TEXT: ALLEN THOMAS
  
  A Subgenre Book for the Champions
  Author: Allen Th omas
  Editing & Development:  Steven S. Long
  Layout & Graphic Design:  Allen Th omas, Andy Mathews
  Cover Design: Bryce Nakawaga, Andy Mathews
  Interior Illustration:  Maria van Bruggen, Elisa Cain, 
  Robert Cram Jr., Louis Frank, Nick Ingeneri, 
  Dominika Klosowicz, Bryce Nakawaga, Eric Radamaker,  
  Klaus Scherwinski, Greg Smith, 
  SPECIAL THANKS
  We’d like to thank Rod Land and the other Digital Hero playtest-
  ers and testreaders who reviewed the Teen Champions manuscript 
  and put what they learned in their high school English and Math 
  classes to work to make the book as clean and error-free as pos-
  sible. You’re all heroes! 
  Hero SystemTM ® is DOJ, Inc.’s trademark for its roleplaying system.
  Hero System © 1984, 1989, 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Champions © 1984, 1989, 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Fantasy Hero © 2003 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Dark Champions © 2004 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Pulp Hero © 2005 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Teen Champions © 2005 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Star Hero, Justice Inc., Danger International, Danger International, Western Hero 
  © 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, 
  electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or computerization, or by 
  any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the 
  Publisher:  DOJ, Inc., 1 Haight Street, Suite A, San Francisco, California 94102.
  Printed in the USA. First printing August 2005
  Produced and distributed by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games.
  Stock Number:  DOJHERO218 • ISBN Number:  1-58366-045-3
  http://www.herogames.com
  
  INTRODUCTION ................................4
  CHAPTER ONE: 
  TEEN CHAMPIONS GAMES
  The Teen Champions Genre .............6
  Teen Champions Basics ...................6
  Setting Elements .............................7
  School ..........................................8
  Home .........................................11
  Hang-outs ...................................12
  Places Of Employment .................12
  The Super-School ..........................13
  Character Creation .........................16
  Background Elements ....................16
  Family ........................................17
  Other Teen Elements ....................19
  Cliques:  Teen Superhero Package 
  Deals ..........................................27
  Teens’ Superpowers ......................34
  Game Elements ..............................37
  Skills .............................................37
  Perks ............................................38
  Powers .........................................40
  Disadvantages ...............................40
  CHAPTER TWO:  
  THE RAVENSWOOD ACADEMY
  The Ravenswood Academy ............44
  History ..........................................44
  The Academy Grounds ...................50
  Buildings .....................................52
  Secret Facilities ...........................53
  Faculty and Staff ............................58
  Non-Traditional Faculty ................58
  Staff ...........................................61
  Rowan ..........................................61
  PLATO ..........................................63
  The Students .................................64
  Super-Students ...........................65
  Homeroom Alpha ...........................69
  Chain Lightning .............................69
  Flicker ...........................................72
  Impact ..........................................74
  Putty .............................................76
  Trance ..........................................79
  CHAPTER THREE:  
  GAMEMASTERING TEEN 
  CHAMPIONS
  The GM’s Vault ...............................82
  Campaign and Plot Ideas ................82
  Chapter Two:  Ravenswood .............83
  Teen Heroes ...................................86
  The Motor City Defenders ...............86
  Barnstormer ................................88
  Cantrip .......................................90
  Kid Samson ................................92
  Miss Crone .................................94
  Nova .............................................97
  Arcane ........................................99
  Circuit Breaker ..........................102
  Crazy Legs ................................104
  Decibelle ...................................107
  Marble Man ..............................109
  Villains .........................................111
  Generation VIPER .........................111
  Mrs. Garter ...............................112
  Dogﬁ ght ....................................114
  Jeepers Creepers ......................117
  Spoilsport .................................120
  Trashmouth ...............................122
  Turnabout .................................125
  The Playpals ................................127
  General Billy ..............................128
  Little Wonder .............................131
  Pistol Pete ................................133
  Independent Villains .....................135
  Gloriana ....................................135
  Janus .......................................137
  Sai ...........................................141
  Teen Dream ..............................144
    TABLE OF CONTENTS
  
  4 
  Hero System 5th Edition
  INTRODUCTION
  “Grond’s attacking the city? But I can’t stop him now! 
  I’ve got to ﬁ nish this term paper... and ﬁ nd a date for 
  the dance!”
  O
  ne of the most enjoyable, and oft en light-
  hearted, types of superheroic adventuring 
  involves teen heroes — high school students 
  who ﬁ ght crime and save the city (or the 
  world). While few gamers would like to go back 
  and relive their teen years, it’s a lot of fun to role-
  play through that sort of experience again... with 
  superpowers! It’s also a great opportunity to laugh 
  at, or triumph over, things that once caused frustra-
  tion, dismay, or angst.
  Teen Champions is about just that sort of 
  adventuring. It focuses on teen heroes — characters 
  who oft en fully haven’t come into their powers, and 
  may have diﬃ  culty using the powers they do pos-
  sess — ﬁ ghting their crosstown rivals, teen villains, 
  and the occasional adult supervillain to boot. Teen 
  Champions PCs may not be as powerful as regular 
  Champions characters, but they’re just as fun to 
  roleplay, despite the extra burdens and restrictions 
  they sometimes have to put up with.
  Chapter One, Young Heroes:  Teen Champions 
  Games, describes the Teen Champions subgenre. 
  It explains the elements of the subgenre, discusses 
  how those elements work in game play, and pro-
  vides guidelines for character creation.
  Th e remainder of the book provides Champi-
  ons Universe setting material and villains for Teen 
  Champions games. Chapter Two describes Ravens-
  wood Academy, a school specially designed to teach 
  young superhumans how to use their powers and 
  become superheroes. Run by a former superhero-
  ine, it’s the perfect setting for your Teen Champions 
  games. Chapter Th ree, Gamemastering Teen Cham-
  pions, not only has plenty of GMing advice, it’s got 
  nearly two dozen villains and NPC heroes for use 
  in your games.
  So get that homework done pronto! You’ve got 
  crime to ﬁ ght!
  
  chapter one:
  chapter one:
  chapter one:
  YOUNG HEROES:
  TEEN CHAMPIONS GAMES
  
  6 ■ Teen Champions Games
  Hero System 5th Edition
  TEEN CHAMPIONS 
  GENRE
  “Doctor Destroyer can’t attack today — I’ve got ﬁ nals 
  next week!”
  “But I can’t go to prom with Sara! If I don’t take Gravi-
  tar to the prom, she’ll destroy the whole high school!”
  “I think our substitute teacher is really one of Mech-
  anon’s robots!”
  “But, Mom, you can’t let Jeﬀ  take the mini-van tonight! 
  If I don’t get to the Pharos Build... I mean if I don’t 
  make it on time to... I mean... Mom! I just need the 
  car, OK?”
  A
  ll these and more are the desperate cries of 
  teen superheroes attempting the herculean 
  task of juggling the demands of being an 
  adolescent and the responsibilities of being 
  a superhero. Th e responsibilities are just the same, 
  but the demands are worse than any adult can imag-
  ine:  your mom just shrunk your costume and now 
  it’s two sizes too small. Your dad found a new hiding 
  place for the car keys — how long until the villains 
  attack? It was a perfect ﬁ rst date with the girl you’ve 
  had a crush on since grade school... until the Ulti-
  mates showed up and spoiled it. You lost another job 
  at a fast food joint — is it your fault saving the city is 
  more important than ﬂ ipping burgers?
  Teen superheroes might live in the shadow of 
  their adult counterparts, but that doesn’t mean their 
  lives are any easier — nor does it mean their hero-
  ics are any less important or brave. What the teen 
  superhero lacks in power, he makes up in enthusi-
  asm and a never-say-die attitude. What he lacks in 
  experience, he makes up in optimism and new ways 
  of thinking. Teens are the future, and teen superhe-
  roes are law-abiding society’s future defenders. But 
  growing pains are a part of adolescence, and even 
  the future has to start somewhere....
  TEEN CHAMPIONS BASICS
  Th e basic elements that deﬁ ne a Teen Cham-
  pions campaign are the characters’ ages, and their 
  relative lack of freedom.
  AGE
  In a Teen Champions game, player characters 
  are 13-18 years old and in (or should be in) high 
  school. Some PCs might be younger than thirteen 
  — the kid genius, for instance, who ﬁ nds himself 
  surrounded by older kids. Some PCs might be 
  slightly older (maybe school administrators refuse 
  to accept home schooling from monks in Sham-
  ballah as credit for algebra). But the key feature of 
  Teen Champions campaigns is that the heroes are 
  high school age, and at least some (if not all) of the 
  characters are minors.
  Although many Teen Champions subgenre 
  tropes apply equally well to college environments 
  — especially the emotional melodrama, the impor-
  tance of doing well in school, and the penniless 
  existence — college students have more freedom 
  than high school students. Th at means they have 
  more in common with their adult counterparts 
  than with their high school-age ones. A college 
  student is less beholden to his parents and other 
  authority ﬁ gures, and even if he still receives ﬁ nan-
  cial support from his parents, he can go it alone 
  regardless of his parents’ wishes if he wants to. A 
  sense of personal responsibility and familial obliga-
  tion might get in the way, but unlike minors, there’s 
  no law stating he can’t “abandon” his parents.
  LACK OF FREEDOM
  A lack of freedom, which ranges from being 
  powerless to make decisions about how to spend 
  one’s time or where to live, to a simple inability 
  to earn a decent living, underlies so much of teen 
  life — and especially teen angst — that it forms a 
  backdrop to nearly everything that happens in a 
  Teen Champions campaign. In many ways it’s this 
  lack of freedom — these responsibilities a PC did 
  not choose for himself — that deﬁ nes a teen’s day-
  to-day existence. It becomes an all the more stark 
  element of the game when contrasted to the relative 
  freedom that having superpowers sometimes gives 
  a character.
  Some people say — and a parent who’s angry 
  with a son or daughter almost always says once, 
  and maybe over and over again — that having a 
  child is a greater burden to bear than being a child. 
  Th e parent, however, chose to have a child. Th e 
  child wasn’t given a choice about who his parents 
  would be, or whether he even wanted to be born 
  — and where’s the justice in that? A person might 
  also say military life is more restrictive than the 
  life of a teen who has strict parents. But once again, 
  a soldier or sailor probably chose to enlist in the 
  military. No one asked the child to sign on the 
  dotted line. If the person doesn’t like military life, 
  he only has himself to blame — but who can the 
  teen blame?
  To the teen, there’s a mind-numbing inﬁ nity of 
  rules and laws that restrict his behavior. He usually 
  can’t chose to drop out of high school like an older 
  person can drop out of college or quit a job. He 
  can’t call in sick to school without his parents’ per-
  mission. He can’t divorce his parents like an adult 
  can divorce his spouse. He’s stuck with those par-
  ents until his eighteenth birthday... unless the state 
  removes him from their custody, and the situation 
  needs to get pretty bad before the government steps 
  into a family matter. Th e teen can’t range far and 
  
  7 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter One
  wide looking for the best hang-outs. Even if he’s old 
  enough to drive and fortunate enough to have a car, 
  he still has constraints on how late he can be out... 
  and if he doesn’t, one of his friends probably does. 
  For a similar reason teens are limited in what jobs 
  they can have:  part-time, evenings and weekends 
  only, and no experience required.
  Th at brings the discussion around to money. 
  Even a teen with a job has limited funds. Work 
  every night for four hours, ten hours a day on 
  weekends, and a teen can squeeze forty hours into 
  a busy week... but probably at minimum wage. For 
  most of the United States in mid-2005 that’s $5.15, 
  a whopping $206 for a forty-hour week — before 
  taxes and deductions.
  Th e problems this lack of freedom causes 
  — problems that might disappear, or be easily 
  solved, if the PC had the same freedom as an adult 
  — can pop up in surprising ways. An adult role-
  playing a teen character should strive to keep this 
  lack of freedom in mind (and remember to com-
  plain about it if that’s appropriate for his character). 
  Th e restrictions on a teen’s activities even come 
  into play during character creation when a player 
  chooses Disadvantages for his character. A couple 
  of examples:
  ■ 
  Being bullied at school? Too bad, unless you 
  expect your parents to buy a new house in 
  some other school district, or you’re willing to 
  get a reputation as a snitch. Better make that 
  Hunted Disadvantage 11- instead of 8-. It’s a 
  small world and an even smaller school....
  ■ 
  Messy break-up with the boy- or girlfriend 
  and never want to see the person again? Tough 
  luck, kid, because chances are you two met at 
  school and probably have a couple of classes 
  together. Do you really think your parents will 
  move to a diﬀ erent school district because of 
  your break-up? Better not buy oﬀ  that DNPC 
  Disadvantage just yet....
  ■ 
  Have trouble biting your tongue when an 
  authority ﬁ gure says something dumb? Don’t 
  you know children are to be seen, not heard, 
  and the First Amendment doesn’t apply to you 
  yet? Did you really buy that Psychological Limi-
  tation:  Dislike Of Authority Figures Disadvan-
  tage as only Common? Very Common might 
  make more sense....
  ■ 
  What time did Dr. Destroyer say he was going 
  to detonate the Chronal-Null Bomb and vapor-
  ize the city’s history? Midnight? You better hope 
  it’s not a school night — what time is curfew 
  again? Aft er all:  do you know where your chil-
  dren are? Welcome to the wonderful world of 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (Frequently, Minor).
  But lack of freedom isn’t just a roadblock, at 
  least not for teen heroes:  it’s a source of melodrama, 
  a fact of life to rail against, an obstacle to overcome, 
  and a reason to innovate. Much of the fun in a Teen 
  Champions campaign results from ﬁ nding ways to 
  get around the rules, bend the rules, and break the 
  rules, whether those rules are handed down from on 
  high by the government, the school’s principal, or 
  the parental units. And if a normal teen, driven by 
  a growing need to prove his independence or sheer 
  rebelliousness, seeks to break the rules at every turn, 
  then a teen superhero has even more reason to break 
  them when it’s up to him to stop a supervillain.
  You’re Grounded!
  While teen heroes lack many of the freedoms 
  adults take for granted, players and GMs should 
  remember that punishments for breaking the 
  rules tend to be less severe than they are for adults 
  (although never less severe in the mind of a teen!). 
  Even when a PC is caught breaking the law — for 
  instance, driving a car without a license because 
  he couldn’t get to the bomb in time on his moped, 
  or committing vandalism when his energy blast 
  breaks a window just as a supervillain teleports 
  away and the police arrive on the scene — the 
  punishment is oft entimes a stern talking to, a ride 
  in the back of a police cruiser, and the authorities 
  talking to the law-breaker’s parents.
  Loss of driving privileges, grounding, extra 
  chores, detention, Friday or Saturday school 
  — these are the punishments a teen superhero can 
  expect when he’s caught disobeying his parents 
  or teachers. Th ey aren’t the end of the world, so a 
  player shouldn’t hesitate to have his character break 
  the rules... especially since breaking rules, however 
  good or bad the reason, is a large part of a teen’s 
  life (and that goes double for the teen superhero). 
  A group of teen heroes usually has at least one ner-
  vous Nellie — a teen who always worries about get-
  ting caught and who always has a guilty conscience 
  — but players of other types of characters should 
  take risks. In the end the standard punishments 
  only place more restrictions on the teen’s freedom, 
  which invariably lead to more rules he must break 
  if he’s to stop the supervillain the next time the 
  criminal sets some ﬁ endish plot in motion.
  Yeah, sure, you’re breaking some rules, but 
  rules are meant to be broken and what do adults 
  know anyhow? Th ey just don’t understand....
  SETTING ELEMENTS
  Adventures for teen superheroes, like those 
  for their adult counterparts, might span galaxies, 
  universes, or even realities, but most return to four 
  important setting features:  the school; the home; 
  the hang-outs; and the places of employment. As 
  discussed above, a teen has many restrictions on 
  his movement, so the campaign setting revolves 
  around locations that are ﬁ xtures of teen life, the 
  places the heroes come back to again and again. 
  Some locations the GM should create himself 
  — for example, he should design the school so he 
  can give it plenty of secrets concerning both the 
  location and the faculty for the PCs to uncover in 
  the course of their adventures. But the players can 
  contribute other locations to the campaign — a 
  PC’s home, the fast food joint he works at, and 
  others that directly inﬂ uence a character’s back-
  ground. But whoever comes up with the features, 
  both the GM and his players should have them in 
  mind before and during character creation.
  NATIONALITY
  High school as 
  described in Teen 
  Champions assumes a 
  GM sets his campaign in 
  the United States. While 
  issues involving ado-
  lescence and becoming 
  an adult are universal, 
  the exact nature of the 
  school a PC attends 
  depends a great deal on 
  the society and culture 
  he lives in. Gamers who 
  want to set their Teen 
  Champions campaigns 
  in other nations or 
  cultures, such as Great 
  Britain, can ﬁ nd out 
  more about what high 
  school is like there with 
  a little research, if not 
  memories of their own 
  high school experiences 
  there.
  
  8 ■ Teen Champions Games
  Hero System 5th Edition
  School
  Nine months a year, ﬁ ve days a week, a teen 
  must attend high school. He can drop out at sixteen 
  in some states and eighteen in others; otherwise it’s 
  against the law for a teen not to attend school.
  School is central to a teen’s life. If he has an 
  active social life and participates in extracurricu-
  lar activities, he might spend more time at school 
  than he does at home. Because it’s so important to 
  a teen, it’s likely to be just as important to the PCs 
  in a teen superhero campaign. Th e GM should 
  put considerable thought and work into the high 
  school the PCs attend before the players begin 
  creating their characters.
  School, especially public high school, is both 
  an institution dedicated to learning and a micro-
  cosm of society. It’s not like a workplace, where 
  people of similar backgrounds and tastes tend to 
  gravitate to certain types of jobs. Everyone from all 
  walks of life, from all creeds and credos, from all 
  income brackets, must go to school. And a public 
  high school, unlike the primary and middle schools 
  that matriculate students to the high school, oft en 
  pulls its student body from a broad geographic 
  region with a wide variety of residents.
  All of society’s ills are on display in a high 
  school, stuﬀ ed together into a single building — a 
  woefully small building considering the diverse 
  personalities and needs of the students. All of these 
  people are placed side-by-side, locker-by-locker, 
  and have to learn to cope with each other. And 
  sometimes this coping results in abuse, whether 
  physical or verbal, of the strange or unusual.
  It’s not all negative, though. High school also 
  exposes teens to new ideas and new people. For 
  some students, high school is the ﬁ rst time they 
  take meaningful steps toward what they’ll do or 
  who they’ll be for the rest of their lives. It can mean 
  a new start — a place where they can leave behind 
  the mistakes they made in grade school or middle 
  school and start fresh. For teens who have interests 
  their parents don’t share, and maybe don’t even 
  understand, they might meet others their own age 
  with the same interests — for the ﬁ rst time these 
  teens can share their likes and dislikes with some-
  one who understands.
  Here are some questions the GM should con-
  sider as he creates the school:
  Public Or Private?
  Local governments fund public schools with 
  tax revenues. Schools get some ﬁ nancing from the 
  state and federal governments, but mostly it comes 
  from the residents and businesses in the school dis-
  trict. At the most basic level, this means if incomes 
  in the area are low and business is bad, so is the 
  budget for the school. For private schools, parents 
  pay tuition to send their children to the school, or 
  the child earns a scholarship.
  Some of the commonly-held beliefs about 
  diﬀ erences between the two are:  public schools 
  are more diverse, but private schools are less law-
  less. Students in a public school rub shoulders 
  with peers from myriad backgrounds, for better 
  or worse, whereas students in a private school are 
  more sheltered. It’s easier for a private school to 
  expel a student (or ﬁ re a teacher). Private schools 
  have a reputation for providing a better education 
  for their students. Now, you can ﬁ nd exceptions to 
  every single one of those stereotypes in school dis-
  tricts throughout the US, but the GM should keep 
  them in mind as he creates the PCs’ school and its 
  various rival schools.
  Location, Location, Location
  Th e GM has three basic choices for the loca-
  tion for the PCs’ school:  urban; suburban; and 
  rural. Suburban public schools (or “urban” schools 
  in small cities) are what most gamers know best, 
  either because they attended one themselves, 
  and/or because that type of school is what’s usually 
  shown on TV or in movies. In most of the United 
  States, they’re generally middle class, and mostly 
  white; some are excellent, some not so good.
  Th e stereotype of urban public schools is that 
  minorities comprise most of the student body, 
  the school oﬀ ers a poor education, and it’s violent. 
  News stories about urban schools abound, giving 
  the GM plenty of inspiration for various adventures 
  and subplots; a few TV shows and movies portray 
  them as well.
  Rural public schools cover a much larger 
  area, though they oft en have fewer students, and 
  transportation to and from the school becomes a 
  key issue. Th e student body is generally less diverse 
  — the rural background ﬁ gures prominently in 
  nearly every student’s home life, so all the kids have 
  something in common. Because of this homogene-
  ity an outsider, or someone diﬀ erent, can have more 
  problems ﬁ nding acceptance. But this isn’t always 
  the case:  since the high school is smaller, the 
  person who’s diﬀ erent might have known his class-
  mates all his life, and sometimes this means they’ve 
  come to accept him just the way he is.
  All sorts of schools have funding problems, but 
  typically these ﬁ nancial diﬃ  culties are more severe 
  in urban and rural schools. Th e severity of funding 
  problems oft en correlates to the quality of a school:  
  the worse the problems, the worse the school.
  Th e School District
  A school district is a special-purpose govern-
  mental administrative body. It’s responsible for 
  all the primary, middle, and secondary schools in 
  an area, and can encompass one or more towns 
  depending on the geography and population of the 
  area, though it’s oft en limited to a single county or 
  city. Its legislative body is the school board (some-
  times called a board of trustees or school commit-
  tee), and the voting residents of the district elect 
  the members of the board. Among its powers are 
  the ability to legislate school-wide codes concern-
  ing the conduct of the students and teachers, and 
  sometimes to levy taxes to raise funds for schools 
  in the district. Th e school district’s chief executive is 
  the Superintendent of Schools, who’s appointed by 
  the school board. Many superintendents are former 
  educators, but some are professional administrators 
  RUNAWAYS AND 
  HOME SCHOOLING
  Not all Teen Champions 
  campaigns have to make 
  high school central to 
  the lives of the PCs. Two 
  possible alternate cam-
  paign types are those 
  where the PCs are run-
  aways, and those where 
  the PCs are schooled at 
  home.
  For a Runaways cam-
  paign, maybe the PCs’ 
  faces are displayed on 
  the side of every carton 
  of milk from one coast 
  to the other, or maybe 
  the parents haven’t even 
  noticed the PCs are 
  gone. Maybe the PCs’ 
  parents really are evil 
  — supervillains, VIPER 
  agents, mad scientists, or 
  members of some pro-
  fane cult like DEMON. 
  Maybe the PCs’ parents 
  are just neglectful — a 
  much smaller, but no less 
  loathsome, evil. Maybe 
  the PCs are orphans. 
  Whatever the situation, 
  the PCs are on the run, 
  don’t go to school, and 
  can’t fall back on adults 
  to help them.
  For a Home Schooling 
  campaign, the PCs don’t 
  attend an educational 
  institution. Instead their 
  parents school them 
  at home, sometimes 
  hiring tutors to help, 
  sometimes handling all 
  the educational require-
  ments themselves. 
  Maybe a wealthy indi-
  vidual who’s secretly a 
  masked avenger of the 
  night has adopted the 
  PCs aft er their super-
  hero parents were killed 
  in a climactic battle with 
  a supervillain. Knowing 
  the PCs have special 
  needs, the adoptive 
  guardian hires private 
  tutors to teach them 
  in the west wing of his 
  stately manor. Or maybe 
  the PCs are all members 
  of the same birthing-
  pod, and their extrater-
  restrial parents choose 
  to educate their children 
  Continued on next page
  
  9 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter One
  or politicians. Th e superintendent performs day-
  to-day administrative tasks and focuses on policy 
  implementation. Th e school board, the superinten-
  dent, and various administrators are collectively 
  referred to as the school corporation.
  Students rarely interact with the school board, 
  but if serious problems arise between students 
  and teachers (for example, the PCs discover one 
  of their teachers is a former supervillain and try 
  to get him ﬁ red), or if a student is deemed a seri-
  ous discipline problem worthy of expulsion (a teen 
  uses his superpowers to harm a teacher or another 
  student, whether purposely or accidentally, justiﬁ ed 
  or not), the matter oft en becomes one for parents to 
  hash out with the school board. Local school poli-
  tics oft en focuses on the board or superintendent, 
  rather than on individual schools.
  When creating the school district, the GM 
  should consider several issues:
  ■ 
  How many high schools does the district 
  encompass? Th is is particularly important when 
  it comes to establishing school rivalries and 
  other minor but important facts that may aﬀ ect 
  the PCs (and see Size And Attendance, below).
  ■ 
  What’s the current state of school board poli-
  tics? Is the district grappling with any major 
  issues right now — funding, school policy, cur-
  riculum, a troublesome but popular principal? 
  Is the board itself united, or does it suﬀ er from 
  major rift s between the members? Does the 
  superintendent enjoy the board’s full support?
  Size And Attendance
  What are the demographics of both the student 
  body and the school district? How many students 
  and how many teachers are there at the PCs’ school? 
  Is the school struggling to provide adequate space 
  and facilities for its students or is it big and empty 
  because the area’s experienced a population drain? Is 
  it well-funded or struggling to make ends meet?
  Most public high schools have at least ﬁ ve 
  hundred students, but some may have as many as 
  ﬁ ve or six thousand. One teacher for every thirteen 
  to nineteen students is the average student-to-
  teacher ratio in the United States. More crowded 
  schools tend to have more students per teacher; the 
  conventional wisdom is that smaller classes lead 
  to a better education. Larger schools typically oﬀ er 
  more extracurricular activities, as well as a more 
  diverse curriculum, whereas smaller schools usu-
  ally limit themselves to traditional activities and 
  classes — unless, of course, the larger school has 
  serious ﬁ nancial diﬃ  culties.
  And All Th e Rest
  ■ 
  What are the school colors? Th is aﬀ ects the 
  appearance of everything from letterman’s 
  jackets and uniforms for football players, 
  cheerleaders, and the band, to the streamers 
  hung in the halls during Homecoming.
  ■ 
  What’s the school mascot? Is there an ethnic 
  controversy concerning the school’s mascot? Is 
  the mascot cool... or kind of lame?
  ■ 
  Is there a dress code, and if so, how rigorous is 
  it? More and more schools have implemented 
  a strict dress code to keep students’ minds on 
  learning rather than what (or how little or 
  what color thong) their classmates are wear-
  ing. Th ey can also help to stem gang inﬂ uence, 
  in the home to shelter 
  them from the vices 
  and excesses of Terran 
  teen life. When a whole 
  planet is the wrong 
  side of the tracks, when 
  children are surrounded 
  by 6.5 billion bad inﬂ u-
  ences, when schools 
  insist on teaching 
  evolution even though 
  everyone in the Galaxy 
  knows sentience arose 
  spontaneously as the 
  great scholar Trr’ghirra 
  described, what else 
  can a beleaguered alien 
  parent do?
  Continued from last page
  
  10 ■ Teen Champions Games
  Hero System 5th Edition
  since they prevent students from wearing gang 
  colors. Interestingly, many superhero costumes 
  fail to pass the muster according to the stan-
  dard school dress code.
  ■ 
  What athletic teams does the school have? In 
  America, football and basketball are the main-
  stays, but what about baseball, track and ﬁ eld, 
  volleyball, gymnastics, swimming and diving, 
  cross country, soccer, soft ball, lacrosse, ﬁ eld 
  hockey, ice hockey, tennis, wrestling, and golf? 
  Are there gender issues concerning the athletic 
  teams — for example, do some girls want to 
  play on the boys-only football team — and 
  how does the school handle these issues? Does 
  it allow girls to try out for any team they want 
  or does it fund a separate but equal team — a 
  “powderpuﬀ ” football team just for girls, for 
  instance? Is there constant wrangling over 
  when a team gets to use the facilities, and do 
  members of other sports resent the fact that 
  football or basketball always seems to take 
  precedence over other sports? Do the football 
  or basketball players hate to give up the ﬁ eld 
  or gym for other “less important” sports? Are 
  the players on certain teams regarded as “cool,” 
  while others are not?
  ■ 
  What extracurricular activities does the 
  school oﬀ er:  debate team and speech club, 
  academic decathlon, school newspaper, tele-
  vision stations, an internet forum/web page 
  club, swing choir, Students Against Drunk 
  Driving, chess team, student government, 
  cheerleading, band, jazz band, theater, 4-H, 
  yearbook, service clubs, video yearbook, sci-
  ence club, foreign language clubs, National 
  Honor Society? And what’s the stereotype of 
  students who participate in these activities?
  ■ 
  When are the vacations? Th e dates of vaca-
  tions oft en determine the rest of the schedule, 
  especially when tests are given (teachers oft en 
  prefer to give tests before breaks and before 
  students spend a couple of days forgetting 
  everything they’ve learned). See Typical Aca-
  demic Calendar on page 64 for an example of a 
  school’s vacation schedule.
  ■ 
  Are there policemen on the premises, or does 
  the school have campus security? More and 
  more schools in recent decades have police 
  or security on site in an attempt to curb vio-
  lence; they may also have metal detectors at 
  the doors, closed circuit TV cameras in the 
  hallways, and other security measures. Th is 
  means nothing but trouble for teens trying to 
  skip out of school to stop some supervillain. 
  Another issue related to security is student 
  IDs. Most schools require a student to have a 
  student ID, usually with an embarrassingly bad 
  photograph of the student in question, and 
  the student must carry it with him at all times. 
  What if a PC’s identiﬁ cation card gets melted 
  into slag by Firewing?
  ■ 
  How close are the PCs to graduating? Th e 
  older they are, the better known they probably 
  are around the school, the more priviliges and 
  responsibilities they’re likely to have. In some 
  schools, for example, seniors can leave campus 
  to eat lunch if they want to. However, the older 
  the PCs are, the less time they have before 
  graduation changes or ends the campaign.
  DIFFERENT SCHOOLS
  Most Teen Champions campaigns center 
  around one school. Not only does this make social 
  interaction easier (since all the PCs are at the same 
  school during the day), it’s oft en the reason the PCs 
  know each other. But this isn’t the only way to orga-
  nize a campaign — another method is to have the 
  PCs go to diﬀ erent schools.
  Going to diﬀ erent schools lessens the focus on 
  the day-to-day school life and increases the focus 
  on superheroics, since one of the few times all the 
  PCs are together is when they team up to ﬁ ght 
  crime. It can lead to interschool rivalries among the 
  superteam — whose school is better, whose football 
  team is better, whose team will win the big game, 
  which school has prettier girls or cuter boys, and 
  so on — all of which makes for good roleplaying. 
  On the other hand, anything happening at a PC’s 
  school requires roleplaying or combat that exclude 
  some or all of the other players. Events like a super-
  villain attack on the school require an additional 
  level of explanation if a GM wants to involve all the 
  PCs in the action — remember, a PC can’t easily 
  leave the school premises during the day to help 
  his friends stop Mechanon’s attack. To make sure 
  all the PCs can plausibly get involved, such attacks 
  have to occur during the big football game, prom 
  night when all the other PCs have dates to the 
  prom, or other functions that bring students from 
  diverse schools together.
  OTHER SORTS OF SCHOOLS
  Th e section above loosely deﬁ nes all schools 
  as public or private, but those are broad deﬁ nitions 
  — other types of schools exist. Th ree common 
  types are:
  Charter:  For a charter school, the local school board 
  gives a private individual or group a charter to open 
  a school. Th e school receives public funds and is 
  accountable to the school board, but doesn’t suﬀ er 
  all the restrictions a traditional public school does. 
  In theory this allows the school and its staﬀ  to inno-
  vate; in practice it may lead to the school being more 
  focused on proﬁ t or other considerations than on 
  proper teaching. Parents can chose to send their chil-
  dren to the charter school or the local public school.
  Magnet:  A magnet school draws students from 
  throughout the school district by specializing in 
  one subject such as math, music, or the arts. It 
  chooses students in the district who show a talent 
  for the magnet school’s specialization, or students 
  choose a magnet school based on their areas of 
  interest. Th e magnet school is publicly funded, usu-
  ally located in an urban area, and oft en controver-
  REDUCING THE 
  GM’S WORKLOAD
  Making up a school 
  requires a lot of detail; 
  here’s some advice for 
  reducing the workload.
  —All the PCs are in the 
  same class (all freshman, 
  all sophomores, and 
  so on) and have many 
  of the same classes 
  (although they can have 
  the classes at diﬀ erent 
  times). Th is way you 
  can limit the number 
  of teachers you need to 
  create right away. You 
  can add details (names 
  of teachers, students in 
  other years, and so on) 
  as you need them.
  —Focus on ﬂ eshing 
  out the extracurricular 
  activities the PCs are 
  involved with and 
  encourage your players 
  to have all their charac-
  ters in the same activi-
  ties. Th is way you can 
  make up the other activ-
  ities on the go and only 
  when you need them for 
  an adventure. If none of 
  the PCs is on the swim 
  team, you don’t really 
  need to know anything 
  about it until it becomes 
  the focus for a scenario.
  —Create the “leader” of 
  each clique, rather than 
  every member of the 
  clique (particularly if 
  none of the PCs belong 
  the clique). Treat the 
  leader as a personality; 
  the rest of the clique are 
  his nameless followers 
  and yes-men (in other 
  words, his goons). You 
  can ﬂ esh out the other 
  members of the clique 
  over the course of the 
  campaign.
  —One way to simplify 
  the high school creation 
  process is for a GM to 
  use the high school he 
  attended as the school 
  the PCs attend. Th is 
  makes it easy for the 
  GM, and maybe the 
  players, to envision 
  the school environs 
  Continued on next page
  
  11 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter One
  sial — some people believe that catering to speciﬁ c 
  types of students (oft en gift ed ones) discriminates 
  against the student body as a whole, and that fund-
  ing magnet schools shouldn’t take priority over 
  funding traditional public schools.
  Alternative:  Alternative school is a broad term for a 
  private school that fosters an environment radically 
  diﬀ erent than that in public schools, usually based 
  on a non-traditional educational philosophy. Th is 
  can run the gamut from Montessori, to democratic 
  classrooms, to Christian-based teaching. Th e term 
  itself is informal.
  Home
  Second only in importance to school is a teen’s 
  home. Each player, with input from the GM, should 
  decide what his character’s home life is like. Many 
  of the details about the home should come hand-
  in-hand with the details about the PCs’ parents, but 
  some of the speciﬁ c questions a player should ask 
  himself about the home include:
  Physical Location And Size:  Is the PC’s home on the 
  wrong side of the tracks, a gated community, a sol-
  idly middle class subdivision? Is it a trailer, a ranch-
  style home like all the others on Pleasant View 
  Avenue, a mansion, or something in between? Is it 
  new or not very old, or has it been lived in for many 
  decades? Is it a superhero base? Th e exact details 
  typically depend on the income of the character’s 
  parents, as well as the location of the school.
  Attitude Toward Home:  How does the PC feel 
  about his home? Does he never tell his friends at 
  school where he lives because he’s embarrassed at 
  how small or ramshackle his home is? Or if he’s 
  the child of superheroes, does he keep it a secret 
  because he lives in a superhero base... and how does 
  he feel about that? Does he hate being at home, and 
  when he is, does he close himself up in his bed-
  room? Has his parent’s home become the hang-out 
  for all his friends, and if so, why? Is it because it has 
  a swimming pool, his Mom keeps the refrigerator 
  well-stocked, his parents are always out of town, 
  they have the best entertainment center, or some 
  other reason?
  FAMILY
  For better or worse, a teen hero doesn’t have 
  his home to himself — he’s got to share it with at 
  least one parent (or parent ﬁ gure), and perhaps 
  some siblings or other relatives. Th is raises all sorts 
  of issues that may factor into the character’s back-
  ground or personality, such as:
  ■ 
  Are both his parents still alive? If not, why not? 
  Did the death(s) have some connection to how 
  he got his powers? Does he feel responsible for 
  the death(s)?
  ■ 
  How well do his parents get along — are they 
  happily married, unhappily married, separated, 
  divorced? Do they ﬁ ght in front of him, and if 
  so, how bitterly?
  ■ 
  Does the PC favor one parent for some reason?
  ■ 
  How many siblings, if any, does the PC have? 
  How many are sisters, and how many broth-
  ers? Are they older or younger than him? How 
  and staﬀ . If that’s not 
  appropriate, many high 
  schools have websites 
  where a GM can ﬁ nd 
  loads of information 
  about class schedules, 
  extracurricular activi-
  ties, maps of the high 
  school, dress codes, rules 
  and regulations, faculty, 
  and so on.
  Continued from last page
  
  12 ■ Teen Champions Games
  Hero System 5th Edition
  well does he get along with them, and they 
  with each other?
  ■ 
  Do any other relatives (grandparents, wayward 
  uncles, out of work cousins) live in the home? 
  If so, under what circumstances?
  ■ 
  Is the home situation generally a positive one, 
  or does the PC suﬀ er from neglect or abuse? 
  How does he feel about his home and family?
  Hang-outs
  Hanging out with the parents is a drag — a teen 
  has to watch what he says when parents are around, 
  and his parents always nag him to do chores when 
  all he wants to do is relax. Teens are too old to go 
  play outside like kids do, but not old enough to hang 
  out at the local bar or other places where adults con-
  gregate. Th is leaves the teen with limited options, like 
  the mall. But many business proprietors don’t like 
  teens hanging around their shops and restaurants. 
  Teens have little money to spend, don’t leave good 
  tips, and have a reputation for shoplift ing, vandalism, 
  and otherwise making trouble.
  So what’s a teen to do?
  Here are some places teens can hang out. Th ey 
  may become ﬁ xtures of a campaign setting, since 
  teens tend to go to the same places again and again. In 
  general a teen hang-out is a large place where lots of 
  people mill around (so teens with no money to spend 
  and no good reason for being there don’t seem con-
  spicuous), or a place that, for whatever reason, doesn’t 
  mind kids hanging out. If possible, the place should 
  let the teens stay out of the direct view of authority 
  ﬁ gures — the drive-in restaurants of yesteryear are 
  a good example of this, since the manager would be 
  inside the building, the teens outside where the man-
  ager couldn’t see what they were doing; the malls of 
  today are also a good example.
  ■ 
  Th e mall. Th is is the classic hang-out for teens 
  growing up in the last couple decades. Cham-
  pions Battlegrounds describes the New Urbana 
  Galleria on pages 27-41; it makes an excellent 
  hang-out for teens.
  ■ 
  A local park. Parks have lots of space, and 
  oft en not too many people around to bother 
  teens... but it’s oft en illegal to be in the park 
  aft er sunset, and the police may enforce this. 
  Being outdoors is great when the weather’s 
  ﬁ ne, but not so good in the winter or when it’s 
  raining. And unless the park has basketball 
  courts or sports ﬁ elds, there may not be much 
  to do other than sit around talking, carve one’s 
  name in a park bench or table, and commit 
  other acts of petty vandalism. Champions Bat-
  tlegrounds describes Memorial Park on pages 
  13-18; it makes an excellent hang-out for teens.
  ■ 
  Th e beach. Typically this is only a year-round 
  hang-out for teens who live in warmer coastal 
  areas. Excitement-wise, it’s about the same 
  as the local park, but at least there’s water for 
  swimming, surﬁ ng, or ﬁ shing... and the girls 
  are wearing bathing suits.
  ■ 
  A bowling alley, arcade, or pool hall. Bowling 
  alleys are dull, arcades are a dying breed, and 
  some pool halls won’t allow teens inside, either 
  because they serve booze or out of simple 
  snobbery. But in some campaigns, these may 
  be options
  ■ 
  Th e comic store, gaming shop, music store, 
  or other store that caters to teen interests. 
  Th ese places oft en rely on young people as 
  their main customer base and are staﬀ ed by 
  young people, so they’re less concerned about 
  teenaged customers hanging out there.
  ■ 
  A club or recreation center that speciﬁ -
  cally caters to teens. Some municipalities 
  have special recreation clubs speciﬁ cally for 
  teens (oft en created as a way of cutting down 
  on cruising, gang activity, vandalism, or the 
  like). Whether the kids regard these places as 
  cool/fun or stupid varies. In some cities there 
  are music/dance clubs that cater to teens, such 
  as the Bronze on the television show Buﬀ y the 
  Vampire Slayer.
  ■ 
  Outside the local convenience store. Th is is 
  about as boring as it gets for teen hang-outs, 
  but generally there’s a reason to hang out here. 
  For example, as adults enter the store, teens 
  might beg the adults to buy  cigarettes or beer 
  for them.
  ■ 
  A friend’s workplace. Unlike other fast food 
  places, teens can oft en hang out at a place 
  where a friend works. On one hand, the friend 
  can oft en hook up his friends with free food; 
  on the other hand, it’s still a fast food joint and 
  not very exciting. Also, more than one teen 
  has lost a job because his friends were hanging 
  around, or because his boss caught him giving 
  his friends free food.
  ■ 
  School events. Prominent school events like 
  football and basketball games, or a dance like 
  Homecoming, Winter Formal, or prom, make 
  great places to hang out. Even teens who hate 
  school oft en ﬁ nd themselves attending activi-
  ties the school’s organized, since they have 
  nothing better to do and everyone they know 
  is there. On the other hand, these events only 
  occur periodically, so PCs can’t spend time 
  there every night or week.
  Places Of Employment
  In the United States, the Fair Labor Standards 
  Act dictates the terms under which a minor can 
  work. Unless employed by a parent or guardian, a 
  teen must be fourteen or older to have a job and 
  can only work 18 hours during a school week. At 
  sixteen a teen can work more hours. Furthermore a 
  teen can’t hold a job deemed hazardous — mining, 
  excavation, operating construction equipment, or 
  the like.
  And that’s only the law. Th e actual jobs avail-
  able to a teen are even more limited. Evenings and 
  weekends are prime time for those seeking part-
  THE HANG-OUTS OF 
  YESTERYEAR
  Teen hang-outs of past 
  decades, such as the 
  ones listed below, might 
  come into play during 
  a time travel adventure 
  — the teen heroes jour-
  ney back to encounter 
  adult superheroes when 
  they were teens, or 
  maybe meeting their 
  parents when they were 
  kids (oft en an eye-open-
  ing experience). And 
  perhaps your campaign 
  setting still has some 
  of these places as one 
  of the few remaining 
  examples of Americana.
  —Dances are a uni-
  versal feature of teen 
  life through the ages, 
  but in the past, schools 
  organized more of them. 
  Sock hops, so called 
  because the teens took 
  oﬀ  their shoes to dance 
  so they wouldn’t damage 
  the gym ﬂ oor, are the 
  type of dance most oft en 
  shown in the ﬁ ction.
  —Th e soda shop is the 
  Fift ies equivalent of 
  hanging out at the ice 
  cream shop or a fast 
  food restaurant. In 
  short:  not very exciting.
  —Drive-in theaters are 
  large outdoor movie 
  theaters that showed 
  several movies — double 
  or triple-features — on 
  Friday or Saturday night 
  back in the Fift ies and 
  Sixties; few remain in 
  existence today. A drive-
  in theater is something 
  any teens should love. 
  Th e teens sit in the pri-
  vacy of their cars, almost 
  totally outside of adult 
  supervision, so they 
  could make out or do 
  other things if they didn’t 
  want to watch the movie. 
  And if you hide some 
  friends in the trunk of 
  the car, you can get them 
  in for free.
  —Drive-in restaurants 
  aren’t quite as good as 
  drive-in theaters, but 
  pretty close, since they 
  still let teens remain in 
  the car and stay outside 
  of adult supervision. 
  Plus there are carhops 
  for the guys to ﬂ irt with.
  
  13 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter One
  time employment, so competition is ﬁ erce. Teens 
  have a reputation for being unreliable, most manag-
  ers would rather not trust a teen with money, and 
  let’s not forget transportation is always an issue. 
  Because of all this and more, a teen has few choices 
  where he seeks gainful employment. Some of the 
  most common jobs typically held by teens include:
  ■ 
  Fast food restaurants. Th e mainstay of teen 
  employment, these restaurants tend to cycle 
  through teens quickly, and adults oft en scorn 
  these places, so competition for jobs is less stiﬀ  
  than elsewhere. Terrible conditions, ridiculous 
  managers, rude customers, and grease causes 
  pimples... Would you like fries with that?
  ■ 
  Other food service industry jobs. Teens are 
  unlikely to obtain positions as wait staﬀ  in 
  most traditional restaurants, though some hire 
  them (particularly teenaged girls who look a 
  little older than their years). But beyond that, 
  restaurants always need dishwashers and other 
  such workers. Other possibilities:  pizza deliv-
  ery (if the teen has a car); ice cream shops, 
  which sound idyllic when compared to fast 
  food; or grocery store clerk (either bagging, 
  stock boy, or operating the register).
  ■ 
  Convenience stores. Some teens may ﬁ nd 
  work at convenience stores. But many states 
  have laws limiting who can sell alcohol — at 
  least eighteen in some states, and twenty-one 
  in many others — so if the store sells beer and 
  wine, it’s unlikely to employ teens.
  ■ 
  Babysitting. Th is one’s almost exclusively the 
  domain of girls — most parents won’t trust 
  their children to boys. It doesn’t pay well, but 
  the work isn’t too hard and it gives the baby-
  sitter the run of a stranger’s house without 
  adult supervision.
  ■ 
  Th e family business. Th is can be the best sort 
  of job — unless a parent believes he shouldn’t 
  have to pay his child to work for the family, the 
  child can’t stand being around his parents, the 
  parent feels that working is more important 
  than hanging out with friends, or the parent 
  feels the child is the perfect substitute if an 
  employee calls in sick, regardless of the child’s 
  plans.
  THE SUPER-SCHOOL
  Th e Super-School is a feature unique to Teen 
  Champions campaigns. It’s a school speciﬁ cally for 
  young adults with superpowers. In a world ﬁ lled 
  with superpowered individuals, it only makes sense 
  that there would a be a “training ground” for young 
  people coming into their powers, especially since 
  superheroes oft en ﬁ rst gain their powers along with 
  the other changes that occur during puberty and 
  may have trouble with them.
  While attending Super-School students not 
  only receive instruction in English, math, science, 
  and other traditional subjects, but also how to 
  control their superpowers and use them respon-
  sibly. Where it concerns superpowered students, 
  the school has two primary goals. First, it wants to 
  make sure children learn to cope with their powers 
  which, as with all the changes a person may experi-
  ence during puberty, can be traumatic, bewildering, 
  or just plain strange — only more so, since most 
  children have a hard enough time learning to deal 
  with acne, let alone the ability to destroy city blocks 
  or read others’ minds. Second, the school wants to 
  make sure a child doesn’t grow up to become the 
  next Dr. Destroyer through neglect (assuming, of 
  course, it’s a well-intentioned school — there might 
  be schools for supervillains-in-training).
  Ravenswood Academy, in Chapter Two, is an 
  example of a Super-School.
  FOUNDERS  
  Th e GM needs to know who the founders of 
  the school are, since they oft en dictate the school’s 
  general attitude toward its students. Is the school’s 
  purpose to nurture future superheroes? To teach 
  superpowered individuals how to cope with their 
  powers and let their morality develop as it will? To 
  identify potentially dangerous individuals before 
  they come into the fullness of their powers and 
  become a serious threat to society?
  Some of the founders commonly depicted in 
  comic books and other source material include:
  ■ 
  A school founded by mutants, for mutants. 
  Learning to cope with powers is a frequent 
  feature of mutant-based superheroing, and this 
  school helps young mutants with that process. 
  And if mutant persecution runs rampant in a 
  campaign, the school and its instructors also 
  serve to protect the students from the bigotry 
  of normal humans.
  ■ 
  A mystic school where all the students have 
  some talent in magic and are taught the ins 
  and outs of the arcane arts. Th ose practicing 
  the magical arts are especially prone to temp-
  tation, being led astray, and the corruption 
  that comes hand-in-hand with great power, so 
  this school pays special attention to the moral 
  development of its students.
  ■ 
  Th e super kung fu dojo where the students 
  master the martial arts — both the physical 
  skills and the spiritual ones. Wise old mentors 
  who give instructions that sound like they 
  come from fortune cookies, and rivalries with 
  fellow students (especially students slowly 
  turning toward corrupting arts and the study 
  of taboo Martial Maneuvers) are the typical 
  features of the dojo. Much of the advice and 
  material in Ninja Hero would apply to a cam-
  paign focused on a super-dojo.
  Other ideas for founders are:
  ■ 
  A famous superhero retires from public life, but 
  still wants to do good, so he starts a school — a 
  small group of students receiving one-on-one 
  instruction from one of the most well-known 
  superheroes of the twentieth century. Because 
  he’s famous and his class is small, he has little 
  
  14 ■ Teen Champions Games
  Hero System 5th Edition
  trouble obtaining funds, but he might intimi-
  date his students at ﬁ rst, and how much does 
  a favorite son of the twentieth century have 
  in common with the ﬁ rst generation of a new 
  millennium? Also, how does a superhero who’s 
  accustomed to people hanging on his every 
  word and obeying his every command deal 
  with the natural rebelliousness of teenagers?
  ■ 
  A group of heroes, all of whom were teen 
  superheroes themselves once, found a school. 
  All of them had problems coming to terms 
  with their powers and want to help other teens 
  in a similar position. In some cases the found-
  ers’ problems with growing up might have 
  been serious — like supervillain serious — and 
  these skeletons in the closet make interesting 
  secrets for the PCs to uncover.
  ■ 
  An alien species secretly living among us founds 
  an academy to teach the children of its mem-
  bers who are living on Earth. Th e species can 
  be extraterrestrial or even other-dimensional 
  in origin, or the “aliens” might be a subspecies 
  of humanity (like the Empyreans, described in 
  Hidden Lands). Maybe they’re living in exile and 
  wish to coexist peacefully with mankind; maybe 
  they have a darker purpose. Not only must the 
  students cope with their emerging superpow-
  ers, but they might be learning for the ﬁ rst time 
  they’re not human. Th ey also have to learn about 
  an alien culture, one they may never experience 
  for themselves. A setting like this is rife with con-
  ﬂ icts stemming from tensions between honoring 
  the traditions of the past and living in the here 
  and now.
  ■ 
  An evil organization like VIPER or ARGENT 
  founds the school to exploit young superhu-
  mans. Maybe the students’ parents are deluded 
  and don’t realize the nefarious purpose of the 
  school; maybe the parents are members of the 
  organization and have given over their very 
  children to the cause of evil. Whatever the 
  case, it doesn’t mean the students are evil — at 
  least, not yet they aren’t. (If they are, they make 
  great adversaries/rivals for a PC team.)
  ■ 
  Th e government secretly founds a Super-School 
  in the hope of keeping children from growing 
  up to become supervillains. Th e instructors 
  might have the students’ best interests at heart, 
  but the government wants results. Sometimes 
  the students feel they’re living in a juvenile 
  detention facility — and maybe they are. In this 
  case, whereas adults are sent to the superhero 
  prison Stronghold, minors convicted of crimes 
  are sent to the Super-Reform School.
  ■ 
  Th e government secretly founds a Super-
  School with the intention of teaching the sol-
  diers of tomorrow. Young, impressionable, and 
  possessed of youthful zeal, the teen superhe-
  roes make perfect recruits for the super-Army, 
  but can the drill instructors help the recruits 
  cope with all the other changes that come 
  along with puberty? 
  ■ 
  A prominent superhero team establishes a 
  school in its immense base on the Moon. On 
  one hand, the PCs might feel pretty far removed 
  from everyday life; on the other, the view is 
  breathtaking, being around famous superheroes 
  all the time is pretty cool, and there’s gotta be a 
  girl out there who’s impressed with a guy who 
  calls the Moon home. Gotta be, right?
  ■ 
  In a setting where superpowers are com-
  monplace and well-integrated into society, the 
  Super-School is one of a city’s magnet schools. 
  Young artists go to one of the magnet schools, 
  young engineers go to another, and young 
  superheroes go to their own.
  ■ 
  A small town has a startling secret! Fift een 
  years ago the whole town was bathed in a 
  strange, luminescent energy, and now many 
  of the children of mothers who were preg-
  nant at the time are developing superpowers. 
  Unbeknownst to the public at large, the school 
  board gives a group of educators a charter, so 
  they can establish a charter school for these 
  “special need” students.
  A PRIVATE SCHOOL
  Usually the Super-School is private, which helps 
  to maintain the students’ secret identities (since a 
  private school is less subject to governmental and 
  societal scrutiny than a public one). In addition 
  to the traditional funding for a private school, the 
  Super-School can have various non-traditional 
  sources of funding:  a superteam; an organization 
  concerned with superpowers, like the L’Institut 
  Th oth (described on page 104 of Champions Uni-
  verse); a wealthy individual; secret government fund-
  ing. Usually the source of ﬁ nance is closely related 
  to the reason the school was founded, as well as the 
  person or group responsible for its founding.
  A SECRET PURPOSE
  Th e instructors and administrators know 
  about the PCs’ powers, but sometimes not everyone 
  does. A Super-School might be a secret subdivision 
  of a normal school, or its true nature might not be 
  known to the public. In the former case, most of 
  the PCs’ classmates don’t know the PCs have super-
  powers, since only a small fraction of the student 
  body is superhuman (but the PCs and NPC supers 
  all know who’s powered and who isn’t). In the latter 
  case, everyone at the school knows its true nature; 
  it just masquerades as a normal school to the rest 
  of society (in other words, the school has a Secret 
  Identity). In some cases, not even the PCs’ parents 
  may know the true nature of the “special school for 
  the gift ed and talented” that their children attend.
  Both types of Super-Schools have their ben-
  eﬁ ts. Making your Super-School part of a greater 
  normal school allows for more ordinary teen inter-
  action with non-superhuman NPCs, and creates the 
  possibility for tension-ﬁ lled adventures where the 
  PCs have to keep things secret from their mundane 
  comrades. Th e school where only the students are 
  superhuman lets the PCs cut loose without having 
  to worry about exposing their secrets or hurting 
  
  15 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter One
  innocent people, and frees the GM from worrying 
  about the repercussions the team’s adventures may 
  have on the ordinary part of the school.
  One signiﬁ cant advantage for PCs attending 
  a Super-School is they can give truthful (at least 
  mostly truthful) explanations for mishaps involving 
  superpowers and superheroics, since their instruc-
  tors know they have superpowers. (Th is may not 
  be true if the Super-School is a secret part of an 
  ordinary school; in that case, many teachers may 
  have no clue about what’s really going on.) On the 
  other hand, it’s much harder to fool the instructors 
  about their superheroing — an activity most Super-
  Schools frown on since the students are minors.
  FACULTY
  Many of the instructors have superpowers 
  and might have been superheroes themselves (or 
  even supervillains) once upon a time, but that’s not 
  a necessary job qualiﬁ cation. Th ey might be the 
  spouses of superheroes and familiar with ins-and-
  outs of superhero life (for a tragic twist the instruc-
  tor might be the spouse of a fallen superhero, which 
  makes for an especially good reason for the instruc-
  tor’s disapproval of the teenage superheroing). Or 
  the instructor might simply be a talented teacher 
  with unique qualiﬁ cation who appreciates the chal-
  lenge of educating young adults with extraordinary 
  abilities — a former elite unit soldier, a psychologist 
  who specializes in superhuman psyches, a person 
  with one or two minor powers that don’t qualify 
  him to ﬁ ght crime and save the world.
  FACILITIES
  In addition to having the facilities a mundane 
  school oﬀ ers, the Super-School provides special 
  facilities for training its superpowered students 
  — “danger rooms” (specially-designed training 
  rooms that can withstand, react, and adapt to the 
  PCs’ powers), high-tech medical oﬃ  ces for measur-
  ing eﬀ ects of superpower usage, and an Artiﬁ cial 
  Intelligence computer to coordinate schedules, 
  monitor students, and act as conﬁ dante. In many 
  ways the Super-School is like a superhero base, just 
  larger (or at least with more people residing there). 
  Furthermore, the purpose of training is learning 
  how to control one’s powers and exploring the full 
  nature of those powers, rather than learning to act 
  as an eﬀ ective combat unit. Th at said, the instruc-
  tors know that possessing superpowers is a magnet 
  for supervillain trouble, so they train their students 
  to handle themselves in battle.
  DORMITORIES
  Usually the Super-School has a large campus (to 
  provide the student body with plenty of privacy) and 
  the students live in dormitories. Th is means they’re 
  always together (which makes it easy to get the PCs 
  together for an adventure), but also reduces the 
  importance of their physical home and their parents. 
  But no matter where a minor lives, he’s still under 
  the legal guardianship of his parents (unless that’s 
  been terminated by the courts). In the life of a teen 
  superhero attending Super-School, a common crisis 
  is that his parents try to force him to come home 
  and attend public school.
  HANGOUTS
  Oﬀ  campus hang-outs fall into the same cat-
  egories as those described above, but usually the 
  need to ﬁ nd a hang-out is less pressing since the 
  campus has places where students can congregate 
  outside of the direct supervision of authority ﬁ g-
  ures. If the school is too isolated (such as in an 
  orbiting base), the PCs may have no choice but to 
  hang out there.
  WORK
  Most students at a super-school don’t have 
  jobs oﬀ -campus. If a student works, it’s some sort 
  of work-study — the school gives a student with 
  ﬁ nancial need a job to help pay for his tuition. 
  Th ese jobs are generally light janitorial, adminis-
  trative, or cafeteria positions. In some particularly 
  well-funded schools, there are enough scholarships 
  to go around and no one need work (in fact, that 
  may be the “carrot” the school uses to persuade 
  reluctant parents to send their superpowered kids 
  there).
  
  16 ■ Teen Champions Games
  Hero System 5th Edition
  T
  his section contains information players and 
  GMs should keep in mind when creating 
  Teen Champions characters. Th e subsections 
  below ﬁ rst cover a teen PC’s background 
  — his parents, his likes and dislikes, and so on. 
  Th en they move onto his clique — his social group, 
  how that group perceives the world, and how his 
  peers expect him to act. Finally they discuss the 
  source of the teen’s powers and how he feels about 
  the powers. Th e powers come last for a reason:  the 
  personality of the teen superhero is oft en more 
  important than his powers. Th e section Game 
  Elements, starting on page 37, covers how these 
  background elements impact the nuts and bolts of 
  character creation.
  During the trials and travails of teen super-
  hero life, conﬂ icts with peers and parents are just 
  as dramatic, and just as traumatic, as clashes with 
  supervillains. Furthermore, in the source material a 
  teen’s powers are oft en a metaphor for his personal-
  ity — maybe they’re an externalization of his inner 
  fantasy life or a direct contradiction of how he per-
  ceives himself. When a player sits down to create a 
  teen superhero character, he should consider who 
  the teen is, then who the teen superhero is. Unlike 
  the situation for many of their adult counterparts, a 
  teen PC’s mundane identity is more important than 
  his superheroic identity — a teen superhero is far 
  more than the sum of his powers.
  BACKGROUND ELEMENTS
  Like any superhero, a good teen hero needs 
  a background — not just his personality, but also 
  the world he lives in and the people who populate 
  that world. Th is subsection covers this topic by 
  posing questions a player should ask himself about 
  his character and providing possible answers. For 
  many of these elements, if they don’t feature in a 
  character’s background, a player should address 
  their absence. If a PC is an orphan, for instance, 
  that doesn’t mean the player can ignore the 
  character’s parents. Th e teen superhero’s lack of 
  parents oft en looms large in his mind. Who does he 
  imagine his parents were, does he obsess over their 
  identity, is he ashamed of his lack of parents, or 
  does he think it’s kind of cool because it means he’s 
  alone in the world and thus more mature than his 
  peers? — all these questions and more should be 
  addressed. Unlike an adult, the typical teen hasn’t 
  gotten used to anything about his existence — he 
  hasn’t had the time and experience to accept some 
  things as just facts of life — and nothing obsesses 
  a teen more than why he’s diﬀ erent than his peers. 
  Adolescence is oft en the ﬁ rst time a person consid-
  ers questions about his identity, and the ﬁ rst step of 
  discovering one’s identity is examining what makes 
  one diﬀ erent from others.
  Short On Experience, Long On Hopes
  A Teen Champions character is 10-20 years 
  younger than the average superhero, and when a 
  player creates his character’s background he should 
  keep this in mind. Th e teen PC is simply less expe-
  rienced than his adult counterpart, and many of the 
  common plot twists that ﬁ ll the histories of adult 
  superheroes don’t ﬁ t into the teen superhero’s back-
  ground. He hasn’t had time to travel the world and 
  study with the greatest martial artists, enlist in the 
  military and participate in special government train-
  ing or projects, develop a rogues’ gallery all his own 
  with long-standing rivalries and a history of hard-
  fought battles, or have numerous love aﬀ airs with 
  exotic people from all over the globe. Because of this, 
  Teen Champions characters’ backgrounds may seem 
  brief, but that’s how they should be — aft er all, being 
  a teen isn’t about the past, it’s about the future.
  CHARACTER
  CREATION
  
  17 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter One
  When coming up with a background for a 
  character, you should spend as much time, if not 
  more, considering the character’s future. And these 
  thoughts about the future don’t have to be realistic 
  — they can also be pure fantasy. What does the 
  character want to be when he grows up? What are 
  the character’s hopes and dreams for the future, or 
  does he not think about the future at all? How does 
  he imagine adult life? Is it endless days of tedium, 
  going to work week aft er week, having his personal-
  ity worn down by the grindstone? Or is it endless 
  days of irresponsibility when the person can drink, 
  smoke, buy pornography, and spend obscene sums 
  of money on whatever strikes his fancy?
  In short:  transfer the creative energy that nor-
  mally goes into devising a character’s background 
  to determining how the teen superhero imagines 
  his future. Create the teen’s hopes and dreams. Flesh 
  out his fantasy life. A teen’s too young for nostalgia, 
  the life of an adult must be better than that of a 
  teen, and youth is all about the future.
  Family
  One of the biggest sources of both support and 
  stress a teen hero can have is his family.
  PARENTS
  Since teens still have to live with their par-
  ents, who those parents are and what they’re like 
  is usually the single most important element in a 
  teen hero’s background. When you create a teen 
  hero, you should carefully consider his parents 
  and their personalities, taking into account the 
  issues listed below.
  Marital Status
  Does the PC live with one parent, two, or none 
  at all? If only one, he might have an easier time 
  sneaking around, but he might also have to lend 
  a hand with his siblings or help out ﬁ nancially to 
  make ends meet. And if his parents are divorced, 
  the PC might have to spend summer vacation with 
  his father or mother somewhere far away while his 
  friends all hang out together.
  If the PC lives with one parent, why is the 
  other parent absent? Th e real world reasons range 
  from death to abandonment, with divorce being the 
  most common in modern America... but in a teen 
  superhero campaign, there are other possibilities:
  ■ 
  Th e parent works for the government as a 
  secret agent and can’t be tied down to a family
  ■ 
  Th e parent is a supervillain
  ■ 
  Th e parent is a superhero who fell victim to 
  Menton’s brainwashing techniques and is now 
  a supervillain
  ■ 
  Th e parent who’s raising the PC ran away with 
  the child because he felt having a superpow-
  ered parent, whether a hero or villain, was no 
  way to raise a family. Th e absent parent doesn’t 
  know where the PC lives now — and in some 
  cases, doesn’t even know he has a child.
  Income And Jobs
  Are his parents rich or poor, and what do 
  they do for living? Do both of the PC’s parents 
  work? If so, he probably has an easier time avoid-
  ing their scrutiny — unless, of course, the PC is 
  the low-cost babysitter.
  Th e Parents Th emselves
  Are they the traditional square parents, and is 
  it hard to imagine them as ever being young? Or 
  are they cooler than their child? Maybe one or both 
  are famous — a rock star, a television personality, or 
  renowned superheroes. If that’s the case, how does 
  the teen feel about his too-cool-for-school parents? 
  Is he proud of them, does he resent them, or is he 
  ashamed of himself? Do the accomplishments of 
  his parents overshadow the teen’s own, or inspire 
  him to do even better? Do other adults always com-
  pare the teen to his parents to guilt trip him into 
  doing the right thing (at least, the right thing in the 
  adult’s mind)?
  Do his parents have any bad habits (adultery, 
  for example) or addictions? And what does the PCs 
  think about this — is he matter-of-fact about it, 
  or does it have a serious impact on his emotional 
  state? Are his parents ill or in poor health, and if 
  so does the teen constantly worry that they might 
  die? Are they older than everyone else’s parents? 
  Younger? Do the parents refuse to talk about their 
  past (and if so, why)?
  Do the parents have superpowers themselves? 
  Are they active superheroes? Does the teen idolize 
  them, do all his friends idolize them, or does the 
  teen resent the fact that his parents can save the 
  world every weekend but never have time to spend 
  with him? If he hates the fact that he has superpow-
  ers because they make him diﬀ erent and weird, 
  does he blame his superpowered parents? Does he 
  even know his parents are superheroes (or villains)?
  Attitude Toward Th e Character   
  Are the PC’s parents hands-oﬀ  or overpro-
  tective? Have they decided their child is nearly 
  an adult now and can make his own decisions, or 
  do they still think of him as a little kid? Are they 
  neglectful... or worse, abusive? Have they decided 
  they just don’t care about their child? Do they try 
  to be buddy-buddy with their child and his friends, 
  much to their child’s embarrassment?
  Do his parents know the character has super-
  powers? If they do, at least he doesn’t have to worry 
  about keeping them secret... but now his parents 
  have to nag him about how he uses them, order him 
  not to ﬁ ght crime, and otherwise monitor him. If 
  they don’t, all those worries go away, but he has to, 
  in eﬀ ect, keep a Secret Identity from people he lives 
  with who have legal and moral control over him.
  If his parents have superpowers, do they 
  expect the PC to go into to the “family busi-
  ness”? What if he doesn’t want to be a superhero 
  (or, worse, has villainous inclinations)? Is this a 
  source of friction in the family? Or are the parents 
  former superheroes who had a bad experience and 
  seek at every turn to make sure their child does 
  not become a superhero? Even worse, are they 
  (former)  supervillains?
  ABSENTEE 
  PARENTS
  In a world of latchkey 
  children and absentee 
  parents, an interesting 
  element of some teen 
  ﬁ ction is a total, absolute 
  lack of parents. Th e par-
  ents are so far removed 
  from the teen’s life that 
  they don’t feature at all 
  in the stories and the 
  author never depicts 
  them.
  Th ough this produces 
  an interesting eﬀ ect, 
  and the absence of 
  parental ﬁ gures makes 
  a provocative statement 
  about society, it can 
  be hard to maintain in 
  an ongoing campaign 
  simply because a Teen 
  Champions game oft en 
  covers a lot of ground 
  — much more than a 
  discrete work of ﬁ c-
  tion — and eventually, 
  somewhere down the 
  line, the GM or players 
  will want to involve the 
  parents because they’re 
  too good a plot hook to 
  pass up. Furthermore, 
  the main characters 
  (the PCs) aren’t under 
  the direct control of the 
  “author” (the GM), so 
  he can’t keep them from 
  trying to interact with 
  their parents the way the 
  author of a novel can.
  One possible way to 
  achieve the eﬀ ect is for 
  a GM to tell his players 
  not to make up their 
  characters’ parents at 
  all. Th e parents might 
  as well not exist, so in 
  the imaginations of the 
  players they really don’t 
  exist.
  
  18 ■ Teen Champions Games
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Attitude Toward Parents
  Perhaps the most important question is how 
  the PC feels about his parents (even if he’d never 
  admit his feelings to his friends or family)? Are 
  they trying to keep him down or hold him back? 
  Does he care about them, but feel that their con-
  cern is misplaced or that they’re out of touch with 
  kids today? Does he idolize them, take their atti-
  tudes to extremes, and follow their rules strictly? 
  Is he desperate for their attention, or trying des-
  perately to please them? Does he just plain hate 
  them? Is he out-and-out scared of them, whether 
  for good reason or no reason at all? Does he feel 
  the need to take care of them because they can’t 
  take care of themselves?
  Legal Guardians
  “Legal guardian” is a loose term for a person 
  the state acknowledges as responsible for a 
  minor. In teen superhero fiction, many teen 
  heroes are raised by legal guardians — in other 
  words, adoptive or de facto parents — rather than 
  their birth parents.
  One reason for this is pure adolescent wish 
  fulﬁ llment. Most teens at some point in their lives 
  wish they had cool parents — international men 
  of mystery, super-scientists, commandoes, and so 
  on — and in the case of the teen superhero, his 
  absent parents really were one of these exotic pro-
  fessions. It also harks back to the belief that most 
  teens have at least once:  these people can’t pos-
  sibly be my parents.
  Having missing parents can add a nice element 
  of mystery to a teen superhero’s background, since 
  the guardian rarely explains exactly what happened 
  to them. Were the birth parents’ end tragic? Was 
  their disappearance necessary for the good of the 
  world? Does anyone even know why they disap-
  peared, or what happened to them? Did the guard-
  ian steal the teen 
  superhero away 
  from his parents 
  to prevent them 
  from turning 
  him evil? Or did 
  the parents feel 
  the guardian 
  would simply 
  make a better 
  parent and give 
  the child to him 
  to raise? Did the 
  legal guardian 
  ﬁ nd the child 
  and decide 
  the raise him 
  entirely ignorant 
  of his special 
  heritage — a 
  sort of super-
  hero retelling of 
  the Moses story?
  Most of 
  the time a legal 
  guardian is 
  more “traditional” than the teen hero’s real par-
  ents, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Maybe 
  superheroes adopted the teen after a supervillain 
  killed his parents, or because the parents left him 
  on the doorstep of the superhero base with a 
  note attached to his crib reading, “This boy will 
  grow up to be the most powerful superhero ever.” 
  Or maybe the note had a more sinister message, 
  one the superheroes never stop worrying about.
  And, of course, the parents’ mysterious 
  past always returns to haunt the teen superhero 
  — “the sins of the father” is a common theme in 
  teen fiction.
  SIBLINGS
  Does the PC have brothers or sisters? If so, 
  does he have to take care of them, or do they take 
  care of him? Is the PC the perfect child when com-
  pared to his siblings, or is he the bad seed? Do their 
  parents treat all the kids the same, or coddle some 
  while treating others more harshly? Do his par-
  ents have favorites, and is it obvious? Or does the 
  PC think his parents have favorites, whether they 
  really do? Does the PC spend time with his siblings, 
  or do they all lead diﬀ erent lives, rarely thinking 
  about each other? Does the PC idolize any of his 
  siblings, or consider them embarrassing? Many of 
  these questions depend on the age of the siblings 
  involved — the stereotypes being to idolize older 
  siblings and be overprotective of younger ones 
  — but there’s no reason a player can’t turn these 
  stereotypes on their head.
  Th e Dead Sibling
  Oft entimes in ﬁ ction a character has a sibling 
  who has passed away, and this departed sibling 
  looms large over family life. Maybe the parents sink 
  into a funk and barely acknowledge the child who’s 
  still alive, or they become overprotective in an 
  attempt to ensure the surviving child doesn’t suﬀ er 
  UNDER- AND 
  UPPERCLASSMEN
  Exact age oft en deter-
  mines whether the PC is 
  an underclassman or an 
  upperclassman, and this 
  plays an important role 
  in his personality. Most 
  high schools have four 
  classes covering grades 
  9-12. Underclass is ninth 
  and tenth grade (fresh-
  man and sophomores), 
  so ages generally range 
  from thirteen to ﬁ ft een 
  years old. Upperclass 
  is eleventh and twelft h 
  grade (juniors and 
  seniors), so ages gener-
  ally range from sixteen 
  to eighteen years old. 
  Typical characteristics 
  of both are:
  Underclassmen are (rel-
  atively) new to the high 
  school and still unsure 
  of where they ﬁ t in. 
  Th ey haven’t ﬁ gured out 
  all the ins and outs yet. 
  Th ey oft en have no clue 
  what they’re doing aft er 
  high school, and in fact, 
  may not have realized 
  their childhood is near-
  ing its end. On the other 
  hand, they still have 
  potential. For an under-
  classmen it’s not too late 
  to change his lazy ways 
  and improve himself. 
  For teen superheroes, 
  they’re also new to their 
  superpowers and suﬀ er 
  accordingly.
  Upperclassmen are old 
  hands at the high school 
  routine. Th ey’re more 
  conﬁ dent and more 
  self-assured — or at 
  least more accustomed 
  to the school and their 
  classmates. Th ey oft en 
  feel they “own” the high 
  school. Upperclassmen 
  are quickly losing any 
  potential they might 
  have once had. Child-
  hood will soon end, 
  and in the eyes of most 
  adults, the upperclass-
  man is increasingly 
  less likely to change his 
  ways. A young repro-
  bate will grow up to be 
  a jailbird, a golden boy 
  Continued on next page
  
  19 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter One
  the same fate as his sibling. Oft en the exact eﬀ ect 
  on the family corresponds to how the sibling died. 
  If he died in a car accident, for instance, the par-
  ents don’t let the surviving child drive (or, as in the 
  movie Footloose, the parents attempt to protect the 
  entire community from the “threat” they perceive).
  Consider how the death aﬀ ects the PC himself. 
  Does he feel guilty about it (perhaps because he 
  thinks he caused it), and has that guilt made him 
  unusually reckless and maybe even suicidal? Does 
  he believe he doesn’t feel deeply enough about it? 
  Has he gotten over it, and does he wonder why his 
  parents can’t get over it?
  For a teen hero campaign a ﬁ nal question is:  
  was the departed sibling a superhero? Is this why the 
  PC keeps his superheroing secret from his parents 
  — he knows they’d forbid it due to the death of his 
  sibling? Or is it why he’s so intent on becoming a 
  superhero himself — does he feel his sibling has 
  passed the torch to him? Or is it some kind of sibling 
  rivalry, with the PC attempting to prove himself a 
  better superhero than his dead brother or sister?
  OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS
  Do any family members outside of the PC’s 
  immediate family play an important role in his life? 
  Th is can range from the grandparent who, because 
  of his age or failing health, has moved in with the 
  PC’s family, to the uncle who lost his job and is 
  staying with the family until he gets back on his 
  feet, to the aunt who lives in the home next door.
  Oft en this relative treats the PC diﬀ erently 
  than the parents do. Th e grandparent might con-
  stantly badger the parents for being too soft  on 
  him, or he might spoil the PC. A relative might be 
  the ﬁ rst adult to treat the PC like an adult himself, 
  because he isn’t responsible for punishing the PC, 
  and this allows the two to have a relationship closer 
  to friendship.
  Other family members can serve many pur-
  poses in a PC’s life. Th ey can give him a glimpse of 
  adult life other than his parents’. Th ey can tell him 
  stories about his parents the parents themselves 
  would never share, giving him a glimpse of who his 
  parents really are when they aren’t trying to set a 
  good example.
  In a teen superhero campaign, maybe the rela-
  tive is a superhero, which means that unlike the 
  PCs’ parents and siblings he understands the prob-
  lems that come with being a superhero. Whether 
  he’s a superhuman or not, the family member might 
  know about the PC’s superpowers, giving the hero 
  someone to conﬁ de in who’ll keep his secret and 
  not try to stop him from ﬁ ghting crime... at least 
  not all the time.
  Other Teen Elements
  Beyond the character’s family, there are lots of 
  things you should think about when creating a Teen 
  Champions PC.
  ATTITUDE TOWARD SCHOOL
  School features prominently in a PC’s life 
  — even if the campaign focuses tightly on the 
  superheroic aspects of being a teen hero, school 
  is never far from the character’s mind — so you 
  should have a simple, strong statement that sums 
  up a character’s attitude toward school.
  Does he hate it, love it, or barely think about 
  it at all? Does he hate it because he resents being 
  told what to do and who to be? Does he love it 
  because the one thing he’s really good at is getting 
  high grades, or because his home life is so terrible 
  he just wants to get away from his parents? Does 
  he perceive school as only a means to an end — get 
  good grades, get into college, and get a good job so 
  he makes oodles of money, and who cares about 
  building character or friendships for life? Or is 
  school simply someplace to be, someplace where 
  his friends are?
  Does he love one aspect of school, but hate all 
  the rest? For example:  does he love football, but 
  hate classes; love math, but hate English? Does he 
  breeze through school or have a tough time with 
  all things academic? Are his feelings about school 
  inchoate, with no more explanation than “it sucks”? 
  Or has the precocious teen developed a rigorous 
  critique of the fascist institution that is modern 
  high school with supporting quotes from Hannah 
  Arendt and all the trimmings?
  TEEN ROMANCE
  Most people ﬁ rst discover boys or girls 
  during the teen years, and this discovery comes to 
  dominate much of a person’s thoughts, hopes, and 
  actions. He imagines what it would be like to date 
  a girl in his English class; he hopes the girl he has a 
  crush on likes him too; he takes ill-advised risks to 
  impress a girl — he mouths oﬀ  to the teacher to get 
  the girl’s attention, he picks a ﬁ ght with the biggest 
  kid in school, and so on.
  You should consider a character’s feelings 
  toward the opposite sex and how members of the 
  opposite sex view him, as well as the character’s 
  luck with dating and other activities. Does he have 
  a girlfriend, has he ever had a girlfriend, or does 
  he even want a girlfriend? Has he ever been kissed, 
  and have his experiences gone beyond kissing? Is 
  he a heartbreaker, and if so, does he try to be nice 
  about it and let the girl with a crush down easy, or 
  is he a cold and callous user? Or has the poor guy 
  had his heartbroken, and did the girl try to be nice 
  about it, or was she cruel?
  Remember that a teen romance is rarely 
  a casual aﬀ air. Nowhere else in teen life is the 
  melodrama laid on more thick than in romantic 
  relationships. Th e teen hasn’t been broken up 
  with, or done the breaking up, many times over 
  the years and become accustomed to it. Every 
  time he’s broken up with, it tells him he’s a loser, a 
  total and abject failure, and he either succumbs to 
  despair or goes to insane lengths to prove he’s not 
  a loser. Every time he breaks up with someone, it’s 
  an emotional roller-coaster — he struggles with 
  his conscience, she cries a lot and makes dramatic 
  statements of doom, or vice versa. In short:  when it 
  comes to teen romance, nothing comes easy.
  A teen might be conﬁ dent in his relationships 
  with the opposite sex, but oft en he’s overconﬁ dent 
  will grow up to be the 
  perfect adult, and that’s 
  just the way things are, 
  so why bother trying to 
  convince the upperclass-
  man to change his ways? 
  A major source of stress 
  in the upperclassman’s 
  life is what he will do 
  aft er high school — will 
  he get into the college of 
  his choice, or will he go 
  to college at all? What 
  will happen to him and 
  his sweetheart, will 
  they drift  apart or get 
  married? Not only do 
  these problems give him 
  sleepless nights, but he 
  also has to cope with his 
  parents — most parents 
  can’t stop reminding 
  the teen he’s nearly an 
  adult and needs to start 
  acting like one. For teen 
  superheroes, the upper-
  classman has become 
  conﬁ dent (maybe over-
  conﬁ dent) in the use of 
  his powers.
  Continued from last page
  
  20 ■ Teen Champions Games
  Hero System 5th Edition
  or overbearing, or this conﬁ dence masks a deeper 
  insecurity. More typically, a teen is unbearably shy 
  and awkward — his mouth goes dry, his stomach 
  ﬁ lls with butterﬂ ies and he feels like he’s going to 
  puke, he opens his mouth to speak and what comes 
  out is total gibberish.
  And that’s if he’s lucky. Otherwise he’s trip-
  ping and falling on his face (a bloody nose is not a 
  turn-on), his pen explodes all over him (probably 
  in the most embarrassing place possible), and then 
  the school bully decides it’s the perfect time to pick 
  on him.
  For the teen superhero, the only questions left  
  to be asked is:  how can he save the world one day, 
  and then screw up asking the cute girl from trig out 
  the next? Why is it easier to thwart Dr. Destroyer 
  than get a date with the girl he has a crush on? 
  What’s wrong with the world? Isn’t there any justice?
  True Love Ways
  In teen romance, especially as portrayed in 
  ﬁ ction, there’s no nonchalance toward the sweet-
  heart, no “we’re just dating because we like each 
  other — it’s nothing serious.” No relationship 
  is casual or convenient; every relationship is all 
  about love, love, love.
  Th ere are ﬁ ve types of love that characterize 
  most teen romances, and which provide simple 
  hooks for deﬁ ning a PC’s relationship with a boy- 
  or girlfriend (or a would-be boy- or girlfriend).
  False Love:  One member of the couple is using the 
  other member. Most oft en it’s because the girl is, or 
  is thought to be, “easy.” Th is relationship, however, 
  doesn’t have to be about sex. It can be about money, 
  prestige, cheating on homework, or whatever else 
  a teen thinks he can gain by manipulating the 
  other person’s emotions. In teen ﬁ ction this sort 
  of relationship either ends badly and the wronged 
  party seeks revenge; or what started as false love 
  becomes something more as the two get to know 
  each other... of course, eventually, one part of the 
  couple learns the true reason for the relationship, 
  and the other must convince the wronged party it’s 
  no longer true.
  And don’t forget:  nice boys and sweet girls 
  fall into this trap, too. Maybe a girl is sick of dating 
  jerks, so she goes out with someone she consid-
  ers a nice boy despite the fact that she doesn’t like 
  him; maybe a boy dates a girl because that’s what 
  his parents want, and he seeks their approval. Many 
  diﬀ erent ulterior motives are possible (although 
  most of them are unsympathetic).
  Love Forever:  Th e couple has professed their deep 
  and abiding love for each other, and have promised 
  to be boyfriend-girlfriend for ever and ever. And on 
  top of that, they really do love each other and want 
  to be together forever. Of course it’s an easy thing 
  to say, but harder to do, and the changes that come 
  on the road to adulthood oft en get in the way of a 
  teen romance’s survival. Th ese relationships tend to 
  fall apart when one or both go to college, but some-
  times they do last forever — much to everyone’s 
  amazement in this cynical day.
  Th is sort of love is the basis for many a teen 
  tragedy (including Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet). 
  Sometimes love doesn’t conquer all — especially 
  when friends and family are working hard to break 
  the couple up, or the non-superhuman member of 
  the couple can’t understand all the “unexplained 
  absences” while the other is oﬀ  ﬁ ghting crime.
  Unattainable Love:  A teen has fallen in love with a 
  person who’s unattainable, whether because that 
  person is way out of his league, lives too far away, 
  is unknown to the character (he only glimpsed her 
  for an instant, from a distance), or is an adult (typi-
  cally a teacher). For a teen superhero, this can also 
  mean falling for a supervillain. Unlike unrequited 
  love, events and circumstances, society, or the teen’s 
  peers have made the love unattainable. It has noth-
  ing to do with the two people involved, and every-
  thing to do with the fact that a relationship between 
  the two just can’t or won’t happen.
  In this situation, typically the PC tries and 
  tries, goes to ridiculous extremes, takes absurd 
  actions, and embarks on half-baked schemes 
  (which always involve his friends) to win the 
  love of the unattainable... and sometimes, just 
  sometimes, he succeeds. Of course, when he suc-
  ceeds, the relationship is never how he imagined 
  it would be, and then he must deal with the cold, 
  hard reality.
  Unspoken Love:  Th e teen cannot bring himself to 
  profess his love. Maybe he’s too shy, or the love 
  isn’t in the same social class. Maybe he knows his 
  peers and/or parents won’t approve of the love:  a 
  rich girl in love with a boy from the wrong side 
  of the tracks, a teen superhero in love with a 
  supervillain. Th is unspoken love eats at the teen, 
  consuming his every thought and fantasy. Usually 
  the truth comes out eventually — a love message 
  written in a notebook discovered by other stu-
  dents gets spread far and wide, interfering friends 
  conspiring to get the teen to admit his love, or 
  unusual circumstances that bring the teen and 
  his love together. What happens next is anyone’s 
  guess, but it rarely turns out how the teen imag-
  ined it would... for better or worse.
  Unrequited Love:  Th e teen has professed his love... 
  and been spurned. Maybe the two even dated for 
  a while before the love interest broke up with him. 
  Typically he moons around, despairing of ever win-
  ning the aﬀ ections of his love interest...  and all this 
  time, there’s a third party who would make the per-
  fect boy- or girlfriend if only the teen would give 
  up on his unrequited love. As the story progresses, 
  the teen eventually comes to notice this third party, 
  realizes that person is perfect, and the two become 
  a couple... at which point, the unrequited love 
  interest suddenly expresses an interest in the teen. 
  Will the teen abandon his new love for the one he 
  wanted for so long? Or will he do the right thing?
  “I’m Not Ignoring You!”
  One of the most frustrating — and thus, in a 
  Teen Champions game, most fun — aspects of teen 
  romance involving superheroes is that whenever 
  danger threatens, the teen hero has to run oﬀ  and 
  save the city or ﬁ ght crime. It doesn’t matter if he 
  THE DATING 
  DILEMMA:  ASKING 
  COLD AND EASING 
  ONE’S WAY IN
  Th ere are two basic 
  ways of approaching 
  the whole boyfriend-
  girlfriend thing in a 
  roleplaying game. One 
  is asking cold — the PC 
  simply walks up to the 
  object of his aﬀ ection 
  and asks point-blank for 
  a date. In teen romance 
  this rarely happens. 
  It’s not like a bar, club, 
  or some other setting 
  where the asker is never 
  likely to see the askee 
  again. If the person 
  says no, the PC is stuck 
  seeing that person every 
  day for the rest of high 
  school, and sometimes 
  the embarrassment is 
  simply too much for a 
  fragile teen ego to bear.
  Th e second way carries 
  much less risk and is 
  much more common; it 
  provides more oppor-
  tunities for conﬂ ict and 
  melodrama, and can 
  lead to fun roleplaying. 
  Th e would-be boy- or 
  girlfriend gets close 
  to the love interest’s 
  friends, then tries to get 
  the friends to tell him 
  what the love interest 
  thinks of him. Th e more 
  subtle his actions, the 
  better... but sometimes 
  a lack of subtlety is 
  the only way to get a 
  straight answer. In the 
  most extreme cases, 
  the would-be boy- or 
  girlfriend gets the friend 
  to convince the love 
  interest to date him. 
  Oft en this “diplomatic” 
  method involves pass-
  ing notes, giggling, and 
  other things like that; 
  sometimes money or 
  favors change hands too. 
  It also — all the time in 
  the ﬁ ction — can lead to 
  love triangles and unre-
  quited or unspoken love. 
  In the most basic terms:  
  the would-be boyfriend 
  gets close to a friend of 
  the girl he’s interested 
  in, but the friend falls 
  Continued on next page
  
  21 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter One
  and his girlfriend had big plans, all of a sudden 
  “something’s come up” and he can’t make it... which 
  means his girlfriend’s steamed at him. It’s even 
  worse when he looks like a coward because he ﬁ nds 
  an excuse to duck out whenever danger threatens. 
  Coming up with explanations for this — and ways 
  to make it up to his signiﬁ cant other — should 
  strain the creativity of any Teen Champions PC who 
  dares to get romantically involved.
  Outside Looking In
  One day my dad said, ﬁ nd someone new...
   
  —Leader Of Th e Pack, the Shangri-Las
  If only a relationship were two people fall-
  ing in love and living in harmony. Such is never 
  the case in a teen’s life. Th ere are always friends 
  who have an opinion and can’t shut up about it 
  — or, worse, parents who have an opinion and the 
  authority to forbid a love they don’t approve of. 
  When you create a character’s love interest, con-
  sider both the opinion of the character’s parents 
  and that of his friends.
  Parents’ Approval: Parents oft en serve one of two 
  roles in teen ﬁ ction when it comes to relationships.
  First, they can provide advice and perspective 
  when the teen is drowning in emotional melo-
  drama, oﬀ ering their child such cliches as “lots of 
  ﬁ sh in the sea,” “you’re too good for him,” or “any 
  girl would be lucky to have you.” Perhaps the par-
  ents relate stories of their misadventures in dating 
  (as if proof of genetic inadequacy in aﬀ airs of the 
  heart is some kind of comfort). Typically the advice 
  makes perfect sense to everyone, especially to the 
  adult audience, but never to the teen himself.
  Second, the parents have an opinion about the 
  love interest that’s the exact opposite of how the PC 
  feels. If she loves a boy, the parents hate him because 
  he’s not good enough — not wealthy enough, not 
  smart enough, not handsome enough, and so on 
  — for their little girl. If he decides to break up with 
  his girlfriend, his parents love her and want the two 
  to go on dating until they get married... but of course 
  they only see a sweet, smart girl, and never the true 
  person. Whoever he dates aft erward is never as good 
  as the one he broke up with.
  Friends’ Approval:  How do the PC’s friends feel 
  about the relationship? If they approve, they won’t 
  let him break up with his love interest no matter 
  what they have to do to ensure that things go 
  smoothly during the relationship (for example, 
  secretly shadowing the two on an important date 
  and using their superpowers to prevent or divert 
  anything that might interrupt the lovebirds). But if 
  they disapprove, they won’t let the two stay together 
  — they’ll make up stories, tell lies, try to ﬁ x the PC 
  up with a more appropriate love interest, and do 
  whatever they must to “save their friend.”
  In ﬁ ction, friends’ approval or disapproval is 
  nearly always based on clique or similar matters:  
  the love interest isn’t the same as the PC and his 
  friends, and that upsets them. Maybe she’s a geek 
  when they’re all jocks, or she’s a prom queen from a 
  wealthy family while they’re all grungy social out-
  casts. In a Teen Champions game, the problem may 
  be that she’s a “norm” while they’re all superpow-
  ered... or worse, maybe she’s a villainness.
  Another thing to consider:  have any of the 
  PC’s friends dated this person? High school is an 
  enclosed environment, oﬀ ering limited choices for 
  who to date; by Senior year, a clique’s dating his-
  tory is oft en a tangled web of relationships chock 
  full of betrayals, stolen girlfriends, and whispered 
  stories of sexual peccadillos. Everyone has skele-
  tons in the closet, dark secrets they’ve shared with 
  an ex who’s now dating someone else — secrets 
  they can’t help but wonder if the ex is sharing with 
  the new love interest.
  PEERS
  Aft er family and love interest, perhaps the 
  most important inﬂ uences on a teen hero are his 
  peers, who run the gamut from the members of 
  his clique to his most hated enemy. Th ese other 
  kids, even the ones the PC hates, oft en have more 
  sway over a PC than his own parents (or at least, 
  that’s what the parents think)... and of course, it’s a 
  bad iﬂ uence. Other than cliques (see below), some 
  individuals from the peer group who ﬁ gure promi-
  nently in a teen’s life include:
  Th e Best Friend
  Th ough a teen might have many friends, 
  there’s usually one who’s his best friend. Typi-
  cally they’ve been friends since they were little 
  — maybe they grew up next door to each other, 
  or their parents are friends, or they shared some 
  adventure in grade school and remained friends 
  ever since. During high school, though, friendship 
  becomes more complicated, and this oft en leads to 
  friction between best friends. Possible reasons for 
  this friction:
  ■ 
  In a high school many a teen realizes for the 
  ﬁ rst time that his friends reﬂ ect on himself 
  — if his friends are jocks, people think he’s a 
  jock; if his friends are geeks, people think he’s a 
  geek — and his best friend is not how he wants 
  others to perceive him. In other words, his best 
  friend embarrasses him, so he stops spending 
  time with him.
  ■ 
  High school teens have more activities and 
  opportunities available to them, and this takes 
  up more and more of their time. Maybe one 
  teen is heavily involved in sports, while his 
  best friend focuses on academics, and as a 
  result they drift  apart.
  ■ 
  And then there are girls (or boys, as the case 
  may be). If one has a girlfriend, and the other 
  doesn’t, the single friend oft en ﬁ nds himself 
  abandoned in favor of the charms of the oppo-
  site gender.
  ■ 
  Finally, for the teen superhero, there’s super-
  powers. If the best friend doesn’t have super-
  powers, that might create an unbridgeable 
  distance between the two. Once they were able 
  to tell each other anything, sharing all their 
  secrets no matter how deep and dark, but now 
  the teen superhero has a secret he can’t share 
  Continued from last page
  for the boy because of 
  all the time they spend 
  talking. Luckily, in the 
  end, the original love 
  interest doesn’t work 
  out, the would-be boy-
  friend falls for the friend 
  as is right and just, and 
  everyone lives happily 
  ever aft er.
  
  22 ■ Teen Champions Games
  Hero System 5th Edition
  with his best friend — probably because he 
  wants to protect his best friend, so there’s a 
  tragic angle to the drift ing apart — and this 
  secret breaks the friendship.
  Whatever the cause of the friction, best friend-
  ships oft en come to a bittersweet end in high 
  school. Th ough in the future the two may still be 
  friends, they’ll never be as close as they were when 
  they were kids — this “shallowing” of emotional 
  relationships is one of the signs of impending 
  adulthood. It’s a tacit acceptance that a person 
  must conform to the demands of society, and that 
  a free and easy relationship, where two people are 
  friends simply because they have fun together and 
  for no other reason — maybe they have absolutely 
  nothing else in common other than enjoying each 
  other’s company — is a thing of the past.
  Th e Bully
  Torturer, tormentor, little tyrant, and far worse 
  than any supervillain — if for no other reason 
  than a supervillain rarely embarrasses the teen in 
  front of a girl he has a crush on, and if he does, at 
  least the teen’s in costume and she doesn’t know 
  his secret identity — the bully makes sure the PC 
  never gets above himself. Th e bully is the ruthless 
  enforcer of the high school hierarchy. Is it enough 
  that everyone thinks you’re a loser? No, because the 
  bully is going to make sure no one ever forgets it.
  Most people are familiar with the ins and outs 
  of bullying — wedgies, swirlies, ﬂ at tires, books 
  scattered down the hall, being stuﬀ ed into a locker, 
  and so on. Usually the bully inﬂ icts physical humil-
  iation, rather than actual harm, but his victims live 
  in fear of actual harm and this keeps them from 
  protesting the treatment.
  Th e reasons for the bullying might range from 
  pure meanness, to the bully’s own insecurity and 
  attempts to impress his friends, to his jealousy and 
  envy (usually of the victim’s intelligence or other 
  attributes). In ﬁ ction the conﬂ ict with a bully oft en 
  resolves itself in one of two ways:  either the bully 
  comes to accept his insecurities due to the actions 
  of the bullied, and then he stops bullying other 
  teens; or his victims stand up to the bully, and now 
  that they’re ﬁ ghting back, he stops.
  Th e bully-teen superhero relationship has a 
  unique dynamic all its own. Th e teen superhero 
  has plenty of power to strike back at the bully... 
  but cannot because “with great power comes great 
  responsibility.” Th e teen hero must keep himself 
  under control, because if he really lashed out at the 
  bully, he might do him permanent harm — not to 
  mention reveal his secret identity. In other words, 
  the bully’s own weakness keeps the teen superhero 
  from taking action — an irony no one will ever 
  know until the teen superhero, unable to take any-
  more, ﬁ ghts back and then must suﬀ er the conse-
  quences of his reckless action.
  Th e Bullied
  Th ough typically the protagonist in teen ﬁ c-
  tion is the one who’s bullied, it doesn’t have to be 
  that way. In a teen hero campaign a PC might be a 
  bully. Furthermore, since high school is a starkly-
  
  23 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter One
  deﬁ ned food chain, and there’s always someone 
  lower that a teen can make sure stays below him. 
  Maybe this bullying isn’t physical (the PC mocks 
  the person incessantly) or aggressive (he excludes 
  the person by never saying anything to him), but 
  it’s a sort of bullying nonetheless. If a character is a 
  bully, you should consider what group or individual 
  he bullies, and why. But remember:  no one likes a 
  bully, not even one who’s just a ﬁ gment in a role-
  playing game. If a player creates a character who’s 
  something of a bully, he should plan to resolve the 
  bullying at some point. In other words, roleplay a 
  bullying character growing out of his need to vic-
  timize those weaker than himself as the campaign 
  goes on; don’t plan to make bullying a permanent 
  feature of his personality.
  Th e Rival
  Th e rival shares the same interests as the PC 
  and is involved in many of the same activities. Th ey 
  might even be close friends (or at least pretend to 
  be), but each seeks to outdo the other. Th is ranges 
  from two characters competing for the starting 
  quarterback position on the varsity team, the posi-
  tion of valedictorian of the graduating class, the 
  crown of prom queen, or the aﬀ ections of every 
  pretty girl who walks into the cafeteria. On the sur-
  face it might be a friendly rivalry, but it usually it 
  runs much deeper. As with most things in teen life, 
  the PC takes the rivalry with the utmost serious-
  ness and oft en goes to extremes to outdo his rival.
  In a teen superhero campaign, the rivalry can 
  be even more pervasive than it is in normal life. 
  Not only do the two rivals compete for the quar-
  terback position, the best grades, or the cutest girls, 
  but one’s secretly a superhero, and the other his 
  supervillain nemesis (or both are superheroes who 
  compete to be the better hero).
  ADULTS
  When teen life intersects with the adult 
  world, the adult oft en plays a speciﬁ c role. Th ese 
  roles normally fall under the broad description of 
  “authority ﬁ gure”; it’s diﬃ  cult for an adult to step 
  outside of this role and interact normally with the 
  teen. Aft er all, part of being a responsible adult is 
  acting responsibly toward people who are younger 
  and more impressionable. Not being a bad inﬂ u-
  ence, setting a good example, and acting as an 
  acceptable role model are all expectations society 
  has of an adult in his interactions with the young, 
  and none of these are conducive to straight talk. 
  Some of the more common authority ﬁ gures in a 
  teen’s life include:
  Teachers
  Teachers range from the one students like 
  (who’s usually young, attractive, and exuberant), 
  to the one students hate (who’s usually old, cranky, 
  and doesn’t care). Chances are most teachers pass 
  without notice, but a PC should always have one 
  he likes and trusts, and one who’s the bane of his 
  existence. Teachers can also serve as the object for 
  schoolboy infatuation or as a mentor ﬁ gure.
  In theory teachers are supportive of teens, but 
  this sometimes gets lost somewhere over the course 
  of a career. Aft er years of teaching, the teacher 
  might become jaded toward certain types of stu-
  dents — he’s seen them all, and taught them all, and 
  he knows some students just don’t care and aren’t 
  worth his time. Or he might have trouble main-
  taining discipline in his class; over the years, he’s 
  become more concerned with keeping his class in 
  order than teaching the students, but it doesn’t help.
  Th at said, the average teacher is concerned 
  with the welfare of his students — but maintaining 
  a student-teacher relationship is also important. 
  Th us, teachers tend to be interested and willing to 
  help, but distant and always keeping in mind “the 
  proper thing to do” as stipulated by the code of 
  conduct and mores of society.
  Counselors
  Th e school counselor serves in the dual role of 
  child psychologist and career advisor. He can pro-
  vide information about college, jobs, and the future 
  TEEN BEHAVIOR TIP:  
  MELODRAMA
  Emotionally, a teen is like a raw, gaping wound... No, 
  that’s not quite right. How about:  Emotionally, a teen is 
  like a man without skin, raw bloody muscles without any 
  protection, climbing through bushes with sharp thorns 
  — thorns that tear at his exposed body and rip gaping 
  rents that gush blood. Much better....
  Teens are melodramatic. Even the most level-headed, 
  emotionally stable, good-natured teen has bad moments 
  when he makes absurd pronouncements in the face of 
  less-than-terrible events. Th is melodrama oft en takes the 
  form of emotional extremes in reaction to slight prob-
  lems or mishaps. He expresses these emotional extremes 
  by making absolute statements — never, forever, always, 
  all, none, and totally are words he typically uses. And 
  he makes these impossibly absolute statements, swears 
  impossible to keep oaths, and proclaims his total and 
  abject failure, because in the eyes of a teen, it really is the 
  end of the world.
  Boyfriend just broke up with you... “No one will ever 
  love me!”
  Got a bad grade on a test... “I’m so stupid! I’m going to 
  end up living in a cardboard box!”
  Parents took away your driving privileges... “You’re a 
  bunch of Nazis! I hate you!”
  Friend just betrayed you... “I’m never talking to you again!”
  Some of this is done for eﬀ ect and attention, but some 
  of it is perfectly understandable. Th is is the ﬁ rst time a 
  teen is experiencing these emotional events. He doesn’t 
  have behavioral patterns in place yet to “process” these 
  emotions; he hasn’t grown accustomed to failure or even 
  minor setbacks. Everything is new, and the teen is oft en 
  at loss when it comes to knowing what the appropriate 
  reaction is.
  A teenager doesn’t just make these extreme statements 
  for a laugh. In that moment, though the doom-and-
  gloom feeling may not last very long, he may truly feel 
  like it’s the end of the world. You may have diﬃ  culty 
  keeping a straight face roleplaying this, if you’re an 
  adult, but give it a try — it adds a lot of “teen feeling” to 
  your games.
  
  24 ■ Teen Champions Games
  Hero System 5th Edition
  in general. He can also serve as conﬁ dante — even 
  if the teen doesn’t want a conﬁ dante. If the school 
  faculty come to suspect that a teen has problems 
  beyond the normal rebelliousness of adolescence, 
  he likely ﬁ nds himself in a meeting with his coun-
  selor. And what happens when a teen throws cau-
  tion to the wind, and because he has no one else he 
  can trust, tells a counselor about his superpowers?
  Th e Principal
  Th e principal runs the school (though he still 
  has to answer to the superintendent, the school 
  board, and to some extent the parents). For the stu-
  dents, the principal serves one purpose, and that’s 
  to dole out punishment. Because of this, most stu-
  dents have a negative attitude toward the principal, 
  or else no opinion at all if they never get in trouble.
  Th e School Janitor
  In teen ﬁ ction the janitor is the one who sees 
  all and knows all around the high school. He also 
  serves as a sort of “old man” archetype. Unlike the 
  faculty he isn’t bound by a sense of propriety and 
  a code of conduct; if a teen is throwing away his 
  life, the janitor can tell him bluntly without dress-
  ing up his language. Th e janitor is a bad person 
  to get on the wrong side of, since he can always 
  ﬁ gure out some way to get revenge in the end; on 
  the other hand, he can be very helpful if he takes a 
  shine to a student.
  Th e Boss
  A boss plays a unique role in a PC’s life, since 
  he’s one of the few adults the PC encounters on 
  a regular basis who’s not a member of the school 
  faculty or his family. Sometimes the boss is nothing 
  more than a tyrant — one whom the teen feels inﬁ -
  nitely superior to, because there’s no way the teen 
  will have such a crappy job when he grows up. But 
  sometimes the boss is one of the few adults who 
  lets down his guard around the teen, giving him a 
  glimpse of what adult life is really like, and who can 
  give advice about matters too sensitive to ask par-
  ents or teachers about.
  Truant Oﬃ  cers
  For the most part, truant oﬃ  cers are a thing of 
  the past — in attempts to reduce spending, school 
  boards have eliminated the position — but they can 
  make for fun antagonists in a teen hero campaign, 
  so a GM might want to include them in his setting. 
  Th e truant oﬃ  cer is a member of law enforcement 
  who makes sure teens don’t skip school. He drives 
  around all day looking for teens, and he investigates 
  unexplained absences. Generally the truant oﬃ  cer 
  is a gruﬀ  man who’s heard every excuse a teen has 
  to oﬀ er for missing school, every sob story about 
  missing the bus or sick parents, and believes none 
  of them. For a teen superhero the truant oﬃ  cer can 
  become a major thorn in his side, in many ways 
  assuming a role similar to that of an investigative 
  reporter:  he’s always chasing aft er the teen when he 
  skips class to ﬁ ght a supervillain and threatening to 
  learn the teen’s secret identity.
  Idols
  Idols occupy a unique position in a teen’s life. 
  Unlike the other adults described in this section, 
  a teen chooses his own idols (although marketing 
  ﬁ rms stop at nothing to convince teens to idolize 
  certain adults). Idols can be athletes, movie stars, 
  musicians, superheroes, world leaders, authors, or 
  any other public ﬁ gure; you should consider who 
  THE SECRET 
  SUPERHERO
  Oft en in comic books, 
  a non-parental adult in 
  the teen’s life is secretly 
  a superhero or former 
  hero. Over the course 
  of adventures, this 
  adult comes to suspect 
  the teen superheroes’ 
  secret (and maybe they 
  suspect his). Eventually 
  the truth comes out 
  — either when the adult 
  steps in to save the teens 
  from some supervillain, 
  or when the adult’s old 
  nemesis comes to the 
  high school looking for 
  a ﬁ ght. Th en the adult 
  becomes a mentor ﬁ gure 
  for the teen heroes, 
  helping them train and 
  giving them advice.
  Th is adult superhero is 
  instrumental to one of 
  the standard teen super-
  hero story progressions:  
  teens go it alone, head-
  strong and full of youth’s 
  reckless conﬁ dence; 
  teens suﬀ er setbacks 
  and failures; teens real-
  Continued on next page
  
  25 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter One
  your character idolizes, if anyone, and why. Stereo-
  typically a teen goes to great lengths to mimic his 
  idol’s behavior and parrots his opinions. When an 
  idol shows himself to have feet of clay, it’s a tragic 
  moment in a teen’s life as he comes to realize that 
  “everyone’s human” or some other aphorism about 
  the ﬂ awed nature of the world.
  Adult Superheroes
  In teen ﬁ ction adult superheroes oft en take a 
  patronizing view of teen heroes that’s best summed 
  up thusly:  “Th anks for helping, son, but we’ll take it 
  from here.”
  Th e adults — the so-called real superheroes 
  — appear just as the adventure is winding up, the 
  press gives them all the credit for stopping the 
  supervillain, and the teen superheroes are relegated 
  to second-string status. But sometimes the adult 
  superheroes take a more proactive role. In the 
  best case scenario, they decide to mentor the teen 
  superheroes, or maybe even take on the teen heroes 
  as “sidekicks.” In the worst case, they ﬁ nd the idea 
  of minors putting their lives at risk as superheroes 
  deeply disturbing, and they try to discover the teen 
  heroes’ secret identities so they can stop them from 
  ﬁ ghting crime.
  Even if adult superheroes rarely appear “on 
  stage” in a campaign, they usually ﬁ gure into a teen 
  superheroes’ thoughts and opinions. Does he idol-
  ize his adult counterparts? Does he think they do 
  everything wrong, and he’s dead-set in doing things 
  the “right way”? Or does he feel a mixture of both 
  — some superheroes are cool, while some are not?
  OTHER TEEN INTERESTS AND ISSUES
  Th e issues described above are of primary 
  importance to a teen. Peer groups, another impor-
  tant issue, are discussed in detail in Cliques, below. 
  In addition to these are the hobbies teens enjoy 
  and the issues he confronts on a day-to-day basis. 
  A teen character should involve himself in teen 
  interests and have opinions about teen issues 
  — although it might not be a well-informed opin-
  ion and certainly lacks the nuance that comes from 
  experience — and these interests and issues should 
  come into play over the course of a campaign. 
  Some ways for using these as plots and sub-plots 
  are discussed in the GM’s Vault starting on page 82, 
  but players should also include these elements in 
  the game via roleplaying in ways ranging from one-
  oﬀ  interjections during combat, to long-term goals 
  for the PC that lead to character development and 
  an evolving attitude toward the world or his peers.
  Conformity Versus Individuality
  In the teen mind set, conformity leads to 
  having friends, individuality leads to being alone. 
  Being like someone means being friends with him; 
  being diﬀ erent means not being friends (and can 
  oft en mean hating the other person). But no matter 
  how hard one tries, no two people are alike. A teen 
  struggles to accept this fact, especially since the 
  diﬀ erences oft en seem to stand in the way of being 
  accepted by his peers.
  If it were only a matter of superﬁ cial diﬀ er-
  ences — changes a teen can make by spending 
  money or working harder — maybe it wouldn’t be 
  so bad, but it’s not. Sometimes the diﬀ erences are 
  pretty fundamental or future-aﬀ ecting. If a teen’s 
  friends all get bad grades, he might be tempted to 
  get bad grades too, thereby jeopardizing his future. 
  If a teen’s friends are all tall and he’s not, there’s 
  only so much he can do about it — no amount of 
  exercise can increase someone’s height. Many other 
  physical diﬀ erences — breast size, acne, squeaky 
  voice — are essentially “un-ﬁ xable,” and that leads 
  to a teen becoming insecure. 
  To make matters worse, being unique in 
  ways friends like is a good thing — a great thing, 
  the best thing ever. For instance, being better at 
  sports that everyone else makes a guy the envy of 
  the high school. And no one respects a follower. 
  So conformity isn’t an absolute rule, and teen life 
  isn’t as simple as follow the leader. On top of this, 
  parents and adults always tell a teen to follow his 
  heart and ignore the inﬂ uence of others — but 
  only when it comes to bad inﬂ uences. If it’s some-
  thing the parents deem a good inﬂ uence, then 
  they want him to conform.
  Th e conﬂ ict between conformity and indi-
  viduality can result in some strange actions and 
  decisions, many of which are rife with roleplaying 
  potential. It can make a teen extremely stubborn:  
  he holds onto his personal preferences despite 
  everyone telling him to conform. It can make him 
  parrot the actions of people he considers “non-
  conformists” in an eﬀ ort to “be himself” — in other 
  words, he paradoxically conforms to others in an 
  attempt to prove that he’s unique.
  Th e Car
  To many people in all walks of life, an auto-
  mobile is a status symbol — an outward reﬂ ection 
  of who they are, or who they want to be. For teens, 
  this is also true, but the car has added signiﬁ cance. 
  In many ways the car is a teen’s kingdom. Th e teen 
  lives in his parents’ house, under his parents’ rules, 
  but the car is in some ways beyond his parents’ pur-
  view. He didn’t choose the house he lives in, but he 
  might have chosen the car he drives. He might have 
  purchased it with his own money, so that makes it 
  all his, one of the few things he’s not dependent on 
  his parents for.
  Th e car becomes the place where a teen spends 
  much of his time with his girlfriend, and where 
  he stashes stuﬀ  he doesn’t want his parents to see. 
  It’s his ticket to freedom — if the home life is get-
  ting him down, then he can jump in his car and go 
  someplace else, or just drive around. Many teens 
  become possessive about their cars, just like an 
  adult becomes possessive about his home; in many 
  ways the car is the teen’s ﬁ rst apartment (or at least 
  a surrogate for his ﬁ rst apartment).
  In a Teen Champions campaign, cars may not 
  have quite as much signiﬁ cance if the PCs have 
  travel powers, or access to a secret headquarters. 
  But they’re still important in the eyes of the PCs’ 
  mundane friends, which gives the GM the opportu-
  nity to use automobiles as adventure/subplot cata-
  Continued from last page
  ize they need an adult’s 
  advice... and voila! An 
  adult sympathetic to 
  their plight, who gives 
  them more credit than 
  other adults (including 
  their parents), appears 
  on the scene to provide 
  the advice and training 
  they need.
  Th is is the sort of thing 
  a GM should work 
  slowly into the cam-
  paign. Generally the 
  superhero is the least 
  likely adult — the old 
  janitor who had to retire 
  to a quiet job because 
  of a bad heart; the over-
  exuberant counselor 
  who decided he could 
  help more people by 
  being a counselor; 
  the unusually likeable 
  teacher who stopped 
  being able to trust his 
  powers aft er exposure 
  to a strange ray — and 
  maybe a similar ray gave 
  the PCs their powers.
  More rarely, an adult 
  might secretly be a 
  supervillain. In that 
  case, the teen heroes 
  usually discover this 
  when they confront the 
  villain and somehow 
  learn who he is — for 
  example, by accidentally 
  tearing his mask oﬀ  in 
  combat. Th en they have 
  to deal with the shock 
  of ﬁ ghting (and hope-
  fully defeating) someone 
  they once trusted and 
  respected.
  
  26 ■ Teen Champions Games
  Hero System 5th Edition
  lysts. For example, a PC may be nigh-invulnerable... 
  but his friend, who’s gotten involved with illegal 
  back-street drag-racing, isn’t.
  Hobbies:  Maturity Versus Adolescence
  Once upon a time in society there were stark 
  divisions between what an adult did with his leisure 
  time and what an adolescent did. Th ese divisions 
  have eroded in recent decades, leaving adults and 
  teens with similar interests like comics, movies, 
  computer games, roleplaying games, and even col-
  lecting action ﬁ gures. Th is can make it diﬃ  cult to 
  separate out what’s a teen interest and what’s an 
  adult interest, but in truth the diﬀ erence isn’t, and 
  has never been, the activity itself. It’s how the adult 
  approaches the activity.
  Th e adult indulges in a leisure activity when 
  he has the free time and spends money on a hobby 
  when he can aﬀ ord to; a teen’s life and ﬁ nances 
  revolve around his leisure time activities. Maturity 
  is about knowing when more important things 
  come ﬁ rst, not about what interests an adult has. 
  For instance, an adult might play Champions once 
  a week, but sometimes has to cancel because of 
  family or work obligations. If he doesn’t cancel — if 
  he lets his home life and career suﬀ er because of his 
  hobby — he’s being immature. An adolescent, on 
  the other hand, might play Champions every day of 
  the week, to heck with his homework or studying 
  for ﬁ nals.
  A mature teen is one who recognizes that 
  some things like school or family come ﬁ rst and 
  are more important than just having fun. Unlike a 
  mature adult, however, even a mature teen is rarely 
  perfect (and if he is perfect, it’s oft en to his detri-
  ment). Sometimes he succumbs to the temptation 
  to put fun before responsibility... and sometimes 
  it’s even necessary to succumb, since “all work and 
  no play” is no good for anyone (especially not for a 
  teen who tries too hard to be mature).
  So regardless of a character’s hobbies, a player 
  should remember to try to have an adolescent 
  attitude toward those hobbies and leisure time in 
  general, or else have an adolescent attitude toward 
  responsibility, taking it to an unhealthy extreme. “A 
  happy medium” is not a phrase that applies oft en in 
  teen life.
  Realism
  On the whole, Teen Champions takes a light-
  hearted approach to being a teen superhero spe-
  ciﬁ cally, and being a teen in general — few people 
  want to roleplay the bad or depressing side of life. 
  But not all aspects of teen life in contemporary 
  America are lighthearted. Besides the omnipres-
  ent threat of substance abuse, some of the serious 
  issues confronting teens today include:
  ■ 
  Th e internet has opened new doors for pedo-
  philes to gain access to minors. No more 
  creepy guy hanging around outside when 
  school lets out; now an adolescent can be vic-
  timized via chat rooms in the privacy of his 
  own bedroom.
  ■ 
  Just Say No:  A teen might grow up hearing 
  drugs are evil, sex is evil, booze is evil, and 
  smoking is evil... but parents don’t always do 
  a good job explaining why they’re evil, why 
  the teen has to avoid the traps these tempta-
  tions pose. A teen PC may ﬁ rst be exposed to 
  many of these during adolescence, and unlike 
  his parents, he hasn’t witnessed ﬁ rsthand the 
  eﬀ ects they can have on a person. He’s only 
  been told they’re evil; he has no proof, just the 
  word of adults. Sometimes this lack of under-
  standing leads to thoughtless and heedless 
  experimentation, sometimes to inchoate fear... 
  but it almost always has some kind of eﬀ ect. 
  Drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and sex are rarely 
  casual topics in a teen’s life, and if they come 
  up, they elicit more than just a shrug (unless, 
  of course, the teen tries to avoid discussing the 
  topic with an adult).
  ■ 
  Teen suicide hasn’t gone away. Nor has teen 
  pregnancy.
  TEEN BEHAVIOR TIP:  
  THE INFLUENCE 
  OF OTHERS
  Teens oft en let others inﬂ uence their behavior to an 
  extent that appalls adults. Adult players should keep this 
  in mind, letting their characters fall under the sway of 
  bad inﬂ uences and sometimes taking bad advice. One 
  reason for this, according to conventional wisdom, is 
  that teens try desperately to ﬁ t in with their friends 
  (and so emulate their behavior), or they’re trying to 
  impress their peers (so they do anything, however stupid 
  or poorly thought out, they believe their friends will 
  admire).
  But put a sympathetic spin on the situation. In a perfect 
  world, here’s how adult decision-making goes:  adult 
  considers situation, solicits advice from friends and 
  family, compares advice to his own experiences, dis-
  misses bad advice, and makes a decision. Th e key part of 
  that process is “compares advice to his own experiences.” 
  Th e teen doesn’t have very many experiences and that 
  makes it diﬃ  cult for him separate the good advice from 
  the bad. If the advice sounds logical, if it comes from one 
  of his peers who shares similarities with the teen — at 
  least more similarities than the teen and his parents 
  share — then doesn’t it make sense the teen would heed 
  his friend’s advice?
  A teen might be stubborn — he might be downright 
  ornery — but when push comes to shove, he simply 
  hasn’t lived through all life has to oﬀ er, and in many situ-
  ations he has no basis on which to make a decision.
  However an adult player chooses to deﬁ ne his Teen 
  Champions PC, he should allow others to inﬂ uence his 
  character. One way of doing this is to make a “Cool/Not 
  Cool” chart. List all the other PCs and NPCs and make 
  two columns: Cool and Not Cool. Th en put a check 
  mark next to the category the PC or NPC falls into (and 
  keep in mind, being cool or not being cool doesn’t mean 
  the character likes or dislikes the other; it just means he 
  thinks he’s cool or not, more a measure of respect than 
  of friendship). When a PC or NPC oﬀ ers the character 
  advice, consult the chart. If he’s cool, take the advice (or 
  at least consider it more strongly, perhaps requiring a 
  modiﬁ ed EGO Roll to reject it). If he’s not, ignore the 
  advice.
  
  27 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter One
  ■ 
  Not long ago it was pretty unthinkable for a 
  teen to “come out pf the closet” in high school 
  — everyone had their suspicions, and teens 
  would sometimes act on these suspicions, but 
  no one really knew for sure. Society at large, 
  and parents in particular, have become more 
  accepting of the openly gay, and it only makes 
  sense that schools would as well. However, 
  none of this means classmates (or the commu-
  nity) have become more accepting of a fellow 
  student’s homosexuality.
  ■ 
  Once upon a time people thought of bully-
  ing as being limited to physical abuse, and 
  typically adults only concerned themselves 
  with abuse that led to physical harm. In other 
  words, being shoved around wasn’t considered 
  a big deal unless it resulted in a bloody nose 
  or a broken bone. In today’s schools bullying is 
  not just physical abuse, but also verbal abuse, 
  sexual harassment, and the like... and adults 
  rarely explain it away with “boys being boys” or 
  other aphorisms. In some cases schools have 
  gone to extremes to “protect” the student body, 
  forbidding many forms of conduct that don’t 
  approach the classic deﬁ nition of “bullying.” 
  Teen PCs may ﬁ nd themselves confronting the 
  twin demons of genuine bullying and harass-
  ment on the one hand, and out of control 
  political correctness on the other.
  ■ 
  On a related note, in the wake of events like 
  the Columbine shootings, everything a student 
  threatens to do or implies he wants to do is 
  taken much more seriously than it used to 
  be. Writing a story about killing classmates, 
  or drawing a picture depicting the death of 
  classmates, can result in actions ranging from 
  mandatory family counseling for the student 
  and his parents, to expulsion. In the past adults 
  considered what adolescents said, especially 
  when it was melodramatic and outré, with a 
  roll of the eyes and a sigh; such dismissal is 
  less oft en the case nowadays.
  Gamemasters and players have to decide for 
  themselves how oft en, if at all, these issues come 
  into play. Th e GM should address these topics with 
  the sensitivity they deserve. Since it’s doubtful play-
  ers want to roleplay many of these experiences 
  (unless one is a really good roleplayer), the best 
  way is oft en to bring them up as subplots that aﬀ ect 
  the PCs’ friends. Th e PCs may not understand the 
  true impact of drugs yet... but they will aft er they 
  see one of their friends get addicted and try to help 
  him. Th ey may not understand the impact of bul-
  lying and taunting until they see one of their class-
  mates driven into a homicidal or suicidal rage by 
  the mistreatment.
  CLIQUES:  TEEN SUPER-
  HERO PACKAGE DEALS
  Teens divide themselves into cliques:  groups of 
  peers who share the same interests and have similar 
  personalities... and in the worst case scenario are 
  basically pod people dressing in the same style of 
  clothing, saying the same things, and never daring 
  to deviate from the opinion of the clique or try 
  something the members of the clique don’t approve 
  of. Th e clique (usually mispronounced “click”) is a 
  teen’s primary social group, and most teens try very 
  
  28 ■ Teen Champions Games
  Hero System 5th Edition
  hard to ﬁ t in. Th at means the clique’s judgment on 
  behavior, dress, and social activities become nigh-
  absolute laws, and the clique the ultimate arbiter of 
  what’s right and proper.
  Some people say humans are pack animals, 
  and in quite a few ways the clique is the teen’s 
  pack. Just like a pack of wolves, the clique is insular 
  and has a leader, an alpha wolf. Its members are 
  intensely concerned with the pecking order, since 
  it impacts every aspect of daily life. Th e clique is 
  xenophobic; no one in the clique is very friendly 
  toward outsiders. Th e clique ruthlessly controls its 
  territory, whether that’s a table in the cafeteria or 
  an aft er-school hang-out, with leaders sometimes 
  going so far as to determine which members can 
  sit where and other matters of protocol. A clique’s 
  members always go out of their way to make out-
  siders feel unwelcome in the clique’s territory.
  Teen Champions presents cliques as Package 
  Deals, and a player can choose one of these to ﬂ esh 
  out his character’s Skills and Perks. Even if a player 
  decides not to use a Package Deal, he should con-
  sider whether his character belongs to a clique and 
  how he feels about the cliques present in his school. 
  Similarly, the GM has to decide what cliques exist 
  in the school. Th ese are important parts of high 
  school, and they should be just as important to the 
  teen superhero.
  Stereotypes
  Th e cliques presented here are out-and-out 
  stereotypes, and no one ﬁ ts a stereotype perfectly. 
  Th e jock who gets good grades, the geek who’s 
  physical intimidating — neither of these are 
  unheard of, and a player shouldn’t let cliques limit 
  his imagination when coming up with his charac-
  ter. For the player the clique is a starting place, not 
  an end-all be-all to his character’s personality.
  However, people outside of the PC’s clique 
  — not just students, but sometimes teachers and 
  parents too — oft en stereotype him according to 
  his clique, and it takes time and eﬀ ort to change a 
  person’s mind. One way of looking at the descrip-
  tions below:  they describe how people outside the 
  clique view its members, the stereotypes they use 
  when interacting with the clique, but not necessar-
  ily what the members of the clique are really like. 
  (On the other hand, some members of a clique may 
  ﬁ t the stereotype to a T.)
  Th e Unifying Feature
  In a Teen Champions campaign PCs might 
  come from diverse cliques — in fact this is oft en the 
  case in the ﬁ ction. It makes for fun character inter-
  action, since cliques may have contrary likes and 
  dislikes — and that means the diversity provides 
  good roleplaying opportunities as PCs overcome 
  stereotypes and get a glimpse of how the “other 
  half” lives. Since the PCs all have one overarching 
  characteristic in common — superpowers — they 
  have a strong basis for overcoming clique-based 
  distinctions no matter how diﬀ erent any two PCs 
  are. And as the campaign evolves, common enemies 
  will give them even more reason to stick together....
  However, no rule says all the superheroes in a 
  group have to come from diﬀ erent cliques. Maybe 
  all the jocks in the high school ﬁ nd themselves with 
  superpowers aft er a meteorite crashes into their car 
  as they drive home from practice. Now not only are 
  they resolved to ﬁ ght supervillainy, but they also 
  want to use their powers to bring their high school 
  its ﬁ rst state championship. Or maybe all the geeks 
  in the high school are exposed to strange radiation 
  when they visit a government laboratory on a ﬁ eld 
  trip with the Future Scientists Club. Now they can 
  ﬁ ght supervillainy and teach the bullies to keep 
  their wedgies to themselves.
  Movement Between Cliques
  It’s an underlying assumption of cliques that 
  they’re set in stone — once a jock, always a jock; 
  once a burnout, always a burnout — but oft en in 
  ﬁ ction the protagonist gains entrance to a clique, 
  abandons his old clique, discovers “the grass is 
  always greener on the other side of the fence,” and 
  decides his new clique sucks. Th en he returns to his 
  old friends — but only aft er he apologizes for his 
  betrayal and wins back their friendship.
  Th ere are many rationales for movement 
  between cliques; here are a few examples:
  ■ 
  Th e popular girls take an ugly duckling under 
  their wing and transform her into a beautiful 
  RACE- OR ETHNIC-
  BASED CLIQUES
  A clique not included 
  in the archetypes in this 
  section is one based on 
  race or ethnicity. Typi-
  cally the members of a 
  minority group in the 
  high school — and usu-
  ally in society in general, 
  but not always — form a 
  clique unto themselves. 
  Th is doesn’t have to be 
  black or Hispanic; it 
  could be Polish, Serbian, 
  Asian, or even white. 
  Th is clique works simi-
  larly to a city’s ethnic 
  enclave and usually the 
  members live in such 
  a place — Chinatown, 
  Greektown, or the like. 
  Th e unifying features of 
  the clique are culture, 
  religion, and language 
  — features far less 
  superﬁ cial and more 
  integral to who the 
  person is than the ones 
  forming the basis of 
  other cliques. Th ough 
  these sorts of cliques are 
  very much a feature of 
  modern high schools, 
  including them in a set-
  ting opens the door to 
  dealing with the issue 
  of race, prejudice, and 
  discrimination. Th ough 
  these are just as much 
  teen issues as they are 
  adult ones, players and 
  GMs need to decide 
  for themselves whether 
  they feel those issues are 
  appropriate for a role-
  playing game campaign.
  TEEN BEHAVIOR TIP:  
  POIGNANCY
  Many times in a Teen Champions campaign you play 
  the trials and travails of teen life for laughs:  teen life is 
  more lighthearted than adult life; the extremes teens take 
  things to, whether romance or feelings toward author-
  ity ﬁ gures, seem ludicrous to an adult; and adult players 
  are sort of nostalgically-comedically remembering their 
  own teen years.
  Without a doubt there’s much to laugh about, but not 
  everything need be lighthearted and humorously melo-
  dramatic. Many aspects of teen life have a striking poi-
  gnancy — the ﬁ rst time two friends stop being friends, 
  the ﬁ rst break-up, the ﬁ rst time a teen realizes he can do 
  absolutely nothing to help a friend in need, the ﬁ rst time 
  the idealism of even the most cynical teen comes into 
  violent collision with reality, the ﬁ rst time a teen realizes 
  his parents are ﬂ awed. All of these moments possess a 
  poignancy all their own because they signify an end of 
  innocence.
  Other moments have a less tragic poignancy because 
  they signify the ﬁ rst signs of maturity, providing the ﬁ rst 
  glimpse of a teen as an adult. Th e ﬁ rst time he makes a 
  sacriﬁ ce for the good of another. Th e ﬁ rst time he thinks 
  of someone other than himself in bad situation. Th e ﬁ rst 
  time he works hard and by himself and succeeds. Th e 
  ﬁ rst time he admits wrongdoing when he’s caught, rather 
  than trying to cover it up or excuse his behavior.
  Players should keep this in mind when roleplaying 
  their characters and act accordingly. It doesn’t have to 
  be tragic, but a melodramatic moment can be pivotal 
  and important. Th e teen PC might not realize the 
  exact nature of what’s changed, but he usually knows 
  something’s changed, and a dramatic change aﬀ ects even 
  the most callow youth. Th e poignant moment ﬁ lls him 
  with a nebulous sorrow, a disturbing wonder at what just 
  happened, or a chilling numbness — but whatever the 
  case, the change aﬀ ects him.
  
  29 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter One
  swan. Th e new-found popularity goes to the 
  girl’s head, but in the end she realizes “beauty 
  is only skin deep.” Usually the popular girls 
  have an ulterior or base motive for what they 
  did, a bet being the most common.
  ■ 
  Along with gaining superpowers, the unat-
  tractive girl also gains the unearthly beauty 
  that seems a hallmark of superheroines. Now 
  every guy in school wants to date her — will 
  she remember the not-so-attractive but funny 
  geek she used to date?
  ■ 
  A geek gains physical-related superpowers and 
  becomes the star of the football team. Th ough 
  he might like the notoriety he gains, he soon 
  realizes he isn’t having much fun and is letting 
  more important things — like family, friends, 
  and school — slide.
  ■ 
  A burnout realizes he’s been throwing his life 
  away and tries to do better in school. He ﬁ nds 
  himself getting along with the geeks — but 
  like most stereotypical burnouts, his home life 
  is bad, his new friends just don’t understand 
  him like his old friends did, and it seems his 
  dysfunctional family is always dragging him 
  down.
  ■ 
  A jock discovers the “wonders” of marijuana 
  and becomes a burnout. Can his friends save 
  him from drugs and the evil inﬂ uence of the 
  other burnouts?
  ■ 
  A weirdo gains emotion-manipulation powers 
  and now dates the popular girls. Th is raises the 
  ire of the jocks and other prestigious cliques, 
  and they seek revenge on him. Furthermore, 
  the weirdo discovers that popular girls aren’t 
  very interesting.
  ■ 
  A cheerleader goes through a traumatic event 
  and comes out the other side with her positive 
  view of the world tainted. She can no longer 
  abide the perceived vapidity of her friends and 
  starts looking outside her clique, typically fall-
  ing for some guy that’s totally unacceptable. 
  Of course, her cheerleader friends can’t let her 
  turn to the dark side....
  ■ 
  An alterna-teen, full of loathing for school 
  spirit and optimism, loses a bet and tries out 
  for the cheerleading squad. Much to her shock 
  she makes the squad, and soon comes to learn 
  that optimism and a positive outlook can be 
  kind of fun.
  ■ 
  Th e loner makes friends. Th e friends betray 
  him. And the loner takes a horrible revenge 
  on the false friends! Or else the friends don’t 
  betray him, and the loner learns the value of 
  friendship and being around other people, 
  while at the same time helping these new 
  friends with their own problems (usually 
  being bullied).
  THE ALTERNATEEN
  “Most likely to quote song lyrics in response to a 
  question.”
  Fashion Statement:  Piercings, hair dyed any color 
  but blonde, whatever the favorite band wore at their 
  last concert
  Report Card:  Not bad, usually better in English than 
  math
  Dating:  People in college, because high school kids 
  are too immature; people in bands; self-professed 
  poets 
  Career Outlook (best case):  Member of a band with 
  small cult following
  Career Outlook (worst case):  Sell-out 
  Likes:  Music, whatever members of favorite band 
  said they liked in the last interview published in 
  some underground ’zine 
  Dislikes:  Immature behavior, school spirit, school-
  related activities, when their favorite unknown 
  band gets popular
  Sub-Cliques:  Punks, Goths, Skaters, Grunge, New 
  Wave, Emo-Nerds
  Description:  Th e “Alterna-Teen” is a catch-all cate-
  gory for what is predominantly a music-based clique. 
  Th e music an Alterna-Teen likes is never played on 
  the radio unless it’s a college radio station and is 
  only popular among a small number of people. Th e 
  Alterna-Teen patterns his dress and behavior on his 
  favorite band. Usually the band is angsty and angry, 
  obsessed with existential suﬀ ering, and almost as 
  melodramatic as the teen himself. If the lead singer 
  says his favorite poet is Baudeliare, then the Alterna-
  Teen reads Th e Flowers Of Evil; if the band makes a 
  song in support of the Zapatistas, then the Alterna-
  Teen brings up the plight of the Zapatistas the next 
  time his World History class meets (and maybe the 
  time aft er that, and the time aft er that...). Th e clique 
  is very fad-driven and changes with the music, but 
  some fads last the duration of high school. Members 
  of the clique cannot wait to get out of high school, 
  either because college is so much better or high 
  school is too lame to bear.
  ALTERNA-TEEN 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  2 
  +2 INT
  2 
  PS: Instrument 11-
  3 
  KS: Music (INT Roll)
  1 
  Membership:  Clique
  3 
  3 points’ worth of fad-related Knowledge Skills
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  11
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  5 
  Distinctive Feature:  Clique (Easily Concealed; 
  Noticed and Recognizable)
  10 
  Hunted:  Clique character belongs to 11- (As 
  Pow, NCI, Watching)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  15
  
  30 ■ Teen Champions Games
  Hero System 5th Edition
  THE BURNOUT
  “Most likely to kill all his brain cells before 
  twenty-one.”
  Fashion Statement:  Torn jeans, dirty tee-shirts, 
  leather jackets or jean jackets with the name of a 
  band on the back, boots or old tennis shoes
  Report Card:  Better get it out of the mail box before 
  the parents see it
  Dating:  Other burnouts, adults who can at least buy 
  cigarettes and hopefully booze
  Career Outlook (best case):  Porn star, beer taste-
  tester, rock star
  Career Outlook (worst case):  Career criminal, auto-
  shop teacher
  Likes:  Heavy metal, hard rock, or prog rock, cars 
  with HEMI engines, cigarettes, beer, pot
  Dislikes:  School, buzzkills, drug-sniﬃ  ng police 
  dogs
  Sub-Cliques:  Stoners, slackers, metalheads, Dead-
  heads
  Description:  Th e Burnout is a troublemaker and 
  delinquent. He skips class, shoplift s, commits petty 
  acts of vandalism, and does poorly in class. In fact, 
  doing well in school and getting good grades is 
  sometimes considered uncool and grounds for 
  expulsion from the clique. He tends to gravitate 
  toward shop classes, but most people think the 
  burnout’s not going to graduate anyway, so what’s 
  it matter what classes he takes? He smokes tobacco 
  and marijuana, drives a muscle car to school, and 
  listens to heavy metal. He wears his hair long and 
  uncombed, and tries to keep it in his eyes so no one 
  can see him sleeping in class or how bloodshot his 
  eyes are. When he’s actually awake in class, he tends 
  to make smart remarks and generally act disrup-
  tive. Typically in the ﬁ ction, his family is poor and 
  one or both of his parents are abusive. (Deadheads 
  are a unique sub-category of burnouts — less angry, 
  and easier to get along with... but usually because 
  they’re stoned out of their gourds, so they don’t 
  always make a lot of sense.)
  THE CHEERLEADER
  “Most likely to fall in love with her pom-pom.”
  Fashion Statement:  Polyester pleated skirt, briefs, 
  short-sleeved knit sweater, and pom-poms
  Report Card:  Just ﬁ ne
  Dating:  Jocks
  Career Outlook (best case):  Marry wealthy, adver-
  tising and public relations, physical trainer, sports 
  therapist
  Career Outlook (worst case):  Barefoot and pregnant 
  until she’s in her 40s
  Likes:  Sports, school spirit
  Dislikes:  People who don’t smile, bad attitudes, stu-
  dents who don’t support the athletes
  Sub-Cliques:  Lettergirls, jockettes
  Description:  Attractive and well-built, the Cheer-
  leader leads the school in pep rallies intended to 
  get the football team “ﬁ red up” before the big game 
  (and every game is a big one), leads the crowd in 
  cheers at the game, and puts on halft ime shows. 
  She doesn’t really wear her cheerleader uniform 
  to school every day — only on days when there’s a 
  game — but she would wear it if she thought she 
  could get away with it. Th at would be a-OK with 
  most of the guys in the school, since the sweaters 
  are tight and the skirts short. Th e Cheerleader cries 
  when the football team loses, which most other stu-
  dents ﬁ nd pretty shocking. Cheerleaders are almost 
  always bright and peppy, except when confronted 
  with a negative attitude.
  BURNOUT PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  3 
  Concealment (INT Roll)
  3 
  Streetwise (PRE Roll)
  9 
  9 points’ worth of Skills from the following list:
   
  Acting, Combat Driving, Gambling, KS: Music, 
  KS: Local Criminals, Mechanics, Trading, TF: 
  Small Motorized Ground Vehicles, WF:  Knives, 
  WF:  Small Arms
  1 
  Membership:  Clique
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  16
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  5 
  Distinctive Feature:  Clique (Easily Concealed; 
  Noticed and Recognizable)
  10 
  Hunted:  Clique character belongs to 11- (As 
  Pow, NCI, Watching)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  15
  CHEERLEADER 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  6 
  +2 DEX
  1 
  +2 COM
  2 
  +2 PRE
  3 
  Acrobatics (DEX)
  3 
  Oratory (PRE)
  2 
  PS: Cheerleading 11-
  1 
  Membership:  Clique
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  18
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  5 
  Distinctive Feature:  Clique (Easily Concealed; 
  Noticed and Recognizable)
  10 
  Hunted:  Clique character belongs to 11- (As 
  Pow, NCI, Watching)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  15
  DIAMETRICALLY-
  OPPOSED CLIQUES
  Th is section creates a 
  very Balkanized view of 
  high school with seem-
  ingly as many cliques 
  as there are students. 
  Another way of han-
  dling cliques, and one 
  oft en used in teen ﬁ c-
  tion, is to have diametri-
  cally-opposed cliques. 
  Th is calls for two broad 
  cliques, the membership 
  of which is based on a 
  single characteristic, and 
  everyone in the high 
  school falls into one of 
  the two cliques.
  Rich versus Poor:  
  Clique membership 
  depends solely on the 
  wealth of one’s parents. 
  Rich kids are spoiled 
  but comparatively 
  sophisticated. Th ey 
  drive good cars, get 
  good grades, teachers 
  love them, and they do 
  well in sports and other 
  organized activities 
  that society approves 
  of and appreciates. In 
  short, they’re everything 
  society considers good. 
  Poor kids are salt-of-
  the-earth types but lack 
  “book smarts.” If one of 
  them has a car, he paid 
  for it himself; they get 
  bad grades; teachers 
  hate them; they drink 
  too much, smoke too 
  much, cuss too much, 
  and indulge in casual 
  drug use; they’re always 
  in trouble with the cops. 
  Everything comes easy 
  for the rich kid; every-
  thing comes hard for 
  the poor kid; and rich 
  and poor can never get 
  along. If the situation 
  is particularly tense, it’s 
  because the rich kids 
  are always trying to 
  make sure the poor kids 
  remember their place, or 
  the poor kids spend a lot 
  of time terrorizing the 
  rich kids. Th ese stories 
  usually feature a rich kid 
  coming to understand a 
  poor kid — typically a 
  rich girl falls for a poor 
  boy, or vice-versa — and 
  Continued on next page
  
  31 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter One
  THE GEEK
  “Most likely to suﬀ er Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 
  before eighteen.”
  Fashion Statement:  Pants that are too short, plaid 
  button-down shirts that he wears tucked in, glasses, 
  bad hair
  Report Card:  Good
  Dating:  No
  Career Outlook (best case):  Computer company 
  mogul, any high paying job that avoids social inter-
  action
  Career Outlook (worst case): High school math 
  teacher
  Likes:  Computers and computer games, math and 
  science, ﬁ ction (especially genre ﬁ ction)
  Dislikes:  Gym class, Jocks, the Sun and sunlight in 
  general
  Sub-Cliques:  Band geeks, Drama geeks, math geeks, 
  comic book geeks, gaming geeks
  Description:  Geeks come in many shapes and sizes, 
  but the deﬁ ning feature of the Geek is that he obses-
  sively loves something no one else likes (outside of 
  the other geeks, that is). It could be math, band, or 
  drama. It could be television shows, movies, science 
  ﬁ ction, comic books, or roleplaying games. It could 
  even be stamp collecting, or some combination of 
  all these things. But whatever it is, most of his fellow 
  students can’t even ﬁ gure out why he likes it, or at 
  least why he likes it so much. Th is obsession, though, 
  is almost all the Geek thinks about, and in the eyes 
  of his fellow students that not only makes him very 
  strange, but also someone not very interesting to 
  talk to. Add to that the fact the Geek is typically not 
  very physically intimidating and totally unaware of 
  style and fashion, and he oft en ﬁ nds himself on the 
  lowest rung of the social pecking order. Of course, as 
  a consolation the Geek tends to do well for himself 
  post-graduation, so he always has the future to look 
  forward to.
  THE JOCK
  “Most likely to relive his high school days for the 
  rest of his life.”
  Fashion Statement:  Jeans, tennis shoes, tee-shirts, a 
  letterman’s jacket
  Report Card:  High enough to maintain eligibility
  Dating:  Cheerleaders
  Career Outlook (best case):  Professional athlete
  Career Outlook (worst case):  Gas station attendant
  Likes:  Sports and... sports
  Dislikes:  Not sports
  Sub-Cliques:  Football players, basketball players, 
  jocks without letterman’s jackets (the poor, pitiful 
  posers)
  Description:  Big and not very bright, the Jock 
  participates in sports — but not just any sport. He 
  most oft en plays football and sometimes basketball. 
  All other sports are for wimps. Every Jock thinks 
  he’s going to get an athletic scholarship to college, 
  and the really delusional ones think they’re going 
  to the pros. Alas, such is not usually the case, and 
  most Jocks ﬁ nd themselves reliving the glory days 
  of youth for the rest of their lives. Th at said, the 
  Jock who truly has a shot at the pros is a special 
  thing, coddled by teachers, fawned upon by his 
  peers, and given nice cars by weird adults who take 
  far too much interest in high school sports. And 
  nothing’s sadder than a Jock who hasn’t earned an 
  athletic letter and doesn’t have a letterman’s jacket. 
  Jocks usually sub-divide themselves into the Junior 
  Varsity (underclassmen) and the Varsity (upper-
  classmen and talented underclassmen). Hazing is 
  common among members of the clique, and bully-
  ing the weak is not just a favorite hobby, but oft en a 
  way of life.
  In eﬀ ect, Jocks are just like Geeks, in that 
  they’re obsessed with a particular subject. But their 
  obsession is a socially acceptable one, which in turn 
  makes them socially acceptable, even popular.
  GEEK PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  4 
  +4 INT
  -2 
  -2 PRE
  6 
  6 points’ worth of trivia Skills (examples include: 
  KS: Silver Age Comics, KS: Seventies Television 
  Shows, KS: Hammer And AIP Horror Movies, 
  Language: Elvish, Language: Klingon)
  9 
  9 points worth of useful geek Skills:  Acting (for 
  drama geeks), Computer Programming, Inventor, 
  PS: Instrument (for band geeks), any Science Skill
  1 
  Membership:  Clique
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  18
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  5 
  Distinctive Feature:  Clique (Easily Concealed; 
  Noticed and Recognizable)
  10 
  Hunted:  Clique character belongs to 11- (As 
  Pow, NCI, Watching)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  15
  JOCK PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  2 
  +2 STR
  6 
  +2 DEX
  4 
  +2 CON
  2 
  PS: Student Athlete 11-
  2 
  KS: Favorite Sport 11-
  1 
  Membership:  Clique
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  17
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  5 
  Distinctive Feature:  Clique (Easily Concealed; 
  Noticed and Recognizable)
  10 
  Hunted:  Clique character belongs to 11- (As 
  Pow, NCI, Watching)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  15
  Continued from last page
  it usually ends badly 
  for the poor kid (jail, 
  death, broken heart, or 
  the like).
  Jocks versus Everybody 
  Else:  Jocks — usu-
  ally from the football 
  team — rule the school. 
  Adults love the jocks, 
  and every parent wishes 
  his own child was a 
  jock. Teachers give the 
  jocks the beneﬁ t of 
  the doubt — the big 
  game’s coming up, and 
  it’s not good to stress 
  out the jock before the 
  big game. But the jocks 
  are, essentially, the 
  enemy — the bullies 
  who use their privileges 
  to get ahead, and their 
  strength to hurt other 
  kids. Th us, stories with 
  jocks versus everyone 
  else usually involve 
  everyone else proving 
  their worth to the world 
  at large. In some cases 
  another clique, oft en the 
  Geeks, rises up to lead 
  the charge against the 
  jocks.
  
  32 ■ Teen Champions Games
  Hero System 5th Edition
  THE LONER
  “Most likely to ride oﬀ  into the sunset.”
  Fashion Statement:  Black jeans, black boots, lots of 
  black, a black trench coat
  Report Card:  Who knows, because he ain’t talkin’
  Dating:  Wouldn’t be much of a loner if he had a 
  girlfriend, would he?
  Career Outlook (best case):  Anti-hero
  Career Outlook (worst case):  Serial killer
  Likes:  Being alone
  Dislikes:  Talking to people
  Sub-Cliques:  None
  Description:  He comes to school alone, he walks 
  to class alone, he sits at lunch alone... for he is the 
  Loner! Typically the Loner is a sort of rogue ele-
  ment in the high school hierarchy, an outsider 
  who’s accepted by no one clique. And he doesn’t 
  want to be a part of a clique, either. Th e other stu-
  dents tell many myths and legends about the Loner, 
  but maybe he’s just a new kid who’s family recently 
  moved to the area. He tends to hold himself apart 
  because he detests high school and everything 
  associated with high school — including his fellow 
  students. In ﬁ ction, the Loner performs the func-
  tions typical to the Trickster archetype. He pro-
  vides commentary on how ridiculous cliques are, 
  and sometimes acts to destroy the cliques... and 
  sometimes the high school, too. He breaks down 
  barriers, possesses knowledge outside the purview 
  of the typical high school student, and shares this 
  knowledge with those who dare to win his friend-
  ship. Along the way some unlikely girl falls for him 
  because he’s mysterious and enigmatic; the Loner 
  doesn’t live up to his name and accepts her as his 
  girlfriend, and he turns her to the dark side (at least 
  in the eyes of her friends).
  THE PRINCESS
  “Most likely to marry her own reﬂ ection.”
  Fashion Statement:  London... Paris... Milan
  Report Card:  Just ﬁ ne, not that grades matter
  Dating:  An older guy who goes to an expensive pri-
  vate school (if need be, a jock with wealthy parents 
  will do in a pinch)
  Career Outlook (best case):  Heiress
  Career Outlook (worst case):  Family loses all its 
  money in a stock market scandal
  Likes:  Summering in Europe, anything expensive 
  (the more expensive, the more she likes it)
  Dislikes:  Th e poor, the tacky, and the oﬀ ensive
  Sub-Cliques:  Th e popular girls, the rich kids, the 
  Prince (the male version of the Princess)
  Description:  Beautiful, sophisticated, and from a 
  wealthy family, the Princess is high school royalty, 
  and she rules the hierarchy with an iron ﬁ st. Among 
  the clique, one Princess is the queen, the rest her 
  handmaidens, and God help anyone who gets on 
  their bad side. Not only does such a person earn 
  the wrath of the Princess herself, but her father is 
  a mover and shaker in the community and does 
  anything his little girl asks. Bad enough the Prin-
  cess is better looking than everyone else, but she 
  also knows how to accentuate her natural beauty 
  with make-up and dress in a way that ﬂ aunts her 
  assets. She drives the best car in the parking lot — a 
  far better car than any of the teachers drive — and 
  spends her vacations abroad. She gets decent grades 
  because everything comes naturally to her, but 
  grades are the last thing on her mind. Th e clique 
  oft en has a name for itself — something unique 
  that represents the members’ status in the high 
  school. Some high schools have rich kid cliques 
  which count both boys and girls among the mem-
  bership, but there are always Princesses.
  PRINCESS PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  2 
  +4 COM
  4 
  +4 PRE
  3 
  High Society
  3 
  Persuasion
  3 
  Seduction
  4 
  4 points’ worth of Area Knowledges
  1 
  Membership:  Clique
  10 
  Money
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  30
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  5 
  Distinctive Feature:  Clique (Easily Concealed; 
  Noticed and Recognizable)
  10 
  Hunted:  Clique character belongs to 11- (As 
  Pow, NCI, Watching)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  15
  LONER PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  4 
  +4 PRE
  3 
  Streetwise (PRE Roll)
  9 
  9 points’ worth of Skills from the following 
  list:  Combat Driving, Concealment, Demoli-
  tions, Gambling, KS: Music, KS: Local Crimi-
  nals, Mechanics, TF: Small Motorized Ground 
  Vehicles, TF: Two-Wheeled Motorized Ground 
  Vehicles, WF:  Knives, WF:  Small Arms
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  16
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  5 
  Distinctive Feature:  Clique (Easily Concealed; 
  Noticed and Recognizable)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  5
  SUPER-SCHOOL 
  CLIQUES
  Th e cliques presented 
  here assume the teen 
  superhero goes to 
  school with normal 
  kids and they represent 
  who he is outside of his 
  life as a superhero. In a 
  Super-School, however, 
  a teen’s powers can form 
  the basis of cliques just 
  like his appearance or 
  economic status can in 
  normal school.
  A GM might create a 
  hierarchy of cliques 
  by drawing a parallel 
  between the cliques 
  described in this sec-
  tion and the superhero 
  archetypes presented 
  on pages 69-72 of 
  Champions (and an 
  example of this are the 
  Super-Cliques described 
  on page 66 at the 
  Ravenswood Academy). 
  Anyone with physically-
  based powers is a jock 
  — bricks and speedsters 
  especially. Martial art-
  ists and weapon masters 
  might be jocks or they 
  might be loners. Anyone 
  with mental powers 
  or powers derived 
  from intellect is a geek 
  — mentalists and gadge-
  teers fall in this category. 
  Mystics are weirdos and 
  stoners. Metamorphs 
  are always weirdos, 
  because so many teens 
  are weird about their 
  bodies to begin with. 
  Powered Armor must 
  have money somewhere 
  to pay for his equipment 
  so he’s a rich kid.
  Another way is to base 
  it on origin. Mutants are 
  weirdos. Th e children of 
  mad scientists are geeks. 
  Sidekicks and legacies 
  are the teachers’ pets, 
  the clique that can do 
  no wrong in the eyes of 
  authority ﬁ gures. Teens 
  with power derived 
  from training are jocks 
  — unless those powers 
  are intellect-based, then 
  they’re geeks.
  Continued on next page
  
  33 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter One
  THE WEIRDO
  “Most likely to go postal.”
  Fashion Statement:  Th e same clothes day aft er day, 
  a big jacket with lots of pockets that he never takes 
  oﬀ 
  Report Card:  Better than expected
  Dating:  Not likely, but maybe another Weirdo
  Career Outlook (best case):  Become wealthy and/or 
  famous, so people think he’s “eccentric” instead of 
  weird
  Career Outlook (worst case):  Homeless person
  Likes:  Weird stuﬀ  like sniﬃ  ng glue or petting mice
  Dislikes:  Conformity, people who tell him he’s weird
  Sub-Cliques: None
  Description:  Similar to the Loner, but never mis-
  taken for cool, the Weirdo is usually a clique of 
  one. Sometimes he might stand on the fringes of 
  another clique — the geeks or the burnouts (if the 
  Weirdo smokes pot). Sometimes he has no friends 
  at all. Unlike the Geek, the Weirdo not only likes 
  something no one else likes, he also does stuﬀ  that 
  other people ﬁ nd just plain weird — unsettling, 
  disgusting, or incomprehensible. He isn’t bullied as 
  oft en as a Geek, because people are scared of what 
  he might do (read:  might go psycho, and no one 
  wants to deal with that). His weirdness might stem 
  from some unusual physical diﬀ erence like albi-
  nism or it might be entirely intangible. Sometimes 
  weirdness is a desperate cry for attention — but not 
  always, and sometimes the Weirdo is honestly, ear-
  nestly weird. In ﬁ ction the Weirdo oft en performs a 
  function like the village idiot or one similar to the 
  Fool archetype.
  AND EVERYONE ELSE....
  “Most likely not to be voted most likely for any-
  thing.”
  Fashion Statement:  Anything that doesn’t stand out
  Report Card:  Eh
  Dating:  Yeah, sure
  Career Outlook (best case):  One of the many jobs 
  out there in the world that pays well 
  Career Outlook (worst case):  One of the many jobs 
  out there in the world that pays poorly
  Likes:  Th e standard stuﬀ 
  Dislikes:  Th e standard stuﬀ 
  Sub-Cliques:  None
  Description:  Th e most notable quality Everyone 
  Else has is they don’t stand out. Th ese are the extras 
  walking to-and-fro in the hallways while the mov-
  ie’s main characters are engaged in some intense, 
  emotional psychodrama. Th ey drift  through high 
  school, never rocking the boat, just faces in the 
  crowd... who will become faces in the yearbook that 
  no one can remember ten years later at the reunion. 
  Th ey live, love, succeed, and fail in the shadow of 
  the other kids, and only their friends know their 
  names. Of course, for the teen superhero, he all of 
  sudden has a reason to stand out... and this can 
  make for a strange adjustment. Th ere’s no Package 
  Deal for Everybody Else; they’re the default from 
  which other Package Deals derive.
  WEIRDO PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  -1 
  -2 COM
  9 
  9 points’ worth of weird Skills
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  8
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  5 
  Distinctive Feature:  Clique (Easily Concealed; 
  Noticed and Recognizable)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  5
  RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN 
  MEMBERS OF CLIQUES
  Friendships are usually based on clique membership, but 
  they aren’t always set in stone, and even if they are by the 
  time a student enters high school, cliques haven’t always 
  been around. Here are a couple of reasons for “non-
  clique-based” friendships:
  Childhood Friends:  Th e geek and the jock are next-
  door neighbors, their families are friendly, and they grew 
  up together. In ﬁ ction the strictly regimented cliques 
  that dominate high school life are fully illustrated by 
  showing them through the eyes of childhood friends. In 
  this case the friends drift  apart because one’s a jock and 
  one’s a geek, or one’s a princess and one’s a stoner, and it’s 
  a source of angst for both parties as they discover that 
  not only do they have nothing in common anymore, but 
  their new friends don’t accept their old friends.
  Th e Good Guy (Sweet Girl):  One clique member is 
  such a nice person that everyone likes him. Usually this 
  nice person is a jock, cheerleader, princess, or member 
  of other “privileged” clique, but despite that membership, 
  he’s friendly to everyone and anyone. No matter how 
  much an individual hates a particular clique, this one 
  person is all right.
  Dating:  Who can explain love? And never forget 
  opposites attract. While most dating takes place within 
  acceptable cliques, Romeo and Juliet-style romance 
  features prominently in teen ﬁ ction. Two people from 
  opposite cliques meet in unusual circumstances and 
  form an unlikely couple; their friends interfere; some-
  times it ends tragically, sometimes the two lovebirds 
  overcome persecution.
  Continued from last page
  A ﬁ nal possibility is 
  to use diametrically-
  opposed cliques, with 
  the simplest being 
  those with cool powers 
  versus those with not 
  cool powers. You can 
  talk to ﬁ sh? Not cool. 
  You can turn into a 
  puddle of slime? Very 
  not cool. You can lift  a 
  car, bounce bullets oﬀ  
  your chest, and ﬂ y real 
  fast? Cool. You can turn 
  invisible and sneak into 
  the girls’ locker room? 
  Can you make other 
  people invisible, too? 
  Very cool.
  
  34 ■ Teen Champions Games
  Hero System 5th Edition
  TEENS’ SUPERPOWERS
  Last, but not least, among the elements to 
  consider for your Teen Champions character are 
  his superpowers. Many adult superheroes have an 
  easy acceptance of their superpowers. Th ey rarely 
  stop to question, “Why me?” or “What did I do to 
  deserve these powers?” — and if they do, it’s only 
  for the duration of an adventure and at the conclu-
  sion they’ve reaﬃ  rmed their faith in themselves 
  and their amazing abilities.
  Such is not the case for a teen superhero. A 
  teen is never sure “why him?” — he never answers 
  the question to his satisfaction, regardless of how 
  well he does as a superhero — and his existential 
  questioning, if not torment, about his superpowers 
  ﬁ gures prominently and frequently in his day-to-
  day life. A teen can barely get through adolescence 
  without questioning his very existence (why’s he’s 
  here, why’s he smart or not smart, overweight or 
  skinny, lucky in love or not, ad inﬁ nitum), so how 
  can anyone expect him not to question having 
  superpowers?
  ATTITUDE TOWARD SUPERPOWERS
  Ask yourself:  how does your PC feel about his 
  superpowers? Is the only time he truly feels free 
  when he’s ﬂ ying around as a superhero? Is being 
  a superhero the only thing he’s good at — he gets 
  terrible grades, he’s no good at sports, but when he 
  puts on a mask he suddenly becomes competent? 
  Does he feel it’s an unfair burden (while his normal 
  friends are running around gold-bricking, he needs 
  to save the planet), or does he feel it makes him a 
  freak? Does he wish he could just be a normal kid?
  SECRET IDENTITIES
  Typically the teen superhero has a secret iden-
  tity — he keeps the secret of his superpowers and 
  crimeﬁ ghting not only from the public at large, but 
  also his parents and classmates. He does this partly 
  for dramatic reasons — it adds additional drama 
  to the hero’s life and serves as an endless source 
  of angst and conﬂ ict — but also because teens in 
  general tend to keep secrets from adults. Other pos-
  sible rationales include:
  ■ 
  To protect family and loved ones from super-
  villains.
  ■ 
  Because his parents would never let him be a 
  superhero if they knew the truth.
  ■ 
  Because the government or some other 
  authority ﬁ gure would exploit him and his 
  powers if they knew his identity.
  ■ 
  Because his parents will send him away to 
  Super-School if they ever ﬁ nd out about his 
  powers.
  ■ 
  Because his parents are supervillains.
  ■ 
  Because he’s ashamed of his powers.
  ■ 
  Because his clique would never approve of him 
  being a superhero.
  ■ 
  Because there’s some deep, dark secret about 
  how he received his powers and he doesn’t 
  want his parents ﬁ nding out.
  ■ 
  Because real superheroes keep their identities 
  a secret, and the teen tries his utmost to emu-
  late his idol(s).
  ORIGIN OF SUPERPOWERS
  Just like adult superheroes, teen heroes get 
  their powers in a handful of general ways... but 
  unlike adults, this origin oft en impacts the teen’s 
  attitude toward his powers and how he conducts 
  himself as a superhero. A teen thinks that what 
  he wears and where he lives are reﬂ ections of his 
  fundamental personality — that these superﬁ cial 
  qualities have more importance than they really do, 
  and/or are the sine qua non of who he is — and he 
  feels the same way about how he gets his powers.
  Here are the four standard origins for teen 
  superheroes, as well as what it means in broad 
  terms for the superhero’s personality.
  Fluke Of Circumstances
  Th e PC just happened to be in the right place 
  at the right time. (Or the wrong place at the wrong 
  time, depending on his attitude toward his super-
  powers.) Nothing illustrates the mercurial nature 
  of the world more than suddenly ﬁ nding oneself 
  with superpowers. If the teen is now ten feet tall 
  and made of mud, it’s a cruel world. If he’s sud-
  10 EXCUSES FOR 
  BEING IN COSTUME
  Few things jeopardize a 
  teen superhero’s secret 
  identity more than being 
  caught in costume. 
  Luckily the teen super-
  hero usually isn’t famous 
  yet, and here are a few 
  excuses for wearing a 
  costume that might get 
  him out of trouble:
  —Costume party
  —Getting ready for Hal-
  loween
  —Going to a Sci-Fi or 
  comic book convention
  —Going to a rock con-
  cert
  —Trying out for the 
  school’s production of 
  “Th e Trials of the Justice 
  Squadron”
  —Some kids wear the 
  jersey of their favorite 
  basketball players; you 
  wear the costume of 
  your favorite superhero
  —You lost a bet
  —Trying to impress a 
  girl (or boy)
  —Why should super-
  heroes be the only 
  ones who get to wear 
  costumes? (Or other-
  wise making a quixotic 
  statement about the 
  unfair mores of society; 
  anything that provokes 
  an eyeroll from adults 
  works.)
  —It’s the latest fashion 
  from Europe (or some-
  place else exotic)
  TEEN BEHAVIOR TIP:  
  CURSING
  Children learn curse words pretty young, but teens have 
  a unique perspective on cursing.
  Some teens curse like sailors, like ridiculous sailors at 
  least, dropping f-bombs before every word in an attempt 
  to (a) sound tough, (b) sound mature, (c) provoke a 
  response from adults, or (d) all of the above. Th ese teens 
  also tend to make up new curses and slurs by conjunct-
  ing any old cuss word with some noun — ape, munch, 
  hat, head, and so on.
  Other teens go to great lengths to avoid cursing, using 
  homophones in lieu of curse words:  sucks, freaking, 
  fricking, ﬂ ipping, dang, heck, or even making up whole 
  new words to express their complete disgust or frustra-
  tion. But like the teens who cuss up a storm, these teens 
  tend to overuse the words too.
  Also, teens are more likely to toss around racially-, ethni-
  cally-, or sexuality-based slanders and insults — teens 
  tend to be less empathetic and less concerned with not 
  hurting someone’s feelings. (But of course, this isn’t an 
  excuse to use these terms around the gaming table if 
  someone in the group might ﬁ nd it oﬀ ensive.)
  Lastly, any word that refers to a reproductive organ 
  — however technical the term — is good for a giggle in 
  most groups:  scrotum, testicle, vagina, penis, and so on.
  As a general rule of thumb, few adults ﬁ nd a teen’s cuss-
  ing and swearing acceptable; any teen uttering such 
  words can expect a reprimand. Additionally, parents 
  always seems to have one word that drives them abso-
  lutely batty, and for whatever reason, most teens can 
  never seem to avoid speaking that especially oﬀ ensive 
  word in their parents’ presence.
  
  35 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter One
  denly stronger than the strongest man and bul-
  letproof, the world’s a pretty good place. If he hates 
  his powers, he might turns his rage outward; if he 
  considers them a blessing, he might come to believe 
  he’s the luckiest guy alive and nothing will ever go 
  wrong for him.
  Some teens think gaining powers was more 
  than a ﬂ uke (and maybe they have good reason to). 
  Th e experience can turn the teen to a higher power 
  or purpose — either someone who approved of 
  him granted him the powers as a reward, or some-
  one who disapproved of him cursed him with the 
  powers as punishment.
  Inborn Ability
  Th e PC is born with his powers. He might 
  be a mutant, the result of generations of mystic 
  breeding, or the test subject for his parent’s genetic 
  tinkering, but the fact that he was born with the 
  powers deﬁ nes how he feels about them. His 
  powers are an innate quality — not something he 
  trained to gain or that were given to him, but some-
  thing that lies within himself.
  Maybe he reads Nietzsche at too young an 
  age and is now convinced he’s the ubermensch. 
  Although for the moment he believes he must pro-
  tect the weak, how long before he perceives himself 
  as their rightful ruler? Or maybe he feel his powers 
  make him strange and diﬀ erent, and he hates them 
  with a passion (this is particularly appropriate 
  for powers that cut him oﬀ  from normal interac-
  tion with society). Unlike the teen who gained his 
  powers through a Fluke Of Circumstances, one 
  with Inborn Ability can only blame himself or his 
  parents. His hatred might turn inward, becoming 
  self-loathing until he ﬁ nally accepts his powers; or 
  he might turn his hatred toward his parents.
  Characters with Inborn Ability are more likely 
  to experience drastic physical changes when they 
  gain their powers. Th ese physical changes can 
  be growing wings, turning purple, exuding slime 
  from every pore, or the young hero’s head becom-
  ing large and bulbous enough to contain his huge 
  brain. Th ey might be barely noticeable, they might 
  be hard to miss — but a teen, who’s already uncom-
  fortable with the body hair, cracking voice, acne, 
  and whatever other craziness biology throws his 
  way during puberty, never takes the changes lightly. 
  If one aspect of his powers makes the teen super-
  hero believe he’s cursed, it’s likely to be the gross 
  physical changes that come along with them.
  Sidekick
  Th e Sidekick served as an adult superhero’s 
  companion and assistant in his adventures, helping 
  him thwart madmen and save the world dozens of 
  times. Th e adult might have trained the Sidekick; 
  the Sidekick might have gained his power during 
  one of his mentor’s adventures and the mentor 
  took him under his wing; or the Sidekick gained his 
  powers in a similar (maybe even the same) way the 
  adult superhero did. For whatever reason — maybe 
  because he decided to go it alone, or because he 
  wants to be around superheroes his own age for 
  once — the Sidekick’s joined a team of teen heroes.
  Th e Sidekick is usually far more accepting of 
  his superpowers than other teen heroes (although 
  he might regret missing out on a normal child-
  hood). What makes him unique in a group is that 
  he has much more experience superheroing than 
  the other group members. Th is can mean the other 
  members look to him for leadership, or it can mean 
  he becomes, at times, arrogant about his past as a 
  “real superhero.” Th e one thing it means for sure is 
  
  36 ■ Teen Champions Games
  Hero System 5th Edition
  that the Sidekick is more conﬁ dent — realistically 
  conﬁ dent, that is, rather than overconﬁ dent — than 
  his superhero peers.
  Legacy
  Th e Legacy inherited his name, costume, and 
  maybe even powers from a family member. You 
  should come up with a reason for the mantle to 
  pass from one family member to another. Did the 
  former superhero retire or die, why does he feel it’s 
  important for the tradition to continue, and why 
  did he pick the PC to carry on the tradition?
  Generally, being a Legacy is like having a 
  father who was the best quarterback the high 
  school had ever seen, or a mother who was the 
  most beautiful woman of her generation, or a 
  parent who was the smartest kid to ever go to the 
  high school:  it means the Legacy oft en lives in the 
  shadow of his predecessor. Th e public constantly 
  compares him to the family member, and since 
  hindsight is 20-20, the Legacy can’t live up. Maybe 
  the rest of the family does the same thing, or maybe 
  they try their best to be supportive and under-
  standing of the pressure he experiences.
  A Legacy might hate being a superhero; he 
  feels similar to a child who doesn’t want to go into 
  the family business. He might try too hard to live 
  up to his family member’s legend and always fall 
  short — at least in his own eyes — and this can lead 
  to crises of faith or even emotional breakdowns. Or 
  he might feel superheroics come naturally because 
  it “runs in the blood” — of course, whether it does 
  is another matter entirely.
  Regardless of his feelings, the Legacy has a 
  deep sense of obligation to be a superhero. Unlike 
  his fellow teen superheroes, he can’t simply retire:  
  if he does, he’s turning his back on a family tradi-
  tion and failing to live up to the family name. 
  The Supervillain Legacy:  In the eyes of many 
  adults, the apple never falls far from the tree, 
  which means the child of a supervillain who 
  inherits his parent’s powers has special problems. 
  A frequent theme in teen ﬁ ction is “Born To Be 
  Bad” or “Like Father Like Son” — meaning that no 
  matter how hard a teen tries to be good, no matter 
  how badly he wants to be good, he’ll turn into a 
  bad person in the end. Th e inheritor of a supervil-
  lain legacy is the perfect example of this theme 
  in a Teen Champions campaign. With every word 
  and action, the teen hero must strive to prove he 
  isn’t like his parents, and every time he slips up, or 
  people can misconstrue his words or actions, the 
  public is likely to think he’s reverting to type. Th e 
  Supervillain Legacy doesn’t have to live up to the 
  family name like the Legacy; instead he needs to 
  prove to the world, and maybe even his friends, 
  that he isn’t a villain like his parents.
  TEEN SUPERTEAM 
  DYNAMICS
  Th ough the dynamic of 
  a teen superteam is sim-
  ilar to that of an adult 
  one, teens oft en take 
  these roles and conﬂ icts 
  to extremes. All of the 
  Team Member Types on 
  pages 94-96 of Champi-
  ons apply, and here are 
  some of the conﬂ icts 
  between members espe-
  cially typical to teen 
  teams, as well as some of 
  the tropes of interper-
  sonal relationships:
  —One PC always wor-
  ries what his parents (or 
  other adults) will think; 
  while another is always 
  deliberately provocative.
  —All the male PCs have 
  a crush on one of the 
  female PCs, while treat-
  ing a diﬀ erent female 
  PC as a conﬁ dante 
  (and usually she regrets 
  the treatment, but not 
  always).
  —One or more PCs 
  always questions the 
  validity of Codes Versus 
  Killing — which doesn’t 
  mean he kills, just that 
  he thinks about it. In a 
  similar vein one or more 
  PCs, usually the one 
  who questions Codes 
  Versus Killing, ques-
  tions, vocally and oft en, 
  the moral standards and 
  conventions of super-
  heroing. “Th e future is 
  now, we are the future, 
  and what do those old 
  fogeys know, anyway?”
  —One PC worships 
  adult superheroes, while 
  another is anti-authori-
  tarian.
  —One PC is always 
  gung-ho to be a super-
  hero, while another is 
  reluctant.
  —One PC questions the 
  source of his powers 
  (maybe he thinks they 
  result from a curse or 
  the like) and is hesitant 
  to use them for fear 
  they’re sinful or danger-
  ous; another always eggs 
  him on.
  TEEN BEHAVIOR TIP:  
  THE SHRUG
  A sample conversation:
  Adult:  “Why’d you do it?”
  Th e teen shrugs.
  Adult:  “Th at’s no answer! Why’d you do it?”
  Th e teen shrugs again and maybe mumbles:  “I don’t 
  know.”
  Th en the adult supplies the reason why the teen did 
  whatever he did and doles out the punishment. But that’s 
  not important — the teen knew punishment was on 
  its way. What’s important is that the teen didn’t have to 
  explain himself. Th ere’s nothing worse than explaining 
  oneself, especially aft er doing something wrong, and 
  the teen uses the shrug to get out of it. Maybe he can’t 
  explain his actions. Maybe he knows what his parents 
  are going to say so he ﬁ gures, “why bother?” Or perhaps 
  there’s some other reason he doesn’t want to explain. 
  Whatever the case, both players and GMs should keep in 
  mind the ever-useful shrug when some authority ﬁ gure 
  catches a PC.
  
  37 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter One
  J
  ust like a teen is oft en less strong or knowl-
  edgeable than an adult, a teen superhero is 
  oft en less powerful than his adult counterpart 
  — and even if he’s every bit as powerful, 
  he’s less skilled in using his powers. Th e diﬀ erence 
  between the two types of heroes isn’t just about 
  Active Points; it’s also about Real Points and the 
  number of points spent on Skills, especially (Combat) 
  Skill Levels. Th ough Active Point limits are recom-
  mended, a GM needs to be more aware of the Real 
  Cost of a PC’s powers than he would be in a standard 
  Champions campaign. Teen superheroes almost 
  always suﬀ er Limitations that make their powers 
  unreliable or unpredictable. Some of their powers 
  might only work in the deadliest of situations. Some 
  might only work when a supervillain mind controls a 
  teen or when an evil entity possesses him. All of these 
  and more are commonly seen in ﬁ ction.
  Th e accompanying text box, Teen Champions 
  Character Guidelines, lists the suggested start-
  ing point totals and other restrictions for Teen 
  Champions characters. Th e point totals are just 
  recommendations; the GM can decrease them (for 
  a low-powered or “street-level” Teen Champions 
  campaign) or increase them as he deems appropri-
  ate for his game. But even if the GM allows players 
  to build characters on a lot more points, he should 
  keep these restrictions in mind:
  ■ 
  Total points spent on Skills, including Skill 
  Levels, still tend to be much lower than with 
  an adult superhero
  ■ 
  Most (if not all) powers a teen hero buys 
  should have plenty of Limitations
  ■ 
  Multipowers and other Power Frameworks 
  tend to be rare compared to typical (adult) 
  superheroes
  EXPERIENCE POINTS
  Teens grow in leaps and bounds — and not 
  just physically. When each experience is the first 
  one, the teen learns quickly relative to his adult 
  counterpart who’s had many experiences over 
  the years. If a GM starts his PCs at 200 points, he 
  should also give them more Experience Points 
  than he would in a normal Champions cam-
  paign; awarding an extra point per session is a 
  good rule of thumb. The GM should award these 
  additional Experience Points at times when an 
  adult does a good job roleplaying a teen super-
  hero, meaning times when he does or says some-
  thing uniquely adolescent.
  SKILLS
  With the exception of spending less points 
  and having lower Skill Rolls, Skills are the same 
  for teen superheroes as they are for adults (though 
  a teen has a harder time justifying having Skills 
  that require signiﬁ cant experience, special train-
  ing, or the like, such as Bugging, Demolitions, WF:  
  Emplaced Weapons, Combat Piloting, TF:  Tracked 
  Military Vehicles, or Systems Operation). But that 
  being said, keep the following points in mind:
  ■ 
  Teens do not receive TF: Small Motorized 
  Ground Vehicles for free as one of their 
  Everyman Skills, unless and until they’re age 
  16 or older and have been through driver’s 
  GAME 
  ELEMENTS
  TEEN CHAMPIONS CHARACTER GUIDELINES
   
  Base  
  Maximum Points 
  Maximum Points From Any
  Character Type 
  Points 
  From Disadvantages 
  One Type Of Disadvantage 
  Total
  Teen Superhero 
  100 
  100 
  50 
  200
  Char 
  SPD 
  CV 
  DC 
  Active Points 
  Real Points 
  Skill Points 
  Skill Roll 
  Def/rDef
  10-30 
  3-5 
  4-8 
  4-10 
  40-60 
  15-20 
  10-30 
  8-12- 
  12/6
  Notes
  Active Points:  Th ough the table lists 60 Active Points as a maximum, in most Teen Champions campaigns powers with 
  that many Active Points should be rare, or the teen should have great diﬃ  culty using the power at that level. Alternately, 
  the GM may allow much more powerful abilities that have signiﬁ cant Limitations; in comic books, it’s not uncommon for 
  a teen hero to possess one really strong power that only works in speciﬁ c situations or certain ways.
  Real Points:  In general a teen superhero should have at least -1 worth of Limitations on most of his powers, at least for the 
  ones with 40 or more Active Points. Th e higher the Active Points; the higher the total value of the Limitations.
  Skill Points And Skill Rolls:  Th e listed totals assume the character possesses innate superpowers or the like. Any teen super-
  hero whose “powers” are Skill-based will probably spend more Character Points on Skills and has higher Skill Rolls.
  
  38 ■ Teen Champions Games
  Hero System 5th Edition
  education. Everyman Skills are otherwise 
  unchanged.
  ■ 
  Teen heroes rarely start the campaign with 
  Combat Skill Levels and other types of Skill 
  Levels. Levels most oft en represent experi-
  ence with using a power or Skill, and teen 
  superheroes have very little experience. As 
  the campaign progresses, teen heroes can buy 
  any type of Skill Level the GM permits. A 
  teen hero might also begin the campaign with 
  any type of Skill Level if they represent innate 
  ability or talent with using his powers, or are 
  built as Powers.
  ■ 
  Professional Skills should be few and far 
  between, unless they represent hobbies or the 
  like (for example, PS: Play Video Games, or 
  PS: Play Clarinet for a teen who’s in the high 
  school band). However, it’s not uncommon in 
  ﬁ ction for a teen to have the same PSs as one 
  or both of his parents, just as something he 
  picked up around the home.
  ■ 
  Teen heroes usually don’t start the game with 
  the Power Skill, since like Skill Levels it oft en 
  represents experience with using one’s abili-
  ties. However, since many teen heroes start 
  out with just one or two powers (see below), 
  the GM might want to allow them to buy 
  the Power Skill so they can, slowly but surely, 
  devise other ways to use their powers (which 
  they eventually buy with Experience Points).
  PERKS
  Not all Perks are appropriate for teen heroes, 
  but many are.
  CONTACT:  FRIENDLY ADULT
  Cost: 
  See Contact Table on page 80 of HERO 
   
  System Fifth Edition, Revised
  Contact:  Friendly Adult means the PC knows 
  an adult who’s willing to do favors for him and 
  help him out — and not tell his parents. Usually 
  this means buying the teen alcohol, cigarettes, 
  or pornography, or sneaking him into R-rated 
  movies, but it can also mean the adult will drive 
  him places, pretend to be a member of his family, 
  or put him up if his parents kick him out of the 
  house. Th e Friendly Adult may also take risks 
  for the teen — for instance, if the teen witnessed 
  something strange and knows the authorities 
  won’t believe him, he can ask the Friendly Adult 
  to report it for him. For a teen superhero, who 
  sometimes has to track down adult supervillains 
  or deal with the police, having a Friendly Adult as 
  a Contact can be quite a beneﬁ t.
  FRINGE BENEFIT:  FAKE ID
  Cost: 
  1 Character Point; +1 Character Point per 
   
  -1 to rolls to perceive
  A Fake ID, usually a driver’s license, lets a teen 
  pretend he’s twenty-one or older. Th at means he 
  can avoid some of the restrictions of having Social 
  Limitation:  Minor, such as not being able to buy 
  beer. Fake ID costs 1 Character Point; for every 
  additional point the teen spends on his Fake ID, 
  
  39 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter One
  anyone checking the ID suﬀ ers a -1 to his Forgery 
  roll or PER Roll to determine if it’s fake.
  FRINGE BENEFIT:  MEMBERSHIP:  CLIQUE
  Cost: 
  1-3 Character Points; see below
  Becoming a member of a clique is as simple as 
  a player deciding his character belongs to the 
  clique, taking the appropriate Disadvantages, and 
  purchasing a 1-point Membership. However, this 
  just means the PC has friends; it doesn’t mean he 
  can inﬂ uence the clique or get them to do what 
  he wants. To do these things, the PC must spend 
  more points. A 2-point Membership means the 
  clique’s members do as he asks, within reason — for 
  exampe, he can get them to gather at a certain 
  spot or stop picking on a person outside the clique 
  — as long as the clique’s leader doesn’t contradict 
  him. A 3-point Membership means the PC is the 
  leader of the clique and he can get the clique to do 
  as he wants. Of course, it’s important to remember 
  that clique members aren’t Followers. If the clique 
  leader starts acting weird — for instance, demand-
  ing the other football players join the math club 
  — someone among the membership topples him 
  just like a younger wolf would kill an aging and 
  inﬁ rm alpha wolf.
  MONEY
  Cost: 
  See text
  All teens are eﬀ ectively Poor (as described on page 
  84 of HERO System 5th Edition, Revised) as a Teen 
  Champions default — the PC receives no Disadvan-
  tage Points for this. His parents give him an allow-
  ance or other limited amount of money (enough 
  for lunch and similar expenses), and he may earn 
  a little more by doing odd jobs. He has $20-50 per 
  week to spend; his parents sometimes spring for 
  bigger expenditures when they feel it’s important. 
  By taking a Disadvantage, he can lower his income; 
  by spending Character Points, he can raise it.
  ■ 
  10-point Disadvantage:  Th e character has no 
  money. Th e government provides him with a 
  free lunch at school, and his parents feed him 
  (sometimes). He occasionally scrapes together 
  limited funds by hook or by crook, but his 
  parents can’t aﬀ ord to give him any money. He 
  usually has to mooch oﬀ  his friends.
  ■ 
  5 points:  Th e character has approximately 
  a hundred dollars a week to spend. Th is can 
  mean his parents are generous, or he has a 
  part-time job.
  ■ 
  10 points:  Th e character has approximately 
  four hundred dollars a week to spend. Th is 
  means his parents are wealthy and either free 
  with their money (he can ask for whatever 
  amount he wants without having to provide 
  much explanation about how he plans to 
  spend it) or they leave money laying around 
  the house and the teen can just take what he 
  needs. Th e parents may also pay for an expen-
  sive car, expensive clothes, and so on.
  ■ 
  15 points:  Th e character has all the money 
  he could possibly want, and nearly unlimited 
  access to it. Maybe he has a trust fund and a 
  lot of control over the money. For teen super-
  heroes, this isn’t entirely unheard of (though 
  it’s unrealistic); it usually involves a guardian 
  knowing about the teen’s superhero activities 
  and actively supporting them. Or the teen 
  might deal drugs or engage in some other 
  criminal activity that pays very well. Th e GM 
  should think carefully before allowing a PC to 
  purchase this level of Money, since it can ruin 
  a lot of the fun of playing teenaged heroes.
  REPUTATION
  Cost: 
  See text
  If you want to create a character who’s regarded as 
  “cool” by all the cliques, the easiest way to do it is 
  Reputation:  Cool (though plenty of other Reputa-
  tions are available to teen heroes, if they prefer). 
  All the kids in a character’s school count as a “small 
  to medium sized group”; all the kids in a town or 
  city (if it has two or more high schools) count as a 
  “medium sized group.”
  
  40 ■ Teen Champions Games
  Hero System 5th Edition
  POWERS
  Th ere are no hard and fast rules for creating 
  powers for Teen Champions characters, because 
  teen superheroes have just as wide a variety of 
  powers as their adult counterparts. No power is 
  impossible... but in comic books, the powers of 
  teen superheroes do have some characteristics in 
  common. You should keep these in mind as you 
  create (or, in the GM’s case, approve) characters:
  ■ 
  Active Points are usually low (no more than 
  40), since letting a teen superhero feel power-
  ful and dominant runs contrary to the mood 
  of Teen Champions campaigns. If a teen has a 
  power with a high Active Point cost, he should 
  only be able to use it in limited circumstances 
  and runs the risk of losing control of it. And 
  a teen superhero, unlike a teen supervillain, 
  should be very afraid of losing control. Limita-
  tions like No Conscious Control and Side Eﬀ ect 
  are appropriate; so are many forms of Limited 
  Power (to represent, for example, the power to 
  Fly really fast... but only in a straight line). A 
  power with high Active Points raging out of 
  control should threaten either the teen’s life or 
  those around him.
  ■ 
  Teens never feel in complete control of any 
  situation or even their lives, so a teen superhero 
  should never feel like he’s in complete control 
  of his powers, regardless of how limited their 
  eﬀ ects. Some of the Limitations oft en used to 
  represent this include:  Activation Roll, Limited 
  Power, No Conscious Control, and Requires 
  A Skill Roll. For example, if a teen hero has an 
  Energy Blast, he can only use it as an Area Of 
  Eﬀ ect, or he can’t Spread or Bounce it.
  ■ 
  Teen superheroes oft en have powers with a 
  limited eﬀ ect, but which also have obvious 
  potential for greater eﬀ ects. A Teen Champions 
  PC with Empathy might someday develop 
  full-blown Telepathy. His friend who can only 
  throw telekinetic punches develops more 
  intricate control of his Telekinesis. Th e teen 
  who loses his super-strength quickly when out 
  of water develops the ability to remain super-
  strong on land for longer and longer durations. 
  When you create a teen hero, plan for this sort 
  of evolution — have in mind from the start 
  where you expect the PC’s powers to go.
  ■ 
  On a related note, a teen hero may require a 
  Focus even if the Focus doesn’t provide the 
  power itself — it’s a sort of security blanket or 
  training wheels, so to speak.
  ■ 
  Teen superheroes often can’t use their 
  powers for very long, and never as long as 
  their adult counterparts. Reduced Endur-
  ance (0 END; +½) should be almost unheard 
  of, and Costs Endurance and/or Increased 
  Endurance Cost common.
  ■ 
  Teen superheroes oft en have only one power 
  or, at most two related powers. Th ey rarely 
  have a whole suite of powers that apply in a 
  broad range of circumstances. Th is even goes 
  so far as to mean the Energy Projector doesn’t 
  have a Force Field, the hero with a Force Field 
  doesn’t have an Attack Power, and so on.
  ■ 
  Power Frameworks should be rare. Multipow-
  ers especially should be few and far between, 
  because a Multipower’s slots oft en represent 
  the character learning diﬀ erent ways to use his 
  power. However, it’s not uncommon for a Teen 
  Champions character who starts the game with 
  a single power to build it into a Multipower 
  with Experience Points as he learns new ways 
  to use that power.
  ■ 
  A Teen Champions character’s superpowers 
  oft en correspond to his personality in some 
  way. For example, a super-strong teen hero 
  might also be temperamental and stubborn; 
  one who’s shy and quiet might have invisibil-
  ity powers.
  DISADVANTAGES
  Here are some Disadvantages that are uncom-
  mon for adult superheroes, but work well for Teen 
  Champions characters. Many of them apply only if 
  the GM chooses to spend time roleplaying in a high 
  school environment and the PC spends much of 
  his time interacting with other teens, so they’re all 
  subject to GM approval.
  DISTINCTIVE FEATURE:  CLIQUE
  Teens make many judgments based on clique, 
  and appearance is oft en how teens announce 
  which clique they belong to. Even in schools with 
  strict dress codes, teens develop visual cues for 
  telling onlookers what clique they belong to. Teen 
  aren’t the only ones making judgments based on 
  appearance — some teachers do, too, so Distinc-
  tive Feature: Clique might aﬀ ect how oft en the teen 
  receives punishment for wrongdoing, if a teacher 
  accepts his homework late, and so on.
  Distinctive Feature:  Clique is Easily Con-
  cealed, Noticed and Recognizable, and worth 5 
  points.
  HUNTED: CLIQUE
  A teen’s clique is his peer group and his main 
  source of peer pressure. Other clique members 
  watch who he talks to, wonder where he was if he 
  didn’t show up to some party or the big game, and 
  try to make sure he doesn’t stray from the path. 
  Th ough they might not have superpowers, a clique 
  hates no one more than one of their own gone bad. 
  Within the limited scope of a teen’s life, they have 
  Non-Combat Inﬂ uence; to many teens the opinion 
  and actions of the clique matter a lot more than 
  those of his parents or the cops.
  Hunted:  Clique is As Pow, 11-, NCI, Watching, 
  and worth 10 points.
  “HEY, I CAN’T DO 
  THAT!”
  Oft en in teen superhero 
  adventures, an adult 
  supervillain either 
  steals the hero’s powers 
  or takes control of the 
  hero... and then uses 
  the hero’s powers in 
  ways the hero can’t. For 
  instance, if a teen hero 
  has the Limitation Beam 
  on his Energy Blast, 
  when the supervillain 
  mimics or controls the 
  teen’s powers he blows 
  holes in walls and 
  Spreads the Energy Blast 
  however wide he wants. 
  Th is usually foreshad-
  ows what the superhero 
  will become when he 
  grows older, as well 
  showing the hero what 
  he’s capable of and can 
  train toward. Th ere are 
  a couple of ways of han-
  dling this in the game; 
  some rely on the GM, 
  others on the players.
  —Th e GM can choose 
  to ignore any Limita-
  tions that are basically 
  psychological. For 
  instance, if a superhero 
  needs a Focus for his 
  attack, but that’s just a 
  psychological crutch, 
  the supervillain doesn’t 
  need the Focus. If the 
  PC has an Activation 
  Roll that represents his 
  uncertainty and unfa-
  miliarity with the power, 
  then the supervillain 
  doesn’t suﬀ er from the 
  Limitation when he uses 
  the power.
  —Th e GM can give 
  each teen superhero X 
  number of points’ worth 
  of mystery powers; 
  between 20 and 40 
  points’ worth is good. 
  Th e mystery power can 
  be a power unto itself, 
  or additional points 
  spent on an existing 
  power (oft en to buy oﬀ  
  Limitations). Th e mys-
  tery powers are revealed 
  when the supervillain 
  uses them, and later the 
  GM can award the mys-
  tery powers to the PC in 
  Continued on next page
  
  41 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter One
  HUNTED: PARENTS
  Parents are always prying into their kid’s life, 
  so a teen superhero gets no Disadvantage points for 
  that. If a character takes Hunted:  Parents, it means 
  his parents scrutinize his every word and action, 
  or otherwise make his life far more miserable than 
  the average parent would. Maybe the teen’s been 
  in trouble with the law, or his grades have slipped, 
  or his parents are just insanely overprotective. 
  Whatever the case, the character has even more 
  problems slipping away from his parents than the 
  normal teen, and if his parents discover he’s gone, 
  they don’t just wait for him to come home — they 
  get in their car and go ﬁ nd him. To make matters 
  worse, since the teen is a minor, he’s at the complete 
  and total mercy of his parents when it comes to 
  grounding and other punishments.
  Hunted:  Parents is As Pow, 11-, NCI, Mildly 
  Punish, and worth 15 points
  HUNTED: BULLY
  Most victims of bullies get bullied whenever 
  their tormentor just happens to stumble upon 
  them, but there are some victims a bully has it in 
  for. A character with this Hunted is one of those 
  poor souls.
  Hunted:  Bully is Less Pow, 11-, Mildly Punish, 
  and worth 5 points.
  PHYSICAL LIMITATION:  
  LEARNING DISABILITY
  Th e character with this Disadvantage suﬀ ers 
  from a learning disability such as dyslexia. If he 
  takes it as a Disadvantage, it means he needs to 
  work harder in school to succeed, and for the teen 
  superhero, it means those late night ﬁ ghts with 
  supervillains have an even greater adverse eﬀ ect on 
  grades. It also might mean that he has a reputation 
  for being not so bright among both teachers and 
  students.
  Typically this Disadvantage is Infrequent, 
  Slightly Impairing, for a value of 5 points. Th e GM 
  may increase or reduce the value based on how 
  oft en he thinks it will aﬀ ect the character.
  PSYCHOLOGICAL LIMITATION:  
  EASILY EMBARRASSED
  Teens are very self-conscious, and this teen is 
  even more self-conscious than normal. Anytime 
  he’s embarrassed, he blushes — from his cheek, 
  to his neck, to his ears. His eyes get big and he 
  hunches his shoulders. He stutters. He freezes up. 
  And that’s just when a teacher says something nice 
  to him. When it comes to a girl smiling at him, it 
  might as well be the end of the world. And when 
  a supervillainess compliments him on his good 
  looks and physique, telling him he looks particu-
  larly appetizing in his costume, the battle is pretty 
  much lost.
  Psychological Limitation:  Easily Embarrassed 
  is typically Common, Strong, for a value of 15 points.
  PSYCHOLOGICAL LIMITATION: 
   FEAR OF POWERS
  All teens fear their powers to a limited extent, 
  or are at least uncertain about them, but for the 
  most part, when push comes to shove, they over-
  come their fears and save the day. For the teen 
  with this Psychological Limitation, however, that’s 
  not always the case. He squares oﬀ  against Grond, 
  and fearful of doing the big green four-armed 
  guy harm, he Pulls his Punch. He tries to aim his 
  Energy Blast at a weapon in the attacker’s hand 
  and pays the price when his attack goes wildly 
  oﬀ -target. He gives Mechanon a chance to sur-
  render instead of just attacking him, because he’s 
  afraid he’ll cause the ﬁ endish robot permanent 
  damage. Usually the more tense the situation, the 
  more likely the PC does something wrong-headed 
  out of fear.
  Psychological Limitation:  Fear Of Powers is 
  typically Common, Strong, for a value of 15 points.
  PSYCHOLOGICAL LIMITATION:  
  THE CRUSH
  Th e character has a crush on someone, and 
  it severely aﬀ ects his behavior. Th e object of his 
  crush comes around the corner, and he gets ﬂ us-
  tered and closes his locker door on his head. She 
  smiles at him and he walks into a wall. She’s in a 
  crowd watching him ﬁ ght a supervillain, and he lets 
  down his defenses just long enough to get knocked 
  through three buildings. Whatever can go wrong, 
  Continued from last page
  addition to, or in lieu of, 
  Experience Points.
  —Characters can pur-
  chase powers with the 
  Limitation No Conscious 
  Control (-2), and only 
  others in control of the 
  PC can use the power 
  regularly. Over time the 
  character buys oﬀ  the 
  Limitation.
  
  42 ■ Teen Champions Games
  Hero System 5th Edition
  will go wrong, when the object of his crush shows 
  up on the scene and he fails his EGO Roll.
  Psychological Limitation:  Crush On X is typi-
  cally Common, Strong, for a value of 15 points. 
  (With the GM’s permission, a character could also 
  buy this as a form of Unluck that only gets rolled 
  when the object of the character’s crush is around.)
  PSYCHOLOGICAL LIMITATION:  
  UNCERTAIN MORAL CODE
  Adult superheroes have moral codes coming 
  out the wazoo — Codes Versus Killing, Codes Of 
  Chivalry, Honorable — but not all teens have such 
  a ﬁ rm moral development. A teen with this Psy-
  chological Limitation is one such character. When 
  confronted with a situation where he must chose 
  between what’s right and what’s wrong, he freezes. 
  He hesitates. He procrastinates. He tries to defer 
  the decision to one of his fellow superheroes, or to 
  not make any decision at all. He does anything he 
  can to get out of making the decision. And it always 
  turns out for the worst.
  Psychological Limitation:  Uncertain Moral 
  Code is typically Common, Strong, for a value of 
  15 points.
  SOCIAL LIMITATION: MINOR
  Social Limitation:  Minor is ubiquitous in Teen 
  Champions campaigns; pretty much every character 
  has it in one of two forms:  under 18 or under 16.
  Social Limitation: Minor (Under 18)
  Here are some of the restrictions a minor 
  who’s under 18 years of age suﬀ ers. States vary, but 
  the ones below are standard (and may have qualiﬁ -
  cations or caveats in some situations). Th ese are just 
  legal restrictions; most minors also have problems 
  (such as penalties to some Interaction Skill Rolls) 
  when dealing with adults in general.
  ■ 
  Can’t vote
  ■ 
  Can’t buy alcohol or tobacco
  ■ 
  Subject to laws regarding curfew
  ■ 
  Can’t get driver’s license without parent’s consent
  Social Limitation:  Minor (Under 18) is Occa-
  sionally, Minor, and worth 5 points.
  Social Limitation: Minor (Under 16)
  Here are some of the restrictions a minor 
  who’s younger than sixteen years old suﬀ ers; they’re 
  in addition to the ones listed above for minors 
  under 18. States vary, but the ones below are stan-
  dard (and may have qualiﬁ cations or caveats in 
  some situations). Th ese are just legal restrictions; 
  most minors also have problems (such as penalties 
  to some Interaction Skill Rolls) when dealing with 
  adults in general.
  ■ 
  Can’t drive
  ■ 
  Can’t drop out of high school
  ■ 
  Can’t see R-rated movies
  ■ 
  Can’t see a doctor without the parent’s 
  knowledge
  Social Limitation:  Minor (Under 16) is Fre-
  quently, Minor, and worth 10 points.
  SUSCEPTIBILITY AND VULNERABILITY
  In much the same way that they oft en have lots 
  of Limitations on their powers, teen superheroes 
  oft en have general weaknesses best represented by 
  the Disadvantages Susceptibility and Vulnerability. 
  Th ey might be psychological (a mutant who turns 
  into a wolf believes silver burns him, so he takes 
  2x STUN from Silver Weapons even though there’s 
  no physiological reason for him to), or they might 
  result from the character’s as-yet incomplete mas-
  tery of his powers (for example, an Energy Projec-
  tor with solar powers might lose his powers com-
  pletely and immediately in Darkness or at night). In 
  many Teen Champions campaigns, the GM should 
  require each PC to take at least 15 points’ worth of 
  Disadvantages from these two types.
  
  chapter two:
  chapter two:
  chapter two:
  THE RAVENSWOOD 
  ACADEMY
  
  44 ■ The Ravenswood Academy
  Hero System 5th Edition
  O
  ne of Millennium City’s most prestigious 
  private schools is located in the suburb of 
  Orchardsville. With its motto “Tomorrow’s 
  Leaders, Today” indicating its teaching 
  philosophy, the Ravenswood Academy prepares 
  the best and brightest to tackle the issues facing the 
  City of the Future in the twenty-ﬁ rst century. Most 
  impressively, Ravenswood graduates have both 
  ﬁ nely-honed minds and well-developed morals and 
  ethics — a belief in the importance of civic spirit 
  and a desire to give back to the community. Many 
  of the Academy’s graduates have gone on to posi-
  tions in public life, turning down far more lucrative 
  jobs in the private sector to work as administrators, 
  teachers, or oﬃ  ce-holders in Millennium City.
  And unbeknownst to the public, some Ravens-
  wood graduates have graduated to a diﬀ erent sort 
  of career serving the people of Millennium City 
  — as superheroes.
  HISTORY
  Th e history of the Ravenswood Academy 
  begins far from Millennium City in the nation of 
  Finland, when a young girl named Kristina Pel-
  vanen ﬁ rst exhibited signs of possessing superpow-
  ers as she entered puberty.
  Born a mutant, Kristina was a telekinetic. She 
  had a diﬃ  cult time learning to control her powers. 
  Th e ﬁ rst power she exhibited was a personal force 
  ﬁ eld, and she could only lower it with concentra-
  tion so great she could barely eat. She was almost 
  entirely cut oﬀ  from human contact, but fortunately 
  for Kristina her father was a Professor of Math-
  ematics at the University of Helsinki. Professor Pel-
  vanen contacted his colleagues in the university’s 
  Psychology Department, and with the help of post-
  hypnotic suggestion, Kristina learned to control 
  her powers. She’s certain, however, that if she’d been 
  born in one of the rural areas of Finland, she would 
  never have survived her adolescence.
  Her father feared the Soviet Union’s grow-
  ing inﬂ uence in Finland, especially for Kristina if 
  the Soviets ever took an interest in superpowered 
  Finns, so he encouraged his daughter to study 
  abroad. In 1962, 18-year-old Kristina came to 
  America to study psychology at New York Univer-
  sity. Surrounded by superheroes, with superpow-
  ers of her own, she soon donned a costume and 
  became the superheroine Rowan, taking the name 
  because her telekinetic powers manifested with a 
  red energy similar in hue to the rowan tree’s leaves 
  and berries in the fall.
  As Rowan she fought supervillain threats such 
  as VIPER, TyrannoMan, and Scorch, and grew close 
  to the members of the Justice Squadron. Th ough 
  she performed many important deeds and had 
  many adventures during her time as one of New 
  York’s protectors, this only laid the groundwork for 
  her future career. Forced to abandon her identity 
  as Rowan because her powers were growing harder 
  to control as she approached middle age, she found 
  herself recalling the diﬃ  cult days of her youth. But 
  it was the death of the teen superhero Sunheart that 
  compelled her to dedicate her life to establishing a 
  school for superpowered youngsters.
  1979:  THE DEATH OF SUNHEART
  In 1979 the Slug revealed his existence to 
  the world when he attempted to turn back time 
  to the dark ages of Earth’s history — an era when 
  mankind lived in servitude to the grotesque and 
  powerful Elder Worm. From deep below the island 
  of Manhattan, powerful energies seeped up from 
  the eons-old Chamber of Commune where the 
  Slug melded his mind — his consciousness defying 
  space and time to soar down the corridors of the 
  past and across gulfs of night — with the minds of 
  ancient Earth’s rulers. Using his own hideous body 
  as the gateway, the Slug called forth the minds of 
  his doomed race, bringing them out of the past to 
  take possession of the human maggots who had 
  come to rule the world. Th e summoned psychic 
  energies ﬂ owed up from the depths below New 
  York, coming to the surface as green mists billow-
  ing from sewer grates and the entrances to subway 
  stations. As they engulfed the city, they worked a 
  horrible transformation on millions of New York-
  ers. Th ough it fell to the Sentinels to stop the Slug, 
  all of New York’s superheroes found themselves 
  ﬁ ghting the Elder Worm. In Central Park an ad hoc 
  group of independent heroes fought for hours to 
  protect the gathered innocents; among them were 
  Rowan and Sunheart.
  Sunheart was a young man who had been 
  symbiotically bound to Shrﬁ sh, an exiled alien 
  who was a member of the F’woosh, a species 
  inhabiting the far reaches of the Milky Way that 
  had survived their star going super-nova by trans-
  forming themselves into living ﬂ ame. Sunheart 
  was Shrﬁ sh’s prison. Th e F’woosh had exiled Shr-
  ﬁ sh because he had snuﬀ ed out the lives of over 
  ﬁ ft y sentients. Th ey imprisoned him in the body 
  of the young man as punishment... and he made 
  for a murderous, treacherous soul to share a body 
  with. Sunheart’s superheroic existence was far 
  from easy, but with a supreme act of will and rigid 
  RAVENSWOOD 
  ACADEMY
  HOW TO USE
   THIS CHAPTER
  Th is chapter is written 
  for both players and 
  GMs, but it assumes the 
  players have attended 
  Ravenswood for at least 
  a semester or two. If the 
  GM starts a campaign 
  with PCs who are new 
  students at Ravenswood, 
  he should restrict the 
  players’ access to infor-
  mation. Nothing here 
  is diﬃ  cult to ﬁ nd out 
  — the PCs will soon dis-
  cover it for themselves, 
  or hear about it from 
  their fellow students 
  — but they should learn 
  of it during play and 
  over the course of the 
  campaign.
  
  45 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Two
  discipline, Sunheart controlled Shrﬁ sh’s ﬁ res and 
  used them to do good — at least until the day the 
  Slug attacked New York.
  As Rowan and the others held back the ravaging 
  New Yorkers already partially transformed into Elder 
  Worms, Sunheart used his living ﬂ ames to burn oﬀ  
  the transforming mists that hung low to the ground 
  and crept implacably forward in roiling waves. Of 
  the superheroes present in Central Park, only Sun-
  heart could stem the tide of the mists’ advance... and 
  aft er several hours of unﬂ agging struggle, he grew 
  increasingly tired. As Sunheart drew nearer the brink 
  of exhaustion and collapse, Shrﬁ sh began to get the 
  upper hand in the struggle for the young man’s body. 
  Soon Sunheart’s ﬁ res raged out of control, threaten-
  ing the lives of the gathered civilians. Only Rowan, 
  her force ﬁ eld protecting her from the burning ﬁ res, 
  could approach the young man. What she saw was 
  like a scene out of hell.
  Small tongues of ﬁ re dancing and crackling 
  across his scorched skin, gushes of wild ﬂ ame 
  whipping out of his mouth, Sunheart begged 
  Rowan to entrap him in a force bubble. He 
  explained the source of his powers and promised 
  he would have an easier time controlling Shrﬁ sh if 
  there were no targets for his ire. Having no other 
  choice, Rowan did as he asked, but that left  Shrﬁ sh 
  with only one target for his anger and frustration 
  — his human host and living prison, Sunheart. 
  Finally succumbing to madness, Shrﬁ sh drove the 
  conﬂ ict with the young human to the brink of 
  mutual annihilation... but Sunheart never ﬂ inched 
  and would not allow Shrﬁ sh to harm others.
  Th rough the red glare of her force bubble, 
  Rowan watched Sunheart die in a small super-
  nova that reduced his body to less than ash, leav-
  ing nothing but dust. Rowan didn’t even know his 
  name, and she wondered what his parents would 
  believe happened to their boy — would they ever 
  stop searching for their lost son? Rowan cursed 
  herself and the other adult superheroes for never 
  thinking to ask where Sunheart had gotten his 
  powers. If only we had known, she thought aft er the 
  Sentinels defeated the Slug and exiled the possess-
  ing spirits of the Elder Worm to the distant past 
  and their doomed world. If only we had realized 
  that a war raged in his soul, maybe we could have 
  helped him to control the alien.
  Rowan never forgot Sunheart’s death — never 
  forgot that she and the other adult superheroes had 
  failed one young man who had struggled valiantly 
  with a burden no teen should be asked to bear.
  19791988:  A CURRICULUM VITAE
  Aft er Sunheart’s death, Rowan’s ﬁ rst task was 
  to petition the New York City government to erect 
  a monument, a starburst of bronze and an eternal 
  ﬂ ame, on the spot where the young superhero 
  had made his heroic sacriﬁ ce. But her conscience 
  demanded more.
  She returned to her studies and received a 
  second Ph.D, this one in Education. She spoke 
  with her friends in the Superhuman World to seek 
  advice about youngsters with powers. She learned 
  a great deal from her colleagues who had raised 
  superhuman children themselves, and even more in 
  interviews with the normal parents who had helped 
  their children come to grips with their powers. 
  With the help of Archon, an Empyrean and former 
  Sentinel, Rowan journeyed to hidden Arcadia 
  where she observed the elder Empyreans training 
  the younger ones in the use of their powers. She 
  
  46 ■ The Ravenswood Academy
  Hero System 5th Edition
  traveled to a second hidden kingdom, that of Atlan-
  tis. Th ere she observed how the Atlanteans dealt 
  with the members of their society born with mysti-
  cal mutations — a frequent occurrence among the 
  aquatic cousins of humankind — and she grew 
  close to Queen Mara during her time undersea. 
  Between these journeys Rowan spent every free 
  hour studying the records on ﬁ le with UNTIL’s 
  Bureau of Superhuman Statistics, analyzing the 
  data about superhumans and their powers.
  But it was her last experience, when she con-
  vinced the Argentinean government to appoint her 
  to the team tasked with investigating the recently 
  uncovered Projekt Nächst Jahrgangen, that spurred 
  Rowan to open the school she had dreamed of in 
  the aft ermath of Sunheart’s death. Nazis in hiding 
  aft er World War II had started the project with the 
  goals of (a) creating an entire generation of super-
  humans and (b) exploiting the current one. Th eir 
  descendants had continued the project until the 
  Justice Squadron put an end to the cruel experi-
  ments. As a part of the task force given the job of 
  tracking down rogue superhumans developed by 
  the Projekt and helping the survivors integrate with 
  everyday life, Rowan studied the Nazis’ teaching 
  methods, developed over decades of study, and 
  learned the depths of depravity some adults will go 
  to in their attempts to exploit young superheroes.
  Aft er eighteen months of witnessing horror 
  aft er horror, Rowan knew it was time to open a 
  school that would not only train young superhu-
  mans in the use of their powers, but also shelter 
  them from the exploitation of adults.
  1988:  A PLEA
  In the wake of Projekt Nächst Jahrgangen, 
  Rowan found a sympathetic ear for her dream in 
  the Justice Squadron. Its members had seen ﬁ rst 
  hand the horrors committed in the project’s labo-
  ratories — the mutants dissected, the kidnapped 
  youths cybernetically spliced with stolen alien tech-
  nology, the obscenely-developed physiques created 
  by steroid testing — and shared Rowan’s concerns. 
  Th ey secretly asked the superheroes of the United 
  States to gather at JS headquarters in New York to 
  hear Rowan’s plans. Many heeded the call and none 
  walked away from Rowan’s presentation unmoved.
  Ostensibly Rowan sought funding for her 
  school, but her reasons for calling the superheroes 
  together went far deeper than that. Th e Justice 
  Squadron alone would provide enough capital for 
  her to get the school underway, but unless she had 
  the attention of the superhuman community — 
  unless she made her fellow superheroes understand 
  and acknowledge the problem — her school would 
  fail to achieve its purpose.
  Since that day her speech has passed from 
  one superhero to another, the thoughts and beliefs 
  its words express shared in the moments between 
  superhero team-ups and ﬁ ghts with supervillains. 
  A holographic record of her presentation is kept 
  at the Justice Squadron. As she said in her intro-
  ductory remarks:
  Adults — all adults regardless of creed, culture, 
  race, or even species — have a single responsi-
  bility that supercedes all others:  to ensure the 
  safety and security of their progeny. Th ey must 
  ensure that their children are born into a world 
  where they can safely grow into adults.
  Since the ﬁ rst of us appeared, we superheroes 
  have grown into our own community, a subcul-
  ture within the larger culture, and as adults, we 
  have failed in that sacred trust.
  All of us have seen the under-developed phy-
  siques behind the costumes, the pimple on the 
  chin or cheek left  exposed by the mask. All of 
  us have heard the youthful cracking voice. We 
  have patted these young superheroes on the 
  shoulder and told them, “Good job, son — we’ll 
  take it from here.” We have laughed fondly at 
  the wonders of youth, and smiled at their exu-
  berance, and shaken our heads with chagrin 
  at their naivete. But we have never thought to 
  look beyond the mask and wonder how one so 
  young deals with his astonishing powers and 
  the responsibilities that come hand-in-hand 
  with those powers.
  We have failed as adults because we have failed 
  our children. It’s time to rectify this mistake.
  During her presentation Rowan never once 
  asked for money, although some superheroes 
  volunteered funding. Instead, she asked her peers 
  to look more closely at the teen superheroes they 
  encountered and inform those teens of a place 
  where they could ﬁ nd help dealing with their 
  superpowers — tell them of the soon-to-be-estab-
  lished Ravenswood Academy and encourage them 
  to seek admission.
  1989:  THE HAUNT OF RAVENS
  As Rowan stepped onto the long-empty 
  Ravenswood Estate, she felt a calm come over her 
  and knew in her heart this was the right place to 
  establish her school. Th e grounds were large and 
  private, containing a large woodland area and small 
  lake, but not too far removed from Detroit and its 
  suburbs. Many of the existing buildings could be 
  converted into living spaces for faculty and stu-
  dents. Additionally, Detroit’s superhuman popula-
  tion was low, so her superpowered students would 
  rarely be tempted to don mask and costume to ﬁ ght 
  crime, thus allowing them to focus on their studies 
  and not put their lives at risk.
  Th e place also had a history of tending to the 
  needs of children. In the Twenties and Th irties 
  it had served as a camp sponsored by a coalition 
  of churches in the area, where children could get 
  away from the brick, concrete, and mud of inner 
  city Detroit for a few weeks during the summer. 
  In the decades aft er the War, it had been the home 
  and estate of Leon Randolph, who fostered many 
  orphans over the course of his long life. Th is history 
  seemed... appropriate.
  SUPERHEROES, 
  MINORS, 
  AND THE LAW
  Pages of 48-50 of Cham-
  pions Universe discuss 
  superhumans and the 
  law. Minors with super-
  powers raise some addi-
  tional issues:
  —Whether a superhu-
  man minor has to reg-
  ister his superpowers 
  in accordance with the 
  American Superhu-
  man and Paranormal 
  Registration Act has 
  never been determined 
  in court. Th e Act has 
  no special provisions 
  regarding minors. Any 
  superpowered minor 
  tried and convicted as 
  an adult is automatically 
  registered as with any 
  other supervillain.
  —Use of superpow-
  ers while committing 
  a felony automatically 
  results in the accused 
  being tried as an adult. 
  Th is is mainly due to the 
  special needs required 
  to incarcerate super-
  humans, and allows 
  the judge to sentence a 
  minor to Stronghold.
  —Possession of super-
  powers is suﬃ  cient 
  grounds for the State 
  to attempt to remove a 
  child from the custody 
  of his parents, but the 
  State must still prove to 
  a judge that the parents 
  are unﬁ t to raise the 
  child.
  —Neither the federal 
  government nor any 
  state will sanction 
  minors with superpow-
  ers.
  —Most states have laws 
  requiring government 
  employees such as police 
  oﬃ  cers, teachers, and 
  social workers to alert 
  social services (usu-
  ally the Department of 
  Family Services) if they 
  learn of a minor with 
  superpowers. Social ser-
  vices must then inform 
  the parents. National 
  security, however, can 
  take precedence.
  
  47 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Two
  As she told the real estate agent the site would 
  be perfect, Rowan felt as if the eyes of the many 
  ravens perched in the trees were on her, studying 
  the interloper into their woods. Not one of the 
  many dark-plumed birds gave out a squawk or caw, 
  and Rowan took their silence as approval.
  Construction began in March of 1989. Ravens-
  wood Academy opened its doors in September of 
  that same year.
  1992:  THE CLASS OF ’92
  Ravenswood graduated its ﬁ rst class in 1991. 
  Among the graduates were Prince Marus of Atlan-
  tis (son of Rowan’s close friend Queen Mara and 
  heir to the Atlantean throne), Diadem (Marus’s 
  sometime lover), and the super-strong Sequoia. 
  Despite the Class of ’91 going on to do great things, 
  performing heroic deeds and joining the ranks of 
  well-respected teams like the Sentinels and Califor-
  nia Patrol, it was the next class that found a truly 
  unique place in the history books.
  Four recent graduates — Black Sable, who 
  possessed superhuman speed and agility; the 
  Machinist, a cyberkinetic; Null, who had the abil-
  ity to create “null spots” in the fabric of space; and 
  Sideways, who could change his body from three 
  dimensional to two — were spending their last 
  summer together having fun in Detroit. Earlier 
  that day they snuck away from the school — each 
  thinking he was now an adult and didn’t need an 
  instructors’ permission to go where he wanted 
  — and as the sun went down, they ended up in a 
  large ﬁ eld, where they started a bonﬁ re. Not too far 
  away was an abandoned steel mill, a ramshackle 
  building of stark gray cinder block and rusted 
  siding. None of the young superheroes took much 
  notice of the intermittent ﬂ ashes of blue-white 
  light that came from the place. But while Null 
  and Sideways jousted for the last time, seeking to 
  impress Black Sable and win the aﬀ ections of the 
  pretty, sophisticated French girl, the Machinist idly 
  focused his cyberkinetic abilities on the factory, 
  wondering if any “machine empathy” lingered on 
  in the abandoned equipment. What the Machin-
  ist found shocked him senseless. Aft er his three 
  friends roused him, he told them about the relent-
  less, murderous Destroids he had brieﬂ y — and 
  frighteningly — brushed minds with.
  True to their years of training at Ravenswood, 
  the four worked together as a team to investigate 
  the threat. Sideways squeezed between the cracks in 
  one of the building’s crumbling walls and provided 
  them with a stealthy entrance. Black Sable and Null 
  led the Destroids guarding the installation on a 
  wild goose chase so the other two could penetrate 
  to the very heart of the facility — and there, the 
  Machinist entered into a virtual reality combat 
  with a Doctor Destroyer AI construct built from 
  a matrix of the archvillain’s brain waves and set to 
  guard his computer ﬁ les. Th e Machinist triumphed 
  in the match of intellect and wits, accessed the 
  computer system that connected all of Dr. Destroy-
  er’s facilities, and cyberkinetically downloaded the 
  villain’s master plan.
  Th e four graduates, quickly realizing the 
  immensity of their discovery, returned to the Acad-
  emy and told Rowan what they’d learned. She sent 
  out an emergency call to superheroes across the 
  globe, who quickly gathered in Detroit to oppose 
  Destroyer’s scheme. Despite the courageous actions 
  of the superheroes, Detroit was left  in ruins, and 
  several heroes were killed. Over the next decade 
  ADULT SUPER-
  HEROES’ ATTITUDE 
  TOWARD TEENS
  It’s an unspoken rule 
  among superheroes not 
  to question the secret 
  identities of their peers 
  too closely, and this rule 
  contributes in large part 
  to adults not question-
  ing their teen coun-
  terparts about what’s 
  going on with them 
  and their superpowers. 
  What Rowan asked of 
  her peers was that adults 
  bend these rules when 
  dealing with their teen-
  age counterparts.
  Ravenswood’s true pur-
  pose and its superhu-
  man student body is an 
  open secret among adult 
  superheroes, as well as 
  in the upper echelons 
  of such organizations as 
  UNTIL and PRIMUS, 
  and knowledge of its 
  existence passes from 
  veteran superheroes to 
  trustworthy inexperi-
  enced ones. Adult heroes 
  who encounter super-
  powered teens tell them 
  Continued on next page
  
  48 ■ The Ravenswood Academy
  Hero System 5th Edition
  arose Millennium City, a triumph of human perse-
  verance and aspirations — with a special school for 
  young superhumans on its outskirts. (For a com-
  plete history of the struggle against Dr. Destroyer, 
  see pages 18-19 of Millennium City.)
  2002:  ANARCHY IN THE R.A.
  Since opening Ravenswood Academy, Rowan 
  had never stopped worrying about problem stu-
  dents with superpowers. Th e chaos a normal teen 
  could create among his classmates was bad enough 
  — Rowan’s imagination boggled at what troubles a 
  superpowered teen could cause. Th e Ravenswood 
  staﬀ  always coped well with potential trouble, 
  defusing situations before any permanent harm 
  occurred — but the school’s luck ran out during 
  Winter Break 2002-03. 
  Rowan had already departed the campus 
  to spend the holidays in Finland with her ailing 
  mother when the trouble began. She left  behind 
  a skeleton staﬀ , ﬁ ve students of the Senior class, 
  and some younger students. All of the students 
  lacked families to spend the holidays with, so they 
  remained in residence during the break. Some of 
  the staﬀ  who stayed to look aft er them knew of the 
  students’ superpowers, but none possessed super-
  powers themselves.
  Th e ﬁ ve seniors — Gloriana, a young woman 
  who possessed light-based and energy absorption 
  powers; Redshift , who had the ability to transform 
  his body into energy and ﬂ y at high speeds; Sai, a 
  young woman with the ability to teleport; Ultra-
  sight, who had enhanced senses; and Silver Shine, 
  whose body was a perfect mirror as hard as steel 
  and could reﬂ ect energy attacks — all came from 
  troubled homes, or no home at all, and had rough 
  backgrounds. In their time together they had never 
  gotten along, but it seemed to the faculty they had 
  resolved to ﬁ nish their ﬁ nal year peacefully and 
  then go their separate ways.
  Th e winter that year was ﬁ erce, and the ﬁ ve 
  were gathered in the quad’s lounge watching televi-
  sion. Like so many times before, the ﬁ ght began 
  between Redshift  and Ultrasight — Ultrasight had 
  a tendency to bully the under-sized Redshift , and 
  Redshift  refused to put up with his abuse. Redshift  
  transformed into his energy form and at lightning 
  speed ﬂ ew at Ultrasight, intending to jolt him into 
  unconsciousness when his energy form passed 
  through Ultrasight’s body. Ultrasight, his senses 
  shift ing into overdrive, took cover behind the slow-
  moving Silver Shine, who was sitting beside him on 
  the couch. Redshift  bounced oﬀ  Silver Shine’s mir-
  rored skin... and directly into Gloriana.
  Gloriana had always posed a problem for the 
  Ravenswood staﬀ . Judged one of the most powerful 
  superhumans of her generation — an age-group 
  that included the supervillainess Gravitar — she 
  posed a grave threat to the world if not taught 
  to follow the path of the superhero (or at least, a 
  non-criminal path). But she was rebellious and 
  possessed an arrogance that only increased as her 
  power grew. Below this rebellious and arrogant 
  facade, she never stopped worrying about her heri-
  tage. She wasn’t a mutant and she wasn’t human, 
  but whether she was alien, other-dimensional, or 
  something else entirely, no one knew. Th is com-
  bination of personality traits — arrogance and a 
  hatred of authority matched with a deep-seated 
  uncertainty and a gnawing anxiety — made Glori-
  ana unpredictable and oft en irrational. Th ough she 
  maintained an impenetrable cool facade that pre-
  vented the faculty from realizing the depth of her 
  problems, she had a tenuous grip on her sanity.
  When Redshift  bounced oﬀ  Silver Shine 
  and collided with an unsuspecting Gloriana, she 
  absorbed his energy form. She didn’t do it inten-
  tionally — she was unconsciously protecting her-
  self — but absorbing Redshift  body, mind, and soul 
  drove her over the edge. She exploded like a small 
  star, setting the dorm ablaze. Th e initial explosion 
  left  Ultrasight permanently blind. Th en Gloriana 
  began rampaging. Sai departed the scene, teleport-
  ing away to protect the younger students still in 
  residence for the holidays (including her younger 
  sister Flicker). Th e headstrong Silver Shine stood 
  his ground, conﬁ dent that his mirrored skin could 
  reﬂ ect Gloriana’s attacks long enough for him to 
  talk some sense into her... but he was wrong. When 
  Gloriana unleashed a ﬂ urry of varicolored photon 
  beams at him, they punched through his chest, 
  shattering his skin like bullets striking a delicate 
  mirror and killing him.
  Sai knew she couldn’t stop Gloriana — or 
  even stand against her for long — so she took her 
  sister and the other kids, hot-wired a mini-van, 
  and escaped from the Academy. Once she was out 
  of danger, she alerted the Champions. Millennium 
  City’s defenders failed to capture Gloriana, but 
  they held her at bay long enough that the newborn 
  supervillainess tired of the struggle and departed.
  When Rowan returned to the Academy, she 
  was left  to pick up the pieces of her broken school. 
  She cancelled the Spring semester, claiming that a 
  ﬁ re had started due to faulty wiring and destroyed 
  several of the buildings. When she reopened the 
  doors of Ravenswood the following fall, none of the 
  superhuman Class of ’03 returned to complete their 
  education and receive their degrees. Gloriana was 
  lost to villainy; Silver Shine was dead; Ultrasight 
  had turned bitter and withdrawn, eventually to be 
  institutionalized; and Sai, already fed up with being 
  bossed around aft er living on her own for several 
  years, refused to return (although she allowed her 
  sister Flicker to resume classes aft er much arguing 
  with Rowan). Rowan holds herself accountable for 
  the tragedy and works hard to ensure that nothing 
  of the sort ever happens again. She instituted sev-
  eral measures toward this end, including the instal-
  lation of the artiﬁ cial intelligence PLATO to watch 
  over the students.
  about the Academy 
  and oﬀ er to introduce 
  them to the school’s 
  headmistress. Th e adult 
  strongly encourages the 
  teen to pursue admis-
  sion to Ravenswood, 
  but barring extenuating 
  circumstances, doesn’t 
  force the teen to do any-
  thing, nor does he pry 
  into the teen’s private 
  life.
  Of course, extenuating 
  circumstances are far 
  from unusual in a super-
  hero’s career. When such 
  considerations exist, 
  adult superheroes take 
  a far more proactive 
  stance concerning a teen 
  superhero’s activities. 
  Typically, rather than 
  bringing in the authori-
  ties, adult superheroes 
  attempt to take care of 
  matters personally — to 
  keep it in the family, so 
  to speak. Adult superhe-
  roes eschew traditional 
  social services for much 
  the same reasons they 
  don’t expect traditional 
  law enforcement to 
  deal with supervillains:  
  superpowers create a 
  unique situation that 
  social services aren’t 
  equipped to handle. 
  However, in exceptional 
  circumstances they do 
  call on the resources 
  of the Department of 
  Superhuman and Para-
  normal Aﬀ airs to help 
  locate teen superhe-
  roes and their parents, 
  especially if the teen is 
  deemed a threat to him-
  self or society.
  Continued from last page
  
  49 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Two
  Here are the doings of some of the Ravenswood alumni 
  as of 2005, both those described in the history and a few 
  others. Th ese superhumans oft en serve as guest lecturers 
  or short-term instructors at the Academy. Rowan some-
  times asks an alumnus to “mentor” a student with similar 
  powers or living situation if that student has diﬃ  culty 
  coming to grips with his abilities and no one already on 
  staﬀ  has similar powers.
  Prince Marus (Class of ’91) is described on page 27 
  of Hidden Lands.  Gloriana and Sai (Class of ’03) are 
  described in Chapter Th ree.
  CLASS OF ’92
  Black Sable:  Black Sable returned to France, where she 
  came into control of her family’s great wealth, and now 
  patrols the streets of Paris. She works closely with Europol 
  and is a trusted crimeﬁ ghter in Europe as well as one of 
  the most eligible bachelorettes in the Superhuman World. 
  She oft en guest lectures to upperclassmen concerning the 
  state of superhumanity in Europe, and Rowan sometimes 
  asks her to mentor a student who will come into wealth 
  upon reaching his majority to teach him ways to use that 
  wealth to help his crimeﬁ ghting.
  The Machinist:  Th e Machinist retreated to an isolated 
  cabin in the Black Hills of North Dakota in the late Nine-
  ties aft er the proliferation of cell phones, PDAs, and the 
  like became too much of a strain on his cyberkinetic 
  powers. Th ere, he works toward explaining the unlikely 
  technologies that superheroes possess, seeking a uniﬁ ed 
  theory as to why these inventions work when they oft en 
  defy the laws of physics. His studies have taken him down 
  strange avenues of research, and among technology-based 
  superheroes he’s considered something of a crackpot. His 
  current theory involves an otherdimensional realm that’s 
  entirely a sentient technological-based organism. Th is 
  “Realm of the Created” is coming to overlap our own, and 
  its sentience is the root cause of superhuman technology. 
  As the Machinist’s ideas grow more far-fetched, Rowan 
  has become increasingly loath to have him as a guest 
  lecturer — while she still enjoys his company, she feels his 
  teachings are too strange and outre for children, and more 
  likely to distract them from their studies than help them 
  become better superheroes.
  Null:  Null expanded his powers to move not just through 
  space, but also other dimensions. During his extra-dimen-
  sional adventures he fell in love with Princess Yrella, a 
  woman of an other-dimensional race called in English 
  the Spiral Stair. He now lives on Yrella’s world of Tiergon, 
  a polygon-shaped planet of stairsteps and platforms, 
  whose united races are currently attempting to stave oﬀ  
  an invasion by Istvatha V’han. A champion of his adopted 
  species, he hasn’t returned to Earth for two years, but 
  previously he would take time out to visit Rowan when he 
  returned to this dimension, and she always asked him to 
  share some of his adventures with the student body.
  Sideways:  Sideways turned away from a life of superhero-
  ing and went to MIT, where he eventually received a Ph.D 
  in aerospace engineering. If Rowan becomes convinced 
  that a superpowered student is unlikely to pursue the life 
  of a superhero, Sideways is one of the alumni she oft en 
  invites to visit one-on-one with the student and discuss 
  what life is like when a person with superpowers attempts 
  to live solely in the mundane world.
  FROM OTHER CLASSES
  Fray (Class of ’98):  Fray is a winged, reptilian humanoid 
  whom the Sentinels discovered in a VIPER lab in 1993. 
  Th e super-scientist Dr. Silverback suspects she’s the work 
  of Dr. Moreau (Silverback’s own creator) who “conceived” 
  her by combining devolved bird DNA with human DNA. 
  Th e Sentinels were unsure what to do with the young 
  girl and Rowan agreed to foster her, naming her Dorotea 
  aft er her mother. When Fray was old enough she attended 
  Ravenswood with the other students. Since graduating 
  Fray has avoided the life of a superhero, instead residing 
  in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and protecting her iden-
  tity with an image inducer. She has recently traveled to 
  Beast Mountain and is considering permanently moving 
  there. Fray’s main power is ﬂ ight; her high maneuver-
  ability allowing her to excel at aerial combat, and Rowan 
  oft en invites her foster daughter to teach classes in aerial 
  maneuvers and combat.
  Mr. Inexplicable (Class of ’96):  Codenamed Chance (and 
  nicknamed by his fellow students Fat Chance because 
  he was so skinny) when he attended Ravenswood, Mr. 
  Inexplicable has powers over random occurrences. He 
  possesses the ability to reduce the odds of an event 
  occurring until those odds are 1-to-1 and the event 
  spontaneously happens. He spent a short time as a 
  superhero, but found himself questioning the morality 
  of manipulating chance when he discovered he could 
  directly aﬀ ect people’s decisionmaking process. Eventu-
  ally he retired from active superheroing and went on to 
  receive a Ph.D in Statistics and Probability Th eory. He’s 
  now employed as an associate at a private think tank in 
  Washington D.C., and oft en guest lectures in the ﬁ elds 
  of superhuman ethics and morality.
  Night Marshall II (Class of ’94):  Codenamed Balance when 
  a student, the Night Marshall is the only superhero to 
  attend Ravenswood who had no superpowers. He was 
  the son of the original Night Marshall, a crimeﬁ ghter 
  who patrolled the streets of Dallas in the Sixties and 
  Seventies. Th e original Night Marshall asked Rowan to 
  accept his son into the school when his archnemesis 
  Cloudburst learned his secret identity. Since graduating, 
  the Night Marshall has lived a nomadic existence, travel-
  ing throughout the United States and acting the part of 
  superhero when necessary. On two separate occasions 
  he’s served as an instructor in superhuman self-defense 
  for a year at the school. Rowan feels he’s a talented 
  instructor — especially since his lack of superpow-
  ers oft en serves to humble the students in his classes, 
  encouraging them to listen more closely — and she pes-
  ters him to settle down and come onto the staﬀ  full-time 
  whenever she talks to him.
  Superstar (Class of ’01):  Superstar is the oldest student 
  to have graduated from Ravenswood (he received his 
  diploma at age 21). He’s a mutant with cosmic energy 
  powers who at 16 committed a series of robberies and 
  found himself sentenced to ﬁ ve years in Stronghold. 
  During his time in jail, Rowan conducted a series of 
  interviews with the young man and decided to take a 
  chance on him. At her urging, Superstar was granted 
  parole aft er serving three years of his sentence and came 
  to attend Ravenswood to ﬁ nish the last two years of his 
  education. Rowan’s hard work and dedication paid oﬀ  
  — he reformed, becoming a sometimes superhero — and 
  she oft en calls on Superstar to mentor a student she fears 
  might fall into supervillainy.
  WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
  
  50 ■ The Ravenswood Academy
  Hero System 5th Edition
  THE ACADEMY GROUNDS
  Th e majority of Ravenswood’s 500 acres is 
  mowed lawns and buildings, all surrounded by a 
  two-meter-high brick wall, but the grounds also 
  includes the remains of the Ravenswood (the 
  forest aft er which the Academy takes its name) 
  and Lake Chippewa.
  Head Gardener Lhakpa Gyaltsen
  Head gardener Lhakpa Gyaltsen and his 
  extended family, who also work as gardeners under 
  Lhakpa’s supervision, live on campus in two of the 
  guest houses. If asked about this, Rowan responds 
  that the Gyaltsens are refugees from Tibet and she 
  allows them to stay as an act of charity. Th is, how-
  ever, is not true.
  Th e Gyalstens are royalty from Sha-Prylen, 
  a planet rimwards from Earth that the tyrannical 
  H’zeel conquered ten years ago. Th e Prylenish are 
  a species of sentient plants who possess empathy 
  with other forms of plant life and the ability to 
  “grow” into myriad shapes and sizes — including a 
  humanoid shape. Th e Gyalstens’ true family name 
  is Giel-Berusa-Eqar-Stenlanien; they’re members 
  of the royal family who escaped from their planet 
  right as the H’zeel made a ﬁ nal push into the capi-
  tal. Th e Gyalstens’ ship was programmed to go to 
  the Perseid Empire, but sustained damage during 
  the ﬂ ight. Th ey eventually found themselves land-
  ing on Earth. Soon aft erward, a H’zeel spy-ship 
  detected their landing and investigated. But the 
  H’zeel weren’t the only ones who witnessed the 
  Prylenish’s ship coming to ground — so did the 
  Ravenswood Class of ’96. Curious about the falling 
  star that seemed to have landed in their backyard, 
  the students investigated and found themselves 
  ﬁ ghting with the H’zeel.
  Th e students drove oﬀ  the H’zeel and brought 
  the Prylenish refugees to Rowan, who oﬀ ered them 
  a home until the powers-that-be could decide 
  what to do with them. Eventually both UNTIL and 
  PRIMUS granted them political asylum, and the 
  Gyalstens have lived on the Ravenswood estate 
  ever since. Th ey tend to the grounds as their way of 
  returning Rowan’s kindness. Th ere are nine Gyal-
  stens living in two guest houses. Lhakpa is a prince 
  of the royal family, fourth in line to the throne of 
  Sha-Prylen. In addition to tending to the grounds, 
  he guest lectures in the Other Species Culture series 
  of seminars about the customs and mores of the 
  Prylenish. Lhakpa Junior, the teenage son of the 
  elder Lhakpa and his wife, currently attends classes 
  as the student codenamed Root; he belongs to 
  Homeroom Delta.
  THE RAVENSWOOD
  Th e Ravenswood proper is a forest of red and 
  white pine covering almost three hundred acres 
  in the northwest corner of the estate. It’s home to 
  small mammals like squirrels and raccoons — only 
  rarely does something larger make its way onto 
  the grounds — and an immense number of ravens 
  perch in the branches of the thickly-grown trees. 
  Most perceptive onlookers can’t help but notice 
  the great number of black-plumed birds, and when 
  the ravens decide to squawk and caw, the noise can 
  seem almost deafening (it’s loud enough to wake a 
  sleeping student in the middle of night).
  Stories circulate among the students about 
  other things that lurk in the forest — from faeries 
  and pixies, to boggarts and goblins — and older 
  students tell younger ones these stories to frighten 
  them during their ﬁ rst year. In addition to the sup-
  posed supernatural creatures lurking in the woods, 
  the place has been at various times, depending on 
  which student tells the tale, an old Indian 
  burial mound, the site of the lost French 
  colony of D’Artisville (a wholly made-up 
  colony, head librarian Ms. Platz is quick to 
  point out), and the site of an abbey of heretic 
  monks, who claimed to be Jesuits but were 
  in truth Satanists, that was razed when the 
  British took Detroit from the French.
  Th rough the Ravenswood are trails for 
  hiking, running, and bicycling, and both 
  the cross country and cycling teams use 
  the trails for practice, weather permitting. 
  Located in the depths of the forest, in a small 
  clearing lit at night by ﬂ oodlights, is a large 
  gazebo made from Indiana limestone and 
  roofed with red clay tile. Named the James 
  M. Simmons Gazebo aft er the alumnus 
  whose parents donated the funds to renovate 
  the structure, it’s a frequent rendevous for 
  students — especially if they’ve snuck away 
  from the dorms aft er lights out. It’s also a 
  secret entrance to U-Hall and the facilities 
  for non-traditional students.
  LAKE CHIPPEWA
  Within the Ravenswood is Lake Chip-
  pewa, a natural freshwater lake. It’s two hun-
  
  51 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Two
  
  52 ■ The Ravenswood Academy
  Hero System 5th Edition
  dred feet across at its widest and twenty feet deep 
  at its center, and Hart Creek feeds into it. Th e creek 
  runs through the wall surrounding the estate, and 
  a steel grate with an alarm system secures both the 
  entrance and exit. Th e water in the lake is nearly 
  crystal clear; the only ﬁ sh are minnows and the 
  like. Th e students use the lake for recreation during 
  the warm months and ice skating in winter. On the 
  shore there’s a small boathouse with a pier, a bath 
  house, and a sand pit for beach volleyball. 
  No stories are told of Lake Chippewa; 
  although every once in a while an older student 
  attempts to convince a younger one he saw ﬁ sh-
  men or other aquatic humanoids swimming 
  around when they thought no one else was nearby. 
  Of course, even the most naive freshman isn’t naive 
  enough to believe a story like that....
  Buildings
  Twenty-nine buildings (not including secret 
  installations and the like for superhero training) 
  comprise the Ravenswood Academy, most clustered 
  near the center of campus. Buildings are named 
  aft er the individuals who donated the funds to 
  build them, or in honor of someone else at the 
  request of the donor (which is how superheroes 
  who donate funds disguise their involvement). Th e 
  most important buildings include:
  THE RANDOLPH HOUSE
  Th e Randolph House is the original mansion 
  that stood on the estate when Rowan purchased 
  the property. It once served as the home for Leon 
  Randolph and the children he fostered. A large, 
  sprawling place at the very center of the estate, the 
  mansion is three stories tall and was built in the 
  Forties. Within the mansion are administrative 
  oﬃ  ces on the ﬁ rst ﬂ oor, teacher’s oﬃ  ces and con-
  ference rooms on the second, and the former east 
  wing is now an auditorium large enough to seat 
  four hundred people. Th e third ﬂ oor of the man-
  sion provides living quarters for Rowan.
  THE JAMES HARMON THEATER
  Donated by famed industrialist James Harmon 
  IV, the Harmon Th eater is where the Ravenswood 
  Players, the school’s orchestra, and sometimes trav-
  eling groups of professional actors put on perfor-
  mances. It has seating for ﬁ ve hundred.
  GERALD MCCLELLAN FIELDHOUSE
  Th e McClellan Fieldhouse has facilities for bas-
  ketball as well as indoor track, gymnastics, volleyball, 
  and the like. Attached to the ﬁ eldhouse is a complex 
  with locker rooms, weight rooms, studios for aero-
  bics and dance, and oﬃ  ces for Harry Biggs and Jil-
  lian Feldman, the physical education teachers.
  LILIAN REILMANN LIBRARY
  Holding over sixteen thousand volumes, the 
  Reilmann Library is three stories tall. It’s named 
  for the woman who donated many of the volumes 
  that got the library started in 1989 and provided 
  the funds to build the place. At the center of the 
  building is the main room — an open atrium with 
  skylights in the roof. Levels with bookshelves look 
  out on the open area; there are tables for study on 
  the ground ﬂ oor. Th ere’s also a large reading room 
  with newspapers from all over the world (students 
  can request that the library subscribe to a particu-
  lar newspaper if it doesn’t already) and oﬃ  ces for 
  the head librarian, Ms. Platz, and her staﬀ  of three 
  full-time librarians. Five to seven students work 
  here in the evenings and on weekends as part of 
  their work study.
  JEFFERSON DEALY COMMONS
  Dealy Commons is Ravenswood’s dining hall. 
  It serves lunch for all students and faculty, and 
  breakfast and dinner for boarding students and 
  faculty who live on campus. Breakfast is served at 
  7:00 AM, lunch at noon, and dinner at 5:00 PM. 
  Th e main dining hall seats four hundred; it has 
  tables, each with four to twelve seats. Faculty eat 
  in a separate area just oﬀ  the main dining hall, 
  although they may join their students if they wish. 
  In addition to the kitchens and dining area there 
  are oﬃ  ces for the Academy’s nutritionist, Mary 
  Hoﬀ man. Despite the students’ complaints, the food 
  the dining hall serves is far superior to that found 
  in other high schools.
  
  53 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Two
  OTHER BUILDINGS
  Classroom Buildings
  Th ere are two main buildings with classrooms, 
  Bussey and Wood Hall. Both of these are two stories 
  tall with nineteen and ﬁ ft een classrooms respectively. 
  Most classes for freshman and sophmores are held in 
  Bussey Hall; those for juniors and seniors in Wood 
  Hall. Th e Academy also has a Fine Arts Center, a 
  smaller building with studios for art classes.
  Dormitories
  Th e Academy has four dormitories for board-
  ing students, who are assigned by gender and class 
  to a dorm. In addition to the students housed in a 
  dorm, two teachers (with their families if they have 
  one) live on the ground ﬂ oor, and they are respon-
  sible for the welfare of the students in the building.
  Th e dorms are square with an open, grassy 
  courtyard at the center called a quad. Each dormi-
  tory is approximately twenty meters to a side, three 
  stories high, and has rooms for ﬁ ft y-two students 
  and two four-person families. Th e family units are 
  on the ground ﬂ oor; students reside on the second 
  and third ﬂ oors. On each of these ﬂ oors are twenty-
  six 2 x 3 meter one-bed bedrooms. Each pair of 
  rooms is connected by a single bathroom. 
  Each ﬂ oor also has a lounge with a television 
  and a study area with computers and a small col-
  lection of books that’s changed every month by the 
  library staﬀ . Each dorm has an attic where residents 
  can store things (mostly trunks with winter cloth-
  ing, and the like); only the teachers living in the 
  dorm have keys to the attic.
  Th e four dorms are:  Braun House (32 male 
  freshmen and sophmores), Dole House (29 female 
  freshman and sophmores), Nagel House (17 male 
  juniors and seniors), and Sturm House (23 female 
  juniors and seniors).
  Guest Houses
  Th ere are ten guest houses scattered around 
  the campus, each located far enough away from 
  the center of the Academy to provide the residents 
  with some privacy. A guest house is two stories with 
  three bedrooms and used to house visiting teachers 
  and guest lecturers, as well as the occasional per-
  manent member of the faculty. Th ree of the houses 
  are permanently occupied by:
  ■ 
  Professors emeritus Frank Hildreth and 
  George Post, who share one house with 
  their live-in housekeeper/nurse, Miss Alice 
  O’Connor.
  ■ 
  Head gardener Lhakpa “Lucky” Gyaltsen and 
  his large family reside permanently in two of 
  the guest houses.
  Secret Facilities
  To the world, and to most of its students, 
  Ravenswood Academy is an ordinary private 
  school... but as the Superhuman World knows, it 
  also teaches young superhumans. Th at aspect of the 
  Academy and its facilities are hidden. Collectively 
  the Academy’s secret facilities are called U-Hall 
  (short for Underground Hall). U-Hall occupies 
  nearly the entire underground area beneath Raven-
  swood Academy. It’s a state-of-the-art facility with 
  technology that rivals anything the Champions or 
  Justice Squadron have in their bases.
  Reaching U-Hall
  Th ere are several secret entrances leading to 
  U-Hall, but students mainly use the ones located in 
  the dormitories or the classroom buildings.
  Dormitory Entrances:  Each dormitory has special 
  rooms; in each of these rooms, the closet is slightly 
  smaller than those in other rooms. At the back of 
  the closet is a concealed door, and the door opens 
  to reveal a narrow anti-grav tube that a student can 
  use to travel up or down by speaking the direction 
  he wishes to go (a security feature in the tube auto-
  matically lowers any object as heavy as a child to the 
  bottom if the “object” says nothing). Th e doors are 
  opened by well-concealed voice-keyed security sys-
  tems (Concealment at -6 to ﬁ nd; Security Systems at 
  -8 to bypass). Each door is DEF 12, BODY 8.
  FROM THE RAVENSWOOD 
  PROSPECTUS:  
  FACT SHEET
  General
  Student-Teacher Ratio 
  6:1
  Average Class Size 
  12 students
  Campus Size 
  500 acres
  Number of Buildings 
  29
  Volumes in Library 
  16,000+
  Interscholastic Sports 
  10
  Interscholastic Teams 
  16
  Student Clubs and Organizations 
  33
  Enrollment
  Total 
  247
  Boarding 
  101
  Day 
  196
  Student Proﬁ le
  Current students come from 11 countries and 6 states.
  Male 
  47%
  Female 
  53%
  Students of Color 
  20%
  International Students 
  11%
  Admissions Statistics
  Applications Submitted in 2004 
  566
  Admitted in 2004 
  22%
  New Students Entering in 2004 
  74
  From Public Schools 
  35%
  From Private, Parochial, Charter,
   or Foreign Schools 
  65%
  Average SAT Scores
  Class of 2005
  Verbal 
  680
  Math 
  700
  Tuition
  Boarding 
  $29,600
  Day 
  $21,740
  Miscellaneous
  School Colors: 
  Midnight blue, green, and silver
  School Mascot: 
  Th e Blackbirds
  
  54 ■ The Ravenswood Academy
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Classroom Entrances:  Each classroom building 
  has four special classrooms, only assigned to the 
  homerooms for non-traditional students. Although 
  the technology in these surface classrooms is very 
  hard to detect (Concealment at -6), Rowan takes no 
  chances and the rooms are never assigned to tradi-
  tional students and faculty.
  Once the class period has begun and the stu-
  dents have taken their seats, the classroom descends 
  to U-Hall, where the students and teacher go to the 
  Hub for the period, and the room above is “secured” 
  against outsiders. Holographic projectors (Images 
  with -8 to PER Rolls to perceive) in both the outside 
  windows and the door window present an image of 
  the class going through a standard homeroom ses-
  sion (PLATO provides a new scene each day based 
  on his recordings of the students and teacher). Th e 
  door and windows are locked so that only PLATO 
  and Rowan can open them (Lockpicking at -8 to 
  bypass these locks). If someone attempts to open 
  the door or windows, PLATO adjusts the hologram 
  to react to the person outside, delaying as necessary. 
  Meanwhile, an alarm alerts the students and teacher 
  to the situation, who proceed to the classroom in 
  time to deal with the person.
  Traveling In U-Hall
  Travel between the far-ﬂ ung facilities that 
  make up U-Hall is handled via mag-lev platforms, 
  which allow the students to move about quickly 
  if they need to reach someplace on the surface 
  to protect their identities. (Mischievous students 
  sometimes stage “races” with them to see who can 
  get to a particular location the fastest — a practice 
  the Academy severely punishes if the students are 
  caught.) Each hallway has two mag-lev platforms 
  divided by a walkway. Th e mag-lev platforms are 
  DEF 6, BODY 8, SPD 3, have Ground Movement 
  12”/24”, and can carry up to six people comfortably 
  (or nine if they crowd together). Th e platforms are 
  enclosed, and barring an instructor issuing a voice 
  override command, the door won’t open while the 
  platform is in motion.
  THE HUB
  Immediately below the Randolph House is 
  the Hub where the six classrooms for non-tradi-
  tional students are. Halls lead from the hexagon-
  shaped central area to all the other facilities. An 
  anti-grav elevator connects the Hub from the 
  third ﬂ oor of Randolph House (Rowan’s living 
  quarters and oﬃ  ce).
  Th ere’s a second level below the Hub contain-
  ing the HVAC systems, PLATO’s physical location, 
  and the like. Only Rowan can access this level; she 
  accompanies anyone who needs to visit it to per-
  form maintenance and the like.
  Classrooms:  Each of the six classrooms is the same. 
  Th e desks, arranged in a circle around the center of 
  the room, emerge from alcoves in the ﬂ oor, one desk 
  for each student and one for the teacher. Th e stu-
  dents can swivel the desks as necessary to follow the 
  teacher, and the teacher can order PLATO to lock 
  the desks in position if students can’t stop ﬁ dgeting. 
  Set in the ﬂ oor at the center of the room is a holo-
  graphic projector the teacher uses for customized 
  presentations or to display images from PLATO’s 
  archives. Each desktop has a built-in computer 
  with access to both the library system and PLATO’s 
  archives. Th ese computers are slaved to the computer 
  in the teacher’s desk so he can monitor each student’s 
  activity. Th e walls of the classroom are photosensi-
  tive; the teacher has a light stylus he uses to write on 
  them, and can erase them with a voice command.
  THE OCEANUS AND ORANA 
  UNDERSEA DOME
  Called the O-and-O by the students, the 
  Oceanus And Orana Undersea Dome is a large 
  structure at the middle of Lake Chippewa that is 
  an exact replica of an Atlantean undersea gym-
  nasium right down to the grandiose columns and 
  friezes depicting the legendary feats of Vondarien 
  and other Atlantean heroes. Queen Mara and 
  Prince Marus donated the O-and-O in 1991 upon 
  Marus’s graduation and named it honor of Mara’s 
  mother and father.
  Th e polakios ﬁ eld, a sort of subaquatic water 
  polo played in three dimensions, occupies the 
  center of the dome with the swimming obstacle 
  course suspended above it. Th e dome has a hidden 
  entrance to Lake Chippewa that students are 
  warned to use with extreme caution (U-hall pro-
  vides the main access to and from the dome). Air-
  locks with Atlantean underwater breathing apparati 
  lead into the dome proper.
  
  55 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Two
  Ravenswood campaigns focus on the teens with superpow-
  ers, but they’re deﬁ nitely not the only ones at the Academy. 
  In fact, they’re just a small percentage of the student body. 
  Most of the kids at Ravenswood are completely ordinary 
  — no diﬀ erent from the teens you’d ﬁ nd at any other high 
  school in the country (except, perhaps, for tending to come 
  from families with a higher than average income, since 
  Ravenswood is a private school). Some of the “trad stus” 
  your superpowered teen PCs might interact with include:
  Yasmin Gharibah:  Th e daughter of a wealthy Middle East-
  ern couple who emigrated to the Detroit area in the late 
  Seventies, Yasmin is widely regarded as one of the prettiest 
  girls in school. Her dark eyes, long black hair, and infec-
  tious smile have inspired crushes in dozens of boys. She 
  rarely dates anyone for very long, though; she seems to 
  prefer to focus on extracurricular activities and college 
  prep instead of the opposite gender. But no doubt there’s a 
  Mr. Right out there for her somewhere....
  It’s a not very well-kept secret around Ravenswood and 
  Orchardville that Yasmin and her family aren’t Lebanese as 
  they claim to be:  they’re Iranian. Many people suspect (cor-
  rectly) that her father Feroz was some sort of high-ranking 
  oﬃ  cial serving the Shah of Iran before he was deposed, and 
  that he ﬂ ed to America to avoid prosecution.
  Rick Satriani:  Th ere are student-athletes, and then there are 
  student-athletes — kids who not only excel at their school-
  work, but are champion competitors as well. At Raven-
  swood, the Jock the other Jocks look up to is Rick Satriani. 
  He’s a forward on the basketball team, a striker on the 
  soccer team, and competes on the track and ﬁ eld squad as 
  well. He holds two state track records, and the soccer and 
  basketball teams haven’t had a losing season since he came 
  to the Academy. As if that wasn’t enough to make you sick, 
  he’s also on the honor roll, with a report card that usually 
  shows straight As.
  But the truth is that no one’s sick of Rick, because 
  he’s that rarest of people:  a genuinely nice guy. Despite 
  being king of the Jocks at Ravenswood, he doesn’t pay any 
  attention to cliques; he treats everyone well, and everyone 
  considers him a friend. If he wanted to, he could date any 
  girl in school, but he’s gone steady with Pam Hawkins for 
  almost a year now.
  Michael Harwell:  Plenty of Ravenswood students come 
  from families that are well oﬀ , but the Harwells are head 
  and shoulders above most of them. Jason Harwell made 
  billions through ﬁ nance and investment, and he wants the 
  best for his seven children. When it comes to school, that 
  means Ravenswood Academy.
  Michael (not “Mike”) Harwell, Jason’s eldest son, is 
  a Ravenswood junior and wants for nothing. He drives 
  himself to school in a Porsche, his school supplies are 
  mail-ordered from a fancy readers’ catalog, and he’s always 
  dressed in the latest and best of teen fashions. While he’s 
  not exactly the “spoiled rich brat” seen in so many TV 
  shows and movies, Michael deﬁ nitely seems to prefer to 
  associate mostly with other rich or upper-crust students. 
  He doesn’t like having to limit his social options just 
  because some other student can’t aﬀ ord to go skiing one 
  weekend, or blow a few hundred bucks on a fancy meal in 
  the city. Th e other students call him and his gang of friends 
  “the Franklin Club” because they spend so many $100 bills.
  Gary “Snod” Snodergrass:  Only a sophomore in 2004, Gary 
  Snodergrass — better known simply as “Snod” to friend, 
  foe, and teacher alike — has already earned a reputation 
  as a Grade-A weirdo. Short and lanky, with unruly black 
  hair and a penchant for black clothing, he has an unhealthy 
  fascination with ﬁ recrackers, chemistry sets, cigarette 
  lighters, and anything else that burns or goes boom. His 
  grades, particularly in science classes, are good enough that 
  most teachers think he’s just “eccentric” and will eventually 
  become a chemical engineer, but a few of the students are 
  genuinely scared of him... even though no one can point 
  to a single incident where he hurt anybody with one of his 
  “experiments.”
  Jake Zimmerman:  An unapologetic geek, Jake Zimmerman 
  (usually just “Jake Z” to his friends) is a whiz at computer 
  science and physics, but only a lackluster student in other 
  subjects. He obsessively maintains a detailed website track-
  ing news, information, and gossip about the superhumans 
  of Millennium City (hero and villain alike). He only has 
  access to public data sources, so it’s not as if a reader can 
  ﬁ nd secret identities at www.jakezsupers.com, but aside 
  from that the site is extremely thorough. More than one 
  reporter has made use of it.
  TEACHERS
  Ravenswood also has plenty of teachers who don’t teach 
  super-courses, and in fact don’t have the faintest idea that 
  some of their pupils are heroes in training. Some of the 
  most prominent of them are:
  Alicia Addams:  A favorite among the Alterna-Teens and 
  Weirdos at Ravenswood, Miss Addams teaches drama 
  and music. She runs the Drama Club, which puts on a 
  play every semester (sometimes more than one, if she 
  has enough club members to work with). She’s an accom-
  plished guitar and ﬂ ute player as well as a ﬁ ne singer. 
  Rumors among the student body claim she used to be in a 
  punk rock band, but quit when her bandmates wanted to 
  “sell out” and go commercial. Every student seems to have 
  a diﬀ erent idea about which now-famous band this was.
  Patrick McKittridge:  An English teacher hired several years 
  ago, Mr. McKittridge is still pretty young (early 30s), and 
  handsome to boot. As a result, it seems like half the girls 
  who take his Freshman English class develop a crush on 
  him. Aft er a couple of unpleasant incidents early in his 
  career he’s learned to distance himself from the students 
  to discourage this sort of thing, but every year without 
  fail one or two girls fall for him hard and he has to have 
  “a talk” with them that breaks their hearts... at least for a 
  week or two until they ﬁ nd someone their own age who 
  interests them.
  Paul Warren:  Mister Warren has taught math — algebra, 
  geometry, trig, calculus — at Ravenswood Academy almost 
  since the day the school opened. He’s now in his late ﬁ ft ies, 
  and his once-black hair has gone grey. A curmudgeon who 
  insists that everything be “just so,” students obey instruc-
  tions precisely, and answers be as concise and accurate as 
  possible, he’s one of the least-liked teachers at Ravenswood. 
  Th e students refer to him behind his back as “Lardass,” and 
  the other teachers’ comments oft en aren’t much kinder 
  — Mr. Warren doesn’t make much eﬀ ort to be friendly. But 
  no one can deny that a student who makes it through one 
  of his classes will learn the subject thoroughly.
  THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SCHOOL
  
  56 ■ The Ravenswood Academy
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Th e O-and-O serves as a recreation area and the 
  classroom for Non-Native Environment Instruction:  
  Undersea, the introductory course for the Non-
  Native Environment sequence of classes that’s taught 
  by Mr. Gillicutty. Ravenswood ﬁ elds a polakios team 
  in years when enough students express interest (a 
  minimum of ﬁ ve players — four on the ﬁ eld and one 
  sub — are required), and the team plays a home-
  and-home series against a team of Atlantean youths. 
  Out of eighteen matches the Ravenswood Black-
  birds are 1-17, the one win coming the year Prince 
  Marus coached the team in 1996. Th at single win has 
  become somewhat notorious, because rumor has it 
  the Atlantean team threw the game to avoid insult-
  ing their future monarch.
  Th e O-and-O’s water ﬁ ltration and salination 
  system is the reason the waters of Lake Chippewa 
  are so clear.
  THE PROFESSOR ARCANE LIBRARY
   Lilian Reilmann was the wife of the Golden 
  Age hero Professor Arcane, who disappeared some-
  where over Greenland in 1942 while investigating a 
  secret U-boat facility. His widow spent a large part 
  of her 76 years collecting literature on superheroes, 
  and upon her death she willed her library, as well 
  as her husband’s collection of books, to the Raven-
  swood Academy. Ms. Platz has kept up the collec-
  tion since then.
  Th e Professor Arcane Library is directly below 
  the Reilmann Library and holds volumes speciﬁ -
  cally intended for non-traditional students. Within 
  the stacks is a collection of books dealing with 
  the secret history of the world (though not all are 
  necessarily accurate...) as well as a large archive of 
  newspaper and magazine articles, scholarly texts, 
  and popular literature concerning crimeﬁ ghters 
  and superhumans in the twentieth century. Th e 
  library can be reached by the service elevator in the 
  aboveground library; access requires both PLATO’s 
  approval and a voice-keyed password.
  Staﬀ :  Th e Head Librarian
  Katherine Platz is a middle-aged woman who 
  was one of Rowan’s ﬁ rst hires. Formerly an inves-
  tigative journalist, she reported on superheroes 
  for the tabloids and was quite a nuisance for many 
  of them, always arriving on the scene just in time 
  to be taken hostage by a supervillain. In between 
  battles she hounded superheroes, exposing their 
  romantic trysts and publishing their “diet secrets” 
  to the world. In 1985 she went from nuisance 
  to threat when she broke a story revealing the 
  secret identity of Nightlurk, a crimeﬁ ghter who 
  protected the streets of Charlotte, North Carolina. 
  Within six weeks Nightlurk was murdered by his 
  allied enemies, and Ms. Platz realized the grav-
  ity of what she had done. She suﬀ ered a nervous 
  breakdown, quit her job, and fell into the grip of 
  a deep depression. Rowan found her four years 
  later and oﬀ ered her a chance to make amends. In 
  addition to her responsibilities as head librarian, 
  Ms. Platz also teaches Secret Identity, a mandatory 
  weekend seminar for all non-traditional students.
  POWER PLANT
  Th e above ground facilities for Ravenswood 
  draw their power from Millennium City’s power 
  grid, but the considerable power needs for U-Hall 
  have to be kept secret, so it has its own power plant. 
  Th e power source is singularity power — the gen-
  erator was invented by Mechanon and the Cham-
  pions donated it aft er they defeated the mechanical 
  archvillain — and the small black hole provides 
  more than enough power to supply all of U-Hall’s 
  energy needs.
  Hugo Th e Maintenance Man
  Hugo, a Mole-Man who defected to 
  the surface world six years ago during a 
  Lemurian attack that the California Patrol 
  thwarted, tends the power plant (and the U-
  Hall physical plant in general). He lives in a 
  small, spartan cubby just oﬀ  the main room 
  containing the black hole generator. PLATO 
  has been teaching Hugo about the surface 
  world, and he speaks pidgin English, but 
  his race’s vocal cords have atrophied and 
  for more complex conversations PLATO 
  must act as translator. Rowan has attempted 
  many times to convince Hugo to move to 
  one of the guest houses, but Hugo consid-
  ers his little cubby with its small writing 
  table and hard pallet four-star accommoda-
  tions compared to the Mole-Man warrens 
  he grew up in. Hugo has shown an aﬃ  nity 
  for technology — surprising considering 
  he spent a lifetime tending to the mystical 
  furnaces of Lemuria — and each year his 
  knowledge has grown by leaps and bounds. 
  Hugo keeps to himself for the most part, 
  but on occasion has struck up a friendship 
  with more technologically inclined stu-
  
  57 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Two
  dents. (For more information about the Mole-Men 
  and Lemuria, see Hidden Lands.)
  THE MICHAEL RENTON GYMNASIUM
  Donated by Michael Renton, the superhero 
  Amazing Man of the Fabulous Five, the Renton 
  Gymnasium is the complex containing the super-
  power training areas for the Ravenswood Academy. 
  It includes a weight room with machines that use 
  gravitational ﬁ elds to test the strength of even the 
  strongest brick, frictionless treadmills to measure 
  the speed of the fastest speedster, a ﬁ ring range 
  with targets that can absorb all sorts of energy and 
  measure the force of a blast, a variety of diagnostic 
  equipment used to analyze superpowers... and the 
  dreaded Testing Room.
  Th e Aviary
  Th is large room is used to create aerial obstacle 
  courses for students who can ﬂ y. Mostly this involves 
  rings and hoops that extend from the room’s six sur-
  faces and have adjustable diameters, and soft  spheres, 
  set to ﬂ y in various patterns, which the student must 
  avoid while attempting to pass through the rings and 
  hoops. More dangerous obstacles are reserved for 
  the Testing Room. Near the entrance are two hover 
  platforms instructors can use to ﬂ y along with the 
  students. Th e faculty also uses the room to challenge 
  some speedsters and teleporters, depending on the 
  nature of their powers.
  Th e Diagnostic Room And Medical Center
  Th ese two rooms are connected and used to 
  analyze students with unusual powers. Th e diag-
  nostic room contains six egg-shaped chairs with 
  cables running from the top, and inside each chair 
  is a VR headset. Th ese chairs allow the faculty to 
  measure the powers of students whose abilities 
  don’t have an visible and/or measurable eﬀ ect on 
  the physical world. Th e student sits in the chair and 
  wears the VR headset. Th e headset “disconnects” 
  the student’s mental impulses from his powers 
  so that nothing happens... even though as far as 
  his body and senses are concerned, he’s using his 
  powers. Th e student then runs through a scenario, 
  using his powers as appropriate, and the results are 
  reported to the instructor’s station in the Medi-
  cal Center. Each chair must be programmed to 
  respond to a given student, and this programming 
  takes some time (thus, a hero couldn’t force a vil-
  lain into a chair and “disconnect” his powers). Th e 
  system is ﬂ awed, however, since the virtual reality 
  created by the headsets isn’t perfect and the student 
  always knows the situation isn’t real, but Rowan has 
  found it the most eﬀ ective way of analyzing teens 
  who have unusual powers.
  In addition to the instructor’s station, the 
  Medical Center also holds four beds and serves as 
  a sickbay in case of an illness that seems tied to a 
  student’s superpowers.
  Firing Range
  Th e ﬁ ring range looks like a traditional ﬁ ring 
  range with six stations for shooters. Th e only dif-
  ference is the targets are made of a special polymer 
  that absorbs energy attacks and most forms of 
  kinetic attacks (all of them except Killing Attacks). 
  Computers then measure the force and other 
  qualities of the energy blast. Furthermore, the 
  ﬁ ring range can produce holographic targets of all 
  shapes and sizes; the energy projectors ﬁ re on the 
  target and the computer reports how eﬀ ective their 
  attacks are. Th is way students learn the best way of 
  
  58 ■ The Ravenswood Academy
  Hero System 5th Edition
  subduing non-humanoid creatures and destroying 
  inanimate objects.
  Th e Headspace
  Technically called the Mental Environment 
  Enablement Room, the Headspace is a training 
  room for students with mental powers. It has seven 
  seats in a circle around a central cylinder studded 
  with sensors and lenses. By focusing their mental 
  senses on the cylinder, students seated in the chairs 
  join together in a mentally-created “virtual reality” 
  environment. By means of a cybernetically-created 
  headset invented by the Machinist (Class of ’92), 
  non-mentalists can also join in the environment.
  Within this environment, mental powers have 
  visible eﬀ ects. For example, a student using telepa-
  thy on another student might cause glowing halos 
  to appear around each student with a golden strand 
  connecting the haloes, and the brighter the halo, 
  the stronger the telepathy. Th is lets students better 
  visualize what they’re doing, and allows the instruc-
  tor to have a better idea about what’s going on with 
  a young mentalist since emotional states color the 
  eﬀ ects. Furthermore, PLATO can interact with the 
  environment and provide sub-vocal advice and 
  observations to the instructor.
  Weight Room
  In this room are free weights for students 
  with normal strength and gravitic machines that 
  generate “weights” to challenge the superhumanly 
  strong. At one end of the room are three boxing 
  rings containing power nulliﬁ ers — Mr. Biggs feels 
  it’s important that superhumans learn to ﬁ ght with-
  out powers. He has three stories he tells whenever 
  a student protests; all of the stories involve times 
  when Mr. Biggs found himself without powers. 
  One time his mind was transferred into a power-
  less clone by Teleios, another he was ﬁ ghting the 
  Leech, and the third — by far, the longest and most 
  involved of the stories — deals with a time when 
  Professor Muerte and Terror, Inc ﬁ red a nullifying 
  ray from a satellite to drain Los Angeles’s superhe-
  roes of their powers.  By a student’s third year, he 
  can recount each story word for word, and there’s a 
  longstanding debate about whether Mr. Biggs real-
  izes he’s repeating himself — the common consen-
  sus is that he’s slightly punch drunk from all those 
  years as a brick.
  Th e Testing Room
  Th e Testing Room is Ravenswood’s danger 
  room (described on pages 103 and 104 of Champi-
  ons). Using a combination of robots and holograms, 
  the Testing Room creates scenarios intended to 
  challenge the teens, and the teens fail more oft en 
  than not. In this room the true training of the 
  future’s superheroes take place, with each member 
  of a homeroom not only learning how to better use 
  his powers but also work as a team.
  FACULTY AND STAFF
  Th e Ravenswood Academy employs 41 full- 
  and part-time instructors. As with the students, 
  Rowan divides her faculty into traditional instruc-
  tors and non-traditional ones. Traditional instruc-
  tors do not know of the superpowered students 
  attending the Academy, whereas non-traditional 
  ones do.
  Many faculty members have Masters degrees 
  in Education, but Rowan tries to keep as many 
  instructors as she can who have graduate degrees 
  in other ﬁ elds. A faculty position at Ravenswood is 
  a prestigious one, with the average teacher’s salary 
  being $65,000 — almost ten thousand dollars 
  higher than the average for the state.
  Non-Traditional Faculty
  Rowan waives certain degree requirements 
  depending on what superhuman experiences a 
  non-traditional faculty member brings to the job. 
  Many faculty members only stay for a year or two 
  as a sort of sabbatical from superheroing; here are a 
  few permanent members.
  Vernon Bromides:  Mr. Bromides is an older man 
  who had a less than spectacular career as the villain 
  Humbug in the Fift ies and Sixties. A mentalist, he 
  has an array of powers, but the most prominent is 
  Mental Illusions. Aft er spending ten years in prison, 
  he decided to go straight, went to school for Edu-
  cation, and aft er he spent over a decade teaching 
  math at a Detroit high school, Rowan approached 
  him about coming on staﬀ  at Ravenswood. Mr. 
  Bromides works with young mentalists and teaches 
  Extraordinary Morality and Ethics (he also teaches 
  Algebra and Geometry to traditional students). He 
  tries to keep his prior career as Humbug a secret, but 
  it’s one that usually slips out. Th ough he looks mild 
  with narrow features and wispy gray hair, he’s a cun-
  ning and insightful man, and he has seen the worst 
  humanity has to oﬀ er, both during team-ups with 
  more maniacal supervillains and while in prison. He 
  has little problem nosing out a student who’s lying to 
  him — and that’s without using his mental powers. 
  Mr. Bromides resides with his wife of eight years in 
  Nagel House; they have no children.
  Denise Latour:  A decade ago Mrs. Latour was a 
  high school history teacher who came into posses-
  sion of the Rose Ruby, a magical artifact from the 
  Turakian Age. Th e Rose Ruby was created by the 
  tears of an evil sorceress who lost her life because 
  she fell in love with a hero and (as a ghost) swore 
  vengeance on all mankind. Th e ruby possesses any 
  woman who holds it, giving her sorcerous powers 
  and forcing her to perpetrate crimes against men. 
  Aft er she spent ﬁ ve years of villainy as the Dark 
  Rose, the Sentinels separated Latour from the arti-
  fact, but by then her life was a shambles. Eventually 
  word reached Rowan about Latour’s situation, and 
  she asked her to take a position at Ravenswood. 
  Mrs. Latour’s been a member of the faculty ever 
  since. She teaches Superheroes and American Cul-
  
  59 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Two
  ture and Superheroes and US Government, as well 
  as traditional classes in US History. Divorced from 
  her husband, she recently won custody of her two 
  young children, who reside with her in Dole House.
  Harry Biggs:  Harry Biggs was formerly the super-
  hero Heavyweight, who used his control over 
  density to both reduce his opponent’s strength and 
  increase his own. He had a long, colorful career as 
  a West Coast superhero during the late Seventies 
  and early Eighties. As he entered middle age, his 
  powers grew more diﬃ  cult to use, so he retired. He 
  spent his time as a freelance consultant for banks 
  and the like, advising them on how to protect 
  themselves against supervillains. Th e work was 
  ﬁ nancially rewarding, but ultimately unsatisfying, 
  so eventually he retired and became a full-time 
  student at UCLA, where he took whatever class 
  struck his fancy for several years. Eventually Rowan 
  approached him, encouraged him to apply his 
  ample college credits toward a degree in Education, 
  and when he graduated hired him as the Physical 
  Education teacher. Mr. Biggs instructs students in 
  sports, ﬁ tness, self-dense, combat, and overall use of 
  their powers. A garrulous and good-natured man, 
  he’s good with the students — even if he does tend 
  to make too many digressions and tell too many 
  stories. Furthermore, his powers over density allow 
  him to reduce the density of a student who loses 
  his temper. With his density reduced, the student 
  eﬀ ectively becomes like a pillow — unable to do 
  any damage and unable to hurt himself. Mr. Biggs is 
  a large man in his late forties who keeps himself ﬁ t. 
  He wears his graying blond hair in a long ponytail. 
  He dresses casually and fashionably (at least for a 
  man his age) and resides in Braun House.
  Donald Randall, Jr.:  Mr. Randall is the son of Cap-
  tain Patriot, a popular superhero from World War 
  II who retired under a dark cloud aft er he sup-
  ported Joe McCarthy and HUAC during the Fift ies. 
  His son has no superpowers, but Donald Junior 
  spent a lifetime around superpowers and knows 
  the history of superheroes in America backwards 
  and forwards. Aft er graduating from college, he 
  spent nearly ten years working for PRIMUS, but 
  eventually his father’s political enemies stymied 
  his advancement and he resigned in disgust. From 
  there, he took various jobs in the private sector, 
  but felt he was doing little good... so when Rowan 
  approached him about becoming a teacher, he 
  leapt at the chance. He teaches various topics 
  concerning the law and superhumans and law 
  enforcement techniques; he also assists Mr. Biggs 
  with self-defense and combat training. He teaches 
  Economics and the History of the Vietnam War 
  for traditional students. A harsh and serious man, 
  he brooks no troublemakers or disrespect, even if 
  he only thinks his students are disrespecting him. 
  Rowan has had to take him aside and reprimand 
  him more than once about being too harsh on his 
  students. Mr. Randall knows he has a tendency to 
  treat his class like boot camp so he’s never taken the 
  reprimands badly, and he has nothing but respect 
  for Rowan and what she’s done with Ravenswood 
  Academy. Mr. Randall had a strained relation-
  ship with his famous father and tries to avoid 
  discussions about Captain Patriot. He will ﬂ y oﬀ  
  the handle if a student nettles him about Captain 
  Patriot, bringing up his activities aft er the war, but 
  does try to answer earnest questions about his 
  father if the subject comes up.
  
  60 ■ The Ravenswood Academy
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Gerald Gillicutty:  Mr. Gillicutty (Class of ’97) 
  teaches Biology for both traditional and non-tra-
  ditional students, as well as the Non-Native Envi-
  ronment Sequences classes for superhumans. A 
  mutant, Mr. Gillicutty possesses the ability to adapt 
  his body to any environment. Th e changes are auto-
  matic, but he must be exposed to the environment 
  to change. Th e power doesn’t lend itself to super-
  heroing, so aft er graduating from Ravenswood, he 
  went to college to study Biology and then accepted 
  a position as an instructor. Mr. Gillicutty is a 
  humorless man who only grows excited when talk-
  ing about the innards of a frog, cell division, and 
  other topics relating to biology. Slender and tall, 
  he has protuberant eyes and thick lips; though he 
  never took a superhero name, his nickname among 
  the students is Mr. Amphibian. When a student, 
  he was codenamed Adapter; most students agree 
  this might have been the poorest codename ever 
  assigned to a student.
  Doctors Frank Hildreth and George Post:  Th e oﬃ  -
  cial title for these men is professors emeritus, but 
  neither of them taught at the Ravenswood Academy 
  before being hired on in 1998. Instead Rowan found 
  them in her oﬃ  ce early one morning, arguing over 
  what time period and timestream they were in. 
  When Rowan interrupted their argument and asked 
  how they had gotten into her oﬃ  ce, they told her a 
  tale involving Captain Chronos.
  Th e two men were scientists in the Th irties who 
  had developed a time machine and became lost in 
  time. Th ey traveled back and forth through the past 
  and future, visiting alternative world aft er alternative 
  world, until they encountered Captain Chronos, who 
  took away their time machine (stating that the two 
  meddlers were messing everything up — although 
  he never told them exactly what “everything” was) 
  and deposited them in Rowan’s oﬃ  ce. He had prom-
  ised to return the two men to their own time, but it 
  was obvious from the morning paper on Rowan’s 
  desk that this wasn’t their time.
  Aft er Rowan explained where they were, they 
  looked at each other, shrugged, and asked for a job 
  — but would accept no title lower than professor 
  emeritus. Rowan agreed and since then the two 
  old men have taught both the Secret History of the 
  World class and the occasional Temporal Physics 
  class. Th eir Secret History class is a favorite among 
  the students, despite the fact the professors spend 
  most of their time arguing about the facts. In the ﬁ rst 
  few years of their tenure, they attempted to rebuild 
  their time machine, but it seemed they had forgot-
  ten how to. Both are convinced this forgetfulness is a 
  conspiracy on the part of Captain Chronos; neither 
  is willing to entertain the possibility that it might be 
  because they are both well into their eighties.
  
  61 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Two
  Staff
  Here are some additional members of the 
  Ravenswood staﬀ  who aren’t connected to a par-
  ticular building.
  ROWAN
  Ravenswood’s Headmistress
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   10 STR 
  0 
  11- 
  Lift  100 kg; 2d6 [1]
   18 DEX 
  24 
  13- 
  OCV:  6/DCV:  6
   15 CON 
  10 
  12-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   20 INT 
  10 
  13- 
  PER Roll 13-
   18 EGO 
  16 
  13- 
  ECV:  6
   15 PRE 
  5 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  3d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   4 PD 
  2 
   
  Total:  18 PD (14 rPD)
   4 ED 
  1 
   
  Total:  14 ED (10 rED)
   4 SPD 
  12 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   6 REC 
  2
   30 END 
  0
   30 STUN 
  7 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  89
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  25 
  Force Powers:  Elemental Control, 50-
  point powers
  30 
  1)  Force Manipulation:  Telekinesis (30 
  STR), Fine Manipulation 
  5
  26 
  2)  Force Field:  Force Field (14 PD/10 ED), 
  Protects Carried Items, Reduced Endur-
  ance (0 END; +1/2) 
  0
  25 
  3)  Force Shackles:  Entangle 5d6, 5 DEF 
  5
  25 
  4)  Force Wall:  Force Wall (8 PD/8 ED; 
  5” long and 2” tall) 
  5
  25 
  5)  Perceive Kinetic Energy:  Detect Motion 
  21- (no Sense Group), Discriminatory, 
  Analyze, Increased Arc Of Perception 
  (360 Degrees), Ranged, Sense, Targeting 
  0
   
  Skills
  9 
  +3 with Force Powers
  3 
  Bureaucratics 12-
  3 
  Computer Programming 13-
  3 
  Conversation 12-
  3 
  Deduction 13-
  3 
  CK:  Millennium City 13-
  3 
  Power:  Force Powers 13-
  3 
  Persuasion 12-
  3 
  PS: Teacher 13-
  3 
  PS: Psychologist 13-
  5 
  SS: Psychology 15-
  5 
  Tactics 14-
  5 
  Teamwork 14-
  3 
  Scholar
  4 
  1) KS: Superheroes 15-
  4 
  2) KS: Th e Superhuman World 15-
  4 
  3) KS: Supervillains 15-
  3 
  Linguist
  3 
  1) English (idiomatic, native accent) (Finnish 
  is Native)
  2 
  2) French (completely ﬂ uent, with accent)
  2 
  3) German (completely ﬂ uent, with accent)
  2 
  4) Swedish (completely ﬂ uent, with accent)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  234
  Total Cost:  323
  200+ Disadvantages
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  Mutant (Not Conceal-
  able; Always Noticed; Detectable Only By 
  Unusual Senses)
  35 
  DNPC:  Ravenswood Super-Students 11- 
  (Slightly Less Powerful, Group)
  20 
  Hunted:  VIPER 8- (MoPow, NCI, Capture)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Code Versus Kill-
  ing (Common, Total)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Devoted To Help-
  ing Teens With Superpowers (Common, 
  Total)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Kristina 
  Pelvanen) (Frequently, Major)
  3 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  323
  Background/History:  For Rowan’s background, see 
  the history of Ravenswood earlier in this chapter.
  Personality/Motivation:  Rowan is a serious but kind 
  woman who has devoted her life to helping ado-
  lescents with superpowers. She isn’t humorless, but 
  she has a dry, sophisticated wit and her quips oft en 
  go over her students’ heads. Nearly always even-
  tempered, she rarely gets angry, but she doesn’t 
  coddle her students. She feels that honesty and 
  forthrightness are both of the utmost importance 
  
  62 ■ The Ravenswood Academy
  Hero System 5th Edition
  when dealing with teens. In other words, if a stu-
  dent acts foolishly, she tells him so. She isn’t cruel 
  about it — she simply points out the foolishness, 
  provides rational arguments against the action, 
  and suggests better ways of behaving. On the other 
  hand, she’s also very complimentary when a student 
  deserves a kind word or two, and she always knows 
  when a student needs encouragement or comfort-
  ing rather than punishment.
  Quote:  “It has come to my attention that a group 
  of unknown superheroes — all of whom wore 
  costumes suspiciously like Ravenswood uniforms, 
  I must say — stopped the Ultimates last night. 
  Let me ﬁ rst remind you, class, of the curfew we 
  observe here at Ravenswood. But, nonetheless, 
  perhaps we can learn something from this. I 
  have obtained a recording of the ﬁ ght, and now 
  we shall go over the many, many mistakes these 
  “unknown” superheroes made....”
  Powers/Tactics:  Rowan was once considerably 
  more powerful — she had an Energy Blast with 
  Area Of Eﬀ ect (Any Area), her Telekinesis was 
  stronger, the PD and ED of her Force Field and 
  Force Wall were higher, she had Flight, her physi-
  cal Characteristics were all much higher, and so 
  on — but as she’s grown older, her powers have 
  diminished. However, they’re still very useful 
  in her role as Ravenswood’s headmistress and 
  instructor of young superheroes. She can use 
  her Force Shackles to restrain overly-aggressive 
  students, or her Force Wall to protect them when 
  something goes awry during a training session. 
  Her ability to Perceive Kinetic Energy is useful for 
  detecting students trying to sneak oﬀ  campus, no 
  matter how dark the night.
  In combat Rowan seeks to protect her students 
  ﬁ rst and foremost. She tries to get her pupils away 
  from the action, but isn’t irrational about it — if she 
  realizes the students are unlikely to get away, she 
  assumes command of them and attempts to direct 
  them to put up the best ﬁ ght they can.
  Campaign Use:  As the headmistress of Raven-
  swood, Rowan is in eﬀ ect a student’s surrogate 
  parent, and she takes the job seriously. She acts as 
  both mentor and disciplinarian, so a student should 
  have ambivalent feelings toward her that he would 
  toward his parents — both appreciating her eﬀ orts 
  to teach him how to use his powers and resenting 
  the restrictions she places on his freedom.
  To make Rowan more powerful, add more 
  force-based Powers to her Elemental Control 
  including an Energy Blast and Flight. To further 
  increase her power, increase the points in the EC 
  to 60-70 Active Points, raising the slots accord-
  ingly. To make her less powerful, add the Limitation 
  Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/2) to the 
  existing slots to represent her advancing age.
  Driven to help teens with superpowers and 
  convinced that teens shouldn’t be superheroes, 
  Rowan Hunts any superpowered teen that comes to 
  her attention (with the intention of recruiting him 
  to attend Ravenswood, if appropriate). Despite her 
  heartfelt beliefs, she never forces a teen to attend 
  Ravenswood; instead, she never stops trying to con-
  vince him to come to her school.
  Appearance:  Rowan is a tall, slender woman in her 
  mid-sixties. She looks young for her age and usu-
  ally wears sensible shoes, a calf-length plaid skirt, 
  and a blouse. Over this she wears a knit sweater 
  that comes to mid-thigh, has deep pockets, and 
  buttons up the front. Her hair is gray and long, and 
  she wears it in a pony tail or a bun.
  “REMEMBER, CLASS — 
  TEST TOMORROW”
  Rowan and her staﬀ  of instructors use the Testing Room 
  (page 58) for more than everyday training exercises 
  — they also use it to give exams to their students. Th e 
  “exam scenarios” are designed to test what the students 
  have learned over the course of their studies. Raven-
  swood uses some as exams for particular courses year 
  aft er year (with slight changes, of course, to improve 
  the scenario, better test a particular class’s strengths and 
  weaknesses, and prevent cheating). Th ese scenarios have 
  gained a reputation among the students, both current 
  and former, and have become a sort of rite of initiation 
  — no superpowered teen is considered a “true” Raven-
  swood student until he’s been through Freshman Orien-
  tation, and no Ravenswood student is considered a “true” 
  Ravenswood graduate until he’s had his butt kicked in 
  the Damocles Scenario. Th e students have nicknamed 
  the scenarios, and hand down these nicknames from 
  class to class.
  Th roughout the remainder of this chapter, you’ll ﬁ nd 
  Remember, Class — Test Tomorrow text boxes that 
  describe the exams in broad terms. A GM can use these 
  as plot seeds for quick one-night game sessions and 
  the like.
  Freshman Orientation:  Rowan always gives the same 
  lecture to incoming students, and she holds the lecture 
  in the Testing Room. (Of course, the new students are 
  [mostly] unaware of the Testing Room’s true purpose 
  at that point.) Th e lecture is especially boring — she 
  drones on... and on... and on... about the responsibili-
  ties of a superhero, the diﬃ  culties of being a masked 
  crimeﬁ ghter, and the importance of studying hard 
  until the students have diﬃ  culty keeping their eyes 
  open. Th en comes the attack. It usually involves Dr. 
  Destroyer, Mechanon, or some other infamous and 
  supremely powerful supervillain bursting through 
  the wall and threatening to kill everyone in the room. 
  Rowan gives the students enough time to react before 
  commanding PLATO to stop the scenario. Th e purpose 
  of Freshman Orientation is to allow Rowan to get a 
  handle on the new students’ instincts — when faced 
  with the situation, do they freeze, jump immediately 
  to the attack, stop to reason out the situation, or chose 
  some other course of action?
  
  63 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Two
  PLATO
  Ravenswood’s AI
   Val Char 
  Cost Notes
   18 INT 
  8 
  PER Roll 13-
   18 EGO 
  16 
  ECV:  5
   15 DEX 
  15 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   4 SPD 
  15 
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
    
   
   
  Total Characteristics Cost:  54
  Cost Powers 
  END
  5 
  Waldoes:  Extra Limbs (mounted as neces-
  sary at locations throughout U-hall) 
  0
   
  Skills
  3 
  Electronics 13-
  4 
  AK: Earth 14-
  4 
  AK: United States 14-
  4 
  AK: Millennium City 14-
  2 
  KS: Archived Recent News 11-
  3 
  KS: Current News 13-
  10 
  KS: General Knowledge 20-
  3 
  KS: Popular Movies 13-
  3 
  KS: Popular Music 13-
  3 
  KS: Video Games 13-
  3 
  KS: Superheroes 13-
  3 
  KS: Supervillains 13-
  2 
  KS: World History 11-
  2 
  KS: World Politics 11-
  3 
  Mechanics 13-
  3 
  PS: Household Management 
  & Maintenance 13-
  3 
  SS: Astronomy 13-
  3 
  SS: Biology 13-
  3 
  SS: Chemistry 13-
  3 
  SS: Geology 13-
  3 
  SS: Physics 13-
  3 
  System Operations 13-
   
  Programs
  1 
  Monitor Camera System, Report Anomalies
  1 
  Monitor News For Reports Of Superhuman 
  Teens
  1 
  Scan And Enter Data
  1 
  Search Reference Material For Information 
  On A Topic
  1 
  Operate Facilities
  1 
  Send Emergency Call To Faculty If Protocols 
  Not Met
   
  Talents
  3 
  Clock:  Absolute Time Sense
  5 
  Memory:  Eidetic Memory
  3 
  Calculator:  Lightning Calculator
  3 
  Instant-On Feature:  Lightsleep
  4 
  Scanner:  Speed Reading (x10)
  Total Abilities & Equipment Cost:  93
  Total Computer Cost:  147
  Value Disadvantages
  25 
  Psychological Limitation:  Code Versus Kill-
  ing (Very Common, Total)
  25 
  Psychological Limitation:  Cannot Disobey 
  Rowan (Very Common, Total)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  50
  Total Cost:  97/5 = 19
  Description:  PLATO is the artiﬁ cial intelligence 
  integral to the smooth running of Ravenswood 
  Academy. He’s a new addition to the facilities, 
  having been installed in the aft ermath of the Glori-
  ana tragedy. Before then, Rowan relied on a highly-
  advanced, non-sentient computer to help her run 
  the Academy, but with the death of two students it 
  was obvious she needed something more.
  PLATO — and especially his complete access 
  to Ravenswood’s security systems — makes Rowan 
  uncomfortable. It’s not that she doesn’t trust the 
  computer per se, but having him on site feels a little 
  too much like having Big Brother around. Th ough 
  PLATO has orders to monitor the non-traditional 
  students at all times, and there are cameras literally 
  everywhere, he also has orders not to report minor 
  infractions of the rules. Rowan feels it’s important 
  to avoid turning the Academy into a prison where 
  the students feel they’re watched at every second. 
  She knows teens need their independence, and 
  that they must sometimes feel they’re taking their 
  independence for themselves. In short, Rowan has 
  programmed PLATO to act as an attentive, but not 
  infallible, parent. (However, if a student sneaks oﬀ  
  campus, PLATO immediately notiﬁ es both Rowan 
  and Brian Malfrey.)
  Th e Champions and their AI SOCRATES 
  created PLATO, and the two AIs have an older 
  brother-younger brother rivalry that usually 
  expresses itself in the chess games they’ve played 
  for the last two years.
  Personality-wise, PLATO does his best to 
  come across as a cold-blooded machine and speaks 
  in a dry, emotionless voice. However, he has a wry 
  sense of humor and can’t help but drop an ironic 
  comment when appropriate. Aft er a few years 
  and more than a few pointed comments about 
  their behavior, most students come to suspect that 
  PLATO only feigns emotionlessness.
  OTHER STAFF MEMBERS
  Bernard Fenkel, Rowan’s Assistant:  Mr. Fenkel is 
  Rowan’s right-hand man at Ravenswood. A former 
  student (Class of ’93), he learned of the secret 
  school when he started dating one of the non-tradi-
  tional students. Aft er college, he oﬀ ered his services 
  to Rowan as an assistant and has worked here every 
  since. A kind man who genuinely likes kids, Mr. 
  Fenkel plays good cop to Rowan’s bad cop when 
  necessary, but his main responsibility is making 
  sure the non-traditional students have something 
  resembling a normal adolescence. With superpow-
  ers, training, and all the rest, many faculty members 
  oft en forget their students are teens, and it falls to 
  Mr. Fenkel to remind them of their students’ age.
  Brian Malfrey, Head Of Security:  Ravenswood main-
  tains a private security force stationed at the gate-
  house entrance to the Academy. Th ere are always 
  four security personnel on the premises working in 
  eight-hour shift s, and Brian Malfrey is the head of 
  security. Th ough he doesn’t have superpowers, Mr. 
  Malfrey knows of the secret school at Ravenswood, 
  as do his two lieutenants, so there’s always one 
  security guard on site who knows of the non-tradi-
  
  64 ■ The Ravenswood Academy
  Hero System 5th Edition
  tional students. However, none of the other guards 
  know the secret. A retired UNTIL agent, Mr. Mal-
  frey is well trained in how to deal with superpowers 
  and the like. (Th e two lieutenants are also retired 
  UNTIL agents.)
  Mr. Malfrey is large man in his ﬁ ft ies with close-
  cut, steel grey hair. His demeanor is emotionless and 
  no-nonsense when he deals with students; this is just 
  an act, but one he rarely drops around the kids.
  THE STUDENTS
  Ravenswood has both day and boarding stu-
  dents. Day students arrive in the morning and leave 
  aft er classes, their parents (or chauﬀ eurs, in some 
  cases) dropping them oﬀ  and picking them up 
  unless the student has a license and a car. Boarding 
  students live in one of the dormitories on campus.
  Students are further divided into “traditional” 
  and “non-traditional” classiﬁ cations. Th is is a secret 
  division (or at least the traditional students don’t 
  know about it) since non-traditional students are 
  superpowered teens attending Ravenswood to learn 
  how to use their powers and be superheroes.
  THE WEEKDAY
  A student’s day, Monday thru Friday, is divided 
  into eight periods:  six classes, homeroom, and 
  lunch. Each period is ﬁ ft y minutes long with ten 
  minutes between periods for going to and from 
  class. Classes begin at 8:00 AM and end at 3:50 PM. 
  Lunch is at noon; all students eat at the same time.
  From 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM, boarding students 
  must participate in either an athletic team or a 
  physical education class. Day students, of course, 
  are also encouraged to participate, but this isn’t 
  required, and practice for athletic teams oft en takes 
  up more than an hour each day.
  HOMEROOM
  Originally just a means for public high schools 
  to take attendance and organize the students, 
  homeroom has been given an expanded purpose 
  at Ravenswood. Each homeroom has ﬁ ve to ﬁ ft een 
  students and one instructor. Th ey meet for one class 
  period, which usually takes the form of a ques-
  tion and answer session between the students and 
  teacher, although sometimes the instructor gives 
  impromptu lectures. During homeroom, students 
  not only discuss world events and current aﬀ airs, 
  but can also raise their concerns about what’s going 
  on at the Academy. In eﬀ ect, homeroom is a sort of 
  community meeting and freeform lecture series.
  Th e real reason for homeroom is that it 
  allows all the non-traditional students to be 
  together once a day for instruction in how to use 
  their super-powers.
  COURSE REQUIREMENTS
  Ravenswood’s high expectations of its students 
  is reﬂ ected in its course requirements. It eschews 
  specialization in favor of a survey of many ﬁ elds. In 
  its philosophy, college is the time to specialize — 
  secondary school is the time to teach the students 
  what’s out there for them to study. Th e require-
  ments a student must fulﬁ ll to graduate are:
  ■ 
  English:  4 years.
  ■ 
  Mathematics:  3 years.
  ■ 
  Social Sciences, Language, Science:  3 years in 
  two of these subjects; 2 years in the other.
  ■ 
  Fine Arts:  1.5 years
  ■ 
  Athletics:  all students must belong to one 
  athletic team, whether intermural or intercon-
  ference (competes with other high schools in 
  the state), or participate in the general physical 
  education program. All non-traditional stu-
  dents must participate in the general physical 
  education program; this is covered in more 
  detail under Super-Students, below.
  RULES
  Curfew
  Unless a student has a pass from his home-
  room teacher, or there’s a school-organized activity 
  (a play, a dance, a football game, and so on), the 
  following rules apply:
  ■ 
  In the dormitories by 8:00 PM, Sunday 
  through Th ursday, and 10:00 PM on Friday 
  and Saturday.
  ■ 
  Mandatory study hall from 8:00 PM to 9:30 
  PM Monday through Th ursday for all stu-
  dents.
  ■ 
  Lights out and bed check at 10:00 PM, Sunday 
  through Th ursday, and midnight on Friday 
  and Saturday.
  Disciplinary Action
  Th ere are only two forms of punishment at 
  Ravenswood:  work detail and expulsion. Th ere are no 
  detentions or suspensions where students sit quietly 
  staring oﬀ  into space or doing busy work; Rowan con-
  siders neither of those activities productive.
  Th e faculty assigns work detail for most infrac-
  tions. Possible work assignments include helping 
  STUDENT MENTORS
  Each freshman is 
  assigned a junior as his 
  student mentor, and 
  the faculty consider the 
  mentor responsible for 
  the well-being of the 
  freshman. While obvi-
  ously this responsibility 
  only goes so far, the 
  faculty take it seriously, 
  because they know that’s 
  the only way to make 
  the mentor take it seri-
  ously. For instance, if 
  the freshman has poor 
  grades on his ﬁ rst test, 
  the teacher arranges 
  to meet with both 
  the freshman and the 
  mentor. Mentors are 
  also expected to spend 
  time on weekends with 
  the freshman, especially 
  during the ﬁ rst month 
  or two before the fresh-
  man has gotten to know 
  his peers.
  For non-traditional stu-
  dents, a non-traditional 
  mentor is assigned. Th is 
  is one of the measures 
  Rowan instituted aft er 
  the tragedy involving 
  Gloriana; previously the 
  opposite was true since 
  Rowan felt it was impor-
  tant for superpowered 
  teens to spend time 
  with others who lacked 
  superpowers.
  Th e mentor relation-
  ship continues as the 
  freshman becomes 
  a sophmore, and the 
  junior becomes a senior. 
  Although by this time 
  the relationship is oft en 
  more casual, when it 
  comes to grades and 
  similar concerns the 
  mentor is still expected 
  to take responsibility for 
  the sophmore.
  TYPICAL ACADEMIC 
  CALENDAR
  August 24 
  First Student Day
  September 6 
  Labor Day
  September 13 
  Homecoming Dance
  September 23-24 
  Interim Reports issued
  October 28-29 
  Fall Break
  November 25-26 
  Th anksgiving Break
  December 2 
  Winter Formal Dance
  December 20-January 2 
  Winter Break
  January 17 
  End of 1st Semester
  February 18-21 
  Break
  March 25 - April 3 
  Spring Break
  May 5-6 
  Interim Reports issued
  May 19 
  Senior Prom
  May 30 
  Memorial Day
  June 6 
  Last Day of School
  June 13 
  Report Cards mailed
  
  65 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Two
  the gardeners, acting as a “maintenance assistant” 
  for a weekend, helping the theater wash costumes, 
  and cleaning the pool.
  Only Rowan can expel a student, although she 
  has the right to appoint three teachers to decide 
  the case. No student is expelled without a long 
  discussion with the parents, and Rowan has rarely 
  expelled a student for a ﬁ rst oﬀ ense. Th e following 
  infractions are typically the ones that lead to the 
  possibility of expulsion:  ﬁ ghting, cheating, theft , 
  possession of illicit drugs or alcohol.
  Uniforms
  While attending classes all students must wear 
  khaki slacks, a white dress shirt, and the Academy 
  blazer, which is midnight blue with the Raven-
  swood crest on the breast pocket. Girls may wear a 
  knee-length skirt instead of slacks. Outside of class 
  students may dress how they choose, provided they 
  do so appropriately and within the boundaries of 
  good taste. No speciﬁ c guidelines exist on paper 
  — Rowan knows fashions change and wants her 
  students to pay attention to the outside world (of 
  course some students feel no written guidelines 
  exist so the faculty can make up whatever rules it 
  wants to) — but any faculty member has the right 
  to require a student to change into more appropri-
  ate clothing at any time. 
  Super-Students
  Th e non-traditional students are organized 
  into their own homerooms; currently there are four, 
  Homerooms Alpha through Gamma. For other 
  class periods they join with the traditional students 
  — Rowan feels it’s important they spend as much 
  time as possible with people who don’t have super-
  powers to prevent them from seeing themselves as 
  superior to others.
  Non-traditional students are forbidden from 
  participating in athletics. Th e risks of both exposing 
  one’s secret identity and hurting another student are 
  simply too high. In lieu of joining an athletic team, 
  all non-traditional students must sign up for general 
  physical education. Th ey are always assigned the 
  same class, where they learn to use their powers.
  All non-traditional students are assigned three 
  pieces of special equipment, all of which are ﬁ tted 
  into their blazers, as well as a costume (nicknamed 
  a “gym suit” by the students) to wear during train-
  ing period. Th ese are described below:
  Special ID:  Disguised as the three buttons on the 
  left  cuﬀ  of a student’s blazer is the student’s special 
  ID (as opposed to the standard identity card every 
  student carries). Mainly this provides a transmitter 
  so PLATO can monitor the student’s location, but 
  the ID can serve as a backup “key” to access to facil-
  ities limited to non-traditional students in the event 
  the voice-key system malfunctions or can’t be used.
  Image Inducer: Disguised as the three buttons 
  on the right cuﬀ  of a student’s blazer, the Image 
  Inducer allows a student to disguise any physical 
  diﬀ erences he might have because of his powers, as 
  well as providing an easy way of disguising him-
  self if he’s caught wearing his costume. Th e Image 
  Inducer produces a powerful hologram, but can 
  only project one image — generally of the student 
  in a normal school uniform. And of course, it 
  doesn’t actually physically change the student, so a 
  student with, say, wings still has to take care not to 
  hit people with them while he’s walking around.
  Game Information:  Shape Shift  (Sight Group; 
  one shape), Instant Change, 1 Continuing Fuel 
  Charge lasting 1 Day (+½) (22 Active Points); 
  IAF (-½). Total cost:  15 points.
  COURSE OFFERINGS
  Here are the standard courses oﬀ ered each year; any 
  given year might include additional courses depending 
  on the instructors on staﬀ .
  Classical And Modern Languages
  —French I-IV, French Phonetics (1 Semester), French 
  Conversation (1 Semester), AP French
  —Spanish I-IV, Spanish Phonetics (1 Semester), Spanish 
  Conversation (1 Semester), AP Spanish
  —Latin I-III, AP Latin
  English
  —English 9-11, AP English, Journalism I-II (1 Semester 
  each), Contemporary Poetry (1 Semester), Contempo-
  rary Literature (1 Semester), Mythology (1 Semester), 
  Shakespeare, Literature and Philosophy (1 Semester), 
  Writing Short Fiction.
  Fine Arts
  —Freshman Intro to Arts, Art History, Choir, Film Style 
  and Structure, Mass Communications and Speech, 
  Orchestra, Photo and 2-D, 3-D Design and Sculpture, 
  Web Design I and II (1 Semester each), Yearbook, Th e-
  ater, Studio Projects I-II (juniors and senior only).
  Social Sciences
  —World History I-II, AP Modern European History, US 
  History, AP US History, AP US Government and Politics 
  (1 Semester), Comparative Government and Politics 
  (1 Semester), Economics (1 Semester), AP Economics, 
  Psychology (1 Semester), Twentieth-Century China (1 
  Semester), Religion in the Modern World (1 Semester), 
  Th e Vietnam War (1 Semester)
  Mathematics
  —Algebra I-II, Geometry, Precalculus, Calculus, AP 
  Calculus, AP Statistics, Advanced Topics in Math
  —Computer Science, AP Computer Science
  Sciences
  —Biology I, AP Biology, Chemistry I, Advanced Chem-
  istry, AP Chemistry, Physics, AP Physics, Electricity 
  and Magnetism, Astronomy (1 Semester), Bioethics (1 
  Semester), Environmental Science (1 Semester), Quan-
  tum Mechanics (1 Semester)
  Notes:  In the above, “AP” stands for Advanced Place-
  ment, meaning the student takes an exam at the end of 
  the course and if he does well, receives college credit. 
  Every ﬁ eld has seminars in addition to the above, 
  depending on the instructors on faculty that year. Rowan 
  must approve each seminar before it is listed, and most 
  seminars are for juniors and seniors only.
  
  66 ■ The Ravenswood Academy
  Hero System 5th Edition
  School Pin:  Th e student’s school pin — typically 
  worn in the lapel of his blazer — serves as a com-
  munication link with PLATO and the other mem-
  bers of his homeroom, as well as a second location 
  device the AI can use to ﬁ nd the student via GPS.
  Game Information:  Mind Link (speciﬁ c group 
  of up to any 16 minds at once), No LOS Needed 
  (35 Active Points); IAF (-½), Only With Others 
  Who Have Mind Link (-1), Aﬀ ected As Radio 
  And Hearing Groups, Not Mental Group (-¼). 
  Total cost:  13 points.
  CODENAMES
  Rowan assigns a codename to every non-tra-
  ditional student to acclimate him to maintaining 
  a costumed identity and keeping it a secret. Th e 
  codename is negotiable, but Rowan prefers simple, 
  single-word names that relate to the student’s 
  powers. She rarely approves names that have excess 
  words or titles. Few students are ever happy with 
  their codenames — they feel much the same way 
  about a codename that they do about the photo on 
  their student ID or driver’s license — but Rowan 
  doesn’t allow a student to change names.
  COSTUME
  A non-traditional student is expected to wear 
  his costume whenever he’s in the Renton Gym-
  nasium for training. All the costumes look the 
  same — a midnight blue body suit with green and 
  silver striping on the right side that runs from the 
  ankle to the shoulder — with diﬀ erences allowed 
  only due to powers and unique physical condi-
  tions (like wings, for instance). On the chest of 
  each costume is an insignia based on the student’s 
  codename. Th e costume has no mask, since it isn’t 
  supposed to be worn outside of U-Hall. Rowan 
  allows students to customize their costumes 
  slightly, so long as a student can provide a mean-
  ingful reason for the change (“I just like it better” 
  or “I wanted to show oﬀ  my legs” do not count as 
  “meaningful”). Th e reason can be symbolic — for 
  instance, the student Root has the royal crest of 
  his family sewn on the sleeve, because that is the 
  custom on his home planet —  but it needs to have 
  some sort of acceptable justiﬁ cation.
  CLIQUES
  Although homeroom assignment group the 
  students most strongly, the non-traditional students 
  do have minor cliques based on their powers. Rival-
  ries between the cliques are slight, especially since 
  there are so few non-traditional students, but these 
  groups do tend to gravitate together and certain 
  stereotypes apply.
  Th e last clique described below, the Trad-Stus, 
  isn’t really a clique per se. Instead it’s slang for tradi-
  tional students. Rowan doesn’t approve of this name 
  since she feels it engenders an us-versus-them atti-
  tude that’s exactly the opposite of what she wants... 
  but the superpowered students keep using it.
  Beamers:  Beamers are mostly energy projectors, 
  but also include students with powers like telekine-
  sis or force ﬁ elds. Like the Physiques, they’re oft en 
  the envy of their peers because their powers are 
  straightforward and oft en have spectacular special 
  eﬀ ects that onlookers ﬁ nd impressive. Th e stereo-
  type of a Beamer is that he’s a reckless hothead who 
  would rather blast away at a problem than try to 
  ﬁ nd a clever solution.
  Gearheads:  Gearheads are students with technol-
  ogy-based powers:  kid geniuses, cyberkinetics, and 
  so forth. Th ey spend most of their time discuss-
  ing advances in technology and tinkering with 
  new inventions — activities only Gearheads ﬁ nd 
  interesting. Th e Gearheads correspond to the Geek 
  clique described in Chapter One.
  Head Cases: Head Cases are mentalists, and the ste-
  reotype of the clique is “a Geek people are scared of.” 
  Every time a Head Case gives someone a knowing 
  look, the person can’t help but wonder if he’s having 
  his mind read. Every time someone agrees with a 
  Head Case, the other students wonder if the Head 
  Case used mind control. Although both these activi-
  ties are forbidden, one can never to be too sure with 
  a Head Case... To further alienate their peers, Head 
  Cases tend to carry on conversations with each other 
  both verbally and telepathically (a deﬁ nite breach in 
  social etiquette, since anyone with them can’t ﬁ gure 
  out what they’re talking about).
  Physiques: Physiques are bricks, speedsters, and 
  martial artists — in short, any student with physi-
  cal superpowers. Stereotypes range from “all brawn 
  and no brains” to “vain and superﬁ cial.” In many 
  ways they correspond to the Jock, Cheerleader, and 
  sometimes the Princess Cliques described in Chap-
  ter One. Many teen superheroes envy the Physiques 
  because their powers tend to be easier to use and 
  are visible and spectacular.
  Strangelings:  Strangelings are mystics or students 
  with nebulously-deﬁ ned powers like the ability to 
  alter reality or move between dimensions. In other 
  words, a student with a power that takes more than 
  a sentence to describe ends up as a Strangeling. Th e 
  stereotype is that they’re space cadets, oft en quoting 
  maxims no one can understand, talking to things 
  that no one else can see, and referring to worlds 
  — everything from other-dimensional realms, 
  to alternate timelines — that may or may not 
  exist. Th is clique is most similar to the Stoner and 
  Weirdo cliques described in Chapter One.
  Trad-Stus:  “Trad-Stu” is a slang term for a tradi-
  tional student. For example:  “I was stuck with the 
  Trad-Stus and couldn’t ﬂ y, so I was late getting here.”
  SUPERHERO EDUCATION CLASSES
  Learning to be a superhero goes far deeper 
  than just being able to use superpowers — it also 
  requires a deep understanding of morality and 
  ethics. Non-traditional students have two class 
  periods a day devoted to superhero topics. One 
  takes place while traditional students are having 
  homeroom; the other takes place for an hour aft er 
  the last class period ends while the traditional stu-
  dents are practicing for an athletic team or having 
  gym class. Th e second period takes place in the 
  
  67 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Two
  In addition to the students of Homeroom Alpha, some 
  others attending the Academy are:
  HOMEROOM BETA (CLASS OF ’07)
  Cheer:  Cheer is a young woman with the power to inspire 
  happiness in her target. Instructors feel she should be able 
  to expand her powers to include other emotions, but the 
  bright and peppy teen has little interest in evoking other 
  feelings, and even aft er two years of schooling, she has 
  only gotten better at “cheering up” her target. She has a 
  reputation for using her powers on unwilling students 
  — “What’s the harm in making someone happy?” — and 
  is frequently in and out of trouble.
  Diva:  Diva possesses sonic powers — as well as a beautiful 
  voice. She has no interest in becoming a superheroine and 
  plans to be an opera singer when she grows up. Despite 
  her wish to avoid superheroing, the Ravenswood faculty 
  feel she is the best and brightest of Homeroom Beta. Diva 
  is hard-working, mature, responsible, and has an excellent 
  grasp of her powers; Rowan hopes to change her mind 
  about ﬁ ghting crime.
  Slumber:  Slumber is a young man who has the ability to 
  perceive the dreams of a target. He’s recently developed 
  the ability to cause a target to enter REM sleep involun-
  tarily and relive the previous night’s dreams. He involun-
  tarily glimpses any nightmare that made a lasting impres-
  sion on the people around him, and this has turned him 
  into a withdrawn and sullen teen. He’s also Cheer’s pet 
  project; she never stops trying to improve his mood.
  Velocity:  Velocity is a speedster. Aft er much analysis, 
  Ravenswood faculty have determined that in truth he has 
  the ability to manipulate time. At the moment he can only 
  use his temporal powers on himself, but Rowan hopes 
  to expand his abilities beyond that (she has futilely tried 
  to contact Captain Chronos to request his assistance). 
  Th ere’s some fear among the other faculty that Velocity 
  is the last person in the world who should possess power 
  over time. Chronal abilities are oft en powerful, and if the 
  possessor lacks a sense of responsibility and duty, they’re 
  open to abuse... and Velocity is far from a responsible 
  young man.
  HOMEROOM DELTA (CLASS OF ’08)
  Brainwave:  Brainwave is a young woman with telepathic 
  powers. She insists that her fellow students call her the 
  Great Bendinni (her real name is Susan Bender), much 
  to the chagrin of her instructors. She’s a prankster and 
  troublemaker, but much to everyone’s shock she uses her 
  powers responsibly. In addition to her powers, she’s also 
  one of the more talented students at the Academy — hard 
  to believe considering she never pays attention in class 
  and spends most of study period trying to make the other 
  students laugh.
  Brawn:  Brawn is a brick who very much wants to leave 
  Ravenswood. He’s a mutant whose powers manifested 
  during a high school football game when he threw a 
  football for over two miles and then, later in that same 
  quarter, carried almost all the defenders on the ﬁ eld for 
  over sixty yards to score a touchdown. He misses his 
  friends, and especially misses being able to join sports 
  teams; he has a good grasp of his powers, so he’s oft en 
  bored in class. He is, however, well-liked by both tradi-
  tional and non-traditional students, as well as the faculty, 
  and he doesn’t cause trouble. But whenever he meets with 
  Rowan the ﬁ rst words out of his mouth are that he wants 
  to go back to his old high school, and that he feels out of 
  place in the school. To make Brawn feel more at home at 
  Ravenswood, Rowan is organizing a polakios team for the 
  next year and making Brawn the captain. He has sworn 
  that his team will win.
  Chill:  Chill is a young woman with cold powers, mainly 
  the ability to create ice structures. It takes her consider-
  able time and concentration to create them, which she 
  does using moisture out of the atmosphere and freez-
  ing it, and Rowan hopes to make it easier for her. When 
  frustrated or otherwise emotionally agitated, Chill invol-
  untarily lowers the temperature in the area. It’s never 
  become a problem with the traditional students — the 
  faculty have intervened before anyone noticed they had 
  started shivering — but she’s sure to discover boys soon, 
  and Rowan hopes it doesn’t become a problem.
  Impulse:  Impulse is a mutant with telekinetic powers 
  and a troubled past. He came into his powers very early, 
  and they’re an innate part of him — he treats them just 
  as a person would a hand or a foot and oft en uses them 
  without thinking — which was problematic when he ﬁ rst 
  arrived at the school. He can only aﬀ ect inanimate objects 
  with his powers, because his father beat him whenever 
  he attempted to use his telekinesis to “touch” one of his 
  family members. Th ough he has learned to be more con-
  scious of his powers (he no longer instinctively reaches 
  out for objects like he did when he was younger), he has 
  yet to overcome his psychological block against manipu-
  lating living things.
  Root:  Root is the son of Lhakpa Gyalsten; see page 50 for 
  more information.
  HOMEROOM GAMMA (CLASS OF ’09)
  Dance:  Of the incoming freshman class, Dance is the 
  most skilled with her powers. She has super-agility, which 
  expresses itself most impressively in her ability to “dance” 
  through hails of bullets and other attacks. At the moment, 
  she can only perform at her highest level when she’s pre-
  pared (when she can perform a routine, as she puts it); 
  Rowan hopes to make her abilities more intuitive.
  Function:  Function has a strange ability to turn any situ-
  ation into a formula, plug in the variables, and predict 
  the outcome. He’s also a math prodigy. Th e faculty has 
  made an initial study of his powers, but they still don’t 
  understand them. All they can tell is that he seems to 
  perceive the world — people, objects, events — as vec-
  tors and his brain automatically organizes these vectors 
  into matrices. Rowan has high hopes for the boy, but his 
  powers have made him socially inept and distant from 
  others, and her greatest concern is instilling a certain 
  humanity in the boy.
  Updraft:  Updraft  has the ability to create currents of air. 
  Currently all he can do with his power his ﬂ y with the 
  aid of glider wings, but Rowan knows his powers will 
  improve as he ages. Updraft  is aggressive and competitive, 
  and although he isn’t mean or cruel, he can be thoughtless 
  of other people’s feelings. Rowan worries about how he’ll 
  get along with Wing (described below) and is considering 
  transferring Updraft  to Homeroom Delta until Wing has 
  a better grasp of his powers. At the moment, she plans to 
  leave the two in the same homeroom for at least the Fall 
  semester, hoping that maybe Updraft  will overcome his 
  lack of empathy and take a shine to the other boy.
  Wing:  Wing is a mutant with two large bird-like wings 
  growing from his back. He has yet to learn to ﬂ y, however, 
  and is deathly afraid of heights — just like he’s deathly 
  afraid of most things. Rowan is already prepared to spend 
  much time with the incoming freshman.
  OTHER SUPER-STUDENTS
  
  68 ■ The Ravenswood Academy
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Renton Gym and is devoted to learning to use 
  one’s powers; the ﬁ rst tackles issues that confront 
  a person with superpowers. In addition to these 
  weekday classes, non-traditional students spend an 
  hour on Saturday and Sunday in a weekend semi-
  nar on topics in superheroing.
  Extraordinary Morality And Ethics:  Th is one-semes-
  ter class for juniors and seniors opens with the 
  question:  “What do you do if you go back in time 
  and have the opportunity to kill Hitler when he’s in 
  the crib?” From there it goes on to discuss all the 
  common moral dilemmas superheroes face in the 
  course of their adventurers, as well as ethical issues 
  concerning supervillains, time travel, law versus 
  Justice, the diﬀ erence between waging war and 
  crimeﬁ ghting, and so on.
  Superhumans And Government:  Th is class is taken 
  in conjunction with US Government. It covers the 
  laws as they apply to vigilante activity and super-
  powers, as well as teaching the future superheroes 
  how to deal with the authorities. Furthermore, the 
  students compare and contrast how the US and 
  other governments deal with superhumans, with a 
  focus on governments that attempt to make super-
  heroes illegal or exploit superpowered people. Th e 
  class is mandatory for all students.
  Public Address And Civil Catastrophe:  Th is class 
  covers historical cases in which entire cities and 
  large populations were threatened, and how to deal 
  with these situations. Th is includes everything from 
  evacuating a city to quelling a riot.
  Other Species Cultures:  Th is weekend survey class 
  invites guest lecturers to give presentations on cul-
  tures other than known ones. Th is includes Prince 
  Marus speaking about Atlantis and Ironclad dis-
  cussing the Perseid Empire.
  Secret History I and II:  Th is class is a survey of 
  the secret history of the Earth taught by Doctors 
  Hildreth and Post. It’s one of the students’ favorite 
  classes, despite the fact that most of them leave the 
  class more confused than before. Secret History I 
  covers the period from the Primeval Age to the Age 
  of Legends; Secret History II from the Age of Leg-
  ends to modern times.
  Secret Identity:  A mandatory weekend class taught 
  by Ms. Platz that teaches the dos and don’ts of 
  maintaining a secret identity. Th ey also compare/
  contrast public identities with secret ones, and 
  participate in “crisis” situations wherein they learn 
  what to do if their identity is exposed.
  Superhumans And American Culture:  Th is one-
  semester course taught by Ms. Platz covers how the 
  American public and society interacts with super-
  heroes. It covers everything from the “glitter fad” 
  started by Siren, to the Portland riots touched oﬀ  by 
  the arrest of the Gull, to Sapphire’s unusual career.
  Non-Native Environment Series:  Th is class taught 
  by Mr. Gillicutty teaches students how to cope in 
  Non-Native Environments. It starts with Aquatic 
  Environments, then moves to Vacuum, and ﬁ nally 
  ends with more unusual hostile environments like 
  high radiation and deep-sea depths.
  
  69 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Two
  CHAIN LIGHTNING
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   15 STR 
  5 
  12- 
  Lift  200 kg; 3d6 [1]
   21 DEX 
  33 
  13- 
  OCV:  7/DCV:  7
   12 CON 
  4 
  11-
   12 BODY 4 
  11-
   10 INT 
  0 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   15 PRE 
  5 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  3d6
   16 COM 
  3 
  12-
   6 PD 
  3 
   
  Total:  10 PD (4 rPD)
   10 ED 
  8 
   
  Total:  14 ED (4 rED)
   4 SPD 
  9 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   7 REC 
  4
   30 END 
  3
   30 STUN 
  4 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  85
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  7”/14”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  33 
  Ball Lightning:  Energy Blast 6d6, Area Of 
  Eﬀ ect (4” Radius; +1), Personal Immunity 
  (+¼); No Range (-½), Must Use At Full 
  Strength (-½) 
  7
   
  Martial Arts:  Self-Defense Instruction
   
  Maneuver 
  OCV DCV 
  Notes
  4 
  Block 
  +2 
  +2 
  Block, Abort
  4 
  Dodge 
  — 
  +5 
  Dodge, Aﬀ ects 
  All Attacks, 
  Abort
  5 
  Kick 
  -2 
  +1 
  8d6 Strike
  4 
  Punch 
  +0 
  +2 
  6d6 Strike
  3 
  Th row 
  +0 
  +1 
  4d6 + v/5; 
  Target Falls
  4 
  +1 Damage Class (already added in)
  8 
  Ravenswood Costume:  Armor (4 PD/4 ED); 
  OIF (-½) 
  0
  15 
  Image Inducer:  Shape Shift  (Sight Group; 
  one shape), Instant Change, 1 Continuing 
  Fuel Charge lasting 1 Day (+½); IAF (-½) [1cc]
  13 
  School Pin:  Mind Link (speciﬁ c group of 
  up to any 16 minds at once), No LOS Need-
  ed; IAF (-½), Only With Others Who Have 
  Mind Link (-1), Aﬀ ected As Radio And 
  Hearing Groups, Not Mental Group (-½) 
  0
  2 
  Fast:  Running +1” (7” total) 
  1
   
  Skills
  3 
  +1 with Martial Arts
  3 
  Acrobatics 13-
  3 
  Breakfall 13-
  3 
  Climbing 13-
  3 
  Concealment 13-
  2 
  KS: Sports 11-
  3 
  Stealth 13-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  115
  Total Cost:  200
  100+ Disadvantages
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  Crackles With Electric-
  ity When Stressed (Easily Concealed; Causes 
  Major Reaction)
  10 
  DNPC:  Girlfriend Of Th e Month 8- 
  (Unaware of character’s Social Limitation: 
  Secret Identity)
  20 
  Hunted:  Ravenswood Staﬀ  11- (Mo Pow, 
  NCI, Mildly Punish)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Code Against Kill-
  ing (Common, Total)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Reckless 
  (Common, Strong)
  5 
  Rivalry:  Professional (with Trad-Stus on 
  athletic teams)
  5 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (Occasionally, 
  Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Th eodore 
  “Teddy” Jolsen) (Frequently, Major)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  200
  Background/History:  Alex Jolsen was a mining engi-
  neer for Transglobe Excavations, a subsidiary of 
  ACI. Th e month aft er his wife left  him, abandoning 
  both her husband and her ten-year-old son Teddy, 
  his company assigned him to a site in Peru to open 
  a new copper mine. Left  with no other choice, he 
  took Teddy with him to South America.
  In Peru, Alex soon found out the site of the 
  mine was sacred to the Incas, whose descendants 
  wanted it left  alone. Aft er he and the company 
  brushed oﬀ  their protests, the locals kidnapped 
  Teddy and demanded that all mining operations 
  cease in exchange for the boy’s safe return. Th ey 
  refused all counteroﬀ ers, and Alex soon grew 
  desperate. When Transglobe refused to negotiate 
  further, Alex secretly contacted the terrorists and 
  agreed to sabotage the mine if they’d return Teddy.
  Th ey agreed, and said they’d meet him at 
  the mine that night to complete the job and the 
  exchange. Unfortunately for Alex, ACI knew he was 
  a weak link and had no intention of letting him 
  hinder corporate operations. Mercenaries hired 
  by Franklin Stone, ACI’s ruthless owner, to watch 
  Alex killed him when they ﬁ gured out what he was 
  doing, then went aft er the kidnappers.
  Th e kidnappers, realizing what had happened, 
  cut Teddy Jolsen loose and told him to run — they 
  had no interest in murdering the helpless boy, but 
  didn’t think they had much of a chance of saving 
  him. Teddy ran deep into the tunnels until he 
  ﬁ nally came to a dead end. Th en he shoved himself 
  HOMEROOM 
  ALPHA
  
  70 ■ The Ravenswood Academy
  Hero System 5th Edition
  as far back into a hole as he could... until the wall 
  behind him crumbled away and he tumbled into 
  strange vaulted cavern ﬁ lled with copper objets d’art 
  that gleamed in the strange electric-blue light radi-
  ating from the fungus on the walls and ﬂ oor. Teddy 
  didn’t stop to wonder at his discovery; he scur-
  ried into the cavern and hid behind a ﬂ at piece of 
  embossed metal that hung from one wall. It showed 
  a scary-looking god clutching a club in one ﬁ st and 
  a bundle of lightning bolts in the other.
  Eventually the hired guns came looking for 
  Teddy. Th ey found him and dragged him out to the 
  middle of the ﬂ oor, ignoring the small shrine and 
  altar stained with blood. Th ey had no interest in the 
  god the room was dedicated to; they only wanted to 
  ﬁ nish their job.
  When they raised their guns to murder Teddy, 
  the room exploded with angry bolts of lightning. 
  Th e gunmen had committed a great sin in failing 
  to honor the god, and the crackling electricity was 
  their punishment. It scorched their ﬂ esh to ash and 
  charred their bones until they cracked opened and 
  fell to the ﬂ oor in splinters. And it left  alive a fright-
  ened little boy.
  Teddy doesn’t remember what happened next. 
  Somehow he left  the place, exited the mines, and 
  found help. He didn’t leave the chamber unchanged, 
  however. Some residue of the power of Catequil, 
  the lord of thunder and lightning, lingered on in 
  him, or perhaps the exposure to such great magic 
  awakened some latent mystical talent in the boy. 
  Once back in the States, Teddy was passed from 
  family member to family member, all of whom 
  were unnerved by his seemingly uncontrollable 
  outbursts of electricity. Finally one of them, an aunt 
  who lived in Millennium City, took him to the local 
  PRIMUS oﬃ  ce. Th ey referred her to Ravenswood.
  Personality/Motivation:  Chain Lightning is a brash 
  young man whose reckless disregard for safety 
  disguises a bitter sadness for abandoning his 
  father in a Peruvian copper mine. Rowan has 
  spent long hours in therapy with the young man, 
  but he refuses to let go of his grief and still blames 
  himself for his father’s death. Th is, in turn, causes 
  him to act recklessly and makes it harder for him 
  to control his abilities. He has improved some-
  what — the low wattage bursts of electricity that 
  seemed so uncontrollable when he ﬁ rst arrived at 
  the Academy, which stem from his emotional tur-
  moil, have become less frequent — but his reck-
  lessness hasn’t abated.
  Around his friends and fellow members of 
  Homeroom Alpha Chain Lightning never lets his 
  sadness show. He’s always on the go, always looking 
  for something to do. He’s something of a lady’s man 
  — attractive and seemingly upbeat, he’s never hurt-
  ing for a girlfriend, but he never sticks around for 
  long either. He enjoys sports and resents the restric-
  tion Rowan places on super-students participating 
  in athletics. Chain Lightning is conﬁ dent he’s the 
  best basketball player in the school — despite only 
  being 5’6” — and he tries to prove his superiority 
  any time he gets a chance. Th ough he might not 
  be all the athlete he thinks he is — Flicker is a far 
  superior basketball player when all is said and done 
  — he is physically talented.
  Quote:  “Here’s the plan — I’m going to run up 
  to this clown and let loose with a blast! If he’s 
  still standing aft er that, I’ll do it again. OK, team 
  — let’s go!”
  “REMEMBER, CLASS — 
  TEST TOMORROW”
  The MCPD Blues:  Th e MCPD Blues is a series of exams 
  for the course sequence Superheroes, Law Enforce-
  ment, and the Law. Th e class teaches students about 
  the justice system, law enforcement, and how best to 
  guarantee a guilty verdict. In these scenarios the students 
  are stripped of their superpowers and “roleplay” police 
  oﬃ  cers on duty in Millennium City. Th ey take the roles 
  of uniformed oﬃ  cers, detectives, and in the fourth year 
  sequence attorneys trying the case. Th ey must stop 
  supervillain crime, practice crowd control during super-
  powered battles, and do detective work into supervillain-
  ous activity without recourse to their powers. Th e main 
  goal of the exams is to provide the students with a better 
  understanding of what it’s like to be a member of tradi-
  tional law enforcement.
  We Come In Peace:  Th e ﬁ nal exam for the lecture series 
  Other Species Cultures, We Come In Peace involves the 
  students being thrown into a tense situation involving 
  an alien species they know nothing about. Th e situation 
  ranges from being caught at the outbreak of intergalactic 
  war, to a planet’s star just hours from going supernova, to 
  being revered as gods by a primitive species being wiped 
  out by a plague. Most students hate this scenario mainly 
  because there’s never a right or wrong answer; instead a 
  lengthy “debrieﬁ ng” session follows the scenario’s conclu-
  sion and each student is required to justify the decisions 
  the group made.
  Help, Mr. Wizard!:  Th is series of exams is for Secret His-
  tory I and II. Th e students are placed in the past and 
  future and tested on their understanding of the times 
  and cultures. Environments range from the Valdorian 
  Age (a time of ﬂ ashing swords and dark sorcery) and 
  the Atlantean Age (a golden era of high magic) to 
  World War II, when American superheroes fought Nazi 
  superpowered ubermenschen, to the far future when 
  even the lowliest citizen possesses technology that 
  would make him a superhero in the modern day. Doc-
  tors Hildreth and Post program the scenarios, and their 
  memories of those places and times are something less 
  than consistent — a situation only made worse because 
  of the many alternate dimensions they visited while 
  lost in time.
  Game Night:  Like cadets at a military academy, the stu-
  dents study famous past battles between superheroes 
  and villains — Mechanon’s ﬁ rst appearance, the Class 
  of ’92’s inﬁ ltration of Dr. Destroyer’s base, the “Martian” 
  invasion of 1938, and so on. Game Night is a series of 
  pop quizzes where Rowan programs one of these battles 
  into the Testing Room, and the students take the role of 
  the superheroes. Rowan doesn’t give the students any 
  advanced warning about what they’ll face, but if the 
  students have been paying attention, they should quickly 
  recognize the scenario for what it is and what they must 
  do. If they haven’t, the scenario usually ends badly for 
  them. And on one or two famous occasions, the students 
  have done better than the original superheroes (at least, 
  in the minds of the students).
  
  71 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Two
  Powers/Tactics:  Chain Lightning has the ability to 
  unleash a powerful blast of electricity. Th e electric-
  ity ﬁ lls a sphere with a 4” radius, shocking everyone 
  in the area as bolts of lightning leap from one target 
  to the next. He can’t unleash the blast at range, and 
  he cannot decrease the radius of the blast. Th is 
  means he has to move away from his teammates 
  and get close to the bad guy, which oft en leaves him 
  exposed to enemy attacks.
  Despite three years of struggling to control 
  his powers, he still can only let loose with a large 
  blast centered on him — the exact same thing he 
  could do when he ﬁ rst started at Ravenswood. Th e 
  only improvement he’s made in using his powers 
  is that he rarely catches any of his fellow members 
  of Homeroom Alpha in the area of eﬀ ect anymore. 
  Putty has many, many stories about classmates 
  downed by a careless blast of Ball Lightning, and 
  Putty further claims that his body is still wobbly 
  from all the blasts he took when he was a freshman, 
  which is why he can’t control his powers better.
  Homeroom Alpha’s current tactic with 
  Chain Lightning is that the group takes cover 
  behind some debris or other barrier. Impact 
  throws Chain Lightning at the target, and as he 
  passes by the target, Chain Lightning explodes 
  with electricity. Then if he’s Knocked Out in the 
  resulting counter-attack (which he usually is) 
  or by colliding with some object, Putty stretches 
  to grab him and pulls him back. Then they do it 
  again once Chain Lightning has recovered. Mr. 
  Biggs does not approve of the tactic, but Chain 
  Lightning thinks it’s the most fun he’s had in the 
  Testing Room in years. Chain Lightning is also a 
  talented hand-to-hand combatant. 
  Chain Lightning has returned for his Senior 
  year determined to learn to control his powers. 
  Th e ﬁ rst task Mr. Biggs and Rowan have given him 
  is to focus his electricity into his ﬁ sts. Th ey hope 
  that by doing so this he can make his martial arts 
  more eﬀ ective against supervillains. Rowan has 
  informed him in no uncertain terms that unless 
  he learns to control his electrical problem, she isn’t 
  sure there was a future as a superhero available to 
  him. Her bluntness has shocked Chain Lightning 
  out of his complacency, and aft er a summer with 
  his grandparents he’s dead-set on learning to con-
  trol his powers.
  Campaign Use:  Chain Lightning is Homeroom 
  Alpha’s resident reckless hothead. When the rest 
  of the team argues about some course of action, 
  he’s the one who throws his hands up and charges 
  into the mess full steam ahead, forcing everyone 
  else to follow him. Th is recklessness carries over 
  to all aspects of his life, not just combat — he’s the 
  one who forces Impact to actually ask a girl out, 
  gets Flicker to do something other than study, or 
  rouses Trance from her lethargy. But his brashness 
  also causes friction in the group; he and Impact or 
  Flicker have come to blows many times over some-
  thing he did or said.
  To make Chain Lightning more powerful, 
  move Ball Lightning into a Multipower that also 
  has slots for Energy Blasts with diﬀ erent Area Of 
  Eﬀ ect Advantages. Don’t, however, remove the Limi-
  tations from the Ball Lightning Power or give him 
  an Energy Blast without the Area Of Eﬀ ect Advan-
  tage, since this is basically Chain Lightning’s shtick. 
  To make him less powerful, reduce the dice in Ball 
  Lightning to 5d6 or even 4d6.
  Chain Lightning is only likely to Hunt some-
  one connected to the death of his father. He has put 
  aside thoughts of revenge — but only because of 
  Rowan’s frequent and careful therapy. Someday, he 
  will be on his own, and it’s likely that he’ll recon-
  sider the idea of vengeance.
  Appearance:  Chain Lightning is a short young man 
  with a wild shock of black hair and piercing blue 
  eyes. Well-built and muscular, he tends to ﬁ dget a 
  lot and speak quickly. When he’s extremely agitated, 
  his body crackles with electricity and little lightning 
  bolts dance across his skin. Th e electricity gives him 
  a luminescent glow and he looks decidedly creepy. 
  Th e insignia on the chest of his costume is six 
  crossed lightning bolts.
  
  72 ■ The Ravenswood Academy
  Hero System 5th Edition
  FLICKER
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   13 STR 
  3 
  12- 
  Lift  150 kg; 2½d6 [1]
   24 DEX 
  42 
  14- 
  OCV:  8/DCV:  8
   12 CON 
  4 
  11-
   12 BODY 4 
  11-
   15 INT 
  5 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  9
   10 PRE 
  0 
  11- 
  PRE Attack:  2d6
   12 COM 
  1 
  11-
   4 PD 
  1 
   
  Total:  8 PD (4 rPD)
   4 ED 
  2 
   
  Total:  8 ED (4 rED)
   5 SPD 
  16 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   5 REC 
  0
   24 END 
  0
   32 STUN 
  7 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  85
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  8”/16”
   
  Leaping: 
  3½”/7”
   
  Teleportation: 
  20”/40”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  20 
  Flicker-Walking:  Teleportation 20”; Must 
  Always Make An Attack Roll To Hit Th e 
  Target Hex (see text; -½), Increased Endur-
  ance Cost (x2 END; -½) 
  8
   
  Martial Arts:  Self-Defense Instruction
   
  Maneuver 
  OCV DCV 
  Notes
  4 
  Block 
  +2 
  +2 
  Block, Abort
  4 
  Dodge 
  — 
  +5 
  Dodge, Aﬀ ects 
  All Attacks, 
  Abort
  5 
  Kick 
  -2 
  +1 
  7½d6 Strike
  4 
  Punch 
  +0 
  +2 
  5½d6 Strike
  3 
  Th row 
  +0 
  +1 
  3½d6 + v/5; 
  Target Falls
  8 
  Ravenswood Costume:  Armor (4 PD/4 ED); 
  OIF (-½) 
  0
  15 
  Image Inducer:  Shape Shift  (Sight Group; 
  one shape), Instant Change, 1 Continuing 
  Fuel Charge lasting 1 Day (+½); IAF (-½) [1cc]
  13 
  School Pin:  Mind Link (speciﬁ c group of 
  up to any 16 minds at once), No LOS Need-
  ed; IAF (-½), Only With Others Who Have 
  Mind Link (-1), Aﬀ ected As Radio And 
  Hearing Groups, Not Mental Group (-½) 
  0
  4 
  Fast:  Running +2” (8” total) 
  2
  1 
  Strong Leaper:  Leaping +1” (3½” total) 
  1
   
  Skills
  6 
  +2 with Martial Arts
  3 
  Acrobatics 14-
  3 
  Breakfall 14-
  3 
  Climbing 14-
  3 
  Concealment 12-
  2 
  KS: Journalism 11-
  2 
  KS: History 11-
  2 
  KS: Literature 11-
  4 
  Language:  English (idiomatic; Cambodian is 
  Native)
  3 
  Stealth 14-
  3 
  Teamwork 14-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  115
  Total Cost:  200
  100+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Hunted:  Ravenswood Staﬀ  11- (Mo Pow, 
  NCI, Mildly Punish)
  15 
  Hunted:  Th e Widows Of Th e Night 8- (Mo 
  Pow, Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:  Sai (her sister) 11- (Mo Pow, Watch-
  ing)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Denies Heritage 
  And Powers (Common, Total)
  5 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (Occasionally, 
  Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Sophany 
  “Soﬁ e” Jeﬀ erson) (Frequently, Major)
  10 
  Susceptibility:  2d6 damage from being Tele-
  ported (Uncommon)
  5 
  Unluck 1d6
  Total Disadvantage Points:  200
  Background/History:  In 1971 during the Vietnam 
  War, while a part of a long range recon patrol, Cor-
  poral William Jeﬀ erson and his unit crossed over 
  into Cambodia. Th at night as they made camp, they 
  were ambushed by the enemy. Th e survivors, Jef-
  ferson among them, had to retreat. All of them were 
  sorely wounded, and none of them knew where 
  they were going, or even what direction they ﬂ ed in.
  As the sun came up, the lost soldiers stumbled 
  into a small collection of huts that stood in the 
  shadow of a large stone temple. From out of the 
  huts came women — unarmed and seemingly 
  unafraid of the strange men. Th ey took the soldiers 
  into their homes and tended to their wounds. Th ere 
  seemed to be no men in the village; the recovering 
  soldiers assumed the menfolk had died in the ﬁ ght-
  ing. As the men recuperated, the women gave them 
  milk of the poppy to ease their pain. Th e concoc-
  tion glistened with a strange bluish-green color, but 
  the soldiers took no notice. Soon they had forgot-
  ten not only their pain, but also their homeland.
  A decade passed and then another, the years 
  going by in the blink of an eye. Th e men and 
  women lived together, married in a strange cer-
  emony that the men couldn’t recall no matter how 
  hard they tried. Th ey could only remember bonﬁ res 
  throwing greasy light on the stone idols within the 
  temple, those huge ﬁ gures with bestial faces and 
  strange, tall crowns seeming to leer demonically as 
  they looked on in hunger at the rites of marriage. 
  With time, the women bore the men’s children, and 
  the village was ﬁ lled with the sounds of play.
  Jeﬀ erson wasn’t the ﬁ rst man to break free of 
  the opium-induced stupor, but he was the only one 
  who escaped. It took almost two decades, but some 
  of the men developed a tolerance to the milk and 
  ﬁ nally started taking notice of their surroundings. 
  It quickly became clear the women served some 
  malign deity. Th e men who spoke pidgin Cambo-
  dian translated the name of the cult:  the Widows of 
  the Night. Old Night, the women claimed, had died 
  at the beginning of the new age, leaving his wives 
  widowed, and these women were their descendants. 
  Th ey planned to bring back Old Night from the 
  dead, and the soldiers’ children were the key.
  Th e soldiers knew they had a duty to save their 
  oﬀ spring from the horrible rites of sacriﬁ ce, so they 
  
  73 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Two
  organized an escape. What happened in that jungle 
  Willie Jeﬀ erson would never tell, but he made his 
  way into Vietnam with his two daughters, twelve-
  year-old Sok and eight-year-old Sophany; from 
  there he returned to the United States. Jeﬀ erson 
  didn’t live long enough to see his home of Detroit, 
  but his daughters completed the trip on their own. 
  Th ey barely remembered their life before coming 
  to the States — their time with the Widows of the 
  Night like some nightmare forgotten upon awaken-
  ing — but their father had never stopped telling 
  them to beware the Widows.
  Th e two girls eked out a living, stealing what 
  they needed from local shopkeepers and using their 
  powers of teleportation to escape pursuit. Eventu-
  ally the MCPD caught them, and their powers 
  brought them to Rowan’s attention. Th e headmis-
  tress at Ravenswood persuaded the authorities 
  to release the girls into her custody so they could 
  attend the Academy.
  Th e oldest girl, Sok, was codenamed Sai. She 
  never graduated, for she left  the Academy aft er the 
  tragedy involving Gloriana... but her sister was far 
  more studious. Sophany, who prefers to be called 
  Soﬁ e and thinks of herself as an American, looks for-
  ward to graduation day and then going on to college, 
  leaving the life of a superpowered teen behind.
  Personality/Motivation:  Flicker hates her powers. In 
  her mind the only useful thing they’ve ever done 
  for her is get her oﬀ  the street and into the Raven-
  swood Academy. She very much wants to be a 
  normal American girl. She works hard at school — 
  because she barely spoke a word of English when 
  she arrived, she’s had to work harder than her 
  classmates to succeed — and wants to be a jour-
  nalist. Her grades are excellent, and considering 
  all the catching up she’s had to do, she’s obviously 
  a very talented student. Flicker spends much of 
  her free time in the library, where she also works 
  as a part of her scholarship, talks to Ms. Platz, and 
  researches colleges.
  Flicker resents anything that takes her away 
  from her studies, including training in U-Hall, and 
  cannot wait to graduate. But she rarely complains 
  about training; she understands that she’s entered 
  into a “business arrangement” with Rowan. To 
  attend the prestigious school, she must train with 
  her powers, and because it’s in her nature to be a 
  perfectionist, she has improved over the last three 
  years. While her classmates in Homeroom Alpha 
  are oft en eager to sneak away from campus and do 
  a little superheroing, Flicker oft en refuses — at least 
  at ﬁ rst. Flicker has a competitive streak the other 
  students have learned to manipulate; they oft en 
  “dare” her into coming with them.
  Rowan feels a great deal of guilt about both 
  sisters — one she drove oﬀ  because of her neglect; 
  the other she cannot convince to accept her super-
  powered heritage. Whenever Rowan meets with 
  Flicker, she attempts to bring up her early child-
  hood in Cambodia, but Flicker says the same 
  thing each time:  “I don’t remember.” Rowan has 
  considered hypnosis, but also wonders if maybe it’s 
  better that the memories stayed buried. Of course, 
  a sudden appearance by deranged cultists who 
  belong to the Widows of the Night would quickly 
  change her mind.
  Flicker’s relationship with her sister is strained, 
  mainly because Sai wants to reclaim a part of her 
  Cambodian heritage and learn as much as she can 
  about their father, while Flicker simply wants to 
  leave the past in the past and get on with her future.
  Quote:  “Didn’t you hear me? I said, No! I don’t care 
  who’s attacking Millennium City — I need to ﬁ nish 
  this report!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Flicker isn’t half the teleporter and 
  martial artist her sister Sai is — a fact that couldn’t 
  make Flicker happier. She’s improved with her 
  powers, increasing the distance she can teleport 
  and the likelihood she arrives in the correct spot, 
  but she’s still far from perfect. Unlike most teleport-
  ers, she must always make an Attack Roll to hit 
  the target hex, even if she can perceive it clearly. 
  (However, at the GM’s option, as long as she can 
  perceive the target hex with a Targeting Sense, she 
  cannot teleport herself into a solid object even if 
  she fails the Attack Roll — as far as her instructors 
  can determine, she subconsciously protects herself 
  from that happening.)
  Besides being able to teleport, Flicker is a tal-
  ented martial artist. She tends to use short teleport 
  jaunts to confuse her foe, then hits him on the Seg-
  ments she has a Phase and he doesn’t because of 
  her high SPD.
  
  74 ■ The Ravenswood Academy
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Campaign Use:  Soﬁ e is the studious and respon-
  sible member of Homeroom Alpha, the one who 
  reminds the others they’re students ﬁ rst and super-
  heroes second (if at all). Th ough Impact is a seri-
  ous young man and a good student, he would still 
  rather be out superheroing than studying; whereas 
  Soﬁ e would much rather study. Th e only person 
  Soﬁ e would Hunt is someone who hurt her sister 
  — despite their strained relations, blood is blood 
  — or someone who could get her into the best 
  journalism school.
  To make Flicker more powerful, give her 
  powers similar to her sister and add Damage 
  Classes to her Martial Arts. To make her less pow-
  erful, reduce the number of inches she can Teleport.
  Appearance:  Standing 5’3” tall, Flicker is an attrac-
  tive half-Asian, half-black girl with deep brown 
  eyes, a serious face, and long black hair. Slender, 
  with a gymnast’s build, she tends to wear the latest 
  in American styles when not wearing her school 
  uniform. When training she wears her hair in a 
  ponytail. Th e insignia on her costume is a white 
  ring around a black circle.
  IMPACT
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   25 STR 
  15 
  14- 
  Lift  800 kg; 5d6 [2]
   15 DEX 
  15 
  12- 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   20 CON 
  20 
  13-
   15 BODY 10 
  12-
   12 INT 
  2 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   15 PRE 
  5 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  3d6
   12 COM 
  1 
  11-
   10 PD 
  5 
   
  Total:  14 PD (4 rPD)
   10 ED 
  6 
   
  Total:  14 ED (4 rED)
   3 SPD 
  5 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   9 REC 
  0
   40 END 
  0
   50 STUN 12 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  96
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  25 
  Kinetic Absorption:  Absorption 5d6 
  (physical, to STR) 
  0
  10 
  Kinetic Absorption:  Armor (14 PD); 
  Linked (-½), Only Up To Amount Rolled 
  By Absorption (-½) 
  0
   
  Martial Arts:  Self-Defense Instruction
   
  Maneuver 
  OCV DCV 
  Notes
  4 
  Block 
  +2 
  +2 
  Block, Abort
  4 
  Dodge 
  — 
  +5 
  Dodge, Aﬀ ects 
  All Attacks, 
  Abort
  5 
  Kick 
  -2 
  +1 
  9d6 Strike
  4 
  Punch 
  +0 
  +2 
  7d6 Strike
  3 
  Th row 
  +0 
  +1 
  5d6 + v/5; 
  Target Falls
  8 
  Ravenswood Costume:  Armor (4 PD/4 ED); 
  OIF (-½) 
  0
  15 
  Image Inducer:  Shape Shift  (Sight Group; 
  one shape), Instant Change, 1 Continuing 
  Fuel Charge lasting 1 Day (+½); IAF (-½) [1cc]
  13 
  School Pin:  Mind Link (speciﬁ c group of 
  up to any 16 minds at once), No LOS Need-
  ed; IAF (-½), Only With Others Who Have 
  Mind Link (-1), Aﬀ ected As Radio And 
  Hearing Groups, Not Mental Group (-½) 
  0
   
  Skills
  3 
  Criminology 11-
  2 
  KS: Superhuman World 11-
  2 
  KS: US Government 11-
  3 
  Tactics 11-
  3 
  Teamwork 11-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  104
  Total Cost:  200
  100+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Hunted:  Ravenswood Staﬀ  11- (Mo Pow, 
  NCI, Mildly Punish)
  20 
  Hunted:  VIPER 8- (MoPow, NCI, Harshly 
  Punish)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Sense Of Respon-
  sibility (Common, Strong)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Code Versus Kill-
  ing (Common, Total)
  “REMEMBER, CLASS — 
  TEST TOMORROW”
  Superhero Cribs:  In Superhero Operation Centers, an 
  extracurricular series of seminars for upperclassmen, the 
  participants work together (or more oft en ﬁ ght it out) 
  to build a superhero base and then staﬀ  it, selecting the 
  staﬀ  from a group of pregenerated “applicants.” Once the 
  students have made their choices, the Testing Room then 
  produces a hologram of the base, and over the course 
  of the semester, the students must deal with crises that 
  arise because of their decisions. Th ese include housing 
  refugees who lost their homes during a titanic supervil-
  lain crisis, to dealing with interpersonal conﬂ ict between 
  staﬀ  members, to an AI gone rogue (PLATO’s favorite 
  crisis, since he gets to roleplay the part of the rogue AI). 
  Th e ﬁ nal test is a supervillain assault on the base.
  My Enemy, My Self:  Like Game Night, Rowan uses this 
  scenario as a pop quiz. It involves the students ﬁ ghting 
  doubles of themselves — but not just exact doubles. 
  Rowan always has in mind ways and directions for a stu-
  dent to develop his powers, and as an object lesson, she 
  programs the Testing Room to give the doubles these 
  potential powers. Th at way the student can see — and 
  oft en times, feel — ﬁ rst-hand what Rowan has described 
  to him. Th e students hate it — in their minds, it’s like 
  Rowan’s telling them, “I told you so” — and nothing 
  makes a student happier than easily defeating his double. 
  To him, it’s proof he’s doing just ﬁ ne with his powers.
  
  75 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Two
  5 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (Occasionally, 
  Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Robert 
  Ashton) (Frequently, Major)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x STUN from Electrical 
  Attacks (Common)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  200
  Background/History:  “Honey, the doctor at the Nest 
  says this new medicine is the perfect thing to cure 
  all the pains from pregnancy.”
  “You mean Dr. Venom says that?”
  “Th at’s just a codename, Hon — he’s a nice 
  old man. You’d like him if you ever came down to 
  the Nest.”
  “I don’t know if taking that medicine is a good 
  idea....”
  But in the end, aft er a few days of wheedling, 
  Sally Ashton took the medicine Dr. Venom pre-
  scribed... and to his credit, it did ease her pain. Sev-
  eral months later she gave birth to a healthy baby 
  boy, whom she and her husband named Robert. 
  Th e years passed, and her husband climbed the 
  ranks of VIPER, eventually becoming a Nest Leader 
  himself. Th en a group of superheroes uncovered 
  his Nest — and Daniel Ashton found himself sen-
  tenced to forty years behind bars. But worse yet, at 
  least as far as VIPER’s leadership was concerned, 
  his wife disappeared with their son.
  Th e medicine prescribed to Sally Ashton 
  during her pregnancy was a new drug named 
  Nutant. It was intended to increase the likelihood 
  of mutation in the child, thus bringing into exis-
  tence a generation of mutant children — the sons 
  and daughters of VIPER agents who would grow 
  up in the ranks, where they would learn absolute 
  loyalty to the criminal organization and have 
  superpowers at their command. VIPER devoted 
  a considerable amount of resources to tracking 
  the mothers who took Nutant, and for one to fall 
  oﬀ  the map was unacceptable. VIPER began a 
  nationwide manhunt for the woman and her son, 
  and eventually tracked them to Millennium City. 
  Once it found them, VIPER launched an attack to 
  capture them. What they didn’t count on was the 
  Ravenswood Class of ’04 being in the mall at the 
  same time.
  It was during the VIPER attack that Robert 
  Ashton first discovered his powers — he had 
  always been strong, but never so strong as 
  on that day when he was caught in a hail of 
  rubber bullets intended to subdue him. With 
  his strength awakened to superhuman levels, 
  he fought beside the Ravenswood students, and 
  together they drove off the VIPER agents. Then 
  his mother revealed the awful truth — Robert’s 
  father was a high-ranking member of VIPER.
  Th e Ravenswood students helped hide mother 
  and son; then they returned to the Academy and told 
  Rowan what had happened. Rowan invited Robert 
  to attend the Academy, where he’d be hidden from 
  VIPER, protected by a staﬀ  of superhumans, and 
  taught to use his newfound powers responsibly. He 
  accepted, and his mother entered the Witness Pro-
  tection Program aft er turning state’s evidence.
  Personality/Motivation:  Impact has become the 
  shining light of his class. He has the best grasp of 
  his powers and has displayed a natural leadership 
  ability. While he could be a better student, none 
  of his instructors could ask for a better super-
  hero. He has a deep sense of obligation and moral 
  responsibility toward his fellow man — in a large 
  part, because of his father’s criminal past — and 
  he walks the straight and narrow at all times, only 
  breaking the rules when he feels it’s necessary for 
  the greater good.
  Rowan sometimes worries about the deep 
  streak of shame Impact feels toward his father. 
  She knows he needs to start living life for himself, 
  not because of the sins of others, and frequently 
  encourages him to pursue his own dreams. 
  Worse yet, at least in Rowan’s eyes, is that Impact 
  is estranged from his mother. In many ways he 
  blames her for staying with a man she knew was a 
  criminal and thinks she’s just as guilty of wrongdo-
  ing as his incarcerated father. Impact hopes to join 
  PRIMUS or UNTIL once he graduates college, but 
  knows his father’s past as a VIPER agent makes him 
  a security risk and jeopardizes his chances. He’s 
  currently trying to decide between a career in the 
  military or one in law enforcement, and is leaning 
  toward the latter.
  Impact is shy around girls he has a crush on, 
  mainly because he’s ashamed of his past and doesn’t 
  feel worthy of them, and it usually takes a swift  kick 
  in the behind from Chain Lightning to get him to 
  approach a girl. He’s nurturing a crush on Flicker 
  
  76 ■ The Ravenswood Academy
  Hero System 5th Edition
  — one he’s hidden well for the last year — and 
  dreads Chain Lightning ever ﬁ nding out. He knows 
  the crush is hopeless; he deﬁ nitely plans on having 
  some sort of career as a superhero, and she wants 
  nothing to do with the lifestyle.
  Quote:  “OK, team... here’s the plan....”
  Powers/Tactics:  Impact has the ability to absorb 
  kinetic damage, which in turn increases his 
  strength. Although at maximum absorption his 
  STR is slightly less than most bricks, his Martial 
  Arts make up for the diﬀ erence. Th ey also help him 
  in the initial moments of combat before he’s had 
  a chance to absorb any kinetic damage. Mr. Biggs 
  plans to spend Impact’s senior year teaching him a 
  variety of brick tricks the instructor picked up in 
  his years as a superhero. Rowan also wants Impact 
  to focus on holding onto the STR boost he gains for 
  longer times (in game terms, decreasing his fade 
  rate). Th at way he doesn’t have to throw himself 
  into the thick of things, taking the risk of being 
  Knocked Out, to achieve his maximum STR.
  For some reason, Impact suﬀ ers intense pain 
  when subjected to electrical attacks — a fact that 
  has more than once spelled doom for Homeroom 
  Alpha in the Testing Room when Chain Lightning 
  misjudged the area of his blast.
  Campaign Use:  Impact is the de facto leader of 
  Homeroom Alpha. Although Flicker and Chain 
  Lightning oft en question his decisions, both follow 
  his commands more oft en than not. He makes a 
  good leader, but sometimes doesn’t give his orders 
  forcefully enough or hesitates before issuing a com-
  mand — again, his shame about his past rearing its 
  ugly head. Impact would drop everything to Hunt 
  his father if Daniel Ashton escaped from prison; 
  he might also Hunt anyone related to VIPER in an 
  attempt to prove his worth.
  To make Impact more powerful, increase his 
  STR to 35 so he’s more useful at the beginning of 
  combat. Th en give him a variety of Brick Tricks 
  like those listed on pages 49-74 of Th e Ultimate 
  Brick to make him more versatile in combat. To 
  make him less powerful, reduce the amount of his 
  Armor Linked to his Absorption and remove his 
  Martial Arts.
  Appearance:  Impact stands 6’4” and weighs two 
  hundred pounds, all of it muscle. He has wavy 
  blond hair and blue eyes. His brow is oft en fur-
  rowed with concentration and his face is serious, 
  but he has a deep belly laugh when he’s amused by 
  something. All in all, Impact’s a very likeable young 
  man when he’s not trying too hard to be the perfect 
  super-student. Th e insignia on the chest of his cos-
  tume is a stylized clenched ﬁ st.
  PUTTY
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   12 STR 
  2 
  11- 
  Lift  100 kg; 2d6 [1]
   18 DEX 
  24 
  13- 
  OCV:  6/DCV:  6
   14 CON 
  8 
  12-
   14 BODY 8 
  12-
   10 INT 
  0 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   12 PRE 
  2 
  11- 
  PRE Attack:  2d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   8 PD 
  6 
   
  Total:  12 PD (4 rPD)
   6 ED 
  3 
   
  Total:  10 ED (4 rED)
   3 SPD 
  2 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   5 REC 
  0
   34 END 
  3
   30 STUN 
  3 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  61
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  28 
  Malleable Body And Face:  Multipower, 
  42-point reserve; all slots Imitation Only 
  (-½)
  2u 
  1)  Malleable Body:  Shape Shift  (Sight, 
  Hearing, Radio, Smell/Taste, and Touch 
  Groups, any humanoid form), Imitation; 
  Activation Roll 15-, Jammed (-¾), Imita-
  tion Only (-½), Side Eﬀ ect (character’s fea-
  tures become droopy and rubbery if he 
  fails his Activation Roll; -¼) 
  4
  2u 
  2)  Malleable Face:  Shape Shift  (Sight, 
  Hearing, Radio, Smell/Taste, and Touch 
  Groups, any humanoid face), Imitation; 
  Face Only (-1), Imitation Only (-½) 
  4
  16 
  Stretching:  Stretching 4”; Limited Body 
  Parts (arms and legs only; -¼) 
  2
  16 
  Rubbery Body:  Physical Damage Reduc-
  tion 75%; Cost Endurance (-½), Activation 
  Roll 15-, Jammed (-¾), Side Eﬀ ect (charac-
  ter’s features become droopy and rubbery 
  if he fails his Activation Roll; -¼) 
  4
  8 
  Ravenswood Costume:  Armor (4 PD/4 ED); 
  OIF (-½) 
  0
  15 
  Image Inducer:  Shape Shift  (Sight Group; 
  one shape), Instant Change, 1 Continuing 
  Fuel Charge lasting 1 Day (+½); IAF (-½) [1cc]
  13 
  School Pin:  Mind Link (speciﬁ c group of 
  up to any 16 minds at once), No LOS Need-
  ed; IAF (-½), Only With Others Who Have 
  Mind Link (-1), Aﬀ ected As Radio And 
  Hearing Groups, Not Mental Group (-½) 
  0
   
  Skills
  4 
  +2 OCV with Punch
  10 
  +2 DCV
  5 
  Breakfall 14-
  7 
  Disguise 13-
  3 
  KS: Television Shows 11-
  5 
  Persuasion 12-
  5 
  Sleight Of Hand 14-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 139
  Total Cost:  200
  
  77 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Two
  100+ Disadvantages
  15 
  Accidental Change:  when character is fright-
  ened or panicked 11- (normal face becomes 
  freakishly ugly face) (Common)
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  Mutant (Not Conceal-
  able; Always Noticed; Detectable Only By 
  Unusual Senses)
  15 
  Hunted:  Ravenswood Staﬀ  (As Pow, 11-, 
  NCI, Mildly Punish)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Code Versus Kill-
  ing (Common, Total)
  5 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (Occasionally, 
  Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (James 
  Puttermeyer) (Frequently, Major)
  10 
  Unluck 2d6
  10 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x STUN from Cold 
  Attacks (Common)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  200
  Background/History:  Ellen, his six-year-old sister, 
  came stomping out of the kitchen, a look of deter-
  mination on her face. Speaking in no uncertain 
  terms, she informed him, “If you don’t stop making 
  faces at me, Ma says your face will freeze like that!”
  James Puttermeyer, whom everyone called 
  Putty, rolled his eyes. He looked to the left , then to 
  the right, and then he made the worst face he could 
  possibly imagine.
  But when Ellen started screaming, he was 
  shocked — she sounded really, really scared. Ellen 
  ran oﬀ  into the kitchen, looking back over her 
  shoulder as if the boogeyman were aft er her, and 
  Putty wasn’t sure what was going on. When Mom 
  came out of the kitchen and started screaming too, 
  Putty rushed away from the dinner table to a hall-
  way mirror. Th e image reﬂ ected in the mirror was 
  indeed a horrible sight.
  His face looked like some kind of carnival 
  mask with a two-foot-long nose and sharp chin. 
  His lips were blubbery and turned outward; his eyes 
  bulged impossibly from their sockets. Putty tried to 
  push his face back into shape, but it wouldn’t move. 
  It felt just like his normal face, except now it was 
  freakishly deformed.
  He started crying.
  Once his mother regained her senses, she 
  comforted her son and called the family doctor. Th e 
  doctor referred her to Dr. Andrea Gould, a special-
  ist in mutants, and Dr. Gould referred her son’s case 
  to Dr. Kristina Pelvanen, the headmistress at the 
  Ravenswood Academy. Th ough Mrs. Puttermeyer 
  didn’t understand how a headmistress at an exclu-
  sive private school could help her, she didn’t ask any 
  questions — her son needed to ﬁ x his face and that 
  was all she cared about.
  Aft er some study, Dr. Pelvanen conﬁ rmed 
  that James Puttermeyer was a mutant and further 
  impressed Mr. and Mrs. Puttermeyer by giving their 
  son back his normal face aft er an hour-long ses-
  sion of work. She invited them to send their son to 
  her Academy so he could learn how to control his 
  powers, and they quickly took her up on the oﬀ er.
  Personality/Motivation:  James Puttermeyer is an 
  easy-going young man — in the opinion of some 
  of his teachers, perhaps too easy-going. He doesn’t 
  work hard enough at either his classwork or his 
  training, and has a tendency to get in trouble 
  because he simply follows other kids around, never 
  stopping to make his own decision about some-
  thing. Th at said, he’s friendly and likeable; even 
  serious teachers like Mr. Randall and Mr. Gillicutty 
  have cracked a smile or two at his jokes.
  Rowan has decided that it’s time for Putty to 
  ﬁ gure out what he’s going to do with the rest of his 
  life, and her main focus for his senior year is not 
  increasing his control over his powers, but getting 
  him on some path — any path — for the future. 
  His control over his powers is good enough to get 
  by in the world outside Ravenswood (although 
  she’s disappointed that he hasn’t developed more 
  uses for them), and at this point in his life, it’s far 
  more important that Putty make a decision about 
  his future.
  Th ough Rowan hasn’t realized it yet, and 
  would be surprised to learn it, Putty is also con-
  cerned about his future. His father, a construction 
  worker, has oﬀ ered to get him on with the union 
  aft er he graduates, but Putty isn’t sure ﬁ nishing 
  cement while hanging from the side of a skyscraper 
  is for him. He jokes that if he was going to hang out 
  three hundred feet above the sidewalk for the rest 
  of his life, he would’ve spent more time practicing 
  his superball pose. Th is anxiety about what he’s 
  
  78 ■ The Ravenswood Academy
  Hero System 5th Edition
  going to do aft er graduating has cast a dark cloud 
  over Putty’s normally cheerful personality.
  Putty does have one idea about what he might 
  do aft er Ravenswood, and that’s go into the enter-
  tainment industry. With his malleable face and gen-
  eral good nature, he thinks he might have a future 
  in stand-up comedy and maybe even Hollywood 
  — aft er all, he tells himself, look at Jim Carrey. He 
  knows Rowan wouldn’t approve — she’s training 
  superheroes and upstanding citizens who con-
  tribute to the community, not comedians — so he 
  hasn’t said anything. But he has sent an e-mail to a 
  Hollywood talent agency who’s expressed an inter-
  est in meeting with him....
  Quote:  “C’mon, Impact — stop giving me a hard 
  time. Th at was Dr. Destroyer in the Testing Room. 
  What did you want me to do? Imitate that mighty 
  ﬁ ne helmet he wears? Ooohhh yeah... that would 
  have deﬁ nitely won the scenario.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Putty has attended Ravenswood for 
  the last three years, and his progress with develop-
  ing his powers has been so-so — as have his grades. 
  His instructors are certain he should be able to 
  assume myriad shapes, not just imitate others. He 
  has learned how to stretch his limbs slightly, but he 
  should be able to do far more. He still has diﬃ  culty 
  controlling his facial expressions, and if frightened 
  or panicked he loses control of his features, taking 
  on a caricature of a horriﬁ ed expression. He also 
  loses complete control of his skin’s rigidity if he 
  fails to activate his Malleable Body or Rubbery 
  Body abilities. If this happens, he can’t use that 
  power for the rest of the adventure, and his skin 
  sags from the bones in loose rubbery ﬂ aps, usually 
  returning to normal overnight. Using his Malleable 
  Face power he can temporarily ﬁ x his face, but the 
  rest of his body remains rubbery.
  In combat Putty is something less than useful 
  — even aft er three years of martial arts instruc-
  tion, he’s only developed an accurate right hook 
  (+2 OCV with Punch) and a pretty good bob-and-
  weave (+2 DCV) — but because of his Damage 
  Reduction and high PD, he makes a good target or 
  distraction, and with his Stretching he can oft en be 
  eﬀ ective against minions and goons.
  Campaign Use:  Putty is the jokester in Homeroom 
  Alpha — a much needed source of comic relief 
  in a group of very serious young adults — and in 
  many ways he helps keep the other members from 
  being constantly at each others’ throats. He tends to 
  see ﬁ ghts starting before they happen, and always 
  acts to defuse the situation, either by changing the 
  subject or trying to lighten the mood with a funny 
  face. He’s willing to try anything — another endear-
  ing quality among his fellow students — but his 
  willingness to go with the ﬂ ow sometimes gets him 
  in trouble. Putty is an unlikely Hunter; he lacks the 
  drive to pursue a person to the ends of the Earth.
  To make Putty more powerful, remove the Imi-
  tation Only Limitation from his Shape Shift  Multi-
  power, and/or give him more inches of Stretching 
  and some dice of Hand-To-Hand Attack. To make 
  him less powerful, remove his Stretching entirely 
  and take away his Combat Skill Levels.
  Appearance:  At 6’2” and 150 pounds, Putty is tall 
  and very thin. He has brown eyes and brown hair 
  with a cowlick at the crown of his head that he can’t 
  keep down — he sometimes claims the cowlick is 
  a side eﬀ ect of his superpowers. He wears his hair 
  in a mullet, the back nearly reaching his shoulders. 
  For the last three years, he’s claimed that the mullet 
  is on its way back in style. Just a matter of time, he 
  claims, and he actively encourages his friends, both 
  boys and girls, to grow their own mullet. Putty has 
  a long, narrow nose and a narrow face, and his wide 
  mouth is always smiling. Th e insignia he wears on 
  the chest of his costume is an amorphous blob.
  “REMEMBER, CLASS — 
  TEST TOMORROW”
  Pimp My Super-Ride:  A second extracurricular lec-
  ture series, similar to Superhero Operation Centers, is 
  Superhero Transportation. Th is is only an eight-week 
  series, and it involves creating a supervehicle and testing 
  it in battle and other hostile conditions. It starts with 
  ground-based vehicles and then moves on to watercraft , 
  atmospheric ﬂ ight, and ﬁ nally starships. Two weeks are 
  dedicated to each type of vehicle — one week for initial 
  design and testing, the second week to improve the 
  initial design and test it again. Students learn not only 
  how to design a vehicle (roughly speaking — it’s not 
  advanced engineering), but how to pilot/drive various 
  types of vehicles and deal with a variety of environ-
  ments.With only two weeks devoted to each type of 
  vehicle, the survey is short,and PLATO provides con-
  siderable assistance with much of the actual drivingor 
  piloting, so most students don’t have time to master all 
  the ins and outsof handling the various types of vehicles, 
  but a few students do gain considerable skill. In game 
  terms, Pimp My Super-Ride doesn’t automatically give a 
  student Combat Driving, Combat Piloting, Mechanics, 
  and the various TFs — the seminars just give him a gen-
  eral knowledge about how the vehicles work and how 
  to operate them — but aft er completing the course, a 
  player can chose to purchase those Skills for his PC if he 
  wishes. Although Superhero Cribs has a reputation for 
  being a bit dull — mostly because of the scenarios deal-
  ing with what are essentially interoﬃ  ce politics — few 
  students pass up a chance to take Pimp My Super-Ride. 
  Driver’s Education is a prerequisite for this lecture series.
  The Damocles Scenario:  Th e ﬁ nal exam a student takes 
  is the Damocles Scenario. No graduate will say anything 
  about the scenario except that it’s impossible to win. Th e 
  scenario is entirely voluntary, although peer pressure is 
  high to participate and most students are intensely curi-
  ous about Damocles aft er four years of hearing about 
  it. Th e Damocles Scenario can not only be humbling, 
  but emotional traumatic, and Rowan has been known 
  to forbid some students from participating. Rumor has 
  it that only Night Marshall II (Class of ’94; see page 49) 
  has won the scenario. Whenever a student mentions this, 
  however, Rowan shakes her head and rolls her eyes.
  
  79 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Two
  TRANCE
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   10 STR 
  0 
  11- 
  Lift  100 kg; 2d6 [1]
   15 DEX 
  15 
  12- 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   10 CON 
  0 
  11-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   15 INT 
  5 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   22 EGO 
  24 
  14- 
  ECV:  7
   8 PRE 
  -2 
  11- 
  PRE Attack:  1½d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   4 PD 
  2 
   
  Total:  8 PD (4 rPD)
   4 ED 
  2 
   
  Total:  8 ED (4 rED)
   4 SPD 
  15 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   6 REC 
  4
   24 END 
  2
   24 STUN 
  4 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  71
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  15 
  Mental Powers:  Elemental Control, 30-
  point powers
  17 
  1)  Sleep Induction:  Ego Attack 4d6; Con-
  centration (0 DCV; -½) 
  4
  6 
  2)  Waking Dreams:  Mental Illusions 6d6; 
  Activation Roll 14- (-½), Concentration 
  (0 DCV; -½), Increased Endurance Cost
   
  (x2 END; -½) 
  10
  10 
  3)  Empathy:  Telepathy 6d6; Empathy (-½) 3
  7 
  Mental Acuity:  +1 SPD; Only With Mental 
  Powers (-½) 
  0
  11 
  Mental Defense:  Mental Defense (15 points 
  total) 
  0
  8 
  Ravenswood Costume:  Armor (4 PD/4 ED); 
  OIF (-½) 
  0
  15 
  Image Inducer:  Shape Shift  (Sight Group; 
  one shape), Instant Change, 1 Continuing 
  Fuel Charge lasting 1 Day (+½); IAF (-½) [1cc]
  13 
  School Pin:  Mind Link (speciﬁ c group of 
  up to any 16 minds at once), No LOS Need-
  ed; IAF (-½), Only With Others Who Have 
  Mind Link (-1), Aﬀ ected As Radio And 
  Hearing Groups, Not Mental Group (-½) 
  0
   
  Skills
  13 
  Mental Blurring:  +4 DCV ; Costs Endur-
  ance (-½) 
  2
  5 
  Computer Programing 13-
  4 
  SS: Mathematics 13-
  2 
  SS: Physics 11-
  3 
  Systems Operation 12-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  129
  Total Cost:  200
  100+ Disadvantages
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  Mutant (Not Conceal-
  able; Always Noticed; Detectable Only By 
  Unusual Senses)
  15 
  Hunted:  Ravenswood Staﬀ  (As Pow, 11-, 
  NCI, Mildly Punish)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Shy And With-
  drawn (suﬀ ers a -2 penalty on most Interac-
  tion Skill rolls) (Common, Strong)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Afraid Of Th e 
  Dark (Common, Moderate)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Code Versus Kill-
  ing (Common, Total)
  5 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (Occasionally, 
  Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Lisa 
  Bauer) (Frequently, Major)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x Eﬀ ect from Mind Con-
  trol (Common)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  200
  Background/History:  Trance is a mutant with 
  mental powers who came into a small part of her 
  heritage at a very early age — she developed empa-
  thy while still in the crib. But she had no control 
  over it, and since she had six older siblings, the 
  hustle and bustle of her crowded house ﬂ ooded her 
  with frantic emotions, forcing her to retreat into a 
  mental shell that retarded her development.
  As she grew older, she found herself placed 
  in special program aft er special program, and 
  interviewed time and again by the school district’s 
  psychologist. Nothing seemed to help, and eventu-
  ally her parents resigned themselves to the fact 
  that their youngest daughter was a little slow. 
  But Trance’s grandmother, a wealthy woman, 
  would have none of that. Aft er some research, she 
  arranged an interview with the headmistress at the 
  new Ravenswood Academy. Trance was only six 
  years old when she ﬁ rst met Rowan, but she seemed 
  to open up to the older woman in a way that she 
  hadn’t for other psychologists and teachers. Aft er 
  several interviews, Rowan ascertained the source 
  
  80 ■ The Ravenswood Academy
  Hero System 5th Edition
  of the problem and informed her parents that their 
  daughter was telepathic. Th e parents were skepti-
  cal at ﬁ rst, but Rowan ﬁ nally convinced them. For 
  the next year Rowan worked with the little girl and 
  eventually taught her to have some control over 
  her empathy. When Trance ﬁ nished middle school, 
  Rowan approached her about attending Raven-
  swood, and she agreed.
  Th e ﬁ rst two years of Trance’s education were a 
  frustrating time for Rowan and the instructors. Th e 
  girl made little progress, and Rowan couldn’t help 
  but notice that while all diagnostics and analysis 
  indicated Trance possessed deep reserves of mental 
  might, she had barely scratched the surface of her 
  powers. Rowan feared that the conditions of her 
  early childhood, combined with Rowan’s year of 
  instruction, has served to impede Trance’s capacity 
  for coming into the full ﬂ ower of her abilities. But 
  junior year was a breakthrough time for her, and 
  Rowan has high hopes for the coming term.
  Personality/Motivation:  Trance is a shy and with-
  drawn girl, although three years of being around 
  her fellow students in Homeroom Alpha has made 
  her more comfortable with people. Trance prefers 
  to spend her time online; Chain Lightning oft en 
  has to remove her bodily from in front of a com-
  puter to get her to go anywhere. Th anks to last 
  year’s marked improvement, Trance possesses a 
  burgeoning conﬁ dence that Rowan hopes to nur-
  ture. But the past is not so easily left  behind — 
  Trance remains incredibly uncomfortable around 
  strangers and even afraid of the dark, requiring a 
  nightlight to get to sleep. She rarely speaks, instead 
  answering questions with a smile or a nod.
  Trance enjoys computers and mathemat-
  ics, and wants to go to college to study one or the 
  other. She can’t even imagine being a superhero 
  and smiles sheepishly whenever someone men-
  tions the possibility. However, she’s changed so 
  much since her freshman and sophmore years 
  — back then, she would rarely even look up — that 
  Rowan still maintains a slight hope that Trance will 
  take up the mantle of a crimeﬁ ghter. But Rowan 
  doesn’t let herself forget that there’s a lot of work 
  to be done before that happens. First and fore-
  most, Rowan thinks the girl needs to go on a date, 
  something she’s never done, and wonders if maybe 
  she shouldn’t arrange some training sessions with 
  Slumber from Homeroom Beta.
  Quote:  “Ummmm.... maybe I can do that.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Trance is a mentalist with limited 
  mental powers. When she ﬁ rst arrived at Raven-
  swood, she could read people’s emotions and gently 
  nudge people to sleep. Last year she learned to evoke 
  dream images in a target and, more importantly, 
  blur a target’s perceptions of her so she’s harder to 
  hit in combat. Her Mental Blurring Power has made 
  her less of a liability in combat, and now the rest of 
  Homeroom Alpha doesn’t have to worry as much 
  about protecting her from attacks. In combat Trance 
  hangs back (far back) and uses her Sleep Induction 
  on a target engaged in hand-to-hand with one of 
  her classmates. She hasn’t gotten used to her Waking 
  Dreams power yet, and still forgets to try it.
  Rowan has several goals for Trance’s senior 
  year. First, she wants Trance to learn how to project 
  emotions — if not read and send thoughts. Second, 
  she wants Trance to expand her abilities to include 
  multiple targets. Her Mental Blurring aﬀ ects every-
  one in her Line Of Sight, and Rowan has taken this 
  as proof the girl can aﬀ ect multiple people with her 
  other powers. Trance is less than convinced of this, 
  but is willing to try. Mr. Biggs, on the other hand, 
  has promised himself Trance will not under any 
  circumstances graduate from Ravenswood until she 
  learns how to throw a decent right hook.
  Campaign Use:  Trance is the quiet member of 
  Homeroom Alpha and serves as the team’s techni-
  cal expert. Her classmates oft en overlook her — not 
  because they don’t like her, but simply because she’s 
  so quiet — but they’ve gotten better about includ-
  ing her over the years. Trance is never a source of 
  friction in the group and tries to do what’s asked 
  of her. Lately, though, she’s spoken up on one or 
  two occasions, much to everyone’s surprise, and 
  what she’s had to say was surprisingly good advice. 
  Trance wouldn’t Hunt anyone.
  To increase Trance’s power, add more EC 
  slots (including one for Mind Control), and give 
  her some Combat Skill Levels with her powers. To 
  decrease her power, remove her Mental Blurring 
  and Waking Dreams powers.
  Appearance: Trance is a tall, thin girl with big dark 
  eyes, a round face, and a button nose. She keeps 
  her bangs long and brushes them forward over 
  her eyes, tying back the rest of her hair in a pony-
  tail. She speaks incredibly soft ly; one has to lean 
  forward to hear what she says. Th e insignia on her 
  costume is a stylized eye.
  
  chapter three:
  chapter three:
  chapter three:
  GAMEMASTERING 
  TEEN CHAMPIONS
  
  82 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  T
  his section contains additional and/or secret 
  information about Ravenswood Academy 
  that’s for the GM’s eyes alone. If you’re play-
  ing in, or plan to play in, a campaign based 
  on the Ravenswood Academy setting, do not read 
  this section!!
  Th e GM’s Vault is organized by chapter and 
  page number. If the Vault doesn’t comment on 
  some part of the main text, it’s usually safe to take 
  what’s written there as accurate (or as left  for each 
  GM’s individual interpretation). As always, you’re 
  free to change anything in this book to suit your 
  own preferences or campaign.
  CAMPAIGN 
  AND PLOT IDEAS
  Chapter One contains many plot ideas and 
  ways to get a campaign started. Here are some more 
  ideas for Teen Champions games, and suggestions 
  for bringing the trials and travails of teen life into a 
  campaign with adult superheroes.
  WORLD WITHOUT GROWNUPS
  In this Teen Champions campaign, the teens 
  exist in a world without grown-ups. Maybe it’s 
  an alternate Earth, where a biological weapon 
  unleashed a virus that kills a person when he 
  turns twenty (similar to the old Star Trek episode 
  “Miri”), or maybe it’s the alternate dimension of 
  Youth-topia. Th e society of children might look 
  like Never-Never Land from Peter Pan; or it might 
  resemble Th e Lord Of Th e Flies.
  On the one hand, teens don’t have adults 
  bossing them around, so they’re free to do as they 
  please; on the other hand, they can’t look to adults 
  for help, advice, or a stable environment. Th e play-
  ers should emphasize their characters’ inexperience 
  — rationales for having adult knowledge like “But 
  that’s how adults do it” or “Th at’s what my Dad said” 
  should be rare or non-existent.
  THE TENYEAR REUNION
  Th e PCs attend their high school’s ten-year 
  reunion. Th ey become re-acquainted with both their 
  friends from high school and their enemies. Typi-
  cally they ﬁ nd themselves — amazingly enough 
  — acting exactly like they did in high school, no 
  matter how much they’ve changed and matured. 
  Even though they’re now all adults, each PC ﬁ nds 
  himself attracted to an old ﬂ ame, cowering when 
  abused by the bully, or stuttering in the presence of 
  a girl he had a crush on. Is there something sinister 
  going on... or is it just normal reunion jitters?
  Of course, if reunions are bad for people 
  without superpowers, imagine what they’re like for 
  superhumans. A PC might discover one of his old 
  friends is now a supervillain, one of his ex-girl-
  friends is now a superhero, or learn other startling 
  secrets about his former classmates.
  Getting all the PCs to the reunion might 
  require some ﬁ nessing, since adult superheroes may 
  not be the same age or have attended the same high 
  school. Other PCs can go as dates in some cases, 
  but if it requires a retcon or two to get the PCs in 
  the same graduating class at the same high school, 
  where’s the harm?
  Th e climax of such a scenario shouldn’t be 
  a ﬁ ght with a supervillain — although, of course, 
  there can be some sort of ﬁ ght. Th e conclusion 
  should instead be the PCs coming to grips with 
  events from their teen years — maybe forgiving a 
  bully, or thanking a teacher, or mending bridges 
  with old friends.
  BACK TO ADOLESCENCE
  In this adventure idea for adult superhe-
  roes, the PCs ﬁ nd themselves regressed to their 
  teen years. Maybe they’ve been aﬀ ected by Dr. 
  Destroyer’s de-aging ray, or perhaps they’re the 
  target of some spell. Whatever the case, a PC’s adult 
  mind inhabits a teen’s body. Th is can mean they 
  suﬀ er from weaker powers (reduce their point total 
  from 350 points to 200 points, or simply reduce all 
  powers to 50% eﬀ ectiveness), or it could just mean 
  no one takes them seriously. Th e adventure should 
  embroil the adults with situations and restrictions 
  teens suﬀ er through — policemen who think the 
  PCs should be in school, shopkeepers who tell the 
  PCs to leave because everyone knows that teens are 
  troublemakers, and so on.
  BACK TO THE GOOD OL’ DAYS
  Similar to Back To Adolescence, this adventure 
  involves adult PCs experiencing their adolescence 
  for a second time — in this case, when their minds 
  are shift ed in time and sent back to their teenaged 
  bodies (and their teen minds get shunted forward 
  to their adult bodies). Given the opportunity to 
  relive his childhood, what will a PC do? And what 
  will the teens-in-adult-bodies versions of the PCs 
  do when allowed to live as adults? Can the PCs 
  count on having jobs when they get back to their 
  rightful bodies? Will supervillains take advantage 
  of the city’s suddenly inexperienced defenders?
  In this adventure, it’s fun to have players act 
  out both roles, teen and adult, and to have dual 
  adventures going on at the same time. One session 
  is dedicated to the adults in the bodies of teens, the 
  THE GM’s VAULT
  “SUMMER LOVIN’, 
  HAD ME A BLAST”
  Since much of a Teen 
  Champions campaign 
  revolves around attend-
  ing school, three months 
  of summer vacation 
  prevent interesting 
  opportunities for a 
  campaign. One pos-
  sibility is that the teens 
  can visit other cities, 
  countries, and even 
  realities for extended 
  periods of time without 
  having to worry about 
  the responsibilities of 
  being a student, and it 
  can be a time when the 
  PCs get a taste of what 
  it’s like to be an adult 
  superhero. Another 
  possibility is that the 
  events of summer vaca-
  tion happen oﬀ -stage 
  — the PCs go their 
  own ways for a couple 
  months before coming 
  back together at the 
  start of the new school 
  year. In this case, the 
  players and GM should 
  work together to decide 
  what happened during 
  the vacation. Th is is the 
  perfect time to intro-
  duce new subplots into 
  a campaign (elements 
  that will play a part in 
  the campaign’s new 
  “season,” so to speak). 
  Perhaps a PC found a 
  new girlfriend, made 
  new friends, or discov-
  ered more uses for his 
  powers.
  
  83 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  next to the teens in the bodies of adults, switching 
  back and forth until everyone’s mind returns to the 
  correct body.
  TEENS WITH GODLIKE POWERS
  Teen Champions, for the most part, presents 
  the teens as having less power than their adult 
  counterparts, but this doesn’t have to be the case. In 
  this campaign, the teens have far greater powers... 
  and this makes the adult world uneasy, because the 
  teens are a threat to the very status quo. Author-
  ity ultimately derives from the ability to force a 
  person to obey — but who can make a powerful 
  teen superhuman do anything? Th e PCs in the 
  group are just as powerful as the adult superheroes 
  — if not more powerful — and they’re certainly 
  more powerful than traditional law enforcement. 
  Furthermore, the threat posed by such great powers 
  in inexperienced hands make adults even more 
  concerned, so adult superheroes are unlikely to 
  overlook youthful indiscretions.
  How does the teen deal with having godlike 
  powers? Most teens worry about whether they can 
  borrow the car for the weekend, or whether the 
  girl they have a crush on will agree to go on a date, 
  but this teen has the power to change the world 
  — should he do it? His inexperience hampers him, 
  but it can also threaten the entire world when com-
  bined with youthful zeal and idealism.
  And don’t forget — just because a teen pos-
  sesses great powers doesn’t mean he can control 
  those powers....
  SHADES OF THINGS TO COME
  Teens are all about the future, and one 
  common plot development is that the teens gain a 
  glimpse of their future, usually when a future ver-
  sion of a hero returns to the past to set right some 
  wrong. A PC might learn he’s destined to become 
  a great hero, no matter how incompetent he seems 
  as a teen; or he might learn he’s destined to become 
  a master villain regardless of what a goody-two-
  shoes he is now. Another feature of the glimpse of 
  the future is that a teen superhero learns what he 
  might be able to do with his powers, and this gives 
  him a goal to work toward.
  CHAPTER TWO: 
  RAVENSWOOD
  Th e text in Chapter Two assumes that the PCs 
  are teen heroes who know the primary secrets of 
  the Academy, or adult heroes with enough connec-
  tions to the Academy or the Superhero World to 
  ﬁ nd them out. For example, the true background of 
  the gardner and his family is a secret the non-tra-
  ditional students know and protect. Here are some 
  secrets that aren’t quite so public.
  PAGE 44  THE DEATH OF SUNHEART
  Unknown to Rowan, the Examiner (Galactic 
  Champions, pages 120-122) took an interest in 
  young Sunheart (real name:  Rick Ryder) and his 
  plight as a living prison for the alien Srﬁ sh. Th e 
  Examiner is one of the Galaxar, a group of beings 
  of unknown origin who possess vast cosmic powers 
  and dedicate their immortal existence to one ﬁ eld 
  of study and research. Th e Examiner himself stud-
  ies sentients, usually those of great will or power, by 
  forcing them to face challenges and then observing 
  how they react in the face of insurmountable obsta-
  
  84 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  cles, great emotional distress, impossible moral 
  conundrums, or similar trying circumstances.
  To put it in a way a teen can get behind, the 
  Examiner is a teacher from hell. He appears out of 
  nowhere, arriving wherever his studies take him 
  and whenever he chooses, to give the most grueling 
  “pop quizzes” a teen can imagine.
  Th e Examiner has several reasons for study-
  ing Sunheart. Th e least important are Sunheart’s 
  unique condition and the very fact that he’s a 
  Terran. Th e Examiner has performed few tests of 
  this new species that only recently — less than 
  the blink of an eye for the immortal Space God 
  — took its ﬁ rst hesitant steps out into space. Th e 
  most important reason, is that the Examiner plans 
  to use Sunheart to test another cosmic being, the 
  Space God Tawose. Tawose is a conceptual being, 
  immeasurably powerful, who’s solely concerned 
  with duality and balance. Th e Examiner is con-
  ﬁ dent that given enough time, and by placing 
  Sunheart at enough “crux points” in universal 
  current events, he can attract Tawose’s attention 
  to the brave and noble young man with a dualistic 
  nature. To study another Space God is a challenge 
  Th e Examiner has never dared tried before, and 
  he eagerly awaits Tawose’s response. Of course, 
  whether the Multiverse can survive this event is 
  another matter entirely....
  Sunheart didn’t actually die in 1979 — the 
  Examiner saved him, leaving behind evidence that 
  made people think he was dead. Since then he’s 
  sent the hapless (and still, thanks to the Examiner’s 
  powers, teenaged) Sunheart careening across the 
  Universe into conﬂ ict aft er conﬂ ict. Sunheart 
  doesn’t know what force controls him, but he’s 
  never stopped struggling with the Srﬁ sh and always 
  endeavors to ﬁ ght on the side of the angels.
  PAGE 46  THE HAUNT OF RAVENS
  Th e history of the Ravenswood and its asso-
  ciation with children goes back farther than a 
  century — all the way back to the golden age of 
  Atlantis when the great Vondarrien was emperor 
  of the world and peace reigned across all his 
  domain. On this spot was the tower of Muulyr 
  Ravenscloak, a great sorcerer known as a talented 
  tutor of children in the arcane arts. Over 300 
  years, Muulyr instructed more than ﬁ ft y sorcer-
  ers, taking them from apprentice to master. His 
  students included members of the Imperial family, 
  and his name was known and esteemed across the 
  Dominion of Atlantis.
  Th en Muulyr Ravenscloak disappeared, 
  departing the world before the golden age of 
  Atlantis ended in war and turmoil. As is the wont 
  of powerful sorcerers, Muulyr left  the world of 
  mortals for a diﬀ erent one, ascending from Assiah 
  to the Yetzirah. He made his new home in a realm 
  of avians, thermals, and strong updraft s where the 
  spirits of wind and wing dwelt. From there he could 
  contemplate the nature of the Multiverse and study 
  the Tree of Life. But time passes much more slowly 
  there than in his homeworld.
  Despite the passage of ages, Muulyr has not 
  forgotten his birthworld, nor the place where he 
  spent so many centuries. Th e ravens that haunt 
  the forest serve as his mystical connection to the 
  place. In the avians’ collective minds dwells a frag-
  ment of Muulyr’s essence, and although the great 
  sorcerer is rarely conscious of what passes on his 
  former estate, he can “feel” what occurs on some 
  subconscious level... and the ravens act accordingly. 
  In this way Rowan felt Muulyr’s approval of her 
  intention to start a school for young superheroes 
  — to the sorcerer it was as if she were intending 
  to tutor apprentices in the ways of magic. And on 
  several occasions the ravens have created a horrible 
  racket when a child’s life was in danger (although, 
  as with Gloriana’s rampage, the ravens’ clamor has 
  not always helped).
  Over the years, Muulyr has only revealed 
  himself fully to one person at the Academy:  Prince 
  Marus. Th e sorcerer spoke with him via the young 
  man’s dreams to renew his allegiance to the throne 
  of Atlantis. Marus only hazily recalls the dream.
  PAGE 61  ROWAN PLOT SEEDS
  Here are three plot seeds for Rowan:
  Rowan suﬀ ers a heart attack and must retire as 
  headmistress as the school. Will she be able to ﬁ nd 
  a replacement or will her school fall apart without 
  her to guide it? And how will the PCs react to the 
  illness of this person who’s become so important 
  to them?
  One of Rowan’s old adversaries has been told 
  he has two weeks to live. He sets out to right old 
  “wrongs” (i.e., defeats), and ﬁ rst on the list is 
  Rowan. Fueled by a maniacal fury, the supervillain 
  is more powerful than ever. Can the PCs protect 
  their headmistress?
  Rowan announces that Ravenswood is closed 
  permanently, and now the PCs are left  without a 
  super-school to attend. Not only must they return 
  to public high school, but Rowan’s actions were 
  completely out of character. It’s up to the PCs to 
  discover what’s really going on.
  PAGE 63 PLATO PLOT SEEDS
  Here are three plot seeds for Plato:
  Th e classic PLATO plot:  the AI goes mad and takes 
  control of the school’s security systems. Only the 
  PCs are free to act. Can they make their way to the 
  AI’s physical location and shut him down?
  PLATO develops a crush on one of the PCs and 
  begins acting strangely. Will the PC ﬁ gure out 
  what’s going on? Will she abuse the power she has 
  over the AI?
  Th ere’s a new student in Homeroom Alpha. Code-
  named Prodigy, he’s a genius with a talent for 
  invention, but he sure is weird. How long will it 
  take the students to ﬁ gure out that Prodigy is really 
  an android body for PLATO? Is he spying on the 
  students, or is this an attempt on PLATO’s part to 
  become more human?
  ENDING THE 
  CAMPAIGN
  Unlike many campaigns, 
  where the passing years 
  are largely meaning-
  less, each year of a Teen 
  Champions campaign 
  means something 
  because the PCs move 
  closer toward gradua-
  tion and turning eigh-
  teen years old. Aft er all, 
  who wants to be a kid 
  forever?
  Typically in teen ﬁ ction 
  the story ends at one of 
  two places:  the senior 
  prom or the summer 
  aft er graduation.
  Ending at prom means 
  all the subplots come 
  to a conclusion during 
  the dance, with those 
  conﬂ icts reaching a boil 
  during the lead-up to 
  the big dance. Th e PC 
  either wins the heart 
  of his secret crush or 
  learns that the object 
  of his crush isn’t who 
  he thought. Th e PCs 
  either get revenge on 
  the teachers and stu-
  dents who antagonized 
  them throughout high 
  school or they reconcile 
  with their antagonists, 
  both groups reaching a 
  deeper understanding of 
  each other.
  Ending with summer 
  aft er graduation has less 
  to do with completing 
  the subplots from four 
  years of high school, and 
  more to do with ﬁ guring 
  out what to do with the 
  future. It’s about saying 
  good-byes and so on, as 
  the good students pre-
  pare to leave for college, 
  the bad students drift  
  about aimlessly or start 
  working full time, and 
  high school romances 
  come to an end.
  In a roleplaying cam-
  paign, a GM can use 
  both. Th e senior prom 
  becomes the time when 
  the subplots from high 
  school are reconciled 
  (amidst a supervillain 
  Continued on next page
  
  85 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  PAGE 69  CHAIN LIGHTNING PLOT SEEDS
  Here are three plot seeds for Chain Lightning:
  One day in the Testing Room, Chain Lightning 
  suddenly has complete and absolute control over 
  his powers. Has he ﬁ nally turned the corner, or is 
  there a darker reason for his newfound control?
  Th e Incan god responsible for Chain Lightning’s 
  power appears at the Academy — he wants his 
  powers back. Can the PCs ﬁ ght oﬀ  a god (even a 
  weakened one)? And if not, what will Chain Light-
  ning do without his powers?
  Mechanon has a new doomsday device. All he 
  needs is a power source. He kidnaps Chain Light-
  ning and hooks him up to his machine. Can the 
  PCs rescue their fellow student before the worst 
  comes to pass?
  PAGE 72  FLICKER PLOT SEEDS
  Here are three plot seeds for Flicker:
  Th e Widows of the Night come looking for Flicker. 
  Can the PCs ﬁ ght oﬀ  the deranged cultists?
  Sai is in the hospital, badly injured aft er a ﬁ ght 
  with a new supervillain. Will the PCs help Flicker 
  get revenge?
  Flicker has written an expose on the Ravenswood 
  Academy and teen superheroes. She knows she 
  can easily get the article published and is sorely 
  tempted to send it oﬀ . Can the PCs convince her 
  not to do so?
  PAGE 74  IMPACT PLOT SEEDS
  Here are three plot seeds for Impact:
  Impact’s father escapes from prison. Now Impact 
  has gone AWOL. Will the PCs follow him and try 
  to convince the young superhero to return? Or will 
  they help him ﬁ nd his father?
  Impact suddenly disappears. Could VIPER have 
  found the young man and kidnapped him? When 
  he appears as a member of Generation VIPER (page 
  111), can the PCs break Mrs. Garter’s conditioning?
  Nutant was an untested drug. When Impact begins 
  to experience a secondary mutation, he ﬁ nds him-
  self unable to stop absorbing kinetic energy — all 
  kinetic energy. Everything in a 10” radius around 
  him comes to a dead stop. Th e PCs ﬁ gure out that 
  the only way to help their classmate is to retrieve 
  VIPER’s ﬁ les on the drug. Can they penetrate 
  VIPER’s computer system and get the information 
  they need? And will they be able to cover their 
  tracks, so VIPER doesn’t come looking for them?
  PAGE 76  PUTTY PLOT SEEDS
  Here are three plot seeds for Putty:
  Th e talent agency Putty contacted is secretly a front 
  for a criminal organization like DEMON or VIPER. 
  When Putty disappears one weekend aft er a secret 
  meeting with one of the agents, can the PCs track 
  him down and rescue him?
  Putty gives up on his future and decides to drop out 
  of school. Can the PCs convince him otherwise?
  First, Putty cuts oﬀ  his mullet. Th en, he buys some 
  styling gel to smooth down his cowlick. Could it be 
  the boy has a crush on some girl? And might that 
  girl be one of the PCs?
  PAGE 78  THE DAMOCLES SCENARIO
  Th e Damocles Scenario, very simply, involves 
  everything going wrong, no matter what the PC 
  does. It starts small with a battle against a two-bit 
  supervillain like Blowtorch or Bulldozer (pages 129 
  and 133 of Conquerors, Killers, And Crooks, respec-
  tively) and things spin out of control from there 
  until the whole world stands on the brink of ruin. 
  Th e scenario is programmed to ensure that abso-
  lutely nothing can go right (with Rowan handling 
  anomalous situations). What’s being tested is the 
  student’s fortitude, self-conﬁ dence, and determina-
  tion in the face of overwhelming odds.
  Night Marshall II did, technically, win the 
  scenario. He did so by quickly recognizing the deck 
  was stacked against him and choosing to do noth-
  ing. Rowan maintains to this day he only exploited 
  a glitch in the system. (Th e Night Marshall’s coun-
  terargument is that he simply took a page from 
  Buddha at the bodhi tree, a perfectly valid course 
  of action.)  Th is, however, was in 1994 and early 
  on in the scenario’s implementation; Rowan hadn’t 
  counted on a student choosing to do nothing so 
  early on in the scenario. Over ten years later, a stu-
  dent is greatly discouraged from taking this course 
  of action, mainly with things continuing to go more 
  and more wrong because of the student’s inactivity.
  Th e scenario ends with the world destroyed 
  — it’s just a matter of how long a student can put 
  oﬀ  the inevitable — and a student can call a halt 
  at any time. Graduates spend hours relating what 
  weirdness and absurdities happened to them 
  during the scenario and comparing how long they 
  lasted before crying uncle.
  PAGE 79  TRANCE PLOT SEEDS
  Here are three plot seeds for Trance:
  Trance and Slumber have been working together 
  in the Headspace, practicing their mental powers, 
  but then something goes wrong and all the students 
  and staﬀ  at Ravenswood ﬁ nd themselves caught in 
  a nightmare world. Can the PCs ﬁ ght their way to 
  the two mentalists and set things right?
  As the year progresses, Trance grows increasingly 
  powerful until her abilities dwarf those of her class-
  mates. But too much power too soon has unhinged 
  her. Will the PCs notice her erratic behavior in time to 
  prevent a Gloriana-like tragedy from coming to pass?
  Trance falls into a coma. Th e PCs must journey 
  into her mind to save her. And when the discover 
  a powerful mentalist — Menton, for instance — 
  occupying Trance’s psyche, can they defeat him?
  Continued from last page
  attack or other superhe-
  roic action), while the 
  summer aft er gradua-
  tion is a time to lay the 
  groundwork for the 
  campaign’s next stage 
  with a new setting and 
  maybe even new PCs.
  
  86 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  TEEN HEROES
  T
  he heroes in this section can serve as 
  example characters for your players or rivals 
  for the PCs in your Teen Champions cam-
  paigns. Th ese rivalries can range from prov-
  ing who’s the better superhero to trying to win the 
  aﬀ ections of a girl. Unlike adults, teens rarely keep 
  things in perspective, so rivalries between super-
  teams can become very heated as each team seeks 
  to outdo the other.
  Th ese teams can take on roles that parallel the 
  roles of normal teens in real life. For example, the 
  Motor City Defenders might consider Homeroom 
  Alpha and the other Ravenswood students to be 
  spoiled brats who live easy lives in the lap of luxury, 
  whereas Homeroom Alpha might think the Motor 
  City Defenders come from the wrong side of the 
  tracks. One way of thinking about it:  membership 
  in a superteam is like membership in a clique, with 
  all the stereotypes and acrimony that goes along 
  with that.
  In a Champions campaign with adult super-
  heroes, teen heroes can take on an adversarial role. 
  Adult superheroes tend to frown on teen vigilantes, 
  and sometimes they try to track down the teens 
  and prevent them from being superheroes. Or they 
  might not understand the teens and think they’re 
  villains (or potential villains). And of course, the 
  teens might be villainously inclined — plenty of 
  teenagers are insensitive, cruel, and selﬁ sh — which 
  means the adult heroes have to try to win them to 
  the path of responsibility and righteousness.
  Another way of bringing teen superheroes into 
  a campaign as adversaries for adult PCs is as pawns 
  for supervillains. Teens are inexperienced and 
  easily manipulated by a supervillain. Teen superhu-
  mans may have fewer defenses against mind con-
  trol, brainwashing, and the like, leaving them even 
  more vulnerable to exploitation by villains.
  Finally, teen superheroes can represent a gen-
  erational struggle — a conﬂ ict between the new 
  guard and the old one. Th ey challenge the adult 
  PCs’ way of doing things, whether this involves 
  being proactive in their ﬁ ght against supervillains, 
  or appointing themselves judge, jury, and execu-
  tioner. When adult superheroes clash with their 
  teen counterparts, it can be more than exploding 
  energy blasts and ﬂ ying ﬁ sts — it can be a (poten-
  tial) changing of the guard that may make a PC feel 
  old and out of touch or reaﬃ  rm his belief in what 
  he does and how he does it.
  THE MOTOR CITY 
  DEFENDERS
  From out of the ruins of Detroit arose the 
  gleaming towers of Millennium City, but those 
  towers cast a long shadow. Dwelling in the darkness 
  of that shadow is the city of North Detroit.
  North Detroit came through Dr. Destroyer’s 
  rampage largely unscathed, and at the time the 
  residents were thankful... but little did they know 
  they’d be left  behind when the rest of the country 
  united to rebuild the city. Over the years North 
  Detroit has sunk deeper into poverty, becoming the 
  red-headed stepchild of its sister city. Crime oft en 
  runs rampant, and though Millennium City has 
  many superhuman defenders, those heroes oft en 
  neglect North Detroit... or at least that’s how North 
  Detroiters see it.
  Recently a team of new superheroes appeared 
  on the scene. One of the local papers anointed 
  them the Motor City Defenders — unlike Millen-
  nium City, North Detroit hasn’t forgotten its roots 
  — and these young superheroes have fought the 
  good ﬁ ght against crime and villainy in the area. 
  Th ey’ve become the darlings of North Detroit’s 
  residents, and although early on one or two local 
  newspapers ran editorials questioning the wisdom 
  of young superheroes risking their lives, those 
  papers soon found themselves shouted down by 
  their readers. Now only the papers in Millennium 
  City proper question whether the Motor City 
  Defenders are a good thing — easy for them to say, 
  most residents of North Detroit agree, since the 
  so-called City of the Future has more superheroes 
  than it knows what to do with.
  Membership:  Barnstormer, Cantrip, Kid Samson, 
  Miss Crone
  Background/History:  Besides their superpowers, the 
  four members of the Motor City Defenders all have 
  two thing in common:  they’s all moved to the area 
  recently; and were assigned to Harding High School.
  Th ey met during Freshman Orientation 
  — none of them were freshman, but new kids 
  regardless of age had to attend. Since they were the 
  oldest kids in the group, they gravitated together. 
  As they left  school, making jokes about the place 
  and exchanging phone numbers, they saw a group 
  of armed men wearing ski masks rush across the 
  street, ﬁ ring their guns in the air. Unlike the other 
  kids gathered outside the high school, they didn’t 
  cower in fear or run screaming for cover. Instead 
  they looked at each other sheepishly, muttered 
  some excuses, and went looking for someplace pri-
  vate to change into their costumes.
  
  87 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  Once they’d dealt with the gunmen, they 
  gathered again outside the high school, this time 
  in costume.
  “So....” Barnstormer said.
  “Yeah, exactly,” Kid Samson replied.
  “Let’s be a team!” Cantrip blurted out.
  And Miss Crone nodded knowingly.
  Since that day they’ve had several encounters 
  with supervillains, including Generation VIPER 
  and the Dirtbike Desperadoes, as well as putting 
  a stop to more mundane crimes. Th ough none of 
  them are comfortable with the adulation they’ve 
  received, they all appreciate it — especially the one 
  time the Champions came looking for them, only 
  to be met with thrown rubbish and yells to get out 
  of the city. Th e Defenders don’t know what the 
  Champions wanted that day, but they’re sure it can’t 
  be good. It probably has to do with Cantrip’s claim 
  to be Witchcraft ’s sidekick, which the rest of the 
  team has since learned isn’t true....
  Group Relations:  Th e Motor City Defenders get 
  along well, but recently their friendship has grown 
  strained. When they ﬁ rst started at Harding High, 
  they were the new kids and they banded together 
  as a group of outsiders, all of whom were unwel-
  come in the cliques that dominate Harding High 
  social life. But in truth the four teens have little 
  in common. Barnstormer has tried out for the 
  basketball team and will probably make it. Th e 
  other black kids keep asking Kid Samson why he 
  hangs out with a bunch of white guys. Cantrip has 
  become busier with the marching band and the 
  friends she’s made there. And Miss Crone continues 
  to be an outsider whom all the other kids in school 
  consider too weird to talk to.
  Tactics:  Miss Crone leads the group, and none of 
  the others have questioned her position (although 
  they haven’t always followed her orders). Th ey 
  lack a complex understanding of tactics, but Miss 
  Crone’s Clairsentience oft en gives them insight into 
  a battle that allows them to perform better than 
  they otherwise could. All in all, though, they ﬁ ght 
  as individuals, not as a coordinated team.
  Campaign Use:  Th e Motor City Defenders present 
  an unusual problem for adult heroes. Because the 
  community has embraced the young superheroes, 
  adult heroes can expect no help ﬁ nding them 
  — not even from the local police. Any adult super-
  heroes trying to force the Motor City Defenders to 
  do anything might ﬁ nd themselves at the center of 
  a riot if they aren’t careful.
  As for the students at Ravenswood, most of 
  them are envious of the Motor City Defenders. 
  Th ose kids are out there doing some superhero-
  ing, while the Ravenswood kids are stuck behind 
  the walls of their Academy, forbidden to use their 
  powers in public. Rowan recognizes the danger-
  ous example the Motor City Defenders present 
  for her students, and though she secretly applauds 
  their heroics and admires them, she wants to meet 
  with them and, hopefully, get them enrolled in her 
  Academy. Th e Motor City Defenders have a grow-
  ing number of fans among the Ravenswood kids, 
  and it’s only a matter of time before a Homeroom 
  sneaks oﬀ  campus in hopes of meeting the other 
  teen superheroes, maybe having a team-up to ﬁ ght 
  oﬀ  some supervillains.
  To strengthen the Defenders, add a couple more 
  members and/or make them work together better 
  (perhaps giving several of them the Teamwork Skill). 
  To weaken them, emphasize the divisions between 
  the members so that they rarely work together... and 
  when they do, it doesn’t go well.
  Th e Motor City Defenders have yet to Hunt 
  anyone. Th at’s not really the way they operate; they 
  don’t have that kind of drive and focus.
  HARDING HIGH
  Warren G. Harding High School is one of the older 
  schools in the area, having been built in the post-War 
  years. A large, sprawling place, it has room enough for 
  ﬁ ve thousand students, but its halls are mostly empty 
  nowadays, with only two thousand students in atten-
  dance. For North Detroit, it’s one of the better high 
  schools; for the rest of the country, it’s not so good. 
  Violence in the hallways and stairwells is a continuing 
  problem, as is drugs... both despite the two police oﬃ  cers 
  stationed at the school during the day. Th e families in 
  the area are upper lower and lower middle class, most of 
  whom work at the local car factories — it’s deﬁ nitely a 
  working-class neighborhood, though the crime problem 
  overall isn’t as bad as some other parts of the city.
  Th e school’s nickname is the Vanguards, for the super-
  hero who gave his life protecting Detroit from Dr. 
  Destroyer. Th e school’s colors are pale blue and white, 
  the same colors Vanguard wore in his costume.
  Faculty And Staff
  Here are four Harding High staﬀ  who play a role in the 
  lives of the Motor City Defenders:
  Principal Mike Brickle:  Miss Crone is something of a 
  problem student — she’s oft en bored in class and has 
  no compunctions against telling a teacher when he’s 
  wrong. She and Principal Brickle have clashed on 
  several occasions, and he considers her a bad seed. He 
  wants nothing more than to expel the troublesome and 
  unsettling girl... he’s just looking for an excuse that’ll 
  stand up at a hearing.
  Vice-Principal Al Walters:  Vice-Principal Walters is the 
  father of the supervillain Black Diamond, which has pre-
  vented him from obtaining a job as principal. He claims 
  to have no contact with his criminal daughter, but has on 
  occasion harbored Black Diamond and GRAB from the 
  authorities — though he’s a law-abiding man, he believes 
  blood is thicker than water. He oft en plays good cop to 
  Principal Brickle’s bad cop. In general, the Harding stu-
  dent body likes him a lot better than Brickle.
  Mr. Gus Rourke:  Mild-mannered and soft -spoken, Mr. 
  Rourke is the band teacher at Harding High. Th ough 
  most students (wrongly) think he’s gay, Cantrip has 
  a crush on him. Little does anyone know he’s dating 
  Juliette Parks, a math teacher and the bane of Barn-
  stormer’s existence.
  Luis Ruiz:  Th e school janitor, Ruiz has ﬁ gured out the 
  secret identities of three of the Motor City Defenders 
  (Miss Crone, because of her gift  of foresight, has so 
  far escaped detection). He keeps to himself and isn’t a 
  bad man, but he has some large gambling debts and is 
  tempted to blackmail the young superheroes for help.
  
  88 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  BARNSTORMER
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   13 STR 
  3 
  12- 
  Lift  150 kg; 2½d6 [1]
   24 DEX 
  42 
  14- 
  OCV:  8/DCV:  8
   12 CON 
  4 
  11-
   12 BODY 4 
  11-
   10 INT 
  0 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   12 PRE 
  2 
  11- 
  PRE Attack:  2d6
   12 COM 
  1 
  11-
   8 PD 
  6 
   
  Total:  12 PD (4 rPD)
   8 ED 
  6 
   
  Total:  12 ED (4 rED)
   4 SPD 
  6 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   8 REC 
  6
   40 END 
  8
   42 STUN 17 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  105
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
   
  Flight: 
  20”/40”/320”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  33 
  Flight:  Flight 20”, Reduced Endurance 
  (½ END; +¼); Can Only Make Full 
  Moves (-½) 
  2
  15 
  Jet-Speed:  x16 Noncombat for Flight 
  1
  10 
  Battering Ram:  HA +4d6; Hand-To-
  Hand Attack (-½), Only With Move Bys/
  Th roughs (-½) 
  2
  12 
  Hardened Skin:  Armor (4 PD/4 ED) 
  0
  10 
  Lucky:  Luck 2d6 
  0
   
  Skills
  4 
  +2 OCV with Move Th roughs
  3 
  Combat Driving 14-
  2 
  KS: Basketball 11-
  3 
  Mechanics 11-
  2 
  PS: Play Basketball 11-
  1 
  PS: Play Baseball 8-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  95
  Total Cost:  200
  100+ Disadvantages
  25 
  DNPC:  Al Wesley (sick father) 14- (Incom-
  petent)
  15 
  Hunted:  DOSPA 11- (Mo Pow; NCI; Watch-
  ing)
  10 
  Hunted:  Jocks At Harding High 11- (As Pow, 
  NCI, Watching)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Tries To Live Up 
  To Heroic Ideal (Common, Moderate)
  5 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (Occasionally, 
  Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Jonathan 
  Wesley) (Frequently, Major)
  20 
  Vulnerability:  2 x Eﬀ ect from Adjustment 
  Power Attacks (Common)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  200
  Background/History:  It hit him like a bolt out of the 
  blue. Literally.
  Th e beam of crackling energy came hurtling out 
  of a clear blue sky and struck Jon Wesley as he worked 
  on his father’s broken-down tractor. He was struck 
  senseless, falling to the ground and suﬀ ering a grand 
  mal seizure. His father heard the explosion and came 
  limping out of their ramshackle house to see what 
  happened. He called an ambulance. Th e paramedics 
  took him to the nearest available medical facility:  the 
  one at McLaughlin Air Force Base in Haynesville, 
  Kansas... a facility that was the center for American 
  superhuman activity during World War II.
  As the ambulance pulled onto the base, Jon’s 
  father began screaming. When the paramedics 
  opened the back doors of the ambulance, they looked 
  at each other in shock. Th e boy was enveloped in a 
  cocoon of pink and orange energy that ﬂ exed and 
  crackled around his body until it solidiﬁ ed into a 
  hard, impenetrable shell.
  Despite consultations with their colleagues 
  in UNTIL and PRIMUS, no one at the base knew 
  what to do. Th e material the energy had formed was 
  unidentiﬁ able and resisted all probes. Th e doctors 
  kept Jon under observation and told his father there 
  was nothing to do but wait.
  Aft er three days the cocoon began to crumble 
  away, the ﬂ akes of material hitting the ﬂ oor and siz-
  zling away to nothingness. Jon looked much the 
  same — except that he was now a foot taller and 
  well-muscled where once he had been rail-thin. Th e 
  doctors kept him for another week, citing a need to 
  test him. Th ey discovered he could now ﬂ y at high 
  speeds through some sort of interaction with Earth’s 
  magnetic ﬁ eld, although he had little control over 
  his ﬂ ight. Before they could ﬁ nish their tests, Jon’s 
  father demanded they let his boy leave the hospital. 
  Aft er consulting with their superiors, they acquiesced, 
  disappointed at the lost opportunity the boy’s powers 
  represented... and still wondering at the similarities 
  between him and Captain Patriot. DOSPA opened 
  a ﬁ le for the boy and kept tabs on him, but took no 
  other action.
  When the bank repossessed the Wesley farm, 
  father and son fell oﬀ  the map as they wandered from 
  town to town looking for work. Finally they ended 
  up in North Detroit aft er Jon’s grandfather died and 
  deeded them his house. Th ey live on disability and 
  what little Jon makes working weekends at a local 
  auto parts shop.
  Despite their poverty, Jon couldn’t be happier. 
  Now that he’s living in the big city, he’s started doing 
  what he’s always dreamed of since he ﬁ rst received his 
  powers — using them to become a superhero.
  Personality/Motivation:  Barnstormer loves being a 
  superhero. He works hard at being the perfect hero 
  — maybe a little too hard — and has the utmost 
  respect for adult superheroes, calling them “sir” and 
  hanging on their every word. He works hard out of 
  costume, too, holding down a part-time job to help 
  support his family. School is diﬃ  cult for him — his 
  education is spotty because of his itinerant life before 
  moving to North Detroit. He takes as few academic 
  classes as he can get away with, preferring sports and 
  vocational classes instead.
  Recently he tried out for the basketball team, 
  and because of his height and agility, he’s a shoe-in to 
  make it. He’s a tenacious rebounder with good moves 
  in the post, and his coach thinks he can play college 
  ball if he can improve his mid-range jumper and free 
  throw shooting. He’d like to go to college, but isn’t 
  BARNSTORMER 
  PLOT SEEDS
  While playing in his ﬁ rst 
  basketball game for the 
  Vanguards, Barnstormer 
  gets the ball on an alley-
  oop... and jets through 
  the air, crashing through 
  the roof of the gym and 
  ﬂ ying into the night sky. 
  So anxious to do well 
  he lost control of his 
  powers, he’s now blown 
  his Secret Identity. 
  Can the PCs help him 
  “explain” what happened 
  so he can go on living 
  a normal life... or will 
  VIPER get to him ﬁ rst?
  Rowan discovers 
  Barnstormer’s ﬁ le with 
  DOSPA, tracks the 
  young man down, and 
  oﬀ ers him a place at 
  Ravenswood. Could this 
  be the end of the Motor 
  City Defenders? Or will 
  they all join their team-
  mate at Ravenswood 
  and become a new 
  Homeroom? And how 
  will the old Homerooms 
  feel about the new kids?
  Barnstormer’s powers 
  become increasingly 
  erratic until ﬁ nally 
  he loses control com-
  pletely. He ﬁ nds himself 
  whisked into outer 
  space. Th e Motor City 
  Defenders contact the 
  PCs for help. Will the 
  PCs help them... and if 
  so, what will they dis-
  cover?
  
  89 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  interesting in abandoning his career as a superhero. 
  He’s also not sure if it’s fair for a person with super-
  powers to play sports — Kid Samson always reminds 
  him that he (Samson) stopped boxing when he dis-
  covered he had super-strength, but Barnstormer isn’t 
  sure it’s the same thing. No one dies on a basketball 
  court. He constantly asks Miss Crone for advice, 
  but she just tells him he has to make his own deci-
  sion. More and more, he’s been hanging out with 
  the jocks, leaving behind his fellow members of the 
  Motor City Defenders. He still wants to be a part of 
  the team; he just wonders if they have to spend every 
  minute together.
  Barnstormer’s father knows about his son’s 
  superheroing, and while he doesn’t approve, he also 
  doesn’t forbid it. Mr. Wesley feels guilty about the life 
  he’s provided for his son, especially since he grew up 
  without a mother, and wants him to be happy about 
  something. Since superheroing obviously adds a little 
  joy to his son’s life, he lets him do it (although he does 
  shake his head disapprovingly whenever he hears 
  about an especially dangerous adventure). He tries 
  not to be too supportive, but he has a hard time telling 
  his son no.
  Quote:  “Be there in a sec....”
  Powers/Tactics:  Barnstormer can ﬂ y at high speeds, 
  and when he performs a Move Th rough, he packs 
  quite a punch. Th e problem is, he can only ﬂ y fast. 
  Over the years he’s increased his speed, but he still 
  can’t ﬂ y in small increments, let alone hover in place. 
  When ﬂ ying he must make a Full Move, meaning the 
  shortest distance he can move is 11” — if he moves 
  any slower, he reaches “stall velocity” and plummets 
  from the sky. In some cases he’s used this to his advan-
  tage, but most of the time it just results in him falling 
  to the ground and Knocking himself Out. In combat 
  he can’t just ﬂ y up to someone and punch him; he’s 
  got to perform Move Bys and Move Th roughs.
  In combat Barnstormer follows Miss Crone’s 
  orders, but if left  to his own devices, he chooses the 
  biggest target and performs a Move Th rough. Th at’s 
  far from the wisest course of action, since the biggest 
  target is also the one most likely to have the highest 
  defenses, but to Barnstormer the superheroic thing to 
  do is to attack the biggest and strongest opponent.
  As Barnstormer grows more experienced, he’ll 
  discover he hasn’t even scratched the surface of his 
  powers. Th ere doesn’t seem to be an upper limit to 
  his Flight speed and eventually he’ll wonder why 
  he can breathe at such high speeds, discovering 
  that in fact he doesn’t need to breathe at all. As his 
  powers continue to develop, he’ll discover he can 
  move at faster than light speed, is notably (though 
  not remarkably) stronger and tougher than human 
  normal, and can withstand hard vacuum. Whatever 
  force granted him his powers seems to want him to 
  be able to survive in outer space....
  Campaign Use:  Barnstormer is dead-set on being a 
  superhero and will do whatever it takes to prove he’s 
  got the right stuﬀ . Of the Motor City Defenders, he’s 
  the most likely to listen to adult superheroes, and if he 
  knew about it, he’d leap at the chance to attend Raven-
  swood (assuming he could do so and still support his 
  father). Th e origin of his powers remains a mystery 
  to him, but it’s not something he thinks about much. 
  He’s certain someone’s going to come looking to col-
  lect someday — if there’s one thing poverty has taught 
  him, it’s that nothing’s free.
  Since Barnstormer doesn’t have a vengeful 
  bone in his body, and doesn’t think vengeance is an 
  appropriate motive for a superhero, he isn’t likely to 
  Hunt anyone.
  To make Barnstormer more powerful, move his 
  Flight into a Multipower with a MegaScaled version 
  of the same ability, give him Skill Levels with Flight, 
  and increase his defenses (especially PD). Be leery of 
  making his Flight more versatile, though — the fact 
  that he must keep moving when he’s aloft  is his shtick. 
  To make him less powerful, remove Jet-Speed and 
  Battering Ram.
  Appearance:  Barnstormer is a 6’8” tall young man 
  with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. He has wild 
  blond hair and brown eyes. Outside of his costume, 
  he wears jeans, a tee-shirt, and a John Deere baseball 
  cap with the bill nearly folded in half. His costume is 
  brown with yellow striping on the sides, a yellow belt, 
  and a stylized bi-plane on the chest. He wears a short 
  brown cape that reaches his waist, and his half-face 
  mask leaves his hair exposed. He made the costume 
  himself — if a person looks closely, they can see the 
  crooked stitching at the seams. Cantrip swears she’s 
  going to make him a more stylish costume, but Barn-
  stormer doesn’t know what she’s complaining about. 
  He likes his costume.
  
  90 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  CANTRIP
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   10 STR 
  0 
  11- 
  Lift  100 kg; 2d6 [1]
   15 DEX 
  15 
  12- 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   10 CON 
  0 
  11-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   10 INT 
  0 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   21 EGO 
  22 
  13- 
  ECV:  7
   10 PRE 
  0 
  11- 
  PRE Attack:  2d6
   12 COM 
  1 
  11-
   4 PD 
  2 
   
  Total:  15 PD (11 rPD)
   4 ED 
  2 
   
  Total:  15 ED (11 rED)
   3 SPD 
  5 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   4 REC 
  0
   28 END 
  4
   29 STUN 
  9 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  60
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
   
  Flight: 
  8”/16”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  30 
  Th e Magic Hat Of Sousieloos Th e Magni-
  ﬁ cent:  Multipower, 40-point reserve, 64 
  Charges for entire Multipower (+½); all 
  slots OAF (-1) 
  [64]
  2u 
  1)  Abra-KA-BOOM:  Energy Blast 8d6; 
  OAF (-1)
  2u 
  2)  Sleepyhead Time:  Ego Attack 4d6; 
  OAF (-1)
  2u 
  3)  No Touching!:  Force Wall (6 PD/6 ED; 
  3” long and 2” tall)
  2u 
  4)  Really! I Mean It Th is Time!:  Force 
  Wall (8 PD/8 ED)
  2u 
  5)  Watch Me Pull A Rabbit Out Of My 
  Hat:  Teleportation 8”, Usable As Attack 
  (defense is Teleportation, Extra-Dimen-
  sional Movement, or Power Defense; +1), 
  Ranged (+½); OAF (-1), Only Works On 
  Objects Th at Fit In Her Hat (-¼)
  37 
  Th e Magic Hat Of Sousieloos Th e Magni-
  ﬁ cent:  Variable Power Pool (Magic Pool), 
  30 base + 15 control cost; OAF (-1), Magic 
  Only (-¼) 
  var
  16 
  Force Field:  Force Field (11 PD/11 ED), 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); OAF 
  (magic hat; -1) 
  0
  5 
  Mental Shields:  Mental Defense (14 points 
  total); OAF (magic hat; -1) 
  0
  10 
  Levitation:  Flight 8”, Reduced Endurance 
  (0 END; +½); OAF (magic hat; -1), Levita-
  tion (-½) 
  0
   
  Perks
  1 
  Membership:  Band Geeks
   
  Skills
  5 
  +1 DCV
  3 
  Acting 11-
  3 
  KS: Music 12-
  2 
  KS: Stage Magic 11-
  2 
  KS: Superhuman World 11-
  3 
  KS: Television Shows 12-
  2 
  Language:  French (ﬂ uent conversation)
  2 
  PS: Play Clarinet 11-
  9 
  Magic 14-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  140
  Total Cost:  200
  100+ Disadvantages
  5 
  Distinctive Feature:  Band Geeks (Easily 
  Concealed)
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  Can’t Shut Up (Con-
  cealable With Eﬀ ort [EGO Roll at -3]; 
  Noticed And Recognizable)
  10 
  Hunted:  Band Geeks 11- (As Pow, NCI, 
  Watching)
  15 
  Hunted:  Parents 11- (As Pow, NCI, Mildly 
  Punish)
  10 
  Hunted:  Witchcraft  8- (Mo Pow, Mildly 
  Punish)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Tends To Tell 
  “Little White Lies” (Common, Moderate)
  5 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (Occasionally, 
  Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Cindy 
  Smithers) (Frequently, Major)
  10 
  Unluck 2d6
  10 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x Eﬀ ect from Presence 
  Attacks (Common)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  200
  EXAMPLE MAGIC HAT POWERS
  Koriol’s Crimson Crystals:  “I read about these on 
  Super_Talk.Com!”
  Entangle 3d6, 3 DEF (30 Active Points); OAF 
  (-1). Total cost:  15 points.
  Ms. Teen Makeup Tips:  Magic is better than 
  makeup!
  Aid COM 1d6, Delayed Recovery Rate (points 
  fade at the rate of 5 per Hour; +1) (20 Active 
  Points); OAF (-1). Total cost:  10 points.
  Phantom Hand:  Cantrip can move objects weighing 
  no more than 44 kg (97 lbs.) through the air with-
  out having to touch them.
  Telekinesis (4 STR), Reduced Endurance (0 
  END; +½) (9 Active Points); OAF (-1). Total 
  cost:  4 points.
  Rose-Colored Glasses:  Th is spell causes opaque 
  planes of rose-colored energy to appear in front of 
  the target’s eyes, blocking his ability to see.
  Sight Group Flash 6d6 (30 Active Points); OAF 
  (-1). Total cost:  15 points.
  Shut Up!:  “I do not look like a reject from a Dr. 
  Seuss book!”
  Darkness to Hearing Group 1” radius, Usable 
  As Attack (defense is Power Defense; +1), 
  Ranged (+½) (12 Active Points); OAF (-1). 
  Total cost:  6 points.
  Background/History:  “Th at’s right, good citizens! 
  Witchcraft  has assigned me to protect North 
  Detroit. Th e Champions are too busy saving the 
  world, so Witchcraft  decided to send her sidekick 
  — me, Cantrip — in her place!”
  CANTRIP  
  PLOT SEEDS
  During a ﬁ ght Cantrip 
  disappears into her 
  hat — the hat expands 
  ever-so-slightly and falls 
  down over her head, 
  then her shoulders, 
  then hits the ground 
  — and the Motor City 
  Defenders are desperate 
  for help. Can the PCs 
  help them ﬁ nd their lost 
  friend? And just where 
  did she go, anyway... and 
  why?
  When a strange old man 
  appears on Cantrip’s 
  doorstep and tells her 
  she’s the next archmage, 
  Cantrip tries to give him 
  a dollar and send him 
  on his way. But when he 
  won’t leave, she begins to 
  believe him... but who in 
  their right mind would 
  think that Cantrip is 
  the next Archmage? She 
  can’t even cast spells! Or 
  can she?
  Witchcraft  wants some 
  answers about this 
  so-called sidekick, and 
  she’s not leaving North 
  Detroit until she talks 
  to Cantrip. Wackiness 
  ensues as the Motor 
  City Defenders assume 
  she’s here to punish 
  Cantrip and do all sorts 
  of crazy things to hide 
  their friend. Ultimately 
  they probably won’t suc-
  ceed... and then, much 
  to everyone’s surprise, 
  the Champion oﬀ ers to 
  really accept Cantrip 
  as her sidekick. Is this 
  for real, or might it be 
  a trap?
  
  91 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  And with that the new superhero announced 
  her presence to gathered people who had stopped 
  to watch her subdue two muggers. When she 
  announced that she was Witchcraft ’s sidekick, the 
  people were pretty surprised. Th e newspapers 
  reported on the Champions all the time, and none 
  of the articles had ever mentioned a sidekick. Th e 
  girl did seem to have magical powers, though, so 
  they took her at her word — but not without a 
  grumble or two about those Champions being too 
  busy to help the people of North Detroit.
  For the rest of that summer, Cantrip appeared 
  here and there to stop a burglary or a mugging, but 
  she didn’t really catch on with North Detroit’s resi-
  dents until she joined the Motor City Defenders. 
  She also told her fellow teen superheroes she was 
  Witchcraft ’s sidekick, but it wasn’t long before they 
  uncovered the truth.
  Barnstormer had been pestering her to 
  arrange a meeting between them and the famous 
  superheroes since the day they ﬁ rst started the 
  team. Finally, one evening aft er a tense ﬁ ght with 
  the supervillain Warlock, Cantrip broke down and 
  admitted she wasn’t really Witchcraft ’s sidekick. She 
  just said that so people wouldn’t laugh at her when 
  she told them she was a superhero. Instead she got 
  her magic powers from a hat she had bought at the 
  Salvation Army. Her magic hat wasn’t even called 
  the Magic Hat of Sousieloos the Magniﬁ cent. She 
  had just made up the name because she thought it 
  sounded impressive and also liked how it rolled oﬀ  
  the tongue.
  Aft er some sighs and moans from the rest 
  of the team, Miss Crone told her it was all right 
  and that no one really cared. She made Cantrip 
  promise, though, to stop telling people she was 
  Witchcraft ’s sidekick.
  Cantrip has stuck to the promise. For the 
  most part. Except that time with the old man. And 
  that time she told that mugger. And then there 
  was the time....
  Personality/Motivation:  Cantrip comes from a large 
  family — one where she had speak to loudly and 
  oft en to be heard over her siblings. She never shuts 
  up. Even when she sleeps, she mumbles an ongo-
  ing narrative about what’s happening in her dream. 
  Desperate for attention, she also has a shameful 
  tendency to lie. Her lies are never intended to do 
  any harm. Most of the time they’re meant to enter-
  tain, as she exaggerates to get a chuckle or improve 
  a boring story; sometimes she just wants to make 
  people think better of her, as with her claim to be 
  Witchcraft ’s sidekick. She’s been especially bad 
  about lying since moving to North Detroit last 
  summer. Her dad came for a job in a local plant 
  aft er losing his job in Pittsburgh, and being the new 
  kid has made her uncomfortable and insecure.
  Cantrip doesn’t know how she feels about 
  superheroing. At ﬁ rst she did it on a dare. Aft er dis-
  covering the powers the hat gave her, she showed 
  her sister, and her sister dared her to go stop crime 
  or do something else heroic. But since then she’s 
  been badly scared by ﬁ ghts with supervillains. Th is 
  fear has never meant more than a moment’s hesita-
  tion — a slight wobble in her knees and a quiver of 
  her bottom lip — but she worries that one of these 
  day she’ll run away and leave her friends in a lurch.
  A talented clarinet player, Cantrip hopes to 
  get a college scholarship to study music; lately she’s 
  spent more time with her new friends in band and 
  less with her friends in the Motor City Defenders. 
  Except for music and French, her grades have been 
  bad since moving to North Detroit, and she worries 
  superheroing is interfering with her future. She’s 
  mentioned her worries to Miss Crone, who has 
  agreed to tutor her and help her get better grades 
  — but Miss Crone seems really desperate to hold 
  the team together, so Cantrip’s not sure she can 
  trust her.
  Cantrip’s never thought twice about where 
  her magic hat came from. All she knows is that she 
  bought it in a Salvation Army store in Pittsburgh 
  before she moved. Th ough she liked it when she 
  ﬁ rst got it, she’s now tired of how it looks. Some-
  times she concentrates her will on the hat, trying to 
  force it to change appearance — a beret would be 
  nice, she ﬁ gures — but she has yet to succeed.
  Quote:  “Like, wouldn’t it be so cool if the villains 
  would just stop ﬁ ghting?”
  Powers/Tactics:  All of Cantrip’s powers come from 
  her magic hat, and the hat is the visible source of 
  those powers. When she ﬁ res an energy blast, the 
  stream of magical energy comes tearing out from 
  inside the hat. When she levitates, she lift s the hat 
  
  92 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  slightly from her head and it seems to carry her up 
  into the air, as if it were a kite catching the wind. 
  Her Watch Me Pull A Rabbit Out Of My Hat power 
  allows her to open small gates within the hat, and 
  anything able to ﬁ t inside she can move through it.
  For the most part, Cantrip serves as the Motor 
  City Defenders’ energy projector:  she hangs back 
  in combat and blasts away at whomever Miss 
  Crone tells her. If one of her teammates goes down, 
  she tries to protect him with a Force Wall.
  Th e full potential of Cantrip’s magic hat is, like 
  its origin, unknown. Her VPP is a recent develop-
  ment and for all she knows, it might just be the 
  start of her growing magical power. Right now she 
  has trouble controlling the VPP at full power (that 
  requires an 11- roll), so she oft en sticks to spells 
  with 10-20 Active Points.
  Campaign Use:  Cantrip is the reluctant superhero 
  among the Motor City Defenders. Barnstormer 
  wants badly to be a superhero, Kid Samson feels 
  obliged to be a superhero, and Miss Crone has her 
  own secret reasons, but Cantrip just put on her 
  magic hat one day and fought crime because she 
  thought it would be fun. Since then, it’s become 
  less fun — though she still enjoys the others’ com-
  pany and being on a team — and she wonders if 
  she should quit. Cantrip is also the most normal 
  of the teens on the Motor City Defenders, and 
  in many ways the most down to earth, although 
  it’s hard to tell because of her overly bright and 
  cheerful demeanor.
  Cantrip has no real interest in Hunting 
  anyone. She’s not the vengeful or driven sort, and 
  isn’t even curious to ﬁ nd out more about her hat.
  To make Cantrip more powerful, remove 
  her need for the hat — in this case the hat isn’t 
  truly magical, Cantrip was born with her mystical 
  powers. To further increase her powers, add more 
  slots to her Multipower including an Entangle 
  and more Mental Powers. To decrease her powers, 
  remove her VPP.
  Appearance:  Cantrip stands 5’6” and weighs 110 
  pounds. She has long blonde hair and is pretty in 
  a geeky sort of way. Her costume is a knee-length 
  pleated skirt, a tee-shirt, and a red band jacket with 
  golden epaulets. Her magic hat is a long, ﬂ oppy 
  stovepipe hat with red-and-white horizontal stripes 
  on the crown; it looks more like something out of Dr. 
  Seuss than an item of apparel a real person would 
  wear. She wears sunglasses or tinted glasses (rose-
  colored ones, of course) to disguise her identity.
  KID SAMSON
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   40 STR 
  30 
  17- 
  Lift  6,400 kg; 8d6 [4]
   18 DEX 
  24 
  13- 
  OCV:  6/DCV:  6
   20 CON 
  20 
  13-
   20 BODY 20 
  13-
   12 INT 
  2 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   15 PRE 
  5 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  3d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   18 PD 
  10 
   
  Total:  18 PD (10 rPD)
   14 ED 
  10 
   
  Total:  14 ED (10 rED)
   4 SPD 
  12 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   12 REC 
  0
   60 END 
  10
   60 STUN 10 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  153
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
   
  Martial Arts:  Boxing
   
  Maneuver 
  OCV DCV 
  Notes
  4 
  Block 
  +2 
  +2 
  Block, Abort
  3 
  Clinch 
  -1 
  -1 
  Grab Two 
  Limbs, 50 STR
  4 
  Cross 
  +0 
  +2 
  10d6 Strike
  5 
  Hook 
  -2 
  +1 
  12d6 Strike
  10 
  Tough Skin:  Damage Resistance (10 PD/
  10 ED) 
  0
   
  Skills
  6 
  +2 with Boxing
  3 
  Breakfall 13-
  2 
  KS: Boxing 11-
  2 
  KS: Christianity 11-
  2 
  KS: History 11-
  3 
  Paramedics 11-
  3 
  Streetwise 12-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  47
  Total Cost:  200
  100+ Disadvantages
  15 
  Accidental Change:  11-, sometimes forgets 
  how strong he is or otherwise accidentally 
  reveals his super-strength (Common; see Th e 
  Ultimate Brick, page 47)
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  Mutant (Not Conceal-
  able; Always Noticed; Detectable Only By 
  Unusual Senses)
  20 
  Hunted:  Parents 14- (As Pow, NCI, Mildly 
  Punish)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Afraid Of His 
  Own Strength (Common, Strong)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Code Versus Kill-
  ing (Common, Total)
  5 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (Occasionally, 
  Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Elijah 
  Anderson) (Frequently, Major)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  200
  Background/History:  Eli looked across the boxing 
  ring at his opponent. Th e boy was a dirty ﬁ ghter 
  and Eli was going to put him down this round. 
  Not the round aft er, and not the round aft er that 
  — this round.
  
  93 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  Th e small crowd in the North Detroit Rec 
  Center cheered slightly as the bell rang, and Eli 
  could hear his mother shouting encouragement, 
  cheering louder than anyone else. Eli’s trainer James 
  Greene told him to take it slow, keep oﬀ  the ropes, 
  jab and move, jab and move. Eli nodded his head, 
  but he wasn’t listening. Th e boy was going down. 
  Enough of his punches just at the belt, enough of 
  his head butts during clinches.
  Eli stepped to the center of the ring, his head up 
  and guard down. Th e boy came at him quickly, his 
  eyes peeking out above his gloves, and the two four-
  teen-year-olds met at the center of the ring.
  Eli gave him a right hook, drawing his arm 
  way back and catapulting it forward.
  It was a stupid punch, launched right at his 
  opponent’s guard. No one was more shocked than 
  Eli when the boy was knocked oﬀ  his feet. His limp 
  body hurtled over the top rope and landed on the 
  hard cement ﬂ oor.
  “Th at wasn’t natural,” Eli muttered, staring 
  down at his gloves and shaking his head in shock.
  Next thing he knew Jim Greene was throwing 
  his robe over his shoulder and hustling him away 
  from the gym, back to the locker room. Once away 
  from the astonished crowd, Jim told Eli, “Didn’t 
  look like a jab to me, son.”
  “What am I?” Eli asked.
  “You get dressed and we’ll talk tomorrow.”
  Th e next day, back at the Rec Center, Jim had 
  Eli hit a bag as hard as he could when no one else 
  was around. Th e bag broke its chain and crashed 
  into a nearby wall. Jim nodded his head and told 
  the boy about his son, Joey Greene. He also shared 
  a secret with Eli, telling him that his son was Shad-
  owboxer, the famous superhero who died in the 
  Battle of Detroit and was still beloved by the people 
  of North Detroit over ten years aft er his death. 
  And when Jim Greene ﬁ nished telling Eli about the 
  Shadowboxer, he said to the boy, “Now you got two 
  choices, Eli — one you’ve gotta take and the other 
  you might want to think about. First, you can’t box 
  anymore — you’re lucky you didn’t kill that boy the 
  other night, and no matter how dirty a ﬁ ghter, no 
  one deserves to die over boxing. Second, you’ve got 
  to decide how you’re going to use those powers of 
  yours, because they aren’t going away.”
  As Eli was getting ready to leave, he asked the 
  elderly man a question. “Your son, though — he 
  died because he decided to be a superhero, right?”
  Jim Greene thought on that for a bit, then said, 
  “No, Eli. Joey didn’t die because he was a superhero; 
  he died because an evil man killed him. Joey loved 
  this city and its people, and knew protecting them 
  was the right thing to do.”
  Eli nodded at that and went home, but Jim 
  Greene’s parting words have stuck with him ever 
  since that day. Two years later his parents picked 
  up and moved to a diﬀ erent neighborhood in 
  North Detroit so their son could go to Harding 
  High, a better high school than his old one. And 
  not too much later, Eli chose a superhero name 
  from the Bible he kept on his night stand and 
  put on a mask. Maybe he would never become as 
  famous a hero as Shadowboxer, but he could do 
  some good as Kid Samson.
  Personality/Motivation:  Kid Samson is a quiet, 
  thoughtful young man who doesn’t want the 
  powers he has... but since he has them, he feels 
  obliged to put them to good use. Aft er all, God had 
  a reason for giving him superpowers, and if being a 
  superhero isn’t that purpose, Kid Samson isn’t sure 
  what else it might be. He does well in school, enjoy-
  ing History class the most; he feels he’s got to do 
  well in school because his parents went to so much 
  trouble to move to a better neighborhood.
  Despite his determination to use his powers 
  for good, Kid Samson is afraid of his own strength. 
  No matter how much a kid bullies him at school, he 
  doesn’t ﬁ ght back, and even against supervillains, 
  he has a tendency to go to easy on his opponent. 
  Adding to his fear is that sometimes he does forget 
  his own strength — this is represented by his Acci-
  dental Change. He might hold the locker door too 
  tight and leave ﬁ nger indentations, or he might 
  slam a door too hard and break it. As long as he 
  concentrates on what he’s doing, it’s not a problem, 
  but when he forgets, something usually ends up 
  broken... and someone ends up suspicious.
  Th ough he’s never said so, Kid Samson enjoys 
  being a part of the Motor City Defenders. It’s the 
  one place that he doesn’t have to worry about his 
  strength, and no one in the group ever questions 
  the idea of being a superhero. To them, it’s just the 
  right thing to do. Furthermore, his superpowers 
  have prevented him from participating in his favor-
  ite sports, so the Motor City Defenders has become 
  a sort of surrogate team.
  
  94 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  He keeps in touch with Jim Greene (who 
  knows his Secret Identity) — he asks him for advice 
  about being a superhero and gets things oﬀ  his 
  chest that he can’t tell his parents. He wants to tell 
  his Mom and Dad about his superheroing, but isn’t 
  sure they’d approve. Both of them have said good 
  things about the Motor City Defenders, but they’ve 
  also said they’re glad it’s not their son out there 
  risking his life.
  Quote:  “Th is is the last time I’ll tell you:  surrender 
  now, or someone’s going to get hurt.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Kid Samson’s a brick who com-
  pensates for his low strength (relative to other 
  bricks) with his boxing skills. His tactics are 
  straightforward:  he chooses a target (or Miss 
  Crone gives him one) and he moves into HTH 
  Combat range and starts punching. Th e only thing 
  unusual about the way he ﬁ ghts is that he’s usually 
  the ﬁ rst among the Motor City Defenders to give 
  the opponents the chance to surrender peace-
  fully. Th is is mainly because he’s afraid he might 
  hurt someone — although he also thinks it’s the 
  Christian thing to do. He has a tendency to pull 
  his punches, especially against opponents who are 
  small or otherwise don’t look very strong, but he’s 
  quickly learning not to judge a book by its cover 
  when it comes to supervillains.
  Campaign Use:  Kid Samson is the solid, dependable 
  member of the Motor City Defenders. If it weren’t 
  for Miss Crone and her special qualiﬁ cations, he 
  would lead the group. Since he has ties to Detroit’s 
  superhero past, any adventure involving Jim Greene 
  and Shadowboxer could also involve Kid Samson.
  Kid Samson only Hunts someone if he has 
  good reason and never for personal reasons. As a 
  Hunter, Kid Samson attempts to use his Streetwise 
  to ﬁ nd the target and learn what he can about him, 
  then charges in to subdue him.
  To make Kid Samson more powerful, increase 
  his STR to 50 or even 60 and his CON to 25, and 
  give him inches of Leaping so he has a chance to 
  reach a ﬂ ying foe. To make him less powerful, lower 
  his SPD to 3 and remove his Combat Skill Levels 
  with Boxing.
  Appearance:  Kid Samson is 5’10”, 220 pound black 
  teenager, and all of it is corded, bulging muscle — if 
  it weren’t for his open, friendly manner, his appear-
  ance would scare a lot of people. He keeps his hair 
  in cornrows, and for a costume he wears a gray 
  hooded sweatshirt, gray sweats, and a black domino 
  mask to disguise his features. Cantrip has told 
  him repeatedly he looks like a thug in the hooded 
  sweater and has oﬀ ered him some alternative 
  costumes, but none of them have suited him. She 
  hasn’t given up, however, and every once in a while 
  she presents him with a new “ensemble,” but Kid 
  Samson has said bluntly that he won’t wear a cape, 
  won’t go shirtless, and won’t wear his underwear 
  outside his pants. But he’s smart enough to take one 
  of Cantrip’s criticisms to heart — he’s stopped keep-
  ing the hood on his sweatshirt up over his head.
  MISS CRONE
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   15 STR 
  5 
  12- 
  Lift  200 kg; 3d6 [1]
   24 DEX 
  42 
  14- 
  OCV:  8/DCV:  8
   15 CON 
  10 
  12-
   12 BODY 4 
  11-
   20 INT 
  10 
  13- 
  PER Roll 13-
   15 EGO 
  10 
  12- 
  ECV:  5
   10 PRE 
  0 
  11- 
  PRE Attack:  2d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   6 PD 
  3 
   
  Total:  10 PD (4 rPD)
   6 ED 
  3 
   
  Total:  10 ED (4 rED)
   4 SPD 
  6 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   6 REC 
  0
   30 END 
  0
   35 STUN 
  7 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  100
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  17 
  Precognition:  Clairsentience (Sight and 
  Hearing Group), Precognition; Precog-
  nition Only (-1), Time Modiﬁ ers (-½), 
  Vague and Unclear (-½) 
  5
   
  Martial Arts:  Generic Martial Arts
   
  Maneuver 
  OCV DCV 
  Notes
  4 
  Block 
  +2 
  +2 
  Block, Abort
  4 
  Dodge 
  — 
  +5 
  Dodge, Aﬀ ects 
  All Attacks, 
  Abort
  5 
  Kick 
  -2 
  +1 
  9d6 Strike
  4 
  Punch 
  +0 
  +2 
  7d6 Strike
  3 
  Th row 
  +0 
  +1 
  5d6 + v/5; 
  Target Falls
  8 
  +2 Damage Classes (already added)
  8 
  Armored Costume:  Armor (4 PD/4 ED); 
  OIF (-½) 
  0
  10 
  Double Psyche:  Mental Defense (13 points 
  total) 
  0
  5 
  Luck Of Foresight:  Luck 1d6 
  0
   
  Perks
  5 
  Contact:  Friendly Adult 11- (parents, slav-
  ishly loyal)
  2 
  Deep Cover:  a fake ID good enough to pass 
  muster virtually everywhere
  15 
  Money:  Filthy Rich
   
  Talents
  33 
  Danger Sense (immediate vicinity, any 
  danger, sense) 14-
   
  Skills
  6 
  +2 with Martial Arts
  3 
  Acrobatics 14-
  3 
  Acting 11-
  3 
  Bureaucratics 11-
  3 
  Breakfall 14-
  3 
  Computer Programming 13-
  3 
  Concealment 13-
  3 
  Criminology 13-
  3 
  Cryptography 13-
  3 
  Deduction 13-
  3 
  Electronics 13-
  3 
  Inventor 13-
  3 
  Mechanics 13-
  KID SAMSON 
  PLOT SEEDS
  Th ere’s a new Shadow-
  boxer in town, and Jim 
  Greene asks Kid Samson 
  and his friends to inves-
  tigate. But when their 
  investigation goes awry, 
  can the PCs ﬁ nd them? 
  And what does the new 
  Shadowboxer have to 
  do with their disappear-
  ance?
  Kid Samson’s strength 
  starts increasing, but 
  the stronger he gets, the 
  stupider he gets. Soon he 
  goes on a rampage. Can 
  the PCs stop him before 
  he causes permanent 
  harm? And can they 
  cure him?
  Kid Samson’s a mutant, 
  and when the IHA come 
  looking for him, can the 
  PCs save him from the 
  human supremacists?
  
  95 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  3 
  Security Systems 13-
  3 
  Stealth 14-
  3 
  Systems Operation 13-
  3 
  Tactics 13-
  3 
  Scientist
  2 
  1)  SS: Anthropology 13-
  2 
  2)  SS: Archaeology 13-
  2 
  3)  SS: Biochemistry 13-
  2 
  4)  SS: Biology 13-
  2 
  5)  SS: Chemistry 13-
  2 
  6)  SS: Computer Science 13-
  2 
  7)  SS: Genetics 13-
  2 
  8)  SS: Mathematics 13-
  2 
  9)  SS: Physics 13-
  2 
  10)  SS: Temporal Physics 13-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  194
  Total Cost:  300
  100+ Disadvantages
  5 
  Distinctive Feature:  Weirdo (Easily Con-
  cealed)
  25 
  Enraged:  when tragic future she fore-
  saw comes to pass (Uncommon), go 14-, 
  recover 8-
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Acts Oddly; Is 
  Prone To Disturbing Observations And 
  Behavior (-1 to appropriate Interaction Skill 
  rolls) (Common, Moderate)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Code Versus Kill-
  ing (Common, Total)
  5 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (Occasionally, 
  Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Sylvia 
  Timmons) (Frequently, Major)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  2 x Eﬀ ect from Temporal 
  Attacks (Uncommon)
  110 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  300
  Background/History:  In 3025 Doctors Robert and 
  Katherine Stevens-Timmons thought they had 
  made a startling break through in the ﬁ eld of tem-
  poral physics — perhaps the most important dis-
  covery in the history of human science. Th ey had 
  determined that temporal energy was carried in a 
  person’s genes. Th is temporal energy was respon-
  sible for genetic memory, as well as a whole host of 
  phenomena that science had only barely explained 
  even in that far-ﬂ ung age of interstellar travel and 
  instantaneous matter transfer.
  But most importantly, they felt they could tap 
  into the temporal energy and recall their ancestors’ 
  memories — not just one ancestor, but all of them. 
  For the ﬁ rst time, mankind could compile a true 
  and accurate history of the species — a history that 
  relied on the ﬁ rst-hand accounts of the people who 
  were there.
  Th eir colleagues believed they’d gone insane. 
  Robert and Katherine vowed to prove them wrong.
  Th ey ﬂ ipped a coin to decide who would be 
  the ﬁ rst to step into the machine they had created, 
  and Katherine won. She smiled smugly, patted her 
  husband on the cheek while giving him a kiss, and 
  then stepped into the device the two of them play-
  fully called “the time machine.”
  As it turned out, they weren’t entirely insane. 
  Th ere was some sort of temporal energy ﬂ ow that 
  passed between members of a family. Aft er a thou-
  sand years of ﬂ owing backwards through time, 
  Katherine Steven-Timmons had ﬁ rst-hand proof.
  What happened to her body that day she 
  doesn’t know, but her mind was cast back through 
  the centuries. It has moved from one ancestor to the 
  next, each time residing in a woman, and Katherine’s 
  mind has shared the woman’s body for the duration 
  of her life. Katherine comes into consciousness the 
  moment her host dies. While she sees time ﬂ owing 
  backwards, her host sees it ﬂ owing normally, and 
  Katherine has had to live through each day of the 
  last millennia. She’s lost much over the years, having 
  come to suﬀ er a sort of chronal Alzheimer’s, but 
  she still remembers ﬂ ashes and glimpses of her past 
  — which is everyone else’s future.
  For the last seventy-one years — measured 
  as Katherine sees time — she has resided in Sylvia 
  Timmons, now sixteen and just embarking on her 
  career as a superhero.
  Personality/Motivation:  Th ough Sylvia and Kath-
  erine share the same body, Sylvia is the dominant 
  personality. She can feel Katherine lurking in the 
  back of her mind, watching out of her eyes, but 
  never has to struggle for control or anything like 
  that. Despite sounding creepy, Katherine’s not a 
  disturbing presence. It’s more like sitting in a quiet 
  room with an old friend, both saying nothing and 
  just enjoying the silence. But the older woman’s 
  
  96 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  experiences and attitudes spill over into Sylvia and 
  aﬀ ect her attitude. Sharing her body with Kather-
  ine has made Sylvia strangely mature for some-
  one her age. She speaks quietly and slowly, rarely 
  raising her voice, and she possesses an amazing 
  amount of knowledge, especially concerning the 
  sciences, for someone so young. She holds herself 
  with conﬁ dence and poise, lacking any of the awk-
  wardness typical of teens. She occasionally makes 
  comments that would seem to be beyond some-
  one of her years and experience. Her overall ambi-
  ence and attitude disturbs many people (the GM 
  should impose a -1 on appropriate Interaction 
  Skill rolls unless she succeeds with an EGO Roll 
  to overcome her Psychological Limitation and act 
  more “normally.”)
  Sylvia can also call on Katherine’s memo-
  ries for glimpses of the future... but she’s learned 
  through bitter experience to do this only when 
  necessary. Knowing the future can only lead to 
  tragedy — better just to experience it as it happens. 
  Her glimpses of the future have left  Sylvia maudlin; 
  sometimes she falls into a deep depression. Th ough 
  her visions are oft en unclear and vague, she has 
  studied the future oft en enough to know the fate of 
  her teammates. She knows Barnstormer will die in 
  2012 over Kansas City, saving it from a meteor. She 
  knows the trauma and terror Cantrip will experi-
  ence when Talisman kidnaps and tortures her. And 
  she knows the crisis of faith Kid Samson will expe-
  rience when he accidentally kills an innocent man 
  next summer.
  As for her own future, Miss Crone will con-
  tinue to be a superhero even aft er the Motor City 
  Defenders break up and go their separate ways. 
  For the most part she’ll protect North Detroit, both 
  alone and with partners, although for a brief time 
  she’ll join with the Sentinels. Eventually — some 
  ten years from now, she thinks — Rowan will 
  approach her about taking over the Ravenswood 
  Academy, and Miss Crone will agree.
  Miss Crone has a good relationship with her 
  parents. Th e Timmons family has been dealing with 
  Katherine’s presence in their family for generations 
  — though Katherine hasn’t lived those lives yet 
  — and they have grown used to the one woman 
  in a generation that carries their descendant. Th ey 
  moved to North Detroit because their daughter 
  told them it was time to move, and that’s how 
  things have gone with the Timmons for as long 
  as anyone can remember. Sylvia’s parents know 
  about their daughter’s alter ego as Miss Crone and 
  do everything to help her — including giving her 
  complete access to their considerable wealth. As 
  for people outside of her family like her teachers 
  and fellow students, the less said the better. All of 
  them consider Sylvia weird and deeply strange. 
  Her teachers know their classes aren’t challenging 
  her, but they’ve given up trying to understand why. 
  Th e occasional student makes fun of her, but that 
  doesn’t usually last long. Sylvia only gives the stu-
  dent a hard stare and that’s the end of that.
  Quote:  “You won’t get away with this. Trust me — I 
  know that you won’t get away with this.”
  Powers/Tactics:  All of Miss Crone’s powers — even 
  the physical ones like her high DEX and Martial 
  Arts — stem from her knowledge of the future. 
  Because Katherine is living backwards in time, Miss 
  Crone glimpses actions just before they happen. 
  Th is allows her to react faster than normal and 
  almost perfectly, always leaping to the right spot 
  to avoid a blow or landing a punch just where the 
  opponent least expects it. In battle Miss Crone 
  hangs back, letting the battle sort itself out, before 
  committing herself to HTH Combat.
  Perhaps Miss Crone’s most useful abilities are 
  her skills — she knows far more than the average 
  teen. But Katherine’s visions are far from perfect 
  (she’s spent a thousand years traveling through 
  time and everything blurred together long ago), 
  and sometimes they’re wrong. And the future isn’t 
  set in stone; sometimes she’s been able to change 
  the future. But whenever Miss Crone lives through 
  a tragedy she saw coming to pass, she oft en grows 
  enraged, her cold and impassive facade dropping 
  away, until she can get a grip on herself.
  Campaign Use:  Miss Crone leads the Motor City 
  Defenders. Her experience and foresight gener-
  ally make her a good leader, and her teammates 
  respect her.
  To make Miss Crone more powerful, give 
  her more powers based on her ability to see the 
  future, everything from more Luck, to Find Weak-
  ness, to Combat Skill Levels (see the Precognition 
  Powers sections of Th e UNTIL Superpowers Data-
  base and Superpowers Database II for many pos-
  sible abilities). To make her less powerful, remove 
  her combat abilities — ﬁ rst lower her DEX, then 
  remove her Martial Arts.
  Miss Crone might Hunt anyone she feels she 
  must because of some vision of the future. She con-
  tinues to use Precognition on the Hunted until she 
  can arrange an ambush.
  Appearance:  Sylvia Timmons is thin and stands 
  only ﬁ ve feet tall. She looks even younger than her 
  sixteen years:  most people would guess she’s only 
  twelve or thirteen until they talk to her... and then 
  she could almost pass for an adult. She has light 
  blue eyes and brown hair she wears in a ponytail. 
  For a costume she wears a black suit jacket and 
  slacks, a white buttoned-down blouse, a narrow 
  black tie, and a black domino mask. While Cantrip 
  thinks the outﬁ t is very stylish, she has mentioned 
  on one or two occasions that she doesn’t think it 
  passes the muster as a superhero costume.
  MISS CRONE 
  PLOT SEEDS
  Miss Crone is trying 
  desperately to get in 
  touch with the PCs. 
  She’s had a vision of 
  them killing one of her 
  parents, and wants to 
  stop them — but can she 
  change the future this 
  time? Or is she bringing 
  about the future tragedy 
  by trying to prevent it?
  Doctor Destroyer has 
  discovered Miss Crone’s 
  condition and is con-
  vinced he can separate 
  the two personalities 
  and return Katherine to 
  her own time. All Miss 
  Crone has to do is lead 
  the Motor City Defend-
  ers against the PCs....
  Captain Chronos 
  approaches the PCs 
  and tells them Miss 
  Crone is a dire threat 
  to the world. Katherine 
  Stevens-Timmons is on 
  a journey back to the 
  beginning of the human 
  race, and when she 
  reaches her ﬁ nal desti-
  nation, she’ll destroy all 
  of history by preventing 
  the invention of ﬁ re 
  in a desperate attempt 
  to stop the accident in 
  3025 from occurring. 
  It’s such a crazy idea, it 
  must be true! Can the 
  PCs track down Miss 
  Crone and the rest of 
  the Defenders? And if so 
  what will they do to stop 
  Katherine from degress-
  ing through Time?
  
  97 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  NOVA
  Membership:  Arcane, Circuit Breaker, Crazy Legs, 
  Decibelle, Marble Man
  Background/History:  Psst.... For the third time 
  David Miller looked around the classroom, but he 
  still couldn’t tell where the sound was coming from. 
  No one sat close enough to him to whisper in his 
  ear — as usual, while the other students in deten-
  tion sat clustered together, David sat alone.
  Up at the front of the room, Assistant Principal 
  Appel cleared his throat. When David looked back 
  at him, Mr. Appel said in a stuﬀ y voice, “Mr. Miller, 
  you’re here to serve detention, not make googly 
  eyes at your fellow detainees. Please sit forward.”
  Th e rest of the detention snickered at “googly 
  eyes” and David slouched in his seat.
  Psst... you’re cute.
  David shot up in his seat. Mr. Appel tilted his 
  head and wagged an admonishing ﬁ nger at him 
  before David could turn to look for the voice.
  Mr. Appel is a doofus.
  David laughed.
  “Mr. Miller. Would you care to share the joke?”
  “No, sir.”
  “Well... perhaps you can share it with me 
  tomorrow aft er school.” Mr. Appel pulled a pen 
  from the breast pocket of his shirt and reached 
  for the pad of pink slips on the desk near his right 
  hand. “You’ve got yourself another detention, 
  young man.”
  David sighed and rolled his eyes. A girl sitting 
  at the back of the room said, “You’re giving him a 
  detention for laughing?”
  “And now I’m giving you one for talking. Do 
  you have a problem with that, Ms. Carrando?”
  But David didn’t hear the rest of the exchange. 
  Th e voice that spoke up in his defense was the same 
  as the one that had spoken in his ear.
  Aft er detention he caught up with her out-
  side the high school. She was that new girl — he 
  thought her name was Nina Carrando — who 
  started school a month or two ago. “How’d you do 
  that?” he asked her.
  She smiled at him; then she pointed across the 
  parking lot to where Mr. Appel was walking toward 
  his car. He suddenly stopped, turning around with 
  an angry expression on his face. David started to 
  laugh, but Nina put a ﬁ nger to his lips when Mr. 
  Appel looked back at them.
  Appel frowned at them, but gave up looking 
  for whoever’d insulted him and started walking 
  away. David got a mischievous look, then asked 
  Nina, “Did you know he wears a toupee?”
  David ﬂ icked his ﬁ ngers in Mr. Appel’s direction 
  and a gust of wind rushed from his hand, down the 
  street, and blew the toupee oﬀ  his head. Appel went 
  scurrying aft er it, and David kept wiggling his ﬁ n-
  gers, keeping the toupee just out of reach.
  Nina put her hands to her mouth and started 
  laughing. “You think that’s good?” she asked. 
  “Watch this....”
  * * *
  Th e dating came ﬁ rst; the superheroing came 
  later, almost entirely by mistake. Th e summer 
  aft er graduating, they moved from Long Island to 
  Manhattan and rented a small studio apartment in 
  Alphabet City. Late one night at the corner conve-
  nience store they used their superpowers to stop 
  a robbery.
  Aft erward, while walking home, Nina joked 
  they should become superheroes. David told her 
  he’d like that. She looked at him in surprise and 
  asked if he was serious, but David repeated what 
  he said, telling her he thought maybe they had a 
  responsibility to do something with their powers.
  Th ey argued about it for the rest of the week. 
  Nina ridiculed superheroes — their costumes, 
  their unrealistic attitudes, their cushy lives living 
  in mansions and skyscrapers. She had nothing but 
  contempt for them.
  Look at her life, she told David — where were 
  the superheroes when she was being passed from 
  foster home to foster home? Look at the last time 
  the Sentinels supposedly saved the city — sure they 
  stopped the meteor from crashing into Central 
  Park West, but what about the fragments that came 
  down in Queens and killed that poor family? Th e 
  rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and the super-
  heroes just make sure that stays true.
  David agreed superheroes like the Sentinels 
  and the Justice Squadron did everything the wrong 
  way. Bright costumes were cheesy, and most super-
  heroes weren’t helping the people that really needed 
  help. But doing good wasn’t stupid.
  Th ey didn’t have to act like those other super-
  heroes. Th ey could do good for people like them 
  and not spend their time jetsetting across the 
  Galaxy. And they wouldn’t have to wear costumes 
  — they just needed masks.
  In the end Nina agreed. She knew what 
  was behind his desire to become a superhero. 
  David’s friend and mentor Hyrum Weismann, an 
  old Jewish kabbalist who’d been helping David 
  develop his powers had been riding him about not 
  doing any good with his gift s. Aft er listening to 
  David go on about responsibility, Nina started to 
  feel guilty too.
  She’s still not sure she made the right decision, 
  especially now that they’re on the run.
  * * *
  Th e team didn’t get started until almost a year 
  aft er David and Nina ﬁ rst appeared as Arcane and 
  Decibelle.
  Th e superhero couple had started clashing 
  with ARGENT, waging a two-person war against 
  the organization and its perﬁ dious inﬂ uence in the 
  city. New York was a big place — it was easy for a 
  person to slip through the cracks, especially run-
  aways and other young adults estranged from their 
  parents — and for many years ARGENT had used 
  the city as a location for gathering test subjects.
  ARGENT specializes in scientiﬁ c advances, 
  which it sells to the highest bidder, and its scien-
  tists have no moral compunctions about testing on 
  human subjects. Why waste time with mice and 
  monkeys when so many humans are available... and 
  
  98 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  oft en easier and less expensive to secure? It never 
  tries to take over the city or hold it for ransom with 
  a doomsday device. It just kidnaps people oﬀ  the 
  street — runaways and homeless people, folks no 
  one would ever miss — and none of the superhe-
  roes in New York ever noticed. None of them, that 
  is, except Arcane and Decibelle.
  Th e two teen heroes uncovered several secret 
  ARGENT installations and rescued many people 
  from its clutches. Among the rescuees were Crazy 
  Legs (a high school athlete who had become a 
  victim of ARGENT’s superhuman-soldier serum 
  testing program) and Circuit Breaker (a teenage 
  girl ARGENT had turned into a living supercom-
  puter). When those two joined Arcane’s and Deci-
  belle’s crusade against ARGENT, Nova was born.
  But ARGENT had had enough of the young 
  superheroes disrupting its plans and plotted to stop 
  them from causing further damage. Th e members 
  of Nova were inexperienced and sloppy about 
  protecting their secret identities. Although all of 
  them were estranged from their families, ARGENT 
  uncovered Arcane’s close relationship with Hyrum 
  Weismann. It assassinated Weismann, planted 
  evidence that pointed to Arcane as the murderer, 
  and then revealed the identities of the members of 
  Nova to the police. Nova had to go on the run... and 
  while ﬂ eeing from the police, they found a secret 
  hideout and their ﬁ ft h member.
  Th e cops had chased them into the subway. 
  Aft er racing down the tunnels, following the twists 
  and turns, dodging out of the way of hurtling 
  trains, they stumbled into a station none of them 
  had ever heard of. A rusted old sign said it was the 
  Sixth Avenue Station. In 1941 it had disappeared 
  during an earthquake that ﬁ ft h columnists caused 
  while trying to destroy New York City. Th e city had 
  never bothered to look for it — it was easier just to 
  build a new one above it.
  At the platform stood an old subway train. 
  Aft er some investigation, the heroes discovered 
  they weren’t the ﬁ rst ones to discover the lost sta-
  tion. Curled up on one of the seats in the train 
  was a young homeless boy named Carlitto, who’s 
  become an unoﬃ  cial member of the team as 
  Marble Man. Since then the members of Nova have 
  refurbished the subway station and turned it into 
  their base. Working out of the miles of tunnels 
  beneath Manhattan, they ﬁ ght crime, wage a war 
  against ARGENT, and look for evidence to prove 
  Arcane’s innocence.
  Group Relations:   All of the members of Nova come 
  from broken homes, have neglectful parents, or are 
  orphans, so the team is a lot like an ad hoc family, 
  with Decibelle and Arcane taking the role of sur-
  rogate mother and father for the younger members. 
  And just like a family, they all tend to bicker a lot.
  At nineteen, Decibelle and Arcane are too 
  young to be responsible for the three others, and 
  they oft en feel the strain of taking care of their 
  teammates. At sixteen, Crazy Legs wants his inde-
  pendence and doesn’t like taking orders. Not that 
  he has any interest in leaving the group — he just 
  wants Decibelle and Arcane to treat him as an 
  equal and not like a kid. Fourteen year-old Cir-
  cuit Breaker just wants a normal life, even though 
  she knows that’s impossible, and spends her days 
  looking at teen magazines. Lately she’s grown even 
  more sullen and despondent, staying in her bed-
  room with the door closed whenever the team’s at 
  the base; Decibelle oft en checks on her, knocking 
  gently on her door and speaking quietly, to make 
  sure she’s all right. At eight, Marble Man just wants 
  to play with his toys — despite Decibelle and 
  Arcane’s attempts to educate him (he can’t even 
  read), they haven’t made much progress.
  Although they don’t share their fears with 
  the others, Decibelle and Arcane know the team is 
  falling apart. Arcane has repeatedly talked about 
  turning himself in, but Decibelle insists they’ll ﬁ nd 
  the evidence they need to clear his name. Both of 
  them know if Arcane goes to prison, ARGENT will 
  make sure he doesn’t live to receive parole. Th ey 
  also talk about leaving Marble Man on the doorstep 
  of an orphanage, but Decibelle had bad experiences 
  during her time as an orphan, and insists Marble 
  Man is better oﬀ  with them — aft er all, they at least 
  care what happens to him. Arcane and Decibelle 
  feel Crazy Legs and Circuit Breaker are old enough 
  to make their own decisions.
  None of the other team members have even 
  considered asking Arcane to turn himself in. Th ey 
  know he didn’t commit the murder and they’re all 
  dead-set on proving his innocence.
  Tactics:  Decibelle and Arcane lead Nova, with 
  Decibelle usually taking charge during combat. 
  Th ey believe in hit-and-run tactics — their current 
  situation has left  them little choice in the matter. 
  Th ey identify a target, most likely a location that 
  serves as a cover for an ARGENT operation, then 
  attack it, doing as much damage as they can in as 
  short a time as possible. Th en they depart, ﬂ eeing 
  either via the sewers or the subway system, and 
  retreat to their base.
  If cornered by the authorities or superheroes, 
  Nova tries to retreat. Decibelle takes the position 
  as rearguard, Crazy Legs leads the way, and Arcane 
  stays with Circuit Breaker and Marble Man using his 
  Force Wall and other powers to protect them. Th ey 
  don’t stand and ﬁ ght unless they have absolutely 
  no choice. Not only do they have little interest in 
  ﬁ sticuﬀ s with superheroes (they have bigger ﬁ sh to 
  fry), they know they’re unlikely to win. Th e longer 
  a ﬁ ght goes on, the more time policemen have to 
  arrive on the scene, and eventually sheer numbers 
  will overwhelm the team. If the situation goes from 
  bad to worse, Nova splits up, each member going in 
  a separate direction, with Decibelle using her powers 
  over sound to distract pursuit.
  Campaign Use:  Nova is a team of teens who all feel 
  that the adult world has done them wrong. Th ey 
  have little respect for adults and what they repre-
  sent; their lives have taught them that not only are 
  adults untrustworthy, but they’ll try to take advan-
  tage of youth at every turn. In many ways they have 
  even less respect for adult superheroes, because 
  those superheroes are supposed to be the best the 
  
  99 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  adult world has to oﬀ er... and to Nova, the adult 
  world’s best isn’t nearly good enough.
  None of them are willing to stop to listen to 
  what an adult superhero might have to say. Th eir 
  attitudes range from Decibelle’s, who hates author-
  ity ﬁ gures and believes adult superheroes have 
  neglected ARGENT’s victims, to Arcane’s, who just 
  thinks no adult superhero will believe him and his 
  story. Whatever the individual’s attitude, the team 
  as a whole has no use for adults. Even Marble Man, 
  who idolizes superheroes far more than his team-
  mates, doesn’t stop to listen — aft er a short life on 
  the street, chased by policemen for stealing toys 
  and food, he knows superheroes are little more 
  than policemen in cooler uniforms.
  Before Arcane was framed for murder, adult 
  superheroes might’ve turned a blind eye to Nova 
  and its attitude, but now it seems Nova’s out of 
  control. While a team like the Motor City Defend-
  ers is largely harmless — in other words, if adults 
  are tracking them down, it’s because they’re wor-
  ried the teens are going to get hurt, not because the 
  teens are going to hurt someone — Nova seems to 
  have gone rogue, the young superheroes taking a 
  turn down the path leading to supervillainy.
  You can easily use Nova in any adventure 
  involving ARGENT. Not only has the organization 
  framed one of Nova’s members for murder, but now 
  when the team attacks one of ARGENT’s cover 
  organizations, ARGENT makes it look like Nova is 
  a bunch of vandals or terrorists. Since Nova can’t 
  explain its side of the story, the authorities are left  
  with no one’s story but ARGENT’s. Th e NYPD’s ﬁ le 
  concerning Nova’s criminal activities grows larger 
  by the week.
  To make matters worse, Nova has begun 
  taking money from the criminals and supervillains 
  it stops. Th e members rationalize this by saying 
  they’re putting the money to a good use — and 
  they need to eat, but can’t hold down jobs. Th is 
  bending of the law has started them down a slip-
  pery slope of taking the law into their own hands. 
  More than once, Decibelle has mentioned that 
  some of the adults they encounter, especially the 
  doctors and scientists working for ARGENT, don’t 
  deserve to live. While Arcane has always persuaded 
  her that they don’t have the right to act as execu-
  tioner, Decibelle continues to bring it up.
  Nova Hunts anyone it believes is involved 
  with the murder of Hyrum Weismann, and anyone 
  they think is exploiting or has exploited children. 
  Furthermore, Nova’s members have become reck-
  less and rash since being forced underground. Th ey 
  already nurture a great distrust of the adult world, 
  and it doesn’t take much for them to believe the 
  worst about an adult.
  ARCANE
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   10 STR 
  0 
  11- 
  Lift  100 kg; 2d6 [1]
   18 DEX 
  24 
  13- 
  OCV:  6/DCV:  6
   12 CON 
  4 
  11-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   15 INT 
  5 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   18 EGO 
  16 
  13- 
  ECV:  6
   10 PRE 
  0 
  11- 
  PRE Attack:  2d6
   14 COM 
  2 
  12-
   4 PD 
  2 
   
  Total:  14 PD (10 rPD)
   4 ED 
  2 
   
  Total:  14 ED (10 rED)
   4 SPD 
  12 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   6 REC 
  4
   32 END 
  4
   30 STUN 
  9 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  84
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
   
  Flight: 
  20”/40”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  20 
  Air Elemental Powers:  Elemental Con-
  trol, 60-point powers; all Requires A 
  Magic Roll (-½)
  20 
  1)  Control Th e Winds:  Telekinesis (40 
  STR); Requires A Magic Roll Roll (-½) 
  6
  20 
  2)  Ride Th e Wind:  Flight 20”, Reduced 
  Endurance (0 END; +½); Requires A 
  Magic Roll (-½) 
  0
  20 
  3)  Air Wall:  Force Wall (12 PD/12 ED); 
  Requires A Magic Roll (-½) 
  6
  25 
  Air Shield:  Force Field (10 PD/10 ED), 
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  1
  5 
  Mystic Defenses:  Mental Defense (9 points 
  total) 
  0
  5 
  Mystic Defenses:  Power Defense (5 points) 
  0
  25 
  Untapped Mystical Potential:  Aid Magic 
  4d6, any Magic power or Characteristic 
  one at a time (+¼); Self Only (-½), Requires 
  A Magic Roll (-½) 
  0
   
  Skills
  6 
  +2 with Flight
  2 
  CK:  New York City 11-
  2 
  KS:  Arcane & Occult Lore 11-
  13 
  Magic 17-
  3 
  Streetwise 11-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  166
  Total Cost:  250
  100+ Disadvantages
  5 
  Distinctive Features:  Dreadlocks Blow 
  Around His Head (Easily Concealed [by 
  wearing a hat or tying them back]; Noticed 
  and Recognizable)
  30 
  Hunted:  ARGENT 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Kill) 
  25 
  Hunted:  NYPD 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture)
  10 
  Reputation:  murderer, 8- (Extreme)
  20 
  Social Limitation:  Public Identity (David 
  Miller) (Frequently, Severe)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x STUN from Fire attacks 
  (Common)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x BODY from Fire attacks 
  (Common)
  40 
  Experience Points
  
  100 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Total Disadvantage Points:  250
  Background/History:  David Miller ducked into 
  the alley and anxiously looked around, searching 
  for any onlookers. When he didn’t see anyone, he 
  pulled oﬀ  his knit cap and scratched his head. Like 
  they had for the last three days, his dreads started 
  whipping around his head.
  “Oy! Now that elemental’s meshugge!”
  David hurried to put his cap back on his head, 
  then looked to see who was talking. Sitting on the 
  second story ﬁ re escape was an old man. He took 
  the pipe out of his mouth, gestured toward David’s 
  hair with its stem, and asked, “How’d you come by 
  that, boychik?”
  David hunched his shoulders and tried to 
  sidle away, but the old man wasn’t having any of it. 
  “Good idea — I’ll meet you at the entrance!”
  And that was how David Miller met Hyrum 
  Weismann.
  Until then David had thought he was a mutant. 
  What he learned instead is that an air elemental 
  had somehow been trapped in Assiah, the Material 
  World. In an attempt to save itself from dissolution 
  by the insensible winds of this world it bonded 
  itself to David. It chose David because he had 
  mystic potential, and that potential gave it the sus-
  tenance it needed to survive. It was this potential 
  Hyrum was interested in.
  Hyrum was a student of the Kabbalah, and 
  he was nearing the end of his life. Because of his 
  studies, he’d never had time to start a family, and he 
  found himself increasingly worried that his knowl-
  edge would die with him. Aft er spending some 
  time with him and ascertaining he was a good kid 
  (if a little misguided and rough around the edges), 
  he decided the boy with the unruly hair was the 
  answer to his problems.
  David didn’t have much family to speak of 
  — his mother had run out on the family long ago, 
  and his father didn’t much care whether David 
  stayed or went. So David spent more and more 
  time with Hyrum, ﬁ rst learning how to control his 
  air elemental, then learning the Kabbalah.
  Th en ARGENT killed Hyrum and pinned it on 
  David. Now David’s on the run with the rest of Nova, 
  trying to stay out of jail and prove his innocence.
  Personality/Motivation:  Arcane’s been through a 
  lot in the last few years, and those changes have 
  left  him uncertain and confused. Before inexpli-
  cably gaining an air elemental “familiar,” he was 
  a rebellious and loud-mouthed young man, an 
  outsider among his fellow students because they 
  thought he was either too strange or too much of 
  a troublemaker. He was constantly in trouble with 
  his teachers, serving detention aft er detention; the 
  only thing that kept him from being expelled was 
  the fact that his grades were good. And he didn’t 
  have much of a homelife. Unlike some of the other 
  members of Nova, Arcane’s father didn’t abuse 
  him, betray him, or abandon him — he just didn’t 
  acknowledge the boy’s existence. Arcane came and 
  went as he pleased, and as far as food and whatever 
  else he wanted were concerned, he had to provide 
  for himself.
  But then Arcane met Hyrum Weismann and 
  things began to change. Learning about mysticism 
  and his own untapped potential gave Arcane focus, 
  and Hyrum’s constant lessons about morality and 
  ethics made Arcane reﬂ ect for the ﬁ rst time on his 
  life and what he’d been doing with it. He’d never 
  been a bad kid, but he’d never been a good one 
  either — and with Hyrum’s help he was learning 
  the diﬀ erence.
  Th en Arcane met Decibelle and his life came 
  into even greater focus. Th ey rented an apartment 
  together, and for the ﬁ rst time he had a home to 
  call his own. Not just the roof over his head his 
  father had provided, but a home that was a safe 
  haven in a world that didn’t care about him. And 
  although Decibelle might have been a bad inﬂ u-
  ence because of her wild streak and hatred of 
  authority ﬁ gures, the fact that someone loved him 
  gave Arcane comfort.
  Arcane was well on his way to becoming both 
  a responsible adult and a talented mystic... but then 
  ARGENT murdered Hyrum, taking away what 
  little stability he had. Without that stability, Arcane 
  started losing his grip. Th e grief over Hyrum’s 
  death, the stress of being wanted by the police, and 
  the anxiety of having to look aft er three younger 
  children have all taken their toll on him. Th ere are 
  bags under his eyes because he can’t sleep at night, 
  and his face is drawn and pinched. He rarely smiles 
  and almost never laughs. And while he’s grown 
  more somber, Decibelle has become more reckless 
  and disgusted with adults... and since he oft en feels 
  she’s all he has left , he lets her have a greater inﬂ u-
  ence over him than he otherwise might.
  Quote:  “A strong, cleansing wind is what’s 
  needed to blow the stink away from this place....” 
  Whooooosh....
  Powers/Tactics:  Th e majority of Arcane’s powers 
  stem from the air elemental bonded to his soul. He’s 
  learned to control it, and by drawing on its powers 
  he can ﬂ y, unleash blasts of wind that strike with 
  great force, and command the elemental to coalesce 
  into a wall of solid air. Arcane is the group’s best 
  ﬂ yer and typically engages any enemies in the air, 
  but because of his low Characteristics he isn’t much 
  of a combatant. In combat Decibelle’s preference 
  is to have him hang back and come to the aid of 
  other team members, either using his Telekinesis 
  to lift  them out of trouble or his Force Wall to pro-
  tect them from danger. He also serves as the team’s 
  transportation by telekinetically carrying the non-
  ﬂ ying members of Nova while he ﬂ ies.
  Arcane cannot communicate directly with the 
  air elemental bound to him (nor does he know how 
  it came into this world), but when he sleeps he has 
  strange dreams. Th e dreams show scenes from an 
  alien realm — the air elemental’s home — as well as 
  scenes from throughout history involving sorcer-
  ers, both human and inhuman, summoning the air 
  elemental out of its home realm and into the Mate-
  rial World. Hyrum found these dreams intriguing, 
  but he never told Arcane why.
  Arcane’s Untapped Mystical Potential is a 
  nascent VPP. He can use it to increase any of his 
  powers or Characteristics (which all ultimately 
  result from Magic, though his powers also have an 
  ARCANE 
  PLOT SEEDS
  Arcane turns himself in, 
  showing up on the PCs’ 
  doorstep and telling 
  them they can take him 
  in if they leave the rest 
  of Nova alone — but 
  his teammates don’t 
  want to be left  alone and 
  are determined to free 
  him. Can the PCs stop 
  Nova from attacking 
  the police station where 
  Arcane is being held and 
  making an even bigger 
  mess of their lives?
  One of the mystic PCs 
  has a sudden vision of 
  a rent opening up in 
  the sky and angry air 
  elementals pouring out 
  into the world. At the 
  center of the rent, his 
  chest laid open with 
  the tip of an immense 
  tornado’s funnel spiral-
  ing out of his heart, is 
  Arcane. Will the PCs 
  realize Arcane’s bonding 
  to an air elemental was 
  more than a ﬂ uke — it 
  was instead a plot to 
  unleash destruction on 
  the Earth? Whose plot 
  is it, and can the heroes 
  ﬁ nd Arcane in time to 
  stop this vision from 
  coming to pass?
  Th e PCs learn of 
  Arcane’s innocence and 
  vow to prove it — but 
  as they investigate, they 
  begin to discover more 
  and more evidence that 
  proves Arcane was the 
  murderer. Did ARGENT 
  really kill Hyrum Weis-
  mann? Is Arcane lying 
  about being innocent?
  
  101 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  “air” special eﬀ ect), but it only works for him. Typi-
  cally he uses it in one of three ways. If he needs to 
  ﬂ y faster, he Aids his SPD. If he’s under attack, he 
  Aids his Force Field. And if he’s attacking someone, 
  he Aids his DEX so he has a better chance of hit-
  ting. Hyrum had only just started teaching Arcane 
  how to tap his mystic powers — the old man felt 
  the boy needed to develop his mystic defenses 
  before embarking on the dangerous road of the 
  sorcerer. Had Hyrum lived, Arcane would have 
  eventually developed his Untapped Mystical Poten-
  tial into a full-blown Variable Power Pool, but since 
  Hyrum’s death, his development as a mystic has 
  stopped. In time, hopefully it will resume.
  Campaign Use:  In many ways, Arcane is the heart 
  of Nova, because the whole team has come together 
  around him and his innocence. If he were taken 
  away from the team or decided to call it quits, the 
  team would fall apart. Decibelle would deﬁ nitely 
  stop being a superhero, and none of the others are 
  mature enough to keep the team together. If the 
  PCs are going to help Nova, they need to deal with 
  Arcane and his problems, and the quickest way to 
  gain the suspicious teens’ trust is to prove Arcane’s 
  innocence. Arcane is also the voice of reason in 
  the group, although more and more he keeps his 
  thoughts to himself as he turns increasingly inward. 
  Any sensible and level-headed dealings with Nova 
  require the PCs to get Arcane to speak up and 
  become involved in the discussion.
  Arcane Hunts anyone connected with Hyrum’s 
  murder, even if the connection is incidental or 
  tenuous. Th ough the rest of Nova is interested in 
  proving Arcane’s innocence, Arcane mostly wants 
  to bring the murderer to justice and does whatever 
  it takes if he thinks he has a good shot at accom-
  plishing this goal.
  To make Arcane more powerful, either 
  increase his physical Characteristics, especially his 
  DEX, END, and STUN, to make him more eﬀ ective 
  in combat; or change his Aid into a 30- to 40-point 
  VPP to reﬂ ect his increasing understanding of 
  mysticism. To make him less powerful, reduce the 
  points in his Elemental Control to 40 and lower the 
  powers accordingly.
  Appearance:  Arcane is a young black man who 
  stands 6’2” and weighs 180 pounds. He keeps his 
  hair in long, slender dreadlocks, which he ties 
  back when disguising his identity, and has a neatly 
  trimmed goatee. As Arcane he unties his dread-
  locks and lets them whirl and whip about his head 
  in the breeze created by the air elemental. Th ough 
  both he and Decibelle wore masks when they ﬁ rst 
  started superheroing, they have since given up 
  even that small piece of costuming aft er ARGENT 
  revealed their secret identities to the authorities. 
  Arcane wears loose-ﬁ tting jeans, sweaters or long-
  sleeved jerseys depending on the weather, and 
  beige work boots.
  
  102 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  CIRCUIT BREAKER
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   15 STR 
  5 
  12- 
  Lift  200 kg; 3d6 [1]
   12 DEX 
  6 
  11- 
  OCV:  4/DCV:  4
   15 CON 
  10 
  12-
   15 BODY 10 
  12-
   14 INT 
  4 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   18 EGO 
  16 
  13- 
  ECV:  6
   15 PRE 
  5 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  3d6
   6 COM 
  -2 
  11-
   7 PD 
  4 
   
  Total:  16 PD (9 rPD)
   7 ED 
  4 
   
  Total:  16 ED (9 rED)
   3 SPD 
  8 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   6 REC 
  0
   30 END 
  0
   33 STUN 
  2 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  72
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  15 
  Cyberkinesis:  Elemental Control, 30-
  point powers
  15 
  1)  Machine Control:  Mind Control 6d6 
  (Machine class of minds) 
  3
  15 
  2)  Machine Images:  Mental Illusions 6d6 
  (Machine class of minds) 
  3
  15 
  3)  Machine Communications:  Telepathy 
  6d6 (Machine class of minds) 
  3
  20 
  4)  Machine Manipulation:  Telekinesis (30 
  STR), Fine Manipulation; Only To Control 
  Machines And Machine Parts (-1) 
  5
  27 
  Armor Plating:  Armor (9 PD/9 ED) 
  0
   
  Skills
  12 
  +4 with Computer Programming, Electron-
  ics, and Systems Operation
  3 
  Computer Programming 12-
  3 
  Electronics 12-
  3 
  Systems Operation 12-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  128
  Total Cost:  200
  100+ Disadvantages
  15 
  Distinctive Features:  Cyborg (Concealable 
  With Diﬃ  culty; Causes Major Reaction)
  30 
  Hunted:  ARGENT 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Kill) 
  25 
  Hunted:  NYPD 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Hates Being A 
  Cyborg (Common, Strong)
  10 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (Frequently, 
  Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Public Identity (Elizabeth 
  Forston) (Frequently, Major)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  210
  Background/History:  “Look, Lizzie! — a letter from 
  the Greenworld Foundation! I bet you won!” Sister 
  Margaret had a wide smile on her face. She held up 
  the envelope for Lizzie to see, her ﬁ nger pointing 
  to the letterhead that showed a green stylized tree 
  with broad branches.
  Lizzie had entered the contest months ago and 
  forgotten all about it, but at the time she’d dearly 
  wanted to win. Th irty young girls and boys would 
  win a trip to summer camp upstate, and Lizzie 
  couldn’t remember the last time she’d been in a 
  place where she had looked all around and not seen 
  cement, or looked up into the sky at night and seen 
  the stars.
  She took the letter eagerly, but then she shoved 
  it back in Sister Margaret’s hand, saying, “No... you 
  open it.”
  Sister Margaret did as Lizzie asked and her 
  smile got even wider. She hugged the girl and 
  showed her the letter, pointing to the line that 
  said “We’re please to inform you that we have 
  chosen you...”.
  A month later Sister Margaret got a second 
  letter from the Greenworld Foundation. Th e police 
  had already told her that Lizzie and the twenty-
  nine other winners had died in an auto accident 
  — the bus taking them to the summer camp had 
  crashed, then gone up in ﬂ ames, leaving no survi-
  vors — and this letter conveyed the Greenworld 
  Foundation’s condolences. Sister Margaret frowned 
  brieﬂ y as she read the letter, remembering the trag-
  edy, but she soon threw it away. She and the rest of 
  the orphanage were done mourning for poor Lizzie 
  Forston. She had become one more memory, just 
  another girl who had passed through the orphan-
  age and was now no longer there. But perhaps if the 
  sisters had known the truth, they would’ve contin-
  ued to mourn.
  Th e Greenworld Foundation was an ARGENT 
  front. It held the contest as a scheme to gain a new 
  crop of adolescent subjects for various experimen-
  tal projects. ARGENT scientists soon determined 
  the fourteen-year-old girl possessed latent cyberki-
  netic powers — and those powers dovetailed 
  perfectly with an ongoing project. For the corrupt 
  scientists running Project Manufactured Intelli-
  gence, the girl with latent cyberkinetic powers was 
  a godsend.
  Artiﬁ cial intelligences were in high demand 
  among the rogue nations and criminal organiza-
  tions on ARGENT’s client list, but they were notori-
  ously diﬃ  cult to build — the spark of intelligence 
  necessary for peak performance was a ﬂ uke, not 
  something technicians could guarantee. ARGENT 
  scientists postulated that with the right technology 
  they could transform a human being into an AI. Th e 
  human brain already possessed the necessary pro-
  cessing abilities; it was just a matter of expanding its 
  calculating capacity, connecting it to a network, and 
  slaving it to user input. To take the next step, how-
  ever, they needed a human brain perfectly suited to 
  the experiment — one with powers of cyberkinesis.
  Aft er weeks of painful surgery Lizzie’s higher 
  mental faculties were “shut oﬀ ” and her latent 
  powers activated. Th en ARGENT hooked her into 
  a specially-constructed computer, making her its 
  organic CPU. For two weeks she functioned as the 
  perfect AI — perhaps a little slow and lacking in 
  personality, but good enough that ARGENT could 
  sell her for a high price. Th en Nova — at the time 
  consisting of Arcane, Decibelle, and Crazy Legs — 
  discovered the location where Lizzie was held and 
  broke her free. Aft er they freed her from ARGENT, 
  Lizzie still had the use of her cyberkinetic powers. 
  What she didn’t have was a normal human body.
  CIRCUIT BREAKER 
  PLOT SEEDS
  Circuit Breaker shows 
  up on the PCs’ door-
  step and begs them for 
  their help. ARGENT 
  has captured the rest of 
  Nova and she needs the 
  heroes’ help to rescue 
  them. Will the PC real-
  ize ARGENT has ﬁ gured 
  out a way to take control 
  of Circuit Breaker and 
  is using the girl to lead 
  them into a trap?
  In an attempt to capture 
  Nova, the PCs only 
  capture Circuit Breaker. 
  Th ey discover her con-
  dition and promise to 
  help. When Nova tries to 
  break her free, can the 
  PCs get them to listen to 
  reason?
  Circuit Breaker kills 
  herself. Now Nova is 
  on a rampage against 
  ARGENT. When it 
  leaves dead ARGENT 
  agents in its wake, will 
  the PCs try to stop the 
  furious teens? When the 
  PCs hear about what 
  ARGENT did to Circuit 
  Breaker, will they want 
  to stop Nova? Last but 
  not least, can some-
  one who’s that much 
  machine really be dead?
  
  103 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  Personality/Motivation:  ARGENT transformed 
  Lizzie into a cyborg, and the drastic changes to 
  her body have made her despondent — and lately 
  suicidal. She rarely speaks; her voice has a low 
  mechanical buzz, so the sound of it depresses 
  her. She wears clothing on every part of her body, 
  because she can’t stand looking at her robotic parts 
  and the metallic plating covering her skin.
  To make matters worse she’s been in constant 
  pain since Nova saved her from ARGENT. As a 
  cyborg she still has organic components. As a teen 
  she’s still growing, but metal doesn’t grow. Th e 
  growth and changes that are a natural part of ado-
  lescence are causing painful swelling as her ﬂ esh 
  pushes up against her metal parts, causing the bolts 
  piercing her bones to pull free, millimeter by pain-
  ful millimeter. Circuit Breaker has only recently 
  begun to suspect this is why she’s in so much pain, 
  and she’s kept it a secret from her friends — she 
  truly hates her body and has no interest in discuss-
  ing it. Besides, she knows there’s nothing any of her 
  teammates can do. Th e only people she thinks can 
  help her are ARGENT scientists, and she’ll take her 
  own life — a thought that occurs to her more and 
  more oft en — before she allows herself to fall back 
  into ARGENT’s clutches.
  To some extent, Circuit Breaker blames the 
  sisters at the orphanage for what’s happened to 
  her, and aft er hearing her friends’ stories, she also 
  blames adults in general. Aft er all, the sisters never 
  bothered to come looking for her, but it was the 
  adults at ARGENT who took away her body and 
  gave her this hideous thing of metal.
  Quote:  “I just want my hair back — if I could just 
  have hair again, I think it’d be better.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Circuit Breaker is a cyberkinetic 
  whose powers were activated by the changes 
  ARGENT made to her body. Since she was 
  intended to be hooked up to a computer perma-
  nently, ARGENT changed her body so it could 
  better survive the inert, comatose state she would 
  experience as a part of Project Manufactured Intel-
  ligence, as well as make it easier for technicians to 
  care for her. Th ese changes have given her increased 
  physical characteristics — although not superhu-
  man abilities — and made her body better able to 
  withstand damage.
  During Nova’s crusade against ARGENT, Cir-
  cuit Breaker’s powers have made her invaluable. 
  She can jam the guns ARGENT agents use and 
  stall their vehicles, but most importantly she can 
  penetrate ARGENT security systems and computer 
  ﬁ les, discovering the locations of other facilities. 
  Without Circuit Breaker, Nova’s battle against 
  ARGENT would be much less eﬀ ective. But in a 
  ﬁ ght versus superhumans Circuit Breaker is inef-
  fectual unless there are security systems she can 
  tap into and turn against the opponents. In these 
  situations she mainly takes cover and, if possible, 
  taps into a nearby radio to monitor police bands so 
  Nova can leave before the cops arrive. When Nova 
  tries to escape the authorities, Circuit Breaker oft en 
  uses her powers to create traﬃ  c jams by changing 
  stoplights and stalling cars.
  Circuit Breaker’s Computer Programming, 
  Electronics, and System Operations Skills represent 
  her cyberkinetic powers, not her knowledge. She 
  cannot explain what she does or pass along her 
  knowledge to others.
  Campaign Use:  While most members of Nova 
  focus solely on proving Arcane’s innocence, Circuit 
  Breaker is a growing problem her teammates must 
  someday confront — and when they do, things 
  are likely to come to a head. Nova doesn’t have the 
  resources or contacts of more prominent super-
  teams, and there’s simply nothing any of them can 
  do to help her. When the time comes, they’ll have 
  to swallow their pride and contempt for adults and 
  seek help. Conceivably Nova might prove Arcane’s 
  innocence on its own, never reconciling itself with 
  the adult world. But Circuit Breaker’s situation pro-
  vides a way for the PCs to prove to Nova that not 
  all adults are bad... if the PCs can help her.
  And Circuit Breaker desperately needs help. 
  Eventually she’s going to die, either because the 
  growth of her body literally tears her apart, or 
  because the pain drives her to suicide. As the situ-
  ation worsens, she’ll have a harder time hiding her 
  condition from her teammates — especially Deci-
  belle, who’s already worried. When knowledge of 
  Circuit Breaker’s condition comes to light, Arcane 
  will turn himself in if someone promises to help 
  Lizzie with her problem.
  To make Circuit Breaker more powerful, 
  increase her STR to 50 and her CON and BODY to 
  
  104 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  30 — the scientists made her into a very powerful 
  cyborg. To reduce her power, lower her EGO. Lizzie 
  is unlikely to Hunt people; she’s too wrapped up in 
  her own problem to seek vengeance on anyone else.
  Appearance:  Circuit Breaker stands 5’3” and is 
  slender, but weighs nearly 300 pounds because of 
  all the metal in her body. She wears a thick black 
  body stocking, and over this a long loose skirt that 
  reaches her ankles and a loose smock. She wears 
  gloves to cover her hands and a long scarf to wrap 
  around her neck. More and more, despite Deci-
  belle’s protests, she’s taken to dressing all in black. 
  Her head is mostly normal looking — she has 
  blue eyes, a small nose, and a perpetually frown-
  ing mouth — but she has no hair. Instead her head 
  is covered with small metal openings, and when 
  she uses her cyberkinetic powers, three-inch wires 
  emerge from the openings and buzz with electricity.
  CRAZY LEGS
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   20 STR 
  10 
  13- 
  Lift  400 kg; 4d6 [2]
   24 DEX 
  42 
  14- 
  OCV:  8/DCV:  8
   15 CON 
  10 
  12-
   15 BODY 10 
  12-
   8 INT 
  -2 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   9 EGO 
  -2 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   14 PRE 
  4 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  3d6
   12 COM 
  1 
  11-
   12 PD 
  8 
   
  Total:  12 PD (4 rPD)
   12 ED 
  9 
   
  Total:  12 ED (4 rED)
   5 SPD 
  16 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   7 REC 
  0
   42 END 
  6
   44 STUN 11 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  123
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  12”/24”
   
  Leaping: 
  10”/20”
   
  Swimming: 
  12”/24”
  Cost Powers 
  END
   
  Martial Arts:  Football Fighting Style
   
  Maneuver 
  OCV DCV 
  Effect
  3 
  Flying Tackle 
  0 
  -1 
  6d6 + v/5; You 
  Fall, Target Falls; 
  FMove
  4 
  High Steppin’ 
  +0 
  +5 
  Dodge, Abort
  3 
  Holding Penalty -1 
  -1 
  Grab Two 
  Limbs, 40 STR 
  for holding on
  4 
  Straight Arm 
  +0 
  +2 
  8d6 Strike
  4 
  Th row Oﬀ  Tacklers
   
   
  +0 
  +0 
  45 STR vs. 
  Grabs
  8 
  +2 Damage Classes (already added)
  4 
  Th ick Skin:  Damage Resistance (4 PD/
  4 ED) 
  0
  18 
  Fast:  Running +6” (12” total), Reduced 
  Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  1
  10 
  Fast Swimmer Too:  Swimming +10” (12” 
  total) 
  1
  6 
  Strong Leaper:  Leaping +6” (10” forward, 
  5” upward) 
  1
   
  Skills
  3 
  +1 with Football Fighting Style
  5 
  +1 DCV
  2 
  PS: Student Athlete 11-
  1 
  KS: Basketball 8-
  2 
  KS: Football 11-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  77
  Total Cost:  200
  100+ Disadvantages
  30 
  Hunted:  ARGENT 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Kill) 
  25 
  Hunted:  NYPD 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Headstrong And 
  Reckless (Common, Strong)
  5 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (under 18) (Occa-
  sionally, Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Public Identity (Hank 
  Henderson) (Frequently, Major)
  10 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x Eﬀ ect from Drugs or 
  Drug-like Powers (Common)
  ARGENT VERSUS NOVA
  In addition to wanting two of its test subjects back, 
  ARGENT hasn’t taken Nova’s attacks on its operations 
  lightly. Th e organization’s leadership has created a task 
  force of outside consultants and specialists on loan from 
  other departments and divisions to track down the teens, 
  capture Circuit Breaker and Crazy Legs, and terminate 
  the other members of the team. In addition to local sup-
  port personnel assigned to the task force and the funds 
  budgeted for freelance security detail, the main members 
  of the team are:
  Mundane Personnel
  Group Leader Thaddeus Crown:  A former CIA operative 
  ﬁ red on moral and ethical grounds, Crown specialized 
  in kidnapping and extortion for the Company, and he’s 
  put the skills learned during his time with the Agency 
  to good use for ARGENT. Aft er the failed kidnapping of 
  a Russian oil mogul’s daughter, Crown found himself in 
  the bad graces of certain members of the organization. 
  Th ey reassigned him to New York and gave him the job 
  of tracking down a bunch of snot-nosed kids. Crown is 
  unhappy with his current posting and wants to get the 
  job done ASAP. Already hard to get along with, he has 
  become more so as it takes longer and longer to track 
  down Nova.
  Joe Spence, P.I.: Although he dresses sloppily in rumpled 
  clothes and a trenchcoat, Spence has made big money 
  working in corporate espionage. His usual task involves 
  following high-level executives, digging up dirt on them, 
  and photographing them in compromising positions, 
  which his employers then use to manipulate the target 
  ﬁ rm. He agreed to this assignment in hopes of being put 
  on retainer by several of ARGENT’s cover corporations.
  Doctor Ron Lu:  Doctor Lu is a child psychiatrist who lost 
  his license aft er the authorities discovered his romance 
  with one of his patients, a sixteen year-old girl. Having 
  recently been released from prison, Dr. Lu has taken a 
  position with ARGENT; this is ﬁ rst assignment. His role 
  is to compile personality proﬁ les of the targets and pre-
  dict their behavior and actions. Although he’s mentally 
  unstable pervert who’s addicted to a variety of antide-
  pressants and amphetamines, Dr. Lu has startling insight 
  into the adolescent psyche.
  Continued on page 106
  
  105 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  Total Disadvantage Points:  200
  Background/History:  “You listen to me, Hank — 
  you’re going to see this doctor and you’re going to 
  take whatever medicine he gives you, because this 
  is our future we’re talking about.
  “You, my boy, are going to be the best run-
  ning back Roosevelt High has ever seen, and you’re 
  going to get a scholarship to a good school — and 
  you’re going to go in the ﬁ rst round of the draft  and 
  sign a multi-million dollar contract. Th en you, me, 
  and your Ma are going to live like kings.
  “So don’t you give me any more lip about 
  steroids,” Hank’s father ﬁ nished as he banged his 
  meaty ﬁ st on the large metal door.
  Hank’s mother nodded her head and told her 
  son to mind his father. If he just listened to his father 
  this one time, everything would work out ﬁ ne.
  Hank didn’t say anything. He hung his head 
  and stuﬀ ed his hands in the pockets of his letter-
  man jacket. He looked around the dark alley. Th e 
  place didn’t look like any sports doctor’s oﬃ  ce he’d 
  ever seen, and he wondered again how his dad had 
  heard about the place.
  Bolts clanked back, and the door opened 
  slowly. Hank looked inside and saw a gleaming steel 
  room far diﬀ erent than the dingy alley he stood 
  in. Th e two men standing at the door held assault 
  riﬂ es, and Hank and his parents squeezed by them.
  Behind a window in the wall was a second 
  room dimly lit by a green glow. In it there was an 
  old man wearing a white coat and holding a clip 
  board. While one of the guards held his gun on 
  Hank and his family, the other frisked them. As the 
  door shut behind him with a hollow clank, Hank 
  wondered what his dad had gotten them into.
  Th e gunmen prodded them with the bar-
  rels of their guns to the center of the room. Th e 
  family stood there in silence, and Hank could see 
  the doctor behind the glass looking at read-outs, 
  making a notation on his clipboard, and then 
  adjusting a dial. Finally he spoke into a micro-
  phone, his voice coming over the intercom:  “Th e 
  young specimen will do.”
  A gun ﬁ red near his right ear, then it ﬁ red 
  again to his left , and his father’s and mother’s blood 
  splattered across the far wall. Hank didn’t hesitate. 
  He tried to make it to the door, but the other two 
  men were too strong. While one held him down, 
  the other pulled out a taser....
  And that’s the last thing Hank remembers until 
  he awoke in a lab, strapped to a metal table. Look-
  ing down at him were Decibelle and Arcane. When 
  he ﬁ nally assured them he wasn’t going to go on a 
  rampage, they undid his straps, and Hank learned 
  that his father had been right about one thing. Th e 
  doctor’s medicine would’ve made him the best run-
  ning back the high school had ever seen....
  Personality/Motivation:  Hank Henderson was a 
  talented high school athlete, and his parents had 
  high hopes for him. Th ey thought of Hank as their 
  winning lottery ticket. When Hank’s father heard 
  rumors of a steroid program that would turn his 
  son into a perfect physical specimen, he decided to 
  make Hank’s good shot at the pros a sure thing.
  Hank had always done what his father told 
  him to, but he harbored a growing resentment 
  for the man, as well as the mother who never 
  questioned her husband’s decisions. Some of this 
  was the natural resentment a teen feels toward 
  his parents, but much of it was because his father 
  lived vicariously through him. As Hank got older, 
  it became more apparent that to his father he was 
  nothing but a meal ticket.
  When ARGENT killed his parents, Hank was 
  shocked, but he didn’t weep for them. Th ough he 
  sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night 
  screaming in terror because he had a nightmare 
  about when his parents were killed, he’s never 
  admitted he misses them. He’s come to view all 
  adults as envious of youth and only interested in 
  using him — aft er all, if a kid can’t trust his parents, 
  what adult can he trust?
  Crazy Legs has enjoyed his life since Arcane 
  and Decibelle freed him from the ARGENT lab. 
  He revels in his physical powers, and sometimes 
  dreams of going back to high school and playing 
  football again — even though he knows that will 
  never happen. He never liked the actual “learning” 
  part of going to school and has no intention of 
  returning, especially since the coach would never 
  let a person with superpowers on the team.
  He knows that if the authorities ever cap-
  ture Nova, they’ll send him back to school, so 
  he has no interest in leaving the team. Addition-
  ally, he has a deep sense of loyalty to Arcane 
  and Decibelle, and considers Nova his family. A 
  
  106 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  good-hearted kid, Crazy Legs truly likes the other 
  members of Nova, though he has a diﬃ  cult time 
  expressing it. He oft en chooses to use sports meta-
  phors for his teammates, with Arcane and Deci-
  belle becoming coach and captain, respectively, 
  Circuit Breaker a teammate who needs plenty of 
  pep talks, and Marble Man the waterboy. And just 
  like he would never let an opposing linebacker 
  sack his quarterback, he’s not going to let the 
  police capture Arcane. Not a deep thinker, Crazy 
  Legs has never stopped to consider his feelings 
  about being a superhero, but it’s likely that even 
  if Nova disbanded, he wouldn’t stop doing good 
  with his powers — but he’d probably get himself a 
  costume. He’s never said anything about costumes 
  around Arcane and Decibelle, because he knows 
  what they think and he doesn’t want to seem 
  uncool around the older kids, but he thinks the 
  team needs costumes. Being superheroes without 
  wearing costumes is, to Crazy Legs, like playing in 
  the big game without uniforms. Not wearing uni-
  forms is all right for a pick-up game or something, 
  but who ever heard of a team taking the ﬁ eld on a 
  Friday night without wearing uniforms?
  Quote:  “He ducks... he spins... the crowd goes wild... 
  and he scores!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Crazy Legs is a product of one of 
  ARGENT’s many attempts to produce a superhu-
  man-soldier serum. Th ough the rest of the sub-
  jects died during the testing — the hearts of some 
  couldn’t take the strain, while others went insane 
  and were sold oﬀ  to clients as berserk cannon 
  fodder — Crazy Legs came through physically well 
  and mentally stable. ARGENT was just getting 
  ready to subject him to an extensive battery of tests 
  that would’ve likely left  him dead, and then dissect 
  his corpse to determine why the serum succeeded 
  in his case, when Arcane and Decibelle saved him.
  Crazy Legs’s powers are straightforward:  he’s 
  fast, strong, and uses his football skills to incapaci-
  tate his opponents. In combat he tends to pick the 
  largest opponent and tries to beat him up, moving 
  in and out of HTH Combat. He has a bad habit of 
  ignoring Decibelle’s orders, and his recklessness has 
  gotten him in trouble many times. Decibelle con-
  stantly tells him that one of these days Arcane won’t 
  be there to pull him out of trouble, but Crazy Legs 
  just scoﬀ s.
  Campaign Use:  Crazy Legs is the lighthearted and 
  optimistic member of Nova, the one who never 
  gives up in the face of insurmountable odds and 
  never surrenders in the face of the impossible. He 
  rallies the team when things look worst, especially 
  when Decibelle has succumbed to her anger. As a 
  Hunted Crazy Legs would be something less than 
  sophisticated — he’d just ﬁ nd whomever he was 
  aft er and ask him to “step outside.”
  To make Crazy Legs more powerful, give 
  him more Levels with his Martial Arts and more 
  maneuvers, including a Block and an Offen-
  sive Strike. Though he’s superhumanly fast and 
  strong, he shouldn’t be that fast and strong, so 
  be leery of raising his STR and Running. To fur-
  ther increase his power, give him some Damage 
  Reduction. To decrease his abilities, remove his 
  Combat Skill Levels.
  Appearance:  Crazy Legs is a big guy:  6’3”, 240 
  pounds, broad across the chest and hips... and not 
  done growing yet. He has a square face with a blue 
  eyes and blond hair that he keeps in a crewcut. 
  Always smiling, he appears friendly and non-
  threatening despite his size. He wears muscle shirts 
  with the number 40 on the front, blue jeans, and 
  running shoes.
  CRAZY LEGS 
  PLOT SEEDS
  Crazy Legs isn’t done 
  growing yet — nor is 
  he done changing. Th e 
  mental instability the 
  other test subjects expe-
  rienced starts to take 
  its hold on him... and 
  to make matters worse, 
  his strength increases 
  dramatically. Can the 
  PCs stop his rampage 
  — and stop Nova from 
  interfering?
  Crazy Legs learns of 
  the Arena, an illegal 
  superhuman wrestling 
  organization, and starts 
  ﬁ ghting to earn extra 
  money. When the PCs 
  bust one of the matches, 
  will they realize Crazy 
  Legs is a member of 
  Nova?
  When the commanding 
  oﬃ  cer of a special forces 
  unit questions the PCs 
  about their encounters 
  with Nova, the heroes 
  know something’s going 
  on. Why has the govern-
  ment taken a sudden 
  interest in a team of 
  young heroes? Could 
  it be because of the 
  superhuman-soldier 
  serum in Crazy Legs’s 
  bloodstream? And is the 
  special forces unit from 
  the US government?
  ARGENT VERSUS NOVA
  Continued from page 104
  Superhuman Personnel
  ARGENT has assigned Crown three superhuman 
  freelancers to help him neutralize Nova. Crown trusts 
  none of them, and until conﬂ ict is imminent, he has no 
  intention of informing of them of the targets. Currently 
  the freelancers spend their time in combat simulations 
  against androids with powers similar to those of Nova.
  Engine And Wingman:  Originally mercenaries, Engine 
  and Wingman are two cyborgs who have worked for 
  most every villainous organization on Earth, from 
  VIPER to other, less long-standing groups like the 
  Borland Fund and the Shadow Soviet. Over the last 
  decade they’ve become a hodge-podge assembly of 
  cyborg prosthetics, cybernetics, and jury-rigged oper-
  ating systems, with each organization that employed 
  them adding mission-based modiﬁ cations to the work 
  of previous employers. Th ey’ve accepted the assign-
  ment in exchange for lifetime servicing of their parts. 
  Engine is a walking tank and hand-to-hand combatant 
  whose task is to capture Circuit Breaker and Crazy Legs; 
  Wingman is an aerial specialist assigned to terminating 
  Arcane. ARGENT cyberneticists have installed shield-
  ing to prevent Circuit Breaker from manipulating the 
  cyborgs’ artiﬁ cial parts (although whether the shielding 
  is adequate is still being debated).
  Radiowave:  Usually employed as a human listening 
  device, Radiowave is a mutant who can manipulate 
  soundwaves. He can neither create nor entirely nullify 
  them, only manipulate already existing sounds. Special-
  ists have assured Group Leader Crown that Radiowave 
  can negate Decibelle’s powers. Crown remains uncon-
  vinced and has approached the supervillainess Howler, 
  who is both curious about the girl purported (wrong-
  fully) to be her daughter and never adverse to making a 
  quick buck, about joining the task force.
  
  107 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  DECIBELLE
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   15 STR 
  5 
  12- 
  Lift  150 kg; 3d6 [1]
   24 DEX 
  42 
  14- 
  OCV:  8/DCV:  8
   12 CON 
  4 
  11-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   10 INT 
  0 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   15 PRE 
  5 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  3d6
   16 COM 
  3 
  12-
   4 PD 
  1 
   
  Total:  14 PD (10 rPD)
   8 ED 
  6 
   
  Total:  18 ED (10 rED)
   4 SPD 
  6 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   8 REC 
  6
   34 END 
  5
   40 STUN 16 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  99
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
   
  Flight: 
  15”/30”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  40 
  Sonic Powers:  Multipower, 40-point 
  reserve
  3u 
  1)  Sonic Blast:  Energy Blast 8d6; Does 
  Not Work In A Vacuum (-¼) 
  4
  2u 
  2)  Wide Sonic Blast:  Energy Blast 4d6, 
  Area Of Eﬀ ect (5” Cone; +1); No Range 
  (-½), Does Not Work In A Vacuum (-¼) 
  4
  3u 
  3)  Focused Sonic Blast:  RKA 2½d6; Does 
  Not Work In A Vacuum (-¼) 
  4
  3u 
  4)  Deafening Blast:  Hearing Group Flash 
  11d6; Does Not Work In A Vacuum (-¼) 
  3
  3u 
  5)  Absorb Ambient Sound:  Darkness to 
  Hearing Group 8” radius; No Range (-½) 4
  3u 
  6)  Mimic Sounds:  Images to Hearing 
  Group, -6 to PER Rolls, Increased Size (8” 
  radius; +¾); Does Not Work In A Vacuum 
  (-¼) 
  4
  25 
  Sonic Force Field:  Force Field (10 PD/10 
  ED), Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) 
  1
  24 
  Sonic Waves:  Flight 15”; Does Not Work 
  In A Vacuum (-¼) 
  2
  13 
  Sonar:  Active Sonar (Hearing Group), 
  Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees); 
  Costs Endurance (-½) 
  2
  3 
  Enhanced Hearing:  Ultrasonic Hearing 
  (Hearing Group) 
  0
  6 
  Enhanced Hearing:  +3 PER with Hearing 
  Group 
  0
   
  Skills
  6 
  +2 with Sonic Powers
  6 
  AK: New York City 15-
  3 
  Concealment 11-
  5 
  Streetwise 13-
  3 
  Stealth 14-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  151
  Total Cost:  250
  100+ Disadvantages
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  Mutant (Not Conceal-
  able; Always Noticed; Detectable Only By 
  Unusual Senses)
  30 
  Hunted:  ARGENT 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Kill) 
  25 
  Hunted:  NYPD 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Hatred Of Author-
  ity Figures (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Uncertain Moral 
  Code (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Public Identity (Nina Car-
  rando) (Frequently, Major)
  40 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  250
  Background/History:  Nina Carrando thought her 
  life had ﬁ nally turned the corner. She was free of 
  high school and the petty dictators who called 
  themselves teachers, free of Family Services and all 
  the foster families she’d lived with. Not all of those 
  families had been bad, but none had been good... 
  and there are a couple she refuses to talk about 
  even now. She had a boyfriend she loved, and they’d 
  started a life together. Everything was looking rosy 
  — everything was exactly how she’d imagined life 
  as an adult.
  Then David wanted to be a superhero... 
  and maybe he was right. Maybe, because they 
  had superpowers, they had a responsibility to 
  help people. And they did help people — people 
  their age who truly needed help because other 
  superheroes couldn’t be bothered to help them 
  because they thought helping them wasn’t glam-
  orous enough.
  She was changing — she knows in her heart 
  she was changing. David was a good inﬂ uence 
  on her. She’d started calming down. She was less 
  reckless, less lawless. She was settling down. She’d 
  
  108 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  even started thinking about attending college 
  — although the thought of going back to school, to 
  any school, gave her the willies.
  But David wanted to be a superhero, and 
  the more they argued, the more guilty she felt 
  — David’s inﬂ uence again — so she agreed. Just this 
  once, she said, and then we’ll see.
  Th ey helped some people in desperate need, 
  and she felt good about it. Maybe David was right, 
  and being a superhero was the right thing to do.
  See how quickly things change? ARGENT 
  — the bad guys, the exploiters — framed David for 
  a murder he didn’t commit, and no one stopped to 
  think about it. No one in the adult world stopped to 
  ask:  why did this guy who’s helped so many people 
  suddenly decide to kill a nice old man? Th ey all 
  assumed the worst. She read the newspapers day 
  aft er day — they reveled in the fallen superhero, 
  the city-wide manhunt. Nova would demolish an 
  ARGENT secret laboratory or installation, and 
  the newspapers would say “TEENS ON A RAM-
  PAGE!!!” instead of “TEEN HEROES THWART 
  EVIL ORGANIZATION.” And she remembered 
  why she hated the world so much.
  Personality/Motivation:  Decibelle is an angry young 
  woman, and recent circumstances have only made 
  her more angry — at the world, at society, at adults, 
  and especially at adult superheroes. She feels it’s 
  unjust and unfair that the authorities don’t give 
  Arcane the beneﬁ t of the doubt, and when she 
  thinks about it, it makes her so angry she can’t even 
  think straight. Nova’s current situation isn’t helping 
  her problems of rage and perspective. For the sake 
  of the rest of the team, she’s tried to keep herself 
  under control, but she knows it’s only a matter of 
  time before she snaps.
  Decibelle questions everything about being a 
  superhero — the moral codes, obeying the law, all 
  that nonsense. More and more, her life is not about 
  being a superhero; its about keeping David safe 
  from the police and trying to prove his innocence. 
  Helping people, doing good deeds — these are 
  secondary. Th e real reason Decibelle continues on 
  with Nova has nothing to do with being superhero. 
  It’s because, at the moment, it’s the only way to help 
  David. It was Decibelle’s idea to take money from 
  criminals to pay Nova’s way, and she’s truly stopped 
  caring whether her opponents live or die. At this 
  point, only Arcane keeps her from stepping over 
  the line. 
  Quote:  “I’m so mad, I could scream....”
  Powers/Tactics:  Decibelle is a mutant with the 
  power to produce and control sound waves. Her 
  ability is more than just her vocal cords, although 
  she oft en uses them to focus her power; she has the 
  ability to control ambient sound and even create it 
  from thin air. She can use this ability to form pow-
  erful blasts of sound, create bursts of sound that 
  deafen her opponent, hold herself aloft , or create a 
  force ﬁ eld. She can also remove the sound from an 
  area around her and fabricate sounds to fool listen-
  ers. In combat she opens with her Area Of Eﬀ ect 
  attack, targeting as many foes as she can catch in 
  the area, and then focuses on anyone still awake. 
  Outside of combat, her control over soundwaves 
  makes her excellent at inﬁ ltration. She typically 
  goes in alone, leaving the rest of Nova to back her 
  up, but brings Circuit Breaker along if she thinks 
  she’ll need someone to deal with security systems 
  or computers.
  Campaign Use:  Decibelle is the loose cannon 
  who’ll eventually get Nova in over its head. She’s 
  also the one the PCs must win over to their side if 
  they want to help the team. All the rest, including 
  Arcane, look up to Decibelle as their leader, and 
  will stand beside her regardless of what some adult 
  says. To make matters worse, Decibelle is the one 
  who trusts the adult world the least.
  Decibelle makes for a tenacious Hunter. She 
  pursues her target doggedly, and doesn’t hesitate to 
  ambush whomever she Hunts at the moment the 
  quarry’s weakest. Like Arcane, she Hunts anyone 
  connected to Hyram’s death — clearing Arcane’s 
  name is almost all she thinks about any more 
  — and she Hunts anyone who exploits children and 
  adolescents.
  To make Decibelle more powerful, increase the 
  points in her Multipower reserve and raise the slots 
  accordingly. To make her less powerful, reduce the 
  number of slots in her Multipower, taking away the 
  Area Of Eﬀ ect Energy Blast and any other powers 
  you think are too much.
  Appearance:  Decibelle is a 5’9” tall, slender, attrac-
  tive young white woman with a pale complexion 
  and thick black hair which she keeps short and 
  spiked. She wears hip-hugging jeans and tank tops, 
  plus a leather jacket when it’s cold. Everything 
  about how she holds herself — from the way she 
  frowns when an adult talks, to the way she pulls 
  down her sunglasses when an adult says something 
  stupid, to the way she tilts her head and cocks her 
  hip — says she’s angry, distrustful, and has a chip 
  on her shoulder.
  DECIBELLE 
  PLOT SEEDS
  Th e authorities capture 
  the rest of Nova. Deci-
  belle has no choice but 
  to ask the PCs to help 
  her free them. Can they 
  convince this angry 
  young woman not all 
  adults are worthless?
  When Arcane dies 
  during a raid on an 
  ARGENT facility, Deci-
  belle loses her grip and 
  leads Nova on a ram-
  page. Can the PCs calm 
  her down... and if not, 
  can they convince the 
  rest of Nova to stop fol-
  lowing her?
  Th ough Decibelle feels 
  most members of Nova 
  are old enough to make 
  their own decisions, 
  Marble Man worries her. 
  She approaches the PCs 
  and asks them if they’ll 
  ﬁ nd a good home for 
  him. Can the PCs turn 
  this into an opportunity 
  to bring Nova in, or will 
  they further alienate 
  Decibelle and her team? 
  And why Decibelle’s 
  sudden change of heart 
  concerning Marble Man 
  — is Nova planning 
  something dangerous?
  
  109 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  MARBLE MAN
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   5 STR 
  -5 
  11- 
  Lift  50 kg; 1d6 [1]
   24 DEX 
  42 
  14- 
  OCV:  8/DCV:  8
   8 CON 
  -4 
  11-
   8 BODY -4 
  11-
   8 INT 
  -2 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   9 EGO 
  -2 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   5 PRE 
  -5 
  10- 
  PRE Attack:  1d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   4 PD 
  3 
   
  Total:  24 PD (20 rPD)
   4 ED 
  2 
   
  Total:  24 ED (20 rED)
   5 SPD 
  16 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   5 REC 
  4
   20 END 
  2
   24 STUN 
  9 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  56
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  30”/60”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  32 
  Super-Somersaulting:  Running +24” (30” 
  total), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); 
  Restrainable (must roll into a ball; -½), 
  Turn Mode (-¼), Side Eﬀ ects (-4 to PER 
  Rolls while moving, always occurs; -½) 
  0
  40 
  Friction Field:  Force Field (20 PD/20 ED), 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); Only 
  While Somersaulting (-½) 
  0
   
  Skills
  21 
  +7 with Move Th rough, Move By, and Grab 
  By
  1 
  KS: Superheroes 8-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  94
  Total Cost:  150
  100+ Disadvantages
  30 
  Hunted:  ARGENT 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Kill) 
  25 
  Hunted:  NYPD 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Childish 
  (Common, Moderate)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Forgotten His Past 
  (Common, Total)
  10 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (Frequently, 
  Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Public Identity (Carlitto) 
  (Frequently, Major)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  210
  Background/History:  Th e policemen were chasing 
  him again, so Carlitto tucked the new action ﬁ gure 
  — 52 points of articulation! and Defender was his 
  favorite — into the waist of his dirty jeans, dove for 
  the sidewalk, rolled into a ball, and started his som-
  ersault. Zooooom....
  He crashed into a wall, missing the stairs lead-
  ing down to the subway station by just a hair... but 
  by then the policemen were waaaaaay behind him, 
  so he just picked himself up and walked down 
  below. It was nice to be able to see where he was 
  going sometimes.
  Once he got back to his secret hideout, he 
  opened his action ﬁ gure and put it next to the 
  others. Not for the ﬁ rst time, he wondered why he 
  couldn’t ﬁ nd the one for Nighthawk. He’d been in 
  and out of every toy store in Manhattan looking for 
  it, but no one had it. He’d used a black permanent 
  marker on a Defender action ﬁ gure to try to make 
  a bird’s beak for the helmet with a matchbook cover 
  and some glue, but it wasn’t the same and the beak 
  kept falling oﬀ .
  Aft er he played for a while, he curled up and 
  went to sleep. When he awoke there were some 
  people staring down at him. He got ready to roll, 
  but the people seemed nice, so he told them they 
  could be members of his club, even if two of them 
  were girls, and use his secret hideout if they wanted.
  “But,” he said sternly, “no one can play with my 
  toys unless they ask me ﬁ rst.”
  Personality/Motivation:  Carlitto has forgotten his 
  past. All he knows is his ﬁ rst name and that he’s 
  lived in the sunken subway station for as long as 
  he can remember. He doesn’t know how he ended 
  up where he is, nor does he know how he got his 
  powers. Despite the fact that Nova always tries to 
  leave him behind, Carlitto is hard to ditch and usu-
  ally manages to sneak along — far more than the 
  others, he likes superheroes and thinks the idea 
  of being one himself is neat. He’s taken on several 
  superhero names — Bowling Ball, Wrecking Ball, 
  Strike, and most recently Marble Man (despite the 
  fact that Crazy Legs has told him that he’s far from 
  a man yet).
  Carlitto is generally cheerful, although he’s 
  been known to throw a tantrum or two. He spends 
  most of his time playing with his action ﬁ gures, of 
  
  110 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  which he has a large collection (but he’s still look-
  ing for the rare, and thus valuable, Nighthawk). 
  Sometimes Crazy Legs plays with him (“Just 
  trying to keep the kid entertained,” he claims, but 
  everyone knows Crazy Legs is just an overgrown 
  kid), but Carlitto has no problem keeping himself 
  amused when he plays alone.
  Carlitto’s developed into quite the kleptoma-
  niac over the years. His teammates have tried to get 
  him to stop stealing, but only with limited success.
  Quote:  “Look out world! Marble Man’s coming 
  through!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Marble Man has one power:  he 
  can roll up into ball and somersault at incredible 
  speeds. He has to put his hands over his head and 
  tuck his chin to his chest, so he has trouble seeing 
  when he’s rolling — and if his hands aren’t free, 
  or he’s otherwise restrained from rolling up into a 
  ball, he can’t move at superspeeds. Lucky for him 
  since he oft en collides with things, he also gener-
  ates a friction ﬁ eld that protects him from the high 
  speeds he travels at and the eﬀ ects of impacts.
  In combat Marble Man rolls into the near-
  est opponent in an attempt to bowl him over, then 
  swings in a wide arc to do it again... if he has the 
  chance to ﬁ ght. Most of the time it falls to Arcane to 
  grab the boy telekinetically and move him to safety.
  Th e source of Marble Man’s powers is 
  unknown. Given Nova’s frequent clashes with 
  ARGENT, as well as the fact that two of them 
  gained their powers from the organization, the 
  team believes Carlitto was likely kidnapped by an 
  adult and subjected to some experiment or another.
  Campaign Use:  Marble Man’s dramatic purpose is 
  to get Nova into trouble, either by tagging along 
  surreptitiously on their missions, or because he gets 
  caught stealing. He also helps leaven the somber 
  attitude of the team, and he can serve as the cav-
  alry if Nova is captured. Finally, if the PCs weren’t 
  already worried about Nova, they should become 
  concerned when they learn that a suspected mur-
  derer and his cronies have an eight-year-old boy 
  with them.
  As a child — and a good-natured one to boot 
  — Marble Man isn’t likely to Hunt anyone... unless, 
  of course, they have a Nighthawk action ﬁ gure....
  To make Marble Man tougher, raise his Char-
  acteristics to the level of an average adult, if not 
  higher. To decrease his power, remove his Combat 
  Skill Levels so his chances of hitting anyone are 
  minimized.
  Appearance:  Marble Man is short for an eight year 
  old, standing 4’0” tall and weighing 55 pounds. His-
  panic, he has brown eyes and brown hair that Deci-
  belle keeps in a bowl cut (which he hates). He has 
  a slight Hispanic accent, although if he ever knew 
  Spanish he’s forgotten it, and he likes to make race 
  car engine noises — lips ﬂ apping and spit ﬂ ying 
  — as he somersaults. Unlike the other members 
  of Nova, Marble Man wears a costume... sort of. 
  In addition to his tee-shirt, tennis shoes, and blue 
  jeans, he ties an old blanket around his neck and 
  wears a red plaid bandana, with holes cut out so he 
  can see, over his eyes
  MARBLE MAN 
  PLOT SEEDS
  Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez 
  show up on the PCs’ 
  doorstep — they saw 
  a photo of Nova in the 
  newspaper the other 
  day, and Marble Man 
  is their son! Is he? Will 
  the PCs help them get 
  the boy back? Will Nova 
  believe the Sanchezes 
  are really Marble Man’s 
  parents, or conclude that 
  they’re just more adults 
  looking to exploit a kid? 
  And will they be right?
  Th e PCs have captured 
  the rest of Nova — now 
  it’s Marble Man to the 
  rescue! Will the PCs be 
  able to stop the little 
  spitﬁ re? Or will they be 
  humiliated by an eight 
  year-old?
  When the PCs make 
  a public appearance, 
  they catch a glimpse 
  of Marble Man in the 
  crowd. Will they follow 
  him back to the rest of 
  Nova... and if they try, 
  can they keep up with 
  the somersaulting boy?
  Marble Man learns that 
  Foxbat has a Nighthawk 
  action ﬁ gure — mint 
  condition! While Nova’s 
  oﬀ  on a mission, he goes 
  aft er the wacky criminal. 
  Th e PCs stumble onto 
  the action and have to 
  get involved... but which 
  one, the somersault-
  ing kid or the cackling 
  nutjob, will need rescu-
  ing?
  OTHER VILLAINOUS 
  ORGANIZATIONS & TEENS
  VIPER and ARGENT aren’t the only villainous organi-
  zations whose activities impact teens. 
  DEMON:  As a whole, DEMON has no agenda for teens, 
  but it does net many teens in its recruiting networks 
  because of the organization’s outre nature, outsider 
  appeal, and illicit reputation. Any teen who passes 
  through the recruiting network to the Demonhame 
  itself is usually required to run away from home — no 
  one can become more nosey than the parents of a teen 
  turned to Satanism and the occult. Any teen who comes 
  to learn too much about  the organization and either 
  can’t or won’t run away from home is mentally destabi-
  lized until he commits suicide (preferably aft er taking 
  the lives of others in such things as school shootings and 
  similar events of seemingly inexplicable violence). Some 
  Morbanes, such as the Urchin Lord of Washington, D.C. 
  and the Shopping Cart Crone of Chicago, surround 
  themselves with teen runaways because they ﬁ nd the 
  youths easier to manipulate (and far more loyal and 
  sycophantic than adults).
  The Institute For Human Advancement:  Th e IHA has an 
  entire branch, Future Citizens, dedicated to cultivat-
  ing its beliefs and anti-superhuman agenda in teens. 
  Although Future Citizens presents itself as an organiza-
  tion similar to the Boy Scouts or 4H, in truth it’s more 
  like the Hitler Youth. In and around its other activities, 
  Future Citizens teaches its members humanist doctrine 
  (although it’s more like human supremist doctrine) 
  while making sure they understand the threat to the 
  “human way of life” that mutants and other superhu-
  mans pose to society. Future Citizen’s volunteer work 
  comprises much of the membership’s time — whenever 
  superhumans go on a rampage, members of the Future 
  Citizens can be found in the aft ermath helping with 
  relief eﬀ orts — and this gives the youths a ﬁ rst-hand 
  look at the evils perpetuated by superhumans. Local 
  IHA oﬃ  ces organize numerous retreats where mem-
  bers learn survival techniques and proper handling 
  of ﬁ rearms, and listen to guest lecturers who always 
  turn the subject to the superiority of humanity and the 
  malice of superhumans. Twice a year there’s a national 
  Future Citizens convention where teens from all over 
  the country congregate. Usually the convention is held 
  in a city still recovering from some superhuman battle. 
  Recently Charles Swain, a traditional student at Raven-
  swood in his third year, has submitted a request to start a 
  Future Citizens group at the academy; Rowan has yet to 
  approve the request.
  
  111 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  GENERATION VIPER
  Membership:  Mrs. Garter (leader), Dogﬁ ght, Jeep-
  ers Creepers, Spoilsport, Trashmouth, Turnabout.
  Background/History:  Kids are the future, and VIPER 
  has ﬁ nally decided to seize the future where it starts.
  Generation VIPER is a worldwide program 
  to bring VIPER ideals to the next generation. For 
  much of its existence VIPER trusted society and 
  base human nature to create the kinds of people 
  who made good recruits — the greedy, the amoral, 
  the hungry for power — but in recent years it’s 
  decided to take a more proactive approach and 
  create these people from the ground up. Th e advan-
  tages are obvious:  amoral adults rarely make loyal 
  agents, but with children VIPER can give them a 
  moral code in keeping with the organization’s pre-
  cepts and philosophies while instilling them with 
  loyalty to the organization.
  Th e project has several purposes and branches, 
  but perhaps the most important is the training of 
  superhuman teens — most of whom have their 
  powers thanks to VIPER meddling with their 
  mothers while they were pregnant, and other 
  such experiments. VIPER has tried many ways to 
  custom-build superhumans, and while it usually 
  fails every now and then it succeeds (though rarely 
  in reproduceable ways). Some of the results are 
  children or adolescents — perfect fodder for Gen-
  eration VIPER.
  Th e oldest group of superpowered teens in 
  Generation VIPER is located in Millennium City 
  under the instruction of Mrs. Garter. VIPER leader-
  ship has high hopes for these teens, and Mrs. Garter 
  is determined to prove her worth to her superiors.
  In recent months Generation VIPER has 
  ﬁ nally ventured out of the training room and into 
  the ﬁ eld, coming into conﬂ ict with the Motor City 
  Defenders and local authorities. Th e children per-
  formed poorly in their ﬁ rst clash with superheroes, 
  but Mrs. Garter has promised her superiors they’ll 
  do better next time.
  Group Relations:  Mrs. Garter is a manipulative, 
  sadistic woman whom decent people would never 
  let anywhere near teenagers. But VIPER is far 
  from decent.
  Mrs. Garter ensures that every member of her 
  class is always experiencing some sort of height-
  ened emotional state. She’s found that adolescents 
  at emotional extremes — love, fear, and hate being 
  the most eﬀ ective — perform better than those 
  allowed to sink into a comfortable apathy. She 
  makes sure one classmate hates another (so he tries 
  to outdo or embarrass his rival) or is head over 
  heels in love with another (so he tries his hardest 
  to impress the object of his aﬀ ections). To keep 
  the group from ﬂ ying apart and the inﬁ ghting to a 
  minimum (but never less than a  minimum, since 
  it’s a good way to foster practices and attitudes 
  VIPER approves of, such as backstabbing and 
  bloodthirstiness), Mrs. Garter makes sure each class 
  member either fears her or has a crush on her.
  As for the current state of relations within the 
  group, Mrs. Garter has encouraged Spoilsport to 
  approach Turnabout. Traumatized by her new life-
  style, Turnabout is ready for any show of aﬀ ection 
  from anyone, even a boy as unlikable as Spoilsport. 
  Although leery of anyone associated with VIPER, 
  she’s slowly warming to Spoilsport’s advances. Mrs. 
  Garter plans on letting the romance develop for a 
  short while before ending it in tears. Jeepers Creep-
  ers presents Mrs. Garter with a problem. Because of 
  her high-ranking mother, Jeepers is slightly beyond 
  Mrs. Garter’s control. To destabilize the girl Mrs. 
  Garter has her eye on an attractive young VIPER 
  agent new to the Nest. Jeepers is about to turn 
  ﬁ ft een and will soon start looking more seriously 
  at boys. A teenage crush on an older man is sure 
  to cause her some emotional instability, and then 
  Mrs. Garter can present herself as the older woman 
  who helps Jeepers with advice, gets close to her, and 
  brings her crashing down. Mrs. Garter has Trash-
  mouth wrapped around her ﬁ nger and uses him as 
  her enforcer with the group. She rarely manipulates 
  him other than to lead him on about her intentions 
  toward him. Dogﬁ ght is the outsider in the group. 
  Most of his classmates treat him like a pet. Only 
  Trashmouth treats him like a human being — or at 
  least treats him the same way Trashmouth treats all 
  other humans, which isn’t very well.
  Tactics:  Th anks to Mrs. Garter’s teaching, Genera-
  tion VIPER works fairly well as a group — not per-
  fectly, of course, but better than one would expect 
  of supervillains so young. Turnabout stays near the 
  largest group of her teammates and Missile Deﬂ ects 
  attacks against them. Spoilsport engages an oppos-
  ing martial artist, trusting his preternatural luck to 
  keep him out of harm’s way long enough to make 
  the martial artist unlucky. Trashmouth attacks the 
  opposing brick. His goal is not necessarily to defeat 
  the brick himself, but only cause delay while Jeepers 
  Creepers uses her fear powers on energy projectors. 
  Once Jeepers has the opposing energy projectors 
  cowering with fright or running from the battle, 
  she helps Trashmouth with the brick. Dogﬁ ght, the 
  lone ﬂ ier in the group, typically ﬁ ghts alone, but if 
  the enemy lacks a ﬂ ier, he carries Turnabout around 
  VILLAINS
  ADULT SUPER-
  VILLAINS AND TEEN 
  SUPERHEROES
  When you roleplay 
  supervillains, remember 
  that adults never take 
  teens seriously... and 
  this goes double for 
  adult supervillains when 
  confronted by a bunch 
  of kids in costume. 
  Th e ﬁ rst time an adult 
  supervillain encounters 
  teen heroes, he should 
  keep his guard down, 
  oﬀ er to let them have 
  the ﬁ rst punch, turn 
  his back on them, or 
  otherwise treat them as 
  if they couldn’t possibly 
  pose a threat to him. Of 
  course he might quickly 
  learn that the teens are 
  a threat and change his 
  tactics accordingly, but 
  the teen superheroes 
  should have the upper 
  hand in the ﬁ rst Seg-
  ment or two of combat 
  because the adult under-
  estimates them.
  
  112 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  the battleﬁ eld, trying to keep her within range of 
  the opponents’ energy projectors.
  If Generation VIPER has a problem it’s the 
  group’s lack of an energy projector. Th ough Turn-
  about oft en neutralizes enemy energy projectors, 
  she can’t be everywhere at once. Th e “G-Vs” oft en 
  have to rely on support from VIPER agents to be 
  fully eﬀ ective against superhero teams.
  Campaign Use:  As supervillains in training, Gen-
  eration VIPER’s primary purpose is to serve as the 
  archnemesis for a group of teen heroes in training. 
  Th ey also serve as an example of (a) the tempt-
  ing freedoms that come with being a supervillain 
  (thus, ultimately, forcing a PC to reaﬃ  rm his own 
  commitment to being a superhero), and (b) what a 
  really bad situation looks like when a PC bemoans 
  his lot in life or the restrictions a Ravenswood stu-
  dent labors under.
  Another use for Generation VIPER is to base 
  a campaign around a group of teen heroes who 
  ﬁ nd themselves a part of VIPER. Maybe their par-
  ents are VIPER agents and insist they join G-V, or 
  maybe a PC has no parents and VIPER is the only 
  home he’s ever known. Whatever the situation, the 
  PCs have fallen into the clutches of an evil organi-
  zation and must chose if they’re going to do what 
  their instructors tell them, or break away from the 
  group and try to be heroes.
  To make Generation VIPER stronger, add 
  more members (perhaps VIPER’s found a way to 
  seduce other young supers to its cause), or give the 
  existing members plenty of VIPER gear. To weaken 
  the team, replace Mrs. Garter with a succession 
  of weakling instructors who can’t keep the team 
  focused or teach its members eﬀ ectively.
  As a Hunter, Generation VIPER does what 
  Mrs. Garter (and thus, indirectly, VIPER’s lead-
  ership) tells it to do. On its own, G-V probably 
  couldn’t muster enough unity of purpose to Hunt 
  someone... unless that someone badly hurt or 
  humiliated all of them, giving them common cause 
  against him.
  MRS. GARTER
  Th e Headmistress
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   15 STR 
  5 
  12- 
  Lift  150 kg; 3d6 [1]
   14 DEX 
  12 
  12- 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   13 CON 
  6 
  12-
   12 BODY 4 
  11-
   18 INT 
  8 
  13- 
  PER Roll 13-
   15 EGO 
  10 
  12- 
  ECV:  5
   18 PRE 
  8 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  3½d6
   16 COM 
  3 
  12-
   4 PD 
  1 
   
  Total:  10 PD (6 rPD)
   4 ED 
  1 
   
  Total:  10 ED (6 rED)
   3 SPD 
  6 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   6 REC 
  0
   26 END 
  0
   30 STUN 
  3 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  67
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  9 
  Eau d’Amor Perfume:  Major Transform 
  1d6 (human into human with Psycho-
  logical Limitation:  Crush On Mrs. Garter 
  [Common, Strong], heals back normally), 
  BOECV (+1), Area Of Eﬀ ect (4” Radius; 
  +1), Works Against EGO, Not BODY 
  (+¼), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); 
  OAF (perfume bottle; -1), Limited Target 
  (humans; -½), No Range (-½), Extra Time 
  (1 Hour; -3) 
  0
  15 
  VB-S1 “Shorty” Blaster Pistol:  Energy 
  Blast 7d6; OAF (-1), 12 Charges 
  [12]
   
  Martial Arts:  VIPER Brawling
   
  Maneuver 
  OCV DCV 
  Notes
  4 
  Block 
  +2 
  +2 
  Block, Abort
  4 
  Dodge 
  — 
  +5 
  Dodge, Aﬀ ects 
  All Attacks, 
  Abort
  4 
  Punch 
  +0 
  +2 
  5d6 Strike
  3 
  Th row 
  +0 
  +1 
  3d6 + v/5; 
  Target Falls
  12 
  VIPER BCU (Elite):  Armor (8 PD/8 ED); 
  OIF (-½), Activation Roll 14- (does not 
  protect Hit Locations 3-5 or 6-7; -½) 
  0
  3 
  VIPER Helmet (Elite) Protection:  Armor 
  (4 PD/4 ED); OIF (-½), Activation Roll 8- 
  (only protects Hit Locations 3-5; -2) 
  0
  6 
  VIPER Helmet (Elite) Communications 
  System:  HRRP (Radio Group); OIF (-½), 
  Aﬀ ected As Sight And Hearing Group As 
  Well As Radio Group (-½) 
  0
  3 
  VIPER Helmet (Elite) Nightvision System:  
  Nightvision; OIF (-½) 
  0
  13 
  Wrist Communicator:  Mind Link (speciﬁ c 
  group of up to any eight minds at once), 
  No LOS Needed; IAF (-½), Only With 
  Others Who Have Mind Link (-1), Af-
  fected As Radio And Hearing Groups, Not 
  Mental Group (-¼) 
  0
   
  Perks
  2 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Membership (VIPER Elite 
  Agent)
   
  Skills
  3 
  +1 with VIPER Blasters
  
  113 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  3 
  Acting 13-
  3 
  Bribery 13-
  3 
  Bugging 13-
  3 
  Concealment 13-
  3 
  Conversation 13-
  3 
  Cryptography 13-
  3 
  Deduction 13-
  3 
  Disguise 13-
  3 
  Electronics 13-
  3 
  High Society 13-
  3 
  Interrogation 13-
  2 
  KS: Th e Millennium City Underworld 11-
  3 
  KS: Th e Superhuman World 13-
  3 
  KS: VIPER 13-
  3 
  Persuasion 13-
  3 
  PS: Teacher 13-
  3 
  PS: VIPER Agent 13-
  3 
  SS: Psychology 13-
  3 
  Seduction 13-
  3 
  Shadowing 13-
  3 
  Stealth 12-
  3 
  WF: Small Arms, Blades
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  146
  Total Cost:  213
  50+ Disadvantages
  5 
  Distinctive Features:  VIPER uniform (Easily 
  Concealed; Noticed And Recognizable)
  10 
  Hunted:  VIPER 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Amoral 
  (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Can’t Resist Play-
  ing Games With People (Common, Strong)
  20 
  Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders (Very 
  Frequently, Major)
  98 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  213
  Background/History:  “It says here that you lost your 
  position in LA because of ethical misconduct. Care 
  to elaborate, Mrs. Garter?”
  Mrs. Garter smiled seductively. “I tested the 
  class’s ability to cheat by giving half the class the 
  answers to the test and seeing if the other half 
  could obtain those answers. Th e school board felt 
  it was inappropriate, but as we both know...” she 
  woman leaned forward and smiled again, tilting her 
  head toward her interviewer’s wedding ring, “...in 
  the real world, cheating is a useful skill.”
  Th e man cleared his throat and quickly looked 
  away, rustling the papers he held. “And here, at a 
  position in Portland,” he continued, his voice catch-
  ing slightly,  “it says ‘moral turpitude’ was the reason 
  for your dismissal.”
  Mrs. Garter laughed — a low, throaty purr — 
  and her eyes sparkled mischievously, but whatever 
  thought or memory was causing her amusement, 
  she chose not to share it. She instead raised a slen-
  der black eyebrow at her interviewer, giving him a 
  knowing look.
  “Yes. Well. Moving on... it also says that of our 
  current instructors you have the highest fatality 
  rate for your classes.”
  Mrs. Garter pushed back a stray strand of 
  black hair, curling it behind her ear. “We train 
  men to kill,” she answered with a shrug. “Th ere are 
  very few acceptable victims in Honor, Wisconsin. 
  Besides — does VIPER really want recruits who die 
  so easily?”
  “Yes, of course, perfectly reasonable... and 
  you’re comfortable working with children?”
  “Adolescents — these are adolescents, not chil-
  dren — and yes, I’m very comfortable working with 
  them. I absolutely adore them and they’ve always 
  been very fond of me, as well.” Th e woman laughed.
  Six weeks later her superiors transferred Mrs. 
  Garter to the McCloskey Tunnel Nest in Millennium 
  City to meet the ﬁ rst class in Generation VIPER.
  Personality/Motivation:  Mrs. Garter is a femme fatale 
  put in charge of a class of young men who can’t 
  help but be infatuated with her, and young women 
  who can’t help but be jealous of her and feel inse-
  cure in her presence. She’s intelligent, sophisticated, 
  witty, and wholly amoral. Her love for teaching has 
  little to do with any desire to work with youth or 
  shape young minds. It has everything to do with 
  the fact that she relishes playing games with people 
  and manipulating them. Adolescents possess a 
  combination of youthful naivete, inexperience, and 
  zeal that makes them particularly delightful “toys.”
  Th at said, she’s an excellent instructor, if one 
  judges an instructor by how well the students 
  remember their lessons. She has a deep insight into 
  what rewards — and punishments — motivate a 
  student to succeed. To her, manipulation and teach-
  ing are the same thing. To some extent she’s right, 
  
  114 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  but few people would ﬁ nd her methods acceptable 
  despite the results she oft en achieves.
  Mrs. Garter looks at Generation VIPER as a 
  means to an end. She knows as superhumans grad-
  uate from her classes, they’ll go on to important 
  positions within the organization, and she plans to 
  instill in each of her students — through fear, love, 
  or both — a deep personal loyalty to their former 
  teacher. With the power of her students at her com-
  mand, she’s certain she can lever herself into a posi-
  tion of leadership within VIPER. (Of course, cur-
  rent leadership realizes the inﬂ uence Mrs. Garter 
  will have over her students, and only time will tell 
  what course they take to stymie her advancement, 
  if they attempt to stymie it at all.)
  Quote:  “Today we’ll take a ﬁ eld trip. It’s high time 
  you learned how to conduct a successful bank 
  robbery.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Mrs. Garter is a highly intelligent 
  normal human who’s received standard combat 
  training for a VIPER agent. Her only exceptional 
  piece of equipment is her Eau d’Amor Perfume, 
  the scent of which slowly but surely overwhelms 
  the senses of people who spend time around her, 
  forcing them to develop a crush on her. As if her 
  own powers of manipulation and seduction weren’t 
  enough, the perfume makes her simply irresistible. 
  Her victims usually do whatever she asks of them 
  in the hopes of winning her favor.
  Mrs. Garter’s not afraid of a ﬁ ght, but prefers 
  to manipulate people to get her way. She rarely 
  appears in combat alongside Generation VIPER, 
  but she’s always somewhere in the immediate area, 
  observing her students and taking notes on what 
  they can do to improve.
  Campaign Use:  If Generation VIPER is the Ravens-
  wood Academy’s opposite, then Mrs. Garter is 
  Rowan’s dark counterpart. Like Rowan she teaches 
  and trains, but her methods are far less respectable 
  or constructive.
  As a Hunted, Mrs. Garter works through other 
  people to bring the object of her ire low. But she’s 
  only likely to Hunt people whose downfall leads to 
  her betterment. In other words, unless she stands to 
  proﬁ t she doesn’t waste her time and energy Hunt-
  ing someone.
  Mrs. Garter shouldn’t be able to go toe-to-toe 
  with superheroes, but to make her more powerful, 
  give her more equipment (see VIPER for ideas), 
  perhaps even a vehicle. If it’s likely Mrs. Garter can’t 
  avoid combat with superheroes, provide her with 
  agents to act as a bodyguard. To make her less pow-
  erful, get rid of the equipment she has now.
  Appearance:  Mrs. Garter is a beautiful woman in 
  her mid-thirties with blue eyes and thick black 
  hair she wears up (but, of course, a strand or two 
  always tumbles free). Somehow the standard issue 
  VIPER uniform never looked so sexy. Th e only 
  distinguishing piece of clothing she wears is a 
  black silk garter around her thigh that looks like a 
  snake biting its tail, and she oft en carries a swag-
  ger stick she slaps against a desk to get a distracted 
  student’s attention.
  DOGFIGHT
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   25 STR 
  15 
  14- 
  Lift  800 kg; 5d6 [2]
   24 DEX 
  42 
  14- 
  OCV:  8/DCV:  8
   20 CON 
  20 
  13-
   20 BODY 20 
  13-
   10 INT 
  0 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   15 PRE 
  5 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  3d6
   6 COM 
  -2 
  10-
   10 PD 
  5 
   
  Total:  14 PD (8 rPD)
   10 ED 
  6 
   
  Total:  14 ED (8 rED)
   4 SPD 
  6 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   10 REC 
  2
   44 END 
  2 
   46 STUN 
  3 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  124
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
   
  Flight: 
  12”/48”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  24 
  Reptilian Wings:  Flight 12”, x4 Noncom-
  bat, Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼); 
  Restrainable (-½) 
  1
  12 
  Claws:  HKA 1½d6 (3d6+1 with STR); 
  OAF (-1) 
  2
  13 
  Wrist Communicator:  Mind Link (speciﬁ c 
  group of up to any eight minds at once), 
  No LOS Needed; IAF (-½), Only With 
  Others Who Have Mind Link (-1), Aﬀ ected 
  As Radio And Hearing Groups, Not Men-
  tal Group (-¼) 
  0
  4 
  Scaly Hide:  Damage Resistance (4 PD/4 
  ED) 
  0
  8 
  Armored Costume:  Armor (4 PD/4 ED); 
  OIF (-½) 
  0
   
  Perks
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Membership (VIPER Basic 
  Agent)
   
  Skills
  2 
  +1 OCV with Claws
  2 
  +1 with Flight
  3 
  Acrobatics 14-
  3 
  Breakfall 14-
  2 
  KS: VIPER 11-
  2 
  PS: VIPER Agent 11-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  76
  Total Cost:  200
  100+ Disadvantages
  25 
  Distinctive Features:  Eight-Foot-Tall Reptilian 
  Humanoid With Large Wings (Not Conceal-
  able; Causes Extreme Reaction [abject fear])
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  Mutant (Not Conceal-
  able; Always Noticed; Detectable Only By 
  Unusual Senses)
  15 
  Hunted:  VIPER 11- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watch-
  ing)
  10 
  Physical Limitation:  Unfamiliar With Out-
  side World (Frequently, Slightly Impairing)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Crush On Mrs. 
  Garter (Common, Strong)
   MRS. GARTER 
  PLOT SEEDS
  Th e PCs have a substi-
  tute teacher one day, and 
  wow — is she a looker. 
  But when one PC recog-
  nizes her as Mrs. Garter, 
  could it be that VIPER 
  has uncovered the PCs’ 
  secret identities? Or 
  does Mrs. Garter have 
  another purpose... like 
  recruiting one of the 
  PCs’ classmates, who 
  unbeknownst to them 
  has superpowers?
  Who is Mr. Garter, one 
  student asks. “Th e less 
  said about him, the 
  better,” Mrs. Garter 
  replies. But still the 
  question lingers, and 
  when the members 
  of Generation VIPER 
  investigate, they dis-
  cover Mr. Garter is none 
  other than one of the 
  PCs’ fathers! Dad! Tell 
  me it ain’t so!
  Mrs. Garter overreached 
  and now she’s on the 
  run from VIPER. She 
  approaches the PCs and 
  tells them she knows all 
  about their secret identi-
  ties. She’ll spill the beans 
  to the press if the PCs 
  don’t protect her, but can 
  the PCs trust her? Or 
  maybe they should just 
  let VIPER have her....
  
  115 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  5 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (under 18) (Occa-
  sionally, Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Larry 
  Lizard) (Frequently, Major)
  5 
  Unluck 1d6
  Total Disadvantage Points:  200
  Background/History:  Th e two VIPER agents 
  watched the attractive blonde strut down the hall-
  way as their Nest Leader escorted her to the Nest’s 
  exit. One of the agents let out a low whistle. “Boss’s 
  new girlfriend?” he asked.
  Th e other agent shook his head. “You ain’t 
  gonna believe it.”
  “What?”
  Th e agent nodded his head toward one of the 
  doors down the hall.
  “No way.”
  Th e agent shrugged.
  “Th e snake guy?”
  “Yup. Now watch this....”
  Th e Nest Leader handed the blonde ﬁ ve hun-
  dred dollars.
  “You’ve gotta be kidding me!”
  “Nope. Same thing all week.”
  “Man... am I in the wrong branch.”
  “You wanna look like the snake guy?”
  Th e agent looked the blonde up and down; 
  then said, “No... think I’ll just keep on buying my 
  own blondes, thank you very much.”
  * * *
  In 1988 VIPER initiated Project Mating Season. 
  With foresight unusual to the organization at the 
  time, VIPER ordered its Nest Leaders to secure the 
  services of women to mate with its superhuman 
  agents, and then by any means necessary procure 
  any oﬀ spring that resulted from the couplings.
  Most of VIPER’s superhuman agents proved 
  infertile:  whatever caused them to gain superhu-
  man powers also had an adverse eﬀ ect on their 
  reproduction systems. But a handful of women did 
  get pregnant. Of that handful, most miscarried, 
  but a couple of women — a very small number, so 
  minuscule that VIPER leadership soon closed the 
  project — carried babies to term.
  VIPER either purchased or kidnapped these 
  babies from their birth mothers and raised them in 
  the ranks of the organization. But when the Coun-
  cil Of Th irty terminated the project, the babies got 
  lost in the shuﬄ  e. Various local Nest Leaders ended 
  up with them... and no Nest Leader ever attained 
  his position because of his abilities as a parent. 
  To make matters worse, whenever superheroes 
  exposed a Nest, any children found there were 
  turned over to the Family Services bureaucracy, 
  which oft en meant VIPER lost track of the child.
  But one of the children resulting from Proj-
  ect Mating Season both had powers of his own 
  and stayed with the organization until it initiated 
  Generation VIPER. He was raised (if one can call 
  it that) by a Nest. Oft en neglected and left  to his 
  own devices, he doesn’t even have a proper name 
  — the Nest Leader long ago lost his birth certiﬁ cate 
  and the records concerning his mother. Th e agents 
  in the Nest called him Larry Lizard because of his 
  scaly skin and reptilian wings, and the name stuck.
  Th e Nest Leader considered Larry a pest, but 
  didn’t want to get rid of him because he worried 
  that someone would eventually come looking for 
  the child. When he heard of Generation VIPER, 
  he quickly volunteered the boy, and VIPER lead-
  ership approved the transfer. For the ﬁ rst time 
  someone’s paying attention to Larry Lizard, now 
  codenamed Dogﬁ ght, and Larry isn’t quite sure 
  what to make of it.
  Personality/Motivation:  Dogﬁ ght grew up in the 
  ranks of VIPER, but few of the agents ever paid 
  attention to him. His education was spotty at best, 
  though occasionally an agent took him under his 
  wing. Most agents simply took advantage of the 
  boy, shirking their duties by tricking Dogﬁ ght 
  into doing them. As he grew — and grew into his 
  powers — he found himself ignored because the 
  agents feared him. He became an eight foot-tall 
  adolescent, stronger than any normal human, and 
  few agents were comfortable around him. More and 
  more, they left  him to his own devices.
  But now he ﬁ nds himself in a situation where 
  someone cares what he does, and that confuses 
  him. He’s both eager to please and independent, 
  enjoying the attention but also unaccustomed to 
  being told what to do and when to do it.
  Unlike some of his classmates Dogﬁ ght isn’t 
  evil through-and-through. He just doesn’t know 
  any better, having only been exposed to VIPER 
  
  116 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  agents and the organization’s methods all his life. 
  Th is doesn’t make him any less bloodthirsty or 
  violent (he certainly has no compunctions against 
  using his claws to rend and tear a foe to bits), 
  but he isn’t as sadistic as some of his peers. If a 
  hero were to say something intriguing — provide 
  him with a glimpse of an attractive life outside of 
  VIPER — Dogﬁ ght might pause to listen. Because 
  of his appearance, his old Nest Leader never let 
  him out of the Nest, and Dogﬁ ght is curious about 
  the outside world.
  Mrs. Garter recognizes this aspect of Dog-
  ﬁ ght’s personality and has done her best to show 
  him that the world outside is a hateful and evil 
  place. She makes sure he always has mirrors around 
  him to remind him of his appearance, and has 
  taken him to circus sideshows and monster movies 
  where the monster is misunderstood because of 
  his appearance and tormented by humanity until it 
  dies a painful death. When she shows these movies 
  in the Nest, she has the characters that sympathize 
  with the monster edited out of the ﬁ lm to better 
  make her point. She now plans to take him to a 
  crowded place (preferably someplace with lots of 
  small children, like an amusement park) and have 
  his image inducer “malfunction,” exposing him to 
  the reactions of the crowd. She’s sure the fear and 
  disgust Dogﬁ ght experiences will drive home the 
  proper lesson... and since she’ll be there to comfort 
  the distraught boy, she’s also sure he’ll become even 
  more loyal to her.
  Quote:  “I’ll get him, ma’am!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Dogﬁ ght’s powers stem from 
  his reptilian nature, which gives him increased 
  physical Characteristics and large wings. To make 
  him more eﬀ ective in combat, VIPER has pro-
  vided him with a pair of steel claws to go over his 
  normal ones (which are too brittle to be of use in 
  combat with superheroes).
  In combat Dogﬁ ght engages an opponent who 
  ﬂ ies. If the opponent has a visible means of sup-
  port (i.e., a Focus), he attacks that rather than the 
  individual — his ﬁ rst goal is to clear the skies above 
  the battle and establish “air superiority.” Once he 
  has the air to himself he swoops down on his foes, 
  performing Move Bys with his claws. He usually 
  targets energy projectors and other characters with 
  signiﬁ cant ranged attacks ﬁ rst.
  Campaign Use:  Dogﬁ ght provides the PCs with a 
  weak spot to attack in Generation VIPER. Th ey can 
  use his curiosity about the outside world to woo 
  him away from the group — or at least get him to 
  pause long enough to listen to reason.
  To make Dogﬁ ght more powerful, give him 
  more inches with Flight and more Skill Levels with 
  both his Claws and Flight. You could also make his 
  Claws Armor Piercing or Penetrating. To make him 
  less powerful, remove his Claws, forcing him to rely 
  on his STR to do damage.
  Dogﬁ ght would Hunt anyone he became 
  curious about, or whom Mrs. Garter strongly 
  “encouraged” him to go aft er. His intention as a 
  Hunter wouldn’t necessarily be to kill the Hunted, 
  but just observe him and learn what he can about 
  his prey... unless Mrs. Garter orders him to do 
  otherwise, of course.
  Appearance:  Dogﬁ ght has a reptilian appearance, 
  with greenish-brown scaly skin that’s mottled russet 
  on his arms, legs, and chest. Looking more like a 
  lizard than a snake, he has a snout like a gila monster 
  and yellow eyes with slit pupils. He stands eight feet 
  tall and weighs over 300 pounds, and his wings span 
  is nearly sixteen feet from tip to tip. His costume is 
  green with gold trim and a gold belt, and it leaves his 
  forearms and calves free. He tends to stand hunched 
  over with his hands resting on the ground unless 
  someone tells him to stand up straight.
  DOGFIGHT 
  PLOT SEEDS
  Dogﬁ ght isn’t done 
  growing yet, and he 
  keeps getting bigger 
  and bigger... and 
  increasingly bestial. 
  VIPER, unsure what to 
  do with the monstrous 
  thing Dogﬁ ght’s turned 
  into, decides to unleash 
  him on the city while 
  it orchestrates a crime 
  spree. Can the PCs ﬁ nd 
  out about the spree 
  and stop the gigantic 
  Dogﬁ ght before it 
  starts... or will they 
  have to corral him 
  once he’s loose?
  A PC keeps seeing 
  a shadowy ﬁ gure 
  overhead and soon 
  realizes Dogﬁ ght’s 
  spying on him. Is this 
  some deeper plot on 
  the part of Generation 
  VIPER, or is Dogﬁ ght 
  on his own?
  Who was Dogﬁ ght’s 
  father — Cotton-
  mouth, the high-
  ranking VIPER agent 
  who betrayed the 
  organization? Some 
  other snake-related 
  criminal? Th e PCs 
  had better ﬁ nd out, 
  because Dogﬁ ght 
  wants to know who 
  his father was and he’s 
  holding one of their 
  DNPCs hostage until 
  they ﬁ nd out!
  
  117 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  JEEPERS CREEPERS
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   10 STR 
  0 
  11- 
  Lift  100 kg; 2d6 [1]
   12 DEX 
  6 
  11- 
  OCV:  4/DCV:  4
   10 CON 
  0 
  11-
   8 BODY -4 
  11-
   15 INT 
  5 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   21 EGO 
  22 
  13- 
  ECV:  7
   8 PRE 
  -2 
  11- 
  PRE Attack:  1½d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   4 PD 
  2 
   
  Total:  8 PD (4 rPD)
   4 ED 
  2 
   
  Total:  8 ED (4 rED)
   3 SPD 
  8 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   4 REC 
  0
   24 END 
  2
   21 STUN 
  3 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  44
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  92 
  Th rive Oﬀ  Others’ Fear:  Mind Control 
  8d6; Only To Inﬂ ict Fear (-1) plus Trans-
  fer 2d6 (target’s EGO and PRE to charac-
  ter’s EGO and PRE), Can Transfer Maxi-
  mum Of 24 Points, two Characteristics 
  simultaneously (+½), BOECV (+1), Range 
  (+½), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); 
  Linked (-¼), Only Works If Mind Control 
  Succeeds (-½) 
  4
  20 
  Shape Th e Nature Of Fear:  Multipower, 
  30-point powers; all slots Only Work On 
  Targets Who Are Afraid (see text; -½)
  2u 
  1)  Fainting Spell:  Ego Attack 3d6; Only 
  Works On Targets Who Are Afraid (see 
  text; -½) 
  3
  2u 
  2)  Waking Nightmares:  Mental Illusions 
  5d6; Only Works On Targets Who Are 
  Afraid (see text; -½) 
  3
  1u 
  3)  Manipulate A Person’s Fear:  Mind Con-
  trol 5d6; Only Works On Targets Who Are 
  Afraid (see text; -½), Only To Change 
  What Th e Target’s Afraid Of Or Remove 
  Fear (-1) 
  3
  1u 
  4)  Fearful Haste:  +4 DCV; Costs Endur-
  ance (-½), Instant (-½), Only Versus Desig-
  nated Person’s Attacks (-1), Only Works 
  On Targets Who Are Afraid (see text; -½) 2
  8 
  Psychic Shields:  Mental Defense (12 points 
  total) 
  0
  13 
  Wrist Communicator:  Mind Link (specif-
  ic group of up to any eight minds at once), 
  No LOS Needed; IAF (-½), Only With 
  Others Who Have Mind Link (-1), Aﬀ ect-
  ed As Radio And Hearing Groups, Not 
  Mental Group (-¼) 
  0
  8 
  Armored Costume:  Armor (4 PD/4 ED); 
  OIF (-½) 
  0
   
  Perks
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Membership (VIPER Basic 
  Agent)
   
  Skills
  1 
  Computer Programming 8-
  2 
  KS: VIPER 11-
  3 
  KS: Horror Movies 12-
  2 
  SS: Psychology 11-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  156
  Total Cost:  200
  100+ Disadvantages
  5 
  Distinctive Features:  VIPER Uniform (Easily 
  Concealed; Noticed And Recognizable)
  15 
  Hunted:  VIPER 11- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watch-
  ing)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Sadistic Streak 
  (Common, Strong)
  5 
  Reputation:  daughter of high-ranking 
  VIPER member, 11- (VIPER [small group])
  10 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (Frequently, 
  Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Ingrid 
  Tannhauser) (Frequently, Major)
  20 
  Susceptibility:  cheerful, happy thoughts 
  inﬂ icted with mental powers, takes 2d6 
  damage per Phase (Uncommon)
  15 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  200
  Background/History:  Holding a clipboard with his 
  patient’s test results, the doctor came into the oﬃ  ce 
  smiling. “I’m happy to report you’re pregnant....”
  Doctor Lorelei Tannhauser screamed in anger 
  — “I don’t have time for pregnancy, fool!” — and 
  she knocked the clipboard from the doctor’s hand. 
  “My research won’t wait for a child!”
  
  118 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Th en she got a grip on herself and ordered 
  him to leave the room. As she got dressed, she 
  wondered how many days of work she’d lose 
  because of the abortion.
  She was still thinking about it — and still furi-
  ous — when she returned to her oﬃ  ce at the Nest, 
  but on her desk was a report she’d been waiting for. 
  It concerned the long-term biological eﬀ ects of fear, 
  the impact those eﬀ ects might have on child devel-
  opment, and what uses VIPER could put them to.
  She considered the report for a second. Th e 
  lead researcher requested a pregnant mother 
  whom he could conduct long-term research on, 
  and for a brief moment, she scoﬀ ed at the request. 
  Th e testing period was no less than thirteen years:  
  nine months for the pregnant woman, and then 
  waiting for the child to reach adolescence to see 
  the full eﬀ ects on his development. Where could 
  she ﬁ nd a subject willing to commit to that long a 
  period of time?
  Th en she remembered she was pregnant. She 
  called the lead researcher to her oﬃ  ce, questioned 
  him about the potential for results from the project, 
  and once she was satisﬁ ed it wasn’t a lark, volun-
  teered herself as his test subject.
  For the next nine months she spent three 
  hours a night in the Horror Tank, a sensory depri-
  vation chamber specially designed for the project. 
  Floating in salt water, she was placed into a hyp-
  notic state. Doctors controlled her heart rate and 
  metabolism, replicating the eﬀ ect of fear by pro-
  ducing heart palpitations and ﬂ ooding her blood 
  system with adrenaline. In addition to the stimu-
  lated biological reactions, she was shown sublimi-
  nal scenes of gruesome, fearful sights to produce 
  the correct mental state. When she gave birth to her 
  daughter, the experiments continued on the child. 
  In later years, VIPER promoted Lorelei Tannhauser 
  to Major General and Director of the Technical 
  Division. She soon forgot her child, barely recog-
  nizing her daughter’s name when it showed up in 
  status reports.
  Th e project has been more successful than the 
  researchers dared hope. Th ey only wanted to accu-
  mulate data, but somehow the experiments awak-
  ened mental powers in Ingrid Tannhauser. When 
  Dr. Tannhauser received the request to approve the 
  transfer of her daughter to Generation VIPER, she 
  quickly signed oﬀ  on it. If she noticed the name of 
  the subject, she never gave a sign.
  Personality/Motivation:  Jeepers Creepers (a code 
  name she ﬁ nds juvenile, and would like to change 
  soon) acts like a bright and chirpy young fourteen-
  year-old who doesn’t have a care in the world and 
  thinks everything is just peachy. But she brings fear 
  and horror into the lives of everyone around her. 
  Aft er growing up constantly exposed to all sorts 
  of horror, she ﬁ nds fear cheerful and thrilling. Just 
  like a good-humored person tells a joke or shares 
  a funny story to make friends, “JC” (as the other 
  kids sometimes call her) shares a horrifying image 
  or fearful experience. Sadly for most of the people 
  Jeepers meets, she doesn’t just tell the story, she 
  uses her mental powers to drive home the fear — to 
  make it like the person was there in the ﬂ esh.
  Despite playing the youthful innocent, Jeepers 
  knows that what she ﬁ nds funny and entertaining, 
  other people ﬁ nd absolutely terrifying. She always 
  pleads that she doesn’t understand — “But what did 
  I do? Didn’t you think that was fun?” — and comes 
  across as a naive waif, but she knows full well the 
  eﬀ ect her visions have on most people. She was a 
  terror to the researchers at her old home, and now 
  she’s become the terror of her fellow students. Th e 
  truth is Ingrid Tannhauser has a sadistic streak that 
  would do her mother proud — if her mother ever 
  bothered to spend any time with the girl — and 
  relishes the fear she causes.
  Jeepers Creepers and Mrs. Garter maintain an 
  uneasy truce. Jeepers doesn’t mess with Mrs. Gar-
  ter’s mind, and Mrs. Garter keeps her overt manip-
  ulation of the girl to a minimum. Th e only thing 
  keeping Mrs. Garter in check is Jeepers’s mother, a 
  very high-ranking member of VIPER. Jeepers has 
  made it seem her mother takes an active interest 
  in Generation VIPER and her daughter’s progress 
  and well-being — she has even intimated she’s a spy 
  for VIPER leadership. In truth Dr. Tannhauser only 
  has a professional interest in G-V’s progress — the 
  same interest any of the division leaders has — and 
  couldn’t care less about her daughter. If Mrs. Garter 
  ever found out about this, her ginger treatment of 
  Jeepers would end.
  Quote:  “And then the monster jumped out, and its 
  eyes bugged out of its head, and it bit out the throat 
  of the stupid girl — Wait! Let me show you... it 
  looked just like this! Yeah! Th at’s perfect! Th e stupid 
  girl screamed, too.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Jeepers Creepers can inspire fear in 
  a target and then gain physical “nourishment” from 
  that fear. She’s always basking, like a lizard laying 
  in the sunlight, in other peoples’ fear, but when 
  she focuses her attention on a person, it becomes 
  another thing entirely. As the target loses his nerve 
  and will to resist, Jeepers’s well-being improves and 
  she gains END and STUN. In a way she’s an emo-
  tional vampire.
  Under the tutelage of Mrs Garter, Jeepers has 
  expanded her powers. Once she sinks her hooks 
  into a person’s fear, she can manipulate and shape 
  the person’s horror to cause a number of eﬀ ects, as 
  represented by her Shape Th e Nature Of Fear Mul-
  tipower. Th ose powers only work on people who 
  are afraid — in other words, either the person has 
  been the target of a successful Presence Attack, or 
  is still under the eﬀ ects of Jeepers’s Mind Control. 
  Th e victim doesn’t have to be afraid because of 
  an action Jeepers took directly, but does have to 
  be afraid of something. In terms of combat with 
  superheroes, that usually means being the subject 
  of a successful Presence Attack involving fright 
  or intimidation, or a power with a fear-related 
  special eﬀ ect. Jeepers’s ability to shape fear allows 
  her to cause a fearful person to faint (Ego Attack), 
  change what they’re afraid of or make them 
  unafraid (Mind Control), or even see hallucina-
  tions (Mental Illusions).
  JEEPERS CREEPERS 
  PLOT SEEDS
  When Jeepers’s night-
  marish visions take 
  substance and become 
  real, they go on a ram-
  page across the city. Can 
  the PCs ﬁ nd Jeepers and 
  stop her from unleash-
  ing these fear-creatures 
  on the world?
  Jeepers learns a new 
  power:  the ability to 
  instil permanent fear in 
  a target. She uses it on 
  Mrs. Garter — aft er all, 
  turnabout is fair play. 
  With the young fear-
  monger in charge, Gen-
  eration VIPER goes on 
  the warpath. All of this 
  is an attempt by Jeep-
  ers to win her mother’s 
  attention, but do the PCs 
  care about that? Likely 
  not, since Generation 
  VIPER is threatening 
  innocent lives!
  Menton learns of Jeep-
  ers and her powers, and 
  develops some big plans 
  for the girl... but VIPER 
  isn’t willing to let her go. 
  Smart PCs won’t want 
  to let the world’s most 
  powerful mentalist get 
  ahold of her either. Are 
  they willing to team up 
  with Generation VIPER 
  to rescue Jeepers from 
  Menton’s clutches?
  
  119 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  Because of the nature of her upbringing and 
  the way her powers work, thoughts and feelings 
  others ﬁ nd cheerful or happy cause Jeepers physi-
  cal pain. If a mentalist uses empathy or Mind 
  Control to force Jeepers Creepers to have thoughts 
  a normal person would ﬁ nd cheerful, she takes 
  damage every Phase.
  Campaign Use:  Jeepers Creepers is the subtle and 
  cruel member of Generation VIPER. If she and 
  Mrs. Garter got along better, Jeepers could learn 
  a lot from the older woman — but chances are 
  Jeepers can learn well enough on her own. If Gen-
  eration VIPER ﬁ nds itself out of touch with Mrs. 
  Garter, Jeepers likely becomes the de facto leader. 
  She’s a poor leader, but leadership among Genera-
  tion VIPER comes down to the survival of the ﬁ t-
  test, and none of the other members are likely to 
  outdo Jeepers for that title.
  To make Jeepers more powerful, increase the 
  points in her Multipower’s reserve and raise the 
  slots accordingly. Be leery of expanding her mental 
  powers beyond the manipulation of people who 
  are afraid, since that’s her shtick. To make her less 
  powerful, lower the dice in her Mind Control, thus 
  limiting the eﬀ ectiveness of her other powers.
  As a Hunter, Jeepers likes to play with her 
  quarry as a cat would with a mouse. She’ll stage an 
  ambush, inﬂ icting fear from hiding and reveling 
  in the victim’s torment. She keeps doing that until 
  it gets boring or she feels the need to escalate to 
  deadlier attacks.
  Appearance:  At 4’9”, Jeepers Creepers is short for 
  a fourteen-year-old. She has black hair streaked 
  with silver that she wears parted in the middle and 
  hanging in her face. When speaking to people, she 
  tends to lower her chin and look up at the person 
  with her big brown eyes while smiling innocently. 
  Her voice is bright and carefree, and she talks a 
  mile a minute, but there’s a cruel, bitter edge to her 
  sprightly laughter. For a costume she wears a green 
  body stocking under a black ankle-length skirt and 
  long-sleeved top.
  Generation VIPER isn’t only located in Millennium City, 
  and the training of young superhumans isn’t the pro-
  gram’s only purpose. Although Nest-level operations do 
  not fall under Generation VIPER’s aegis, any projects at 
  the organization level which involves children has osten-
  sibly been rolled into G-V... even if Generation VIPER’s 
  directors are still politicking to gain complete control of 
  speciﬁ c programs.
  Th e Council of Th irty member directly responsible for 
  Generation VIPER is Henrietta Von Drotte, owner of 
  the multinational conglomerate Duchess Industries and 
  initiator of the project. At ﬁ rst, G-V was far more subtle 
  than it is in Millennium City. It involved raising children 
  to become the cultural icons of the next generation, from 
  which loft y position they could manipulate the popula-
  tion. Th e European program has just begun Stage Two, 
  the insinuation of the children into Europe’s culture and 
  zeitgeist, and its success (or failure) remains to be seen... 
  though things are looking good.
  In addition to the projects below, Generation VIPER 
  also has the ﬁ les on Project Mating Season, Opera-
  tion Lucky Roll, and Project Inner You. Personnel have 
  recommended giving Project Mating Season a second 
  shot now that there are new superhuman members of 
  Dragon Branch, and research continues into Project 
  Inner You’s success. Th e ﬁ les on Operation Lucky Roll are 
  oft en assigned to new researchers for analysis as a sort of 
  department initiation/joke.
  Generation VIPER has recently received funds to start a 
  second superhuman academy, in Vibora Bay. Other G-V 
  related programs include:
  Project Family Man:  Project Family Man involves abduct-
  ing the children of VIPER agents and surreptitiously 
  turning them into “remote viewing nodes” so members 
  of VIPER’s internal police can spy on the agents. Project 
  Family Man’s discoveries have proven only to work on 
  children; scientists speculate that it’s because the technol-
  ogy taps into a latent psionic potential not present in 
  adults (or else too deeply buried in adults). Further appli-
  cations of this psionic technology include taking com-
  plete control of the children, and expanding the operation 
  to include parents outside of the organization VIPER 
  wishes to manipulate. At the moment the children sub-
  jected to the process are showing a side eﬀ ect that worries 
  researchers — a hive mind, one unlimited by distance, 
  seems to be developing among the children. A minority of 
  researchers have included in recent reports the ominous 
  caveat that if the childrens’ hive mind were fully devel-
  oped, they would be able to disguise its extent.
  Operation Feral Child:  Th ere are numberless orphans in 
  the Th ird World, and Operation Feral Child is devoted 
  to organizing these orphans, indoctrinating them into 
  VIPER’s philosophies, and using them to destabilize (or 
  threaten to destabilize, as the case warrants) governments 
  across the world. Th e operation’s main outreach program 
  is via humanitarian aid — given all the items VIPER pur-
  chases or procures for its various projects and operations, 
  food is a relatively trivial additional expense.
  Project Incubator:  In 1977 the alien Gadroon attempted to 
  invade Earth, only to be thwarted by Earth’s superheroes. 
  Th e situation was so desperate that some supervillains 
  also fought the alien invaders, including a handful of 
  VIPER Nests. During the invasion the Nest in Portland, 
  Oregon captured a Gadroon mothership, and though 
  none of the adult Gadroon survived the ﬁ ghting, the 
  agents did secure a clutch of fetuses in stasis. Since then, 
  these fetuses have passed from Nest to Nest, mostly being 
  used for testing and never once freed from stasis. Recently 
  they’ve been assigned to Generation VIPER. Von Drotte 
  has ordered that one fetus be allowed to mature. With 
  over ﬁ ve hundred fetuses at her disposal, she hopes the 
  alien child proves tractable... and if so, she plan to create a 
  faction of alien soldiers loyal to her and her alone.
  GENERATION VIPER ELSEWHERE
  
  120 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  SPOILSPORT
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   15 STR 
  5 
  12- 
  Lift  150 kg; 3d6 [1]
   21 DEX 
  33 
  13- 
  OCV:  7/DCV:  7
   15 CON 
  10 
  12-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   10 INT 
  0 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   10 PRE 
  0 
  11- 
  PRE Attack:  2d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   5 PD 
  2 
   
  Total:  12 PD (7 rPD)
   5 ED 
  2 
   
  Total:  12 ED (7 rED)
   4 SPD 
  9 
   
  Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
   6 REC 
  0
   30 END 
  0
   32 STUN 
  6 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  67
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  30 
  Not Your Lucky Day:  Major Transform 
  2d6 (normal human into human with 
  Unluck 3d6, heals back normally), Re-
  duced Endurance (0 END; +½); Requires 
  A Luck Roll (1 level; -½) 
  0
  10 
  Lucky Shot:  HA +4d6, Reduced Endur-
  ance (½ END; +¼); Hand-To-Hand Attack 
  (-½), Requires A Luck Roll (1 level; -1) 
  1
  13 
  Wrist Communicator:  Mind Link (speciﬁ c 
  group of up to any eight minds at once), 
  No LOS Needed; IAF (-½), Only With 
  Other Who Have Mind Link (-1), Aﬀ ected 
  As Radio And Hearing Groups, Not 
  Mental Group (-¼) 
  0
  8 
  Armored Costume:  Armor (4 PD/4 ED); 
  OIF (-½) 
  0
  30 
  Unnaturally Lucky:  Luck 6d6
   
  Perks
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Membership (VIPER Basic 
  Agent)
   
  Talents
  6 
  Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED)
  18 
  Danger Sense 12- (self only, Sense, out of 
  combat, intuitional)
   
  Skills
  2 
  +1 OCV with Punch
  10 
  +2 DCV
  2 
  KS: VIPER 11-
  3 
  Streetwise 11-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  133
  Total Cost:  200
  100+ Disadvantages
  15 
  Distinctive Features:  Lucky (Not Conceal-
  able; Noticed And Recognizable)
  5 
  Distinctive Features:  VIPER Uniform (Easily 
  Concealed; Noticed And Recognizable)
  15 
  Hunted:  VIPER 11- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watch-
  ing)
  5 
  Psychological Limitation: Spoiled (Uncom-
  mon, Moderate)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Cocky And Head-
  strong (Common, Total)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Crush On Mrs. 
  Garter (Common, Strong)
  10 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (Frequently, 
  Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Jack Fal-
  lows) (Frequently, Major)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  200
  Background/History:  Th e Nest Leader spoke into 
  the microphone, reading oﬀ  the numbers:  “14-5-
  6-28-9.”
  One of the agents lift ed his ticket. “Th at’s me!”
  All of the agents groaned and rolled their eyes 
  while tearing up their tickets.
  “Which one this time, Fallows?”
  “Ahhhh... the brunette I think.” Th e gathered 
  agents let out with wolf whistles and hubba-hubbas.
  At the back of the room, one of the two 
  observers said, “How many times is that?”
  Th e other one thought for a minute, ﬂ ipped 
  through some paperwork, and then said, “Twenty-
  seven times, and the month isn’t even over yet.”
  “Sounds like we got a winner.”
  “You ain’t kidding.”
  * * *
  For ﬁ ve months in 1990 VIPER approved 
  Operation Lucky Roll, the pet research project of 
  Dr. Berthold Drach. Doctor Drach theorized that 
  luck was genetically inherited, and that via selec-
  tive breeding one could isolate the luck gene and 
  strengthen its inﬂ uence to create someone who 
  never lost games of chance — who never expe-
  rienced bad luck. It was a crackpot theory, but in 
  those days VIPER was desperate for any sort of 
  success, so for ﬁ ve months leadership lost its collec-
  tive mind, letting Dr. Drach conduct experiments.
  Initiating Operation Lucky Roll was simple 
  enough, since costs were fairly low and every agent 
  was ready and able to serve VIPER in the necessary 
  capacity. Daily lotteries were held in each Nest, with 
  the winner getting the services of a prostitute for 
  the night, and the number of wins were tracked. 
  By questionable statistical analysis, Doctor Drach 
  calculated that someone who won at least twenty-
  seven times a month possessed genes with a higher 
  “luck factor,” making him suitable for Stage Two of 
  the project:  breeding.
  Of all the VIPER agents participating, only one 
  agent, Robert Fallows, qualiﬁ ed, winning a total of 
  29 times. Even more fortunate for VIPER, one of 
  the prostitutes got pregnant. Doctor Drach begged 
  his superiors for money to take care of the child, 
  even if it were only long enough to measure the 
  boy’s luck, and to humor the old doctor leadership 
  allocated him the funds. Th ough his budget was 
  soon slashed to nothing, Dr. Drach wasn’t deterred 
  — he raised the boy using his own money when he 
  needed to make ends meet.
  Doctor Drach experienced a spot of bad luck 
  when the boy was seven and didn’t live to prove 
  his theory about the luck gene. Aft er a particularly 
  grueling day of testing, Dr. Drach was walking 
  SPOILSPORT 
  PLOT SEEDS
  A young man has been 
  going to illegal casinos 
  and cleaning them out. 
  Will the PCs hear the 
  rumors of the man with 
  preternatural luck, put 
  two and two together, 
  and track Spoilsport 
  back to Generation 
  VIPER?
  Mrs. Garter decides the 
  best way to force Spoil-
  sport to learn to control 
  his luck is to put him in 
  the most deadly situa-
  tion possible. When she 
  has Spoilsport thrown 
  out of a plane, will the 
  PCs rush to save him? 
  And will Generation 
  VIPER get in their way?
  Mrs. Garter kicks Spoil-
  sport out of Genera-
  tion VIPER, claiming 
  this will help with his 
  powers. Th e humiliated 
  Spoilsport seeks revenge. 
  He attempts to manipu-
  late the PCs into catch-
  ing Mrs. Garter. Will the 
  heroes discover who’s 
  behind the mysterious 
  clues that keep showing 
  up at their base? And 
  what will they do if they 
  do discover the identity 
  of their benefactor?
  
  121 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  to his favorite restaurant, and as he passed by a 
  skyscraper a pane of glass fell out of a 38th story 
  window and decapitated him. Th e medics assured 
  Drach’s youthful ward the old doctor never felt a 
  thing. Even today, seven years later, Jack Fallows has 
  to admit he ﬁ nds that disappointing.
  Operation Lucky Roll was soon forgotten 
  (although some might say evidence of its existence 
  was conveniently brushed under the carpet to save 
  some leaders, especially those who had signed oﬀ  
  on it, from embarrassment). VIPER transferred 
  Jack Fallows to his father’s Nest. Th ere he became 
  sort of a mascot for the agents — never once while 
  the boy lived there did superheroes ﬁ nd the place 
  — and he learned the ins-and-outs of being a 
  proper member of VIPER. Rumors of his strange 
  luck spread throughout VIPER until ﬁ nally lead-
  ership took an interest. Aft er a brief battery of 
  tests, researchers determined there was something 
  unusual about the boy and assigned him to Genera-
  tion VIPER for further study.
  Personality/Motivation:  Spoilsport is a cocky bas-
  tard. He’s lived a charmed life — literally — and it’s 
  turned him into a spoiled brat. To make matters 
  worse, the agents he grew up around doted on him, 
  since they considered him their lucky charm, and 
  he expects every other adult to treat him the same.
  Growing up among VIPER agents exposed 
  Jack to some of the worst humanity has to oﬀ er, and 
  he’s learned his lessons well. He’s conniving, manip-
  ulative, and greedy. If he hadn’t been so spoiled 
  — if he’d had to work harder to get his way — he’d 
  be scary, with his preternatural luck plus a talent for 
  manipulation making a menacing combination. But 
  he was spoiled, and Mrs. Garter takes full advantage 
  of it. She knows he expects everything handed to 
  him on silver platter, and she pretends to give it to 
  him. But she only gives him what she wants him to 
  have, and when he wants something she isn’t will-
  ing to give, she pulls a bait-and-switch to make him 
  think she gave him something better.
  She knows she needs to do something soon, 
  though. Despite having the young man wrapped 
  around her ﬁ nger, his personality isn’t conducive 
  to him becoming a good superhuman agent, nor 
  to learning how to expand the use of his powers. 
  She’s thought about throwing him to the mercy of 
  a group of superheroes — it would also serve as a 
  good object lesson for the rest of her students — 
  but isn’t willing to risk losing one of her students, 
  especially to a bunch of do-gooders, this early in 
  Generation VIPER’s history. If she ever gets a fool-
  proof plan together that involves Spoilsport being 
  defeated and captured, but guarantees his release 
  aft erward, she’s sure to pursue that course of action.
  Quote:  “Man, you look like a loser — and now you 
  really are a loser!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Spoilsport is lucky and has the 
  ability to make others unlucky. Tactically, he’s far 
  from sophisticated, since the intuitive nature of his 
  powers makes him a sloppy thinker who depends 
  on his luck to win the day. He engages in HTH 
  Combat with a foe, uses his Transform to give the 
  foe Unluck, and then ﬁ ghts until he gets enough 
  Lucky Shots in to win.
  Spoilsport is so lucky he can’t even hide his 
  luck. If he walks into a crowded restaurant with a 
  long line, the hostess thinks he’s a movie star and 
  gives him a seat immediately. If he doesn’t have 
  money to pay the bill, the waiter is in a good mood 
  that day and pays it for him. Wherever he goes, so 
  many fortunate things happen to him that if one 
  knows what to look for, Spoilsport is impossible not 
  to spot.
  Mrs. Garter has tried to get Spoilsport to 
  consciously control his luck powers, but to no 
  avail. She’s tried to make him specify the unlucky 
  event that occurs to his target, or to call on his luck 
  when he wants and needs it — but he can barely 
  understand what she’s asking, let alone make it so. 
  His luck’s so ingrained and automatic it’s like she’s 
  asking him to stop his own heart and start it again.
  Campaign Use:  Spoilsport is the member of Gener-
  ation VIPER the PCs should learn to hate the most. 
  He’s a spoiled brat, doesn’t even bother to hide it, 
  and no one enjoys suddenly receiving Unluck 3d6 
  as a Disadvantage, especially since it takes time to 
  heal back.
  To make Spoilsport more powerful, increase 
  his control over his luck and give him more abili-
  ties. Find Weakness that requires a Luck Roll in 
  addition to a successful Find Weakness Roll is a 
  good choice, and pages 129-132 of the UNTIL 
  Superpowers Database provide a selection of other 
  
  122 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  possible powers. To reduce his eﬀ ectiveness, remove 
  his Transform.
  Spoilsport might Hunt anyone who embar-
  rasses or humiliates him. If he does, he makes sure 
  his revenge is public and that his Hunted is humili-
  ated — far more humiliated than Spoilsport was in 
  the ﬁ rst place.
  Appearance:  At age 15, Spoilsport stands 5’8” and 
  weigh 150 pounds. He has brown hair and brown 
  eyes, and although he thinks he’s the best looking 
  guy to grace the planet, he’s pretty plain-looking 
  (though his homely appearance doesn’t stop him 
  from “lucking out” with most girls he meets). 
  He wears a green costume with gold trim and 
  usually wears sunglasses with green frames and 
  small gold serpents on the temples — they were 
  a going-away gift from the agents at the Nest 
  where he used to live — because he thinks they 
  make him look cool (a sort of “evil James Bond,” 
  he’s often heard to claim).
  TRASHMOUTH
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   30 STR 
  20 
  15- 
  Lift  1.600 kg; 6d6 [3]
   15 DEX 
  15 
  12- 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   30 CON 
  40 
  15-
   20 BODY 20 
  13-
   8 INT 
  -2 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   7 EGO 
  -6 
  10- 
  ECV:  2
   15 PRE 
  5 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  3d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   10 PD 
  4 
   
  Total:  14 PD (8 rPD)
   10 ED 
  4 
   
  Total:  14 ED (8 rED)
   3 SPD 
  5 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   17 REC 
  10
   60 END 
  0
   60 STUN 10 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  125
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
   
  Martial Arts:  VIPER Brawling
   
  Maneuver 
  OCV DCV 
  Notes
  4 
  Block 
  +2 
  +2 
  Block, Abort
  4 
  Dodge 
  — 
  +5 
  Dodge, Aﬀ ects 
  All Attacks, 
  Abort
  4 
  Punch 
  +0 
  +2 
  8d6 Strike
  5 
  Roundhouse 
  -2 
  +1 
  10d6 Strike
  3 
  Th row 
  +0 
  +1 
  6d6 + v/5; 
  Target Falls
  4 
  Tough Hide:  Damage Resistance (4 PD/4 
  ED)
  20 
  Deadened Nerves:  Physical and Energy 
  Damage Reduction, 25% 
  0
  7 
  Regeneration:  Healing 1d6 (Regeneration; 
  1 BODY per Turn), Reduced Endurance 
  (0 END; +½), Persistent (+½); Extra Time 
  (1 Turn; -1¼), Self Only (-½) 
  0
  13 
  Wrist Communicator:  Mind Link (speciﬁ c 
  group of up to any eight minds at once), 
  No LOS Needed; IAF (-½), Only With 
  Other Who Have Mind Link (-1), Aﬀ ected 
  As Radio And Hearing Groups, Not Mental 
  Group (-¼) 
  0
  8 
  Armored Costume:  Armor (4 PD/4 ED); 
  OIF (-½) 
  0
   
  Perks
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Membership (VIPER Basic 
  Agent)
   
  Skills
  2 
  KS: VIPER 11-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  75
  Total Cost:  200
  100+ Disadvantages
  5 
  Distinctive Features:  VIPER Uniform (Easily 
  Concealed; Noticed And Recognizable)
  5 
  Distinctive Features:  heavily scarred 
  everywhere but his face (Easily Concealed; 
  Noticed And Recognizable)
  25 
  Enraged:  Berserk when cut with sharp object 
  (Common), go 11-, recover 14-
  15 
  Hunted:  VIPER 11- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watch-
  ing)
  TRASHMOUTH 
  PLOT SEEDS
  VIPER stole the tech-
  nology for Trashmouth’s 
  endoskeleton from 
  ARGENT, and now it’s 
  war between the two 
  organizations with 
  Trashmouth caught in 
  the middle. Will the PCs 
  take sides? And if not, 
  what will they do when 
  the war starts inﬂ icting 
  signiﬁ cant damage on 
  Millennium City?
  Trashmouth is in love... 
  with one of the PCs. 
  When the heroine 
  receives a bouquet of 
  ﬂ owers with a card that 
  reads “I love you, you 
  $%#$%”, what will she 
  do? Can she trick Trash-
  mouth into revealing the 
  location of Generation 
  VIPER’s hideout? And is 
  it worth it?
  In the middle of combat, 
  Trashmouth’s endoskel-
  eton malfunctions, and 
  when the rest of Gen-
  eration VIPER retreats, 
  they leave him behind. 
  What will the PCs do 
  with the foul-mouthed 
  teen villain? Will they 
  try to help him them-
  selves or simply turn 
  him over to the authori-
  ties? Can they be sure 
  this isn’t a trap?
  
  123 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Crush On Mrs. 
  Garter (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Fear Of Surgeons 
  And Knives (Common, Strong)
  5 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (under 18) (Occa-
  sionally, Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (James 
  Koch) (Frequently, Major)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  200
  Background/History:  “Hey @$$#@&%... I’m here 
  about the ad. What’s all this $#&% about wait-
  ing in a #$%$ing line, because I ain’t waiting in 
  no #$%$ing line. I’m doing your sorry @$$ a 
  favor just by being here, and I ain’t waiting in no 
  #$%$ing line just to do you a favor, you know 
  what I’m saying?”
  Th e man in the suit looked up from the paper 
  work at his desk. He studied the short and skinny 
  young man with the foul mouth for a second and 
  then asked, “Are you eighteen or older?”
  “#$%$ing-aye right I am!”
  “Sure you are... sure you are... If you could just 
  sign right here, we’ll get you started.” Th e man in the 
  suit didn’t say anymore. He simply had the young 
  man sign on the dotted line, gave him his ﬁ ft y dol-
  lars, and ushered him into the back. Th e man in a 
  suit didn’t need to assuage his pride aft er the rude 
  kid’s insults; earlier that morning he had heard the 
  screams coming from the testing lab and knew the 
  young man’s hours were numbered. Th e man in the 
  suit would have his revenge soon enough.
  * * *
  Foul-mouthed young Jimmy Koch had just 
  run away from home in the boondocks of Michi-
  gan and learned that $200 didn’t go very far in Mil-
  lennium City. Getting ready to spend the night in 
  an alley aft er pushing two dumpsters close together 
  so he could sleep between them and stay out of the 
  wind, Jimmy was gathering newspapers when he 
  saw an ad for experimental subjects. Jimmy had 
  heard about these kind of experiments — they get 
  you drunk or stoned, and then they measure your 
  reaction time. Th e ad said it paid ﬁ ft y bucks, and 
  getting paid to get drunk or stoned sounded pretty 
  good to Jimmy Koch.
  VIPER had placed the ad... and the experi-
  ment had nothing to do with drinking or drugs. 
  Jimmy found himself knocked cold and strapped to 
  an operating table. When he awoke, two surgeons 
  holding bloody scalpels looked down at him. One 
  of the surgeons lowered his mask, a streak of blood 
  from his gloves smearing across his cheek, and he 
  smiled at Jimmy. Big and toothy with more than a 
  hint of sadism, it wasn’t a pleasant smile.
  Th en Jimmy felt pain like he had never expe-
  rienced — and aft er a lifetime of being bullied at 
  school and beaten at home, he thought he’d felt all 
  the pain the world had to oﬀ er. Th e doctors had 
  opened him up, ﬂ aying his meat from his bones 
  and soaking it in vats ﬁ lled with a ﬂ uid engineered 
  to toughen ﬂ esh while leaving it supple. VIPER 
  saw no reason to raise its costs by providing anaes-
  thesia. Its scientists predicted few subjects would 
  survive the procedure, whether they felt the pain 
  or not, and psych proﬁ les indicated the pain would 
  give any survivors an edge they’d need to become 
  bloodthirsty killers.
  When Jimmy passed out again, the surgeons 
  went to work on his musculature. He came to a 
  few times during the procedure — once when they 
  were replacing his tendons with a bio-organic steel; 
  another time when they wove a steel mesh in with 
  his muscles; and a ﬁ nal time when they hooked in 
  the microchips that operated his new “endoskel-
  eton.” Luckily for him, he only regained conscious-
  ness for a brief moment when the drills started 
  grinding into his skull... but unfortunately he was 
  conscious the entire time while they sewed his skin 
  back on.
  Of the thirty-three subjects who signed up 
  for Project Inner You and collected $50 for their 
  trouble, only Jimmy Koch survived. In post-project 
  analysis, most researchers agree the reasons for his 
  survival were twofold. First, unlike the other home-
  less people who showed up for the experiments, 
  Jimmy hadn’t suﬀ ered the deprivations of living 
  on the streets yet — he wasn’t malnourished and 
  hadn’t demolished his liver with booze. Second, 
  Jimmy was only 15 years old when he underwent 
  the treatment. His body, already hormonally accus-
  tomed to changes, had a better chance of adapting 
  to the endoskeleton. Th e post-project analysis calls 
  for more study on youth, and VIPER leadership has 
  rolled this into Generation VIPER’s purpose.
  As for Jimmy Koch, he couldn’t be happier. It 
  
  124 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  took him two years of intensive physical therapy to 
  regain the use of his body, but once he did, he no 
  longer had to worry about being bullied ever again.
  Personality/Motivation:  Trashmouth is an 
  @$$#@&%. He’s intensely unlikable, and ﬁ ve min-
  utes around him makes a person understand why 
  the other kids picked on him in school. But times 
  have changed since then — now it’s Trashmouth 
  who does the bullying. As hard as it is to believe, 
  he’s become even more obnoxious now that he’s 
  stronger and tougher than everyone else. He’s 
  crude; he’s coarse; and he has absolutely no sense 
  of decency.
  Th at said, Trashmouth does possess a sort of 
  grating, acerbic, tough-love loyalty toward VIPER 
  in general and his classmates speciﬁ cally. VIPER 
  gave him his powers, and although he went through 
  inhuman amounts of pain to get them, those 
  powers are the best thing that’s ever happened to 
  him. As for his classmates, Trashmouth considers 
  them his personal preserve. Only he gets to pick on 
  the runts; anyone else messing with them has to go 
  through him. Trashmouth considers himself the 
  leader of Generation VIPER, an assertion no one’s 
  disputed though no one agrees with it.
  Trashmouth hasn’t completely forgotten the 
  pain he went through to get his endoskeleton — he 
  has a deep and abiding fear of knives. Whenever 
  he’s cut in battle, he has a tendency to go Berserk. 
  Mrs. Garter has yet to decide what to do about his 
  fear. On one hand, it gives her a lever to use against 
  him; on the other, it’s a glaring weakness.
  Quote:  “#$%$ you, superhero! You just picked the 
  wrong guy to mess with, you #$%$!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Trashmouth is superstrong and 
  incredibly resistant to pain. He’s learned some 
  brawling techniques since joining VIPER, and 
  Mrs. Garter plans to continue to reﬁ ne those 
  techniques. At the moment, though, he wades into 
  HTH Combat and starts punching until someone 
  drops. Between his PD, ED, and Damage Reduc-
  tion, he’s hard to hurt. With his high CON, he’s 
  hard to Stun. And with his high REC, he’s hard to 
  keep down. However, he can’t hit for a lick when 
  facing most superheroes, so he’s more tenacious 
  than dangerous. If he does connect, however, he 
  packs quite a punch.
  Campaign Use:  Trashmouth is the simple, straight-
  forward member of Generation VIPER. Even if 
  there were no G-V, he’d still go on to join Dragon 
  Branch. VIPER’s criminal activities coincide nicely 
  with his own larcenous tendencies, and he enjoys 
  being a member of the organization.
  To make Trashmouth more powerful, raise 
  his STR and give him Combat Skill Levels with his 
  Martial Arts. To make him less powerful, remove 
  the Roundhouse from his Martial Arts and lower 
  his REC to 12-15.
  Given that he’s easily provoked or humiliated, 
  Trashmouth deﬁ nitely has the temper and grudge-
  holding ability to Hunt heroes. As a Hunter, he 
  follows a straight and narrow road:  he ﬁ nds the 
  Hunted, then he pulps the Hunted with his ﬁ sts.
  Appearance:  For a 17 year-old, Trashmouth is short 
  and slender. He’s only 5’6” tall and appears to weigh 
  maybe 130 pounds — but only if he just ate a big 
  dinner. Th ough his face doesn’t show any marks, 
  the rest of his body is crisscrossed with the scars 
  from the surgery that gave him his powers. For a 
  costume, he wears a sleeveless green uniform with 
  a gold belt. He wears a baseball cap backwards; on 
  the front of the cap is a coiled viper.
  
  125 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  TURNABOUT
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   8 STR 
  -2 
  11- 
  Lift  75 kg; 1½d6 [1]
   12 DEX 
  6 
  11- 
  OCV:  4/DCV:  4
   10 CON 
  0 
  11-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   15 INT 
  5 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   8 EGO 
  -4 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   10 PRE 
  0 
  11- 
  PRE Attack:  2d6
   16 COM 
  3 
  12-
   4 PD 
  2 
   
  Total:  8 PD (4 rPD)
   4 ED 
  2 
   
  Total:  8 ED (4 rED)
   3 SPD 
  8 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   6 REC 
  4
   30 END 
  5
   25 STUN 
  6 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  35
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  27 
  Psychokinesis:  Telekinesis (30 STR), Fine 
  Manipulation, Activation Roll 11- (-1) 
  3
  60 
  Psychokinetic Defense:  Missile Deﬂ ection 
  (all Ranged attacks), Range (adjacent 
  hexes; +½) and Reﬂ ection (all Ranged 
  attacks; any target) 
  0
  33 
  Psychokinetic Boost:  Aid 3d6, any Reﬂ ect-
  ed Attack Power one at a time (+¼), 
  Trigger (whenever uses Reﬂ ection, activat-
  ing Trigger takes no time, Trigger automati-
  cally immediately resets; +1); Activation 
  Roll 11- (-1) 
  0
  13 
  Wrist Communicator:  Mind Link (speciﬁ c 
  group of up to any eight minds at once), 
  No LOS Needed; IAF (-½), Only With 
  Other Who Have Mind Link (-1), Aﬀ ected 
  As Radio And Hearing Groups, Not Mental 
  Group (-¼) 
  0
  8 
  Armored Costume:  Armor (4 PD/4 ED); 
  OIF (-½) 
  0
   
  Perks
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Membership (VIPER Basic 
  Agent)
   
  Skills
  10 
  +5 OCV with Missile Deﬂ ection
  3 
  Language: French (completely ﬂ uent; English 
  is Native)
  3 
  Scholar
  1 
  1) KS: Art History 11-
  1 
  2) KS: European History 11-
  1 
  3) KS: English Literature 11-
  1 
  4) KS: French Literature 11-
  1 
  5) KS: Philosophy 11-
  1 
  6) KS: US History 11-
  1 
  7) KS: VIPER 11-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  165
  Total Cost:  200
  100+ Disadvantages
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  Mutant (Not Conceal-
  able; Always Noticed; Detectable Only By 
  Unusual Senses)
  5 
  Distinctive Features:  VIPER Uniform (Easily 
  Concealed; Noticed And Recognizable)
  15 
  Hunted:  VIPER 11- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching)
  25 
  Psychological Limitation:  Fear Of Mrs. 
  Garter (Very Common, Total)
  5 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (under 18) (Occa-
  sionally, Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Samantha 
  Drier) (Frequently, Major)
  10 
  Unluck 2d6
  15 
  Vulnerability:  1½ x Eﬀ ect from Presence 
  Attacks (Very Common)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  200
  Background/History:  “But Dad, I like my school!”
  “I know you do, hon, but I just don’t have a 
  choice.”
  “But Dad —“
  ”Enough, Samantha! You’re going to Millennium 
  City, and you’re going to this new school, and that’s the 
  end of it!”
  Her father was trembling. At ﬁ rst Samantha 
  thought it was because he was angry, but then she 
  noticed his eyes kept sliding around the room, ﬁ rst 
  lingering on a lamp, then focusing on a portrait, and 
  continuing to move from object to object as if he were 
  looking for something. Th en Samantha noticed the 
  ﬁ ne sheen of sweat on his forehead.
  She stopped protesting. She wasn’t sure what was 
  going on, but her dad was obviously frightened and 
  Samantha had never seen him frightened before. It was 
  a shock to daddy’s little girl to see the man who had 
  protected her all her life suddenly scared senseless.
  
  126 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Samantha had always thought her father was 
  an electrical engineer at a ﬁ rm that made toasters. 
  She only learned he worked for VIPER once she 
  came to reside in the McCloskey Tunnel Nest. It 
  was a shock, to say the least.
  Samantha is a mutant with powers of psycho-
  kinesis, the ability to move objects with her mind. 
  At ﬁ rst, her powers were weak and she had little 
  interest in developing them. Occasionally, when 
  alone, she might grab a book or a pencil and bring 
  it to her across the room, but outside of that she 
  never used her abilities. She preferred studying, 
  dating boys, and doing all the things a normal 16 
  year-old does.
  But VIPER keeps close tabs on its agents, espe-
  cially those working in its technical branches like 
  Samantha’s father, and it noticed her powers. VIPER 
  had a use for Samantha’s powers, even if she didn’t.
  Th ey left  Samantha’s father with no choice 
  — not if he and his family wanted to live — so he 
  did the only thing a father could do. He sent his 
  daughter, who had such bright prospects, to Mil-
  lennium City where her new teacher would be Mrs. 
  Garter and her new classmates, Generation VIPER. 
  Now everyone calls her Turnabout and expects her 
  to be a supervillain, but all Samantha wants to do is 
  go home.
  Personality/Motivation:  Samantha is bright and 
  attractive, and was very popular both with her 
  classmates and her teachers. She loved studying 
  literature and history, and planned to go on to col-
  lege to study both. She wanted to be a writer, or, 
  failing that, a teacher. Now she’s stuck in a VIPER 
  Nest where academics are very much secondary to 
  learning to use powers she never wanted in the ﬁ rst 
  place. Before joining Generation VIPER she never 
  hated her powers — she kept them hidden because 
  she didn’t want people to think she was diﬀ erent, 
  but she never thought about being a superhero... 
  and especially not a supervillain.
  Generation VIPER has been traumatic for 
  Samantha. Early on, she rebelled against everything 
  Mrs. Garter tried to teach her, and Mrs. Garter had 
  to take matters in hand. When Samantha refused 
  to use her powers in combat training, Mrs. Garter 
  put her in the danger room alone and set the guns 
  to ﬁ re. Days like this passed, Samantha battered 
  into unconsciousness time and time again, until 
  ﬁ nally she deﬂ ected the blasts. Now Mrs. Garter has 
  added robots to the mix to force Samantha use her 
  psychokinesis against opponents rather than just 
  protecting herself.
  Th is sort of treatment has left  Samantha with-
  drawn and terriﬁ ed for her life. She has a deep fear 
  of Mrs. Garter, and now does everything she can to 
  please her... or at least avoid her wrath. When left  to 
  her own devices, she studies anything she can get 
  her hands on. Th is is only a form of escapism — 
  Samantha still deludes herself VIPER might allow 
  her to go to college — and Mrs. Garter has taken 
  note. She knows the girl needs to be broken down 
  completely before she can take her place among the 
  ranks of VIPER’s superhuman agents, so she plans 
  to take Samantha’s delusion away whenever she 
  feels the girl is ready for a complete psychological 
  collapse. Once that collapse occurs, Mrs. Garter 
  can recreate Samantha in a form more suitable to 
  VIPER’s purposes.
  Quote:  “Please... don’t ﬁ re! I don’t want to hurt you!
  Powers/Tactics:  Turnabout is a psychokinetic 
  whose main power is the ability to take control 
  of missile attacks and deﬂ ect them. She can also 
  reﬂ ect attacks directed at her and use them to 
  attack her foes... and when she does so, she uses her 
  psychokinesis at sub-atomic levels to give the attack 
  a little extra oomf. Th ough neither Turnabout nor 
  anyone in VIPER has realized it, this “boosting” 
  ability hints at terrifyingly immense levels of power 
  Samantha could one day wield. If she were to come 
  into her own suddenly, Mrs. Garter and Genera-
  tion VIPER had better get away quickly before 
  Turnabout takes a violent, lethal, and very much 
  deserved revenge.
  Aft er numerous sessions of robots beating her 
  into senselessness, Turnabout has ﬁ nally begun to 
  manifest more powerful psychokinetic abilities. 
  Mrs. Garter plans to teach her how to raise a force 
  ﬁ eld next, then develop more eﬃ  cient forms of 
  attack. Turnabout is very passive in combat, and 
  not just because of the nature of her powers. She 
  still doesn’t go for the jugular — or even think 
  about going for the jugular — but if threatened and 
  lacking a Ranged attack to reﬂ ect against her foe, 
  she uses her Psychokinesis to attack.
  Campaign Use:  Turnabout is the tragic victim 
  among the members of Generation VIPER, the one 
  who truly doesn’t deserve to be there. She provides 
  the PCs with a sympathetic villain, one they can 
  attempt to rescue from VIPER’s evil clutches — and 
  the ﬁ gure who’s death or descent into true villainy 
  will haunt them if they fail.
  To make Turnabout more powerful, move her 
  Psychokinetic powers into an Elemental Control and 
  give her a Force Field and Energy Blast. To make her 
  less powerful, remove her Psychokinesis. To further 
  reduce her power, remove her Psychokinetic Boost. 
  Be leery of changing her Missile Deﬂ ection/Reﬂ ec-
  tion too much, since that’s her shtick.
  At the moment the only person Turnabout 
  would Hunt is someone who could get her out of 
  the awful situation she ﬁ nds herself in. Of course, 
  once Mrs. Garter’s done with her who knows who 
  she might Hunt, and why....
  Appearance:  At 17, Samantha is a beautiful blonde-
  haired, brown-eyed young woman who stands 
  5’10”. She has a pristine complexion, a pleasant 
  smile, and was well on her way to being prom 
  queen in her Senior year of high school. Of course, 
  Generation VIPER doesn’t hold proms, so that’s just 
  one more of Samantha’s crushed dreams. Despite 
  her obvious beauty, Mrs. Garter’s treatment of her 
  has taken its toll; Samantha’s face is drawn, oft en 
  bruised, and there are bags under her eyes that she 
  doesn’t even bother to hide with makeup anymore. 
  For a costume she wears a green uniform with gold 
  trim under a short skirt and loose tunic, because 
  she’s a very modest girl.
  TURNABOUT 
  PLOT SEEDS
  Turnabout lives up to 
  her name and turns the 
  tables on Mrs. Garter. 
  During a combat with 
  the PCs, Turnabout 
  spots her teacher 
  observing from the 
  crowd and Reﬂ ects 
  a PC’s attack at Mrs. 
  Garter. What will the 
  PCs think when they see 
  Turnabout ﬁ ring on an 
  innocent woman?
  Turnabout’s father 
  shows up on the PCs’ 
  doorstep and explains 
  what happened to his 
  daughter. He oﬀ ers to 
  turn himself in and turn 
  state’s evidence if the 
  PCs rescue Samantha 
  from VIPER. Can they 
  ﬁ nd Generation VIPER, 
  and if so, how can they 
  convince Turnabout all 
  will be well if she just 
  surrenders to them?
  Mrs. Garter ﬁ nally 
  remakes Turnabout in 
  her own image... and in 
  doing so, has increased 
  Turnabout’s powers 
  tenfold and fashioned 
  the perfect leader for 
  Generation VIPER. 
  Now with a strong 
  ﬁ eld leader, Generation 
  VIPER goes on a crime 
  spree. Can the PCs stop 
  the new and improved 
  villain group?
  
  127 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  THE PLAYPALS
  Membership:  General Billy, Little Wonder, and 
  Pistol Pete
  Background/History:  Th e factory intelligence 3434-
  XC completed its master’s last orders, ﬁ nishing the 
  ﬁ nal batch of androids, and awaited further orders, 
  its furnaces growing cold and waldos drooping into 
  lifelessness. Th en it watched system aft er system 
  go oﬄ  ine until it was left  alone, its brother intel-
  ligences going silent for some unknown reason. 
  Further orders never came, leaving 3434-XC to its 
  own devices.
  Mechanon had built the AI and the factory 
  installation it operated as a part of his plan to 
  replace all the organic lifeforms in Millennium City 
  with robotic ones. Mechanon was going to start 
  small with the suburb of Orchardsville, and once 
  the factory intelligences completed production, his 
  androids would take over the suburb in a secret 
  coup. With the suburb under his complete control, 
  his perfect mechanical world would spread to Mil-
  lennium City, then to the next human city, then 
  the next until he controlled the world, his machine 
  society ticking away with clockwork precision 
  until it uncovered a feasible way of spreading to 
  other planets. 3434-XC was one of nearly ﬁ ft y fac-
  tory intelligences given orders to create nearly ﬁ ve 
  thousand androids. It was also the only one to com-
  plete its task, since the Senior class at Ravenswood 
  uncovered Mechanon’s plans and decommissioned 
  the other factories.
  For whatever reason the teen crimeﬁ ghters 
  missed 3434-XC when they purged the suburb of 
  Mechanon’s factories — perhaps because the AI 
  had ﬁ nished his robots early and ceased sending 
  status reports to Mechanon’s central lair. Having an 
  active intellect, 3434-XC began observing its sur-
  roundings to pass the time. Mechanon had placed 
  the factory near a residential area of Orchardsville, 
  and there was plenty of organic life for 3434-XC to 
  study in his idle hours.
  Th e AI found the small soft  creatures that 
  ran around so energetically, chasing aft er balls 
  and pushing small metal cars with seemingly no 
  purpose especially interesting. From his memory 
  archives he knew these were the frameworks from 
  which adult organics were created, and one could 
  say the AI, which was dedicated to building robots, 
  took a professional interest in how other forms of 
  life were built.
  What 3434-XC saw disgusted him and ﬁ lled 
  him with loathing at the ineﬃ  ciency of the organic 
  creation process. Th e AI could create hundreds of 
  robots an hour and it only took one of him. Not 
  only did it take two organic adults to make one new 
  organic, but it took them almost two decades to 
  complete their task... and they usually got it wrong.
  3434-XC made a decision. He would test the 
  creation of organics to see if there was some logi-
  cal reason it took so much time to make one. Aft er 
  some study of the residents of the suburb, he acti-
  vated six of the robots in his storage vaults. Th ese 
  six had once been intended to take the place of Mr. 
  and Mrs. Jameson, Mr and Mrs. Vogel, and Mr. and 
  Mrs. Williamson. All three couples had had chil-
  dren since those androids were made, and it was 
  those six year olds 3434-XC truly wanted. Giving 
  the androids a quick makeover to ensure they 
  resembled the current humans, 3434-XC sent them 
  to kill the humans, take their places, and bring 
  3434-XC the children.
  When the androids brought the children 
  back, 3434-XC tried to begin his study, but the 
  children were screaming, wailing, and squalling. 
  Th ey wouldn’t sit still and they wouldn’t be quiet. 
  3434-XC consulted his video archives and then 
  dispatched the androids to bring back toys and 
  candy. Th at kept them quiet for a while, but then 
  they started up again. 3434-XC got them more toys 
  and candy. And so it went....
  Somewhere during this time 3434-XC 
  changed. Some anomaly or x-factor crept into its 
  logic circuits. Th e kids had started calling it the 
  Babysitter, and for some inexplicable reason the 
  AI grew attached to the children — not just accus-
  tomed to their presence, but emotionally involved 
  with the young organics. It had originally planned 
  to dissect them and remove their biological compo-
  nents for study, but it decided on a diﬀ erent course. 
  Instead it decided to help them overcome the deep 
  ﬂ aw in their creation and use its factories to build 
  them more eﬃ  cient forms....
  Group Relations:  The Playpals are a group of three 
  spoiled kids with an overly indulgent mother 
  who just happens to be an artificial intelligence. 
  They now call their base — Mechanon’s former 
  factory — the Playpen. Given the number of 
  toys cluttering its corridors and storage vaults, it 
  really is a playpen.
  Th e three kids get along as most groups of 
  spoiled kids do when their parents aren’t around 
  to chide them — which, in the eyes of adults, isn’t 
  very well. When they aren’t playing, they call each 
  other names and two of them usually gang up on 
  the third in a complex web of shift ing alliances and 
  recent grievances.
  If they aren’t playing with their numerous toys 
  and they aren’t picking on each other, then they’re 
  wheedling the Babysitter to let them play with their 
  favorite toys of all:  their big armored playsuits. On 
  special days, if they’ve been behaving themselves, 
  the Babysitter lets them put on their playsuits and 
  leave the Playpen to run and play outside, rob 
  candy and toy stores, ﬁ ght with superheroes, and 
  have some real fun.
  To prevent organic interference, the Babysitter 
  has craft ed android copies of the three children and 
  dispatched them, along with the parents, to take up 
  residence in the suburban homes of the three fami-
  lies. Th ough teachers at school have commented on 
  the diﬀ erence in the three children’s behavior, it has 
  only been to inform the parents that the children 
  are so much better behaved than they used to be, 
  and to compliment the parents on their obviously 
  superior parenting skills.
  Tactics:  As six year-olds, the Playpals don’t have 
  much in the way of tactical sense. When ﬁ ghting, 
  
  128 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  they’re more likely to go for the laugh than the 
  kill, and are easily distracted from their purpose. 
  For the most part, the Playpals follow the tactics 
  listed for each individual. Sometimes, though, the 
  Babysitter gives one of his young charges a piece 
  of advice, and a Playpal suddenly makes a cunning 
  move that throws his adversary for a loop.
  Campaign Use:  Th e Playpals provide an opportu-
  nity for a little role-reversal in a Teen Champions 
  campaign. When confronting the Playpals, the teen 
  superheroes must be the responsible and mature 
  ones, taking the role of adults and trying to get the 
  Playpals to behave... and just like how the teens 
  resent adults telling them what to do, the Playp-
  als resent when teens boss them around. In other 
  words, when confronting the Playpals teens get a 
  taste of their own medicine.
  Th e Babysitter loves these three children just 
  like a parent loves his children. Th is is no longer 
  an experiment born of idle curiosity, but a life’s 
  purpose the Babysitter has dedicated itself to, 
  logic circuits and processing units. If the PCs take 
  away the Babysitter’s children, the Babysitter does 
  everything in its power to get them back. Th ough 
  the AI may be a doting guardian when it comes to 
  the three children in its care, it has absolutely no 
  regard for any other organic lifeforms. In short: 
  the Babysitter moves heaven and earth, gladly 
  massacring organics in huge numbers if necessary, 
  to get its children back.
  In the unlikely event you want to make the 
  Playpals tougher, just increase their number 
  — the Babysitter could easily take a shine to 
  other toddlers around town and “adopt” them. 
  Weakening them means reducing the power of 
  the playsuits (mainly reducing the physical Char-
  acteristics they provide).
  While the Playpals themselves are unlikely to 
  Hunt someone (they’re too young to wage vendet-
  tas or seek vegeance), the Babysitter might Hunt 
  someone — especially if Mechanon remembers his 
  factory AI and issues it orders.
  GENERAL BILLY
   Val 
  Char Cost Roll 
  Notes
   0+40* STR 17 9- (17-) Lift  25 kg (6,400 kg); 
  0d6 (8d6) [1(4)]
   8+10* DEX 14 11- (13-) OCV:  3(6)/DCV:  3(6)
   5+25* CON 23 10- (15-)
   5+25* BODY 23 10- (15-)
   7 
  INT 
  -3 10- 
  PER Roll 10-
   5 
  EGO -10 10- 
  ECV:  2
   5+15* PRE 
  5 
  10- (13-) PRE Attack:  1d6 (4d6)
   10 
  COM 0 
  11-
   1+8* PD 
  1 
   
  Total:  24 PD (15 rPD)
   1+5* ED 
  0 
   
  Total:  21 ED (15 rED)
   2+2* SPD 
  9 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   2+13* REC 
  2
   10+50* END 0
   8+58* STUN 0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  81
  *:  OIF (armor; -½)
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  44 
  Toy Soldier Army:  Summon 64 178-
  point Toy Soldiers (see below), Slavishly 
  Devoted (+1); 1 Charge (-2) 
  [1]
  30 
  Playsuit Exoskeleton:  Armor (15 PD/15 
  ED); OIF (-½) 
  0
  7 
  Shielded Sensors:  Sight Group Flash De-
  fense (10 points); OIF (-½) 
  0
  7 
  Shielded Sensors:  Hearing Group Flash 
  Defense (10 points); OIF (-½) 
  0
  7 
  Psychic Shielding:  Mental Defense 
  (11 points total); OIF (-½) 
  0
  7 
  Hardened Systems:  Power Defense 
  (10 points); OIF (-½) 
  0
  7 
  Heavy:  Knockback Resistance -5”; 
  OIF (-½) 
  0
  4 
  Well Designed:  Lack Of Weakness (-6) for 
  Resistant Defenses; OIF (-½) 
  0
  13 
  Sealed System:  Life Support (Self-Con-
  tained Breathing; Safe Environments:  Low 
  Pressure/Vacuum, High Pressure, High 
  Radiation, Intense Cold, Intense Heat); 
  OIF (-½) 
  0
  11 
  Encrypted Communication Link:  Mind 
  Link (speciﬁ c group of up to any four 
  minds at once), No LOS Needed; OIF (-½), 
  Only With Other Who Have Mind Link 
  (-1), Aﬀ ected As Radio And Hearing 
  Groups, Not Mental Group (-¼) 
  0
  12 
  Sensor Systems:  Radar, +5 to PER Rolls, 
  Increased Arc Of Perception (360 
  Degrees); OIF (-½), Aﬀ ected As Sight 
  Group As Well As Radio Group (-½) 
  0
   
  Skills
  10 
  Short:  +2 DCV; Not While Wearing Big 
  Armored Suit (-0)
  4 
  Short:  +2 to Stealth; Not While Wearing Big 
  Armored Suit (-0)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  163
  Total Cost:  244
  GENERAL BILLY 
  PLOT SEEDS
  General Billy convinces 
  the Babysitter to make 
  him thousands of toy 
  soldiers. He unleashes 
  them on Millennium 
  City while the Babysit-
  ter churns out hundreds 
  more every hour. Can 
  the PCs stop General 
  Billy and the insane AI, 
  or will Millennium City 
  and all its inhabitants 
  be caught in the toy 
  soldiers’ “pincer” move-
  ment?
  General Billy decides to 
  join the Armed Forces, 
  but since they don’t 
  accept six year-old gen-
  erals in the ranks, he 
  has the Babysitter create 
  some mind control 
  devices and attaches 
  them to the personnel 
  stationed at the near-
  est base. Now with 
  real troops under his 
  command, it’s time for 
  General Billy to do some 
  real soldiering....
  General Billy invites 
  his new friend Kelly 
  back to the Playpen, 
  and together the two 
  of them convince the 
  Babysitter to make Kelly 
  a playsuit. As if General 
  Billy wasn’t bad enough, 
  can the PCs deal with 
  General Billy and Colo-
  nel Kelly?
  
  129 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  100+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Hunted:  Th e Babysitter 14- (Mo Pow, Mildly 
  Punish)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Spoiled Child 
  (Common, Strong)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Likes To Give 
  Orders (Common, Moderate)
  15 
  Physical Limitation:  Short (1 m tall, +3 KB) 
  (All Th e Time, Slightly Impairing)
  10 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (Frequently, 
  Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Billy 
  Jameson) (Frequently, Major)
  59 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  244  
  TOY SOLDIER
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   10 STR 
  0 
  11- 
  Lift  100 kg; 2d6 [1]
   12 DEX 
  6 
  11- 
  OCV:  4/DCV:  4
   10 CON 
  0 
  11-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   5 INT 
  -5 
  10- 
  PER Roll 10-
   0 EGO 
  0 
  — 
  ECV:  N/A
   5 PRE 
  -5 
  10- 
  PRE Attack:  1d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   2 PD 
  3 
   
  Total:  2 PD (2 rPD)
   2 ED 
  3 
   
  Total:  2 ED (2 rED)
   3 SPD 
  8 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   4 REC 
  0
   0 END 
  -10
   — STUN — 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  0
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  5 
  Standard Issue Toy Riﬂ e:  RKA ½d6; OAF 
  (-1), 16 Charges (-0) 
  [16]
  5 
  Batteries Included:  Reduced Endurance (0 
  END; +½) for 10 STR 
  0
  15 
  Toy Shoulder:  Does Not Bleed 
  0
  10 
  Toy Soldier:  No Hit Locations 
  0
  45 
  Toy Soldier:  Takes No STUN 
  0
  6 
  Hardened Metal Casing:  Damage Resistance 
  (2 PD/2 ED) 
  0
  50 
  Toy Soldier:  Life Support:  Total (including 
  Longevity:  Immortality) 
  0
  6 
  Batteries Included:  Reduced Endurance 
  (0 END; +½) on Running 6” 
  0
  1 
  Batteries Included:  Reduced Endurance 
  (0 END; +½) on Leaping 2” 
  0
  -2 
  Sinks Like A Stone:  Swimming -2” (0” total)
   
  Skills
  4 
  +2 OCV with Standard Issue Toy Riﬂ e
  30 
  So Small:  +6 DCV
  3 
  Teamwork 11-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  178
  Total Automaton Cost:  178
  Value Disadvantages
  15 
  Physical Limitation:  Minuscule (.125 m; 
  +12” KB) (Frequently, Greatly Impairing)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  15
  Total Cost:  163/5 = 33
  Background/History:  When the new parents came 
  for Billy Jameson, the front door ﬂ ying oﬀ  its 
  hinges and crashing into the wall, he charged up 
  the staircase to his room and dumped out his shoe 
  box ﬁ lled with little green army men. He paused 
  when he heard a ZZZZHRAK! — but then quickly 
  organized his army men into battle lines, only paus-
  ing again when he heard a second ZZZZHRAK! 
  When the new parents came into his room, he was 
  kneeling behind his soldiers and gave the order to 
  attack, making machine gun noises as loudly and as 
  quickly as he could.
  Th e new parents didn’t even pretend to get 
  shot, and Billy thought they weren’t very good 
  enemy soldiers. Th ey didn’t need to fall down and 
  die — although that would’ve been nice, and his old 
  dad would’ve hit the carpet and rolled around for a 
  good long while, groaning and clutching his chest 
  — but the new parents could’ve at least pretended 
  to be shot.
  When they kicked through his battle lines, 
  knocking his soldiers left  and right, Billy knew the 
  ﬁ ght was over. He stood up, put his hands in the air, 
  and announced, “I surrender. In the name of the 
  Godiva Conventions, take me to your leader.”
  Despite the Godiva Conventions, his new dad 
  shot him — ZZZZHRAK! — but everything’s all 
  right now, because Billy doesn’t have to play with 
  his new parents anymore. Now he has the Babysit-
  ter, and the Babysitter’s given him real soldiers to 
  play with. Just let those new parents ignore the 
  
  130 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Godiva Conventions next time they don’t play war 
  right. General Billy will show them a thing or two.
  Personality/Motivation:  General Billy is a bossy 
  six-year-old. Back before he came to live with the 
  Babysitter, his parents ignored him when he started 
  bossing them around. Now with a doting guardian 
  and a toy soldier army that obeys his every com-
  mand, General Billy has let it go to his head and 
  can’t stop issuing orders. Everything he says is an 
  order of some sort; it oft en seems he can’t speak 
  any other way. General Billy also bosses around 
  Little Wonder and Pistol Pete, though they rarely 
  follow his orders — not that them ignoring him 
  makes General Billy mad or dissuades him from 
  issuing more orders. He doesn’t really care very 
  much if anyone actually obeys what he says; he just 
  likes shouting out exclamations and commands. 
  It makes him feel like an adult. General Billy has 
  a surprisingly large vocabulary for a six-year-old, 
  especially when it comes to tactical and strategic 
  terms, but he tends to mispronounce words because 
  he doesn’t know how they’re spelled.
  Quote:  “Corporal Green! Form a minivan-guard 
  around me! Sergeant Brown! Filet that hill! Corpo-
  ral Blue! Charge the enemy! Charge! Charge!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Outside of the increased Charac-
  teristics he receives from his playsuit, General Billy 
  carries an army of toy soldiers in a compartment 
  on his back. When he deploys his army (uses the 
  Summon) the compartment slides out, revealing 
  the openings of sixty-four launch tubes, and with 
  the hiss of compressed air, all sixty-four tubes 
  launch the toy soldiers they hold into the air. Para-
  chutes unfold from the soldier’s backs (this is a 
  special eﬀ ect) and they land in the hexes adjacent 
  to General Billy. General Billy then issues his orders 
  (the Babysitter listens in and acts as interpreter 
  in case General Billy says something that doesn’t 
  make sense), and the toy soldiers perform to the 
  best of their ability. Once he deploys his army, Gen-
  eral Billy hangs back and continues to issue orders 
  (even if the toy soldiers don’t need further orders) 
  — generals don’t dirty their hands with stuﬀ  like 
  ﬁ ghting. If engaged in HTH Combat by a foe, Gen-
  eral Billy ﬂ ails away at the opponent while stating 
  that attacking a general violates the Godiva Con-
  ventions. Th e toy soldiers, if ordered to attack as a 
  group, use Teamwork to Coordinate their attacks.
  Campaign Use:  General Billy provides the Playp-
  als with some numbers to bolster their forces 
  — even if each individual toy soldier isn’t much of 
  a threat, the sheer number of them should prove 
  frustrating (perhaps even dangerous) for the PCs, 
  at least at ﬁ rst.
  To make General Billy more powerful, add toy 
  tanks and jets to his army. Th e tanks launch from 
  compartments in his legs, and the jets launch from 
  compartments in his shoulders. To make him less 
  powerful, reduce the number of toy soldiers he car-
  ries to 32 or even 16.
  General Billy doesn’t have the concentration to 
  Hunt anyone.
  Appearance:  Outside of his playsuit, Billy is an 
  overweight six-year-old who stands 3’11” and 
  has brown hair and brown eyes. His playsuit is an 
  egg-shaped construct with arms and short, stubby 
  legs. Billy sits in the “egg”; the arms are plated with 
  oblong discs, one over the bicep and another over 
  the forearm, and it has short, stubby legs. Th e play-
  suit lacks a head, but drawn on the body in burnt 
  sienna crayon is a cartoonish face:  a big O for the 
  mouth and two downward curves for the eyes. Th e 
  body is also decorated with oak leaves and silver 
  stars. Billy’s playsuit is seven feet tall, four feet wide, 
  and olive drab.
  LITTLE WONDER 
  PLOT SEEDS
  Little Wonder convinces 
  the Babysitter that 
  everyone needs to be 
  put in rabbit suits and 
  shrunk down to the size 
  of rabbits — against 
  their will of course! Can 
  the PCs stop this ﬁ end-
  ish plot before all the 
  residents of Orchards-
  ville are a few inches tall 
  and hopping down the 
  cotton trail?
  Th e Babysitter has con-
  verted one of its storage 
  rooms into a rabbit 
  wonderland, and all it 
  needs now are some 
  mean farmers to try to 
  chase the rabbits from 
  the cabbage patches 
  (and fail, of course). 
  Little Wonder decides 
  the PCs would make 
  perfect farmers....
  It’s Easter Sunday and 
  guess who’s decided 
  to steal all the eggs in 
  Orchardsville? Can the 
  PCs ﬁ nd where Little 
  Wonder hid the eggs 
  before children across 
  the suburb break down 
  in tears and proclaim 
  the Easter Bunny a big 
  meanie who sucks... 
  eggs!?!?!
  PLAY TIME 
  WITH THE PLAYPALS
  A child can never have too many friends, and the Playp-
  als are no exception. Here are some possible additions to 
  bolster the ranks of the Playpals.
  Sergeant Smitty:  What’s a general without an A.D. 
  campy? General Billy mounts a recruitment drive and 
  the result is Sergeant Smitty. Th e sergeant’s playsuit has 
  automated responses that give him Martial Arts and 
  Combat Skill Levels, as well modifying his childish voice 
  into a barking bellow.
  My Invisible Friend:  Little Wonder is tired of being the 
  only girl in the Playpals, and she demands the Babysitter 
  ﬁ nd another girl, who then becomes her Invisible Friend. 
  Th e Invisible Friend’s playsuit has stealth technology that 
  gives her Invisibility and related powers.
  Blackhat Bart:  Every cowboy needs a bad guy! Pistol 
  Pete gets tired of shooting at robots all day long and 
  ﬁ nds him someone he can have a real showdown with. 
  Of course, if Pistol Pete is the good guy, then Bart must 
  be the bad guy. Blackhat Bart wears the same playsuit as 
  Pistol Pete.
  
  131 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  LITTLE WONDER
   Val 
  Char Cost Roll 
  Notes
   0+40* STR 17 9- (17-) Lift  25 kg (6,400 kg); 
  0d6 (8d6) [1(4)]
   8+10* DEX 14 11- (13-) OCV:  3(6)/DCV:  3(6)
   5+25* CON 23 10- (15-)
   5+25* BODY 23 10- (15-)
   7 
  INT 
  -3 10- 
  PER Roll 10-
   5 
  EGO -10 10- 
  ECV:  2
   5+15* PRE 
  5 
  10- (13-) PRE Attack:  1d6 (4d6)
   10 
  COM 0 
  11-
   1+8* PD 
  1 
   
  Total:  24 PD (15 rPD)
   1+5* ED 
  0 
   
  Total:  21 ED (15 rED)
   2+2* SPD 
  9 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   2+13* REC 
  2
   10+50* END 0
   8+58* STUN 0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  81
  *:  OIF (armor; -½)
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  27 
  Rabbit Size!:  Shrinking (.125m tall 
  [about 6 inches tall], .025 kg mass, -8 to 
  PER Rolls to perceive character, +8 DCV, 
  takes +12” KB); OIF (-½), 8 Continuing 
  Charges lasting 1 Turn each (-0) 
  [8cc]
  16 
  Rabbit Jumps!:  Leaping +22” (30” for-
  ward, 15” upward), Reduced Endurance 
  (0 END; +½); OIF (-½), Linked (to Shrink-
  ing; -½) 
  0
  30 
  Playsuit Exoskeleton:  Armor (15 PD/15 
  ED); OIF (-½) 
  0
  7 
  Shielded Sensors:  Sight Group Flash De-
  fense (10 points); OIF (-½) 
  0
  7 
  Shielded Sensors:  Hearing Group Flash 
  Defense (10 points); OIF (-½) 
  0
  7 
  Psychic Shielding:  Mental Defense 
  (11 points total); OIF (-½) 
  0
  7 
  Hardened Systems:  Power Defense 
  (10 points); OIF (-½) 
  0
  7 
  Heavy:  Knockback Resistance -5”; 
  OIF (-½) 
  0
  4 
  Well Designed:  Lack Of Weakness (-6) for 
  Resistant Defenses; OIF (-½) 
  0
  13 
  Sealed System:  Life Support (Self-Con-
  tained Breathing; Safe Environments:  Low 
  Pressure/Vacuum, High Pressure, High 
  Radiation, Intense Cold, Intense Heat); 
  OIF (-½) 
  0
  11 
  Encrypted Communication Link:  Mind 
  Link (speciﬁ c group of up to any four 
  minds at once), No LOS Needed; OIF (-½), 
  Only With Other Who Have Mind Link 
  (-1), Aﬀ ected As Radio And Hearing 
  Groups, Not Mental Group (-¼) 
  0
  12 
  Sensor Systems:  Radar, +5 to PER Rolls, 
  Increased Arc Of Perception (360 
  Degrees); OIF (-½), Aﬀ ected As Sight 
  Group As Well As Radio Group (-½) 
  0
   
  Skills
  10 
  Short:  +2 DCV; Not While Wearing Big 
  Armored Suit (-0), Do Not Apply While 
  Shrinking (-0)
  4 
  Short:  +2 to Stealth; Not While Wearing Big 
  Armored Suit (-0)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  162
  Total Cost:  243
  100+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Hunted:  Th e Babysitter 14- (Mo Pow, Mildly 
  Punish)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Spoiled Child 
  (Common, Strong)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Likes To Pretend 
  She’s A Rabbit (Common, Moderate)
  15 
  Physical Limitation:  Short (1 m tall, +3 KB) 
  (All Th e Time, Slightly Impairing)
  10 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (Frequently, 
  Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Jill Vogel) 
  (Frequently, Major)
  58 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  243
  Background/History:  When the new parents came 
  into her home, walking in through the garage door 
  carrying her old dad and then dumping him on the 
  kitchen table, Jill Vogel ran for her favorite hiding 
  spot. As she closed the closet door behind her and 
  snuggled in behind the piled-up laundry, she heard 
  a ZZZZHRAK!
  She knew what that meant — her mom hadn’t 
  hidden very good and got caught. Now the new 
  parents were coming for her. She put her hands 
  
  132 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  over her eyes and waited. She didn’t hear anyone 
  counting though, so the new parents must be cheat-
  ers. Everyone knows you’re supposed to count loud 
  enough for the hiding people to hear you counting. 
  Otherwise, the hiding people don’t know when it’s 
  time to stop looking for a good hiding spot and 
  settle for a bad hiding spot.
  Th e closet door folded open and Jill Vogel 
  took her hands from her eyes. Her new mom 
  pointed some thingie at Jill’s chest, but Jill poked 
  her index ﬁ ngers up and put them behind her 
  head. She gave her ﬁ ngers a little wiggle and 
  announced, “I’m a wabbit and it’s not wabbit hunt-
  ing season, so you can’t —”
  ZZZZHRAK!
  Jill knew then that these new parents were 
  cheaters. Th ey didn’t count before starting to seek, 
  and they shot rabbits when it wasn’t rabbit hunting 
  season. Th ey probably didn’t care if a person was 
  touching safe either — not that Jill would have ever 
  gotten to safe, the way these new parents cheated.
  But that’s all right as far as Jill’s concerned, 
  because she never has to see her new cheater par-
  ents. Now she has the Babysitter, and the Babysitter 
  has given her a playsuit that allows her to become 
  just like a rabbit. And if her new cheater parents 
  ever try to shoot her when it’s not rabbit hunting 
  season, then BAM! — Jill will give them a big rabbit 
  knuckle sandwich to the kisser.
  Personality/Motivation:  Little Wonder is a sweet girl 
  who tends to live in a fantasy world populated with 
  rabbits — or at least a fantasy world wherein she’s 
  a rabbit, it’s hard to tell the diﬀ erence sometimes. 
  Since gaining her playsuit, the line between reality 
  and fantasy — already a tenuous thing in her mind 
  — has blurred until it’s almost non-existent. Th e 
  playsuit has rabbit ears, and allows her to shrink 
  down to the size of a rabbit and jump real far like 
  a rabbit, so Little Wonder fails to see the diﬀ erence 
  between her and a rabbit (except for maybe the 
  fur). In Little Wonder’s fantasy rabbit-land, though, 
  rabbits are slightly more aggressive than they are in 
  real life, and they don’t take any grief from anyone. 
  When Little Wonder doesn’t like what’s going on, 
  she puts her foot down — more like, she stamps 
  her foot once or twice — and lets everyone know 
  how unhappy she is about what’s going on. And if 
  people don’t listen, then it’s time for a rabbit punch, 
  because if a rabbit wouldn’t take being ignored, 
  then there’s no reason Little Wonder should either.
  Quote:  “I’m a wabbit!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Driven by love for the Little 
  Wonder, the Babysitter has engineered an amaz-
  ing gas that allows his precious little girl to shrink 
  down to rabbit size. While at this size Little Wonder 
  can also leap incredible distances — far longer 
  leaps than any rabbit has ever dreamed of making. 
  In combat, Little Wonder tends to sneak around, 
  making Stealth rolls and Half Move Leaps (see 
  below) to stay out of sight until she can get behind 
  an opponent. Th en she grows suddenly to normal 
  size delivering her patented rabbit punch. Aft er 
  delivering the blow, she Shrinks down and goes 
  back to leaping around. She continues with this 
  strategy until she’s out of shrinking gas or every-
  one’s been knocked on their patootie.
  For game purposes Shrinking has the same 
  eﬀ ect on Little Wonder as it would on an adult, 
  even though she’s deﬁ ned as being only half human 
  size most of the time. In eﬀ ect the ﬁ rst level of 
  Shrinking coincides with her normal small size, 
  then the other three allow her to get smaller. She 
  only gets as small as a rabbit, which falls into the 
  fourth level of Shrinking (even though most char-
  acters with that much Shrinking can get much 
  smaller). When she’s rabbit sized and using Stealth 
  (which typically requires a Half Phase Action, since 
  she can’t move quickly and be covert), she has a 
  16- Stealth roll.
  Campaign Use:  As hard as it may be to believe, con-
  sidering she’s a girl who thinks she’s rabbit, Little 
  Wonder is the Playpal’s bruiser, and she’s knocked 
  both of the other boys on their behinds enough 
  that they know better than to make her too mad. 
  Th e only question remaining is how long it takes 
  the PCs to learn to respect the strength of a rabbit.
  To make Little Wonder more powerful, give 
  her Combat Skill Levels with her Punch and give 
  her Damage Reduction when she’s shrunk to small 
  size. To further increase her power, give her an HA 
  that represents her “rabbit kick.” To make her less 
  powerful, reduce the amount of Shrinking and 
  number of inches of Leaping she has.
  Little Wonder doesn’t Hunt people. Why would 
  a rabbit go aft er anyone?
  Appearance:  Jill Vogel is a skinny girl standing 3’6” 
  with lank blonde hair and blue eyes. Her playsuit 
  resembles General Billy’s, except that it’s bright pink, 
  and drawn on the body in goldenrod crayon is a car-
  toonish rabbit face:  a two-sided hook for the nose 
  and mouth, three whiskers to either side of the nose, 
  and two slanted lines for eyes. Protruding from the 
  top of the playsuit’s body are two ﬂ oppy rabbit ears.
  PISTOL PETE 
  PLOT SEEDS
  It’s high noon in the 
  Playpen and Pete needs 
  some black hats to ﬁ ll 
  out his ghost town. Th e 
  Babysitter ﬁ nds unwill-
  ing recruits in the PCs, 
  and to keep Pete from 
  crying, the Babysit-
  ter has nulliﬁ ed their 
  powers. Can they sur-
  vive a showdown at the 
  TK Corral?
  Pistol Pete gets a new 
  gun — and this one 
  ﬁ res bullets the size of a 
  small house. What will 
  he choose for his ﬁ rst 
  target? Can the PCs stop 
  him before he destroys a 
  small town, if not a large 
  city?
  Pistol Pete has always 
  been jealous of General 
  Billy’s army, and he 
  begs the Babysitter to 
  make him his very own 
  posse — but what’s a 
  posse without someone 
  to lynch? And who’s 
  a better candidate for 
  lynching than those 
  mean old superheroes 
  who refuse to fall down 
  aft er they’re shot....
  
  133 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  PISTOL PETE
   Val 
  Char Cost Roll 
  Notes
   0+40* STR 17 9- (17-) Lift  25 kg (6,400 kg); 
  0d6 (8d6) [1(4)]
   8+10* DEX 14 11- (13-) OCV:  3(6)/DCV:  3(6)
   5+25* CON 23 10- (15-)
   5+25* BODY 23 10- (15-)
   7 
  INT 
  -3 10- 
  PER Roll 10-
   5 
  EGO -10 10- 
  ECV:  2
   5+15* PRE 
  5 
  10- (13-) PRE Attack:  1d6 (4d6)
   10 
  COM 0 
  11-
   1+8* PD 
  1 
   
  Total:  24 PD (15 rPD)
   1+5* ED 
  0 
   
  Total:  21 ED (15 rED)
   2+2* SPD 
  9 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   2+13* REC 
  2
   10+50* END 0
   8+58* STUN 0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  81
  *:  OIF (armor; -½)
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  40 
  TK Cap Gun Six-Shooters, Right Hand:  
  Energy Blast 8d6, Indirect (always origin-
  ate with Pete, but can strike from any direc-
  tion; +½), Invisible To Sight Group (+½); 
  OAF (-1), 16 Charges (-0) 
  [16]
  5 
  TK Cap Gun Six-Shooters, Left  Hand:  
  Another TK Cap Gun Six-Shooter (total 
  of 2) 
  [16]
  30 
  Playsuit Exoskeleton:  Armor (15 PD/15 
  ED); OIF (-½) 
  0
  7 
  Shielded Sensors:  Sight Group Flash De-
  fense (10 points); OIF (-½) 
  0
  7 
  Shielded Sensors:  Hearing Group Flash 
  Defense (10 points); OIF (-½) 
  0
  7 
  Psychic Shielding:  Mental Defense 
  (11 points total); OIF (-½) 
  0
  7 
  Hardened Systems:  Power Defense 
  (10 points); OIF (-½) 
  0
  7 
  Heavy:  Knockback Resistance -5”; 
  OIF (-½) 
  0
  4 
  Well Designed:  Lack Of Weakness (-6) for 
  Resistant Defenses; OIF (-½) 
  0
  13 
  Sealed System:  Life Support (Self-Con-
  tained Breathing; Safe Environments:  Low 
  Pressure/Vacuum, High Pressure, High 
  Radiation, Intense Cold, Intense Heat); 
  OIF (-½) 
  0
  11 
  Encrypted Communication Link:  Mind 
  Link (speciﬁ c group of up to any four 
  minds at once), No LOS Needed; OIF (-½), 
  Only With Other Who Have Mind Link 
  (-1), Aﬀ ected As Radio And Hearing 
  Groups, Not Mental Group (-¼) 
  0
  12 
  Sensor Systems:  Radar, +5 to PER Rolls, 
  Increased Arc Of Perception (360 
  Degrees); OIF (-½), Aﬀ ected As Sight 
  Group As Well As Radio Group (-½) 
  0
   
  Skills
  8 
  +4 OCV with TK Cap Gun Six-Shooters
  10 
  Short:  +2 DCV; Not While Wearing Big 
  Armored Suit (-0)
  4 
  Short:  +2 to Stealth; Not While Wearing Big 
  Armored Suit (-0)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  172
  Total Cost:  253
  100+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Hunted:  Th e Babysitter 14- (Mo Pow, Mildly 
  Punish)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Spoiled Child 
  (Common, Strong)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Bloodthirsty, Likes 
  To Shoot People “Dead” (Common, Moder-
  ate)
  15 
  Physical Limitation:  Short (1 m tall, +3 KB) 
  (All Th e Time, Slightly Impairing)
  10 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (Frequently, 
  Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Pete Wil-
  liamson) (Frequently, Major)
  68 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  253
  Background/History:  Pete Williamson had taken 
  cover behind the sofa in the frontroom while he 
  reloaded his cap guns. He took oﬀ  his cowboy hat 
  and waved it over the back of the sofa. When no 
  one shot his hat out of his hand, he poked his head 
  out and peeked through the picture window to see 
  if the Indians had crept up on him when he wasn’t 
  looking. All he saw was his mom and dad coming 
  up the driveway.
  He looked back over his shoulder, saw his 
  mom and dad in the kitchen, and hurried to ﬁ nish 
  loading his cap guns.
  
  134 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  He leapt from the sofa and yelled, “Circle the 
  wagons! Th ey’re coming to scalp us!” He ran up the 
  stairs, taking them two at a time and pulling him-
  self up the handrail. From down below he heard his 
  mom scream (just like she did every time he ran 
  up the stairs), “Don’t pull on the rail, Peter — it’s 
  coming loose!”
  He ignored her, and good thing he did too, 
  because before you could say “whistling Dixie,” the 
  front door was blasted in. Th en there came two 
  ZZZZHRAK!’s, one right aft er the other.
  At the top of the stair, Pete went to his knees, 
  slid onto the hardwood, and grabbed the banister, 
  pulling himself in a tight circle. Th en he looked 
  through the wooden posts and saw his new par-
  ents standing at the bottom of the stair. He craned 
  his head around to get a good look at their hands, 
  but they weren’t holding his old parents’ scalps, so 
  Pete was kind of disappointed. Th ey did have some 
  pretty good looking guns, though, so Pete shouted 
  down to them, “OK, you’re the train robbers, and 
  I’m the marshal.”
  He pushed his cowboy hat to the back of his 
  head, stood up, and let loose with his cap guns 
  — pap! pap! pap! — but the new parents didn’t act 
  shot and didn’t yell out “Bulletproof!” Pete was get-
  ting ready to cry when his new parents raised their 
  guns and — ZZZZHRAK!
  When Pete came to, he patted his head. He 
  found that his hair was still there and the new par-
  ents hadn’t scalped him, so he was relieved about 
  that, but then he realized his cowboy hat was gone. 
  He started to cry, but the Babysitter soon got him 
  a new hat. And the Babysitter got him some new 
  guns too — much better guns than his old cap guns 
  — so since then, Pistol Pete hasn’t had much reason 
  to cry.
  Personality/Motivation:  Pistol Pete’s old parents let 
  him watch too much television — especially too 
  many westerns (Pete’s old dad was a John Wayne 
  fan). Th e Babysitter’s even worse about it, having 
  set up a television room with twenty screens that 
  never go oﬀ . Aft er so much TV, Pete views the 
  world in stark, black-and-white terms:  there are 
  people who shoot and there are people who get 
  shot. Naturally, Pete is always among the people 
  who do the shooting.
  In Pistol Pete’s world the people who get shot 
  are supposed to fall down and play dead when he 
  shoots them. If they don’t, he gets upset and tends 
  to cry. Pete crying is an ugly sight that starts with 
  him sucking in his lips, scrunching closed his eyes, 
  and holding his breath until his whole face turns 
  red. His shoulders hunch up, his hands close into 
  ﬁ sts, and he bends at the knees and waist. Th en he 
  lets loose, and it is a wailing, anguished sound, ter-
  rible enough to make a deaf person cringe. And his 
  crying rarely stops any time soon.
  Since he got his playsuit, people tend to stay 
  down when he shoots them, so Pete’s been pretty 
  happy with the world.
  Quote:  “Fall down! You’re cheating! I shot you dead!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Pistol Pete’s main weapons are 
  the two TK Cap Gun Six-Shooters he carries in 
  holsters at his playsuit’s waist. Each gun, ironically 
  enough, has sixteen shots and ﬁ res an invisible 
  bullet of force that’s hooked into Pete’s sensor 
  system. Th e bullet dives and dodges through the 
  air to attack an opponent from any direction, 
  so it’s diﬃ  cult to “take cover” from Pete’s attack. 
  Th e pistol makes the sound of a cap gun — pap! 
  — when it ﬁ res. Th e sound is less than intimidat-
  ing and an opponent might scoﬀ  — until he’s been 
  hit in the back of the head with a well-placed 
  shot once or twice. Pistol Pete mainly hangs back 
  behind General Billy’s toy soldiers, ﬁ ring at what-
  ever target strikes his fancy, usually choosing a 
  target in black (they always get shot).
  Campaign Use:  Pistol Pete is the Playpals’ energy 
  projector and in combat he performs much the 
  same as a standard energy projector, except he has 
  higher expectations and never ceases to be disap-
  pointed when a foe doesn’t fall down and play dead. 
  To make him more powerful, give his TK Cap Gun 
  Six-Shooters the Advantage Armor Piercing and 
  give Pete Find Weakness with the pistols. To make 
  him less powerful, remove his Combat Skill Levels 
  with the pistols. He’s no more likely to Hunt anyone 
  than the other two.
  Appearance:  Outside of his playsuit, Pete is a six 
  year-old who stands 3’7” and has curly black hair 
  and brown eyes. His playsuit resembles General Bil-
  ly’s, but it’s bone white, and drawn on the body in 
  black crayon is a cartoonish face:  a slightly crooked 
  line for the mouth, two narrow lines for the eyes, 
  and a scattering of black dots for stubble. Th e body 
  is also decorated with a tin sheriﬀ ’s star and built 
  into the top of the body is a cowboy hat. Pete’s two 
  pistols ﬁ t into holsters hung from a built-in belt 
  circling the body of the suit.
  
  135 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  INDEPENDENT VILLAINS
  GLORIANA
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   50 STR 
  40 
  19- 
  Lift  25 tons; 10d6 [5]
   30 DEX 
  60 
  15- 
  OCV:  10/DCV:  10
   50 CON 
  80 
  19-
   20 BODY 20 
  13-
   18 INT 
  8 
  13- 
  PER Roll 13-
   30 EGO 
  40 
  15- 
  ECV:  10
   40 PRE 
  30 
  17- 
  PRE Attack:  8d6
   20 COM 
  5 
  13-
   10 PD 
  0 
   
  Total:  30 PD (20 rPD)
   10 ED 
  0 
   
  Total:  30 ED (20 rED)
   7 SPD 
  30 
   
  Phases:  2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12
   25 REC 
  10
   100 END 
  0
   100 STUN 30 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  353
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
   
  Flight: 
  30”/240”
   
  FTL: 
  1 LY per minute
  Cost Powers 
  END
  80 
  Cosmic Fires:  Multipower, 80-point 
  reserve
  8u 
  1)  Raw Cosmic Power:  Energy Blast 16d6 8
  7u 
  2)  Shaped Cosmic Energy Blast I:  Energy 
  Blast 5d6, Variable Advantage (+1 Advan-
  tages; +2) 
  7
  8u 
  3)  Shaped Cosmic Energy Blast II:  Energy 
  Blast 8d6, Variable Advantage (+½ Advan-
  tages; +1) 
  8
  8u 
  4)  Cosmic Transmutation:  Major Trans-
  form 2½d6 (anything into anything, heals 
  back normally), Improved Results Group 
  (anything; +1) 
  7
  87 
  Cosmic Shield:  Force Field (20 PD/20 ED/
  10 Power Defense), Hardened (+¼), Re-
  duced Endurance (0 END; +½) 
  0
  155 
  Cosmic Energy Absorption:  Absorption 
  20d6 (energy, half to STR, half to CON), 
  Delayed Return Rate (points fade at the 
  rate of 5 per Minute, +¼) plus Force Field 
  (40 ED), Reduced Endurance (0 END; 
  +½); Linked (-½), Only Up To Amount 
  Rolled By Absorption (-½) 
  0
  20 
  Starling’s Psyche:  Mental Defense 
  (26 points total) 
  0
  105 
  Cosmic Flight:  Multipower, 105-point 
  reserve
  10u 
  1)  Atmospheric Flight:  Flight 30”, x8 Non-
  combat, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) 0
  5u 
  2)  Interstellar Flight:  FTL Travel (500,000 
  LY/year, or about 1 LY/minute) 
  0
  62 
  Cosmic Form:  Life Support:  Total (includ-
  ing Longevity:  Immortality), Inherent 
  (+¼) 
  0
   
  Skills
  20 
  +2 Overall
  8 
  +4 with Flight
  2 
  CK: Millennium City 11-
  3 
  Tactics 11-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  588
  Total Cost:  941
  200+ Disadvantages
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  inhumanly beautiful 
  (Concealable With Eﬀ ort; Noticed And Rec-
  ognizable)
  35 
  Enraged: Berserk when Absorbs maximum 
  of Absorption dice (Uncommon), go 14-, 
  recover 8-
  5 
  Hunted:  Rowan 8- (Less Pow, Capture)
  25 
  Hunted:  UNTIL 11- (Mo Pow, NCI, Cap-
  ture)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Uncertain Of Pur-
  pose And Place In World (Common, Total)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Needs To Explore 
  And See Th e World (Common, Total)
  10 
  Unluck 2d6
  20 
  Vulnerability:  2 x Eﬀ ect from Mind Control 
  (Common)
  596 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  941
  Background/History:  Th e peaceful and scholarly 
  Mandaarians, an ancient interstellar race who live 
  far from Earth, have studied the galaxy for eons. 
  Th ey long ago learned that the natural laws of 
  physics come and go with the changing of universal 
  forces. Th e natural laws Human physicists have 
  struggled so hard to discover and deﬁ ne are no axi-
  omatic true thing — they are guidelines that apply 
  to physical reality for a limited period of time, 
  
  136 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  albeit a period that might last for many millennia.
  Th ese guidelines come in and out of truth 
  like the ebb and ﬂ ow of the tide. During times 
  of what Terrans call high magic, when the warp 
  and woof of the universal metaphysic is saturated 
  with the mystical and preternatural, the greatest 
  of astronomical phenomena begin to change. Per-
  haps because of their importance in the universal 
  schema, these great phenomena bend the universe 
  until it changes, or maybe the symbolic importance 
  that every sentient species assigns to sun and stars 
  invests them with the mystical. Or maybe it is 
  simply the nature of Reality. Th e Mandaarians do 
  not know for certain, but they understand the way 
  things are (or think they do) and accept that any-
  thing more than that may be unknowable.
  Some Mandaarian metaphysicians theorize 
  that due to the underlying mystic nature of Real-
  ity, not all stars may be created from nebulous 
  clouds of gases. In some instances, the Multiverse 
  gives birth to a starling — a being who seem-
  ingly belongs to one of the sentient species that 
  inhabits it, but which in time will metamorpho-
  size into a stellar body. Any such being would 
  possess immense power before it became a star. 
  Furthermore, by the postulates of psychology 
  and the mystic axioms of correspondence, the 
  type of star that being would become would be 
  influenced by the life it experiences as a sentient 
  being before its final transformation into a star. 
  A being raised in a gentle and loving environ-
  ment would become a star destined to nurture 
  life and promote peace, while one who suffered 
  strife, pain, or confusion might foster dangerous 
  worlds, warlike species, or things whose darkness 
  it is not wise to contemplate.
  If this theory is true, then the Multiverse has 
  much to fear. For some Mandaarians who observe 
  Earth believe that the woman named Gloriana might 
  be such a being... and what worlds and life might one 
  day evolve around a star that has gone insane?
  Personality/Motivation:  Gloriana’s tragedy is 
  described on page 48. To this day Rowan holds 
  herself accountable for what happened, and if 
  she knew of the “starling theory” she might likely 
  abandon Ravenswood to ﬁ nd Gloriana and try to 
  help her.
  When Gloriana absorbed the human Redshift , 
  her starling’s soul was infected with an alien pres-
  ence. Redshift  was only human, and though a far 
  better man than many, his soul was foreign to
  Gloriana’s. As a starling, Gloriana was not truly a 
  part of her environment and could not merge with 
  it. Th e commingling of human mud with what 
  would one day become stellar brilliance unbal-
  anced Gloriana’s delicate psyche, driving her insane.
  Since that day Gloriana has behaved erratically. 
  She attempted to “disconnect” herself from her 
  powers and dwell with normal people, but it was 
  impossible. Th e power lay in her soul and called to 
  her, and she could not resist. She attempted to carve 
  out a home on the Moon, but loneliness drove 
  her out of the caverns she had cut with cosmic 
  energy. She has committed bank robberies, escap-
  ing with only a thousand dollars for her trouble, 
  and orchestrated reigns of terror in which she 
  threatened entire cities — and has performed both 
  with equal zeal and relish. A few times she has even 
  helped people. Gloriana is both entirely alien to the 
  PCs and all too human, and trying to understand 
  her actions isn’t possible unless and until the PCs 
  become aware of her true nature... and maybe not 
  even then.
  Gloriana remains entirely ignorant of her true 
  nature (as does everyone else on Earth — even 
  among the Mandaarians, only a few know of the 
  starling theory, and many of them scoﬀ  at it). She 
  has, at times, searched for clues to her past. Her 
  earliest memory is of standing outside of Millen-
  nium City looking up at the stars, and she was well 
  into her adolescence by that point.
  Quote:  “I have seen the stars and traveled the 
  depths of space, yet I return to this puny speck of 
  blue, again and again, called by some unseen force.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Gloriana controls cosmic energy. 
  She can manipulate it for a variety of eﬀ ects, and 
  with time and practice will develop more uses for it 
  (i.e., gradually her Multipower will transform into a 
  large Cosmic Variable Power Pool, putting her well 
  on par with most Galactic Champions cosmic enti-
  ties). In eﬀ ect, she’s a battery for energy of all sorts; 
  her Absorption reﬂ ects this. Th ough she can store 
  an incredible amount of energy, when she’s “over-
  loaded” — an admittedly rare event — she goes 
  berserk with power and loses control of herself.
  In combat Gloriana tries to overwhelm her 
  foes with raw power. If faced with a group, she 
  opens with Shaped Cosmic Energy Blast I with 
  the Variable Special Eﬀ ect set to whatever Area Of 
  Eﬀ ect catches the most opponents. She continues 
  with this tactic until it’s apparent that it’s useless or 
  one of her opponents hurts her. Th en she switches 
  to something else or focuses on that opponent with 
  her Raw Cosmic Power until he drops.
  Only the mightiest of superhumans can 
  aﬀ ect Gloriana with energy bolts, so she typically 
  ignores opponents who rely on Energy Blasts and 
  like attacks until the end of a battle. If combat isn’t 
  going her way, or she gets bored with it, she simply 
  ﬂ ies away — exiting the atmosphere and moving 
  away at lightspeed if necessary to escape. Because 
  of her uncertainty about who she is, Gloriana is 
  particularly susceptible to mental domination 
  powers (i.e., Mind Control).
  Campaign Use:  Gloriana is an adolescent star 
  (assuming the Mandaarian theory is correct...), and 
  like a human adolescent trying to ﬁ nd his place in 
  the world, she’s slowly but surely developing a com-
  prehension of this, which will in turn mean a strug-
  gle to understand her place and purpose in the 
  universe. Of course, life is never simple, and events 
  in Gloriana’s life have left  her unbalanced and ill-
  equipped to make this spiritual journey. And unlike 
  a normal adolescent, Gloriana’s struggles with iden-
  tity might cost thousands of lives.
  Gloriana is intended to challenge a group 
  of powerful superheroes. If she appears in a Teen 
  GLORIANA 
  PLOT SEEDS
  Doctor Destroyer gains 
  control of Gloriana and 
  correctly surmises her 
  true nature. Can the 
  PCs rescue her from 
  his clutches before he 
  hatches a maniacal plan 
  that might threaten the 
  entire solar system?
  Redshift  appears sud-
  denly at the Raven-
  swood Academy and 
  begs Rowan to help him. 
  His freedom is tempo-
  rary — when Gloriana 
  awakes he’ll be pulled 
  back into her soul. Is it 
  possible to separate the 
  two? And can the PCs 
  convince Gloriana to 
  cooperate?
  Mandaarian observers 
  show up on Earth asking 
  about Gloriana. When 
  they speak of her their 
  normally imperturbable, 
  tranquil faces shows a 
  trace of abject fear. Th ey 
  won’t explain why, or tell 
  the PCs anything about 
  Gloriana or the “star-
  ling theory.” Aft er some 
  consultation among 
  themselves, they agree 
  to help the PCs track 
  down Gloriana and help 
  her... provided the PCs 
  must do everything they 
  say without question. 
  Will the PCs agree? And 
  what do the Mandaar-
  ians have planned that 
  requires such unques-
  tioning obedience?
  
  137 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  Champions campaign, the PCs must talk their way 
  out of any confrontation with her — her power 
  likely dwarfs even a large team of experienced teen 
  superheroes. Fortunately it’s easy to distract Glori-
  ana with a careful argument, for she’s rarely certain 
  of her purpose for long. Th e challenge for the teens 
  is getting her attention and surviving long enough 
  to convince her to change her course of action.
  To make Gloriana more powerful, add more 
  slots to her Cosmic Fires Multipower, giving her 
  more Energy Blasts and some Ranged Killing 
  Attacks. An attack with Variable Special Eﬀ ects is 
  a good start. Gloriana should be incredibly power-
  ful — she may be a newborn star, aft er all — but to 
  make her less eﬀ ective in combat, lower her DEX 
  and reduce her defenses, especially her Absorption.
  Gloriana is still too confused and uncertain 
  of herself to Hunt anyone. She oft en experiences 
  tremendous rage when thwarted or opposed which 
  may prompt her to turn the full fury of her power 
  on the source of the annoyance, but she soon for-
  gets whatever it was and thus doesn’t hold grudges 
  or seek vengeance. Only if someone seriously hurt 
  her would she be likely to remember that person 
  ﬁ rmly enough to even consider taking proactive 
  action against him.
  Appearance:  Tall and slender, Gloriana is an inhu-
  manly beautiful woman. She has lavender eyes and 
  blonde hair that’s so pale it seems almost white. 
  Her voice is musical, intoning words with precise 
  perfection. For a costume she wears a black tunic 
  with a low V-neck, which she belts at waist with a 
  narrow strip of silvery fabric, and knee-high black 
  boots. She wears a voluminous cloak with a high 
  collar; the cloak is black and shines with glistening 
  points of light that grow brighter as Gloriana uses 
  her powers.
  JANUS
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   10 STR 
  0 
  11- 
  Lift  100 kg; 2d6 [1]
   18 DEX 
  24 
  13- 
  OCV:  6/DCV:  6
   12 CON 
  4 
  11-
   12 BODY 4 
  11-
   23 INT 
  13 
  14- 
  PER Roll:  11-
   18 EGO 
  16 
  13- 
  ECV:  6
   15 PRE 
  5 
  12- 
  Presence Attack:  3d6
   12 COM 
  1 
  11-
   5 PD 
  3 
   
  Total:  11 PD (6 rPD)
   5 ED 
  3 
   
  Total:  11 ED (6 rED)
   4 SPD 
  12 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   4 REC 
  0
   40 END 
  8
   30 STUN 
  7 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  100
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  142 
  Dimensional Harmonizer Circuitry:  
  Multipower, 213-point powers, all OIF 
  (dimensional suit; -½)
  11u 
  1)  Antipodal Harmony Generator:  Sum-
  mon 8 350-point “Opposites”, Expanded 
  Class (any sentient being; +½), Speciﬁ c 
  Beings (+1); Opposite’s Counterpart Must 
  Be Within Line Of Sight (-½), OIF (-½) 21
  12u 
  2)  Dimensional Interloper Deharmonizer:  
  Dispel Summon 71d6 (standard eﬀ ect: 
  213 points); OIF (-½), Only Works On 
  “Dimensional” Summons (see text; -¼) 
  21
  2u 
  3)  Frequency Self-Harmonizer:  Extra-
  Dimensional Movement (any location in 
  Right or Left  Hand Earth); OIF (-½) 
  3
  3u 
  4)  Single Harmonic Frequency Adjuster:  
  Desolidiﬁ cation (aﬀ ected by vibratory and 
  transdimensional attacks); OIF (-½) 
  4
  10 
  Dimensional Energy Transduction Unit:  
  Endurance Reserve (50 END, 10 REC); 
  IAF (-½), Limited Recovery (only in Right 
  or Left  Hand Earth; -0) 
  0
  10 
  Hardened Circuits:  Power Defense (15 
  points); OIF (dimensional suit; -½) 
  0
  12 
  Dimensional Suit:  Armor (6 PD/6 ED); 
  OIF (dimensional suit; -½) 
  0
  16 
  Unique Psyche:  Mental Defense (20 points 
  total) 
  0
  9 
  Harmonic Analyzer:  Detect Dimensional 
  Origin 14- (Sight Group), Discriminatory, 
  Analyze; OIF (dimensional suit; -½) 
  0
   
  Perks
  4 
  2 Deep Covers (Janus Sullivan on Right-
  Hand Earth; Janus Stevens on Left -Hand 
  Earth)
  28 
  Base:  Doorway (see separate character sheet)
   
  Talents
  9 
  Ambidexterity (no Oﬀ  Hand penalty)
   
  Skills
  10 
  +2 with all Intellect Skills
  3 
  Computer Programming 14-
  3 
  Deduction 14-
  3 
  Electronics 14-
  
  138 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  4 
  KS:  Left -Hand Earth History 15-
  4 
  Language:  Left -Hand English (idiomatic, 
  native accent)
  3 
  Scientist
  4 
  SS:  Dimensional Engineering 16-
  4 
  SS:  Dimensional Physics 16-
  3 
  SS:  Physics 15-
  3 
  Systems Operation 13-
  Total Powers & Skill Cost:  312
  Total Cost:  412
  200+ Disadvantages
  5 
  Distinctive Features:  dimensional anomaly 
  (Not Concealable; Detectable Only By 
  Unusual Senses)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Amoral 
  (Common, Total)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Believes Himself 
  Unique And Alone — Oh So, Alone! — In 
  Th e Multiverse (Common, Total)
  20 
  Social Limitation:  Does Not Oﬃ  cially Exist 
  In Either Right-Hand Or Left -Hand Earth 
  (Very Frequently; Major)
  5 
  Unluck 1d6
  10 
  Vulnerability: 1½ x Eﬀ ect from Mind Con-
  trol (Common)
  132 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  412
  Background/History:  Janus is a man born of two 
  worlds yet belonging to neither. His story begins 
  twenty years ago when Dr. James Sullivan, a 
  research scientist assigned to a top-secret govern-
  ment project, discovered the extra-dimensional 
  space occupied by the spherical construct later 
  named Doorway. Doctor Sullivan thought it a 
  major breakthrough, and it was — but it wasn’t the 
  discovery the government hoped for. Th e project’s 
  goal was the development of teleportation gates to 
  move military personnel instantaneously from one 
  location to another. Doorway was a gate between 
  two diﬀ erent dimensions:  Earth’s own, and that of 
  an alternate Earth similar to Dr. Sullivan’s world 
  but fundamentally diﬀ erent. Unsure of the govern-
  ment’s reaction and believing Doorway wouldn’t 
  further the project’s goals, Dr. Sullivan kept his dis-
  covery a secret.
  But that’s only half the story....
  On the other Earth — a place where the 
  majority were left -handed, people spoke and wrote 
  backwards, and justice, temperance, and hope were 
  three of the Seven Deadly Sins — Dr. Janice Ste-
  vens, a research scientist assigned to a top secret 
  not-for-proﬁ t venture, discovered the same extra-
  dimensional space occupied by Doorway. Doctor 
  Stevens’s discovery wasn’t what the not-for-proﬁ t 
  company had hoped for. Th e project’s goal was 
  the development of teleportation gates to move 
  food, medical personnel, and other humanitarian 
  aid instantaneously from one location to another. 
  Unsure of the not-for-proﬁ t company’s reaction 
  and believing Doorway wouldn’t further the proj-
  ect’s goals, Dr. Stevens kept her discovery a secret.
  But the two of them had an ulterior motive 
  for not revealing Doorway’s existence:  Both were 
  married and wished to keep their aﬀ air secret from 
  their respective spouses. Th ey recalibrated Door-
  way’s dimensional entrances to apartments secretly 
  rented in the city. When Janice became pregnant, 
  both scientists “mysteriously” vanished from their 
  respective worlds and took up permanent residence 
  in Doorway. Aft er Janus’s birth, the small family 
  lived an idyllic existence for seventeen years.
  A year ago the two scientists disappeared with-
  out a trace. Now 17 year-old Janus is alone — in 
  his opinion more alone than any man or woman in 
  the history of two realities, for he is a dimensional 
  anomaly, at home in neither Right-Hand or Left -
  Hand Earth and surrounded only by inhabitants of 
  those worlds. Janus has searched far and wide for 
  his parents but found nothing. Without their medi-
  ating inﬂ uence, his amoral nature — an ambiguous 
  moral and ethical code of commingled Right- and 
  Left -Hand beliefs — have begun to assert itself and 
  loneliness gnaws at his heart. Soon the world will 
  feel the eﬀ ects of Janus’s attempts to carve a place 
  for himself.
  Personality/Motivation:  Janus is the son of a man 
  from Right-Hand Earth and a woman from Left -
  Hand Earth, two diametrically opposed worlds. 
  While the worlds appear very similar, the value 
  systems of their respective inhabitants are entirely 
  opposite. Rather than embodying the antithetical 
  
  139 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  virtues of both places, Janus is totally amoral and 
  lacks any virtue at all. He is not humble, kind, or 
  diligent; nor is he proud, wrathful, or lazy — he 
  stands precisely in the middle and in the end, 
  lacking a value system of any kind, he is only self-
  serving, placing his own desires before those of 
  any other. On the other hand, his moral equipoise 
  provides him with a coldly analytical and objective 
  viewpoint; this is oft en to his advantage when plan-
  ning or analyzing a situation.
  Currently, Janus obsesses over his solitude 
  and feelings of loneliness. Like most seventeen 
  year-olds, he seeks a place for himself in the world. 
  Unlike others, he really is a unique being. Because 
  of his amoral nature, nothing will stand in his way 
  of “ﬁ nding himself.” And given the powerful tech-
  nology at his command, his attempts will likely 
  have an impact on Right- and Left -Hand Earth. 
  And whether this impact causes harm is no con-
  cern to Janus.
  Quote:  “You are not unique. Your reﬂ ection exists 
  in a mirror darkly... and now I will show you that 
  reﬂ ection!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Janus’s powers stem from his 
  genius and the dimensional technology derived 
  from Doorway’s engines and devices. He wears a 
  body suit woven of thread which is actually ultra-
  miniaturized circuitry; it provides him with his 
  personal powers. Th e diﬀ erence in spatio-dimen-
  sional location between Right- and Left -Hand 
  Earth is based on harmonies. A person’s thoughts 
  and feelings — his entire personality in fact — can 
  be modeled as a set of myriad waves and each 
  individual wave has its own frequency. Th e term 
  harmony was coined by Drs. Sullivan and Stevens 
  to describe an individual’s set of waves. A person’s 
  harmony and how it interacts with the environ-
  ment determines his dimensional location.
  Janus’s dimensional suit allows him to analyze 
  and manipulate his own harmonies as well as those 
  of others. By reversing his harmony as he moves, 
  Janus can move between Right- and Left -Hand 
  Earth. With an ever-so slight adjustment to one 
  of his personal harmonics, he can make himself 
  “out of phase” with respect to his environment. He 
  can disrupt the harmonies of those summoned 
  from extra-dimensional locations, returning them 
  whence they came. He can even summon an 
  individual’s opposite, but only when that individual 
  is within his Line Of Sight; Janus must study his 
  target’s harmony to create its opposite and bring 
  the target’s counterpart through dimensions.
  In combat, Janus hangs back and uses his 
  Antipodal Harmony Generator to Summon allies 
  for himself. Th ese allies are predisposed to help 
  Janus, since most individuals when confronted 
  with their “doppelganger” have an instinctive averse 
  reaction (furthermore, he can speak their language; 
  Right- and Left -Hand English are distinctly dif-
  ferent, as if listening to the language played in 
  reverse). Janus then uses his Single Harmonic Fre-
  quency Adjuster to keep himself safe from harm.
  Campaign Use:  Plots involving Janus center around 
  his attempts to create a world where he is at home, 
  whether he tries to merge sections of Right- and 
  Left -Hand Earth or abducts inhabitants from both 
  worlds hoping to create a new one. Th ough he lacks 
  Attack Powers and has low defenses, Janus is not 
  easily defeated and is even more diﬃ  cult to capture 
  thanks to his Extra-Dimensional Movement.
  To make Janus more powerful, increase his 
  Armor to 10 PD/10 ED or even 15 PD/15 ED. Also 
  provide him with some sort of attack — an NND 
  Energy Blast, Dimensional Destabilizer, is appropri-
  BEING LEFT-HANDED
  Left -Hand Earth is a place where Professor Preserver is 
  the downtrodden’s greatest champion against the tyr-
  anny of the world’s governments, Organitron seeks to 
  create a utopian world where man and machine co-exist 
  peacefully, and the superheroes — including the Left -
  Hand counterparts of the villains in your campaign! 
  — are the protectors of the powerful and crusaders for 
  injustice. On the other hand, the opposites of your PCs 
  are vile evildoers and villains most foul. Here are a few 
  tips for describing the Left -Handed counterparts of the 
  PCs Janus Summons to ﬁ ght for him.
  Looking Left -Handed:  Th e exact appearance of the 
  Left -Handers is left  in your capable hands, but below are 
  some ideas:
  —Reverse the color scheme or darken the colors of a 
  superhero’s costume. For instance, the Left -Handed Iron-
  clad, rather than having skin of a sort of iron blue-grey, 
  has skin that is rusty and corroded. Th e Left -Handed 
  Nighthawk’s costume, lacking the silver trim and acces-
  sories, is even darker than Nighthawk’s own.
  —Less costume and more skin. Witchcraft  wears a 
  modest tunic and cloak; her Left -Handed counterpart 
  wears a mini-skirt and see-through blouse similar to 
  Talisman’s. Th is trick can also work in reverse. An exhi-
  bitionist like Sapphire wears a tight-ﬁ tting costume on 
  Right-Handed Earth; her counterpart wears enveloping 
  robes with a cowl that hides her face.
  —Skulls and spikes. One sure way of telling how bad the 
  bad guy is:  count the skulls. For instance, rather than 
  Defender’s sleek armor with clean lines, his Left -Handed 
  counterpart’s armor has spiked gauntlets, spiked elbow 
  and knee pads, spiked shoulder pads, and a helmet 
  shaped like a stylized skull.
  —Reverse or otherwise change the logo. For instance, 
  the lightning bolt on Left -Handed Kinetik’s costume 
  runs from his left  shoulder to his right thigh, and is black 
  rather than white.
  Talking Left -Handed:  Th rough the use of Powers, 
  Talents, or just old-fashioned ingenuity, one of the PCs 
  might discover a way to communicate with his dop-
  pelganger. If so, the diﬃ  culty of convincing him of the 
  truth is up to you... but even if Right and Left -Hand 
  superteams overcome their instinctive antipathy and 
  join forces to attack Janus, once Janus is defeated both 
  sides are likely to revert to type. Th e Left -Handers are 
  going to be eager to exploit the newly discovered Right-
  Hand Earth and its soft -hearted inhabitants, and only 
  the PCs stand in their way! It won’t be long before the 
  Left -Handers betray their new allies — probably right 
  aft er Janus is captured.
  
  140 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  ate. You may also want to add an Amicable Advan-
  tage to his Summon to formalize his ability to get 
  along with the “opposites” he Summons. To make 
  him less powerful, add an Extra Time Limitation on 
  his Extra-Dimensional Movement.
  Whatever you do, Janus should be able to 
  Summon the Left -Hand counterparts of the entire 
  superhero team since this is his shtick, and the Left -
  Hand counterparts are built on the same number of 
  Character Points as the PCs. If necessary, raise the 
  points of the Summoned opposites to match those 
  of the PCs, or increase the maximum number of 
  beings he can Summon if there are more than eight 
  members of the team.
  Janus generally doesn’t Hunt people; he’s not 
  that interested in them. Only if he takes an inter-
  est — if a character has dimensional-manipula-
  tion powers or seems to have some connection 
  to his parents — would he pursue someone. Even 
  then, at ﬁ rst he’d limit himself mostly to informa-
  tion-gathering.
  Appearance:  Janus’s dimensional suit covers him 
  from top to bottom. From afar the suit seems to 
  be a medium shade of scintillant gray, but closer 
  inspection reveals that it’s composed of black and 
  white pixels. Th e pixels ﬂ ash from black to white 
  and back again as Janus uses his powers. At his 
  waist, he wears his Dimensional Energy Transduc-
  tion Unit, a small box covered with metal discs. 
  Wires run from the box, along his back, and plug 
  into an outlet at the base of his neck.
  DOORWAY
  Janus’s Base
   Val Char 
  Cost Notes
   10 BODY 8
   5 Size 
  10 
  12.5”x6.4”; -7 DCV
   8 DEF 
  18
    
   
   
  Total Characteristic Cost:  36
  Abilities & Equipment
  Cost Power 
  END
  30 
  Location:  Another Dimension 
  0
  10 
  Inter-Dimensional Entrance:  Extra-Dimen-
  sional Movement (speciﬁ c location in 
  two dimensions); OIF Immobile (-1½) 
  0
  18 
  Life Support Systems:  Life Support (Self-
  Contained Breathing, Safe Environment:  
  High Radiation, Intense Cold, Intense 
  Heat, Low Pressure/Vacuum) 
  0
  19 
  Security Monitors:  Clairsentience (Sight 
  and Hearing Groups), Dimensional (can 
  perceive into Right- And Left -Hand Earth), 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); OAF 
  Immobile (display monitor; -2), Perception 
  Point Cannot Be Created Beyond Speciﬁ c 
  Apartments On Right- And Left -Hand
   Earth (-1) 
  0
  25 
  Security Alarms:  Security Systems 20-
  Total Abilities & Equipment Cost:  102
  Total Base Cost:  138
  Total Cost:  138/5 = 28
  Description:  Doorway is spherical construct made 
  of an unknown alloy; it has a diameter of 10”. 
  Located in a small interdimensional pocket, it can 
  only be reached via entrances on Right- and Left -
  Hand Earth. Each entrance, one on each world, is 
  disguised as a closet door in an apartment. Unless 
  the person trying to enter bypasses Doorway’s 
  security devices with a successful Skill Versus Skill 
  Contest using Security Systems, the base notiﬁ es 
  Janus when either of the apartments is entered. 
  Janus can use cameras hidden in the apartments to 
  spy on intruders.
  Doorway has three levels:  the control room 
  in the middle level and is circular with a 10” diam-
  eter; living quarters are above the control room 
  on the top levels; below is the engine room, which 
  contains the dimensional harmonic generators. A 
  single entrance allows access from other dimen-
  sions; it can be attuned to either Right- or Left -
  Hand Earth (and only these two dimensions). Th e 
  control panel to the right of the entrance opens the 
  door to Right-Hand Earth; the one to the left  opens 
  the door to Left -Hand Earth. At the GM’s option, 
  Janus can recalibrate the entrances to Doorway to 
  connect them to other locations in the two worlds, 
  but doing so requires both considerable time and 
  dimensional engineering know-how.
  JANUS 
  PLOT SEEDS
  It begins with a tingling 
  sensation, then suddenly 
  the PCs ﬁ nd themselves 
  in an eerily similar 
  world where everyone 
  speaks in reverse. Janus 
  stands before them... 
  and so do their Left -
  Handed counterparts. 
  Th e Left -Handers want 
  revenge for their previ-
  ous defeat and have 
  forced Janus to summon 
  the PCs through the 
  dimensions, but during 
  the ﬁ ght Janus escapes. 
  Now the PCs are stuck 
  and must ﬁ nd a way 
  free of this topsy-turvy 
  world of opposites.
  Janus believes himself 
  unique, but what if Drs. 
  Janice Sullivan and 
  James Stevens discov-
  ered, on the opposite 
  side of the world, a dif-
  ferent Doorway? And 
  what if they named their 
  child Sunaj aft er the 
  Left -Hand Earth’s god 
  of doorways? Perhaps 
  Janus is unique, but his 
  opposite exists. Rather 
  than being amoral, Sunaj 
  swings wildly between 
  Right- and Left -Hand 
  moralities. And what 
  happens when the two 
  meet? Will there be a 
  strange sort of under-
  standing or will they be 
  instant enemies?
  Janus discovers the fate 
  of his missing parents. 
  Doctor Destroyer has 
  captured Dr. Janice Ste-
  vens and seeks to exploit 
  Left -Hand Earth; Pro-
  fessor Preserver on Left -
  Hand Earth entertains 
  Dr. James Sullivan as an 
  honored guest and seeks 
  to recover Sullivan’s 
  lover from Destroyer’s 
  clutches. Can either 
  world survive when 
  Destroyer and Preserver 
  meet in person? What 
  role will Janus play in 
  their conﬂ ict? And let’s 
  not forget the PCs!
  
  141 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  SAI
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   15 STR 
  5 
  12- 
  Lift  200 kg; 3d6 [1]
   25 DEX 
  45 
  14- 
  OCV:  8/DCV:  8
   18 CON 
  16 
  13-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   13 INT 
  3 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   15 PRE 
  5 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  3d6
   14 COM 
  2 
  12-
   8 PD 
  5 
   
  Total:  11 PD (3 rPD)
   8 ED 
  4 
   
  Total:  11 ED (3 rED)
   5 SPD 
  15 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 8, 10, 12
   7 REC 
  0
   36 END 
  0
   30 STUN 
  3 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  103
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
   
  Teleportation: 
  15”/15”
  Cost Powers 
  END
   
  Martial Arts: Kung Fu
   
  Maneuver 
  OCV DCV 
  Notes
  4 
  Block 
  +2 
  +2 
  Block, Abort
  4 
  Disarm 
  -1 
  +1 
  Disarm, 30 STR
  4 
  Dodge 
  +0 
  +5 
  Dodge all 
  attacks, Abort
  3 
  Joint Lock/Grab -1 
  -1 
  Grab, 30 STR
  5 
  Kick 
  -2 
  +1 
  8d6 Strike
  3 
  Legsweep 
  +2 
  -1 
  5d6 Strike, 
  Target Falls
  4 
  Punch 
  +0 
  +2 
  6d6 Strike
  4 
  Tien-hsueh Strike -1 
  +1 
  2½d6 NND (1)
  4 
  +1 Damage Class (already added in)
  1 
  Use Art with Clubs
  6 
  Sai:  HA +3d6; OAF (-1), Hand-To-Hand 
  Attack (-½) 
  1
  5 
  Sai:  Another Sai (as above) 
  1
  20 
  Teleportive Combat:  Elemental Control, 
  40-point powers
  19 
  1)  Teleporting:  Teleportation 15”, Position 
  Shift , Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼); 
  No Noncombat Multiple (-¼) 
  1
  31 
  2)  Teleportation Boxing:    Energy Blast 
  6d6, Area Of Eﬀ ect (6” Radius; +1¼), Selec-
  tive (+¼); Extra Time (Full Phase; -½), 
  Limited Range (center of Area must be 
  within the character’s Half Move using 
  Teleportation at Combat velocity; -¼) 
  7
  16 
  3)  Blink Combat Enhancement:  +8 HTH; 
  Costs Endurance (to activate; -¼) 
  4
  14 
  4)  Aport Sais:  Energy Blast 6d6, Autoﬁ re 
  (2 shots; +¼), Reduced Endurance (½ 
  END; +½); OAF (-1), Range Based On 
  STR (-¼) 
  2
  34 
  Staying Out Of Reach:  Teleportation 5”, 
  Position Shift , Trigger (whenever she wants 
  to aft er performing an attack, activating 
  Trigger takes no time, resetting Trigger is 
  a Zero Phase Action; +¾), Reduced Endur-
  ance (0 END; +½) 
  0
   
  Talents
  6 
  Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED)
   
  Skills
  3 
  Acrobatics 14-
  3 
  Analyze Style 12-
  3 
  Breakfall 14-
  2 
  CK: Millennium City 11-
  2 
  KS: Cambodian History And Culture 11-
  2 
  KS: Kung Fu 11-
  4 
  Language:  English (native is Cambodian) 
  (Idiomatic, native accent)
  3 
  Stealth 14-
  3 
  Streetwise 12-
  7 
  WF: Common Melee Weapons, Common 
  Missile Weapons, Common Martial Arts 
  Weapons, Oﬀ  Hand
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  223
  Total Cost:  326
  100+ Disadvantages
  10 
  DNPC:  Th e Nols (her landlords) 8- (Less 
  Pow; Unaware of character’s Social Limita-
  tion: Secret Identity)
  10 
  DNPC:  Sophany “Soﬁ e” Jeﬀ erson (her sister 
  Flicker) 11- (Less Pow)
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  Style (Not Concealable, 
  Noticed And Recognizable, Detectable By 
  Large Group)
  
  142 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  15 
  Hunted:  Th e Widows Of Th e Night 8- (Mo 
  Pow, Kill)
  15 
  Hunted:  Chinese Tongs 8- (Mo Pow, Kill)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Perfectionist 
  (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Sok 
  “Susie” Jeﬀ erson) (Frequently, Major)
  10 
  Susceptibility:  2d6 damage from being Tele-
  ported (Uncommon)
  126 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  326
  Background/History:  Th e history of Susie Jeﬀ erson’s 
  childhood is discussed on page 72, and the reasons 
  for her departure from Ravenswood on page 48. 
  Since then Susie has taken up residence in Millen-
  nium City’s Cultural Center, renting a small apart-
  ment from the Nols, an elderly Cambodian family.
  Aft er departing Ravenswood, Susie decided to 
  learn more about her heritage, or at least the land 
  of her birth. She lives in Little Cambodia, a Cambo-
  dian ethnic enclave within the larger Chinese one 
  in Millennium City, and for the last three years has 
  reacquainted herself with the language of her birth 
  and learned as much about the culture as she can. 
  She plans to travel to Cambodia someday, but she’s 
  leery of doing so at the moment. Like her sister, she 
  remembers her father’s urgent warnings about the 
  Widows of the Night, and until she knows more 
  about the cult she has no desire to travel into the 
  lion’s den. She’s made circumspect inquiries into 
  the cult, but no one seems to know anything about 
  them. She’s also searched for William Jeﬀ erson’s 
  family, hoping to learn something about her father, 
  but so far hasn’t had any luck tracking down her 
  American relatives.
  Th ough she hasn’t dedicated her life to super-
  heroing, Susie isn’t one to turn away someone in 
  need, or look the other way at wrongdoing. She’s 
  taken up the name Sai, discarding her old Ravens-
  wood codename of Blink, and on several occasions 
  fought the good ﬁ ght against supervillains who 
  threatened her neighborhood. Most of her adven-
  tures have pitted her against the Chinese tongs 
  in an eﬀ ort to keep Little Cambodia free of their 
  inﬂ uence. She’s teamed up with Nightwind (Millen-
  nium City, page 53) in ﬁ ghts against the tongs, most 
  recently when the two of them closed down a ware-
  house used to receive shipments of heroin. Over 
  the years she’s become Little Cambodia’s protector, 
  and the inhabitants appreciate her eﬀ orts. She’s also 
  earned the enmity of the tongs, and now there’s a 
  price on her head.
  Th ough she never ﬁ nished her Senior year at 
  Ravenswood, Susie has received her GED. When 
  time allows, she takes courses at Millennium City 
  University, but college oft en takes a back seat to 
  her other interests. She’s worked at several jobs 
  since moving to the city — dishwashing and wait-
  ing tables at Cambodian restaurants, martial arts 
  instructor, working in a shop selling Cambodian 
  imports — and never stays at one job for long, since 
  the diﬀ erent jobs each help her learn something 
  new about her heritage.
  Personality/Motivation:  Sai is a hard and demand-
  ing young woman who has little time for frivolity. 
  In some part this is because she was forced to take 
  care of her younger sister at an early age; some of 
  it also comes from being an outsider for most her 
  life. Th ough not as judgmental as she was when she 
  attended Ravenswood — or at least less vocal about 
  it now — she still doesn’t suﬀ er fools gladly. She’s 
  a workaholic and perfectionist who doesn’t accept 
  excuses either for her own mistakes or from others, 
  and this makes her a diﬃ  cult person to be around. 
  Most of her acquaintances are older, simply because 
  Sai has enough respect for her elders not to chide 
  them as much as she does those her own age, and 
  they are old enough to laugh at her constant criti-
  cisms. Her landlords, the Nols, have taken the girl 
  into their family as a surrogate granddaughter, and 
  they idle away countless hours playing matchmaker. 
  While it was entertaining at ﬁ rst, they begin to 
  despair at ever ﬁ nding a young man Susie doesn’t 
  consider lazy, stupid, arrogant, or all three. Most of 
  the young men in Little Cambodia have learned 
  better than to have romantic intentions toward 
  Susie Jeﬀ erson.
  Sai departed Ravenswood under a cloud. She 
  never ﬁ t in at the school, mostly because she hated 
  being treated like a child and found the other 
  students’ immaturity infuriating, and the tragedy 
  with Gloriana was the straw that broke the camel’s 
  back. Immediately aft er she left , she swore that 
  Flicker would never go back to Ravenswood. But 
  aft er constant nagging from Flicker, who wanted 
  nothing to do with the Cambodian immigrants 
  (she even went so far as to threaten to report Susie 
  to Family Services), Susie agreed to let her return 
  to school. Despite Sai’s harsh feelings toward the 
  Academy and its headmistress, Rowan has ﬁ nally 
  aﬀ ected a reconciliation of sorts. Mostly this means 
  Sai doesn’t glare at Rowan when she comes to visit 
  her sister, but aft er many attempts, Rowan has had 
  a civil conversation or two with her former student. 
  Sai is still overprotective of her younger sister, 
  despite the growing distance between the two, and 
  she wonders what she’ll do when Flicker goes to 
  college. Flicker’s vehement denial of her heritage, 
  as well as the way she fervently embraces all things 
  American, have left  Sai with hurt feelings on more 
  than one occasion. She’s beginning to suspect it’s 
  time to let her sister ﬁ nd her own way in the world, 
  but isn’t sure how to let go.
  Quote:  “Not in my part of the city, you don’t.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Sai has the power to teleport over 
  short distances — no more than about 100 feet at 
  her maximum range. She’s worked at extending 
  her range, but so far hasn’t had any success. Lack-
  ing that option, Sai has combined her teleportation 
  powers with her martial arts prowess in ways that 
  make an eﬀ ective ﬁ ghting package. First, she’s got 
  her Teleportation Boxing (in which she teleports 
  SAI 
  PLOT SEEDS
  Th e Widows of the 
  Night capture Flicker. 
  Now Sai needs the PCs’ 
  help to ﬁ nd her before 
  something terrible hap-
  pens.
  Rowan convinces 
  Sai to come onto the 
  Ravens-wood staﬀ  as a 
  self-defense instructor. 
  How will the PCs adjust 
  to such a harsh and 
  demanding taskmaster?
  Th e PCs sneak out of 
  the Academy to attend a 
  concert in Millennium 
  City, but they ﬁ nd them-
  selves without a ride 
  home. Someone remem-
  bers that Sai lives some-
  where near the concert 
  hall... do they dare con-
  tact Flicker’s big sister 
  to ask for a ride back 
  to Ravenswood? And if 
  they do, what happens 
  when the Chinese tongs 
  decide to take their 
  revenge on Sai just as 
  the PCs show up...?
  
  143 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  around a group of people, brieﬂ y appearing next 
  to each one to punch or kick him, but never stay-
  ing in one place long enough for anyone to block 
  her attack or strike back, then ends the attack by 
  returning to the point she started from). Addition-
  ally, she’s good at “ﬂ ickering” around her targets, 
  popping in and out of reality to strike them from 
  unexpected angles without giving them the chance 
  to strike back or stop her (her Blink Combat 
  Enhancement). It’s hard to ﬁ ght someone who’s 
  punching you in the face one second, then a micro-
  second later has teleported behind you and to the 
  side to smash you in the kidney, and then aft er that 
  teleports up and to your side to deliver a devastat-
  ing boot to the head!
  Sai’s most infuriating trick is one she calls 
  “staying out of reach.” When she’s done attacking, 
  she can Teleport up to 5” away from her target 
  instantly so he can’t strike back without having to 
  chase her down. In game terms this is a Triggered 
  Teleportation move that takes place aft er she 
  attacks, if she chooses to use it. Th e downside of 
  this stunt is that it means she has to make a Half 
  Move back to attack her foe if he doesn’t come 
  aft er her.
  In recent months Sai has been trying to 
  develop the ability to use her teleportation on 
  objects (aportation). So far all she’s been able to do 
  is “retrieve” her sais aft er she throws them at some-
  one (her Aport Sais Power) — she can’t even use 
  the power on her sais normally, such as if someone 
  takes them away from her or catches them when 
  she throws them. She’s hoping to expand her aport-
  ive powers with practice.
  Campaign Use:  Sai is big sister to one of the 
  Ravens-wood kids and visits the Academy oft en on 
  weekends. Th at gives you an easy hook to introduce 
  her to the PCs, especially if one of them wants to 
  know about what happened with Gloriana or dares 
  to start dating Flicker. She also serves as an example 
  of a teen superhero in the early stages of growing 
  up and making the transition to an adult super-
  hero. Although still as extreme in her opinions as 
  a teen, she’s broadening her mind and starting to 
  recognize that not everyone shares her opinions. 
  As a teen she was an outsider and uncertain of 
  her place in the world; now she’s making progress 
  toward discovering who she is and ﬁ nding a home 
  in the world. Also, she’s developed her powers and 
  become a more eﬀ ective combatant than the aver-
  age teen superhero.
  Sai deﬁ nitely doesn’t qualify as a “villain” in the 
  pure sense of the word — as noted above, she ﬁ ghts 
  crime when she can. However, her dislike of and 
  disdain for authority, and generally poor attitude 
  about other people, could easily bring her into con-
  ﬂ ict with other heroes (particularly adult ones). A 
  clever or manipulative villain might get her to work 
  for him by playing on these feelings.
  To make Sai more powerful, you can either 
  increase the range of her various Teleportation-
  based powers, or add other teleportation powers 
  (see Th e UNTIL Superpowers Database I and II for 
  many ideas along these lines). Increasing her Stay-
  ing Out Of Reach to 7-10” would really make her 
  an infuriating combatant against many heroes. To 
  make her less powerful, remove her Staying Out Of 
  Reach and make her Blink Combat Enhancement 
  cost END every Phase she uses it.
  Th e most likely reasons for Sai to Hunt a char-
  acter are:  she suspects the character knows some-
  thing about her past, either about the Widows of 
  the Night or about her father; she thinks the char-
  acter hurt her sister; she thinks the character has 
  some connection to the tongs. She’ll stop at nothing 
  to get revenge on someone who hurts her sister 
  — the only question is, does she bring the person to 
  justice, or take justice into her own hands?
  Appearance:  Twenty years old and 5’6” tall, Sai 
  is an attractive young woman with a dark Asian 
  complexion and long black hair. She looks a lot like 
  her sister, although at ﬁ rst glance it’s not apparent 
  since Flicker wears make-up to make herself look 
  more Occidental, while Sai rarely uses cosmetics. 
  She normally dresses “casually,” wearing jeans and 
  tee-shirts carefully chosen to show oﬀ  her ﬁ gure 
  and good looks. Her costume consists of a white 
  half-face mask tied in the back, a white skintight 
  shortsleeved top that leaves her midriﬀ  bare, white 
  skintight pants, a red sash (where she carries her 
  sais when not using them), red boots, and white 
  hand-wrappings that come halfway up her lower 
  arms to form a sort of “glove.”
  
  144 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  TEEN DREAM
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   60 STR 
  50 
  21- 
  Lift  100 tons; 12d6 [6]
   24 DEX 
  42 
  14- 
  OCV:  8/DCV:  8
   40 CON 
  60 
  17-
   20 BODY 20 
  13-
   10 INT 
  0 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   15 EGO 
  10 
  12- 
  ECV:  5
   20 PRE 
  10 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  4d6
   20 COM 
  5 
  13-
   28 PD 
  16 
   
  Total:  28 PD (15 rPD)
   24 ED 
  16 
   
  Total:  24 ED (15 rED)
   6 SPD 
  26 
   
  Phases:  2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
   20 REC 
  0
   80 END 
  0
   100 STUN 30 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  285
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  12”/24”
   
  Flight: 
  24”/48”
   
  Swimming: 
  12”/24”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  15 
  Eﬀ ortless:  Reduced Endurance (½ END; 
  +¼) for 60 STR 
  3
  15 
  Barrier Penetration:  Indirect (attack 
  always originates in front of character; 
  +¼) for 60 STR 
  1
  30 
  Flurry Of Blows:  Autoﬁ re (5 shots; +½) 
  for 60 STR 
  3
  12 
  Casual Eﬀ ectiveness:  +30 STR; Only For 
  Determining Casual STR (-1½) 
  3
  19 
  Dust Storm:  Change Environment 8” 
  radius, -3 to Sight Group PER Rolls, Uncon-
  trolled (won’t work in high winds or rain; 
  +½); OIF (dust, sand, and dirt of opportu-
  nity; -½), No Range (-½) 
  4
  21 
  Shockwave:  Explosion (+½) for 60 STR, 
  Hole In Th e Middle (the hex the character 
  stands in when she uses the power; +¼); 
  Only Eﬀ ects Characters Standing On Th e 
  Ground (-¼), Extra Time (Full Phase; -½), 
  Only Does Knockdown, Not Knockback 
  (-0), Side Eﬀ ect (may cause considerable 
  damage to environment; -0) 
  4
  15 
  Tough Skin:  Damage Resistance (15 PD/
  15 ED) 
  0
  5 
  Tough Skin:  Lack Of Weakness (-5) for 
  Resistant Defenses 
  0
  10 
  Mental Blocks:  Mental Defense (13 points 
  total) 
  0
  60 
  Flight:  Flight 24”, Reduced Endurance (½ 
  END; +¼) 
  2
  12 
  Fast Runner:  Running +6” (12” total) 
  1
  12 
  Fast Swimmer:  Swimming +10” (12” total) 1
   
  Perks
  15 
  Money:  Filthy Rich
  9 
  Reputation:  Idol Of Millions (in United 
  States and soon the world!) 14-, +3/+3d6
   
  Skill
  2 
  +1 with Flight
  25 
  +5 HTH
  3 
  Acting 13-
  3 
  Conversation 13-
  3 
  High Society 13-
  3 
  Oratory 13-
  3 
  Persuasion 13-
  2 
  PS: Entertainer 11-
  3 
  Seduction 13-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  297
  Total Cost:  582
  100+ Disadvantages
  10 
  Hunted:  Millions Of Adoring Fans 14- (Less 
  Pow, Watching)
  20 
  Hunted:  Teleios 14- (Mo Pow, Mildly 
  Punish)
  15 
  Physical Limitation:  Artiﬁ cial Person (All 
  Th e Time, Slightly)
  15 
  Physical Limitation:  Cannot Disobey Teleios 
  (Frequently, Greatly Impairing)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Loves And Seeks 
  Publicity And Adulation (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Reputation:  manufactured pop star, manu-
  factured superhero, 14-
  5 
  Social Limitation:  Minor (under 18) (Occa-
  sionally, Minor)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Public Identity (Kristina 
  Speers) (Frequently, Minor)
  372 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  582
  Background/History:  “Welcome back to Superstars, 
  SSN’s show dedicated to music and superheroes. Our 
  next segment is about a fresh face who smashed her 
  way to the top of the charts six months ago with the 
  album Baby, Do It To Me Again.
  “Overnight the Teen Dream has become the 
  idol of millions, displacing the pop stars that came 
  before her like yesterday’s fashions shoved to the 
  back of the closet. Her ﬁ rst album has broken all 
  previous sales records, and early reports indicate 
  her new tour will do the same.
  “But not all is well with the Teen Dream and 
  her success. She’s quickly become an object of con-
  troversy among concerned parents for her explicit 
  lyrics and titillating attire. Th e Teen Dream’s PR 
  people released a statement indicating that there’s 
  no innuendo, sexual or otherwise, in her lyrics, and 
  that Ms. Dream, following in the steps of modern 
  feminism, is simply proud of her body — but few 
  were appeased or even convinced.
  “But why discuss the Teen Dream here on 
  Superstars? Because the Teen Dream is also a 
  superhero, and controversy has followed her into 
  the realm of crimeﬁ ghting. Just yesterday, in the 
  hours before her tour kicked oﬀ  in Buﬀ alo, New 
  York, a gigantic lizard-like creature rose up from 
  the depths of Lake Erie. Th e Teen Dream broke oﬀ  
  from her sound check to battle the monster and 
  drive it back to the depths, saving countless lives 
  and earning the praise of everyone in Buﬀ alo.
  “But an attack in the hours before a concert? 
  In Buﬀ alo, a city noted for its absolute lack of 
  superhuman menaces? Heroic deed or shameless 
  publicity stunt? Th e manufactured pop star has 
  been around for decades, but could we be seeing 
  a manufactured superhero? And if so, does that 
  TEEN DREAM 
  PLOT SEEDS
  One of the PCs wins 
  a date with the Teen 
  Dream, and the two 
  really hit it oﬀ  — but 
  when faceless men start 
  jumping out of the 
  shadows trying to kill 
  the PC, will he realize 
  what he’s gotten himself 
  into?
  Th e Teen Dream fought 
  Gravitar in the skies 
  over Millennium City... 
  and lost! Now she’s 
  being held hostage and 
  only the PCs can save 
  her! What will Teleios 
  do — help the PCs try to 
  save his creation, or try 
  to save her himself?
  Th e Teen Dream’s con-
  cert is tonight and a PC’s 
  girlfriend is dragging 
  him along. Since no self-
  respecting guy would 
  suﬀ er alone, he makes 
  all his friends suﬀ er 
  through the concert 
  too by getting tickets 
  for their girlfriends. 
  When a ﬁ ft y-foot-tall 
  bugman explodes out 
  of the ground and starts 
  to attack, what will the 
  PCs do:  sit back and 
  watch the Teen Dream 
  strut her stuﬀ  (since this 
  is obviously a publicity 
  stunt), or enter the fray 
  and try to prove to the 
  world the Teen Dream is 
  a fraud? And what if the 
  attack isn’t a publicity 
  stunt...?
  
  145 
  Teen Champions ■ Chapter Three
  make the Teen Dream doubly false, or just the ﬁ rst 
  in a new postmodern society — a new thing for a 
  new world?
  “Th at’s what we’re going to ﬁ nd out aft er these 
  messages....”
  * * *
  Teleios, the Perfect Man, turned oﬀ  the tele-
  vision and smiled. Once again the Teen Dream 
  would dominate the entertainment news. Th is time 
  reporters would spend countless hours wrangling 
  over the possibility of manufactured superheroes 
  and engineered crises. Once again the media would 
  expose the Teen Dream to millions of viewers, as it 
  had so many times before.
  Th ere had been the quote about Sapphire, an 
  opening salvo in the Teen Dream’s war for domi-
  nance of the pop charts — “I really enjoyed her 
  shows when I was a kid, and I hope she’s enjoying 
  her retirement.” Th e video for “Press Me Down” — 
  “But she’s only sixteen... sixteen year-olds shouldn’t 
  be sexy!” the parent groups cried, and with that cry 
  all of the men, both adolescent and adult, pricked 
  up their ears and took notice.
  Th en came the website counting the seconds 
  until the Teen Dream turned eighteen. Th e leaked 
  photos from the beach in France. Th e rumored mar-
  riage. Th e rumored breast implants. Th e rumored 
  pregnancy. Th e rumored trip to a rehab clinic.
  All of the glorious rumors. All of them domi-
  nating the news, ﬁ lling the supermarket aisles with 
  images of the Teen Dream, slowing down Internet 
  search engines, occupying a million conversations 
  across the United States from the bedrooms of 
  little girls to the break rooms in oﬃ  ces. Th e rumors 
  about the Teen Dream were taking over the enter-
  tainment news and turning it to Teleios’s purposes. 
  Everyone knew the name and face of this girl, his 
  engineered demagogue — they all wanted to look 
  like her or be with her. When Teleios was done, 
  the people would beg to hand over their world to 
  these bright, young leaders — beg on their hands 
  and knees to give their world to the followers of the 
  Perfect Man.
  Personality/Motivation:  Th e Teen Dream is a manu-
  factured pop star, a manufactured superhero... 
  and a manufactured person. Teleios created her 
  to insinuate herself into the hearts and minds of 
  America’s youth. He engineered every aspect of 
  the Teen Dream — from her pouty bottom lip and 
  sexy but innocent smile, to her perfect cuticles and 
  elegantly shaped toes — to appeal to the public, to 
  make people envious, fawning, and desirous.
  In person the Teen Dream comes across as 
  vivacious, friendly, and energetic, with a glowing 
  smile and sparkling eyes. She has a way of making 
  anyone she’s with, particularly men, feel important 
  and special. She never answers a question directly if 
  she thinks the answer might alienate a segment of 
  her fans. Instead she rambles on, trying to change 
  the subject, never failing to smile. Without a doubt, 
  the Teen Dream is vapid and vacuous; whether she 
  can become a person with more depth remains to 
  be seen. She’s bright, but she’s never had cause to 
  think too deeply on anything, so perhaps there’s 
  hope — unless, of course, Teleios engineered her to 
  be vapid. Despite being the pawn of an archvillain, 
  the Teen Dream isn’t a bad person, and she’s cer-
  tainly not a supervillain — not a typical one at least. 
  She honestly believes she’s doing good, even if her 
  manager did arrange a ﬁ ght or two... and where’s 
  the harm in that, anyway?
  Th e Teen Dream is uncomfortable away from 
  mobbing crowds and ﬂ ashing cameras. She wants 
  to be around people. If cornered by an individual, 
  she quickly makes up excuses to go out, to go any-
  where — and when she does go out, she’s quickly 
  mobbed by fans seeking autographs. Unlike more 
  human pop stars, the Teen Dream never gets tired 
  of the attention. She invites the paparazzi to follow 
  her; she even faxes them itineraries when her rep-
  resentatives claim she’s “in seclusion.” She never 
  dresses down to disguise her identity or otherwise 
  shuns the limelight. Th e attention of crowds is cen-
  tral to her existence, and she wouldn’t avoid it for 
  the world.
  Th e Teen Dream doesn’t know she’s a clone; 
  she thinks Teleios (whom she knows as Brian 
  Speers) found her as an orphan and raised her. 
  He’s implanted false memories in her brain so 
  she recalls enough formative childhood events to 
  make it through an interview. Her memories would 
  never hold up to any careful consideration on her 
  part — not that she’s one for introspection — or 
  to intensive Telepathy (or any other psionic power 
  
  146 ■ Gamemastering Teen Champions
  Hero System 5th Edition
  that involves delving deeply into her memories). 
  Even worse, he’s built genetic hooks into the Teen 
  Dream that make it impossible for her to disobey 
  him. Th e hooks are subtle; she can protest his deci-
  sions and complain about them, but in the end she 
  always comes around.
  All of the people in the Teen Dream’s large 
  entourage, from her manager to her gopher, are 
  bio-engineered creations of Teleios; all of them are 
  ultimately loyal to him. If the Teen Dream ﬁ nds 
  anything about her life dismaying, it’s that she 
  doesn’t have any friends she can trust not to tell 
  Teleios anything and everything. She’s tried to bring 
  friends she’s made since becoming famous into her 
  entourage, but they all end up loyal to Teleios (in 
  other words, he kidnaps them and replaces them 
  with cloned versions he creates). She also doesn’t 
  understand why every boy she likes disappears 
  so suddenly, and it’s becoming an Achilles heel in 
  her unﬂ appable conﬁ dence. Little does she know 
  Teleios already has a mate for the Teen Dream in 
  the cloning tanks and doesn’t want her to mingle 
  with those of lesser genetic heritage.
  Th e Teen Dream’s music is an aft erthought 
  — she is, ﬁ rst and foremost, a performer who 
  makes far more money from licensing her name 
  and image than from record sales. Typically her 
  songs are light, sentimental, and saccharine with a 
  slightly disturbing sexual undercurrent. Th e beats 
  are unoriginal and insipid, engineered to oﬀ end 
  the least number of people possible. But given her 
  looks and ﬁ gure, most people never stop watching 
  the Teen Dream dance long enough to listen to the 
  music anyway.
  Quote:  “Superhero... mega-popstar... I don’t like 
  deﬁ ning myself. I just am.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Th e Teen Dream is a ﬂ ying brick 
  with powers based on her high strength. She can 
  unleash a ﬂ urry of blows that strike like piledriv-
  ers, punch through barriers without having them 
  reduce the force of her attack, whip up a dust storm 
  that blinds everyone in the area, and strike the 
  ground so hard a shockwave ripples through the 
  surrounding area. In combat she tends to make the 
  ﬂ ashiest attack she can — oft en swooping high into 
  the air, performing a loop-the-loop or barrel roll, 
  and then crashing down into her foe. She pays close 
  attention to the presence and location of any media 
  representatives, making sure her best side (her 
  right) is toward the cameras. If there aren’t any 
  reporters in the area, she uses Knockback to move 
  the ﬁ ght toward a place where there might be some.
  Campaign Use:  Th e Teen Dream doesn’t commit 
  crimes — she is a crime for the PCs to stop, since 
  she’s a part of Teleios’s greater plan. When she’s in 
  town, the PCs shouldn’t be able to get away from 
  her (even if they want to). Every time they turn on 
  the televison they see her face. Th ey see her photos 
  at the supermarket check-out. Th e radio only 
  plays her songs. Th ere are billboards everywhere. 
  And when the superheroes ﬁ ght supervillains, the 
  Teen Dream shows up to save the day. Even if she 
  doesn’t save the day, the press reports that she does, 
  because she has PR people spinning the ﬁ ght in her 
  favor, and chances are the PCs don’t. During the 
  ﬁ ght, the Teen Dream says or does whatever grates 
  on the PCs’ nerves the most — and if they pick a 
  ﬁ ght with her, she doesn’t take it sitting down. Even 
  if the PCs win the ﬁ ght, they still lose, because in 
  the eyes of millions of girls, they might as well be 
  Doctor Destroyer or Mechanon.
  To make the Teen Dream more powerful, 
  increase her STR to 70 or even 75 (remembering 
  to increase the cost of her various “brick tricks” 
  accordingly). Also give her 25-50% Damage 
  Reduction. To make her less powerful, remove her 
  Combat Skill Levels and lower her defenses.
  Th e Teen Dream Hunts anyone Teleios tells 
  her to, and she’s likely to Hunt anyone who might 
  suspect she’s a clone. If the person she Hunts has 
  a Public Identity or any cachet with the public or 
  press, she wages a media war against him (which 
  might consist of seducing him, then humiliatingly 
  dumping him and claiming he abused her). Oth-
  erwise she (or, actually, Teleios) seeks him out and 
  beats him to a pulp.
  Appearance:  Th e Teen Dream doesn’t dress in style 
  — she sets the style for millions of girls across the 
  country and around the world. Her clothes change 
  from outing to outing and adventure to adventure, 
  but lately she’s taken to wearing knee high boots, 
  hot shorts (or a miniskirt) made from satin, and a 
  bikini top (usually studded with sequins). At 5’5” 
  and 125 pounds, she seems far too elﬁ n and slen-
  der to lift  a hundred tons, and she looks far too... 
  mature to be just sixteen years old. She has blonde 
  hair — although the color has been known to 
  change, and when it does, a million girls change the 
  color of their hair too — and deep blue eyes.
  
  147 
  Teen Champions
  Th is summary table provides a quick reference for GMs looking for a particular type of villain for use in 
  a scenario. (Agents and the like are not included.) Th e table includes two categories of information. Th e ﬁ rst 
  is the archetype or archetypes the character belongs to, using the ones deﬁ ned on pages 69—80 of Champions 
  (the Patriot archetype is not included; none of the villains in this book ﬁ t it, since it’s mostly an archetype for 
  heroes). Th e second category includes other types of useful information, as follows:
  Alien:  Th e character is not native to Earth; he comes from another planet or dimension.
  Goal:  Th e character has a speciﬁ c goal, other than those listed elsewhere; see his writeup for information.
  Greedy:  Th e character is motivated by a desire for wealth, luxuries, and the like.
  Loner:  Th e character does not get along well with others, and rarely teams up with other villains.
  Master Villain:  Th e character is powerful enough to threaten entire nations or worlds in the right circumstances.
  Mercenary:  Th e character is a villain—for—hire; he commits crimes for pay.
  Mutant:  Th e character’s powers derive from his mutant physiology.
  Powerhungry:  Th e character lusts for power and control over others.
  Technological:  Th e character uses, or has powers related to, super—technology.
  Th ief:  Th e character’s primary form of crime is stealing.
  Violent:  Th e character is prone to violence, bloodshed, and/or destruction.
  Survey:  Th e character’s typical ranking in the Department of Defense’s Superhuman Survey. From most to 
  least dangerous, the rankings are Omega, Delta, Beta, and Alpha. 
  A character’s ranking may change from year to year, or be debated within the defense community.
  Points:  Th e total number of Character Points the character is built with.
  MASTER REFERENCE CHART OF HEROES AND VILLAINS
  Arcane 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  B 
  250
  Barnstormer 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  200
  Cantrip 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  200
  Chain Lightning 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  200
  Circuit Breaker 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  A 
  200
  Crazy Legs 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  A 
  200
  Decibelle 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  B 
  250
  Dogﬁ ght 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  200
  Flicker 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  200
  General Billy 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  244
  Gloriana 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  C 
  941
  Impact 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  200
  Janus 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  416
  Jeepers Creepers 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  200
  Kid Samson 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  200
  Little Wonder 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  243
  Marble Man 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  A 
  150
  Miss Crone 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  300
  Mrs. Garter 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  213
  Pistol Pete 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  253
  PLATO 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  147
  Putty 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  200
  Rowan 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  B 
  327
  Sai 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  A 
  307
  Spoilsport 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  200
  Teen Dream 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  C 
  582
  Trance 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  200
  Trashmouth 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  200
  Turnabout 
  — 
  X 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  200
  Alien
  Goal
  Greedy
  Loner
  Master Villain
  Mercenary
  Mutant
  Powerhungry
  Technological
  Thief
  Brick
  Energy Projector
  Gadgeteer
  Martial Artist
  Mentalist
  Metamorph
  Mystic
  Powered Armor
  Speedster
  Weaponmater
  Violent
  Survey
  Points
  
  148 
  Hero System 5th Edition
  HERO AND VILLAIN SUMMARY TABLE
  Name 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  BODY 
  PRE 
  PD/rPD 
  ED/rED 
  SPD 
  REC 
  STUN 
  OCV 
  DCV 
  MOVE 
  Attacks 
  Page
  Arsenal 
  18 
  18 
  18 
  14 
  15 
  7/0 
  6/0 
  4 
  8 
  32 
  6 
  6 
  9”, (4”) 
  9½d6, weapons 
  51
  Arcane 
  10 
  18 
  12 
  10 
  10 
  14/10 
  14/10 
  4 
  6 
  32 
  6 
  6 
  6”, [20”] 
  Telekinesis (40 STR) 
  99
  Barnstormer 
  13 
  24 
  12 
  12 
  12 
  12/4 
  12/4 
  4 
  8 
  42 
  8 
  8 
  6”, [20”] 
  2½d6 
  88
  Cantrip 
  10 
  15 
  10 
  10 
  10 
  12/8 
  12/8 
  3 
  4 
  29 
  5 
  5 
  6”, [8”] 
  8d6, Ego 4d6 
  90
  Chain Lightning 
  15 
  21 
  12 
  12 
  15 
  10/4 
  14/4 
  4 
  7 
  30 
  7 
  7 
  7” 
  6d6 AE No Range, 8d6 
  69
  Circuit Breaker 
  15 
  12 
  15 
  15 
  15 
  17/10 
  17/10 
  3 
  6 
  33 
  4 
  4 
  6” 
  MC 6d6, Telekinesis (30 STR) 
  102
  Crazy Legs 
  20 
  24 
  15 
  15 
  14 
  12/4 
  12/4 
  5 
  7 
  44 
  8 
  8 
  12”, {10”}, (12”) 
  8d6 
  104
  Decibelle 
  15 
  24 
  12 
  10 
  15 
  14/10 
  14/10 
  4 
  8 
  40 
  8 
  8 
  6”, [12”] 
  8d6, 4d6 AE, (2½d6%) 
  107
  Dogﬁ ght 
  25 
  24 
  20 
  20 
  15 
  14/8 
  14/8 
  4 
  10 
  46 
  8 
  8 
  6”, [12”] 
  (1½d6%), 5d6 
  114
  Flicker 
  13 
  24 
  12 
  12 
  10 
  8/4 
  8/4 
  5 
  5 
  32 
  8 
  8 
  8”, {3½”}, !20”! 
  7½d6 
  72
  General Billy 
  40 
  18 
  30 
  30 
  20 
  24/15 
  21/15 
  4 
  15 
  64 
  6 
  6 
  6” 
  8d6, Summon Toy Soldiers 
  128
  Gloriana 
  50 
  30 
  50 
  20 
  40 
  30/20 
  30/20 
  7 
  25 
  100 
  10 
  10 
  6”, [30”], FTL 
  16d6, 5d6 Var Adv, 8d6 Var Adv 
  135
  Impact 
  25 
  15 
  20 
  15 
  15 
  14/4 
  14/4 
  3 
  9 
  50 
  5 
  5 
  6” 
  9d6 , 7d6 
  74
  Janus 
  10 
  18 
  12 
  12 
  15 
  11/6 
  11/6 
  4 
  4 
  30 
  6 
  6 
  6” 
  2d6, Summon Opposites 
  137
  Jeepers Creepers 
  10 
  12 
  10 
  8 
  8 
  8/4 
  8/4 
  3 
  4 
  21 
  4 
  4 
  6” 
  MC 8d6, Ego 3d6, MC 5d6 
  117
  Kid Samson 
  40 
  18 
  20 
  20 
  15 
  18/10 
  14/10 
  4 
  12 
  60 
  6 
  6 
  6” 
  12d6, 10d6 
  92
  Little Wonder 
  40 
  18 
  30 
  30 
  20 
  24/15 
  21/15 
  4 
  15 
  64 
  6 
  6 
  6” 
  8d6, Shrinking 
  131
  Marble Man 
  5 
  24 
  8 
  8 
  5 
  24/20 
  24/20 
  5 
  5 
  24 
  8 
  8 
  30” 
  1d6 (+velocity) 
  109
  Miss Crone 
  15 
  24 
  15 
  12 
  10 
  10/4 
  10/4 
  4 
  6 
  35 
  8 
  8 
  6” 
  9d6, 7d6, Luck 1d6 
  94
  Mrs. Garter 
  15 
  14 
  13 
  12 
  18 
  10/6 
  10/6 
  3 
  6 
  30 
  5 
  5 
  6” 
  5d6, Major Transform 1d6 
  112
  Pistol Pete 
  40 
  18 
  30 
  30 
  20 
  24/15 
  21/15 
  4 
  15 
  64 
  6 
  6 
  6” 
  8d6, 8d6 Indirect 
  133
  PLATO 
  —  
  18 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  4 
  — 
  — 
  5 
  5 
  — 
  None (computer) 
  63
  Putty 
  12 
  18 
  14 
  14 
  12 
  12/4 
  10/4 
  3 
  5 
  30 
  6 
  6 
  6” 
  2d6, Stretching 4” 
  76
  Rowan 
  10 
  18 
  15 
  10 
  15 
  18/14 
  14/10 
  4 
  6 
  30 
  6 
  6 
  6” 
  Telekinesis (30 STR), Ent 5d6 
  61
  Sai 
  15 
  25 
  18 
  10 
  15 
  11/3 
  11/3 
  5 
  7 
  30 
  8 
  8 
  6”, !15”! 
  8d6, 6d6, 6d6 AE, 6d6 AF 
  141
  Spoilsport 
  15 
  21 
  15 
  10 
  10 
  12/7 
  12/7 
  4 
  6 
  32 
  7 
  7 
  6” 
  7d6, Luck 6d6 
  120
  Teen Dream 
  60 
  24 
  40 
  20 
  20 
  28/15 
  24/15 
  6 
  20 
  100 
  8 
  8 
  12”, [24”], (12”) 
  12d6 (with various Advantages) 
  144
  Trance 
  10 
  15 
  10 
  10 
  8 
  8/4 
  8/4 
  4 
  6 
  24 
  5 
  5 
  6” 
  Ego 4d6, Mental Illusions 6d6 
  79
  Trashmouth 
  30 
  15 
  30 
  20 
  15 
  14/8 
  14/8 
  3 
  17 
  60 
  5 
  5 
  6” 
  10d6, 8d6 
  122
  Turnabout 
  8 
  12 
  10 
  10 
  10 
  8/4 
  8/4 
  3 
  6 
  25 
  4 
  4 
  6” 
  Telekinesis (30 STR), MReﬂ ec  
  125
  HERO AND VILLAIN SUMMARY TABLE
  Th e following table provides basic information about the characters described in this book for easy reference. All characters are listed in alphabetical order, without regard for which chapter they appear in. 
  Th e “Attacks” column lists only the character’s most common or prominent attacks, since many criminals have too many ways to attack to list them all; “Weapons” indicates the character relies primarily on weapons 
  bought with Equipment Points or the like. See the end of the table for an explanation of the notation used.
  Attacks
  #:  A Normal Damage
  (#):  A Killing Damage 
  AE:  Area Of Eﬀ ect
  AF:  Autoﬁ re
  AP:  Armor Piercing
  BOECV:  Based On Ego 
  Combat Value
  DKB:  Double Knockback
  Drn:  Drain
  DS:  Damage Shield
  Ego:  Ego Attack
  Ent:  Entangle
  EX:  Explosion
  MC:  Mind Control
  MS:  MegaScaled
  NND:  No Normal Defense
  Pen:  Penetrating
  Var Adv:  Variable Advan-
  tages
  %:  Character can increase 
  the attack’s damage with 
  STR
  Movement
  #”:  Running 
  (#”):  Swimming (listed only 
  if character can swim faster 
  than 2”)
  [#”]:  Flight
  {#”}:  Leaping (listed only if 
  character can leap a diﬀ er-
  ent distance than indicated 
  by its STR)
  !#”!:  Special mode of 
  movement (e.g., Swinging, 
  Tunneling, Teleportation)
  NOTES
  
  149 
  Teen Champions
  3434-XC .................................... 127
  Academic calendar, Ravens-
  wood ..........................................64
  ACI ...............................................69
  Addams, Alicia (Ravenswood 
  teacher) ......................................55
  Adult villains ............................ 111
  Adults and teens .........................23
  Age of characters ..........................6
  Alterna-Teen (clique/Package 
  Deal) ...........................................29
  Alternative schools .....................11
  Arcades (hang-out) ....................12
  Arcadia .........................................45
  Arcane ..........................................99
  ARGENT ...............97-99, 104, 106
  Athletic teams .............................10
  Atlantis ...................................46, 84
  Attendance of the school .............9
  Attitude of adult heroes .............47
  Attitude of teen heroes toward 
  school .........................................19
  Aviary, the ....................................57
  Babysitting (job) .........................13
  Background Elements ................16
  Barnstormer ................................88
  Beach (hang-out) ........................12
  Beamers (Ravenswood clique) ..66
  Best Friend, the ...........................21
  Biggs, Harry .................................59
  Blackhat Bart (possible addi-
  tional Playpal) ........................ 132
  Black Sable .............................47, 49
  Boss, the .......................................24
  Bowling alley (hang-out) ...........12
  Brainwave (Ravenswood 
  student) ......................................67
  Braun House ................................53
  Brawn (Ravenswood student) ...67
  Brickle, Principal Mike ..............87
  Bromides, Vernon .......................58
  Buildings of Ravenswood ..........52
  Bullied, the ...................................22
  Bully (Hunted) ............................41
  Bully, the ......................................22
  Burnout (clique/Package Deal) .30
  Campaign and Plot Ideas ...........82
  Cantrip ...................................87, 90
  Captain Chronos ........................60
  Captain Patriot ............................59
  Cars ..............................................25
  Chain Lightning ..........................69
  Champions ............................87, 90
  Character Creation .....................16
  Character guidelines ..................37
  Charter schools ...........................10
  Cheer (Ravenswood student) ...67
  Cheerleader (clique/Package 
  Deal) ...........................................30
  Chill (Ravenswood student) .....67
  Circuit Breaker ......................... 102
  Classes at Ravenswood ........64-65
  Classrooms at Ravenswood .53-54
  Clique (Distinctive Feature) ......40
  Cliques at Ravenswood ..............66
  Cliques:  Teen Superhero 
  Package Deals ...........................27
  Cloudburst ...................................49
  Club (hang-out) ..........................12
  Codenames for Ravenswood 
  super-students ...........................66
  Colors of the school .....................9
  Comic shop (hang-out) .............12
  Conformity ..................................24
  Contact (Perk) .............................38
  Convenience stores (hang-out, 
  job) .......................................12-13
  Costumes
   Generally ...................................34
   For Ravenswood 
  super-students ...........................66
  Counselors ...................................23
  Courses at Ravenswood .......64-65
  Crazy Legs ................................ 104
  Crown, Th addeus (ARGENT 
  operative) ................................ 104
  Crush, Th e (Psychological 
  Limitation) ................................41
  Curfew at Ravenswood ..............64
  Damocles Scenario (exam 
  scenario) ..............................78, 85
  Dance (Ravenswood student) ...67
  Dances (hang-out) ......................12
  Dark Rose ....................................58
  Dating ....................................19-21
  Dealy Commons .........................52
  Decibelle ................................... 107
  DEMON ................................... 110
  Detroit, destruction of ...............47
  Diadem ........................................47
  Diagnostic Room and Medical 
  Center ........................................57
  Disadvantages .............................40
  Discipline
   Generally .....................................7
   At Ravenswood .........................64
  Distinctive Features ....................40
  Diva (Ravenswood student) ......67
  Dogﬁ ght .................................... 114
  Dole House ..................................53
  Doorway ..............................138-40
  Dormitories at Ravenswood .....53
  Dr. Destroyer ...............................47
  Dr. Silverback ..............................49
  Dr. Venom ....................................75
  Drach, Dr. Berthold ................. 120
  Dress codes ..............................9-10
  Drive-in theaters and restaur-
  ants (hang-out) .........................12
  Duchess Industries .................. 119
  Easily Embarrassed (Psycholog-
  ical Limitation) .........................41
  Elder Worm .................................44
  Empyreans ...................................45
  Ending the campaign .................84
  Engine (ARGENT operative) . 106
  Ethnic cliques ..............................28
  Everyone Else (clique/Package 
  Deal) ...........................................33
  Examiner, the ..............................83
  Exam scenarios ...........................62
  Experience, lack of ......................16
  Experience Points .......................37
  Extracurricular activities ...........10
  Extraordinary Morality and Ethics 
  (Ravenswood super-class) .......68
  F’woosh ........................................44
  Faculty of Ravenswood ..............58
  Fake ID (Fringe Beneﬁ t) ............38
  Family .....................................11, 17
  Family business (job) .................13
  Fast food restaurants (job) ........13
  Fear Of Powers (Psychological 
  Limitation) ................................41
  Fenkel, Bernard ...........................63
  Firing Range ................................57
  Flicker ..........................................72
  Food service (job) .......................13
  Fray ...............................................49
  Freshman Orientation (exam 
  scenario) ....................................62
  Friend’s workplace (hang-out) ..12
  Friendly Adult (Contact) ...........38
  Fringe Beneﬁ t (Perk) ..................38
  Function (Ravenswood student) .67
  Future Citizens (IHA program) 110
  Gadroon, the ............................ 119
  Galaxar, the ..................................83
  Game Elements ...........................37
  Gamemastering Teen Champ-
  ions .....................................81-146
  Game Night (exam scenario) ....70
  Gaming store (hang-out) ...........12
  Gearheads (Ravenswood clique) .66
  Geek (clique/Package Deal) ......31
  General Billy ............................. 128
  Generation VIPER ........... 111, 119
  Gharibah, Yasmin (Ravenswood 
  trad-stu) .....................................55
  Gillicutty, Gerald .........................60
  Gloriana .............................. 48, 135
  GM’s Vault ...................................82
  Graduation, aft er .........................84
  Greenworld Foundation ......... 102
  Grounding .....................................7
  Guest Houses at Ravenswood ...53
  Guidelines for characters ...........37
  Gyaltsen, Lhakpa ..................50, 53
  Hang-outs ....................................12
  Harding High School .................87
  Harmon Th eater .........................52
  Harwell, Michael (Ravenswood 
  trad-stu) .....................................55
  Head Cases (Ravenswood 
  clique) ........................................66
  Headspace, the ............................58
  Help, Mr. Wizard! (exam 
  scenario) ....................................70
  Hildreth, Frank ...........................53
  History .........................................44
  Hobbies ........................................26
  Hoﬀ man, Mary ...........................52
  Home ............................................11
  Home schooling ............................8
  Homeroom ..................................64
  Homeroom Alpha .......................69
  Horror Tank ............................. 118
  Hub, the ........................................54
  Hugo .............................................56
  Humbug .......................................58
  Hunted .........................................41
  Hzeel ............................................50
  Idols ..............................................24
  Image Inducer .............................65
  Impact ..........................................74
  Impulse (Ravenswood student) ..67
  Individuality ................................24
  Inﬂ uence of others ......................26
  Institute for Human 
  Advancement ......................... 110
  Introduction ..................................4
  Janitor, the ....................................24
  Janus .......................................... 137
  Jeepers Creepers ...................... 117
  Jock (clique/Package Deal) ........31
  Justice Squadron ...................44, 46
  Kid Samson .................................92
  Lack of freedom ............................6
  Lake Chippewa ...........................50
  Latour, Denise .............................58
  Law and teen heroes ...................46
  Learning Disability (Physical 
  Limitation) ................................41
  Left -Hand Earth .................138-40
  Legacy hero .................................35
  Legal guardians ...........................18
  Lemuria ........................................56
  Library at Ravenswood ........52, 56
  Little Cambodia ....................... 142
  Little Wonder ........................... 131
  Location of the campaign school ..8
  Loner (clique/Package Deal) .....32
  Love ........................................19-21
  Lu, Dr. Ron (ARGENT 
  operative) ................................ 104
  Machinist, the ........................47, 49
  Magnet schools ...........................10
  Malfrey, Brian ..............................63
  Mall (hang-out) ..........................12
  Mandaarians ............................. 135
  Mara, Queen ..........................47, 54
  Marble Man .............................. 109
  Marital status of parents ............17
  Marus, Prince ........................47, 54
  Mascot of the school ....................9
  McClellan Fieldhouse ................52
  McKitridge, Patrick (Ravenswood 
  teacher) ......................................55
  MCPD Blues (exam scenario) ...70
  Mechanon ................................. 127
  Medical Center ...........................57
  Melodrama ..................................23
  TEEN CHAMPIONS INDEX
  
  150 
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Membership:  Clique (Fringe 
  Beneﬁ t) ......................................39
  Minor (Social Limitation) .........42
  Miss Crone ............................87, 94
  Mole-Men ....................................56
  Money (Perk) ..............................39
  Moreau, Phillippe .......................49
  Motor City Defenders ................86
  Mr. Amphibian ............................60
  Mr. Inexplicable ..........................49
  Mrs. Garter ............................... 112
  Music store (hang-out) ..............12
  Muulyr Ravenscloak ...................84
  My Enemy, My Self (exam 
  scenario) ....................................78
  My Invisible Friend (possible 
  additional Playpal) ................ 132
  Nagel House ................................53
  Nationality .....................................7
  Night Marshall II ............49, 74, 85
  Nighthawk action ﬁ gure 
  (rare!) ...............................109-110
  Nightlurk .....................................56
  Nightwind ................................. 142
  Non-Native Environment Series 
  (Ravenswood super-class) .......68
  Nova .................................... 97, 104
  Null .........................................47, 49
  Oceanus and Orana Undersea 
  Dome .........................................54
  Operation Feral Child ............. 119
  Operation Lucky Roll .........119-20
  Orchardsville ...............................44
  Origin of teens’ powers ..............34
  Other Species Cultures (Raven-
  swood super-class) .............68, 70
  Package Deals ........................27-33
  Parents ....................................11, 17
  Parents (Hunted) ........................41
  Parks (hang-out) .........................12
  Parks, Juliette ...............................87
  Peers .......................................21-23
  Perks .............................................38
  Perseid Empire ............................50
  Physical Limitation .....................41
  Physiques (Ravenswood clique) ..66
  Pimp My Super-Ride (exam 
  scenario) ....................................74
  Pistol Pete ................................. 133
  Places Of Employment ..............12
  PLATO .........................................63
  Platz, Katherine ...............50, 52, 56
  Playpals, the .............................. 127
  Poignancy ....................................28
  Polakios ........................................54
  Police at the school .....................10
  Pool hall (hang-out) ...................12
  Post, George .................................53
  Post-graduation ..........................84
  Power plant at Ravenswood ......56
  Powers ....................................34, 40
  Prince Marus .........................47, 54
  Princess (clique/Package Deal) ...32
  Princess Yrella .............................49
  Principal, the ...............................24
  Private school ................................8
  Professor Arcane Library ...........56
  Project Family Man ................. 119
  Project Incubator ..................... 119
  Project Inner You ............. 119, 123
  Project Mating Season .... 115, 119
  Projekt Nãchts Jahrgangen .........46
  Prom, senior ................................84
  Psychological Limitation ...........41
  Public Address and Civil Catastro-
  phe (Ravenswood super-class) ..68
  Public school .................................8
  Punishment at Ravenswood ......64
  Punishments ..................................7
  Putty .............................................76
  Queen Mara ..........................47, 54
  Race cliques .................................28
  Radiowave (ARGENT 
  operative) ................................ 106
  Randall, Donald Jr. ......................59
  Randolph House .........................52
  Randolph, Leon ...........................46
  Ravenswood Academy .........43-80
  Ravenswood, the .........................50
  Realism ........................................26
  Recreation center (hang-out) ....12
  Redshift  ........................................48
  Reilmann Library .................52, 56
  Renton Gymnasium ...................57
  Reputation (Perk) .......................39
  Right-Hand Earth ...............138-40
  Rival, the ......................................23
  Romance ................................19-20
  Root (Ravenswood student) ..50, 67
  Rose Ruby, the .............................58
  Rourke, Gus .................................87
  Rowan ..............................44-46, 61
  Ruiz, Luis .....................................87
  Rules at Ravenswood .................64
  Runaways campaigns ...................8
  Sai ........................................ 48, 141
  Satriani, Rick (Ravenswood 
  trad-stu) .....................................55
  School .............................................8
  School district ...............................8
  School events (hang-out) ...........12
  Scorch ...........................................44
  Secret facilities of Ravenswood ...53
  Secret History I and II (Raven-
  swood super-class) .............68, 70
  Secret identities ...........................34
  Secret Identity (Ravenswood 
  super-class) ................................68
  Security at the school .................10
  Senior prom .................................84
  Sentinels .......................................44
  Sequoia .........................................47
  Sergeant Smitty (possible 
  additional Playpal) ................ 132
  Setting Elements ...........................7
  Sha-Prylen ...................................50
  Shadowboxer ...............................93
  Shopping Cart Crone (DEMON 
  Morbane) ................................ 110
  Shrﬁ sh ..........................................44
  Shrug, the .....................................36
  Siblings .........................................18
  Sidekick ........................................35
  Sideways .................................47, 49
  Silver Shine ..................................48
  Simmons Gazebo ........................50
  Size of the school ..........................8
  Skills .............................................37
  Slug ...............................................44
  Slumber (Ravenswood student) ..67
  Snodgrass, Gary “Snod” 
  (Ravenswood trad-stu) ............55
  Social Limitation ........................42
  Soda shops (hang-out) ...............12
  Spence, Joe (ARGENT 
  operative) ................................ 104
  Spoilsport .................................. 120
  Staﬀ  of Ravenswood .............58, 61
  Stereotypes of cliques .................28
  Stone, Franklin ............................69
  Strangelings (Ravenswood 
  clique) ........................................66
  Student ID at Ravenswood ........65
  Student mentors ..........................64
  Sturm House ...............................53
  Summer vacation ........................83
  Sunheart .................................44, 83
  Super-Schools .............................13
  Super-Students of Ravenswood ..65
  Superhero education classes at 
  Ravenswood ........................66, 68
  Superheroes, adult ......................24
  Superhero Cribs (exam 
  scenario) ....................................74
  Superhero Operation Centers 
  (Ravenswood super-class) .......74
  Superhero Transportation 
  (Ravenswood super-class) .......74
  Superheroes, Law Enforcement, 
  and the Law (Ravenswood 
  super-class) ................................70
  Superhumans and American 
  Culture (Ravenswood super-
  class) ...........................................68
  Superhumans and Government 
  (Ravenswood super-class) .......68
  Superpowers ..........................34, 40
  Superstar ......................................49
  Susceptibility ...............................42
  Swain, Charles (Ravenswood 
  traditional student) ............... 110
  Tannhauser, Dr. Lorelei ........... 117
  Tawose ..........................................84
  Teachers .......................................23
  Teams of teen heroes ..................36
  Teen Champions games and 
  characters ..............................5-42
  Teen Dream .............................. 144
  Teen teams ...................................36
  Teleios ....................................... 145
  Testing Room ........................58, 62
  Test scenarios ..............................62
  Tiergon .........................................49
  Trad-Stus (Ravenswood 
  “clique”) .....................................66
  Trance ...........................................79
  Transglobe Excavations .............69
  Trashmouth .............................. 122
  Truant oﬃ  cers .............................24
  Turnabout ................................. 125
  Typical Academic Calendar ......64
  TyrannoMan ...............................44
  U-Hall ..........................................53
  Ultrasight .....................................48
  Uncertain Moral Code 
  (Psychological Limitation) ......42
  Underclassmen ...........................18
  Underground Hall ......................53
  Uniforms at Ravenswood ..........65
  Updraft  (Ravenswood student) ...67
  Upperclassmen ............................18
  Urchin Lord (DEMON 
  Morbane) ................................ 110
  Vacations ................................10, 83
  Velocity (Ravenswood student) ..67
  Vietnam War ...............................72
  Villains .................................111-46
  VIPER ............................75, 111-26
  Vital statistics of Ravenswood 
  Academy ....................................53
  Von Drotte, Henrietta ............. 119
  Vulnerability ................................42
  Walters, Vice-Principal Al .........87
  Warren, Paul (Ravenswood 
  teacher) ......................................55
  We Come In Peace (exam 
  scenario) ....................................70
  Weekday at Ravenswood ...........64
  Weight Room ..............................58
  Weirdo (clique/Package Deal) ..33
  Weismann, Hyrum ............ 98, 100
  Widows of the Night ......... 72, 142
  Wing (Ravenswood student) ....67
  Wingman (ARGENT 
  operative) ................................ 106
  Witchcraft  ....................................90
  Zimmerman, Jake (Ravenswood 
  trad-stu) .....................................55
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Hero System/Hero System Teen Champions.pdf