Character Creation Rules

=CHARACTER CREATION= The quickest and easiest way to create your own character is to look through the various character archetypes, choose one that fits the type of character you want to play, and customize it to match your ideas. With just a few quick choices, you have a new character, complete and ready for the game!

Each archetype offers a complete, ready-to-play power level 10 character, the recommended starting power level. Some archetypes offer a few simple choices in terms of skills, advantages, or sets of powers to fit different themes. For example, many archetypes offer a choice of an Expertise skill to round out the character’s background and interests outside of super-heroism.

Some archetypes also offer an Options section, where you can change some of the pre-existing trait choices to create a different kind of character. For example, the Crime Fighter archetype has options for a character with less equipment, but superhuman senses, or a special vehicle of some type. Other archetypes offer similar options. Even if the archetype does not have an Options section that does not mean you cannot customize the archetype to suit the type of character you want to play! The archetypes are just starting points: if you are more familiar with character design, feel free to change any or all of your chosen archetype’s traits. So long as you stay within the bounds of available power points, series power level, and your Gamemaster’s approval, you’re fine.

CHARACTER DESIGN
Designing a character from scratch follows a series of simple steps, using the information presented in the other chapters of this book. You’ll need a copy of the Character Sheet.

CHARACTER CONCEPT
Before you get started, consider what sort of character you want to create. What are the character s basic abilities? What are the character’s powers? What’s the character's origin? You may want to take a look at the archetypes later in this chapter for some suggestions for the different types of characters you can create. You also can draw inspiration from your favorite characters from comic books, television, or movies. Take a look through the Powers chapter and see if any of the powers there inspire a character idea. You may want to jot down a few notes about the sort of character you’d prefer to play, which will help guide you through the rest of the character design process.

GAMEMASTER GUIDELINES
Your GM may have particular guidelines for characters in the game, such as not allowing certain powers or concepts or requiring particular descriptors. If there are no aliens in the series, for example, then you obviously can’t play an alien character. Likewise, if your Gamemaster bans mental powers from the series, then a psychic isn’t appropriate. Run your character concept by your Gamemaster before you start working on it! You might also want to consult with your fellow players so you can design your characters together and ensure they’ll make a good team.

POWER LEVEL
Your GM sets the starting power level for the series. Generally, this is level 10, but it may range anywhere from level 5 to level 20 or more. The power level determines the player characters’ starting power points and exactly where you can spend them. See Power Level later for details.

ABILITIES
Choose the ability ranks you want your character to have and pay 2 power points for each rank. Choose defense bonuses for your character, paying 1 power point per +1 defense over the base rank provided by your character’s abilities. To improve your character's Toughness, see Advantages and Powers, following. See the Abilities chapter for details.

SKILLS
Choose the skill ranks you want your character to have and pay 1 power point per 2 total skill ranks. See the Skills  chapter for details.

ADVANTAGES
Choose the advantages you want your character to have and pay 1 power point per advantage or rank in an advantage. See the Advantages chapter for details.

POWERS
Create your character’s powers by choosing their desired effects and paying the effects’ base cost, adjusted for any modifiers, and multiplied by the number of ranks. See the Powers chapter for details.

COMPLICATIONS
Choose at least two complications for your character. You can have more, if you want, and the more complications your character faces, the greater your chances for earning character points during the game. See the Complications section of this chapter for details.

DETAILS
Go through the limits listed under Power Level in this chapter and make sure your character’s traits all fit within them. If not, adjust the traits accordingly until they do.

Go back through and add up the costs of your character’s abilities, defenses, skills, advantages, and powers. You should end up with a figure equal to the starting power points shown on the Starting Power Points table. If not, doublecheck your math and either remove or add traits to your character to reach the starting power point total.

Figure out things like your character’s name, appearance, origin, background, and motivation. If you can, consider creating a sketch or detailed description of your character’s costume.

GAMEMASTER APPROVAL
Show your new character to the Gamemaster for approval. The GM should check again to make sure your power points are spent and added up correctly, your character follows the power level guidelines and any other guidelines set for the series, and that the character is generally complete and suited to the overall game. Once your GM has approved, your new character is ready for play!

<<<< BACK