Aaron Allston SUPERPOWERED ROLEPLAYING
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SUPERPOWERED ROLEPLAYING Aaron Allston SUPERPOWERED ROLEPLAYING Authors: Aaron Allston, Steven S. Long Editing & Development: Steven S. Long Layout and Graphic Design: Andy Mathews Cover Art: Storn Cook Interior Artwork: Storn Cook, Andrew Cremeans, Albert Deschesne, Malcolm T. Harrison, Jeff Hebert, Scott Heine, Bryce Nakagawa, Eric Rademaker, Greg Smith Dedication: To all the Champions and HERO System fans out there who have kept this game alive and vibrant for over 20 amazing years. A WORD OR TWO OF APPRECIATION Aaron’s Special Thanks: Th anks must go to the players who have made the Strike Force Universe campaigns so much fun, and so instructive to a gamemaster and writer, over the years: Mark Bennett, Eric Bunker, Earl Cooley III, Kerry Gaber, Jeff Jacobson, Jan Lewellen, Beth Loubet, Denis Loubet, Billy Moore, Matt Pinsonneault, Susan Pinson- neault, Bob Quinlan, Roxanne Quinlan, Luray Richmond, Mark Richmond, Allen Sikes, Beth Ann Sikes, and Sean Summers. Steve Special Thanks: Steve would like to thank the Calculator Commandos who once again took up calculator and pen to make sure the math was correct: Jeff and Cintra Bristol, Patrick Davis, Mark Ewbank, Bryan Sewell, and Leah Watts. But the errors remain my fault. HERO SystemTM ® is DOJ, Inc.’s trademark for its roleplaying system. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, HERO System Copyright © 1984, 1989, 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or computerization, or by reserved. any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Champions Copyright © 1984, 1989, 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights Publisher: DOJ, Inc., 1 Haight Street, Suite A, San Francisco, California 94102. reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. First printing July 2002. Justice Inc., Danger International, Dark Champions, Fantasy Hero, Pulp Hero, and Produced and distributed by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. Star Hero Copyright © 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved. Stock Number: DOJHERO200 ISBN Number: 1-58366-004-6 http://www.herogames.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Technology ..................................32 Born Great ..................................59 Super-mysteries ............................34 Achieve Greatness .......................60 Look Up In The Sky ..........................5 Have Greatness Thrust Upon Mood And Meta-Genre ...................35 Them .......................................60 The GM Should Reward Chapter One Combinations Of The Three ..........60 Appropriate Actions ...................35 Superhero Motivations ...................60 The Superhero Genre .......................6 Adventure .....................................35 What Superhero Stories Are Comedy ........................................37 More Powerful Than A Locomotive ...62 All About ........................................7 Missed Attack Rolls ...........................38 General Suggestions ....................62 Period ..............................................8 Playing The Origin Story ....................62 Drama ..........................................38 Visual And Personal Style .............62 The Golden Age ...............................8 Revelatory Presence Attack Defi ning Comic Book Periods ...............8 Modifi ers Table .................................39 Suggested Game Elements ............62 Golden Age Champions .......................9 Skills ..........................................63 Horror ...........................................39 Example Golden Age Powers ...............9 Perks ..........................................63 Romance ......................................40 Playing In A Golden Age Disadvantages ............................64 Champions Campaign ...............10 Teen Champions ............................42 Superhero Archetypes ...................69 Pulp Hero Powers .............................10 Sources Of Superpowers ...............44 Brick .............................................69 Other Golden Age Elements ..........10 Unlimited Source Campaigns ..........45 Possible Brick Special Effects ............69 The Silver Age ...............................11 Limited Source Campaigns .............45 Example Brick Powers .......................69 Unifi ed Theme Characters ..............46 Silver Age Champions .......................11 Energy Projector ............................71 The Comics Code ..............................12 Elements Of The Genre ..................48 Possible Energy Projector Special Super Society Powers ........................14 Secret Identities ............................48 Effects ..............................................71 The Bronze Age .............................16 What The Secret Identity Is For .....48 Example Energy Projector Powers ......71 Bronze Age Champions .....................17 Costumes ...................................49 Gadgeteer .....................................72 Example Mutant Powers ....................18 Near-magical Costume Material .........49 Possible Gadgeteer Special Effects .....72 Enduring Fads ..................................19 Discovery Of The Secret Identity ...50 Example Gadgeteer Powers ...............72 Example Fad Powers .........................19 How To Destroy The World .................50 Martial Artist ..................................73 The Iron Age ..................................20 Nonsensical Villainy .......................50 Possible Martial Artist Special Effects .73 Iron Age Champions ..........................20 Destroying The World ...................50 Example Martial Artist Powers ............73 Dark Champions ...............................20 Cockroach Durability ....................51 Mentalist .......................................74 “Four-color” Versus “Dark” .................21 Day Jobs .......................................52 Possible Mentalist Special Effects ......74 Example Iron Age Powers ..................22 Typical Superhero Occupations ..........52 Example Mentalist Powers .................74 More Unusual Periods ....................23 Job Interference ..........................52 Metamorph ...................................75 Other Historical Periods ...............23 Far Away Places ............................52 Possible Metamorph Special Effects ...75 Alternate Histories .......................23 Magic And Mysticism .....................53 Example Metamorph Powers .............75 Peculiar Settings .........................23 Super-magic .....................................53 Mystic ...........................................76 Mixing And Matching .....................26 Secret Societies .............................55 Possible Mystic Special Effects ..........76 Timeline .........................................27 Super-agencies .............................55 Example Mystic Powers .....................77 Sources Of Superpowers ................27 Patriot ...........................................77 The Appearance Of Supers .............27 Chapter Two Example Patriot Powers .....................77 First Supers Appear Now ..............27 Superhero Character Creation .......56 Power Armor .................................78 First Heroes Appeared Recently ....28 Being Superhuman ........................57 Example Power Armor Powers ...........78 First Heroes Appeared Some Rating Characters And Characteristics .57 Time Ago ..................................28 Superheroic Point Totals ....................57 Speedster .....................................79 Where Superhumans Appear ........28 Adjusting Normal Characteristic Possible Speedster Special Effects .....79 Number Of Superhumans ...............28 Maxima ....................................58 Example Speedster Powers ...............79 Supers And Society ........................29 Example: The Champions Weapon Master .............................80 Historical Events ..........................29 Universe ...................................58 Possible Weapon Master Special Effects .72 Culture .......................................30 Champions Universe Example Weapon Master Powers .......72 Law ............................................31 Characteristic Standards ...................58 Not Using Archetypes .....................80 Superhuman Registration Laws ..........31 With Great Power ...........................59 Government Agencies And Quick Superhuman Generator .......81 Superhumans ...................................32 Origin Categories ...........................59 Superhuman Generator: Types ...........81 Specifi c Subtype Details .................81 Underwater Base .......................107 Instant Plot Generator ................149 Brick ...........................................82 Space Base ...............................109 Events Of The Story Table ................150 Energy Projector ..........................82 Vehicles .......................................112 New And Adjusted Rules ..............153 Martial Artist ...............................82 Sample Vehicles ..........................112 Fastball Special Options ..................153 Mentalist .....................................83 Individual Combat/Rescue Metamorph .................................83 The Care And Feeding Of Vehicles ..................................112 Mystic ........................................83 Disadvantages ..........................155 Powered Armor ...........................83 Super-vehicle Modifi cation ...............112