TEXT: An e23 Sourcebook for GURPS
  ®
  STEVE JACKSON GAMES
  Stock #37-0302
  Version 1.0 – July 27, 2007
  ®
  Written by WILLIAM H. STODDARD
  Edited by ANDY VETROMILE
  Cover Art by DAVID DORMAN and JOHN ZELEZNIK
  Illustrated by JOHN HARTWELL, GREG HYLAND, GREG KIRKPATRICK,
  and DOUG SHULER
  
  CONTENTS
  2
  INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
  1. LARGER THAN LIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
  SOURCES AND INSPIRATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
  Masked Avengers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
  Superhumans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
  Prodigies of Science. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
  Lost Races . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
  Extraterrestrials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
  HISTORY OF THE GENRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
  The Originals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
  The Golden Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
  The Silver Age. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
  The Comics Code. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
  Darker Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
  New Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
  Retro Style. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
  THE FORMULA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
  Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
  Code. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
  Secret Identity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
  Code Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
  Costume. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
  Powers and Abilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
  Origin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
  Alternative Naming Styles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
  The Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
  VARIANTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
  Other Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
  Darker Heroes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
  The Achilles’ Heel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
  Limited Powers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
  Single-Source Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
  Heroes without Personae . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
  Supers . . . but Not Super Heroes. . . . . . . 12
  Crossover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
  CAMPAIGNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
  Genre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
  Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
  Breaking the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
  2. HEROES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
  POWER LEVELS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
  ORGANIZATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
  Solo Hero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
  League . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
  Full-Time Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
  Legion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
  Non-Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
  ORIGINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
  Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
  Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
  ELEMENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
  Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
  Passive Abilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
  Wild Advantages and Disadvantages . . . . 22
  Racial Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
  High Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
  Skills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
  Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
  Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
  Attributes and Skill Defaults. . . . . . . . . . . . 23
  STRENGTH AND SUPER-STRENGTH . . . . . . . . 24
  Under the Hood: The Cost of 
  Super-Strength. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
  ADVANTAGES, DISADVANTAGES, 
  AND SKILLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
  Advantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
  Itching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
  Modular Abilities and Modifiers. . . . . . . . . 27
  New Advantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
  Perks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
  Disadvantages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
  New Disadvantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
  Quirks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
  Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
  New Limitations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
  Meta-Trait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
  Skills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
  Power Modifiers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
  Skills and Super-Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
  Wildcard Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
  Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
  NEW POWERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
  Animal Function. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
  Elasticity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
  Phasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
  Plant Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
  Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
  TEMPLATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
  Wildcard Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
  Sleight of Hand Magic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
  Enchanted Items as Signature Gear . . . . . 55
  ATTACK ABILITIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
  MOTIVATIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
  DUAL IDENTITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
  Your Own Worst Enemy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
  3. SUPPORTING CASTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
  TEAMMATES AND TEAM ORGANIZATION . . . . 64
  Extra Team Members. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
  Team Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
  Teams as Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
  Teammates as Allies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
  TRUSTED ASSISTANTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
  Under the Hood: Multiple 
  Appearance Rolls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
  SIDEKICKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
  MENTORS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
  Wildcard Skills for Supporting Cast. . . . . . 66
  PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
  Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
  Best Friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
  Love Interests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
  Point Values for Dependents 
  and Allies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
  ARCHENEMIES AND ROGUES’ GALLERIES . . . 69
  The Schemer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
  New Enemies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
  The Antithesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
  The Dark Mirror. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
  The Double Agent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
  The Good Conspiracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
  The Nuisance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
  Villain Team-Ups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
  The Rogues’ Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
  ENTANGLED RELATIONSHIPS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
  Watchers and Rivals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
  4. SETS AND PROPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
  Tools of the Trade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
  Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
  One Use Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
  Hybrid Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
  Unusual Background and Equipment. . . . 75
  BREAKABILITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
  Taking Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
  EQUIPMENT AND EXTRA EFFORT . . . . . . . . . . 76
  COSTUMES AND ARMOR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
  Disguises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
  Adaptable Clothing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
  Armor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
  Acquiring a Costume. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
  Exoskeleta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
  Shields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
  PERSONAL GEAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
  Sensors and Computers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
  Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
  Stealth and Intrusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
  Medical Gear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
  Gizmos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
  WEAPONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
  Consumable Signature Gear. . . . . . . . . . . . 81
  Gun Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
  Weapons as Gizmos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
  UNIQUE EQUIPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
  TRANSPORTATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
  Personal Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
  Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
  Swinging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
  Rider-Powered Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
  Portals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
  HEADQUARTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
  Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
  Apparatus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
  Access. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
  Concealment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
  Structure and Fortifications . . . . . . . . . . . 88
  PETS
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
  SERVANTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
  MAGIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
  Enchanted Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
  CONTENTS
  GURPS,  Warehouse 23, and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks of  Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Pyramid, Supers, e23, and the names of all products
  published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are registered trademarks or trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or used under license. GURPS Supers is
  copyright © 1989, 1991, 1996, 2000, 2007 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Some art copyright © www.clipart.com. All rights reserved. 
  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this material via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, 
  and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the 
  electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
  GURPS System Design ❚ STEVE JACKSON
  GURPS Line Editor ❚ SEAN PUNCH
  Indexer ❚ THOMAS WEIGEL
  Page Design ❚ PHIL REED and JUSTIN DE WITT
  Managing Editor ❚ PHIL REED
  Production Manager ❚ MONICA STEPHENS
  Art Direction ❚ WILL SCHOONOVER
  Production Artist ❚ ALEX FERNANDEZ
  Print Buyers ❚ SHELLI GALEY 
  and MONICA STEPHENS
  Marketing Director ❚ PAUL CHAPMAN
  Sales Manager ❚ ROSS JEPSON
  Errata Coordinator ❚ ANDY VETROMILE
  GURPS FAQ MAINTAINER ❚ STÉPHANE THÉRIAULT
  Lead Playtester: Jeff Wilson
  Playtesters: Frederick Brackin (The Tinker), Jim Cambias (Doctor Thoth), Peter V. Dell'Orto (Martial Arts Guy), Scott Michael Harris (The Pontificator), Martin Heidemann (Pomphis), Steve Kenson
  (Mastermind), Jason Levine (Reverend Pee Kitty), Patrick Ley (Hexslinger), Christian Maillefaud (Cosmic Catman), Phil Masters, Brian Rogers (Agent of THEM), and Emily Smirle (Gal Dynamo)
  
  CONTENTS
  3
  About GURPS
  Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support of GURPS players.
  Our address is SJ Games, P.O. Box 18957, Austin, TX 78760. Please include
  a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) any time you write us! We can
  also be reached by e-mail: info@sjgames.com. Resources include:
  Pyramid (www.sjgames.com/pyramid). Our online magazine includes
  new GURPS rules and articles. It also covers the d20 system, Ars Magica,
  BESM, Call of Cthulhu, and many more top games – and other Steve
  Jackson Games releases like Illuminati, Car Wars, Transhuman Space,
  and more. Pyramid subscribers also get opportunities to playtest new
  GURPS books!
  New 
  supplements 
  and 
  adventures. 
  GURPS
  continues 
  to 
  grow, and we’ll be happy to let you know what’s new. For 
  a current catalog, send us a legal-sized SASE, or just visit www.ware-
  house23.com.
  e23. Our e-publishing division offers GURPS adventures, play aids, and
  support not available anywhere else! Just head over to e23.sjgames.com.
  Errata.
  Everyone makes mistakes, including us – but we 
  do our best to fix our errors. Up-to-date errata sheets for 
  all GURPS releases, including this book, are available on our website – see
  below.
  Internet. Visit us on the World Wide Web at www.sjgames.com for errata,
  updates, Q&A, and much more. To discuss GURPS with SJ Games staff and
  fellow gamers, come to our forums at forums.sjgames.com. The GURPS
  Supers web page can be found at www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/supers.
  Bibliographies. Many of our books have extensive bibliographies, and
  we’re putting them online – with links to let you buy the books that interest
  you! Go to the book’s web page and look for the “Bibliography” link.
  Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the GURPS Basic
  Set, Fourth Edition. Page references that begin with B refer to that book, not
  this one.
  Alchemical Preparations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
  Divine Gifts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
  Spell Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
  5. ALL-NEW ADVENTURES . . . . . . . . . 91
  ON PATROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
  Encounter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
  Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
  PIECES OF THE PUZZLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
  First Encounter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
  Exposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
  Complications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
  The Final Confrontation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
  Deathtraps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
  Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
  ALTERNATE ADVENTURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
  Catastrophes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
  Detective Stories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
  Elsewhere or Elsewhen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
  Helping Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
  Invasions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
  Mob Scenes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
  Monsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
  Oppression and Rebellion . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
  Other Lives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
  Time Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
  ADVENTURE SEEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
  Character Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
  6. AMAZING FEATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
  FOUR-COLOR ROLEPLAYING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
  Rules for Cinematic Campaigns. . . . . . . 100
  Rules for Four-Color Campaigns . . . . . . 100
  Rules for Silly Campaigns. . . . . . . . . . . . 100
  RAW STRENGTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
  Lifting Enormous Weights . . . . . . . . . . . 101
  Bending Steel Bars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
  AMAZING SPEED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
  Travel Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
  Maneuvering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
  Under the Hood: Maximum 
  Travel Times. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
  Time and Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
  INDESTRUCTIBILITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
  Corrosion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
  Optional Rules: Speed Talent 
  and Skill Bonuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
  Decompression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
  Electric Shock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
  Heat and Cold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
  Immersion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
  RULING THE ELEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
  Chemical Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
  Friction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
  Machines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
  Pressure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
  PERCEPTION AND MEMORY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
  Did You See That? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
  The Mechanical Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
  No Evil Shall Escape My Sight. . . . . . . . 107
  Reading the Hearts of Men. . . . . . . . . . . 108
  Looking Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
  How Not to Be Seen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
  MASTERING THE MIND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
  Hiding Your Thoughts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
  Concealed Entry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
  Influencing Other Minds. . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
  COMIC-BOOK WIZARDRY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
  INVENTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
  Sabotage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
  VERSATILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
  Modular Abilities and Skills . . . . . . . . . . 112
  AMAZING JOURNEYS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
  BEYOND THE LIMITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
  One-Use Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
  Latent Powers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
  Godlike Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
  SPENDING CHARACTER
  POINTS ON FEATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
  7. CLASHES OF TITANS . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
  FOUR-COLOR COMBAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
  Rules for Cinematic Campaigns. . . . . . . 116
  Rules for Four-Color Campaigns . . . . . . 116
  Rules for Silly Campaigns. . . . . . . . . . . . 117
  A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. . . . . . . . . . 117
  Hard to Kill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
  Flesh Wounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
  Four-Color Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
  No One Dies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
  A World without Death? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
  MASTER AGAINST MASTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
  ONE-MAN ARMIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
  MIGHTY BLOWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
  Big Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
  Improvised Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
  Throwing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
  Bodies Flying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
  Under the Hood: ST Requirements . . . . . 121
  HUMAN ARTILLERY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
  BULLETPROOF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
  Parrying Bullets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
  Damage Reduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
  Unkillable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
  MAN VERSUS MACHINE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
  Fists of Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
  Lifting and Grappling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
  Collisions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
  Benchmarks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
  Huge Targets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
  The Fragile World. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
  Cosmic Scale Damage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
  SPEED AND MANEUVERABILITY . . . . . . . . . . 126
  COMBAT TELEPORTATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
  DUEL OF THE MIND. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
  Mental Grappling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
  Psychic Duels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
  Mental Crippling and Killing . . . . . . . . . 127
  8. UNIVERSES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
  ONE PREMISE OR MANY?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
  One Origin, One Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
  One Origin, Many Places. . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
  Jane’s All the World’s Superhumans. . . . . 129
  Many Origins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
  THE BEGINNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
  NUMBERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
  Overall Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
  First-Person Super. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
  Regional Distributions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
  Example. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
  Top Twelve Rankings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
  Local Heroes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
  CAREERS AND HISTORIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
  Individual Career Length. . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
  Historical Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
  Retrospective. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
  ROLES OF SUPERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
  Villains. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
  Mercenaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
  Supers in the Workforce . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
  Supers in Private Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
  HISTORICAL IMPACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
  Heroes and the Law. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
  Varied Power Levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
  CULTURAL INFLUENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
  Popular Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
  National Symbols. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
  Science. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
  Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
  Self-Awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
  WIDER HORIZONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
  Advanced Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
  Alien Races . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
  Lost Races and Hidden Realms . . . . . . . 142
  Microworlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
  Other Dimensions and 
  Supernatural Beings . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
  Parallel Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
  Time Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
  CAMPAIGN SEEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
  Prior Art: Supers Settings in GURPS . . . 145
  SUPER-ABILITIES TABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
  BIBLIOGRAPHY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
  INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
  
  INTRODUCTION
  4
  INTRODUCTION
  The publication of GURPS Powers gave GURPS players a
  powerful new set of tools for describing the abilities of supers
  in game terms. With its help, almost any power from the
  comics can be defined and balanced against other abilities.
  But there’s more to supers than powers. Their adventures
  are an entire genre, with its own themes and conventions.
  Stories whose characters are as powerful as comic-book
  heroes, but don’t follow those conventions, are better classified
  as science fiction, fantasy, or horror. And there have been many
  comic book heroes with no powers at all.
  GURPS Supers is a guide to the supers genre. That is, it’s
  not about powers or mechanics; it’s about stories, characters,
  and worlds. Building on the material in GURPS Powers, it
  shows how to use that book to run a campaign that feels like
  stories about supers.
  Not that it’s devoid of mechanics. Players who love game
  mechanics will find some here, especially in chapters 6 and 7.
  But the emphasis isn’t on mechanics for their own sake; it’s on
  making the mechanics serve the needs of the genre.
  Other chapters talk about the genre in its own right, and
  about translating it from comic books to roleplaying sessions –
  without sacrificing the essence of the super adventure: the
  reader’s sense of wonder, and the characters that embody it.
  Chapter 1 of this book reviews the history of the genre and
  examines its key features. Chapters 2-4 look at the heroes
  themselves; their supporting casts; and their equipment, cos-
  tumes, vehicles, and bases. Chapter 5 examines the typical
  plots of comic book adventures and shows how to make them
  work in a game. Chapters 6 and 7 provide game mechanics for
  superhuman action. And Chapter 8 discusses the construction
  of supers universes as campaign settings.
  PUBLICATION HISTORY
  GURPS Supers has had two previous editions, both
  designed for use with GURPS Basic Set, Third Edition. The
  first edition introduced game mechanics for a wide array of
  superhuman abilities, many of which were grouped into “pow-
  ers,” though not in the same way as the current rules. Nearly
  all of this material has been incorporated into GURPS Basic
  Set, Fourth Edition and GURPS Powers, most in substantially
  revised versions. So have the gadgeteering rules. In addition,
  the first edition provided rules for super combat and feats,
  advice on running a supers campaign, and a “worked example”
  campaign world, the setting of the International Super Teams
  (IST). The second edition did away with “powers” as groups of
  abilities and added more depth to the other content.
  All of this material was inspirational for this volume, but
  almost none of it was specifically incorporated into it. This is
  partly because the mechanical aspects have already been incor-
  porated into the core GURPS rules, producing a more smooth-
  ly integrated system – rather than laying the same foundation,
  this book focuses on customizing that system to the needs of
  the four-color genre and a specific campaign world. And it’s
  partly because this book does not provide a setting for a supers
  campaign, so there is no IST material here. However, Loyd
  Blankenship’s exploration of the political realities of a world
  with active superhumans, built on further by Robert M.
  Schroeck in GURPS IST, was a stimulus to the discussion of
  campaign settings in this book’s Chapter 8.
  ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  William H. Stoddard acquired an early enthusiasm for
  reading and the English language, partly with the help of Silver
  Age comic books. This eventually led him into a career as a
  developmental editor, specializing in scientific and scholarly
  materials. He discovered roleplaying games in time to play
  Superhero 2044 and Villains and Vigilantes when they first
  came out; he currently plays in two campaigns, runs three, and
  writes game books, including the Origins Award winning
  GURPS Steampunk and his most recent book, GURPS
  Fantasy. All this gives him more reasons for indulging in his
  other favorite hobby, research. The supers genre is still one of
  his favorites. He lives in San Diego, California, with his girl-
  friend of twenty-plus years, in an apartment that holds one
  computer, two cats, and far too many books – despite which he
  still visits two libraries as often as he can. Don’t even ask about
  the garage!
  THANKS
  The author is grateful to Eben Brooks, game master of the
  Metahuman Vector campaign, for giving him a chance to play
  GURPS Supers under his own rules (as “La Gata Encantada”),
  and to his fellow players, Allison Lonsdale (“Bulletproof”),
  Doug Poston (“Doctor Lock”), Tim Sallume (“Gravitas”), and
  Dave Thun (“Shrike”), for helping to make it entertaining.
  
  The corridors of the temple were dark, especially here below
  the ground. The Scarab moved cautiously, not wanting to stum-
  ble over anything. Drawing attention to himself would be a bad
  idea; this part of the building was off-limits to the public, even
  during the daytime. The devotees might be eccentric, but many of
  them were wealthy; the police would side with them against a
  masked intruder. But his questions were too urgent for him to be
  bound by legalities.
  There, up ahead, was a source of light: a single fixture mount-
  ed above an alcove. Shielding his eyes, he peered into the shad-
  owed space below and made out a door, and a still figure – a stat-
  ue? no, it was moving now – a man, standing guard.
  As it stepped out into the light, the air seemed to shimmer as
  if his vision had blurred. Then there were three figures, not one,
  all clad alike, and each holding two knives. They came down the
  corridor toward him; there must have been enough light for them
  to see him.
  He briefly considered whether it would be better to retreat –
  but any room guarded by a sorcerer would surely yield important
  information. And if he left, he couldn’t hope for another chance,
  after putting them on guard. He raised his staff. At least in this
  narrow corridor it would be hard for them to get behind him.
  Two of them moved ahead of the third. He struck one with his
  staff, but felt no resistance. Were these glamours of some kind,
  then? But the one at his left slashed at his arm, and he felt the
  impact as the blade glanced off the metal bands of his armor. His
  counterstrike passed through that one’s knife hand, instead of
  breaking its grip; the three figures’ movements interwove in com-
  plex patterns, like a dance with changing partners.
  The three figures spoke, in unison, in a carrying whisper.” We
  are Legion. You cannot defeat us.”
  He fell back into a defensive stance for a moment, to give him-
  self time to observe. Listening carefully, he could tell that one of
  the three figures was breathing audibly, and he could feel the
  vibrations of its footfalls on the wooden floor. The other two had
  no such physicality. Having found his true target he struck out,
  and as his staff slammed against its head the two creatures of
  goetia shimmered and faded away. He pressed forward against
  his dazed opponent, batting the knife from his left hand. An
  instant later he parried the right-hand knife, and then jabbed his
  foe’s torso, knocking him to the floor. One final blow and the sor-
  cerer was unconscious.
  Now to see if he could get through the door. But he didn’t have
  much time to investigate . . .
  Supers adventures, as a genre, came into being in 1938 with
  the first appearance of Superman in Action Comics. Every ele-
  ment of the story had precursors in earlier fiction, but the com-
  bination was new – and wildly successful. It was quickly imi-
  tated, as publishers rushed other titles into print. Over the fol-
  lowing decades supers dominated American comics, and
  branched out into other media: film and television, novels and
  short stories, and roleplaying games. Games about supers are
  one of the more popular genres, and the ability to handle them
  smoothly is widely regarded as one of the most demanding
  tests of a game system’s flexibility.
  Supers aren’t science fiction, though many have science-
  fictional origins and adventures. They aren’t fantasy, though
  some cast spells, or wield magic weapons, or face magically
  talented foes. They aren’t detectives, though most of their mis-
  sions involve fighting crime. Supers adventures are set in a
  world where all these types of material can coexist; where an
  alien with strange powers, a brilliant inventor, a spellcaster,
  and a detective who’s good at punching out his foes can team
  up to save the world. Most genres try to limit their wonders
  and marvels, tracing them all back to one fantastic premise;
  supers adventure usually piles them up, creating a world of
  open-ended possibilities. If the GM wants to run a campaign in
  such a world, this book shows him how.
  LARGER THAN LIFE
  5
  CHAPTER ONE
  LARGER
  THAN LIFE
  SOURCES AND INSPIRATIONS
  Several literary elements went into the creation of the first
  supers. All of them were changed in the process. Characters in
  such campaigns can still find inspiration in the older concepts.
  MASKED AVENGERS
  Earlier 20th-century fiction featured many heroes who
  fought crime or oppression in disguise and under pseudonyms.
  Some operated in historical settings, such as the Scarlet
  Pimpernel (published 1905), the Scarecrow of Romney Marsh
  (published 1915), Zorro (published 1919), and the Lone Ranger
  (aired 1933); others were present-day adventurers, such as the
  Shadow (published 1931 after earlier radio appearances) and
  the Green Hornet (aired 1936). In an early example of shared
  continuity (see p. 7), the Green Hornet was the Lone Ranger’s
  nephew.
  
  These heroes were at most marginally “super,” with minor
  esoteric abilities such as the Shadow’s power to “cloud men’s
  minds” or gadgets such as the Green Hornet’s gas gun; their
  prowess came mostly from amazing skills, usually with
  weapons, such as Zorro’s sword or the Lone Ranger’s pistols.
  Some, such as the Scarecrow, were amazingly multitalented,
  following the example of such earlier heroes as Verne’s
  Captain Nemo and Dumas’ Count of Monte Cristo – both of
  which were pseudonyms adopted by men with wrongs to
  avenge.
  From these heroes, comic book heroes took the idea of
  fighting evil under a false name and in disguise. The big
  change was from reliance on skills and gadgets to reliance on
  superhuman powers as a main theme.
  SUPERHUMANS
  In the same period, novelists began writing about races
  more evolutionarily advanced than humanity. Early examples
  included Bulwer-Lytton’s The Coming Race and J. D.
  Beresford’s The Wonder. The American novelist John Taine
  came up with the idea of artificially accelerated evolution in
  Seeds of Life (published 1931). Olaf Stapledon’s Odd John
  (published 1936) coined the scientific name Homo superior (a
  term later picked up by Marvel Comics for its mutant heroes,
  the X-Men). Any number of “superman” stories appeared in
  science fiction over the next few decades. Probably the most
  influential was A.E. van Vogt’s Slan, serialized in Astounding
  Science Fiction in 1940.
  The original concept of the superman, in Nietzsche’s Thus
  Spoke Zarathustra, was as much moral as biological: The
  superman was a being who transcended human ideas of good
  and evil. Most other literary portrayals of the “superman”
  shared this idea. Stapledon retained it, but gave it an evolu-
  tionary rationalization – the idea of sudden biological muta-
  tions that created new species was relatively new and not
  fully discredited when he wrote. Comic-book supers later
  transformed the superman into a hero who might break the
  law, but still believed in, and sometimes ruthlessly enforced,
  conventional moral values. Comic book supermen were also
  more often physically than mentally gifted, fitting the action-
  adventure themes of their stories.
  PRODIGIES OF SCIENCE
  Nineteenth-century fiction included a number of works,
  such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Robert Louis
  Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, that portrayed fantastic
  beings either created or transformed by science. H.G. Wells’
  stories offered many more examples, including drugs that
  conferred gigantic size, invisibility, and superhuman speed,
  and animals granted human shape and a measure of human
  intelligence by vivisection. This became a major theme of sci-
  ence fiction including Philip Wylie’s Gladiator, whose hero
  Hugo Danner (believed to have been an inspiration for
  Superman) was granted superhuman strength and speed and
  a skin tough enough to resist small-arms fire by a serum
  invented by his father.
  Comic-book supers carried on this tradition, with treat-
  ments that made them grow or shrink, turned them invisible,
  enhanced their strength or speed, and so on. Possibly the best
  known was Captain America, transformed by a “super-
  soldier” drug. Others gained their powers not through delib-
  erate processes, but through scientific accidents. A few were
  actually artificial beings such as the original Human Torch,
  an android whose chemical makeup caused him to burst into
  flame when exposed to oxygen. The older literary tradition
  portrayed many of these scientifically granted abilities as
  two-edged gifts or outright curses; in the comics they were
  portrayed more optimistically, enabling ordinary men to
  become heroes.
  A recent comic series, Alan Moore’s The League of
  Extraordinary Gentlemen, looked back to the sources of this
  idea, with both Mr. Hyde and the Invisible Man recruited by
  the British government as top-secret agents.
  LOST RACES
  In 1900, there were significant parts of the world that no
  Western explorer had visited, or even seen from above: the
  interiors of Africa and New Guinea, the Tibetan Plateau, and
  almost all of Antarctica. Islands off the shipping lanes might
  be unexplored or even uncharted. Over the following half-
  century, most of these areas were mapped and explored. But
  the idea that undiscovered tribes, civilizations, or even entire
  races could be found there remained plausible. Writers from
  Edgar Rice Burroughs to H.P. Lovecraft described lost cities
  in remote places.
  Similar forgotten races found their way into the comics.
  Heroes might visit their mysterious homelands, or even grow
  up there – a classic Unusual Background. Some were born
  into lost tribes and came to the known world as visitors.
  Wonder Woman, from an island inhabited by the legendary
  Amazons, was the best known of these.
  Both the depths of the ocean and the interior of the Earth
  remained mysterious until even later; for the most part scien-
  tists could only guess at what was to be found there.
  Underwater and subterranean races appeared in the comics.
  For example, Atlantis went from sunken ruins in Jules Verne’s
  20,000 Leagues under the Sea to a city of water-breathing
  inhabitants in the origin stories of two amphibious heroes,
  Marvel’s Sub-Mariner and DC’s Aquaman.
  EXTRATERRESTRIALS
  Stories about sapient races on other planets go back a
  long way; an ancient Roman writer described such beings in
  his story A True History. For a long time such beings were
  either sheer flights of fancy, intended only to amuse readers,
  or vehicles for satiric comment on human peculiarities, as in
  Voltaire’s Micromégas.
  H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds captured widespread
  public attention as a story that attempted to make such
  beings scientifically plausible. Both Wells and Edgar Rice
  Burroughs, in A Princess of Mars and its sequels, were
  inspired by Percival Lowell’s description of Mars as an
  ancient, dying planet covered with a vast network of canals.
  The idea that other worlds in the solar system, especially
  Mars and Venus, might have Earthlike life inspired science-
  fiction novels into the 1960s. One of the first Silver-Age
  supers (see p. 7), J’onn J’onzz, was a humanoid Martian
  stranded on Earth by a scientific accident.
  LARGER THAN LIFE
  6
  
  Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster launched the supers genre with
  the first Superman stories. Over the decades that followed,
  new generations of comics writers explored many variations
  on the formula, and many styles of storytelling.
  THE ORIGINALS
  Superman was the prototype for all comic-book heroes
  with superpowers. He started out with fairly modest abilities:
  His muscular energy output was high enough to lift an auto-
  mobile, outrun an express train, or long jump 220 yards, and
  his skin was impenetrable to anything short of a bursting shell.
  Over the years his powers grew, and he added a series of new
  powers, such as flying and X-ray vision in the 1940s and heat
  vision in the 1960s. The explanation for these powers also
  shifted: Originally they were the product of advanced
  Kryptonian evolution, later they resulted from Krypton’s grav-
  ity being stronger than Earth’s, and still later his body was
  charged with energy from Earth’s yellow sun, which was more
  intense than Krypton’s red sun. But Superman always
  remained among the most powerful heroes of the DC universe,
  and among the most ethical.
  Batman, created not long after, was a darker hero, seeking
  vengeance for his parents’ murder by a street criminal. In
  many ways he carried forward the traditions of the pulps, with
  his focus on street crime and his skill as a detective. He had no
  superpowers and was shown to need none to be among the
  most dangerous men in the world. Between them, he and
  Superman defined the extremes of the spectrum of supers.
  THE GOLDEN AGE
  The late 1930s and early 1940s saw the flowering of the
  supers idea. Publishers rushed into print with every variation
  on the theme their writers could dream up. Most of the work-
  able concepts for superpowers emerged during the Golden
  Age. Many protagonists had no special abilities at all; they
  relied on skill and gimmicks, like the heroes of the pulps. The
  formula was still taking shape, and many supers didn’t com-
  pletely fit it.
  Comics in this era were seen as light entertainment, suit-
  able for children and for soldiers at the front lines who needed
  some escape reading. Many of these characters had startlingly
  silly origins, from being raised by condors and taught to fly to
  plunging themselves into molten steel. They often kidded
  around with each other and bantered with their foes. The plots
  weren’t intended to be realistic; it was enough if they excited or
  mystified the reader.
  THE SILVER AGE
  In the mid-1950s, DC Comics began reviving heroes from
  the 1940s, starting with the Flash and Green Lantern. A few
  years later they revived the original superteam, the Justice
  Society of America, under a new name: the Justice League of
  America. Marvel Comics then re-entered the supers line with
  the Fantastic Four, a team partially inspired by the Justice
  League. The two publishers dominated the industry for over a
  decade.
  During this period, Marvel titles pioneered several ideas
  that have now become standard in comics: heroes who had
  personalities and inner conflicts; stories that carried on from
  issue to issue; personal relationships between characters that
  changed and developed. Both Marvel and DC brought all their
  characters together into shared continuities, which became
  known as “universes.” Supernatural elements were still present
  in many stories, but the overall view was more scientific, and
  explanations for superpowers were expected to at least sound
  like scientific theories.
  Supers in this era also lived by stricter moral rules. They
  had to; they were published under the Comics Code (see left).
  The questioning of the Comics Code and the rise of independ-
  ent publishers led to the next era in the history of the genre.
  Later science-fiction writers turned to inventing planets in
  other solar systems and populating them with sapient races.
  These might be anything from Stone-Age tribes to the rulers of
  vast interstellar empires. Comic-book writers have adopted
  this idea, commonly making their races humanoid or even
  human – some of them are cross-fertile with Earth humans.
  The first published super, Superman, came from the ancient,
  dying planet Krypton. Alien races in the comics often natural-
  ly have powers; for example, most of the members of the
  Legion of Super-Heroes came from distant planets where
  everybody shared their special abilities.
  LARGER THAN LIFE
  7
  HISTORY OF THE GENRE
  The Comics Code
  Many of the stricter heroic codes of conduct were
  the product of a real-world system of rules: the Comics
  Code.
  Over the course of the 1940s, comics publishers saw
  that the content of their books was sometimes contro-
  versial. Some of those companies, such as DC Comics
  and MLJ Comics (publishers of Archie), adopted
  restrictions on the type of stories they would publish.
  When comics came under congressional investigation
  in the early 1950s, the industry offered to assume a sys-
  tem of rules that formalized those restrictions rather
  than having the government shut them down. Applied
  in its strictest form in the 1950s, the Comics Code
  required heroes to avoid any conduct that parents
  might consider unsuitable for their children. Its power
  was weakened when Marvel Comics, and shortly after-
  ward DC Comics, published cautionary stories about
  drug addiction – without the Comics Code label they
  had been denied.
  
  LARGER THAN LIFE
  8
  DARKER COLORS
  From the late 1970s on, supers became experimental again
  and so did the publishing industry. Independent publishers like
  Comico, Dark Horse, and Eclipse sprang up over the next two
  decades, and while many of them died back, some survived to
  bring out innovative titles. DC and Marvel saw the emergence
  of a large rival firm, the creator-owned Image. Big publishers
  began releasing titles under new imprints tailored for diverse
  audiences, such as DC’s lines Vertigo (which took over their
  fantasy and horror titles) and Milestone (which published
  books about black or multiethnic supers). Some companies
  granted rights to writers and artists that had formerly only
  been available to the few who made a go of self-publication.
  One of the major themes of the 1980s was the emergence of
  the “dark” or “grim and gritty” hero. The first steps in this
  direction occurred in the 1970s, with the appearance of more
  violent supers such as the Punisher and Wolverine. But it was
  Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns that made such char-
  acters both a popular and a critical success. Over the decade
  that followed, brutal heroes and moral ambiguity became
  common themes, and eventually new clichés of the genre.
  NEW MEDIA
  Supers began appearing in film in the 1930s and television
  as early as the 1940s, originally in movie serials and later in
  broadcast shows. The special effects of these early efforts were
  crude and couldn’t take up much of the story; they served
  mainly to suggest superhuman feats to the viewer’s imagina-
  tion. Non-powered costumed heroes demanded fewer special
  effects and appeared in film even earlier; the first Zorro film
  was made in 1919, the year after the original novel was pub-
  lished, as a vehicle for Douglas Fairbanks’ move from comedy
  to action-adventure. Radio dramas avoided the problem of
  special effects, and heroes such as the Shadow and the Lone
  Ranger made their first appearances there.
  Supers found a larger audience with the 1960s television
  series Batman. This was an exercise in deliberate camp,
  humorously exaggerating the clichés of the comics rather than
  trying to make them plausible. A few years later, the animated
  series The Super Friends drew many viewers with a version of
  the main DC heroes aimed at younger audiences.
  In the 1970s, a big budget Superman film showed that tech-
  nology was now good enough to make superhuman powers
  look believable. By the end of the 20th century, sophisticated
  special effects were commonplace and any given year might
  see the release of several films about comic-book heroes.
  Comics publishers became valuable assets to large media con-
  glomerates, not for the profits from releasing the books but for
  the opportunity to turn characters and series into big-budget
  films. Television networks also became willing to consider seri-
  ous series about such figures; Superman was the focus of two
  such shows, Lois and Clark and Smallville.
  Animated series also became more visually sophisticated;
  the animated Batman program was a notable example. Anime
  studios in Japan brought out shows in this genre as well, and
  that style became a major influence on American popular
  media. In the early 21st century, the release of a full-length ani-
  mated film, The Incredibles, called for no special explanation
  by the studio; the audience was ready to accept both the ani-
  mation and the supers as legitimate artistic choices.
  There wasn’t so much interpenetration between comics and
  conventional books, possibly because the supers concept was
  easier to carry off through visual imagery. George R.R. Martin’s
  “shared-world” anthology series Wild Cards was the most influ-
  ential, reconfiguring them in terms closer to science fiction,
  with an alien virus turning some of its victims into superpow-
  ered “aces” and others into deformed “jokers.” Publishers also
  brought out a stream of spin-off novels about comics or film
  supers, but these gained their audience mainly from fans of the
  books rather than bringing in a new audience.
  RETRO STYLE
  In the 1990s, comics writers began to find inspiration in a
  different aspect of Watchmen: not the brutality and corruption
  of many of its players, but its invention of a new universe with
  its own continuity, comparable to but distinct from that of the
  DC and Marvel universes. Creator Alan Moore came up with
  multiple universes, fusing classic Victorian and Edwardian
  characters into a new continuity in League of Extraordinary
  Gentlemen and imagining completely new worlds in 1963, Top
  Ten, and the various series published as America’s Best Comics.
  Other writers, such as Kurt Busiek in Astro City, invented their
  own heroes and gave them equally invented histories, while
  Warren Ellis’ Planetary explored the same ground as League of
  Extraordinary Gentlemen with variants on 20th-century fiction-
  al characters from many sources. This type of new continuity
  can provide a useful model for the creation of campaigns; see
  Chapter 8 for some guidelines.
  Despite their variety, supers mostly fit a certain overall pat-
  tern. One element or another of that design may be missing,
  but the more that are left out, the less well the “super” label fits
  the character.
  Mission
  Part of being a hero is having a cause to fight for. They
  aren’t supposed to fight for money or for the love of fighting,
  they’re supposed to fight for something bigger than themselves
  and, if necessary, die for it.
  It’s possible for “hero” to be a job with a salary and benefits,
  often paid by a government agency or a nonprofit organiza-
  tion, but the wage isn’t supposed to be what motivates the
  super. Like a military officer, he’s supposed to be working for
  something he believes in; getting paid enables him to spend all
  his time fighting – and he probably doesn’t get paid all that
  much. If he’s a freelancer, he probably takes on a lot of work
  for people who can’t afford to hire him. And many heroes pur-
  sue their careers as a hobby, or as volunteer work, not making
  a penny off them. A long line of wealthy characters have used
  up much of their wealth paying for training and equipment.
  THE FORMULA
  
  As for excitement, the readers of comics, and the players in
  those campaigns, certainly find them thrilling. But that’s not
  what being a hero is really about. Many of the best stories have
  shown protagonists who’ve fought until the excitement has
  worn off, struggling to find the will to carry on when their help
  is really needed.
  Different heroes have different causes. Some are driven by
  vengeance; having lost someone they care about to crime, they
  want to strike back at criminals. Some are patriotic, fighting to
  protect their country from its enemies. Some are idealists,
  working for more abstract values, or for the service of human-
  ity. Some are misfits or outcasts, trying to prove that they
  deserve humanity’s respect. Thinking out what ethical princi-
  ple means the most to a specific hero can be an important part
  of defining his character.
  CODE
  In addition to positive values, things they strive to attain,
  most heroes have things they work to avoid. Often these
  restrictions are more stringent than the rules ordinary human
  beings live by. Many never use deadly force, even against foes
  who are trying to kill them. Most heroes keep their promises,
  even to their enemies. Typically they uphold the law, even in
  settings where they’re legally classed as vigilantes.
  In many ways they’re like the knights of medieval legend,
  who lived by chivalric ideals that made their lives more diffi-
  cult. The hero is supposed to serve his country, fight fair, and
  defend the weak. Any who use their powers to oppress or prey
  on lesser mortals are outlaws – or, in genre language, “supervil-
  lains.” But even a villain who keeps his word to his foes and
  scorns an unfair fight may be a sympathetic figure with a
  chance of redemption.
  SECRET IDENTITY
  Most heroes keep their true identities secret, either operat-
  ing behind the scenes or making public appearances in an
  assumed persona. In some cases this is just a matter of tradi-
  tion: People expect them to have secret identities, so new
  heroes automatically have them. But comics writers have
  come up with a variety of more-or-less plausible motives over
  the years.
  • The hero is breaking the law in some way, and needs to
  disguise his identity to avoid arrest. This is a common motive
  for vigilantes. Other heroes are rebels against an oppressive
  government; this was the motive of such precursors of the
  genre as the Scarlet Pimpernel and Zorro, and also of recent
  characters like Alan Moore’s V.
  • The hero wants to protect his privacy against the news
  media and his own fans.
  • The hero fears that his enemies would attack his family
  and friends, either for revenge, or to put pressure on him to
  leave them alone or serve their schemes. Of course, this doesn’t
  work as well if he then turns around and courts or befriends the
  same people in his heroic identity, but many have done so over
  the years!
  • The hero wants people to like him for who he is as a per-
  son and not because he’s famous or powerful. This justification
  is a better fit for loners than for full-time team members, who
  can hang out with others of their own kind.
  • The hero has made some form of commitment in his
  true identity that he doesn’t want to violate (in GURPS
  terms, a Vow), but he feels things he does in his secret iden-
  tity don’t count against that commitment. This is ethically a
  bit odd – imagine a man who felt it was all right to have an
  affair if he used an assumed name! Conflict between the
  obligations of the two identities is likely to cause major
  problems for the hero, except perhaps in “light entertain-
  ment” versions of the genre.
  Having a secret identity exposes the hero to a new threat,
  of course: the danger that his secret will be revealed. Scenes
  where the villain reaches for the unconscious super’s mask
  are classic cliffhanger endings in the genre.
  CODE NAME
  If a hero both operates in public and maintains a secret
  identity, he can’t call himself by his real name. Unlike writ-
  ers and actors who adopt pseudonyms or stage names that
  could be a real person (such as Lewis Carroll, George
  Orwell, John Wayne, or Marilyn Monroe), heroes choose
  code names that obviously aren’t their birth names. Often
  these are descriptive words or phrases that tell people some-
  thing about them: Captain America is patriotic, Green
  Lantern’s ring emits bright green light, and so on.
  The oldest style of name ends in man, woman, boy, or
  girl. After the 1960s, this became less common. A few heroes
  take titles such as Captain (suggesting a military back-
  ground), Doctor (favored by mages and scientific geniuses),
  or even Mr. or Ms. Others simply use short nouns, some-
  times preceded by “the.” Another option is mythological or
  literary allusions, whether to indicate that the hero actually
  is a god, or simply because they sound suggestive and
  mysterious.
  The code name is so much a part of the style that even
  heroes who don’t hide their true identities often take one.
  Neither the Fantastic Four nor the Legion of Super-Heroes
  go in for secret identities, but they all have code names.
  Using them is a way of indicating the character is function-
  ing in a special role.
  COSTUME
  Traditional costumes owe their main features to the
  needs of comic-book publishers. They’re mostly in primary
  colors, without complex patterns, to make them easier to
  draw and reproduce. To show off the hero’s physique,
  they’re tight-fitting – an effect that can now be reproduced
  with Spandex, for the few real people with bodies sufficient-
  ly perfect to look good in it! To help readers recognize them,
  they’re visually distinctive. Comics have an iconography
  rather like that of medieval paintings of the saints, in which
  each had his own color scheme and carried emblems of his
  career or martyrdom.
  Early heroes, such as the Spirit, wore costumes that
  recalled the heroes of the pulps: ordinary clothing like suits,
  supplemented with masks, cowls, or cloaks. The DC charac-
  ter the Sandman started out with a suit and a gas mask, but
  then changed to a garish yellow-and-purple supersuit in
  later issues; the Fantastic Four went through a similar
  change in their first few issues.
  LARGER THAN LIFE
  9
  
  Those who belong to groups may wear team uniforms with
  fairly standard patterns, like those of DC’s Doom Patrol or
  Marvel’s Fantastic Four or X-Men. Typically these are still
  form-fitting and brightly colored, but a team could just as well
  wear jumpsuits or leather outerwear and protective helmets.
  Some heroes actually gain their abilities from their cos-
  tumes. This is common for anyone who wears powered armor,
  like Marvel’s Iron Man, but more advanced technology may
  build powers into fabric, as in the television series The Greatest
  American Hero. Others may gain benefits from specific parts of
  their costumes, such as the Sandman’s gas mask, or from jew-
  elry and accoutrements, such as Green Lantern’s power ring or
  Wonder Woman’s bracelets. See Chapter 4 for more on such
  gear.
  POWERS AND ABILITIES
  A hero’s powers and abilities are what make him “super.”
  Some “supers” are actually normal human beings whose abili-
  ties come from intense training or newly invented technology
  – though both types tend to be a little better than any real
  human being could become. Most have actual abilities of the
  sort described in GURPS Powers.
  To make a heroic adventure work, a character’s abilities
  need to serve three main functions:
  • He should be able to defeat or incapacitate several ordi-
  nary human beings in a hand-to-hand fight, either by wading
  into combat with them or by taking them out of action from a
  distance.
  • To keep them from just shooting him, he should have
  some ability that protects him from gunfire.
  • He should be capable of some feat that amazes and
  impresses witnesses to his story.
  Individual members of a full-time team may not have all
  three types of abilities; they can cover each other’s weaknesses.
  Heroes who have solo careers need the full set.
  ORIGIN
  It’s traditional for a super to have an origin–that is, a story
  of how he came to be a super. This story explains the source of
  his powers, and usually the nature of his most important abil-
  ities. It also explains his mission and code by showing the key
  experiences that shaped them. For better-written heroes these
  Alternative 
  Naming Styles
  Using classic code names in a campaign is a way of
  signaling to the players that it’s going to be a tradition-
  al supers campaign. For a GM who wants a less conven-
  tional campaign, a different style might be useful. A
  variety of real-world chosen or acquired names could
  provide models:
  British occultists in the late 19th and early 20th cen-
  tury tended to choose short Latin phrases as pseudo-
  nyms. Supers with a mystical background might call
  themselves Doctor Mirabilis or Soror Mystica.
  Heroes who fancied themselves modern-day knights
  might follow the naming conventions of the Society for
  Creative Anachronism, adopting archaic names pref-
  aced with knightly or aristocratic titles, with a College
  of Heralds to make sure only one hero called herself La
  Demoiselle Britomart la Severe.
  Some might adopt call names like those used in
  radio communication: Red Dog or Torchbearer.
  More modern characters might name themselves in
  the style of online communities, possibly with typo-
  graphic tricks: c4pt41n s171c0n, for example.
  Hero names might resemble the names used by
  American professional wrestlers (Crusher Creel) or
  Mexican luchadores (La Martilla).
  They might not name themselves, but have titles
  given to them by reporters, based for example on loca-
  tions or trademarks: The Manhattan Marvel or The
  Golden Gladiator. In this world, many heroes might
  actually dislike their aliases! Corporate or government
  sponsors could also assign codes to heroes or teams. Or
  they might start naming themselves as a form of self-
  protection, after acquiring a few unflattering monikers
  from the media – especially in a humorous campaign.
  Devout heroes who considered their powers gifts
  from God might choose religiously themed names. For
  example, American evangelicals might pick Bible vers-
  es, such as Genesis 7:11 or Psalm 59:10. Muslim war-
  riors in the era of the Crusades might adopt the 99
  names of God as epithets: al-Batin, “the hidden,” or an-
  Nur, “the light.”
  The MASK
  Heroes who keep their real identities secret com-
  monly wear masks, but the size of the disguise isn’t
  necessarily sufficient to the task. A full face mask
  makes the wearer unrecognizable, and one that reveals
  the nostrils, lips, and chin could do so, but it isn’t con-
  vincing for a hero who wears a simple domino mask
  over his eyes. Yet neither a super’s foes nor his friends
  are likely to see through it.
  In cinematic campaigns, it’s best to treat this as a
  convention of the genre. In slightly more realistic
  games, a GM might choose to define the ability to con-
  ceal one’s identity behind a domino mask as a Perk (see
  p. 30). Otherwise, heroes should cover their whole
  faces – or make sure they aren’t photographed, video-
  taped, or seen by people who know them in their true
  identities!
  Other characters don’t bother with masks at all.
  They may assume a different persona as heroes, and
  altered body language and a few simple physical
  changes – putting on or taking off glasses and combing
  their hair differently – make them unrecognizable. Or
  they may use their powers to disguise themselves:
  Speedsters may vibrate their faces into a blur, or illu-
  sionists may make themselves look different. Some
  heroes actually change into a different physical form in
  their heroic identities, avoiding the problem entirely,
  in the fashion of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
  LARGER THAN LIFE
  10
  
  The classic formula still appeals to many readers and many
  gamers will be happy with campaigns based on it, but other
  approaches are possible for players looking for variety. Each is
  based on questioning one or more assumptions of the standard
  method.
  OTHER SETTINGS
  Most comic-book campaigns take place in the present; that
  is, the actual year and the campaign year are the same. Many
  are set in the country where the players live, and often in the
  same city. All this has the advantage of familiarity: The supers
  themselves are exotic, but the technology, laws, and cultural
  background are unchanged. But there are other options.
  The DC and Marvel universes include characters pub-
  lished as far back as the eve of World War II. More recently
  created universes often go back that far, to give the reader a
  sense of historical depth. Kurt Busiek’s Astro City, Alan
  Moore’s Watchmen, and George R.R. Martin’s Wild Cards
  anthologies all include material of this kind, as does the IST
  setting for GURPS. It’s possible to run an entire campaign set
  in an earlier period such as this. Along the same lines, a game
  could follow the model of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
  or Planetary, with proto-supers having adventures in the late
  19th or early 20th century, inspired by the heroes of popular
  fiction.
  Campaigns set in the present can also take place in other
  countries. American players can take the roles of European,
  Japanese, or Latin-American heroes; players in other countries
  can do the same, or play the exotic part of heroes from
  California, New York, or Kansas. Such a game can explore the
  ways different societies can accommodate heroes: as super-
  soldiers in Israel or the Soviet Union of the Cold-War Era, as
  religious figures in Muslim lands, or as folk heroes in Mexico
  or Haiti, for example.
  Campaigns can be set in the distant past – which often also
  means in foreign countries, at least for American players. What
  if there had been people with superpowers in the French
  Revolution, the Middle Ages, or ancient China? Light-hearted
  campaigns can come up with reasons for historic heroes to
  look exactly like modern heroes; more serious games can
  imagine how supers of the past would have fit into their own
  eras’ concepts of larger-than-life heroes, from medieval cru-
  saders to ancient Chinese sages.
  DARKER HEROES
  A supers campaign doesn’t have to follow the Comics Code;
  it can be based on the grimmer heroes of the 1980s and 1990s
  – or look back to Golden-Age characters like the Spectre, or the
  darker pulp heroes. Supers in such campaigns may not regard
  human life as sacred.
  The big question for such a campaign is how the supers get
  away with killing their foes. The answer reveals important
  things about the setting. The GM should pick a reason and
  apply it consistently.
  two are usually linked, either because the hero’s mission drove
  him to acquire his abilities in the first place, or because his
  abilities and his relation to their source gave him a special
  sense of purpose or personal destiny.
  Comics publishers originally created each new super with
  his own origin, unrelated to the origins of other supers. When
  they went on to publish the first team-up stories in the 1940s,
  and to create universes that included all their characters in the
  1950s and 1960s, all of these separate origins coexisted in a
  single setting, which meant that these universes had a lot of
  fantastic things going on. This “shared continuity” has become
  a trademark of the genre. Later stories sometimes featured
  teams of heroes who all had the same origin, and worked
  together partly because of it.
  LARGER THAN LIFE
  11
  The Achilles’ Heel
  VARIANTS
  Especially in the 1940s and 1950s, supers had special
  weaknesses to balance their special powers. They might be
  nearly unbeatable in a fight, but an enemy who knew their
  weakness could make them helpless. This idea is older
  than the comics: The Greek hero Achilles, rendered invul-
  nerable by being dipped in the River Styx as a baby save
  for the heel by which his mother held onto him, is a clas-
  sic example. But comics writers came up with any number
  of ingenious variations on the formula. The concept gave
  rise to the idea of disadvantages in the first edition of
  Champions, and is now included in the rules for many
  roleplaying games including GURPS.
  Heroic weaknesses are a narrower category than disad-
  vantages in general; they’re the negative side of the hero’s
  powers. Broadly speaking, they fall into three groups.
  Some heroes have special needs, either to stay alive (for
  example, hourly immersion in water) or to maintain their
  abilities (recharging a weapon once a day). Others have
  things their powers can’t affect like wood or magical
  objects. Still others can be driven away or even killed by
  things that don’t trouble normal people – for example, holy
  water, open flames, or glowing green rocks from outer
  space.
  Achilles’ heels dramatize the idea that the most power-
  ful hero is still mortal. They also make it easy to threaten
  him or take him out of action. On the other hand, running
  scenario after scenario where the enemy just happens to
  have the one thing that makes the hero helpless can get
  boring. GMs should use these weaknesses cautiously.
  Players may be tempted by the added power, but a hero
  who’s either omnipotent or helpless won’t be as much fun
  as they may imagine.
  
  Perhaps the team works for the government, as police, sol-
  diers, or spies, and are legally permitted or even required to kill
  under certain conditions. This can be combined with flashy
  costumes and colorful code names, but it’s easier to make con-
  vincing with heroes in uniforms – or black suits and mirrored
  sunglasses. The Agents in The Matrix could be the supers of a
  different world.
  Perhaps they openly break the law but can’t be punished
  because juries refuse to convict them. This could define a dark
  future where law and order have broken down and the public
  demands protectors; it could also be true in a corrupt town
  along the lines of Gotham City in The Dark Knight Returns.
  Perhaps the heroes have to operate in secret, pursued by the
  police and even the army. They may be criminals, protecting a
  world that fears them. This theme of the misunderstood hero
  can also work for characters with more traditional ideals such
  as Spider-Man and the X-Men.
  LIMITED POWERS
  Supers don’t have to have actual powers. They may simply
  have highly developed skills, or abilities that don’t make them
  truly superhuman, such as exotic weaponry, mastery of eso-
  teric fighting techniques, or psychic or other unusual talents.
  This was the ability level of most heroes of the pulps, and also
  of Alan Moore’s Watchmen (apart from the godlike Dr.
  Manhattan).
  One way to run a limited powers campaign is as a period
  piece, set in the 1920s or 1930s and based on pulp novels,
  newspaper comic strips, and movie and radio serials. Heroes
  would deal mainly with big-city crime and corruption that the
  police couldn’t touch, spiced with the occasional mad scientist.
  It would also be possible to run a limited-powers campaign
  set in the present or the near future, as a more realistic look at
  the supers concept. Protagonists might benefit from gadgets,
  drugs, or even minor genetic modifications, but wouldn’t have
  the scientifically implausible energy output or body transfor-
  mations of classic comic-book stars. Will Shetterly’s alternate-
  history comic Captain Confederacy offered a version of this
  approach, with heroes as agents of various national
  governments.
  SINGLE-SOURCE POWERS
  When science-fiction writer George R.R. Martin put togeth-
  er the Wild Cards shared-world anthology, he provided a single
  origin story – infection with an alien virus – behind all the aces
  and jokers of his alternate Earth. Other writers have taken the
  same approach; so has the recent television series Smallville,
  where glowing green meteorites confer any number of bizarre
  powers on the town’s residents. This is a more science-fiction-
  al treatment of supers, using H.G. Wells’ formula of “one
  impossible assumption” from which all the fantastic elements
  in the story are derived. It’s a departure from typical comic-
  book universes.
  The original GURPS Supers setting, the world of the IST,
  uses this approach, with mysterious “Seeder genes” from alien
  intervention in the distant past giving certain people superhu-
  man powers. Other possibilities include human genetic engi-
  neering, nanotechnology, spontaneous mutation, psionic abili-
  ties, and even the return of magic to the world, as in Matt
  Wagner’s Mage: The Hero Discovered.
  This idea can be combined with limited powers in a some-
  what realistic treatment of possible human modifications. For
  example, a man with implanted electric-eel genes might con-
  ceivably be able to stun his foes with electric jolts; he couldn’t
  hurl lightning bolts about! On the other hand, any such prem-
  ise can also be treated in a “rubber-science” style.
  HEROES WITHOUT PERSONAE
  Many characters fit the classic formula with costumes and
  code names, but don’t keep their true identities hidden. Some
  others don’t have costumes or code names, either. They look
  just like anyone else – except that they have powers and a
  mission.
  Some heroes of this type are famous and recognized every-
  where they go. A classic example is the pulp hero Doc Savage,
  the Man of Bronze. Having a huge fortune and a good reputa-
  tion helped him avoid legal harassment for his exploits; a poor-
  er or less popular hero might find public visibility a curse.
  Many heroes are unknown to the general public, though
  they may have reputations among other heroes, criminals, and
  similar groups. Two recent examples are Kevin Matchstick,
  from Matt Wagner’s comic Mage: The Hero Discovered, and
  Buffy Summers, from Joss Whedon’s television series Buffy the
  Vampire Slayer. Warren Ellis’ comic Planetary portrays a team
  of such “civilian” heroes, devoted to investigating evidence of
  paranormal events.
  A campaign focused on visible crime-fighters can still use
  most of the traditional elements; its most important difference
  will be that the heroes won’t interact with normal people on
  equal terms. Instead, they’re like wealthy, powerful, or famous
  people in the real world, who associate mainly with others like
  themselves. One of the clichés of pulp fiction, the “adventurers’
  club,” can provide a framework for this type of campaign.
  In contrast, unknown metahumans still live in the normal
  world, though they may have trouble dealing with people who
  don’t know how they spend their free time. The GM needs to
  decide at the outset whether their secrecy is maintained by
  general disbelief, powerful government agencies, or some
  other external force, or by a series of dramatic coincidences, or
  by the efforts of the heroes themselves to hide what they’re
  really doing. “Secret supers” campaigns will be a lot like set-
  tings about spies operating undercover.
  SUPERS . . . BUT
  NOT SUPER HEROES
  Does having superhuman powers or skills force someone to
  devote his life to good or evil? Not necessarily. Many supers
  may just want to go about their lives and do their jobs. They
  may regard their powers as an occupational resource, a hobby,
  or a burden that they would rather get rid of.
  Most supers universes have some characters of this type,
  such as the Inhumans in The Fantastic Four and the Morlocks
  in The X-Men. They could even be the majority of the meta-
  human community; comics focus on adventurers, just as
  action films focus on police officers, spies, and 
  martial artists, bypassing ordinary people doing their jobs. A
  variant supers campaign could focus on people with unusual
  abilities who don’t wear capes or fight crime.
  LARGER THAN LIFE
  12
  
  Or such supers could exist in an entire world with no
  heroes. The resulting campaign wouldn’t be in the comic-book
  genre. Most stories about such extraordinary people are clas-
  sified as science fiction. Typically their protagonists have fair-
  ly restrained or inconspicuous powers, as in Zenna
  Henderson’s stories of The People, refugees from another
  planet with psychic and spiritual gifts. But they can be about
  higher-end supers, such as Hugo Danner in Philip Wylie’s
  Gladiator. In either case, the resulting campaign would be
  more about living as a freak, superman, or wild talent than
  about fighting crime and having adventures – and it wouldn’t
  use many of the genre conventions discussed in this book.
  LARGER THAN LIFE
  13
  Crossovers
  Genre crossovers go further than stories with other set-
  tings. Their settings provide not just a change of back-
  ground, but a new focus in the foreground. Well-realized
  crossovers need to make this fresh spotlight as interesting
  in itself as the supers are, often by limiting supers to one
  or two power sources that fit the other genre.
  Anime
  Anime isn’t so much a genre as a style. But it has its
  own distinctive audience and some special types of con-
  tent that appeal to those fans. Anime supers are likely to
  disguise their identities through magical transformation
  rather than masks and costumes. Storylines will empha-
  size personal relationships, both with teammates and
  adversaries. Try to think of neat visual special effects for
  powers, and reward players who come up with good
  descriptions.
  Anthropomorphics
  Cartoon animal supers go a long way back; Mighty
  Mouse, possibly the best known, dates to 1942. Such char-
  acters are often treated humorously, as the genre’s alterna-
  tive name “funny animals” suggests. A more recent exam-
  ple is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Whether amusing
  or serious, anthropomorphic supers are animals with
  human attributes, including sapience, articulate speech,
  civilized behavior, humanoid bodies, and of course super-
  human powers. In humorous campaigns the animal traits
  are mainly cosmetic, and may provide a shorthand form
  of characterization; serious campaigns may base both the
  heroes’ abilities and disadvantages on actual animal
  behavior.
  Classics
  The comic-book formula was created in the 20th centu-
  ry, but characters from earlier literary works can often be
  reinterpreted as proto-supers, from the titanic Gilgamesh
  in ancient Mesopotamia to Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner,
  who goes on a voyage to the mysterious Antarctic and
  comes back with strange powers, or Dumas’ revenge-
  seeking Count of Monte Cristo. Semi-legendary figures like
  Robin Hood can be interpreted similarly. Such characters
  can provide source material for anticipatory superteams,
  as in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which
  brought together characters from five different stories set
  in the late Victorian or Edwardian era. The 50 Greek
  heroes who sailed on the Argo could be taken as an early
  predecessor of the superteam concept itself.
  Espionage
  Espionage crossovers practically require hidden heroes.
  Superpowered spies can’t follow the traditional codes;
  they may need to lie, steal, or kill in the service of their
  country or organization. The heroes’ abilities may be aug-
  mented by useful gadgets from the technical branch.
  Marvel Comics’ Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a classic
  comic-book treatment set in a world with actual supers.
  Steve Austin, in The Six Million Dollar Man, actually had
  superhuman abilities as a government-created cyborg; so
  did the heroes of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, a comic of the
  late 1960s.
  Fantasy
  Fantasy supers typically have divine, magical, or spirit
  powers. Many published examples have modern fantasy
  settings –worlds of hidden magic (or where magic is
  returning), and the metahumans are one of its manifesta-
  tions. Another option is to have mythology-based figures
  spend much of their time dealing with their pantheons;
  such supers may themselves be gods or demigods – for
  example, Marvel Comics’ version of Thor.
  Horror
  Horror heroes are likely to operate in secret, without
  code names or costumes; Buffy the Vampire Slayer and
  Hellboy are well-known recent examples. Their foes are
  mainly monsters, though evil enchanters or mad scientists
  are other possibilities. To maintain a sense of horror, such
  heroes need to face foes that are more formidable than
  they are, forcing them to doubt if even their powers will be
  enough. The super’s own abilities may be touched with evil
  or inhumanity.
  Martial Arts
  The heroes of martial arts films often have superhu-
  man powers – but some films add superheroic roles, from
  the somewhat campy Heroic Trio to the straightforwardly
  dramatic Iron Monkey. Many powers in this subgenre will
  have chi as a source, but even heroes who rely on technol-
  ogy will be skilled martial artists. GMs running such a
  campaign will find GURPS Martial Arts useful.
  Continued on next page . . .
  
  Supers campaigns can take a number of different forms.
  The GM can start developing one by deciding on its genre and
  its mode.
  GENRE
  Within the overall field, there are a number of subgenres.
  Major differences between them include the nature and abili-
  ties of the supers; the challenges they have to face; and their
  role in the world.
  Street-Level Heroes
  Street-level heroes usually focus on fighting crime – espe-
  cially street crime, as their name suggests. They’re more capa-
  ble than any ordinary foe, but could have trouble with a gang
  of attackers or a single extremely skilled adversary. They may
  be tough and resistant to damage, but they aren’t immune to
  gunfire. Play can be grittily realistic. This is a suitable cam-
  paign style for heroes without powers like pulp characters or
  the champions of Watchmen.
  A street-level hero’s focus is likely to be the problems of a
  single city; several such characters could team up to protect
  their home from challenges too big for any one of them.
  Classic Supers
  Classic supers are the most often portrayed in comic books,
  and in recent films such as X-Men and X2. They’re powerful
  enough not to worry much about ordinary street criminals,
  though an organized crime boss might find ways to threaten
  them. Most of their missions involve fighting villains, with the
  odd natural disaster or alien invasion for variety. The resulting
  “battle of the titans” traditionally involves lots of property
  damage but miraculously no bystanders being killed. Showing
  off cool powers is one of the big payoffs of this type of
  campaign.
  A classic super can usually deal single-handedly with major
  threats to his city, with time to spare for out-of-town adven-
  tures. A group may coordinate their efforts between cities, or
  take on nationwide problems such as wars. A police force may
  find it difficult to deal with this power level; an army can still
  do so.
  World-Shakers
  Some supers are even more powerful: able to take on an
  army and have a reasonable chance of winning. They may not
  be eager to make the attempt, but the armies won’t want to
  take them on, either. Examples of this power level include
  Superman, Green Lantern, the Hulk, and Dr. Manhattan. The
  Authority portrays a team that operates on this tier. These are
  the heroes who impress, and sometimes frighten, ordinary
  four-color heroes. They aren’t likely to spend much time fight-
  ing any ordinary human being, however well-trained or
  equipped. Instead, most of the foes will be equally powerful vil-
  lains who do take on national armies, make themselves dicta-
  tors of lesser countries, or aspire to conquer or destroy the
  world.
  In a setting with alien races and interstellar travel, an extra-
  terrestrial invasion may provide such supers an army to fight
  against. They fit well into stories about conflict on a cosmic
  scale, and can be called on to defend the world against gargan-
  tuan monsters such as the ones in Japanese kaiju films.
  Heroes to Be
  A number of comics have portrayed schools where young
  supers are trained. The classic examples are the Legion
  Academy in Legion of Super-Heroes and Professor Xavier’s
  School for Gifted Youngsters in X-Men, but recently several
  other titles of this sort have been published. High-school set-
  tings are common in anime, and this model works well in a
  campaign influenced by it.
  LARGER THAN LIFE
  14
  Crossovers (Continued)
  Near Future
  The present-day transhumanist movement is already
  speculating about gaining superhuman abilities through
  cybernetics, genetic modification, or nanotechnology. All
  of these have appeared as power sources in the comics.
  Eliminating other power sources as options in a cam-
  paign, and ignoring realistic limits on energy output,
  could produce full-blown supers, and a near-future world
  learning to cope with their presence.
  Science Fiction
  A lot of supers have science-fictional origins. For a
  fuller treatment, send them into outer space regularly in a
  future where Earth is part of a community of worlds, as in
  the comic books Guardians of the Galaxy and Legion of
  Super-Heroes. A common explanation for superpowers in
  such series is “everyone on my planet can do this”; often
  the heroes are unusually powerful or skilled members of
  their races.
  Western
  Superpowers are hard to justify in the Old West – but
  one of the classic masked avengers, the Lone Ranger, oper-
  ated there, and a number of treatments of Zorro place him
  in an American West setting. Lawless frontier settlements,
  vigilantism, and solitary gunslingers all work well with the
  supers formula.
  CAMPAIGNS
  
  Such young supers are usually capable of becoming four-
  color heroes, but they need training and experience to become
  effective. Their powers may not have fully developed, they may
  have abilities they haven’t discovered yet, or they may lack skill
  in using their gifts. Scenarios for such campaigns can include
  training sessions and examinations, and also social events and
  the daily life of the school. The teachers will be more powerful,
  but should have reasons for not being out fighting crime or
  saving the world.
  Actual combat scenes can take several forms. Students may
  encounter ordinary criminals and decide to do something
  about them. They may have to deal with attacks against their
  school by frightened mobs, government agents, or villains.
  Advanced classmen may be sent out on training missions,
  though a major emergency may force established supers to call
  for help from every possible source, including half-trained
  students.
  Hidden Heroes
  A hidden heroes campaign can work at any power level,
  though it’s easiest to make sense of the secrecy with street-level
  crime-fighters – more powerful beings are likely to have a vis-
  ible impact on the world. What’s needed for such a campaign
  is an explanation for why supers are not generally recognized.
  In a world where supers are rare, the GM can simply ask the
  players to come up with reasons for their characters to remain
  hidden (NPCs with strange powers can have their own ratio-
  nales). As the number of supers becomes larger, all these supers
  remaining coincidentally secretive becomes harder to believe;
  GMs will need to think of some active force that stops metahu-
  mans from revealing themselves or covers up for those who do.
  This can be anything from a custom of secrecy among the
  supers themselves to a “men in black”-style agency that covers
  up the truth to avoid public terror. The PCs could even work for
  such an organization, either as volunteers who agree with its
  policies or as conscripts who reluctantly submitted to them.
  Concealment in such a setting may be complete, or just
  good enough to keep the existence of supers from being
  proven. Urban legends, tabloid stories, and fringe science may
  all reveal some of the truth for the investigator who’s patient
  and skeptical enough to extract the facts from the distortions
  and frauds. Chloe Sullivan on the television series Smallville is
  an excellent example of a non-super character in such a
  setting.
  Supers in this case should have an Unusual Background.
  Weird Heroes
  Weird heroes are often secretive, but they have an extra
  aspect: the source of their abilities is some power or realm that
  few human beings are aware of, and that violates the normal
  human understanding of reality. The ability to gain superhu-
  man might is a side effect of this general strangeness. Learning
  the truth may be a threat to sanity, as in H.P. Lovecraft’s
  Cthulhu mythos. This would explain why many people with
  powers turn into fanatics or megalomaniacs.
  The specific weirdness could take several different forms:
  scientific truths that only a handful of geniuses can grasp; psy-
  chic phenomena achievable by a few talented or disturbed
  minds; alien cultures from other worlds with different needs
  and customs; societies of “ultraterrestrial” races living in hid-
  ing on Earth or some adjacent plane of reality; or supernatural
  forces with their own agendas and little concern for humanity.
  The resulting powers may violate logic and the order of nature
  as most people understand them. GMs need to be careful that
  this doesn’t become just an excuse for power gaming. Heroes
  need to have awkward limits on their capabilities, inconven-
  ient requirements for maintaining them, psychological strains
  and abnormalities, or tragic Destinies. An early example of this
  style is the ghostly Spectre; more recent ones include the
  equally ghostly Deadman, the multiple-personality Crazy Jane
  from Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol, Alan Moore’s Promethea,
  and Hellboy. Shadowpack portrays an entire team of such
  heroes.
  Anti-Heroes
  Anti-heroes violate a different set of assumptions: they don’t
  follow conventional morality. This doesn’t mean simply being
  willing to kill; deadly force is legal in some circumstances, and
  heroes in many other genres use it. Not killing one’s enemies is
  a peculiarity originally imposed by the Comics Code. The anti-
  hero may be a coldly professional mercenary with no moral
  standards beyond getting the job done, like Frank Miller’s
  Elektra. He may despair of humanity or be embittered by his
  own losses, like Jules Verne’s Captain Nemo (treated as a
  proto-super in Alan Moore’s League of Extraordinary
  Gentlemen). He may approach life with brutal directness, like
  the Hulk, seeing it purely as a test of strength; or he may enjoy
  power and manipulation for their own sake, like Ozymandias
  in Alan Moore’s Watchmen.
  Playing anti-heroes requires walking a narrow line. Despite
  their outrageous actions, the audience (in this case, the other
  players) needs to retain some sympathy for them. They should
  have some hidden nobility, integrity, or naiveté – even if it’s
  only their professional commitment to fulfilling a contract.
  Characters of this type are another temptation to power gam-
  ing, with their willingness to violate ordinary legal and moral
  rules. Players who resist this lure will understand that they
  have to make their anti-heroes entertaining so that having
  them in the game adds to the other participants’ enjoyment.
  Either a comedic or a tragic approach can work for this: the
  cold, emotionally withdrawn loner with a secret past and the
  antic sadist can both be compelling figures.
  Parody Heroes
  At the other end of the spectrum, a campaign may play
  heroes for laughs. There are two basic strategies for creating
  humorous characters. One is to exaggerate their qualities, giv-
  ing them extreme and impractical moral codes, behavioral
  peculiarities such as pausing in combat for long soliloquies, or
  special benefits such as the ability to hide their identities by
  putting on glasses. Played completely straight, this produces
  the “camp” style of the Batman television series. More recent
  films such as Mystery Men, The Incredibles, and My Super Ex-
  Girlfriend have significant camp elements. The other is to give
  them aspects that clash with the heroic formula: making them
  inept in some way (low attributes, or powers that aren’t very
  useful), lacking in moral qualities (for example, being coward-
  ly or indecisive), or simply crude or eccentric in behavior. In
  Mystery Men, The Spleen, whose powers manifested as flatu-
  lence, was this kind of humorous figure.
  LARGER THAN LIFE
  15
  
  Some anti-heroes can also be classified as humorous
  heroes. Being an anti-hero is one version of lacking moral
  qualities. Those who do no real harm are often humorous;
  those whose actions have consequences usually aren’t.
  Either approach leads to characters with comparatively low
  point costs because they have low attributes, limited powers
  and skills, or massive disadvantages. In a setting where humor-
  ous and nonhumorous heroes coexist, the humorous ones may
  be built on substantially fewer points. The original Legion of
  Super-Heroes continuity, for example, included the Legion of
  Substitute Heroes, a team whose members had been rejected
  by the Legion of Super-Heroes as having powers that were use-
  less or dangerous; a large part of their role was providing
  comic relief. On the other hand, humorous heroes may exist on
  their own in entirely comedic settings. Anthropomorphic
  supers (see p. 13) may defend a world where everyone is a
  “funny animal.”
  Anything Goes!
  Most of these campaign types are designed around heroes
  with a specific power level, from street-level heroes not much
  better than highly trained normal men (indeed, many of them
  are highly trained normal men) to world-shakers built on thou-
  sands of points. But comic-book universes often include
  heroes at all these power levels and sometimes bring them
  together in the same story or on the same team. A campaign
  can do the same thing.
  This setting needs careful management by the GM. Having
  the powerful supers win the battles while the weaker ones
  cheer them on is a guarantee of frustrated players. The
  stronger heroes in comics may use their powers ineffectively,
  leaving a role for the rest, but few players are this obliging.
  One way to give the weaker members a role is to require
  heroes to have specialized powers, and to confront them with
  tasks that make such powers necessary. The hero who can
  throw a battleship needs to take his turn on the sidelines when
  the problem is to sneak into the enemy’s fortress or extract
  buried memories from a witness’s mind. A team should be like
  a pantheon where each god has his own sphere.
  It’s also helpful to have characters take different social roles
  on their teams. For example, the Avengers had Captain
  America as a charismatic and inspiring leader; the Justice
  League had Batman as their investigator and problem-solver.
  Such roles don’t depend on any specific set of powers, or on
  having powers at all. A campaign that’s about relationships and
  characterization as much as combat and abilities can more
  easily make room for supers with different power levels.
  MODES
  Modes are a different aspect of campaign design: not what
  the campaign is about, but how it’s approached. It’s a style of
  play, and the same subject matter can often be approached in
  several different modes. Here are some examples.
  Four-Color
  The classic style for supers; both DC and Marvel, along with
  their lesser competitors, followed it all through the Silver Age.
  In a four-color campaign, good and evil are clearly distin-
  guished sides, with heroes pursuing good for its own sake and
  villains pursuing evil the same way. Good is exaggerated:
  Heroes will never risk killing anyone, let an innocent person go
  undefended, break their word, or take unfair advantage of
  their enemies. On the other hand, evil is often toned down:
  Villains often try to subdue or humiliate their foes rather than
  killing them, and many insist on playing fair with their foes.
  The laws of nature may even work differently. A battle that lev-
  els several city blocks may not kill anyone. Deaths occur only
  for dramatic reasons, such as establishing a revenge motive or
  showing heroic self-sacrifice. Outside combat, heroes lead
  upstanding lives, following all the rules of conventional moral-
  ity. Effects of powers can include anything that could be
  drawn, animated, or imitated with a huge special effects budg-
  et, even if it violates natural laws: transmuting elements, creat-
  ing matter out of nothing, growing or shrinking, seeing when
  invisible, and wielding mysterious forces unknown to physics
  are normally fine.
  Cinematic
  One step closer to realism than four-color supers, the cine-
  matic mode follows the conventions of recent genre films, such
  as Batman Begins or X-Men. Many comic books now are also
  written in this mode! Motives are treated somewhat more real-
  istically, and heroic codes of behavior are less exaggerated. In
  LARGER THAN LIFE
  16
  Breaking 
  the World
  Most campaigns, whatever their genre, have the
  same basic division of labor: the GM creates the world,
  and the PCs have to deal with it. Players learn more
  about the world from the experiences of their charac-
  ters, but it’s still the same world.
  But the most powerful supers can change the
  world. Many comics carefully avoid exploring this pos-
  sibility, showing characters on the level of Superman
  holding back from interference with ordinary people’s
  lives – either because the writers simply choose not to
  tell that kind of story or because the heroes are too eth-
  ical to apply their powers in this way. But several mem-
  orable titles have set aside such restrictions, to show
  worlds where supers try to change things, and succeed.
  Among these were Watchmen, Miracleman, and The
  Authority.
  A campaign can take such alterations as its main
  theme, but to do so the GM should plan for it in
  advance. Instead of learning the hard way what mighty
  and determined characters can do, he should plan to
  let the PCs do whatever is in their power, and to show
  them the consequences. Characters can be built with-
  out the ethical limits that restrain standard supers, and
  perhaps with other disadvantages that force them to
  take action – for example, a Sense of Duty to humani-
  ty or the biosphere, or a Vow. This campaign logically
  won’t go on forever; rather, it should build up to a cli-
  mactic final episode, whether victorious, tragic, or
  ironic, and then end.
  
  particular, cinematic heroes may use deadly force in emergen-
  cies, and villains seldom hesitate to do so. Important charac-
  ters still die only for dramatic reasons – but large-scale battles
  or catastrophes may kill bystanders accidentally. The level of
  disregard for natural laws is similar to that in a four-color
  campaign.
  The new rules presented in this book are mainly intended
  for use in four-color and cinematic campaigns.
  Speculative
  This is the “what if” approach to supers, akin to that of sci-
  ence fiction – for example, the Wild Cards shared-world series,
  penned by a group of science-fiction writers, largely used this
  mode, as does the current television series Heroes. Powers that
  seem to violate natural laws require at least a plausible scien-
  tific explanation. Motives are roughly like those in the cine-
  matic approach, but players who say, “If I had superpowers, I’d
  do so-and-so,” should be encouraged to explore the implica-
  tions rather than asked to forget the idea for the sake of genre
  assumptions. This style works well in standard GURPS, with-
  out cinematic options or the special rules in this book.
  Gritty
  The gritty treatment of supers is a further step toward real-
  ism. Its most important feature is that combat is realistically
  lethal and ugly. GMs should encourage players to think tacti-
  cally, and allow characters who aren’t played that way to suffer
  the consequences. The game should also emphasize the emo-
  tional stresses of a life of combat and the toughness needed to
  withstand them. Crime-fighters in this style are more likely to
  carry guns or wear body armor rather than relying solely on
  their powers. Other conventions of the genre can also be
  questioned.
  Noir
  Noir is akin to gritty, but with an emphasis on moral cor-
  ruption. The setting of a noir campaign should be a city whose
  officials have sold out to organized crime, or given up on try-
  ing to govern effectively. Heroes themselves may have a streak
  of dishonesty, but should be better than most of the people
  around them; however brutal or cynical they are, they have a
  core of decency. This style has historical ties to the crime-
  fighters of the pulp era, but doesn’t have to stay there. It works
  just as well for a present-day campaign of weird protagonists
  and mystical forces, or for upgraded heroes of a cyberpunk
  dystopia. Noir figures often display the ability to keep operat-
  ing despite extreme fatigue, pain, or injury. In this and other
  ways, it isn’t so much realism as a cinematic exaggeration of
  realism.
  Ultraviolent
  Ultraviolent campaigns have the power level of four-color
  campaigns but the grim realism of gritty or noir game. In a tra-
  ditional setting, a hero strong enough to destroy a tank can
  knock a street thug out with one punch; in an ultraviolent cam-
  paign, he can punch through his entire body or tear his head
  off – and is likely to do so. Some current series like The
  Authority and Squadron Supreme treat violence in this style.
  The heroes of ultraviolent games accept deadly force as part of
  their role.
  Silly
  The silly campaign goes off in a different direction – not
  toward realism, but away from it. It takes all the dramatic con-
  ventions of the Comics-Code campaign and overstates them,
  from a pair of glasses making a character’s granite visage
  unrecognizable to long moralistic soliloquies in the midst of
  combat. Heroes may be ineffective or clueless but their strug-
  gles work out for the best, or at least do no serious harm.
  Ironically, one way to achieve a silly campaign is to exaggerate
  the violence of a gritty setting and simply assume that none of
  the destruction does lasting harm. But it’s also possible to play
  classic supers so straight that they become funny, as in the
  1940s Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family.
  LARGER THAN LIFE
  17
  
  Heat was a tangible presence in the underground room. It
  struck at St.-Germain like a blow as he approached the open door
  of his furnace, tongs in his hands, and reached for the crucible it
  held. One step at a time, careful not to spill its contents on the
  floor, he approached the quenching tank. He lowered the crucible
  to a hand’s breadth above the tank’s liquid, released it, and jumped
  back as much of its contents flashed into steam. Clouds of vapor
  filled his workspace, and slowly dissipated.
  As they settled, he approached the surface and saw a glint of
  light within. He reached out once more with the tongs and
  moved the crystal to a second container, this one filled with sim-
  ple pure water for cooling.
  While he waited, he fixed his mind in meditation, recalling the
  formulae of the Great Synthesis, seeking the clarity of intent of
  the true workman.
  At last he thought it had cooled sufficiently, and he took it up
  once more with the tongs and placed it in the receptacle he had
  prepared for it, a band of metal with a shallow cup in its inside
  surface. He picked up the band, measured for his own arm, and
  closed it just above his left wrist.
  At first he felt nothing, and he thought for a moment he might
  have failed. But it would take time, he realized, for the chemical
  influence to travel through the fluid medium of his blood, to
  reach his heart and his brain.
  And then – he did not reel, for reeling is a loss of balance, and
  his equilibrium had never been so certain; he was not intoxicat-
  ed, for intoxication causes the faculties to fail, and his faculties
  were strengthened. What he felt had the intensity of staggering
  drunkenness, but it led not to stupor but to an uncanny clarity.
  He looked at his own life, and weighed its vanities and decep-
  tions in the new balance of his mind, and found it – less than he
  needed it to be. Well, there would be time enough to amend that.
  Time to become a different man, a perfected man.
  He picked up the tongs and ascended the stairs. As he came
  into the daylight, the gripping surfaces of the tongs had the glint
  of gold.
  More than in most genres, characters are central to supers
  adventures. The crucial step in deciding how the campaign
  works is to decide what kind of supers exist in it. Chapter 1
  gave a first look at the options; this chapter explores the
  details.
  HEROES
  18
  In many roleplaying games, it’s customary for all the char-
  acters to be roughly comparable in abilities. For superteams,
  this can be explained either by saying that the teammates all
  gained their powers from the same source and in the same
  measure, or by saying that heroes sort themselves out into
  power levels, with the heavy hitters joining a national or world-
  wide superteam while the lightweights stay in lesser groups
  that protect single cities, states, or small countries.
  To create this kind of lineup, assign players a point value in
  one of the following ranges:
  Wild Talents: 100-200 points. The heroes are normal human
  beings with one exotic ability or a group of related minor abil-
  ities; usually this supplements rather than replaces their nor-
  mal skills. Best suited to a hidden heroes campaign (see p. 15)
  or one about nonadventurer metahumans (see Supers . . . but
  Not Super Heroes, p. 12). New heroes-in-training, who may
  have only one ability and no Talent, or one Talent and no man-
  ifested abilities, also work well in this power range.
  Low-Power: 200-400 points. The heroes are better than any
  ordinary human being, and are well-suited to a street-level
  campaign or a game about advanced trainee heroes in a four-
  color setting. It can also work for a hidden or weird heroes
  campaign.
  Moderate-Power: 400-1,600 points. The heroes have several
  powers at fairly high levels; individual human beings are no
  threat to them, and they can perform quite impressive feats.
  This is suitable for a four-color campaign; in one about darker
  protagonists, the existence of beings at this power level may
  make the world a scary place.
  High-Power: 1,600-6,400 points. The heroes are a significant
  threat to governments; dealing with them may be an important
  political issue. Good for a world-shakers campaign, or to weird
  heroes who spend most of their time dealing with alien dimen-
  sions and mysterious inhuman powers.
  Once a campaign gets past the “wild talents” level, the usual
  guideline for disadvantage limits – up to 50% of the base char-
  acter points – needs to be applied with caution. A low-power
  hero with 100 points in disadvantages may be believable if
  designed well; a high-power figure with 500 points in disad-
  vantages is almost always a caricature. GMs may instead want
  to set a limit of 100 points in disadvantages, plus any that are
  campaign requirements like Duty, Secret Identity, or Social
  Stigma.
  GMs have the option of treating these power ranges as
  rough guidelines for players. If one low-power hero is built 
  on 210 points, and another on 375 points – but both fit the
  CHAPTER TWO
  HEROES
  POWER LEVELS
  
  players’ concepts – let it go, rather than forcing them both into
  a 300-point straitjacket. Some GMs may want to consider
  wide-open games, where players first agree on character con-
  cepts and functional roles and then build their characters to
  those ideas, spending as many points as it takes to realize a
  given concept. This kind of campaign calls for more active
  management to make sure that all the players have something
  to do. It works best if everyone avoids overlap in their designs,
  with the high-powered heroes being massively capable in one
  or two areas rather than being able to do everything.
  GMs may also want to place limits, not on point value, but
  on combat capabilities. A convenient reference point for these
  is the rules for scaling damage on p. B470; these rules provide
  for dividing damage, HP, and DR by 10 or 100 to avoid exces-
  sive dice-rolling. In high-powered supers campaigns, a further
  scale step may be needed: M- (or millennium) scale. These lim-
  its ensure that heroes on a given scale are not quite immune to
  attacks by other heroes on that scale. These are in addition to,
  not instead of, point value guidelines; a hero whose powers do
  not add to his ST, DR, or dice of damage may still be a formi-
  dable threat in ways that this scale does not capture.
  I-scale (divide by 1): Maximum dice of Innate Attack or basic
  swing damage: 15d. Maximum DR: 50. Maximum Damage
  Reduction factor: 10. Maximum level of ST with Super-Effort
  (see p. 24): +10 (+100). Heroes at this level are comparable to
  infantry forces.
  D-scale (divide by 10): Maximum dice of Innate Attack or
  basic swing damage: 150d. Maximum DR: 500. Maximum
  Damage Reduction factor: 100. Maximum level of ST with
  Super-Effort: +16 (+1,000). Heroes at this level are comparable
  to tanks.
  C-scale (divide by 100): Maximum dice of Innate Attack or
  basic swing damage: 1,500d. Maximum DR: 5,000. Maximum
  Damage Reduction factor: 1,000. Maximum level of ST with
  Super-Effort: +22 (+10,000). Heroes at this level are compara-
  ble to large warships.
  M-scale (divide by 1,000): Maximum dice of Innate Attack or
  basic swing damage: 15,000d. Maximum DR: 50,000.
  Maximum Damage Reduction factor: 10,000. Maximum levels
  of ST with Super-Effort: +28 (+100,000). Heroes at this level
  are more powerful than the largest military vehicles.
  Rather than flatly prohibiting combat abilities above the
  desired scale, GMs may want to follow a suggestion from
  GURPS Powers: charging an Unusual Background cost for
  them. For this purpose, treat D-scale abilities as comparable to
  LC1 armaments, with an Unusual Background cost of 100
  points. Treat C-scale abilities as comparable to LC0 weapons,
  or strategic weapons, with an Unusual Background cost of 200
  points. M-scale abilities should have an Unusual Background
  Cost of 300 points.
  A second crucial question, and one that affects the treat-
  ment of power level, is what brings the supers together for
  their shared adventures. Several patterns have emerged during
  the evolution of the genre.
  SOLO HERO
  The original pattern was the solitary hero. He may be the
  only one in his continuity, or he may coexist with others but
  have no interest in associating with them. This doesn’t offer
  much scope for a campaign with more than one player, but
  such unique heroes often have supporting casts who aren’t as
  powerful as they are and don’t follow the comic-book formula,
  but offer useful help. Usually these are small groups of named
  individuals like Doc Savage’s five allies or Buffy’s “Scoobies,”
  but they can also be larger bodies such as the League of the
  Scarlet Pimpernel. Helpers like these could be player charac-
  ters in a campaign.
  The hero is invariably more capable than his assistants and
  should be built with more character points, though this creates
  a risk of his overshadowing them, making their actions mean-
  ingless to the storyline except perhaps as comic relief. Most
  players won’t enjoy this as a continuing experience. GMs can
  give helpers a bigger role in three main ways. First, they can
  have skills that the hero lacks. Second, they can help with tasks
  that require numbers, from backing him up in combat to cov-
  ering for him when he’s busy somewhere else. Third, the GM
  can allow them a wider range of cinematic options (discussed
  in chapters 6 and 7) than he allows the hero, letting them
  achieve dramatic successes at key moments.
  In such a campaign, the central hero can be either a player
  character or a non-player character. Strategically, the first
  option puts all the important decisions in the hands of the
  players; how the plot develops is the result of their choices.
  Dramatically, it encourages player-player scenes, but it also
  requires the hero to let the others make meaningful contribu-
  tions. The second option puts all the PCs on an equal footing.
  GMs should choose the approach that best fits the personali-
  ties of their player groups.
  LEAGUE
  Some supers pursue solo careers, but also come together
  regularly or irregularly. They may join forces when one of them
  discovers an emergency that demands more than they can
  accomplish alone – a higher power level or a wider range of
  abilities. The first such event can lead to establishing regular
  channels for requesting backup. They may go on to hold peri-
  odic meetings and compare notes. This was the original pat-
  tern for such classic groups as the Justice League of America
  and the Avengers. The Justice Society of America evolved into
  this model after starting out as a variant on it: the club, where
  heroes met to tell stories of their solo adventures and share
  data.
  HEROES
  19
  ORGANIZATION
  
  How closely league members work together varies. A big
  marker for this is whether they reveal their true identities to
  each other. Keeping these hidden was common in Silver-Age
  teams; later comics more often show associations whose mem-
  bers trust each other with this information.
  Members of a league started out working solo, and usually
  continue to do so. They need to have suitable abilities, as dis-
  cussed in The Formula (see p. 8): outfighting or incapacitating
  normal unarmed men, withstanding gunfire, and performing
  some sort of impressive feat. They should also have separate
  supporting casts (discussed in Chapter 3).
  Most campaigns emphasize the major crises that bring the
  entire league together rather than solo adventures of the mem-
  bers. A GM who wants to spend more time on lone forays may
  find it useful to adopt a form of troupe-style play in which each
  player runs two or more characters. In this case, one would be
  a super belonging to the team and the others would be mem-
  bers of other heroes’ supporting casts.
  FULL-TIME TEAM
  Other teams are made up of members who don’t have solo
  careers; they always work together. Such organizations may be
  relatively small, like Alpha Flight, or large, like the Legion of
  Super-Heroes. It’s fairly common for a group to start out as a
  league or association, and then move toward being a full-
  time team by gaining full-time members and facilities
  to support them. The Avengers and the Teen Titans
  both followed that path, for example. They own a base,
  train together, and have a formal chain of command,
  much like police or military forces.
  Members can have more specialized powers; they
  don’t have to be superhuman in as many different ways
  as heroes who operate alone. For example, a hero who
  hurls energy bolts that can penetrate a tank’s armor,
  but is no better hand-to-hand than an average police
  officer or street criminal, could rely on his teammates
  to guard him from brawlers or martial artists. As a solo
  hero he would need better fighting or protective abili-
  ties that could resist such attackers. Basic combat
  training is still desirable, and full-time teams often pro-
  vide it.
  Players may want a theme for characters who
  always work together. Classic examples are the four
  elements, as seen in the Fantastic Four and the
  Elementals, and light and darkness, as seen with Cloak
  and Dagger and in Jade and Obsidian, two members of
  Infinity Inc. Thematic abilities are even more common
  in villain superteams (discussed on p. 71).
  Full-time team members in fiction often have smaller
  supporting casts because they have personal relationships
  mostly with teammates rather than ordinary human beings.
  On the other hand, the entire group can have a supporting cast
  (see p. 64).
  LEGION
  Supers groups in roleplaying campaigns commonly have
  one member for each player, but some published groups are
  bigger than that. There are several ways to approach such large
  teams in gaming.
  For a slightly larger organization, the GM may introduce
  one or two NPC heroes as additional members. See p. 64 in
  Chapter 3 for a discussion of this option.
  For a very large team, such as the Legion of Super-Heroes or
  the All-Star Squadron, it’s not a good idea to have all the mem-
  bers active on most missions; this takes the spotlight off the
  PCs. A better approach is to have the players create the mem-
  bers of one squad within the team, who regularly work togeth-
  er and get assigned to suitable missions. It’s common for such
  troops to have a variety of abilities and power levels, but a cam-
  paign could focus on the heavy hitters of a large team or on a
  group of new recruits trying to prove themselves. Or a team
  could maintain special-purpose crews, with separate functions
  like investigation, espionage, or street operations.
  Another option is troupe-style play, with each player running
  two or more heroes. Some large groups may assemble a new
  force for each mission, including one hero for each player.
  Others may have permanently assigned squads, with players
  alternately taking the roles of members of two or more differ-
  ent squads. Players who are willing to run a lot of characters
  might portray their force’s leaders, with each leader’s squad cre-
  ated by the other players; most scenarios would focus on one
  squad, but some sessions could involve command meetings of
  all the leaders.
  Heroes who belong to large groups can be even more spe-
  cialized in their abilities. The group can
  afford to have noncombatant mem-
  bers who collect information or heal
  other members’ injuries. Some play-
  ers may play one combatant and one
  noncombatant, for more variety.
  NON-TEAMS
  A campaign may also have char-
  acters that don’t belong to any sort of
  organized group, so long as there’s
  some reason for them to encounter
  each other regularly and perhaps
  work together. This can be a com-
  mon enemy or a disaster that they all
  have to deal with. They may simply
  all live in the same city and keep run-
  ning into each other; for example,
  both the Marvel Universe and the
  Wild Cards series give New York a
  large superhuman population. They
  may be celebrities who share the
  stresses of public visibility and
  media attention. Non-comics treat-
  ments of supers, such as Wild Cards and
  Heroes, can serve as models for a non-team campaign.
  A non-team campaign has to spend a good part of its time
  on the solo activities of the PCs, or on the two or three of them
  who happen to be together. Keeping this interesting to the play-
  ers whose characters are off stage can be a challenge. This style
  of play works best with players who are able and willing to base
  their actions on their characters’ knowledge and not their own,
  so that the GM doesn’t have to keep taking them off to another
  room for private encounters. Troupe-style play, with each hero’s
  supporting cast as other players’ secondary characters, is one
  way to keep more players involved in the action.
  HEROES
  20
  
  In addition to a power level, each super has an origin story
  that explains how he got his powers and what motivated him
  to pursue his specific mission. Part of planning a campaign is
  deciding what origins are possible. This choice reflects, among
  other things, the range of power sources that are available in
  the universe. Many origins can be conceived as encounters
  with a power source, which may be anything from a god to an
  innovative technology.
  In classic universes, the choice of origins is wide open (see
  Many Origins, p. 130). Everyone has a unique beginning and
  powers have diverse sources. The best way to capture this sort
  of world in a campaign is to let the players come up with ori-
  gins to suit themselves, incorporate their power sources into
  the understructure of the setting, and build the game around
  their choices.
  Many GMs set limits on power sources, and as a result on
  possible origins. In a stringently realistic campaign, powers
  may have to be scientifically and technologically plausible
  (among other things, this severely limits energy output from
  powers!); creating heroes is then an exercise in hard science
  fiction. A broader approach may accept speculative or fringe-
  science ideas like psionics or chi (defined in terms of biomor-
  phic energy fields or the like). A still broader one may accept
  any power that can be given a scientific-sounding explanation,
  but disallow divine, moral, and spirit abilities. On the other
  hand, a modern-fantasy campaign may allow supernatural
  powers, but forbid any nonsupernatural violations of strict sci-
  entific plausibility.
  GMs influenced by science fiction may restrict players to a
  single source or origin, following H.G. Wells’ formula of mak-
  ing one impossible assumption and working out its conse-
  quences. In this setting, players have to show that their char-
  acters have powers with the permissible source and origins
  that involve encounters with it. Supers may all be mutants, or
  psis, or agents of higher moral powers.
  Even in such a world, heroes without powers may still be an
  option – for example, the Yeoman in the Wild Cards universe.
  A GM may also run a campaign where everyone is powerless,
  relying on high attributes, skills, and devices – for example, a
  classic pulp heroes background. For a somewhat freer cam-
  paign in the same style, PCs may be allowed to have powers,
  spells, or superscientific devices, but only one or two per hero,
  and they may have to be low-powered.
  Finally, even if a universe allows many origins, all the mem-
  bers of a team may have the same origin. Two specific types are
  especially suited to this approach.
  FAMILY
  Some teams are based primarily on personal relationships
  among the members. It’s not just that they work together and
  socialize with each other – any group, especially a full-time
  team, could do that – but here the personal relationships came
  first. For example, the Fantastic Four all knew each other
  before they gained their powers; in fact, it was because they
  knew each other that they were all together for their shared
  origin.
  Super families gain new members by developing new per-
  sonal relationships. This happened a number of times with
  the Fantastic Four. It was also responsible for the develop-
  ment of the Marvel Family around the original Captain
  Marvel, published by Fawcett in the 1940s (and now more
  often referred to as SHAZAM, for the magic word that grants
  his superpowers).
  COMMUNITY
  Other teams are brought together by its members having
  the same background. The prototype for this is the X-Men, a
  coalition of mutants; other possibilities would be aliens, artifi-
  cially constructed beings, members of lost races, or wizards.
  The Doom Patrol didn’t even have the same origin, but were
  brought together by all being freakish social outcasts.
  A community-based team can recruit new members by
  seeking out other potential heroes with the same background.
  It may also have to deal with others who share those circum-
  stances, but who don’t become crime-fighters. Some commu-
  nities support more than one supergroup, and PCs may have
  to deal with a rival group of heroes or a group of villains with
  the same background (see The Dark Mirror, p. 70). The person-
  al relationships within the team should be affected by their
  shared experiences as members of their particular community,
  and the character designs should all include suitable mental
  and social traits.
  The X-Men introduced the concept of a school for supers
  into the genre, and several entries have developed it further,
  including the film Sky High. More recent schools don’t limit
  themselves to students with one origin, but accept any young
  person with superpowers. Attendance at a special school, par-
  ticularly a boarding school, can itself be a form of community,
  as illustrated by martial-arts academies and schools of wiz-
  ardry as well as supers colleges.
  In comic books, most supers have powers. In GURPS,
  characters can often have powers. But the meaning of
  “power” in GURPS, as defined in GURPS Powers and illus-
  trated by psionic powers (pp. B254-257), is narrower than
  what “superpower” means in comics. Some comic-book
  heroes have “powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal
  men,” without having anything that GURPS would call a
  power. There are also supers with no powers at all, who get
  by with natural talents, highly trained skills, and possibly
  some cutting-edge technology. To create a hero, then, it’s nec-
  essary to have a complete catalog of suitable elements.
  HEROES
  21
  ORIGINS
  ELEMENTS
  
  POWERS
  In GURPS terms, a power has three game-mechanical fea-
  tures. First, it has a list of advantages, called abilities, through
  which the power can be expressed; these abilities should be
  based on a common focus or theme, such as fire, magic, or
  plants. Second, it has a power modifier that can be applied to
  an advantage to turn it into an ability within the power; these
  modifiers are based on the source of the power, such as chi, psi,
  or spirits. Third, it has a Talent that enhances die rolls made to
  activate or use the power’s abilities. Taking abilities at higher
  levels increase raw power; taking more talent increases the
  effective skill with which it’s used.
  For more information on powers, consult GURPS Powers.
  PASSIVE ABILITIES
  Some abilities are passive rather than active: using them
  doesn’t require a dice roll, and therefore can’t be affected by a
  Talent. Such abilities can still be included within the frame-
  work of a power. For example, an aquatic hero might have
  Doesn’t Breathe (Gills) as a biological mutation (Biological,
  -10%) or as a gift of friendly water nymphs (Spirit, -25%). A
  passive ability can be shut down by powers or devices that
  affect its source, or by the unpredictable nature of the source
  itself. GMs can look for indirect ways that Talent could affect a
  passive ability. GURPS Powers provides some examples:
  Power Block attempts based on Damage Resistance; improved
  HT rolls for crippling with Independent Body Parts or
  Unbreakable Bones; bonuses to Stealth skill for Invisibility.
  It’s also possible to say that an ability doesn’t fall into a
  power framework, but still comes from a source and gets a
  source modifier, with the same value as a power modifier. For
  example, superhuman strength is commonplace among supers
  (see Strength and Super-Strength, p. 24). As an attribute, ST
  isn’t normally an ability of any power, and can’t be added to by
  a power Talent. But it’s just as capable of being shut down, bor-
  rowed, or copied as any superpower, and should get a source
  modifier: for example, Super, -10%.
  The same can apply to a disadvantage; for example, a
  speedster might have Increased Consumption (Super, -10%)
  [-9/level]. This wouldn’t apply only when he was running (and
  thus is not a Nuisance Effect), but all the time, affecting his
  total daily consumption. A treatment that shut down his super-
  powers, though, would also reduce his food intake. GMs may
  also design meta-traits that package together advantages and
  disadvantages and give both the same source modifier.
  WILD ADVANTAGES
  AND DISADVANTAGES
  It’s possible to have superhuman abilities that simply reflect
  the structure or composition of a hero’s body. For example, he
  might be resistant to injury because he has bony plates cover-
  ing his skin, or his skeleton was reinforced with metal. Anti-
  powers and exotic technology wouldn’t affect these qualities;
  changing them would require actually physically rebuilding
  his body. Such traits can be bought as bare advantages, with
  neither a source nor an associated Talent.
  An advantage of this sort is usually an inherent trait, but it
  could also be the result of a transformative power, magical
  spell, or weird device. GURPS Magic distinguishes between
  spells that create a continuing magic effect and those that mag-
  ically cause a lasting nonmagical change; the former can be
  dispelled, but the latter can’t. For example, magical healing
  enchantments can’t be dismissed, and mystically created fire
  inflicts real physical burns that are still there if the fire is sup-
  pressed. In the same way, some abilities actively maintain a
  character’s body in a changed state, and others alter it to a new
  state that then lasts until it’s transformed again in some other
  way. A Growth ability of the first kind would make a hero big-
  ger, but if his powers were suppressed he’d shrink again; a
  Growth ability of the second kind would still increase his size,
  but if his powers were suppressed he’d be stuck at the larger
  size until he got them back. Which way a transformational
  ability works is usually a 0-point feature of the power; there are
  benefits and costs either way, as the example of Growth should
  suggest.
  RACIAL TEMPLATES
  Some heroes are nonhuman beings of various types – not
  just mutants or members of lost races, but aliens, robots or
  androids, enhanced animals, or supernatural entities. Such
  beings have racial templates. Don’t take the word “racial” too
  literally here; robots don’t have a species, but they do have a
  model design that’s treated as a racial template. A racial tem-
  plate is made up of advantages and disadvantages standard to
  a certain kind of being; for example, a dragon’s racial template
  includes winged flight, fiery breath, armored skin, a serpentine
  body, and great size and strength.
  As a rule, the advantages and disadvantages of a race are
  inherent in its bodily structure and can’t be suppressed. Saying
  that a dragon who’s subjected to Static or Neutralize stops
  being a dragon makes no more sense than saying that a human
  being in the same circumstances stops being a human being
  and turns into some kind of unformed protoplasmic lump.
  Racial templates are not powers and can’t be removed in that
  way. If being a member of a race requires having a source, then
  being denied access to the source means death or long-term
  incapacitation. In GURPS terms this is Dependency. For exam-
  ple, dragons might be inherently magical to such a degree that
  being cut off from magic would kill them; this is Dependency
  on mana, an energy that is Very Common in most fantasy
  settings.
  On the other hand, racial templates can include powers if
  every normal member of the race has the ability in question.
  For example, dragons might all have a flame power manifest-
  ed as fiery breath, with a magical source. In that case, if the
  race is cut off from the source its attack no longer works, but
  not having the power doesn’t directly kill or incapacitate it. A
  no-mana zone would render dragons unable to breathe flame,
  but they would still be huge serpentine creatures with armor,
  claws, fangs, and massive strength.
  The ability to acquire a racial template can itself be a power,
  based on the Alternate Form or Morph advantages. Like any
  other transformational power, this can be taken either as
  actively maintaining the body in a specific form, or as reshap-
  ing it into a form that remains stable until modified again. In
  the first case, a man who morphs into a wolf turns human if
  his powers are shut down; in the second, he’s stuck as a wolf
  until he regains his powers.
  HEROES
  22
  
  HIGH ATTRIBUTES
  Heroes without actual superpowers (often called “super
  normals”), such as Doc Savage or Batman, often have high
  attributes; sometimes all their attributes are high. A single
  score of 20 puts someone into the street-level power range,
  while boosting all four to 20 puts him into the classic comic-
  book range. GMs may want to set the ceiling on attributes at
  25 or 30 instead of 20 for super normals, especially for those
  who only take a single attribute at this level.
  SKILLS
  Some supers get along without any actual powers, simply
  by being amazingly skilled. These include both specialists, usu-
  ally in combat skills such as archery or kung fu, and
  Renaissance men who are masters of many skills. Heroes who
  have skills of 25 and up can easily do things that an ordinary
  master of the skill would hesitate to attempt. In effect, a skill
  that high is the equivalent of a superpower – but one that the
  hero has learned.
  Wildcard Skills
  Heroes’ skills are often broadly defined; the comics are full
  of martial artists who know every fighting style and scientists
  equally at home in astrophysics and zoology. GMs may want to
  consider allowing heroes to purchase wildcard skills (p. B175;
  see p. 36 for a list of additional wildcard skills). It’s a lot sim-
  pler to be the world’s greatest detective if you can just purchase
  levels of Detective! skill.
  In four-color or cinematic campaigns, GMs might want all
  characters to take wildcard skills, possibly with optional spe-
  cializations. Stories of this type have expansive occupations
  and abilities; for example, a hero may be a “pilot” rather than
  a “MedEvac helicopter pilot.” Technical details about vocation-
  al specializations and familiarities can slow a story down–so
  leaving them out may better fit the setting. Genres other than
  comic-book adventure may have characters with equal
  breadth. Mr. Spock on Star Trek and Marshall Flinkman on
  Alias are just as good examples of Science! skill as Reed
  Richards in The Fantastic Four.
  A campaign that mixes wildcard skills with ordinary skills
  risks jarring the players’ sense of realism. One way to avoid this
  is to divide characters into two groups. Supers and major sup-
  porting characters – anyone who keeps coming back and has a
  name and a full character sheet – have access to wildcard
  skills. Minor supporting characters, like the paramedic who
  treats a hero’s wound or the taxi driver who takes him to the
  airport, have standard skills, and usually only the one or two
  they need to do their jobs. In effect, the first group is similar to
  Allies, and the second to Contacts.
  Skills and Talents
  In a campaign with a more realistic flavor, GMs should
  stick with skills of ordinary breadth. For heroes with high pro-
  ficiency in several fields, GMs should define suitable Talents.
  (Note that Talents shouldn’t be used with wildcard skills; a
  Talent has roughly the same breadth as a single wildcard skill
  and costs much less per level!) In supers campaigns, Talents
  may have more than four levels, and GMs may want to consid-
  er defining Talents for combat skills.
  SPELLS
  In a universe where magic works, the range of skills heroes
  can learn may include spells. If these are out of GURPS Magic,
  then casting them requires a Talent, Magery – but the spells
  aren’t powers and a magician, as such, isn’t superhuman.
  However, such traits as Mana Enhancer could form part of a
  superpower that enhanced the use of learned magical spells.
  TECHNOLOGY
  A lot of heroes have devices of various sorts, either as the
  source of their abilities (Green Lantern’s power ring or Iron
  Man’s armor) or as an adjunct to their main powers (Wonder
  Woman’s lasso and bracelets or Spider-Man’s web-shooters). If
  the character is a brilliant scientist – or a powerful enchanter
  – these may be his own creations. Otherwise he may have a
  Patron who granted them to him in exchange for his services,
  or an Enemy he took them from, or he may simply have found
  them in some museum collection or crashed spacecraft. For a
  discussion of such devices, see Chapter 4.
  HEROES
  23
  Attributes and
  Skill Defaults
  Most skills in GURPS have default levels based on
  attributes. Those defaults are limited by the Rule of 20
  (p. B173): if a basic attribute is higher than 20, skills
  default to it as if it were 20. This provides a measure of
  realism since they’re limited to 16 (for most Easy
  skills), 15 (for most Average skills), and 14 (for most
  Hard skills), which represents a high level of compe-
  tence but not brilliance.
  But some supers are universal geniuses, possessing
  many different skills at very high levels. Paying the
  points for all of them can get expensive! As an alterna-
  tive, a GM might allow them to break the Rule of 20.
  Rather than setting it aside for everybody, this can be
  treated as an enhancement:
  Super Attribute
  +25%
  Applied to attributes or secondary characteristics,
  this modifier lets you disregard the Rule of 20 for skills
  that default from them. Apply the enhancement to
  attribute points in excess of 20; each point bought that
  way raises the limit for skill defaults by 1.
  Example: Divine Grace has DX 26. She pays 240
  points for DX 22; she then buys four more points of DX
  with Super Attribute, which cost her 100 points, for a
  total cost of 340 points. The four points of DX with
  Super Attribute raised the normal limit of DX 20 for
  skill defaults to DX 24, so she has Acrobatics-18, Cloak-
  19, and Knife-20, without spending points on them.
  
  Other heroes have advanced devices built into their bodies,
  as in the television series The Six Million Dollar Man. Devices
  of this type range from small implants to entire robotic bodies
  that provide life support to the person’s still-living brain. The
  abilities they confer are inherent in their physical structure;
  effectively, they’re bodily organs and features that bestow
  advantages (or disadvantages), but they’re made out of metal,
  ceramics, or polymers rather than flesh and blood. However,
  because they’re different from living tissue, they may have dis-
  tinctive limitations and vulnerabilities, as suggested for
  Cybernetics (p. B46). These can be defined as new power mod-
  ifiers (see p. 34). Entire robotic bodies may instead give the
  character Electrical or Maintenance as a disadvantage.
  HEROES
  24
  Superhuman strength is one of the most common super-
  powers in the comics. But it’s not discussed at great length in
  GURPS Powers, which mostly treats it not as a power (based
  on an advantage) but as a larger amount of an attribute.
  Unfortunately, increasing ST in this way makes it extremely
  expensive, if not impossible, to match the feats of comic-book
  crime-fighters. The rules presented here make it feasible.
  They’re based on the treatment in GURPS Powers, but extend
  it in ways that only make sense in a four-color campaign, or
  possibly an extremely cinematic one. Don’t use them in a real-
  istic game.
  In four-color campaigns, the enhancement Super-Effort
  (from p. 58 of GURPS Powers) can be applied to the attribute
  of ST, not just to Lifting ST. It has a different cost in this case:
  +300% rather than +400%. It has the following effects:
  Lifting: As described in GURPS Powers, it allows heroes to
  lift extreme weights. Find the number of points of ST bought
  with this enhancement in the Base Value column of the Super-
  Abilities Table (see p. 146), look across to the Supervalue col-
  umn, and use that number as your ST bonus for the lift. For
  example, a base value of ST +10 (Super-Effort, +300%) gives
  +100 ST as a supervalue.
  Striking: When you are striking a blow with Super-Effort,
  use dice of damage based on the supervalue. When you are
  engaged in any ST-based attack, add those dice of damage to
  the normal damage from the attack. This also affects knock-
  back from the blow.
  Throwing: When you throw an object, use your supervalue
  bonus to figure throwing range, use the thrust damage based
  on it in figuring out damage from thrown objects, and use the
  BL derived from it in figuring out both of these.
  Knockback Resistance: When something collides with you,
  if you have time to brace yourself, include your supervalue
  bonus in the ST score you use to resist knockback. This is a
  passive use of super-strength and does not cost FP.
  Fatigue Cost: Using Super-Effort costs 1 FP per lift, throw,
  blow attempted, or brace against knockback. Walking around
  with or carrying a weight counts as intensive use (1
  FP/minute); standing and holding it up counts as long-term
  use (1 FP/hour). This replaces normal Extra Effort, but it does-
  n’t require a Will roll. You can’t take Reduced Fatigue Cost to
  eliminate these penalties unless you also take Cosmic (+50%).
  For various reasons, a character might spend some points
  on ST without the Super-Effort modifier, and then add on
  more ST with the modifier. For example, he might be big and
  strong, even apart from his superpowers; he might be a giant,
  and need the extra ST to function at all. It’s plausible for many
  characters to start by buying ST up to 20, the limit of normal
  human ST, without the Super-Effort modifier, and then to take
  the modifier on ST higher than 20. In other words, a character
  that has super-strength is stronger than any normal human
  being even without the benefits of Super-Effort. The columns
  for ST in the Super-Abilities Table are based on this assump-
  tion. There’s no rule against raising ST higher than 20 without
  the Super-Effort modifier, or scores less than 20, or even low-
  ering it to below 10, but such designs require calculating Basic
  Lift and damage from the rules on pp. B15-17 rather than look-
  ing them up in the table.
  For such a character, list the ST that benefits from Super-
  Effort as an advantage, with its own point cost. Under
  Attributes, give two total ST values, separated by a slash: total
  ST without using Super-Effort, and total ST with Super-Effort.
  Show only the cost for the ST without Super-Effort in this
  STRENGTH AND SUPER-STRENGTH
  Under the Hood:
  The Cost of 
  Super-Strength
  Why is the cost of Super-Effort +400% for Lifting
  ST, but +300% for overall ST?
  In GURPS Powers, Super-Effort only applies to
  Lifting ST. To buy +1 to ST, but be capable of Super-
  Effort, you have to buy Lifting ST, Striking ST, and HP
  separately and apply the modifier to Lifting ST. A +1 to
  Lifting ST costs 3 points; with the +400% Super-Effort
  modifier, that increases to 15 points. In four-color and
  ultraviolent campaigns, Super-Effort also affects
  Striking ST; applying the same +400% bonus raises the
  cost of +1 to Striking ST from 5 points to 25 points.
  Super-Effort does not affect HP; to gain the ability to
  withstand massive damage, take Injury Tolerance
  (Damage Reduction) as discussed on pp. 118-119 of
  GURPS Powers. So +1 HP still costs 2 points.
  Putting the three back together, +1 ST with Super-
  Effort costs 15 + 25 + 2 = 42 points, as opposed to 10
  points without Super-Effort. That’s a +320% increase.
  To make the calculations simpler, this is rounded down
  to +300%. That is, each level of super-strength costs 40
  points.
  In four-color campaigns, the applications of super-
  strength in combat are restricted to avoid injuries to
  normal human beings (see p. 117). This is a matter of
  campaign style and doesn’t affect the value of the
  enhancement.
  
  section. For example, the Archetype template (see p. 41) has
  base ST 20 and ST +13/+300 with Super-Effort; its attribute
  block lists ST 33/320 [100], with the note “Includes +13+300
  points of super-strength bought as an advantage.”
  In a four-color campaign, most “super-strong” characters
  simply buy ST with the Super-Effort modifier. A hero who spe-
  cializes in massive lifting might buy extra Lifting ST, probably
  with the +400% Super-Effort modifier defined in GURPS
  Powers; this does not affect striking, throwing, or knockback.
  A character might also take Striking ST, possibly with modi-
  fiers like One Attack Only (p. 79 of GURPS Powers) or Super
  Throw (see p. 30). This fits a hero whose muscles contract rap-
  idly against light loads, but no harder than normal against
  massive loads – such as a speedster (see the Speedster template
  on p. 53). It’s also legal to raise or lower HP relative to ST. The
  Super-Effort modifier has no effect on HP; to get a character
  who can withstand massive blows, take Injury Tolerance
  (Damage Reduction) as defined on pp. 53 and 118-119 of
  GURPS Powers. The Super-Abilities Table gives point costs for
  Injury Tolerance factors higher than (4).
  Strength and Weight
  Increasing ST by adding muscle, bone, and sinew normally
  adds to body weight; see the Build Table on p. B18. Acquiring
  ST with a source modifier normally doesn’t add to body
  weight. In a physically realistic treatment of superpowers,
  don’t take the extra HP from such added ST into account in fig-
  uring slam damage (p. B371) or damage suffered from falls or
  collisions (pp. B430-431), and disregard it in figuring knock-
  back (p. B378). The size of a dose of poison (p. B438) also is
  unaffected by ST or HP with a power source.
  On the other hand, in a four-color campaign, heroes with
  enhanced ST or HP may be able to function as if they had
  increased weight, even if they don’t. This amounts to a +0%
  modifier to ST or HP, because the advantages (improved slam
  damage and knockback resistance; withstanding greater doses
  of poison) roughly balance out the disadvantages (taking more
  damage in falls). Players may designate ST or HP with a power
  or source modifier as granting virtual weight or not, though
  the GM may override this and have all super ST and HP work
  one way or the other.
  Creating superpowers is covered in detail in GURPS
  Powers, at a length greater than this entire book; there’s not
  space in this chapter to go over the same ground. Instead, this
  section discusses two other aspects of supers. First, it examines
  ways of defining special abilities that GURPS Powers doesn’t
  cover, in terms of advantages, disadvantages, skills, and other
  traits. Second, it discusses traits that reflect the special role of
  the hero – both his personal image and how he fits into his
  society and culture.
  ADVANTAGES
  The following advantages can be interpreted in specific new
  ways in a campaign.
  Affliction
  See pp. B35-36
  To teleport people or objects without teleporting yourself at
  the same time, buy Affliction (Advantage: Warp). To send
  objects away from yourself only, take Affliction with Melee
  Attack, Range C (-35%). To teleport people or objects to your-
  self only, base the Affliction on Warp with a special form of the
  Anchored limitation, worth -40%: anchored to your own body.
  To limit this to small objects, add Exoteleport (p. 30) to Warp,
  and possibly some level of Extra Carrying Capacity. Then use
  the lower-cost version of Warp to determine the percentage for
  the Advantage modifier.
  Some superpowers or chemical substances can cause an
  additional irritating condition: Itching (+10%). See Itching
  (right) for details.
  Appearance
  See p. B21
  Comic-book supers commonly have above average looks. At
  a minimum they’re Attractive, and they range up to superhu-
  manly attractive, or Transcendent. Wonder Woman, for exam-
  ple, was “beautiful as Aphrodite.”
  Binding
  See p. B40
  To enable it to counter super-strength, Binding can be taken
  with a new enhancement:
  Special Enhancements
  Super-Binding: Through massive effort, you can create elab-
  orately layered bonds and snares. This counts as extra effort,
  costing 1 FP per attempt. When you try this, ignore the normal
  extra-effort rules. Instead, find your level of Binding in the
  Base Value column of the Super-Abilities Table (p. 146) and read
  across to the number in the Supervalue column; use that num-
  ber as the ST of your Binding. +400%.
  HEROES
  25
  Itching
  Itching is an irritating condition. You are at -2 to
  DX for the duration of the itch. Scratching for one full
  second relieves the itch, but you can do nothing else
  while scratching.
  ADVANTAGES, DISADVANTAGES,
  AND SKILLS
  
  To layer super-binding, use the following calculation.
  First, take the effective ST of a single layer of binding. Look
  it up on the table and take the corresponding supervalue.
  That’s the strength of one layer of super-binding. Each added
  layer increases total ST by that much. For example, a hero
  with Binding 10/100 would have ST 100 for one layer, 200 for
  a second layer, 300 for a third, and so on. He would not get
  Binding 20/5,000 for the second layer, or 30/200,000 for the
  third!
  Charisma
  See p. B41
  At the GM’s option, Charisma can be defined as a Talent
  associated with Telepathy. This is particularly suitable for
  Victorian campaigns where it reflects 19th-century ideas
  about “animal magnetism.” If treated in this way, Charisma
  has far wider applications and should cost 10 points per level,
  the combined cost of standard Charisma and Telepathy
  Talent.
  Claim to Hospitality
  See pp. B41-42
  Supers who belong to the same team but don’t live full time
  at the team headquarters typically have Claim to Hospitality at
  the 2-point level. If there’s a substantial community of metahu-
  mans in a nation or other large area, they may have Claim to
  Hospitality at the 5-point level. The 10-point level is unlikely,
  unless supers are utterly commonplace in the campaign
  setting.
  Compartmentalized Mind
  The standard version of Compartmentalized Mind is active
  all the time, but some heroes may have it with the Switchable
  enhancement, letting them activate extra mental compart-
  ments at will. Going back to a single compartment is normal-
  ly done by mutual consent; if one compartment is unwilling, it
  requires a Quick Contest of Will. Treat this as a resistance roll:
  The compartment that favors reunion must succeed in its Will
  roll. If one compartment has been controlled by an outside
  force, successful reunion requires another Quick Contest of
  Will to see if the control continues. The controlled compart-
  ment must defeat the uncontrolled one, or the control is
  broken.
  Switchable Compartmentalized Mind can be used with a
  variant on Super-Effort:
  Special Enhancements
  Massively Parallel: When you switch to multiple compart-
  ments, you have the option of setting up a large number of
  compartments. This requires spending 1 FP. Look up your
  standard number of compartments in the Base Value column
  of the Super-Abilities Table (see p. 146). Read over to the
  Supervalue column. The number shown there is the number of
  mental compartments you can activate. This does not enhance
  your combat abilities; in fact, only one of your compartments
  can initiate any combat action, physical or mental (including
  abilities like Mind Control). Nor does it let you learn faster by
  having multiple compartments study a skill in parallel. But it
  allows you to do many mental tasks at the same time speeding
  up certain kinds of mental work. +20%.
  Control
  See GURPS Powers
  To create heroes with extremely powerful Control abilities,
  a new enhancement is available:
  Special Enhancements
  Super-Effort: By spending one FP in extra effort, you can
  greatly magnify the effects of your Control. Find your level of
  Control in the Base Value column of the Super-Abilities Table
  (see p. 146), and read over to the Supervalue column. That is
  the number of levels of control you can apply through extra
  effort; this replaces the normal extra effort rule. You still can-
  not control something that isn’t there, or inflict more damage
  than is naturally possible to whatever you control. +400%.
  Daredevil
  15 points/level
  A lot of supers get a thrill out of combat and take reckless
  chances. This advantage is especially appropriate for teenage
  sidekicks; it helps make up for their not being fully trained in
  combat or the use of their powers.
  At the GM’s option this can be a leveled trait, with an upper
  limit suited to the feel of the game. Two levels are appropriate
  for a four-color campaign; four levels suit a humorous cam-
  paign where suicidal idiocy in combat grants +4 to effective
  skill.
  Duplication
  See pp. B50-51
  Like Compartmentalized Mind, Duplication can benefit
  from a form of Super-Effort:
  Special Enhancements
  Multiplication: In noncombat situations, by spending 1 FP
  in extra effort, you can form more than your normal number
  of duplicates. Look up your standard number of duplicates in
  the Base Value column of the Super-Abilities Table (see p. 146).
  Read over to the Supervalue column. The number shown there
  is the number of bodies you can split into. This does not
  enhance your combat abilities; only one of your bodies can ini-
  tiate any combat action. Nor does it let you learn faster than
  normal by having your dupes study the same subject in paral-
  lel. But it lets you do many tasks at the same time, speeding up
  work and other noncombat activities. +20%.
  Enhanced Defenses
  See p. B51
  This advantage is appropriate to characters with superhu-
  man speed or coordination, even if they don’t have Trained by
  a Master or Weapon Master.
  Enhanced Move
  See p. B52
  For more effective speedsters, the GM may want to allow
  the following modifiers:
  Special Enhancements
  Cosmic (Instantaneous Acceleration): The speedster can go
  from a standing start to top speed in a single Move maneuver.
  HEROES
  26
  
  This also grants the ability to stop in a single Move maneuver.
  +50%.
  Cosmic (Complete Maneuverability): The speedster is
  exempt from maneuver rolls, and can turn on a dime, without
  concern for acceleration. This requires taking the Cosmic
  enhancement both on Enhanced Move and on any underlying
  movement ability. (Note that acceleration still has physiologi-
  cal effects that can require a HT roll; to avoid these, take
  Immunity to Acceleration.) +50%.
  Extra Attack
  See pp. B53-54
  This is a classic advantage for speedsters. If they can strike
  multiple blows with the same limb, they should take the
  enhancement Multi-Strike (+20%).
  To simulate the classic superspeed move of running past
  multiple foes and striking at all of them, a hero with this abil-
  ity can add Talent to the limit of 9 on attack skill for a Move
  and Attack, improving his chances of hitting his foes.
  Extra Life
  See p. B55
  Invest in this advantage for a master villain who’s meant to
  keep on troubling the heroes.
  Hard to Kill
  See pp. B58-59
  Another way to make sure that characters keep coming
  back. See A Matter of Life and Death (p. 117) for its use in main-
  taining campaign style.
  Higher Purpose
  5 points/level
  Higher Purpose does for serious, thoughtful characters
  what Daredevil does for hotheaded thrill-seekers. An older
  hero still fighting for his cause is especially likely to have it.
  This advantage can be leveled in the same way as Daredevil
  at the GM’s discretion.
  Less Sleep
  See p. B65
  Heroes who patrol by night and hold down jobs by day
  should definitely be able to function on reduced sleep.
  Modular Abilities
  See p. B71
  This book adds some new modular abilities to those listed
  on p. B71 and in GURPS Powers:
  Grimoire: This is like spirit trapping (see below), but you
  don’t have direct access to the spirit plane. Instead you have
  pacts with a number of beings whose sigils are bound into a
  book (or stored in a database, etc.). You can only call upon a
  pact by accessing the grimoire and taking time to review the
  sigil. Cost per slot: 5 points base + 3 points per point of
  abilities.
  Reconfigurable Mechanisms: You have internal or external
  machinery (such as cinematic nanotech) that is capable of 
  performing different functions. You can work with a catalog of
  standard items, or add any improvised device whose design and
  operation you understand. New gizmos require a concept roll,
  but not a prototype roll – the mechanisms take care of that
  automatically. You’re limited to one concept roll per day unless
  you’re a Gadgeteer. Mechanisms external to your body are sub-
  ject to signal jamming; internal devices are not. Normally this
  includes physical abilities and must be taken with some form of
  the Physical enhancement. Cost per slot: 6 points base + 4 points
  per point of abilities for internal mechanisms, or 3 points per
  point of base for external mechanisms.
  Spirit Trapping: You can visit the spirit plane and acquire the
  services of its denizens, which provide you with spells or knowl-
  edge (mental skills). Each trip requires going into a trance last-
  ing several minutes. Cost per slot: 6 points base + 4 points per
  point of abilities.
  Racial Memory
  See pp. B78-79
  In a world where supers have been around for a while,
  some identities may have been passed down from hero to hero.
  With the right sort of rationale – brain-computer links, mysti-
  cal rites, psionics, or a mysterious artifact – GMs may permit
  such a lineage to count as a “race” for this advantage’s
  purposes.
  Scanning Sense
  See pp. B81-82
  Electrically powered supers may add an additional variety
  of Scanning Sense to their powers:
  Field Sense: Your scanning sense relies on electric fields
  generated within your body. This works like standard Radar,
  but base range is 200 yards underwater, 20 yards in air or vac-
  uum. In addition to its active functions, your field sense acts as
  a Detect for bioelectricity and for electrical power sources
  (including machines with the Electrical disadvantage). Your
  own sense’s electric field makes you easy to detect in the same
  way. 10 points.
  HEROES
  27
  Modular Abilities
  and Modifiers
  Modifiers (enhancements and limitations) can be
  applied to Modular Abilities. But some Modular
  Abilities provide slots that can contain advantages, and
  those advantages can also take modifiers.
  Don’t apply the same modifier to both Modular
  Abilities and the specific advantage. If the modifier
  affects Modular Abilities as a whole, use it to adjust the
  overall cost of Modular Abilities; if it only affects the
  functioning of a specific advantage, use it to adjust that
  cost. This can allow an advantage to fit into a slot
  worth fewer points than its unmodified cost.
  
  Security Clearance
  See pp. B82-83
  A major superteam that operates on a continental or global
  scale may have secret files on various topics. This advantage
  gives access to them. A single city’s superteam’s records has
  half cost (rounded up). Among other materials on record may
  be the Secret Identities of team members.
  Shapeshifting
  See pp. B83-85
  Many supers have a specialized variant of Alternate Form:
  the ability to turn into a different person with superpowers. A
  classic version of this is the child who can take the form of an
  adult hero. Another, found in both heroes and villains, is a
  Jekyll-and-Hyde change into a more physically formidable
  body. This is the ultimate protection for a Secret Identity as the
  hero can’t be recognized by physical evidence, and his dual
  nature can only be proven by tracing his two forms’ move-
  ments – if anyone suspects them of being the same person in
  the first place.
  In creating such a character, the baseline is the form that
  the character reverts to when knocked unconscious or
  deprived of his powers. A hero who stays in whatever shape
  he’s assumed should take Once On, Stays On, defined in
  GURPS Powers.
  Changes in attributes should be dealt with by giving the
  superpowered form suitable attribute modifiers. For example,
  if a brilliant scientist (IQ 16) changes into a brutal monster (IQ
  8), give the alternate form IQ -8 [-160]. (This would reduce a
  normal human to the IQ 2 of a reptile, but since only one char-
  acter has the specific alternate form, that doesn’t matter.)
  One common motif in this type of transformation is the
  normal form being physically disabled in some way while the
  super version is fully functional. To include this in the change,
  define the normal form’s template as including whatever phys-
  ical handicaps are lost; for example, the native form might be
  “crippled human,” worth -10 points. The same approach can
  be taken to changes in Appearance.
  Special Limitations
  Preventable: To change form, you have to speak a code
  phrase, make a special gesture, touch a magical talisman, or
  meet some other requirement. This takes no longer than the
  usual time, but you can be prevented from doing it by mun-
  dane methods such as gagging you. If you depend on an exter-
  nal physical object to make the change, you can also take suit-
  able gadget limitations. -10%.
  Super Jump
  See p. B89
  Some supers have this with a new limitation:
  Special Limitations
  Bouncing Only: Figure an increased jumping Move as for
  standard Super Jump: double your normal distance and height
  for each level of Super Jump and divide by 5, or take your nor-
  mal ground Move, whichever is greater. But your actual jump-
  ing isn’t any more powerful than normal. Instead, when you
  experience a fall or collision, roll against the best of DX,
  Acrobatics, or Jumping. Success means you take no damage
  and rebound with 90% of your impact velocity; failure means
  you take normal damage and stop. If your speed, gained from
  running, falling, or any other source, doesn’t exceed your
  jumping Move, you can stop voluntarily instead of rebounding.
  If it does, you must bounce, and you roll at -5 per multiple of
  your jumping Move, or fraction thereof, by which you exceed
  your jumping Move. -50%.
  Example: Beachball has Move 6 and Super Jump 2
  (Bouncing Only, -50%). His nominal jumping distance is 36’, or
  12 yards; one-fifth of this is 2.4 yards, which is less than his
  Move of 6, so his jumping Move is 6. Standing on a roof 6 yards
  up, he see a purse-snatching in the street below. He jumps and
  hits the ground with velocity 11. His roll against his Acrobatics-
  18 at -5 is a success; he rebounds with Move 9.9, rounded up to
  10, and bounces into the thief, inflicting slam damage.
  Talent
  See pp. B89-90
  Unlike power Talents, mundane Talents can be bought with
  a source limitation (though not a power limitation, because
  they still can’t be included in a power). Suitable limitations
  include Divine (for skill taught by a god), Psionic (for intuitive
  hunches about how to use a skill), and Spirit (for skill aided by
  a spirit ally).
  In a campaign that uses wildcard skills (see Wildcard Skills,
  p. 36), these shouldn’t benefit from a Talent. Talents cost as lit-
  tle as 5 points per level; after the first level, wildcard skills cost
  6 points per level, and 12 points per level from then on. GMs
  can either rule that Talents still exist but don’t benefit wildcard
  skills because their scope is too broad, or simply disallow
  Talents entirely. The former approach has more to recommend
  it if some Talents, such as Green Thumb, also serve as power
  Talents for such things as Plant Powers.
  Telekinesis
  See p. B92
  Telekinesis can be made more powerful for four-color
  campaigns, and a little creepier for noir or horror-themed cam-
  paigns.
  Special Enhancements
  Animate Life-forms: Your TK works as defined for
  Animation in GURPS Powers, but you aren’t limited to con-
  trolling inanimate objects. You can take control of a person’s
  or animal’s body. This requires a Quick Contest of your tele-
  kinetic ST against the target’s bodily ST. If you win, the 
  target acts with its natural ST and with your DX; its Move
  cannot exceed your margin of victory in the Quick Contest.
  +100%.
  Animate Life-forms (Partial): This lets you control just one
  body part of your target. This is easier than matching your ST
  against that of a foe’s entire body; use the part’s hit location
  modifier as a bonus to your effective telekinetic ST. See
  Independent Body Parts in GURPS Powers for the capabilities
  of separate body parts. +20%.
  Super-Effort: By spending 1 FP, you can boost your teleki-
  netic power to a much higher level. Refer to the Super-Abilities
  Table on p. 146. Look in the Base Value column for your nor-
  mal Telekinesis level. Read across to the Supervalue column.
  HEROES
  28
  
  The number shown there is your TK level with extra effort.
  This higher power can be used for lifting and handling heavier
  objects. It does not affect the damage you inflict by a telekinet-
  ic blow. +400%.
  Super-Damage: Like Super-Effort, but it also affects the
  damage you inflict by striking or throwing. +900%.
  Unusual Background
  See p. B96
  Unusual Background has a lot of applications in a comic-
  book world.
  Being a Super
  In a world where only a few people have superhuman abil-
  ities – fewer than a hundred in the entire world, or no more
  than a single modest team in a large country such as the
  United States – being one of those people is a big Unusual
  Background worth 50 points. If superhuman abilities are more
  common, but rare enough that only a major city has more than
  one person with them, having powers is worth 10 points. If
  anyone can gain superhuman abilities by buying them off the
  shelf, as training or equipment, they don’t count as an Unusual
  Background at all. This does not apply to super normals; every-
  thing they have is off the shelf.
  Has a Super Friend
  Personally knowing a super in a world where they are rare
  is worth 15 points, even if he isn’t an Ally or Contact. It gives
  two advantages: the opportunity to approach the super and ask
  for help with a problem (whether the help is forthcoming
  depends on a reaction roll), and having a subject of conversa-
  tion that interests a lot of people. The second doesn’t apply in
  a world of hidden heroes, but being on the inside of a huge
  secret has its own comparable value. If superhuman abilities
  are worth no more than 10 points as an Unusual Background,
  personally knowing a metahuman is no longer worth any
  points.
  This is parallel to the Gadgeteer Friend version of Unusual
  Background (p. B477).
  Omnilingual
  This is an alternative to the usual rules for learning lan-
  guages, designed for heroes like the super-spy who convenient-
  ly turns out to be fluent in every tongue he encounters. You
  don’t actually speak all of the Earth’s 5,000 or so languages; it’s
  just that each new language you encounter turns out to be one
  that you’ve studied. By itself, this Unusual Background gives
  an accented comprehension level for both the spoken and writ-
  ten language; if you also have Language Talent, raise that to
  the native comprehension level. The Unusual Background cost
  is 40 points.
  In a campaign featuring multiple inhabited planets, alien
  dimensions, or the like, Xeno-Omnilingual costs 80 points and
  grants the same benefit for alien languages. Those spoken by
  races with exotic vocal organs may require the Mimicry advan-
  tage and an IQ roll for you to speak them.
  In either case, if a language is not generally know to exist,
  or has not been deciphered, you don’t know it. At the GM’s
  option, a suitable Hidden Lore roll may show that you have
  learned such a language.
  Access to Technology
  See Unusual Background and Equipment (p. 75).
  Versatile
  See p. B96
  Improvised uses of powers are a big part of the genre, and
  GURPS Powers provides rules to support them. If you are
  Versatile, you get +1 to HT or Will for the roll to improvise the
  use of a power.
  Warp
  See pp. B97-99
  The amount a teleporter can take with him is normally
  equal to his Basic Lift, which can be increased by taking Extra
  Carrying Capacity. To create a one who can handle incredibly
  large loads, take the Super-Effort modifier on his Lifting ST or
  on his overall ST (see Strength and Super-Strength, p. 24). A
  teleporter who has Telekinetic Carrying Capacity (defined
  below) can instead take Super-Effort on his Telekinesis. One
  who has Mental Carrying Capacity can apply a +400% Super-
  Effort modifier to his Will! Its only effect is to raise his mental
  carrying capacity as figured from his Will (defined below).
  Several additional options are available for super-
  teleporters, in the form of new enhancements and limitations:
  Special Enhancements
  Mental Carrying Capacity: Your carrying capacity for tele-
  portation is based on the strength of your psyche, not of your
  body. Basic Lift is equal to the square of your Will, divided by
  5, in pounds; use the table on p. B17, but base it on Will instead
  of ST. You can buy Extra Carrying Capacity as usual, also
  based on Will instead of ST. This can let you teleport a load big-
  ger than you can physically lift or carry, as long as you’re
  touching it. +20%.
  Note: This can be generalized to other attributes for the
  same percentage modifier, given a plausible rationale for doing
  so; the GM is the judge of what’s “plausible.”
  Rapid Fire: This enhancement can be applied to Warp to
  produce a character who teleports two or more times in a sin-
  gle turn with a single Concentrate maneuver. All the destina-
  tions and the sequence in which they are reached must be cho-
  sen at the outset. The distance modifier is based on the single
  longest distance between two consecutive points in the
  sequence. Success means you make your first hop, plus further
  hops equal to your margin of success. Cost is as on p. B108.
  Example: The Cheshire Cat has Warp (Rapid Fire, RoF 7,
  +70%; Reliable 10, +50%) [220]. He wants to cross Cosmopolis
  going rooftop to rooftop. He plots a course that involves seven
  hops. Six are jaunts of between 20 and 100 yards, but his fourth
  teleport crosses the Cosmopolis River. That’s 500 yards wide, so
  he has -3 for distance. He has only a second to prepare (-5), but
  his ability is Reliable (+10). With IQ 12, he must roll 14 or less.
  He rolls a 10, succeeding by 4. This gives him a total of five tele-
  ports out of seven. He makes it across the river, but stops two
  rooftops short of his goal. Had he prepared for 4 seconds (-3),
  he would have succeeded by 6 and made all seven hops.
  Telekinetic Carrying Capacity: Comparable to Mental
  Carrying Capacity, but your Basic Lift is determined by your
  Telekinesis level instead of your ST. Obviously, you have to
  have Telekinesis (p. B92)! You can teleport any object you have
  in your telekinetic grasp without physically touching it. If you
  are touching the object but haven’t telekinetically locked onto
  it, you can’t teleport it. +20%.
  HEROES
  29
  
  Special Limitations
  Exoteleport: Your carrying capacity is figured purely from
  your Basic Lift, without including your body weight. Normally
  this means you can’t actually go anywhere with Warp! Use this
  limitation to figure a diminished-cost version of Warp that can
  be the effect of an Affliction. By itself, this limitation lets you
  teleport up to your Basic Lift (an encumbrance of None); for
  heavier loads, buy Extra Carrying Capacity and combine the
  two modifiers. Note that this makes the Extra-Heavy level
  worth a net +0%, which is reasonable as it typically exceeds the
  sum of your body weight and Basic Lift! -50%.
  Note: If your Basic Lift is high enough so that your reduced
  carrying capacity exceeds your body weight, you can teleport
  yourself with Exoteleport. However, your body counts against
  your carrying capacity, rather than being over and above your
  carrying capacity. The IQ roll to do this is made at -2 because
  you aren’t reflexively teleporting your body but rather treating
  it as an external load, a less natural maneuver.
  It’s possible to use a form of Super-Effort with teleportation.
  Don’t apply the Super-Effort modifier to Warp to do this.
  Instead, apply it to your ST or Lifting ST, and base the amount
  you can teleport on your enhanced lifting capacity. If you have
  Telekinetic Carrying Capacity, buy Super-Effort for your
  Telekinesis; if you have Mental Carrying Capacity, you can
  instead apply it to Will, again at +400%. This does not benefit
  any aspect of Will other than its use to determine how big a
  load you can teleport.
  NEW ADVANTAGES
  Super Throw
  10 points/level
  This advantage doesn’t increase the weight you can throw,
  but it lets you hurl objects of the same size faster and harder.
  Figure your range and damage normally as defined on p. B355.
  Then, for each level of Super Throw, double range. Regardless
  of the distance, the throw is completed in one turn. Each level
  of Super Throw increases damage by +2 per die. For example,
  a ST 10 man can throw a 20-lb. rock 6 yards, inflicting 1d-1
  damage on his target; with one level of Super Throw, he can
  throw it 12 yards and inflict 1d+1 damage.
  Ultrapower
  50 points
  This new advantage is based on Gadgeteer, but it affects
  powers rather than inventions. See One-Use Powers (p. 112) for
  more information.
  Special Limitations
  Externally Boosted: You can enhance your powers, but not
  unaided. Activating a one-use power always requires help from
  an external source, such as a scientific device, enchantment, or
  spell. Creating such a power source requires the efforts of a
  Gadgeteer or Quick Gadgeteer. Since your powers already
  exist, boosting them is treated as analysis followed by modifi-
  cation, as defined on p. B477; see the section on Skills (p. 34)
  for appropriate skills to use for this purpose. You may do your
  own gadgeteering or seek help from someone else. Note that a
  Patron with Special Abilities at +100% can often provide this
  kind of help. -50%.
  PERKS
  A lot of supers have minor advantages that don’t have
  much practical utility, but look cool. One group of these relate
  to costumes and appearance. GMs in cinematic or Comics-
  Code campaigns are encouraged to invent other perks of this
  sort, and to look favorably on players doing the same.
  Cloaked
  You can wear a cape or cloak and move freely. You never
  get tangled in a door or caught in machinery, and your foes
  can’t tug on your cape in a fight. This doesn’t stop you from
  entangling them in your cloak, but you don’t automatically
  have proficiency in doing so; buy Cloak skill (p. B184) for that.
  You gain a dramatic look that gives you +1 to reaction rolls,
  but only when you first make an entrance. Anime-inspired
  characters may get the same effect from a scarf.
  Masked
  You can put on a domino mask that covers only your eyes
  and nose – and become unrecognizable! Your best friends
  won’t believe your two identities are the same person. At the
  GM’s discretion, the same effect can be achieved by putting on
  or taking off glasses, changing your hairstyle, or wearing a wig.
  Nonprotective Clothing
  The strict definition of Can’t Wear Armor, as a limitation
  on DR, forbids wearing any form of clothing: You have to go
  naked! With this perk, a hero with this limitation can still
  wear a costume or clothing. His garments have no DR or any
  other function that protects against damage, such as Damage
  Reduction; their function is to preserve his decency, hide his
  secret identity, and give him pockets. (At the GM’s discretion,
  they can protect him from harmful environmental conditions
  such as vacuum or cold.) This perk is legitimate even in real-
  istic campaigns. In silly campaigns, a hero might wear a full
  suit of body armor – and still get no extra DR from it; it would
  be purely a fashion statement.
  Skintight
  Your costume fits you perfectly and has effectively no
  thickness; you can wear it under your civilian clothing with-
  out bulges and without anything showing. Alternatively, you
  can put your costume on over your civilian clothing and look
  as if you were wearing nothing under it.
  Supersuit
  You have a costume that is compatible with your powers:
  you won’t damage it by using them, and if your body changes
  size, form, or substance, it changes with you. See Adaptable
  Clothing, p. 77.
  Other Perks are minor applications of a hero’s powers,
  comparable to the benefits of Accessory or Shtick. Some
  examples:
  Burrower
  You can dig with your natural body parts as if equipped
  with a shovel. Your speed is determined by the volume you
  can excavate; it is almost certainly less than the Tunneling
  advantage would allow (see p. B350).
  HEROES
  30
  
  Climbing Line
  You can generate a climbing line at will, in the form of a silk
  thread, spider web, or something similar. This gives you
  improved climbing ability (p. B349) and can also be used for
  swinging from place to place.
  Generator
  You can produce a steady flow of direct current, compara-
  ble to the output of a battery. Your maximum sustained power
  output in watts is equal to your Basic Lift in pounds without
  the benefit of any ST purchased with a source modifier – that
  is, super-strength doesn’t make you a living power plant. For
  short-term exertions, you can roll vs. ST to perform such feats
  as turning over a car’s engine.
  Ignition
  You can produce a small spark that can light a candle, a gas
  burner, kindling, or any other Highly Flammable or Super-
  Flammable material (see p. B433). You can inflict 1 point of
  burning damage by touch, once per object.
  Illumination
  You can generate a lighted area, as if carrying a flashlight,
  by emitting light from your own body.
  Perfume
  Your body generates its own natural scent, which most peo-
  ple find pleasing. You have +1 on reaction rolls where a pleas-
  ant smell makes a difference.
  Periscope
  You’re able to bend or reflect light, either with a material
  object like a fiber optic cable or through powers that control
  light directly, so that you can see over obstacles and around
  corners. You can’t see directly in front of you while doing this;
  keeping your vision focused requires continuous Aim
  maneuvers.
  Striking Surface
  You must have Damage Resistance 3 or better to take this
  perk; it may not have the modifier Tough Skin, Flexible, or
  Force Field. When you strike blows, you inflict increased dam-
  age because of your hard body surface. Your punch does thr cr,
  as if you had brass knuckles, and your kick does thr+1 cr, as if
  you had boots. If your Damage Resistance is Ablative or Semi-
  Ablative, you do gain this benefit, but the damage you inflict
  reduces your DR.
  Finally, several miscellaneous perks are available to supers
  of certain types:
  Equipment Bond
  You own a weapon, tool, or other piece of gear that is
  uniquely suited to you, giving you +1 to skill rolls to use it. This
  isn’t because it’s magical or super; its fit, balance, or design just
  suit you exceptionally well. Having this perk doesn’t affect the
  price you paid for the item, but if you lose it you can’t replace
  it by just paying cash. You have to spend a long time searching
  for another one that suits you as well.
  No Visible Damage
  You must have Unkillable to take this perk. If you have it
  then no matter how hard you’re hit, you don’t look wounded
  until you reach -10 ¥ HP. You can be crippled but your limbs
  can’t be amputated and your eyes can’t be put out; crippling
  injury leaves them in place, but nonfunctional.
  Swinging
  Whether in the big city or in a tropical jungle, you can trav-
  el above the ground by swinging on vines, ropes, artificial spi-
  der webs, or some other substance. With this perk, you can
  routinely find new places to attach your lines, or new vines
  already in place, without having to make repeated skill rolls.
  You must have Perception or Observation, Acrobatics, and
  whatever skill you use to cast or shoot your swinging lines at
  16+ to take this perk. Alternatively, you can use Move!, Bow!,
  or Throw! at 16+ to provide all these abilities (see p. 36).
  GMs may permit other perks that exempt heroes from cer-
  tain skill rolls; see Rules for Cinematic Campaigns, p. 100.
  Unusual Training
  You may buy a cinematic martial arts skill or technique
  without having Trained by a Master or Weapon Master, subject
  to a set of restrictions that limit it to “dramatic” circumstances
  (GM’s decision; see Four-Color Damage, p. 117). Each perk-
  level Unusual Background should name a skill or technique
  and a special restriction; e.g., Unusual Training (Power Blow,
  Only against huge or nearly indestructible targets). See Skills
  and Super-Strength (p. 35) for more on this topic.
  DISADVANTAGES
  Supers have disadvantages as well as advantages. The GM
  may want to require certain mental disadvantages to reflect a
  particular style of play. For example, Code of Honor (Comics
  Code) may be required for all heroes in a Silver-Age style game.
  Likewise, Code of Honor (Pirate’s, Professional, or
  Gentleman’s) may be required for all but the most evil or mind-
  less villains in such a setting. The following variants on estab-
  lished GURPS disadvantages are commonplace in the comics.
  Appearance
  See p. B21
  Just as it’s common for supers to have above-average looks,
  it’s rare for them to have ordinary, below-average looks. On the
  other hand, a significant number look unnatural. This can be
  represented as Monstrous appearance.
  Code of Honor
  See p. B127
  Some villains follow versions of the Pirate’s or Gentleman’s
  Code of Honor. For traditional four-color heroes, a new variant
  applies:
  Code of Honor (Comics Code): Fight fairly against your
  adversaries, even if they can’t be expected to do so in return.
  Avoid using firearms and other conventional weapons; you rely
  on your own powers or martial-arts skills. Keep your word,
  even for promises made under duress. Protect the innocent
  from evildoers. If you learn a fellow hero’s identity or other
  secrets, protect them as you would your own, even if you hate
  him or are compelled to fight him. You can use your powers to
  defeat nonhuman foes, but not to bully or humiliate them. –15
  points.
  Cinematic and Comics-Code heroes may also have forms of
  Honesty, Pacifism, or Sense of Duty.
  HEROES
  31
  
  Compulsive Behavior
  See pp. B128-129
  Villains, especially mad scientists and masterminds, are
  likely to have a new form of Compulsive Behavior:
  Compulsive Rhetoric: You feel a constant need to explain,
  justify, and magnify yourself. In combat you regularly make
  speeches, and in a silly campaign you may fall into soliloquies
  in mid-battle. If you capture a hero, you can’t just kill him or
  put him in a deathtrap (see Trademark, p. 74): You have to brag
  about his certain destruction or explain your master plan. You
  may even be eager to talk with him, knowing he’s the one per-
  son who can understand you! Lacking captive foes, you fall
  back on bragging to your henchmen or making long speeches
  by radio, television, or Internet chat. You get +1 to reactions
  from followers with Fanaticism or Selfless, but -1 from most
  other people. -5 points.*
  Delusions
  See p. B130
  Discussed under Dual Identities, p. 62.
  Flashbacks
  See p. B136
  Supers may experience flashbacks to their origins, especial-
  ly if those were traumatic in some way.
  Honesty
  See pp. B138-139
  Honesty is appropriate for heroes who are soldiers, police
  officers, or government agents, or who cooperate completely
  with the legal authorities. Vigilantes should never take it. It’s
  optional for champions who operate openly but without legal
  sanction. But if you have Honesty and are legally ordered to
  stand down (in effect, you must become a vigilante to remain
  a hero), failing to obey means you lose your noncombat reac-
  tion bonus, and you can be penalized for bad roleplaying at the
  GM’s option.
  Megalomania
  See p. B144
  If you are a superman, believing that you’re a superman is
  not Megalomania. But single-minded pursuit of some fantastic
  goal, treating ordinary human beings with contempt, or
  regarding yourself as a god (assuming you’re not a god) still
  counts as Megalomania.
  Pacifism
  See p. B148
  Traditional four-color heroes have Cannot Kill; this is still
  true of many present-day supers, but not all.
  Sense of Duty
  See p. B153
  Some form of Sense of Duty, typically to a Large Group or
  Entire Race, is common among four-color supers. Sense of
  Duty to a Small Group is very common in teams.
  Social Stigma
  See pp. B155-156
  Some supers have a distinctive social stigma:
  Freak: This is a lower-key version of Monster. You’re feared
  because of your powers and your differences from normal
  human beings, but people don’t actually think you’re nonhu-
  man. In some settings, anyone with superpowers gets this
  reaction; in others, it applies to a specific group such as
  mutants. You get -2 on all reaction rolls, and if you display
  your powers in public people react with fear and hostility. -10
  points.
  Split Personality
  See p. B156
  Discussed under Dual Identities, p. 62.
  Trademark
  See p. B159
  Putting captured enemies in deathtraps is classic behavior
  for four-color villains. It can be defined as a variant of
  Trademark. If you stay to gloat over your foe’s agony, and thus
  see when he escapes, treat this as Complex; if you walk off and
  leave him alone, giving him time to break free without being
  interrupted, treat it as Elaborate.
  Another new option is the equipment trademark; see
  Trademarks, p. 74, for details.
  Weirdness Magnet
  See p. B161
  In the comics, friends and families of supers seem to be
  amazingly likely to gain superpowers of their own, either tem-
  porarily or permanently. This can be represented by a special-
  ized variant of Weirdness Magnet:
  Origins Magnet: People who are in your company or associ-
  ated with you regularly acquire superpowers of their own, and
  often turn to heroism or villainy. This isn’t because superpow-
  ers run in your family or because of anything you do intention-
  ally; it just happens through a series of accidents and coinci-
  dences that you can’t predict, control, or prevent. Usually this
  is temporary, but at the GM’s discretion it may be permanent.
  HEROES
  32
  Guy named Otto Octavius
  winds up with eight limbs. 
  What are the odds?
  – J. Jonah Jameson, 
  Spider-Man 2
  
  NEW DISADVANTAGE
  Heroes with control over the elements may develop an
  unhealthy fascination with using their powers. This can be rep-
  resented by a new disadvantage, which generalizes the
  Pyromania disadvantage from p. B150:
  Mania
  -5 points*
  You’re fascinated by the destructive effects of some natural
  element or force, such as fire, water, or electricity. For exam-
  ple, you might be captivated by water and never miss a chance
  to start a flood or appreciate one you encounter. Make a self-
  control roll whenever you have a chance to release your pre-
  ferred element.
  QUIRKS
  Three new quirks are appropriate to the genre:
  Dual Identity
  This is the quirk-level variant of Secret Identity. Your true
  identity isn’t actually a secret; anyone who wants to learn it can
  do so. But you keep the two identities separate: You have a
  code name, you wear a costume and possibly even a mask in
  your heroic identity, and when you’re in your civilian identity
  you want to be treated as being “just like everybody else.”
  Forgetful
  You often forget some of your powers or equipment, and
  thus fail to use them when they would be a good solution to a
  problem. This is only a quirk because it leaves the choice of
  when to forget a power at the player’s discretion, rather than
  slowing play down with extra dice rolls. On the other hand, the
  GM can certainly encourage a player who loses track of what’s
  on the character sheet to take this quirk!
  Third Person
  You don’t seem to know the word “I”! You habitually call
  yourself by your villainous (or occasionally heroic) alias. This
  is especially suited to silly campaigns.
  MODIFIERS
  Here are some notes on already defined enhancements and
  limitations. See the Mesmerist template (p. 48) for examples.
  Glamour
  See GURPS Powers
  Like Resistible, Glamour can be based on nonstandard
  attributes: IQ, Per, or even HT (for drug-induced mispercep-
  tions). This doesn’t change the cost. Don’t use Based on
  (Different Attribute). The GM is the final judge of what combi-
  nations are allowed.
  Sense-Based
  See pp. B109, B115, GURPS Powers pp. 105-106
  The “reverse” form of Sense-Based can be taken as Detect-
  Based. This creates an ability that works through your Detect.
  To affect your target, you must sense and locate it with your
  Detect. For example, a telepath may be able to detect minds,
  and to read those he has detected – but if his Sense roll for the
  detection fails, his mind reading won’t work. Similar construc-
  tions can be based on other nonstandard senses, such as
  Scanning Sense.
  NEW LIMITATIONS
  A few new limitations are useful for modeling supers. See
  also Power Modifiers (p. 34).
  Informal
  -50%
  This limitation applies to various social advantages, includ-
  ing Clerical Investment, Legal Enforcement Powers, Legal
  Immunity, Security Clearance, and Tenure. You don’t officially
  have the advantage in question – but you can exercise its priv-
  ileges, and both the public and legal authorities accept you
  doing so. However, those benefits can be revoked at any time
  without formal proceedings of any kind. The GM is the judge
  of when this happens; he may be guided by reaction rolls.
  Many heroes have Legal Immunity with this limitation – the
  police cooperate with them, or juries won’t convict them – but
  it can be taken away without even an administrative hearing if
  they do something unethical.
  Periodic Recharge
  Variable
  Your power must be sustained or renewed from an external
  source; if you don’t have contact with that source, it stops
  working. For this to be a valid limitation, access to the source
  has to be a major difficulty: For example, you can’t carry it
  around with you and have to go somewhere else to recharge,
  or you have to wait an hour after using your ability before
  recharging it. This doesn’t restrict the number of times you can
  use your power in the period between recharges, and using it
  at less than full power to “save energy” won’t prolong the cycle.
  When your time is up, that’s it. The value of the limitation
  depends on the interval between recharges:
  Up to 1 minute: -80%.
  Up to 10 minutes: -40%.
  Up to 1 hour: -20%.
  Up to 8 hours: -10%.
  Up to 24 hours: -5%.
  An interval longer than 24 hours is not a meaningful restric-
  tion and does not count as a limitation.
  Skill Enhancement Only
  -60%
  Your ability’s overt effects are extremely limited. You can
  use it to gain a bonus to a skill, as discussed under Abilities
  Enhancing Skills in GURPS Powers: +2 if the ability substi-
  tutes for fine-quality mundane equipment, +4 for miraculous
  aid. You can’t use this gift on its own, apart from any skill, or
  in conjunction with an ability roll whose primary effect is to
  achieve a successful use of the power (such as Flight or Innate
  Attack). This is a good limitation for “wild talent” heroes who
  are just starting to learn to use their powers.
  HEROES
  33
  
  Substantial Only
  -10%
  You have an attack or other ability that normally works on
  both substantial and insubstantial opponents, such as a
  Malediction. However, yours works only on substantial
  opponents.
  META-TRAIT
  For convenience, supers campaigns may include a new
  meta-trait:
  Defense Bonus
  30 points/level
  As described for shields (p. B287), this adds to all of your
  active defense rolls; you have the ability to deflect incoming
  attacks in some way. Enhanced Block [5/level]; Enhanced
  Dodge [15/level]; Enhanced Parry (All) [10/level].
  SKILLS
  A number of skills have special applications to supers: they
  aid in understanding the sources and nature of powers, they
  grant knowledge of the lives and deeds of supers, and they help
  in using powers or maintaining a heroic identity.
  Acting
  See p. B174
  Many supers assume a different persona in their heroic
  identities than in their mundane lives. This is akin to imper-
  sonation, but somewhat easier: The hero isn’t trying to play the
  part of a specific other person, simply to assume a consistent
  HEROES
  34
  Power Modifiers
  GURPS Powers provides a list of common power mod-
  ifiers. But comics writers have come up with a huge vari-
  ety of different power sources. Here are a few more suit-
  able power modifiers:
  Electronic
  -30%
  The typical version of Technological at TL7-8. The
  power’s abilities require weekly maintenance, at 1 hour per
  ability (-5%). In addition, they can be detected by X-ray
  scans and other forms of medical imaging, and may also
  generate radio static or an odor of ozone (-5%). Finally,
  they’re vulnerable to electrical disruption as defined for
  the disadvantage Electrical (p. B134; -20%).
  Mechanical
  -10%
  The baseline version of Technological. The power’s abil-
  ities require weekly maintenance, at 1 hour per ability (-
  5%). In addition, they can be detected by X-ray scans and
  other forms of medical imaging, and may also trigger
  metal detectors, smell of oil or exhaust fumes, or get hot
  enough to show up on infrared (-5%).
  Mutant
  -10%
  Essentially a version of Super with the same cost but
  some differences in flavor. Methods of detecting mutant
  powers include DNA sequencing (see p. 79), and they may
  be a specialized subcategory for purposes of both anti-
  powers and weird-science countermeasures. Mutants may
  also be targets of bigotry, but this is treated as a separate
  disadvantage (see Social Stigma, p. 32).
  Nanotech
  -15%
  An advanced version of Technological available at TL9
  and above – or as experimental technology at TL8. The
  power’s abilities require weekly maintenance, at 1 hour per
  ability (-5%). In addition, they can be countered by nan-
  otech designed by adversaries (-5%). The operation of nan-
  otech is biologically stressful: Pay an extra 1 FP whenever
  you use an active ability in the same way as for the
  Biological modifier (-5%). For passive abilities, GMs can
  charge 1 FP to activate them (making them Switchable if
  necessary); if he does not to apply this last modifier,
  reduce the power modifier to -10% for Nanotech; if the
  last option is taken, reduce the Biological power modifier
  to -5% in similar cases.
  Savant
  -10%
  Your powers come from a state of intense concentra-
  tion, which may be the effect of self-hypnosis, drugs, or
  biological peculiarities. While you are using them, you are
  totally focused on your own thoughts and perceptions.
  This gives you two temporary disadvantages: Oblivious,
  making it difficult for you to interact with other people
  (Temporary Disadvantage, -5%), and Incurious (12), mak-
  ing it hard for you to turn your attention to anything novel
  (Temporary Disadvantage, -5%). This works best with cog-
  nitive abilities such as Eidetic Memory or Intuitive
  Mathematician, but can also be applied to psionic abilities
  as an additional modifier, or even to body control abilities.
  Superscience
  -10%
  This is effectively the same as Super for equipment that
  the GM rules eligible for a power modifier (see Chapter 4).
  
  alternate persona. Use the modifiers for impersonation for
  attempts to disguise the fact that the two are the same person,
  but at an additional +5 to effective skill.
  Artist
  See p. B179
  If you have one or more of Chameleon (with the
  Controllable enhancement from GURPS Powers), Elastic
  Skin, or Morph, you can use Body Art with them to craft a new
  appearance for yourself that achieves a specific artistic effect.
  This doesn’t function as a disguise; it’s visibly you, but with a
  new body style.
  Bioengineering
  See p. B180
  This is the skill used to analyze powers whose source is bio-
  logical. For those that result from mutation or genetic modifi-
  cation, use Genetic Engineering; for powers that result from
  reconstruction of the body, use Tissue Engineering.
  Current Affairs
  See pp. B186-187
  In a world where the existence of supers is public knowl-
  edge, a new required specialization is available for the skill:
  Supers, covering supers and topics related to them.
  Engineer
  See pp. B190-191
  This is the skill used to analyze powers whose source is elec-
  tronic, mechanical, or nanotech. It can also be used to study
  abilities whose source is superscience, but at -5 to skill. The
  GM may define new specializations of Engineer for any given
  form of superscience, such as Force Fields or Gravitics. One
  such field, Psychotronics, is already available. Analysis of a
  superscience device that falls within such a specialization is
  done at no penalty.
  Environment Suit
  If you have the skill Environment Suit (Battlesuit) at DX+2
  or higher, add +1 per die to basic thrust damage with Brawling
  attacks made while wearing a battlesuit.
  Esoteric Medicine
  See p. B192
  This is the skill used to analyze powers whose source is chi.
  Expert Skill
  See pp. B193-194
  The Expert skill of Psionics can be used to analyze psionic
  powers. For psionic devices, see Engineer.
  Fortune-Telling
  See p. B196
  In worlds where magic, psionics, or super-powers are real,
  soothsaying may be more than fakery. Fortune-Telling skill can
  substitute for IQ rolls for: analysis or interpretation (but not
  for initial detection) of both Oracle and forms of Detect that
  permit one to sense destinies and supernatural traits; using
  Intuition when guessing at an individual’s probable fate;
  Precognition, upon meeting someone who has a momentous
  future; and even using Mind Reading or Mind Probe to help a
  willing subject “know his own mind” (which is the core use of
  Fortune-Telling in GURPS). Because fortune-telling advan-
  tages are spread across ESP and Telepathy, Fortune-Telling is
  a wonderful bargain for dedicated fortune-tellers who have
  both but don’t want to buy two Talents.
  Heraldry
  See p. B199
  In a setting where supers wear distinctive insignia and color
  schemes, this skill lets you recognize a hero by his costume. It
  can also be used to devise a new outfit that won’t be confused
  with another hero’s. To imitate someone’s suit closely enough
  to fool witnesses, use Disguise.
  HEROES
  35
  Skills and 
  Super-Strength
  Even a hero with superhuman muscles may face a
  task that’s beyond his normal limits. Chapters 6 and 7
  offer some rules for performing such tasks. But anoth-
  er way of doing so is to use the same skills that normal
  human beings use to perform feats of strength:
  Breaking Blow, Flying Leap, Immovable Stance, and
  Power Blow.
  All of these skills have cinematic prerequisites:
  Trained by a Master, and sometimes Weapon Master.
  So they only work in cinematic campaigns. In a cine-
  matic or four-color supers game, heroes who meet
  these prerequisites can also buy them – and use them
  together 
  with 
  their 
  superhuman 
  strength.
  Alternatively, the GM may permit characters whose
  main emphasis is physical strength, agility, or hand-to-
  hand combat to acquire them by taking the Unusual
  Training perk (see p. 31). The Brick template in this
  book assumes that this is possible (see p. 44).
  All these skills give their standard bonuses to ST
  bought without Super-Effort. For ST with Super-
  Effort, first determine the effective Strength, damage,
  or other benefits gained from Super-Effort; then apply
  the modifiers from the skill to that score. For example,
  a hero with base ST 20 and ST +10 with Super-Effort
  can boost his ST to 120; Power Blow then lets him
  raise it to 240. Do not apply Power Blow to ST +10 to
  get +20, and then give the hero a bonus of 5,000 points
  from Super-Effort! The GM may also forbid the use of
  these skills with Super-Effort – but a hero taking a few
  seconds to ready himself and then punching a tank
  into scrap is very comic-booky!
  
  Hidden Lore
  See pp. B199-200
  In a world of hidden or weird heroes, a new required spe-
  cialization is available for this skill: Supers, covering supers
  and topics relating to them.
  If nature powers are available in a campaign setting, anoth-
  er new required specialization of Hidden Lore can be used to
  analyze them: Wilderness Lore, covering secret natural forces
  and plants and animals unknown to science.
  Hypnotism
  See p. B201
  If telepathy is based on animal magnetism, then hypnotists
  can learn to influence their subjects telepathically. See Remote
  Hypnosis (p. 38).
  Occultism
  See p. B212
  This skill can be used to recognize and describe powers
  whose source is divine, elemental (for traditional alchemical
  elements), magical, moral, or spirit. In settings where psionic
  abilities are classed as mystical phenomena, it also includes
  those. It includes cosmic powers at -5. It doesn’t grant under-
  standing of the actual workings of any of these gifts – just the
  ability to identify them.
  Philosophy
  See p. B213
  This is the skill used to analyze powers whose source is
  moral.
  Physics
  See p. B213
  This is the skill used to analyze elemental powers based on
  modern scientific concepts of matter, energy, and force.
  Power Blow
  See p. B215
  This skill is usable with Telekinesis as well as with bodily
  strength. Double or triple your telekinetic strength after a suc-
  cessful roll.
  Psychology
  See p. B216
  Experimental Psychology is the skill used to analyze savant
  powers. At the GM’s option, it may also be usable to analyze
  psionic powers.
  Ritual Magic
  See p. B218
  This is the skill used to analyze powers whose source is
  spirits.
  Stage Combat
  See p. B222
  This skill can be used to perform a choreographed battle
  with superpowers. It defaults to Innate Attack, or whatever
  other skill is used in the superpowered combat, at -3. Its main
  use is for entertainment, but a Quick Contest against
  Perception can be used to persuade witnesses that two supers
  are really fighting.
  Thaumatology
  See p. B225
  This is the skill used to analyze powers whose source is
  magical.
  Theology
  See p. B226
  This is the skill used to analyze powers whose source is
  divine.
  Weird Science
  See p. B228
  This is the skill used to analyze generic superpowers, and
  powers whose source is mutation or superscience. It can also
  be used to analyze cosmic powers, but at -5 to skill. At the GM’s
  option, it can be used to analyze nature powers – for example,
  in a world where the Gaia Hypothesis (which says the entire
  Earth is a single living entity) is true.
  WILDCARD SKILLS
  Because many supers have wildcard skills, it’s necessary to
  define a number of new ones for this book.
  Boat! (DX). Replaces Boating (all specializations). In addi-
  tion, it permits an IQ-based roll for Shiphandling (Ship or
  Submarine). Use for combat rolls to operate any weapons sys-
  tem installed in a water vehicle, or for attack maneuvers with
  the vehicle itself.
  Bow! (DX). Replaces Blowpipe, Bow, Crossbow, Sling,
  Spear Thrower, and Thrown Weapon (Dart), as well as all relat-
  ed Fast-Draw skills. Make an IQ-based roll for Armoury per-
  taining to these weapons. Use this in place of such skills as
  Acrobatics and Climbing for crossing or swinging from bow-
  launched climbing lines and for shooting while dangling from
  high places.
  Businessman! (IQ). Replaces Accounting, Administration,
  Current Affairs (Business), Diplomacy (for business negotia-
  tions), Economics, Finance, Gambling, Law (Contract or
  Corporate), Market Analysis, Merchant, and Propaganda (for
  commercial advertising).
  Cleric! (IQ). Replaces Group Performance (Conducting),
  Law (for canon law but not secular law, if the two are distinct),
  Public Speaking, Religious Ritual, and Theology for your spe-
  cific faith and sect. Make a Will-based roll for Exorcism and
  Meditation.
  Computers! (IQ). Replaces Computer Hacking, Computer
  Operation, 
  Computer 
  Programming, 
  Cryptography,
  Electronics Repair (Computers), Expert Skill (Computer
  HEROES
  36
  
  Security), and Mathematics (Computer Science and
  Cryptology). This gives you familiarity with all programming
  languages that don’t require an Unusual Background. It can be
  used in Influence rolls against alien space probes, giant robots
  with logical puzzles, and similar entities.
  Drive! (DX). Replaces Bicycling and Driving (all specializa-
  tions). In addition, it permits an IQ-based roll for Teamster.
  Use it for combat rolls to operate any weapons system installed
  in a ground vehicle, or for attack maneuvers with the vehicle
  itself.
  Encyclopedist! (IQ). Replaces Area Knowledge, Current
  Affairs, all Expert Skills, Games (only for knowledge of rules),
  all IQ-based Hobby Skills, and Research. This generally allows
  you to answer any purely factual question, but not necessarily
  to understand the facts you know. It does not enable you to per-
  form practical tasks of any kind, nor does it encompass
  Hidden Lore, which must be learned separately for each
  specialty.
  Explorer! (Per). Replaces Fishing, Survival, and Tracking, as
  well as Observation in wilderness environments. Make an IQ-
  based roll for any of Anthropology, Camouflage, Cartography,
  Geography, Gesture, Meteorology, Naturalist, Navigation, or
  Traps that relate to wilderness or unexplored areas.
  Fake! (IQ). Replaces Acting, Disguise, Fast-Talk, Forgery,
  Fortune-Telling, Mimicry (Speech), Savoir-Faire, and
  Streetwise. In addition, at the GM’s discretion, any skill that
  has a default based on any attribute or secondary characteris-
  tic, and that is not restricted by prerequisite skills, can instead
  have a default based on Fake! if this would be higher. This
  default cannot exceed the relevant attribute -1 for Easy skills,
  -2 for Average, -3 for Hard, or -4 for Very Hard; that is, Fake!
  cannot be as good as actually spending a character point to
  learn a skill.
  Fist! (DX). Replaces Boxing, Brawling, Judo, Karate, Parry
  Missile Weapons, Sumo Wrestling, and Wrestling. It can also
  be used for traditional martial arts weapons skills like Staff
  and Tonfa. Use it in place of such skills as Acrobatics and
  Jumping in combat situations. Make an IQ-based roll for
  Savoir-Faire (Dojo) in social situations. If you also have
  Trained by a Master, you can add esoteric and cinematic skills
  based on unarmed combat.
  Inventor!
  (IQ). Replaces Armoury, Bioengineering,
  Computer Programming, Electrician, Electronics Repair,
  Engineer, Explosives, Machinist, Mathematics (Applied
  Mathematics), Mechanic, Metallurgy, Smith, Traps, and any
  Expert skills relevant to recognizing and identifying technolog-
  ical devices. In settings where Weird Science is a valid skill,
  this includes its technological applications.
  Magic! (IQ). Replaces Hazardous Materials (Magical),
  Occultism, and Thaumatology. This is used to cast spells with
  an effective skill modified by the prerequisite count; see
  GURPS Magic for a table of prerequisite counts.
  Medicine! (IQ). Replaces all specialties of Biology,
  Diagnosis, Electronics Operation (Medical), Expert Skill
  (Epidemiology), First Aid, Hypnotism, Pharmacy, Physician,
  Physiology, Poisons, Psychology, Surgery, and Veterinary. It
  may also include Bioengineering or Esoteric Medicine at the
  GM’s option.
  Move! (DX). Replaces Acrobatics, Aerobatics, Aquabatics,
  Body Sense, Climbing, Escape (only to move through narrow
  openings), Free Fall, Jumping, and Stealth. It can be used for
  some forms of Dancing and Erotic Art at the GM’s discretion.
  Make a HT-based roll for Flight, Hiking, Jumping, Running,
  Skating, Skiing, and Swimming. Any such HT-based roll
  results in +20% to the day’s travel in whatever form of move-
  ment it applies to. Move! can also take the place of any
  unarmed combat skill, provided you’re performing some sort
  of fancy movement while attacking; if you have Move! at DX+2
  or better, you gain +1 per die of damage from such attacks.
  Perform! (IQ). Replaces Current Affairs (High Culture or
  Popular Culture), Electronics Operation (Media), Fire Eating,
  Fortune-Telling, Group Performance, Makeup, Mimicry,
  Musical Instrument, Performance, Public Speaking, and
  Ventriloquism. Make a DX-based roll for Dancing, Sleight of
  Hand, or Stage Combat; make HT-based rolls for Singing.
  Pilot! (DX). Replaces Piloting (all specializations). In addi-
  tion, it permits an IQ-based roll for Shiphandling (Airship,
  Spaceship, or Starship). Use it for combat rolls to operate any
  weapons system installed in an air or space vehicle, or for
  attack maneuvers with the vehicle itself.
  Psychologist! (IQ). Replaces Brainwashing, Criminology,
  Hypnotism, Interrogation, Propaganda, and Psychology. Make
  a Per-based roll to use it for Body Language or Detect Lies;
  make a Will-based roll to use it for Interrogation or Mind
  Block.
  Scholar! (IQ). Replaces Anthropology, Archaeology,
  Cartography, Economics, Geography, Heraldry, History,
  Literature, Occultism, Philosophy, Public Speaking, Sociology,
  Teaching, Theology, and Writing (scholarly works and popular-
  izations, but not fiction or poetry). It can also be used for
  Research in any field within the humanities or social sciences.
  Stick! (DX). Replaces Axe/Mace, Broadsword, Flail,
  Shortsword, Smallsword, Staff, Thrown Weapon (Stick), Two-
  Handed Axe/Mace, Two-Handed Flail, and Two-Handed Sword
  for crushing weapons only. Use this in place of such skills as
  Acrobatics and Jumping in combat situations. Make an IQ-
  based roll for Armoury pertaining to these weapons. Users can
  wield two one-handed sticks at full skill without off-hand
  penalties.
  Thief! (DX). Replaces Climbing, Escape, Filch, Forced
  Entry, Pickpocket, and Stealth. Make an IQ-based roll for
  Electronics Operation (Security), Lockpicking, Traps, or
  Streetwise; for Shadowing to follow an intended victim; and
  for Merchant to sell stolen goods.
  Throw! (DX). Replaces Bolas, Spear Thrower, Throwing,
  the thrown uses of Cloak, Lasso, and Net, and all Thrown
  Weapon skills, as well as all related Fast-Draw skills. Make an
  IQ-based roll for Armoury pertaining to these weapons and for
  Games skills such as darts. It lets you throw any object you can
  lift, as with Throwing Art, without having Trained by a Master
  or Weapon Master as a prerequisite. However, having one of
  these advantages is still a prerequisite for gaining the damage
  bonuses of Throwing Art. Use this in place of such skills as
  Acrobatics and Climbing for actions that benefit from throw-
  ing, such as climbing a tossed grappling line.
  Whip! (DX). Replaces Flail, Force Whip, Kusari, Lasso,
  Monowire Whip, Two-Handed Flail, and Whip, as well as the
  thrown uses of Cloak, Lasso, and Net. Make an IQ-based roll
  for Armoury pertaining to these weapons. Use it in place of
  such skills as Acrobatics and Climbing to climb up or swing
  from a whip; Garrote or Knot-Tying when choking or binding
  a foe with a flexible weapon; and suitable specializations of
  Erotic Art.
  HEROES
  37
  
  TECHNIQUES
  Several new techniques are useful either to supers or to nor-
  mal people who have to deal with them.
  Bullet Parry
  Hard
  Default: Parry Missile Weapons Parry-5.
  Prerequisite: Parry Missile Weapons and Enhanced Time
  Sense; cannot exceed Parry Missile Weapons Parry.
  This is the technique for bouncing bullets off a melee
  weapon – or your arms, if you have suitable bracers, wrist-
  bands, or gauntlets, or just high DR. It lets you buy off the
  penalty for parrying bullets by intense mental focus on main-
  taining high speed.
  At a further -4 penalty, you can catch bullets rather than
  simply parrying them. You can’t offset this penalty with the
  Bullet Parry technique, but you can with Speed Talent or Time
  Mastery Talent (see p. 122).
  Enhanced Time Sense doesn’t normally allow parries
  against light-speed weapons such as lasers – but the GM may
  allow this, still at -5, if the defender also has Precognition
  (p. B77). Parrying energy beams is a different Hard technique.
  See Bulletproof (p. 122) for more on this topic.
  Camouflaged Mind Block
  Hard
  Default: Mind Block-4.
  Prerequisite: Mind Block; cannot exceed Mind Block skill.
  Mind Block provides non-psis with a defense against having
  their minds read – but it’s obvious that you’re using it, from the
  repetitive patterns of standard mind blocks. This technique
  uses a pattern of stream-of-consciousness prose crafted to
  sound like your natural thoughts. If you win the standard
  Quick Contest of skills, not only are your real thoughts not
  apparent, but it’s not obvious that you’re hiding something.
  The pattern you use repeats after a minute or two; under pro-
  longed telepathic examination, roll at -1 per extra minute after
  the first – but if the Quick Contest fails by that modifier, all
  that’s revealed is that you have a mind block in place; your true
  thoughts are still hidden.
  Coded Thoughts
  Hard
  Default: Mind Block-6.
  Prerequisite: Mind Block and Cryptography; cannot exceed
  Mind Block skill.
  A variant of Mind Block, which lets you translate your
  thoughts or knowledge into a different symbolism. For exam-
  ple, you might turn a message into a string of numbers or even
  a melody. This may not disguise the fact that you’re hiding
  something, because your code appears to be a standard mind
  block, but instead of hiding the secret behind the barrier it
  makes it part of the barrier. If a telepath penetrates the Mind
  Block, the actual secret won’t be the first thing to come into
  your thoughts. He has to probe one layer deeper, or memorize
  the coded form of your thoughts and crack it.
  Human Missile
  Hard
  Default:
  Acrobatics-3, Aerobatics-3, Aquabatics-3, or
  Jumping-3.
  Prerequisite: Acrobatics or Jumping and the Super Jump
  advantage; Aerobatics and the Flight advantage; or
  Aquabatics and one of Amphibious, Aquatic, Enhanced Move
  (Water), or Flight (if usable underwater). Cannot exceed base
  skill.
  This is a variant of a slam attack. You can fling yourself at
  a target, such as a vehicle or building, with your whole body
  tense and acting as a single rigid mass, and with your striking
  surface minimized. Typically this means having your clenched
  fists raised above your head, striking the target first like a spear
  point. Targets must be larger than you (SM at least 1 higher
  than yours). Your damage is huge piercing instead of crushing.
  You can target vital areas or small windows. When you hit the
  target, you naturally tend to smash into or through it rather
  than knocking it back, so you can treat the target as an immov-
  able object (see p. B431).
  Multiport
  Hard
  Default: Body Sense.
  Prerequisite: Body Sense and the Warp advantage with
  Rapid Fire; effective level cannot exceed Body Sense.
  This technique is used in combat teleportation with the
  Rapid-Fire enhancement (see Combat Teleportation, p. 126) in
  place of Body Sense skill. It cannot give a net bonus to Body
  Sense skill; if your effective level with Multiport after the
  penalties for Rapid-Fire Teleport (see p. 29) is higher than your
  Body Sense, reduce it to Body Sense before applying other
  penalties.
  No-Mind
  Hard
  Default: Mind Block-5.
  Prerequisite: Invisibility Art and Mind Block; cannot exceed
  Invisibility Art skill.
  An advanced development of Mind Block skill, No-Mind
  works like Invisibility Art, but against telepathic powers rather
  than sight.
  Remote Hypnosis
  Hard
  Default: Hypnotism.
  Prerequisites: Hypnotism; Telepathy Talent 1, or any other
  talent relevant to influencing others’ minds; special limits.
  In a campaign setting where hypnotism is based on “ani-
  mal magnetism” or some other mysterious force, hypnotists
  can influence their subjects at a distance, without words or
  gestures, and even through physical barriers such as walls.
  The same is true for any hypnotist who has Telesend. Putting
  the subject into a trance to begin with requires face-to-face
  contact; but once subverted you can transmit new sugges-
  tions directly from mind to mind, at a modifier based on 
  HEROES
  38
  
  distance taken from the Speed/Range Table on p. B550. If you
  buy levels of this technique, you can use them to offset dis-
  tance penalties up to a maximum of Hypnotism-1. You don’t
  necessarily know what suggestions are appropriate unless
  you have a Mindlink or other telepathic connection, or some
  form of technological remote sensing.
  If you have the Telesend advantage, you can do the same
  thing at +2 to Hypnotism skill (see p. B201) using the long-
  distance range penalties; this technique doesn’t offset those
  penalties, and there is little point in learning it. It’s for hypno-
  tists whose telepathic powers are purely a product of their
  skill.
  Tight Beam
  Hard
  Default: Innate Attack (Beam)-2
  Prerequisite: Innate Attack (Beam); cannot exceed prerequi-
  site skill.
  You can narrow your beam attack to impact a smaller cross-
  section of the target. This turns crushing attacks into piercing
  attacks and non-tight-beam burning attacks into tight-beam
  burning attacks (see p. B399). It has no effect on other types of
  beam attacks. You can target your foe’s eyes or vitals, or small
  glass windows or other vulnerable areas on a vehicle. To train
  in this technique, you must take Perk: Unusual Training.
  GURPS Supers relies, as much as possible, on the abilities
  already described in GURPS Powers. But some heroes have
  gifts that GURPS Powers doesn’t cover.
  ANIMAL FUNCTION
  Sources: Biological, Divine, Magic, Mutant, Nature, Spirit,
  or Super.
  Focus: Physiological traits of animals.
  This power includes abilities that can be justified by point-
  ing to an animal species that has them. They don’t actually
  extend to turning into an animal, nor do they include mystical
  or telepathic communication with animals (see Animal
  Control in GURPS Powers). Rather, they include powers sim-
  ilar to the capabilities of various animal species, often but not
  always based on changes in body structure.
  GMs may define, or allow players to define, variants on this
  ability that focus on narrower subsets of the animal kingdom,
  from entire phyla (“Mollusk Powers”) to single animal species
  (“Orangutan Powers”). Precedents in the comics include cats,
  wolves, hawks, sharks, ants, wasps, spiders, all mammals, and
  all insects.
  Animal Function Talent
  5 points/level
  Animal Function Abilities
  360º Vision, Acute Senses, Amphibious, Binding,
  Brachiator, Catfall, Chameleon, Clinging, Constriction Attack,
  Detect, Discriminatory Hearing, Discriminatory Smell,
  Discriminatory Taste, Doesn’t Breathe with Gills or Oxygen
  Storage, Enhanced Move, Enhanced Tracking, Extra Attack,
  Flight with Controlled Gliding, Gliding, and/or Winged,
  Infravision, Lifting ST, Metabolism Control, Nictitating
  Membrane, Night Vision, Obscure with Environmental (in
  water), Parabolic Hearing, Payload, Perfect Balance,
  Peripheral Vision, Pressure Support 1 or 2, Regrowth, Sonar,
  Sensitive Touch, Slippery, Stretching 1 or 2, Subsonic Hearing,
  Subsonic Speech, Super Climbing, Super Jump, Telescopic
  Vision, 
  Temperature 
  Tolerance, 
  Terrain 
  Adaptation,
  Ultrahearing, Ultrasonic Speech, Vibration Sense, and Walk on
  Liquid. Increased ST, DX, HT, and Per are also appropriate
  with a power limitation.
  Attacks suited to this power include Claws, Spines, Striker,
  or Teeth, usually with Switchable, and Toxic Attack, often as a
  Follow-Up to one of the previous types of attack. Some animals
  have electrical attacks; these are best represented as Affliction
  with Stunning or Heart Attack.
  ELASTICITY
  Sources: Biological, Mutant, Nanotech, or Super.
  Focus: Elasticity and plasticity.
  This is the power to stretch and deform one’s own body. It’s
  a subset of the Body Alteration power; it doesn’t include grow-
  ing or shrinking, truly changing into a different species, or
  growing new body parts, especially hard body parts.
  Elasticity Talent
  5 points/level
  Elasticity Abilities
  360º Vision with Easy to Hit and Switchable; Amphibious
  with Switchable; Catfall with Parachute; Constriction Attack;
  Damage Resistance with Tough Skin; Elastic Skin; Flight with
  Controlled Gliding or Gliding, and Switchable; High Manual
  Dexterity; Injury Tolerance (Damage Reduction, Diffuse, or
  Unbreakable Bones); Morph with Cosmetic; Parabolic Hearing
  with Switchable; Payload with Switchable; Stretching; Super
  Climbing; and Super Jump with Bouncing.
  PHASING
  Sources: Magical, Mutant, Nanotech, Psionic, Spirit, or
  Super.
  Focus: Immateriality and bypassing barriers.
  Walking through walls isn’t a plausible ability scientifically,
  but comics writers have come up with a variety of justifica-
  tions for it: reduced density, out-of-phase molecular vibrations
  (the source of the name), shifting slightly into another dimen-
  sion, or even being a ghost or spirit.
  HEROES
  39
  NEW POWERS
  
  Phasing Talent
  5 points/level
  Phasing Abilities
  This power includes abilities that can be justified by aspects
  of immateriality, such as the lack of mass or of solidity.
  Suitable advantages include Catfall, Doesn’t Breathe (Oxygen
  Absorption), Flight (Lighter Than Air), Injury Tolerance
  (Diffuse), 
  Insubstantiality, 
  Invisibility 
  (Only 
  When
  Insubstantial), Permeation, Silence, or Walk on Air.
  Phasing isn’t directly useful for attacks, but makes possible
  a variety of indirect ones: turning other people immaterial
  (Affliction, or Insubstantiality with Carrying Capacity), reach-
  ing inside them to squeeze internal organs (Affliction to pro-
  duce Agony, Choking, Heart Attack, Nauseated, varying levels
  of Pain, Retching, or Unconsciousness), or striking blows
  through their armor (ST-based damage modified with Cosmic:
  Irresistible Attack – or with Affects Insubstantial). Some
  phasers can disrupt electronic devices by passing through
  them; buy this as Burning with the modifiers Cosmic:
  Irresistible Attack, Melee Attack, No Wounding, and Surge.
  Any of these attacks require you to take Insubstantiality with
  Affect Substantial.
  PLANT FUNCTION
  Sources: Biological, Divine, Magical, Mutant, Nature,
  Psionic, Spirit, or Super.
  Focus: Physiological traits of plants.
  This power includes abilities that can be justified by point-
  ing to a plant species that has them. They don’t actually extend
  to turning into a plant, nor do they include mystical or tele-
  pathic communication with plants (see Plant Control in
  GURPS Powers). Rather, they include powers similar to the
  capabilities of various plant species, often but not always
  based on changes in body structure.
  GMs may define, or allow players to define, variants on this
  that focus on narrower subsets of the plant kingdom, as dis-
  cussed under Animal Function (see p. 39); but such specializa-
  tion is rare in comics.
  Plant Function Talent
  5 points/level
  Plant Function Abilities
  Affliction (Incapacitation or Irritant, with Blood Agent,
  Contact Agent, Follow-Up – usually to Spines – or Respiratory
  Agent); Clinging, based on root hairs; Constriction Attack;
  Damage Resistance; Detect, for phenomena relevant to plants
  such as underground water; Doesn’t Breathe, with an
  Environmental 
  limitation; 
  Extra 
  Arms; 
  Flexibility;
  Hermaphromorph; Injury Tolerance (Homogenous); Lifting
  ST; Metabolism Control; Modular Abilities (Physical only);
  Regeneration; Regrowth; Slippery; or Spines.
  SPEED
  Sources: Biological, Divine, Mutant, Nanotech, or Super.
  Focus: Faster movement, reactions, and mental processes.
  This is the power to think, move, and act faster than any
  normal human. Its effects overlap with those of Time Mastery,
  but they have a different basis: not alterations in basic physi-
  cal reality, but enhanced rate of the body’s functions. Typical
  speedsters spend much of their time running incredibly fast,
  but some can also jump farther or even fly.
  Speed Talent
  5 points/level
  Speed Abilities
  Altered Time Rate; Basic Move; Basic Speed; Enhanced
  Defenses; Enhanced Move; Enhanced Time Sense; Extra
  Attack (Multi-Strike); Flight; Rapid Healing; Resistant to
  Acceleration; Striking ST, from the rapidity of blows; Super
  Climbing; and Super Jump.
  Very fast speedsters can whirl their arms like fan blades to
  set the air in motion. This can act as Affliction with Choking,
  Binding with Engulfing (trapping a foe in a whirlwind),
  Control of air, Innate Attack with No Wounding, or Obscure
  with Environmental (requires loose soil or dust). Focused
  winds can even be used for Tunneling! All these abilities have
  the modifier Environmental: Only in air (-5%) as well as the
  Speed Power modifier.
  HEROES
  40
  
  Templates are designed to make it easy to create characters,
  and no characters are more in need of this help than supers.
  The following 21 templates can be used to create heroes of the
  most common types in fiction, from the pulp novels of the
  1920s to present-day big-budget movies.
  Most of these templates are built to a value of 500 points, to
  fit a classic supers game; a few use lower or higher values for
  character types who better fit other campaign styles. A limit of
  100 disadvantage points is assumed; normally the templates
  don’t use the full 100 points, leaving room to take extra disad-
  vantages for customization.
  To keep things simple, powers are bought with the Super
  modifier, unless the nature of a specific template makes some
  other power modifier a better fit. Powers are largely taken
  from GURPS Powers, but several new ones can be found ear-
  lier in this chapter (see p. 34). Abilities are listed in the various
  templates – under Powers for those that are included in pow-
  ers, and under Advantages for other passive abilities. For spec-
  ifications of the various attack powers, see the tables under
  Attack Abilities, pp. 58-59.
  When motivational disadvantages are suggested, they
  include both “good” and “bad” disadvantages so the template
  can be used for both heroes and villains.
  Skills are divided into wildcard skills, ordinary skills, and
  exotic skills such as chi-based skills and magical spells. They
  are limited to those needed in adventuring. No provision is
  made for mundane skills used in civilian life. Wildcard skills
  (defined on p. B175, and discussed on pp. 36 and 66 of this
  book) are used extensively to fit the four-color emphasis and to
  illustrate their use in character design. GMs who run less cin-
  ematic campaigns or whose players prefer detailed skill lists
  may design variant templates with multiple normal skills that
  have the same total point value.
  Finally, each template includes “Playing the Role,” a section
  that discusses how best to show off that character type’s abilities,
  as detailed under Powers and Abilities in Chapter 1 (see p. 10).
  Acrobat
  250 points
  Your focus is high DX and the skills that it supports, partic-
  ularly agile movement, unarmed combat, and sometimes the
  use of muscle-powered weapons. You can be stealthy, but that’s
  not your focus; see Nightstalker (p. 49) for a stealth-oriented
  hero.
  Attributes: ST 12 [20]; DX 16 [120]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 12 [20].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-1/1d+2; BL 29 lbs.; HP 12
  [0]; Will 10 [0]; Per 10 [0]; FP 12 [0]; Basic Speed 7.00 [0];
  Basic Move 7 [0].
  Advantages: Combat Reflexes [15];† Fit [5]; and 25 points from
  Catfall [10], Daredevil [15], Enhanced Dodge 1 [15], Extra
  Attack 1 [25], Flexibility [5], Perfect Balance [15], Signature
  Gear [varies], Super Climbing [3/level], Super Jump
  [10/level], Weapon Master (One Weapon, or Two Weapons
  Used Together) [20 or 25], or improving Fit [5] to Very Fit
  [15].
  Perk: One of Cloaked [1], Shtick [1], or Swinging [1].
  Disadvantages: A total of -20 points from Code of Honor [-5 to
  -15], Impulsiveness [-10*], Overconfidence [-5*], Trademark
  (Simple) [-5], or Trickster [-15*].
  Wildcard Skills: One of Bow!, Move!, Stick!, Sword!, Throw!, or
  Whip! (VH) DX+2 [48]-18.
  Ordinary Skills: One of Body Language or Observation, both
  (A) Per+2 [8]-12. Any one of Acrobatics (H) DX [4]-16,
  Boxing (A) DX+1 [4]-17, Climbing (A) DX+1 [4]-17, Jumping
  (E) DX+2 [4]-18, Stealth (A) DX+1 [4]-17, or Wrestling (A)
  DX+1 [4]-17. Any two of Acrobatics (H) DX-1 [2]-15, Boxing
  (E) DX [2]-16, Climbing (A) DX [2]-16, Jumping (E) DX+1
  [2]-17, Stealth (A) DX [2]-16, Wrestling (A) DX [2]-16, or a
  weapon skill.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  † Provides +1 to use of any wildcard skill as Fast-Draw.
  HEROES
  41
  Wildcard Powers
  GURPS Powers provides a basis for defining almost
  any ability in exact detail. But supers invent new uses for
  their powers, especially in emergencies. The section Using
  Abilities at Default in GURPS Powers (pp. 173-174) offers
  one way to do this, through power stunts. GMs who want
  to encourage players to do this all the time may want to
  consider another approach: wildcard powers.
  To buy a wildcard power, start by defining the base
  ability. Normally this is a raw advantage, but it may be
  given enhancements if they’re needed to define what it
  does accurately. Limitations should only be allowed if they
  apply to every application of the power. Determine the
  final cost of the ability. Multiply this cost ¥4 to find the
  cost of the wildcard power. Its name is the name of the
  base power, followed by an exclamation point.
  To use a wildcard power, choose any other ability
  whose cost, after all enhancements and limitations, is no
  greater than that of the base power. Then come up with a
  plausible story about why the base power can be used in
  this particular way. The GM is the final judge of whether
  such a story is plausible enough. If it is, the hero can gain
  the benefits of both the base power and the other ability at
  the same time; in fact, normally he must be using the base
  power to use the other ability.
  Example: The reptilian hero Draco has the power of
  Flight! (Winged, -25%) at a cost of 120 points. When he
  needs to get somewhere fast, he can use it as Enhanced
  Move 1.5 (Air), tripling his aerial Move from 12 to 36.
  When he needs to free a man pinned under a fallen log, he
  can use it as Lifting ST +10, raising his BL from 45 lbs. to
  125 lbs.; using both hands, he is able to raise the half-ton
  weight and move it aside, “aided by the lifting force of his
  mighty wings,” as his player tells the GM. Note that both
  times Draco is flying while using the other ability!
  TEMPLATES
  
  Notes: To power up this template, raise DX to 20 and add
  lots of advantages. These can be either the result of intensive
  training, or superhuman abilities. Alternatively, look at super-
  powered templates that work with this theme, such as the
  Speedster or a Biomorph based on a quick, agile life-form.
  Playing the Role: In combat you’re a difficult target, with
  Dodge 11 (13 for acrobatic dodges); take advantage of it. Use
  flashy attack moves such as slams and flying jump kicks, or
  strike at your foes from a distance with superb marksmanship.
  Remember that Move! can be used for acrobatic attacks and
  wildcard combat skills can be used for jumping and acrobat-
  ics. Be sure to take advantage of damage bonuses from
  Weapon Master, Boxing, or Move! Outside combat, make light
  of obstacles by climbing walls or walking on narrow ledges;
  show off your natural grace and coordination.
  Archetype
  2,000 points
  You fit the most common of all heroic patterns: amazing
  strength, speed, and durability, plus the ability to fly (or some-
  thing close to it). You’re powerful enough to be almost immune
  to forcible restraint. If you’re a hero, you’re law-abiding or
  honorable because of your personal convictions; if you’re a vil-
  lain or anti-hero, you’re driven by a sense of superiority to
  ordinary mortals.
  Attributes: ST 33/320 [100];† DX 14 [80]; IQ 14 [80]; HT 20
  [100].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 3d+2/6d (33d/35d with Super-
  Effort); BL 218 lbs. (10 tons with Super-Effort); HP 33 [0];†
  Will 20 [30]; Per 14 [0]; FP 40 [60]; Basic Speed 10.00 [0];‡
  Basic Move 20 [0].**
  Advantages: Appearance (Attractive) [4]; Damage Reduction
  (100) (Super, -10%) [270]; Damage Resistance 100 (Super,
  -10%) [450]; Longevity [2]; Nictitating Membrane 15 (Super,
  -10%) [14]; Regeneration (Slow; Super, -10%) [9]; Resistant
  to Metabolic Hazards (+8; Super, -10%) [14]; ST+13/+300
  (Super, -10%; Super-Effort, +300%) [507]; Temperature
  Tolerance 8 [8]; Very Fit [15]; and one of the following
  abilities:
  • Adaptation: Doesn’t Breathe (Oxygen Storage ¥25, -50%;
  Super, -10%) [8] + Sealed (Super, -10%) [14] + Temperature
  Tolerance 8 (Super, -10%) [8].
  • Amphibian: Amphibious (Super, -10%) [9] + Doesn’t
  Breathe (Gills, -50%; Super, -10%) [8] + Pressure Support 2
  (Super, -10%) [9] + Temperature Tolerance 4 (Colder; Super,
  -10%) [4].
  • Flying: Flight (Cannot Hover, -15%; Super, -10%) [30].
  • Heat Vision: Burning Attack 6d (Accurate, +1, +5%;
  Super, -10%; Variable, +5%) [30] (Power Parry: 12).
  • Super-Senses: Microscopic Vision 1 (Super, -10%) [5] +
  Parabolic Hearing 3 (Super, -10%) [11] + Telescopic Vision 3
  (Super, -10%) [14].
  • Underground Movement: Tunneling 1 (Cost Fatigue: 1
  FP/use, -5%; Super, -10%) [30].
  Powers: Spend a total of 190 points on the Talents and abilities
  from the following power:
  Speed (Super; Talent 1 [5])
  • Hyper-Reflexes: Basic Speed +1.5 (Super, -10%) [27] +
  Enhanced Time Sense (Super, -10%) [41].
  • Super-Speed: Basic Move +10 (Super, -10%) [45].
  • Super-Flying: Enhanced Move 4 (Air Speed 320; Must
  have Flying ability; Super, -10%) [72].
  • Super-Mobility: Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Move 40;
  Super, -10%) [18] and Super Jump 6 (Super, -10%) [54].
  • Super-Swimming: Enhanced Move 4 (Water Speed 64;
  Must have Amphibian ability; Super, -10%) [72].
  Perk: Striking Surface [1].
  Disadvantages: A total of -20 points from Callous [-5], Code of
  Honor [-5 to -15], Fanaticism [-15], Honesty [-10*],
  Megalomania [-10], Pacifism [-5 to -15], Selfish [-5*],
  Selfless [-5*], or Sense of Duty [-2 to -20].
  Ordinary Skills: Brawling (E) DX+2 [4]-16; Intimidation (A)
  Will [2]-20 or Leadership (A) IQ [2]-14; two of Flight (A)
  HT+1 [4]-21, Jumping (E) DX+2 [4]-16, Running (A) HT+1
  [4]-21, or Swimming (E) HT+2 [4]-22; three of Aerobatics or
  Aquabatics (H) DX [4]-14, Dropping (A) DX+1 [4]-15,
  Forced Entry (E) DX+2 [4]-16, Innate Attack (Gaze) (E)
  DX+2 [4]-16, Lifting (A) HT+1 [4]-21, Observation (A) Per+1
  [4]-15, Parry Missile Weapons (H) DX [4]-14, Stealth (A)
  DX+1 [4]-15, or Throwing (A) DX+1 [4]-15.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  † Includes +13/+300 points of super-strength.
  ‡ Includes +1.50 Basic Speed from Speed Power.
  ** Includes +10 Basic Move from Speed Power.
  Notes: The archetype template has D-scale combat abilities:
  Specifically, it’s designed to be able to destroy tanks (see Man
  versus Machine, p. 123, and the opening vignette of Chapter 7,
  p. 115). This is the most expensive of the templates. A version
  designed for C-scale combat would cost even more; 4,000 char-
  acter points would be plausible, spent mainly on increased DR,
  along with more of the optional abilities. A bargain-basement
  version, built on 1,000 character points, would be comparable
  to Hugo Danner (in Philip Wylie’s Gladiator) or the 1930s
  Superman: able to lift cars and withstand bullets, but not
  destroy tanks barehanded. This is also the most powerful of
  the templates; GMs who allow it should make sure that other
  heroes’ skills or specialized powers are needed.
  Playing the Role: Give the sense that you look down on
  humanity from above, whether in scorn or compassion.
  Ordinary human beings are no threat to you; reserve your full
  powers – and your FP – for other supers, giant monsters, or
  armored war vehicles. In this kind of fight, show off your
  strength and invulnerability. Do the same outside of battle,
  especially in emergencies. You can walk unharmed through a
  burning building or lift massive weights off trapped people.
  Part of this template’s rationale is having a wide range of pow-
  ers, so look for ways to use your minor abilities.
  Biomorph
  500 points
  You have powers based on those of other living species –
  usually animals, but plants, fungi, or even microorganisms are
  possible. Your heroic identity evokes those creatures as well.
  Your body may be completely human or have some anatomi-
  cal peculiarities, but you don’t actually turn into another
  species; see Metamorph (p. 49) for that option.
  HEROES
  42
  
  Attributes: ST 12 [20]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 12 [20].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-1/1d+2; BL 29 lbs.; HP 12
  [0]; Will 10 [0]; Per 15 [25]; FP 12 [0]; Basic Speed 7.00 [20];
  Basic Move 7 [0].
  Advantages: Combat Reflexes [15]. Very Fit [15]. Very Rapid
  Healing [15]. A total of 30 points from Animal Empathy [5],
  Appearance (Attractive [4] or Handsome/Beautiful [12]),
  Danger Sense [15], Enhanced Dodge [15/level], Fearlessness
  [2/level], High Pain Threshold [10], Higher Purpose (Defend
  plants, animals, or the environment) [5], Perfect Balance
  [15], Plant Empathy [5], or Single-Minded [5].
  Powers: Choose one of the powers below:
  Cat Function (Super; Talent 1 [5])
  • Catlike Reflexes: DX +4 (Super, -10%) [36] + Catfall
  (Super, -10%) [9] + Extra Attack 1 (Super, -10%; Multi-Strike,
  +20%) [28].
  • Cat’s Claws: Sharp Claws (Super, -10%; Switchable,
  +10%) [5] + Perk: Accessory (Climbing Spikes: +2 to Climbing)
  [1].
  • Cat’s Eyes: Night Vision 5 (Super, -10%) [5].
  • Cat’s Whiskers: Vibration Sense (Air; Super, -10%) [9].
  • Incredible Hearing: Discriminatory Hearing (Super, -10%)
  [14] + Parabolic Hearing 2 (Super, -10%) + Ultrahearing
  (Super, -10%) [5].
  • Little Cat Feet: Silence 5 (Super, -10%) [23].
  • Might of the Tiger: ST +5 (Super, -10%) [45] + Damage
  Resistance 1 (Super, -10%; Flexible, -20%) [4].
  • Roar of the Lion: Terror (Hearing-Based; All-Out, -25%;
  Super, -10%; Selective Effect, +20%) [26] + Perk: Penetrating
  Voice [1].
  • Speed of the Cheetah: Basic Move +8 (Super, -10%) [36] +
  Enhanced Speed 1 (Ground Move 32; Super, -10%) [18].
  Fish Function (Super; Talent 1 [5])
  • Body Electricity: Affliction 5 (Area Effect, Radius 2 yards,
  +50%; Emanation, -20%; Super, -10%; Takes Recharge, 5 sec-
  onds, -10%; Underwater Only, +0%) [55] + Alternate Ability:
  Field Sense (Extended Arc, 360º, +125%; Super, -10%) [5].
  • Breathing Water: Discriminatory Smell (Super, -10%;
  Profiling, +50%; Underwater Only, -0%) [21] + Doesn’t Breathe
  (Super, -10%; Gills, -50%) [8] + Pressure Support 1 [5].
  • Fish’s Mail: Damage Resistance 4 (Super, -10%; Tough
  Skin, -40%) [10] (Power Block: 10 in air, 15 in water).
  • Oceanic Might: ST+9 (Accessibility, Only in water, -30%;
  Super, -10%) [54] + HT+9 (Accessibility, Only in water, -30%;
  Super, -10%) [54].
  • Super Swimming: Amphibious (Super, -10%) [9] +
  Enhanced Move 2 (Water Speed 24; Super, -10%) [36].
  • Underwater Vision: Nictitating Membrane 2 (Super, -10%)
  [2] + Night Vision 4 (Super, -10%) [6].
  Plant Function (Super; Talent 1 [5])
  • Bark Skin: Damage Resistance 4 (Can’t Wear Armor,
  -40%; Super, -10%; Switchable, +10%) [12] (Power Block: 12).
  • Camouflage:
  Chameleon 
  8 
  (Always 
  On, 
  -10%;
  Environmental, Dense vegetation, -40%; Super, -10%) [16]
  (Sensory Power Dodge: 11).
  • Forest Movement: Brachiator (Super, -10%) [5] + Terrain
  Adaptation (Dense Vegetation; Super, -10%) [5].
  • Perfume: Affliction 3 (Ecstasy, +100%; Malediction,
  -1/yard, +100%; Super, -10%; Scent-Based, -20%; Secondary
  Effect, Hallucinating, +10%) [84].
  • Photosynthesis: Doesn’t Eat or Drink (Food Only, -50%;
  Super, -10%) [4].
  • Poison Ivy: Affliction 1 (Aura, +80%; Contact Agent,
  -30%; Itching, +10%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; Onset, 1
  minute -10%; Super, -10%) [11].
  • Vegetative Renewal: Regrowth (Super, -10%) [36] + HT+4
  (Super, -10%) [36].
  • Vine Grasp: Binding 20 (Constricting, +75%; Melee
  Attack, Reach C, Cannot Parry, -35%; Only Damage by
  Burning, Corrosion, or Cutting, +10%; Super, -10%) [56].
  Disadvantages: A total of -30 points from Appearance
  (Unattractive [-4] or Ugly [-8]), Berserk [-10*], Bestial [-10],
  Impulsiveness [-10*], Overconfidence [-5*], Sense of Duty
  [Varies], or Unnatural Features [-1/level].
  Wildcard Skills: Move! (VH) DX+2 [48]-14.
  Ordinary Skills: Brawling (E) DX+2 [4]-14; two of Body
  Language (A) Per+1 [4]-16, Hidden Lore (Mysteries of
  nature) (A) IQ+1 [4]-11, Knot-Tying (E) DX+2 [4]-14,
  Naturalist (H) IQ [4]-10, Observation (A) Per+1 [4]-16,
  Survival (Any) (A) Per+1 [4]-16, Tracking (A) Per+1 [4]-16,
  and Traps (A) IQ+1 [4]-11.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  Notes: The three examples given here are only illustrations
  of the basic theme. Many other versions are possible. Ideally
  the player should pick a life-form and the GM should come up
  with a suitable list of abilities, applying some creative thinking
  to the capabilities of the real organisms.
  Less powerful versions of this template have smaller bonus-
  es to attributes and weaker attack, defense, and movement
  abilities. Slightly shorter lists of abilities are also an option, but
  bear in mind that multiple small powers help convey the bio-
  logical flavor of the template.
  For more powerful versions, look at adding the ability to
  control plants or animals; actual shapeshifting into the other
  species; or a large, powerful body (see Brick, p. 44).
  Playing the Role: Suggest the plants or animals your abili-
  ties are based on by your behavior. Your human intelligence is
  influenced by nonhuman instincts and perceptions; you notice
  things that ordinary human beings would miss. Use your non-
  combat skills a lot, to take advantage of this perceptiveness.
  Find ways of using your minor powers to get things done, to
  remind the other players that you have all those powers.
  Emphasize your attunement to the natural world and your
  protectiveness toward it.
  Blaster
  500 points
  You’re the ranged-attack specialist of your team: You can
  hurl beams, blasts, or bolts at the enemy and take them out of
  action. Many different forms of energy, and sometimes of mat-
  ter, can be used as the basis for such attacks.
  Attributes: ST 11 [10]; DX 14 [80]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 11 [10].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.; HP 11
  [0]; Will 10 [0]; Per 14 [20]; FP 11 [0]; Basic Speed 6.00 [15];
  Basic Move 6 [0].
  Advantages: Combat Reflexes [15]; 25 points from Acute Vision
  [2/level], Daredevil [15], Enhanced Dodge [15/level], Extra
  Attack 1 [25], Fit [5] or Very Fit [15], or Single-Minded [5].
  HEROES
  43
  
  Perk: Accessory (one of Generator; Ignition; Lamp; Periscope)
  [1].
  Powers: Choose one of the powers below:
  Electricity (Elemental, Super; Talent 2 [10])
  • Electrogenesis: Create Electricity 6 (Aura, +80%;
  Elemental, -10%; Super, -10%) [192]†.
  • Electrified Skin: Affliction 6 (Aura, +80%; Elemental,
  -10%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; Super, -10%) [80]†.
  • Lightning Bolt: Burning Attack 12d (Elemental, -10%;
  Inaccurate, -3, -15%; Increased 1/2D, ¥10, +15%; Increased
  Range, ¥10, +30%; Link, +10%; Nuisance Effect, Thunderclap,
  -5%; Side Effect, Stunning, +50%; Super, -10%; Surge, +20%;
  Takes Recharge, 5 seconds, -10%) [105]† + Affliction 1 (HT;
  Area Effect, 4 yards, +100%; Disadvantage, Blindness, +50%;
  Elemental, -10%; Inaccurate, -3, -15%; Increased 1/2D, ¥10,
  +15%; Increased Range, ¥10, +30%; Link, +10%; Super, -10%;
  Vision-Based, +150%) [42]† (Power Parry: 13).
  • Field Sense: Detect Electric Fields (Elemental, -10%;
  Precise, +100%; Signal Detection, +0%; Super, -10%) [18].
  • Resistance: Damage Resistance 7 (Elemental, -10%; Force
  Field, +20%; Limited, Electricity, -40%; Super, -10%) [21]
  (Power Block: 10).
  • Static Shield: Enhanced Dodge 4 (Elemental, -10%;
  Super, -10%) [48].
  Heat/Fire  (Elemental, Super; Talent 2 [10])
  • Flame Shield: Damage Resistance 13 (Elemental, -10%;
  Limited, Ranged Projectiles, -40%; Super, -10%) [26] (Power
  Block: 10).
  • JATO: Super Jump 6 (Elemental, -10%; Nuisance Effect:
  Flame exhaust, -5%; Super, -10%) [45].
  • Pyrogenesis:
  Create Fire 12 (Destruction, +100%;
  Elemental, -10%; Super, -10%) [216]†.
  • Fireball: Burning Attack 4d (Elemental, -10%; Increased
  Range, ¥10, +30%; Super, -10%; Variable, +5%) [23]† (Power
  Parry: 13).
  • Flame Jet: Burning Attack 8d (Elemental, -10%; Increased
  Range, 9 levels, +90%; Jet, +0%; Super, -10%; Variable, +5%)
  [70]† (Power Parry: 13).
  • Flame Wall: Burning Attack 6d (Area Effect, 2 yards,
  +50%; Elemental, -10%; Persistent, +40%; Super, -10%; Wall,
  Permeable, 3 yards ¥ 2 yards, +30%) [60]†.
  • Flaming Sword: Burning Attack 10d (Elemental, -10%;
  Melee Attack, Reach 1, Destructive Parry, -15%; Super, -10%;
  Variable, +5%) [35]†.
  Light (Elemental, Super; Talent 2 [10])
  • Lightwarp: Invisibility (Affects Machines, +50%; Fringe,
  -10%; Switchable, +10%) [60] (Sensory Power Dodge: 11).
  • Photogenesis: Create Visible Light 30 (Elemental, -10%;
  Super, -10%) [240]† (Power Block: 10).
  • Laser Pulse: Burning Attack 10d (Accurate +2, +10%;
  Armor Divisor (2), +50%; Elemental, -10%; Increased Range,
  ¥100, +60%; Super, -10%; Variable, +5%) [103]† (Power Parry:
  13).
  • Polarized Eyes: Protected Vision (Elemental, -10%; Super,
  -10%) [4].
  Disadvantages: A total of -20 points from Code of Honor [-5 to
  -15], Impulsiveness [-5*], Mania [-5*], Overconfidence [-5*],
  and Pacifism [-5 to -15].
  Ordinary Skills: Innate Attack (Any) (E) DX+3 [8]-17. One of
  Electrician (A) IQ-1 [1]-9, Jumping (E) DX [1]-14, Saber (A)
  DX-1 [1]-13, or Stealth (A) DX-1 [1]-13.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  † Alternative abilities. The most expensive ability is at full
  cost; all others are at 1/5 the listed cost.
  Notes: Lower-powered blasters tend to have much less
  destructive abilities. For higher-powered ones, the scale of
  destruction gets bigger; they can go to D-scale or higher. This
  doesn’t have to mean purchasing more dice of Innate Attack; if
  the GM allows Godlike Extra Effort, a large Energy Reserve
  can fuel a few shots at much higher power, especially for
  heroes with high Will. Higher-powered blasters may also have
  invented creative additional uses for their energy abilities.
  Playing the Role: In combat you’re a ranged-attack special-
  ist; don’t let the enemy close with you, but strike at them from
  a distance. Your main ranged attack is your most impressive
  ability, so look for suitable targets for it. When you’re not in a
  fight, find noncombat applications for your power such as
  jump-starting a car or providing a searchlight beam.
  Brick
  1,000 points
  You’re massively strong and deal out lots of damage; you also
  stand up to a lot of injury. Your combat style is brutally direct to
  match. Beyond your sheer physical toughness, you have the for-
  titude to go on fighting even when you’re taking a beating.
  Attributes: ST 20 [100]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 12 [20].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 2d-1/3d+2; BL 80 lbs.; HP 20
  [0]; Will 14 [20]; Per 10 [0]; FP 12 [0]; Basic Speed 6.00 [0];
  Basic Move 6 [0].
  Advantages: Hard to Subdue +3 [6]. Rapid Healing [5]. Very Fit
  [15]. A total of 10 points from High Pain Threshold [10],
  Higher Purpose [5], Single-Minded [5], and increased Basic
  Move [5/level]; 36 points chosen from Breath-Holding 4
  (Super†, -10%) [8] (Power Parry: 10), Crushing Attack 8d
  (Cone, 1-yard maximum width, +60%; No Wounding, -50%;
  Reduced Range, 1/10, -30%; Super†, -10%) [28], Damage
  Resistance 8 (Super†, -10%) [36] (Power Block: 9), Super
  Jump 4 (Super†, -10%) [36], Super Throw 4 (Super†, -10%)
  [36], or Tunneling 2 (Super†, -10%) [36]; and one of the fol-
  lowing abilities:
  • Fifty-Foot Man: Damage Reduction (50) (Accessibility:
  Only when enlarged, -10%; Super, -10%) [200] + Damage
  Resistance 5 (Accessibility: Only when enlarged, -10%; Super,
  -10%; Tough Skin, -40%) [10] + Growth 5 (Super, -10%) [45] +
  ST+46 (Size, -50%; Super, -10%) [184] + ST+9/70 (Size, -50%;
  Super, -10%; Super-Effort, +300%) [306].
  • Man of Steel: Alternate Form (Body of Metal; Super,
  -10%) [189] + Quirk: Cannot Float [-1] + Damage Reduction
  (30) (Only in Metallic Form, -10%) [203] + ST+9/70 (Only in
  Metallic Form, -10%; Super-Effort, +300%) [351] + Striking
  Surface [1] + Temperature Tolerance 2 (Hotter, 35º-114º; Only
  in Metallic Form, -10%) [2].
  • Superhuman Strength: Damage Reduction (100) (Super,
  -10%) [270] + Damage Resistance 2 (Flexible, -20%; Super,
  -10%) [7] + and ST +12/200 (Super, -10%; Super-Effort, +300%)
  [468].
  HEROES
  44
  
  Perk: Unusual Training (Power Blow; Against massive objects
  or superhuman foes) [1].
  Disadvantages: A total of -30 points from Appearance
  (Monstrous) [-20], Bad Temper [-10*], Ham-Fisted [-5 or
  -10], Increased Consumption 1 [-10], Numb [-20],
  Overconfidence [-5*], Pacifism (Cannot Harm Innocents)
  [-10], Social Stigma (Freak) [-10], or Stubbornness [-5].
  Ordinary Skills: Brawling (E) DX+4 [12]-16; Forced Entry (E)
  DX+2 [4]-14; and one of Innate Attack (Breath) (E) DX+2
  [4]-14, Jumping (E) DX+2 [4]-14, Lifting (A) HT+1 [4]-13,
  Sumo Wrestling (A) DX+1 [4]-13, Throwing (A) DX+1
  [4]-13, or Wrestling (A) DX+1 [4]-13.
  Exotic Skills: Power Blow (H) Will+2 [12]-16.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  † For the Man of Steel version of this template, substitute
  Only in Metallic Form, -10%, for Super, -10%.
  Notes: The superhuman abilities of this template are
  bought with the source modifier Super but don’t get a power
  modifier, because most of them are basically passive and
  because bricks aren’t subtle – they rely more on raw power
  than precise application.
  This template offers options to cover most of the major
  types of heroes who rely primarily on physical strength. The
  fifty-foot man has BL 1,125 lbs. and damage 8d+2/10d+2
  (3,700 lbs., 14d+2/16d+2 with Super-Effort); the Man of Steel
  has BL 168 lbs. and damage 3d/5d+2 (1,620 lbs., 103/12d with
  Super-Effort); the hero with Superhuman Strength has BL 205
  lbs. and damage 3d+1/6d-1 (5 tons, 23d/25d with Super-Effort).
  Bricks can be upgraded to world-shakers in several ways.
  For a comparably strong hero who also has enhanced move-
  ment capabilities, go to the Archetype template (see p. 41). For
  a power lifter, put most of the extra points into Lifting ST with
  Super-Effort. For a deadlier fighter, buy ST, DR, and as many
  of the secondary super-abilities as possible. Consider buying
  other esoteric skills and Unusual Training perks: Breaking
  Blow, Flying Leap, and Immovable Stance all fit the sort of
  feats bricks perform.
  To go the other way, remove the Super-Effort option from
  ST, drop the secondary ability, and then sell back as much ST
  and Growth as needed. A smaller giant or a weaker power-
  house are still options at this level; a metal man isn’t, unless the
  player is content with just being made of metal and hard to
  hurt.
  Playing the Role: Bricks are a very direct template; they’re
  all about lifting immense weights and striking and withstand-
  ing massive blows. The combination of Super-Effort and
  Power Blow is especially good for this kind of dramatic
  scene; taking a turn or two to build up your concentration
  and then performing tremendous feats of strength is very
  much in the four-color style. The other big moment for bricks
  is fighting on against a foe powerful enough to hurt them
  seriously, taking advantage of their Hard to Subdue and high
  HT scores.
  Dreadnought
  1,000 points
  You’re the equivalent of a brick, but without superpowers.
  Instead, your enhanced strength and toughness come from
  technology: a suit of armor that senses, imitates, and amplifies
  your movements. This is far enough beyond existing technolo-
  gy for the suit’s abilities to be bought as advantages with gadget
  limitations. It’s assumed that you built it yourself, and maintain
  it as needed.
  Attributes: ST 11 [10]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 16 [120]; HT 11 [10].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.; HP 11
  [0]; Will 16 [0]; Per 16 [0]; FP 11 [0]; Basic Speed 6.00 [10];
  Basic Move 6 [0].
  Advantages: Gadgeteer [25]; Wealth (Wealthy) [20]; and 20
  points from Artificer [5/level], Fit [5], Gizmos [varies], High
  TL 1 [5], Independent Income [1/level], Mathematical
  Ability [5/level], Single-Minded [5], or Versatile [5].
  Power: Spend a total of 700 points on the Talents and abilities
  from the following power:
  Armor (Superscience; Talent 1 [5])
  • Strength Amplification: External ST 150 (Breakable, DR
  25, Complex Mechanism, SM 0, -35%; Can Be Stolen, Forcible
  removal, -10%; Required Disadvantage, Maintenance, 1 person,
  weekly, -5%; Size, -10%) [300].†
  • Armored Shell: DR 60 (Breakable, DR 25, SM 0, -30%; Can
  Be Stolen, Forcible Removal, -10%; Hardened 4, +80%;
  Required Disadvantage, Maintenance, 1 person, weekly, -5%;
  Superscience, -10%) [375] (Power Block: 9).
  • Electrified Surface: Burning Attack 3d-1 (Aura, +80%;
  Breakable, DR 25, Complex Mechanism, SM 0, -35%; Can Be
  Stolen, Forcible Removal, -10%; Maximum Duration, 8 hours,
  -5%; Melee Attack, Reach C, No Parry, -30%; Required
  Disadvantage, Maintenance, 1 person, weekly, -5%; Side Effect,
  Stunning, 
  +50%; 
  Superscience, 
  -10%; 
  Surge, 
  +20%;
  Underwater, +20%) [25].
  • Jet Pack: Super Jump 10 (Breakable, DR 25, Complex
  Mechanism, SM -3, -25%; Can Be Stolen, Forcible Removal,
  -10%; Limited Uses, 4 per day, -20%; Nuisance Effect, Exhaust,
  -5%; Required Disadvantage, Maintenance, 1 person, weekly,
  -5%; Superscience, -10%) [25].
  • Life Support: Doesn’t Breathe (Breakable, DR 25, Complex
  Mechanism, SM-3, -25%; Can Be Stolen, Forcible Removal,
  -10%; 
  Oxygen 
  Storage, 
  300 
  times, 
  -10%; 
  Required
  Disadvantage, 
  Maintenance, 
  1 
  person, 
  weekly, 
  -5%;
  Superscience, -10%) [16] + Sealed (Breakable, DR 25, SM-3,
  -20%; Can Be Stolen, Forcible Removal, -10%; Required
  Disadvantage, 
  Maintenance, 
  1 
  person, 
  weekly, 
  -5%;
  Superscience, -10%) [9].
  • Plug-Ins: Chip Slots 1 (8; Breakable, DR 25, Complex
  Mechanism, SM -4, -25%; Can Be Stolen, Forcible Removal,
  -10%; Limited, Electronics, -10%; Maximum Duration, 8 hours,
  -5%; Physical Abilities Only, +50%; Required Disadvantage,
  Maintenance, 1 person, weekly, -5%; Superscience, -10%) [25].
  • Sensor Suite: Hyperspectral Vision (Breakable, DR 25,
  Complex Mechanism, SM -4, -25%; Can Be Stolen, Forcible
  Removal, -10%; Extended Low-Band, +30%; Superscience,
  -10%) [22] + Telescopic Vision 1 (Breakable, DR 25, Complex
  Mechanism, SM -4, -25%; Can Be Stolen, Forcible Removal,
  -10%; Superscience, -10%) [3].
  Disadvantages: A total of -25 points from Bad Sight (Mitigator:
  Glasses or Contact Lenses, -60%) [-10], Code of Honor
  (Professional) [-5], Debt [-1/level], Enemies (Business
  Rivals) [Varies], Lame (Mitigator: Armor, -60%) [Varies],
  Megalomania [-10], One Arm (Mitigator: Armor, -60%) [-8],
  One Hand (Mitigator: Armor, -60%) [-6], Overconfidence 
  [-5*], Pacifism [-5 to -15], or Workaholic [-5].
  HEROES
  45
  
  Wildcard Skills: Inventor! (VH) IQ+2 [48]-18.
  Ordinary Skills: Environment Suit (Battlesuit) (A) DX+2 [8]-13.
  Two of Aerobatics (H) DX-1 [2]-10, Brawling (E) DX+1
  [2]-12, Electronics Operation (Any) (A) IQ [2]-16, Forced
  Entry (E) DX+1 [2]-12, Jumping (E) DX+1 [2]-12, or
  Observation (A) Per [2]-16.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  † See Exoskeleta, p. 78.
  Notes: Because your armor is designed to respond to your
  natural body movements, it’s eligible for a power Talent and a
  power modifier.
  Dreadnoughts don’t adapt well to scaling down; a techno
  with armor and advanced weapons but no ST boost is the clos-
  est equivalent. To scale a dreadnought up, raise the suit’s ST
  and DR and add more secondary functions. Taking Quick
  Gadgeteering and higher Inventor! skill may help, too.
  This template assumes you built your own armor, but not
  all dreadnoughts do this; some wear equipment that was made
  for them. To create this type of character, lower IQ and elimi-
  nate Gadgeteer and the Inventor! skill (though he may be
  skilled in Armoury and Mechanics). Provide him with a
  Gadgeteer friend, a Patron, or enough wealth to pay someone
  to build armor for him. If he didn’t finance it, his Wealth can
  be lowered and he may have a Duty to the armor’s creator;
  these can pay for higher DX and combat skills to explain why
  he was picked to wear the suit.
  A character type similar to the dreadnought is the cyborg.
  Rather than wearing a suit of powered armor, he has prosthet-
  ics with similar capabilities in place of his original limbs.
  Cyborgs are very likely to have Gadgeteer friends or Patrons.
  Playing the Role: You combine two different themes, and
  need to give time to both. On the one hand, you can deal out
  and endure enormous blows like a Brick. On the other, you’re
  intelligent, inventive, and technologically skilled. Use your
  knowledge to solve problems rather than just relying on brute
  force. But use force, too, when it’s the simplest solution!
  Improviser
  500 points
  You have a power that lets you do anything – or, at least, a
  wide range of different things. This template is built to take
  advantage of Modular Abilities.
  Advantages: ST 10 [0]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 10 [0].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP 10 [0];
  Will 12 [0]; Per 12 [0]; FP 10 [0]; Basic Speed 5.25 [0]; Basic
  Move 5 [0].
  Advantages: Fit [5]. Versatile [5]. One of High TL 1 [5] or
  Magery 0 [5].
  Powers: Choose one of the following powers:
  Force Constructs (Superscience; Talent 2 [10])
  • Nanoswarm: Reconfigurable Mechanisms (External) 2
  (75, 25; Breakable, Complex Mechanism, Special,† -25%;
  Limited, Advantages Only, Technological Focus, -15%; Physical
  or Mental, +100%; Reliable, +1, +5%; Required Disadvantage:
  Maintenance, Mechanic, 1 person, weekly, -5%; Superscience,
  -10%; Unique, -25%) [390] + Reconfigurable Mechanisms
  (External) 1 (1; Breakable, Complex Mechanism, DR 5, SM -8,
  -20%; Limited, Accessory Perks only, Technological Focus, -
  55%; Physical or Mental, +100%; Reliable, +4, +20%; Required
  Disadvantage: Maintenance, Mechanic, 1 person, weekly, -5%;
  Superscience, -10%; Unique, -25%)‡ [10] (Power Block: 9,
  Power Dodge: 9, Power Parry: 10).
  Magic (Magical; Talent 1 [10])
  • Magical Rituals: Grimoire 5 (25, 20, 15, 10, 5;
  Advantages Only, -10%; Magical, -10%; Nuisance Effect,
  Requires Spoken Incantation, -5%; Pact, Discipline of Faith,
  Ritualism, -5%; Physical, +100%; Unreliable, Activation
  Number 14, -10%) [400] (Power Block: 9, Power Dodge: 8,
  Power Parry: 9).
  Disadvantages: A total of -15 points from Curious [-5*],
  Disciplines of Faith [varies], Duty [varies], Overconfidence 
  [-5*], Weirdness Magnet [-15], or Workaholic [-5].
  Ordinary Skills: Brawling (E) DX+1 [2]-12. Innate Attack (E)
  DX+3 [8]-14. Observation (A) Per [2]-12. Research (A) IQ-
  1 [1]-11. Stealth (A) DX+1 [4]-12. Either Mechanic
  (Nanomachines) 
  (A) 
  IQ+2 
  [8]-14 
  and 
  Engineer
  (Nanomachines) (H) IQ [4]-12, or Ritual Magic (VH) IQ+1
  [12]-13. Either Mathematics (Applied) (H) IQ-2 [1]-10 or
  Occultist (A) IQ-1 [1]-11.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  † Different devices will have different DR and SM values;
  the durability and size modifiers included in Breakable
  always add up to -25%. For example, a specific construct
  might have SM 0 (-25%) and DR 30 (0%), or SM -8 (-5%) and
  DR 2 (-20%). When not configured as specific devices, the
  nanoswarm has SM 0 and DR 2 but is Diffuse and thus almost
  impossible to injure. This is treated as a 0-point Feature, as it
  grants no advantages when in this form!
  ‡ One of the Accessory functions of the nanoswarm is as a
  basic field-maintenance tool for itself; this allows Mechanic
  rolls at unmodified skill. Maintenance on the Accessory func-
  tion is done with the main swarm, at +2 to effective skill.
  Notes: Toning these abilities down is straightforward: Cut
  the number of slots drastically to get a power than can only do
  one or two things at a time. Powering them up is best done not
  by adding more slots, but by drastically boosting the points in
  each. It’s also worthwhile to raise DX, IQ, and the skills based
  on them. A good high-powered option for Modular Abilities
  (p. B71) is Cosmic Power.
  Playing the Role: Emphasize your versatility in solving
  problems. Be ingenious in coming up with new abilities, but
  make sure you have a repertoire of well-tested attacks and
  defenses. This is a good template for players who enjoy mak-
  ing up new tricks under pressure.
  Kinetic
  500 points
  The theme of your abilities is exerting force at a distance,
  whether by telekinesis, gravity, or magnetism. Telekinesis is
  normally a psionic power; gravity and magnetism are usually
  generic super powers. Like the blaster, you’re a ranged-attack
  specialist, but the effects of your abilities often look like grap-
  pling or knockback – and mostly use melee-attack skills.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 12 [20].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP 10
  [0]; Will 12 [0]; Per 12 [0]; FP 12 [0]; Basic Speed 6.00 [0];
  Basic Move 6 [0].
  HEROES
  46
  
  Advantages: A total of 30 points from Absolute Direction [5],
  Combat Reflexes [15], Enhanced Tracking 1 [5], Extra
  Attack 1 [25], Fit [5] or Very Fit [15], Single-Minded [5], or
  Versatile [5].
  Powers: Choose one of the powers below:
  Gravity (Super; Talent 2 [10])
  • Antigravity: Walk on Air (Planetary, -5%; Super, -10%)
  [17].
  • Deflection: Enhanced Dodge 2 (Super, -10%) [27].
  • Gravity Control: Gravity Control 10 (Ranged, +40%;
  Super, -10%) [260]†.
  • Planetary Field Adjustment: Gravity Control 6 (Natural
  Phenomena, +100%; Preparation Required, 1 minute, -20%;
  Super, -10%) [204]†.
  • Tractor Beam: Telekinesis 10 (Attraction, -60%; Increased
  Range, ¥5, +20%; Super, -10%) [25].
  Magnetism (Super; Talent 2 [10])
  • Magnetic 
  Adhesion:
  Clinging 
  (Attraction, 
  +25%;
  Magnetic, -50%; Nuisance Effect, Body attracts ferrous metals,
  -5%; Super, -10%) [12].
  • Magnetic Field Control: Control Magnetism 6 (Persistent,
  +40%; Ranged, +40%; Super, -10%) [204].
  • Magnetic Field Senses: Detect Ferrous Metals (Super,
  -10%) [9] + Detect Magnetic Fields (Super, -10%) [9].
  • Magnetic Force: Telekinesis 32 (Magnetic, -50%; Super,
  -10%) [64]†.
  • Magnetic Squeeze: Crushing Attack 15d (Area Effect,
  Radius 2 yards, +50%; Magnetic, -50%; Malediction, +150%;
  No Knockback, -10%; Super, -10%; Surge, +20%) [188]†.
  • Magnetic Lift: Flight (Planetary, -5%; Super, -10%) [34].
  Psychokinesis (Super; Talent 2 [10])
  • Deflection: Enhanced Dodge 4 (Super, -10%) [54].
  • Levitation: Flight (Super, -10%) [36] + Enhanced Move
  1.5 (Air Speed 72; Super, -10%) [27].
  • Phantom Hands: Telekinesis 35 (Increased Range, ¥5,
  +20%; Super, -10%) [193]†.
  • Amplified Strength: Lifting ST +10/100 (Super, -10%;
  Super-Effort, +400%) [147]†.
  • Unseen Net: Binding 20 (Area Effect, 32 yards, +250%;
  One-Shot, -10%; Super, -10%; Unbreakable, +40%) [148]†.
  Disadvantages: A total of -20 points from Chronic Pain [Varies],
  Honesty [-10*], Lame [-10/-20], Neurological Disorder
  [Varies], One Arm [-20], One Hand [-15], Overconfidence
  [-5*], or Trickster [-15*].
  Ordinary Skills: One of Cloak (A) DX [2]-12, Garrote (E) DX+1
  [2]-13, Innate Attack (E) DX+1 [2]-13, Lasso (A) DX [2]-12,
  Net (H) DX-1 [2]-11, Throwing (A) DX [2]-12, Thrown
  Weapon (Any) (E) DX+1 [2]-13, or Wrestling (A) DX [2]-12.
  Two of Acrobatics (H) DX [4]-12, Climbing (A) DX+1 [4]-13,
  Escape (H) DX [4]-12, Filch (A) DX+1 [4]-13, Flight (A)
  HT+1 [4]-13, Forced Entry (E) DX+2 [4]-14, Gambling (A)
  IQ+1 [4]-13, Jumping (E) DX+2 [4]-14, Knot-Tying (E) DX+2
  [4]-14, Lifting (A) HT+1 [4]-13, Lockpicking (A) IQ+1 [4]-13,
  Parry Missile Weapons (H) DX [4]-12, Pickpocket (H) DX
  [4]-12, Sleight of Hand (H) DX [4]-12, Smith (Iron) (A) IQ+1
  [4]-13, and Traps (A) IQ+1 [4]-13.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  † Alternative abilities. The most expensive ability is at full
  cost; all others are at 1/5 the listed cost.
  Notes: Scaling down the powers of a kinetic usually means
  drastically lowering the weight he can manipulate. Street-level
  kinetics rely on subtlety more than force. Scaling up allows
  him to handle substantial loads and avoids the problems of
  leverage and structural integrity since force can be applied to
  the entire target simultaneously. The Super-Effort modifier is
  definitely worth looking at. Compartmentalized Mind lets you
  manipulate objects with your powers while doing other things
  as well; it’s ideal for putting your foes at a disadvantage.
  Playing the Role: Your big special effects involve massive
  objects rising into the air, or flying toward or away from you.
  This definitely includes people who attack or offend you: Using
  the power of your mind to throw a muscular thug or bully
  across the room has obvious wish-fulfillment value. But don’t
  overlook the subtle applications, especially for reaching into
  inaccessible places or making your manual skills work better.
  All versions of this template also offer some form of flight, the
  classic supers special effect.
  Man Plus
  500 points
  You have the same abilities as a normal human being, but
  enhanced to the limit of human performance and, in some
  ways, beyond it. You aren’t indestructible, though, and still
  need to rely on external protection and defensive maneuvers to
  avoid lethal attacks. Your abilities may be the result of an
  incredibly advanced training regimen, drugs, scientific or mag-
  ical enhancements, or a combination of all three.
  Attributes: ST 20 [100]; DX 20 [200]; IQ 11 [20]; HT 20 [100].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 2d-1/3d+2; BL 80 lbs.; HP 20
  [0]; Will 13 [10]; Per 11 [0]; FP 20 [0]; Basic Speed 10.00 [0];
  Basic Move 10 [0].
  Advantages: Appearance (Attractive) [4]. Combat Reflexes [15].
  Fit [5]; and one of the following gadgets:
  • Superalloy 
  Chainmail:
  Damage 
  Resistance 
  16
  (Breakability, DR 16, SM 0, -30%; Can Be Stolen, Forcible
  Removal, -10%; Flexible, -20%; Partial, Torso, -10%) [24] +
  Perk: Skintight [1]. Features: DR 24, 24 HP, 27 lbs.
  • Superalloy Medium Shield: Defense Bonus 2 (Breakability,
  DR 10, DB 2, -30%; Can Be Stolen, Quick Contest of ST, -30%)
  [24] + Perk: Striking Surface [1]. Features: DB 3, DR 10, 80 HP,
  10 lbs.; cover DR 30.
  Disadvantages: A total of -25 points from Bully [-10*], Callous
  [-5], Charitable [-15*], Code of Honor [-5 to -15], Fanaticism
  [-15], Honesty [-10*], Increased Consumption 1 [-5],
  Intolerance [-5 or -10], Maintenance [Varies], Megalomania
  [-10], Pacifism [-5 to -15], Selfish [-5*], Selfless [-5*], or
  Sense of Duty [-2 to -20].
  Wildcard Skills: Fist! (VH) DX+1 [36]-21; one of Drive!, Move!,
  or Throw!, all (VH) DX-2 [6]-18.
  Ordinary Skills: Two of Breath Control (H) HT-1 [2]-19, Cloak
  (A) DX [2]-20, Dancing (A) DX [2]-20, Driving (A) DX [2]-20,
  First Aid (E) IQ+1 [2]-12, Games (Sports rules) (E) IQ+1
  [2]-12, Leadership (A) IQ [2]-11, Lifting (A) HT [2]-20,
  Savoir-Faire (E) IQ+1 [2]-12, Shield (E) DX+1 [2]-21,
  Singing (E) HT+1 [2]-21, Sports (Any) (A) DX [2]-20, Stealth
  (A) DX [2]-20, or 2 points in any Combat Sport.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  HEROES
  47
  
  Notes: One of the classic versions of this type of hero is the
  “super-soldier,” a normal man transformed into a superhuman
  warrior. Americans think of Captain America, but any country
  could have such a patriotic hero.
  A lower-powered version of this template usually reflects a
  character whose abilities come from intensive training, includ-
  ing few or no superpowers. Such heroes are less likely to have
  armor or shields, relying instead on avoiding getting shot at;
  they may even carry guns of their own.
  For a higher-powered version of this template add Enhanced
  Time Rate and the ability to parry bullets, along with more
  impressive boosts to strength and speed. Superhuman senses
  and brilliant intellect can also be useful. Or look at the
  Archetype (see p. 41) for a closely related variant.
  Playing the Role: You’re as good an athlete as anyone has
  ever seen, and your fighting style reflects your physical gifts.
  Your defenses let you get close to a gunman so you can disarm
  and incapacitate him hand-to-hand. To boost your performance
  further, use the extra effort rules (pp. B356-357). Outside com-
  bat, you’re physically attractive, perfectly coordinated, and all
  but tireless. Consider acquiring a skill that lets you make a good
  impression in social situations, such as Dancing or Savoir-
  Faire.
  Mesmerist
  500 points
  Your domain is the human mind. You can influence or even
  control other people’s mental processes. You have enough com-
  bat skill to survive an actual fight, but your normal approach is
  to prevent them from starting. You may have other useful men-
  tal abilities as well. The power source for this template is often
  Psionic, but Magic is also appropriate.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 16 [120]; HT 11 [10].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP 10 [0];
  Will 16 [0]; Per 16 [0]; FP 11 [0]; Basic Speed 5.50 [0]; Basic
  Move 5 [0].
  Advantages: A total of 10 points from Acute Detection [2/level],
  Animal Empathy [5], Fit [5], Reawakened [10], Sensitive [5],
  Single-Minded [5], Special Rapport [5], or Voice [10].
  Powers: Select one of the following powers, and then spend a
  total of 330 points on its Talent and abilities:
  Illusions (Psionic; Talent 2 [10])
  • Chaos: Obscure 10 (Hearing; Area Effect, 4 yards, +50%;
  Defensive, +50%; Extended Duration, 3¥, +20%; Glamour, IQ-2,
  -20%; Psionic,  -10%; Link, +10%; Ranged, +50%) [50] +
  Obscure 10 (Vision; Area Effect, 4 yards, +50%; Defensive,
  +50%; Extended Duration, 3¥, +20%; Glamour, IQ-2, -20%;
  Psionic,  -10%; Link, +10%; Ranged, +50%) [50] (Sensory Power
  Parry: 12).
  • Cloak: Invisibility to Electromagnetic Vision (Can Carry
  Objects, Medium Encumbrance,+50%; Glamour, Will-4, -10%;
  Psionic,  -10%; Switchable, +10%) [56] + Silence 6 (Glamour, vs.
  Will-4, -10%; Psionic,  -10%) [24] (Sensory Power Dodge: 9).
  • False Form:
  Morph (Can Carry Objects, Light
  Encumbrance, +20%; Cosmetic, -50%; Glamour, Will-3, -15%;
  Psionic,  -10%; Reduced Time 2, +40%; Unlimited, +50%) [135].
  • Hallucination: Affliction 4 (Based on IQ, +20%; Psionic,
  -10%; Incapacitation: Hallucinating, +50%; Malediction 1,
  +100%; Takes Recharge, 5 seconds, -10%) [100].
  • Masquerade: Elastic Skin (Can Carry Objects, No
  Encumbrance, +10%; Glamour, vs. Will-2, -20%; Psionic,
  -10%; Reduced Time 2, +40%) [24] + Mimicry (Glamour, Will-
  2, -20%; Psionic, -10%; Reduced Time 2, +40%) [11].
  • Phantasms: Illusion (Area Effect, Radius 64 yards,
  +250%; Extended, Taste/Smell, +20%; Mental, +100%; Psionic,
  -10%) [115].
  Telepathy (Psionic; Talent 2 [10])
  • Borrowing: Wild Talent 5 (Environmental: Inhabited
  Areas, -10%; Focused, Mental, -20%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%;
  Psionic, -10%) [50].
  • Deep Reading: Mind Probe (Invasive, +75%; Memory
  Bank, Limited by IQ, +100%; Requires Will Roll, -5%; Short-
  Range, -1/yard, -10%; Psionic, -10%) [50].
  • Immobilization: Affliction 1 (Area Effect, Radius 8 yards,
  +150%; Based on Will, +20%; Incapacitation: Paralysis,
  +150%; Malediction, -1/yard, +100%; Requires Ready, -10%;
  Psionic, -10%) [50].
  • Mastery of the Will: Mind Control (Detect-Based,
  Reversed, -20%; Extended Duration, 3¥, +20%; No Memory,
  +10%; Psionic, -10%) [50].
  • Mental Defense: Mind Shield 5 (Psionic, -10%) [18]
  (Power Block: 12).
  • Mindscan: Detect Minds (Long-Range, Long-Distance
  modifiers, +50%; Precise, +100%; Reflexive, +40%; Psionic,
  -10%) [84] + Mind Reading (Detect-Based, Reversed, -20%;
  Multiple Contacts, +50%; Psionic, -10%; Universal, +50%) [51].
  • Mindspeech: Telesend (Broadcast, +50%; Psionic, -10%;
  Universal, +50%) [57] + Alternate Ability: Telesend (Long-
  Range, No Distance Modifiers, +50%; Psionic, -10%; Universal,
  +50%) [12].
  • Phantasms: Illusion (Mental, +100%; Psionic, -10%) [58].
  Disadvantages: A total of -30 points from Charitable [-15*],
  Chummy [-5] or Gregarious [-10], Duty [varies], Loner [-5*],
  Neurological 
  Disorder 
  [Varies], 
  Pacifism 
  [Varies],
  Supersensitive [-15], or Xenophilia [-10*].
  Wildcard Skills: Fake! or Psychology! (VH) IQ [24]-16.
  Ordinary Skills: Any three of Autohypnosis (H) Will-1 [2]-15,
  Diplomacy (H) IQ-1 [2]-15, Expert Skill (Psionics) (H) IQ-1
  [2]-15, Judo (H) DX-1 [2]-10, Observation (A) Per [2]-16,
  Savoir-Faire (E) IQ+1 [2]-17, Sex Appeal (A) HT [2]-11, and
  Shadowing (A) IQ [2]-16.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  Notes: Mind control powers are optional choices for
  telepaths because the combination of telepathy with
  Hypnotism skill (included in Psychology!) already grants an
  impressive measure of domination over others. All of the abil-
  ities available for this template are suitable for inconspicuous
  actions. A lower-powered mesmerist should emphasize discre-
  tion even more strongly.
  Higher-powered characters of this type can dominate not
  single foes, but small armies; look at giving their abilities
  increased range (or unlimited range, for telepaths) or
  increased area. Much higher IQ (and therefore Will) also pay
  off for a truly gifted mesmerist.
  Playing the Role: Your impressive feats don’t involve fight-
  ing people, but making it unnecessary to fight them. You may
  be able to capture the attention of a crowd, or seize control of
  HEROES
  48
  
  a single person’s mind. Many mesmerists can also learn hidden
  truths that people would prefer to keep concealed; let others
  know, or fear, that you know their secrets. Some mesmerists
  have the ability to prevent other people from noticing them,
  allowing them to walk unseen through a crowd or past an
  armed guard. In addition, call attention to your superior intel-
  lect, will, and insight into the human psyche.
  Metamorph
  500 points
  Unlike the biomorph, who shares the
  powers of other species while remaining
  human in form, you actually take on
  the shapes of other species. You
  have few or no special powers
  in your human form.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 11
  [20]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 13 [30].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-
  2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP 10 [0];
  Will 10 [0]; Per 13 [15]; FP
  13 [0]; Basic Speed 6.00 [0];
  Basic Move 6 [0].
  Advantages: Combat Reflexes [15]. Fit [5] or Rapid
  Healing [5]. Resistant to Metabolic Hazards (+3) [10] or
  improve Fit to Very Fit [15] or Rapid Healing to Very Rapid
  Healing [15].
  Powers: Take the following power:
  Body Alteration (Super; Talent 2 [10])
  • Gene Scan: Detect DNA Sequences (Analyzing, +100%;
  Short-Range, -1/yard, -10%; Super, -10%) [40].
  • Shape Change: Morph (Forms up to 220 points; Flawed, -
  10%; Reduced Time 1, +20%; No Memorization Required,
  +50%; Super, -10%) [330] (Power Dodge: 11).
  Disadvantages: A total of -15 points from Bad Temper [-10*],
  Easy to Read [-10], Impulsiveness [-10*], Pacifism (Cannot
  Harm Innocents) [-10], Stubbornness [-5], or Xenophilia
  [-10*].
  Wildcard Skill: Move! (VH) DX [24]-11.
  Ordinary Skills: Brawling (E) DX+2 [8]-13. Naturalist (H) IQ
  [4]-10. Observation (A) Per+1 [4]-14.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  Notes: This is a “scientific” shapeshifter who copies the gene
  sequences of target forms and therefore has the ability to read
  them. Treat the natural weaponry of a new shape as a familiar-
  ity of Brawling (see p. B169).
  Nearly all of the point-cost reduction needed to create a less-
  powerful metamorph can come from limiting available forms
  to 0 points – that is, forms no more powerful overall than the
  hero’s natural shape.
  The metamorph template doesn’t adapt well to higher power
  levels; it’s better to combine it with another that grants
  improved combat skills, such as Acrobat (see p. 41) or
  Nightstalker (see p. 49).
  Playing the Role: Pick at least one ferocious species to
  include in your repertoire, but make sure to have at least one
  small, stealthy species too. This lets you get close to your foes
  before the fight starts. Study the animals on pp. B455-460 to
  find useful forms and special abilities. Take an interest in new
  species and shapes, and treat shapeshifting casually – show that
  you find the idea of being trapped in a single form a little
  unnerving.
  Nightstalker
  250 points
  You’re a classic masked vigilante, prowling the night and
  striking terror into the hearts of evildoers. Your abilities come
  primarily from training and equipment; any powers you have
  are minor. You’re even more secretive than the average masked
  hero: The fear inspired by your unknown abilities and purpos-
  es puts your foes at a disadvantage.
  Attributes: ST 12 [20]; DX 14 [80]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 12 [20].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-1/1d+2; BL 29 lbs.; HP 12
  [0]; Will 12 [0]; Per 14 [10]; FP 12 [0]; Basic Speed 7.00 [10];
  Basic Move 6 [-5].
  Advantages: Combat Reflexes [15].† Fit [5]. Reputation +2
  (Dangerous vigilante; Among criminals; Always known) [5].
  One of the following options: Chameleon 4 (Glamour, Will-
  1, -25%) [15]; Danger Sense [15]; Discriminatory Hearing
  [15]; Discriminatory Smell [15]; Enhanced Dodge [15];
  Gizmos 3 [15]; High Pain Threshold [10] + Higher Purpose
  [5]; Psychometry (Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/use, -5%;
  Hypersensory, -50%; Sensitive, +30%) [15]; Signature Gear
  (Weapon) [15]; or Striking ST +3 [15].
  Disadvantages: Vow [-5] and a total of -30 points from Berserk
  [-10*], Callous [-5], Code of Honor [Varies], Disciplines of
  Faith [Varies], Loner [-5*], Overconfidence [-5*], Pacifism
  [-5 to -15], Sense of Duty [Varies], and Workaholic [-5].
  Wildcard Skills: One of Fist!, Guns!, Stick!, Sword!, and Throw!
  (VH) DX+1 [36]-14. One of Detective!, Fake!, or
  Psychologist! (VH) IQ [24]-12.
  Ordinary Skills: Stealth (A) DX+1 [4]-15. One of Blowpipe (H)
  DX-1 [2]-13, Boxing (A) DX [2]-14, Broadsword (A) DX [2]-
  14, Cloak (A) DX [2]-14, Crossbow (E) DX+1 [2]-15, Garrote
  (E) DX+1 [2]-15, Guns (E) DX+1 [2]-15, Knife (E) DX+1
  [2]-15, Liquid Projector (E) DX+1 [1]-15, Rapier (A) DX
  [2]-14, Shortsword (A) DX [2]-14, Smallsword (A) DX [2]-14,
  Thrown Weapon (Knife or Shuriken) (E) DX+1 [2]-15, or
  Wrestling (A) DX [2]-14. One of Area Knowledge (City) or
  Current Affairs (Headline News), both (E) IQ [1]-12;
  Architecture or Hidden Lore (Conspiracies), both (A) IQ-1
  [1]-11; or Urban Survival (A) Per-1 [1]-13. One of Armoury
  (A) IQ-1 [1]-11, Climbing (A) DX-1 [1]-13, Driving (A) DX-1
  [1]-13, Forced Entry (E) DX [1]-14, Intimidation (A) Will-1
  [1]-11, Shadowing (A) IQ [1]-12, Soldier (A) IQ-1 [1]-11, or
  Traps (A) IQ-1 [1]-11.
  Technique: 2 points in one of Arm Lock, Choke Hold,
  Disarming, Dual-Weapon Attack, Feint, Finger Lock,
  Kicking, Off-Hand Weapon Training, or Whirlwind Attack.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  † Provides +1 to use of any wildcard skill as Fast-Draw.
  Notes: To create a high-powered nightstalker, raise attrib-
  utes, add more wildcard skills (see the Renaissance Man tem-
  plate for some ideas), or pick up more optional advantages.
  Alternatively, take an improved version of an optional advan-
  tage, such as Psychometry (Directed) [30] or Terror [30].
  HEROES
  49
  
  The nightstalker template normally applies to human
  heroes, but it’s also a good fit to valiant creatures of the night
  such as ghosts, vampires, or werewolves in a campaign with
  supernatural elements.
  Playing the Role: You specialize in striking at foes who don’t
  see you coming, typically under cover of night. Take advantage
  of whatever special abilities you have to shift the odds in your
  favor; never give your foes an even chance. Keep your abilities
  and goals a mystery, even to your fellow heroes.
  Phantom
  250 points
  You specialize in infiltration: going where you’re not sup-
  posed to be, without being noticed. Your powers are subtle and
  don’t have direct combat effects, though they can help you sur-
  prise a foe or avoid his attacks.
  Attributes: ST 9 [-10]; DX 14 [80]; IQ 11 [20]; HT 10 [0].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-2/1d-1; BL 16 lbs.; HP 9 [0];
  Will 11 [0]; Per 14 [15]; FP 10 [0]; Basic Speed 7.00 [20];
  Basic Move 7 [0].
  Advantages: 25 points from Absolute Direction [5], Danger
  Sense [15], Daredevil [15], Enhanced Dodge [15], Fit [5],
  Perfect Balance [15], Peripheral Vision [15], Single-Minded
  [5], Unfazeable [15], and Zeroed [10].
  Powers: Choose one of the powers below:
  Phasing (Super; Talent 1 [5])
  • Phasing: Insubstantiality (Can Carry Objects, Light, +20%;
  No Vertical Move, -10%; Super, -10%) [80] (Power Dodge: 10).
  Invisibility (Super; Talent 1 [5])
  • Fadeout: Invisibility to Electromagnetic Vision (Affects
  Machines, +50%; Can Carry Objects, Light, +20%; Super, -10%;
  Switchable, +10%) [68] (Sensory Power Dodge: 10).
  • Lightwarp: Control Light 1 (Accessibility, Only When
  Visible, -10%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/use, -5%; Requires
  Concentrate, -15%; Super, -10%) [12] (Power Block: 8).
  Shrinking (Super; Talent 1 [5])
  • Diminution: Shrinking 6 (Can Carry Objects, No
  Encumbrance, +10%; Minimum Size Only, +0%; Super, -10%)
  [30] + Catfall (Feather Fall, +20%; Only when Shrunk, -10%;
  Super, -10%) [10] + Silence 4 (Only when Shrunk, -10%; Super,
  -10%) [16].
  • Grasshopper’s Leap: Super Jump 3 (Only when Shrunk, -
  10%; Super, -10%) [24].
  Teleportation (Super; Talent 1 [5])
  • Teleport: Warp (Blink, +25%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/use, -5%;
  Extra Carrying Capacity, Light, +10%; Nuisance Effect, Obvious
  popping noise at departure point, -5%; Range Limit 500 yards,
  -35%; Super, -10%) [80].
  Disadvantages: A total of -15 points from Code of Honor
  (Professional) [-5] or (Gentleman) [-10], Combat Paralysis [-
  15], Overconfidence [-5*], Pacifism [Varies], Post-Combat
  Shakes [-5*], Secret [-5 or -10], or Trickster [-15*].
  Quirk: One of Careful, Minor Addiction, Nosy, Trademark, or
  Uncongenial. [-1]
  Wildcard Skill: One of Move! or Thief!, both (VH) DX [24]-14.
  Ordinary Skills: Observation (A) Per [2]-14. Shadowing (A) IQ+1
  [3]-12.† Sleight of Hand (H) DX-2 [1]-12. One of Brawling (E)
  DX [1]-14, Wrestling (A) DX-1 [1]-13, Judo (H) DX-2 [1]-12, or
  Karate (H) DX-2 [1]-12.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  † Bought up from default of Thief!-4.
  Notes: The simplest way to power up this template is to add
  combat abilities. The teleporter can gain Reliable, enabling him
  to warp and attack in one turn (see Combat Teleportation, p. 126);
  the shrinker can retain his normal physical attributes despite his
  small size; the phaser can gain the ability to affect substantial
  objects and develop hand-to-hand attacks that bypass a foe’s
  defenses. Invisible heroes have fewer obvious options, but one
  direction is toward a broader spectrum of light-control powers.
  Playing the Role: They never saw you coming! Your abilities
  let you get into places where you’re not supposed to be. Use them
  to enhance your skills (see Abilities Enhancing Skills in GURPS
  Powers). If you have to fight, go for surprise attacks and evasive
  defenses. If your enemies rely on gadgets, make those your tar-
  gets; if they have secrets, sneak in and spy on them.
  Renaissance Man
  500 points
  Your capabilities are at the upper end of the normal human
  spectrum, or a little past it. Despite having no superpowers, usu-
  ally no magical abilities, and only minor advanced technology,
  you can hold your own among four-color heroes. The biggest
  challenge you face may be avoiding a life of boredom – and being
  a hero may be your best way to overcome that challenge.
  Attributes: ST 12 [20]; DX 20 [200]; IQ 20 [200]; HT 12 [20].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-1/1d+2; BL 29; HP 12 [0]; Will
  20 [0]; Per 20 [0]; FP 12 [0]; Basic Speed 8.00 [0]; Basic Move
  8 [0].
  Advantages: Appearance (Attractive) [4]; Charisma 1 [5]; Status 1
  [5]; Wealth (Comfortable) [10]; 30 additional points from
  Acute Senses [2/level], Ambidexterity [5], Claim to Hospitality
  [Varies], Clerical Investment [5], Combat Reflexes [15],
  Cultural Adaptability 1 [10], Eidetic Memory [5] or
  Photographic Memory [10], Fit [5], Gadgeteer [25], Gizmos
  [5/gizmo], High Manual Dexterity [5/level], Independent
  Income [1/level], Language Talent [10], Languages [varies],
  Lightning Calculator [2], Longevity [2], Signature Gear
  [Varies], Single-Minded [5], Versatile [5], Voice [10], or addi-
  tional Appearance [Varies], Charisma [5/level], Status [5/level],
  or Wealth [Varies].
  Disadvantages: A total of -30 points from Charitable [-15*], Code
  of Honor (Professional) [-5], Disciplines of Faith (Any) [-5 to
  -15], Megalomania [-10], Overconfidence [-5*], Pacifism [-5 to
  -30], Post-Combat Shakes [-5*], Sense of Duty [varies], or
  Workaholic [-5].
  Wildcard Skills: Three of Cleric!, Computers!, Detective!,
  Encyclopedist!, Explorer!, Inventor!, Medicine!, Psychologist!,
  Scholar!, or Science!, all IQ-2 [6]-18; one of Fist!, Gun!, Stick!,
  Sword!, or any Vehicle! skill, all DX-2 [6]-18; and 6 additional
  points in one of the above skills, or in any additional wildcard
  skill, not restricted to those listed above.
  Ordinary Skills: A total of 6 points in any skills not covered by
  wildcard skills.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  HEROES
  50
  
  Notes: At the GM’s option, a Renaissance Man can have
  Magery 0 as an optional advantage, enabling him to spend his
  6 additional points of wildcard skills on Magic! and actually
  make use of it. Higher levels of Magery are not recommended;
  they tend to become the character’s main focus, an emphasis
  better served by creating a supermage. This option can work in
  a setting with openly acknowledged magic or in one where
  scholars and initiates know of secret mystical traditions.
  A street-level version of this template could have ST and HT
  12 and DX and IQ 14, with wildcard skills at DX-1 and IQ-1 for
  12 points each. Such a template could better be called a “jack
  of all trades.” Characters built this way may work better as
  Allies for heroes or teams than as PC heroes in their own right.
  To create a higher-level version, it’s better to combine the
  Renaissance Man with a superpowered template than to raise
  attributes and add or improve skills. The four-color version is
  already wildly improbable and impressive enough.
  Playing the Role: You know everything and can do any-
  thing, usually better than the experts. Make a
  point of your breadth of knowledge and
  skills. Cultivate an offbeat advantage or
  two, and pick at least one skill for style
  rather than utility.
  Rubberman
  250 points
  Your body is seemingly made of rub-
  ber. You can stretch, change shape, and
  withstand blows unharmed. The incredi-
  ble flexibility of your entire body makes
  you immune to broken bones. Other feats
  are available as optional powers, and you’re
  good at making up new uses for your abilities.
  Attributes: ST 12 [20]; DX 13 [60]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 12 [20].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-1/1d+2; BL 29 lbs.; HP 12
  [0]; Will 10 [0]; Per 10 [0]; FP 12 [0]; Basic Speed 6.25 [0];
  Basic Move 6 [0].
  Advantages: Combat Reflexes [15]. Extra Arms 2 (Foot
  Manipulators, -30%) [14]. Fit [5]. High Manual Dexterity +1
  [5]. Injury Tolerance (Unbreakable Bones) [10]. Versatile [5].
  Powers: Spend a total of 77 points on the Talents and abilities
  from the following power:
  Elasticity (Super; Talent 2 [10])
  • Bouncing: Super Jump 4 (Bouncing Only, -50%; Super,
  -10%) [16].
  • Gliding Membranes: Flight (Gliding, -50%; Super, -10%)
  [16].
  • Hammerhand: Crushing Striker (Long, SM +1, +100%;
  Reduced Time 1, +20%; Super, -10%; Switchable, +10%;
  Temporary Disadvantage: One Arm, -20%) [10] + Striking ST
  +4 (One Attack Only, -60%; Super, -10%) [6].
  • Impact Absorption: Damage Resistance 5 (Limited:
  Physical Attacks, -20%; Super, -10%; Tough Skin, -40%) [8]
  (Power Block: 11).
  • Mask: Elastic Skin (Requires Ready, -10%; Super, -10%)
  [16].
  • Plasticity: Constriction Attack (Engulfing, +60%; Super,
  -10%) [23] + Double-Jointed (Super, -10%) [14] + Stretching 5
  (Super, -10%) [27] (Power Dodge: 11).
  Disadvantage: Vulnerability (Cutting Damage, ¥2) [-30].
  Ordinary Skills: Escape (H) DX [4]-13; Wrestling (A) DX+1
  [4]-14; and two of Aerobatics (H) DX-1 [2]-12, Brawling (E)
  DX+1 [2]-14, Climbing (A) DX [2]-13, Disguise (A) IQ [2]-10,
  Erotic Art (A) DX [2]-13, Jumping (E) DX+1 [2]-14, and
  Sleight of Hand (H) DX [2]-13.†
  † Includes +1 from High Manual Dexterity.
  Notes: To enhance this template to a full four-color version,
  start with one or both of the following changes: First, replace
  both Impact Absorption and Injury Tolerance (Unbreakable
  Bones) with Protean Body: Injury Tolerance (Diffuse; Elasticity
  Powers, -10%; Infiltration, +30%) [130]. Second, add Object
  Imitation: Morph (Cosmetic, -50%; Elastic Powers, -10%; Mass
  Conservation, -20%; Reduced Time 4, +80%; Unliving Forms
  Only, -0%) [100]. Remaining points can be spent on improved
  attributes and skills, increased Stretching, and more secondary
  powers.
  Playing the Role: Make a habit of stretching out to reach
  things, deforming your body to get into tight places, and so
  on. In combat, either reach across the room to strike at your
  foes or use your stretching powers to constrict them. You can
  routinely absorb the impact of most punches; use Power
  Blocks to protect yourself from handgun fire. In emergencies,
  push your stretching abilities to reach extreme distances.
  This template is especially suited to silly campaigns, with the
  hero elongating body parts in grotesque ways or impersonat-
  ing furniture.
  Shaper
  500 points
  Your powers involve the manipulation of objects or
  substances, often including the creation of objects from
  substances. You’re not as versatile as an improviser, but cre-
  ative use of your powers lets you perform feats that aren’t
  obvious.
  Attributes: ST 11 [10]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 11 [10].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.; HP 11
  [0]; Will 12 [0]; Per 12 [0]; FP 11 [0]; Basic Speed 5.75 [0];
  Basic Move 5 [0].
  Advantages: Fit [5]; a total of 10 points from Artificer
  [10/level], Gifted Artist [5/level], Single-Minded [5],
  Versatile [5], or Visualization [10].
  HEROES
  51
  
  Powers: Select one of the following powers, and then spend a
  total of 365 points on its Talent and abilities:
  Air (Elemental, Super; Talent 1 [5])
  • Air Cushion: Damage Resistance 4 (Elemental, -10%;
  Force Field, +20%; Limited, Physical, -20%; Super, -10%) [16]
  (Power Block: 9).
  • Airjet: Crushing Attack 3d (Armor Divisor (0.5), -30%;
  Double Knockback, +20%; Elemental, -10%; Increased Range,
  2¥, +10%; Jet, +0%; Side Effect, Stunning, +50%; Super, -10%;
  Variable, +5%) [21] (Power Parry: 11).
  • Mastery of the Air: Control Air 5 (Elemental, -10%;
  Persistent, +40%; Super, -10%) [120].
  • Riding the Winds: Flight (Cannot Hover, -15%; Elemental,
  -10%; Super, -10%) [26] + Enhanced Move 1.5 (Air Speed 30;
  Elemental, -10%; Super, -10%) [24].
  • Windblast: Crushing Attack 5d (Cone, 10 yards, +150%;
  Double Knockback, +20%; Elemental, -10%; No Wounding,
  -50%; Nuisance Effect, Roaring Winds, -5%; Super, -10%;
  Variable, +5%) [50] (Power Parry: 11).
  • Windstorm: Control Winds 6 (Elemental, -10%; Natural
  Phenomena, +100%; Onset, 1 minute, -10%; Super, -10%) [153].
  Earth (Elemental, Super; Talent 1 [5])
  • Excavation: Tunneling 3 (Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/minute, -5%;
  Elemental, -10%; Super, -10%) [34].
  • Geosenses: Detect Minerals (Elemental, -10%; Super,
  -10%; Touch Based, Reversed, -20%) [18].
  • Mastery of the Earth: Control Earth 8 (Elemental, -10%;
  Persistent, +40%; Super, -10%) [192] (Power Block: 9).
  • Mudman: Damage Resistance 14 (Elemental, -10%;
  Environmental, Must be touching the ground to initiate, -20%;
  Semi-Ablative, -20%; Super, -10%; Switchable, +10%) [35]
  (Power Block: 9).
  • Quicksand: Binding 10 (Area Effect, Radius 2 yards,
  +50%; Elemental, -10%; Environmental, Victim must be touch-
  ing the ground, -20%; Only Damaged by Corrosion or Cutting,
  +20%; Super, -10%) [26].
  • Tremor: Crushing Attack 5d (Area Effect, Radius 8 yards,
  +150%; Based on DX, +20%; Double Knockback, +20%;
  Elemental, -10%; Environmental, Mechanically coupled to the
  ground, -10%; Malediction, -1/yard, +100%; No Wounding,
  -50%; Super, -10%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%; Underwater,
  +20%) [55].
  Disadvantages: A total of -10 points from Mania [-5*],
  Obsession [-1, -5, or -10*], Overconfidence [-5*], Trademark
  [-1 or -5 to -10], or Workaholic [-5].
  Ordinary Skills: Brawling (E) DX+2 [4]-14 or Judo (H) DX
  [4]-12. Forced Entry (E) DX+1 [2]-13. One of Climbing (A)
  DX+2 [8]-14, Flight (A) HT+2 [8]-13, Jumping (E) DX+3
  [8]-15, Skating (H) HT+1 [8]-12, or Swimming (E) HT+3
  [8]-14. Two of Architecture (A) IQ+2 [8]-14, Armoury (Body
  Armor or Melee Weapons) (A) IQ+2 [8]-14, Artist (Pottery,
  Sculpting, or Woodworking) (H) IQ+1 [8]-13, Camouflage
  (E) IQ+3 [8]-15, Carpentry (E) IQ+3 [8]-15, Chemistry (H)
  IQ+1 [8]-13, Expert Skill: Hydrology (H) IQ+1 [8]-13,
  Geology (H) IQ+1 [8]-13, Hazardous Materials (Any) (A)
  IQ+2 [8]-14, Innate Attack (Any) (E) DX+3 [8]-15, Jeweler
  (H) IQ+1 [8]-13, Masonry (E) IQ+3 [8]-15, Metallurgy (H)
  IQ+1 [8]-13, Meteorology (A) IQ+2 [8]-15, Prospecting (A)
  IQ+2 [8]-14, and Traps (A) IQ+2 [8]-14.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  Notes: Earth and Air are only two of the options for
  shapers; others include Water, the Chinese elements of Wood
  and Metal, and chemical reactions in general. For Fire, see the
  Blaster template. The list of skills is broad enough to fit many
  different themes.
  A less powerful Shaper can have much weaker versions of
  the core abilities for these powers; a more formidable one can
  have more potent versions, including Create.
  Playing the Role: Use your element to overwhelm your
  foes; make them feel that the Earth, the sea, or the sky itself
  has turned against them. To defend yourself, raise barriers
  made of your chosen medium, or use it to deflect incoming
  attacks. Manipulate it not just for combat but as an art, craft,
  or technology, and cultivate skills that relate to it.
  Sifu
  500 points
  Years of esoteric studies have made you a master of the
  martial arts, and also of meditation and the control of your
  body’s chi. You may look too old and feeble to survive being
  shouted at, or you may have gained true mastery in young
  adulthood – but anyone who challenges you learns how com-
  petent you are. Your gifts aren’t superpowers in the usual
  sense, but learned abilities that anyone could master if he
  shared your self-discipline and years of practice.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 17 [140]; IQ 11 [20]; HT 14 [40].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP 10 [0];
  Will 13 [10]; Per 16 [25]; FP 14 [0]; Basic Speed 9.00 [25];
  Basic Move 9 [0].
  Advantages: Enhanced Time Sense [45];† Trained by a Master
  [30]; and 30 points from Ambidexterity [5], Catfall [10],
  Enhanced Defenses (Any) [Varies], Extra Attack 1 [25], Fit
  [5] or Very Fit [15], High Pain Threshold [10], Higher
  Purpose [5], Longevity [2], Perfect Balance [15],
  Reawakened [10], Signature Gear [Varies], Single-Minded
  [5], Unfazeable [15], Weapon Master [varies], or increased
  HT (Chi, -10%) [9/level].
  Disadvantages: A total of -25 points from Charitable [-15*],
  Code of Honor [Varies], Disciplines of Faith [Varies],
  Pacifism (Reluctant Killer, Cannot Harm Innocents, Cannot
  Kill, or Self-Defense Only) [-5, -10, or -15], or Vow [Varies].
  Wildcard Skills: One of Fist!, Stick!, or Sword!, all (VH) DX+3
  [60]-20; another of these skills at DX-1 [12]-16.
  Ordinary Skills: Jumping (E) DX+2 [4]-19; Meditation (H)
  Will+1 [8]-14; Savoir-Faire (Dojo) (E) IQ+5 [16]-16;
  Observation (A) Per+2 [8]-18; Stealth (A) DX+2 [8]-19; and
  two of Autohypnosis (H) Will+1 [8]-14, Body Language (A)
  Per+2 [8]-18, Breath Control (H) HT+1 [8]-15, Erotic Art (A)
  DX+2 [8]-19, Esoteric Medicine (H) Per+1 [8]-17, Hidden
  Lore (Any) (A) IQ+2 [8]-13, Philosophy (H) IQ+1 [8]-12, or
  Teaching (A) IQ+2 [8]-13.
  Exotic Skills: Two of Blind Fighting (VH) Per+1 [12]-17; Body
  Control (VH) HT+1 [12]-15; Flying Leap (H) IQ+2 [12]-13;
  Immovable Stance (H) DX+2 [12]-19; Kiai (H) HT+2 [12]-
  16; Power Blow (H) Will+2 [12]-15; Pressure Points (H) IQ+2
  [12]-13; Push (H) DX+2 [12]-19; or Throwing Art (H) DX+2
  [12]-19.
  Techniques: 4 points in any one “trademark” combat technique.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  † Provides +1 to use of any wildcard skill as Fast-Draw.
  HEROES
  52
  
  Notes: As an alternative to exotic skills, GMs may wish to
  allow players to acquire abilities based on chi, either free-
  standing or as part of Chi Power (with a -10% source or power
  modifier, in either case). Suitable items include Healing (usual-
  ly with Takes Extra Time), High Pain Threshold, Lifting ST,
  Metabolism Control, Sensitive Touch, Super Jump, and Very
  Fit. Many Afflictions are also appropriate, normally as melee
  attacks only.
  To power down this template, reduce DX and Basic Speed
  by several points, and replace Enhanced Time Sense with
  Combat Reflexes. Either lower your wildcard skills or trade
  them in for more specialized ordinary skills, and eliminate the
  exotic skills as well.
  Playing the Role: You can do the martial arts stunts shown
  in Hong Kong action movies. In ordinary fights, use your cine-
  matic combat skills to defeat crowds of normal men; against
  other masters, employ your esoteric skills or your trademark
  technique. Calling out the names of your attacks is a classic
  motif.
  Speedster
  500 points
  The theme of your powers is superhuman speed. This con-
  trasts with the Acrobat (p. 41), whose milieu is agility and coor-
  dination – but the two can profitably be combined.
  Attributes: ST 11 [10]; DX 13 [60]; IQ 11 [20]; HT 11 [10].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.; HP 11
  [0]; Will 11 [0]; Per 11 [0]; FP 11 [0]; Basic Speed 7.00 [20];
  Basic Move 7 [0].
  Advantages: Immune to Acceleration (+8) [5]; Very Fit [15].
  Powers: Spend a total of 338 points on the Talents and abilities
  from the following power:
  Speed (Super; Talent 1 [5])
  • Double Attack: Extra Attack 1 (Multi-Strike, +20%; Super,
  -10%) [28].
  • Double Time: Altered Time Rate 1 (Super, -10%) [90].
  • Fleetfoot: Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 24; Handling
  Bonus +5, +25%; Super, -10%) [23].
  • Hypermaneuverability: Basic Move +8 (Super, -10%) [36] +
  Enhanced Dodge 4 (Super, -10%) [54].
  • Hyper-Metabolism: Regular Regeneration (Temporary
  Disadvantage: Increased Consumption 1, -10%; Super, -10%)
  [20].
  • Hyper-Reflexes: Basic Speed +5 (Super, -10%) [90] +
  Enhanced Time Sense (Super, -10%) [41].
  • Lightning Blows: Striking ST 9 (Super, -10%) [41].
  • Ultrafast Running: Enhanced Move 5 (Ground Speed 960;
  Super, -10%) [90].
  Disadvantages: A total of -20 points from Impulsiveness [-10*],
  Increased Consumption [-10/level], Odious Personal Habit:
  Can’t stay still [-5], Overconfidence [-5*], Skinny [-5],
  Stuttering [-10], or Trickster [-15*].
  Ordinary Skills: Brawling (E) DX+1 [2]-14 or Karate (H) DX-1
  [2]-12; Parry Missile Weapons (H) DX+5 [24]-18; Running
  (A) HT+1 [4]-14; Sleight of Hand (H) DX+2 [12]-15.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  Notes: For a street-level speedster, remove the optional abil-
  ities and cut back most of the others; in addition, reduce Parry
  Missile Weapons to DX.
  For a much more powerful character, start by taking both
  optional abilities. Then look at vibration or air-manipulation
  powers. Buying faster running should be approached with
  caution; he already has Move 1,728 (3,456 mph, or just short
  of a mile a second), and three more levels of Enhanced
  Running exceeds Earth’s escape velocity – he can literally dash
  off the planet, if the GM approaches physics realistically! A
  Cosmic version of Enhanced Move allows the kind of comic-
  book speedsters who can ignore inertia, friction, and
  turbulence.
  The other way to power up a speedster is to take one or
  several levels of Altered Time Rate with the Super-Speed
  enhancement. In combat this allows a full Move followed by a
  full Attack, or a series of Step and Attack maneuvers, each
  engaging a different foe. A speedster who also has Extra Attack
  gets to take one extra attack on each maneuver on his turn in
  combat! Outside combat, Super-Speed makes it possible to
  work or travel far faster than normal; see Time and Work
  (p. 103).
  Playing the Role: Show off your movement abilities as
  much as possible. In combat, you should be all over the battle-
  field; during downtime, look for chances to travel at amazing
  speeds. If you take hypermaneuverability as a power, you can
  run at freeway speeds or better; if you pick ultrafast running,
  you can easily break the sound barrier. Never let a chance to
  run or jump pass you by.
  In addition, take advantage of your fighting abilities. With
  Basic Speed 12, you have Dodge 16; it should be almost impos-
  sible for your foes to hit you. You can do things that would be
  suicidally reckless for an ordinary mortal, and get away with
  them – be ready to go headlong into battle.
  Supermage
  250 or 500 points
  You’re a master of comic-book wizardry, enabling you to
  use a wide range of magical spells including very powerful
  ones. Your primary function is to protect the world from
  supernatural threats – or, if you’re on the other side, to help
  carry out those threats! Your familiarity with the uncanny
  gives you an impressive sense of added self-confidence.
  If you have powers as well as Magery and spells, their usual
  limitation is Magical (-10%). Alternatives are Divine (-10%),
  Moral (-20%), Nature (-20%), and Spirit (-25%).
  This is actually a collection of templates that explore differ-
  ent ways of realizing the “magical powers” concept. For an-
  other version, see the sorcery option for the Improviser
  template.
  A classic motif in Golden-Age comics is the stage magician
  who has actual magical abilities. This template is built on 250
  points.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 14 [80]; IQ 13 [60]; HT 10 [0].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP 10 [0];
  Will 13 [0]; Per 14 [5]; FP 10 [0]; Basic Speed 7.00 [20]; Basic
  Move 6 [-5].
  HEROES
  53
  
  Advantages: Charisma 1 [5]. High Manual Dexterity 1 [5].
  Magery 1 (One College: Sleight of Hand Magic, -60%) [9]. A
  total of 25 points chosen from Absolute Timing [2], Acute
  Touch [2/level], Acute Vision [2/level], Ally (Stage assistant)
  [varies], Appearance [varies], Claim to Hospitality (Other
  performers or Other mages) [varies], Eidetic Memory [5],
  Fashion Sense [5], Flexibility [5], Gizmos [5/gizmo],
  Versatile [5], Wealth (Comfortable) [10], or additional
  Charisma [5/level] or High Manual Dexterity [5/level].
  Perks: Shtick (Clothing always spotless) [1].
  Disadvantages: Code of Honor (Professional) [-5]. A total of -15
  points from Dependent (Stage assistant) [varies], Lame
  (Crippled Leg) [-10], Overconfidence [-5*], Pacifism [varies],
  Secret (Real magic worker) [-5], Selfish [-5*], Weirdness
  Magnet [-15], or Workaholic [-5].
  Quirk: Always uses gestures and incantations to cast spells. [-1]
  Ordinary Skills: Performance (A) IQ+2 [8]-15. Sleight of Hand
  (H) DX+4 [12]-18.† One of Artist (Illusion Art) (H) IQ+2
  [12]-15, Breath Control (H) HT+2 [12]-12, Observation (A)
  Per+3 [12]-17, or Ventriloquism (H) IQ+3 [12]-16. Four of
  Animal Handling (A) IQ [2]-13, Broadsword (A) DX [2]-14,
  Cloak (A) DX [2]-14, Current Affairs (People or Popular
  Culture) (E) IQ+1 [2]-14, Escape (H) DX [2]-14,‡ Explosives
  (Fireworks) (A) IQ [2]-13, Fast-Draw (Props) (E) DX+1
  [2]-15,** Filch (A) DX [2]-14, Fortune-Telling (A) IQ+1
  [2]-14,†† Gambling (A) IQ [2]-13, Hobby Skill (Juggling) (E)
  DX+2 [2]-16,† Knot-Tying (E) DX+2 [2]-16,† Lip Reading (A)
  Per [2]-14, Lockpicking (A) IQ+1 [2]-14,† Occultism (A) IQ
  [2]-13, Savoir-Faire (High Society) (E) IQ+1 [2]-14, or Stealth
  (A) DX [2]-14
  Exotic Skill: Sleight of Hand Magic (VH) IQ+3 [12]-16.‡
  Techniques (Spells): Complex Illusion (H) Sleight of Hand
  Magic-1 [2]-15. Dye (H) Sleight of Hand Magic-4 [2]-12.
  Flash (H) Sleight of Hand Magic-1 [2]-15. Mind Reading (H)
  Sleight of Hand Magic-2 [2]-14. Perfect Illusion (H) Sleight
  of Hand Magic-2 [2]-14. Smoke (H) Sleight of Hand Magic-2
  [2]-14. Stiffen (H) Sleight of Hand Magic-4 [2]-12.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  † Includes +1 from High Manual Dexterity.
  ‡ Bought up from default to Sleight of Hand-6; includes
  Magery 1.
  ** A new required specialization of Fast-Draw, used with
  the tools of prestidigitation.
  †† Includes +1 from Charisma.
  Notes: Broadsword skill is used to wield a cane as a
  weapon; see p. 120. To power up this template, take Magery 3
  and buy up Create Gate, Create Object, and Transform Object
  to 15 or better. In addition, invest in an Energy Pool usable for
  casting spells, typically with a suitable focus such as a ring or
  amulet.
  Playing the Role: Play up the theatricality of your magical
  arts. Switch between actual magic and prestidigitation; keep
  even your allies wondering which is which.
  A second option for creating a supermage is to take a standard
  spellcaster, of the sort that relies on the list of spells in GURPS
  Magic, and power him up. This isn’t a very comic-bookish
  approach to magic; the character is a fantasy-roleplaying
  wizard, only more so, aware of every spell in the book and able
  to cast them almost without effort. GMs whose players are
  thoroughly knowledgeable about GURPS Magic can offer
  them this template. The master mage is built on 500 points.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 16 [120]; HT 11 [10].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP 10 [0];
  Will 20 [20]; Per 16 [0]; FP 11 [0]; Basic Speed 5.50 [0]; Basic
  Move 5 [0].
  Advantages: Charisma 1 [5]. Energy Reserve (Magic) 30 [90].
  Magery 5 [55]. Signature Gear (Magical Items) [20]. A total
  of 20 points from Claim to Hospitality [Varies], Clerical
  Investment [5], Cultural Adaptability [10], Danger Sense
  [15], Eidetic Memory [5], Empathy [15] or Sensitive [5],
  Higher Purpose [5], Language Talent [10], Longevity [2],
  Oracle [15], Reawakened [10], See Invisible [15], Single-
  Minded [5], Special Rapport [5], Spirit Empathy [10],
  Visualization [10], or additional Charisma [5/level].
  Disadvantages: A total of -30 points from Chronic Pain [Varies],
  Code of Honor (Professional) [-5], Curious [Varies],
  Disciplines of Faith [-5 to -15], Duty [Varies], Nightmares
  [-5], Overconfidence [-5*], Pacifism [Varies], Secret [Varies],
  Sense of Duty [Varies], Vow [Varies], Weirdness Magnet
  [-15], or Xenophilia [-10*].
  Wildcard Skills: Magic! (VH) IQ+8 [72]-25.† One of Cleric! or
  Scholar!, both (VH) IQ-2 [6]-14.
  HEROES
  54
  Sleight of 
  Hand Magic
  Sleight of Hand Magic is a variant of ritual magic
  (see p. B242), defined in GURPS Fantasy under
  Mysteries of the Trade. In this version each magical col-
  lege or path defaults at -6, not to Ritual Magic or some
  other mystical core skill, but to a specific nonmagical
  skill, and its maximum value is equal to that of the
  nonmagical skill it’s based on, not to that of Ritual
  Magic skill. In this case, Sleight of Hand Magic
  defaults to Sleight of Hand-6 and cannot exceed
  Sleight of Hand. Each college or path skill gives access
  to a limited set of spells, usually narrower than the col-
  leges in GURPS Magic; because of this restriction,
  One-College Magery is worth -60% rather than -40%.
  As with standard ritual magic, spells have no pre-
  requisites and a mage can attempt any spell in his col-
  lege or path at a penalty equal to its prerequisite count
  – the smallest number of prerequisite spells that allow
  the spell in question to be learned. Spells can be
  bought up from this default as Hard techniques, limit-
  ed to the level of the college skill. Note that the require-
  ments for Magery 2 or above have not been waived for
  these spells: Create Gate, for example, still requires
  Magery 3.
  Sleight of Hand Magic gives access to the following
  spells (penalties given in parentheses; asterisks mark
  spells that are defined only in GURPS Magic):
  Apportation (-0), Complex Illusion (-2),* Create Gate
  (-14),* Create Object (-10),* Dye (-4),* Flash (-2),* Glass
  Wall (-4),* Ignite Fire (-0), Illusion Shell (-1),* Levitation
  (-1),* Locksmith (-1),* Mind-Reading (-3), Perfect
  Illusion (-3),* Shape Fire (-1), Simple Illusion (-0),*
  Smoke (-3),* Stiffen (-5),* and Transform Object (-13).*
  
  Ordinary Skills: Hidden Lore (Any) (A) IQ+4 [16]-20. Research
  (A) IQ+4 [16]-20. Any four of Anthropology (H) IQ+1 [8]-17,
  Archaeology (H) IQ+1 [8]-17, Area Knowledge (Any Mystical
  Realm) (E) IQ+3 [8]-19, Artist (Illusion Art) (H) IQ+1 [8]-17,
  Cryptography (H) IQ+1 [8]-17, Fortune-Telling (A) IQ+2
  [8]-18, Innate Attack (E) DX+3 [8]-14, Meditation (H) Will+1
  [8]-21, Naturalist (H) IQ+1 [8]-17, Sleight of Hand (H) DX+1
  [8]-12, or Teaching (A) IQ+2 [8]-18.
  Exotic Skills: One of Alchemy (VH) IQ [8]-16, Dreaming (H)
  Will+1 [8]-21, Esoteric Medicine (H) Per+1 [8]-17, Herb
  Lore (VH) IQ [8]-16, Mind Block (A) Will+2 [8]-22, or
  Thanatology (H) IQ+1 [8]-17.
  Techniques (Spells): Any four of Banish (H) Magic!-6 [5]-19,
  Dispel Magic (H) Magic!-9 [5]-16, Great Healing (H) Magic!
  [5]-25, Hide Thoughts (H) Magic! [5]-25, Mind-Reading (H)
  Magic! [5]-25, Planar Summons (H) Magic!-6 [5]-19, Plane
  Shift (H) Magic!-7 [5]-18, and Summon Demon (H) Magic!-
  6 [5]-19.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  † Includes +5 to skill from Magery 5.
  Notes: The techniques for this template were chosen from
  spells that are listed on pp. B242-253; have enough prerequi-
  sites so that their default as techniques is at a significant penal-
  ty; and fit the style of comic-book wizards. Other choices could
  be taken to fit different tones. For example, an elemental
  supermage could take higher-level Air, Earth, Fire, and Water
  spells as techniques.
  To build a less powerful supermage, eliminate the energy
  reserve; cut IQ, Magery, and Magic! skill, and any techniques
  that are no longer available with lower Magery; and reduce the
  level of other techniques.
  For a more powerful supermage, take the reverse course
  and look through GURPS Magic for a wider choice of high-
  powered spells to take as techniques. Also, invest in more
  Signature Gear, especially items that protect the mage from
  both mundane and mystical threats. A level of Mana Enhancer
  is a good idea, too: It ensures that the mage can’t be rendered
  helpless by trapping him in nonmagical surroundings. Finally,
  a bigger Energy Reserve is invaluable, perhaps with gadget
  limitations. A supermage with all these traits can be one of the
  most powerful characters in a campaign.
  Playing the Role: Your big asset is versatility; you know lit-
  erally hundreds of spells and can use any of them on a
  moment’s notice. You can work enchantments with less effort
  than any normal mage, and with more levels of effect – up to
  5d of Fireball, for example. To play this type of character,
  become familiar with GURPS Magic, to know quickly what
  spell solves a given problem.
  It’s also possible to take a different route entirely: Forget
  about spells and instead take abilities based on advantages,
  with modifiers that make them look “magical” – and call them
  “spells.” In principle, just about any power could be defined as
  magical, and any template with superpowers could be called a
  “magician” by changing the Super modifier to the Magical
  modifier. But classic comic-book mages often have fairly
  specific abilities. The mystic is built to fit that pattern. Point
  cost for the mystic is 500.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 15 [100]; HT 11 [10].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP 10 [0];
  Will 20 [25]; Per 20 [25]; FP 11 [0]; Basic Speed 5.50 [0];
  Basic Move 5 [0].
  Advantages: A total of 30 points from Claim to Hospitality (A
  teacher or fellow student, or other practitioners generally)
  [varies], Clerical Investment [5], Cultural Familiarity [1],
  Danger Sense [15], Eidetic Memory [5], Empathy [15],
  Higher Purpose [5], Indomitable [15], Intuition [15], Less
  Sleep [2/level], Longevity [2], Metabolism Control [5/level],
  Oracle [15], Reawakened [10], Special Rapport [5], Spirit
  Empathy [10], or Visualization [10].
  Powers: Take the following power:
  Magic (Magical; Magery 1 [15])
  • Dimensional Gateway: Jumper (Spirit; Magical, -10%;
  Projection, -50%) [40].
  • Magic Detection: Detect Magic (Magical, -10%) [9].
  • Magical Blast: Crushing Attack 3d (Double Knockback,
  +20%; Magical, -10%; No Wounding, -50%) [9] (Power Parry: 9).
  • Out-of-Body Travel: Clairsentience (Magical, -10%;
  Increased Range, 100¥, +60%; Projection, +0%) [75].
  • Psychic Attunement: Mind Reading (Magical, -10%) [27]
  + Mind Probe (Magical, -10%) [18].
  • Reading Psychic Impressions: Psychometry (Active Only,
  -20%; Magical, -10%) [14].
  • Spiritual Guidance: Contact Group (Supernatural/occult
  skills, effective skill 15 or less, Supernatural information; 12 or
  less; Usually Reliable; Magical, -10%) [54].
  • True Sight: See Invisible (Spirits) (Magical, -10%) [14].
  • Warding: Damage Resistance 10 (Directional, Front,
  -20%; Emergencies Only, -30%; Force Field, +20%; Magical,
  -10%) [30] (Power Block: 13).
  Disadvantages: A total of -25 points from Absent-Mindedness
  [-15], Charitable [-15*], Disciplines of Faith [-5 to -15], Duty
  [varies], Nightmares [-5*], Pacifism [-5 to -15], Sense of
  Duty [varies], Truthfulness [-5], Vow [-5 to -15], Weirdness
  Magnet [-15], or Xenophilia [-10*].
  HEROES
  55
  Enchanted Items
  as Signature Gear
  Taking enchanted items as signature gear has a
  problem: In most heroic settings, there isn’t an estab-
  lished market for such things, so they don’t have prices
  from which their point costs can be figured. So super-
  mages can acquire magical signature gear, use the fol-
  lowing alternate rule from GURPS Fantasy: Each
  character point invested in Signature Gear buys 25
  energy points of enchantment. So, for example, a mage
  could have a magic staff (p. B240) for slightly over 1
  point, an amulet that deflected missiles or energy for 8
  points, or a wand that fired lightning bolts for 32
  points (p. B482).
  To fit the higher power levels of a four-color cam-
  paign, GMs may want to adopt the alternate rule from
  GURPS Fantasy: One character point of Signature
  Gear equates to 1,000 energy points of Signature Gear.
  The other option is to ignore enchantment costs,
  and buy enchanted items as advantages with suitable
  gadget limitations (pp. B116-117).
  
  Ordinary Skills: Innate Attack (Beam) (E) DX+1 [2]-12. One of
  Hidden Lore (any) (A) IQ+1 [4]-16, Occultism (A) IQ+1 [4]-
  16, Research (A) IQ+1 [4]-16, or Thanatology (H) IQ [4]-15.
  One of Dreaming (H) Will [4]-20, Esoteric Medicine (H) Per
  [4]-20, Fortune-Telling (A) IQ+2 [4]-17,† Meditation (H) Will
  [4]-20, Philosophy (H) IQ [4]-15, or Religious Ritual (H) IQ
  [4]-15.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  † Includes +1 to skill from Magery 1.
  Notes: To create a less powerful character, lower IQ, Per,
  and Will, and drop some of the magical abilities – the expen-
  sive Out-of-Body Travel and Dimensional Gateway and the
  combat-oriented Magical Blast and Warding are likely choices.
  The result is a hero with almost no fighting abilities, best suit-
  ed to a support role for a team. For a more powerful character,
  increase the power of the offensive spells and make up a few
  additional ones based on advantages like Affliction, Binding,
  or Mind Control.
  Playing the Role: You know things other people don’t and
  have access to information they’re unaware of. You can also
  hurl magical bolts or raise mystical shields – not as powerful
  as more conventional heroes’ attacks, but able to bypass spe-
  cialized energy or projectile defenses, and often colorful.
  Superspy
  250 points
  You don’t have a secret identity – you have one or several
  alternate identities. You don’t wear a costume. You don’t have
  superhuman powers; you rely on cinematic skills and the lat-
  est gadgets from Technical Section. But in a supers setting you
  have to deal with metahumans, and with the right backup and
  preparation you can hold your own against them. You’re the
  classic Man In Black who deals with threats that normal peo-
  ple shouldn’t even know about.
  Attributes: ST 11 [10]; DX 13 [60]; IQ 11 [20]; HT 11 [10].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.; HP 11
  [0]; Will 11 [0]; Per 15 [20]; FP 11 [0]; Basic Speed 6.00 [0];
  Basic Move 6 [0].
  Advantages: Combat Reflexes [15];† Fit [5]; Security Clearance
  [10]; and 15 points from Alternate Identity (Illegal) [5],
  Appearance (Attractive) [4], Charisma [5/level], Cultural
  Adaptability [10], Daredevil [15], Eidetic Memory [5],
  Fashion Sense [5], Gizmos [5/gizmo], High Manual
  Dexterity [5/level], High Pain Threshold [10], Higher
  Purpose [5], Indomitable [15], Language Talent [10];
  Languages [varies], Less Sleep [2/level], Resistant to Poisons
  (-3) [5] or (-(-(-8) [8], Single-Minded [5], Wealth [Varies], or
  Zeroed [10].
  Disadvantages: A total of -40 points from Addiction (cigarettes)
  [-5], Bloodlust [-10*], Callous [-5], Code of Honor
  (Professional) [-5] or (Gentleman’s) [-10], Enemies
  (Watchers) [Varies] or (Hunters) [Varies], Fanaticism [-15],
  Flashbacks [-5, -10, or -20], Lecherousness [-15*], Loner
  [-5*], Overconfidence [-5*], Pacifism (Cannot Harm
  Innocents) [-10], Secret [varies], Sense of Duty [Varies], or
  Workaholic [-5].
  Wildcard Skills: Fake! (VH) IQ+3 [60]-14; Guns! (VH) DX
  [24]-13; one of Computers! or Explorer!, both (VH) IQ
  [24]-11; and one of Drive!, Fist!, or Thief!, all (VH) DX-1
  [12]-14.
  Ordinary Skills:
  Administration (A) IQ [2]-11, Area
  Knowledge (City, Small Nation, Large Nation, or Planet)
  (E) IQ [1]-11, and Observation (A) Per [2]-15.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  † Provides +1 to use of Guns! as Fast-Draw.
  Notes: It’s possible to raise the capabilities of this template
  to a still higher level, notably by buying up the combat skills
  and getting several of the auxiliary cinematic skills. For a more
  completely cinematic feel, look at Luck or Serendipity and
  lifestyle skills such as Connoisseur, Erotic Art, Gambling,
  Savoir-Faire, and Sex Appeal. An international superspy may
  want Omnilingual (see p. 29).
  Another direction to take is creating a spy with superhu-
  man abilities. Telepathy and other inconspicuous psi powers
  are one way to approach this; as a variation, if secret organiza-
  tions know about telepathy, an agent with antipsi abilities
  would be extremely effective. Powers that help one sneak past
  guards, such as dematerialization, invisibility, and teleporta-
  tion, are another good bet. If supernatural beings exist, nation-
  al agencies might recruit ghosts or vampires as special agents.
  The government-built cyborg is another classic power-up for
  this template.
  Playing the Role: You have all the qualities of a movie or
  television spy: glamour, grace under pressure, and excellent
  combat skills. You know more than the costumed heroes do
  about secret conspiracies, criminal masterminds, and top-
  secret government plans – take advantage of your inside
  knowledge, but don’t reveal more than the essentials to your
  allies.
  Techno
  500 points
  You’re a classic comic-book style inventive genius. You can
  come up with amazing new devices on the spot with minimal
  supplies; you make theoretical breakthroughs as casually as
  lesser engineers do arithmetic. Most of your creations are
  breadboard rigs that work only as long as the plot requires, but
  you also have a collection of durable equipment that you use
  for routine adventuring purposes, bought as Signature Gear.
  Attributes: ST 11 [10]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 20 [200]; HT 11 [10].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.; HP 11
  [0]; Will 12 [-40]; Per 20 [0]; FP 11 [0]; Basic Speed 5.50 [0];
  Basic Move 5 [0].
  Advantages: Gizmos 3 [15]; High Manual Dexterity 4 [20];
  Intuitive Mathematician [5]; Photographic Memory [10];
  Quick Gadgeteer [50]; Signature Gear [100]; Versatile [5];
  and 20 points from Acute Vision [2/level], Artificer
  [10/level], Claim to Hospitality (Research facilities) [varies],
  High TL [5/level], Independent Income [varies], Single-
  Minded [5], Tenure [5], Visualization [10], and Wealth
  [varies].
  Disadvantages: A total of -30 points from Absent-Mindedness
  [-15], Bad Sight (Mitigator, Glasses or contact lenses, -60%)
  [-10], Callous [-5], Code of Honor (Professional) [-5],
  Curious [-5*], Insomniac [-10 or -15], No Sense of Humor
  [-10], Oblivious [-5], Overconfidence [-5*], Truthfulness
  [-5*], Weirdness Magnet [-15], Workaholic [-5], or
  Xenophilia [-10*].
  Wildcard Skills: Two of Computers!, Engineer!, Medic!, and
  Science!, all [VH] IQ+2 [48]-22.
  HEROES
  56
  
  Ordinary Skills: One of Beam Weapons (Any) (E) DX+1 [2]
  -12, Brawling (E) DX+1 [2]-12, Crossbow (E) DX+1 [2]-12,
  Gunner (Any) (E) DX+1 [2]-12, Guns (Any) (E) DX+1 [2]
  -12, or Liquid Projector (Any) (E) DX+1 [2]-12. One of
  Boating (Large Powerboat or Motorboat) (A) DX+1 [4]-12,
  Driving (Any except Tracked) (A) DX+1 [4]-12,
  Environment Suit (Any) (A) DX+1 [4]-12, Piloting (Any) (A)
  DX+1 [4]-12, Stealth (A) DX+1 [4]-12, or Submarine (Mini-
  Sub) (A) DX+1 [4]-12. Any three of Camouflage (E) IQ
  [1]-20, Computer Operation (E) IQ [1]-20, Current Affairs
  (Science & Technology) (E) IQ [1]-20, Disguise (A) IQ-1
  [1]-19, Electronics Operation (Any) IQ-1 [1]-19, Explosives
  (Any) (A) IQ-1 [1]-19, Forensics (H) IQ-2 [1]
  -18, Hazardous Materials (Any) (A) IQ-1 [1]-19, Hobby
  (Any IQ-Based) (E) IQ [1]-20, Holdout (A) IQ-1 [1]-19, Law
  (Patents) (H) IQ-2 [1]-18, Lockpicking (A) IQ-1 [1]
  -19, Navigation (Any) (A) IQ-1 [1]-19, Observation (A) 
  Per-1 [1]-19, Photography (A) IQ-1 [1]-19, Poisons (A) 
  IQ-1 [1]-19, Research (A) IQ-1 [1]-19, Scrounging (E) Per
  [1]-20, or Traps (A) IQ-1 [1]-19.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  Notes: The less expensive version of this template has
  lower IQ and wildcard skills, and is an inventor rather than a
  Gadgeteer. Reduce the value of his Signature Gear as well;
  give him several fairly minor items or one specialized high-
  power one. To increase power, add resources, Status,
  improved skill-enhancing advantages like Artificer, and lots of
  Signature Gear – or turn the character into a Dreadnought (see
  p. 45).
  Playing the Role: You should normally rely on one main
  device or suite of devices that work together; design gear that
  makes you the equal of metahumans with “natural” abilities.
  See the various super-powered templates for ways to show off
  these capabilities. But, in addition, prove your versatility by
  constantly bringing out useful minor gadgets, or building
  them on the spot. Show off your intellectual brilliance and
  mental gifts as well, including your nearly flawless memory
  and mathematical abilities. Whether you’re patient or sarcas-
  tic, other heroes strike you as a bit slow; illustrate that you
  know more than they do.
  Weatherworker
  1,000 points
  A high-end analog of the Shaper, you have power not just
  over some measure of an element but over natural phenome-
  na on a wide scale. You can attack your foes with the force of
  a natural disaster. This template is designed around control-
  ling the weather, but power over other natural phenomena
  such as the oceans or seismic events could be treated
  similarly.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 11 [20]; HT 13 [30].
  Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP 10
  [0]; Will 15 [20]; Per 11 [0]; FP 13 [0]; Basic Speed 6.00 [0];
  Basic Move 6 [0].
  Advantages: A total of 30 points from Charisma [5/level],
  Combat Reflexes [15], Fit [5], Higher Purpose [5], Rapid
  Healing [5], Outdoorsman [10/level], or Temperature
  Tolerance [1/level].
  Powers: Take the following power:
  Weather Control (Elemental, Super; Talent 3 [15])
  • Cyclone: Telekinesis 12/200 (Area Effect: 4 yards, +100%;
  Elemental, -10%; Environmental: Outdoors, -20%; Overhead,
  +30%; Super, -10%; Super-Effort, +400%) [354]†.
  • Gale: Crushing Attack 15d (Double Knockback, +20%;
  Elemental, -10%; Environmental: Outdoors, -20%; Increased
  Range, 10¥, +90%; Jet, +0%; No Wounding, -50%; Super,
  -10%) [90]† (Power Parry: 10).
  • Veil of Mist: Obscure 10 (Vision; Area Effect, 8 yards,
  +100%; Elemental, -10%; Environmental: Outdoors, -20%;
  Increased Range, 2¥, +10%; Ranged, +50%; Super, -10%)
  [110]† (Power Block: 11).
  • Wielding the Lightning: Burning Attack 22d (Elemental,
  -10%; Environmental: Outdoors, -20%; Increased Range, 10¥,
  +30%; Link, +10%; Overhead, +30%; Super, -10%; Surge,
  +20%) [165]† + Affliction 2 (Area Effect: 8 yards, +150%;
  Elemental, -10%; Environmental: Outdoors, -20%; Deafness,
  +20%; Hearing-Based, +150%; Increased Range, 10¥, +30%;
  Link, +10%; Overhead, +30%; Super, -10%) [90]† (Power
  Parry: 10) + Affliction 1 (Area Effect: 8 yards, +150%;
  Disadvantage, 
  Blindness, 
  +50%; 
  Elemental, 
  -10%;
  Environmental: Outdoors, -20%; Increased Range, ¥10, +30%;
  Link, +10%; Overhead, +30%; Super, -10%; Vision-Based,
  +150%) [48]†.
  • Riding the Winds: Flight (Elemental, -10%; Super, -10%)
  [32] + Enhanced Move 3.5 (Air Move 144; Elemental, -10%;
  Super, -10%) [28].
  • Weathershaping: Control Weather 10 (Elemental, -10%;
  Natural Phenomena, +100%; Super, -10%) [360].
  Disadvantages: A total of -30 points from Delusions (“I am a
  god”) [-15], Disciplines of Faith (Mysticism) [-10],
  Impulsiveness [-10*], Mania (Violent weather) [-5*],
  Overconfidence [-5*], Phobias (Enclosed Spaces) [-15*], or
  Sense of Duty [varies].
  Ordinary Skills: Brawling (E) DX+1 [2]-12. Innate Attack
  (Beam) (E) DX+1 [2]-12. Weather Sense (A) IQ+2 [8]-13.
  One of Aerobatics (H) DX+1 [8]-12 or Flight (A) HT+2 [8]
  -15.
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  † Alternative abilities. The most expensive ability is at full
  cost; all others are at 1/5 the listed cost.
  Notes: Weather Sense, rather than Meteorology, is includ-
  ed in this template because it’s not based on instruments but
  on an instinctive awareness of the weather. Treat it as a TL0
  skill.
  This template doesn’t power down very well; instead, look
  at the air- or water-oriented version of the Shaper (see p. 51).
  For a higher-powered version, put more points into Weather-
  shaping, or buy it with Super-Effort. Higher-powered versions
  of your main attacks can sink warships or drive jets from the
  sky.
  Playing the Role: Like the Biomorph, you’re attuned to the
  natural environment – but in your case, that means the
  weather and climate. Pay attention to the sky at all times. In
  combat, your best strategy is to strike at your foes from a dis-
  tance, either overwhelming them with sheer natural forces or
  blinding and confusing them.
  HEROES
  57
  
  HEROES
  58
  ATTACK ABILITIES
  For convenience in using the templates, the following tables
  list their various attacks. Nearly all the melee attacks are based
  on DX or Brawling; the ranged attacks are sorted by the skills
  used to wield them. Note that a ranged attack can be assigned
  to a different category at no point cost; the difference between
  Beam, Breath, Gaze, and Projectile is a special effect.
  Melee Attacks Table
  Attack
  Damage
  Reach
  Parry
  ST
  Page
  Notes
  Body Electricity
  HT-4
  C
  No
  –
  43
  Area 2 [1, 2, 3]
  Cat’s Claws
  thr-1 cut
  C
  0
  –
  43
  Cyclone
  ST 12/200 grapple
  Telekinesis
  No
  –
  57
  Area 4 [4]
  Electrified Skin
  HT-5 aff
  C
  No
  –
  44
  [1]
  Electrified Surface
  3d-1 burn
  C
  No
  –
  45
  [5, 6]
  Electrogenesis
  2d+1 burn
  C
  No
  –
  44
  Area 8 [5]
  Flaming Sword
  10d
  1
  0F
  –
  44
  [7, 8]
  Hammerhand
  thr +1/die
  C, 1
  0
  –
  51
  Photogenesis
  HT-9 aff
  C
  No
  –
  44
  Area 30 [9]
  Poison Ivy
  HT aff
  C
  No
  –
  43
  [10, 11]
  Pyrogenesis
  3d+1
  C
  No
  –
  44
  Area 12
  Vine Grasp
  ST 20 bind
  C
  No
  –
  43
  [12, 13]
  Notes
  [1] Make the indicated roll or suffer stunning.
  [2] Usable only underwater.
  [3] Takes 5 seconds to recharge.
  [4] Overhead, must be outdoors.
  [5] Surge can disable machinery.
  [6] Make a HT roll at -1 per 2 points of penetrating damage
  or suffer stunning.
  [7] Destructive parry.
  [8] Use Saber skill or its defaults to wield.
  [9] Make a HT-9 roll or suffer blindness.
  [10] Make the indicated roll or suffer itching effects after 1
  minute.
  [11] Contact agent.
  [12] Only damaged by burning, corrosion, or cutting.
  [13] Bound foes are subject to constriction attacks.
  
  Ranged Attacks Table
  Attack
  Damage
  Acc
  Range
  RoF
  Shots
  ST
  Rcl
  Page
  Notes
  INNATE ATTACK (BEAM)
  Airjet
  3d cr (0.5)
  _
  10/20
  Jet
  –
  –
  –
  52
  [1, 2]
  Flame Jet
  8d burn
  –
  50/100
  Jet
  –
  –
  –
  44
  [3]
  Gale
  15d cr
  3
  50/100
  Jet
  –
  –
  –
  57
  [2, 4, 5]
  Laser Pulse
  12d(2) burn
  5
  1,000/10,000
  1
  –
  –
  1
  44
  [3]
  Magical Blast
  3d cr
  3
  10/100
  1
  N/A
  –
  1
  55
  [2, 4]
  Quicksand
  ST 10 bind
  3
  –/100
  1
  N/A
  –
  1
  52
  Area 2 [6]
  Windblast
  5d cr
  3
  10/100
  1
  N/A
  –
  1
  52
  [2, 4, 7]
  INNATE ATTACK (BREATH)
  Super Breath
  8d crush
  3
  1/10
  1
  N/A
  –
  1
  44
  [4, 8]
  INNATE ATTACK (GAZE)
  Heat Vision
  6d burn
  4
  10/100
  1
  N/A
  –
  1
  42
  [3]
  Magnetic Squeeze
  15d cr
  3
  10/100
  1
  –
  –
  1
  47
  Area 2 [9]
  Unseen Net
  ST 20 bind
  3
  –/100
  1
  N/A
  –
  1
  47
  [10, 11]
  INNATE ATTACK (PROJECTILE)
  Fireball
  4d burn
  3
  100/1,000
  1
  N/A
  –
  1
  44
  [3]
  Lightning Bolt
  12d burn
  0
  1,000/1,000
  1
  1 (4)
  –
  1
  44
  [1, 9]
  linked
  HT aff
  –
  –
  –
  –
  –
  –
  –
  Area 4 [12, 13]
  Wielding the Lightning
  24d burn
  3
  10/100
  1
  N/A
  –
  1
  57
  [9, 14]
  linked
  HT-1
  –
  –
  –
  –
  –
  –
  –
  Area 8 [15]
  linked
  HT
  –
  –
  –
  –
  –
  –
  –
  Area 8 [12]
  WILL
  Hallucination
  IQ-3 aff
  –
  Malediction 1
  1
  –
  –
  –
  48
  [16]
  Immobilization
  Will
  –
  Malediction 1
  1
  –
  –
  –
  48
  Area 8 [17]
  Perfume
  HT-2 aff
  –
  Malediction 1
  1
  –
  –
  –
  43
  [18, 19]
  linked
  HT-2 aff
  –
  Malediction
  1
  –
  –
  –
  –
  [19, 20]
  Tremor
  5d cr
  –
  Malediction 1
  1
  –
  –
  –
  52
  Area 8 [2, 4, 6, 21, 21]
  Notes
  HEROES
  59
  MOTIVATIONS
  A super’s motives and mission are as important a part of
  his heroic role as his powers. To help define these, players
  may want to use one of the following lenses for their
  characters.
  Adrenaline Addict
  0 points
  You live for risk, and you’ve found a socially acceptable way
  to take extreme chances. If you couldn’t be a super, you’d find
  life intolerably dull.
  Advantages: Daredevil [15], Luck [15], or Very Rapid Healing
  [15].
  Disadvantages: A total of -25 points from Code of Honor
  (Machismo or similar) [-5], Compulsive Gambling [-5*],
  Impulsiveness [-10*], On the Edge [-15*], Overconfidence
  [-5*], and Trickster [-15*].
  Skills: Gambling (A) IQ [2]. Any two of Acrobatics (H) DX [4],
  Climbing (A) DX+1 [4], Escape (H) DX [4], Fast-Talk (A)
  IQ+1 [4], Market Analysis (H) IQ [4], Parachuting (E) DX+2
  [4], Skiing (H) HT [4], Sleight of Hand (H) DX [4], and
  Sports (Any extreme sport) (A) DX+1 [4].
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  [1] Side effect: Make a HT roll at -1 per 2 points of penetrat-
  ing damage or suffer stunning.
  [2] Double knockback.
  [3] Variable.
  [4] No wounding.
  [5] Only outdoors.
  [6] Targets must be touching the ground.
  [7] Cone, maximum width 6 yards.
  [8] Cone, maximum width 1 yard.
  [9] Surge can disable machinery.
  [10] One-shot.
  [11] Unbreakable.
  [12] Make the indicated roll or suffer Blindness.
  [13] Vision-based.
  [14] Overhead attack, only outdoors.
  [15] Make the indicated roll or suffer Deafness.
  [16] Make the indicated roll or suffer Hallucinating.
  [17] Make the indicated roll or suffer Paralysis.
  [18] Make the indicated roll or suffer Ecstasy.
  [19] Scent-based.
  [20] Secondary effect; on failure by 5 or more, or critical
  failure, suffer Hallucinating.
  [21] Takes 2 seconds.
  [22] Quick Contest of Will vs. DX.
  
  HEROES
  60
  Chosen
  40 points
  You didn’t volunteer for the role of hero. Someone chose
  you for it, and granted you the powers to carry it out. You’re
  often in conflict over your station – but either you’re forbidden
  to quit or you can’t bring yourself to abandon the people you
  protect.
  Advantages: Patron (Ultra-powerful individual/very powerful
  organization; 12 or less; Minimal Intervention, -50%;
  Special Abilities, +100%) [60].
  Disadvantages: Duty (Involuntary; 12 or less) [-15]. Enemies
  (More powerful individual; 12 or less; watcher) [-10].
  Skills: Hidden Lore (Any) (A) IQ-1 [1]. One of Administration (A)
  IQ+1 [4], Fortune-Telling (Dream Interpretation) (A) IQ+1
  [4], Meditation (H) Will [4], or Religious Ritual (H) IQ [4].
  Doing the Right Thing
  -25 points
  Your goal is to make the world a better place. You don’t just
  work for your ideals; you live for them, and try to embody
  them. You may spend a lot of time fighting evil, but that’s inci-
  dental to your main ambition – doing good and helping people.
  Advantage: Higher Purpose [5].
  Disadvantages: Pacifism (Cannot Harm Innocents) [-10].
  Charitable (12) [-15] or Sense of Duty (Entire Race) [-15]. A
  total of -10 points from Code of Honor (Gentleman’s) [-10],
  Compulsive Generosity [-5*], Honesty [-10*], Selfless [-5*],
  or Truthfulness [-5*].
  Skills: Diplomacy (H) IQ [4]. First Aid (E) IQ [1].
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  Glory Hound
  -10 points
  You’re brave and admirable – especially when the cameras
  are pointed at you. Having a sharp public image means a lot to
  you, and you make sure that the people are aware of your good
  deeds. You’re glad to take advantage of the perks, too, from
  statues in your honor to the company of the rich, famous, and
  beautiful.
  Advantage: Charisma 1 [5].
  Perk: Shtick [1].
  Disadvantages: Selfish (12) [-5]. A total of -15 points from Code
  of Honor (Gentleman’s) [-10], Compulsive Carousing [-5*],
  Enemies (Rivals) [varies], Jealousy [-10], Lecherousness
  [-15*], Overconfidence [-5*], Trademark [-5 to -15], or
  Workaholic [-5].
  Skills: Current Affairs (Headline News, People, or Regional) (E)
  IQ [1]. Propaganda (A) IQ-1 [1]. One of Savoir-Faire (E)
  IQ+1 [2], Public Speaking (A) IQ+1 [2]† or Stage Combat (A)
  DX [2].
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  † Includes +1 from Charisma.
  In It for the Money
  -10 points
  You regard your powers as an economic asset and heroism
  as a job. You could do an easier and less dangerous job, but
  since you’ve taken on a hard one you expect your work to be
  appreciated – and money is a great way to show appreciation.
  Disadvantages: Code of Honor (Pirate’s or Professional) [-5].
  Duty (Clients or employer, 12 or less) [-10].
  Skills: One of Administration, Merchant, or Soldier, all (A) IQ+1
  [4]. Savoir-Faire (Any) (E) IQ [1].
  It’s All My Fault
  -25 points
  You’re driven by the memory of a personal failure, and the
  need to atone for it. Helping anyone who needs you is a way to
  live with your troubled memories.
  Advantages: Higher Purpose [5].
  Disadvantages: Guilt Complex [-5]. Sense of Duty (Everyone
  you know) [-10]. A total of -15 points from Charitable [-15*],
  Nightmares [-5*], Selfless [-5*], Vow [varies], or Workaholic
  [-5].
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  Judge, Jury, and Executioner
  -15 points
  Unlike other heroes, you don’t regard life as sacred; in your
  eyes, protecting the innocent sometimes requires killing the
  guilty – especially the ones who think the law can’t touch them.
  You may respect heroes who don’t take life, but you don’t let
  them stop you from carrying out your self-chosen mission.
  Disadvantages: Bloodlust (12) [-10]. A total of -15 points from
  Callous [-5], Fanaticism [-15], No Sense of Humor [-10],
  Obsession (Long-term) [-10*], Stubbornness [-5], Vow
  [varies], and Workaholic [-5].
  Skills: Expert Skill (Conspiracy Theory) (H) IQ [4]. One of
  Criminology or Streetwise (A) IQ [2]. One of Law (National,
  criminal), Philosophy, or Theology, all (H) IQ [4].
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  Legacy Hero
  5 points
  Your family have been heroes for generations, if not cen-
  turies, and you were brought up to carry on their mission.
  Advantages: Claim to Hospitality (Family) [2]. Wealth
  (Comfortable) [10]. A total of 15 points from Claim to
  Hospitality [varies], Contacts [varies], Independent
  Income [1/level], Reawakened [10], and Social Chameleon
  [5].
  Disadvantages: Vow (Be worthy of your ancestors) [-10]. A
  total of -15 points from Dependents (Family members or
  retainers) [varies], Destiny (Family heritage) [varies],
  Enemies (Of your family) [varies], Hidebound [-5], and
  Phantom Voices (Ancestral spirits) [-5 or -10].
  
  Skills: History (Family heritage over multiple eras) (H) IQ-1 [2].
  Savoir-Faire (Any) (E) IQ [1].
  Looking for a Fight
  0 points
  For most heroes, fighting is a means to an end – but for you,
  it’s the whole point. Whether because you’re chronically angry
  or you just love combat for its own sake, nothing gives you
  more pleasure than a battle where you don’t have to hold back.
  Advantages: High Pain Threshold [10].
  Disadvantages: Bad Temper (12) [-10]. A total of -10 points
  from Berserk [-10*], Bully [-10*], Callous [-5], Code of
  Honor (Pirate’s) [-5], Compulsive Carousing [-5*],
  Impulsiveness [-10*], or Stubbornness [-5].
  Skills: Brawling (E) DX+2 [4] or Boxing (A) DX+1 [4].
  Intimidation (A) Will+1 [4]. Streetwise (A) IQ [2].
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  Noblesse Oblige
  -25 points
  You look down on normal human beings from above,
  whether you’re openly condescending or you keep your sense
  of superiority veiled. Because you’re more powerful than they
  are, you feel that you should protect them.
  Disadvantages: Sense of Duty (Entire Race) [-15]. A total of -10
  points 
  in 
  Callous 
  [-5], 
  Megalomania 
  [-10*], 
  or
  Overconfidence [-5*].
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  Protecting Your Community
  -5 points
  Your sense of identity is strongly bound up with belonging
  to a group – whether a group of superbeings such as mutants
  or psis, or a mundane group like women, Americans, or
  Sikhs. You think of your abilities as a way to protect them
  from harm.
  Advantages: Higher Purpose (Preserve your group from harm)
  [5].
  Disadvantages: Sense of Duty (Large Group) [-10].
  Proving They’re Wrong
  -15 points
  You can tell people look at you as a failure or a freak. But
  you haven’t turned your attention inward, toward your own
  private life or an insular community. You strive for vindication
  by helping the very people who fear or despise you.
  Disadvantages: Social Stigma (Freak, Second-Class Citizen, or
  Valuable Property) [-10]. A total of -15 points from
  Appearance [varies], Bad Temper [-10*], Charitable [-15*],
  Enemies [varies], Obsession (Long-term) [-10*], Phobias
  (Demophobia) [-15*], Selfless [-5*], Sense of Duty (Other
  outcasts) [-5 or -10], or Stubborn [-5].
  Skills: Two of Diplomacy (H) IQ [4] or Fast-Talk, Leadership,
  Public Speaking, or Streetwise, all (A) IQ+1 [4]. One of
  Scrounging (E) Per+1 [2] or Survival or Urban Survival,
  both (A) Per [2].
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  Vendetta
  -20 points
  Your target isn’t evil or crime as such; it’s someone specific
  who wronged you. Now you’re waging a private war of
  vengeance against an individual, an organization, or an entire
  government.
  Disadvantages: Vow [-15]. A total of -15 points from Callous
  [-5], Enemies (Hunters) [varies], Flashbacks [varies],
  Intolerance [-5 or -10], Nightmares [-5*], Pacifism (Cannot
  Harm Innocents) [-10], Post-Combat Shakes [-5*], or
  Trademark [-5 to -15].
  Skills: Current Affairs (Any) (E) IQ+1 [2]. Intelligence Analysis
  (H) IQ [4]. Observation (A) Per [2]. Research (A) IQ [2].
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  Where No One Has Gone Before
  -10 points
  Your real goal is to explore undiscovered realms: beneath
  the ground, under the sea, in space or time, or in other dimen-
  sions or mystical planes. You gained your powers as a byprod-
  uct of this quest. You use them to benefit humanity, but your
  heart’s desire is somewhere else.
  Advantages: Unusual Background [10].
  Disadvantages: A total of -30 points from Code of Honor
  (Professional) [-5], Curious [-5*], Disciplines of Faith
  (Mysticism) [-10], Flashbacks [varies], Loner [-5*], Magic
  Susceptibility [-3/level], Obsession (Long-term) [-10*], Sense
  of Duty (Fellow explorers) [-5], Supernatural Features
  [varies], and Weirdness Magnet [-15].
  Skills: Area Knowledge (Any mysterious realm) (E) IQ+1 [2].
  Any one of Hidden Lore (Any) or Occultism, both (A) IQ+2
  [8], Philosophy or Theology, both (H) IQ+1 [8], or Weird
  Science (VH) IQ [8].
  * Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.
  HEROES
  61
  
  HEROES
  62
  In addition to his superhuman powers or other extraordi-
  nary abilities, a super usually has a set of advantages, disad-
  vantages, and skills like those of ordinary human beings. This
  reflects two different assumptions of the genre:
  • Many supers started out as human beings without special
  gifts. Some of the entries on their character sheets reflect their
  former lives and careers.
  • Many supers maintain secret identities as ordinary peo-
  ple. Some of the entries on their character sheets reflect skills
  and other traits needed to play these roles.
  Often, both assumptions are true: The super started out as
  a normal man with ordinary capabilities, experienced an ori-
  gin and took up a life of adventure, but also continued his for-
  mer life, which is now his secret identity.
  To show this, GMs may want players to fill out separate
  character sheets for their heroes’ other identities. This can be
  useful in bringing the underlying personality and life history
  into better focus.
  If a hero acquired his powers after living as a normal
  human being, do a pre-origin character sheet. The point value
  should be based on how he later gained his powers. A purely
  accidental origin could go with any value; 50 points is a rea-
  sonable average. Self-made heroes who built advanced equip-
  ment or gave themselves superhuman powers were probably
  worth 100-200 points before their origins; the same applies to
  those who experienced accidents in remote jungles, outer
  space, or similar exotic locales. After drawing up the pre-origin
  character sheet, add on the super abilities – and any associat-
  ed disabilities.
  Other heroes start out with their abilities or acquire them
  early in life. Robots are built with their abilities; aliens are
  born, hatched, or budded with theirs; and by literary conven-
  tion, mutants and psis often gain theirs in adolescence. For
  these characters, there’s no point in doing a pre-origin charac-
  ter sheet.
  If the hero has a civilian identity, it’s useful to do a separate
  character sheet for it. This lists the skills, attributes, and mun-
  dane advantages and disadvantages that the person reveals
  while leaving off his superhuman abilities. This is a role the
  hero chooses to play. He may need to make Acting rolls occa-
  sionally to avoid inadvertently revealing his powers, Holdout
  or Smuggling rolls to conceal his equipment, or Fast-Talk rolls
  to explain away his mistakes.
  If he started out as a normal human being, his pre-origin
  character sheet can be used as his civilian character sheet, with
  no more than minor changes. On the other hand, it’s worth-
  while to think about how his new abilities, and his new role as
  a hero, have changed his motives and outlook. “You can’t go
  home again” is a theme much older than supers, but it often
  applies to them.
  For a hero who’s superhuman to start out with, his civilian
  identity is always something he deliberately invents, like an
  actor creating a role. The player should look through the char-
  acter sheet and decide which traits have to be disguised or
  denied, which can be revealed, and which ones he doesn’t have
  that need to be imitated – and in what way. This is also a
  chance to explore the question of why someone superhuman
  wants to play this role. Is he afraid of being hated or feared? Is
  he lonely and desperate enough to accept lesser beings as
  friends? Is he trying to understand humanity?
  Some supers actually have two different personalities. If
  they share memories, buy this as Split Personality. If they don’t
  share each other’s experiences, add Amnesia with an
  Accessibility limitation: “Only in heroic identity” or “Only in
  civilian identity,” both worth -20%. If they don’t believe they’re
  the same person, this is a Delusion.
  Some supers even have two different physical forms. Buy
  this as Alternate Form with the heroic identity as the base
  form, and the civilian identity as the alternate form. Usually
  the racial template for the ordinary person is standard human;
  the metahuman’s template includes attribute bonuses and
  penalties, advantages, disadvantages, and powers. The cost of
  the Alternate Form is 15 points. The 15-point cost can be mod-
  ified; in particular, if the character can be prevented from
  changing by cutting him off from his power source, apply the
  standard power modifier to this cost. The two forms may still
  have different personalities.
  Neither of these options changes the skills of the two iden-
  tities, though they may not remember that they have certain
  aptitudes. On the other hand, alterations in mental traits from
  Split Personality, or changes in either physical or mental traits
  from Alternate Form, may raise or lower their skills, some-
  times substantially. If one identity has superhuman wisdom
  (IQ+5 with Divine, -10%) and the other does not, that’s going
  to make the heroic identity a lot more competent.
  Your Own 
  Worst Enemy
  An old theme of comics, going back to the first
  appearances of Superman and Clark Kent, is competi-
  tion between a super and his civilian identity, particu-
  larly rivalry in love. If this is just play-acting, it’s not
  worth any points. But if one persona’s actions actually
  cause problems for the other identity – for example, if
  the love interest admires the glamorous hero and
  snubs the civilian – this can be treated as an actual dis-
  advantage. Normally the two are rivals (see p. B135).
  Ostensibly they’re equally powerful, and each ought to
  have a base value of -10 points for the other, but the
  super usually has advantages such as fame and the
  ability to use his gifts openly. In such a case, the base
  value of the disadvantage is -20 points for the civilian
  identity and -5 points for the heroic identity.
  By the same reasoning, a super can be a Patron to
  his civilian identity. If it’s known that Walter Weakly
  can ask Captain Incredible for a favor, people regard
  him with more respect. Treat this as a variant on
  Minimal Intervention, worth -50%: the civilian gains
  no extra benefit from the hero’s feats (after all, they’re
  the civilian’s feats, too), but does gain something from
  being able to claim the champion as a sponsor.
  Typically such a Patron has a base value of 20 points,
  counting as an ultra-powerful individual, but the GM
  may assign different values.
  On the other hand, a super can’t be his civilian iden-
  tity’s Ally, Dependent, or Contact, though they can play
  the role of Contacts for each other. None of these
  “relationships” is ever worth any points.
  DUAL IDENTITIES
  
  SUPPORTING CASTS
  63
  The great hall was crowded with supers, from elders who
  started their careers before the War to infants with still unguessed
  powers. The original Kindred had been prolific, and in some
  cases still were: Protea, seated at the head table with her sixth
  husband, an Olympic gymnast in his twenties, was visibly preg-
  nant, though gossip said the child wasn’t his. Joining the large
  extended family were guests from other alliances and other coun-
  tries, maybe a fifth of the crowd, most notably Princess
  Ne’ehyaandi of the Bright Spear from the Exiles, seven feet tall
  with chrome-yellow skin. Her spears were in the rack in the
  entrance hall, of course, next to Dreadnought’s new battle armor
  and the Dragon Amulet. This was a feast, and everyone was
  under a truce.
  That didn’t make them all happy to be together. Glares went
  the way of Avalanche, lately paroled from his second prison term;
  he might be Vulcan’s brother, but they hadn’t forgotten his
  crimes. No one wanted to sit near the Hyperbrain, whose med-
  ications might control her unstable intuitive mind but didn’t
  blunt her sarcastic tongue. A lot of the crowd were on their sec-
  ond or third glass of champagne; Aileron was tossing off his fifth,
  a little shakily. The Alchemist sipped at his first glass, frowned,
  and put it down, perhaps comparing it unfavorably with French
  vintages of past centuries.
  Now the servants were clearing away the Thanksgiving
  turkeys and fetching out dessert. Vulcan rose to offer the custom-
  ary toast – and stopped suddenly, at a gesture from the
  Hyperbrain. Smiling slightly, she rose and spoke.
  “Thank you, Vulcan. And since we’re all together, and you’ve
  all had some of the family’s excellent champagne” – she raised her
  untouched glass – “I believe you’ll be in the right mood to hear
  my ideas for a new direction for the Kindred. And our friends, of
  course.”
  Except for the Alchemist and Ne’ehyaandi, all the adults’ eyes
  were fixed on her, as if she were the only thing they could see.
  Around the hall, teenagers and some of the younger children
  glanced at each other and hesitated. Then Etherlad stood up and
  caught the speaker’s eye.
  “Excuse me, aunt, but it sounds like you want to talk about
  business stuff, and that’s kind of dull for us. May we be excused?”
  * * *
  Gathered in the training room, several young Kindred all
  started to ask questions at once, and then all stopped as
  Ultramarine gestured for silence. She turned a questioning look
  on Etherlad, who frowned in concentration, reaching mentally
  for the mansion’s intranet, and finally nodded.
  “I think Aunt Hypatia’s at it again,” she said. “You saw them
  all just listening while she made that I’m-the-boss-now speech?”
  “How is she doing that?” asked Kirin. “I didn’t think she was
  a mind controller or anything.”
  “Talk about how later,” said Ultramarine. “Right now, how do
  we stop her?”
  The apprentice heroes looked at each other, none wanting to
  speak first.
  Supporting casts have been part of the genre from the very
  beginning. Supporting characters aid the hero, fight against
  him, or give him someone to rescue; often they appear in sub-
  plots that develop the hero’s personality. GURPS already has
  extensive rules for defining an adventurer’s personal relation-
  ships. This chapter looks at how these can be used to describe
  the supporting casts typical of the genre.
  CHAPTER THREE
  SUPPORTING
  CASTS
  
  SUPPORTING CASTS
  64
  To start with, relationships with teammates are vital to
  many supers. In roleplaying campaigns this is even truer,
  because most ongoing games are about continuing teams.
  Having teammates doesn’t cost character points because
  PCs don’t buy other PCs as Allies. But the structure of the team
  affects many other aspects of its members’ lives. “Member of
  Team X” is an appropriate 0-point Feature to list on a charac-
  ter sheet. It may be more than that; see Teams as Resources.
  EXTRA TEAM MEMBERS
  It’s common for all the members of a team to be PCs, but it
  can have NPC members as well. A small team may have one or
  two, perhaps to fill out a theme like the four elements or to
  bring the characters and relationships into sharper focus. A
  large team with one hero per player needs multiple NPC mem-
  bers, though the PCs should remain the stars. A large team
  with troupe-style play (discussed in Chapter 2, p. 19) can be
  made up entirely of PCs, but an NPC member can still fit in as
  a team’s healer or oracle, or serve a dramatic role such as its
  troublemaker or its conscience.
  Some classic team subplots work better with NPC heroes.
  For example, a team may want to hold tryouts at which new
  heroes compete for membership. If new constituents have
  been admitted, the PCs may need to train them or partner
  them while they gain experience. An established member’s
  death or departure can be a dramatic moment in the team’s
  history – but removing a PC for the sake of the plot can lead to
  unhappy players.
  TEAM RELATIONSHIPS
  If a group of supers act as a team, then they can have rela-
  tionships as a team; that is, all the members of the team can
  share a Patron, Ally, Contact, Dependent, or Enemy.
  For Patrons, there’s already a standard way to handle this
  (see p. B73): Every member of the team buys the Patron indi-
  vidually, at full cost. The GM rolls for each character to see if
  the Patron appears during a session; if so, then it’s available for
  all the team members and provides aid scaled to the number
  of successful appearance rolls. This approach can be applied to
  any other relationships governed by appearance rolls.
  However, multiple appearance rolls lead to a lot more
  appearances. Suppose, for example, that a team of five heroes
  shares an Enemy, who appears on a 9 or less for each of them.
  The chance of all five rolls failing is less than one in 10; in other
  words, the enemy is a constant presence in the team’s life. GMs
  may want to limit appearance rolls for most team relationships
  to 6 or less. This also works to the players’ advantage, at least
  for Patrons, Allies, and Contacts: They pay fewer points, but
  the relationship is still an active presence in their characters’
  lives.
  GMs may want to adopt a variant rule, either in place of the
  standard rule or as an alternative to it. Let the members of the
  team share the points for the relationship. For simplicity,
  divide the point value by the number of team members and
  round in the positive direction. Then, in each session, make
  only a single appearance roll for everyone. This both cuts down
  on dice rolling and allows relationships with lower frequencies
  of appearance. Make sure that the players understand the
  resulting relationship is for the entire team. If it grants bene-
  fits, they should be useful to the team as a whole; if it’s a source
  of problems, they should inconvenience or threaten all of
  them.
  TEAMS AS RESOURCES
  Superteams often maintain a variety of useful assets for
  their members. These can be bought item by item – headquar-
  ters as Signature Gear (see p. 85), staff as Allies or Contacts
  (see p. 86), and so on – but a simpler treatment is also legal:
  defining the team itself as a Patron of its individual members.
  The GM can then allow the team to provide whatever help
  seems reasonable, given its members’ powers and resources,
  without spelling everything out in advance. Such fringe bene-
  fits as being able to flash a team ID card when contacting
  police or high-ranking officials can be incorporated into this
  advantage.
  The same approach can be used with villain teams (see
  Villain Team-Ups, p. 71). Defining a villain team in this way
  makes it more independent of its specific members. Defeating
  it requires not just capturing the specific villains but cutting its
  social ties, confiscating its property, and capturing its hench-
  men. If this isn’t done, the GM can introduce new foes as
  “secret members” of the villain team, or even have entirely dif-
  ferent villains step in to take over its assets and reputation.
  TEAMMATES AND
  TEAM ORGANIZATION
  Teammates 
  as Allies
  Under the rules for team relationships, an entire
  team can have an Ally, or multiple Allies. This doesn’t
  include full members of the team if they’re player char-
  acters; PC allies have no point cost. If some full mem-
  bers are NPCs, it’s best to apply the same rule to them.
  This keeps the accounting simpler – for one thing, it
  avoids having some teammates who cost points and
  some who don’t. It’s also better for characterization to
  treat all members as fully equal, with their own
  motives and judgment, even if some of them are NPCs.
  A team should pay points for those Allies who aren’t
  full members: guards for their headquarters, drivers
  and medics who accompany them to battle, or even
  trainees, for example.
  
  SUPPORTING CASTS
  65
  TRUSTED ASSISTANTS
  Many heroes have people helping them behind the scenes –
  or, at least, not wearing costumes or using code names. Comic-
  book heroes have help from trusted servants, comic-relief bud-
  dies, or contacts on the police force. A superteam, especially
  one that has a headquarters, may have a staff.
  Helpers who go into action with the hero should be built as
  Allies. They won’t be as powerful as the hero; highly capable
  partners, such as Doc Savage’s crew, might be built on 50% of
  the hero’s points, and ordinary competent mortals like
  Batman’s butler Alfred Pennyworth, on 25%. See also the rules
  for building Allies on smaller percentages (see Point Values for
  Dependents and Allies, p. 68).
  People whose only function is to answer the hero’s ques-
  tions can be treated as Contacts. This works, for example, for
  the police officer who passes along inside information to a
  hero working on a case. Another sort of Contact is the person
  who performs one specialized service for the hero, such as the
  paramedic who treats his injuries or the clairvoyant who
  warns him of supernatural threats. In a postmodern campaign
  where the heroes are conscious of their public image, their
  Contacts may include media consultants. If the helper goes
  along with the hero, he’s an Ally; if the hero comes to him, he
  can probably be defined as a Contact.
  In the supers genre, some heroes have assistants who don’t
  go into battle at their side but have a lot of skills, more than
  can neatly be summed up in the single effective skill of a stan-
  dard Contact. The extraordinarily skilled servants of some
  wealthy heroes, such as Alfred Pennyworth, fit this pattern. So
  does a more recent character in the Batman continuity, the
  crippled Barbara Gordon in her role of Oracle. To set a fair
  price for this type of aid, charge 3¥ the normal point cost for a
  Contact – halfway between the price for a single Contact and
  that for an entire Contact Group, and defined as the advantage
  Contacts!. Several of the new wildcard skills (see p. 36) are
  suitable for such Contacts!; GMs may also allow special wild-
  card skills specifically for broadly talented assistants (see
  Wildcard Skills for Supporting Cast), usually in place of giving
  them multiple standard skills.
  Under the Hood: Multiple Appearance Rolls
  GMs or players who want to balance the standard rule
  for multiple appearance rolls against the optional rule for
  shared relationships with a single appearance roll can
  estimate the probable outcomes of making several
  appearance rolls by using the following table:
  For example, if both members of a two-hero team
  share the same love interest, who shows up for either of
  them on a 12 or less, that’s equivalent to her showing up
  for 
  the 
  team’s 
  adventures 
  on 
  a 
  15 
  or 
  less.
  (Mathematically, the chance of her showing up for Hero
  A is 0.741, so the chance of her not showing up for him is
  0.259, and the same for Hero B. The chance of her not
  showing up for either of them is then 0.259 ¥ 0.259 =
  0.067, which means that the chance of her showing up
  for at least one of them is 1 – 0.067 = 0.933.)
  Roll
  Equivalent Single Roll for Team Size
  2
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  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  6
  7
  8
  9
  9
  10
  10
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  11
  11
  9
  11
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  14
  15
  15
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  17
  12
  15
  16
  17
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  18
  18
  Nite Owl: What if he’d shot you first instead of your secretary?
  Ozymandias: I suppose I’d have had to catch the bullet,
  wouldn’t I?
  Nite Owl: . . . You couldn’t really do that?
  – Alan Moore, Watchmen
  
  SUPPORTING CASTS
  66
  A lot of heroes have aid of a different sort: secondary heroes
  who share their powers and their missions. The classic form of
  this concept is the “kid sidekick.” Sidekicks went into action
  alongside their mentors, in their own heroic identities, with
  costumes and code names. They also had a close relationship
  in civilian life to justify the adolescent’s spending a lot of time
  in the adult’s company; some adult heroes were legal guardians
  of their sidekicks. Actual parent-child teams were almost
  unknown, probably because nearly all supers were young and
  single.
  Sidekicks flourished in the 1940s, starting with Robin, the
  Boy Wonder. A number of Silver-Age DC heroes also had com-
  panions; Marvel heroes did not, and it became part of Marvel’s
  continuity that Captain America’s kid sidekick Bucky had died
  in the final days of World War II. The idea has mostly gone out
  of style since then, perhaps because writers find it hard to deal
  with the issue of child endangerment in a society increasingly
  protective of the young, or the improbability of two people just
  happening to gain exactly the same superhuman abilities in a
  world where no two supers are alike.
  Making the secondary hero an adult avoids the endanger-
  ment issue, but raises the question of why one hero is pri-
  mary and the other secondary. In the Golden and Silver Ages,
  having the secondary hero be a woman was usually suffi-
  cient, as with DC’s Batman and Batwoman and Hawkman
  and Hawkgirl, or Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp. Since the
  emergence of feminism, male-female teams have become
  more egalitarian, as with the current versions of Hawkman
  and Hawkgirl.
  A different formula became more common over the same
  period, which might be called the sidekick team: a group of
  less-powerful heroes who played a backup role for a primary
  team. DC’s Teen Titans originally were the actual kid sidekicks
  of several adult heroes, all members of the Justice League of
  America. A very recent group, the Young Avengers, have pow-
  ers and identities modeled on those of the adult Avengers, but
  aren’t actually their sidekicks. Instead, they suggest a new
  model for the “common origin” group, one whose members all
  have some kind of relationship to an already-existing
  superteam. Other secondary groups have no such one-to-one
  correspondence with the primary groups – for example, DC’s
  Legion of Substitute Heroes, who had failed their tryouts for
  the Legion of Super-Heroes, but teamed up as an emergency
  backup force. Students at a school for supers (see p. 14) can
  plausibly form this type of team.
  Sidekick heroes should be built either as Allies of individual
  main heroes, or as Allies of an entire team. The typical sidekick
  should be built on 75% of the main hero’s points, or of the
  team average. (Or, if the player characters are the sidekicks, the
  primary heroes who are their Allies should be built on 150% of
  their points.) Sidekicks have lower attributes, especially if
  they’re young; lower skills; and lower levels of Talent in their
  powers. They may also have social disadvantages if they’re ser-
  vants, minors, or women in a pre-feminist society. None of this
  applies to equal partners like couples or siblings, who should
  be built on equal points.
  Sidekicks are often Dependents as well as Allies. They’re a
  natural target for foes wanting to take hostages, for example.
  SIDEKICKS
  Even more powerful characters can play the role of mentors
  to the heroes. Such relationships are very common in comics:
  The original Captain Marvel and the ancient wizard Shazam,
  Green Lantern and the Guardians of the Universe, and Dr.
  Strange and the Ancient One are all examples. The mentor
  may actually be the source of the hero’s powers.
  MENTORS
  Wildcard Skills for Supporting Cast
  Security! (Per). You’re trained to watch a building or
  other area, detecting and neutralizing intruders and sur-
  veillance. Replaces Body Language, Detect Lies,
  Observation, and Search. Make an IQ-based roll for
  Architecture (in analyzing security-related features of
  buildings), 
  Electronics 
  Operation 
  (Security 
  and
  Surveillance), Expert Skill (Computer Security), Law (in
  relation to your duties as a guard), Shadowing, and
  Tactics; a Will-based roll for Intimidation; and a DX-based
  roll for Knot-Tying and Stealth. In addition, DX-based rolls
  against this skill can be used in place of one unarmed com-
  bat skill (for restraining intruders) and one weapons skill
  suitable to building guards in your society.
  Servant! (IQ). You’re a classic butler, valet, or “gentle-
  man’s gentleman,” or the female equivalent, skilled in
  everything that’s needed to keep a household running.
  Replaces 
  Accounting 
  (for 
  household 
  finances),
  Administration, Computer Operation (at appropriate TLs),
  Connoisseur (Wine), Cooking, Current Affairs (Regional or
  Any, as appropriate to the campaign scope), Disguise (to
  play the role of your employer), First Aid, Freight
  Handling, Gardening, Heraldry, Hobby (must be shared
  with master or mistress), Housekeeping, Makeup,
  Professional Skill (Curator), Savoir-Faire (Servant),
  Teaching, and Teamster. In addition, you can use this for
  any one influence skill in addition to Savoir-Faire
  (Servant); Diplomacy is typical, but other skills such as
  Fast-Talk, Intimidation, or Sex Appeal may be taken with
  a plausible rationale. Make a DX-based roll for Driving or
  Sewing.
  
  SUPPORTING CASTS
  67
  A mentor should be built on more points than the hero,
  usually at least twice as many. This means he needs to be a
  Patron. Keeping him offstage most of the time, as the role of
  Patron requires, helps make the campaign more dramatic: If
  the mentor is always on the scene he can solve his student’s
  problems himself, which makes for a dull campaign.
  In addition to possibly granting the hero’s powers, the men-
  tor can teach him to use them effectively. He can offer moral
  lessons in their proper use – often rather cryptic ones! More
  fundamentally, he can define the hero’s mission in the first
  place. During character creation, players get to describe their
  characters’ mentors and missions; once the campaign starts,
  the mentor can give the GM a voice with which to remind the
  hero of his obligations and the player of his character concept.
  Other sorts of powerful offstage figures can play a role in
  heroes’ lives. Wealthy men or powerful government officials
  can act as their sponsors, helping them with bases of opera-
  tion, equipment, and recruitment, or just throwing cash at
  them. In campaigns about heroes in training (see p. 14),
  instructors and trainers are important individuals. In a world
  with supers at widely varying power levels, a powerful super or
  team could act as a Patron to a group of second-string heroes.
  Finally, heroes have relationships that don’t provide them
  with any help in their missions but that enrich their character-
  ization. In an action-oriented campaign, these may serve pri-
  marily as hostages to be rescued and victims to be endangered.
  But they can also provide ongoing subplots about what the
  hero does when he’s not fighting crime or saving the world. In
  a character-driven campaign, these “subplots” may dominate
  the entire storyline. Successful comics usually occupy a middle
  ground between these two styles, where subplots remain sec-
  ondary but come up in most episodes, and players may get the
  most enjoyment out of that middle ground.
  FAMILIES
  A surprising number of supers are orphans. Mysterious
  birth or parentage is commonplace in mythology, and supers
  grow out of the same storytelling impulses as ancient myths.
  The deaths of a hero’s parents or guardians can play a part in
  his origin, either because it motivated him to take up his career
  in a quest for revenge (as with Batman) or atonement (as with
  Spider-Man), or because it was a by-product of the way he
  gained his abilities (as with Superman or Tarzan of the Apes).
  A hero whose parents are dead may be the focus of a Vow (to
  avenge their deaths or clear their names) or a Guilt Complex
  (if he feels that he failed them somehow).
  Surviving parents can be an influence on a hero as moral
  advisors. Decades of continuity have shown Superman’s adop-
  tive parents, the Kents, as making him a hero by teaching him
  to use his powers with restraint and compassion. Spider-Man’s
  tagline, “With great power comes great responsibility,” arose
  through the murder of his uncle.
  Still-living parents or siblings can give a hero emotional
  grounding and a sense of humanity. Consider the contrast
  between Superman, who can still fly home to Smallville for the
  holidays, and Batman, the driven loner with no family except
  his butler.
  Finally, and often least importantly, parents may need the
  hero’s aid. Conventionally, in comic-book adventures, this
  means that they become victims of crimes or disasters and he
  has to rescue them; to support plots of this kind, make them
  Dependents. But they may also need more mundane aid, such
  as help with finances or visits in the hospital. This kind of story
  is better supported by a Sense of Duty (one surviving parent
  counts as an individual; both parents, or parents plus siblings,
  as a small group).
  Brothers and sisters can also be important in a hero’s life,
  in any of the same roles as parents. Their reaction to his
  career can be especially telling. If they don’t know about it
  they may feel that the hero has drifted away from them, pre-
  occupied with some mysterious interest that he won’t talk
  about. If they do know about it, the hero has to deal with
  their reaction, whether it’s admiration, jealousy, or
  disapproval.
  Parents seldom follow their children’s example by becom-
  ing heroes. Brothers and sisters of supers are likelier to gain
  powers of their own in most comics continuities. This even
  applies to cousins; for example, Supergirl and the She-Hulk
  are cousins to Superman and the Hulk, respectively. Having
  two supers in the same family can lead in varying directions.
  The sibling or cousin may also become a hero, either as a part-
  ner or as a rival; or he may become a villain, but one for whom
  the hero still feels responsible. In GURPS terms, a rival or an
  outright villain is an Enemy, and a partner is an Ally – and all
  three may be Dependents.
  If powers are hereditary, a hero’s children eventually face
  the same choices. A campaign can also focus on second-
  generation heroes and how they deal with their parents’ repu-
  tations and expectations. Children of villains, if they become
  heroes, have the added dramatic tension of wanting to make
  up for their parents’ past or present crimes.
  In a heroic world with a long back history, the inheritance
  of powers, equipment, or simply a heroic role could lead to a
  world with a quasi-aristocracy of supers. Old superhuman
  families might turn up both heroes and villains, generation
  after generation. The science-fiction writer Philip José
  Farmer, in his studies of Tarzan and Doc Savage, devised
  such a genealogy including most of the heroes of 19th- and
  20th-century popular fiction, from the Scarlet Pimpernel to
  James Bond. Now known as the Wold Newton Universe, the
  scheme has taken on an independent life on the World Wide
  Web. Futures or alternate histories could also feature such
  lineages.
  BEST FRIENDS
  Friendships are an important element in many heroes’ lives.
  Heroes who are full-time members of teams often have their
  closest friendships with teammates; those who mainly have
  solo careers are more likely to have ordinary human beings as
  friends.
  PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
  
  SUPPORTING CASTS
  68
  Some of these civilian friendships are mainly a source of
  comic relief; Jimmy Olsen might have been “Superman’s pal” in
  the 1950s, but he wasn’t someone Superman could talk with
  seriously. In contrast, the Silver-Age Green Lantern’s Eskimo
  mechanic, Thomas “Pieface” Kalmaku, started out like this sort
  of comic-relief friend, but early in the relationship it became
  clear that Green Lantern trusted him and took him seriously; to
  start with, he knew Green Lantern’s secret identity. The bond
  between V and Evie was a major theme of V for Vendetta.
  Whether the super reveals his true identity is a big issue for
  his friendships. If he keeps it hidden, that creates a barrier
  between him and his friends, no matter how good his reasons
  are; the recent television series Smallville has repeatedly shown
  just how much stress this kind of secrecy could create. On the
  other hand, if he reveals it, he’s trusting his friend with knowl-
  edge that could endanger both of them. The risk is greater in
  settings where the hero is regarded as a criminal or enemy of
  the state. A grim treatment of this theme could explore the
  alienation of supers from the very society they protect, much
  like that of espionage agents or undercover police officers.
  Friendships can grow up out of functional relationships; a
  hero may discover that he doesn’t just trust, but enjoys the
  company of his contact on the police force, or the paramedic
  who treats his injuries. Friends are normally simple
  Dependents, but this kind of longstanding companion can be
  both a Dependent and an Ally or Contact. If a team has a sup-
  port staff, friendships of this kind may grow up between some
  of the team and some of the staff – but not necessarily all.
  LOVE INTERESTS
  Most heroes have some sort of romantic relationship. Such
  bonds raise the same issues about trust as friendships. There’s
  a long tradition of supers being their own romantic rivals, with
  the woman (or man) they love in their civilian identities being
  fascinated by the more glamorous hero. The first Superman
  stories already had such a triangular relationship between
  Superman, Lois Lane, and Clark Kent, and before that the
  original Zorro novel showed Zorro and Don Diego Vega as
  rivals. This only works if the love interest doesn’t realize that
  the two are the same person, despite close encounters with
  both. In a four-color campaign, this can be treated as a dramat-
  ic convention or a Perk – but doing so makes the setting seem
  less real. And if the hero does eventually confess, does the love
  interest feel gratitude for being trusted, or indignation about
  being kept in the dark while the relationship grew deeper?
  Some heroes either get through this revelation, or admit the
  truth from the start. If the relationship survives, they may
  eventually marry and start a family. At that point, several new
  themes can be introduced, from conflict between family
  responsibilities (Sense of Duty to family) and obligations
  (Code of Honor or a Vow) to the possibility that the hero’s pow-
  ers are inherited. Since the first super marriages showed up in
  the Silver Age, a number of comics have explored these
  themes.
  One way of resolving the conflict is to have the love interest
  become a hero as well, or have two members of a team fall in
  love. In this case, they’re both Allies and Dependents for each
  other. Note that if both are player characters, both relation-
  ships are worth zero points.
  Or, for a more dramatic variant, have the hero fall in love
  with a villain. The relationship between Batman and
  Catwoman is the classic example of this theme; their ambiva-
  lent relationship has fascinated readers for more than half a
  century. In this kind of relationship, the love interest is both a
  Dependent and an Enemy, and the hero gets points for both.
  The same kind of relationship can develop out of the hero’s
  love interest turning into a villain, as with the transformation
  of the Silver-Age Green Lantern’s beau, Carol Ferris, into Star
  Sapphire.
  A lot of these complications reflect one basic principle:
  drama comes from unresolved tension. If a couple aren’t sure
  of each other’s feelings, if there’s some conflict that prevents
  them from making commitments to each other, or if they have
  made such commitments and find the cost of keeping them
  high, their story has an emotional power source. Letting them
  marry and be happy is less dramatic.
  POINT VALUES FOR
  DEPENDENTS AND ALLIES
  The standard GURPS rules for Dependents provide a base
  value of -10 points for a Dependent built on up to 25% of the
  main character’s point value, and -15 points for one built on 0
  points or less. But in a typical four-color campaign, 25% of the
  main character’s point value could easily be 150 points; in a
  world-shakers campaign, it could be 300 points or more! GMs
  may want to allow finer gradations of point value for
  Dependents in a supers campaign. A suggested rule would
  allow the following:
  Point Total
  Cost
  Up to 25%
  -10 points
  Up to 20%
  -11 points
  Up to 15%
  -12 points
  Up to 10%
  -13 points
  Up to 5%
  -14 points
  0 points or less
  -15 points
  The same kind of gradation can be applied to Allies. This
  requires taking a fractional base cost: 0.2 points for up to 5%
  of the main character’s point value, 0.4 points for up to 10%,
  0.6 points for up to 15%, and 0.8 points for up to 20%. Apply
  the usual multipliers for number of allies and frequency of
  appearance, and percentage modifiers for enhancements and
  limitations, and round up the final cost to the next-higher
  whole number of points.
  
  SUPPORTING CASTS
  69
  ARCHENEMIES AND
  ROGUES’ GALLERIES
  The last major category of supporting characters is the
  hero’s enemies, especially the villains. Many heroes accumu-
  late entire “rogues’ galleries” of villains who go to any length to
  defeat them. A hero’s greatest enemy can be the source of any
  number of plots, as with Superman and Luthor, Batman and
  the Joker, the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom, Thor and Loki,
  or the X-Men and Magneto.
  Villains in comics often seem to outnumber the heroes.
  There are too many of them to fit to a single formula. But sev-
  eral types turn up repeatedly.
  THE SCHEMER
  A lot of the best villains like to work behind the scenes. This
  isn’t limited to comics; many of James Bond’s adversaries were
  secretive masterminds, and they had such notable precursors
  as Fu Manchu and James Moriarty. The schemer doesn’t get
  into fights himself; rather, he outsources the job to large num-
  bers of thugs or foot soldiers for routine foes and sometimes to
  superpowered mercenaries for tough opponents such as the
  heroes. The focus of his attention isn’t on fighting, but on
  attaining power through new weapons, assassination, and ter-
  ror, or subtle economic and political manipulation. Notable
  comics masterminds include Superman’s archenemy Lex
  Luthor, Thor’s evil half-brother Loki, and Batman’s longstand-
  ing foe Ras Al-Ghul.
  Given this modus operandi, masterminds don’t rush into
  battle with the heroes. In a limited-series campaign, the con-
  frontation may be delayed until the final session; in a continu-
  ing campaign, it might complete a story arc. The heroes may
  initially learn of the schemer by taking on his agents or uncov-
  ering obscure clues to his plans. As they interfere with his
  operations or ask inconvenient questions, the mastermind
  starts to notice them and send increasingly capable forces
  against them. After a series of such conflicts – usually inter-
  spersed with unrelated minor problems – the heroes venture
  into the villain’s main base and face him.
  A common minor theme in this type of story is the master-
  mind’s increasing respect for the hero’s abilities. This is the
  source of the old cliché of the villain’s pompous speech
  explaining his scheme to the one man who can appreciate its
  genius – conveniently telling the hero what he needs to know
  to thwart it. Subtler treatments can have the villain treat the
  hero with courtesy, as an equal, or with regret for the necessi-
  ty of his defeat. The villain may even invite the hero to join
  him, suggesting that if he realized where his true interests lay
  he’d change sides. All these variants convey the same psycho-
  logical message: The hero has grown up in the course of his
  struggles and can be treated as an equal by the adult world that
  the mastermind inhabits.
  In GURPS terms, a schemer is defined by advantages and
  disadvantages more than powers or skills. He has a Secret,
  which is his master plan. He has various mental disadvan-
  tages that motivate his plot, such as Fanaticism,
  Megalomania, Obsession, or Vow; the more sympathetic
  masterminds may also have a Code of Honor. He has a large
  group of Allies, often with the Minion enhancement. He may
  have a smaller group of elite agents who don’t have that
  enhancement, and who amount to an in-house superteam.
  Finally, to support all this conspiratorial activity he needs
  Wealth and Independent Income, and he may also have
  Rank, Social Regard, Status, or all three. Superpowers are
  optional, but villains such as Magneto (in The X-Men) and the
  Four (in Planetary) have had them, so they’re not a violation
  of the genre.
  Given their love of elaborate plots, masterminds are likely
  to conspire with each other in various ways. Several master-
  minds may form a small inner circle, such as the Four or the
  X-Men’s Hellfire Club. A larger organization may support 
  a culture of sinister plots in the form of a corrupt business
  New Enemies
  Many comic-book heroes have huge casts of vil-
  lains. A writer needing a new story can think up a new
  master criminal or twisted super and send him into
  battle with the heroes. GMs with scenarios to prepare
  may find it convenient to do the same thing. But it
  doesn’t usually make sense to say that all of these foes
  count as Enemies and appear on a hero’s character
  sheet.
  Many heroes’ stories start out with their origins. If
  a campaign begins this way, heroes may not have
  Enemies at all, or may have only mundane ones in
  their civilian lives. At most, a hero may have a single
  superpowered Enemy – perhaps one who gained his
  powers in the same incident, or one who deliberately
  created him and wants to recapture him.
  A campaign may start further along in the heroes’
  careers, perhaps when they first banded together, or
  with them as members of an established team. In that
  case it can have established Enemies, either for indi-
  vidual heroes or for the team. Such foes can keep com-
  ing back to scheme against the heroes. But they don’t
  all have to be Enemies. The GM should feel free to
  introduce new villains for a new episode, or even new
  master villains for an entire story arc. Having an
  Enemy on a character sheet lets the player define the
  reason for the enmity, and the frequency with which it
  comes up, but less predictable foes are part of what
  players expect GMs to provide.
  All the foes in Archenemies and Rogues’ Galleries
  can appear as newly created adversaries or established
  Enemies. GMs should feel free to invent new ones as
  needed to keep the heroes busy and the players
  entertained.
  
  corporation, a criminal syndicate like Nick Fury’s nemesis
  Hydra, or even a religious cult. A GM might also choose to
  run an “illuminated” campaign where there wasn’t just a sin-
  gle mastermind but an entire hidden realm of conspiracies
  working at cross-purposes. The Cabal (see p. B543) could be
  the basis for this type of campaign within existing GURPS
  continuity; its resources could easily support the creation of
  villains.
  THE ANTITHESIS
  Many supers have recurring opponents who are in some
  sense their opposites. This can be based on almost any pair of
  opposite concepts. For example, the Hulk repeatedly faced the
  Leader, whose exposure to gamma rays turned him into a
  small, thin man with green skin and a bulging forehead who
  relied on his brilliant intellect rather than on physical strength
  (brain vs. brawn). Back in the 1940s, two of Marvel’s heroes,
  the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner, had a series of battles
  (fire vs. water). At the sillier end of the spectrum, one of the
  Flash’s enemies was the Turtle (fast vs. slow)!
  Other than in humorous campaigns, it’s best to base these
  oppositions on pairs of concepts that actually both suggest
  useful abilities. GURPS Powers discusses this idea in terms of
  power sources; both elemental sources and moral sources are
  good possibilities. Some forms of energy powers could work:
  heat vs. cold or light vs. darkness. Supernatural characters
  could reflect the distinction between magia (based on truth,
  and granting power over real forces of nature) and goetia
  (based on lies and illusion, and granting power over human
  perceptions); or two characters could reflect the opposition of
  magic and technology common in recent fiction.
  In a roleplaying game, the players’ choices control the
  nature of the heroes. If they choose to build supers whose pow-
  ers have natural opposites, the GM can take advantage of this
  to devise opponents for them. Or, during character creation,
  the GM may suggest giving a suitable hero an antithetical
  Enemy of this kind.
  THE DARK Mirror
  Another common theme for villains is the misuse of powers
  similar to those of a hero. This kind of character gives an exter-
  nal form to the hero’s fear of abusing his powers; the implied
  message is, “This is what I might become if I made the wrong
  choices.” Notable villains of this type include Black Adam, a
  recurring foe of the original Captain Marvel, and Sinestro, a
  corrupted member of the Green Lantern Corps. In science fic-
  tion, E.E. Smith’s Lensman novels confronted their heroes
  with psychologically twisted Black Lensman.
  Coming up with powers and abilities for this kind of villain
  is easy: They have the same powers as the hero, or ones with
  only minor differences. The villain’s psychology is trickier.
  Useful paths to follow include looking at the hero’s own
  motives and exaggerating or distorting them, and looking for
  the mental problems that would lead to the worst abuses of the
  hero’s powers.
  An adversary of this sort should usually be built as an
  Enemy with the same number of points as the hero. One
  option to consider is making the “dark mirror” character an
  Evil Twin of the hero.
  THE DOUBLE AGENT
  An unnerving possibility for a superteam is having a villain
  join the team under false pretenses. Shapeshifters or illusion-
  ists may disguise themselves, either as established team mem-
  bers or as new recruits. Other spies may simply apply to join
  or go into action alongside the team and wait to be asked.
  Examples of such betrayal include the Swordsman’s member-
  ship in the early Avengers and Terra’s in the New Teen Titans.
  Obviously, a double agent has a Secret. He also should have
  a Patron, the organization that recruited him as a spy in the
  first place. Normally this kind of character is a GM-run team
  member; to make his role less obvious, the GM should provide
  the team with at least one other such NPC member. Or, if one
  of the players is willing to take on the challenge, he can play a
  double agent – a team member who joined under false pretens-
  es, a villain disguised as one of them, or even an associate who
  has been mentally controlled by some enemy.
  Especially in a dark campaign, turnabout is fair play: A
  hero can join a team of villains in disguise. It’s hard to make
  this plausible for more than one or two infiltrators, so this
  works best for solo campaigns or short episodes in games with
  larger player groups.
  SUPPORTING CASTS
  70
  The Good
  Conspiracy
  Not all conspiracies have villainous purposes. The
  Underground Railroad operated in secret before the
  American Civil War, but not to do evil – except in the
  eyes of the slave-owners, of course. A hidden conspira-
  cy to do good works can play a dramatic role in a
  campaign.
  One way to present such a plot is to have the PCs in
  on it from the start. The players begin the campaign
  knowing that the conspiracy is benevolent, and create
  heroes who share its goals and work for them willing-
  ly. This can be a premise for a “hidden heroes” cam-
  paign (see p. 15).
  A more difficult approach is to start the heroes out
  on the wrong side, as foes of the conspiracy. This leads
  up to a dramatic climax where they change sides, as in
  Ayn Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged or Alan Moore’s comic
  book Watchmen – either after a long internal struggle or
  in a sudden confrontation with the conspiracy’s true
  purposes. What makes this hard to manage in roleplay-
  ing games is that GMs have less control over PCs than
  authors have over their characters. What happens if the
  heroes decide that wrecking the American economy, or
  killing most of New York City, dirties the conspiracy’s
  hands beyond redemption? One way to deal with this is
  to make the conspiracy too clearly virtuous for such a
  conclusion to make sense – but the GM had better
  know his players extremely well to make sure of this!
  Another is to leave the matter genuinely doubtful, and
  let the players decide for themselves whether the con-
  spiracy is a noble one that their heroes want to join, or
  a villainous one they bring to justice.
  
  THE NUISANCE
  A number of Silver-Age heroes had more or less humorous
  adversaries: Mr. Mxyzptlk for Superman, Bat-Mite for Batman,
  the Impossible Man for the Fantastic Four. Such adversaries
  didn’t want to kill the heroes or their loved ones; they just
  wanted to make life interesting for them. The classic nuisance
  foes had nearly unlimited powers with the tacit qualifier, “As
  long as it’s funny.”
  The base power level for such foes is “utterly formidable”
  [-40]. His motivation (to play cruel practical jokes on the hero)
  makes him a Rival (¥1/2). Except in a deliberately silly cam-
  paign, nuisance enemies should show up rarely, normally on a
  roll of 6 or less (¥1/2). The resulting -10 points makes the nui-
  sance a fairly minor aspect of the hero’s point value.
  Superman was also plagued by a different sort of nuisance
  adversary: his “imperfect double” Bizarro, now so well-known
  that his name is part of the English language. Bizarro was
  effectively a dark mirror (see p. 70) of Superman, but he was-
  n’t actually malevolent; he simply kept blundering into
  Superman’s life and causing problems. Such a nuisance foe
  wouldn’t usually be bought as an Evil Twin, but built sharing
  most of the hero’s abilities and motivated as a Rival.
  VILLAIN TEAM-UPS
  If heroes form teams, it’s only natural for villains to adopt
  the idea as well. A well-designed team of villains can be one of
  the biggest challenges a team of heroes faces.
  The earliest villain teams brought together enemies of the
  separate heroes on hero teams, one villain for each hero.
  Villains who started out as adversaries of an entire hero team
  could also band together for greater strength, or a very power-
  ful villain could recruit secondary villains to multiply his com-
  bat effectiveness. A great criminal organization might also
  sponsor a team of superpowered field agents. Finally, a group
  of bad guys could simply start working together on their own
  – either because they had a shared origin, or because they had
  common goals – and then have to battle a hero team that
  caught onto their plots.
  Members of villain teams fall into several psychological
  types, discussed at more length in GURPS Powers. Leaders are
  forceful, dominant personalities; they often have to be more
  powerful than the rest of their teammates to keep them work-
  ing together. Rebels are powerful and stubborn enough to chal-
  lenge the leaders or plot against them, but not good enough at
  recruiting followers to take over. Soldiers are professionals,
  interested in getting the job done and getting paid. Lackeys are
  personally loyal to the leader and willing to serve him, often
  even at the cost of their own lives. Innocents aren’t truly villain-
  ous but they may not know the extent of the leader’s schemes
  – or if they do, may go along because they feel indebted to him
  or see nowhere else to turn. Innocents are potential recruits for
  hero teams, as when Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet
  Witch joined the Avengers.
  If a villain team has two or more leaders, its internal rela-
  tionships are likely to be tense, with neither leader truly will-
  ing to accept a subordinate role. They may stick together out
  of necessity, but can’t really trust each other; there’s a lot of
  behind-the-scenes maneuvering. Dramatic turnarounds may
  happen when one leader attempts to get rid of another, or splits
  off his own following as an independent force.
  In GURPS terms, members of a villain team are allies –
  but they don’t pay points to have each other as Allies any
  more than heroes do. Villains sponsored by a large organi-
  zation have a Patron; but a single powerful mastermind
  who recruits henchmen is not a Patron because he goes into
  the field with his teammates rather than sponsoring them
  from behind the scenes. GMs may also have individual vil-
  lains take the team as a Patron, representing resources such
  a team can have over and above the powers and abilities of
  its individual members, and the reputation it can acquire
  through years of villainy.
  THE ROGUES’ GALLERY
  Some heroes have large crowds of villains, each with dif-
  ferent abilities and methods. Such villains aren’t normally a
  team; they show up one at a time. But as a group, they may
  be a nearly constant presence in the hero’s life.
  One way to represent this is with a variant on the alter-
  native abilities rule from GURPS Powers. Build the most
  powerful of the villains as an Enemy in the usual way, at full
  point cost. Then take each of the others as an additional
  Enemy, at one-fifth point cost. Only one of the group of
  Enemies can show up in a session; the GM rolls to see if this
  happens, and then picks one at random, in rotation, or as
  the needs of the story dictate. All of the Enemies must have
  the same frequency of appearance. They should also have
  the same level of hostile intent; it doesn’t make much sense
  for one member of an enemies list to want to kill the hero
  while another wants to photograph him and sell the photos
  to a tabloid.
  There’s no need for them to know each other; they can
  just happen to show up one at a time by coincidence, as they
  do in four-color comics. But it’s also possible, especially in
  a light campaign, for a hero’s enemies to be friendly rivals
  in their struggles against the hero. They may have rules or a
  Code of Honor that require them not to upstage each other’s
  schemes – this could be Code of Honor (Gentleman) or a
  newly defined Code of Honor (Costumed Villain), probably
  worth -5 points. An ironic twist would be to have them work
  together to defeat a new villain who didn’t respect their
  “gentlemen’s agreement.” Such rules might even be
  enforced by a club or association. Of course, if the hero
  located and invaded the club, the “one-at-a-time” rule would
  be off!
  What happens if the hero defeats one of these Enemies?
  Often, making the defeat stick requires buying off the disad-
  vantage. If the defeated Enemy is the most powerful, this
  must be done at full point value, but the second most pow-
  erful Enemy then gets promoted from one-fifth cost to full
  cost; the difference in points is the net value that has to be
  bought off. If the defeated Enemy is a secondary foe, buying
  him off costs one-fifth normal cost. If the hero doesn’t 
  spend the points, the GM should instead come up with a 
  new member of the rogues’ gallery to take the place of the
  defeated foe.
  GMs may also choose to permit another option: Enemy
  (Generic Supervillain). With this, the hero always has one
  obsessed villain pursuing a vendetta against him. If he
  defeats that particular foe, another one steps into his place.
  SUPPORTING CASTS
  71
  
  SUPPORTING CASTS
  72
  All the relationships discussed so far are basically two-
  sided: one person with one person, or one person with a group
  whose roles are all equivalent. But characters can be involved
  in more complicated relationships. Heroes have large support-
  ing casts, and it’s only natural for members of those companies
  to become entangled with each other, complicating the hero’s
  life in the process.
  In a roleplaying game, one form this can take is a player
  character having two NPCs who have some relationship inde-
  pendent of him. One often-used situation of this kind is a hero
  who falls in love with the daughter of his enemy – for example,
  Batman’s attraction to Ras Al-Ghul’s daughter Talia, or the
  Thing’s courtship of Alicia Masters, daughter of the Puppet
  Master. The villain is the hero’s Enemy; the love interest may
  be a Dependent of both. It’s also possible for the hero’s love
  interest to become attracted to one of the hero’s enemies, as
  when Mr. Fantastic’s fiancée, the Invisible Woman, was court-
  ed by the Sub-Mariner. For a different variation, what if the
  child of a villain turns against his father’s or mother’s criminal
  ways and becomes the sidekick of a hero – or the child of a
  hero turns to crime and takes a villain as his mentor?
  The other likely form is two PCs who both have a relation-
  ship with the same NPC. Rivalry in love is an obvious form for
  this theme. Or the two PCs could be a couple who are having
  in-law trouble, with one of them having a sibling as Ally or
  Dependent who is an Enemy of the other – perhaps an outright
  villain, or perhaps just an obnoxious nuisance.
  What’s the payoff for this sort of complication? Drama! All
  these intertwined relationships create conflicts between char-
  acters, and make them harder to resolve – and conflict is the
  fuel of drama. A hero who just fights villains can be a card-
  board figure, but one who has to decide to fight the father of
  the woman he loves has hard choices to make. Dealing with
  those choices adds emotional intensity to the campaign. This
  is why comics since the 1960s have been nearly as much soap
  opera as action-adventure: Seeing their heroes in emotional
  situations gets readers more involved.
  ENTANGLED RELATIONSHIPS
  Watchers and Rivals
  In GURPS terminology, Enemy includes rivals and
  watchers as well as hunters. None of these would normal-
  ly be a villain. But they can still play a role in a campaign,
  making the hero’s life more complicated.
  A vigilante hero may have some external organization
  watching him, hoping to get proof that he’s broken the law
  or otherwise compromised himself. This could be a news-
  paper, a police department, or even a superteam commit-
  ted to less violent methods. As a variant on this, a watcher
  could pursue a hero who was completely innocent, either
  out of prejudice or in pursuit of some advantage; the Daily
  Bugle’s long harassment of Spider-Man is a classic
  example.
  A hero who’s an agent for some larger organization may
  have to deal with investigation or monitoring, either as a
  standard requirement of the job (as with some intelligence
  organizations) or when he steps over the line (as with the
  internal review processes of police departments). The
  organization would then be both a Patron (represented by
  the hero’s team leader or administrative superior) and an
  Enemy (represented by its internal security department).
  The Avengers’ relationship with the federal government,
  and especially with their official liaison, Henry Peter
  Gyrich, is an example from the comics. The point values
  for Patron and Enemy should be combined into a single
  net advantage or disadvantage.
  Heroes may have other heroes as rivals. This could orig-
  inate in a real difference of philosophy; in loyalty to differ-
  ent sponsors (for example, the Navy and Air Force might
  both sponsor teams of flying heroes); or in the simpler
  clash of superhuman egos. Such competitions might be a
  basis for the longstanding cliché of two heroes meeting
  and immediately getting into a fight. Or, to make things
  more complicated, the heroes could be members of the
  same team – for example, a team leader and a rebel who
  constantly disputes his authority, as with Cyclops and
  Wolverine in the X-Men. In this latter case, the teammates
  should not have a point value as Allies and therefore
  should also not have a point value as Enemies – but, effec-
  tively, they’re both.
  
  SETS AND PROPS
  73
  Outside the jeweler’s, Paco sat in the parked car with the
  engine running. He carefully didn’t look toward the store, but
  his window was cracked to let him listen for footsteps. Then he
  heard a shrill whistle, followed by a noise like a large firecrack-
  er. He opened his door and stepped out, one hand inside his
  jacket pocket – and saw the red glow from his front tire through
  the cloud of smoke it was starting to give off. Another whistle
  came from his left, and a sudden flash caught his eyes at the
  rear wheel.
  The jeweler’s door opened, and his partners came running
  out, carrying Uzis and heavy sacks. Seeing him they paused,
  but before they could question him there was another whistling
  noise, and a burst of dazzling, multicolored light in their midst.
  On the rooftop, the Sparkler fired her rocket-launched grap-
  nel at the storefront opposite her. Before the three men’s sight
  recovered, she swung down to slam into Paco, knocking him
  over. As she landed, she hurled a smoke bomb through the open
  car door. The noise of its detonation distracted the two men still
  standing, and she kicked the Uzi out of the first one’s hand.
  The other one fired a burst at random, coming nowhere near
  her. Both his partners heard the noise and hugged the pave-
  ment. The Sparkler vaulted onto the roof of the now-useless car
  and ignited a fire-lance like a huge Roman candle. She struck
  at his gun hand with the flame, and he involuntarily dropped
  the Uzi. Paco groped for his .357 Magnum, but before he could
  see to shoot at her through the smoke she jumped down, land-
  ing on his arm and knocking the pistol from his grasp.
  “Okay, hermanos,” she said, “let’s you stay down till the cops
  get here.” A stream of flame above their heads emphasized her
  words.
  Possessions are as big a part of the genre as relationships.
  Equipment, costumes, vehicles, bases, and other objects are
  important resources for superpowered adventurers. This
  chapter provides rules for equipping supers.
  It also functions as a catalog of useful gear. It includes a
  few mundane items that can simply be purchased for cash,
  but that’s not the main focus; the list on pp. B264-289 pro-
  vides a wide range of such items. Things that appear here
  either turn up a lot in the genre or are especially useful as
  countermeasures to various sorts of superpowers. Many
  more items listed are meant to be acquired as Signature
  Gear; they usually have a cash price, but this is used to deter-
  mine the point cost – it may not be possible to buy them with
  money! Finally, some are designed as gadgets to illustrate
  how the gadget rules work in the supers genre. With GM
  approval, these items can be used by PCs at the indicated
  point cost.
  Game books devoted to technology and equipment, such as
  GURPS High-Tech and GURPS Ultra-Tech, usually classify
  them by the type of technological functions they perform:
  weapons, armor, transport, communications, and so on. That’s
  useful for most purposes, including character design, and
  much of this chapter uses those categories. But equipment can
  be classified in another way entirely: by its intended dramatic
  function in the story. Weapons of different types, for example,
  can play different dramatic roles.
  TOOLS OF THE TRADE
  Supers often carry mundane equipment like anyone else in
  the setting might have. In particular, those who have amazing-
  ly high skills naturally have the gear to use those skills,
  whether it’s a fencing saber or a laptop computer. Tools of this
  sort can be bought with starting wealth, or through the Trading
  Points for Money option (p. B26). It’s plausible that such
  incredibly skilled heroes have superior equipment, bought at a
  higher price; see Equipment Modifiers (p. B345). The special-
  ized rules for high-quality weapons supersede the standard
  equipment guidelines.
  The standard rules don’t specify a price for “best equipment
  possible at your TL,” and state that it’s not usually for sale
  (p. B345). Stuff of this quality goes beyond the limits of ordi-
  nary tools of the trade; treat them as trademark items (see
  p. 74).
  Supers may want to style their equipment to fit their secret
  identities or visual theme.
  Another option is to take gear with Equipment Bond (see
  p. 31).
  CHAPTER FOUR
  SETS AND PROPS
  DRAMATIC FUNCTIONS
  OF PLACES AND OBJECTS
  
  In some campaigns, supers can have the High TL advantage
  (p. B23). Such characters can start out play with a stock of
  equipment native to that TL, but if it’s lost, stolen, or destroyed,
  and they don’t have backup copies, they need to make replace-
  ment equipment out of available parts and materials – assum-
  ing they have the skill to do so!
  TRADEMARKS
  A different category of equipment is trademark items.
  These are things that are part of a hero’s basic character con-
  cept: Green Arrow’s bow and arrows, or Thor’s hammer, for
  example.
  Some of this equipment is basically the same as mundane
  stuff – but it’s important to the hero. It doesn’t just enable him
  to use a single skill, it defines his whole heroic identity. Such
  equipment is Signature Gear. Use the same rules as Tools of the
  Trade to assign a price, but don’t assume that the hero actually
  paid that amount; he may have inherited the gear, found it in
  an ancient ruin, or been given it by a top-secret government
  agency, for example.
  A super can have “best equipment possible at your TL” as
  Signature Gear if he has the skills to make it, a suitable Patron,
  or an Unusual Background that gives him a source (see p. 75).
  Treat such tools as having a price 100¥ that of basic equipment
  to determine its point value as Signature Gear. If the hero also
  has High TL, this may give him higher skill modifiers.
  Any equipment that a hero paid cash for can be customized
  to fit his personal theme and image, at a higher cost. This gives
  bonuses to other characters’ rolls to recognize him: +1 for 2¥
  cost, +2 for 5¥ cost, or +3 for 10¥ cost. If he has such equipment,
  he can make it the basis for a variant Trademark disadvantage:
  Instead of taking additional time to leave the trademark, he
  must leave a piece of equipment at the scene and then pay to
  replace it. Equipment worth +1 to recognition counts as a sim-
  ple Trademark; equipment worth +2 as a complex Trademark;
  and equipment worth +3 as an elaborate Trademark.
  Beyond this is equipment that goes beyond the limits of
  existing and drawing-board technology, based on advanced sci-
  ence, superscience, outright magic, or stranger sources. Define
  the abilities for the gear in the same way as for powers, and
  then apply the gadget limitations (pp. B116-117) to reflect the
  fact that the powers reside in an item. For trademark items,
  avoid gadget limitations that would make it easy for the hero
  to lose the use of the item permanently. Such a loss would end
  his heroic career, comparable to a permanent crippling injury,
  and it should be no more likely.
  As a rule, trademark equipment doesn’t have power modi-
  fiers or benefit from Talents. The user operates it like any other
  piece of kit, with whatever skill the GM rules appropriate. An
  exception can be made for equipment whose functioning is
  closely integrated with the natural functioning of the user’s
  body, mind, or will, in the same way as for an implant (see
  p. 24). Such equipment can have an associated Talent, and its
  cost can be altered by a power modifier (usually but not always
  Superscience), as well as the standard gadget limitations.
  Very advanced “smart” equipment offers another option:
  Purchase the equipment as an Ally. This requires building it as
  a character. Usually this only makes sense if the device is capa-
  ble of some measure of independent action. It’s also conven-
  ient, though, for buying equipment that’s independently
  mobile, like a vehicle (see Vehicles, p. 84).
  ONE USE ONLY
  Finally, many supers are technological geniuses, who can
  invent a device for a single use – striking against a villain’s
  weak point, stopping a natural catastrophe, or visiting another
  plane of reality, for example. Characteristically, such things are
  SETS AND PROPS
  74
  Hybrid Equipment
  Supers may use equipment that’s based on mun-
  dane items, but adds special powers to them. For
  example, a hero might carry a whip with conductive
  metal strands woven into it, and a power supply in the
  handle. The electrical discharge could act as a Burning
  Attack or an Affliction, but the whip would also inflict
  damage from striking a foe, or could be used to entan-
  gle him. These effects aren’t properly defined as super-
  powers at all; they’re inherent in its being a whip.
  Most such items can be defined as follows. Start by
  taking the basic device as Signature Gear, at a point
  value determined by its standard price. For example, a
  whip costs $20 and could be included in the $10,000
  that 1 point of Signature Gear covers at TL8. Then buy
  the special powers with suitable gadget limitations.
  The total point cost is the sum of the costs for the spe-
  cial powers and the basic Signature Gear advantage.
  For a single really cheap item, worth no more than
  1/20 of starting wealth for the campaign TL, the GM
  can choose to disregard the point cost. The hero still
  gets the benefits of Signature Gear; in effect, he has 0
  points of Signature Gear as a special feature. To pre-
  vent abuse, if players take multiple items, look at their
  total cost in deciding whether to charge points for
  them as Signature Gear. Allow this benefit only for
  hybrid items, where the hero is paying points for the
  item’s other abilities.
  Another option is simply to pay cash for the base
  item. Such an item can be lost, stolen, or destroyed
  permanently, allowing a wider range of gadget limita-
  tions for its powers. This approach works better in a
  realistic campaign than in a classic four-color one
  where heroes lose their abilities only temporarily and
  for dramatic purposes.
  If the base item is bought for cash and can be
  replaced fairly trivially, it can be treated as an
  Accessibility limitation, “Requires material compo-
  nents,” worth –10%. Typically such an item can simply
  be inserted into the complete gadget, without modifi-
  cation, and is no use to a thief who steals it. The same
  limitation can apply to skills or powers. A mage who
  uses a magic wand to cast spells but could use any
  piece of wood of the proper size, such as a wooden
  dowel, would have this limitation; so would a hero
  with bioelectric powers who used a metal sword to
  extend his reach. An item of this kind is simply a spe-
  cialized “tool of the trade.”
  If there are no significant mundane functions, or if
  the device’s material aspect is not treated realistically,
  then buy it as a points-based gadget in the standard way.
  
  SETS AND PROPS
  75
  built quickly, used once, and then discarded. Sometimes they
  only can work once because they depend on some rare sub-
  stance or irreplaceable component. One-use devices are prac-
  tically a trademark of villainous mad scientists such as Lex
  Luthor and Victor von Doom.
  GURPS provides rules that are a close fit to this type of
  device: gadgeteering, especially quick gadgeteering (pp. B475-
  477). The ability to whip up gizmos on a moment’s notice with
  whatever the inventor has in his laboratory or workshop exact-
  ly fits the cinematic and Comics-Code supers genres.
  In GURPS terms, such devices are prototypes. GMs may
  wish to adopt a variant rule to better fit the genre: Success by
  three or more means that the device uses up a key ingredient,
  or burns out a vital component, and stops working after its
  first use. Any lesser success means that it self-destructs entire-
  ly. Neither result should prevent the device from saving the day
  against the current foe; if the first shot doesn’t take him down,
  let the device go on working, while its power gauge fluctuates
  ominously or its whole frame shakes. The actual breakdown
  can happen right after the decisive blow is struck. Only on a
  critical success does the device remain fully operational, and
  usable as a prototype.
  On a critical failure, a one-use device not only has no effect
  against the intended target but causes disruptive side effects.
  Use the Random Side Effects Table on p. B479, either rolling
  or picking an effect that fits the situation.
  Comic-book wizards can achieve similar effects with spells
  or enchantments; see p. 110.
  No one-use device has any point cost; any benefits gained
  from it are temporary advantages. How powerful the effects
  are is ruled by the GM’s discretion, not by point balance.
  Basically, the device does what it needs to do to resolve the cri-
  sis or set up a plot situation.
  Unusual Backgrounds and Equipment
  GURPS already provides the option of acquiring
  gadgets through an Unusual Background (p. B477), but
  the game has more categories of advanced technology
  than that. In a supers campaign, all of these are likely to
  turn up!
  Best Equipment 
  Possible at Your TL
  Maximum-quality or cutting-edge equipment is not
  usually for sale (p. B345). It can become available through
  an Unusual Background:
  Access to Cutting-Edge Technology: You have connec-
  tions who can obtain superbly made or innovative equip-
  ment for you. This is usually acquired as
  Signature Gear, at 100¥ the price of basic
  equipment. 5 points.
  Inventions
  New inventions at the campaign TL or
  one TL higher are normally available only
  if the PCs develop them. However, there’s
  another option:
  Inventor Friend: You know an inventor
  who can create new equipment for you.
  You have to pay for the prototype, at
  150% of the retail price for an invention
  at your TL, or 450% of the retail price for
  an invention one TL higher. In addition,
  you have to pay one-tenth of the cost of
  the facilities used to create the prototype
  (see p. B474); if the facilities are one TL
  higher than your TL, this cost is tripled.
  10 points.
  Gadgets
  The Unusual Backgrounds for access
  to gadgets are already covered on p. B477.
  Superscience
  Some technology is based on principles completely
  foreign to human science; see Futuristic and Alien
  Artifacts, pp. B478-479, and Weird Technology, p. 479. That
  doesn’t necessarily mean it’s complicated! The construc-
  tion of a flashlight is fairly simple, but the theoretical con-
  cepts behind it would have utterly baffled an ancient
  Greek genius. Antigravity, artificial sapience, or
  parachronic travel might be just as simple to a civilization
  that had achieved the theoretical breakthroughs needed
  to create them.
  Access to someone who can create superscientific
  devices can’t be attained through an Unusual
  Background. The GM may choose to
  allow it through a Patron with Special
  Abilities (+100%). However, having
  equipment of this type as a personal
  possession can
  be an Unusual
  Background:
  Superscience Equipment: You have
  equipment that can’t be understood
  through known scientific principles or
  duplicated through existing technolo-
  gy. Buy it as advantages with suitable
  gadget limitations, including Unique.
  The 
  Unusual 
  Background 
  cost
  depends on how many people have
  superscience equipment, in the same
  way that the cost for being a superbe-
  ing depends on how many superbe-
  ings there are (see p. 131):
  • No more than 100 in the entire
  world: 50 points.
  • No more than one or two in a
  major city: 10 points.
  • More common than that: 0
  points.
  
  SETS AND PROPS
  76
  How easily a hero’s gear can be broken is an important
  question, considering how often he takes it into combat. This
  is measured by three traits: its DR (how much damage it takes
  to cause it actual harm); its HP, (how much stress it can
  absorb); and its HT (how likely it is to stop working as a result).
  These are determined in different ways for different types of
  equipment.
  For mundane gear, use the guidelines on pp. B483-485. The
  equipment’s HP depends on its weight and structure. Its DR is
  typically between 2 and 6 unless it’s intentionally armored.
  Unliving equipment is usually HT 10; homogenous equipment
  is usually HT 12. Combat gear can be built more ruggedly, with
  HT 12, for 2¥ normal cost and 1.2¥ normal weight – for exam-
  ple, a police officer’s flashlight. The same rules apply to
  Signature Gear. Paying character points for it doesn’t make it
  unbreakable; it just requires the GM to let it be replaced,
  repaired, or recovered.
  For gadgets, the breakability may alter how much the
  advantages provided cost; see pp. B116-117. The player gets to
  decide the equipment’s SM (how easy it is to hit) and DR (how
  easy it is to hurt) and take a limitation based on these choices.
  If it can’t be broken, there’s no limitation for breakability; the
  hero wearing or carrying the gadget is just a special effect of
  his power, offering no point-cost saving.
  The GM may allow the purchase of extra HT for gadgets,
  making them less likely to stop working when damaged and
  making machines less likely to break down; this represents
  ruggedized construction. Such HT receives gadget limita-
  tions, but is not eligible for a power or source modifier. Note
  it on the character sheet as “(Gadget) HT.” For example, a
  suit of powered armor might have Armor HT 14 (Breakable,
  DR 26, complex mechanism, SM 0, -30%; Can Be Stolen,
  Forceful removal, -10%; Requires Maintenance, 1 person,
  weekly, -5%) [22].
  For items of equipment built as Allies – an option for vehi-
  cles and robotic servants, for example – breakability affects
  point cost. A character with higher DR, HP, or HT needs to be
  built on more points, and therefore costs more points as an
  Ally.
  TAKING COVER
  As a side effect of their ability to withstand damage, items
  can shield people or other objects from damage. Different rules
  apply depending on the nature of the object.
  Vehicles treat their crew
  and 
  passengers 
  as
  Payload (p. B74). The
  vehicle’s 
  defensive
  advantages also protect
  the Payload; thus, any
  DR also provides DR to
  the occupants, layered
  with any DR they have
  in their own right. DR
  from armor is treated
  similarly.
  Other objects don’t
  have occupants, but can
  provide cover to people
  who are behind them.
  The usual rule for an
  object’s cover value is to
  determine its HP from
  its weight using the table
  on p. B558; divide this by 2 for machines, or by 4 for homoge-
  nous objects; and then add 2¥ the object’s DR to take into
  account the DR for both the entry side and the exit side. For
  example, if a super tried to punch through a tree 8” thick to hit
  someone hiding behind it, his punch would have to get
  through DR 8 to get through the bark; 30/4 HP to punch
  through the trunk; and another DR 8 to get out through the
  bark on the other side. The tree would give cover DR of 24.
  A different rule applies for flat objects, such as walls or
  doors: Divide the object’s HP by 2 or 4 as usual, but add only
  1¥ its DR. Similar rules apply to shields, if they’re breakable,
  but not if they’re unbreakable; see p. 78. A variant of the shield
  rules is used for breakable and unbreakable gadgets.
  BREAKABILITY
  Ordinarily, machines are not capable of Extra Effort, but a
  hero may need to push his equipment to abnormally high levels
  of output in an emergency. This is a common dramatic conven-
  tion in cinematic and four-color campaigns and should be
  allowed.
  One way to do this is to use the rules in GURPS Powers.
  Make a roll against the skill of the operator (Armoury, Engineer,
  Piloting, etc.) based on the machine’s HT instead of the opera-
  tor’s DX or IQ. Mark off FP costs for extra effort against the
  machine’s HT (not its HP). Treat HT losses as if they were due
  to missed maintenance (p. B485). Buying extra HT for the
  device (see above) enables it to sustain increased output longer.
  The other way is to provide the device with an Energy
  Reserve as defined in GURPS Powers. It must have a power
  source, and the energy reserve must be tied to that source; for
  example, “ER 20 (Superscience) [30].” (Note that Energy
  Reserve has a base value of 0!) The Energy Reserve does not
  benefit from the source modifier. It can still benefit from gadg-
  et limitations. A machine built with an Energy Reserve should
  not be exempt from fatigue costs for its abilities. The capabili-
  ties themselves normally cannot draw on the user’s FP; this is
  an extra -5% modifier to their cost.
  Either of these approaches can be used for godlike extra
  effort or for any form of Super-Effort that costs FP. Note that
  Super-Effort does not require a roll against the skill of the
  operator, just as Super-Effort for innate powers does not
  require a Will roll.
  EQUIPMENT AND EXTRA EFFORT
  
  SETS AND PROPS
  77
  The most basic item in a hero’s equipment is usually his
  costume. A good costume is both practical and distinctive: it
  makes the hero recognizable to anyone who follows the news,
  it keeps him comfortable, and lets him move and fight freely.
  DISGUISES
  The simplest function of a costume is to disguise the hero’s
  identity. It doesn’t take much to do this; the Ku Klux Klan man-
  aged it with old bed sheets! But most heroes want something a
  bit more impressive. The following rules can be used to create
  a variety of outfits.
  Costumes are normally Signature Gear because they’re a
  hero’s personal trademark. Their nominal cost doesn’t mean
  the wearer actually paid to have them made by the local super
  costumer; this just determines the costume’s point value.
  Improvised costumes have a trivial cash value and no point
  cost; they aren’t personal trademarks or Signature Gear.
  Basic Costume: A costume in distinctive colors, including a
  mask of some sort. Durable enough to stand up to physical
  activity, including occasionally getting hit in combat, but pro-
  vides no armor value. TL0; 2 lbs.; $240. Heroes of Status 1 or
  higher can invest in more expensive costumes, in proportion to
  the cost of living for their Status, but they don’t have to; noth-
  ing requires them to maintain the same standing in their secret
  identities as in their civilian lives.
  Improvised Costume: A costume put together out of materi-
  als at hand, such as bed sheets. Looks unimpressive (-1 to reac-
  tion rolls) and doesn’t give the wearer a distinctive visual iden-
  tity to which a personal Reputation can be attached. A grab
  maneuver at -2, plus the usual penalties for a specific hit loca-
  tion, can get hold of the material, which can be disarranged on
  the next turn with such effects as tangling the wearer up or
  blocking his vision. TL0; 2 lbs.; free.
  ADAPTABLE CLOTHING
  For a lot of heroes, simple disguise isn’t enough. They need
  costumes that can stand up to hostile environments, or to the
  supers’ own powers – a fireproof costume for a hero with fire
  or heat abilities, or a stress-resistant one for a superhumanly
  strong character. Others simply need clothing that can adapt to
  their powers, so that they can grow, or stretch, or turn invisi-
  ble without their costumes falling off, tangling them up, or
  remaining visible.
  There are two options for such clothing. One is to buy com-
  mercial protective gear and turn it into Signature Gear by cus-
  tomizing its appearance. Such a costume looks fairly bulky
  since it’s commercial equipment; it won’t be form-fitting!
  Protective gear whose appearance has not been customized
  can be bought at normal price, as Signature Gear or for cash.
  Bad-Weather Costume: Provides protection against cold
  weather or any other hostile climate, such as tropical heat and
  humidity. TL0; 4 lbs.; $180.
  Protective Costume: Grants one of the following benefits to
  the wearer: DR 5 against burning attacks only; DR 5 against
  corrosion attacks only; or Radiation Tolerance (PF 10). TL7; 15
  lbs.; $1,200.
  Supersuit: A form-fitting costume that withstands one or
  several of the wearer’s superpowers. TL7^; 4 lbs. A supersuit is
  normally acquired as a Perk (see p. 30), but the GM may define
  this as one point of Signature Gear with a cost of $5,000 at
  TL6, $7,500 at TL7, or $10,000 at TL8.
  ARMOR
  Supers can wear standard TL6-8 armor at the usual price
  (pp. B284-285). A hero with High TL 1 can have TL9 armor as
  a prototype for which he has paid the development cost; as a
  unique invention (see Unusual Background: Invention,
  p. B477); or as Signature Gear with the standard double-cost
  factor (p. B27).
  A hero who favors archaic combat styles may wear lower-
  tech body armor, such as Roman legionary armor or late-
  medieval plate. Such equipment has to be custom-made unless
  he has Armoury skill or a suitable Unusual Background – for
  example, he might actually be a medieval knight magically pre-
  served into the 21st century for 50 points. Custom-made archa-
  ic armor doesn’t have to be made of period materials; modern
  steel provides the same DR for half the weight and cost (or 2¥
  the DR for standard weight and cost), while titanium provides
  the same DR for one-third the weight and 5¥ the cost (or 3¥ the
  DR for standard weight and 15¥ the cost).
  Armor’s DR normally protects the suit as well as the wear-
  er. In effect, the owner is the armor’s Payload and is protected
  by its defensive advantages; both benefit from the same DR.
  The armor’s HP could be determined by its weight as specified
  on pp. B558, but it’s almost never necessary to do so. Damage
  that gets through normally affects the wearer, and damage to
  the armor itself can be represented as a reduction in its DR –
  for example, damage to Ablative or Semi-Ablative armor, or by
  a Corrosion Attack. If no one is wearing the armor, an attack-
  er who gets through its DR can normally destroy it over time.
  If he wants to wreck it with one attack, determine the armor’s
  HP and HT (10 for powered armor, 12 for unpowered); also see
  the rules under Bending Steel Bars (p. 101).
  COSTUMES AND ARMOR
  Acquiring a
  Costume
  At the GM’s option, players can be required to
  establish how their characters acquired their cos-
  tumes. Options include a skill such as Armoury,
  Leatherworking, or Sewing; a Contact with one of
  those skills; a Patron; and Scrounging skill. If the cos-
  tume is damaged and needs repair or replacement, roll
  for frequency of appearance or against the relevant
  skill. A super with none of these traits can roll against
  a suitable skill at default or hire someone to do the job
  for him, but the results may not be satisfactory.
  An improvised costume can be created with a
  Scrounging roll at +4; Scrounging at default is usually
  good enough to repair or replace it.
  
  SETS AND PROPS
  78
  It’s possible to buy armor with gadget limitations. Start by
  determining the user DR that the armor provides. Apply any
  standard advantages and limitations that make sense: Flexible,
  Hardened, Limited, and Partial are all common in heroic
  armor. Then apply gadget limitations using the following
  guidelines:
  Durability: Look up the armor DR in the table on p. B117.
  Mechanically complex armor gets an added -5%.
  Reparability: Armor provided by Patrons, or found in
  ancient ruins or crashed alien starships, may be irreparable.
  Size: Form-fitting armor’s SM is the hit location modifier
  for the location it protects; SM is one point higher for bulky
  armor. Whole body armor, then, would have an SM of 0 or +1
  respectively for a normal human.
  Can Be Stolen: Armor must be forcibly removed, a -10%
  limitation.
  Unique: Armor provided by a Patron is seldom unique.
  Armor found during an origin may well be unique; the same
  may be true for magical protection, or homemade armor
  whose construction involved some rare and irreplaceable
  substance.
  A super may choose to wear armor that mimics the typical
  costume, covering the torso, arms, legs, and feet, but leaving
  the hands or face bare, or covering the face with no more than
  a domino mask. This configuration qualifies for a new form of
  the Partial limitation, worth -5%. If the mask covers all but the
  lower face, the armor doesn’t qualify for the limitation. A cos-
  tume that leaves arms and legs bare amounts to torso armor,
  worth -10%. A scanty costume such as some heroines favor (or
  the classic “chainmail bikini” of sword and sorcery) can be
  treated as covering only the vitals for -30%; if it also protects
  the skull, the value is -25%. The bare parts can be targeted as
  usual and have no DR.
  Example: The Demon Princess wears a garment made from
  the skin of a slain enemy, protecting her skull and vitals (-25%).
  Its SM is -4 (-15%); it can be stolen by forcible removal (-10%).
  It can be repaired if damaged, but not replaced (-25%). The gar-
  ment provides DR 100 (-0%), most of which comes from the
  inherent toughness of demonic body tissues, but it only weighs
  2 lbs.! The DR has a base value of 500 points; its limitations add
  up to -75%, so it costs her 125 points. If targeted, it has DR 100
  and HP 10.
  EXOSKELETA
  Some supers wear armor that amplifies their natural
  strength; such a suit has been Iron Man’s trademark since the
  character was first published. The protective effects can be
  Shields
  Shields can be acquired much like armor, and often
  accompany it.
  At TL8 the only commonly available shields are plastic
  riot shields, discussed on p. B287. Lower-tech shields can
  be acquired the same way as lower-tech armor.
  An exceptionally strong hero can carry a huge shield.
  This has DB 4, costs $135, weighs 40 lbs., and has DR 11
  and 100 HP; its other features are the same as for a large
  shield.
  Shields can also be bought as gadgets, similar to
  armor, but with some special rules. Shields are either
  breakable or unbreakable. An unbreakable shield’s char-
  acter point cost is based on the DB it provides, with gadg-
  et limitations for Can Be Stolen (Quick Contest of ST, -
  30%) and possibly Unique (-25%). A breakable shield also
  has DR and HP. Neither costs character points because
  they aren’t adding a benefit to the shield, but describing
  its vulnerability to damage; the character point cost is still
  based on DB, with gadget limitations.
  The shield’s durability is based directly on its DR. Its
  size is determined from its DB; treat a shield as having an
  SM of -4 plus its DB. Shield HP are not based on weight;
  see the Shield Table on p. B287 for typical shield HP
  values.
  A breakable shield provides cover DR to the user:
  divide its HP by 4 and add its DR to find its cover DR. If
  the shield’s DB makes the difference between success and
  failure on any active defense, the shield takes damage (see
  Damage to Shields, p. B484). This rule should be applied
  to both shields bought as breakable gadgets and those
  that have a cash value; a powerful punch or energy blast
  smashing through a shield is a very four-color effect! But
  if it’s unbreakable, and its DB makes a defense roll a suc-
  cess, the attack simply misses: The shield is not damaged
  and there is no overpenetration.
  Example: Captain Atlantis carries a medium shield
  made by an Atlantean enchanter from the magical metal
  orichalcum. It weighs as much as a bronze shield, 45 lbs.,
  but has DR 30 and 80 HP. Its DR has one level of magical
  hardening. Its DB is 2 because of its size; this gives it SM
  -3. The shield’s gadget limitations are as follows:
  Breakable, Durability 0%, Reparability -15%, Size -15%;
  Can Be Stolen, -30%; total, -60%. The shield provides two
  levels of DB, with a base cost of 60 points; the gadget lim-
  itations lower this to 24 points. An unbreakable magical
  shield would only have Can Be Stolen and would cost 42
  points.
  Other gadgets can also provide cover to their users, if
  they are large enough. Treat such gadgets as improvised
  shields. Buy a DB for the gadget, based on its size, with
  the same gadget limitations as for its primary functions.
  Breakable gadgets provide cover DR according to the
  rules in Taking Cover (see p. 76). Unbreakable gadgets
  simply turn attacks aside, taking no damage. Smaller
  gadgets have no DB and never provide cover DR or turn
  attacks aside. Many gadgets with DB can be used to block
  an attack, at -1 to Shield skill. Gadgets without DB cannot
  be used to block attacks.
  
  SETS AND PROPS
  79
  bought as DR, as for any other armor. The enhanced strength
  can’t simply be bought as extra ST, though, for the following
  reasons:
  • Wearing powered armor doesn’t give the wearer
  increased ability to withstand injury; the armor provides him
  with DR but not with HP.
  • The armor usually has a rated maximum strength that
  isn’t affected by the wearer’s personal strength.
  • The ST gained from the armor can be affected by powers
  or devices that control or shut down machines, but won’t be
  affected by foes with power neutralization abilities.
  To reflect these differences, buy the benefits of a powered
  exoskeleton as equal amounts of Lifting ST and Striking ST,
  plus a taboo trait worth 0 points:
  Fixed ST
  ST is an inherent trait of physical structure; it cannot be
  trained up and is not subject to individual variability. If you are
  a mechanical device, you provide equal total ST to any wearer
  or operator.
  The original wearer buys a certain amount of additional ST
  through his armor and pays the appropriate point cost. His
  total effective ST equals the sum of his bodily ST and the
  device’s ST. If for some reason a different wearer acquires the
  armor, or a copy of it, the total ST doesn’t change; if the new
  wearer is stronger, or weaker, the armor provides less addition-
  al ST, or more, and its point cost is lower or higher for that
  wearer.
  To keep things simple on the character sheet, treat this
  combination as a meta-trait: External ST, worth 8 points per
  level. Any other enhancements or limitations may be applied to
  it as usual. Powered armor has gadget limitations, and it may
  be eligible for the Size modifier as discussed under Armor
  (p. 77). In a speculative or gritty campaign, the GM may also
  give it a Nuisance Effect: Real Armor, -5%. This represents in
  part the armor weight and bulk and in part the time needed to
  take it off, so that if it’s shut down in a fight he’s burdened by
  it until he can remove it. To qualify for this limitation, the
  armor’s weight should count at least as Heavy encumbrance
  for the wearer. In a four-color campaign, powered armor can
  be effectively weightless and need not take this limitation.
  Powered armor normally has the standard 0-point features
  of machines: it needs refueling or recharging three times a day,
  it neither has nor can spend FP, and it wears out rather than
  aging.
  Any exoskeleton or battlesuit that responds to the wearer’s
  natural body movements is treated as an actual power; it’s eli-
  gible for a power or source modifier, and its use can benefit
  from a power Talent. At the GM’s discretion, it may be possible
  for the wearer to engage in extra effort or godlike extra effort,
  or even to take the Super-Effort modifier on mechanical ST.
  See Equipment and Extra Effort, p. 76.
  Another option is to define the exoskeleton as an Ally, like a
  vehicle, with sufficient Payload to hold the wearer. In that case,
  buy the External ST and DR as “Granted by armor, -40%” and
  treat the armor as having Special Abilities, +50%. Disregard
  the gadget limitations for the armor’s abilities; it’s not a gadget
  but a character.
  The External ST meta-trait can also be used for other forms
  of strength amplification, such as force fields or zero range
  Telekinesis, with the GM’s approval.
  PERSONAL GEAR
  In a heroic world, adventurers of all sorts may find it useful
  to carry various pieces of special equipment. The items listed
  here range from handy mundane gadgets that aren’t listed on
  pp. B288-289, through advanced gadgets that come from
  cutting-edge labs or the technical branches of intelligence
  agencies, to the weird-science devices often found in supers
  universes.
  SENSORS AND COMPUTERS
  Bug Detector (TL8): A specialized emission scanner that can
  detect monitoring devices of any size, down to nanobugs and
  smart dust. Operation requires a Quick Contest of Electronics
  Operation/TL8 (Security Systems) against the bug’s TL. 1 lb., $-
  500.
  Chemical Analyzer (TL8): A “lab-on-a-chip” and an air
  pump, all the size of a thick credit card. Able to identify trace
  amounts of any chemical substance in its database, including
  many drugs, explosives, and poisons. Counts as basic equip-
  ment when used in the field by itself. Negligible weight, $500.
  Customized Beacon (TL8^): A weird-science device tuned to
  emit signals that a given hero’s paranormal senses can detect.
  Can be planted on a foe or thrown at him during 
  combat; it can be tracked for 1 hour from up to 10 miles away,
  subject to horizon limitations. Extremely hard to spot; gives +6
  to Holdout. Negligible weight, $200.
  Genescanner (TL8^): In settings where genetic mutation is
  a common source of superpowers, this weird-science gizmo
  may be used by intelligence agencies and supers. It finds genet-
  ic mutations as with the Detect advantage (treat as an
  Occasional condition). It reveals both the direction and dis-
  tance to the mutant on an Electronics Operation (Medical or
  Scientific) roll, but its range is limited: -1 to effective skill per
  yard of distance. Counts as basic equipment when used in the
  field. 1 lb.; $1,500.
  MiniHUD (TL9): A laser emitter that clips onto glasses, gog-
  gles, or a face mask and projects images directly onto the reti-
  na. Gives +1 to Piloting, Driving, and other skills that benefit
  from hands-free display of information. Information is nor-
  mally supplied by a wearable computer (p. B288). Negligible
  weight; $50.
  Tactical Computer (TL9): A dedicated computer that runs a
  tactical tracking program customized to the hero’s abilities; it
  keeps track of positions of allies and enemies, firing arcs, blind
  spots, ammo counts, attack ranges, and so on. Gives +1 to
  Tactics. If all members of a team have linked tactical comput-
  ers, gives +2 to Tactics. 2 lbs., $1,000, 8 hours.
  
  SETS AND PROPS
  80
  COMMUNICATIONS
  Scrambler (TL8): A digital-encryption system for voice
  transmissions, usable with a telephone or radio. Both partici-
  pants in a conversation must have these units, and they must
  be programmed with the same code keys. A listener who does-
  n’t have the keys needs to feed the message into a code-
  breaking computer and wait 8 hours to see if it can break the
  cipher. 2 lbs., $725.
  Voice Mask (TL8): This device can be attached to any tele-
  phone or radio, or worn inside a helmet. It alters the sound of
  a speaker’s voice; he still sounds human, but his voiceprint is
  unrecognizable. 1 lb., $450.
  Wireless Datalink (TL8): A high-speed modem using modu-
  lated infrared to exchange information between wearable
  computers. Transmission is line of sight; three transceiver
  units are spaced 120º apart on the wearer’s belt or helmet for
  complete coverage of his allies. Range is 500 yards. Negligible
  weight; $750.
  STEALTH AND INTRUSION
  Chameleon Suit (TL9): Active camouflage clothing that uses
  nanotech construction to change color on command. Gives +2
  to Stealth skill if moving, or +4 if standing still. 5 lbs., $10,000.
  Grapnel (TL2): A spark-free matte-black grappling hook
  designed to be fired from a crossbow or grenade launcher,
  trailing a line behind it; range in yards is one-third the usual
  range of the missile weapon. 2.5 lbs., $50.
  Nanofiber Rope (TL9): A climbing line made up of woven
  nanotubes in a polymer sheath. A 3/4”-diameter rope supports
  2 tons. 2 lbs. and $30 per 10 yards length.
  Psi Shield (TL8^): A weird-science device that blocks mind-
  affecting psi powers, giving +3 to resistance rolls; it also penal-
  izes the wearer’s own psi powers, including Mind Shield, by -3.
  If it successfully blocks a telepathic attack on the wearer, it
  warns him of the attack through a beeper or miniHUD; if the
  attack succeeds, it gives no warning. Must be worn close to the
  wearer’s brain. Popular as equipment for unpowered field
  agents. 0.3 lbs., $3,000.
  MEDICAL GEAR
  Biomonitor (TL8): Placed near the heart, this sensor 
  monitors body temperature, pulse and respiration rate, and
  blood oxygen and nitrogen levels; it can be linked to a blood-
  pressure sensor cuff as well. The information can be read by
  the wearer or transmitted to a base location by radio, allowing
  remote Diagnosis rolls without a penalty. Worn during train-
  ing, it tracks the person’s stress levels; a teacher with
  Electronics Operation (Medical) can use it to monitor inten-
  sive workouts, giving the wearer +1 to HT to get through such
  training. Worn in the field by all members of a group and
  linked to a tactical computer, it gives an extra +1 to Tactics.
  Negligible weight, $100.
  Emergency Support Unit (TL9): A trauma-maintenance life-
  support system designed to keep a patient alive who can no
  longer sustain his own bodily functions. It also functions as a
  biomonitor. An ESU provides a +2 (quality) bonus to Physician
  skill or HT rolls for life support. 120 lbs., $15,000.
  Portable Clinical Analyzer
  (TL8): A self-contained
  biochemical-analysis lab in a hand-held unit. This can do a
  basic blood test for glucose, iron, and other levels without
  requiring a lab. It provides a +2 (quality) bonus to Diagnosis
  skill. 3 lbs., $5,000.
  GIZMOS
  The ability to pull out exactly the gadget they need to solve
  a problem is a trademark of some heroes. Batman’s utility belt
  is a classic example of a source of Gizmos. GMs may want to
  vary the standard limit of three Gizmos per character. In a grit-
  ty campaign the GM may limit or completely forbid them, and
  require the PCs to pay for, lug around, and conceal each item
  of specialized equipment. On the other hand, supers in a four-
  color game may be able to carry far more than the standard
  three Gizmos. The GM may even let them buy as many as they
  have points for!
  A compromise treatment would limit each character to 15
  points – but allow the cost per Gizmo to be reduced by limita-
  tions. The Limited modifier on Modular Abilities in GURPS
  Powers can be applied in this way. For example, “small items
  carried in a utility belt” is a focus limitation worth -10%.
  Gizmos can also be trait-limited; for example, Advantages Only
  is -10%, Technological Devices Only or Magical Items Only is
  -20%, Electronic Devices Only or Potions Only is -30%, and
  Accessory Perks Only is -50%. Finally, Gizmos can be bought
  with Preparation Required if the user needs to spend some
  time setting them up or configuring them: -20% for a quick
  action that could take place between panels, or -50% for an
  unavoidable hour’s work before going on patrol. At the maxi-
  mum limitation of -80%, spending 15 points would buy 15
  Gizmos, which is about as many as any hero ever uses.
  Note that Gizmos don’t get gadget limitations; they’re gadg-
  ets by the advantage’s definition!
  The usual image of supers is one of characters fighting with
  innate powers that damage or restrain their foes, but in fact a
  lot of metahumans use weapons. Employing a bow and arrows
  against one’s enemies, or snaring them in a golden lasso, is as
  legitimate an idiom as firing laser beams or lightning bolts at
  them.
  One common theme is the use of low-tech weapons.
  Archery is the single most common such device in comics, but
  other heroes have used swords, hammers, batons,
  boomerangs, and a variety of martial-arts weapons. The
  Absorbing Man, one of Thor’s recurring enemies, carries about
  a convict’s traditional ball and chain and uses it as a flail. The
  Silver-Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl used a variety of archaic
  weapons from the collection of a museum.
  Typically, a single weapon of this sort is Signature Gear.
  Consider making it a fine or very fine weapon; after all, a hero
  should have the best! Making it Signature Gear ensures that
  that specific weapon is always available to the hero. This can be
  WEAPONS
  
  SETS AND PROPS
  81
  skipped for a character with a purely practical attitude about
  his weapons; such a hero can simply budget the money to
  replace weapons that wear out, break, or are lost or stolen. A
  super who instead pulls out a different weapon in each adven-
  ture, within a broad category of weapons, may want to take a
  Gizmo (see Weapons as Gizmos, p. 82).
  Weapons of this sort can be improved beyond the limits of
  very fine quality, with a variant on the rules for Modifying ST-
  Based Damage in GURPS Powers. Start by finding the damage
  the weapon inflicts for the user’s effective ST (equal to the sum
  of his ST, Arm ST, and Striking ST); use either thrusting or
  swinging damage as appropriate to the weapon. Figure the cost
  to buy this as an Innate Attack of the type applicable to the
  weapon. Apply suitable modifiers to the weapon damage,
  including Affects Insubstantial, Armor Divisor, Double
  Knockback, Incendiary, No Blunt Trauma, No Knockback, No
  Wounding, and Takes Extra Time. Subtract the point cost of the
  basic weapon attack from the point cost of the modified attack;
  the difference is the cost of the modifications. (Don’t apply
  gadget modifiers; they’re covered by the fact that it’s a weapon
  in the first place.) If the weapon is capable of multiple attack
  forms (for example, a quarterstaff can be grasped in the middle
  for crushing swinging damage, or grasped at the end for either
  crushing swinging or crushing thrusting damage), use the alter-
  nate attacks rule: Pay full cost for the most expensive modifica-
  tions, and one-fifth cost for the less expensive ones.
  Such weapons can also carry Follow-Up or Linked attacks.
  Use Linked if the mundane and super attacks take place simul-
  taneously against the same target; use Follow-Up if the super
  attack uses the mundane attack as a carrier. Follow-Up is a
  +0% enhancement for mundane weapons, just as it is for nat-
  ural weapons such as claws and teeth. Link is a +10% or +20%
  enhancement depending on whether the mundane and super
  attacks must always take place together or can do so separate-
  ly. Either applies only to the super attack, not to the mundane
  attack, which has no direct point cost.
  The other common option is the use of advanced technolog-
  ical weapons, such as gas guns, web sprayers, and the like. A
  lot of supers have trademark attacks of this sort. Buy such
  advantages as Affliction, Binding, Innate Attack, and Obscure,
  with appropriate modifiers, including gadget limitations.
  Weapons like these don’t normally get power modifiers, and
  using them requires such skills as Beam Weapons, Guns, or
  Liquid Projector, rather than Innate Attack.
  Here is a list of some sample weapons built in this style:
  Force Projector: Resembling a stubby handgun, this weird-
  science device projects beams of repulsive force at varying
  apertures, providing several alternative abilities. Skills to use:
  Beam Weapons (Pistol) and Beam Weapons (Projector).
  Piercing Attack 5d (Breakable, DR 15, SM -4, -30%; Can Be
  Stolen, Quick Contest of ST, -30%) [10] + Alternative Ability:
  Crushing Attack 5d (Breakable, DR 15, SM -4, -30%; Can Be
  Stolen, Quick Contest of ST, -30%) [2] + Alternative Ability:
  Crushing Attack 5d (Breakable, DR 15, SM -4, -30%; Can Be
  Stolen, Quick Contest of ST, -30%; Double Knockback, +20%;
  No Wounding, -50%) [1] + Alternative Ability: Telekinesis 45
  (Breakable, DR 15, SM -4, -30%; Can Be Stolen, Quick Contest
  of ST, -30%; Repulsion, -60%) [2].
  Gas Gun: A weapon that emits an anesthetizing gas at high
  pressure and projects it at a foe. Held like a handgun, but used
  like a sprayer. Skill to use: Liquid Projector (Sprayer).
  Affliction 2 (Breakable, DR 5, SM -4, -35%; Can Be Stolen,
  Quick Contest of ST, -30%; Limited Use, 9/day, -10%;
  Respiratory Agent, +50%; Sleep, +150%) [45].
  Mindwipe: A small device that emits a series of intense light
  flashes in a rhythm that entrances the brain waves of onlook-
  ers. The result is amnesia with a special feature: The duration
  of the Affliction is not applied forward, to cause forgetfulness
  of the next few minutes, but backward, to wipe out the memo-
  ries of the preceding few. Skill to use: Beam Weapons
  (Projector). Affliction 4 (Breakable, DR 2, SM -8, -30%; Can Be
  Stolen, Stealth or Trickery, -20%; Cone, 5 yards maximum
  width, +100%; Disadvantage: Amnesia, +25%; Extended
  Duration, 3¥, +20%; Reduced Range, Divisor 5, -20%; Sense-
  Based, +150%) [130].
  Shadow Grenade: You carry several grenades that can gen-
  erate blacked-out areas within which normal sight is impossi-
  ble. The effect lasts 30 seconds without further action on your
  part. Skill to use: Throwing. Obscure 10 (Sight; Area Effect, 4
  yards, +50%; Breakable, DR 2, SM –6, -35%; Can Be Stolen,
  Quick Contest of DX, -30%; Limited Use, 10 per day, -10%;
  Ranged, +50%; Extended Duration, 3¥, +20%; Persistent,
  +40%; Reduced Range, Divisor 2, -10%) [35].
  Consumable
  Signature Gear
  Buying a weapon as Signature Gear is a straightfor-
  ward application of the concept, but what if it uses
  ammunition like a pistol, or is destroyed through use
  like a grenade? Does setting off an explosive count as
  giving it away of freely, so that the fraction of a point
  spent to acquire it is gone? Do characters have to buy
  a supply of grenades, with their point value as
  Signature Gear based on their total cost, and keep
  track of how many they’ve used?
  To avoid all this bookkeeping, here’s a simpler rule.
  An item such as a bullet or grenade is Consumable
  Signature Gear, good for a one-shot use. Figure out
  how many items of that type you routinely have avail-
  able. This is the set you carry, plus any spares you have
  on hand and can access without special effort (you
  don’t need to buy them, requisition them from a
  Patron, etc.). Total up their cost, and multiply it by 5.
  Use this multiplied cost to determine what it’s worth as
  Signature Gear. You have that many consumable items
  at the start of each session. Once you’ve used them up,
  they’re gone, but you have another set at the start of
  the next session. This is just like having a Contact you
  can confer with once per session, rather than a Favor
  you can call in only once, and has the same 5:1 ratio of
  point cost.
  You don’t have to take ammunition as Signature
  Gear at all; you’re free to make the gun Signature Gear
  and just pay cash for the bullets. Or you can take spe-
  cial bullets (silver ones, for example) as Consumable
  Signature Gear and use them in a gun you’ve bought
  for cash. But treating both the main weapon and the
  ammunition as Signature Gear eliminates bookkeep-
  ing between sessions of play.
  
  SETS AND PROPS
  82
  Web Sprayer: Looking much like a squirt gun with an over-
  sized reservoir, the web sprayer projects strands of tough adhe-
  sive to entangle foes. Skill to use: Liquid Projector (Squirt
  Gun). Binding 16 (Breakable, DR 2, SM -8, -30%; Can Be
  Stolen, Quick Contest of ST, -30%; Reduced Range, Range
  Divisor 2, -10%) [10].
  GUN CONTROL
  One type of weapon that conventional heroes seldom use is
  firearms. Partly this is a by-product of the Comics-Code era,
  when heroes avoided doing anything that made them look like
  criminals – and ordinary crooks carried guns. Characters of that
  era also routinely had Pacifism (Cannot Kill) and guns obvious-
  ly violate that, whereas it was possible to imagine the various
  exotic powers would never actually kill anyone. Finally, an ordi-
  nary mortal might need a gun as an “equalizer,” but a properly
  designed super was resistant or immune to gunfire: He could
  make himself the equal of his foes with his powers or his fists.
  In variant genres, the protagonists may carry firearms; they
  may even have powers or incredibly high skills that make them
  master gunmen. Heroes in a gritty setting, or vigilantes in any
  supers setting, are likely to use firearms. They’re also suitable for
  heroes in a pulp setting where the good guys have limited super-
  powers or none at all. In this case, a gun can be Signature Gear.
  Gun-wielding heroes have several options for firearms with
  special qualities. They can pay the price for fine or very fine
  quality (p. B280). If they have High TL, they can own firearms
  native to the advanced TL, chosen from the tables on pp. B278-
  279 or specified by the GM. Or they can acquire gear with
  unique powers. To create such a weapon, determine the basic
  cost of its damage as an Innate Attack. Superscience or magi-
  cal alterations to that damage can be bought as modifiers to
  Innate Attack; determine the modified cost, and subtract the
  base cost to determine the net point cost of the weapon.
  (Disregard any modifiers that are inherent in the basic
  weapon, including gadget limitations; the special modifiers are
  applied to the base cost of Innate Attack, not to the modified
  cost of the basic weapon.) Any additional abilities should be
  bought as advantages with a full set of modifiers, including
  gadget modifiers. The base weapon should be treated as
  Signature Gear, with a point cost based on its cash price.
  Ghost Pistol: The Ghostslayer is a Victorian era hero who
  combats malevolent phantoms. He carries a .36 revolver that
  has been spiritually blessed and can inflict injury on ghosts
  and other spirits. Its damage (from p. B278) is 2d-1 pi; the
  point cost for this is 5 points per level ¥ 1.7 levels = 8.5 points.
  Affects Insubstantial is a +20% modifier, raising this cost to
  10.2 points. The difference is 1.7 points, which rounds up to
  2 points. The cash price of the revolver (also from p. B278) is
  $150. A full reload is 6 shots, weighs 0.24 lb., and costs $4.80;
  the Ghostslayer carries four extra reloads, with a total cost of
  $24. This is defined as Consumable Signature Gear (see
  p. 81); multiplying ¥5 gives $120, for a total of $270. This
  exceeds one-twentieth of starting wealth for TL5, or $250, so
  the GM rounds the point cost up to 1. The gun and ammuni-
  tion together cost a total of 3 character points.
  WEAPONS AS GIZMOS
  Some supers use weapons with special capabilities.
  Archers who use trick arrows, such as the Silver-Age Green
  Arrow or Hawkeye, are classic examples. These can be
  defined as Gizmos (see p. 80).”Arrows only” is a focus limita-
  tion worth -15%.”Ranged attacks only” is a trait limitation
  worth -30%. Together they reduce the cost of a Gizmo to 2.75
  points, which rounds up to 3 points, letting an archer use five
  different trick arrows in an adventure. These could be
  defined as causing Affliction, Binding, or Innate Attack.
  The effect such a Gizmo can produce needs to be limited.
  An arrow from a composite bow inflicts a thr+3 Impaling
  Attack; for a ST 12 archer, this is 1d+2, equivalent to 1.6 dice,
  with each die of Impaling Attack being worth 8 points.
  Letting an arrow inflict an attack costing up to 12 points is
  fair. This could be a stunning attack resisted by HT, a Binding
  with ST 6, or a 2d+1 Burning Attack. Arrows can also be used
  to produce plausible special effects, such as a climbing line
  for Binding or a flare for Burning Attack. GMs may choose to
  allow other advantages, such as 6 levels of Obscure for a
  smoke arrow. Note that if the archer is stronger, or has
  Weapon Master (Bow), or has fine-quality arrows, all of
  which increase damage, the point value of the basic attack
  goes up, and so does the allowable point value of Gizmos.
  Beyond all these categories, there are supers who carry
  equipment with special functions transcending anything that
  normal technology could achieve. Such equipment should be
  bought as advantages with gadget limitations. Here are a few
  examples that do things commonly seen in comics:
  Bioenergy Crystal: A weird-science device similar to Wilhelm
  Reich’s orgone accumulators. In direct contact with the skin, it
  infuses the wearer’s body with vital energy that enhances his
  bodily functions. ST+10 (Breakable, DR 2, SM -9, -20%; Can
  Be Stolen, Stealth or Trickery, -20%) [60] + HT+10 (Breakable,
  DR 2, SM -9, -20%; Can Be Stolen, Stealth or Trickery, -20%)
  [60].
  Damper Cuffs: In many comics universes the normals can
  use “power damper” devices to capture and imprison danger-
  ous supers. They are rare and expensive ($50,000 cost), so
  police officers don’t carry them routinely, but the cops or fed-
  eral agents who deal with metahumans can get a damper when
  needed. They come in two sizes: individual “damper cuffs” and
  fixed “damper rooms” (see Headquarters, p. 85). Cuffs are a
  power damper built into a pair of massive armored handcuffs,
  suitable for restraining supers. Power dampers are technolog-
  ical devices themselves and suppress super and psionic abili-
  ties, but not biological, chi, magic, spirit, or technological pow-
  ers. While strong and tough, they can be broken, so police
  forces often burden super-strong convicts with lots of conven-
  tional restraints to protect the damper cuffs. Neutralize Super
  powers and Psi powers (Low Signature, hum and tingle, +10%;
  Breakable, DR 20, SM -4, -15%; Can Be Stolen, Must be
  Forcefully Removed, -10%) [85].
  UNIQUE EQUIPMENT
  
  SETS AND PROPS
  83
  Force Field Generator: A wearable device that surrounds
  your body with a screen of force, resistant to attacks. Damage
  Resistance 10 (Breakable, DR 15, SM-5, -20%; Can Be Stolen,
  Forcible Removal, -10%; Force Field, +20%; Hardened 4,
  +80%; Maximum Duration, 1 Hour, -10%) [80].
  Invisibility Suit: A skin-tight garment covering the entire
  person of the wearer, which grants invisibility when activated.
  Invisibility to Electromagnetic Vision (Affects Machines,
  +50%; Breakable, DR 2, SM 0, -50%; Can Be Stolen, Forcible
  Removal, -10%; Switchable, +10%) [40].
  Size Change Helmet: A device for dispensing superscientific
  biochemicals that cause rapid increases or decreases in size
  and weight by up to a factor of 10; the compounds are stored
  as gases under pressure and released through a breath mask.
  Growth 6 (Breakable, DR 6, SM -4, -30%; Can Be Stolen,
  Forcible Removal, -10%; Takes Extra Time 4, -40%) [12] +
  ST+90 (Size, -60%) [216] + Alternative Ability: Shrinking 6
  (Breakable, DR 6, SM -4, -30%; Can Be Stolen, Forcible
  Removal, -10%; Takes Extra Time, -40%) [2].
  Mobility is important to supers. It may enable them to go to
  the sites of crimes or other emergencies, pursue escaping foes,
  patrol an area for crooks, or travel to meetings with other
  metahumans without being questioned or searched. Several
  different sorts of mobility are available.
  PERSONAL GEAR
  Some heroes get around with gear they can wear or carry.
  The following equipment can be purchased for cash:
  Mini-Parachute: A small parachute suitable for jump-
  ing off high buildings or low cliffs; expands to 5 yards
  across. Gives -1 to Parachuting skill because of small
  size. When harnessed on over clothing, can be
  released with a single action. TL7, 6 lbs., $1,000.
  Paraglider: A personal unpowered flying
  wing made of nonrigid material. Allows con-
  trolled gliding at up to Move 24, but requires
  a roll against Sports (Paragliding) for speeds
  above Move 12, at a penalty of half the excess
  Move (round down). Minimum takeoff
  speed is Move 6. Maintaining speed
  requires descending: An altitude decrease
  of 1 yard adds 1 yard per second (Move 1)
  to speed. In level flight, the glider deceler-
  ates 0.125 yards per second (equivalent to
  Enhanced Move 3). Climbing requires rid-
  ing updrafts or having power from a tow-
  line to maintain speed. The wingspan is 10
  yards; the wearer sits in a harness 10 yards
  below its center, suspended from control
  lines. TL8; 12 lbs. (wing) + 12 lbs. (harness);
  $5,000.
  Roller Skates: Usable with the skill Skating.
  Equivalent to Enhanced Move 0.5 (Ground;
  Road-Bound, -50%): allows 1.5¥ ground
  move, but can only be used on a smooth, flat
  surface. TL6; 2 lbs.; $100.
  Skateboard: Usable with the skill Sports (Skateboard) or
  with Move! Perfect Balance gives +1 to skill. Grants the same
  benefits as roller skates. On downhill surfaces, can reach up to
  4¥ ground move using the rules for gliding flight. Often used
  for stunts; Sports (Skateboard) can substitute for Acrobatics,
  but only when riding a skateboard. Serves as a somewhat awk-
  ward improvised club (sw+3 cr; reach 1; parry 0; ST 10); roll
  vs. Two-Handed Sword-1 to hit. TL7; 5 lbs.; $90.
  Some innovative high-tech items are available only as
  Signature Gear:
  Gecko Gloves: A set of gloves and soft shoes covered with
  tiny artificial hairs that adhere to any surface by intermolecu-
  lar forces. Wearing them provides the Clinging advantage. TL8;
  2 lbs.; $2,000.
  Rocket Pack: A strap-on personal rocket, based on pumping
  concentrated hydrogen peroxide through a catalytic mesh,
  which releases heat and breaks it down into steam and oxygen.
  The exhausts are out to the sides of the wearer’s body for prop-
  er balance. To avoid steam burns, the wearer needs a thermal
  protective costume or supersuit. Requires a roll vs.
  Aerobatics to use. Allows flight at Move 30 for up to 60 sec-
  onds. TL8; 25 lbs.; $10,000.
  Finally, some really advanced personal mobility
  equipment must be created as superpowers with
  gadget limitations:
  Artificial Wings: A pair of man-powered
  wings and a harness for the wearer. The
  standard version straps onto the arms and
  provides Flight (Breakable, DR 1, SM -2,
  -40%; Can Be Stolen, Forcible removal,
  -10%; Cannot Hover, -15%; Superscience,
  -10%; Temporary Disadvantage, No
  Arms, -40%; Winged, -25%; total limi-
  tation, -80%) [8]. The wings are too
  fragile to be used as Strikers or to parry
  an attack.
  Long-Range Rocket Pack: A supersci-
  entific rocket pack that allows sustained
  flight without inconveniently running
  out of fuel. Provides Flight (Breakable,
  DR 5, Machine, SM -1, -40%; Can Be
  Stolen, Forcible removal, -10%; Nuisance
  Effect, Exhaust, -5%) [18].
  Powered Skates: Skates with powerful
  miniaturized electric motors to drive their
  wheels; power comes from batteries built into the skates. This
  version is self-contained; it’s also possible to build powered
  skates into a suit of armor. In addition to Enhanced Move 0.5,
  inherent in the skates themselves, the motors provide +5 to
  Basic Move (Breakable, DR 5, machine, SM -4, -35%; Can Be
  Stolen, Forceful removal, -10%; Electronic, -30%) [7]. This
  gives superior maneuverability, letting the wearer reach Move
  15 in 2 turns.
  TRANSPORTATION
  
  VEHICLES
  A lot of heroes, especially those with limited powers, want
  something more elaborate they can ride in or on. High-tech
  vehicles, such as the Batmobile or the X-Men’s SR-71, are a
  recurring element in comic-book adventures. But vehicle
  design can be a complex process if the player isn’t content with
  something already on the market in the game world. Here’s a
  procedure for making it simpler.
  First, choose a vehicle whose attributes and other traits are
  already defined, including its cash purchase price. See the
  tables on pp. B464-465 for a starting point; GMs can add to
  them as they please. The hero needs to be able to afford this
  vehicle, either buying it as adventuring gear with his starting
  wealth, or paying points for it as Signature Gear.
  The vehicle as it stands is defined as a 0-point Ally. What it
  would cost to build as a character doesn’t matter because the
  hero didn’t spend character points on its initial traits; he paid
  cash instead. The standard traits of the model are the baseline,
  just as standard human traits are the baseline for character
  creation.
  The hero can then add new traits or modify or remove exist-
  ing traits. Keep count of the point cost of these traits; they
  describe the individual vehicle as opposed to its “racial tem-
  plate.” After determining all of these, take their total as the
  vehicle’s point value and purchase it as an Ally. It normally has
  the Minion enhancement and may have Special Abilities as
  well. Many vehicles have IQ 0; to have higher IQ, they need to
  have a self-aware computer on board.
  Most of the standard traits of vehicles can be bought up or
  down fairly straightforwardly. But a few require special
  definitions:
  ST/HP: In buying added ST or HP, take the vehicle’s SM into
  account. Remember that an unpowered vehicle has ST 0.
  Move: Acceleration is the same as Basic Move for ground
  and water vehicles: 5 points buys +1 to Acceleration. For air
  vehicles, Acceleration is Basic Speed ¥ 2, and 2 points buys +1
  to Acceleration. Top Speed results from applying Enhanced
  Move to ground, water, or air speed; to raise Top Speed, buy
  more Enhanced Move. But note that Top Speed automatically
  goes up in proportion to Acceleration, with no point cost.
  Hnd/SR: Handling is an enhancement or limitation of
  Enhanced Move: +5% per +1 to Handling, or -5% per -1.
  Determine the cost of the vehicle’s Enhanced Move – both what
  it starts with and any extra it acquires during customization –
  and take Handling as a percentage of that. This works out to
  +1 Hnd costing 1 point per level of Enhanced Move. SR is a
  result of the vehicle’s basic configuration and can’t be bought
  up or down.
  Load/Occ.: The space occupied by a vehicle’s cargo and
  occupants is Payload. Their total weight, in tons, is given as
  Load; cargo capacity equals load minus 0.1 ton per occupant.
  Multiply ¥2,000 to convert to pounds. Payload is normally
  based on Basic Lift: One level of increased Payload provides
  increased capacity equal to Basic Lift/10. For unpowered vehi-
  cles, which have ST 0 and therefore have no Basic Lift, com-
  pute Payload instead as (HP squared)/50 per level.
  Range: Range is the distance a vehicle can travel on one
  tank of fuel; a vehicle that uses fuel more efficiently can go far-
  ther. Buy increased Range as levels of Reduced Consumption.
  One level multiplies Range ¥1.5; two levels, ¥3; three levels,
  ¥20; four levels, ¥100.
  DX/IQ: A vehicle that doesn’t control itself has DX 0, IQ 0,
  and, as a result, Per 0 and Will 0. If it acquires self-control as
  one of its enhanced abilities, buy DX and IQ up from 0.
  Example: The Barnstormer is a masked adventurer of the
  pulp era; he flies to locations in a five-state radius, righting
  wrongs and fighting gangsters. He has fairly modest abilities as
  SETS AND PROPS
  84
  Swinging
  A classic move for heroes is traveling through a city
  above street level, swinging on ropes or webs. The fol-
  lowing rules can be used to describe such movement.
  Swinging from point A to point B requires a line as
  long as the distance between them. The cord needs an
  attachment point directly above the midpoint between
  A and B. The height of the attachment point above the
  midpoint is seven-eighths the length of the line; the
  swinger needs vertical clearance below the midpoint of
  one-eighth the length of the rope.
  Four-color heroes often perform the cinematic feat
  of firing a new swinging line as they reach the end of
  the previous swing, rather than landing on a wall or
  ledge. This requires enough time and skill to ready the
  new line, pick a target, and fire the attachment at it, all
  while hanging from the old line. An archer, for exam-
  ple, would need 1 second to draw an arrow, 1 second
  to draw his bow, and 1 second to shoot. Some supers
  travel through cities by swinging from building to
  building!
  This works best if each arc of the swing is fairly
  long. Swinging can be described by a variant on the
  rules for Super Jump (p. B89): Move while swinging is
  the greater of your normal ground move and 1/5 the
  length of your line. Your maximum swing can take up
  to 5 seconds, which gives you time enough for several
  combat actions in mid-swing.
  In a realistic campaign, this kind of movement
  requires a series of attribute and skill rolls for each new
  swing: Perception or Observation to spot a suitable
  attachment point; DX, Innate Attack, Throwing, or a
  weapon skill to hit the target with a line; Acrobatics to
  make the swing; and possibly Fast-Draw to ready the
  next cast or shot. In a cinematic campaign, GMs may
  allow heroes to take the Perk of Swinging (p. 31). This
  lets them travel by swinging from building to building,
  or tree to tree, without making repeated skill rolls. A
  journey normally requires a single Acrobatics roll, and
  takes place at a Move equal to one-fifth the length of
  the swinger’s line, or his normal ground move,
  whichever is greater.
  A hero who wants to travel across a city, from one
  place to another, can roll against Area Knowledge to do
  so. This roll is normally made at –2; knowing a city’s
  streets at ground level doesn’t grant detailed knowl-
  edge of its high places! The GM may allow a character
  to take Area Knowledge of a city’s upper levels, and
  have a –2 penalty for Area Knowledge of its ground 
  levels instead.
  
  SETS AND PROPS
  85
  a 200-point character. His vehicle is an improved biplane,
  which he calls The Princess. Its basic stats are given on p. B465.
  The Princess is a fast plane, with Move 3/55. Buying +1
  Acceleration (raising it from 2 to 3) costs 2 points. Increasing
  Acceleration automatically increases Top Speed (from 37 to 55),
  which is free. Four levels of Enhanced Move (Air) would give
  Top Speed 48; four and one-half would give her Top Speed 67.
  We use the higher value in figuring the cost of its added Hnd.
  It’s extremely agile, with +6 Hnd; that’s four added levels, cost-
  ing (4 ¥ 4.5) = 18 points. Some experimental advanced armor
  raises DR from 3 to 5, worth 10 points. It’s also ruggedly built,
  raising HT from 10f to 12f, worth 20 more points. Its other
  traits are normal.
  This makes it a 50-point Ally. That’s 25% of the
  Barnstormer’s point total, giving it a base value of 1 point. As an
  IQ 0 character, it’s a Minion (+50%), and it appears on a 15 or
  less (¥3 cost). That comes to 4.5 points, rounding up to 5 points.
  In addition, the base cash price before improvements is $55K;
  that’s 5.5¥ starting wealth for TL 6, costing 11 points as
  Signature Gear. Total point cost is 16.
  RIDER-POWERED VEHICLES
  Most supers travel either with their own natural movement
  abilities, or by operating vehicles with engines. But the bicycle
  is one of the most efficient devices for turning human work
  into motion; its invention revolutionized 19th-century trans-
  portation. More recently, some experimenters have developed
  marginally workable man-powered aircraft. Now imagine how
  much more such a design could do with a superhumanly
  strong, fast, or enduring operator. Of course, the vehicle needs
  to be able to stand up to the stress of being used by someone
  this strong.
  A cyclist’s Move is 2 ¥ his walking or running speed; in
  effect, he has a full level of Enhanced Move (Ground; Road-
  Bound, -50%) for free. If he buys Enhanced Move (Ground) as
  a power, it affects his cycling speed as well as his running
  speed. He needs tires with good traction to avoid simply spin-
  ning his wheels, and a rugged gearing system to cope with his
  rapid pedaling; increased the cycle’s weight by 20%. Assume
  that a cycle that can handle Enhanced Move 1 is good-quality
  equipment (5¥ basic price); one that can work with Enhanced
  Move 2 is fine-quality equipment (20¥ basic price); and any-
  thing beyond that isn’t normally purchasable, but must be
  taken as a trademark item, bought as Signature Gear with a
  base price 100¥ normal. For these purposes, a standard bicycle
  weighs 25 lbs. and costs $300.
  Cyclists with superhuman strength can operate heavier
  vehicles with muscle-powered drivetrains. The power of such a
  drivetrain, in kW, can be estimated as (Basic Lift) ¥ (Basic
  Move) / 1,000. Power requirements can be estimated as 5 kW
  for a scooter or 15 kW for a heavy motorcycle or sports bike.
  Use the vehicle statistics from p. B464, except that the vehicle’s
  unloaded weight is only half as much because it needs no
  engine or fuel tank.
  PORTALS
  Portals are devices that enable their users to travel instan-
  taneously to a remote location (treat as Warp) or to travel to
  another time, a parallel world, or another plane, either instan-
  taneously (treat as Jumper) or over time (treat as Jumper with
  Special Movement at -10% for anything up to your Move as a
  requirement; for longer required times, add Takes Extra Time).
  This can give you access to a variety of exotic places; see Wider
  Horizons (p. 141) for several options.
  A portal is normally permanently attached to a large vehi-
  cle, a building, or an area of land. If this is under your control,
  buy Warp or Jumper with the Special Portal modifier from
  GURPS Powers. A portal that leads only to a hidden base may
  be defined as a Perk; see Access (p. 87). If it’s not under any-
  one’s control, it has no point cost, but getting access to it
  should require suitable tests of skill, typically against Hidden
  Lore. If it’s under the control of a guardian who’s willing to
  help, treat him as a Contact with a supernatural talent.
  A lot of supers have distinctive bases of operation: Doc
  Savage’s and Superman’s Fortresses of Solitude, Batman’s
  Batcave, Dr. Strange’s Greenwich Village mansion, the X-Men’s
  school, and so on. Usually these are trademarks of the specific
  heroes, rather than mundane assets that they could buy or sell
  for convenience. Several different ways of representing them
  on a character sheet are available.
  Signature Gear: Headquarters can be bought with a variant
  form of the Signature Gear advantage. Pay the point cost of a
  desired level of Status. You then have a base appropriate to
  that Status, along the lines of the living spaces described on
  p. B266. You can also acquire a headquarters appropriate to
  Status 0 or less, at a cost of 1 point for Status -2, 2 points for
  Status -1, or 3 points for Status 0. For example, 1 point of
  Signature Gear at TL8 gets you a single room devoted to your
  hobby of crime-fighting. This doesn’t have to be in a flophouse
  or shelter; it could be a garage, or a room in a house or apart-
  ment. Designate this as Signature Gear 1 (Status -2 HQ) [1].
  You don’t have to pay the cost of living for the Status of your
  headquarters, and it doesn’t provide you with servants, vehi-
  cles, better clothes, or consumer goods and services.
  This is the base cost of a headquarters; it gets you an ordi-
  nary room or building with street access or the equivalent,
  with civilian-level security and no special fortifications. You
  can apply the Special Abilities enhancement (p. B73) to get
  something more sophisticated. +50% if you have an unusual
  location (in a cave, underwater, in outer space); use defenses,
  security, or camouflage that aren’t legal for civilians (LC0-2); or
  don’t register it with the legal authorities (LC2-3). +100% if
  your headquarters has magical or superscience traits.
  Perks: You can have a headquarters equivalent to the resi-
  dence of a person three Status levels below that of your civilian
  identity as a Perk. A Status 1 hero could have a Status -2 head-
  quarters, or a single room; a Status 8 person could have an
  entire estate holding a large mansion! This isn’t a good deal for
  most heroes, but it’s advantageous for the wealthy. However, a
  headquarters taken as a Perk can’t have Special Abilities.
  HEADQUARTERS
  
  SETS AND PROPS
  86
  Patron: If you have a Patron, he can provide you with a base
  of operations, either as your personal headquarters or as space
  in a larger facility. If this is only part of the total package your
  sponsor provides, pay the normal cost. If all you get is the
  headquarters, treat this as a new special limitation: Fixed
  Location, -50%. Note that a wealthy hero can act as this kind
  of Patron for his teammates, paying the cost of their base of
  operations. See also the Team as Patron option (p. 64).
  Paying this point cost gets the headquarters space and the
  normal furnishings and infrastructure of a building at your TL.
  At TL0 you might have a cave with a hearth and a stack of fire-
  wood; at TL12 you could have a self-repairing building with
  climate control, diagnostic and surgical nanotech, and access
  to a global information utility. The GM is the arbiter of what is
  appropriate at a given tech level.
  STAFF
  Ordinary servants can be hired for the standard rate of pay
  for their duties. Help at this level is not especially loyal; the
  workers have jobs and presumably want to keep them, but they
  can be alienated by harsh treatment, tempted by offers of more
  money, or coerced by threats or blackmail. For this reason, a
  hero with a Secret Identity or other skeletons may prefer to do
  without servants, keeping up his own headquarters, for the
  sake of security. He can also pay them more to encourage loy-
  alty or offset risks or illegalities.
  More loyal staff can be bought as Contacts; see Trusted
  Assistants, p. 65. Each such assistant provides one skill.
  Alternatively, an entire workforce can be taken as a Contact
  Group. Staff typically appear on a 15 or less; they can have any
  desired level of reliability, but a prudent super has staff who
  are completely reliable. They don’t normally perform field mis-
  sions; that’s why they’re Contacts rather than Allies. Limited
  field duties, such as transport or delivering messages, are
  allowable at the GM’s discretion, but they should never include
  actual combat.
  Routine security personnel can be bought as a Contact
  Group, subject to certain restrictions:
  • They can’t be sent out into the field; they perform combat
  duties only at the headquarters.
  • The headquarters isn’t located in a combat zone or other-
  wise constantly threatened with attack or invasion.
  • The security staff are built on less than 20% of the hero’s
  point total. This provides a way for a four-color hero to take
  ordinary mortals as security forces, rather than the highly
  trained combatants he could take as 1-point Allies.
  APPARATUS
  Apparatus is special equipment that’s too big to carry
  about on missions – or at least big enough to make doing so
  inconvenient. If you’d want to put it down before starting a
  fight, treat it as apparatus. Usually apparatus is kept at a
  headquarters, but it can also be transported in a large vehi-
  cle, from the scale of a van or helicopter up to the size of a
  capital ship. Anything that’s part of the normal furnishings of
  a building or vehicle doesn’t count as apparatus; it comes free
  with the building. Extra equipment has to be paid for
  separately.
  Many sorts of apparatus can be taken as Perks. This is sim-
  ilar to taking an Accessory for a character, but it can include
  larger items on a scale suited to the headquarters, so long as
  these don’t provide more than minor benefits. For example, a
  basic workshop for any skill or a laboratory for any science can
  be taken as a Perk if the base is big enough to hold it. The GM
  may allow apparatus to be scaled up or down to fit larger or
  smaller headquarters; for example, a very large headquarters
  might have a vault.
  Equipment of this sort is normally limited to commercially
  available devices and systems that are legal for private citizens
  to own and use. If the headquarters has Special Abilities, the
  apparatus it contains can have qualities within the range of
  those Special Abilities. In particular, Special Abilities at the
  +50% level is sufficient for good or fine quality equipment; the
  +100% level provides the best equipment possible at that TL, if
  this is better.
  Some examples of apparatus that heroes are likely to want
  include the following:
  Combat Training Room. An exercise area built to stand up
  to the hero’s or team’s powers, and with equipment for both
  conventional fitness training and combat drills. Can be used
  for self-study of the use of superpowers or for formal training,
  if a teacher is available. TL6.
  Computer. Any headquarters can have a computer suited to
  its size and cost. A base with Special Abilities at the +100%
  level can have an advanced computer with exotic abilities. It
  can also be bought as an Ally, and a sentient computer must be
  bought as an Ally. TL5^ or TL7.
  Damper Room. A room outfitted with damper projectors,
  used for interrogating metahumans and imprisoning convict-
  ed super-criminals. It neutralizes super powers and psi abilities
  but not biological, chi, magic, spirit, or technological powers.
  There are many other potential uses: an operating room to
  treat supers whose invulnerability might interfere with sur-
  gery, a refuge for normals being hunted by a homicidal supers,
  a place where those with inconvenient power side effects can
  relax and socialize, etc. To take this as a Perk, a headquarters
  must have Special Features at the +100% level. TL^.
  Electronic Security System. An automatic intruder-detection
  apparatus. This can be based on pressure sensors in the floor,
  capacitance-based proximity detectors, infrared sensors that
  pick up body heat, ultrasonic motion detectors, or a variety of
  other technologies. Multiple systems can be taken as multiple
  Perks. TL8.
  Laboratory. A research facility suited to work in one science.
  Many supers have a forensics laboratory, for example. TL5.
  Library. A research library that holds standard reference
  volumes for one or more fields, plus at least one computer ter-
  minal with access to standard Internet search engines and ref-
  erence sources. TL7.
  Safe. A built-in safe. A typical safe has 1” of hardened steel,
  holds 1 cubic foot of payload, weighs 290 lbs., and has SM -2,
  DR 60, and 53 HP. TL5.
  Shielded Room. A room with metal mesh built into the
  walls, which can block the transmission of radio waves,
  microwaves, and millimeter waves, defeating many sorts of
  bugging and surveillance devices. It also blocks cell-phone
  transmissions and other radio communications. Good for run-
  ning high-security computer systems. TL8.
  
  Surgery. An area equipped for performing surgical proce-
  dures on one person. It can be kept sterile and provide anes-
  thesia and monitoring of vital signs, as well as standard surgi-
  cal equipment. TL5.
  Uninterruptible Power Supply. A self-contained power stor-
  age system that keeps the base in operation for up to eight
  hours if its external power supply is cut off. TL8.
  Video Projection System. A laptop computer with enough
  memory to store video footage, photographs, and slides, plus a
  projector and a screen on which images can be displayed. TL8.
  Lower-tech equivalents are possible, such as a microfilm read-
  er or a movie projector.
  Workshop. A work area with tools suited to one craft or
  technology. TL1.
  ACCESS
  A base located inside a larger building typically has an ordi-
  nary doorway as a walk-in entrance, though it may be kept
  locked most of the time. In a modern building, a base that
  takes up an entire floor may have stairwell doors that open
  only from inside the base, and elevator access that requires a
  keycard or other device. A base that occupies an entire build-
  ing normally has street access via a door or lobby, though the
  interior or the upper floors can be kept off-limits.
  Access control based on biometrics is a Perk, available for a
  base with Special Features at the +50% level. Options include
  voice recognition, fingerprint scan, retinal scan, or DNA
  sequencing. A base with Special Features at the +100% level
  can have access control based on magical identification, psion-
  ic mind scan, or other exotic methods suited to the powers of
  its owner.
  Bases can also have vehicular access. An internal garage is
  free, for any base large enough to hold one. Boat docks, heli-
  pads, and other unusual vehicular access points are Perks. The
  GM may waive this in a city where everyone travels by boat or
  helicopter.
  Bases located out in the country normally have road access;
  they don’t necessarily have separate doors for foot traffic. Boat
  docks, helipads, and similar features are still Perks.
  Bases in exotic locations, such as underwater, under-
  ground, or in orbit, are normally accessible only by suitable
  vehicles, or to heroes with powers that let them travel to those
  locations. Suitable vehicular docks are Perks; so are airlocks
  and similar features. Really exotic locations, such as other
  dimensions, may be accessible only with the help of strange
  powers, or through mysterious portals (see Portals, p. 85). A
  base itself may contain a portal at the usual cost.
  Bases can also have hidden access as a Perk; this is a form
  of concealment, discussed next.
  CONCEALMENT
  Some heroes or teams have publicly acknowledged offices,
  where people can walk in and ask for help. But a lot of them
  need hidden bases, either instead of or in addition to the ones
  the public knows about.
  For a secret base that has a regular street address, some sort
  of false front is needed to keep passersby from wondering what
  goes on at that address. Setting up such a façade requires
  Camouflage skill (at the GM’s discretion, substitute Artist
  (Interior Decorating or Scene Design)). Any hero with that skill
  can set up a false front that fools casual observers. A systemat-
  ic examination of the structure calls for a Quick Contest of
  Observation skill vs. Camouflage skill. A physical search of the
  building penetrates the deception. However, it may be possible
  to hide specific objects like costumes or weapons. Finding
  them requires a Quick Contest of Search vs. Smuggling. If they
  aren’t found, the investigators are left with no more than their
  suspicions.
  SETS AND PROPS
  87
  
  SETS AND PROPS
  88
  It’s also possible to conceal an entire base as a hidden room
  or even an entire hidden floor (typically a sub-basement). This
  requires Architecture skill. Determining that such a hidden
  space exists requires a Quick Contest of Architecture,
  Observation, or Search vs. the Architecture skill of the builder.
  A base that doesn’t have a regular street address doesn’t
  need to deal with onlookers. However, it can still be spotted by
  human observers or electronic surveillance. Detecting it
  requires a Quick Contest of Observation skill vs. Camouflage
  skill for human observers, or of Electronics Operation
  (Sensors or Surveillance) vs. Camouflage for surveillance
  devices.
  Even if a base is successfully hidden, investigators may still
  be able to locate it by watching for unusual patterns of traffic.
  The physical evidence of such traffic is obtained from a Quick
  Contest of Observation vs. Stealth; the interpretation of that
  data calls for a Quick Contest of Intelligence Analysis vs.
  Camouflage.
  One way to guard against this sort of discovery is by setting
  up hidden entrances and exits. Any such access is a Perk. The
  entrance itself can be discovered by examining traffic patterns;
  figuring out where the base is from the location of the entrance
  calls for a further Quick Contest of Intelligence Analysis vs.
  Camouflage. The Intelligence Analysis roll is made at a penal-
  ty equal to the range modifier, but with a bonus equal to the
  Size Modifier for the width or height of the passage, whichev-
  er is larger (see p. B550). Heroes with suitable unusual senses
  can substitute a Sense roll; investigators who have access to
  geological sensors can use an Electronics Operation (Sensors)
  roll. If access involves teleportation or interdimensional travel,
  the route can only be traced by appropriate powers or spells,
  but the portal itself may be detectable with Magery or Weird
  Science. Such exotic access is possible only for a base with
  Special Abilities at +100%.
  STRUCTURE AND
  FORTIFICATIONS
  The ability of a base to stand up to attack can be defined
  using the rules on pp. B558-559. Determine its DR, HP, and HT
  from its size, weight, material, and state of repair.
  First, estimate the base’s area. As a guideline, a single room
  is between 100 and 300 square feet; an apartment is around
  300 square feet for a very small or shared apartment, or 1,000
  square feet for a large apartment; a house is around 1,000
  square feet for a cottage, 3,000 square feet for a comfortable
  house, and 10,000 square feet for an extremely large house; a
  mansion is at least 5,000 square feet and probably many times
  larger.
  Now determine the base’s weight from its area and con-
  struction. Weight per 1,000 square feet is 50 tons for wood
  frame, 100 tons for steel frame or brick, and 150 tons for stone.
  From weight, determine HP: 100 ¥ (cube root of empty
  weight in tons).
  A building in good repair has HT 12. A structure that has
  not been well maintained or has suffered damage and not been
  fully repaired has HT 10.
  Ordinary buildings have DR based on the thickness of their
  walls. Wall thickness in inches can be estimated as
  (6 ¥ Building weight in tons) / (Building area in sf ¥
  Material density)
  In this formula, material density (in tons per cubic foot) is
  0.016 for wood, 0.075 for stone, 0.09 for brick, and 0.1 for
  steel-framed concrete. This thickness can be multiplied by the
  DR/inch statistic from the table on p. B559.
  Example: Bigfoot’s headquarters is a wood cabin in the
  Canadian Rockies, with an area of 300 sf. This gives it a weight
  of (300 square feet) ¥ (50 tons/1,000 square feet) = 15 tons. It
  has 100 ¥ cube root(15) = 247 HP. Bigfoot doesn’t have much
  time for maintenance, so it has HT 10. The thickness of its walls
  is (6 ¥ 15) / (300 ¥ 0.016) = 19 inches. It’s made of pine, a fairly
  soft wood with DR 0.5/inch, so it has DR 9.
  A base with Special Abilities at the 50% level can have inter-
  nal structural reinforcements that increase its HT by +2. It can
  also have additional DR; choose a suitable material from the
  Cover DR Table (p. B559) and a suitable thickness. A base with
  Special Abilities at the +100% level can be made of supermate-
  rials with up to 5¥ the DR/inch of conventional materials of the
  same general type. If the hero’s abilities make it plausible, it
  may be capable of healing instead of needing to be repaired;
  treat this as a Perk. For simplicity, disregard the additional
  weight of the building’s DR in figuring its HP – assume that the
  armor is an external or internal shell that contributes nothing
  to structural support.
  Heroes who want to operate out of secret bases need to use
  their Camouflage skill to make any special defenses
  inconspicuous.
  Ordinary animals are simply bought for cash. See pp. B458-
  460 for prices of riding animals; prices of other creatures are
  subject to the GM’s judgment, modified by training as defined
  on p. B459. Heroes are likely to have exceptionally intelligent
  and trainable animal companions; see p. B459 for the effect of
  higher IQ on price.
  Animals that have special relationships with their human
  masters are bought as Allies. This makes the relationship with
  the pet a lasting part of the hero’s personal legend, in the same
  way as for Signature Gear – but the two have a personal con-
  nection, comparable to that with a sidekick (see p. 66).
  Published examples of such relationships include the Lone
  Ranger and Silver, the Silver-Age Superboy and Krypto, and
  Kitty Pryde and Lockheed in the X-Men titles.
  Wilderness-themed heroes may be known to the animal
  populations of the areas where they’re active and be able to call
  on them for help without actually owning them. Such a rela-
  tionship can be defined by giving the hero an animal Contact
  Group, which provides “animal skills.” These skills can’t
  include anything that’s not possible for normal fauna; see
  pp. B455-461 for examples of suitable traits.
  PETS
  
  SETS AND PROPS
  89
  Some supers may have access to magical equipment. This
  isn’t limited to mages! Any heroes whose power source is
  magic can have such gear. Other sources may do so as well
  with GM approval; divine, cosmic, moral, and spirit power
  sources all go well with magical equipment. Even super nor-
  mals may have a magical item or two.
  High-powered mages can also create magical equipment,
  by enchanting it, or even develop new spells and enchant-
  ments through research. Divine and cosmic beings may be
  able to bring new equipment into being simply by willing it to
  appear.
  ENCHANTED ITEMS
  In most heroic settings, there isn’t an established
  market for buying and selling magical items – or, if
  there is, access to it requires an Unusual Background
  just like access to cutting-edge technology
  (see p. 75). Supers who have such equip-
  ment need to pay points for it as Signature
  Gear. GURPS Fantasy provides a rule for
  such acquisitions that
  works equally well in a
  supers campaign: Each
  point 
  spent 
  on
  Signature Gear buys
  an 
  enchanted 
  item
  with an energy cost of
  25 points. Alternatively, for a
  high-powered campaign, use the
  other rule from GURPS Fantasy:
  each point of Signature Gear
  equates to an energy cost of
  1,000 points!
  Most enchanted items enable the
  user to cast a specific spell without
  having to learn it through study. He still
  has to pay the energy cost of the spell itself, in
  FP. He doesn’t need to know prerequisite spells,
  but may have to meet other prerequisites such as
  having a certain level of Magery.
  Other items not only grant the spell, but
  the power to cast it. In terms of GURPS
  Magic, some of these are “always on” items;
  others are standard enchanted items with the
  additional enchantment Power at a sufficient level to reduce
  the energy cost of the spell to 0. Items of the first type are
  especially suited to nonmages because they don’t require a
  Concentrate maneuver or any type of roll to cast; they just
  provide beneficial effects. See also Divine Gifts, p. 90.
  For an extensive list of enchanted items, see GURPS
  Magic. Some examples of items that might fit supers include
  the following:
  Flight Ring: A magical ring made of silver that enables the
  wearer to cast the spell Walk on Air. Costs 20 character
  points; the ring itself costs $1,000, which is treated as 0
  points of Signature Gear.
  Ghostfinder Stone: A gem that glows when spirits are
  within 5 yards of it. Costs 20 character points.
  Loyal Sword: Cast on any tool or weapon, causes it
  to return to the user’s hand on the next turn. If
  dropped no more than a yard away, it
  leaps into his hand and is instantly ready.
  If thrown, it flies until it hits something
  or falls to the ground, and then returns at
  Move 12. It can be
  caught in flight with a
  DX-4 roll, but
  attempts to use
  it are at -4 to
  skill as it tries
  to return to its
  owner. 
  In 
  its
  owner’s hands, it is
  always ready. Costs 30 charac-
  ter points per pound of weight
  (minimum 30).
  ALCHEMICAL
  PREPARATIONS
  An alchemically themed hero can achieve
  a variety of effects by making use of the mag-
  ical, as opposed to the scientific or technologi-
  cal, properties of matter. The alchemist does-
  n’t need to be a mage, and doesn’t benefit
  from Magery, but alchemical preparations
  still stop working in no-mana areas.
  In addition to normal human servants (discussed in
  Chapter 3), a super may have various sorts of nonhuman ser-
  vants. If they serve him because they choose to do so, treat
  them as Allies or Contacts. If they have no choice in the mat-
  ter, define them as Allies with the Minion enhancement (see
  p. B38), or as completely reliable Contacts (see p. B44). Such
  totally controlled servants are effectively a form of equipment.
  Any device that has an IQ greater than 0 can be treated as such.
  Examples could include a combat robot, a computer, a magic
  mirror, or a demon bound into a fetish.
  One minor tweak to these rules is to define an item that isn’t
  taken into the field, but that has multiple skills. Treat such a
  device as a Contact! (see Trusted Assistants, p. 65).
  SERVANTS
  MAGIC
  
  Standard alchemical preparations are available as
  Signature Gear under special rules.
  Elixirs: See GURPS Magic for a list of alchemical elixirs.
  Each of these has two listed prices; supers campaigns normal-
  ly have rare magic settings, so use the higher price in determin-
  ing how many doses of a given potion the alchemist can have
  as Signature Gear. For example, Healing elixir costs $250 per
  dose, so a TL8 alchemist who spent 1 point on Signature Gear
  would gain 40 doses of it, worth $10,000 or half of starting
  wealth for TL8. Potions are consumed when they’re used, so
  they don’t automatically come back; instead, the alchemist can
  make more by paying the price of the ingredients. The GM can
  choose whether to keep track of the time required to make the
  elixir, or simply assume that enough time passes between sce-
  narios to replace any that were consumed.
  Other preparations have to be bought as gadgets or other
  advantages:
  Gizmos: An alchemist can take Gizmos and define it as
  applying to alchemical preparations. In that case, he can pro-
  vide a dose of any elixir he knows at a moment’s notice, made
  from raw materials he carries about with him. This requires a
  roll against his Alchemy skill, modified by the difficulty of the
  elixir and by his mastery of the specific technique of its prepa-
  ration. If the GM is using the optional rules for limited
  Gizmos, then alchemical elixirs in general are a -10% focus
  limitation, and specific forms of such elixirs are a -15% limita-
  tion; in addition, Potion Effects Only is a -20% trait limitation,
  and a specific subgroup of potion
  effects is a -30% limitation.
  Philosopher’s Stone:
  In a
  comic-book 
  campaign, 
  the
  philosopher’s stone has properties
  slightly different from those in a
  standard fantasy game. It provides
  Alchemy Talent at a base cost of 5
  per level, with the modifiers
  Breakable (DR 30, Cannot be
  repaired, SM -10, -15%; Can Be
  Stolen, Stealth or trickery, -
  20%; Magical, -10%). This
  benefits both Alchemy skill
  and any abilities of alchemical
  powers the hero may possess.
  DIVINE GIFTS
  Some enchantments can’t be made self-powered at a rea-
  sonable cost; their energy cost is simply too high. For example,
  a Power enchantment able to provide 5 points of energy con-
  tinuously would cost 8,000 energy; bought as Signature Gear,
  this would cost 320 points! Using slow and sure enchantment
  to create such a Power enchantment would take 22 mage-
  years. It’s safe to assume that few magicians are going to take
  on that big a project.
  If a hero acquires an object that produces such magical
  effects continuously, it won’t be as a conventional enchanted
  object. It may be granted as a gift by a god or other ultra-
  powerful being, or unearthed in an ancient temple. Don’t buy
  such items as Signature Gear, or the benefits they grant as
  spells. Rather, treat them as advantages bought with gadget
  limitations. These gadgets get a source modifier like Magical
  or Divine, but don’t benefit from a power talent such as
  Magery. The GM may make an exception if it seems reasonable
  that there is a special magical bond between the user and the
  object, making it more like a direct expression of his will than
  a tool.
  Mad enchanters or desperate heroes with the Gadgeteering
  advantage may be able to create such devices for a single use,
  following the rules under One Use Only (see p. 74).
  GMs have the option of having all magical devices in a
  supers campaign work this way, rather than using the spell-
  based enchantments from GURPS Magic.
  SPELL RESEARCH
  The rules for inventing devices can also be applied to
  inventing spells, with a few modifications. Developing a new
  skill involves a concept roll and a prototype roll. There is no
  production roll, because spells aren’t cast by mass production;
  each casting of a spell is effectively a new prototype.
  The concept roll is against Thaumatology or Ritual Magic.
  In place of the complexity modifier, subtract the spell’s prereq-
  uisite count, with a -5 penalty for a spell in a college in which
  you know no spells, and a -5 penalty for a low-mana location.
  Once the spell concept is developed, someone must invest 1
  point in learning the spell. It is then cast ceremonially, taking
  10¥ the normal casting time; this can be done even if only a
  solitary mage is involved.
  Setup time for this
  casting takes 1 day (8
  hours 
  Preparation
  Time, in effect). The
  modifiers defined for the
  concept roll in place of
  standard concept roll modi-
  fiers also take the place
  of standard prototype
  roll 
  modifiers. 
  In
  addition, the stan-
  dard 
  ceremonial
  magic rules for the
  benefits of having assis-
  tants still apply. On a criti-
  cal failure, roll on the critical
  failures table for spells; whatever happens
  is inherent in that version of the spell! On a normal
  failure, it has the usual number of minor bugs, which
  can be treated as nuisance effects or other limitations
  inherent in that version of the spell. On a normal success, it
  has no inherent problems – but it’s not possible to eliminate
  the chance of critical failures in future castings; that’s in the
  nature of magic.
  The prototype roll requires a magical workspace. This is
  normally set up as part of a headquarters (see p. 85). Treat it as
  a Perk, but the headquarters must have Special Abilities at the
  +100% level.
  The rules under One Use Only can be used to create spells
  that can only be cast once – for example, “when the stars are
  right.” Spells that summon or banish a vast extradimensional
  entity are a classic example.
  SETS AND PROPS
  90
  
  ALL-NEW ADVENTURES
  91
  “Where are we patrolling tonight?”
  Captain Chicago turned on the lamp above his large-scale
  wall map of the city, and gestured with a pointer.
  “We’ll start out the night with a sweep south of the yards.
  Around 0100 we’ll head for the waterfront, so that we can arrive
  there by 0200. Depending on what we find there, we may or may
  not cover any other areas; if we do, it will be the banking district,
  until 0400, when we’ll close down for the night.”
  “I’ve never understood how you know which areas we need to
  cover.”
  “It’s using things I learned in the Corps, Gary,” the Captain
  said. “Part of it’s inside information – for example, Sparkler
  found out that there’s a shipment of cocaine being unloaded
  tonight, and the Brisbane came in from Peru yesterday morning.
  Part of it’s crime statistics: We patrol areas that have a lot of
  reported crime, especially the ones that have poor arrest rates.
  But part of it’s random. If we settle into a regular pattern, the bad
  guys could figure out how to avoid us, or even set up an ambush.
  So I pick patrol routes by rolling dice. The crooks never know
  where we’ll show up next, and that does more to keep crime
  down.”
  Like comics, roleplaying games are a serial medium. The
  GM needs to come up with a steady flow of new story ideas.
  But both media have their formulas – often the same ones, in
  fact. A GM who understands those formulas can keep his audi-
  ence happy by inventing new variations on a few basic themes.
  This chapter explores the standard progressions of heroic
  adventure and suggests ways of using them in a comic-book
  campaign.
  In simple adventure stories, the heroes encounter their
  adversaries in the process of committing a crime and try to
  stop them. This type of story was common in the Golden and
  Silver Ages, when a single issue of a comic might contain two
  or three stories.
  In game terms, a scenario of this type takes a single session,
  with the fight against the villains as its main event. It’s possible
  to devote an entire campaign to these scenarios; such a game
  suits players who roleplay mainly for the excitement of combat
  or the tactical puzzles.
  ENCOUNTER
  How is it that heroes manage to encounter so many crimes,
  especially the ones committed by supers? Many police officers
  spend a full workday patrolling the streets and don’t necessar-
  ily see serious crimes being committed every day, or even every
  week. A lot of the criminals they deal with are petty thieves,
  drug dealers, and similar minor offenders. If there were pow-
  ered villains in the real world, an ordinary police officer might
  encounter only a few of them in his career. But comic-book
  heroes seem to run into them all the time.
  A simple answer is that most of a hero’s time on patrol is as
  dull as a beat cop’s day. But the game sessions, or the comics
  stories, skip over the boring parts. The events in the game are
  not a random sample of the events in their lives – any more
  than ordinary people who find themselves on the nightly news
  can call that a random sample of the events of their daily lives.
  In both cases, the audience focuses on the exciting or unusual.
  Some heroes live in places where super-powered villains,
  crimes in general, or other challenges are more common. The
  high crime rates in many versions of Gotham City and the
  supernatural threats drawn to Sunnydale by the Hellmouth
  both fit this pattern. A super-soldier serving during wartime
  almost certainly sees a lot of action.
  Some heroes monitor police radio frequencies and come to
  the aid of police officers faced with dangerous criminals.
  Others may have Contacts on the police force who can call
  them in on important events, or underworld informants who
  tip them off about major crimes or villain plots. The GM can
  roll frequency of appearance to see if the heroes acquire a case
  that way. Supers can better take advantage of such opportuni-
  ties if they have high mobility, thanks to high-performance
  vehicles, superspeed, or teleportation. See No Evil Shall Escape
  My Sight (p. 107) for more on this point.
  Some superpowers increase a hero’s chance of finding
  crimes to deal with. Superhuman senses, psionic or magical
  awareness, or simply patrolling a city at high speed all make it
  likelier that heroes spot a crime in progress. Someone with
  superhuman intelligence or access to advanced computers
  may be able to predict where and when crimes occur. Heroes
  with Luck or Serendipity may come across crime scenes seem-
  ingly at random.
  CHAPTER FIVE
  ALL-NEW
  ADVENTURES
  ON PATROL
  
  ALL-NEW ADVENTURES
  92
  Finally, the crime may come to the hero. Many comics sto-
  ries have the villain deciding that the hero can naturally dis-
  cover his scheme and thwart it if the scoundrel doesn’t get rid
  of him first. Other villains have already been thwarted by a
  hero or team of heroes and want revenge against them. They
  may either track down the heroes’ hidden base and attack
  them, or stage seemingly minor crimes that turn out to be
  ambushes.
  Combat
  Once the heroes and villains come together, the fight starts.
  To actually run the fight, see pp. B362-444 and Chapter 7 of
  this book; the latter provides optional rules for superhuman
  combat. But before any blow is struck, it’s a good idea to do a
  Quick Contest of Tactics between the leader of the superteam
  and the leader of the other side – use the default of IQ-6 if one
  side’s leader isn’t formally trained in Tactics.
  Any success indicates that that side approached the situa-
  tion intelligently: The criminals posted lookouts or had 
  someone on hand for backup; the heroes scouted out the situ-
  ation and tried to spot where their enemies were likely to be. If
  the criminals succeeded by more, they spotted the heroes com-
  ing in and had a chance to get ready for them – for example,
  firing the first shot or taking hostages. If the heroes succeeded
  by more, they’re able to take the criminals by surprise.
  Conversely, if both sides failed, but the heroes failed by more,
  they suddenly find a panicked criminal attacking them; if the
  criminals failed by more, the heroes find themselves in a posi-
  tion to surprise their foes.
  Keep track of how the adversaries are doing during the
  fight. If things start to go against them, make a reaction roll;
  on a “Good” or better reaction, they decide to surrender or flee.
  Of course, in a world with heroes, prudent criminals might
  give up as soon as the local heroes showed up. But it’s a con-
  vention of the genre that criminals try to fight with heroes –
  possibly emboldened by outnumbering them, or desperate to
  avoid being arrested. Metahuman villains, of course, may actu-
  ally hope to defeat heroes!
  In the Silver Age, longer stories became more common in
  comics, and eventually it became standard for each issue of a
  title to contain a single story. In the 1950s, such stories were
  called “three-part novels,” but in the 1960s the label fell out of
  use – they weren’t unusual enough to need a special name.
  This story needs to be more than a fight or a dramatic dis-
  play of powers – or even a series of such events. Rather, the
  heroes need to find their way to the fight by investigating the
  actions of their foes. In other words, the classic form for such
  stories is a mystery. GMs can consult GURPS Mysteries for a
  fuller treatment of this genre.
  A typical scenario of this type might last two sessions. In the
  first, the heroes discover that the villains are up to something
  and uncover what it is; in the second, they confront and fight
  their foes or otherwise thwart them. A campaign built on such
  scenarios has a substantial combat every other episode. Of
  course, with the setup for it taking place mostly in the first ses-
  sion, the battle itself can actually be bigger than in a one-fight-
  per-session campaign!
  FIRST ENCOUNTER
  The start of a puzzle scenario is calling the dilemma to the
  heroes’ attention. There are several classic ways to do this.
  The villain may commit a crime that the heroes don’t man-
  age to stop. They may not even learn about it till it’s over; if
  they have police Contacts, they may be called in to offer advice
  on a mysterious crime scene. They may come across a crime in
  progress and capture the minor henchman, but see the master-
  mind get away with the (unusual) loot. In lighter treatments of
  heroic adventure, he may deliberately commit a crime that
  gives clues to what misdeeds he’ll commit next, challenging the
  heroes to stop him.
  The investigators may be tipped off that something is going
  on. A streetwise super may hear this from the underworld, or
  may have criminal Contacts who can inform him. Someone
  with a Patron may get a warning from him or be assigned to
  follow up clues, whether by an espionage agency or a near-
  divine sponsor. Heroes with supernatural gifts like Blessed or
  Oracle, or comparable psi powers, may be warned in that way.
  Scientific heroes may have computer programs with similar
  visionary benefits!
  Heroes may also be called upon by victims of crimes. The
  victim may think he was the main target, but the super could
  discover that the assault was only one step toward a larger
  plot. Perhaps investigation turns up a series of similar attacks
  – for example, thefts of high-tech equipment or ancient relics.
  Sometimes the victim may be a Dependent, Contact, or Ally of
  one of the heroes. It may even be one of the PCs; in particular,
  a villain may capture a super and replace him with a ringer –
  a role that some players may enjoy taking on!
  Some villains even call attention to their own schemes. This
  works well for large-scale extortion plots; a schemer who plans
  to unleash gigantic monsters or the forces of nature itself
  needs to demonstrate his capabilities to make the threat cred-
  ible. A deadline for meeting his terms can give the heroes an
  added sense of urgency.
  EXPOSITION
  The next step is giving information to the audience (in this
  case, the players). They have to know certain things at the out-
  set, to give their characters a direction for their investigations.
  There are lots of bad ways to handle this. Writers talk about
  the “idiot lecture,” meaning a scene where one character
  instructs another about a subject they both already know
  about. It doesn’t help much when the listener silently fumes
  over his own boredom or the lecturer’s pomposity, though this
  was a clever trick the first time it was used. In roleplaying
  games, having one player roll against a mental skill and then
  feeding him information to repeat back to the other players has
  a similar deadening effect. So do long handouts like multi-page
  documents that players have to read . . . though short handouts,
  such as a map or a few sentences, can work much better.
  PIECES OF THE PUZZLE
  
  ALL-NEW ADVENTURES
  93
  Preparing a brief document requires thinking things
  through carefully and distilling the case down to the bare min-
  imum of essential information. Brevity is an equally good exer-
  cise if the heroes are going to learn the facts by talking with an
  NPC. A list short enough to present from memory, without
  written notes, is ideal; for one thing, the players are less likely
  to forget a key fact.
  If possible, exposition should take place through character
  interaction. The heroes should learn about the case from a cit-
  izen pleading for their help, or an enemy threatening them, or
  an underworld contact passing along a rumor. This provides
  the added interest of dialogue, especially if the players enjoy
  speaking their characters’ lines. It also provides a stronger
  basis for selecting key facts: The GM can consider what infor-
  mation the speaker would have a motive for presenting to the
  heroes, and what he would want to keep quiet about. It’s vital
  to choose an NPC expositor whose intentions would lead him
  to present information that really is essential.
  GMs can also rely on indirect exposition: putting the heroes
  on the scene and including the facts in descriptions of what
  they encounter and perceive. This can go with starting the
  story in the middle, with the action already happening. For
  example, if some of the party members have been kidnapped
  and replaced by doubles (such as illusionists or alien
  shapeshifters), having their teammates catch on gets them
  involved in the adventure in a hurry! (Usually this means that
  the abductees should be NPC heroes, but a player who likes a
  roleplaying challenge may enjoy playing a double agent.) A
  minor crime or a straightforward fight can be the clue to a
  deeper plot or mystery.
  COMPLICATIONS
  The complications come in between the exposition and the
  climax. It’s these obstacles that make the difference between a
  short, simple adventure and a long, elaborate one. In a brief
  session the heroes get to the main event fairly quickly; in a sus-
  tained plot they have to earn their way to the final challenge.
  The classic literary formula for complications is that the
  hero has a problem, does something to solve it, and seemingly
  makes things worse. Each time he overcomes an obstacle, or
  answers a question, he discovers a worse obstacle or a harder
  question. At the same time, he really is progressing toward his
  goal. The increase in difficulty shows that he’s getting closer to
  the main adversary.
  One fringe benefit of this formula, for a campaign with a
  team of protagonists, is that the intermediate obstacles can call
  for different strengths. This gives each of the heroes in a group
  a chance to stand out and prove his value to his teammates.
  As a rule, it’s better not to have the complications be a series
  of large battles. That tends to weaken the drama of the final
  showdown. A fight against weaker opposition – one villain, or
  a large group of ordinary human henchman – can be one of the
  snags; the others should involve activities other than combat.
  One such activity is investigation: analyzing clues in the
  laboratory, plotting villainous acts on a map, or going out and
  questioning people who may know something. The complica-
  tion here is lack of knowledge of the villain’s identity, plans, or
  resources; the challenge is to get more information. This may
  progress to intimidation, where the problem is that people
  who know something useful are unwilling to talk, and the
  challenge is to loosen their tongues. If the villain has a base of
  operations, its defenses and guards can be a complication,
  and overcoming them to gain access can be a trial. Or if the
  bad guy is ready to carry out his big plan, the complication can
  be the authorities’ unwillingness to help the superteam set up
  an ambush for him, and the challenge is to gain their
  cooperation.
  One thing to bear in mind is that the complications aren’t
  meant to prevent the heroes from tracking down the villain,
  but to delay it and build up tension. The necessary tasks
  shouldn’t be so difficult that the party is more likely to fail than
  to succeed. It’s not a good idea to have only a single series of
  actions that can lead to victory; the players may not think of
  the required steps, or their characters may try them and fail,
  especially if only one attempt is possible. Planning out every
  possible way to success in advance is another bad idea. GMs
  should reward player creativity in using characters’ abilities; if
  their ideas have some reasonable chance of success, let them
  roll the dice, rather than looking for a rule that says they can’t
  succeed. This kind of improvisation is a big theme of the genre.
  THE FINAL CONFRONTATION
  Once the heroes track down their main adversary, they have
  to defeat him.
  The hardest way to do this is attacking him at his main base
  of operations. He has ready access to most of his resources
  there. The base is likely to be well defended and hard to sneak
  into; trying to approach him puts him on guard. On the other
  hand, once the heroes are inside the defenses they can proba-
  bly avoid collateral damage to innocent bystanders. And if they
  win, the villain is stripped of most of his assets.
  Deathtraps
  One of the classic complications of comic-book
  adventures – and of related cinematic genres such as
  spy thrillers – is the deathtrap. Having subdued the
  hero of the story, the villain doesn’t simply shoot him.
  Instead, he confines him in some sort of escape-proof
  restraints. Then he makes a long speech, gloating over
  the protagonist’s certain death, boasting of his plans,
  and perhaps even trying to persuade his enemy to
  change sides. Finally, he activates a lethal device – one
  that operates after a delay, during which the hero can
  experience the full horror of his situation. He may
  actually walk out after that, or just stand there and
  revel in the moment. But in either case, the hero has
  time to disarm the weapon, escape from his bonds,
  and come back to defeat the villain.
  This plot works best in four-color and cinematic
  campaigns; in more realistic games it raises the ques-
  tion, “Why doesn’t he just kill the hero while he has the
  chance?” For some possible motives, see Compulsive
  Behavior: Rhetoric (p. 32), Sadism (p. B152), and
  Trademark (p. B159). A super’s rogues’ gallery may even
  have a specialized Code of Honor or Vow that requires
  such behavior.
  Actually running deathtrap scenarios can be tricky.
  The GM can’t count on players to figure out the trick to
  escaping from his ingenious plot – but if the players
  are fond of puzzles, they may come up with an escape
  he hasn’t thought of.
  
  ALL-NEW ADVENTURES
  94
  Catching him while he’s carrying out his intended crime is
  somewhat easier; he probably can’t bring all his weapons and
  equipment to the crime scene. But he’s likely to be more guard-
  ed, knowing he’s vulnerable to attack. Collateral damage is a
  risk; he may even take hostages. There’s also a chance that he
  can carry out his crime even though the heroes are attacking
  him. This is especially a problem with fanatical villains who
  are ready to sacrifice their own lives for victory.
  The risk of collateral damage is even higher attacking one’s
  foe while he’s in transit between two locations, or taking time
  off for personal matters. In addition, attacking an honorable
  villain in a way that threatens his family or friends may make
  a bitter enemy of him.
  The relative strengths of the two sides in combat need to be
  fairly well-balanced. If the villain logically has to be more pow-
  erful than the heroes, they need to have warning so that they
  can combine their attacks, call on Allies to help them, or oth-
  erwise increase the strength of their offensive. Point values
  provide a rough guide to relative might, but other things
  should be taken into account, comparing the potency of
  attacks and defenses – if the team’s strongest attack can’t pen-
  etrate the villain’s DR, it doesn’t matter how many points
  they’re built on.
  Actually running the combat, to be true to the genre, should
  emphasize duels between individual heroes, with dramatic
  surprises and payoffs for ingenious uses of powers. See
  Chapter 7 for some ways to encourage this through game
  mechanics.
  RESOLUTION
  After the climactic battle, it’s time to look at the conse-
  quences. This part of the session should not be played out at
  the same level of detail as the combat, with tight adherence to
  a timeline. Instead, determine what the main issues are and
  what’s needed to resolve each of them, in logical order.
  To start with, deal with injuries, especially potentially fatal
  or crippling injuries. This is the time for the paramedics and
  the heroes with healing powers to test their abilities. Heroes
  start out by helping injured innocent bystanders, and classic
  followers of the heroic code save the lives of their foes.
  If the authorities have been called in or show up on their
  own, the heroes have to deal with them, giving them custody
  of the defeated villains and accounting for their own actions.
  If the scenario is part of a longer story arc, investigating the
  defeated foes may turn up clues to that arc. Give the heroes a
  chance to examine the crime scene, interrogate their enemies,
  and possibly even inspect their equipment, for both capabili-
  ties and clues to where it came from.
  The combat may have revealed tactical problems the heroes
  need to address, or even clashes between their methods or
  goals. They need time to talk about the fight and consider
  these.
  Finally, if the players like to roleplay for its own sake, they’ll
  probably enjoy a short scene of talking with each other after
  the battle. Such scenes are a common convention of action-
  adventure television shows, and turn up in comics as well.
  Fights with villains or other criminals aren’t the only adven-
  tures heroes can have. Several other plots can add variety to a
  campaign.
  CATASTROPHES
  Sometimes the threat isn’t a human being at all, but a large-
  scale disaster – either a natural event or a technological failure.
  If their community is threatened with a flood or a nuclear
  meltdown, heroes step in to save the innocent. A major disas-
  ter may attract metahuman help from other cities or even
  other countries, giving a PC team a mission that takes them
  away from home. It’s also possible the heroes are warned of an
  approaching catastrophe through advanced scientific instru-
  mentation or paranormal abilities, and are on the scene when
  it happens or prevent it from happening altogether.
  GMs may want to consider facing powered heroes with
  unusual disasters, destructive events that happen so seldom
  that no one in human history has experienced them. An aster-
  oid or comet impact on Earth holds the threat of the end of civ-
  ilization; could well be predicted in advance; and might be pos-
  sible for high-powered heroes to prevent. A major eruption at
  Yellowstone occurs roughly every 650,000 years – and one is
  currently past due. Experimental nanotechnology could
  imperil the world with an outbreak of matter-disassembling
  “gray goo.”
  Storylines about catastrophe generate interesting subplots
  about character interaction. Honorable villains might choose
  to come forward and give their help, working side-by-side with
  heroes who would normally be their enemies. Disasters could
  also give powers to some of their victims, creating new supers.
  DETECTIVE STORIES
  A lot of comic-book heroes spend as much time investigat-
  ing crimes as fighting them. A scenario could focus entirely on
  the investigative phase, with the criminal surrendering to the
  authorities after the heroes expose him. Stories of this kind
  work well for heroes with superhuman senses, advanced foren-
  sic skills and technology, psychic gifts, or simply brilliant intel-
  lects. They may find themselves matching wits with cinemati-
  cally brilliant criminal masterminds who have anticipated their
  involvement and taken care not to leave any obvious trails.
  For more information on running this type of scenario, see
  GURPS Mysteries.
  ELSEWHERE OR ELSEWHEN
  Either innate powers or devices may give heroes access to
  places normal human beings can’t go: the ocean floor, the inte-
  rior of the earth, outer space, the past or future, parallel
  worlds, or other planes of reality (see Wider Horizons, p. 141).
  Visits to such realms can be the theme of new adventures.
  Often the occasion for the visit is some crisis in the world
  where the hero usually operates. He may face an attack from
  some exotic realm and follow the attackers back to their home
  ALTERNATE ADVENTURES
  
  to confront them. His Ally or Dependent may be kidnapped
  into a distant place, or simply lost there, and need rescuing. Or
  the other dominion may be a possible source of aid against
  some extraordinary peril. Some heroes have beings in other
  realms as Patrons and need to report to them from time to
  time.
  It’s also possible for a super simply to want to explore
  strange new worlds. His heroic career on Earth may not use up
  all his time, or may be a sideline for him. Some metahumans
  even gain their powers in the course of their first voyages to
  exotic places. This kind of origin story goes back to some of the
  oldest known myths, and reflects the initiation rituals of many
  societies like American-Indian vision quests.
  A super who visits such lands repeatedly may acquire last-
  ing relationships with their inhabitants. Comics give such
  examples as Superboy’s and Supergirl’s memberships in the
  30th-century Legion of Super-Heroes, or Green Lantern’s
  enlistment in the universe-wide Green Lantern Corps. Visitors
  from distant realms may also come to Earth and even live with
  the hero, especially in fantasy and supernatural horror, which
  offer examples like Dr. Strange’s disciple Clea and Angel’s
  demon ally Lorne.
  This type of story brings the heroic adventure closer to clas-
  sic science fiction and fantasy. At least when the other world is
  first introduced, the emphasis of the scenario should be on the
  wonders to be encountered there. GMs should try to come up
  with exotic inhabitants and customs so that the players are a
  little uncertain; heroes who charge in and start fights risk
  meeting foes they don’t know how to defeat. If they go back,
  and the place becomes familiar, the players quickly start
  regarding it as a mere convenience; letting them do so from the
  outset deprives them of the main reward of this type of story.
  HELPING HAND
  Some heroes’ main focus is less on fighting evil than on
  helping people in need. This takes the form of direct action,
  whether in emergencies (for example, a flying hero carrying
  out search and rescue missions) or in routine volunteer work
  (for example, a healer visiting an emergency room). Some can
  also become involved in organizational activities, appearing at
  fundraising events or even founding their own charities. In a
  Comics-Code campaign, a hero may have time to get a kitten
  down from a tree; in a silly campaign, he may spend most of
  his day on that sort of mission.
  It’s also possible for a super to offer help in his secret iden-
  tity, either without using his powers or employing them incon-
  spicuously. If he belongs to a group whose members know
  each other’s secret identities, he may even recruit his
  teammates.
  Giving effective help seldom calls for combat abilities. It
  often requires good social skills, to deal with the people the
  hero is helping.
  In most campaigns, helping-hand scenarios are a change of
  pace, not a steady routine. But short scenes woven into the
  background of a campaign can give it a stronger four-color feel
  or add depth to characterization in a cinematic or speculative
  campaign. Heroes who provide such help publicly should gain
  increased public trust, often in the form of a favorable
  Reputation. Even a hero in a noir campaign may find people
  to assist – perhaps down and out people who can provide him
  with street Contacts.
  INVASIONS
  Supers normally operate in peacetime, and follow rules of
  engagement that make sense in those periods, such as not
  using deadly force. Involving them in a war provides a test of
  their devotion to those rules, or an opportunity to run games
  under different regulations.
  Metahumans mostly operate in worlds that aren’t very dif-
  ferent from the real world, except, of course, that they have
  supers. If the major powers of the real world are at peace, they
  aren’t likely to go to war in a comic-book adventure story.
  Having them do so probably wouldn’t make a suitable sce-
  nario: A conventional conflict might drag on for months,
  rather than being resolved by one climactic fight, while a
  nuclear war could be over all too quickly and could totally
  change the campaign setting. Of course, the threat of war can
  add tension to a scenario. And if the real world is at war, supers
  are involved in that confrontation; the GM’s challenge is to
  explain why they don’t win it in a few days and send the troops
  home. But both cold wars and shooting wars work better as
  backgrounds that can inspire scenarios based on specific
  missions.
  Fictional wars sometimes involve relatively small nations,
  such as Marvel Comics’ Latveria or Grand Fenwick in The
  Mouse That Roared. In heroic settings, such countries may be
  ruled by villains who find diplomatic immunity convenient or
  like having subjects obedient to their whims. It’s plausible for
  a conflict fought by such a nation to be over quickly, especial-
  ly if its ruler’s powers are its biggest military asset. Tucking a
  fictional small country into the Balkans, the Himalayas, or the
  Caribbean doesn’t disrupt the political map of the world very
  much.
  Other invasions come from inhabited lands under the sea
  or inside the Earth, or inhabited worlds out in space; see Wider
  Horizons (p. 141). Even parallel timelines or other planes may
  invade the planet. Any such large-scale threat can provide an
  opportunity for heroes from different countries to work
  together, or even for some bad guys to join them, hoping to
  keep Earth safe for human villainy! Both films and comics
  usually assume that once the assault has been defeated, the
  invaders conveniently go away and avoid further contact with
  humanity.
  MOB SCENES
  In some settings, supers are unpopular or even widely
  hated. For example, mutants in the Marvel Universe are the
  focus of both public fear and governmental regulation; a devel-
  opment in the history of Alan Moore’s Watchmen was riots
  protesting the intervention of masked vigilantes during a
  police strike. Supers in such settings may need to deal with
  angry mobs.
  Such multitudes may threaten the heroes themselves, espe-
  cially if their true identities have been made public. The public
  may instead be after newly revealed supers, perhaps frightened
  or unsure of their powers. Or they may simply be causing gen-
  eral destruction.
  Dealing with riots test most heroes’ ethical convictions.
  They need to use force to restrain the mobs, but at the same
  time unleashing their full powers could kill foes who are sim-
  ply angry ordinary human beings. On the other hand, a furious
  mob can be deadly to its targets, or to anyone who gets in its
  ALL-NEW ADVENTURES
  95
  
  way. Heroes need to decide how much force to use, and when.
  Heroes whose powers can restrain, incapacitate, or overawe
  their foes without lasting harm, are at an advantage. GMs
  should use the rules for One-Man Armies (see p. 118) to make
  combat go faster in such scenes.
  MONSTERS
  In many ways, monsters are a lot like villains: They have the
  same huge capacity to inflict damage and the same indiffer-
  ence to human life. What they don’t have is plans. The mon-
  sters that heroes fight are typically nonsapient and Bestial.
  Often they’re animals or even plants mutated by crazed scien-
  tific experiments, industrial technology, or weapons testing,
  and thus symbols of humanity disturbing the balance of
  nature. Sometimes they’re natural creatures from remote
  places, incautiously brought back to civilization, like King
  Kong, or disturbed into going there on their own, like Godzilla.
  Occasionally monsters are unleashed by invaders from places
  where such creatures exist, serving as living weapons.
  Stories about monsters normally focus on the battle with
  the creature. A common pattern is an initial fight with the
  monster, which goes badly because it’s too powerful to be beat-
  en by ordinary supers; a period of research or invention, as it
  draws closer to a major city or other target; and a second, big-
  ger battle where the heroes have learned enough to turn the
  thing back. GMs should go in for collateral damage in a big
  way in such scenarios, to show the PCs how serious the need
  is for their help.
  OPPRESSION AND REBELLION
  Some heroes fight, not criminals, but policemen – along
  with soldiers, spies, and other agents of their own (or other
  people’s) governments. If a regime is brutal or repressive,
  standing up against it can be an act of heroic virtue. Some
  heroes may start their careers to oppose such a government,
  adopting secret identities to avoid being arrested; others may
  take up outlawry or subversion when driven to it by legal
  authorities who consider them criminals or enemies of the
  state. This theme goes back to “normal” heroes such as the
  Scarlet Pimpernel and Zorro, and has shown up in recent
  series such as V for Vendetta.
  Heroes of this type can take an active part in developing
  their own scenarios. They don’t have to search for targets of
  opportunity. Governments are big and highly visible and oper-
  ate from fixed locations. Anyone trying to bring them down
  can pick their own goals and spend time researching targets
  before going into action. The GM’s part is to set up hints of
  suitable places to strike and be ready to answer questions as
  the team investigates and plans.
  On the other hand, story arcs for such heroes tend to be
  driven by the regime they oppose. The government has the
  power in this kind of setting; if it didn’t, the heroes wouldn’t be
  working against it in secret. A multisession arc can grow out of
  some new strategy or agent that the heroes have to defend
  against, while still striking meaningful blows against their
  oppressors.
  Ideally, a story of this type ends with the heroes being vin-
  dicated in the public eye. In a story of temporary oppression,
  they clear their names or discredit the unwise policies that
  deny their rights. In a story of lasting oppression, they discred-
  it the regime as a whole, inducing the people to turn against it
  and acclaim new leaders to do better. The second type of story
  may end a campaign, of course; GMs should make sure the
  players know that once they reach their victory conditions,
  things wind down.
  OTHER LIVES
  An interesting variant, especially for players who empha-
  size character interaction, is a scenario where the PCs are
  inserted into other lives, forgetting their heroic identities.
  Often this is the result of some enemy’s scheme to get them out
  of the way without actually killing them; it may be an honor-
  able foe, or a sadist who wants to torment his foes, or he may
  have some elaborate plot that needs the heroes alive. It’s also
  possible for the forgetfulness to come about through some less
  malevolent means, such as a carelessly worded wish, an
  encounter with a supernatural force, or entrapment in a virtu-
  al reality.
  In some versions of this plot, the heroes completely forget
  that they have any unusual abilities, and settle down to lead
  everyday lives as scientists, private eyes, or millionaire dilet-
  tantes. In others, they take up roles that emphasize their pecu-
  liarities, but reinterpret them – turning them into circus freaks
  or inmates in a mental hospital. Both types of story let them
  explore who they might have been under other circumstances;
  the second type can give outward and visible form to doubts
  about their heroic careers.
  Usually all that has to change is the heroes’ own memories.
  But it’s also possible to rewrite history, creating a timeline
  where they never had their origins and heroic lives. Such sto-
  ries are resolved when the heroes go back to a time before the
  change and prevent it.
  The best way to present this situation is to put the supers
  into the alternate lives with no memory of how they got there
  or of ever having been any different. Then let them notice
  things that don’t fit and look for explanations. To build up the
  tension, the people around them fail to notice anything
  ALL-NEW ADVENTURES
  96
  “True enough,” Boddo said. “But the ordinary man is under a similar disadvan-
  tage whenever he confronts someone who is considerably more intelligent or more
  experienced than himself, or who simply points a gun at him. And he’s much more
  likely to run into difficulties like that.”
  James H. Schmitz, Undercurrents
  
  ALL-NEW ADVENTURES
  97
  strange, and even question the characters’ sanity. As they inves-
  tigate, they may rediscover their own powers, find the hidden
  forces that keep them trapped, and eventually follow clues up
  to a climax that reveals the truth. If their imaginary lives can
  be made appealing, and especially if they have emotional ties
  to people in those lives, giving them up to go back to being
  heroes can be a source of emotional conflict.
  TIME OFF
  Another way to explore PCs’ lives outside their heroic
  careers is to devote a session to the subject. A classic New Teen
  Titans story, “A Day in the Life,” established a pattern for this
  type of story. The protagonists start out together but don’t have
  a case immediately in front of them. Instead, they get to take
  some personal time. What they do with that time is the entire
  plot.
  GMs who want to run a “time off” scenario need to be flex-
  ible. They can’t tell the players, “You have free time, so you all
  decide to go to the movies together.” The players each decide
  what their characters are going to do. The GM makes up the
  people they meet, the things that happen to them, and the
  places they visit. The session should have little or no combat;
  instead, it can focus on civilian work, visits to family and
  friends, romantic encounters, charitable acts, or simple recre-
  ation. Meetings with NPC heroes, or even with villains, should
  focus on what sort of people they are, not on beating them in
  a fight.
  Of course, it can still be interesting if the heroes all do
  something together. For example, they might all go out on the
  town for a night. High school students could attend one of
  their school’s big dances, or anime-influenced heroes could
  visit a bathhouse. Or some heroes might do things together in
  pairs or small groups when the larger group splits up. GMs
  may want to mention such options to their players. Watching
  how heroes interact when there’s no villain to beat up and no
  mission to complete can add depth to a campaign, and build
  up new relationships within the team.
  For the GM who needs to come up with a storyline in a
  hurry, here are some starting points.
  Breaking and Entering: An old enemy of the team has bro-
  ken out of prison and is looking for revenge. He gave them a
  tough fight the last time around, on his own; now he’s recruit-
  ed several superpowered allies, including one or two
  unknowns who want to make a name for themselves. Rather
  than wait for the heroes to track him down, he brings the fight
  to them, striking at them in their headquarters during one of
  their meetings – and one of his allies is a gadgeteer who’s sub-
  verted several of its defensive systems (see Sabotage, p. 111).
  How well can the heroes defend themselves when they’re taken
  by surprise in what they thought was a safe place?
  Descent into Hell: Analysis of recent crime reports reveals a
  disturbing trend to members of a team: Several of the perpe-
  trators’ abilities and methods closely match those of known
  heroes. Have a lot of their fellow heroes gone bad, or are these
  impersonators, evil twins, or other doubles? Either because
  they ask the wrong questions, or because they’re betrayed by a
  teammate who has secretly been corrupted, they’re captured
  by the master villain and subjected to his reconditioning
  process. This involves dosing them with a drug that causes
  amnesia and then exposing them to a virtual reality environ-
  ment that plays on their fears and weaknesses and tempts
  them to violate their own ethics. Have they the strength of will
  to withstand the brainwashing process, and can they get their
  memories back before the conditioning is complete?
  Extinct: A new test program for disposing of radioactive
  wastes involves sealing them deep underground, encased in
  impermeable crystals. Unfortunately, the radiation has a side
  effect: The fossilized remains of an ancient tyrannosaur,
  exposed to the energy, have gained a mysterious semblance of
  life. (In a 1950s campaign, this could be just one of many mys-
  terious effects of radioactivity; in a 2000s campaign, the spirit
  of the Earth may be rebuking human recklessness.) Now the
  heroes’ home city is being attacked by an undead carnivorous
  dinosaur with Body of Stone. Can they find a way to defeat the
  monster and avoid collateral damage?
  Character Conflict
  Teams regularly have personal conflicts between
  members; this has been part of the genre since the first
  Marvel titles of the early 1960s. How much of this to
  include in a campaign is up to the GM and the players.
  Personal relationships can be skipped over, explored in
  an occasional “time off” episode (see left), or woven
  into every session.
  But some sorts of conflict cause problems in com-
  bat situations or on missions. Team members may not
  agree on what counts as legitimate force, or whether
  saving lives takes precedence over defeating the enemy,
  or other “rules of engagement.” The leadership of the
  team may be in dispute. Conflict of this type can easi-
  ly prevent a group from doing its best against their
  foes. In extreme cases, team members may end up
  fighting each other!
  It’s best for the GM and the players to agree ahead
  of time on whether they want the campaign to include
  this sort of conflict. If they don’t, they need to establish
  the rules the team operates under at the outset, and
  players need to design characters who follow those
  rules for whatever reason. (GMs may allow players to
  define the team rules as a Code of Honor, Duty, or
  Vow.) Without such bylaws, they should be ready to
  spend play time on resolving operational conflicts.
  GMs following four-color dramatic conventions may
  choose to allow brief “time outs” in the midst of battle
  while teammates settle their differences, without
  penalizing the heroes. Or supers with a professional
  attitude may agree to follow the current leader’s deci-
  sions in the field – and then debate the matter in pri-
  vate once the battle is over.
  ADVENTURE SEEDS
  
  Going Nowhere Fast: The resident heroes of a major city
  have a series of encounters with street criminals who move
  and fight at superhuman speed. Police reports show that this
  is a widespread problem. The criminals aren’t full-fledged
  supers, but they’re difficult for conventional law enforcement
  to deal with. To make matters worse, members of rival gangs
  appear to have similarly enhanced speed, and they’re building
  up to a major fight over who dominates the city. Investigation
  uncovers evidence that the power is the product of a new drug
  available on the streets. But can the heroes track and shut
  down the source before the gangs go to war, and before other
  drug dealers learn to produce the new drug?
  Junior Achievement: The Seer has made a name for himself
  by using his knowledge powers to assist the police and several
  teams. But he also uses them to locate young people with
  metapowers or unusual skills and train them, both in opera-
  tions and in ethics. He approaches an established superteam
  with an unusual request: He would like them to take several of
  his advanced students out on their regular patrols for a week,
  giving them a clear idea of what heroes actually do. The
  apprentices have a variety of fairly well-developed powers
  (their point value should be about 75% of the heroes’), but they
  also have distinctive personalities, each with some inconven-
  iences: the hotshot who’s a little too eager to take risks, the
  obsessive fan with massive knowledge of supers trivia, the
  straight arrow who’s a little naïve, or the arrogant youth whose
  sense of his own superiority might lead him into villainy.
  Naturally, this turns out to be an unusually exciting week, with
  much more action than usual.
  The Supplicant: An adolescent girl comes to a team to plead
  for help. A few days ago, her parents’ house was attacked in the
  night by strange-looking enemies with mysterious weapons.
  Both her parents were killed quickly but she was able to
  escape, and in the process she discovered that she had previ-
  ously unguessed superhuman powers. Now she’s afraid that
  the attackers may be pursuing her, and wants protection. If the
  heroes investigate, they discover that the girl’s home was com-
  pletely destroyed by fire, and that the girl herself, despite her
  completely human appearance, has a genetic structure like
  nothing on Earth. In fact, she belongs to an alien race of
  instinctive xenophobes who regard human beings as hideous
  monsters that need to be exterminated. They want military
  intelligence, but their unreasoning fear makes them unable to
  endure human contact; instead, they biosculpted an infant into
  human form and left her in an Earth town where she imprint-
  ed on her adoptive parents. Now her creators want to reclaim
  her, change her back to her “proper” form, and debrief her –
  not realizing that in her eyes they’re the terrifying monstrosi-
  ties. How can the heroes stop the aliens’ plans, and should they
  tell the girl of her true heritage?
  Tremors: Over the course of several adventures, the city
  where the heroes operate experiences a series of minor earth-
  quakes. Then they receive disturbing information from their
  police or government contacts: They have received a message
  from someone calling himself “Corundum,” who claims to
  have caused the earthquakes. To prove his assertions, he pre-
  dicts the date, time, epicenter, and magnitude of the next seis-
  mic event – which happens right on schedule, though the town
  manages to suppress the news of his forecast. Corundum adds
  that if he doesn’t get paid off, a further earthquake, many times
  more powerful, will devastate the city. Can the heroes track
  down his base and put a stop to his schemes before the city is
  ruined, its treasury is drained, or the news gets out and causes
  mass panic?
  ALL-NEW ADVENTURES
  98
  Logan: Yeah, wow,
  that’s really terrible. But
  you want advanced self-
  pity, I think that’s
  Professor Summers,
  across the hall. . . . This is
  combat.
  – Astonishing X-Men
  
  AMAZING FEATS
  99
  Bloodhound flashed his badge, and the uniformed cop let him
  past the police line. The inside of the building was surprisingly
  clean, other than the half dozen corpses that the crime scene
  team was working on. Jenkins waved him over; she’d worked
  with him before.
  “Hey, Marie,” he said. “Looks like a bad one. What’s the spe-
  cial need?”
  “Good to see you. It’s a professional job; we’re not going to get
  a lot of material evidence, though we’re working on it anyway.
  But we need to know how the perps got in, past the building
  security, and how they took down all these people without mess-
  ing the scene up more. Could be a big group, but that makes their
  not being noticed hard to explain; could be one super.”
  “Right. I’ll see what I can find out. Where can I sit?”
  Jenkins got him a chair, and he sat down and unfocused his
  mind, letting his senses reach out into the room. As the minutes
  went by, the crime built itself up for him, like a video coming into
  focus. He could see one victim after another fall down, bleeding
  from what looked like knife wounds – but no knives. He ran the
  scene back, and caught the first spurt of blood from a woman’s
  throat; and back a little more, and he could just glimpse the glint
  of metal. He concentrated, and felt his mind recoil from the
  image he was trying to form.
  He tried again, with another victim, and felt the same mental
  resistance.
  He focused on the victim, and realized that the man wasn’t
  looking in the direction the attack came from. He had his head
  twisted to the side, and a panicky look on his face. It was as if he
  was having the same trouble focusing that Bloodhound was.
  Bloodhound tried broadening his focus, and realized that all
  through the series of killings, there were places in the room that
  he couldn’t look at. Two of them, moving about, leaving a trail of
  fatal wounds. He tried to narrow his attention into the space they
  occupied, and felt his mind slide off.
  But maybe there was another way, if he could do it. He closed
  his eyes, slowed his breathing, and concentrated . . . and he built
  up the tracks the two unseeable assassins had followed. He
  extended them, out of the room, and then out of the building,
  down the street to a parked car. He couldn’t see the plates; that far
  out of range, it was blurry. He watched it drive away, onto
  Sheridan, and head north. It was all he could do to hold onto it.
  “Jenkins,” he said. He felt her standing next to him, though he
  didn’t see her. “I need someone to drive me.”
  “I’m on it,” she said. “Tranh, can you take over here?”
  Impressive displays of power or skill are a big part of the
  supers genre, as noted in Chapter 1. This chapter discusses
  how to portray such feats in terms of GURPS mechanics.
  These take place outside of combat; see the next chapter for
  rules that apply to combat situations.
  Throughout this chapter and the next, when modifiers to
  attribute or skill rolls are discussed, assume that a character
  with a relevant power can apply the Talent for that power as a
  modifier. Exceptions are pointed out.
  CHAPTER SIX
  AMAZING FEATS
  FOUR-COLOR ROLEPLAYING
  Supers campaigns are commonly played in four-color style.
  This is like cinematic style, only more so. Any form of cinemat-
  ic roleplaying calls for a different approach to game rules and
  mechanics.
  Cinematic action has to be visually convincing, rather than
  strictly realistic; if an action could be shown on a movie screen
  and look believable, it should work in this kind of game.
  Cinematic play should be fast. GMs should avoid realistic
  details that require extra dice rolls or bookkeeping, especially
  those that undercut the competence of the heroes. If a cine-
  matic hero swings from a chandelier, don’t roll to see if he pulls
  it down from its ceiling mount or loses his grip and falls to the
  floor; let him benefit from it in fighting a cinematic villain or a
  crowd of lesser foes.
  Four-color combat takes this principle further. There are
  activities that make sense on the pages of a comic book, but
  don’t translate well into live-action film – for example,
  heroes’ and villains’ long speeches in action scenes. A four-
  color campaign should allow such scenes. The powers of the
  heroes are also more extreme than those of their cinematic
  counterparts, thanks to not being limited by a special-effects
  budget.
  Finally, there are some cinematic rules that are best suited
  to outright silly campaigns.
  GMs are free to pick their own special rules for their cam-
  paigns, but they may find the following lists useful as standard
  disadvantages for the various games.
  
  AMAZING FEATS
  100
  RULES FOR CINEMATIC
  CAMPAIGNS
  No Nuisance Rolls. GMs should allow heroes to purchase
  perks that exempt them from skill or attribute rolls to perform
  background tasks, along the lines of the Swinging perk, which
  ensures that a character can find places to attach his swinging
  lines. Such a perk should require having at least one attribute,
  skill, or power at 16 or better. Perks of this kind should never
  exempt a hero from making a roll to attack, defend, or accom-
  plish an important task; instead, it should dispense with rolls
  to accomplish secondary tasks that make those primary tasks
  possible, or to complete routine activities like traveling from
  point to point. For example, a hero might buy exemption from
  having to roll against Body Sense after teleporting, or having
  his gun malfunction in a duel, or even having to roll against
  Fast-Draw to get his weapon out. These exceptions speed up
  play by reducing dice rolls and avoiding the unheroic specta-
  cle of PCs failing in some task because of random mischance.
  Perks should give exemptions only for one specific activity
  covered by a skill, and GMs should feel free to deny it if the
  skill is being used dramatically – for example, in a Quick
  Contest of Fast-Draw skill to see who gets a weapon out first.
  GMs can also choose simply to disregard such rolls for all
  characters to keep play even faster. In a campaign run this
  way, PCS should not have exemption perks!
  Wildcard Skills. This volume offers a long list of new wild-
  card skills (see p. 36) to supplement those on p. B175, and
  uses them in many templates. Each wildcard skill has a list of
  standard skills that it replaces. Some players may prefer char-
  acters with high levels in a few standard skills, spending fewer
  points on other skills, or even relying on defaults – and they’re
  entitled to do so. But the list of
  replaced standard skills isn’t
  the whole of a wildcard skill;
  equally important is the ability
  to substitute it for any skill roll
  that’s related to its central
  focus. For example, a hero with
  Sword! can use it for Jumping
  or Acrobatics rolls, if he’s
  wielding a blade at the time, or
  for Savoir-Faire if he’s wearing
  his sword socially, or even for
  Gesture if he uses it as a point-
  er. If a skill roll aids him in
  sword-fighting or involves the
  use of a sword for any purpose,
  a Sword! roll can replace it.
  The same applies to any other
  wildcard skill. To balance wild-
  card skills against standard
  skills, GMs should hold charac-
  ters with standard skills to the
  exact definitions of what those
  skills can do – but let the char-
  acters with wildcard skills
  improvise freely, as long as it
  looks good.
  RULES FOR FOUR-COLOR
  CAMPAIGNS
  Extra Effort. The standard GURPS rules offer the option of
  extra effort (pp. B356-357), allowing heroes to exceed their
  normal limits by a small margin. GMs of four-color campaigns
  may want to allow more than that. See Beyond the Limits, p.
  112, for some options.
  Soliloquies. Characters are not limited in action scenes to
  what they could actually say in a turn’s 1-second duration. A
  hero and villain can exchange short speeches in the time it
  takes to throw one punch each. This should not be used for
  actual tactical discussions between members of a team; it’s
  intended for dramatic purposes.
  Structural Integrity. Super-strength in realistic campaigns is
  limited by the ability of the object to survive being lifted.
  Raising a car off the ground by its bumper is less likely than
  simply tearing the bumper off the body of the car. In four-color
  campaigns, heroes can lift anything they can
  grasp without worrying about structural
  integrity.
  RULES FOR SILLY
  CAMPAIGNS
  Inept Henchmen. Villains in silly cam-
  paigns recruit henchmen who can’t actu-
  ally do anything useful in a battle – give
  them minimal combat skills. Their main
  function seems to be to build up the vil-
  lain’s ego by listening to his speeches, ful-
  filling his whims, and general cringing.
  Super-Soliloquies. A hero or, more
  often, a villain may fall into soliloquiz-
  ing, giving his foe a free shot at him.
  This routinely happens with characters
  who 
  have 
  Compulsive 
  Behavior:
  Rhetoric. Others can be tricked into it by
  a suitable Influence roll, usually based
  on Fast-Talk or Public Speaking; they
  are at -5 to resist if their foes know one
  of their mental disadvantages, if the
  players make a lucky guess at it, or if
  their foes diagnose it with a roll against
  Psychology or Criminology-2.
  Hail Hydra! Immortal Hydra!
  We shall never be destroyed! Cut off
  one limb and two more shall take
  its place!
  – Hydra Motto, Nick Fury,
  Agent of Shield
  
  AMAZING FEATS
  101
  The oldest and simplest category of heroic feats is lifting
  enormous weights, bending steel in one’s bare hands, and
  other displays of strength. This was the centerpiece of
  Superman’s abilities from his first published stories; before
  that, heroes with incredible might appeared in stories from the
  pulps (such as Philip Wylie’s Gladiator) back to the Old
  Testament (Samson pulling down the Philistine temple).
  LIFTING ENORMOUS
  WEIGHTS
  Superman started out strong enough to lift an automobile,
  but as his career progressed his writers made him steadily
  stronger, until he could push planets out of their orbits. Few
  other supers ever reached that power level, but strength infla-
  tion was a common feature of the comics; Marvel’s Thing, for
  example, started out able to lift a few tons, but eventually could
  manage many times that. Describing a GURPS character who
  can lift tons is fairly straightforward: ST 100 gives a Basic Lift
  of 2,000 lbs., or one ton, and an extra-heavy encumbrance of 10
  times as much. A player who simply wants high lifting capaci-
  ty can take Lifting ST instead of ST, saving points; Lifting ST
  +90 costs 270 points, easily within the point budget for supers
  campaigns. But really massive loads cost a lot more points.
  There are several ways of getting past this limitation.
  Lifting skill allows a roll to increase a hero’s lifting capacity
  (see p. B353). Each point by which the skill roll succeeds gives
  +5% to Basic Lift. This represents knowing how to place one-
  self to apply force most effectively; it does not cost fatigue. For
  example, a hero with ST 100 and Lifting-15, with a roll of 10,
  could increase his Basic Lift by 5 ¥ 5%, or 25%, to 2,500 lbs.
  The extra-effort rules represent pushing the body past its
  normal performance limits through heroic willpower (see
  p. 357). This effort does cost FP. The character decides how
  much to add to Basic Lift, spends 1 FP, and rolls vs. Will at -1
  per 5% increase; if it succeeds, he gains the enhancement spec-
  ified. The maximum bonus is +100%. For example, a hero with
  ST 100 and Will 15 could increase his Basic Lift by 5 ¥ 5%, or
  25%, to 2,500 lbs. with a roll against Will-5, or 10. This is not
  as good as using Lifting skill – it costs FP, and it may not suc-
  ceed – but any character can attempt it.
  A hero can try to gain the combined benefits of Lifting skill
  and extra effort. This is represented as a single Will-based
  Lifting roll, at -1 per +10% extra Basic Lift, costing 1 FP. The
  maximum bonus is still 100%. For example, a hero with ST 100
  and Will-based Lifting skill of 15 could increase his Basic Lift by
  5 ¥ 10%, or 50%, to 3,000 lbs. with a roll against Lifting-5, or 10.
  The skill Power Blow, available to martial artists with
  Trained by a Master and to supers with an Unusual Training
  perk, can be used to gain a bigger increase in lifting strength,
  usually after one or more turns of concentration. See p. B215
  for details.
  For heroic campaigns, GMs may want to allow god-like
  extra effort, as defined in GURPS Powers: This ignores the
  +100% limit on bonuses for extra effort, and allows someone
  to spend multiple FP on a single action. Multiply the bonus
  gained by the number of FP spent: -1 per (5 ¥ FP)%, or -1 per
  (10 ¥ FP)% for a Will-based Lifting roll. For example, a hero
  with ST 100 and Will 15 could spend 5 FP to increase his basic
  lift by 3 ¥ (5 ¥ 5)%, or 75%, to 3,500 lbs. with a roll against Will-
  3, or 12. Heroes who take this route benefit from buying
  Energy Reserves usable with their ST. A 10-point Energy
  Reserve, costing 30 points, would let a hero with Lifting skill
  boost his Basic Lift by +100% for one minute for each -1 to his
  Will-based Lifting roll! To simulate heroes who get stronger
  when they’re angry or desperate, buy Energy Reserve with
  Emergencies Only (-30%).
  The most powerful supers need even more strength than
  this. Use the Super-Effort enhancement on Lifting ST from
  GURPS Powers, or the Super-Effort enhancement on overall
  ST from p. 24 of this book, to get to this level of power.
  BENDING STEEL BARS
  Supers also display their strength by bending steel bars,
  pulling open links in chains, and similar feats. These can be
  represented in GURPS terms as a Quick Contest of the hero’s
  ST vs. the higher of the object’s HP or HT. If the object has DR,
  subtract it from the character’s ST first. Success means the bar
  bends or the link parts. For this kind of effort, use Lifting ST
  rather than Striking ST; this is not a sudden blow, but a steady
  pressure.
  Heroes who have to deal with massive bars can take extra
  time to brace themselves and build up maximum force. Apply
  the Extra Time modifier to their ST (see p. B346). Someone
  who is taking extra time can also spend 1 FP to enhance his
  effective ST; this requires a Will roll at -1 per 5% increase in
  effective ST (see p. B357). The GM may want to allow godlike
  extra effort (defined in GURPS Powers).
  Heroes with the Super-Effort modifier can apply the
  enhanced effective strength that it provides. They can’t also
  gain the benefits of standard or godlike extra effort, but they
  can still spend extra time if they need to.
  RAW STRENGTH
  
  AMAZING FEATS
  102
  Many supers move superhumanly fast. This affects both the
  speed at which they travel and the rate at which they can per-
  form tasks.
  TRAVEL SPEED
  A hero’s movement speed determines his operational
  radius, or the distance within which he can get into the action.
  For ground movement, this is based on his paced running
  speed (p. B354). An average man with HT 10 and 10 FP can
  keep up this speed for 14 minutes; a fit man with HT 12 and 12
  FP can last just over half an hour; a hero with HT 16 and 16 FP
  can maintain it for 594 minutes, or nearly 10 hours! The same
  duration applies for paced flying or top-speed swimming.
  Movement speed on the ground, for paced running, is equal
  to Basic Move, increased 20% for the sprint bonus, and divided
  by 2; for an average human being with Basic Move 5, that’s 3
  yards per second. That gives an operational radius of 180 yards
  a minute, or 2,520 yards for an average man, just short of 1 1/2
  miles. An Amphibious or Aquatic character has the same water
  speed and operational radius; a land dweller in the water has
  one-fifth of Basic Move and no sprint bonus – for an average
  man, 1 yard a second and an operational radius of 840 yards,
  just under half a mile. A flying hero has air Move equal to twice
  Basic Speed; with average attributes and secondary character-
  istics, that’s 5.5 yards a second and an operational radius of
  4,620 yards, just over 2 1/2 miles, at paced-flying speed.
  Supers with Enhanced Move double their movement speed
  and operational radius. This is instead of, not in addition to, the
  sprint bonus. For example, one level of Enhanced Move (Air)
  would give an air Move of 10 yards a second, not 12 yards a sec-
  ond, in sustained flight, boosting operational radius to just
  short of five miles. Heroes with lots of Enhanced Move may
  have operational radii of tens or hundreds of miles.
  For longer distances than this, characters in modern settings
  (TL5 and up) normally travel in some sort of vehicle. Vehicles
  normally don’t fatigue; their operational radius is the same as
  their Range (pp. B462-465). Heroes may have motorcycles, fast
  cars, hydrofoils, jets, or even personal spacecraft. Inventive
  heroes, especially in retrotech settings, may design exotic vehi-
  cles like autogyros or dirigibles; superscientists may invent anti-
  gravity or teleportation. Muscle-powered vehicles are another
  option (see p. 85): Roller skates or ice skates allow half a level
  of Enhanced Move, and a bicycle allows a full level.
  In lower-tech settings, most people rely on their own legs
  for transportation. Use the hiking rules (p. B351) for ground
  movement, for a daily travel in miles equal to 10 ¥ Basic Move.
  Amphibious or Aquatic characters can travel the same distance
  by water; land dwellers can’t cover a significant distance by
  water. Fliers can cover 20 ¥ Basic Speed by air, in miles per day.
  A roll vs. Hiking, Swimming (for Amphibious or Aquatic char-
  acters), or Flight adds 20% to this distance. Each level of
  Enhanced Move doubles daily travel; this is cumulative with
  benefits from a movement skill. So, for example, a speedster
  with Basic Move 6 and four levels of Enhanced Move (Ground)
  could cover 60 ¥ 16 = 960 miles in a day’s travel; a successful
  Hiking roll would raise this by 20% to 1,152 miles.
  If a hero goes on daily patrols, he can cover a circular area
  with a radius in miles calculated by dividing his daily travel by
  10, and taking the square root. (If he travels by hiking, the
  radius is simply his Move.) In a vehicle, use the vehicle’s range,
  or its Top Speed multiplied by 8 hours, whichever is less, to
  compute patrol area. If he doesn’t always patrol the same area,
  multiply his daily travel by the number of days it takes him to
  cycle through his entire territory before determining the
  radius. If he learns of an emergency elsewhere in his patrol
  area, he’s capable of rapid response to it if it’s within his oper-
  ational radius.
  MANEUVERING
  Supers with Enhanced Move can have difficulty in chang-
  ing direction. Divide the super’s full movement speed by his
  Basic Move; the result is his turning radius, in yards. He must
  move at least that many yards before changing direction; after
  doing so, he can change direction and facing by up to 60º. If he
  turns after a shorter distance, he must roll vs. DX+3, with the
  following modifiers:
  AMAZING SPEED
  Under the Hood:
  Maximum 
  Travel Times
  To calculate how far a man can keep running at a
  given speed, use the following method.
  First, determine how many FP he can lose before
  being reduced to 1/3 of his FP or less. For a man with
  10 FP, this is 7 FP lost, reducing him to 3 FP; for a hero
  with 16 FP, it’s 11 FP, reducing him to 5 FP.
  Those FP are lost when he fails a HT roll or a roll
  against Running skill. Figure out how many rolls he
  can attempt, on the average, before losing that many
  FP. To do this, multiply the FP to be lost by one of the
  following numbers:
  HT or Skill
  Multiplier
  HT or Skill
  Multiplier
  3
  1.00
  10
  2.0
  4
  1.02
  11
  2.67
  5
  1.05
  12
  3.86
  6
  1.10
  13
  6.17
  7
  1.19
  14
  10.80
  8
  1.35
  15
  21.60
  9
  1.60
  16+
  54.00
  For example, the average man rolls 2.00 ¥ 7 = 14.00
  times against HT to fail 7 rolls. The hero rolls 54.00 ¥
  11 = 594.00 times against HT to fail 11 rolls.
  Paced running time in minutes equals this number
  of HT or Running rolls. Sprinting time in minutes is
  one-fourth as long. Distance traveled is 30 ¥ Move ¥
  paced running time, or 60 ¥ Move ¥ sprinting time, in
  yards.
  
  AMAZING FEATS
  103
  • Add the appropriate Talent.
  • Add any Handling Bonus enhancement for the Enhanced
  Move.
  • Subtract any Handling Penalty limitation.
  • -1 for each 100% of Basic Move by which his current
  speed exceeds his Basic Move.
  In addition, turning exposes him to g-forces. The g-force for
  his Basic Move equals the square of his Basic Move, divided by
  10. If he has Enhanced Move, double the g-forces for each level
  of Enhanced Move. Any g-force of 2.5 or higher requires a roll
  vs. HT, unless he is Immune to Acceleration; a failed roll
  results in detrimental effects from acceleration. Apply the
  following modifiers to the roll:
  • -2 for each doubling of g (that is, -2 for 5g and up, -4 for
  10g and up, and so on).
  • Add the appropriate Talent.
  • +3 or +8 if he is Resistant to Acceleration.
  A failed maneuvering roll during high-speed movement
  results in loss of control; see pp. B395-396. A failed roll to with-
  stand g-forces results in loss of FP and may lead to blacking
  out; see p. B434.
  TIME AND WORK
  Heroes with superhuman speed may perform noncombat
  actions in far less time than normal. There are three different
  ways to approach this.
  First, a hero with Speed Talent or Time Mastery Talent can
  use it to offset skill penalties for performing a task in haste
  (p. B346). For example, a hero with Speed Talent 4 can per-
  form a task in 60% of the usual time at no penalty, or in 10%
  of the usual time at -5. Taking the normal time, or a smaller
  time reduction, doesn’t grant a skill bonus! It’s up to the GM
  whether to allow instant completion of a task at -10 to skill;
  this is a cinematic option, reflecting amazing skill more than
  raw speed – GMs are within their rights to allow it, but not let
  a power Talent offset the penalty. In any case, even if the
  reduced time comes to less than a turn, it doesn’t make it pos-
  sible to complete multiple actions in a single turn.
  Second, if the GM allows the power of Control (Time), the
  level of Control can be used to offset skill penalties for haste.
  Control (Time) 10 should allow instantaneous actions with no
  penalty. But it still doesn’t allow multiple actions in a turn.
  Don’t apply both Talent and Control (Time) bonuses to the
  same action! The bonuses from Control (Time) can give a net
  bonus to effective skill, unlike those from a Talent.
  To allow multiple actions in a turn, take Altered Time Rate
  for all actions, or Extra Attack for multiple attacks only. For
  really incredible speed factors, GMs may choose to allow the
  Super-Speed enhancement to Altered Time Rate.
  Many Hands Make Light Work
  A hero with Duplication can use it to increase his work out-
  put; so can a hero with Compartmentalized Mind, if the work
  is purely intellectual. (GMs may choose to allow trivial physi-
  cal actions as part of intellectual work, such as typing numbers
  into a spreadsheet.) This book provides modifiers parallel to
  Super-Speed for both (see above).
  Treat each duplicate or compartment as a separate worker
  on a long task, as discussed on p. B346. One of the duplicates
  or compartments may be assigned the role of supervisor to
  coordinate the others’ efforts. This requires an Administration
  roll, with a +4 bonus because of the supervisor’s superior
  knowledge of the workers’ abilities and limits. Other bonuses
  and penalties are as on p. B346.
  The ability to withstand physical injury is primarily use-
  ful during combat; see Bulletproof in Chapter 7 for more on
  this ability (p. 122). But physical durability is also useful for
  surviving in hostile environments. Such locations fall into
  two subtypes: those that cause stress, represented as loss of
  FP, and those that cause actual physical injury, represented
  as loss of HP or death from other causes. Many aspects of
  such hazards and the ability to withstand them are discussed
  on pp. B428-441; this section adds a few more forms of harm
  and the specific powers that can resist them.
  CORROSION
  Most effects of corrosive substances are similar to corro-
  sion damage from Innate Attacks: They inflict physical damage
  on the body, which Damage Resistance and Nictitating
  Optional Rule:
  Speed Talent 
  and Skill Bonuses
  For GMs who are willing to do some on-the-fly cal-
  culation, there’s a fair way to use Speed Talent or other
  power Talents to gain skill bonuses. To do this, first
  determine what degree of haste could be offset by
  Speed Talent to a 0% skill penalty. Take that percentage
  of the normal time as the new base time. Then apply
  the extra time multipliers (p. B346) to that base time to
  gain skill bonuses.
  Example: Speedfreak gained Time Mastery Talent 4
  through incautious experimentation with recreational
  drugs. Doing tasks in 60% of the normal time imposes
  a -4 penalty to skill; his Talent exactly offsets that, giv-
  ing him a 0 penalty. So his base time is 60% of normal.
  He gets +1 to skill for taking 2¥60% or 120% of normal
  time; +2 for taking 240% of normal time; and so on up
  to +5 for taking 1,800% of normal time.
  INDESTRUCTIBILITY
  
  AMAZING FEATS
  104
  Membranes protect against under the standard combat rules.
  But some effects bypass DR and are resisted by HT rolls, much
  like toxic substances. Inhaled corrosive gases are the most
  common example. It’s possible to be Resistant or Immune to
  such effects. Inhaled corrosive substances are treated as Rare;
  they’re a subset of Inhaled Poison, an Occasional category.
  DECOMPRESSION
  Rapid decompression can result in suffering from the
  bends (see p. B435) unless the super has a power or advantage
  that protects him from high pressure. If a power includes
  Pressure Support but the character doesn’t actually have that
  ability, he can add his Talent to HT rolls to resist the bends. He
  can also be Resistant or Immune to Decompression Sickness;
  this is a Rare condition (pp. B80-81).
  If the power includes Vacuum Support but the hero doesn’t
  actually have that ability, he can add his Talent to all HT rolls
  to resist explosive decompression (p. B437). He could also be
  Resistant or Immune to Explosive Decompression, protecting
  him against the bends and sight and hearing loss; this is anoth-
  er Rare condition. He would not be protected against suffoca-
  tion or decompression injury; take Doesn’t Breathe for the first
  and Sealed for the second. Resistant or Immune to Pressure
  Changes is an Occasional condition; this includes both decom-
  pression sickness and explosive decompression.
  ELECTRIC SHOCK
  Electricity causes two sets of effects: burning damage from
  lethal electric shocks, and various afflictions that are resisted
  with HT rolls (pp. B432-433). It’s possible to be Resistant or
  Immune to electric shock; this counts as a Common attack.
  This protects against stunning, paralysis, unconsciousness,
  and heart attacks. It also aids Will rolls to keep hold of objects
  after a shock to the hand or arm. It doesn’t protect against
  burning injury.
  Damage Resistance can protect against burning injury from
  electricity; protection against electricity only is Common.
  Innate DR is typically equivalent to nonmetallic armor, and DR
  limited to electrical attacks is always equivalent to nonmetallic
  armor; it thus gives a bonus to HT rolls against nonlethal elec-
  trical damage. Don’t add it to HT rolls vs. lethal electrical dam-
  age; those rolls are at -1 per 2 points of injury suffered, and that
  injury has already been reduced for DR. GMs must rule as to
  the armor penetration of specific electric charges or currents,
  but many shocks from environmental conditions have an
  armor divisor of (0.5).
  HEAT AND COLD
  Under certain conditions, exposure to hot or cold environ-
  ments requires HT rolls or HT-based Survival (Desert for heat,
  Arctic for cold) rolls to avoid loss of FP. The standard advan-
  tage for coping with such conditions is Temperature Tolerance,
  usually representing thermal insulation from fur, subcuta-
  neous fat, or other substances. It’s also possible to be Resistant
  or Immune to Heat or Cold (Occasional) or to Thermal Stress
  (Common). This represents the ability to endure changes in
  internal body temperature without the usual metabolic effects,
  rather than the ability to prevent those changes by some phys-
  ical means.
  Being Resistant or even Immune to Thermal Stress doesn’t
  protect against actual physical injury from sources of heat or
  cold.
  IMMERSION
  Water conducts heat far faster than air, and immersion in
  water can cause rapid thermal shock (p. B430). Aquatic heroes
  are likely to have powers that let them withstand immersion in
  cold water, and sometimes in hot water. GMs may use the fol-
  lowing rules for a more detailed treatment of such effects.
  In water the comfort zone is much narrower, with a width
  of only 10ºF (from 75ºF to 85ºF for a normal human being). An
  Amphibious character has a comfort zone 35ºF wide (from
  50ºF to 85ºF for a normal human being). Buying Temperature
  Tolerance adds HT/5 degrees to the thermal comfort zone in
  water, or HT/2 degrees for an Amphibious character.
  In water at a temperature outside this narrower comfort
  zone, but inside the normal comfort zone, roll vs. HT once per
  minute. On a failure, the affected character lose 1 FP; in hot
  water, on a critical failure he suffers heat stroke and loses 1d FP.
  At temperatures colder than the normal comfort zone, or
  colder than normal freezing temperature, he suffers thermal
  shock (see p. B430).
  At temperatures higher than the normal comfort zone, he
  suffers the usual effects (p. B434) in addition to losing FP from
  failed rolls vs. HT. Note that FP aren’t normally lost from dehy-
  dration if someone is immersed in water.
  “Elements” in GURPS include a variety of categories of
  matter, energy, and force. They don’t include complex systems,
  such as living organisms or machines. They indirectly include
  processes, such as weather or chemical reactions, that are tak-
  ing place in the inanimate natural world, but not biological,
  mechanical, or social processes. At the GM’s discretion, they
  can include abstract concepts such as space and time.
  Outside of combat, elemental powers are expressed largely
  as Control and Create. Control can be applied to matter, ener-
  gy, or force; Create can be applied to matter or energy, but not
  to force. However, Telekinesis can be interpreted as the cre-
  ation of forces.
  The really impressive uses of elemental powers largely
  involve Control of natural phenomena, which can be applied in
  a large area: 0.1 ¥ level miles in radius. GURPS Powers sug-
  gests Oceans and Weather as suitable natural phenomena;
  other possibilities are Earth, Natural Light, and Gravity (see
  the Kinetic template, p. 46).
  Some special forms of elemental powers apply to the
  categories below:
  RULING THE ELEMENTS
  
  CHEMICAL CHANGES
  Chemical changes are transmutations within a given cate-
  gory of materials. To compel such changes to occur, buy Create
  for that category, with Transmutation, Can’t Create (-50%) and
  a special purpose modifier, Fixed Elements (-20%). With these
  modifiers, the power makes or breaks molecular bonds, free-
  ing or recombining the chemical elements, but not changing
  one element into another.
  For an equivalent Control power, take Control (Chemical
  Reactions). This works somewhat like Control of forces; each
  level of Control reduces the rate of a chemical reaction by -10%
  within the radius, down to completely shutting it off with
  Control 10 (Chemical Reactions). But reaction rates can be
  increased much further, in a pattern based on the rules for
  time spent on a task (p. B346): ¥2 for 1 level, ¥4 for 2 levels, ¥8
  for 3 levels, ¥15 for 4 levels, ¥30 for 5 levels, ¥60 for 6 levels,
  and so on. This can’t make a reaction run backward; the oxida-
  tion of fuel can be sped up to start a fire or slowed down to put
  one out, but water and carbon dioxide cannot be turned into
  gasoline! Chemical Reactions count as Very Common, since
  Fire is just one of their subcategories; its base cost is 30 per
  level.
  To apply this in combat, use the following guidelines:
  • For grenades and other weapons, the
  level of Control is added to the Malf, to
  ensure an explosion, or subtracted from it,
  to prevent one. Control 10 is sufficient to
  prevent an explosion completely with an
  IQ roll.
  • For other explosive devices, treat the
  level of Control as a bonus or penalty to
  the relevant specialization of Explosives
  skill.
  • To see if an object catches fire,
  increase or decrease its flammability
  threshold 10% per level of Control applied
  to it.
  FRICTION
  Another option is control of frictional forces. Each level of
  Control lets you adjust frictional levels up or down by 10%.
  Decreasing friction has both good and bad effects.
  Reducing friction by 30% gives 1/2 level of Enhanced Move;
  reducing it by 50% gives a full level; reducing it by 70% gives 1
  1/2 levels. On a completely frictionless surface, on the other
  hand, you can’t accelerate or decelerate, because you have no
  traction; you decelerate by 1 yard per second (Move 1) for
  every 15 seconds of movement because of air resistance, unless
  you’re in a vacuum.
  To move on a low-friction surface you need to roll vs. DX to
  avoid falling, at -1 per 10% decrease; Perfect Balance compen-
  sates for this, and you can apply Extra Time bonuses for 
  slowing down (p. B346). A failed roll causes a fall, and a 
  critical failure inflicts 1d-2 damage to a randomly chosen limb.
  If friction is reduced at least 30%, you can instead use Skating
  skill; no skill roll is required for routine movement, but make
  DX-based skill rolls under conditions defined on p. B220, or on
  a surface with -50% friction or less. Roll at -5 if the surface has
  -70% friction or less; at -10 for a frictionless surface. This effect
  can be used to hamper a foe’s movements.
  Increasing friction slows movement: +100% friction is
  equivalent to bad terrain, and +400% to very bad terrain. It’s
  possible to run over a surface equivalent to bad terrain, but at
  increased fatigue rates: Paced running requires a fatigue roll
  every 15 seconds, and sprinting is impossible. A surface equiv-
  alent to very bad terrain limits movement to a walk.
  Friction control also affects climbing: Each 20% increase or
  decrease in friction gives +1 or –1 to Climbing skill. If you can
  increase friction by 100%, you gain the equivalent of Clinging
  for walls, but not for ceilings. If you can cut friction to 0%, you
  can cancel a foe’s Clinging advantage.
  MACHINES
  The Control advantage, defined in GURPS Powers, explic-
  itly doesn’t apply to machines. But a super might have the abil-
  ity to control machines. If the machine is a vehicle bought as
  an Ally, one of its advantages is a specialized form of
  Compartmentalized Mind called Controls; if it has IQ 1 or
  higher, this lets either the operator or the machine itself con-
  trol its operations, whereas if it has IQ 0, the operator directs
  all its actions. Since the controls are treated as a mental com-
  partment, the ability to control them can be treated as a spe-
  cialized version of Possession, as stated in the def-
  inition of Control. Even if a machine is not
  bought as an Ally or built as a character, it
  can be controlled with the same abilities.
  Possession already has a limitation,
  Digital, that applies to computers, and that
  has Digital Mind as a prerequisite. But that
  doesn’t work for ordinary machines that have
  no data processing capabilities. Instead, take
  the following modifier:
  Machines Only: You are able to possess
  mechanical devices that have controls. This
  does not require Digital Mind, nor does it
  benefit from it. If the machine contains a
  computer, you are not inhabiting the comput-
  er, but occupying the peripherals that the
  human operator uses to interact with it. If a sen-
  tient computer or human operator resists your control, treat
  this as a Quick Contest between your IQ or Machine Operation
  skill and the Machine Operation skill of the computer or
  human. A nonsentient machine without an operator can
  always be taken over, like a Puppet. Your consciousness is sus-
  tained by inhabiting the machine. -20%.
  A human machine controller should usually also take
  Telecontrol (p. B76), which lets him operate the machine
  remotely while his body is in a trance, or Telecontrol 2
  (GURPS Powers), which leaves his body conscious and free to
  act, within certain restrictions.
  Functionally, these abilities look a lot like Telekinesis with
  the Animation limitation (defined in GURPS Powers), but
  they don’t provide any ST to the machines they affect. What’s
  being “animated” is not the machine as a whole, but its
  controls.
  This family of powers can be used to interfere with a tech-
  nological hero’s control of his own equipment.
  AMAZING FEATS
  105
  
  AMAZING FEATS
  106
  PRESSURE
  Atmospheric pressure is a force, like gravity, and can be
  adjusted in the same way. The normal pressure at the Earth’s
  surface is 15 pounds per square inch (psi). Control 10
  (Pressure) would let you thin the air to a vacuum (0 psi) or
  increase its pressure to twice normal (30 psi). See pp. B435 and
  B437 for effects.
  Part of many supers’ abilities is a superhuman awareness of
  their environments. Taking advantage of this gives them a tac-
  tical edge over their foes, and helps them locate and investigate
  crimes. This section offers several sets of rules for this type of
  awareness.
  DID YOU SEE THAT?
  Many supers have the ability to perceive things that normal
  human senses can’t deal with. Some of these abilities are
  extensions of the human senses, especially sight and hearing.
  Others are entirely new capabilities. In general they fall into
  two broad categories. Use Scanning Sense for an ability that
  forms images of the environment and emits energy (an “active”
  sense). Use Detect for an ability that does not form images and
  does not emit energy (a “passive” sense).
  What about imaging senses that don’t emit energy? One
  such sense is already defined: Passive sonar is represented as
  Discriminatory Hearing (p. B49) plus Vibration Sense (p. B96).
  A GM who wants to allow other passive imaging senses can
  define them similarly. A passive sense relies on energy emitted
  by the things it’s sensing, as passive sonar relies on sound, or
  on energy with an environmental source, as sight relies on sun-
  light and other light sources.
  Scanning Senses automatically reveal the direction and
  approximate distance of the things they detect, and can be
  upgraded with Targeting to reveal the precise distance and
  speed (p. B82). Detect reveals the direction and can be upgrad-
  ed to reveal the precise distance, but not the speed (p. B48).
  Alternatively, distance can be estimated by triangulation. This
  requires two Detect rolls made from places some distance
  apart. After the second successful roll, roll vs. IQ-4 or
  The Mechanical Hierarchy
  Technological devices fall into several distinct cate-
  gories, which are affected by powers and advantages
  differently.
  Tools are held by the user and wielded with his own
  strength. This category includes melee weapons and most
  muscle-powered ranged weapons. Examples: a hammer,
  a sword, a bow, a hand drill. To control a tool, use
  Telekinesis, which provides the ST to wield the tool.
  Machines are operated by the user through controls.
  Most machines have power sources, but the category also
  includes low-powered machines whose energy comes
  entirely from the human operator manipulating the con-
  trols. Examples: an electric sewing machine, a typewriter,
  a bulldozer. To control a machine, use Possession with
  Affects Machines. Operating a machine by Telekinesis is
  also possible, if the machine’s controls can be worked by
  a single pair of hands, but such tasks are complex enough
  to require an IQ roll to use TK properly.
  Computers have internal information-processing cir-
  cuits or linkages that carry out programs; peripheral con-
  trol devices such as keyboards don’t directly control the
  computer’s actions, but activate its programs. Examples:
  a programmable VCR, a desktop computer, an iPod. In
  GURPS terms, ordinary computers have IQ 0; most have
  a Complexity, but again, very basic computers have
  Complexity 0. A computer can be controlled via Mind
  Control with Cybernetic or Cybernetic Only (roll vs. IQ –
  Complexity); a sufficiently complex computer can be con-
  trolled with Possession with Digital. Alternatively, the
  computer’s peripherals can be remotely operated like any
  other machine, but the user has to figure out its pass-
  words and data structures the hard way.
  Clockworks carry out complex series of instructions
  comparable to computer programs, but they aren’t repro-
  grammable; the instructions are physically “hardwired.”
  Examples: a music box or player piano; a mechanical
  autopilot. Clockworks can be turned on or off like any
  other machines but their operation can’t be changed.
  They can’t be reprogrammed without physically rebuild-
  ing them, which takes a combination of Control and
  Create, plus some difficult skill rolls.
  AIs are computers with IQ 1 or higher. Examples:
  many science-fictional computers and robots. They can
  be controlled like other computers, but this always
  requires a Quick Contest of IQ vs. the AI’s Will.
  Unpowered vehicles such as a rowboat are comparable
  to tools. Powered vehicles such as a car are machines; bat-
  tlesuits also fall into this category and can be possessed.
  Computer-controlled vehicles are treated either as comput-
  ers or as AIs; the same is true of robots.
  Some devices fall in between two of these categories.
  For example, a medieval church organ was a machine
  with controls, and could be played via Possession; but its
  power source was a man-operated bellows, which could
  only be worked by Telekinesis. A crossbow’s trigger can be
  pulled via Possession, but cocking it takes strength and
  thus requires Telekinesis; picking it up and aiming it also
  requires TK, but Possession would be sufficient to point a
  mounted crossbow at a target.
  PERCEPTION AND MEMORY
  
  AMAZING FEATS
  107
  Navigation-2 to figure out where the lines from those two
  places converge. The accuracy increases with a longer base-
  line. On a success, the target’s range is known to within (10
  yards/length of baseline); on a critical success, to within (2
  yards/length of baseline). On a failure, it can’t be located accu-
  rately; on a critical failure, you’re certain you know where it is,
  and wrong. These rolls should be made by the GM!
  Detect only reveals the location of the nearest substantial
  amount of a substance or activity. GMs may allow further
  Detect rolls to locate additional amounts, at a penalty equal to
  the number of sources already identified. Scanning Senses are
  not limited to the nearest object; they can be used to look for
  more distant objects with no special penalty.
  Eidetic Memory allows recalling a sensory landscape in fine
  detail on an IQ roll; Photographic Memory allows it without a
  roll. You can perceive details in such a sensory landscape with
  a Per roll, and interpret them after noticing them with an IQ
  roll, just as if you were physically present in it.
  NO EVIL SHALL ESCAPE
  MY SIGHT
  If a hero does daily patrols, he has a chance each day of
  encountering a significant crime. A GM who wants to focus on
  street crime can use the following system to find out whether
  a given day’s patrol discovers anything important.
  The basic roll is a Sense roll. This should be based on the
  hero’s main ranged sense; for normal human beings this is
  Vision, but supers may substitute others. At the GM’s option, a
  Per-based roll against Criminology, Observation, Shadowing,
  or Streetwise may be used instead.
  Several modifiers affect the success of the roll:
  Speed: Moving faster covers a bigger area, which means
  more crimes to find. On the other hand, moving faster may
  mean failure to notice a crime in progress. The modifier for a
  daily travel distance of 50 miles or less is +0; add +1 for 10¥ the
  daily travel rate, cumulatively (for example, 50,000 miles in a
  day gives +3 to the roll). With Enhanced Time Sense, speed
  never makes a hero overlook anything, so the modifier is only
  +2 for 10¥ daily travel rate, or +1 for 3¥.
  Population Density: If there are more people, there’s more
  crime in a given area. Apply a modifier from the following
  table:
  Crime Level: Some areas are more prone to crime than oth-
  ers. The GM may assign a modifier from -1 (a nearly utopian
  community of highly ethical people) to +5 (an area where law
  enforcement has broken down and criminals roam the streets).
  A good rule of thumb is to have criminality equal to 5 – CR.
  Perception Modifiers: Anything that modifies the Sense roll
  modifies this roll: Acute Senses, poor light, Bad Sight, and so
  on. Only ranged senses can be used for this purpose.
  Blindness: If a character is blind all rolls are at -6, unless he
  has a Scanning Sense or other ability that is able to operate in
  place of sight. It’s assumed that he does get some useful infor-
  mation from his other senses.
  Shortened Patrol: If a super spends less than a full day on
  patrol, he makes his Sense rolls at a penalty: -1 for 10% less
  time spent on patrol. Assume that a normal patrol takes 5
  hours.
  Altered Time Rate: Altered Time Rate is equivalent to taking
  extra time on patrol (p. B346). The bonus is +2 for 2¥ as much
  time (Altered Time Rate 1), +2 for 4¥ (Altered Time Rate 3), +3
  for 8¥ (Altered Time Rate 7), +4 for 15¥ (Altered Time Rate 14),
  and +5 for 30¥ (Altered Time Rate 29). Note that patrolling
  does not count as combat; with the Super-Speed enhancement,
  the hero can use the noncombat speed multiplier.
  Some things don’t modify this roll because the nature of the
  crime isn’t necessarily defined before the roll. The scale of the
  crime isn’t taken into account. Neither is the crime being easy
  or hard to sense – a loud gunshot vs. an average fistfight or a
  quiet garrote, for example.
  If the roll is a failure, nothing is found. (At the GM’s discre-
  tion, there may be a minor photo op, an autograph hound, or
  a chance to help with some small problem like finding a lost
  dog.) If it’s a success, the hero encounters an ordinary street
  crime, drug deal, or other minor illegality. On a critical suc-
  cess, the encounter is a major crime in progress, a clash with
  a villain, or the discovery of an apparently minor crime that
  provides a lead to something bigger. If it’s a critical failure, the
  patroller suffers some inconvenient or
  embarrassing event, such as being caught
  in an enemy’s ambush or mistaking
  another hero for a criminal.
  This roll can also be used to search for
  a specific criminal. A critical success
  means actually finding him; an ordinary
  success may mean finding a lead, such as
  someone who knows how; a critical fail-
  ure is a mistaken identity.
  With some changes in the modifiers
  patrol rolls can be used for other purpos-
  es, like looking for dangerous animals or
  unusual natural phenomena in a wilder-
  ness area, or simply looking for people in need of help.
  Disregard the Population Density and Criminality Level modi-
  fiers in this case; instead, the GM should come up with other
  modifiers suited to the scarcity of whatever is being looked for.
  Population Density
  per acre
  per square mile
  Modifier
  Examples
  <0.001
  <0.64
  -4
  wilderness
  0.001-0.01
  0.64-6.4
  -3
  large farm
  0.01-0.1
  6.4-64
  -2
  small farm
  0.1-0.5
  64-320
  -1
  rural community
  0.5-1.0
  320-640
  0
  small town
  1.0-5.0
  640-3,200
  +1
  large town
  5.0-10.0
  3,200-6,400
  +2
  most American cities
  10.0-50.0
  6,400-32,000
  +3
  New York, most European cities
  >50.0
  >32,000
  +4
  Hong Kong, Singapore
  Wolverine: You actually go outside
  in these things?
  Cyclops: Well, what would you 
  prefer? Yellow spandex?
  – X-Men
  
  READING THE
  HEARTS OF MEN
  Some heroes with enhanced senses gain superior aware-
  ness of other people’s thoughts and emotions, often to the
  point where they can act as human lie detectors. In some
  measure, this can be represented as Detect Lies skill based on
  a high Per score. But for something a bit more superhuman,
  consider the following option:
  Hypersensory: Defined in GURPS Powers for Psychometry,
  this can be applied to other abilities usually considered “psy-
  chic.” Exercising them requires evidence gathered from mun-
  dane senses. For each specific ability, the GM may choose
  three senses that can most logically be applied to it. For abili-
  ties that require a roll vs. IQ, as Psychometry does, you are at
  -3 if one sense is blocked, -6 if two are blocked, and you can’t
  use the ability at all if all three are blocked. For abilities that
  provide a bonus to attribute or skill rolls, you lose one-third,
  two-thirds, or all of the bonus (round the bonus down). For
  example, Empathy (Hypersensory, -50%) depends on sight,
  hearing, and smell, and gives +3 to Detect Lies, Fortune-
  Telling, and Psychology; but if two of those senses are blocked,
  it gives only +1.
  Plausible abilities to use this with are Clairsentience (sight,
  hearing, and smell), Danger Sense (but not Precognition in
  general), Empathy or Sensitive (sight, hearing, and smell),
  Mind Reading (sight, hearing, and touch), See Invisible (hear-
  ing, smell, and touch), and any version of Detect the GM
  chooses to allow. For a weirder effect, the GM may allow it for
  Channeling; the hero isn’t actually in touch with the spirit
  world, if spirits even exist, but reconstructing the thoughts and
  feelings of a place’s past occupants and then giving them a
  voice. GURPS Powers provides a variant of this enhancement
  for Dark Vision.
  Senses other than the normal human ones, such as
  Infravision, Scanning Sense, or various forms of Detect, may
  be taken in place of one of the standard sets for an ability, if the
  GM agrees.
  Another option is to take the Emotion Sense enhancement
  of Discriminatory Smell, with the resulting bonus to skills.
  GMs may choose to allow a similar enhancement to
  Discriminatory Hearing, representing the ability to hear a per-
  son’s or animal’s tone of voice, breathing, and heartbeat; this
  should also require being within 2 yards of the subject.
  LOOKING FORWARD
  Precognition is difficult to deal with in roleplaying games:
  if the PCs have it, they can short-circuit many scenarios, and if
  other characters have it, the PCs may be trapped in rigid plots.
  Here are some optional rules for fitting precognition into a
  campaign while limiting the disruptive effects.
  One Precog
  If only one person in a scenario has Precognition, its suc-
  cessful application requires a roll against IQ. This grants +4 to
  Gambling, Market Analysis, Strategy, or Tactics. It can also
  yield specific facts about the future, depending on the nature
  of time in the setting.
  If time is rigid, then the future is already set; precognition
  simply reveals it. But for most people, that won’t be anything
  of great substance. The exception is a person with a Destiny;
  successful precognition reveals the nature of that Destiny.
  Otherwise the power uncovers something trivial, or nothing at
  all.
  If time is plastic, the future isn’t yet established, but by look-
  ing into it the precog may make it fixed. After a successful use,
  the GM should roll on the reaction table (pp. B560-561). On a
  neutral reaction, the target has no significant future events. On
  a favorable reaction, he acquires a Destiny as an advantage: a
  minor advantage for a good reaction, a major advantage for a
  very good reaction, or a great advantage for an excellent reac-
  tion. On an unfavorable reaction, he acquires a Destiny as a
  disadvantage, similarly proportioned to the degree of negative
  reaction. Note that the precog doesn’t have to tell the target of
  this Destiny, and some targets may prefer not to know, if they
  have a choice.
  Dueling Precogs
  If two or more precogs are involved in a situation, fore-
  telling the future gets more complicated. Any time both of
  them are trying to foresee the outcome of the same course of
  events, they need to roll a Quick Contest of IQ. The winner
  gains the usual benefits of precognition; the loser does not. If
  there is a tie, neither gains those benefits, and they may not
  attempt further uses until circumstances have materially
  changed.
  However, if the winner of the contest acts on his informa-
  tion in any way – for example, by choosing an investment port-
  folio or a combat strategy – this action itself shapes the future.
  If the loser’s IQ roll is a success, he is aware that the future has
  been affected by someone else’s foreknowledge, and thus that
  there’s another precog in the picture. They can remain hidden
  only by not acting on their knowledge. When any precog acts
  on his superior knowledge, the GM must consider whether
  there are any others interested in the same situation and, if
  there are, must determine whether they perceive the presence
  of a new precog.
  AMAZING FEATS
  108
  They’re accustomed to seeing
  the future, Paul thought. In this
  place and time they’re blind . . .
  even as I am. And he sampled the
  time-winds, sensing the turmoil, the
  storm nexus that now focused on
  this moment place. Even the faint
  gaps were closed now.
  Frank Herbert, Dune
  
  AMAZING FEATS
  109
  A GM who wants a more complex contest may allow a pre-
  cog to deliberately randomize his decisions, making many of
  them as he would if he had no foreknowledge. In game terms,
  this means taking a lesser skill modifier after the Precognition
  roll. For each +1 of skill that he sacrifices, the other precog is
  at an effective -2 to IQ only for the purpose of noticing his
  opponent’s actions.
  These rule assume that they’re acting “at the same time.” In
  combat, this should be taken literally. Outside of combat, a
  broader interpretation is better: If two psychics are both acting
  in the same general time frame, so that either one’s actions
  could affect the other, then treat them as doing things “at the
  same time” even if one actually operates before the other. In
  fact, it’s plausible to say that the winner of the Quick Contest
  saw further ahead than the loser and was able to act first and
  close off the loser’s options.
  This same mechanic can be applied to nonpsionic analogs
  of Precognition. For example, computers with powerful pre-
  dictive algorithms could be used in this type of duel.
  HOW NOT TO BE SEEN
  Determining whether one person is seen by another, or
  detected by electronic security apparatus, is normally done
  with a Quick Contest, usually of Stealth vs. Perception or
  Electronics Operation. In a bare room or other unfavorable
  environment, it simply can’t be done. But heroes with certain
  powers may be able to avoid detection under such conditions,
  or improve their chances of going unnoticed in others, with a
  variant on Power Defense that allows an additional roll. Power
  Parry doesn’t apply (one person’s gaze can’t parry another’s!),
  but there are forms of Power Block and Power Dodge.
  Power Block
  Power Block works for perception in two ways:
  • The person making the Block has an ability that blocks or
  distorts the sense in question; for example, Control (Light) or
  Obscure (Vision) vs. ordinary sight.
  • The person making the Block has an ability that adds to
  rolls to avoid being perceived, such as Chameleon for ordinary
  sight.
  Use the standard formula for Power Block. Make the Power
  Block roll before the Quick Contest; if it succeeds, any benefit
  that would normally be provided against being perceived is
  doubled. For example, Chameleon gives +4 to Stealth skill per
  level when standing still, or +2 when moving.
  Power Dodge
  Power Dodge works when the person making the dodge has
  some way of sensing where another person’s attention is
  directed, such as Danger Sense or Mind Reading (Sensory). It
  lets him try to move exactly to the place where the other per-
  son is not looking. Use the standard formula for Power Dodge,
  and make the roll before the Quick Contest; if it succeeds, you
  have avoided being seen during that turn. It’s harder to do this
  against multiple observers; roll a separate Power Dodge for
  each observer, at a cumulative -1 per observer already avoided.
  Don’t apply this under circumstances that make it ridiculous,
  such as one person looking into a confined space without
  cover where another person is trying to hide.
  Power Dodge can also be used with a concealment power,
  such as Invisibility, to attempt to make oneself undetectable
  quickly enough to avoid being noticed.
  Telepathic powers are a big theme in comics. Such powers
  can be useful in combat, but they often show their main
  strengths elsewhere, in activities that span a fairly long time.
  This section provides rules for such activities.
  Many of these rules can also be applied to forms of mental
  access other than telepathy, such as cybernetic links to other
  people’s brains or simply dosing others with mind-altering
  drugs.
  HIDING YOUR THOUGHTS
  If it’s possible to read minds, people who know that this can
  be done try to keep their thoughts secret. There are several
  ways to do this.
  A telepath can take either Mind Shield or Resistant to
  Telepathy as a power. As a category, Telepathy is Very Common
  and includes not only psionic telepathy (but not other psi pow-
  ers) but also magical spells and other mind-reading abilities.
  Limiting resistance to psionic telepathy, or limiting it to a spe-
  cific telepathic ability like Mind Probe or Mind Control, makes
  it one step rarer. The difference between the two is that Mind
  Shield automatically makes the telepath aware of mental
  attacks, but Resistant doesn’t – and it’s more suitable as an
  ability for nontelepaths. It’s also much easier to build a gadget
  that confers Resistant to Telepathy than one that offers Mind
  Shield. In some settings, only a telepath may use a Mind Shield
  device. Nontelepaths can also learn the skill of Mind Block.
  Telepaths who learn it can add their level of Mind Shield, if
  any.
  Either Resistant to Telepathy or Mind Block makes it obvi-
  ous that you’re not letting your thoughts be read. But you may
  not want it known that you’re hiding anything. For this pur-
  pose, take one of the techniques Camouflaged Mind Block or
  Coded Thoughts (see p. 38). Even telepaths may find learning
  these useful. Mind Shield can also prevent your mind from
  being sensed by a telepath or mage, but if you’re physically
  there and your thoughts aren’t “registering,” it’s obvious that
  something’s wrong.
  Only Coded Thoughts actually lets you actively think about
  the subject you’re hiding; Camouflaged Mind Block lets you
  retain your knowledge and plans, but not process them or act
  on them.
  Finally, to completely hide your mental presence, you can
  learn the No-Mind technique (see p. 38).
  MASTERING THE MIND
  
  AMAZING FEATS
  110
  CONCEALED ENTRY
  Discovering the presence of another mind requires a suit-
  able Detect ability and an IQ roll. Normally this is unopposed.
  Reading surface thoughts requires Mind Reading and a Quick
  Contest of IQ vs. the subject’s Will. Accessing his memories
  requires Mind Probe and a Quick Contest of IQ or
  Interrogation skill vs. the subject’s Will for each question. If the
  subject has a Mind Shield, his Mind Shield level is added to his
  Will for these Quick Contests, and detecting his mind telepath-
  ically requires a Quick Contest of IQ vs. Will + Mind Shield.
  A telepath who has time to spare can attempt to penetrate
  mental defenses by subverting them, rather than overwhelm-
  ing them. This requires a Detect, Mind Reading, or Mind Probe
  roll, depending on what he wants to do. Subversion takes
  longer, at least one minute, and is at a base penalty of -1 per
  level of Mind Shield. However, it can be modified by taking
  extra time (p. B346). The GM may allow telepaths to enhance
  their skill at mental subversion as a separate Hard technique
  for each advantage, limited to removing the base penalty. If
  this is possible, telepaths new to mental subversion may take
  half an hour to get +1 to effective skill; experienced telepaths
  do it faster. A successful subversion roll works like Targeting
  Chinks in Armor (p. B400): The target’s defenses are halved. In
  addition, because the target is unaware of having his mind
  read, he can’t use a Power Block to enhance his Mind Shield,
  nor can he use Mental Strength to resist.
  INFLUENCING OTHER MINDS
  A subject with Mind Shield gains bonuses against Mind
  Control. Subversive techniques can be used to gain control of
  his mind, following the same procedure as for mind reading.
  Such techniques aren’t suitable for the standard version of
  Mind Control, which grants direct control of a person’s actions
  from moment to moment. However, they can be used for
  Conditioning, Emotion Control, or Suggestion. Each of these
  three forms of subversive control is a separate Hard technique
  with a base penalty of -1 per level of Mind Shield. The tech-
  nique is limited to removing the base penalty, but taking extra
  time can give better chances of success.
  In some comic-book settings, the effects of Mind Control
  last much longer than a few days, at least when created by
  powerful telepaths. One way to represent this is to assume that
  having another person under physical or mental restraint
  allows repeated attempts at Mind Control, until a critical suc-
  cess is achieved. Rather than making repeated rolls, start by
  assuming a session of conditioning that lasts an hour with
  effective skill 14 or less, half an hour with effective skill 15, or
  10 minutes with effective skill 16 or better; make a single roll
  for that session. On a critical success, permanent conditioning
  is achieved immediately; on a normal success, it’s achieved
  after the full length of the session; on a normal failure, the sub-
  ject appears to have been permanently conditioned, but the
  conditioning wears off in a day; on a critical failure, the condi-
  tioning succeeds, but produces entirely the wrong effect.
  Taking extra time to gain improved chances of success requires
  spending multiple full sessions with the same subject.
  It’s also possible to influence other minds by using
  Hypnotism skill as discussed on p. B201. In a cinematic treat-
  ment, the GM may allow Hypnotism to be taken as a prerequi-
  site for the Enthrallment skills, in place of Public Speaking. It
  can be combined with Telesend: Suggestions made via
  Telesend give +2 to Hypnotism rolls.
  In a setting where hypnotists control their subjects through
  a mysterious force (mesmerism or animal magnetism), it’s pos-
  sible to establish a trance without speech or gestures; to do so,
  roll vs. Hypnotism skill at -4 (this penalty can be bought off as
  a Hard technique; see p. 38). This kind of mental hypnosis is at
  -1 per yard of separation between the user and his subject.
  Once the trance is established, the hypnotist and subject have
  a temporary Mindlink that lasts until the stupor ends. This
  allows the controller to make suggestions or give posthypnotic
  commands at a distance, with standard range modifiers to
  effective skill.
  As shown in comic books, magic is often a way of achieving
  superhuman versatility. A hero who knows the mystic arts can
  look up, adapt, or create a spell to serve almost any purpose.
  But magic has other distinctive qualities of its own.
  Comic-book wizards approach magic differently than wiz-
  ards in most fantasy games. For one thing, they don’t normal-
  ly have spell lists. A wizard in the comics may own a grimoire
  and look spells up in it, but what spells he can find there isn’t
  determined in advance. In general, he can find any spell that
  the plot requires. Using the grimoire is a special effect required
  to access his abilities. And other comic-book magicians don’t
  use grimoires at all.
  To fit this pattern, mages in supers campaigns should prac-
  tice various forms of improvisational magic, as discussed in
  GURPS Magic and GURPS Thaumatology. For most heroic
  worlds, the best option is the simplest: all mages have a single
  wildcard skill, Magic! They can then cast any spell that has
  been defined, at a penalty equal to the spell’s prerequisite
  count, subject to the GM’s agreement that that spell is possible
  in the universe where they operate. Advanced spells with lots
  of prerequisites are cast at large penalties, -10 or worse; GMs
  have the option of allowing them to treat individual spells as
  techniques that can be bought up.
  I’ll follow you down till the
  sound of my voice will haunt you;
  You’ll never get away from the
  sound of the woman that loves you.
  – Fleetwood Mac, 
  Silver Spring
  COMIC-BOOK WIZARDRY
  
  AMAZING FEATS
  111
  Another option is to treat spells as modular abilities, usual-
  ly defined as Grimoire (see p. 27), Spirit Trapping (see p. 27),
  or Super Memorization (p. B71). All these options fit various
  sorts of wizards who have to acquire new spells by looking
  them up in books, visiting the spirit world, or other time-
  consuming procedures.
  Actually casting spells requires Magery. This has two forms
  in GURPS: standard Magery, associated with Thaumatology,
  and Ritual Magery, associated with Ritual Magic. Comic-book
  wizards often seem to call on mysterious entities to aid their
  spells, so Ritual Magery may be a better fit. Use Sorcery! rather
  than Magic! as the wildcard skill with Ritual Magery. The
  comic-book genre’s treatment of magic is often similar to the
  horror genre’s: Magic is weird and disturbing and often a
  source of threats, with a small band of white wizards defend-
  ing humanity and the natural order against those perils.
  Fitting in with this view, some supers worlds have pairs of
  opposed supernatural powers, such as Dr. Fate’s sponsors,
  the Lords of Order, and their opponents, the Lords of Chaos.
  Comic-book wizards who serve one side in such a conflict
  should have powers with a moral rather than magical
  source.
  The actual range of spells a supermage can cast may be lim-
  ited to certain kinds. Discovering the truth or creating illu-
  sions, influencing others’ minds, and travel to other planes (see
  Amazing Journeys, p. 112) are all common. Changing shape
  and hurling fire or lightning at one’s foes are rarer, perhaps
  because supers with no magical abilities can do exactly the
  same thing.
  Many supermages also own powerful magical objects of
  mysterious origin. See Magic, p. 89, for more on this.
  Comic-book adventures are full of geniuses who can whip
  out a new invention on a moment’s notice. The Quick
  Gadgeteer advantage is widespread in many supers universes,
  especially the four-color ones. GMs should study the rules on
  inventions and gadgeteering closely (pp. B473-477).
  A slightly more restrained option is to combine the Gizmos
  and Gadgeteer advantages as suggested on p. B58. Each Gizmo
  lets an inventor who is a Gadgeteer produce one new device
  per session at the speed of a Quick Gadgeteer. The GM is still
  free to impose requirements for special materials, but the
  Gizmo lets the inventor avoid the necessity of fabricating the
  key parts.
  One common theme for inventions in supers adventures is
  the technological alteration or suppression of powers. The
  usual skill for developing such items is Weird Science.
  SABOTAGE
  Sabotage can be treated as a specialized form of invention,
  amounting to modification of equipment in the field. Either
  standard inventors or gadgeteers can attempt it.
  Skill modifiers are based on complexity levels, as usual.
  If the saboteur is already familiar with the equipment, or
  has access to its technical manuals, he need not make a
  Concept roll to analyze it. Otherwise, a Concept roll is
  required. It takes 1d¥10 minutes for an inventor or a regular
  gadgeteer, or 1d minutes for a quick gadgeteer.
  To damage the equipment, the saboteur makes a Prototype
  roll. This takes 1d hours for an inventor or a regular gadgeteer,
  or 1d¥10 minutes for a quick gadgeteer.
  For a regular inventor, a critical success on the Prototype
  roll adds a major bug to the device. Success by three or more
  adds 1d/2 minor bugs. A lesser success adds one minor bug. A
  failure does not damage the device; a critical failure adds a
  minor bug, but makes it obvious that the device has been
  sabotaged.
  For a gadgeteer (regular or quick), success by three or more
  adds a major bug; critical success adds a major bug and a
  minor bug that’s easier to find and is found first. A lesser suc-
  cess adds 1d/2 minor bugs. Failures and critical failures are as
  for inventors.
  Finding deliberately created bugs requires the standard
  testing procedure.
  No such complicated rolls are required to simply wreck a
  machine; that can be done by smashing it or shooting it full of
  holes! Sabotage in this sense means introducing subtle prob-
  lems that won’t show up until someone tries to use an appar-
  ently fully functional machine.
  INVENTION
  Supers often have amazing numbers of different skills.
  Classic examples of this are Doc Savage and Batman, both of
  whom were better at several different professions than most
  full-time specialists! There are many ways to give a hero this
  breadth.
  The simplest and most obvious method is to spend a lot of
  points on skills. Wildcard skills are especially recommended;
  learning four or more things in the same broad arena means a
  wildcard skill in that discipline saves points.
  Nearly as straightforward is buying attributes to high levels,
  especially DX and IQ. With an IQ of 20, a vast range of skills
  default to 14-16, and spending 1 point per skill raises them to
  18-20; spending 3 points on a wildcard skill raises it to 17. This
  is an expensive option in GURPS 4/e, partly because charac-
  ters who are equally brilliant at laboratory science, wilderness
  survival, entrepreneurship, the fine arts, and making a good
  impression in high society – which high IQ makes possible –
  aren’t very realistic; it ought to cost a lot to be that good. But
  four-color supers have the points (see the Renaissance Man
  template, p. 50), and this particular type of unrealism is part of
  the genre.
  A hero who has the wildcard skill Fake! (see p. 37) can sub-
  stitute it for the attribute a skill is based on, if the result would
  be better than defaulting to the attribute.
  VERSATILITY
  
  AMAZING FEATS
  112
  Another option is to use powers to gain better skills, follow-
  ing the guidelines for Abilities Enhancing Skills in GURPS
  Powers. Many supers have one or two powers that can grant
  +2 or +4 bonuses to selected skills; the templates in this book
  often include such skills. But a hero can also make this kind of
  enhancement his main theme. There are two ways to use
  Modular Abilities do this:
  MODULAR ABILITIES
  AND SKILLS
  A hero who has Modular Abilities can use them to acquire
  whatever power would be helpful with the task he needs to per-
  form. The Improviser template in this book is suited to creat-
  ing such characters (see p. 46). Make sure to check whether it’s
  cheaper to buy two or four levels of the skill directly (typically
  for 8 or 16 points) than to buy the advantage that grants an
  equivalent bonus!
  Another way to use Modular Abilities is to take a version
  that only provides Perk: Accessories (see the Improviser tem-
  plate, p. 46). A hero with this ability can always use any skill as
  if he had standard equipment.
  Supers visit exotic realms of various kinds; see Wider
  Horizons (p. 141) for some of the options. The ability to do this
  may be a by-product of their other powers: Heroes who can
  shrink may enter microworlds, heroes with time-related powers
  may visit the past or future, and so on. But many such trips
  don’t depend on superpowers at all. Instead, the super may hap-
  pen to discover a portal or pathway leading to some strange
  realm, or acquire an artifact that grants access to it. Such things
  aren’t normally useful in combat, or for gaining strategic or
  logistic advantages. Rather, they’re excuses for scenarios in
  exotic settings.
  In GURPS terms, those who stumble across such things by
  chance may be Weirdness Magnets; the only door into a paral-
  lel world is just the sort of thing they’d encounter. Heroes who
  make these journeys deliberately, and map out routes to a vari-
  ety of exotic places, may have a form of Hidden Lore.
  Technological devices that open the way to bizarre lands are
  suitable projects for Gadgeteer heroes; spells that do so are the
  province of powerful mages.
  AMAZING JOURNEYS
  One of the common story elements in heroic adventures is
  the character who achieves some impressive feat – and then
  forgets all about it in the next story. Descriptions of the char-
  acter’s abilities may include such deeds as the upper limits of
  what the character can do. But they may not be typical of the
  character; they may be rare, memorable exceptions. Such feats
  are characteristic of the cinematic and Comics-Code genres;
  they should be avoided in gritty treatments.
  The standard GURPS rules for extra effort (pp. B356-357)
  allow a limited measure of such feats, as discussed in GURPS
  Powers. GMs may choose to adopt the rule for godlike extra
  effort from GURPS Powers, letting heroes or their adversaries
  spend multiple FP and multiply the bonus effect by the FP spent.
  Various attributes and advantages can take modifiers that
  change these traits from an additive progression to the multi-
  plicative progression of the Size and Speed/Range Table
  (p. B550) – for example, the Super-Effort modifier (available for
  Lifting ST in GURPS Powers, and for overall ST, Binding,
  Control, and Telekinesis in this volume; see pp. 24-26 and 28).
  Note that even the standard versions of some advantages
  already include a multiplicative progression, such as the
  increase in size for Growth, or the increase in range for
  Parabolic Hearing and Telescopic Vision; modifiers of this type
  aren’t available for those powers. This book doesn’t provide
  them for Damage Resistance or Innate Attack; both have low
  point costs, relative to that of ST, and making them even cheap-
  er would undermine the usefulness of super-strong heroes,
  which clashes with the assumptions of the supers genre.
  ONE-USE POWERS
  For even more potent feats, the GM may adopt a variant of
  the rules under One Use Only (see p. 74), treating certain uses
  of superpowers as plot devices comparable to a unique inven-
  tion. To do this, a hero must have a power talent, and must
  have taken the advantage Ultrapower (see p. 30). Then the
  player describes the feat that he wants to accomplish. These
  can be measured on two different dimensions: intensity and
  scope.
  Intensity is a measure of how much raw power is involved
  in the feat. This should always be proportionate to the power
  level of the character attempting the feat. A super normal
  might be able to lift a car off a trapped child; a classic super
  might be able to hold up a train; a high-end hero might change
  the orbit of the moon.
  Scope is a measure of how complex the feat is, and how dif-
  ficult it is for a human being to envision it. Any hero may
  attempt a feat at any scope; the GM assigns it a rating using the
  BEYOND THE LIMITS
  
  AMAZING FEATS
  113
  following guidelines:
  Titanic feats exceed the hero’s normal limits in a narrow
  way, typically defined by a single physical variable: lifting or
  holding up a huge weight, pushing with incredible force, or
  moving in a straight line.
  Legendary feats are as complex as normal human actions,
  but greater in magnitude: carrying a massive load, traveling
  over a course that involves turning or other maneuvers, or
  reshaping a single large homogenous object.
  Awesome feats accomplish more complex feats that would
  normally require multiple people working together, or one per-
  son performing a long series of tasks: scanning every mind in
  a crowd at once, or telekinetically operating all the controls on
  a battleship.
  Transcendent feats go beyond these limits, up to completely
  miraculous actions such as creating an extradimensional
  realm or telepathically killing every mutant on Earth.
  The player then rolls against Will, modified by power talent
  and by the challenge rating of the task: no modifier for Titanic,
  -2 for Legendary, -4 for Awesome, and -8 for Transcendent. The
  GM may apply an additional -1 to -10 modifier if the circum-
  stances are unfavorable. The attempt takes 1d¥10 minutes, the
  same as for a quick gadgeteering roll to modify an exotic
  device.
  The results are determined similarly to those for one-use
  devices. Ordinary success means that the feat is accomplished,
  but costs Fatigue Points equal to the character’s FP score, leav-
  ing him at 0 FP or less; a character at this level of fatigue can-
  not attempt any Ultrapower feat. Success by two or less means
  that the character’s power may be crippled, as discussed on
  p. 156 of GURPS Powers. On a critical success, the attempt
  costs 1 FP for a Simple feat, 2 for an Average feat, 4 for a
  Complex feat, or 8 for an Amazing feat. On a critical success
  only, the hero may spend earned character points to buy an
  ability capable of replicating the feat – though some feats may
  cost more character points than any PC could expect to earn!
  On a failure, the feat falls short of the desired effect. On a
  critical failure, it has disruptive side effects. Use the Random
  Side Effects Table on p. B479, either rolling or picking an effect
  that fits the situation.
  The effect achieved must fit the theme of the hero’s power.
  In addition, its scale must be plausible for his overall abilities
  and the campaign genre. Finally, the GM must agree that the
  intended effect is relevant to the problem that confronts him.
  To make this advantage useful in combat situations, the GM
  may allow heroes to make one attempt at an additional -10 to
  the Will roll, as discussed in the rules for time spent on tasks
  (p. B346). If it succeeds, the feat is achieved in a single turn –
  which is close enough to completing a task instantly, given how
  long it would normally take.
  LATENT POWERS
  Since the system for one-use powers relies solely on Will
  and Talent, and not on any abilities of a power, it’s also suitable
  for characters with latent powers (Talent but no abilities) who
  are only capable of the occasional amazing feat of power
  because their full potency has not yet developed!
  Example: Tommy Franklin has the potential to be a power-
  ful telekinetic but, at age eight, has only four levels of
  Telekinesis Talent, a Will of 14, and the Ultrapower advantage.
  He hasn’t developed any Telekinesis abilities yet, not even with
  the Unreliable or Emergencies Only limitations (although those
  likely are elements of his initial abilities). Still, when Tommy is
  trapped in a cave-in with his best friend and needs desperately
  to escape, the GM agrees it’s a suitable moment for his latent
  powers to kick in.
  Pushing aside the tons of rock is a Titanic feat, so the GM
  has Tommy’s player roll against his Will (14) plus Telekinesis
  Talent (4), or 18, with no modifier. Tommy concentrates for
  1d¥10 minutes. The player rolls a critical success, so the
  attempt only costs Tommy 1 FP and he mentally shoves aside
  all the loose rock blocking the cave entrance, showing a hint of
  Godlike Strength
  Incredible feats of strength are commonplace in the
  comics, and before that in myths: Hercules holding up
  the sky to give Atlas a break, or Thor causing the tides
  by trying to drink the ocean. But strength isn’t normal-
  ly acquired as part of a power. This seems to make one-
  use feats of strength impossible.
  One way around this is for the GM to allow players
  to create characters with powers that include some
  form of strength, usually Lifting ST. A GM might even
  define a Strength Power that encompassed all forms of
  Strength, Super Jumping, and various other abilities.
  Another option is simply to say that a power talent
  is not required to perform feats of strength. In effect,
  every human being has “strength powers” because he
  has a physical body. Of course, this also means that he
  can’t gain a bonus from talent. The GM may choose
  instead to allow a Will-based roll against a skill such as
  Lifting or Jumping, modified by the complexity of the
  task and for unfavorable circumstances. This can be
  used to let even unpowered heroes – “super normals” –
  perform low-end superhuman feats.
  
  AMAZING FEATS
  114
  POINTS ON
  FEATS
  GURPS Powers introduces the concept of a power that is
  applied by spending character points: Matter formed with the
  Create ability vanishes in 10 seconds unless the creator spends
  character points to stabilize it, for example. Other abilities can
  also benefit from character-point expenditure in a supers
  campaign.
  To start with, character points can be spent to make perma-
  nent the effects of a power that would normally lapse after a
  certain time. Here are some options for this:
  Afflictions of many sorts can be made permanent by spend-
  ing 1 character point per +1% of enhancement needed to pro-
  duce a given effect. This does not work for Coma, Heart Attack,
  or Stunning. GM judgment is required for the various forms of
  Incapacitation – for example, permanent Unconsciousness is
  effectively equivalent to Coma.
  Dominance is defined as requiring the
  expenditure of character points (p. B50).
  Extra Life can be renewed in play by
  spending character points, with the
  GM’s permission (p. B55).
  Jumper or Warp with the Tunnel
  enhancement (p. B64) can create a per-
  manent tunnel between two places,
  times, or planes. For Warp, this costs 1
  character point per -1 distance penalty,
  with a minimum of 1 point; for Jumper,
  it costs a flat 10 points.
  Mind Control gives the victim a tem-
  porary Reprogrammable disadvantage,
  with the mind controller as his master.
  To make this permanent, spend charac-
  ter points to buy the victim as an Ally
  with frequency of appearance 15 or
  less, and with the Minion enhance-
  ment. The base cost is determined by
  the point total of the victim in propor-
  tion to that of the master, as usual.
  Reduce the target’s total by 10 points
  because 
  he 
  has 
  just 
  acquired
  Reprogrammable (unless he already
  had it).
  Possession
  with 
  the 
  Chronic
  enhancement (p. B76) can be used to
  turn a host into a Puppet. This requires
  spending enough character points to
  buy the Puppet advantage (p. B78). In
  addition, expend points to buy the host
  as an Ally with frequency of appear-
  ance 15 or less, and with the Minion advantage, as for Mind
  Control.
  Telekinesis can be stabilized to hold an object permanently
  off the ground. This costs 1 character point per 5% of telekinet-
  ic Basic Lift that the object weighs.
  Wild Talent with Retention allows using an unspent charac-
  ter point to stabilize a skill (p. B99). At the GM’s option, this
  enhancement can also be applied to skills granted through
  Modular Abilities (p. B71).
  GURPS Fantasy introduces another way to spend charac-
  ter points: trading them for a one-use Energy Reserve. Like a
  conventional Energy Reserve (defined in GURPS Powers), this
  must be linked to a power source and does not get the source
  modifier. But it doesn’t recharge, not even by a special process
  such as Leech or the Steal Energy spell. Instead, spending 1
  character point provides 25 energy points. There is no upper
  limit on the capacity of this ER, and no character-point cost for
  its capacity; buying the energy points creates the capacity to
  hold them, which goes away again when they’re used up. GMs
  should note that this makes repeated use of godlike extra effort
  a lot more affordable!
  A third option is for the GM to allow abilities that only work
  when character points are spent on them.
  Determine the normal point cost of the
  ability, and divide by 5. The resulting
  point value can be used in either or
  both of two ways, at the GM’s
  discretion:
  Spend the reduced point cost to buy
  one use of the ability, in advance. The
  one-use ability corresponds to the stan-
  dard ability the same way a Favor cor-
  responds to a Contact, Ally, or Patron.
  Spend the reduced point cost to gain
  the potential for using the ability. Each
  actual use of the ability requires spend-
  ing 1 character point to activate it. This
  option is only really cost-effective with
  large, expensive abilities; most abilities
  that are only used rarely can be bought
  more efficiently as alternative abilities,
  which don’t require spending character
  points to use them.
  It’s possible to extend this second
  option. Suppose a hero’s main attack
  costs 100 points. Now, he buys an
  attack worth 500 points, as a potential
  ability that he must spend 1 character
  point to activate. This divides its cost by
  5, reducing it to 100 points. This is no
  larger than the cost of his main attack,
  so he can define it as an alternative abil-
  ity of his main attack. To fit the treat-
  the potential power the boy might one day wield.
  SPENDING CHARACTER
  
  CLASHES OF TITANS
  115
  The Red Army was in trouble. Looking down on the battle-
  field, Stalina could see the German tanks moving into defensive
  positions against the Russian assault. They didn’t look like the
  Panzers she had encountered before. She thought back to a brief-
  ing a month ago, and an image came to mind: a slide showing a
  new model that Colonel Rogov called a Tiger. “Much tougher
  than the Panzers,” he said. Now here they were, two dozen of
  them, on the front lines against seven T-34s and a mass of
  infantry that had been ordered into battle against them.
  And Stalina, Heroine of the People. It was time to earn her
  title.
  She flew forward and to the right, coming up even with the
  Tigers, but far to the left of their line. Then she circled and began
  her descent, keeping her eye on the leftmost tank. An alert
  German anti-aircraft gunner began firing at her partway through
  her run, and one round hit her before she was below his line of
  fire, leaving a small cut along her left side.
  Stalina’s effect on the tank she flew at was far greater. She
  struck it at nearly 400 kilometers per hour, her outstretched fists
  smashing through the side armor. Fragments filled the interior of
  the tank, inflicting multiple wounds on the three Germans riding
  in the body. Stalina found herself lying against the far side of the
  crew compartment, her uniform soaked in blood and Diesel fuel
  as the tank’s engine quit.
  A moment later she burst out of the hatch and looked for
  another target. The turret of the next tank over was turning in her
  direction. She flew to stand over the main gun, grasped its barrel
  with both hands, and felt it bend upward in her grasp. The gun-
  ner switched to the turret machine gun, but where she was stand-
  ing, he had no chance of hitting her. She yanked its barrel out,
  and then punched through the tank’s armor. Her steel-hard fist
  hit something soft inside, probably the gunner.
  But this wasn’t putting the tank out of action, and now the
  third Tiger in line nearly had her in the sights of its main gun. She
  dug her fingers into the tough metal of the upper body and
  heaved upward. As the frame started to bend under the strain,
  she hurled it toward her new attackers. It landed atop their tur-
  ret, immobilizing both it and the other tank.
  A high-explosive shell hit her. She wasn’t braced for this and
  it flung her back two meters. Lying on the ground she looked
  around, spotted the tank that had fired at her, and flew upward,
  avoiding its next shot. A moment later, she was standing over its
  main hatch. She forced it open, grabbed the sides of the hatch-
  way, and began peeling off the tank’s armor.
  “Rote Hündin!”
  The shout came from her right, and her eyes flicked that way,
  in time to see the massive figure hurtling through the air toward
  her, trailing a stream of fire. Even with her superhuman reflexes,
  it was traveling too fast for her to evade it. As she flew backward,
  she took in the elaborately ornamented black metal of the armor,
  with crossed lightning bolts on the chest – and the resonant tenor
  voice in which her new foe was delivering some incomprehensi-
  ble speech.
  His rockets fired again, and she hurled herself into the air to
  meet him.
  Combat is the main focus of many supers adventures; it’s
  the place where superpowers really pay off. Superhuman bat-
  tles have a style all their own, fast-paced and filled with wild
  stunts and strange abilities. It’s not necessarily realistic, but it’s
  certainly dramatic. This chapter offers some optional modifi-
  cations to the standard GURPS rules, designed to capture the
  feel of this sort of combat.
  CHAPTER SEVEN
  CLASHES
  OF TITANS
  
  CLASHES OF TITANS
  116
  Supers combat is normally at least cinematic, and that
  treatment of combat is the main focus of this book. The Basic
  Set provides rules for cinematic combat (see p. B417); this
  chapter extends and systematizes them. GMs wanting to run
  realistic combat between superhumans can find some sugges-
  tions here, but they should rely mainly on the standard com-
  bat rules.
  RULES FOR
  CINEMATIC CAMPAIGNS
  Breaking Things. Objects in cinematic campaigns should be
  somewhat more breakable than real objects, like props in a
  movie. Use the Easy to Kill rules; at the GM’s discretion, treat
  objects as Fragile in various ways. Reserve the higher levels of
  Easy to Kill for four-color campaigns. Treating inanimate
  objects as “cannon fodder” works best in extreme four-color or
  silly campaigns.
  Cinematic Knockback. Defined on p. B417.
  Collateral Damage. Use the collateral damage table from
  GURPS Powers. In a standard cinematic campaign or an
  ultraviolent campaign, include deaths and lasting injuries
  among the possible outcomes; in a
  four-color or silly campaign,
  emphasize 
  property 
  and
  financial damage and tempo-
  rary injuries.
  Flesh Wounds. Defined on
  p. B417.
  Infinite Ammunition. PCs’
  firearms don’t run out of
  ammunition, and they aren’t
  required to keep track of
  shots fired. This does not
  apply to powers or gadgets
  purchased with limited shots,
  but 
  only 
  to 
  mundane
  weapons! The GM should not
  use both this rule and the
  rules 
  for 
  consumable
  Signature Gear (see p. 81);
  choose the one that better fits
  the intended style of the
  campaign.
  Supers Melee Etiquette.
  Normal men fighting a super
  don’t have to face him one-
  on-one; rather, a crowd can
  attack him all at once using
  the rules under One-Man
  Armies (see p. 118), letting
  him show off his superior
  fighting ability. Powered vil-
  lains customarily go up
  against heroes one-on-one.
  TV 
  Action 
  Violence.
  Defined on p. B417.
  RULES FOR FOUR-COLOR
  CAMPAIGNS
  Cinematic Explosions. Defined on p. B417.
  Four-Color Knockback. In comic-book fights, foes are often
  knocked back long distances without suffering massive injuries in
  the process. When a hero strikes a blow without using Super-
  Effort, use the damage from that hit to determine the effect on the
  target, including knockback speed, collision damage, and difficul-
  ty of avoiding a fall based on the knockback that the blow would
  normally inflict. But to find the knockback distance, divide the
  hero’s Super-Effort bonus ST by 3, and compare it to the target’s
  ST-2.
  Example: The British super Lancelot, who has ST 31/170,
  punches a street thug with ST 12. He rolls 3d for his punch, rather
  than 18d-1. A roll of 11 isn’t quite enough to knock the thug out;
  but dividing by the thug’s ST-2 gives 1 yard of knockback. The
  thug rolls against DX to avoid falling down; his speed is Move 1,
  and when he hits a concrete wall he suffers damage equal to (2 ¥
  12 ¥ 1) / 100 dice, or 1d-3. But Lancelot’s Super-Effort bonus ST is
  +150; one-third of this is 50, and dividing by the thug’s ST-2 of 10
  gives 5 yards of knockback distance!
  FOUR-COLOR COMBAT
  
  CLASHES OF TITANS
  117
  One of the most basic questions about supers combat is
  how deadly to make it.
  In a lot of classic stories, the death rates are amazingly low.
  It’s not just that formulaic heroes have personal ethical codes
  that prohibit direct use of deadly force. Full-scale superhuman
  combat creates huge amounts of collateral damage, with com-
  batants throwing cars, smashing through buildings, and
  wrecking the urban infrastructure – but when the fight’s over
  and the debris is cleaned up, it turns out that there were no
  fatal accidents. GMs who want to run campaigns with that
  same four-color feel need to find ways of preventing death.
  HARD TO KILL
  One very simple method is already available in the GURPS
  rules: the Hard to Kill advantage (pp. B58-59). GMs running
  supers campaigns can grant one or more free levels of this
  advantage to all characters in the setting. They won’t do much
  good to heroes who already have HT 15, but they save the lives
  of many civilians.
  Assume an average man has ST 10 (and 10 HP) and HT 10.
  After taking 20 points of damage, he rolls vs. HT to survive; he
  rolls again after 30, 40, and 50 hits, and after taking 60 hits he
  dies automatically. But with a 50% chance of living through
  each of the rolls, he almost certainly dies before then – he only
  has a 6% chance of living through four HT rolls. On the other
  hand, with Hard to Kill 2, his odds go up to 30%; with Hard to
  Kill 4, 68%; and with Hard to Kill 6, 93%! One massive injury,
  or a long series of blows, can still kill him; but a stray gunshot
  or piece of shrapnel, or being trapped under rubble, probably
  won’t cause such concentrated damage.
  To get the right flavor for a campaign, GMs can pick one of
  these levels. Hard to Kill 6 fits a classic Comics-Code campaign
  where nobody dies; Hard to Kill 4 is good for a strongly cine-
  matic campaign; Hard to Kill 2 is about right for realism with
  a cinematic flavor or vice versa – it would suit a noir campaign,
  for example. A GM who wants a horror campaign could even
  give everyone Easy to Kill 2, which would reduce the survival
  percentage to less than 0.5% for average people.
  This is a storytelling device, pure and simple. But a GM who
  wants to play with setting premises can assume that living
  creatures, or at least human beings, are extraordinarily hard to
  kill because of some underlying biological force. That might
  explain all the heroes who get superpowers from freak acci-
  dents instead of simply dying in them.
  GMs running four-color campaigns may also want to limit
  crippling damage for similar reasons. In such a game, interpret
  temporary crippling damage as causing no effect after the fight
  ends, lasting crippling damage as temporary, and permanent
  crippling damage as lasting. This parallels the suggestion in
  GURPS Powers for treatment of crippled powers in optimistic
  campaigns.
  FLESH WOUNDS
  The cinematic combat rules (p. B417) offer another method
  of avoiding death: the “flesh wounds” rule, which lets a player
  spend a character point to minimize injury. GMs may want to
  rule that every character in a cinematic or Comics-Code setting
  has one unspent character point as insurance – or can get one
  on credit if it’s needed. This has more dramatic effects on com-
  bat outcomes than the Hard to Kill option. After a fight ends,
  the combatants won’t just be grievously injured but miracu-
  lously still alive; they’re miraculously all but unhurt.
  Note that this option can also be applied to recovering FP.
  GMs wanting to re-create classic comic-book drama should
  definitely bear this option in mind: It lets an exhausted hero
  make a desperate effort of will, pull himself back from col-
  lapse, and charge back into the fight.
  FOUR-COLOR DAMAGE
  To keep non-super adversaries from dying, a four-color
  campaign should adopt a special treatment for super-strength.
  When a hero with great might attacks an inanimate object, he
  can apply the Super-Effort bonus to his ST to determine dam-
  age. When he attacks a living being, he can’t; use his normal ST
  score instead. This is a stylistic convention of four-color
  comics, ensuring a hero who can punch through an inch of
  steel can also hit a normal man without killing him in a single
  blow. Ultraviolent campaigns can apply Super-Effort to deter-
  mining damage to all targets, inanimate or human.
  GMs in four-color campaigns should make exceptions to
  this restriction in dramatically appropriate cases. Someone
  facing an Unkillable foe, a gigantic monster that can ignore
  normal blows, or a super-foe who can withstand huge amounts
  of damage, can use Super-Effort to strike them. If he doesn’t
  initially realize how tough his opponent is, the unleashing of
  his full strength is a dramatic moment, preferably with an
  appropriate speech.
  Henchmen. Powered villains routinely have large numbers
  of Allies, even if they don’t have any organizational framework
  to provide them. Usually these are normal human beings,
  though they may wear distinctive outfits or carry advanced
  weapons; more exotic possibilities include cyborgs, minor
  demons, and members of lost races. Heroes have to fight
  through small armies to get to the master villain (see One-Man
  Armies, p. 118).
  No Permanent Crippling. The standard rules for crippled
  abilities in GURPS Powers provide for temporary or lasting
  crippling of abilities, but not for permanent crippling. In a four-
  color campaign, crippling bodily injuries can be treated the
  same way. To achieve this, treat permanent crippling injuries as
  lasting, lasting as temporary, and temporary as producing no
  crippling effects.
  Power Defenses: In a four-color campaign, restrictions on
  focus for Power Block and Power Parry (discussed in GURPS
  Powers) should normally be waived.
  RULES FOR SILLY CAMPAIGNS
  Bulletproof Nudity. Defined on p. B417.
  Super-Soliloquies. Heroes can take Rapier Wit and use their
  sharp banter to stun their foes in combat.
  A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH
  
  CLASHES OF TITANS
  118
  This same set of conventions provides the standard “dra-
  matically appropriate” restriction for Unusual Training perks
  (see p. 31).
  NO ONE DIES
  These options make death in combat unlikely. There’s still
  the chance of a really bad dice roll, or a long series of injuries
  that use up a hero’s unspent character points. Some GMs may
  prefer to avoid even such low-probability deaths.
  To do this, simply announce at the outset that bad dice rolls
  do not result in death under any circumstances. Players don’t
  roll for survival after being injured; survival is guaranteed.
  Deaths can happen through deliberate murder of a helpless foe
  (though only the worst villains would think of such an act!), or
  through a hero’s self-sacrifice, or as part of a hero’s or villain’s
  origin story – in other words, when it makes a dramatic point.
  Pointless or random deaths won’t happen.
  A WORLD WITHOUT DEATH?
  Following any of these options seems to lead to a very
  peculiar world: one where massive violence occurs, but peo-
  ple don’t die from it. Wars could be fought without casual-
  ties, and freeway accidents either wouldn’t happen or would
  never kill anyone. Realistically, such a world would be very
  different from ours.
  But analyzing probabilities in this way isn’t the point of
  the cinematic approach to gaming. The things that happen
  during actual play aren’t representative of the game world.
  By definition, cinematic play is about improbable events.
  Somewhere offstage, traffic accidents and wars and even
  fights between superpowered adversaries kill people. This
  just doesn’t happen to the PCs because they’re the heroes of
  the story. But the good luck of a handful of adventurers does-
  n’t perceptibly change the average outcome in a world that
  holds billions of other people.
  Supers often have amazingly high attack skills and, even
  worse, extraordinarily good active defenses. A combat where
  one of the combatants has Dodge 16 can take a long time to
  play out; it’s even worse if both are that good.
  But there’s an option that greatly reduces this problem: the
  Deceptive Attack (pp. B369-370). This allows the attacker to
  apply a -1 penalty to his foe’s active defenses in melee combat,
  taking a -2 penalty to his own attack skill in compensation. The
  attacker’s effective skill may not be reduced to less than 10 by
  this option – but metahumans often have incredibly high com-
  bat skills. In supers combat, the limitation that Deceptive
  Attacks be reduced to a flat -4 to attack skill and -2 to active
  defenses is too restrictive and should be ignored. A GM who
  wants to set limits at all would do better to allow up to -10 to
  attack skill and -5 to active defenses.
  Bear in mind that two different sets of rolls are involved: the
  first combatant’s attack vs. the second combatant’s defense,
  and vice versa. They don’t have to have the same score adjust-
  ment! If A has Karate-20 and Dodge-12, and B has Karate-14
  and Dodge-10, then the contest of Karate-14 vs. Dodge-12
  could be adjusted down to Karate-10 vs. Dodge-10, but the
  contest of Karate-20 vs. Dodge-10 could be adjusted to Karate-
  10 vs. Dodge-5.
  MASTER AGAINST MASTER
  One of the great themes of heroic adventure is the single
  man who can defeat a vast number of foes in hand-to-hand
  combat. There’s not much excitement in playing out even one
  such fight; rolling the results of a dozen, never mind a hun-
  dred, with attack and defense rolls for the hero and each of his
  foes, takes long enough to destroy even that modest
  excitement.
  One solution is simply to handwave the victory, telling the
  hero, “Okay, they’re just a gang of thugs. You defeat them.” But
  that spoils the fun of what can be an exciting dramatic scene
  (such as Zorro fighting off a squad of soldiers, or the Bride
  fighting a roomful of yakuza in Kill Bill). To play out that kind
  of scenario, use the following alternative rules.
  In melee, a single hero can face from one to six opponents
  at a time. The outcomes of all their attacks are determined
  simultaneously with a single attack roll. Treat this as rapid fire,
  as defined on pp. B373-374, with a bonus to hit of +0 for 2-4
  attackers or +1 for 5-6. Divide the margin of success for the
  attack by 2, rounding down; this gives the number of extra
  attacks that connect. The basic chance of success, before mod-
  ifiers, is the average of the attackers’ skill.
  The lone hero can attempt to dodge all of the successful
  attacks, using the rule for rapid-fire attacks (p. B375): A suc-
  cessful Dodge roll avoids one hit, plus additional hits equal to
  his margin of success. If he has chosen All-Out Defense as his
  maneuver, he can also try to block or parry those attacks he
  doesn’t dodge. He can still only block one attack, but he can
  parry multiple attacks; instead of a separate parry roll for each
  (see p. B376), make one roll and treat the penalty for extra par-
  ries as a margin of success required to parry extra attacks. If
  he doesn’t attempt to dodge, he can attempt both to block and
  to parry, or he can attempt to parry with both hands (or with
  any other attack mode that’s capable of parrying – for example,
  a power parry with a beam attack). Usually, though, this is less
  effective than multiple dodges.
  A single hero with Extra Attack can strike at closely
  grouped multiple foes: one extra foe per level of Extra Attack.
  Make a single roll for all these attacks, using the average of the
  skills involved. He does not get a bonus to hit, regardless of
  number of attacks, because he’s attacking multiple targets, not
  just one. Divide the margin of success for the attack roll by 2,
  rounding down; the result is the number of Extra Attacks that
  connect. Roll against the average of his foes’ active defenses; a
  successful defense means that one foe has avoided his attack.
  The margin of success for the defense roll gives the number of
  additional foes who do so.
  ONE-MAN ARMIES
  
  CLASHES OF TITANS
  119
  Supers with the power of Duplication may want to apply
  these rules from the other side, splitting into multiple selves
  who all attack a single foe.
  Example: On the streets of Koreatown, Divine Grace gets
  into combat with six aspiring martial artists. They all have
  Karate-13, which gives them Parry 9; their Dodge score is 10.
  Grace has Karate-26, which gives her Parry 16; her Dodge
  score is 12. She also has Extra Attack 2 (Multi-Strike).
  Using the Master against Master rules (see p. 118), Grace
  drops her attack skill to 16, which lowers her foes’ Parry to 4
  and their Dodge to 5. Her foes attempt deceptive attacks on
  her, reducing their attack skill to 11, and Grace’s Parry and
  Dodge to 15 and 11, respectively.
  Grace strikes first, rolling against Karate-16; she gets a 13
  and hits twice. On a 10, her opponents fail to dodge, and fall
  back to recover from the immediate shock. The four fully
  functional opponents strike at her, rolling against Karate-11;
  on a roll of 6, three of them have a chance to hit! Grace
  attempts to dodge all three blows, and does so, on a roll of 6.
  On Grace’s next turn, a roll of 6 hits three potential targets;
  on a 17, none of them parries, and all three fall back to recov-
  er from shock. Grace faces three incoming blows, from the
  uninjured foe and the two who have recovered; a roll of 12
  means that none of them hits her.
  Combat continues in this style for a few seconds more, but
  the accumulated damage from Grace’s amazingly rapid
  strikes soon incapacitates three of her foes, and the other
  three turn and flee in different directions. Grace mercifully
  lets them go and finds a quiet place for a prayer of thanks for
  her victory.
  Increased strength is one of the commonest superpowers,
  and one of those most often used in combat. It’s a trademark
  of the genre for combatants to exchange powerful blows,
  knocking each other across the room. Many supers are strong
  enough to kill an average man with a single blow. But how
  strong is that?
  An average man has 10 HP; he has to roll vs. HT to survive
  after taking 20 points, and he’s certain to die after taking 60
  points. Damage from a punch is thr-1. A hero with ST 35 can
  inflict 20 points on his best roll; one with ST 55 can do it on an
  average roll. A hero with ST 95 can inflict 60 points on his best
  roll; one with ST 160 can do it on an average roll. These are
  useful benchmarks for designing “bricks” with superhuman
  strength.
  An average man suffers one yard of knockback per 8 points
  of rolled damage. A hero with ST 19 causes one yard of knock-
  back on his best roll; one with ST 25 on his average roll.
  Rolling 20 points of damage causes two yards of knockback;
  rolling 60 points causes seven yards of knockback. GMs who
  want more cinematic four-color effects may decree that all
  crushing and cutting damage causes double knockback; a
  combatant with ST 11 causes one yard of knockback with his
  best roll, and bricks routinely send their adversaries flying – a
  ST 35 hero causes three yards of knockback with an average
  punch. Heroes shouldn’t have to pay points for this ability;
  rather, it should be a “natural law” of the setting.
  Increased damage can come either from overall ST or from
  Striking ST. Take overall ST if the hero is also able to lift enor-
  mous weights, bend steel in his bare hands, and so on. Such
  feats involve slow muscular contraction against massive loads.
  Striking blows involves fast muscular contraction and lighter
  loads; Striking ST represents the higher kinetic energy of fists
  or other body parts moving fast. It’s perfectly reasonable to
  give high Striking ST to a speedster without superhuman ST.
  As a rule of thumb, multiply his dice of thrust damage by the
  same factor as his Basic Move.
  On the other hand, speedsters with Striking ST don’t gain
  more HP to match their increased damage capacity. Heroes
  with high overall ST can stand up to sustained pounding bet-
  ter. But even for them, combat gets deadlier as they get
  stronger. A man with ST 10 and 10 HP inflicts 1d-3 with a
  punch, or an average of 1 point, 10% of his HP. For ST 20, it’s
  30%; for ST 50, 37%; for ST 100, 37.5%. Bricks who specialize
  in hand-to-hand combat should look at taking DR, Damage
  Reduction, or increased HP.
  A third, somewhat less expensive option, is to substitute
  Crushing Attack for Striking ST. To simulate punches, buy this
  with Melee Attack (ST-Based). At 1d per 8.5 points, this is a lot
  less costly than Striking ST. On the other hand, it allows only
  a single attack mode; if someone picks up a weapon, the dam-
  age inflicted doesn’t benefit from Crushing Attack. Don’t take
  this option for a hero who’s supposed to punch, kick, or use
  standard or improvised weapons. It’s up to the GM whether to
  allow this design to represent a simple punch from a very
  strong hero, or restrict it to heroes whose fists have some spe-
  cial power; the first option is best suited to four-color
  campaigns.
  BIG WEAPONS
  To inflict more damage, super-strong heroes can use large,
  heavy weapons made for stronger-than-average normal men.
  The heaviest weapon in normal use, a halberd, takes ST 13
  to use two-handed. A lot of other weapons take ST 12 to use
  two-handed. Balanced two-handed weapons that require ST
  12, such as greatswords, can be used one-handed with ST 18
  but become unready after each blow; if used with ST 24, they
  don’t become unready. Weapons like a poleaxe, great axe, or
  warhammer require ST 12 to use two-handed and become
  unready after each blow. Used two-handed with ST 18, they
  don’t become unready; used one-handed with ST 36, they don’t
  become unready. So a low-end brick could use a warhammer
  freely one-handed. This would let him inflict swinging rather
  than thrusting damage, and would give him a damage bonus
  as well. Weapons normally used two-handed are wielded one-
  handed at -1 to the equivalent skill.
  Remember that effective ST for damage purposes is limited
  to triple the weapon’s minimum ST (p. B270).
  MIGHTY BLOWS
  
  CLASHES OF TITANS
  120
  IMPROVISED WEAPONS
  Standard melee weapons are designed for normal human
  beings. A super-strong warrior could wield much bigger
  weapons – but they aren’t normally available, and few supers
  have them custom-made. Instead, bricks tend to use whatever
  massive objects are at hand as improvised weapons.
  These can normally be treated as outsized versions of two-
  handed crushing weapons. Relatively straight, symmetrical
  ones, like a two-by-four or a steel rod, can be treated as staffs;
  more awkward objects, such as lamp posts, can be treated as
  mauls. The usual skill for a staff-like weapon is Two-Handed
  Sword; with greater ST (see Big Weapons), it can be wielded
  one-handed with Broadsword skill. Alternatively it can be
  wielded with Staff skill, grasped near the middle, with 0.75
  times the required ST. The usual skill for a maul-like weapon
  is Two-Handed Axe/Mace; greater ST allows wielding it 
  one-handed, with Axe/Mace skill. Wielding any normally 
  two-handed weapon with a one-handed technique is always
  done at -1 to the one-handed skill. Improvised weapons that
  are too heavy for the wielder’s ST impose further penalties (see
  Big Weapons).
  Objects that aren’t just heavy, but thick, are awkward to
  grasp, creating further skill penalties. The relevant weapon
  skill is at -1 for an object that requires spreading out the fin-
  gers, like someone holding a jar; -2 for an object that’s held
  with opposed hands on either side; and -3 for something encir-
  cled in the wielder’s arms, like a telephone pole. GMs may
  assign an additional -1 penalty for an improvised weapon that’s
  not straight or that has awkwardly distributed weight.
  The weight, the required ST, and the damage for impro-
  vised weapons depend on their material and cross-sectional
  shape on one hand and their length on the other.
  To start with, choose an object from the following table
  that’s roughly similar in material and cross-sectional shape.
  Description
  Weight
  ST
  Damage, sw
  Damage, thr
  Skill penalty
  Staff-like weapons
  Dowel, 1” diameter
  1
  4
  sw+1 cr
  thr cr
  –
  Staff, 2” diameter
  4
  9
  sw+2 cr
  thr+1 cr
  –
  Pole, 3” diameter
  9
  13
  sw+3 cr
  thr+1 cr
  -1
  Beam, 2”¥4”
  10
  14
  sw+3 cr
  thr+2 cr
  -1
  Pole, 4” diameter
  16
  18
  sw+4 cr
  thr+2 cr
  -1
  Beam, 4”¥4”
  21
  20
  sw+5 cr
  thr+2 cr
  -1
  Pole, 6” diameter
  36
  27
  sw+6 cr
  thr+3 cr
  -2
  Pole, 12” diameter
  144
  54
  sw+12 cr
  thr+6 cr
  -3
  Steel rod, 1/2” diameter
  4
  9
  sw+2 cr
  thr+1 cr
  –
  Steel rod, 1” diameter
  16
  18
  sw+4 cr
  thr+2 cr
  –
  Steel rod, 2” diameter
  64
  36
  sw+8 cr
  thr+4 cr
  –
  Steel rod, 4” diameter
  256
  72
  sw+16 cr
  thr+8 cr
  -1
  Steel I-beam, 3”
  39
  28
  sw+6 cr
  thr+3 cr
  -1
  Steel I-beam, 6”
  89
  42
  sw+9 cr
  thr+5 cr
  -2
  Steel I-beam, 9”
  150
  55
  sw+12 cr
  thr+6 cr
  -3
  Steel I-beam, 12”
  300
  77
  sw+17 cr
  thr+9 cr
  -3
  Maul-like weapons
  Cudgel, 6” at end
  12
  13
  sw+4
  –
  Cudgel, 9” at end
  27
  19
  sw+6
  –
  Cudgel, 12” at end
  48
  26
  sw+8
  –
  Cudgel, 18” at end
  108
  38
  sw+12
  –
  Cudgel, 24” at end
  192
  52
  sw+16
  –
  Cudgel, 36” at end
  432
  76
  sw+24
  –
  
  CLASHES OF TITANS
  121
  Now, multiply by the appropriate length factors:
  Length
  Weight
  ST
  Damage, sw Damage, thr
  1 yd
  0.5
  0.5
  0.5
  0.7
  2 yd
  1
  1
  1
  1
  3 yd
  1.5
  1.5
  1.5
  1.2
  4 yd
  2
  2
  2
  1.4
  5 yd
  2.5
  2.5
  2.5
  1.6
  6 yd
  3
  3
  3
  1.7
  8 yd
  4
  4
  4
  2
  10 yd
  5
  5
  5
  2.2
  12 yd
  6
  6
  6
  2.4
  15 yd
  7.5
  7.5
  7.5
  2.7
  20 yd
  10
  10
  10
  3
  Some items, such as automobiles, can’t easily be approximat-
  ed as either a staff-like or a maul-like weapon. If a combatant
  uses something that’s a solid block rather than a long beam,
  cylinder, or cone as a weapon, use the rules for throwing heavy
  objects (see below), with the special effect that the attacker
  retains his hold on the thing. Such objects do less damage for
  their weight; this reflects the wielder’s lack of effective leverage
  when using them.
  Example: Dreadnought, wearing powered armor that
  raises his ST to 80, in combat with Monobloc, picks up a
  6” I-beam four yards long, weighing 178 lbs. The strength
  needed to wield it with a two-handed grip at one end is 42
  ¥ 2 = 84. His Two-Handed Sword skill is at -2 for the awk-
  ward grip and an additional -4 for exceeding his ST, a total
  of -6. After a couple of awkward blows, he discards it for
  a 1” steel rod four yards long, weighing 32 lbs. Its required
  strength is only 18 ¥ 2 = 36; he has twice this strength and
  can wield it one-handed, with skill Broadsword-1 –
  though after a couple of blows have landed on Monobloc,
  the rod is somewhat bent, for an additional -1 penalty. He
  inflicts only sw+8 cr damage rather than sw+18 cr, but
  that’s still 11d+8; giving up 10 points of damage is a good
  tradeoff for actually hitting his foe!
  THROWING
  Superstrength throws heavier objects and throws light
  objects farther. The rules on p. B355 define the mechanics for
  throwing.
  Lifting ST, by itself, doesn’t enhance throwing ability. It
  grants increased ability to exert force gradually against massive
  loads, but muscles contract too slowly for this force to be useful
  in striking a blow or throwing an object.
  Striking ST, by itself, affects only one aspect of throwing: the
  basic thrust damage used to figure damage from thrown objects.
  It doesn’t increase throwing range, or improve Basic Lift for
  throwing-related computations.
  To gain both increased throwing range and increased dam-
  age, without being able to throw heavier objects, take Super
  Throw (see p. 30).
  Lifting ST does allow picking up massive objects, and drop-
  ping or heaving them a short distance. Assume the object can be
  raised to a height that corresponds to a character’s SM (p. B19).
  Heaving it onto the ground gets it that far away. A foe can be hit
  with it if he’s no farther away than half that distance; this
  requires an unmodified roll against either Dropping or
  Throwing.
  Hitting a foe is treated as a collision; determine damage
  from the object’s HP and the falling velocity for half the char-
  acter’s height. For a normal-sized man, this is the object’s HP
  divided by 20, rounded off according to the rules on p. B430.
  Heaving the object onto the ground is treated as a fall, with
  damage based on the object’s HP and the thrower’s full height
  – but only the object suffers the damage; assume that the
  object didn’t collide with any foe or any other object on its way
  down.
  BODIES FLYING
  In cinematic and four-color campaigns, both blows and
  gunshots send their targets flying. For such a campaign, adopt
  the cinematic rule that piercing attacks also cause knockback
  (p. B417). GMs should also consider giving all crushing, cut-
  ting, and piercing attacks the Double Knockback modifier,
  automatically, at no extra point cost.
  Under the Hood:
  ST Requirements
  Most outsized improvised weapons are effectively
  long levers. The difficulty of moving a lever is propor-
  tional to its moment arm: that is, to the product of its
  weight and its length. The moment arm a hero can
  manage is proportional to his BL – that is, to the
  square of his ST. So the required ST is proportional to
  the square root of the moment arm.
  The tables of length factors use a computational
  trick to make this simpler. If two weapons – say, two
  wooden poles – have equal cross-sectional thickness,
  but one is twice as long as the other, that also makes it
  twice as heavy as the other. So it has four times the
  moment arm, needs four times the BL, and thus needs
  twice the ST. That is, required ST and weight are both
  always proportional to length! To find the multipliers
  in the table, divide length by 2 yards.
  The swing damage bonus is also proportional to
  length. On the other hand, the thrust damage bonus is
  proportional to the square root of length; making a
  spear twice as long gives it twice the weight, which
  boosts its damage, but the doubled length by itself has
  no effect on thrust damage.
  
  CLASHES OF TITANS
  122
  In war, the big killers are bombs and artillery. The supers
  equivalent is ranged attacks from blasters. They can incapaci-
  tate their foes from a distance in a four-color campaign, or kill
  them in a realistic one. On the other hand, pure blasters sel-
  dom have much resistance to injury; they’re all attack and no
  defense. To make up for this, a blaster who operates solo needs
  to be fast and maneuverable, with a good Dodge score, or
  extremely lucky. A blaster who belongs to a team can be shield-
  ed by his strong, tough allies, and this character type is natu-
  rally suited to team membership.
  The other way to approach ranged attacks is to make them
  secondary abilities for heroes who can stand up to direct phys-
  ical force. The archetype template’s heat vision option fits this
  pattern. Small ranged attacks add versatility to a character
  design.
  To compete with firearms, a blaster needs a lot of
  Increased Range. Standard Innate Attacks have range
  10/100; TL8 firearm ranges are better than 100/1,000, and
  artillery can approach 1,000/10,000. All the blaster template
  powers (see p. 44) have been given Increased Range on at
  least one attack mode.
  As far as damage is concerned, Innate Attacks can easily
  reach the upper limit of I-scale campaigns; 15d of Burning
  Attack cost only 75 points. In four-color campaigns, higher
  damage limits make lethality an issue; a 20d attack can easily
  kill a normal man with one shot, no matter how many levels of
  Hard to Kill he has. High-power four-color blasters should be
  required to take Variable on their attacks. GMs may want to
  require them to use it when they go up against human foes;
  even villains in a four-color campaign won’t let fly with their
  full power against an ordinary man. All the blaster templates
  have Variable attacks for this reason.
  Some blasters can push the damage from their attacks to
  incredibly high levels – but can’t sustain the more powerful
  attacks. This can be represented by buying extra dice with
  Limited Use (p. B112). Alternatively, buy an Energy Reserve,
  and use it to power a godlike extra effort; with ER 10, a hero
  can roll once vs. Will-2 to double the usual value of his attack.
  HUMAN ARTILLERY
  One of the main things a super needs, if he wants a long
  career, is protection against guns – or whatever other ranged
  weapons are commonly used in his setting (see Powers and
  Abilities, p. 10). There are several ways a hero can achieve this:
  • He can prevent his foes from noticing him or from target-
  ing him accurately, with Chameleon, Illusion, Invisibility, or
  similar powers.
  • He can overawe his foes so much that they don’t think of
  using their guns.
  • He can avoid being hit, either with conventional active
  defenses or with active defenses based on his powers.
  • He can buy enough Damage Resistance so that bullets
  can’t get through it.
  • He can withstand huge amounts of damage with high HP
  or Damage Reduction.
  • He can survive massive physical injuries because of a
  high HT score, Regeneration, Supernatural Durability, or
  Unkillable.
  Many of these also apply against vehicular weapons and
  artillery; it just takes more of the abilities and costs more
  points! Many “invulnerable” heroes can stand up to small-arms
  fire but not to heavy weapons; GMs who want to allow higher
  levels of invulnerability into their campaigns may want to
  adopt various optional rules for the purpose.
  PARRYING BULLETS
  A character with Enhanced Time Sense and skill in Parry
  Missile Weapons can attempt to parry bullets at -5 to effective
  skill. This can be bought up as a Hard technique (see p. 38).
  Either Speed Talent or Time Mastery Talent can be applied to it.
  Parrying bullets with a melee weapon follows the usual
  rules for parrying.
  Parrying bullets unarmed is normally impossible. However,
  a character whose hands or wrists have DR 2, either from
  innate DR or from gauntlets, bracers, or whole-body armor,
  can parry bullets unarmed.
  If he can parry bullets unarmed he can also try to catch
  them, at an additional -4 to effective skill. This penalty cannot
  be bought off as a technique. Catching bullets normally still
  requires DR. However, a hero with Basic Speed 25, 5 levels of
  Super Throw, or 4 levels of Altered Time Rate can catch bullets
  fired from handguns, and one with Basic Speed 100, 9 levels of
  Super Throw, or 19 levels of Altered Time Rate can catch bul-
  lets fired from rifles without DR by moving at the same speed
  as the bullet. This many levels of Altered Time Rate allow par-
  rying or catching bullets without Enhanced Time Rate.
  Heroes with ranged Innate Attacks that inflict tight-beam
  burning, impaling, or any sort of piercing damage (or with a
  Tight-Beam Attack maneuver) can attempt a Power Parry
  against incoming missiles – including bullets, if they have
  Enhanced Time Sense.
  DAMAGE REDUCTION
  GURPS Powers offers Damage Reduction as a new version
  of Injury Tolerance. GMs who want nearly invulnerable char-
  acters may want to allow the increased Damage Reduction as
  shown in the Super-Abilities Table on p. 146, and Damage
  Reduction without the Limited modifier. For example,
  BULLETPROOF
  Nothing less than a bursting
  shell could penetrate his skin!
  – Action Comics
  
  CLASHES OF TITANS
  123
  Damage Reduction 100, costing 300 points before modifiers,
  produces a hero who takes one point of damage from any sin-
  gle blow that does no more than 100 points.
  Alert players will notice that it’s a better deal to take a mod-
  erate amount of DR, with several levels of Hardened, and then
  take a smaller amount of Damage Reduction. For example,
  Damage Resistance 10 (Hardened 6, +100%) [110] stops any
  attack that does 10 points or less cold, no matter how high its
  Armor Divisor; Damage Reduction 20 [200] then divides any
  excess damage by 20. This produces a hero who can’t be slow-
  ly beaten to death by normal human beings.
  UNKILLABLE
  Invulnerable heroes in the comics typically soak up really
  huge amounts of damage without the slightest sign of injury.
  This is hard to simulate with GURPS advantages. Damage
  Resistance blocks attacks by normal human beings, but does-
  n’t stop high-powered firearms or heavier weapons. Damage
  Reduction can reduce the damage from such weapons, but
  any attack that gets through still inflicts 1 point of damage –
  not only can that add up over time, but the hero has been vis-
  ibly hurt.
  To get around this, take Unkillable 1 with No Visible
  Damage. The hero doesn’t look hurt until he dies from his
  injuries. Combine this with a good Damage Reduction factor,
  and the result is a super who can endure several hundred
  points of damage without a mark on him. Of course, he has to
  heal from his injuries, but the healing process won’t be visible,
  either.
  Physically powerful supers may be able to attack automo-
  biles, fighter jets, tanks, or even battleships. This requires suf-
  ficient strength to smash through armor, or a powerful ranged
  attack (see Human Artillery, p. 122); defenses able to stand up
  to heavy weapons, or very high Basic Speed and Dodge; and a
  high enough movement speed to keep up with the vehicle in
  question.
  Such combat can be performed with scaled damage to
  speed up play. See the rules on Scaling Damage on p. B470. As
  noted there, armor divisors are not scaled; neither are Damage
  Reduction divisors. Both affect the ratio of attack to defense,
  rather than the absolute size of either, and that ratio isn’t
  changed by the scaling rules.
  The same scaling rules can also be used for a hero powerful
  enough to damage a building. In C-scale, for a building, HP =
  (cube root of empty weight in tons). Unfortified buildings, in
  C-scale, normally have DR 0.
  When using scaled damage, use the scaled HP to determine
  when to roll vs. HT for effects of damage. For example, if a
  brick has ST 50 and 50 HP, scaled to 5 HP in D-scale, then he
  rolls vs. HT after taking 5 scaled points to determine if he loses
  consciousness, and again after each 5 additional scaled points
  to determine if he survives.
  To figure knockback, scale the vehicle’s ST or HP by the
  same factor. Don’t bother with the -2 to ST; even in D-scale, this
  usually rounds off to 0.
  A super has several different ways of wrecking a vehicle. To
  illustrate these, this section offers examples pitting an
  Archetype hero against a tank (see this chapter’s opening
  vignette for the dramatic version).
  FISTS OF STEEL
  The most straightforward way for a super to attack a vehi-
  cle is to punch it. Bear in mind that vehicles nearly always have
  DR 3 or higher; unarmed attacks against them inflict crushing
  damage on the attacker (see p. B379). To avoid this, the attack-
  er needs DR 2 for each 3d of damage he inflicts, or DR 8 for
  each 100 total points of ST and Striking ST.
  Putting a vehicle out of action by punching it requires
  inflicting damage equal to its DR plus 1/2 its HP. This inflicts a
  major wound. Lesser damage may be sufficient to cripple a
  rotor, mast, skid, small superstructure, weapon mount, or
  wheel.
  Blows that penetrate a vehicle’s armor also inflict cut-
  ting damage on the occupants from flying fragments of the
  vehicle’s body; see p. B555. If working in D-scale or higher,
  use a variant on this: If occupant damage exceeds 1d-2,
  divide the rolled damage (not the dice of damage) as evenly
  as possible among the occupants, comparing it to their
  scaled HP.
  MAN VERSUS MACHINE
  
  CLASHES OF TITANS
  124
  Example: With Super-Effort, Stalina raises her ST
  from 33 to 320; her basic thrust damage is 33d. Changing
  to D-scale makes this 3d. With Brawling skill and
  Striking Surface, she rolls 3d+3 for her fist blow. An aver-
  age blow does 13.5 hits. Subtracting the German tank’s
  side armor of 10 (in D-scale) leaves 3.5 hits, which is less
  than half a Tiger’s 20 HP; she punches through its armor
  but doesn’t put it out of action. There are three men in
  the tank’s body; on a 10 or less, flying fragments inflict a
  total of 1d-1. Rolling 3 points inflicts 1 point on each of
  the three men in the body, taking them to 0 HP.
  LIFTING AND GRAPPLING
  A more common approach to fighting vehicles uses Lifting
  ST. This is especially effective if the attacker has taken the
  Super-Effort option for Lifting ST.
  It’s possible simply to pick up a vehicle (with enough
  strength) and drop it; this inflicts minimal throwing damage
  (see p. 121). The hero can try to turn the craft on its side,
  rolling against Dropping with a penalty equal to its SM, or even
  turn it over, rolling against Dropping with a penalty equal to
  twice its SM. It’s also possible just to shove the vehicle and
  knock it over. Or the hero can throw it, inflicting actual throw-
  ing damage or minimal throwing damage.
  Either dropping or throwing a vehicle can inflict whiplash
  on the occupants. For dropping, multiply the falling velocity
  for the hero’s body height by the HP of the person dropped,
  and divide by 100, to find dice of crushing damage. For throw-
  ing, take half the distance the vehicle is thrown, look it up in
  the Falling Velocity Table (p. B431), and use the velocity shown
  there in the same formula.
  Another option is to grab parts of the vehicle and tear them
  out, or even rip off its armor entirely. Use the rules under
  Bending Steel Bars (see p. 101) to determine whether this
  works. As a variant, the hero may grab the vehicle’s main gun
  and bend it out of shape.
  A really large hero can attempt a constriction attack on a
  vehicle.
  Example: Stalina’s Super-Effort ST of 320 gives her a
  Basic Lift of 10 tons; a Tiger’s 60 tons is less than 8¥BL,
  so she can pick it up, taking 4 seconds to do so. She can
  throw it 0.10 ¥ 320 yards, or 32 yards. By the rules for
  damage from thrown objects, the tank inflicts her thrust
  damage, -1 per die, or 3d-3 hits, averaging 7.5 points.
  This crushes anyone the tank lands on, but doesn’t break
  through its DR. Checking for minimal throwing damage
  gives (7 ¥ 200)/100 = 14d, or 1d in D-scale, not as good as
  her normal throwing damage. With Throwing-15, she has
  a default Dropping-12, and the tank’s SM of +3 means she
  can land it on its side on a 9 or less. The tank’s crew suf-
  fers whiplash in the process: Stalina throws it 32 yards,
  half of 32 is 16, and the falling velocity for a 16-yard fall is
  19. The tank’s crew have average HP 11. The falling dam-
  age is (19 ¥ 11) / 100 = 2d of crushing damage, which
  scales to 1d-3; some of them have broken bones.
  Stalina can shove and knock over an object weighing
  up to 120 tons, so she can just heave the tank onto its side.
  If she grabs the tank’s hatch, she can try to pull it out
  and then peel back the top armor. Subtracting the tank’s
  DR 100 from her ST 320 gives 220. A Quick Contest
  against the tank’s 200 HP is an easy win for Stalina, even
  without taking extra time.
  If she grabs the main gun barrel, an 88mm tank gun,
  subtracting its DR 88 from her ST 320 gives 232; compar-
  ing this with the tank’s 200 HP gives Stalina an even easi-
  er victory, enabling her to bend the barrel out of shape.
  COLLISIONS
  A third class of ways to damage a vehicle involves moving
  toward it at high speed and slamming into it. This takes both
  Enhanced Move or Super Jump, and enough DR, HP, and/or
  Damage Reduction to survive the collision. Hitting the vessel
  requires a roll against DX or the appropriate movement skill,
  which may be Acrobatics, Aerobatics, Aquabatics, or Jumping;
  the GM may also allow Brawling if the vehicle is roughly the
  same size as the hero (for a normal human hero, the vehicle’s
  SM should be between -1 and +1).
  If the attacker is flying, jumping, or swimming – but not
  running – he can attempt a modified combat technique: the
  human missile. This involves raising the clenched fists over the
  head, stiffening the entire body, and slamming its whole mass
  into the target, fists first, like a living spear. The effects are
  comparable to those of a lethal strike against a human foe: It
  turns the slam into a huge piercing attack, which can target the
  vitals or a window. The Hurting Yourself rule (p. B379) applies
  if the vehicle has DR 1+. The technique is at -2 to the move-
  ment skill (see Techniques, p. 38).
  For huge piercing attacks, check for overpenetration
  (p. B408); a powered vehicle’s cover DR equals the DR of the
  two sides that are passed through, plus half its HP. If the cine-
  matic knockback rules are being used (see p. 121), the craft
  may still suffer knockback. The hero may target the vehicle’s
  vital areas, at -3 to effective skill, but inflicting ¥3 damage after
  penetrating the vehicle’s DR.
  Benchmarks
  To work out how effective a hero is at fighting vehi-
  cles, it’s useful to know how big and tough some of
  them are. These are some rough averages:
  • Motorcycle: Loaded weight 0.5 tons; 33 HP; DR 4;
  HT 11f.
  • Automobile: Loaded weight 1.8 tons; 68 HP; DR 5;
  HT 11f.
  • Bus: Loaded weight 14.7 tons; 100 HP; DR 4; HT
  11f.
  • Tank: Loaded weight 50 tons; 185 HP; DR 1,200
  (front and turret), 100 (other surfaces); HT 12f.
  • Battleship: Loaded weight 50,000 tons; 1,800 HP;
  DR 1,200 (sides and turrets), 300 (other surfaces); HT
  12f.
  • Police helicopter: Loaded weight five tons; 70 HP;
  DR 20 (rotors), 5 (other locations); HT 11f.
  • Fighter jet: Loaded weight 25 tons; 150 HP; DR 6;
  HT 12f.
  A hero may also wish to attack a vehicle’s guns,
  which often stick out of the vehicle when in operation
  and thus don’t share its DR. As a rule of thumb, a gun
  has DR 1 per mm of caliber, or DR 25 per inch of cal-
  iber. The damage needed to cripple the gun is based on
  the vehicle’s HP: HP/2 to cripple a main gun, or HP/5
  
  CLASHES OF TITANS
  125
  Example: Stalina flies toward the battlefield, aiming
  for the side of a German tank. She takes 15 seconds to
  reach air move 300, just short of the speed of sound. With
  33 HP, she inflicts (33 ¥ 300) / 100 = 99d of damage, scal-
  ing to 10d for an average 35 hits. This gets through the
  tank’s side DR of 10 and inflicts 25 hits, reducing the tank
  to less than 0 HP. The tank’s engine is automatically
  reduced to half effectiveness, and it must roll vs. HT to
  keep functioning. The tank’s scaled ST is 20, so Stalina’s
  35 hits knock it back one yard. In addition, the interior of
  the tank’s body is pelted with fragments of its armor,
  inflicting a total of 5d of cutting damage on its three
  occupants, if any of them are hit.
  Unfortunately, the tank has far more hit points than
  Stalina; it inflicts (200 ¥ 300) / 100 = 600d of damage on
  her, scaled to 60d, averaging 210 hits! Her DR subtracts
  10 of these, and her Damage Reduction reduces the rest
  to 2 hits, which she can survive; but it’s still a major
  wound. She can’t afford to do that to more than one tank.
  A better option is the human missile attack (see 124).
  Stalina can accelerate to air move 60, taking only three
  seconds, and treat the impact on the tank as collision
  with an immovable object. The tank is hard, so Stalina
  inflicts damage based on twice her HP, or 60 ¥ (2 ¥ 33) /
  100, which gives 40d, scaled to 4d. If she targets the tank’s
  vital areas, her 4 points of penetrating damage are multi-
  plied ¥3, inflicting a major wound on the tank. Stalina’s
  average roll of 14 points falls short of the 30 points need-
  ed for overpenetration; she ends up inside the tank,
  rather than flying through it. Fragmentation damage to
  the crew totals 1d-1, if they are hit.
  Because the tank is breakable, Stalina cannot take
  more damage than its DR plus twice its HP (see p. B431):
  in D-scale, 50 hits. This exceeds her rolled damage of 14.
  Her DR reduces this to 4, and her Damage Reduction
  cuts this down to 1. Repeatedly slamming into tanks
  leaves her bruised, but not seriously hurt.
  HUGE TARGETS
  What if a hero wants to attack a really large vehicle, such as
  a battleship, or a fixed structure, such as a skyscraper?
  The most important difference between such objects and
  smaller targets is that huge targets are treated as immovable
  objects for the purposes of collision damage (p. B431). If the
  bigger object has at least 12¥ the smaller object’s HP, treat it as
  immovable for this purpose.
  A big solid object follows the standard rules for hard or soft
  objects. But a vehicle or building normally has an open interi-
  or. If so, the damage a moving mass can inflict or take from
  colliding with it its limited to its DR. If a hero can fly through
  the walls of a skyscraper, he’s free to fly around inside its walls
  attacking softer targets. If he’s flying really fast, then at the
  GM’s discretion, he may fly out the opposite outer wall; treat
  this as a second collision.
  THE FRAGILE WORLD
  One of the hallmarks of four-color heroics is that the battles
  do huge amounts of property damage, while causing almost no
  deaths. A Matter of Life and Death (see p. 117) discusses how to
  minimize deaths and lessen injuries. It’s also possible to
  enhance property damage by applying the same rules to inan-
  imate objects, but in reverse.
  As a limited measure, give objects Easy to Kill, in the same
  measure human beings get Hard to Kill: -2 to HT for a mildly
  cinematic campaign, up to -6 for an all-out four-color cam-
  paign with massive property destruction. Don’t give Easy to
  Kill to Signature Gear, objects with gadget limitations, or sen-
  tient inanimate objects; leave their HT rolls unmodified.
  It’s also possible to treat inanimate objects in general as
  Brittle, Combustible, or both. Vehicles with engines can be
  treated as Flammable. Or the GM can simply decree that any
  object that suffers enough damage to require a HT roll fails
  automatically.
  For extreme property damage, treat objects as cannon fod-
  der (see p. B417): If any penetrating damage gets through DR,
  they stop working, or are even destroyed. Don’t bother keeping
  track of HP!
  Cosmic 
  Scale Damage
  What about supers who inflict damage on a really
  huge scale? What would it take for a super to literally
  destroy a planet; in particular, to destroy the Earth?
  The Earth as a whole is inanimate, and has no com-
  plex internal mechanical parts; it can be taken as
  homogenous. It masses approximately 6,500 quintillion
  tons (“weighs” isn’t quite the right word). Taking the
  cube root, and multiplying by 8, gives 1.88 billion HP;
  on a planetary scale, rounding that off to two billion is
  close enough.
  The Earth’s crust is roughly 10 miles thick, on the
  average. Rock has a minimum 8 DR per inch; that
  makes the Earth’s DR about 5,000,000. Anything that
  can inflict a major wound on the planet, let alone
  smash it, won’t even notice that amount of DR!
  A major wound to the planet takes about
  286,000,000d; we can round that up to 300 million
  dice. To inflict that much damage with one blow, a
  super needs ST three billion. If he’s getting it from
  Super-Effort, he needs to buy ST 55 with the Super-
  Effort modifier, at a cost of 2,200 points.
  Of course, he probably wants to be able to survive
  an equal amount of damage. A Damage Reduction fac-
  tor of one billion looks about right; that costs another
  1,350 points. Building him on 4,000 points leaves
  another 450 points for incidentals such as Flight and
  Doesn’t Breathe.
  If anything, this is alarmingly cheap – not necessari-
  ly beyond the point range for a really high-end supers
  campaign. GM considering such a campaign should
  make sure to set upper limits on ST, damage, DR, and
  Damage Reduction well below this level. If a hero needs
  to shatter a planet, he can resort to one-use powers (see
  p. 112).
  
  CLASHES OF TITANS
  126
  Speedsters can gain a number of advantages in combat,
  depending on what form their super-speed takes and how they
  use it.
  A speedster who is sprinting can be a harder target. Look up
  his full move in the Speed/Range Table (p. B550) and apply the
  indicated modifier to his opponents’ weapons skill. This makes
  him much more difficult to hit while he’s closing with them.
  On the other hand, if he attacks in the same turn, he’s limited
  to a Move and Attack, which limits his effective skill with
  melee attacks (pp. B365-366) – though he can use his power
  talent to raise this limit (Extra Attack, see p. 27). This doesn’t
  apply to a slam attack, but he had better have a lot of hit points
  or he may fall down or even be seriously hurt by the collision.
  If he also has a high Basic Speed, he may choose to spend
  the full turn on a Move, and attack on his next turn. If his move
  is no higher than Basic Move ¥ 2, he can come to a complete
  stop with a hasty deceleration roll (p. B395), and then attack
  with his full effective skill. High DX, any Handling Bonus to
  his Enhanced Move, and any Talent associated with his move-
  ment power all improve his chances of success in slowing
  down. Speedsters with multiple levels of Enhanced Move can’t
  come to a complete stop if they use more than one level.
  Speedsters who rely on a high Basic Speed gain a greater
  Dodge score from it; if this is high enough, they can close with
  a gunman while dodging his shots. This also makes them dif-
  ficult targets in melee. Against a highly skilled opponent, this
  is a better option than reducing his attack skill with
  speed/range penalties.
  Speedsters with high DX may want to move past an oppo-
  nent, turn around, and strike at him from behind on their next
  turn. This requires a fairly tight turn, and can be treated as a
  case of pushing the envelope. Speedsters with Altered Time
  Rate may instead move past on the first action of a turn, and
  attack on the second.
  SPEED AND MANEUVERABILITY
  Teleportation in GURPS, as defined by the advantage Warp,
  is extremely risky to do in a hurry. Its main uses are for sneak-
  ing into guarded or inaccessible places. GURPS Powers sug-
  gests using it in shadowing (see p. 163). But some supers can
  teleport reliably fast enough to incorporate it into their combat
  skills.
  The usual way to do this is by taking the Reliable enhance-
  ment; 10 levels of this (+50%) compensate for the IQ modifier
  for not taking preparation time. This allows using Warp to
  dodge an attack (see p. B98). For teleporters who use their
  power only defensively, a cheaper alternative is the Blink
  enhancement defined on p. 89 of GURPS Powers (+25%).
  The Reliable enhancement also permits Warp to be used
  offensively with relative safety. The attacker picks a location
  close to his foe and teleports there. If he can make a Body
  Sense roll, he can attack in the same turn. This is similar to a
  runaround attack (p. B391). If used on a foe who’s unaware
  that he’s facing a teleporter, it allows attacking from the side or
  back. On subsequent attacks, or against a forewarned foe, treat
  it as a side attack, typically giving the target -2 to active
  defenses.
  For even more extreme maneuvers, Warp can have the
  Rapid Fire modifier (see p. 29). This allows a single IQ roll to
  perform two or more teleports in a single turn. Use the dis-
  tance penalty for the longest single distance covered. The num-
  ber of extra hops equals the margin of success on the IQ roll.
  This makes it possible to strike or grapple between two tele-
  ports. The Extra Attack ability allows striking more than once.
  Only one Body Sense roll is required, but at -2 per extra tele-
  port in a single turn.
  COMBAT TELEPORTATION
  Telepaths in the comics can often control others’ minds,
  stun them, or even inflict harm on them, and GURPS provides
  mechanics for all these abilities in such forms as Mind Control,
  Affliction, and Innate Attack (with Malediction). All of these
  typically involve a telepath taking action against a nontelepath.
  But matters become more complex when a telepath goes up
  against another telepath. This section provides rules for two
  styles of telepathic combat sometimes seen in the comics.
  MENTAL Grappling
  The basic form of telepathic combat involves Maledictions,
  in which the attacker concentrates for one second and applies
  mental force to the defender. This is resolved as a Quick
  Contest: IQ vs. Will for Mental Illusion, Mind Control, and
  Possession, Will vs. Will for Innate Attack with Malediction,
  and Will vs. HT for Affliction with Malediction.
  A defender who has the Telepathy power modifier and a
  Mind Shield can attempt a Power Block against such attacks.
  If he succeeds, he doubles the value of his Mind Shield.
  An attacker can spend fatigue to gain improved chances of
  success in the Quick Contest: +1 to the roll per 1 FP, to a max-
  imum of +4. After making his roll, he should announce
  whether he succeeded or failed. If he succeeded, the defender
  can similarly spend fatigue to improve his resistance to the
  attack: +1 to the roll per 1 FP, to a maximum of +4. When one
  of the contestants is down to 0 FP, he needs to make a Will roll
  to spend more FP; on a failure, he can no longer defend him-
  self. On a critical failure, he must make an immediate HT roll;
  if he fails, the result is not a heart attack, as for physical 
  DUEL OF THE MIND
  
  CLASHES OF TITANS
  127
  exertion, but falling into a coma. On a success, he can spend
  further FP, but he suffers 1 HP of injury for each additional FP
  he spends. If he reaches -1¥FP, he loses consciousness and can-
  not resist whatever his attacker chooses to do to him.
  Critical failure when using extra effort in such a contest,
  either as the attacker or defender, can cripple the entire power;
  roll against Will to determine whether this happens. It’s also
  possible to cripple an ability or a power deliberately. For an
  ability, use Affliction with Negated Advantage or Neutralize
  with One Ability or Precise; any such attack is at -4. For a
  power, use Neutralize without One Ability; any such attack is
  at -8. If the victim fails to resist, his ability or power suffers
  lasting crippling effects.
  PSYCHIC DUELS
  In some comics, two telepaths enter a kind of abstract men-
  tal realm where they can fight with each other. This isn’t
  Projection in the usual sense (based on Clairsentience,
  Insubstantiality, or Warp), because the telepath’s self-
  awareness isn’t moving about the physical world away from
  his body. Nor is it Projection based on Jumper, because the
  realm where the duel takes place isn’t an actual other dimen-
  sion. It exists only in the shared imagination of the two
  telepaths. In principle, it’s no different from their both operat-
  ing the controls of a computer game and watching their avatar
  characters on the screen.
  To maintain such a shared mental space, the two have to be
  in mental communication. This can be achieved by each of
  them using Mind Reading on the other, or each of them using
  Telesend on the other. Then they have to focus their minds on
  imagined mental imagery. A character with either Eidetic
  Memory or Visualization can do so with a roll vs. IQ, except on
  a critical failure; any other character requires a normal success
  on a roll vs. IQ, though he benefits from Single-Minded. Once
  set up, the mental space stays up until the telepaths are dis-
  tracted by an external stimulus or voluntarily choose to break
  the link.
  In this imaginary arena they can, if they choose, engage in
  melee combat. This involves rolls against IQ rather than DX, or
  IQ-based rolls against applicable skills. A combatant who has
  undergone actual physical training initially suffers a -2 penal-
  ty for unfamiliarity with this kind of combat. (Conversely, a
  character can train telepathically in a combat skill and then
  use the skill in his physical body with the same unfamiliarity
  penalty, until his reflexes catch up.) Active defenses are also
  possible; dodges are still based on Basic Speed, but blocks and
  parries are based on IQ rather than DX.
  Normally, combatants can inflict no damage on each other
  through such combat. Any victories achieved are purely moral.
  But in some four-color settings, psychic duels can inflict actu-
  al harm. Any telepathic combat that can do this must take
  place with the mutual consent of both participants. If GMs
  allow this, they can use the following rules.
  Basic damage is as given in the table on p. B16, but based
  on Will rather than ST. Combatants can augment this with
  whatever imaginary weapons they mutually agree on.
  Normally these are the same for both; one combatant can try
  to get the other to accept inferior equipment with an Influence
  roll, but the other combatant resists this at +5 to Will. Fighters
  can have imaginary shields and armor as well, but the DR of
  any armor is limited by their Mind Shield levels (and so is the
  cover DR of their shields, if the Damage to Shields rule is in
  force). Successful attacks don’t actually cause bodily harm and
  thus don’t initially inflict damage directly to HP; instead they
  count against FP first and once that falls below 0, additional
  FP suffered count as HP. No hit location is rolled for injuries.
  Normally a combatant can break off combat by shutting
  down his telepathic contact with his foe. A combatant who is
  stunned is unable to break contact. A combatant who is uncon-
  scious not only can’t break contact, but can’t resist his foe’s
  mental actions toward him. On the other hand, if the link was
  formed by two foes reading each other’s minds, the uncon-
  scious foe can no longer do so, so his adversary can’t strike at
  him further through the link.
  MENTAL CRIPPLING
  AND KILLING
  GMs who would like psychic duels to be a lot more lethal
  may prefer a different set of rules for the effects of damage.
  First, attacks in these tougher psychic duels can target spe-
  cific hit locations. This doesn’t involve actual localized injury
  to that part of the body; the damage is still applied to overall
  FP. But it is possible to cripple a specific hit location by so
  badly disrupting the brain’s image of that part of the body that
  it fails to function. Crippling damage has the same thresholds
  as for physical injury to the body, but as fractions of total FP
  rather than total HP.
  The torso cannot be crippled.
  Crippling an arm, leg, hand, foot, or eye has the same
  effects as for physically crippling them.
  Crippling most other hit locations results in other unpleas-
  ant conditions. Crippling the face causes a ghastly rictus that
  drops Appearance by two levels. Crippling the groin causes
  agony. Crippling the neck results in choking. Damage thresh-
  olds for the crippling of these locations are HP/3, except for the
  groin, whose damage threshold is HP/10.
  Crippling the skull or vitals inflicts potentially fatal condi-
  tions: coma for the skull, heart attack for the vitals. Damage
  thresholds for these injuries are HP/2.
  Recovery from psychic crippling requires a Will roll rather
  than a HT roll. Effects are not usually so lasting as for physical
  trauma. On a success, the crippling ends when the lost FP are
  regained. On a failure, if enough FP have been lost to lead to
  associated HP loss, crippling lasts until both the FP and HP
  have been regained; if no HP have been lost, only the FP need
  be considered. On a critical failure, the crippling is lasting: It
  takes 1d months for the victim to recover from the trauma.
  This can be treated by hypnosis or psychotherapy, but not by
  conventional medicine.
  Lasting crippling of the face, groin, and neck lead respec-
  tively to minor facial distortion (dropping Appearance by one
  level), sexual dysfunction, or Disturbing Voice. Lasting crip-
  pling of the skull leaves the victim in a coma for a long time.
  Lasting crippling of the vitals strains his heart, reducing his fit-
  ness by one level (e.g., from Very Fit to Fit, or from normal to
  Unfit).
  
  UNIVERSES
  128
  The cafeteria was a wreck. Valle del Sol’s a creative neighbor-
  hood, lots of royalty money; parents don’t want their kids’ files to
  show police traces, and they’ve got the money to hire lawyers. So
  the admin doesn’t ping us right away. Instead they try to calm the
  kids down. The human touch. As if human had anything to do
  with it.
  Now I was here, with the principal, Carlos Elijo – a classic
  service type, salary and benefits. A lot like some of the regular
  cops I worked with. But the cops knew they needed us; the ones
  who resented outsource got steered out of police work. Elijo was
  a lot less happy. He ought to have been glad he was getting
  Containment and not regular Enforcement.
  One of the combatants I made right away, out of Elijo’s files:
  Donald Scheiner. Adequate academic record, no serious trouble
  before now, minor incidents but nothing that would take him
  above the bullying threshold. I’d bet he had a lot more that
  weren’t filed. He looked to be a luchador wannabe, and my IR
  said his muscle output was way above norm, so I guessed he was
  boosted. Couple of squires with him, not as big a boost on them.
  As I watched, he swung a snapped-off metal tube, hard enough
  to break somebody without his amps.
  It didn’t break his opponent, because she wasn’t there. She
  went up into the air above it, almost like ballet, legs tucked under.
  One of them scissored out, real fast, and hit his forehead square.
  Had to be targeting ware. She didn’t have bulk, but with her
  speed the K.E. shook him up. I wasn’t getting a match out of the
  school records – probably the stripe camo pattern on her face
  nano. I did a quick edit and got a skinny girl with dark brown
  skin and rows. Now the records matched her: Rebecca York, from
  a Trinidadian family. Not as well off as Scheiner, but her interests
  were more techno. Looked like she’d taken up a new hobby. I
  dove into the cafeteria visuals and saw her slipping out while
  Scheiner harassed some other kid, an artboy. Good timing, no
  one was looking at her.
  So I linked her, first, and said, “This is Containment. He’s
  ours. Back off and let him chase you.”
  Thank God, she cooperated. I waited three seconds while
  Scheiner chased after her, to get a clear shot, and then sprayed
  him. The net wove itself around him . . .and then he was ripping
  through the fibers. What kind of boosts was he running, anyway?
  I switched to IR and saw his body heat spiking from the amped
  muscles.
  And then York was on him again, swinging the same piece of
  metal tube he’d dropped when I took my shot. She didn’t have his
  muscle, but her speed was way up. She landed three swings while
  he was still straining at his bonds; the last one slammed into his
  solar plexus, hard enough to deform the subdermals. He fell over
  and didn’t get up.
  My message caught her just as she was heading out the door:
  “Nice work. Thx for the save. OK if I link U to a recruiter?” She
  looked like talent we could use . . . and I wanted to ask about her
  mods; there’d been some serious upgrades since I was a high
  school super.
  Creating player characters and running adventures requires
  a background. What sort of world do the heroes operate in? Is
  it a bright, optimistic place, or a world of grim horror? Do peo-
  ple with superpowers wear tight-fitting costumes in dramatic
  colors, or operate behind the scenes in trenchcoats and dark
  glasses? And how much difference have supers made to the
  world?
  The historical impact of supers depends on how many of
  them there are and how much power they have. Some GMs are
  satisfied to sketch in a general background and add details
  later when they’re needed; after all, that’s how the comic-book
  publishers did it! But others may want to work out the statis-
  tics. They may even want to share the statistics with the play-
  ers; after all, many fans like reference works that list all the
  supers in their favorite universes. This chapter provides simple
  tools for working out these statistics, for GMs who want them.
  Those who prefer to wing it can skip over the formulas – but
  they’ll find the reasoning behind the blueprints useful in their
  improvisations.
  CHAPTER EIGHT
  UNIVERSES
  
  UNIVERSES
  129
  The first step in creating a supers campaign is to decide
  where superbeings come from, and what gives them their
  powers.
  ONE ORIGIN, ONE PLACE
  One option is to have all superbeings appear because of a
  certain historic event, at a specific time and place. This can be
  a superscientific invention, a powerful enchantment, an acci-
  dent that releases mysterious forces, or even stranger
  possibilities.
  In some versions of this treatment, all the supers gained
  their powers in that one incident. There were only a certain
  number of them, and there won’t ever be any more. They may
  all know each other, by sight if not as close friends. Even if the
  incident affected thousands of people, they’re probably found
  in one geographic area. A serious investigation could probably
  trace most of them. The Big Bang in the Milestone universe
  was that kind of incident.
  In other versions, the incident releases some force or agent
  that operates over a wider area. The Wild Cards shared-world
  anthology series was based on this premise: the release of the
  wild card virus. Tracking down all the supers may be impossi-
  ble, but they’re still most common in the region where the inci-
  dent started. There’s a definite date before which there were no
  supers. And when the current supers grow old and die, there
  won’t be any more.
  This kind of foundation lends itself to stories about being
  not just a special individual (all supers are that), but a member
  of an elite group. Supers are a generation with a unique role in
  history, and a group bound together by a shared experience
  that sets them apart. And if their existence is public knowledge,
  the event that created them is going to be a turning point in
  history, as memorable as the fall of the Berlin Wall or the
  destruction of the World Trade Center.
  ONE ORIGIN, MANY PLACES
  On the other hand, what if the agent that creates supers
  goes on acting? For example, what if it’s a contagious disease?
  Later Wild Cards stories explored this idea, with the introduc-
  tion of “Typhoid Croyd,” able to infect other people anew with
  the Wild Card, and with aces who inherited the Wild Card from
  infected parents. Runaway nanotech could lead to the same
  process. The result would be a dispersal of superpowers
  through the world, starting out from a center and perhaps
  eventually becoming equally common everywhere.
  Another possibility would be for superpowers to originate
  through the same process, but for that process to start up inde-
  pendently in many different locations. The portrayal of mutant
  superpowers in the Marvel Universe fits this pattern, though
  mutants aren’t the only supers in that universe. The world of
  the IST fits even more closely, with nearly all superpowers
  springing from the Seeder Genes introduced onto Earth by
  aliens. It might be hard to pin down exactly where and when
  the first super appeared, but there would be a time when it
  happened. The television series Heroes has gained a wide audi-
  ence for this approach to superbeings.
  Jane’s All the World’s Superhumans
  If supers really existed, the statistics on their abilities
  wouldn’t be published in comic books! Here’s one possible
  source for information, which GMs can introduce into
  their worlds.
  Jane’s is a line of books on various sorts of military
  equipment: aircraft, warships, and so on. When it became
  clear that superhumans were going to be a factor in glob-
  al politics, the publishers of Jane’s recruited a team of
  researchers to collect information on them. Their first
  guide came out in 1970, followed by annual updates. In
  1980 a second guide came out, and since then they’ve
  become more frequent.
  Jane’s lists all superhumans who operate in public, as
  heroes, villains, or mercenaries, along with any nonpow-
  ered adventurers who have costumes and code names or
  who are members of powered teams. Their information
  includes a recognition guide based on appearance and vis-
  ible powers; a career summary; and as much as can be
  determined about the super’s special abilities, including
  maximum strength, mobility, sensory abilities, and
  attacks and defenses. The book isn’t cheap – a new copy
  costs $2,000, with annual updates priced at $400 – but
  nearly all superteams and research-oriented heroes have
  copies, as do military forces and intelligence agencies
  throughout the world. Many now prefer the CD edition,
  offered with a 10% discount, and searchable.
  ONE PREMISE OR MANY?
  When I see an unemployed
  majestic-class superhuman with
  full combat training from Henry
  Bendix, ideas occur to me.
  – Jenny Sparks, 
  The Authority
  
  UNIVERSES
  130
  Stories and campaigns with this premise may not be about
  special individuals, but about extraordinary moments in histo-
  ry. Supers are a symbol for any new group, activity, or process
  that changes the society where it appears. The emergence of
  people with superpowers is like the Industrial Revolution or
  the fall of the Roman Empire: a change that sweeps through
  an entire society.
  MANY ORIGINS
  Finally, a campaign can follow the traditional model of
  super universes, found in both the DC and Marvel universes,
  where heroes have many different origins and power sources.
  In the extreme, every super in such a universe might have a
  unique origin story. This kind of campaign works especially
  well if the GM wants to explore the interplay of different power
  sources.
  Such a campaign can still have a known time and place
  when the first super appeared. On the other hand supers may
  have always been around, and simply become more common
  and better-known with advancing technology and global com-
  munication. In a typical comic-book treatment, the presence of
  supers earlier in history would have made no real difference,
  but GMs are free to invent alternate timelines based on super-
  human interventions – or run hidden-history campaigns where
  the actual events were shaped by unknown heroes and villains.
  A somewhat exotic variant on this type of campaign could
  borrow ideas from GURPS Infinite Worlds
  to give the classic supers universe a
  science-fictional rationale. A lot of
  supers originate from strange lost civi-
  lizations, marvelous inventions, ancient
  magical artifacts, and the like, which are
  hard to fit into conventional history.
  What if they don’t fit? Perhaps a hero’s
  origin is a small reality quake, and the
  source of his powers – or the hero him-
  self – is a reality shard. Places such as
  Atlantis or the realm of the Amazons
  may have fallen into reality subduction
  zones, leaving behind obscure legends
  and superhuman survivors. Large-scale
  battles between supers could threaten
  the world with huge reality quakes;
  they’ve certainly been a theme of comic
  books over the past few decades. Or hid-
  den heroes could be working in secret to
  protect the timeline from the destabilizing effects of openly
  used powers, in a Black Ops supers campaign. The “Project
  Sandman” setting for GURPS 3/e could provide a background
  for such a campaign.
  Many-origins campaign settings are suited for “sense of
  wonder” games where there’s not one fantastic assumption,
  but as many as the GM cares to come up with. They give play-
  ers maximum freedom of choice. In a light campaign, all these
  wonders and marvels can create a sense of carnival, loosening
  the bonds of custom and even natural law for entertainment. A
  more serious one can explore the impact of constant change on
  human life, using “super shock” as an image of future shock.
  In a dark campaign, unknown powers capable of annihilating
  humanity or even all of human history may lurk below the sur-
  face of the world. Heroes may work in secret, either to prevent
  the apocalypse that would reveal them (as in many episodes of
  Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or to break the barriers that keep
  them from emerging (as in Planetary).
  It’s useful to decide when supers first appeared in a cam-
  paign world; this determines how much back story is available
  as a source for adventures and story arcs. Actually, this is divis-
  ible into two different questions. First, how long have there
  been people with superhuman powers? Second, how long has
  the role of “super-powered hero” existed – how long have peo-
  ple been putting on costumes and assuming secret identities,
  or, in a “hidden heroes” campaign, how long has there been
  organized sponsorship for superpowered operatives? In many
  settings these happened at the same time, but that doesn’t have
  to be true.
  Traditional supers settings and campaigns assume that
  supers first appear shortly before World War II. This is a natu-
  ral approach for established comics publishers, whose first
  titles came out then; it lets them revive a previously published
  character as an older hero. When contemporary writers, pub-
  lishers, or GMs do it, it’s more as an established convention of
  the genre – or, if poorly handled, a cliché. On the other hand,
  it does link supers to a point in history already marked by
  rapid technological advances and social disruption.
  The same reasoning can justify placing supers in any era in
  the past that had ideas of progress and institutions meant to
  THE BEGINNING
  “Take what you like,” said God.
  “Take it, and pay for it.”
  – Spanish proverb
  
  UNIVERSES
  131
  support them. For example, supers could operate in the
  Victorian Era, supported by the Industrial Revolution. Or, even
  earlier, Enlightenment heroes of the 18th century could have
  the Royal Society as a Patron. GMs can either have players
  invent costumed heroes in the 20th-century formula, or invite
  them to portray “extraordinary gentlemen” in the style of fan-
  tastic fiction of the era.
  Superbeings set earlier in time tend to look like mythologi-
  cal heroes; they may be demigods born of mortal women loved
  by gods, or people may just think they are. Myths are timeless,
  and a mythic treatment of supers invites the idea that they’ve
  always been around. Maybe cave paintings of antlered men
  don’t actually represent shamans, but Paleolithic supers dis-
  guising their true identities behind animal masks!
  It’s also possible to have the first supers appearing right
  now. This in fact more accurately replicates the original stories
  of the 1930s, in which mysterious costumed adventurers
  appeared in a world that didn’t expect them. People who
  gained superpowers might choose to model themselves on
  heroes and villains, simply because those are familiar figures
  in early 21st-century popular culture. And the GM can explore
  the impact of metahumans on society without inventing an
  alternate history or an explanation for why history didn’t
  change.
  A final possibility is to set supers in the future and base
  them on advancing technology. This could be an interplanetary
  or interstellar community based on classic science fiction, as
  in Legion of Super-Heroes, or a near-future Earth where tran-
  shumanist aspirations are being realized by self-made super-
  humans. The best approach to such a campaign is not simply
  to have supers and science-fictional wonders exist side by side,
  but to fuse the two themes, with the supers being part of the
  force that shapes the future, or an expression of an underlying
  force.
  How many supers there are in the world is an important
  part of campaign design. Are there a handful in the entire
  world, or does every city have its own resident superteam? And
  do some areas have more than others? Working out statistics
  for an original setting can help create this kind of background
  for a campaign.
  To keep things straightforward, this section initially focus-
  es on numbers of supers. For other sorts of superbeings, see
  Roles of Supers (p. 135).
  OVERALL NUMBERS
  The first step is to determine the total number of supers in
  the campaign world. This determines how unusual the PCs
  are. A convenient reference point is the system of area classes
  used for Area Knowledge (pp. B176-177).
  Planet: The PCs are the only supers on Earth. The current
  world population is about 6 billion; assuming six PCs, that
  means about one person in a billion is a super.
  Large Nation: The PCs are the only superteam in a large
  country. The population of the United States is approximately
  300 million; that means about one person in 50 million is a
  super, if they all belong to the national superteam – or maybe
  one in 25 million, if a substantial number operate solo. That
  gives a world population of 120 to 240 supers.
  State, Province, or Small Nation: The PCs are the only
  superteam in a small country, or one of several superteams in
  a large one (possibly a regional or special-interest superteam).
  Most American states have a few million people; moderate-
  sized nations range up into the tens of millions. Around one
  super per two million people or a world population of about
  3,000 gets into the right range.
  City: The PCs are the only superteam in a big city or a
  microstate (that is, a very small independent country), or one
  of several teams in a state, province, or small country. Taking 1
  million as a typical total population gives about one super per
  200,000 people, or 30,000 worldwide.
  Village or Town: The PCs operate out of one neighborhood
  in a big city, or the biggest town in a rural district. Taking
  50,000 people as a large town gives about one super per 10,000
  people, or 600,000 worldwide.
  This series could be continued down to the neighborhood
  level, but at that point, effectively everybody who was interest-
  ed would be a super; wannabe superteams would be about as
  First-Person Super
  In a campaign set in the present day, one option is to
  have the PCs be versions of the players themselves. Some
  people have gained superhuman powers, and the players
  were among them – instead of meeting once a week to
  play a game, they go out and have real adventures. This
  starts out from a point that the players know extremely
  well, though their fictional lives are bound to diverge from
  their actual lives fairly quickly.
  If the GM assumes that a lot of other people also gain
  powers at the same time, he can have the emergence of
  supers become public knowledge. If he assumes that only
  the players gain powers, whether to go public is largely
  their choice. This type of campaign is the strongest possi-
  ble version of the theme of supers as a unique historical
  phenomenon (see p. 12).
  Players usually want to choose their own superpowers,
  but in a campaign about accidental powers, the GM may
  assign them instead. (It’s a good idea to make sure this is
  acceptable to the players before starting the game.) A
  more drastic variation would be to give the players char-
  acter sheets where all the superpowers are left blank, and
  let them fill them in as they learn what they can do.
  NUMBERS
  
  UNIVERSES
  132
  common as garage bands. Following the model of published
  super adventures would imply a superteam whose sphere of
  interest was somewhere between a city and a large nation.
  For other historical periods, the specific numbers can be
  adjusted to fit the known or estimated population. For exam-
  ple, the ancient Roman Empire had about 20 million inhabi-
  tants; if it supported one superteam, then maybe one person in
  two million would be a super, or about 100 worldwide.
  REGIONAL DISTRIBUTIONS
  Where do all these heroes operate? There are several ways
  to determine this, each producing worlds with different story-
  telling possibilities.
  The simplest assumption is that the number of supers is in
  proportion to the overall population. If this is true, it implies
  specific things about where supers come from. Either the abil-
  ity to gain powers is inherent in the human species (and there
  have probably been supers around since the dawn of history),
  or they’re created by some worldwide process like atmospher-
  ic contamination, radiation from a distant supernova, or a
  secret scientific experiment.
  In such a setting, the biggest populations of supers are
  found in the biggest countries. If the United States has a dozen
  metahumans, then China and India each have around 40! Most
  come from less developed countries; many won’t share
  American ideas about democracy. The result isn’t likely to look
  much like a classic comic book setting.
  An alternative is to assume that the number of supers is in
  proportion to economic output, using tables of Gross
  Domestic Product (available both in print and online). For
  example, in 2004 the total Gross Domestic Product for the
  world was about $40 trillion; if the world had 200 supers, that
  would be one hero per $200 billion. The United States, with
  about $11.7 trillion, would have about 58 supers, more than a
  quarter of the total. That would look more like traditional
  comic-book universes. Gross Domestic Product is mainly pro-
  portional to industrial production, so this would fit an expla-
  nation of supers created by pollution, industrial accidents, or
  advanced technology. It could also explain a world where
  heroes migrate to new locations rather than staying where they
  started their careers – like Superman, a farmboy who moved to
  the big city.
  Top Twelve Rankings
  For the convenience of GMs, here are percentages of supers based on area, population, and economic output.
  Area
  Population
  Economic Output
  Country
  Percent
  Country
  Percent
  Country
  Percent
  Russia
  11%
  China
  20%
  United States
  29%
  Canada
  7%
  India
  17%
  Japan
  11%
  United States
  6%
  United States
  5%
  Germany
  7%
  China
  6%
  Indonesia
  4%
  United Kingdom
  5%
  Brazil
  6%
  Brazil
  3%
  France
  5%
  Australia
  5%
  Pakistan
  3%
  China
  4%
  India
  2%
  Bangladesh
  2%
  Italy
  4%
  Argentina
  2%
  Russia
  2%
  Spain
  2%
  Kazakhstan
  2%
  Nigeria
  2%
  Canada
  2%
  Sudan
  2%
  Japan
  2%
  South Korea
  2%
  Algeria
  2%
  Mexico
  2%
  Mexico
  2%
  Congo
  2%
  Philippines
  1%
  India
  2%
  other*
  47%
  other*
  37%
  other
  25%
  *The European Union occupies 3% of the world’s land area and has 7% of its population.
  Example
  We decide to create a new supers campaign in
  which metahumans are fairly rare, and the United
  States has more than any other country. The PCs are
  one of a few American superteams.
  To get the right sort of distribution, we go by eco-
  nomic output statistics (see Top Twelve Rankings,
  below). If the United States has, say, three teams, it
  looks as if the whole world might have ten. The PCs’
  group has half a dozen members; taking that as an
  average, we get 60 supers worldwide. If about half the
  world’s supers are members of a superteam, that gives
  a total of 120.
  Multiplying this by the percentages in the table and
  rounding off, we get 35 American supers, 13 Japanese,
  eight German, six British, six French, five Chinese, five
  Italian, two each of Spanish, Canadian, South Korean,
  Mexican, and Indian, and 30 in the rest of the world –
  one or two per country.
  Only a few countries have enough heroes to make
  up a full-scale superteam, and some of those would
  either be small or include every single super in that
  country. But it’s plausible for there to be regional
  superteams. We establish the following superteams:
  one regional North American, two in the United States
  (one being the PC team), one regional European, one
  British, one based in Vatican City, one Japanese, one
  Chinese, one Russian (a Cold War relic fallen on hard
  times), and one regional Near Eastern.
  
  UNIVERSES
  133
  Or maybe the process that creates supers isn’t human-based
  at all. Maybe it’s a product of the land and the natural environ-
  ment, or of magical forces shaped by those surroundings. The
  number of supers might be proportional to the area of each
  country. With a land area of 57.9 million square miles, if the
  Earth had about 200 supers, that would be one per 300,000
  square miles, with about 12 in the United States – two of them
  in Alaska!
  These are the most obvious statistics to use in mapping out
  the world population of supers, and they have the advantage of
  being easy to look up. But GMs who want to get creative can
  come up with other ways to distribute supers between coun-
  tries and regions, from military budgets to membership in reli-
  gious congregations. This approach can be used either rigor-
  ously, with actual published statistics, or impressionistically, to
  suggest which areas lead the world in supers.
  LOCAL HEROES
  What if supers aren’t a worldwide phenomenon? Maybe
  they came into being in a single country, or even at a single
  point.
  If all supers gained their powers at the same place and time,
  figuring the population is simple. Just decide how important
  the PCs’ team should be, and set the total number based on
  that: multiply the number of PCs ¥1, or ¥5, or ¥20, or whatev-
  er seems appropriate.
  If supers exist only within one country, use the same
  approach as for the whole world, but starting from the area,
  population, or economic output of that one country. If they’re
  all Americans, for example, divide the total population of
  roughly 300 million by the number of supers; that gives one
  super for so many people. Then look up state populations and
  go on from there.
  Supers have not only a geography but a history. In most
  universes, new heroes are recruited and old ones are terminat-
  ed; and the total number often changes over time. This affects
  the way the current population of metahumans looks at the
  start of a campaign.
  INDIVIDUAL CAREER LENGTH
  A hero’s career can end in many ways: death, permanent
  disability (including power loss), capture and imprisonment,
  public exposure, turning to crime, giving up in despair, chang-
  ing careers, or just getting too old. In an extremely violent set-
  ting, the average career length might be around five years, with
  one-fifth of the current heroes ceasing to operate each year. In
  a peaceful one – or one that’s simply optimistic, like many four-
  color comics – an average career might be 25 years, with only
  4% of the current heroes retiring each year.
  In running a campaign, this can guide the GM in main-
  taining a background cast. If an average career is 25 years,
  for example, then for each year of campaign time have 4% of
  the known heroes cease operations. The GM can pick these
  heroes in advance and think about dramatic storylines 
  or news items, or make the choice after the fact. If the PCs
  frequently encounter guest stars, the deaths or retirements
  may take place in play.
  Example,
  Continued
  Heroism is a demanding and somewhat unstable
  career; it seems reasonable to suppose that most
  supers have to retire fairly young, like professional ath-
  letes. They’re also in a dangerous business, like police
  officers or firefighters, and some may die or be dis-
  abled. But we don’t want to create the atmosphere of a
  war zone. We pick 15 years as an average career length
  for a hero. Dividing 100% by 15, we find that 6.7% of
  current heroes end their careers in the coming year –
  or eight out of the current 120. Over any five-year peri-
  od, about one-third of the existing population of
  supers end their career one way or another.
  CAREERS AND HISTORIES
  Hollis Mason: So, there I was in the supermarket buying dog food for ol’
  Phantom here, I turn the corner of the aisle and wham! I bump into the Screaming
  Skull! You remember him?
  Daniel Dreiberg: I think I heard you mention him . . .
  Hollis Mason: Oh, I put him away a dozen times in the Forties, but he reformed
  an’ turned to Jesus since then. Married, got two kids . . . We traded addresses. Nice
  guy.
  – Alan Moore, Watchmen
  
  HISTORICAL TRENDS
  To replace lost heroes, new one must come into being. But
  the numbers don’t have to balance. Most universes have steadi-
  ly growing super populations. Partly, this simply reflects the
  growth of the overall human population, but it may be even
  faster than that; over a few generations supers may go from a
  handful to an army.
  The starting point for dealing with a supers population
  increase is the number of current supers and the number of
  years since the first super appeared. From these two numbers,
  a doubling time can be calculated by the following method.
  First, divide the current population by two, repeatedly, until
  the result is less than one, and count the number of divisions.
  Second, divide the total number of years by the number of divi-
  sions; the result is the doubling time. Third, look in the follow-
  ing table for the percentage that comes closest to that doubling
  time. This percentage is how much bigger the inflow of new
  heroes each year has to be than the outflow of existing heroes
  to reach that growth rate.
  This information can be used in other ways by historically
  minded GMs. Starting from the campaign year, go back a num-
  ber of years equal to the doubling time, and sketch out a world
  with half as many supers. Keep going back as far as desired, to
  the appearance of the original super – or the initial population
  of supers, if many people gained their powers at nearly the
  same time.
  All this assumes, for simplicity, that the number of supers
  increases steadily. GMs are free to assume otherwise. A simple
  way to do this is to keep the focus on the doubling of the pop-
  ulation, but with each doubling taking a different number of
  years. Periods of rapid doubling might be tied to major historic
  events, such as World War II.
  RETROSPECTIVE
  Finally, these two pieces of information – the average length
  of a super’s career and the rate of increase in the super popu-
  lation – can be put together to give a more detailed picture of
  the current population.
  Suppose that the percentage of heroes who end their
  careers in a given year is R, and the percentage by which the
  hero population grows is G. Calculate the age-distribution per-
  centage as
  A = 100 ¥ (R + G) / (100 + G).
  UNIVERSES
  134
  Example,
  Continued
  We assume the world started out with just one
  super. There are now 120, so the number of supers has
  doubled roughly seven times since then. We’d like this
  to be a fair way back, so there are several generations’
  worth of continuity. A doubling time of seven years
  would go back to 1937, about when the first comics
  were published; a doubling time of 23 years would go
  back to 1845, somewhat before the American Civil
  War. We split the difference at 14 years, which has the
  first supers appearing in the early 20th century. That
  gives an annual growth rate of 5%, or about one in 20.
  We’ve already found that 6.7% of current heroes, or
  8 out of 120, end their careers in the next year. We need
  to replace them, and provide an additional 5%, or 6 out
  of 120. That is, the total new supers in the next year is
  11.7%, or 14 out of 120. At the end of the year, the
  world has 126 supers, of whom 14 are new.
  Percentage Doubling
  Percentage Doubling
  Time
  Time
  1%
  70 years
  9%
  8 years
  2%
  35 years
  10%
  7 years
  3%
  23 years
  12%
  6 years
  4%
  18 years
  15%
  5 years
  5%
  14 years
  19%
  4 years
  6%
  12 years
  26%
  3 years
  7%
  10 years
  41%
  2 years
  8%
  9 years
  100%
  1 year
  
  UNIVERSES
  135
  Out of the current population, A% just becomes supers in
  the past year. Round this off to a whole number. Multiply the
  remainder by A% for the next year back, and keep going till
  there are so few heroes left that A% rounds off to less than 1.
  Then place the last handful in whatever earlier years seem suit-
  able. This provides a profile of how long various supers have
  been active. Distribute those heroes among different countries
  and different power levels, making sure the result has the right
  total number in each country and power level.
  A GM who’s willing to make things a bit more complex
  could assume that power levels have been increasing from
  generation to generation. The falloff percentage might be
  50% in the current generation, 60% in the previous one, 70%
  one further back, and so on back to 90% in the oldest supers.
  Or the oldest supers might have been that limited when they
  started out, but have gained more abilities with experience so
  that all generations now living are equally powerful – but it’s
  raw power in the young and increased talent and skill in the
  old. On a grimmer note, the older supers who are still alive
  might have come disproportionately from the most powerful
  of their generation.
  Of course, not all supers are heroes! A variety of other roles
  are available, ranging from the cinematic to the realistic. How
  many supers occupy these roles won’t be as visible as for
  heroes, but GMs should give it some thought as part of creat-
  ing their universes.
  VILLAINS
  Heroes are going to encounter a lot of villains. Both writers
  and GMs need to provide a challenge for each new episode, and
  if the good guys have just defeated an adversary, he shouldn’t be
  reused right away. So new villains get created a lot more often
  than new heroes. A typical hero or superteam ends up with a sta-
  ble of villains – possibly five to 20 villains for each hero.
  But this implies some disturbing things about comic-book
  universes. If the villains outnumber the heroes by that much, it
  means anyone who acquires powers is more likely to use them
  for violence or fraud than to protect the innocent. This sounds
  like a formula for nightmarish worlds quite different from the
  classic optimism of four-color adventures. Of course, GMs can
  always forget about realism and approach the campaign as
  light entertainment; but there are also ways for a GM who
  wants to explore the theme of heroism seriously to do so with-
  out portraying a world descending into chaos.
  To start with, villains and heroes may be only a small part
  of the total population of supers; there may be many more
  well-behaved people who don’t lead lives of adventure. See
  Supers in the Workforce and Supers in Private Life for some
  Example, Concluded
  We’ve established R and G for our campaign setting: R
  is 6.7% and G is 5%. So A is 100 ¥ 11.7 / 105 = 11.1. Of the
  current 120 heroes, 11.1% started their careers in the year
  just past, or 13.32, which rounds to 13. Of the remaining
  107, 11.1% started their careers in the year before, or
  11.887, which rounds to 12.
  Carrying out the calculation, we end up with the fol-
  lowing table:
  Now we take these numbers and distribute them
  among different countries. For example, of the four pre-
  1980 heroes, we decide that one each is American, Israeli,
  Japanese, and Italian. We assign the Italian to the Vatican
  superteam and the American to the North American
  regional superteam. We work forward through the years,
  until we know every hero’s year and country of origin.
  Year
  Number
  Year
  Number
  Year
  Number
  2006
  13
  1991
  2
  1976
  1
  2005
  12
  1990
  2
  1975
  –
  2004
  11
  1989
  2
  1974
  –
  2003
  9
  1988
  2
  1973
  –
  2002
  8
  1987
  1
  1972
  –
  2001
  7
  1986
  1
  1971
  1
  2000
  7
  1985
  1
  1970
  –
  1999
  6
  1984
  1
  1969
  –
  1998
  5
  1983
  1
  1968
  –
  1997
  5
  1982
  1
  1967
  –
  1996
  4
  1981
  1
  1966
  –
  1995
  4
  1980
  1
  1965
  –
  1994
  3
  1979
  –
  1964
  –
  1993
  3
  1978
  1
  1963
  –
  1992
  3
  1977
  –
  1962
  1
  ROLES OF SUPERS
  
  options. The world may not need to have every honest super
  become a hero any more than it needs every honest man to
  join the police force.
  GMs can also cut down the ratio of villains to heroes by pre-
  senting the good guys with other kinds of threats. To start with,
  heroes may take on organized crime, foes who aren’t superhu-
  man but have numbers and resources in their favor. A classic
  theme for comics is that the hero has to fight crime because
  the police are out of their depth and need help.
  In a war, or a “cold war” period, supers can face foes from
  other countries. To the protagonist, they’re villains – but in
  their own country they’re the heroes and they can be account-
  ed for as part of the world census of heroes. Nazi supersoldiers
  in World War II, Communist superspies in the Cold War, or
  superpowered terrorists in the early 21st century have all
  played their part in comic-book plots. Or the invaders may
  come from some other world or plane entirely; see Wider
  Horizons (p. 141).
  Supers can be called on to deal with natural disasters or
  large industrial accidents. Realistically, one who tried to cope
  with everything of this sort could be busy all the time and
  never face a super-powered villain. But heroes may choose to
  operate locally, coping with whatever devastation their home
  city, state, or small country suffers, and only go out of town for
  major world catastrophes.
  With variant adventure types such as this, a GM can proba-
  bly get by with 2-5 villains for each hero. A lower ratio works
  especially well for street level campaigns where normal men
  can threaten a super; a higher ratio works best for world-
  shakers.
  MERCENARIES
  Heroes fight for a cause and villains for power or the thrill
  of destruction, but other supers fight for money. A universe can
  have superpowered mercenaries, from local private eyes to
  one-man armies to cold-blooded assassins.
  As these examples suggest, mercenaries can take various
  ethical stances. Some have strict standards and won’t take jobs
  that don’t meet them. Some have to take nearly any job they
  can get, but try to stay within the law or avoid harming inno-
  cents. And some either don’t care, or prefer work that causes
  harm. To some degree, then, they can be classified as “heroes”
  or “villains.” But they may clash with more traditional heroes
  seeking teammates who aren’t in it for the money, and even
  with more traditional villains who care more about their own
  egos than about getting the job done.
  One good niche for mercenaries in a modern-day setting is
  working for big corporations, especially those with secret
  plans and hidden laboratories. Heroes may have to contend
  with security forces possessing powers of their own. They may
  not be villains in any normal sense; they may simply have
  taken their employer’s pay and consider themselves obligated
  to earn it. How the heroes treat opposing forces tells a lot
  about what kind of campaign they’re in: Idealistic heroes feel
  they need to incapacitate security forces without permanent
  damage, but grim and gritty characters do whatever they must
  to complete their missions.
  In a classic supers campaign, mercenaries are unusual;
  there are probably a lot fewer of them than there are heroes or
  villains. In a more realistic version, mercenaries may outnum-
  ber heroes. An experimental GM could even run a campaign
  about heroes who are in it for the money; the television series
  Angel offers one model for such a campaign.
  SUPERS IN THE WORKFORCE
  Other supers can have jobs that don’t involve fighting any-
  one at all. Not all gifts are best suited to violence, and not
  everyone with powers wants to spend his time fighting other
  supers. Almost any type of work is potentially open to some
  supers, but the following are categories where they’re highly
  visible:
  Entertainment: Many superpowers are showy and dramatic
  and could earn their possessor a career in entertainment, as a
  main act or a sideshow freak. Supers with high dexterity or
  Damage Resistance could also find work doing stunts.
  Spectacular battles between supers could be deliberately
  staged, for live or broadcast audiences; the violence could be as
  theatrical as in pro wrestling, or as lethal as in ancient Roman
  gladiator shows.
  Healing: Supers who could save lives, cure disease, or sim-
  ply ease pain would be in constant demand. Depending on the
  attitudes of conventional doctors, they could be highly regard-
  ed professionals, fringe practitioners, or subject to prosecution
  for medical quackery.
  Investigation and Security: Enhanced senses, psi powers, or
  the simple ability to read people’s motives could lead to a
  career as a bodyguard, private eye, or corporate-security offi-
  cer. In a pulp adventure setting, such supers might get into lots
  of fights; in a realistic setting, many of them might go for
  months or years without ever striking a blow.
  Manufacturing and Construction: Supers aren’t likely to
  work on conventional production lines, but handlers and
  shapers might go into business doing specialized work in
  many industries.
  Research: A lot of characters in the comics are brilliant sci-
  entists; some even have enhanced intelligence or paranormal
  senses as their main powers.
  How many metahumans pursue such civilian careers is up
  to the GM. Heroes and villains might make up nearly the entire
  superhuman population, or a tiny minority of it. Having most
  supers use their powers peacefully is one way of dealing with
  the issue of why so many turn to crime and villainy: Maybe
  most are decent people, but only a few of them become heroes,
  just as only a fraction of normal humans become police offi-
  cers or soldiers. On the other hand, the GM needs to do some
  thinking about the impact of such supers on the rest of the
  economy; see Cultural Influence (p. 139).
  SUPERS IN PRIVATE LIFE
  Some supers don’t even want to use their powers to earn a
  living; they just want to stay out of sight. They may be isolat-
  ed, not knowing there are others with similar powers, or they
  may have hidden communities of their own.
  Such populations may bring supers, or those of their specif-
  ic kind, together to celebrate their differences. A gathering of
  metahumans may resemble a gay-pride festival, pagan gather-
  ing, or science-fiction convention. In a world where supers are
  gaining increased legitimacy, their assemblages may be toler-
  ated or even welcomed by local communities sympathetic to
  UNIVERSES
  136
  
  UNIVERSES
  137
  them (or simply interested in their money). Supers might have
  their own analog of Mardi Gras. And high-profile heroes might
  be celebrated by the less powerful members for their role in
  gaining public acceptance.
  Other communities may be more like refuges along the
  lines of a medieval Jewish quarter, or a homosexual communi-
  ty in the 1950s. George R.R. Martin’s Wild Cards series portrays
  the life of such a community, Jokertown. If there’s legal dis-
  crimination against supers, there may be underground rail-
  roads guiding them to safe places. Or they may find havens
  among other outcasts – for example, in circuses.
  This sort of superhuman community fits especially well
  into a “hidden heroes” campaign. There might not even be any
  publicly visible supers in some settings. The GM might want to
  estimate, not populations of visible heroes, but populations of
  hidden supers.
  What difference does it make to the
  world that there are supers in it?
  In some treatments, it makes almost
  no difference; supers have too little
  power to change the planet much. This
  is one of the points of Alan Moore’s
  Watchmen: The various costumed heroes
  of the 1940s, and most of their succes-
  sors in the 1960s, are simply human
  beings without special powers, and
  nothing they do is going to alter their
  world. Moore suggested that superteams
  were basically a publicity exercise. Other
  series have developed the idea, including
  Will Shetterly’s Captain Confederacy and
  John Ridley’s recent series The American
  Way.
  Comic-book universes show heroes
  with much greater powers, capable of
  having a big impact on the world, but at the
  same time they tend to minimize that impact. Supers comics
  aren’t an exercise in science-fictional world building; their
  focus is the contrast between the amazing hero and the basi-
  cally familiar world where he operates. So the actions of
  supers can’t change things in a big way. The classic example of
  this is the supers of World War II, whose powers don’t really
  change the course of the war – perhaps because they aren’t
  powerful enough, or perhaps because supers on the other side
  neutralize their efforts.
  In classic supers adventures, it’s often the villains who try to
  change the world; the heroes discover their intentions and step
  in to stop them. It’s shown as the act of a fanatic or megaloma-
  niac whose motives can’t be trusted. Powerful people with
  good intentions have to stop them. For example, the Silver-Age
  Green Lantern’s archenemy, Sinestro, was a former member of
  the Green Lantern Corps who had made himself dictator of his
  planet – which implies that other Green Lanterns could do the
  same, if not stopped by their own self-restraint.
  In some variants on this theme, the very existence of supers
  remains unknown. They operate in secret, defeating plots and
  stopping apocalypses, so that the familiar world can continue
  and most of its inhabitants need not realize that it’s a false front.
  Supers of this type are likely to be sponsored by covert organi-
  zations: private ones such as the Foundation for Law and
  Government in Knight Rider or Warren Ellis’s Planetary; gov-
  ernmentally funded ones such as Alan Moore’s League of
  Extraordinary Gentlemen; or the unnamed American organiza-
  tion that sponsors the Unholy Three in JSA: The Liberty Files.
  HISTORICAL IMPACT
  You people are a joke. You hear Moloch’s back in town, you think, “Oh, boy!
  Let’s gang up and bust him!” You think that matters? . . . It don’t matter squat
  because inside thirty years the nukes are gonna be flyin’ like maybugs . . . and then
  Ozzy here is gonna be the smartest man on the cinder.
  — The Comedian, Watchmen
  
  UNIVERSES
  138
  On the other hand, some stories have shown heroes who do
  change the world. This goes back to the pulp era, when The
  Curse of Capistrano showed Zorro leading the overthrow of a
  corrupt colonial government in California. Alan Moore’s more
  recent V for Vendetta shows its hero overthrowing a fascist
  regime in a grim near-future Britain. Several comparatively
  recent titles have shown powered heroes stepping in to dictate
  to governments or intervene in the course of history: the cli-
  max of Watchmen, Neil Gaiman’s issues of Miracleman, and
  Warren Ellis’ issues of The Authority. In the last two, this
  involves enduring claims to political power, on a level with, or
  above, that of national governments – and the implication that
  ruling by superior power, rather than being a purely villainous
  goal, is the responsibility of anyone who has superior power.
  Stories of this type usually do involve the creation of a differ-
  ent world.
  HEROES AND THE LAW
  A big factor in the social and historical impact of heroes is
  how the law treats them. This has two main aspects: the legal-
  ities of powers, and of secret identities.
  Superpowers
  In many comics, especially four-color comics, superpowers
  are treated as largely outside the law. Supers may wield pow-
  ers that could kill a man or level a building, but no laws restrict
  the use of such abilities; effectively they’re LC4. And while
  obvious use of superpowers, such as striking an enemy with
  superhuman strength or blasting him with flame, may be treat-
  ed as crimes, subtler uses like mind control or changing shape
  are not. The law’s inability to deal with powered criminals may
  be one reason that powered heroes are needed.
  In a more realistic treatment, powers could be regulated
  by the same standards as new technologies. The use of abili-
  ties considered too dangerous might be licensed or prohibit-
  ed. For example, flame powers could be regulated, like the
  use of fireworks, or their use could be punished, like arson
  with conventional
  methods. 
  The
  law might not
  attempt to forbid
  having
  super-
  powers, as it for-
  bids owning cer-
  t
  a
  i
  n
  weapons – not
  when taking the
  powers 
  away
  could 
  require
  involuntary sur-
  gery or worse.
  But it could cer-
  tainly say that
  using superpow-
  ers was a crime.
  A 
  more
  repressive socie-
  ty might legally restrict people who had superpowers. They
  could be required to register with the government, drafted,
  imprisoned, or even exterminated. In the Marvel Universe, for
  example, mutants have long been shown as a new persecuted
  minority.
  On the other hand, superbeings, especially powerful ones,
  might be immune to legal action; in particular, a super power-
  ful enough to fight an army would be immune to any normal
  sort of law enforcement. In some settings, governments might
  simply establish an informal policy of tolerating illegal actions
  by supers, without giving them any official sanction. In others,
  they might have Legal Immunity. One form this could take
  would be the legal fiction that powerful supers were sovereign
  states in international law; they wouldn’t have any actual terri-
  Varied 
  Power Levels
  In a lot of comic-book universes, supers aren’t all
  equivalent in power; they may range from super
  normals with superior training and equipment to
  titans powerful enough to defeat an army or reshape
  a planet. In a game treatment, even if all the PCs have
  the same point value, the world’s total supers popula-
  tion doesn’t have to.
  The simplest way to approach this is case-by-case.
  Come up with a character concept for each hero,
  decide what power level is appropriate to him, and
  assign him a suitable point budget.
  GMs who like systematic world building may want
  to calculate how many supers should occupy each
  power level, and come up with character concepts to
  fit. A simple approach is to say that each of several
  levels is equally likely: say, 25% each are built on 200-
  400, 400-800, 800-1,600, and 1,600-3,200 points. For
  a closer fit to the range of power in published supers,
  a GM might use some form of “bell curve” system –
  for example, roll 3d and multiply by 50 or 100 to get
  each hero’s power level. This produces a lot of heroes
  in the middle range of point costs, with a few being
  very weak or very strong. A third option is to have the
  numbers taper off at higher power levels – for exam-
  ple, one out of five heroes might be built on 200
  points, one out of five of the remainder on 400, one
  out of five of the remainder after that on 600, and so
  on. This fits the “minor and major leagues” analogy,
  with many heroes operating on a small scale, not so
  many on a bigger scale, but a few extremely powerful
  world-shakers.
  It’s also possible to do things in a different order.
  Decide how many heroes operate on each power
  level, and then distribute them through the world.
  GMs probably want to name and briefly describe all
  the top-level heroes everywhere, but for moderately
  powerful heroes, describing the population of one
  country, state, or province may be enough, and a sin-
  gle city’s worth of low-powered heroes.
  
  UNIVERSES
  139
  tory, but any place they chose to live would be treated as an
  embassy and they would have diplomatic immunity. In still
  other settings, supers might make themselves the rulers of sov-
  ereign states, especially comparatively less powerful ones –in
  the Marvel Universe, for example, Dr. Doom made himself the
  ruler of the Balkan country Latveria by conquering it. A supers
  world might come to look like a feudal society, with every terri-
  torial state being the personal property of some powerful super.
  Secret Identities
  Legally, secret identities create problems for supers who
  assume them. Assuming a false name, as such, isn’t illegal in
  American law; it becomes illegal if it’s done with intent to
  defraud or to violate people’s legal rights in some other way.
  But people acting under false names face legal problems. To
  start with, they can’t testify in court; the other side’s lawyers
  are entitled to ask for their legal names, so appearing as wit-
  nesses would destroy their secret. They may also find it diffi-
  cult to cash checks or otherwise do business.
  One way around this would be an official policy of legally
  recognizing secondary identities. This would have to be spe-
  cially created because of supers. It could require official reg-
  istration; there might even be a government office with files
  on the true identities of costumed heroes. But they could 
  testify in court under their heroic guise, and be protected
  against questions that “pierced the veil.”
  The presence of supers in a world is bound to affect its cul-
  ture, and even its basic sense of self.
  POPULAR CULTURE
  Supers adventures are an important theme of popular
  entertainment in the real world. In a setting where the real
  thing is publicly visible, this is even more true. Novels, movies,
  and television series portray the feats of fictional supers, along
  with fictional soldiers, police, and spies. The technology of spe-
  cial effects may be more advanced, subsidized by films with
  huge special-effects budgets – or supers with the right powers
  (such as generating physical illusions, withstanding injury, or
  super-speed) may find work as stunt and power doubles. In
  some worlds, superhuman combat itself may be a form of pop-
  ular entertainment, much like professional wrestling – or, if it’s
  legally banned, more like street racing or bare-knuckles
  boxing.
  “Tell this young man where he is, will you?”
  “He’th in Ankh-Morpork, marthter,” said Igor calmly.
  “See?” said Vimes. “And don’t glare at Igor like that. I missed it when he wel-
  comed me here, but it’s true. This is an embassy, my son,” he went on, walking for-
  ward again, “and that means it’s officially on the soil of the home country. Welcome
  to Ankh-Morpork.”
  – Terry Pratchett, The Fifth Elephant
  CULTURAL INFLUENCE
  
  UNIVERSES
  140
  Real supers may be celebrities, the sub-
  ject of scholarly biographies, tabloid scan-
  dal stories, and everything in between.
  Avoiding the paparazzi may be as impor-
  tant a reason for secret identities as pro-
  tecting one’s family from vengeance-
  minded criminals. Metahumans may need
  an heroic code to avoid public scandals
  about their errors and excesses – but in a
  darker setting, such scandals may be as
  common as steroid scandals about profes-
  sional athletes. Supers who live to retire
  may receive offers to publish their ghost-
  written biographies.
  As icons, supers may be able to do prod-
  uct endorsements in forms ranging from
  corporate logos on their costumes to
  appearances 
  on 
  television 
  ads.
  Commercially minded heroes may deliber-
  ately set out to make their images mar-
  ketable, and even hire agents to represent
  them. More altruistic crime-fighters may
  be tempted by corporate donations to wor-
  thy causes. Really huge corporations – or,
  in worlds with lots of supers, even compar-
  atively small ones – may be able to fund
  their own superteams, or help support
  national or regional superteams. All of this,
  of course, offers the prospect of conflicts of
  interest between the supers and their sponsors, in which GMs
  may find a source of plots.
  NATIONAL SYMBOLS
  The world’s biggest and most powerful organizations are
  mostly national governments. Nations, too, may use heroes to
  represent them and improve their images. And a country may
  be able to pay the price of creating supers, or of locating, draft-
  ing, and training those who already exist within its boundaries.
  Such “national symbol” heroes go back to the Golden Age,
  when characters like the Shield and Captain America were
  born. They reflect two assumptions that were common at the
  time: Heroes fought honestly for good and embodied moral
  values, and patriotism was a desirable moral value. Captain
  America, in particular, has consistently been shown as gen-
  uinely believing in American ideals.
  In other treatments, heroes may be manufactured symbols
  of national unity, with their imperfections deliberately covered
  up for the sake of effective propaganda. Public relations firms
  and film directors may be hired to sell them, as the German
  film director Leni Riefenstahl sold Hitler in Triumph of the
  Will. A hero who has a mind of his own may find himself taken
  out of the public eye, or even disgraced – as in the story of the
  Four Aces in the first Wild Cards anthology.
  SCIENCE
  Superpowers often have scientific-sounding explanations,
  but they usually exceed the limits of real present-day knowl-
  edge. Serious study might reveal any number of unexpected
  phenomena, from powerful new energy sources to direct men-
  tal interaction at a distance. In GURPS terms, the skill used to
  study superpowers is Weird Science – and in a world inhabit-
  ed by supers, Weird Science is likely to make unexpectedly
  rapid progress.
  This in turn is likely to increase the pace of technological
  advances. Supers whose powers come from devices of their
  own invention may also contribute to the growth of technolo-
  gy through mundane inventions released under their civilian
  identities. In particular, many comic-book universes seem to
  have slightly more advanced space programs, with the real
  world’s blue-sky ideas and drawing-board designs in actual
  use. See Advanced Technology (p. 141) for more on this.
  Scientific theories may be more advanced because supers
  can explore outer space, extra-dimensional realms, parallel
  worlds, and the past and future. The universe supers inhabit is
  often larger than the real one appears to be; its science may
  offer a perspective on that larger cosmos. For darker cam-
  paigns, GMs may want to include themes of cosmic horror
  based on the ultimate inhumanity or incomprehensibility of
  the world, personified by alien entities and races along the
  lines of H.P. Lovecraft’s creations (or before them, H.G. Wells’
  Martians).
  RELIGION
  Another source of cosmic perspectives in human life is reli-
  gion. Most published supers have very little impact on the reli-
  gious life of their worlds; even actual mythological gods, such
  as Marvel’s Thor, or heroes who personally know such gods,
  like DC’s Wonder Woman, don’t seem to disturb the monothe-
  istic religions of their worlds. But supers could have a greater
  impact in a campaign that explored such themes.
  
  UNIVERSES
  141
  To start with, supers themselves could be religious figures –
  and not just supers who are identified as gods. Any superbeing
  with cosmic, divine, magical, moral, or spirit powers might be
  the focus of a cult. Polytheistic or animistic faiths such as
  Hinduism, Shinto, or Voodoo might regard them as divine or
  supernatural beings; monotheistic faiths such as Christianity
  and Islam might identify them as holy men singled out for
  divine blessings; Buddhism might identify them as bod-
  hisattvas whose powers came from merit accumulated in past
  lives. New religions might actually identify specific superbe-
  ings, or supers in general, as gods walking the Earth. The
  careers of four-color heroes, spent fighting for good for its own
  sake, look a lot like religious ideas of a vocation or calling (in
  Christian terms) or of dharma (in Hindu or Buddhist terms).
  Mystical or magical supers may also be aware of supernat-
  ural forces in the world, not as objects of religious faith, but of
  knowledge gained through study or personal insight. Most
  comic-book mystics don’t share their knowledge with the gen-
  eral public, but passing it on privately to chosen students
  would fit right into the initiatory traditions of many magical
  and religious cults, from 21st-century New-Age practitioners
  back to the first tribal shamans. Mystical and occult beliefs
  might be much more vigorous in supers universes.
  SELF-AWARENESS
  Finally, how would it feel to be an ordinary person living in
  a supers world? Would people’s lives go on more or less the
  same, or would the presence of supers change them?
  On one hand, supers might create a heightened sense of
  personal security. Especially in Silver-Age treatments, it often
  seemed that every potential disaster called out a hero in a
  flashy costume to rescue victims or even stop the catastrophe
  from happening. Where people in the real world look to fire-
  fighters, police, paramedics, and government agencies – and
  often expect them to be slow and impersonal – people in hero-
  ic universes may hope to be personally helped by the local
  metahuman.
  This substitution of personal trust for reliance on institu-
  tions was exactly what gave rise to feudalism during the fall of
  the Roman Empire. A supers world might develop into a form
  of neofeudalism, especially in a darker campaign with society
  collapsing into chaos that the legal authorities can’t deal with.
  Heroes would have some of the qualities of the ideal knights
  of chivalric legend, seeking no reward for their help. The more
  honorable villains might act like realistic knights, giving pro-
  tection and expecting aid and loyalty, much in the way dram-
  atized in the opening chapters of Mario Puzo’s The Godfather.
  A world that started out by recognizing a few supers as the
  equals of sovereign states (see Heroes and the Law, p. 138)
  might end with supers replacing them. The world outside
  their sphere of protection might be a more chaotic place in
  which people felt insecure, or overwhelmed by events beyond
  their control.
  More fundamentally, people without superpowers would
  have much less sense of being at the center of things. In the
  real world, people in developed countries expect their own
  choices to shape their lives. Governments have powers that
  exceed theirs, but ordinary people expect those organizations
  to be guided by their concerns and to keep other powerful
  institutions, such as corporations, under control. But in a
  supers world, vital decisions are made by beings who tran-
  scend ordinary humanity, and who don’t have to be influenced
  by shared concerns. Traditional four-color comics usually
  minimized this impact; one of the functions of secret identi-
  ties, as a literary device, may be to reassure the reader that
  supers aren’t indifferent to ordinary human concerns because
  they live part of their lives as ordinary human beings. Harder-
  edged treatments of supers may regard all human choices as
  peripheral.
  If a world can contain beings as fantastic as supers, it’s not
  a big imaginative leap to suppose that it contains other
  extraordinary things. Many settings include all the classic
  themes of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. The origins of a
  single superteam may employ several such concepts – for
  example, the original superteam, the Justice Society of
  America, brought together three science-based protagonists;
  four magic-based heroes, one of them a ghost; and one man
  who was simply amazingly physically fit. GMs wanting to chal-
  lenge the heroes of their campaign and astonish the players
  can draw on all these genres.
  ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
  The scientific genius of supers often makes surprisingly lit-
  tle difference to the world. Some of their creations work only
  once, just long enough to defeat the current menace. Some
  depend on rare resources and can’t be mass produced. Many
  are simply kept secret – by villains because they hope to gain
  an advantage over their enemies; by heroes because the world
  isn’t ready for such potentially dangerous discoveries. The
  result is that these worlds are at about the same TL as those
  without supers.
  But things may be a bit different at the cutting edge.
  Organizations with access to equipment of higher-than-basic
  quality – advanced research laboratories, high-tech corpora-
  tions, elite military units, espionage agencies, and organized
  crime – may be able to acquire devices one TL better than the
  public, or even weird-science devices. Often such devices pro-
  vide ways of detecting or neutralizing superpowers. See
  Chapter 4 for some ideas.
  To action alone have you a right
  and never at all to its fruits; let not
  the fruits of action be your motive.
  – Chapter 2, Verse 47, 
  The Bhagavad Gita
  WIDER HORIZONS
  
  ALIEN RACES
  In supers universes, intelligent life on other worlds is com-
  mon. It’s likely enough that some heroes came here from
  somewhere else. There may even be publicly acknowledged
  contact between Earth and other planets; heroes may have to
  defend against interplanetary or interstellar wars.
  Typically, most aliens look human, or nearly so, with
  mainly cosmetic changes – especially the ones who become
  heroes on Earth. By comic-book standards, a radically differ-
  ent alien is one with green or blue skin, no hair, or pointy
  ears. One possible explanation for this is convergent evolu-
  tion: Either a humanoid body plan is so well-suited to the
  needs of sapient life that it evolves independently every-
  where, or some mysterious force guides evolution toward the
  same point. Another, especially in worlds where humans and
  aliens can have fertile offspring, is common ancestry
  –humans came to Earth from somewhere else or Stone-Age
  humans were carried off to settle other planets. Either expla-
  nation calls for a lot of “willing suspension of disbelief” from
  the players.
  Aliens who come to Earth normally have advanced tech-
  nology, including, of course, interstellar transportation. In
  comic-book treatments, alien races play two main roles. They
  may be invaders, sending armies equipped with advanced
  weapons that no human force can withstand to conquer
  Earth – but they’re unable to overcome Earth’s metahuman
  defenders, who force them to retreat. On the other hand, they
  may have a continuing presence, but a secret one: as diplo-
  matic missionaries, spies, interstellar police forces, sponsors
  for human supers, or refugees from war or disaster. Both ver-
  sions fit the general pattern of keeping the setting as familiar
  as possible, because neither makes the aliens a permanent,
  visible presence in Earth’s history and politics.
  A GM wanting to include aliens needs to create racial tem-
  plates for them, either as modified humans or as products of
  separate evolution; in the latter case, GURPS Space is a use-
  ful source of ideas. It’s common for aliens to have unusual
  powers, often biological or psionic, as a racial trait – but not
  the variety of superpowers that Earth’s supers manifest. An
  alien hero may be an unusually gifted member of his race, as
  with many members of the Legion of Super-Heroes, but he
  has its standard abilities in a higher degree. Usually alien
  powers are fairly low-key or specialized, but some stories fea-
  ture entire alien super-races as products of advanced evolu-
  tion or high technology; the Oans, who sponsored the Green
  Lantern Corps in the Silver Age, were a good example.
  LOST RACES AND
  HIDDEN REALMS
  Supers versions of Earth may have their own nonhuman
  races, living in hidden locations. Usually such races are close
  relatives of Homo sapiens. Water-breathing Atlanteans
  beneath the ocean are an example; both Aquaman (published
  by DC) and the Sub-Mariner (published by Marvel) are
  human-Atlantean hybrids. Other possibilities include subter-
  ranean races, living in vast networks of caves, or even at the
  Earth’s core; gigantic, primitive races such as bigfoot or yeti,
  often in cold climates or on high mountains; and apelike
  races, primitive like Tarzan’s foster parents, or scientifically
  advanced like DC’s Gorilla City in the African jungles. They
  play the same roles as aliens, but it’s easier for Earth’s supers
  to visit their native realms. In a sense, the mutants of Marvel’s
  X titles are a hidden race, but one only starting to come into
  being in the 20th century.
  Other hidden civilizations may be purely human, but
  maintain civilized societies set apart from history – either
  survivors of dead empires, such as ancient Rome or the
  Mayans, or cultures invented by the GM. They may preserve
  secret knowledge lost to the rest of the world. Heroes spon-
  sored by these civilizations may have divine, magical, moral,
  or spirit powers.
  Explaining how such races or civilizations stay hidden is
  increasingly difficult with advances in surveillance technolo-
  gy. Unknown realms fit well into the fiction of the late-19th
  and early-20th centuries; in early 21st-century settings, they
  work best in a retro campaign or a secret-heroes campaign
  where vast strangenesses are concealed beneath the world’s
  mundane surface. Mystical knowledge may be one way for
  hidden civilizations to stay hidden. Lost tribes – or single
  exiled heroes or mysterious relics – may also be reality shards
  left behind by upheavals in history (see GURPS Infinite
  Worlds).
  MICROWORLDS
  Early in the 20th century, Niels Bohr proposed a new
  model of the atom, with electrons orbiting the nucleus as the
  planets orbit the sun. This quickly became obsolete in
  physics, but it inspired a lot of early science fiction about vis-
  its to microscopic worlds, and comics picked up the idea in
  turn. DC’s Silver-Age version of the Atom regularly used his
  shrinking powers to enter microscopic realms, and other sci-
  entifically oriented heroes did so occasionally.
  Entry into a microworld is achieved by shrinking – but the
  level of Shrinking power needed is very high: A being as small
  in relation to a single atom as a human being is in relation to
  the Solar System would need an SM of -100 or better, or at
  least 500 points of Shrinking! GMs may want to consider
  defining this power instead as Jumper (World), with a special
  limitation: Only to microworlds, -50%. This should be limit-
  UNIVERSES
  142
  Cyclops: We need to present
  ourselves as a team like any
  other.
  Wolverine: Here come the
  tights.
  Cyclops: Sorry Logan.
  Superheroes wear costumes . . .
  And quite frankly, all the black
  leather is making people nervous.
  – Astonishing X-Men
  
  ed to stories where the microworld is a new setting for the
  hero to visit; if his actions there can change the macroscopic
  world he came from, he should have to pay for a more expen-
  sive power, such as Shrinking.
  GMs who want a “hard science” feel to their supers cam-
  paigns should avoid microworlds. In fact, any power that
  changes a hero’s mass is hard to justify in a scientifically real-
  istic campaign. (If the super shrinks to subatomic size with-
  out changing his mass, then he’s turned into a black hole and
  won’t be coming back!)
  OTHER DIMENSIONS AND
  SUPERNATURAL BEINGS
  In supernatural campaigns, supers may visit magical or
  spiritual realms. Versions of hell are common. Heaven is
  rather less so; comics writers sometimes create generic celes-
  tial realms inspired by, but not specifically identified as, the
  Christian heaven, such as the Silver City in Sandman. The
  realms of mythological gods, such as Olympus or Asgard, are
  part of many supers universes. Writers make up worlds
  where magic works, or spiritual or elemental planes that
  their heroes can visit.
  In conventional supers adventures these other planes are
  often actual physical places, which can be reached
  with the help of vehicles or dimensional gates.
  The biggest difference from Earth is likely a
  higher mana level, which supports mages and
  legendary monsters. In a weird-
  heroes series (see p. 15), other
  planes may be of a more
  spiritual nature, attained
  through altered states of
  consciousness and astral
  projection 
  (bought 
  as
  C l a i r v o y a n c e ,
  Insubstantiality, Warp,
  or World Jumper with
  the Projection modifi-
  er). The world of the
  Cabal (p. B543) pro-
  vides a suitable back-
  ground for this type of
  interplanar adventure.
  Beings 
  from 
  other
  planes may visit Earth, or
  even be trapped here, in exile from their
  native realms. Such ultraterrestrials (a
  name coined by UFO researchers to dis-
  tinguish them from extraterrestrials, or
  aliens) often have powers far beyond
  those of ordinary people, and
  motives that make little sense in
  human terms. They may
  appear whimsical, cruel, or
  coldly detached to mundane
  observers. But human beings
  who enter into relationships with
  them may gain a share of their power, in
  the form of innate abilities, magical
  spells, or mysterious artifacts. Such ser-
  vants can be villains in a weird-heroes campaign – or even
  heroes, if they retain some loyalty to their human origins.
  Magic in comics often involves knowing how to call on such
  extradimensional beings for help; the relationship between
  Doctor Fate (a founding member of the DC’s Justice Society
  of America) and the Lords of Order is a good example.
  PARALLEL WORLDS
  Parallel worlds came into comics in a big way in the
  Silver-Age, when the Flash of that era accidentally traveled
  sideways in time to meet the Golden Age Flash. The story was
  popular with supers fans interested in the history of the
  genre; not long afterward DC published the first of an annu-
  al series of stories about meetings between the Silver-Age’s
  Justice League and the Golden-Age’s Justice Society. This
  established a standard pattern for parallel-world stories in
  the comic-book genre: They focused on the different supers
  of their alternate histories. The Justice League met powered
  criminals with powers almost exactly like their own; the
  Avengers met the Squadron Supreme, modeled on the Justice
  League; and Planetary showed a team of pulp era heroes how
  to hold off an invasion by another, unnamed analog of the
  Justice League. DC, in particular, made heavy use of the idea,
  developing more and more parallel
  timelines in an increasingly complex
  multitrack universe. In the 1980s,
  they tried to neaten this up with
  Crisis on Infinite Earths, in which all
  the timelines fused into one – but in
  the long run this made the setting
  even more complicated, as later writ-
  ers came up with their own crises and
  their own reinventions of DC universe
  history.
  GMs can use parallel worlds for the
  same purpose, confronting PCs with alter-
  nate versions of themselves: superpowered
  criminals or tyrants, older or younger
  analogs, or magic-based versions of scientif-
  ic heroes and vice versa. Or they can adopt
  more conventional alternate history prem-
  ises, asking what sort of supers would
  exist in that parallel timeline. A
  superteam might meet fanatical Nazi ver-
  sions of themselves in a world where
  Germany won World War II, or super-
  powered Neanderthals or dinosaurs in
  a setting where evolution went
  differently.
  For another option, a cross-time
  organization might recruit agents with
  strange powers from a variety of time-
  lines, to serve as police, soldiers, or
  spies. See pp. B307-323 for a group of
  GURPS characters who could be turned
  into this type of superteam with minimal
  effort. If parallel timelines are potentially
  unstable, a team of such agents could
  face the threat of history-warping crises.
  UNIVERSES
  143
  
  UNIVERSES
  144
  TIME TRAVEL
  Published supers travel forward and backward in time, as
  well as sideways. A long-established part of DC’s continuity, the
  Legion of Super-Heroes, started out as a 30th-century club
  who came back to the 20th century to recruit Superboy and
  later Supergirl as members. In Marvel continuity, one of the
  Avengers’ main foes, Kang the Conqueror, came from a future
  century to challenge them with advanced-weapons technology.
  Relatively few supers have actual time-travel powers. When
  they do, it’s often a byproduct of super-speed powers with a
  vague appeal to relativistic time distortion. But it’s much more
  common for supers to time travel with the aid of machines,
  spells, or mysterious gateways that link past and future.
  Classic comic-book adventures usually avoided paradoxes,
  assuming either fixed time or plastic time with high resistance
  to change. Heroes visiting the past discovered that whatever
  they did there was part of the way things had always hap-
  pened, and in fact they had just made sure history turned out
  the way the textbooks tell it. Those who visited the future
  might be unable to remember their experiences there. This all
  fit the general pattern of supers not making a fundamental dif-
  ference in the world. More recently published characters, if
  they travel in time, are more likely to run into classic paradox-
  es or even change the whole course of history, or to stay in the
  present and deal with visitors from other eras who want to
  derail 21st-century history.
  Ready to start a campaign? Here are some sketches of pos-
  sible premises, set variously in the past, present, and future.
  Use them as starting points, or take them as models for a new
  game of your own.
  Tuxtax! In the year A.U.C. 365, the Republic is in peril. A
  vast army of Gauls have entered Italy, defeated the Roman
  army, and driven the Romans from their own city. Many of
  their people and sacred relics, rescued by the Vestal Virgins,
  are now in the Etruscan city of Caere. But the spirit of Rome
  has found new defenders. The Centuria Ultionis has brought
  together ninety-nine of Rome’s greatest heroes to strike back at
  the invaders – including superb warriors, cunning artificers,
  learned priests and sorcerers, and, rumor says, even gods,
  demigods, and magical beings. Genre: Classic supers, historical
  fantasy. Mode: Gritty. Power Level:
  200-400 points.
  Organization: Large full-time team; troupe-style play. Origins:
  Any.
  Knights of the Middle Kingdom: In a timeless ancient China,
  adventurous men and women take up the life of xia (heroic
  martial artists), roaming the countryside and defending the
  common people against the unrighteous. From time to time, a
  major threat calls them together, to battle it with outlandish
  fighting skills, alchemy, or exotic Buddhist disciplines. Genre:
  Street level, martial arts. Mode: Cinematic. Power Level: 200-
  400 points. Organization: Non-team. Origins: Martial arts train-
  ing or supernatural.
  Edisonade: American know-how can work miracles, from
  exploring Mars and Venus to speaking with the souls of the
  departed. Scientific inquiry, patriotism, and a love of adven-
  ture bring together the members of the Brick Moon Club,
  meeting in Earth’s first artificial satellite to share their stories
  and provide mutual aid. Genre: Classic supers, science fiction.
  Mode: Four-color. Power Level: 400-800 points. Organization:
  League. Origins: Based on 19th-century scientific and techno-
  logical speculations.
  Pulp Heroes: The lawlessness of the Prohibition era has
  overwhelmed American police forces. In their place, masked
  vigilantes strike back at organized crime, hidden conspira-
  cies, and other threats. San Francisco, the birthplace of vigi-
  lantism, has become the home of a team of crime-fighters
  variously armed with gadgetry, exotic abilities, and old-
  fashioned combat skills. Genre: Street level. Mode: Noir.
  Power Level: 200-400 points. Organization: League. Origins:
  Any, but most characters are nonpowered; any powers
  require an Unusual Background.
  MI7: The Queen, the British Commonwealth, and humani-
  ty face worse threats than crime and global Communism.
  Fortunately, they have MI7 to protect them. Elite agents with
  strange powers and forbidden knowledge travel the world of
  the 1950s, facing horrors almost beyond human understand-
  ing. Genre: Hidden or weird heroes, espionage, horror. Mode:
  Speculative. Power Level: 400-800 points. Organization: Full-
  time team. Origins: Any.
  CAMPAIGN SEEDS
  
  Auxiliaries: The high-powered North American superteams
  have gotten together to sponsor local forces: Groups where less
  powerful heroes can join forces to defend their communities,
  and maybe prove they’re good enough for the first-rank teams.
  Team members patrol the streets, or respond to phone calls
  seeking help. Genre: Street-level. Mode: Ranges from four-color
  to silly. Power Level: 200-400 points. Organization: Full-time
  team. Origins: Any.
  Motherland: The fall of the Soviet Union left Russia in
  chaos. Gangsters took over the economy and much of the gov-
  ernment. The findings of secretive research projects were
  revealed to the public, including many that created new threats
  to human existence. Now the empowered men and women cre-
  ated by Russian science have to make their way in a corrupt
  and disorderly society. Genre: Anti-heroes. Mode: Noir. Power
  Level: 800-1,600 points. Organization: Non-team. Origins:
  Advanced scientific research.
  Sovereignty: Supers have been around since World War II –
  and even the first generation included several who were pow-
  erful enough to fight armies, and not always inclined to take
  orders. Now, international law treats the most powerful supers
  as sovereign states; their residences are embassies, they’re con-
  sidered visiting heads of state, and their fights are wars. But
  someone has to keep outlaw sovereigns in line. A team of
  heroes just short of sovereign rank work together to keep
  Europe safe. Genre: World-shakers. Mode: Ultraviolent power
  levels, but speculative focus. Power Level: 1,600-3,200 points.
  Organization: League or full-time team. Origins: Any.
  Learning Curve: In the mid-21st century, transhumanist
  dreams are coming true and the new generation is eager to
  become more than human. High school and college students
  can buy “upgrade” packages that give them amazing abilities,
  thanks to biological modifications, cybernetic implants, con-
  centration regimens that allow savant abilities or superlative
  skill levels, nanotech, and cutting-edge equipment. This cam-
  paign focuses on a high school’s hero hobbyists – both their
  adventures and their personal dramas. Genre: Heroes-to-be,
  near-future, optionally anime. Mode: Speculative. Power Level:
  300-600 points. Organization: Either non-team or full-time
  team. Origins: Technological, biological, or savant; no super-
  natural or generic “super.”
  Stellar Cluster: The Imperium Galacticum can draw on the
  resources of millions of solar systems, including their greatest
  heroes. Members of its Special Response Force are sent out in
  small teams to resolve crises that ultra-tech armed forces can’t
  easily deal with. Missions can involve planetary-scale battles,
  delicate political issues, encounters with bizarre alien cultures,
  or all three at once. Genre: World-shakers, science fiction.
  Mode:
  Cinematic. Power Level:
  1,600 points and up.
  Organization: Large, full-time team. Origins: Any non-
  supernatural.
  UNIVERSES
  145
  Prior Art: Supers Settings in GURPS
  As of this book’s publication, there are no official supers
  universes for GURPS, Fourth Edition, but GMs wanting
  one have several other options.
  The primary setting for GURPS, Third Edition was the
  world of the International Super Teams (IST). Sketched in
  previous editions of GURPS Supers, developed in a full-
  length book, and used as a background in several other
  volumes, the IST world shared many of the conventions of
  classic supers comics. On the other hand, it gave them a
  more science-fictional treatment with a single scientific
  origin for most supers, and a coherent alternate history
  starting from the appearance of the first supers not long
  before World War II.
  Another supers setting was also available: the world of
  George R.R. Martin’s Wild Cards series of shared-world
  anthologies. Martin’s world also had a scientific rationale
  for superpowers, the “wild card” virus, and sketched an
  alternate history starting just after the end of World War II.
  But the treatment preserved fewer of the standard cus-
  toms, and the mood was darker than that of the IST with
  oppressed minorities of deformed “jokers” and lethal con-
  sequences for violent acts.
  Jotunheim, part of the Nine Worlds setting for GURPS
  WWII: Weird War II, had hordes of super-soldiers created
  in Antarctic bases of Nazi refugees. In 1949, two years
  after their emergence, they ruled southern South America
  and were at war in Brazil with American, Soviet, and
  native Brazilian supers. Use this world for a gritty war
  campaign, or a moderate-powered ultraviolent one. Its
  built-in links to eight other timelines make it suitable for a
  campaign of alternate histories as well.
  Some other GURPS settings could plausibly have
  supers introduced into them:
  Cabal, the subject of its own third-edition book and a
  shadowy presence in the Infinite Worlds setting, is a cred-
  ible background for a “weird heroes” campaign focused on
  magic. The three higher realms transcending the material
  plane could serve as a comic-book cosmology, and super-
  beings in this world would likely be either recruited or
  neutralized.
  Gernsback, a timeline in the Infinite Worlds setting, is
  deliberately built to reflect the technological optimism of
  early science fiction and to reflect the sensibilities of the
  pulps where much of it was published. High-level super-
  powers might be unlikely there, but masked avengers, bril-
  liant inventors, and perhaps psychic talents would be an
  easy fit stylistically.
  Project Sandman, a setting for GURPS Horror, is based
  on the concepts of reality quakes and reality shards. Some
  of these shards could be superbeings, as suggested in this
  chapter. The small corps of elite agents who know that
  their entire history was created by a reality quake (and
  could be overthrown in an instant by another one) would
  fit right into a “weird heroes” campaign, and they could
  certainly use some quiet help from a few supers.
  
  GURPS Powers introduced the advantage Damage
  Reduction and the enhancements Super-Effort and Super-
  Speed, all of which borrow the numerical progression in the
  Size and Speed/Range Table to define the effects of various pow-
  ers. For convenience, here is a table giving the same progres-
  sion. The names of the columns have been changed to better
  fit the way the table is used in this book, and specific values are
  provided for some of the abilities it’s applied to.
  * This total ST assumes that ST is first bought up to 20,
  the upper limit of normal human strength, and then further
  ST is bought with Super-Effort. Basic Lift and damage are 
  figured for ST with the benefits of Super-Effort; for ST with-
  out Super-Effort, see pp. B15-17. † Maximum two-handed lift
  is 8¥ Basic Lift.
  SUPER-ABILITES TABLE
  146
  SUPER-ABILITIES
  TABLE
  Base Value
  Supervalue
  Total ST*
  Basic Lift†
  Damage
  Damage Reduction
  Thrust
  Swing
  Factor
  Cost
  –
  –
  –
  –
  –
  –
  (2)
  50
  1
  3
  21/23
  106 lbs.
  2d+1
  4d+1
  (3)
  75
  –
  –
  –
  –
  –
  –
  (4)
  100
  2
  5
  22/25
  125 lbs.
  2d+2
  5d-1
  (5)
  125
  3
  7
  23/27
  146 lbs.
  3d-1
  5d+1
  4
  10
  24/30
  180 lbs.
  3d
  5d+2
  (10)
  150
  5
  15
  25/35
  245 lbs.
  4d-1
  6d+1
  (15)
  175
  6
  20
  26/40
  320 lbs.
  4d+1
  7d-1
  (20)
  200
  7
  30
  27/50
  500 lbs.
  5d+2
  8d-1
  (30)
  225
  8
  50
  28/70
  980 lbs.
  8d
  10d
  (50)
  250
  9
  70
  29/90
  1,620 lbs.
  10d
  12d
  (70)
  275
  10
  100
  30/120
  2,880 lbs.
  13d
  15d
  (100)
  300
  11
  150
  31/170
  3 tons
  18d
  20d
  (150)
  325
  12
  200
  32/220
  5 tons
  23d
  25d
  (200)
  350
  13
  300
  33/320
  10 tons
  33d
  35d
  (300)
  375
  14
  500
  34/520
  27 tons
  53d
  55d
  (500)
  400
  15
  700
  35/720
  52 tons
  73d
  75d
  (700)
  425
  16
  1,000
  36/1,020
  104 tons
  103d
  105d
  (1,000)
  450
  17
  1,500
  37/1,520
  231 tons
  153d
  155d
  (1,500)
  475
  18
  2,000
  38/2,020
  408 tons
  203d
  205d
  (2,000)
  500
  19
  3,000
  39/3,020
  912 tons
  303d
  305d
  (3,000)
  525
  20
  5,000
  40/5,020
  2,520 tons
  503d
  505d
  (5,000)
  550
  21
  7,000
  41/7,020
  5 ktons
  703d
  705d
  (7,000)
  575
  22
  10,000
  42/10,020
  10 ktons
  1,003d
  1,005d
  (10,000)
  600
  23
  15,000
  43/15,020
  23 ktons
  1,503d
  1,505d
  (15,000)
  625
  24
  20,000
  44/20,020
  40 ktons
  2,003d
  2,005d
  (20,000)
  650
  25
  30,000
  45/30,020
  90 ktons
  3,003d
  3,005d
  (30,000)
  675
  etc.
  etc.
  etc.
  etc.
  etc.
  etc.
  etc.
  etc.
  
  The following list includes source material for the superhero
  genre and its close relatives.
  Current Comics
  Collections
  “Graphic novel” editions of both recent and older comics are
  widely available. For a historical perspective, see in particular DC’s
  Showcase editions and Marvel’s Essentials editions, which reprint
  older titles in an affordable format.
  Graphic Novels
  1602, by Neil Gaiman (Marvel, 2003). An ingenious historical
  “what if” that places classic Marvel heroes in time of James I.
  Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, by Frank Miller (DC, 1986).
  One of the main sources for the darker heroes of the 1980s.
  JSA: The Liberty File (DC, 2000) and JSA: The Unholy 3 (DC,
  2003). Re-creates many Golden Age DC superheroes in a pulp
  style, as secret agents operating during World War II.
  Kingdom Come, by Mark Waid (DC, 1997). An apocalyptic
  treatment of the near future of the DC universe.
  Mage: The Hero Discovered, by Matt Wagner (Comico, 1984-
  1986). The Pendragon is reborn in modern America and pursued
  by supernatural foes.
  Marvels, by Kurt Busiek (Marvel, 1994). A retelling of the his-
  tory of the Marvel universe in a “superheroes in the real world”
  style.
  Planetary: All over the World and Other Stories, Planetary: The
  Fourth Man, Planetary: Leaving the 20th Century, by Warren Ellis
  (Wildstorm, 1999-2007). Reinvents the superhero genre in a series
  about superpowered archaeologists of the impossible.
  Top 10: The Forty-Niners, by Alan Moore (America’s Best, 2005).
  The historical backstory of Moore’s comedic police procedural in
  a superheroic city. Excellent evocation of the post-World War II
  era.
  V for Vendetta, by Alan Moore (DC, 1988). A superhuman anar-
  chist wages a one-man war against a totalitarian future United
  Kingdom. Deliberately melodramatic and theatrical, and brilliant-
  ly so.
  Watchmen, by Alan Moore (DC, 1986-1987). An alternative his-
  tory of an America with real costumed heroes; one of the classics
  of the genre.
  Stories, Novels, and Series
  Allston, Aaron, Doc Sidhe (Baen, 1995). A pastiche of Doc
  Savage set in the world of the Fair Folk – unusual, but well
  thought out and well written.
  McCulley, Johnston, The Curse of Capistrano (Forge, 1998, as
  The Mark of Zorro). The book that created the Zorro mythos; light
  but still readable.
  Orczy, The Baroness, The Scarlet Pimpernel (Signet Classics,
  2000). The hero is often considered the first example of a secret
  identity in the superheroic sense. The novel combines espionage
  and romance against the background of the French Revolution.
  Robeson, Kenneth, Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (Bantam,
  1979). The first of a long series of pulp novels about a classic
  Renaissance man hero.
  Martin, George R.R. (editor), Wild Cards series (Bantam, 1987-
  1993). A shared world anthology series devoted to a speculative
  treatment of superheroes.
  Stapledon, Olaf, Odd John, in Odd John and Sirius (Dover, no
  date). The source of the species name Homo superior; one of the
  first and one of the best stories about a superhuman.
  Vinge, Vernor, “True Names,” in Binary Star #5 (Dell, 1981). Not
  usually thought of as a superhero story, this proto-cyberpunk
  novel fits the formula surprisingly well: Its hero has a secret iden-
  tity, amazing powers, and ethical restraint in using them.
  Wylie, Philip, Gladiator (Bison, 2004). Often considered the
  model for Superman, Wylie’s hero is a much more tragic figure.
  Zelazny, Roger, Lord of Light (EOS, 2004). Mutated by their
  travel through space, colonists on an alien planet proclaim them-
  selves to be gods. Remote from the superhero formula but has
  some brilliant portrayals of superpowers in action.
  BIBLIOGRAPHY
  147
  BIBLIOGRAPHY
  Action Comics (DC)
  Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel)
  Astonishing X-Men (Marvel)
  Astro City (Homage)
  Batman (DC)
  Birds of Prey (DC)
  Captain America (Marvel)
  Catwoman (DC)
  Daredevil (Marvel)
  Detective Comics (DC)
  Fantastic Four (Marvel)
  Green Arrow (DC)
  Green Lantern (DC)
  Hawkman (DC)
  Hellboy (Dark Horse)
  Incredible Hulk (Marvel)
  Invincible (Image)
  Invincible Iron Man (Marvel)
  Justice League of America (DC)
  Justice Society of America (DC)
  Legion of Super-Heroes (DC)
  New Avengers (Marvel)
  Nightwing (DC)
  Noble Causes (Image)
  Outsiders (DC)
  Planetary (Wildstorm)
  Robin (DC)
  Runaways (Marvel)
  Spawn (Image)
  Squadron Supreme (Marvel)
  Supergirl (DC)
  Superman (DC)
  Teen Titans (DC)
  The Punisher (Marvel)
  Savage Dragon (Image)
  Uncanny X-Men (Marvel)
  Wolverine (Marvel)
  Wonder Woman (DC)
  Young Avengers (Marvel)
  
  Films
  Batman Begins (Christopher Nolan, 2005). The first Batman
  film to capture the serious post-Frank Miller Batman.
  Hellboy (Guillermo del Toro, 2004). A mostly humorous treat-
  ment of hidden and weird heroes and secretive agencies, with
  good acting and special effects.
  The Heroic Trio (Johnny To, 1993). Not always coherent, but
  entertaining, with three very different superheroines teaming up
  to save Hong Kong from an insane sorcerer.
  The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). Animated. Mostly humorous
  but not satirical rendition of superheroes – neatly balanced
  between four-color formulas and realistic touches.
  The Iron Giant (Brad Bird, 1999). Animated. Not really a super-
  hero film, but a moving portrait of a superhuman being – and of
  the inspirational quality of superheroes.
  Iron Monkey (Yuen Woo-Ping, 1993). Portrays the Chinese
  martial arts hero Wong Fei-Hong as a young boy – and his meet-
  ing with a masked adventurer, the Iron Monkey. Excellent martial-
  arts scenes.
  Kill Bill (Quentin Tarantino, 2003) and Kill Bill 2 (Quentin
  Tarantino, 2004). The Bride is more antihero than hero, but she
  has incredible fighting abilities, an origin story, and not one but
  two pseudonyms – and the combat scenes are models of cinemat-
  ic fighting skills in action.
  The Mark of Zorro (Fred Niblo, 1920) and The Mark of Zorro
  (Rouben Mamoulian, 1940). The 1920 film turned Douglas
  Fairbanks into an action hero; the 1940 version, with Tyrone
  Power, became the classic film treatment.
  The Mask of Zorro (Martin Campbell, 1998). The most recent
  film version of Zorro. The training sequences between the origi-
  nal, aging Zorro and his chosen successor are first-rate.
  My Super Ex-Girlfriend (Ivan Reitman, 2006). Uma Thurman
  and Eddy Izzard give superb comedic performances as superhero
  and master criminal.
  Mystery Men (Kinka Usher, 1999). An entertaining film about
  second-string superheroes stepping in to save the day.
  The Scarlet Pimpernel (Harold Young, 1934). Another classic
  proto-superheroic film; the tensions of a dual identity are well
  handled.
  Sky High (Mike Mitchell, 2005). Neither the message nor the
  characterization is subtle, but this is the most sustained film treat-
  ment of a school for superheroes.
  Spider-Man (Sam Raimi, 2002) and Spider-Man 2 (Sam Raimi,
  2004). An entertaining and well-made updating of the Marvel
  character.
  Superman (Richard Donner, 1978) and Superman II (Richard
  Lester, 1980). The first really successful portrayal of superpowers
  in live action film.
  Unbreakable (M. Night Shyamalan, 2000). A psychologically
  realistic exploration of the idea of potential superheroes existing
  in the real world.
  V for Vendetta (James McTeigue, 2005). A lone, ruthless hero –
  or antihero – fights against a dystopian future England. Not exact-
  ly like the graphic novel, but intense and imaginatively visualized.
  X-Men (Bryan Singer, 2000) and X2 (Bryan Singer, 2003). Two
  of the best films in the genre in recent years; the continuity is dif-
  ferent from that of the comics, but the themes are still there.
  Zorro, the Gay Blade (Peter Medak, 1981). Possibly the most
  memorable parody of the genre, with long-lost twin brothers play-
  ing the role of Zorro.
  Television Series
  Batman (1966-1968). This series created the “camp” formula
  for superheroes.
  Batman (1992-1995). Animated. Visually elegant, this series
  recreates the Batman mythos to capture the essence of the
  character.
  Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003). Primarily horror – some-
  times humorous, sometimes serious – this series consciously
  evokes the idea of superheroism, and explores the costs of super-
  human abilities. The spinoff Angel (1999-2004) has an even wider
  range of superhuman abilities.
  The Greatest American Hero (1981-1983). An almost entirely
  humorous treatment of the formula.
  Heroes (2006-). A successful recent speculative treatment of
  superpowers, with a large cast and a complex interweaving of
  their storylines.
  Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997).
  Part comedy, part love story, this series focused on the human side
  of being a superhero.
  The Lone Ranger (1949-1957). This long-running series created
  the best-known version of its Western masked hero.
  The Six Million Dollar Man (1974-1978). A hidden hero series
  with a government-created cyborg being sent on secret missions.
  Smallville (2001-). Part action-adventure, part soap opera, this
  popular series explores Clark Kent’s life before he became
  Superman.
  The Tick (1994-1997). Animated. A classic parody superhero
  series.
  Zorro (1957-1959). One of the major sources for the current
  form of the Zorro mythos.
  Critical and Historical Studies
  Cambpell, Joseph, The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Does not
  discuss comics directly, but useful for the mythic patterns that
  underlie many superheroes, and that some recent comics draw on
  consciously.
  Farmer, Philip José, Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life
  (Doubleday, 1973). One of the primary sources for the Wold
  Newton Universe, which combines most of the fictional adventur-
  ers of the 19th and 20th centuries into a single invented continuity.
  Jones, Gerard, Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the
  Birth of the Comic Book (Basic Books, 2004). A first-rate literary
  history of the superhero genre and the comics where it was pub-
  lished, from the 1930s through the 1960s.
  Morris, Tom, and Morris, Matt, Superheroes and Philosophy:
  Truth, Justice, and the Socratic Way, Popular Culture and
  Philosophy, Vol. 13 (Open Court, 2005). A collection of essays on
  topics ranging from ethical justifications for superheroism to the
  metaphysics of personal identity, mostly written in an accessible
  style.
  Nevins, Jess, The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana
  (MonkeyBrain, 2005). A massive reference work on its era, includ-
  ing many characters now recognizable as proto-superheroes.
  Rovin, Jeff, Encyclopedia of Superheroes (Facts on File, 1987)
  and Encyclopedia of Supervillains (Facts on File, 1988). Not cur-
  rent, but useful historical references.
  BIBLIOGRAPHY
  148
  
  INDEX
  149
  INDEX
  Achilles’ heel, 11.
  Acrobat template, 41.
  Advanced technology, 
  141-142.
  Advantages, 25-30, 75;
  Unusual Background, 75.
  Adventure seeds, 97-98.
  Alchemy, 90.
  Alien races, 142.
  Allies, 19, 64, 88-89.
  Amnesia campaigns, 96-97.
  Animal Function power, 39.
  Animate Life-Forms
  enhancement, 28.
  Anti-hero campaigns, 15-16.
  Anti-powers, 22, 82; damper
  cuffs, 82.
  Antithesis, 70.
  Apparatus, 86.
  Appearance rolls, multiple
  rolls as one, 65.
  Archetype template, 41.
  Armor, 77-78.
  Assistants, 65, 86.
  Attacks, 58-59; deceptive
  attack option, 118; melee,
  58; ranged, 59; see also
  Strength.
  Attributes, 23.
  Avoiding detection, 109.
  Biomorph template, 42-43.
  Blasters, 43-44, 122; 
  template, 43-44; see also
  Attacks.
  Breaking things, 76, 123-
  125; benchmarks, 124;
  planets, 125; see also
  Attacks.
  Brick template, 44.
  Cabal, 145.
  Campaigns, 14-17, 19, 21,
  24-25, 84, 96-97, 99-100,
  116, 130-131, 133-134,
  137-138, 144; amnesia,
  96-97; anti-hero, 15-16;
  cinematic, 16, 99-100, 116;
  classic, 14, 21; four-color,
  14, 16, 24, 25, 84, 99, 100,
  116-117; gritty, 17; history,
  130-131, 133-134, 137-138;
  noir, 17; parody, 15-16;
  realistic, 21; seeds, 144;
  silly, 17, 100, 117; solo, 19;
  speculative, 17; weird, 15.
  Career length, 133.
  Catastrophes, 94-95.
  Causes, 8-9.
  Charisma as talent, 26.
  Chemical powers, 105.
  Cinematic campaigns, 16,
  99-100, 116.
  Classic campaigns, 14, 21.
  Code names, 9-10.
  Codes of Honor disadvan-
  tage, 9, 31; Comics Code,
  31.
  Combat, 92, 116-119; 
  campaign rules, 116-117;
  deadliness, 117-118; 
  one-man army, 118-119;
  super-strength, 119; see also
  Attacks, Breaking things,
  Defenses.
  Comics Code, 7, 9, 11, 31,
  75, 82, 125.
  Communications gear, 80.
  Community, 21; see also
  Family, Relationships.
  Compulsive Rhetoric disad-
  vantage, 32.
  Computers, 79.
  Condition, itching, 25.
  Conspiracies, 70, 96; good
  guys, 70.
  Contacts, 65, 89, 91.
  Core powers, 10.
  Costumes, 9-10, 77; acquir-
  ing, 77.
  Cover, 76.
  Crime statistics, 91.
  Crossovers, 13-14.
  Culture, 139-141.
  Damage Reduction 
  advantage, 122-123.
  Damage Scale, 19.
  Damper cuffs, 82; see also
  Anti-powers.
  Dark supers, 8, 11-12.
  Death and demographics,
  134.
  Deathtraps, 93.
  Deceptive attacks, 118.
  Defenses, 34, 77-78, 109,
  117, 122-123; against per-
  ception, 109; armor, 77-78;
  Damage Reduction, 122-
  123; defense bonus, 34;
  Hard to Kill, 117; parrying
  bullets, 122; see also
  Invulnerability.
  Demographics, 131-134;
  death and, 134.
  Dependency disadvantage,
  22.
  Dependents disadvantage,
  67-68.
  Detect advantage, 106; see
  also Perception.
  Disadvantages, 9, 22, 31-33,
  67-68, 71; Code of Honor,
  9, 31, 71; Enemy (Generic
  Villain), 71.
  Disasters, 94-95.
  Disguises, 77.
  Divine gear, 90.
  Double agents, 70.
  Dreadnought template, 45.
  Duplication advantage, 103.
  Economic output, top 12
  countries, 132.
  Elasticity power, 39.
  Elements, 21, 104-106.
  Elixirs, 90.
  Empathy alternatives, 108.
  Enchanted items, 89.
  Enemies, 69-72.
  Enhancements and 
  limitations, see modifiers.
  Equipment, 73-90, 106, 119-
  121; apparatus, 86; armor,
  77-78; big and improvised
  weapons, 119-121; break-
  ing, 76; communication,
  80; computers, 79; cos-
  tumes, 77; extra effort and,
  76; headquarters, 85-88;
  high TL, 74; hybrid, 74, 81;
  magic, 89-90; mechanical
  hierarchy, 106; medical, 80;
  mundane, 73-74, 81; one
  use only, 74-75; personal
  gear, 79-80, 83; sensors, 79;
  shields, 78; signature gear,
  74; stealth and intrusion,
  80; trademark, 74; trans-
  port, 83-85; unique, 82-83;
  Unusual Background and,
  75; weapons, 80-82; see
  also Breaking things.
  Evil twins, 70.
  Exoskeleta, 78-79.
  Exploration, 94-95.
  Exposition, 92-93.
  Extra effort, 76, 101; see also
  Super effort.
  Family, 21, 67-68; see also
  Relationships.
  Feats, 84, 112-113; points
  and, 114; speed, 102-103;
  strength, 101, 123-125.
  Flesh wounds, 117.
  Formulaic supers, 8-9.
  Formulaic variants, 11.
  Four-color campaigns, 14,
  16, 24, 25, 84, 99, 100,
  116-117; magic, 110-111;
  supers, 14, 16, 84.
  Friction powers, 105.
  Gadgeteers, 111.
  Genre, 5, 13-14; crossovers,
  13-14; history of, 5.
  Gizmos, 80, 82, 90, 111;
  weapons as, 82.
  Golden Age, 7.
  Grimoire enhancement, 27.
  Gritty campaigns, 17.
  Hard to Kill advantage, 117.
  Headquarters, 85, 87-88;
  access, 87; fortification, 88;
  hidden, 87-88.
  Hidden realms, 142.
  
  INDEX
  150
  Hidden supers, 15, 70.
  History, 5, 7-8.
  Improviser template, 46.
  International Super Teams,
  145.
  Invasions, 95.
  Invention, 90, 111; spells, 90.
  Investigation, 94.
  Invulnerability, 103-104,
  122-123; bulletproof, 122;
  dangers, 103-104; unkill-
  able, 123.
  Itching condition, 25.
  Jane’s All the World’s
  Superhumans, 129.
  Jobs, 136.
  Jotunheim, 145.
  Kinetic template, 46-47.
  Knockback, 121; see also
  Attacks.
  Latent powers, 113.
  Law and supers, 9, 11-12,
  72, 82, 138-139.
  Leagues, 19-20.
  Legions, 20.
  Lost races, 142.
  Machine powers, 105.
  Magic, 53-56, 89-90, 
  110-111; comic-book,
  110-111; gear, 89-90;
  inventing spells, 90; 
  sleight of hand, 54; 
  Stage Magician template,
  53-54.
  Man Plus template, 47-48.
  Maneuvering, 102.
  Mania disadvantage, 33.
  Masks, 5, 9-10, 62.
  Massively Parallel enhance-
  ment, 26.
  Master Mage template, 54.
  Masterminds, 69.
  Medical gear, 80.
  Mentors, 66-67.
  Mercenaries, 136.
  Mesmerist template, 48-49.
  Metamorph template, 49.
  Microworlds, 142.
  Millennium Scale damage,
  19.
  Mind Control advantage,
  110.
  Mobs, 95.
  Modes, 16-17.
  Modifiers, 23, 26-28, 33-34,
  74; Animate Life-Forms,
  28; Grimoire, 27; Massively
  Parallel, 26; Reconfigurable
  Mechanisms, 27; Requires
  Material Component, 74;
  Spirit Trapping, 27; Super
  Attribute, 23.
  Modular abilities, 27, 111-
  112; magic, 111; skills, 112.
  Money, 136.
  Monsters, 96.
  Motivations, 59-61.
  Movies, 8.
  Mystic template, 55.
  Names, 9.
  Nemesis, 70.
  New meta-traits, 34.
  New powers, 39-40.
  Nightstalker template, 
  49-50.
  Noir campaigns, 17.
  Non-human supers, 6-7.
  Nuisance rolls, 100.
  Nuisance villains, 71.
  One-man army, 118-119.
  One-use powers, 112-113.
  Oppression, 96, 138.
  Ordinary supers, 12-13, 
  96-97, 136.
  Organizations, 19-20, 64.
  Origins, 5-7, 10-12, 15, 21,
  66, 129-131.
  Parallel worlds, 143.
  Parody campaigns, 15-16;
  see also Silly campaigns.
  Passive abilities, 22.
  Patriotism, 140.
  Patrolling, 91, 107.
  Patrons, 64, 66-67.
  Perception, 106-109; 
  avoiding, 109; see also
  Precognition, Telepathy.
  Perks, 30-31, 85, 88.
  Pets, 88.
  Phantom template, 50.
  Phasing power, 39-40.
  Plant Function power, 40.
  Playing yourself, 131.
  Plot complications, 93.
  Points, 18-19, 68, 114;
  Dependents and Allies, 68;
  spending on feats, 114.
  Popular culture, 139-140.
  Population demographics,
  131-133.
  Population, top 12 countries,
  132.
  Portals, 85.
  Power level, 18-19, 138.
  Power modifiers, 34; see also
  Sources.
  Powered armor, 78-79.
  Powers, 10-11, 22, 41, 113;
  latent, 113; wildcard, 41.
  Precognition, 108-109.
  Premises, 129-130.
  Pressure powers, 106.
  Private lives, 136-137.
  Props, 73.
  Public relations, 95.
  Puzzles, 92-93.
  Quirks, 33.
  Racial templates, 22.
  Realistic campaigns, 21.
  Rebellion, 96.
  Reconfigurable Mechanisms
  enhancement, 27.
  Regional distribution, 
  132-133.
  Relationships, 64, 67, 72;
  family, 21, 67-68.
  Religion, 140-141.
  Renaissance Man template,
  50.
  Retro supers, 8.
  Rivals, 72.
  Rogues’ gallery, 71.
  Roles, 135-137.
  Romance, 68, 72; see also
  Relationships.
  Rubberman template, 51.
  Sabotage, 111.
  Scanning Sense advantage,
  106; see also Perception.
  Scenarios, 91-98; patrolling,
  91-92; puzzle, 92-93.
  Schemers, 69.
  Schools, 14-15, 21, 66.
  Secret identities, 5, 9, 12, 62,
  68, 139; as rival or Patron,
  62.
  Sensors, 79; see also
  Perception.
  Setting, 11, 112, 129-130,
  141-144.
  Shaper template, 51-52.
  Shields, 78.
  Sidekicks, 66.
  Sifu template, 52-53.
  Signature gear, 55, 80-81, 85;
  consumable, 81; headquar-
  ters, 85; magic items as, 55.
  Silly campaigns, 17, 100,
  117; see also Parody
  campaigns.
  Silver Age, 7.
  Skills, 23, 34-39, 111;
  defaults, 23; enhancing,
  103; techniques, 38-39;
  wildcard, 36-37, 111.
  Sleight of hand magic, 54.
  Solo campaigns, 19.
  Sources, 5-7, 21, 34, 66.
  Speculative campaigns, 17.
  Speed, 40, 102-103, 107,
  126; power, 40.
  Speedster template, 53.
  Spells, 23.
  Spirit Trapping enhance-
  ment, 27.
  Stage Magician template,
  53-54.
  Stealth and intrusion gear,
  80.
  Strange worlds, 94-95.
  Street-level supers, 12, 14.
  Strength, 24-25, 35, 101,
  113, 119, 121; cinematic
  skills and, 35; godlike, 113;
  mighty blows, 119; weapon
  requirements, 121; weight
  and, 25.
  Sub-genres, 14-16.
  Super effort, 24-25, 35, 101.
  Super Throw advantage, 30.
  Super-Abilities table, 146.
  Supermage templates, 53-56.
  Superspy template, 56.
  Supporting cast, 19-20, 63-
  72, 86, 88-89; wildcard
  skills, 66.
  Swinging, 84.
  Talents, 23, 103.
  Teams, 19-20, 64; resources,
  64; team-ups, 20; villains,
  64, 71.
  Techniques, 38-39.
  Techno template, 56.
  Technology, 23-24.
  Telepathy, 109-110, 126-127.
  Teleportation, 126.
  Television, 8.
  Templates, 41-57, 59-61.
  Themes, 20.
  Throwing, 30, 121; Super
  Throw, 30.
  Time travel, 144.
  Trademarks, 74.
  Training rooms, 86.
  Transportation gear, 83-85.
  Travel, 102.
  Troupe-style play, 19-20, 64.
  Ultrapower advantage, 30.
  Ultraviolence, 17.
  Vehicles, 84-85.
  Vigilantism, 9, 12, 72.
  Villains, 64, 71, 69-72, 93-94,
  96, 135-136; deathtraps, 93;
  final confrontation, 93-94;
  monstrous, 96; teams, 64,
  71.
  Watchers, 72.
  Weaknesses, 11; see also
  Defenses.
  Weapons, 80-82, 119-121;
  big and improvised, 119-
  121; gun control, 82; mun-
  dane, 81; see also Attacks.
  Weatherworker template, 57.
  Weight, 25.
  Weird campaigns, 15.
  What if mode, 17.
  Wild advantages and disad-
  vantages, 22.
  Wildcard powers, 41.
  Wildcard skills, 23, 36-37,
  41, 66, 111; supporting cast
  and, 66.
  Working class supers, 136.
  World-shaking supers, 14.
  
  STEVE JACKSON GAMES
  STEVE JACKSON GAMES
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/GURPS Classic/SETTING/supers/Supers (4th Edition).pdf