As a smaller game it is important to avoid too much duplication amongst characters. Diversity it part of the fun, as is feeling your concept is original and unique to your vision. Key to this is your Character Concept. Concept plays a pivotal role in your special effects, and the overall feel of your character.
Character Concepts are formed of two parts: Origin and Powers.
- Origin The Origin is the way you explain where you came from, it could be a racial type such as Demon, Godling, Angel or Alien. It could also have to do with the way you were raised, such as by criminals, wolves in the wild, or adventuring archaeologists. Origin can also explain the source of your powers, though it doesn't have to.
- Powers Your Powers are fairly self-explanatory and are exemplified by the many archetypes that define your abilities in broad strokes such as but not limited to Paragon, Speedster, Weapon Master or Light Controller.
Characters can share one but not both of the above, in other words you could have two Speedsters, but not two Speedsters raised by wolves. Having two light controllers is fine, two light controllers raised by criminals are not.
If staff feels a concept is not suitable for the game, or too similar to an already existing character we reserve the right to deny it. Of course we will be only too happy to offer suggestions and advice to revise and fine tune concepts.
Heroes should have Attack and Defense ratings at or close to their PL. Trade offs can of course affect this.
- Attack Bonus + Damage Bonus cannot exceed your PL x 2
- Defense Bonus + Toughness Save cannot exceed your PL x 2
Heroes should generally spend no less than their PL points on skills. Below are listed the skill ranks, not bonus, to determine how well trained you are in a skill.
Skill Benchmarks
- 1-4: Amateur: At this level you have a rudimentary understanding and level of training in the skill.
- 5-8: Professional: Most NPCs will have this level of skill in their primary occupation.
- 9-12: Expert: You are highly skilled at the skill in question and recognized as such.
- 13-15: Master: At this level of skill you are a virtual master of the skill in question.
- 16+: Legendary: You are so skilled that you are one of the best in the world at what you do. If your skill is known you are widely known for your expertise.
Heroes should have saves totaling no less than three times their PL, though anything over four times PL will be difficult to impossible to get approved. Also, one of your saves (not including Reflex) should be no more more than PL-3, very few heroes are strongly resistant to all forms of attack.
Heroes should have at least one attack power or ability at or near their PL except in very rare cases.
The most important guideline is that heroes should have their powers and abilities fit a concept.
There are five sources that you can choose from and two subtypes. The source of you powers is a crucial part of your character concept so it bears mentioning here. A character might have different power sources for different powers, though this is generally uncommon.
- Alien Your powers stem from the fact you're an alien with exotic abilities compared to human norm. Of course this can be combined with other origins such as an accident imbuing you with powers much stronger than a typical member of your race or entirely new powers. Some Alien abilities such as being permanently and inherently larger or smaller could qualify for the Innate power feat.
- Science Your powers are the result of deliberate scientific design and could take many forms such as power armor, high tech weaponry, a super serum that temporarily grants abilities, or other gadgets. If your powers are a permanent part of you and cannot be taken away then this is not an appropriate power source, though science may well have been involved.
- Mundane This is used to describe ordinary tech, or things that model the normal world. Examples would include a knife, a normal radio, or a bicycle with no super abilities at all. Generally speaking only under the most exotic of circumstances can Mundane sources be nullified or if the Special Effect fits very well such as an EMP taking out a digital clock radio.
- Mutation Your powers are inherent to you and manifested either spontaneously or as the results of experimentation or rites performed to endow you with power. It could have been a repercussion of experiments or accidental radiation exposure to either or both of your parents (or to you!). It could be a product of genetic engineering or eugenics or a combination of factors. The key point here is that your powers are the result of permanent alteration to your physiology. Mutation is a very common power source.
- Training Your powers are the result of training, self or otherwise and a lot of very hard work. They could be spells and rites learned by a would be sorcerer, or advanced meditation techniques to awaken mental abilities. You could be a master martial artist who uses his Ki to perform incredible acts.
Subtypes for Power Sources
- Mental Powers that are primarily mental in nature such as telepathy and telekinesis can have the Mental subtype, for example you could have had an accidental exposure to a drug that altered your brain chemistry to give you telekinesis. This would be classified as Mutation (Mental).
- Mystical Powers that are magical in nature such as the arcane ability to summon demons, or hurl bolts of raw magic, or turn someone into a frog with a spell or mystic potion can have the Mystical subtype. A rote spell to turn someone into a frog could be classified as Training (Mystical).
There are a number of traits that we do not allow or will be keeping a careful eye on to avoid abuses that are unbalancing in a MUX environment.
Banned Powers
Players may not have the powers listed below:
- Nemesis
- Probability Control
- Time Travel
Restricted Powers
The powers listed below will be carefully scrutinized:
- Boost
- Drain
- Duplication
- Healing Especially with resurrection.
- Magic
- Metamorph
- Mimic
- Space Flight
- Summon
- Transfer
Banned Feats
- Rage The Rage feat provides far more benefit than its cost, making it too good for the points spent. We do not use the Rage feat here.
Restricted Feats
Many feats will be carefully scrutinized:
- Artificer
- Benefit Particularly ones like Diplomatic Immunity. Note that we do not use the optional Wealth rules from the core rulebook so the Benefit: Wealth feat is not available.
- Inventor
- Ritualist
Banned Power Modifiers
The following power modifiers are not allowed:
- Action This modifier will not be allowed as an Extra on any damaging attack powers, and will be closely scrutinized on other powers. It is a suitable drawback or flaw.
- No Saving Throw
Restricted Power Modifiers
These modifiers will be closely scrutinized:
- Action As an Extra this can be problematic even on non-attack powers.
- Duration
- Impervious
- Insidious
- Secondary Effect
Restricted Power Feats
The power feats listed below will be closely scrutinized:
Complications
Complications are traits that are very important for a character, they do not reward you with power points, but when they are triggered by the GM they do award hero points, which are tremendously useful.
But what is a complication? A complication is a setback that you choose for your character such as having a sickly aunt you need to care for, or job that crops up at awkward times, they can be dark secrets in your past that if found out will cause you distress. Complications can be rivals or recurring enemies, a complication could be some sort of psychological quirk such as a phobia or a stringent code of behavior you follow.
A starting hero should have at least two to three complications. Over time the complication may change as new are added, or old eliminated in favor new ones more appropriate to the evolving story. Two to three complications are what we recommend you start the game with.
Drawbacks
Generally speaking it will be difficult (to impossible) to get excessive amounts of drawbacks approved, especially if they don't really constitute much of an inconvenience. If you apply for Drawbacks totaling more than your PL it is quite likely that you won't be approved.
Overtly sexual drawbacks (or complications for that matter) or those that do not limit you very much will not be approved. A drawback that is not an inconvenience due to rarity or that in fact is useful is not worth any points (or might cost points).
Drawbacks: Descriptor Rarities
Listed below are some examples of what rarity levels are appropriate for drawbacks. This list is not exhaustive but does give a good set of guidelines as to what is acceptable.
Cold, Electricity, Fire, Impact/Kinetic, Mental Effects, Mystical Effects, Power Descriptor (Mutation, Training, Science, etc).
Chemical, Darkness, Disease, Gravity, Light, Magnetic, Negative Energy (Note: Uncommon for Villains), Poison, Radiation
Positive Energy (Note: Common for Villains), Sonic/Vibration, Temporal