Champions Universe Steven S. Long & Darren Watts UUNIVERSENIVERSE Authors: Steven S. Long, Darren Watts Editing & Development: Steven S. Long Layout and Graphic Design: Andy Mathews Cover Pencils: Patrick Zircher • Cover Inks: Al Vey • Cover Colors: Albert Deschesne Interior Artwork: Storn Cook, Andrew Cremeans, Keith Curtis, Albert Deschesne, John Grigni, Malcolm T. Harrison, Jeff Hebert, Eric Rademaker, Greg Smith, Chris Stevens Dedication: To the many comics creators who have, through the quality of their work, inspired us to create our own worlds and char- acters. A WORD OR TWO OF APPRECIATION Special Thanks: To all the Hero fans who playtested, testread, math-checked, and otherwise helped us make this book as good as pos- sible; and to the Hero fans who participated in message board and mailing list dis- cussions of what they’d like to see in this book. 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 © 1984, 1989, 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved. electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or computerization, or by Champions Universe © 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved. any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Champions © 1984, 1989, 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved. Publisher: DOJ, Inc., 1 Haight Street, Suite A, San Francisco, California 94102. Justice Inc., Danger International, Dark Champions, Fantasy Hero, Pulp Hero, and Printed in the U.S.A. First printing August 2002. Star Hero © 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved. Produced and distributed by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. Stock Number: DOJHERO201 ISBN Number: 1-58366-005-2 http://www.herogames.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One Chapter Four UNTIL ..........................................105 UNTIL Agent (Urban) ..................106 Giants Walk Among Us .....................6 Worlds Upon Worlds .......................67 Organizations: The Bad Guys .......108 North America ...............................68 A History Of Superheroes ................7 ARGENT ......................................109 The United States ........................68 The Early Costumed Adventurers ....7 The Circle Of The Scarlet Moon ....109 Canada .......................................69 Black Mask I .................................7 DEMON .......................................109 Mexico ........................................69 The Modern Age Of Superheroes Eurostar ......................................110 South America, Central America Begins ........................................11 Institute For Human Advancement ....111 And The Caribbean ......................70 The 1950s and ‘60s ......................13 PSI .............................................111 Europe ..........................................70 Dr. Macabre ................................14 The British Isles ...........................71 VIPER ..........................................112 The 1970s ....................................16 France ........................................72 The 1980s, 1990s and Today .........17 Germany .....................................72 Chapter Six Meteorman III ..............................18 Russia ........................................72 The Thunder Of The Dice .............113 Champions Universe Timeline .......20 Africa ............................................73 Champions Universe Campaign ...114 Western Asia .................................73 Campaign Guidelines And Chapter Two Eastern Asia ..................................74 Standards .................................114 Australia And Oceania ....................75 Being Superman ............................27 Campaign Options .......................114 Elsewhere .....................................75 Defi ning “Superhuman” ..................28 The GM’s Vault .............................116 The Nature And Existence Of Millennium City ..............................76 Kinetik ........................................80 Chapter Three GM Information ......116 Superpowers ...............................29 All-American Plot Seeds ..................116 Vibora Bay .....................................82 Sources Of Superpowers ................29 Chapter Three .............................116 Superhuman Demographic .............31 Haynesville, Kansas .......................84 Stalwart ....................................116 Captain Patriot ............................86 Victory Plot Seeds ...........................117 Chapter Three Lost Lands And Ancients Secrets ..88 Binary Man ...............................119 Powers And Superpowers .............34 Atlantis .........................................88 Shugoshin Plot Seeds ......................121 Stingray ......................................90 Steel Commando .......................122 Superhumans And Government .....35 Arcadia And The Empyreans ...........92 The United States ..........................35 Chapter Four GM Information .......125 Lemuria ........................................94 The Department Of Superhuman Samhain ...................................126 Monster Island ...............................94 And Paranormal Affairs ..............36 Kinetik Plot Seeds ...........................128 The All American .........................37 Worlds Beyond: Alien Life ..............95 Captain Patriot Plot Seeds ...............129 The Department Of Defense .........39 Realms Beyond: Other Dimensions ....96 Stingray Plot Seeds .........................131 Victory ........................................41 The Four Worlds ............................96 Chapter Five GM Information ........133 The Department Of Justice ..........43 Teleios, The Perfect Man ............134 NASA ..........................................45 Chapter Four Cloned Soldier ...........................137 Other Governments ........................45 Monstersaurus ..........................138 Superhumans And The Law ............48 Lurking Powers ..............................97 Argent Technology ..........................140 Signifi cant Superhuman Threats .....98 Superhumans And The Media ........51 Demon Plot Seeds ..........................142 Dark Seraph And The Crowns Demon Brother ..........................142 Superhumans And Technology ......55 Of Krim .....................................98 Morbane ...................................142 Uncanny Metals ................................57 Doctor Destroyer .........................98 Senator Phillip Glassman .................144 Firewing ......................................99 Superhumans And Subcultures .....58 IHA Plot Seeds ................................145 The Superhuman World ..................58 Gravitar .......................................99 Minuteman Robot ......................145 Grond .......................................100 The Business And Financial World ...58 VIPER Technology ............................146 Istvatha V’han ...........................100 Major Corporations Of The VIPER Agent (Basic) ...................147 Mechanon .................................101 Champions Universe .........................59 Dr. Phillippe Moreau ........................147 The Espionage World .....................59 Menton .....................................101 Takofanes, The Undying Lord ......101 VIPER Plot Seeds ............................148 The Law Enforcement World ...........59 Return Of The Destroyer ..............149 The Martial World ..........................60 Teleios ......................................102 Shugoshin ...................................62 The Warlord ..............................102 What Has Gone Before .................150 Dr. Yin Wu .................................103 The Military/Mercenary/ Act One: The Scenic Route ...........150 Terrorist World .............................64 Organizations: The Good Guys .....104 Act Two: Battle Is Joined ..............153 The Mystic World ...........................85 L’Institut Thoth .............................104 Act Three: Destroyer Lives! ...........155 The Religious World .......................86 The Trismegistus Council ..............104 Tune In Next Week .......................155 4 HERO SYSTEM 5TH EDITION INTRODUCTION t’s tough to run a Champions campaign some- to be precise). It shows you times! Th ere are lots of decisions to be made, how the presence of super- groundwork to do, villains to prepare character humans and superpowers has aff ected the world Isheets for, setting aspects to describe, and sce- for the past sixty years and helped shape modern narios to plan. Not everyone who wants to GM a society into its current form. Champions game has the time or interest to create Chapter Two, Being Superhuman: Superhu- an entire campaign. manity In Th e Twenty-First Century, delves briefl y For GMs who don’t want to do a whole lot of into the subject of how superpowers manifest in planning, or who are looking for bits and pieces this setting, and what it means to be “superhuman.” from other games they can adapt for their own Th ese issues impact the character creation pro- settings, Champions Universe presents an entire, cess and many other factors involved in campaign ready-to-run campaign setting for Champions. Th is development. is what Hero Games refers to as a setting book or Chapter Th ree, Powers And Superpowers: campaign book. It provides everything you need to Superhumans And Society,