The Universal Heroes Role Playing Game INTRODUCTION A long, long time ago, back in 1985, I began to tinker with the idea of role playing games. My introduction to such entertainment was the old-style Marvel Super Heroes Role Playing Game (or MSH RPG, for short). It was a pretty fun pastime, and me and a couple of friends would get together to stage adventures where everyone beat up on whatever imaginary villain had launched whatever ridiculous plot each week. In the beginning, I was not very good at this sort of thing; I do believe our very first adventure involved Thor and Wolverine hanging out in a bar, seeing who could get drunk first, when a 'giant radioactive dinosaur' suddenly attacked the city. Of course, by this point both of them had managed to get rather tipsy through sheer volume, and chaos (and staggering property damage) would quickly ensue. I sort of got better at the whole story telling thing though, and we managed to keep our games going for a good ten years. After that, our gaming group drifted into other things, a lot of them succumbing to the 'Vampire' chain of games while I instead started running a PlaneScape campaign. I subsequently experimented with numerous other games, such as Cyberpunk and a few others like Rifts, but MSH always felt like 'home' to me. It's just one of those things, I suppose. Over the course of that decade of gaming, I believe I cooked up an inordinate amount of NPCs (numbering in the thousands), along with multitudes of customized rule systems. I was always tinkering with things, either streamlining the actual rules themselves, or vastly improving on the character generation options by making all new paths of power for players to walk their characters through. Having since discovered the Internets, I thought that it would be great to share my original (and some not-so original) creations with the world, doing so mostly through an e mail list dedicated to the MSH RPG. It sort of died a horrible death when it got absorbed by topica.com (the jerks), and with the subsequent release of the Marvel Super Heroes Adventure Game (MSHAG), a role-playing game based on the Saga card system. So you know, I thought why not put it all on my own site? So back in April of 1998, Technohol 13: the Atomic Drink! was born! I used the site to house all of the characters and rule sets I'd concocted over the years and put on-line, though there's still a lot of work to do in that regard. The ultimate goal of course was to 'rebuild' the MSH RPG on my own terms, and in my own way, a goal that continues to this very day. And may yet take many, many years to see completion. Over time, you'll see me modifying the existing game texts from the 'old' game to transform it into something of a 'universal' rule system, one which will allow a game Judge to tell tales in almost any genre or setting. Hence the name: the Universal Heroes Role Playing Game. While the Universal Heroes system is based on the core of the Classic, old-school MSH RPG, things will ultimately evolve in their own direction. The idea is to streamline the rules slightly, to make the action flow either in a faster or more detailed fashion, as the Judge prefers. Also, character generation will ultimately be greatly expanded, in order to allow players as much support as is possible in order to build the 'perfect' character, that one that has been floating around inside their head for a good long time. Or you know, just occurred to them. Finally, support will be given to a variety of game settings. Several fully developed game 'worlds' will be presented as either something to directly plug your players into, or just as examples from which one can build their own. These will include a 'modern day' setting of course, along with several different worlds and times with which to focus on one kind of character above others (magic, psionic, etc...). Stay tuned, 'cause things are just starting to get interesting! The Big Idea behind the Universal Heroes Role Playing Game Well now you know why Universal Heroes exists, but in the event that you've never played a role playing game before, you may find yourself asking just what the heck you do with this thing. Simply put, the idea behind Universal Heroes is to allow players to assume the identity of at least one character, and play out his (or their) activities in a setting decided upon by all the players involved. Most players of Universal Heroes will assume the role of just one character. This character is referred to as a Player Character (or PC for short). This is the player's 'avatar' in the setting, the means by which he participates in it. Keep in mind that a player character should talk and behave as that character would, not as the player managing him might (unless the player character is some version of his 'real life' self). On the other hand, one player must assume the role of the Judge. He adjudicates all of the rules during play, and handles the roles of every character encountered that is not managed by the other players. His characters are hereby referred to as Non Player Characters (or NPCs, for short). It is the Judge's job to present a scenario for the other players to operate within, as well as to manage all of the action. Therein lies the beauty of a role playing game: it is not mere inflexible fiction. It is instead a collaborative effort, where the Judge sets the stage for events, and the others act out their roles, taking them wherever their characters would dictate - for good or ill. It is a truly active form of entertainment, one which draws all its participants into the limelight, and lets everyone influence the story. And the story can take place almost anywhere! From ancient, lost lands where sorcery holds sway to distant planets in far-flung futures, Universal Heroes allows its players to have adventures anywhere, in any time - the only limit is their imagination! Furthermore, these stories can take the form of solitary tales, a 'one shot' sort of thing, or instead expand into an entire campaign - a series of adventures that tell a much larger tale. While the former can be good fun now and then, the latter allows a group to fully explore their characters and the setting presented to them by their Judge. But either is an acceptable use of Universal Heroes, for both can be equally entertaining. This is just a choice that a group of players needs to make beforehand - though they can surely mix and match between the two as is desired! But what do you need to play Universal Heroes, you ask? Not that much, really. All that's essentially required are these rules, as well as a set of percentile dice. These are two ten sided dice, which can be used to generate a number from one to one hundred, though such can be hard to come by outside of professional gaming stores. To this end, have a simple d100 number generator, if you need it, at this address: http://www.technohol.com/features/die.asp You can also invest in maps and figures for use in the game, but they're completely optional. Other than that, all you need is a tiny bit of creativity and the desire to have fun! PRIMARY AND SECONDARY ABILITIES The Universal Heroes game is a system that is designed to let you role play the adventures of heroes, whether solo or in groups. But you may find yourself asking, 'just what is a hero?' Merriam-Webster tells us that 'a hero is a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities'. Qualifying that a little, we can define a hero as a man or woman that selflessly uses his or her talents, abilities or resources to help others - rather than being selfish and using these qualities solely for his or her own, personal gain. So when playing the Universal Heroes RPG, players take on the role of a hero, whether he's an existing comic book character or an original creation designed for the game by said players. These heroes, referred to as Player Characters (or PCs), generally journey gamely through the adventures prepared by the game's Judge, the person who sets the stage for the fun to come. He, then, determines the actions of everyone else the PCs encounter, characters that are hereby referred to as Non Player Characters (or NPCs). In order to properly play whichever characters you are responsible for, whether PC or NPC, it's imperative to get a basic handle on just what they are and are not capable of. The essential capabilities of every character, no matter how strong or weak, can be determined by their ability scores. Standard Abilities Almost every character in the Universal Heroes game is represented by eleven ability scores. These eleven statistics are those that players of the original game will be well familiar with. They are: Fighting, Agility, Strength, Endurance, Reason, Intuition, Psyche, Resources, Popularity, Health, and Karma. Where the Universal Heroes system diverges from this classic design is in allowing players to 'split' each ability score into two secondary ability scores - both equal, but different, representations of the primary ability score. This change is 100% compatible with old system, and is considered to be optional; by splitting none of your stats, you are essentially playing by the standard rules. The idea with this change is to give players a much more refined ability to describe their heroes' capabilities, leaning on one area to the exclusion of the other if they so desire. If not using secondary abilities, simply ignore the notes to such in subsequent rules and utilize the base ability score for the purpose in question for ease of use. The eleven ability scores are described here, with generalized ability descriptions to give one an idea of what a certain rank in each ability score means to each character. Fighting (Ftg): "You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war." - Napoleon Bonaparte Fighting is a strange hybrid ability, an amalgamation of physical and mental prowess in the field of battle. It is meant to describe both natural and trained ability in a scrap; one can certainly have more of one than the other depending on their story, but either way the sum of these two qualities can be used to describe their net combat skill. Fighting as an ability is used to resolve mêlée, or hand to hand combat, and is also used to determine how many 'moves' a character can attempt each turn. The Fighting ability can be divided into two separate, secondary ability scores: Offensive Fighting and Defensive Fighting. Offensive Fighting, abbreviated Ftg (off), is primarily used when one character attempts some manner of hand to hand combat with another, whether this involves a punch, kick, bite, or smashing a body upside the head with a chair. Offensive Fighting is also invoked when you attempt multiple direct actions in a given turn, whether they are of a combat or a non-combat nature (or a mix of the two, as the case may be). Defensive Fighting, shortened to Ftg (def), on the other hand, comes into play when a character is trying to avoid mêlée contact with others. This most often involves an Evade or Weave maneuver attempt, but other situations and powers may make use of Ftg (def). Aside from aversive movements, this secondary ability is also put to work when it becomes necessary to attempt multiple defensive maneuvers in a combat turn - if more than one Weave becomes desirable, one's Ftg (def) rank determines how many aversive attempts may be made without penalty. Table 1: Fighting Ability by Rank Rank Fighting Description Fe 2 No training or ability Pr 4 Standard Human Ability Ty 6 Natural ability or minimal training Gd 10 Some formal training Ex 20 Formal, regular training Rm 30 Superior martial talent In 40 Superior talent with extensive training Am 50 Maximum human combat prowess Mn 75 Super-human training or ability Un 100 Super-human capability, extensive skill or experience Sh X Super-human ability with unnatural training and experience Sh Y Can combat small groups simultaneously Sh Z Long-lived being with many lifetimes of battle experience Cl 1k Can combat large groups simultaneously Cl 3k Ageless being with unfathomable combat experience Cl 5k Can neutralize whole crowds with sheer capability Agility (Agy): "There's no secret to balance. You just have to feel the waves" - Frank Herbert While Ftg is a measure of a character's inherent combat prowess, Agility is instead a means of defining that character's coordination and nimbleness. It exemplifies grace (if not grace under fire), and is used whenever a character is attempting to resolve ranged combat (whether in an offensive or defensive capacity), not to mention while operating complex machinery or catching thrown objects. Agility is also important when piloting all manner of vehicles. The Agility score of a character can be divided into two useful secondary abilities: Dexterity and Balance. Dexterity, abbreviated Agy (dex), is the portion of one's Agility that is dedicated to manual dexterity. Dexterity is invoked when characters attempt delicate or exacting tasks of finesse, such as firing a hand gun or bow, engaging in sleight of hand, flinging thrown weapons, or carving a likeness of a person or object out of stone (or wood, or clay, or whatever). In other words, Dexterity is an active ability score. Balance (Agy (bal)), on the other hand, is a reactive secondary ability. Players make use of a character's balance score when attempting to avoid bow or gun fire (typically with a Dodge or Feint maneuver), climbing up walls or other, trickier vertical surfaces, juggling, driving a car or plane or train, and the like. Used to help define equilibrium, Balance can also be referred to when checking whether or not a character falls down when he becomes dizzy or disoriented - very important when chasing some villain on the city's rooftops... Table 2: Agility Ability by Rank Rank Agility Description Fe 2 Little hand-eye coordination, terrible sense of balance Pr 4 Clumsy and inaccurate, somewhat sedentary lifestyle Ty 6 Normal human reaction time, coordination, balance Gd 10 Casual dexterous discipline, conventional firearms training Ex 20 Expert marksman, collegiate gymnast, circus acrobat Rm 30 Professional gymnast, uncanny aim, supremely flexible In 40 Gymnastic gold medalist, maximum human ability Am 50 Serene, alien grace, super-human ballistic prowess Mn 75 Super-human training or agility, unnatural ballistic prowess Un 100 Instinctive knowledge of trajectories, flexible beyond mortal ken Sh X Super-human training or agility, with extensive experience Sh Y Super-human training or agility, with overwhelming experience Sh Z Agile beyond mortal ken, capable of microscopic movements Cl 1k Super-human training or agility, with lifetimes of experience Cl 3k Almost never misses, reacts to environment at near-light speed Cl 5k Absolute control of one's body, along with all it can manipulate Strength (Str): "Perhaps I am stronger than I think." - Thomas Merton A measure of the raw physical power inherent to a person's body, Strength defines one of the single most important aspects of a character's physicality. Strength, as the chart below indicates, is primarily measured by how much weight he can lift. Furthermore, Strength is referred to when determining the amount of raw damage one can inflict in mêlée combat, whether he is punching, kicking, or even biting his foes, making it a natural complement to one's Fighting rank. The Strength ability can be divided into two closely related secondary ability scores: Might and Vigor. Might, or Str (mgt), is a quantification of the brute force available to a character, how much energy he can apply to other people or objects. It determines the base damage you inflict with your bare hands, with mêlée weapons, or even with thrown weapons. Most applications of Str (mgt) are, when you get down to it, combat related - they represent 'burst power' mainly. Vigor, or Str (vgr), on the other hand, is primarily concerned with longer applications of one's physical prowess. It is used to describe how fast a character can run over distances short and long, how quickly he can propel himself through a liquid medium (swimming), and how much weight a character may carry on his person without being slowed down by it. Finally, it shows how much actual weight a character can lift, and by proxy how much he can successfully press. Table 3: Strength Ability by Rank Rank Strength Description Fe 2 Able to lift / press up to 50 lbs, rather weak Pr 4 Able to lift / press up to 100 lbs, somewhat weak Ty 6 Able to lift / press up to 200 lbs, human average Gd 10 Able to lift / press up to 400 lbs, well above average Ex 20 Able to lift / press up to 800 lbs, human maximum Rm 30 Able to lift / press up to 1 ton In 40 Able to lift / press up to 10 tons Am 50 Able to lift / press up to 50 tons Mn 75 Able to lift / press up to 75 tons Un 100 Able to lift / press up to 100 tons Sh X Able to lift / press up to 150 tons Sh Y Able to lift / press up to 200 tons Sh Z Able to lift / press up to 500 tons Cl 1k Able to lift / press up to 1,000 tons Cl 3k Able to lift / press up to 1 million tons Cl 5k Able to lift / press up to 1 billion tons Endurance (End): "A fight is not won by one punch or kick. Either learn to endure or hire a bodyguard." - Bruce Lee This ability is a gauge of physical toughness and fortitude. Endurance describes how long a character can continue strenuous physical activity, how resistant to killing blows and metabolic attacks he is, and how quickly he can heal actual damage inflicted upon his person. Endurance closely ties into Strength for movement purposes; while Strength shows how fast one can move and with how much weight, Endurance details just how long he can do so before collapsing in a sweaty heap. Endurance can be divided into two equally important secondary abilities: Resistance and Stamina. Resistance, abbreviated End (res) shows just how well your character can resist the effects of disease, toxins, radiation, and other metabolic attack forms (most often specialized super-human abilities). Furthermore, it denotes how well one overcomes the effects of Slam, Stun and Kill results rolled against them in combat; this is handy if you're not too good at avoiding enemy attacks. While End (res) is a handy descriptor of one's hardiness, Stamina - abbreviated End (sta) - showcases one's overall staying power, both in and out of combat. End (sta) is referenced when determining the amount of time one can maintain strenuous physical activity, whether it be running, swimming, heavy lifting, or grappling. The results of fatigue are checked against this ability score when enough has been built up to matter when engaging in the previous activities. Additionally, End (sta) is used to determine a character's base healing and recovery rates over time. Table 4: Endurance Ability by Rank Rank Endurance Description Fe 2 Reduced or impaired health, functional or limited activity Pr 4 Minimal exercise, poor diet, sedentary 'desk jockey' Ty 6 Occasional exercise or physical activity, human average Gd 10 Regular athletic activity or training, 'blue collar' occupation Ex 20 Intensive exercise and / or training, excellent staying power Rm 30 Gold medalist-level staying power, maximum human ability In 40 In 40 stamina, shrugs off that which would kill lesser men Am 50 Enhanced staying power, super-human metabolism / immunities Mn 75 Super-human metabolism complemented by intense training Un 100 Great physical fortitude, rarely tires even under extreme duress Sh X Super-human staying power / immunity, with constant training Sh Y Never tires, never slows down, physically relentless Sh Z Recovers quickly from most injury, no matter how severe Cl 1k Metabolically perfect, nigh-immune to poison, disease Cl 3k Physically self-contained, needs food and water only after injury Cl 5k Virtually immortal, can recover even after apparent death Reason (Rsn): "Let every man judge according to his own standards, by what he has himself read, not by what others tell him." - Albert Einstein In loose terms, a character's Reason score is an indicator of his I.Q. - itself a measure of intelligence and the capacity for logical thought. It describes his ability to create items either from scratch or from the spare parts and salvage of others, as well as his ability to understand and operate equipment from the simple to the arcane. Furthermore, Reason shows how well your character can learn and retain knowledge, which comes in handy when either trying to solve a crime or graduate from college. Reason is split between two secondary abilities: Logic and Memory. Logic - abbreviated Rsn (log) - denotes raw cerebral capability. It is an indicator of a character's ability to learn and create, not to mention the ability to think in multiple languages; logic helps when learning either geometry or German. The vast majority of knowledge-based talents (such as Law, Medicine and their ilk) will refer to Logic, as they are based on years of study on top of practical experience both in school and 'on the job'. Memory - abbreviated Rsn (mem) - dictates your character's ability to recall his past experiences, including facets of both short and long term memory. This is utilized when trying to remember the features of a person's face, specific details of an encounter, or even the schematics of a device you've invented after some villain makes off with them. Memory also comes into play with psionic and matter manipulative powers, and their overall capabilities are based on a character's Memory score. Table 5: Reason Ability by Rank Rank Reason Description Fe 2 Understands only the simplest machines, limited intellect Pr 4 Grasps complex machines, basic electronics and math Ty 6 Competent problem solving capabilities, human average Gd 10 Can easily repair / install modern technology for self or others Ex 20 Master of a single discipline, or familiarity with several others Rm 30 Disciplinary polymath, world class expert in one discipline In 40 Understands and creates leading-edge devices, technologies Am 50 Can decipher alien technologies, maximum human ability Mn 75 Develops technology far beyond modern understanding Un 100 Super-human intellect with vast knowledge in many areas Sh X Walking encyclopedia, mastery of all terrestrial sciences Sh Y Frighteningly smart, can process advanced math in real-time Sh Z Intelligent enough to be considered an alien technology Cl 1k Can multitask in multiple advanced areas at near-light speeds Cl 3k Intellect beyond mortal ken, all that which must not be known Cl 5k Contemplates the whole of space-time simultaneously Intuition (Int): "Those with the greatest awareness have the greatest nightmares." - Mahatma Gandhi Intuition is the sum of a person's wisdom, common sense, and that sense of self that (most) people possess. A sort of counterpart of Reason, Intuition tends to rely upon inspirational leaps and bounds as opposed to logical deductions; a fine distinction, but an important one. It helps to also gauge a person's awareness of his surroundings, showing just how in tune with the multiverse he really is (or isn't). Also, a person's base Intuition score determines his initiative modifier in combat. Intuition is divided into two equally important secondary abilities: Alertness and Awareness. Alertness (Int (alt)) measures sensory acuity: in other words, it shows how easily you detect potential sensory input, in addition to how well you can distinguish any one input from many. Spotting that spent bullet casing in the ash tray, focusing on one voice in a crowd, or even determining the vintage of a fine wine you may be sipping. Furthermore, Int (alt) is often a base score for many enhanced sensory abilities. Awareness (Int (awr)), meanwhile, treads on trickier ground. While Alertness covers the things your senses tell you directly, Awareness instead relies upon 'gut feelings' and an ability to 'read between the lines'. A measure of how well you're in tune with your surroundings and the universe as a whole, Awareness sometimes lets you pick up on things that are not readily apparent, allowing you a greater empathy towards your fellow man (or a good idea what he's feeling) as well as what some might term the 'zeitgeist', the mood of the crowd/people/whatever. Table 6: Intuition Ability by Rank Rank Intuition Description Fe 2 Limited or impaired senses, extremely inattentive Pr 4 Generally clueless, a little slow on the uptake Ty 6 Normal human situational awareness, sensory acuity Gd 10 A fine eye for the little details around oneself Ex 20 Keener than normal capabilities in at least one sense Rm 30 Superior situational awareness, deductive ability In 40 Highly accurate 'gut feelings', multiple superior senses Am 50 Maximum human awareness / alertness of surroundings Mn 75 At least one super human sense, superior awareness Un 100 Aware of all major events in one's city as they occur Sh X Completely aware of one's surroundings, all senses 'super' Sh Y Knows of all major events world-wide simultaneously Sh Z Awareness of environment extends to the atomic level Cl 1k In tune with the universe, cannot be blindsided Cl 3k Is in tune with other dimensions as well as one's own Cl 5k Mind is one with all reality, aware of all simultaneously Psyche (Psc): "He who gains a victory over other men is strong; but he who gains a victory over himself is all powerful." - Lao Tzu Somewhat similar in function to the Endurance ability, Psyche is a gauge of one's mental fortitude. It is an excellent descriptor of the sheer strength of will and personality one has, detailing such elusive quantities as mental presence and a sense of focus. While all mental abilities are used in psychic combat to some extent, one's Psyche determines a large component of one's success in such arenas, making it vital to anyone making use of mental powers, regardless of their origins. Psyche is subdivided into two secondary abilities: Willpower and Presence. Willpower, abbreviated Psc (will), is a body's mental core, how intent and focused he can be in the face of distraction and adversity. Willpower comes into play when fending off efforts to bend a body's will, such as mind control, hypnosis, and sometimes even drugging. Those with a lesser Willpower score are easily swayed by the dogmas and manipulations of others, while those with greater Willpower walk their own path. Presence, abbreviated Psc (pre), denotes how well a character can exert his personality upon others. It describes how persuasive he can be, either by using leadership skills or intimidation techniques (or both), and describes how hard said character has to work in order to get what he wants from others. It also comes into play when teaching others or training animals, manipulating others subtly, and in various other tactics used on the job by policemen, lawyers and politicians to control their environment. Table 7: Psyche Ability by Rank Rank Psyche Description Fe 2 Easily dominated or (re)programmed by others Pr 4 Young or untrained minds, easily indoctrinated or bullied Ty 6 Normal human willpower, standard resistance to influence Gd 10 Can fend off standard mesmerism with some effort Ex 20 Somewhat experienced with mystic / mental forces Rm 30 Trained to counter external psychic influences / forces In 40 Impressive force of personality, sways others with ease Am 50 Seemingly indomitable willpower, maximum human ability Mn 75 Incredible focus, has seeming mastery of one's own body Un 100 Intense training and experience in the use of mental powers Sh X Overwhelming force of personality, can sway an entire nation Sh Y Uncanny convergence of will, focus and drive inspires others Sh Z Supreme force of personality, sways worlds with his words Cl 1k Can often sway others without even speaking or acting Cl 3k Absolute focus, can manipulate the world with one's thoughts Cl 5k Mind is impregnable, only affected by external stimuli if willing Resources (Res): "A penny saved is a penny earned." - Ben Franklin A measure of personal wealth, Resources describes all of the assets currently at a character's disposal. While this is mostly used to show the material wealth an individual has access to in the day to day functions of the game, it can also be used to detail additional resources available to him through an organization he is a member of. Bank accounts, furniture in storage, a perfectly preserved comic book collection, that old cave filled with high tech gadgets. All these and more contribute to the Resources score. For the sake of organization, Resources is broken down into two secondary abilities: Materials and Cash. Materials (Res (mat)) is a description of how much ... stuff a character has. That pristine comic book collection, the late parents' house you haven't sold yet, your furniture, and of course all that high tech super-heroic doo-dad-ery. This is that which is accumulated over time, so may include various items of up to (and possibly beyond) this rank in raw price (things like houses, vast tracts of land, or hero lairs). Cash (Res ($)), meanwhile, describes the liquid assets a character has access to, such as currency (in a bank or squirreled away under a mattress or in a freezer), stocks, bonds, gold coins, and other financial entities that can easily change hands. It is often hard for characters to maintain a high 'cash' rank as buying nifty new toys tends to shift those assets from this ability to the Materials score, but this is not the case for governments and large corporations, who tend to have plenty of liquidity on hand for most any contingency. Table 8: Resources Ability by Rank Rank Resources Description Fe 2 Reduced circumstances, on welfare / allowance Pr 4 Freelancer, college students, lower class wages Ty 6 Lower middle class wages, salaried pay, novice executives Gd 10 Professional salaries, middle class wages, small trust fund Ex 20 Small inheritance, small business owner, military officer Rm 30 City economy, millionaire playboy, small business chain In 40 Large business, small corporation, small family fortune Am 50 Regional economy, multi-millionaire, large corporation Mn 75 Tiny national economy, large trust fund or inheritance Un 100 Small national economy, billionaire, world class investor or fund Sh X Medium sized national economy, multi-national corporation Sh Y Large sized national economy, trillionaire investor Sh Z Global super-power's economy, mega-corporations Cl 1k Planetary government economy, space-faring corporation Cl 3k Multi-planetary economy, universe-spanning corporation Cl 5k Universal economy, trans-dimensional corporation Popularity (Pop): "Avoid popularity if you would have peace." - Abraham Lincoln A sort of quirky statistic, this primary ability measures the public acknowledgment or approval people have in their normal environment. Popularity, then, is used to modify the reaction result characters receive when they interact with others (when such results are not determined in the course of regular roleplay). Popularity does not 'split' like the previous ability scores, however, in that such mostly comes into play only if a character maintains more than one identity to speak of. If one does in fact do so, he can use two Popularity scores instead of just the one: Primary and Secondary Popularity. Primary Popularity (Pop (pri)) describes how well one is regarded by his peers and the world at large in his 'spandex' identity - in other words, this ability score isn't about the person so much as the heroic (or villainous) persona he shows to the world. Most often, this secondary ability will be the greater of the two - hey, super powers are pretty flashy - but not always; this depends on the character's place in society. Secondary Popularity (Pop (sec)), meanwhile, covers the character's secret identity. While the former may involve super-powered theatrics in front of the masses, this role is most often the quiet, mundane existence maintained for the benefits of down time, making money or the protection of one's relatives. This is normally a lower score than Pop (pri), but this may not be the case if the character is a notable figure such as an actor, politician, captain of industry, wanted felon, or the like. In fact he may be reviled in one and loved in the other... Table 9: Popularity Ability by Rank Rank Popularity Description Fe 2 'Local boy made good', neighborhood hooligans Pr 4 Beloved neighbors, local media, city-wide hooligans Ty 6 Local celebrities or politicians, national media Gd 10 National politicians, local heroes, low-rent villains Ex 20 Major hero, national leader or religious figure Rm 30 Nationwide hero, FBI's most wanted, war criminals In 40 Well-received hero, world-famous actor, convicted traitors Am 50 Mass-murdering terrorist, notorious super-villain Mn 75 National hero, despised tyrants or super-villains Un 100 International hero or religious figure, global threat Sh X Hero on multiple planets, role-model for billions Sh Y Timeless hero, modern messiah, eternal villain Sh Z Well known throughout near space, for good or ill Cl 1k Beings throughout the cosmos familiar with you Cl 3k Well known throughout the universe, for good or ill Cl 5k (In)Famous in multiple planes of existence Health (Hpts): "Health is worth more than learning." - Thomas Jefferson Health is a descriptor of the amount of damage a character can sustain before losing consciousness, and possibly his life as a result. Instead of being represented with ranks as are most other primary abilities, a character's Health is instead determined by adding together the rank numbers of one's Ftg, Agy, Str, and End ability scores. One can further expand the role of Health in a character by making use of Health's secondary abilities, which are negative health and mental health. Negative health (abbreviated NH) is not a negative number, so much as a portrayal of the damage an unconscious character can 'soak' up before he automatically dies. Negative health is determined by adding the successive rank numbers of a character's END score together. This means that the rank numbers of all power ranks up to (and including) the character's END score are all added together to determine one's NH. For example, Bob's new hero has a Good (10) ranked END, so his negative health would add up to 22 (the sum of all the successive rank numbers for Good (10) rank is 2 (Fe (2)) + 4 (Pr (4)) + 6 (Typical) + 10 (Good) = 22). Mental health (abbreviated MH), meanwhile, shows the amount of damage a character's mind can withstand before collapsing. It is determined in the same fashion as is negative health, but uses a character's Psc rank as a base, instead. This can be useful in a campaign that sees a lot of psionic attack powers (regardless of their origin), or possibly as a means to measure one's sanity in the face of baffling and incomprehensible horror. For convenience, a table of NH and MH sums are provided for ease of use during character generation. Further details on Health in the game are explained later on. Table 10: Negative / Mental Health Totals by Rank Rank Negative / Mental Health Totals Fe 2 2 Pr 4 6 (the previous plus this rank number (4)) Ty 6 12 (the previous plus this rank number (6)) Gd 10 22 (the previous plus this rank number (10)) Ex 20 42 (the previous plus this rank number (20)) Rm 30 72 (the previous plus this rank number (30)) In 40 112 (the previous plus this rank number (40)) Am 50 162 (the previous plus this rank number (50)) Mn 75 237 (the previous plus this rank number (75)) Un 100 337 (the previous plus this rank number (100)) Sh X 487 (the previous plus this rank number (150)) Sh Y 687 (the previous plus this rank number (200)) Sh Z 1187 (the previous plus this rank number (500)) Cl 1k 2187 (the previous plus this rank number (1000)) Cl 3k 5187 (the previous plus this rank number (3000)) Cl 5k 10187 (the previous plus this rank number (5000)) Karma (Kpts): "Like gravity, karma is so basic we often don't even notice it." - Sakyong Mipham Karma is essentially a measure of a person's placement in the universal scheme of things. Though all characters begin their various careers with a little bit of Karma (an amount which is equal to the sum of their Rsn, Int and Psc rank numbers), additional Karma can only be obtained by performing acts that fit a specific character's ethos. Being a sum as is the Health score, one can see that Karma comes in a 'point' form, so one may ask just what they can do with their Karma points. A good question! Karma points may be spent in order to influence FEAT rolls and to improve oneself in a variety of ways. To this end, Karma is often dedicated to specialized pools once earned, each of which is noted as a secondary ability of Karma. A team pool is a special sum of Karma that binds one character to several others, one which they may donate to and withdraw from as is needed in the course of an adventure. While this can be advantageous, it does have limitations in that actions of pool members can have ramifications for the entire team's Karma totals. As such, membership in a team pool is purely optional. An advancement pool is just that, Karma one sets aside for personal advancement, whether it involves improving an existing ability or power rank, buying new powers, talents or contacts, or possibly 'buying off' character limitations or quirks. In this capacity an advancement pool functions as 'experience' does in other games, though once you spend it (as is the case with one's regular and team pool), it is gone forever. But at the very least you'll have something new to show for it. As is Health, Karma is explained in more detail later on. Special Abilities Each character, in addition to the standard eleven abilities that are used to describe their basic capabilities, may also be described in terms of special abilities. These are those capabilities that are not common to every single entity in the game, and may in fact be unique to a specific character. There are four types of special abilities, including powers, talents, contacts, and quirks. Powers: powers are what make super heroes super, as opposed to being 'just' a hero. Most PCs have at least one power, whether it be in the form of an inborn ability, a sample of high tech equipment, or such studied equivalents as magic spells or psi powers. Just like primary abilities, almost all powers are gauged by ranks. Talents: talents are skills that may be learned by virtually anyone, whether they be super human or not. Instead of having a rank, almost all talents offer a boost to ability or power scores in the form of a +1 or +2 Column Shift to the standard rank (explained later) on all talent rolls, making the character more proficient in that area than someone who does not have that talent. Contacts: a contact is a person or an organization that a body can rely upon when needed, for either information, resources, or whatever else may be necessary. Contacts are automatically considered friendly to a character for the purpose of NPC reaction rolls. A character's contacts may help to shape his character's origin, and are rather useful for background information. Quirks: quirks are modifications added to a character towards the end of its creation. They are oddities that add to the uniqueness of a character, adding or subtracting a column shift to certain rolls, or merely making his life a little more interesting. Whether beneficial or an impediment, they will typically come into play at least once in a given adventure. RANKS AND RANK NUMBERS Most of a character's abilities, powers, and a lot of other stuff are represented by ranks. Ranks are levels of prowess in an ability or superhuman power. Each rank is represented by a special name that identifies its position in relation to others (greater than, less than, etc...), and a standard rank number (usually in the center of the rank's range). There are sixteen 'basic' ranks in all, listed by name, standard rank number, and rank range on the tables below. Human Ranks Table 11: Human Rank Names, Standard Numbers and Numerical Ranges Name Number Range Feeble 2 1-2 Poor 4 3-4 Typical 6 5-7 Good 10 8-15 Excellent 20 16-25 When discussing normal human beings, this range of ranks will most often be used to describe them. While some ability scores can be higher and be considered within the range of a 'normal' human's, these five ranks are where the vast majority of such individuals will fall in all of their statistics. This is particularly true of Strength, where one literally cannot be higher without some sort of super human capability. Furthermore, most super humans will have ability scores that fall within this range as well. They may have a few which exceed these ranks, which is par for the course, but few individuals are super-human in every ability score - and those that are usually turn out to be the most dangerous. Power ranks that fall into this panorama are nonetheless quite useful, if not generally considered 'world shaking' in nature. Super Human Ranks Table 12: Super Human Rank Names, Standard Numbers and Numerical Ranges Name Number Range Remarkable 30 26-35 Incredible 40 36-45 Amazing 50 46-62 Monstrous 75 63-87 Unearthly 100 88-125 This spectrum of power ranks is most often used to describe ascendant beings - humans who have spectacular powers for some reason or another, or perhaps alien beings and the like. A few exceptional 'normals' may have ability scores that fall within this neighborhood, as a human's Fighting score may go as high as Amazing (50) rank, but for the most part this area is where you'll find the super powered population. Supers typically have one or more ability scores in this range, though most of theirs still reflect their basic, human nature. Many of their powers will fall into this category however, which is what makes most super-humans, well, super. Sure, the right power at Feeble (2) rank can do a lot of damage if wielded properly, but the same one with Unearthly (100) might can dish out that much more. Godlike Ranks Table 13: Godlike Rank Names, Standard Numbers and Numerical Ranges Name Number Range Shift X 150 126-175 Shift Y 200 176-350 Shift Z 500 351-999 The three godlike ranks represent extreme levels of power. They're so potent that they're generally considered out of the human experience entirely, hence their lack of vivid descriptors (as the ten basic ranks before possess). A majority of super human beings won't possess an ability score or power at one of these ranks, though a rare few might manage it through sheer luck or happenstance (certain exceptions notwithstanding). No, those beings who possess standard ranks within this spread tend to be alien in both body and mind, often from other worlds or planes of existence. They may be bona fide deities, or perhaps simply take advantage of the superstitions of lesser beings to perpetuate such belief for their own benefit. Nonetheless, entities with levels of power in this strata are not to be taken lightly, for they can easily change the world. Abstract Ranks Table 14: Abstract Rank Names, Standard Numbers and Numerical Ranges Name Number Range Class 1000 1000 1000-2999 Class 3000 3000 3000-4999 Class 5000 5000 5000+ Finally, the abstract power ranks are those which are even more unfathomable than those three which came before. These represent forces which can destroy worlds, if not entire universes if used aggressively enough. The three classes of top-tier might are rarely, if ever attained by even gods (or godlike beings) themselves, for they most often are possessed only by abstract, alien entities. Such creatures (if they can even be classified as such) are those which serve as an embodiment of some grand force or concept. Their sphere of power is nigh-absolute in their area of focus, thus justifying these extreme levels of power. Typically these entities are the 'base' from which gods who embody related, but lesser concepts or principles draw their might from - or must pay homage to them somehow. Rank Conditionals In addition to the sixteen standard ranks, there are four rank conditionals. These are all ranks (or a range of such) that one will not attain normally under most circumstances, but may nonetheless be forced to roll under now and then. Access to rank conditionals are typically only granted with the Judge's approval; they may be seen as either too limiting or too powerful (especially the second one). The four rank conditionals are: The Shift 0 Rank: barring a severe injury or illness, or perhaps a non-humanoid body (or a lack therein), most characters will never actually possess an ability score or power that functions at this rank. This is because this rank indicates a lack of power or ability. Having an actual Shift 0 rank in a statistic means that one has no inherent use of said ability score or power (it's useless to them). For the most part, a character will make use of the Shift 0 rank when a higher rank is modified to function on this column. This can happen as a result of severe penalties to a desired action that, while not making it impossible, just get one very close to such a state. Actions attempted at Shift 0 rank are the most likely to fail, but nonetheless have a slim chance at success (usually with a dash of Karma to help). The Beyond Rank: similarly, characters will not possess any ability score or power at the Beyond rank for the most part. This level of might indicates infinite power, gained only in the rarest of situations - either when several Class 5000 powers are used in conjunction, or when it is assigned to the most potent of abstract beings. When the latter occurs, such a character is usually just a plot device. The reason for this is that the Beyond rank transcends mere game mechanics, it is all powerful. Anyone who manages this level of might evolves beyond the game's boundaries - hence the name. On occasion a character may manage to achieve this rank in some capacity or another for a short period of time - fiction is replete with such examples, after all - but such a situation is highly transient in nature. The Hyperexhaustive Rank: this is a special rank conditional that is applied to powers only (never to primary or secondary ability ranks). A power that is hyperexhaustive will physically drain the person that uses it, being incredibly hard to operate or control. When a hyperexhaustive rank appears during character generation (either due to lousy rolls or when chosen as a limitation) roll again. This second result will be the base for power factors such as range, damage, and so on. The result is the hyperexhaustive rank. This will read as HE-(power rank). For example, a player eventually rolls a hyperexhaustive rank for a power. He immediately rolls again on the applicable chart; the result being Excellent (20). As such, his power is of HE-Ex (20) rank. The tricky part is actually using a hyperexhaustive power in combat. When a character wields a hyperexhaustive power, the necessary FEAT roll is made on the Shift 0 column, as wielding this power is particularly difficult. Whether the use of this power succeeds or fails, it (and the character who possesses it) will be drained by the effort involved. Ideally, the power should not be used again for twenty four hours of game time, allowing it to recover from this extreme exertion. If this rest period is observed, no undue harm will come to the character. However, failing to do this will drain the power further, and require it be rested for one week without further use. If the power is drained to this point, a week's worth of abstinence on the part of this power's use is required to recharge it fully. However, sometimes this is not practical, and this tricky power must be used yet again. Bypassing a required week-long rest on a hyperexhaustive power extends the time necessary for a full recovery to one month. If this third and final extension is not observed, the power will be completely burned out. While the Judge has the option of allowing it to come back after perhaps a year of game time (certainly a considerable wait), the most likely outcome is that the hyperexhaustive power is gone forever. Recovery of the ability may be possible, but this may take a special mission or extreme measure - all at the Judge's whim. The Hyperkinetic Rank: the flip side of the hyperexhaustive rank, a hyperkinetic rank implies an ability score or power that normally operates at a functional rank (determined in the same fashion as a hyperexhaustive power), but will suddenly 'spike' in power under certain circumstances. This stimulus cannot be something always present in the environment, such as water or oxygen, but need not be especially rare either. When exposed to the predetermined stimulus, the hyperkinetic effect is activated, and the power in question begins to function at a +1 CS. For each round of sustained stimulus afterwards, the power will be increased in scope by a further +1 CS, until it hits an upper limit of Shift Z (500). This enhancement lasts until the stimulus is all gone, plus 1d10 turns, at which point the power rank will revert to its normal, functional state. While such an extreme boost in power may be exhilarating, it is not without adverse effects. For one thing, controlling extreme levels of power can be difficult. For every +1 CS in power the hyperkinetic ability experiences over one's Psyche (will) score, apply a -1 CS to FEATs required to control the hyperkinetic ability score or power. Such high levels of power are difficult to keep a handle on. Furthermore, when the hyperkinetic power wears off, the character will be left somewhat spent, suffering a -2 CS penalty to all FEAT rolls for a number of turns equal to the time in which he was, for the lack of a better term, hyperkinetic. During this time, one cannot reinitialize the hyperkinetic state, which may leave him in something of a pickle depending on the circumstances of its use. While a character's ability scores may be bolstered by a hyperkinetic effect, his Health and Karma scores will not be affected by this change (even if an over the top boost seems like it should double - or more - such sums). Finally, hyperkinetic powers are noted with a special prefix, as are hyperexhaustive abilities; for instance, an Excellent (20) ranked hyperkinetic power would be noted as HK-Ex (20). Functions of Exceptional Ability or Talent (or FEAT rolls) Whenever a character attempts an action with significant difficulty, he must normally make a FEAT roll to determine whether or not it succeeds; FEAT being an acronym for a Function of Exceptional Ability or Talent. A FEAT roll is made by rolling a d100, and checking the result against the rank in question on the Universal Table. This procedure is the basis for all actions in the Universal Heroes RPG, and after playing for a while will come naturally. There are four color bands on the Universal Table that stretch through the ranks. When attempting a FEAT, a white result usually indicates failure. A green result represents a sufficient success, a yellow result an exceptional success, and a red result the best possible result one can achieve. As an example, let us say we are witnessing a hero in mortal combat with his deadly arch-nemesis. In order to hit with a left hook, the hero must make a successful FEAT roll based on his Ftg (off) rank. Normally a green result will do, so the character rolls the dice, the result being a 42. Tracing along the '41-45' row on the Universal Table, we see that if our hero has a Ftg (off) rank of Excellent (20) or better, his punch will indeed strike his foe - though if he doesn't defeat him with this mighty blow, said villain may strike back in kind... possibly in a much deadlier fashion. This is an over-simplification of the variables that can occur in combat, but will do to demonstrate the basic idea of a FEAT. Column Shifts Modifying basic FEATs some, extenuating circumstances may provide additional modifiers to the odds of success or failure while attempting a given FEAT. For example, firing a gun at a fast moving, randomly dodging target whilst standing on oil-slicked ice and avoiding incoming fire yourself is a bit more difficult than hitting those stationary targets in an air conditioned firing range. Circumstances like these are handled by Column Shifts (CS). A +1 Column Shift, to the right on the Universal Table, is a shift for the better. This means the circumstances for executing this FEAT are better than normal. In other words, in this particular situation, a character attempting this Column Shifted FEAT does so as though the effective rank he was using was one higher than would otherwise be indicated. A -1 Column Shift, to the left on the Universal Table, is a shift for the worse. This demonstrates an added difficulty the character attempting the FEAT must overcome. Or, to put it bluntly, he attempts the FEAT as if the ability or power score he was wielding were one rank lower than his statistics would lead you to believe. Further shifts one way or the other serve to amplify the help or hindrance a situation applies to the FEAT a character is attempting. Column shifts come in three forms in the Universal Heroes game. The first is the inherent Column Shift. It is a plus or minus modifier that occurs because the character possesses a talent or quirk that aids or hinders the FEAT being attempted. This most often comes in the form or a +1 or +2 CS, but in the case of Quirks this may be a negative as well. The buddy Column Shift is the second kind of CS. It involves a person lending a helping hand to the character making the actual FEAT roll. As long as the helping hand has a rank within 1 CS of the score being checked, the person rolling adds a +1 CS to his roll. For example, two characters with Good (10) Strength (vgr) attempting to lift an Excellent (20) weight would allow the player with the dice to do so at the bonus described here. Or, in other words, perform as if he had Excellent (20) Str (vgr) instead of just Good (10). Finally, there is the situational CS, a type of Column Shift not covered by the other types of CS. These are basically Column Shifts caused by all other situations and modifiers, and run the gamut of environmental difficulties to the actions of others helping (or hindering) one's chances of success. When a situation invokes a Column Shift (for good or ill), it will be explained in the course of play. FEAT Intensities Intensity is a rank that is associated with most every action or phenomena, a benchmark for characters who may attempt such an action or interact with such occurrences. When attempting a FEAT roll, the intensity of an action the character is working against will determine the difficulty of said FEAT. To find the inherent difficulty of a FEAT for a character, compare the rank he is using (after Column Shifts are applied) against the intensity of a quality he's interacting with. If the intensity is more than three ranks below the rank to be checked, the FEAT can be considered to be automatic in most cases. Automatic FEATs are things that a character would normally accomplish with great ease, such as lifting a glass of water or remembering where his house is. One usually need not roll for success on an automatic FEAT - unless special circumstances declare a possible chance of failure. If an intensity is one rank less than the rank being checked (say an Excellent (20) amount of weight for a character with Remarkable (30) Str (vgr)), this would mean a simple green result will indicate success on the Universal Table. If the intensity and the FEAT being rolled on are equal, a yellow FEAT is required to prevail, and if the intensity is one rank higher than the rank being queried (our Remarkable (30) Str (vgr) hero attempting an Incredible (40) intensity lift), a red FEAT roll must be made in order to perform the action intended. Similar to automatic FEATs, impossible FEATs come into play when one attempts an action against an intensity two or more ranks higher than the ability or power score he is attempting it with. A character with Typical (6) Rsn (log) isn't going to be deciphering alien technologies any time soon (an intensity typically reserved for those with Incredible (40) smarts). However, sometimes desperate situations require desperate measures, and on occasion a game Judge may allow a red FEAT in such circumstances. Types of FEATs Ability FEATs are those that are based on a character's first seven basic abilities – either Ftg, Agy, Str, End, Rsn, Int, or Psc. These are the easiest to manage, in that ability scores from one character to another work exactly the same, and it is usually easy to determine when one is required. They are utilized often, whether attempting to strike a foe in hand to hand or ranged combat, lift an object, invent a space craft, or even find the information necessary to solve (or plan) a crime. Power FEATs are similar in function to Ability FEATs, in that it is usually easy to tell when one is needed; instead of referring to an ability score, however, a power rank is used to resolve this type of action. Nominally, power FEATs are streamlined to work in the normal way; any variations are noted in a power's description. A special kind of power FEAT is the power stunt. A power stunt is a use for a power that is not accounted for in its standard definition. If the Judge allows one to try it, the first time a power stunt is attempted, it will fail unless a character passes a red FEAT roll. The next two times a character attempts a power stunt, the difficulty is yellow. Finally, the last seven times a character attempts said stunt, he need only roll a green power FEAT. After he has tried a stunt ten times, the character is thought to have mastered this stunt, and need not make FEATs just to see if the stunt will work – it is now part of his standard power usage. At any rate, each time a character tries a power stunt, he must pay 100 Karma points if he wishes to have any prayer of success. This forces characters to pay for their new power stunts – though they are nonetheless cheaper to work out than new powers altogether; that costs a lot more Karma in general (depending on the origins of their powers). Popularity FEATs are normally required when a player wants something from another character, whether it be information, money, equipment, or anything else he thinks he can get away with. When a character attempts such a FEAT, his Popularity score is the base rank he will use on this roll. This rank is then given potential Column Shift modifiers based on the situation at hand. There's only a few basic CS modifiers to this FEAT, and they're listed on the table below. Table 15: Popularity FEAT Situational Modifiers Column Situational Shift Modifier +3 CS Target benefits greatly +2 CS Target of same mindset +1 CS Target benefits somewhat -1 CS Item is of Good value -2 CS Item is of Remarkable value, or is at risk of not being returned -3 CS Item is placed in danger or is unique Of course, these Column Shifts aren't all that goes into the Popularity FEAT roll. No, the general disposition of the person a character asks for aid decides the color difficulty of a Popularity FEAT. A green FEAT is called for when one is friendly to the character attempting the popularity FEAT. Those neutral to the character make for a popularity FEAT of yellow difficulty. A red popularity roll is necessary with unfriendly people are the subject of this FEAT. But what does all this mean, you ask? Well, friendly NPCs are those who are good friends with the character, or folks listed as his contacts. Neutral NPCs're are people who don't know a character (but have heard of him) or large bodies of strangers. Unfriendly NPCs include total strangers, folks who haven't heard of the character, neutral folks the fellow has ticked off by not returning an item previously, or persons having opposing popularity (negative vs. positive). Finally, hostile individuals are people who're actively opposed to a character, or sworn enemies. A popularity FEAT is unnecessary with such folks, as they are considered impossible for the purpose of this roll. They will never help a character thanks to the whims of a die roll; in fact, they'll never help a character at all, unless doing so would help their specific agenda significantly (very good roleplay may shift the difficulty of such a FEAT from impossible to 'merely' red). Resource FEATs are made when a body attempts to buy something. The intensity of this FEAT is dependent on the cost rank provided with the item to be purchased. This FEAT can be automatic under several conditions (a rich guy buying some hamburgers, for example), and a roll isn't needed. The trick is that when a Resource FEAT is rolled, it represents a large dent of the character's personal wealth. A character may attempt but one Resource FEAT roll per week. All other attempts will automatically fail; think of this as a short-term cash shortage or some such. Furthermore, without the assistance of another character (per a buddy CS), no one can purchase any item whose price rank is greater than their own resources rank – unless they break down and get a loan from a bank. A loan allows a character to make said resource FEAT roll – if red - but the trick is that he must pay back the loan. Once a month, a character who has a loan must pass a Resource FEAT of an intensity equal to the price rank of the object purchased –2 CS, for a number of months equal to the number of ranks in the price rank (Good priced items will take four months to pay off, Unearthly expensive items take ten, etc...). Talent FEATs are those required when one, well, attempts to use a skill in the course of a game. These are primarily based on ability scores, but modified as per the talent's description. Normally, a talent applies a positive Column Shift modifier to an ability (or power) FEAT, but some skills offer other advantages. However, if a character tries an action requiring a skill he lacks, he will do so at a penalty; in other words, attempting brain surgery without the medicine talent is a very, very bad idea. The basic penalty for attempting a talent FEAT without the proper talent to back it up is –1 CS. However, if a character has a similar skill that could help a FEAT out where a N/PC lacks the exact talent, this penalty is removed; similar weapons or technical training, for instance. In the end however, if the Judge feels an action can't be made without the right talent to back it up, the task is simply impossible. Material Strength One last area that deeply involves both FEAT intensity and Column Shifts is relative strength of a given material. Material Strength (m.s.) is the overall strength of a material, if you didn't see that one coming. Mostly, m.s. is used when a person or weapon attempts to break (or break through) an object, like a street, wall, or vault, for instance. The table provided here describes a basic gamut of relative strength for common - and uncommon - materials. Table 16: Standard Material Strengths Rank Materials Feeble Brush, clothing, glass, electronics, paper Poor Crystals, ice, 'soft' plastics, particle board Typical Interior walls, rubbers, sheet metal, wood Good Aluminum, 'industrial' plastic, light machinery, asphalt Excellent Concrete, bullet proof glass, iron, outer walls Remarkable Reinforced concretes, steel, solid stone Incredible Plast-steels, volcanic rock, heavy machinery Amazing Granite, high strength steel, osmium steel Monstrous Diamond, super heavy alloys, titanium Unearthly Iridium alloys, generic mystic alloys Materials of greater m.s. than those listed are often campaign specific uber-materials, those that are 'unbreakable' or otherwise have special properties. Materials of this variety are campaign specific, and beyond this table's intent. The thickness of a mass or object also plays a part in determining its m.s. If an item is less than 2 inches thick, the m.s. of this item is the listed value -1 CS. If the item is between 2 inches and one foot thick, it is of standard m.s. If the item is between 1 and 2 feet thick, it's m.s. is the listed value +1 CS. Finally, if an object is 2 feet thick or more, its m.s. is the listed value +2 CS. Example: A two foot thick cube of granite would be of effective material strength of Unearthly, while an inch thick coating of asphalt would only be of Typical (6) material strength. MOVEMENT With an understanding of the basics of one's ability scores, how they are rated in comparison to others, and how to perform actions with them, it is time to start applying this knowledge to the world around your character. All of the action in the Universal Heroes game takes place in a grand multiverse of possibility; a multiverse being defined as a multitude of dimensions. In fact, the Universal Heroes rules recognizes seven physical dimensions: three of space, three of time, and a seventh - the last of which has very strange aspects, indeed. Navigating these seven dimensions can be tricky, but luckily for us the three dimensions of space are the easiest to recognize and cross, and there are all manner of ways of getting from point A to point B available to a character. The simplest of which, of course, involves walking there. Walking / Running The standard means of going places since time immemorial, walking allows for the crossing of horizontal spaces. A healthy character can, in one minute, cross 1.5 areas of space. The base unit for space in the Universal Heroes, an area is 44 cubic yards (meaning that this 44 yards extends in all directions). This assumes that said character is not in any hurry, and is simply having a pleasant stroll or determined walk. However, this does not always apply, and a character may need to run to the scene of some crime or another (or, if a villain, from it). If running, a character can cross a number of areas per turn – the basic unit of time in the Universal heroes game (equal to six seconds) – that is determined by his Str (vgr) rank. These speeds are detailed on table 17. Table 17: Running Speed / Acceleration Rates Rank Running Speed / Acceleration * Feeble One half area per turn Poor One area per turn Typical - Excellent One and a half areas per turn Remarkable Two areas per turn Incredible+ Three areas per turn * For walking speeds, simply change 'turn' to 'minute'. This table reflects the maximum 'base' running speed for a character, for a given Str (vgr) rank, assuming an overall (and somewhat optimistic) top speed for human beings equal to thirty miles per hour - approximately ten times the standard walking rate; of course maintaining this level of speed over time is easier said than done. This table also reflects a rate of acceleration upon his body a character can reasonably withstand per turn. While characters can normally accelerate to their maximum sprinting speed almost instantaneously, acceleration forces come into play when wielding super-human movement powers. If a character has, say, a running power that lets her move at well beyond three areas per turn for instance, it will take her some time to accelerate to maximum speed. Acceleration tolerances are determined on the table above using one's End (res) score. Burst Speed Sometimes, you've just got to move fast... above and beyond the normal sprinting speed available to you. When this is the case, characters may attempt a yellow Str (vgr) FEAT roll in order to gain a burst of speed, allowing them to move one area faster per turn than is normal for them. If the character fails this FEAT however, they will stumble and fall, but still continue moving as if subject to a Slam effect. Turning A character can turn at up to ninety degrees without losing speed, as this is generally considered standard maneuvering. If they attempt a tighter turn, however, said character must slow down to half their maximum speed in order to do so safely; if one wishes to bypass this slow down, they must pass a green Agy (bal) FEAT roll in order to do so. If this FEAT roll fails, the character may very well trip, slowly rolling to a stop. Multi-tasking Similarly, it is hard for a body to concentrate on moving at their maximum speed while doing something else; texting while sprinting never works very well, you see. In order to safely manage another activity while moving, one must reduce their speed by half (unless they are engaging in a charging maneuver - running is part of the deal there). If one is in too big a hurry, the FEAT described above (and consequences of failure) applies here as well. Inside Movement For the most part, moving indoors is just like moving elsewhere. Of course, most rooms are not 44 yards to a side, so for ease of use, simply consider each individual space inside a structure to be one area for the purposes of movement. This adjustment to movement generally takes into account the need to make use of doors and windows to get in and out of an area - whether opening them or plowing through. Clutter It is difficult to maneuver through a heavily cluttered area, one that is full of people or obstacles - or both! When doing so, running characters should slow down by one degree of speed (from three areas per turn for a person with Incredible (40) Str (vgr) to two, for instance) in order to retain control of their movement. If one refuses to slow down, he must pass a yellow Agy (bal) FEAT to avoid running into something - or someone! Exhaustion Table 17 indicates that even a relatively frail person can move along at a decent clip when they need to. But how long can they keep that up, you ask? Good question. The distance a person can run before needing rest depends entirely on their End (sta). How this comes into play is when a character has run at their top speed for a number of turns equal to their End (sta) rank number. Once they reach this point, they must make a green End (sta) FEAT roll. If they succeed, they can continue, while failure indicates they must pause and rest for 1 to 10 turns (roll one of your percentile dice; that's how many turns the winded character must catch their breath). A character who is still running at this point may continue until they've done so for twice their End (sta) rank number. In order to keep pouring on the speed, they must pass a yellow End (sta) FEAT roll this time. If it fails, they must rest for 2 to 20 turns (roll both of those percentile dice and add the result together). Passing this FEAT allows your runner to continue his sprint towards (or away from) whatever has caused him to run in the first place. If he must keep moving for longer, though, this gets harder over time. Once our runner has done so for three times his End (sta) rank number, he must pass a red End (sta) FEAT in order to keep going. Failure indicates he must rest for 3 to 30 rounds (roll a d10 three times for the total amount of turns he must pause). If he succeeds, he can continue on, up until he reaches an amount of time equal to four times his End (sta) rank number, at which point he must stop imminently. He can push it further, though this requires a further red FEAT roll each turn now, not at multiples of his End (sta) rank number. Our marathon runner can keep the pace up as long as he can continue to make these FEATs each turn (often requiring Karma). As soon as he fails, he will collapse, needing 4 to 40 rounds of rest to recover from this titanic exertion. For an example, let us look at a standard, average human. To wit, a body with Typical (6) Str (vgr) and Typical (6) End (sta) can run at their top speed of one and a half areas per turn for six turns without having to make a roll (or 9 areas). They need a green End (sta) FEAT to make it to 18, a yellow End (sta) FEAT to make it to 27, and a red End (sta) FEAT to make it to 36 areas. After this, they need to pass a red FEAT every additional turn to continue. Incidentally, a mile is exactly 40 areas in length. And now you know why your gym teacher kept making you run those, and pushing you to run to the very end... to build your Endurance! Table 18: Exhaustion Rates over Time Turns FEAT Required Rest Period End (sta) x1 Green 1d10 Turns End (sta) x2 Yellow 2d10 Turns End (sta) x3 Red 3d10 Turns End (sta) x4 + Red each turn 4d10 Turns A few notes on exhaustion. One can avoid it entirely by pacing themselves; one need not walk to avoid becoming exhausted - they just need to move at a more reasonable pace. Pacing oneself involves moving as though their End (sta) was two steps higher on the table; a body with Remarkable (30) End (sta) moving at only one area per turn, for instance. Furthermore, having an End (sta) of Unearthly (100) or higher negates the effects of exhaustion entirely. Swimming Similar to walking, swimming allows a body to easily get from one point to another, but swimming refers to moving across a body of water, as opposed to a field or city street. When swimming, a character can simply tread water, an action allowing him to move at one third of their base walking rate (as is determined on table 17, above). If necessary, a character can put his all into the swim, and move at a rate equal to one third of their running speed – which is ten times faster! While this seems similar on the surface, aside from the generally slower rate of movement, the danger with swimming is that drowning is a real concern. A swimmer is subject to exhaustion just as a runner is, and if they push themselves until rest is needed, they must pass a Str (vgr) FEAT in order to keep themselves above water. If this FEAT is successful, our swimmer is fine, but if not, he may indeed slip under the waves and drown. Nominally, the length of time a character can hold their breath is determined as is exhaustion, as is stated on table 15. The difference with holding your breath, however, is that instead of needing rest when the End (sta) FEAT ultimately fails, one must breathe immediately or fall unconscious. If this occurs from lack of oxygen, a character has drowned or suffocated (depending on the circumstances), and will begin to lose Endurance ranks, one per turn. The problem while swimming is that, if already exhausted before one needs to suddenly hold their breath, they begin at the point where a yellow End (sta) FEAT roll is required, as they've already built up fatigue poisons in their system, as well as a whole lot of carbon dioxide. This is why it pays to pace oneself when swimming, unless you're wearing a life preserver or other method of keeping yourself afloat. Vertical Movement Often, walking or swimming just won't get a body where he needs to be, as a bevy of important locations lie up in the clouds, whether they be on mountain tops or in skyscrapers. Whether he is using stairs, ladders, fire escapes, or is simply climbing a vertical surface (with requisite hand holds or the appropriate equipment), a character can only move vertically at a rate equal to one story - approximately thirteen feet - per round. This applies to vertical movement in either direction – up or down. A big problem with vertical movement though is falling; it seems that people are always being pushed off of extreme heights to their doom. If he cannot find convenient hand-holds to break his fall, a falling character will accelerate to his fate at the rate presented on table 19. Table 19: Falling Speed / Acceleration Rates Falling Time Falling Speed One turn 3 stories / turn Two turns 6 stories / turn Three turns 10 stories / turn Four + turns 20 stories / turn When hitting the end of a fall, a body may be severely hurt, depending on his abilities. You see, when a person hits the ground after a fall, the damage to him (and whatever he hit) is figured as if it were a charging attack, with the m.s. of the item on the ground struck acting as the body armor of the 'target'; see the combat section for more on this phenomenon. This demonstrates how normal humans die so easily from a fall while super heroes occasionally do not – especially if they're tough enough. Flight Thanks to either powers or equipment, many people have the ability to fly. A flying character typically moves at rates of travel much greater than those who are landlocked, so to speak. The top speeds of such fliers are determined by the gear or powers that allow them to do so in the first place. However, when a character first gets going, he is bound by his body's ability to accelerate; this is dependent on his End (sta) rank, as is determined on table 17. In other words, one may fly at over two hundred miles per hour – 15 areas per turn - but if he only has Good End (sta), it'll take him over 7 turns to get up to top speed; some powers may counter this acceleration limitation, though, and are so noted. On the other hand, if a flying body wishes to decelerate, he may do so by simply halving his current speed each turn, thus quickly bringing himself to a complete stop. Landing is good idea at this point. This is simply the ending of flight, most likely by decelerating to sensible speeds and touching down on a runway, helipad, etc... FEAT rolls aren't needed while landing, unless a character tries to land while traveling at more than three areas per turn; then, he needs to pass a yellow Agy (bal) FEAT roll. A variant form of flight, gliding, should also be mentioned here. Unpowered flight, gliding allows a character to ride air currents at the listed flight speed, but his altitude drops one story per turn unless he passes a green Agy (bal) FEAT (or gliding power rank) roll every turn in the air. Similarly, a character can't gain altitude while gliding unless he passes a yellow Agy (bal) (or gliding rank) FEAT roll; this involves carefully moving a glider around in air currents, and is tricky to say the least. Flight speeds are presented for convenience on table 20. Turning While flying, characters or vehicles will lose one area of movement during any mid-air turn; this is for safety, as is the case with regular ground-based movement. If one attempts to bypass this small loss of velocity, they must pass a green Agy (bal) or Control FEAT in order to do so; this FEAT is also required when attempting a turn of greater than 90 degrees. If both are attempted simultaneously, the FEAT is of yellow difficulty. If one of these FEATs fails, the character may well lose control of their flight. When this occurs, the character (or the vehicle they're piloting) will careen off in a random direction, which may include 'up' or 'down'. Recovering control of one's direction at this point requires the success of the FEAT previously failed. The flier may attempt this FEAT each turn until they regain control or crash into something. Clutter When flying close to the ground or low in a city, the area might be full of what is called clutter. It may be people, houses, trees, or anything else, but all moving characters risk striking clutter if they don't slow down when it is in the area. Flying characters can only go safely at equivalent ground speed velocities, in order to avoid ramming themselves or their vehicles through the clutter before them. Naturally, safety may be disregarded in such conditions. As is the case with most other difficult control situations, this requires a successful yellow Agy (bal) or Control FEAT; passing this means the flier pulled off a dazzling acrobatic maneuver to avoid all the stuff in his path. Failing this FEAT means the flier will crash into something in his way - possibly wrapping him or his ride all around it. Leaping All characters can leap to some extent, depending on their Str (vgr) score. The distance a character can jump is a value determined by the amount of weight she can lift, minus her own weight. Where the result falls on on table 3 determines a character's natural leaping score. For example, a character with Good (10) Str (vgr) weighs 200 pounds. They can lift 400 pounds, so subtracting their weight drops them in the Typical (6) category for leaping purposes. Once you have this rank, apply it to table 17, below, in order to determine just how far your character can jump. Horizontal distances function at the listed rank, while vertical distances (leaping up) occur at a -1 CS. Our example character, then, can leap a smidge over six feet - which is pretty impressive, really. This is an average; making a leap forward of this distance would require a yellow Str (vgr) FEAT; using this logic, -1 CS (4.125 feet) would be a green Str (vgr) FEAT, while +1 CS (8.25 feet) would be a red Str (vgr) FEAT. Similarly, our sample character can leap up approximately four feet into the air on average (this being with a yellow Str (vgr) FEAT roll). On the other hand, dropping down occurs at this rank +1 CS - this is the safe distance the character may fall without hurting oneself. Our friend with Good (10) Str (vgr), then, can drop down 8.25 feet - over half a story - without any undue injury. A drop of greater distance inflicts damage as per a fall (described above), though the distance they can leap downward is subtracted from the overall amount when figuring out how far they fell. Again referring to our example with Good (10) Str (vgr), say he drops two stories. That's twenty six feet, give or take, and subtracting his eight-ish leaves him at 18. That still counts as only one turn worth of falling damage, and the harm he suffers (if any) is based upon that distance. This doesn't do a lot of good on significant falls unless the character has a large Str (vgr) score, at which point they may absorb some of this pain more easily. Leaping distances are presented for convenience on table 20. Table 20: Speed and Distance (Land, Sea, Leaping, Air and Space) Rank Land / Water Leaping Distance Air Space Feeble 15 m.p.h. (1 area) 2.0625 feet (1/64 areas) 30 m.p.h. (2 areas) 375 m.p.h. (25 areas) Poor 30 m.p.h. (2 areas) 4.125 feet (1/32 areas) 60 m.p.h. (4 areas) 750 m.p.h. (50 areas) Typical 45 m.p.h. (3 areas) 6.1875 feet (3/64 areas) 90 m.p.h. (6 areas) 1,125 m.p.h. (75 areas) Good 60 m.p.h. (4 areas) 8.25 feet (1/16 areas) 120 m.p.h. (8 areas) 1,500 m.p.h. (100 areas) Excellent 75 m.p.h. (5 areas) 16.5 feet (1/8 areas) 150 m.p.h. (10 areas) 3,750 m.p.h. (250 areas) Remarkable 90 m.p.h. (6 areas) 24.75 feet (3/16 areas) 225 m.p.h. (15 areas) 7,500 m.p.h. (500 areas) Incredible 105 m.p.h. (7 areas) 33 feet (1/4 areas) 300 m.p.h. (20 areas) 15,000 m.p.h. (1,000 areas) Amazing 120 m.p.h. (8 areas) 66 feet (1/2 areas) 375 m.p.h. (25 areas) 37,500 m.p.h. (2,500 areas) Monstrous 135 m.p.h. (9 areas) 99 feet (3/4 areas) 450 m.p.h. (30 areas) 75,000 m.p.h. (5,000 areas) Unearthly 150 m.p.h. (10 areas) 132 feet (1 area) 600 m.p.h. (40 areas) 150,000 m.p.h. (10,000 areas) Shift X 180 m.p.h. (12 areas) 264 feet (2 areas) 750 m.p.h. (50 areas) 669,600 m.p.h. (.1% light) Shift Y 210 m.p.h. (14 areas) 330 feet (2.5 areas) 1,500 m.p.h. (100 areas) 3,348,000 m.p.h. (.5% light) Shift Z 240 m.p.h. (16 areas) 660 feet (5 areas) 3,750 m.p.h. (250 areas) 6,696,000 m.p.h. (1% light) Class 1000 480 m.p.h. (32 areas) 1,320 feet (10 areas) 7,500 m.p.h. (500 areas) 18,600 m.p.s. (10% light) Class 3000 750 m.p.h. (50 areas) 2,640 feet (20 areas) 11,250 m.p.h. (750 areas) 93,000 m.p.s. (50% light) Class 5000 1,500 m.p.h. (100 areas) 5,280 feet (40 areas) 15,000 m.p.h. (1,000 areas) 186,000 m.p.s. (light speed) Teleportation While the previous forms of movement require a body to physically cross the space between the origin and end point of their travels, teleportation does not. This form of movement, regardless of how it functions, involves a character effectively ceasing to exist at one point in space and then instantly beginning to exist at another. A teleporter has a great range of movement, as his power uses the Far range category. However, while teleporters can cross a vast distance in the blink of an eye, all of them face the risk of teleporting into a solid object. If he doesn't exactly know the area being teleported into, a body may inadvertently transport himself into something solid. This causes damage equal to the m.s. of the object, and a person so damaged must immediately roll an End (res) FEAT vs. the intensity of this damage. If this roll is successful, this teleporter can successfully transport to safety, but if not, he will immediately pass out, and begin to lose End ranks at a rate of one per turn. If deep within a solid object, such as a mountain or a thick wall, this may spell the end of our teleporter, as nobody may know where the unfortunate traveler wound up after his little trip. But what are the odds of this happening, you ask? It ultimately depends on the area teleported into. If it is free of clutter, our teleporting friend is likely to be okay, but if it's littered with people or objects - or has been filled full of bulky things as a trap - a teleporter could be in real trouble. To be completely random, a game Judge may just give a percentage chance of this happening and roll against it. Teleportation ranges (and all other range categories, as well) are presented for convenience on table 21. Table 21: Power Range Categories Rank Very Near Near Middle Far Very Far Feeble 2 yards .5 areas 1 areas 1 mile 2 miles Poor 4 yards 1 area 2.5 areas 5 miles 25 miles Typical 6 yards 2 areas 5 areas 10 miles 250 miles Good 10 yards 4 areas 10 areas 50 miles 2,500 miles Excellent 20 yards 6 areas 20 areas 100 miles 25,000 miles Remarkable 30 yards 8 areas 1 mile 500 miles 250,000 miles Incredible 40 yards 10 areas 2 miles 1,000 miles 2.5 million miles Amazing 50 yards 20 areas 4 miles 5,000 miles 25 million miles Monstrous 75 yards 40 areas 6 miles 10,000 miles 250 million miles Unearthly 100 yards 60 areas 8 miles 100,000 miles 2.5 billion miles Shift X 150 yards 80 areas 10 miles 1 million miles 25 billion miles Shift Y 200 yards 160 areas 100 miles 10 million miles 250 billion miles Shift Z 500 yards 400 areas 1,000 miles 100 million miles .5 light year Class 1000 1,000 yards 50 miles 10,000 miles 1 billion miles 5 light years Class 3000 3,000 yards 100 miles 100,000 miles 10 billion miles 50 light years Class 5000 5,000 yards 250 miles 1 million miles 100 billion miles 500 light years There are several, more esoteric methods of travel that are available to players, but these mostly function similar to those presented here - or as slight variations therein. These other motive abilities will be described more fully as becomes necessary (usually in equipment or power descriptions). Maps and Ranged Movement Though it is not required, players of the Universal Heroes game may wish to have a map handy with which to detail their actions and movements. When a game Judge makes a map, he should do so at a scale of two inches to an area, allowing for a detailed showing of all the action. This may seem small, especially when one is used to the map scale of other games, but a heroic fight tends to spread out all over the place. A map this size is good for general use, but the Judge is free to make his own at any size he prefers. Just make sure to mark off each area as such on the map with dotted or dashed lines, so players know how far they can move their characters in a given turn. Of course, instead of going with a generic area mapping, one can instead used a concept known as ranged movement. This allows a player to use a ruler to measure out his exact movements, a method that has both good and bad points. Good in that it is far easier to track a character's exact placement on the map, but bad in that it is harder for N/PCs to be anywhere in a given area at a given point in time, which can put a small crimp in a game Judge's plans. Either way works well, however. As far as pointers for one's heroes go, virtually anything can be used. Any die, coin, or other knick-knack can fill this function nicely. Some people do make small, paper cut-and-fold stand up 'figures', usually triangular, with the front of the fold-up figure representing exactly where the character is. Some players even buy miniatures from their RPG supplier, painting them up to look like their characters. Of course, the scale of the map may alter the usefulness of these items. If the Judge uses a map of Manhattan Island, it will be of miniature scale indeed, and it may be difficult to pinpoint exactly what street out of the twelve one's figure is standing on is actually occupied by the hero. To each his own however, and for those that go forward with their map techniques, good luck to you! TIME AND COMBAT Time Scale: the Turn Previously we discussed movement, and referred repeatedly to how fast one can move in a turn. But just what is a turn, you ask? In the Universal Heroes system, a turn is six seconds - usually enough for every character to attempt at least one action each. In non-combat play, this need not be too precise; a character simply states what he wants to do and with the Judge's blessing, makes any applicable rolls. On the other hand, particularly during a fight sequence, it may be absolutely vital for the game Judge to know what happens when. When this is the case, it is imperative that players follow the combat sequence for a turn, which allows each player to act in an orderly fashion - unless one's actions obviate the need for another's. Turns proceed in the following fashion, and are defined in much greater detail below: 1. Declare Actions 2. Roll Extra Action FEATs (if necessary) 3. Determine Initiative 4. Resolve Actions in Order 5. If Multiple Rounds Needed, Resolve Extra Actions 6. Wrap Up Step 1: Declare Actions To start with, all players must determine what their character will be doing in a given turn. This applies to both player characters and non-player characters. In the interest of fairness, the game Judge should determine what the non-player characters are going to do before the players make their declaration. This helps to keep non-player characters from seeming omniscient - especially when they shouldn't be. This does not mean the Judge need declare NPC actions first (or at all, at least until they are made), just that they should be determined before the other players. This may lead to the players occasionally ruining the Judge's carefully laid plans, but then that's what player characters are for. That and it always gives players a warm, fuzzy feeling to get a surprise victory out of left field now and then. Step 2: Extra Action FEATs (if necessary) If a player intends to attempt more than one action in a given turn, he must roll a FEAT in order to determine if he may in fact do so. This FEAT can be resolved on table 22, which shows how many combat actions per turn a character may try. Where offensive actions are concerned, the FEAT is made with one's Ftg (off) score, and shows how many active tasks the character may attempt in a turn. Table 22: Combat Actions Per Turn Rank Action(s) Remarkable Two Attacks / Aversions Amazing Three Attacks / Aversions Unearthly Four Attacks / Aversions Shift Y Five Attacks / Aversions Class 1k Six Attacks / Aversions Class 3k Seven Attacks / Aversions Class 5k Eight Attacks / Aversions Making the number of offensive actions indicated on table 22 is a Ftg FEAT that is equal to the indicated intensity; for example, squeezing three actions into a six second period is an Amazing intensity Ftg (off) FEAT. If one has an Incredible Ftg (off) rank, making so many moves would require a red Ftg (off) FEAT, while a character with Monstrous Ftg (off) would only need to make a green Ftg (off) FEAT to pull this off. If this FEAT roll fails, the character can only attempt one action in this turn, and does so at a -3 CS. If they are successful however, characters may attempt more than one action. These can either be resolved as separate actions (if dissimilar) at a -1 CS each, or if the player chooses, they may occur as a 'flurry' of action, adding a +1 CS to the damage inflicted for each doubling of attacks, instead of making separate assaults. Where defensive actions are concerned, table 22 indicates how many defensive actions a character may attempt without penalty (no roll required). For instance, a heroine with Incredible (40) Ftg (def) may attempt to avert two separate attacks with ease. Attempting subsequent aversive actions is still possible, but occurs at a cumulative -2 CS for each maneuver the character tries. Another thing to keep in mind is that if using their full movement in a given turn, characters can only attempt one action in said turn, no matter how many they would like to. As such, in order to perform multiple attacks under such circumstances, they must wield them all in a singular burst. Regardless, actions attempted while moving one's fullest in a turn are made at a -1 CS (unless attempting a charging attack). Step 3: Determine Initiative Initiative is the order in which characters act. Unlike just about everything else in the Universal Heroes rules, initiative can be determined with just one d10, not percentile dice. What you do is roll said d10, and add it to the modifier indicated by your Int rank on table 23. Characters with a higher initiative go first, counting down until everyone has performed their first action. Table 23: Initiative Modifiers Rank Modifier Rank Modifier Feeble -2 Monstrous +6 Poor -1 Unearthly +7 Typical 0 Shift X +8 Good +1 Shift Y +9 Excellent +2 Shift Z +10 Remarkable +3 Class 1k +15 Incredible +4 Class 3k +20 Amazing +5 Class 5k +25 While this is reasonably accurate, and helps to break things up on a turn to turn basis by showing the fortunes and misfortunes of combat, perhaps the standard initiative system is simply too cumbersome for some games. This may occur with a very large number of participants in a given battle, or maybe a particular game group simply prefers not to spend so much time rolling the dice (or die, as it happens). As such, here are a few optional initiative rules: 1. Instead of rolling for initiative each turn, the players can instead just roll once - at the beginning of play. They merely recall their initiatives (or scribble them down) and whenever action gets complicated enough to require initiative, they simply refer to their earlier roll. NPCs need only determine initiative when they first appear. 2. Instead of rolling initiative at all, simply make use of the initiative modifiers the characters' Int scores give them. Whoever has the highest bonus gets to go first, and the rest may act in descending order. This way a roll is only actually needed in the event of a tie (or just flip a coin). This works for NPCs as well; keep their modifiers in mind as they appear, but otherwise act normally. 3. Ignore initiative entirely. Players may simply act in a set order - perhaps clockwise around a gaming table. While this often doesn't reflect the 'reality' of combat or the relative speed of characters, its definitely consistent and easy to remember. NPCs can then go either before or after the players do, according to the Judge's whims (speedsters and ambushers go first, while the rest go after, or whatever). . Players can mix this up to their advantage on occasion, as well. Perhaps they decide to coordinate their actions as a true team, instead of handling each brawl on their own. If using 'team' tactics, players should just have one character roll their initiative, and they all go relative to the NPCs whenever the die indicates. When using teamwork, it's sometimes amazing what a group of players can actually accomplish. Step 4: Resolve Actions in Order As the game Judge counts down initiative values from the highest to the lowest, each character may act in turn. In complex encounters, PCs and NPCs will act in varying order, which can make some matters tricky. In fact, as some characters act, the actions of others will be rendered moot or impossible (knocking out one character means, quite naturally, that the unconscious fellow cannot perform his or her desired action). If, after seeing the actions of others playing out (or even if they change their mind upon hearing the declarations of other players), a character has the option of changing their stated action. This requires a yellow Agy (bal) FEAT roll, and if successful, the newly declared action can proceed as normal, though at a -1 CS (which accounts for the lack of preparation, etc...) If this yellow Agy (bal) FEAT roll fails however, the character in question may not act at all in a given turn. This represents them dropping the ball (either figuratively or literally), and often leaves them in a particularly disadvantageous position upon the start of the next turn. What form this 'disadvantage' may take depends on what task(s) they failed to accomplish, but may or may not represent a negative column shift. Step 5: If Multiple Rounds Needed, Resolve Extra Actions Step five is only required if one or more characters attempt an extra actions FEAT at the beginnings of the turn. For instance, say three characters out of six attempt an extra actions FEAT roll. Two of those characters manage to acquire two actions that turn, while the other secures a total of three. Everyone then acts normally, performing their actions as declared earlier. Once everyone has acted once, a second round begins, and the three characters with extra actions go again. With this done, the one character with three actions makes his final move, and then... Step 6: Wrap Up Once every character (player or non-player) has expended all of their actions, it is time to end the current turn. The Judge will use this time to take stock of the action at hand, and determine if another turn of activity is necessary or if the action is done for the moment. He or she will also use this opportunity to introduce any events or changes in the situation as it currently exists. This is when bombs go off, floors suddenly collapse, fires ignite... that sort of thing. Assuming the Judge has any 'events' in mind, or if circumstances cause them to occur, they will fall into the flow of action here (if they weren't already triggered by characters during steps 4 or 5). This is also a good time to calculate things like recovered health (for people who regenerate) or to count ammunition (if applicable). Combat Essentials As you can see from the above, the structure of a turn is very precise in order to best allow combat between characters to function as seamlessly as possible. So keeping that in mind, let us speak about the essentials of combat in the Universal Heroes game. Standard combat maneuvers all make use of the first four primary abilities, each of which has its own offensive capabilities. Slugfest Combat Various forms of hand to hand fighting, slugfest combat is resolved with one's Fighting (off) score. In order to engage in hand to hand, or melee combat, two characters must be generally adjacent - in other words, very, very close. Sometimes certain techniques will allow a character to engage non-adjacent characters in melee (the elongation power, ridiculously long melee weapons), but normally this isn't an issue. Blunt Attacks (BA) are attacks with one's bare hands, boxing gloves or gauntlets, or any number of (you guessed it) blunt instruments. Whether punching or swinging a bat, blunt attacks are all resolved on the aptly named blunt attacks portion of the effects table, which you can find on the Universal Table. Blunt attacks have one of four results, depending on the color rolled. A white result indicates a miss, which means you did not connect with your punch, kick or whatever. A green roll means you hit, and can then determine how much damage you inflicted. A yellow result is as per a green hit, adding the potential of a Slam - physically knocking the foe about. A red roll also behaves per a green hit, with the added possibility of inflicting a Stun result on one's foe. This assumes the target of such attacks is not attempting to avoid them. Melee combatants may attempt to either evade or weave against blunt attacks, which will either prevent them from connecting or apply negative column shifts to hit. Alternately, they may try to block the damage, taking the hit and using their Strength against its incoming harm (on top of any other protection they may have access to). The advantage of blunt attacks is that their wielder need not use maximum force when applying them. By declaring that he is pulling his punch, a character has the option of either reducing the damage inflicted or the color result after the dice have settled, allowing him to avoid inflicting lethal damage or potentially harmful effects - particularly useful if one is possessed of super-human brawn. Edged Attacks (EA) involve assaults made with sharp, pointy objects. Whether using a sword, a dagger, or even some sort of inherent weaponry, edged attacks are all resolved on the (that's right) edged attacks segment of the effects section on the Universal Table. As is the case with blunt attacks, edged attacks have one of four possible results, depending on what color is indicated by the die roll. A white result means that your sharp, pointy implement has missed your target. A green die roll means that you have struck your foe, and may now determine damage based on the effective rank provided by either your Strength or super-human physical weaponry. A yellow result acts per a green roll, adding the potential of a Stun result on top of the damage. A red roll indicates, in addition to doing damage, a Kill result may have been achieved. This assumes the target of such attacks is not attempting to avoid them. Melee combatants may attempt to either evade or weave against edged attacks, which will either prevent them from connecting or apply negative column shifts to hit. Alternately, the target may try to block the damage, taking the hit and using his Strength against its incoming pain (hopefully along with other protection he may have, to avoid being cut). Edged attacks, particularly when compared to blunt attacks, tend to do a little less damage. On the other hand, they're a whole lot more lethal - swords usually mean business, after all. Unlike a blunt attack, the user of an edged attack does not have the option of pulling their punches; they get to live with whatever result they rolled, possibly killing their foe in the process. Which may of course be the idea... Ranged Combat Table 24: Thrown Weapon Ranges Rank Range in Areas Rank Range in Areas Feeble (2) One area Monstrous (75) Seven areas Poor (4) One area Unearthly (100) Eight areas Typical (6) One area Shift X (150) Ten areas Good (10) Two areas Shift Y (200) Fifteen areas Excellent (20) Three areas Shift Z (500) Twenty areas Remarkable (30) Four areas Class 1000 Forty areas Incredible (40) Five areas Class 3000 Eighty areas Amazing (50) Six areas Class 5000 Line of Sight Ranged attacks are assaults which work over a long distance - possibly extremely far. They include projectile weapons ranging from rocks to rockets, as well as energy weapons both artificial and inherent. While ranged attacks place their wielder in less immediate danger from their foe (who needs ranged attacks to strike back without closing), they also involve a lot more details - usually to the detriment of a ranged attacker. Based on the Agility (dex) of their wielder, ranged attacks suffer penalties for extreme range; for each area away from one's target beyond a ranged attack's listed range, it suffers a -1 CS modifier to hit. Furthermore, any objects in the path of one's ranged attack inflict a -2 CS to-hit penalty - each. Even something as seemingly simple as a window can act to deflect the trajectory of a ranged attack, no matter what form it takes. In that same vein, if a ranged attack strikes something on the way to its intended target, the material strength of whatever it attempts to pass through is directly subtracted from its damage sum before it even hits its target. For instance, a door of Good (10) m.s. is struck with a hail of bullets. This Excellent (20) intensity attack is reduced by 10 points, and then inflicts what's left on those on the other side (if it hits). The last thing to keep in mind about ranged attacks is simple physics. While you're (usually) not in danger of hitting others if you miss a slugfest attack, a ranged attack just might hit someone else if one launches it at a heavily occupied area. If a ranged attack misses, and if anyone is adjacent to its target, make a roll for each additional person that may be struck by it instead. Blunt Throwing Attacks (BT) are similar to ordinary blunt attacks, but they introduce range into the equation. This basically involves throwing something at an opponent, whether it's a rock, shoe, cue ball, or even a bus. Blunt throwing attacks are not directly lethal, and are resolved on the blunt throwing portion of the Universal Table's effects row, based (of course) on one's Agy (dex). A white roll naturally means the thrown object missed its target. A green result indicates that the flinging fighter has indeed struck his foe, and may determine damage normally. A yellow roll is the same as a green, but is known as a bullseye, and may be required for trick shots (hitting a specific part of a target, for instance). Red results indicate that in addition to inflicting damage, the flinger may have stunned his foe as well. Blunt throwing attacks may be avoided just like blunt attacks, though different maneuvers are needed for this. The target of blunt throwing attacks may dodge or feint against them, or alternately may attempt to block, taking the hit and hoping to 'muscle' the damage away. Finally, the wielder of a blunt throwing attack may pull his punches, just like he could if inflicting blunt attack damage in melee. Edged Throwing Attacks (ET) are similar to standard edged attacks, except for the obvious factor of range. An edged throwing attack involves flinging some sort of sharp, deadly object at another person, whether it's designed to be used in that way or not. Shuriken, daggers, some axes, and even spears fit this bill, though often an improvised edged weapon can be thrown as well - albeit at a considerable negative column shift to hit. As you can imagine, a white edged throwing attack misses its target completely. A green result means the thrown weapon hits its target, and its wielder may determine damage normally. Yellow rolls indicate a hit, per the green to-hit FEAT above, plus the added possibility of a Stun. A red FEAT on an edged throwing attack indicates a hit, in addition to potentially inflicting a Kill result on its hapless target. Edged throwing attacks may be avoided just like edged attacks, though different maneuvers are needed for this (as is the case with blunt throwing attacks). The targets of an edged throwing attack may dodge or feint against it, or alternately may attempt to block, taking the hit and hoping to 'shrug off' the damage to be inflicted. Keep in mind that you may not pull your punches on an edged throwing attack. Energy Attacks (En) are specialized assaults making use of non-physical projectiles. They involve striking something with lightning, cutting it with a laser, or even killing it with fire. Energy attacks are very powerful and versatile, and often quite lethal, as the human body is not designed to absorb energies at this level. Energy attacks are resolved on the (yep) Energy attacks effect portion of the Universal Table. A white roll details a missed energy attack, which may be very bad for the surroundings. A green FEAT means the energy attack has struck its intended target, and damage is inflicted. A yellow roll is the same as a green, and indicates a bullseye was struck (if precision attacks are attempted). A red energy attack inflicts damage per a green result, but may also inflict a killing blow on top of the mere Health loss. The target of an energy attack may attempt to avoid it as he can most other ranged assaults, by performing either a dodge or feint maneuver. On the other hand, the target of an energy attack can instead take the hit, while trying to brace himself against the damage inflicted. The wielder of an energy attack may partially pull his punches; he can lower the intensity of damage inflicted, but not the color result rolled. Force Attacks (Fo) are an odd combination of blunt and energy attacks, and involve striking a foe with a physical manifestation of energy in some form or another. This can include 'force' blasts of pneumatic power, bolts of kinetic energy, or even bursts of anti-gravitic repulsions. Force attacks are resolved using the force attacks portion of the Universal Table's effects row (see a pattern yet?). A white force attack indicates the blast missed its intended target (but can always strike someone else). A green roll means the force attack struck, and may inflict damage normally. Yellow results behave per green rolls, but are also bullseyes, meaning a precise blow has been struck (if attempted). A red force attack indicates damage per a green roll, plus the potential for a Stun condition to be inflicted as well. A force attack can be avoided in a number of ways, as befits its strange, hybrid nature. Its target may attempt either a dodge or a feint maneuver, either preventing it from connecting entirely or providing a negative column shift to be hit. Also, a force attack may be blocked, just like a blunt attack. A user of force attacks can partially pull his punches, inflicting less damage but retaining whatever color result was rolled. Shooting Attacks (Sh), last but not least, are the single most common form of ranged attack. They come into play when someone grabs a handgun or bow (or a hybrid, the crossbow) and fires it at whoever has irked their ire. Some larger weapons also inflict shooting damage as well, primarily being huge-caliber military weaponry. Shooting attacks are resolved on the similarly named portion of the Universal Table's effects row. A miss with a shooting attack means the shooter has struck something by or behind his target. A green roll indicates that he's hit, and may determine damage per the usual. A yellow FEAT performs like a green, with the added bonus of a bullseye effect (if desired or required). A red roll indicates damage was inflicted, and the shooter may have also inflicted a Kill result with his projectile as well. As is the case with energy and force attacks, the target of a shooting attack may attempt several maneuvers to avoid harm. These include both the dodge and the feint, which involve not being where the bullets (or arrows or whatever) are going. However, no one can block or brace against shooting attacks, for they are simply too piercing to work against with brute strength or fortitude. Wrestling Combat Wrestling combat is a primarily Strength-based affair. It almost exclusively requires that one be adjacent to another when engaging in wrestling attacks, unless powers such as elongation are in play. A wrestling maneuver involves using one's Strength directly against another, not necessarily with brute force so much as with leverage, grappling and pinning maneuvers, literally overpowering another with technique and muscle. Grabbing Attacks (Gb) involve taking something from someone else by force. In order to grab an item, one must overcome the Strength of whatever is holding it in place - without breaking it in the process. Thus, a grabbing attack is fraught with peril, for one must apply the proper amount of Strength to the task without going overboard - or ham-fisting the attempt and knocking an item away from oneself. A white grabbing attack is a miss - the grabber failed to grab that which he wanted to grab. A green grabbing FEAT means one may have grabbed the target, if his Strength is greater than the Strength of his opponent (or the m.s. of the item, if not held); if not, a green result indicates a struggle. A yellow FEAT indicates the grabbing attack took the item away, and a red result means this has occurred, and the item may be broken! Grabbing attacks may be avoided with an evasion or a weave maneuver. Grappling Attacks (Gp) are those in which an attacker attempts to limit the motions of another with his very body. A series of maneuvers on the part of the grappler allows him to shift his Strength such that it will partially or fully pin his foe, and may inflict damage in the process. A white or green grappling result means that the maneuver has failed utterly, and that his opponent has avoided being grappled entirely. A yellow grappling attack indicates that a partial hold has been scored, and that the attacker has limited his opponent's movements somewhat. A red grappling FEAT means that the grappler has achieved a full hold, and has prevented his foe from moving at all. He may also inflict damage upon the held individual if his Strength is greater than that of his held opponent. One may perform one action in addition to maintaining a hold each turn. One can avoid a grappling attack in the first place with an evasion or a weave maneuver. Once a partial or full hold is applied however, only an escape maneuver can be used to dislodge a grapple - unless the grappler lets go... or is made to let go, somehow. While somewhat less effective than normal melee attacks, grappling maneuvers are great for incapacitating a foe without beating them senseless. Charging Combat Charging Attacks (Ch) are those which combine movement and combat, a high speed body check which terminates at the target - usually violently. A charging individual may make his full movement and still execute a charging maneuver - in fact, this is usually required, as one must move at least one full area in order to inflict a charging attack upon a target (whether it is a living foe or an inanimate object). A character may add a +1 CS to hit for each area moved through before attempting a charge, to a maximum of +3 CS (with a practical limit of Shift Z (500)). A charging character rolls on his Endurance to see whether or not he can hit, cross-referencing the die roll against the charging portion of the Universal Table's effects row. There are four potential results of a charging attack. A white result indicates that the charging character missed his target entirely - and it's quite possible he'll careen into something else if his target was in a crowded area. A green FEAT means he struck his foe, inflicting full damage (see below). A yellow FEAT indicates the target was hit, and may suffer a Slam result as well. A red charging FEAT shows a Stun result has been scored in addition to mere damage. Damage for a charging maneuver is based on the Endurance or body armor of the attacker, whichever is higher. This damage is supplemented by the amount of areas traveled though that turn before the charge connected; add two points for every area a charging individual traveled through, with a maximum of the character's Endurance or body armor score (again, whichever is higher). A character with Unearthly (100) Endurance, then, could benefit from up to 50 areas worth of bonus charging damage! The thing is, this damage is subject to the target's body armor. If a character charges into another with body armor, an amount of damage equal to said armor score will rebound back onto the charging individual. If he also possesses like armor, this damage will be radiated out into the environment, usually harmlessly (though windows in the immediate vicinity may be damaged if such a hit is powerful enough). Charging inanimate objects works the same way, treating the material strength of said object (whether a wall or car or tank) as if it were body armor. If the charging character can inflict damage, he may break the object - or barrel right through. If not, he may instead hurt himself in the attack. Falling damage is also handled in this fashion, treating the 'fall' as a charge against the ground - or whatever else is under a falling character! The character attempting a charging attack may 'pull his punch' as far as the result rolled, but the damage is pretty much set depending on both his Endurance (or body armor) rank and the amount of distance traveled. Defensive Maneuvers Every basic attack form described above may be avoided in at least one fashion, often in multiple ways. A defensive maneuver is one made specifically to avoid the attack of another, an aversive technique to prevent incoming damage from connecting with or otherwise affecting its executor. All characters may attempt at least one defensive maneuver per turn without penalty, more with higher Ftg (def) prowess. Block maneuvers involve using one's Strength (mgt) to counter incoming damage. No effort is made to avoid being struck by an attack; instead, one leans into it and attempts to 'muscle' away the damage with brute force. A blocking character may use the result of his maneuver or any other protection to absorb the force of an attack, but not both - that is, unless the values are close enough to stack, per a normal buddy CS. When blocking, a white FEAT provides one's Strength -6 CS in protection against incoming damage. A green FEAT will provide one's Strength -4 CS, a yellow FEAT one's Strength -2 CS, and a red FEAT one's Strength +1 CS. This is why the block is the preferred defense mechanism of many super strong heroes and villains - it doesn't take great dexterity to avoid incoming harm, just a whole lot of muscle. A block may be used against most physical damage forms. It can be wielded against Blunt Attack, Blunt Throwing, Edged Attack, Edged Throwing, and Force attacks - but not Shooting attacks. Brace aversions are similar to blocks, but involve using one's Endurance (res) to withstand incoming damage instead of Strength. Working in the same basic fashion, a brace doesn't involve moving, so much as trying to 'soak' up damage. A bracing character may use the result of his maneuver or any other protection to absorb the energy of an attack, but not both - that is, unless they are close enough in rank to stack, like a normal buddy CS. When bracing, a white FEAT made provides one's Endurance -6 CS in protection against incoming damage. A green FEAT will provide one's Endurance -4 CS, a yellow FEAT one's Endurance -2 CS, and a red FEAT one's Endurance +1 CS. This is why the brace is the preferred defense mechanism of many super tough heroes and villains - it doesn't take great Agility to avoid incoming pain, just a whole lot of fortitude. Brace maneuvers are primarily useful against Energy attacks, but can apply to other forms of directed, special energy attacks (some Deionic, Karmic and Sorcerous powers fall into this category). Catching actions are those intended to, well, catch an object. This can be something that is falling, something that was thrown at the character or someone else, or even a projectile weapon (if the character is fast enough). Agility (bal) is used when determining the success or failure of a catching maneuver, and one may only catch one item at a time - though multiple actions may allow multiple catches in a given turn. A white catching FEAT indicates an auto-hit - the character not only didn't catch the item in question, but it struck him! A green catching action indicates the would-be catcher missed, and if the item to be caught was aimed at him, it gains a +1 CS to hit. A yellow catching FEAT indicates the item was caught, but might be damaged in the process (roll a Strength FEAT against its m.s.). A red FEAT indicates a successful catch. As with evasions and feints, a catch maneuver prevents one from attacking in a given turn. Catching something specifically aimed at oneself applies a -3 CS penalty. Dodge maneuvers are the basic way to avoid a ranged attack, whether one is flinging a rock or fireball at you. This basically involves getting out of Dodge, so to speak, and being somewhere else when a ranged attack comes calling. A dodge maneuver does not overtly negate the ability of an attacker to score a hit on its executor, but may do so based on the dodge result rolled. Dodges use a character's Agility (bal). A white dodge result means that no penalty was applied to the attacker - one's movements made no practical difference. A green dodge FEAT reduces one's ability to hit the dodger by -2 CS, a yellow by -4 CS, and a red by -6 CS. Against many 'normal' opponents, these column shifts may be enough to drop one's 'to hit' score below Shift 0, thus making the scoring of a hit in that instance impossible. Dodges may be attempted against Blunt Throwing, Edged Throwing, Energy, Force, and Shooting attacks. They can also apply to most other ranged attack forms that have a 'to hit' roll (some Deionic, Karmic and Sorcerous powers fall into this category). Escape attempts are those which are designed to extricate oneself from a partial or full hold inflicted as a result of a successful grappling attack. While an evasion or a feint will stop a grappling attack from sticking, an escape maneuver is the only way to get out of such once it has been applied. Escape maneuvers can also be used on equivalent attacks such as a telekinetic power's use (save for the application of a reversal). A white or a green escape result indicates failure - in other words, the character's struggles are for naught. A yellow escape roll demonstrates success, and the formerly held individual is now free of the partial or full hold he was in before; he may not act this turn, but may on the next. A red escape result indicates a reversal of the hold, and that the escapee is now the grappler, if he so chooses. As stated above, escape maneuvers are only useful against grappling attacks already in play, and are based on one's Strength (mgt). Evasion is a Fighting (def) technique by which a character actively tries to avoid being affected by melee attacks. It involves possibly playing for time, or simply 'feeling out' a foe's offense - or maybe just a serious desire to avoid being struck. Evading counts as a full action, which means one cannot attack in a turn that they are evading, but the benefit of this is that the evading character can easily avoid incoming damage. A white evasion FEAT roll means one has bungled the attempt, and walked right into an attack. Even if the attacker would've otherwise missed, he has managed to somehow strike thanks to the failed evasion. A green evasion FEAT means the attack is avoided, while a yellow adds a +1 CS to the evader's next action against that foe, and a red FEAT adds a +2 CS to whatever offensive action the evader takes against his opponent. An evasion can only be attempted against melee attacks, and then only against one opponent at a time. These include Blunt Attacks and Edged Attacks, as well as initial Grappling attempts and any special attack powers or energy forms which are delivered on touch. Feint aversions are similar to evasions, in that they involve an active defense, a sacrifice of one's own attack in a given turn to ensure that one avoids being struck. The difference between the two is that a feint involves actions against a ranged opponent, and that Agility (bal) is the base of the feint maneuver. They are otherwise the same, in that one can only feint a single ranged opponent per feint attempt. A white feint FEAT roll means one has bungled the attempt, and walked right into an attack. Even if the attacker would've otherwise missed, he has managed to somehow strike thanks to the failed feint aversion. A green feint FEAT means the attack is avoided, while a yellow adds a +1 CS to the feint executor's next action against that foe, and a red FEAT adds a +2 CS to whatever offensive action the feinter takes against his opponent. Feint aversions apply to Blunt Throwing, Edged Throwing, Energy, Force, and Shooting attacks, as well as other special, ranged attack and damage forms that require a to-hit roll (some Deionic, Karmic and Sorcerous powers fall into this description). Weave maneuvers are attempts to directly avoid incoming melee damage. While an evasion can completely prevent a melee hit from connecting, it involves a more active defensive posture and technique - and takes one's combat action in a given turn. Essentially, a weave maneuver functions just like a dodge, only that it applies to melee attack instead of that which is ranged in nature. A white weave result means that no penalty was applied to the attacker - one's movements made no practical difference. A green weave FEAT reduces one's ability to hit the weaver by -2 CS, a yellow by -4 CS, and a red by -6 CS. Against many 'normal' opponents, these column shifts may be enough to drop one's 'to hit' score below Shift 0, thus making the scoring of such in that instance impossible. A weave aversion may primarily be used on Blunt Attacks and Edged Attacks, as well as initial Grappling attempts or any other damage form or attack power that requires direct physical contact. Weave attempts are made with one's Fighting (def) score. Slam, Stun and Kill Results Above and beyond standard combat results, there are three which particularly stand out: the Slam, the Stun and the Kill. All three of these may be ignored if no actual damage is inflicted in the attack which scores one, but if it does, the character suffering from such must immediately make an Endurance FEAT roll. The possible results of said FEAT rolls are presented here. Slam results describe a hit so powerful that it may physically knock a character around. A Slam result prompts an Endurance FEAT made on the Slam? portion of the Universal Table's effects row. A red FEAT means the target of a Slam was not, in fact, slammed at all. A yellow FEAT indicates that he may have been pushed back a few feet, or perhaps down on one knee, but the target may still act normally. A green FEAT to resist a Slam result states the character is in fact slammed one full area away. A white FEAT against a Slam result indicates utter failure, and that a Grand Slam has occurred. This means the slammed character will be physically launched away, as if thrown, with a Strength equal to the damage inflicted after his body armor or other defenses (see table 24, above, for specific distances). When a slam occurs, roll a d10 to determine which direction a character is slammed (if the attacker has none in mind). A one or two means the character is knocked straight down, a three or four means a character is thrust to the left, a five or six means he was slammed to the right, a seven or eight means he was knocked backwards, and a nine or ten means the slammed character was smashed straight up into the air. If the slammed character strikes something while in motion, it should be treated as per a charging attack, above, which may be particularly disastrous to both the environment and the slammed character if he was hit hard enough. But then, if he was hit hard enough to fly ten areas, that may be preferable to being within melee distance of the person that hit him so hard to begin with. Stun indicates a strike was powerful enough to potentially incapacitate its target for a while. When a stun result is rolled, the character might be dazed, concussed, or otherwise rendered unable to act for a short period of time, depending on the Endurance FEAT rolled on the Stun? portion of the Universal Table's effects row. There are three possible results of a stun check. A red or yellow Endurance check means that the target of a stun result is not, in fact, stunned. While it may have looked like a powerful strike at first, the target managed to avoid being dazed (or whatever) by the attack. A green FEAT roll, on the other hand, will stun its victim for one turn. If the character has not yet acted, the stun applies to the current turn, but if he has acted already it applies to the next. On a white FEAT, a stun will affect its target for 1d10 turns. The character so affected is knocked out for all intents and purposes, either unconscious or so disoriented that he cannot do anything other than twitch or convulse. A stunned character may be revived by someone with the first aid talent, but otherwise he's at the mercy of the elements - and whoever it was that knocked him out. Kill results indicate a potentially lethal attack has been executed on the target. A kill result requires an Endurance FEAT made on the Kill? portion of the Universal Table's effects row. A roll must also be made on the Kill? sub-table whenever a character's Health score drops to zero, or when a character suffers Negative Health damage (being struck while unconscious or otherwise out of Health). As with a stun, a red or yellow Endurance FEAT upon receiving a kill result means the character is just fine - at least, as a result of that particular attack; his situation may still be quite dire. A green FEAT means the character will be affected by the kill result if the source of the damage was either Edged Attack or Shooting. A white FEAT means that the kill result was successful, and that the victim loses one Endurance rank. For every subsequent turn the victim of a kill result lays unaided, he will lose another Endurance rank, doing so until he dies. This assumes that no one helps him at all. A dying character who is helped before slipping below Shift 0 Endurance will live (assuming nothing else happens to him), but may be in dire straits nonetheless thanks to his reduced Endurance score, which must heal normally. Other Combat Results In addition to a Slam, Stun or Kill result, all manner of other combat results may occur on the Universal Table, as each attack technique has its own set of potential outcomes. Those which are not quite as detrimental as the above three are listed below, in order to give one a better handle of the variables that may occur in the midst of a fight while using the Universal Heroes rules. Auto-hit is what happens when one zigs when they should have zagged. A catch, feint or evasion that achieves this result has caused its executor to quite literally walk into an attack. Even if the attacker would've otherwise missed, the character who scored an auto-hit will make it strike him somehow, possibly by inadvertently walking into the space the missed attack would've otherwise occupied. Break results occur on a grabbing attack where too much force may have been used. The grabber grabbed the item in question, but he must roll a Strength FEAT against the m.s. of the item. If his Strength overcomes the m.s. of said object, it may be broken, or may otherwise hamper the grabber's activities. A bomb may detonate, while a statue might crack, or a gun might even go off! Bullseye is a combat result that is required when one wishes to strike a precise location on a target with distance attacks. No matter the weapon or attack form, the idea is that a bullseye is required to strike something specific, such as the gun in one's hand, that spot between the eyes, or anything else desired. If a precision strike isn't intended, a bullseye is treated as a normal hit. Catch results are the best possible outcome of a catching attempt. A Catch means that the character not only avoided being struck by whatever it was he intended to catch, but that he avoided damaging it in the process of catching it. If an inanimate object, the caught item is now in the character's possession, and if it was a living being, it may be safely set down without further risk. Column Shift results indicate a CS applied either to an attacker or a defender, based on some ability or another. Dodge and weave maneuvers usually apply a negative CS to attacker's hit rolls, while a block or brace applies one to one's own Strength or Endurance to determine momentary protection. Normally negative, a CS can demonstrate a bonus, particularly where evasions and feints are involved. Damage is a potential result of a catching attempt gone awry. This result indicates that the item was indeed caught, but may have suffered damage as a result of the catch. The catching individual must make a Strength FEAT against the m.s. of the object to determine if it was damaged or destroyed. If catching a living being, this maneuver may instead damage the caught entity, per a charging attack! Escape is a combat result that only occurs when attempting an escape maneuver (really). When this result is scored, the character attempting the maneuver has managed to shake himself loose of whatever hold his opponent had him in. He can engage in no other actions on that turn, but may act normally on the next - assuming he is not grappled anew by his foe. Evasion / Feint when attempting either a feint or an evasion, these results indicate success. The executor of this maneuver has successfully avoided being struck, if at the expense of their own offensive maneuvers. These results do not place the evader / feinter in an advantageous position against their foes, but on the other hand they have not suffered damage of any variety either. Full Hold indicates that a grappling attack was successful. It means the held individual cannot move at all, until let go or he successfully executes an escape attempt. A grappler may inflict damage upon his foe if he can pass a Strength FEAT against the held individual, though this also requires overcoming any body armor or other protections he may have as well (if any). Grab results of grabbing attacks mean that the grabber has managed to grab the item in question away from his target. This occurs regardless of the Strength of his opponent or the material strength of the object in question, and the grabber now has full possession of the item. Mind you, there may not be anything to subsequently stop its former possessor from grabbing the item back... Hit results rolled on the Universal Table indicate that yes, you have struck your target. Aside from inflicting damage (assuming no protective items or powers in play on the target), a hit does not inflict any additional combat effects. Mind you, simply inflicting damage can be enough to accomplish what a character intends in the first place, but that's neither here nor there. Miss indicates just that - that the attack in question failed to connect with its target. This may or may not have serious consequences; when a ranged attack misses, it may very well strike someone or something in the vicinity of the intended target, with potentially dire results. Alternately, a miss may place the attacker in a disadvantageous position against his foe (or target, if grabbing) on the next turn. Partial Hold indicates that a grappling maneuver has been partially successful, and that its target has been somewhat constrained in his movements. A partial hold inflicts a -2 CS penalty upon all actions a held individual attempts. The only way to remove this penalty is to make the grappler let go somehow or to successfully execute an escape attempt upon him... which is easier said than done. Reversal results are the best possible outcome of an escape attempt. When a reversal is rolled, the character attempting the escape may, if he so chooses (or is physically able), reverse the hold his opponent previously held him in. If the escapee does not wish to continue grappling with his foe, he may simply push or kick himself loose, and may instead engage in any one action of his choice during that turn. Take results of a grabbing attack indicate the item may or may not be in the grabber's possession. On a take result, the grabber must roll a Strength FEAT against either the Strength of the person holding the item or the item's material strength. If this FEAT fails, the grabber has not liberated the item, and he must struggle with its current possessor to take the item (or if 'loose', treat as a miss result instead). Determining Damage Damage in the Universal Heroes game can be tallied in two fashions. The first, and less accurate, is to just use the listed rating whenever an attack is used. For instance, an Amazing (50) ranked fire generation power will always inflict Amazing (50) SD Energy damage, no matter the circumstances in which it is used. The advantage of this method is that combat can be resolved somewhat faster. On the other hand, damage may be rolled after a hit has been scored. This involves making a second die roll upon hitting a target, but allows the damage to be represented as an intensity, meaning that that Amazing (50) rank fire attack listed above can cause Excellent (20) damage on a white result, Incredible (40) damage on a green, Amazing (50) damage on a yellow, and Monstrous (75) damage on a red roll. While the former method can greatly speed things up in a game, it is far from dynamic; combat will be generally predictable. Furthermore, it does not allow for extremes of action, and can cause many of the results seen so often in comic book battles to be downright impossible. The game Judge should declare which method he prefers at the beginning of a campaign - though it may behoove him (and the players) to switch now and then. This can be done in order to streamline action when conditions at a game are different than normal. For example, a game Judge may normally run a game for a few close friends, perhaps up to six, and prefers the damage intensity method. But when running a game at a convention, and inadvertently winding up with over a dozen players (as has happened to this author during a convention on occasion), the static method is best. -- MISSING SECTIONS HERE -- CHARACTER GENERATION With everything else explained, it's time for you to build your very own character(s) for use in the Universal Heroes Role Playing Game. Whether as a regular player (building PCs) or as the game Judge (building NPCs), there are two systems available for the creation of all new characters. These are the random (dice based) character creation process and the systematic (point based) character creation method. The random method of character generation is designed to build characters that are different from one attempt to another. The likelihood of creating identical characters using the random method is incredibly slim. At the same time, it may be difficult for a player to get precisely what he wants out of a character. And while PCs may be of differing utility, the truth is that the dice don't lie - they roll what they roll. The systematic method of character generation puts the entire responsibility for a character's capabilities in the hands of its creator. All PCs will begin play with a like amount of points, and may place them as they see fit on their character - within any limitations set by the game Judge in advance, such as power rank caps and so forth. While more balanced, systematic character creation allows for the creation of 'repeat' characters. Rules for both are presented during character creation, no matter what form of character is generated. Usually the random method is explained in detail first, since it involves a plethora of tables to determine just what each character can do. Such lengthy rules are followed by a quick set of instructions on using the systematic method, since it is (generally) much more straight forward. Character Origins Before anything else, the type of character to be generated must be determined. This is typically the player's choice, and no die roll need be made (or points spent) to make this determination. A random chart is presented for the Judge's use however, in order to quickly produce a hero, villain or other character 'on the fly' as is necessary. Character types (or origins) are presented on table XX. Table xx: Character Origins 01-12 Normal 13-25 Textbook 26-37 Technological 38-50 Sorcerous 51-62 Psionic 63-75 Immortal 76-87 Combination 88-00 Alien Normal characters lack super human abilities of any stripe. They wield no technology above and beyond that of their peers, they lack bizarre genetic quirks, and they have not studied with strange mentors to learn the arts arcane or psionic. They only have their own natural abilities, skills, resources and history to draw upon in order to achieve their goals, whatever they may be. Textbook characters are those who have inherent powers for a host of different reasons. They may manifest due to a freak accident, a scientific experiment gone awry, a quirk of genetics, or some other mysterious process. This origin is all about ingrained abilities, and while a textbook character's powers may be temporarily neutralized by others somehow, they are not easily lost (or gained). Technological characters are those who derive their powers from the application of knowledge. This application can come in the form of high tech devices, cybernetic implants, pharmaceutical modifications, and a whole lot more stuff that we ordinary humans can barely imagine. It's important to keep in mind that most technological capabilities and advantages can be easily countered, disabled or even stolen. Sorcerous characters are those who, after intense study and training, have learned how to subtly alter probabilities. In doing so, a sorcerer can achieve feats that are seemingly impossible - but are in fact merely incredibly improbable. Sorcerers do not wield inherent powers, they simply access their fantastic abilities thanks to their considerable knowledge of the arcane and the obscure. Psionic characters are they who have mastered the powers of the mind that are inherent to all sentient beings. Whether exerting control over himself or the outside world, a psi has learned how to wield the full power of his very self thanks to intense meditations. Psi powers are like talents, in that they are based upon what the psionic character knows, instead of alterations in his cellular makeup. Immortal characters are those who are blessed with an evolved life force; while a physical evolution may give humans special abilities, a spiritual evolution grants them life eternal - or some form therein. Immortal characters may also include individuals who wield powers that persist while they do not, are simply blessed with an ageless existence, or even those imbued with powers by deific beings. Combination characters do not readily fit into one of the neat categories above. They often possess characteristics of two (or more) of the above character origins, either where intentional blending occurs (such as a technomage or a deionicist), or some other merging. A combination character can be incredibly versatile, but care must be taken to make sure he does not step upon his own, proverbial toes. Alien characters are non-human entities. Their species may have started out as a human or some variant therein, but has since wandered into different territory. Aliens may also be creatures that neither had their beginnings amongst human specimens nor on earth proper, and are truly extraterrestrial or extraplanar in origin. Aliens may be 'stock' examples of their kind ('normals') or possess a power path all their own. Once a character origin has been determined, simply refer to that portion of the Universal Heroes rules in order to continue / complete the character generation process. Unless of course you've decided to create an unpowered, 'normal' adventurer. In that case, simply read on, for the rules necessary to create a normal character in the Universal Heroes system follow below. Normal Characters While the Universal Heroes is designed to cover all kinds of strange adventures in stranger locations, usually conducted by yet stranger characters, there's still room for completely normal people in the game. Normal characters are those who lack special powers of any variety. They do not fire heat beams from their eyes, control the weather, or destroy whole buildings with a mere thought. But don't underestimate them. Normals in the Universal Heroes game are adventurers who can quite readily keep up with their powered brethren. While their teammates may have the ability to set fire to anything they look at, a normal has a staggering array of skills and resources with which to level the playing field. While a normal cannot fly, he can still run rings around his powered counterparts in a scrap. Background and Style Though normal human adventurers have many skills and weapons and whatnot, the most important part of such characters is their story. Why does such an individual do what he does? It takes an impressive person to throw down with costumed antagonists, whether or not he wears Spandex ™ himself. What's his motivation? Does he do his thing out of a sense of duty, or is it just a paycheck that he's looking forward to? These are the things that define a normal human adventurer. Their abilities, quirks, skills, contacts, and equipment should be representative of what makes them tick. Mutants do what they do because of their freakish genes, while sorcerers can do what they do because of their occult background. But a non-powered adventurer? His background and style should explain why he has all the capabilities he does. This origin story will define many of the abilities, skills, contacts, and items he has access to. It will (hopefully) also help to set a certain 'style' representative of the character, one that sets him apart from others of his ilk. Many characters may wield guns or swords or whatever, but their background and their style is what makes them unique compared to other, similarly capable folks. Random (Dice Roll) Method When generating normal human adventurers, use table A to generate Strength, Endurance and one mental ability score, table B to generate Fighting, Agility and another mental ability score, and finally table D to generate the remaining mental ability score (whichever of one's Reason, Intuition or Psyche has yet to be determined). Normals do not have access to hyperexhaustive or hyperkinetic ability ranks. Table XX: Rank Generation Table A Table B Table C Table D Table E Table F Table G Table H Table I Rank - - 01 - 01 - 01 - 01 Hyperexhaustive 01 01 02-05 - - 01 02-05 - - Feeble (2) 02-25 02-05 06-10 - - 02-05 06-10 - - Poor (4) 26-50 06-25 11-25 - - 06-10 11-15 - - Typical (6) 51-75 26-50 26-50 01 02-05 11-25 16-25 - - Good (10) 76-99 51-75 51-75 02-25 06-25 26-50 26-50 01 02-05 Excellent (20) 00 76-95 76-90 26-50 26-50 51-75 51-75 02-25 06-25 Remarkable (30) - 96-99 91-95 51-75 51-75 76-90 76-85 26-50 26-50 Incredible (40) - 00 96-99 76-99 76-95 91-95 86-90 51-75 51-75 Amazing (50) - - - 00 96-99 76-90 76-85 96-99 96-99 Monstrous (70) - - - - - 00 96-99 00 96-99 Unearthly (100) - - 00 - 00 - 00 - 00 Hyperkinetic At this point, a 'gamble' may be rolled on any two ability scores the player desires. This allows him to shore up any shortcomings he may perceive, or otherwise lets him bulk up a character if he would like. Keep in mind that the character's ability scores must remain within the normal human maximums (as detailed in the Ability Scores section); drop an ability score to that level if a gamble raises it too far. Once physical and mental ability scores are set, calculate the character's Health, Karma, Negative Health and Mental Health scores. Normal Humans may determine their initial Resources rank on table B. Their Popularity score will initially be zero (0). Table XX: Rank Modifiers (Gambling) Crazy Risky Traditional Lenient Easy Column Shift 01 - - - - -4 CS 02-05 01 - - - -3 CS 06-15 02-05 - 01 - -2 CS 16-25 06-25 01-15 02-25 01 -1 CS 26-75 26-75 16-50 26-50 02-25 0 CS 76-85 76-95 51-65 51-75 26-50 +1 CS 86-95 96-99 66-85 76-99 51-75 +2 CS 96-99 00 86-95 00 76-99 +3 CS 00 - 96-00 - 00 +4 CS (Shift X max.) (Un 100 max.) (Mn 75 max.) (Am 50 max.) (In 40 max.) Next up are Quirks. A normal human adventurer may begin play with four quirk points, which he may spend on beneficial quirks as he sees fit - either purchasing one level 3 quirk, two level 2 or 'double cost' quirks, four level 1 quirks, or any combination therein. If the character would like even more, he may take on deleterious quirks to cover any difference his choices creates. While the quirks taken are entirely up to the player generating a character, random tables are presented for convenience, should the player not really know (or care) which quirks he begins play with - or for the Judge's use. Random quirks can be generated by rolling on quirks table 1 to determine the type of quirk to be taken, while quirks tables 2 through 7 showcase the individual quirks available. Quirks with a (2) listed behind them count 'double', and cost (or grant) two quirk points. Quirks with a (*) notation may be taken in levels, costing (or granting) one point at level 1, two points at level 2, and four points at level 3. Quirks Table 1: Quirks Categories 01-17 Physical (beneficial) 18-33 Physical (deleterious) 34-50 Mental (beneficial) 51-67 Mental (deleterious) 68-83 Role Play (beneficial) 84-00 Role Play (deleterious) Quirks Table 2: Physical Quirks (beneficial) 01-07 Acceleration Tolerance 08-14 Adrenal Surge 15-21 Ambidexterity 22-28 Fast Healing 29-35 Fighting Logistics 36-42 Gravity Tolerance (*) 43-50 Hardiness (2) 51-57 Heightened Sense 58-64 High Pain Threshold 65-71 Learned Resistance (*) 72-78 Omnidexterity (2) 79-85 Rank Boost (2) 86-92 Strong Bones (*) 93-00 Sturdiness Quirks Table 3: Physical Quirks (deleterious) 01-06 Abnormal Attribute 07-11 Acceleration Intolerance 12-17 Albinism 18-22 Allergy (*) 23-28 Color Blind 29-33 Dulled Sense (*) 34-39 Dwarfism 40-44 Epilepsy 45-50 Feebleness 51-56 Gigantism 57-61 Gravity Intolerance (*) 62-67 Lameness 68-72 Low Pain Threshold 73-78 Missing Parts (2) 79-83 Rank Loss (2) 84-89 Slow Healing 90-94 Weak Bones (2) 95-00 Weakness (2) Quirks Table 4: Mental Quirks (beneficial) 01-08 3-D Sense 09-15 Alertness 16-23 Cybernetic Aptitude 24-31 Fortitude 32-38 High Stress Threshold 39-46 Karmic Shell (2) 47-54 Magical Aptitude 55-61 Natural Talent 62-69 Psionic Aptitude 70-77 Quick Learning 78-84 Sanity 85-92 Static 93-00 Technological Aptitude Quirks Table 5: Mental Quirks (deleterious) 01-03 Action Addict 04-06 Attitude (*) 07-09 Bluntness (*) 10-12 Bully (*) 13-15 Combat Paralysis (*) 16-18 Compulsiveness (*) 19-20 Cowardice (*) 21-23 Cyber-neurosis 24-26 Fanaticism (*) 27-29 Frenzied 30-32 Greed (*) 33-35 Gullibility (*) 36-38 Honesty (*) 39-40 Impulsiveness (*) 41-43 Inept (*) 44-46 Insanity (2) 47-49 Insomnia 50-52 Jealousy (*) 53-55 Karmic Dearth (2) 56-58 Laziness (*) 59-60 Learning Disorder 61-63 Low Stress Threshold (*) 64-66 Mania (*) 67-69 Multiple Personality (*) 70-72 Pacifism (*) 73-75 Paranoia (*) 76-78 Personal Code (*) 79-80 Phobia (*) 81-83 Pushover 84-86 Rudeness (*) 87-89 Short Attention Span 90-92 Shyness (*) 93-95 Stubborn (*) 96-98 Temper (*) 99-00 Vow (*) Quirks Table 6: Role Play Quirks (beneficial) 01-09 Ally 10-18 Assistant 19-27 Attractive (*) 38-36 Benefactor (*) 37-45 Cash Flow 46-54 Charmed 55-63 Fame (*) 64-72 Fan Club 73-81 Good Reputation 82-90 Likability (2) 91-00 Lucky (2) Quirks Table 7: Role Play Quirks (deleterious) 01-06 Alien Culture (*) 07-12 Bad Reputation 13-18 Bigotry (*) 19-24 Dependent 25-29 Enemy (*) 30-35 Illiteracy 36-41 Jinxed 42-47 Loner (*) 48-53 Nerd 54-59 Poverty 60-65 Repugnant Personality (*) 66-71 Snob 72-77 Social Dependent (*) 78-82 Unattractive (*) 83-88 Unlucky (2) 89-94 Unpleasant Habits (*) 95-00 Weirdness Magnet Perhaps the greatest advantage a normal human adventurer has over his powered counterparts is his extensive roster of Talents. The whole idea of a skilled normal is that he's, well, highly skilled. In order to determine the number of talents such a character has, make a roll on talent table 1 for a random number of talents, and then add six (6) to the value generated. To generate random talents (should the player so choose), roll on talents table 2 to determine a talent category, and then on talents tables 3 through 10 to determine specific talents. Talents with a number listed in parenthesis after them count as that many talents (Military costs two talent 'slots', for instance), while any with an asterisk in parenthesis have a special cost; see their individual descriptions for more. Most talents may be taken at higher levels; a level 2 talent occupies two talent 'slots', while a level 3 talent occupies four. Of course it behooves the player to choose each talent he desires, as these will be the primary thing that gets him through a fight, whether with powered or unpowered opponents (aside from any gear he has, of course). Talents Table 1: Number of Talents 01-17 One talent 18-33 Two talents 34-50 Three talents 51-67 Four talents 68-83 Five talents 84-00 Six talents Talents Table 2: Talent Categories 01-12 Background 13-25 Behavioral 26-37 Environmental 38-50 Fighting 51-62 Miscellaneous 63-75 Professional 76-87 Scientific 88-00 Weapon Talents Table 3: Background Talents 01-25 Heir to Fortune (3) 26-50 Law Enforcement (2) 51-75 Military (2) 76-00 Student * Talents Table 4: Behavioral Talents 01-14 Hypnosis 15-28 Leadership 29-43 Manipulation 44-57 Performer 58-72 Service 73-86 Sleight of Hand 87-00 Tactics Talents Table 5: Environmental Talents 01-25 Climbing 26-50 Stealth 51-75 Survival 76-00 Tracking Talents Table 6: Fighting Talents 01-07 Acrobatics 08-13 Aerial Combat 14-20 Astral Combat 21-27 Martial Arts type A 28-33 Martial Arts type B 34-40 Martial Arts type C 41-47 Martial Arts type D 48-53 Martial Arts type E 54-60 Multiple Attacks 61-67 Spatial Combat 68-73 Targeting 74-80 Tumbling 81-87 Underwater Combat 88-93 Vehicular Combat 94-00 Wrestling Talents Table 7: Miscellaneous Talents 01-17 First Aid 18-33 Power Skill 34-50 Repair / Tinkering 51-67 Resist Domination 68-83 Trance 84-00 Trivia Talents Table 8: Professional Talents 01-06 Animal Handling 07-12 Artist 13-18 Astronaut 19-24 Boating 25-29 Business / Finance 30-35 Crime 36-41 Demolitions 42-47 Detective / Espionage 48-53 Driving 54-59 Education 60-65 Engineering 66-71 Journalism 72-77 Law 78-82 Piloting 83-88 Politics 89-94 Salesmanship 95-00 Sports Talents Table 9: Scientific Talents 01-07 Archaeology 08-13 Biology 14-20 Chemistry 21-27 Computers 28-33 Criminology 34-40 Electronics 41-47 Genetics 48-53 Geology 54-60 Linguistics 61-67 Lore 68-73 Mathematics 74-80 Medicine 81-87 Physics 88-93 Psychology 94-00 Theology Talents Table 10: Weapon Talents 01-05 Advanced Guns 06-11 Blunt Weapons 12-16 Bows 17-21 Concussion Weapons 22-27 Energy Weapons 28-32 Guns 33-37 Marksman 38-42 Natural Weapons 43-47 Oriental Weapons 48-52 Quick Draw 53-58 Sharp Weapons 59-63 Shields 64-68 Spontaneous Weapons 69-74 Thrown Objects 75-79 Thrown Weapons 80-84 Two Weapons 85-89 Weapon Skill 90-94 Weapon Specialist 95-00 Weapons Master (2) Contacts are people that a character knows, above and beyond mere employees, employers or acquaintances. A contact may be relied upon to aid characters during the course of their adventures, whether with information, materials, or direct intervention. Of course, a contact is a human being (or a group of such), and does not exist in a vacuum; lean on a contact too much and he'll ask for favors in return. To choose contacts, begin by rolling for the number of initial contacts on contact table 1, and add six (6) to this result as you do with talents. Even more so than is the case with talents, a character should choose contacts to help flesh out his background, as well as to give himself ready-built assistance during play - though some contact 'slots' may be held in reserve against future necessity if desired; these are known as 'floating contacts'. However, a random rolling table for contact types is presented as well, that being contacts table 2. This is mostly for the Judge's use when building random characters, but can offer good ideas if a player gets 'stuck'. As is the case with most quirks and talents, a contact may be taken at multiple levels. Level 2 contacts occupy two contact 'slots', while level 3 contacts occupy four. Contacts Table 1: Number of Starting Contacts 01-17 One contacts 18-33 Two contacts 34-50 Three contacts 51-67 Four contacts 68-83 Five contacts 84-00 Six contacts Contacts Table 2: Contact Types 01-06 Aide 07-11 Artist / Performer 12-17 Business 18-22 Criminal 23-28 Doctor 29-33 Expert 34-39 Foreign Power 40-44 Government 45-50 Hero / Villain 50-56 Informant 57-61 Journalist 62-67 Lawyer 68-72 Mentor 73-78 Military 79-83 Organization 84-89 Police 90-94 Scientist 95-00 Trivia Finally, the player must decide what kind of equipment the character will possess, whether he stores it in a lair or carries it on his person. A normal adventurer will not have any special gear, that of an advanced, sorcerous, psionic or deionic sort. As such, he can have any gear that is readily available in his campaign. Mundane vehicles, weaponry and electronics of any variety are that which the normal human adventurer wields. This can be anything from a Desert Eagle ™ to a Jeep ™ to a Blackberry ™ - whatever materials the character ought to have as a function of his background and role. An adventurer who is known for his two-handed gun style and a predilection for playing music in the middle of a fight would presumably have the finest hand guns available, not to mention a few mp3 players in his pockets (since they get broken so often). The equipment a character will possess depends on his Resources rank. A character may automatically have any gear with a Resources rating equal to his Resources rank or less, and may start out with materials of up to his Resources rank +2 CS with but a small explanation (the character has a Porsche ™ that he has paid off previously). Anything more exorbitant must be approved by the Judge first - but isn't necessarily out of the question. It's mostly just a matter of feasibility and availability at that point. Systematic (Point Based) Method As is the case with all other player characters, a normal human may be built with fifty (50) points. These points may be allocated as the player wishes, within a few constraints. To begin with, determine how far above (or below) the norm the character will be in each ability; for our purposes, the 'norm' will be Typical (6) rank. For every +1 CS a player applies to each spend one point, and for each -1 CS applied to these values, add one point. All of these values must remain within the limits of a normal human character (as detailed in the Ability Scores section). Once these are set, calculate the character's Health, Negative Health, Karma and Mental Health scores. Begin with Typical (6) Resources and a Popularity of zero (0). These may be raised +1 CS for one point, but at a double cost for each subsequent +1 CS (2 points for +2 CS, 4 points for +4 CS, etc). Next, the player must choose which quirks, talents and contacts his character will have. He may spend his remaining points on any number of each, as long as he can afford the price. It's important to note that level 2 and 3 versions of these qualities require increasingly detailed explanations for their presence in the character's back story; one can have several level 3 talents, for example, but that would take a whole lot of dedication. Of course, these should all be dependent on the character's background to begin with. If the player isn't too sure about the precise origins of his normal human adventurer, perhaps his quirks, talents and contacts can help to expand on it somewhat. In fact, if the player has not completed his new character's background yet (assuming he didn't start with that step to begin with), he probably should do so at this point. Finally, the equipment the character possesses must be determined. As is the case with randomly generated characters, normal humans built with the point based system may choose any standard gear that is readily available in the campaign, as long as it falls within a few CS of his Resources rank. If he wants something more expensive, the player must give a good reason for such, though the Judge has veto power over improbable equipment. POWER CUSTOMIZATION While every effort has been made to produce a wide variety of powers and devices for use in the Universal Heroes role playing game, ideally to cover every eventuality a player may conceive of when creating their own characters, the truth is that this is a wholly impossible task. Thus, room is left for players to indulge in the process of power customization, to better actualize their character concept. One may undergo this process for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the powers as rolled (or bought) simply don't precisely line up with what the player had in mind. Similarly, the player may want more than he or she can squeeze out of the conventional character generation process, and wants to alter things in order to get it 'right'. Both of these are valid reasons to engage in power customization. Whenever one is curtailing their existing ability in exchange for more power, they are adopting limitations. Conversely, when one is dampening their raw power in exchange for more versatility, they are adding enhancements. This is a somewhat subjective process, undertaken with the Judge's supervision, but the general guidelines detailed below may help players in this process. Limitations Limitations are means by which a player can add to the rank of a power (or powers), namely by accepting constraints on how that power (or the entire character) can function. A limitation that applies to one or more - but not all - of a character's powers is considered a power limitation. A limitation that applies to all of a character's powers, and/or the character as a whole, is considered a character limitation. Generally, the presence of limitations on a character is up to the player. These are most often voluntary changes to a power (or the whole character), used to make him more potent overall. However, certain abilities require that their wielder have one or more limitations for purposes of game balance, and some character limitations (such as a weakness) can be temporarily imposed on a character with specific powers. When pondering limitations, consider the rank ceiling the Judge has declared for his game. If you have a power at Amazing (50) rank and that's his ceiling, extremely limiting a power may not get you very far - while ruining your fun at the same time. If the Judge allows one to exceed his cap via limitations however, they might be a great way to allow your character to stand out against other super humans! Limitation Strengths Limitations come in four basic strengths. A weak limitation is one that curtails the use of a power somewhat, though not overwhelmingly. As a general rule, a weak limitation affects the use of a power (or powers) half the time or less, offering a +1 CS to its rank as a result. Examples of weak limitations include the ability to function only during the day, or perhaps the inability to affect a common substance or items of a specific color. A strong limitation, on the other hand, more significantly affects the use of a power. For the most part, strong limitations alter the use of a power (or powers) from one half to three quarters of the time, and provide a +2 CS to its rank. Limitations of the strong sort might include only working at night, an inability to affect one form of matter (solid, gas, etc.), or only work on a specific species. Limitations of the very strong sort affect a power almost all the time. They offer a +3 CS to the operating rank of a power, but will constrain most uses of the ability - anywhere from three quarters to seven eights of the time, give or take. Perhaps such a power only works one day per week or during the full moon, or only affects items of a given form of matter (liquid, gas, etc.) or color, and so on. Finally, extreme limitations severely curtail the use of a power, almost overwhelmingly. They offer a +4 CS to the operation of an ascendant ability, but at the same time relegate its use to highly specialized situations. This can include voluntarily making a power hyper-exhaustive, allowing its use only one week per year, allowing it to work only on a specific substance or in specific, hostile environments, and the like. In the random character generation method, these limitation bonuses apply directly to the powers so limited. In rare circumstances, a game Judge may allow the bonus from a limited power to apply to another ability altogether, though this is entirely up to him. One instance where this might occur is if the limitation would boost the operating rank of the power until it exceeds the power cap for his campaign. When using the point-based character generation system, a limitation can either boost the rank of the powers it will affect, or reduce the point cost of keeping that power at its current level. If the latter option is taken, the limitation returns one point per step of limitation, multiplied by the actual point cost per rank of a power. A strong limitation on time control, for instance, would offer a six point bonus. No matter how limited they are though, all powers cost at least one point. Power Limitations If a limitation does not affect the character as a whole, or at the very least all of his powers, it is considered a power limitation. Constraints of this variety only offer the bonus described to the power or powers it is applied to, special circumstances notwithstanding. This allows a player to boost the ranks on only some of his ascendant abilities, as he sees fit, instead of saddling all of his powers with a like constraint. While the above offers general hints when applying limitations to a power, there are a number of recurring power limitations that appear throughout fiction. Some of these are expounded upon in the individual character generation books, others are general (or common) enough that they can apply to any character's powers. Some of these common power limitations include the following: Gestalt Power: a gestalt power is one which is limited such that it cannot manifest unless two people combine their energies to produce its effect. Without the required physical contact, this power will remain dormant, unable to be activated whatsoever. The severity of such a limitation, then, depends on just who the necessary person (or people) is to serve as a 'key' to allow this power's function. If the possessor of a gestalt power can manifest it while in contact with anyone, it is considered to have a weak limitation. If only a large, but specific group can activate it, the power is strongly limited, while a very strong limitation would be reducing this pool of people to eight or less. If, on the other hand, only one specific person can allow the gestalt power to function, the power is saddled with an extreme limitation. Initiative Penalties: powers limited in this fashion take longer to activate. Perhaps the process in the character's body which generates them is rather involved, or they might simply be 'slow'. Either way, an initiative penalty of five (making the power somewhat sluggish) can be considered a weak limitation, while a penalty of ten (generally insuring one acts last with it) is considered a strong limitation. If they wouldn't have any more of an effect on the character, greater initiative penalties on a power won't offer increased limitation for him. In order to earn the benefit of a very strong (-15) limitation, one must have at least a +5 initiative modifier from their Intuition score, while an extreme limitation (-20) requires that one have a minimum of a +10 initiative modifier in place. Range Reduction: one common form of power limitation involves reining in the range of a power. Each reduction in range category counts as one 'step' of limitation. For example, clairvoyance works on the Very Far range table. Each step one moves back will enhance its power rank by +1 CS; this is a double edged sword however, for while the power is more likely to work in most instances, its utility is greatly decreased. Note that a power can be reduced in range below even the Very Near range category. When a power is so limited, its range is dialed back to touch only, meaning one must connect with the target in melee for the power to work. This 'to hit' roll on one's Fighting is in addition to any other protections built into the power, such as Endurance or Psyche resistance rolls it may allow. Speed Reduction: one way to seriously hamper a movement power is to knock it down from its current speed table to a lesser one. Each 'step' of speed reduction counts as a strong limitation, which means one can generally only apply a maximum of two to a given power. But then, since there are only really three movement categories (leaping notwithstanding), that's not such a big deal. Unlike range reduction, speed reduction cannot move 'off the charts' to a lower category as one of its limitation 'steps'. This table is the bottom limit for travel abilities, for to move less would involve simply moving at walking speed. And rendering an ability such as super running that slow would be rather redundant, when you get down to it. Character Limitations On the other hand, a limitation which affects all of a character's powers, if not the very way that character is played, is considered a character limitation. Limitations that affect a character apply the bonus provided to all of his powers - even those acquired at a later date! Such constraints are a great foil for the Judge to use against a character, but grant considerably more power in exchange. Though some of the above power limitations can be applied to a character's entire power roster under certain conditions, there are many character limitations that aren't quite so simple. The severity of these can be somewhat complicated to determine, and may require some give and take between the player and the Judge on edge cases. Keep in mind that any character can adopt a character limitation - not just those with super powers. A non-powered character may accept a character limitation in exchange for five points per 'step' of limitation adopted (or, when using random character generation, one talent, contact and quirk point). For example, a very strong character limitation would grant a skilled normal fifteen character points. Or, in random character generation, three talents, contacts and quirk points. Common character limitations include the following: Alter Ego: the character with an alter ego has two distinct forms - the one with powers and the one without. These forms may or may not share the same personality, but the problem is that the character cannot control the conditions by which he will transform between them. Thus, the severity of an alter ego for the purposes of limitations depends on just how inconvenient the alter ego is for a character. An alter ego can be applied to the character in two ways: either the form with powers or the form without can be the 'preferred' form for the character. Either way, the inconvenient form will manifest when triggered - usually for as long as the trigger stimulus is present. Anything from exposure to the full moon to a specific emotion or even the sight of blood can cause such a change of persona. Clever players can use this limitation to their advantage on occasion. Perhaps the character is a heavy hitter in one form and a highly skilled operative in another. Or even better, maybe nobody knows that the character actually changes form, thinking him two separate individuals. While its severity hampers this 'gaming the system' somewhat, an alter ego can definitely make for an interesting play experience. Enervation: if one's Judge is not using the fatigue rules for super powered combat, players may nonetheless adopt them as a character limitation. Similarly, one can increase the effects of fatigue as a limitation if they are in effect, greatly shortening the amount of time one can engage in ascendant battle. The severity of such a limitation depends on how much it constrains a player compared to others. Having one level of fatigue above that which other players must endure as a general matter of course is considered a weak limitation, two levels of fatigue beyond other players' constraint is a strong character limitation, three levels of bonus fatigue would count as a very strong limitation, and four levels of fatigue beyond other characters may be adopted as an extreme character limitation. Furthermore, if a character's Endurance or Psyche is low (depending on the fatigue system used), this can be increased by one level (save for extreme extended fatigue). For example, in a campaign where optional fatigue rules are not in place, a character with doubled fatigue is normally considered a strongly limited character, but if the applicable score would make this particularly harsh, bump him up a limitation level. Susceptibility: a susceptibility is something that bypasses the effects of one's powers, detrimentally affecting the character with impunity. If a character is susceptible to a substance or damage form, it will be upgraded to Armor Ignoring (AI) when applied to their person. Furthermore, the damage caused by this attack must inflict a minimum of one quarter of the character's maximum Health score with each exposure. This minimum applies both to susceptibilities that cause damage and those which do not. Whether one is susceptible to fire (which normally causes damage) or sunlight (which normally does not), the exposure should cause a like minimum of damage. On the other hand, if a character's susceptibility inflicts damage normally, there's nothing stopping it from removing more than a quarter of a character's maximum Health. If the stimuli is somewhat rare, a susceptibility to it will count as a weak limitation - even if it can cause considerable damage to the character on contact. Strong susceptibilities are uncommon but found with little difficulty, very strong susceptibilities are readily available to those who want access to them, and an extreme susceptibility is something that commonly occurs in the environment. Weakness: a weakness is something that acts to neutralize the threat a character poses. When exposed to the substance or phenomenon a character is weak against, he or she will find themselves unable to wield their ascendant powers at all, and their physical abilities are reduced to Feeble (2) rank for most purposes. Both the duration and scarcity of a weakness' trigger combine to determine the effect of this limitation. A weakness that only affects the character while in physical contact with the phenomenon in question is considered a strong limitation, while one that lasts as long as it is within line of sight is considered very strong in nature. Consider this basis with the scarcity guidelines of a susceptibility, above, to determine if a weakness should be considered even stronger or somewhat weaker in nature. For example, a weakness that lasts as long as a rare isotope (weak) is within line of sight (very strong) should work out to a be strong character limitation. Similarly, a weakness to a readily available energy (extreme) that lasts while it is in contact with a body (weak) would average out to a strong or very strong character limitation - depending on whether or not the stimuli causes damage, as well. Enhancements Enhancements, on the other hand, are a method by which a player may increase the functionality of a power - in exchange for a reduction in its operating rank. An enhancement that applies to one or more, but not all, of a character's powers is known as a power enhancement. Alternately, that rare enhancement which applies to all of a character's powers, or even the character as a whole, is a character enhancement. As with limitations, the presence of an enhancement on a character is up to its player. These are entirely voluntary additions to a power or character for the most part, though a Judge may insist one be taken to reduce a power to fit within his campaign's rank ceiling on occasion (something like this might happen if a character generated for one campaign is migrated to another). A power can be enhanced in a variety of different fashions, but its rank may not be reduced below Feeble (2) - this would essentially render it inoperable. If a character enhancement is applied and a new power would be reduced below this rank as a result, it must be purchased with enough Karma to at least make it high enough that, after the enhancement is applied, it will operate at that minimum rank. Enhancement Strengths Like limitations, enhancements come in four basic strengths: weak, strong, very strong, and extreme. Weak enhancements are those which reduce the rank of a power by -1 CS, in exchange for something of a minor perk in its operation that offsets the penalty. Perhaps a power has a heightened effect against a specific kind of enemy (say, vampires), either having a bonus to hit or to the damage inflicted. In other words, this sort of enhancement can act as a selective bonus - one which applies under special conditions. An enhancement of the strong variety lowers the rank of a power by -2 CS, while granting a considerable benefit to the power's operation. This generally comes in the form of a bonus which applies about half of the time, or some other highly useful effect. Such effects include selective targeting, such that a power will never affect allies in the event of a misfire or area effect spread. Very strong enhancements are those which curtail a power's rank by -3 CS, allowing it to operate in a much more efficient fashion. The benefit applied by a very strong enhancement should work on most applications of the power, with a few exceptions. Perhaps it is an accuracy bonus that applies globally (save for against one group), or maybe whatever perk is offered functions constantly - except on Mondays. And so on.. Finally, an enhancement of the extreme variety gives a character staggering versatility in the use of a power, at the cost of a -4 CS to its rank. This sort of enhancement is something of a game changer where the power is concerned, often transforming it into something resembling another ability entirely! And it should, considering how much it curtails a power's rank (or how much it costs). In the random character generation method, the CS penalties apply directly to the powers so boosted. In rare circumstances, a game Judge may allow the rank reduction from an enhanced power to apply to another ability altogether, though this is entirely up to him. This may be allowed when the enhancement applied would drop it below Feeble (2) rank... and the character has another power the Judge dislikes more. When using the point-based character generation system, an enhancement can either reduce the rank of the powers it will affect, or increase the point cost required to keep that power at its current level. If the latter option is taken, the enhancement adds one point per step applied, multiplied by the actual point cost per rank of a power. A very strong enhancement of ultimate power, for example, would cost fifteen points! Power Enhancements If an enhancement does not affect the character as a whole, or at the very least all of his powers, it is considered a power enhancement. Perks of this variety only reduce the rank of the power or powers they are applied to, special circumstances notwithstanding. This allows a player to enhance only some of his ascendant abilities, as he sees fit, without reducing the operating rank of all of his powers. Many power enhancements are quite generalized in nature, meaning that they can apply to a wide variety of super human abilities. Some of these are detailed in the individual character generation books, while others are actually offered in specific power descriptions. A few of the more common, basic power enhancements include the following: Force Multiplier: most powers are rather generous in what they allow a character to accomplish, but often a player wants more out of a given ability. Perhaps someone with energy absorption wants a bigger 'tank' of energy for storage, or a matter generator wants to be able to concoct more designs from memory. Generally speaking, this can be handled with simple multipliers. An enhancement of this type which adds fifty percent to a power's yield or function is considered a weak enhancement, while a double boost is a strong enhancement, a two hundred percent extension is a very strong enhancement, and a quadruple increase is an extreme enhancement. A game Judge may alter these general values on a case by case basis, depending on how versatile a given power is to start with. Initiative Benefits: a power enhanced in this fashion operates much quicker in the hands of the character so enhanced, as compared to others who may possess it. Each +5 initiative modifier a power has acts as a step of enhancement; a +5 modifier is a weak enhancement, +10 would be a strong enhancement, +15 is a very strong enhancement, and +20 should be considered an extreme enhancement. Note that these benefits are in addition to any other initiative modifiers the character already possesses. Bonuses for a high Intuition score, the Quick Draw talent or those granted due to one's origin (such as those offered by the optional initiative rules in place for magic wielding characters) are directly added to an initiative benefit enhancement. If one always wants to go first on a given turn, this is one way to do it. Limitation Removal: several powers in the Universal Heroes game system have a number of built in limitations for game balance. Powers like luck and precognition in particular require one to take a limitation - they're simply so useful that this is needed. However, one can remove such a requirement as a strong enhancement to the power. This is a serious reduction, but unshackles these powers significantly. Alternately, a power can be modified such that a balancing mechanic a player does not like is scaled back or stripped entirely. The extent of such an enhancement depends on how much more 'dangerous' a modified power will be. The Judge must make a ruling on this, depending on his feelings regarding the change(s) involved, so such modifications may vary in intensity from campaign to campaign. Range Extension: as opposed to curtailing the range of a power, a player may instead decide to extend it. Each extension in range category counts as two 'steps' of enhancement. For example, most energy generation powers work on the Near range table. Boosting one such that it can operate on the Middle range table would be a strong enhancement, while extending another to Far range would be an extreme enhancement. Bear in mind that a power can be enhanced past the Very Far range table. A power that functions in this capacity has an effectively infinite range, allowing it to operate anywhere within the current space-time. This is just another 'step' of range enhancement, meaning that a power like clairvoyance would be strongly enhanced if its range is infinite, while teleportation would be considered extremely enhanced when so extended. Speed Extension: similarly, one can greatly enhance the capability of a movement power by bumping it up from one speed category to another. Each 'step' of speed extension counts as a strong enhancement, which means one can generally only add two to a given power. Of course, this is usually all most movement abilities need to excel - dependent on their nature, of course. Super running, for example, can be made to function on the air movement table as a strong enhancement, and on the space movement table as an extreme enhancement. This allows one to generate a character who is astoundingly fast on his feet, while saving him from the bother of having to break into the 'class' ranks to achieve the same basic effect. Though he may go through shoes rather quickly...! Character Enhancements A character enhancement is something which allows the character as a whole to function better. While a character's specific power roster may make it possible, it is usually difficult to make the basic sort of enhancements described above work as a character enhancement. Similarly, it's rather tricky to apply a specific character enhancement that doesn't outright ape other powers, or even quirks. But this is possible. Some of these methods are described in the specific character generation books, such as the ability to maintain additional spells or psionics above and beyond what one's Reason (mem) score should allow. A few character enhancements that aren't origin-specific are presented below, with the hope of giving players an idea what one can do with character enhancements. Note: an important thing to consider is that any character can benefit from character enhancements - not just the super powered. Non-powered characters may undertake a character enhancement for five points per 'step' of enhancement adopted (or, with random character generation, for one talent, contact and quirk point). For example, a strong character enhancement would cost a skilled normal ten character points. Or, in random character generation, two talents, contacts and quirk points. Blessed: things have a tendency to generally work out in this character's favor. So much so, in fact, that it may appear they are truly watched over by some sort of higher power. The idea behind this character enhancement isn't that the character always 'wins' in whatever they do - they usually just come out better in a given set of circumstances than others who are not so blessed. Say the blessed character is in a plane crash. Maybe he's the one person out of the hundreds onboard who survived, or perhaps out of those who survived this catastrophe, he's the one who was the least (if at all) injured. The blessed character can still be defeated in battle, and possibly even killed if things go poorly enough, but they will enjoy a life full of good fortune if they play their cards right. Or even if they don't. Even a foolhardy or reckless character graced with the blessed enhancement will rarely suffer the full consequences of his or her actions, which is great when super powers are involved. In game terms, the recommended level of enhancement that blessed entails is that it counts as one 'step' of such for each time it can beneficially affect the player on a given play session. Once per game is a weak character enhancement, twice per game is a strong character enhancement, and so on. Consistent: highly consistent characters are those who have a sort of preternatural sameness about them - they don't appear to change all that much over time. Furthermore, when such changes are forced upon them, consistent characters seem to bounce back to their normal configuration rather quickly. This sounds like mere resistance to metabolic and/or warping attacks, but it's a little bit different. You see, the morphic field of a consistently enhanced character is strong... very strong. So much so that it tends to trim back alterations to his or her core self faster than normal. Sure, the character does gain a +1 CS to resist efforts to alter the function of his or her body for each level of enhancement taken, but the trick is that, upon failing such resistance, the character will revert much quicker. A weakly consistent character, for instance, will divide the amount of time his mind or body can be transformed by half, while a strongly consistent character will divide the duration of such changes by four. Very strongly consistent characters can divide the amount of time they've been transformed by eight, and extremely consistent characters can reduce the duration of a transformation to 1/16th of its original value. Indefatigable: if one's Judge is using the fatigue rules for super powered combat, a player can build a character resistant to them wielding character enhancements. This simulates a sort of super human stamina on the part of a character, or perhaps the character in question is simply in very good shape, able to keep fighting long after those with similar capabilities have fallen flat. There are of course two separate optional fatigue systems. The first treats the use of super powers like the exertion caused by running, and combines with the fatigue caused by such, when necessary. Fatigue resistance acts to extend the time required before FEAT rolls are necessary, or between the escalation of color FEAT requirements, as multiples for each level of enhancement (weak for double, strong for triple, etc.), eliminating it entirely as an extreme enhancement. If the Judge is using the fatigue intensity rules, this character enhancement can be applied to fatigue recovery. How this works is that, on each turn without using powers, one's fatigue intensity drops at a doubled rate as a weak enhancement, quadrupled as a strong enhancement, and octupled as a very strong enhancement. Fatigue can be negated entirely as an extreme enhancement. Predator: whether due to heredity or dumb luck, something about the character makes him or her more effective against a certain kind of enemy. Everything they do causes this type of foe more damage, whether punching it or blasting it with eye beams. Similarly, anything the enemy does to him or her is less effective; resistances are either more potent against this foe, or their damage output is actually dampened somewhat. Whether they like it or not, a natural nemesis makes for a great hunter of said enemy type, whether they're more powerful against vampires or dinosaurs or even normal humans. If such foes become aware that a 'super effective' nemesis is in their midst, they're likely to take steps to prevent this natural predator from rendering them extinct - usually with extreme prejudice. Thus, this form of character enhancement can serve as something of a hindrance at times - much as a limitation can be used to the player's advantage in certain situations. On the other hand, a player usually won't take this form of enhancement unless he or she has it out for the foe in question - though this sort of enhancement is great for creating a reluctant, dramatic hunter character type. Uncontainable: maybe it's something about the character's physiology, or perhaps he or she is just that stubborn. But the truth is that it's hard to make an uncontainable character do something that they're not willing to. This translates, in game terms at least, into a column shift bonus when attempting to escape or avoid efforts - any efforts - to hold the character back. But what falls under this heading, you ask? Actions to control a character's motions or thoughts, for the most part. This includes mind control, emotion control, grappling and binding attacks, and so on. The column shift modifier represents a slipperiness of sorts on the part of the character so enhanced, applied before or after such an attack lands on the character - they might initially hit, but such attacks rarely 'stick'. For each step of enhancement taken, the uncontainable character should receive a +1 CS to avoid such attacks in the first place, and a +2 CS to shake them off after the fact. For example, a strongly uncontainable character might gain a +2 CS to avoid being tied up by a foe's trick lasso. However, failing that avoidance, he or she will be granted a +4 CS on any FEAT they attempt to wriggle out of it! QUIRKS Quirks are special qualities a player may use to customize his or her character. Quirks are completely optional during character creation; a player can use quirks or not, as he sees fit. Mind you, there's nothing stopping a body from developing quirks at a later date, should events during the course of game play call for their sudden imposition upon a character (whether in his favor or otherwise). The quirks system is rather simple in nature. Each beneficial quirk a player wants will cost him one point, while a deleterious quirk he takes on will give him one point. Some quirks may be taken in levels, like talents or contacts. A level two quirk costs (or grants) two points, while a level three quirk gives (or takes) four points. Still more quirks lack a level, but count as two quirks for these purposes (or two points). If using the systematic character generation method, these points translate directly into the point-based system (whether adding or subtracting). On the other hand, if one's game uses the random character generation method, a character may use quirks to buy (or sell) powers, talents and contacts. One quirk point equals one contact, two quirk points equals one talent, and four quirk points equals one power - if listed with a price of one point per rank. If a power is listed as having a greater cost, multiply the quirk point cost by that value. Image projection, for instance, would cost a character eight quirk points to purchase outright, as it counts as two powers. On the other hand, if a power has a flat cost, it may be purchased for a number of quirk points equal to its 'flat' cost. As an example, a battle tail could be acquired with but two quirk points, while invulnerability 1 would cost a player eight quirk points. A player may take as many 'good' or 'bad' quirks as he likes, within reason. Furthermore, he must not have a negative balance by the time he is done building his character. This is simple enough in the systematic character generation system, but with random character creation one could wind up with an imbalance. A character should 'break even', or at the very least not 'owe' for any beneficial quirks he's taken. Note that some quirks may not be remotely appropriate for a given setting. Cyber-neurosis, for instance, wouldn't really be at home in a medieval campaign - or any other game where artificial implants aren't relatively common for the super human populace. A game Judge may override a quirk choice if it absolutely wouldn't fit in his game, or otherwise wouldn't affect the player taking it at all. A description of every quirk follows. They are divided up into the beneficial and deleterious quirks of a physical, mental and role play nature. Physical Quirks (beneficial) Acceleration Tolerance: the characters who possess this quirk are able to accelerate much faster than is normal. Acceleration tolerance allows a character to add one area per turn to his acceleration rate without harm to himself, though his gear may not be so lucky. This acceleration can come in any form, whether running or flying or simply riding within a spacecraft. Adrenal Surge: an adrenal surge is just that, a massive pulse of adrenaline that will give a body incredible strength for a short period of time. When triggered, the character with this quirk will enjoy a +1 CS boost to his Strength score for 1d10 turns. This boost can only be used once per day, and after it wears off this quirk will inflict a -1 CS penalty to one's Strength for 1d100 turns. Ambidexterity: an ambidextrous character enjoys the benefit of being equally adept in the use of both his left and right appendages. He may use either his left or right hand without penalty, whether writing, sculpting or firing a gun. The advantage of ambidexterity can be a result of natural ability, or acquired through intense training - whether voluntary or otherwise. Fast Healing: not quite regeneration, fast healing is representative of a character who can nonetheless recover from injuries far faster than is readily apparent. A fast healer may recover lost Health points as if their Endurance rank was +4 CS higher than is listed. While not (usually) enough to make a difference in combat, fast healing can drastically reduce one's medical down time. Fighting Logistics: those characters who possess this quirk have a naturally tactical mind. After either fighting or observing an opponent in battle for ten full rounds (opponent's time, not that of the wielder of this quirk), the logistic fighter gains a +1 CS on all Fighting FEAT rolls concerning said opponent. This quirk does stack with similar powers, such as combat edge. Gravity Tolerance: characters with gravity tolerance may move and function more easily under the influence of abnormal gravity conditions. For every level in gravity tolerance a character has, he can reduce the penalties of high (or low) gravity by -1 CS, including any crushing damage inflicted by such. Endurance FEATs prompted by gravity variance are made with a similar bonus. Hardiness: a hardy character can take a lot more punishment than is readily apparent, as compared to someone else of similar body type. The character with hardiness may add a 20 percent bonus to the sum of his Fighting, Agility, Strength and Endurance scores when determining his Health point total. This bonus also applies to special powers that increase one's Health maximums (such as concussion conversion). Heightened Sense: not quite super senses, a heightened sense is nonetheless a sensory apparatus the character possesses that functions higher than his Intuition (alt) rank. Such heightened senses are so noted (heightened sense / smell), and a character with one should make applicable Intuition FEAT rolls at a +1 CS whenever the sense is referenced in play. High Pain Threshold: this quirk, as one might guess, makes a character highly resistant to pain. It grants its possessor a +2 CS to any Endurance FEAT roll required to resist the effects of pain, whether from injury or from pain-inducing effects, as well as a like bonus when checking against Stun results. A high pain threshold counts as two quirks (costs two points). Learned Resistance: though intense training or perhaps just unintentional, repeated exposure, the character with this quirk has developed a heightened resistance to a specific form of harmful stimuli. For each level of learned resistance a character has, he should receive a +1 CS to any Endurance (res) or Psyche (will) FEAT roll to resist the chosen stimuli, whether it be drugs, poison, or even mind control. Omnidexterity: similar in nature to ambidexterity, omnidexterity is the ability to use all of one's limbs equally well, assuming the physical ability to do so. This often assumes the presence of additional arms, tentacles or whatever, but some entities (such as a sentient gorilla) might make equally good use of both hands and feet, for instance. Omnidexterity counts as two quirks (costs two points). Rank Boost: this quirk is a direct way to enhance a character's ability or power score that the player finds lacking. This may apply to any physical or mental statistic, or applicable power rank, but not to one's Resources or Popularity score. Rank boost counts as two quirks when used with random character generation, but is redundant in the point-based character creation system (not allowed). Strong Bones: a normal human character is assumed to have bones with a Typical (6) material strength. This quirk increases that material strength by +1 CS for each level taken, which has a potent benefit. A character with strong bones enjoys 1 CS of Damage Reduction against Blunt Attack damage that is of an intensity less than the material strength of their bone structure. Sturdiness: a character with this quirk is allowed to calculate their Negative Health score as if their Endurance was +1 CS higher in rank. This generally results in a much higher Negative Health score, allowing a character to withstand more punishment while unconscious before automatically dying - particularly if said character's Endurance score is already high to begin with. Physical Quirks (deleterious) Abnormal Attribute: individuals with an abnormal attribute just 'aren't right'. Something about them is clearly weird in an obvious fashion - not so much as to grant them any sort of special power, but such an attribute may be a side effect of any powers the character has. This can range from really big ears to extra fingers to a vestigial tail to hair that grows, say, a quarter inch a day. Acceleration Intolerance: a character with this quirk is simply ill-equipped to accelerate very quickly. He can move fast mind you, but it takes a good long time for him to get up to speed. Subtract one area per turn from this character's listed acceleration rate, as determined on Table 14, with a minimum acceleration rate of 1/2 an area per turn. Albinism: the result of a congenital lack of certain pigments, albinism can express itself as either a lack of coloration in either the eyes, or the eyes, hair and skin. Either way, an albino is sensitive to bright lights, resisting such at a -2 CS. If one's skin is albinic, they are subject to a -2 CS penalty to resist ultraviolet radiation, as well as being easily blinded. Allergy: an allergy is a heightened vulnerability to certain attacks or substances. Not quite a weakness per se, an allergy inflicts a -2 CS penalty towards resisting whatever the character is allergic to, for each level taken. This can be any direct form of damage (radiation, Karmic attacks) a toxic substance, or even something 'normal' in the environment the character is especially susceptible to. Color Blind: color blindness is the inability to distinguish one or more colors. Usually this involves a lack of one type of color receptor, which causes one to see colors completely differently than others. Severe cases can cause one to see in 'black and white' however, which is mostly a disadvantage save for in certain conditions (or when fighting someone with color control). Dulled Sense: a dulled sense is one that functions at a diminished capacity. For every level a character takes in this quirk, he should suffer a -2 CS to any one sense of his choice - this can sometimes be nullified by technology (such as glasses or hearing aids) but not always. If this quirk reduces a sense to Shift 0 rank, the character is considered to be lacking it entirely. Dwarfism: this quirk does not refer to the axe-wielding dwarves of lore. It describes a condition wherein the character possessing this quirk is disproportionately short. For game purposes, a dwarf will usually range between three and a half and five feet tall, not being small enough to qualify for the shrinking power and yet being of a size where he must usually have all gear and clothing custom fitted. Epilepsy: an epileptic character is prone to sudden fits of uncontrollable shaking. They can be caused by anything from stress to head injuries. A character will feel a seizure coming on 1d10 turns early, and they will last a like amount of time. Actions attempted while seizing are made at a -4 CS. Epileptic characters can resist the onset of a seizure each turn they can pass a yellow Psyche FEAT. Feebleness: feebleness indicates a character who is is highly susceptible to the loss of Negative Health, for he must calculate such as if his Endurance score was -1 CS in rank. Characters with a higher Endurance score have much more Negative Health to lose thanks to this quirk, though admittedly they're in a better position to handle such a loss in the first place. Gigantism: the flip side of dwarfism, gigantism indicates a character who is not just tall, but is disproportionately so. Such an individual will usually range between seven and eight and a half feet tall, and must have all of his clothing and gear custom made. A character suffering from this quirk may also suffer other related ailments, such as feebleness or even weak bones. Gravity Intolerance: the gravity intolerant are those who are particularly attuned to gravitic conditions wherever they come from, and do not adapt well to changes in it. These characters suffer a -2 CS penalty to all Endurance FEAT rolls required when operating under different gravity, whether in the form of higher or lower G forces, for each level taken. Lameness: not a state of being uncool, a lame character has some vital part that functions at less than one hundred percent. This can be anything from a bum leg to a crippled hand to even serious organ damage. The effect of this is usually to apply a -1 CS to FEATs related to the lame body part (movement penalty for a leg, Agility (dex) for a bad hand), though this can depend on the nature of the lameness. Low Pain Threshold: characters with a low pain threshold are much more likely to buckle under physical duress. They suffer a -2 CS to any FEAT roll intended to resist the effects of pain (whether from physical damage, methodical torture or induced pain via some other mechanism), and bear a like penalty to shrug off Stun results scored against them in battle. Missing Parts: put bluntly, the character is missing some body part or another. This can be a sensory instrument, extremity, or (formerly) internal organ. As is the case with lameness, the specific detriment to a character with missing parts must be determined on a case by case basis, but the penalty is usually more severe. As a result, missing parts counts as two quirks (grants two points). Rank Loss: a rank loss is a direct way for a player to gain quirk points for other purposes, possibly to cover the cost of a beneficial quirk or two. When taken, rank loss will reduce the rank of any one ability or power score by -1 CS. Rank loss counts as two quirks when used with random character generation, but is redundant in the point-based character creation system (not allowed). Slow Healing: a slow healer, as you may have guessed, recovers from damage at a much lower rate than is normal for a person of their Endurance rank. They heal as if their Endurance was -4 CS in rank, to a minimum Feeble (2), which may not be enough to make an immediate difference in combat, but will definitely increase one's time in the hospital after serious injury. Weak Bones: a normal human character is assumed to have bones with a Typical (6) material strength. The character with weak bones is not so lucky however, and suffers heightened damage in the face of crushing attacks. Any Blunt Attack damage affecting the character inflicts +1 CS damage, possibly leading to broken bones regularly. Weak bones counts as two quirks (grants two points). Weakness: the unfortunate character that is inherently weak finds that he has much less Health than would otherwise be indicated. Though weakness counts as two quirks (grants two points), it reduces the sum of his Fighting, Agility, Strength and Endurance scores by twenty percent, making him much more likely to face unconsciousness and potential death in the midst of combat (super human or otherwise). Mental Quirks (beneficial) 3-D Sense: possession of a 3-D sense indicates a character has the ability to think in more than two dimensions. This comes in handy when handing situations such as aerial combat, or in any other condition where threats may come from any of the three standard axes. A 3-D sense can also benefit characters who deal with even higher dimensions as well (even if this doesn't apply very often). Alertness: alertness is a heightened awareness of one's surroundings. Characters with this quirk are rarely surprised by the actions of others, whether or not super human abilities are in play. In game terms, a highly alert character should receive a +2 CS to any FEAT roll to avoid ambushes or surprise, and is such a light sleeper that any disturbance in his area will wake him on a yellow Intuition FEAT. Cybernetic Aptitude: a cybernetically apt character is one whose body is highly accepting of cybernetic implants of any variety. Such an individual should be treated as if their Psyche was +2 CS higher in rank for the purposes of FEAT rolls against their Implant Rejection Statistic, thus allowing them to handle a lot more artificial components in their body than is normal. Fortitude: fortitude is indicative of a character who has an abnormally high Mental Health score. They may calculate that statistic as if their Psyche rank was +1 CS higher than normal. Fortitude is especially handy for those characters who regularly engage in psionic combat, particularly if said characters already have a rather high Psyche score to begin with. High Stress Threshold: no matter how weird or dangerous or frustrating the situation is, a character with the high stress threshold quirk manages to easily keep his cool. He should receive a +2 CS bonus on any FEAT required of him to stay calm in the face of adversity, even if his life or the life of someone he cares about is on the line. Karmic Shell: characters with a karmic shell are blessed by fate (or destiny, etc.). This quirk allows its possessor to begin play each game session with twenty percent more Karma than the sum of their Reason, Intellect and Psyche would indicate. This quirk counts as two quirks (or costs two points), but is not allowed if the Judge is using the optional 'no free lunch' Karma rules. Magical Aptitude: a magical aptitude is an inherent 'knack' for the use of magic spells. Characters with such an aptitude need not begin play as a spellcaster, but may be looked upon favorably by would-be mystic instructors. When casting spells, a character with magical aptitude may do so as if the spell was +1 CS in rank in all manners save for any damage it inflicts. Natural Talent: a natural talent is just that, a natural disposition towards some skill or another. A character with a natural talent should gain a +1 CS when attempting a FEAT with said skill, above and beyond the normal bonus. Alternately, a natural talent can substitute for the use of a talent itself, denoting someone who hasn't been trained at all but nonetheless shows promise in that area. Psionic Aptitude: a psionic aptitude is a 'knack' of sorts for the use of psionic abilities, whether natural or trained. Whether he begins play with such or develops them at a later date, a psionically apt character can use any psi powers at his disposal more effectively than others. This aptitude translates into a +1 CS on any FEAT roll required during the use of psi powers, applying to everything save for any damage inflicted. Quick Learning: as one can guess, the character with the quick learning quirk learns things quickly. In game terms, he can master a new talent at half the normal speed, and may do so with a twenty five percent Karma point discount. This discount does not 'stack' with the Student talent cost reduction, but it may be applied to talent-equivalent powers such as magic spells or psi abilities. Sanity: more impressive than it may at first sound, sanity is a quality that reflects one's ability to stave off madness, even if the face of mind-bending phenomena. Related to a high stress threshold (and stacking with such), the sanity quirk provides a +2 CS to Psyche FEAT rolls required when attempting to avoid going crazy, usually as a result of things from Beyond but not always. Static: whether it's a subconscious form of psionic ability or just something weird going on with one's brain chemistry, static denotes a character with a 'slippery' mind. Any mind-altering psionic effect (no matter its source) suffers a -1 CS to affect a character with the static quirk, whether it's mere telepathy or something as extreme as a mind transfer! Technological Aptitude: related to a natural talent, technological aptitude is a 'knack' of sorts for devices of all types. It allows its possessor a +1 CS to any FEAT roll required during the creation of a mechanical or electronic item, save for the Resources check. This bonus can stack with those offered by any technical talent(s), as well as the with the natural talent quirk (if the character possesses both). Mental Quirks (deleterious) Action Addict: an action addict constantly craves action, adventure and/or excitement. This need not involve physical conflict, but can quickly escalate to such if the character with this quirk is denied too long. If stuck waiting or otherwise doing something tedious, an action addict will usually fidget uncontrollably and complain incessantly, eventually wandering off in a search for fun (as he sees it). In game terms, this translates into a required Psyche FEAT if the character finds himself bored, rolled at a -2 CS. If this first FEAT roll fails, the character will give off obvious signs of his distress, and if this situation continues for more than 1d10 turns, he must make another Psyche FEAT - this time at a -4 CS - to avoid the overwhelming compulsion to split - assuming he tries to resist said urge, that is. Attitude: characters with an attitude problem are inherently confrontational. This facet of their personality permeates everything they say and do, and most importantly, it colors others' perception of them. In order to 'play nice', characters with a bad attitude must pass a Psyche FEAT roll at a -2 CS for every level this quirk is taken at, assuming they ever bother to try. Bluntness: someone who is 'blessed' with this quirk doesn't see the need to mince words, or is completely oblivious to the effect what he says has on others. The blunt character speaks his mind, and does so both freely and directly. In game play, a blunt individual must pass a Psyche FEAT roll at -2 CS for every level this quirk is taken in order to 'edit' himself at all. Bully: everyone knows a bully. These individuals find great pleasure in putting others 'in their place', which is usually cowering in fear of the bully. For each level this quirk is taken, a bully must pass a Psyche FEAT roll at a -2 CS to resist the urge to cow those weaker than himself, if he chooses not to. Ironically, bullies often manifest the cowardice quirk as well. Combat Paralysis: combat paralysis is where a person tends to freeze up in situations of conflict. This can be a result of confusion, indecision or fear, depending on the character involved. When forced into a contentious situation, particularly where violence is concerned, characters with this quirk cannot act during a conflict until they can pass a Psyche FEAT roll at a -2 CS for each level taken. Compulsiveness: meshing well with unpleasant habits, this quirk is representative of a habit, usually bad, that the character constantly indulges. This can be anything, such as chewing nails, twiddling thumbs or even compulsively sighing or rolling one's eyes when annoyed. Stopping oneself from indulging one's habit requires a Psyche FEAT roll at -2 CS for every level this quirk is taken. Cowardice: danger is not, in fact, this character's middle name. A coward finds himself fleeing from danger at all times, real or imagined. To persevere in the face of any perceived threat, the coward must pass a Psyche FEAT roll at a -2 CS for every level of this quirk he possesses. Many cowards often overcompensate for their cowardice by engaging in bullying behavior. Cyber-neurosis: a character cursed with this quirk is especially susceptible to mental illnesses brought on by the implantation of cybernetic devices in their body. For the purposes of resisting one's Implant Rejection Statistic, a character with cyber-neurosis is considered to have a Psyche rank -2 CS lower than is listed, making cybernetics a very bad idea for them. Delusions: individuals susceptible to delusions live in a world all their own. They often hallucinate, perceiving events that aren't actually occurring, and interact with the products of their delirious minds despite the fact that no one else can sense them. To ignore the influence of one's damaged mind, assuming the delusional individual should want to, they must pass a Psyche FEAT roll at a -2 CS for every level this quirk is taken at. Fanaticism: not merely a proponent of some philosophical, political or religious movement, the fanatic takes their adopted beliefs to ridiculous extremes. They do all they can to support their pet movement, often going well beyond the bounds of legality in order to do so; few tasks are so low that a fanatic will refuse to engage in them in order to further the 'cause', whatever it may be. In game terms, fanatics overwhelmingly believe that their cause is righteous above and beyond all others. If presented with an opportunity to aid his pet belief structure, a fanatic must pass a Psyche FEAT roll at a -2 CS for each level of fanaticism he takes, should he actually wish to forego action to further its aims (perhaps because mitigating circumstances would make things difficult for him either immediately or down the line). Frenzied: inherently dangerous, a character with the frenzied quirk lives to fight and hurt others, often to the point of slaying them! In combat, a character with the frenzied quirk must pass a Psyche FEAT roll at -2 CS to avoid succumbing to it. If this FEAT fails, they'll gain a +1 CS to their Fighting score, but an accompanying -1 CS to their Reason rank, and won't stop fighting his foe(s) until no one is left standing. At this point, the frenzied character, if he wishes to stop, must pass another Psyche FEAT, this time at a -4 CS. If this second FEAT roll fails, the character cannot stop until he's slain everyone present that he perceives as a threat. This includes anyone attempting to 'break up' the action or otherwise prevent him from terminating his opponents, and lasts for the duration of combat plus 1d10 turns. While in a frenzy, the only way a character with frenzied can stop himself (assuming he even wants to) is to make a red Psyche FEAT roll - and to spend all of his Karma. But then, if he cares enough to stop, he's probably about to lose it all anyway. Greed: some people are misers, but the possessor of this quirk makes such individuals look like philanthropists. A greedy individual hoards his wealth and property with an almost manic fervor, and goes out of his way to rapidly acquire as much as is possible. As such, avoiding 'easy money' or engaging in charity of any variety requires first passing a Psyche FEAT at a -2 CS for each level of greed taken. Gullibility: the gullible are those who are either naive or clueless, believing that other people are mostly honest, good folks. In order to avoid getting sucked into the nefarious schemes of others, or to otherwise disbelieve some sort of lie or scam directed at their person, a gullible person must first pass a Psyche FEAT roll at a -2 CS for each level of gullibility they have accepted. Honesty: an honest person is usually hard to find, but a character with this quirk literally can't lie - at least, not very convincingly. Whether they refuse to be dishonest (sort of like a personal code) or are just really lousy liars, a character with this quirk is unable to easily engage in subterfuge. Successfully doing so requires first passing a Psyche FEAT roll at a -2 CS for each level of honesty taken. Impulsiveness: impulsive individuals are those who seem to do just about anything at the drop of a hat. They consistently jump the gun, doing things that occur to them almost immediately, and usually do so in a half-cocked manner. Resisting the urge to engage in their every whim - or at least the latest of such - requires first passing a Psyche FEAT roll at a -2 CS for each level of impulsiveness taken. Inept: an inept person is the consummate bumbler. This sort of individual has problems completing even the most simple of tasks, and almost everything they do is marked by abject failure - the more spectacular, the better. In order to really do something right, the inept character must pause to think things through (taking a full turn to do such), and then pass a Reason FEAT at a -2 CS for each level of inept taken. Insanity: worse than a merely delusional character, an insane person is stark, raving mad. This sort of person lives in a reality of his own making, his mind actively reinterpreting everything that occurs to him to fit his damaged mental state. The actual form of insanity the character suffers from should be developed with the game Judge, and insanity itself counts as two quirks (grants two points). Insomnia: the insomniac has severe difficulty sleeping, whether falling asleep in the first place or staying asleep once unconscious. In order to sleep well, an insomniac must pass a Psyche FEAT roll at -2 CS in order to calm himself enough to drift off. Failure of this FEAT gives one a -2 CS penalty on all actions attempted during the next day, due to a lack of energy, focus and rest. Jealousy: jealous individuals tend to covet that which belongs to others, and secretly maligns those who have what he wants. Similar to greed, those who suffer from jealousy are consumed by their desires for... whatever, and have a hard time shaking them off, even for a little while. Doing so requires a Psyche FEAT roll at a -2 CS for each level of this quirk they've taken. Karmic Dearth: a character with a dearth of Karma will begin play with an amount of spendable Karma equal to the sum of his Reason, Intuition and Psyche scores minus twenty percent. This quirk counts as two quirks (or grants two points), but is not allowed if the Judge is using the 'no free lunch' optional Karma rules (which basically makes it useless). Laziness: lazy individuals are incredibly difficult to motivate. They have a hard time getting up in the morning, doing work, finishing extensive projects, or doing anything else in particular that they don't especially enjoy. Motivating oneself requires a Psyche FEAT roll at a -2 CS for every level of laziness taken, the failure of which means the person with this quirk will blow off his current task to do anything else. Learning Disorder: a learning disorder is a disability that prevents one from easily learning. It can come in the form of dyslexia (difficulty with reading), dyscalculia (difficulty with math), dysgraphia (difficulty with typing) or even cluttering (difficulty with speech). A character with any learning disorder suffers a twenty five percent Karma penalty when learning new talents, taking twice as long to do so. Low Stress Threshold: individuals with a low stress threshold have a difficult time keeping a cool head in the face of adversity. They may be panicky, jittery, jumpy, or quick to declare that the end is nigh whenever something goes amiss. For each level of this quirk taken, a character should suffer a -2 CS penalty to their Psyche on on any effort to keep 'cool' should just about anything go seriously wrong for them. Mania: above and beyond mere compulsive behavior, a mania is in fact a mild form of obsessive insanity. Most of these involve an unhealthy preoccupation with and repetition of some usually self-destructive behavior, ranging from trichotillomania (obsessively pulling one's hair out) to pyromania (obsessively setting fires) to to general monomania (obsessing over one idea or action incessantly). This sort of mental disorder can get the character in all kinds of trouble, both legal and otherwise, but can be a lot more 'fun' when the other players don't know the character has it... at first, anyway. In order to resist a manic urge in the course of play, if only for a little while, characters with this quirk must pass a Psyche FEAT roll at a -2 CS penalty for each level of mania they possess. Multiple Personality: individuals with multiple personalities are not alone inside their heads. Most often this is because of a splintering of their mind due to some traumatic event in the past, but in rare instances this could actually occur due to super human phenomena, such as some sort of spectral or otherworldly entity taking refuge inside their cranium. A level one multiple personality quirk indicates the character has one other, approximately equal personality. An additional level makes for several such personalities, some of which may have control over different powers the character possesses. A level three multiple personality quirk means there's any number of different minds swimming around in the character's head, all of which may act at cross purposes with some frequency. Each personality will have Reason, Intuition and Psyche scores all its own; they are ostensibly based upon the same 'hardware' but each personality a character possesses will be at different levels of development from the others. The one advantage to this quirk is that if one personality is knocked out by a Karmic attack, the character might have several others ready to pick up the slack almost immediately...! Pacifism: a pacifist does not believe in fighting, for any reason. They can typically abide defending themselves, but will not intentionally inflict harm upon anyone, which is usually why such individuals will learn martial arts like Aikido, which have no offensive moves. Overcoming this personal belief (say, when one is under imminent threat of death) requires a Psyche FEAT at a -2 CS for every level the pacifist took of this quirk. Paranoia: the paranoid believe that everyone is out to get them. Nominally this isn't the case, but if such a character becomes embroiled in an actual conspiracy it just might reinforce his irrational beliefs. Usually a paranoid individual won't inherently mistrust his close compatriots, although he might pay more attention to what they're doing, and read more into almost every situation. On the other hand, paranoid characters absolutely distrust those that they do not know intimately. Changing this usually requires a Herculean feat of friendship, or consistent work with the paranoid person over a long period of time. In order to give others the benefit of the doubt, or to avoid being suspicious of friends seemingly acting 'weird', a paranoid person must pass a Psyche FEAT at a -2 CS for every level of this quirk taken. Personal Code: an individual with this quirk lives by an internal set of ethics and refuses to violate them. Such a code may or may not coincide with the laws of his society, which may lead to problems with law enforcement - particularly if his code allows him to inflict violence upon others. Disregarding one's code for a short time requires a Psyche FEAT roll at a -2 CS for each level this quirk is taken. Phobia: a phobia is an intense, irrational and persistent fear of some person, place, thing or occurrence. A phobia can be almost anything, from ecclesiophobia (a fear of churches) to hydrophobia (a fear of water) to xanthophobia (a fear of yellow) to even phobophobia (a fear of phobias). Resisting the urge to flee in the face of one's phobia requires a Psyche FEAT at a -2 CS for every level this quirk is taken. Pushover: a pushover is someone who is rather easily flattened by mental attacks. He must calculate his Mental Health score as if his Psyche was -2 CS in rank, which makes him especially vulnerable to Karmic damage. The pushover quirk is particularly dangerous to characters who already have a rather low Psyche rank, as this often leaves them subject to a Karmic 'one shot' attack. Rudeness: similar to the effects of the bluntness quirk, rudeness causes a character to be verbally insulting to others. Unlike someone who is merely blunt however, a rude person intends insult when it is offered; like a bully, they enjoy inflicting self confidence issues, possibly to cover up their own. In order to rein oneself in, a character with this quirk must pass a Psyche FEAT at a -2 CS for each level of rudeness taken. Short Attention Span: characters with a short attention span are rather absent-minded. They have a tendency to forget names, schedules, appointments, events, and anything else that isn't bright, shiny and immediate. Without some sort of mechanism to help remember such (a note pad, a Blackberry ™, etc.), such a character must make Reason (mem) FEATs at a -2 CS to recall things he needs to accomplish. Shyness: for any number of reasons, a shy individual has a hard time speaking up for themself. This can be fear of ridicule or embarrassment, or perhaps a fear of crowds. In order to strongly voice one's opinion or otherwise speak in front of large groups of people, a shy individual must first pass a Psyche FEAT roll at a -2 CS for each level the shyness quirk is taken. Stubborn: stubborn people are convinced that they're always right - and when proven wrong, will often continue to argue a point even when they know better. It's all about 'winning' with stubborn folks, and they enjoy debating and grousing at anyone who doesn't immediately capitulate to their point of view. Resisting this urge requires a Psyche FEAT roll at a -2 CS for each level this quirk is taken. Temper: individuals with a temper have a very light fuse. Just about anything can set them off, and once they're mad, they tend to stay angry. In order to resist losing one's temper or to mellow out once enraged, a character with this quirk must pass a Psyche FEAT roll at a -2 CS for each level it is taken. Typically, anger management classes do not help such an individual very much. Vow: not just a simple promise, a vow is a solemn oath a character lives by. Perhaps he's dedicated himself to completing some task or another, or wishes to obtain justice (or vengeance). If forced to forego his vow for any length of time, a character will suffer per the action addict quirk, in relation to pursuing it. Staving off one's vow for a time requires a Psyche FEAT at -2 CS for each level of this quirk taken. Role Play Quirks (beneficial) Ally: somewhere in the character's past, he managed to cultivate an ally. More than a mere contact (though he counts as such), this ally is a true friend of the character, and will help him in any way he can. This ally can be a trusted right-hand man, a side kick, or whatever else fits the character's origins. This ally is created and played by the Judge, and this quirk reduces the cost of an aide contact by one contact 'slot' (or point). Assistant: an assistant is related to an ally, in that he's a trusted confidante of some sort or another. This assistant could be a dedicated butler, secretary or technician, or perhaps works for the character in some other quasi-servile role. This secondary character will aid their superior in any way they can, and like an ally must be created and role played by the game's Judge. The assistant quirk also reduces the cost of the resultant aide contact by one contact 'slot' (or point). Attractive: whether it's something in one's appearance or some other subtle quality, the character with this quirk is attractive. People who would be remotely interested in his gender and/or species find him particularly alluring, in fact. For every level of attractive a character has, he should benefit from a +1 CS to Popularity FEAT rolls when dealing with those who think him appealing. Benefactor: when someone likes what a character is doing but doesn't want to directly participate in their actions, they will often serve as a benefactor to him. This usually involves financial assistance of some sort (+1 CS Resources for each level taken), but can take the form of equipment or special favors, and lasts as long as the character remains in the good graces of his benefactor. The benefactor quirk reduces the cost of the resultant organization (or other applicable) contact by one contact 'slot' (or point) for each level taken. Cash Flow: characters with a positive cash flow are those who, above and beyond their normal money-making endeavors, have ready liquid cash at hand. This can take the form of a minor inheritance or perhaps rather wise investments. This money requires little maintenance (making crime fighting easier), particularly if managed by an assistant, and raises one's Resources +1 CS for each level taken. Charmed: one who is charmed is a veritable font of good luck for his allies. The charmed quirk alters die rolls for the better for anyone affiliated with its possessor. Once per hour, this quirk will switch the dice of someone allied with the charmed character in said ally's favor. The person benefiting from the charm is random, and the charmed character can't control when it will affect them. Fame: a famous character is one who is rather well known to the public, either for good reasons or bad (the latter being better known as infamy). This character regularly appears in newspaper and magazine articles, entertainment television segments, and even has numerous web sites devoted to his activities. Each level of fame improves one's Popularity score by +1 CS (in either a positive or negative direction). Fan Club: occasionally accompanying fame, the fan club represents a gaggle of fan boys and fan girls who follow the career of the character in earnest. A member of a character's fan club will usually treat him as if his Popularity score was +2 CS in rank, raised to +4 CS if he's ever actually interacted with them - even if so briefly as to autograph something of theirs (or a part of them) in the past. Good Reputation: a character with such a reputation has a good standing in his community as a whole. While this may not involve people building fan sites dedicated to him, they know he's trustworthy and someone to turn to in a pinch. This grants him a +1 CS to his Popularity score on his home turf, though this can backfire if the character acts counter to whatever reputation he's been building over time. Likability: the likable character has a pleasant demeanor, or is otherwise charismatic somehow. When interacting with others, the likable character receives NPC reactions that are one step higher, unless said NPC is already hostile towards them. If the NPC is already friendly, the likable character should be treated as if their Popularity score is +2 CS in rank. Lucky: like the charmed character, one who is lucky has the effect of altering die rolls beneficially. However, instead of doing so for one's allies, a lucky person may do this for themselves. Every tenth roll a lucky character makes, he may switch the dice such that the high number comes first - unless, of course, it would be in his best interests to roll low in that instance. Lucky counts as two quirks (costs two points). Role Play Quirks (deleterious) Alien Culture: this quirk doesn't necessarily represent extraterrestrial mores and such, it simply states that the character has a different culture than that which is active where he has decided to make his home. This can make critical misunderstandings of even the most simple social interactions, and generally proves to give the 'alien' character a -2 CS to his Popularity score for each level taken. This penalty is doubled in regards to people who find the alien culture of the character particularly contemptuous. Bad Reputation: a character with such a reputation has a poor standing in his community as a whole. While this most often doesn't involve torches and pitchforks, people where this individual come from usually know him on sight... and what he's capable of. A bad reputation grants one a -1 CS to his Popularity score on his home turf, though this can backfire if the character acts 'out of character' while trying to build a rep. Bigotry: this unpleasant quirk represents the tendency of a character to look down upon a group of people for some arbitrary reason or another. If the character wishes to hide his negative bias, he must pass a Psyche FEAT roll at -2 CS for each level of this quirk taken. If one doesn't care to disguise their hatred of whatever group of people he dislikes, others tend to react to him as if his Popularity had a like modifier. Unless they, too, share such detestable attitudes. Of course, then there's the target of the bigot's ire. Such an individual, upon realizing the bigot's true feelings, will automatically shift one step downward as far as NPC reactions go. Such an individual will never be 'friendly' to a bigot and may readily turn outright hostile, depending on their personality and the situation at hand. Dependent: a dependent is someone in the character's life who relies upon them in some capacity. This can be a child, a ward, or even an older, infirm relative of just about any sort. Such an individual will usually wind up occupying some of the character's time and/or resources during each adventure, and has an uncanny knack for getting themselves into trouble of some sort on a regular basis. Enemy: the character with this quirk has an enemy. Not just someone the character has opposed on a few occasions, this enemy is a hard-boiled hater of the character and everything he stands for. Often, but not always, the source of this enmity is tied heavily into the character's origin. This quirk can be taken at multiple levels, each of which steps up the threat of said enemy. A level one enemy is, in all respects, the character's equal. A true nemesis, this foe can match wits and power with the character in almost every way - and may in fact be an evil twin or clone or variant earth duplicate. Higher levels of enemy, however, are much more dangerous foes, and have a far reach indeed. These can range from a super group to a secret society to, at far extremes, an entire government! Illiteracy: an illiterate character can neither read nor write. This may not be so inconvenient in a medieval setting, but nowadays this quirk can make one's life very difficult. Without being able to read, one can only interact with computers and signs of all kinds through readily recognizable icons. If not caused by a disability, illiteracy can be reversed by purchasing 'reading' as a talent. Jinxed: similar to the unlucky quirk, jinxed alters die rolls for the worse. However, the die rolls so affected are not those of the jinxed character, but those of his compatriots! Once per hour, one die roll made by the allies of a jinxed character will be altered for the worse, as if the character rolling it was afflicted by the luck power's bad luck. The person so chosen is random each time it happens. Loner: loners generally can't stand other people, and positively hate being around large groups of them for any length of time. A loner must pass a Psyche FEAT roll at a -2 CS for each level this quirk is taken whenever he's in a crowded situation. If this FEAT roll fails, he must immediately leave or suffer a like penalty to all actions taken while surrounded by these people. Nerd: the nerd just doesn't get it. He doesn't understand why he isn't cool, or perhaps he just doesn't care. This type of person is usually concerned with things outside the cultural norm. He doesn't know how to dance, he doesn't really know anything about music, or he likely has a lousy fashion sense - and it shows. Nerds usually receive a -2 CS Popularity adjustment when interacting with the so-called 'cool' people (or snobs). Poverty: perhaps the character is saddled with crushing debt he can't get ahead of, or maybe he's an ex-convict who can't get a decent job to save his life. Maybe an economic downturn has taken everything the character values from him. Either way, those stricken with poverty have a Resources rank of Poor (4) or less, and can't seem to improve their lot no matter how hard they try. Repugnant Personality: this character grates on the nerves, no matter how hard you try to tolerate him. He is possibly gruff, boisterous, opinionated, arrogant, or some combination of the above. A character may have multiple levels of repugnant personality, giving him an effective -2 CS to his Popularity score for each, and bottling up his annoying characteristics temporarily requires a Psyche FEAT at a like penalty. Snob: snobs tend to look down on everyone save for their special little clique. A snob receives a +2 CS Popularity adjustment from others within their social group, but a -2 CS adjustment to those they look down upon. Snobs tend to be on particularly bad terms with nerds and loners, the former of which may not understand why they're the subject of scorn and the latter of which remind them why they hate others so much. Social Dependent: the opposite of the loner, a social dependent is only comfortable around large groups of people, for they rely upon others to make up their minds for them. A social dependent is paralyzed with indecision if all alone, requiring a Psyche FEAT roll at a -2 CS for every level of this quirk taken in order to do something other than waffling about indecisively. Unattractive: whether we're talking about one's physical appearance or some other ephemeral quality, there's something about the character that puts people off. Individuals who would otherwise find the character attractive (or at least neutral in their eyes) find the unattractive character unpleasant, and react to him at a -2 CS for each level of this quirk is taken. Unlucky: an unlucky character has a hard time getting things to go their way. This is because, every tenth time they roll the dice, the unlucky character's die result is altered such that number rolled is arranged to produce the worst possible result for the character, as if suffering from the negative effects of the luck power. Unlucky counts as two quirks (grants two points). Unpleasant Habits: a character with an unpleasant habit does something that seems relatively normal to him, but others usually find it repugnant. Such a habit can include picking one's nose, chewing his toenails, constantly scratching in awkward locations, or even wearing spandex when one really, really shouldn't. Each level of this quirk reduces one's effective Popularity score by -2 CS. Weirdness Magnet: folks with this quirk - and everyone around them - tend to live on the far end of the probability curve. Strange and bizarre things happen around such a character constantly, and even stranger things happen to them directly. Smart people who recognize a weirdness magnet for what they are usually try to keep a healthy distance from them whenever possible. Freak accidents, unexplained phenomena and bizarre people cross paths with a weirdness magnet with distressing frequency. The fallout of such usually affects anyone within the weirdness magnet's vicinity, which can be particularly bothersome for one's teammates. Of course, investigators of strange happenings may appreciate a weirdness magnet for the staggering opportunities with which he helps them do their job... TALENTS Talents are primarily skills that any character can learn, given time. You don't need to be born with freakish mutations, be exposed to dangerous radiation, or have alien DNA to master a new talent - just the dedication and opportunity to do so. Talents operate in one of two basic fashions: they either give characters an ability they would otherwise lack, or increase their ability to perform some task or another. While the former are pretty self-explanatory (the Artist talent allows a Karma bonus for creating art, for instance), the latter can be a bit more involved. Generally, if a talent increases the likelihood of success in a given action, it will enhance the rank rolled against by +1 CS (unless otherwise noted). This is the 'base' level of a talent, and covers most examples of trained individuals. The Universal Heroes rules technically recognizes eighty seven talents, those listed below. Of course, several are presented either as 'general' talents that are made more specific during character generation (like the weapon skill talent), or such that additional talents can be 'grown' out of the existing skills as 'specialties' - particularly where sciences are concerned. There is certainly room for additional talents, should a game Judge decide his campaign needs more - or if he feels one was given the 'short end of the stick' and deserves its own entry... and that's fine. The idea here is to cover most everything that should come up in the course of regular play, whether the game makes use of the entire Universal Heroes rules or just bits and pieces of it. Special Talent Rules Some people will focus on a given skill above and beyond the capabilities or patience of others, and will thus receive an additional bonus to related actions. For example, say someone wants to be very good at physics, so they study their entire life and perform esoteric research to that effect. This allows them to 'double up' their skill, providing a +1 CS above and beyond the normal bonus (if applicable). Such skills are designated to indicate their increased bonus (the physicist in the above example would show that he has Physics 2, instead of 'mere' Physics). Any talent that is offering a double bonus should count as two talents (or cost two points), for the purposes of a character's total skills. Other than an explanation as to why said character is so good at what he does, nothing else is really necessary. On the other hand, rare individuals are the 'best of the best' in their given fields. These folks may 'triple up' their talent in a given area, allowing for a +2 CS beyond the standard bonus to related FEATs. This is costly, however; if our example physicist wanted to have Physics 3, he would have to sacrifice four of his total talent slots (or four points) for this purpose. And, of course, offer a compelling reason for that level of ability. Additionally, talent bonuses can be stacked to some extent. If a character has multiple talents that could reasonably assist a FEAT, add a +1 CS for each applicable skill, up to a maximum of +3 CS. For example, a character with spatial combat and vehicular combat could add a +2 CS to combat maneuvers when piloting a spacecraft, while a scientist with electronics and chemistry could get a like bonus when developing chemical sensors. Purchasing New Talents Once play has begun, it may be more difficult for a character to acquire new skills, but it definitely isn't impossible - he just has to find the proper time to study! Assuming the character does indeed have such, he can master new lines of knowledge or skill at his leisure, as long as he has enough Karma to pay the cost. A new talent can be purchased for one thousand Karma points, twice that for talents that count as two. One cannot purchase a new talent at a higher level to start with - everyone begins with but level 1 mastery in any talent they have begun to study after play begins. Once a talent is mastered however, the character can continue to work on elevating its significance and extent if he wishes. Raising a talent to level 2 status costs two thousand Karma - whether the talent originally counted as one or two talents. As is the case during character generation, the player need only offer a simple explanation as to why he's 'escalated' his knowledge in an area to level 2. It's a bit more difficult to learn a level 3 talent once play begins however. This requires extensive work on the part of the character that may well draw him away from adventuring for large amounts of time - as well as a rather good reason for such a boost. Finally, there's the Karma cost. To elevate an existing talent to level 3 costs a character three thousand Karma points. That final column shift is an expensive affair, both in the time and effort involved and the Karma expenditure. However, it usually pays off in the long run if one really wants to express a mastery of any given subject (though it's often easier to just get a level 3 talent during character generation). Untalented Individuals The possession of a talent implies a large amount of education and/or field training to account for the bonus(es) it provides. As such, people attempting to perform the actions covered by a talent without the talent to back them up should do so at a distinct penalty. Untalented characters may attempt to duplicate the actions described by a talent, but they suffer a -1 CS penalty when doing so. This applies whether firing a hand gun without the guns talent or trying to fix your television without the electronics skill. Sometimes natural ability will make up for this disadvantage, but trained individuals almost always have a leg up on their untrained brethren. This penalty does not apply where common sense overrules; for example, punching does not require martial arts type b, being an essential component of the Fighting ability. Background Talents Unlike most talents, background talents are usually something you pick up only during character generation. They often provide an origin (or a part of such) to a character, or explain something about their abilities (or lack therein). Furthermore, background talents usually don't offer column shift bonuses like other talents do, instead giving a unique benefit that other skills will generally lack. Typically, a character will only have one background talent, though they can be taken together if one's history indicates a necessity (law enforcement and military for an M.P., or possibly an heir to fortune and student for a rich kid about to learn the family 'trade'). There are four background talents in all, each of which provides its own advantages (and drawbacks): Heir to Fortune: this background talent helps to describe a character that was born into (or simply inherited) a whole lot of money. It offers a +1 CS to the character's Resources, which the player can then gamble upon to determine their final amount. The advantage here is that the character need not actually work in order to maintain his or her lifestyle (no job necessary). Depending on the nature of the fortune though, there may be some complications. For one thing, there's the family; if the character is a member of a wealthy or influential family, their fortunes may wax and wane dependent on the character's actions (and vice versa). If the character merely inherited their fortune, it's possible that stipulations in the will that gave it to them may hinder their activities. Conditions such as these should be worked out with the game Judge during character generation, though it's generally not fair to over-burden a character just because he's been born into wealth. The overall idea is to enhance a character's background after all, not weigh it down to the point of silliness. Heir to Fortune costs three talent slots (or three points) during character generation. Law Enforcement: the character with the law enforcement talent has a background in, well, law enforcement. He may be a policeman currently or has served as one in the past; current law enforcement officials can legally carry a gun and make arrests while in their jurisdiction. This tie to the authorities gives a character two additional contacts, the first being the agency they worked for. The second contact provided by law enforcement can be anyone the character worked with on the job, from a fellow officer to an informant on the streets or anything else that makes sense. Trained law enforcement officials also gain the benefit of learning the guns and law talents, as both are essential requirements to their line of work. Law Enforcement costs two talent slots (or two points) during character generation. Military: this character has served with (or is currently serving with) the armed forces of some country or another, usually noted with the talent itself ('Military / United States', or 'Military / France', for instance). The military builds strong bonds amongst its personnel, and a character with this talent gains two additional contacts, the first being the military agency they served with. The second contact will be anyone of the player's choice, from a superior officer to a platoon mate or anyone else that seems to fit. Trained military operatives gain the benefit of two additional talents as well, those being guns and martial arts type b - soldiers must be able to fight armed or unarmed against their country's enemies. Military costs two talent slots (or two points) during character generation. Student: a student is a character who does not begin play with any talents to speak of, but instead is in the process of learning them. As such, the student talent costs all of a character's talent slots (or five points) during character generation - unless they also want heir to fortune. In that case they must have at least four talent slots - three for heir to fortune and the rest for the student talent. This may seem a harsh penalty, but over time the benefits will show, as the cost of purchasing new talents is halved for a student character. The amount of time a character may remain a student is technically infinite; there's really nothing stopping them from racking up new skills at a discount, and truth be told, that's not a bad thing considering the disadvantage they start out with. However, a character does need to remain in good standing with the source of his talent(s) in order to keep receiving this benefit; if lost, it may be a proper adventure to regain this favor. Note: a character who possesses the student talent as well as the quick Learning quirk does not benefit from the Karma discounts of both (simply use the student discount, for it is greater). However, the benefits of student do apply to the base cost of learned talent-equivalent powers, such as magic spells and psi abilities. This allows a character wielding such to advance much faster than normal under most circumstances. Behavioral Talents Talents of this stripe usually involve indirectly influencing a character - when you want something from someone, you know exactly what to say and how to say it. This may involve influencing actions or simply emotions, whichever is desired. Some skills of this type overlap with the professional talent category, but those that are listed here are not exactly a direct source of income. Hypnosis: this is a special ability related to any number of mental disciplines, and may be learned through any of them. Hypnosis can be used to place a person into a trance, a trick which is much easier when they are willing (if they resist hypnosis, a character may need... added persuasion, often in the form of torture or other manipulations.) Once a trance has been established, a character is highly suggestible, and the hypnotizer can impart commands and the like as if they possessed mind control at their Rsn (log) rank. Hypnosis is fickle however, and will generally wear off after 1d10 days; furthermore, it cannot force someone to perform an act that is diametrically opposed to their personality (like forcing a pacifist to kill, etc...) Leadership: true leaders are somewhat hard to come by. This talent allows a character to make use of their wits and other talents to lead a tight-knit group of people, in or out of battle. While leading a group, leaders add 100 points to a Karma pool while others are following their direction, a bonus that is freshly applied at the beginning of each new adventure. Manipulation: on the other hand, some people get others to do their bidding by less savory methods. Manipulation includes methods of coercion, deception, intimidation, and seduction, all of which give a manipulator a +1 CS to get their hooks into someone (or, in game terms, to Pop FEATs, whether working in a positive or negative direction). Performer: this represents the work of an actor, rock star, dancer, mime, or whatever other form of entertainment you prefer. While related to the artist skill, the performer talent reflects immediacy; can he or she put on a good show for those before them? Performers gain ten Karma points for a week worth of work, whether doing stand-up comedy or acting on a movie set. Service: the service industry always has a need for good people. Maybe you tend bar or perhaps do technical support, but the idea is you have the ability to listen to others and help them to solve their problems. You should receive a +1 CS to such efforts to reassure others, even if it means reading 'between the lines' because someone doesn't know what they're trying to tell you. Sleight of Hand: this is the talent of misdirection, often used by stage magicians - though real sorcerers have made use of it now and then. With quick movements and fluid gestures, not to mention just a little bit of showmanship, a character using sleight of hand can seemingly make objects disappear right before your eyes, doing so at their Agy (dex) +1 CS. Tactics: a natural complement to leadership, the tactics talent represents someone well-versed in thinking several moves ahead, and able to reason out a solution to most any problem - either in or out of combat. While people follow the lead of a tactician on a prepared plan, they should receive a +1 CS to actions when doing so - though this bonus ends if events evolve past said plan... Environmental Talents The four environmental talents involve specialized knowledge that assists a character in navigating or surviving their environment. Whether it involves climbing an extreme vertical surface, following an elusive target's trail or even surviving in the harshest of climates, this class of talent will get you there. The skills represented here are primarily non-combative in nature. Climbing: while most heroes climb with the assistance of super-human abilities, some individuals are just really good at doing so under their own power (or with the help of a bit of gear here and there). Climbers excel at ascending or descending vertical surfaces, from brick walls to craggy mountains, and should receive a +2 CS to any such attempts to do so. Stealth: stealth is the ability to move without being conspicuous. Perhaps the character can tread silently, or maybe he's good at looking innocuous while doing so. When in use under practical conditions, stealth applies a -1 CS to Intuition FEAT rolls required to detect the stealthy character - a bonus that works well with characters who possess super human abilities of this stripe. Survival: individuals who have been trained in survival techniques excel in keeping themselves alive no matter how dire an environment or situation may be. All other things considered, a survivalist can usually dredge up enough food, water and shelter to persist in any locale, from urban wastelands to the darkest jungles to the coldest of tundra. Tracking: while there is a tracking power, perfectly normal humans can learn to follow others as well. The tracking talent allows a body to detect the signs of a person's passing, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. They do so at their Int (alt) or (awr) rank +1 CS, depending on which portion is necessary to notice those blades of broken grass or changes in animal chatter, etc... Fighting Talents Fighting talents are capabilities that enhance a character's unarmed combat performance. It is important to note that fighting without related fighting skills will not incur a penalty (you can punch a foe without martial arts b, grapple a foe without wrestling, or even attempt multiple actions without the multiple attacks talent, and not suffer a -1 CS penalty). There are fifteen fighting talents in all: Acrobatics: an acrobatic character is incredibly nimble, either naturally or thanks to intensive training in this regard. The acrobatics talent offers several benefits in combat, granting characters a +1 CS to any dodge, escape or evade maneuvers. Acrobatics also offers a similar bonus to other feats of balance, such as walking a tight rope or rolls to avoid falling. Aerial Combat: this environmental fighting skill involves training in airborne combat. It provides a +1 CS to all combat FEATs attempted while in the air, whether the character is flying under their own power or in a vehicle of some sort. This bonus can stack with other talent column shifts, but is often countered by the high movement rates of other aerial combatants anyway. Astral Combat: one who masters this skill excels in fighting while in a disembodied state. This can be while traveling in an astral form or a cyber-space avatar - or anything in between. Astral combat grants a +1 CS to all combat maneuvers attempted while bodiless, whether armed or unarmed, a bonus that does stack with other fighting and weapon talents (where applicable). Martial Arts type A: this fighting style involves using a foe's energies against them, and is representative of pacifist styles like Aikido and more aggressive Judo stances. Using martial arts type a, a character can inflict Slam or Stun results regardless of the Str or End differences between him and his foe, as the foe's own energies are being used against them to determine damage. This works by making a Ftg (def) FEAT roll when attacked, on the dodge column of the universal table. If the attacker misses, his offensive power is redirected as the defender chooses, either into the ground or a nearby object - or just into the surrounding space (a throw). The use of type a martial arts does not require initiative to succeed, even though it is technically an offensive action. Martial Arts type B: this fighting style is indicative of the likes of boxing, and involves inflicting damage in quick, decisive strokes. A character trained in type b martial arts may strike in unarmed combat at his Ftg (off) score +1 CS, no matter what form of attack he attempts; punches, kicks, head butts, elbow drops, knee smashes, and many more maneuvers fall under this heading. Martial Arts type C: type c martial arts focuses on the application of holds and the execution of escapes from such. It provides a combatant a +1 CS to a character's Str score for the purposes of escape and grapple maneuvers (even where damage is concerned), and a +1 CS to one's Agy (bal) for the purposes of dodging attacks. It excels for purposes of containing and wearing out unruly opponents. Martial Arts type D: a contemplative and deadly technique, type d martial arts allows a character to find and strike out against a foe's weak points. After two turns of study, characters with type d martial arts may ignore body armor (though not force fields) for the purpose of inflicting Slam or Stun results; even if no damage is inflicted by their attack, the type d martial artist can cause these results. Martial Arts type E: this fighting style involves striking fast and unpredictably, in order to act with surprise. The actions of a type e martial artist are difficult to predict, and their general speed grants them a +1 initiative modifier in unarmed combat. While a character with type d martial arts can still receive their benefits against a type e fighter, they cannot defeat the type e initiative modifier. Multiple Attacks: the character with this talent is trained in making a burst of melee attacks in the shortest amount of time possible. After extensive training, a character with the multiple attacks talent should receive a +1 CS to their multiple (offensive) actions FEAT rolls, and no longer suffer the -1 CS penalty incurred when doing so (the -3 CS penalty for failing a multiple actions FEAT still applies, however). Spatial Combat: characters well versed in spatial combat are trained in the effects of alien environments on their fighting styles. They suffer no innate penalty to hit due to the effects of gravity on their body (whether it be zero Gs or multiples of earth gravity), whether in melee or ranged combat, and can maneuver with (relative) ease no matter the gravitic conditions on their body. Targeting: characters with this talent have been trained in the use of their ranged powers, allowing them to make to-hit rolls at a +1 CS to their Agy (dex). This skill works no matter the emission point of said ranged powers on their body, whether it come in the form of hand blasts or eye beams, but can be somewhat difficult to obtain in the first place, as it's an uncommon talent. Tumbling: tumblers know how to take a fall (literally and figuratively). Whenever a character with the tumbling talent falls (or is thrown) any distance which does not inflict damage, they may attempt an Agy (bal) FEAT roll to land on their feet. This makes them ready for action immediately, and of course prevents unnecessary Slam or Stun results that may occur due to, say, landing on one's head. Underwater Combat: masters of this environmental fighting skill have the ability to engage in combat underwater effectively. They know how to compensate for underwater effects, and may attempt maneuvers beneath the waves without the normal to-hit penalty. Though water resistance and breathing may still be valid concerns, the underwater combatant definitely has a leg-up on untrained foes. Vehicular Combat: an advanced combat skill, this talent involves a character being well trained in the use of vehicles while fighting. Whether it's an airplane or custom built car or even a spacecraft, the vehicular combatant knows the ins and outs of such combat. They may make applicable vehicular combat FEATs (either offensive or defensive) at a +1 CS to the applicable rank (usually Agy). Wrestling: a wrestler is adept in applying holds, of either the standard or Sumo variety. By itself, wrestling allows a +2 CS to a character's Str (mgt) for the purposes of placing an opponent in a hold, a bonus which adds with type c martial arts quite nicely. While wrestling does not allow for additional damage, it does let the holding character maintain his hold each turn to inflict repeat damage. Miscellaneous Talents This bundle of skills represents abilities that usually have practical use, but don't fit neatly into other categories. Miscellaneous talents encompass a wide variety of capabilities, some offering increased ability in some fashion. There are only six miscellaneous talents in all, though there's always room for more that may not necessarily fit into the other, neater talent categories available. First Aid a limited form of the medicine talent, first aid is nonetheless a very useful skill to have in that it can be applied immediately during a fight (no ambulance ride required). When administering first aid, a character can immediately halt the loss of End ranks in a dying individual, going so far as to actually add one lost End rank back as well. Similarly, if caring for someone who has slipped to Shift 0 Endurance, the character with first aid can bring them back from the brink if they reached that point within the last five turns. This period of time is added to the maximum amount of time a character can be resuscitated within if the wielder also has medicine (for 25 turns maximum), and boosts 'emergency care' FEATs for those with both skills by +1 CS. Power Skill: this talent represents a character who has trained hard in the use of one of their super human abilities, which may or may not have combat applications (depending on the nature of said power). When using this power, the character should receive a +1 CS to all actions they attempt (save where damage is concerned.) The power so trained in is noted in the talent listing, such as 'Skill / Fire Generation'. Repair / Tinkering: tinkerers are great at taking apart an existing item and either fixing or modifying it (in either a minor or major capacity.) Tinkerers should receive a +1 CS to such efforts, whether fixing a toaster or adding a nitrous oxide feed into the fuel supply of their automobile, a bonus which is readily aided by other skills such as engineering or electronics. Resist Domination: bearers of this talent have been trained in the use of various techniques to avoid mental control in all its many forms. Whenever facing the effects of the manipulation or hypnosis talents, or even the blatant use of psi powers, characters with resist domination should receive a +1 CS to their Psc (will) for the purposes of shaking off such control. Trance: severe meditation and intense mastery of one's body and mind can allow a person to enter a deep, restive trance. While in this state, a character's body functions slow to the point that they are undetectable, and he appears to be dead (Int (alt) FEAT to make this distinction). Also, individuals in a trance have a minimal need for food or water, and recover lost End ranks at a rate of one per day. Trivia: experts in trivia know a whole lot about obscure categories of knowledge that are typically not covered by other talents. An expert on baseball cards may know everything there is to know about the cards, but not necessarily baseball itself (though he or she may have the sports / baseball talent as well). Those with this talent gain a +1 CS on knowledge FEATs regarding their trivial area of expertise. Professional Talents The seventeen professional talents represent occupational paths. As opposed to scientific skills, these talents primarily lean upon practical experience to function; sure, plenty of studying may be involved, but you mainly learn these crafts by doing, not reading. Furthermore, these talents lend themselves to a decent Resources rank - or at least a practical means of making money besides inheriting (or stealing) it. Animal Handling: this is ability to train otherwise wild animals to do what you want. Through either positive or negative reinforcement, you can ultimately bend animals to your will, possibly even turning them into companions during adventures. Animal handlers are well versed in animal behavior, and should receive a +1 CS reaction modifier when dealing with them. Artist: the artist is a person who creates work of art (seriously). Unlike performances, these are lasting works that linger long past the actual performance proper (not counting recordings of such), such as photography, painting, sculpture, and writing. One work of art will typically take 1d10 weeks to finish, and offer a Karma reward equal to ten times that value upon completion. Astronaut: similar to pilots, astronauts can fly... except their rides glide through the inky blackness of space. Space flight has several challenges above and beyond standard aeronautics, including zero gravity operation, incredibly hostile environments, and navigation on a galactic scale. Astronauts receive a +1 CS in all of these areas, in addition to their actual flying ability. Boating: piloting a water-based vehicle is typically more complicated than comparable earth-bound rides. Whether handling a jet-ski, a fishing boat, a battle ship, or even a submarine, a boater does so at a +1 CS, also receiving this bonus on efforts to spot / avoid water-based hazards (such as reefs), building rafts, attempting rescues on the sea, and even swimming or holding one's breath. Business / Finance: this is the art of running a business, or otherwise growing available resources. Businessmen and financiers gain the benefit of a minimum Resources rank of Good (10), and +1 CS in monetary matters (whether actually handling it or in dealings with the business world), in addition to one free contact related to their field in some fashion. Crime: crime is a sort of catch-all for capabilities that aren't specifically covered by other skills, which are primarily useful for engaging in larcenous behavior. Whether keeping an eye out for the police, picking a lock, disguising oneself as another person, or even appraising the 'street value' of stolen goods, a criminal should receive a +1 CS to any such efforts. Some enterprising criminals excel in one area of this talent, and should be noted as such. A 'master of disguise' might have a +2 CS for the purposes of posing as another individual, while being useless where locks are concerned (and would be noted with 'Disguise' instead of 'Crime'.) Alternately, a criminal may specialize in an area of crime as can a scientist, spending another talent slot for the additional +2 CS on top of crime in general. Demolitions: a limited and specialized form of the Engineering profession, this talent involves the knowledge to build, arm or disarm explosive devices. It allows a character to perform these actions at a +1 CS to their Rsn score, and is representative of explosive ordnance disposal professionals or, alternately, military engineers who excel at destroying enemy gear with bombs. Detective / Espionage: detectives are good at connecting the dots and finding the clues necessary to solve a mystery; spies, on the other hand, excel in liberating information from their targets. Both should receive a +1 CS on FEAT rolls to dig up or discover the information they require, and receive not one but two additional contacts to assist in their line of work. Driving: while most people in modern societies can drive an automobile without too much hassle (no penalty), professional drivers excel behind the wheel. They may attempt most maneuvers while driving at a +1 CS, and know how to handle almost any ground-based vehicle, from cars to tractor trailers to tanks. As a bonus, drivers may maintain their vehicles with a similar bonus. Education: including aspects of behavioral modification, politics and performer, teaching involves passing knowledge onto others. Educators should receive a +1 CS when attempting to teach things to others, whether for keeping their attention or making things comprehensible. Educators should receive two additional contacts, usually people they've taught in the past. Engineering: the craft of building things, an engineer knows how to make things - from cars to buildings. On the other hand, engineers also know how to take them apart, and make great demolitionists. An engineer should receive a +1 CS on FEAT rolls related to designing or building an object or device, including the Resources FEAT required for such. Journalism: journalists master the craft of conveying the news to the world, whether they do so with words or pictures (or both). This character excels in generating compelling accounts of current events, receiving a +1 CS when doing so, and should receive three additional contacts related to their field - possibly an editor, fellow journalist, or even a trusted 'reliable source'. Law: armed with an extensive knowledge of the legal system, lawyers are put into play to sway judges and juries to their line of thinking - and usually their client's. They should receive a +1 CS concerning legal knowledge and procedure, and benefit from one additional contact - either in legal circles or perhaps a client they made a particularly good impression on. Piloting: more than anything else, pilots are experts in aeronautics; you want to know the hunk of metal that is the only thing between you and a five mile drop very, very well. Pilots receive a +1 CS in the operation of any aircraft, whether Agy, Rsn or Control FEATs are required, and gain a similar bonus for the design and maintenance of aircraft as well. Politics: politics is the fine art of making decisions for and influencing groups of people, and politicians excel in doing just that, whether in a diplomatic fashion (bringing people together) or in an abrasive manner (fear mongering, rabble rousing). Politicians should receive a +1 CS on efforts to sway a crowd to their point of view, and receive one bonus contact related to this purpose. Salesmanship: some people train hard to influence other people, while some... just have an inherent knack for it. Salesmen are very, very good at convincing people that they absolutely need something - whether they actually do or not. They should receive a +1 CS in efforts to sell anything, whether in person or through the media (often known as marketing). Sports: while most everyone can play a game without formal training, the individuals with actual skill in their sport of choice have elevated their recreational passion into an art form - often with monetary benefits. The sports talent offers a +1 CS bonus to knowledge relating to athletics in general (rules, statistics, etc...), as well as actions made in the course of play. But that's not all. Athletes typically specialize in one form of sport above others. Instead of a general knowledge in sports (often possessed by sports commentators), a character may instead just be really versatile in the knowledge related to one sport. This sort of character should receive a +2 CS in their game of choice, instead of having an all-around bonus, and are noted specifically (e.g., 'Sports / Lacrosse'.) Scientific Talents Talents of the scientific variety almost exclusively involve the study of some area of knowledge or another. The primary talents listed below are generalized into 'major' sciences, which allow for further specialization. If a character would like to specialize in a specific area of a talent (as an example, the doctor with medicine wanting to go into neurology), they can buy that specialization as a second talent. While this can be expensive (particularly if one wants to have more than one specialized science under their belt), the specialist benefits from an additional +2 CS in their area of expertise, while keeping their basic level with a talent unchanged - which is a bit cheaper than 'doubling up' in a general science. There are fifteen scientific talents in all, each covering a vital area of knowledge: Archaeology: archaeologists research the past in order to learn from it, for various reasons. The character with archaeology as a talent should receive a +1 CS to any FEAT roll dependent on knowledge of the past. It also lends itself to various specialty fields, such as anthropology, or even a focus on the history of specific nations (e.g., 'History / Spain'). Biology: students of biology become well versed in the basic processes of life, involving both humans and other life forms. Biologists are familiar with a wide variety of organisms, and should receive a +1 CS on any FEAT concerning knowledge of such, either for identification purposes, the treatment of organic poisons, or even the researching and treatment of a disease. Biologists can specialize in many specific forms of their science, such as botany (plants), mycology (fungi), zoology (animals), epidemiology (illness and plague), agriculture (growing food), pharmacology (drugs and their effects), exobiology (alien life forms), veterinary science (the care and treatment of animals), and many, many more. Biology readily overlaps with most other scientific talents, as well. Chemistry: this is the study of interactions between different chemical substances, the changes they undergo, and the resultant energies produced. Characters with the chemistry talent can add a +1 CS to all chemical FEAT rolls required, whether remembering chemical structures, mixing new compounds, identifying substances by taste or touch, or even brewing antidotes for inorganic toxins. Computers: a study of computer technology allows for a significant understanding of how 'thinking machines' work. Whether operating, assembling or programming such devices, a computer expert should receive a +1 CS to necessary Rsn FEAT rolls. This bonus applies whether working on regular computers, computer-controlled or assisted equipment, or even artificial intelligences. Criminology: criminologists are experts in the criminal mind, knowing how it generally operates thanks either to personal experience or extensive study. They should gain a +1 CS in Rsn or Int FEAT rolls related to criminal practices, and receive the benefit of one additional contact in either police or criminal circles (whichever is most convenient). Electronics: a study of electronics allows one to bend the electron to their will! Whether building analog or digital circuits, a student of electronics can build all manner of devices to power their world, from the mundane to the fantastic. They should receive a +1 CS to any Rsn FEAT related to this field, particularly when designing, building or repairing electronic devices. Genetics: related to both biology and chemistry to an extent, genetics is a study of the essential building blocks of life, such as deoxyribonucleic acid. While genetics has several beneficial uses, it lends itself to abuse by the more 'twitchy' members of the scientific community, particularly those who think it's time to 'improve' on a species - with or without thinking through the consequences. Either way, a geneticist should receive a +1 CS on matters concerning genes in general, particularly where mutation is concerned. They share a benefit with biologists, having the skills to research and treat diseases (with the added benefit of being able to cook up their own). Finally, a geneticist has the ability (if not necessarily the resources or safeguards) to create new life forms from scratch. Geology: the study of the earth, geology is a way to look at how our planet formed and functions. It provides a +1 CS to FEATs called for in regards to volcanic activity, the identification of particular rocks or stones, or even determining the characteristics of nearby strata. Common specializations of geology include ecology, paleontology, meteorology, and (in futuristic campaigns) astrogeology. Linguistics: this is the study of languages. A linguistic expert may begin play with at least one additional language, which they can read, write and speak fluently in (in addition to their native tongue). Mastering additional languages after the second is much easier; each further language learned only counts as half a talent during character generation, or is purchased at half price during character advancement. This talent can also indicate mere mastery of specific languages, instead of an actual study of such. This is functionally the same, only differentiated in order to distinguish true linguists from characters who may just happen to have an extra language or two in their 'pocket'. Non-linguists with multiple tongues are indicated by listing the languages they can use as talents (e.g., 'Languages / English and Farsi'). Lore: while most sciences focus on what others consider common knowledge, the student of lore digs deeper, into areas some consider fantasy at best. Lore is a sort of accumulated wealth of knowledge on mystic cults, antiquities, and forgotten (or forbidden) knowledge. The character who is a student of lore should receive a +1 CS in such matters, no matter how obscure. There is room for many specialties of lore, as it is a science - if somewhat mysterious. A bibliophile may be an expert on magical books, while a scholar of antiquities may know everything there is to know about mystic artifacts, and a cryptozoologist might be the go-to person when freaky monsters from other planes of existence run amok down in the industrial district. Mathematics: the 'queen of the sciences', mathematics is an advanced and rigorous discipline. Beyond the basic maths most children master in school, this talent deals in abstract concepts evolved from quantity (real or imaginary). These include geometry / trigonometry, calculus, information theory, probability / chaos theory, and more - all of which a mathematician handles at their Rsn score +1 CS. Medicine: characters with this talent have studied the human body extensively, and can treat a variety of conditions it may be suffering from. As you can guess, doctors and nurses benefit from a +1 CS to any Rsn FEAT roll required in matters of medical problems or emergencies, medicines, poisons, surgery, or the treatment of most any ailments. Being a doctor has several additional benefits, however. While anyone can stop a dying person from losing further End ranks simply by checking on them, characters with the medicine talent can actually resuscitate wounded individuals who have slipped to Shift 0 End within the last twenty turns. Furthermore, when treating wounded individuals, they may recover one lost End rank per week, in addition to those regained thanks to the normal healing process. Physics: the science of physics involves a study of matter and how it moves through space-time. This is a fancy way to describe a study of how things work, from the largest to the smallest. This talent offers a +1 CS to all Rsn FEAT rolls regarding energy, force, motion and time. Some specialty fields of physics include astronomy, nuclear physics and quantum physics, among others. Psychology: a psychologist studies the human mind and how it works. This is different than a psychiatrist, which is actually a medical specialty, in that a psychologist has no medical background, per se. They should receive a +1 CS to Rsn FEAT rolls related to determining the behavior of others, either individual or in groups. Specialty fields include related disciplines such as sociology and political science. But wait, there's more. An intense knowledge of how people think and behave has benefits above and beyond academic work and the treatment of mental illness. A trained psychologist knows the ins and outs of thought processes, which comes in handy when wielding psionic powers (either natural or learned); psychologists attempt efforts to read, control or influence thoughts or emotions at a +1 CS to their power rank(s). Theology: this is the study of spirituality, or of religious faith, practice and experience. Theologists are keenly aware just what major (and most minor) religions represent, and should receive a +1 CS on FEAT rolls concerning such knowledge. Theological specialists are those who focus on just one faith for the most part, and are noted as such (say, with 'Theology / Pastafarianism'.) Weapon Talents The opposite of fighting talents, weapon talents involve armed combat in some degree or another. They primarily offer a +1 CS to the use of the weapon(s) in question, or provide the ability to use a class of weaponry without penalty. There are nineteen weapon skills in all, each of which greatly expand the lethality of a character no matter their choice in personal weaponry: Advanced Guns: characters with the advanced guns talent are skilled in the use of high-tech, hand-held projectile weaponry. These weapons, which include laser pistols, particle beam emitters, blasters, concussion cannons and the ever-popular death rays, behave differently than standard hand guns and require special training - training which provides a +1 CS to the use of such weapons. Blunt Weapons: this 'package' talent provides a character the ability to wield all blunt melee weapons without penalty. Whether he's brandishing a staff, a club, a Louisville slugger or even a nunchaku, a character can use it at his base Ftg (off) score, as opposed to the usual -1 CS penalty. Blunt Weapons costs one additional talent slot or point (or double Karma) to 'double up' or 'triple up'. Bows: this talent allows a character to fire stringed weaponry at their Agy (dex) score +1 CS, whether it be a standard, compound or cross bow. This talent assumes the ability to fire and reload the bow as a single combat action. Also, a character with the bows talent may attempt to fire several arrows at once (unless wielding a crossbow) to hit multiple targets, though this requires a yellow Agy (dex) FEAT, and the usual penalties apply. Concussion Weapons: concussion weapons are melee devices that produce a focused 'field' that, when striking another, inflicts Force damage. This may come in the form of concussion gauntlets, charged melee weapons or even solid energy constructs like a force bat. This talent allows the use of this class of weaponry without penalty, though related skills readily stack with the concussion weapons talent. Energy Weapons: on the other hand, energy weapons are melee devices that generate a power field which inflicts more deadly, Energy damage instead. This class of weaponry includes power gauntlets, vibro blades, or even photon swords. This talent allows the use of focused energy weapons without penalty, though related skills readily stack with the energy weapons talent (for example, swords and energy weapons). Guns: the character that is trained in the fine art of gunplay may use such weapons as though their Agy (dex) was +1 CS higher than is listed. This applies whether the gun in question is a standard, semi-automatic or fully automatic rifle or pistol, and includes all applicable modes of fire for a given gun (semi-automatic guns can fire one round or a small burst, for example). Marksman: firing large-bore weaponry requires special training, one that involves a lot of math as well as practical skill. A trained marksman can use this education to fire weapons with a line of sight range effectively, whether they come in the form of mortar shells, fire-and-forget portable missiles, or even large caliber tank or ship cannons. These weapons may be fired at a +1 CS to the character's Agy (dex) score. Natural Weapons: this class of weaponry is not the kind that can be easily removed, as it is inherent to one's own body. It includes claws, quills, razor skin, battle tails and the like. One can use such 'additions' without penalty if they lack this talent, but training in one's natural weapons allows the character so armed a +1 CS in the use of such unique, built-in physical enhancements. Oriental Weapons: this 'package' talent provides a character the ability to wield all Oriental-style weapons without penalty. Whether he's brandishing a sai, a katana, a crossbow, a shuriken, a nunchaku, or even a wakizashi, a character can use it at his base Ftg (off) or Agy (dex) score (as is applicable), as opposed to the usual -1 CS penalty. Oriental Weapons costs one additional talent slot or point (or double Karma) to 'double up' or 'triple up'. Quick Draw: the quick draw skill represents a character that has trained to wield their weapon of choice fast - very fast. This talent can apply to any one type of weapon, but not a weapon class (it can work with a hand gun or a sword, but not all 'blunt' or 'sharp' weapons). In play, it offers the character with this skill a +1 initiative modifier when wielding their preferred weapon. But wait, there's more. Thanks to this inherent speed with one's weapon of choice, the quick draw talent allows its user a +1 CS to their Fighting (off) regarding multiple actions with said weapon. This helps a body get off just one more shot with that rifle, or perhaps an extra stroke with their sword. This bonus can stack with the automatic extra attack from two weapons if both revolve around the same weapon type. Sharp Weapons: the opposite coin of the blunt weapons skill, this 'package' talent allows the character to wield any edged melee weapon without penalty (as opposed to the usual -1 CS handicap). This can come in the form of a sword, a dagger, an axe, a scythe, or just about anything else with a blade attached. Sharp weapons costs one additional talent slot or point (or double Karma) to 'double up' or 'triple up'. Shields: just about any slob can make effective use of a shield, assuming at least a passing familiarity with the device. The true skill comes in wielding it offensively as well as defensively, and this talent allows a body to strike another with a shield - either in melee or when thrown in the case of aerodynamic shields - at a +1 CS to the applicable ability score. Spontaneous Weapons: the character with this talent has practiced in the use of turning almost anything into a weapon. Whether it's a chair, a couch, a television, a lamp post, or even a city bus, he can wield it effectively; think of this as 'blunt weapons' on steroids. Whenever using an item as a makeshift weapon, the character with talent may do so without penalty (though with no actual bonus to hit). Thrown Objects: the ranged equivalent of the above skill, the thrown objects talent allows characters to wield almost any object in long distance combat. It doesn't matter if they've palmed a rock, a crate, an automobile, or even a dumpster, the character can throw it as long as he has the strength to lift the thing. Characters with the thrown object talent can fling any object at their Agy (dex) score +1 CS. Thrown Weapons: persons who are trained in the use of thrown weapons can wield them at range without penalty; in fact, they receive a +1 CS to their Agy (dex) when doing so. Any weapon specifically designed to be thrown (boomerangs, shuriken, darts, and certain daggers and axes for instance) falls under the purview of this talent; other items (even weapons) not specifically designed to be thrown refer to thrown objects, instead. Two Weapons: a difficult skill to master, the two weapons talent allows a character to effectively handle two similar (in shape, size or weight) weapons at the same time. Two weapons allows one extra attack per turn when using similar weapons at the same time, which allows for either two separate attacks or bursting. The weapons a character can dual wield are generally indicated as part of the talent name ('Two Guns', for instance). Weapon Skill: while most of the weapons talents listed above showcase general types of weapons (blunt weapons, sharp weapons, energy weapons, etc...), this talent represents a character who has worked hard to master one specific type of weapon, usually indicated in the name of the talent (such as 'Skill / Swords'). When wielding weapons of this type, a character does so at the appropriate ability score +1 CS. This skill is the one amongst weapon talents that most readily stacks with others. For instance, the wielder of a force bat with a skill / clubs and concussion weapons would allow a +2 CS to hit (the clubs talent backed up by the concussion weapons talent). This sort of combination allows a general mastery of one class of weapons, with another the character can wield above and beyond others of that class. Weapon Specialist: a character can train above and beyond the call of duty with a specific weapon in order to attain even greater mastery with it; say, a family heirloom or unique artifact they discovered by chance. By becoming a weapon specialist with this item, they can add an additional +2 CS to their to-hit rolls when wielding it, which does stack with the normal weapon skill for its type. Say our hero finds a strange hammer with the power to control the weather itself! He trains long and hard, and masters hammers in general (skill / hammer), and then specializes in the use of this specific weapon, gaining a further +2 CS. The only danger is in losing this weapon, either if it's stolen or destroyed. If this occurs, and the weapon cannot be replaced, the bonus (and Karma spent to gain this talent) is lost. An additional bonus a weapon specialist receives is that he may add a +1 to his initiative modifier when using his weapon of choice (which does stack with the quick draw bonus). Weapons Master: something of a misnomer, this talent represents a person who has trained hard enough to be effective with most every weapon available to them. While it offers no bonus, weapons master allows a character to literally wield any weapon, melee or ranged, without penalty. Of course, being a weapon master can be somewhat expensive, costing two of the character's total talent slots. CONTACTS Contacts are people or groups that you can generally rely upon for assistance now and then, should the need arise. They are available as resources for a character to tap during play, whether they offer information, materials and supplies, or just a favor on occasion. They're a great thing to have, as sometimes one's contacts will have precisely what a body needs to progress in an adventure or other endeavor. Contacts are rated in levels. A level one contact occupies one contact 'slot' or costs one character point, a level two contact occupies two contact 'slots' or costs two character points, and a level three contact occupies four contact 'slots' or costs four character points. Level two or three contacts are denoted with a digit to express their import (but level one contacts lack this, for simplicity). For example, a simple pilot you keep on retainer may be a mere professional, while that world-famous U.S. Senator qualifies as a government 3 contact. The former costs one contact 'slot' while the latter costs four. But you definitely get what you pay for, as a more important contact can provide bigger favors. But keep in mind that, above all else, contacts are people too. Should you lean on a contact for assistance too much, said contact will want a favor from you in return; that's what friends are for, right? This can become difficult with more 'important' contacts; a lowly street snitch from Detroit isn't about to ask for as big a favor as say, the current President of the United States. And it pays to keep one's contacts happy, or your neglect may cause you to lose them. The game Judge will usually keep track of how happy a contact is with your character, which is often a great way for him to involve you with all manner of encounters (without your even having to do anything!) Floating Contacts Unlike ability scores, quirks and other attributes of a character, one's contacts need not be entirely determined before play begins. Sure, most characters will start with at least one contact, who must be specifically identified. This can be any manner of contact, from a trusted family manservant to the Prime Minister of Canada. But a player may hold contact 'slots' in reserve; such contacts are called floating contacts. What this means is that the character has contact 'slots' he has not actually used yet. These may be held in reserve until a situation where the need for one in a specific area arises. For example, say a character finds himself requiring the services of a lawyer due to a botched fight with some super criminal. Having a few 'spare' contacts handy, he invokes one and declares that his sister is the family lawyer. Alternately, one can use a floating contact to impose himself into the origins of an existing NPC. If the game Judge hasn't developed that character's back story yet, a player may decide the lawyer he knows is that 'ambulance chaser' the Judge introduced two adventures back, assuming previous play didn't obviate such a choice. This not only develops the player character's story, but lends more weight to a NPC already in the game. Floating contacts can also be invoked after interactions of opportunity with NPCs. For instance, if a hero group rescues some irritating teen pop idol from a gaggle of deranged fans, maybe one of the players decides to make the little twerp a contact. His life having been saved, the teen singer has begun to idolize the hero, and is happy to return the favor with... whatever it is pop stars do for their friends. Purchasing New / Old Contacts Once play begins, one might gain new contacts 'automatically' as play progresses, but most often players have to buy them if they want more (after floating contacts are gone). This can be done with small amounts of Karma, as a new contact costs five hundred Karma plus an amount of Karma equal to ten times their Resources rank. A new contact with Amazing (50) Resources, then, would cost the player one thousand Karma. Similarly, 'old' contacts a player has managed to lose due to his actions (or inaction, as the case may be) may be restored at a similar cost - along with the appropriate behavior to regain their trust. Say a contact in the CIA disavowed the PC after he wound up on the Terror Watch List, but the character has made amends and is trying to clean up his behavior. Paying the listed cost will return him to that contact's good graces. 'Fixing' an old contact may not seem worth the bother, but it sometimes beats buying a new one from nowhere - in the short and long term for both the character and the campaign as a whole. On the other hand, if one's bridges are just a little too burned, it may very well be in one's best interest to start over in some ways, particularly if a former contact has become fully hostile towards the character. The above assumes that we are talking about a level one contact. If one wishes to purchase a level two contact, they must pay twice as much Karma (the contact above, with Amazing (50) Resources, would cost the player two thousand Karma instead of one). A level three contact may be purchased at quadruple the price of a level one contact, in addition to there being a compelling reason for such an important person to start working with the hero. And usually, merely rescuing the kitten of an alien overlord isn't enough of a justification for this (unless he's rather eccentric). Contact Suggestions Below is a description of the various types of contacts available. Suggestions are given for each type, detailing just what they can be and generally what they can offer during play, broken up by their relative value: Aide: contacts of this sort are those who specifically work to assist the character in some capacity. They function above and beyond a mere employer-employee relationship, and can be considered friends of the character. Most often, aides know of the character's super-human activities, and gladly assist him in the perpetration of such - or if applicable, will help him to maintain a secret identity. Level 1 aides might come in the form of a dedicated secretary or butler, one who knows of the character's fantastic activities. This sort of aide might handle one's 'mundane' affairs while he's off adventuring, or perhaps does the 'grunt work' necessary for him to engage in them in the first place. A level 1 aide typically won't willingly engage in combat, and may require rescuing or assistance if they do so. Aide 2 contacts go one step further in their jobs, and might often be seen in the field with a character. This form of aide may take the form of a Kung Fu manservant or perhaps a heavily armed body guard - they're generally less powerful than the character, but have practical combat applications nonetheless. A level 2 aide may also take the form of a small support organization or technical and/or scientific staff. A level 3 aide is incredibly active in the character's life. It can come in the form of a large support organization or technical staff, one who is highly motivated towards helping him do whatever it is he does. Level 3 aides can also come in the form of competent side kicks or partners in crime, those who either have training in multiple combat techniques or are otherwise fully capable of taking care of themselves in a fight. Artist / Performer: contacts of this type are the creators within a society. They make beautiful works of art, they can sing like nobody's business, or they are writers of some renown. Such individuals may not be famous, but their works may be above and beyond anything the world has ever seen - or will ever see again, once they're gone (or quit out of frustration). A level 1 artist or performer represents any number of hard-working creative stiffs. This can be a graphic artist toiling away at an uncaring corporation, that technical writer who's far too good with words for what he's doing, or even 'that guy' you see on local commercials a lot. They're the kind of creator that others take advantage of under the pretense of 'helping them out by getting them exposure' in exchange for free work. Artists or performers who rate a level 2 contact designation are somewhat famous. They include pop singers whose songs come and go on the radio, movie stars who repeatedly get jobs despite a lack of acting talent, and writers whose material catches on for a time with the public zeitgeist. They can be low-grade celebrities or less-known creators who have a small but intense following around the world. Level three artists or performers are those whose works truly move the world - or at least a large portion of it. Whether you like them or not, their material will haunt the media long after they're gone. Writers will see their works ripped off and adapted into television and movies, performers will see their songs covered and sampled ad nauseum, and actors will live on in syndication until the end of time. Business: businessmen and businesswomen are are the citizens of corporations, workers who make those financial entities go - even if the higher-ups forget this more often than not. A business contact can be anyone working in a corporate environment, ranging from that old guy in the company mail room to the new chief executive officer - or even one of the creepy HR operatives. Business contacts of the level 1 sort are the cogs in the corporate machinery. These people often have little official authority, but a company may well grind to a halt without their diligent work. Business contacts such as these include secretaries, delivery men, stock brokers, and so on. This class of contact may also include independent contractors or the owners of small businesses. Level 2 business contacts are people who are somewhat highly placed in a major corporation. They include upper management, human resources 'people', leaders of one company subsidiary or another, or other people who serve a vital, yet occasionally under-appreciated role in the company. A level 2 business contact can also represent the owner of a small corporation, or perhaps a contractor in very, very high demand. A level 3 business contact is a mover and shaker in the financial world. This category of business contact includes chief executive officers, the owners of massive corporations, exorbitantly wealthy financiers, and so forth. These individuals rarely worry about money, and are often responsible for the generation of vast amounts of it. When level 3 financiers make a business move, people pay attention - intently. Criminal: sometimes it pays to know somebody working in the unseemly underworld. Perhaps a friend who launders money, deals drugs, or trades on the black market. Such people are often limited to what they do or know, but they usually have criminal contacts of their own, and often know a guy who knows a guy who knows something. Criminals are evildoers without powers to speak of. Mostly. Criminals who fall into the tier of a level 1 contact are those who are self-made men - and haven't really made all that much of themselves. This can be anything from a street walking 'consultant' to an illegal arms dealer to a fence who works out of the back of that notorious pawn shop. Typically these guys are on their own, but can call upon others of their ilk who might have what a body needs in a pinch. Level 2 criminals are bigger sharks. They're often the head of a small gang or mob, and have successfully held onto their territory for quite some time. These guys have much better connections, usually dabbling in smuggling, high volume drug dealing, money laundering, or all of the above. Such criminal contacts can also represent elite criminals, solo law breakers who are the best of the best at what they do. A criminal who qualifies for a level 3 status is the kind who is not to be trifled with. In a world of cutthroat evildoers, they've risen to the absolute top of the heap. These are the ringleaders of international crime syndicates, drug cartels, slavery rings, and sometimes worse. They have connections on a global scale, and can usually manage to do almost anything they want, maintaining a legitimate guise all the while. Doctor: it's always handy for adventurers of any stripe to know a doctor. Heroes, villains, vigilantes and fugitives are always getting into fights, either with each other or highly motivated normals, and somebody's got to patch them up. Such medical contacts can range from a simple general practitioner to a specialist in a given area of medicine or even the 'black market' doctors common in comic books. Level 1 doctor contacts aren't world-famous surgeons or notorious misanthropic diagnosticians, but are nonetheless dependable medical personnel. A general practitioner falls into this category, as do any number of nurses, medical students or interns. Whether or not they've got a flashy degree framed on the wall, contacts of this variety are always skilled in most essential medicinal techniques. A doctor with a level 2 rating is usually a highly skilled specialist of some sort. This can be of almost any nature, whether a neurologist, an oncologist, a cardiologist, a dermatologist, or even a urologist. These doctors have the skills of a general practitioner plus their expertise in a specific area. A level 2 doctor might also represent a general practitioner or nurse with several decades of experience to draw upon. Level 3 doctors are the best of the best in their given fields. This sort of doctor is usually renowned within that field for skill or experience, and people will come from far and wide for his help in said field. Of course, a level 3 doctor can also represent medical personnel working above and beyond the pale, perhaps with capabilities beyond their time - though some doctors of this variety are often considered 'mad scientists'. Expert: expert contacts are those who excel in a given professional area, that do not fall into other categories (like doctors or businessmen). These are contacts who either have a skill the character lacks, or otherwise possess the tools and resources to do things with that skill the character doesn't have access to. Experts are often in high demand, since they save oneself the bother of such 'grunt work'. Experts of the level 1 sort are usually those who have a like level of talent in a given area. This can be anything from a mechanic to a pilot to an electronics engineer. These professionals often run their own contracting business or work for a larger company that retains their services. Either way, they usually have all the tools, supplies and equipment on hand necessary to perform the duties of their given profession. A level 2 expert is really good at what he does. This can be a highly experienced talent holder, or perhaps someone with a level 2 in some talent or another. These folks often own a company dedicated to whatever it is they do, or manage a subsidiary of a larger corporation dabbling in their field, but may often be highly eccentric experts or even hobbyists who just enjoy toying in this profession a great deal. Level 3 experts are known world-wide - at least in professional circles - for their capability. They may or may not have a level 3 in the talent they offer, but have the power to back up their talent with extensive experience and natural ability. These experts are in very high demand, and it can be hard to get some of their time for oneself as busy as they are - and they usually charge an arm and a leg for services rendered. Foreign Power: a contact that falls within the foreign power category is one who is a governmental official of some sort in a nation that is not one's own. For people outside of the United States, any of the contacts of the 'government' variety can apply. For Americans however, this describes any civilian (usually) working for any government that is not their own. Level 1 foreign power contacts represent minor dignitaries and officials. This can be anything from the mayor of a small city or governor of a province with a tiny population or economy (examples including England's town of Telford or Russia's Krai of Krasnoyarsk). This form of contact can also be any minor or intermediate government representative, busybody or the like, such as an employee of the United Kingdom's Department for Transport. A level 2 foreign power has a bit more authority. This can be a member of groups such as the Parliament of the United Kingdom (whether an elected House of Commons official or an appointed House of Lords representative), or the mayor or governor of an important city or prefecture (like London or perhaps Okinawa). Level 2 foreign power contacts may also be the leaders of foreign agencies like Germany's Bundesnachrichtendienst. Foreign power contacts that are of level 3 import are the rulers of their nation, if not great movers and shakers on the world stage. If someone can be addressed as Caliph, King, President, Prime Minister, Queen, Tsar, or even Dictator for Life, they likely fall into this category, even if their country isn't necessarily a global super power. Immediate minions and advisors of such individuals fall into this category as well. Government: government contacts are those who work for the state, either out of a wish to help others or to further their own political ambitions. These individuals may be elected, appointed, or may perhaps earn their way into their position through hard work (or simply being on the job the longest). Either way, these contacts provide a service to the people, who ostensibly pay their salary. 'Standard' government contacts are those who don't get things done on a national scale, but are instead local in nature. This can include the mayor of a small town or medium sized city (anything named Springfield, for instance), the governor of a state with a relatively small population (like South Dakota), state congressmen and senators, or even someone running a government agency, such as the local Department of Motor Vehicles. A level 2 government contact is often a serious mover and shaker in political affairs. In the United States, for example, this can be most members of the House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate, as well as political appointees such as the heads of the FBI, CIA, and the like. This can also include the mayors and governors of high population areas, such as New York City or the state of California. Government contacts that rate a level 3 indication are those who hold serious sway over public policy. In the United States, they can include elected individuals such as the Speaker of the House, the Vice President and even the President himself. This level of governmental contact may also include highly placed political appointees, the President's Cabinet of advisors in particular. Hero / Villain: a hero or villain contact is just that, a costumed adventurer that the character may rely upon for aid of some sort or another. Usually it makes sense for a hero to have hero contacts and a villain to have villain contacts, but sometimes the world isn't so cut and dried - and on occasion, a hero or villain will switch sides a few times, complicating matters for everyone. Hero or villain contacts that rate a level 1 indicator are those who approximately match the power and/or capability of the character in question. A level one hero or villain contact might also consist of a team of less powerful individuals, like a group of side kicks. Such contacts may idolize or respect the character, or perhaps he did some great service for them in the past that warrants swapping assistance now and then. A level 2 hero or villain contact is often a potent individual who has more capability than the character, or is perhaps a duo or small group of adventurers with his approximate power or skill. Such contacts might come into play when the character gets in a bit over his head in some mess or another, or perhaps they have a significant 'history' and are willing to help each other out on occasion, for the benefit of all involved. Heroes or villains that have a level 3 status are either a large band of adventurers, a small group of heroes or villains that are each a bit more powerful or skilled than the character, or even a singular individual with world-shaking power in his own right. These individuals may be part of a loose association with the contact, or perhaps they owe him for some spectacular favor or service he provided them in the past. Informant: informants are people who would otherwise fit into another category of contact, save for their inherent function. You see, an informant is a source of information above all else; whether willing or otherwise, the character has a relationship with this contact that facilitates the transfer of information from the latter to the former. This can put an informant at considerable risk. A level 1 informant is a low level operative in a criminal or other organization who acts as a stoolie. Most likely, this form of contact has a slightly adversarial history with the character, and he will give the character information to avoid a resumption of hostilities between the two. Level 1 informants may alternately just be people who are well connected, or happen to have useful information 'fall into their lap' on occasion. Level 2 informants are more highly placed members of an organization, whether criminal, governmental or otherwise. They might be plants sent by another group entirely (such as law enforcement), or may simply be somewhat disloyal to their patron group for some reason or another. These informants will usually have rather juicy information on a group's ringleaders or managers, and revealing what they know may get them killed. An informant of the level 3 sort is someone who is very highly placed in a syndicate or other organization that has turned... though said group may not know it yet. This fellow is happy to dish the dirt on his former friends to the character, usually in exchange for bringing them down or 'getting him out'. An informant of this level that is discovered will usually be killed before he knows what hit him in most instances. Journalist: sort of the opposite of an informant, a journalist is the kind of person who digs up information, instead of merely sitting on it. These intrepid men of letters are either intensely curious about the world - or some aspect of it - or have a specific crusade that lights their fire. Either way, they have the means to reveal unsavory secrets to the world that others would like to keep hidden. A level 1 journalist is probably the easiest to get in touch with, both for availability as well as willingness to follow up on some strange story or another. While they may not be recognizable to the world at large, they'll happily dig and dig in order to get to the bottom of something, usually for their own benefit but sometimes out of curiosity. While they may not be an anchorman, they can normally get their stories out with some effort. Level 2 journalists are those you recognize from television or newspaper bylines. These guys have done their time out in 'the world' and have worked their way up in the media such that they have a cushy job reading (or serving as an editor to) the news. While they don't get out much, they still have amazing connections on their own, and can do just about any story they want to given the proper motivation. Journalists who rate a level 3 'score' aren't just folks you see on the television every night at 11 o'clock - they're the true makers of news. These experienced veterans of journalism know how to get just about any information from just about anyone, no matter how well hidden it may be. They know how to dig, turn over informants, and otherwise raise a ruckus until the truth comes out - and then inform others in the most convincing way possible! Lawyer: a lawyer is an individual who is well-versed in the inner workings of the laws of the land. These individuals may serve as either defense attorneys, prosecutors for the government, high paid consultants, or may still be interns who are yet working to master the byzantine paths of law. Either way, it pays to know such a person if you're engaged in 'risky' or downright illegal behavior. Lawyers who embody a level 1 contact rating are those who know the law well but aren't necessarily famous for such. This can be anything from a relatively inexperienced lawyer to a legal intern to anything in between. Whether or not such an individual has 'passed the bar' yet, they can nonetheless offer a wide variety of legal information, though they'll usually do so with a lot of disclaimers all the while. A level 2 lawyer is a more experienced individual. They not only know the law in and out, but can act as a lawyer in multiple jurisdictions, and are aware of both the politics and personalities of the judges at play where they serve. Alternately, a level 2 lawyer contact might in fact be a judge himself, a highly experienced fellow who has managed to earn the respect of his peers (to an extent) and gain this prestigious title. Level 3 lawyers are those who are famous for either their ability, position, or clientele. High-powered attorneys of the rich and famous, Supreme Court justices, and others of their ilk fill this niche. A level 3 lawyer can also be a non-practicing lawyer of the retired sort who has decades of experience to draw upon, and knows where all the bodies are buried in his bailiwick (in a manner of speaking). Mentor: a mentor is a contact who aids the character in the mastery of some subject or another, whether mundane, fantastic or even spiritual. They may feel partially responsible for the character and his advancement, or they might just be earning a paycheck. Either way, mentors possess immediately practical knowledge the character lacks, and are usually willing to share it - although not necessarily in a free manner. Mentors of the level 1 variety often include instructors of 'mundane' talents, individuals who excel at education and readily pass their skills on to others. This may involve something as academic as physics or as physical as martial arts. This brand of mentor isn't just teaching from nine to five, however; they actually enjoy what they do and sharing everything they know with their students. Level 2 mentors include garden variety teachers of the fantastic. These are the people that itinerant students seek out in order to learn the secrets of high technology, psionics, sorcery, or even immortality itself. Such mentors are not necessarily the most knowledgeable in their field, but are willing to teach others some or all of what they know... though sometimes this information comes at a great cost to the character. A mentor who qualifies as a level 3 contact is often one of the best such teachers available. Whether he educates others in mundane or fantastic talents, this mentor works hard to see his charges excel both in and out of their area of influence. Such a mentor is usually in very high demand, and there may be a 'waiting list' just to talk to him - in fact, most of the time a character may only converse with their underlings. Military: military contacts represent people a character knows that have a military background. All such individuals will have the military talent, and as such can wield most modern firearms with some competence. A military contact tends to overlap with either government or police contacts, depending on the country involved, and may or may not currently be an active member of any armed service. Military contacts of the level 1 ilk are primarily enlisted men and women. This can be anything from someone fresh out of Boot Camp to a highly experienced Sergeant. While these folks are relatively low-ranking military personnel, they nonetheless have a wealth of skills, experience and other contacts to draw upon. Level 1 military contacts can also be retired personnel, those who aren't active but served for many years of their life. A level 2 military contact is the kind that has considerable rank. This can be anything from a fighter pilot for the Air Force to a freshly promoted Brigadier General. These fellows have quite a bit of pull and, while they usually don't have a command to speak of, they've got connections and privileges that allow them to do a lot. A level 2 military contact can also represent a specific unit, whether covert or overt in nature. A military contact that deserves a level 3 rating is one who is very high up in the command structure of a given armed force. Perhaps he's a Major General, or even a Rear Admiral. Either way, such individuals usually have a significant command, whether it be an aircraft carrier or an Army base. They can always pull a lot of strings, and have access to innumerable other contacts and resources when they need to draw in a few markers. Organization: an organizational contact is one that is representative of neither a criminal, government or military group - it's a society of sorts all its own. This may be a secret society, non-profit organization or association of some sort or another. An organizational contact may offer considerable resources or aid when necessary, and may even serve as a patron of sorts for a character. Level 1 organization contacts might be groups with a relatively small reach. A 'small' union falls into this category, as do various self-contained industrial associations, churches, charities, or task-specific conspiracies. Such a contact may also represent a singular member of a larger organization, one who has taken a shine to the character in an unofficial capacity, and not necessarily with that group's blessings. An organization that rates a level 2 contact has a bit more reach. This can be a charity group that services an entire nation, a church with multiple denominations, international trade associations, or mid-range conspiratorial groups. A level 2 organizational contact may also be a representative of a level 3 group that, without official sanction, has taken to sponsoring or aiding the character in some capacity. It usually takes a rather large organization to rate a level 3 contact. These groups normally have a pervasive global reach, and can include organizations such as (or similar to) the Catholic Church, the Red Cross, or even the Bavarian Illuminati. Organizations of this type have massive personnel and even more followers, though some may not precisely be aware that they're a tool of such a far-reaching group to begin with. Police: police contacts are men and women who are duly appointed law enforcement officials, which can sometimes overlap with either government or military contacts, depending on the nation in question. Such officials can have an authority which is primarily local in nature or can range throughout a nation or even beyond, all of which depends on their jurisdiction and rank in their respective organization. Level 1 police contacts are those who enforce the law but have little authority to make big decisions, and are primarily local in jurisdiction. This can be a city beat cop, county sheriff, state patrolman or the like. Police contacts of this type may also be retired members of regional or national enforcement agencies, those who no longer can make arrests or engage in law enforcement but still have the experience from a lifetime of such work. A police contact who rates a level 2 rating is often a low-ranking member of a national law enforcement agency. Such groups include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Marshals (in America), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP, or Mounties, in Canada), the Policía Federal (Federales, in Mexico), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI, in India), or even the Cuerpo Nacional de Policía agents (in Spain). Finally, level 3 police contacts are those with serious pull on a national or international level. They mainly include veteran or high-ranking members of the previously mentioned organizations, or arms of a government's law enforcement which reach beyond its borders. Such contacts may also be those with international authority, most notably in the International Criminal Police Organization (or Interpol). Scientist: scientists are slightly different than experts, in that they are less professional in nature and more theoretical. A doctor or a pilot usually falls into the category of 'expert', while a nuclear physicist or a geneticist would qualify more as a 'scientist'. It's not necessarily a 'hands off' approach so much as an emphasis on research instead of mere experience. A level 1 scientist is generally a qualified master of his field, and will typically have a level 2 talent in his chosen science, or a level 1 talent in multiple disciplines. These can know anything from physics to archaeology to mathematics. Such contacts make great sources of information on the obscure when a character needs it - or at the very least serve as peers to bounce ideas off of if they, too, possess the talent(s) their scientist pal has. Scientists of the level 2 sort are a bit more out there. They may possess a science talent at a level 3 effectiveness, or multiple scientific talents of level 2 prowess. This individual may or may not have problems dealing with other people, but they are generally consumed by their work in some capacity or another - and are always expanding their knowledge further... or cashing in by consulting to various characters. Level 3 scientists are highly sought out. These people often have various level 2 sciences to back up a primary, level 3 pursuit. They are veritable fonts of scientific knowledge, and are typically considered the world expert in one area or another. This kind of contact easily fits the mold of a 'mad scientist' (as do certain doctors), and may be on the bleeding edge (or beyond) of global knowledge in their area of expertise. Trivia: a trivial contact is not as, well, trivial as he may at first sound. This individual is similar to an expert or a scientist, but has knowledge that is a bit less... marketable. It's easy to make a living off being the world's greatest botanist, but a bit less so when you're the undisputed master of all things Pokemon ™, whether in their trading card, animated series or video game forms. Level 1 trivia contacts know a whole lot about something obscure and usually irrelevant to most people. This can be the long-buried rules of a twenty-five year old super hero role playing game, everyone that ever appeared on Hollywood Squares ™, or even a thorough history of McDonalds ™. There are reasons someone might know this stuff, but such reasons escape most folks. A level 2 trivia contact is well versed in materials that are a bit more common knowledge. This is where your Pokemon ™ masters come in, as well as film buffs, those who know all things concerning baseball cards, and so on. Such contacts will have knowledge of these kinds of trivial matters at level 1 or 2, or alternately knowledge of the level 1 trivia categories at level 2 or 3. Trivia experts of the level 3 variety, these people know a whole lot about 'nothing'. This person might be a walking encyclopedia on a far-reaching subject, such as Anime, and have a level 3 knowledge of such. Alternately, they may have level 2 knowledge on multiple related subjects, such as baseball cards and baseball statistics. These people rarely get out, but they're almost always ready to share their knowledge. Exhaustively.