TEXT: TIME
  TIME TRAVELER'S
  TRAVELER'S 
  Code
  dex
  A Heroic Supplement for
  A Heroic Supplement for
  
  N
  o hero can stand up to every challenge alone; nor should they! 
  Legendary heroics demand teamwork, and teamwork de-
  mands a team. Are you a super-powered minority fighting to 
  protect a world that fears you? A family of gene-freaks trying 
  to scrape by? Or super-powered ex-cons trying to do right? What-
  ever brings you together, your teammates are your friends, rivals, 
  co-workers, and family all in one—with all the love and hate that 
  implies. But together you can achieve incredible things none of you 
  could alone. Whether a ragtag band of vigilantes falls in together by 
  accident or Earth’s greatest protectors train to work as a single unit, 
  heroes are always more than the sum of their parts!
  The Superteam Handbook sourcebook for Mutants & Masterminds 
  puts the focus on the heroes and their team, with details for players 
  and gamemasters alike to make their team cohesive, dramatic, and 
  fun! Understand what it means to be a team and form a common 
  identity and responsibility, and when to buck the system and rebel. 
  Learn the ins and outs of not just cooperation, but true heroic syn-
  ergy. Heroes can work closer together than ever before with new, 
  team-focused powers, advantages, and attack options. 
  In addition to new game material, the Superteam Handbook pres-
  ents eight pre-made hero teams—ranging from Power Level 5 to 
  Power Level 12—which serve as campaign kickstarters, with guide-
  lines, resources, and advice for running a variety of heroic cam-
  paigns, along with background and statblocks for their members to 
  use as player characters, rivals, or villains. Will you save the planet 
  as part of the globe-hopping UNIQUE, battle to keep the urban 
  jungle safe as one of the street-brawling Ferroburg Four, or take 
  on ancient aliens from the cockpit of your giant robot as a member 
  of MagnaForce? Whatever you choose, your friends stand by your 
  side!
  N
  o hero can stand up to every challenge alone; nor should they! 
  Legendary heroics demand teamwork, and teamwork de-
  mands a team. Are you a super-powered minority fighting to 
  protect a world that fears you? A family of gene-freaks trying 
  to scrape by? Or super-powered ex-cons trying to do right? What-
  ever brings you together, your teammates are your friends, rivals, 
  co-workers, and family all in one—with all the love and hate that 
  implies. But together you can achieve incredible things none of you 
  could alone. Whether a ragtag band of vigilantes falls in together by 
  accident or Earth’s greatest protectors train to work as a single unit, 
  heroes are always more than the sum of their parts!
  The Superteam Handbook sourcebook for Mutants & Masterminds 
  puts the focus on the heroes and their team, with details for players 
  and gamemasters alike to make their team cohesive, dramatic, and 
  fun! Understand what it means to be a team and form a common 
  identity and responsibility, and when to buck the system and rebel. 
  Learn the ins and outs of not just cooperation, but true heroic syn-
  ergy. Heroes can work closer together than ever before with new, 
  team-focused powers, advantages, and attack options. 
  In addition to new game material, the Superteam Handbook pres-
  ents eight pre-made hero teams—ranging from Power Level 5 to 
  Power Level 12—which serve as campaign kickstarters, with guide-
  lines, resources, and advice for running a variety of heroic cam-
  paigns, along with background and statblocks for their members to 
  use as player characters, rivals, or villains. Will you save the planet 
  as part of the globe-hopping UNIQUE, battle to keep the urban 
  jungle safe as one of the street-brawling Ferroburg Four, or take 
  on ancient aliens from the cockpit of your giant robot as a member 
  of MagnaForce? Whatever you choose, your friends stand by your 
  side!
  Produced and Published by Green Ronin Publishing, LLC
  3815 S. Othello St. Suite 100, #311 Seattle, WA 98118
  www.mutantsandmasterminds.com   •   www.greenronin.com
  The Time Traveler’s Codex is © 2020 Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. Mutants & MasterMinds, super-powered by M&M and  
  their associated logos are trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.
  GRR5519e
  HEROISM KNOWS NO CENTURY!
  HEROISM KNOWS NO CENTURY!
  - THIRD EDITION -
  - THIRD EDITION -
  V
  ikings plunder jewelry stores along the waterfront! Killer robots 
  from the future hunt Abraham Lincoln! And the heroes are on trial 
  for crimes they haven’t committed... yet! 
  Time is a toybox for superheroes and villains, filled with colorful 
  characters and convoluted plotlines. Time travel opens up new potential 
  just as much as blasting off into space, with the convenience of all the 
  major players and events already being written for you! With time as a 
  canvas, you can pump up the grim or gonzo in your adventures, or build 
  a whole campaign around protecting not just the world, but everything 
  that has happened or ever will happen!
  The Time Traveler’s Codex is a supplement for Mutants & Masterminds, 
  Third Edition that launches heroes into the fourth dimension. The Time 
  Traveler’s Codex includes:
  • 
  A brief history of time travel, and an overview on the structure of 
  time and how it functions in the Earth-Prime setting.
  • 
  Tips for deciding how time travel works in your campaign, complete 
  with the consequences and hazards of meddling.
  • 
  Advice on creating your own time-hopping series, including op-
  tional rules, suggested power levels, and temporal dangers that lie 
  along the way.
  • 
  Six causality-shaking villain archetypes who can harry heroes across 
  the centuries, like the Immortal Conqueror and the Future Perfec-
  tionist, backed up by dozens of minions from across time and be-
  yond!
  • 
  Guidance for players building time traveling heroes, complete with 
  new advantages, powers, and equipment as well as a half-dozen 
  time-sliding hero archetypes, like the Quantum Alien and the Tem-
  poral Tourist!
  • 
  Over a dozen different historical eras detailed, with rules guidance 
  and statblocks for each, as well as adventure ideas and advice for 
  setting individual adventures in that time period, or an entire cam-
  paign!
  Catapult your adventures out of the city streets and into medieval French 
  castles, Aztec battlefronts, and the imperial Ming court with the Time 
  Traveler’s Codex!
  TAKE YOUR SUPERHEROIC ADVENTURES 
  TAKE YOUR SUPERHEROIC ADVENTURES 
  INTO THE 4TH DIMENSION!
  INTO THE 4TH DIMENSION!
  V
  ikings plunder jewelry stores along the waterfront! Killer robots 
  from the future hunt Abraham Lincoln! And the heroes are on trial 
  for crimes they haven’t committed... yet! 
  Time is a toybox for superheroes and villains, filled with colorful 
  characters and convoluted plotlines. Time travel opens up new potential 
  just as much as blasting off into space, with the convenience of all the 
  major players and events already being written for you! With time as a 
  canvas, you can pump up the grim or gonzo in your adventures, or build 
  a whole campaign around protecting not just the world, but everything 
  that has happened or ever will happen!
  The Time Traveler’s Codex is a supplement for Mutants & Masterminds, 
  Third Edition that launches heroes into the fourth dimension. The Time 
  Traveler’s Codex includes:
  • 
  A brief history of time travel, and an overview on the structure of 
  time and how it functions in the Earth-Prime setting.
  • 
  Tips for deciding how time travel works in your campaign, complete 
  with the consequences and hazards of meddling.
  • 
  Advice on creating your own time-hopping series, including op-
  tional rules, suggested power levels, and temporal dangers that lie 
  along the way.
  • 
  Six causality-shaking villain archetypes who can harry heroes across 
  the centuries, like the Immortal Conqueror and the Future Perfec-
  tionist, backed up by dozens of minions from across time and be-
  yond!
  • 
  Guidance for players building time traveling heroes, complete with 
  new advantages, powers, and equipment as well as a half-dozen 
  time-sliding hero archetypes, like the Quantum Alien and the Tem-
  poral Tourist!
  • 
  Over a dozen different historical eras detailed, with rules guidance 
  and statblocks for each, as well as adventure ideas and advice for 
  setting individual adventures in that time period, or an entire cam-
  paign!
  Catapult your adventures out of the city streets and into medieval French 
  castles, Aztec battlefronts, and the imperial Ming court with the Time 
  Traveler’s Codex!
  V
  ikings plunder jewelry stores along the waterfront! Killer robots 
  from the future hunt Abraham Lincoln! And the heroes are on trial 
  for crimes they haven’t committed... yet! 
  Time is a toybox for superheroes and villains, filled with colorful 
  characters and convoluted plotlines. Time travel opens up new potential 
  just as much as blasting off into space, with the convenience of all the 
  major players and events already being written for you! With time as a 
  canvas, you can pump up the grim or gonzo in your adventures, or build 
  a whole campaign around protecting not just the world, but everything 
  that has happened or ever will happen!
  The Time Traveler’s Codex is a supplement for Mutants & Masterminds, 
  Third Edition that launches heroes into the fourth dimension. The Time 
  Traveler’s Codex includes:
  • 
  A brief history of time travel, and an overview on the structure of 
  time and how it functions in the Earth-Prime setting.
  • 
  Tips for deciding how time travel works in your campaign, complete 
  with the consequences and hazards of meddling.
  • 
  Advice on creating your own time-hopping series, including op-
  tional rules, suggested power levels, and temporal dangers that lie 
  along the way.
  • 
  Six causality-shaking villain archetypes who can harry heroes across 
  the centuries, like the Immortal Conqueror and the Future Perfec-
  tionist, backed up by dozens of minions from across time and be-
  yond!
  • 
  Guidance for players building time traveling heroes, complete with 
  new advantages, powers, and equipment as well as a half-dozen 
  time-sliding hero archetypes, like the Quantum Alien and the Tem-
  poral Tourist!
  • 
  Over a dozen different historical eras detailed, with rules guidance 
  and statblocks for each, as well as adventure ideas and advice for 
  setting individual adventures in that time period, or an entire cam-
  paign!
  Catapult your adventures out of the city streets and into medieval French 
  castles, Aztec battlefronts, and the imperial Ming court with the Time 
  Traveler’s Codex!
  
  Writing and Design: 
  Writing and Design: John Compton, Clio Davis, Jennifer DK, Crystal Frasier,  
  Jaym Gates, Steve Kenson, John Polojac, Chris Pramas, Fred Wan, and Jordan Wyn
  Development: 
  Development: Crystal Frasier       Editing: 
        Editing: Michael Matheson
  Art Direction: 
  Art Direction: Hal Mangold      Graphic Design: 
       Graphic Design: Crystal Frasier
  Cover Art: 
  Cover Art: Conceptopolis
  Interior Art: 
  Interior Art: Brett Barkley, Kyler Clodfelter, Storn Cook, Talon Dunnig, Alberto Foche,  
  Scott James, Comfort Love & Adam Withers, Denis Medri, Dan Mora, Domenico Nezetti, 
  Octographics, Tony Parker, D.C.Stuelpner 
  Publisher:
  Publisher: Chris Pramas
  A Heroic Supplement for  
  A Heroic Supplement for  
  Mutants & Masterminds 3rd Edition
  Mutants & Masterminds 3rd Edition
  Team Ronin: Joseph Carriker, Crystal Frasier, Jaym Gates, Kara Hamilton, Troy Hewitt, Steve Kenson, Ian Lemke,  
  Nicole Lindroos, Hal Mangold, Chris Pramas, Evan Sass, Marc Schmalz, Malcolm Sheppard, Will Sobel,  
  Owen K.C. Stephens, Dylan Templar, Veronica Templar, and Barry Wilson
  Time Traveler's Codex  is © 2020 Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. References to other copyrighted 
  material in no way constitute a challenge to the respective copyright holders of that material. Quoted lyrics in  
  Chapter 4 are copyright the respective bands. Time Traveler's Codex, Mutants & Masterminds,  
  Super-Powered by M&M, Green Ronin, and their associated logos are trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. 
  The following is designated as Product Identity, in accordance with Section 1(e) of the Open Game License, Version 
  1.0a: Hero Points, power points. All character and their associated images, descriptions, backgrounds,  
  and related information are declared Product Identity.
  The following text is Open Gaming Content: all game system rules and material not previously declared Product Identity.
  Green Ronin Publishing
  reen Ronin Publishing
  3815 S. Othello St., Suite 100 #311
  3815 S. Othello St., Suite 100 #311
  Seattle, WA 98118
  Seattle, WA 98118
  Email: custserv@greenronin.com
  Email: custserv@greenronin.com
  Web Sites: www.greenronin.com
  Web Sites: www.greenronin.com
  www.mutantsandmasterminds.com
  www.mutantsandmasterminds.com
  TIME
  TIME TRAVELER'S
  TRAVELER'S 
  Code
  dex
  
  INTRODUCTION .................... 3
  CHAPTER 1:  
  INTO THE TIME STREAM! ....4
  Time Travel in your Game ... 4
  A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME 6
  The Omniverse ........................ 6
  The Time-Stream .................... 6 
  Chronal Energy ....................... 7
  The Accidental Traveler........ 8
  Alternate Timelines ............... 8
  Dimensional Layers ............... 8
  TIME TRAVEL TROPES ........8
  Familiar Faces .......................... 9
  Paradoxes .................................. 9
  Personal Timelines ...............10
  Proper History .......................11
  Spoilers ....................................11
  Temporal Enforcement ......12
  TIME TRAVEL RULES 
  OPTIONS .........................12
  Temporal Navigation ..........12
  Temporal Drift ...................13
  Temporal Mishaps ............13
  Hero Points and Retcons ...14
  Temporal Transformations 14
  UGLY HISTORY ..................14
  Defy ...........................................15
  Discuss .....................................15
  Downplay ................................15
  Use With Caution .................15
  CHAPTER 2: TIME  
  TRAVELING HEROES ..........16
  Occasional Time Travel .......16
  Serial Time Travel .................16
  Chrononauts ..........................17
  SUGGESTED  
  POWER LEVELS ..............17
  Outside Time .........................18
  Guardians of Time ................19
  Required Traits ......................19
  CHARACTER OPTIONS .....19
  Skills ..........................................19
  Advantages ............................22
  Powers ......................................24
  TIME TRAVEL DEVICES  
  AND EQUIPMENT ...........25
  Personal Equipment............25
  Weapons .................................25
  Time Machines ......................26
  Time Installations .................27
  HERO ARCHETYPES .........27
  Hyperintelligent Dinosaur ...28
  Quantum Alien .....................30
  Temporal Tourist ...................32
  Time Warden ..........................34
  Time-Lost Teenager .............36
  Warrior from a Grim Future ...38
  CHAPTER 3:  
  GAMEMASTERS IN TIME ....40
  Building Time Travel Stories 40
  Respecting the Past ............41
  Time as a Weapon ................42
  TEMPORAL MECHANICS .42
  Expanding Options .............42
  The Timeline ..........................42 
  Time Travel Methods ..........43
  Wormholes .........................44
  Time Flow ...........................44
  Time Jumps ........................44
  Dimensional Paths ...........44
  Quantum Projection ........45
  Chronal Decay...................45
  Side Shifting .......................45
  Multiple Options ...............45
  Time Travel Hazards ............46
  TIME TRAVEL  
  AND EARTH PRIME ........48
  The Time Keepers .................48
  Zeitgeist ...................................49
  The Associates  
  and the Futurekin .............49
  The Tick-Tock Doc ................50
  TIME-TRAVEL VILLAIN 
  ARCHETYPES ..................51
  eXterminator .........................51
  Future Perfectionist .............54
  Immortal Conqueror ...........57
  Living Gateway .....................60
  Temporal Wizard ..................62
  Time-Hopping Tyrant .........65
  Temporal Minions ................67
  CHAPTER 4:  
  THE HEROIC ERAS .............70
  Other Eras of Note ...............71
  Platinum Age .....................71
  Atomic Age .........................71
  Bronze Age .........................71
  Copper Age.........................71
  THE GOLDEN AGE ............72
  Life During  
  the Golden Age .................72
  Life in the Big City .............72
  The Great Depression ......73
  World War II .......................75
  Entertainment ...................76
  Technology .........................77
  Rules Considerations ..........78
  Visiting Heroes ......................82
  Golden Age Heroes .............83
  Statblocks ...............................83
  Golden Age  
  Emerald City ........................84
  THE SILVER AGE ...............90
  Life During the Silver Age ....90
  Economics ..........................91
  Counterculture ..................91
  Social Revolution ..............91
  The Cold War .....................92
  Entertainment ...................94
  Technology .........................95
  Rules Considerations ..........96
  Skills .....................................96
  Silver Age Advantages.....96
  Silver Age Devices  
  & Equipment ...................97
  Visting Heroes .......................98
  Silver Age Heroes .................99
  Statblocks .............................100
  Silver Age Freedom City ....101
  THE IRON AGE ............. 108
  Life During the Iron Age ....108
  Urban Life .........................109
  Crime .................................109
  Scandals and Inflation ..111
  The Cold War’s  
  Conclusion ....................112
  Terrorism ...........................112
  Media .................................113
  Technology .......................114
  Rules Considerations ........115
  Lethality ............................115
  Ability Strain ....................115
  Skills ...................................116
  Iron Age Advantages .....116
  Visiting Heroes ....................116
  Iron Age Heroes ..................117
  Statblocks .............................119
  Iron Age New York City ....121
  CHAPTER 5:  
  ERAS OF ADVENTURE ......126
  JURASSIC PLANET .........128
  Rules Considerations  .......126
  Visiting Heroes ....................130
  Local Heroes ........................130
  Statblocks .............................131
  OLD KINGDOM EGYPT ...132
  Rules Considerations  .......133
  Visiting Heroes ....................134
  Local Heroes ........................134
  Statblocks .............................135
  IMPERIAL ROME .............136
  Rules Considerations ........137
  Visiting Heroes ....................138
  Local Heroes ........................138
  Statblocks .............................139
  ISLAMIC GOLDEN AGE ..140
  Rules Considerations ........141
  Visiting Heroes ....................142
  Local Heroes ........................142
  Statblocks .............................143
  MEDIEVAL EUROPE ........144
  Rules Considerations  .......145
  Visiting Heroes ....................146
  Local Heroes ........................146
  Statblocks  ............................147
  THE GREAT  
  MING EMPIRE ...............148
  Rules Considerations ........149
  Visiting Heroes ....................150
  Local Heroes  .......................150
  Statblocks  ............................151
  THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE ...152
  Rules Considerations ........153
  Visiting Heroes ....................154
  Local Heroes ........................154
  Statblocks  ............................155
  THE GREAT  
  AGE OF SAIL .................156
  Rules Considerations ........157
  Visiting Heroes ....................158
  Local Heroes ........................158
  Statblocks .............................159
  THE WILD WEST ..............160
  Rules Considerations  .......161
  Visiting Heroes  ...................162
  Local Heroes ........................162
  Statblocks .............................163
  CYBER REVOLUTION ......164
  Rules Considerations ........165
  Visiting Heroes ....................166
  Local Heroes ........................166
  Statblocks .............................167
  POST-APOCALYPTIC  
  EARTH ...........................168
  Rules Considerations  .......169
  Visiting Heroes ....................170
  Local Heroes ........................171
  Statblocks .............................171
  INDEX ..............................172
  LICENSE ...........................174
  Table of Contents
  Table of Contents
  2
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  Introduction
  Introduction
  C
  omic book heroes are rarely limited by the constraints 
  of time and space. Villains from the future travel back 
  to the modern era to challenge heroes born in some 
  distant past, and teams take side-trips to battle cowboys 
  or pirates as part of bizarre plots to change the future. 
  Time travel has been a cliché of comic books almost as 
  long as superheroes have. But introducing time travel 
  also opens a Pandora’s box of new storytelling tropes and 
  problem-solving tools that can seem overwhelming.
  The Time Traveler’s Codex is a sourcebook for Mutants & 
  MasterMinds that brings all the excitement of time-hopping 
  campaigns and villains to your game. These pages present 
  everything you need to know for running games where 
  time travel plays a role, including character archetypes, 
  new rules, and suggestions for establishing the quantum 
  physical rules for your campaign. With this guide, your 
  heroes might visit famous historical figures, witness great 
  moments in history, and punch history’s greatest villains, 
  all to save not just the city, but all of history as we know it!
  Time traveling heroes can spend multiple lifetimes pro-
  tecting causality from self-serving chrononauts and time-
  hopping villains, but even ordinary superheroes may run 
  up against time travel in their otherwise modern lives. 
  Just because the heroes don’t travel through time doesn’t 
  mean villains don’t, and scientific mishaps can dump 
  Roman legionnaires or the death-dealing machines of a 
  robot-ruled future into their own backyard.
  HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
  The Time Traveler’s Codex contains basic and complex 
  looks at time travel in superhero worlds, but it also pro-
  vides plenty of material for any campaign. It includes lists 
  of new equipment and enemies from all across Earth’s 
  history (and the future), as well as overviews of some of 
  the most iconic time periods in the history of superhero 
  comics, making it an invaluable reference for running your 
  own campaigns set in the Golden Age of the 1940s, the 
  Silver Age of the 1960s, or the Iron Age of the 1990s.
  This book provides a variety of rules options that you can 
  use or ignore to make the most exciting time travel stories 
  for your table, as well as plenty of advice for designing the 
  rules for time travel in your campaign. You aren’t limited to 
  a single model of how to journey into the past in Mutants & 
  MasterMinds, or even within a single campaign!
  CHAPTER OVERVIEW
  The Time Traveler’s Codex begins with the broadest strokes, 
  describing how time works and how time travel factors in 
  to comic book history before delving into increasingly 
  specific topics like player-facing rules, Gamemaster sug-
  gestions, and niche details on a dozen different eras.
  Chapter 1: Into the Time-Stream! looks at what purpose 
  time travel might serve in a story and the common story-
  telling tropes associated with it that you can incorporate 
  or avoid to create your own unique experience. It also 
  looks at how time itself works (at least in fiction) to explain 
  how time travel, alternate timelines, and similar concepts 
  work. Finally, it introduces some basic rules to use in 
  your campaign and advice to handle the uglier points of 
  human history.
  Chapter 2: Time Traveling Heroes looks at time travel 
  from the player side and provides advice on how to build 
  a hero for a time-travel campaign or a temporally-station-
  ary hero who happens to hail from the past or future. It in-
  cludes advice on how technology-dependent skills might 
  adapt to new eras and new Advantages and gadgets to 
  help travelers get by no matter when they end up. This 
  chapter wraps up with a half-dozen ready-to-play hero ar-
  chetypes you can use as player characters or supporting 
  cast for your own adventures.
  Chapter 3: Gamemasters in Time provides plenty of 
  detailed advice to the Gamemaster when it comes to 
  running campaigns that hop through history and how 
  hero actions might affect the present. It provides numer-
  ous options for your campaign’s timeline, including mul-
  tiple methods of time travel so you can decide which one 
  works best for the adventures you want to run. The chapter 
  also includes plenty of temporal hazards and minion ar-
  chetypes to threaten your heroes in the line of duty, as 
  well as a summary of the major players in the past and 
  future of Earth-Prime. It also provides six common villain 
  archetypes whose powers or origins lie in the distant past 
  or far future and often terrorize chrononauts.
  Chapter 4: The Heroic Eras looks at the three most iconic 
  20th-century time periods for superheroes: The Golden 
  Age stretching from the 1930s to the early ‘50s, the Silver 
  Age of the late 1950s through the ‘70s, and the Iron Age of 
  the ‘80s and ‘90s. Each section looks at the major cultural, 
  historical, and political events of the time to give context 
  to the heroes and comics of the day before providing 
  game guidance like rules adjustments, new Advantages, 
  and classic equipment. This chapter also looks at three 
  major cities from the past: Golden Age Emerald City, Silver 
  Age Freedom City, and Iron Age New York, as well as the 
  heroes who called those cities home.
  Chapter 5: Eras of Adventure looks at some of the 
  most iconic targets for time traveling superhero stories, 
  from dinosaur-rules primordial Earth to the age of high-
  seas piracy to the dystopian future. Each era provides an 
  overview of the history and suggestions for incorporat-
  ing superheroes, as well as offering a selection of iconic 
  equipment and statblocks for visiting time travelers to en-
  counter. Each also provides suggestions for Gamemasters 
  looking to build their own historical superhero games set 
  in these evocative time periods of the past!
  3
   
   
   
   
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  Chapter 1: Into the Time Stream!
  Chapter 1: Into the Time Stream!
  W
  hat if we could change the past? What if we could 
  visit and know the future? These are questions hu-
  manity has asked itself for as long as we have had 
  a concept of time, and numerous stories have explored 
  these questions and their implications. Time travel was 
  one of the first themes explored in the genre of fiction 
  that would become recognized as “science fiction” in H.G. 
  Wells’s The Time Machine.
  It didn’t take superhero comic books long to latch onto 
  the concept and begin telling stories about characters 
  traveling through time, or even building entire series 
  around the idea. At first, time travel, like space travel, pri-
  marily served to expand the range of settings for charac-
  ters and stories. Heroes could visit the past and interact 
  with mythic and historical figures, or travel into the future 
  to see the “world of tomorrow,” such as in 1958, when Su-
  perboy became friends with three super-powered teens 
  from the 30th century in the fateful Adventure Comics 
  #247, the debut of the Legion of Super-Heroes.
  Eventually, time travel stories focused on the question 
  of changing the past, causing the present (and therefore 
  the time traveler’s future) to follow a different course. 
  Heroic time travelers needed to be careful not to cause 
  inadvertent changes, and often dealt with unscrupulous 
  foes looking to deliberately change things for their own 
  ends. In some cases, it was possible to repair changes in 
  history, undoing them and allowing things to return to 
  their proper course. In other stories, time is too delicate 
  a fabric to be rewoven, or so complex that any changes 
  create whole other realities.
  The alternate timelines approach became so popular, in 
  fact, that it formed a major trope of superhero comics: the 
  concept of a multiverse, where many (if not all) possible 
  timelines coexist and can even visit each other. Although 
  major comic book superhero universes have periodically 
  attempted to rid themselves of the notion of parallel worlds 
  and alternate timelines—with varying degrees of success—
  the idea is persistent enough to crop up again and again.
  This chapter looks at these and other notions about 
  time travel and how to use them in a Mutants & Master-
  Minds game—from time travel as a one-shot plot device 
  to a whole series based around traveling back and forth 
  through the past, future, and alternate timelines.
  TIME TRAVEL IN YOUR GAME
  Using time travel as an element of your Mutants & Master-
  minds adventures requires consideration of several things 
  about the concept:
  • How accessible is the means of time travel?
  • Is this a one-time jaunt or an extended journey?
  • To what degree can travelers interfere with history?
  4
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  but only have the ability to follow in the thief’s chronal 
  “wake”—and possibly to make it back to their own time—
  but otherwise they can only follow in their GM-controlled 
  quarry’s passage through the past and future. Likewise, 
  heroes could be sent on a quest to recover various things 
  scattered across space-time—all while avoiding danger-
  ous alterations to history as they know it—with the ability 
  to move only between those specific eras.
  Time travel with multiple destinations can be an element 
  of a single adventure, or of an entire time travel series. 
  For the latter, travelers commonly have some type of 
  “home base” they return to between time-jumps, such as 
  a fixed headquarters or even a time-traveling vehicle large 
  enough to fill this role. Such a place is often located in the 
  time-stream itself, “outside” of ordinary time (see A Brief 
  History of Time).
  CHANGING HISTORY
  Consider: Can history be changed due to the time travel 
  in the story and, if so, can any changes be “fixed” or oth-
  erwise changed back by other time travelers? One of the 
  most common time travel adventures involves someone 
  either attempting to change history or (from the present-
  day perspective of the heroes) has already done so. The 
  heroes then need to time-jump to the affected era in 
  order to change things back, or prevent the changes from 
  happening in the first place.
  GETTING THERE (OR THEN)
  First off, what are the means of time travel and to what 
  degree do the player characters control them? The Time 
  Travel Codex discusses this in more detail later in this 
  chapter and in Chapter 3, but if you’re going to include 
  time travel at all, the first thing to consider is whether or 
  not your heroes get to drive.
  Often in comic-book stories, the means of time travel is 
  either an accident or something controlled by an outside 
  force—a plot-device controlled by the Gamemaster. This is 
  most effective for a quick “there and back” adventure that 
  sends the characters to a particular location in space-time 
  and offers them a return trip home if they tackle whatever 
  issue(s) initially sent them chronologically wandering.
  Other scenarios grant the heroes the power to travel 
  through time (mostly) under their own direction. This suits 
  the series approach to time travel, giving the players some 
  control in the story’s direction and even letting them use 
  time travel as a tool to unravel mysteries or defeat foes, 
  although the GM may still place limits on how the ability 
  functions. A means of time travel that allows the players 
  total freedom to choose when they use it and when and 
  where they go requires a great deal more improvisation 
  from the Gamemaster, given the range of possibilities.
  A VISIT OR A TOUR?
  Are the characters just going on a brief jaunt to another 
  time? Or will their travels consist of multiple “jumps” and 
  various destinations? Typically, the first is most associated 
  with a one-shot adventure while the latter is more the 
  approach to an ongoing series, but that is not always the 
  case.
  The short visit is suitable for a story that takes place in 
  another specific time period, such as having the heroes 
  time-jump back to the Second World War, perhaps to 
  meet and work with their heroic predecessors in the 
  “golden age” of their timeline, or ending up in Ancient 
  Rome, the Wild West, or any of the various other eras de-
  tailed in Chapter 5.
  The definition of “short” is up to you; characters might 
  spend months or even years of their personal timelines in 
  another era before the end of the storyline. A single time-
  jump could be the start and end to an entire campaign, 
  such as when Doctor Tomorrow traveled back to WWII to 
  prevent an Axis victory, spending the entire war adven-
  turing with the Liberty League before finally returning to 
  the future. Time travel can even allow heroes to return to 
  the present with accumulated memories, but without any 
  physical time having passed, or even return before they 
  left to undo the trip in the first place (see Paradoxes under 
  Time Travel Tropes for more on this possibility)!
  Alternately, the story might involve multiple time-jumps 
  and a tour through various eras, either with the heroes at 
  the helm or at the mercy of whatever means of time travel 
  they employ. For example, heroes could pursue a time-
  traveling thief who steals history’s greatest treasures, 
  TIME TRAVEL TERMINOLOGY
  Comic books play fast and loose with time travel tech-
  nobabble, but this book tries to use some terms consis-
  tently to avoid confusion.
  Causality: The basic sequence of cause-and-effect that 
  leads form one event to another. For example: You trip, 
  which causes you to fall, which causes you to skin your 
  knee, which causes you to be in a bad mood the rest of 
  the day, which causes you to fight with your boss, which 
  causes them to fire you. Changing causality—changing 
  the outcome of an event—can change what it effects.
  Chrononaut: Another word for a time traveler.
  Era: A vague period in time defined by sweeping 
  themes, such as “the Renaissance,” or “the Golden Age 
  of comics,” or “the lifetime of Lucy Hobbs Taylor, DDS.”
  Home Era: The period of time where a time traveler 
  naturally exists, and from which they first began travel-
  ing through time.
  Time-stream: The strange, otherworldly medium that 
  all timelines flow through. Exposure to the time-stream 
  may have unusual effects on creatures, like making 
  them more resistant to changes in time or causing 
  strange mutations.
  Time Travel: Moving from one point in time to another 
  without crossing the moment in-between.
  Time Traveler: Someone who has traveled through 
  time at least once.
  Timeline: A single chain of events leading from the Big 
  Bang to the end of the universe.
  5
   
  CHApTER 1: INTO THE TIME STREAM! 
  CHApTER 1: INTO THE TIME STREAM! 
   
  CHApTER 1: INTO THE TIME STREAM! 
  CHApTER 1: INTO THE TIME STREAM! 
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME
  A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME
  Of course, every point in time is “history” to some future 
  point, so it is equally possible for time travelers from 
  the future to show up in the heroes’ present, looking to 
  change their history and rewrite the future they call home. 
  This can be particularly problematic for the heroes if they 
  do not know what future the intervention will cause or 
  prevent. Do they trust people claiming to be from the 
  future who are willing to change history? Is it moral to 
  up-end the lives of billions of people who haven’t been 
  born yet without their consent? What if future time trav-
  elers reveal they intend to kill a child who is destined to 
  grow up to become history’s greatest villain?
  While it might seem like the answer to “can history be 
  changed?” must be “yes” for a time travel scenario to work, 
  that’s not necessarily the case. Resistant and mutable 
  timelines (see Chapter 3) offer some “give” so that it isn’t 
  easy to change the past. This can make for a greater chal-
  lenge for characters hoping to change the timeline, or 
  offer a margin of safety for those looking to avoid altering 
  the present. Alternate timelines (see Time Travel Tropes, 
  following) even allow both outcomes to occur! The time-
  line both changes and does not change, in that interven-
  tion simply creates a new alternate branch of time.
  A timeline that cannot be changed presents dilemmas 
  and challenges for the heroes, placing some things 
  outside their influence, or exacting a high price for 
  changing them. Even a completely immutable timeline 
  is still not without story potential, allowing heroes to 
  visit past eras as passive observers to gather informa-
  tion, and possibly play out unknown past events. See the 
  Immutable Time section of Chapter 3 for more about 
  this idea.
  How does time travel work? Obviously, we can only 
  talk about it theoretically, and there are many fictional 
  models for how time travel might work, but the follow-
  ing is a fairly broad and inclusive one that is the default 
  assumption for the nature of time and time travel in this 
  book and in the Earth-Prime setting for Mutants & Mas-
  terminds.
  THE OMNIVERSE
  The temporal dimensions—all of the past, present, and 
  future of Earth, alternate timelines, and alternate dimen-
  sions—are contained in the “omniverse,” the structure 
  containing all possible universes. Just as physical reality 
  has three measurable dimensions—height, width, and 
  depth—the greater omniverse adds three additional di-
  mensions: the past, the present, and the future.
  Imagine all three dimensions of space compressed down 
  and represented by a single point or dot. Extend that dot 
  into a line and you have what is commonly known as a 
  “timeline,” stretching from the present back into the past 
  and forward into the future. The timeline connects these 
  dots, moving from the past to the future. Every point on 
  this line is “the present” for the universe at that moment. 
  Everything stretching away from that timeline—sideways 
  through the omniverse—are varying states of quantum 
  potential; all the “maybes” of the past, present, and future, 
  the infinite sea of possibilities.
  Now imagine that timeline, not as an unbroken line, but 
  as a series of overlapping points, a near infinite number 
  of “present” moments, all connected to each other, like 
  pearls on a strand. Each pearl or bead is the entire universe 
  at that particular moment, the strand is the quantum con-
  nection or causality—literally the cause and effect of 
  creation—linking those different moments into a line or 
  chain. Although there’s a natural tendency to think of a 
  timeline as straight, it actually bends, winds, and twists 
  like a river, flowing through different possibilities in the 
  omniverse to connect all its various points.
  What’s more, there isn’t just one timeline, but a potentially 
  infinite number of them, like threads in a vast tangle or tap-
  estry. Each thread winds its way through the omniverse, 
  sometimes coming close to—but not quite crossing—
  another. New lines may branch off from a previous thread 
  and strike out in its own direction. Follow the various time-
  lines backwards into the past and they become fewer and 
  fewer, possibilities collapsing down into a common shared 
  history towards the singularity of the origin of the omni-
  verse. Follow the timelines far enough into the future, and 
  they likewise begin to thin out, consolidate, and collapse 
  towards the inevitable end of the universe, of every uni-
  verse. What lies beyond that Final Point remains as much a 
  mystery as what lies before that First Point.
  THE TIME-STREAM
  Now that you have the whole vast tapestry of timelines, 
  winding through the near infinitude of the omniverse, put 
  them into motion. While the past, present, and future co-
  exist “simultaneously” from the perspective outside an in-
  dividual timeline, those threads are not fixed. Just like you 
  can take a connecting link out of the chain or a bead off a 
  strand and replace it with another one, so too can you take 
  a point—a moment or collection of moments—out of a 
  timeline, replacing it with another. Doing so changes time, 
  just like a landslide might change the flow of a river. From 
  the perspective of those “upriver” from the change, the 
  future has shifted. From the perspective of those “down-
  river” from the change, the past has shifted. However, from 
  the limited perspective “inside” a timeline, the so-called 
  change seems like it has always been that way—a fish trav-
  eling that diverted river would only know it is swimming 
  along the course of the river. The alterations are as much 
  a part of the timeline as anything, so no one is aware that 
  they have been changed along with it unless they watched 
  the process from outside the river—outside time.
  These changing quantum connections—the “thread” that 
  strings together all those pearls of the present—is how 
  6
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  timelines can shift, and why time travel allows changes in 
  one part of a timeline to affect the rest of it. Timelines shift 
  and change continuously. 
  But there is a form of “time” outside time—all the space 
  between those threads, the neck that wears those 
  pearls—known as “the time-stream.” Just like planets 
  orbit in the vacuum of space, timelines snake through the 
  time-stream, held in predictable patterns by monstrously 
  complex laws of quantum physics.
  The time-stream makes time travel possible. So long as 
  you have a means of moving “outside” of your current 
  timeline into the time-stream, and a means of propul-
  sion within the quasi-matter that makes up this strange 
  fourth dimension, you can travel to another point on the 
  timeline and re-enter it, shifting your place in space-time. 
  If you can navigate further away from your timeline, you 
  can even reach other, “nearby” timelines entering them 
  and shifting, not just forward or backward along your 
  own timeline, but “sideways” into a parallel 
  or alternate timeline.
  The time-stream exists as a place 
  outside time, inhabited by strange, 
  alien beings as far removed from 
  human beings as we are from potential 
  two-dimensional life. Entities outside 
  a timeline have no effective “past” or 
  “future” beyond their recollections. 
  Changes to their home timeline won’t 
  and can’t affect them while they remain 
  outside of it, and some powerful trav-
  elers even set up hidden safehouses 
  outside time to protect themselves 
  from major temporal upheavals. Such a 
  strategy is dangerous, however, as time 
  will catch up with them once they return 
  to their timeline, essentially making these castaways 
  into temporal refugees.
  CHRONAL ENERGY
  For all the loops and twists time takes, it never doubles 
  back on itself. Every timeline flows from start to 
  finish, First Point to Final Point. If a timeline is a river 
  and the time-stream is the world that river occupies, 
  then chronal energy is the force of gravity constantly 
  tugging the water of that river down to the sea. It 
  pushes all the omniverse from the beginning of time 
  to the very end. The river never flows uphill, and 
  while outside forces can transport the water and 
  the fish back up the hill, doing so pushes against 
  this constant force.
  Most things inside a timeline share the same pres-
  sure of chronal energy, pushing them all down-
  stream at the same rate. If an outside force drains 
  the chronal energy from someone, they move more 
  slowly (or from their perspective, they move normally 
  while the rest of the world rushes past faster 
  than normal). Supervillains who can “stop” 
  time (such as Downtime of Earth-Prime’s 
  Freedom City) actually pump themselves 
  full of excess chronal energy, causing their personal time 
  to run faster than the rest of the world.
  Chronal energy exists both inside and outside of time-
  lines. Corralled within a timeline, it flows at a steady 
  rate, but drifting free in the time-stream, chronal energy 
  forms strange tides and currents that may run faster or 
  slower than nearby areas, or small eddies where time all 
  but stops entirely. The rapid changes in chronal density 
  can cause strange mutations, aging-related effects, or 
  simply rip physical beings apart as their individual atoms 
  crumble from the pressure of entropy. Consequently, 
  wary time travelers should always bring their own supply 
  of chronal energy with them when they journey the time-
  stream, just like sailors in a submarine must bring their 
  own supply of air. This is also why many means of time 
  travel simply bore a “tunnel” through the time-stream that 
  their time machine travels through: the tunnel itself is 
  7
   
  CHApTER 1: INTO THE TIME STREAM! 
  CHApTER 1: INTO THE TIME STREAM! 
   
  CHApTER 1: INTO THE TIME STREAM! 
  CHApTER 1: INTO THE TIME STREAM! 
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  You may also want to decide if chronal energy is related to 
  tachyons (mentioned in the Time Powers section of Power 
  Profiles), a theoretical subatomic particle that travels faster 
  than light and violates our current understanding of cau-
  sality. Chronal energy might represent the movement of 
  tachyons, or tachyons may be the only thing in the omni-
  verse immune to the force of chronal energy (thus making 
  them a key element in how time travel works).
  flooded with the chronal energy from the traveler's point 
  of origin, leaving them safely protected from unexpected 
  chronal pressures. Thrillseekers can even leave the safety 
  of their vessel in these tunnels, insulated as they are from 
  the chaos beyond. But if the tunnel collapses, or a care-
  less soul collides with the wall, they may crash back into a 
  random point of their original timeline or even be cast into 
  the time-stream, trapped forever in an infinite moment.
  TIME TRAVEL TROpES
  TIME TRAVEL TROpES
  The following are some common elements of superhero 
  time travel stories. At the least, they are things to consider 
  using—or deliberately avoiding—because they may be 
  expected to one degree or another. If you’re looking to 
  create time travel adventures that feel more like comics, 
  take these tropes into account, either finding ways to use 
  them or to give them an unexpected twist.
  THE ACCIDENTAL TRAVELER
  For some reason, time travel happens by accident a lot, 
  resulting in time travelers who are not particularly pre-
  pared or well-suited for the experience. It’s almost never 
  a trained historian or quantum physicist who travels 
  through time, but a bystander, con-artist, criminal, or un-
  derage family member. This often includes superheroes, 
  who happen to stumble into the time-stream because of 
  super-science devices, magic spells, cosmic conjunctions, 
  accidents involving their powers, or weird explosions. It 
  is even the case with deliberate time travel technology: 
  An experimental time machine may be stolen, hijacked, 
  activated by accident, or used in desperation, resulting in 
  time travelers who don’t really know what they’re doing 
  or even how to steer their chronological conveyance.
  Accidental time travelers have a tendency to mess up the 
  timeline, simply because they don’t know what they’re 
  doing. Most stories involving them focus on the travelers 
  finding a way to get back to their own time while either 
  avoiding changing the timeline or restoring the timeline 
  they screwed up before they return home. Sometimes 
  accidental travelers manage to get back only to discover 
  they have accidentally changed their present, and now 
  must go back again and fix it.
  Accidental travel also applies to characters ending up in 
  parallel timelines, although in those cases there is typical-
  ly less onus on them avoiding changing things. Though 
  they may sometimes wish to refrain from revealing the 
  reality of time travel to the inhabitants of any parallel 
  timelines to prevent them from traveling to (or invading) 
  other universes.
  ALTERNATE TIMELINES
  The structure of time contains both branching and alter-
  nate or parallel timelines, as well as the potential for trav-
  elers’ actions to place them in—or even create—whole 
  new universes.
  A branching timeline is one that splits into two or more 
  separate timelines due to a major event or “nexus point” 
  that can turn out two or more ways to produce two or 
  more very different futures. Theoretically, only one time-
  line exists at the very beginning of the universe, and 
  it rapidly splits into multiple timelines, over and over 
  again, as time moves forward and the field of possibilities 
  expands wider and wider.
  Alternate timelines might exist naturally—with every 
  major event spinning off two different timelines with dif-
  ferent results, or even minor events creating a near-infinite 
  number of parallel timelines with only the most subtle 
  of differences—or may only result when the actions of 
  time-travelers change the results of the otherwise pre-
  determined course of history. Some alternate timelines 
  are similar to their previous configuration, except for small 
  differences (like the life events of a single person) while 
  others are radically different (like an Earth where the dino-
  saurs never died out). In some cases, an alternate timeline 
  may also be distinguished from a timeline’s “proper” con-
  figuration (see Proper History, following).
  A parallel timeline is a branching timeline that runs very 
  closely to another, such that the differences between 
  them are relatively small—again, an Earth where histori-
  cal events took a slightly different course, as opposed to 
  a universe which might lack an Earth or human life alto-
  gether. The further “sideways” one ventures out from their 
  home timeline in the time-stream, the less overall similar-
  ity there is between timelines.
  DIMENSIONAL LAYERS
  Time travel tends to focus around the timeline of Earth, 
  and other timelines with some variation of an Earth. 
  However, the omniverse may contain a vast variety of 
  other dimensions, some of them quite different from any 
  variation of Earth’s universe. Some of these can be con-
  sidered parallel or branching timelines in their own right, 
  just ones that diverge much earlier, such that they share 
  even less in common with Earth’s timeline. Such parallels 
  might not even have the same physical laws as the prime 
  timeline. This is particularly true of realities where magic 
  holds sway over science and rationalism.
  It’s up to the Gamemaster whether or not particular di-
  mensions “beyond” Earth’s timeline are parallel or branch-
  ing timelines of the omniverse, or different “layers” of an 
  even greater dimensional structure beyond the concept 
  8
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  of time as the universe knows it. This is particularly the 
  case for seemingly timeless mystic dimensions: heavens, 
  hells, limbos, and the like. They might lie in a “direction” 
  above, below, or beyond the omniverse of space-time. 
  Can heroes (or villains) use the same time travel method 
  they use on Earth to leap into the past of Heaven, for 
  example, or are the physical laws of such a world too alien 
  to allow that kind of travel?
  FAMILIAR FACES
  Despite the sheer vastness of the omniverse, time travel-
  ers have a tendency to intersect with the same people—
  or versions of the same people—in different time periods 
  and timelines. Versions of a hero’s supporting cast show up 
  in alternate timelines, even ones where they are cartoon 
  dinosaurs rather than people. Time travelers run into their 
  own ancestors or descendants, or those of people they 
  know, who tend to bear a remarkable resemblance and 
  inexplicably carry the same grudges. There may be some 
  kind of unseen quantum connection between people 
  causing this “attraction” across space and time, but most 
  often it’s just an odd coincidence.
  This trope is one way of including supporting cast and Re-
  lationship complications in a time travel series. It might 
  not always be the same Relationship, but so long as the 
  character keeps running into familiar faces with a sense 
  of connection, it’s possible for the complication to come 
  into play.
  pARADOXES
  Time travel leads to all kinds of potential logical paradox-
  es, situations that seem impossible from the perspective 
  of linear time and our notion of cause-and-effect. Some-
  times paradoxes resolve themselves, although in ways 
  that raise other questions about the nature of free will 
  (such as the predestination paradox) while other paradox-
  es cannot logically be solved, but some time travel stories 
  simply jump right over them in different ways.
  You should consider how to resolve paradoxes when they 
  come up. Does a paradox spin off a separate timeline? 
  Does the omniverse create powerful time entities that 
  attack and undo the paradox like a quantum immune 
  system? Does an order of temporal law enforcement or 
  a secret society of time wizards monitor the time-stream 
  and resolve paradoxes? Does the time-stream itself rip the 
  paradox from time and contain it (and any time travelers 
  stuck in that moment) like a cyst?
  BILOCATION pARADOX
  In time travel stories, there is often a prohibition of some 
  sort involving the bilocation paradox: Someone or some-
  thing existing in two different places simultaneously. 
  Most often, this says that a time traveler cannot meet or 
  interact with themselves. In some cases, this paradox goes 
  so far that a time traveler cannot even visit a time period 
  in which they already exist, or that they can only do so as 
  an immaterial ghost, unable to interact and only observe.
  There may also be an element of danger to bilocation: 
  A situation where the different “quantum charges” (or 
  other technobabble or mystical rules) of two versions of 
  the same person or object can cause catastrophe if they 
  come into contact. In other stories, there is no bilocation 
  paradox, and time travelers can interact with themselves 
  at different points along their own timeline, subject only 
  to the various other paradoxes that can create.
  CAUSALITY LOOp pARADOX
  In a causality loop paradox, the results of an effect or 
  action become its own cause, resulting in a closed loop. 
  A classic example is a scientist discovers an old notebook 
  with formulae and sketches leading to a breakthrough in 
  the development of a time machine. That scientist later 
  loses the notebook on a trip into the past, where it ends 
  up in the place where they will discover it in the future, 
  inventing time travel and creating the circumstances 
  where the notebook will be lost, and then found, again 
  and again. In this loop, no event created the notebook 
  and nothing ever destroys it, so where did the notebook 
  come from in the first place?
  9
   
  CHApTER 1: INTO THE TIME STREAM! 
  CHApTER 1: INTO THE TIME STREAM! 
   
  CHApTER 1: INTO THE TIME STREAM! 
  CHApTER 1: INTO THE TIME STREAM! 
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  grandparent. Which means they’re still alive, still raise 
  your parent, who in turn raises you, which means you do 
  go back in time to kill your grandparent! Of course, that 
  raises the question: Who or what then caused the death 
  of your grandparent?
  In some cases, the grandparent paradox does result in 
  an event eliminating its cause: Kill your grandparent, and 
  you disappear from reality, as if you never were. In other 
  cases, the paradox changes the timeline, but the agent 
  of change remains unaffected because it needs to have 
  caused the change. In the classic example, this means 
  that you kill your grandparent and continue to exist, even 
  though you were never born and all evidence of your exis-
  tence is erased from your timeline.
  pREDESTINATION pARADOX
  If the entire timeline already exists (in the greater sense 
  of the omniverse) then any events on that timeline have 
  “already” happened from a certain perspective. This can 
  mean that any involvement in what a time traveler con-
  siders history is already a part of their personal past and 
  therefore part of the “proper” flow of history. Presdestina-
  tion paradoxes are a kind of causality loop (mentioned 
  previously) that says a particular temporal intervention 
  was “meant” to happen due to it already being a part of 
  the fabric of the omniverse. Predestination paradoxes are 
  sometimes used to justify time travel, especially if travel-
  ers find proof of a trip into the past before they depart.
  An easy out for the predestination paradox is to rule that 
  time travel insulates a character from temporal effects, in-
  cluding anything that "should" happen after their first trip.
  pERSONAL TIMELINES
  One of the elements of time travel stories is that it is pos-
  sible for events to happen out of sequence from the point 
  of view of a character’s personal timeline. For example, a 
  hero might meet a time traveler for the first time from the 
  hero's own perspective, but the time traveler may have 
  already met the hero in the future. The time traveler con-
  siders the hero—who is only meeting them now—an old 
  and dear friend and treats them with trust and familiarity. 
  Characters can run into the results and consequences of 
  actions “they have not yet taken from their perspective, or 
  have their “first” encounter with a foe after having already 
  fought them multiple times, because their opponent has 
  been traveling back in time to attack the heroes earlier 
  and earlier. When time travel becomes a plot element, it is 
  important to think about the past, present, and future in 
  personal terms rather than universal experiences, because 
  a time-traveling hero’s present may be the past relative to 
  the era they grew up in and may be the past or future to 
  other time travelers they encounter.
  Personal timelines that run out of sequence with the uni-
  versal timeline greatly extends opportunities for scene 
  edits (see Edit Scene under Hero Points in Chapter 1 
  of the Deluxe Hero’s Handbook). The Time Travel Rules 
  Options section discusses this in more detail.
  EXAMpLE: pERSONAL VS. UNIVERSAL TIMELINES
  This book uses the word timeline to describe both the 
  direction of an entire universe and of individuals. The 
  universal timeline includes everyone and everything 
  that ever existed along that course of events, while a 
  personal timeline follows one individual from birth to 
  death. Usually the two run seamlessly together, but 
  once time travel enters the equation, things get com-
  plicated. 
  Imagine if the heroine Backstep travels back 30 years to 
  meet her own mother while her mother is still a teen-
  ager. Backstep has already met her mother—in her own 
  personal timeline, this isn’t their first meeting. But her 
  mother has never met her. From her mother’s perspec-
  tive and the perspective of the universal timeline, this 
  is their first meeting. If Backstep takes the teen version 
  of her mom back to pirate times for a quick adventure, 
  she’s making a major impact on her personal timeline 
  AND her mother’s personal timeline, but probably only 
  a minor impact on the universal timeline (especially if 
  they only fight other time travelers).
  In general, whenever this book talks about “the time-
  line,” it refers to the universal timeline. When it talks 
  about personal timelines, it says so, or talks about a 
  character’s timeline using their name. It may be impor-
  tant to differentiate between the two to keep track of 
  how much time-traveling NPCs know about the heroes 
  and each other, but you can handwave the difference if 
  it becomes too big a headache, especially after the “first” 
  meeting between the heroes and the NPC.
  FERMI pARADOX
  The original Fermi paradox concerned the existence of 
  alien life in the universe, stating that if intelligent life exists 
  beyond Earth, it should be common enough among the 
  trillions of stars that we’d have heard something from ex-
  traterrestrials by now.
  The temporal version of it asks, “If time travel is possible, 
  then where are all the time travelers?” Wouldn’t every 
  important moment in history be crowded with travelers 
  trying to alter it, protect it, or just visit? Perhaps they are, 
  and we just don’t know it somehow. If temporal enforce-
  ment agencies are effective, they may be preventing such 
  interventions from changing history, at least enough 
  so their traces are nothing more than odd coincidences 
  and conspiracy theories. The bilocation paradox, or some 
  other limit of the time-stream, may keep travelers from 
  visiting the same moment repeatedly, and fixed points in 
  time (following) make visiting certain events for anything 
  other than covert observation pointless.
  GRANDpARENT pARADOX
  If a causality loop is an event becoming its own cause, 
  then the grandparent paradox is when an event prevents 
  its own cause. The classic example is: You travel into the 
  past and accidentally cause the death one of your grand-
  parents. Now you will never be born in the future! Which 
  means that you couldn’t travel back in time to kill your 
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  pROpER HISTORY
  A major trope of time travel stories is that history has a 
  “proper” or “correct” course and that interfering with, or 
  altering, this has potentially serious consequences. The 
  main reason for the proper history trope is to provide 
  dramatic tension in a time travel story: the protagonists 
  must either prevent changes to history or set things right 
  after someone else changes things. It also offers a reason 
  for time travelers to opt out of going around fixing all the 
  terrible and tragic events of the past: they can’t if history 
  must follow its proper course.
  Exactly who or what decides what is “proper” for any 
  given history depends on the setting. In some cases, each 
  timeline has a particular “shape” or “course,” with changes 
  creating artificial dams and levies that change that shape. 
  Efforts to bend the timeline out of shape creates tension, 
  like water pressing against the dam or eroding the levies. 
  That tension can result in “time-quakes” or other phenom-
  ena against whatever is exerting pressure on the timeline 
  as existing forces try to compensate for the changes. The 
  bigger the changes, the worse the tension; when the 
  “dam” bursts, everything downstream risks being swept 
  away as time rushes to resume its original course.
  In other settings, a temporal enforcement agency decides 
  what constitutes “proper” history for the timeline—usually 
  their own history, or the history that leads to the agen-
  cy’s existence. Some time agencies protect a particular 
  historical sequence ordained by higher powers without 
  really knowing why it is or is not proper. This can lead to 
  rebellious time agents, frustrated at maintaining history’s 
  atrocities for a “higher good” that is never explained.
  FIXED pOINTS
  A common middle ground between “proper history” and 
  a changeable timeline is the notion of “fixed points” in a 
  timeline. Instead of the whole timeline having a proper 
  shape or course, there are various fixed or anchor points 
  along the timeline that are vital and cannot be changed 
  without huge repercussions. These points exhibit a 
  greater resistance to change, up to or including being im-
  possible to change under normal circumstances.
  In some timelines, fixed points can be thought of as tem-
  poral “fire breaks”—changes in the rest of the timeline 
  tend to run up against a fixed point and then stop, or at 
  least lessen and even out, preventing smaller changes in 
  the timeline from creating complex, long-term effects. 
  Of course, it’s still possible for a change to pull part of a 
  timeline between two fixed points so far out of shape that 
  the tension seriously threatens the integrity of the whole. 
  Fixed points offer a reason why temporal enforcement 
  agencies don’t have to guard every moment throughout 
  history, and why even the most well-intentioned time 
  travelers cannot change certain events.
  SpOILERS
  If travel into the future is possible, then time travelers can 
  have foreknowledge of everything that will happen to 
  them, their loved ones, and anything else they hold dear. 
  The same is true of travelers from the future visiting the 
  past. If time travelers encounter one another out of se-
  quence in their personal timelines (mentioned previously) 
  the traveler who is “further ahead” may have knowledge 
  of what is going to happen to those who are subjectively 
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  “behind” them. Sometimes this foreknowledge is the basis 
  for trying to change the timeline in some way: Like going 
  back to warn someone of a tragedy in their future before 
  it happens. In other cases, travelers have to carefully avoid 
  “spoilers” to keep from changing the timeline.
  Some stories prevent travelers from learning too much 
  about their own histories the same way they manage 
  paradoxes, while others keep secrets by seeding future 
  history with dark ages and media blackouts that wipe out 
  broad swathes of knowledge. Just as present-day humans 
  can’t know all the life details of any given Roman citizen, 
  neither can a traveler to the future simply look up every 
  major event about themselves or their descendants. 
  Modern historians still argue over the causes of major 
  historical events, and so trying to learn what present-day 
  events cause future consequences—and how—is likewise 
  fraught, even looking back from a far-future perspective.
  TEMpORAL ENFORCEMENT
  Time travel stories often feature some sort of agency that 
  enforces restrictions on time travel and stops interference 
  with timelines, either using a cosmic force, a literal agency 
  of “time cops,” or both.
  Natural temporal enforcement may be highly impersonal, 
  such as a tendency for timelines to “resist” tampering, 
  where circumstances seem to conspire against the would-
  be change agent: On their way to a historical intervention 
  characters get into an accident, are waylaid by bandits, 
  encounter unexpected weather, lose a vital piece of 
  equipment, and so forth. Natural enforcement might also 
  take the form of a type of “temporal sickness” for anyone 
  interfering in a timeline, becoming progressively worse 
  the more the character tries to effect change (see Time 
  Travel Options, following).
  Other natural enforcement agents may be more personal. 
  This includes beings that directly intervene to stop time 
  travelers, acting like “chronal anti-bodies” to attack in-
  fections in the timeline. There might be “time ghosts” or 
  “chronal hunters” who appear whenever a time traveler 
  enters a foreign time period, or only when a traveler in-
  tervenes to change things. They might be intelligent and 
  capable of negotiating, or relentless, single-minded pred-
  ators that exist to devour the cause of the change. While 
  other chronal agents are vastly powerful cosmic beings, 
  usually devoted to the “proper” course of history and the 
  flow of the time-stream (see Proper History, previously).
  Temporal enforcement agents may be literal employees 
  of an organization devoted preventing interference in the 
  timeline. These may be human agents from the future (or 
  the distant past) with time travel capabilities, or possibly 
  superhumans whose powers let them bridge the time-
  stream. Given a time agency’s capabilities, agents are 
  often equipped with incredibly advanced future technol-
  ogy, sufficient to allow them to take on super-powered 
  opponents. A time agency might protect a single timeline 
  (usually safeguarding their own history) or multiple time-
  lines. They might even be responsible for the whole of 
  the omniverse, which is a vast job, but how often they’re 
  needed depends on how common time travelers are.
  Natural and organized temporal enforcement may cross 
  over. Some time agencies are created or sustained by nat-
  urally-occurring cosmic entities, such as the cosmic Time 
  Keepers of Earth-Prime appointing various Guardians to 
  watch over history. The natural or cosmic forces tend to 
  be concerned with the “big picture” while the individual 
  agents carry out their vision to eliminate disruptions and 
  minimize the harm corrections can cause to people’s lives.
  Note that temporal enforcement agencies are not neces-
  sarily good or moral. Some ruthlessly enforce their par-
  ticular notion of “proper history” and are willing to over-
  look, or even cause, terrible suffering to preserve it. A time 
  agency may be devoted to safeguarding an immoral civi-
  lization from attack, such as preventing their “Thousand 
  Year Reich” from being undermined in the past. This is par-
  ticularly true for civilizations that have altered their own 
  timeline and want to prevent anyone else from doing the 
  same. Even good time agencies must contend with the 
  ugliness of human history and preserving it to maintain 
  the future that eventually comes of it.
  Of course, nothing says there’s only one form of temporal 
  enforcement. One agency’s “protection” of a timeline can 
  be another’s “interference” and multiple temporal agen-
  cies can engage in a chronal conflict over the control of 
  history, each trying to influence events towards their own 
  desired outcomes while undoing or preventing the work 
  of their rivals. Heroes may encounter time travelers claim-
  ing to have history’s “best interests” at heart, only to dis-
  cover the travelers’ notion of “proper” history differs quite 
  a bit from the heroes’ own.
  TIME TRAVEL RULES OpTIONS
  TIME TRAVEL RULES OpTIONS
  The following rules options may be useful for those 
  looking to model and include certain temporal phenom-
  ena in their Mutants & Masterminds games.
  TEMpORAL NAVIGATION
  Moving from one point to another in a timeline, much 
  less to different timelines in the omniverse, may involve 
  some incredibly complex, multidimensional math and 
  navigational plotting. The GM may want to consider a 
  version of the Check Required flaw for certain Movement 
  (Time Travel) effects. Consider making the check DC 15 (or 
  higher, if you want time travel to be a difficult and risky 
  option) to make it sufficiently difficult, rather than basing 
  it solely on the rank of the effect, since Time Travel to a 
  specific point in time is only rank 1. This way, a character 
  needs a +5 bonus in Expertise: Temporal Mechanics to 
  take 10 on the check. Most vehicles with Time Travel also 
  have an onboard computer capable of doing the neces-
  sary calculations, essentially having a +5 bonus and the 
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  ability to take 10, either normally or through Skill Mastery. 
  In these cases, characters only need to make a temporal 
  navigation check when there’s something wrong with the 
  computer or damage throws the vehicle off course.
  Gamemasters can also require temporal navigation skill 
  challenges, especially during dramatic situations, where 
  characters need to come up with enough Degrees of 
  Success on a series of Expertise: Temporal Mechanics 
  checks before accumulating too many Degrees of Failure 
  to make a successful temporal jump.
  The complications of time travel and temporal naviga-
  tion should also affect attempts to access the Movement 
  (Time Travel) power by way of the Inventor or Ritualist 
  Advantages. With a single rank of Movement to reach a 
  specific destination, inventing a time machine normally 
  requires only a DC 12 Technology check and ten hours 
  for design and construction. A magic time-jump ritual 
  requires even less time. If you want time travel to be 
  easily accessible in your campaign, these rules are fine, 
  but if you want to maintain control over access to time 
  travel, then either increase these skill DCs by +5 to +10 or 
  simply disallow this use of their respective Advantages 
  in your campaign.
  TEMpORAL DRIFT
  By default, a failed temporal navigation check simply 
  means the traveler does not successfully make the time 
  jump and remains where they started. Alternately, the GM 
  may decide a failed check means the traveler “drifts” some 
  distance in time off target. The GM can choose an amount 
  of temporal drift or base it on the amount by which the 
  check failed.
  For example, temporal drift could be a percentage of the 
  intended time traveled equal to the amount the check 
  failed squared: so just 1% off for a failure by 1, but 25% 
  off for a failure by 5 and a substantial 225% for a failure 
  by 15! For a short “hop” of only a week, that’s a drift of just 
  over an hour and a half for failure by 1, nearly two days 
  for failure by 5, and over two weeks off target for a failure 
  by 15! Travel distances of years or centuries can result in 
  considerably more drift. The arrival is either before (a 1–10 
  roll) or after (an 11–20 roll) the intended time.
  TEMpORAL MISHApS
  A failed temporal navigation check or other phenomenon 
  could result in a temporal mishap. This is a complication 
  related to time travel introduced by the GM. You can use 
  this in place of temporal drift, in which case the complica-
  tion doesn’t come with a Hero Point award (the mishap is 
  simply the result of a failed check) or it can be in addition 
  to temporal drift or introduced as a regular plot complica-
  tion, in which case you should award players a Hero Point 
  for it. Some possible temporal mishaps include:
  • Accident: The mishap damages something—most 
  likely the time vehicle if there is one—or causes some 
  accident in a moment of the timeline the travelers must 
  clean up to prevent drastic changes to history.
  • Disability: The mishap causes a temporary disability 
  such as blindness or deafness or imposes some other 
  temporary Condition.
  • Enemy: The mishap attracts the attention of temporal 
  enforcers or chronozoids.
  • Identity: The mishap can involve paradoxes like biloca-
  tion or the traveler encountering parallel versions of 
  themselves, amnesia, or the loss of personal history.
  • Power Loss: Exposure to chronal energy or minor 
  changes to the timeline could interfere with travelers’ 
  powers, devices, or technology.
  • Weakness: The mishap causes the travelers to suffer 
  from an unusual weakness for a time.
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  HERO pOINTS AND RETCONS
  Temporal manipulations allow for an additional option 
  when spending Hero Points: using the Edit Scene ability 
  to “retcon” changes in history! So long as the player can 
  come up with a time travel scenario that explains it, they 
  can spend a Hero Point to edit the scene to make almost 
  anything happen. For example, heroes might find them-
  selves trapped and without their devices; a player sug-
  gests their hero will, at some point in the future, come 
  back into the past and leave an extra set of equipment 
  behind a false panel in that very room! The GM approves, 
  the player spends the Hero Point, and voila! The heroes 
  open the panel to find exactly the gear they need.
  In addition to the normal limit imposed by the number 
  of Hero Points they have to spend, the GM may wish to 
  impose temporal consequences for using this option too 
  frequently. Characters may start to develop time sickness 
  (following) with the DC of the resistance check based on 
  20 + the number of Hero Points spent retconning that 
  game session (or over a certain number that session).
  TEMpORAL TRANSFORMATIONS
  The effects of time travel, or interfering with history, can 
  cause temporal transformations, weakening characters, 
  erasing them from history altogether, or changing their 
  bodies and minds in a variety of different ways. Such 
  transformations are typically Progressive Afflictions, with 
  a resistance check each day, although intense or immedi-
  ate transformations could require a check every hour or 
  even each round. See Chapter 3 for more on these and 
  other temporal hazards.
  TIME SICKNESS
  Excess exposure to chronal energy—especially from too 
  much time travel in a relatively brief period or unshielded 
  exposure to the time-stream—can damage the body’s 
  systems and leave a character ill. The Affliction is resisted by 
  Fortitude with a DC of 10 + the intensity rank of the chronal 
  energy. The degrees of effect are usually Impaired, Dis-
  abled, Paralyzed, and Dying. Ordinary medical treatment 
  has little effect on time sickness: It can provide a bonus to 
  the Fortitude check but cannot cure the condition. Time 
  sickness can instead produce bizarre evolutionary changes, 
  resulting in the Transformed result rather than Paralyzed.
  CAUSALITY CHANGES
  Change to a timeline’s past can transform characters, from 
  altering their personal histories to turning them into entire-
  ly alternate versions of themselves. This transformation is 
  typically a Progressive Affliction 1, +1 for every successfully 
  resisted check, resisted by Willpower. Characters suffer the 
  Impaired and Disabled conditions initially, due to disori-
  entation, then finally Transformed into the new version of 
  themselves. The time increment is once per round for most 
  characters, or once per hour for a creature that has traveled 
  through time recently. The transformations inflicted by cau-
  sality changes generally affect a character’s mind and per-
  sonality, but may also result in things like scars or medical 
  conditions, or the presence or absence of superpowers. 
  ERASURES
  The most extreme of temporal transformation erases 
  the victim from existence! This is usually resisted by Will-
  power. The degrees are Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated, 
  and Dying, except rather than dying they simply vanish 
  altogether. Some instances of erasure have no effect on 
  the victim other than stunning them for a round when the 
  condition’s degree worsens, at least until they disappear 
  entirely. An erasure can only be “cured” by undoing the cir-
  cumstance that caused it, although some time-stabilizing 
  technology can halt its progress temporarily.
  CHRONAL ENERGY HAZARD RANKS
  Time travelers may risk exposure to chronal energy from a 
  variety of sources. Exposure to chronal energy generally 
  results in time sickness but may instead result in damage or 
  teleporting a character to a random place or time instead. 
  Resisting the effects of chronal energy uses a Fortitude check 
  with a DC of 10 + the intensity rank of the chronal energies.
  Rank
  ChRonal EnERgy SouRCE
  1
  Time-traveling twice in one day (+1 for each 
  additional trip)
  2-4
  Repairing a time machine without safety equipment
  5
  Time engine breach
  6
  Causing a paradox
  7-10
  Unprotected in a “time tunnel”
  12+
  Unprotected exposure to the time-stream
  UGLY HISTORY
  UGLY HISTORY
  There is a great deal of ugliness in human history: war, 
  genocide, slavery, racism, misogyny, homophobia, ableism, 
  religious intolerance, and more, to say nothing of plagues, 
  starvation, violence, and vast human suffering. Some of it 
  is still taking place. Mutants & MasterMinds is, by and large, a 
  lighthearted game about helping others. Understably,  not 
  everyone wants their game time to involve depictions of 
  genocide, reminders of real-world oppression, or hearing 
  old-timey slurs.
  Don't assume history has been a straight line of progress, 
  beginning with more racism, hatred, and degradation 
  that is slowly removed until a perfect modern day exists. 
  Many modern pop-culture depictions of history simply 
  assume the past was worse than the present and lump in 
  vile treatment for women and racial, sexual, and gender 
  minorities as "historical accuracy." Some of the ugliness of 
  the present day—especially racism, sexism, homophobia, 
  and transphobia—are either absent or radically different 
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  in other time periods. Racism as it exists now in the United 
  States, for example, is largely an outgrowth of chattel 
  slavery and the 19th-century eugenics movement—pre-
  viously, slavery existed largely as a punishment for cap-
  tives taken in war, debtors, and criminals rather than a 
  sentence imposed on a race. Even during the horrors of 
  American chattel slavery, free black people existed, trav-
  eled, owned property, held political office, and created art 
  all across the world, including the Americas and Europe. 
  How do you deal with the complex and sometimes ugly 
  elements of history in a time travel story while keeping 
  the campaign fun for everyone? There’s no one right 
  answer when dealing with sensitive topics, only answers 
  that are right for your group. 
  If a player does express concern about a particular theme 
  or historical element, then that element should be con-
  sidered off-limits. Either exclude it from your adventure 
  or change the adventure. Even if it means reworking or 
  scrapping a time travel scenario, no storyline is worth 
  making a player feel uncomfortable or unwelcome or 
  forcing them to re-live a trauma at your game table. Simi-
  larly, everyone should respect any boundaries players 
  express (and remember: you the Gamemaster are a player 
  as well, and deserve to have your boundaries respected). 
  Keep a mutually agreed-upon safety mechanism (see 
  sidebar) in place and be patient handling any unexpected 
  difficult situations that might arise during play.
  Consider the following options and talking with your 
  group before bringing in any historical unpleasantness.
  DEFY
  Discuss your players’ limits and interests regarding their 
  ideal time-travel scenarios, and you might find that some 
  players like the idea of having the power to confront the 
  ugly things they or people like them have dealt with. For 
  them, the real fun might be visiting history’s greatest 
  monsters and punching them in the jaw. You may need to 
  explain how history is affected if a superhero, for example, 
  kills Hitler, but letting a player do so—especially as the 
  climax of a large adventure, can feel empowering. Trans-
  gender players, for example, might get some personal 
  sense of control saving a library of early research from de-
  struction by a fascist regime. This approach doesn’t work 
  for all players, however, and plenty of people prefer to use 
  the game table as a temporary break from the complex 
  realities they live with, so vet plot elements like this with 
  your players before going forward, or simply wait and see 
  if they suggest them. Often, this approach works better 
  with fictional analogues to real-world events.
  DISCUSS
  If there’s no avoiding the ugly parts of history, or if the 
  players don’t feel right about downplaying them, make 
  sure to discuss things clearly and openly at your game 
  table. Talk about the bad stuff, and ask your players what 
  they are comfortable and uncomfortable with including. 
  Focus particularly on things you think will affect the char-
  acters, and ask the players about things that might par-
  ticularly affect them. As Gamemaster, encourage any of 
  the players to get in touch with you privately to express 
  any concerns they might have that they’d rather not share 
  with the group, and always keep private concerns private.
  DOWNpLAY
  Comic books tend to romanticize history and historical 
  figures and you can do the same in your game. Simply 
  omit the unpleasant parts of the past you don't want to 
  invest energy in—visit a wild west without focusing on 
  the racism against Native Americans (and hispanics, and 
  African Americans), or rock-and-roll in the 1950s without 
  dwelling on oppressive gender roles and repression of 
  queer Americans. Just make it clear that’s what you’re 
  doing for the sake of everyone’s fun and comfort. You 
  can simply ignore, or at least downplay, the ugly parts of 
  history, so long as everyone is okay with it (and, even then, 
  see Safety Mechanisms in the sidebar). 
  You can also plan your adventures to deliberately avoid 
  some of the worst elements of the past, setting adven-
  tures in places and times that weren’t as hostile. Including 
  historical exceptions to the status quo, like black cowboy 
  Bass Reeves or female pilot Amelia Earhart, further helps 
  balance the depressing parts of history.
  USE WITH CAUTION
  If all of the members of the game group (and that in-
  cludes the GM) agree they are okay with tackling some of 
  the ugliness of history as part of a time travel story, do so 
  with caution, and be aware that the reality at the game 
  table may prove more different than it did in theory. Use 
  safety mechanisms to manage the experience at the table 
  and allow players the opportunity to change their minds 
  or opt out if a story element becomes uncomfortable. 
  Engage with the material respectfully and do research to 
  try to do it justice in the context of your game.
  SAFETY MECHANISMS
  When engaging with difficult subject matter or situ-
  ations, a roleplaying game group may want to have a 
  safety mechanism at the table. A popular example is 
  the X-Card by John Stavropoulos (detailed online at 
  tinyurl.com/x-card-rpg), an index card with an “X” drawn 
  on it is placed on the table. At any time, any player can 
  touch or hold up the X-Card to edit out or skip over un-
  comfortable content, no questions asked, or to ask for 
  a break in the game to deal with or discuss it. Similar 
  safety mechanisms like a “time out” signal, a two-sided 
  green/red card (green side up means “keep going,” red 
  side up means “stop or skip over this”) or another way 
  for players to indicate they are uncomfortable or have 
  an issue, can help everyone feel safe and respected at 
  the table. These mechanisms only work if they are ab-
  solutely honored, and everyone is allowed to use them 
  without having to explain or justify themselves.
  Remember, Mutants & MasterMinds is just a game, and 
  that makes it far less important than everyone’s well-
  being and comfort.
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  Chapter 2: Time Traveling Heroes
  Chapter 2: Time Traveling Heroes
  H
  eroes’ interactions with time travel tend to fall into 
  two categories: occasional time travel and serial time 
  travel, with different expectations and demands for 
  each. Most of the material in this chapter is written for 
  serial time travelers, who will get the most out of the 
  character options presented. As always, the Gamemas-
  ter decides which options are available to characters in a 
  series and whether they are available at character creation 
  or only through experience and character improvement.
  OCCASIONAL TIME TRAVEL
  Occasional time travel is when heroes in a Mutants & Mas-
  terminds series experience a time travel story every once 
  in a while, but otherwise protect their city/nation/planet 
  in the modern day. The series focuses elsewhere—most 
  likely on conventional superhero stories, but occasionally 
  a story comes up where the heroes travel in time. For most 
  superheroes and teams, if time travel exists in the setting, 
  sooner or later, there will be a time travel story. Often, it 
  involves accidental time travel, but it may be intentional, 
  especially if the heroes have access to a method of time 
  travel—or are given access by a non-player character (see 
  Who Controls the Time Machine? in Chapter 3 for more 
  on this). Even if the heroes have a time machine, their time 
  travel adventures could be limited due to the require-
  ments of time travel or simply their own caution about 
  interfering too much with the timeline.
  For the most part, occasional time travel stories involve 
  heroes who aren’t specifically designed for it, although 
  an intentional time travel adventure may allow heroes to 
  prepare for the trip, acquiring or building specialty equip-
  ment and other short-term preparations (see Time Travel 
  Devices and Equipment later in this chapter). Other-
  wise, time travel is just one of the many adventure hooks 
  and plot devices in the series, not all that different from 
  the heroes traveling to distant places on Earth, to other 
  planets in space, or to other dimensions.
  SERIAL TIME TRAVEL
  Serial time travel means the series focuses largely on 
  traveling through time or to alternate timelines, and the 
  heroes are expected to travel, visiting new time periods 
  and timelines in most adventures. That means the charac-
  ters should generally either be designed as time travelers, 
  or at least have the opportunity to grow into a group of 
  regular time travelers by spending earned power points. 
  They may be chosen or recruited for their suitability as 
  travelers, or simply adapt to their circumstances with ex-
  perience.
  Of course, serial time travel does not necessarily mean 
  voluntary or intentional time travel. Characters in a serial 
  time travel game might be “unstuck in time” in some 
  fashion, jumping from point to point along a timeline or 
  161616
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  TIME TRAVEL COMPLICATIONS
  Time travelers who spend most of their existence wander-
  ing the omniverse may also have different kinds of com-
  plications compared to heroes who live in one set place 
  and time. Unless the characters have an equally mobile 
  supporting cast or a “friend in every era,” their Relation-
  ship complications will tend to focus around fellow time 
  travelers or people back home who the character visits. 
  Juggling the need to drop in at just the right time for 
  a scheduled visit can be a complication, and a poten-
  tial weakness if an enemy finds out where and when to 
  expect the character to show up.
  As the Ugly History section in Chapter 1 details, there are 
  plenty of complications characters may face in the past, 
  provided the players are willing to deal with them in the 
  context of the game. Consider carefully the inclusion of 
  historic social Prejudice complications in your game and 
  look over that section for things to take into account.
  While traditional social complications might not come 
  into play in a time travsel game, characters must often 
  deal with Identity complications, particularly cases of 
  mistaken identity—and the other social complications 
  that come with it. They may also be mistaken for specific 
  historical figures, alternate versions of themselves, or their 
  own ancestors. Most time travelers share a Secret compli-
  cation (that they’re time travelers!) and Power Loss is a 
  common element of time travel stories. Either the time 
  travel process causes something to happen to the heroes’ 
  powers, or something goes wrong with their mode of 
  time travel, stranding them in an era and forcing them to 
  jury-rig a solution in order to leave.
  even across multiple timelines. Their destinations could 
  be random or directed by some outside agency, such as 
  a cosmic entity, mysterious device, or temporal enforce-
  ment organization. The characters might have a time 
  machine, but face mechanical malfunctions or not know 
  how to operate it properly, meaning their jumps largely 
  involve mashing buttons and hoping for the best.
  TIME TRAVEL BASES AND SETTINGS
  A serial time travel series also has a different relationship 
  with what can be considered the team’s “home base” and 
  supporting cast of characters. Time travelers who jump 
  from point to point, or even one timeline to another, 
  aren’t likely to carry a lot of non-player characters with 
  them. The only exceptions are if the characters have a 
  time ship with a larger crew (see Time Travel Devices and 
  Equipment later in this chapter) or if the GM makes use of 
  the Familiar Faces trope from Chapter 1, with different 
  versions of people important to the characters “just hap-
  pening” to cross their paths in different eras.
  Serial time travelers might have a home base of some kind, 
  such as a mobile time ship that serves as a kind of “home 
  away from home.” They might also have a fixed installation 
  in a particular era, or located out in the time-stream, that 
  they return to periodically, particularly if it is the “launch 
  point” for their method of time travel. Depending on the 
  nature of the base, the heroes might have additional sup-
  porting cast. Even an isolated base could house fellow 
  agents and support staff. If time travel is easy enough, 
  some supporting cast characters might “pop” back and 
  forth to visit the heroes.
  SUGGESTED POWER LEVELS
  SUGGESTED POWER LEVELS
  The power level of a Mutants & Masterminds time travel 
  series can have a big effect on the overall tone of the 
  series and the types of characters the players create. The 
  following are some suggested power level ranges and the 
  types of series they support.
  CHRONONAUTS 
  PL 7–8
  Lower-PL heroes can adventure through time as easily 
  as godlike wizards and mega-geniuses, but often need 
  outside support. A Chrononauts series tends to involve 
  “time agent” level heroes. Characters often have few, if 
  any, powers and those powers they do have tend to be 
  highly focused or involve skill or talent descriptors (see 
  Talent Powers in Power Profiles for examples) or special 
  devices or equipment. Instead, chrononauts tend to have 
  a lot of skills, Advantages, and gear to cover all the situa-
  tions that might crop up during their missions. If they work 
  for a temporal agency of some sort, the characters may be 
  assembled specifically as a team, with diverse abilities to 
  complement each other. Otherwise, their teamwork—like 
  their time travel—is largely happenstance and whatever 
  the heroes themselves manage to pull together.
  Chrononauts most often depend on an outside agency 
  for their time travel capabilities. They could be accidental 
  time travelers but are more likely operatives of an agency 
  that gives them their assignments and sends them to 
  the correct point(s) in the omniverse to carry them out. 
  Characters may have some limited ability to time travel 
  on their own, but the standard approach is one jump to 
  their mission point and another jump back to home base, 
  wherever (and whenever) that may be. Apart from visiting 
  other points in time, the heroes’ assignments are much 
  like regular action-adventure stories: overcoming chal-
  lenges and foes using skill, teamwork, and daring.
  Chrononauts are sometimes opposed by a similar agency 
  or organization with different designs upon the timeline 
  (or even the whole omniverse), creating a “temporal war” 
  between two or more factions fighting to change or pre-
  serve history—or both sides may be fighting to “preserve” 
  the history that creates their own timeline. In more peace-
  ful circumstances, chrononauts may also be explorers and 
  scholars, documenting and answering numerous ques-
  tions about history. They’re also the people charged with 
  keeping those expert researchers safe from all the hazards 
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  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  they might encounter in the timeline, ensuring they get 
  home safely, don’t muck up the timeline in the process, 
  and inevitably fix everything when their charges do muck 
  everything up.
  HISTORY’S FINEST
  A trope that shows up in a Chrononauts-level series is 
  playing various famous figures from history. These char-
  acters are usually “borrowed” from a particular point in 
  their lives with the intention of returning them, or re-
  cruited after a mysterious disappearance or death in their 
  own lifetimes. They could also be recruited from paral-
  lel timelines so their presence or disappearance doesn’t 
  affect the history that we know. The players could create 
  a team made up of (for example) Queen Boudica of the 
  Celts, Ptolemy, Amelia Earhart, Alexander the Great, and 
  Mata Hari to protect the timeline from interference by 
  outside forces. Such a series offers great opportunities for 
  research into interesting historical figures and learning 
  about them “first hand” by portraying them.
  In some settings, the History’s Finest concept might 
  extend to “Fiction’s Finest,” with some or all of the charac-
  ters being famous historical figures from fiction, such as 
  d’Artagnan, the Scarlet Pimpernel, Jane Eyre, Doctor Fran-
  kenstein, and others. The usual assumption is that there 
  are some timelines in the omniverse where these charac-
  ters are real people. Whether the timelines are creations 
  of the authors of those fictional works, or whether they 
  inspired those authors in other timelines is usually left a 
  mystery. Other campaigns may rely on fictional characters 
  to protect the timeline, as their artificial histories can’t be 
  affected by changes made to the past.
  OUTSIDE TIME 
  PL 9–11
  At these power levels, characters tend to be less agents 
  and more “time traveling superheroes.” As the default 
  power level for Mutants & Masterminds, it’s the most 
  common for occasional or accidental time travelers, as 
  well as heroes who are regular travelers through the om-
  niverse. The Outside Time heroes tend to be as diverse as 
  any group of superheroes, but make use of the guidelines 
  given in the Character Options section of this chapter, 
  particularly if they are serial time travelers deliberately as-
  sembled as a team.
  These heroes usually have their own shared means of 
  time travel, whether it is a time ship that serves as both 
  their transportation and headquarters, or team time suits 
  or talismans the provide the Movement (Time Travel) 
  effect. Often, the team has to time travel together, if only 
  to avoid dealing with the potential headaches that occur 
  when each individual character can time travel on their 
  own. They may work for or answer to a higher authority—
  whether a time agency or a cosmic super-being—but 
  often operate on their own.
  Sometimes there is a particular reason why the characters 
  have become time travelers, such as being initially unim-
  portant enough in their own time periods that they won’t 
  be missed if taken out of time, never to return. It may be 
  a predestination paradox (see Chapter 1) where all the 
  heroes are “meant” to go missing because history records 
  them all as such. An extreme example is a team made up 
  of the sole survivors of lost or destroyed timelines, either 
  looking to restore their homes or ensure that no other uni-
  verse suffers their fate.
  The opposition in an Outside Time series tends to be 
  made up of teams of supervillains similar in power level to 
  the heroes, or singular master villains who are 2–4 power 
  levels higher than the heroes. Usually, they are time-
  meddlers or otherwise tampering with history and forces 
  they should not be, and the heroes need to stop them. 
  The heroes may also encounter natural disasters that span 
  entire timelines or parts of the omniverse, requiring them 
  to shore up or protect key parts of a timeline to keep the 
  whole of history intact.
  181818
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  PARALLELS
  Characters in a Champions Outside Time level series are 
  often familiar heroes, but not quite the ones you might 
  expect, in that they are alternate or variant versions of 
  known heroes recruited from other timelines. This essen-
  tially takes the notion of History’s Finest (previously) and 
  applies it to known superheroes—or even supervillains, if 
  the team recruits a heroic version of a known villain from 
  another timeline. It’s essentially a player character version 
  of the Familiar Faces trope from Chapter 1, and part of 
  the reason why that trope comes into play, since the par-
  allel must often deal with stepping into the lives of their 
  own alternate selves in other timelines.
  A rarer version of the Parallels trope is for all the members 
  of the team to be different versions of the same person 
  across many timelines, some of them quite divergent. 
  Similarly, the antagonists in a Champions Outside Time 
  series might be parallel timeline versions of the player 
  characters who have their own agenda, or work for the 
  opposition.
  GUARDIANS OF TIME PL 12–14
  At the high end, heroes in a Guardians of Time level series 
  tend to be cosmically powerful and capable, dealing with 
  threats to entire timelines or the whole of the omniverse. 
  This is the power level where heroes are most likely to 
  have their own individual methods of travel through 
  time and across dimensions and might have some kind of 
  omniversal headquarters or organization. Gamemasters 
  should be prepared for Guardians of Time to exercise their 
  abilities to go anywhere (and anywhen) based around 
  however time travel works in the setting (see Chapter 3).
  A Guardians of Time-style series often features player 
  characters who are among the greatest heroes from 
  their respective timelines, much like a “world’s greatest 
  CHARACTER OPTIONS
  CHARACTER OPTIONS
  heroes” team, but on an omniversal scale. They may be 
  drawn together and united by a higher power or outside 
  force, but can just as easily be self-appointed guardians, 
  either having discovered the greater omniverse, or having 
  come together to deal with any threat(s) to it. They could 
  be literally immortal, exist outside of time, or be part of a 
  legacy of passing their membership and responsibilities 
  on to successors, which can include recruiting new player 
  characters into the team. The Guardians of Time may also 
  be the creators or source for time travel in their timeline, 
  and so wandering history to correct the abuses of their 
  creation falls to them.
  The threats faced by Guardians of Time tend to be simi-
  larly grandiose. They may deal with foes bent on ruling (or 
  destroying) the entirety of the omniverse, protect whole 
  timelines from invasion, alteration, or erasure, and similar-
  ly find ways of containing “toxic” or otherwise dangerous 
  timelines from invading or infecting the rest of the om-
  niverse. If threats from “outside of time” exist, the Guard-
  ians of Time are the first (and possibly only) line of defense 
  against them.
  COSMIC FORCES
  There’s considerable overlap between a Guardians of 
  Time level series and a Cosmic Avatar level series from the 
  Cosmic Handbook. Gamemasters may find much of the 
  material in that book useful for a time travel series at this 
  high a power level. In particular, the material on options 
  for cosmic-level characters and the various archetypes 
  can serve as resources. The Cosmic Handbook guidelines 
  for Power Level X plot devices are also valuable in de-
  tailing vastly powerful chronal avatars, embodiments of 
  entire timelines and concepts, and preternatural threats 
  from outside the space-time continuum. The power level 
  15 Time Master villain archetype from Cosmic Handbook is 
  a suitable foe for a Guardians of Time team on the power 
  level 12 end of this tier.
  Time travel series can involve all kinds of characters, from 
  potentially any time, or even any possible reality. When 
  creating Mutants & Masterminds heroes specifically for a 
  time travel series, there are a number of things to consid-
  er, and this section takes a look at them.
  REQUIRED TRAITS
  Gamemasters should decide if any particular traits are re-
  quired for all characters in a time travel series and make 
  players aware of them before they start creating charac-
  ters. Players may be required to purchase a “package” of 
  traits for their characters, or the required traits could be 
  bonuses given to all characters without any power point 
  cost. Common required traits include things that allow 
  characters to overcome certain challenges, such as the 
  language barrier (see Languages under Advantages) or 
  ranks of Immunity to ignore things like the prevalence of 
  diseases in history. They may also include certain applica-
  tions of the Benefit Advantage or ranks of Equipment to 
  cover the costs of group equipment or vehicles.
  In some games, all characters might be required to have 
  their own means of time travel, meaning one or more 
  ranks of Movement (Time Travel). In others campaigns, in-
  dividual time travel effects might be prohibited. Likewise, 
  some series may require all characters to have Chronal 
  Advantages (see Advantages, following), particularly 
  Chronal Bulwark and Chronal Memory.
  SKILLS
  Many skills rely on the context of a particular time period 
  or culture, and Gamemasters can apply a circumstance 
  penalty (–2 or –5) for situations where the character is 
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  The Time Traveler's Codex
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  knives and fire—but the Improvised Tools Advantage 
  should allow a character to still attempt these impossible 
  tasks with a steep circumstance penalty.
  EXPERTISE
  Expertise: History really comes into its own in a time travel 
  series. So much so, in fact, that the GM might want to sub-
  divide the skill into more specific specialties. Historical 
  Expertise might cover a particular period of time, a par-
  ticular geographic region or culture, or some combination 
  of both, such as Renaissance Europe, Colonial America, or 
  Feudal Japan, to name a few. Characters can make Exper-
  tise checks on questions outside of their specific area of 
  knowledge with a circumstance penalty, so long as the 
  question is at least somewhat related. Time travelers can 
  have Expertise in future periods of a timeline as well, so 
  long as they are knowable.
  Skills like Expertise: Current Events and Pop Culture gener-
  ally describe the popular culture of a character’s home era 
  by default, but players can specify a different era if they 
  like. This represents a closer understanding of a short time 
  period’s culture and recent events, allowing a character 
  to more easily pass for a native of that era, while narrow 
  Expertise: History checks cover the time and culture’s 
  broader, “big picture” elements.
  INVESTIGATION
  Time travel stories often involve piecing together clues 
  to figure out a villain’s plan to influence or change history 
  or the nature of some historic event, so Investigation can 
  be a useful skill for at least one character in the group to 
  have. An Investigation check can help determine when in 
  the past an event took place, helping time travelers detect 
  when a change was made to the timeline. Gathering infor-
  mation in an unfamiliar culture imposes a –2 circumstance 
  penalty, while inability to understand the locals generally 
  makes gathering information impossible.
  PERSUASION
  The Persuasion skill generally requires a language in 
  common, but humans are empathic creatures and body 
  language is often enough for especially charismatic  
  heroes to communicate in broad strokes. If visiting a loca-
  tion or era where a hero doesn't speak the local language, 
  they can use Persuasion to communicate basic ideas—
  "help me," "hungry," "gift," "my name is..."—with a DC 20 
  Persuasion check. Any attempts to actually influence 
  others without a language in common (or powers that 
  compensate) suffer a –5 circumstance penalty, and may 
  be impossible. An unfamiliar culture but familiarity with 
  the language reduces this penalty to –2.
  TECHNOLOGY
  Technology is one of the skills most affected by the cir-
  cumstances of the historic eras where characters find 
  themselves. Heroes may have to make Technology skill 
  using their skills outside of that context. It is difficult to 
  use interaction skills, for example, if you’re only passingly 
  familiar with the language or local culture, and more diffi-
  cult to use skills like Technology if you’re dealing with tech 
  generations or even centuries ahead of your experience. 
  The more dramatic and four-color your series, the less you 
  need to concern yourself with these penalties, and they 
  should lessen as a character spends more time in their 
  new era and becomes increasingly familiar with its tech-
  nology and culture.
  EXISTING SKILLS
  The skills that cause the most confusion in other eras are 
  Technology and Vehicles, which rely heavily on modern 
  technology. Treatment may also change, as different 
  centuries have seen different levels of technology, phar-
  macology, and sanitation. Not having modern, familiar 
  equipment to use with your modern skills is covered by 
  the penalties for using substandard tools—imposing a –2 
  penalty on the skill check—or lacking tools altogether, 
  which increases the circumstance penalty to –5. Attempt-
  ing to repair modern technology with earlier tools (or 
  repair advanced technology using modern tools) likewise 
  imposes penalties for inadequate or no tools. The Game-
  master may determine if certain tasks are impossible—
  such as attempting to repair a smartphone with only flint 
  TECH FAMILIARITY
  Attempting to use, sabotage, or repair unfamiliar tech-
  nology increases the skill DC. These DC increases rep-
  resent a lack of experience with the technology, and 
  should reduce by one step for every major scene a char-
  acter spends working on or learning about the related 
  technology, until no DC increase applies.
  Using weapons from vastly different technological eras 
  may similarly impose a penalty on a character’s attack 
  check equal to the DC increase, so a character from the 
  early 21st century using a recoilless laser rifle (familiar) 
  might suffer a –2 penalty on attack checks, but attempt-
  ing to wield a psionic assault orb from the 45th century 
  (alien) would suffer a –10 penalty.
  These examples assume a traveler from the modern day.
  DC InCREaSE
  CIRCumStanCE
  +2
  Familiar (forge an iron knife, repair a 
  19th-century steam engine; pilot a star-
  ship derived from earlier jet designs)
  +5
  Tangential (knap a flint knife, hack a 
  22nd-century computer, steer a Roman 
  galley)
  +10
  Alien 
  (interface 
  with 
  technology 
  attuned to thought patterns, use a lost 
  historical crafting technique)
  —
  Impossible (technology more than a 
  millennium more advanced, without 
  context or guidance)
  Even “impossible” Technology checks may be possible if 
  a player is willing to spend a Hero Point to edit the scene 
  or receive a sudden burst of insight.
  202020
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  checks using only “stone knives and bear skins” in terms 
  of applying earlier technology to their needs or figuring 
  out technology far more advanced than they have previ-
  ously seen. See the Tech Familiarity sidebar for appropri-
  ate penalties for strange and unusual technologies from 
  other eras.
  VEHICLES
  Vehicles—which encompass automobiles, airplanes, and 
  submarines—is a broad skill to begin with. Expanding it 
  to include futuristic spacecraft and Egyptian chariots isn’t 
  a huge stretch. You can apply the same Tech Familiarity 
  modifiers (see sidebar) that the Technology skill uses to 
  convey the strangeness of older vehicles to modern pilots.
  Most pre-20th century vehicles relied on some combina-
  tion of animal power, wind power, and human muscle to 
  move, limiting their top speed to about 25 MPH (speed 
  4) and their realistic travel speed to 5 or 10 MPH (Speed 
  2). Assume that any pre-modern vehicle moves at half 
  its normal movement rank in its day-to-day functioning, 
  while its top speed reflects pushing its crew or draft team 
  to the very limit and can only be maintained for a few 
  minutes. Events that stall these vehicles—such as calm 
  winds or torn rigging for sailing vehicles, or a thrown shoe 
  on a draft animal—represent complications to the story 
  (awarding the affected characters a Hero Point) or may be 
  the result of failing a Vehicles skill check by two or more 
  degrees.
  ANIMAL-RELATED SKILLS
  While animals rarely make an appearance in 21st-century 
  superhero adventures beyond the odd gorilla fight, they 
  become a stand-in for vehicles and technology in many 
  historical settings. Interacting with animals involves using 
  Presence-based skills with a –10 penalty (the Animal 
  Empathy Advantage eliminates this penalty), while con-
  trolling animal-drawn wagons and chariots uses the 
  Vehicles skill. This works well for time-travel campaigns 
  where a character may only briefly visit historical eras, but 
  for historical campaigns you may want to include one or 
  both of the following skills to reflect the expanded game 
  impact of animals and to account for the large difference 
  between piloting a ship (using the Vehicles skill) and di-
  recting an animal-drawn land vehicle.
  Animals acquired using the Minion Advantage (or even 
  as Equipment, included in the movement cost of vehicles 
  like stagecoaches and chariots) aren’t especially loyal or 
  exceptional examples of their kind and generally have a 
  Neutral attitude toward their drivers. Overwork, injuries, 
  and poor conditions can worsen this attitude, making 
  them reluctant to perform work or even drive them to 
  violence. Animals acquired with the Sidekick Advantage 
  are always Helpful toward their handlers and represent 
  exceptionally skilled and intelligent specimens. Char-
  acters generally don’t need to make skill checks to coax 
  sidekick animals to perform even unusual or dangerous 
  tricks, though they must still make Ride or Handle Animal 
  checks normally for chases and stunts.
  HANDLE ANIMAL
  Presence ● Interaction ● Trained Only
  This skill allows a character to teach animals to perform 
  feats not part of their normal behavior; more intelligent 
  creatures can even be taught to communicate using ges-
  tures or sign language (albeit with a limited vocabulary). 
  This skill can be used untrained, but only to elicit the most 
  rudimentary responses. 
  Handle Animal replaces the Vehicles skill when piloting 
  any animal-drawn vehicle, from an ox wagon to a horse-
  drawn chariot to an underwater sled pulled by dolphins. 
  DC
  taSk
  5
  Simple tricks (fetch, sit, stay)
  10
  Complex tricks (attack, dance, get help, 
  guard), Simple work (train a draft animal)
  15
  Complex work (train a service dog), Calm 
  a panicked animal
  20
  Hold a predator at bay
  moDIfIERS
  –2
  Domesticated animals
  +2 
  Exotic or feral animals
  +5
  Alien or supernatural creatures
  +5
  Coaxing an animal to perform a trick it 
  doesn’t know
  +5
  Coaxing an animal into combat
  MUSCLE-POWERED VEHICLES
  Many historic vehicles rely on animal or human muscle 
  to power them, collectively referred to as muscle-pow-
  ered vehicles. Muscle-powered is a 0-cost feature that 
  can be added to a vehicle. It has the following effects:
  • Muscle-powered vehicles function as if they had 
  the Remote Control feature. Heroes must make 
  a successful Persuasion or Intimidate check to 
  control a muscle-powered vehicle under stressful 
  or dangerous circumstances.
  • A muscle-powered vehicle can also be intimidat-
  ed, confused, and otherwise affected by effects 
  that target living creatures. It can benefit from Ad-
  vantages like Leadership and Teamwork or effects 
  that improve biological creatures.
  • A muscle-powered vehicle can run at its top speed 
  for a number of hours equal to the Stamina of the 
  creatures powering it (assume 2 for humans and 4 
  for horses), for twice that time at Speed rank – 1, or 
  indefinitely at Speed rank – 2, up to a maximum of 
  twelve hours. After this time, it becomes fatigued 
  until it can rest for 8 hours.
  If a vehicle is both muscle-powered and powered by an 
  additional source (such as a ship that can be rowed or 
  sail), that counts as a 1-point feature.
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  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  The new Advantage, Socially Adaptable, changes how 
  long it takes for a traveler to adapt to a new time period.
  EQUIPMENT
  Given potential access to “future” technology, the “com-
  monly available” element of equipment can be difficult 
  to apply, so the GM should take the other qualities of 
  equipment into consideration where this Advantage is 
  concerned, particularly limits on bonus stacking, extra 
  effort, and damage or loss. It should remain easier for the 
  Gamemaster to relieve characters of their equipment—or 
  otherwise have it fail—than it is with devices. Likewise, 
  time travelers may be dependent on the equipment they 
  happen to have with them or have stored on-board a time 
  machine (see Time Machines in the Time Travel Devices 
  and Equipment section, following). It is easy to run out of 
  ammunition or batteries in a more technologically primi-
  tive setting, and hard to find replacement parts in a future 
  long after the equipment is obsolete.
  LANGUAGES
  The Languages Advantage plays a special role in a time 
  travel series, where travelers not only may encounter any 
  language in the world, but any language that has existed 
  throughout history, including all of the various cultural 
  idioms and slang of a particular period, and dead languag-
  es completely unknown in the future. The easiest way of 
  dealing with the language barrier is not to deal with it 
  at all, by making Universal Translator technology widely 
  available to the characters (see Time Travel Devices and 
  Equipment section, following) or building some kind of 
  translation effect into their ship or method of time travel. 
  If you do want to include issues of language in your time 
  travel adventures, encourage ranks in the Languages and 
  Adaptable Linguist Advantages. For a middle ground, you 
  can normally have some kind of translation effect over-
  coming the language barrier, but have it fail as a compli-
  cation during a particular adventure, giving the heroes a 
  new complication to overcome and allowing characters 
  who purchased the Languages Advantage to shine.
  CHRONAL ADVANTAGES
  Characters may have certain advantages related to time 
  travel in a series that includes it. In addition to the follow-
  ing, the GM may allow a Benefit Advantage for things like 
  access to a means of time travel or for rank or influence 
  within a temporal enforcement agency or similar orga-
  nization. Gamemasters should decide if characters pay 
  power points for these advantages or if they are free as an 
  element of a series. For example, all time travelers might 
  automatically have Chronal Bulwark, either by virtue of 
  traveling in time, or only when they are in the time-stream 
  “outside” of any timeline.
  In the Power Profiles sourcebook, Chronal Bulwark and 
  Chronal Memory are Features of time powers. In a series 
  with time travel, the GM may decide if they are Features 
  (and therefore powers), Advantages, or available as either.
  RIDE
  Dexterity
  This skill allows a character to ride a trained animal with 
  skill, grace, and comfort, as well as perform tricks. For 
  most action and chase-related tasks, use the DCs and rules 
  provided for the Vehicles skill. Ride can also be used to 
  direct animal-drawn vehicles, but with a –5 circumstance 
  penalty. Controlling a mount is a Move action each round 
  and requires at least one free hand unless you guide it 
  with your knees.
  You can use Ride to “break” a wild animal and force it 
  to accept you as a rider for a scene. This is a DC 15 skill 
  challenge taking one round per check and requiring 
  four Degrees of Success. If a rider fails a check to break a 
  mount, they are thrown (Damage 2, but possibly higher 
  for larger or monstrous mounts) and must start over.
  DC
  taSk
  5
  Guide with your knees
  10
  Complex tricks (dance, get help, guard)
  15
  Use your mount for cover, ride an un-
  trained mount
  20
  Mount or dismount as a Free action, calm 
  a panicked mount
  moDIfIERS
  –2
  Domesticated animals
  +2 
  Exotic or feral animals
  +5
  Alien or supernatural creatures
  ADVANTAGES
  Most Advantages work regardless of when or where the 
  characters may be, but a few require some adaptation 
  when it comes to time travel, and there are a couple of 
  new advantages useful for time travelers.
  CONTACTS, CONNECTIONS,  
  AND WELL-INFORMED
  A character traveling through time can’t easily bring 
  their entire social network along for the ride. While 
  these Advantages may sometimes represent an informa-
  tive connection to agents back at the hero’s home base 
  (especially with the Time Comm described later in this 
  chapter), more often than not a hero loses the benefit of 
  Advantages that rely on knowing who’s who, and who 
  to ask for favors while outside their home era—at least 
  initially. Heroes with the Contacts, Connections, or Well-
  Informed Advantages may, after one week of meeting 
  people and learning the local social scene, begin using 
  these Advantages for their normal benefit with a –5 
  circumstance penalty. This penalty reduces to –2 after 
  another week, and disappears entirely after a character 
  has spent a total of three weeks in a new era. If a charac-
  ter leaves and returns, they retain the benefits of their 
  newfound social circles.
  222222
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  Adaptable Linguist 
  Skill, Ranked
  Adaptable Linguist 
  Skill, Ranked
  You have a remarkable facility for languages, letting you 
  quickly adapt to new ones you encounter, based on what 
  you already know. If you have one rank in this advantage, 
  you can interact in an archaic or related dialect of a lan-
  guage you know with no circumstance penalty, so you 
  could effectively pick up Old English immediately based 
  off English, for example. If you have two ranks in this 
  advantage, you can interact in any language related to 
  one that you already know with only a –2 circumstance 
  penalty, so you could, for example, interact in medi-
  eval French based off knowing modern Italian (another 
  Romance language). With three ranks in this advantage, 
  you can pick up basic fluency in any language that you’re 
  exposed to for more than a day, enough to use interac-
  tion skills normally with a –5 circumstance penalty. This is 
  reduced to –2 after a week and 0 after two weeks.
  Chronal Bulwark 
  Chronal
  Chronal Bulwark 
  Chronal
  You are a fixed point in time (see Fixed Points in Chapter 
  1). While history may be altered, your existence remains 
  unaffected. You are immune to temporal transforma-
  tions (see Chapter 3, Evolution and Devolution, and 
  Paradoxical Transformations) involving changes in the 
  timeline. Of course, this Advantage also means you’re 
  unable to benefit from changes in your personal timeline, 
  and you can easily end up with the paradox of remaining 
  your normal self in a timeline where you should not even 
  exist. Chronal Bulwark preserves your body and mind as 
  they are in your "original" timeline, but leaves you with no 
  memory of new pasts if someone changes the timeline.
  Chronal Memory 
  Chronal
  Chronal Memory 
  Chronal
  Your perception and memory transcend linear time. If your 
  personal history is changed, you remember both versions: 
  the original and the changed version. This means you know 
  when the history of your timeline is altered and (at least gen-
  erally) what the change is, since you can remember the pre-
  vious version. If there are multiple changes, you remember 
  every version, although the GM may require an Awareness 
  check in some cases to sort out the different iterations.
  Socially Adaptable 
  Skill
  Socially Adaptable 
  Skill
  You adapt quickly to new social situations, even being 
  thrust into entirely new cultures. You only suffer a –2 cir-
  cumstance penalty to interaction skill checks for your first 
  24 hours in an unfamiliar culture, rather than indefinitely.
  You may be deprived of Advantages like Connected, Con-
  tacts, or Well-informed when removed from your usual 
  social network; if you are Socially Adaptable, you develop 
  a new network within a matter of hours after finding your-
  self in a new situation, so long as you are able to interact 
  with the locals. Every 6 hours you spend interacting with 
  locals in a new social situation, make a DC 15 Persuasion 
  check. On a success, you have created a new network suf-
  ficient to use social-dependent advantages. On a failed 
  check, you can try again on the next day, with a +1 cumu-
  lative circumstance bonus for each day that passes.
  232323
   
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
   
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  POWERS
  For powers affecting time in general, see the Time Powers 
  chapter of Power Profiles. Powers in a time travel adven-
  ture or series are more often those useful for time travel-
  ers, rather than specifically for time travel itself. Movement 
  (Time Travel) is the key power effect for shifting to differ-
  ent points along a timeline, but Movement (Dimension 
  Travel) is required to move from one timeline to another. 
  Parallel timelines can be considered “a related group of di-
  mensions” for 2 ranks of the effect, whereas timelines or 
  dimensions radically different from Earth-Prime’s require 
  3 ranks of Movement (Dimension Travel). Both effects to-
  gether allow characters to traverse the whole of the om-
  niverse.
  “Chronal” is the descriptor for powers affecting time, time-
  lines, the time-stream, and the energies associated with 
  all of them. Depending on how chronal powers work, the 
  descriptor may be synonymous with the tachyon and time 
  descriptors given in the Time Powers chapter of Power 
  Profiles, or it might be an addition to those descriptors. In 
  general, chronal powers can counter each other, although 
  they often do so in indirect ways, particularly with regard 
  to time travel. Most often, it’s a matter of time travelers 
  trying to undo or prevent changes that others have made.
  Other power descriptors may interact with time travel in 
  particular ways. Of note are technological powers, which 
  may have limits in previous historical periods if those 
  powers depend on technological infrastructure such as 
  electricity, radio, cellular networks, computers, and so 
  forth. Radio Communication or Comprehend Machines 
  have little use before the invention of the radio or elec-
  tronics, for example!
  Some powers may be mistaken for magic or miracles in less 
  scientifically advanced eras, and those powers, much less 
  actual magical powers, may inspire awe or terror, leading 
  to accusations that the characters are evil sorcerers, 
  demons, or other monsters. The revelation of advanced 
  technology or superhuman powers may have unusual 
  effects on history, unless such powers were common in 
  the past of the setting. In some cases, the heroes might 
  even create myths and legends of supernatural beings! 
  That said, not everyone in the past is a superstitious rube 
  impressed by the heroes’ tricks. See Chapter 3 (Respect-
  ing the Past) for guidelines on respecting the intelligence 
  of people in the past.
  TEMPORAL DEFLECTION
  A defensive use of control over time is "trapping" an attack 
  in an area of slow or stopped time so it is easy to avoid, 
  possibly even causing the attack to change direction to hit 
  someone or something else. This requires a certain degree 
  of timing in and of itself to trap the attack: The character 
  must succeed on a power check (d20 + rank) against the 
  attack check result of the attacker.
  Temporal Deflection can combine with Temporal Sidestep 
  from Power Profiles. The latter power ensures the "trap-
  ping" of the attack, which can then be redirected.
  In addition to the usual benefits of Deflect, this power 
  allows for an additional extra:
  Hold: You can "hold" a deflected attack as a Standard 
  action each turn. As long as you continue to do so, the de-
  flected attack remains "suspended." You can release it as a 
  free action during your turn. Additionally, anyone coming 
  into contact with the suspended attack might be affected 
  by it, depending on its descriptors. Once the held attack is 
  released, it can be reflected or redirected normally, if you 
  have those extras. +1 cost per rank.
  Temporal Deflection: Deflect • 1 point per rank + 1 per rank 
  to Reflect attacks, +2 per rank (total) to Redirect attacks at any 
  target, +1 per rank to Hold a deflected attack with Concentration 
  to redirect later.
  TIME-OUT
  A tactical use of time travel is the ability to "pop" out of a 
  situation, go and do things elsewhen (either in another 
  time or in a "pocket" outside of time) and then return to 
  the same moment you left, having the benefit of as much 
  preparation time as you want.
  Essentially, this is a descriptor of a Quickness effect that 
  gives the character "extra time" equal to the effect's rank. 
  So at Quickness 10, the character can fit two hours of time 
  into a round. Note that during the "time-out" the charac-
  ter doesn't interact with the situation, they're outside of 
  the normal flow of time, but they can still recover, study, 
  build, or otherwise prepare.
  Time-Out: Quickness (outside of time) • 1 point per rank
  TIME TAMPERING
  Characters can accomplish a lot with the ability to "edit" 
  timelines through time travel. Examples include:
  • 
  Changing the circumstances of a situation by "pre-
  arranging" certain things, like ensuring a needed 
  item is on-hand or that a particular opening is left 
  unlocked, for example, like the Edit Scene use of a 
  Hero Point.
  • 
  Ensuring the best possible outcome of a check, al-
  lowing a character a "do-over" where they roll and 
  take the better of the two results, like the Improve 
  Roll use of a hero point.
  • 
  Preventing something from happening, like the 
  reverse of the previous: Forcing a character to roll 
  twice and take the worse of the two results.
  • 
  Learning something by having your future self come 
  back to tell you, and remembering to go back and tell 
  your past self the same thing later on!
  • 
  Performing various powers from the Time Powers 
  chapter of Power Profiles as power stunts, one-use 
  "time tricks" the character can pull-off using time 
  travel.
  Time Tampering: Luck Control (Affect Others, Negate, Force 
  Re-roll) • 9 points + 1 point per additional rank in Luck usable with 
  this power.
  242424
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  A variety of different devices and pieces of equipment 
  may serve the needs of time travelers. Typically, most 
  pieces of time travel-related technology are considered 
  devices thanks to their unique nature and general un-
  availability, but they may be equipment in some series. 
  Some devices and equipment, particularly vehicles, may 
  be shared by the team, with all of the characters sharing 
  the power point cost. Other items may be “standard issue” 
  and required for all characters, possibly as part of a team 
  template (if you are using those guidelines from the Su-
  perteam Handbook).
  PERSONAL EQUIPMENT
  Personal equipment for time travelers is usually compact, 
  concealable, and independent (not a lot of cellular or 
  computer networks in the past). Travelers also need to be 
  careful with it—just one item of high-tech equipment left 
  in the past could radically alter the timeline, depending 
  on who finds and uses it, or takes it apart.
  CHRONAL SCANNER
  A small hand-held scanning device for picking up chronal 
  energies and disruptions. A chronal scanner can detect 
  the local space-time coordinates (translating them into 
  geographic and calendar data), pick up energies and dis-
  tortions from local use of time travel and chronal technol-
  ogy, and detect any lingering energy signatures associat-
  ed with the same. A chronal scanner is often incorporated 
  into a multi-function scanning device. By adding Senses 
  (Tracking), the device can also indicate what time period a 
  distortion links to, indicating when a time traveler arrived 
  from or departed to.
  Chronal Scanner: Senses 4 (Chronal Awareness, Acute, 
  Analytical, Time Sense) • 4 points
  CHRONO STABILIZER FIELD
  This device creates a field effect around a wearer, object, 
  or area, shielding against chronal- and quantum-level 
  disruptions for as long as the stabilizer field operates. 
  Some chronal stabilizers are small enough for a person 
  to wear on a belt or wristband. Other stabilizers are large 
  field generators, usually built into a platform, structure, or 
  vehicle. Among other things, a chronal stabilizer prevents 
  a subject from suffering the conditions of Temporal Trans-
  formation, including erasure. It also protects against the 
  effects of weapons like the quantum disruptor or tachyon 
  projector (following).
  Chrono Stabilizer Field: Immunity 2 (chronal disruptions)  
  • 2 points
  TIME COMM 
  A time comm uses quantum entanglement or tachyon 
  signals to connect a time traveler to a home base in a dif-
  ferent era. More sophisticated models can communicate 
  with other time comms in either the past or the present 
  (Dimensional 2) or any time comms the user is aware of, 
  regardless of when they are (Dimensional 3)—possibly 
  even with their own, at Gamemaster discretion, though 
  any useful functions of this ability should generally be 
  used to describe the effects of spending a Hero Point.
  Time Comm: Senses 2 (Communication Link, Time Sense; 
  Dimensional 1 [home era]) • 3 points
  UNIVERSAL TRANSLATOR 
  A small device able to translate any spoken communica-
  tion. Some universal translators may learn or figure out 
  new languages after being exposed to them for a short 
  while. Others are limited to the languages programmed 
  into them, although this is typically a vast database. Some 
  versions of a universal translator may add an additional 
  rank of Comprehend to translate all written languages as 
  well.
  Universal Translator: Comprehend 2 (speak and understand 
  all languages) • 4 points
  WEAPONS
  While time travelers may bring any number of different 
  weapons (usually small, concealable ones) or weild local 
  weapons, some gadgets weaponize the mechanics of 
  time travel itself.
  CHRONAL SINK
  The chronal sink fires a small projectile that saps the 
  chronal energy from a target, effectively slowing them 
  to a halt. While mostly used to incapacitate, the weapon 
  freezes paralyzed targets in place, even in mid-air, and can 
  prove useful for problem-solving.
  Chronal Sink: Ranged Cumulative Affliction, Resisted by 
  Dodge, Overcome by Fortitude; Hindered, Stunned, Paralyzed 
  Feature (paralyzed targets are stationary in space). • 4 points for 
  the first rank + 3 points per rank to increase the resistance DC
  QUANTUM DISRUPTOR 
  This weapon disrupts the target on a fundamental, 
  quantum level, “erasing” them from existence if the 
  quantum disruption is pronounced enough. Some 
  quantum disruptors impose the Transformed condition 
  rather than Incapacitated at the third degree; rather than 
  erasing the target from history, the disruptor changes the 
  target’s history, essentially turning them into an alternate 
  version of themselves.
  Quantum Disruptor: Ranged Progressive Affliction, Resisted 
  and Overcome by Will; Impaired, Disabled, Incapacitated; 
  Targets pushed past Incapacitated are erased from existence.  
  • 4 points per rank
  TIME TRAVEL DEVICES AND EQUIPMENT
  TIME TRAVEL DEVICES AND EQUIPMENT
  252525
   
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
   
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  TACHYON PROJECTOR
  A tachyon projector is a beam weapon that transports 
  its target to a different point in space-time. From the 
  perspective of observers in the target’s original time, the 
  target vanishes and may be assumed destroyed or disin-
  tegrated. From the target’s point of view, if the attack hits 
  and they fail the Dodge resistance check, they appear at 
  some predetermined point in time. Without some other 
  means of time travel, this is effectively permanent exile.
  Tachyon Projector: Movement 1 (Time Travel to a 
  predetermined point) Attack, Resisted by Dodge (DC 11 + 
  additional ranks), Ranged • 3 points + 2 points per rank to 
  increase Dodge resistance DC
  TEMPORAL STASIS FIELD
  A device that can “stop” time, allowing the user to step 
  outside of the ordinary flow of time but remain aware and 
  move about while everything else appears frozen. The 
  user cannot affect anything in the ordinary universe, but 
  does gain “extra time” to essentially move around, look at 
  things, or do anything else they might do with that time. 
  The device’s rank is its duration as a time rank, so a rank 
  9 field provides an extra hour “outside” of time. To the 
  outside perspective, the stasis field user disappears when 
  the field is activated, reappearing wherever they are when 
  the field is deactivated as if they have moved instantly.
  Temporal Stasis Field: Quickness (Subtle 2), Speed (Subtle 
  2), Quirk: Limited to routine actions while active (–4 points)  
  • 2 points per rank
  TIME MACHINES
  Various sorts of time machines are the primary modes of 
  time travel in many scenarios. See Chapter 3 for some dis-
  cussion of methods of time travel and access to them.
  The following are examples of archetypal time travel 
  devices or vehicles characters might use. All these are “no-
  frills base models.” You may want to customize them by 
  adding various features, including headquarters features 
  for huge and larger time vehicles. A cloaking device is par-
  ticularly common for a time machine, allowing it to dis-
  appear and avoid awkward encounters with people and 
  sensor devices in other time periods. Time Machines able 
  to travel to parallel timelines also have Movement (Di-
  mensional Travel) in addition to Time Travel.
  TIME SUIT
  A time suit is a no-frills, one-person wearable time 
  machine that allows the wearer to jump to one point in 
  the timeline. A time suit may be an experimental unit 
  but can also be an emergency “recall” device intended to 
  bring stranded time travelers home. Because it is intended 
  for emergency use, a time suit is also an advanced life-
  support suit, since the wearer may potentially jump into 
  hostile environments, perhaps even deep space. The suit’s 
  destination can be reconfigured with a DC 16 Technology 
  skill check, requiring four hours of work. Any of the items 
  under Personal Equipment, previously, may be incorpo-
  rated into a time suit.
  Time Suit: Immunity 10 (life support), Movement 1 (Time 
  Travel to a specific destination) • 12 points
  TIME CAPSULE
  This time capsule isn’t the sort that gets buried to be re-
  covered later. Instead, it’s a stationary time machine that 
  shifts its position through the timeline. It might look like 
  a box, bubble, cylinder, or other shape—and is often built 
  to resemble ordinary local objects like phone booths or 
  police boxes—ranging in size from just large enough for a 
  few people to squeeze into, up to as big as a bus or larger. 
  Lacking any movement beyond its temporal engines, the 
  capsule is stuck wherever it lands in the destination time 
  unless towed or carried. With the Dual Size feature, a time 
  capsule can even be larger on the inside than it is on the 
  outside, and incorporate various headquarters features! 
  The time capsule has a control console where the user 
  programs a destination and “pilots” it.
  Time Capsule 
  8 points
  Size: Huge Strength: 8 Speed: — Defense: 6 Toughness: 9 
  Powers: Movement 3 (Time Travel)
  TIME-HOPPING MUSCLE CAR
  The time-hopping muscle car is an ordinary terrestrial 
  vehicle with a temporal engine added on after the fact, 
  letting it shift through time. This example has also had 
  hover engines installed after a trip to the future, but 
  262626
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  
  the time-hopping version of any existing vehicle can be 
  created by adding Movement (Time Travel 3) for 6 power 
  points, opening options for time-traveling helicopters, 
  motorcycles, or pirate ships. Vehicles created as time ma-
  chines but disguised as contemporary cars or trucks are 
  likely to have a host of other features, such as Remote 
  Control or Life Support for travelers.
  Time-Hopping Muscle Car 
  16 points
  Size: Large Strength: 6 Speed: 6 (ground), 3 (air) Defense: 8 
  Toughness: 7 Powers: Movement 3 (Time Travel)
  TIME SHIP
  A time ship is a larger and more advanced time vehicle, 
  essentially a space ship built to explore time and endure 
  harsh environments. They’re large enough to include crew 
  quarters, making them a mobile base of operations. Ve-
  hicles this large usually require personnel to help crew it.
  Time ships are often equipped with additional weapons, 
  defenses or cloaking devices beyond what is listed here.
  Time Ship 
  60 points
  Size: Colossal Strength: 16 Speed: 14 (air) Defense: 2 
  Toughness: 13 Features: Living Space, Navigation System 
  Powers: Immunity 10 (Life Support), Movement 3 (Time Travel), 
  Senses 5 (Extended Chronal Awareness, Acute, Analytical, Time 
  Sense)
  TIME PORTAL
  A time portal is a time machine that remains in one era, but 
  creates a portal or otherwise projects travelers through to 
  different destinations in time. A time portal might feature 
  a literal portal, like a gateway, arch, or glowing wormhole 
  through space-time, or it might be a transportation plat-
  form or chamber that transports anyone inside to their 
  destination time in a shimmer of light. Time portals either 
  create two-way “gates” where travelers have to return to 
  the gate’s location to travel back to the platform, or else 
  platforms have some means of tracking travelers in order 
  to “lock on” to them and transport them back. A time 
  portal might be incorporated into a headquarters, or 
  something characters find, such as an ancient network of 
  temporal portals created by unknown beings.
  Time Portal: Movement 3 (Time Travel), Portal • 15 points
  TEMPORAL PROJECTOR
  Rather than allowing a character to travel through time, 
  a temporal projector throws a subject’s conscious mind 
  through time to observe events. They may arrive in their 
  destination as a disembodied phantom—invisible, incor-
  poreal, and completely unable to influence events—or 
  they may “ride” in the mind of a person in the target era, 
  seeing and hearing everything their host experiences but 
  unable to influence them. A temporal projector may be an 
  early experiment in quantum communication, or it may 
  be a “responsible” time machine employed by academic 
  organizations to preserve the timeline.
  Temporal Projector: Senses 8 (Postcognition, Precognition)  
  • 8 points
  TIME INSTALLATIONS
  Headquarters and hideouts for time-travelers are often 
  shielded from changes to the timeline.
  Event Horizon 
  21 EP
  Size: Huge Toughness: 12 Features: Advantage (Chronal 
  Bulwark*), Combat Simulator, Communications, Computer, 
  Defense Systems, Hangar, Holding Cells, Infirmary, Laboratory, 
  Library, Living Space, Power System, Sealed, Security System, 
  Workshop Powers: Senses 6 (Precognition, Postcognition)
  Event Horizon is the headquarters of a small team of 
  Guardians, constructed outside the timeline with the 
  blessing of the Time-Keepers. While it lacks a temporal 
  portal, it includes a hangar and workshop for time ships 
  and its sensors can track events across the timeline.
  The Void Time Zone 
  17 EP
  Size: Awesome Toughness: 8 Features: Advantage (Chronal 
  Bulwark*), Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Sealed, 
  Secret, Temporal Limbo Powers: Immunity 3 (Aging, Disease, 
  Poison), Movement 3 (Dimensional 2 [mystic dimensions], 
  Time Travel 3; Portal)
  A massive, mystical dimension, the Void Time Zone was 
  built in a stable eddy of chronal energy outside the time-
  line by a reclusive order of temporal wizards. Its flow of 
  chronal energy is mystically regulated, protecting occu-
  pants from the ravages of age and other effects worsened 
  by the passage of time.
  HERO ARCHETYPES
  HERO ARCHETYPES
  Each of the following archetypes is set up as a major 
  player in time travel-related stories and campaigns. Even 
  the ones who lack any ability to travel through time 
  themselves owe their origins to time travel and tempo-
  ral meddling. Each is ready to play as a hero, or serve as 
  a time-hopping NPC or villain for your own heroes to run 
  into. Each archetype can be easily modified or adapted 
  by adjusting descriptions and backgrounds—turning 
  the Time-Lost Teenager into a Temporal Explorer or Time 
  Pirate, for example—or changing their focus by swapping 
  out skill points and advantages. Each archetype includes 
  a few suggested names and Complications for your con-
  venience, or feel free to invent your own.
  If the Gamemaster doesn't want heroes to control their 
  own time vehicle, simple replace an archetype's means of 
  time travel with appropriate powers, Advantages, or ad-
  ditional Skills.
  The archetypes on the following pages are presented in a 
  more detailed format than the villain archetypes later in 
  this book, making them easier for players to begin using 
  them right away.
  272727
   
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
   
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  
  Human “science” insists dinosaurs had tiny brains, but 
  human science never dragged a raptor egg through the 
  time-stream and into the 21st century. Or rather it did. 
  Once. And now the Hyperintelligent Dinosaur commands 
  incredible mental acuity, enough to put the average 
  human to shame even before you factor in the second 
  brain in their tail, the armor-like scales, and the flesh-
  rending claws!
  The Hyperintelligent Dinosaur is trapped between two 
  worlds: The modern world into which they were born and 
  the ancient world where their ancestors ruled. They can’t 
  survive entirely in either, and so they travel and explore 
  and learn what it means to be sapient. While brilliant 
  enough to solve their problems with science, their lean, 
  predator’s body also makes them an equal for physical 
  dangers.
  The Hyperintelligent Dinosaur may be a hitchhiker—ac-
  cidentally brought to the future by explorers—or a de-
  liberate scientific experiment to make a versatile time 
  traveler. By default, the text assumes they are a deinony-
  chus or utahraptor—roughly human-sized or smaller and 
  already clever before the ambiguous evolutionary powers 
  of chronal energy granted them sentience. You can create 
  different types of Hyperintelligent Dinosaurs by changing 
  around some of their animal powers, such as exchanging 
  Speed for Growth to represent a triceratops, or adding 
  simple gliding for microraptors.
  PLAYING THE  
  HYPERINTELLIGENT DINOSAUR
  Even among the weirdoes, you still stick out. The humans 
  think they’re so neat with their “hair” and their “history,” 
  and even the aliens you’ve met have families and cultures. 
  But you’re on your own—a culture of one. Everyone else 
  like you died 65 million years ago, and even then they 
  only looked like you. None of your dinosaur cousins could 
  hack the Pentagon or groove to sick jams. So for now 
  you’re traveling around, having adventures and fight-
  ing evil, and hopefully along the way you’ll figure out 
  where you’re supposed to be. It’s not like you can 
  go deliver pizzas or get your MBA.
  You’re very much a jack-of-all-trades—as 
  brilliant as any human scientist, but also 
  with vicious claws and teeth and legs that 
  can run down a buffalo. In a fight you can 
  dominate most humans, but sometimes 
  it’s fun to be scary, keeping foes paralyzed 
  with fear thanks to your Fascinate Ad-
  vantage. But you also have a keen mind 
  and can recall all kinds of great minutiae 
  that comes in handy via your Jack-of-All-
  Trades and Eidetic Memory Advantages. 
  Sometimes it’s tough being alone, but 
  being awesome at everything makes it a 
  lot easier.
  Pick a few things about modern human 
  culture that you really bond with—literature, 
  video games, internet videos—and a few things 
  about dinosaurs that feel personal to you. 
  These help flesh out what the two halves 
  of your personality—the modern geek 
  and the ancient predator—mean to you. Pick 
  a member of your team who you feel comfort-
  able confiding in as well, for those late-night heart-
  to-hearts where you try to understand what being 
  sentient means and what you should do with it. You 
  might also consider what you'll do after adventuring 
  and if you can find a place to fit in, or if you're commit-
  ted to the wandering lifestyle forever.
  HYPERINTELLIGENT 
  HYPERINTELLIGENT 
  DINOSAUR
  DINOSAUR
  “OH SURE, I'M CLEVER. BUT IS THAT  
  REALLY ENOUGH?”
  282828
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  
  REAL NAME 
  AGE 
  HAIR
  OCCUPATION 
  PLACE OF ORIGIN
  Suggested Names: Bee-Cee, Clevergirl, Dino-Fright, Dr. Jurassic, Scree, 
  Subject #82147, Sue
  Defenses
  Combat
  STR
  STA
  AGL
  DEX
  FGT
  INT
  AWE
  PRE
  3
  4
  5
  0
  5
  6
  4
  0
  Close 
  Damage
  Toughness 
  Defense, 
  Fortitude 
  Defense
  Dodge 
  Defense, 
  Initiative 
  Bonus
  Ranged 
  Attack 
  Checks
  Close Attack 
  Checks,  
  Parry 
  Defense
  Intelligence 
  Checks
  Will 
  Defense
  Presence 
  Checks
  Hyperintelligent Dinosaur 
  PL 8
  Hyperintelligent Dinosaur 
  PL 8
  Skills
  Skill 
  Ranks Bonus
  Acrobatics 
  0 
  +5
  Athletics 
  4 
  +7
  Close Combat: Claws 
  5 
  +10
  Deception 
  0 
  +0
  Expertise: Science 
  5 
  +11
  Intimidation 
  8 
  +8
  Insight 
  0 
  +4
  Perception 
  4 
  +8
  Persuasion 
  0 
  +0
  Stealth 
  4 
  +9
  Technology 
  10 
  +16
  Treatment 
  4 
  +10
  Advantages
  Advantage 
  Details
  All-Out Attack 
  Trade Active Defense for Attack Bonus
  Eidetic Memory 
  Total recall, +5 bonus to remember details
  Evasion  
  +2 bonus to avoid area attacks
  Fascinate (Intimidate) 
  Use a skill check to Entrance a target
  Improved Critical (Claw) 
  Critical threat with claw attacks on a 19–20
  Improved Initiative 
  +4 Initiative
  Inventor 
  Use Technology skill to create temporary devices
  Jack-of-All-Trades 
  Use any skill untrained
  Move-by Acton 
  Move both before and after a Standard action
  Redirect 
  Redirect a missed attack to another target with Deception
  Precise Attack 
  Ignore attack penalties (close, cover)
  Startle 
  Use Intimidation skill to feint
  Uncanny Dodge 
  Not vulnerable when surprised or off-guard
  Potential Complications
  Motivation—Acceptance: You’ll never 
  really have a real family of your own; 
  other dinosaurs are too stupid and 
  humans are too boring. So you try to 
  piece together your own family from 
  other weirdoes.
  Addiction—Chronal Energy: Your body 
  needs chronal energy to maintain your 
  evolution. If you stop time traveling, your 
  Intellect degrades at a rate of 1 power 
  point a week until you become just 
  another animal.
  Carnivore: You can only eat meat—
  the fresher, the better.
  It’s a Dinosaur!: You are clearly a 
  dinosaur, and terrify 90% of the 
  population. In other time periods you 
  may be mistaken for a mutant, alien, or 
  mythical creature, but you are clearly 
  never human.
  Attack 
  Bonus 
  Targets 
  Effect 
  Save
  Claws 
  +10 
  Parry 
  Close Damage 5 
  DC 20
  Unarmed 
  +5 
  Parry 
  Close Damage 3 
  DC 18
  Initiative
  +9
  Toughness
  6
  Dodge
  10
  Parry
  10
  Fortitide
  7
  Will
  6
  Abilities 54 + Powers 17 + Advantages 12 + Skills 22 (44 ranks) + Defenses 15 = 120 TOTAL
  Damage: 
  Dazed? 
  Staggered? 
  Incapacitated?
  Powers
  Raptor • Personal • Permanent • 17 points 
  Biology
  Claw and Fang: Strength-Based Damage 2
  Keen Senses: Senses 6 (Acute Analytical Smell, Danger Sense, Dark Vision, Tracking)
  Raptor Speed: Leaping 3 (60 feet), Speed 4 (30 MPH)
  Tough Scales: Protection 2
  292929
   
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
   
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  
  Time travel is a curiosity for most, but a daily reality for 
  the advanced civilization the Quantum Alien calls home. 
  Crops can be grown in moments, aging halted, past mys-
  teries resolved, and travel times rendered meaningless, 
  leaving an entire species free to pursue personal and phil-
  osophical perfection—and condescend to species that 
  lack their extensive technology. 
  While the ability to travel through time is the most note-
  worthy achievement of the Quantum Alien’s people, they 
  are also effectively immortal and can pluck alternate 
  versions of themselves from undeveloped timelines to 
  survive even total destruction. Their long life also leaves 
  plenty of time to study , but something special about the 
  Quantum Alien sets them apart from their own people—
  something a little more excited and charitable. The other 
  peoples of the galaxy have so many exciting experiences 
  and stories as they make do without the godlike power 
  the Quantum Alien once took for granted, and there’s 
  plenty to admire there.
  The default Quantum Alien is human-looking and pos-
  sesses an advanced time machine, but variations may 
  have an inborn ability to travel through time and even 
  bring others with them, or command unique magic that 
  lets them skip through time as some mages skip through 
  space. These temporal natives may hail from a city or 
  island suspended in the time-stream, or from a pocket of 
  “null time” outside normal causality, leaving them safe no 
  matter what changes are made to history. 
  PLAYING THE QUANTUM ALIEN
  Why would anyone stay on one little city outside of time 
  when you have everything that ever was to explore! The 
  future and space and Earth with all its clever little humans. 
  Have you seen humans? So clever and resourceful, with 
  their brioche and their kabuki and their renaissances. So 
  many renaissances! And you're out to see all of them, 
  ideally with good company for the trip. Your traveling 
  companions are a fun lot. Such diverse skills and interests 
  and life experiences. Each one an individual, unique in the 
  whole universe.
  There is so much to see and experience in the universe 
  that you can’t possibly stay tucked in safely at home. 
  You only have a half-dozen or so centuries to see it all, 
  but thankfully you have a time machine to help you get 
  where and when you need to be, not to mention a trusty 
  quantum spanner, the all-purpose tool and scanner ubiq-
  uitous on your homeworld. You’re not necessarily great in 
  a fight—in fact you’re terrible in a fight unless you’re using 
  your Inspire and Leadership Advantages to cheer others 
  on—but that’s fine, because you’re looking for friends, not 
  enemies. You just happen to keep making enemies wher-
  ever you go because, well... someone needs to step in and 
  help when things get ugly, and you’re already there. Don’t 
  be afraid to lean into your Complications; you’ll need as 
  many Hero Points as you can get when the climax arrives 
  and you’re ready to solve the problem through a combi-
  nation of technological know-how, passionate speeches, 
  and a little re-writing of history thanks to the the Edit 
  Scene function.
  Think about what your homeworld was like and what 
  about it inspired you to start exploring the universe. Was it 
  boring? Authoritarian? Were you just the least evolved of 
  your people and needed to escape their paternalism? Also 
  consider if your Rejuvenation power changes your ap-
  pearance or personality, and who you might have already 
  been before the campaign began.
  QUANTUM ALIEN
  QUANTUM ALIEN
  “I can explain the delicacies of Chronozoid 
  diplomacy later, but right now: Run!”
  303030
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  
  Defenses
  Combat
  STR
  STA
  AGL
  DEX
  FGT
  INT
  AWE
  PRE
  0
  2
  3
  1
  0
  9
  6
  4
  Close 
  Damage
  Toughness 
  Defense, 
  Fortitude 
  Defense
  Dodge 
  Defense, 
  Initiative 
  Bonus
  Ranged 
  Attack 
  Checks
  Close Attack 
  Checks,  
  Parry 
  Defense
  Intelligence 
  Checks
  Will 
  Defense
  Presence 
  Checks
  Quantum Alien 
  PL 12
  Quantum Alien 
  PL 12
  REAL NAME 
  AGE 
  HAIR
  OCCUPATION 
  PLACE OF ORIGIN
  Skills
  Skill 
  Ranks Bonus
  Athletics 
  4 
  +4
  Close Combat: Spanner 
  8 
  +8
  Deception 
  7 
  +11
  Expertise: History 
  10 
  +19
  Expertise: Science 
  12 
  +21
  Intimidation 
  0 
  +4
  Insight 
  5 
  +11
  Perception 
  2 
  +8
  Persuasion 
  8 
  +12
  Stealth 
  2 
  +5
  Technology 
  8 
  +17
  Treatment 
  4 
  +13
  Vehicles 
  4 
  +5
  Advantages
  Advantage 
  Details
  Attractive 
  Situational +2 bonus on Deception and Persuasion skills
  Beginner’s Luck 
  Spend a Hero Point to gain 5 temporary ranks in a skill
  Benefit 
  Cipher
  Chronal Memory* 
  Remember your original past and alternate timelines
  Defensive Roll 4 
  +4 active bonus to Toughness
  Equipment 2 
  10 points of equipment
  Extraordinary Effort 
  Gain two benefits when using Extra Effort
  Fascinate (Expertise: History) Use a skill check to Entrance a target
  Improved Initiative 
  +4 Initiative
  Inspire 5 
  Spend a Hero Point to grant all allies a +4 bonus
  Leadership 
  Spend a Hero Point to remove a condition from an ally
  Seize Initiative 
  Spend a Hero Point to go first in initiative order
  Well-Informed 
  Immediate Investigation or Perception check
  Potential Complications
  Motivation—Curiosity: The need to 
  explore and discover burns inside you; 
  it’s almost an addiction sometimes.
  Almost Got It: Even after years of 
  practice, you can never quite land a 
  time jump exactly where and when 
  you want to, setting down in strange 
  or dangerous locations or missing 
  your destination by a few years.
  Hunted: It’s only your time machine 
  inasmuch as possession is nine-tenths 
  of the law, and the previous owner 
  would like their expensive equipment 
  back.
  Pacifist: You believe that somewhere 
  in every sentient creature is some 
  basic decency and right to exist, and 
  you loathe harming or killing them 
  over temporary disagreements.
  Attack 
  Bonus 
  Targets 
  Effect 
  Save
  Quantum Spanner 
  +8 
  Parry 
  Close Nullify 12 
  DC 22
  Unarmed 
  +0 
  Parry 
  Close Damage 0 
  DC 15
  Initiative
  +7
  Toughness
  9
  5 w/o Defensive Roll
  Dodge
  14
  Parry
  10
  Fortitide
  12
  Will
  12
  Abilities 50 + Powers 39 + Advantages 21 + Skills 37 (74 ranks) + Defenses 33 = 180 TOTAL
  Suggested Names: The Corsair, Inspector Continuum, Lord Convergent, 
  Professor When, Rufus,  Timeslider
  Damage: 
  Dazed? 
  Staggered? 
  Incapacitated?
  Powers
  Quantum Spanner • Easily Removable • Sustained • 10 points 
  Tech
  Multitool: Enhanced Advantage 2 (Assessment, Improvised Tools)
  Universal Remote: Close Nullify Technology 12 (Broad)
  Scanner: Senses 4 (Acute Analytical Ranged Detect Technology)
  Redundant Organs • Personal • Permanent • 9 points 
  Biology
  Enhanced Fortitude 4
  Immunity 4 (Aging, Critical Hits, Disease, Poison; Limited to Half Effect)
  Protection 3
  Rejuvenation • Personal • Permanent • 20 points 
  Quantum
  Immortality 10 (Return After 1 Hour)
  Equipment
  Time Capsule 
  Size: Huge Strength: 8 Speed: — Defense: 6 Toughness: 9 Powers: Movement 3 
  (Time Travel) Features Dual Size, Living Quarters
  313131
   
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
   
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  
  In a fantastic future where technology and science help 
  everyone become their best selves, the Temporal Tourist 
  was still a loser. Trapped in a tedious job and dreaming 
  of being something better, they stole away with outdated 
  technology and hopped back in time to a more chaotic 
  era of heroes and villains. But life is hard no matter when 
  you live it. While equipped with fantastic (at least by 
  modern standards) technology and a keening robotic 
  personal assistant to remind everyone how great they are, 
  the Temporal Tourist is still just an insecure soul playing a 
  part. Only experience will decide if they can be a real hero.
  The Temporal Tourist doesn’t have their own access to a 
  time machine—you should determine how and why they 
  jumped back in time. But their brief experience seems to 
  make them a magnet for chronological weirdness and vil-
  lains. Their personal life is likewise askew; customs and 
  current events diverge wildly from what they expect, 
  alienating them from those few people their ego doesn’t.
  The Temporal Tourist could also hail from the past—a lost 
  civilization like Lemuria or Akakur—who jumped forward 
  in time to avoid disaster and wields lost technology. By 
  adjusting their Complications and personality, you can 
  also make the Tourist a Temporal Fugitive who escaped 
  the law in their own time and has become a hero in ours.
  PLAYING THE TEMPORAL TOURIST
  Is it so wrong to want a little more credit for all your hard 
  work? You ditched your dead-end job in the 
  future, risked it all to break into a museum and 
  steal some cool antiques, and traveled back in time 
  to where those cute little gadgets seem like super-
  powers, all to help people! You help yourself, too, 
  obviously. You’re not a sucker. Your hard work 
  should be acknowledged with a parade and 
  maybe a pyramid, or whatever they build in 
  this century.
  You’ve got all the major superhero powers checked 
  off: super strength, laser beams, flight, force field. And you 
  can dish out a thorough beating thanks to all the hours 
  you spent boxing in virtua-gym! Would a “thank you for 
  being the best superhero ever” be too much to ask? You 
  can even use your force field belt to protect others... when 
  you remember. At least you’ve got Herb, the enthusiastic 
  robot buddy you brought from the future. He’s not really 
  much more than an upbeat smartphone, but at least he 
  knows a little bit about the past and how to fix your gear.
  You’re maybe not the most selfless hero in town, and 
  that’s fine. But you’re not a jerk, either. Just a perpetual 
  loser who wants a little attention and praise. Something 
  drives you to be a hero and not a villain now that you’re 
  relatively consequence free. Think about what motivates 
  you besides glory and profit; will you risk it all for animals 
  in distress? Do you have a weakness for dudes with big, 
  green eyes? Maybe deep down, you just want to feel 
  worthy of all the praise Herb heaps on you.
  TEMPORAL TOURIST
  TEMPORAL TOURIST
  “What's in a 'latte'? Coffee?! You mean 
  coffee's not extinct yet?! Awesome!”
  Enthusiastic Robot Buddy (Sidekick) 
  PL 5
  STR –5, STA —, AGL 0, DEX –2, FGT –2, INT 0, AWE 0, PRE –3
  Powers: Flight 5 (60 MPH), Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects), 
  Protection 5, Shrinking 4 (Permanent, Innate). 
  Advantages: Inspire, Interpose. 
  Skills: Expertise: History 6 (+6), Insight 6 (+6), Investigation 6 
  (+6), Stealth 2 (+6), Technology 6 (+6). 
  Offense: Init +0, Ineffective Bash –2 (Close, Damage –5). 
  Defense: Dodge 5, Parry 0, Fort Immune, Tou 5, Will 0. 
  Totals: Abilities -32 + Powers 54 + Advantages 2 + Skills 13 
  (26 ranks) + Defenses 3 = 40
  Complications: Obsessed with you, Adorable little robot, Has 
  no arms.
  323232
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  
  Defenses
  Combat
  STR
  STA
  AGL
  DEX
  FGT
  INT
  AWE
  PRE
  9/-1
  -1
  0
  2
  -1
  0
  1
  3
  Close 
  Damage
  Toughness 
  Defense, 
  Fortitude 
  Defense
  Dodge 
  Defense, 
  Initiative 
  Bonus
  Ranged 
  Attack 
  Checks
  Close Attack 
  Checks,  
  Parry 
  Defense
  Intelligence 
  Checks
  Will 
  Defense
  Presence 
  Checks
  Temporal Tourist 
  PL 10
  Temporal Tourist 
  PL 10
  REAL NAME 
  AGE 
  HAIR
  OCCUPATION 
  PLACE OF ORIGIN
  Skills
  Skill 
  Ranks Bonus
  Athletics 
  1 
  +0/10
  Close Combat: Unarmed 
  9 
  +8
  Deception 
  8 
  +11
  Expertise: History 
  2 
  +2
  Intimidation 
  0 
  +3
  Insight 
  0 
  +1
  Perception 
  0 
  +1
  Persuasion 
  10 
  +13
  Ranged Combat: Blasters 
  8 
  +10
  Stealth 
  2 
  +2
  Technology 
  2 
  +2
  Advantages
  Advantage 
  Details
  All-Out Attack 
  Trade Active Defense for Attack Bonus
  Beginner’s Luck 
  Spend a Hero Point to gain 5 temporary ranks in a skill
  Luck 2 
  Re-roll 2 dice
  Sidekick 8 
  40-point sidekick
  Ultimate Effort (Will) 
  Spend a Hero Point to automatically roll a 20
  Potential Complications
  Motivation—Fame: You spent your 
  whole life as a nobody. Now you want 
  to be somebody!
  Malfunctions: You have a lot of high-
  tech gear but little in the way of high-
  tech skills, so keeping it all running is 
  a challenge.
  Stranger: You know Earth as it will be 
  a few centuries from now, with the AI 
  assistants and beach-front tropical 
  resorts in Antarctica. You would’ve 
  paid more attention in history class if 
  you knew you’d be spending so much 
  time here.
  Technically a Criminal: All your fantastic 
  gear consists of stolen goods, but since 
  you won’t have stolen them for a few 
  hundred years it’s probably okay, right? 
  Who would possibly come looking for 
  them, anyway?
  Unappreciated: Somehow the general 
  public can read you as a loser.
  Attack 
  Bonus 
  Targets 
  Effect 
  Save
  Blast 
  +10 
  Dodge 
  Ranged Damage 10 
  DC 25
  Unarmed 
  +8 
  Parry 
  Close Damage 9 
  DC 24
  Initiative
  +0
  Toughness
  13
  -1 w/o Force Field
  Dodge
  7
  Parry
  6
  Fortitide
  7
  Will
  7
  Totals: Abilities 6 + Powers 82 + Advantages 13 + Skills 21 (41 ranks) + Defenses 28 = 150 TOTAL
  Suggested Names: Breach, Fantastic, Flash Forward, Goldstar, Hashtag 
  Maria Tomorrow, Trending
  Damage: 
  Dazed? 
  Staggered? 
  Incapacitated?
  Powers
  Bio-Enhancing Suit • Removable • Array (20 points) • Sustained • 17 points 
  Tech
  • Enhanced Strength 10
  • Ranged Damage 10
  Forcefield Belt • Removable • Sustained • 42 points 
  Tech
  Immunity 10 (Life Support)
  Protection 14 (Affects Others, Impervious)
  Graviton Boots • Removable • Sustained • 13 points 
  Tech
  Flight 8 (500 MPH)
  Omni-Goggles • Removable • Sustained • 13 points 
  Tech
  Senses 13 (Analytical Vision, Darkvision, Direction Sense, Infravision, Microscopic 
  Vision, Vision Penetrates Concealment, Tracking, Ultravision)
  333333
   
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
   
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  
  Any technology that exists has the potential for abuse, 
  and a technology that can re-write entire planets can be 
  abused horrifically. So enforcement agencies and private 
  individuals work to hunt down anyone who would disrupt 
  the approved flow of time. The Time Warden is an officer 
  of temporal law, investigating changes to 
  the time-stream and working to restore 
  the true order of events: past, present, and 
  future.
  In addition to investigative skills, the Time Warden is 
  shielded against changes to the timeline, allowing them 
  to set things right even after criminals alter history. Their 
  weaponry can briefly knock targets out of time—slowing 
  or freezing them in place—or blast them with nonlethal 
  bolts of concussive force. Most critically, the Time Warden 
  is entrusted by their sponsor with a time machine to track 
  down villains and anomalies.
  With only minor changes to their description, a Time 
  Warden could easily become a Time Scoundrel, hopping 
  from decade to decade to steal the world’s greatest 
  missing treasures and seduce history’s greatest lovers. 
  Changing out their weaponry for more traditional pistols 
  and swords and their skills for more active choices may 
  instead make for a swashbuckling Time Pirate, who sails 
  the time-stream to hijack other time machines and stay 
  one step ahead of the authorities, forever searching for 
  lost islands in time and whatever valuables they hold.
  PLAYING THE TIME WARDEN
  Time travel is perhaps the greatest tool humanity has 
  ever conceived of, but like any tool it can be abused and 
  corrupted. You’ve seen some sick abuses of the timeline 
  in your day: people who used time travel to change the 
  victors' outcomes in war, who set themselves up as kings, 
  who wipe their enemies out of existence like some people 
  wipe their exes out of their social media. And a billion lives 
  get upended every time. With the agency behind you, 
  you stand between greedy, selfish bastards and every 
  human being that’s ever lived or died. And maybe once in 
  a while—when the boss isn't looking—you can make the 
  past a little better, at least for a few people.
  You are equal parts detective and bounty hunter, patrol-
  ling time and space for mis-use of time travel and chrono-
  logical technology. While most people see the armor and 
  the weapon, your wits are every bit as important when it 
  comes to tracking down criminals and finding when and 
  how causality went off the rails. You can read people as 
  well as you read crime scenes, and thanks to your Well-
  Informed Advantage you always know a little bit about 
  any major players in the time-stream you encounter. 
  Your weapon—a standard-issue chronal sink pistol—can 
  freeze targets in a moment, but its ability to halt things 
  in motion makes it a handy tool for problem solving as 
  often as it makes a useful weapon. But your biggest ad-
  vantage—and your baby—is your time ship, a space-age 
  vessel capable of taking you across the solar system or 
  into the time-stream to pursue your quarry.
  You aren’t a lone hero in your struggle. For all the freedom 
  you enjoy, you still answer to a higher authority: the 
  agency that provides you with the training and the tech 
  that sets you apart. Think about how the agency operates 
  and who you know within it. Are you on good terms with 
  your superiors, or are you a problem case—too much of a 
  loose cannon or a bleeding heart who has to make things 
  better than they’re supposed to be—constantly on the 
  edge of losing your job? And if you do lose your position, 
  will you surrender your power willingly, or go rogue, loyal 
  only to the mission?
  TIME WARDEN
  TIME WARDEN
  “No one drops a mammoth in Victorian 
  London on my watch, scuzball.”
  343434
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  
  Defenses
  Combat
  STR
  STA
  AGL
  DEX
  FGT
  INT
  AWE
  PRE
  3
  3
  3
  4
  5
  2
  4
  1
  Close 
  Damage
  Toughness 
  Defense, 
  Fortitude 
  Defense
  Dodge 
  Defense, 
  Initiative 
  Bonus
  Ranged 
  Attack 
  Checks
  Close Attack 
  Checks,  
  Parry 
  Defense
  Intelligence 
  Checks
  Will 
  Defense
  Presence 
  Checks
  Time Warden 
  PL 10
  Time Warden 
  PL 10
  REAL NAME 
  AGE 
  HAIR
  OCCUPATION 
  PLACE OF ORIGIN
  Skills
  Skill 
  Ranks Bonus
  Athletics 
  3 
  +6
  Close Combat: Unarmed 
  5 
  +10
  Deception 
  0 
  +1
  Expertise: Temporal Law 
  8 
  +10
  Intimidation 
  0 
  +1
  Insight 
  2 
  +6
  Investigation 
  12 
  +14
  Perception 
  6 
  +10
  Persuasion 
  4 
  +5
  Ranged Combat: Pistols 
  10 
  +14
  Stealth 
  4 
  +7
  Technology 
  4 
  +6
  Vehicles 
  6 
  +10
  Advantages
  Advantage 
  Details
  Attractive 
  Situational +2 bonus on Deception and Persuasion skills
  Benefit 
  Temporal Authority
  Chronal Bulwark*` 
  Insulated against changes in the timeline
  Defensive Attack 
  Trade Attack Bonus for Active Defense
  Equipment 14 
  70 points of equipment
  Fearless 
  Immune to fear effects
  Improved Critical (Pistol) 
  Critical threat with pistol attacks on a 19–20
  Improved Disarm 
  No penalty on Disarm actions
  Inspire 2 
  Spend a Hero Point to grant all allies a +2 bonus
  Languages 2 
  Speak 2 additional languages
  Leadership 
  Spend a Hero Point to remove a condition from an ally
  Socially Adaptable* 
  Adapt to new time periods quickly
  Well-Informed 
  Immediate Investigation or Perception check
  Potential Complications
  Motivation—Justice: Someone close 
  to you was wiped away from causality 
  by a temporal rogue, leaving only 
  you to mourn them. You can’t let that 
  happen to anyone else.
  Motivation—Responsibility: 
  Time 
  travel is an amazing tool that could 
  improve human civilization, but it 
  is also a heavy burden that you feel 
  obligated to safeguard.
  Honor: You’re entrusted with a time 
  machine because of your high morals, 
  and conducting yourself according 
  to set codes of honor and integrity 
  is important both professionally and 
  personally.
  Temporal Treaties: Multiple time 
  enforcement agencies may compete 
  and overlap, leaving some places and 
  eras outside your “jurisdiction.”
  Attack 
  Bonus Targets 
  Effect 
  Save
  Chronal Sink Pistol (Freeze) +14 
  Dodge 
  Ranged Affliction 5 
  DC 15
  Chronal Sink Pistol (Blast) 
  +14 
  Dodge 
  Ranged Damage 5 
  DC 20
  Unarmed 
  +10 
  Parry 
  Close Damage 3 
  DC 18
  Initiative
  +3
  Toughness
  8
  3 w/o armor
  Dodge
  12
  Parry
  12
  Fortitide
  8
  Will
  9
  Abilities 50 + Powers 14 + Advantages 28 + Skills 32 (64 ranks) + Defenses 26 = 150 TOTAL
  Suggested Names: Captain Chrono, Enforcer, Temporal Agent Donna Stone, 
  Inspector Timespace, Warden
  Damage: 
  Dazed? 
  Staggered? 
  Incapacitated?
  Powers
  Chronal Sink Pistol • Easily Removable • Instant • 14 points 
  Tech
  Freeze: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 5 (Resisted and Overcome by Fortitude; 
  Hindered, Stunned, Paralyzed; Feature [Paralyzed targets are frozen in space)
  • AE: Blast: Ranged Damage 5
  Equipment
  Polyweave Armor (Protection 5, Subtle), Time Comm (Senses 2 [Communication  
  Link, Time Sense; Dimensional—headquarters)
  Time Ship 
  Size: Colossal, Strength: 15 Speed: 10 (Air) Defense: 10 Toughness: 13 
  Powers: Cloaking Device Concealment 4 (All visual senses), Immunity 10 (Life 
  Support), Movement 4 (Space Flight 1, Time Travel 3) Features: Alarm (DC 20), 
  Living Space, Navigation System, Remote Control
  353535
   
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
   
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  
  The 1980s were a strange decade, when ordinary Ameri-
  can teenagers found themselves randomly stumbling 
  across time machines carelessly discarded by other travel-
  ers or created and ignored by the era’s abundant super-
  scientists. The Time-Lost Teenager has no real understand-
  ing of quantum physics or causality and thinks a paradox 
  comes from that radical shoe store at the mall, but they’ve 
  got a time machine and a youthful sense of invulnerabil-
  ity, and they’re pushing both to the limit! While most time 
  travelers know at least a little about history, the Time-Lost 
  Teen is an accidental visitor and knows more about music 
  and pop culture, relying on wacky schemes and dumb 
  luck to solve problems and get back home.
  The Time-Lost Teen is often an accidental hero, trapped 
  outside their own era by strange circumstances and strug-
  gling to return home. They may be “unfixed” in time and 
  bouncing around randomly or may have access to a time 
  machine they must repair, refuel, or otherwise can’t reli-
  ably operate.
  Not all time-traveling teenagers are lost. Some may be 
  sidekicks to other time travelers, or even gifted a time 
  machine by a mysterious entity from the future trying to 
  arrange an ideal timeline. They may also hale from an era 
  other than the 1980s, adjusting their aesthetic and slang 
  appropriately, though they usually retain their freewheel-
  ing attitude, social skills, and awkward confidence.
  PLAYING THE TIME-LOST TEENAGER
  You’re not a superhero. You’re not a trained expert. You’re 
  not even passing algebra. But here you are in the 1960s 
  with a dodo bird and some fancy chick calling herself Ada 
  Lovelace, and you’re not sure why, but you do 
  know this will get you an A on that history 
  paper you have due tomorrow... or in twenty 
  years. As complicated as it's made your life, 
  time travel is cool, but also kinda heavy. If you 
  do the wrong thing, or talk to the wrong people, 
  maybe just stand in the wrong place at the wrong 
  time, that’s it. You stop your parents from meeting and 
  you’re never born, or you stop America from winning 
  the Revolution. That’s a lot of pressure for someone who’s 
  only got a learner’s permit.
  Weird plans and sitcom-esque schemes are your stock and 
  trade. While you can grab just about anything as a make-
  shift weapon, you’re more a lover than a fighter. Luckily 
  you’ve got teenage passion on your side, along with cha-
  risma, confidence, and a whole lot of luck! Your smart 
  mouth can talk your way out of almost as many situations 
  as it lands you in, and you know who to call on to get just 
  the right favor. And no matter what the decade, teenagers 
  know and support their own, so other kids tend to be your 
  go-to wherever you end up. You also have a handy array 
  of cutting edge 1980’s technology consumer electronics 
  to break out in a pinch... plus a little bit of personal hover 
  technology you borrowed on a trip to the future.
  As a likeable teen, your social life helps define you, and 
  somehow it always manages to follow you through time, 
  whether it’s the great-great-great-grandfather of your 
  bully making your life hell in revolutionary France or your 
  amazing girlfriend tagging along on your latest trip to 
  court of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Don’t be shy about filling 
  out your life with names and quick descriptions of friends, 
  rivals, crushes, teachers, and bystanders the Gamemaster 
  can use.
  You should decide what decade you hail from and pepper 
  in the appropriate slang and sounds of disgust.
  TIME-LOST TEENAGER
  TIME-LOST TEENAGER
  “But aren't we all, like, totally a 
  Socrates deep down inside?”
  363636
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  
  Defenses
  Combat
  STR
  STA
  AGL
  DEX
  FGT
  INT
  AWE
  PRE
  1
  2
  3
  2
  2
  0
  2
  4
  Close 
  Damage
  Toughness 
  Defense, 
  Fortitude 
  Defense
  Dodge 
  Defense, 
  Initiative 
  Bonus
  Ranged 
  Attack 
  Checks
  Close Attack 
  Checks,  
  Parry 
  Defense
  Intelligence 
  Checks
  Will 
  Defense
  Presence 
  Checks
  Time-Lost Teenager 
  PL 8
  Time-Lost Teenager 
  PL 8
  REAL NAME 
  AGE 
  HAIR
  OCCUPATION 
  PLACE OF ORIGIN
  Skills
  Skill 
  Ranks Bonus
  Athletics 
  4 
  +5
  Close Combat: Improvised 6 
  +8
  Deception 
  8 
  +12
  Expertise: Music (PRE) 
  8 
  +12
  Expertise: Pop Culture 
  6 
  +6
  Intimidation 
  0 
  +4
  Insight 
  6 
  +8
  Investigation 
  2 
  +2
  Perception 
  4 
  +6
  Persuasion 
  6 
  +10
  Ranged Combat: Thrown 
  4 
  +6
  Sleight of Hand 
  6 
  +8
  Stealth 
  6 
  +9
  Vehicles 
  6 
  +8
  Advantages
  Advantage 
  Details
  All-Out Attack 
  Trade Active Defense for Attack Bonus
  Animal Empathy 
  Use interactions skills normally with animals
  Beginner’s Luck 
  Spend a Hero Point to gain 5 temporary ranks in a skill
  Connected 
  Call in favors with a Persuasion check
  Cool 2** 
  +5 bonus to Expertise (music) & Persuasion with teens
  Defensive Roll 4 
  +4 active bonus to Toughness
  Equipment 
  5 points of equipment
  Evasion 
  +2 bonus to avoid area attacks
  Fascinate 
  Use a Deception check to Entrance a target
  Improvised Weapon 
  +1 Damage bonus with improvised weapons
  Jack-of-All-Trades 
  Use any skill untrained
  Luck 4 
  Re-roll 4 dice
  Socially Adaptable* 
  Adapt to new time periods quickly
  Taunt 
  Use Deception skill to demoralize
  Throwing Mastery 
  +1 Damage bonus with thrown weapons
  Ultimate Effort (Music) 
  Spend a Hero Point to automatically roll a 20
  Potential Complications
  Motivation—Thrills: Time travel is, 
  like, totally bitchin’!
  Enemy: You have some obnoxious 
  figure in your daily life who seems to 
  have an ancestor or descendant in 
  every time period you visit—and they 
  all hate you.
  Slacker: It’s not that you’re lazy; you 
  just have priorities that don’t involve 
  school, work, or saving the world.
  Stuck Again: Time machines never 
  work quite right for you, always 
  breaking down or being stolen shortly 
  after you arrive in a new era and 
  forcing you to repair, re-power, or 
  retrieve it before you can jump again.
  Attack 
  Bonus 
  Targets 
  Effect 
  Save
  Improvised Weapon 
  +8 
  Parry 
  Close Damage 2 
  DC 17
  Thrown Object 
  +6 
  Dodge 
  Ranged Damage 2 
  DC 17
  Unarmed 
  +2 
  Parry 
  Close Damage 1 
  DC 16
  Initiative
  +3
  Toughness
  6
  2 w/o Defensive Roll
  Dodge
  10
  Parry
  9
  Fortitide
  7
  Will
  9
  Abilities 32 + Powers 3 + Advantages 23 + Skills 36 (72 ranks) + Defenses 26 = 120 TOTAL
  Suggested Names: Bill “William” Reeves, Jennifer J. Fox, Michael Parker, 
  Peggy Sue Beckett, Teddy Bodell
  Damage: 
  Dazed? 
  Staggered? 
  Incapacitated?
  Powers
  Hoverskates • Removable • Sustained • 3 points 
  Tech
  Flight 2 (8 MPH)
  Equipment
  Binoculars, Disguise Kit, Flashlight, Musical Instrument, Walkman
  373737
   
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
   
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  
  The justifications, the weapons, the tactics, those all 
  change. But war never seems to. War in the future is waged 
  on a scale modern humans can’t imagine, against despots 
  who wield genes or planets or time itself as a weapon. 
  The Warrior from a Grim Future fought a losing battle and 
  escaped back in time in a desperate bid to prevent the 
  apocalypse they’ve already witnessed. But with the shape 
  the world they left was in, little history survived, even if 
  they had any time to study it, and so they must scrabble to 
  survive in their new home and piece together what future 
  events will ultimately lead to tragedy.
  The Warrior from a Grim Future wields weapons far more 
  advanced than anything in the modern world, but all 
  of it abused and kitbashed after years of guerrilla fight-
  ing. Their body is likewise a patchwork of old and new 
  parts stitched together after injuries. But their greatest 
  weapons are their determination and skills, which kept 
  them alive when nothing else could.
  The Warrior from a Grim Future could just as easily hail 
  from the past—perhaps a dying soldier from a historic 
  empire rescued by aliens and returned decades or centu-
  ries later, or an ancient warrior rebuilt with golem parts 
  by a bygone wizard. They may also be a modern person 
  outfitted with weapons and technology by whatever or-
  ganization wants them to explore time, or who rebuilt 
  them after a time machine malfunction. With some ad-
  justments to their powers, the Warrior from a Grim Future 
  may even be a living, biotech time machine shuttling a 
  team of experts from era to era.
  PLAYING THE WARRIOR  
  FROM A GRIM FUTURE
  You hail from an age when people fought for every scrap 
  of food and lungful of air, where children learn to shoot 
  before they learn to spell. You’ve seen friends and lovers 
  die and put a fair number of people down yourself. 
  But in the end, you lost. And jumping back in time 
  was the only way to save the world, even if it meant 
  wiping out that apocalyptic future and every last 
  person you ever knew or loved. But it’s worth it. 
  You hope.
  The fight’s not over, though. You aren’t the only 
  one who could step back in time and your enemies 
  want to preserve their victory at any price. So you 
  find like-minded souls and fight for the future you 
  can never return to.
  Years of fighting has destroyed much of your body, 
  and bit by bit you’ve been replaced with organic 
  steel and neuro-circuitry. You’re a better soldier 
  for it—stronger, tougher, more alert—but every 
  new implant is another scar and another bad 
  memory. You're not subtle, traveling with an 
  arsenal that would make any soldier proud.
  You’ve also brought enough tech to set yourself in a 
  hideout, even if your makeshift time-travel technology 
  isn’t good for much any more except teleporting you 
  where you need to be and accelerating the flow of time 
  inside it so you can heal or get a full night’s sleep while 
  your enemies are still maneuvering into position.
  The relative peace of the past is strange to you—almost 
  too quiet—and you still struggle to cope with the mem-
  ories that come back when things are calm.  The names 
  of people you loved, or who sacrificed to give you this 
  chance. What are the human connections that keep you 
  fighting for a better tomorrow?
  WARRIOR FROM A 
  WARRIOR FROM A 
  GRIM FUTURE
  GRIM FUTURE
  “The future's better off without you.”
  383838
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  
  Defenses
  Combat
  STR
  STA
  AGL
  DEX
  FGT
  INT
  AWE
  PRE
  8/4
  5
  6
  4
  10
  1
  2
  1
  Close 
  Damage
  Toughness 
  Defense, 
  Fortitude 
  Defense
  Dodge 
  Defense, 
  Initiative 
  Bonus
  Ranged 
  Attack 
  Checks
  Close Attack 
  Checks,  
  Parry 
  Defense
  Intelligence 
  Checks
  Will 
  Defense
  Presence 
  Checks
  Warrior from a Grim Future 
  PL 10
  Warrior from a Grim Future 
  PL 10
  REAL NAME 
  AGE 
  HAIR
  OCCUPATION 
  PLACE OF ORIGIN
  Skills
  Skill 
  Ranks Bonus
  Acrobatics 
  4 
  +10
  Athletics 
  4 
  +12/8
  Close Combat: Unarmed 
  2 
  +12
  Deception 
  0 
  +1
  Expertise: Tactics 
  8 
  +9
  Insight 
  5 
  +7
  Intimidation 
  8 
  +9
  Perception 
  0 
  +2
  Persuasion 
  0 
  +1
  Stealth 
  5 
  +11
  Treatment 
  5 
  +6
  Vehicles 
  5 
  +9
  Advantages
  Advantage 
  Details
  All-Out Attack 
  Trade Active Defense for Attack Bonus
  Chronal Memory* 
  Remember your original past and alternate timelines
  Diehard 
  Automatically stabilize when dying
  Equipment 12 
  60 points of equipment
  Extraordinary Effort 
  Gain two benefits when using Extra Effort
  Fearless 
  Immune to fear effects
  Improved Aim 
  Double the circumstance bonus for Aim action
  Power Attack 
  Trade attack bonus for effect bonus
  Precise Attack 
  Ignore attack penalties (ranged, cover)
  Ranged Attack 6 
  +6 to Ranged Attack checks
  Takedown 
  Free extra attack when you incapacitate a minion
  Tracking 
  Use Perception skill to follow tracks
  Potential Complications
  Motivation—Doing 
  Good: 
  Your 
  tactics and language may be a little 
  crude, but in the end you want to save 
  the world.
  Accident: Desperate battles tend to 
  graphically destroy your cybernetic 
  parts.
  Enemy: The tyrant you fought against 
  is alive in this era, and knows you plan 
  to stop their rise to power, or else 
  agents of that force have followed you 
  back in time to destroy you.
  Extreme: After a lifetime of fighting 
  and trauma, you have trouble turning 
  off the soldier and just being a person.
  Tabula Rasa: Faulty time travel and 
  changes to the time-stream have 
  punched your memory full of holes. 
  You can remember battles and world 
  events, but your civilian life is obscured.
  Attack 
  Bonus 
  Targets 
  Effect 
  Save
  Blaster Rifle 
  +10 
  Dodge 
  Ranged, Damage 8 
  DC 23
  Independent Aim 
  +10 
  Dodge 
  Ranged, up to Damage 5 
  DC 19
  Knife 
  +10 
  Parry 
  Close, Damage 9 (Crit 19-20) 
  DC 24
  Unarmed 
  +12 
  Parry 
  Close Damage 8 
  DC 23
  Initiative
  +6
  Toughness
  10
  Dodge
  10
  Parry
  10
  Fortitide
  7
  Will
  11
  Abilities 66 + Powers 18 + Advantages 28 + Skills 23 (46 ranks) + Defenses 15 = 150 TOTAL
  Suggested Names: Aim, Bennu, Rook, Samaritan, Tether, X-ile
  Damage: 
  Dazed? 
  Staggered? 
  Incapacitated?
  Powers
  Gunplay • Personal • Permanent • 1 point 
  Talent
  Independent Aim: May fire any two guns of Damage 5 or less at once as a  
  single Standard action.
  Biotechnic Implants • Personal • Permanent • 17 points 
  Tech
  Biotechnic Arm: Enhanced Strength 4 (limited to left arm)
  Integrated Organs: Immunity 10 (Life Support; Limited to Half Effect)
  Subdermal Armor: Protection 5
  Smart Eye: Senses 3 (Infravision, Low-light Vision, Radio)
  Equipment
  Assault Rifle (Ranged Damage 5 [Multiattack]), Blaster Rifle (Ranged Attack 8), Heavy 
  Pistol (Ranged Damage 4), Knife (Damage 1 [Strength-based, Improved Critical])
  Temporal Stopover Headquarters 
  Size Large Toughness 10 Features Combat Simulator, Communications, Computer, 
  Concealed, Gym, Infirmary, Isolated, Living Quarters, Power System, Security 
  System 3 (DC 30), Temporal Limbo, Workshop Powers Teleport 10 (Occupants; 
  Extended Only)
  393939
   
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
   
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  CHAPTER 2: TIME TRAVELING HEROES
  
  Chapter 3: Gamemasters in Time
  Chapter 3: Gamemasters in Time
  A 
  cackling mad scientist erases the president's grand-
  father in 1915; time-hopping thieves steal his-
  tory's greatest treasures, upsetting world history; a 
  mutant with time-travel powers hurls his enemies 
  two-hundred years into the future where they can never 
  harm him again. Running a time travel adventure, much 
  less a series, can be a challenge for Mutants & Masterminds 
  Gamemasters, but the tools and advice in this chapter 
  should make things easier. 
  Time travel can be a fun plot device to send heroes off on 
  adventures throughout history. It can also be a powerful 
  resource in the hands of clever heroes (and their players) 
  that you need to account for in planning your adven-
  tures—just as space-faring heroes can simply fly away 
  unless motivated to stay or hunted by an enemy that can 
  match their mobility, time travel also creates the possibil-
  ity for heroes to seize control of the narrative, avoid an-
  tagonists, or solve their problems before they start. Time 
  travel, like space travel, introduces plenty of exciting new 
  story possibilities, hazards, and antagonists to populate 
  your stories and menace your heroes.
  BUILDING TIME TRAVEL STORIES
  Building stories with time travel can feel incredibly 
  complex. If the heroes can travel through time, they aren’t 
  strictly constrained by the cause-and-effect that drives 
  most narratives. If a building catches fire, they don’t need 
  to rush in to save everyone; they can just travel back at 
  their leisure to evacuate the building before the fire, or 
  prevent the fire, or find the arsonist and make sure he 
  gets counseling as a teenager so he never starts torching 
  buildings in the first place.
  But in the end, time travel stories work like most super-
  hero stories: The heroes have a unique ability they can 
  use to help solve problems, but they must still inves-
  tigate, interact, and confront various events along the 
  way to their final resolution. Consider turning your fears 
  of time travel set loose into the actual story; maybe the 
  most heroic outcome is for the heroes to trace the original 
  cause back to its human elements and help those people 
  heal before they can harm others. It changes the overall 
  tone of a superhero adventure, but that doesn’t mean the 
  heroes don’t need to punch and blast others along the 
  way, particularly if a villain doesn’t want them tampering 
  in his personal timeline. It also places more importance on 
  investigation and roleplay; the heroes need to learn about 
  their target before they can find or help her past self.
  The easiest time travel adventures simply drop heroes in 
  a new era and let them have an adventure with the locals 
  before moving on, and this often works well for heroes 
  who only time travel once or twice in an entire campaign. 
  In this story, time travel is little more than a plot hook and 
  an excuse to let the heroes fight knights or pirates instead 
  404040
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  RESPECTING THE PAST
  There is a tendency in time travel stories to portray the 
  past as especially ignorant and superstitious. Time travel-
  ers pass themselves off as “gods” or “wizards” and awe the 
  denizens of earlier eras with their technological prowess 
  or futuristic knowledge. While it is certainly true that time 
  travelers are often more technologically advanced than 
  the historical periods they visit, you should still respect 
  the capabilities of people in the past. There are numerous 
  examples of brilliantly advanced reasoning and engineer-
  ing in historical cultures—from advanced understand-
  ings of science possessed by 14th-century Middle Eastern 
  scholars to inventive Bronze Age mathematics and 
  mechanisms. Modern science stands on the shoulders of 
  giants—that is, all the knowledge we possess was built on 
  knowledge others discovered first. Just as you wouldn’t 
  automatically assume a piece of technology you didn’t 
  understand was magic, our ancestors don’t immediately 
  make that leap, either.
  This is even more true in an M&M setting where there may 
  be active gods and supernatural beings, alien visitors, 
  super-powered mutants, and enlightened wizards, not 
  to mention other time travelers. Visitors from the future 
  should be careful not to get over-confident, lest they dis-
  cover the locals have some unexpected resources of their 
  own. It’s awkward when you claim to be a god in the past, 
  only to have an actual god show up to question your di-
  vinity. In a “high traffic” era, some people might already be 
  acquainted with the notion of time travelers, having met 
  some already. Humans are smart and curious regardless of 
  the level of technology they use.
  of masked muggers. This model also works as the occa-
  sional fill-in adventure for time-travel campaigns, break-
  ing up the monotony of using time jumps to solve all their 
  problems or tackle investigations.
  The simplest model for a time travel adventure is for the 
  heroes to be alerted to a problem in the time-stream—
  characters immune to timeline changes may even see the 
  shift happen around them—then investigate when the 
  problem occurred, travel back to that target era, confront 
  whoever or whatever caused the change, and finally fix 
  events to set them back on their proper course. Variations 
  might include the heroes accidentally causing changes 
  when they arrive after an uncontrolled time-jump and 
  needing to correct the problems they unwittingly caused, 
  or the heroes trying to make deliberate, precise changes 
  while fighting a force that opposes them.
  You can begin adding variations to this model as you grow 
  more comfortable with time travel as a storytelling tool. 
  Perhaps the heroes defeat the villainous time-travelers 
  who seem to know them and their tactics, only to discover 
  that the same group has already made changes in an earlier 
  era. The heroes can jump back and stop them again—their 
  second time encountering the villains, but the villains’ first 
  time encountering them—with the added twist of the 
  villain team having additional members that departed (or 
  perished) between the two encounters. The heroes might 
  instead be defeated after confronting an immortal villain 
  and begin jumping back in time to find the villain in a 
  younger, more inexperienced state where they can defeat 
  her. With each new confrontation, the villain knows less 
  and less about them while the heroes learn more and more 
  about her. Perhaps the heroes’ constant—and from her 
  perspective, unprovoked—attacks are even what drove the 
  immortal to villainy! In the face of this, do the heroes dou-
  ble-back and confront their younger selves with the truth?
  Time travel can remove some of the sense of urgency from 
  a superhero game. If the heroes can travel back in time and 
  fix a disaster before it happens, then does it matter if they 
  jump back immediately, or in a few hours, or in six weeks? 
  You can restore that time pressure by having events affect 
  the heroes’ personal timelines, though more slowly than 
  the universal timeline (many time travel stories imply that 
  traveling through the time-stream insulates travelers from 
  changes). From the travelers’ perspective, they may only 
  have a few hours or a few days to travel back and fix the 
  changes before they lose all memory of them. You may 
  also establish that events are more difficult to change 
  the further back in the timeline they are from the travel-
  ers’ starting point, so leaping back to stop a building from 
  burning down may be simple if it only crosses a few hours, 
  but very difficult if the heroes wait a year.
  You as Gamemaster still provide or withhold the clues 
  that tell heroes where and when to go next, and you set 
  the consequences for over-using time travel and even 
  how time travel works in the first place (see Temporal 
  Mechanics later in this chapter). If you don’t want player 
  characters to be able to hop back and “re-play” recent 
  events, you can establish that your campaign timeline is 
  resistant or immutable to change, or that time travel only 
  functions in one-century leaps.
  WHO CONTROLS THE TIME MACHINE?
  A major element of a time travel story or series is: Who is 
  in control of the means of time travel? If it is the Game-
  master, then time travel can be largely a plot device for 
  getting the player characters to a new era for the start of 
  a new adventure. They might need to figure out exactly 
  why they are there, but how they get there is taken 
  care of. The same is largely true if time travel is under 
  the control of a non-player character, particularly some 
  powerful patron who sends the heroes back and forth 
  through time. The characters might occasionally be able 
  to request a destination or some “bending” of the rules, 
  but otherwise the mechanics are out of their hands.
  On the other hand, if the heroes control their means of 
  time travel, the Gamemaster needs to establish clear 
  rules as to how time travel works in the setting and 
  what limits might constrain the heroes’ means of travel, 
  if any. Be prepared for players to come up with unex-
  pected uses of time travel and to test the limits of that 
  ability. Having some type of limit in place—such as only 
  being able to make so many “jumps” before needing to 
  recharge or refuel, or a need to avoid excessive stress 
  on the space-time continuum by spacing out the use 
  of time travel—can provide much-needed boundaries. 
  While the GM can always take control over the means 
  of time travel with a Complication, this shouldn’t be too 
  common or else the players will rightly feel they don’t 
  have any real control over their destiny.
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  TIME AS A WEAPON
  Just as time travel makes a useful tool for heroes to solve 
  crimes and protect lives in new and creative ways, it also 
  provides many new dangers to threaten them. There’s 
  nothing to stop a villain—or any common criminal—
  with access to time travel from jumping back to the past 
  and killing the heroes while they were less experienced, 
  or before they got their powers, or just preventing their 
  grandparents from meeting. Like heroes, villains need to 
  do their homework to use these tactics effectively, making 
  it even more important for heroes to keep their identities 
  or pasts a secret. These dangers can also make for fun ad-
  ventures, where the bystander in distress is the hero as a 
  child, or their grandparents as rebellious teens.
  You should try to avoid plots and adventures that create 
  an “instant win” for the villain. For example, if all the super 
  powers in you campaign come from a single event, like 
  Emerald City’s Silver Storm, a villain traveling back to 
  prevent that event shouldn’t immediately stop the heroes 
  from ever meeting or fighting crime. It might remove their 
  powers, though, and leave them with muddled memories 
  they need to sort through, but ultimately there should be 
  some road to victory they can follow to restore the time-
  line, their identities, and their powers.
  THE BUFFER EFFECT
  Many science fiction tales imply that traveling through 
  time creates a buffer that protects a traveler from changes 
  in their timeline, at least temporarily. If a villain travels into 
  the past to conquer the world, the entire present may shift 
  in an instant around the heroes, but they would retain the 
  memories and abilities of the former timeline, protected 
  from the changes by a buildup of chronal energy in their 
  bodies. The changes in the timeline will catch up with 
  them (unless they also have the Chronal Bulwark Advan-
  tage), however, giving the adventure a ticking clock to 
  outrace. See Time Travel Hazards (later in this chapter) 
  for details on tracking these changes.
  TEMPORAL MECHANICS
  TEMPORAL MECHANICS
  The most important thing about including time travel in 
  your Mutants & Masterminds campaign is to decide the 
  various rules governing it in advance. This includes both 
  in-setting considerations as well as game rules. What 
  mechanisms exist for traveling through time and how 
  much access do the heroes have to them? How much 
  control do the heroes have in terms of setting their des-
  tinations and making time jumps? What rules govern 
  the nature of the timeline and the potential to change 
  history? Lastly, what are the hazards time travelers face, 
  and what are the other factions and forces in the setting 
  with access to time travel?
  EXPANDING OPTIONS
  When introducing new topics to your game, it’s easier 
  to start small and expand options over time, rather than 
  starting broad and narrowing them. Consider starting a 
  time travel series off with the player characters in “training 
  mode,” where they are introduced to the concepts of time 
  travel gradually, with new options opening up to them as 
  the series progresses. 
  An NPC might recruit a crew of time traveling heroes, but 
  initially remain in control of their means of time travel: 
  The patron decides where and when they go, and doesn’t 
  need to explain how time travel works, it just does. The 
  heroes get initial instructions on how to avoid unduly 
  altering the timeline and missions demonstrating how 
  to protect it—or how to alter it in the “proper” direction. 
  Once they get some experience, they learn more about 
  the various factions involved in time travel and the various 
  means of travel available. They might discover more 
  about their patron—not all necessarily good. Perhaps 
  their patron is incapacitated, kidnapped, or otherwise 
  unavailable, forcing the heroes into the position of figur-
  ing out how to use time travel for themselves. Eventually, 
  they might get to where their patron either leaves the 
  means of time travel in their hands, or is removed from 
  the equation, forcing the heroes to go it on their own 
  permanently. They may even “unlock” various capabilities 
  of their means of time travel as they gain experience and 
  confidence in using it, or as the higher power controlling 
  it comes to trust them and their judgment.
  This approach allows the players to learn along with their 
  characters about the various capabilities and dangers of 
  time travel, and lets the GM get comfortable handling the 
  basics before introducing some of the more advanced 
  or complex concepts. It also provides an opportunity to 
  showcase the dangers of misusing time travel—such as 
  the consequences of paradoxes—before the heroes have 
  the power to cause those problems themselves.
  THE TIMELINE
  The first thing to decide (after you decide to allow time 
  travel in your setting) is how robust the timeline is and how 
  easily time travelers can interfere with or change history. 
  The choice impacts a lot of options covered in Chapter 1, 
  so consider the following possibilities carefully.
  SENSITIVE TIME
  Chaos theory and the “butterfly effect” are right: The 
  timeline is incredibly sensitive and even small changes 
  can ripple out and multiply to completely transform the 
  flow of history, such that the timeline just a few years 
  later may be unrecognizable. Even just a time traveler’s 
  arrival in the past may set a chain of events in motion 
  through displacement of the air. Consider a world where 
  a time traveler standing on the sidewalk causes a single 
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  pedestrian to walk around them, making them a second 
  or two slower, which causes them to stumble into a 
  stranger leaving a building. The stranger stumbles into 
  the street, only to be hit by a car. The stranger’s death 
  impacts the time-stream, but the driver is affected too, 
  becoming despondent with guilt and legal fees, and 
  turning to alcohol. This in turn affects all their friends 
  and family, whose own tiny changes impact everyone 
  around them. In the long run, some people are born who 
  weren’t supposed to be, and other people aren’t born 
  who were. The larger the change, the bigger its impact, 
  although it can be nearly impossible to predict how a 
  change will intensify throughout history.
  A sensitive timeline is highly susceptible to changes, and 
  heroes looking to protect history must be careful not to 
  make the problem even worse while trying to fix it. A lot 
  of missions in a sensitive timeline may involve carefully 
  covering tracks, erasing memories, or even working back 
  to the origins of interference to stop a time traveler before 
  they arrive.
  MUTABLE TIME
  Mutable time assumes history can be changed, but it takes 
  a little effort. Especially small changes tend to dampen out 
  over time, like ripples vanishing from the surface of a large 
  lake or getting lost in the waves of an ocean; the life of a 
  single butterfly (or, often, a single person) probably won’t 
  alter the course of events. Mutable time often bunches 
  up around fixed points (see Proper History in Chapter 
  1), using these events as buffers to minimize changes in 
  history, but anything that overwhelms a fixed point can 
  spiral the timeline into a radically new direction. That said, 
  the lives of certain people will definitely alter history, and 
  you never know who might be the ancestor of someone 
  vitally important. Mutable time also tends to impact per-
  sonal timelines more heavily than the universal timeline, 
  so an event that impacts the hero’s own history may risk 
  wiping them from history while leaving the universe rela-
  tively unchanged. Time travelers won’t accidentally alter 
  history just by stepping on a bug, but they still run the 
  risk of changing things, especially if they interfere with an 
  important individual or event.
  RESISTANT TIME
  In this model, history can be changed, but the timeline 
  is resistant to such changes, like an elastic band being 
  stretched out of shape. It has a natural tension, always 
  ready to “snap back” to its original position, keeping 
  history on-course. Resistant time has a tendency towards 
  either preventing changes, evening out any changes that 
  do happen, or some amount of both. In the first case, 
  circumstances may seem to conspire to prevent a time 
  traveler from altering historical events: Their gun jams, 
  they find themselves accidentally locked-in, or some mys-
  terious “accident” happens to them. In the second case, 
  history “course corrects” back towards its original state: 
  If a time traveler eliminates a historical figure, someone 
  very similar takes up their role, for example. It takes a lot 
  of effort to make a change and get it to “stick.”
  IMMUTABLE TIME
  In immutable time, history cannot be changed. At the 
  very least, historical paradoxes are impossible, and events 
  cannot eliminate their own causes. This means time trav-
  elers cannot effect any changes that would cause them or 
  their original trip through time not to happen. At the most 
  extreme, time travel in an immutable timeline is nothing 
  more than a Senses (Postcognition) effect from the Deluxe 
  Hero’s Handbook: travelers can witness past events but are 
  unable to interfere with or change them in any way—and 
  may even be invisible and incorporeal when outside their 
  native time.
  Immutable time suggests that a time traveler’s personal 
  timeline is significant in terms of “the future.” Either travel-
  ers are unable to visit or learn the future definitively, the 
  future is not immutable like the past, or learning any infor-
  mation about the future of the timeline makes it immuta-
  ble and therefore unavoidable. The GM should also decide 
  which, if any, of these approaches are true in the setting.
  QUANTUM TIME
  Quantum or branching time assumes the past can’t be 
  changed, almost like immutable time. Time travelers 
  can still arrive in the past and make changes, but those 
  changes spin off a new alternate timeline rather than im-
  pacting the path of history that created the time traveler. 
  Quantum time insists that a traveler can’t change the own 
  timeline they came from. So, if a time traveler goes back 
  and prevents their own parents from ever meeting, they 
  create an alternate universe in which they do not exist, but 
  they don’t change their own past. That would be impossi-
  ble, since it would create a paradox (see Chapter 1). When 
  the traveler returns to the present, nothing has changed, 
  because all the changes they caused only impact the new 
  alternate timeline. 
  In this approach, every intervention in a timeline causes it 
  to split, creating a new timeline where that intervention is 
  now a part of its past. This makes trying to “undo” tempo-
  ral interventions impossible: You can create a new parallel 
  where you have prevented the intervention, but you don’t 
  change the past of the previous timeline.
  Quantum time allows for all kinds of shenanigans to 
  happen in the past because changes to history only 
  matter if you care about avoiding them. They won’t 
  impact the original timeline or “change history” from the 
  traveler’s perspective. Of course, heroes should still care 
  about introducing changes in a timeline, especially ones 
  that might be disastrous or lead to far worse timelines 
  than their own, but otherwise the past mainly exists as a 
  playground for adventures.
  TIME TRAVEL METHODS
  The mechanics of how characters travel through time 
  affects the kinds of powers, devices, and stories avail-
  able in a time travel adventure or series. It may also affect 
  the potential hazards they can encounter (see Time 
  Travel Hazards, following), or at least the shape those 
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  of a second needed to make the transit, and so don’t fit 
  the parameters of the Portal modifier. Likewise, wormhole 
  travel might be instantaneous from the traveler’s point of 
  view, or there may be a subjective “passage” that occurs in 
  the time-stream outside of the timeline.
  TIME FLOW
  Time flows like a river along a timeline, complete with 
  tributaries and branches, and time travel involves pulling 
  someone out of “floating” along with the natural flow and 
  accelerating them towards the future or pushing them 
  “upstream” into the past. This may imply futureward travel 
  is easier or more energy efficient than pastward travel, 
  or that objects can be “pulled” out of the flow of a time-
  line altogether, shifting sideways out into the greater 
  time-stream (see The Time-Stream in Chapter 1). Like a 
  wormhole, changing something’s temporal flow usually 
  requires an enormous amount of energy, just like pad-
  dling upstream requires huge effort, and it may represent 
  “slow” time travel, where heroes may need to sit in their 
  vehicle for hours or days for especially long jumps (espe-
  cially into the past). The energy requirements and slow 
  travel times mean that time machines will tend to be large 
  and provide living quarters.
  TIME JUMPS
  Time travel is only possible between certain “jump points” 
  which may be temporally linked in some way. So, for 
  example, it may only be possible to travel by jumps of 
  exactly 123 years, forward or back. A traveler departing 
  2000 AD could travel to 1877, 1754, or -91 BC, but couldn’t 
  arrive in 1876 to witness the United States centennial 
  without waiting around for 122 years first. Time jumps 
  like this assume that time is cyclical, or flows through the 
  time-stream in some sort of waveform or circular pattern 
  and that time travel works by cutting between adjacent 
  points in the loop.
  Time jumps may also be the result of fixed portals—either 
  naturally occurring or left over from another civilization 
  with far more advanced understanding of chronological 
  physics. Each portal has a specific interval—for example, 
  one portal may push travelers back 500 years, another 
  1,292 years, and a third eight years—and characters must 
  expend some effort finding and accessing a particular 
  jump point. 
  Because characters can only jump very specific distances, 
  time jumps assume that any time they spend elsewhen is 
  reflected in the time when they return. If travelers jump 
  into the past and spend three months there, they return 
  to their “present” three months after they left, for example. 
  Heroes who spend weeks or months in other times will 
  need to explain their absences to loved ones or managers.
  DIMENSIONAL PATHS
  Time is but one of many dimensions characters can tra-
  verse, and travel through another dimension can lead the 
  travelers back to a different point in space-time from when 
  hazards take. Gamemasters should consider the following 
  methods for time travel in their games and decide which, 
  if any, are present. In some settings, more than one of 
  these options may exist!
  WORMHOLES
  Time travel requires opening a “passage” through space-
  time, commonly called a “wormhole” (or jokingly referred 
  to as a “time tunnel”), connecting two points and allow-
  ing travelers to move through the passage from one point 
  in time to another. Opening a wormhole (and keeping 
  it open) often requires tremendous amounts of energy, 
  usually in proportion to the size of the passage or the tem-
  poral distance between its two points. While wormhole 
  travel may imply that all Movement (Time Travel) effects 
  require the Portal modifier, that isn’t the case. Because of 
  their massive power requirements, wormholes may be 
  incredibly small or invisible or exist only for the fraction 
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  they left, relative to their journey “outside” of normal time. 
  This is a common element of “wandering in Faerie” and 
  some similar magical dimensions, and could be associat-
  ed with others, like a micro-dimension accessed through 
  Shrinking, for example, or a “dark dimension” linked to a 
  hero’s darkness powers, especially if they already involve 
  Teleport or Movement (Dimensional Travel) effects. There 
  may even be a mystical dimension of time filled with 
  clocks, hourglasses, shifting moons, and other personifi-
  cations of the human understanding of time, filled with 
  pathways to other eras. Dimensional paths tend to be 
  the most common magical form of time travel, although 
  any of the methods here could be accomplished through 
  magic rather than science, or some combination of the 
  two.
  QUANTUM PROJECTION
  Matter cannot move through time at all in this case, but 
  information can. So while it is impossible for heroes to 
  travel bodily into the past, it is possible to transmit mes-
  sages across time or view the past through a window or 
  VR set. In some cases, characters may even be able to 
  transmit complex information like computer software, ar-
  tificial intelligences, or even living minds. A common form 
  of quantum projection involves “leaping” the mind of a 
  time traveler into the brain and body of someone in the 
  target era. The traveler either displaces their conscious-
  ness, suppresses it, or swaps minds, leaving the local in 
  the traveler’s body. Often a traveler must have some con-
  nection to their target host, for example the host must be 
  alive during the traveler’s natural lifetime or must be an 
  ancestor or descendant of the traveler.
  Because the traveler is borrowing someone else’s body, 
  they retain their skills, Advantages, and mental abilities, 
  but use their host’s physical ability scores. The Gamemas-
  ter can either provide new ability scores (ideally with the 
  same power point cost as the traveler’s, if this is part of an 
  ongoing time travel campaign) or you can simply assume 
  the host has the same physical capabilities as the traveler. 
  You should also decide what happens to any superpowers 
  in this exchange, as this can affect how the players build 
  their characters. If mutation-based powers remain with 
  the travelers' original bodies but psychic powers travel 
  back with the mind, for example, players are more likely to 
  build their time travelers with psychic abilities.
  CHRONAL DECAY
  What we experience as “time” is merely a state of quantum 
  energy, which decays from a point of high energy start-
  ing at the Big Bang and entropically moves toward a 
  point of no energy at the end of the universe. Any given 
  moment in the space-time continuum can be measured 
  and mapped by its place on that curve of quantum decay. 
  Things that are “high energy” exist in the past, while the 
  lower their quantum energy state, the further in the future 
  they must exist. In this model, time can almost be thought 
  of like buoyancy: things with high buoyancy float because 
  that’s where things with high buoyancy naturally rest; if 
  they were heavier/less buoyant, they would exist deeper.
  So, by increasing the amount of quantum energy in a 
  subject, it moves backwards in time, and by draining and 
  reducing that energy, the subject shifts forward in time. 
  This technique of travel usually implies some type of 
  “temporal adjuster” or “chronological projector” to shift 
  the subject’s energy state, rather than a vehicle, although 
  a “quantum adjustment field” could encompass a vehicle 
  and all its contents. 
  The quantum decay method also suggests a need for dif-
  ferent mechanisms to shift into the past versus the future; 
  unless travelers have both, it could be a one-way trip! Al-
  ternatively, any changes to a traveler’s quantum energy 
  state may “bleed off” over time, forcing them and all 
  their equipment to return home after a very specific du-
  ration. In this case, anything the hero eats—even the air 
  they breathe—may be left behind when they shift home, 
  leaving travelers who spend too much time in another 
  era with “temporal bends” as their body recovers from the 
  shock of leaving the gas in their blood behind.
  SIDE SHIFTING
  Time travel itself isn’t possible—there are just too many 
  potential paradoxes for natural laws to allow it. On the 
  other hand, multiple timelines exist and it is possible to 
  shift “sideways” through the omniverse to jump from one 
  to another. What’s more, some of these parallel timelines 
  have slightly different temporal flow ratios compared to 
  the prime timeline, meaning their “local” present is behind 
  or ahead, making visiting them essentially like visiting the 
  “past” or “future” except that interfering with the events of 
  a “past” timeline doesn’t impact the timeline the travelers 
  came from, nor is the present of a “future” timeline proof 
  of how things will unfold in the travelers’ own timeline.
  Side shifting through timelines provides a consequence-
  free method of having adventures in the past, but may 
  also open up the heroes’ own timeline to invasion from 
  other travelers or even time-hopping conquerors who 
  follow them back.
  MULTIPLE OPTIONS
  In some settings, two or more of these methods of time 
  travel may be possible. In other settings all of these methods 
  are possible. Different techniques, technologies, and fac-
  tions might have access to and use different methods. They 
  may or may not be eager to learn about and acquire others. 
  Factions with access to multiple methods may choose the 
  best ones for their particular needs; sometimes it’s more 
  useful for agents to possess local bodies through chronal 
  projection rather than arriving via wormhole, or to follow a 
  known dimensional path to a destination rather than using 
  the “brute force” method of chronal decay to reach it. A 
  method like time jumps may be the quick-and-dirty mode 
  of time travel the heroes rely on, but is scoffed at by more 
  advanced (or powerful) travelers they encounter.
  The GM decides what methods of time travel are available 
  in the series and who has access to them, at least until the 
  player characters start meddling in things.
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  • An accelerated aging effect, like a Progressive Afflic-
  tion. Typically, it is resisted and overcome by Fortitude 
  and involves Fatigued, Exhausted, and Transformed 
  conditions as the chronal energy causes the subject to 
  rapidly age. Past the transformed state, a subject’s con-
  dition could become Dying, to the point where they 
  simply age into dust!
  • Becoming “unstuck in time” and gaining an Uncontrol-
  lable Movement (Time Travel) effect that sends the 
  character skipping through the timeline, perhaps even 
  across the omniverse, until the condition is reversed. 
  See the various time travel weapons described in 
  Chapter 2 for possible ramifications.
  • Complications like Disabilities or Power Loss. Chronal 
  energy exposure could likewise result in a new charac-
  ter origin, or the reallocation of some of a character’s 
  existing powers or other traits.
  Usually, exposure to chronal energy only occurs through 
  the direct effect of powers or due to some type of accident 
  or complication involving time travel. It is usually pre-
  sumed that any “safe” means of time travel avoids harmful 
  chronal energy exposure, but safeguards and shielding 
  can fail. Likewise, visiting the time-stream outside of a 
  vehicle or without the right safeguards exposes a charac-
  ter to raw chronal energy.
  CHRONOZOIDS
  Chronozoids, or “time-creatures,” are living beings with 
  a trans-temporal or trans-dimensional nature; creatures 
  with a natural Super-Movement ability that allows them 
  to shift between different dimensions or times. Some 
  chronozoids have modifiers on their Movement, allow-
  ing others to move along with them or even follow them 
  through the mysterious pathways between worlds. Affects 
  Others is fairly common, while Affects Others with Area 
  (typically Burst or Line) permits those who want to follow 
  the creature to do so. A few chronozoids have Movement 
  powers with the Attack modifier, allowing them to “drag” 
  others across time with them.
  Chronozoids often show up in local folklore as fey or mys-
  tical beings, ranging from white stags to black hounds 
  to white rabbits with waistcoats and pocket watches (al-
  though the latter qualify as intelligent forces). Some are 
  nothing more than floating lights, leading travelers off 
  roads and into strange other worlds. The Guardians of 
  Time have observed and even studied some of the most 
  common, such as time elementals and the reclusive tem-
  poral weavers who repair holes in causality.
  See Temporal Minions, later in this chapter, for a selec-
  tion of chronozoid opponents.
  EVOLUTION AND DEVOLUTION
  The forces involved in time travel might transform a trav-
  eler, changing them into a more- or less-evolved form, 
  shifting their biology through thousands, even millions 
  of years of evolution in an instant! The transformation 
  TIME TRAVEL HAZARDS
  In addition to the various threats heroes may face in dif-
  ferent historical or far-future eras, there are a number of 
  hazards connected with the process of time travel itself, 
  along with temporal mechanics and possible paradox-
  es (see Paradoxes in Chapter 1). Like the time travel 
  methods described previously, Gamemasters should con-
  sider which of the following hazards time travelers in their 
  M&M games might encounter.
  CHRONAL ENERGY
  In many settings, time itself is a kind of “energy,” referred 
  to as chronal energy (see Chronal Energy in Chapter 1). 
  As discussed in Chapter 2, chronal energy is the default 
  descriptor for powers and effects involving time and time 
  travel, as well as any number of effects. Exactly what con-
  stitutes “chronal energy” is left for the GM to define and 
  it may well remain unknown. In any case, exposure to 
  chronal energy may have various effects, including (but 
  not limited to):
  • A direct Damage effect, like exposure to electricity or 
  intense heat.
  • Effects similar to intense radiation (see Radiation in 
  Chapter 8 of the Deluxe Hero’s Handbook).
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  may come from the differing levels of chronological 
  “pressure” between the time traveler’s body and their 
  surroundings, or may be a side-effect of moving through 
  the time-stream.
  Typically, temporal evolution or devolution is a Progres-
  sive Affliction effect, resisted and overcome by Fortitude, 
  with degrees of Entranced, Compelled, and Transformed. 
  The Entranced and Compelled conditions reflect the 
  effects of the evolutionary shift on the character’s mind 
  and behavior. In some cases, they might be replaced by 
  other conditions, such as Impaired and Disabled, or Dazed 
  and Stunned.
  The interval between resistance tests of the transforma-
  tion varies according to the effect, from as often as once 
  per round to as little as once per day or even week, but 
  the character cannot recover from the Affliction until the 
  cause is eliminated. This might be anything from treat-
  ment for exposure to chronal energy to returning the 
  traveler to their own home time.
  Likewise, the final form of the character’s transformed 
  condition depends on the nature of the Affliction. A de-
  volved form could be anything from a Neanderthal-like 
  early hominid or an ape-like creature (for a human) to 
  even more primitive life, down towards single-celled or-
  ganisms. Devolution might activate “latent” DNA, trans-
  forming characters into humanoid hybrids of earlier life-
  forms on the evolutionary tree, from primitive mammals 
  to dinosaurs. Evolutionary transformations can be 
  toward the “super-brain” form of classic comic books 
  and science fiction: a humanoid with an enlarged head 
  and atrophied body, often with enhanced Intellect and 
  mental powers, or a disembodied “pure intellect” with 
  Incorporeal 4. It can also take the form of various evolu-
  tionary adaptations to environment, depending on the 
  stimuli around the character.
  PARADOXICAL TRANSFORMATION
  Alterations to the timeline may result in changes to a 
  character’s personal history, up to and including erasing 
  the character from history altogether! In less extreme cir-
  cumstances, the character might have different traits due 
  to having lived a different life. Depending on capabilities 
  like the Chronal Memory Advantage (see Chapter 2) the 
  character—and everyone else—may not even know what 
  is different!
  In some settings, paradoxical transformation is instanta-
  neous and essentially unavoidable barring an advantage 
  like Chronal Bulwark (also in Chapter 2). The GM can 
  treat it as a complication or simply an unavoidable effect. 
  Other settings assume timeline changes take longer to 
  affect people who have traveled through time, and a 
  paradoxical transformation occurs more gradually as 
  temporal forces “catch up” to the character. This usually 
  provides enough dramatic time for them to attempt to 
  prevent or reverse the events causing the transforma-
  tion. The latter can be handled as a Progressive Afflic-
  tion, with conditions reflecting the character’s eventual 
  end-state. For someone who is literally “fading away” use 
  Impaired and Disabled, heading towards Incapacitated. 
  While a transforming character might not have any lower 
  degree conditions beyond vague pains or numbness as 
  they resist the encroaching change, or they might ex-
  perience Impaired and Disabled as their actual traits 
  change, leading towards Transformed. The interval can 
  range from rounds to hours or longer, as with Evolution 
  and Devolution, previously. Whatever the case, there’s 
  no stopping the Progressive Affliction unless the events 
  causing it are undone, so the character’s fate is literally 
  just a matter of time.
  PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PSYCHIC STRESS
  Time travel might have serious psychological side effects, 
  placing strain on the traveler’s mind and psyche. This can 
  range from the dangers of directly perceiving the time-
  stream or “the time outside of time” to the experience of 
  having multiple conflicting sets of memories of lives and 
  events that never happened in the current timeline, to 
  say nothing of experiencing some of the worst horrors 
  of history first-hand (see the Ugly History section of 
  Chapter 1). This stress may take the form of temporary 
  complications for the character or it may activate pre-
  existing complications. Otherwise, it can also be a Pro-
  gressive Affliction, resisted and overcome by Will, with 
  conditions reflecting the mounting stress weighing on 
  their mind. A third-degree Incapacitated or Transformed 
  condition might indicate catatonia or a complete break 
  from reality while a Controlled condition could mean the 
  character is completely out of the player’s control and 
  becomes an NPC under the direction of the GM for as long 
  as the condition lasts.
  TIME-STORMS
  A strange phenomenon that gathers when the fabric of 
  reality grows thin, time-storms are violent atmospheric 
  disturbances that warp time and space within them. Some 
  travelers theorize they are a natural phenomenon—the 
  time-stream attempting to heal wounds in timelines or 
  a virus-like leftover of an extinct timeline inserting itself 
  into another—but they remain one of the most unusual 
  and mysterious of chronal events.
  When a time-storm occurs, it is usually accompanied by 
  a sudden mist, fog, or dark bank of clouds. Electronic 
  and magnetic devices are often disrupted by the storm, 
  cutting off outside communications and causing tem-
  porary power losses. The storm grows in intensity, al-
  though some time-storms remain little more than rolling 
  fog banks accompanied by the failure of technological 
  devices. When the storm passes, those inside its center 
  find themselves elsewhere, in another time or dimension.
  Time-storms also exist within the time-stream, creating 
  pockets of time filled with horrible events that repeat 
  forever and create dangerous currents around them that 
  can throw time travelers far off course. Some especially 
  powerful beings may even have the ability to create the 
  storms by technology or magic as a brute-force method of 
  time travel, but this is a difficult and dangerous practice.
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  The Earth-Prime setting, detailed in the Atlas of Earth-
  Prime, Emerald City, and Freedom City sourcebooks, is just 
  one timeline, a single thread in the vast tapestry of the 
  Omniverse, but it touches upon various other timelines, 
  including a number of alternates and parallel worlds that 
  resemble the setting to varying degrees.
  In general, Earth-Prime’s timeline has Resistant Time and 
  uses the Time Flow model of time travel, primarily by shift-
  ing travelers “outside” of the flow of the timeline to move 
  through the time-stream and reenter at some other point. 
  Other time travel methods exist within the setting, with 
  Time Jumps and Chronal Decay being relatively rare. Some 
  Earth-Prime time travelers have found themselves shunted 
  into alternate timelines, such as with Doctor Tomorrow’s 
  early efforts to change the history of his own timeline (see 
  Doctor Tomorrow in Freedom City, Third Edition for details).
  Other notable time travelers from Earth-Prime include El 
  Crononauta (Atlas of Earth-Prime), Downtime (Freedom 
  City), and the Tick-Tock Doc (later in this chapter).
  THE TIME KEEPERS
  The greatest power concerned with time travel in Earth-
  Prime’s timeline are the mysterious beings known as 
  the Time Keepers. Described as both “from the end of 
  time” and “here since the first ticks of the clock,” the Time 
  Keepers are cosmic entities concerned with what they 
  consider the “proper” order and flow of history. Many cos-
  mologists and people in-the-know on Earth-Prime classify 
  the Time Keepers as Primals, living embodiments of a uni-
  versal concept or force, although the Time Keepers have 
  never claimed that status for themselves.
  To those who have seen them, the Time Keepers usually 
  manifest as cloaked and masked figures. They appear hu-
  manoid, at least having a head, arms, and hands, and their 
  masks feature spaces for eyes and a stylized mouth. The 
  shadows of their cloaks are filled with stars, and the Keepers 
  bear an hourglass symbol on the forehead of their masks, 
  and often in the form of clasps for their cloaks. No one can 
  claim to have seem a Time Keeper unmasked or to know 
  what their true appearance or physiology (if any) are like.
  The Time Keepers usually appear as a group of three iden-
  tical entities, sometimes only singly or as a pair, but they 
  always refer to themselves using plural pronouns—“we” 
  and “us”—regardless of how many of them appear. No 
  one has seen more than three Time Keepers at once, but 
  they have remarked, “Our number is vaster than you can 
  imagine, yet still finite.” Whether this refers to their number 
  as a species, group, or something else remains unknown. 
  The Time Keepers communicate through a form of telepa-
  thy that transcends language, and it’s possible their entire 
  appearance is nothing more than a psychic projection. They 
  often “speak” in unison or finish each others’ sentences.
  The Time Keepers appear solely interested in maintain-
  ing the orderly flow of time and history in Earth-Prime’s 
  timeline. According to them, the Time Keepers have been 
  doing so for as long as time has existed, reinforcing the 
  notion that they are Primals. Indeed, they have occasion-
  ally implied that they are the reason why time exists at 
  all, but that seems less likely, given the nature of the Om-
  niverse, unless there are Time Keepers in every possible 
  timeline. Time Keepers only interact with the timeline in 
  order to appoint their Guardians (see Guardians of Time) 
  and to inform them of tasks requiring their attention.
  THE COSMIC CLOCK & THE CLOCKWORKERS
  If the Time Keepers can be said to have a “home” it is what 
  has become known on Earth-Prime as the Cosmic Clock—
  an impossibly vast construct of gears, pendulums, and 
  lenses built in the time-stream adjacent to Earth-Prime’s 
  timeline. Others have referred to it as the Prime Clock, One 
  Clock, or simply the Clock. To visitors, the Cosmic Clock 
  is like being inside the mechanism of a vast mechanical 
  time-piece: surrounded by gears, levers, and pulleys, all 
  moving and operating continuously, with a steady tick 
  keeping time in the background. There appears to be no 
  “outside” to the Clock and, ironically, no actual clock-face 
  or display for tracking the passage of time. Although time 
  appears to pass within the Cosmic Clock—at least visitors 
  experience time there in a linear fashion—the Clock exists 
  “outside of time” and visitors do not age, grow hungry, or 
  experience other long-term effects of the passage of time.
  The Time Keepers claim they created the Cosmic Clock and 
  first set it in motion, and that the Clock helps to maintain 
  order in the flow of time, measuring and pacing the moments 
  from the beginning of the universe to “the last, fading chime” 
  that will signal its end. Exactly how the Clock does this, or 
  what would happen if it were to stop, are unclear, and the 
  Time Keepers provide no information on these matters. Like 
  its cosmic creators, it’s possible the Clock is just an appear-
  ance mortal minds give some multi-dimensional mecha-
  nism beyond their ability to perceive and understand.
  The Clock is maintained by the Clockworkers, beings 
  created by the Time Keepers. They appear virtually iden-
  tical to humans, although a non-human visitor to the 
  Clock might perceive them otherwise. The Clockworkers 
  are charged with ensuring the Clock continues to run 
  smoothly and continuously, and they have done so since 
  the dawn of time. They’re capable of speaking and inter-
  acting with the rare odd visitor, but do not appear to have 
  much in the way of individual identity or motives beyond 
  their assigned work, with one notable exception (see The 
  Tick-Tock Doc, following).
  GUARDIANS OF TIME
  The Time Keepers invest various individuals in Earth-
  Prime’s timeline with the role and responsibility of “Guard-
  ian of Time.” Equipped with a time machine for travel 
  along the timeline, Guardians are charged with protect-
  TIME TRAVEL AND EARTH-PRIME
  TIME TRAVEL AND EARTH-PRIME
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  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  ing it from outside interference and ensuring the “proper” 
  flow of history from the Time Keepers' perspective. 
  The most famous of the Guardians—from the 
  perspective of present-day Earth-Prime—is 
  Doctor Tomorrow, the former Golden Age 
  hero and member of the Liberty League, 
  who is himself a time traveler from an al-
  ternate timeline (see Doctor Tomorrow 
  in Freedom City, Third Edition).
  There are other Guardians of Time, the time-
  line being a vast “territory,” and only the Time 
  Keepers know exactly how many agents they 
  have in the field. This opens up the opportunity 
  to use the Guardians as a series framework 
  for an Earth-Prime time-travel series: 
  The player characters are all Guard-
  ians operating as a group, or rotat-
  ing in and out of a temporal juris-
  diction, allowing for some rotation 
  of different characters. They might 
  be super-powered or especially 
  capable individuals from any point in 
  history, and they’re responsible for pro-
  tecting the timeline against tampering, 
  including from threats like Zeitgeist and 
  the Tick-Tock Doc (following). If the char-
  acters are a regular group, they might travel to-
  gether on a time ship, allowing them to operate out in the 
  time-stream unless they are visiting a particular era.
  A Guardians of Time series can easily develop into a Rene-
  gades of Time series, if the heroes find they chafe too much 
  under the yoke of the Time Keepers and their omnipresent 
  guidance. In this case, they might decide to take their time 
  ship and strike out on their own, still doing good and pro-
  tecting the timeline, but on their own terms and without the 
  guidance of inhuman, cosmic patrons. This could put the 
  heroes at odds with the Guardians still working for the Time 
  Keepers (including Doctor Tomorrow) as well as temporal 
  menaces like Zeitgeist.
  ZEITGEIST
  Doctor Oberst Geistmann was born and raised in a time-
  line where the Axis powers won World War II. A loyal 
  citizen of the Reich, he became a brilliant scientist as-
  signed to top-secret research on time-travel. When Tomas 
  Morgen—Doctor Tomorrow—stole the experimental 
  time machine, Doctor Geistmann attempted to stop him 
  but was caught up in the release of chronal energy and 
  apparently disintegrated.
  In fact, the doctor’s disembodied mind survived, caught 
  up in the wake of Morgen’s temporal jump. He possessed 
  the body of an ape that was the subject of experiments 
  in Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Eventually, Geistmann 
  was able to gain the trust of the German High Command 
  and utilize his knowledge of the future to try and ensure 
  Axis victory. He quickly learned that Tomas Morgen had 
  appeared in the same time period, aiding the Allies as 
  Doctor Tomorrow. The two foes played a complex game 
  with the events of history throughout the war.
  TEMPORAL WRAITHS
  Zeitgeist is an incorporeal wraith with INT 7, AWE 4,  
  PRE 3, 8 ranks in Expertise: Science and Technology 
  and the powers of Concealment 8 (all but mental 
  senses), Insubstantial 4 (Permanent and Innate), 
  Movement 3 (Time Travel) and the power to 
  possess a host body in a new time-frame, which 
  can usually be handled as a plot device, or con-
  sidered a rank 10 Affliction (resisted and over-
  come by Will; Dazed, Compelled, Controlled).
  You can use similar statistics for the Associ-
  ates and the Futurekin as well, adjusting 
  their mental Abilities and skills ranks to 
  suit unique characters.
  After the fall of Berlin, Geist-
  mann’s 
  final 
  attempt 
  to 
  destroy Doctor Tomorrow re-
  sulted in the death of his ape 
  body, but liberated his incor-
  poreal mind, revealing that he 
  was not bound to a single host. His ex-
  posure to chronal energy effectively left him 
  in a permanent state of temporal projection, 
  allowing him to leap up and down the timeline to 
  possess hosts in different eras. As the time-wraith Zeit-
  geist, he has possessed various forms throughout history 
  in an effort to bend events to suit his evil ideology and to 
  gain revenge on his old foe, now a Guardian of Time.
  THE ASSOCIATES  
  AND THE FUTUREKIN
  Two mysterious factions locked in a “temporal cold war” 
  from the perspective of the present-day, the Associates 
  introduced themselves to Earth-Prime in 1969, when two 
  of them possessed human host bodies and helped Uni-
  force overcome the Malfideans, a secret expeditionary 
  force from Farside City paving the way for an invasion of 
  Earth. They revealed the Farside invasion was driven by 
  the Futurekin, opposite numbers to the Associates, and by 
  Zeitgeist, who possessed Lady Lunar’s chief advisor and 
  was helping direct the invasion.
  Since that incident, the Associates appear occasionally—
  possessing new host bodies—to assist the people of Earth 
  in fending off invasion and disaster. They have primarily 
  chosen to work with UNISON as a point of contact, and 
  the organization has protocols in place for when the As-
  sociates show up, given that their appearance is always a 
  matter of gravest importance. See the Atlas of Earth-Prime 
  sourcebook for more about UNISON and its activities.
  It’s clear the Associates and the Futurekin both time-
  travel using Temporal Projection (described under Time 
  Travel Methods in this chapter). It’s unclear if either 
  faction is projecting from physical forms elsewhere in 
  time, if they are bodiless wraiths like Zeitgeist, or even 
  if either faction is human at all. Interaction with and 
  between the two factions suggests they are locked in a 
  struggle to change or direct history towards a particu-
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  lar end. It’s possible each is looking to create or preserve 
  a history where their faction comes to exist or rises to 
  dominance in the future.
  Gamemasters can use the Associates as plot-device NPCs 
  in a time-travel series, and the Futurekin as villains. Their 
  chronal conflict can also form the basis for a time-travel 
  series where Associate player characters project into dif-
  ferent hosts throughout time to carry out their missions 
  against the Futurekin and other temporal menaces.
  THE TICK-TOCK DOC
  Some time ago—inasmuch as that means anything 
  outside of time—one of the Clockworkers developed a 
  sense of individual identity and ego and, with it, rebellion. 
  This lone individual, became obsessed with leaving the 
  never-ending tedium of maintaining the Cosmic Clock—
  the “Dolorous Clock,” as he calls it—and came to question 
  the purpose of the Time Keepers. Eventually, the renegade 
  acquired a time-machine and escaped from the Clock and 
  its “tyrants of time,” never to return.
  Appearing, whether by chance or fate, on Earth in the San 
  Francisco Bay Area during the “Summer of Love” solidified 
  much of the renegade Clockworker’s form and identity. 
  Taking on a male-presenting form, he became a guru to a 
  local hippie community. They called him the “Tick-Tock Doc.” 
  He dispensed such wisdom as “Time’s a tyrant!” and “The 
  Man chains you with the dial on your wrist!” He encouraged 
  his followers to destroy all “icons of tyrannical time” like cal-
  endars, clocks, and watches, and they called themselves “the 
  Counter-Clock Culture.” For his part, the Doc gave his new-
  found friends future technologies and encouraged them 
  to throw off the yoke of “the Man” for that was how he had 
  come to understand the tyranny they fought against.
  Unfortunately, the Glorious Revolution gave way to Inglori-
  ous Disillusion. Many of the Counter-Clock Culture ended 
  up in prison, “sold-out” in order to get out of that life, or 
  else hid behind a time curtain in a pocket dimension called 
  Haight-Ashbury, clinging to the promise of “eternal youth” 
  and truly “dropping out”—outside of time and no longer 
  a part of anything. The Tick-Tock Doc fell into a depression 
  and a quest for meaning, which led him right into the influ-
  ence of the Overshadow. The supervillain stole the groovy 
  time-traveler’s technology and used it to try and change 
  history in his favor. Fortunately, the Scarab and Doctor To-
  morrow put a stop to it.
  Ever since (from the perspective of his personal timeline) 
  the Tick-Tock Doc has traveled the timeline and the uni-
  verse, following his personal goal to encourage people to 
  “wake up” and rebel against the forces oppressing them. 
  He’s certainly found no lack of places or people in need 
  of his help, and often re-forms the Counter-Clock Culture 
  to get things done. Unfortunately, the Tick-Tock Doc has 
  never really gotten the knack of either planning or the 
  notion of consequences (both “too linear, man”) so his 
  anarchistic interventions tend to create only chaos. He 
  means well, but remains, as Doctor Tomorrow once de-
  scribed him: “A rebellious cosmic teenager working out 
  some vast parental issues all over the timeline.”
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  The Tick-Tock Doc 
  PL 13 • 246 points
  STR 2 STA 6 AGL 2 DEX 4 FGT 10 INT 7 AWE 6 PRE 4
  Powers: Chronal Comprehension (Comprehend Languages 3: 
  read, speak, understand), Chronal Senses (Senses 11: Ranged 
  Acute Detect Chronal Effects Precognition, Postcognition), 
  Outside of Time (Immunity 21: Aging, Life Support, Mental 
  Effects; Immunity 30: Fortitude Effects, Limited to Half Effect)
  Time Manipulator (Easily Removable, Array; 39 points)
  • Temporal Ambush: Perception Ranged Damage 10 (Indirect 
  4, Variable Descriptor: objects and hazards of opportunity)
  • Temporal Sidestep: Immunity 80 (Dodge- and Parry-based 
  attacks, Concentration Duration, Limited: Not Against 
  Surprise Attacks), Teleport 1
  • Summon “Peace Warriors”: Summon 3 (Horde, Multiple 
  Minions 5: 32 minions)
  • Time Freeze: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 13 (Resisted and 
  Overcome by Will; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated)
  • Time Stop: Quickness 15, Speed 15 (Subtle 2; Quirk 2: Limited 
  to routine actions while active)
  Advantages: Beginner’s Luck, Daze (Deception), Eidetic 
  Memory, Equipment 16, Fascinate (Deception), Improvised 
  Tools, Inspire, Inventor, Jack-of-all-trades, Luck 6, Skill Mastery: 
  Technology, Well-informed
  Skills: Deception 8 (+12), Expertise: Science 16 (+23), 
  Expertise: Singing 4 (+8), Insight 4 (+10), Investigation 4 (+11), 
  Perception 4 (+10), Persuasion 4 (+8), Sleight of Hand 4 (+8), 
  Technology 16 (+23), Vehicles 4 (+8)
  Offense: Initiative +2, Unarmed +10 (Close, Damage 2)
  Defense: Dodge 12, Parry 10, Fortitude 10, Toughness 6, Will 12
  Totals: Abilities 82 + Powers 78 + Advantages 32 + Skills 34 + 
  Defenses 20 = 246
  The Groove Machine (vehicle)
  Size: Large Strength: 15 Speed: 7 (Air, Land) Defense: 8  
  Toughness: 30, Features: Dual Size (Colossal inside)  
  Power:s Flight 7, Movement 3 (Time Travel 3), Teleport 15
  THE COUNTER-CLOCK CULTURE
  Tick-Tock Doc's recurring allies are the Counter-Clock 
  Culture, lead by Little Bear and Lorelei Sunshinehouse. 
  These hippies were among the first humans to meet the 
  Doc in the Summer of Love, and recruited many other 
  disaffected youths to join their anarchist cabal. Use the 
  Militant minion archetype (see the Deluxe Gamemaster's 
  Guide) to represent an average member of the Culture.
  The seven remaining members of the Culture (including 
  Sunshinehouse) remained protected as the years went by, 
  hiding in a timeless pocket of the time-stream dubbed 
  Haight-Ashbury, and they waited for the Doc to return. 
  There were children; Sunshinehouse herself gave birth to 
  twins, Bear and Wildflower. In order to grow, the kids had 
  to be raised outside the sanctuary, but were returned to 
  the commune when they reached adulthood. There were 
  problems, sure, but the seven were true believers and 
  managed to remain true to each other and their ideals.
  In 2020, with the commune now double its original size, 
  the Tick-Tock Doc returned. He was ready to begin the rev-
  olution again, this time with Peace Warriors summoned 
  from across time and space!
  TIME-TRAVEL VILLAIN ARCHETYPES
  TIME-TRAVEL VILLAIN ARCHETYPES
  EXTERMINATOR
  EXTERMINATOR
  While any of the villain archetypes presented in the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide can be suitable threats in a time travel-
  ing campaign with the addition of a time machine, the following archetypes use time travel as a central theme in their 
  villainy, often attempting to re-write history for their own selfish ends. 
  In addition to these villains, the Time Master archetype presented in the Cosmic Handbook makes an excellent adver-
  sary for heroes with access to time travel, as do the Elder Evil, Imp, and Mad Scientist archetypes in the Deluxe Game-
  master's Guide.
  Why kill your enemy commander when you can execute 
  her helpless father before she’s even conceived? Why war 
  with 1,000 heroes when you can hunt a few dozen who 
  don’t even know they’re targets? In the grim darkness of 
  the future, time travel is a weapon. And while other villain 
  archetypes like the Assassin (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide) 
  specialize in stalking prey, only a cold machine is perfectly 
  suited for the rigors of time-travel and killing across any 
  place, in any era. The eXterminator is the cutting edge of 
  its home era technology: built from indestructible alloys, 
  incapable of feeling pain or remorse, and armed with 
  modular weapon systems it can reconfigure into any 
  manner of melee or energy weapons. A living layer of 
  human flesh conceals its true nature, allowing the eXter-
  minator to walk among humans undetected.
  THEMES
  What best defines an eXterminator are where it comes 
  from and who it hunts. Assassins targeting a few lynch-
  pin historical figures operate differently than extermi-
  nators wiping out a population before they grow too 
  strong. Most presumably hail from the future—perhaps 
  a cyberpunk dystopia where ruthless corporations target 
  their enemies in the past, or a post-apocalyptic hellscape 
  where robots labor to wipe out the last vestiges of hu-
  manity—but eXterminators can just as easily hail from 
  parallel timelines, ancient civilizations learned in magic or 
  lost technology, or be agents of organizations that exist 
  outside the time-stream.
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  AGENT OF GENOCIDE
  The Agent of Genocide doesn’t hunt one person, it hunts 
  a people. They often arrive to target a growing populace 
  before they become too strong, such as superheroes, 
  mutants, or (ironically) artificial intelligences. For such a 
  large task, the Agent often relies on a more sophisticated 
  AI, allowing it to coax a cult or hate group into accepting 
  it as their leader. Other Agents of Genocide may simply 
  command more power appropriate for their task, being 
  PL 14 or higher and capable of battling an entire team of 
  their targets.
  THE BLUDGEON
  If time travel becomes available before robots advance 
  much further, the first eXterminators dispatched may be 
  simpler entities lacking features like their variable weapon 
  systems or repair nanites. While they still operate with 
  mechanical efficiency, Bludgeons must rely on whatever 
  weaponry they can acquire once they arrive in their des-
  tination era, as well as their brute strength and indestruc-
  tible chassis. 
  EVOLUTION OF THE MACHINE
  eXterminators may hail from anywhere in time, and can 
  be equipped with technology so advanced that modern 
  superheroes have no understanding of it, granting them 
  a variety of unique and devastating abilities not normal-
  ly seen in a robotic opponent. Psi-wave generators may 
  grant them telepathy and dangerous mental blasts, while 
  a quantum step engine could enable an eXterminator to 
  teleport around foes. Other examples may include nearly 
  indestructible liquid smart metals with no discernible cir-
  cuitry, or a biotech symbiote that takes over hosts in its 
  destination era, transforming them into living weapons 
  with similar capabilities.
  THE PROPHET
  Taking a note from the Future Perfectionist (and 
  perhaps even serving her), the Prophet is a mechanical 
  insurance policy, carrying an agenda from the future to 
  make sure the desired timeline comes about. The Proph-
  et’s missions require more subtlety and interaction skills; 
  they must often live among humans or guide organiza-
  tions for years to help steer human history, only turning 
  to violence when it is the most discreet tool for the job.
  NAME IDEAS
  Ahab, Athena, Eliminator 1, the Hunter, Model 666, Picket, 
  Wuodan
  CLASSIC BITS
  Some classic elements associated with the eXterminator 
  archetype include:
  EERILY INHUMAN
  While designed to look and act human, most eXtermina-
  tors retain some robotic characteristic that gives them 
  away. They may be stiff and curt, disturb animals, produce 
  radiation that heroes can detect, or otherwise have a “tell” 
  that can be tracked once recognized. Often, learning 
  to recognize the robot’s quirks is the key to turning the 
  shape-shifting predator into prey.
  GRADUALLY MONSTROUS
  The eXterminator’s robotic nature is often revealed slowly, 
  piece-by-piece over the course of one or more adventures, 
  with it simply seeming like a superhuman brute or deadly 
  assassin when it first appears, and later combat revealing 
  mechanical parts beneath its living flesh. Only at the ad-
  venture’s climax is all pretense of humanity stripped away, 
  leaving only cruel, unfeeling metal.
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  SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECIES
  Built from futuristic materials and technologies, an eX-
  terminator’s mere presence in the wrong era may seed 
  the past with the keys to its eventual creation. Heroes 
  may destroy one robot, only to leave advanced materi-
  als or computer code behind for villains or industrialists 
  to examine, eventually birthing whatever terrible future 
  they hoped to avert. 
  THE UNEXPECTED ALLY
  Though brutal, not all eXterminators are villainous. Some 
  may be dispatched to avert major disasters or kill ter-
  rible villains to set in motion the events that create their 
  timeline. Others may be repurposed eXterminators sent 
  back to stop other time-hopping villains, and simply fall 
  back on their violent core programming to achieve ar-
  guably heroic ends. The eXterminator may be a hurdle 
  the heroes must overcome or may have genuine poten-
  tial for growth and empathy as its artificial intelligence 
  adapts to new ideas.
  WHAT MAKES A SOUL?
  An intelligence—even an artificial one—yearns to grow 
  and better itself. An eXterminator on remote assign-
  ment, removed from the constant software updates and 
  system overrides of its master may begin to question its 
  missions and the morality of its actions. Generally, the 
  longer an eXterminator remains away from its home era, 
  the more its intellect grows and the more likely it can be 
  reasoned with. This growth always has the potential to 
  backfire, however. An eXterminator who has only seen 
  the violence and cruelty humanity is capable of may 
  dedicate itself to creating an even darker, more brutal 
  future.
  TACTICS
  For all its sophisticated technology, the eXterminator 
  is cold and efficient, taking the most direct route to its 
  target and only stopping to calculate a new approach 
  once it meets an unexpected obstacle. While it prefers 
  overwhelming force against an unsuspecting target, their 
  silicon brains are capable of deception and devious strat-
  egy, hunting down associates and family to pick up new 
  leads or bait a trap. Once it engages a target, it fights and 
  pursues with single-minded focus, rarely distracted by 
  heroes or other dangers. Often the only real strategy to 
  resist an eXterminator is to flee and stay one step ahead 
  until you can find a weakness. Unlike human assassins, 
  the eXterminator takes no pleasure or pride in engaging a 
  target; it simply follows commands.
  EXTERMINATOR 
  PL12
  EXTERMINATOR 
  PL12
  STR
  STA
  AGL
  DEX
  FGT
  INT
  AWE
  PRE
  8
  ---
  5
  10
  10
  2
  8
  -1
  POWERS
  Advanced Sensors: Senses 12 (Extended Analytical Vision, 
  Darkvision, Direction Sense, Distance Sense, Infravision, 
  Radio, Time Sense, Tracking, Ultra-hearing) • 12 points
  Android: Immunity 60 (Fortitude and Will Effects) • 60 points
  Bio-Synthetic Flesh: Morph 2 (humanoid forms) • 10 points
  Intergrated Weapon Systems: Array (26 points) • 27 points
  • Blasters: Ranged Damage 12 (Variable Descriptor 2 
  [Energy])
  • Close Combat Weapons: Damage 4 (Strength-based, 
  Variable Descriptor [Stabbing, slashing, and bludgeoning])
  Nanite Repair Systems: Regeneration 2 • 2 points
  Playback: Feature 1 (mimic voices) • 1 point
  Titanium Alloy Chasis: Protection 14 (Impervious) • 28 points
  SKILLS
  Deception 8 (+7), Expertise: Target Era 2 (+4), Intimidation 10 
  (+9), Investigation 4 (+6), Perception 8 (+16), Technology 6 (+8), 
  Treatment 2 (+4), Vehicles 2 (+12)
  ADVANTAGES
  Assessment, Close Attack, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Precise 
  Attack (All) 4, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack, Startle, Takedown, 
  Weapon Break
  OFFENSE
  INITIATIVE +5
  Integrated Blasters +11
  Ranged, Damage 12
  Integrated Weapons +11
  Close, Damage 12
  Unarmed +11
  Close, Damage 8
  DEFENSE
  DODGE
  10
  FORTITUDE
  Immune
  PARRY
  10
  TOUGHNESS
  14
  WILL
  Immune
  POWER POINTS
  ABILITIES
  74
  SKILLS 
  21
  POWERS
  140
  DEFENSES
  7
  ADVANTAGES
  13
  TOTAL
  255
  COMPLICATIONS
  Literal: The eXterminator cannot understand idioms and figures 
  of speech.
  Programming Lock: The eXterminator is forbidden from 
  taking certain actions by its basic programming, such as not 
  endangering children or deactivating its weapon systems on 
  company property. It may be incapable of these actions or self-
  destruct if it violates these commands. 
  Single-Minded: While on a mission, the eXterminator focuses 
  obsessively on its target, even ignoring threats from super-
  beings while pursuing its prey.
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  CAPERS
  Adventures involving an eXterminator may include the 
  following:
  TARGETED FOR ELIMINATION
  The quintessential eXterminator plot pits the deadly 
  android against a much less powerful target, who may 
  not even realize they’re being hunted until other people 
  with their same name or eerily similar faces turn up dead. 
  The heroes must intervene against the mechanical preda-
  tor and keep it from killing innocent people and perma-
  nently altering the future. They can send the eXterminator 
  running after their first encounter, but remain unable to 
  stop it without a plan or a plot device that can overcome 
  its futuristic technology. Often time travel and causal-
  ity play a role in these plots, as the heroes must discover 
  what genius or technological breakthrough eventually 
  leads to the android’s creation and prevent it from hap-
  pening. Low-powered heroes may even find one or all of 
  themselves as the targets.
  A GAME OF ROBO-CAT AND MOUSE
  The eXterminator is a powerful foe in a straightforward 
  confrontation and generally relies on overwhelming force 
  to complete its mission, but it also possesses a keen, ana-
  lytical mind capable of laying traps, setting ambushes, 
  and running opponents ragged trying to chase down 
  false leads. If a direct show of force fails, the eXterminator 
  becomes a more subtle hunter. It may impersonate loved 
  ones on the phone to lure defenders away or learn their 
  location, feign weakness to lure combatants into a mine-
  field, or stretch them thin by engaging secondary targets. 
  More advanced intelligences may take advantage of their 
  ability to shape-shift to impersonate community leaders 
  and turn the locals against their heroes. The android has 
  all the time in the world to close in for the kill, after all.
  A KILLER OF OUR OWN
  The heroes may find themselves in need of their own 
  eXterminator to confront some greater threat or more 
  advanced model of the killer android. They must travel 
  into the future and break into a secure facility before re-
  programming one of these deadly hunters into a ruthless 
  guardian. And once the heroes have their own deadly 
  assassin, how do they keep it from carving an equally 
  bloody path of destruction to complete its own goals, 
  well-intentioned as they may be?
  NO ROBOT IS AN ISLAND
  What happens if an eXterminator fails in its mission, but 
  survives? Do the winds of time simply sweep it out of exis-
  tence? Or does it become a castaway in causality, knowing 
  in mechanical detail the steps that lead to its own dark 
  future, and tirelessly recreating those events to restore its 
  destiny once more? The heroes will need to learn about a 
  future that no longer exists to predict the actions of the 
  increasingly subtle and deadly manipulator who can take 
  on any form and has nothing but the worst intentions.
  FUTURE PERFECTIONIST
  FUTURE PERFECTIONIST
  Time is a canvas. Causality is a brush. And the Future Per-
  fectionist will tolerate no flaws in her art. The Perfectionist 
  has a vision for what the world should be—a vision that 
  conveniently places her in a position of ultimate power—
  and rather than conquer the world through bloodshed 
  and violence, she has opted to travel back in time and 
  arrange the perfect world through subtle manipulations 
  in the past. Her intellect and encyclopedic knowledge of 
  history and human nature grant her incredible potential 
  to manipulate the timeline—far more than the average 
  megalomaniac with a time machine—that trump what-
  ever superhuman abilities she can bear on the battlefield. 
  Ultimately, if heroes prove too troublesome in one era, she 
  can simply hop to another and prevent their conception, 
  or simply move forward to after their deaths and begin 
  her machinations anew. The ultimate paradise is within 
  humanity’s grasp—if only the lost souls of her home time 
  and these primitive barbarians of the past could see it all 
  as clearly as she did!
  The Perfectionist is a genius and savant in understanding 
  causality, but the very root of her powers may be under-
  standing cause and effect. Her ability to manipulate and 
  prepare for events—combined with more reliable access 
  to time travel—can allow her to literally set opponents 
  up for failure, granting her the equivalent of luck-based 
  powers. What seems like incredible coincidence is just the 
  result of endless, tiny corrections—for the heroes, this is 
  their first confrontation, but the Perfectionist has relived 
  this battle a hundred times to get every detail just right.
  THEMES
  The Future Perfectionist’s themes often revolve around 
  her exact methods of achieving her goals, though they 
  may revolve around that goal themselves. Take some time 
  to consider what era the Perfectionist hails from, and how 
  that shapes her outlook and tactics. A villain from a dys-
  topian future will be a crafty manipulator and political 
  savant, while one raised in a war-torn apocalypse will see 
  the value in swift and overwhelming force.
  THE CHAMPION
  If a Future Perfectionist hails from a particularly brutal era, 
  she may want a world where she is the ultimate cham-
  pion—undefeated even against the greatest warriors 
  in history—and her manipulations in the past consist of 
  endless battles with other powerful adversaries. Every 
  victory grows her legend in a future where she is warlord, 
  and every defeat is an invitation for a rematch, lest the 
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  legend that creates her power base falter. Alternatively, 
  the Perfectionist may be a descendant of one or more of 
  the heroes and feel the need to test or push her ances-
  tors to make herself stronger in the future. The Champion 
  often has powers more akin to a Brute or an Elemental 
  (see the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide) but retains her skills 
  and keen intellect.
  PAST PERFECTION
  The Future Perfectionist may not hail from the future at all, 
  but be a ruler from a previous era, imprisoned in a cursed 
  artifact or exiled outside time when her subjects revolted. 
  This breed of Future Perfectionist already knows the world 
  can be bent to their liking—they did it once before, after 
  all—and now they need only recreate the same circum-
  stances. This Perfectionist can seek to regress humanity’s 
  culture and technology to the same state as the era she 
  ruled, but not always; a 16th-century Carpathian tyrant 
  may be perfectly happy to equip her growing army of 
  secret soldiers with assault rifles and facial recognition 
  software in addition to longswords.
  THE SAVIOR
  Some terrible fate lies in humanity’s collective future, and 
  only the Perfectionist can save us all from disaster! She 
  knows no one will listen to her warnings—or perhaps 
  she has tried only for the results to turn out worse and 
  worse—and so she alone must prepare the world for this 
  final deadly danger by manipulating world events, forcing 
  its champions to grow stronger, or eliminating the ances-
  tors of whoever will bring about the end. No matter her 
  sins in ages long passed, her home era will see her as a 
  hero—she can design it to be so from the ground up. Al-
  ternatively, a golden age may await Earth, but only after 
  a terrible disaster or war, and the Perfectionist has come 
  back to hasten its onset—if a war is destined to kill half the 
  world’s population, then isn’t it a greater mercy to trigger 
  it when there are only seven billion instead of fifteen?
  NAME IDEAS
  Causality, Draftsman, Endgame, Instigatrix, Master Se-
  quence, Ragnarok, Witness.
  CLASSIC BITS
  Some classic elements associated with the Future Perfec-
  tionist archetype include:
  ALL ACCORDING TO PLAN
  Though possessed of incredible power, the Perfectionist is 
  a subtle manipulator first and foremost, spinning intricate 
  webs and pushing their secondary goals to the appar-
  ent forefront while keeping her true agenda concealed. 
  Many of her apparent plans are simply ruses, designed to 
  test the heroes or lure them into achieving her true ends, 
  such as destroying a rival, preventing a major historical 
  event, or creating an opening she can later exploit. The 
  heroes may smash the death ray she attempted to steal, 
  but in truth, she only wanted the creator imprisoned and 
  removed from future events. Even in defeat, the Perfec-
  tionist finds some way to move her agenda forward.
  I’M YOUR BIGGEST FAN
  For various reasons, the Future Perfectionist’s ideal world 
  ultimately hinges on the heroes—their actions, their 
  mistakes, their capabilities, or their failures—and so she 
  obsesses over them. She may become a super-powered 
  stalker, fixating on their lives and histories or grow to 
  loathe them, but either way her interactions with the 
  heroes likely grow increasingly personal over time. The 
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  Perfectionist may even be a “superfan” from the future, 
  who decided to make her era a better place by pushing 
  her favorite heroes to greater and greater challenges, or 
  she may be the descendant of their greatest rival who be-
  lieves her ancestor would have ushered in a golden age if 
  not for the heroes' meddling.
  IT WAS I!
  The Future Perfectionist’s hand is often at work behind the 
  scenes rather than up front, and the PCs may find signs 
  of her involvement in seemingly random crimes or prod-
  ding other villains to action. Traces of her futuristic tech-
  nology or foresight might make minor villains into greater 
  threats without warning, while her time travel can “resur-
  rect” dead opponents or heroes to serve her conspirato-
  rial needs. She may even manipulate the heroes’ friends 
  and family, offering them miracles only time travel can 
  provide—such as riches, insight, or more time with lost 
  lovers—in exchange for their loyalty.
  THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB
  The Future Perfectionist possesses the flexible ability to 
  steal super powers from others and keep them as long as 
  she needs, making her a threat not only to causality, but 
  the PCs’ identities as superheroes. To reach her final goal, 
  the Perfectionist must sometimes headhunt the ideal 
  hero or villain and drain their unique abilities, potentially 
  bringing her to the heroes’ attention. You may even con-
  sider making her Power Theft a Power Level X ability, al-
  lowing her to retain as many copied powers as she needs 
  (or until forced to give them up by a plot device). But ul-
  timately, her motivations and agenda are more important 
  than her specific powers, and her Power Theft ability can 
  easily be replaced with any other set of abilities that help 
  her achieve her goals.
  TACTICS
  The Future Perfectionist is a cautious combatant and dedi-
  cated tactician, often relying on hordes of minions or hired 
  goons to handle her dirty work directly. She rarely wants 
  a direct encounter with heroes unless it plays a key role in 
  furthering her agenda. When combat does come to her, 
  she relies on planning and environments she already con-
  trols. Despite all her caution, however, the Perfectionist is 
  an egomaniac who sees herself as a god, shaping reality 
  to suit her vision. Heroes who can exploit that ego deprive 
  her of the caution that makes her such a dire threat.
  The Future Perfectionist relies on advanced biotechnic im-
  plants—futuristic living technology—from her home era 
  to protect her. These same implants may be the source of 
  her power-theft abilities or may simply offer protection. 
  Her most dangerous ability is foresight; she may be en-
  gaging the heroes for the second time or the tenth time, 
  and easily sidesteps her past errors or goads them into 
  openings she didn’t notice the first time around, reflected 
  in her Luck Control.
  CAPERS
  Adventures involving a Future Perfectionist may include 
  the following:
  FUTURE PERFECTIONIST 
  PL 14
  FUTURE PERFECTIONIST 
  PL 14
  STR
  STA
  AGL
  DEX
  FGT
  INT
  AWE
  PRE
  4
  5
  4
  5
  8
  8
  10
  8
  POWERS
  Biotechnic Armor: Protection 10 (Impervious) • 20 points
  I Have Seen This All Play Out Before: Luck Control 3 (Bestow 
  Luck, Force a Re-roll, Spend on Other; Luck 5) • 14 points
  Power Theft: Broad Simultaneous Weaken Super Powers 14 
  (Incurable, Simultaneous), Linked to Variable 14 (Limited: 
  Only Drained Powers) • 127 points
  SKILLS
  Deception 10 (+18), Expertise: History 14 (+22), Expertise: 
  Philosophy 8 (+16), Expertise: Psychology 8 (+16), Insight 2 (+12), 
  Intimidation 4 (+12), Persuasion 2 (+10), Technology 6 (+14)
  ADVANTAGES
  Assessment, Close Attack 6, Contacts, Fascinate (Expertise: 
  Psychology), Improvised Tools, Inspire, Inventor, Jack-of-all-
  trades, Leadership, Luck 5, Ranged Attack 7, Seize Initiative, 
  Speed of Thought, Well-informed
  OFFENSE
  INITIATIVE +8
  Power Theft +14
  Close, Weaken 14
  Unarmed +14
  Close, Damage 4
  DEFENSE
  DODGE
  11
  FORTITUDE
  11
  PARRY
  13
  TOUGHNESS
  15
  WILL
  14
  POWER POINTS
  ABILITIES
  104
  SKILLS 
  27
  POWERS
  161
  DEFENSES
  22
  ADVANTAGES
  24
  TOTAL
  338
  COMPLICATIONS
  Obsession—Perfection: The Future Perfectionist wants only a 
  perfect outcome and won’t settle for half-steps or compromise.
  Power Feedback: Absorbs any power-related Complications 
  along with super powers.
  Temporal Artifacts: The Future Perfectionist has already 
  tampered with the timeline before and is hunted by survivors of 
  futures she has wiped out.
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  BUT A TEST
  In a rare personal appearance, the Future Perfection-
  ist demands a confrontation with the heroes, pitting 
  her villainous champions against them or else unleash-
  ing her wrath on the populace. While the battle itself is 
  clearly designed to test the heroes and push them to their 
  limits, the location and parties involved are all deliberate 
  choices, potentially leaving the hero’s stronghold vulner-
  able to invasion, introducing a hero to a key villain, or cre-
  ating widespread destruction or panic in an area that was 
  destined to serve a different historical purpose.
  ONCE MORE WITH FEELING
  After a critical part of her plan goes wrong, the Future 
  Perfectionist simply doubles back in time to try again. The 
  heroes discover her intention—to team up with her past 
  self and defeat them—and jump back as well to have their 
  own team-up with their less-experienced and more flip-
  pant counterparts. The PCs’ consciousnesses may instead 
  “piggyback” on the Perfectionist’s time travel, leaving 
  their modern minds in their past bodies and forcing them 
  to deal with twice the villains with no additional numbers 
  of their own.
  Once a brutal but complacent warrior from the past, 
  the Immortal Conqueror has lived a thousand lifetimes 
  and matured impossibly since her earliest roots. She has 
  watched empires rise and crumble—playing a hand in 
  both—and now continues her impossibly long lifetime by 
  plying those same skills in the modern world. She ruled 
  the known world once. The world will bend a knee to her 
  again. And if it does not, then she will destroy it and help 
  build a new society that is more pliable. Those enemies 
  who stand before her will fall—either felled by her hands 
  or else toppled by age and infirmity. Who cares if she fails 
  once, or twice, or a thousand times? The Immortal Con-
  queror plays the long game, and as far as she cares, she’s 
  the only player of importance still on the board.
  THEMES
  The Immortal Conqueror has all the power and skill of 
  the greatest martial traditions, married to the patience 
  and insight of conspiratorial masterminds. She sits at the 
  center of a web of secret societies, ancient orders, and po-
  litical clubs, and when her political influence wanes or she 
  grows bored, she can engage enemies on the battlefield 
  with all the brutal bloodlust humanity has shied away 
  from in recent decades. Much of her theme derives from 
  what organizations she leads and when she hails from. A 
  Conqueror who rules elitist secret societies and dabbles 
  in royal politics will have vastly different tactics from a 
  military genius who leads a sect of martial artists and con-
  quers through warfare.
  WHEN DO YOU COME FROM?
  Much of the Immortal Conqueror’s themes depends on 
  the culture she was born into and what empires she ruled 
  or toppled in the past. A Conqueror may be the last-sur-
  viving member of a non-human hominid species, such 
  as a Neanderthal or Homo erectus, pre-dating recorded 
  human history by millennia. Or she may hail from an early 
  period in history or mythology. Most recently-born Con-
  querors may only be a few centuries old and hail from so-
  cieties or nations still around today. The oldest Immortal 
  Conqueror views humanity as beasts to be tamed, while 
  one post-dating the beginnings of agriculture and the city 
  may simply see herself as a stern parent guiding unruly 
  children. A younger Conqueror may still be attempting 
  to prove herself worthy of the gift of immortality and hu-
  manity’s devotion, positioning herself squarely as an older 
  sibling trying to outdo the heroes at every turn.
  CURSED IMMORTAL
  The Immortal Conqueror’s inability to die may be a curse 
  rather than a blessing; some punishment handed down 
  by a god of death or ancient alien. They would welcome 
  an end to the same cycle of creation and destruction they 
  have witnessed a hundred times, but no mercy has yet 
  found them. They have ruled empires and tried to lead 
  humans to enlightenment, and everything always ends 
  in fire and disaster. Now, the Immortal Conqueror bides 
  her time on selfish pursuits, indulgences, and games to 
  amuse herself. Or, alternatively, she may obsessively hunt 
  whatever being cursed her, or attempt to fulfill an ancient 
  prophecy that would break her bond to life eternal and 
  finally allow her to rest her weary bones.
  FALLEN FROM GRACE
  An Immortal Conqueror may be a genuine immortal—a 
  god, demi-god, or angel stripped of much of her power, 
  save for her ageless grace. This warrior isn’t merely con-
  descending thanks to her long life, but because she hails 
  from a greater-than-human heritage she longs to regain. 
  This immortal often leads cults dedicated to herself, grant-
  ing her mystical expertise in addition to her conspiratorial 
  connections.
  IMMORTAL, NOT AGELESS 
  A common complication among immortals is that their 
  bodies continue to age and whither even as they remain 
  forever bound to the living world, leaving proud warriors 
  hobbled by age. While in peak condition for her advanced 
  age, the aged immortal rarely possesses the incred-
  ible physical skills listed in this archetype’s statblock. She 
  instead relies on soldiers and henchmen to handle the 
  brutish details of war while she applies her tactical expe-
  rience and vast social connections to lead conspiracies. 
  In addition to her goal of conquest, an immortal cursed 
  to age often hunts for ways to restore her youthful vigor, 
  IMMORTAL CONQUEROR
  IMMORTAL CONQUEROR
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  reverse the effects of age, or clings obsessively to this 
  secret if she already controls it.
  MASTER OF THE SELF 
  A thousand lifetimes of experience also means a thousand 
  lifetimes in which to delve the mysteries of the human 
  mind and soul, and so rather than mastering hand-to-
  hand combat, the Immortal Conqueror may instead have 
  mastered psychic powers or sorcery. Given enough time, 
  an Immortal Conqueror may have mastered more than 
  one, and what seems like a straightforward warrior may 
  reveal herself midway through the battle as a powerful 
  psychic as well!
  NAME IDEAS
  Amon Dread, Carg the Endless, the Eternal, the First 
  General, Hammurabi, Nullus.
  CLASSIC BITS
  Some classic elements associated with the Immortal Con-
  queror archetype include:
  THE ALLMOTHER
  An immortal has plenty of time to bear children and found 
  bloodlines that carry on in the modern day. Those children, 
  grandchildren, and descendants may be ruling families of 
  nations, leaders of powerful cults, or noteworthy heroes and 
  villains in their own right. Do her descendants owe her any 
  fealty, or want to wipe out their ageless ancestor and inherit 
  her mantle? And what use might the Conqueror have for 
  descendants who carry her possibly-empowered genes?
  HOW DO WE STOP HER?
  The Immortal Conqueror’s immortality generally leaves 
  prison as the only option for superheroes once she is 
  defeated, but many opponents before them have tried 
  and failed to contain her glory. A prison is nothing but 
  a fortress for the Immortal Conqueror, and so heroes 
  may need to get creative to find ways of ending the 
  threat she poses.
  OLD VENDETTAS
  The Immortal Conqueror has run afoul of many 
  heroes, warriors, and demigods over the centuries, 
  and may be either a longtime rival of an immortal 
  hero or may have faced off against a hero’s ances-
  tor and still carries a powerful hatred for that family 
  line. The Conqueror may even have hunted a particular 
  bloodline throughout history, forever frustrated by her 
  inability to ultimately destroy them.
  TIME TRAVEL THE HARD WAY
  Immortal Conquerors don’t appear in time travel stories 
  because they have time machines, but rather because 
  they have been present at major events in human history 
  extending back to the dawn of our species. She travels into 
  the future at a rate of one year every 365 days, and so time 
  traveling heroes may encounter her at different points in 
  her immortal life—possessing a different personality—in 
  a different order than the Conqueror remembers.
  TACTICS
  The Immortal Conqueror is a fearsome and eager com-
  batant, often frustrated by the lack of quality warriors to 
  test her skills against. While she sits at the head of various 
  power structures—corporations, religions, governments, 
  secret societies—her foundations remain firmly planted 
  in war and blood, and a part of her still longs for that thrill. 
  Despite this nature, she is much more than a deadly beast; 
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  the soldier engages her enemy with tactics in mind, com-
  manding her own forces expertly and turning every bat-
  tlefield to her advantage through intelligence and keen 
  observation. While she may opt to throw herself into the 
  fold against an entire team of heroes, she does so with a 
  strategy in mind, turning opponents’ abilities against one 
  another or engaging and eliminating the weakest first.
  An Immortal Conqueror’s invulnerability plays into her 
  battle strategies. She is all too ready to wire her strong-
  hold to explode on her death or hurl herself from a high-
  rise window if defeat is imminent. If she leaves a body 
  behind, enemies can imprison her, but a death that leaves 
  no body (or at least keeps her body out of reach), leaves 
  her free to resume her conquest once she reawakens.
  CAPERS
  Adventures involving an Immortal Conqueror may include 
  the following:
  HAVE WE MET?
  An Immortal Conqueror presents an especially engag-
  ing villain for time-traveling heroes, as she has lived for 
  thousands of years and headed up various organizations, 
  hordes, and nations that the PCs may oppose. Because 
  she proceeds linearly while the heroes can jump around 
  at their leisure, she likely meets them out of chronological 
  order (at least as far as her personal timeline goes). The 
  PCs’ first encounter with the Conqueror may reveal that 
  she has faced them many times before and hopes to settle 
  old debts, foreshadowing future appearances with the 
  same warrior when she is less experienced or less aware 
  of the heroes’ abilities. She may even reveal she once 
  thought of the heroes as allies, only to be betrayed.
  THE SERPENT’S HEAD
  The heroes battle their way through a powerful cult, evil 
  corporation, or secret society, thinking the leader will be a 
  brilliant but frail mastermind, only to discover the Immortal 
  Conqueror and her centuries of martial training. Even if de-
  feated, the Immortal Conqueror commands more hidden 
  forces—perhaps paving the way for an adventure series 
  dismantling the power base she assembled over centuries.
  WERE MY CHEST A CANNON
  The Immortal Conqueror endlessly hunts some target—
  perhaps the bloodline of an ancient rival, or the secret to 
  ending her hated immortality—only to have that object 
  of desire fall into the heroes’ hands. Her obsession drives 
  out all pretense of civilization or discretion, and the Con-
  queror unleashes all her carefully-assembled resources 
  into a constant, seemingly endless barrage of violence 
  against the heroes and anyone associated with them to 
  get what she wants. Can the heroes resist and take the 
  fight to their enemy, or do they travel back in time to find 
  the root of her obsession, diffusing the violence but po-
  tentially altering history?
  IMMORTAL CONQUEROR 
  PL 13
  IMMORTAL CONQUEROR 
  PL 13
  STR
  STA
  AGL
  DEX
  FGT
  INT
  AWE
  PRE
  7
  8
  4
  5
  16
  6
  4
  6
  POWERS
  Immortal: Immortality 10, Immunity 5 (Aging, Disease, 
  Poison, Pain Effects), Regeneration 2 • 27 points
  EQUIPMENT
  Assault Rifle (Ranged Multiattack Damage 5), BattleAxe 
  (Damage 3), Bow (Ranged Damage 3), Designer Clothes, 
  Heavy Pistol (Ranged Damage 4), Limousine, Rocket Launcher 
  (Ranged Damage 10 (Burst Damage 7)), Smartphone, Spear 
  (Damage 3), Sword (Damage 3)
  SKILLS
  Acrobatics 4 (+8), Athletics 6 (+13), Deception 6 (+12), Expertise: 
  Conspiracies 8 (+14), Expertise: Tactics 10 (+16), Insight 6 (+10), 
  Intimidation 10 (+16), Persuasion 6 (+12), Stealth 8 (+12)
  ADVANTAGES
  Accurate Attack, Connected, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 
  2, Equipment 16, Evasion, Great Endurance, Improved Critical: 
  Sword, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, 
  Inspire 5, Leadership, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Ranged 
  Attack 8, Startle, Takedown, Uncanny Dodge
  OFFENSE
  INITIATIVE +8
  Assault Rifle +13
  Ranged, Damage 5
  Bow +13
  Ranged, Damage 3
  Rocket Launcher +13
  Ranged, Damage 10 (Burst Damage 7)
  Sword +16
  Close, Damage 10
  Unarmed +16
  Close, Damage 7
  DEFENSE
  DODGE
  14
  FORTITUDE
  10
  PARRY
  16
  TOUGHNESS
  10/8*
  WILL
  14
  *Without Defensive Roll
  POWER POINTS
  ABILITIES
  112
  SKILLS 
  32
  POWERS
  27
  DEFENSES
  22
  ADVANTAGES
  46
  TOTAL
  239
  COMPLICATIONS
  Overconfidence: The Immortal Conqueror knows she will 
  outlast any opponents.
  Temper: Coming of age in a different time, the Immortal 
  Conqueror's first instinct is to settle conflicts with violence.
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  LIVING GATEWAY
  LIVING GATEWAY
  Most time-hopping villains rely on devices or spells to 
  travel through time—devices the heroes can deprive them 
  of to remove that advantage or finally imprison them. 
  But the Living Gateway is their own time machine, able 
  to open portals to the past and future as easily as some 
  people might open a door. All of history is a playground 
  and no actions have consequences. And if self-styled 
  heroes want take issue with his chronological cavorting, 
  the Living Gateway can simply step 
  back two weeks, forward to after 
  the heroes’ death, or back to 
  prevent their birth.
  THEMES
  The Living Gateway can be a mastermind, a useful tool 
  for a more powerful villain, or a time-traveling hedonist 
  causing endless headaches for any heroes charged with 
  protecting causality. Their endless freedom and carefree 
  attitude may simply leave them a selfish ass who refuses 
  to take responsibility for their actions, a thief who steals 
  the greatest missing treasures in history, or a truly alien 
  killer—after all, if you can sidestep to the End of Days, isn’t 
  everyone already dead? A Living Gateway might possess 
  additional powers that offer them some offensive abilities 
  and helps refine their theme.
  The statblock as-is reflects a villain who has never really 
  needed to work for anything or develop many skills, but a 
  Living Gateway with ambition can study under the great-
  est masters of any art, from piano to kung fu. You might 
  combine the powers of the Living Gateway with other vil-
  lainous archetypes like the Assassin, Master of Disguise, 
  or Martial Artist (see the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide), 
  or simply assign additional ranks of appropriate skills, 
  powers, and Advantages.
  ALL ABOARD
  The Living Gateway’s temporal portals allow them to 
  bring passengers with them to their target era but 
  may also let them bring villains or monsters from 
  other times to them. This is a Summon effect, usually 
  with the Heroic extra. The Living Gateway may bring 
  anyone—super-powered mercenaries from the future, 
  dinosaurs from the Jurassic, or anyone in between—
  but likely sticks to a common theme. Living Portals 
  who simply pluck their minions at random out of time 
  may also apply the Attitude flaw, leaving their power-
  ful minions completely uncontrolled once they arrive.
  MATHEMATICIAN
  Any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguish-
  able from magic, and the Living Gateway may simply 
  possess an understanding of mathematics and 
  quantum physics so advanced that they understand 
  how to bend the flow of time through willpower or 
  recitation of a formula. The Mathematician likely pos-
  sesses incredible intelligence as well, and likely ad-
  ditional formulae that mimic magic spells or psychic 
  attacks.
  ME, MYSELF, AND I
  Rather than summon figures from history, the Living 
  Gateway might seek help from their own timeline, sum-
  moning duplicates of themself from the past or future to 
  help tackle entire teams of opponents. This is a Summon 
  effect with the Heroic extra, but limited to summoning 
  duplicates with the same statistics.
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  POWER HAS A PRICE
  Opening a portal through time is infinitely more difficult 
  than just opening one through space, and the Living 
  Gateway may not be able to do so at will. He may need to 
  charge up by feeding on a potent energy source first: elec-
  tricity or radiation or the life force of living victims. This is 
  most simply represented with Immunity to specific energy 
  effects, while a villain who needs to feed on life energy 
  from living beings would use a Weaken Stamina effect. 
  In either case, the maximum time rank the Gateway can 
  jump after a feeding is limited by the ranks of the energy 
  effects they absorb or the ranks of Stamina drained.
  NAME IDEAS
  Casanova, Hoplight, Euphrates, Fitzavery, the Rover, Vaga-
  bond, Wormhole.
  CLASSIC BITS
  Some classic elements associated with the Living Gateway 
  archetype include:
  LET’S MAKE A DEAL
  The Living Gateway has access to a rare and valuable skill, 
  and many other villains will pay handsomely for the ability 
  to leap to the past or future. While money doesn’t mean 
  much to someone who can jump back to take advantage 
  of every stock market trend, villains may offer creature 
  comforts, rare luxuries, entertainment, or the possibil-
  ity for revenge. Alternatively, the Living Gateway may be 
  the only access to time-travel that heroes possess for a 
  one-off adventure or after an accident destroys their time 
  machine; what can they offer the man who has everything 
  just to book passage home?
  THE MOST TOYS
  The Living Gateway travels with a few futuristic gimmicks 
  but may have access to vast wealth and strange technol-
  ogy beyond anything humans can currently manufacture. 
  This can provide him with any number of strange gadgets 
  or access to relics of historical or supernatural significance. 
  These may be plot devices, futuristic robot soldiers, or 
  simply gadgets that provide new or improved powers.
  THE PARADOX PROBLEM
  Moving around the time-stream as a vagabond, the Living 
  Gateway is more prone than most time traveling villains 
  to creating paradoxes or accidentally altering timelines. 
  He may even originally hail from a timeline he has already 
  wiped out. He may be deliberately trying to change future 
  history, much like the Future Perfectionist, but more likely 
  he’s simply careless or cruel. More often than not, heroes 
  will need to set history back on its proper course in the 
  Living Gateway’s wake rather than battle him directly.
  LIVING GATEWAY 
  PL 10
  LIVING GATEWAY 
  PL 10
  STR
  STA
  AGL
  DEX
  FGT
  INT
  AWE
  PRE
  2
  0
  5
  3
  4
  2
  3
  4
  POWERS
  Chrono-Portal (Array; 50 points) • 27 points
  • Time Portal: Movement 3 (Time Travel 3; Portal)
  • Space Portal: Teleport 10 (Easy, Extended Only, Portal)
  Collapsing Power-Staff (Easily Removable) Strength-based 
  Damage 5 (Feature: collapsible) • 4 points
  Futuristic Armor (Removable) Immunity 10 (Life Support), 
  Protection 8 (Impervious) • 21 points
  Temporal Senses: Senses 6 (Acute Analytical Extended Detect 
  Time Travel, Time Sense, Tracking [temporal]) • 6 points
  EQUIPMENT
  Blaster Pistol
  SKILLS
  Acrobatics 4 (+9), Deception 8 (+12), Insight 2 (+5), Perception 2 
  (+5), Sleight of Hand 4 (+7), Stealth 4 (+9)
  ADVANTAGES
  Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Chronal Bulwark*, Close Attack 6, 
  Daze (Deception), Defensive Attack, Equipment 2, Evasion, 
  Fascinate (Deception), Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, 
  Ranged Attack 4, Seize Initiative, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge
  OFFENSE
  INITIATIVE +9
  Blaster Pistol +7
  Ranged, Damage 5
  Power Staff +10
  Close, Damage 7
  Unarmed +10
  Close, Damage 2
  DEFENSE
  DODGE
  12
  FORTITUDE
  8
  PARRY
  12
  TOUGHNESS
  8/0*
  WILL
  11
  *Without Armor
  POWER POINTS
  ABILITIES
  46
  SKILLS 
  12
  POWERS
  82
  DEFENSES
  31
  ADVANTAGES
  24
  TOTAL
  195
  COMPLICATIONS
  Indulgent: The Living Gateway is a hedonist more interested 
  in comfort and pleasure than any grand schemes.
  Victim Complex: Believes everyone is out to get him for no 
  reason.
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  TACTICS
  The Living Gateway isn’t much of a direct threat to most su-
  perheroes, but his powers make him both troublesome and 
  difficult to contain. A careless jaunt through time can leave 
  the present radically altered, depending on how robust the 
  timeline is in your campaign (see The Timeline, earlier in this 
  chapter), and even in a robust timeline the Living Gateway 
  essentially has immunity from any authority who can’t 
  follow him across the pages of history. The Living Gateway 
  is the ultimate master of hit-and-run tactics, attacking when 
  enemies least suspect it and fleeing beyond their reach 
  when the fight turns against him. To keep him in one place, 
  heroes must either undermine his powers or else goad him 
  into overstaying his welcome and making mistakes.
  CAPERS
  Adventures involving a Living Gateway may include the 
  following:
  AS IT WAS
  Most adventures involving the Living Gateway require 
  repairing any damage done and chasing him across 
  eras. Heroes may need to return (or replace) stolen arti-
  facts, but might also need to unravel any social issues left 
  behind, convincing a famous musician to resume writing 
  operas or reuniting lovers the mountebank drove apart. 
  When things get tense, the Living Gateway may just as 
  easily bring challenges to the heroes’ doorstep by drag-
  ging ancient monsters or deadly androids with him for his 
  next visit or else lead them into dangerous eras.
  QUANTUM QUARRY
  While the Living Gateway is accustomed to life on the run, 
  that flight is from the law, not other villains. Another vil-
  lain—a mad scientist, archmage, or one of the more pow-
  erful villains listed in this book—covets his powers, blood, 
  or vital essence and has no interest in negotiating for it. 
  Hunted by a deadly enemy who can track him through 
  time or summon him at will, the Living Gateway must turn 
  to the heroes he normally runs from for help.
  A TRIP TOO FAR
  After a time-jump lands him too close to some power-
  ful or significant effect event—an asteroid impact, a 
  black hole, a nuclear armageddon—the Living Gateway 
  leaps away only to discover his time portal forced open 
  by the enormous energy of the disaster he fled. Now the 
  heroes must find a way to close the gate before that same 
  apocalypse floods into the present through the door their 
  enemy can’t close. 
  TEMPORAL WIZARD
  TEMPORAL WIZARD
  The arcane art of bending time is rare, but not as difficult 
  as it seems. Most sorcerers can warp space and teleport 
  across vast distances; time is just space from another 
  point of view. The Temporal Wizard wields time as a tool, 
  unleashing ages the same way a magician might throw 
  bolts of fire. 
  Most time traveling villains pursue an agenda—conquer 
  the world, rewrite their future, have a good time—but the 
  Temporal Wizard wants power for power’s sake. Unlock-
  ing the mysteries of the past, present, and future; bending 
  causality to their whims; who needs to rule when you can 
  bend all of space-time with a thought? Who needs to rule 
  when you are a god?
  THEMES
  Mechanisms are for the weak-willed. The Temporal 
  Wizard can part the sands of time with a wave of his 
  hand. Much of the distinct flavor of a Temporal Wizard 
  hails from their background: how (and when) they 
  learned their unique brand of magic. A Temporal Wizard 
  might have come of age in any particular era—includ-
  ing a potential future—or hail from a dimension isolated 
  out in the time-stream, with any era shaping their style, 
  mannerisms, and goals. Being a wizard, you may provide 
  other, more traditional spells as you see fit, such as those 
  possessed by the Sorcerer villain archetype (see the 
  Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide).
  CHRONOKINETIC
  Rather than a traditional sorcerer, the Temporal Wizard is 
  a powerful psychic—either a natural talent or an experi-
  ment—who controls time rather than thoughts or flame. 
  A psychic time controller is more likely to operate alone, 
  not needing to learn his skills from a master or school. The 
  chronokinetic may wield additional psychic powers, such 
  as telekinesis or mind reading.
  RENEGADE
  Most Temporal Wizards may serve as sober and mature 
  guardians of the time-stream, but power over causality 
  is a temptation above all others. The renegade Temporal 
  Wizard hopes to gain ultimate power, but also needs the 
  skills to deceive the rest of his order, or else stay on the run 
  one step ahead of justice. Add appropriate ranks in skills 
  like Deception, Stealth, and Technology, with the poten-
  tial support of minions such as cultists. 
  THE STAFF OF TIME
  The Temporal Wizard may have no time magic of his own, 
  instead relying on a mystical staff, amulet, or other acces-
  sory that can be taken from them. Alternatively, he may 
  possess some spells, but lack crucial spells like Time Portal 
  or the ability to ward others from the time-stream—
  relying on his relic for these powers.
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  WARPED BY TIME
  The arcanist’s extensive experimentation with chronal 
  energy has warped his body, causing it to evolve or 
  devolve into a more powerful form. Increase the Tempo-
  ral Wizard’s Strength, Stamina, and Fighting abilities (ad-
  justing his defense bonuses down to compensate) and 
  add additional Advantages like Power Attack and All-out 
  Attack to make him a formidable threat in hand-to-
  hand combat. His form may even become monstrous or 
  demonic, adding natural weapons or far stranger powers.
  NAME IDEAS
  Bastion, Chronomancer, Clockmaster, Lady Concurrent, 
  the Time Baron.
  CLASSIC BITS
  Some classic elements associated with the Temporal 
  Wizard archetype include:
  AND WITH THIS AMULET...
  The Temporal Wizard often pursues some MacGuffin or 
  artifact that will augment their time magic immensely, 
  possibly even transforming them into a PL X villain. 
  This may be an artifact created by a previous (or yet-
  to-come) Temporal Wizard, something that survived 
  from before the dawn of time, or an invention from 
  the far-flung future. This same artifact may grant similar 
  power to heroes, or prove beyond their control.
  CROSSTIME INTRIGUES
  Because of his free access to time travel and need for knowl-
  edge, the Temporal Wizard is often neck-deep in whatever 
  chronological intrigues exist in the campaign world. He 
  makes friends and enemies of other time travelers and or-
  ganizations and knows countless secrets about the eddies 
  and currents of the time-stream—including the places 
  where time flows strangely or not at all—and what beings, 
  places, and talismans hail from outside time as we know it.
  THE TIME BARRIER
  The Temporal Wizard’s mastery of time may allow them 
  to ward an era much like an ordinary wizard might ward a 
  space, preventing trespassers from entering—in this case 
  bouncing time travelers to a random era whenever they 
  try to approach his chrono-sanctorum. Heroes will need 
  to learn more about the ward and find a flaw in its design 
  before confronting the Temporal Wizard, or else time 
  travel to before the ward exists and take the long way in: 
  living day-by-day until they cross into the Temporal Wiz-
  ard’s warded era the same way everyone else does.
  MY FOOLISH FORMER SELF
  Able to hop through time, reverse aging, and create 
  echoes of himself throughout time, the Temporal Wizard’s 
  personal timeline is a mess, and often this villain is his 
  own worst enemy. His greatest adversary—perhaps even 
  one of the PCs—is a much older or much younger version 
  of himself. An older version of the Temporal Wizard may 
  have forsaken (or been stripped of) his powers and is now 
  trying to make amends, while a younger version might be 
  naïve and optimistic in ways that have been beaten out of 
  his elder incarnation.
  TACTICS
  The Temporal Wizard unleashes time itself as a weapon, 
  transmuting magic energy into chronal energy and vice 
  versa. His powers can age targets to decrepitude, reduce 
  them to helpless infants, or freeze them in a moment. 
  His wards provide unusual protections, such as rewind-
  ing his body to undo any damage, or shielding those 
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  around him from hostile conditions and changes to the 
  timeline, or creating a dozen illusory "temporal copies" 
  of himself to keep opponents guessing which is the real 
  villain. Like other spellcasters, the Temporal Wizard isn’t 
  much of a physical combatant and relies on keeping his 
  distance from enemies while pelting them with spells. He 
  may work with assembled cultists, demons, or arcane con-
  structs to intercept heroes on his behalf.
  CAPERS
  Adventures involving a Temporal Wizard may include the 
  following:
  EYE OF THE TEMPORAL STORM
  The Temporal Wizard unleashes devastating changes in 
  the distant past and withdraws all his resources into a 
  bubble realty outside normal time to wait out the changes 
  that are about to warp the universe. Is his goal to shatter 
  his enemies? Tear down history and rebuild it anew? Or is 
  there some higher purpose or arcane secret that he can 
  only find in the eye of the time-storm he has unleashed?
  THE FIRST RITUAL
  To achieve his ultimate power, the Temporal Wizard needs 
  to bribe or force the greatest sorcerers in history to assist 
  with a ritual at the dawn of time. The heroes must track his 
  kidnappings across various eras, piece together his des-
  tination, and try to predict his next targets before he can 
  round out his mystic roster.
  TIME AND TIME AGAIN
  The Temporal Wizard is one of the most likely villains to 
  use time itself as a weapon against his foes. He may trap 
  the heroes in a temporal loop, forcing them to relive the 
  same miserable day forever, or curse them to “unstick” 
  from time, causing them to jump randomly through 
  time. This might be the entire purpose of his scheme, or 
  he may simply need to distract time traveling adversar-
  ies while he enacts another, more dangerous scheme for 
  power.
  TEMPORAL WIZARD 
  PL 13
  TEMPORAL WIZARD 
  PL 13
  STR
  STA
  AGL
  DEX
  FGT
  INT
  AWE
  PRE
  0
  3
  4
  2
  0
  7
  8
  3
  POWERS
  Chrono-Mutations: Strength-based Damage 3 (Claws), 
  Leaping 2 (30 feet), Senses 3 (Acute Smell, Darkvision) • 8 
  points
  Mystic Shield: Protection 13 (Sustained), Immunity 12 (Life 
  Support, Temporal Effects) • 25 points
  Temporal Magic (Array; 40 points) • 45 points
  • Accelerate Aging: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 13 
  (Resisted and Overcome by Fortitude; Fatigued, Exhausted,  
  Transformed [into elderly version]; Reversible)
  • Bend Space-Time: Teleport 12 (16 miles; Extended, 
  Increased Mass 4)
  • Infantalize: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 13 (Resisted and 
  Overcome by Fortitude; Dazed, Defenseless, Transformed 
  [into infant]; Reversible)
  • Temporal Stasis: Ranged Affliction 13 (Resisted by Dodge, 
  Overcome by Will; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless 
  and Immobile, Paralyzed and Unaware; Extra Condition; 
  Reversible)
  • Time Freeze: Concealment 10 (All Senses), Quickness 10,       
  Teleport 5 (900 feet)
  • Time Portal: Movement 3 (Time Travel 3; Increased Mass 
  6, Portal)
  Temporal Wards (Array; 25 points) • 27 points
  • Rewind Harm: Healing 8 (Energizing, Persistent, 
  Restorative; Self only)
  • Temporal Copies: Concealment 10 (All Senses; Limited: No 
  Concealment)
  • Temporal Ward: Burst Area Immunity 12 (Life Support, 
  Temporal Effects)
  SKILLS
  Close Combat: Unarmed 8 (+8), Deception 8 (+11), Expertise: 
  History 6 (+13), Expertise: Magic 10 (+17), Insight 2 (+10), 
  Perception 5 (+13), Ranged Combat: Temporal Magic 11 (+13)
  ADVANTAGES
  Artificer, Beginner's Luck, Chronal Memories, Eidetic Memory, 
  Instant Up, Jack-of-all-trades, Seize Initiative, Speed of Thought, 
  Ultimate Effort: Expertise (Magic), Well-informed
  OFFENSE
  INITIATIVE +7
  Temporal Magic +13
  Ranged, Affliction 13
  Unarmed +10
  Close, Damage 0 (3 with Claws)
  DEFENSE
  DODGE
  10
  FORTITUDE
  10
  PARRY
  9
  TOUGHNESS
  16/3*
  WILL
  15
  *Without Mystic Shield
  POWER POINTS
  ABILITIES
  54
  SKILLS 
  25
  POWERS
  105
  DEFENSES
  29
  ADVANTAGES
  10
  TOTAL
  223
  COMPLICATIONS
  Addiction:: The Temporal Wizard is addicted to chronal energy 
  and/or time travel.
  Condescending: Can't fathom anyone outwitting him or 
  matching his magical might.
  Obsession: The Temporal Wizard fixates on some secret or 
  mystery lost to history or that exists outside the timeline.
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  Petty generals conquer nations. Would-be emperors 
  conquer continents. But a true tyrant seizes the world's 
  past, present, and future. The Time-Hopping Tyrant hails 
  from the far future, where time is just another tool in an 
  army’s arsenal, and once her home era bows to her, the 
  Tyrant moves backward to seize the rest of creation, until 
  all the world’s histories are her glories writ large. Wield-
  ing the most advanced technology her time can produce, 
  studied in the greatest tactics in human history, and com-
  manding entire armies of futuristic troops, the Time-Hop-
  ping Tyrant is an overwhelming threat to the present and 
  everything that came before it.
  THEMES
  The Time-Hopping Tyrant is a military commander, but 
  one with every advantage: experience, technology, 
  numbers, and the chronological “high ground.” Her 
  chrono-carrier can strike from future timelines she 
  has already conquered and fall back into entire cen-
  turies that serve as planet-wide fortresses. She can 
  observe history to learn weaknesses about the heroes 
  they may have yet to share or even learn themselves. 
  She wields weapons modern science couldn’t even begin 
  to reproduce, let alone defend against. The Tyrant may 
  be cruel or compassionate, but above all she suffers the 
  burden of confidence and innumerable victories.
  MASTER OF TIME
  The Time-Hopping Tyrant might be more than just an 
  empress, instead serving as the final arbiter of the time-
  line—either self-appointed or invested with her power 
  and position by some cosmic force. Rather than tradition-
  al soldiers, she commands time elementals or temporal 
  weavers (see Temporal Minions) and dispatches agents 
  to hunt time travelers and otherwise keep history on its 
  proper course.
  SOVEREIGN SHORES
  The Time-Hopping Tyrant is a military leader first and fore-
  most, dedicated to securing her territory—her personal 
  timeline—from all threats foreign or domestic. While she 
  expands her chronological borders, pushing forward and 
  back to the respective ends of time, her ultimate goal is 
  to preserve the perfect empire she forged and prevent 
  anyone from altering the past to prevent its rise.
  YOUR DARKEST TIMELINE
  Superheroes leave long-lasting legacies, and the Time-
  Hopping Tyrant’s mission is based somehow in the heroes’ 
  own timeline and actions. She may be a descendant of a 
  hero or a fan inspired by legends of yesteryear’s cham-
  pions. The connection may be even more personal: the 
  Tyrant may be a powerful, far older version of a close 
  friend or even one of the heroes.
  NAME IDEAS
  Coda, Highlord, Mistress of the Last Moment, Pinnacle, 
  Saroc the Subjugator
  CLASSIC BITS
  Some classic elements associated with the Time-Hopping 
  Tyrant archetype include:
  AT WAR WITH MYSELF
  With all her tampering in history, the Tyrant constantly risks 
  splintering the timeline and creating alternate futures—
  TIME-HOPPING TYRANT
  TIME-HOPPING TYRANT
  656565
   
  CHAPTER 3: GAMEMASTERS IN TIME
  CHAPTER 3: GAMEMASTERS IN TIME
   
  CHAPTER 3: GAMEMASTERS IN TIME
  CHAPTER 3: GAMEMASTERS IN TIME
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  including alternate versions of herself with similar motiva-
  tions and resources. These duplicate tyrants represent as 
  great a threat to one another as they do to the heroes. A 
  Time-Hopping Tyrant may even hunt alternate versions of 
  herself to circumvent this threat or consolidate her power, 
  creating an empire of thousands of timelines.
  I SHALL SET IT RIGHT AGAIN
  Some minor change in history wipes out something of 
  great importance to the Time-Hopping Tyrant—a lover, 
  their children, or her entire timeline—which is what origi-
  nally inspires her conquest of the past. While she makes a 
  show of military jingoism, deep down she wants to heal 
  a painful personal injury and can be reasoned with if the 
  heroes learn what caused the trauma.
  I HAVE EVOLVED BEYOND THIS
  Hailing from tens of thousands of years in the future, the 
  Time-Hopping Tyrant often bears the hallmarks of evolu-
  tion. This usually manifests as extraordinary intellect, but 
  may also be evolved resistance to very specific hazards—
  such as diseases or unique radiation—that beings from 
  the 21st century haven’t encountered yet. The Tyrant may 
  flood her chrono-carrier with this hazard to subdue invad-
  ers, or threaten to unleash it across the planet, leaving a 
  world fit only for citizens of her futuristic empire.
  TACTICS
  While a tactical genius, the Time-Hopping Tyrant is above 
  all, arrogant. She thinks nothing of would-be heroes. She 
  has defeated such enemies before, and far more advanced 
  ones at that, and so the heroes of the 21st century are 
  little more than a curious distraction from her conquests. 
  The Tyrant wears advanced armor powered by a cap-
  tured singularity—a black hole—which generates near-
  TIME-HOPPING TYRANT 
  PL 16
  TIME-HOPPING TYRANT 
  PL 16
  STR
  STA
  AGL
  DEX
  FGT
  INT
  AWE
  PRE
  14/4
  5
  5
  6
  9
  6
  9
  8
  POWERS
  Singularity Suit (Removable) • 85 points
  Combat Analyzer: Enhanced Trait Dodge 4, Enhanced 
  Parry 4, Enhanced Advantages (Close Attack 4, Evasion 2, 
  Improved Initiative 2, Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative)
  Graviton Rig: Enhanced Strength 10, Flight 8 (500 MPH; 
  Precise, Subtle; AE: Teleport 7 [0.5 miles; Change Direction, 
  Change Velocity, Turnabout])
  Neutron Plating: Protection 14 (Impervious)
  Support Systems: Enhanced Fortitude 6, Immunity 10  
  (Life Support)
  Zero-Point Energy Weapons (Array; 44 points) • 85 points
  • Quantum Blast: Ranged Damage 16 (Accurate 2, Affects 
  Insubstantial, Indirect 4 [any point or direction], Split 3, 
  Variable Descriptor 2 [Energy Weapons])
  • Force Forms: Create 14 (Movable)
  • Energy Field Generator: Shapeable Area Damage 16 
  (Variable Descriptor 2 [energy])
  • Graviton Projector: Perception Move Object 14
  EQUIPMENT
  Vehicle: Chrono-Carrier
  Size Awesome Strength 20 Speed 8 (Air) Defense 0 
  Toughness 26 Features Communications, Computer, 
  Hanger, Holding Cells, Living Space, Navigation System, 
  Remote Control Powers Feature (Chronal Bulwark*), 
  Immunity 10 (Life Support), Movement 6 (Space Travel 
  3, Time Travel 3), Senses 17 (Extended 3 Acute Analytical 
  Temporal Awareness, Visual Counters All Concealment, 
  Postcognition, Time Sense, Tracking [temporal])
  Main Gun: Ranged Burst Area Damage 16 (Penetrating),  
  AE: Point-Defense Cannons: Cone Area Damage 12
  SKILLS
  Close Combat: Unarmed 5 (+14), Expertise: Tactics 16 (+22), 
  Intimidation 8 (+16), Perception 5 (+14), Persuasion 8 (+16), 
  Technology 12 (+18), Vehicles 6 (+12)
  ADVANTAGES
  Accurate Attack, Assessment, Close Attack 4, Daze (Intimidation), 
  Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 26, Evasion 2, Favored 
  Environment: Aboard chrono-carrier, Fearless, Improved 
  Initiative 2, Inspire 5, Inventor, Leadership, Minion 15, Move-by 
  Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative, Skill 
  Mastery: Intimidation, Startle, Teamwork, Trance, Uncanny 
  Dodge, Well-informed
  OFFENSE
  INITIATIVE +13
  Quantum Blast +16
  Ranged, Damage 16
  Energy Fields —
  Close, Area Damage 16
  Unarmed +14
  Close, Damage 14/4
  DEFENSE
  DODGE
  13/9*
  FORTITUDE
  16/10*
  PARRY
  13/9*
  TOUGHNESS
  19/5*
  WILL
  16
  *Without Singularity Suit
  POWER POINTS
  ABILITIES
  104
  SKILLS 
  30
  POWERS
  132
  DEFENSES
  16
  ADVANTAGES
  63
  TOTAL
  345
  COMPLICATIONS
  Inhuman: Millennia of evolution have caused the Time-
  Hopping Tyrant's genetics to drift away from modern humans'. 
  She stands out in a crowd and is too alien for modern medicine 
  to assist her.
  Zealot: The Tyrant knows she is a true believer in her purpose.
  666666
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  infinite power which allows her to bend space to teleport 
  and create barriers of pure gravitational force. She can 
  also teleport any weapon in her vast arsenal to her with 
  a thought, blanketing swathes of the battlefield with 
  devastating destruction. Beyond her personal capabili-
  ties, she commands soldiers outfitted with technological 
  wonders and commands a interstellar carrier ship capable 
  of leaping through time and protecting its crew from the 
  dangers of timeline change.
  CAPERS
  Adventures involving a Time-Hopping Tyrant may include 
  the following:
  AGAINST THE GODS
  The present begins to unravel and the heroes discover 
  the Time-Hopping Tyrant arrived in ancient East Africa to 
  seize control of the human species and control the devel-
  opment of every future culture to follow. While the locals 
  have no possibility of stopping the Tyrant, the gods of old 
  are not yet limited by ancient pacts exiling them from 
  Earth, and the Tyrant faces a war against divine forces—
  one that threatens to rip all of history apart and drive 
  humans to extinction! Can the heroes stop the Tyrant? 
  Or worse, does the Tyrant want to retreat, and need the 
  PCs’ help to stop whatever temporal siege magic the gods 
  now use to keep her from leaving the ancient world?
  HISTORY’S GREATEST HITS
  To weaken the timeline for invasion, the Time-Hopping 
  Tyrant first recruits a collection of villains from across the 
  past—including old foes the heroes have already defeat-
  ed—to attack in rapid succession. The assault leaves mili-
  taries devastated and heroes exhausted when the Tyrant’s 
  chrono-carrier finally appears in the skies overhead.
  TEMPORAL MINIONS
  While some minions are specific to certain eras, a few may 
  plague time traveling heroes regardless of when they land 
  or even chase them across the breadth of history.
  CHRONOZOIDS
  Strange lifeforms that dwell outside time, chronozoids 
  soar through the forth dimension with the skill and grace 
  of a falcon. Some command truly bizarre abilities—exist-
  ing in reverse time or only existing within a timeline for 
  only a fraction of a second—but others are more familiar. 
  The following are chronozoids most likely to interact with 
  time travelers. You can create a variety of new chronozoids 
  by applying the following template to existing statblocks 
  for minions and monsters.
  Chronozoid 
  template • 15 points
  PL Adjustment +0
  Statistic Adjustments Timeless (Immunity 1 [Aging], 
  Quickness 5), Time Shift (Movement 3 [Time Travel])
  Combat Adjustments None
  Chronozoid Predator 
  PL 6 • MR5 • 73 points
  STR 4 STA 4 AGL 6 DEX 0 FGT 6 INT -3 AWE 2 PRE -1
  Powers: Blur (Concealment 4; All Visual Senses; Partial), 
  Protection 2, Quantum Bite (Movement Attack 6 [Time 
  Travel]; Extra Ranks 5; Dodge resists), Senses 7 (Acute Smell, 
  Acute Ranged Temporal Awareness, Infravision, Time Sense, 
  Tracking), Speed 8 (500 MPH).
  Skills: Athletics 2 (+6), Stealth 2 (+8).
  Offense: Init +6, Claws +6 (Close, Damage 4), Quantum Bite +6 
  (Movement Attack 6).
  Defense: Dodge 6, Parry 6, Fortitude 4, Toughness 6, Will 4.
  Totals: Abilities 36 + Powers 33 + Advantages 0 + Skills 2 (4 
  ranks) + Defenses 2 = 73.
  Chronozoid predators stalk the time-stream, preying on 
  the alien, quasi-living things that dwell there: temporal 
  weavers, time elementals, and still stranger alien life. Their 
  bite sends victims to a remote point in history and the 
  quantum hunter feeds on the temporal wake and chaos 
  left behind. Existing outside the normal flow of time, they 
  can move at incredible speeds and appear as indistinct 
  smears wherever they pass. Because they lack any way to 
  travel in time or leave timelines, they have an acute ability 
  to sense and track temporal disruptions, and hunt time 
  travelers to follow in their wakes.
  Larger and more powerful chronozoid predators likely 
  exist, with other strange powers like the ability to tear a 
  creature entirely from causality (see the Quantum Disrup-
  tor in Time Travel Devices and Equipment in Chapter 2) 
  or transform victims into less impressive versions of them-
  selves as they feed off their prey's past experiences and 
  achievements.
  Clockworker 
  PL 9 • MR12 • 170 points
  STR 2 STA 6 AGL 2 DEX 4 FGT 10 INT 7 AWE 6 PRE -1
  Powers: Chronal Comprehension (Comprehend Languages 
  3: read, speak, understand), Chronal Senses (Senses 
  11: Ranged Acute Detect Chronal Effects Precognition, 
  Postcognition), Outside of Time (Immunity 21: Aging, Life 
  Support, Mental Effects; Immunity 30: Fortitude Effects, 
  Limited to Half Effect).
  Advantages: Beginner’s Luck, Eidetic Memory, Improvised 
  Tools, Inspire, Jack-of-all-trades, Luck 6, Skill Mastery: 
  Technology, Well-informed.
  Skills: Expertise: Science 12 (+19), Insight 2 (+8), Investigation 4 
  (+11), Perception 4 (+10), Technology 12 (+19), Vehicles 4 (+8).
  Offense: Initiative +2, Unarmed +10 (Close, Damage 2).
  Defense: Dodge 10, Parry 10, Fortitude 10, Toughness 6, Will 8.
  Totals: Abilities 72 + Powers 53 + Advantages 12 + Skills 19 + 
  Defenses 14 = 170.
  While the Tick Tock Doc remains the most infamous of the 
  Clockworkers, he is an extreme anomaly of their kind. The 
  vast majority of these agender constructs maintain and 
  record scientific instruments for their enigmatic masters. 
  They are occasionally dispatched to gather first-hand 
  data, study temporal phenomenon, or sabotage time 
  travel experiments—particularly when the Time Keepers 
  doubt their Guardians will remain impartial—bringing 
  them into contact with heroes and villains. These active 
  Clockworkers are often equipped with time machines and 
  a time manipulator, similar to the one the Doc wields, or 
  other temporal equipment and weaponry.
  676767
   
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  CHAPTER 3: GAMEMASTERS IN TIME
   
  CHAPTER 3: GAMEMASTERS IN TIME
  CHAPTER 3: GAMEMASTERS IN TIME
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  Temporal Weaver 
  PL 4 • MR7 • 105 points
  STR 2 STA 3 AGL 5 DEX 2 FGT 5 INT -3 AWE 4 PRE 0
  Powers: Concealment 10 (all sense types; Quirk [not effective 
  against time travelers]), Movement 10 (Permeate 3, Time Travel 
  3, Wall-crawling 2, Water Walking 2), Senses 5 (Accurate Acute 
  Ranged Detect Anachronisms), Unweave Time (Affliction 
  3; Overcome and Resisted by Will; Impaired, Disabled, 
  Incapacitated; targets reduced beyond incapacitated are 
  removed from time).
  Advantages: Chronal Bulwark* Chronal Memory*, Skill 
  Mastery: Expertise (History), Teamwork.
  Skills: Athletics 6 (+8), Expertise: History 16 (+13), Perception 
  8 (+12), Stealth 4 (+9).
  Offense: Init +5, Unarmed +5 (Close, Damage 2), Unweave 
  Time +5 (Affliction 3).
  Defense: Dodge 5, Parry 5, Fortitude 3, Toughness 3, Will 5.
  Totals: Abilities 36 + Powers 47 + Advantages 4 + Skills 17 (34 
  ranks) + Defenses 1 = 105.
  Appearing like alien spiders or starfish, temporal weavers 
  exist to patch up the holes in the timeline, rearranging 
  elements to put history back on its proper course and re-
  moving anachronisms—unnecessary or foreign elements 
  (like time travelers). While a single weaver poses little 
  threat, they work in teams of a dozen or more—perhaps 
  a hundred at the sites of major events—and track threats 
  to causality with obsessive focus. Not bound by physical 
  laws, they can skitter easily across, over, or through any 
  barricade in pursuit of their goal, then remove it entirely 
  from the timeline.
  Temporal weavers may be a natural force of the cosmos 
  that helps preserve timelines in the wake of time travel 
  or time storms, or they may be the creations of powerful 
  entities such as the Time Keepers (earlier in this chapter), 
  or weapons forged from pure time by a sufficiently ad-
  vanced being like the Temporal Wizard or Time-Hopping 
  Tyrant villains.
  Time Elemental 
  PL 5 • mr9 • 132 points
  STR 0 STA 4 AGL 5 DEX 2 FGT 4 INT 0 AWE 2 PRE 0
  Powers: Disruptive Touch (Progressive Reaction Weaken 
  Toughness 5), Insubstantial 3 (Energy), Movement 3 (Time 
  Travel 3), Quickness 10, Teleport 10 (4 miles; Accurate, 
  Turnabout).
  Advantages: Fearless.
  Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+9).
  Offense: Init +5, Disruptive Touch +4.
  Defense: Dodge 6, Parry 6, Fortitude 4, Toughness 4, Will 2.
  Totals: Abilities 34 + Powers 92 + Advantages 1 + Skills 2 (4 
  ranks) + Defenses 3 = 132.
  Chronal energy given life and form, time elementals may 
  be natural denizens of the time-stream or unique cre-
  ations of spellcasters. They aren’t firmly planted in any 
  timeline and can shift their position in time and space 
  with a thought, step outside time to take complex actions 
  and disrupt normal matter with a touch, reverting it to 
  simpler forms or aging it rapidly into dust.
  Even the Guardians remain confused about the nature 
  and goals of time elementals, and the Time Keepers forbid 
  the capture or study of the strange beings. Other, more 
  sophisticated time elementals may exist, potentially re-
  producing the powers and skills of the various villain ar-
  chetypes described earlier in this chapter.
  EXPLORERS
  Various human travelers have journeyed across the time-
  line and beyond.
  Chrononaut 
  PL 3 • MR4 • 52 points
  STR 0 STA 2 AGL 1 DEX 1 FGT 2 INT 2 AWE 3 PRE 1
  Equipment: Blaster Pistol, Commlink, Period Clothing, 
  Smartphone.
  Advantages: Chronal Memory*, Equipment 3.
  Skills: Athletics 2 (+2), Deception 2 (+3), Expertise: History 4 
  (+6), Expertise: Science 8 (+10), Investigation 4 (+6), Perception 
  4 (+7), Persuasion 2 (+3), Stealth 4 (+5), Technology 4 (+6), 
  Vehicles 4 (+5).
  Offense: Init +1, Blaster Pistol +1 (Ranged, Damage 2), 
  Unarmed +2 (Close, Damage 0).
  Defense: Dodge 3, Parry 4, Fortitude 3, Toughness 2, Will 3. 
  Totals: Abilities 24 + Powers 0 + Advantages 4 + Skills 19 (38 
  ranks) + Defenses 5 = 52.
  Whether lone observers or agents of a larger time- 
  keeping organization, chrononauts are explorers who 
  travel through time to observe and learn about human-
  ity, science, or the mysteries of the time-stream. They may 
  possess a time machine (see the examples under Time 
  Travel Devices and Equipment in Chapter 2) in addition 
  to the equipment listed here, or rely on a home base to 
  retrieve them once they complete their mission. Lone cre-
  ators likely also have the Inventor Advantage.
  686868
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  Far-Future Soldier 
  PL 10 • MR9 • 135 points
  STR 8/4 STA 4 AGL 4 DEX 4 FGT 5 INT 1 AWE 1 PRE 1
  Powers: 
  Quantum 
  Rifle 
  (Easily 
  Removable) 
  Ranged 
  Cumulative Affliction 6 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by 
  Fortitude; Hindered, Stunned, Paralyzed, Feature [paralyzed 
  targets are stationary in space]), AE: Ranged Damage 10, 
  Singularity Armor (Removable), Chronal Bulwark*, Enhanced 
  Strength 4, Immunity 10 (Life Support), Protection 8. 
  Advantages: Diehard, Improved Aim, Improved Initiative 
  Interpose, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6. 
  Skills: Athletics 4 (+12/+8), Close Combat: Unarmed 6 (+11), 
  Expertise: Tactics 4 (+5), Perception 4 (+5), Technology 2 (+3), 
  Vehicles 4 (+8). 
  Offense: Init +6, Quantum Rifle +10 (Ranged, Affliction 6 or 
  Ranged, Damage 10), Unarmed +11 (Close, Damage 7). 
  Defense: Dodge 8, Parry 7, Fortitude 10, Toughness 12, Will 8. 
  Totals: Abilities 48 + Powers 45 + Advantages 11 + Skills 12 (24 
  ranks) + Defenses 19 = 135.
  Soldiers from a far more advanced era benefit not only 
  from advanced technology and mass-produced power 
  armor, but also genetic engineering designed to craft 
  the perfect fighting force. Their weapons unleash chronal 
  energy to inflict painful wounds or mimic the effects of 
  a chronal sink (see Time Travel Devices and Equipment 
  in Chapter 2), while their armor augments their strength 
  and protects them from changes to the timeline.
  TEMPORAL ENFORCEMENT
  With the potential abuse of time travel costing billions of 
  lives, organizations exist to track time travelers and main-
  tain the timeline as they believe it should be.
  Time Officer 
  PL 6 • MR6 • 84 points
  STR 3 STA 3 AGL 3 DEX 2 FGT 4 INT 1 AWE 3 PRE 2
  Equipment: Chronal Scanner, Chronal Sink Pistol (Resisted by 
  Dodge, Overcome by Fortitude; Hindered, Stunned, Paralyzed, 
  Feature [paralyzed targets are stationary in space]), Time 
  Comm. 
  Advantages: Chronal Bulwark*, Close Attack 3, Defensive 
  Roll 2, Equipment 6, Improvised Weapon 2, Jack-of-all-trades, 
  Ranged Attack 4, Seize Initiative. 
  Skills: Deception 6 (+8), Expertise: History 2 (+3), Insight 2 
  (+5), Investigation 6 (+7), Perception 4 (+7), Stealth 2 (+5), 
  Vehicles 4 (+6). 
  Offense: Init +3, Chronal Sink Pistol +6 (Ranged, Affliction 6), 
  Improvised Weapon +7 (Close, Damage 5), Unarmed +7 (Close, 
  Damage 3). 
  Defense: Dodge 5, Parry 6, Fortitude 4, Toughness 5/3*, Will 7 
  *Without Defensive Roll. 
  Totals: Abilities 42 + Powers 0 + Advantages 20 + Skills 13 (26 
  ranks) + Defenses 9 = 84.
  Time officers are the enforcement arm of a temporal 
  protection agency, who track down anyone who would 
  disrupt the timeline for their own benefit. While they 
  carry some futuristic gear—including a communicator 
  for remaining in touch with HQ—they work to minimize 
  their impact on the time-stream and use local technology 
  whenever possible. To reduce potential abuse, most time 
  officers rely on time travel techniques like wormholes or 
  chronal decay to avoid anyone in the past stealing their 
  time machine.
  A time officer may work for a futuristic “temporal studies 
  institute” or be agents of cosmic forces like the Time 
  Keepers. They may also be special agents or spies for vil-
  lains like the Time-Hopping Tyrant. This statblock can 
  also represent a trainee Guardian in service to the Time 
  Keepers of Earth-Prime.
  Temporal Overseer 
  PL 2 • MR 4 • 50 points
  STR 0 STA 1 AGL 0 DEX 1 FGT 1 INT 4 AWE 3 PRE 1
  Equipment: Chronal Scanner, Time Comm.
  Advantages: Chronal Bulwark*, Chronal Memory*, Equipment 
  2, Leadership, Skill Mastery: Expertise: History, Speed of 
  Thought, Well-informed.
  Skills: Expertise: Current Events 6 (+10), Expertise: History 
  8 (+12), Expertise: Science 6 (+10), Investigation 8 (+12), 
  Perception 4 (+7), Technology 4 (+8).
  Offense: Init +4, Unarmed +1 (Close, Damage 0).
  Defense: Dodge 1, Parry 2, Fort 1, Tou 1, Will 3.
  Totals: Abilities 22 + Powers 0 + Advantages 8 + Skills 18 (36 
  ranks) + Defenses 2 = 50.
  Temporal overseers are the eyes and brains behind tem-
  poral protection. While time officers work their way 
  through history, righting wrongs and hunting chrono-
  crooks, they depend on the steadfast eyes and instincts of 
  temporal overseers, who constantly monitor the timeline 
  for changes and investigate temporal crime scenes.
  Temporal overseers can also serve as comptrollers for 
  large academic time travel institutes, tracking the coming 
  and going of researchers, or act as a switchboard operator 
  for time agents in the field.
  Time Watcher 
  PL 5 • MR7 • 101 points
  STR 3 STA 2 AGL 3 DEX 1 FGT 4 INT 3 AWE 4 PRE 3
  Powers: Polymorphic Implants Morph 2 (humans). 
  Equipment: Chronal Scanner 4, Light Pistol, Time Comm 3.
  Advantages: Accurate Attack, Beginner's Luck, Chronal 
  Bulwark*, Connected, Equipment 3, Hide in Plain Sight, 
  Improvised Tools, Ranged Attack 5, Socially Adaptable*, 
  Tracking.
  Skills: Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+7), Deception 6 (+9), 
  Expertise: Current Events 8 (+11), Expertise: History 6 (+9), 
  Insight 4 (+8), Investigation 6 (+9), Perception 6 (+10), 
  Persuasion 4 (+7), Sleight of Hand 6 (+7), Stealth 4 (+7).
  Offense: Init +3, Light Pistol +6 (Ranged, Damage 3), Unarmed 
  +7 (Close, Damage 2).
  Defense: Dodge 4, Parry 5, Fort 2, Tou 2, Will 4.
  Totals: Abilities 46 + Powers 10 + Advantages 16 + Skills 27 (53 
  ranks) + Defenses 2 = 101.
  The eyes and ears of a temporal protection agency, time 
  watchers—sometimes nicknamed "watch faces"—are 
  spies and moles who live among new eras and watch for 
  signs of tampering, or help the agency track rogues, cults, 
  and conspiracies of time travelers who know enough to 
  cover their tracks. Advanced implants allow them to blend 
  in with any human population across time and space, 
  while their training helps them adapt quickly to new 
  social landscapes.
  Time watchers may instead be "deep cover" temporal ex-
  plorers who observe history from within the thick of it, or 
  spies for chrono-conspiracies.
  696969
   
  CHAPTER 3: GAMEMASTERS IN TIME
  CHAPTER 3: GAMEMASTERS IN TIME
   
  CHAPTER 3: GAMEMASTERS IN TIME
  CHAPTER 3: GAMEMASTERS IN TIME
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  Chapter 4: The Heroic Eras
  Chapter 4: The Heroic Eras
  W
  hile superheroes can exist across all of time and space, 
  three major eras loom large in the comic-reader 
  psyche, defined by major changes in American society.
  The 20th century was defined by larger-than-life person-
  alities and battles fought on phenomenal scales. Human-
  ity rediscovered and reinvented sciences from the minute 
  to the colossal, and finally spread its reach to the most 
  remote corners of the Earth—the crushing depths of the 
  ocean, the airless peaks of mountains, the frozen icescape 
  of the South Pole—as well as the moon and the rest of 
  the solar system. The 20th century also looms large in the 
  memories of most superhero fans because it is still a part 
  of our living memory. It was the era of our parents and 
  grandparents, and one from which popular media still 
  exists and is widely available.
  For all these reasons and more, the 20th century is a 
  common destination for time travel storylines. Gamemas-
  ters can pull plotlines and characters right from history or 
  their favorite TV show. Players are familiar with the culture, 
  dress, and slang of the destination. Villains may want to 
  usurp the present in very predictable ways, meaning they 
  must make their changes within the preceding genera-
  tion or two. Heroes may want to investigate family myster-
  ies that haunted their parents or grandparents. An entire 
  campaign's worth of adventures could be had in any 
  given decade of the century, and time traveling heroes 
  can visit all ten!
  This chapter details the 20th century in great detail, fo-
  cusing primarily on the threat major “ages” of superhero 
  comics: the Golden Age, the Silver Age, and the Iron Age. 
  While significant historical events happened every year 
  in nations across the world, this book looks at history 
  through the lens of American-style superhero comic 
  books, and so these sections focus heavily on the history 
  and culture of the United States. The Golden Age, Silver 
  Age, and Iron Age each mark very different attitudes in 
  superhero stories, but are popular destinations for time 
  travel adventures, allowing modern heroes to team up 
  with (or fight) heroes of the past. Each of these eras is also 
  defined by major historical upheavals—World War II for 
  the Golden Age, the Civil Rights Movement for the Silver 
  Age, and the end of the Cold War and the rise of American 
  aimlessness in the Iron Age.
  Each of the following sections examines one of the so-
  called Heroic eras in detail, including history and major 
  themes that appear in comics of that time, as well as rules 
  options, character advice, and equipment to help bring 
  those time periods to life. In this case, "Heroic Era" implies 
  the ubiquity of superheroes, rather than implying other 
  eras lacked heroes.
  This chapter covers the target eras in broad strokes, and 
  many of the topics covered effected people in living 
  memory—many still affect people. As always, treat the 
  past with respect
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  BRONZE AGE
  Early 1970s to early 1980s. The comics medium began to 
  grow up alongside its Silver Age audience, and by the early 
  1970s, longtime fans were beginning to demand stories 
  that appealed to their adult sensibilities and mirrored the 
  disillusionment of the 1960s following a disastrous war 
  in Vietnam, and the civil unrest of the Civil Rights Move-
  ment. America was suddenly aware of consequences, and 
  that element began creeping into comic books. Spider-
  Man’s longtime love interest, Gwen Stacey, was killed and 
  remained dead, while the rigors of crimefighting drove 
  the Green Arrow’s sidekick Speedy to drug abuse. While 
  nowhere near as grim as stories to come in the Copper 
  and Iron Ages, Bronze Age stories discarded much of the 
  fairy tale cheerfulness of the Silver Age and focused on 
  the daily realities faced by heroes and villains, like racism, 
  sexism, drug abuse, and the real effects of violence.
  Heroes of the Bronze Age still retain some of their Silver 
  Age strangeness, and still largely adhere to Comics Code 
  restriction against killing, but begin taking a harder edge, 
  making mistakes, and showing character flaws. Compli-
  cations become more about personality and less about 
  glowing space rocks, and while the heroes don’t kill, we 
  start to see villains who do.
  Bronze Age heroes cover the same PL 8–14 range and 
  themes as Silver Age heroes. The primary difference is in 
  tone and Complications, as they contend with personal 
  failings rather than a weakness to radioactive meteors. 
  Their villains are likewise motivated (or plagued) by 
  human needs and failings, including anger, jealousy, 
  ennui, and racism.
  COPPER AGE
  The 1980s through 1990 or 1991. The beginning of the 
  direct market and the collectors’ boom in the ’80s saw 
  comic companies scramble to keep up with new demand 
  and the desires of a dedicated fanbase. No longer intend-
  ed for casual readers—mostly children—to pick up, trade, 
  and discard, comics were now written with a dedicated, 
  long-term audience in mind. Publishers took advantage 
  of this by introducing large storylines that promised to 
  shake up the status quo, often trying to organize 50 years’ 
  worth of backstory. This era also saw the continued focus 
  on mature topics and consequences that began in the 
  Bronze Age, with heroes’ relationships reflecting more 
  complicated and imperfect real-world love affairs.
  Copper Age heroes have begun to show a sharp edge, and 
  often grapple with personal demons. Many are haunted 
  by personal failures—the people they couldn’t save, or 
  the harm done the times they gave in to their demons. 
  But by and large they still reject deadly violence, and es-
  pecially firearms. 
  Representing the "softer side" of the Iron Age, Copper Age 
  heroes share the same PL 5–13 range of powers as well as 
  the psychological baggage, but generally wield less-lethal 
  powers and equipment. Their enemies often represent 
  the darker side of their population or philosophy.
  OTHER ERAS OF NOTE
  There have been many different heroic ages within comic 
  books, and this chapter cannot cover them all in detail. 
  Luckily, the research required to flesh out any era of the 
  20th century is just a few comic books!
  In addition to the Golden, Silver, and Iron ages, the fol-
  lowing ages also define specific elements and themes in 
  comic books and related media.
  PLATINUM AGE
  Late 19th century to the mid-1930s. Beginning at the 
  dawn of comic books as a medium, the Platinum Age 
  begins as collections of newspaper strips like the Yellow 
  Kid and Little Nemo. These roots quickly expanded as 
  creators explored the medium, and included some of the 
  earliest comic book crime-fighters and adventurers like 
  Little Orphan Annie, Detective Dan, Tailspin Tommy, and 
  Connie Kurridge. 
  Visits or campaigns set within the Platinum Age won’t see 
  many villains beyond crime lords, smugglers, and WWI 
  spies. Most of the stories from this era are two-fisted tales 
  of ordinary people battling criminals with only training 
  and courage. Superpowers are rare and usually the sole 
  domain of bad guys, though some heroes wielded inex-
  plicable abilities like Popeye’s super strength. The tail end 
  of this era saw the first masked mystery men who would 
  become so common in the Golden Age—heroes like the 
  Phantom, and the first wielders of true super powers like 
  the Mandrake the Magician’s hypnotic illusions and the 
  invulnerable flesh of his life partner Lothar.
  Platinum Age heroes range from PL 3–6 and generally 
  face off against similarly human-scale opponents.
  ATOMIC AGE
  Early to mid-1950s. The Golden Age of comics was largely 
  supported by American GIs. overseas and their families 
  all looking for escapism, and the post-war boom saw the 
  industry scramble to adapt. America no longer needed 
  fantastic heroes to protect them, as the Cold War had yet 
  to become a looming, daily danger that called for a new 
  generation of superhuman protectors. Instead, genres like 
  westerns, romance, and especially science fiction flour-
  ished. Much like they would do again in the 1990s, Ameri-
  cans without an overt enemy turned to horror and crime 
  to pour their anxieties into, and both genres became es-
  pecially popular and lurid.
  Like the Platinum Age, heroes of the Atomic Age are more 
  likely to be ordinary people embroiled in exciting adven-
  tures rather than superpowered warriors in tights. Unlike 
  those earlier adventurers, though, Atomic Age heroes are 
  likely to be space explorers, defend the world from aliens, 
  or battle twisted, supernatural horrors. See the Supernatu-
  ral Handbook for additional ideas.
  Atomic Age heroes range from PL 6–10, and face off 
  against aliens and monsters spawned by careless science.
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  LIFE DURING THE GOLDEN AGE
  LIFE DURING THE GOLDEN AGE
  The years of the Golden Age—roughly 1938 through 1955, though the exact dates remain a topic of debate—witnessed 
  the Great Depression, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and the atom bomb. What sets the world of the Golden Age apart from 
  that of any other comic book era is the terrible specter of war on a global scale. Whether it was the Second World War, 
  its bloody preludes such as in Spain or China, the Korean War, or the Cold War, the period from 1938 to 1955 was one 
  of constant strife—either actual armed conflict or preparation for it. Violent conflict seemed inevitable and unending.
  The time period encompassed by the Golden Age of comic books is a mere drop in the bucket from a historical perspec-
  tive, but few other eras can match it for the sheer magnitude of change that occurred. In the space of a generation, 
  the United States of America went from an isolationist, rural country suffering from the effects of the lingering Great 
  Depression to the world’s preeminent military and economic power, leading the world into the Atomic Age. 
  THE GOLDEN AGE 
  THE GOLDEN AGE  
  THE GOLDEN AGE  
  Late 1930s—earLy 1950s
  America during the Golden Age was a society bouncing 
  back from trauma. An entire generation of young men—
  the so-called Lost Generation—had fought in World War 
  I and come home with deep mental and emotional scars 
  that seemed to leave life bereft of meaning. The genera-
  tion to follow faced one of the worst economic disasters 
  in western history. America grew increasingly optimistic 
  as the Depression began to lift, and the rampant jingoism 
  and patriotism once the war began—and especially after 
  the United States joined officially—brought a new burst 
  of optimism to the nation. A burst of optimism backed by 
  hard-won fatalism—America was the best; there was no 
  emotional energy left for nuance.
  LIFE IN THE BIG CITY
  The Golden Age saw the rise of cities in the once de-
  cidedly-rural America. But throughout the era, roughly 
  half the country remained rural—a far cry from the sky-
  scraper-laden cityscapes seen in comic-book panels. The 
  super-genius characters who filled their pages seemed 
  rather out of place in a country where an 8th-grade edu-
  cation was the norm. The mansions and townhouses of 
  the superhero well-to-do must’ve seemed strange to the 
  quarter of all Americans who lived on small farms, the ma-
  jority of which lacked electricity.
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  A typical American city of this time was one of row houses 
  and buildings separated by tiny yards, paved streets and 
  sidewalks, and the sort of side alleys that were the scene 
  of much danger and intrigue. As a rule, cities were less de-
  veloped so the occasional vacant lot could still be found, 
  witness to many a sandlot baseball game and snowball 
  fight between the neighborhood kids.
  Automobiles were relatively uncommon until well into 
  the 1950s, being out of reach for most Americans’ incomes 
  before the war and in very short supply during it. The 
  wartime moratorium on automobile production, plus the 
  rationing of gas and tires, made cars a scarcer sight than 
  they are today. Cabs, subways, streetcars, and commuter 
  trains were the order of the day.
  HOME SWEET HOME
  Dwellings were appointed rather like they are today: bed, 
  furniture, lamps, stove (gas or electric), and radiator- or 
  furnace-heated rooms. Radios were ubiquitous, but other 
  appliances were in shorter supply until the postwar eco-
  nomic boom took firm hold in the 1950s. For example, at 
  the start of the Golden Age, telephones (modern rotary 
  in the city, operator-assisted in the country) were found 
  in only a third of homes. That number had increased to 
  about 60% by 1950. By that same time, air conditioning 
  could be found in many people’s homes, whereas it had 
  once been rare outside of libraries and movie houses.
  Refrigerators also became more affordable and finally 
  began to supplant ice boxes in American kitchens, improv-
  ing food preservation and easing the once-daily ritual of 
  shopping for groceries. Prior to that, the milkman’s daily 
  appearance was the only help most Americans ever got in 
  preparing dinner.
  A SOCIETY ON THE MOVE
  The great social upheavals of the Golden Age led Ameri-
  cans to pull up stakes and move like never before. Though 
  the precise groups in transit and their reasons changed 
  over time, mass movements of people never stopped 
  throughout this period.
  In the pre-war era, the Great Depression was the prime 
  mover. Small-farm owners and other agricultural workers 
  fled the Dust Bowl in search of work in California, where 
  life often proved only marginally better for the derisively 
  nicknamed “Okies.” As the Jim Crow era made southern 
  states increasingly hostile to black residents, many moved 
  to northern cities for safety and steady work. 
  During the war, millions of soldiers, sailors, and airmen 
  criss-crossed the country, on their way to or from post-
  ings both here and abroad. Scores of civilians overran 
  the major cities to work in the burgeoning wartime 
  industries or fill the many new government jobs. In 
  the post-war era, many white Americans moved out to 
  the suburbs, which had once been home only to the 
  wealthy. With their arrival came the perceived tranquil-
  ity of backyard barbecues and long commutes into the 
  city for work.
  ECONOMICS
  As with all other aspects of American life, the economy 
  underwent major changes during the Golden Age. Hard 
  days and lean years gave way to good times and living off 
  the fat of the land, permanently transforming the ways 
  Americans spent and earned their money. Agriculture 
  employed millions of Americans throughout the Golden 
  Age, though the Great Depression and the emergence of 
  the Dust Bowl took their toll—especially on small farmers. 
  Despite the hardships, American farmers continued their 
  critical work of keeping a substantial portion of the world 
  fed, including the peoples of many Allied nations during 
  the Second World War.
  Service sector jobs, while not as predominant in the 
  economy as they are today, proved to be the most resil-
  ient in the face of economic upheaval. The simple truth 
  remains that as bad as the economy might get, people still 
  need doctors, lawyers, police, firefighters, and teachers.
  The two growth areas of the economy of the 1940s and 
  1950s were military and industrial. Joining the armed 
  services was an attractive proposition during the Depres-
  sion, with their promise of three square meals a day plus 
  travel and pay. The Second World War, of course, made the 
  military a job for millions, not all of them volunteers. Even 
  in the return to a peacetime economy, America for the 
  first time ever did not near-totally demobilize its wartime 
  forces. That plus the peacetime draft ensured many Amer-
  icans continued to cash GI paychecks throughout the re-
  mainder of the Golden Age.
  American industry nearly collapsed during the Great De-
  pression, but grew past all precedent during World War 
  II. Factory jobs were plentiful and highly sought after 
  throughout the war, as plants remained in operation 
  around the clock. 48-hour work weeks became common-
  place. So great was the demand for factory workers that 
  the normal barriers to hiring women and minorities fell by 
  the wayside, for the duration of the war at least.
  THE GREAT DEPRESSION
  Adventures set in the tense times leading up to the con-
  flagration of another global war offer up a heady mix of 
  pulp science, mysticism, hard-boiled crime stories, and 
  foreshadowing of the conflict to come. Just like the comic 
  books of this period, the heroes’ exploits are one part 
  Raiders of the Lost Ark, one part The Maltese Falcon, and 
  one part The Untouchables.
  By the late ‘30s, the worst of the Great Depression had 
  passed, but few Americans would have taken comfort 
  from that fact. The unemployment rate, which had spiked 
  following the Stock Market Crash in 1929, had fallen to 
  19% by that time, but remained in double-digits until 
  1941. The poverty, misery, and social dislocation that re-
  sulted remained the order of the day for millions of Ameri-
  cans right up to the outbreak of war.
  The daily struggle to survive defines much of American 
  life, and many superheroes of the era focus on defending 
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  and providing for their communities, especially against 
  organized crime. Even though very few M&M characters 
  are going to be selling apples in the street or worrying 
  how they’re going to escape the Dust Bowl, the Great 
  Depression is still keenly felt in campaigns set during the 
  early Golden Age. Most commonly, the effects of the De-
  pression manifest in people’s motives and actions.
  GOOD PEOPLE, BAD CHOICES
  The Golden Age is laden with stories centered around 
  good people who do bad things out of desperation 
  brought about by the hard economic times. Young men 
  who once dreamed of going to college join up with or-
  ganized crime to score a few badly needed bucks, and 
  young women aid and abet terrible crimes in order to 
  pay for a life-saving medical procedure for their child or 
  younger sibling.
  The Great Depression was a time when traditional Ameri-
  can political ideals came into serious question. Capitalism 
  had failed the American people, and democracy seemed 
  at best slow to deal with the economic and social upheav-
  als that came about in the Depression’s wake. As a result, 
  some Americans looked instead to ideologies like fascism 
  for solutions, while others, less focused on politics, tried to 
  make a living from illegal enterprises.
  ILLINOIS NAZIS
  Impressed by Germany’s economic turnaround under 
  Hitler and inspired by his call for racial purity, some 
  Americans expressed admiration or sympathy for the Nazi 
  regime. The legendary aviator Charles Lindbergh accept-
  ed a medal presented by the Nazi leadership and then 
  warned against letting President Roosevelt and “the Jews” 
  drag America into a war with Germany it could not hope 
  to win. As many as 20,000 Americans joined up with the 
  German-American Bund, headed by Fritz Kuhn, dedicated 
  to bringing about a Nazi regime at home and domestic 
  support for Hitler. Even before America officially entered 
  World War II, homegrown Nazis were acting as fifth col-
  umnists and sabotaging American support for overseas 
  democracies—though not on the same scale in real life as 
  was often depicted in pulp magazines.
  The basic fifth columnist storyline is a simple plot, but it’s 
  one Gamemasters shouldn’t deny their players. Beating 
  up Nazis is fun for all. If that alone didn’t make Nazis the 
  perfect villains, the fact that any sneaky, underhanded, 
  and/or dastardly act imaginable can be plausibly attrib-
  uted to them surely does. 
  ORGANIZED CRIME
  While the mobs lost the power, money, and influence they 
  once had under Prohibition (which ended in 1933), gang-
  sters still flourished throughout the Golden Age, thanks 
  to the efforts of the notorious Charles “Lucky” Luciano. Be-
  ginning in 1931, Luciano forged La Cosa Nostra into a truly 
  organized crime administration known as the National 
  Crime Syndicate, which represented the five largest mob 
  families in America. Under the direction of “the Commis-
  sion,” families were assigned territories, spheres of influ-
  ence, and a basic code of conduct. As a result, they spent 
  much less time fighting each other and more effort on 
  gambling, racketeering, prostitution, and drug trafficking. 
  The end of Prohibition, which should have been the death 
  knell for the mob, was merely a transition to a new and 
  nearly as profitable period.
  In a time when all most superheroes had was a costume, 
  two fists, and a thirst for justice, gangsters were the perfect 
  foil. Mobsters made for an equal match in power and influ-
  ence and were very easy to dislike. Comic book mobsters 
  were portrayed as vicious leg-breakers who stooped to 
  anything to squeeze another buck out of some poor help-
  less person trying to eke out a living in the big city. They’re 
  vengeful, double-crossing, nasty pieces of work with few, 
  if any, redeeming characteristics; in short, people who are 
  a heck of a lot of fun to punch in the mouth.
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  THE RISING TIDE OF FASCISM
  In response to social change, global economic depression, 
  and the rising visibility of minorities and immigrants, many 
  Europeans and Americans begin clinging to an idealized 
  vision of the past, calling back to the simplicity of the 19th 
  century (generally with the unspoken understanding that 
  back then, women, racial minorities, and homosexuals 
  knew their place) and clamored for a more authoritarian 
  government that would take a firm stance against un-
  desirable elements (and people). Violence against queer 
  people, Jews, and other minority groups steadily climbed 
  during the Great Depression, leading to the election of 
  fascist governments in nations like Germany and Italy and 
  the election of pro-fascism politicians in the United States, 
  like Louisiana senator Huey “The Kingfish” Long.
  As fascism becomes entrenched in foreign nations, it 
  reaches out to nourish America’s own fascist elements, 
  offering funding and expertise, while undermining US 
  efforts to support the enemies of the burgeoning Axis 
  powers. Regardless of the fascists’ specific aim, the player 
  characters are faced with the challenge of discovering 
  exactly what the Axis agents are after, then learning when 
  and how they will strike. 
  WORLD WAR II
  World War II began in 1939 with Germany’s invasion of 
  Poland. By the time America joined in late 1941, most 
  of Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia, and the Pacific were 
  involved to some extent. What had been prime national 
  concerns just the day before quickly faded into memory. 
  The Depression came to an end as the draft and mass pro-
  duction of materiel put the nation back to work, albeit at 
  the unpleasant task of waging war. Even the Mob joined 
  the war effort after the authorities declared a truce with 
  the Commission and enlisted the imprisoned “Lucky” 
  Luciano’s help in thwarting Axis sabotage of American 
  shipping ports. The long-term changes were even more 
  profound, as America shed its isolationist policies and 
  become a member of the most powerful international co-
  alition ever formed. In the end, a war that proved ruinous 
  for most of the rest of the world left America more power-
  ful and prosperous than ever, with the largest surviving 
  military on the planet.
  With the war sweeping all other concerns aside, M&M ad-
  ventures set during this time period are likewise primarily 
  concerned with the global struggle against fascism. Even 
  campaigns that never get closer than a thousand miles to 
  a battlefield can still feel the effects of conscription and 
  rationing on society at large. Heroes hear about the war 
  daily through the news and the personal tragedies of 
  those around them.
  That said, there are still matters of degree involved. In 
  some campaigns, the player characters fight on the front-
  lines alongside the brave men in uniform. Other cam-
  paigns never leave stateside, and all the action the char-
  acters see takes place on the home front. No matter which 
  type of adventure the Gamemaster chooses to run, there’s 
  still plenty of fun and excitement to be had for the players.
  THE BATTLE FRONT
  Open combat gripped three continents—Europe, Asia, 
  and Africa, as well as the waterways between and the 
  skies above—throughout the 1940s. While every front 
  of the war had its unique elements—the trench warfare 
  and ground combat of the European front, the guerrilla 
  warfare and tanks of North Africa, and the naval-focused 
  Pacific campaign—they were all brutal, horrible battles to 
  push a border a few feet or a mile at a time toward victory.
  World War II perfected many of the terrible weapons first 
  deployed in WWI—the machine gun, the tank, the sub-
  marine, and the airplane—and introduced new, devastat-
  ing tools like rockets and radar. These, combined with the 
  sheer scope of the conflict and deliberate genocide ended 
  up killing an estimated 3% of the world’s then-population.
  Many superheroes of the Golden Age seem like they 
  could have easily ended the war in a single day with their 
  fantastic powers, and so comic books of the era needed 
  to invent reasons why they didn’t. In fictional universes, 
  this was usually a combination of needing to protect the 
  homefront from saboteurs and make up for police forces 
  depleted by the draft and to avoid a super-powered arms 
  race with Axis powers. Despite this, many super-powered 
  soldiers fought for either side in the war alongside men 
  and women in uniform.
  THE DRAFT
  Military conscription of able-bodied American men began 
  on October 16th, 1940, and shifted into high gear after 
  the Pearl Harbor attack. Ultimately, over ten million men 
  were drafted into the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
  The absence of such a large portion of the American 
  workforce, coupled with the critical need for increased 
  industrial production, created new economic opportuni-
  ties for demographic groups not normally given access 
  to avenues for financial independence, including women 
  and black people. Women also filled many other critical 
  positions. Even the big leagues opened up to women with 
  the creation of the All-American Girls Professional Base-
  ball League, which sanctioned games throughout the war.
  SCARCITY 
  One of the great ironies of the 1940s was that at the same 
  moment the country finally came out of the Depression 
  and people resumed working steadily for good pay, short-
  ages and rationing began. Just when folks had money in 
  their pockets again, there was often little or nothing for 
  them to buy.
  Most Americans responded patriotically, even if they did 
  grumble a little, and “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or 
  do without!” became the slogan of the day. They learned 
  to be frugal and thrifty, mending old clothes or making 
  their own. People planted “victory gardens” in window-
  boxes to make up for the now-rationed vegetables. When 
  all else failed, they did without, something they’d had 
  great practice at during the Great Depression.
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  Many items were simply not available to civilians. The 
  war in the Pacific almost entirely cut off America’s rubber 
  supply, and what was available was needed for mili-
  tary use. Items like new tires were virtually nonexistent 
  during the war, forcing homefront motorists to get by 
  on bald, patched-up tires, or ersatz substitutes made of 
  wood or discarded shoe soles. Industrial production was 
  directed almost entirely towards fulfilling the military’s 
  needs, leaving items like automobiles, utensils, batteries, 
  shoes, tools, firearms, nylon stockings, flashlights, nails, 
  and radios either unavailable or in very short supply for 
  civilians. To make matters worse, homefront shortages of 
  these items grew more severe as the war dragged on.
  The needs of wartime production also left little room for 
  consumer goods. As the fighting continued, items like 
  electric toasters, curling irons, vacuum cleaners, typewrit-
  ers, and record players became ever scarcer.
  ENTERTAINMENT
  The tougher the times, the more people need pleasant 
  diversions. America during the Golden Age was no ex-
  ception. People with time on their hands wiled away the 
  hours at drugstores and soda fountains, leafing through 
  the latest Hollywood gossip magazines while a Wurlitzer 
  jukebox spun the latest big-band 78s.
  People in the 1938-1955 period spent their (often scarce) 
  dimes going to the movies, reading and trading comic 
  books, listening to the radio, or going to the ballpark or 
  the arena. As the Golden Age ended, people discovered 
  yet another diversion: the strange box called television.
  FILM
  Motion pictures defined entertainment throughout the 
  Golden Age. In this era, nothing—not the privations of 
  the Depression, wartime shortages, nor television—
  could keep people out of their local movie houses. The-
  aters were large, elegant palaces, attended by uniformed 
  ushers and attractive young people. A night at the movies 
  was a true experience, as a quarter admission got patrons 
  a double feature, a newsreel, a cartoon, and one or more 
  shorts. During this period, better-off Americans typically 
  went to a picture show two or three times a week.
  During the Depression, films like The Adventures of Robin 
  Hood (1938) starring Errol Flynn illustrate the type of es-
  capist adventures popular with Depression-era audiences, 
  just as opulent epics like Gone with the Wind (1939) swept 
  movie-goers far away from their worries with their gran-
  deur and scope. Other films, such as The Grapes of Wrath 
  (1940), painted a more realistic picture of the hardships of 
  day-to-day living that many Americans faced.
  Motion pictures were deemed important to wartime 
  morale and thus avoided many of the strictures placed 
  upon other industries. The government leaned hard on 
  major studios to produce morale-boosting propaganda 
  alongside more popular films, in order to support the 
  American war effort, ever mindful of the slogan, “What’s 
  this film going to do to win the war?”
  Films like Casablanca (1942) and Mrs. Miniver (1942) 
  focused on and celebrated the sacrifices of ordinary 
  people for the sake of the war effort. Scores of other 
  movies attempted to show audiences back home the 
  heroism of the boys in uniform, such as Wake Island (1942), 
  while others found humor in the absurdities of changed 
  wartime conditions, like Buck Privates (1941).
  At the same time, Hollywood was making more direct 
  contributions to the war, as a good portion of its behind-
  the-camera talent were assigned to the Army Signal Corps 
  to crank out training and more openly propaganda films. 
  Several of its best-known stars (such as Jimmy Stewart) 
  also donned uniforms, eschewing the celebrity lifestyle 
  for front-line combat duties. Other celebrities worked with 
  the USO to entertain the troops and keep morale high, or 
  sold war bonds at home to help fund the war effort.
  SPORTS
  By far the most popular sport was baseball, which during 
  this era truly earned its sobriquet as “the national pastime.” 
  So ingrained in the culture were the Major Leagues that 
  when English-fluent German soldiers in U.S. Army uni-
  forms attempted to infiltrate American lines during the 
  1944 Battle of the Bulge, GIs started distinguishing friend 
  from foe with baseball trivia questions. They naturally 
  assumed anyone who didn’t know which team won the 
  1941 World Series just had to be a spy. In testament to its 
  popularity, the Major Leagues kept playing throughout 
  World War II when several other sports (like the Olympics, 
  auto racing, and horse racing) were suspended for the 
  duration. With many of its top stars trading in their base-
  ball uniforms for military ones, baseball turned to popula-
  tions they had shunned. This led to the formation of the 
  All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and new 
  popularity for the Negro Leagues.
  After baseball, America’s most beloved sport was profes-
  sional boxing. Throughout the ‘30s, ‘40s, and ‘50s, people 
  filled arenas across the country to see prizefighters of all 
  weight classes put on the gloves and step into the ring for 
  ten or more rounds. Pugilism’s popularity is quite evident 
  in the pages of Golden Age comic books, as almost every 
  adventure character of the era knew how to throw a good 
  right cross.
  MUSIC
  The most popular music of the Golden Age was swing, 
  beloved by jitterbugging folks all across America and 
  played by big bands featuring as many as forty musi-
  cians. Popular bandleaders of the day included Benny 
  Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Artie Shaw, 
  Gene Krupa, and Glenn Miller. A CD or MP3 player featur-
  ing any or all of these greats is an inexpensive way to set a 
  proper Golden Age mood for gaming.
  Swing is a musical genre steeped in jazz to varying 
  degrees (depending on the bandleader and the song), 
  but the genuine article also reached a peak in popularity 
  during the Golden Age. The leading lights of the big jazz 
  band form were Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Don 
  767676
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  Redman, and Jay McShann. Jazz bands were at the fore-
  front of the trend in the entertainment industry towards 
  breaking down the barriers of racial segregation, a devel-
  opment which met with more popular acceptance than 
  similar trends elsewhere. As the racial barriers began to 
  fall, jazz began to evolve.
  In addition to their favorite big bands, people fed juke-
  boxes to hear popular vocalists of the day. Crooner Frank 
  Sinatra was the wartime favorite of the “bobbysoxers” 
  (teenage girls), while Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters 
  played to wider audiences. Reflective of the wistful and 
  patriotic mood of the day, Crosby (White Christmas) and 
  Kate Smith (God Bless America) recorded the era’s two 
  biggest sellers.
  RADIO
  What television is today, radio was to the Golden Age. 
  From cheap and basic to expensive and elaborate models, 
  radios were in almost every home. The AM airwaves 
  brought news, sports, soap operas, musical performances, 
  game shows, and live dramas for the average American, 
  who had their choice of NBC, CBS, the Mutual Broadcast-
  ing System, or (from 1943 on) ABC.
  The power and influence of radio was demonstrated early 
  on during the Golden Age, when Orson Welles’ Mercury 
  Theatre presented its now-infamous dramatization of H.G. 
  Wells’ The War of the Worlds on October 30, 1938. As out-
  landish as an invasion from Mars seems, many listeners 
  tuned in past the opening disclaimer that the broadcast 
  was a fictional scenario, so when the radio said an inva-
  sion was happening, people believed it, and panic re-
  sulted. Many more shocking events were carried on the 
  airwaves in the years following, but they proved to be all 
  too real, such as when word of the Pearl Harbor attack 
  reached a stunned America.
  More so than any other medium, radio was influenced 
  by the goings-on in comic books, comic strips, and pulp 
  magazines. Listeners thrilled to the serialized adven-
  tures of Superman, the Green Hornet, the Shadow, Little 
  Orphan Annie, Terry and the Pirates, and Red Ryder. It sent 
  a generation of kids in search of enough box tops to get 
  the badges, rings, and other assorted decoding devices 
  offered by the shows’ sponsors.
  Befitting an era as full of upheavals as the Golden Age, 
  comedians were king. Talents as great and diverse as Bob 
  Hope, Groucho Marx, Jack Benny, George Burns & Gracie 
  Allen, Red Skelton, Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy, Fred 
  Allen, Abbott & Costello, Amos ‘n’ Andy, Spike Jones, Stan 
  Freberg, and Bob & Ray brought much-needed laughter 
  to millions and became household names in the process.
  Radio dramas reflected all the classic types, like the police 
  procedural (Dragnet), Westerns (Gunsmoke, The Cisco Kid), 
  crime stories (Gang Busters), and juvenile adventure yarns 
  (Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy). Anthologies also 
  aired on many networks, including The Lux Radio Theater 
  (which adapted popular movies of the day), as well as sus-
  pense thriller shows like Suspense, Escape, and The Inner 
  Sanctum Mysteries.
  TECHNOLOGY
  Technology in the Golden Age is primarily mechanical 
  and chemical in nature, with electronics still coming into 
  its own. Computers, radar, television, and atomic power 
  are the cutting edge, while most people get by with slide 
  rules, naked eyes, radio, and electricity.
  ATOMIC WEAPONS
  America detonated the first-ever atom bomb on July 16, 
  1945, with the Soviet Union following suit on August 
  29, 1949, and the United Kingdom in 1952, but no other 
  nations did so during the Golden Age time frame.
  Atomic weapons during this period take the form of un-
  guided bombs dropped from huge propeller-driven stra-
  tegic bombers like the B-29 Superfortress (jet bombers 
  finally entered service in 1955). Field artillery shells with 
  atomic warheads made their debut in 1953. Many other 
  possibilities—intercontinental ballistic missiles, subma-
  rine-launched missiles, and atomic depth charges—re-
  mained on the drawing boards and proving grounds.
  COMPUTERS
  At the start of the Golden Age, digital computers are 
  a brand-new invention, building off earlier difference 
  engines of the last 50 years. Digital computers were few 
  in number, filling an entire room each, and were limited to 
  high-speed mathematical calculations.
  This is not to say computers weren’t handy to have around, 
  especially for compiling a census, plotting artillery ranges, 
  and breaking enemy codes. The latter task was most fa-
  mously carried out with the British-made Colossus II elec-
  tronic machines secreted away at Bletchley Park, the very 
  existence of which became known only in the late 1970s.
  ELECTRONICS
  In the first half of the Golden Age, vacuum tubes and large 
  mechanical relays are state-of-the-art. Thousands were re-
  quired for the earliest computers like the German Z3, the 
  British Colossus, and the American ENIAC. Transistors first 
  appeared in 1947, the handiwork of a team of Bell Labs 
  scientists, and began to replace vacuum tubes. At the end 
  of the Golden Age, plans for integrated circuits are “the 
  next big thing.” They do not actually appear until 1959, 
  leaving technology that employs them (like microproces-
  sors and cell phones) for the decades following.
  MEDICINE
  Without MRIs and the like, Golden Age doctors relied on 
  exploratory surgery for diagnosing many internal mala-
  dies. Once discovered, physicians then had to rely on a 
  few proven drugs and further surgery to cure a patient 
  with a major illness.
  Though it was in short supply, penicillin (rediscovered 
  in 1928) significantly reduced the number of wounded 
  777777
   
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
   
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  RULES CONSIDERATIONS
  RULES CONSIDERATIONS
  soldiers lost to infections during World War II. In the 
  mid-1940s, Oxford University researchers led by Howard 
  Walter Florey discovered how to make synthetic, mass-
  producible penicillin, making the drug widely available 
  for the first time.
  Polio and measles both remained public health crises 
  throughout the Golden Age, with vaccinations for both 
  emerging in the 1950s. Polio in particular left thousands 
  of children dead or permanently disabled in the first half 
  of the 20th century.
  Advances in mental health, on the other hand, were much 
  more dubious. Prefrontal lobotomies (first “successfully” 
  performed in 1936) were common practice throughout 
  the Golden Age, “curing” patients of their mental disor-
  ders via a jiggled ice pick inserted near the tear duct. Of 
  equally questionable value to the patient, electroshock 
  therapy was instituted in 1938. It was usually adminis-
  tered without anesthesia, resulting in broken bones and 
  torn muscles for many subjected to it.
  RADAR
  New developments in radar technology were top military 
  secrets throughout the war. Shortly after its entry into 
  World War II, the United Kingdom had in place a decimet-
  ric microwave radar system known as Chain Home—the 
  first radar screen against enemy vessels. It gave the Royal 
  Air Force critical early warnings it desperately needed 
  during the Battle of Britain. 
  The most important such breakthrough was the devel-
  opment of the cavity magnetron in 1940 by Birmingham 
  University scientists John Randall and Harry Boot, which 
  produced much more powerful microwaves than previ-
  ous systems could. Using the cavity magnetron, the U.K. 
  and the U.S. were able to deploy advanced centrimetric 
  radars, which significantly outperformed competing Axis 
  systems. Allied forces also enjoyed a tremendous advan-
  tage in mating advanced radar technology with existing 
  weapons systems. Radar-directed artillery was deadly 
  against both ships and planes (especially when firing 
  proximity-fused shells), and could even bring down the 
  vaunted German V-1 rockets. Radar-equipped planes 
  played havoc against enemy submarines, capable of spot-
  ting them from just their exposed periscopes.
  ROBOTICS
  Westinghouse exhibited eight robots named “Elektro” at 
  the 1939 New York World’s Fair (joined by a robotic dog 
  named “Sparko” at the 1940 Fair), who could walk, talk, 
  and move their limbs, all under human direction. At seven 
  feet tall and three hundred pounds, they were an impres-
  sive sight and a harbinger of things to come.
  The first robots capable of acting independently came 
  about in 1948. Named “Elsie” and “Elmer” by their creator, 
  British neurophysiologist Grey Walter, they were capable 
  of following a light back to a recharger whenever their 
  batteries ran low. Robots capable of much more than that 
  remained the stuff of comic books throughout the era.
  ROCKETS & JET AIRCRAFT
  Short-range military rockets date back to ancient China, 
  but practical, long-range applications that could strike 
  nations dozens or hundreds of miles away remained 
  elusive until Nazi Germany began production of the V-2 
  in 1943. It soon after leapt from a short-range tactical 
  option to helping lay waste to swathes of London. As the 
  Nazi regime collapsed, the United States and Soviet Union 
  raced to capture as much German rocket technology as 
  possible. With it, the road to the first intercontinental bal-
  listic missile (the Soviet R-7) and Sputnik were paved.
  The Nazis also flew the first jet aircraft, the Heinkel He 178, 
  on August 27, 1939, but did not put the technology to 
  military use until 1944, when production of the Messer-
  schmitt Me 262 began. By that time, the British had their 
  own jet fighter, the Gloster Meteor, in service and the tide 
  of war had turned against the Nazis.
  Many events in the Golden Age hinge on global warfare. 
  Even campaigns that don’t interact with the war directly 
  must still account for scarcity and rationing as a result of 
  the war, and will encounter far more women and racial mi-
  norities in positions of power in the United States thanks 
  to wartime labor shortages.
  Visiting heroes and locals are likely to find the Mass 
  Combat rules from the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide useful, 
  given the era’s focus on warfare.
  SKILLS
  Most of the technology and vehicles used during the 
  Golden Age are at least passingly familiar to modern 
  heroes, imposing only a –2 penalty on Technology and 
  Vehicle checks to use the marginally unfamiliar equip-
  ment. Computer-related tasks are possible, but suffer a –5 
  penalty due to their extremely limited capabilities com-
  pared to modern systems.
  EXPERTISE (TACTICS)
  Gamemasters may allow heroes to take command of 
  combat units if using the optional Mass Combat rules. 
  Heroes can use the Expertise (Tactics) skill to perform an 
  Aid action assisting a single unit under their command. 
  Commanders can decide if the bonus provided grants a 
  bonus on their unit’s next attack check (an offensive strat-
  egy), Toughness check (a defensive strategy), or Morale 
  check (a rousing speech).
  787878
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  GOLDEN AGE ADVANTAGES
  The following advantages help incorporate the flavor of 
  the 1940s war effort, and are mostly intended for heroes 
  originating in the era.
  Benefit: Draft Exemption 
  General, Ranked
  You are exempt from compulsory military service. What-
  ever the exact reason, you’re not classified 1-A (fit for mili-
  tary service), 1-B (fit for limited service), 1-C (already in 
  the active-duty military), 4-C (an alien national who can 
  still be drafted) or 4-D (an ordained minister, eligible to 
  be drafted into the chaplain corps). You are free to pursue 
  your costumed hero career as you see fit.
  Note that women are not eligible for the United States 
  draft, and not every man in America is drafted for service.
  Rank 1 Exemptions: Your exemption carries a degree of 
  social stigma for your secret identity. You are classified 4-F 
  (“physically, mentally, or morally unfit for service”), which 
  makes you in the eyes of most people either (respectively) 
  lazy, a dangerous crackpot, or a criminal. Alternately, you 
  are considered 4-E, a conscientious objector, which most 
  people of the time believe to be a coward.
  Most civilians have an Unfriendly attitude towards you 
  in casual interaction. Servicemen on leave may even be 
  Hostile to you. In many Golden Age comic books, cos-
  tumed heroes dutifully tried to join up, but were rejected 
  as medically unfit due to the alterations to their physiol-
  ogy that occurred when they gained superpowers. Char-
  acters whose powers derive from the fact that they’re an 
  alien, a mutant, or the like can take a rank 1 exemption to 
  represent their unusual 4-F status.
  Rank 2 Exemptions: Your exemption carries no societal 
  approbation, but has specific conditions you must meet. 
  For example, your character might be 1-D (student, fit for 
  service) or 1-E (student, fit for limited service), with the 
  catch being they must stay in school and keep his grades 
  up—challenging if he’s got his hands full battling enemy 
  saboteurs.
  A character might be considered 2-A, meaning your 
  job is considered critical to the war effort (like indus-
  trial magnate, scientist, cop, engineer, or fireman) or 4-B 
  (meaning you work for the government as a judge or 
  similar high elected official), making it critical for you keep 
  your current position. As a result, your character may have 
  to suffer the indignities of his jerk boss, or campaign for 
  re-election to keep his draft-exempt status. You may even 
  be 3-A because of your many dependents (typically five or 
  more), adding the Responsibility Complication.
  Patriotic superheroes who work directly for the govern-
  ment may qualify for 4-B or even 2-A status to select cos-
  tumed figures for the duration of the war. The catch is re-
  maining a good and obedient soldier. 
  Rank 3 Exemptions: Your character is considered 4-A, in-
  dicating past military service. Many discharged personnel 
  were recalled to active duty at the outbreak of war, but 
  your character’s service was either so long ago (World War 
  I, or even the Spanish-American War) or so very recent 
  that a recall isn’t a concern. In addition to having your au-
  tonomy, you are also considered to have “done your part” 
  by the public at large and thus don’t suffer any sort of In-
  teraction penalties. 
  Benefit: Rationing Exemption 
  General, Ranked
  You are exempt from some aspects of rationing. This may 
  be due to your valued status in the government’s eyes, 
  like the extra gas ration offered to doctors or the unlim-
  ited gasoline for truckers and firefighters. You receive a +4 
  bonus per rank when rolling on the Rationing Table (fol-
  lowing). This benefit can be tenuous. If your worth to the 
  government diminishes or any involvement in the black 
  market on your part is discovered, it will be revoked.
  Benefit: Military Rank 
  General, Ranked
  You’re in the Army, Navy, Marines, or the Army Air Force, 
  and have performed well enough to earn some extra 
  stripes or brass to show for your time spent in uniform. 
  On the good side, you’ve got a steady job—nothing to 
  sneeze at during the Great Depression. Plus, there’s the 
  three meals a day, free room and board, world travel, and 
  access to some cutting-edge electronics and vehicles.
  This Advantage provides a measure of respect and access 
  to secret information (determined by your Gamemaster), 
  and requires personnel of lower ranks to obey your orders 
  (within reason). Higher ranks also act effectively as ranks 
  of Benefit: Wealth. Your character doesn’t have to worry 
  about the effects of wartime rationing. You also get access 
  to equipment most people don’t, so long as it makes 
  sense for your job, so long as you pay the EP cost.
  Military rank also requires active service and obedience to 
  your commanding officers and national interests. Forfeit-
  ing this benefit is just a start, with prison time and a firing 
  squad (for wartime desertion) as other possibilities.
  Rank
  aRmy 
  maRInE CoRpS
  navy
  WEalth 
  Rank
  0
  Private
  Seaman
  —
  1
  Corporal
  Seaman First 
  Class
  —
  2
  Sergeant (any 
  grade)
  Petty Officer (any 
  class)
  —
  3
  Second or First 
  Lieutenant
  Ensign/Lt. Junior 
  Grade
  1
  4
  Captain
  Lieutenant
  1
  5
  Major/Lt. Colonel
  Lt. Commander/ 
  Commander 
  1
  6
  Colonel/Brigadier 
  General
  Captain
  1
  7
  Major General
  Rear Admiral
  2
  8
  Lieutenant 
  General
  Vice Admiral
  2
  9
  General
  Admiral
  2
  10
  General of the 
  Army
  Fleet Admiral
  3
  797979
   
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
   
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  GOLDEN AGE GEAR
  Golden Age gadgets represented two extremes. On the 
  one hand were the commonplace gadgets, such as gang-
  sters’ guns, teenagers’ souped-up jalopies, and major 
  plot points relayed to characters via radio broadcasts. 
  When superheroes and supervillains entered the scene, 
  logic and proportion disappeared, but never the sense of 
  wonder. Death rays, time machines, magic rings, and giant 
  Nazi robots were part and parcel of the era’s storylines. 
  Scientific devices were more limited, but could work inex-
  plicable wonders, like hand-held ray projectors capable of 
  melting through a tank. 
  The Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide provides a list of Golden 
  Age weapons and vehicles to incorporate into your cam-
  paign. This section provides additional advice and statis-
  tics to supplement those options.
  CONJURING RING
  A ring forged from magical metal and bonded to the living 
  energy of the world, the conjuring ring lets a hero fly and 
  create energy forms. Its powers have their limits, though: 
  the ring carries a limited supply of energy and must be 
  recharged from a more powerful source of magic, and its 
  bond to the living world means its powers cannot affect 
  wood. Both of these effects function as Complications.
  Conjuring Ring: Flight 6 (120 MPH), Create Object 10 
  (Movable; AE: Damaging Move Object 10, AE: Insubstantial 4) 
  • 44 points
  ENCHANTED SCARAB
  A magical artifact left behind by an ancient civilization, 
  the scarab transforms its wearer into a mighty cham-
  pion imbues them with superhuman abilities. The scarab 
  must be activated as a Move action to provide its won-
  drous benefits, and its mysterious origin may play into far 
  greater dangers ahead.
  Enchanted Scarab: Transformation Enhanced Stamina 5, 
  Enhanced Strength 5, Flight 5 (60 MPH), Ranged Damage 8; 
  Activation • 45 points
  GOLDEN LARIAT
  Woven from orichalcum and blessed by the gods, the 
  golden lariat is an unbreakable tether. Its makeup is 
  so pure that those encircled by it can’t taint it with lies, 
  forcing them to only speak the truth.
  Golden Lariat: Move Object 10 Linked to Ranged Affliction 10 
  (Resisted and Overcome by Will; Vulnerable, Compelled [to tell 
  the truth]; Limited Degree); Feature 1 (unbreakable) • 26 points
  PLOT DEVICES
  Golden Age supervillains created absurdly powerful in-
  ventions that frequently crossed into Plot Device territory: 
  death ray cannons that could level a city and devices that 
  could pluck the moon from its orbit. These gadgets usually 
  took hours or days to “power up,” providing heroes with 
  the chance to learn about and stop them, but it suited the 
  big thinking typical of Golden Age supervillains.
  When equipping your villains, don’t be afraid of going 
  over the top. If a villain from any era would use “atomic 
  rays” to reverse the gravity, dooming the city to fall forever 
  into the sky, it will be a Golden Age villain.
  808080
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  RATIONING
  The most prominent items officially rationed during 
  World War II were gasoline and food, instituted to ensure 
  that the Allied war machine remained fueled and the em-
  battled nations (the United Kingdom, in particular) stayed 
  fed. Rationing limitations on these two items had major 
  ramifications on the homefront.
  Every month, each U.S. civilian was issued two books 
  of food ration stamps, valid until the start of the fol-
  lowing month. One book contained 48 points worth 
  of blue stamps which allowed the bearer to purchase 
  dry and canned goods, while the other book contained 
  64 points worth of red stamps which were required for 
  meat purchases. Food items cost not only money, but a 
  certain number of points as well. For example, a pound 
  of porterhouse steak cost 12 red points, while a pound of 
  hamburger set the purchaser back 7 red points. A can of 
  carrots was equal to 6 blue points, while a can of pineap-
  ple juice costs a princely 22 blue points. This was assum-
  ing, of course, particular items were available at all, which 
  was not always the case with things like coffee, bacon, 
  steak, and sugar.
  Gasoline was even more strictly controlled. The average 
  American citizen was limited to between three and five 
  gallons of gas per week, though people in critical occu-
  pations (including defense-plant foremen, doctors, truck-
  ers, firemen) qualified for larger shares. A monthly ration 
  card and a color-coded car-window sticker verified a per-
  son’s gas-ration status. Motorists also had to cope with a 
  government ban on pleasure driving and a new national 
  speed limit of 35 mph, with violators forfeiting their gaso-
  line ration cards.
  Despite food rationing, the average person was eating 
  better by the war’s end than he was during the Depres-
  sion. Gas rationing, by contrast, was a major disruption 
  for the American motorist. The rationing of gas, tires, and 
  a halt to new car production made automobiles far rarer 
  during the war than they were in the pre- and postwar era.
  Wartime shortages can serve as Complications for player 
  characters throughout World War II. Heroes’ vehicles may 
  run out of gas while chasing down criminals, and they 
  find themselves completely out of red stamps right after 
  promising their significant other a romantic evening and 
  a special home-cooked meal.
  Depending on the campaign’s background, rationing 
  may even extend to whatever wondrous power source a 
  player character relies on. Surely if a well-known superhe-
  ro can derive fantastic abilities from that rare, mysterious 
  element “atmospherium,” the U.S. government will want 
  to restrict access to it so it can both exploit its potential 
  and keep it out of the hands of its enemies.
  THE BLACK MARKET
  World War II era rationing was subject to the immutable 
  rule of government prohibitions: restricting any item the 
  public wants simply makes it available illegally at steeper 
  prices. During the war, “Mr. Black” (as the illicit trade was 
  anthropomorphized) was always there to meet any unful-
  filled need so long as people had the necessary cash.
  Just about anything that could be had was available for 
  purchase on the black market, even such hard-to-get 
  items as radios and new tires. The going rate started at 
  twice the peacetime price, however, and went up from 
  there. There’s also the small matter of involvement in the 
  black market being a serious criminal offense, punishable 
  by fine, imprisonment, or both. Over one thousand people 
  were brought up on such charges during the war—which 
  did little to stop Mr. Black from pocketing tens of millions 
  of dollars in illicit profits.
  Golden Age heroes spend a lot of time battling gangsters. 
  The black market becomes just one more racket for the 
  player characters to break up. This can involve protecting 
  shipments of precious goods, smashing up ration-coupon 
  counterfeiting rings, or simply lecturing ordinary citizens 
  on the evils of trading on the black market.
  Of course, a player character may be tempted to buy 
  something from Mr. Black, due to shaky morals or dire 
  necessity. This carries with it risks. If a character’s involve-
  ment in illegal trafficking of goods is discovered, they may 
  wind up eating prison food instead of porterhouses.
  USING THE RATIONING TABLE
  Locating a given item on the black market is a matter 
  of who you know in addition to how much you have to 
  spend. Tracking down black market items requires a suc-
  cessful Persuasion check to gather information unless a 
  character explicitly has a black market contact. Failing this 
  check means characters can’t locate someone with the 
  goods they want.
  Once they locate a supplier, characters must also have 
  the available fund, indicated by a rank of Benefit: Wealth. 
  Characters can generally afford a black market item of one 
  rank above their own, but it represents a huge purchase 
  that may lead to future financial problems or a sudden in-
  fusion of quick cash.
  RATIONING TABLE 
  ItEm
  pERSuaSIon DC
  WEalth 
  Rank
  Common rationed item  
  (gas, most foods)
  12
  0
  Scarce rationed foods 
  (coffee, bacon, steak, sugar)
  20
  1
  Top-brand cigarettes,  
  wine, whiskey
  25
  1
  Consumer goods (vacuum 
  cleaner, electric toasters)
  25
  1
  Military-used item (radio, 
  firearm, flashlight, shoes)
  30
  2
  Scarce-material items (tires, 
  silk or nylon stockings)
  35
  3
  New automobile
  40
  3
  818181
   
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
   
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  World War II still looms large in popular culture and as a 
  major historical turning point in western history, and so 
  time traveling heroes arriving in the Golden Age are prob-
  ably arriving to help with the war effort or to stop another 
  villain from tampering with the war’s outcome. Fascist or 
  neo-Nazi villains may be attempting to turn the war in 
  Germany’s favor, while imperialist Japanese villains may 
  try to do the same for their nation. Other visitors to the 
  era may try to avert personal or family horrors, saving an-
  cestors from dying on the front line or in Nazi gas cham-
  bers—in which case heroic chrononauts may help while 
  minimizing disruption to history.
  Given the era’s importance, as well as host to a lengthy, 
  global war, there is fertile ground for adventures in the 
  decade and a half that make up the Golden Age of su-
  perheroes. In addition to stopping other meddlers in the 
  timeline, heroes might be trying to track down any of 
  the fantastic treasures that went missing during the war, 
  from historical treasures like St. Petersburg’s Amber Room 
  to mystical objects like the Lance of Longinus. Travelers 
  working for a temporal enforcement agency may take 
  advantage of the widespread chaos to recruit, selecting 
  soldiers who supposedly vanished or died at sea as new 
  agents whose absence won’t scar causality.
  Chrononauts sticking to North America might find them-
  selves dealing with Nazi or Japanese plots that history 
  never recorded—perhaps the result of other time travel-
  ers, or simply historical curiosities they were always des-
  tined to quietly thwart. They may also arrive to discover 
  the era already radically altered from how they know it 
  should play out, and spend time living in the past as they 
  track down the source of the changes.
  Stories set in the Golden Age often showcase the first gen-
  eration of superheroes and their wide-eyed enthusiasm. 
  Visiting heroes should have a chance to team up with their 
  predecessors, either to learn from old pros or to showcase 
  how concepts like justice and human decency have evolved.
  Possible plot hooks:
  • A modern neo-Nazi travels back with advanced tech-
  nology to help Hitler win the war.
  • The heroes arrive in 1943 by accident and must con-
  vince the locals they aren’t German spies... or aliens.
  • After a blip in the timeline, history suddenly reveals 
  more countries remained neutral during WWII and the 
  heroes must investigate how this may have affected the 
  modern world.
  • Archaeologists discover a secret American time-travel 
  project designed to help turn the tide of war. Was it 
  abandoned, or did the United States actually use it?
  UGLIEST HISTORY
  The unspeakable atrocities of genocide loom large over 
  World War II, beyond the lives lost to warfare, poverty, and 
  disease. One of the most popular time-travel conceits is 
  “What if someone killed Hitler?” and Gamemasters should 
  consider if a trip to the Golden Age will afford players this 
  incredibly satisfying opportunity (and what changes to 
  history might result), or if the horrors of the Holocaust 
  will be kept at arm’s length while the heroes engage 
  more comic book-style threats. Avoid the temptation to 
  blame the Third Reich’s atrocities on supervillains, aliens, 
  demons, or other fictional sources, as doing so under-
  mines real  human tragedies and trauma, and can be in-
  sulting or actively harmful to your players.
  Many storylines that involve traveling to the 1930s and 
  '40s sidestep this issue by planting the travelers firmly in 
  the United States, often defeating a homefront Nazi plot 
  that history never recorded.
  VISITING HEROES
  VISITING HEROES
  GOLDEN AGE HEROES
  GOLDEN AGE HEROES
  Heroes native to the Golden Age have their hands full with 
  a rapidly-changing society, ever-evolving criminal ingenu-
  ity, and the looming specter of war and espionage. Golden 
  Age stories often revolve around the growing militarism of 
  their time, often with heroes joining the war effort (even 
  before the United States’ official involvement) or else de-
  fending the nation from threats inspired by global fascists 
  and their local sympathizers. Heroes are often built around 
  central themes of patriotism and their national symbols.
  Heroes of this era have their hands full with the war 
  raging, the rise of organized crime, and vile racism re-
  emerging in mainstream American culture. They may 
  be Allied soldiers fighting the Nazis with extraordinary 
  courage and skill (or superpowers) or defending the 
  homefront from saboteurs and gangsters while police 
  departments remain understaffed. In either case, most 
  have powers that are very focused. Innate powers tend 
  to be exaggerations of what a human being can already 
  do—super strength, super toughness, super speed, 
  super swimming, or super proficiency with specific 
  skills—while other heroes lack any special powers and 
  instead rely on single-function gadgets that the villains 
  never quite seem to account for.
  The Golden Age accurately depicts the Axis powers as 
  evil. This creates the uncomfortable assumption that the 
  Allies were therefore the “good guys,” incapable of any 
  wrong despite human rights abuses like US-run intern-
  ment camps. Post-modern games set in this era might 
  explore this disjunction and try to address the Allies’ own 
  abominable actions, or it may ignore the history and envi-
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  sion a morally simplified version of the era. Whichever you 
  choose, make sure your group understands going in.
  STARTING POWER LEVELS
  The Golden Age is filled with heroes unrelated to time 
  travel or the 21st century, ranging from masked mystery 
  men who fought crime with nothing but a right hook and 
  a can-do attitude to godlike superhumans whose powers 
  dwarf many modern superbeings. Golden Age heroes 
  tended to develop physical traits and powers rather than 
  mental ones. Extraordinary intellect or presence were the 
  domain of plotting villains or lovable side characters.
  TWO-FISTED ADVENTURERS 
  PL 6
  Campaigns from this era often center around the type of 
  non-costumed, double-tough, globetrotting, pulp-style 
  heroes that dominated comic books of the earlier Plati-
  num Age. Courageous men and fearless women throw 
  caution to the wind as they battle gangsters, saboteurs, 
  pirates, and even the occasional alien invasion with 
  nothing but Einstein-smarts, Olympic-gold athletics, 
  and movie-star good looks. By the Golden Age, many of 
  these pulp-style heroes are picking up unusual gadgets 
  or powers, from blackout guns that shoot inky darkness 
  to pills that grant them temporary super strength to 
  psychic hypnosis to render themselves invisible. Once the 
  war begins, extraordinary front-line soldiers often take up 
  this same role on the battlefront, occupying the same PL 
  range but usually replacing the fancy gadgets with Army-
  issue rifles and vehicles.
  LONGJOHN HEROES 
  PL 8
  The first generation of superhumans in the modern world 
  usually developed very singular abilities that were out-
  growths of what human beings could already do. They 
  were very fast, very strong, or very smart—well beyond 
  what any ordinary human could achieve—but had yet to 
  achieve the heights of power or creativity demonstrated 
  by Silver Age inheritors. Superheroes “stayed in their lane,” 
  so a super-strong character might be able to leap tall 
  buildings, but the ability to fly was reserved for a super-
  hero whose power was flight.
  STRONGER THAN MORTAL MEN PL 10-15
  A minority of Golden Age superheroes developed 
  genuine, formidable abilities, easily equal to or exceeding 
  the powers of modern-day heroes. Such superhumans 
  often had only vaguely-defined abilities, such as magic 
  or psychic power, that bent to their whims and didn’t 
  seem to follow any internally-consistent set of rules. These 
  titans usually battled equally incredible foes—ranging 
  from alien invaders to rival mystics to strange cults—but 
  also made time to tackle ordinary gangsters who had little 
  hope against their extraordinary powers.
  STATBLOCKS
  STATBLOCKS
  Gamemasters will find plenty of utility in the Soldier and Un-
  derworld minion archetypes from the Deluxe Gamemaster’s 
  Guide, as well as low-powered villain archetypes such as the 
  Crime Lord, Mad Scientist, and Master of Disguise. The 
  following statblocks are especially useful in the Golden Age.
  FIFTH COLUMNIST
  America’s own fascist sympathizers, fifth columnists acted 
  as spies and saboteurs to undermine the country's in-
  volvement in the war. They sometimes also worked as go-
  betweens for criminal groups and Nazi spies, intimidating 
  and beating people with useful skills whom they couldn’t 
  persuade to their way of thinking. You can also use these 
  statistics for a partisan. These secretive resistance groups 
  formed in Axis-conquered  territories like France, Poland, 
  Russia, and China and likewise focused on sabotage and 
  spying. Most were ordinary people who picked up useful 
  skills in the wake of invasion.
  WONDER DOG
  For reasons still unexplained by science, the 1930s and 
  1940s were replete with dogs of extraordinary courage 
  and intelligence, who threw themselves headlong into 
  the battle against evil. Many superheroes relied on faithful 
  canine sidekicks during these years, and more than a few 
  heroes of the age were little more than sidekicks to these 
  extraordinary, four-legged heroes. A wonder dog should 
  be acquired as a sidekick, rather than a minion, to reflect 
  its tenacity, loyalty, and majesty.
  Fifth Columnist 
  PL 3 • MR3 • 41 points
  STR 2 STA 2 AGL 1 DEX 1 FGT 2 INT 1 AWE 0 PRE 1
  Equipment: Binoculars, Club, Gas Mask, Light Pistol.
  Advantages: Equipment 2, Power Attack.
  Skills: Deception 4 (+5), Expertise: Demolitions 4 (+5), 
  Intimidation 4 (+5), Perception 2 (+2), Ranged Combat: Guns 2 
  (+3), Technology 4 (+5), Vehicles 4 (+5).
  Offense: Init +1, Club +2 (Close, Damage 4), Light Pistol +3 
  (Ranged, Damage 3), Unarmed +2 (Close, Damage 2).
  Defense: Dodge 2, Parry 4, Fortitude 4, Toughness 2, Will 1.
  Totals: Abilities 20 + Powers 0 + Advantages 3 + Skills 12 (24 
  ranks) + Defenses 6 = 41.
  Wonder Dog 
  PL 3 • MR2 • 27 points
  STR 2 STA 2 AGL 2 DEX -1 FGT 3 INT -3 AWE 2 PRE 0
  Powers: Senses 3 (Acute Smell, Tracking, Ultra-Hearing).
  Advantages: Evasion, Improved Trip.
  Skills: Athletics 4 (+6), Perception 4 (+6), Stealth 2 (+4).
  Offense: Init +2, Bite +3 (Close, Damage 2).
  Defense: Dodge 4, Parry 4, Fortitude 2, Toughness 2, Will 2.
  Totals: Abilities 14 + Powers 3 + Advantages 2 + Skills 5 (10 
  ranks) + Defenses 3 = 27.
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  Emerald City wasn’t always bereft of heroes. While fron-
  tier-style vigilante justice had been delivered at the end of 
  a gun throughout the town’s prospector years, the Golden 
  Age saw the first appearance of actual masked “mystery 
  men” in the bustling young city. The beginning of the era 
  saw brave individuals standing up to the various crime 
  lords and bootleggers who had grown powerful and 
  brash during Prohibition and then the Depression. With 
  the police and elected officials firmly in the pocket of or-
  ganized crime, pioneering Emerald City heroes like the 
  Nightwatchman, Pearl Valentine, and Tinman took down 
  gang strongholds, busted up illegal gambling dens and 
  extortion rackets, and put the fear of citizens into corrupt 
  officials. When America joined the fight in World War II, 
  many of the city’s heroes packed away their masks and 
  served the cause of freedom on the battlefield, leaving a 
  new generation of heroes—Emerald City’s first superhero 
  team, the Victory Squadron—to protect the homefront.
  As in most of the United States, the Great Depression 
  didn’t make Emerald City poorer, so much as it made the 
  poor and middle class poorer while making the wealthy 
  richer. Gems still needed to be mined, fish needed to be 
  hauled in, and timber needed to be felled, even as the 
  wages for those jobs froze or fell. The great irony of the 
  era is that the City of Destiny saw one of its largest con-
  struction booms during the Depression. Construction 
  cranes dominate the skyline as countless older buildings 
  make way for cutting-edge art deco architecture. The oli-
  garchs appeased the citizens by also constructing many 
  of the city’s glamorous cinemas and public parks. When 
  public opinion still turned against rich emeraldites as the 
  city’s “Hooverville” steadily expanded, the elite simply 
  cozied up with organized crime to break worker unions 
  and make rabble-rousers disappear.
  The war helped pull Emerald City out of this self-destruc-
  tive spiral. The war machine hungered for timber and 
  ore. Every hand was needed and bosses could no longer 
  fight workers with artificial labor shortages. This recov-
  ery didn’t benefit everyone, however, as Executive Order 
  9066 ordered the incarceration of Japanese-Americans 
  into concentration camps. Emerald City’s sizeable Japa-
  nese population was devestated, with their property 
  confiscated or sold to white neighbors for pennies on the 
  dollar. Emerald City was particularly supportive of intern-
  ment—following the 1942 attack of the I-14, a Japanese 
  submarine that showered Fortitude Breckenridge with ar-
  tillery fire—a legacy that many modern citizens feel some 
  shame for.
  GEOGRAPHY
  Emerald City has always been isolated, but throughout 
  the 1930s and 1940s the only easy access to the city was 
  by sea. Local roads connected Emerald City—at the time 
  consisting of the Riverfront, Royal Hill, and the sparsely-
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  populated Sunset Hill—to outlying towns like Southern 
  Shore, Bethlehem Heights, and the tiny new community 
  of Lakeside. Ferries connect the city to farther-flung settle-
  ments like Bridgeport, North Shore, and Oceanside. While 
  a few twisting mountain roads connect the city to the rest 
  of the Pacific Northwest, most travelers and freight still 
  rely on ships or rail service to depart. Thankfully, Golden 
  Age Emerald City is supported by endless farms, covering 
  much of modern-day Southern Shore, West Valley, and 
  Islandview; small farms even break up parts of the city 
  proper with short, informal greenbelts and orchards.
  Throughout the Depression, a massive shantytown grew 
  south and east from Royal Hill, adjoining the then-isolat-
  ed eastern District and forming the foundation of what 
  would eventually become University Hill. While prime 
  real estate today, Emerald City’s Hooverville housed 
  the poorest and most desperate residents, who often 
  endured harassment from police and gangs of young, 
  well-off troublemakers and consequently distrusted au-
  thority. This made the winding, dirty streets a haven for 
  criminal activity—which was used to justify increased 
  police harassment.
  A wonder of modern engineering, the Red River Dam is 
  a brand-new addition to the landscape. Begun in 1933, 
  construction was finally completed in 1939 after several 
  unexplained accidents delayed construction. By the time 
  the US joined the war, the power plant provided far more 
  electricity than the booming industries needed. The 
  dam also created the closest bridge over the Red River, 
  making the Arcadian Peninsula more accessible for many 
  wartime industries like Nolan Aircraft.
  Throughout the Golden Age, nature is closer to Emerald 
  City than ever before. Council Island remains almost en-
  tirely abandoned after the Grand Neptune Resort and 
  Casino—which promised to bring the Riviera to the 
  Pacific—endured a horrible fire only weeks after opening, 
  killing over 200 people and leaving the lavish facility a ruin. 
  The Cryptid Clans were bolder, raiding farms and robbing 
  trains passing through their forests. Without mass media, 
  many of these incidents simply contributed to wild local 
  legends and unexplained disappearances.
  KEY EVENTS
  The Golden Age in Emerald City dawned with the 
  looming threat of class warfare. Following a harsh winter, 
  of 1935, March saw the Green-and-Red Riots as locals 
  stormed Yenam Mansion on the edge of Sunset Hill. The 
  Yenam Timber Company had resolved union negotia-
  tions by simply firing every employee, and what began 
  as a protest attracted many of the city’s most desperate 
  and hungry, who stormed the estate to take food, cloth-
  ing, and valuables. The city called in police while Timothy 
  Yenam himself called upon mafia connections to attack 
  the rioters. Emerald City’s masked crimefighters took dif-
  fering sides in the bloody conflict, and it only ended with 
  Yenam’s death—though historians still argue whether it 
  was the rioters or his own mob connections who ulti-
  mately killed one of the city’s earliest millionaires.
  The city’s fortunes had begun to reverse by 1939, when 
  the release of the film The Wizard of Oz galvanized local 
  attitudes around the pop culture phenomenon, becom-
  ing an easy outlet for pre-existing tensions. The city 
  embraced the film, the books, and the tourism both 
  prompted, while many locals increasingly resented the 
  association. The conflict is mostly noteworthy because 
  it ultimately prompted the city to rebrand its open air 
  market as Yellow Brick Row and inspired the villainess, 
  the Wicked Witch.
  The most impactful event of Emerald City’s Golden 
  Age was the unsuccessful Japanese attack on Fortitude 
  Breckenridge in June of 1942, which prompted the for-
  mation of the Victory Squadron—Emerald City’s first of-
  ficial team of superheroes.
  VILLAINS OF  
  GOLDEN AGE EMERALD CITY
  The trying times of the Golden Age inspired many of 
  Emerald City’s strangest residents to don masks to make 
  their voices heard or win what they felt the world owed 
  them. While the Silver Storm and its horde of super-pow-
  ered children is another 80 years away, the eccentricity 
  that defines Emerald City’s character inspired costumed 
  criminals before and during WWII. The machinations of 
  F.O.E. (see Emerald City) scrubbed much of the region’s 
  history of caped criminals and crusaders, however, and 
  modern Emerald City is still uncovering many details of 
  its Gold and Silver Age past.
  Madame Joy (Emerald City) was active across the West 
  Coast throughout the Golden Age, operating as a 
  masked criminal rather than her modern persona as 
  a nightclub owner. Emerald City has always attracted 
  mystical villains, and threats like Eris, Professor Jacka-
  napes, and Foxfire (Threat Report) visited the city in the 
  Golden Age. Foxfire of this era in particular has not yet 
  been bound to service by Dragoneye, leaving her a more 
  mobile and active threat but also more mischievous than 
  bitter. Perhaps the city’s most infamous urban legend, 
  the Waxman, has also threatened the populace since at 
  least 1931.
  THE WICKED WITCH
  One of the city’s most colorful Golden Age villains was 
  Aline Danko, the Wicked Witch. A bookshop owner from 
  Royal Heights, Danko led the city’s opposition to the 
  Wizard of Oz craze, insisting it would cheapen the city’s 
  burgeoning artistic and literary merits. When the city em-
  braced the filmland association, Danko tried to destroy 
  the grand opening of Yellow Brick Row by donning a black 
  dress and hat and unleashing a “chinadoll” gas that trans-
  formed people into living porcelain figures. Pearl Valen-
  tine and the Nightwatchman ultimately stopped her, but 
  with her identity revealed, Danko returned to the Wicked 
  Witch identity time and time again, applying her chemis-
  try genius to new crimes and dressing her goons as flying 
  monkeys, winkies, or wheelers to match her theme. She 
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  passed on her legacy to her nephew, Lyman Danko, in 
  the late 50s, who led his own short criminal career as the 
  second Wicked Witch only to be thwarted repeatedly by 
  the 1960s hero team, the Guild of Justice.
  CRIMSON KATANA
  The most persistent and deadly opponent faced by the 
  Victory Squadron was the Crimson Katana, Asano Ranaga, 
  a former Yakuza thug who used the power of the cursed 
  Three Flames Katana to become one of the most feared 
  warriors and assassins in Japan. He eventually became the 
  emperor’s favored agent as the nation slid into fascism 
  and militarism in the 1930s. Asano led other Japanese su-
  per-soldiers during the war, and took the lives of several 
  Allied metahumans, including the Gunner, Human Tank, 
  and the Victory Squadron’s own Columbia. His cursed 
  sword inspired bloodlust and obsession with legacy, and 
  he grew increasingly violent as the war progressed.
  THE VICTORY SQUADRON
  When a Japanese sub surfaced in Malory Bay and began 
  bombarding Fortitude Breckenridge in 1942, several 
  masked avengers and extraordinary citizens responded. 
  Their swift involvement drove the sub away and saved 
  lives, preventing what could have become a city-wide fire. 
  Afterward, the assembled heroes opted to work together 
  on a regular basis, naming themselves the Victory Squad-
  ron.
  The Squadron focused on defending America’s West 
  Coast from supervillains and occasional attacks on the 
  Pacific front. The team had their hands full tackling spies, 
  criminals, aliens, and cultists up and down the coast, 
  from a sasquatch war in Alaska to Vancouver’s infamous 
  Kar’Kradas cults to the Redding Crabman incident, and 
  clashed with fifth columnists and the Crimson Katana 
  ATLAS
  Greek-born Michael Forest’s renown as a circus strong-
  man brought him to America in 1936, and he quickly 
  grew to love the fame and fortune enough to immigrate 
  permanently. He believed his phenomenal strength and 
  athleticism were divine gifts, inspiring his stage name. 
  Eager to defend his adopted nation, he answered his draft 
  notice, but his physical revealed a dangerous heart defect. 
  Now more eager than ever to do his part for the war effort, 
  Forest answered the call to action during the Fortitude 
  Breckinridge attack, applying his super-strength to the 
  purpose of defending freedom. Forest served the Victory 
  Squadron with distinction, hiding a progressively failing 
  heart in order to remain alongside his teammates.
  BLAZE
  In December 1944, a curious 17-year-old Mary Grindstaff 
  found a Japanese “fire balloon” weapon while on a family 
  hike, and its explosion both bestowed her with fiery su-
  perhuman powers and robbed her of any semblance of a 
  normal life. Drafted into the Victory Squadron as “Blaze,” a 
  The Wicked Witch 
  PL 9 • 134 points
  STR 0 STA 2 AGL 1 DEX 3 FGT 3 INT 8 AWE 4 PRE 2
  Powers: Chinadoll Gas (Easily Removable), Affliction 9 (Resisted 
  and Overcome by Fortitude; Transformed [to a china doll w/ 
  Toughness of –2]; Limited to Third Degree), Master Planner 
  Luck Control 3 (Bestow Luck, Force a Re-roll, Spend on Other). 
  Equipment: Flash Grenade, Smoke Grenade.
  Advantages: Animal Empathy, Benefit, Wealth (well-off), 
  Defensive Roll 4, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 5, Fascinate 
  (Expertise: Literature), Inventor, Luck 4, Minion 6, Seize 
  Initiative, Throwing Mastery 3, Uncanny Dodge, Well-informed.
  Skills: Deception 4 (+6), Expertise: Chemistry 10 (+18), 
  Expertise: Literature 8 (+16), Insight 5 (+9), Perception 2 (+6), 
  Ranged Combat: Throwing 6 (+9), Sleight of Hand 5 (+8), 
  Stealth 8 (+9), Treatment 8 (+16).
  Offense: Init +1, Chinadoll Gas — (Cloud Area, Affliction 9), 
  Thrown Objects +9 (Ranged, Damage 3), Unarmed +3 (Close, 
  Damage 0).
  Defense: Dodge 11, Parry 9, Fortitude 2, Toughness 6/2, Will 4.
  Totals: Abilities 46 + Powers 14 + Advantages 30 + Skills 28 (56 
  ranks) + Defenses 16 = 134
  Complications: Obsession Danko patterns her inventions 
  and crimes after Frank L. Baum's The Wizard of Oz.
  Crimson Katana 
  PL 11 • 122 points
  STR 2 STA 4 AGL 4 DEX 4 FGT 12 INT 0 AWE 3 PRE 2
  Powers: Three-Flames Katana (Easily Removable), Damage 8 
  (Strength-based; Linked to Affliction 4 (Resisted and Overcome 
  by Fortitude; Fatigued Exhausted, Incapacitated). 
  Advantages: Benefit, Ambidexterity, Defensive Attack, 
  Defensive Roll 4, Evasion, Improved Critical: Katana, Improved 
  Disarm, Improved Initiative, Languages 1 (English, Japanese), 
  Move-by Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Takedown 2.
  Skills: Acrobatics 8 (+12), Athletics 7 (+9), Deception 4 (+6), 
  Insight 7 (+10), Intimidation 8 (+10), Perception 4 (+7), 
  Persuasion 4 (+6), Stealth 8 (+12).
  Offense: Init +8, Three Flames Katana +12 (Close, Damage 10 
  and Affliction 4), Unarmed +12 (Close, Damage 2)
  Defense: Dodge 13, Parry 14, Fortitude 4, Toughness 8/4, Will 3.
  Totals: Abilities 62 + Powers 8 + Advantages 16 + Skills 25 (50 
  ranks) + Defenses 11 = 122
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  late addition to the roster, Mary was firsthand witness to 
  the brutal final months of fighting in the Pacific, and she 
  largely vanished from public life after the war. Her meta-
  human abilities make Blaze fireproof, allow her to cloak 
  herself in self-generated flames, and emit fiery bursts to 
  attack opponents or allow herself to fly.
  COLUMBIA
  Music brought Phoebe Dorin out of her shell. A shared 
  passion for song brought her together with her soulmate 
  Dr. Michael Dunn. Once Dunn established himself as a cos-
  tumed mystery man and Victory Squadron member, he 
  eventually coaxed Dorin to join him. Columbia augment-
  ed her athleticism with an armored costume and torch 
  packed with Dunn’s technological ingenuity: a device 
  capable of generating intense light and focusing it into 
  cutting beams. A reluctant member of the team, Dorin 
  was also the first fatality, facing the Crimson Katana alone 
  to keep him busy long enough for her team to escape his 
  island lair with captured GIs in tow.
  DR. SPECTRE
  Co-pilot Tom Kovack was the sole survivor after his bomber 
  was shot down during the early weeks of the war. During his 
  convalescence, he was ceaselessly haunted by the presence 
  of his crew members’ ghosts, beginning the contact with the 
  spirit world that tormented him for the rest of his life. Dis-
  charged and sent home to Emerald City, Kovack searched for 
  a way to silence the ever-present dead. Kovack answered the 
  call for help during the Fortitude Breckinridge attack, hoping 
  his military training would be of use to the surprised garrison. 
  Atlas 
  PL 8 • 120 points
  STR 8/4 STA 8/4 AGL 5/1 DEX 3 FGT 4 INT 0 AWE 2 PRE 3
  Powers: Olympian Might Enhanced Agility 4, Enhanced 
  Stamina 4, Enhanced Strength 4, Olympic Feats Leaping 4 
  (120 feet), Speed 4 (30 MPH)
  Advantages: Attractive, Benefit (Draft Exemption), Chokehold, 
  Daze (Intimidation), Extraordinary Effort, Improved Critical 
  (Unarmed), Improved Disarm, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, 
  Improved Smash, Languages (English, Greek), Power Attack, 
  Takedown 2, Weapon Bind
  Skills: Athletics 10 (+18), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+8), Expertise: 
  Circus Lore 9 (+9), Intimidation 9 (+12), Persuasion 4 (+7)
  Offense: Init +5, Unarmed +8 (Close, Damage 8)
  Defense: Dodge 8, Parry 8, Fortitude 10, Toughness 8, Will 6
  Totals: Abilities 42 + Powers 32 + Advantages 15 + Skills 18 (36 
  ranks) + Defenses 13 = 120
  Complication: Motivation—Patriotism, Foreign-Born Mike's 
  accent and Mediterranean features set him apart at a time when 
  Americans are increasingly uncomfortable with foreigners. 
  Heart Defect when Atlas would become Fatigued, he becomes 
  Exhausted instead.
  Blaze 
  PL 8 • 120 points
  STR 3 STA 4 AGL 3 DEX 3 FGT 3 INT 1 AWE 3 PRE 3
  Powers: Fireproof Immunity 10 (Fire effects), Thermal Sense 
  Senses 2 (Infravision, Ranged Touch)
  Fire Control (Array; 16 points)
  • Fire Blast (Ranged Damage 8)
  • Flame Aura (Reaction Damage 4)
  • Flame Jet Flight (500 MPH)
  • Flame Wave (Cone Area Damage 8)
  Advantages: All-out Attack, Beginner’s Luck, Defensive Roll 3, 
  Improved Initiative, Luck 2
  Skills: Athletics 3 (+6), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+7), 
  Deception 3 (+6), Expertise: Pop Culture 5 (+6), Insight 2 (+5), 
  Ranged Combat: Fire Blast 5 (+8), Stealth 6 (+9)
  Offense: Init +7, Fiery Punch +7 (Close Damage 3, then Close 
  Damage 4), Fire Blast +8 (Ranged, Damage 8), Flame Wave — 
  (Area, Damage 8), Unarmed +7 (Close, Damage 3)
  Defense: Dodge 9, Parry 9, Fortitude 9, Toughness 7/4*, Will 7 
  *Without Defensive Roll
  Totals: Abilities 46 + Powers 31 + Advantages 8 + Skills 14 (28 
  ranks) + Defenses 21 = 120
  Complication: Motivation—Doing Good, Vulnerability—
  Cold Cold-based attacks do +2 damage against Blaze.
  Columbia 
  PL 8 • 120 points
  STR 1 STA 3 AGL 4 DEX 4 FGT 2 INT 2 AWE 3 PRE 3
  Powers: Armored Costume (Immunity 2 [Environmental 
  Heat and Cold], Impervious Protection 4; Removable), Torch 
  of Liberty (Light Beam [Ranged Damage 10], AE: Shining 
  Bludgeon [Strength-Based Damage 4], AE: Shining Light 
  [Cone-Area Affliction 7 [Resisted and Overcome by Fortitude; 
  Hindered, Disabled, Unaware, Limited to Vision]], AE: 
  Torchlight [Environment 8 [Bright Light]]; Easily Removable) 
  Advantages: Agile Feint, Animal Empathy, Close Attack 4, Hide 
  in Plain Sight, Improved Defense, Inspire, Languages 2 (English, 
  French, Italian), Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge
  Skills: Acrobatics 6 (+10), Athletics 4 (+5), Expertise (PRE): 
  Singing 10 (+13), Expertise: History 6 (+8), Expertise: Music 
  10 (+12), Ranged Combat: Light Beam 2 (+6), Stealth 4 (+8), 
  Treatment 6 (+8)
  Offense: Init +4, Light Beam +6 (Ranged, Damage 10), Shining 
  Bludgeon +6 (Close, Damage 5), Unarmed +6 (DC 16)
  Defense: Dodge 7, Parry 8, Fortitude 7, Toughness 7, Will 8
  Totals: Abilities 44 + Powers 21 + Advantages 13 + Skills 24 (48 
  ranks) + Defenses 18 = 120
  Complications: Motivation—Duress Phoebe doesn't want 
  to be a hero at the best of times. Social Anxiety Phoebe may 
  sometimes suffer a –5 penalty to interaction skill checks.
  Dr. Spectre 
  PL 8 • 120 points
  STR 8/4 STA 9/4 AGL 4/1 DEX 2 FGT 5 INT 3 AWE 3 PRE 3
  Powers: Spirit Medium Comprehend 1 (Spirits), Spirit 
  Possession Activation (Standard action); Enhanced Agility 3, 
  Enhanced Stamina 5, Enhanced Strength 4, Flight 5 (60 MPH; 
  Subtle AE: Concentration Communication 3 [Dimensional, 
  Subtle], AE: Ranged Concentration Move Object 5 [1600 lbs.; 
  Subtle]), Regeneration 1
  Advantages: All-out Attack, Benefit 3 (Draft Exemption), 
  Defensive Attack, Improved Defense, Improved Smash, Power 
  Attack, Takedown
  Skills: Athletics 5 (+13), Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+8), 
  Expertise: Army Air Force 5 (+8), Perception 5 (+8), Ranged 
  Combat: Guns 5 (+7), Vehicles 5 (+7)
  Offense: Init +4, Move Object +4 (Ranged, Damage 5), 
  Unarmed +8 (Close, Damage 8)
  Defense: Dodge 7, Parry 7, Fortitude 9, Toughness 9, Will 7
  Totals: Abilities 50 + Powers 38 + Advantages 9 + Skills 14 (28 
  ranks) + Defenses 9 = 120
  Complications: Motivation—Cure Tom wants to be rid of 
  his hauntings, Haunted Tom has PTSD after the deaths of his 
  comrades. Vulnerable—Exorcism Effects targeting hosts and 
  spirits can rob Dr. Spectre of his powers.
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  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  The Time Traveler's Codex
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  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  a quiet, obedient wife and socialite. Left bored and unful-
  filled, the call to arms during the Fortitude Breckinridge 
  attack galvanized Karla to bold action against both the Axis 
  invaders and her own stifling ennui. Hastily assembling 
  remnants from past costume balls into a “mystery man” 
  guise, Karla made her debut as Madame Crossbow that 
  fateful night. With the amazing marksmanship she’d culti-
  vated since her finishing-school archery classes added to 
  her innate smarts and coolness under pressure, Karla was 
  perfectly suited for life as a masked adventurer.
  NIGHTWATCHMAN
  James Holland, charismatic son of Emerald City’s famed 
  “Gentleman Bootlegger” Louis Holland, inherited his fa-
  ther’s great fortune, belief in justice over law, commitment 
  to helping those in need, and love of public acclaim. Driven 
  by this legacy, James became famous as a radio commenta-
  tor boldly denouncing the city’s criminals and social inequi-
  ties, and as an envied playboy romancing the city’s most 
  beautiful women. James took office as Emerald’s district 
  attorney, but as he continued his crusade against the city’s 
  mobs, he grew frustrated at gangsters using their corrupt 
  influences to remain above the law. Taking inspiration from 
  the costumed “mystery men” of the era, James secretly em-
  ployed his remarkable cunning, fighting skills, and special-
  ized gadgets to fight crime as the masked Nightwatchman.
  SCARLET CYCLONE
  William Schallert grew up loving aeronautics and flight, 
  and from an early age harnessed his considerable genius 
  The Dreadnought 
  PL 8 • 120 points
  STR 6/–2 STA –2 AGL 1 DEX 0 FGT –1 INT 10 AWE 3 PRE 3
  Powers: Dreadnought Armor (Removable), Enhanced 
  Strength 8, Immunity 2 (Suffocation), Protection 12, Weapon 
  Systems (Array; Gyro-Cannon Ranged Attack 9 [Accurate 3], 
  AE: High-Explosive Rounds (Ranged Burst Area Damage 7), 
  AE: Rocket Thrusters Flight 8 [500 MPH; Aquatic])
  Advantages: Assessment, Connected, Eidetic Memory, 
  Improvised Tools, Inventor, Jack-of-all-trades, Skill Mastery 2 
  (Expertise: Science, Technology), Well-informed
  Skills: Close Combat: Dreadnought Armor 10 (+9), Expertise (PRE): 
  Sing 2 (+5), Expertise: Current Events 2 (+12), Expertise: Science 8 
  (+18), Perception 6 (+9), Persuasion 6 (+9), Technology 8 (+18)
  Offense: Init +1, Gyro-Cannon +6 (Ranged, Damage 8), High-
  Explosive Rounds — (Area, Damage 7), Unarmed +9 (Close, 
  Damage 6/–2)
  Defense: Dodge 5, Parry 5, Fortitude 4, Toughness 10/–2*, Will 
  11 *Without Dreadnought Armor
  Totals: Abilities 20 + Powers 46 + Advantages 9 + Skills 21 (42 
  ranks) + Defenses 24 = 120
  Complications: 
  Motivation—Recognition 
  Dunn 
  loves 
  the attention and respect being a hero grants him. 
  Achondroplasia Dunn is a little person and suffers social 
  stigma and some chronic pain for his stature.
  Under the stress of the battle, he learned to channel his spirit 
  followers for the first time and learned he could appease the 
  unquiet dead by avenging them. Afterwards, Kovack was 
  persuaded to join the Victory Squadron as “Doctor Spectre.”
  Sadly, Tom Kovack never found a happy ending. Under 
  the increasing mental stress of his spiritual visitations, he 
  eventually admitted himself to Bethlehem Heights Psychi-
  atric Hospital. He eventually passed away in 1957 of what 
  was recorded as a heart attack, though rumors around the 
  hospital insist he died of fright after confronting some-
  thing particularly powerful in the spirit realm.
  THE DREADNOUGHT
  A truly gifted polymath, Dr. Michael Dunn III was a bril-
  liant inventor, cultured raconteur, and accomplished vo-
  calist. Though 3‘10“ in stature, he towered over Emerald 
  City University, simultaneously chairing four departments. 
  Most joyously, he shared a deep and abiding love for music 
  with fellow professor Phoebe Dorin. After declared unfit 
  for service due to his height, Dunn began designing and 
  building advanced mechanical devices and weapons—
  prototypes he hoped to gift to the military, but which rarely 
  functioned without his careful maintenance. Integrating 
  his work into a single suit of armor, he dubbed the Dread-
  nought. He eagerly donned the armor in response to the 
  call for assistance during the attack on Fortitude Breckin-
  ridge. The glory-hungry Dunn was easily persuaded to 
  join the Victory Squadron, and his publicly known identity, 
  ready wit, and keen intelligence made him a fixture in the 
  newspapers, newsreels, and radio of the day.
  MADAME CROSSBOW
  Karla Miller was a woman to envy: young, savvy, rich, physi-
  cally and intellectually gifted, and newly married to a good 
  man. Despite this, 1940s society limited her life to that of 
  Madame Crossbow 
  PL 8 • 120 points
  STR 3 STA 5 AGL 3 DEX 4 FGT 3 INT 4 AWE 4 PRE 1
  Equipment: Crossbow and Trick Bolts (Array; 24 points) Acid 
  Bolt Ranged Weaken Toughness 8 (Affects Objects), Basic Bolt 
  Ranged Damage 3 (Multiattack; Improved Critical), Bola Bolt 
  Ranged Cumulative Affliction 8 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by 
  Damage; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobile), 
  Explosive Bolt Ranged Burst Area Damage 8, Extinguisher 
  Bolt Ranged Burst Area Nullify 8 (Fire; Effortless), Grappling 
  Hook Bolt Movement 2 (Safe Fall, Swinging), Knockout Gas 
  Bolt Ranged Cumulative Cloud Area Affliction 6 (Resisted and 
  Overcome by Fortitude; Fatigued, Exhausted, Asleep), Magnetic 
  Bolt Ranged Burst Area Move Object 8 (6 tons; Limited Direction: 
  Toward the Bolt, Limited Material: Metal), Parachute Bolt 
  Ranged Flight 1 (4 MPH; Affects Others; Gliding), Smoke Bolt 
  Ranged Cloud Area Concealment Attack 2 (Sight)
  Advantages: Accurate Attack, Assessment, Benefit 4 
  (Wealth: multimillionaire), Close Attack 4, Defensive Roll 2, 
  Equipment 7, Evasion, Fearless, Improved Aim, Improved 
  Critical: Basic Bolt, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, 
  Inventor Precise Attack (Ranged, Concealment) Precise Attack 
  (Ranged, Cover), Ranged Attack 4, Takedown, Uncanny Dodge
  Skills: Expertise: Current Events 6 (+10), Perception 6 (+10), 
  Sleight of Hand 8 (+12), Stealth 8 (+11), Technology 6 (+10)
  Offense: Init +7, Basic Bolt +8 (Ranged, Damage 3), Trick Bolts 
  +8 (various)
  Defense: Dodge 9, Parry 6, Fortitude 8, Toughness 7/5*, Will 8 
  *Without Defensive Roll
  Totals: Abilities 54 + Powers 0 + Advantages 33 + Skills 17 (34 
  ranks) + Defenses 16 = 120
  Complications: Motivation—Thrills Miller is a bored socialite.
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  towards new and better airplane designs. Schallert 
  gained a reputation as a talented pilot and designer, but 
  one whose abilities outstripped the available technol-
  ogy, earning the seemingly reckless and often-bloodied 
  airman the nickname “the Scarlet Cyclone.” Schallert’s 
  crowning achievement was the amazing armored sub-
  mersible autogyro the Albatross. When the government 
  deemed Schallert too valuable as an engineer to accept 
  him into the Army Air Force, the Albatross let him strike 
  back directly against Axis aggression. Shortly after the For-
  titude Breckinridge attack, the “Scarlet Cyclone” became 
  the scourge of Japanese I-boats raiding the Pacific Coast.
  SETSUJOKU
  A star college athlete and nisei—or second generation 
  Japanese-American, who had never so much as seen 
  Japan—Takei “Joe” Hosato was stripped of his education, 
  his family’s shop, and his freedom by Executive Order 
  9066. He was so disgusted by the hatred from his govern-
  ment and his neighbors that he refused to comply, going 
  into hiding and working to undermine the incarceration 
  effort under the identity Setsujoku, though many racist ac-
  counts of the time—ignorant of the spelling or meaning 
  behind his moniker—referred to the shadowy vigilante of 
  the Eastern District by his family’s prison number. Recall-
  ing his grandfather’s tall tales of ninja, Joe adopted the 
  guise of a shadow warrior, at first to steal government 
  information and blackmail politicians. But his deep com-
  passion soon saw him fighting to protect the remaining 
  residents of the Eastern District, and eventually the city.
  THE UNKNOWN
  Alonzo Cheney truly was “the Unknown,” as few details of 
  his life have any degree of verification. Cheney is known to 
  have worn countless guises during his life, near-flawlessly 
  creating fictional personas as well as impersonating those 
  he’d encountered with uncanny accuracy. His sole impetus 
  was his pure, unmalicious joy at embracing all the pleasures 
  offered by many lives lived at once. Wearing his usual many 
  faces, the Unknown guided together the various parties who 
  responded to D.A. Holland’s radio appeal after the Fortitude 
  Nightwatchman 
  PL 8 • 120 points
  STR 4 STA 5 AGL 3 DEX 1 FGT 9 INT 3 AWE 3 PRE 4
  Equipment: Utility Belt (Binoculars, Flashlight, Fragmentation 
  Grenade, Grappling Hook [Movement 1, Swinging], Handcuffs, Multi-
  tool, Rebreather, Broadsword 1, Smoke Grenade), Leather Armor
  Advantages: Attractive, Benefit 4 (Draft Exemption 2, Wealth 2 
  [independently wealthy]), Contacts, Defensive Attack, Equipment 5, 
  Great Endurance, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved 
  Trip, Inspire, Leadership, Power Attack, Taunt, Well-informed
  Skills: Athletics 6 (+10), Deception 5 (+9), Expertise: Law 5 
  (+8), Investigation 8 (+11), Perception 6 (+9), Persuasion 8 
  (+12), Stealth 4 (+7), Vehicles 2 (+3)
  Offense: Init +7, Frag Grenade — (Area, Damage 5), Sword +9 
  (Close, Damage 7), Unarmed +9 (Close, Damage 4)
  Defense: Dodge 8, Parry 10, Fortitude 10, Toughness 6/5, Will 5
  Totals: Abilities 64 + Powers 0 + Advantages 21 + Skills 22 (44 
  ranks) + Defenses 13 = 120
  Scarlet Cyclone 
  PL 8 • 120 points
  STR 3 STA 5 AGL 2 DEX 4 FGT 3 INT 4 AWE 3 PRE 1
  Equipment: Heavy Pistol, Leather Armor, The Albatross
  Advantages: All-out Attack, Benefit 2 (Draft Exemption), 
  Defensive Attack, Equipment 15, Favored Environment 
  (Piloting), Improved Defense, Inventor, Ranged Attack 4, Skill 
  Mastery: Vehicles, Ultimate Effort (Vehicle checks)
  Skills: Athletics 6 (+9), Close Combat: Unarmed 6 (+9), 
  Expertise: Engineering 6 (+10), Persuasion 6 (+7), Technology 
  8 (+12), Treatment 2 (+6), Vehicles 12 (+16)
  Offense: Init +2, Albatross Weapons +8 (various), Heavy Pistol 
  +8 (Range, Damage 4), Unarmed +9 (Close, Damage 3)
  Defense: Dodge 8, Parry 8, Fortitude 9, Toughness 6, Will 7
  Totals: Abilities 50 + Powers 0 + Advantages 28 + Skills 23 (46 
  ranks) + Defenses 19 = 120
  Complications: Motivation—Responsibility Schallert feels 
  he is blessed with a gift and needs to use it to help others
  The Albatross 
  65 points
  Size: Gargantuan Strength: 12 Toughness: 12 (Impervious) 
  Speed 7 (air), 6 (water) Defense: 6 Features: Alarm, 
  Navigation System, Remote Control Powers: Armaments 
  (array; 25 points), .50-caliber Machine guns (Ranged Damage 
  8; Multiattack), 75mm Cannons (Ranged Penetrating Damage 
  8), Bomb Load (Ranged Burst Area 3 Damage 5)
  Setsujoku 
  PL 8 • 120 points
  STR 4 STA 5 AGL 5 DEX 4 FGT 9 INT 0 AWE 3 PRE 2
  Equipment: Camo Clothing, Climbing Rope (Movement 1 
  [Swinging]), Shuriken, Sword
  Advantages: Agile Feint, Chokehold, Defensive Roll 2, 
  Equipment 2, Evasion, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Initiative, 
  Redirect, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown
  Skills: Acrobatics 8 (+13), Athletics 6 (+10), Deception 6 (+8), 
  Expertise: Politics 6 (+6), Insight 4 (+7), Intimidation 6 (+8), 
  Perception 6 (+9), Ranged Combat: Throw 8 (+12), Sleight of 
  Hand 6 (+10), Stealth 8 (+13)
  Offense: Init +9, Shuriken +12 (Ranged, Damage 1), Sword +9 
  (Close, Damage 7), Unarmed +9 (Close, Damage 4).
  Defense: Dodge 8, Parry 9, Fortitude 9, Toughness 7/5, Will 7 
  *Without Defensive Roll
  Totals: Abilities 64 + Powers 0 + Advantages 13 + Skills 32 (64 
  ranks) + Defenses 11 = 120
  Complications: Motivation—Doing Good While he originally 
  only sought justice for his imprisoned family and community, 
  Hosato wants everyone to be free and safe.
  The Unknown  
  PL 8 • 120 points
  STR 3 STA 6 AGL 3 DEX 3 FGT 3 INT 3 AWE 3 PRE 4
  Powers: Disguise Kit (Easily Removable) Morph 3 (humanoids; 
  Increased Action [Standard]), Feature 1 (Mimicry) 
  Advantages: Benefit (Cipher), Close Attack 4, Contacts, Daze 
  (Deception), Eidetic Memory, Fearless, Improvised Weapon, 
  Languages 4 (Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, English, French, 
  German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish), Ultimate Effort 
  (Deception checks), Well-informed
  Skills: Athletics 5 (+8), Deception 14 (+18), Insight 4 (+7), 
  Investigation 7 (+10), Perception 9 (+12), Sleight of Hand 6 
  (+9), Stealth 5 (+8)
  Offense: Init +3, Unarmed +7 (Close, Damage 3)
  Defense: Dodge 8, Parry 8, Fortitude 6, Toughness 6, Will 10
  Totals: Abilities 56 + Powers 6 + Advantages 16 + Skills 25 (50 
  ranks) + Defenses 17 = 120
  Complications: Motivation—Thrills Cheney loves winning 
  battles of intellect.
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  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
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  The Time Traveler's Codex
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  The Silver Age—generally regarded as 1956 through 1975 and overlapping with the earlier Atomic age and the later 
  Bronze age—was an era of huge social and scientific change. For many white, middle-class Americans, this era is “when 
  it all went wrong” in America. Therefore, it’s a frequent “go to” period for authors to paint a flashback sequence explain-
  ing why there’s a present-day mess for the protagonists to clean up. 
  marked by huge advances in science and general quality 
  of life—consumer goods (including comic books) became 
  increasingly affordable, while diseases that had plagued 
  humanity throughout history were eliminated thanks to 
  vaccines and antibiotics.
  The murder of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 was the 
  beginning of a dark time for America. After an age of un-
  precedented progress and prosperity, the supremely op-
  timistic US was shaken to the core by the brutal murder of 
  its young, charismatic president. Kennedy’s death proved 
  to be just the first in a decade-long bloodletting that 
  claimed thousands of young men and brutally silenced 
  those who called for peace and reconciliation. America 
  would ultimately endure and in some respects regain its 
  former glory, but it would never be the same again.
  The question for Gamemasters is how much of this trauma 
  to visit upon their Silver Age heroes. If their objective is to 
  maintain the lighthearted fun of the era’s comic books, 
  THE SILVER AGE 
  THE SILVER AGE  
  THE SILVER AGE  
  Mid 1950s—earLy 1970s
  LIFE DURING THE SILVER AGE
  LIFE DURING THE SILVER AGE
  Americans had wanted to believe evil, fascism, and hatred 
  was slain in the wake of defeating the Nazis in Europe, 
  and that the prosperity they enjoyed was just reward for 
  their hard work, never stopping to examine the inequality 
  and militarism their own society was built on. Through-
  out the 1960s and ’70s that façade began to crumble. 
  American military might had met with mixed results after 
  inserting itself into the Korean War—the first of its proxy 
  wars with the USSR as a part of the larger Cold War of es-
  pionage, propaganda, and international conquest—and 
  became embroiled in the hugely unpopular quagmire of 
  the Vietnam War. Many minority groups—most promi-
  nently African Americans, but also Latinx people, women, 
  and the LGBT community—refused to continue living as 
  second-class citizens and began campaigning for equal 
  rights. Through ever more underhanded corporate ma-
  neuvering, the post-war economic boom returned to a 
  boom-and-bust cycle that only became worse later in the 
  1970s and ‘80s. Despite the change, however, it was an era 
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  the answer is likely none at all. On the other hand, the 
  presence of super-powered beings during the momen-
  tous events of the 1960s offers up some fascinating story 
  possibilities for those who find the time period itself more 
  interesting than its funny books.
  ECONOMICS
  As with all other aspects of American life, the economy 
  underwent major changes during the Silver Age. The hard 
  days and lean years of the 1940s gave way to good times 
  and living off the fat of the land in the 1950s and ‘60s, much 
  like the seemingly recession-proof superheroes always 
  seemed to be doing in the comic books. By the Bronze Age 
  ‘70s, however, the never-ending quest for relevancy led to 
  depictions of costumed good guys with spotty employ-
  ment who couldn’t pay their bills in the face of inflation.
  The Silver Age era was marked by permanent changes in 
  how Americans earned and spent their money. Beginning 
  in the prosperous 1950s, the demand for consumer goods 
  skyrocketed. Factories responded by rolling out new auto-
  mobiles, refrigerators, radios, vacuum cleaners, television 
  sets, and other household appliances to satisfy the wants 
  of a society that could afford these items like never before. 
  Industrial jobs at good wages were plentiful and highly 
  sought after. From the 1950s into the ‘70s, pretty much 
  anyone who didn’t have a well-paying job was either out 
  of work by choice or barred from gainful employment by 
  the prejudices of the time.
  Agriculture had once employed millions of Americans, 
  but the lure of better pay elsewhere and technological 
  advances combined to rapidly shrink the number of farm 
  laborers needed. Despite this, American farmers contin-
  ued their critical work of helping feed portions of Europe 
  and Asia as both continents struggle to recover from 
  wartime devastation, and later Latin America after several 
  US-backed revolutions and invasions.
  Service sector jobs became increasingly predominant in 
  the economy and proved to be the most resilient during 
  the era’s economic downturns. The simple truth remains 
  that as bad as things get, people still need doctors, 
  lawyers, police, firemen, and teachers. And of course, the 
  government always seems to manage to stay in business 
  and keep its many workers employed if not busy.
  COUNTERCULTURE
  The 1950s and 1960s saw increased social awareness in 
  America’s youth and a willingness to question ortho-
  doxy. The prejudice and crushing conformity made them 
  believe the country wasn’t all that free, and the vapid con-
  sumer culture spawned by prosperity left them feeling 
  spiritually empty. Empty and beat. Artists like writer Jack 
  Kerouac and poet Alan Ginsberg gave these feelings 
  voice, creating the beatnik subculture.
  Whatever the merits and demerits of beatnik thought, the 
  larger culture soon co-opted it, mocked it, and reduced 
  it to a pop culture cliché. The beatniks were beaten as a 
  force for social change, but the discontent they channeled 
  grew and mutated into hippie counterculture. While it was 
  easy to dismiss the abstract, disaffected nature of beatnik 
  art in its co-opted form, leaving it seeming fatuous and 
  silly, the hippie counterculture’s outward-focused, socially 
  conscious message was harder to ignore. Invigorated by 
  the growing anti-Vietnam War movement, hippie coun-
  terculture had found a serious issue as a bedrock for its 
  own rebellion – one impossible to mock.
  The hippie Baby Boomers, part of the first generation to 
  be largely free from want and blessed with opportunities 
  previously undreamt of, paradoxically became a hated mi-
  nority by choice. Call it a principled stand or an arrogant 
  pose (or mix thereof), but the end result of a generation 
  that didn’t trust anyone over 30 (and vice versa) was a 
  deeply wounded nation poisoned against itself.
  SOCIAL REVOLUTION
  The United States had long been a world divided by 
  the time the 1950s arrived. With its economy originally 
  built around chattel slavery, its land seized from native 
  peoples, and its Constitution denying votes to women, 
  racial minorities, and the poor, it was tone-deaf at best for 
  the nation to think of itself as the “defender of freedom.” 
  In 1956, African Americans were strictly segregated 
  from white society—with other ethnicities and religions 
  policed to varying degrees—and were often the targets 
  of state-sanctioned violence and terror, such as the 1921 
  Tulsa Race Massacre that destroyed the black community 
  of Greenwood, Oklahoma and killed 26 black locals. 
  The Silver Age saw many oppressed groups within the US 
  push back against the tidal wave of conservatism that fol-
  lowed in the wake of WWII.
  THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
  The Silver Age wasn’t the first time African Americans 
  pushed back against injustice in United States History. 
  Following the Civil War, freedmen won many rights and 
  made up a large portion of political and economic power, 
  especially in Southern states. A deliberate campaign of 
  discrimination by conservative or apathetic white Ameri-
  cans—collectively called the Jim Crow era—steadily 
  rolled back the rights of African Americans and other 
  racial minorities while rewriting history to laud the Con-
  federate States and their military heroes as heroes. Black 
  Americans lead the Civil Rights Movement throughout 
  the 1950s and 1960s—in the face of violent threats, ter-
  rorism, and government violence—to finally gain ground 
  in the push-back against the Jim Crow laws of the 1870s 
  and the resurgent racism of the 1910s and 1920s. Rallies 
  and strikes across the country brought the struggle, 
  while charismatic leaders even helped sway the opinion 
  of some white Americans to support legal protections. 
  Despite these efforts, the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 
  1964 remains largely unpopular among white Americans 
  and would fester into quieter campaigns of dog whistles 
  and “deniable” discrimination over the ensuing decades, 
  such as the redlining that cast historically black neighbor-
  hoods into economic limbo for decades.
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  Other racial minorities worked alongside African Ameri-
  cans in this era or formed similar movements the cam-
  paign for their own freedoms, but much of the credit and 
  cost in blood were paid by America’s black population.
  WOMENS’ RIGHTS
  While white women suffragettes had won the right to vote 
  in 1919 (Native American women wouldn’t have this right 
  until 1924, while Chinese and Japanese women in the U.S. 
  wouldn’t until 1952, and black women, like black men, were 
  largely barred from voting until 1965), society generally 
  believed a woman’s foremost duty was in bearing children, 
  raising them, and keeping a tidy home. Women were barred 
  from many jobs, and even forbidden from driving, holding 
  bank accounts in their own names, or serving on a jury. 
  Women had gotten a taste of economic freedom working in 
  place of drafted men during World War II, and many found 
  it preferable to being housewives. Rekindled conserva-
  tive drive to return to normalcy following the war pushed 
  women back into the home whether they wanted to go or 
  not, leading to widespread depression and substance abuse.
  The Women’s Rights Movement—also called Women’s 
  Liberation or “Women’s Lib”—sought to win women equal 
  legal standing and undo cultural messages that limited 
  women to domestic tasks and nurturing.  The movement 
  inherited racism from its Suffragette founders earlier in 
  the 20th century, leaving many black, Hispanic, Asian, and 
  Native American women underserved and vulnerable.
  LGBTQ STRUGGLES & GAY RIGHTS
  While civil rights struggles were being waged on multiple 
  fronts, homosexual, bisexual, and transgender people 
  grew increasingly bold and pushed back against attempts 
  by police and local lawmakers to render their existence 
  illegal.  Queer riots like the 1969 Stonewall riot brought 
  these deliberately-concealed populations to the front 
  page, and LGBTQIA+ grounds began demanding medical 
  establishments stop labelling them as sexual deviants and 
  fetishists. Homosexual relationships and transgender lives 
  would remain explicitly illegal in most states until the mis-
  1970s and 1980s (and even remain illegal in 14 states up 
  until the Supreme Court struck down anti-sodomy laws in 
  2003). But the early advances—inspired by and borrow-
  ing tactics from the black-lead Civil Rights Movement—
  laid the groundwork for millions of Americans to push 
  back against not only legal discrimination, but genera-
  tions’ worth of efforts to hide and exterminate them.
  THE IMPACT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT(S)
  The social reforms of the Silver Age made significant prog-
  ress for the legal rights of many of the most persecuted 
  Americans but fell far short of solving all the problems 
  that have plagued the nation since its inception. Many 
  problems activists fought in the 1960s—including cultur-
  al bigotry, employment rights, and police brutality—still 
  affect Americans in the modern world. But the hard-won 
  changes of the era still made enormous steps forward and 
  formed the basis for modern political action. While many 
  comic book stories of the age couched these struggles 
  in science fiction—replacing “black” with “mutant”—the 
  struggle for human rights sets the backdrop for many of 
  the biggest stories of the time.
  THE COLD WAR
  Like World War II in the preceding Golden Age, the his-
  torical time-frame of the Silver and Bronze Ages is marked 
  by the Cold War. Whether it manifested as struggles by 
  other means like the Space Race or bloodier affairs like 
  the Vietnam War, the period from 1956 to 1975 was one of 
  near-constant strife between the capitalist United States, 
  the communist Soviet Union, and respective allies.
  With both nations primed for full-scale military produc-
  tion in the wake of WWII, and both capable of launching a 
  nuclear attack, open warfare between rival nations seemed 
  like a doomsday scenario. But each nation wanted to define 
  what culture, politics, and economics would look like as the 
  rest of the world rebuilt from global war—ideally in a way 
  that established their nation in charge. What resulted was 
  a war fought almost entirely via propaganda, espionage, 
  posturing, and proxy wars to control the governments 
  of smaller nations, such as Cuba, Indonesia, Iran, Nicara-
  gua, and Vietnam. Both sides painted their opposite as 
  inhuman monsters while committing war crimes of their 
  own. Despite the fact that the USSR was a military dicta-
  torship, most propaganda (and consequently, most Ameri-
  cans) focused on the nation’s communist economic poli-
  cies as the real thing that made Russians the enemy of the 
  freedom, which in turn drove Americans to consume more 
  as a mark of patriotic pride. While both sides committed 
  horrors during this era, it’s difficult to deny that the USSR 
  inflicted far worse on its own population through forced 
  relocation, political purges, and famine.
  The Cold War was largely a war of ideology between two 
  small groups of politicians, played on one of the largest 
  scales the world has ever seen. Most Americans and 
  Soviets of the era were ordinary people trying to get by 
  and trusting their government to protect and guide them 
  just as it had in the World Wars of earlier generations. 
  Despite being a war of ideals, the Cold War was deadly 
  serious. Its death toll ranges from 11-25 million, almost all 
  of them coming from civil wars or genocides committed 
  by militant leaders propped up by one side or the other. 
  Entire nations' elected governments were deposed and 
  replaced with new—and often brutal—leaders loyal to 
  America or the Soviet Union. 
  Comic books of the era contributed to the propaganda 
  war, depicting a variety of “red menace” supervillains who 
  quested to crush America or Capitalism (often assumed to 
  be the same thing) for the glory of the Soviet Union.
  ESPIONAGE
  Senator Joe McCarthy exaggerated and lied about the 
  measure of the Communist presence in the U.S. to gather 
  power for himself, but as declassified Cold War docu-
  ments prove, there were Communist secret agents inside 
  America’s highest institutions. Increased internal security 
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  imposed by President Truman in the late 1940s led to the 
  demise of the most damaging Soviet spy rings. By the 
  time “McCarthyism” became an issue, they had all but van-
  ished. Instead, the House Un-American Activities Commit-
  tee (HUAC) used the pretense of anti-communism to per-
  secute women, homosexuals, and any public figures who 
  veered away from conservative “American” values.
  Anyone learning American history from Silver Age comic 
  books would see none of this, as every top-secret project 
  in the four-color world was infiltrated by at least one 
  enemy agent. The only real question was would the heroes 
  unmask them before their sabotage caused a democracy-
  destroying disaster. If the story involved a chase scene, 
  there was the added suspense of trying to stop the spy 
  before he was safe behind the Iron Curtain with a briefcase 
  full of stolen documents. In real life, Soviet secret agents 
  were mainly after diplomatic secrets, economic data, and 
  military defense plans. But in super-heroic stories, spies 
  stole space and nuclear technology, with nuclear space 
  technology being a double espionage delight.
  One way to inject some genuine suspense into the same 
  tired old resolution of catching a spy is to make the guilty 
  party an unwilling traitor. Maybe the guilty party is being 
  blackmailed or the Bolsheviks kidnapped one of their 
  loved ones. Either way, players can enjoy the sudden twist 
  of a “slap the cuffs on the commie spy” plot suddenly be-
  coming a hostage rescue mission. If the victim was taken 
  behind the Iron Curtain, the player characters are in for 
  some real excitement they didn’t anticipate.
  THE SPACE RACE
  The Cold War arms race helped push science forward as each 
  side tried to build more sophisticated weapons, defenses, 
  and intelligence-gathering technology. These elements 
  combined to raise the question of which nation “owned” 
  space—the ultimate high ground in global struggles.
  America’s Project Vanguard missiles were still blowing up 
  on the launch pad when on October 4, 1957 the Soviets 
  surprised the world and sent the basketball-sized Sputnik 
  1 into orbit. The resulting shock in the U.S. was almost 
  incalculable. Before Sputnik, the only way to deliver a 
  nuclear weapon was via a slow, easily tracked bomber. 
  But unlike bombers, missiles are small and fast. Sputnik 
  proved that the Soviets could launch a nuke-sized object 
  into orbit, and theoretically drop it from above into any 
  American city they chose, without warning. The hysteria 
  generated by Sputnik was deemed a “Missile Gap,” and all 
  America’s fears about falling behind the Soviets in any field 
  of endeavor coalesced around that expression. President 
  Eisenhower responded by doling out millions to science 
  and technological programs and creating the National 
  Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958. 
  NASA and its Project Mercury soon had America running 
  a close second to the Soviets in the so-called “Space Race.” 
  After years spent catching up, America was first to land 
  astronauts on the moon, on July 20th, 1969.
  The Space Race is a foremost element in any pre-‘Nam 
  Silver Age campaign or any genre game set in the late 
  1950s or early ‘60s. Americans were firmly convinced the 
  future was in space, and eagerly devoured media reports 
  about the easy livin’ days just ahead when they’d all be 
  backyard barbequing on the moon. Americans closely 
  followed every missile test, rocket launch, and orbital 
  mission undertaken. When NASA succeeded, the whole 
  country walked a little taller and the apple pie tasted just 
  a little sweeter.
  Silver Age comic books frequently featured space tech-
  nology well beyond actual human capability (then or 
  now), but the writers were always careful not to let any of 
  the super-high tech survive the story. Whether it’s done 
  by accident or to keep it out of enemy hands, any device 
  capable of pushing NASA beyond its real-life doings was 
  as good as scrap before the last panel. Gamemasters 
  looking to avoid entering the realm of alternate history 
  are advised to hold to the same stricture.
  THE VIETNAM WAR
  The US government’s worry over Vietnam started in 1940 
  when the French Army withdrew from the conquered south 
  Asian nation after they themselves were conquered by the 
  Nazis, leaving Vietnam as a territory for the Empire of Japan. 
  The Vietnamese retaliated with a guerrilla war against the 
  Empire, led by Ho Chi Minh. When the defeated Japanese 
  gave Vietnam back to France in 1945, the Communists, 
  under Ho Chi Minh, simply continued the same struggle 
  against the replacement colonialists. Ho Chi Minh’s cam-
  paign worked just as well against the French until they too 
  surrendered and went home in 1954. Suddenly, yet another 
  country was poised to fall under Communist control.
  Since Vietnam was an undesired problem for which the U.S. 
  wanted a discount solution, the American response was the 
  now time-honored tradition of negotiating a false peace 
  deal with fake elections no one had any interest in honor-
  ing. Like Korea, the Geneva Accord divided Vietnam along 
  a parallel into a Communist North and a not-Communist 
  South. America could call the whole thing a draw. Ho Chi 
  Minh simply continued his war, this time against the “new” 
  nation of South Vietnam and its American-sponsored, Cap-
  italist-friendly government. The American response was 
  to keep pumping foreign aid dollars into South Vietnam, 
  and to keep sending in military advisors until the Army of 
  the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) could win a fight. But the 
  people of South Vietnam were overwhelmingly poor, un-
  educated farmers and devoutly Buddhist, facing an enemy 
  trained and equipped by a far more powerful empire.
  The United States finally committed troops—not just 
  money and equipment—to fighting North Vietnam in 
  March of 1965. Lyndon Johnson, who had campaigned in 
  part on the promise of not sending American troops to 
  Vietnam the previous year, labeled the invasion a “polic-
  ing action” to circumvent Congressional authority over 
  declaring war. The war—unwanted by the administration 
  and unpopular with the American people—was a fiasco 
  with a body count. Americans had little direct experience 
  with jungle combat or guerrilla warfare, and resorted to 
  firebombing civilian populations, which turned local and 
  international opinion against them. Escalating troop com-
  mitment or directly invading North Vietnam also risked 
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  open warfare with China—now a nuclear power—who 
  helped build and supply their Communist neighbor’s mu-
  nitions factories.
  In the end, the Vietnam Conflict was won by no one; cer-
  tainly not the over six million dead and maimed, plus 
  those emotionally shattered by their war experiences. 
  The United States ended up with nothing to show for its 
  sacrifice of blood and treasure other than a wounded and 
  divided national psyche which took decades to heal. Even 
  North Vietnam’s triumph was short-lived, as its thirty-five 
  years of struggle earned it just a decade of domination 
  before the USSR collapsed, dragging most of its client 
  states down with it.
  Despite being the one occasion during the Silver Age 
  when the Cold War got hot for the U.S., the actual fight-
  ing in Vietnam drew little notice from contemporary su-
  perhero comic books, especially when compared to the 
  past omnipresence of World War II in their pages. It was 
  a reflection of the American public’s initial ambivalence 
  about—and later opposition to—the country’s involve-
  ment in Southeast Asia.
  ENTERTAINMENT
  The Silver Age was arguably the first era when “pop 
  culture” became a driving force in American culture, 
  shaping the way people understood the world and the 
  past more than study or personal interactions. Films were 
  faster and cheaper to produce, radio remained ubiqui-
  tous, and television brought shared culture into every 
  home across the country.
  MOVIES
  The mid-‘50s movie industry was getting soundly thrashed 
  by television. As the free-of-charge television continually 
  threatened to keep parents at home, the major studios 
  tried to go bigger than broadcast entertainment could 
  manage in a frantic effort to pry people off their couches. 
  This led to a revolution in filmmaking: wider screens, fuller 
  sound, more stars, escalating budgets, and more presti-
  gious subject matter.
  While the major studios targeted parents, the indepen-
  dent studios aimed pictures at movies’ most reliable re-
  maining audience: teenagers. Right through the early 
  1980s, America’s drive-in theaters were packed with 
  teens, more affluent and mobile than their parents ever 
  dreamed of being at that age. With teenagers equally as 
  interested in a dark place to make out on dates as watch-
  ing the movies, film quality aimed at their generation 
  lagged behind, producing some of the cheesy but memo-
  rable schlock that would ironically go on to dominate late-
  night TV decades later.
  Major studio films of the late 1960s had a hard time 
  reaching younger audiences. Both film and TV opted for 
  the same solution and turned production over to a new 
  generation of creators who wanted to tell more adult, rel-
  evant, and offbeat stories. Out went larger-than-life stars 
  and cheery unreal productions like musicals, and in came 
  edgier fare and chameleon-like actors who inhabited 
  their onscreen characters. Other studios doubled down 
  on whimsical content with slashed budgets, birthing a 
  surreal generation of talking animals and sassy cars.
  The young outlaws only got a decade or so to call the 
  shots, but during that time “the New Hollywood” made 
  some of the iconic films that helped define the U.S. film 
  industry. They reflect the Bronze Age sensibility better 
  than anything other than the comics themselves, and if 
  nothing else serve as the era’s pop culture touchstones. 
  SPORTS
  Sports became big business during the Silver Age, thanks 
  in no small part to its omnipresence on the growing 
  medium of television. TV changed American’s longstand-
  ing tastes in sports, as baseball lost its former dominance 
  to the faster-paced (and more television-friendly) action 
  of football. Other sports like basketball, hockey, and 
  soccer that never translated well over radio found bigger 
  followings thanks to television.
  The increased media coverage allowed a select few ath-
  letes to transcend sports and become genuine cultural 
  figures. Among the notables are heavyweight boxing 
  champion Muhammad Ali, whose mix of charisma, con-
  troversy, and extraordinary skills made him perhaps the 
  era’s defining sports icon. Ali’s conversion to Islam, joining 
  of the radical Nation of Islam, and subsequent refusal to 
  submit to the Vietnam draft made him a supremely polar-
  izing figure. Along with US Olympians Tommie Smith and 
  John Carlos’ raised-fist Black Power salute during the 1968 
  games, Ali symbolized that even diversions like sports 
  were not above the divisive politics of the day.
  TELEVISION
  The growing influence of television during the 1950s 
  is best illustrated by the popularization of “TV dinners,” 
  heat-and-eat meals designed to minimize a person’s time 
  away from the “boob tube.” Even with just three networks 
  broadcasting, there was still plenty on that people wanted 
  to see. From 1956 into the early ‘60s what people wanted 
  to see was Westerns, a genre echoing Silver Age superhe-
  roes with its black-and-white morality. During this period 
  prime time westerns like Bonanza and Gunsmoke were 
  inescapable. At their peak in 1958-59, thirty-one different 
  cowboy shows were on the air.
  For the remainder of the 1960s, shows (like comic books) 
  turned toward escapism in a time of rising social tension. 
  This was the era when Paul Henning’s legendary “Hooter-
  ville Trilogy” of The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, 
  and Green Acres ruled the airwaves. It was a time when 
  such scary situations as internment in a Nazi prison camp 
  (Hogan’s Heroes), joining the Marines during ‘Nam (Gomer 
  Pyle, U.S.M.C.), and hopeless exile in the void (Lost in Space) 
  were played for laughs. Television had its own “relevancy” 
  period starting in the late ‘60s, as topical satirical come-
  dies like Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, The Smothers Brothers 
  Comedy Hour, M*A*S*H, All in the Family, and Maude tried 
  to make Vietnam and Watergate funny. 
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  Television’s powerful influence on the events of the day 
  may cause problems for Silver Age superheroes. With 
  live satellite telecasts increasingly common after 1962, 
  TV is able to instantly cover many major public events 
  of the sort supervillains like to attack or rob. Costumed 
  heroes can be instantly alerted to danger, but may find 
  themselves fielding tough reporter questions about their 
  actions, especially once they’ve been broadcast straight 
  into America’s living rooms. They may learn the hard way, 
  just as Nixon did in the 1960 presidential debates, that TV 
  captures all the aspects of the moment, even those they 
  might prefer hidden.
  ROCK & ROLL
  Rock & roll began as the province of black artists like Sister 
  Rosetta Tharpe, Chuck Berry, and Bo Diddley, growing 
  from earlier musical traditions like gospel, jazz, and the 
  blues. It wasn’t until the mid-1950s that Elvis Presley 
  popularized the genre among white Americans by giving 
  it the (white) face of a humble country boy, providing 
  just enough respectability for parents to allow the white 
  teenage masses to listen to it. From then on, an army of 
  eager and affluent teens kept rock & roll 45s and LPs flying 
  off record store shelves.
  Early rock & roll focused on deep, spiritual messages rel-
  evant to black life in the American south, while the trans-
  lation to white audience left many themes largely silly and 
  disposable. Folk rock tried to bring social responsibility 
  into the genre, only to be mostly ignored by the media 
  at large. But artists in the ‘60s and early ‘70s combined 
  relevancy with a rocking pop sound that made enormous 
  popular impact.
  TECHNOLOGY
  Technology in the Silver Age is primarily mechanical and 
  chemical in nature, with electronics just beginning to 
  achieve preeminence. Computers and atomic power are 
  the cutting-edge hope for the future, while in the mean-
  time most people get by with slide rules and fossil fuels.
  How far past the cutting edge a super-smart, scientific 
  genius character is allowed to go is up to the Gamemaster. 
  This section outlines what was technologically feasible in 
  real history during the Silver Age. These parameters can 
  serve as a baseline for just how outlandish the Gamemas-
  ter wants comic-book science to be in his campaign.
  COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS
  At the dawn of the Silver Age, integrated circuits, which 
  debut in 1959, are “the next big thing.” The most imme-
  diate impact integrated circuits had was on the nascent 
  field of electronic computers. Computers grew smaller 
  and more user-friendly, capable of running more sophis-
  ticated programs like calendars and databases. While 
  computers wouldn’t enter the workplace until the mid-
  70s, they become increasingly common in laboratories 
  and university environments throughout the Silver Age, 
  making them available to heroes with connections.
  MEDICINE
  The Silver Age sees the advent of many medical marvels, 
  including inexpensive vaccines for polio and measles, 
  synthesized insulin for diabetics, and the pacemaker, but 
  the great breakthroughs in this time span were in organ 
  transplants. In 1967, a liver and a heart were successfully 
  swapped out. These medical miracles gave life to many 
  who would have otherwise died.
  NUCLEAR WEAPONS
  During the Silver Age, the biggest development in the Ar-
  mageddon field was the increased number of countries 
  with the Bomb. France got its first nuke in 1960 and China 
  followed suit in 1964. Atomic weapons began the Silver 
  Age as unguided bombs dropped from huge strategic 
  bombers like the B-52 Stratofortress, or as field artillery 
  shells with nuclear warheads. Intercontinental ballistic 
  missiles (ICBMs) joined the atomic holocaust family of 
  weapons in 1957 with the Soviet R-7 (the US counterpart, 
  Atlas, followed four months later).
  In 1960, the U.S. launched the first submarine-launched 
  ballistic missile (SLBM), and it truly made global thermo-
  nuclear war a game only won by never playing. Prior to 
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  RULES CONSIDERATIONS
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  this, a nuclear power might’ve rationalized that a surprise 
  attack might catch all or most of an enemy’s bombers and 
  ICBMs on the ground and wipe them out. Being underwa-
  ter, mobile, and stealthy, nuclear submarines are nowhere 
  near as vulnerable, and thus destruction became mutually 
  assured—“MAD,” as it was aptly abbreviated.
  As with space technology, nuclear technology is much 
  sought-after by all the worst people: Commie spies, super-
  powered megalomaniacs, and little green men. The price 
  of failure in defending the nuclear arsenal is about as high 
  as it gets. The malevolent applications for stolen atomic 
  weapons secrets are as obvious as they are terrifying, and 
  heaven only knows what world-threatening device a su-
  pervillain will charge up using purloined nuclear power 
  sources.
  Real history is scarily replete with incidents where atomic 
  bombs could’ve fallen into the wrong hands, and they 
  can provide excellent springboards for adventures where 
  the heroes must prevent that from happening. The best-
  known incident in the US is the “Tybee Bomb,” an H-bomb 
  lost in the waters near Savannah, Georgia after a midair 
  collision on February 5, 1958 and never recovered to this 
  day. Even more unnerving is the number of missing Soviet 
  nukes, which some place as high as forty.
  ROBOTICS
  In 1961 Unimate became the first industrial robot, punch-
  ing a time clock down at the General Motors plant. It was 
  greeted by all the expected fears of putting men out of 
  work, and the unionization of these anxieties made the 
  U.S. auto industry slow to automate. The Japanese had no 
  such cyberphobia, and by the 1970s they were the ones 
  putting American auto workers on the dole.
  In super-heroic adventures, robots had been readily-avail-
  able enemies for decades by now, though these remained 
  the fickle creations of villains who weren’t prepared to 
  contribute their genius to human advancement.
  By 1960, the mechanics of the world act very similarly to 
  what modern heroes might expect, aside from the lack 
  of the internet and portable computers. A combination 
  of fossil fuels and transistors is shaping the world as we 
  know it.
  SKILLS
  The things each skill allows your character to do are mostly 
  unchanged in the Silver Age. Technology and vehicles are 
  similar enough to modern counterparts that you should 
  only apply a –2 circumstance penalty on occasion when a 
  time-traveling PC runs into something really weird, like a 
  blocky, Silver Age computer.
  With superheroes generally being popular and widely 
  accepted, skills like Persuasion help reflect a character’s 
  charm, as can the Connected and Contacts Advantages, 
  or the Fame Complication.
  EXPERTISE (SCIENCE)
  For the most part, there’s nothing different about this skill 
  in the Silver Age, aside from it being a staple for almost 
  every superhero. Things only get interesting if your char-
  acter’s got high skill ranks and is really into nuclear physics 
  or anything else related to the atomic bomb. The govern-
  ment keeps close tabs on anyone with the knowledge to 
  end the world, and there aren’t many of them.
  SILVER AGE ADVANTAGES
  The Benefit: Draft Exemption and Benefit: Military Rank 
  Advantages presented in the Golden Age would also be 
  appropriate given the era’s backdrop of war and the active 
  draft. Connected and Contacts are ideal for reflecting 
  police and government contacts or a cult of personality 
  that might do an erstwhile hero favors.
  The Sidekick advantage is also incredibly common 
  throughout the Silver Age. If superheroes didn’t have a 
  costumed kid wonder tagging along on their adventures, 
  they had a snoopy reporter or troublemaking police de-
  tective who doubled as a love interest. While these might 
  be Relationship complications in other eras, these char-
  acters often assisted in thwarting a villain’s plans during 
  the Silver Age, especially when a villain unleashed a hero’s 
  secret weakness.
  The following advantage adds a little Silver Age flavor to 
  player characters and reflects the growing realities of per-
  sonal identity of the time. This feat recreates the uneasy 
  place in society some costumed characters fictionally 
  occupied during the social movements of the 1960s and 
  the minority heroes of the 1970s. While intended for local 
  heroes, its utility functions in almost any era with a gen-
  erally well-established media and well-established social 
  groups. 
  Cult Hero 
  Skill, Ranked
  You are a well-known and beloved figure within a sub-
  culture and receive a +4 bonus per rank on all Presence-
  based skill checks involving anyone belonging to that 
  group. This bonus cannot increase your total effective 
  skill rank higher than the campaign’s power level limit. 
  You must declare what subculture or group supports you 
  when you acquire this Advantage.
  Because of your close affiliation with one subculture, that 
  community’s enemies consider you infamous and un-
  trustworthy. This opposition group must be at least one 
  other group of equal or larger size to the one that adores 
  you. When dealing with detractors, all Presence-based 
  skill checks are penalized by -2 per rank.
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  You can select this Advantage multiple times to either in-
  crease the bonus and associated penalty with one group, 
  or to gain the support of a new group (and the condem-
  nation of another as well).
  This feat can be used for a variety of Silver Age hero types. 
  Minority characters who champion the causes of their 
  racial or ethnic group can become inspiring symbols 
  within their community, but still be seen as danger-
  ous radicals (or worse) by more reactionary elements of 
  society. Outspoken feminist heroines (or villains) receive 
  a similarly mixed reaction, as will openly homosexual or 
  bisexual characters.
  SILVER AGE DEVICES  
  & EQUIPMENT
  With Silver Age gadgets logic and proportion often disap-
  peared, but never the sense of wonder. Death rays, time 
  machines, magical talismans, and giant robots were part 
  and parcel of the era’s storylines to the delight of readers.
  The Silver Age was also an era of new military technolo-
  gy—much of which eventually found its way into criminal 
  hands. The Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide contains equip-
  ment endemic to this era and its wars.
  SILVER AGE DEVICES
  In the hands of heroes, most Silver Age devices defy every 
  law of physics. While the era paid more lip service to scien-
  tific accuracy, its gadgets were often as illogical as those 
  of the Golden Age—though frequently more portable.
  Perhaps the greatest difference between the devices of 
  the Golden Age and the Silver Age is the fact that science 
  was now the realm of heroes as well as the villains, and 
  so heroes often had their own sprawling laboratories and 
  tendency to invent marvelous devices. Technology also 
  became a power source all its own, as heroes debuted 
  who relied on power suits and bionic implants to achieve 
  super-heroic ends.
  COSMIC TREADMILL
  As much a plot device as a tool, the cosmic treadmill is 
  fine-tuned to handle the incredible energies of speed-
  sters. Combining their incredibly velocity with radiation 
  pulses, the treadmill can project users through time and 
  space.
  The model presented here assumes the speedster runs at 
  supersonic velocity, but the device can just as easily be 
  a Cosmic Wind Tunnel for high-speed flyers or a Cosmic 
  Turbine for swimmers. An experimental model might 
  be complicated by the Uncontrolled flaw, while a more 
  restrictive version might limit users to time hops with a 
  time rank of their Speed power rank + 20, limiting slower 
  speedsters to traveling only a few months or years.
  Cosmic Treadmill: Movement 5 (Dimensional 2 [alternate 
  timelines], Time Travel 3; Limited to users with 10 or more 
  ranks of Speed) • 5 points
  GIMMICK ARROWS
  The bow and arrow are among humanity's oldest tools.
  Endlessly creative Silver Age heroes and villains found 
  countless ways to apply new spins to classic weapons. The 
  most iconic of these “gimmick” weapons was the bow and 
  quiver of trick arrows, which covered every contingency 
  from ingenious to ridiculous.
  Variations include trick javelins or discus for athletic-
  themed heroes and villains, or gimmick baked goods and 
  toys for more outlandish villains. 
  Most heroes with an array of trick weapons rely on a 
  smaller array of 3–10 attcks they rely on often, and use  
  Extra Effort to provide the oddly specific tool for more 
  outlandish situations.
  Bow and Trick Arrows (Array; 15 points) • 37 points
  • Exploding Arrow Ranged Burst Area Damage 5 • 15 points
  • Acetylene Arrow Ranged Weaken Toughness 3 (Affects 
  Objects, Linked to Ranged Damage 4) • 1 point
  • Acid Arrow Ranged Progressive Weaken Toughness 2 
  (Affects Objects, Linked to Ranged Damage 3) • 1 point
  • Basic Arrow Ranged Damage 5 • 1 point
  • Bola Arrow Cumulative Ranged Affliction 5 (Resisted by 
  Dodge, Overcome by Damage; Hindered and Vulnerable, 
  Defenseless and Immobilized; Extra Condition; Limited 
  Degree) • 1 point
  • Boomerang Arrow Ranged Damage 5 (Indirect 2) • 1 point
  • Drill Arrow Ranged Damage 5 (Penetrating) • 1 point
  • Fire Extinguisher Arrow Nullify Fire 5 (Effortless) • 1 point
  • Flash Arrow Cumulative Ranged Burst Area Affliction 5 
  (Resisted and Overcome by Fortitude; Visually Impaired, 
  Visually Disabled, Visually Unaware) • 1 point
  • Flechette Arrow Ranged Damage 5 (Multiattack) • 1 point
  • Glue Arrow Cumulative Ranged Affliction 3 (Resisted by 
  Dodge, Overcome by Damage; Hindered and Vulnerable, 
  Defenseless and Immobilized; Contagious, Extra Condition; 
  Limited Degree) • 1 point
  • Grappling Arrow Movement 2 (Safe Fall, Swinging) • 1 point
  • Ice Arrow Cumulative Ranged Affliction 5 (Resisted by 
  Dodge, Overcome by Damage; Hindered, Immobile, 
  Incapacitated) • 1 point
  • Jet Arrow Flight 8 (500 MPH; Concentration) • 1 point
  • Magnet Arrow Burst Area Move Object 8 (6 tons; Limited 
  Direction: Toward Arrow, Limited Material: Metal) • 1 point
  • Net Arrow Ranged Burst Area Affliction 5 (Resisted by 
  Dodge, Overcome by Strength; Hindered and Vulnerable, 
  Defenseless and Immobilized; Extra Condition; Limited 
  Degree) • 1 point
  • Parachute Arrow Movement 1 (Safe Fall; Affects Others) • 
  1 point
  • Safecracking Arrow Ranged Nullify Locks 10 • 1 point
  • Smoke Arrow Ranged Cloud Area Concealment Attack 2 
  (Sight) • 1 point
  • Spy Arrow Remoted Sensing 7 (Auditory; 0.5 miles; 
  Simultaneous) • 1 point
  • Tear Gas Arrow Ranged Cloud Area Affliction 3 (Resisted 
  and Overcome by Fortitude; Dazed and Visually Impaired, 
  Stunned and Visually Disabled, Incapacitated; Extra 
  Condition) • 1 point
  • Tranquilizer Arrow Cumulative Ranged Affliction 3 
  (Resisted and Overcome by Fortitude; Fatigued, Exhausted, 
  Asleep, Progressive) • 1 point
  • Ultrasonic Arrow Ranged Burst Area Affliction 5 (Resisted and 
  Overcome by Will; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated) • 1 point
  979797
   
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
   
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  INDESTRUCTIBLE SHIELD
  This shield made from impossible alloys as part of the 
  war effort can serve as a formidable defense and weapon 
  in the hands of a skilled champion. It can deliver power-
  ful strikes or be thrown and ricochet back to its wielder’s 
  grasp. You might further describe the unusual properties 
  of the shield’s unique metals with additional powers, such 
  as Immunity to certain energy types or adding the Reflect 
  or Redirect extras to its Deflect power
  Indestructible Shield: Protection Enhanced Traits 7 (Dodge 
  3, Parry 3, Improved Defense), Feature 1 (Indestructible Alloy), 
  Shield Bash Damage 3 (Strength-Based, Penetrating 5; AE: 
  Ranged Damage 3 [Strength-Based, Ricochet 2]) • 12 points
  SPIDER GAUNTLETS
  Spider gauntlets contain various proteins and chemi-
  cals under high-pressure, allowing a hero to spray globs 
  or lines of sticky, spider-like webbing. A sophisticated 
  nozzle allows a hero to decide on the fly whether it sprays 
  a net to capture foes or a sturdy line to swing from. The 
  webbing also lets the wearer apply up to 5 ranks of their 
  Strength at range to grab valuables, throw webbed fur-
  niture, or perform trip or grab actions at range. Creative 
  uses of Extra Effort might include a vision-obscuring Af-
  fliction to represent a gob of webbing sprayed in the face 
  or a ranged Damage effect for firing hardened pellets of 
  webbing like rubber bullets.
  Spider Gauntlets: Web Cumulative Ranged Affliction 8 
  (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Damage; Hindered and 
  Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobile; Extra Condition; 
  Limited Degree), Webline Ranged Strength 5, Webswinging 
  Movement 2 (Safe Fall, Swinging) • 34 points
  SWINGLINE CLUB
  An infinitely useful concealed weapon and tool for heroes 
  maintaining a secret identity, the swingline club looks like 
  an ordinary cane, but can be snapped apart to form a pair 
  of weighted batons. One baton houses a retractable grap-
  pling line, letting a hero swing through the city with ease.
  Swingline Club: Damage 2 (Strength-based, Split), Feature 1 
  (concealed), Movement 2 (Safe Fall, Swinging) • 8 points
  VISITING HEROES
  VISITING HEROES
  America in the 1950s and 1960s saw amazing social and 
  scientific developments, as well as terrifying realities like 
  war and a presidential assassination. Time travelers might 
  arrive trying to change the outcome of the Cold War, stop 
  nuclear proliferation, interfere with space exploration, 
  or just get rich by patenting a modern technological or 
  medical innovation a few years early. Well-intentioned 
  time travelers may instead arrive hoping to stop the 
  United States from tampering with foreign governments, 
  save civil rights leaders (or a president) from assassination, 
  or help one human rights movement or another win more 
  resounding victories in the era’s struggles.
  Travelers from the 21st century will find the 1950s and 
  1960s uncannily similar. Much of modern pop culture 
  from this era not only still survives but flourishes 50 years 
  later—Millennial superheroes will understand references 
  to Gilligan’s Island, the Beatles, and the Maltese Falcon. 
  But many elements will feel starkly different. America is 
  tense about race and gender and sex, with old tensions 
  bubbling just below the surface. Travelers from the 21st 
  century who understand the drawbacks of Capitalism will 
  be taken aback by the unquestioned adoration of the free 
  market and condemnation of communism and social-
  ism—even as America’s socialist institutions like public 
  schools and public health programs arguably sit at their 
  zenith. Without the internet or portable technology, many 
  easy tasks like contacting friends or research become 
  chores that take an hour or more. While the locals speak 
  American English, most of the slang and idioms we take 
  for granted—google it, text me, sorry not sorry, hashtag, 
  trolling, wtf—sound like a foreign language. Food options 
  are limited in this age of “meat and potatoes;” gelatin des-
  serts were exciting and new, and the most readily avail-
  able foreign food might be Americanized Chinese.
  Likewise, social mores are very different. The 1950s were 
  an especially conservative era in American history, when 
  “decent people” didn’t mention social ills and everyone 
  did their part to look productive and seem happy. Behind 
  the curtain, many people turned to drugs and alcohol to 
  alleviate the crushing depression of conformity. Discuss-
  ing unseemly things like racism was rude—seen as far 
  worse than racism itself—and topics like homosexuality 
  or premarital sex were scandals. America took an “out of 
  sight, out of mind” approach to minority groups, tolerat-
  ing them (with frequent police harassment) so long as 
  they remained in their own communities. Minority time 
  travelers may actually encounter more aggravation and 
  violence here than in earlier eras. Gamemasters can gloss 
  over this element of the era to focus on the fun, free-
  wheeling tone of Silver Age comics, or confront it directly.
  Being only a generation or two removed from current 
  heroes, the Silver Age is the likely landing point for villains 
  looking to meddle directly with the heroes’ personal time-
  lines. The heroes may need to deal with their parents or 
  grandparents in a backdrop of revolution, perhaps even 
  seeing their stodgy grandma in her counter-culture glory. 
  Possible plot hooks:
  • The heroes must stop a Cold War Soviet time travel 
  project history never recorded.
  • The Futurekin (see The Associates and the Futurekin 
  in Chapter 3) ally with modern North Korea, agreeing 
  to re-write the course of the Korean War in exchange 
  for a stable base of operations in the 20th and 21st cen-
  turies.
  • Something wipes a hero’s favorite 1960s band from 
  history.
  989898
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  Heroes of the Silver Age were often bigger than life with 
  square jaws, good looks, and a cartoonishly simple moral 
  compass that modern visitors would either fiend refresh-
  ing or disturbingly shallow. The good news is that their 
  big-hearted morality tends to be all-encompassing, with-
  heroes eager to learn about new cultures and experiences.
  Silver Age superheroes tend to favor mental character-
  istics over physical ones. Intellect is a must-have in the 
  1960s, as (pseudo-) science can solve many problems. 
  Awareness (or a high Perception skill) is handy for stories 
  centered on solving a mystery. Presence (and its related 
  skills) is needed to impart important life lessons to young 
  readers or make their moralizing seem more charming 
  than obnoxious. Characters of the era were as strong or 
  smart as they needed to be for the sake of a fun story. 
  Gamemasters may even chose to let players wave PL caps 
  on one ability score of their choice.
  Most Silver Age heroes were the result of fantastic science, 
  rather than the training or magic of the earlier Golden 
  Age. With the scientific revolution (and especially the 
  space race) capturing America’s interest, it’s only natural 
  that scientific accidents or discoveries would empower 
  various heroes and villains along the way. Powers become 
  more varied as well, with traditional abilities like super 
  strength and speed appearing as often as the ability to 
  control various energies, shapeshift into super-powered 
  forms, or wield alien devices.
  STARTING POWER LEVELS
  Silver Age comic books feature characters of varying 
  degrees of superhuman ability, from competent heroes 
  who fight crime with nothing more than guts to nigh-
  omnipotent alien beings who juggle planets. 
  CRUSADING SILVER AGE HEROES 
  PL 8
  Some Silver Age superheroes seem like Golden Age hold-
  overs because by today’s standards they just weren’t all 
  that “super.” For the most part, all they had was a mean 
  right cross and a never-ending crusade to fight for. De-
  pending on the character, that might be avenging a 
  loved one’s murder, a hyper-patriotic fight for America, 
  or kicking heroin dealers out of the ghetto. Though they 
  didn’t lack for heart or commitment, even the crusading 
  heroes who had some unusual abilities typically pos-
  sessed “neat tricks” rather than full-blown super-powers. 
  CLASSIC SILVER AGE HEROES 
  PL 10
  Most Silver Age heroes were amazing by anyone’s reckon-
  ing. They were powered by super-science and super-sor-
  cery and could do truly extraordinary things, like flying, 
  moving at super-speed, and zapping criminals with their 
  magic jewelry.
  OMNIPOTENT SILVER AGE HEROES 
  PL 14
  A few Silver Age characters had godlike abilities. Such 
  characters were capable of dispatching enemies by hitting 
  them with the sun or casting them into Hell (or similar 
  dark dimensions and otherworldly nether regions). These 
  seemingly omnipotent heroes were sometimes seen as 
  part of a super-team, though in hindsight, one wonders 
  why they needed any sort of backup. Still, a Gamemaster 
  who’s running a mixed-power level campaign can allow 
  them to join the group if he doesn’t mind the challenge of 
  keeping all these varied heroes simultaneously occupied.
  BALANCE OF POWER
  Just like today, Silver Age super-teams had members of 
  noticeably different power levels, from the PL 8 boxers-in-
  tights to PL 14 types who can throw Australia. If the Game-
  master and players can create a similar mix of power levels. 
  With mixed-PL teams, the Gamemaster should include at 
  least one challenge that caters to the strengths of each 
  member. Maybe the PL 12 powerhouse must battle an 
  army of giant robot spiders while the PL 8 scientific genius 
  and ace detective work on finding the robot’s Achilles’ 
  heel and home base. Make sure that lower PL characters 
  have skills and Advantages no one else on the team has so 
  they can have their own moments to shine.
  SILVER AGE TONE
  The first and foremost rule for recapturing the Silver Age 
  is keep things light and let fun rule. Comics—like film and 
  television—rarely touched on the serious social issues of 
  the time. Anything that smacks of real-world problems is 
  glossed over or handled via analogues. Bad deeds do not 
  last beyond one night’s game, while the good endures 
  forever. A city flattened by alien invaders in one session 
  is back good as ever in the next, and the citizens remain 
  forever grateful to the superheroes who saved them.
  The most frequent antagonists in a Silver Age campaign 
  include Russian spies and supervillains, costumed crimi-
  nals with a nifty gimmick, horrible monsters spawned by 
  radiation, and the Golden Age staple of evil scientists—
  though they often wield social or political power now in 
  addition to their intellectual abilities.
  There’s a temptation inherent in this style to make things 
  campy, like the ‘60s Batman show, and it’s certainly a valid 
  approach; superhero parodies were published through-
  out the Silver Age. Most period comic books avoided 
  crossing the line into outright comedy, however, and the 
  Gamemaster may want to take steps to see his campaign 
  is similarly circumscribed. The key there is staying focused 
  on how much fun having super-powers would be rather 
  than laughing at the corniness and lack of continuing nar-
  ratives of the era.
  SILVER AGE HEROES
  SILVER AGE HEROES
  999999
   
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
   
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  Gamemasters will find plenty of utility in the Public Ser-
  vants and Underworld minion archetypes from the Deluxe 
  Gamemaster’s Guide, as well as villain archetypes like the 
  Brute, Elemental, Imp, Overlord, and Robot. By this point 
  in history, a mysterious shift in the cosmic fabric (and the 
  Comics Code Authority) made villains like the Elder Evil 
  and the Vampire all but extinct. The following statblocks 
  are especially useful in the Silver Age:
  PLUCKY REPORTER
  In the Silver Age, print media ruled, and a well-timed news 
  story could make or break entire political dynasties! In-
  trepid reporters knew where to find the scoop: usually in 
  the wake of superheroes, and so they became iconic side-
  kicks and antagonists of the age. Strangely, plucky report-
  ers were never quite able to deduce heroes’ secret identi-
  ties, even when they were people from their daily lives.
  ROCK & ROLL LEGEND
  The music of the Silver Age helped define generations of 
  rebels and shape modern American culture. The rock & 
  roll legends of the 1960s were frequent targets for super-
  villains who wanted to shut down their “noise” or protect 
  America’s youth, and just as often they would team up 
  with superheroes to help stop plots targeting teenagers.
  SUPER SPY
  Most espionage work was conducted by bored civil ser-
  vants, or else deep cover agents living the lives of bored 
  civil servants, but in the world of super-heroics super spies 
  lead exciting lives of lavish parties, seduction, and high 
  speed chases through the most glamourous cities.
  STATBLOCKS
  STATBLOCKS
  Plucky Reporter 
  PL 3 • MR6 • 84 points
  STR 0 STA 1 AGL 2 DEX 2 FGT 1 INT 2 AWE 3 PRE 1
  Equipment: Audio Recorder, Camera.
  Advantages: Contacts, Equipment 1, Fearless, Improvised 
  Tools, Well-informed.
  Skills: Athletics 3 (+3), Deception 4 (+5), Expertise: Current 
  Events 5 (+7), Expertise: Streetwise 7 (+9), Insight 7 (+10), 
  Investigation 8 (+10), Perception 4 (+7), Persuasion 4 (+5), 
  Stealth 4 (+6).
  Offense: Init +2, Unarmed +1 (Close, Damage 0).
  Defense: Dodge 5, Parry 4, Fortitude 1, Toughness 1, Will 5. 
  Totals: Abilities 24 + Powers 0 + Advantages 5 + Skills 23 (46 
  ranks) + Defenses 8 = 60
  Rock & roll Legend 
  PL 2 • MR3 • 41 points
  STR 0 STA 2 AGL 0 DEX 3 FGT 1 INT 1 AWE 2 PRE 4
  Advantages: Cult Hero (Teenagers), Fascinate (Expertise: 
  Music), Skill Mastery (Expertise: Music). 
  Skills: Expertise (PRE): Music 8 (+12), Expertise: Current Events 
  4 (+5), Expertise: Pop Culture 4 (+5), Insight 4 (+6), Perception 
  2 (+4), Technology 2 (+3).
  Offense: Init +0, Unarmed +1 (Close, Damage 0).
  Defense: Dodge 0, Parry 1, Fortitude 2, Toughness 2, Will 2. 
  Totals: Abilities 26 + Powers 0 + Advantages 3 + Skills 12 (24 
  ranks) + Defenses 0 = 41
  Super Spy 
  PL 5 • MR6 • 88 points
  STR 2 STA 2 AGL 3 DEX 4 FGT 4 INT 1 AWE 3 PRE 3
  Equipment: 
  Audio 
  Recorder, 
  Camera, 
  Concealable 
  Microphone, Hold-out Pistol, Mini-tracer. 
  Advantages: Benefit 3 (Alternate Identity, Cipher, Wealth), 
  Defensive Roll, Equipment 2, Fascinate (Persuasion), Power 
  Attack, Well-informed. 
  Skills: Athletics 2 (+4), Close Combat: Martial Arts 4 (+8), 
  Deception 8 (+11), Expertise: Current Events 6 (+7), Insight 4 
  (+7), Investigation 2 (+3), Persuasion 8 (+11), Ranged Combat: 
  Guns 4 (+8), Sleight of Hand 4 (+8), Stealth 6 (+9), Vehicles 4 
  (+8). 
  Offense: Init +3, Hold-out Pistol +8 (Ranged, Damage 2), 
  Unarmed +8 (Close, Damage 2). 
  Defense: Dodge 6, Parry 6, Fortitude 3, Toughness 3/2*, Will 6 
  *Without Defensive Roll. 
  Totals: Abilities 44 + Powers 0 + Advantages 9 + Skills 26 (51 
  ranks) + Defenses 9 = 88
  100
  100
  100
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  Freedom City experienced a resurgent heroic age in the 
  1960s, some five years after the Red Scare and a secret in-
  vasion of Grue led to the disbanding of the Liberty League 
  and the retirement of many of the costumed heroes from 
  the 1940s. While a handful of major heroes—most notably 
  Lady Liberty and Centurion—remained active post-war, 
  Freedom City saw little in the way of costumed crime 
  throughout the 1950s. This decade saw the formation of 
  the first Freedom League and many of the heroic legacies 
  that continue in Freedom to this day.
  Like many urban centers, Freedom City entered the 1960s 
  in a recession. Despite the post-war economic boom, 
  much of the industry and population had retreated to 
  the newly-developing suburbs, leaving much of the city 
  to the poorest residents and those who preyed on them. 
  The boom of industry immediately following the war had 
  slowed to a crawl, and while the city center remained 
  prosperous, other hard-hit districts—such as the Water-
  front and the Fens—acquired reputations as crime-ridden 
  slums that they still carry today.
  While the early Silver Age represented lean years for 
  Freedom City, the mid-to-late ‘60s saw explosive growth. 
  While economists attribute this to many factors—urban 
  redevelopment, a growing counter-culture drawing fami-
  lies back into the city, new technologies paving the way 
  for new industries—most locals insist that the newly-
  formed Freedom League simply made the city feel safer 
  and more exciting, and encouraged civic pride. The truth 
  is a mix of factors, and the fact that several major supervil-
  lain events throughout the ‘60s made modern reconstruc-
  tion a necessity.
  GEOGRAPHY
  Freedom City was a smaller place in the Silver Age. Only 
  the Mangold and Pramas bridges crossed the rivers, 
  leaving outlying communities more isolated and less de-
  veloped. Many of the outlying districts—Kingston, North 
  Bay, Port Regal—were towns of their own at the time, still 
  separated by waning strips of farmland and only just be-
  ginning to feel the creeping urban sprawl. Ashton was a 
  fresh-faced new addition to the landscape—one of those 
  new-fangled planned communities built of the model 
  of nearby Levittown, PA. Veteran and engineer Thomas 
  Lincoln took advantage of this isolation at the time when 
  he founded the town of Lincoln as a safe haven for his 
  fellow African Americans trying to escape the poverty and 
  increasing racial tension of the city. The hot-button issue 
  in most of these growing communities is the merits and 
  drawbacks of incorporating with Freedom City proper.
  Most of the city’s most iconic features are absent through-
  out the Silver Age. Pyramid Plaza wouldn’t grace the 
  skyline until the mid-1970s, while the Sentry Statue 
  wouldn’t be erected until after Centurion’s fateful battle 
  with Omega. Plenty of new construction still makes the 
  SILVER AGE FREEDOM CITY
  SILVER AGE FREEDOM CITY
  SILVER AGE FREEDOM CITY  
  101
  101
  101
   
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
   
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  city feel modern, as 50-story glass-and-steel modern ar-
  chitecture begins replacing the 12-story brick structures 
  from before the war.
  Traveling Silver Age Freedom City is generally slower, 
  as the major state highways aren’t constructed until 
  the late ‘60s and mid ‘70s. The Freedom City trolley 
  system—one of its earliest public transit systems—still 
  ran through Riverside, City Center, and Midtown follow-
  ing the modern S-line up to 80th street. The subways—
  a pride of the city since the late 19th century—are also 
  still in operation, but generally poorly maintained and 
  not nearly as extensive as the modern mass transit grid. 
  Reaching the outlying towns requires some effort, given 
  the lack of bridges. A ferry connects Lincoln to the ex-
  tensive farms that will eventually become Grenville, and 
  another crosses the Century Narrows several times a day.
  KEY EVENTS
  While the actual Golden Age began years earlier, most 
  Freedonians say it began for them in 1960. The dark god 
  Hades, seeking to “chastise” Daedalus, manipulated a 
  mortal wizard to help him launch an invasion of undead 
  across the city. Centurion, Lady Liberty, Bowman, Dae-
  dalus, and the Raven banded together to drive Hades 
  and his forces back into the underworld. Afterward, 
  Zeus forbade Hades from directly interfering with the 
  mortal world ever again. The heroes, realizing they can 
  deal with threats more effectively as a team, banded to-
  gether to form the Freedom League, taking the Liberty 
  League’s old headquarters in Beaumont Mansion. Their 
  membership expanded steadily over the decade, adding 
  members like Galatea, Mary Minstrel, Siren, Sea-King, 
  and the Scarab. The public and unashamed presence of 
  the Freedom League helps encourage other do-gooders, 
  like Hepcat and Kid Gargoyle, to help chip away at the 
  city’s growing crime and urban decay.
  In the wake of HUAC’s campaign against the super-
  hero community, few heroes trust their government 
  and fewer still will work with it directly. Washington re-
  sponds to this by recruiting Golden Age super-soldier 
  Jack Simmons—the Patriot—to head up a new task force 
  handling superhuman crime: the American Elite Govern-
  ment Intervention Service or AEGIS. Despite a lack of 
  confidence from anyone in the government, Simmons 
  begins tapping his CIA and FBI sources to recruit law en-
  forcement personnel, assuring that AEGIS will have ac-
  curate intelligence before taking the field. He also uses 
  his friendships in the superhero community to make 
  contact with the new generation of heroes, proposing 
  covert partnerships and promising AEGIS will fight for 
  superhero rights and prevent another witch-hunt like 
  the HUAC. Based on these promises and Simmons’ ster-
  ling reputation, many heroes agreed to cooperate with 
  the new agency.
  AEGIS and the Freedom League endure their first major 
  test in 1961 when the former Nazi supervillain, Overshad-
  ow, launches Operation Inundation, an attempt to use 
  his cloned armies to seize major cities across the globe 
  simultaneously. A newly-reincarnated hero known as 
  the Scarab discovers the plot, but no one in the govern-
  ment listens to him other than Jack Simmons. As a result, 
  Freedom City is the only city prepared for the SHADOW 
  invasion, and becomes the beachhead for various gov-
  ernment and super-heroic efforts to fight back. When the 
  Freedom League disrupts a SHADOW attempt to reinforce 
  their troops by summoning an army of shadow demons, 
  Overshadow’s own second-in-command, Dr. Jonathan 
  Darke, takes advantage of Overshadow’s momentary vul-
  nerability and shoots him, seizing control of SHADOW. 
  AEGIS investigators track SHADOW to the estate of Dr. 
  Darke, who dies in the ensuing shootout. The general 
  belief that Darke was the founder of SHADOW allows 
  Overshadow to recover his strength in secret. Thwart-
  ing SHADOW gains AEGIS considerable respect. AEGIS 
  remains a powerful force in Freedom City, even as they 
  gain nationwide recognition for thwarting Operation In-
  undation. The agency opens Blackstone Penitentiary, a 
  prison specially designed to hold superhuman inmates, 
  in 1963. The United States Department of Justice makes 
  Blackstone the de-facto prison for superhumans in the 
  United States, moving criminals there from prisons 
  across the country.
  Omega first appears on Earth in 1965, when he pierces 
  the dimensional barriers and invades Freedom City with 
  an army of Omegadrones. The Freedom League and the 
  Atom Family unite to drive him back into the Terminus.
  In 1969, Apollo 11 delivers the first humans to the Moon. 
  The inhabitants of Farside City observe the mission 
  carefully. Selene, an ambitious member of the Farsider 
  royal family, uses the fear of humanity’s technological 
  development to attract a large group of followers. They 
  seize the power of the Moonstone, which Selene uses 
  to gain powerful mental abilities and control of Farside 
  City. She dispatches her praetorian guard—the Malfid-
  ians—to Earth to procure rare materials and prepare the 
  planet for invasion. The United Nations’ Uniforce learns 
  of the plot from the Associates, a pair of time travelers 
  who send their minds to possess the bodies of people 
  in other points along the timeline, fighting a “temporal 
  cold war” against their enemies, the Futurekin. Uniforce 
  is able to defeat the Malfidians and expose the involve-
  ment of Zeitgeist, who possessed the body of Lady 
  Lunar’s chief advisor.
  VILLAINS OF SILVER AGE 
  FREEDOM CITY
  The slowly building economic prosperity of the 1960s 
  seemed to draw costumed crooks out of the wood-
  work, and a number of Freedom City’s most iconic vil-
  lains first appeared in this era, including major threats 
  like Hades and Overshadow (Freedom City, Third Edition) 
  and gimmick crooks like Fear-Master, Luna Moth, and 
  Maestro (Freedom City, Third Edition, Basic Hero’s Hand-
  book, and Rogues Gallery, respectively). Immortal foes—
  including Tom Cypress, Medea, and Taurus (Freedom City, 
  Third Edition) all played the role of supervillains at the 
  time as well.
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  A few Silver Age villains passed their names on to modern 
  villains with very different capabilities. The Silver Age Con-
  queror Worm (Freedom City, Third Edition) lacked any of his 
  modern powers, and vexed the first Raven with wits, trick-
  ery, and a loyal gang of disaffected young people called 
  the “Night Crawlers.” The Silver Age Reeves maintains the 
  extraordinary Intellect, Awareness, and Presence listed in 
  his modern entry, has a Stamina of –2, and lacks any of 
  the powers he gained by returning from the dead. Reduce 
  his Toughness to +2 (including his Defensive Roll), his 
  Fortitude to +1, Ranged Combat: Guns to 8 (+7), and add 
  Inspire 5, Leadership, and Minions 10 to reflect his gang 
  of fanatical followers. Conqueror Worm’s PL is 11 only by 
  virtue of his extraordinarily high skills; in combat he is ef-
  fectively PL 3, though wielding a firearm (such as his pre-
  ferred machine pistol) increases him to PL 5.
  The original Doc Holiday, Bryant Haliday, was haunted by 
  the same extradimensional force that now overrides the 
  modern Doc Holiday, Mark Holiday (Freedom City, Third 
  Edition), but the lesser flow of magic in the 1960s meant 
  the force could only overwhelm Haliday’s mind and not 
  his body, making him seem to be just another obsessive 
  costumed criminal. Haliday was still obsessed with major 
  holidays and their symbolism, however, and used his in-
  ventive genius and massive trust fund to provide a variety 
  of themed gadgets appropriate for special occasions, 
  like love-inducing chemicals loaded into “cupid arrows” 
  or robotic rabbits that launch exploding eggs. The Silver 
  Age Doc Holiday uses the same statistics as the trans-
  formed version of the modern Doc Holiday, but without 
  his Holiday Transformation power. Instead he regularly 
  appears with minions and 40 points’ worth of gimmick 
  Devices. This version of Doc Holiday was more of a high-
  spirited prankster, more in love with the drama and excite-
  ment of supervillainy than with any agenda or wealth.
  SET THE DESTROYER
  A force of chaos and corruption, Set the Deceiver and 
  Destroyer was exiled by his fellow gods to the endless 
  wastes beyond their domain after his attempt to murder 
  and usurp his brother Osiris. Set was defeated in his am-
  bitions by Isis’ resurrection of her husband, and by the 
  power of his nephew, Horus, the Avenger of His Father.
  Prevented by the Pact from escaping his exile, Set bided 
  his time until the 20th century, when an unwitting initi-
  ate of one of the cults controlled by the Serpent People 
  overreached and attempted to summon the dark god. 
  Set responded to the summons and consumed the soul 
  of his would-be master, taking his body as a vessel, which 
  allowed him to manifest on the earthly plane. This led 
  Horus to seek a way to do the same, investing his power 
  in the Ankh of the Avenger and allowing the human ar-
  cheologist Henry Farrow to discover it.
  For years, Set warred against Horus, using his sorcery, 
  shape-shifting abilities, and the minions of the various 
  serpent cults he commanded. The sinister god also came 
  up against other heroes, although his nephew remained 
  his primary foe. Set sought to create a new dominion on 
  Earth, one he could eventually use to storm the gates of 
  Heliopolis itself and overthrow his fellow gods.
  SILVER AGE FREEDOM LEAGUE
  The world’s greatest heroes, banded together to fight 
  forces and foes too great for any one hero to handle, the 
  Freedom League becomes legendary during the Silver Age 
  of Freedom City, creating a legacy that would later be reborn 
  in the modern world after the Terminus Invasion. The League 
  is the largest and most powerful hero team in the world, 
  and also one of the most dynamic, its membership chang-
  ing over the years as heroes come and go. Still, the core team 
  remains stalwart defenders of Freedom City and the world.
  FOUNDING MEMBERS
  Members of the Freedom League during this era include 
  the “founding five” of:
  BOWMAN
  Tim Quinn, Fletcher Beaumont’s ward, carries the mantle 
  of the Bowman during the early years of the Freedom 
  League. His mentor’s son, Fletcher, Jr., works with him 
  as Arrow, but is a troubled youth, particularly later in 
  their career. The stats for Bowman in Freedom City, Third 
  Edition can serve for Tim Quinn as well.
  CENTURION
  Freedom City’s most famous hero was at the peak of his 
  career and a stalwart of the new League. Centurion’s stats 
  are in Freedom City, Third Edition.
  Set the Destroyer 
  PL 15 • 330 points
  STR 10 STA 12 AGI 4 DEX 2 FGT 14 INT 3 AWE 12 PRE 11
  Advantages: Close Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Fascinate 
  (Intimidation), Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 10, Ritualist
  Skills: Deception 8 (+19), Expertise: History 12 (+15), 
  Expertise: Magic 12 (+15), Insight 4 (+16), Intimidation 4 (+15), 
  Persuasion 4 (+15)
  Powers: Divine Durability Immortality 5,  Immunity 13 
  (Aging, Death Effects, Life Support), Protection 3 (Impervious 
  15), Regeneration 5, Divine Senses Senses 5 (Divine 
  Awareness, Darkvision, Extended Sight, Extended Hearing), 
  Divine Speech Comprehend 2 (Speak and Understand All  
  Languages), Shapeshifting Morph 4
  Corruption Magic (Dynamic Array, 60 points)
  • Clarity of Despair: Mind Reading 15
  • Darkness Control: Perception Shapeable Area 
  Concealment Attack 4 (All Visual Senses, Shapeable Area 11)
  • Eye of Set: Remote Sensing 11 (All  Senses, 8 miles; 
  Dimensional 3)
  • Serpent's Path: Movement 2 (Dimensional [Mystic 
  Dimensions]; Affects Others, Increased Mass 10)
  • Summon Corruptors: Summon 5 (Horde, Multiple Minions 
  4, General Type [Demons])
  • Warp Step: Teleport 12 (16 miles; Accurate, Extended, 
  Increased Mass 9)
  Offense: Init +8, Throw +12 (Ranged, Damage 10), Unarmed 
  +15 (Close, Damage 10)
  Defense: Dodge 13, Parry 14, Fortitude 12, Toughness 15, Will 14
  Totals: Abilities 136 + Powers 146 + Advantages 15 + Skills 22 
  (44 ranks) + Defenses 11 = 330
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  LADY LIBERTY
  Donna Mason was still active as Lady Liberty in the 1960s 
  and her powers had not yet begun to wane as they did in 
  the 1970s. The stats for the current Lady Liberty in Freedom 
  City, Third Edition represent Donna’s during this time fairly 
  well, though Sonja has manifested new abilities, such as 
  telekinesis, that prior hosts have not displayed.
  DAEDALUS
  The 1960s were the start of Daedalus’s public superhero 
  career. His stats are in Freedom City, Third Edition.
  THE RAVEN
  Duncan Summers, the original Raven, was at the start 
  of his career at this time. The stats of the current Raven 
  from Atlas of Earth-Prime can also serve for the Raven of 
  this era.
  LATER MEMBERS
  After the founding of the team, additional members 
  joined the League:
  SIREN
  Siren was invited to join the Freedom League not long after 
  her first appearances in the Caribbean and New Orleans. 
  Her stats can be found in Freedom City, Third Edition.
  WHITE LION
  King M’Zale of Dakana, the White Lion of this era, joined the 
  Freedom League to help bring Dakana into contact with 
  the outside world and to pursue thefts of daka crystals from 
  his homeland. The stats of the current White Lioness from 
  Atlas of Earth-Prime can serve for White Lion as well.
  SEA KING
  Prince Theseus of Atlantis joined the League at the 
  behest of his mother to learn more about heroism and 
  the surface world. Sea King’s stats can be found in the 
  Atlas of Earth-Prime.
  STAR KNIGHT & PSUEDO
  The first Star Knight and the renegade Grue Pseudo both 
  joined the League in 1969, after the Moon landing led to 
  increased contact with civilizations from space.
  BLACK AVENGER
  Wilson Jeffers was a local success story: a black kid from 
  the Lincoln neighborhood of south Freedom City, Jeffers 
  went to college on an athletic scholarship and made the 
  U.S. decathlon team in the 1960s, winning a gold medal. 
  Not long after returning home for a visit, Wilson encoun-
  tered a violent mugging and used his athletic skills to 
  fight off the criminals. The victim he helped save was 
  retired black prize-fighter Louis Johnson, who taught 
  Wilson to hone his boxing and close combat skills. Adopt-
  ing a masked identity to fight crime in Lincoln, Jeffers 
  was quickly dubbed “The Black Avenger” by the press. He 
  eventually drew the Freedom League’s attention and invi-
  tation to join them.
  The Black Avenger was often known as the “least power-
  ful” member of the Freedom League, particularly in com-
  parison to powerhouses like Centurion and Lady Liberty, 
  but his spirit and tremendous fighting skills made him an 
  asset to the team and he proved his worth many times 
  over. Jeffers felt that the League was out-of-touch with 
  the concerns of ordinary people. He eventually chose to 
  resign in order to focus on fighting crime on the streets of 
  his old neighborhood.
  GALATEA
  Intrigued by Daedalus’ engram transfer technology, the 
  robot Talos stole it from his old foe and used it to develop 
  a female form robot to function as his “bride,” patterning 
  her mind on that of the sorceress Medea, the first female 
  to thwart Talos. This proved a mistake, as Galatea (named 
  for the legendary living statue of Greek myth) rebuffed 
  Talos’ desires. Her artificial intelligence incorporated an 
  The Black Avenger 
  PL 10 • 163 points
  STR 3 STA 3 AGL 5 DEX 3 FGT 12 INT 1 AWE 1 PRE 2
  Advantages: Agile Feint, Assessment, Contacts, Defensive 
  Attack, Defensive Roll 3, Evasion 2, Improved Critical: Unarmed, 
  Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Instant Up, Luck 1, 
  Move-by Action, Power Attack, Redirect, Set-up, Skill Mastery: 
  Close Combat, Takedown 2, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, 
  Well-informed
  Skills: Acrobatics 8 (+13), Athletics 10 (+13), Close Combat: 
  Unarmed 3 (+15), Expertise: Streetwise 7 (+8), Insight 5 (+6), 
  Intimidation 4 (+6), Investigation 7 (+8), Perception 5 (+6), 
  Ranged Combat 7 (+10), Stealth 6 (+11), Vehicles 2 (+5)
  Offense: Initiative +9, Unarmed +15 (Close, Damage 3, crit. 
  19–20)
  Defense: Dodge 12, Parry 12, Fortitude 8, Toughness 6/3*, Will 10 
  *3 without Defensive Roll
  Totals: Abilities 60 + Powers 0 + Advantages 24 + Skills 32 + 
  Defenses 21 = 137
  Galatea 
  PL 10 • 163 points
  STR 11 STA - AGL 2 DEX 2 FGT 9 INT 4 AWE 2 PRE 1
  Powers: Force Beams Ranged Damage 10, Robotic Immunity 
  30 (Fortitude Effects), Impervious Protection 11, Scanners 
  Senses 6 (Extended Vision, Infravision, Low-light Vision, Radio, 
  Time Sense, Ultra-hearing)
  Advantages: Accurate Attack, Eidetic Memory, Improved Aim, 
  Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 7
  Skills: Expertise: Technology 6 (+10), Perception 6 (+8), 
  Technology 8 (+12)
  Offense: Init +6, Force Beams +9 (Ranged, Damage 10), 
  Unarmed +9 (Close, Damage 11) 
  Defense: Dodge 7, Parry 9, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 11, 
  Will 9
  Totals: Abilities 52 + Powers 78 + Advantages 11 + Skills 10 (20 
  ranks) + Defenses 12 = 163
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  unprecedented degree of free spirit, and she rebelled 
  against her creator, helping the Freedom League rescue 
  Daedalus and defeat Talos.
  Lost and alone in the world, Galatea accepted the League’s 
  offer to come stay with them, quickly becoming a valu-
  able member of the team. She struggled with human-like 
  emotions, dealing with bouts of loneliness, especially 
  after an unrequited attraction to Daedalus (who saw her 
  as more of a “daughter” figure). 
  HALOGEN
  Maggie Burroughs was a research technician for ASTRO 
  Labs when an experimental plasma generator overload-
  ed. Maggie saved the other members of her research 
  team, at the cost of being locked in the test chamber with 
  the generator. ASTRO Labs initially believed she was va-
  porized by the blast, and she was, in a way. Maggie was 
  transformed into a being of pure plasma energy. 
  Eventually, she mastered the ability to return to her 
  human form. She discovered a plot by the Foundry to sab-
  otage ASTRO Labs and acquire supposedly “flawed” tech-
  nology after it was abandoned. During the investigation 
  she met Daedalus, who introduced her to the Freedom 
  League and later recommended her to take his place in 
  the active roster when he left the team.
  MARY MINSTREL
  Singer Mary Vaughn acquired fantastic vocal powers 
  from a mysterious stranger who offered her the oppor-
  tunity to “sing like she never had before.” Unfortunately, 
  she lost the ability to perform safely as her voice became 
  a weapon that could stun, hypnotize, or shatter steel. Her 
  career in ruins, Mary began to use her new sonic abili-
  ties to fight crime, using her “curse” to do some good. 
  Still, for much of her career, Mary looked for a way to rid 
  herself of her powers or control them enough to perform 
  again. She joined the League at Daedalus’ recommenda-
  tion while he mentored her and sought to understand 
  Halogen 
  PL 10 • 173 points
  STR 0 STA 2 AGL 4 DEX 3 FGT 4 INT 3 AWE 1 PRE 1
  Powers: Plasma Form Ranged Damage 12, Damage 8 
  (Reaction), Flight 14 (32,000 MPH), Insubstantial 3 
  Advantages: Improved Initiative Precise Attack 2 (Ranged, 
  Concealment and Cover), Ranged Attack 4
  Skills: Expertise: Science 6 (+9), Insight 4 (+5), Perception 4 
  (+5), Technology 8 (+11)
  Offense: Init +8, Blast +7 (Ranged, Damage 12), Plasma Touch 
  +4 (Close, Damage 8), Unarmed +4 (Close, Damage 0)
  Defense: Dodge 8, Parry 10, Fortitude 5, Toughness 2, Will 8
  Totals: Abilities 36 + Powers 99 + Advantages 7 + Skills 11 (22 
  ranks) + Defenses 20 = 173
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  her abilities. Mary remained a member until her death in 
  1970 fighting against the Foundry.
  THE SCARAB
  The longest-term member of the original Freedom 
  League other than the Centurion was the Scarab, secretly 
  wealthy philanthropist Alexander Rhodes, and mysterious 
  master of mental powers. Scarab’s powers and diplomatic 
  nature made him the peacemaker of the original League, 
  helping settle disputes between its members and encour-
  aging teamwork. He served as deputy-leader on occasion, 
  and used his telepathic abilities to keep his teammates in 
  contact in the field until his death in 1979.
  TECTONIC
  Ramon Diego discovered his mutant ability to generate 
  and control powerful vibrations when the Terra-King kid-
  napped him to power an “earthquake machine” to devas-
  tate the surface world. Rescued by the Centurion, Ramon 
  learned to control his vibration powers and accepted an 
  offer to join the Freedom League. The young counter-cul-
  ture rebel clashed with the more authoritarian and old-
  fashioned Centurion on occasion, but both learned from 
  the other’s experience and grew into effective teammates.
  THE ATOM FAMILY
  The Atom Family is a renowned group of explorers and in-
  vestigators of the unusual, led by world-famous scientist 
  and hero Dr. Atom and consisting of his daughter Andrea, 
  his ward Jack Wolf, and Dr. Atom’s student the mentalist 
  debunker known as Mentac, who in fact possesses ex-
  traordinary mental powers of his own.
  DR. ALEXANDER ATOM
  Alexander Atom earned his first PhD at the age of 15, and 
  went on to earn the title “Doctor Atom” several times over. 
  Dr. Atom was not content to simply theorize or study the 
  discoveries of others. An explorer at heart, he traveled to 
  the farthest-flung reaches of the world, becoming a re-
  nowned scientific adventurer.
  Alexander Atom and his wife Anne had a daugh-
  ter, Andrea, in 1959. In 1961, Dr. Atom purchased the 
  Goodman Building and moved there with his family. 
  Anne Atom died of inoperable cancer in 1972, one of Dr. 
  Atom’s greatest defeats as a scientist. From then on, he 
  raised his daughter alone and never remarried. By the 
  late 1970s, Dr. Atom was patriarch of a family of young 
  heroes: his daughter Andrea, his ward Jack Wolf, and the 
  young psychic Mentac.
  Dr. Atom is the very model of a brilliant, but often distract-
  ible, scientific genius. He can spend days in his lab working 
  Mary Minstrel 
  PL 9 • 121 points
  STR 0 STA 2 AGL 3 DEX 3 FGT 7 INT 1 AWE 1 PRE 4
  Powers: Sonic Control (Array, 20 points)
  • Hypnotic Song Cumulative Perception Area Affliction 9 
  (Resisted and Overcome by Will; Entranced, Compelled; 
  Limited Degree)
  • Sonic Blast Ranged Damage 9
  • Sonic Scream Cone Area Affliction 9 (Resisted and 
  Overcome by Fortitude; Dazed/Vulnerable, Defenseless/
  Stunned; Extra Condition, Limited Degree)
  • Sonic Stun Cone Area Affliction 9 (Resisted and Overcome 
  by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated)
  • Vertigo Progressive Burst Area Affliction 5 (Resisted and 
  Overcome by Will; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated)
  Advantages: Attractive, Defensive Roll 3, Improved Initiative, 
  Ranged Attack 6
  Skills: Athletics 8 (+8), Expertise: Singing 10 (+11), Expertise: 
  Streetwise 6 (+7), Insight 6 (+7), Persuasion 4 (+8)
  Offense: Initiative +7, Sonic Blast +9 (Ranged, Damage 9), 
  Unarmed +7 (Close, Damage 0)
  Defense: Dodge 12, Parry 12, Fortitude 7, Toughness 5/2, Will 
  9; *without Defensive Roll
  Totals: Abilities 42 + Powers 24 + Advantages 11 + Skills 17 + 
  Defenses 27 = 121
  The Scarab 
  PL 10 • 192 points
  STR 1 STA 1 AGL 2 DEX 2 FGT 6 INT 4 AWE 6 PRE 3
  Powers: Force Field Impervious Sustained Protection 6, 
  Mental Awareness Senses 1 (Mental Awareness), Telekinetic 
  Flight Flight 5 (60 MPH), Mental Powers Mind Reading 10 (AE: 
  Move Object 10), Telepathic Link (Mental Communication 4, 
  Perception Area Comprehend Languages 3)
  Advantages: Beginner’s Luck, Benefit 4 (Wealth), Connected, 
  Defensive Roll 2, Jack-of-all-trades, Ranged Attack 7, Trance
  Skills: Deception 5 (+8), Expertise: Business 7 (+11), Expertise: 
  History 10 (+14), Expertise: Magic 5 (+9), Insight 8 (+14), 
  Intimidation 5 (+8), Investigation 7 (+11), Perception 6 (+12), 
  Persuasion 7 (+10), Sleight of Hand 4 (+6)
  Offense: Initiative +2, Telekinesis +9 (Ranged, Damage 10 
  after grab), Unarmed +6 (Close, Damage 1)
  Defense: Dodge 11, Parry 9, Fortitude 8, Toughness 9/7*/3**, 
  Will 11; *7 without Defensive Roll, **without Force Field
  Totals: Abilities 50 + Powers 69 + Advantages 17 + Skills 32 + 
  Defenses 24 = 192
  Tectonic 
  PL 9 • 96 points
  STR 2 STA 2 AGL 2 DEX 3 FGT 4 INT 0 AWE 0 PRE 1
  Powers: Vibration Control (Array; 24 points)
  • Disruption Deflect 10
  • Tremor Burst Area Affliction 9 (Resisted and Overcome 
  by Fortitude; Vulnerable, Defenseless; Instant Recovery, 
  Limited Degree)
  • Resonance Weaken Toughness 12 (Affects Objects Only; 
  Limited to brittle objects) 
  • Vibro-Blast Ranged Damage 12
  • Vibro-Burst Burst Area Damage 9
  Equipment: Leather Jacket (+1 Toughness)
  Advantages: Contacts, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 1
  Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+6), Athletics 6 (+8), Deception 5 (+6), 
  Expertise: Streetwise 8 (+8), Insight 6 (+6), Intimidation 4 (+5), 
  Perception 4 (+4), Ranged Combat: Vibration Control 3 (+6)
  Offense: Init +2, Tremor (Burst, Affliction 9), Vibro-Blast +6 
  (Ranged, Damage 12), Vibro-Burst (Burst, Damage 9), Unarmed 
  +4 (Close, Damage 2)
  Defense: Dodge 5, Parry 10, Fortitude 5, Toughness 5/3*/2**, 
  Will 4; *w/o Defensive Roll, ** w/o Defensive Roll and Armor.
  Totals: Abilities 28 + Powers 28 + Advantages 4 + Skills 20 (40 
  ranks) + Defenses 16 = 96
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  through Mentac’s charade and to break through his cold 
  and mysterious exterior. The truth Mentac keeps hidden 
  is he’s not even from Earth! He is the exiled surviving 
  member of the royal family of Farside City on the Moon, 
  hiding on Earth from his aunt, Lady Lunar, who led a coup 
  and seized power for herself.
  JACK WOLF
  Jack always admired his father, Lt. Colonel John Wolf, an 
  astronaut and good friend Dr. Atom. When his father was 
  lost on an early space mission, young Jack was eventually 
  placed with Dr. Atom and his family.
  Jack wanted to become a pilot, like his father, but dis-
  dained the government and military he felt sent Col. Wolf 
  to his death. Instead, he trained with Dr. Atom and by 
  the time he was a teen, Jack was already a brilliant pilot 
  and good in a fight. He was also wrestling with feelings 
  for his mentor’s daughter, Andrea, having grown up with 
  her. She saw Jack more like a brother, and his fears were 
  confirmed the moment she brought that weirdo Mentac 
  into their lives. Jack likes baiting "the great stone-face" 
  but when the chips are down, he stands up for Mentac as 
  much as any member of his adopted family.
  Dr. Alexander Atom 
  PL 8 • 124 points
  STR 0 STA 1 AGL 0 DEX 1 FGT 6 INT 11 AWE 4 PRE 1
  Advantages: Benefit (Wealth) 3, Connected, Defensive Roll 
  4, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 5, Improvised Tools, Inventor, 
  Languages 3 (French, Latin, Russian), Leadership, Ranged 
  Attack 5, Set-up, Skill Mastery (Expertise: Science), Skill Mastery 
  (Technology)
  Skills: Deception 8 (+9), Expertise: History 5 (+16), Expertise: 
  Science 7 (+18), Insight 8 (+12), Investigation 4 (+15), 
  Perception 2 (+6), Persuasion 7 (+8), Technology 7 (+18), 
  Treatment 4 (+15), Vehicles 6 (+7)
  Offense:  Initiative +0, Unarmed +6 (Close, Damage 0)
  Defense: Dodge 8, Parry 6, Fortitude 6, Toughness 5/1*, Will 10 
  *without Defensive Roll
  Totals: Abilities 48 + Powers 0 + Advantages 23 + Skills 29 + 
  Defenses 19 = 119
  Andrea Atom 
  PL 8 • 121 points
  STR 0 STA 0 AGL 2 DEX 2 FGT 6 INT 9 AWE 3 PRE 2
  Advantages: Daze (Deception), Defensive Roll 4, Equipment 
  5, Great Endurance, Improved Initiative, Jack-of-all-trade, 
  Languages 3 (French, Latin, Russian), Luck, Ranged Attack 4
  Skills: Athletics 6 (+6), Deception 6 (+8), Expertise: History 4 
  (+13), Expertise: Science 6 (+15), Insight 6 (+9), Investigation 
  6 (+15), Perception 6 (+9), Persuasion 8 (+10), Stealth 4 (+6), 
  Technology 6 (+15), Treatment 4 (+13), Vehicles 4 (+6)
  Offense: Initiative +6, Unarmed +6 (Close, Damage 0)
  Defense: Dodge 8, Parry 6, Fortitude 7, Toughness 4/0*, Will 9 
  *without Defensive Roll
  Totals: Abilities 48 + Powers 0 + Advantages 21 + Skills 33 + 
  Defenses 19 = 121
  Mentac 
  PL 8 • 120 points
  STR 0 STA 0 AGL 1 DEX 2 FGT 4 INT 2 AWE 4 PRE 2
  Powers: Mind Shield (Impervious Will 8), Psychic Sense (Senses 
  1, Mental Awareness), Telepathy (Array; Hallucination [Illusion 
  4, All Sense Types, Selective, Limited to One Subject, Resistible 
  by Will], Mental Blast [Perception Ranged Damage 5, Resisted 
  by Will, Tiring], Telepathic Communication [Comprehend 
  Languages 2, Mental Communication 3])
  Advantages: Benefit (Cipher) 1, Benefit (Farsider) 2, Defensive 
  Roll 4, Equipment 3, Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 
  5, Second Chance (Will checks vs. mental powers), Taunt, 
  Uncanny Dodge
  Skills: Deception 8 (+10), Expertise: Current Events 2 (+4), 
  Insight 8 (+12), Intimidation 4 (+6), Investigation 4 (+6), 
  Perception 2 (+6), Persuasion 4 (+6), Sleight of Hand 2 (+4), 
  Stealth 4 (+5), Technology 4 (+6), Vehicles 2 (+4)
  Offense: Initiative +5, Unarmed +4 (Close, Damage 0)
  Defense: Dodge 9, Parry 6, Fortitude 6, Toughness 4/0*, Will 10 
  *without Defensive Roll
  Totals: Abilities 30 + Powers 27 + Advantages 19 + Skills 22 + 
  Defenses 22 = 120
  Jack Wolf 
  PL 8 • 135 points
  STR 4 STA 4 AGL 3 DEX 3 FGT 10 INT 1 AWE 2 PRE 3
  Advantages: All-out Attack, Beginner’s Luck, Defensive Roll 
  2, Diehard, Equipment 4, Evasion, Great Endurance, Improved 
  Initiative, Languages 2 (Russian, Spanish), Power Attack, 
  Precise Attack (Ranged, Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 7, 
  Takedown, Taunt, Tracking
  Skills: Acrobatics 5 (+8), Athletics 6 (+10), Close Combat: 
  Unarmed 2 (+12), Deception 7 (+10), Expertise: Survival 8 
  (+9), Intimidation 6 (+9), Perception 8 (+10), Stealth 6 (+9), 
  Technology 4 (+5), Treatment 4 (+5), Vehicles 10 (+13)
  Offense: Initiative +7, Unarmed +12 (Close, Damage 4)
  Defense: Dodge 8, Parry 10, Fortitude 9, Toughness 6/4*, Will 7 
  *without Defensive Roll
  Totals: Abilities 60 + Powers 0 + Advantages 27 + Skills 33 + 
  Defenses 15 = 135
  on a particular project or trying to solve some scientific 
  puzzle. On the other hand, he’s also a man of action, and 
  likes to get into the thick of things, although tempered by 
  more wisdom than in his youth.
  ANDREA ATOM
  Andrea Atom has always been her father’s daughter and 
  admires him more than any man she has ever known. 
  Since her mother passed away, Andrea has tried to look 
  after her father, and she is the one to remind him of the 
  mundane and routine matters that sometimes escape 
  his attention.
  Andrea is remarkably mature and level-headed, but 
  perhaps a bit too stubborn and headstrong for her own 
  good. She's also a brilliant scientist in her own right, 
  along with a lifetime of physical training and picking up 
  a variety of odd skills here and there. Perhaps her great-
  est abilities are her unfailing faith in people and the ten-
  dency of her enemies to underestimate her, always to 
  their regret.
  MENTAC
  “Mentac the Magnificent” made a name for himself de-
  bunking so-called psychics and related charlatans. What 
  people did not realize was Mentac was himself a genuine 
  psychic, covertly using his powers to deal with both fakes 
  and true psychics misusing their gifts, then covering it up 
  with an air of skepticism. Andrea Atom was the first to see 
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  Ranging from roughly 1986 through 1999, the Iron Age reflects both a period in history as well as a style of storytelling 
  common at that time. Narratively, the Iron Age represents an era when creators began to discard old notions of what 
  a comic book was allowed to be, experimenting with new elements, genres, and stories that the comics industry had 
  previously censored. It was an age that explored violence, the emotional and psychological toll of super-powers, and 
  the morality of taking the law into your own hands, delving into the psychology and social effect of superheroes. And 
  guns. The Iron Age loved giving superheroes guns.
  Culturally, the 1980s and 1990s represented an era of personal struggle and personal aimlessness in the United States. 
  As the era begins, the Cold War tensions from the Silver Age are higher than ever in a world where terrorism, organized 
  crime, and violent revolt are increasingly common, and open war with the Soviet Union seemed inevitable. But the 
  USSR’s collapse left America as the lone superpower, feeling untouchable but at the same time bereft of purpose. The 
  nation had spent decades establishing patriotism—in part—as opposition to communism and the USSR, and without it 
  the country scrambled to understand itself in a vacuum. This led to introspection, doubt, and the beginnings of reflec-
  tion on the horrible deeds committed in the name of preserving freedom during the Cold War.
  media made the average American increasingly aware of 
  toxic waste, urban violence, and child abductions.
  Pop culture became an increasingly powerful force 
  throughout the Iron Age, exposing much of the western 
  world to American films, music, and children’s cartoons. 
  The increased availability of foreign media affected 
  America in return, as Chinese action movies and Japanese 
  animation—obscure cult interests in the 1970s—became 
  increasingly popular and influential. This expanding pop 
  THE IRON AGE 
  THE IRON AGE  
  THE IRON AGE  
  Mid 1980s—Late 1990s
  LIFE DURING THE IRON AGE
  LIFE DURING THE IRON AGE
  The Iron Age represents a time of cheap and readily-
  available consumer goods in America—from music to 
  blue jeans to hamburgers—but also a time of looming 
  corporate control and propaganda. The economy grew as 
  large corporations gobbled up smaller businesses, both 
  regional organizations and mom-and-pop stores, turning 
  Main Street USA into a corporate cookie-cutter diorama 
  of national brands repeated ad nauseum across the entire 
  country. It was a time of celebration as the “good guys” 
  won the Cold War, but also a time of mounting fear as mass 
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  culture landscape shifted the concept of “cool” in the eyes 
  of teenagers—pop culture largely began obsessing over 
  the plucky underdogs, the freaks, and geeks, while depict-
  ing clean-cut sports stars and wholesome cheerleaders as 
  spoiled bullies. Cool kids went their own way, and corpo-
  rate-branded individuality led to commodifying rebellion 
  into over-caffeinated soft drinks and sponsored sporting 
  events for skateboarding, snowboarding, rollerblading, 
  bungie jumping, and other so-called “extreme sports.”
  URBAN LIFE
  As in the Golden and Silver Ages, city life dominated Iron 
  Age heroics, though cities themselves took on a very dif-
  ferent quality. Some groan under the weight of history, 
  with a core of stone and steel towers downtown sur-
  rounded by a sprawl of old housing and well-used indus-
  trial areas. Other cities are brand-new products of urban 
  planning and modern design. Regardless of the city’s age, 
  though, the signs of decay are apparent. 
  Cities planned as technological utopias show their perfec-
  tion going awry once an imperfect populace is introduced 
  to its streets and buildings. Sometimes, flaws have been 
  hidden in the design from the start by a person, group, or 
  power that benefits—politically, financially, magically, or 
  otherwise—from its failure. Heroes of an Iron Age cam-
  paign in such a city might be agents of the plan, trying to 
  maintain its dream of perfection against encroaching cor-
  ruption, or they may be rebels fighting against the corrupt 
  forces trying to control the city and its inhabitants.
  Older cities turn dark in the Iron Age through the passing 
  of time. The stone towers that once dominated the skyline 
  are shoved side-by-side with newer buildings of iron and 
  steel, all coated in a film of grime. The people of the city, 
  particularly the older citizens, speak longingly of “the 
  good old days,” pointing toward a past when the city was 
  a brighter and happier place.
  All Iron Age cities suffer from a rise in crime. From muggers 
  to supervillains, heroes will find they have more criminals 
  to deal with than ever. Street gangs rule neighborhoods, 
  funded by the drug pushers in every park and on every 
  corner. In some cities, heroes might feel compelled to 
  set aside their secret identities and private lives to fight 
  crime full time. In others, crime and criminals are regularly 
  ignored by the people of the city and a hero might be 
  tempted to give up the fight altogether.
  THE SLUMS
  The darkest parts of an Iron Age city are usually the 
  poorest sections, with plenty of dilapidated buildings to 
  provide cover and hiding places. Several large recessions 
  have left buildings abandoned and dangerous. Alleyways 
  between ramshackle tenements form shadowy paths 
  where criminals can prey on the unfortunate and do busi-
  ness with each other. The alleys are often so narrow a 
  criminal on the run could leap across them from above, 
  moving across rooftops patched with plywood and tarpa-
  per among a forest of television aerials and squat, aging 
  water towers.
  While supervillains and crime lords operate from hidden 
  headquarters elsewhere, this is the part of an Iron Age city 
  street gangs call home, often recruiting members from 
  among the people who live there. Though the gangs may 
  bring crime and violence to the neighborhoods, many of the 
  residents are surprisingly loyal to them. Gangs bring money 
  to poor neighborhoods from wealthy downtown business-
  men and well-off suburban teens that venture in to buy 
  drugs. When under-funded police forces pay more attention 
  to the needs of the wealthy and abandon the poor neighbor-
  hoods, street gangs provide protection to the people on the 
  block—even if it’s only protection from the street gang itself.
  THE STREETS
  The streets of the city are the real battlegrounds of the Iron 
  Age. Even when empty, they seem packed with menace: 
  garbage might blow down the gutters or pile up at the 
  curbside during a strike by trash collectors. Puddles of 
  oily water collect in innumerable potholes in the cracked 
  pavement. Shadows from tall buildings block out the 
  sun unless it’s directly overhead; the best the streets can 
  hope for is perpetual twilight. Between the pools of light 
  cast by the occasional streetlamps, the only illumination 
  comes from the buzzing neon and flickering marquees of 
  24-hour bodegas, liquor stores, and strip clubs.
  In an Iron Age campaign, the streets can be the primary 
  setting for heroes’ adventures as they try to clean up the 
  city. Or, as the heroes journey from one larger adventure 
  to the next, the crime-ridden streets of the city might 
  simply serve as a reminder to the heroes that they are 
  always surrounded by darkness.
  THE PENTHOUSE
  The rich and powerful of the Iron Age keep themselves high 
  above all this, in luxury penthouse apartments. Still, even 
  when surrounded by bodyguards and security systems, the 
  corruption of the Iron Age manages to find the wealthy. 
  Many of those who made their fortune through inheritance 
  or hard work may turn to devious means to stay that way, 
  including embezzlement, insider trading, or high-stakes 
  blackmail. Those who have never been wealthy may see 
  white-collar crime as a faster, easier path to getting rich 
  than actually earning their money or picking up a gun.
  Heroes whose adventures take them among the upper-
  class will find the wealthy are part of an interconnected 
  web of loyalties and rivalries. Families may have master 
  plans that reach across generations, and they prize honor 
  and loyalty as much as any crime family or street gang. 
  For those who have more money than they can spend, 
  secrets may be the only real currency, and the most valu-
  able thing they keep locked up in their private vaults.
  CRIME
  Constant pressure to cut social programs throughout 
  the 1970s and especially the ‘80s led to a boom in crime 
  as desperate Americans either turned to lawbreaking to 
  support themselves or to drugs to escape their impover-
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  ished reality. As income flowed toward the wealthy and 
  inflation mounted in the 1970s and 1980s, the ranks of 
  the poor swelled, creating unprecedented urban decay. In 
  the shadow of cheaply built towers of subsidized housing, 
  many of those who called streets lined with fire-gutted 
  tenements home became increasingly desperate. Iron Age 
  heroes and villains might be born from these mean streets. 
  Either might attack the corporations or the wealthy: heroes 
  to redistribute money as modern-day Robin Hoods, and vil-
  lains to seize the wealth and power for themselves.
  THE DECLINE OF CITIES
  A popular topic both on tabloid television and major 
  news programs of the 1980s and ’90s was the supposed 
  increase of urban crime. Cities, once the hallmark of ad-
  vancing American culture, increasingly became associ-
  ated with poverty and decay. The increased density of 
  the '50s and '60s economic boom lead to higher prop-
  erty costs within major cities, and industries relocated 
  to cheaper land and lower taxes in small towns and rural 
  areas—bringing their largely-white workforce with them. 
  Redlining—a secretive real-estate practice that heavily 
  restricted the ability for predominantly black neighbor-
  hoods to qualify for home loans, business loans, or mort-
  gages—lead to the black population being unable to 
  sell their homes during this “white flight,” leaving them 
  behind in cities increasingly devoid of opportunity. Cities 
  became increasingly associated with poverty and minori-
  ties, driving more middle class white families to leave for 
  the suburbs. The violent crime rate in the United States—
  rural and urban—climbed throughout the 1970s and 
  1980s, but the population density in cities and dispro-
  portionate media attention made places like New York, 
  Detroit, and St. Louis seem completely lawless.
  Media of the era played into this stereotype. The 1974 
  movie Death Wish, featuring Charles Bronson as a man 
  who becomes a vigilante, was the most iconic film in a 
  movement that painted New York city life as terrifying and 
  dangerous. Many films throughout the 1980s glorified the 
  idea of easy, violent solutions to the complex problem 
  of crime. In 1984, New York City saw a “real-life vigilante” 
  when Bernard Goetz shot four unarmed black men on the 
  subway, claiming the four had attempted to rob him. In 
  the aftermath of the shooting, Goetz became a folk hero 
  to some while driving home that American vigilantism 
  was very much about white men doling out “street justice” 
  to non-white suspects.
  GANGS
  The recessions of the 1970s and ‘80s saw an increase in 
  gang—organized criminal groups that share a common 
  identity and purpose. Various gangs had controlled dif-
  ferent criminal operations and territory across the United 
  States since the nation’s founding, but fear of organized 
  criminals grew alongside the general fear of violent crime 
  throughout the Iron Age. Nationwide organizations like 
  the mafia, Hell’s Angels, and Crips had extensive and se-
  cretive resources that took advantage of the economic 
  downturn to recruit unemployed Americans into crimi-
  nal activities, and smaller local gangs provided a sense of 
  community and a shot at respect and comfort for children 
  born into poverty and laughable schools.
  While nationwide organizations were the most looming 
  threat, smaller local street gangs were more ubiquitous. 
  Some of these were proudly criminal groups that focused 
  on robbery, assault, or drugs, but other identity groups 
  were painted as criminals and became such after the fact. 
  Paranoid lawmakers banned gatherings of teenagers and 
  other “undesirables”—bans that were disproportionately 
  enforced against minorities. The crumbling infrastructure 
  and selective police service provided in urban areas lead 
  to many neighborhoods forming small crews to protect 
  their own communities; what would be labelled a “neigh-
  borhood watch” in better-off neighborhoods was deemed 
  a “gang” in poverty-stricken areas. As with other crime, 
  news media focused disproportionately on crimes com-
  mitted by racial minorities; even the police and federal 
  law enforcement were reluctant to label white-majority 
  criminal groups like the Hell’s Angels and KKK as “gangs.” 
  While some gangs required specific racial backgrounds, 
  the vast majority were tied to their territories, with their 
  racial makeup mirroring the community’s. Regardless, 
  the growing fear and media coverage focused heavily on 
  black and Hispanic gang activity within cities.
  There’s never a shortage of gang-related crime in Iron 
  Age comics, from muggings and robbery, to stealing 
  cars, illegal gambling, protection rackets, and prostitu-
  tion rings. But dominating it all is the drug trade, and 
  Iron Age heroes are likely to find pushers everywhere 
  from the playground in the inner city to the dining room 
  at the country club, all with some connection to the era’s 
  gangs. Drugs had always been an easy moneymaker for 
  gangs, but the increased usage that accompanied the rise 
  in poverty made the racket extremely lucrative. Where 
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  the drugs went, violence followed close behind as gangs 
  fought over territory, shook down debtors, or eliminated 
  competitors. Newspapers and magazines printed lurid 
  and largely fictionalized headlines chronicling the bloody 
  wars between gangs and the violent crimes of addicts 
  in search of money to feed their habits. Media of the era 
  painted drug usage as less of a medical issue and univer-
  sally as a moral failing to be punished.
  Even once they learn to identify gang members, heroes 
  may also be surprised to find who belongs to them. 
  Money is tight among the lower classes of the Iron Age, 
  and many urban poor are drawn to gangs simply by the 
  easy, steady income offered by the drug trade. But white-
  color criminals embraced gang crime as well, paying 
  street gangs to serve as deniable assets or working with 
  the larger gangs to launder money. Gangs also act as de 
  facto law enforcement in parts of the city police refuse to 
  touch, offering a sense of belonging and safety to many 
  who felt threatened and alone.
  Film and television made gangs and crime seem so perva-
  sive in the streets of the Iron Age that many fearful civil-
  ians arm themselves. Some of these people may become 
  the heroes, antiheroes, or villains of an Iron Age cam-
  paign, but most are just among the millions of people car-
  rying concealed weapons. Some dread the moment they 
  may use them. Others are dangerously eager to draw their 
  weapons and play hero, or have grown bitter and selfish 
  enough to kill without much provocation.
  THE WAR ON DRUGS
  In 1988, President Reagan established the Office of Na-
  tional Drug Control as part of the “War on Drugs” started 
  by Richard Nixon in 1971. Nixon’s domestic advisor John 
  Ehrlichman happily confessed later that “We knew we 
  couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or 
  black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies 
  with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then crimi-
  nalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communi-
  ties. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break 
  up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on 
  the evening news.” Reagan’s continuance of this “war” 
  was fought over the next decade, and followed a similar 
  agenda. the 1980s escalation began with an increase in 
  the severity of penalties for drug-related offenses, which 
  caused U.S. prison populations to soar as hundreds of 
  thousands of minorities were disproportionately targeted 
  and jailed for possessing even small amounts of controlled 
  substances. Jailtime didn’t stop most organized crime; 
  some leaders ran their operations from inside prison.
  While the U.S. worked to incarcerate the American gangs 
  responsible for sale and distribution of illegal drugs, 
  another convenient target in the War on Drugs were the 
  cartels in Central and South America that produced the 
  drugs and smuggled them into United States. Groups 
  such as the Medellín and Cali cartels made tens of millions 
  of dollars each month smuggling drugs, and killed any 
  who threatened their operations, including the Justice 
  Minister of Colombia. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency 
  led extraterritorial operations against the smugglers and 
  cartels throughout the 1980s, and America used the War 
  on Drugs as a justification to invade Panama and depose 
  General Manuel Noriega in 1989.
  City streets are one front in the war on drugs, but the other 
  is in far-off jungles. If street gangs are a match for local law 
  enforcement, then the drug cartels of Central and South 
  America are powerful and well-armed enough to chal-
  lenge armies. Heroes who start their own war on drugs 
  in the streets may find the trail eventually leads to more 
  powerful opponents than they might have expected. 
  Just like corporations of the era, drug cartels might turn 
  to recruiting or manufacturing their own supervillains to 
  protect themselves from powered anti-heroes.
  If heroes take the battle to the home turf of the cartels, 
  they’ll find many are powerful enough to make their 
  own law. Just like the people in neighborhoods who 
  respect the gangs who rule their streets, many citizens 
  in the cartels’ home nations fear their power more than 
  they trust their governments to protect them. The cartels’ 
  ample funding and smuggling connections mean most 
  have private armies of their own to defend themselves.
  SCANDALS AND INFLATION
  The Watergate scandal demonstrated how high the stakes 
  (and often, how base the actions) were between Ameri-
  ca’s two major political parties, and led many Americans 
  not only to mistrust their government, but to become 
  increasingly cynical about the entire political process. In 
  turn, government officials became more careful about 
  anything that might be used against them, such as the 
  recorded conversations that led to Nixon’s downfall. While 
  the press became more aggressive about searching for 
  skeletons in politicians’ closets.
  Meanwhile, the growth of the American economy slowed 
  dramatically throughout the 1970s, leading to enormous 
  inflation and rising unemployment that peaked in the 
  early 1980s. The government responded by slashing social 
  programs and deregulating many industries. Though the 
  economy finally recovered in the mid-1980s, it was not 
  before significant problems developed in those deregu-
  lated industries, particularly the savings and loan institu-
  tions, which collapsed and lost their creditors a combined 
  total of $160 billion. The U.S. treasury subsidized $132 
  billion of those losses at taxpayer expense. That burden, 
  combined with a growing trade deficit and deficit spend-
  ing, helped transform the nation from one of the world’s 
  largest creditors to one of the world’s largest debtors by 
  the end of the decade. Despite all these problems and a 
  major stock market crash in 1987, as the 1980s continued, 
  the American economy slowly recovered.
  CEOS AND SHADOW CABINETS
  Without the looming threat of a powerful Communist 
  state to oppose, many Americans began to examine their 
  own lives and recognize the danger Capitalism could pose 
  as well, and in many ways Capitalist leaders and power-
  houses became a new stand-in for the Red Scare-era 
  Soviet supervillains and agitators.
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  In the Iron Age, industrialists play the roles of villains more 
  than heroes, and a huge multinational corporation can 
  be as powerful a nemesis to the heroes of an Iron Age 
  campaign as any caped supervillain. Distant factories and 
  foreboding offices are home to the villainous corpora-
  tion’s worldwide network of employees and agents, not 
  all of whom may be aware the company’s five-year plan 
  hides a more nefarious agenda. Though the most obvious 
  motivation for an evil corporation might be accumulation 
  of wealth, its shadowy board of directors may be content 
  to let wealth accrue over time and instead scheme to ac-
  cumulate power and influence. Some evil corporations 
  maintain a veil of respectability they will go to any lengths 
  to protect, while the viler practices of others may be a 
  matter of public record and policy; the latter will likely 
  have a battalion of unscrupulous lawyers to protect them 
  from the legal system and an army of security guards to 
  shield them from those who might threaten to bring the 
  corporation to justice outside the courtroom.
  In the Iron Age, those with power can rarely be trusted, 
  and even the smallest favors might have a hidden agenda 
  and a terrible cost. Whether whispered in the halls of gov-
  ernment or hidden between the lines of a corporation’s 
  quarterly report, a scandal or a collection of secrets can be 
  the driving force behind an Iron Age campaign. With the 
  wealth and scientific knowledge at their disposal, both 
  private corporations and rogue government agencies of 
  the Iron Age turned to creating their own superhuman 
  agents or hired super-powered mercenaries to eliminate 
  anyone looking too closely into their illegal activities.
  THE COLD WAR’S CONCLUSION
  As two of the largest nations on earth, the Capitalist 
  United States and the Communist Soviet Union came to 
  be called “superpowers” because of their incredible politi-
  cal influence and military might. Both nations were armed 
  with enormous numbers of atomic and thermonuclear 
  weapons, and Cold War leaders regularly implied they 
  were ready to launch their full arsenals of intercontinental 
  ballistic missiles as soon as they detected a launch by the 
  enemy—enough firepower to destroy every living being 
  in both America and Russia, as well as countless millions 
  more during the worldwide winter of radioactive fallout 
  that would follow. 
  Since 1947, the Board of Directors at the Bulletin of 
  Atomic Scientists had tracked how close the two nations 
  were to war, using an image printed on their cover called 
  the “Doomsday Clock”: the closer the clock’s hands were 
  to midnight, the nearer they judged the world to be to 
  nuclear apocalypse. As the arms race escalated between 
  the two nations, the Clock was set to four minutes to mid-
  night in 1981, and ticked a minute closer in 1984.
  In 1987, the U.S. and the Soviets signed a treaty elimi-
  nating intermediate-range nuclear missiles, requiring 
  both countries to destroy part of their nuclear arsenals 
  for the first time. The Doomsday Clock was, accordingly, 
  rolled back to seven minutes to midnight. The fall of the 
  Berlin Wall in 1989 marked the success of anti-communist 
  movements across Eastern Europe. Combined with Soviet 
  premier Mikhail Gorbachev’s new policy of glasnost, the 
  Clock was set at ten minutes to midnight. Further treaties 
  and arms reductions, along with the breakup of the Soviet 
  Union, moved the hands of the clock back even more, 
  to seventeen minutes to midnight in 1991. This was the 
  farthest the world would be from disaster before the Bul-
  letin began to have concerns about former Soviet scien-
  tists and nuclear weapons spreading to other parts of the 
  world and terrorist groups in the latter part of the decade.
  The Cold War tensions make a rich backdrop for Iron Age 
  campaigns that play out on a global stage. In a world with 
  superhumans, the United States and Soviet Union would 
  undoubtedly race to add super-powered beings to their 
  arsenals alongside thermonuclear weapons. Characters 
  who are powerful or draw too much attention might be 
  cornered by one nation or another, forced to declare their 
  allegiance to the government or be branded as traitors.
  NEW NATIONS
  The USSR dissolved in 1991, breaking up into Russia and 
  14 nations that Russia had directly conquered during 
  their time as a dictatorship: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, 
  Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithu-
  ania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and 
  Uzbekistan. Many of these new nations retained stock-
  piles of Soviet military vehicles, conventional weapons, 
  and even nuclear weapons, and faced internal struggles 
  to determine how they would govern themselves after 
  decades as client states. While several post-Soviet states 
  managed the transition well, others became hotbeds for 
  organized crime in the 1990s as ex-Soviet officials entered 
  the booming market of selling Soviet weapons, research, 
  and even nuclear materials to anyone with the cash. Many 
  also became home to strongarm dictators and various 
  human rights abuses.
  This sudden arrival of new nations led to complications in 
  international law in the early and mid ‘90s, and in a super-
  powered world may include fictional nations for heroes to 
  defend or attack as a source of their problems.
  TERRORISM
  Homegrown terrorism had been a problem in the US for 
  decades by the Iron Age. The Ku Klux Klan and copycat 
  white supremacist groups had relied on coordinated 
  violence and fear tactics to divide and murder racial mi-
  norities, especially African Americans and Jews, for over 
  a century. The 1960s and 1970s saw bombings by the 
  Weather Underground, also known as the Weathermen, 
  to oppose the Vietnam War and end American imperial-
  ism overseas. In the 1990s, conservative Christian sects in-
  creasingly turned to arson, bombings, and random shoot-
  ings at women's health clinics.
  But the 1970s introduced foreign-born terrorism to Amer-
  icans. After years spent as a battleground for colonial and 
  Cold War powers, the nations of the Middle East were in-
  creasingly opposed to both the United States and Great 
  Britain. Attacks against western targets became increas-
  ingly frequent in the 1980s. Several public hijackings, 
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  suicide bombings, and coordinated attacks put terror-
  ism in the forefront of American minds, as it had been for 
  many Britons living through the multiple bombings and 
  attacks across England by the Provisional Irish Republican 
  Army through the ’70s and ’80s.
  Regardless of motive, terrorist attacks are sudden and 
  unexpected, usually violent, and often deliberately target 
  non-combatants. As in the real world, terrorists and terror 
  groups in an Iron Age campaign have a number of differ-
  ent motivations. Some have political or ideological goals 
  and are fighting against a government or organization. 
  Others fight for religious beliefs against those they hold 
  to be oppressors or heathens. Even the most cold-hearted 
  Iron Age heroes might go to extraordinary lengths to save 
  innocents from a potential terrorist attack, and may go 
  even further to mete out vengeance in the aftermath.
  While a single terrorist might be easy for a super-powered 
  character to overcome, terrorist organizations are much 
  more difficult to defeat. Tightly knit units known as “cells” 
  operate independently and in complete ignorance of the 
  activities of the other members of the group, aware only of 
  the organization’s overall goals and sharing the common 
  mission of achieving them by any means necessary. Self-
  motivating, self-sufficient, and self-activating, a cell might 
  remain dormant until they hear of an attack by another 
  cell in the organization, or they may choose their own 
  time to strike, initiating an attack whenever and wherever 
  they choose. Worse still, in some terrorist organizations, 
  cells can splinter, each of its members starting their own 
  new cell, helping the organization to grow swiftly, silently, 
  and exponentially. For each terrorist cell Iron Age heroes 
  can defeat, two may rise to take its place.
  MEDIA
  Deregulation in the 1980s led to looser broadcast and film 
  standards, which allowed creators to explore new sub-
  jects, depict more extreme violence, or use their platform 
  as stealth advertising directly to children. Media in the 
  Iron Age tended toward violence—whether the harmless 
  rayguns of Saturday morning cartoons or the over-the-
  top shootouts of blockbuster action movies. Through the 
  haze of gunsmoke, media continued to mature on other 
  topics, exploring once-forbidden subjects like sexuality 
  and race relations that had once been the quasi-illegal 
  fare or arthouse theaters of previous generations.
  FILM
  American films had featured action sequences for years, 
  from shootouts to car chases. But in the 1980s, the action 
  film became a genre in its own right, with some of the 
  most successful films of the decade featuring lead char-
  acters much more militaristic than leads of the past. In 
  1982, Sylvester Stallone played Special Forces soldier John 
  Rambo in First Blood, with two sequels to follow later in 
  the decade. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who first garnered 
  fame as Conan the Barbarian and as a killer robot in the 
  movie The Terminator, released a string of action movies 
  in the 1980s that began with 1985’s Commando. American 
  filmgoers flocked to these increasingly violent movies.
  TELEVISION
  While originally a product of the 1950s, cable television 
  came into its own in the Iron Age, expanding television’s 
  presence from three national networks and a handful of 
  local broadcasters to hundreds of channels catering to 
  specialty interests.
  Gossipy tabloids had long been popular in America, as 
  had investigative journalism on television. The 1980s saw 
  the pairing of the two, as tabloid television programs 
  began to appear on American television. From corpo-
  rate collapses to celebrity scandals, tabloid television 
  programs such as Hard Copy presented their stories in 
  the most sensational manner possible, attracting both 
  viewers and criticism. Daytime television turned similarly 
  lurid in the late ’80s and early ’90s, led by talk-show hosts 
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  Geraldo Rivera, Morton Downey, Jr., and Jerry Springer. 
  With topics ranging from Satanic rituals and gang initia-
  tions to racist skinheads and adulterous lesbians, no topic 
  was out of bounds if it would help improve ratings. Soon 
  the antics on the shows became news in and of itself, even 
  if much of the reporting was highly critical of what came 
  to be called “trash TV.”
  VIDEO GAMES
  With the release of the Atari 2600 in 1977, video games 
  officially entered the realm of home entertainment. Con-
  sidered a novelty at first—especially after the video game 
  crash of 1983 that almost destroyed the industry—they 
  came back strong in America with the release of the Nin-
  tendo Entertainment System—a rebranded version of the 
  Japanese Famicom—in 1985. Competition became fierce 
  as game companies competed over the ever-growing 
  market, beginning the first “console wars.”
  Games quickly established themselves as a major force in 
  pop culture, with video game mascots becoming as iconic 
  as cartoon characters or film stars. Video game terminolo-
  gy, like “points” and “level up,” long formerly the domain of 
  pen and paper RPGs and arcade consoles, after their intro-
  duction into consumer’s homes became common slang, 
  then just part of the language. Superheroes were routine-
  ly called upon to battle video game characters brought to 
  life by a new wave of tech-savvy villains, or else battled for 
  their lives in deadly arenas built to mimic popular games.
  TECHNOLOGY
  Technology in the Iron Age lags only a generation behind 
  the modern world. Much of the tech we rely on—cell 
  phones, the internet, electric vehicles—already exist but 
  in a larger, more expensive state. Heroes take no penalty 
  to Technology or Vehicles checks using Iron Age gear.
  BIOTECHNOLOGY
  While medical technology had begun experimenting with 
  implants as early as the 1940s and ‘50s, the 1980s and 
  ’90s saw huge revolutions in terms of medical implants 
  and technology. The introduction of human insulin, the 
  development of MRI scanning technology, the first sur-
  gical robots, the perfection of laser cataract surgery, and  
  microprocessor-controlled replacement limbs that vastly 
  improved the functionality of prosthetics all occur during 
  this era. While bionic powers had appeared in comics 
  books before the 1980s, the Iron Age saw an explosion 
  in the popularity of heroes and villains sporting various 
  replacement limbs, implants, or even entire bodies inte-
  grated with metal, chrome, and other cybernetic compo-
  nents, but controlled by a human brain.
  Genetics came into its own as a field as well, with DNA 
  sequencing and fingerprinting becoming a tool for both 
  medicine and law enforcement during the Iron Age. 
  Cloning became a medical reality as well when British sci-
  entists cloned Dolly the sheep, and the advent of stem-
  cell therapies followed not long after. In the world of su-
  perheroes, genetics became the wondrous new answer to 
  fantastic powers, replacing things like chemical spills and 
  nuclear energy as the go-to source for superpowers.
  Comics followed suit, introducing clones and genetically-
  engineered characters into existing plotlines—some-
  times to embarrassing excess.
  COMPUTERS
  The 1980s finally saw the mass-market release of afford-
  able home computers and video game systems, leading 
  to a revolution in how Americans worked and spent free 
  time. Self-contained systems like the Apple II and the 
  TRS-80 (both released in 1977), and the Commodore 64 
  (released in 1982) were more powerful than systems that 
  had taken America to the moon and automated many 
  of the slow tasks that had once required close attention. 
  Over time, ever smaller microprocessors meant compa-
  nies could incorporate computers into more things, from 
  automobiles to phones to medical equipment, providing 
  more versatility in their function and the ability to diag-
  nose problems and store user data.
  Increased processing power also saw the first generation 
  of virtual reality during the Iron Age. Though the concept 
  had been around since 1957, and the first prototype head-
  sets had appeared in 1968, the late ‘80s and early ‘90s saw 
  a leap forward. More advanced than what video games 
  could offer, virtual reality promised whole, simulated 
  worlds communicated to users through goggle-based, 
  if still bulky, headsets and the miracle of digital process-
  ing. While the reality of virtual reality lagged behind the 
  promise—leaving VR largely the domain of commercially 
  failed gaming peripherals that were often painful to use, 
  research scientists, and hobbyists for another 20 years—
  comic books and television overflowed with exciting 
  stories of the wonders and dangers of the new medium.
  THE INTERNET
  The increased power of computers helped reinvent what 
  had begun as a 1960s military data network. Even by the 
  early 1980s, ARPANET—the internet’s precursor—had 
  become a global network for universities and labs ex-
  changing data and communicating at high speed, and 
  LANs became common in business environments. The 
  internet as we know it arose in 1990 when the advent of 
  the World Wide Web tied all these individual networks 
  together using common code. The internet allowed any 
  computer with a modem to connect to any other system 
  or database, letting users collaborate, share ideas, or 
  argue with strangers.
  While the internet would develop significantly over the 
  following decades, the ‘90s were an unmapped, Wild West 
  era online, with few search engines to help users navi-
  gate and various hidden communities flourishing. The 
  potential of “the web” seemed infinite at the time, and 
  many science fiction and superhero stories speculated 
  about the world “inside” the internet—often coupled with 
  virtual reality—as if it were a parallel dimension made of 
  humanity’s hidden desires and pop culture.
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  The Iron Age had a distinctive atmosphere and style. Con-
  flicts were big and deadly serious, often dragging in multi-
  ple teams of superbeings. Villains weren’t merely robbing 
  banks, they were undermining the economy, controlling 
  whole cities, or preparing campaigns of genocide.
  LETHALITY
  Iron Age heroes and villains tended to be deadly. In the 
  real world, a punch from a powerhouse capable of picking 
  up a tank or ripping would leave a huge hole in the poor 
  soul on the receiving end. You can make the players feel 
  as though they have that sort of power through a few 
  changes to the way you run your game.
  Be sure to discuss how much death you and the players 
  want in the game. Some players will look forward to laying 
  into the bad guys with no-holds-barred, while others will 
  want to maintain the heroic ideals that keep them from 
  killing. It’s best to know everyone’s expectations from the 
  start. That way, you can work out any problems and tailor 
  the level of lethality appropriately.
  Iron Age campaigns may want to differentiate between 
  lethal damage and non-lethal damage. See Lethal 
  Damage, Lethal Knockback, and Instant Death in the 
  Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, and consider what kind of 
  damage you want various weapons and powers to inflict.
  LETHAL WEAPONS
  In the Iron Age, most bladed weapons and firearms in-
  flicted lethal damage, while most bludgeoning weapons 
  were considered non-lethal. What a character reaches for 
  in a fight speaks volumes about who they are and what 
  their boundaries are; a character wielding dual katanas 
  has no qualms about maiming and killing, while a hero 
  who relies on tonfas has more concern for the lives of 
  even the terrorists and killers they try to stop.
  LETHAL POWERS
  By the standard Mutants & MasterMinds rules, powers inflict 
  non-lethal damage unless the player specifically declares 
  they’re dealing lethal damage. This may not be the case in 
  the Iron Age. Here are several options, depending on just 
  how dangerous the GM wants the campaign to be:
  NO CHANGE
  Use the rules as written in Mutants & MasterMinds. All 
  damage is considered non-lethal unless the player (or 
  Gamemaster) declares they’re intending to do lethal 
  damage. This option allows the players to decide 
  whether they’re trying to kill or knock out their oppo-
  nents. It’s not as bloody as the Iron Age is typically por-
  trayed, but it also doesn’t force the game to be run any 
  differently. If you want to play a bloodier campaign, this 
  isn’t the option for you. Of course, the players can opt to 
  always deal lethal damage.
  CHOOSE EFFECT
  Damage is handled exactly as described in the M&M rules, 
  except when any character is knocked unconscious the at-
  tacker may choose whether the defender is unconscious 
  or dying, as if they were minions. This change is mostly in-
  visible to the players, allowing everyone to play the game 
  as they always have. Only when a character fails that last 
  important save does their attacker decide if they were at-
  tacking to incapacitate or kill.
  LETHAL POWERS
  All damage inflicted by offensive superpowers is lethal 
  by default. This is the most extreme approach, and also 
  the deadliest, especially if the characters can’t choose 
  to do non-lethal damage. It’s more reflective of the Iron 
  Age approach to superpowers having scientific, real-
  world explanations and consequences, but may cause a 
  lot of problems for the GM when all the campaign villains 
  (and maybe some of the heroes) end up dead at the end 
  of the night. If your campaign uses this option you may 
  also want to allow characters to declare they’re aiming to 
  wound (non-lethal) instead of kill (lethal). Typically, the 
  heroes should stick with lethal damage, but if it’s impor-
  tant someone makes it through the fight alive, they still 
  have the option to do non-lethal damage instead.
  SOME LETHAL
  Some attacks are lethal and some are non-lethal. The 
  Gamemaster should decide, before the campaign begins, 
  what attacks, if any, will always be considered non-lethal 
  or lethal. For example, you might decide that all firearms, 
  bladed weapons, and fire powers are lethal, but let players 
  decide whether or not their other powers are lethal. This 
  option can be more work for the GM, but makes for a con-
  sistent world that puts a broader sense of control in the 
  players’ hands.
  ABILITY STRAIN
  Iron Age stories often involve character pushing them-
  selves beyond their limits, causing themselves physical 
  and emotional harm to handle the life-and-death stakes 
  of the era. Characters can choose to suffer a temporary 
  reduction in an ability score in order to gain a brief, one-
  time bonus to an ability check. Ability Strain is another 
  optional rule from the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide that is 
  especially appropriate for Iron Age campaigns. 
  Gamemasters may choose to waive the usual limit that 
  prevents characters from debilitating an Ability Score 
  using Ability Strain, allowing extreme heroes to perform 
  heroic deeds at the potential cost of their own lives.
  RULES CONSIDERATIONS
  RULES CONSIDERATIONS
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  VISITING HEROES
  VISITING HEROES
  SKILLS
  Most of the technology and vehicles used during the Iron 
  Age are familiar enough to 21st-century time travelers that 
  they suffer no penalty on skills like Technology and Vehicles, 
  though modern computers and smartphones use more ad-
  vanced operating systems and protocols that won’t mesh 
  readily with computer systems of the 1980s and ‘90s.
  IRON AGE ADVANTAGES
  In an era where overwhelming force is the tactic of choice, 
  Power Attack is easily the most iconic Advantage. Ulti-
  mate Effort reflects the Iron Age’s high drama, while Skill 
  Mastery and Fearless both help flesh out the grim, unflap-
  pable warriors who dominated the night.
  Iron Age heroes tended to be gritty, angry, and fonts of 
  obscure information as the internet made vast stores of 
  knowledge available to them (and comic book writers). 
  Domineer 
  Skill
  Your threats stick with opponents and leave them distract-
  ed. When you successfully demoralize an opponent with 
  the Intimidation skill, they remain Impaired for a number 
  of rounds equal to the Degrees of Success on your initial 
  check. With four or more Degrees of Success, your target 
  is Disabled until the end of your next turn, then Impaired 
  for the remaining duration.
  Additional attempts to demoralize the same opponent 
  replace the remaining duration rather than add to it.
  Dedicated Defense 
  Combat
  You can focus entirely on a single opponent, improving 
  your defenses but leaving yourself open to attacks from  
  other combatants. As a Free action on your turn, when you 
  are targeted by two or more attackers, you can increase 
  your Dodge and Parry Defenses by up to +5 against one 
  opponent and subtract the same amount from your Dodge 
  and Parry defense against all other attackers. Your Dodge 
  and Parry bonus against the single opponent cannot more 
  than double, and you cannot impose a penalty that would 
  reduce your effective Dodge and Parry defenses below 0. 
  This adjustment lasts until the beginning of your next turn.
  Non-lethal Tactics 
  Combat
  You have trained to disable opponents without killing 
  them, such as striking with the flat of the blade or taking 
  an enemy’s legs out from under them. You may choose to 
  inflict non-lethal damage with attacks and weapons that 
  normally inflict lethal damage.
  This Advantage is only appropriate for campaigns that dif-
  ferentiate between lethal and non-lethal damage.
  Quick Study 
  Skill, Ranked
  You can study a subject to quickly gain a basic working 
  understanding of it. With one hour of study or instruction, 
  you gain a bonus to an Expertise skill of your choice equal 
  to your Quick Study rank; this bonus counts as being 
  trained in the skill. This passing knowledge fades after 24 
  hours. You can only apply the benefit of this Advantage to 
  one Expertise skill at a time.
  The Iron Age represents a dangerous era for visiting 
  time travelers thanks to its abundance of gun-wielding, 
  lethal-minded warriors on both sides of the law. Even 
  well-meaning heroes’ nerves are frayed and they are 
  likely to take a few shots at unwitting visitors caught in 
  the wrong place at the wrong time. Most visitors to this 
  era take a keen interest in the fall of global Communism 
  and the dissolution of the USSR; many modern Crime 
  Lords may be former Soviet spies and military leaders 
  left out in the cold when their government collapsed, 
  while supervillains may be escapees from abandoned 
  Soviet experiments. This era also marks the rise of many 
  modern national gangs that modern heroes may still be 
  battling. The era also saw the rise of modern media con-
  glomerates, who would come to be incredibly powerful 
  corporate powers and even propagandists shaping 21st-
  century politics.
  The 1980s and especially the 1990s are the era of modern 
  heroes’ parents and childhoods, and so any time traveler 
  looking to tamper with the hero’s timeline or adjust their 
  moral compass may strike at them during these turbulent 
  years. This personal experience also makes the Iron Age 
  a very familiar era for modern time travelers. One barely 
  different from their home time save for minor improve-
  ments to technology and changes in fashion and slang. 
  Adventures set in this era may feel especially personal as 
  time travelers re-visit sights and locations important to 
  their own childhoods.
  Possible plot hooks include:
  • Heroes must recover the never-recorded pilot episode 
  of a largely forgotten sketch comedy series, which con-
  tains coded secrets.
  • A well-intentioned traveler from the future arrives in 
  the early 1990s to eliminate media personalities who 
  helped lead to their dark timeline.
  • Early virtual reality experiments created a cult of tech-
  nological sleeper agents, and time travelers must go 
  back to stop the cult’s creation.
  • An experimental CIA drug released in urban neighbor-
  hoods in the early ‘90s unexpectedly allows a small per-
  centage of users to project their minds into different times.
  • A procognitive hero from the Iron Age begins using her 
  power to change the present to ways that she hopes 
  will improve the future.
  • Temporal terrorists rip a few years of the 1990s out to 
  form a repeating "island" of time where the worst traits 
  of the iron Age grow slightly worse each recursion.
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  IRON AGE HEROES
  IRON AGE HEROES
  Heroes in the Iron Age are able to dish out incred-
  ible amounts of damage while taking at least as much in 
  return. It’s common to see a hero take blow after blow in 
  a fight and come out scraped, battered, and bloody. In 
  some cases, the damage looks so extreme that there’s no 
  way that the hero could survive, but somehow he takes 
  a few deep breaths, wipes his brow, and soldiers on to 
  the next encounter. Conversely, the bad guys, especially 
  thugs, rarely walk away from the fight unscathed, if they 
  walk away at all.
  Characters from the Iron Age have much in common with 
  heroes from typical Mutants & MasterMinds campaigns. 
  They have access to the same powers, they’re of similar 
  power levels, and they want to stop the bad guys. It’s the 
  differences, however, that make an Iron Age character 
  stand out. Powers typically have darker, deadlier, or more 
  demonic effects than those possessed by characters from 
  other ages. In addition, when an Iron Age hero stops the 
  bad guys, they stay stopped.
  STARTING POWER LEVELS
  Iron Age heroes range from street-level vigilantes armed 
  with modern weaponry and combat experience to power-
  ful demons and mutants tapping into forces beyond their 
  ability to fully control. This section outlines how these dif-
  ferences translate into the Mutants & MasterMinds rules.
  REALISTIC STREET-LEVEL HEROES 
  PL 5
  These characters benefit from years of combat experience 
  that they now apply against gangs, the mob, terrorists, 
  and other “mundane” villains threatening society. Unlike 
  the two-fisted heroes of the pulp era, these characters 
  are deeply flawed, with harsh, pragmatic worldviews that 
  nearly make them anti-heroes. While these characters 
  may encounter psychics, mystics, or other super-powered 
  foes, they rarely have those powers themselves, instead 
  relying on their ability to outgun, outthink, and outfight 
  their opponents. This can result in characters who closely 
  resemble each other on paper, but such a campaign offers 
  players the challenge of further defining their hero (or 
  anti-hero) through specializing in an area of expertise and 
  through roleplaying.
  CINEMATIC STREET-LEVEL HEROES 
  PL 8
  Cinematic games cover a wide range of character pos-
  sibilities, from normal humans with an incredible ability 
  to endure punishment to martial arts masters able to use 
  their chi to amazing effect. At its upper range, it even in-
  cludes characters on the verge of being “real” superheroes.
  Characters in these games often appear to lack powers, 
  but can nevertheless dish out and handle extreme 
  amounts of damage. In addition, they have access to 
  specialized equipment—perhaps even cybernetic im-
  plants—beyond what’s available in the real world. De-
  pending on the setting, these characters may have low-
  level or inconspicuous powers, or ones that make them 
  just a little more powerful than a “normal” person has any 
  right to be. Heroes may be costumed or not, depending 
  on the game’s setting and the character’s background. 
  The characters from Watchmen fall into this category, with 
  the exception of the nigh-omnipotent Dr. Manhattan.
  CLASSIC IRON AGE HEROES 
  PL 10
  This is the standard power level for Iron Age characters. 
  While it may seem like lower power levels are more appro-
  priate for Iron Age games, such limits are best for games 
  featuring skilled normals and street-level vigilantes. The 
  Iron Age was loaded with heroes with fantastic powers 
  that could be threatened only by other superbeings. Char-
  acters at this power level aren’t limited to being “mostly 
  human”; players can create demons, cyborgs, time travel-
  ers, and more. The differences between standard super-
  heroes and Iron Age characters are in attitude and focus, 
  not power level.
  Classic Iron Age heroes may look completely mundane, 
  but it’s just as likely they’re flaming-skulled demons or 
  inhuman were-creatures. Importantly, as opposed to 
  heroes from other ages, the Iron Age heroes’ powers are 
  often regarded as curses, barely controlled or understood. 
  Other characters, whose powers come from mundane 
  sources, like training or specialized knowledge, have 
  access to any powers available to standard M&M heroes, 
  but the manner in which the character employs them 
  differs.
  OVER-THE-TOP IRON AGE HEROES 
  PL 13
  The comics that inaugurated the Iron Age asked, “What 
  does it mean to the rest of humanity when gods exist 
  alongside us?” Characters in this range tend to be 
  inhuman in some way, whether actually alien or just with 
  a sense of the otherworldly about them. It’s important 
  that these godlike beings feel separate from the rest of 
  humanity. Their powers are beyond the scope of others in 
  the same setting, at least in terms of pure offensive capa-
  bility if not intelligence or cunning. Their only weakness, if 
  it can be called such, is these beings want to be human, so 
  they often hold their powers in check or ignore the effect 
  they could have on the world if they applied themselves.
  Because these super-powerful entities’ abilities can over-
  shadow those of the player characters, they often work 
  best as non-player characters. But a GM comfortable with 
  a mix of power levels and a story that offers challenges to 
  all involved could allow players to use godlike characters 
  to create a highly memorable game. The important thing 
  to remember in this type of campaign is to give everyone 
  a chance to shine, not just those characters who could 
  crack the Earth in half if they wished.
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  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  REALISTIC POWERS
  In the Iron Age, every aspect of the superhero genre was 
  re-examined and re-imagined with an eye towards veri-
  similitude. While no one wanted to get rid of super-pow-
  ers entirely, many characters were re-thought and their 
  powers re-explained to give them consistency and make 
  them seem more realistic.
  LOWER-POWERED HEROES
  Heroes in the Iron Age often don’t have powers or have 
  only low-level ones. Typically, these characters arm and 
  armor themselves appropriately to fight their battles, 
  using their powers as an unexpected ace in the hole to 
  help them out of any jams they can’t escape any other 
  way. More than others, these low-powered characters are 
  likely to use lethal force, usually in the form of firearms 
  and other conventional weapons, while relying on their 
  powers only when they need to.
  CONSEQUENCES OF POWERS
  The increase in emphasis on realism in comics means the 
  effects of powers are more tangible and dangerous; attacks 
  that miss their mark destroy streets, knock down walls, or 
  kill bystanders instead of just being an inconvenient miss 
  in combat. A battle between superbeings (or worse, teams 
  of superbeings) is an incredibly dangerous place for in-
  nocents. Any bystanders injured or killed in a fight, which 
  happens often with the energies being thrown around, is 
  fuel for the authorities to turn public opinion against super-
  types and crack down on all superbeings, good or bad.
  Potential consequences for using powers are a big draw-
  back. Heroes respond to this threat by concealing their ac-
  tivities or being so powerful they’re able to deal with the 
  fallout. Villains, on the other hand, revel in the danger they 
  pose to the rest of the world and use their powers when-
  ever and wherever they can cause the most damage.
  GUNS, GUNS, GUNS!
  The Iron Age saw more firearms than ever before in the 
  hands of private citizens—not just hunting rifles, but a 
  growing collection of everything from pistols to fully auto-
  matic weapons. Many felt threatened by the rise of urban 
  gangs with ever-escalating firepower and felt the need to 
  arm themselves appropriately. Iron Age heroes were no dif-
  ferent. In the Iron Age, most heroes set aside flashy blasters, 
  energy swords, and fantastic Silver Age gadgets in favor of 
  a more realistic (and often much more lethal) arsenal. Even 
  characters with inherent powers often carried a pistol or 
  grenade to back up or supplement their abilities.
  Setting aside Silver Age-flavored weaponry doesn’t mean 
  the heroes of the Iron Age don’t like their weapons to be 
  high-tech. To the detail-obsessed hero of the Iron Age, a 
  basic weapon, no matter the quality of its construction, 
  has accessories and options to peruse and choose in order 
  to construct the perfect tool for the mission: a simple 
  pistol might get outfitted with an extended magazine, 
  a telescopic sight, a silencer, and a recoil buffer. A com-
  mando knife might get a compass in the pommel and a 
  miniature survival kit packed into its hollow handle.
  ARMING UP
  While guns are commonplace in the Iron Age, that doesn’t 
  mean all weapons are easy to acquire. The attempted as-
  sassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981 initiated 
  a push for tighter gun control that persisted throughout 
  the Iron Age and culminated in 1994 when the Brady 
  Handgun Violence Prevention Act, which required anyone 
  purchasing a handgun to wait five days while the seller 
  performed a background check on the buyer, became law.
  Heroes of the Iron Age find they can purchase a wide array 
  of weaponry, but doing so legally takes significant time 
  and money, and leaves a wide paper trail. Street-level 
  heroes might lack the money for all the weaponry they 
  desire, and heroes who wear a mask to protect their iden-
  tity will be averse to filling out forms for a background 
  check. Thus, many Iron Age campaigns will feature some 
  of the many alternate ways of acquiring an arsenal.
  Some heroes acquire their weaponry as legitimate pur-
  chases from a sporting goods store, a gun show, or 
  another legal venue and either no longer care if they are 
  identified or have taken steps (such as filing the serial 
  numbers off the weapon) to break the links between the 
  gun and their identity. Alternately, even if an Iron Age 
  hero doesn’t have a military background, they may have 
  a connection to someone in the military with access to 
  weaponry. Of course, the hero may be asked to perform 
  a service to the military on either a one-time or ongoing 
  basis in exchange for their weaponry.
  There is a third option: the black market. From back-alley 
  grifters selling Saturday night specials out of a suitcase to 
  world-class arms dealers operating illegal underground 
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  showrooms secretly selling tanks and artillery pieces, 
  nearly anything is available to anyone for the right price, 
  if you know where to look. Some of those same weapons 
  a hero might have been given in service to the military 
  could be among those that slip onto the black market, 
  making advanced military technology available to heroes 
  and villains alike who were decidedly not in the military. 
  Those weapons may be particularly dangerous to carry, 
  though, given that the military is more zealous about 
  tracking down missing rocket launchers than a sporting 
  goods store might be if a shotgun slips off the books.
  BLADES OF FURY
  Guns aren't the only part of the Iron Age hero’s arsenal. 
  Most carried knives or other blades. While a very few 
  might still carry a trusty pocketknife, many wield the 
  modern version of the Bowie knife, a massive hooked 
  and serrated stainless steel commando knife. Others 
  carry a perfectly balanced throwing knife, or even a 
  brace of them.
  While some in the Iron Age developed their penchant for 
  weaponry as part of their military training, others learned 
  about weapons during their martial arts training in the Far 
  East or at their neighborhood dojo. These martial artists 
  might still carry a pistol, but it will be alongside a katana, 
  a wakizashi, or any of a variety of martial arts weapons. 
  Swords may not be commonly seen on the streets, but 
  many heroes carry them out of honor, or perhaps because 
  they’re so effective at cutting people up. Even if they do 
  carry a gun, many martial artists carry a pocket full of 
  shuriken to take out targets at range.
  The Underworld and Soldier minion archetypes from the 
  Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide both reflect the abundant, 
  well-armed threats faced by Iron Age heroes, and Ninjas 
  are all but required. Moody or emotionally dramatic vil-
  lains, like the Overlord, Psycho, Puppeteer, and Vampire 
  were all especially prominent. The following statblocks 
  are especially useful in the Golden Age:
  DETECTIVE
  Armed to the teeth, bitter, and keen-eyed, the loose-can-
  non detective was the iconic Iron Age hero. She might be 
  the cop on the force aiming to take vigilantes down a peg, 
  or the only one willing to work with them, helping them 
  work outside the law when the justice system fails.
  MIDDLE MANAGER
  While the CEOs of sinister Iron Age corporations are best 
  represented with the Crime Lord villain archetype, they 
  often rely on amoral middle management to carry out 
  their sinister schemes, hire mercenaries, and lead deni-
  able projects. These statistics model these nefarious cogs 
  in the corporate machine.  
  SEWER MUTANT
  Whether called Agarthans, C.H.U.D., Mahars, Morlocks, Un-
  derlanders, or Underworlders, the sewers and subterranean 
  tunnels of the Iron Age played home to those super-pow-
  ered beings whose monstrous appearances (and often dis-
  gusting or murderous habits) set them apart from human 
  society. Some communities were peaceful, wanting only to 
  hide, while others were bitter, violent, or even cannibalistic, 
  depending on the needs of the story. This statblock repre-
  sents a typical “grunt” mutant; unique members or leaders 
  are likely to have more bizarre abilities.
  STATBLOCKS
  STATBLOCKS
  Middle Manager 
  PL 4 • MR4 • 53 points
  STR 0 STA 1 AGL 1 DEX 2 FGT 1 INT 3 AWE 1 PRE 2
  Equipment: Bulletproof Vest, Car, Cell Phone, Heavy Pistol.
  Advantages: 
  Benefit 
  2 
  (Security 
  Clearance, 
  Wealth), 
  Equipment 4, Fascinate (Persuasion), Leadership, Teamwork.
  Skills: Deception 4 (+6), Expertise: Business 6 (+9), Insight 4 
  (+5), Persuasion 6 (+8), Technology 2 (+5), Vehicles 2 (+4).
  Offense: Init +1, Heavy Pistol +2 (Ranged, Damage 4), 
  Unarmed +1 (Close, Damage 1).
  Defense: Dodge 3, Parry 3, Fortitude 4, Toughness 5, Will 4.
  Totals: Abilities 22 + Powers 0 + Advantages 9 + Skills 12 (24 
  ranks) + Defenses 10 = 53
  Sewer Mutant 
  PL 6 • MR5 • 64 points
  STR 2 STA 6 AGL 2 DEX 2 FGT 2 INT 0 AWE 1 PRE -1
  Powers: Blaster: Ranged Damage 6 (Accurate 2) or Bruiser: 
  Enhanced Strength 6, Regeneration 2.
  Advantages: Daze (Intimidation), Power Attack.
  Skills: Athletics 4 (+6), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+4), Expertise: 
  Streetwise 4 (+4), Intimidation 6 (+5), Stealth 4 (+6). Offense: Init 
  +2, Blast +6 (Ranged, Damage 6) or Super-Strength Punch +4 
  (Close, Damage 8), Unarmed +4 (Close, Damage 2).
  Offense: Init +2, Blast +6 (Ranged, Damage 6), Unarmed +4 
  (Close, Damage 2 or 8)
  Defense: Dodge 6, Parry 6, Fortitude 6, Toughness 6, Will 4.
  Totals: Abilities 28 + Powers 13 + Advantages 2 + Skills 10 (20 
  ranks) + Defenses 11 = 64
  Detective 
  PL 5 • MR5 • 75 points
  STR 2 STA 3 AGL 0 DEX 1 FGT 5 INT 3 AWE 5 PRE 1
  Equipment: Flashlight, Handcuffs, Heavy Pistol, Shotgun.
  Advantages: Defensive Roll 2, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 4, 
  Improved Disarm, Second Chance (Toughness checks against 
  unarmed damage), Seize Initiative, Well-informed.
  Skills: Athletics 4 (+6), Deception 4 (+5), Insight 4 (+9), 
  Intimidation 4 (+5), Investigation 8 (+11), Perception 2 
  (+7), Ranged Combat: Guns 4 (+5), Sleight of Hand 4 (+5), 
  Vehicles 4 (+5).
  Offense: Init +0, Heavy Pistol +5 (Ranged, Damage 4), Shotgun 
  +5 (Ranged, Damage 3/5), Unarmed +5 (Close, Damage 0).
  Defense: Dodge 3, Parry 5, Fortitude 5, Toughness 5/3*, Will 5 
  *Without Defensive Roll.
  Totals: Abilities 40 + Powers 0 + Advantages 11 + Skills 19 (38 
  ranks) + Defenses 5 = 75
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  Red, white, and blue is all you see 
  But does it mean you're really free?
  —Reagan Youth, “USA”
  New York was a city in decline in the 1970s. It lost many 
  manufacturing jobs and a good chunk of its population 
  to “white flight.” Over the course of the decade, 800,000 
  people would leave the city for the suburbs and points 
  beyond. These families were generally middle class, and 
  their loss caused NYC’s tax revenues to decline just as the 
  entire country entered a recession. By 1975, New York City 
  teetered on the edge of bankruptcy, something which 
  would have been inconceivable a generation earlier. 
  Mayor Abe Beame asked the Federal Government for help 
  and initially President Gerald Ford rebuffed him, leading to 
  the famous Daily News headline, “Ford to City: Drop Dead.” 
  The city eventually secured loans to stave off bankruptcy, 
  and Ford changed his mind to offer some assistance, but 
  the city continued to struggle.
  The city government pursued a strategy called “planned 
  shrinkage” to save money and balance its budget. Certain 
  neighborhoods—the Lower East Side and South Bronx 
  among them—were starved of resources. They lost fire 
  houses, hospitals, and schools. The idea was to funnel the 
  money saved into other neighborhoods that the city be-
  lieved to be better investments. As for the residents of the 
  Lower East Side and South Bronx, they could drop dead. 
  Landlords played their role in the hollowing out of New 
  York City as well. It became common practice to neglect 
  their buildings, ceasing repairs or routine upkeep while 
  continuing to rent increasingly decrepit apartments. 
  Many stopped paying their property taxes, and at a certain 
  point they just began to walk away from their buildings 
  altogether. The city took ownership of thousands of such 
  buildings in the ‘70s but lacked the resources to care for 
  them. Most were simply bricked up and left to rot. 
  By the mid-‘80s, New York had begun to turn around eco-
  nomically, but things were far from rosy. A series of cor-
  ruption scandals rocked the third term of Mayor Ed Koch. 
  Neighborhood gangs turned more and more into drug 
  operations. The AIDS epidemic tore through the city’s 
  gay community, and for too long the powers that be did 
  nothing about it. 
  And where were New York City’s superheroes? Dead, 
  retired, or isolated. 
  New York had its share of “mystery men” in the 1930s. 
  During World War II, the city’s most prominent heroes 
  joined together as the New York Five to do their part to 
  defeat the Axis. The team had one hero from each of the 
  city’s five boroughs and generated considerable local 
  pride. Lionized in newsreels, the Five pulled off many 
  high-stakes commando raids. Then, in 1945, tragedy 
  struck. Operating behind enemy lines, the New York Five 
  IRON AGE NEW YORK CITY
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  sought to liberate important American prisoners cap-
  tured in the recent Battle of the Bulge. They followed the 
  trail to Dresden, infiltrating the city just as waves of Allied 
  bombers converged on the city. Caught in the ensuing 
  firestorm, the New York Five met a grim end. Only the 
  Brooklyn Brawler survived and he never raised a fist again. 
  When the war ended, he returned home and refused to 
  speak about Dresden or the war for the rest of his life.  
  New heroes rose in the late '50s and early '60s. The most 
  celebrated of them was the original Raven. For a time the 
  Raven had a rival known as Nighttide, a costumed crime-
  fighter purported to be bullet proof. In 1966, Nighttide 
  simply disappeared and her fate remains unknown. Con-
  spiracy rags peddled theories about this for decades and 
  from time to time witnesses claim to have seen Nighttide, 
  but the mystery endured. There was some hope Nighttide 
  might emerge when Raven retired, but heroes remained 
  few and far between in New York City throughout the 
  1970s. When the gun-toting vigilante known as the Regu-
  lator was found with 48 bullets in his corpse in 1980, the 
  era seemed well and truly over. 
  GEOGRAPHY
  Rocks are flying, bottles thrown 
  Badges covered so no one knows
  —The Radicts, “Revolution City
  Covering all of New York City is beyond the scope of this 
  book, so this section concentrates on the Lower East 
  Side of Manhattan. There were farms in the area in the 
  city’s early days but by the 1840s the neighborhood took 
  on its character as a home to immigrants. It was known 
  as Kleindeutschland—“Little Germany”—for many years 
  due to its concentration of Germans, but successive 
  waves of immigration in the late 19th and early 20th 
  century saw Italians, Eastern European Jews, Poles, Rus-
  sians, Ukrainians, Chinese, and many other groups settle 
  in the tenement buildings of the Lower East Side. Sub-
  sequent decades saw African Americans, Puerto Ricans, 
  Dominicans, and other Latin Americans settle in the 
  neighborhood as well. 
  The exact boundaries of the Lower East Side have changed 
  over the years and are something New Yorkers continue to 
  debate to this day. This chapter takes a broad view, with 
  a northern boundary of 14th Street, a western boundary 
  of the Bowery and 3rd Avenue, a southern boundary of 
  the Manhattan Bridge and Canal Street, and an eastern 
  boundary of the East River. This includes areas like the East 
  Village, Alphabet City, and parts of Chinatown. 
  While today the Lower East Side has gentrified and you 
  will find expensive hotels, restaurants, and boutiques 
  there, in the 1980s it was a different story. Many of the 
  abandoned buildings had burned down or collapsed. It 
  was common to pass empty or rubble-filled lots, many 
  of which became open-air drug markets. Many old tene-
  ment buildings remained, as did other reminders of the 
  garment industry that was once so prevalent there. The 
  various immigrant communities all left their marks, even 
  if some of them moved on to other boroughs or states. 
  Jewish delis like Katz’s and 2nd Avenue remained staples. 
  The Russian and Turkish Baths dated back to the 19th 
  century, while the Nuyorican Poets Café started up in the 
  1970s. The old Bowery music halls were replaced by more 
  modern clubs like CBGBs—one of the birthplaces of punk 
  rock—and A7, the launchpad for New York hardcore in the 
  early ‘80s.
  In the ‘70s and ‘80s squatters took over many of the aban-
  doned buildings in the Lower East Side. The squats are 
  scattered all over the area but with a concentration of 
  them on East 13th St. The squatters spent years trying to 
  make their buildings livable, though many remain cold 
  and in poor repair. In some cases, there was little left but 
  the building’s walls, so everything from floors and inte-
  rior walls on up needed to be rebuilt, wiring done, and 
  plumbing replaced. Even for those who put in the work, 
  squatting is a difficult lifestyle with a constant fear of evic-
  tion. Those that stay around long enough can make a 
  legal claim to their buildings, though the city government 
  remains hostile to this until well into the ‘90s. 
  The gentrification of the Lower East Side began in what 
  is now known as the East Village. This is the area between 
  Houston Street and E. 14th St. Artists, hippies, musicians, 
  and other free spirits began to move there in the ‘60s, 
  seeking cheaper rent than they could find in Greenwich 
  Village. Real estate agents realized this and began to 
  market the area as the East Village to distance it from the 
  rough reputation of the Lower East Side. St. Marks Place, 
  though only three blocks long, became a cultural hub. 
  On the east side of St. Marks Place is Tompkins Square 
  Park, the biggest bit of greenery in the Lower East Side. 
  In 1988, it would become a battleground (see Key Events). 
  KEY EVENTS
  Open your eyes and look around  
  at the racism and the hate 
  Open your mind and understand  
  the oppression by the state
  —Nausea, “Smash Racism”
  Drug use was nothing new in New York City, but the 
  crack epidemic of the early 1980s changed everything. 
  Suddenly a rich person’s drug was available at poor 
  people’s prices. The high was quick but so was the ad-
  diction. Neighborhoods like the Lower East Side saw an 
  explosion of drug use, and with it increased crime and 
  violence. The neighborhood gangs that had once been 
  about local pride and protecting turf withered away 
  or changed into drug operations. The media began 
  to notice in 1985. By 1988 things were spiraling out of 
  control, and that year saw the city’s worst rates of murder 
  and violent crime. 
  In 1986 a huge political scandal erupted surrounding the 
  city’s Parking Violations Bureau. By the time it was over, 
  powerful politicians were taken down, dozens more con-
  victed of bribery and other crimes, and longtime Queens 
  borough president Donald Manes committed suicide 
  when his role in everything was discovered. One of the 
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  prosecutors of the PVB scandal was Peter Gallo, a young 
  hotshot eager to distance himself from rumors of Mafia 
  ties that often dogged Italian Americans in New York. He 
  garnered praise for his honesty and prosecutorial zeal. 
  While the biggest names in city politics were embroiled in 
  this and other scandals, something else was happening on 
  the Lower East Side. Low income housing was being torn 
  down to make way for condos and other real estate devel-
  opment. This contributed to a rise in homelessness, all the 
  more ironic in a city that still had many vacant buildings. 
  Tompkins Square Park had a homeless encampment, and 
  was a regular hangout for punks, squatters, artists, gang 
  members, and a cross-section of other people from the 
  neighborhood. In the summer of 1988, the Parks Depart-
  ment put a 1 am curfew on the park. Community organiz-
  ers rallied the park’s denizens to protest the curfew. On 
  August 6, the protest became a riot—at the hands of the 
  police. Certainly, some of the protesters were obnoxious. 
  Traffic was blocked, a few bottles and rocks thrown—
  hardly extreme for a NYC protest. In response, 400 police 
  officers—mounted and on foot—went on a rampage, 
  charging the protesters with billy clubs. Many covered 
  their badges so they could not be identified as they 
  chased down and beat protesters and anyone else caught 
  in the area. The violence continued until 6 am. The Police 
  Department eventually admitted responsibility but no of-
  ficers faced consequences for their actions that night. 
  The Tompkins Square Park Riot was consequential in 
  many ways. It would lead to reactions from all sides, and 
  the rise of new heroes and villains.
  VILLAINS OF THE LES
  Make no mistake, all they want is your money 
  And all they need is your numb nod of approval 
  And all they demand is your silence 
  Are you gonna hand it to them?
  —Born Against, “Born Again”
  Peter Gallo made his name as a prosecutor fighting politi-
  cal corruption, and watched the footage from the Tomp-
  kins Square Park Riot with alarm. He wasn’t angry that the 
  police were out of control, but rather that the forces of law 
  and order looked bad. And he knew who to blame: squat-
  ters, anarchists, and other scum of the Lower East Side. 
  He wanted to bring cases against known troublemakers, 
  but his boss quashed the idea, saying they had larger con-
  cerns than street agitators. This did not sit well with Gallo.
  Disappointed by his supervisor’s apathy, Gallo wanted to 
  administer street justice directly. After being on the news 
  frequently during the PVB scandal trials, he could hardly 
  show his face while doing so. So began Gallo’s transforma-
  tion into the villain known as Riot Shield (use the Psycho 
  archetype from the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, with an 
  arsenal that includes a club, shotgun, and tear gas, and 
  smoke grenades). Friends in the police force provided 
  riot gear surplus from the ‘70s, which he painted black 
  to cover the department markings. Then Riot Shield hit 
  the streets. At first, he targeted thieving junkies and drug 
  dealers because they were people no one would stand up 
  for. Indeed, the mysterious man in black beating down 
  such reviled figures won him fans in the neighborhood. 
  Riot Shield still goes after those targets, but slowly shifted 
  to his true enemies. He began raiding squats, the offices of 
  leftist political organizations, and independent newspa-
  pers. Soon he was not alone, as Gallo attracted like-mind-
  ed vigilantes to his cause. Now he can call in up to a dozen 
  other men, most current or former cops, to assist him in 
  attacks. The violence of these raids has only increased. 
  A shadow of fear has fallen over the squatters and their 
  allies and that’s just what Riot Shield wants. 
  GHENGIS
  Riot Shield’s opposite in many ways is Hector Díaz, who is 
  known on the street as Genghis. He joined his first gang, 
  the Hitmen, at age 12 and survived countless street fights 
  and brawls. He saw firsthand how crack changed the scene. 
  While many of his contemporaries moved out of the neigh-
  borhood or retired from gang life, Genghis saw opportunity 
  in the vials littering the streets. Many gangs were moving 
  crack but each controlled only a limited area. What the 
  Lower East Side needed, Genghis decided, was a crack king 
  to control the whole operation and who better than him? 
  Genghis’s new gang, the Phantom Warlords, was a throw-
  back to the 1970s but the organization was anything but. 
  Back then beefs could be settled with knives, chains, or 
  fists, but the Phantom Warlords built a thoroughly modern 
  arsenal of pistols, submachineguns, shotguns, and even 
  assault rifles. Genghis’s goal was to get other gangs in the 
  Lower East Side to join his operation. In this he has been 
  quite successful, though there are holdouts. His biggest 
  rivals are the Tongs of Chinatown, and the Phantom War-
  lords have clashed repeatedly with Tong-affiliated gangs 
  like the Ghost Shadows and Flying Dragons. 
  Vigilantes and gangsters are nothing new in NYC, but there 
  is another player on the Lower East Side amplifying the 
  threat of Riot Shield and Genghis. The mysterious figure 
  of Midas (use the Crime Lord archetype from the Deluxe 
  Gamemaster’s Guide) is providing support to Riot Shield 
  and Genghis, though neither realizes that they share a 
  common benefactor. Riot Shield and his goon squad are 
  getting cutting edge weapons and gear. Genghis is getting 
  drugs at bargain basement prices, not realizing that the 
  heroin and crack they are getting are laced with new, ex-
  perimental drugs with wildly dangerous effects. 
  Midas is actually Merritt Forsythe, a wealthy man who 
  got even wealthier on Wall Street in the early ‘80s. He 
  used some of that money to buy Pilum, Inc., a weapons 
  manufacturer that had tried to break into the market with 
  technological innovation but failed because its original 
  owners didn’t know how to play politics. Forsythe used 
  his Ivy League contacts in the Federal Government to 
  get some Pilum prototypes in front of the Department of 
  Defense. The testing went badly wrong, killing one soldier 
  and crippling another. The DoD sent Forsythe packing. 
  Forsythe decided that Pilum’s weapons, and the designer 
  combat drugs he’d also had the company developing, 
  needed field testing—which would be cheaper and easier 
  to monitor in his own backyard. The Lower East Side pres-
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  ents a convenient laboratory for Forsythe, and he’s more 
  than willing to pay the human cost. Who’s going to miss 
  junkies and troublemakers? The next time he gets the at-
  tention of the Department of Defense, Forsythe will have 
  field-tested, reliable products to show off. And then the 
  contracts will roll in. 
  Forsythe also has an expanding portfolio as a real estate 
  developer. When the Lower East Side has been thoroughly 
  destabilized by the violence Riot Shield and the Phantom 
  Warlords are unleashing, he plans to buy up property at 
  rock-bottom prices. As gentrification spreads, he’ll be in a 
  prime position to benefit. 
  The weapons and combat drugs being tested in the 
  Lower East Side can enhance the fighting abilities of 
  normal humans, though the drugs still have debilitating 
  side effects. There is an organization right in the city that 
  monitors for these kinds of threats: The United Nations. 
  However, the UN has six different agencies dealing with 
  superhuman threats (UNISON is not formed until after the 
  Terminus invasion of 1993) and not one of them has any 
  interest in what’s happening on the Lower East Side. It’s 
  only 30 blocks away, but as far as the UN is concerned it 
  may as well be on the far side of the moon. 
  THE GORGONS
  You wanna know why we suck? 
  I’ll tell you 
  We can’t afford rehearsal time in New York City 
  That’s why we suck!
  —Even Worse, “We Suck” 
  There is one team of heroes trying to protect the Lower 
  East Side in the Iron Age: The Gorgons. Theirs is an unlikely 
  but very New York story.
  The three members of The Gorgons—Valeria Reyes, Ga-
  brielle Washington, and Leah Goldblum—first met at 
  punk rock shows in the early ‘80s. They kept running into 
  each other at CBGB’s hardcore matinees, and soon got to 
  talking. They discovered they shared a love for UK anar-
  cho-punk bands like Crass, Conflict, Omega Tribe, and Flux 
  of Pink Indians, as well as many political and social views. 
  They became good friends and developed a reputation 
  on the scene as women who took no shit. They were not 
  there to stand in the back and watch the boys mix it up 
  in the pit. They were up front, giving as good as they got. 
  In 1986, they got a cheap apartment on the Lower East 
  Side and moved in together. They had talked off and on 
  for years about forming a band and finally decided the 
  time was right. The New York hardcore scene was rather 
  too testosterone-laden in their opinion, so inspired by 
  bands like The Slits and Anti-Scrunti Faction they formed 
  The Gorgons. They rehearsed at a studio called Tu Casa on 
  Avenue B, but cheap as it was that was still proving too 
  much for the cash-strapped young punks. Val had the idea 
  to scope out some abandoned buildings. Perhaps they 
  could find a usable rehearsal space there. 
  The Gorgons found their building on E. 7th St., east of 
  Tompkins Square Park. It was sealed up tight, but still, they 
  were surprised no one had squatted it yet. Leah found 
  a way in through the basement and they were pleased 
  to discover that inside the building was in pretty good 
  shape. Gabi got the place hooked up to the electrical grid. 
  Then they broke their lease and moved in. Now they could 
  rehearse whenever they wanted, and they didn’t have to 
  worry about rent either. Soon the Gorgons were gigging 
  regularly and developing a good following. 
  As part of her wiring renovations, Gabi uncovered a 
  hidden staircase in the building’s basement and a secret 
  operations room frozen in time, with Silver Age electron-
  ics and yellowing maps of the city. The Gorgons soon 
  realized that this was the secret headquarters of 1960s 
  crimefighter, Nighttide. Her fate remained a mystery, but 
  it seemed certain she never retired voluntarily. Nighttide’s 
  HQ looked like the hero simply left one day and never re-
  turned. 
  Val and Leah thought it was interesting and a cool secret 
  for their squat, but Gabi was entranced. She was a techie 
  who could appreciate how advanced the abandoned 
  devices really were. There were several unfinished suits 
  woven from bulletproof fabric. Other gadgets looked like 
  strength enhancers and lightning projectors. Over several 
  months Gabi tinkered with this gear, updating and up-
  grading the tech where she could.
  All this was just a fun hobby for Gabi until the Tompkins 
  Square Park Riot. The Gorgons were there and saw first-
  hand how the police violence spiraled out of control. 
  When Riot Shield and the Phantom Warlords started 
  claiming the Lower East Side, they decided someone from 
  the neighborhood needed to step up and fight back. 
  That’s when The Gorgons went from being just a punk 
  band to the new heroes of the Lower East Side. 
  Ghengis 
  PL 10 • 163 points
  STR 3 STA 4 AGL 3 DEX 5 FGT 8 INT 1 AWE 3 PRE 2
  Equipment: Arsenal (Array; Assault Rifle, Flash-bang, 
  Heavy Pistol w/ Laser Scope, Sawed-Off Shotgun, Sniper 
  Rifle, Submachine gun, Sword), Binoculars, Car, Gas Mask, 
  Suppressor, Undercover Shirt. 
  Advantages: Accurate Attack, All-out Attack, Assessment, 
  Contacts, 
  Defensive 
  Attack, 
  Defensive 
  Roll, 
  Diehard, 
  Equipment 7, Evasion, Fascinate (Intimidation), Hide in 
  Plain Sight, Improved Aim, Improved Disarm, Improved 
  Initiative 2, Languages 2 (Native Language, Russian, Spanish), 
  Move-by Action, Power Attack Precise Attack (Ranged, 
  Cover), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 9, Startle, Takedown, 
  Ultimate Effort: Aim, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Break.
  Skills: Acrobatics 6 (+9), Athletics 10 (+13), Close Combat: 
  Swords 6 (+14), Deception 4 (+6), Expertise: Streetwise 10 
  (+11), Expertise: Tactics 7 (+8), Insight 5 (+8), Intimidation 8 
  (+10), Perception 6 (+9), Stealth 8 (+11), Technology 4 (+5), 
  Treatment 3 (+4), Vehicles 5 (+10).
  Offense: Init +11, Assault Rifle +14 (Ranged, Multiattack 
  Damage 5), Flash-bang +14 (Burst Area, Ranged, Dazzle 4), 
  Heavy Pistol +16 (Ranged, Damage 3), Sawed-Off Shotgun +14 
  (Ranged, Damage 5), Sniper Rifle +14 (Ranged, Damage 5, Crit 
  19–20), Submachine gun +14 (Ranged, Multiattack Damage 4), 
  Sword +14 (Close, Damage 6; Crit 19–20), Unarmed +8 (DC 18).
  Defense: Dodge 13, Parry 12, Fortitude 7, Toughness 7/4, Will 9.
  Totals: Abilities 58 + Powers 0 + Advantages 41 + Skills 41 (82 
  ranks) + Defenses 23 = 163
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  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
   
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  The Gorgons face three main threats. First, Riot Shield and 
  his goon squad claim the neighborhood in the name of 
  police brutality, primarily targeting squats. The Gorgons 
  plugged themselves into Eviction Watch, a phone list that 
  alerts the various squats when trouble brews, and have 
  begun showing up to turn back raids. At the same time, 
  the ladies are trying to slow the march of the Phantom 
  Warlords after seeing how easily heroin and crack can 
  destroy squats from the inside; despite their lackadaisical 
  views on recreational drug use, the Gorgons don’t want 
  to see the whole of the LES under one drug kingpin. The 
  Gorgons’ final threat are what they call “the Bickles”—
  white, middle-aged men inspired by the movie Taxi Driver 
  and real-world vigilantes like Bernie Goetz. They come 
  in from New Jersey with guns and the idea that they will 
  “clean up the streets.” They aren’t organized, just a group 
  of similar idiots who can still manage to get people killed. 
  The Gorgons’ contacts around the neighborhood keep an 
  eye out for Bickles prowling around the LES in their station 
  wagons. They try to scare them back to New Jersey, but 
  some confrontations have escalated into gun fights. 
  The Gorgons are as yet unaware of Midas, though they 
  do have suspicions of someone further up the food chain. 
  They’ve had several encounters with raged out junkies of 
  incredible strength and are deeply concerned about what 
  this means for the neighborhood. 
  GORGONWEAR
  Gabi has refitted several costumes originally designed by 
  the Silver Age vigilante Nighttide, which provide the team 
  with bulletproof fabric and insulation against the city’s 
  harsh weather. Micro-layers of padding also diffuse the 
  damage from falls, saving the band from an ugly end if 
  they fall from a rooftop.
  QUEEN VEE
  Valeria Reyes (guitars, vocals) is Lower East Side born and 
  raised. Her parents moved there from Puerto Rico in the 
  1960s, settling on Avenue C in the area that came to be 
  known as Loisaida. Her parents were poets, and so were 
  drawn to what was happening at the Nuyorican Poets Café 
  in the 1970s. Val has a lot of love for that scene but feels like 
  it really belongs to the older generation. She was drawn to 
  punk and sets her own poetry to raging music. Where she 
  does follow her parents’ footsteps is activism. Val is deeply 
  involved in ACT UP, a political group formed in 1987 to 
  combat the AIDS pandemic. She witnessed many friends in 
  the gay community die in the early ‘80s, and the utter indif-
  ference of the federal and city government enraged her. 
  Valeria's costumed identity is the bombastic Queen Vee. 
  She will fight for her neighborhood and the desperate 
  people in it, but is not interested in killing anyone. She 
  asked Gabi to kit her out with sonic weaponry that can 
  stun and disorient but that’s as far as she’ll go. 
  FVK
  Gabrielle Washington (bass, vocals) grew up in the South 
  Bronx. Whip smart and with an affinity for technology, 
  she’d have ended up studying engineering at an Ivy 
  League school if she was from somewhere else. As a black 
  woman from the South Bronx though, she had to find a 
  different path. A cousin of hers took her to CBGB to see 
  the Bad Brains and this opened her eyes to a whole new 
  scene. The band’s energy and speed took her breath away. 
  Soon she was spending so much time in the Lower East 
  Side she found a squat to crash at and moved there full 
  time. With her technical skills and ability to jury-rig, Gabi 
  soon became in-demand among the squatters. Thanks to 
  her, the band also began playing the “Squat or Rot” shows 
  happening in the neighborhood. 
  Queen Vee 
  PL 8 • 120 points
  STR 3 STA 3 AGL 2 DEX 3 FGT 4 INT 2 AWE 3 PRE 3
  Powers: 
  Gorgonwear 
  (Removable), 
  Immunity 
  1 
  (Environmental Cold), Movement 1 (Safe Fall), Impervious 
  Protection 6, Hardcore Immunity 5 (Sensory Affliction Effects)
  Sonic Weapon (Array, 12 points; Easily Removable)
  • Blowback Close Line Area Move Object 8 (6 tons; Limited 
  Direction Away)
  • Breakneck Cumulative Cone Area Affliction 8 (Resisted and 
  Overcome by Will; Dazed, Stunned; Limited Degree)
  • Feedback Cumulative Cone Area Affliction 8 (Resisted 
  and Overcome by Fortitude; Impaired, Disabled, Unaware, 
  Limited to Hearing)
  • Power Chord Ranged Damage 8 
  Advantages: 
  Accurate 
  Attack, 
  Connected, 
  Contacts, 
  Improvised Weapon 3, Inspire 2, Languages 1 (English, 
  Spanish), Leadership, Luck
  Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+6), Close Combat: Improvised Weapon 
  4 (+8), Expertise (PRE): Sing 6 (+9), Expertise: Current Events 
  5 (+7), Expertise: Poetry 4 (+6), Insight 6 (+9), Investigation 4 
  (+6), Persuasion 4 (+7), Ranged Combat: Sonic Weapon 5 (+8), 
  Treatment 4 (+6)
  Offense: Init +2, Improvised Weapon +8 (Close, Damage 6), 
  Power Chord +8 (Ranged, Damage 8), Unarmed +4 (Close, 
  Damage 3)
  Defense: Dodge 6, Parry 4, Fortitude 5, Toughness 9/3*, Will 9 
  *Without Gorgonwear
  Totals: Abilities 46 + Powers 28 + Advantages 11 + Skills 23 (46 
  ranks) + Defenses 12 = 120
  FVK 
  PL 8 • 120 points
  STR 1 STA 2 AGL 3 DEX 4 FGT 3 INT 5 AWE 2 PRE 1
  Powers: Gorgonwear (Removable), Immunity 1 (Environmental 
  Cold), Movement 1 (Safe Fall), Impervious Protection 6
  Lightning Gauntlets (Array, 15 points; Removable), Immunity 
  5 (Electricity Damage)
  • Lightning Bolt Ranged Damage 7 (Precise)
  • Shutdown Nullify Technology 7 (Broad, Precise)
  Advantages: Beginner’s Luck, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Jack-
  of-all-trades, Move-by Action, Set-up, Speed of Thought, Taunt
  Skills: Athletics 4 (+5), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+7), 
  Deception 6 (+7), Expertise (PRE): Guitar 6 (+7), Expertise: 
  Technology 5 (+10), Perception 4 (+6), Ranged Combat: 
  Lightning Gauntlets 5 (+9), Stealth 4 (+7), Technology 8 (+13), 
  Vehicles 3 (+7)
  Offense: Init +5, Lightning Bolt +9 (Ranged, Damage 7), 
  Unarmed +7 (Close, Damage 1)
  Defense: Dodge 8, Parry 5, Fortitude 7, Toughness 8/2*, Will 6 
  *Without Gorgonwear
  Totals: Abilities 42 + Powers 29 + Advantages 8 + Skills 25 (49 
  ranks) + Defenses 16 = 120
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  Gariell's costumed identity is FVK, an homage to the 
  Bad Brains. Her lightning gauntlets are her pride and joy. 
  She can project electricity with very fine control, able to 
  provide just enough juice to short out a circuit board or 
  blast a fool across the street, all while grounding her from 
  high-voltage hazards she works around. She also provides 
  all the tech support for The Gorgons. The team would not 
  be possible without her brilliance. 
  RED EMMA
  Leah Goldblum (drums, vocals) is from Boston originally. 
  Her grandparents immigrated to New York City during the 
  1920s, settling in among the Jewish community of the 
  Lower East Side. Her grandfather was a union man and 
  not afraid of a street brawl. When American Nazis held a 
  rally in Madison Square Garden in 1939, he was on hand to 
  punch them. Leah’s parents didn’t inherit this sort of zeal. 
  They were content to make a middle-class life for them-
  selves in Boston. Leah and her parents clashed, particu-
  larly when she got into punk rock. In 1980 she came to live 
  with her grandfather, who still maintained an apartment 
  on Rivington Street. 
  Leah loves punk rock but didn’t love the machismo of the 
  emerging hardcore scene. Soon she began replying to 
  taunts of “bull dyke” with her fists, famously kicking the shit 
  out of a Nazi skinhead in the pit at an Agnostic Front show. 
  She has found the scene at ABC No Rio, an arts space that 
  began having punk shows in the late ‘80s, much more to 
  her liking. ABC is where the misfits of the New York punk 
  scene get together. Its booking policy is “no racist, no sexist, 
  no homophobic bands,” and this is music to Leah’s ears. The 
  Gorgons now play there regularly. 
  Her costumed identity is Red Emma in honor of famous 
  anarchist and longtime LES resident Emma Goldman. She 
  wasn’t interested in any of Gabi’s fancier devices. She’s a 
  drummer who is good at hitting things. A boost to her 
  strength and tonfas that could wallop like nobody’s busi-
  ness and she was good.
  Red Emma  
  PL 8 • 120 points
  STR 7/4 STA 4 AGL 2 DEX 2 FGT 6 INT 0 AWE 1 PRE 2
  Powers: Exo Muscle Rig (Removable), Enhanced Strength 3, 
  Gorgonwear (Removable), Immunity 1 (Environmental Cold), 
  Movement 1 (Safe Fall), Impervious Protection 6
  Equipment: Club (Damage 2), Truck
  Advantages: Close Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Defensive 
  Attack, Diehard, Equipment 2, Improved Hold, Improved 
  Initiative, Interpose, Languages 1 (English, Hebrew), Power 
  Attack, Prone Fighting, Second Chance: Resisting Presence 
  skills, Takedown, Weapon Break
  Skills: Acrobatics 3 (+5), Athletics 5 (+12), Close Combat: 
  Unarmed 2 (+8), Expertise (PRE): Drums 6 (+8), Expertise: Law 8 
  (+8), Expertise: Philosophy 6 (+6), Expertise: Streetwise 7 (+7), 
  Insight 6 (+7), Intimidation 6 (+8), Persuasion 4 (+6), Stealth 5 
  (+7), Technology 2 (+2), Treatment 2 (+2), Vehicles 4 (+6)
  Offense: Init +6, Tonfa +7 (Close, Damage 9), Unarmed +9 
  (Close, Damage 7)
  Defense: Dodge 5, Parry 6, Fortitude 9, Toughness 10/4*, Will 
  6 *Without Gorgonwear
  Totals: Abilities 42 + Powers 17 + Advantages 15 + Skills 33 (66 
  ranks) + Defenses 13 = 120
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  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
   
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  CHAPTER 4: THE HEROIC ERAS
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  Chapter 5: Eras of Adventure
  Chapter 5: Eras of Adventure
  C
  ertain points in human history capture the imagina-
  tion and hold on tight, some for the major events that 
  took place, others because of cultural touchstones 
  that give a sense of heritage and pride. And still others 
  because they form a foundation for our modern under-
  standing of the world. Superhero stories often delve into 
  the legacies of these eras and how they affect the world 
  today, and time-traveling heroes visit these handful of 
  points in space and time more frequently than others.
  Each era depicted in this chapter includes a broad over-
  view and advice for using it both as a destination for time 
  travel adventures alongside advice and rules consider-
  ations for running a superhero campaign set in those 
  historical periods. Each also includes a handful of useful 
  statblocks to help or attack your time-hopping Mutants & 
  MasterMinds characters. You can pick and choose the most 
  useful elements to use for your campaign—setting your 
  adventures in the modern world but including a temporal 
  Wizard villain who can summon Roman legionnaires or 
  dinosaurs with her magic—or re-skin materials to use in 
  other eras; an Egyptian charioteer statblock works equally 
  well as a Roman chariot racer or—with the addition of a 
  shotgun—as a Wild West stagecoach driver.
  The eras are presented chronologically, with descriptions 
  based roughly on a specific year. Dates are given using CE 
  (Current Era) and BCE (Before Current Era) notation. CE 
  and BCE notation corresponds with the obsolete AD and 
  BC notations, so a date listed as 875 BCE is the same year 
  as 875 BC.
  The eras presented in this book are not textbook-accurate 
  depictions of history—even textbooks aren’t especially 
  accurate with regards to non-European history—but 
  instead reflect the slightly mythologized take on the past 
  you see in comic books and movies. Many major events 
  of their respective time periods are omitted or complex 
  issues glossed over for the sake of brevity. You can uncover 
  a wealth of game material, setting details, and adventure 
  ideas by researching any of these eras in more detail.
  OTHER ADVENTUROUS ERAS
  There are more exciting periods in history time travel-
  ers can visit than a book this size could possibly contain. 
  This chapter covers a broad selection of time periods and 
  points on the globe, but many other fascinating periods 
  exist as possible temporal destinations or to be host to 
  historically-set games.
  Indus Valley (circa 2600 BCE): The Indus River Valley in 
  modern-day Pakistan was the cradle of one of humanity’s 
  earliest known civilizations, and by 2600 BCE it hosted 
  towns and cities along the river’s length that boasted so-
  phisticated art, architecture, mathematics, writing, and 
  trade networks connecting it to far-flung corners of Asia 
  and Europe. The writing system of this millennia-spanning 
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  Cayuga, and the Seneca—all bonded by a common lan-
  guage, the Iroquois Confederacy was the most power-
  ful mainland nation to directly face European invaders. 
  Throughout the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries they were 
  one of the major players in New World politics. Wary time 
  travelers may visit the era to help preserve the extensive 
  history and culture of the nation, while others might hope 
  to help them better fare better against European disease 
  and wars and maintain their land in the present day.
  Sengoku Period Japan (circa 1580 CE): Also called the 
  Warring States period, the Japanese empire at the end of 
  the 16th century dissolved into civil war as local daimyōs 
  battle over territory while the Emperor and the shogun 
  are weakened after nearly a century of internal warfare 
  and rebellion. The brilliant tactician Oda Nobunaga has 
  held the capital of Kyoto for two years now, but spies and 
  assassins lurk everywhere. It’s an age of open warfare and 
  dark conspiracies, with samurai, ninjas, and warrior monks 
  battling for the future of the empire.
  The American Revolution (circa 1777 CE): The Ameri-
  can Revolution looms large in the minds of United States 
  superheroes, with many patriotic heroes pulling inspira-
  tion, codenames, themes, or even their powers from the 
  war’s legacy. Villainous time travelers may aid the British 
  in winning the war, creating a present where the “New 
  World” remains a colony under the Queen’s rule.
  Catherinian Russia (circa 1782 CE): After organizing 
  a coup against her own husband, Catherine II took the 
  throne of Russia and spent the next thirty-five years trans-
  forming the provincial kingdom into a modern empire 
  both feared and respected on the global stage. She ex-
  panded the kingdom’s borders through conquest and 
  diplomacy, granted expanded rights to serfs, modernized 
  the economy, and introduced public education. Her ex-
  pansions radically altered Russian daily life and charted 
  a new course for the nation as a major player in world 
  events. Visitors to the era may try to coax more progressive 
  reforms—creating a more progressive modern Russia—or 
  assassinate the prominent queen to prevent Russia’s rise 
  to the world stage.
  Victorian England (circa 1888 CE): A time of rapid tech-
  nological innovation and social re-invention, the Victorian 
  era is often thought of as the peak of the British Empire, 
  but was also an era of widespread disease, crime, warfare, 
  and predatory working conditions. In super-heroic stories, 
  it is also the home of “steampunk” technology and globe-
  trotting adventures. Time travelers may visit to travel 
  alongside gentlemen adventurers and inventors of the 
  era, while villains may try to maintain the prosperity of 
  England as a global power or attempt to assassinate 
  Queen Victoria and plunge the empire into chaos.
  Spacefarers (circa 2360 CE): In an ideal future, humanity 
  may overcome prejudice and greed and travel the stars to 
  seek new worlds and new civilizations. Superheroes and 
  others with extraordinary gifts would make ideal explor-
  ers and ambassadors, able to adapt to greater challenges 
  and dangers than the average crew. The Cosmic Handbook 
  contains a wealth of information for campaigns focused 
  on space travel.
  civilization remains indecipherable to modern scholars, so 
  time travelers might visit to study the era or understand 
  how and why it collapsed.
  Old Testament (circa 1,000 BCE): A time of wonder, 
  warfare, and tall tales, Judea in the first millennium BCE 
  was an era from which many modern faiths were born, 
  and in a world of superheroes, many of those myths may 
  be rooted in fact. Time travelers may visit to uncover lost 
  relics of the Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and 
  Islam), or to stop others from manipulating or eliminating 
  several of the modern world’s largest religions.
  Classical Greece (circa 420 BCE): Greece in the fourth 
  century BCE was a time of war and exploration across hun-
  dreds of small kingdoms whose collective culture, science, 
  and politics would help shape the European Renaissance 
  and later the modern western world. In the world of su-
  perheroes, many of the iconic myths likely originate with 
  real superhumans or gods. In addition to using this era to 
  tamper with modern politics or mythology, time travelers 
  might journey to ancient Greece to challenge the gods, 
  who have since been barred from tampering as directly 
  with the mortal world.
  Great Zimbabwe (circa 1330 CE): The Kingdom of Zim-
  babwe was one of the great empires of southern Africa. 
  Wealthy and home to some of the greatest artists and ar-
  chitects of its day, its capital, Great Zimbabwe, still stands 
  mostly intact, and unlike many empires it never fell so 
  much as migrated to conquer new lands while leaving its 
  former capital behind. Much of the history of Zimbabwe 
  was wiped out by later European conquests, and so time 
  travelers may visit to study the culture and history of the 
  region, or to profit from its fabulous stockpiles of gold, 
  copper, and ivory.
  The Incan Expansion (circa 1520 CE): The Incan 
  Empire—the largest empire in the world in its day—con-
  trolled most of western South America by the time con-
  quistadors arrived. They mastered architecture and terra-
  forming, connecting their sprawling, mountainous empire 
  with roads and bridges still in use today. As a kingdom of 
  conquerors and the conquered similar to Rome, political 
  intrigue, guerrilla warfare, and conspiracies ran rampant, 
  and the future arrival of hostile Europeans and disease 
  only added to the tension. Many of the greatest treasures 
  of the empire were lost in civil war, and time travelers may 
  arrive to uncover them, or change the outcome of the civil 
  war that left the empire vulnerable to Spanish invaders.
  Renaissance Italy (circa 1420 CE): A time of artistic and 
  philosophical revolution, but also an era of deadly serious 
  politics, assassins, and conspiracy. Italy—particularly Flor-
  ence—remains an era of intrigue and mystery, with many 
  of its riddles left unsolved and its facts obscured. Time 
  travelers may visit to learn secret knowledge or to find the 
  missing pieces of a conspiracy, to stop temporal villains 
  from profiteering or changing Europe’s future, or because 
  powerful figures of the era—such as Cosimo de’ Medici—
  may actually be immortal or time traveling villains.
  Iroquois Confederacy (circa 1555 CE): An alliance of 
  five major tribes along the southern coasts of the Great 
  Lakes—the Mohawk, the Oneida, the Onondaga, the 
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  CHApTER 5: ERAS Of ADVENTURE
  CHApTER 5: ERAS Of ADVENTURE
   
  CHApTER 5: ERAS Of ADVENTURE
  CHApTER 5: ERAS Of ADVENTURE
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  JURASSIC pLANET 
  JURASSIC pLANET 
  JURASSIC pLANET 
  JURASSIC pLANET 
   CIRCA 175 MILLION BCE
  CIRCA 175 MILLION BCE
  Long before humans rose to prominence and spread 
  across the globe, dinosaurs roamed the Earth, filling every 
  ecological niche as readily as mammals and birds do 
  today. Life in the Jurassic is a constant struggle for survival. 
  The world is super-sized in every way, from the animals to 
  the weather, and only the hardy survive. Volcanoes erupt, 
  powerful hurricanes batter forests to the ground, and 
  deadly droughts and gas pockets leave fields piled with 
  bones. Vicious predators run through the forests in packs, 
  glide through the water, or storm across plains. A glancing 
  blow from an herbivore can kill even a powerhouse. 
  The world in this period is still a single continent surround-
  ed by vast oceans, just before Pangaea begins breaking 
  apart into what will eventually be the recognizable conti-
  nents of the modern era.
  Whether you’re one of the early mammals struggling to 
  evolve in a world where you’re on the bottom of the food 
  chain, or if you were cast back from some far-distant time, 
  the Jurassic Period is no summer afternoon stroll.
  The climate in the Jurassic periofd is violent and as super-
  sized as the fauna. The oxygen-rich atmosphere fuels 
  forest fires capable of swallowing a herd of brontosaurs. 
  Hurricanes that dwarf anything the modern world knows 
  might lay waste to entire ecosystems. And the sea isn’t 
  any better—shallow and warm—it is at the mercy of 
  violent winds and waves that dash sea life onto reefs or 
  carry them far into the hills to be left stranded in trees. 
  The plants and insects are larger, too. A party may shelter 
  in a stand of ferns taller than they are or find themselves 
  fleeing a horde of ants. Even the rain is more dangerous, 
  hiding the sound of stalking allosaurs and smilodons. 
  In a super-heroic version of the distant past, eldritch and 
  magical elements are present, too. Immense primeval 
  gods blunder dimly across the world—still unformed 
  without sentient minds to worship them. Aliens tamper 
  with DNA or create colonies. Evolved saurians begin to 
  scent the darkness, wondering what is hiding beyond 
  their awareness. With so little of the world’s magical 
  energy in use, a magician capable of channeling vast 
  amounts of power may find themselves doing greater 
  works than they ever dreamed. But beware, magic is as 
  young and wild as everything else in this era, and those 
  who are not strong enough to control it may find them-
  selves burned to a husk.
  This Jurassic Planet era in Mutants & MasterMinds is loosely 
  defined, covering many millions of years before the rise 
  of human civilization, from the reign of the dinosaurs to 
  the megafauna and early hominids that spread across the 
  world after the asteroid impact. If you prefer a more re-
  alistic setting, mammals are still small rodents, and dino-
  saurs rule the land, free of people. For a more comic book 
  setting, humans tame dinosaurs as mounts and battle 
  more advanced kingdoms of sentient dinosaurs or alien 
  colonists. Talk with your players about technology and dif-
  ficulty: do they want to struggle for the basics of survival, 
  or do they want a big, cinematic campaign that lets them 
  punch a T-Rex in the face?
  Some good inspiration for more cinematic adventures can 
  be found in movies like Kong: Skull Island, Primeval, and 
  the Jurassic Park series among many, many others. 
  RULES CONSIDERATIONS 
  While many historic opponents seem less powerful than 
  modern heroes, the foes in the Jurassic Period are bigger, 
  badder, and far less intelligent than foes of later eras. Di-
  nosaurs possess extraordinary physical strength, durabil-
  ity, and even intelligence to help them survive this pri-
  mordial world. Doing so requires visitors possess similar 
  abilities, as well as survival knowledge and some knowl-
  edge of flora and fauna. Because of the harsh climate, 
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  pREHISTORY Of EARTH-pRIME
  The Jurassic Period is still lightly populated by sapient 
  beings. Some magical beings have arisen—entities like 
  Ghorummaz and the Howling Dream (see the Magic 
  Powers entry in Power Profiles)—and a few proto-
  hominids have appeared. Strange and deadly strains of 
  known dinosaurs—perhaps the world’s first manifesta-
  tion of superhuman powers—occasionally appear and 
  dominate their local ecosystems.
  The prime power of this era are the nascent Serpent 
  People nations. Not yet the masters of magic they would 
  grow into, their culture is more akin to early humanoid 
  civilizations like Sumer: city-states with laborers and 
  armies directed by priest-kings. They spent tens of thou-
  sands of years forging empires, which collapsed into 
  chaos and new nations once again, all now long for-
  gotten to even their own descendants. The first Master 
  Mage of Earth emerges during this era, the mantle set-
  tling upon a Serpent Person rather than a human. For 
  more information on the Serpent People and what they 
  would eventually become, see the Sub-Terra chapter in 
  the Atlas of Earth-Prime. 
  Visiting supers and time travelers have thrown strange 
  loops into the timeline: evolutions that came to a 
  sudden and violent end when an asteroid wiped most 
  of the life from the world; a tribe of apes discovered a 
  bit of technology left by a visitor and now possesses 
  the power of fire (or firepower); a Compsognathus tribe 
  is building a village of cooperating families, ruled by a 
  matriarch and her daughters, based on a glimpse of the 
  future. Hell pigs, never the brightest, have discovered a 
  place of high magical activity and are being driven wild 
  by the fluctuations, devastating everything they come 
  across. On the barren hills of a new continent, the Gi-
  gantosaur (Atlas of Earth-Prime) is taking its first earthly 
  steps, scenting the air for prey. 
  Visiting far after the age of the dinosaurs but well before 
  the rise of humans, time travelers may also encounter 
  the alien Preservers tampering with early hominids to 
  create off-shoot species like the winged Avians (see 
  Talona in Freedom City, Third Edition) or the immortal 
  Mastermind (Threat Report).
  heat hazards are common dangers (or cold hazards if 
  the heroes arrive during an ice age), and starvation can 
  become an issue over time.
  Technology is in its earliest stages in this era, barely a 
  glimmer of its eventual potential. Locals, utilizing a rudi-
  mentary understanding of Technology, build basic tools, 
  weapons, and shelters, but a simple wheel is still a marvel 
  to most. Some of the minerals necessary to create later in-
  stances of technology don’t even exist yet. 
  Because the world is so big and open, there are many 
  places for visiting heroes to land, meaning varied chal-
  lenges: vast seas, active volcanoes, trackless jungles, 
  sprawling deserts. They may never see another humanoid, 
  but that should not lull them into a false sense of security! 
  Most character attributes will be unaffected in the Juras-
  sic, but consider the following changes:
  • Skill—Expertise: Food, water, and shelter are all far 
  more difficult to acquire when the bow hasn’t been in-
  vented yet, and the prey animals are the size of a car. 
  The Expertise (Survival) skill can be used as a catch-all 
  for finding water, edible food, and shelter, while other 
  Expertise skills (like Botany or Paleontology) may be 
  appropriate for learning more details about plants and 
  animals, respectively.
  • Skill—Technology: The Jurassic Planet era lacks even 
  the most basic infrastructure for working on modern 
  technology, and crafting anything more complex than 
  rudimentary stone and wooden tools may be all but im-
  possible. The Technology skill can still be used to craft 
  axes, knives, and other tools, as well as traps and snares.
  • Advantage—Benefit (Prowess): It is unlikely that trav-
  elers will be able to out-muscle dinosaurs. Speed and 
  cunning help ensure survival. This benefit lets a char-
  acter to use her Agility for Athletics checks rather than 
  Strength.
  NEW EQUIpMENT
  Technology of the prehistoric era focuses on perfecting 
  found objects rather than creating new gear from scratch.
  BONE CLUB
  It isn’t fancy, but a club carved from the thigh-bone of a 
  mammoth delivers impressive damage, even crushing the 
  armor of adversaries and prey.
  Bone Club: Strength-based Damage 3, Penetrating; Quirk 
  (user must have a Strength of 4 or higher) • 5 points 
  LEG SNARE TRAp
  This simple trap grabs a creature’s leg and hoists them 
  into the air, where they are held until they can wiggle free 
  or cut the vine. The snare described here is intended for 
  human-sized prey; snares for larger prey have progres-
  sively higher ranks in Move Object.
  Leg Snare Trap: Close Move Object 4; Triggered; Limited (only 
  holds a creature in place) • 3 points
  VELOCIRApTOR HOOK
  Made from the sharpened claws of an adult velociraptor, 
  this long spear doubles as a hook for grabbing prey or 
  tripping enemies. It has little penetrating power, due to 
  the claw’s sharp curve, but functions well to hamstring or 
  trip a foe. 
  Velociraptor Hook: Strength-based Damage 2, Advantage 
  (Fast Grab, Improved Trip) • 4 points 
  VINE TRAp
  The heavy, tough vines of the ancient rainforests are mis-
  erable to travel through even for large creatures, and may 
  be an intentional trap or a natural hazard. This heavy net 
  can capture creatures, or trip and entangle larger foes.
  Vine Trap: Affliction 5 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by 
  Damage; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobile) 
  Extra Condition, Subtle, Triggered; Limited Degree • 7 points 
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  VISITING HEROES
  Superheroes and dinosaurs have been close partners 
  since the dawn of comics, but all too often dinosaurs must 
  visit heroes in the modern day. The Jurassic Planet era is a 
  dangerous and thrilling era to visit. Most who travel here 
  are trophy hunters or hope to prove something to them-
  selves by tackling the deadliest predators to ever roam 
  the Earth. Others want to study dinosaurs or collect DNA 
  samples for experiments. 
  Because everything is super-sized, challenges are more 
  difficult and carry higher risks. Lacking modern medi-
  cine or even shelter, heroes who do not bring their own 
  medical supplies may find themselves in danger of infec-
  tion from simple wounds.
  The eras before human history and technology often 
  become home to stranded time travelers—either those 
  whose time machines broke down in an era beyond 
  repair, or because benevolent authorities “imprison” them 
  here where no one believes they can do any harm.
  Possible plot hooks:
  • Magic is raw and huge, unrefined by use and age. The 
  supernatural is young, spirits still taking shape as they 
  gain their first worshipers. They have chosen a few 
  young champions—hominids and predators who show 
  potential—and wish to test them against strange visi-
  tors from another time. 
  • A pack of unusually intelligent smilodons have claimed 
  a territory that includes a hominid village. The hominids 
  are in terror, hiding in their houses and slowly starving. 
  They need much stronger champions than their own if 
  they will survive.
  • A wounded brontosaurus stumbles into the heroes’ 
  camp, fleeing two utahraptors. It has heightened 
  psychic awareness, and takes a liking to the heroes. If 
  the heroes choose to help, they will have a titanic new 
  ally for the duration of their visit.
  • A vicious young Serpent Person is hunting young homi-
  nids and Serpent People alike, sacrificing them in hor-
  rible ways to give a final form and intellect to a nascent 
  deity who will rule over the primordial Earth. He eagerly 
  seeks that special someone who will bring him to the 
  attention of his deity. 
  • A group of powered villains have established a black 
  market ring, providing live dinosaurs or the ultimate big 
  game hunts for wealthy clients, traveling in and out of 
  time with their quarry. However, they have little regard 
  for the world around them, and are leaving mutilated 
  beasts and useless waste in their wake. They need to be 
  stopped, but the conspiracy stretches across many time 
  periods, and involves wealthy, powerful clients.
  • A time storm deposits a fleet of ships—possibly a fleet 
  transporting a historically vital figure—into a terrifying 
  past age. One by one, megalodons and mosasaurs pick 
  the survivors apart, swallowing ships and those desper-
  ate to swim for shore. Surviving these legendary mon-
  sters will require wits and luck. 
  LOCAL HEROES
  Heroes in this era come in many shapes, sizes, and tem-
  peraments. They may be evolved saurians, fearsome 
  proto-human warriors, or 
  hominids tampered with 
  by aliens and time travel-
  ers. Heroes may have been 
  pulled into a primordial time 
  from another era, tossed into 
  a primeval landscape they 
  don't understand. Anach-
  ronistic early hominids who 
  evolved far earlier than ex-
  pected, fledgling guardian 
  spirits, or victims of temporal 
  experiments gone wrong, the 
  supers of Jurassic Earth are ex-
  tremely varied.
  Magic, mutation, and the supernatural are the prime 
  triggers for superpowers. Technological heroes are not 
  common. Many heroes rule large territories, opposed by 
  ravenous villains eager for better prey or more resources. 
  Local heroes likely focus on carving out a safe space for 
  themselves and any followers they attract, whether they 
  are refugees from other timelines or creatures and homi-
  nids from around them. Building a home base provides 
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  them a launching point for their adventures, and a safe 
  place to sleep. Advanced saurians or Serpent People 
  might build the first foundations of their future empire, 
  explore new realms, or contact strange beings from 
  other planes as they discover the foundations of magic. 
  Early humans may focus on hunts, spiritual journeys, and 
  battling cunning predators, borrowing plots and tropes 
  from the adventures of pulp-era icons like Tarzan or 
  Conan.
  A campaign in this era may bring together a truly eclec-
  tic party, with members including soldiers from ancient 
  Egypt, explorers from other planets, Victorian adventur-
  ers, Chinese treasure-fleet captains, and more. Learning 
  to survive will be a key component of any adventure here. 
  Those seeking to escape may find themselves hunted by 
  monsters either mundane or super. If they are fortunate, 
  they may find themselves under the protection of a local 
  hero, but they may as easily fall afoul of one protective of 
  its family and territory. 
  STATBLOCKS
  The following statblocks are useful in this era:
  Compsognathus 
  pL 1 • MR1 • 7 points
  STR –2 STA –1 AGL 3 DEX 0 FGT 3 INT –4 AWE 2 PRE –2
  Powers: Senses 1 (Acute Smell), Speed 1 (4 MPH). 
  Advantages: Benefit (Athletics Based on Agility), Hide in Plain 
  Sight, Teamwork. 
  Skills: Perception 2 (+4), Stealth 4 (+7). 
  Offense: Init +3, Bite +3 (Close, Damage –2). 
  Defense: Dodge 3, Parry 3, Fortitude 0, Toughness -1, Will 2.
  Totals: Abilities -2 + Powers 2 + Advantages 3 + Skills 3 (6 
  ranks) + Defenses 1 = 7
  Quick little pack hunters and scavengers, Compsogna-
  thus look cute, but their speed and agility make them a 
  threat in numbers. They work together, guided by a senior 
  female to herd and corner prey. While there’s no evidence 
  compsognathus were venomous like pop culture por-
  trays them, the addition of a paralytic venom (Progressive 
  Weaken Agility 1) increases their PL to 2. 
  This archetype can also represent many of the common 
  raptors and microraptors (particularly with the addition of 
  Flight 2 [Gliding]).
  Early Hominid  
  pL 3 • MR3 • 31 points
  STR 1 STA 2 AGL 0 DEX 2 FGT 2 INT 0 AWE 2 PRE 0
  Equipment: Knife (Damage 1, Crit 19–20, Spear (Damage 2). 
  Advantages: Equipment 2, Great Endurance, Tracking.
  Skills: Athletics 4 (+5), Expertise: Survival 6 (+6), Perception 4 (+6).
  Offense: Init +0, Knife +2 (Close, Damage 2), Spear +2 (Close or 
  Ranged, Damage 4), Unarmed +2 (Close, Damage 1). 
  Defense: Dodge 2, Parry 2, Fortitude 2, Toughness 2, Will 2. 
  Totals: Abilities 18 + Powers 0 + Advantages 4 + Skills 7 (14 
  ranks) + Defenses 2 = 31
  At one point in history, humans were one among dozens 
  of species of hominids competing for resources. While 
  many later hominids, such as Neanderthals, vary little 
  from modern humans beyond appearance, earlier ances-
  tors are more varied in form and abilities. Most are highly 
  social, traveling in large communities and developing lan-
  guages and religions to help them bond. Early hominids 
  are likely to have special adaptations for their environ-
  ment, such as Movement (Environmental Adaptation).
  Megalodon 
  pL 11 • MR5 • 66 points
  STR 12 STA 12 AGL 1 DEX –2 FGT 8 INT –5 AWE 3 PRE 0 
  Powers: Strength-based Damage 1 (Bite), Growth 12 (Innate, 
  Permanent), Protection 2, Senses 4 (Low-light Vision, Acute 
  Smell, Track, Ultra-hearing).
  Advantages: Improved Grab, Improved Initiative.
  Skills: Perception 8 (+11).
  Offense: Init +4, Bite +8 (Close, Damage 13). 
  Defenses: Dodge 8, Parry 5, Fortitude 12, Toughness 14, Will 5.
  Totals: Abilities 10 + Powers 32 + Advantages 2 + Skills 4 + 
  Defenses 18 = Total 66 points.
  A shark of titanic proportions, this fearsome predator 
  moves through the seas and deltas unchallenged. With its 
  powerful jaws and deadly speed, there are few who can 
  withstand it. Characters will need to utilize all their skills 
  to thwart this monster! 
  This archetype may be used for Mosasaurus, Sarcosuchus, 
  or Kronosaurus threats. 
  Smilodon 
  pL 7 • MR5 • 67 points
  STR 5 STA 6 AGL 4 DEX 0 FGT 6 INT –4 AWE 3 PRE –1
  Powers: Strength-based Damage 1 (Penetrating 6; Bite), 
  Leaping 2 (30 ft.), Senses 3 (Acute Smell, Low-light Vision, 
  Tracking). 
  Advantages: Close Attack 2, Improved Initiative. 
  Skills: Athletics 2 (+7), Perception 6 (+9), Stealth 4 (+8). 
  Offense: Init +8, Bite +8 (Close, Damage 6).
  Defense: Dodge 8, Parry 7, Fortitude 8, Toughness 6, Will 4. 
  Totals: Abilities 38 + Powers 12 + Advantages 3 + Skills 6 (12 
  ranks) + Defenses 8 = 67
  Few predators are as iconic as the saber-toothed cat. A 
  giant feline with curving fangs, the Smilodon is fast, canny, 
  and aggressive. Hunting in prides, or more rarely lone 
  males who’ve been driven out of family groups, Smilodon 
  hunt like modern-day lions: herding and driving prey into 
  the jaws of their pride-mates. 
  Titanoboa 
  pL 9 • MR5 • 71 points
  STR 13 STA 12 AGL 1 DEX –2 FGT 5 INT –4 AWE 3 PRE 0
  Powers: Growth 10 (Innate, Permanent), Senses 6 (Accurate, 
  Acute Smell, Darkvision, Infravision). 
  Advantages: Fast Grab, Improved Grab, Improved Hold. 
  Skills: Perception 6 (+9), Stealth 10 (+1). 
  Offense: Init +1, Bite +5 (Close, Damage 13). 
  Defense: Dodge 4, Parry 6, Fortitude 12, Toughness 12, Will 6. 
  Totals: Abilities 16 + Powers 27 + Advantages 3 + Skills 8 (16 
  ranks) + Defenses 17 = 71
  A giant constrictor that prowled coastal swamps, Ti-
  tanoboa could grow to 2,500 lbs. and over 40 feet long. 
  Its sheer size allows it to crush nearly anything, and its bite 
  not only does damage but may swallow prey whole.
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  OLD KINGDOM EGYpT 
  OLD KINGDOM EGYpT 
  OLD KINGDOM EGYpT 
  OLD KINGDOM EGYpT 
   CIRCA 2500 BCE
  CIRCA 2500 BCE
  Egypt’s Old Kingdom feels familiar to modern eyes thanks 
  to its prominence in pop culture depictions. It was the age 
  of great pharaohs and pyramids, of grand cities and inter-
  national trade. The civilization here is stratified by caste 
  and wealth, but vibrantly diverse in other ways: people 
  from all over the known world settle or pass through; 
  gender is a fluid thing, even the gods are known to be 
  flexible in their expression and presentation; families may 
  be composed of two men, or two women and a man, or 
  a single woman; anyone may serve the gods, practice a 
  trade, or rule the world.
  Daily life was busy—most Egyptians in the old kingdom 
  farmed along the Nile river, taking advantage of its regular 
  flooding cycle, which renewed the soil yearly—but plenty 
  found new vocations in the expanding cities of the time. 
  Brickmakers, construction workers, masons, and archi-
  tects helped build the new urban centers while bakers, 
  brewers, and doctors kept the crowded conditions livable. 
  The daily grind stopped at sunset, and most laborers 
  spent the nights drinking, gambling, and playing board 
  games or sports. With the growing importance of social 
  circles and politics, makeup, wigs, jewelry, and fashion 
  became more important than they ever.
  But the Old Kingdom was not a land of milk and honey. War 
  and chaos threaten from without, corruption and entropy 
  from within. Conflicting cults, scheming advisors, crimi-
  nals, and spies from other nations create plenty of options 
  for danger from within, while the monsters and enemies 
  outside Egypt’s borders require a constant sacrifice of 
  heroes and villains to hold the line. While the bronze Age 
  Collapse is over a thousand years away, the other power-
  ful nations of the Mediterranean world—the Hittites, the 
  Assyrian Empire, the Mycenaeans, and Minoans—all covet 
  Egyptian wealth and the fertile Nile delta.
  Mines and quarries supplied turquoise, malachite, copper, 
  myrrh, electrum, and gneiss, providing ample materials 
  for exquisite jewelry and titanic architecture. Trade goods 
  included ebony, ivory, frankincense, gold, and cedar 
  from Lebanon for their ships. Gardens and fields fed the 
  populace on figs and pomegranates, wheat, plums, meat, 
  fish, melons, dairy products, and more. Rich spices were 
  common, both those from local fields and afar.
  Egyptian rule was centered in Giza and Memphis, but the 
  royal family routinely traveled to other regions and cities 
  for war, to escape the heat, or for pleasure. Extensive trade 
  created a powerful merchant class with worldly experi-
  ence, and even the lowest servant might have traveled to 
  the great Indus Valley or the cold lands far to the north. 
  In a super-heroic vision of Egypt, gods still rule over 
  mortals, monsters roam the desert, and artisans create 
  magnificent works with their thoughts and words. Super-
  heroes may be touched by the gods or simply stand out as 
  great heroes, and command powerful influence in society. 
  Children who exhibit powers are taken to temples to be 
  trained by the priests to use their powers in the service 
  of the Pharaoh or Egypt herself. The gods also may take 
  notice of those heroes they find interesting or useful. Art is 
  filled with stories of the Great Gifts, those champions with 
  powers which elevated them to the notice of the gods, 
  though those stories seldom have happy endings. In a 
  super-heroic version of the Old Kingdom, the pharaohs’ 
  claims to godhood may actually be true—they could be 
  demigods born of the present Egyptian pantheon, or at 
  least a dynasty of super-powered rulers.
  For those more interested in an Egypt in decline, the arrive 
  of the mysterious “Sea People” around 1200 BCE spelled 
  the end for not just Egypt, but all the major powers of the 
  day. Superheroes in this era might be fighting a losing war 
  against an enemy modern historians still can’t identify, 
  leaving the nature of the invaders up to your imagination.
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  EGYpT Of EARTH-pRIME 
  In the Earth-Prime Egypt, the gods are not yet con-
  strained by the Pact. They can and have meddled and 
  shaped society for years, and Egypt is the shining star in 
  their crowns: an empire filled with wealth, power, devo-
  tion, and learning. They adore it, insomuch as gods are 
  ever devoted to anything, and as often happens when 
  one is favored by one god (let alone so many), life is 
  never boring or predictable for an Egyptian.
  Mighty Heru-Ra—who would one day be reincarnated 
  as the heroic Scarab—champion of the upstart Sun and 
  its pet dynasty, towers over Egypt. He is said to cast light 
  into the places where Egypt does not yet go and leads 
  her armies to victory against the Sea Peoples, the Hittites, 
  and other, more eldritch foes. The man who would one 
  day become Overshadow, Tan-Aktor, was chief among 
  these dark enemies, and saw seen his plans thwarted by 
  Heru-Ra time and again. In the Old Kingdom, Tan-Aktor 
  schemes in the shadows—wielding magic rather than 
  the science favored by his future incarnation, working to 
  take the Nile and to free Apep to devour the Earth. But 
  Heru-Ra still opposes him in the palaces of Egypt, and 
  Sutekh’s champion, Sekhmak, strikes down his agents in 
  the wastes with her mighty bow, Sutekh’s Fang. 
  Other powers include Pharos, champion of light, and 
  the god Horus, patron of champions, both mighty 
  heroes who have distinguished themselves time and 
  again in service to the Two Kingdoms.
  The immortal inventor Daedelus, who spurned death 
  in nearby Crete, lost his son only a few short centuries 
  ago. While he wanders the world—including Egypt—
  it remains unknown whether he will apply his genius 
  toward being a compassionate hero or a bitter villain.
  RULES CONSIDERATIONS 
  Technology is in a very early state in Old Kingdom Egypt, 
  though what exists—particularly in the field of mathemat-
  ics, chemistry, and metallurgy—is well-developed and re-
  liable. Heroes from the modern world will find repairing 
  modern technology with the tools of the era almost im-
  possible except under extraordinary circumstances, and 
  even these impose a –5 circumstance penalty.
  Supernatural and magical powers are common, as are 
  mutations and heroic abilities derived from rigorous train-
  ing of the mind and body, but science-based powers are 
  unusual. Because the society is caste-based, a character’s 
  social standing, wealth, and background will be more im-
  portant than usual.
  While land travel is possible, though dangerous in the un-
  relenting deserts, most of Old Kingdom civilization clusters 
  around the Nile river. Water travel via barge is the most 
  common way to move goods and people, and those who 
  know how to pilot and maintain a ship will find steady work.
  With the large-scale warfare of the era, Gamemasters 
  may find the Mass Combat option from the Deluxe Game-
  master’s Guide a useful addition to their heroes’ visits to 
  ancient Egypt.
  Most character attributes will be unaffected in Old 
  Kingdom Egypt, but consider the following changes:
  • Advantage—Language (Hieroglyphs): Literacy rates 
  in Old Kingdom Egypt were very low, in part because 
  writing was taught exclusively to one social caste. Time 
  travelers (or even locals) who can read and write hiero-
  glyphs gain a +2 circumstance bonus on Deception 
  checks to pass themselves off as scribes, in addition to 
  being able to read the local documents.
  • Advantage—Benefit (Status): You were born into a 
  better class than the common laborers, or your extraor-
  dinary abilities or personal education set you apart as 
  valuable to your nation and your pharaoh. One rank of 
  this Benefit represents a well-born merchant, scribe, 
  or minor noble, and grants a +2 bonus to Persuasion 
  and Intimidate checks against people of a lower class. 
  Two ranks reflects noble lineage or training as a priest, 
  increasing the circumstance bonus to Intimidate and 
  Persuasion checks to +5. This benefit does not confer 
  any wealth; you can easily be an impoverished but re-
  spected priest or a wealthy merchant from a common 
  family or foreign nation.
  • Advantage—Benefit (Servant): The lowest caste in 
  Egypt, your invisibility grants you a certain anonymity, 
  allowing you to move throughout the cities and even 
  noble estates without drawing attention.  This benefit 
  functions as Hide in Plain Sight, but you may use the 
  Deception skill to remain unnoticed in these circum-
  stances rather than Stealth.
  • Old Kingdom society tends to hold foreigners at arms’ 
  length, and so being an outsider—either a foreigner or 
  a time traveler—counts as a Complication if the Game-
  master and player agree.
  NEW EQUIpMENT
  Egypt saw the rise of military tactics like naval superiority 
  and the chariot. Combat tended to be fast and fluid.
  SLING
  Simple but devastating in the hands of a trained warrior, 
  the sling allows a soldier to hurl almost anything with 
  speed and accuracy over an impressive distance.
  Sling: Strength-based Ranged Damage 1 • 2 points
  SpIKED WHEELS 
  Set at shin-height, sharp blades fixed to chariot or cart 
  wheels protected from anyone who tried to get too close, 
  slicing their legs out from under them. 
  Spiked Wheels: Damage 4, Advantage: Move-by Action • 5 points
  STONE ARMOR
  Soldiers of rank wore scale armor inset with semi-precious 
  stones. Only the nobles could afford this armor; common-
  ers generally went into battle lightly protected.
  Stone Armor: Protection +2, Advantage: Second Chance 
  (Persuasion checks to impress) • 3 points
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  BARIS
  The Egyptian naval supremacy was well-established on 
  the back of their wooden sailing ships, stretching up to 90 
  feet in length. Lacking weapons of its own, a baris relied 
  on archers drawn from the noble castes lining the upper 
  deck to rain down fire on foes. 
  Baris 
  9 points
  Size: Huge Strength: 8 Speed: 4 (water) Defense: –2 
  Toughness: 9 Features: Muscle-powered (and sail)
  WAR CHARIOT
  The iconic Egyptian war innovation, the chariot was a 
  mobile artillery platform holding two to three people. 
  One handled the horses, the rest used their bows, javelins, 
  or slingshots to soften up the enemy’s infantry. The lighter 
  chariots were pulled by two horses, while heavier artillery 
  used three or four horses.
  The chariot was eminently agile, maneuvering quickly 
  around obstacles to strafe the enemy and disappear 
  before opponents could retaliate. 
  War Chariot 
  13 points
  Size: Medium Strength: 3 Speed: 3 (ground) Defense: 5 
  Toughness: 7 Features: Muscle-powered
  VISITING HEROES
  Heroes may visit Egypt for many reasons. As one of the 
  crossroads of culture and power, it was the birthplace of 
  many legendary superbeings. The conquests provided 
  ample opportunity for glory and wealth, and a canny 
  super could live a life of luxury as a favored confidant or 
  guard of a wealthy noble.
  Others may visit for more nefarious reasons. Artifacts 
  of this period have always been desirable to coloniz-
  ers. Gold and other precious metals are relatively cheap 
  and common. People who go missing simply disappear 
  forever, easily assumed to have been devoured by croco-
  diles or lions. There are ample opportunities for criminals. 
  Local superhumans are powerful in this era. Because of the 
  network of intrigue, favor, and religion, many who would 
  usually be classified as villains may be found in positions 
  of power and responsibility. Visitors may face nobles 
  or soldiers with superhuman powers, or even gods. On 
  Earth-Prime, locals may pass off alien artifacts left behind 
  by the Preservers as divine or magical weapons and not 
  take kindly to strange outsiders arriving to take the key to 
  their power. The descendants of refugees from lost civili-
  zations like Atlantis may blend in among the locals, still 
  hiding secrets or magic from their lost homelands. A few 
  immortal or time-hopping villains may even originate in 
  this era and use it as the model for the civilization they 
  hope to build once they conquer the world.
  Possible plot hooks:
  • In a pitched battle against the Hittites, an Egyptian sol-
  dier’s life is saved by a mysterious Hittite superhuman. 
  He falls deeply in love and deserts the army to find his 
  love, but deserters pay a heavy price, and the hunters 
  are closing in quickly. They need help.
  • A villain with elemental earth powers threatens to divert 
  or dam the Nile, threatening thousands of people with 
  drought, starvation, and flooding. 
  • A strange cult of Set-worshipers appears from the 
  desert, manifesting chaotic powers and appearing 
  to be part of a mind-web. Thebes is in chaos, and the 
  Pharaoh demands that someone get rid of the cultists. 
  • The Pharaoh is a superhuman tyrant and institutes a 
  cull of all superhumans, demanding that none should 
  outshine him. He may be a dangerous adversary alone, 
  but his armies and servants elevate him to a truly 
  deadly foe.
  • A group of Babylonian warriors commanding unheard 
  of skills have targeted the Pharaoh, and have cut 
  through everyone in their way. 
  LOCAL HEROES
  Superheroes in Egypt are an accepted part of life, from 
  the military to common laborers and artisans. While some 
  may view them with suspicion, the Pharaoh welcomes 
  all who would contribute extraordinary abilities to the 
  black land. They are well-paid, and if the pet psychics and 
  scryers watch them a little more closely than others, it is a 
  small price to pay for comfort and wealth.
  While supers have far more freedom than most, they are 
  still caught within the power struggles endemic to this 
  period. Their powers grant them status, but that status 
  can be destroyed even by a non-powered being. Grudges 
  between heroes are common, often resulting in bloody 
  battles or duels. Supers in neighboring kingdoms may sway 
  a monarch to or against war or sabotage a peace deal.
  Superheroes of ancient Egypt may be people of extraor-
  dinary skill and training, demigods, magical creatures, 
  mutations, or created by leftover alien or pre-historic 
  civilizations. With the technical innovations of the era, 
  technological superhumans may wield blades or impos-
  sibly sophisticated metals lost to history, chemists whose 
  drugs and salves work miracles, or even—given the 
  contemporary stories of Icarus and Daedalus across the 
  sea—wearers of an ingenious flying harness. Whatever 
  their origins, they likely serve the state in some capacity 
  under the auspices of a pharaoh who may as well be a 
  god for the absolute authority he wields. They may serve 
  as priests or advisors or soldiers who battle foreign armies 
  and superhumans as well as supernatural threats from the 
  desert. As powerful guardians of the nation, a campaign 
  focusing on PL 10 or 12 superhumans would combine the 
  tropes form modern superhero campaigns with historic 
  war stories.
  Domestic heroes likely occupy a position of power and 
  responsibility. A PL 8 team of minor nobles with super-
  human powers may even serve as de facto rulers of a 
  remote settlement, ruling it on behalf of the pharaoh 
  and protecting it from natural disasters, threats from the 
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  desert, and worker uprisings. The success or failure of 
  that community brings the heroes glory or dooms them 
  to obscurity.
  The cities of the Old Kingdom represent the largest and 
  most sophisticated urban centers of their day, and like any 
  city they are rampant with seedy criminal endeavors. The 
  rich exploit the poor, the strong prey upon the weak. An 
  unusual historical campaign might position the heroes as 
  minor PL 6 superhumans in this early urban landscape, 
  trying to protect the helpless from urban predators, or 
  even as rebels working to free an enslaved people or un-
  dermine the military expansion of the Egyptian empire. 
  Additional adventure might require these vigilantes and 
  rebels to brave the traps, curses, and guardians protecting 
  the pyramids and other royal tombs to uncover treasures, 
  artifacts, or literal buried secrets.
  STATBLOCKS
  The following statblocks are especially useful in this era:
  Charioteer 
  pL 4 • MR3 • 45 points
  STR 1 STA 2 AGL 3 DEX 3 FGT 2 INT 0 AWE 2 PRE 1
  Equipment: Bow, Stone Armor, Sword, War Chariot. 
  Advantages: Benefit (Status: Minor Noble), Equipment 
  6, Move-by Action, Second Chance (Persuasion checks to 
  impress). 
  Skills: Athletics 5 (+6), Intimidation 2 (+3), Persuasion 2 (+3), 
  Technology 2 (+2), Vehicles 7 (+10). 
  Offense: Init +3, Bow +3 (Ranged, Damage 3), Sword +2 
  (Close, Damage 4), Unarmed +2 (Close, Damage 1). 
  Defense: Dodge 3, Parry 2, Fortitude 3, Toughness 4, Will 3. 
  Totals: Abilities 26 + Powers 0 + Advantages 8 + Skills 9 (18 
  ranks) + Defenses 2 = 45
  Drawn from noble families, Egypt’s fearsome charioteers 
  made their army the most feared in the Bronze Age world. 
  A charioteer is the tank commander of his day, maneu-
  vering across the battlefield with speed and grace while 
  protected from harm and unleashing ranged assaults on 
  enemy soldiers.
  priest 
  pL 1 • MR3 • 44 points
  STR 0 STA 0 AGL 0 DEX 2 FGT 1 INT 3 AWE 2 PRE 3
  Advantages: Benefit 2: (Status: Priest), Connected, Fascinate 
  (Expertise: Religion), Language (Hieroglyphs), Ritualist.
  Skills: Deception 4 (+7), Expertise: Magic 5 (+8), Expertise: 
  Religion 7 (+10), Insight 4 (+6), Intimidation 4 (+7), Persuasion 
  6 (+9), Sleight of Hand 4 (+6). 
  Offense: Init +0, Unarmed +1 (Close, Damage 0). 
  Defense: Dodge 0, Parry 1, Fortitude 0, Toughness 0, Will 2. 
  Totals: Abilities 22 + Powers 0 + Advantages 5 + Skills 17 (34 
  ranks) + Defenses 0 = 44
  Among the most powerful people in the Old Kingdom, 
  priests served as politicians and royal advisors as much 
  as religious leaders, and existed to serve the gods rather 
  than the people. Studied both in politics and the ways 
  of magic, they can bring down the wrath of the gods or 
  the nation with equal ease. More powerful priests may 
  wield active magic, similar to the Arcane Cultist minion 
  found in the Deluxe Gamemaster's Guide.
  Sphinx 
  pL 8 • MR8 • 110 points
  STR 5 STA 8 AGL 3 DEX 0 FGT 4 INT 6 AWE 4 PRE 5
  Powers: Flight 5 (60 MPH; Wings), Growth 4 (Innate; 
  Permanent), Tooth and Claw Strength-based Damage 1. 
  Advantages: 
  Animal 
  Empathy, 
  Assessment, 
  Daze 
  (Intimidation), Power Attack, Ritualist, Seize Initiative, Well-
  informed. 
  Skills: Close Combat: Natural Weapons 6 (+10), Deception 4 
  (+9), Expertise: History 6 (+12), Expertise: Magic 4 (+10), Insight 
  5 (+9), Intimidation 3 (+10), Perception 8 (+12), Stealth 4 (+4). 
  Offense: Init +3, Bite and Claw +10 (Close, Damage 6). 
  Defense: Dodge 8, Parry 6, Fortitude 8, Toughness 8, Will 8. 
  Totals: Abilities 54 + Powers 14 + Advantages 7 + Skills 20 (40 
  ranks) + Defenses 15 = 110
  With the bodies of big cats and the faces of humans, sphinx 
  were guardians of ancient places—tombs, treasure vaults, 
  mountain passes—who could be kind or wicked in equal 
  measure. Capricious as cats, they adore toying with 
  others, and enjoy games and riddles. Their feroc-
  ity knows no match if wronged. 
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  IMpERIAL ROME 
  IMpERIAL ROME 
  IMpERIAL ROME 
  IMpERIAL ROME 
   CIRCA 100 CE
  CIRCA 100 CE
  Rome looms large in modern minds, with many modern 
  western traditions and attitudes—from manners to the 
  structure of roads—hailing from the empire that once 
  dominated most of Europe, northern Africa and western 
  Asia. The Pax Romana was a golden age of the Roman 
  Empire that brought about economic prosperity, urban-
  ization, travel, multiculturalism, and untold wealth. It is an 
  age of exploration, scientific innovation, war, and conspir-
  acy, where discovery and secrets flourish in equal measure. 
  New foods, languages, and religions pop up weekly, and 
  these rapid changes lead to a population both hungry for 
  more and struggling to keep up. The sitting emperor in 
  100 CE, Trajan, is the first ruler of Rome not to be born in 
  Italy, and throughout the empire attitudes are shifting to 
  see everyone  as a common nation, rather than dividing 
  the populace into “Italians” and “other Romans.”
  But life isn’t perfectly cosmopolitan. While the empire em-
  braces new conquests, those foreigners and conquests 
  who won’t assimilate are targeted for violence and op-
  pression. Many non-sanctioned religions, such as the 
  druids, are persecuted and outlawed, and must practice 
  in secret, even as elite Romans experiment with cults and 
  secret societies to alleviate boredom. Slavery—mostly 
  drawn from war captives or criminals and thankfully not 
  generational—remains a backbone of the empire, while 
  women are little more than livestock. Dissent and con-
  spiracy run rampant, and those missed by the empire’s 
  booming economy turn to crime and violence to survive.
  Everyday life for most Romans consists of short work 
  days—stretching from dawn until noon—followed by a 
  dip in the public baths and afternoon leisure. Theater is 
  at its height, with every city featuring open-air amphithe-
  aters featuring productions filled with violence, sex, and 
  crass body humor—comedy and musicals loom large, as 
  attendees can get their need for drama and bloodshed 
  at the coliseum instead. Chariot races are so popular that 
  citizens form clubs to support their favorite teams and riot 
  over wins and losses. Urban streets are crowded with per-
  formers—animal trainers, musicians, acrobats, and nude 
  mimes—as well as frequent festivals to various gods. 
  Nights are for drinking and friends, though a lack of public 
  lighting means most of the city grows deathly quiet and 
  vacant soon after sunset. An enormous gulf separates 
  the rich—who live in private estates, enjoy luxuries, and 
  oversee hordes of servants and slaves—and the poor, 
  who subsist on gruel and bread, live in one-room flats, 
  and generally die young. The direness of poverty in Rome 
  makes for a thriving criminal element similar to modern 
  cities, with drugs, robbery, and extortion all rampant.
  Despite the name Pax Romana (“Roman Peace”), 
  war remains the business of the empire, with active 
  fronts in Dacia (Romania) and Parthia (Iran). Many 
  conquered people refuse to be ruled; the Celts of Britanni, 
  for example, rebelled only to be put down violently in 61 
  CE, and even now their island remains a highly hostile fron-
  tier in the empire. Likewise, conservative Romans have no 
  tolerance for this new wave of acceptance for outsiders in 
  their empire, and nationalist Roman groups form to shape 
  politics or attack convenient targets. The empire’s great 
  expanse means that dangers can arrive from almost any-
  where in the ancient world, from corrupt royal guards to 
  Persian spies to Chinese traders smuggling illegal goods. 
  In a super-heroic past those dangers are doubled as the 
  magical practices, gods, weird science, and strange crea-
  tures from Europe, Asia, and Africa mingle.
  For a grittier Rome, the empire begins its decline around 
  180 CE, and by 400 CE it has lost most of its former terri-
  tories to local uprisings and foreign marauders. Ruins and 
  near-empty cities mark sites of former glory, and the col-
  lapse of infrastructure mirrors a post-apocalyptic world as 
  survivors struggle to feed themselves let alone trade or 
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  ROME Of EARTH-pRIME
  Perhaps the most iconic superhero in Imperial Rome 
  was Simon Magus, the Master Mage. Magus fought 
  against incursions by the Greek, Etruscan, and Norse 
  gods and established the Pact, a binding ritual that radi-
  cally altered how powerful supernatural creatures could 
  move to and from Earth, requiring them to be called by 
  a vessel or bound to an anchor. Afterward, many gods 
  saw Earth as more trouble than it was worth, but others 
  saw the Pact as an affront to their divinity and renewed 
  their attacks on the realm, operating through cults and 
  champions. Magus operates from his native Alexandria.
  Just as Rome inherited much of its science and religion 
  from Greece, it also inherited many superbeings. The 
  immortal sorceress Medea leads her own all-cabal of 
  wizards in the heart of Rome itself, while the inventor 
  Daedalus traveled and performed heroic deeds along-
  side his friend, the heroic golem Talos. The resurrected 
  minotaur, Taurus, hunts Daedalus at the behest of 
  Hades, but lacks much of the hard-won intellect and skill 
  that he possesses in modern Freedom City. The secre-
  tive serpent folk were an active threat as well, replacing 
  powerful citizens with their own shape-shifting agents 
  and sparking new, human cults to their unnamed god.
  build anew. This is a Rome ideal for bleak, Iron Age-style 
  vigilantes or foreboding warnings to visitors about what 
  may lie ahead for the modern world.
  RULES CONSIDERATIONS
  Travel in Imperial Rome is overland via walking or—more 
  rarely—horses and animal carts. While high-quality roads 
  speed travel, the result is still a much larger world than 
  the modern one. Movement powers provide a larger ad-
  vantage story-wise than they would be in a modern game. 
  Likewise, the large number of languages spoken across 
  the empire makes Comprehend quite useful.
  Most character attributes will be unaffected in Imperial 
  Rome, but consider the following changes:
  • Skill—Technology: Much of Roman engineering is 
  based on mechanical design, using gears and pulleys—
  and some clockworks “borrowed” from the Greeks—to 
  construct a huge variety of industrial technology such as 
  cranes, mills, and pumps. While computers and engines 
  don’t exist in Imperial Rome, the Technology skill is 
  still broadly used. Using Roman tools to repair or build 
  modern technology imposes a –5 circumstance penalty.
  • Advantage—Benefit (Status): Status in Imperial Rome 
  begins with citizenship, and characters who do not 
  have Benefit (Roman Citizenship) cannot benefit from 
  any other statuses they might possess within imperial 
  Rome unless they can believably fake their citizenship.
  • Advantage—Languages: Latin is the most common 
  language in the empire, with Greek being the language 
  of intellectuals and academics. Coptic (the language 
  of Egypt) is common along the empire’s eastern half. 
  Gothic, Celtic, and other languages of the northern 
  frontiers are  considered vulgar.
  NEW EQUIpMENT
  Rome makes good use of earlier innovations, such as the 
  chariot (see New Equipment in Old Kingdom Egypt) and 
  the ballista. Some of the most iconic include:
  BALLISTA
  Developed by the Greeks, ballista are crossbow-like siege 
  engines that fire javelin-sized bolts. A ballista must be 
  reset and reloaded (a Standard action) before it can be 
  fired again. Larger ballista do more damage but tend to 
  be less accurate. The Romans also used a polybolos, or 
  repeating ballista, another Greek development, which re-
  places the Increased Action flaw with Unreliable (5 uses).
  Ballista: Ranged Damage 6 (Penetrating; Increased Action, 
  Inaccurate) • 11 points
  pLUMBATA
  These lead throwing darts are smaller and easier to ma-
  neuver than a javelin. Unlike a javelin, plumbata can’t be 
  used in melee combat.
  Plumbata: Strength-based Ranged Damage 2 • 4 points
  pILUM
  A javelin with a long, barbed iron tip, the pilum is de-
  signed to lodge itself into shields and armor, making them 
  too heavy and awkward to use.
  Pilum: Strength-based Ranged Damage 2, Linked to Ranged 
  Nullify Equipment 4 (Alternate Resistance: Parry; Limited to 
  Defenses) • 6 points
  GLADIATOR ARMOR
  Gladiators wore a variety of armor to fill different roles, but 
  most of it offered little protection and relied on a wearer’s 
  skill to protect them, as well as shields or their own bulk.
  Gladiator Armor: Protection 2, Advantage (Improved Defense) 
  • 3 points
  LORICA SEGMENTATA
  The segmented cuirass of the Roman legions offered pro-
  tection and mobility.
  Lorica Segmentata: Protection 3 • 3 points
  TRIREME 
  The backbone of the Roman navy, a trireme is a fast, maneu-
  verable vessel that uses sails or over a hundred rowers de-
  pending on the sea conditions. Equipped with a grappling 
  arm called a corvus, they can seize other vessels for boarding, 
  or rely on ballistae and small catapults (increase the cost for 
  appropriate Damage ranks) for exclusively naval warfare.
  Trireme 
  15 points
  Size: Gargantuan Strength: 12 Speed: 3 (swimming; Quirk: 
  surface only) Defense: 4 Toughness: 11 Powers: Impervious, 
  Toughness 8 Features: Manipulator (corvus), Muscle-powered 
  (plus sails)
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  VISITING HEROES
  Time travelers generally arrive in Rome in search of knowl-
  edge about (or to alter) European history or long-standing 
  western conspiracies. With many secrets of Roman engi-
  neering and many spoils of conquest now lost to time, the 
  only way to uncover a lost stronghold or historical treasure 
  may be time travel. Villains looking to destroy the United 
  States or modern Russia may travel back to destroy the 
  republic that inspired them, while a megalomaniac may 
  become the immortal emperor of Europe’s largest empire 
  and create a future where the empire never falls. 
  Rome is a civilization of cities, and may look familiar to 
  21st-century visitors. Their engineering and concrete 
  allows for dense urban centers filled with three-to-seven 
  story apartment buildings lined with ground-floor shops, 
  as well as expansive libraries, universities, theaters, and 
  parks. Ample restaurants, running water, and indoor 
  plumbing all improve the quality of life. Following the 
  Great Fire under Nero, streets were renovated to be wide 
  and accessible—perfect for super-heroic brawls. The cities 
  are diverse, with foreign populations and even transgen-
  der citizens sharing their daily lives with their neighbors.
  But in many ways, Rome stands apart. The population is 
  conservative; they consider rich clothing and ornamen-
  tation—especially on men—crass, and people are ex-
  pected to not stand out or demand attention. Like Egyp-
  tians, Romans kept slaves, and although their model for 
  slavery—usually imposed on criminals and prisoners of 
  war, or else an indentured servitude professionals could 
  sell themselves into—differs greatly from later chattel 
  slavery, it remains a delicate topic and best discussed with 
  players if you want to include it as a plot point. Likewise, 
  ancient Roman culture had distinct, strict, and limited 
  roles for women that is best glossed over at a modern 
  game table or else discussed with players beforehand.
  Possible plot hooks:
  • The heroes find themselves standing between the 
  Roman army and a force they are besieging, and both 
  sides assume the odd strangers work for their enemies.
  • The heroes learn of an assassination plot against a 
  Roman emperor who isn’t assassinated (as far as the 
  history books know).
  • The heroes are thrown into the coliseum and must 
  battle gladiators and dangerous animals before they 
  can escape.
  • The heroes must find Simon Magus and learn how the 
  Pact was created so they can maintain it (or destroy it) 
  in their time.
  LOCAL HEROES
  Rome viewed education as a virtue and a family responsi-
  bility, with tutors and private schools common across the 
  empire, and so heroic backgrounds related to education 
  are especially appropriate. Gadgeteers focus on mechani-
  cal wonders, perhaps even constructing steam-powered 
  robots and clockwork battle suits. While mages are more 
  likely to follow the path of study—Hermetic magic—than 
  spiritual traditions. The nation’s extensive trade networks 
  and roads mean fighting styles from all over the world; 
  Celtic berserkers to Arabian aesthetics to swordfighters 
  from the east may congregate in the same city to teach 
  their skills or battle for control.
  Inborn or granted powers—such as psychic powers, mu-
  tations, and powers gained through random accidents—
  are less in-theme, with the exception being demigods and 
  divine vessels. Heroes with “un-earned” power are gener-
  ally viewed with suspicion, and the expectation that any 
  misfortune that befalls them is somehow more deserved.
  Local heroes are likely to focus on the peace and stabil-
  ity of the empire (or at least their own city) rather than 
  adventuring abroad. While all roads lead to Rome, many 
  massive cities exist within the empire and call out for 
  champions—Alexandria in Egypt, Byzantium on the Black 
  Sea, Carthage in North Africa, and Corinth in Greece—
  while the stretches of land in-between host small towns, 
  farms, rugged wilderness, and the ruins of older civiliza-
  tions. Dangers may hail from the new, such as mecha-
  nisms and weird science of the era, or threats may come 
  from the past in the form of unearthed magic, undead, or 
  forgotten secret societies.  
  With its cosmopolitan cityscapes, Imperial Rome is an 
  ideal setting for an anachronistic superhero game that 
  plays fast and loose with history and mythology, translat-
  ing modern concepts by associating them with histori-
  cal Roman traditions, institutions, and public figures. The 
  heroes may be part of an elite Praetorian guard serving 
  the emperor and stopping superhuman threats, or in-
  dependent vigilantes battling crime, corruption, weird 
  mechanisms, and supernatural dangers. A “Defenders of 
  the Empire” campaign could easily be a standard PL 10 
  superhero game with a thin coat of Greco-Roman paint, 
  with many of the heroes hailing from high-born families 
  and battling unlikely foes ranging from giant monsters to 
  gods to automated war machines gone haywire.
  A campaign inspired by Hero High may revolve around 
  an elite school for demigods, or a training academy for 
  super-powered beings being trained as gladiators. Stu-
  dents struggle to find their place in a very strict society, or 
  make friends with others they ultimately know they need 
  to battle. While the typical Hero High game is set at PL 8, 
  one focused on young gods or demigods could easily be 
  expanded to PL 10 or 12—ideally still limited to 120pp, 
  forcing players to make some hard choices about their 
  skills and powers.
  Low-powered urban vigilantes can take advantage of 
  the empire’s intrigue and mysteries, fighting corruption, 
  taking on dangerous cults, and enforcing a justice that 
  the decadent empire won’t. Such champions of the down-
  trodden are likely drawn from the common people—la-
  borers, servants, slaves, and immigrants—who rely on 
  skills, muscle, and a sharp blade to deliver justice. For a 
  PL 6 to 8 Roman vigilantes game, foes might range from 
  urban criminals and crime lords to stealthy supernatural 
  predators to ancient curses.
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  STATBLOCKS
  The following statblocks are especially useful in this era:
  Champion Gladiator 
  pL 7 • MR6 • 82 points
  STR 4 STA 4 AGL 0 DEX 2 FGT 4 INT 0 AWE 1 PRE 2
  Equipment: Gladiator Armor, Net (+2 Grab checks, Advantage 
  [Fast Grab, Improved Hold], No Damage), Trident (Close 
  Damage 2, Advantages [Improved Disarm, Improved Critical], 
  Reach). 
  Advantages: 
  Assessment, 
  Attractive, 
  Benefit 
  (Status: 
  Champion Gladiator), Close Attack 3, Defensive Roll, Diehard, 
  Equipment 3, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, 
  Improved Trip, Taunt, Weapon Bind. 
  Skills: Athletics 5 (+9), Deception 8 (+10), Expertise (PRE): 
  Working the Crowd 6 (+8), Expertise: Popular Culture 2 (+2), 
  Insight 2 (+3), Vehicles 8 (+10). 
  Offense: Init +4, Net +7 (Fast Grab +6), Trident +7 (Close, 
  Damage 7), Unarmed +7 (Close, Damage 4). 
  Defense: Dodge 7, Parry 7, Fortitude 8, Toughness 7/4*, Will 4 
  *Without Defensive Roll and Improved Defense. 
  Totals: Abilities 34 + Powers 0 + Advantages 15 + Skills 16 (31 
  ranks) + Defenses 17 = 82
  The superstars of Rome, gladiators commanded incred-
  ible respect and privilege despite despite originally being 
  slaves and convicts. Rome had several standard roles for 
  gladiators to play in the coliseum, complete with custom 
  equipment and weapons. This champion is outfitted as 
  a retiarius, a fisherman-themed gladiator wielding a net 
  and trident and wearing only an arm guard and shoulder 
  plate as armor.
  For less imposing or trainee gladiators, use the statistics 
  for a Crook (Deluxe Gamemaster's Guide), replacing their 
  pistol with a sword and small shield. This increases their 
  Defenses to Dodge 3, Parry 3 and provides the additional 
  attack Sword +2 (Close, Damage 4).
  Legionary 
  pL 5 • MR4 • 48 points
  STR 3 STA 3 AGL 1 DEX 0 FGT 2 INT 0 AWE 1 PRE 0
  Equipment: Lorica Segmata Armor, Medium Wooden Shield, 
  Pilum, Spear, Sword. 
  Advantages: Close Attack 2, Equipment 5, Favored 
  Environment (Large Formations), Quick Draw, Set-up, 
  Teamwork. 
  Skills: Athletics 4 (+7), Expertise: Survival 4 (+4), Expertise: 
  Tactics 4 (+4), Intimidation 4 (+4), Ranged Combat: Thrown 5 
  (+5), Vehicles 2 (+2). 
  Offense: Init +1, Pilum +5 (Ranged, Damage 5), Spear +4 
  (Close, Damage 6), Sword +4 (Close, Damage 6), Unarmed +4 
  (Close, Damage 3). 
  Defense: Dodge 3, Parry 4, Fortitude 6, Toughness 6, Will 3. 
  Totals: Abilities 20 + Powers 0 + Advantages 11 + Skills 12 (23 
  ranks) + Defenses 5 = 48
  The backbone of the Roman armies, legionaries are pro-
  fessional soldiers armed with the latest military technol-
  ogy of their day. Trained in close and ranged combat, they 
  are especially deadly when fighting as a coordinated unit, 
  with each legionary looking out for the soldier next to 
  him. While soldiers first and foremost, they also served the 
  empire as a police force and engineers. In Rome's decline, 
  mercenaries replaced the well-trained legionaries.
  Senator  
  pL 3 • MR3 • 45 points
  STR 0 STA 1 AGL 0 DEX 1 FGT 0 INT 2 AWE 2 PRE 3
  Equipment: Knife. 
  Advantages: Connected, Contacts, Equipment 1, Fascinate 
  (Persuasion), Inspire, Second Chance (Insight Checks). 
  Skills: Deception 6 (+9), Expertise: Politics 7 (+9), Expertise: 
  History 3 (+5), Insight 6 (+8), Intimidation 4 (+7), Persuasion 
  8 (+11). 
  Offense: Init +0, Knife +0 (Close, Damage 1, Crit. 19-20), 
  Unarmed +0 (Close, Damage 0). 
  Defense: Dodge 1, Parry 1, Fortitude 2, Toughness 1, Will 3. 
  Totals: Abilities 18 + Powers 0 + Advantages 6 + Skills 17 (34 
  ranks) + Defenses 4 = 45
  Roman senators are cunning and educated politicians 
  whose plots shaped the lives of millions. While far from 
  dangerous in a fight, their skills and connections allow 
  them to weave great webs of intrigue.
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  ISLAMIC GOLDEN AGE 
  ISLAMIC GOLDEN AGE 
  ISLAMIC GOLDEN AGE 
  ISLAMIC GOLDEN AGE 
   CIRCA 900 CE
  CIRCA 900 CE
  The Islamic Golden Age, under the Abbasid Caliphate, 
  spanned continents and centuries and provided the foun-
  dation for the science and technology essential to the 
  modern era. During this period, collecting and growing 
  human knowledge is both a mission and a mandate. 
  Caliph Harun al-Rashid opens the House of Wisdom in 
  Baghdad as the center for learning and innovation, and 
  scholars, scientists, doctors, astronomers, mathemati-
  cians, and alchemists from around the world gather to 
  share ideas and make use of the growing library of human 
  knowledge. These academics come from across the 
  Middle East, Africa, and China, and the knowledge and 
  wealth they generate spreads throughout the caliphate.
  After overthrowing the Umayyad dynasty in 750 CE, the 
  Abbasids rule over Persia, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, 
  and Spain. Their caliphate establishes a new and more in-
  ternational era that determines members of the empire 
  through shared faith rather than Arab ancestry. 
  Education flourishes through madrassas and universities, 
  the first—the University of al-Qarawiyyin—established 
  by Fatima al-Fihriya in Morocco in 859 CE. This accessi-
  bility also ensures knowledge is not strictly the realm of 
  the wealthy and connected, and promising individuals 
  can receive rigorous in their fields of choice regardless of 
  gender or background. The arrival and widespread use of 
  paper from China, along with a simplified Arabic writing 
  system, democratizes knowledge, with high literacy rates 
  among the general population. The wealth in the region 
  means major trading cities from Madrid to Timbuktu 
  sell handwritten Arabic books, and therefore the latest 
  innovations. In contrast to the Dark Ages taking place 
  in Europe during the same period, the Arabic world’s 
  medical science—from an understanding of nutrition 
  to how to treat wounds and disease—breaks from the 
  previous theories and drastically improves the quality of 
  life. Hospitals and 24-hour pharmacies provide universal 
  healthcare, and doctors are required to treat any patient 
  who comes to them for aid. Among the many scientific 
  advances during the time, engineering, astronomy and 
  alchemy make particular strides, leading to an abundance 
  of mechanical inventions, interstellar findings, and al-
  chemical innovations. 
  The Golden Age is equally a time of artistic expression 
  and growth, and many find their living and even fortune 
  in music, art, literature, poetry, dance, architecture, and 
  legal or religious philosophical thought. The caliphate en-
  courages and sponsors these disciplines as much as the 
  sciences, and the prevalent travel and cultural exchange 
  of the time fuels an evolution of a wide range of ideas and 
  forms of expression from diverse voices. The collection of 
  folktales that will eventually become known as The Book 
  of One Thousand and One Nights in the modern era first 
  takes shape during the 10th century, along with the liter-
  ary genre of philosophical novels and poems. 
  This era holds great opportunities for heroes who are self-
  motivated scholars, curious inventors, or fortune seekers. 
  Those with superior intellect or incredible will have the 
  environment and resources to become master inventors 
  or alchemical prodigies, using their power to uncover and 
  fend off the daily onslaught of both human and super-
  natural threats arriving in Baghdad and other major me-
  tropolises. Adventurers can find government or private 
  patrons to sponsor trips to newly conquered lands, neigh-
  boring kingdoms, or unexplored territories to bring back 
  the latest knowledge and magic. 
  In a super-heroic version of the Golden Age, the Caliphate 
  has a vested interest in keeping the peace and prosper-
  ity of the time. Just as the Caliphate devotes resources to 
  guards for its palaces, important buildings, and city streets, 
  those brought up in madrassas with more unique gifts are 
  tasked with protecting the empire from both human and 
  supernatural threats. Unfortunately, neighboring empires 
  and creatures of legend aren’t the only dangers to the ca-
  liphate. Not every madrassa student graduates with noble 
  intentions for their abilities or knowledge: heroes can find 
  themselves facing former peers attempting to overthrow 
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  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  THE ISLAMIC GOLDEN AGE Of EARTH-pRIME
  Master Mage Simon Magus’s Pact has sealed the gods 
  away from the world of mortals by now, but does little 
  to guard against lesser supernatural threats which still 
  prowl the world. The Abbasid Caliphate encompasses 
  what was once Colchis—modern day Georgia—the 
  home of the sorceress Medea (Freedom City, Third 
  Edition), and several of the mystical creatures men-
  tioned in the myths of her homeland, such as harpies 
  and dragons, still prowl the mountains there, defying 
  the rise of science. Medea herself remains largely absent 
  from the region during its golden age, however. The 
  gathered knowledge of the era made the caliphate 
  home to a succession of Master Mages during its 500-
  year lifespan, and even those Master Mages not native 
  to the region visited to exploit its expansive libraries.
  The era is home to many other wonders and threats in 
  modern-day Earth Prime. The immortal master of life 
  called Amir ibn-Azoth al Khem—now known as Doctor 
  Azathoth (Threat Report)—poses a serious threat to Al-
  exandria in this era as his increasingly reckless experi-
  mentation brings more and more dangerous beings to 
  life. While it originates in a far earlier era, the Khanjar of 
  Vengeance (Atlas of Earth-Prime) appears repeatedly in 
  this era to confound politics and prosperity. One of the 
  great corruptors of the Golden Age, the Caliph Vathek 
  the Appeaser (Rogues Gallery) was still a mortal sor-
  cerer and scientist, well under the sway of his infernal 
  master. Use the Mystic hero archetype from the Deluxe 
  Hero’s Handbook to reflect his abilities in his home era.
  the caliphate, alchemists untroubled by the morals of 
  their experiments, or members of fading magic lines strik-
  ing deals with jinn to reclaim their power and prestige. 
  The Islamic Golden Age also offers heroes a chance for 
  weird science adventures and street level campaigns, from 
  investigating strange events to vigilantes keeping order in 
  a metropolis. The strides in astronomy present the chance 
  for discovering alien visitors; and earthly explorations of 
  both knowledge- and glory-seekers stumbling across 
  imprisoned jinn, uninhabited desert tombs lurking with 
  shapeshifting ghuls, and booby-trapped vaults.
  Though this society flourishes for centuries, Baghdad 
  and the House of Wisdom are ultimately sacked during 
  a Mongol invasion in 1258 CE, and an untold number of 
  books and the knowledge in them are lost.
  RULES CONSIDERATIONS
  The Abbasid Caliphate extends across multiple moder 
  nations. Lands from Queen Gudit and the Zagwe Dynasty 
  in Ethiopia to the reunified China under the Song dynasty 
  are accessible through well-traveled trade routes on land 
  and sea. Whether traveling or in a major city, characters 
  with Comprehend or skills in relevant languages are re-
  quired for any type of local interaction, with Arabic abso-
  lutely essential and the more languages the better given 
  the diversity of the caliphate and surrounding lands.
  The advancements in science and especially medicine in 
  this era means visiting characters only suffer a –2 circum-
  stance penalty to use local tools for Treatment checks and 
  Technology checks involving chemistry, but suffer a –5 
  penalty for most other applications of Technology.
  • Advantage—Languages: Arabic is the primary lan-
  guage of the Caliphate, but Greek, Latin, Spanish, Syriac, 
  Persian, and Mandarin are all prevalent and likely to be 
  spoken by merchants and scholars.
  • Skill—Expertise (Science): Though time travelers will 
  have to be wary of how much they impart if they are 
  concerned about altering the course of history, sharing 
  knowledge that advances any science, including chem-
  istry, biology, physics, and astronomy, are immediate 
  paths to greater status, access, and regard. 
  • Skill—Expertise (Alchemy): Alchemy exists as a distinct 
  science in this era, and Gamemasters may allow local 
  heroes and villains to substitute Expertise (Alchemy) 
  checks to use the Artificer and Inventor Advantages.
  NEW EQUIpMENT
  The Caliphate absorbed Greek, Roman, and Chinese in-
  ventions, improving daily life and scholarly study. The 
  Golden Age’s particular advancements include:
  SURGICAL TOOLS
  On hand at major hospitals and doctors’ practices, the 
  surgical tools of the Islamic Golden Age are the most ad-
  vanced in this period.
  Surgical Tools: Enhanced Skill (Treatment 2), Feature (tools; 
  Treatment), Advantage: Second Chance (Treatment checks to 
  stabilize) • 3 points
  DAMASCUS STEEL BLADE
  Developed in Damascus, Syria, these swords are unique-
  ly durable and sharp. They are identifiable by the water-
  like patterning on the blade, though most people have 
  only heard of them and never expect to see one. The 
  forging technique was lost in the centuries following 
  the Islamic Golden Age. Anyone seen carrying a Damas-
  cus blade is reasonably assumed to be the artisan who 
  made it, meaning they are of rare talent and skill even 
  in a highly educated era, or at least absurdly connected 
  and wealthy.
  Damascus Steel Blade: Strength-based close damage 3, 
  Penetrating, Advantage: Benefit (Status: Elite Artisan) • 7 points
  ALCHEMY LAB
  The standard ingredients of an alchemist’s lab provide 
  the building blocks for transforming one type of matter 
  into another. The reactive agents are limited, their effects 
  permanent, and they are volatile and may produce un-
  expected results if deployed by an unskilled scientist, so 
  the Caliphate closely monitors these items. Consequently, 
  many alchemical components and tools are kept under 
  lock and key in official laboratories and madrassas.
  Alchemy Lab: Transform 2 (Broad [solids to solids], Continuous; 
  Check Required [Expertise: Alchemy, DC 15) • 4 points
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  CHApTER 5: ERAS Of ADVENTURE
  CHApTER 5: ERAS Of ADVENTURE
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  VISITING HEROES
  The Islamic Golden Age holds a wealth of scientific inno-
  vation and magical discoveries—much of it lost when the 
  Mongols destroyed the empire centuries later—and time 
  travelers likely arrive to obtain or alter them. Villains can 
  set a multitude of modern sciences back centuries, includ-
  ing medicine or mathematics, while aliens keen to remain 
  undiscovered can sabotage the Golden Age’s observato-
  ries and delay human space exploration. 
  Villains with an anti-Islam agenda have an abundance of 
  targets: many rulers not under the Caliphate also prac-
  ticed Islam, including later-era kingdoms in Ghana, Mali, 
  and Ethiopia, and played an essential part in the wealth, 
  trade, and sharing and cementing of religious and aca-
  demic ideas. Disruption or destruction of any part of this 
  flourishing society can easily ripple out not just into the 
  realms of human knowledge, but can actively damage 
  later empires such as the Ottomans, likewise setting back 
  modern nations and culture. Such destruction could also 
  set back Europe’s climb out of the Dark Ages, as the in-
  troduction of knowledge preserved in Abbasid libraries 
  helped jump-start the Renaissance.
  Medical science, mathematics, physics, and astronomy all 
  operating on an early form of the scientific method. Edu-
  cation and medical care are accessible, and the architec-
  ture of these city centers—especially buildings of societal 
  and cultural significance like mosques or universities—
  reflect the latest in structural engineering and fine art. The 
  Caliphate encompasses multiple major cities, with hubs of 
  travel and learning from Spain to North Africa to modern 
  Iraq. Diverse populations are not only common but 
  welcome. Visitors whose notions of Muslim society were 
  informed by 21st-century pop culture may be surprised to 
  discover the acceptance of many sexualities and genders. 
  Visitors may encounter individuals who would later be 
  labeled homosexual, bisexual, transgender, agender, and 
  gender non-conforming all living in the caliphate openly.
  Those acquainted with modern Islam or Middle Eastern 
  culture will also find much of Golden Age society familiar. 
  In addition to the flourishing sciences, the Islamic Golden 
  Age was a period of discussion and development of Islamic 
  law, philosophy, and jurisprudence, with scholars dedicat-
  ing their lives to these pursuits. Though major cities and 
  the roads and oceans between them see a multitude of 
  people hailing from Spain to China, the dominant culture 
  and social norms are intrinsically Muslim. Visiting heroes 
  (and players) operate best with an understanding of and 
  respect for the culture and religious practice.
  Possible plot hooks:
  • The heroes arrive in search of a scientific secret redis-
  covered in modern times that causes untold damage, 
  to destroy or hide it before it to undo this catastrophe.
  • The heroes pursue alien invaders to stop them from in-
  terfering with human extraterrestrial exploration.
  • The heroes are lost in time and need to collaborate with 
  the scientific minds of the era to return home.
  LOCAL HEROES
  The caliphate sponsors scientists, scholars, academics, 
  poets, and many other people of learning, without restric-
  tion to gender or background, to pursue their field of spe-
  cialty. Heroes naturally emerge from this pursuit of knowl-
  edge, sometimes on purpose with self-experimentation 
  yielding superhuman gifts, and sometimes by accident, 
  with the classic lab explosion bestowing strange abilities 
  to scientists or hapless bystanders. These scientific discov-
  eries are often applied to a lesser extent to guards, sol-
  diers, caliphate-sponsored traders, adventurers, and spies 
  to grant advantages in their lines of work. A PL8-10 game 
  based in Baghdad could pit super-powered scientists (or 
  science experiments) defending the capitol city against 
  magical and supernatural threats—a clash of heroes to 
  reflect the clashing ideals of the era.
  Heroes of world-class skill can easily find their home in 
  this era where madrassas cultivate both specialists and 
  jacks-of-all-trades from a young age, and the most prom-
  ising minds and talents are encouraged and sponsored. 
  Brilliant gadgeteers and alchemists as well as fighters 
  trained in styles that span the empire can find careers 
  serving in any of the major cities, could strike out on 
  their own as adventurers and fortune-seekers, or work as 
  street-level heroes protecting those who might otherwise 
  slip through the cracks. 
  Magic powers, either studied or inborn, might still be 
  found in the early decades of the Golden Age, but are 
  increasingly frowned on as both unscientific and against 
  Islam. Any who find themselves from magic houses or lin-
  eages, or who pursue magic study against all odds, will at 
  best struggle to justify their value in a logic-driven world, 
  and increasingly be viewed as threats to society. Super-
  natural beings like jinn and ghuls are boogeymen that 
  loom large in the public consciousness even if encounter-
  ing them is rare, and anyone bearing similarities to these 
  creatures would be treated as inherently dangerous.
  Much as the people of the Golden Age aren’t geographi-
  cally restricted, adventures aren’t either: caravan roads 
  and shipping routes lead to Spain and Portugal, through 
  China to the coast, and south into landlocked kingdoms 
  like Mali and the Kanem-Bornu Empire in North Africa, all 
  of which have their own bustling trade centers, fonts of 
  wealth and wisdom, and interests in collaborating with 
  or defending against one another. Whether on a mission 
  for the caliphate or adventuring independently, travel-
  ing heroes can find themselves in demand from rulers of 
  empires to wealthy merchants and scholars to the every-
  day person in need of a bit of help.
  With frequent travel in the empire, and new discoveries 
  coming in and out of Baghdad daily, heroes can also find 
  themselves investigating weird happenings, stopping un-
  sanctioned science experiments, and capturing supernat-
  ural creatures run amok. A science detective squad of PL8 
  heroes could serve to uncover and eliminate these threats 
  before they grow out of hand; while similar level heroes 
  equipped for travel and exploration could seek out the 
  weirdness within the empire and its neighbors to acquire 
  it for power, profit, or simply the pursuit of knowledge. 
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  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  Royal Guard 
  pL 6 • MR5 • 71 points
  STR 4 STA 4 AGL 2 DEX 1 FGT 5 INT 1 AWE 3 PRE 1
  Equipment: Bow, Chain-mail, Scimitar (Damage 3). 
  Advantages: 
  Accurate 
  Attack, 
  Assessment, 
  Diehard, 
  Equipment 3, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Interpose, 
  Second Chance (Resisting mind control), Teamwork.
  Skills: Athletics 4 (+8), Insight 4 (+7), Intimidation 4 (+5), 
  Perception 6 (+9), Ranged Combat: Bow 4 (+5). 
  Offense: Init +6, Bow +5 (Ranged, Damage 3), Scimitar +5 
  (Close, Damage 7), Unarmed +5 (Close, Damage 4).
  Defense: Dodge 4, Parry 5, Fortitude 5, Toughness 7, Will 7.
  Totals: Abilities 42 + Powers 0 + Advantages 11 + Skills 11 (22 
  ranks) + Defenses 7 = 71
  Guards charged with protecting important people and 
  locations are skilled and highly trained, often hailing from 
  madrassas. With the era’s support of education, many are 
  also trained in unexpected skills, such as music, philoso-
  phy, or history.
  STATBLOCKS
  The following statblocks are especially useful in this era:
  Alchemist 
  pL 3 • MR4 •  60 points
  STR 0 STA 0 AGL 1 DEX 2 FGT 1 INT 4 AWE 2 PRE 2
  Powers: Alchemy Continuous Transform 4 (Anything to 
  anything; Check Required 6 [Expertise: Alchemy, DC 15], Slow 
  [Full Round]).
  Advantages: Benefit (Status: Leading Academic), Eidetic 
  Memory, Inventor, Languages 3 (Arabic, Chinese, Persian, 
  Spanish).
  Skills: Expertise: Alchemy 8 (+12), Expertise: Philosophy 6 
  (+10), Insight 2 (+4), Technology 4 (+8), Treatment 2 (+6).
  Offense: Init +1, Unarmed +1 (Close, Damage 0).
  Defense: Dodge 1, Parry 3, Fortitude 1, Toughness 0, Will 4.
  Totals: Abilities 24 + Powers 14 + Advantages 6 + Skills 11 (22 
  ranks) + Defenses 5 = 60
  Specialists in the emerging art and science of alchemy, 
  these scholars have dedicated themselves to the study 
  so thoroughly that they have managed to imbue them-
  selves with the ability to transmute matter. As caliph-
  ate-sponsored academics and researchers, they have 
  exclusive access to particular research libraries in major 
  cities. They’re generally well-regarded by their peers in 
  academia and the general public for their contributions to 
  society, as well as for their dedicated embodiment of the 
  tenants of Islam to gather and grow knowledge.
  Jinn 
  pL 7 • MR9 • 135 points
  STR 6 STA 6 AGL 2 DEX 2 FGT 4 INT 2 AWE 2 PRE 5
  Powers: Element Control Ranged Damage 7, AE: Move 
  Object 7; Born of the Wind Flight 8 (500 MPH); Inconstant 
  Form Insubstantial 3, AE: Concealment 4 (All Visual Senses), 
  AE: Morph 3 (Animals).
  Advantages: Close Attack 2, Fascinate (Persuasion), Ranged 
  Attack 3.
  Skills: Deception 4 (+9), Intimidation 4 (+9), Perception 6 (+8), 
  Persuasion 4 (+9). 
  Offense: Init +2, Element Control +5 (Ranged, Damage 7), 
  Unarmed +6 (Close, Damage 6). 
  Defense: Dodge 7, Parry 8, Fortitude 6, Toughness 6, Will 7. 
  Totals: Abilities 58 + Powers 48 + Advantages 6 + Skills 9 (18 
  ranks) + Defenses 14 = 135
  Less powerful than djinn (see Atlas of Earth-Prime), jinn 
  straddle the divide between natural and supernatural. They 
  are shapeshifters and children of the elements, pushed 
  out to the remote deserts by the expansion in size and 
  power of the caliphate. Though not inherently evil, jinn are 
  self-serving, and are keen to meet their need for fine food 
  and treasure by taking it or by striking one-sided bargains 
  with foolish locals. While most jinn can command a specific 
  element, such as fire or water, more powerful subjects have 
  been able to possess people, summon swarms of insects or 
  rats, or teleport across the world in a moment.
  Jinn have no intrinsic ability to grant wishes, but often 
  take advantage of human ignorance by promising to, and 
  eventually bringing some version of that wish into being 
  through a combination of their powers and favors owed. 
  But they aren't bound to keep their word as djinn are.
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  CHApTER 5: ERAS Of ADVENTURE
   
  CHApTER 5: ERAS Of ADVENTURE
  CHApTER 5: ERAS Of ADVENTURE
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  MEDIEVAL EUROpE 
  MEDIEVAL EUROpE 
  MEDIEVAL EUROpE 
  MEDIEVAL EUROpE 
   CIRCA 1000 CE
  CIRCA 1000 CE
  The Middle Ages were a paradox: a time of beautiful lit-
  erature, soaring architecture, optimism, and expansive 
  growth, riddled with religious intolerance, danger, and 
  crushing poverty. It was also headed for the triple di-
  saster of economic failure, cooling climate, and plague. 
  Although the time between the Roman Empire and the 
  Renaissance is referred to as the “Middle Ages” or the 
  “Medieval Period,” this period of history can be broken 
  down into smaller eras: The “Early Middle Ages,” (500-900 
  CE) The “High Middle Ages,” (1000-1200 CE) and the “Late 
  Middle Ages” (1200-1300 CE). Each of these eras within 
  the Middle Ages were distinct periods in time. A “broad 
  strokes” approach, one that blends these different eras 
  into one, would take the primary themes and images: 
  knights and manors, fields and markets, and make a gen-
  eralized “Middle Ages” setting. The opportunity exists to 
  play earlier into the age, during the more turbulent—
  almost post-apocalyptic—time as the Roman Empire was 
  wiped away and the Middle Ages were just getting under-
  way, or later, when the countryside and cities are ravaged 
  by disease and famine, for a more dangerous setting. 
  The collapse of the Roman Empire cast Europe into a dark 
  age for centuries as an untold amount of technological 
  and philosophical progress was lost. People scrambled 
  just to survive as trade networks and governments fell 
  apart. Grand architecture of the empire decayed, as there 
  was no one left with the time, money, and/or skill to repair 
  it, while looters tore iron supports from the walls of great 
  stone buildings.
  As society stabilized, the Middle Ages saw a series of in-
  novations and inventions that changed Europe. The 
  implementation of the 3-field system of farming and 
  the heavy plow and horses all improved agriculture in 
  the Early Middle ages. These advances—coupled with a 
  warmer climate and period of relative peace following 
  Charlemagne’s conquest of western and central Europe—
  contributed to a population boom that in turn fueled the 
  expansion of cities and the increased collection of smaller 
  farms into manors. As new methods of mining and quarry-
  ing developed, construction of new churches and manor 
  houses turned to stone. Later in the medieval era, roads 
  improved, bringing back trade. As guilds began to form 
  and more people became skilled in crafts, households 
  that were once forced to make everything they needed 
  began visiting fairs and markets. Forges, smithies, mills, 
  and workshops became more plentiful and more efficient. 
  Most of the population lived in rural areas on small scat-
  tered farms or bustling estates. Manors consisted of the 
  manor house, where the lord and lady, their family and 
  their servants lived; a church; farmland belonging to the 
  manor; clusters of homes of the peasants and serfs who 
  worked at the manor; and the personal plots of land they 
  farmed to feed their families. The grounds often included 
  orchards, woods where the lords could hunt, or a stream 
  or pond for fishing. Peasants were free people who farmed 
  the land. Serfs on the other hand were bound to the farm-
  land, either as chattel or through debt bondage—they 
  could not move away from the manor without the lord’s 
  permission and could be sold along with the land if the 
  lord or lady wished it. They worked the manor’s farms 
  part of the week and tended to their personal plots and 
  gardens on the others. Serf families would share expen-
  sive resources such as oxen and come together during 
  busy seasons to help each other. 
  As the population grew so did towns, and as they became 
  more crowded buildings grew more narrow and taller to 
  make room for the expanding population; fire was a con-
  stant danger thanks to wooden houses and thatch roofs. 
  Cities were noisy, and crowded, and the people there 
  shared their space with pigs and cows, who lived either 
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  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  MEDIEVAL EUROpE Of EARTH-pRIME
  Without the constraints and patrols of the Roman 
  Empire, magic ran amok in medieval Europe while it 
  was being heavily constrained in the Middle East, the 
  Americas, Africa, and Asia. Europe throughout the Dark 
  Ages became a sort of supernatural free-for-all, where 
  supernatural creatures could stalk humans as prey once 
  more or carve out petty fiefdoms. Much of the knowl-
  edge that could be used to contain them was lost, and 
  while the Master Mage of the era, Merlin, assembled an 
  entire nation of crusading knights to end the chaos, he 
  ultimately failed.
  The most powerful of these arcane threats was the Lemu-
  rian sorceress, Melusine (Atlas of Earth-Prime), who carved 
  out her own arcane kingdom across modern France and 
  Germany and created many of the “dragons” that would 
  prowl the continent for centuries to come. The immortal 
  Mastermind (Threat Report) likewise took advantage of 
  the chaos and attempted to create a utopian nation only 
  to be foiled by human greed and petty jealousy.
  near or even inside houses where the windows were often 
  covered with oiled parchment and smoky fires were the 
  primary light source. Poorer families occupied one floor of 
  the house or even a single room, while wealthier families 
  would use the first floor of the house for business, middle 
  floors for their living spaces, and top floors for their ser-
  vants. The center and heart of these cities was the church 
  and the house of the bishop or priest who led it. 
  The Church was the true power to be reckoned with 
  during the Middle Ages—and for all intents and purposes 
  there was only the one church until the 16th century. The 
  seat of power remained in Rome, as the home of the Pope. 
  Below the Pope, control was maintained by archbishops 
  and bishops who came from wealthy families, priests who 
  oversaw smaller parishes and had humbler origins, and 
  monks and nuns who lived in monasteries, separate from 
  societies around them. The latter, while observing vows 
  of poverty, chastity, and obedience, also performed daily 
  labor, and monasteries served as schools, hospitals, safe 
  places for travelers to stay, and places to care for the poor 
  or sick. The power of the church was not only spiritual; the 
  church had its own laws, collected taxes, and wielded po-
  litical power equal to, or exceeding, that of sovereigns. 
  RULES CONSIDERATIONS 
  Most character attributes are unaffected in medieval 
  Europe, but some Social skills might operate differently—
  medieval society is highly stratified, and a peasant or serf 
  speaking out of turn to a noble or church official may be 
  ignored, fined, or imprisoned. Time traveling characters 
  can use Deception to pass themselves off as individuals of 
  higher standing, but suffer a circumstance penalty unless 
  they have appropriate Expertise skills (such as History for 
  nobles, and Theology for priests) and can speak Latin.
  • Advantage—Benefit (Status): Status is very impor-
  tant in medieval Europe, dictating where a person can 
  travel, who they can communicate with, and what they 
  can own. Without any status, a character (or visitor) is 
  assumed to be a peasant with few rights, while being a 
  serf is a Complication. One rank of Status is the equiva-
  lent of being a guild artisan, a minor lord, local priest, 
  or nun, and generally allows a character to move about 
  and speak freely. Higher ranks of Status reflect more 
  social power (granting a circumstance bonus to pres-
  ence skills involving others of lower Status), up to major 
  positions of power such as baron (Status 2), cardinal 
  (Status 4), or queen or pope (Status 5). Knighthood is 
  an additional status beyond noble birth which allows a 
  character to openly carry weapons, participate in tour-
  naments, and serve in respected roles in the military.
  • Advantage—Favored 
  Environment 
  (Mounted 
  Combat): While the Athletics skill (or the optional Riding 
  skill; see Animal-Related Skills in Chapter 2) can keep a 
  player from falling off a horse and make them generally 
  able to control where their horse goes, many knights and 
  messengers of this era truly shine in the saddle. “Mounted 
  Combat” is an acceptable choice for the Favored Envi-
  ronment Advantage, granting a character a +2 bonus to 
  Attack or active Defenses while mounted.
  NEW EQUIpMENT
  While earlier ages saw armored combatants on horse 
  as the epitome of power, those same mounted warriors 
  can now be brought low by a relatively untrained soldier 
  using a crossbow.
  CATApULT
  Though developed in earlier eras, the catapult became a 
  staple of siege warfare in the Middle Ages thanks to its 
  ease of construction and transport. The small onager was 
  portable and easy to aim, reload, and fire with a team of 
  two. More powerful catapults, like the trebuchet, could 
  lob massive boulders through city walls, but required 
  large support crews.
  Onager: Ranged Penetrating Damage 7 (Indirect 1 (overhead); 
  Increased Action, Inaccurate) • 14 points
  Trebuchet: Ranged Penetrating Damage 11 (Indirect 1 
  (overhead); Increased Action, Inaccurate, Limited [requires a 
  10-person crew]) • 11 points
  ENGLISH LONGBOW
  One of the premiere longbow designs, the 6-foot English 
  longbow changed the face of warfare beginning in 
  the 13th century. While difficult to master—requir-
  ing strength, endurance, and practice—they enabled a 
  peasant to strike down an armored knight. 
  English Longbow: Ranged Penetrating Damage 4 (Quirk: 
  requires STR 3 or higher) • 11 points
  LANCE
  Effectively a spear or polearm, the European lance was a 
  preferred weapon for the cavalry charge and could easily 
  pierce multiple soldiers and their armor in a single charge.
  Mounted Lance: Strength-based Penetrating Damage 3 
  (AE: Cavalry Charge Line Area Damage 6; Limited [must be 
  mounted]) • 10 points
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  ARMOR
  The armor of the day is often piecemeal and not the plate 
  armor from paintings and illustrations (see Gadgets & 
  Gear in the Deluxe Hero’s Handbook), which wouldn’t 
  enter the battlefield until the 14th century. This can lead 
  to interesting variations on armor, as each suit is custom 
  made, remade, and modified over its lifetime.
  Customized suits may work various Advantages into the 
  armor they wear: All-out Attack (taking the form of armor 
  segments that can be moved aside to grant the wearer 
  more mobility and control), Defensive Attack (represent-
  ing the opposite), Evasion (representing a particularly 
  heavily-armored side that can be turned to brace against 
  attacks), Improved Defense (incorporating reinforce-
  ments and extra padding), and Weapon Bind (reflecting 
  hooks, flutes, and ridges that can snag enemy weapons). 
  VISITING HEROES
  Travelers coming to medieval Europe will encounter 
  crowded and growing towns and cities, interspersed by 
  a countryside dotted with farms and large, seemingly 
  impenetrable forests. Merchants, knights, pilgrims, vaga-
  bonds, and bandits all travel the roads. Visitors to this time 
  may find company on the roads, or a safe place to stay in 
  a town or monastery, but will also have to contend with 
  knights asking them their business and most towns’ gates 
  being barred at sunset. A hierarchy of power is in place 
  and easily communicated through dress and action and 
  will provide added complication for those not of this time. 
  News travels quickly within cities or manors, but slowly 
  between them, and the nights are pitch-dark and filled 
  with wild beasts. The Middle Ages were a time of transi-
  tion and intrigue, and time travelers with a clear goal 
  could quickly lose their way and become embroiled in any 
  number of political or legal events.
  The weight of the Roman Catholic church’s immense 
  power may also feel new and oppressive to time travel-
  ers, depending on their background. Characters running 
  afoul of religious officials can see considerable resistance 
  to their actions. While the witch hunts won’t take off until 
  the 13th century—and in fact the church banned the ex-
  ecution of suspected witches for much of the early medi-
  eval period—they were still unwilling to embrace strang-
  ers exhibiting unusual powers or knowledge. 
  While much of the knowledge and history of the era is 
  unrecorded—and in fact, some time travelers may arrive 
  here to lie low—a few larger-than life legendary figures 
  exist that could draw curious visitors. The most promi-
  nent is the legendary King Arthur and the Knights of the 
  Round Table, who ruled the British kingdom of Camelot 
  in the 6th century. A visit to Camelot—a fiction in the 
  real world but likely as real as anything else in a super-
  heroic world—would conjure forth all the jousts, courtly 
  intrigue, mystic trials, and grand quests a modern su-
  perhero could want. Heroes may also visit the vigilante 
  Robin Hood and his Merry men in the 13th century, or 
  battle a wyrm alongside St. George the Dragonslayer in 
  the 11th century.
  Possible plot hooks:
  • A traveling medieval merchant has arrived in a modern 
  city. Can the heroes determine how and return him and 
  his goods to his own time without exposing him to too 
  much modern knowledge?
  • After a hiccup in the timeline, the Spanish Inquisition 
  now begins 400 years earlier than it should. Who has 
  changed history and why?
  • A temporal villain kidnaps or executes Robin Hood, and 
  another hero of the people must rise in England to take 
  his place.
  • A dragon is too powerful in the future and must be slain 
  during the dark ages.
  LOCAL HEROES
  While heroes possessing magic and extraordinary skill are 
  the stereotype of medieval roleplaying campaigns, Medi-
  eval Europe is very much a time of nostalgia for the “good 
  old days” of the Roman empire (see Imperial Rome in this 
  chapter), and so any of the power types appropriate to 
  Rome can fit medieval superheroes as well. These heroes 
  may even be legacies, uncovering the legendary equip-
  ment or training manuals of Roman heroes and using 
  them to bring justice and enlightenment to a world that 
  seems to have lost its way. The prominence of the Church 
  during this era also means that heroes might be angels 
  (or devils) trying to do right in the world, or possessors of 
  divine relics, and even those heroes not empowered by 
  their god(s) are still likely to draw inspiration and themes 
  from Catholicism.
  Many of the medieval heroes of legend were possessed of 
  great bravery and skill, sometimes aided with a magical 
  relic, spellcasting mentor, or divine providence. A PL 6-8 
  campaign fits the mold of these extraordinary heroes 
  while still placing them far above common soldiers. This 
  level of campaign is gritty and can draw upon the human 
  concerns of the Middle Ages: medical help, sanitation, 
  transportation, supplies, and companionship. Powers 
  that help characters deal with these issues would be even 
  more significant here than in other settings. 
  Higher PL campaigns, ranging from 8 to 10, might center 
  truly extraordinary “high fantasy heroes” who command 
  impressive magic, command vicious beasts, or carry a bit 
  of inhuman blood. The high-PL campaign could easily 
  see the characters taking up leadership roles and facing 
  off against other superhuman national leaders. Fear and 
  superstition could come into play in ways that are not as 
  common in modern campaigns. As much as players may 
  be ready for a hero flying through the air and throwing 
  beams of quantum energy from their hands, the average 
  folk of the Middle Ages are not prepared to witness it. 
  Gamemasters can draw inspiration from their favorite 
  medieval fantasy-themed roleplaying games to create ad-
  ventures and rivals, letting heroes hunt monsters terror-
  izing their community, fight wars with neighboring king-
  doms, explore the ruins (and treasures) of lost empires, 
  and destroy evil wizards.
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  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  STATBLOCKS 
  The following statblocks are especially useful in this era:
  Jester 
  pL 3 • MR5 • 70 points
  STR 1 STA 1 AGL 2 DEX 4 FGT 1 INT 1 AWE 3 PRE 4
  Advantages: Fascinate (Expertise: Humor), Great Endurance, 
  Instant Up, Taunt, Well-Informed. 
  Skills: Acrobatics 6 (+8), Athletics 4 (+5), Deception 4 (+8), 
  Expertise (PRE): Humor 7 (+11), Expertise: Politics 7 (+8), 
  Insight 4 (+7), Perception 4 (+7), Persuasion 4 (+8), Sleight of 
  Hand 5 (+9), Stealth 3 (+5). 
  Offense: Init +2, Unarmed +1 (Close, Damage 1). 
  Defense: Dodge 5, Parry 4, Fortitude 2, Toughness 1, Will 3. 
  Totals: Abilities 34 + Powers 0 + Advantages 5 + Skills 24 (48 
  ranks) + Defenses 7 = 70
  While not skilled in combat, jesters are dangerous for 
  several reasons: they have the ear of their lords and know 
  the comings and goings of the manor. They are clever 
  and silver-tongued, and are physically gifted, especially in 
  terms of mobility and avoiding damage. 
  More politically-savvy jesters even serve as valued advi-
  sors or spymasters, adopting many of the social skills 
  and advantages from villains like the Crime Lord (Deluxe 
  Gamemaster's Guide).
  faerie, Sidhe 
  pL 8 • MR11 • 159 points
  STR 0 STA 2 AGL 6 DEX 6 FGT 4 INT 4 AWE 2 PRE 8
  Powers: Fey Magic (Dynamic Array; 32 points; Perception 
  Cumulative Affliction 8 [Mind Control; Resisted and Overcome 
  by Will; Dazed, Compelled, Controlled], Morph 4 [Any form], 
  Movement 2 [Dimensional: Fey Realms; Portal], Teleport 7 
  [Easy, Extended; Turnabout], Timeless Immunity 3 (Aging, 
  Disease, Starvation).
  Equipment: Sword.
  Advantages: Agile Feint, Artificer, Attractive 2, Defensive Roll 
  4, Equipment 1, Grabbing Finesse, Hide in Plain Sight, Inspire, 
  Seize Initiative, Uncanny Dodge.
  Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+10), Close Combat: Sword 6 (+10), 
  Deception 2 (+10), Expertise: Magic 8 (+12), Insight 6 (+8), 
  Sleight of Hand 3 (+9), Stealth 7 (+13).
  Offense: Init +6, Sword +10 (Close, Damage 3), Unarmed +4 
  (Close, Damage 0).
  Defense: Dodge 10, Parry 10, Fortitude 6, Toughness 6/2*, Will 
  9 *Without Defensive Roll.
  Totals: Abilities 64 + Powers 42 + Advantages 14 + Skills 
  18 (36 ranks) + Defenses 21 = 159
  Long-lived and powerful magical crea-
  tures, sidhe wield strong magic that lets 
  them beguile mortal minds or warp them-
  selves and the world around them. While not 
  evil, they are capricious and emotional immortal 
  beings who long for entertainment, companionship, 
  or power just as humans do. In addition to the abili-
  ties listed here, many control additional faeries such 
  as jinx or tricksters (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide), and 
  control magical dimensions where they get to define 
  and change the rules. Most sidhe possess some powerful 
  weakness—such as vulnerability to iron or church bells or 
  some sentiment—that robs them of their powers, and the 
  secret of which they guard jealously.
  Shining Knight 
  pL 6 • MR4 • 58 points
  STR 3 STA 3 AGL 1 DEX 2 FGT 4 INT 0 AWE 1 PRE 2
  Equipment: Bow, Plate-mail, Lance, Sword. 
  Advantages: All-out Attack, Benefit 2 (Status 2: Knighthood, 
  Minor Nobility), Close Attack 2, Equipment 5, Favored 
  Environment: Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Sidekick 2 
  (horse). 
  Skills: Athletics 4 (+7), Expertise: Current Events 4 (+4), 
  Intimidation 4 (+6), Persuasion 2 (+4), Ranged Combat: 
  Archery 2 (+4). 
  Offense: Init +1, Bow +4 (Ranged, Damage 3), Lance +6 (Close, 
  Damage 6), Sword +6 (Close, Damage 6), Unarmed +6 (Close, 
  Damage 3). 
  Defense: Dodge 1, Parry 4, Fortitude 4, Toughness 8/4*, Will 4 
  *Without armor. 
  Totals: Abilities 32 + Powers 0 + Advantages 14 + Skills 8 (16 
  ranks) + Defenses 4 = 58
  Knights are bound to follow the commands of their lords 
  and ladies. They range from fairytale-like champions up-
  holding the promise of protection and safety for those 
  around them to well-armed bullies taking what they 
  want from the less powerful. Lords provided their 
  knights with equipment and training; in exchange, 
  they fought for them in time of war and preserved 
  the safety of the manor in peacetime. 
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  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  THE GREAT MING EMpIRE 
  THE GREAT MING EMpIRE 
  THE 
  THE GREAT MING EMpIRE 
  GREAT MING EMpIRE 
   CIRCA 1410 CE
  CIRCA 1410 CE
  The Great Ming Empire, now known as the Ming Dynasty, 
  lasted for nearly 300 years and was rife with military cam-
  paigns and political plots, but also artistic expression and 
  extravagant demonstrations of prosperity. China had just 
  ejected the Mongol rulers of the Yuan dynasty through 
  peasant rebellion, followed by a generation of civil war. 
  The emperor, the nobles, the military, and the court 
  eunuchs all wrestle for control, but all agree that China 
  must return to traditions like careful diplomacy, academic 
  and bureaucratic reform, and the restoration of the na-
  tion’s once-grand engineering marvels like terracing, 
  canals, and the Great Wall. From 1402 to 1424, the Yongle 
  Emperor rules over China. Both prior to and during his 
  reign there are many executions and assassinations in the 
  struggle for power, making court a dangerous place for 
  anyone even tangentially connected to political games.
  Under the Yongle Emperor’s rule, the eunuch secret 
  police—the Eastern Depot—are created and spies suffuse 
  the court. In the center of Beijing, the Forbidden City is 
  under construction. Over a million workers build the city-
  within-a-city from precious materials over the course of 
  fourteen years. Concubines and eunuchs—who make up 
  the overwhelming bulk of the imperial household and 
  staff—become involved in their own power struggles, 
  and those who fail find themselves exiled to Mongolia, 
  Korea, Vietnam, and other outlying territories as human 
  tribute. While many threats within the Forbidden City are 
  real, some are imagined. It is difficult not to see would-
  be assassins around every corner after surviving the first 
  attempt on your life. Alliances are made and torn apart by 
  betrayal or suspicion, and bids for power turn into desper-
  ate struggles to stay alive. However, amid all this conflict 
  there is also economic, educational, and military reform 
  that improves life for the common citizen.
  Outside of the Imperial Court, life is different. In the city, 
  people can easily find specialty and luxury shops. Public 
  bathhouses, taverns, teahouses, and blacksmiths line the 
  streets. Professions pass down through families, though 
  apprenticeships provide children a chance at an educa-
  tion and respectable future. But crime operates through 
  the urban centers as well, with a booming trade for smug-
  glers and assassins to cater to the nobility’s dark needs.
  Rural areas provide fewer luxuries. Small towns run basic 
  schools and hold events, religious festivals, and tempo-
  rary markets. In the north, farmers grow wheat and millet, 
  while in the south they fish and farm rice. Though life may 
  seem peaceful, there are secrets and hardships beneath 
  the surface: Pitiless scholar-officials set on ruling their ter-
  ritories as tiny emperors make life impossible for citizens 
  just trying to get by. An official who narrowly escapes ex-
  ecution might go into hiding in a small village, potentially 
  attracting dangerous attention to an otherwise sleepy 
  town. And bandits ambush traveling merchants and ter-
  rorize villages that can’t defend themselves, setting them 
  ablaze if the residents don’t cooperate.
  Religions differ a little from town to town, but Confucian-
  ism, Taoism, and Buddhism are prevalent everywhere. Islam 
  has also planted firm roots, with the faithful constructing 
  mosques. The monks of Shaolin Monastery in the Henan 
  province practice kung fu, documenting their techniques 
  in manuals that spread across the empire. Over time, more 
  and more people—particularly military experts and even 
  the occasional poet—take interest in the fighting style and 
  travel to the monastery to learn from the monks. Some 
  travel there to prove at any cost that they are stronger and 
  more powerful than even the monastery’s best fighters. 
  At this time, the arts are growing more accessible to 
  people at large, not only the wealthy. Popular artforms en-
  joying a resurgence include woodblock printing, poetry, 
  ceramics, painting, literature, music, and especially opera. 
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  MING CHINA Of EARTH-pRIME
  Imperial China under the Ming Dynasty boasted at least 
  one Master Mage, Jinshi Shunfu, who helped tame many 
  of the foreign supernatural threats that had arrived with 
  the previous dynasty’s Mongol emperors and paved the 
  way for Ming scientific advancement.
  The modern Golden Dragon Society (Emerald City) has 
  its roots in one of the many secret societies that com-
  peted for the emperor’s attention and imperial power 
  during the Ming Dynasty. Some even say that it’s master, 
  the Dragoneye (use the statistics for the modern Drag-
  oneye in Emerald City, with the addition of Benefit: 
  Status, Contacts, and Well-Informed Advantages), killed 
  Jinshi Shunfu, either to prove his worth to his dragon 
  master, or possibly at the creature’s behest.
  Artists overwhelmingly depict the acts of great heroes in, 
  though these fictionalized interpretations embellish the 
  truth, landing some heroes in hot water if they offend the 
  wrong artist. A movement towards individualism and au-
  tonomy, arising from anti-official sentiment, goes hand in 
  hand with a literary trend of sensuality. As a result, many 
  art consumers pursue romantic ideals and relationships 
  of the kind they wish to lead—more like those depicted 
  in their favorite stories. Occasionally these stories inspire 
  ill-prepared ordinary people to try to become heroes by 
  attacking bandit camps and exposing conspiracies, intro-
  ducing some to heroics and others to an early grave.
  China's neighbors are embroiled in their own drama. Viet-
  namis in rebellion against Ming rule. In Korea, the 500-
  year Joseon dynasty has just begun, importing Confucian 
  ideals from China and beginning its long persecution of 
  Korean Buddhists. Chinese shipbuilders construct a fleet 
  of giant treasure ships that sail to bring gifts to territories 
  around the South China Sea, Indian Ocean, and—report-
  edly—a mysterious new continent far to the east. The fleet 
  aims to impress neighbors with China’s wealth and power, 
  and to control maritime trade. 
  While historically much of the drama of the Great Ming 
  Empire was spaced out over three centuries, fictional 
  depictions can have some events overlap in the interest 
  of increasing drama. Additionally, martial arts in popular 
  culture can take on borderline supernatural qualities, so 
  certain superpowers already fit nicely with the existing 
  image of the era. The Ming Empire of popular narratives 
  often has fictional emperors instead of real ones in order 
  to suit the needs of the story, and you should feel free to 
  do likewise in order to build the game you desire.
  If you desire a China filled with high stakes and more dire 
  conflicts, set the game during the Ming dynasty’s down-
  fall and the rise of the Qing dynasty in the 1600s. Famines, 
  floods, and an epidemic wreak havoc across the country, 
  and in 1556 the deadliest earthquake in recorded history 
  hits Shaanxi, leveling mountains, reshaping rivers, and 
  killing approximately 830,000 people. 
  RULES CONSIDERATIONS
  While the towns and cities of the Ming Empire are far-
  flung across a massive nation, well-maintained roads and 
  canals makes travel easy and modern. Canals in particular 
  make China a nation of fast and easy trade, allowing for 
  the transport of produce, minerals, and luxury goods from 
  remote towns to the capital and vice versa.
  Other changes worth considering include:
  • Advantage—Benefit (Security Clearance): Not just 
  anyone can enter the Forbidden City, so clearance is 
  needed if a hero is to enter legally. This can take the 
  form of clearance as a worker helping to build the For-
  bidden City, an official, or an authorized guest. 
  • Skill—Technology: On the civilian side, brick-making 
  and sticky rice mortar are important elements of con-
  struction, but much of the most impressive technol-
  ogy of the Ming Empire is military-based. Gunpow-
  der is used in a lot of weaponry, including two-stage 
  rockets and exploding cannonballs. Fragmentation 
  bombs, land mines, and naval mines are other common 
  weapons. Expertise in chemistry will go a long way with 
  constructing gunpowder weapons. Visitors suffer no 
  penalty using Ming-era technology for chemistry-based 
  Technology checks, and a –5 penalty to otherwise build 
  and repair modern equipment with local tools.
  • Skill—Expertise (Art, History, Popular Culture): 
  Knowledge of art—particularly opera—allows a hero 
  to hold conversations with other aficionados, of which 
  there are many. At the Gamemaster’s discretion, these 
  Expertise skills may be used in place of a Persuasion 
  check to coax a favor or gather information.
  NEW EQUIpMENT
  The Great Ming Empire has a wide array of gunpowder 
  weapons, and as in many other eras clothing can convey 
  a message more loudly than words. Some of the most 
  useful weapons, outfits, and marvels of this era include:
  CIVIL OffICIAL’S OUTfIT
  A civil official’s uniform includes a red lanshan (robe) and 
  black putou (winged cap). Embroidered badges—known 
  as Mandarin squares—indicated rank. Scholars’ badges 
  used birds (including egrets, pheasants, and cranes) to 
  differentiate who held what power, while military badges 
  used animals instead (including lions, tigers, and rhinoc-
  eroses). This uniform allowed a bureaucrat easy access to 
  government buildings inspired deference.
  Civil Official’s Outfit: Enhanced Skill (Persuasion 4), 
  Advantage (Benefit: Security Clearance) • 3 points
  DINGJIA ARMOR
  Dingjia armor is made of riveted rectangular metal plates 
  with fabric over top. Intended for an officer. Other sol-
  diers, and even civilians, know to show respect to anyone 
  wearing it.
  Dingjia Armor: Protection 3, Enhanced Skill (Intimidation 2) 
  • 4 points
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  fIRE LANCE
  Dating back to 950 CE, the fire lance is a spear with a small 
  shotgun-like cannon attached near the tip. It is capable of 
  firing once, and afterwards functions as a spear.
  Fire Lance: Cone Area Damage 4 (Unreliable), AE: Strength-
  based Damage 3 • 5 points
  ROCKET
  An arrow with a tube of gunpowder and fuse, this early 
  rocket is fired from a hollow wooden or bamboo tube. 
  One rocket comes with five arrows.
  Rocket: Ranged Burst Area Damage 5 (unreliable: 5 uses) • 10 points
  TREASURE SHIp
  Built for stability and cargo capacity, a treasure ship carries 
  well over five hundred crew. It is designed specifically to 
  withstand rough weather and waters, with holes in the 
  prow that fill with water when the ship pitches forward 
  and floating anchors that are cast off the sides. When 
  dropped, its floating anchors give it a +2 circumstance 
  bonus to resist movement and avoid capsizing. While a 
  treasure ship is not a warship, it still carries twenty-four 
  cannons. Refer to the 6-Pounder Long Gun (Roundshot) 
  under Golden Age of Sail (in this chapter) for stats.
  Treasure Ship 
  33 points
  Size: Awesome Strength: 20 Speed: 4 (water) Defense: 4 
  Toughness: 15 Features: Cannons, Dock, Floating Anchors, 
  Living Space, Personnel
  VISITING HEROES
  Time travelers visit the Great Ming Empire for a wide 
  variety of reasons. Some merely visit to seek answers to 
  questions left unanswered by surviving historical docu-
  ments or to interview important political and philosophi-
  cal minds of the day. Others aim to radically rewrite history 
  by assassinating an emperor or by attempting to bring the 
  Ming Dynasty to an early end before China can stabilize 
  itself after foreign rule and civil war—potentially breaking 
  up modern China into many competing states. 
  Larger cities will be familiar to visiting heroes, as will 
  the snootiness of urban dwellers when it comes to visit-
  ing rural areas. Pop culture thrives in China, with opera 
  popular among even the poor, and a visit to the cities of 
  Ming China promises the chance to take in plays, hear 
  music, shop, and dine out. 
  The Ming Empire’s greatest contribution to transit is the 
  refurbishment and expansion of the Grand Canal, an 
  1,100-mile long structure connecting many of the na-
  tion’s greatest rivers and cities. Originally built in the 6th 
  century, it had largely fallen into ruin during the Tang and 
  Yuan dynasties, and its restoration brought economic 
  booms to every town and city along its length while en-
  abling the easy flow of news, travelers, and goods.
  The intensity of the court intrigue makes the stakes high 
  for any noble character. The interpersonal dynamics in 
  court are also likely to be unfamiliar to those who have 
  not studied them before visiting. The imperial harem is 
  completely off limits, which complicates communicating 
  with any of the consorts—the people in the capital most 
  likely to know important political secrets.
  Possible plot hooks:
  • The heroes must engage in courtly games of political 
  intrigue when a supervillain travels back in time to pose 
  as the emperor’s advisor.
  • The heroes must stop a well-meaning but inconsiderate 
  art historian from stealing a valuable treasure.
  • A collapse of one of the Forbidden City’s buildings (that 
  was not supposed to happen according to the history 
  books) is blamed on the visiting heroes, and they must 
  prove themselves innocent by finding the real culprit.
  • The heroes encounter a petty bureaucrat running a 
  small remote town like his personal kingdom, but can 
  they help the locals without altering history?
  LOCAL HEROES 
  Local heroes may come from very different backgrounds. 
  While magic is largely gone from the cities, it remains an 
  everyday reality in the countryside. Shamans, alchemists, 
  and wizards may all take on apprentices to train in magic, 
  and certain ancient items, especially those stolen from 
  graves, may bestow powers or come with ghostly advi-
  sors. Nature spirits may likewise imbue travelers with gifts 
  (or useful curses) in exchange for services or to entertain 
  themselves. Some heroes are born with extraordinary 
  abilities with no true explanation—though these are gen-
  erally limited to extraordinary feats of strength, speed, in-
  tellect, and other talents within human ability—and are 
  simply acknowledged to be the chosen of heaven.
  On the technological side, a hero might be a mechanical 
  soldier powered by clockwork and gunpowder, or a genius 
  inventor trying to keep her next-generation weapons 
  away from the army. The same technology that creates 
  rockets may even allow technologically savvy heroes to fly 
  faster than any bird. Training and discipline in all profes-
  sions remain powerful aspects of society whether urban 
  or rural, and so the stereotypical martial arts masters and 
  traveling swordfighters may be joined by ace detectives, 
  innovative doctors, and the first deadeye gunslingers.
  Heroes who are well known likely find themselves caught 
  up in court intrigue—the emperor and his enemies all 
  have uses for talented individuals and aren't accustomed 
  to refusal. Heroes who want to work for themselves will 
  have a hard time avoiding officials who want to track 
  them down and make them an asset, especially if they 
  visit cities. The spread of poetry, music, plays, and stories 
  chronicling (and often embellishing) their larger-than-life 
  deeds makes keeping a low profile still more difficult.
  There are plenty of mysteries that need solving in this era. 
  Sabotage attempts against the Forbidden City, scholar-of-
  ficials who go missing while traveling, and stolen martial 
  arts manuals all warrant investigation and may lead to 
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  The Time Traveler's Codex
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  larger conspiracies. Larger-than-life mythic heroes bat-
  tling invading armies, hostile dragons, and reclaiming 
  lost corners of the empire from tyrants and supernatural 
  threats all require heroic attention..
  STATBLOCKS 
  The following statblocks are especially useful in this era:
  Scholar-Official 
  pL 2 • MR4 • 46 points
  STR 0 STA 1 AGL 0 DEX 1 FGT 0 INT 4 AWE 2 PRE 3
  Equipment: Civilian Official’s Outfit, Clipboard. 
  Advantages: Benefit (Security Clearance), Benefit (Wealth), 
  Connected, Contacts, Equipment 1, Jack-of-All-Trades, Well-
  informed. 
  Skills: Deception 4 (+7), Expertise: Politics 8 (+12), Insight 5 
  (+7), Investigation 5 (+9), Persuasion 4 (+11). 
  Offense: Init +0, Unarmed +0 (Close, Damage 0). 
  Defense: Dodge 1, Parry 3, Fortitude 1, Toughness 1, Will 3. 
  Totals: Abilities 22 + Powers 0 + Advantages 6 + Skills 13 (26 
  ranks) + Defenses 5 = 46
  Scholar-officials are government officials with a wide 
  range of responsibilities decided by their rank and the 
  nature of their position. Aside from overseeing commu-
  nity affairs and assisting the government, they sometimes 
  teach, preside over special local projects, investigate 
  crime, and lead ceremonies. Whether in a town or city, if 
  citizens have a legal dispute it is likely to be taken to a 
  scholar-official to be resolved. Would-be scholar-officials 
  must go through schooling and take a series of exams.
  Warrior Monk 
  pL 6 • MR7 • 92 points
  STR 3 STA 4 AGL 5 DEX 4 FGT 7 INT 0 AWE 2 PRE 0
  Powers: Extraordinary Training Leaping 1 (15 feet), Speed 1 
  (4 MPH). 
  Equipment: Staff (Damage 2; Reach, Split). 
  Advantages: Accurate Attack, Assessment, Defensive Attack, 
  Equipment 1, Improved Critical: Unarmed, Improved Defense, 
  Improved Initiative, Instant Up, Power Attack, Takedown. 
  Skills: Acrobatics 7 (+12), Athletics 7 (+10), Close Combat: 
  Unarmed 2 (+9), Expertise: Concentration 6 (+6), Expertise: 
  Religion 8 (+8), Insight 4 (+6), Perception 4 (+6), Treatment 4 
  (+4). 
  Offense: Init +9, Staff +7 (Close, Damage 5), Unarmed +9 
  (Close, Damage 3, Crit. 19–20). 
  Defense: Dodge 7, Parry 8, Fortitude 6, Toughness 4, Will 6. 
  Totals: Abilities 50 + Powers 2 + Advantages 10 + Skills 21 (42 
  ranks) + Defenses 9 = 92
  Warrior monks are skilled martial artists, beginning as 
  humble religious scholars who needed to fend off bandits. 
  Their practice requires extreme physical, mental, and 
  spiritual discipline, and many come to temples to 
  learn their techniques. The warrior monk described 
  here is skilled in both unarmed combat and 
  fighting with a staff, but other monasteries may 
  focus on the use of swords, daggers, or harden-
  ing a monk’s fists into deadlier weapons. More 
  cinematic warrior monks may also command 
  extraordinary powers, like leaping into the sky, 
  dancing weightlessly across treetops, or project-
  ing bolts of chi energy.
  Long 
  pL 12 • MR21 • 309 points
  STR 12 STA 12 AGL 6 DEX 4 FGT 12 INT 9 AWE 9 PRE 9
  Powers: Comprehend 8 (Speak to and Understand Animals, 
  Speak and Understand All Languages, Understand Plants, 
  Communicate with Spirits), Flight 6 (120 MPH), Growth 12 
  (Innate, Permanent), Movement 2 (Dimensional: Magical 
  Dimensions 2), Protection 3; Water Control Perception Move 
  Object 12 (100 tons; Limited to Water); Weather Control 
  Environment 12 (8 miles; Extreme Cold, Extreme Heat, Impede 
  Movement 2, Visibility (-5)).
  Advantages: Fearless, Inspire 5, Jack-of-All-Trades, Move-by 
  Action. 
  Skills: Expertise: Magic 2 (+11), Expertise: Philosophy 2 (+11), 
  Insight 5 (+14), Perception 7 (+16). 
  Offense: Init +6, Unarmed +12 (Close, Damage 12), Water 
  Control — (Perception, Damage 12). 
  Defense: Dodge 9, Parry 9, Fortitude 14, Toughness 15, Will 10. 
  Totals: Abilities 98 + Powers 180 + Advantages 8 + Skills 8 (16 
  ranks) + Defenses 15 = 309
  Long are wingless dragons of immense power, who 
  enforce the celestial order; to some this means aiding hu-
  manity, but to others it means teaching humans obedi-
  ence. They can control weather and bring about natural 
  disasters, such as floods and storms. Most long are inter-
  ested in keeping the order of the multiverse intact and 
  take a keen interest in time travelers.
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  THE TRIpLE ALLIANCE 
  THE TRIpLE ALLIANCE 
  THE 
  THE TRIpLE ALLIANCE 
  TRIpLE ALLIANCE 
   CIRCA 1500 CE
  CIRCA 1500 CE
  Rising from Lake Texcoco atop artificial islands, the mighty 
  metropolis of Tenochtitlan beats at the heart of the for-
  midable Triple Alliance, a militant Mesoamerican empire 
  built upon prophecy, warfare, and the oft-forgotten inge-
  nuity of three states: Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan. 
  Better known today as the Aztec empire by modern schol-
  ars, the Alliance dominated its neighbors, crushing all op-
  position with fearsome warriors dressed to invoke eagles 
  and jaguars. These conquests also brought a measure of 
  peace and prosperity, with traders importing valuables 
  from thousands of miles away to bedeck Tenochtitlan in 
  feathers, jade, and other treasures.
  Yet even by 1500 CE this empire was still young, having 
  stood for less than a century. The Mexica people arrived in 
  the 13th century, emigrating from a mythical realm known 
  as Aztlan and its seven caves to settle in the Lake Texcoco 
  basin. The region already supported numerous peoples, 
  and the Mexica were relegated to inferior territory before 
  settling the small lake islands, citing the prophetic ap-
  pearance of an eagle killing a snake atop a cactus. Using 
  ingenious engineering to expand the islands into a thriv-
  ing city, the Mexica waged war on their neighbors, ulti-
  mately uniting with Texcoco and Tlacopan to overthrow 
  the nearby overlords of Azcapotzalco. This Triple Alliance 
  subsequently expanded outward to conquer not just the 
  Texcoco basin, but also countless settlements beyond. 
  The Alliance’s invasions stemmed in part from the desire 
  for tribute, but Aztec myth pointed to an even greater 
  need: the preservation of the universe. Their patron deity, 
  the tireless god of the sun and war Huitzilopochtli, had 
  slain his sister (in some tales, casting her into the sky to 
  form the moon) and repelled his hundreds of brothers, yet 
  these siblings ever conspired to destroy Huitzilopochtli, 
  the sun, and the world. Only with the help of his mortal 
  faithful channeling their own power to the god—often 
  through the sacrifice of animals and humans—could he 
  remain strong enough to defend existence. Thus, what 
  the popular imagination preserves as a bloodthirsty 
  culture obsessed with sacrifice in fact wages war to pre-
  serve all of creation.
  Thanks to the productivity of the innovative chinampas—
  artificial islands—Aztec agriculture is extraordinarily 
  productive, with only a tiny fraction of the population 
  required to farm. Others produce intricate crafts, filling 
  the markets of Tenochtitlan and distant cities with thou-
  sands of traders. The surplus allows for education, includ-
  ing priestly training, schools for noble children, and pro-
  lific military academies that trained vast armies. When not 
  busy with work, the Triple Alliance regularly hosts festivals, 
  citywide religious ceremonies, and cutthroat ball games.
  Aztec society is stratified across several levels. Although 
  women and men received fairly equal respect and stand-
  ing, their professional roles remained separate, with 
  men working outside as warriors, traveling traders, and 
  farmers, and women serving as local merchants, doctors, 
  and caregivers. Commoners could own basic posses-
  sions and wealth, yet they were denied access to certain 
  areas, types of clothing, and prestige goods. All the while, 
  nobles could command commoners’ labor and serve as 
  military leaders, while in turn deferring to rulers known 
  as tlatoanis. Below them all stand slaves, though slavery is 
  not an inherited status but one of punishment for debtors 
  or captives. Upward mobility comes from military service; 
  a commoner who regularly defeats and captures foes can 
  achieve numerous rights and even noble standing.
  The Triple Alliance is less an empire of indoctrination than 
  it is a network of client states that funnel tribute to the 
  alliance’s three founding peoples. With military service 
  among the most lucrative professions and the religious 
  elite demanding greater offerings for the gods, the 
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  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  THE TRIpLE ALLIANCE Of EARTH-pRIME
  The Teotl—the gods of the Aztecs—did not abide by 
  the Pact, seeing no reason to obey the edicts of foreign 
  cousins and sorcerers half a world away. Only the con-
  quest of the respective empires drove the gods away 
  from the mortal realm, and many remain bitter about 
  their exile. The deities of the Maya were likewise ban-
  ished as part of European conquest, though their rela-
  tionship with their human empires was already strained 
  after two Mayan heroes journeyed to their spirit realm 
  of Xibalba, tricking and ultimately defeating several key 
  deities.
  At this time, the Mexica noble Tlacaelel (Atlas of Earth-
  Prime) was a mortal man still searching for the Spirit of 
  the Mexica—use the Warrior hero archetype from the 
  Deluxe Hero’s Handbook to reflect the complicated noble 
  prior to his ascension.
  Aztecs possess not only the most fearsome army, but also 
  command the most resentment from their neighbors. Any 
  number of city-states would eagerly retaliate against the 
  Triple Alliance if they stood a chance of winning, and this 
  inspires regular uprisings, rebellions, and raids to weaken 
  the superpower. In 1500 CE, first contact with the Spanish 
  and eventual conquest are still a generation away, but a 
  game set in a more turbulent time may jump forward to 
  this era of brutal warfare, plague, and genocide.
  RULES CONSIDERATIONS
  The sizable Triple Alliance at its height seemed all the larger 
  thanks to the lack of draft animals, carts, and mounts. Any 
  mundane travel occurred on foot or in shallow boats, 
  making superhuman means like flight and teleportation 
  extraordinarily useful in traveling the region.
  Most character attributes are unaffected in pre-Columbi-
  an Mesoamerica, but consider the following changes:
  • Skill—Technology: With its metallurgy limited to or-
  naments of gold, silver, and copper, as well as its com-
  plete lack of draft animals, the Mesoamerican technol-
  ogy of the era seems simple—and makes repairing 
  modern technology with local tools impossible, or at 
  least imposes a –5 circumstance penalty. However, the 
  empire’s mastery of mathematics, astronomy, architec-
  tural engineering, and medicine were exceptional, and 
  related Technology checks suffer no penalty.
  • Skill—Treatment: The local understanding of medi-
  cine and surgery are more advanced than in Europe, 
  and characters suffer no penalty using local tools. 
  • Advantage—Benefit (Status): Mexica society is 
  sharply divided between nobility and commoners. 
  Without noble status, a character is socially prohibited 
  from displaying wealth or entering key religious and 
  administrative areas. 
  • Advantage—Languages: Thanks in part to the em-
  pire’s expansion, Nahuatl acted as the region’s lingua 
  franca, supplemented by dozens of local languages 
  like those of the Otomi, Mazahua, and Pame linguistic 
  families. Some might understand Mayan languages like 
  Ch’ol and Tzotzil, viewing speakers with a mix of caution 
  and mystical reverence. Writing primarily featured pic-
  tograms and ideograms designed for specialized sub-
  jects like genealogies and resource inventories. 
  NEW fLAWS
  Power flows from life in the Triple Alliance, and the follow-
  ing flaws are appropriate:
  Sacrificial (–1 Cost per Rank): Like the gods, some 
  heroes must expend a portion of their vital essence in 
  order to manifest their greatest powers. An effect with 
  this flaw drains life force in order to function, either drawn 
  from your own health or channeled from a nearby crea-
  ture. As you use the power, make a Toughness resistance 
  check against the power’s rank. If this damage would inca-
  pacitate you, you can resolve any of your power’s instan-
  taneous effects before being incapacitated. Rather than 
  resist the damage yourself, you can direct the damage to 
  a willing or helpless creature adjacent to you whose PL is 
  at least half the effect’s power rank. If the creature’s PL is 
  too low, the creature takes the damage, but the effect au-
  tomatically fails.
  Remember that themes of creature sacrifice aren’t appro-
  priate for all groups, so consider restricting the sacrificial 
  flaw to damaging only the user.
  Vainglorious (–1 Cost per Rank): You must defeat a foe 
  before you can use this power. You cannot use an effect 
  with this flaw unless you incapacitate a foe whose PL is 
  at least half your own, after which you can use the effect 
  for a number of minutes equal to the foe’s PL. If you inca-
  pacitate a foe whose PL equals or exceeds your own, you 
  can instead use the effect with this flaw for 24 hours. This 
  flaw might represent drawing a token amount of life force 
  from the fallen foe, or it could represent a fickle ability that 
  rewards only victorious warriors.
  NEW EQUIpMENT 
  Common weapons of war include bows, javelins, clubs, 
  and small and medium shields. Several of the Triple Alli-
  ance’s most iconic weapons are practically unknown in 
  the modern era. Key examples include:
  ATLATL
  The atlatl is a hooked shaft used to propel heavy darts 
  with extraordinary force and accuracy.
  Atlatl: Strength-based Ranged Damage 2; Advantage: 
  Improved Critical (Atlatl) • 5 points
  MACUAHUITL
  A hardwood club studded with rows of obsidian blades, 
  the macuahuitl behaves like a heavy sword whose devas-
  tating sharpness makes up for its relative fragility.
  Macuahuitl: Strength-based Damage 2; Enhanced Skill 
  (Intimidation 2), Advantage: Improved Critical 2 (Macuahuitl); 
  • 5 points
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  ELITE MEXICA ARMOR
  The most formidable Triple Alliance warriors donned 
  armor fashioned from jaguar hide or eagle feathers, 
  obscuring the leather greaves and sturdy breastplates 
  beneath. The imposing panoplies lent basic protection, 
  and granted their wearers unshakable courage and fero-
  ciousness. The two armor designs provided equal protec-
  tion, but unique morale benefits.
  Elite Mexica Armor: Protection 2; Advantage: Fearless (eagle 
  only) or Startle (jaguar only) • 3 points
  VISITING HEROES
  European contact forever changed the Americas, and 
  time travelers might seek out late pre-Columbian societ-
  ies like the Triple Alliance to change history, such as by de-
  stroying Hernan Cortes, equipping the Mexica against the 
  incoming invasions, or provided the Alliance’s conquered 
  peoples with the tools to fight back before the arrival of 
  Conquistadors. Likewise, much of Mesoamerica’s written 
  history and treasures were lost or deliberately destroyed 
  in the conquests, and time travelers might seek out forgot-
  ten lore or ancient artifacts infused with power—snatch-
  ing them from the jaws of destruction. With its severe mili-
  tary tradition and dedication to Huitzilopochtli, the Triple 
  Alliance might stand out as a place for dedicated martial 
  artists to learn now-lost techniques.
  The capital of Tenochtitlan has many of the trappings of 
  a modern city and is suitable for heroic confrontations: 
  wide plazas and broad causeways to skirmish with vil-
  lains; bustling markets and interconnected canals ideal 
  for chases and heists; and colorful stadiums and temples 
  for climactic showdowns. However, many of the similari-
  ties end there. The sprawling city seems to float above the 
  lake, with much of the land standing on artificial islands 
  and platforms. The resulting network of channels not 
  only acts as a sanitation system but also a transportation 
  network for canoes (and hiding place for aquatic villains 
  or monsters).
  The Triple Alliance’s state religion depicted its people and 
  their patron, Huitzilopochtli, as embattled, always under 
  threat from other divinities unless their god received 
  enough tribute. That tribute often came in the form of 
  blood, which can be a delicate subject. Human sacrifice 
  has also historically been used to demonize Mesoameri-
  can populations and excuse their persecution, so it is 
  worth discussing with your players if you intend sacrifice 
  to be a major plot point. It is possible to reframe themes 
  of sacrifice as the personal sacrifices we accept in modern 
  culture: the dedication of one’s life toward something 
  greater and the willingness to face death to protect others.
  Possible plot hooks:
  • A time storm displaces the heroes to the Triple Alliance, 
  but they appear among captives queued for sacrifice.
  • To learn the secret of a villain’s power, the heroes must 
  seek the counsel of pre-Columbian sages from an inde-
  pendent city-state under siege by Mexica warriors.
  • Huitzilopochtli is sending jaguar warriors forward in 
  time to acquire the descendants of Cortes as sacrifices 
  to grant him greater strength. By chasing these warriors 
  back in time, the heroes might defeat the god, or they 
  might aid him, ensuring he’s strong enough to repel the 
  cosmic invasion... or European invasion.
  • As outsiders, the heroes must win respect and status to 
  gain access to a person or artifact they need, and the 
  only sure ways to move ahead are to take captives in 
  war... or win at the Aztec ball game ullamaliztli.
  LOCAL HEROES
  At the heart of the Triple Alliance’s rise and religion lies 
  conflict, whether the battles that united its people, the 
  warfare that conquered its neighbors, or the struggles 
  that keep supernatural catastrophes at bay. As a result, 
  heroic backgrounds connected to the empire’s military 
  strength and religious fervor are especially appropriate. 
  Many youths enter martial schools known as telpochcal-
  lis, which train future soldiers’ athleticism, courage, and 
  skill at arms. This education could result in extraordinary 
  speed and strength derived entirely from training rather 
  than supernatural gifts, or the grueling regimen could 
  awaken a hero’s superhuman abilities.
  Inherent magical powers are rare, most often attributed 
  to those with supernatural parents. The gods hold domin-
  ion over elemental forces like wind, fire, and rain, making 
  energy controllers an excellent fit. Myths of shapechang-
  ers stem from were-jaguars and other therianthropic 
  beings. Where innate powers don’t manifest, powerful 
  priests can channel divine fury on par with demigods. 
  Likewise, mortals who gives their lives in sacrifice or in 
  service to the gods may find that they have not died but 
  instead become vessels for holy power, their heartless 
  chests filled with and sustained by divine energies.
  Even though most forms of technology aren’t available 
  in this period, the Mexica looked to their predecessors 
  like the Teotihuacanos and Olmecs with awe, and both 
  mystical artifacts and technologies from these precursor 
  societies could equip a soldier or be the foundation for a 
  gadgeteer’s own inventions.
  The Triple Alliance often holds a simple view of power-
  ful beings: they are imperial citizens, mortal threats to be 
  subdued, or supernatural beings to be appeased. Local 
  heroes are likely to be loyal to the Triple Alliance, its pros-
  perity, and its continued survival—both as a culture and 
  in its duty of aiding Huitzilopochtli against the divine 
  threats. Closer to home, the heroes might be responsible 
  for keeping the peace in the city of Tenochtitlan, particu-
  larly as the embittered champions of conquered cultures 
  infiltrate the empire. Heroes of PL 8 could represent near-
  human exemplars in such a “Champions of the Alliance” 
  campaign, operating as independent crime fighters or 
  perhaps as operatives in a special wing of the military 
  dedicated to identifying and neutralizing hostile superhu-
  man forces. At PL 10 the heroes are as likely to face divine 
  threats to their home as mortal ones. By PL 12, the heroes 
  might be battling on the front line against divine beings 
  who would extinguish the world itself.
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  For a rebellious twist, you could set the heroes against the 
  Triple Alliance. They could be all that stands between the 
  surrounding city-states and imperial domination, or they 
  could fight back as rebels in one of the conquered city-
  states. Such adventures are an excellent fit for PL 6 or 8, 
  and by PL 10 or 12, the heroes could be shattering entire 
  armies. For a higher-powered game of PL 12 or 14, you 
  could even cast Huitzilopochtli as an envious tyrant who 
  lords over the sun and Mexica civilization, with the heroes 
  as supernatural beings (even his siblings) intent on over-
  throwing his selfish regime once and for all!
  STATBLOCKS 
  The following statblocks are especially useful in this era:
  Ahuizotl 
  pL 9 • MR8 • 117 points
  STR 4 STA 3 AGL 5 DEX 4 FGT 5 INT 0 AWE 3 PRE 3
  Powers: Claws Strength-based Damage 3 (Reach); Monstrous 
  Form Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation: Underwater), 
  Protection 5, Senses 2 (Acute Tactile, Low-light Vision); 
  Prehensile Tail Elongation 1 (15 feet; Limited to Tail), Extra 
  Limbs 1; Helpless Cry Enhanced Advantage: Fascinate 
  (Deception), Feature 1 (Mimicry). 
  Advantages: Accurate Attack, Chokehold, Close Attack 3, 
  Fascinate (Deception), Favored Environment: Lakes and Rivers, 
  Improved Grab, Move-by Action. 
  Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+9), Athletics 6 (+10), Deception 6 (+9), 
  Insight 6 (+9), Intimidation 4 (+7), Perception 6 (+9), Sleight of 
  Hand 6 (+10), Stealth 8 (+13). 
  Offense: Init +5, Claws +8 (Close, Damage 7). 
  Defense: Dodge 9, Parry 8, Fortitude 7, Toughness 8, Will 8. 
  Totals: Abilities 54 + Powers 17 + Advantages 7 + Skills 23 (46 
  ranks) + Defenses 16 = 117
  The terror of lakes, an ahuizotl resembles a spiky-furred 
  coyote with a long tail tipped with a human-like hand. 
  Ahuizotls haunt waterways and ambush travelers, even 
  going so far as to mimic the sounds of children in distress 
  to attract prey. Once in striking range, an ahuizotl snatch-
  es its prey, drowning foes and leaving their bodies on the 
  shore—seemingly unharmed yet lacking any eyes, nails, 
  or teeth. This archetype can be used for other river preda-
  tors that lure and drown travelers, such as a rusalka.
  Engineer 
  pL 2 • MR3 • 34 points
  STR 0 STA 1 AGL 0 DEX 2 FGT 0 INT 4 AWE 2 PRE 1
  Equipment: Obsidian Knife, Toolkit. 
  Advantages: Equipment 1, Improvised Tools. 
  Skills: Expertise: Engineering 8 (+12), Perception 2 (+4), 
  Persuasion 2 (+3), Technology 4 (+8). 
  Offense: Init +0, Obsidian Knife +0 (Close, Damage 1; Crit. 
  19–20), Unarmed +0 (Close, Damage 0). 
  Defense: Dodge 3, Parry 1, Fortitude 1, Toughness 1, Will 2. 
  Totals: Abilities 20 + Powers 0 + Advantages 2 + Skills 8 (16 
  ranks) + Defenses 4 = 34
  Engineers are capable craftspeople able to build anything 
  from hand tools to monumental architecture, and these 
  professionals have a keen eye for spotting weaknesses 
  and directing their crews. This archetype can be used for 
  any educated manufacturer, such as a modern architect or 
  medieval siege engineer.
  Jaguar Warrior 
  pL 7 • MR6 • 80 points
  STR 3 STA 4 AGL 4 DEX 3 FGT 5 INT 0 AWE 1 PRE 2
  Powers: Incapacitating Strike Affliction 7 (Resisted and 
  Overcome by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated; 
  Vainglorious). 
  Equipment: Atlatl, Elite Mexica Armor, Macuahuitl, Medium 
  Wooden Shield. 
  Advantages: 
  Accurate 
  Attack, 
  Benefit, 
  Status, 
  Daze 
  (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment 4, Improved Disarm, 
  Improved Hold, Startle. 
  Skills: Athletics 4 (+7), Close Combat: Macuahuitl 3 (+8), 
  Insight 4 (+5), Intimidation 6 (+10/+8*), Perception 4 (+5), 
  Ranged Combat: Atlatl 5 (+8), Stealth 4 (+8) *Without armor. 
  Offense: Init +4, Atlatl +8 (Ranged, Damage 5; Crit. 19–20), 
  Macuahuitl +8 (Close, Damage 6; Crit. 18–20), Incapacitating 
  Strike +5 (Close, Affliction 7), Unarmed +5 (Close, Damage 3). 
  Defense: Dodge 8, Parry 7, Fortitude 4, Toughness 6/4*, Will 6 
  *Without armor.
  Totals: Abilities 44 + Powers 4 + Advantages 10 + Skills 15 (30 
  ranks) + Defenses 7 = 80
  Few can match the ferocious reputation of the jaguar war-
  riors, among the finest soldiers of the Triple Alliance. These 
  elite combatants train to capture their foes alive, striking 
  to stun and subdue as often as draw blood—such feats 
  earn a warrior prestige. This strategy often causes units 
  to lose cohesion as jaguar warriors split off into duels or 
  chase captives—at least until a deadly threat rallies the 
  warriors against a single foe. Within Mexica society, jaguar 
  warriors have status equivalent 
  to lesser nobles, granting them 
  numerous liberties.
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  GOLDEN AGE Of SAIL 
  GOLDEN AGE Of SAIL 
  GOLDEN AGE Of SAIL 
  GOLDEN AGE Of SAIL 
   CIRCA 1715 CE
  CIRCA 1715 CE
  Modern fiction recalls the Golden Age of Sail as a time of 
  adventure, lawlessness, camaraderie, betrayal, and obses-
  sive ambition. Sailors risk their lives at sea to place them-
  selves on the path to fame and fortune, but only those 
  with the right combination of skill, cunning, and luck 
  become legends. Cargo is stolen then lost, pirate crews 
  band together only to mutiny when their captain fails to 
  deliver, and all the while the Royal Navy hunts down any 
  outlaws that become particularly inconvenient. Still, in 
  this chaos there are those who choose to conduct them-
  selves with honor even if they do not live by the law, and 
  these individuals serve as curious beacons of hope in 
  violent and uncertain times.
  Historically, pirates had a complicated relationship with 
  the law. They made a living by stealing from trade ships, 
  and while many were more interested in business than 
  violence, conflicts often ended in bloodshed. Life aboard 
  ship involved heavy labor, disease, and shortages of food 
  and water. The pirates of popular media tend to live very 
  different lives. These pirates dedicate themselves to ad-
  venture, freedom, loyalty, vigilante justice, and the hope 
  for a better future, with little attention paid to the diffi-
  culties of weeks-long voyages. A legendary pirate only 
  engages in violence when forced, and their crew is as im-
  portant to them as family.
  Not everyone stealing cargo at sea is a pirate. While a 
  pirate is someone who commits theft at sea, a privateer 
  is someone who has a letter of marque—a license, from 
  one nation’s government to attack, raid, and capture ships 
  from an opposing nation. A pirate’s activities are never 
  legal, but a privateer’s thieving is excused in the eyes of 
  the nation they serve. Should one of the nations they’ve 
  stolen from capture them, however, their captors have a 
  different opinion about the legality of their actions.
  While any one naval captain might be set in their de-
  termination to destroy their foes, the European navies 
  as a whole are fickle. One day they are set on eliminat-
  ing piracy, and the next they are ready to let things 
  slide so long as a royal pardon has been issued. Though 
  they would paint themselves as the heroes of the story, 
  they have their own reputation for mercilessness and 
  violence. As with privateers and pirate ships, sometimes 
  the ethics come down to the particular crew and their 
  captain. 
  On dry land, life is a hardscrabble colonial existence, occa-
  sionally punctuated by fabulous wealth and luxury. Those 
  who aren’t slaves in the Caribbean still work backbreak-
  ing physical labor, isolated from their extended families. 
  Infrastructure is spotty beyond what is needed for indus-
  try and trade, with towns and ports scattered across hun-
  dreds of islands and continental coastline, and so disease 
  outbreaks may devastate a town and the law only exists to 
  protect the wealthy. Successful merchants and politicians 
  live lavish lifestyles—with food and clothing imported 
  from Europe at great expense—and rule their portside 
  towns like tiny kings. For many, pirates are the equalizing 
  force, attacking the untouchable, and so pirates can often 
  find safe haven among the poorest districts.
  At the heart of most pirate stories is, of course, buried trea-
  sure. When necessary, pirates hide treasure for a time until 
  it is safe to retrieve it, but the map to the hiding place can 
  go missing or become damaged so that treasure turns to 
  legend. A captain may cause tension and even mutiny in 
  their crew if they are driven to continuously chase after a 
  treasure that may not even exist or is lost forever. However, 
  those who stick to the hunt, following each clue to the 
  next, could find themselves wealthy beyond compare, 
  which is enough to motivate some sailors. Adventures 
  centered around lost treasure are ideal for leaning into the 
  romantic image of piracy.
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  EARTH-pRIME’S AGE Of SAIL
  Tales of the Crimson Corsair and the vicious Johnathan 
  “Bloody Jack” Carter remain popular among sailors, and a 
  few pirate captains aspire to that level of infamy. Though 
  Bloody Jack’s treachery in the Caribbean took place over 
  eighty years ago, the Royal Navy still refers to his wick-
  edness in cautionary tales. While the last sighting of the 
  original Crimson Corsair was decades ago, occasionally 
  an ambitious privateer attempts to take on the name.
  Though native to contemporary times, the space pirate 
  Captain Kraken (see Freedom City, Third Edition), is enam-
  ored with Hollywood’s depictions of the Golden Age of 
  Sail. Cinematic portrayals of this era inspire the way he 
  dresses, speaks, and even his antics, so he may very well 
  jump on the chance to travel back in time to experience 
  the world of piracy firsthand, with or without his crew 
  and space cruiser.
  RULES CONSIDERATIONS
  Many sciences are beginning to advance by the Age 
  of Sail, and visiting heroes can generally use this era’s 
  tools with only a –5 circumstance penalty, but only a –2 
  penalty for repairing and controlling vehicles. Sailors can 
  use either the Technology skill or Expertise: Carpentry to 
  make repairs to a ship, and Ranged Combat for firing a 
  ship’s cannons.
  In an era where building infamy as a famous pirate helps 
  determine whether the enemy fights or surrenders, the 
  Reputation rules from the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide 
  would also be appropriate.
  Here are some other rule adjustments to consider:
  • Advantage—Tracking: Although traditional tracking 
  is difficult at sea, you may be able to spot a ship on the 
  horizon and tell what direction it is moving in, smell gun-
  powder or hear cannon fire if there is a distant battle, 
  notice birds if you are near land, or feel which way the 
  wind is blowing. For a campaign set in this era, use the 
  Vehicles (or Sailing) skill instead of Perception to predict 
  where a ship will be based on winds, weather conditions, 
  currents, available ports, and the target ship’s build, 
  speed, and any peculiarities in how it’s sailing.
  NEW SKILL
  Most adventures in the Golden Age of Sail take place at 
  sea. Ships and sailing are integral to this era, as is marine 
  navigation. For an adventure in which the Heroes are just 
  visiting, relying on the Vehicles skill in order to sail a ship 
  works just fine. However, for a campaign set in this era, 
  you may choose to apply the Sailing skill.
  SAILING
  Awareness ● Trained Only ●Manipulation
  This skill allows Heroes to sail ships of any size and covers 
  steering, navigating, handling the rigging, and gauging 
  potential dangers such as inclement weather or sand-
  bars. This only applies to ships with sails, not motorized 
  or oared ships. You can make Sailing checks to perform 
  different tasks with a ship as listed. In ship-to-ship combat, 
  a pilot may maneuver into an advantageous position as a 
  Standard action with an opposed Sailing check; success 
  provides anyone firing shipboard weapons a +2 circum-
  stance bonus on their attack rolls for one round.
  DC
  taSk
  10
  Chart a course to a known port; Survey damage 
  after a battle
  15
  Chart a course to an obscure port; Quickly 
  change direction; Spot surface dangers like rocks 
  and strong currents; Predict the weather for the 
  next 24 hours
  20
  Chart a course to a secluded port; Spot hidden 
  dangers, such as reefs and sandbars; Keep a ship 
  from capsizing
  DC moDIfIERS
  –2
  Calm waters
  +2 
  Navigating without a chart; Navigating without 
  a compass
  +2
  Ship has suffered minor damage (1-2 failed 
  Toughness checks)
  +2
  Rough Seas
  +5
  Navigating without a chart and compass
  +5
  Ship has suffered heavy damage (3+ failed 
  Toughness checks)
  +5
  Violent Weather
  NEW EQUIpMENT
  Pirates often use grenades, which can use the same stats 
  as a grenade from the Deluxe Hero’s Handbook. 
  BLUNDERBUSS
  A blunderbuss fires a massive round bullet that can pierce 
  multiple targets. It takes one Standard action to reload 
  and can only hold one lead ball or improvised ammuni-
  tion at a time. If using improvised ammunition, reduce 
  ranged damage to 4.
  Blunderbuss: Line Area Damage 5 (Limited: Standard Action 
  to Reload) • 5 points
  CUTLASS
  The short, curving blade of a cutlass is easier to use in the 
  tight confines of shit-to-ship combat than a sword.
  Cutlass: Strength-based Damage 2 (Improved Critical) • 3 points
  fLINTLOCK pISTOL
  Like the blunderbuss, the flintlock is an early firearm that 
  takes considerable time and effort to reload. A flintlock is 
  built and balanced to be used as a club once it is fired.
  Flintlock Pistol: Ranged Damage 4 (Limited: Standard Action 
  to Reload; AE: Strength-based Damage 2) • 5 points
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  TELESCOpE
  A telescope allows you to see ten times as far as you would 
  otherwise.
  Telescope: Senses 1 (Extended Vision) • 2 points
  6-pOUNDER LONG GUN
  A light piece of artillery, the 6-pounder long gun can be 
  fired from the upper gun posts of a ship and can be moved 
  from one spot to another with relative ease. “6-pounder” 
  refers to the weight of the projectiles it fires. When loaded 
  with grapeshot, the 6-pounder long gun fires a bundle 
  of small metal balls spreading lesser damage out over a 
  wider area. Grapeshot is an Alternate Effect on the stan-
  dard cannon on most shipboard guns.
  Roundshot: Ranged Damage 8 (Burst Area 4) • 20 points
  Grapeshot: Cone 2 Damage 5 • 15 points
  CORVETTE
  For traveling quickly by sea, a corvette is the best candi-
  date. Though it only has eight guns to defend itself, its 
  speed makes it difficult for enemy ships to catch.
  Corvette (Vehicle) 
  33 points
  Size: Gargantuan Strength: 13 Speed: 5 (Water) Defense: 
  4 Toughness: 11 Features: Living Space, Six-Pounder Long 
  Guns (roundshot and grapeshot)
  MAN-Of-WAR
  The man-of-war is a warship armed with heavy cannons 
  and propelled by sail. This three-masted ship is ideal for 
  maritime battles and carrying large cargo hauls.
  Man-of-War 
  52 points
  Size: Colossal Strength: 16 Speed: 4 (water) Defense: 4 
  Toughness: 15 Powers: Impervious Toughness 15 Features: 
  Heavy Cannons (Ranged Damage 10 [Burst Area 5]), Holding 
  Cells, Living Space
  VISITING HEROES
  The number one reason time travelers visit this part of the 
  world during this era is to locate hidden treasure before 
  it is lost forever, especially lost wonders of the New World 
  plundered by invaders. Sometimes people seek these 
  treasures because of their monetary value, other times 
  because the object is a family heirloom or a document 
  important to understanding history. Villains may visit the 
  era to fill their coffers with gold or seize control of major 
  shipping routes, or simply to play pirate for a time.
  Time traveling heroes may be surprised to discover how 
  business-minded pirates are. Quite a few would thrive in con-
  temporary corporate culture, and they take their codes of 
  conduct very seriously. Similarly, sailors bond over drinks the 
  same way many people have throughout history, and come 
  to see their co-workers as friends and family. People get by 
  on very little aboard ship as space is limited and luxuries are 
  not prioritized; it’s impossible not to get close to others. 
  Possible plot hooks:
  • In the heroes’ time, a villain locates a giant stash of lost 
  treasure and uses it to fund insidious endeavors. The 
  heroes must go back to keep the treasure from being 
  lost in the first place (or make sure it is so thoroughly 
  lost it will never be at risk of being found in the future).
  • A pirate crew has struck a deal with dissatisfied Atlan-
  teans, attacking ships that violate Atlantean waters in 
  exchange for safe haven and lost technology or magic.
  • History insists Johnathan “Bloody Jack” Carter to be 
  long dead, but a pirate captain claiming to be him and 
  flying his flag has been terrorizing merchant, naval, and 
  pirate ships alike. Local sailors are too frightened of 
  what they believe to be the resurrected villain.
  • The heroes are tasked with delivering a cursed jewel to 
  its rightful owner because it is considered too danger-
  ous, but greedy pirate crews keep attacking in order to 
  steal the priceless gem.
  LOCAL HEROES
  The classic “hero pirate” is a swashbuckling corsair, devoid 
  of “super powers” beyond an experienced sword arm, 
  boundless charm, and extraordinary luck, with plenty of 
  room for crew members to differentiate themselves by 
  the weapons and skill they bring to bear. Vigilantes intent 
  on fighting injustice after having witnessed cruelty at the 
  hands of both the navy and pirates alike might decide to 
  take matters into their own hands.
  While powers beyond vague magic are rare in pirate 
  fiction, life on the sea is incredibly dangerous and there 
  are plenty of opportunities for heroes to come into their 
  powers through hardship.  Heroes could gain their powers 
  by handling cursed treasure, or after being rescued by 
  mermaids—though these heroes are likely to be consid-
  ered cursed. Pirate crews are full of sailors who feel re-
  jected or mistreated by the rest of the world, so it makes 
  perfect sense for heroes to turn to a life of piracy because 
  of their powers—especially if those powers provide an 
  unnatural appearance. 
  Technology is advancing rapidly in this era, with clock-
  works and lenses accomplishing amazing things. A tech-
  nology-oriented hero might build pirate-themed equip-
  ment, such as guns that fire grappling hooks, advanced 
  diving suits, or clockwork prosthetics. 
  Pirates with supernatural abilities may rise in the ranks 
  because their powers promise protection from enemies. 
  A half-Atlantean pirate can see underwater without much 
  light and could have command over the sea through 
  Element Control. A cursed captain might come back as a 
  “ghost” commanding a ghost ship, and use that reputa-
  tion to intimidate other crews.
  Local heroes are likely to either want to make a name for 
  themselves on the sea, or to protect and enforce justice 
  when nobody else will or can. Some heroes may be former 
  slaves who now work toward a better world by attacking 
  slave ships and freeing those onboard.
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  Humans of extraordinary skill but little superhuman merit 
  may be a tough-as-nails team of sailors holding up ships, 
  hunting treasure, and battling imperial governors in a PL 5 
  campaign. For a campaign focused on vigilante justice at 
  sea with sea monsters, high weirdness, and minor super-
  human ability, PL 7 is appropriate. In a PL 10 campaign, 
  the heroes are a crew with extraordinary powers battling 
  entire fleets or challenging other powered pirates.
  STATBLOCKS
  The following statblocks are especially useful in this era:
  Buccaneer 
  pL 4 • MR4 • 53 points
  STR 1 STA 2 AGL 2 DEX 1 FGT 3 INT 0 AWE 1 PRE 2
  Equipment: Cutlass, Flintlock Pistol. 
  Advantages: 
  All-out 
  Attack, 
  Equipment 
  2, 
  Favored 
  Environment: Ship, Move-by Action, Quick Draw. 
  Skills: Acrobatics 2 (+4), Athletics 5 (+6), Close Combat: 
  Swords 2 (+5), Expertise: Carpentry 5 (+5), Expertise: 
  Caribbean Lore 3 (+3), Intimidation 4 (+6), Ranged Combat: 
  Guns 3 (+4), Vehicles 4 (+5). 
  Offense: Init +2, Cutlass +5 (Close, Damage 3; Crit. 19– 20), 
  Flintlock Pistol +4 (Ranged, Damage 4), Unarmed +3 (Close, 
  Damage 1). 
  Defense: Dodge 5, Parry 6, Fortitude 4, Toughness 2, Will 2. 
  Totals: Abilities 24 + Powers 0 + Advantages 6 + Skills 14 (28 
  ranks) + Defenses 9 = 53
  Buccaneers have a solid understanding of their ship—its 
  decks and rigging and how she handles—and fight with 
  uncanny skill on the high seas. Many also possess useful 
  trades or musical skills in addition to the skills listed here, 
  and may suffer disorientation when leaving their swaying 
  ship for the unsettling stability of dry land.
  Dread pirate 
  pL 6 • MR7 • 53 points
  STR 2 STA 3 AGL 4 DEX 2 FGT 6 INT 1 AWE 2 PRE 3
  Equipment: Blunderbuss, Cutlass, Flintlock Pistol. 
  Advantages: Assessment, Attractive, Daze (Deception), 
  Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 3, Fascinate (Intimidation), Inspire, 
  Languages 2 (English, French, Spanish), Move-by Action, Quick 
  Draw, Tracking, Uncanny Dodge. 
  Skills: Acrobatics 2 (+6), Athletics 4 (+6), Close Combat: Swords 
  2 (+8), Deception 5 (+8), Expertise: Maritime Lore 6 (+7), Insight 
  4 (+6), Intimidation 5 (+8), Perception 4 (+6), Persuasion 3 (+6), 
  Ranged Combat: Guns 3 (+5), Vehicles 6 (+8). 
  Offense: Init +4, Blunderbuss — (Area, Damage 6), Cutlass 
  +8 (Close, Damage 4; Crit. 19– 20), Flintlock Pistol +5 (Ranged, 
  Damage 4), Unarmed +6 (Close, Damage 2). 
  Defense: Dodge 6, Parry 7, Fortitude 6, Toughness 5/3*, Will 4 
  *Without Defensive Roll. 
  Totals: Abilities 46 + Powers 0 + Advantages 16 + Skills 22 (44 
  ranks) + Defenses 8 = 92
  As charming as they are deadly, dread pirates stand above 
  rank-and-file pirates, thriving both in the rough world of 
  pirates and the more “proper” world of trade and business. 
  They can be a charming diplomat one minute and ready 
  to fight an entire room of Royal Navy marines the next. A 
  dread pirate may serve as the captain of a ship, command-
  ing buccaneers, or may be the elite crew of an even more 
  skilled (or empowered) captain.
  Siren 
  pL 4 • MR6 • 90 points
  STR 4 STA 3 AGL 3 DEX 2 FGT 4 INT 0 AWE 1 PRE 5
  Powers: Enchanting Song Cumulative Burst Area 4 Affliction 
  4 (120-foot radius; Resisted and Overcome by Will; Dazed, 
  Compelled, Controlled; Sense-dependent: Auditory); Aquatic 
  Immunity 3 (Cold, Drowning, Pressure), Swimming 5 (16 MPH).
  Advantages: Attractive, Daze (Deception), Fascinate (Sing).
  Skills: Deception 4 (+9), Expertise (PRE): Sing 8 (+13), 
  Perception 8 (+9), Persuasion 6 (+11).
  Offense: Init +3, Unarmed +4 (Close, Damage 4).
  Defense: Dodge 5, Parry 4, Fortitude 3, Toughness 3, Will 5.
  Totals: Abilities 44 + Powers 24 + Advantages 3 + Skills 13 (26 
  ranks) + Defenses 6 = 90
  A danger to all sailors, sirens' magical gift for song can 
  drive victims to drown themselves or crash their ships. 
  With the addition of Morph 1 (Horse), this archetype 
  can also represent the Irish kelpie, while exchanging the 
  Aquatic power for flight may represent the Greek harpy.
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  THE WILD WEST 
  THE WILD WEST 
  THE WILD WEST 
  THE WILD WEST 
   CIRCA 1870 CE
  CIRCA 1870 CE
  The Wild West’s heyday was brief, from the Civil War’s 
  end to just prior to perhaps 1910. Westward expan-
  sion started years prior, sparked by land lotteries and 
  emboldened by the 1849 California gold rush; the era 
  closed when barbed wire fences and extensive railways 
  replaced federal land grants and cattle drives. The events 
  which took place during this period hold an outsized 
  place in the American psyche, with films, TV shows, and 
  books recounting stories of deputies and desperadoes, 
  range wars against land barons, and anarchic frontier 
  towns like Dodge City.
  In truth, the West was never as violent or romantic as 
  portrayed. Reality was tougher and dirtier than fiction. In 
  folklore, cowboys break broncos while riding tall in the 
  saddle and dispatching varmints to Boot Hill. Cowboys 
  actually do the exhausting work of driving herds and 
  rounding up stray steers. Popular media casts cowboys as 
  overwhelmingly anglos, but the Wild West was diverse—
  black cowboys alone, many of them freedmen, made up 
  25% of the range-cattle industry, and the rest of the West 
  was heavily populated by Mexican vaqueross, Indigenous 
  peoples, and immigrants from Asia. Cowboys’ attire and 
  methods for handling cattle are actually taken from the 
  vaqueros, down to their southern counterparts’ wide-
  brimmed hats and leather chaps. But the West was a time 
  of bravery and danger, with the likes of Crazy Horse and 
  “Wild” Bill Hickok becoming legends.
  Expansion is driven by “Manifest Destiny”, the notion the 
  United States is “ordained” by its god to stretch from sea 
  to sea. The promise of free farmland and ample resourc-
  es draws settlers, and entrepreneurs, fortune hunters, 
  and outlaws follow. The U.S. Congress uses Indigenous 
  pushback against the invasion to justify military action 
  to displace them under the Indian Resettlement Act, 
  but encounters fierce resistance from Comanche, Kiowa, 
  Navajo, and many other peoples. The Sioux Nations and 
  Apache assail smaller tribes, leading these to sometimes 
  ally with American military. Indigenous warriors ransack 
  civilian settlements for supplies, especially when bison 
  dwindle (the army killed many herds to starve tribes into 
  submission); settlers raid their villages in retaliation. These 
  so-called Indian Wars continue until 1890, when the last 
  tribal nations are defeated and exiled into small reser-
  vations. While glamorized in popular media, the Indian 
  Wars were a period of unabashed genocide against native 
  people, and you should discuss this element in particular 
  with players before including it in your campaign.
  Living on the frontier is not easy—farming is grueling 
  labor, with homesteaders working dawn to dusk to survive 
  against insects, weather, and predators. Ranching is 
  equally taxing, endlessly tending herds, repairing fences, 
  and clearing rocks. Clean water is often scarce—settlers 
  build near streams when possible, and dig wells or build 
  rainwater catch-basins when not. Isolated locations make 
  tempting targets for bandits, so homes are kept stocked 
  with weapons. Towns provide amenities—a bank, post 
  office, church, and apothecary—along with professional 
  services like doctors, lawyers, and surveyors. Even small 
  towns usually had a sheriff to keep order, assisted by dep-
  uties. They usually comprised the only authority within a 
  week’s travel, with U.S. marshals even further away.
  Because the ranks of peace officers are so thin in most 
  areas, abusive, corrupt, or inept sheriffs constitute genuine 
  danger to the citizenry. If local law enforcement is bought 
  off, run out of town, or killed, it falls to ordinary townsfolk 
  to defend themselves. Minorities and pariahs can only rely 
  on themselves, as the law sides with “decent folk” and no 
  one else stands up for their rights.
  Taming the West was an era of danger, but also adventure 
  that still informs how many Americans see themselves.
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  THE WILD WEST Of EARTH-pRIME
  The Pale Rider, alias Adam Prophet, is the seminal cham-
  pion of the range, with ghostly theatrics backed by flash-
  ing fists and blazing guns. Late in his career, Pale Rider 
  leads a loose affiliation known as Prophet’s Crusade, 
  hunting down arch-fiends such as Jack-A-Knives, mad 
  inventor Dr. Rakub, and Confederate war criminals. 
  While the Crusade’s membership varied, a mainstay 
  was Emily Swift, creator of the “Steam-Man of the Sage-
  brush” and Prophet’s eventual wife. The Crusade would 
  never have existed without Broken Crow, the shaman 
  who revived the lifeless Prophet and set him on the path 
  of justice. The Sioux medicine man harnessed the Magic 
  Mesa’s wild energies and wore the mantle of Master 
  Mage, before falling at Wounded Knee.
  The Old West of Earth-Prime teems with fantastic ele-
  ments: Deep Ones (Atlas of Earth-Prime) reside in the 
  waters outside New Orleans, refugees from raids on 
  Innsmouth; excavators in Veracruz uncover artifacts of 
  the extraterrestrial Ku-Tu The Eternal (Threat Report); a 
  reinvigorated Spirit of Liberty incarnates in a Chinese 
  immigrant, who battles racial injustice as the Ameri-
  can Promise; and the Eightfold Web cult (Threat Report) 
  works to exploit the dimensional nexus on which San 
  Francisco sits.
  RULES CONSIDERATIONS 
  Distances too far to cross afoot are traversed on horseback 
  or other pack animals (obscure fact: imported camels 
  existed in the West until 1940); Consequently, the new 
  skills mentioned in Chapter 2—Animal Empathy and 
  Riding—are very appropriate in the era. Stagecoaches 
  and trains are the only vehicles to regularly traverse the 
  American west—especially after the completion of the 
  Transcontinental Railroad in 1869—but in a super-heroic 
  take on the Wild West, all manner of steam-power cars, di-
  rigibles, and walkers might clutter the landscape.
  Firearms develop rapidly through the era, but guns of the 
  age are unreliable compared to modern weapons: jams 
  and misfires are common, revolvers kick up smoke clouds 
  (granting partial concealment to shooters and targets for 
  a round), and water or mud can render them useless. This 
  is a 1 pt. Quirk: Finicky; on a roll of a “1” to use the power, 
  it backfires to create a complication or stops working until 
  it can be repaired with a Standard action. Heroes can also 
  buy “masterwork” guns that lack this trait as devices.
  In the historical Old West, sophisticated electronics are 
  nonexistent and internal combustion engines are rudi-
  mentary. Most Technology skill checks to work on me-
  chanical equipment suffer only a –2 circumstance penalty, 
  but electronics impose a –5 circumstance penalty.
  • Advantage—Benefit (Paired Guns): Characters with 
  this advantage can wield a firearm in each hand, using 
  a single Standard action to fire at two targets or fire at 
  the same target to add their damage together. The total 
  damage from both weapons cannot exceed the char-
  acter’s PL limits. This combined damage determines 
  how high a character’s maximum attack bonus can be, 
  rather than the damage of an individual weapon. This is 
  essentially the Split Extra, applied to equipment.
  • Advantage—Languages: While American English is 
  the common tongue of the west, freedmen Creole, rail-
  road work-gangs’ Cantonese, Dakota, Navajo, Spanish, 
  and multiple other tongues are common.
  • Advantage—Minion/Sidekick: Trusty animals are a 
  mainstay of Wild West heroes, and are purchased as 
  Minions (for ordinary examples of their kind) or Side-
  kicks (for unusually smart, brave, and loyal specimens).
  NEW EQUIpMENT
  Some of the most iconic equipment of this era includes:
  COLT fRONTIER SIX-SHOOTER
  The classic Wild West pistol, there were many Colt models, 
  including one which was the U.S. Army’s standard sidearm. 
  The hammer could be “fanned” to fire a burst of shots at 
  the cost of accuracy, represented with a successful DC 10 
  Dexterity check.
  Colt Frontier Six-Shooter: Ranged Damage 3, AE: “Fanning 
  the Hammer” (Ranged Damage 4, Check Required [DC 10 
  Dexterity], Inaccurate); Quirk: Finicky • 6 points
  GATLING GUN
  Multiple barrels revolve around an axis via hand-crank, al-
  lowing the Gatling gun's barrels to cool between shots.
  Gatling Gun: Ranged Damage 5 (Multiattack; Increased 
  Action, Quirk: Finicky) • 9 points
  LARIAT
  A lightweight rope tied into a lasso, the lariat is an indis-
  pensable tool for wrangling animals but equally useful 
  for restraining criminals. A lariat grabs a target with the 
  equivalent of Strength 3, but a wielder can use their own 
  Strength rank to pull a target closer after they are grabbed.
  Lariat: Strength 3 (Reach 4; Limited: Only for grabbing) • 7 points
  SHARpS DERRINGER
  Favored weapon of card sharps and confidence men, this 
  four-shot, small caliber pistol could be concealed under a 
  sleeve and propelled into the wielder’s hand by a spring-
  loader. A derringer’s small size provides a +10 bonus on 
  Sleight of Hand checks to conceal the weapon some-
  where on a person’s body.
  Sharps Derringer: Ranged Damage 2 (Feature: Concealable, 
  Advantage: Improved Critical; Diminished Range, Unreliable (4 
  uses), Quirk: Unreliable) • 2 points
  WINCHESTER RIfLE
  “The gun that won the West” debuted in 1866. One of the 
  first repeating rifles, it was a lever-action firearm which 
  held up to fifteen rounds. Lawmen often paired it with the 
  Colt Frontier pistol, as it used the same cartridges.
  Winchester Rifle: Ranged Damage 4 (Quirk: Finicky) • 7 points
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  STAGECOACH 
  Stagecoaches were instrumental in carrying passengers, 
  light freight, and especially mail between distant towns 
  until the expansion of the railways. They were pulled by 
  a team of 4–6 horses which were switched out for fresh 
  steeds at waystations situated every 15–20 miles along 
  routes, allowing roughly 60 miles of travel each day. 
  Stripped-down mud-wagons were used to cover muddy 
  flats or rocky paths. Ripe pickings for bandits, stagecoach-
  es were driven by two person teams, with the passenger 
  holding a ready firearm—literally “riding shotgun.”
  Stagecoach 
  3 points
  Size: Huge Strength: 8 Speed: 2 (ground) Defense: 7 
  Toughness: 7 Features: Muscle-Powered
  STEAM LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE
  The “Iron Horse” would eventually help end the cowboy 
  era, but in the Wild West’s heyday, trains were notable for 
  being prime targets for armed robberies, leading to rail-
  road companies stationing armed detectives on board. 
  Lifting (let alone stopping) a locomotive engine requires 
  a Strength of 10 or higher.
  Steam Locomotive Engine 
  20 points
  Size: Huge Strength: 15 Speed: 4 (ground) Defense: 4 
  Toughness: 11 Powers: Impervious Toughness 10
  VISITING HEROES 
  Time traveling heroes may be investigating mysteries in-
  volving their Wild West predecessors, while tech-based 
  characters could be looking into the origins of Ameri-
  can “mad science.” Less scrupulous visitors are treasure 
  hunters, hoping to seize “lost” caches of train robbery 
  loot, or preemptively “claim-jump” discoveries of gold. 
  Likewise, time-traveling adventurers (and criminals) are 
  drawn to the rough-and-tumble era, when government 
  authority was much weaker. Others have grander motives 
  like changing the outcome of famous events such as the 
  O.K. Corral shootout, or the disastrous Indian Wars. Wild 
  West aficionados may simply wish to meet idols such as 
  Bass Reeves, Sitting Bull, and other famed figures.
  While the culture, technology, and languages of the Wild 
  West are familiar, stark differences remain. Death and dis-
  ability from disease, misadventure, and everyday occur-
  rences such as childbirth are common, and most people 
  hold stoic views about life and death. Personal hygiene 
  and sanitation are slipshod by modern standards—fresh 
  water is a commodity, and few commercial grooming 
  products exist. Saloons and bordellos serve as social 
  centers. Tobacco use is everywhere. Mob vengeance 
  against suspected criminals is swift and lethal, judgment 
  overriding justice. Women remain second-class citizens, 
  though states such as Wyoming have women’s suffrage 
  (though only for white women). Racism is casual and 
  open. Heroes with flashy costumes or unusual appear-
  ances draw attention (and derision); wielding obviously 
  superhuman powers can have them hailed as miracle 
  workers or decried as “East Coast weirdos.”
  Possible plot hooks:
  • A frontier monster recorded dead in the 19th century 
  manifests in the present to wreak destruction. The 
  heroes discover it is bleeding temporal energy, making 
  the monster “unstuck” in time. They must force it back 
  to the proper time and place, then surreptitiously aid 
  the local champions in the final defeat of the creature.
  • The heroes discover an extraterrestrial huckster supply-
  ing settlers and Natives alike with futuristic but shoddy 
  and malfunctioning weapons; they must drive the alien 
  arms-merchant from Earth, then confiscate and destroy 
  the anachronistic technology.
  • A minor villain team stumbles upon a gateway to the 
  sagebrush era and opt to relocate to a time before su-
  perheroes were around to stop them (or a time with 
  relatively few heroes or other law enforcement).
  • Archaeologists discover a dusty version of one hero’s 
  iconic device or costume in a recently-excavated tunnel 
  under San Francisco, which had been sealed since the 
  1880s, and the team must travel back to investigate 
  how it ended up there.
  LOCAL HEROES
  The Wild West is replete with extraordinary individu-
  als—Annie Oakley’s superlative shooting, John Henry’s 
  strength, Sitting Bull’s visions—whose exploits inspire 
  tall tales across the deserts and prairie. Heroes are typi-
  cally normal humans who rely on bravery, cleverness, and 
  talents. As people from an array of backgrounds can be 
  found in the American West, nearly any skill set can be 
  found, including big game hunters, martial artists, and 
  eccentric inventors. With interest in the paranormal rising 
  after the American Civil War, heroes with supernatural 
  abilities—including spirit-talking, mesmerism and other 
  powers of the mind—aren’t unexpected. PL 6-8 heroes are 
  most appropriate, and any actual powers should match 
  the milieu. Enhanced attributes, super-senses, and move-
  ment powers being most typical. Energy blasts, shrinking, 
  teleportation and other non-genre powers should have 
  (very) solid rationales.
  Heroes may be agents of a secret federal organization, re-
  cruited for their elite skills to combat exceptional dangers. 
  Alternately, they might be a special posse put together by 
  a wealthy philanthropist for righteous pursuits. Their mis-
  sions range from capturing a notorious gang, to quelling 
  a subterranean attack on a silver mine, or thwarting Con-
  federate holdouts from unleashing a Southern “wonder-
  weapon.”
  The American Frontier era supplies ample fodder for a he-
  roic-horror campaign. During this period of extensive im-
  migration, Old World terrors such as vampires and were-
  wolves follow their human prey from Asia and Europe to 
  hunt on the open range. They exist alongside Indigenous 
  monsters such as skin-walkers and sasquatch. The heroes 
  are holy women, gunfighters turned monster hunters, and 
  occult detectives, armed with knowledge and dedicated 
  to scourging these nightmarish creatures from the plains.
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  Alternately, the player characters are benevolent true ma-
  gicians and supernatural beings, engaged in a clandes-
  tine struggle protecting mankind against their malignant 
  kin. The latter campaign allows for Power Levels between 
  8-10, but arcane abilities should fit the setting; shape-
  shifting into a coyote suits a Wild West setting better 
  than changing into a dragon. But a GM should allow the 
  campaign’s “Big Bad” any abilities whatsoever—Circe or 
  Dracula could well make an appearance!
  STATBLOCKS
  The following statblocks are especially useful in this era:
  Hidebehind 
  pL 7 • MR6 • 77 points
  STR 5 STA 6 AGL 2 DEX 0 FGT 5 INT –3 AWE 1 PRE –1
  Powers: Claw and Fang Damage 2 (Strength-based), Hide 
  Behind Concealment 4 (All Visual Senses; Limited: Only within 
  30 feet of an inanimate object), Movement 3 (Slithering, 
  Sure-footed, Trackless), Protection 2, Senses 4 (Acute Scent, 
  Darkvision, Tracking).
  Advantages: All-out Attack, Fast Grab, Hide in Plain Sight, 
  Improved Initiative.
  Skills: Athletics 4 (+9), Close Combat: Natural Weapons 2 (+7), 
  Perception 4 (+5), Sleight of Hand 14 (+14), Stealth 12 (+14).
  Offense: Init +6, Claw and Fang +5 (Close, Damage 7). 
  Defense: Dodge 4, Parry 6, Fortitude 6, Toughness 8, Will 5. 
  Totals: Abilities 30 + Powers 18 + Advantages 4 + Skills 18 (36 
  ranks) + Defenses 7 = 77
  One of the "fearsome critters" that roam North America, 
  the hidebehind is a rail-thin beast covered in shaggy, 
  black hair. Quick and flexible, they can contort their 
  lanky forms to hide behind any solid object in a 
  flash. They feed on flesh, savoring human in-
  testines, but drunks have been saved thanks 
  to the beast’s allergic reaction to alcohol.
  Legendary Gunslinger 
  pL 7 • 88 points
  STR 2 STA 3 AGL 5 DEX 6  
  FGT 3 INT 1 AWE 2 PRE 2
  Equipment: 2 Colt Pistols. 
  Advantages: Accurate Attack, Benefit 
  (Reputation), Defensive Roll 4, Equipment 
  3, Fearless, Improved Aim, Improved Critical: 
  Pistol, Improved Initiative, Precise Attack (Ranged, 
  Cover), Ranged Attack 2, Startle, Takedown. 
  Skills: Athletics 5 (+7), Deception 2 (+4), Expertise: Streetwise 
  3 (+4), Intimidation 5 (+7), Perception 4 (+6), Sleight of Hand 3 
  (+9), Stealth 2 (+7). 
  Offense: Init +9, Colt Revolver +8 (Ranged Damage 3 or 6; Crit. 
  19–20), Unarmed +3 (Close, Damage 2). 
  Defense: Dodge 7, Parry 5, Fortitude 5, Toughness 7/3*, Will 6 
  *Without Defensive Roll. 
  Totals: Abilities 48 + Powers 0 + Advantages 18 + Skills 12 (24 
  ranks) + Defenses 10 = 88
  Whether lawmen, outlaws, bounty hunters, or trick-
  shot specialists, gunslingers command fear and respect 
  throughout the West. The defining figures of the West 
  are those blessed with a lighting draw, dead aim, and 
  nerves of steel in a gun fight. A gunslinger of legend 
  instead uses the Weapon Master from the Deluxe Hero's 
  Handbook.
  Smooth-Talking Huckster 
  pL 2 • MR4 • 48 points
  STR 0 STA 1 AGL 2 DEX 2 FGT 1 INT 2 AWE 2 PRE 4
  Equipment: Sharps Derringer. 
  Advantages: Equipment 1, Fascinate (Deception), Luck, 
  Ultimate Effort: Sleight of Hand. 
  Skills: Deception 4 (+8), Expertise: Gambling 4 (+6), Insight 6 
  (+8), Persuasion 4 (+8), Sleight of Hand 7 (+9), Stealth 2 (+4), 
  Treatment 1 (+3). 
  Offense: Init +2, Derringer +2 (Ranged, Damage 2; Crit. 19–20), 
  Unarmed +1 (Close, Damage 0). 
  Defense: Dodge 2, Parry 2, Fortitude 2, Toughness 1, Will 2. 
  Totals: Abilities 28 + Powers 0 + Advantages 4 + Skills 14 (28 
  ranks) + Defenses 2 = 48
  Fast-talking and deft of hand, these characters make their 
  fortunes (or not) through guile and trickery rather than 
  the sweat of their brow. Among their number are brothel 
  madams, gentlemen gamblers, and wandering miracle 
  men selling faith healing or patent medicine.
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  CYBER REVOLUTION 
  CYBER REVOLUTION 
  CYBER REVOLUTION 
  CYBER REVOLUTION 
   CIRCA 2060 CE
  CIRCA 2060 CE
  In the near future, the continued consolidation of money 
  and information means the ultimate consolidation of 
  power: a few corporations hold the economy and the 
  government in their sway—in effect are the money and 
  the government—and common people adapt their lives 
  accordingly. The average person in this technological 
  dystopia lives in a “company town,” where a corporation 
  provides housing, utilities, amenities, entertainment, and 
  work—all at a price. Little work, comfort, or infrastructure 
  remains outside these megacities, so those who can’t or 
  won’t serve the oligarchs fall through the cracks and must 
  survive on whatever scraps they can pull together.
  Inside these company towns, life can be comfortable for 
  the gainfully employed. Yet for all but the top 1%, work is 
  gig-based, irregular, highly competitive, and never guar-
  anteed. Automation and convenience are at their peak, 
  with self-driving transit, smart homes, door-to-door de-
  livery, and endless on-demand entertainment. Humans 
  aren’t actually needed for much: call centers, mainte-
  nance, and farm work make up most of the labor force, 
  with positions in music, entertainment, advertising, 
  and similar creative fields coveted above all. Academic 
  and research jobs, programmers, hardware engineers, 
  lawyers and medical providers are still largely human, 
  too, but with education a wholly for-profit enterprise few 
  can train for these roles. Those who do find themselves 
  fighting too many people for too few jobs, and their 
  massive debt cancels out the better wages. The corps 
  keep this economic engine running by ensuring there 
  is always somewhere new to shuffle a critical mass of 
  people, allowing individuals to earn just enough to buy 
  the newest trend. 
  Anyone born in or working in a company town forfeits 
  their anonymity by default, with companies collating 
  personal and medical data from birth and monitoring 
  online conversations. Companies also deploy sophisti-
  cated AIs on social media to imitate human conversation, 
  sometimes for faux-viral marketing campaigns, some-
  times to create dissent where there is none and fragment 
  social movements. All this makes it almost impossible 
  for peoples’ constant, low-level discontent to build into 
  any kind of truly organized large movement capable of 
  change. These corporate-owned communication chan-
  nels don’t make a habit of silencing dissent, but instead 
  provide noise to drown out and distract from these calls 
  in the first place. 
  There are always people who live at the fringes of society, 
  and in the Cyber Revolution era those people live “off-
  grid,” stealing water and power and food and bartering 
  with each other for goods or the remaining, tattered bits 
  of paper money. The city slums overflow with these “un-
  employables,” who turn to crime—often providing illegal 
  services to the corporate elite—just to survive. 
  Cutthroat corporate politics cause most of the strife 
  and violence of this era. The undesirables of the urban 
  landscape make the foundation of this future’s criminal 
  element, and high-risk, high-reward corporate ventures 
  often recruit this scum as deniable assets to attack other 
  corporations, assassinate rival managers, or kidnap valu-
  able employees. Those who do well might even find them-
  selves gainfully employed, provided with all the comforts 
  of corporate life once more. Organized crime still exists, as 
  commodified and branded as any legitimate corporation, 
  and often work alongside the plutocrats on mutually ben-
  eficial rackets, providing services that a “family friendly” 
  corp can’t or won’t.
  Creeping regulations on superhero autonomy and ubiqui-
  tous surveillance have made independant super-heroics 
  almost impossible. Many corporations sponsor their own 
  name-brand heroes and teams as an elite service that 
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  THE CYBER REVOLUTION ON EARTH-pRIME
  Earth-Prime’s near future is a little more optimistic than 
  the dystopia described here, but even the Freedom 
  League hasn’t managed to entirely hold back the creep-
  ing power of large corporations. City-wide corruption 
  and advancing age lead many heroes of Freedom City 
  to retire, disillusioned, with few young optimists to take 
  their place. AEGIS was gutted by their ongoing battle 
  with SHADOW, and many suspect SHADOW now con-
  trols much of the United States government. Much of 
  Freedom City—and the East Coast’s—government and 
  infrastructure now rest in the hands of Grant Interna-
  tional, and thus Labyrinth.
  The future isn’t hopeless, however. Freedom League 
  veterans like Centuria, Thunderbolt, and Chase Atom 
  (see Freedom City, Third Edition) lead a new generation 
  of heroes in protecting the world to the best of their 
  abilities, while trying to inspire the populace to action 
  against the creepy, economic fascism that controls so 
  much of the Western world.
  customers can subscribe to. Corporate interests—profit 
  and good PR—come first, and any good done is largely a 
  side effect. To provide their “heroes” with villains to fight, 
  corp propaganda labels independent would-be heroes 
  as dangerous terrorists, and when not enough of those 
  exist they simple hire their own villains—as fake as their 
  heroes—to help raise brand awareness.
  The corporate consolidation of wealth and power has 
  been a worldwide phenomenon, and players need not 
  limit themselves to a single U.S. city or even the United 
  States at all. Shanghai, Tokyo, Berlin, London, Paris, Jo-
  hannesburg, Lagos, and Dubai offer similar chances for 
  megacity adventures, with their own unique origins and 
  cultural nuances.
  While the aesthetics remain the same, some power other 
  than corporations might control the world in a super-he-
  roic version of the Cyber Revolution. A powerful villain or 
  hero-hunting robots may control the globe and maintain 
  the dystopian status quo. It may also exist side-by side 
  with the Post-Apocalyptic future, with the Cyber Revolu-
  tion represented in walled “mega-cities” dotting an other-
  wise blasted, apocalyptic world of mutants and warlords.
  RULES CONSIDERATIONS
  Visiting heroes will find a lot of technology familiar if 
  opaque, like an especially complicated remote control to 
  a new TV. They can guess at what it does, but those un-
  familiar with the era’s tech will suffer a –2 circumstance 
  penalty on Technology, Treatment, and Vehicles skill 
  checks to use it.
  With the ubiquity of computers, Gamemasters setting a 
  campaign in the Cyber Revolution era should consider 
  separating out all the computer-related functions of the 
  Technology skill into its own, distinct Computers skill to 
  avoid making the Technology skill too powerful.
  The online world is more richly developed in the Cyber 
  Revolution, and can function as an alternate dimension, 
  with small implants providing Movement 1 (Dimension 
  Travel: Internet; Limited: Leaves Body Behind) costing 
  only 1pp. This allows heroes to project their minds online 
  to adventure inside the internet or raid companies’ digital 
  assets. Use the same rules for the digital world you would 
  use in the real world—heroes’ sense of themselves is 
  so strong it dictates their capabilities inside the digital 
  realm—with some “hacker” powers using the Limited: 
  Only Online flaw to represent cool code that doesn’t func-
  tion in the real world. Gamemasters should decide at the 
  beginning of the campaign what dying online means for a 
  character’s physical body: Are they simply kicked offline? 
  Are they knocked unconscious? Or does the psychological 
  shock cause the body to start dying as well?
  • Advantage—Benefit (Cipher): In the Cyber Revolu-
  tion era, the cipher benefit represents someone with 
  no obvious records. Even people without official corp ID 
  generally have basic records—medical records, school 
  records, criminal records—tied to their biometrics. 
  Ciphers have either altered their computer records or 
  their biometrics enough to divorce them from their past.
  • Advantage—Benefit (Identity Record): The hero has 
  a publicly-registered and traded ID (real or forged) that 
  allows them to operate on-grid. It is both an advantage 
  in certain situations and a serious liability in others. The 
  lack of any record, even a forged one, means a character 
  can’t log online, get a job, or make basic purchases.
  NEW EQUIpMENT
  Some special or restricted equipment includes:
  BOOM BOX
  A palm-sized device cobbled together from spare parts, 
  a boom box uses a concentrated electromagnetic field 
  to temporarily disable nearby electronics. Disabling elec-
  tronics in most urban areas automatically alerts security, 
  but by its nature the Boom Box tends to eliminate evi-
  dence of who placed it.
  Boom Box: Close Burst Area Nullify Electronics 2 (Continuous) 
  • 6 points
  DOC pATCH
  The one-use doc patch is a clear plastic patch available 
  over-the-counter at corporate pharmacies. When applied 
  to bare skin, it provides painkillers, coagulants, antibiotics, 
  and stimulants to stabilize injuries. An affected character 
  removes a Dazed, Fatigued, or Stunned condition.
  Doc Patch: Luck Control (Recovery; Affects Others; Advantage: 
  Luck) • 3 points
  ELECTRO-SWORD
  Standard issue for both human and robotic security staff, 
  this sword uses an electrified edge rather than a cutting 
  blade to stun and incapacitate.
  Electro-Sword: Affliction 5 (Resisted and Overcome by 
  Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated), Linked to Close 
  Damage 1 • 6 points
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  SpECTER
  A hacker staple, the specter, or “ghost computer,” is an 
  illegal laptop or smartphone constructed from untrace-
  able parts and loaded with security exploit software that 
  cloaks its presence on networked systems. They operate 
  invisibly in digital spaces while accessing any digital 
  equipment. More advanced versions can even override 
  and control technology; treat these specters as devices 
  with ranks in the Affliction (limited to machines) and/or 
  Move Object (limited to machines) effects.
  Specter: Comprehend 2 (Machines), Concealment 1 (Digital), 
  Feature 1 (Technology toolkit), Senses 2 (Detect Networks, 
  Tracking [Digital]) • 9 points
  VISITING HEROES
  Time travelers making one-off trips aren’t pulled into the 
  future as often as they are to the past, but there are always 
  a few crises they might avert by going forward rather than 
  back. Time travelers can visit this era to assist a diminished 
  and tightly controlled superhero population at a turning 
  point in history, fighting to keep hope alive rather than 
  letting the era slide into a full-on apocalypse. Heroes 
  can visit in reaction to time travelers to their era—cyber-
  punk villains wreaking havoc in a modern city—trying to 
  change their future, perhaps even encountering the older, 
  more powerful versions of villains they’ve already defeat-
  ed (or villainous versions of themselves). This opens the 
  door for causal paradoxes in the PCs’ modern lives, rather 
  than time travel hazards isolated in the past.
  Some of the Cyber Revolution will be vaguely familiar to 
  modern era heroes, in concept if not execution. The people 
  of the Cyber Revolution are always connected, with many 
  opting for small implants that allow direct retinal/aural 
  feeds that provide extra income through watching ads 
  in spare minutes between work gigs. Megacities operate 
  24/7 for the sake of efficiency, and corner pharmacies and 
  net shops sell everything from energy boosters and mood 
  enhancers to sleeping pills in massive quantities. Compa-
  nies have similarly enhanced the food and drink: corpo-
  rate-sponsored tap water provides vitamins and minerals 
  (and possibly mood stabilizers to keep workers docile), 
  while labs produce vat-grown meat, and city-sized green-
  houses grow fruits and vegetables regardless of season. 
  Labs have filled the world with imitations of anything not 
  easily mass produced, and few people alive know what a 
  real banana or chocolate bar tastes like anymore.
  The heroes' lack of familiarity with societal structures, 
  common technology and product availability, and the 
  absence of their personal data records can raise serious 
  alarms and throw off an otherwise simple mission.
  Possible plot hooks include:
  • A second-rate villain is suddenly a major threat, and 
  the PCs discover his future self—finally out of jail—has 
  been sending temporal “care packages” to his younger 
  self to prevent his defeat.
  • A well-intentioned time traveler plucks the heroes out 
  of the present, moments before history records them all 
  dying and kicking off the chain of events that leads to 
  this bleak future.
  • After a villain from the distant future uses superior 
  powers and technology to invade the modern era, the 
  must heroes seek out the villain’s younger and weaker 
  self in the near future.
  • A devastating alien plague paralyzes the modern era, 
  and the heroes must travel forward in time to when it 
  have already been cured.
  LOCAL HEROES
  Local heroes fall into two major categories: on-grid and 
  off-grid. On-grid heroes were born into society as it is and 
  have detailed personal records, with their abilities known 
  to corporate controllers. Those with innate superhuman 
  abilities are assigned to corporate academies to master 
  their gifts. Like unpowered civilians, superpowered in-
  dividuals are assigned to roles as needed, though they 
  have considerably more perks and job stability given the 
  relative rarity of their abilities, as well as the investment 
  made in their training. The more civic-minded heroes will 
  find themselves working high-level security and protec-
  tion, acting as megacity police or investigation forces, or 
  serving on sponsored hero teams that exist as much for 
  PR as any genuine heroics. Characters may become disil-
  lusioned with their lot in life, and even rebel against it, but 
  everyone starts firmly in the company’s pocket.
  In contrast, off-grid heroes, born and raised without a 
  watchful corporate eye, can have the same mix of genetic 
  powers and a much greater chance of excelling in tech or 
  combat. Their freedom comes with much more limited 
  and hard-won resources: hackers operate with cobbled-
  together tech from stolen parts, fighters learn directly 
  from fellow off-grid teachers, and superpowered individu-
  als learn to control their abilities through trial and error. 
  All these heroes likely have some mix of survival skills and 
  knowledge of the wilderness, as off-grid communities 
  have no one to rely on but each other.
  While those born with innate superpowers or alien heri-
  tage are familiar if not common, others have powers pro-
  vided via technology, such as chemical augmentation, 
  genetic engineering, and especially cybernetic implants. 
  Magic is often a rare commodity in the tech-focused 
  future, but what exists is commodified and categorized 
  like other powers. 
  This setting is ideal for revolutionaries, from off-grid or on: 
  PL 10-12 campaigns could involve corporate-employed 
  heroes discovering the extent of societal corruption, and 
  deciding whether to try to fix things from the inside, break 
  the whole system and start fresh, or throw in the towel 
  and join an off-grid community to protect those who have 
  escaped. Street-level heroes at PL 8 can fight for forgotten 
  neighborhoods, fomenting a revolution that spreads to 
  the rest of the city; and off-grid investigators and bloggers 
  at a similar level could try to expose especially damning 
  corporate practices to inspire the masses from outside. 
  For down-and-out grim freelancers running shadowy jobs 
  against corporations, PL 6-8 is more appropriate.
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  STATBLOCKS
  The following statblocks are especially useful in this era:
  Cyber Ronin 
  pL 7 • MR7 • 99 points
  STR 6/4 STA 4 AGL 2 DEX 2 FGT 6 INT 0 AWE 1 PRE 0
  Powers: Armor Implants Protection 3 (Impervious 7); Cyber 
  Arm Enhanced Strength 2 (Limited to Right Arm); Cyber Eyes 
  Senses 4 (Darkvision, Distance Sense, Ultravision); Reflex 
  Augmentation Enhanced Advantage (Improved Initiative 2), 
  Leaping 2 (30 feet), Quickness 2 (Limited to Physical), Speed 
  2 (8 MPH). 
  Equipment: Electro-Sword, Heavy Pistol. 
  Advantages: Agile Feint, Assessment, Close Attack, Equipment 
  3, Great Endurance, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, 
  Instant Up, Uncanny Dodge. 
  Skills: Acrobatics 5 (+7), Expertise: Bushido 5 (+5), Expertise: 
  Corporate Politics 5 (+5), Insight 3 (+4), Ranged Combat: Guns 
  7 (+9), Stealth 6 (+8). 
  Offense: Init +10, Electro-Sword +7 (Close, Damage 7 and 
  Affliction 5), Heavy Pistol +9 (Ranged, Damage 4), Unarmed +7 
  (Close, Damage 6). 
  Defense: Dodge 5, Parry 7, Fortitude 8, Toughness 7, Will 5. 
  Totals: Abilities 38 + Powers 23 + Advantages 10 + Skills 16 (31 
  ranks) + Defenses 12 = 99
  A popular trope of dystopian corporate futures, anach-
  ronistic swordfighters enhanced with cybernetic im-
  plants have been templatized and deployed as company 
  defense and deniable freelancers. 
  Hacker 
  pL 2 • MR3 • 39 points
  STR 0 STA 0 AGL 0 DEX 1 FGT 2 INT 4 AWE 0 PRE 1
  Equipment: Light Pistol, Specter. 
  Advantages: Benefit (Cipher), Equipment 3, Second 
  Chance: Technology checks with Computers, Speed of 
  Thought. 
  Skills: Deception 5 (+6), Expertise: Criminal 3 (+7), 
  Expertise: Pop Culture 6 (+10), Investigation 4 (+8), 
  Technology 8 (+12). 
  Offense: Init +4, Light Pistol +1 (Ranged, Damage 3), 
  Unarmed +2 (Close, Damage 0). 
  Defense: Dodge 1, Parry 2, Fortitude 0, Toughness 0, 
  Will 3. 
  Totals: Abilities 16 + Powers 0 + Advantages 6 + Skills 13 
  (26 ranks) + Defenses 4 = 39
  Digital warriors for an information age, hackers spe-
  cialize in breaking computer security through brute 
  force or clever con games (or “social hacks”). Corpo-
  rate hackers operate out of cube farms, spying on 
  and corrupting rival companies. Criminal hackers 
  do the same work while remaining inconspicu-
  ous, selling what they find to the highest bidder. 
  If the internet exists as its own dimension for 
  adventures in your Cyber Revolution, you can 
  add the following powers as well, increasing the 
  hacker’s PL to 5 while online:
  Powers: Interface Implant Movement 1 (Dimensional: 
  Internet; Limited: Leaves Body Behind); Overclocked 
  Avatar Enhanced Dodge 4, Enhanced Parry 4, Enhanced 
  Strength 4, Enhanced Fighting 4, Enhanced Agility 4, 
  Enhanced Advantages (Improved Smash, Weapon Break); 
  Limited: Online Only
  Information Broker 
  pL 3 • MR4 • 59 points
  STR 1 STA 1 AGL 2 DEX 1 FGT 1 INT 2 AWE 2 PRE 3
  Equipment: Leather Armor, Light Submachine Gun.
  Advantages: 
  Connected, 
  Contacts, 
  Eidetic 
  Memory, 
  Equipment 2, Leadership, Well-informed. 
  Skills: Deception 3 (+6), Expertise: Business 7 (+9), Expertise: 
  Law Enforcement 5 (+7), Expertise: Streetwise 9 (+11), Insight 5 
  (+7), Persuasion 7 (+10), Ranged Combat: Guns 2 (+3), Sleight 
  of Hand 4 (+5), Technology 4 (+6). 
  Offense: Init +2, Light Submachine Gun +3 (Ranged, Damage 
  3), Unarmed +1 (Close, Damage 1). 
  Defense: Dodge 3, Parry 3, Fortitude 1, Toughness 2, Will 2. 
  Totals: Abilities 26 + Powers 0 + Advantages 7 + Skills 23 (46 
  ranks) + Defenses 3 = 59
  Brokers fill a business need between people who have 
  information and don’t want to be caught selling it, and 
  people who don't want to be seen buying it. Unlike 
  hackers, they operate almost entirely offline, with the 
  most successful brokers able to memorize information (or 
  carry it via implant) and pass it on verbally or in code.
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  CHApTER 5: ERAS Of ADVENTURE
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  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  pOST-ApOCALYpTIC EARTH 
  pOST-ApOCALYpTIC EARTH 
  pOST-ApOCALYpTIC EARTH 
  pOST-ApOCALYpTIC EARTH  CIRCA 2120 CE
  CIRCA 2120 CE
  All good things come to an end, and great civilizations 
  have fallen before thanks to hubris, greed, or climate 
  change. The modern world is no different. At some point, 
  humanity all but destroys itself, and leaves the world lit-
  tered with the rubble of once-glorious cities. In the Post-
  Apocalypse Earth era, the only people left are desper-
  ate survivors—likely mutated by toxic waste, radiation, 
  or whatever else caused civilization’s downfall—and 
  perhaps a few elites sealed away inside hermetically-
  sealed shelters.
  A post-apocalyptic world allows you to explore the idea of 
  what a society can or should do when they no longer feel 
  safe. This era contrasts with the present-day lives of the 
  heroes, letting them see what might happen if they make 
  certain choices or fail to stop a villain, serving as a spring-
  board for character development and future adventures.
  Post-apocalyptic worlds are varied, from ruins reclaimed 
  and overgrown by nature to dying worlds covered in 
  endless desert. Focus on a few questions to provide struc-
  ture to the post-apocalyptic era:
  • What was the setting like before the apocalypse?
  • What happened to bring about the apocalypse?
  • What themes do you want to explore?
  Deciding what the world was like before the apocalypse 
  helps you define how people responded to the disaster, 
  as well as what’s left. For example, were there superhe-
  roes before the fall, and did they help prevent the col-
  lapse and fail, or did they cause it? How did society think 
  about itself? Was there a sense of optimism and hope for 
  the future, or was there some awareness that things were 
  not going well, or even that the apocalypse was coming? 
  What was the level of technology before the fall? A world 
  that saw the end coming would prepare, leaving shelters 
  and stockpiles scattered around the world.
  The cause of the fall tells you how the world was changed. 
  A world bathed in nuclear fire will still have hotspots of 
  radiation and craters of glass where major cities once 
  stood, but one where climate change destroyed food and 
  water supplies will mean abandoned cities and desperate 
  battles over the few remaining resources. A disaster that 
  releases some mutagenic element, like nuclear weapons 
  or a bio-engineered plague, may also create a world now 
  swarming with dangerous mutants. A zombie apocalypse 
  changes little about the world except rendering other 
  people as an omnipresent hazard.
  Finally, the themes you explore help you decide what 
  about this world you need to convey to your players and 
  how a visit to the post-apocalyptic future affects your 
  current campaign. Do you need to foreshadow the rise 
  of a deadly villain or the arrival of a hostile alien armada? 
  Showing the PCs the consequences of failure can drive 
  home the seriousness of the threat. Themes of scarcity 
  might mean adventures helping survivors find water or 
  build sustainable farms, and can also drive home the need 
  for environmental protections in the present day. 
  Whatever their details, the Post-Apocalyptic Earth era is 
  one where humanity is stripped of its civility and factors 
  of society are writ large and without context. Extreme 
  human augmentation, tricked-out muscle cars, monolith-
  ic hivemind societies, and bunker-dwelling xenophobes 
  who refuse to acknowledge the world has changed are all 
  common set dressing.
  You can even change the nature of the apocalypse 
  every time the heroes return to this era, jumping from a 
  super-villain-induced desert planet to a climate-change-
  induced global ocean, but with the same NPCs and com-
  munities (adapted differently for their new timeline).
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  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  pOST-ApOCALYpTIC EARTH-pRIME
  For generations, heroes stood vigil against the threat 
  that Omega (Freedom City, Third Edition) would return. 
  The Lord of the Terminus returned to Earth 2081, and 
  to the heroes’ horror, their decades of preparation 
  weren’t enough. Omega’s war machines slaughtered 
  millions, unleashed engineered plagues to destroy the 
  biosphere, and bombarded fuel reserves. He sought 
  not just the extermination of life, but of Earth’s ability to 
  even sustain life.
  After years of struggle, the war ended. Some believe—
  and hope—that Omega was driven off or killed. But 
  what remains is a burned-out husk of a world stripped 
  of its water and fuels and still haunted by the Terminus’s 
  engines of war. Some survivors still eke out a living in 
  the few places where food can grow. Others scavenge 
  the war-torn cities. Others take what they want or 
  need from others. Most of those who helped defend 
  the planet, hero or villain alike, bore terrible wounds or 
  died, while the villains who hid—many of whom were 
  the least empathetic to regular humans—now rule as 
  warlords, their powers making them de facto leaders in 
  this new world.
  It is a time still badly in need of heroes.
  RULES CONSIDERATIONS 
  The collapse of society means that heroes will need to be 
  able to find their own food, build and maintain their own 
  gear, and survive without outside assistance. Anything 
  that requires a lot of energy or special material to make or 
  maintain—such as microchips for electronics or complex 
  chemicals (like many medicines)—will be rare and pre-
  cious, likely impossible to replace with local tools and 
  workshops. Heroes needing to repair their time machines 
  will need to scavenge for necessary parts.
  Gamemasters will find the rules for Starvation and Radia-
  tion hazards (Environmental Hazards in Chapter 8 of 
  the Deluxe Hero’s Handbook) useful in this era.
  • Power—Immunity: Many immunities are relevant in 
  post-apocalyptic settings. Food and water are scarce, 
  and the destruction modern industrial sites means large 
  areas will be chemically toxic, radioactive, and/or have air 
  that is unbreathable. Additionally, if the cause or effects 
  of the apocalypse are still ongoing, portions of the planet 
  may be too hot, too cold, and/or underwater. For local 
  heroes, Gamemasters may wish to increase the cost of 
  some or all Immunities, or eliminate the power entirely.
  EQUIpMENT
  Equipment in Post-pocalyptic settings is often scavenged, 
  jury-rigged, unreliable, not generally available, or irre-
  placeable. Some ways to reflect that include:
  • Having limited uses per scene or adventure (particu-
  larly appropriate for weapons where ammo is scarce, or 
  an electrical device that is recharged very slowly using 
  solar cells).
  • Being unreliable, requiring a skill check to activate it or 
  keep it going once it’s started.
  • To reflect equipment that characters build from “what’s 
  available,” the player and GM might work together to 
  set aside a certain amount of EP to reflect what a char-
  acter has right now. When equipment is lost, broken, or 
  consumed, the EP is refunded, and can be put towards 
  a new gadget or vehicle the next time the character 
  would be able to make one.
  • Having reliable technology that would not cost EP in 
  other settings count as a device.
  Finding “spare parts,” ammunition, tools, or weapons 
  is also a common adventure seed, and can represent a 
  smaller reward than a power point that Gamemasters can 
  hand out more frequently. This allows one additional use 
  for equipment with limited uses.
  VEHICLES
  Heroes using scavenged vehicles is a common trope in 
  Post-Apocalyptic settings, particularly ones where hu-
  manity is forced to be nomadic because of the circum-
  stances of the apocalypse. Even in less travel focused set-
  tings, procuring fuel or electricity, or defending fuel stocks 
  from raiders, is a common source of encounters. You can 
  customize existing vehicles by adding powers and advan-
  tages to the car itself. A few possible options include:
  • All-Terrain Tires: Movement 1 (Sure-footed) • 2 points
  • Armor Plating: Protection 3 • 3 points
  • Caltrop Dispenser: Shapeable Area Environment 1 
  (Impede Movement 2) • 2 points
  • Custom Paintjob: Advantage (Benefit: Status) • 1 point
  • Flame-Thrower: Line Area Damage 6 • 12 points
  • Flexible Fuel Source: Immunity 1 (Running Out of Gas) • 
  1 point
  • Hovercraft: Movement 1 (Trackless) • 2 points
  • Low-Rider: Movement 1 (Slithering) • 2 points
  • Machine-Gun: Range Damage 5 [Multiattack] • 11 points
  • Nudge Bar: Damage 6 • 6 points
  • Overthruster: Advantage (Extraordinary Effort) • 1 point
  • Retooled Carburetor: Advantage (Great Endurance) • 1 
  point
  • Side Spikes: Advantage (Move-By Action) • 1 point
  • Smokescreen: Cloud Area Concealment Attack (visual) 2 
  • 4 points
  NEW EQUIpMENT
  Post-apocalyptic equipment is about making do with 
  what you have on hand, forcing survivors to be creative. 
  Some of the most iconic items include:
  MOTORIZED MELEE WEApON
  A lawnmower, jackhammer, chainsaw, or other tool from 
  before the fall, turned into an intimidating, if impractical 
  weapon. A motorized melee weapon relies on its engine 
  for damage, but still requires decent strength to wield.
  Motorized Melee Weapon: Damage 6; Inaccurate, Quirk 
  (minimum STR 3 required) • 4 points
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  SLINGBOW
  This upgraded crossbow is modified with a sling and 
  allows the user to fire a variety of improvised payloads, 
  based on what they have available. Some of the more 
  exotic ammunition is harder to find and make, restricting 
  how often those options can be used per encounter.
  Slingbow: Weapon Array (12 pts; Sharpened Hubcap: Ranged 
  Damage 6; AE: Crossbow Bolt: Ranged Penetrating Damage 
  4; AE: Bow-Propelled Explosive: Ranged Area Damage 4; 
  AE: Sedative: Ranged Affliction 6 [Resisted and Overcome by 
  Fortitude; Fatigued, Exhausted, Incapacitated; Unreliable: 5 uses]; 
  AE: Net: Ranged Affliction 4 [Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by 
  Damage; Hindered, Immobile; Incapacitated]) • 16 points
  SpIKED LEATHER JACKET
  A common sight in the post-apocalyptic era, the jacket 
  provides both protection and a useful backup weapon in 
  a pinch.
  Spiked Leather Jacket: Protection 1, Strength-based Damage 1 
  • 2 points
  REBUILT ROADSTER
  Modified for greater performance and the ability to use a 
  variety of fuels, the roadster has some armor, but focuses 
  on being light and maneuverable.
  Rebuilt Roadster 
  14 points
  Size: Gargantuan Strength: 6 Speed: 5 (ground) Defense: 
  9 Toughness: 9 Powers: Flexible Fuel Source (Immunity 1 
  [Running out of Gas]), Nudge Bar (Damage 6), Side Spikes 
  (Move-by Action)
  VISITING HEROES
  The Post-Apocalyptic Earth era lets you personalize ad-
  ventures to unsettle and challenge your heroes. Game-
  masters can include elements of the fall that relate di-
  rectly back to major characters in your campaign, or the 
  backgrounds and personalities of your heroes.
  Possible plot hooks:
  • A genocidal AI might be derived from the work of a 
  gadgeteer hero, or one of their rivals.
  • The apocalypse might have been caused by a dark 
  future version of a vengeance-motivated hero, or 
  someone inspired by their actions.
  • A villain who had a unique power could have prevented 
  the apocalypse, but a prior defeat by the heroes killed 
  or imprisoned the villain at a key moment to change 
  the trajectory of the future.
  • Something or someone that the characters have ne-
  glected by focusing on adventuring eventually leads to 
  the apocalypse.
  • The heroes discover that a series of escalating battles 
  with their villains lead 
  to the apocalypse.
  This era can also set a 
  harsh contrast with the 
  heroes’ expectations, powers, 
  and morality. A “by the book” 
  crime fighter having to grapple 
  with a universe where there are no laws or 
  jails, a power armor pilot in a world of me-
  dieval technology, or a protector of nature 
  in a radiation-blasted wasteland—all will 
  have both mechanical and roleplaying 
  challenges as they adapt.
  Heroes often first discover a Post-
  Apocalyptic era when a 
  person or message from 
  that 
  setting 
  travels 
  back in time. Time 
  travelers from this era 
  might jump back to 
  the heroes’ present to 
  prevent the apocalypse. It may 
  also be the end result of a time 
  travel mishap or hazard.
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  Possible plot hooks:
  • Time travelers approach the heroes, claiming they came 
  back in time to prevent their past from happening.
  • A disease is ravaging present-day Earth and will create 
  the Post-Apocalyptic future. The heroes must go to the 
  future and study the survivors who have now devel-
  oped immunity.
  • A villain from the future manipulates the heroes into 
  doing things that genuinely do help people in the 
  present, but make the apocalypse more likely to occur.
  LOCAL HEROES
  The specific cause of the apocalypse often will give a 
  guideline as to what powers work within a setting. A 
  plague or sudden shift in the planet’s environment might 
  leave survivors mutated, granting them superhuman or 
  psychic abilities. Heroes showing any powers that regular 
  people don’t have will likely instill awe and fear, particu-
  larly if those powers seem to be linked to the cause of the 
  apocalypse. Leftover technology also represents a major 
  power source, and a hero with a reliable assault rifle and 
  tactical armor is as much a superhero in the wasteland as 
  a billionaire in powered armor is to the modern world.
  Powered heroes in Post-Apocalyptic settings may have 
  the power to change the world, but their powers, and 
  their effects, can help immerse the players in the setting. 
  Humans desperately fighting off alien invaders may have 
  grafted alien organs to their bodies in order to survive, 
  or gadgeteers may have to disassemble ancient and ir-
  replaceable machines to make their weapons and tools. 
  Likewise, a mage who drains the life from the living to 
  power their spells, even if they use those powers for good, 
  can be a constant reminder of the fall, and its causes. 
  Rather than fighting to maintain a status quo, Post-Apoc-
  alyptic Earth heroes often fight to improve the world: Re-
  covering lost knowledge, finding steady supplies, leading 
  their people to a fabled valley where plants still thrive. 
  They may be learning to govern their survivors, or serving 
  a warlord—perhaps even a former villain—who handles 
  the day-to-day drudgery of leadership.
  STATBLOCKS
  The following statblocks are especially useful in this era:
  Death Machine 
  pL 10 • MR11 • 160 points
  STR 8 STA — AGL 2 DEX 0 FGT 5 INT –2 AWE 0 PRE 4
  Powers: Growth 4 (Innate, Permanent), Immunity 60 (Fortitude 
  Effects, Will Effects), Movement 1 (Sure-footed), Impervious 
  Protection 10, Senses 5 (Direction Sense, Distance Sense, 
  Infravision, Radio, Time Sense), Speed 3 (16 MPH), Weapon 
  Systems  (Array; 24 points) Blasters Ranged Damage 12, 
  AE: Missiles Burst Area Ranged Damage 8, AE: Retractable 
  Blades Strength-based Damage 4 (Accurate).
  Skills: Perception 8 (+8), Ranged Combat: Weapon Systems 8 
  (+8), Technology 6 (+4). 
  Offense: Init +2, Blasters +8 (Ranged, Damage 12), Retractable 
  Blades +7 (Close, Damage 12). 
  Defense: Dodge 5, Parry 6, Fortitude —, Toughness 14, Will —. 
  Totals: Abilities 16 + Powers 125 + Advantages 0 + Skills 11 (22 
  ranks) + Defenses 8 = 160
  Massive engines of war, death machines prowl the world 
  to eliminate their targets even generations after the 
  nations that commissioned them are gone. 
  Giant Roach 
  pL 2 • MR1 • 14 points
  STR 1 STA 2 AGL 2 DEX –1 FGT 2 INT –5 AWE 1 PRE –3
  Powers: Immunity 3 (Radiation, Disease, Poison), Penetrating 
  1 (on Strength Damage; Mandibles), Movement 4 (Sure-footed 
  2, Wall-crawling 2: full speed). 
  Advantages: Close Attack. 
  Skills: Stealth 4 (+6). 
  Offense: Init +2, Bite +3 (Close, Damage 1). 
  Defense: Dodge 2, Parry 2, Fortitude 3, Toughness 2, Will 1. 
  Totals: Abilities –2 + Powers 12 + Advantages 1 + Skills 2 (4 
  ranks) + Defenses 1 = 14
  One of the clear winners following the fall, the giant roach 
  has mutated, growing to the size of a dog to fill ecologi-
  cal niches left abandoned during the mass extinction. 
  While cowardly on their own, they are highly aggressive 
  in groups, and can overrun even well-armed survivors to 
  feast on the juicy meats inside.
  Mutant Survivor 
  pL 5 • MR4 • 51 points
  STR 2 STA 3 AGL 1 DEX 2 FGT 2 INT 0 AWE 2 PRE 0
  Powers: Immunity 1 (Choose Cold, Disease, Heat, or Radiation). 
  Equipment: Club, Rifle, Scrap Armor (Protection 3). 
  Advantages: Close Attack 3, Diehard, Equipment 3, Improvised 
  Tools, Ranged Attack 3. 
  Skills: Athletics 4 (+6), Expertise: Survival 4 (+4), Stealth 4 (+5), 
  and either Technology, Treatment, or Vehicles 4. 
  Offense: Init +1, Club +5 (Close, Damage 4), Rifle +5 (Ranged, 
  Damage 5), Unarmed +5 (Close, Damage 2). 
  Defense: Dodge 3, Parry 4, Fortitude 5, Toughness 6/3*, Will 3 
  *Without Scrap Armor. 
  Totals: Abilities 24 + Powers 1 + Advantages 11 + Skills 8 (16 
  ranks) + Defenses 7 = 51
  The mutated humans who survive the apocalypse are 
  better adapted to their harsh world. This example is light 
  on useful mutations and represents a more grim “hard 
  science” mutant who is saddled with complications.
  More fantastic or unusual mutant survivors will have ad-
  ditional mutations, or even outright super powers. Select 
  one or more of the following for more radical mutations:
  Aquatic: Immunity 1 (Drowning), Senses 1 (Darkvision), 
  Swimming 5 • 8 points
  Animal Powers: Enhanced Strength 1, Enhanced Stamina 1, 
  Enhanced Fighting 1, Senses 4 (Acute Smell, Low-light Vision, 
  Tracking, Ultra Hearing) • 10 points
  Bulk: Enhanced Strength 3 (Inaccurate 1), Impervious 6 on 
  Toughness • 11 points
  Energy Blast: Ranged Damage 5 • 10 points
  Radiation-Eater: Immunity (Disease, Poison, Radiation 
  Damage, Starvation) • 8 points
  Spines: Reaction Damage 3 • 12 points
  Wings: Flight 2 (Wings) • 2 points
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  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
  Index
  Index
  Symbols
  6-Pounder Long Gun (Equipment) ....... 158
  A
  Ability Strain ................................................. 115
  Accidental Traveler .......................................... 8
  Advantages ......................................................22
  Adaptable Linguist .....................................23
  Chronal Bulwark .........................................23
  Chronal Memory.........................................23
  Socially Adaptable .....................................23
  Ahuizotl .......................................................... 155
  Albatross (Albatross) ....................................89
  Alchemist....................................................... 143
  Alchemy Lab (Equipment) ...................... 141
  Alternate Timelines ......................................... 8
  American Revolution ................................ 127
  Associates .........................................................49
  Atlas ....................................................................87
  Atlatl (Equipment) ...................................... 153
  Atomic Age ......................................................71
  B
  Ballista (Equipment) .................................. 137
  Baris (Equipment) ....................................... 134
  Benefit: Draft Exemption (Advantage) ...79
  Benefit: Military Rank (Advantage) .........79
  Benefit: Rationing  
  Exemption (Advantage) ...........................79
  Blaze ...................................................................87
  Blunderbuss (Equipment) ....................... 157
  Bone Club (Equipment) ............................ 129
  Boom Box (Equipment) ............................ 165
  Bronze Age .......................................................71
  Buccaneer...................................................... 159
  Building Time Travel Stories .......................40
  C
  Catapult (Equipment) ............................... 145
  Catherinian Russia ...................................... 127
  Causality ............................................................. 5
  Champion Gladiator .................................. 139
  Charioteer ..................................................... 135
  Chronal Energy .......................................... 7, 46
  Chronal Energy Hazard Ranks ................14
  Chronal Scanner (equipment) ..................25
  Chronal Sink (Equipment) ..........................25
  Chrononaut ................................................ 5, 68
  Chrono Stabilizer Field (equipment) ......25
  Chronozoid Predator ....................................67
  Chronozoids .............................................46, 67
  Chronozoid (template) ................................67
  Civil Official’s Outfit (Equipment) ......... 149
  Classical Greece ........................................... 127
  Clockworker ....................................................67
  Clockworkers............................................48, 50
  Cold War ............................................................92
  Cold War’s Conclusion .............................. 112
  Colt Frontier Six-Shooter (Equipment) 161
  Columbia ..........................................................87
  Compsognathus ......................................... 131
  Conjuring Ring ...............................................80
  Conjuring Ring (Device) ..............................80
  Copper Age ......................................................71
  Corvette (Equipment) ............................... 158
  Cosmic Clock ...................................................48
  Cosmic Treadmill ...........................................97
  Counter-Clock Culture .................................51
  Crimson Katana ..............................................86
  Cult Hero (Advantage) .................................96
  Cutlass (Equipment) .................................. 157
  Cyber Revolution ........................................ 164
  Cyber Ronin .................................................. 167
  D
  Damascus Steel Blade (Equipment) ..... 141
  Death Machine ............................................ 171
  Dedicated Defense (Advantage) ........... 116
  Detective ....................................................... 119
  Dimensional Layers......................................... 8
  Dingjia Armor (Equipment) .................... 149
  Doc Patch (Equipment) ............................ 165
  Domineer (Advantage) ............................. 116
  Downplay .........................................................15
  Dreadnought ..................................................88
  Dread Pirate .................................................. 159
  Dr. Spectre ........................................................87
  E
  Early Hominid .............................................. 131
  Electro-Sword (Equipment) .................... 165
  Elite Mexica Armor (Equipment) ........... 154
  Enchanted Scarab (Device) ........................80
  Engineer ......................................................... 155
  English Longbow (Equipment) .............. 145
  Era ......................................................................... 5
  Event Horizon (Equipment) .......................27
  Evolution and Devolution ..........................46
  eXterminator (Archetype) ..........................51
  F
  Faerie, Sidhe ................................................. 147
  Familiar Faces .................................................... 9
  Far-Future Soldier ..........................................69
  Fifth Columnist ...............................................83
  Fire Lance (Equipment) ............................ 150
  Fixed Points .....................................................11
  Flintlock Pistol (Equipment).................... 157
  Futurekin ..........................................................49
  Future Perfectionist (Archetype) ..............54
  FVK ................................................................... 124
  G
  Galatea ........................................................... 104
  Gatling Gun (Equipment) ........................ 161
  Ghengis .......................................................... 122
  Giant Roach .................................................. 171
  Gimmick Arrows.............................................97
  Gladiator Armor (Equipment) ................ 137
  Golden Age ......................................................72
  Golden Age Emerald City ...........................84
  Golden Age Heroes .......................................82
  Golden Age of Sail ...................................... 156
  Golden Lariat (Device) .................................80
  Gorgons ......................................................... 123
  Great Depression ...........................................73
  GREAT MING EMPIRE ................................. 148
  Great Zimbabwe ......................................... 127
  Guardians of Time .........................................48
  H
  Hacker ............................................................. 167
  Halogen ......................................................... 105
  Hidebehind ................................................... 163
  Home Era ............................................................ 5
  Hyperintelligent Dinosaur (Archetype) .28
  I
  Immortal Conqueror (Archetype) ............57
  Imperial Rome ............................................. 136
  Incan Expansion .......................................... 127
  Indestructible Shield ....................................98
  Indus Valley ................................................... 126
  Information Broker ..................................... 167
  Iron Age ......................................................... 108
  Iron Age Heroes .......................................... 117
  Iron Age New York City ............................. 120
  Iroquois Confederacy ................................ 127
  Islamic Golden Age .................................... 140
  J
  Jaguar Warrior.............................................. 155
  Jester ............................................................... 147
  Jinn .................................................................. 143
  Jurassic Planet ............................................. 128
  L
  Lance (Equipment) ..................................... 145
  Lariat (Equipment) ..................................... 161
  Legendary Gunslinger .............................. 163
  Legionary ...................................................... 139
  Leg Snare Trap (Equipment) ................... 129
  Lethality ......................................................... 115
  Living Gateway (Archetype) ......................60
  Long (Equipment) ...................................... 151
  Lorica Segmentata (Equipment) ........... 137
  M
  Macuahuitl (Equipment) .......................... 153
  Madame Crossbow .......................................88
  Man-of-War (Equipment) ......................... 158
  Medieval Europe ......................................... 144
  Megalodon ................................................... 131
  Middle Manager.......................................... 119
  Motorized 
  Melee  
  Weapon (Equipment) ............................. 169
  Muscle-Powered Vehicles ...........................21
  Mutant Survivor .......................................... 171
  N
  Nightwatchman ......................................88, 89
  Non-lethal Tactics (Advantage) ............. 116
  O
  Old Kingdom Egypt ................................... 132
  172
  172
  172
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS  
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  The Time Traveler's Codex
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Super Hero Games/Mutants & Masterminds/3rd Edition/Time Traveller's Codex.pdf