streets with a smile. Most people know the story of Troy, but forgotten in most
The Mysterious Mister Jericho! tellings is the tale of Cassandra, sister of Hector and
Paris, and a survivor. Blessed, or cursed, with the gifts
Backer: Kevin Fuss of prophecy and immortality, Cassandra no longer tries
Where he’s from, or when he was born is lost even to him. to simply warn others but has taken action into her own
Jericho knows he’s somewhere around 600 years of age, hands as Troubleshooter. Having faced down the forces of
or older. Whenever his body expires, a new one appears the Underworld, there are few threats capable of giving
not far from the site of his expiration. With time on his her pause.
hands Mister Jericho has lived the life of a vagabond, se-
cret agent and a lot in-between. Character Statistics
No we’re not going in circles, it’s the time- Helliquin
trapped Skipback! The Clown Princess of Justice & Other Stuff AKA Tara
Backer: Billy Dee Sorrells Quinn-Glass
A high school student chronically stuck in time loops until Recommended Comic Age & Tone: Dark or Extreme Age
he changes something, Skipback keeps trying to fix things High-Octane Action/Adventure
until he gets them right. Unfortunately, he has no clue Power Level: Low
what needs to be fixed. While he may not be able to trade
blows with some monstrous wall of muscle, he does know Background
when the 206 crosstown bus is passing, so...
Once a promising Olympic gymnast, Tara became preg-
Don’t believe what you see, it’s the stunning nant by her college boyfriend, George Glass. After they got
Smokin’ Mirrors. married, Tara finished her degree in psychology. George
was independently wealthy, still Tara operated as a crim-
Backer: Thozmp Corris inal psychiatrist. The pair lived together for almost a de-
A street magician by trade, Smokin’ Mirrors has a secret: cade before it all fell apart. While on the way home, Tara’s
he can swap places with any object he sees. Using his family was attacked by a man dressed as a clown. Barely
powers to confuse, confound, and capture criminals, he surviving the attack, Tara lost her family, and her sanity.
hunts corruption as he travels from town to town. It took over a year to recover, and the entire time Tara
Hop into action with Step! never lost focus. This was no random crime, the man who
attacked them was known as the Clown Killer, an assas-
Backer: G Jacobs sin travelling with circuses across the country to hide his
After being abducted and used for experimentation by a real work. It took another two years of posing as a clown
local gang after a high-tech heist, Step came out on top herself, drifting from town to town, and tracking down
after their torture triggered a shift in his body allowing every lead before she came face-to-face with the Clown.
him to teleport, as long as he can see where he’s going. What came next wasn’t justice, it was revenge, and it was
Initially using his powers for petty gains, Step converted not enough.
to heroism after a run-in with another Metahuman. Now
he fights to right his wrongs and aid those in need.
175
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Taking the name Helliquin, she stole the killer’s clown face Defense
makeup, not skin, that’s a bit dark even for her, to hunt Surprised Defense: 4 (Fortune 4) Dice 2 Armor 1
down anyone who might harm others, and hopefully one Normal Defense: 22 (Dexterity 12 + Acrobatics 10)
day find who hired the Clown to wipe out her family. Dice 3 Armor 2
Issue 0 Mental Defense: 4 (Mental 4) Dice 2
Armor 2 (Research)
Hanging up the phone, Tara choked back tears. Rejected
once again by her father, it had been over five years since
Offense
Kevin was born, but all her father saw was the death of
Favored Attack: Bulletstorm 24 (Dexterity 12 + Trick
her Olympic chances. George said nothing, wrapping his
Shooter 8 + Twin M1911 10 + (S) Bulletstorm 4 -
arm around her. That was all she needed, turning back to
Combo 10) Dice 4 Range Short Damage 11/11
the living room she watched as the kids played, and was
content. She didn’t need a medal to prove anything, every- ˜˜ Notes: Strikes twice
thing she wanted was right there with her. Secondary Attack: Single Fire 30 (Dexterity 12 + Trick
Combat Shooter 8 + Twin M1911 10) Dice 4 Range Medium
Stamina: 14 Damage 9
Willpower: 4 Max: 9 Additional Attack: Out of bullets! 17 (Dexterity 12 + Acro-
Initiative: 24 (Dexterity 12 + Perception 4 + Trick batics 5) Dice 3 Range Close Damage 4
Shooter 8) Dice 4
Combat Notes
Defense Notes
—— Medical: Once per session, Medical (3) may be used
as a Healing Power, Healing 1 Damage.
—— Perception: Once per session, use Perception (4) as a
Supporting Characteristic for Normal Defense.
—— Tracking: Once per session, the character may use
their Normal Defense instead of Surprised Defense
in any Combat where the character has already seen
their Opponent.
Offense Notes
—— Beauty: Once per session, use Beauty (8) as a Med-
dling or Control Power. Explain how their character’s
Beauty distracts the Target.
—— Climbing: Once per session, when taking an Active
Defense use Climbing (3) as a Supporting Character-
istic if there is a wall or other vertical surface within
Close Range.
—— Disguise: If Disguised when Attacking an unaware
Target, use Surprised Defense and add 1 Damage.
This cannot be used once the Target is aware the
character is a Threat.
—— Education: Once per session, spend 1 Action to advise
an Ally. The ally may use half the character’s Educa-
tion (1) as a Supporting Characteristic for their next
Action.
—— Death of her family: Add their Never Back Down (9) to
any roll if their Willpower is reduced to 0 for longer
than 1 turn. This lasts for 1 turn and may be used once
per session.
—— Subterfuge: Add 1 additional Damage when attacking
a foe using their Surprised Defense.
—— Wit: (Clowning Around): Once per session, use their
Wit as a Meddling Power (-2). The player must ex-
plain how they apply their character’s Wit to interfere
with someone else.
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Statistics Limited Uses
Limited: Using Radius forces an automatic reload per
Attributes Limited Uses.
History 9 Strength 4 Cost: 12 + 3 + 3 + 6 + 6 - 3 - 3 = 24/Gear = MA3
Dexterity 12 Constitution 4
Sense 4 Fortune 4 Starting AP: 20
Wisdom 4 Intelligence 9 Attributes 1 + Talents 8 + Boons 10 + Powers 3
Mental 4 Expression 10 - Drawbacks 1
Backgrounds
Death of her family (Dedication) 9 Mister Jericho AKA Jacob Horror
Gloria Gaynor got it half right 5 Recommended Comic Age & Tone: Bronze Age Action/Ad-
Family Matters 3 venture
The more we have, the more we lose 1
Background: Former Psychiatrist 4 Power Level: High Powered
Background
Talents Jacob Horror’s original memory is the burning of Joan of
Acrobatics 10 Arc at the stake in France. He was just a child at this time.
Background: Ex-Circus Performer 4 He continued to grow and wound up dead on a battlefield
Beauty 8 of Castillon-la-Bataille only to find himself resurrected in
Climbing 3 another form. However, the old body remained there.After
Disguise 6 the first several times Jacob “died” he became suicidal but
Education 3 death would not finally come for him. Decades, centuries
Medical 3 passed for him going through life at the same point of age
Research 5 (the point where he had died for the first time). He gets in-
Science 4 volved in several wars. He joined the CIA and became a spy.
(S) Social Science 4
Subterfuge 8 During his centuries alive, he met a woman named Me-
Tracking 4 lissa. He fell in love with her and spent many years in
Wealth 11 happy bliss. When she died, he grieved but he expected
Wit: Clowning Around 5 it. Years later, he came across Melissa again, only reborn.
This Melissa had no memory of their time in the past and
Drawbacks seemed to be of a different age. Similar to what happened
Awkward (Frightening) Helliquin has a distorted view of to him, yet different. His desire to find her again has driven
the world, and her sense of humor can be off-putting or his choices over the years. He wants to make this woman
disturbing. happy, even if it is never found with him again.
Boons
Issue 0
Combo: Bulletstorm (Attack - Attack) TY
Fast Draw: Guns TY While the official record shows Chernobyl was an unfortu-
Gear MA3 nate accident, the truth is far from this. An extremist group
Acrobatics Supports Defense MA2 seized the plant, taking the workers and scientists hostage.
Acrobatics Supports Unarmed Offense MA Despite the tensions between the US and Soviet Union,
Tools: Escape Clause, Hidden Weapon (Baseball Bat), Mister Jerico ignored the bureaucracy to infiltrate the facility.
Smartphone, Vehicle (the Helli-Cycle) MA (Free - While unable to prevent the eventual meltdown, Mister
Wealth) Jerico did manage to evacuate the facility only to be trapped
Fighting Styles inside when the automatic safeties poured concrete. The
Trick Shooter 8 next year was a series of deaths, resurrections, and deaths
Dexterity/Offense as he cleared the devastated landscape. Regardless of the
Secondary Role: Initiative (Full) MA2 pain, others lived, even if he had to die.
(S) Bulletstorm 4
Cost: 1 Power + 4 Power AP + 2 AP
Combat
Stamina: 19
Willpower: 9 Max: 13
Initiative: 29 (Dexterity 13 + Intuition 8 + Perception 8)
Gear Dice 3
Twin M1911 10
Dexterity/Offense
Ranged TY
Radius TY
Selective MA
Devastating MA

177
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Defense Offense
Surprised Defense: 14 (Fortune 7 + Secondary: Sidestep Favored Attack: Martial Strikes 32 (Constitutional 15 +
Death 7) Dice 3 Armor 2 Immortal Warrior 10 + Secondary: Sidestep Death
Normal Defense: (Constitution 15 + Secondary: Immortal 7) Dice 3 Range Close Damage 6
Warrior 5 + Secondary: Sidestep Death 7) ˜˜ Notes: Advantaged: After making an attack roll
Dice 3 Armor 3 add one of the following Modifiers: +4 Damage,
Mental Defense: 10 (Mental 10) Staggered for 1 Action, or Trip.
Dice 2 Armor 4 (Negotiations, Research) —— This Modifier does not alter the attack’s Value. Nar-
rate how this Modifier takes effect.
˜˜ Characters may select Advantageous Blow multi-
ple times. A Modifier can only be selected once.
˜˜ Cost: Free, once per session, each additional use
has a cost of 2 Willpower.
Combat Notes
Defense Notes
—— Sidestep Death: Automatically Heal 3 Stamina per
Turn. If Mister Jericho dies he heals after 1 Turn, 5
minutes, 30 minutes, 4 hours, and 1 day. Each time he
heals, attempt an additional roll to avoid death.
—— Escape Artist: Once per session, use their Escape
Artist (4) as a Supporting Characteristics when
Defending against Quick Attacks that bypass normal
Defenses.
—— Etiquette: Once per session, use Etiquette (3) as a
Supporting Characteristics when Defending against
Mental Attacks that bypass normal Defenses.
—— Intuition: Once per session, use Intuition (8) with
Surprised Defense.
—— Navigation: Gain 2 free levels of Armor when At-
tacked while Disoriented (Meddling) or Staggered.
—— Perception: Once per session, use Perception (8) as a
Supporting Characteristic for Normal Defense.
Offense Notes
—— Art: (Physical Mediums): Once per session, use their Art
as a Meddling or Illusion Power. Explain how Mister
Jericho applies Art to interfere with someone else.
—— Venerable - Education: Once per session, spend 1
Action to advise an Ally. The ally may use half the
character’s Education (9) as a Supporting Character-
istic for their next Action.
—— Lock Picking: Attempt an Intelligence (7) + Lock Pick-
ing (1) roll against an Opponent’s Defense + 10. On a
Successful roll, disable 1 piece of Gear the Target is
using. The Target must spend 1 turn, or 1 Action and 1
Willpower to fix disabled Gear.
—— Stealth: Attempt to hide from Opponents in Com-
bat: roll Dexterity 13 + Stealth 4 + Sidestep Death 15
versus the highest Sense + Perception + Tracking. On
a successful roll, the combatants lose track of the
character if the character follows up with an Attack,
they use the Target’s Surprised Defense. This may be
done multiple times. However, using a power with a
visual component increases the Target by 10, unless
the Opponent is first distracted by something else.
178
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— Subterfuge: Add 2 additional Damage when attacking Secondary Role: Defense MA
a foe using their Surprised Defense. Passive Defense MA
—— Tactics: Once per session, spend a turn to lay out a Secondary Role: Offense MA
strategy. On the following turn all Allies add 3 ad- Limited: New Body: When resurrecting, Mister Jericho
ditional Damage on any Attack assisted by another leaves behind his previous body. When he awakens in a
character and 3 additional Armor on any Defend Oth- new body, identical to the last, it appears further away
ers Action. from his body the longer the amount of time has passed.
Limited: Limbs are only regrown on the new body.
Statistics Cost: 1 Power + 15 Power AP + 11 AP
Attributes
History 13 Strength 10 Whenever Mister Jericho dies a new body forms,
Dexterity 13 Constitution 15 sometimes near the dead body that was once him or
Sense 7 Fortune 7 at other times, miles away.
Wisdom 7 Intelligence 7
Mental 10 Expression 7 Starting AP: 40
Attributes 3 + Talents 13 + Boons 7 + Powers 17
Backgrounds
- Drawbacks
Unknown (Immortal - Venerable) 13
Death Would Not Come 10
Chasing Melissa 8
Skipback and Kyle Day
I will live, others may not 1 Recommended Comic Age & Tone: Cinematic Age
Background: Reborn into the Renaissance 5 (Light-hearted) Introspective, Inspirational, & Philosophical
Talents Power Level: Classic
Acrobatics 12
Art: Physical Mediums 5 Background
Disguise 1 Skipback is Awkward but incredibly intuitive teen. Kyle is your
Education 5 average ginger teenager with normal modern-day teenager
Escape Artist 4 problems. Raised Catholic but functionally agnostic, because
Etiquette 3 there must be something that explains his “powers”.
Intuition 8
Law 3 A high school student of no significant ability or talent, he
Lock Picking 1 woke up one morning and realized he had relived the same
Movement: Free Running 10 day multiple times. It took some time to figure out, but the
Navigation 5 only way to move forward was to fix something. The prob-
Negotiation 10 lem was figuring out what he needed to fix.
(S) Reading People 5 Issue 0
Occult 3
Perception 8 The first week must have lasted months. When he realized
Religion 3 that inaction was the same as enabling, Kyle felt the sor-
Research 7 row and pain of a thousand deaths, first on a personal level
Stealth 4 then on an empathic one. While he doesn’t understand why
Subterfuge 10 or how his powers came about, Kyle rests in the fact than
Tactics 15 when he gets things right, the world is in some way better.

Boons Combat
Advantaged TY Stamina: 15
False Identity MA Willpower: 6 Max: 11
Language (Families): Altaic, Caucasian, Constructed lan- Initiative: 30 (Fortune 12, Done It Already 9, Saw This
guages, Indo-European, Uralic MA2 Last Time 9)
Dice 3
Fighting Styles
Immortal Warrior 10 Defense
Strength/Offense Surprised Defense: 20 (Fortune 12 + Compression Armor 8)
Secondary Role: Defense MA Dice 3 Armor 6
Cost: 4 AP + 4 AP
Normal Defense: 34 (Fortune 12 + Time Looper 12 + Compres-
Powers sion Armor 8 + This Totally Worked Last Time 4)
Sidestep Death 15 Dice 4 Armor 8
Constitution/Support: Constitution Mental Defense: (Mental 8)
Added Support: Strength, Dexterity MA2 Dice 2 Armor 1
Healing, Self (Reattach Limb, Regenerate Limb, Regener-
ation, Resurrection, Second Chance 4) MA9
179
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Offense Combat Notes
Favored Attack: Something Bad Happens 30 (Fortune 12 +
Defense Notes
Time Looper 12 + They Never See This One Coming
6) Dice 4 Range Close Damage 10 —— Solved It Before: Gain 2 free levels of Armor whenev-
er an Opponent repeats an attack.
˜˜ Notes: Skipback doesn’t actually throw punches
—— Had This Conversation: Once per session, use their
or get physical, instead he prefers to set foes up
Etiquette (9) as a Supporting Characteristics when
for things that are about to happen, a car or bus he
Defending against Mental Attacks that bypass nor-
knows is about to pass, or a powerline he knows
mal Defenses.
will snap because it got caught in a blast. Describe
how Skipback lures his foe into place, and what —— Done It Already: Once per session, the character may
horrible thing happens because of it. This can be use Intuition (9) with Surprised Defense.
virtually anything that fits in the scene. —— Been There Before: Gain 2 free levels of Armor when
˜˜ Alternate Source: Select the damage type based Attacked while Disoriented (Meddling) or Staggered.
on the environmental effect. —— Saw This Last Time: Once per session, use Perception
(9) as a Supporting Characteristic for Normal Defense.
—— They Go This Way Every Time: Once per session, use
their Normal Defense instead of Surprised Defense
in any Combat where the character has already seen
their Opponent.
Offense Notes
—— They Never See This One Coming: Attempt an Expres-
sion 8 + Distraction 9 + Time Looper 12 roll against an
Opponent’s Normal or Mental Defense + 10, which-
ever is higher. On a successful roll, the character
may make their next Attack against the Opponent’s
Surprised Defense. Repeated attempts increase the
Difficulty by 10.
—— Trust Me, I know: Once per session, spend 1 Action to
advise an Ally. The ally may use half the character’s
Education (6) as a Supporting Characteristic for their
next Action.
—— This Was Totally Important: Once per session, use Fo-
rensics (9) as a Supporting Characteristic for Bypass
Armor and a follow up Attack.
—— Temporal Looper: Add their Never Back Down (11) to
any roll if their Willpower is reduced to 0 for longer
than 1 turn. This lasts for 1 turn and may be used once
per session.
—— Did You Know This Was Here?: Add 1 Damage when
using improvised weapons.
—— The Don’t Look This Way: Hide from Opponents in
Combat, roll Dexterity (5) + Stealth (4) versus the
highest Sense + Perception + Tracking. On a success-
ful roll, the combatants lose track of the character.
If the character follows up with an Attack, they use
the Target’s Surprised Defense. This may be done
multiple times. However, using a power with a visual
component increases the Target by 10, unless the
Opponent is first distracted by something else.

180
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Statistics An uncontrolled time traveller forced to repeat
days until they go a different way, Skipback as an
Attributes uncanny ability to be where he’s needed and how to
History 11 Strength 5 avoid being hit, mostly because he’s done it a dozen
Dexterity 5 Constitution 5 times or more already. While he can’t actually throw
Sense 8 Fortune 12 a punch, he knows where a car may pass, or that a
Wisdom 10 Intelligence 8 powerline may snap.
Mental 8 Expression 8
Backgrounds Gear
Temporal Looper (Dedication) 11 Compression Armor 8
It Takes a Hero to Escape a Loop 8 Constitution/Defense
Major Misfortunes… of Others 5 Armor (Boost Armor) MA2
Sometimes it’s smallest actions that matter 1 Passive Defense MA
Background (Relieved Every Day) 3 Cost: 10 + 12 + 6 = 28/Gear = MA3 TY
Talents
Concentration 2 Skipback wears a cobbled together set of armor
Solved It Before (Cryptography) 5 layering different pieces of hard and soft riding and
They Never See This One Coming sports gear.
(Distraction) 12
Trust Me, I know (Education) 2 Starting AP 30
Had This Conversation (Etiquette) 9 Attributes 1 + Talents 6 + Boons 11 + Powers 14
This Was Totally Important (Forensics) 9 - Drawbacks 2
Done It Already (Intuition) 9
This Totally Worked Last Time Smokin’ Mirrors, AKA Michal Wakowski
(Long Shot) 9
Been There Before (Navigation) 9 Recommended Comic Age & Tone: Cinematic Age Explor-
Saw This Last Time (Perception) 9 ative Action/Adventure
Did You Know This Was Here? Power Level: Low
(Scrounging) 9
Serendipity 9 Background
The Don’t Look This Way (Stealth) 4 An orphan, Mike grew up in a group home in one of the
They Go This Way Every Time (Tracking) 4 worst neighborhoods. Witnessing authorities ignore the
Boons growing blight, criminals took over. Due to the dangers
Gear MA3 TY outside, Mike spent his early years mostly indoors. While
This Totally Worked Last Time, imitating a magician he saw on TV, he learned he wasn’t
Supports Defense MA like other kids. More than just a knack for illusion, Mike
They Never See This One Coming, could move things, causing objects to swap locations in
Supports Offense MA a strange puff of smoke. As Mike got older, kids cycled in
and out of the homes he was sent to as the neighborhood
Drawbacks continued to slide into anarchy. Performing as a magician
Not Skill Power (All Renamed Talents) on the street, he learned the sicking power of corruption
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (Pariah) as once good cops found it safer to take bribes and look
Powers the other way. When Mike turned eighteen he tried to
Time Looper 12 walk away but, when he saw that corruption was nothing
Fortune/Support: Fortune unique to his hometown, he became Smokin’ Mirrors, the
Alternate Source (Themed Source) fast moving, fast talking hero who always disappears in a
(Environmental dangers) MA2 cloud of smoke.
Added Support: Wisdom, Expression MA2
New Movement: Knows Where
He Needs To Be MA Issue 0
Lived Through This (Prediction) MA Years before Mike would don the garb of Smokin’ Mirrors,
Knows Where Not To Be his first group home closed. Before being moved from his
(Secondary Role: Defense (Full Role)) MA2 childhood home, Mike left a parting gift to the gang lead-
Knows Where Other’s Shouldn’t Stand ers of his old neighborhood. He put post-it notes with the
(Secondary Role: Offense (Full Role)) MA2 word “Bang” on their foreheads while they slept.
Devastating MA
(S) Lived Through This 10
Cost: 1 Power + 12 Power AP + 10 AP + 4 AP

181
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Combat ˜˜ Notes: Combo: Active Defense to Attack, Smokin’
Stamina: 12 Mirrors is an expert at avoiding attacks. More so,
Willpower: 4 Max: 9 he’s adept at setting people up to harm them-
Initiative: 21 (Sense 10 + Intuition 3 + Perception 8) selves, from punching walls to overstepping and
Dice 3 falling. Never really throwing a punch, Smokin’
Mirrors may tap a shoulder, or give a friendly push
Defense when necessary.
Surprised Defense: 6 (Fortune 6)
Dice 2 Armor 1 Combat Notes
Normal Defense: 18 (Sense 10 + Transposition 8) Defense Notes
Dice 3 Armor 2 —— Escape Artist: Once per session, use Escape Artist
Mental Defense: 13 (Mental 4 + Generational 9) (8) as a Supporting Characteristics when Defending
Dice 3 Armor2 against Quick Attacks that bypass normal Defenses.
—— Perception: Once per session, use Perception (8) as a
Offense Supporting Characteristic for Normal Defense.
Favored Attack: Deadly Dodging 18 (Sense 10 + Transposi-
tion 8 + Distraction 10 - Combo 10) Dice 4 Offense Notes
Range Close Armor 3 Damage -/6 —— Distraction: Attempt an Expression (7) + Distraction
(10) roll against an Opponent’s Normal or Mental De-
fense + 10, whichever is higher. On a successful roll,
the character may make their next Attack against the
Opponent’s Surprised Defense. Repeated attempts
increase the Difficulty by 10.
—— Gambling: Choose to increase the Bonus of rolling a
6 on Attacks or Active Defense by 1. If the character
rolls a 1, treat the roll as a Partial in Combat (pg. 104).
—— Sleight of Hand: Once per session, use Sleight of
Hand (7) as a Supporting Characteristic for any isarm
roll.
—— Stealth: Hide from Opponents in Combat. The charac-
ter rolls Dexterity (9) + Stealth (5) versus the highest
Sense + Perception + Tracking. On a successful roll,
the combatants lose track of the character If the
character follows up with an Attack, they use the Tar-
get’s Surprised Defense. This may be done multiple
times. However, using a power with a visual compo-
nent increases the Target by 10, unless the Opponent
is first distracted by something else.
—— Subterfuge: Add 1 additional Damage when attacking
a foe using their Surprised Defense.
Statistics
Attributes
History 9 Strength 4
Dexterity 9 Constitution 4
Sense 10 Fortune 6
Wisdom 8 Intelligence 6
Mental 4 Expression 7
Backgrounds
Generational 9
Poverty Breeds Corruption 5
There is no profit from suffering 3
Calling Cards, Bang! 1
Background: Street Kid 2
Talents
Area of Influence: Magician’s Guild 1
Career: Street Magician 3
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Distraction 10 Background
Escape Artist 8
(S) Death Traps 1 A street performer and escape artist, Doug’s life was
Gambling 5 upended after a gang of Dead Heads kidnapped him. After
Intuition 3 a major score from a local research facility they needed
Lock Picking 5 a victim to see what worked and what didn’t. Doug really
Perception 8 isn’t sure how long they kept him, what he does remember
Serendipity 1 was the pain of their experiments. They were searching
Sleight of Hand 7 for the keys to gaining superpowers. They succeeded, at
Stealth 5 the cost of their facilities. Doug’s first jump brought the
Street Smarts 3 house down, literally.
Subterfuge 6 Traumatized, at first Doug was content using his powers
Drawbacks for personal gain. It took a run in with a local Metahuman
Limitation: No Ties: With no real roots anywhere, hero before he could see the possibilities of how he could
Smokin’ Mirrors suffers a -20 to any History Roll for aid others And showing him that there was a better way.
connections (Contacts) outside his Area of Influence. Issue 0
Boons Armored cars were a favorite. When the car was in mo-
Combo: Deadly Dodging: tion, no one noticed him pop in and pop out. The problem
Active Defense - “Attack” TY is, you do it too often you start to get a reputation. It was
Distraction Supports Deadly Dodging MA a normal heist, Step didn’t expect a full on hero waiting in
Surprising MA the back of the truck!
Powers Normally, escape was a jump away but this cape was pre-
Transposition 8 pared. Ever try teleporting home from some weird pocket
Sense:Support: Sleight of Hand reality? It’s about as easy as you might expect. There was
Control: Transpositioning no brawl; the hero just talked to Skip. They shared stories
(Expanded Control, Broad Control) MA 3 for what seemed like weeks. By the time they were done,
˜˜ Each Degree of Success increases the range be- he had seen the pain he had caused others, even if unin-
tween the two objects. On a basic Success he can tentional. The next thing he knew, they were back in the
swap any objects within Short Range. truck, as if no time at all had passed. There was no cops
New Movement: Teleportation waiting, just a handshake, and a promise to do better, to
(Boost Speed, Rapid Acceleration) MA3 let the pain he still felt guide him towards a different path,
Meddling MA and to be the example other’s might need.
Secondary Role: Defense (Full Role) MA2
Combat
Evasion MA
Stamina: 17
Limited: Unskilled Teleporter: Teleportation Costs 1
Willpower: 6 Max: 11
Willpower, does not apply to Evasion.
Initiative: 35 (Dexterity 14 + Intuition 1 + Perception 9 +Ex-
Cost: 1 Power + 8 Power AP + 13 AP
periment 11) Dice 4
Able to reposition, and swap objects Smokin’ Mir- Defense
rors can transposition objects 20 to 50 feet with Surprised Defense: 12 (Fortune 12)
ease, further with effort. When he focuses, he can Dice 2 Armor 1
even teleport himself. As a side effect, whatever Normal Defense: 26 (Dexterity 14 + Teleportation 12)
allows him to swap these objects also generates a Dice 3 Armor 2
misty smoke that distracts foes.
Mental Defense: 5 (Mental 5)
Dice 2 Armor 1
Starting AP: 20
Attributes 2 + Talents 3 + Boons 5 + Powers 11 Offense
- Drawbacks 1 Favored Attack: Port In/Power Out 24 (Fortune 12 +
Teleportation 12 + (S) Rapid Actions 10 + Support:
The Inescapable Doug Addams Movement 10 - Rapid Action 20) Dice 5 Range Me-
AKA Step dium/Close or Close/Medium Damage 18 or 8 (14)

Recommended Comic Age & Tone: Comedic Action and ˜˜ Notes: Port In - Teleports In and Strike, uses tar-
Adventure in a Retro Silver Age get’s Surprised Defense, includes bonus damage
for Subterfuge.
Power Level: Classic

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 ˜˜ Port Out - Strike and Teleport. Critical Skill: Dis- —— Street Smarts: Gain 1 free level of Armor when taking
traction: When making an Attack roll, forgo the an Active Defense in low-income, inner-city areas.
Damage Bonus from rolling two 6s to instead The character should explain how they use the Talent
treat their Attack roll as a Distraction roll in addi- to their advantage.
tion to the Attack. Damage in parentheses rep-
Offense Notes
resents a Target using Surprised Defense as Step
Ports out. —— Distraction: Attempt an Expression 10 + Distraction 9
roll against an Opponent’s Normal or Mental Defense
Combat Notes + 10, whichever is higher. On a successful roll, the
Defense Notes character may make their next Attack against the
Opponent’s Surprised Defense. Repeated attempts
—— Evasion: On an Active Defense, the character avoids
increase the Difficulty by 10.
normal Attacks until the start of their next turn. This
does not protect from Area Attacks. Usable once per —— Lock Picking: Attempt an Intelligence 8 + Lock Pick-
session. ing 2 roll against an Opponent’s Defense + 10. On a
Successful roll, disable 1 piece of Gear the Target is
—— Escape Artist: Once per session, use Escape Artist
using. The Target must spend 1 turn, or 1 Action and 1
(9) as a Supporting Characteristics when Defending
Willpower to fix disabled Gear.
against Quick Attacks that bypass normal Defenses.
—— Sleight of Hand: Once per session, use Sleight of
—— Fasting: Gain 2 free levels of Armor when dealing
Hand (9) as a Supporting Characteristic for any Dis-
with Drain Attacks.
arm roll.
—— Fitness: Reduce the the number of Actions Staggered
—— Subterfuge: Add 2 additional Damage when attacking
by 1.
a foe using their Surprised Defense.
—— Intuition: Once per session, use Intuition (1) with Sur-
—— Wit: Fast Talk: Once per session, use their Wit as a
prised Defense.
Meddling Power (-4). The player must explain how
—— Perception: Once per session, use Perception (9) as a they apply their character’s Wit to interfere with
Supporting Characteristic for Normal Defense. someone else.
—— Perseverance: Add Perseverance (2) to any Normal Statistics
Defense roll after suffering 2 Damage. This lasts for 1
turn and may be used once per session. Attributes
History 11 Strength 5
Dexterity 14 Constitution 5
Sense 8 Fortune 12
Wisdom 5 Intelligence 8
Mental 5 Expression 10
Backgrounds
Experiment 11
Inspired to do more 8
Extol the Virtues of Heroism 5
Faith in the Heroic Path 1
Career (Street Performer) 3
Talents
Distraction 9
Escape Artist 9
Fasting 9
Fitness 7
Hold Breath 2
Intuition 1
Lock Picking 2
Movement: Teleportation 10
Outlast 9
Perception 9
Perseverance 2
Sleight of Hand 9
Street Smarts 9
Subterfuge 12
Wit: Fast Talk 9
Boons

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Critical Skill: Distraction MA She wanted to kill all of them, but her mother had spent
Movement Supports Rapid Actions MA her life saving people, and Tecnica chose to honor her
Tricky TY mother’s memory. She removed the thumbs of each gang
member and cauterized the wounds, deciding that Justice
Powers
would be served if they never held a weapon ever again.
Teleportation 12
Fortune/Support: Escape Artist Combat
New Movement: Teleportation (Boost Speed 2, Rapid Ac- Stamina: 15
celeration, Out of the Blue, Momentum) MA6 Willpower: 6 Max: 11
Secondary Role: Defense (Full Role) MA2 Initiative: 27 (Intelligence 15 + Perception 6
Evasion MA + Intuition 6) Dice 3
Secondary Role: Offense (Full Role) MA2
(S) Rapid Actions 10 Defense
Cost: 1 Power + 12 Power AP + 8 AP + 4 AP Surprised Defense: 6 (Fortune 6)
Dice 2 Armor 1
Capable of teleporting at will, Skip’s accuracy is his Normal Defense: 6 (Dexterity 6)
only restraint. Dice 2 Armor 1
Mental Defense: 26 (Mental 10 + Technopath 11 + Science 5)
Starting AP: 30 Dice 3 Armor 7 (Science, Study)
Attributes 2 + Talents 9 + Boons 5 + Powers 14
- Drawbacks Barrier: 30 (Intelligence 15 + Tech Mind 15)
Dice 3 Stamina 15 Armor 0
Tecnica aka Teresa Kaiden Ross Interrupting Barrier: 30 (Intelligence 15 + Tech Mind 15 +
Science 10 - Interrupting Action 10)
Recommended Comic Age & Tone: Dark and Philosophical
Dice 4 Stamina 15 Armor 0
Power Level: Classic (Raw Build)
Offense
Background Favored Attack: Summon Grunts 30 (Intelligence 15 + Tech
She is the daughter of Doctor Karen Ross, a deceased Mind 15) Dice 3 Range Short Radius Damage —
Metahuman formerly known as Lifespark, and Police
Detective, John Ross. From a very young age, she was ˜˜ Notes: This is not an attack. Tecnica crafts robots
exceptionally smart and skilled at crafting things, capable from nearby machines and electronics. Normally,
of taking apart and rebuilding many of the household ap- this does not require any roll. Values above repre-
pliances. Her life was simple and happy until the day her sent a use of her power as an Interrupting Action.
mother was killed in a gang drive-by. Combat Notes
Her father’s colleagues found and arrested the people Defense Notes
responsible, but they were set free by a technicality. This
—— Computers: Gain 4 free levels of Armor when dealing
turn of events nearly destroyed her father and created a
with Robots and Automations.
gap between them that has never properly been repaired.
Teresa lost faith in the so called ‘justice’ system, turning —— Intuition: Once per session, use Intuition (6) with
her intellect and crafting skill towards seeking real justice. Surprised Defense.
She spent a full year preparing and building the gear she —— Scrap Tech Shades (Perception): Once per session,
would need to bring her mother’s killers to justice. Months use Perception (6) as a Supporting Characteristic for
spent digging through refuse and hunting the parts in Normal Defense.
scrap yards to make her tools. With gear crafted, she hit —— Repair: Once per session, Repair may be used as a
the streets to seek out those responsible for her mother’s Healing Power for Gear, this Heals 2 Damage.
death.
Offensive Notes
Issue 0 —— Education: Once per session, spend 1 Action to advise an
After the death of her mother and the release of the Ally. The ally may use half the character’s Education (5)
gangbangers responsible, Tecnica used her Gadgets and as a Supporting Characteristic for their next Action.
intellect to hunt down the murderers at their base of op- —— Engineering: Add 4 Damage when Attacking an inani-
erations where the scum liked to hang out and plan their mate object.
crimes. First she converted the cars and bikes parked out-
side the warehouse into mechanical soldiers. She maneu- —— Forensics: Once per session, use Forensics (8) as a
vered her robotic army around the warehouse, and when Supporting Characteristic for Bypass Armor and a
everything was in place, began her assault. She system- follow up Attack.
atically subdued each gang member as her army flowed
through the warehouse, till she had all of them captured.

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— orgery: Once per session, use Forgery (6) Talent as Backup
a Meddling or Alter Power. The player must explain Scrap Tech Grunts (Advanced, Crowd Control)
how they apply their character’s Forgery Talent to Basic Rolls 17 +3d6
interfere with someone else. Lock Picking: Attempt Defense 17 +3d6 Armor 5
an Intelligence 15 + Lock Picking 2 + Tech Mind 15 roll Offense 17 +3d6 Wounds 10
against an Opponent’s Defense + 10. On a Successful Meddle -4 Range Medium Notes Close Radius
roll, the character disables 1 piece of Gear the Target
is using. The Target must spend 1 turn, or 1 Action and
Statistics
1 Willpower to fix disabled Gear. Attributes
—— Tactics: Once per session, spend a turn to lay out History 11 Strength 4
a strategy. On the following turn, all Allies add 2 Dexterity 6 Constitution 6
additional Damage on any Attack assisted by anoth- Sense 10 Fortune 6
er character and 2 additional Armor on any Defend Wisdom 8 Intelligence 15
Others Action. Mental 10 Expression 6
Cost 8 + 2 + 4 + 4 + 8 + 4 + 6 + 13 + 8 + 4 = 61

Backgrounds
Technopath (Generational) 11
A Death in the Family 8
Honor Mother’s Memory 4
Justice and Law Are Not The Same 2
Education 10
Cost 8 + 6 + 2 + 1 + 8 = 25

Talents
Bargain Finder 6
Computers 10
Cryptography 2
Engineering 10
Forensics 2
Intuition 6
Lockpicking 2
Repair 10
Research 2
Science 10
Study: Metahumans 5
Tactics 10
Cost: 8 + 12 + 4 + 12 + 4 + 8 + 4 + 12 + 4 + 12 + 7 + 12 = 99

Boons
Eidetic Memory TY
Gear MA3 TY
Speed Reader TY
Talent Support Science Supports Mental Defense Within
Close Range of Machines at Half Value TY
Talent Support Science Supports Barrier
with Interrupting Action at Full Value MA
Tools (Actual Tools, Bug, Smart Device, Tracer)
MA (Bargain Finder)
Cost 3 + 21 + 3 + 3 + 6 + 3 = 39

Drawbacks
Limitation: Radio Blackout or Radio Jamming
Painful Power Loss: Electromagnetic Pulse
Powers
Tech Mind 15
- Intelligence/Support Intelligence
Radius TY
Alter: Machines (Additional Time
(Something Different (Permanent Change)
Improved/Worse Results) MA5
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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Backup (More Backup x3, Powerful Defense
Backup x4, Limited: Requires Surprised Defense: 24 (Fortune 12 + Artemis’ Curse 12)
Ambient Machinery) MA7+TY Dice 3 Armor 2
Barrier (Limited:
Normal Defense: 24 (Fortune 12 + Artemis’ Curse 12)
Reduces Backup Gang Size By 1) TY
Dice 3 Armor 2
Control: Machines MA
New Communication: Machines TY Active Defense: 34 (Fortune 12 + Artemis’ Curse 12 +
Cost: 17 + 3 + 30 + 45 + 3 + 6 + 3 = 107 Support: Acrobatics)
Dice 4 Armor 3
Gear
Mental Defense: 10 (Mental 10)
Scrap Tech Shades 6
Dice 2 Armor 5 (Negotiation, Research, Study)
- Intelligence/Support Perception
Added Support: Forensics, Forgery MA2 Offense
New Senses: Infrared, Ultraviolet, Favored Attack: Bow 32/22 (Fortune 12 + Secondary: Arte-
Radio & Radar MA mis’ Curse 6 + Archery 7 + Bow 7) Dice 3
Cost: 8 + 12 + 6 = 26/8 = MA3TY Range Medium Damage 11/14 (4 or 7)
Creation 90 / 90 ˜˜ Notes: Values after the slash are for Power Strike.
(Attributes 61 + Backgrounds 25 + Talents 99 = 185) - Tal- Damage in parentheses is Penetrating.
ent Points 185) 0 + ((Boons 39 + Powers 107 = 146) Secondary Attack: Evasive Fire 34 (Fortune 12 + Artemis’
- Power Points 50) 96 - Drawbacks 6 = 90 Creation Curse 12 + Support: Acrobatics) Dice 4
Points Range Medium Damage 7

Cassandra Magruder, AKA Trouble- ˜˜ Notes: Combo: Active Defense to Bow Strike
Additional Attack: Unarmed 18 (Fortune 12 + Secondary
shooter, AKA Princess Cassandra of Troy Artemis’ Curse 6) Dice 3 Range Close Damage 4
Recommended Comic Age & Tone: Bronze Age Philosophi-
cal Action/Adventure Combat Notes
Power Level: Classic Defense Notes
Background —— Acrobatics: Negates 10 points of terrain penalties.

After the fall of Troy, Princess Cassandra swore never to —— Etiquette: Once per session, characters may use their
give in to the Fates again. After the destruction of her city, Etiquette (5) as a Supporting Characteristics when
she was forced into slavery for years. Upon gaining her Defending against Mental Attacks that bypass normal
freedom, she sought the goddess Artemis who cursed her Defenses.
to see the futility of fighting against Fate. Unable to die, —— Herbalism: Increase the Damage healed from the
Cassandra sees visions of events before they happen. And, Flesh Wound Feature by 2. May be used once per
despite the vanity, Cassandra has battled the forces of session.
Fate down through the centuries. —— Intuition: Once per session, use Intuition (5) with Sur-
Issue 0 prised Defense.

Cassandra sought the goddess Artemis, searching for a —— Navigation: 2 free levels of Armor when Attacked
way to prevent another slaughter, like what happened to while Disoriented (Meddling) or Staggered.
her home. Cassandra was no hero, much less a demi-god, —— Perception: Once per session, use Perception (5) as a
and lacked the power to challenge machination of gods Supporting Characteristic for Normal Defense.
and Fate. Yet, the mortal refused to concede. Artemis was
Offense Notes
obligated to show Cassandra her inability to change these
events before she was cast from Mount Olympus. How- —— Education: Once per session, spend 1 Action to advise
ever, Cassandra had won the goddess’ respect by refusing an Ally. The ally may use half the character’s Educa-
to give in, and so with the curse of prophecy she granted tion + Immortal (11) as a Supporting Characteristic for
a blessing that would allow her to learn, to grow strong their next Action.
enough to stand in the face of Fate and challenge destiny. —— Forensics: Once per session, use Forensics (5) as a
Combat Supporting Characteristic for Bypass Armor and a
Stamina: 17 follow up Attack.
Willpower: 6 Max: 11 —— Never Back Down: Add their Never Back Down (1) to
Initiative: 22 (Fortune 12 +Intuition 5 + Perception 5) any roll if their Willpower is reduced to 0 for longer
Dice 3 than 1 Turn. This lasts for 1 Turn and may be used once
per session.

187
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— Occult: Add 4 Damage when dealing with Super- Statistics
natural Threats or Magical Creatures.Additional +2 Attributes
against Greek/Roman Supernatural Threats. History 11 Strength 5
—— Stealth: The character may attempt to hide from Dexterity 10 Constitution 7
Opponents in Combat. The character rolls Dexterity Sense 7 Fortune 12
10 + Stealth 7 versus the highest Sense + Perception Wisdom 10 Intelligence 7
+ Tracking. On a Successful roll the combatants lose Mental 10 Expression 7
track of the character If the character follows up with Backgrounds
an Attack, they use the Target’s Surprised Defense. Immortal - Venerable 11
This may be done multiple times. However, using a Escaped Bondage 8
power with a visual component increases the Tar- Fighting Fate 5
get by 10, unless the Opponent is first distracted by A long road to freedom 1
something else. Education 12
—— Tactics: Once per session, spend a Turn to lay out a Talents
strategy. On the following Turn all Allies add 1 ad- Acrobatics 10
ditional Damage on any Attack assisted by another Background: Dethroned Princess 5
character and 1 additional Armor keep him in line. Escape Artist 3
Etiquette 5
Forensics 5
Herbalism 12
Intuition 5
Navigation 6
Negotiation 6
Never Back Down 1
Occult 12
(S) Greek “Myth” 7
Perception 5
Research 8
Riding 1
Stealth 7
Study: History 10
Tactics 8
Drawbacks
Pariah
Boons
Combo: Evasive Fire:
Active Defense - Bow Shot TY
Gear MA3
Acrobatics Supports Active Defense MA
Fighting Styles
Archery 7
Dexterity/Offense
Cost: 3 AP

Powers
Artemis’s Curse 12
Fortune/Support: Constitution
Healing (Self)
(Regeneration, Resurrection) MA3
Prediction MA
Secondary Role: Defense (Full Roll) MA2
Passive Defense MA
Predictable (Secondary Role: Offense) MA
Cost: 1 Power + 12 Power AP + 4 AP

188
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Gear The idea was daunting, but he couldn’t go back to the
Bow 7 Desert Ashes, and living with a bunch of cops-to-be was a
Dexterity/Offense different level of daunting. There was something intrigu-
Ranged TY ing about attending a school of freaks like him. There was
Devastating (Boost Devastation, Penetrating) something fun about being in a gang, but he thought they
Limited: Penetrating may only be used with Power Strike were family, then one of them shot him. Maybe when he
Limited Uses got to the school he could at least avoid being picked on
Cost: 9 + 3 +6 +6 +6 -3 -3 =24/Gear = MA3 for being a freak. Unlikely though, but only time would tell.

Starting AP: 30 Origin & Catalyst

Attributes 3 + Talents 12 + Boons 9 + Powers 7 Generational (Mutant)
- Drawbacks 1 The only place I can be me
Drives
Who Am I Really
Don’t look in the mirror; it’s Reflection
In Memorial: St. Julian Perkins, Jr. Combat
Stamina: Current: Starting: 15
Thrown out by his parents, shot by members of his own Willpower: Current: Max:
gang, it’s only by luck that Reflection found his way to the Initiative: 23 (Dexterity 10 + Intuition 4 + Perception 9
Three Rivers Academy for Metahuman kids. He can be Defense
anyone, and that’s made it hard to find out who he real- Surprised Defense: 5 (Fortune 5)
ly is. Reflection’s not afraid to tangle with anyone who Dice 2 Armor 1
messes with his friends. He’s just not keen on making any.
Able to mimic the appearance—and powers—of anyone Normal Defense: 24 (Mental 12 + Copycat 12)
he touches, he can be anyone, slipping into anyone’s skin Dice 3 Armor 2
with ease. Normal Defense: while Impersonating: 33 (Mental 12 +
Copycat 12 + Support: Impersonation 9)
Name: Reflection AKA Steve Moore
Dice 4 Armor 3
Recommended Comic Age & Tone: Cinematic Age Teen
Mental Defense: 22 (Mental 12 + Mutant 10)
Introspective Action/Adventure
Dice 3 Armor 2
Power Level: Classic
Offense
Background Favored Attack: Someone Else’s Power 24 (Mental 12 +
It’s not that his family was poor, but they struggled for Copycat 12) Dice 3 Range Variable Damage Variable
what they had. A middle son, Steve watched his father
˜˜ Notes: Range and Damage based on absorbed
work two jobs to support three children. Shortly after
power
turning fifteen, Steve’s body began to change in a way he
Secondary Attack: Run and Hit 22 (Dexterity 10 + Sup-
never expected. With a touch, Steve took on the form of
port: Movement 12) Dice 3 Range Close Damage 4
anyone he touched. Unable to control his powers, Steve
Wound
recoiled from friends, family, hiding what he was for as
long as he could.
Combat Notes
When his family learned about Steve’s powers his father
Defense Notes
shunned him. Kicking him out, Steve lived on the streets
for a little while before falling in with a local gang. They —— Absorption
embraced his powers and used him as a lookout, or corner —— Power Replication: When attacked by an Inherent
man. That is until a deal went bad and a jealous member Power or making skin-to-skin contact Reflection
of his own gang shot him. An MCPD officer who found him takes on the physical appearance and powers of the
recognized his abilities, and took him in, negotiating an Target. The character uses the lower Value of either
alternative to jail with the judge. Instead, he was sent to Copycat (12) or the Original Power.
Three Rivers Academy, a school run by a former hero, that
helps children learn to use their powers. —— Appearance: The character’s appearance and phys-
ical Attributes change to match their Target. This
Issue 0 cannot exceed 12 but may cause some Attributes to
be lowered.
Few people get to walk away from a bullet in the chest.
Steve didn’t just walk, he ran. It had been six months since —— Healing Absorption: While copying a Power, if Re-
the shootout, and Steve (although most people now called flection is Attacked by the Original Power and take
him Reflection) was at the local police academy recover- Damage, they Heal 2 Stamina once per turn.
ing and talking with Special Investigator Williams, the man —— Impersonation Supports Defense: Apply half Imperson-
who had found him. In a few weeks, he would start school ation (9) to Defense when disguised as someone else.
for the first time in almost two years.

189
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 —— Etiquette: Once per session, use Etiquette (5) as a Offense Notes
Supporting Characteristic when Defending against —— Disguise: When Attacking an unaware Target, use
Mental Attacks that bypass normal Defenses. Surprised Defense and add 2 Wounds. This cannot
—— Fashion: Once per session, use Fashion (2) as a be used once the Target is aware the character is a
Supporting Characteristics when Defending against threat.
Mental Attacks that bypass normal Defenses. —— Impersonation: Increase the Damage from Disguise
—— Fitness: Reduce the number of Actions Staggered by 1. to 3 Wounds if the Target believes they know the
—— Intuition: Once per session, the character may use character.
Intuition (4) with Surprised Defense. —— Sport: Sport (9) may be used as a Supporting Charac-
—— Street Smarts: Gain 1 free level of Armor when taking teristic to related rolls once per session. Example: An
an Active Defense in Urban Environments. American Football player tackling a running target.
—— Stealth: Hide from Opponents. Roll Dexterity 10 +
Stealth 9 vs. the Highest Sense + Perception + Track-
ing. On a Successful roll, Reflection hides. Stealth
Attacks use a Target’s Surprised Defense. Increase
Difficulty by 10 for repeated attempts.
—— Subterfuge: Characters with Subterfuge add 1 ad-
ditional Wound when attacking a foe using their
Surprised Defense.
Statistics
Attributes
History 10 Strength 7
Dexterity 10 (1 AP) Constitution 10 (1 AP)
Sense 7 Fortune 5
Wisdom 7 Intelligence 7
Mental 12 Expression 10 (1 AP)
Backgrounds
Mutant 10
The only place I can be me 8
Who Am I Really 5
What is Family? 1
Power Hoarder 1 (1 AP)
Contact: “T-Bone”
(Desert Ashes Lieutenant) 3
Talents
Disguise 12 (1 AP)
(S) Impersonation 9
Etiquette 5 (1 AP)
Fashion 2
Fitness 5 (1 AP)
Intuition 4 (2 AP)
Movement: Running 12 (1 AP)
(S) Distance Running 9
Never Back Down 2
Perception 9
Sport: Track and Field 9
Stealth 9
Streetsmarts 9
Subterfuge 9

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Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 Boons (Full Role) MA2
False ID TY Alter Self: Become Someone Else (Flexible Alter Self,
Favors TY Improved/Worse Results (Takes on Attributes of those
Movement Supports Offense MA 2 they mimic, up to Power Level [12]) (Alter Self can only
Impersonation be used to mimic the appearance of those touching Re-
Supports Defense when Copycatting MA flection or those using a power on them.) MA 3
Limited Power: Healing Absorption only from Attacks by
Cost 8 AP
powers Reflection has Absorbed.
Drawbacks Limitation: No Control: Automatically Replicates Powers
Pariah and Appearance upon physical contact.
Limitation: Can only absorb inherent powers, not pow-
Powers
ers granted by technology or knowledge.
Copycat 12
Cost 1 Power + 12 Selections +13 AP
- Mental/Defense
Absorption: Energy, Physical (Power Replication, Boost Starting AP: 30
Duration 4 (30 minutes), Healing Absorption, Of- Attributes 3 + Talents 7 + Boons 8 + Powers 13
fensive Absorption) MA9 - Drawbacks 1
Secondary Role: Support Expression Experience: Spent: Earned:

191
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 METAHUMANS RISING
Name:_______________________________ Player:____________________________
Campaign:__________________________ Power Level:_____________________ issue 0 ________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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BackGrounds ___________________________________________
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Origin ______________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________
Catalyst ____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________
Drives ____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________
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HIS STR DEX CON SEN FOR WIS INT MEN EXN

Stamina willpower experience

Talents
Value Support
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______________________ ________ ________ Name
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Boons/drawbacks _________________________________________________________________________________________
Value _________________________________________________________________________________________
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________________________ _____ Advantages/ notes ____________________________________________
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________________________ _____ ____________________________________________________________________________

Mental
defense
Surprised normal Favored Attacks
initiative defense defense
Name:_____________________________________ Value _____ Dice _____ Range _____ Damage _____ NoC _____
Notes ________________________________________________________________________________________________________
+___ dice +___ dice +___ dice +___ dice Name:_____________________________________ Value _____ Dice _____ Range _____ Damage _____ NoC _____
___ Armor ___ Armor ___ Armor Notes ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

©2018 Dave Silva. Metahumans Rising RPG is the trademark of Dave Silva. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)

 campaign tracker
Age: ______________________________________ Tone: ______________________________________ Scope: ______________________________________

Concepts: story elements:

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Central Veils Key Events

Locations and lines
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Cities:___________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
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Places:_______________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
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Key figures:
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________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________

©2018 Dave Silva. Metahumans Rising RPG is the trademark of Dave Silva. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)

 exploits/back issues
Story title: ______________________________________________________ Session Story
bonuses bonuses
New Drives, Backgrounds, Learning: ____________________ History: ______________________
or Contacts Roleplaying: ________________ Origin: _______________________
________________________________________________________________________________________ Driven: _______________________ Catalyst: _____________________
________________________________________________________________________________________ Failure: ______________________ Failure: ______________________
________________________________________________________________________________________ Featured: ____________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
World/Life Changing
________________________________________________________________________________________
Talented:_____________________ Event:_________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

Major foes Key Events

_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

exploits/back issues
Story title: ______________________________________________________ Session Story
bonuses bonuses
New Drives, Backgrounds, Learning: ____________________ History: ______________________
or Contacts Roleplaying: ________________ Origin: _______________________
________________________________________________________________________________________ Driven: _______________________ Catalyst: _____________________
________________________________________________________________________________________ Failure: ______________________ Failure: ______________________
________________________________________________________________________________________ Featured: ____________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
World/Life Changing
________________________________________________________________________________________
Talented:_____________________ Event:_________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

Major foes Key Events

_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

©2018 Dave Silva. Metahumans Rising RPG is the trademark of Dave Silva. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)

Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)
 When Super-science, Metahumans, and magic come together the
possibilities are limitless. Create a rich comic book world uniquely your
own. Protect the world from mad mutants, evil organizations bent on
world domination, corrupt government groups that seek to control Meta-
humans or have them neutralized, and intergalactic conquerors seeking to
harvest the Earth for their own reasons.
Using the Open Action System, players can create virtually any hero they
can imagine. With guidelines for running individual heroes or creating their
own world-class superteam, the Open Action System is designed for fast,
creative play that rewards characters for their backgrounds, talents, and
creativity.
—— Build a shared super setting with guided collaborative world building
and team origin, or jump into the action with the world of Metahu-
mans Rising.
—— Create heroes with customizable arrays and flexible powers based
on keywords, or pick from over 25 sample powers from absorption to
water control, with hard light constructs and invulnerability in be-
tween.
—— Never feel limited to just what’s on the sheet as heroes push them-
selves beyond their limits with Willpower, a measure of one’s deter-
mination that grows as misfortunes mount and heroes struggle with
their own motivations.
—— Easy to use rules for background characters and disasters allows
GMs to create threats on the fly, from radioactive mutant gerbils to a
tidal wave large enough to wipe out a country.
—— Find out about villainous organizations like Chimera, a genetic cult
seeking to force start the next stage in human evolution, and the
Bureau of Metahuman Affairs, a secretive arm of the US government
tracking Metahuman activity worldwide.
—— Burning the Midnight Oil, an introductory adventure, gives you every-
thing you need to get started, including: a story to help define a cam-
paign city, a cadre of super villains known as the Brood and a sample
starting super team, the Steel Aces.
* Note: Radioactive gerbils sold seprately..

$35.00
ISBN 978-0-9890119-1-4
53500

9 780989 011914

Christopher Stansbury (Order #29707695)